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The SF mega project Star Citizen has now been in development for 10 years. Fans of the game are currently excited about a YouTube video in which a developer announces an important internal development step towards the “persistent universe”, the day when “everything in Star Citizen matters”, like in a real MMO. However, there is mockery from the outside.
How much money has Star Citizen made so far? The SF project Star Citizen has currently generated 496.9 million US dollars in revenue from 4.06 million “Star Citizens”. That is 499.2 million euros.
What is the important step? In a 14-minute video, a developer from Star Citizen, Benoit Beausejour, explains the important step his team has just accomplished:
The step involves moving the “persistent universe” of Star Citizen from an experimental stage, where only a small team is working, to mainstream development so that the whole team can work on it.
So it is an internal, important development step that, however, currently has no impact on players:
Crowdfunding MMOs have had a hard time in the past – Star Citizen aims to triumph:
What is the persistent universe? The “persistent universe” ensures that servers in Star Citizen remain stable and every action taken there has lasting consequences.
The developer explains it this way:
The system allows us to make the entire game world persistent. We can then restore it at any time, so nothing is lost. The changes made by players are significant.
Benoit Beausejour, Turbulent Studios Chief Technical Officer
For players, this means:
When will this be the case in the game? There is still no exact date for this. The tech chief only states that an important step has been taken to integrate this technology into the main development branch of Star Citizen. Now it is about stabilizing this important step.
How is this received by fans? The video is enthusiastically received by the fans. It has already garnered 5,470 likes with just over 73,000 views. Fans praise in the YouTube comments, as someone speaks without a PR filter:
How is it viewed from the outside? On the site Massivelyop, the video is also discussed. Here, the mood in the comments is skeptical to hostile (via mop):
This is behind it: The view of Star Citizen differs significantly depending on whether you are “in the bubble” or “outside the bubble”.
The step described in the video is immensely significant for insiders and the developers themselves because it shows: “It’s progressing”.
For outsiders, such a step is hardly comprehensible, as these are internal developments that are not discussed in other games at all. New features are usually shown to players in other games twice: when they are announced and when they go live. Such intermediate steps are usually done internally and not discussed.
Outside the Star Citizen bubble, players think of terms like “beta start” or “release date” when it comes to important development steps. However, Star Citizen no longer wants to talk about such things.
MMORPG Star Citizen talks about release date – fans mock and groan
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Apex Legends set a new record for player numbers on Steam. Over half a million Steam users checked out the shooter in August 2022 to play Season 14 and its content.
This is how Apex Legends is doing on Steam: On August 9, Apex Legends experienced a significant spike in active player numbers, culminating in a new record of 510,286 concurrent players (via Steamcharts), which is a whopping 100,000 more than the previous record.
The spike continues the upward trend that Apex Legends has enjoyed on Steam for many months. Since 2020, the average number of active players per month has steadily increased, showing healthy growth for the shooter on Steam.
Apex Legends started with just under 75,000 in November 2020, reached 230,000 in August, and is currently in the Top 3 most played games on Steam, right below CS:GO and Dota 2. Although the initial spike has flattened out, many have stayed with Apex.
There was also a significant increase in positive reviews, bringing Apex Legends to a rating of “very positive” with over 500,000 reviews. 85% of those showed thumbs up.
More about Apex Legends can be found here:
This is Season 14: The increase in player numbers and positive reviews coincides with the launch of Season 14 “Hunted” of Apex Legends. Despite a call in the community for a boycott of the game, the player numbers exploded.
The new season brought numerous adjustments, a season pass, and the new legend Vantage as a playable character. The level cap of 500 was also increased, and players could continue to level up their accounts.
After the spike in new reviews at the release of the season, Apex Legends received steadily between 350 and 500 positive reviews per day with about 70 to 150 negative ratings.
In the positive reviews, players (along with a lot of nonsense) wrote that the shooter could convince them, although they actually don’t like battle royales.
While the negative reviews pointed out the problems of Apex Legends, they still often had some good words for the game.
What is your opinion of Apex Legends? Do you think the shooter has improved over the years? Have you perhaps already played Season 14? Let us know in the comments.
Stoic survivalist in Apex Legends gets clumsy flirty lines – fans love it
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In the MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online there are 6 different classes. We asked you which your favorite class is. And you decided! We created a ranking of the classes here at MeinMMO.
On August 7th, we asked you which your favorite class in ESO is. You could participate in this survey until September 2nd at 5:30 PM. A total of 1,885 of our readers voted, and we created a ranking of all classes based on your votes.
What distinguishes the Dragonknight? – The Dragonknight has many fire and poison abilities, some of which deal damage over time. The class has been available since the release of the MMORPG and was the only class that could be effectively played as a tank in the early years.
Few of you voted for the Dragonknight. With 280 out of 1885 votes, it only secured 14.85% of the reader votes.
What distinguishes the Necromancer? – The Necromancer has set foot in Tamriel with the Elsweyr Chapter. He can summon undead and use corpses for further abilities. He has a wide range of spells and deals many different types of damage including plague, fire, frost, and shock damage.
The Necromancer reaches 5th place with just 2 votes ahead of the Dragonknight. He could only win 282 votes, which is 14.96% of the total.
What distinguishes the Warden? – The Warden appeared with the Morrowind Chapter. He is therefore the first class that found its way into the game after the release. He can summon nature creatures like a Netch, a Scrivener, and a bear.
The placement of the Warden was also a very close race. He achieved only 287 votes, which is 15.23% of the reader votes, narrowly beating the Necromancer.
What distinguishes the Sorcerer? – The Sorcerer has many lightning spells and can summon daedric creatures in combat. He is a popular class for beginners due to his strong shield and significant self-healing.
The Sorcerer won the tightly contested last 4 places. 290 readers’ votes went to him, achieving a share of 15.38% of all votes.
What distinguishes the Nightblade? – The abilities of the Nightblade are reminiscent of an assassin. She can become invisible and deals great damage with her executing ability, Assassin’s Blade.
The Nightblade secured 2nd place with 320 votes. However, with a total of 16.98% of the reader votes, she only had a small lead over the following classes.
What distinguishes the Templar? – The abilities of the Templar are all enveloped in golden radiant light. He is a popular class for healers. Although now every other class can serve as a healer, he was for a long time the dominant choice for this role. He is one of the 4 classes that have existed since the release of ESO.
The clear winner is the Templar. With a share of 22.6% and a total of 426 votes, he secured 1st place in the race.
This makes him the most popular class in ESO by a significant margin based on the results of our survey.
Did you also participate in our survey? Were you surprised by the result, or did you expect similar results? Let us know in the comments. If you did not participate in the survey, feel free to also tell us your favorite class.
In ESO, not only the class is crucial for a character’s abilities. The choice of race also has an impact, especially on the passive abilities of your favorite. Here you can find out which race is best suited for each role in ESO.
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The head of the new survival horror shooter Callisto Protocol raved about extremely long working hours and crunch at his studio in a tweet. He faced harsh criticism from other representatives of the gaming industry.
Who is Glen A. Schofield? In game development, the founder of Striking Distance Studios is considered a veteran. He has worked on about 50 different games across various genres, ranging from colorful children’s games to the worst survival horror games.
Some of the most well-known titles Schofield was involved in include Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, Dead Space, and Call of Duty: Black Ops. In June 2019, he joined the Korean publisher Krafton as CEO of the newly established Striking Distance Studios, which will develop the sci-fi shooter The Callisto Protocol.
Schofield said: On August 3, Schofield created a lot of negative buzz with a post on his Twitter account. In the tweet, the CEO spoke about the many hours of work that go into his game:
[…] We work 6 to 7 days a week, no one forces us. Exhaustion, fatigue, Covid, but we work. Bugs, glitches, performance fixes, a final check through the audio. 12 to 15 hours a day. That’s gaming. Hard work. Work during lunch and dinner. You do it because you love it.
The post and screenshots of it were picked up by other big names in the gaming industry and went viral. However, other developers and journalists did not share Schofield’s enthusiasm for extremely hard work.
This was criticized: Schofield’s enthusiasm was seen as bragging about crunch within his studio. Crunch refers to extreme overtime during the development of a game, which can lead to 65 to 80 hours a week over several months.
This leads to burnout for developers and can also result in serious health issues or even death. Accordingly, crunch has frequently been criticized in the past.
