LoL will eventually stop receiving new champions – Riot explains when that will be

In League of Legends (LoL), new champions are regularly released. But this will not go on forever. Riot has specified when they will stop with new releases and discusses this in a podcast.

What is it about? Riot Games offers a huge selection of champions in their MOBA League of Legends. You can play 161 different characters. That’s a lot and not the end yet. Looking at the competition in Dota 2, you can currently play 123 different characters there.

New champions are regularly released for the 13-year-old LoL. But at some point, this will stop, explains Riot Games.

Riot is already talking about the end of new champions

Who is talking? The head of LoL’s balance team, Matt “Phroxzon” Leung-Harrison, was a guest on the “Broken by Concent” podcast (via YouTube). He is asked whether Riot Games has already considered having a limit on champions in the game.

Leung-Harrison explains that they are already talking about it, but still have a lot to offer [before the limit is reached]. The end of new champions would take effect when Riot can no longer develop intuitive characters.

“There are a few things that make many champions unplayable. One of them is that champions are not intuitive. Let’s say I encounter Thresh, he throws a hook that looks like a hook, but it just goes past someone. You would wonder: ‘What the hell is that?'”, explains the balance lead.

“If we make unintuitive champs, it becomes a problem to make more of them because it massively increases the number of things you need to understand to play the game.”

As long as the mechanics that a champion works with are intuitive, new champions can be developed.

The newest champion Nilah is introduced in the following video:

Start video
LoL: Trailer shows new champion Nilah – Is so mobile that you can’t escape

Champion Gwen as an example of “not intuitive”

This is the example: The lead developer specifically addresses Gwen’s W ability in the podcast. Coach Curtis explains, “it didn’t feel intuitive at all.” With Gwen’s W ability, a fog is spread on the ground around her, and you can only attack Gwen if you are standing in the fog with her.

Leung-Harrison explains that Gwen was developed around this ability. She is supposed to have the ability to engage with the frontline without being bullied by range champions. For Riot, it was difficult to visualize that.

More on the topic
97% of all female players in LoL only use female champions: “If we bring in a man, we let them down”
von Alexander Leitsch

At the core of it: Riot Games does not want to scare off new players with champions that are too hard to understand. They want to create unique champs, but not at any cost. If gameplay has to suffer for a champion to be unique, then that doesn’t help anyone.

As it sounds in the podcast, Riot Games still has many ideas in store to expand the list of playable characters. So it should still take a while before the limit of new champions is reached.

The latest champion Nilah was so strong at release that Riot had to nerf him after just 24 hours

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. DotEsports

MMORPG Black Desert turns you into otters fighting for sandcastles in the new event

Currently, a summer event is taking place in Black Desert Online, which runs until August 24. In addition to all the usual MMORPG event stuff, you also get to be otters and fight for your sandcastle. We from MeinMMO summarize.

What kind of event is this? Since August 3, the summer event has been running in the MMORPG Black Desert Online. This brings some weekly tasks and rewards, but also a brand new game mode where you can be otters.

The game mode is called Sand Castle Shore-Down and focuses on PvP. There are some rewards to win and also a daily quest to complete. By the way, both sides get loot, but the winners get more.

What kind of game mode is this? Although the PvP mode looks cute on the surface, it is basically a normal deathmatch. You take on the role of either an otter or a papu. The papus are also quite cute creatures that come from the Black Desert cosmos.

You choose one of three classes, corresponding to a warrior, a healer, and a mage. They also have quite funny names. For example, the otter healer is obviously the “Holy Sea Cucumber Priest”.

Ultimately, you play in groups of up to 30 players for kills. The more fluffy opponents you cuddle to death, the more points you earn for your team. Whoever has the most points after 10 minutes wins for their faction.

Here you can see the trailer for the event:

Start video
Black Desert: Summer 2022 Events Trailer

The Battle for the Sandcastles

The great battle of the otters: While the first game mode refers only to a deathmatch, there is also a real territorial battle in the second mode, “Clash of the Furrsome Papus and Otters”. Here, you can choose a side and then receive scrolls to transform into a papu or an otter.

Every 15 minutes, a battle takes place at the sandcastle, where you have to fight over 5 different areas, driving the opposing team away from there. If successful, your fluffy army takes control of the area.

After 15 minutes, the team that has held more regions longer wins. The loser must then wait on the battlefield for 5 minutes to “reflect on their defeat.”

New Quests: These events are accompanied by corresponding daily and weekly tasks. You must not only conquer sandcastles but also knock out papus and otters. For this, you receive event tokens that can be exchanged for rewards.

All of this is possible and playable until August 24. So get to the fish!

“This is the future of PvP”

How does the community react? They immediately fell in love with the cute otters and papus. Player reactions are great, and they look forward to going into the cuddly war to defend and take their sandcastles.

Currently, negative comments are nowhere to be found; the update and the event seem to be well received. The only criticism is that otters receive different rewards than papus. Papus focus more on combat, while otters get lifeskill loot. There are concerns that fewer players may choose otters.

Under the announcement trailer on YouTube, you will find some comments that we would like to share here:

  • Zero Cui says: ‘I see the future of PvP in this mode!’
  • Pretzelicious writes: ‘Finally something to really look forward to.’
  • Uni Cornu says: ‘Finally! This cute war needed much more attention.’
  • Memmories writes: ‘This is great. We have real otter and papu classes!’

What do you think of the event? Have you always wanted to fight as an otter? Or would you rather choose the papus? Feel free to let us know in the comments here at MeinMMO.

MMORPG Black Desert gets single-player PvE zones – But you can’t always enter

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

New World promises many new features for the summer update – Delays the 2 biggest of them

In New World, everything is going wrong right now. The big summer update was supposed to bring cool new features, but it has much less than announced. We from MeinMMO summarize.

What kind of update was that? Last week, the big summer Medleyfaire update was released in New World. This brought a new event and was actually supposed to include the coveted dungeon finder and a new expedition.

Actually. Because the dungeon finder, one of the most anticipated features since launch, has been postponed indefinitely. This announcement came shortly after the update went live, while the patch notes on the same day still mentioned that it would be included.

How did Amazon react? They formally apologized for the delay of the dungeon finder but assured players that the release of the new expedition was not affected and that it is still to come. The expedition was announced for a week after the update’s release.

In the night of August 3rd, the developers of New World spoke up, bringing bad news. Just before the update, Amazon announced that the new expedition was also being postponed indefinitely.

Expeditions are part of the endgame of New World. What else? You can see in our video:

Start video
Everything you need to know about the New World endgame – in 2 minutes

Various problems are causing the delay

Why is the expedition not coming? In the forum, community manager Aewyn writes that unfortunately some bugs were noticed during testing, which is why the expedition is delayed. However, Amazon does not specify what these issues are.

However, it could relate to the daily limit for expeditions, which is unfortunately currently plagued by bugs as well. With the last patch, the maximum number of dungeons that can be attempted daily was increased from 15 to 25.

The reason for this is that due to a bug, 3v3 PvP battles are currently consuming your daily dungeon attempts. Amazon is currently looking for a fix, but it won’t be included this week.

What does the patch bring this week? Update 1.6.1, which was supposed to bring the new expedition, focuses entirely on bug fixes. Several bugs that significantly impacted the player experience in recent days will be addressed.

Among other things, small flasks with Azoth could simply not be used. However, that works again now, which pleases the fans. You can find the complete patch notes on newworld.com.

“They should have never announced that”

How does the community react? Surprisingly calm. Although the fans had to be told just last week that they won’t be getting a dungeon finder after all, the shock of the delayed expedition doesn’t seem to hit very deep.

The general tone of the users is not surprised and at most a little sad. Many also say that they are glad the expedition was postponed. They would rather play a finished dungeon later than another buggy expedition like the last one. At least in this regard, the people seem to be in agreement on reddit.

  • DeityVengy says: “I remember the release of Tempest [the last expedition], when no bosses spawned. I’d prefer a dungeon that appears without bugs over one that comes faster.”
  • lootchase takes it with humor: “Well then, let’s just play all our new guitars.”
  • Trovski says: “Well, better postponed than released with bugs. It’s a pity that we now have to wait for the cool stuff. They should have never announced that if everything is postponed indefinitely.”

What do you think about it? Are you still playing New World? Do you find the postponements bad or did you already expect them? Feel free to let us know in the comments here on MeinMMO.

9 months ago, New World was a huge hit on Steam and was seen as the MMO hope – where does it stand today?

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

MMORPG players do not like gender lock, but what about class restrictions?

Gameplay restrictions such as gender lock are quite unpopular among Western MMORPG fans. But what about race-specific restrictions on class choices? Let us know in this survey.

