Carlos “Ocelote” Rodriguez is the hot-blooded owner of G2, the strongest European team in League of Legends. He looks at e-sports and what other LoL teams are doing to build their brand and make money: He can only shake his head.
This is the situation:
E-sports is a trending topic: Many companies want to invest in e-sports and start new teams. But many teams are losing money. This is how Schalke 04 had to sell its LoL team. Other teams are also reported to have financial problems.
The team G2 Esports based in Berlin is considered one of the largest e-sports organizations in the world and is growing the fastest. G2 dominates especially in the LoL league LEC, but is also among the top in games like Valorant. According to Forbes, G2 has doubled its market value since 2020 and is now the most valuable e-sports team not based in Los Angeles.
In Germany, a team called “Eintracht Spandau” is emerging that also strongly focuses on its brand:
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Everything you need to know about the LoL team Eintracht Spandau – in 4 minutes
G2 in League of Legends in transition, still doubling company value in 2 years
Why is G2’s growth so remarkable? From 2020 to 2022, G2’s performance in League of Legends was not as strong as in previous years when they had a solid team and were mostly winning, even making it to the finals of Worlds 2019:
2020 was all right – the team confidently became champions in Europe in summer 2020 and at least reached the semifinals of the World Championship
2021 had issues – they traded top player Perkz before the season, finished only fourth in the summer playoffs 2021 and missed World Championship qualification: The first time in franchise history
Now G2’s LoL team traded 3 more players, restructured, and was able to impress again in spring 2021
However, it was not the case that everything was running smoothly between 2020 and 2022. On the contrary: out of 5 core players with which the phase began, only 2 remain now.
From November 2018 until November 2020, these 5 played together for G2. It is rare for a team to remain unchanged over 4 seasons.
Those who rely too heavily on individual creators will become unattractive to big brands
What is their key to success? The head of the team explains in an interview with Forbes what they do differently from the competition:
We monetize very differently than our competition: They often monetize only their individual creators, which brings a very small margin that cannot be scaled or maintained.
According to Rodriguez, a company that focuses so much on creators will also have trouble finding high-quality partners to work with, whereas G2 collaborates with heavyweights like Red Bull, BMW, Mastercard, or Phillips.
G2 aims to build the brand and logo with entertaining storytelling. If you build successful teams and specialize in storytelling, you are in control of your success and will also be extremely attractive to advertising partners:
Sponsor deals are a big element of how to sustain a business. We are able to create more value for our partners than they pay us, which ultimately leads them to be willing to renew their deals. This is something we are proud of, and it shows how we have been able to provide them with more value over the years.
You not only have to win, but you also have to entertain while winning
According to Rodriguez, it is not only important to win, but you also have to entertain. This can be achieved through exciting storytelling. Everything must always be connected to the brand.
Everything is a bad investment if you do not build a brand.
According to Rodriguez, an e-sports team does not operate like a typical sports team: There, people just show up who live nearby to support their team. In e-sports, this is not the case. As long as you create content in English and engage gamers, people from all over the world will see the content and become fans.
In the meantime, some in North America would prefer to support G2 at an international tournament rather than a US team, because the brand is more important than nationality.
We have had an in-depth discussion with the creators of the German LoL team Eintracht Spandau on a podcast:
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“What are other teams doing all the time – maybe a lot of parties?”
What does he say about other teams? Rodriguez explains:
So many teams fail to make a profit, and I am not surprised at all. Some teams have lost double-digit millions of US dollars. That is about what I have invested since the founding of G2. I have no idea what our competition is doing – maybe a lot of parties? But what exactly are they celebrating there?
He spares some teams from harsh criticism:
100 Thieves is really close to modern culture, understands gaming, hype, street and fashion
Team Liquid has an extremely ambitious ownership group and would invest a lot of money to keep the company relevant
Was considered a franchise player of G2 for years: Perkz. He was with the team from 2015 to 2020.
If you develop a new game, you need G2
For his own team, Rodriguez is now planning what FaZe has already achieved:
“To be honest, we are now at the point where we are getting too big to fail. We have built up too much credibility over the years at the business and fan level. This also applies to publishers: If you develop a new game, you need G2”.
Those interested in e-sports will likely be drawn to G2. If you are a brand looking to sponsor a top team, you will most likely end up with G2.
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This is what G2 means by “storytelling” – the entire roster participates in a hype video.
What lies behind it: What G2 succeeds at and other teams do not: G2 has big names in their team, like Perkz or Caps, but always ensures that the brand “G2” is the most important and is known for its “own style”:
Rodriguez no longer even mentions the former “big name” Team SoloMid. TSM is in a crisis after all stars and franchise players like Bjergsen have disappeared there.
But G2 can give up their franchise player, Perkz, and put 3 relatively unknown players in the starting five and still double their market value. The G2 brand remains constant.
G2 has built a reputation as a “cool, somewhat trollish team” that does not take LoL too seriously and likes to mock opponents and joke with each other. They have maintained this reputation for years:
Almost everyone has a mobile phone that accompanies them throughout the day. MeinMMO editor Benedikt Schlotmann activates a specific setting on every phone he buys: the power-saving function.
Your mobile phone or smartphone is surely one of your most loyal companions during the day. Because you always have the device with you, even if it just lies next to you all day long.
Whenever I buy a new phone, I immediately set a specific function. The advantage of this is significant, and the disadvantages are very minimal for me.
Thanks to a simple function, I save several hours of battery life a day
What is this function? The power-saving function is a feature that you can find on every Android device in the system settings. Therefore, it is not a feature exclusive to manufacturers. Normally, the function is automatically activated when your phone battery reaches a level of 15% charge. However, you can also permanently activate the mode yourself. And this actually has advantages for me and my daily life.
With each manufacturer, the settings and options look slightly different. Manufacturers like Samsung, Sony, Xiaomi, and Google use different user interfaces for their menus and overlays. Moreover, depending on which Android version you use, the options can vary significantly. My examples here mainly relate to different Samsung devices that I use in my daily life, where Android 10 and 11 are currently in use.
Note: Modern Android devices like the Pixel 3 also offer an extreme power-saving mode nowadays. In this mode, many functions are disabled, most apps are paused, and processes are slowed down. This mode is not what is meant here.
What does it bring? In power-saving mode, the processor performance and maximum screen brightness are reduced by 10%. Additionally, the resolution is lowered to FullHD+.
At first glance, this sounds like a disadvantage, but in daily life, I hardly feel anything from it. Most of the apps I use daily consume hardly any performance, and most of you will feel the same way. Moreover, apps that you regularly use remain active. Android only shuts down background apps that you haven’t used in a long time:
You don’t need the full performance of your device for WhatsApp, Telegram, and similar apps.
The same goes for utility apps like emails, music apps like Spotify, or health apps.
The result from the activated power-saving mode is all the more remarkable. On average, I can connect my smartphone to the charger around 4 hours later than if I didn’t use the power-saving mode. This is especially helpful when I am on the go and have no outlet nearby.
If you want to save battery, you can also read the following tips and tricks that we have collected for you on MeinMMO:
On both my Galaxy Note 9 (Android 10, One UI 2.5) and my Galaxy Note 10+ (Android 11, One UI 3.1), I receive all notifications. This includes Threema and Telegram, but also my email apps (GMX and Gmail). My health app (Samsung Health) also collects its data and notifies me via push. Google Maps works for me without any restrictions when I am out for a walk.
Starting with Android 11, you can also set whether background apps should be turned off. For me, the option is located under “Battery” > “Background usage limits”. Here it is also shown as an image:
All notifications in the last hours are arriving without any issues (Android 10).You can set whether certain apps should not work in the background (Android 11).
Can the function damage my phone? No. Firstly, animations that consume battery are terminated. As mentioned above, only background processes that you haven’t used in a long time or that you want to disable are shut down. Secondly, brightness and performance are reduced. This way, you cannot damage either the battery or your phone.
Android 11Android 10Depending on the phone and Android version, the menu and labeling may look slightly different.
How to activate the function: The function is located under Settings and then under Device maintenance. Depending on the model and interface, this can vary slightly. Then select the sub-point “Battery”. Here you will find either the power-saving mode or the energy-saver mode. You can then choose whether you want to use full performance or save energy.
You can consciously decide to limit apps in their background activity. However, you should not do this if you want push notifications! So don’t check “Limit apps and home screen.”
Under Android 12, another possibility is added, namely adjusting the power-saving mode based on certain aspects. The phone can automatically activate the mode when it is unlikely to last until the next expected charge. You can find the setting under Battery > Power-saving mode > Set schedule:
No activation by schedule: Manual activation of power-saving mode
Based on my usual routines: The power-saving mode is activated when the battery is expected to run out before the next expected charge.
Based on the battery level: The power-saving mode is activated when the battery reaches a certain level. For example, 15%.
For many apps, you don’t need the full performance of your phone
Can you play with the power-saving mode? I keep the power-saving mode constantly activated and do not turn it off when I play on my phone. So far, I have not noticed any disadvantages:
Performance-hungry games like Diablo Immortal or Genshin Impact run absolutely smoothly without frame rate drops. Plus, I feel that the phone doesn’t get as hot as it used to. However, it could be that I’m just imagining this.
If I use GeForce Now to stream games like Hollow Knight or other PC games, I also notice no negative aspects of the power-saving function. Because the games are not processed on my phone but in the cloud by Nvidia.
For me and in my daily life, this setting has proven to be extremely helpful, so I use it regularly. What do you think? Are you familiar with this function, or do you prefer to stay away from it?
There are additional tips that you should keep in mind when you are on the go with your phone. A popular method is to turn off inactive apps in the background, as it supposedly saves battery. We explain why you should rather avoid this:
The new WoW expansion Dragonflight is set to be released in 2022. Two new MMORPGs have also announced their release for this year. Additionally, there were updates on new content in New World and Lost Ark, as well as more MMORPG news that we have compiled in this weekly recap for you.
The discussion of the week: Is the release of Dragonflight too early? Is the expansion too expensive? Both issues are currently being discussed in the community:
Swords of Legends has released the new patch 2.1. It included a new area, two new dungeons, the start of the new PvP season, and mini-games, including a cooking duel (via Gameforge).
That was the news of this week from the world of MMORPGs at a glance. Tell us, what was your personal highlight of the week? Or did we perhaps forget something important? Feel free to write it in the comments here at MeinMMO.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Diablo Immortal and the funding model of Blizzard’s latest title are highly discussed topics in the gaming world. Diablo Immortal utilizes MMO mechanics and social systems to entice players into gambling. Therefore, Leya, Maik, and Schuhmann discuss in this episode of the MeinMMO podcast about the shop of Diablo Immortal and how Blizzard even surpasses the Gacha games from Netmarble.