Developers like Bungie and Grinding Gear Games are clearly positioned against crunch. The head of Grinding Gears spoke about it on reddit:
Path of Exile – Head on crunch phases: “I do not want to run my studio like that!”
Journalist Jason Schreier commented on Schofield’s tweet, stating that the CEO weaponizes love and passion for gaming against his employees. No one is forced, but those who do not crunch have lower chances of promotion.
Other journalists agreed with Schreier. Journalist Paul Tassi of Forbes wrote in a tweet that “bragging about crunch” makes him more skeptical about a game.
Imran Khan from Fanbyte Media even offered in a tweet that employees of Striking Distance Studios could contact him anonymously to talk about the work culture at the developer.
Many other representatives of the gaming industry also had no positive words for Schofield’s tweet.
Schofield’s comment that his team worked through the Covid pandemic was also harshly criticized. However, it is not known whether the developers had to continue coming to the office or were allowed to work from home. This is not clear from the original tweet.
This is how it ended: Schofield has since deleted his tweet and replaced it with an apology. In it, he wrote that he originally stated that he was “proud of the effort and the hours his team invested.” That was wrong. He values passion and creativity, not the many hours.
While some users in the comments sought reconciliation and wished Schofield success with his game, others were less impressed with the apology. They felt it did not address the core message of the original tweet.
Developers like Bungie and Grinding Gear Games are clearly positioned against crunch. The head of Grinding Gears spoke about it on reddit:
Path of Exile – Head on crunch phases: “I do not want to run my studio like that!”
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The streamer with the most followers on Twitch, Tyler “Ninja” Blevins (31), has apparently had enough. During an ongoing stream in Fortnite , he pauses, says he just can’t take it anymore, and quits everything. Observers are speculating: Is this just a show or real? MeinMMO shows you the Twitch clip from Fortnite and asks for your opinion.
This is the situation:
Ninja’s career is inextricably linked to Fortnite:
These are the 59 seconds in which Ninja quits everything:
What happened next? Ninja has not streamed since then and has deactivated his social media channels by deleting the profile picture and replacing his name with “User Not Found.”
Moreover, he is no longer a Twitch partner.
What’s behind this? There are two possibilities:
The strange thing is that he announced the stream with the words “Big things are coming.”
What speaks for each option? It happens, that streamers suffer from “burnout” and take breaks. The structure of Twitch promotes self-exploitation with the chase for subscribers, the fear of falling behind, and constant comparison with competitors. This stresses and drains.
And that Ninja is fed up with playing Fortnite is plausible:
So it’s plausible that Ninja needs a break. Normally, streamers announce such breaks “quietly” on Twitter and not during a stream.
Additionally, Ninja returned to Twitch about 2 years ago after his stint on Mixer. “2 years” is also the typical duration of a Twitch contract.
It would therefore be quite possible that the exclusive contract with Twitch has expired and he is now announcing another switch.
What do you think? We have created a survey on MeinMMO where you can give your opinion on the situation. You have one vote in the poll.
Let us know your opinion in the comments. Was the situation staged, or do you think Ninja is really completely burnt out?
In fact, “streamer burnout” is common. It would be quite cynical if Ninja simulated this real issue to gain attention:
Twitch eats its children – A German streamer says ‘It’s breaking me’
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This week, there were many news updates in the world of MMORPGs. Especially in the games under development, a lot has happened, and some betas and alphas are scheduled for September 2022. We at MeinMMO summarize the highlights.
The highlights of the week:
The controversy of the week: The MMORPG Bless Unleashed was released in 2020 and started successfully. Now the PS4 and Xbox One versions are shutting down the servers again.
The discussion of the week: The head of Final Fantasy XIV says that players should take their time with the new content – it ends just as you might think.
Here you see the trailer for the new update in New World:
This is what happened with the major MMORPGs:
This is what happened with the minor MMORPGs:
Not only Mad World started a beta:
What has happened with the MMORPGs in development?
These are the news of the week at a glance. What is your personal highlight? Did you experience anything cool this week? Or did we perhaps forget something important? Feel free to let us know in the comments here on MeinMMO.
A new coop hidden gem is coming to Steam in 2022 – it aims to mix Gothic and Soulslike.
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With Arc 3.0 came a completely new coat of electrifying talents in Destiny 2. While Hunters were excited about the new features, Warlocks and Titans were initially disappointed. Therefore, we will show you a deadly build for the Titan that will make you a true survivor.
What kind of build is this? Titans could become an immortal volcano with Solar 3.0 and scorch their opponents. Now that Season 18 revolves around Arc 3.0, many Titan mains are wondering how they can make their behemoth viable again with the refreshed element. Because their Arc moves were initially still unfamiliar.
We have therefore picked out a cool build that you can recreate. Your Titan abilities will be optimally enhanced and will never run out. In addition, we will tell you what exactly you need to set up so that the build works optimally.
We have searched for a build that is not specifically focused on extremely high damage numbers, but rather places value on your survival. We have come across the suggestion from gamespot.
The build is suitable for Raids, Nightfalls, and Gambit, and allows you to play as usual. You also do not have to perform any complicated mechanics to benefit from its advantages.
What do I need for the build? The only important requirement for the build set is a special Exotic armor for the Titan. You will need the following items from your collection:
How does the build work? Essentially, you just need to use your abilities. The Exotic chest piece of the Titan will enhance your two unspent abilities when you use your third talent. The following things will be enhanced:
Your two unspent talents will also receive an increased ability recharge rate. So you will get them back faster than usual to use them again.
Moreover, Arc is specifically designed for the recovery of your abilities. With the fragment “Spark of Reloading”, your melee and grenade will restore faster when you are critically wounded.
Additionally, you can swap the fragment “Spark of Shock” for “Spark of Concentration” to receive increased class ability regeneration through your sprint.
So, if the immortal volcano annoys you and you finally feel like actively intervening in the battle and jumping into the crowd like a Striker, this build is just right for you.
This will turn every Titan into a deadly and underrated soldier with useful talents that will never run out. Why not try it out and feel free to let us know your opinion in the comments.
Have you found your Arc 3.0 build yet or are you still searching? Would you like to learn more creative builds that we can present? Then let us know!
You can find a summary of the story of Destiny 2 here:
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Modern shooters are action-packed, often leaving little time to breathe, and are among the most popular gaming genres of our time. However, it wasn’t always like this – it was only with the release of Wolfenstein 3D in 1992 that shooters really took off. MeinMMO shows 5 examples of how Wolfenstein 3D has influenced the genre to this day.
The first-person shooter genre was established by Wolfenstein 3D. Back then, everything was new; there was no template, innovation had to be sought at every corner – and Wolfenstein pioneered many elements that can still be found in shooters today.
MeinMMO takes you back to the year 1992. A little time travel to the early days of first-person shooters, showcasing 5 examples of why Wolfenstein 3D was groundbreaking back then.
Wolfenstein didn’t redefine graphics at the time – that was already achieved by its spiritual predecessor “Catacomb 3D,” which was also developed by id Software. Here, you could shoot fireballs from a first-person perspective, which was quite close to that first-person shooter feeling.
However, Wolfenstein 3D defined characters and tools in a way that we still use today. It introduced specific “archetypes” that shooters still reference today.
The idea of a powerful lone wolf was entirely new to the genre. A character capable of toppling entire regimes, changing the world, and defeating evil. Even today, numerous shooters rely on this type of narrative.
Weapons followed a similar path. Wolfenstein introduced certain types that are now essential in almost every shooter arsenal, including:
By the way, a year after Wolfenstein 3D, the first Doom was released, completing the weapon mechanics with important elements: The shotgun made its debut, and various ammunition types for weapons were introduced.
The developer studio for Doom: Also id Software, with its iconic developers John Carmack and John Romero, who also laid the foundation for Wolfenstein 3D. Later, Quake joined the ranks, another legendary shooter:
Wolfenstein 3D directly defined the 3D environment for shooters.
The combination of specific enemy types and level design that creates varying difficulty in almost every room is still standard in single-player campaigns of first-person shooters today.
There are also hidden areas that remain concealed from the player if they simply rush through the levels. Ammunition, health, armor, secret levels – if you don’t look around, you miss a lot.
While you couldn’t look up and down in Wolfenstein 3D, its level designs were groundbreaking at the time. What is now considered “logical” and “self-evident” was a significant leap in 3D level design for shooters back then.
