Employee says: „457 million €–-MMO Star Citizen pays so poorly that employees have to move back in with their parents

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 4 minutes

The spaceship MMO Star Citizen has now raised over 457 million euros in “donations” intended for the completion of the game. However, a game tester from the studio in Texas is now complaining about the poor pay and treatment of employees. Especially now that the home office rules are expiring and it is time to return to the office. Many of his colleagues are being forced to move back in with their parents. With the salaries, given the rising cost of living, they can no longer afford their own apartments in Texas.

How much money has Star Citizen raised so far?

  • The counter for Star Citizen currently stands at 482,598,383 US dollars, which is just over 457 million euros (via RSI).
  • By comparison: The video game Cyberpunk 2077, developed over 10 years, cost 174 million $, less than half (via xfire).
  • After relatively modest beginnings of the project, the revenues exploded when Star Citizen began selling virtual spaceships. Revenues have significantly increased again since the pandemic year 2020.
star-citizen-einnahmen
The revenues of Star Citizen have exploded since 2020. Source: Reddit

Despite all the money and many years of development time, there is still no clear release window for when Star Citizen will be released. However, the project is also extraordinarily ambitious and aims to set new standards in many ways.

According to studio head Chris Roberts, the shift to remote work due to Covid has contributed to delays in the release of planned features.

More on the topic
The latest package in Star Citizen will cost more than 35,000 € – Still no release date
von Schuhmann

Star Citizen wants all employees to return to the office

This is what an employee is now complaining about: On the career platform LinkedIn the former employee of Star Citizen, Kiplan Case, speaks up. He worked full-time in quality assurance at “Cloud Imperium Games” in Austin, Texas for 6 months. His job was to find, document, and report bugs in the game.

According to the tester, he has now been fired because he refused to return to the office and “stood up for his colleagues.” In recent months, he was able to work from home, but Cloud Imperium Games has now lifted their Covid protection regulations. Even employees with vulnerable family members or those who themselves are vulnerable received only a short extension of home office time and must now return to the office.

Case apparently confronted this. Additionally, he complains:

Austin, Texas, ranks 16th among the most expensive places to live in the USA. The cost of living is rising here. Many of us have to drive more than 90 kilometers to the office and gas prices are not currently kind.

Many of my colleagues have already been thrown out of their homes due to rising rents. They are forced to move back in with their parents.

No one who works in the fastest-growing media industry, video games, should find themselves unable to afford a home.

Case calls on everyone to reflect on how their company treats them.

We have extensively discussed the difficult combination of crowdfunding and MMOs in a podcast on MeinMMO:

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Much sympathy for the employee and the difficult financial situation

This is how it is being discussed: Case’s post has raised a lot of attention on LinkedIn. The abolishment of the option to work from home seems to be occupying many in the gaming industry right now – especially now, when everyday living costs are rising for many people in hostile dimensions:

  • Generally, there is a lack of understanding as to why quality assurance would need to work back in the office. They could do their job from home, say members of the gaming industry.
  • Others point out that many gaming studios have indeed switched to “remote” work.
  • Particularly “Quality Assurance” is known for being paid very poorly. Therefore, the requirement to return to the office is particularly difficult for them. They have little compensation rules that cover the additional burden of commuting costs.

On the other hand, some people mock Star Citizen on LinkedIn. In the comments of MassivelyOp, it is stated:

  • “I can’t even imagine what it’s like to work in quality assurance for Star Citizen and report the same bugs for 10 years again and again.”
  • “The company that has delayed a game for 10 years and is known for having an over-publisher and over-designer at the top creates a toxic work environment? Who would have thought that.”
Star Citizen Chris Roberts
Chris Roberts is regarded as a legendary pioneer of game development. However, critics accuse him of having inflated his project Star Citizen too much and now not being able to find an end.

“Home office or office?” is a big topic in gaming right now

This is what it’s about: It is not a specific problem of Star Citizen that the shift away from “home office” hurts especially now when gas prices are so high. It is a problem that all companies are facing right now, insisting that employees return to “the office.” And a return to at least partial office work is being sought by many companies, because they have realized that working from home creates problems especially during the “ideation” phase, due to the lack of spontaneous exchange during work breaks and the “short path”.

As the site Gamesindustry.biz reports, however, many developers they spoke to do not plan a full return to the office as before the pandemic. The genie is out of the bottle. Many developers seem to be looking for partial solutions, like 2 days of home office per week.

The case of the QA employee at Star Citizen appears to be an extreme case: The situation at Star Citizen is exacerbated by the fact that the cost of living in the Austin area has exploded due to real estate speculation.

Traditionally, “QA” testers are also at the bottom of the food chain in the video game industry, where generally not much is paid, assuming the enthusiasm of employees for the subject of “video games.”