Currently, there is hardly a bigger topic in gaming than Diablo Immortal. The mobile version from Blizzard causes one negative headline after another in the gaming press.
Even well-known Twitch streamers like Quinn69 have little good to say about the action RPG. The streamer spent €15,000 until he got a desired item.
Yes, there is no question: Diablo Immortal is Pay2Win. This became clear relatively quickly after the release. However, how deep and insidious the gambling mechanics really are could only be seen after a few weeks.
Blizzard exploits the core mechanics of MMOs to make gambling in Diablo Immortal very appealing to players.
Therefore, the MeinMMO editorial team decided to dive deeper into the topic and explain how it all came about.
Here is how you can participate: You can actively contribute to the improvement of the podcast. If you have feedback such as suggestions or criticism, or if you want to submit a cool topic proposal that should be discussed urgently, then feel free to visit our Discord server.
Alternatively, you can also directly send an email to [email protected] and share your thoughts with us. Write your opinion in the comments.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Expensive specialized controllers are very popular, but they often cost over 200 €. For just about 20 €, you can replicate one of the most important features of these ‘Pro-controllers’. MeinMMO author Marko Jevtic will tell you why you should do this.
Especially for console gamers, their controllers are the most important tool in their favorite hobby. However, especially in shooters, the drawbacks of an analog stick compared to a mouse become apparent.
Expensive pro controllers like those from SCUF want to close this gap with a few clever tricks. One of the most important features of such ‘Pro-controllers’ is the ability to swap out your analog sticks with longer alternatives. Such features make these controllers very popular, but also incredibly expensive.
But this important and popular feature can be easily replicated for your standard controllers. It will only cost you 20 €. We are talking about the thumbstick attachments from KontrolFreek. I have been using these attachments for almost 10 years and I can’t recommend them enough.
In their promotional video, KontrolFreek briefly explains how these attachments help and how to use them correctly:
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Plastic attachments for up to 20 € increase precision in shooters
What is the problem? Little control, jerky aiming movements, and lack of fine motor skills – most people who play shooters with a controller know these problems. The right stick is often just trickier and harder to tame than one would like.
That’s why controllers like the SCUF Reflex for the PS5 are so popular. This pro controller was able to sell over 100,000 units in just 3 hours after release. And that’s despite the cheapest version costing 220 €, while the most expensive costs even 270 €.
That is a lot of money for most players, but features like interchangeable thumbsticks make such a big difference for other gamers that the investment is worthwhile.
The attachments from KontrolFreek aim to help exactly there and use the simplest laws of physics.
What do these attachments do? For about 20 € (though there are also cheaper versions), you get 2 plastic attachments for your controllers. You can easily clip these onto the sticks of your original gamepad, which raises the height of the thumbsticks.
You can hardly see the difference from aboveFrom the side, it becomes clearThe extension of the PS5 stick provides more precision
This also increases the leverage on your sticks. The longer the thumbsticks are, the more control you have over the movements with your thumb.
This principle underlies the interchangeable thumbsticks in expensive controllers like those from SCUF. For many shooter fans, this is the most important feature of these pro controllers. For about 20 €, you can easily retrofit any controller to utilize this advantage.
There are several versions of the KontrolFreek attachments that vary in color, shape, and height. You must also decide which controller they fit on before purchasing.
I recommend buying the highest possible attachments, either in concave or hybrid form. In my experience, these are the best for shooters. The attachments for PS4 controllers also fit on PS5 and the Switch Pro controller, but not on the Switch JoyCons or Xbox controllers. For those, you would need to buy the KontrolFreeks specifically developed for them.
However, in my experience, it is sufficient to retrofit only the right stick. Since you get 2 attachments in one package, you can upgrade 2 different controllers.
Here are selected KontrolFreek attachments for PS4, PS5, and Switch Pro controllers:
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Here is the same selection for Xbox:
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What are the advantages of the attachments? Smooth pressing in any direction is thus made significantly easier, as you have to apply less pressure with your thumb to achieve sensitive movements.
This is a blessing, especially in shooters. With more fine motor skills, you can control the sticks more precisely as you wish. This also makes it easier to avoid extreme stick movements – which in turn means that you can also maintain strong aim assist in games like CoD Warzone without easily breaking it due to strong movements.
After a short adjustment period and perhaps some tinkering in the control settings of your favorite shooter, you will quickly notice how much better you can shoot with this extra leverage. Your aim assist sticks better to enemies, the strong recoil of your weapons can be controlled more easily, and you feel more in control when facing headshots with snipers.
If you play something where these attachments are a hindrance, it’s also no problem. You can quickly and effortlessly remove and reattach them. This gives you more flexibility regarding the height of your stick compared to some SCUF products, where you must decide upfront on a stick height.
More hardware recommendations from the MeinMMO editorial team:
In short: KontrolFreek promises more precision, and these simple plastic attachments for a maximum of 20 € can deliver on that promise. This gives you one of the most important features of controllers that cost 11 times or more.
What are the disadvantages of the attachments? The perhaps most important disadvantage you need to be aware of before buying is the adjustment period. Since the sticks now sit higher, your grip on the controller changes, which can feel significantly different depending on personal posture. You will quickly notice that your right thumb rests much more stretched on the stick even in the rest position than without the attachments.
This also has the side effect that your stretched thumb further increases the improved leverage, but especially at the beginning, it can feel uncomfortably ‘tense’. The distance to the buttons is also higher. This can lead to missing the reload button in the first few hours.
If the rubber on your standard stick is already a bit worn, it could lead to minor issues with the fit. In particularly intense moments, it may happen that the attachment falls off the stick and lands in your lap. This should happen rarely, but it can happen.
Conclusion: The best investment for my controllers in almost 10 years
Pro
Increased leverage leads to more precision in shooters
Great price/performance ratio
Attachments for PS4 and PS5 also fit on Switch Pro Controllers
Many colors and options
They are very well made and last a long time
Contra
A bit of adjustment time at first
Can fall off the controller in rare cases
The ‘gamer look’ of the attachments may not appeal to some
I bought my KontrolFreek attachments for Battlefield 4 back in 2013 shortly after the launch of the PS4. Since then, I’ve used the same attachment not only for PS4 controllers but also for the PS5 and my Switch Pro controller. So for almost 10 years, I’ve been shooting better thanks to my once purchased KontrolFreek for 20 €, across several console generations and manufacturers.
Sure, they don’t replace every popular feature of these pro controllers like those from SCUF, such as the so-called paddles, which are the buttons on the back of the controllers. But if you don’t have 200 € or more to spare after purchasing your PS5, or if you want to upgrade multiple controllers at once, these plastic attachments are a great choice.
That’s why I can easily recommend the KontrolFreek thumbstick attachments to anyone looking to improve their performance in shooters.
Rumor has it that Sony will soon be releasing a ‘Pro Controller’ for the PS5. Leaks suggest that it will also offer the popular longer sticks:
At the start of Season 17, Destiny 2 granted Guardians 100 extra slots in their vaults. But hardly a month later, players’ vaults are already overflowing. MeinMMO has a heart for vault hoarders, Godroll collectors, and item nostalgics, and reveals how you can always have enough space in your vault.
Where to put all the new weapons and armor? In this case, every Guardian in Destiny 2 has their own vault. For a long time, this storage could only hold 500 items. But then Bungie finally opened up 100 more slots for you at the start of Season 17 .
In the beginning, it was wonderful: With the extra space, it was tempting to just put every new weapon or armor you really want to test into the vault at some point.
5 weeks after the start of Season 17, it is clear: Guardians in Destiny love their stuff, and so the vault hoarders, Godroll collectors, and item nostalgics have already reached the current maximum limit again. Status: 599 out of 600 items.
Limit reached – vaults almost full again.
Why do many Guardians never have space in their vault? Actually, you don’t need that much stuff in Destiny 2 to play the game. Yet many Guardians constantly hit the vault limit with 580–599 items. The reasons for this are quite varied.
New players in Destiny 2 don’t know exactly what they should keep and what not to. So they keep many items that are actually unnecessary and don’t delete anything because they think it might be valuable, but they don’t know (yet).
For veterans, it’s the opposite. They often have three characters and have stored so many good weapons and armor over the years that the vault maximum is almost always reached.
So nothing helps: It’s time to tidy up! Here are our 7 tips on how you can organize your vault.
Tip 1: Don’t postpone weapon tests
If you try out new weapons immediately, you might not need to store them in the vault.
If you get a legendary weapon in Destiny 2, take the first opportunity to dive into an area with many enemies and try it out promptly.
Most of the time, you’ll quickly notice whether the weapon suits you. If it shoots too slowly or lacks precision, try different perk combos that you might be able to swap out. If you just throw everything in the vault, you’ll never test them and eventually forget about them.
If you want to be absolutely sure, look online as well. Top weapons from the respective seasons go viral quickly in Destiny 2, like the Submachine gun Trichternetz or the Calus Mini-Tool. This way, you can exclude that you’re about to dismantle a real gem.
Tip 2: Don’t store weapon exotics in the vault
The “Divinity” can always be crafted from the collection whenever you need it.
The tendency to want to keep these is high. But you don’t need to.
Exotic weapons can be restored at any time: Any exotic weapon you have ever obtained can always be crafted from the collection again. This also applies to various legendary weapons, like the ritual weapons from various seasons.
So if you’ve obtained a weapon once but don’t play it regularly, dismantle it. Only exotic weapons you’re currently using should really be stored.
If you need the exotic weapon again later, because it’s back in the meta, you can pull it from the collection for some materials and quickly infuse it with a legendary item back to your power level.
Tip: Don’t collect all the rewards for your reputation rank wins from the gunsmith Banshee-44. You can always leave 5-10 there throughout the season. If you need to infuse a weapon back to your power level quickly, you have a good source there that only gives weapons.
Tip 3: Create weapons or use those with double perks
A weapon that offers multiple perks to choose from (Image source: SoupTime/reddit)
In every season, there are weapon perks that work well and complement your builds. Until recently, Guardians were also very limited in this regard. However, since the release of Witch Queen, Bungie has created “stealth options” that also help keep more space in the vault by combining multiple options.
On one hand, you can use weapon crafting. Crafted, leveled weapons are flexible and can be reshaped anytime. This way, you always have what you need at hand.
Additionally, without crafting, you can also obtain weapons with multiple selectable perks. This increases weapon flexibility and allows you to often get 2 strong options dropped in one weapon.
One such weapon is, for example, the seasonal ritual weapons like “Chain of Command”.