With Wolfenstein, the boom around World War shooters began, which significantly shaped the genre. While it wasn’t the first game set in World War II, a real story featuring themes around National Socialism in Germany was rare before the release of Wolfenstein. At most, it was based on licensed games that addressed such themes.
In the multiplayer realm, Call of Duty and Battlefield lead the way for modern shooters that originated from a World War scenario.
Wolfenstein 3D never took itself too seriously. It aimed to be a bit wacky and its cartoon-like graphics contributed to this. Along the way, it laid the groundwork for countless games that address World War II, such as the current Call of Duty: Vanguard.
This, however, also led to the title encountering problems with authorities in Germany. For a long time, the game was banned here, initially due to its violent scenes.
Repeatedly, the symbolism was criticized and cited as a reason for the ban. This led to the so-called “Wolfenstein ruling” in 1998, which ensured for many years that unconstitutional symbols in video games were prohibited in Germany (via grimme-game.de).
Since 2019, the original Wolfenstein 3D has no longer been banned in Germany.
The 3D shooters before Wolfenstein 3D were more aligned with a slower gameplay style that players were accustomed to from RPGs, similar to the aforementioned spiritual predecessor “Catacomb 3D”.
They were RPGs with gun violence that retained much of the pace of their RPG predecessors.
Wolfenstein 3D cranked up the pace. The developers pushed the gameplay more towards a “real” shootout. Chaos could erupt quickly, with a lack of overview and panic – Wolfenstein became the first real shooter because it was no longer an RPG.
It wasn’t Dungeons and Dragons that served as a model but rather the reality of a firefight.
This new chaos in video games also led to an entirely new level of immersion. To this day, shooters rely on the feeling of merging with your character and forgetting everything else around you.
There are certainly other concepts to create a high level of immersion. But Wolfenstein 3D raised the concept to a new level and showed shooters, as well as many other genres, how to captivate their players with constant action.
If you want to take a peek into the gameplay of that time, we’re embedding a suitable YouTube video here:
Officially, only the spiritual successor Doom was mod-friendly. However, even back in Wolfenstein 3D, players found ways to introduce their own content into the engine, completely rebuilding the game as a result.
Wolfenstein 3D was one of the pioneers of the modding trend, and id Software knew exactly how to handle this player passion – to encourage it rather than suppress it.
In terms of modding, you cannot say that big shooters are directly influenced by it today.
This is also due to the popular but closed console systems of PlayStation and Xbox, where modding is only restricted or not possible for “normal” players. The later focus on the multiplayer aspect of many major shooters also hindered modding.
Indirectly, however, the influence is enormous.
Hobby developers started their careers with modding, professionalized, and greatly influenced the development of many games.
The large indie game scene would certainly be in a different place today if id Software had decided to protect its blockbuster games from modding instead of opening them up.
Although it was not intended, Wolfenstein 3D also created a legacy that will have lasting effects on the gaming market.
Wolfenstein 3D introduced some mechanics that feel completely natural to us today. But someone had to come up with them first.
It showcases the incredible creativity of the developers, who understood back then what makes a good shooter. Such surprising yet significant innovations are rarely found today, and often more in indie games.
Which game has defined your relationship with shooters or gaming in general? Was there a game in your gaming career that really showed you what possibilities games offer? Let us know in a comment.
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Jasmin is known as Gnu and the largest gaming YouTuber in Germany. MeinMMO editor-in-chief Leya met her at the gamescom and talked to her in an interview about the reactions to Jasmin’s recently published book, in which she speaks for the first time about her eating disorder. But also, how she approaches her content on Twitch and YouTube.
At the gamescom, I meet a person for the first time whom I had only known from behind the monitor. In 2020, still in the early days of the Corona pandemic, I spoke digitally with Gnu about sexism in the gaming industry.
Back then, I didn’t know that the young woman had struggled with an eating disorder for years. She tells about it for the first time in her recently published book “You can’t do it”, which really touched me while reading.
This is enough reason for me to meet Jasmin at the gamescom and talk to her about her life after this soul striptease.
MeinMMO: How is it for you now in retrospect to have released the book and everyone knows that you struggled with an eating disorder?
Jasmin: I often said back then to my manager and to Lisa Ludwig (co-author) that I was unsure whether I should do it. I talked to her almost every day back then. What’s interesting is that I actually don’t have a problem with people reading it who don’t know me, as much as I do when, for example, my partner’s parents read it. That’s really strange.
But I believe that in today’s time, it is all the more important to address such things. That there are problems and that not everything is this perfect life that you present on social media. I just got fed up with that.
The trigger for the book was when someone told me that everything about me was always so perfect and so boring. And I just thought: If you only knew.
Then I got the offer for the book and told myself, why not. It’s a part of my life and this story brought me here. It gives people hope that, no matter how badly they are doing, they can still achieve something cool.
MeinMMO: Why was now the right time for you to publish the book?
Jasmin: I used to always say I would never write a book. But now I have a certain distance from it. When the publisher approached me, I talked about wanting to talk about the negative aspects of life too.
This “You can’t do it” and the solutions I found for myself. This guide to my life, what I could have done better. That is something I would have wished for at 15.
Then I thought to myself, why not turn something negative into something positive. Now I’ve done this soul striptease and if it helps even just one person, it’s been worth it.
Leya: How were the general reactions to the book?
Jasmin: During the book tour, I was scared. On release day, I had already considered whether to retreat completely for a few days and not look at any reactions. In fact, there were already some positive comments during the book tour, which made me very happy.
Actually, it has remained generally positive. I haven’t received any negative comments about it. Of course, only people who know me read it now.
Many thought they were alone with their problems and thanked me for bringing it up. I met someone earlier who told me that I described her exact problem and now she sees a solution for herself on how to deal with it.
As content creators, we are all very dependent on the platforms and the algorithm: What gets suggested? What gets watched?
MeinMMO: What responsibility do you see here for platforms like Twitch?
Jasmin: The biggest problem of all platforms is that it is primarily about quantity and not quality. For creators, it is simply more attractive to go with quantity and service the quick, low-quality content.
Especially when that brings more views, why should I then take more time and invest more money in a high-quality video? I believe that’s the problem: More content, more trends, faster, better, and the fixation on numbers. Is your video from yesterday better than today’s and why? It would be nice if that would somehow change. But honestly, I don’t believe that will happen.
MeinMMO: Would you like to conclude by telling us what projects you are currently working on?
Jasmin: As always gaming!
But my third channel is currently my new passion project, where I talk about things that are personally important to me.
Like a toxic self-perception thanks to social media or also sports and how to motivate oneself in a healthy way for reasons other than diets. I want to invest more time in this in the future and expand it further.
MeinMMO: Thank you very much for the conversation.
Jasmin is not the only gaming influencer who is now openly talking about the pressure in the job. More and more streamers are expressing their issues on platforms like Twitch: One of the largest Twitch streamers in the world explains why she wants to stream less
I asked my manager if this would be the end of my career. I also don’t want that stamp that if you’ve spoken out about problems, you keep getting confronted with them.
MeinMMO: Is there a shift happening in the entire industry? You describe in your book that on Instagram, influencers portray a perfect life. We all prefer to talk about successes, take the 100th selfie to see which angle is perfect and to make sure no pimple shows. Is there currently a counter-movement and do you see yourself as part of it?
Jasmin: I believe there is, yes. There are Instagram profiles like Dana Mercer, which I enjoy watching. She has lost a lot of weight and shows her body as it is. She has no problem showing that she has cellulite and that there are rolls on her stomach when she sits. She shows that it is completely normal for skin to live and move. I think the trend is increasingly going toward many people in public showing their naturalness and humanity.
I find that important and honestly, the perfect life bores me.
People want to have the Disney love and see it, but that simply doesn’t exist. The bigger the disappointment when the image of the perfect life is shattered. Now I’m glad I never built that up.
MeinMMO: If you switch on your stream, you can already see that you burp or fart.
Jasmin: (laughs shocked) How did you get to that?! Those are all just sound effects.
MeinMMO: So, all just played! Do you think that made it easier for you to publish such a book? That you gained understanding for yourself and your persona because you have always presented yourself as quite “normal”?
Jasmin: I believe so. The only topic that was really difficult for me was the eating disorder. That is something I even told my best friend, whom I have known for many years, only shortly before the publication of the book.
