In Pokémon GO the Spotlight Hour with Somniam starts today, September 6th. There is also a bonus for more Stardust. We show you everything about the start, Shinies, and the bonuses.
What is this event? Every Tuesday evening, the Spotlight Hour runs in Pokémon GO. At the start of a month, the developers already announce which Pokémon will appear on the respective dates in the following weeks. The event lasts 60 minutes and brings plenty of spawns of the event Pokémon. A bonus makes the appointment even more worthwhile.
Today, September 6th, the Pokémon Somniam from the fifth generation is in focus. It is a Psychic-type Pokémon and can evolve into Somnivora.
Spotlight Hour on September 6th – Start, Bonuses, Shiny
When does it start? As you already know, the Spotlight Hour today runs again from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM local time.
What bonuses are there? For catching Pokémon, you will receive double Stardust. If you additionally light a Incense and move, you will attract even more Pokémon and can further increase your Stardust yield. A Star Piece would further increase your received dust.
You will encounter Somniam nearly everywhere in the wild and through the Incense. This is also a good opportunity to tackle the special research “A Cosmic Companion”. For the research, you should catch many Psychic-type Pokémon. The Spotlight Hour with Somniam as well as the Psychic Spectacle is ideal for that.
Is there a Shiny Somniam? Yes, you can catch shiny Somniam in Pokémon GO. In the following graphic, you can see what shiny Somniam and Somnivora look like:
Who is the Spotlight Hour worth it for? Neither Somniam nor Somnivora are important attackers in raids or PvP. The hour is particularly worthwhile because of the Stardust bonus, which can significantly replenish your supplies if you play effectively.
With a bit of luck, you might secure a Shiny. However, the chances are not increased.
In Pokémon GO kicks off the big Psychic Spectacle on September 6. The event brings you numerous spawns and Shinies as well as a bonus or two. We from MeinMMO will show you what content to expect and which new monsters to look forward to.
Which event is this about? Just like last year, you can look forward to a big Psychic Spectacle event in Pokémon GO again in 2022. This time, Psychic Pokémon will play a central role.
In addition to numerous spawns and a few bonuses, you can expect the following highlights at this year’s event:
Mega-Alakazam makes its debut in the game
Shiny-Pygaron will be found for the first time
The Psychic Cup in the GO Battle League starts
A Raid Day featuring Deoxys
When does the Psychic Spectacle take place? The Psychic event starts on September 6, 2022, at 10:00 AM local time and runs for about a week. It ends on September 12, 2022, at 8:00 PM local time.
All spawns and Shinies for the Psychic Spectacle
As you are used to from other events in Pokémon GO, thematically suitable Pokémon will spawn for the Psychic Spectacle. We have summarized where you can find which monster below.
Pokémon that can also be found in their shiny form are marked with an (*) for you.
All wild event spawns
Especially in the wild, you can encounter numerous Psychic Pokémon. During the event, keep an eye out for the following specimens:
Abra*
Slowpoke*
Remoraid*
Natu*
Alolan Exeggcute*
Spoink*
Solgaleo*
Fleknoil*
Dratini
Monozyto
Pygaron*
A few rarer monsters can be found:
Kadabra
Kirlia
All monsters from 7-km eggs
In addition to the wild Pokémon, the content of the 7-km eggs will also change during the event. You can hatch the following baby Pokémon:
Wigglytuff*
Snowy*
Klingplim
These monsters are the pre-evolutions of Rossana, Woingenau, and Palimpalim. The baby Pokémon can only occasionally be found in eggs outside of this event, making hatching worthwhile for anyone missing these little monsters in their Pokédex or wanting to secure a corresponding Shiny.
All raid bosses at the Psychic Spectacle
And you can also find thematically suitable opponents in the raids. The various forms of Deoxys and the raids against Mega-Alakazam will be particularly interesting.
These are the new Pokémon for the Psychic Spectacle
As already last year, two Pokémon are celebrating a very special debut in the game this year: Mega-Alakazam and Pygaron.
Mega-Alakazam: The Psychic Pokémon from the first generation will be found for the first time in its Mega evolution in the game. So take on the yellow monster in Mega raids and collect corresponding Mega Energy. This way, you can temporarily evolve your own strong Alakazam.
The new Mega Pokémon
By catching Alakazam after the raid, the Pokémon can also learn the event charge move Psychic, which is relatively fast and deals significant damage to the opponent. With a bit of luck, you may even encounter a Shiny-Alakazam.
Pygaron: Pygaron is a Psychic Pokémon from the 5th generation, which will celebrate its Shiny debut at the event. Its shiny form is slightly darker than the normal variant and can be distinguished mainly by its pink eyes. With the help of 50 candies, you can also evolve it into Megalon.
Pygaron and Megalon normal (left) and as Shiny (right)
All bonuses for the Psychic Spectacle
The debuts of Mega-Alakazam and Shiny-Pygaron, as well as the other spawns and Shinies during the Psychic event, are not the only content to look forward to. Niantic has more surprises and bonuses in store for you during the event:
Psychic as an exclusive move when you evolve Kadabra into Alakazam during the event or catch an Alakazam after a Mega raid
Timed research for curveball throws
Reward: Several encounters with Pygaron*
Event research
Reward: Encounters with Puppance*, Palimpalim*, Pygaron* or Hypno
Psychic Cup in the GO Battle League (September 8, 2022 to September 15, 2022)
Participation only for Psychic Pokémon with a maximum CP of 1,500
Attention! Mew is excluded from participation
Raid Day featuring Deoxys
Additionally, the Fairy Pokémon Jigglypuff will crash the Psychic Spectacle briefly on Saturday, September 10, 2022, and host a three-hour Jigglypuff Party.
By the way: What tasks and rewards await you in the new quests and timed research, and whether the content is worth it, we have summarized in the following article:
What is the Raid Day? The Raid Day is a mini-event during the Psychic Spectacle. Similar to the weekly raid hour, you will find level-5 raids at nearly all gyms for a total of 3 hours.
There you can battle the Psychic Pokémon Deoxys in its various forms (Normal form, Attack form, Defense form, and Speed form).
When does the Raid Day take place? The Raid Day runs on Sunday, September 11, 2022, from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
Does the Raid Day provide special bonuses? Yes, during the mini-event, you will receive the following bonuses:
up to 5 free raid passes by spinning the photo discs at gyms
increased Shiny chance with Deoxys
Deoxys in its various forms
The Jigglypuff Party
What is the Jigglypuff Party? Although mainly Psychic Pokémon are in the spotlight during the Psychic Spectacle, an exception is made for the so-called Harvest Moon, and a mini-event revolving around the Fairy Pokémon Jigglypuff will be inserted.
This will appear abundantly in the wild for three hours to celebrate the full moon and can, with some luck, also be caught in its shiny form.
When does the Jigglypuff Party take place? The Jigglypuff mini-event runs on Saturday, September 10, 2022, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM local time.
Does Jigglypuff offer additional bonuses? No, no additional bonuses for this mini-event are known so far. Should there be any new information, you will find it here on MeinMMO.
What do you think about the content of the Psychic Spectacle? Which monster are you looking forward to the most? And were you hoping for additional bonuses? Feel free to share your opinion with us here on MeinMMO in the comments and exchange ideas with other trainers.
In Germany, the discussion rages on whether “Winnetou” by Karl May is still acceptable today. The venerable fantasy role-playing game “Dungeons & Dragons” is experiencing a similar debate. The team revived a setting from the 1980s in August 2022, but some Twitter users today view the “flying monkey-men” as racist. The developers apologize for their mistake and respond.
This is what the content is about:
In August 2022, Wizards of the Coast relaunched the “Dungeons & Dragons” campaign “Spelljammer: Adventures in Space.” This is a kind of science fiction excursion: Dungeons & Dragons treats space in this campaign the way it commonly treats the Middle Ages, as a source of inspiration for telling adventures.
Wizards travel through space in a kind of spaceship or flying giant spider and discover new worlds.
The campaign originally appeared in 1989 and continued until 1993 without ever achieving significant success—now it returns in August 2022 with new rules.
What is so problematic about the setting? A discussion about the people “Hadozee” began on Twitter on August 30:
The Hadozee were tame creatures, roughly the size of house cats, lived in trees, and could glide from tree to tree thanks to wing-like structures on their arms.
But then a wizard came to the world, caught Hadozee, experimented on them, enlarged them, and transformed them into bipeds.
He wanted to make the Hadozee a warrior people to sell them into slavery. However, his apprentices freed the Hadozee, and ultimately the wizard was killed.
In further content, the Hadozee people are described:
They are said to be curious and optimistic. They would make loud noises or show their fangs.
The Hadozee are not very interested in philosophy. They just want to joyfully and contentedly do their work. Hadozee also enjoy the simplest tasks.
The people have a “great love for elves”—which is not returned.