Additionally, during the Guardian Games 2022, you could earn the submachine gun “The Title”. Every lit torch increased the chance of the weapon dropping with two benefits in each column. And Xur had already sold the pulse rifle “Stars in Shadow” with double perk benefits.
This practical option was added by Bungie in Season 14, where players could obtain a source of seasonal gear with high stats and weapons with two perks in elimination missions every week.
If you pay attention to this, you can also save a few double weapon versions in the vault. However, it’s important that you inspect the weapons before dismantling them, as the additional options aren’t visible in the first view of the weapon.
Tip 4: Don’t keep armor below 60 overall value
The exotic “Fortune Berry”, with only 51 overall value, can be dismantled.
Besides weapons, Guardians of course also keep armor in the vault. This includes exotic and legendary versions.
Unfortunately, it’s not as simple with exotic armor as it is with weapons to restore them from the collection when needed. If you pull the armor from the collection, the overall values are always terribly low, making this impossible. However, you can still sort them out.
For exotic armors, you don’t have to keep all kinds of burn, Solar, Arc, and Void anymore. The costs for changing the affinity have been drastically reduced. So pay attention to the distribution that fits well with your build and keep only those.
All armors in your vault, whether legendary or exotic, with overall values below 60 can usually be safely dismantled.
Occasionally, there are also armor pieces that fit well into a build with a lower armor value, but this can also be true for armors above 60 overall value, of which you ultimately have more.
Tip 5: Don’t keep armor for looks
All the armor you have ever obtained can be used with transmog.
In Destiny 2, there are many different armors that allow you to define your Guardian. As a new player, you find an abundance, and it’s tempting to keep armor just for its looks. However, that’s also a space hog in your vault that you should save.
It’s better to earn the materials for Bungie’s transmog system. Once you’ve obtained an armor design, you can layer it over any other armor to always achieve the desired look. This also applies to the special glowing armors from the Solstice events.
Where can I get the transmog material“Synthetic Fabric”? Ada-1 offers you special bounties that transform armor into ornaments.
Yes, now you have to be strong because having more space in the vault also means that you should part with your dusty, beloved treasures. Even if you’ve logged over 35,000 kills on them.
Last memento photo of a “21 % Delirium”
So remove the lock from your “Hammerhead,” from the “21 % Delirium,” the “Exotic Spindle,” or if you wink at your “Singing Nail” or “Neckbreaker” and dismantle them.
Season 17 has shown: Bungie will bring back your old treasures every now and then, so the pain of separation quickly fades thanks to recycling. In addition, you can sometimes pull these weapons back from the collection if you want to take the “Exotic Spindle” for a nostalgic run in the Iron Banner or PvP. Because that’s still possible since the power level advantages aren’t active there.
For more news from our Destiny 2 editorial team, click here:
If you’ve followed all these tips, you can also become a cleanup pro and leave the management of your vault to a professional tool.
This handy tool helps you clean up your vault.
The “Vault Cleaner” from DestinyRecipes.com is not only practical but promises to get your vault in order in less than 5 minutes.
That gives you two options:
Let the tool lock the gear to keep it or unlock it to remove.
Export a DIM query to work with the items to be removed yourself.
You also don’t have to worry about losing anything. The tool won’t delete any of your items. You have to manually delete any locked items in-game.
Do you have any other tips that one should definitely follow when trying to free up space in their vault, or do you perhaps have the ultimate secret recipe for that? Then let us know in the comments and tell us how many items you currently have in your vault?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The streamer Ilya “Illidan” Pivcaev announced his return after a 4-year break from esports. He wanted to play Dota 2 professionally in Team Empire. However, a day later he announced his departure – because he couldn’t cope with the game.
Who is it about? Illidan was a professional player in the game Dota 2. He was active in the esports scene from 2013 to 2018. He stepped back in 2018 and focused on his career as a streamer on Twitch.
Recently, the streamer drew attention to himself when he officially joined the esports Team Empire, only to announce his departure again in less than 24 hours.
What led to Illidan’s departure?
Illidan had already filled in as a substitute in Team Empire several times
On June 23, he officially joined the team, replacing Arslan “Retrograde” Shadzhanv
The team won twice with this roster
After that, Team Empire lost three times in a row
A day after Illidan announced his return, he stepped down
“I feel like I would just make it worse”
How did Illidan justify his departure? In a post on June 24 on his Telegram channel, Illidan stated the reason for his departure from Team Empire.
He mentioned that he was having trouble grasping what was happening in the game. Therefore, he wouldn’t perform as well as he wanted. He no longer wanted to play professionally and also didn’t want to drag the team down with his performance (via t.me).
Start video
Twitch: Who were actually the first successful streamers?
What are the consequences for Team Empire? Team Empire now lacks a carry player. No replacement for Illidan has been announced yet. However, the issue is that the season has already started.
Many teams are already set, thus reducing the pool of possible players.
It is suspected that for the next matches, a substitute will fill in for Team Empire. The next match for the team will take place on July 1 against PuckChamp.
Why did Illidan have such big problems? During his break from professional esports, Illidan remained active as a streamer. Notably, in his statement, he mentioned that he couldn’t cope with the game Dota 2.
Dota 2, together with Apex Legends, is one of the main contents on his channel. In the last seven days alone, he streamed 13 hours of Dota 2 (via sullygnome.com).
On the other hand, it probably takes more targeted training than a bit of streaming to play competitively professionally. And after years of absence, re-entering might indeed be difficult.
How does the community react to Illidan’s spontaneous departure?On reddit, the community reacted humorously and wrote comments like “Illidone” from IvarSnow or “WTF, I thought I was someone who switches jobs quickly” from HiveMindKing.
What do you think about the whole thing? Feel free to write it in the comments.
In Korea, the LOA ON took place last night. It is an event for Lost Ark, where a glimpse into the future is given. A highlight was the new class Aeromancer, which is set to be released in Korea in 2022.
Her attacks control the weather. She can create rain, tornadoes, sunlight, and wind to control opponents or assist her own group. This is generally her role. All Specialists are intended to be classes that take on some sort of supporter role within their group.
However, there are currently no detailed information about the abilities. The release in Korea is scheduled for July 6.
At the LOA ON, the first gameplay of the Aeromancer was shown, which we have embedded here for you:
Start video
Lost Ark Aeromancer Gameplay
Much praise for the animations, but criticism for the childlike appearance
How is the new class received? On reddit, the Aeromancer receives a lot of positive feedback. The detailed animations used in the weather magic are especially praised:
Suhtiva writes: “Both, the Painter and the Aeromancer, are so beautiful. Respect to the design team.”
SakanaAtlas is absolutely thrilled: “Holy shit, she looks really incredible.”
However, there are also critical voices. NobleN6 calls the Aeromancer “Loli-Class”, a class that is deliberately designed to have a childlike appearance. Similar criticism was raised for the Painter class. Nevertheless, this led to record player numbers in Korea.
Some also do not like the pure “Mage feeling”. They would have preferred a mix of Mage and Assassin. However, the majority celebrates the new class.
The shooter Squad is one of the most popular shooters on Steam. The latest update “Amphibious Assault” has introduced the largest changes to the game so far. In addition to a new map, there are new weapons, vehicles, and another playable faction.
What type of game is Squad? Squad is a hardcore shooter on Steam that was released in 2015. It is considered a real insider tip among shooter fans because it focuses on realism and intense gunplay.
Here are the most important details in case you are not familiar with Squad:
Team-based shooter: 50vs50 with squads of 9 players
Similar to a combination of military simulator Arma and Battlefield
Focus on tactics: Communication within the team is important
Construction of fortifications to protect against enemies
What is the new update? The latest update 3.0 is called Amphibious Assault. New in the game are another playable faction, weapons, amphibious vehicles, and a coastal map.
This makes Amphibious Assault the largest update yet with arguably the most interesting additions to Squad.
What is the new faction? In line with the new map, the new playable faction is the US Marines. They come equipped with typical marine gear and amphibious vehicles.
In general, the selected faction determines which weapons and vehicles you have access to. Some factions may also be unavailable on certain maps.
What does the new map look like? The Black Coast map is a coastal landscape. Additionally, the developers Offworld Industries have improved the water mechanics in the game.
What’s the deal with the amphibious vehicles? Until now, vehicles in the game could only travel on land. With the update, the water route for vehicles is now also unlocked.
With the new amphibious vehicles, you can navigate in deeper waters where normal vehicles are unable to move.
What new weapons are available? New additions to the arsenal include the M16 and M27 assault rifles, and the machine guns type M38 DMR, M249 SAW, and M240. The SMAW rocket launcher is also included since the update.
You can watch the trailer for the update here:
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Squad: Amphibious Assault Update Trailer
Squad achieves 90% positive reviews
How is Squad currently performing on Steam? Squad is an absolute hit on Steam. The reviews are very positive. Both for the last 30 days and overall, the shooter is popular in the community (90% positive with 79,581 reviews as of June 25, 2022).
The player counts are also impressive. The peak reached 13,850 players who were simultaneously in the game, trend increasing. (via steamdb.info)
The shooter Squad offers an interesting alternative for players who want to experience a shooter as a team. Especially with the new update, it’s worth checking out Steam.
In recent updates, the meta in League of Legends has been somewhat shaken up. The focus was primarily on damage, healing, and defense, which were either strengthened or weakened. Among the changes, Master Yi, a champion hated by many, suffered greatly. However, he is set to receive significant buffs with the upcoming Patch 12.13.
What is the situation of Master Yi?
In almost every survey, Master Yi is among the top 10 most hated champions in LoL. This is because a good Yi can deal a lot of damage and especially evade many enemy attacks. With the healing from his “W”, team fights under the enemy tower become significantly easier.
The decline is even clearly visible in the win rate. With Patch 12.9, Master Yi still won 51.01% of his ranked matches from Iron upwards, but this rate has dropped to 49.49% in Patch 12.12 (via MetaScr).
But with the upcoming Patch 12.13, Master Yi could become a real monster again. Riot Games plans to buff the champion.
Currently, the Star Guardian event is underway in LoL. In the trailer, you can learn all the important details:
Start video
LoL: The popular Star Guardian event is back – Teaser reveals release date
Increased attack range and more frequent healing
What is changing? With the upcoming update, Master Yi’s attack range will be significantly increased. While he could previously hit enemies at a range of 125, this will now be 175.
However, the biggest change concerns his ability Meditate (W):
The costs will be modified. Instead of 50 mana, you will now pay 40 mana + 6% of maximum mana per second (maximum 4 seconds).
In return, the cooldown will be reduced from 28 to 9 seconds.
The ability will also grant 60% tenacity (immunity to CC) for the first 0.5 seconds.
The changes to Master Yi are already playable on the test server.