That’s why the topic was so important to me. I now recognize when others have such issues. There are many people, and no one talks about it.
Just my eating disorder is one where people often say the silence or secrecy, and I think that shouldn’t be secret.
MeinMMO: That is indeed a trend we are observing. More and more stories are coming up. Recently, Kalle Koschinski, who took a break due to mental issues. Is that a topic that, in your view, happens too much behind closed doors?
Jasmin: I believe that especially when it comes to burnout, more and more people are daring to come forward. I think it always gets easier when it’s over. My eating disorder is over. I believe I wouldn’t have written a book about it if I were still in the middle of it.
MeinMMO: Being a content creator is often associated with a lot of pressure. We have had stories of people,who died after marathon streams. What do you think about that?
Jasmin: I’ve been regularly uploading videos for years and keep telling myself that this video must still come. It just looks nice on the channel, and the community looks forward to a short video on Saturdays.
But in the end, you have to learn to tell yourself that the world doesn’t end if a video doesn’t come.
Leya: When you get to know you better, you know that you approach your work very analytically. How do you actually go about feeding the platforms’ algorithms?
Jasmin: That is difficult because it changes constantly. We also have regular meetings with my management and discuss what is currently trending, what can be made out of certain games? Above all, what unique things can we create from it? Games are researched, and ideas are developed for the community or initial ideas are collected for video titles and thumbnails.
Of course, when a hype game comes along, like Among Us recently, we look at: Okay, everyone is playing that right now. What can we do with it? What could be funny? How can I implement something that suits me? Thinking about such things is really fun for me.
That’s why we approach it so analytically, because you can never really assess the algorithm or other influences. We noticed this summer, for example, that it was the first summer where people could go out again without major restrictions, which also has an impact on views.
As content creators, we are all very dependent on the platforms and the algorithm: What gets suggested? What gets watched?
MeinMMO: What responsibility do you see here for platforms like Twitch?
Jasmin: The biggest problem of all platforms is that it is primarily about quantity and not quality. For creators, it is simply more attractive to go with quantity and service the quick, low-quality content.
Especially when that brings more views, why should I then take more time and invest more money in a high-quality video? I believe that’s the problem: More content, more trends, faster, better, and the fixation on numbers. Is your video from yesterday better than today’s and why? It would be nice if that would somehow change. But honestly, I don’t believe that will happen.
MeinMMO: Would you like to conclude by telling us what projects you are currently working on?
Jasmin: As always gaming!
But my third channel is currently my new passion project, where I talk about things that are personally important to me.
Like a toxic self-perception thanks to social media or also sports and how to motivate oneself in a healthy way for reasons other than diets. I want to invest more time in this in the future and expand it further.
MeinMMO: Thank you very much for the conversation.
Jasmin is not the only gaming influencer who is now openly talking about the pressure in the job. More and more streamers are expressing their issues on platforms like Twitch: One of the largest Twitch streamers in the world explains why she wants to stream less
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For years, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi dominated the top ratings in FIFA. However, new talents are slowly emerging – which stars could become the best players in FIFA 23 and beyond?
How strong are Ronaldo and Messi: Of course, Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are still not bad players – neither in real football nor in FIFA 23. Both can still amaze viewers (and opponents) with absolute world-class performances.
However, especially in the FIFA series, players are slowly emerging that can at least surpass both top stars in the long run – if they haven’t done so already.
A major leak about FIFA 23 on Xbox already showed some of the highest ratings in FIFA 23. According to this leak, Messi is supposed to have a rating of 91, Ronaldo a rating of 90 – both with significant losses in speed, which is so important in FIFA. This already made some fans unhappy.
At the same time, other talents are increasingly rising in ratings. We take a look at some of the most exciting candidates to succeed Messi and Ronaldo.
What kind of list is this? It is already clear that besides Messi and Ronaldo, players like Benzema, Neymar, or Lewandowski will also be at the top of the rating scale – but these are long-established stars. Here we focus primarily on talents that still have a lot of potential for development.
This is what makes Mbappé special: Mbappé is the obvious choice, and there is no way around him. It feels like he has been around forever – but Mbappé is only 23 years old today. But that happens automatically when you become a world champion at 19.
According to the leak, Mbappé is supposed to get a rating of 91 with absolute top values, and he is also one of the cover stars of FIFA 23 – and has been for several years. Mbappé is already one of the best players in FIFA, if not the best. This is unlikely to change in the near future.
This is what makes Haaland special: Erling Haaland is even younger than Mbappé, but the 22-year-old has already been a contender for the title of “best talent in the world” for some time. He moved from Dortmund to Manchester City this summer and immediately started tearing apart opponents.
Looking at the global market values in real football, Haaland is currently directly behind Mbappé (via Transfermarkt): With 150 million, he is currently the second most valuable player in the world. At the moment, there is nothing to suggest that this already extremely strong striker will become even better in the coming years – and thus be among the best players in FIFA.
This is what makes Vinicius Jr. special: Fast, skillful, with endless skills and also a decent finish – Vinicius Jr. is essentially all that FIFA players wish from an offensive player.
The agile Brazilian currently plays for Real Madrid and is getting better from season to season after a somewhat shaky start. The 22-year-old has already secured a starting position on the wing and already has two goals and one assist in just three games.
Looking at the global market values, Vinicius is currently the third most valuable player behind Haaland and Mbappé. And due to his ideal skill set for offense, it is likely that Vinicius will be an important player in FIFA for years to come.
This is what makes Foden special: Good dribbling, strong vision, clever passes – with these qualities, Phil Foden has secured a starting position at Manchester City, which is not so easy given the competition in midfield.
In real football, he is – you probably guessed it – number 4 in terms of market values. 90 million is currently Foden’s worth, on par with top players like Salah and Kane.
According to the Xbox leak, Foden is expected to receive a rating of 85, unless it is changed before the release. This would only mean a small upgrade compared to the 84 card from last year and still not quite enough for the top. But: At just 22 years old, Foden still has plenty of time to rise higher.
This is what makes Bellingham special: Another Englishman, another midfielder – and just like Foden, Bellingham will at least not rise to the absolute top in terms of overall rating in FIFA 23.
However, according to the leak, the Dortmund midfielder is expected to receive an 84 card – which would mean a jump of a whole 5 points compared to FIFA 22. And last year, Bellingham also received special cards that made him one of the best midfielders in FIFA 22.
And now it should be considered: Bellingham is only 19 years old. If his development continues like this, he is likely to become one of the absolute best players in FIFA in the short or long term.
The list of talents in world football is long. Therefore, there are many players who could also rise to the top in the long run. Some examples:
Will any of these talents end up becoming calibers like Messi and Ronaldo, who will dominate football (and FIFA) for years? That remains to be seen. Who are your favorites in world football? Let us know in the comments!
Do you want to know more about FIFA 23? Here you can find our complete overview of the FIFA 23 release.
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Have you lost your joy for World of Warcraft? Cortyn has a method to fix that – if you want.
If you’ve been playing World of Warcraft for almost two decades, at some point the air can run out. Somehow you’ve seen everything and no matter what the developers come up with, it has been there in some modified form before. You become a bit numb, everything turns into a routine, and often you catch yourself thinking: Why was it so much more fun before? Was the game just better? Or is it really just you?
A pretty healing remedy for this fatigue is the “Newcomer” channel in World of Warcraft, or in German, the “Einsteigerchat”.
Because engaging with the joys and problems of complete newcomers as a veteran is actually a lot of fun.
Since the possibility exists, I have been in the “Newcomer” channel with my characters. This is the channel where new players are automatically thrown when they start with World of Warcraft. Veterans who have completed a series of achievements can offer themselves as “mentors” to help newcomers with tips and simply answer any questions that arise.
And what kind of questions those can be is hard to imagine if you’ve been so deep into World of Warcraft for 18 years that you wouldn’t even recognize the problems anymore.
Most of you have probably played the “Isle of Exiles” by now. This is the latest starting area that was implemented with Shadowlands to provide a unified game start. The quests there are quite linear, relatively simple, and serve as a tutorial. No one should have major difficulties there – or?
Not at all.
One of the most common things you see in the “Newcomer” channel are chat messages from newcomers posting something like:
The reason for this is one quest on the island where the character disguises as an ogre and supposedly leads captives through the ogres’ camp. As a step in this quest, you have to wave to one of the ogres to signal that you are bringing fresh prisoners.