We are discussing the effects of the pandemic on Star Citizen here on MeinMMO:

Star Citizen is noticeably slower in bringing new updates, but is gathering more and more players and money

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

The oldest competitor of LoL is now officially dead – What made Heroes of Newerth so special

Alexander Leitsch Alexander Leitsch Reading time 3 minutes

In 2010, the MOBA Heroes of Newerth (HoN) was released as a competitor to League of Legends. However, it was more closely aligned with the original version of DotA and had several differences. In recent years, it has played a lesser role. It was discontinued in June 2022.

When did HoN die? Heroes of Newerth was discontinued on June 20, 2022. However, this decision did not come as a surprise:

For nearly 12 years, the MOBA accompanied players and even achieved great successes initially. However, it could not maintain its position against LoL and later DOTA 2. We reveal what caused the game’s failure and what made it so special.

By the way: A new AD-Carry will soon appear in LoL, and you can check it out in this video:

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

Heroes of Newerth relied on Deny and Buy2Play – and initially succeeded

What made Heroes of Newerth so special? The core principle of the game with its champions, lanes, and towers is nearly identical to LoL. However, Heroes of Newerth offered several differences, especially in the details:

  • Players could deny opponents gold and experience points by killing their own minions and towers. This is referred to by the English term “Deny”.
  • The MOBA was launched as a full-price title. In return, all champions were unlocked right away. Later, it also switched to Free2Play.
  • The game was significantly darker than the colorful LoL.

Overall, Heroes of Newerth was considered significantly more complex and demanding than LoL.

How successful was HoN? Heroes of Newerth also launched its beta around the same time as LoL. From 2009 to about mid-2012, it was the biggest competitor for LoL – particularly because DotA itself was only available as a mod for Warcraft 3.

Although HoN’s player count was considerably lower, it was the strongest alternative on the market.

In 2012, Smite and DOTA 2 were released, and in 2015, Heroes of the Storm, the MOBA from Blizzard, joined the fray. For a long time, Heroes of Newerth managed to keep up well with these three competitors. Only DOTA 2 eventually pulled away, but it never reached the success of LoL.

MOBA Title active players
The player counts of major MOBAs from 2011 to 2015 (via SuperData).

Heroes of Newerth fails due to balance issues and too strong competition

Why did HoN fail? At launch, Heroes of Newerth was described as the “best DOTA clone on the market”. Although it had fewer players due to the price barrier, players who desired more depth in LoL were quite interested.

In 2011, the game switched to a Free2Play model and experienced a “small boom,” as can also be seen in the graph above. However, this boom was not sufficient, partly because many players appreciated the beginner-friendliness of LoL.

More about LoL and MOBAs on MeinMMO:

However, for HoN fans, the switch to Free2Play had some negative consequences. New champions were released that were far too strong. Moreover, these champions had to be purchased additionally – even by players who had already paid the full price for Heroes of Newerth. This was not well received.

Interest in the MOBA noticeably declined around 2014. This can be attributed to two reasons:

  • Firstly, DOTA 2 became increasingly popular among players. Particularly DOTA fans who had previously played Heroes of Newerth switched from the “clone” to the “original”.
  • In 2015, there was a change at the development studio and a new publisher took over. After that, regular updates were reportedly significantly fewer.

Now, Heroes of Newerth is finally no more. In the official forum, some players have recently voiced their thoughts, stating that they will miss HoN.

What do you think of the old MOBA? Did you enjoy playing it in the past, or did it completely pass you by? Will you miss it? Feel free to write it in the comments.

If you are looking for a new MOBA, you should keep an eye on this project from former LoL developers:

New co-op game from former LoL developers aims to combine MOBAs with MMORPGs – starts testing in March

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

Diablo Immortal: Excellent Free2Play player reaches highest rank in PvP – „Without money, one is not competitive“

Alexander Leitsch Alexander Leitsch Reading time 2 minutes

The German streamer and YouTuber Wudijo has become a so-called “Immortal” in Diablo Immortal. To achieve this, one must be very good in PvP with their clan. Wudijo managed to do this even without spending a cent in the game. However, he warns about the shop.

What has the YouTuber achieved? In Diablo Immortal, one can become an “Immortal” on their server. This is the highest goal in PvP. This can be achieved by:

  • Reaching at least level 43
  • Joining the shadow clan through various challenges
  • Becoming one of the top 10 clans on the server
  • Winning at least 6 out of 10 PvP matches in the Rite of Exile
  • Toppling the old “Immortal” in a final battle with other clans and then surviving as the last one in a fight with the remaining clans
  • The clan then stays at the top for 7 days before it can be challenged again

The requirements are high, and many players fear that they will never achieve this success without spending real money. The shop is heavily criticized for being Pay2Win – some mechanics were even discovered long after the release.

Wudijo has managed to rise to “Immortal” with his clan. And that, without investing a cent in the game.