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When will the changes be released? Patch 12.13 is expected to be released on July 13. However, adjustments may still be made before the update is published.
Fans fear a strong Yi in low Elo
How are the changes received? Mixed. Many agree that Master Yi needs a buff, as his win rate in Platinum or higher is below 47%. Thus, he is nearly useless in high Elo.
However, the changes to the “W” worry some players. The champion could dominate inexperienced and weaker players in low Elo, as the new champion Bel’Veth currently does. This is likely to make tower dives much more frequent.
What else does the update bring? With Patch 12.13, the new champion Nilah is expected to be released. This AD Carry focuses on a whip, dashes, and additional experience points for last hits. This makes Nilah very dangerous.
You can find all the complete information on this AD Carry here:
Additionally, a new game mode – Ultimate Spellbook – is being tested, the mid-scope update for Sivir will be released, and the item Divine Sunderer will be revised.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The latest raid of World of Warcraft has been adjusted over two dozen times. Can Blizzard simply not balance? Or is this intentional?
Raids are still the king’s discipline of content in World of Warcraft. Even across other MMORPGs, the raids in Blizzard’s MMORPG are considered quite good and are often used as a benchmark for really strong group content. But as cool as the raids may be, a familiar pattern emerges with each new raid. The developers are forced to nerf a new raid numerous times.
The current raid, the Mausoleum of the First, is a particularly impressive example. A whopping 25 times the developers have announced and implemented nerfs.
But why is that? Are players ‘too weak’ for the raids? Is Blizzard unable to balance raids properly? We dare a little analysis.
What has happened in the latest raid? The currently newest raid in World of Warcraft is the “Mausoleum of the First”, which concludes the story of Shadowlands. A total of 11 bosses are waiting to be beaten by the players – in difficulty levels from LFR to Mythic, all of which pose different demands on the players.
However, the raid today is quite different from its release. This is mainly due to Blizzard frequently adjusting and making changes. A whopping 25 times Blizzard announced and implemented adjustments between March 1 and June 17 (via wowhead).
So many nerfs – is it still hard?
Why does Blizzard nerf a single raid so often?
This has a multitude of reasons, all interconnected. The most obvious and well-known reason is probably the “World First” race. Here, the best guilds in the world compete against each other in an unofficial competition and try to defeat the final boss as the very first worldwide at the highest difficulty (mythic).
That this race is exciting benefits everyone. The community can cheer on their favorite guilds, which also earn ad revenue through the streams. Blizzard itself benefits from World of Warcraft being on everyone’s lips for several days, generating attention.
However, balancing bosses is quite difficult, especially when you have to create them in such a way that elite players can only “barely” defeat them. There is only a very small window in which bosses have just the right level of difficulty. Even minor deviations could lead to bosses being completely unbeatable or being defeated by professionals not after 100 attempts, but after 10.
However, if a boss is defeated, it would immediately mean the end of the race, and subsequently strengthening the bosses could negatively affect all other players, which is why Blizzard initially made them a little too strong rather than a little too weak.
Weakening something afterwards is easy – buffing something later on could lead to an outcry. Because how “unfair” would it be if one guild defeats the Jailer quite easily while all others have a harder boss fight?
Another reason is Blizzard’s limited ability to test content in advance. The last bosses in the Mausoleum of the First were not even accessible to players on the test realm. After all, they didn’t want to reveal all the secrets in advance.
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WoW: Trailer for Patch 9.2 – This is included in the new update
This means, however, that Blizzard relies on its own internal testers when testing these bosses. And even if they are certainly competent players with a lot of experience, they probably do not play on a global level and therefore cannot experience all eventualities as professional guilds would.
Also, the number of internal testers is limited. One gets entirely different data sets when perhaps 20 to 100 internal players try something than when tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of players flood the bosses in a live environment.
Last but not least, one must not forget that World of Warcraft is a quite complex game – at least in terms of interwoven systems. Not only are the raw stats of a character crucial, but also different systems such as legendary items, tier set bonuses, soulbinds and their conduits, covenants, and talent choices are key. Additionally, there are various interactions between player classes. For example, a Demon Hunter in a raid increases the magical damage all other players deal to the enemy by 5%.
Bosses must remain reachable: That not all players can defeat all bosses is certainly intentional by Blizzard – otherwise, the level of difficulty would not significantly increase throughout a raid. However, if it becomes apparent that certain bosses, especially in the earlier parts of the raid, are such a significant hurdle that many guilds struggle with them, Blizzard is virtually forced to act. Because dying to the same boss for weeks or even months is something that only a fraction of players truly enjoys.
A particularly prominent example here is Anduin Wrynn, the 9th boss, who was very difficult even on normal difficulty and posed huge problems for many guilds in the first weeks. Even players who usually participate in heroic raids have had a tough time defeating Anduin Wrynn for a while – and that despite having 3 bosses left after him. Accordingly, few bosses have been adjusted as often as Anduin until he lost some of his challenge. He is still one of the more challenging enemies in the Mausoleum, but he has lost much of his former terror.
Anduin has been nerfed very often – on all difficulties.
Critics see “waste of resources”: While many players are certainly pleased that raids become easier over time, allowing groups to defeat bosses they couldn’t handle before, there is also much criticism of this system. Not only do some feel that their achievements are “devalued”, but a second argument is also repeatedly mentioned: it consumes many of the developers’ resources.
If bosses are developed in such a way at the beginning that only the best 0.1% of players have a chance at the kill in the first weeks, it is an exciting race, but it requires a lot of fine-tuning afterwards. This, in turn, means that developers will still have to deal with the bosses and their balancing long after a patch’s release. These bosses also consume development time that could be directed into new content.
How much time does balancing really require? Whether the necessary effort in adjusting bosses afterwards is actually so great is difficult to determine. Blizzard does not provide any figures for this. If it is merely about minor adjustments in numbers, such as reducing the damage of a particular ability, the effort may only take a few minutes. However, if mechanics change or the timing windows of boss abilities shift, this would entail a larger testing effort that would require more resources.
It is clear that Blizzard can guarantee a relatively exciting “World First” race with this approach, in which they initially make bosses nearly unbeatable hard and later adjust them to the level of a larger number of players. Whether one sees this as “casualization” or a planned process where bosses are intentionally “too hard” at first is probably left to personal interpretation.
What do you think about this type of balancing? Is it good that so much is adjusted afterwards? Or should Blizzard make bosses somewhat easier from the outset, even if that makes the World-First race less exciting?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
During the Steam Summer Sale there are also some interesting offers for MMORPGs. The Guild Wars 1 trilogy has been discounted, which has been available for 14 years but has hardly ever been reduced during this time. Now you can save 50%.
What does the offer look like? You can get the trilogy on Steam for €14.99 instead of €29.99. It includes:
Guild Wars Prophecies
Guild Wars Factions
Guild Wars Nightfall
For the complete experience of Guild Wars 1, you will only be missing the expansion Eye of the North – the only part that cannot be played as a standalone. This expansion currently costs €19.99 on Steam and has the least content overall.
Why is the sale so special? Although Guild Wars 1 has not received any major content updates since the release of GW2, it is still being operated. Irregular “Quality of Life” updates are being made and the player base is still solid.
But despite the game not receiving updates, the price has not been reduced for years. Sales are also the exception. In the MMORPG subreddit, users express surprise that GW1 is now on sale:
ZanshinMindState writes: “This is a big deal since it almost never gets discounted.”
ZenfulRPG says: “I am shocked that it is actually on sale.”
Some also share their good memories of Guild Wars 1 in the subreddit.
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These are currently the 7 most popular MMORPGs 2022
Guild Wars 1 has a special skill system and is still fun to play today
What makes the game so special? Guild Wars 1 is not a classic MMORPG since you only meet other players in cities. When you enter an area, you are only traveling with your group, as you know it from dungeons.
This peculiarity also has significant advantages: there is no respawn in the areas, a hard mode, and even achievements if you manage to defeat all opponents in it.
Additionally, there is the special skill system:
Each of the 10 classes has access to over 250 unique abilities.
Everyone can also learn a secondary class beside their main class and get access to another 250 abilities.
However, you can only bring 8 abilities into an area. You have to decide beforehand which abilities are needed for the respective area.
With the hero system, you can theoretically complete everything in the game entirely alone. Heroes are NPCs that you can unlock, equip, level up, and take into the areas. You have access to several healers, tanks, or damage dealers, depending on how you want to build your group.
Guild Wars 1 is not graphically up to date, but it has many tactical and unique elements.
The max level in the game is 20. This is usually reached after a few hours of gameplay. The maximum gear can also be farmed in a short time as a veteran. In return, it’s worth having multiple armor sets with different attributes.
What about the player numbers? In April 2022, the developers revealed that player numbers had tripled in 2021. You still encounter numerous players in the large cities, and you can even switch between European and American servers at any time. This is especially important when you play during off-peak hours in Europe due to shift work.
You can find a detailed introduction to Guild Wars 1 and an assessment of getting started here:
Mortal Online 2, a sandbox MMORPG that celebrated its release in January, is available at a 40% discount. You pay €20.39 and get one month of playtime. For additional playtime, you need to subscribe.
What do you think of the offers on Steam? Will you buy any of the MMORPGs? Or do you have any other recommendations? Feel free to share them in the comments.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Destiny 2 there is a new cool feature: weapon crafting. Since Witch Queen, Guardians can shape their favorite weapons as they wish. What initially seemed a bit complex has turned out to be a truly great feature in the game and has also been further improved. MeinMMO shows you how easy it is to get to your personal Godroll.
Until now, a Godroll was pure luck. Guardians farmed Strikes, Trials, or Dungeons for hours, just to perhaps receive weapons or armor they wanted when the RNG god was merciful to them. Extremely time-consuming and often frustrating, especially when it didn’t work. These times are, at least for weapons, now over.
Weapon crafting allows you to customize weapons
It offers enhanced perks for weapons that have bonus benefits
Exotics, like the submachine gun “Osteo Striga”, can also be shaped
At the start of Season 17, Bungie simplified the weapon crafting system. We have updated this article with the latest information on June 25 for you.
Why can Guardians now shape their weapons? Bungie recognized the problem of loot frustration and created a feature with weapon crafting in Witch Queen that Guardians currently can’t get enough of. It is supposed to make the grind easier for you.
The RNG god was yesterday, now darkness is worshiped: In the game, Guardians receive this technique directly from the darkness. It has left an ancient relic site on Mars, and as it turns out, you can use it to shape your personal Godroll.
The possibilities are diverse, but you get exactly what you want. The most personal weapons, which can become monsters in combat against enemies and other Guardians thanks to improved perks and properties. And that makes them strong options.
MeinMMO explains how you can shape your own weapon and what is needed for it.