It is said that the Hadozee serve “cheerfully” on the ships of the elves—every homeland they might have had has long been forgotten. In their cultural memory, they have always been on the go.
Individual excerpts from the lore of the Hadozee outraged users on Twitter, who see racist parallels.
Critics see parallels between fantasy people and slaves
This is the criticism of it: A user on Twitter explains the problem:
He sees great parallels between the Hadozee and enslaved Africans.
Is it okay if I now call the dragon game racist?
He says: They were earlier “monkey slaves who were not a people” until the elves decided they should be a people, and thus the former monkey slaves decided to work joyfully for them.
Another user on Twitter says: “A wizard creates an intelligent race, sells them into slavery, and then a good wizard frees them from their chains. They work for elves, but they are not respected.”
A third user states: “The Hadozee could be such a fun, well-written people. But instead, they are made into monkey-like slaves who love being slaves and who love their oppressors.”
From the critics’ perspective, a racist story is being told in a fantasy universe about a people who are saved by “whites” and then happily accept menial duties for their rescuers and are satisfied with it. This seems to reflect a hierarchical order within the peoples.
The parallels of enslaved and transported Africans sting the critics painfully.
Anyone who wants to play Dungeons & Dragons as an MMORPG can find an implementation with Neverwinter:
Start video
MMORPG Neverwinter showcases new expansion Dragonslayer in trailer with thrilling dragon hunt
Wizard of the Coast apologizes for failure, removes content
How do the developers respond? Wizards of the Coast announced in June 2020 that they would move away from racial stereotypes and have now issued a statement:
It states that they acknowledge and take responsibility for having content in “Spelljammer: Adventures in Space” that is considered offensive. They have failed in this regard, and the team is sorry.
The campaign includes a people called Hadozee, which first appeared in 1982—not all content was properly reviewed before being released.
Over the 50 years in the history of Dungeons & Dragons, some of our characters have been portrayed as evil and monstrous by using descriptions that painfully remind us of how groups have been demeaned and continue to be demeaned in the real world. We understand the urgency to change how we work to create a more inclusive game.
Wizards of the Coast states that they have immediately removed the offensive content about the Hadozee from the digital version, and this content will not be included in future editions of the books. Furthermore, they are conducting an internal review of how this could go live and aim to prevent this from happening in the future.
Dungeons & Dragons may play a larger role in the mainstream in the coming years. A big movie is on the way:
In League of Legends, the Worlds 2022 are coming up and the team T1 is making a significant decision: Despite a strong season, they are changing the coach: Choi “Polt” Seong-hun is promoted to General Manager, and Bae “Bengi” Seong-woong (28) takes his place. The former world-class jungler had won 3 World Championships alongside mid-laner Faker.
Why is the situation with the coach at T1 so difficult?
T1 had a fixed coach for years: the now 36-year-old kkoma. He was with T1 from 2012 to 2019, won 3 World Championships, and was considered an absolute fan favorite. Even today, T1 CEO Joe Marsh refers to him as “the greatest coach in League of Legends of all time”.
However, in 2019, things didn’t go well for T1. At the Worlds, they lost to a team from Europe: Apparently a disgrace for the proud South Korean. kkoma stated that individually his players were much better than those of G2. kkoma left T1 after the Worlds in 2019. Today, he is with DWG KIA.
Since kkoma left, T1 has repeatedly experimented with extremely successful LoL coaches, but soon became dissatisfied with them and let them go again.
Recently, they apparently found their old strength again under the actual manager Polt as coach, but he is now being let go as well. And that just before the Worlds 2022.
He is the heart of T1, Faker:
Start video
The Life of Faker – Why He is a Living Legend
T1 has no luck with World Champion coaches
How did Polt become the coach? After T1 missed the Worlds in 2020, the team hired two “World Champion coaches” again.
But Polt fired the actual “super coaches” in the summer of 2021 due to failure:
Although things went so well for Polt on paper, fans were constantly unhappy with the coaching team: In August, a truck was even rented that protested against the coaches with illuminated messages (via inven).
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It was said the coaching team was “incompetent” and “too inexperienced” to lead the current team. The selection of coaches during drafts was repeatedly criticized.
The head of T1 countered: They had previously hired “experienced, successful coaches”, but they had failed.
34-year-old Polt was labeled as being more of a manager than a coach and had no considerable experience as a LoL professional or coach before T1. Fans were already against him when in November 2020, it was being considered to promote him to coach. Instead, they preferred to hire two World Champion coaches, who then failed at T1.
Three-time World Champion as a player is set to fix things now
This is now the decision: Polt will be promoted back to “General Manager” and is to manage all teams of T1.
Bengi will be appointed as the head coach of the professionals.
Who is Bengi? The now 28-year-old Bengi is a club legend for T1. He played there from 2013 to 2016 and won the team’s 3 World Championships alongside Faker:
He ended his career as a professional in 2017 and had to do his military service.
He returned to the team in 2020 and started as a coach of the second team.
Now he is set to train the professionals at the Worlds.
From T1, it is said that Bengi learned under the “greatest LoL coach” of all time. And he has the full support of T1.
The decisive factor for the change seems to be the lost LCK final against Gen G.:
The manufacturer LG is known for its TVs for PS5 and Xbox. Now they have introduced an NFT collection for their own televisions. NFTs are small digital images that you can buy. What could be better than having your own collection shine on your monitor?
Nintendos on the TV: LG Art Lab is available only in the USA for now
Where can you use it? The new platform “LG Art Lab” is now available in the USA on the company’s TVs with webOS 5.0 or higher. You can access it directly from the home screen and buy, sell, or just view digital artworks. In the future, the system is expected to be available in more countries.
Also integrated is the feature “LG Art Lab Drops.” This will notify you when your favorite artist releases a new artwork that you definitely want to buy. There is a timer that informs you when the NFT offer expires.
Why is LG equipping its TVs with this? LG explains in its press release that LG TVs are perfectly suited for displaying NFTs on a large screen (via lgnewsroom.com). LG explains:
The state-of-the-art LG televisions that deliver excellent picture quality and offer several large screens are the perfect medium for showcasing your own NFT collection.
At the launch of the new program, they have collaborated with the sculptor Barry X Ball. You can purchase the first NFT works directly through the new store on an LG TV. In the future, more artists are expected to follow.
What is the problem with NFTs? Among gamers, such digital artworks are highly controversial. Many consider these small images to be dangerous speculation, where millions of euros can be lost. There are often enough games that sell NFTs as game content but then have to shut down suddenly. Back then, players invested in a racing game and bought NFT cars. But the project was shut down and users lost a lot of money or had to settle for substitute NFTs.
What do you think about the new feature and the initiative? Do you think it is exaggerated or is it an important step to integrate NFTs into mainstream society?
More news about NFTs: Many multiplayer games are also relying on NFTs today. For example, one game involves land, which you can purchase as an NFT. The game idea is by none other than the renowned game developer Peter Molyneux, whom you may know from several major games:
There is trouble in the German-speaking Twitch community. The casino streamer Theo “Scurrows” Bottländer has issued a copyright strike against a live stream by “AlphaKevin” on Twitch, interrupting it with a ban. AlphaKevin reacted to a video by Scurrows during the stream. The casino streamer felt threatened in his existence by a statement from the streamer. A dispute is erupting over the strike: Scurrows is now even threatening to take the matter to court.
How did the ban come about?
The German Twitch streamer and YouTuber Oliver “AlphaKevin” Guthe reacted to a video by Scurrows in a Twitch stream on September 4.
Scurrows initiated a copyright strike.
AlphaKevin’s channel was temporarily banned from Twitch as a result. The stream was interrupted midway. At that time, AlphaKevin had 1,316 viewers. This was a record number for the streamer: Never before had the streamer had so many simultaneous viewers on his Twitch channel “EchterAlphaKevin”.
What is a reaction? In a “reaction video”, the content of another creator is prominently displayed, while the reacting YouTuber is shown in a window, pausing and commenting on the content repeatedly.
This is a popular format on YouTube and Twitch. Content creators like Asmongold or xQc have become huge with this content because it allows for a lot of content production with little effort. This format became immensely popular on Twitch during the legal battle between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard.
This is what a typical reaction format looks like. The original video (here: Scurrows) is large, while the reacting creator (here: AlphaKevin) is small in the picture.
Scurrows felt threatened in his existence by the statement
Why did Scurrows do that? As revealed in a YouTube video by Tobias Huch (via youtube), who spoke with those involved, Scurrows was upset by a statement in AlphaKevin’s stream:
From Scurrows’ perspective, AlphaKevin expressed doubts about whether Scurrows is evading taxes by stating a false residence with “Madeira”.
AlphaKevin said: “I want them all to lose their money”.
Scurrows subsequently felt threatened in his existence and claimed copyright over the video that AlphaKevin reacted to.
AlphaKevin was then banned from Twitch live on camera and received a 48-hour ban.