Gender lock is a feature that many MMORPG players in the West view with indifference at best and total disdain at worst. It often appears in Asian MMORPGs and restricts gender class choices. For example, in Lost Ark, only women can take on the role of mage.

However, gender lock is not the only restriction on class selection. In MMORPGs like Blade & Soul and especially World of Warcraft, not all races can learn the same classes.

  • In B&S, for example, only the Lyn can become Astromancers.
  • In WoW, only the new race of Dracthyr can use the new class of Caller.

Most of the time, these restrictions have reasons rooted in the lore and story of the games. Yet, although they are similar to gender lock in gameplay, they don’t seem to meet with as much disdain, or do they?

What do you think about race-specific restrictions on class choices?

Here’s how you can vote: In the survey tool below, you can let us know what you think about class restrictions. Remember that each of you can only cast one vote and that the choice cannot be undone.

So tell us: Do you think restrictions on class choices based on playable races are acceptable or completely outdated? Is it better or worse than, for example, the gender lock, which annoys so many? Do you know MMOs where race-specific restrictions are well implemented?

Write your answers in the comments and have fun voting!

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Ridiculously hard survival game broke me, even though it looks like it’s for kids – Currently for 2 € on Steam

Steam celebrates the popular genre of survival games with a major genre sale. The “Steam sale for survival games” runs until August 8, 2022, and offers many great discounts. MeinMMO author Maik Schneider wants to introduce you to a strong title that he personally failed at, but every genre fan should try out.

My career as a survival gamer began in a small wooden cabin in Minecraft shortly after the release of the block hit on PlayStation 3. It was 2013, and I was still afraid of the zombies in the game.

Since we didn’t have any beds yet, we spent all night in the cramped enclosure waiting for the liberating sunshine.

A lot has happened since then. I have played dozens of survival games, killed thousands of zombies, and built gigantic automated train stations in Minecraft that could organize the public transport of entire metropolises.

During this time, I experienced only one survival title that really took me down. A survival game I no longer want to play. It broke me: Don’t Starve and the cooperative version Don’t Starve Together.

If you enjoy challenges and like figuring out how to progress in a survival game on your own, then I highly recommend this title and will briefly introduce it to you. If that’s not your thing, then at least now you know how to take me down.

Don’t Starve is part of our best co-op games of 2022 and still receives updates and content. We present the latest DLC in the video:

Start video
One of the best survival games on Steam gets DLC with pirate monkeys 6 years after release

Don’t Starve – A blemish on my survival career

The game is currently on sale on Steam for a mere €2.08. The co-op version Don’t Starve Together is also discounted, for only €5.09.

I don’t want to deter you with my assessment – on the contrary. Don’t Starve is an excellent survival game that has all the mechanics to be a classic of the genre:

  • Build a base
  • Craft tools
  • Grow food
  • Tame animals
  • Smash enemies
  • Research upgrades
  • Survive the darkness
  • Seasonal changes
  • Large, randomly generated world

However, you can’t just starve, as the title of the game suggests. Almost everything in the world wants to kill you. You can even get too scared and die from it.

dont starve together darkness
Watch your back in the dark.

And that’s exactly where the game froze me cold. The first round in co-op back then with my crew was a constant state of scarcity marked by ongoing need – we had too little of everything.

I enjoy the challenge; it was a real battle to survive the first year. At that point, I was still having a lot of fun.

But we couldn’t overcome the scarcity threshold. Worse, in winter, an unforeseen event occurred. I don’t want to give too much away, but I can say it practically destroyed all our progress.

Seasons are a thing in Don’t Starve.

That evening, we ended the game, and I was never ready to start a serious new round again.

Ultimately, we didn’t use a mechanic properly, which put us at a significant disadvantage. But after a dozen hours of grind and a life on the brink of existence, I was out of steam. Don’t Starve left a lasting impact on me.

And if you look at a few pictures without knowing the background, you might even think it’s a game for kids. A blemish on my survival career.

Nonetheless, Don’t Starve is one of the best survival games on Steam. It is hard and rough, it explains nothing, and it constantly tries to kill you. Perfect conditions for a bold adventure.

Sometimes, however, a small oversight, a little stupidity, can turn fun and joy into “I’ll never touch this again”.

For €2 and €5, respectively, it’s worth a try. A top game of the survival genre with deep mechanics and its own charm. But you won’t get me back into this nasty dream world.

Leave me your thoughts on Don’t Starve Together and feel free to let me know where I stand on the fool scale for you.

If you’re always looking for new survival adventures, check this out: The 25 best survival games of 2022 for PlayStation, PC, and Xbox

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

In the new update of Lost Ark, an important button is missing – fans are cursing: “I had to click 774 times”

In Lost Ark, the new update on August 3 has changed how you can get gold from certain sources. An annoying oversight resulted in a button being forgotten – which means players now have to click a lot.

What has changed? With the weekly update in Lost Ark, the game has introduced a mechanic that is meant to further combat bots and “Real Money Traders”. This means that you can only use gold from certain sources very limited for 3 days.

These sources also include characters that were leveled up using a Powerpass. Any gold they earn remains locked for the first 3 days after creation. To be able to separate that properly, Lost Ark has also introduced a new currency.

The gold that you cannot spend is received in 50, 20, or 5 gold coins. You can double-click on these to receive the corresponding amount of gold.

Annoying oversight leads to click frenzy: However, the developers made a small mistake, as a crucial button was simply forgotten with the new item. You cannot use the new coins as a stack like many other items.

So when you receive your gold, for example, a lot at once from your weekly quests, you have to click for quite a long time before it actually reaches you. Players are cursing about this, who already have between 50 and 774 gold coins lying around and have to deal with this annoying chore.

At least the players can enjoy the beautiful graphics of Lost Ark:

Start video
5 MMORPGs with the most beautiful graphics

“I had to click 774 times because I bought the small bags”

How are players reacting? They are quite annoyed at the moment. Because at times, they have to click for many minutes just to get the gold they have already earned. It particularly hits the users who choose the small bags for the weekly reward.

Because there you only get the 5 gold coins. One user even reports 774 pieces that he had to click individually. In the medium variant, players sometimes have to open 200 of the coins, and even if you take the risk of the large bags, you are not freed from clicking.

People are primarily annoyed by the oversight itself. “They only needed to implement a single button,” writes a user on reddit and receives a lot of agreement. Although almost all commentators assume that the next patch will fix the issue, players remain annoyed.

What do the fans say? We would like to share some of the comments here so you can get an idea of the mood. They come from two different reddit threads on the topic.

  • FantasticBreakfast writes: “I hope when they fix this, they also bring a general option to use everything in a stack. The usual 30 at once is way too little for over 700 coins.”
  • Sinniee tries to mediate: “Okay guys, calm down. It could be worse. They just overlooked it and it will definitely be fixed with the next reset.”
  • Janitalia says: “I have no idea, it was kind of fun to open all of that. Like a loot explosion. Sorry, I’m just trying to be positive.”
  • Sweaty Painter writes: “They must have simply forgotten the button.”

What do you think? Did you also have to click like a crazy person, or are you waiting for the next patch? Feel free to let us know in the comments here on MeinMMO.

Lost Ark bans the leader of 12 of the largest guilds in the MMORPG – it was all the same person

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Twitch streamer accomplishes incredible Halo challenge that no one has succeeded at for 18 years

The YouTuber Charlie Cr1TiKaL White Jr. posted a challenge on July 16, 2022, that was supposed to be impossible. Nearly 3 weeks later, a Twitch streamer succeeded and catapulted himself into a Hall of Fame of gaming with this achievement for many.

This was the challenge: The YouTuber Cr1TiKaL challenged players to achieve a “perfect Halo 2 deathless LASO run.” LASO stands for “Legendary All Skulls On.” This means they should complete Halo 2: Anniversary on Legendary difficulty without dying once.

As if that wasn’t hard enough, they had to activate all Skulls: modifications that make the game trickier. Only one modification is not allowed, as it can make you invisible and gives an advantage.

What was at stake? After no one had signed up for his original challenge with a prize of $5,000, Cr1TiKaL raised the stakes to $20,000. That’s approximately 19,500 euros. He also demanded: “Come and get my money!”

More on the topic
YouTuber offers 19,500 euros in prize money – you only have to achieve in Halo 2 what no one has accomplished for 18 years
von Benedict Grothaus

More Halo can be found in our video:

Start video
Halo Infinite finally launches Season 2 – Shows the new maps and badass armors in the trailer

Twitch streamer JerValiN becomes a Halo legend

Who did the impossible? JerValiN was actually one of the smaller streamers, often only about 100 people watched him. However, the speedrunner and Halo veteran was considered one of the early favorites in the challenge. Now he has nearly 30,000 followers (via TwitchTracker).