Players consider which properties they want to choose.
How do I craft my own weapons in Witch Queen?
To start weapon crafting, your Guardian needs access to the Enclave on Mars. But don’t worry, it is not necessary to own the new expansion “The Witch Queen” for this. The first mission, which is free for all players, already familiarizes you with the crafting of weapons.
During the campaign, players receive a resonance weapon, the glaive, and enough material to make their first experiences with shaping and reshaping this weapon. After that, you will have to earn all further resonance weapons and materials yourself.
How do you recognize resonance weapons? All Guardians have received the new ability “Deep Sight” in Witch Queen. It helps you recognize relic weapons that possess a Deep Sight resonance. The weapons are specifically marked with a red frame and possess a “Deep Sight resonance”.
Resonance weapons are marked with a red frame.
When and where you discover such a resonance weapon is pure coincidence. However, you often don’t have to wait long for it, as the weapons drop in all activities, so you can get some quickly. However, we recommend unlocking the blueprints as quickly as possible during the different seasons, as the weapons may not be available later.
How do you tune resonance weapons? Your new resonance weapon must first be tuned, i.e., played. Only then can you obtain its crafting materials and later unlock blueprints. Bungie calls this “awakening resonant weapons” and “activating latent characteristics”.
To know exactly what to do, inspect your new resonance weapon. The system is comparable to the tasks for activating catalysts. Complete the weapon quest task and you can extract the material. Afterwards, the weapons will be marked with a red exclamation mark, and you can fly to the Mars Enclave to extract the relic.
Good to know: This resonance extraction does not destroy your weapon. Therefore, the weapon is still in your inventory after you have completed the extraction task.
If you level your resonance weapons in the Throne World, you can also level up your Deep Sight ability with Fynch to level 2 and 3:
How do I get the materials for weapon crafting? After you have played your resonance weapon for a while and completed the task on the weapon, you will receive the crafting material resonance element as a reward.
A completed extraction (tuning) gives you 300x resonance element. Increasing the level of a weapon unlocks higher quality frames and additional perks.
All weapon crafting materials at a glance
We have listed all the materials that you can currently obtain for weapon crafting in Destiny 2, how they can be obtained, and also shown what they are used for.
Item
Material
Source
Used for:
Resonance Element orig. Neutral Element (Maximum: 10,000)
Completing Deep Sight Resonance tasks on tunable weapons
Resource drop when dismantling legendary weapons or by completing activities.
Necessary to start with the intrinsic column. Some are specific to certain activity types, such as raids.
The materials for weapon crafting at a glance
How do I obtain blueprints for weapon crafting? If you want to shape weapons at the Mars relic in the Enclave, you first need to unlock the blueprint for a specific weapon. Weapon blueprints are mainly unlocked by tuning weapons with a red frame. Some blueprints can also be unlocked by completing specific quests. Since Season 19, you can also dismantle the weapons directly to extract their blueprint.
There are currently a total of 78 blueprints that players can obtain.
The progress toward unlocking a blueprint can be tracked in the “Triumphs” section under “Blueprints & Catalysts”. It depends on how often you have received and tuned a legendary or exotic weapon.
The blueprint of the legendary scout rifle “Targeted Inquiry”, for example, can be unlocked by completing 3 Deep Sight Resonance tasks. The hand cannon “Falconer” from Season 17, on the other hand, requires 5 Deep Sight Resonance extractions. The same goes for IKELOS_MP_V1.0.3 from Season 19.
The blueprint “Targeted Inquiry” must be found 3x and the task must be completed.
Why am I not receiving red-framed resonance weapons? The path to obtaining a set for the blueprint of a weapon takes some effort. For example, it can take a while to receive 5 resonance weapons, and this is sometimes random.
But as always, you can also help here. Bungie provides you with red-framed weapons at various locations, such as the H.E.L.M., once a week, which you can buy with seasonal materials. This way, you can reliably receive a weapon there over several weeks, even without grinding, and tune it.
In addition, it is also worth taking advantage of the benefits of the Crown of Sorrow in Season 17. There you have the opportunity to get the Calus resonance weapons more reliably, like what mini-tool or the Falconer, by focusing Umbral Engrams on them.
You can also craft raid weapons: There are also strong options you can acquire through weapon crafting. These definitely include raid weapons from the “Oryx’s Wrath”, “King’s Fall”, or “Deep Stone Crypt” raid.
In the future, additional raid weapons will certainly be added by Bungie to crafting options. This way, you can build an incredibly strong arsenal.
For the blueprint of a raid weapon, you need to obtain and tune 5 resonance weapons each.
The drops are partly pure coincidence.
However, a resonance weapon can drop from any chest, and the activity is also farmable when the legacy raids are in the current rotation.
You can currently craft these raid weapons in the Enclave:
If you have earned your desired blueprint and enough material, you can travel back to the Enclave on Mars. Weapons can currently only be shaped there. Interact with the relic, and you can choose between two options.
Shape: You create a new weapon using the earned blueprints and materials.
Reshape: You change the benefits of an already crafted weapon.
How to shape a weapon: Through the relic’s database, you have access to the weapons you have unlocked and can now select them for shaping to choose their properties.
In the first slot, you determine the frame. Enhanced frames become available when a certain weapon level is reached.
In the second slot, you set the barrel of the weapon. The available selection depends on the type of weapon you want to shape.
In the third slot, you choose the magazine. Again, the choice depends on the type of weapon.
The fourth and fifth slots give you access to available perks. The selection again depends on the weapon type. Enhanced perks are also available here.
“Mementos” give you the option to customize your weapon with cosmetics or trackers.
Then you just need to shape the weapon. The costs for all slots are only due once you finalize the shaping of the weapon. So you can freely click different perks without incurring costs.
The finished shaped weapon will then be placed directly in the appropriate inventory slot. Make sure that you have a slot free in your inventory; otherwise, you cannot shape. The shaped weapon also has a crafting date.
The resonance weapon is ready to configure and can be shaped.
Only crafted weapons can be reshaped: This marking with a crafting date makes it possible to reshape your self-crafted weapons again. Normal weapons do not have this and are therefore not available for reshaping.
The reshaping itself works similar to shaping the weapon. You can adjust all slots again, giving you the option to quickly adapt such weapons to a changed weapon meta.
For reshaping, the weapon must not be equipped, and the weapon retains its current earned weapon level even if you reshape it.
Improved perks make your weapon stronger
The longer and more often you play with a shaped or reshaped weapon, the more likely you will be able to activate the weapon’s full potential.
How do you increase the level of a shaped weapon? Improved perks are unlocked over time. To further increase your weapon’s level, you need to keep playing it. Completing activities with the equipped weapon also increases its level. This way, you unlock higher quality frames and additional perks.
Some perks are tied to weapon level: Various perks are tied to your weapon’s level and can therefore only be applied to the weapon through the reshaping process. This way, you can also use improved perks.
Depending on the level of the weapon, this costs Ascendant Alloy and other materials. However, what exactly is required will always be shown to you in the weapon crafting menu at the relic. There you will also see if you are still missing something.
Why can’t I use all perks on all weapons? Currently, it seems that not all blueprints are compatible with every perk/improved perk. Presumably because that would make the weapons too strong. What you can use will be shown to you at the relic and can then be freely combined. It is also not ruled out that further perks will be added in the future.
What is the maximum weapon level? You can continue to increase your weapon’s level from level 20 onwards. However, this will not currently provide you with any more weapon advantages and serves, so to speak, only the prestige of the weapon and its bearer, as it shows how engaged the player has been with this weapon. It does not improve the weapon itself.
The relic in the Enclave on Mars can shape weapons.
What are mementos and what do they bring? In addition to usable normal and improved perk advantages, you can also customize your shaped weapon. There are various mementos for this.
Special shaders and trackers, for example from Gambit
Prestige options
Special keepsakes
How many mementos are there? Players can currently secure 3 different mementos in Destiny 2.
Item
Memento Description
Source
Gambit Memory
Gambit playlist
Nightfall Memory
Strike Nightfalls
Trials Memory
Trials of Osiris Endgame PvP event
If inserted into a shaped weapon at the relic in the Enclave, it gives the respective weapon additional prestige options. Currently, these are unique, animated shaders, shown to you by player Blank in his YouTube video.
But keep in mind: Every memento you acquire can only be used once; after that, it is consumed. So think carefully about where you want to use it.
The mementos are purely cosmetic, but they will make your weapon unique and remind you of great experiences in Destiny 2. Anyone who inspects your weapon can see that you have experienced a lot with it and where.
5 effective tips for weapon crafting
To optimally utilize weapon crafting, we have five tips for you.
Farm weapon crafting materials: When you are out in the open world, best to equip three red-framed resonance weapons. This way, you can quickly gather the necessary materials.
Level first, then improve: Don’t get the improved perks right away. It’s cheaper to level up the weapon first and then turn it into a Godroll monster.
Utilize weekly repeatable activities: You can obtain the valuable Ascendant Alloy from the weekly repeatable Witch Queen campaign mission and the Wellspring activity.
Visit Master Rahool every week: He offers you 1x Ascendant Alloy for 400 Legendary Shards per week.
Have you already gained full insight into weapon crafting or could we give you a few more tips? What weapon did you craft and level first? And what do you think of the new weapon crafting feature in Destiny 2? Cool or boring? Leave us your opinion in the comments.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Pokémon GO there is currently a 1€ ticket for the Community Day featuring Kapuno, with which you can secure a special research task. We at MeinMMO have looked at what tasks and rewards await you and whether the event ticket is worth it.
What kind of ticket is it? In Pokémon GO, today, on June 25, 2022, the Community Day with Kapuno takes place. During this event, you have again the opportunity to secure exclusive special research for the small Dragon and Dark-type Pokémon. Below we will show you all tasks and rewards.
How do you get the ticket? The event ticket for the Community Day with Kapuno is available for 1€ in the in-game shop. If you want to buy it, you just have to open your shop in the game and you will find the ticket right at the top, under the category “Worldwide Events”. The ticket is titled “Field Notes: Kapuno”.
Ticket for “Field Notes: Kapuno” – The Research
Where does the information come from? Due to the time difference, the Community Day has already started in other parts of the world. These trainers already have access to the special research about Kapuno and have shared the details of the individual quests and rewards on social media. With the help of the overview from LeekDuck, we have summarized all the information for you:
Kapuno Research “Field Notes: Kapuno” 1/4
Task
Reward
Earn 3 hearts with your buddy
15 Poké Balls
Catch 3 Kapuno
3 Hyper Potions
Land 3 nice throws in a row
10 Nanab Berries
Stage reward: Once you have completed the tasks mentioned above and collected the respective rewards, you will also receive 2,000 Stardust, a Lucky Egg, and an encounter with Kapuno.