Scurrows had successfully litigated his way back to the platform after a 3-year ban from Twitch. He trusts in the power of the judiciary:
Also, streamer Tanzverbot, who is involved in a conflict with Scurrows, adds: “Dude, this is so ridiculous. From now on, he should just not react to anything anymore. We can also strike.”
Scurrows says: “Which code of honor? – There is no honor present”
How does Scurrows see it? Scurrows wants nothing to do with such a code of honor. He says in an Instagram story (via insta):
He has been insulted by AlphaKevin and Tanzverbot for 3 months.
At Gamescom, he was even attacked.
They are calling for his Twitch ban.
Now they have “the authorities and police” involved to harm him.
They wish for him to lose everything.
Then he issues a strike because AlphaKevin “reacts to a video without permission” – and it is said: “Scurrows breaks the code of honor.”
According to Scurrows, there is “no honor” at all with AlphaKevin and Tanzverbot.
Twitch, by the way, also has very nice sides:
Start video
Twitch: One of the most popular clips shows a super sweet scare moment
Streamer appeals against ban, is released – Scurrows announces lawsuit
This is how AlphaKevin reacted: The streamer AlphaKevin, on the other hand, appealed against the strike and quickly regained his channel from Twitch. The ban was lifted.
This is evident from statements by Scurrows, which AlphaKevin shares on Twitter.
If such an objection occurs, the copyright holder has the option to enforce his objection legally. This is exactly what Scurrows now apparently wants to do:
Who is right or not, that would have to be decided by a court. And I think I will now take the next step. Through the lawyer.
Scurrows
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Scurrows wants to fight for his rights, even against the majority
In another post on Instagram stories, Scurrows sounds even more determined. He says that people will not bring him down. He fights for his rights. He has always done so.
Why are the two in conflict? Scurrows belongs to a group of casino streamers: The group has been criticized repeatedly for their streams by a group of opinion bloggers in recent months.
At gamescom 2022, there was a physical altercation.
Addons and Macros in World of Warcraft have become too powerful and even make automated gameplay easier. An ancient chat command now needs to be adjusted.
Whether in World of Warcraft Classic or the current Retail version – at some point, everyone comes across multiboxers flying through the wilderness with 10 druids at the same time or a boosting group that seemingly allows itself to be carried through dungeons without having to level manually.
Both are a thorn in the side of many WoW fans and Blizzard, which is why a discussion in the “Community Council” forum, basically a council of players, has led to a change.
What is the problem? The “/follow” command is simply a nice convenience for most WoW veterans. It allows you to follow other characters for a while. It’s nice when the doorbell rings or the phone rings and you don’t want to miss the raid or a long flight.
But the addon functionality of World of Warcraft allows for much more. Through various interface addons, the boosting provider can send a message that causes the boosting customer to automatically go to “/follow” thanks to an addon – all without the customer having to perform any key presses.
The booster can therefore ensure, through an addon, that the “pulled” characters automatically follow him out of the dungeon and back in. Thus, the boosting customer does not need to be at the PC at all and can go completely afk during this time while the booster fulfills his part of the agreement.
Why isn’t /follow just abolished? The “/follow” command is not only used by honest players to follow a colleague in the raid during a short afk break, but also has other uses.
There are many WoW fans with physical disabilities who find it hard to perform a key press for every movement. Blind players also often require the follow command to play with their friends or acquaintances in WoW.
These people rely on aids, such as the “follow” command, to still enjoy World of Warcraft. Any restriction of this functionality would reduce the game’s accessibility, as Linaori notes in the “Community Council” forum:
Removing the follow command would make the game practically unplayable for many who rely on such accessibility.
We should find a way to get rid of [the multiboxers and botters] without restricting accessibility.
What does Blizzard want to do? The WoW developer “Pazorax” has commented in the forum and explained that they want to address this issue. It is stated:
I have reached out to our interface and accessibility teams and we are currently investigating this.
In principle, we agree that accessibility is important, but that doesn’t mean that every attempt to limit botting or automation is an attack on accessibility. There are many actions for which the game currently requires hardware input and it makes sense that the /follow function be added to that list, based on what has been mentioned [above].
We are targeting this change for both Wrath of the Lich King Classic and the release of Dragonflight.
Before we implement such changes, we will reach out to players with physical disabilities. To be clear, the change we are planning will still allow people with disabilities to follow a leader and this includes the use of macros or interface modifications that issue the follow command. The behavior we want to prevent is when interface addons are meant to execute a follow command based on a message received from another source, like from another character.
How do multiboxers see this? From them comes mainly an exasperated sigh, as they find this change at most annoying. As Leialoha says in the forum, who claims to have been multiboxing since the release of the original Burning Crusade:
As long as Blizzard doesn’t clearly prohibit multiboxing, I will continue to multibox with the restrictions that have been imposed.
Regarding these changes that will ‘destroy’ our “/follow” WeakAura – this will not prevent me (or anyone else) from multiboxing. All we need to do is modify our macros to include a /follow command. (…)
Multiboxing will therefore not stop the change – and it probably shouldn’t, but at least fully automated boosting through dungeons will then likely require the customer to attach themselves to their booster and return to their PC every few minutes.
These are small steps – but at least something is happening.
What do you think of the adjustment?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Path of Exile is considered a popular action RPG and has mostly received positive reviews on Steam so far. However, this has changed recently, and an expert explains why.
Who is it about? On the YouTube channel “ZiggyD Gaming,” a video was released in which the YouTuber explains why the community of the action RPG Path of Exile is currently so dissatisfied with the game (via. YouTube).
ZiggyD primarily focuses on action RPGs, loot-driven games, and RPGs on the channel, accumulating 224,000 subscribers on the platform. A large portion of his content is related to Path of Exile.
What has changed in the reviews?
Path of Exile has 190,783 reviews on Steam (as of September 5, 2022, 12:00 PM)
87% of all reviews on Steam are positive, 13% are negative
In the last 30 days, 6,386 reviews have been added on Steam
Only 26% of ratings in the last days are positive, 74% are negative
The ‘Path of Exile’ player base is the most uniform I’ve ever seen, unfortunately, this is because they are very dissatisfied with the current state of the game and developer ‘Grinding Gear Games’ first response to their complaints.
ZiggyD on YouTube about community dissatisfaction
What reasons does ZiggyD give for player dissatisfaction? ZiggyD summarizes four reasons within the game that players are currently unhappy with Path of Exile in his video.
The latest expansion Lake of Kalandra
Archnemesis mechanic on all monsters
Change of mechanics, example: the harvesting system
Reduced loot
Numerous changes lead to player dissatisfaction
What did the expansion Lake of Kalandra bring?
A new challenge league at the mirrored lake with 40 new challenges
Allows crafting of rings or amulets with a crafting process to mirror and thus improve
More lore about the character “Kalandra”
Lake of Kalandra
What is the problem with Lake of Kalandra? ZiggyD states in his video that players quickly regarded the new challenge league of the expansion as not worthwhile. The comparison to the state in which most new content is released is especially decisive.
ZiggyD himself says he likes the concept of Lake of Kalandra but wishes for more new content. In general, he concludes that an expansion league, released in an ungrateful state, is “not a big deal.”
Moreover, according to ZiggyD, the state of the expansion means that players currently cannot take advantage of the hype for a new expansion to forget about annoying things in the game.
[…] It means that at the current state of things, players cannot really rely on the hype for the new expansion when other things in the game are currently frustrating them.
If you need further impressions of Lake of Kalandra, we will embed the trailer for the new expansion league:
Start video
Path of Exile lets you create the levels of the new league yourself – “You always find a way to pull me in”
Archnemesis mechanic on all monsters
What is Archnemesis? The Archnemesis mechanic was originally an expansion mechanic that allowed players to redefine rare monsters with new modifiers. This way, players could create very strong and difficult-to-fight monsters and fight against them.
What is the problem with the Archnemesis mechanic? Many of the Archnemesis modifiers have, according to ZiggyD, distorted the gameplay and “largely frustrated the players.” Shortly thereafter, these frustrating Archnemesis modifiers were added to all rare monsters in the game, which, according to ZiggyD, was very surprising.
However, it was added that players cannot evade these rare monsters with the frustrating modifiers. Furthermore, the rewards that were associated with the modifiers in the Archnemesis expansion were removed. The monsters became more frustrating but dropped no more loot than before.
ZiggyD then points out that the problem of the modifiers has been improved with several patches, and there are now fewer rare monsters and decent rewards, yet the game has become worse for many players due to the reworking of the monsters compared to before.
Multiple patches have been released to eliminate some of the worst offenders of these Archnemesis modifiers, but many players still felt that the game as a whole had gotten worse with this new overhaul of the rare monsters.
ZiggyD on YouTube about the Archnemesis modifiers
In the comments below ZiggyD’s video, the YouTuber user Nathan Davis also addressed the problem and wrote:
“Archnemesis was fine as a standalone thing. When I died to an unbeatable rare monster with infinite damage, it was my fault because I created it intentionally. Now I have no choice.”