What he accomplished: On August 4, 2022, the player finally completed the challenge in an uninterrupted run lasting over six and a half hours, all live on Twitch. According to the creator of the challenge, this has never been done in the history of the game.

This is how the streamer celebrated: After delivering the final blow to the last enemy, he sighed in relief. “Alright, it’s possible,” he said, addressing his chat. Then his family members joined in and celebrated the triumph with him.

You can currently watch the entire run and the emotional reaction of the family on JerValiN’s Twitch channel.

The internet also celebrates JerValiN

Here are the reactions: Esport journalist Jake Lucky shared the streamer’s achievement on his Twitter account and called him a legend. His followers were visibly impressed.

“Just one of the hardest gaming challenges of all time,” wrote one user. Another called it one of the best performances in gaming. People who didn’t watch the challenge or didn’t try it themselves have no idea how incredibly difficult it is. (via Twitter)

Cr1TiKaL himself seems to be thrilled that someone was able to beat his challenge. In a clip on his Twitch account, his reaction to JerValiN’s victory can be seen. He also said that he always knew it was possible.

I have never been so glad to lose 20 grand! This is so damn huge. It took 18 years. Do you know how many people told me it was impossible? […] I told you damn well!

Cr1TiKaL via Twitch

What’s next for JerValiN? He first thanked his fellow challengers and his community. And he can enjoy more than just the prize money: His channel was quickly flooded with gift subscriptions.

Cr1TiKaL revealed that the speedrunner himself had planned an even tougher version of the challenge. In this one, he should not be allowed to fire his weapon. However, it is still unclear whether or when he will take on this challenge.

What do you think of the challenge? Did you perhaps follow it or even attempt it yourself? What would you do with the prize money? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments.

While many Twitch streamers are usually not known for physical activity, a new trend is making them really sweat: Gaming streamers are struggling for a huge Norwegian

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Hardware survey on Steam shows the most popular processors and graphics cards among gamers – What do you play with?

Every month, a survey on the hardware used is conducted on the gaming platform Steam. MeinMMO shows you the results from July 2022.

Steam is one of the largest gaming platforms in the world and is likely familiar to most PC gamers – it’s almost like a home for them. Recently, a survey on MeinMMO showed that many readers have hundreds of games stored in their Steam library.

Steam regularly conducts a survey that provides insight into the hardware of Steam gamers. Now the results for July 2022 are known, and we are listing how the technology distribution on the platform looks – in terms of graphics cards, processor power, and number of cores.

If you are also interested in a short video on the topic of hardware, we are embedding an interesting story here:

Start video
Why is the first drive in Windows always C?

Steam: Graphics Cards – NVIDIA Dominates

The graphics cards used by Steam users show the usual picture – NVIDIA dominates the market, with over 76% market share on Steam.

At the top remains the GTX 1060 from 2016/2017. The mid-range card offers stable performance at FullHD resolution and has over 7% usage share.

The first graphics card from competitor AMD ranks a distant 16th with the Radeon RX 580.

Open the spoiler box if you want to see all the cards that have a share of over 1%:

Hardware Survey Steam – Graphics Cards
  • NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060
    • 7.12 %
  • NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650
    • 6.35 %
  • NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
    • 5.67 %
  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060
    • 5.10 %
  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
    • 3.34 %
  • NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050
    • 2.83 %
  • NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti
    • 2.79 %
  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
    • 2.58 %
  • NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER
    • 2.47 %
  • NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070
    • 2.41 %
  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
    • 2.29 %
  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER
    • 1.99 %
  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
    • 1.90 %
  • NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660
    • 1.78 %
  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080
    • 1.68 %
  • AMD Radeon RX 580
    • 1.47 %
  • NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080
    • 1.46 %
  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070
    • 1.42 %
  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050
    • 1.38 %
  • AMD Radeon Graphics
    • 1.32 %
  • NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti
    • 1.30 %
  • AMD Radeon RX 570
    • 1.20 %
  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER
    • 1.18 %

Graphics cards are a hot topic in gaming. Currently, a survey is running on MeinMMO about which aspects are particularly important to you. Check it out:

More on the topic
When buying a graphics card, what is most important to you?
von Benedikt Schlotmann

Steam: Processors – AMD on the Rise

In processor technology, Intel remains the leader. Here, however, AMD plays a larger role than in the graphics card market and is on the rise – compared to June, the share has increased by 2.22%:

  • Intel CPUs: 66.26 %
  • AMD CPUs: 33.73 %

The statistics on Steam show no specific models for processors, but are sorted by manufacturer, operating system, and speed. We again list the technology that comes in at least 1% and limit ourselves to the Windows figures.

You can find the shares of Intel technology in Windows PCs in the first spoiler box:

INTEL CPU SPEEDS (WINDOWS)
  • 2.3 GHz to 2.69 GHz
    • 17.88 %
  • 3.3 GHz to 3.69 GHz
    • 16.69 %
  • 2.7 GHz to 2.99 GHz
    • 13.03 %
  • 3.0 GHz to 3.29 GHz
    • 8.02 %
  • 3.7 GHz and more
    • 4.32 %
  • 2.0 GHz to 2.29 GHz
    • 3.08 %
  • 1.7 GHz to 1.99 GHz
    • 1.82 %

In the second spoiler box, you will find the speed of AMD processors on Windows.

AMD CPU SPEEDS (WINDOWS)
  • 3.3 GHz to 3.69 GHz
    • 14.29 %
  • 3.7 GHz and more
    • 8.36 %
  • 3.0 GHz to 3.29 GHz
    • 5.77 %
  • 2.7 GHz to 2.99 GHz
    • 2.17 %
  • 2.0 GHz to 2.29 GHz
    • 1.77 %

Regardless of the manufacturer, Steam lists the number of processor cores used. You will find this distribution in the third spoiler box:

Physical CPU Cores Windows
  • 6 Cores
    • 34.38 %
  • 4 Cores
    • 32.05 %
  • 8 Cores
    • 19.16 %
  • 2 Cores
    • 8.86 %
  • 12 Cores
    • 2.38 %
  • 10 Cores
    • 1.21 %

If you want to study the results of the July survey a bit deeper, you can find them on a website from Steam (via steam.com).

What devices are you using? Leave us a comment with your specifications. Are you above average, do you have an exotic case? Or do you use tried and tested standard technology?

I am using the following technology:

  • Graphics Card: AMD RX 5700 XT
  • Processor: AMD 3.7 GHz and more
  • Cores: 8

If you are looking for a comparison with general explanations about what NVIDIA and AMD distinguish in their graphics cards, you will find a suitable article here: How important is it to buy a graphics card from AMD or NVIDIA?

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Failed MMORPG now sells Pay2Win characters for 69 € – But you don’t know what you’re getting

The MMORPG Legends of Aria has had a tough time. After facing a looming demise, it was bought out by an NFT company that now presents a rather bizarre offer: You can buy powerful characters, but you can’t even really choose them.

What kind of MMORPG is this?

Ultima Online is still popular among fans. We show you in the video 5 old-school MMORPGs that are still being played:

Start video
5 old MMORPGs that are still actively played

Random characters with strong skills for 69 euros

Here’s what’s happening in Legends of Aria: The CEO has highlighted a new offer in the game’s official Discord. You can now buy exclusive characters for 1.75 SOL, which roughly equals 70 US dollars or 68.77 euros.

These characters are part of an “exclusive NFT collection on Fractal” and come in different “tiers”. Depending on the tier – Bronze, Silver, or Gold – they have varying skill levels, thus differing strengths.

Additionally, they receive weapons and equipment based on their tier and are guaranteed a special cloak, leveling 200% faster than “normal” players. Owners are also promised access to rare NFTs that will “come over time”.

Here’s the strange part: Even though it already sounds like Pay2Win, there’s an additional catch: Buyers don’t know what they are getting. According to the CEO, it’s a “Blind Mint”.

As buyers, you can neither choose which class you play nor which of the three tiers your character will be. Everything is supposed to be random, and you don’t know exactly what you’re buying before the purchase.

Whether Legends of Aria can still save itself with such actions remains to be seen. MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch is confident that the MMORPG will at least survive this year:

I predict: These 6 MMOs will die in 2022

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

New Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Shows Co-op Mode – Reminiscent of Monster Hunter World

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet features a new trailer showcasing a multiplayer mode reminiscent of cooperative play in Monster Hunter World. You can see 4 players exploring areas together and hanging out in towns.

What was shown: In the new trailer and during the Pokémon Presents on August 3, the cooperative mode of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet was introduced. In the trailer and on screenshots, you can see teams of up to 4 players traveling together in the Paldea region.