Kapuno Research “Field Notes: Kapuno” 2/4
Task
Reward
Send 3 Pokémon
10 Ultra Balls
Send 3 gifts with stickers
10 Sanan Berries
Use 3 Sanan Berries to catch Pokémon
20 Kapuno Candies
Stage reward: Once you have completed the tasks mentioned above and collected the respective rewards, you will also receive 1,500 XP, a Lure Module, and an encounter with Kapuno.
Kapuno Research “Field Notes: Kapuno” 3/4
Task
Reward
Land 3 good Curveball throws in a row
20 Kapuno Candies
Make 3 Power-Ups on Dragon Pokémon
1 Incense
Evolve 3 Kapuno
15 Ultra Balls
Stage reward: Once you have completed the tasks mentioned above and collected the respective rewards, you will also receive 2,500 XP, 15 Hyper Balls, and an encounter with Kapuno.
Stage reward: Once you have completed the tasks mentioned above and collected the respective rewards, you will also receive 3,000 Stardust, 3 Max Revives, and an encounter with Trikephalo.
Is the event ticket for Kapuno worth it?
You should consider: The value of the items you receive from the special research exceeds the ticket price of 1€ alone. Thus, you would pay the following amounts in the shop for these items:
An Incense is worth 40 coins, which corresponds to about 0.40 Euro
A Lure Module costs 100 coins in the shop, which is around 1.00 Euro
For a Lucky Egg, you pay 80 coins in the shop, which is approximately 0.80 Euro
Three Max Revives are worth about 90 coins, so approximately 0.90 Euro
You will also receive balls, silver Sanan Berries, golden Himmihbeeren, Stardust, as well as valuable experience points.
Who should get the ticket? The ticket is particularly interesting for players who would have secured these items in the in-game shop anyway. You save a lot of coins this way. The tasks are also relatively quick to solve.
If you are not interested in the items, you can safely save your money. All spawns and bonuses of the Community Day will still be available to you as usual.
Will you secure the event ticket for Kapuno? How do you like the tasks and rewards? Let us know in the comments here on MeinMMO.
The Elder Scrolls Online released in April 2014. And even though it is now one of the best MMORPGs on the market, it looked quite different at the beginning. There were reviews that only gave it a 4/10. What was the problem back then and what does it do better today? MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch takes a look.
How did the ESO release go? Mixed. On one hand, the developers cleverly distributed the mass of players through a staggered head start. This prevented larger queues and server downs. On the other hand, ESO still went through many of the known teething problems that you know from other MMORPGs:
After launch, more and more bugs were discovered. In various areas, there were long loading times, crashes, or lags. The PvP area Cyrodiil caused crashes for many players.
The server technology was even worse, so many areas had to be loaded constantly. Landscapes suddenly popped up that were not visible before.
In front of bosses and quest mobs, huge crowds of players formed who had to defeat this enemy or wanted to farm an item from it.
Some quests were poorly explained or had no markers, leaving players at a loss.
There was a large number of gold sellers and bots.
But it wasn’t just these teething problems that made ESO a weak MMORPG. It lacked an incredibly large number of features that are now hard to imagine without. In addition, there were problems with phasing, the main story, and strict separation between factions.
ESO struggled with problems in phasing, dungeons, and a lack of endgame
What were the major issues? The original world of Tamriel had strict level restrictions. You could only enter the areas and content that matched your level. However, this led to curious situations.
Because I personally chose the Daggerfall Covenant back then, but two of my friends chose the Ebonheart Pact. And we could not play together. This had two reasons:
On one hand, our areas were too far apart. I would have had to walk through level 50 zones just to reach them.
On the other hand, players from different factions could not play together properly. You could not form a joint group.
Contacts were a problem anyway in the early days of ESO. Because quests in the open world often led to you switching to a “different phase” or instance. If I was further along in the story than others, it could happen that we stood at the same place and yet could not see each other.
What makes ESO today, you can find out here:
Start video
Everything you need to know about The Elder Scrolls Online – in 2 minutes
What also really put me off at the start were the upgrades of equipment. Just like today, there was also back then a chance of success with the upgrade, which could be increased by using more materials.
If an upgrade failed, however, the equipment item was destroyed – just like you know from many Asian MMORPGs. Fortunately, this mechanic was abolished, because today you only lose the materials used.
What was the state of the main story? At the launch of ESO, most players followed the story. However, it was not as smooth as it is today. It was previously interrupted by sometimes very long waiting phases, and when you leveled up, an NPC would suddenly appear next to you and continue the story.
Most of the time, you would then complete a mission and shortly after have to switch back to side quests or grind in Cyrodiil. As mentioned at the beginning, there were also many quests that were not clearly understandable and I often had to turn to Google to find a solution.
Easy dungeons and too few endgame contents
What was the endgame like? ESO mainly offered dungeons to dive into and Cyrodiil as endgame content. The dungeons were way too easy at the beginning and offered almost no challenge. Additionally, it was difficult to find players at all – also because there were always bugs here.
Contents like housing, PvP arenas, collections, or champion points that could be skilled after reaching max level didn’t exist. Not even the area of Craglorn could be accessed at launch.
Was everything bad at release? No, absolutely not. Back then, there was mainly praise for the atmospheric world, the good stories in the quests, and the brilliant voice acting. The character editor was also positively highlighted by many.
The combat system divided opinions a bit. On the one hand, many found the action-packed battles good and it brought fresh air into a genre still dominated by tab targeting. But just like today, there were also voices back then who felt the combat system was not responsive enough.
ESO relied on a subscription model – could still excite many
What was the payment model of ESO? Initially, ESO was a pay-to-play game, like WoW or FFXIV. You had to buy a version of ESO and then had 30 days of free game time. After that, you had to subscribe for 13 euros to access the content.
What were the player numbers at release? In various beta phases, about 5 million players are said to have tried ESO. At launch, it was expected that there would be about two million players. In June 2014, approximately 770,000 people were said to have had a subscription for ESO.
Despite the problems, ESO was able to excite many players at first. But afterwards, the numbers declined and ZeniMax began to make fundamental changes to ESO.
Tamriel Unlimited, One Tamriel, and the console versions brought the turnaround
How was the turnaround initiated? The first turnaround came on March 17, 2015, almost a year after release. With Tamriel Unlimited, the game switched to buy-to-play with an optional subscription and shop. This made it more accessible to new players.
Moreover, the update brought many adjustments for endgame:
The champion points were introduced to give players more character progression after level 50.
The tutorial was revised.
The justice system with pickpocketing was introduced.
Many animations and the appearance of the equipment were overhauled.
The collections for mounts, costumes, and companions were implemented.
In August 2015, with Imperial City, the first official DLC was released. This brought a new zone, new dungeons, new story content, and especially new content for PvP fans. The foundation was thus laid.
With Tamriel Unlimited and Imperial City, the first foundations for change were laid.
However, the real major turnaround came with One Tamriel in the fall of 2016, more than two years after release. With this patch, the level limits were removed and you could start wherever you wanted right after the tutorial. The restrictions between the alliances were also lifted.
At the same time, important changes were made, including veteran modes for dungeons, a duel function, item drops became more transparent, and there were 30 new sets that you could earn. Furthermore, the groundwork for housing was laid, which should appear in a later patch.
What was another important step? Besides the many changes that made ESO the MMORPG it is today, the console versions played an important role. However, their release was postponed several times due to issues.
On June 9, 2015, the MMORPG was released for PS4 and Xbox One. This gave it access to a new target audience that had recently become aware of the “MMO” genre through games like Destiny. Many Skyrim fans, who were also using consoles, joined as well.
The latest ESO expansion High Isle is here – Shows exciting battle with powerful knight in the launch trailer
ESO is among the top MMORPGs, even if routine has set in
Where does ESO stand today? ESO is among the best MMORPGs on the market. According to Google Trends, interest in Germany for Final Fantasy XIV and ESO is roughly equal. Only WoW and currently Lost Ark generate more interest in the last 12 months.
The game is repeatedly praised for its consistent updates, good story, and brilliant voice acting. ZeniMax consistently delivered good quality, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The only downside for many is that routine has set in. All updates are tightly scheduled and clearly structured:
At the beginning of the year, a DLC with two dungeons and a story prologue comes
In the summer, the big expansion with new areas, more story, a trial, and a new feature arrives
In the fall, a DLC with two dungeons is released
In winter, an area DLC related to the current chapter and the end of the connected story is released
ESO does not surprise its players and also struggles with performance issues in PvP. Even today, not everything is perfect, but it is nothing compared to the MMORPG I tried in 2014 and found to be bad.
How have you experienced ESO over time? What were issues or moments that stood out to you? Are there things you wish to return from earlier that are no longer included in ESO?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
On June 25, 2022, there will be a Community Day featuring Pokémon GO with Kapuno. We at MeinMMO will show you what special features to expect on this day and explain how you can get the most out of the event.
What kind of event is this? In Pokémon GO, a special Community Day is held every month. On this day, a specific Pokémon is highlighted and spawns everywhere in the game for a period of 3 hours.
Additionally, the event is enhanced with various bonuses, and the shiny rate for the C-Day Pokémon is increased. This Saturday, you’ll have the chance to encounter the Dark- and Dragon-type Pokémon Kapuno. Below, we have compiled all the important information about the Community Day with Kapuno.
Community Day in June 2022 – Start, Bonuses, and Shiny
What? Community Day with Kapuno When? Saturday, June 25, 2022, from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM local time Pokémon of the Day: Kapuno, spawns more frequently in the wild Exclusive Attack: Whirler, when you evolve Duodino into Trikephalo within 5 hours after the event Bonuses: – Lure Modules and Incense last 3 hours – Eggs hatch 4 times faster – double candies when catching – double chance for XL candies when you catch Kapuno – surprises with snapshots – 50% less Stardust cost for trades (up to 5 hours after the event) – additional special trade up to 5 hours after the event (3 per day) – Kapuno stickers from gifts and when spinning at PokéStops – bonus raid battles from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Special group bonuses: – If enough Pokémon are caught at a PokéStop with a Lure Module, Duodino will spawn there
With the exception of individual bonuses that go beyond the actual event, such as reduced Stardust costs when trading, additional special trades, and the exclusive event attack, you can use all other bonuses for the full 3 hours of the Community Day.
This means you can fight Duodino from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM local time. However, participation is only possible with Raid Passes or Premium Battle Passes. So you cannot do Remote Raids and must play directly at the gym.
As a reward, you will encounter Duodino, and you will also earn wild Kapuno spawns for 30 minutes within a radius of 300 meters around the gym. The shiny chance is expected to be the same as on the actual C-Day.