Nathan Davis about the Archnemesis monsters via YouTube
Change of mechanics, example: the harvesting system
What is harvesting? According to ZiggyD, harvesting is a powerful and rewarding system for crafting items. The problem with the system is that it was frustrating to handle, trading was based on trust, and this often had to be done through Discord groups by third parties.
In an announcement, according to ZiggyD, the developers promised to make the harvesting system more pleasant, to make it fully tradable, and to remove unnecessary crafting options.
What is the problem with the harvesting mechanic? As ZiggyD reports in his video, useful and powerful crafting options, for example for re-rolling or re-forging items, were completely removed during the overhaul of the harvesting system. Overall, the scope of crafting has been reduced to a tiny fraction compared to before after the overhaul.
Thus, according to ZiggyD, an adjustment that was touted as a “nice improvement of an older, beloved crafting system” turned out to be “very, very clunky.”
Reduced loot
What is the problem with the loot? As ZiggyD reports, there were initially isolated people who noticed they were getting less loot than usual. Then, the “evidence” piled up, and even top farmers or entire groups shared their miserable loot and showed comparisons to previous expansions, according to ZiggyD.
Overall, ZiggyD looked at the developers’ post and came to a devastating conclusion:
The difference between the extent of the proposed changes and the extent of the problems as seen by the community creates a strong sense of disconnection and helplessness, along with a loss of trust and dwindling optimism for the future.
ZiggyD on YouTube about the changes proposed by the developers
What do you think about the current state of Path of Exile? Do you believe the game is in a bad state or do you find that the negativity of the players is exaggerated? Feel free to let us know here on MeinMMO in the comments!
If you’re on the lookout for other action RPGs to take a break from Path of Exile or Diablo, check out our list of 11 that are like Diablo.
In a “We are working on it” post by the developers, they stated that they adjusted the drop rate of items:
“We removed a massive historical bonus on the amount and/or rarity of items that applied to some league-specific monsters. We replaced it with a moderate (2-3 times) increase in item quantity to offset the fact that they often have more life than normal monsters and some cannot drop maps.”
ZiggyD explains the change in more detail and states that the amount of loot from some monsters on endgame maps has been reduced by approximately 50 to 80 percent. Furthermore, the bonuses on rarity that affect the dropping of rare and unique items have been completely removed.
Overall, ZiggyD looked at the developers’ post and came to a devastating conclusion:
The difference between the extent of the proposed changes and the extent of the problems as seen by the community creates a strong sense of disconnection and helplessness, along with a loss of trust and dwindling optimism for the future.
ZiggyD on YouTube about the changes proposed by the developers
What do you think about the current state of Path of Exile? Do you believe the game is in a bad state or do you find that the negativity of the players is exaggerated? Feel free to let us know here on MeinMMO in the comments!
If you’re on the lookout for other action RPGs to take a break from Path of Exile or Diablo, check out our list of 11 that are like Diablo.
Titanfall 2 is a topic in itself, because although the shooter overshadowed its predecessor, it never received the attention from fans that it deserved. Now, almost six years after its release, the title is experiencing a player boom on Steam again, but why?
Titanfall 2 lures with an unbeatable price: While some players wonder why Titanfall 2 is experiencing a player boom now on Steam, many already know where the reason lies. The shooter is on sale with an unbeatable low price of €4.79.
If you’ve ever heard of this online shooter but refrained from trying it because of the price, now would be the time to seize the opportunity.
Fans celebrate the player boom
Steam Charts recorded a total of 723 players actively playing on August 30, 2022. However, when the sale started, the numbers began to fluctuate. From August 31, with 946 active players, the figures skyrocketed to a staggering 19,459 players on September 4.
Titanfall 2 is still an action-packed game
Fans on Reddit are therefore excited that their shooter is getting a resurgence. Many new players are even simply puzzled as to why this title has faded away. Reddit user Inviz1mal even states: ‘I literally just started the game and I’m in love with the mechanics, like the movements and the titans. How could Respawn abandon such a great game?’
What did Titanfall 2 fail at?Titanfall 2 suffered a serious setback at its release. When it was released in October 2016, two other titles were also on the market. Among them were CoD: Infinite Warfare and Battlefield 1. Due to the release of these two shooter giants, Titanfall 2 was overlooked by many. For this reason, the game, despite being very good, was considered a flop.
Is the offer still available? The offer is still available at the same low price. So if you overlooked the title, now would be the right time to make a purchase.
Is Titanfall 2 still worth it in 2022? Although Titanfall 2 is already six years old, it has held up well. The story and gameplay elements still stand out and make the mech shooter a very good choice. Additionally, fans constantly ensure that the engine of the first-person shooter continues to run smoothly.
What do you think of Titanfall 2? Is it a shame that the title got so overlooked, even though it was better than the first installment? Feel free to let us know in the comments what you think and whether you will buy the game at that price!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Before the start of Season 18, rumors circulated in Destiny 2 that Bungie is considering removing the Power level. Now Bungie’s Game Director has officially commented and actually given players hope for adjustments. But before that happens, we’ll be doing a few ‘strange experiments’ with you in the upcoming Lightfall DLC.
What is the change to the Power level about? Just before the start of Season 18, Liz from the Twitter channel Destiny-Leaks made a post hinting at the removal of the actual Power level in Destiny 2.
Her announcement was surprisingly well received in the community and left some hoping to escape the grind wheel in Destiny 2.
Especially since advancing the Power level currently requires a lot of time and is also largely based on randomness. Something that many players would like to rid themselves of completely, without hesitation.
In Destiny 2, there are two interconnected systems to increase your Power.
Especially the comparison between the “real” Power level and the fleeting artifact Power level shows players that it could certainly be easier to collect Power in Destiny 2.
Though the ongoing Season 18 hasn’t introduced any changes to the Power level system yet, the topic doesn’t seem to be off the table.
The latest statements from Bungie give players hope that the supposed leak turns out not to be just a rumor and that they will soon need to invest less time in leveling or be disappointed by the RNG system repeatedly.
Bungie is considering adjustments, plans initial tests: In an interview with GamesRadar+, Joe Blackburn, the head of Destiny 2, revealed that Bungie is indeed considering this.
He doesn’t talk about the complete removal of Power or the Power level system – but he hints at possible changes to it.
We still want to make significant changes to the Power system. We viewed [weapon] crafting as a daunting task we wanted to add to Destiny, and Power is ten times that. There are some good things that Power brings to the game, and there are some really bad things that Power currently means for Destiny.
explains Joe Blackburn, Bungie’s Game Director
This emphasizes that adjustments are not an easy change for the gameplay of Destiny 2. They take time and especially a few live tests to make the right decisions for the development of Power in the long term.
What formula will Bungie use for adjusting Power?
Bungie announces ‘strange experiments’: He did not elaborate on what these tests would look like. But he informed players to expect that a few “strange experiments in the year of Lightfall will be launched”.
Players know exactly what they want from Bungie
In advance, the Destiny community has already voiced its own thoughts and ideas on how such changes might look in the future. Or rather, what they wish as players from the developer.
Here are two of the strongest options:
Option A: No more Power through gear
Players would only level by purely collecting XP. Powerful or endgame loot would be redundant. Players would have a certain Power level, but it wouldn’t be defined by gear anymore. Such a system would be very close to the current artifact system.
Option B: No activities locked behind the Power level anymore
Every activity in Destiny 2 already has a certain level of difficulty, which is somewhat independent of the player’s Power level. Therefore, both new players and veterans can tackle every activity because activities have a fixed difficulty level. This has also been consistently continued with the Legendary Campaign of Witch Queen 2022. The game would simply further utilize this fact with Option B and scale the difficulty based on the player’s Power level. For example, you would always be 15 underpowered in a Grandmaster Nightfall or 25 underpowered in a Challenge Nightfall. No matter what level the player has.
When are the tests supposed to start? On February 28, 2023, the new DLC “Lightfall” will launch. From then on, there will be four fresh seasons where Bungie is apparently planning to conduct its tests. When exactly or in what context remains to be seen. However, it cannot be ruled out that the experiments might even be tied to seasonal events.
Find more stories and news from the Destiny universe here:
Will Bungie completely remove Power leveling? No, that is currently rather unlikely. Leveling has been a part of Destiny 2 for years, defining the loot shooter.
A large part of the Guardians also draws their motivation for the game from leveling their Power. Also always with the goal of being able to play certain activities, such as Challenge Nightfalls or Grandmaster Raids.
Joe Blackburn also notes that the current system ultimately also “tells players what to do” and helps them structure their progress in Destiny 2. Therefore, Bungie also has to consider the downstream effects for other parts of the game when they want to change the system in the future without taking the fun of progression away from the players.