The trailer also emphasized shared play. Trainers are encouraged to travel, learn, and grow together. This will be made possible thanks to the new cooperative system of Scarlet and Violet.

Start video
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet: Trailer introduces the Paldea region

How does the coop work? In the new Pokémon games, players can team up in groups of up to 4 people. It functions similarly to Monster Hunter World, where you can also form teams of up to 4 players to hunt monsters and complete quests together.

To join the coop in Scarlet and Violet, you need to use the designated Union Circles. After that, you can explore different areas in the Paldea region with your friends, battle wild Pokémon, or hang out together in hubs. Trading Pokémon and Link Battles from previous Pokémon games also return in Scarlet and Violet.

pokemon tera forms
This is what Pokémon transformed by Tera Crystallization look like.

The new coop mode goes even further and allows you to fight alongside your partners in the new Tera Raids. The Pokémon in these special raids are transformed by a mysterious phenomenon. You can battle and catch these rare Pokémon with your friends.

The coop in Scarlet and Violet is significantly larger and more developed than in previous Pokémon games.

Will there be couch coop as well? However, there seems to be a significant limitation to the coop. So far, only online multiplayer has been mentioned. Whether fans of couch coop will also be satisfied remains unknown.

When will the games be released? Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will be released on November 18, 2022. So you won’t have to wait too long before you can zoom through Paldea and catch Pokémon with your friends.

What do you think about the coop feature in the new Pokémon games? Will you use it, or would you rather go on your adventures alone? Let us know in the comments.

Generation 9 of Pokémon announced – Starters and everything we know

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

ESO: The Best Healer Builds for Beginners

The MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) now offers you a selection of up to 6 classes to choose from. In this guide, we want to show you some healer builds that can help you master the beginnings in ESO.

What is this about? This is part 4 of a series of guides where we would like to introduce builds that beginners can use to start well in ESO. This article is all about healer builds. As a healer, you must ensure that your group stays alive and, ideally, distribute buffs and debuffs.

In this guide, we want to explain how the various builds work. It is not only the choice of classes that plays an important role, but also the choice of races. In this guide, you will learn which race is best suited for which role.

In the other guides, we also cover the following topics:

Before we dive deeper into the guide, we would like to briefly introduce important vocabulary that is often used in the guide and also in the game.

[toc]

Important vocabulary you should know for this guide

  • What is a DoT? This refers to a skill that causes damage over time (Damage over Time = DoT). The opponent cannot evade this like area attacks by changing their position.
  • What is an Execute? This refers to skills that deal especially high damage when the target has low health.
  • What is a Spammable? This refers to a skill that does not deal damage over time and can be executed frequently, i.e., “spammed”. It primarily deals initial damage and is used whenever area attacks or DoTs do not need to be applied.
  • What does the word Morph mean? This refers to a different version of a skill. In ESO, you have the option to modify (morph) a skill once it reaches level IV. You will then always have 2 selectable options that differ slightly.
  • What does prebuffing mean? This refers to preparation for a fight. Before it starts, you activate abilities that grant you buffs (advantages) from the beginning.
  • What does outranging mean? This means moving away from an opponent/mechanic until you are out of the range of effect. Opponents will follow you until they can target you again. Mechanics often stop or find another target.
Who is speaking here?: MiezeMelli has been playing The Elder Scrolls Online since the beta. Since early 2018, she has been regularly streaming ESO on Twitch and has been part of the official ESO stream team from Bethesda since late 2020. Since January 2018, she has been creating videos (Raid Triples, Guides, DPS Tests) on YouTube. She has a total of over 6900 hours of gameplay on 18 max-level characters and 2,097 Champion Points (as of 08/12/2022). On MeinMMO, she has been responsible for everything related to ESO, especially guides, since May 2021.
ESO MiezeMelli Who is speaking here

Skills for the healer in ESO

Similar to the tank, the healer in ESO is also a group supporter. This means that you should of course provide your group with enough healing so that none of the group members dies. However, it is also becoming increasingly important that you distribute buffs to your allies and debuffs to the opponent.

However, at first, focus only on healing. Once you master this well, you can take a step further and venture into buffs and debuffs. You will notice that with each step further towards the endgame, you will bid farewell to the “classic healer”.

In optimized groups, healers often take on the role of an additional DD with armor sets that increase the group’s damage. But until then, you still have time to grow into the role.

What skills does a healer absolutely need? One thing is clear: you have a large responsibility for the survival of the group, similar to the tank. For reliable healing, you should use the following skills for the healing staff:

  • Restoration (Healing Staff): You summon healing spirits with your staff that heal you and your allies in the selected area for 580 health and 580 health every second for 12 seconds.
  • Combat Prayer (Healing Staff): You slam your staff into the ground, blessing allies in front of you and healing them for 1,916 health. It also grants you and your allies minor Berserk and minor Resolve, increasing attack damage by 5% and physical and spell resistance by 2,974 for 8 seconds.
  • Energy Ball (Unyielding): You throw a ball forward that slowly hovers and heals nearby allies and yourself by 860 health every second. Nearby allies can activate the healing combustion synergy, healing nearby allies for 3,917 health and restoring 3,960 Magicka or Stamina (depending on which attribute has the highest maximum value).

On the back bar, the healer usually carries a destruction staff. This skill is particularly important:

  • Elemental Blockade (Destruction Staff): Area damage in front of you that deals magic damage every second for 14 seconds. If you place the elemental blockade with a frost staff, nearby allies gain a shield against ranged attacks. However, you can also use a lightning staff and unbalance enemies in the area of effect. For extra damage, you can also use a fire staff. Ideally, you coordinate with the tank when making your selection. This skill triggers the effect of your enchantment, which is important for the group.

What ultimate ability do I use as a healer in ESO? The most important ability can be found in the Storm Calling skill line. Unfortunately, you will have to spend some time in PvP to unlock and use the skills:

  • Aggressive Signal (Storm Calling): Increases maximum Stamina and maximum Magicka by 10% for 30 seconds. Additionally, the group receives the buff: Major Sorcery. This increases critical damage by 20% for 10 seconds.

In some situations, it is also advisable for the healer to take on tasks of a tank:

  • Silver Lining (Fighter’s Guild): You deal negligible damage and pull enemies toward you. They are also slowed by 30% for 4 seconds. Note that enemies will be stunned when pulled. Recently stunned enemies cannot be pulled while they are immune.
  • Inner Fury (Unyielding): Deals magic damage once and taunts the enemy for 15 seconds. Allies can use the Radiate synergy to deal magic damage to the opponent for 3 seconds and then again as magic damage to all nearby enemies.

Or you can use the other morph:

  • Inner Beast (Unyielding): This is the other morph of Inner Fury. Unlike this, this ability becomes a stamina skill. It deals slightly less initial damage, but the opponent takes 2% more damage from your attacks. The synergy effects remain the same (as with Inner Fury).

You may be wondering what these abilities have to do with a healer? Usually, they can primarily be found with tanks. However, there are also certain situations in which healers need these skills.

A good example is the Dragonstar Arena. There is a tactic to play the final boss, in which the healer has to take over the boss. For this, they naturally need a skill to draw the boss’s attention. Additionally, it often occurs in raids that healers help pull adds together.

Another typical example of using these skills is the raid Sunspire. During the last boss Naviintas, adds keep spawning that need to be pulled together. Since some ranged attackers are among them, they must be taunted and outranged so they move to the right place.

This job is often taken over by healers, as tanks are busy with the remaining adds or statues.

You must be flexible as a supporter – As you can see from the situations, the supporter role requires you to play unusual skills and adapt your abilities to the given situation.

What class should I choose as a healer?

In the endgame, you will notice that the class often varies. For example, supporters (tanks and healers) in a group have to align their class choice with the DDs. The DDs in optimized groups play the classes that deal the most damage, and the supporters must fill in the missing classes.

The reason for this is the passive abilities of the individual classes. Almost every class can additionally buff the group with passive class abilities. Therefore, it is highly recommended to have every class represented in a group.

In general, for any class:

  • You will typically need all passive abilities of your class.
  • You should have one corresponding skill from the 3 class abilities equipped for leveling the skill lines.