Community Day Box with 50 Ultra Balls, 5 Super Incubators, one Premium Charge TM, and 5 Lucky Eggs for 1,350 PokéCoins
Community Day Meetups: If you don’t want to play the Community Day alone, you can also meet other trainers in the Community Day Meetups. These will take place again in the form of live events in 11 German cities. Here you can read where you can find them:
How to make the most of the Community Day with Kapuno
Prepare yourselves: As with every event, you should also make various preparations for the Community Day with Kapuno. First and foremost, make sure you have enough space in your Pokémon storage. So sort out your monsters before the event to save valuable time on Saturday.
The same applies to your item bag. Here, too, you should first create space for the most important items and then stock up on Poké Balls. If you want to make the most of the Community Day with Kapuno, you should have at least 200 balls in your item bag. This way, you can catch for a while without having to constantly spin at stops and gyms.
If you want to use the raids with Duodino after the Community Day, you should discuss this with friends beforehand. Unlike other raids, you can’t invite friends to remote raids. Therefore, it makes sense to think ahead about who you want to raid with on C-Day.
Items you should use for the Community Day with Kapuno
To make the most of the Community Day, balls alone are not enough. If you want to catch many Kapuno, you should also have Incense and Lure Modules on hand. Also, Nanab Berries should definitely not be missing on that day to farm candies effectively.
You need these to evolve your Kapuno into Trikephalo via Duodino and thus secure the exclusive charge attack. If you’ve caught a strong specimen, you can level it up faster with this.
If you want to participate in Level 4 raids after the Community Day, you should also have enough Premium Battle Passes. Your remote raid passes won’t help you in these raids.
These are the items you should use for the Community Day with Kapuno
More tips for the Community Day with Kapuno
To make the most of the Community Day with Kapuno, it is also advisable to perform the correct Mega Evolution for the event and to use Pam-Pam as a buddy.
Why should you use Mega Evolutions? When you activate a Mega Evolution, you receive an extra candy when catching Pokémon of the same type. You can now activate Mega Pokémon more cheaply if you have already evolved it once using Mega Energy.
Also, if you want to fight Duodino in the raids afterward, having a Mega Pokémon that boosts its attacks can be very beneficial. Therefore, it is definitely worth activating the right Mega Pokémon during the Community Days.
Kapuno and Duodino belong to the Dark and Dragon types, so they are particularly weak against Fairy-type attacks. Fighting-, Ice-, Bug-, and Dragon-type attackers also give them trouble. Therefore, it is best to go with Mega Altaria, as this is a Dragon- and Fairy-type Pokémon.
Alternatively, you can rely on Mega Ampharos, Mega Latios, and Mega Latias, as these belong to the Dragon type. For catching, Dark-type Pokémon like Mega Charizard X, Mega Gyarados, Mega Houndoom, and Mega Absol are also suitable.
Why is Pam-Pam worth using as a buddy? Unlike most other Pokémon, Pam-Pam cannot be evolved just by candies. You need to take it as your buddy and catch a certain number of Dark-type Pokémon.
Since Kapuno is a Dark- and Dragon-type Pokémon and you will be catching plenty of them during the event, this is the perfect opportunity to evolve your Pam-Pam into Pandagro.
Is the Community Day with Kapuno worth it?
Is there a shiny form of Kapuno? Yes, you can also catch shiny Kapuno. You will recognize it by its green body. Shiny rates for the respective monster are usually increased during Community Days, so you have a good chance of encountering a shiny Kapuno.
Kapuno, Duodino & Trikephalo normal (left) and shiny (right)
How strong are Kapuno and its evolutions? The Dark- and Dragon-type Pokémon Kapuno originates from the 5th generation of games and can evolve into Trikephalo through Duodino. The small monster itself, however, is not particularly strong. Duodino can only rank 54 in the Great League.
However, this is not the case with Trikephalo. This monster can score especially well with high attack and stamina values. While the Pokémon only ranks 68 in the Master League according to PvPoke, it is considered one of the best attackers in Pokémon GO regarding raids .
Who should take advantage of the Community Day with Kapuno? Kapuno has previously been a Pokémon that could only be found occasionally in the wild in Pokémon GO. It was primarily hatched from eggs or found in various rewards. Therefore, the C-Day is a great opportunity to secure specimens of it.
Anyone who still needs a strong Dark-type attacker for raids should not miss the Community Day with Kapuno. Shiny hunters will also have a great time on this day.
Moreover, the candy bonus provides the opportunity to farm many candies and XL candies from Kapuno to eventually level up Trikephalo. Due to the reduced trading costs, it is also worthwhile to trade some Kapuno and thus increase the chance of getting a lucky Kapuno.
What do you think of the contents of the Community Day with Kapuno? Will you take advantage of the special Duodino raids? Or are you not interested in the Pokémon at all and are you rather hoping for the next C-Day? Let us know in the comments here on MeinMMO.
The best counters against Duodino in Pokémon GO in the guide. We show you the best attackers and movesets. With this, you can defeat Duodino in 4-person raids.
What kind of Pokémon is Duodino? Duodino can be found in the new 4-person raids and comes from the fifth generation of Pokémon. It belongs to the Dark and Dragon types.
We show you here the best counters against Duodino and which types it is weak against (type effectiveness).
Defeating Duodino in Raid – With These Counters
Zacian (Hero Form) with Quick Attack and Play Rough
Tapu Koko with Quick Attack and Dazzling Gleam
Crypto-Gardevoir with Charge Beam and Dazzling Gleam
Tapu Bulu with Seed Bomb and Dazzling Gleam
Crypto-Alakazam with Psycho Cut and Dazzling Gleam
Crypto-Ursaring with Metal Claw and Play Rough
Mega-Altaria with Peck and Dazzling Gleam
Rayquaza with Dragon Tail and Outrage
Kyurem with Dragon Tail and Outrage
Togekiss with Hidden Power and Dazzling Gleam
Granbull with Charm and Play Rough
Gardevoir with Charm and Dazzling Gleam
Crypto-Machamp with Counter and Dynamic Punch
Florges with Charm and Play Rough
Sableye with Charm and Play Rough
Donphan with Charm and Play Rough
Shuckle with Charm and Play Rough
Mega-Latias with Charm and Return
Primarina with Charm and Moonblast
Tapu Lele with Wonder Shock and Moonblast
Weaknesses of Duodino: The Pokémon belongs to the Dark and Dragon types and has weaknesses against Fairy, Fighting, Bug, Ice, and Dragon. Therefore, especially focus on attacks and Pokémon of these types in raids to defeat Duodino.
Is there a Shiny Duodino? Yes, you can also get Duodino as Shiny in your collection.
The Shiny family with Kapuno, Duodino, and Trikephalo
How many trainers are needed? Niantic recommends 2-5 participants for this raid. With lower levels but strong counters, you should aim for more trainers. Fairy attackers can shine in this new type of raid, which Niantic activated for the community day with Kapuno. The new 4-person raids in Pokémon GO are not for everyone.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
When do the Trials start? The Trials (Trials of Osiris) start this Friday at the daily reset at 7:00 PM.
What do you think of his inventory this time? Do you think Xur has improved? And how was your Destiny 2 week structured? Let us know what you get up to in your Guardian time!
The weekend is here and with it the good Xur from Destiny 2. What goods he will bring this time and if it is worth a visit, you will find out tonight with us on MeinMMO.
What happened this week in Destiny 2? Not much happened in Destiny 2, the story mission around Calus continues. Caiatl is now next to face her nightmare. So get ready if you haven’t played the new mission yet.
All info on Xur on June 24, 2022 – PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Google Stadia
When does Xur come? The most famous vendor from Destiny 2 starts his sale every Friday promptly at 7:00 PM. If you bring him some Legendary Shards and other materials to trade, feel free to choose something from him.
Where is Xur? This is his camp for the weekend
Xur’s position: Xur is located this week in the tower in the hangar.
His exact location is at the red marker
Xur’s inventory from June 24 – June 28 – All Exotics at a glance
What does Xur have on offer? For all Guardians who don’t know Xur yet: He is an Exotic vendor of the “Nine”, a mysterious group in Destiny 2, and delivers new weapons and armor to players weekly on their behalf. All characters, namely Warlocks, Hunters, and Titans, can shop with him.
Weapon: Merciless – Fusion rifle for 29 Legendary Shards
Titan: Citans’ Rampart – Gauntlets for 23 Legendary Shards
Mobility: +9
Resilience: +14
Recovery: +7
Discipline: +14
Intellect: +13
Strength: +2
Total: 59
Hunter: Gwisin Vest – Chest armor for 23 Legendary Shards
Mobility: +9
Resilience: +21
Recovery: +6
Discipline: +2
Intellect: +11
Strength: +18
Total: 67
Warlock: Eye of Another World – Helmet for 23 Legendary Shards
Mobility: +21
Resilience: +2
Recovery: +12
Discipline: +7
Intellect: +2
Strength: +21
Total: 65
Xur also sells Legendary items and offers unique rolls for Exotics from no longer available exotic missions from past DLCs every week.
This is what his offer looks like
Currently, he has these two weapons on offer:
The exotic hand cannon “Hawkmoon” with the perk “Moving Target”
The exotic scout rifle “The Complaint of a Dead Man” with the perk “All Good Things are Four”
The cost of the weapons: For these two Exotics, the cost is 1 Ascendant Shard, 1 Exotic Cipher, 125,000 Glimmer, and 200 Legendary Shards.
What Xur always has with him: You can always get an Exotic Engram for 97 Legendary Shards from Xur, as well as the weekly quest to obtain an exotic cipher.
Trials of Osiris from June 24 – June 28 – Map, Weapons, and Info
A new and cool Sparrow for the Trials of Osiris
Which map is up this week? Every weekend you only play on a designated map. This week it is the Distant Shore.
The Distant Shore on Nessus
If you are interested in playing the Trials in a team, MeinMMO recommends the Callout Maps via Warmind. This way you can describe to your fireteam where the enemies are located on the map, which is useful information for the entire team.
Please note that this week “Freelance” is active as a feature in the Trials. You might find new PvP buddies.
How to get your loot: The Trials of Osiris have a ranking system. Your top loot rewards from the PvP matches are currently for:
Seven victories
50 rounds
as well as the notorious flawless run that leads you to the Lighthouse
This is the reward for a flawless run: Each week you can also expect a special weapon at the Lighthouse, which you receive for your flawless run, that is, 7 victories, as a master version. This week it is the Solar Auto Rifle “The Summoner”. You can earn this weapon until next Tuesday at 7:00 PM.