What do you think about the confirmation or alteration of the Power system in Destiny 2? Are you happy that Bungie is working on the Power system or do you prefer it as it is now? Feel free to share your personal opinion in the MeinMMO comments.
Read here why thousands of Guardians are currently dressed in gold:
You bought a Switch or are looking for the right settings? MeinMMO presents the best settings and tips for your Switch that you should use.
If you’ve purchased a Switch or are starting it for the first time, the Switch takes over many settings. However, besides the basic settings, there are a few more tips and hints that you should consider. With the right settings, you can not only extend battery life but also save a lot of time in the Switch’s online shop.
MeinMMO presents the best settings and tips for the Switch that you should keep in mind. This way, you can get the most out of the Switch.
Note: The article was published on April 18, 2022. We updated the article on September 5 with 3 additional tips for you. Included are tips for button mapping, Bluetooth, and TV settings.
Change Button Mapping
What does this do? If you have other consoles at home, it may happen that due to habit and “muscle memory” you accidentally press the wrong button on your Switch. This is due to the peculiarities that the controller, which is oriented to the Japanese system, brings for people from the West.
For example, both the A and B buttons as well as the X and Y buttons on the Switch are swapped with those of the Microsoft controller. This also leads to the fact that on PlayStation, the X button (which is usually needed to confirm an action) on the DualShock or DualSense gamepad is the bottom of the four buttons, while the Switch confirms with the A button, which is on the right.
Since system update 10.00, you can manually change your button mapping and adapt it to your individual needs. This is currently possible for the Joy-Cons and the Nintendo Switch Pro controller. Unfortunately, this does not work with third-party gamepads, such as the Split Pad Pro.
Here’s how to change your button mapping
Select “System Settings” in the HOME menu.
Scroll down to “Controllers and Sensors” and choose “Change Button Mapping”.
Now you can select the controller you want to edit. Then click “Change” and you’re in the button configuration and can customize them to your liking.
Finally, confirm by clicking “Done”.
Connect Bluetooth Audio Devices to the Switch
What does this do? No other console represents mobility like the Switch. Although it has an Aux input where you can plug your wired headphones into the console, it was long not possible to connect Bluetooth headphones to the Switch.
However, you can now use Bluetooth headsets and headphones easily with your Switch. And it’s actually quite simple:
Here’s how to connect Bluetooth audio devices:
Select “System Settings” in the HOME menu.
Scroll down to “Bluetooth Audio”.
Select “Add Device” and make sure your audio device can be discovered.
Once found and a connection is established, confirm with “OK”.
Your audio device is now paired with your Switch and connects automatically to your console.
Improve TV Screen Resolution
What does this do? The Switch achieves a maximum resolution of 720p in handheld mode and 1080p in docking mode, provided it is connected to a correspondingly powerful device. Yet, many players still do not know how to set this up. Since the default setting on the Switch is “Automatic”, it may occur that you are playing at a resolution of just 480p or 720p when much more is possible.
You can also enhance the RGB spectrum of your console. Again, the default setting is “Automatic”. It’s quite possible that you can get more out of your console here as well.
Here’s how to change your TV screen resolution and the RGB spectrum:
Select “System Settings” in the HOME menu.
Scroll down to “TV Output” and select “TV Screen Resolution”.
Here, choose 1080p and then confirm with “OK”.
Similar steps apply if you want to adjust the RGB spectrum.
For this, simply select “RGB Spectrum” under “TV Output”, set it to “Full Spectrum”, and confirm with “OK”.
Create a Second Account
What does this do? Many games only allow one save slot per account. However, if you want to create multiple save files, you can use a trick. By creating a second account, you can also save a game with this “user”. In total, you can create up to 8 user accounts on a Switch.
If you change the country of your account to Japan, you’ll also gain access to various exclusive demos that you cannot use with a German account.
Here’s how to create a second account:
Select “System Settings” in the HOME menu.
Scroll down to “Users” and choose “Add User” and click “Next”.
Select the icon you want for the account. Tap “More Options” to access additional characters and backgrounds.
Once you’ve chosen an image, enter a nickname. Select “OK”.
Then you can link the new user account with a Nintendo account.
Activate Dark Mode
What does this do? You can find Dark Mode on several devices and even in the browser. Dark Mode reduces eye strain, as you don’t have to look at so many bright areas.
Bright pixels are displayed dark in Dark Mode, while dark pixels are displayed bright. Texts, websites, and menus are shown with black text on a white background. In Dark Mode, it’s exactly the opposite: the text is displayed in white, the background is black. This way, fewer pixels need to light up brightly than in normal mode.
If you play with a Switch OLED version, Dark Mode is particularly worthwhile. Because with an OLED display, every pixel lights up. If you reduce the brightness, you can save a lot of power, as many pixels do not need to shine so brightly. The gains are not as great with LCD displays, as the liquid crystals behind always emit light (via spiegel.de).
Here’s how to activate Dark Mode:
You are now in the menu – select “System Settings” at the bottom of the bar.
Scroll down in the left menu to “Themes”.
Select “Black”.
Adjust Brightness
What does this do? Brightness consumes a large part of the battery life. If you lower the brightness, you can extend the battery life. So if you reduce the brightness, you can extend the battery life of the Switch. Especially if you play in the evening or in the dark, you should definitely lower the brightness.
Here’s how to adjust the brightness of the Switch:
Press and hold the HOME button for at least one second to access the quick settings.
Here you can turn on or off the option “Auto Brightness” or manually adjust the brightness via the slider.
Activate Airplane Mode
What does this do? The Switch continuously wants to connect to the internet. It constantly searches for new updates and checks whether your friends are online and what games they are currently playing or have started. You also get notifications about what is currently on sale in the shop.
If you are currently playing a single-player game, the background activity only unnecessarily drains your battery. By turning on Airplane Mode, all these tasks of the Switch simply go away, and you will notice the difference. If that’s not enough, there’s also a useful gadget that can significantly improve your Nintendo Switch.
Here’s how to activate Airplane Mode:
Select “System Settings” in the HOME menu.
In the left options, select “Airplane Mode”.
Then go to the right side and select “Airplane Mode”. Press the A button to activate it. To deactivate Airplane Mode, press A again.
Disable eShop Password
What does this do? If you want to open the Switch eShop, you have to log in with your password every time. Are you annoyed that you need the password every time? Then just turn off the entry.
Here’s how to disable the password:
Open the eShop, select your profile icon at the top right.
Then look for your account information.
Here you will be asked for which items you want to use your password. Disable the password for opening the shop. Then you will need to re-enter the password for confirmation.
Activate Cloud Save Function
What does this do? For 20 euros a year, you can get the online service “Switch Online” from Nintendo. This includes online multiplayer and the cloud save function. You should use this if you want to save the saves from your offline games and also use them on other devices.
The Switch Expansion Pass for an additional 30 euros per year is not worth it. Because here you only get access to a collection of poorly restored classics that are not worth the extra cost.
Here’s how to activate automatic saving:
Select “System Settings” in the HOME menu and then “Data Management”. Under this, you will find “Save Data Cloud”.
Select the desired user and then “Settings”.
Select “Create Automatic Save Data Backup” to activate the function. Select the option again to deactivate the function.
For the service “Switch Online”, Nintendo now offers an overpriced expansion package.
Buy a Screen Protector for the Switch
What does this do? If you regularly carry your Switch around or take it out of the docking station frequently, you should buy a screen protector for your Switch. This way, you increase the lifespan of the Switch and protect the display from scratches.
You typically pay around 15 to 20 euros for a good screen protector for your Switch. These protectors are available for both the Nintendo Switch and the Switch OLED.
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Buy an Additional Controller
What does this do? Are the Joy-Cons of the Nintendo Switch too small or are you generally dissatisfied with the included controllers? Then get yourself an additional and ergonomic controller for your Switch. Other controllers like the Pro Controller fit better in the hand and often offer additional functions.
With an additional Bluetooth dongle, you can even use your Xbox controller on the Nintendo Switch.
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Otherwise, it is often stated in the description or in the user manual whether the controller is compatible with the Nintendo Switch.
If you are looking for a controller for your Switch: MeinMMO has now tested an alternative to the official Pro Controller. In the test on MeinMMO, you can read whether the controller is worth it for you:
The Twitch streamer “Tasty” announced that he has received a shadow ban in Call of Duty: Warzone. His account is being reviewed for suspicious activity. The streamer only took 2 days after the start of Season 5 to reach the maximum season level of 1,000.
Call of Duty switched its prestige system to a season system a few years ago. Previously, players would reach a set max level, manually reset their progress, and then play back up to the max level at a higher prestige level.
Your level resets each season today, but you retain all your unlocked items. You get 1,000 season levels to progress and can unlock a lot of cosmetics and challenges with that.
Reaching season level 1,000 is a real achievement. If you just play Warzone, it takes ages to even come close to the maximum. The Twitch streamer “Tasty” used a little trick and achieved the 1,000 levels of Season 5 in just 2 days.