Nightblade

ESO - Nightblade Healer Skills

On the 1st bar (front bar):

  • 1: Life Stream (Siphoning – Level 1): You drain the life force of an enemy, dealing 1,498 magic damage and healing yourself or 2 nearby allies for 50% of the damage dealt every 2 seconds for 10 seconds.
  • 2: Radiant Regeneration (Healing Staff): You share the life-giving energy of your staff and heal yourself or up to 3 nearby allies for a total of 5,988 over 10 seconds.
  • 3: Restorative Path (Shadow): You create a pathway of shadow. You and allies in the area are granted increased speed, increasing your movement speed by 30%. The effect persists for 4 seconds after leaving the path. Heals you and allies in the area for 612 health every second (level 20).
  • 4: Restoration (Healing Staff): You summon healing spirits with your staff that heal you and your allies in the selected area for 580 health and 580 health every second for 12 seconds.
  • 5: Combat Prayer (Healing Staff): You slam your staff into the ground, blessing allies in front of you and healing them for 1,916 health. It also grants you and your allies minor Berserk and minor Resolve, increasing attack damage by 5% and physical and spell resistance by 2,974 for 8 seconds.
  • R: Soul Harvest (Assassination – Level 12): You devastate an enemy with a whirlwind attack, dealing 4,131 magic damage and increasing your damage against them by 20% for 6 seconds. They also suffer greater desecration, reducing the effectiveness of healing applied to them and their health regeneration by 16%. While equipped, you earn 10 ultimate power for each kill. – This ability is not actively used but benefits from the passive effect.

On the 2nd bar (back bar):

  • 1: Elemental Drain: The target receives the debuff: Greater Breach, reducing their physical and spell resistance by 5,948 for 23 seconds. The target receives the debuff: Lesser Magicka Drain, you and your allies regain 168 Magicka every second.
  • 2: Overflowing Altar (Unyielding): This is the other morph of the blood-red altar, it has higher life costs. You sacrifice health and debuff enemies in the area for 30 seconds with Lesser Life Drain. Your allies and you regain 600 health every second when you deal damage to the target. Allies can use the
    This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

FIFA 22 brings the worst challenge of all time: “Whoever does it is crazy”

The new Mendy SBC in FIFA 22 brings one of the best players in the game. However, it causes laughter among players – because it is incredibly expensive.

This is the challenge: The new “Ultimate Futties Ferland Mendy” SBC gives you the new 96-rated version of Real Madrid defender Mendy – but as a midfielder card.

The gold Mendy card is already very popular as a meta favorite, and the new version has stats that make him very strong in every position. Additionally, there is also an upgrade to 5-star skills and 5 stars on the weak foot.

FIFA 22 Mendy SBC
The card is strong – but extremely expensive

All in all, a very powerful card. The problem: The requirements.

This is how expensive Mendy is in FIFA 22: If you want to complete the SBC, you need to exchange a total of 17 teams for it. And not just any small teams, but real stars as well.

Among other things, two 91-rated, two 90-rated, two 89-rated, and numerous other teams are required. In some cases, TOTW and TOTS players also need to be included.

On futbin, the complete solution for the SBC is priced at around 2.6 million coins if all players were to be bought new.

Yes, thanks to the Futties, it is currently quite possible to acquire strong players as fodder for such challenges through SBCs. Nevertheless, the SBC is extremely expensive in comparison to other players that are currently being released.

If you want to see all the requirements in the web app at once, you have to zoom out quite a bit – and then it comes out to be quite a long image:

FIFA 22 Mendy SBC
All the SBC requirements at a glance

FIFA players can hardly believe Mendy SBC: “I had to laugh out loud”

This is what players say: If you look at the other current SBCs, Mendy stands out strongly. Other Futties cards are simply much cheaper:

  • Barella costs only 2 teams
  • Djibril Sow even only one
  • Jonathan David – also one team

This causes disbelief among some players. In the FIFA subreddit, the challenge is already being referred to as the worst of all time in FIFA (via reddit). It is almost taken humorously:

  • “This is the funniest thing I’ve ever seen in FIFA, I really lack words,” says user KingTocco (via reddit).
  • “I agree, this is the best joke of the year. It would have been even funnier on April 1st, but it is really funny. Compare that to Barella, lol,” says another (via reddit).
  • “This is the worst SBC in EA history,” says “Neither-Ad-1047” (via reddit).
  • “Whoever created this SBC is crazy,” says another user (via reddit).

However, some players comment that they do intend to do it – even if only to give the opponent a laugh moment in the loading screen. Moreover, they simply have enough SBC fodder for it.

Others remind that there was a very similar card in FIFA 20:

FIFA 20 Mendy

During the “Summer Heat” event, you could also secure an impressive Mendy card. However, you could earn it through tasks without having to buy any players for SBCs or exchanging many teams.

What do you think of the challenge? Are you going to do it anyway, or will you leave it? Tell us in the comments!

Meanwhile, FIFA 23 is getting closer. Just recently, the FIFA 23 career mode was introduced.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

CoD Warzone nerfs the best weapons with new update – However, the most powerful laser remains extremely stable

Recently, Mid-Season 4 went live for Call of Duty: Warzone, introducing extensive balance changes. The developers have now followed up with an update featuring nerfs for some of the best weapons. MeinMMO has the complete patch notes and shows which laser is still rocking.

The free battle royale Call of Duty: Warzone regularly brings updates to adjust its weapon meta. The strongest weapons get weaker, while weaker weapons can hope for a buff.

On the evening of August 3, 2022, the latest update went live – shortly after the launch of Mid-Season 4. And although the content update brought massive changes to the weapons a week earlier, further adjustments were made.

Included were some big names from the current weapon meta – SMG Marco 5, Kilo 141, or the surprise shotgun VLK Rogue. MeinMMO shows you the changes and explains which stable assault rifle retains its top position in the meta.

CoD Warzone: Update 03.08.22 – Patch Notes

When is the update coming? The update is already live.

How big is the update? It was just a small patch. You have to download little, everything runs during the login on consoles.

What’s in the update? There were some minor bug fixes and weapon adjustments. Among the bug fixes, one stands out: The light / sun had changed slightly on the map Caldera after Mid-Season 4 – that was not intended and has now been reverted.

Let’s move on to the weapon adjustments:

  • NZ-41 – Nerf
    • Headshots are weaker
    • Recoil deviation increased (bloom effect)
  • KG M40 – Nerf
  • Volkssturmgewehr – Nerf
    • Damage range reduced from 22 to 21
    • VDD 287mm barrel with greater downsides
    • Krausnick 428mm barrel offers less range
  • Armaguerra – Nerf
    • ADS movement speed decreased
    • Short Russian .30 34-round magazine has less range
  • Kilo 141 – Nerf
    • Damage range reduced from 23 to 22
More on the topic
What is “control” in CoD Warzone and what types of recoil are there?
von Maik Schneider
  • Marco 5 – Nerf
    • You aim in and out slower
    • Vertical recoil increased
  • H4 Blixen – Nerf
    • Damage for the first damage range reduced from 40 to 39
    • Base range for the first damage range reduced from 9 to 8 meters
    • You aim in and out slower
    • Bergstrom 17″ barrel has worse bullet velocity and movement
    • 7.62 Gorenko 54-round magazine now reduces movement
  • Desert Eagle – Nerf
    • Neck and body damage reduced
  • VLK Rogue – Nerf
    • Maximum bullet damage reduced from 60 to 38
    • Minimum bullet damage increased from 14 to 15
  • Vargo S – Buff
    • Mirzoyan 414mm barrel now increases bullet velocity
  • Whitley – Buff
    • 16″ CGC barrel with less range penalties
    • 28″ Gracey barrel with more range bonuses
    • British .303 magazine with reduced damage penalties

If you want to take a detailed look at the adjusted values yourself, you can find the English patch notes at developer Raven Software (via ravensoftware.com).

Which weapon continues to dominate the meta? The assault rifle KG M40 is currently very popular with us at MeinMMO. The weapon is extremely stable, a textbook laser, and received a nerf to its damage in the latest update.

However, the damage was not that critical for the weapon. The KG M40 rocks because you can hit reliably even at long distances.

If you’re looking for further alternatives for your loadouts, check out our list of the best weapons in Warzone. Here you’ll also find a strong setup for the KG M40.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Genshin Impact brings new event challenges – But those who want rewards need a partner

In Genshin Impact, the second half of the event from update 2.8: The “Reminiscence Tour” starts on August 4th. You can face a total of 6 challenges, but you need to find a co-op partner for that.

The event takes you back to the Golden Apple Archipelago, where you must complete several challenges on the islands. These are divided into three categories:

  • Descent: Jump off a platform and fight your way down. Within a certain time, you must defeat all enemies on the platforms and reach the water surface.
  • Storm Attack: Within a limited time, you navigate a wave rider across the sea while defeating enemies on platforms in between.
  • Ship Escort: You escort a raft to a destination and ensure it is not destroyed.

There are 2 challenges of each variant, so you can complete a total of 6.

However, you cannot complete all 6 immediately. Starting from August 4th, a new challenge will be added each day, beginning with the two descents, then the storm attack, and finally the ship escort. By August 9th, all challenges will be available. The event runs until August 15th.

Some Genshin Impact players feel that the updates are released too quickly. They can’t keep up with their resin.