And this quest step turns out to be a significant barrier.
Elitist veterans might roll their eyes here and think: “Anyone who is too stupid to type an emote, I don’t want to see in the endgame either.”
But you have to keep reminding yourself that there are simply an extremely large number of newcomers who may have never played another MMORPG before or have had no contact with video games on this dimension.
And from my own experience in the Newcomer channel, I can say that this quest line represents quite a barrier, which is not particularly well explained by the game either. Because for the quest, you not only have to enter a chat command for the first time (“/wave”), but you also need to have targeted the corresponding NPC. Both are poorly explained by the game and, when you think about it, is quite a break from the previous missions.
But if you’ve learned to use emotes here and there for teasing each other, thanking someone for an enchantment, or threatening the nasty rogue in PvP with a swinging fist for over 18 years, then the quest is a complete triviality.
It is incredibly hard to imagine that you might have not been able to complete the quest on your first attempt.
It’s difficult to help these players who may not even be paying much attention to the chat yet. But if you succeed, you get the nice feeling of having helped a fellow player who doesn’t have to end the game in frustration because he can’t solve this quest line.
That’s just one of the reasons why I think that WoW is too hard for newcomers.
But by far the greatest fun is experiencing the joy of other players who are excited about the smallest things that you might only smile tiredly at.
It often happens that a beginner enthusiastically asks in the Newcomer channel:
“How do you get this black unicorn as a mount?! It’s so cool!!!”
This then leads to conversations where you tell about the big puzzles that ultimately reward with mounts like the Lucid Nightmare.
I also vividly remember a druid player who apparently experienced his personal Christmas in the middle of summer when he proclaimed in the Newcomer channel (in all caps):
“I CAN TURN INTO A CAT!!! THIS IS SO AWESOME!!!”
It’s such a banal basic ability of every druid, but for someone who hasn’t played MMORPGs before, this was apparently the best thing that could happen. This almost childishly exaggerated joy is simply contagious, and you can’t help but smile a little.
This always reminds me of my own beginnings in World of Warcraft. I remembered that back in the day, during “Vanilla” times, my mage took on a quest in Ashenvale where you could transform into a Furbolg with a quest item. That was the first quest of this kind for me, and I was so excited about this transformation that I never finished the quest.
I kept the quest item because, unlike many other quest items, you could use it anywhere in the game world. Whether later in the Molten Core while raiding or in the battleground of Warsong Gulch. I could show up as a Furbolg mage everywhere and thought that was really grand at the time.
So my advice to you, if you are a long-time WoW veteran and perhaps have lost a bit of your enthusiasm, sign up as a mentor to help newcomers with advice and assistance. But only if you truly intend to help the newcomers a bit.
This innocent joy is simply contagious – and at the latest when someone writes “wave to gorgroth” in the chat channel again, you have to smile a bit again.
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A Piepi Party starts in Pokémon GO in September 2022. We will show you the brief details of the three-hour event.
What kind of event is this? In recent weeks, Niantic has already hinted on social media that a Piepi event will take place in September. However, the developers initially withheld the details. Trainers suspected that it could be a similar event to the Bidiza outbreak of 2021.
Now Niantic finally shed light on the situation and revealed the short and concise details of the event.
When does it start? The event takes place on September 10, 2022, in the evening. It starts at 6:00 PM local time and ends at 9:00 PM local time. So you have three hours to engage with the event.
What bonuses are there? During the event, you will encounter Piepi more frequently in the wild.
Are there Shiny Piepi? Yes, you can find and catch the shiny form of Piepi.
Is that all? Niantic did not disclose any further details about the event. They added in the blog post “Who knows what discoveries you make in the moonlight?” Trainers are now speculating what it might mean (via reddit.com).
On Twitter , Joe Merrick, the operator of Serebii.net, explains an explanation for the event. The Pokémon Company contributes to the “Moon Viewing Festival” in various games, which runs on September 10. This even includes taking over a weather channel.
This event is part of it, and the logo in the upper right corner of the event image is the campaign logo.
Event bonuses may therefore be rather limited. How do you feel about a brief event like this? Will you participate?
You can find all other events in September 2022 at Pokémon GO here.
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On September 2, 2022, LEGO Games released its own version of a brawler titled “LEGO Brawls”. Similar to what we know from Super Smash Bros or MultiVersus, players can battle against each other with their fighters in various arenas.
With the developer studio Red Games Co., LEGO Games recently launched its first brawler set in the LEGO universe.
In classic LEGO fashion, players can assemble their fighters in minifigure style and compete against each other in various arenas.
The game features 10 different areas from the LEGO universe, such as Pirates or Western, and offers various game modes – including multiplayer options.
On which platforms is the game available? In addition to Steam, the brawler is also available on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Apple Arcade.
What does the gameplay in LEGO Brawls look like? In the first step, players can create their own fighter, called a “Brawler”, in LEGO minifigure style. Over time, new items can be unlocked to further customize and upgrade the Brawler. This includes additional figure parts, weapons, or emotes.
The player can choose from various game modes, where specific challenges or victory conditions must be met. Available modes include:
The Brawler fights with different types of attacks that can be used depending on the player’s fighting style. From “Dashing” to close-range attacks and “Ground Pound” attacks, he can finish off opponents.
This is what the gameplay in LEGO Brawls looks like:
What themes are in the game? Currently, LEGO Brawls integrates 10 different thematic fields into the game:
The website announces that more themes as well as seasonal content and events will follow.
Is there a multiplayer? In LEGO Brawls, there is the option to play alone, but also together with others. Crossplay with consoles is possible, and players can compete in 4v4 matches. The game also offers a party mode and a battle royale mode.
Important for multiplayer: Console players need an active membership for the respective platform, such as PS Plus, to play online. You can also play offline, but without all the online features (via legobrawlsgame.com).
How much does LEGO Brawls cost on Steam? Currently, you can purchase the brawler on Steam for €39.99. If you want to try the game first, you also have the option to download the demo. You can also find this on the Steam page.
What do you think of LEGO Brawls? Have you tried it already? Feel free to let us know in the comments.
Recently, a popular alien shooter returned on Steam and stirred childhood memories for players.
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The developer of the gladiator game Domina has repeatedly posted political messages and insults in his patch notes. After his latest escalation, Valve has had enough and removed the game from Steam.
This is the situation:
The ban, however, did not change the developer’s behavior. He referred to the Steam staff on his Twitter as “Stupid Fucks”, “Clowns”, and “trash” and announced that his game would no longer receive updates in the future.
It didn’t take long for his next escalation in the patch notes, but this time Valve reacted more harshly.
This was stated in the patch notes: The news about update v1.3.25 had very little to do with the actual game. The majority of the notes consisted of transphobic messages that mocked the concept of gender transition.
It was allegedly claimed that the name of the game was changed to “Dominus” because there were no more ideas, that it was “mentally unstable and completely degenerate”. This suggested that the game had “changed its gender”.
Additionally, Gorissen directly attacked the trans streamer Clara “Keffals” Sorrenti in the notes and pitied “the poor drunken guys who had sex with transvestites like Keffals”.
At the end of the patch notes, the developer called for people to stand up for what they believe in and ask God for courage.
This is how Valve reacts: After their last warning fell on deaf ears, Valve completely removed the game Domina from Steam. The product page of Domina no longer exists, and the original link leads to Steam’s homepage.
The reason for the removal was multiple violations of Steam’s policies, including insults and attacks on other personalities.
In a statement that Gorissen shared on his Twitter, Valve explained that they would “end the business relationships with Dolphin Barn Incorporated and remove all related products from sale.”
Meanwhile, Gorissen’s Twitter account has also been suspended, and his tweets are no longer readable.
One of the best games on Steam suddenly costs Russians €173 instead of €9: “Disgusting behavior”
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A father shared in a Destiny 2 group on Facebook about the loss of his daughter, who passed away from cancer. He called for everyone to wear gold in September to raise awareness for childhood cancer. The community spread his call, and many players followed his request.
This is the situation: A few days ago, a longer post appeared in a Facebook group about Destiny 2, where a father shared his sad story with other Guardians. He recounted that one of his children, a young daughter, had passed away from her cancer several years ago.
Since then, the father has called on the community every September to wear golden shaders to raise awareness for childhood cancer. September is officially the “Awareness Month” for childhood cancer, the month during which there is a strong focus on raising awareness, and the golden ribbon is the symbol for it.