He noticed during his matches that matchmaking takes significantly longer and that he is now constantly facing cheaters. Clear signs that he has received a shadow ban.
Upon inquiring with Activision, he found out that his account is currently “Under Review.” So Tasty actually received a shadow ban and is now only playing with accounts that are also “Under Review.”
For the streamer, it’s clear: the review is about the fact that he reached 1,000 levels in Warzone within 2 days. Without cheats or unlock tools, this is hardly explainable at first glance.
How did he do it? Tasty discovered a very effective method for boosting account levels. This works particularly well on the small map “Fortune’s Keep.” Additionally, his method was enhanced by the current event “The Last Stand.”
Land at the POI “Keep” and open crates like there’s no tomorrow
Each crate gives 200 XP for opening and 200 XP for the event token
In the game mode “Resurgence,” there is likely a “Buyback” every round
Collect plenty of cash from the crates and use the buyback to purchase armor bundles
The bundles only cost you 300 cash in the buyback but provide 550 account XP
This method has been a thing since the introduction of buyback events, but is still little known. Due to the excessive use by Twitch streamer Tasty, this has now changed, and a nerf might be coming soon.
If you want Tasty to explain the method to you in person, check out his English video on YouTube (via youtube.com).
However, you should be careful when using it. The ban on Tasty makes it clear that the developers did not intend for such fast leveling. It is even “cheat suspicious” and could lead to a shadow ban.
Do you see this as an exploit for which one should be banned? Or do you see it loosely? Share your opinion in the comments.
According to various reports, the popular video platform TikTok is said to have been hacked. The reports are currently contradictory. Nevertheless, you should definitely change your password and be on the lookout for malicious emails in the near future.
Hackers regularly attempt to steal data from large companies to gain access to accounts or other things. The hackers use the stolen data to forge programs as official Nvidia software.
Now there is said to be a major data leak at the video platform TikTok. This is reported by the online magazine Forbes.
The security team of Beehive explains in a Twitter post that the data leak is now official but does not name a specific source. The company Behive describes itself as an “independent CyberSecurity Research & Enforcement Team.”
The security team of Beehive recommends changing your password on TikTok and enabling two-factor authentication.
As MeinMMO, we have asked the company TikTok for a statement and will keep you updated if there is anything new.
Change your password and watch out for strange emails
What is this alleged hack? The first reports of an alleged hack appeared on September 3 in a forum. Here a user had posted screenshots of an alleged breach at TikTok and WeChat. The tables, screenshots, and a video are now visible on Twitter.
The user also explained that the hackers claim to have stolen around 2 billion records from the database. There was also a link to two examples and a video with a table containing some data.
TikTok stated in an initial statement (via bloomberg.com) that the claims about a security vulnerability discovered over the weekend (September 3 and 4, 2022) are false:
Our security team investigated this claim and found that the code in question has nothing to do with TikTok’s backend source code.
Troy Hunt, an Australian web security consultant, also viewed the posted materials and stated that there are matches between user profiles and videos (via twitter.com). However, some details in the leaked files were publicly accessible data that could have been found without a leak.
Additionally, there is speculation that the data did not actually come from TikTok itself, but from a third party that integrates TikTok for marketing or e-commerce purposes.
What does this mean for you? First, you should change your password if you haven’t done so already. Whether the hack is confirmed or not, a new password significantly improves your account security.
If you have used your TikTok password on other platforms as well, then change those too. Once your password is in the hackers’ database, they can quickly gain access to other accounts.
Moreover, you should enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on TikTok. This is an additional security measure and protects you.
Furthermore, you should be on the lookout for strange emails. If hackers have stolen thousands of users’ emails, they are often used after the fact to send manipulated emails. With such emails, you can quickly catch malware or other nasty things.
Tips and tricks for passwords: Are you looking for help or need a new password? Then take a look at our overview. In our article, we present a handful of tips that you should use for a new password:
In 2021, the cinematic series “Arcane” premiered on Netflix. The story enchanted not only long-time fans of League of Legends but also viewers who had never heard of the Riot MOBA before. Arcane was so good that it earned an Emmy.
Arcane wins not just fans: On September 4, the Emmy Award ceremonies took place in the United States. At this event, various entertainment programs such as series aired on television are nominated and crowned as the best.
On this occasion, Arcane, the LoL series on Netflix, was also invited. Because it impressed not only the fans but also the jury. They brought home a total of four Emmys.
Emmy Award for Best Animated Program
Arcane has emotionally captivated many viewers and immersed them in an unfamiliar world full of secrets. This was evident, as the implementation was so good that the developers behind the series received the award for Best Animated Program.
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The winners thanked Riot Games and especially the viewers on Twitter, as they made it possible for them to get this far.
Arcane also faced impressive competition. This included the yellow Simpsons, the crazy series “Rick and Morty”, the most popular snack “Bobs Burgers”, and Marvel: What if…? All series were defeated and overshadowed by the lore of the MOBA.
Will Arcane get a second season? The first season is not the end, as the series ended with a dramatic cliffhanger. Old and new fans are eagerly awaiting the continuation of the series. An exact date is not known, but the CEO of Riot Games makes it clear that 2022 will not be the year of release. It is assumed that the release can be expected at the earliest in 2023.
What do you think about Arcane winning an Emmy? Do you find it impressive that the story behind LoL even captivates non-fans? Let us know in the comments how you feel about it!
The Viking MMORPG Northern Guild is bankrupt. Because the developers relied on the risky cryptocurrency LUNA.However, the currency is barely worth anything today, which has driven the developers to bankruptcy.
Some developers are now focusing on digital currencies or other pay-to-earn systems in their games. The idea is: You can earn some money while playing. However, some developers rely on risky ideas for their game.
This is what happened to the team of the MMORPG “Northern Guild”. They bet on a cryptocurrency that is now almost worthless and now have to file for bankruptcy.
What kind of game was this? The developers from Pixie Interactive referred to Northern Guild as “a playground for players and guilds who remember the freedom of early MMORPGs to define and reinvent themselves”:
Players should be able to build a world together and form clans.
Trading in the game should be player-based, and you should be able to take over trading in the game completely.
You were allowed to decide whether you wanted to become a warrior or a trader.
Northern Guild also relied on a cute retro pixel look, reminiscent of older titles.
Developers put all their money into Luna – Today the cryptocurrency is worthless
What was exactly the problem? The developers invested around 800,000 euros in the cryptocurrency Luna, one of many currencies that exist on the market today. However, just like Bitcoin or Ethereum, Luna also has a highly volatile price.
In its last peak, 1 Luna was worth 106.05 euros, this was on April 5, 2022. The all-time high was even at 120.23 euros. But that didn’t last long. Currently (as of September 5, 2022), 1 Lunacoin is worth 0.000261 €. You can’t even get a single cent for a Lunacoin.
A former developer commented on the bankruptcy in the official Discord. He said that no one from the official team would respond. Because they are either missing or refuse to acknowledge the problems or apologize.
Our founders set aside part of the tax money in Luna, and with the collapse of Luna, they lost everything. As far as I know, Pixie owed about 800,000 (as of the end of June 2022) in taxes. This decision and the potential loss are the reason why the debts could not be settled and why Pixie ultimately went bankrupt.
In February 2022, there were reportedly first talks with new investors. This surprised some because the last funding round should have brought in more than enough money for 1 – 1.5 years of development.
However, apart from this bad investment, there should have been many problems within the team that contributed to the studio’s downfall:
The founders of the team allegedly worked on another NFT project without the knowledge of their other colleagues.
The head of Pixie Interactive reportedly was present less and less: He could barely hold the team together.
There were said to be many business trips that were particularly costly.
New potential investors viewed the project as not big enough and having too little reach.
What happens now? It is said that the former team is doing everything possible to at least regain the intellectual property to “Northern Guilds” and save at least part of the assets. Because they do not want to lose the work of 9 months. In the best case, the game could still become playable somewhere in the end.
More stories about NFTs and co: Developers can not only speculate heavily, but there are also some bad apples that target players’ money. This has happened to some players in Minecraft:
The communication between players and Pokémon GO repeatedly draws criticism, which is why Niantic promised improvement last year. However, content in the game is constantly being changed secretly. We at MeinMMO will show you what this is about.
What content is being referred to? In Pokémon GO, trainers have the ability to purchase various boxes in the in-game shop. Depending on which box it is, you can expect different items such as raid passes, incubators, or balls that are meant to assist you while playing.
And trainers have also been able to enjoy special boxes over the past few months, such as the 1 Coin Box, which was quietly removed last week. However, this box was not the only one that fell victim to a series of secret changes.
These contents have been changed secretly
What has been changed? Anyone who has observed the in-game shop closely in recent weeks should have noticed that the overview of boxes now looks a bit bare. It wasn’t always like this. Just a few days ago, for example, the weekly box, which you could buy for one PokéCoin, and the popular Adventure Box were listed in this overview.