Here you can see the trailer for patch 2.8:

Start video
Genshin Impact: Trailer zu Patch 2.8

What are the requirements? To participate in the event, you need to have reached adventure rank 32. Additionally, you must complete the quest “A Summer Stay by the Sea I,” the first part of the event from the patch 2.8.

Most importantly, you need a partner to participate. The challenges cannot be started solo. You can either form the group yourself or find a random player through the multiplayer mode.

What rewards are there? After completing each challenge, you will receive rewards. These include Original Resin, Mora, Hero’s Wit, and materials to upgrade your talents.

What do you think of the event? Does the necessity of co-op finally lead to playing Genshin Impact together instead of always wandering alone? Do you think this brings players closer together? Have you already played the first part of the event? Feel free to let us know in the comments here on MeinMMO!

The developers of Genshin Impact are currently working on an action RPG.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Lost Ark punishes all players with new rule – They complain: “Real money buyers are to blame for everything!”

In Lost Ark there is a big problem with RMT (Real Money Trading), as players buy gold for real money. The developers are taking action against it, but are also restricting honest players. The community is angry.

What’s new? With the current update, the developers of the MMORPG want to tackle bots, which is why they are restricting the use of gold. They are introducing a system that holds your gold for 3 days if it comes from certain sources. This primarily includes gold from NPC interactions.

Additionally, the gold of a new character that you leveled up with the Powerpass will also be withheld. Gold that you earn with this character can only be fully used after 3 days.

The withheld gold cannot be used in the following situations:

  • In the auction house
  • On the marketplace
  • For 1:1 trading
  • In loot auctions
  • For mailing

With this, the developers aim to prevent the economy of Lost Ark from collapsing further. Recently, it was run not by players, but by permanently farming bots.

Many players had eventually engaged in RMT. They were already receiving large sums like 20,000 gold for 15 euros. One player invested 20,000 euros in Lost Ark, led 12 guilds, and then got banned.

In the video, you can see the latest class in Lost Ark:

Start video
Lost Ark: Arcanist in the Trailer

Players on reddit accuse gold buyers of ruining Lost Ark

The strict changes that the update brings do not only restrict RMT but also honest players.

In a post on reddit, the user No-Design2030 writes that RMT has ruined the western version of Lost Ark. He accuses gold buyers of “still supporting these bot farmers.”

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At the end of his post, he writes: “Congratulations NA/EU, you have destroyed your version of the game to get cheap gold. Pat yourselves on the back while looking at the 25+ weapon you earned illegitimately.” For him, it is clear who is to blame.

This is how users react to the post:

  • ifnotawalrus writes: “Looking back, it’s really crazy how much RMT gold was in the game.”
  • SaltyBallz666 writes: “People constantly post their 25+ weapons on Twitter and the official Lost Ark account approves it, they don’t care.”
  • akaghi writes: “I kinda understand why people invest in RMT. You spend $20 and save hundreds of hours.”
  • knz0 writes: “This is the end result of Amazon being too lenient with RMTers. A direct, permanent ban is the only solution.”
  • SM- writes: “It’s so frustrating how careless Amazon is about RMT. It’s like they turn a blind eye everywhere.”

Ultimately, the comments under the original post are more directed against the developers than the gold buyers. Users blame Amazon for being too lenient with the problem.

What do you think about this? What do you think of the new update and the restrictions on gold? Do you think the measures are sensible? Or do you feel, like the reddit users, too restricted by them? Do you think that RMT will actually decrease as a result? Feel free to let us know in the comments here on MeinMMO!

What Lost Ark has planned in the near future can be read in the current roadmap.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Pokémon GO: “Bug Catching” starts next week with new Pokémon and new Shiny

In a few days, the Bug Catching Event will start in Pokémon GO. The event will focus on Bug Pokémon. A new Pokémon with two evolutions and a Mega Pokémon will also debut. We will show you everything about the launch, Shinies, and bonuses.

What kind of event is this? The Bug Catching Event is a recurring event, which also took place in 2020. As the name suggests, the focus is primarily on Bug Pokémon. But your throwing skills will also be put to the test.

In this overview, we will show you all the information about the event.

Update: The content of the new Hyper Bonuses has been added.

Bug Catching Event 2022 in August – Start, Content, Bonuses, Shinies

Quick Overview
– New Pokémon: Mabula (+ Akkup, + Donarion), Mega-Scizor
– New Shiny: Shiny Toxiped
– Collector’s Challenge with 15,000 XP and a pose as a reward
– Group bonuses for more Bug spawns after raids
– Event bonus gives more XP for good, great, and excellent throws
– Genesect with Freeze Module confirmed for Tier 5 raids
– Additionally, altered Pokémon in the wild, raids, and as rewards from field research
– New Hyper Bonuses:
– Additional candies when you catch Pokémon with a good, great, or excellent throw
– Trainers above level 31 have a higher chance of XL candies for good, great, and excellent throws
– In raids, you will encounter Unown in the T-form. With luck, even as Shiny
– The regional Pokémon Vegimak will appear worldwide in the wild and in raids. With luck, you can catch it as Shiny
– During the event, there will be a timed research task where you need to catch Bug Pokémon. For this, you will receive items, Mega Energy for Scizor, and encounters with Pokémon

When does it start? The event starts on Wednesday, August 10, at 10:00 AM local time. It will be active until Tuesday, August 16, at 8:00 PM local time.

Pokémon-GO-Bug Catching Official
The official announcement image for the Bug Catching Event – Unown is hidden on the left edge in T-form

New Pokémon: Niantic announces that a Pokémon with two evolutions will debut. The new Pokémon are:

  • Mabula
  • Akkup
  • Donarion

You can evolve Mabula into Akkup with 25 candies. To evolve Akkup into Donarion, you need to be near an active Magnet Lure Module and use 100 candies.

Pokémon GO Mabula Akkup Donarion
This is what the new Pokémon look like

Additionally, the new Mega Pokémon Mega-Scizor will debut at the Bug Catching Event. With luck, you can even catch it as Shiny.

Pokémon GO Mega Scizor

Data miners are already finding hints that Mega-Scizor could become part of Pokémon GO.

The Collector’s Challenge: This challenge revolves around catching Bug Pokémon. Those who successfully complete it will receive 15,000 XP and a Bug Collector pose. Those who do not finish the challenge in time can buy the pose later in the shop.

Group Bonuses: If three or more trainers are present and participate in a raid together, 15 more Bug Pokémon will appear within 300 meters of the gym for 15 minutes. Each event day will feature a different Pokémon appearing more frequently. Pokémon marked with a star (*) can be encountered as Shiny.

  • August 10: Waumpel*
  • August 11: Raupy*
  • August 12: Webarak*
  • August 13: Toxiped*
  • August 14: Zirpurze*
  • August 15: Hornliu*
  • August 16: Ledyba*

Event Bonuses: During the event, your throws will be particularly rewarded. You will receive double the amount of experience points for catches with good, great, or excellent throws.

Additionally, Bug Pokémon will appear in snapshots.

Hyper Bonuses: Because you played diligently, Hyper Bonuses have been unlocked for you. In the quick summary above, we have mentioned what content this includes.

Wild Pokémon, Raids, and Field Research during the Bug Catching Event

Wild Pokémon: For the event, the spawns in the wild will be adjusted. You can also find the new Shiny Toxiped.

  • Raupy*
  • Hornliu*
  • Ledyba*
  • Webarak*
  • Yanma*
  • Waumpel*
  • Gehweiher
  • Zirpurze*
  • Toxiped*
  • Laukaps*
  • Wattzapf
  • Schnuthelm*
  • Mabula
  • Araqua
  • With luck, you will encounter Tannza*, Pionskora*, and Lithomith*

Raids: The raids at levels 1, 3, and 5, as well as the Mega Raid, will be adjusted for the event. It is now clear what module Genesect will come with.

  • Level 1: Paras*, Tannza*, Wattzapf
  • Level 3: Omot, Pinsir*, Forstellka, Pottrott*
  • Level 5: Genesect with Freeze Module
  • Mega Raids: Mega-Scizor*

Field Research: For completing special field research tasks that have been adjusted for the event, you will get encounters with the following Pokémon:

  • Raupy*
  • Hornliu*
  • Paras*
  • Bluzuk*
  • Ledyba*
  • Webarak*
  • Yanma*
  • Schaloko
  • Panekon
  • Nincada*
  • Volbeat*
  • Illumise*
  • Zirpurze*
  • Burmy (Plant Cloak)*
  • Burmy (Sand Cloak)*
  • Burmy (Trash Cloak)*
  • Wadribie*
  • Strawickl
  • Toxiped*
  • Lithomith*
  • Laukaps*
  • Schnuthelm*
  • Mabula
  • Araqua
  • Reißlaus

These are all the known contents of the large Bug Catching Event taking place in August 2022 in Pokémon GO. How do you like the new Pokémon and the bonuses? Do you think it’s good that Niantic continues to focus on group bonuses, which require trainers to meet in person, or would you prefer more general bonuses that apply to everyone? Share your thoughts with us here on MeinMMO in the comments.