All Trials weapons have a Trials origin perk: “Rapid Hit” – Improves reload speed, stability, aim assist, and range when you are the last remaining member of your fireteam or fighting alone.
If you have received your desired weapon, you can focus your Trials Engrams at the 14th Saint to target your desired weapon. Additionally, you can get upgrade prisms and Ascendant Shards. Keep in mind that your rewards further increase once you have a full pass – even if you have lost one or two games.
When do the Trials start? The Trials (Trials of Osiris) start this Friday at the daily reset at 7:00 PM.
What do you think of his inventory this time? Do you think Xur has improved? And how was your Destiny 2 week structured? Let us know what you get up to in your Guardian time!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The former Overwatch coach and content creator Justin “Jayne” Conroy was reported missing by the Canadian police. The community was concerned about the 29-year-old. Twitch streamer xQc also spoke out on his Twitter channel calling for help in the search. Now everyone can breathe a sigh of relief: Jayne has been found.
Update June 24, 6:40 PM: According to a local newspaper, Justin Conroy has been found. Further details are not yet known. It is only said that he is safe (via ctvnews).
Who is Jayne? Jayne made a name for himself as an Overwatch coach for professional esports teams. He was particularly known in the community for his detailed game analyses.
In addition, Jayne was active as a streamer and content creator on YouTube. His videos, where he taught players how to improve in Overwatch, were popular.
However, he had been increasingly withdrawing from the esports scene and streaming recently. Nonetheless, he remained a well-known and popular gamer within the Overwatch community.
Who is xQc? xQc started in 2016 as a professional player in Overwatch. He now streams various games such as CS:GO or DayZ on his Twitch channel. He has 10.9 million followers and is one of the top earners on Twitch.
How do Jayne and xQc know each other? In 2018, xQc played for the Canadian national team. Jayne was the head coach of the team at that time and celebrated what is probably the greatest success of his esports career. The team finished third in the Overwatch World Cup 2018.
Canadian police called for assistance
The Canadian police in Airdrie reported the former content creator missing two days ago and called on their social media channels for the public to keep an eye out for the man and to pass any information to them.
When was Jayne last seen? On Monday, June 20, the former content creator was seen leaving his home in Airdrie, Alberta (via canadapolicereport.ca). Since then, there has been no trace of Jayne.
What does xQc say about the missing person case? xQc is concerned. In a Twitter post, he retweeted the police’s missing person report and asked for help from people to find Jayne.
He refers to the coach as “my Boy,” as his buddy. xQc also says he hopes his former coach is doing well.
How is the Overwatch community reacting? xQc is not the only one publicly reacting to the missing person report for Jayne. Other creators and esports teams like Toronto Defiant also spread the news.
Private individuals are also sharing the tweets and hoping that Jayne will be found as soon as possible.
The striking thing is: The Overwatch community continues to support Jayne with their engagement, even years after his exit from esports.
Especially since the community has been worried about the creator’s mental state for a long time. There have been ongoing discussions about whether Jayne suffers from bipolar disorder and has suffered losses in cryptocurrency and NFT investments. A significant weight loss of the man and some statements in his videos and on social media amplify the community’s concerns about him (via twitter).
We can only hope that spreading the missing person report will be successful and that Jayne will be found as soon as possible.
Public figures and streamers often face intense pressure to perform. Criticism of the self and hate messages can negatively impact mental health.
Important note:If dark thoughts plague you: You are not alone. Please seek help. For example, from the telephone counseling service at 0800/111 0 111 or the online counseling service, where you can also use a chat. This is free of charge and applies nationwide.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
You want to upgrade your gaming PC or build a PC? We present to you 7 upgrades you should not buy.
If you are considering upgrading your PC or building a new gaming PC, you have several considerations:
What do I want to do with it?
How fast should my gaming PC be?
How much money do I want to spend on upgrades or the PC?
Especially when it comes to money, many think about where they can save the most. MeinMMO introduces a handful of upgrades that you should not buy or that are not suitable for saving. Often, it is worth investing a few more euros.
Dual-Core Processors (CPUs with 2 cores)
For dual-core processors like the AMD Athlon 3000G, you may often pay only a fraction of the price of a new CPU, but you should still steer clear of such offers. The performance is significantly below modern 4-cores and many modern games no longer support the outdated 2-cores because command set extensions may be missing. In the worst-case scenario, the game won’t start, and you won’t be able to install such things via patch.
You can officially install Windows 11 on a 2-core processor, but the weak performance is hardly worth it. Already modern entry-level processors like Intel’s i3 CPUs or AMD’s Ryzen 3 CPUs offer you better performance than these dual-cores and are available for around 100 euros. Also, check the system requirements of Windows 11 if you want to buy a new processor.
Which processor should one buy?With a modern mid-range processor like the Intel i5-12400F or the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 (both around 160 euros), you can do absolutely nothing wrong compared to the 2-cores, as you get modern 6-cores here that also support the latest features.
Upgrading old hardware with old hardware
It is rarely worthwhile to replace old processors with similarly outdated models. You cannot use the old DDR3 RAM on modern motherboards today. It is never worth buying a ten-year-old top CPU, as modern processors simply offer better performance and higher efficiency or come with features like command set extensions.
With the AMD FX 8350, you currently get about an 8-core for less than 80 euros. However, it only works on old motherboards with AM3+ chipset along with DDR3 memory. If you later want to switch to a Ryzen 5000, you will again need to buy a new motherboard (AM4) and DDR4 memory. Therefore, it’s better to invest directly in a modern CPU with a current chipset.
Older motherboards also lack many modern features that you cannot upgrade, such as PCIe 4.0. Technically, you are moving into a dead end, from which there is no exit – unless you rely on modern hardware.
If you want to upgrade an ancient system, it’s always worth investing in new hardware rather than buying outdated hardware again. Alternatively, you can buy a new system and install the old system drive into the new PC.
CPU Socket
Compatible Motherboards (Chipset)
Intel LGA 1700 Socket
600 Series: Z690
Intel LGA 1200 Socket
400 (Comet Lake) and 500 Series (Rocket Lake): H410 (H510), B460 (B560), H470 (H570), Q470 (Q570), Z490 (Z590), W480 (W580)
AM5 (AMD Ryzen 7000 series)*
X670 Extreme, X670, B650
AM4 (AMD Ryzen 1000-5000 series)
A320 (A420), B450 (B550), X470(X570)
Current motherboards and processors (as of June 2022); * Ryzen 7000 and AM5 will be officially released at the end of 2022.
Single-Channel Memory
When building a PC or upgrading, you always have the option of choosing between a single memory stick or a combination of two sticks.
Since pretty much every modern processor now has a dual-channel memory controller, we always recommend going for two sticks. Otherwise, the memory speed is effectively halved. This may not always limit your system, but it can certainly be a factor.
In contrast to single-channel mode, where the data bus is 64 bits wide (64 data lines), in dual-channel mode, two modules are operated simultaneously with a 64-bit data bus each. This means significantly better performance, which can also be demonstrated in benchmarks.
The current recommendation or minimum for a gaming system is 2 memory sticks in dual-channel mode with a total of 16 GB. If you want to plan for the future, you should rather buy 32 GB if you find a good offer.
Poorly equipped motherboards
In principle, it sounds tempting to buy a motherboard for little money. However, you should think twice about whether you really want to invest more because a very cheap motherboard can quickly limit you:
Cheap motherboards often only offer two RAM slots. If you want to install more, you need a new motherboard.
If the motherboard lacks heatsinks on important components (such as voltage regulators), the heat load is significantly greater. This limits you in your choice of CPU.
Cheap motherboards almost never have PCIe 4.0, and an M.2 slot may also be missing in rare cases.
Therefore, it’s better to buy a good motherboard with a decent feature set and enough space for future upgrades right away. Otherwise, investment possibilities look rather bleak, or you will have to change the motherboard during your next upgrade. And if you want to change the motherboard, you have to disassemble all components from the PC, which can be time-consuming.
Cases that will drive you insane
If you want to save money, you often skimp on the case. An idea that can quickly backfire. The seemingly cheap cases have several disadvantages that you should not underestimate:
Cheap cases have very thin metal. You can noticeably hear all the sounds from the case from the processor, hard drives, and more.
Dust filters are rare or nonexistent, which protect your hardware from dirt.
The manufacturing is often so cheap that things can quickly bend during installation, which can be very frustrating.
A lack of cable management steals you the last fun during installation.
The covers of the expansion slots often have to be broken out rather than unscrewed. Therefore, you cannot reinstall the covers.
Some very cheap models also lack front USB-3 ports.
Therefore, the recommendation: Take your time when choosing a case and spend a few more euros. Look for good cable management, plenty of space, and options for additional fans or dust filters. Otherwise, you will regret it at the latest during installation over too little space, the poor construction, or bloody fingers.
Spending less than 30 euros on a power supply may sound like a bargain at first. But you should be careful. Some cheap manufacturers like to cheat here and advertise peak values that the power supply would never normally reach. The manufacturer promises you 450 watts, but under load, it only achieves a maximum of 300 watts.
The promised peak performance is not continuous power, but a possible maximum performance that is rarely achieved. If you buy a cheap power supply with a maximum output of 650 watts, you should expect that it may only achieve a continuous power of 450 watts.
With a cheap no-name power supply, there is also the risk that the protective mechanisms are implemented poorly. In most cases, savings are made on protective circuits, and only an internal fuse, for example, a melting fuse, is installed.
Moreover, poor efficiency and an uneven distribution of power over the cables should be considered.
Additionally, you should note: If the power supply explodes because you bought the cheapest model, there is a possibility that other components like the graphics card or processor may also be damaged.
You can spend hundreds of euros on a graphics card. It is often the most expensive component in the computer. However, there are also some cheaper alternatives. However, the cheapest graphics card is not necessarily the best option for a budget system.
For example: You currently pay less than 200 euros for AMD’s Radeon RX 6500 XT. However, the graphics card only offers four PCIe lanes instead of eight. This means that your maximum performance is limited. Especially the 4 GB of video memory is no longer up-to-date.
For instance, Computerbase writes in its conclusion about the RX 6500 XT that the limited memory and scarce lanes cause strong performance loss (via computerbase.de). Additionally, the graphics card lacks functions such as H.264 and H.265 encoding or AV1 decoding. Tasks that your CPU then has to take over.
However, if you invest 100 euros more, you can already get a GeForce RTX 3050 or even a Radeon RX 6600. These offer all the important features compared to the RX 6500 XT and don’t have a restricted memory bandwidth.
Additionally, always consider what you really want to do with your computer. If you only play retro-style games or occasionally play strategy games that are already several years old, then you don’t need an RTX 3090 Ti that costs you 2000 euros.