And also, during the monthly Community Days, you were assured of a small free event box with 30 Hyper Balls in the past. However, this has also not been seen for quite some time.
A further look into the remaining boxes reveals that these have not completely escaped the sudden changes either. Items have been altered and prices have been raised.
How are trainers reacting to the changes?
Although the changes were made without the trainers’ knowledge, they have nonetheless caught the attention of many players. This includes reddit user SparklinStar1440, who wants to know in his post whether he missed an announcement or if it simply wasn’t communicated.
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This leads to significant discussion among trainers. Many players particularly lament the loss of the Adventure Box. This box contained mainly quite a few (Super) incubators at a fair price of 1,400 coins, making it popular among many players.
While you can still get incubators in the other boxes, they are now available in much smaller quantities and at a relatively significantly higher price.
The Hyper Box has also been adjusted. Although it can still be found in the shop, it now contains only 2 Remote Raid Passes and 2 Premium Raid Passes instead of 14 Premium Battle Passes (as of 2019), along with 10 Super Incubators and 5 regular incubators for a total of 1,900 coins.
Hyper Box in September 2019 (left) and in September 2022 (right)
Apart from the frustration about the now missing and changed boxes, trainers are primarily focused on one important issue: the communication from Niantic. Due to past events, this is under constant criticism.
Trainers criticize communication from Niantic
Why do trainers repeatedly criticize communication? The communication between the developers of Pokémon GO and the trainers has been a thorn in the side of the community for quite some time. The reason for this has been the constant changes in the game that, from the players’ perspective, did not happen in their favor.
Moreover, the wishes and suggestions of the players have been given rather little consideration. For instance, Niantic planned to remove several COVID bonuses last year, which led to an open letter from the community and a related boycott.
In response, the developers eventually addressed this issue, reversed the controversial PokéStop change, and promised to work better with the community. A key point in this regard should especially be improved communication between Niantic and the players, as well as more transparency.
“This is their improved communication that they told us about”
However, the secret changes in recent weeks speak for anything but open and transparent communication. Many trainers agree with this sentiment, which leads to comments like on reddit such as:
dukeofflavor: “Many games have a much healthier communication with their players, and hence their communities are much less toxic. Do these games listen more to player feedback and design their content in a way that is fun for their players? That might be the case.”
NegativeCreeq: “This is their improved communication that they told us about.”
JRE47: “I mean, that’s kind of their modus operandi, especially in the last year or so. Or more precisely, the ‘without telling us’, also known as communication, is coming back… back a whole lot. Sorry to say this.”
Possible reasons for the lack of communication: Other players, such as Benthefighter, suspect that Niantic is banking on not all players noticing, thus preventing too many angry reactions.
He wrote on reddit: “When they communicate negative changes, everyone will be angry; if they don’t, many people will be angry and some won’t even notice (I for one didn’t notice that the 30 Hyper Balls or the 1 Coin Box were missing until I saw this post).”
Why were the boxes removed and changed?
Many reddit users, however, wonder primarily: Why? Most trainers can still understand the removal of the 1 Coin Box last week. After all, the contents had become worse week by week, leading to considerable backlash from the community.
It is conceivable that the sales numbers were no longer favorable and that Niantic decided not to offer them anymore. However, the same cannot be said for the remaining boxes.
Especially the Adventure Box and the old contents of the Hyper Box were packages well-received by trainers, for which some were willing to invest real money. The free Hyper Balls during Community Day were also a nice bonus for many. Thus, some players can hardly imagine that these boxes did not find enough buyers.
However, why the boxes were actually changed and removed can only be speculated. It is possible that Niantic is experimenting with this and wants to see which items are of interest to players. Whether the boxes will reappear in their original form or will now be permanently filled with new contents remains to be seen for now.
How do you feel about the secret changes to the boxes? Do you think Niantic should announce such revisions in advance and thus maintain better contact with players? Or are you not interested in the new content in the in-game shop at all? Let us know in the comments here on MeinMMO.
In League of Legends , the Berlin eSports organization “Penta 1860” was expelled from the German Prime League on September 2. The team was supposed to play the relegation matches to retain its spot in the 1st league. However, the team has now been disqualified due to financial difficulties and will not even secure a place in the 2nd league. Their partner, the football club 1860 Munich, expresses being “surprised”.
This is how the situation looked for the team:
The team Penta entered into a partnership with the football club “TSV 1860 München” on January 21, 2019, and has been known as “Penta 1860” since.
In 2022, they played in the 1st German league of LoL, the Prime League Division 1, with 3 German players on the team.
However, it did not go well at all. With a record of 2-16, they finished last in the league and would have to compete against 3 other teams in relegation to avoid relegation to the 2nd league. Among the opponents is the currently popular team NNO.
The team NNO consists of 5 German streamers who have just spectacularly won the 2nd league in LoL:
This was the decision: The Prime League announced on September 2 that the team is disqualified from the league with immediate effect. The reason for this is the “repeated failure to meet financial obligations”:
The team is out of relegation.
The team will not move up to the 2nd league – the eSports organization “TeamOrangeGaming” from Ulm will take their place.
The flagship of the Prime League in 2022 is the team “Eintracht Spandau” by YouTuber HandOfBlood:
Start video
Everything you need to know about the LoL team Eintracht Spandau – in 4 minutes
Problems Due to Pandemic: Growth Opportunity of an eSports Club Severely Limited
This is what the team says: In a statement, Penta 1860 admits that players and staff were not paid:
The reasons are financial issues within Penta that we could not resolve quickly enough.
The blame rests entirely with us – but it is also important to address the reasons.
Andreas Schetzke, Managing Director and Owner of Penta
It is said there were issues that arose from the pandemic, and growth opportunities for an eSports club remain severely limited.
“Black Hole” Consumed Six-Figure Sums
According to the owners, they had to inject over 100,000 € into the club in 6 months to cover ongoing expenses. This “black hole” could not always be managed in a timely manner.
They intend to meet their financial obligations.
The club’s statement.
What does this mean for relegation? Four teams are involved in relegation: the 2 best from the 2nd league and the 2 worst from the 1st league.
Because Penta 1860 is now out of relegation, it means that only 3 teams are now competing for 2 spots in the 1st league. However, no team is currently “safe” for promotion.
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Twitch streamer “NoWay” was supposed to play against Penta for the promotion to the 1st league over the weekend. He pays respect with the “F”.
Munich Says: Economic Responsibility Lies in Berlin
What do the Munich Lions say? The partners of the team state in a statement that although they are partners, the economic responsibility lay in Berlin. They express being “surprised” by the development. It is not yet clear whether they will continue the collaboration.
eSports teams worldwide are repeatedly facing financial difficulties. In July 2022, we reported on MeinMMO about a case where the precarious situation of eSports teams had particularly drastic effects on the health of a player:
New Exotics keep emerging in Destiny 2, bringing more fun to players during their daily gunplay. However, one new rifle is so special that only sadists will enjoy it. We will show you which gun is meant.
Which weapon is it? This is the exotic scout rifle “Malicious Touch”. Those familiar with Destiny 1 know what this gem is about.
This rifle from the Kingsfall raid is unique because your magazine never runs out when firing. You always keep the last shot in the magazine and deal double damage per shot.
A dark tool to torture enemies
However, to continue firing, you must pay a price, and you do so with your life energy. If you do not reload and keep firing, the heart of Oryx drains your life with each shot until you either reload or die.
In Destiny 1, the rifle was only used in the Kingsfall raid to take down Oryx and his daughters. For other bosses, the weapon was ineffectual, as it quickly sent Guardians to their graves. However, in Destiny 2, Bungie has optimized the weapon so that it now stands among the best boss killer weapons the loot shooter has to offer.
A devastating weapon with a hidden effect
To illustrate how insane the weapon is in action, Destiny pro “Gladd” conducted a test. His team, equipped with a total of six Malicious Touch rifles, faced raid bosses and obliterated each one.
Here is his video as proof of the annihilations:
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Why is the weapon so good in Destiny 2 now? While in Destiny 1 the scout rifle could only hold its own against two raid bosses, the rifle in Destiny 2 knows no limits.
Each boss gets obliterated in one phase without any issues. This is due to the Warlock class with their Well being able to counteract the damage the weapon causes.
Your Malicious Touch cannot drain your life quickly enough, as the Well regenerates your lost health points. Thus, you cheat death and can score with double damage numbers. But Bungie has done more work on the weapon to make it even better.
Bungie has made the weapon viable: The rifle has additional effects that benefit you. Therefore, if you achieve three kills in quick succession, your health regeneration is triggered. This makes it easier for you to survive with this weapon.