This is what was in the post: On reddit, the user LunarPengu shared the call with the title: “Please join me to make this man’s dream come true”.
Below, there is a post that was published in the Facebook group “The Dad Gaming – Dadstiny”. In this, a father reports about the loss of his daughter in May 2020, who had died of cancer.
“I gain no profits from this. It is just a gesture of support, directed from one father to others. I ask you again, fathers and Guardians, to join me and wear gold in the month of September. It would be fantastic to see a Tower full of golden Titans, Hunters, and Warlocks.” Below, you can also see a photo of the father with his daughter.
This is how the post spread: The community picked up the father’s post and began to share it diligently. Besides reddit, the Twitch streamer AnneMunition shared the call on Twitter. She is a well-known shooter streamer, and although she doesn’t play Destiny 2 herself, she found the father’s post moving and shared it.
In her tweet, she also mentioned well-known Destiny streamers like Gothalion and Dr. Lupo, who has already raised funds for a children’s hospital. Gothalion remarked: “No one should ever lose their child, especially not to something so terrible as cancer.”
Thanks to the retweets, the call quickly went viral and garnered over 23,100 likes. Bungie employees also took notice and got involved. Bungie’s Senior Community Manager picked up the story on Twitter and listed shaders that players could use as part of the campaign.
No one should ever lose a child, let alone to something as awful as cancer. This is why we raise money for St Jude and spread awareness when we can.
— Gothalion (@Gothalion) September 1, 2022
How is the community reacting to the call? Under the reddit post, players are giving each other tips on which golden shaders work best for the campaign. Many say they will follow the call. AmericanGrizzly4 states: “Really all my fashion options are on hold for the entire month. It will only be gold, no question.”
It’s similar on Twitter: the father’s story moves the community. User Bruisr writes: “[…] As a father myself, I can’t imagine the pain of losing a child. I will proudly be a golden Guardian this month!”
Further, there is a note: “This shader is ‘Dawning Welcome’ and it mainly shades gold with a blue accent. Looks really good on weapons, Sparrows, Ships, and Ghosts!” He shows, as many other players do, his Guardian in golden gear in a photo below.
What does the father from the post say about it? The father from the post has now also commented on Twitter and thanked AnneMunition, other streamers, and Bungie employees who had spread the call. He is grateful for their help in raising more awareness for childhood cancer.
What do you think about the community’s reaction to the father’s post? Will you perhaps wear gold in September? Let us know in the comments.
Here you can read about how Bungie explains why Destiny 2 is becoming Cyberpunk in Lightfall.
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The MMORPG Bless Unleashed was released in 2020 on consoles and is now approaching its end. Support for the game on consoles will be discontinued in November 2022, but the PC version is not affected at least for now.
This is Bless Unleashed: The free action MMORPG was the reboot of the previously failed Bless Online and was developed by Round 8 Studios. The publisher was still Neowiz.
In Bless Unleashed, players explore a large open world, complete quests, battle world bosses in action-packed fights, hack their way through dungeons, and compete against each other in PvP.
The game was initially released on Xbox One and PS4 and later, in August 2021, also on Steam, where it briefly even landed in the Top 10 most played games. However, Neowiz now announces that support for the console version will be discontinued in just a few months.
When does the game go offline? The servers are expected to be shut down on November 30 at 8:00 PM our time (via Blessunleashed.com).
Additionally, game master events will be held for the remaining players until the servers are shut down.
What happens to the PC version? The PC version of Bless Unleashed is not affected by the shutdown, at least for now. While Neowiz was the original publisher of the MMORPG on Steam, the rights and development were transferred to Valofe / VFUN in January 2022 (via steampowered).
Valofe / VFUN may be known to some of you as the publisher of the MMORPGs Riders of Icarus and Atlantica. Both are games that linger on Steam with just over 100 to 150 active players per day.
In comparison, Bless Unleashed, according to the statistics page Steamcharts.com, has about 1,388 daily active players, giving some fans hope that the MMORPG will at least be continued on Steam for a longer period.
Some players suspect that Bless Unleashed is being shut down so that Neowiz and Round 8 Studios can invest more resources into their new game Lies of P, which was very prominent at gamescom 2022.
All new games and 36 trailers from the gamescom 2022 Opening Night Live.
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A big surprise at gamescom 2022 was Minecraft Legends. The popular block game is coming as a true strategy game. MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus spoke with the creators.
At gamescom 2022, over 36 games were showcased, and dozens more were playable in the halls. However, I was skeptical beforehand, as only a few truly blockbuster titles were known or expected.
I was all the more surprised by the new game from the makers of Minecraft. Legends transforms Minecraft into a strategy game, where you play the commander of an army leading your troops to defend against the nasty Piglins.
Creative Director Magnus Nedfors and Executive Producer Dennis Ries invited me for an interview after the gameplay demo. I was able to ask them questions about the features and content of the game.
You can see the trailer for Minecraft Legends here:
MeinMMO: How would you describe Minecraft Legends in your own words? What kind of genre is it?
Magnus Nedfors: “It’s a unique combination – the closest genre would probably be action strategy. The whole idea of the game is a strategy game, involving tactical and strategic thinking. Managing resources and troops, that sort of thing. But we wanted to incorporate the element of you yourself in this world.
Many strategy games simply use mouse pointers to control everything. We wanted a more personal approach, which is why the hero is in the game. Not many games do that; there were a few in the 90s. But that’s a relatively unique approach, so I can’t say: ‘That’s this genre.'”
MeinMMO: Do you only build outposts, or do you also create a proper base to defend?
Dennis Ries: “You can build outposts with the Wellhouses wherever you want in the world. You use them as a transport point and base to then advance against the enemy.”
MeinMMO: So it’s more about the gameplay where you build wherever you need for the attack, but without a proper base that’s being attacked?
Magnus Nedfors: “In some situations in the game, you will need to defend specific locations, and you will want to expand there. So, there is a bit of defensive gameplay.”
A significant part of the story is supposed to involve water as an element that gives life and symbolizes flow. More details will be learned while playing.
MeinMMO: You showed us the marketplace. Can you at least tell us a bit about what it exactly is?
Magnus Nedfors: “No, at least not what exactly it is. What I can tell you is: Look at what the marketplace is in vanilla. In Legends, it’s similar. How we are expanding the player experience for players.”
MeinMMO: I’m asking only because people have been very sensitive about marketplaces recently.
Magnus Nedfors: “We at Mojang have a particular way of monetizing. These aren’t loot boxes or microtransactions. What we deliver should have value.”
MeinMMO: How can I play with or against friends?
Dennis Ries: “You can play with friends in coop mode, up to 4 people on PC and high-end consoles and up to 2 on older consoles like Switch. In versus mode, which we can’t discuss yet, you will be able to compete against friends.”
MeinMMO: The focus is then on the coop?
Magnus Nedfors: “The whole campaign is ‘coopable.’ [laughs] Is that even a word? It’s your world; your friends can join you and leave again. You can do everything together, but [Minecraft Legends] is also an open world. So one might take one path while the other takes another to defend two bases simultaneously.”
MeinMMO: Does everyone control their own army, or do all players share a common unit limit?
Magnus Nedfors: “There are various systems that are shared, such as resources. But everyone has their own unit limit that they can control, and there’s enough for everyone to do when they manage their army.”
MeinMMO: Is it easier to play with more players? For example, if I have two people, each with their own unit limit, that would give me a double-sized army.
Magnus Nedfors: “As I’ve said, resources are shared. I can gather resources faster when 2 players collect them. But the maximum amount of resources I can have is the same as a single player and in coop.”
We try to balance the challenge of the game this way to ensure it remains challenging even with more players. But it may feel easier because you can take a more tactical approach. Something like: ‘If you distract the opponent over there, I can attack from here.’ For us, that’s the fun of the game. But I wouldn’t call it easier, just a different experience. A different type of gameplay.”
With the variety of units, it’s also possible to divide into specific roles. For example, one player can take on the front fighters, another the back row, and a third the support units.
MeinMMO: Why Minecraft as the world for the game?
Magnus Nedfors: “The main reason we are expanding our world is to create more types of games, so more people can enjoy the wonderful universe of Minecraft. And the reason we are making this game exactly, in this strange genre that doesn’t really exist, is: We tried to create games that people in the studio want to play.