An overview of all events in August 2022 for Pokémon GO can also be found with us.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Destiny 2 could bring Arc 3.0 in Season 18 – These 5 Exotics will benefit from it

In Destiny 2 it will soon be time, as Season 18 is about to start. To perfectly prepare you for the upcoming “Arc 3.0” update, we have listed some Exotics that will likely benefit from it.

What is Arc 3.0? In Season 18, Bungie could implement the revamped version of the Arc subclass for all classes. New aspects, fragments, and various grenade options will allow you to tailor your Arc element more to your playstyle. Just like the Solar and Void 3.0 changes before it.

When does Season 18 start? The new Season 18 will start on August 23rd with the weekly reset at 7 PM. A preliminary downtime is to be expected. In the new season, Guardians will have

  • a new story,
  • a legendary raid,
  • and a new season pass that they can level up.

To avoid having to think about a suitable Exotic at the last moment, we have selected five Exotics that you should definitely keep an eye on when Season 18 starts.

5 Exotics you should get for Season 18

We will list a total of one armor Exotic for each class and also two weapon Exotics that could prove useful in Season 18. Please note that this is our assessment and Bungie could shake up the meta through season mods. However, we are giving you a rough direction of what might be good.

Titan – Starfarer Helm (Chest Armor)

Destiny-2-harnisch-der-sternschnuppe
The Superman Exotic for the Titan

Why is this Exotic interesting? The Thundercrash super of the Arc Titan couldn’t really make an impact at its release. The damage was abysmal and barely enough to defeat a Major. With this chest armor, however, the meta changed, and many Titans began to fly like Superman through Strikes, PvP matches, or Gambit, as this Exotic greatly increased your Thundercrash impact damage.

With Arc 3.0, some nuances might ensure that you gain your super more often or even trigger broader Arc chain reactions. Definitely the first choice Titans should pick with Arc 3.0.

Where can I get it? This Exotic can only be unlocked in lost sectors. After the first drop, you can also obtain it from random Exotic Engrams.

Hunter – Blight Ranger (Helmet)

Destiny-2-Fäule-Ranger
Maybe an Exotic specially trimmed for Arc 3.0?

Why is this Exotic interesting? This particularly effective Hunter helmet disappointed many Guardians. When equipped, projectiles deflected by the Arc Staff were thrown back at your enemies. The damage from these projectiles was significantly increased, but that wasn’t enough for the Hunters, and they banished the helmet to their vault.

With Arc 3.0, the helmet could gain strength through suitable aspects and fragments, earning its place on a worthy Guardian’s head. So if you do not yet own the helmet, now would be a good time to get it.

Where can I get it? From lost sectors where you can obtain an Exotic helmet. Also upon completing the “Witch Queen” story on the “Legendary” difficulty level. However, we recommend trying it in the sectors when helmets are active. You will continue to receive the Exotic through the campaign but with a poor overall armor rating.

Warlock – Escape Artist (Arms)

Destiny-2-Fluchtkünstler
With this Exotic, you are never alone in combat

Why is this Exotic interesting? The Escape Artist Exotic of the Warlocks has often been used by Guardians for ad-clear or PvP. The small Arc soul is good but not dominant enough. For endgame, other Exotics are used instead. However, with Arc 3.0, the little extra turret on your shoulder could gain power and maybe also trigger Arc chain reactions when enemies stand close enough to each other.

Where can I get it? From Xur or as a random drop from Exotic Engrams. Lost sectors where you can farm gauntlets would also be a reliable source for this Exotic.

Thunderlord – Exotic Machine Gun

Destiny-2-Donnerlord
The veteran from Destiny 1 – The Thunderlord

Why is this Exotic interesting? The Thunderlord is known for its Arc lightning that rains down from above upon kills. But the MG can do more. If you hold down the trigger, the rate of fire and precision are increased. With continuous damage, such as on a boss, lightning is even generated more often.

If aspects and fragments benefit from lightning and also amplify it, the Thunderlord would be a solid option for your build and for the heavy weapon slot. Perhaps Bungie will add a few more rounds to the magazine, then this machine gun could be one of the top Exotics.

Where can I get it? As a random drop from Exotic Engrams. With a bit of luck, Xur could also offer this MG in his weekly shop. You just need to purchase the weapon. The Exotic Engram offered by Xur might also contain the MG. So try your luck. It could also be that Bungie brings the “Thunderlord” back as a playable Exotic weapon at the Halloween event.

Risky Business – Exotic Submachine Gun

Destiny-2-Risikoreich
The little Tesla coil of doom – Risky Business

Why is this Exotic interesting? Risky Business has always been a useful SMG in areas where Arc may harm you. While you have the weapon equipped and are powered by Arc, you gain an Arc Shield and can take more damage.

Additionally, your subsequent fired shots are continuously regenerated, so you don’t have to reload when the perk “Arc Conduit” is active. On top of that, your shots have a chance to chain and pass on damage to untargeted enemies.

With the right aspects and fragments, you could definitely buff your Guardian and provide some bonuses.

Where can I get it? To obtain the Exotic, you must complete the quest “A Spark of Hope”. After that, you will receive this SMG as a reward for free.

These were our top 5 Exotics that you should keep an eye on when Arc 3.0 launches. Do you perhaps have other items that we didn’t list but might still be important? Then feel free to let us know in the comments and tell us why it could be your choice for Arc 3.0.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Why does MontanaBlack not show any gambling on Twitch anymore? We asked a lawyer

One-armed bandits, or “slots”, are a huge category on the streaming platform Twitch. Even German streamers have dedicated themselves to gambling. MeinMMO asked the well-known lawyer Christian Solmecke whether this is even allowed – and why it is still being shown.

What is the deal with gambling on Twitch?

  • “Slots” is the gambling category on Twitch and was ranked 10th among the most viewed categories in July 2022 – ahead of Fall Guys and just behind Dota 2 (via sullygnome).
  • The US streamer Trainwreck is one of the most well-known and largest streamers. In March, he won 12.7 million euros in a spin.
  • Even in Germany, “slots” had a boom, especially with figures like MontanaBlack and Knossi. However, Knossi decided to stop gambling as a “role model” in 2021.

Who is the lawyer? To clear up whether this is all legal in Germany, we asked “internet lawyer” Christian Solmecke. We had previously spoken with him about Lost Ark and whether the MMORPG could be banned in Germany.

Solmecke specializes in internet and media law and works as a lawyer and partner at the Cologne law firm Wilde Beuger Solmecke, short WBS. He previously worked as a journalist, among others at the Westdeutscher Rundfunk. His portfolio also includes:

  • Several books on online law. Most recently published is “The Pocket Lawyer
  • The founding of several IT startups
  • Solmecke is also managing director of the German Institute for Communication and Law in the Internet (“DIKRI”) as well as the cloud-based law firm software Legalvisio.de.

Solmecke also quickly became known with his YouTube channel as “internet lawyer”. He often addresses current topics in the field of internet and gaming and answers questions in his videos. We were also able to ask him some questions on the topic.

In the video, we show you the first successful streamers on Twitch:

Start video
Twitch: Who were actually the first successful streamers?

A “fine of up to 500,000 euros” is threatened for gambling

MeinMMO: If it is prohibited for German streamers to show gambling – why can we then watch US streamers play for a lot of money without hindrance on Twitch?

Solmecke: They do not target the German market; therefore, German gambling rules do not apply to them. It does not change anything that it’s possible to watch them online from Germany.

MeinMMO: What rules are there in Germany regarding the broadcasting of gambling?

Solmecke: Participation in online gambling and advertising for online gambling that does not have a valid German license is punishable by law (§§ 284 Abs. 4, 285 StGB). Organizing and facilitating public gambling without a German license is also prohibited under the State Treaty on Gambling and can be sanctioned as an administrative offense with a fine of up to 500,000 euros.

A license from another EU country is not sufficient for this if it is also aimed at the German market. It has only been possible to obtain a gambling license for online gambling in Germany since the new State Treaty on Gambling in 2001. The only exception is old licenses granted by Schleswig-Holstein, which only allow play in and from Schleswig-Holstein and not online across Germany.

So far, however, there are no providers that have a German license for online casinos or online poker – thus, almost all existing offers are currently illegal. Only three providers of virtual slot games have online licenses.