If you then land 10 precision hits, the heart of Oryx becomes overloaded with Blight. You can then unleash this overload on your enemies, blinding them, surrounding them in Blight, and dealing a large amount of damage. However, what many do not know is that this Blight releases a temporary debuff on your enemies upon direct hits.
This debuff does not work the way you think. Instead of dealing increased damage with all weapons, you can only deal increased damage with Darkness weapons against your cursed enemies. These include:
A small mechanic that can be exploited by Guardians with the Malicious Touch. If your team possesses this gun, a tactical shift could be greatly advantageous.
What do you think of the rifle? Do you find it crazy that Malicious Touch has been so well implemented in Destiny 2 that every Guardian can obliterate with it even outside of raids? Feel free to let us know in the comments what you think!
Here we also reveal why, as a holder of the raid exotic Malicious Touch, you should definitely play basketball:
Valorant and Counter Strike: Global Offensive: Two shooters that on the one hand are quite similar in gunplay, yet on the other hand are as different in appearance as day and night. For years, fans of both games have argued about which is the better game. Recently, there was a discussion where a reddit user asked for opinions on this player conflict. We looked closer at it and found something both player fronts have in common.
Looking on reddit, there are always questions, comparisons, and discussions about which game is actually the better one. Here is a small exemplary overview:
In the following, you can read why there are constant comparisons of the two games. We looked at a current discussion among players and drew a conclusion.
Here you can see a trailer for CS:GO:
Start video
Counter Strike: Global Offensive Trailer
Valorant and CS:GO – So similar yet fundamentally different
Why are there always discussions about this topic? Valorant and CS:GO might not seem more different at first glance. On one hand, we have the colorful Valorant with its heroes and playful style. In contrast, CS:GO, which goes in a completely different direction with the conflict between terrorists versus counter-terrorists, is much more serious.
However, a significant similarity lies in the shooter mechanics. In fact, Valorant and CS:GO are similar in gunplay. Both games feature generally inaccurate weapon handling, especially when players are in motion. Additionally, the competitive focus in Valorant and CS:GO connects the two games.
Gunplay and competitive focus – both also distinguish Valorant and CS:GO from other shooters like CoD or Battlefield.
Basically, we have two games in Valorant and CS:GO that on one hand are very similar in gameplay, but simply absolutely different in their implementation. Correspondingly, the target groups that the two games address with their concepts are also different. Conflict seems to be preprogrammed.
“It’s just the good old rivalry”
On reddit, user TrueNiner88 opened a discussion with the title: “Why do CS:GO players hate Valorant and vice versa, why do I see many Valorant players who don’t like CS:GO?” The thread collected almost 400 comments and led to a lively discussion on both sides.
TrueNiner88 further wrote: “I’ve seen many people on both sides arguing that one [game] is better than the other. But neither side gives reasons why. I would love to hear everyone’s opinion on this topic.”
What did the users say? Relevant_Income_4932 said: “I came from CS:GO and switched to Valorant over a year ago and I just enjoy Valorant more (aside from the literally 9-year-old kids in lobbies). The only thing I prefer is the gunplay in Counter Strike. It just feels better and more controllable (although Valorant’s gunplay is really easy to handle).”
Moreover, some users rate the character designs and flair of Valorant as better.
Here you can see a direct comparison of how different the two games are designed:
StoneyCalzoney praises CS:GO but also sees significant differences in the gameplay focus of the two shooters:
“[…] The game [Valorant] definitely has a high team skill cap, as you must ensure that you do not lose vital abilities by using smokes or flashes too early.
Apart from that, it [Valorant] does not have the competitiveness and depth of map design, economic thinking, and gunplay found in CS. Instead, everything is invested in the abilities [of the characters] […]”.
Many users, however, enjoy both games, like NIEffect. He writes:
As someone who came from CS with 6000+ hours, both games have their strengths and weaknesses.
From a CS player’s perspective, Valorant is a skill-based tactical shooter with many possibilities to outsmart the opponent. But at the same time, you can feel helpless because you are stunned, drained, shot at with a Raze rocket, etc. It feels like it has a lower skill cap, even though it doesn’t.
CS might seem boring from a Valorant player’s perspective. No pretty colors, cool agents or interesting map design like Valo offers (3 bomb sites, ziplines, opening and closing destructible doors).
I personally love both, but Valorant has definitely taken more of my time lately.
NIEffects via reddit
MacaroniEast explains the conflict as follows: “It’s just the good old rivalry. Sega against Nintendo, Apple against Samsung, PlayStation against Xbox. Similarities create competition.”
Many believe that the conflict between both player groups is unnecessary and ultimately makes little sense to compare both games since they are too different.
Now we are still interested in how you feel about the two shooters. Please vote whether you belong to “Team Valorant” or “Team CS:GO”:
What is the conclusion from the reddit discussion? Regarding individual aspects, such as the “better” map design, gunplay, or movement mechanics, both sides seem to be at an impasse.
In fact, many Valorant and CS:GO players state that they have played both games and switched from one shooter to the other. Several people also write that they like both games and have no preference for one or the other. Apparently, the commonalities among the players are greater than one might think.
Why are you more “Team Valorant” or “Team CS:GO”? Or why do you stand between the two game fronts? Feel free to write your reasons in the comments.
The 28-year-old American Katilyn Siragusa is successful as a streamer “Amouranth” on Twitch. Her business model involves constantly posting pictures of herself on Twitter and Instagram, where she wears very little clothing. She explains now that comparing herself to these pictures feels uncomfortable, as they are “too unrealistic.”
Warning: There are two tweets embedded in the article that show Amouranth in “erotic” poses.
At the same time, Amouranth continuously publishes photos of herself on Twitter and Instagram, where she poses for the audience, often dressed provocatively and with flirty captions
Both the free streams on Twitch and the pictures serve as advertising for the paid platform “OnlyFans”, where paying customers can see a more revealing side of Amouranth. In the pictures, the streamer refers to these channels: “Check out my OnlyFans for hard action,” it says in a tweet from September 2.
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Twitch is just one component of the “Amouranth” business model
How much does she earn with this model? In an interview with the US site Kotaku, the Twitch streamer explains (via kotaku), that in an average month she earns about:
1.5 million $ from OnlyFans
100,000 $ from Patreon
100,000 $ from Fansly
She doesn’t even count the significant income from the paid subscriptions on Twitch. According to a leak, the Twitch streamer was the top earner on the platform when the figures became public in October 2021.
Amouranth skillfully balances on the edge of what is allowed and what is prohibited on Twitch. But sometimes she also falls off the line:
Start video
The 5 biggest Twitch bans that caused a lot of commotion
Streamer says: She often compares herself to her photos, feels worst afterward
Is Amouranth real or a persona? It is known that behind the figure “Amouranth,” who enjoys showing herself to her viewers, stands a businesswoman aiming to earn as much money as possible to open an animal shelter. Therefore, she invests in companies like Activision Blizzard or buys gas stations. Something that seemingly doesn’t fit with all the posing and lounging.
In the interview with Kotaku, the streamer is asked if she is a persona.
Siragusa states that she is on broadcast as Amouranth for 12 hours every day on Twitch. If Amouranth were a persona, it would mean that she is this character more often than herself. Kaitlyn Siragusa doesn’t see it that way:
I would be more often my persona than myself. I don’t think I’m really playing a character that much.
But the figure Amouranth does overshadow the person Kaitlyn in certain situations:
I often compare myself to my photos. That’s the moment when I feel the worst. Like: Ugh. In this photo, my abdominal muscles really pop, and now I’m on my period. Yes, that affects me. But I take a deep breath and remind myself: This is just a picture. It’s not realistic.
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When Amouranth compares herself to such photos, she feels uncomfortable, she says.
Twitch streamer actually wants to party hard, but is a frugal workaholic who hardly sleeps
What problems does Amouranth face right now? In the interview with Kotaku, it becomes clear that Amouranth cannot adhere to her life philosophy. She works 20 hours a day to make money, but doesn’t spend it. The 4 hours left in the day are spent sleeping.
Sleep is enough for her “to survive, not to thrive,” as she says.
She doesn’t indulge in luxury. She has continued her parents’ lifestyle, who had to get by on a meager salary. Amouranth was the youngest of the siblings and the only girl in the family:
My parents made $50,000 a year after working 20 years in their jobs. And that was with promotions and bonuses and raising 3 kids. I’m pretty used to living frugally, and my mindset is still quite like that.
I feel disconnected from my wealth – I know it’s there, and I know how fortunate I am. But the only extravagant thing I do is to constantly order food. I drive a Jeep, which is a great car for a dog; I don’t really buy designer clothes or anything. I don’t go out and party; I don’t have fancy luxury cars.
With 20 hours of work a day, she has mutated into a workaholic.
In the interview, the streamer says:
The mindset I want to have is actually: Work hard, party hard. But I don’t live like that. It’s too lucrative to just party hard right now.
Amouranth has also encountered other negative aspects of internet fame. She has a stalker,