And a few people, including Dennis and me, thought: ‘Hey, a strategy game in Minecraft sounds really cool.’ That’s how it started. But mainly it’s about giving players more opportunities to experience Minecraft.”
MeinMMO: You said that the action component of the game will be relatively small. What kind of players are you trying to appeal to?
Dennis Ries: “With this new strategy game, we are reaching a whole new class of players who don’t yet know Minecraft. For us, that’s a good opportunity to get them to give it a try. Bringing this strategy element to those players who are interested in Minecraft but haven’t wanted to play it opens up new possibilities.”
Magnus Nedfors: “It’s a broad approach for many different types of players. A bit like what we did with Minecraft Dungeons, when we made dungeon crawlers more accessible. That’s roughly what we want to do here with strategy games. [Minecraft Legends] is an easier way into this genre than, forgive me, hardcore-type strategy games. That’s a niche we want to open up a bit more and bring in more players.”
MeinMMO: Speaking of Dungeons: What gameplay from Minecraft Dungeons was adopted here? The whole slashing seems quite similar.
Magnus Nedfors: “[laughs] That’s a tricky question. None at all. But, but! Yes, there are weapons in both games that you can swing around. They exist in vanilla as well. But the games are very different. And because you also asked why we are making this game: We want our games to be distinct.
The common theme is the universe of Minecraft; that’s the core. You can recognize certain enemies and environments. But we are not taking a piece of Dungeons gameplay and packing it into the next game. We want to keep that separate. They are different experiences in terms of gameplay.”
Dennis Ries: “What Dungeons taught us is that it’s not about what specific gameplay elements Legends could bring, but how much our players want new experiences. [Dungeons] was received very well. The insight we gained from that could be transferred to Legends. Dungeons taught us a lot; it’s not just about individual game elements.”
MeinMMO: Regarding progress: I think I only saw Steve with the diamond sword. Do I start with that, or can I level up in some way?
Magnus Nedfors: “The progress lies in your ability to command your army. This includes types of units, how many you can control, and what you can do with them. That’s the progress system. You as a hero are what you start with. The story will explain this a bit. There’s no character development in the sense of: my stats, my abilities, my equipment. My ability to grow is entirely about the units I command.”
MeinMMO: About the units: Can you group them like in strategy games?
Magnus Nedfors: “Short answer: Yes.”
Dennis Ries: “It works a bit differently, but you can command the units very directly. You can specifically tell your ranged units to attack that building, for example.”
MeinMMO: How exactly does resource gathering work? Are there just these two types of fairies gathering for me?
Magnus Nedfors: “Those are the Allays. One type builds, the other collects. That’s why there are the two colors.”
MeinMMO: How do I get more of them?
Magnus Nedfors: “The way you get upgrades in this game is through friends. And that is a kind of upgrade. Initially, you only have a few, then there will be more.”
MeinMMO: But how exactly do I upgrade? How do I get better?
Magnus Nedfors: “You have a bit of progress through the story but also through gathering materials and building different buildings. Some buildings grant you new abilities.”
MeinMMO: And do I have to complete quests or gather reputation to unlock new buildings?
Magnus Needfors: “There are no proper quests or missions. At the beginning of the game, you will be guided a bit more in what you are supposed to do. But that’s more of a tutorial than a series of quests. After that, you are free to do what you want. There are no missions directly, nor is there a reputation system. It’s more about actions that help others. The villagers and other creatures will then follow you.”
MeinMMO: Do I have more than one of these “Wellhouses” around which I can build my base?
Magnus Nedfors: “If you strip the whole world of its wood and stone, you can’t build any more. So there is a limit, but if you want, you can place three of them next to each other. And if you want, you can also create a small empire.”
We had a lot of fun at gamescom 2022, and editor-in-chief Leya Jankwoski even found it much better than expected. You can see our highlights in the video:
MeinMMO: I saw that the villagers had a chest in their village. Do they just gather stuff for me?
Magnus Needfors: “More or less, yes.”
MeinMMO: When I start, am I already friends with everyone, or do I have to prove myself?
Magnus Needfors: “You’ve seen how we walked through this zombie settlement. They are neutral to you at the beginning, just like everyone. But in this legend, in this time, everyone lives in the same world without fighting. That’s the status quo. Everyone is neutral, and you have to start befriending the creatures, earning their trust.”
MeinMMO: How exactly do I befriend the creatures?
Magnus Nedfors: “That’s different for each type of creature. You have to protect villagers from Piglins. Zombies and skeletons have other requirements. The easiest way is to play the game. That way you understand what you need to do. No quests, but options to do specific things. Mainly, you will have to battle Piglins. That’s what it’s all about. That’s the core of the game.”
MeinMMO: Will I eventually attack the Nether myself after pushing back the invasion?
Magnus Needfors: “[laughs] Uh, no. Not in this game.”
Dennis Ries: “The focus here is on the overworld. Everything takes place there.”
MeinMMO: So I’m only defending here first?
Both: “Yes, exactly.”
MeinMMO: You mentioned the base of the big boss of the Piglins, which can be found somewhere in the world. Am I working towards that, or because the world is procedurally generated, could it happen that I spawn right at its doorstep?
Both laugh.
Magnus Nedfors: “Not really. We have a bit of progress that happens through the story. I play the story, and certain things happen. You’ve seen the cutscenes where new troops come through the portal. That’s how it keeps going.”
MeinMMO: What similarities will vanilla players of Minecraft find in Legends?
Magnus Nedfors: “Mainly the universe. It’s obviously a Minecraft game. We want the [players] to feel at home. In this game, we tell a somewhat longer story compared to the other games. As a fan of Minecraft or Dungeons, you can learn a bit more about a specific legend here.”
Dennis Ries: “Additionally, the world is also procedurally generated and uses Bedrock, the same engine as vanilla Minecraft. There are many basic similarities; you can recognize that it’s Minecraft just by looking at the game.”
Magnus Nedfors: “Gathering resources, building structures, and so forth will all be done in different ways, but it’s still there. In vanilla you build block by block. Here you build your outpost and still retain some creative freedom.”
MeinMMO: But you are still only building predefined buildings, right?
Magnus Nedfors: “Yes. As a player, you can’t design your own buildings, but how your base looks in the end can differ greatly. When we play in the office as a team, some people are really meticulous. They want one tower precisely on this block. Others say: ‘bababababa [he mimics a wild mess with his hands] Yeah, that looks good.’”
Dennis Ries: “I am that player.”
MeinMMO: Is it possible to change the appearance, for example, with cosmetics? For example, if I want a Viking castle?
Magnus Nedfors: “Viking style. I like that.”
Dennis Ries: “You can choose your character, but we don’t have character creation in Legends.”
MeinMMO: And what about the buildings and troops?
Dennis Ries: “You can’t change the appearance of your units, at least not at launch.”
Magnus Nedfors: “Viking Minecraft. I suggest that!”
MeinMMO: What about mods? Will you allow that?
Dennis Ries: “We are not talking about that yet. It’s Bedrock, so it may be easier for the community if they want that. But we can’t say anything about it yet.”
MeinMMO: How big is the world, actually? Is it as big as vanilla Minecraft?
Magnus Nedfors: “No, it’s not endless. There is an end. To be honest, I don’t yet know how big exactly the world is. We are still in development and have to decide how many bases there are and that sort of thing. We are still adjusting that, which affects how large the world will be. I would say it feels large, with its many different biomes. It’s interesting to travel through the world. Our goal is for it to feel like there’s plenty of space, many places worth fighting for. But we have no intention of having an endless world like vanilla.”
MeinMMO: Since this has recently been a topic: What happens when I reach the end of the world?
Both laugh.
Magnus Nedfors: “That’s a thing?”
MeinMMO: Yes. Recently a streamer walked to the end of the world and checked what happens then.
If you missed the story:
Magnus Nedfors: “Ah, in vanilla? I didn’t hear about that; I need to check it out.”
Dennis Ries: “That sounds pretty cool.”
Magnus Nedfors: “I can’t say too much about it, but the more games we make, the more we think about what goes beyond this world. How is the Minecraft world infinite yet seemingly not?”
MeinMMO: And what exactly happens in this game when I reach the edge of the map?
Dennis Ries: “You reach water. We’re playing on an island.”
MeinMMO: What exactly are the biomes? Do I find different things there, or what are they good for?