MeinMMO: A few years ago, streamers like MontanaBlack and Knossi had great success with gambling on Twitch. Now they have withdrawn. Could this be due to a change in the law?

Solmecke: No, foreign online gambling was largely illegal even before the new Gambling State Treaty 2021 (except for a few with an old license exclusively for Schleswig-Holstein).

This is likely due to the fact that “Monte” has faced a lot of legal trouble for his streams. We have already reported in the past about criminal proceedings, especially against Montana Black. He had to endure a raid by the public prosecutor’s office, among other things due to the suspicion of unauthorized gambling. One of his accounts with nearly 90,000 euros was seized. The proceedings for illegal gambling were later dismissed only in exchange for a payment. Only then did he officially stop gambling.

Particularly Jan Böhmermann has reported on “Knossi” and his dubious gambling deals. Perhaps the public pressure became too high.

We have embedded the video about the case of MontanaBlack for you here:

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MeinMMO: Do streamers have to disclose if they have special deals with the casino and are financially supported – or only play with “borrowed money”?

Solmecke: First of all, participating in and promoting illegal gambling is illegal. But even if it were legal, streamers could be warned for misleading consumers under competition law if they do not make it clear that they are not risking their own money but are being paid by the casinos for it.

MeinMMO: Thank you for the answers!

The topic of gambling and Twitch has already occupied the German media landscape for some time. Already in 2020, ZDF published a report on this:

ZDF shows how German Twitch streamers profit from gambling addiction

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

WoW players are angry about Season 4: “Has anyone actually tested this?”

Season 4 of WoW: Shadowlands is causing a lot of frustration. Many players are asking: Have you actually played this yourself?

The fourth season of World of Warcraft Shadowlands has started and marks the beginning of the end for this expansion. In a somewhat experimental season, many old raids and dungeons are making a return to bring fresh ideas and shorten the wait until the release of the next expansion Dragonflight.

However, instead of praise for this interim content, criticism is pouring in on the subreddit and the official forums. The prevailing opinion is: Nobody really tested this properly in advance.

What is the criticism? The biggest points of criticism are regarding the new “Mythic+” dungeons that have been added this season. Where “new” is a flexible term, as these are mainly old dungeons from previous expansions (Battle for Azeroth, Legion, Warlords of Draenor) that are now part of the dungeon pool.

The balance and thus the difficulty level between these dungeons differs massively, according to the complaints of the community.

Especially the two Karazhan dungeons, both the upper and lower variants, are causing a lot of frustration, as MrThorto notes with much agreement in the WoW subreddit:

After I ran keys between +2 and +16 with my guild yesterday and we normally aim for keys in the range of 15 to 20, I can clearly say that the dungeons are bugged and have only been minimally tested by the developers.

I don’t know how one can play Karazhan – whether the upper OR lower – and confidently claim to have had a good time, even knowing all the mechanics.

The criticism of Karazhan is particularly harsh. The large number of mechanics that are clear “one-hits” cause a lot of frustration here.

However, some players also point out that this might be particularly due to this week. Because the affix “Inspiring” ensures that many enemies cannot be interrupted, allowing their deadly abilities to be executed without interruption.

Old mechanics do not fit with current requirements: Another point of criticism is that many of the current Mythic affixes simply do not fit with the old dungeon design, such as from “Warlords of Draenor”. In the “Gloomy Depot”, the long train ride, there is often way too little space to avoid the “Quaking” affix in the narrow corridors. At the same time, the lightning area ability of the final boss is far too strong, as one cannot dodge in advance and never knows where the area will land – at higher levels, just a few seconds are enough to kill a character.

It is certainly clear that Blizzard needs to make improvements here, as the dungeons at the same level show significant differences in difficulty. Groups that usually plow effortlessly through “Mythic+20” are already failing at low double-digit keys. The balance does not seem to be very successful here.

What experiences have you had with the new season? Can you relate to the points of criticism? Or did you enjoy the dungeons and don’t see the problems at all?

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. reddit.com/r/wow/

We asked a Drag Queen on Twitch what her biggest problems and wishes are when streaming

Drag Queen Aria Addams tells us in an interview about her career and her opinion on Twitch as a streaming platform.

On the streaming platform Twitch, thousands of channels go online every day, where streamers entertain their viewers. The content offering now ranges from classic gaming, to artist and DJ streamers, to casual conversations in Just Chatting. One such streamer is Drag Queen Aria Addams.

Who is this? Aria Addams is the stage name of Milo Pochylski, who has been a full-time drag queen and content creator on social media since 2019. The name is derived from Aria Stark from the popular book series and TV show “Game of Thrones” and the Addams Family. On Twitch, she is predominantly active in the categories Gaming and Just Chatting.

In an interview, we asked Aria how she views Twitch as a drag queen and what the positive and negative aspects of the streaming platform are.

Practicing Late into the Night

MeinMMO: Hello Aria! For readers who don’t know, please briefly explain what “Drag” means and what it specifically means to you. 

Aria: Drag used to mean “Dressing up as girls”, referring to the classic man who dresses as a woman for shows. Nowadays, however, drag is an art form independent of one’s gender that anyone can do. 

I often sat in my room until 3 AM practicing my makeup until it looked the way I wanted it to. The rest develops gradually.

MeinMMO: What inspired you to start streaming? 

Aria: Corona took away all forms of audience interaction from me as a drag queen. The pandemic began right after my TV appearance on “Queen of Drags”. The reach I had built up quickly declined due to the lockdowns, etc. So I thought about how I could entertain people well from home… And Twitch felt like a good fit for me.

I see streaming as part of my job, and it is definitely full-time. Before I became self-employed in 2019, I was an apprentice in a travel agency. Right now, I’m live about 4 hours on 4 days a week. For just over a year, I’ve also called Twitch my home and became a proud Twitch Ambassador in 2022.

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Becoming an Ambassador (Ambassadors) at Twitch refers to streamers who have a positive impact on the community.

MeinMMO: What games do you play in your streams and why?

Aria: Everything from A to Z. Indie games, horror, shooters, point-and-click adventures, etc. Everything that is fun for me and my community and makes for good content.

Currently, I’m especially looking forward to this year’s Pokémon releases! The franchise has greatly influenced my childhood, so I guess I’ll always be attached to it.

“I Feel Recognized by Twitch”

MeinMMO: What are the biggest issues Twitch should address from your perspective as a drag queen? 

Aria: I believe the biggest problem lies more with the consumers of the platform than with Twitch itself. Much can only be influenced by raising awareness. However, it is sometimes necessary to take decisive action, and people need to face consequences for what they say in streams or in chats.

MeinMMO: On the other hand: Is there something that Twitch does really well in your opinion? 

Aria: I feel very “recognized” by Twitch and have a sense that queer people are well supported throughout the year and not just during Pride Month. Also, with appropriate moderation tools to prevent hate proactively, Twitch is doing really well.

aria addams make-up application
Besides gaming, Aria’s channel also features makeup tutorials.

MeinMMO: In 2022, you became a Twitch Ambassador. What do you see as your responsibilities in this role, and how would you like to approach them in the future? 

Aria: I see myself somewhat as a self-appointed diversity officer. This is not meant to be taken too seriously, but I view it as an opportunity to spread a bit more tolerance and openness on Twitch. I’m very happy that Twitch supports queer creators like me, and I believe that this visibility brings a lot.

MeinMMO: What is most important to you about your community? What do you appreciate about them, and what have you learned from them? 

Aria: The most important thing to me is an open and friendly interaction in the chat and on Discord. If you’re not an asshole, you’ll always be welcome here. I have a strict “No Bullshit Policy” (laughs). I greatly appreciate the support of my community and am glad that we have such a familial atmosphere.

ffxiv milo painter
Milo is also a talented painter and demonstrates this in his streams.

MeinMMO: Do you have any special goals or dreams that you would like to fulfill as a drag queen?

Aria: I would like to achieve – and this is not meant to sound conceited at all – a reach as large as the big players in social media today, especially in the gaming sector.

I look up to big YouTubers or streamers and would love nothing more than to be the first drag queen to achieve such recognition in the mainstream. Because the more people I reach, the more I can positively influence others.

MeinMMO: What 3 pieces of advice would you give to someone looking to get into streaming? 

Aria:

  1. Don’t do it for the money, but because you enjoy it.
  2. Work with what you have, but don’t be afraid to invest in equipment in the long run.
  3. Use TikTok as a reach-driving platform to spread your clips. The algorithm is performing really well right now.

We thank Aria for the interview and wish her and her community on Twitch much fun in the streams.

We also spoke with a teacher who streams on Twitch:

Teacher streams lessons on Twitch, now has hundreds of viewers: “It was initially just for my students”

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.