Magnus Nedfors: “There are different things in the biomes, but for me, they are primarily about variety. Just like in vanilla, there are basic materials everywhere, but other resources are more likely to be found in certain biomes. They are meant to create a nicer world, be exciting to explore, and allow the world to be experienced in different ways. More like a feeling we want to evoke.”
Dennis Ries: “[Biomes] make the world feel more alive. And as Magnus said, some of these biomes will have certain resources more frequently. So if you’re looking for something specific, you’ll know where to find it eventually.”
MeinMMO: Regarding the story: You said the game will have an end. How long will a playthrough take?
Magnus Nedfors: “A classic question that’s always hard to answer. When I look at how differently people play the game, it’s hard to give an exact number. If I speedrun, it might take me 10 hours. If I’m playing for fun, I might spend 40 hours in the game. Quality assurance is probably faster than me; they always are. But I would say… about 18.5 hours.”
Dennis Ries: “There’s an area that will be different for everyone. But yes, maybe 18.73 hours. [he seems serious, then laughs]”
MeinMMO: What about replayability?
Magnus Nedfors: “Since it’s a procedurally generated world, the experience is always different. I often play the game in many different versions and still think it’s fun. That’s what makes replayability for me. The story will be the same; after all, there’s a beginning, middle, and end. But I still keep playing again and again, because due to procedural generation, the enemies come from a different direction, for example.”
Dennis Ries: “The Piglin bases will also have unique positions, like right next to a mountain. Then I wonder: How do I take that? And sometimes they are in open fields and provide a different challenge. That’s what makes the game unique for every playthrough.”
MeinMMO: Are there new types of creatures that we don’t yet know about?
Magnus Nedfors: “The golems you control are new. Some of the Piglins are also different from those you know from vanilla. There will be some new friends and foes.”
In Minecraft Legends there are many types of enemies, called “hordes.” They all consist of Piglins, but each has their own characteristic traits. The Bastion horde, for example, relies on defensive buildings and tactics. The creators didn’t reveal what other hordes await us.
The bosses are also open to building on Legends to explore how much more is in Minecraft and what can be done with the universe.
MeinMMO: Can I only play as humans or also as zombies?
Magnus Nedfors: “The hero is not necessarily a human. He is an extension of you as a player, and you are a human, but what they are in the world is hard to say. They are humanoid. They can look different. I’m not sure, but I believe we don’t have a zombie skin for that.”
MeinMMO: What kind of customization options can I expect? Can I only choose between male and female?
Magnus Nedfors: “Gender is a rather vague term. We don’t say: this is a woman, this is a man. And we’re not going so far that you can adjust your eyebrows. Minecraft graphics are relatively blocky, the representation is pixelated. So it’s rather at higher levels what exactly you can customize.”
MeinMMO: Can you already say something about the price?
Dennis Ries: “Not yet.”
MeinMMO: But it will be a Buy2Play title?
A friendly lady from PR responds for both from the background: “Yes, and it will be available on Game Pass.”
MeinMMO: Are you also working on DLCs that will be released after the launch?
Dennis Ries: “We’re not talking about DLCs yet, but if you look at our franchise, you’ll see a certain tradition there. But we can’t say anything about that yet.”
MeinMMO: Thank you for the answers!
Minecraft Legends was my biggest surprise at gamescom 2022, but not the only one. Among the smaller titles, I discovered several that really convinced me:
3 cool games from gamescom that are surprisingly good despite simple concepts
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Today, on September 3rd, the Limited Research with Iscalar in Pokémon GO is happening. Everything about the start, Shinys, and the event bonuses.
The first big event in September 2022 for Pokémon GO is here: On Saturday, a three-hour Limited Research with Iscalar awaits you. This is accompanied by bonuses and special Pokémon in the wild.
In the overview, we show you the details.
When does it start? The event begins today Saturday, September 3rd, at 11:00 AM local time. It ends on Saturday at 2:00 PM local time.
What bonuses are there? You will receive double the amount of candy for catching Pokémon during the event. Additionally, the chance to find shiny Iscalar is increased. However, it is unclear how high the chance is during the event.
As field research, you will receive tasks that reward you with Iscalar encounters.
What does Shiny Iscalar look like? In the following graphic, you can see the normal and shiny form of Iscalar and its evolution Calamanero:
Pokémon in the wild: In line with the event, the Pokémon you encounter more frequently in the wild will change. These include Alolan Rattata*, Kramurx*, Hunduster*, Fiffyen*, Blanas, Zobiris*, Felilou, and with luck Galar Zigzagoon* (which appears less frequently). The Pokémon marked with a star (*) can be found as shiny.
What you need to know about evolution: If you want to evolve Iscalar, you will notice that it does not work “normally”. You need to turn your phone for that. We show you the evolution trick for Iscalar here on MeinMMO in detail.
How strong are the Pokémon? Iscalar is not useful in PvP or PvE. Its evolution Calamanero is at least usable in PvP and plays in the top-middle of the Super League and Hyper League. There are many strong alternatives.
Will you participate in the Limited Research with Iscalar? Which of the contents are you most looking forward to?
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Destiny 2 is starting the weekend. But before you grab some bounties and get going, you should pay a visit to the good old Xur. We have shadowed him and reveal where he will land and what he has to offer.
What happened in Destiny 2 this week? Bungie has taken over the second week of Season 18 and sent you to a new chapter of the seasonal pirate quest in the Cosmodrome.
Before that, the aftershocks of the raid race needed to be digested. Because cheaters are no longer only active in PvP, but are cheating live in the PvE endgame.
Meanwhile, Bungie has swept away quite a few bugs from the hard drives and plugged the mouth of a howling ogre. Elsewhere, an old NPC has fallen back into his nasty merchant role and is rewarding you without a guilty conscience with probably the worst armor beyond Saturn.
Bungie’s boss, Joe “The Moustache” Blackburn, has meanwhile taken the time and revealed some new details about the upcoming DLC Lightfall that you may find interesting:
When does Xur come? The exotic merchant is a creature of habit and therefore always visits Destiny 2 on Fridays at 7 PM. Anyone who still has gaps in their exotic collection expects him then, as he is the fastest way to own everything. And that at reasonable material prices.
Xur’s position: Xur has landed, so we can tell you where you need to fly.
What does Xur have to offer? As the chosen exotic merchant of the “Nine,” a mysterious group in Destiny 2, Xur delivers new weapons and armor to players weekly on their behalf. All characters, including Warlocks, Hunters, and Titans, can shop from him. Whether you are new to the game or a seasoned Guardian, his wares are guaranteed to be better than Spider’s offer.
This is his offer for you this week:
Our purchase recommendation: For Hunters, the “Opulent Chest Armor” with a purchase is worthwhile. It has 22 recovery and 25 intellect, making for an interesting distribution. The Hunter helmet “Opulent Headpiece” is also quite interesting, with a total value of 63.
Xur also sells legendary items and offers unique rolls for exotics from no longer available exotic missions from past DLCs every week. However, note: You can only buy the weapons if you also own the appropriate DLC.
Currently, he has these two weapons on offer:
This is the cost of the weapons: For these two exotics, the costs are 1 Ascendant Shard, 1 Exotic Code, 125,000 Glimmer, and 200 Legendary Shards each.
Xur always has: You will always get an exotic engram for 97 legendary shards from Xur, as well as the weekly quest to obtain an exotic code.
As the Trials are on break until September 16, PvP fans should look forward to the Iron Banner. It will start next week and bring the new mode “Eruption” to Lord Saladin.
What is Eruption and how does the mode work?? It is a modified version of the former team deathmatch mode “Conflict,” which Bungie has adorned with a new “BOOMSHAKALAKA!” Just like in “Conflict,” you earn points for your kills in “Eruption”.
In Destiny 2, however, this new mechanic also significantly boosts your space abilities. Kills grant you and your team ability energy. This increases if you manage to take out a series of enemies without dying. Assists count as well.
Next week, it will be interesting to see how “Eruption” (German: “Ausbruch”) is received in the Iron Banner by the Guardians and whether the mode performs better than “Rift”.
How about you? Do you still visit Xur? Or is your collection already complete? And will you explore the Iron Banner? Or have you already decided that this mode is not for you? Feel free to let us know in the comments.
By the way, you should be careful in the future when leaving a match. Bungie plans a “Quit Prevention” in PvP:
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