You can watch how the final battle went down in this video:

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Wudijo refrains from real money, but his clan does not

How did Wudijo achieve this success? Primarily with a lot of experience. The German has already made a name for himself as an expert in Diablo 3 and assessed the major exploit in Season 25 with us on MeinMMO. He is also very active in other hack and slay games. In the last 365 days, he has streamed:

  • Over 1,600 hours of Diablo 3
  • Over 600 hours of Path of Exile
  • Nearly 240 hours of Diablo 2 Resurrected
  • Already over 180 hours of Diablo Immortal (via Sullygnome)

In addition, there are dozens of hours he has invested in guides and videos. He is deeply rooted in the genre.

He set himself the goal of achieving everything in Diablo Immortal without spending real money. Just under 17 days after release, he became an “Immortal.” He explains that this success is a combination of effort, coordination, strategy, luck, and the strength of his clan.

But he also warns about the shop. Because success is not only based on his strength but on his entire clan. And some of them have spent money.

More about Diablo Immortal and the shop:

What does Wudijo say about the shop? He explains in a comment under the video that his success should not be seen as proof that everything can be achieved as a free-to-play player in Diablo Immortal:

As I mentioned in the video, of course not my entire clan is fully free-to-play. The concern that this video proves that F2P is doable in this game is not true. The game is designed in such a way that players who spend the most money are at the top of all leaderboards by default. And without [money] it is almost impossible to be competitive at all.

Already earlier, the player wished that Blizzard at least makes changes in PvP and the difference in gear is reduced to a maximum of 10%.

What are your experiences with PvP? Have you participated in such a battle or do you lack the necessary equipment?

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

„Your lives are valuable and they deserve rights“ – Expert talks about the development of NPCs

Marko Jevtic Marko Jevtic Reading time 3 minutes

How real are the digital “people” we see in our games? Australian tech philosopher David John Chalmers believes: very real. Due to their artificial intelligence, NPCs, like humans, have valuable lives and should possess rights, he argues.

The “Metaverse”, VR worlds, and increasingly intelligent NPCs pose complicated and interesting questions for philosophers and tech gurus alike.

Katie Wickens from PCGamer.com therefore talked with “tech philosopher” David John Chalmers about AI and gaming NPCs and asked: Can NPCs one day have consciousness?

Philosophy professor Chalmers, who has published several books on this topic, states clearly: Yes, they can. And that also means they deserve rights.

“When simulating a human brain, you get a conscious being like us.”

What is the professor’s opinion? For Chalmers, artificial intelligences (AI) and NPCs already have ‘real lives’ that should be treated accordingly. The metaverse further amplifies these tendencies:

“I think their lives are real and they deserve rights. I believe that every conscious being deserves rights or what philosophers call moral status,” he explains. “Their lives are important.”

He clarifies this viewpoint as follows:

If you simulate a human brain in silicon, you get a conscious being like us. To me, that means these beings deserve rights. […] This applies regardless of whether they exist within or outside the metaverse.

David John Chalmers, Philosophy Professor at New York University (Source: PCGamer)

Interactions with artificial intelligence can be just as meaningful as interactions with humans. We talk to NPCs, have expectations of them, can feel emotions for them, and also understand the emotions they communicate to us.

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Steam boss Newell says: Many who rave about the metaverse have probably never played an MMO
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All of this is a sign for Chalmers that NPCs already give us the feeling of possessing a consciousness in a certain way. So even if we do not believe that AIs can have consciousness, it does not change the fact that our actions with NPCs are meaningful.

What it specifically means that NPCs deserve rights and what rights those exactly are is not explained in detail in the article by PCGamer.

Virtual worlds like the metaverse “can be as real as physical reality”

Why is the “metaverse” so important here? For Chalmers, the metaverse in particular represents a turning point in the development of NPCs. Because if our daily lives are even partially transferred to digital worlds, people in the metaverse will coexist with many AI systems and carry out their daily tasks.

“[Some people] believe that virtual worlds and virtual reality are basically illusions. Fictions that represent a form of escapism,” Chalmers explains. But the experiences we have in virtual worlds should be regarded as equally significant and influential as those in the real world.

For gaming journalist Wickens, interactions with crew members in Mass Effect are already proof enough that our relationship with AIs and NPCs can mean a lot to us.

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The great MMOs of the 2000s are dying and the thought of saying goodbye to my favorites is hard for me
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According to Chalmers, the metaverse could go even further than scripted interactions with predefined characters in RPGs and MMOs.

The metaverse would enable “new forms of experience, new forms of embodiment.” This would be a revolutionary opportunity for people who are older, live in remote areas, or have physical limitations to “inhabit new bodies.”

A ‘living’ Google AI currently wants a lawyer to protect its rights

What is happening at Google? This conversation between PCGamer and Chalmers is also overshadowed by the artificial intelligence LaMDA, which is currently much discussed in international news. The brief summary of this topic recalls sci-fi films like Ex Machina:

A Google employee is currently convinced that the Google AI LaMDA is a self-sufficient, intelligent being. The chatbot is said to have developed a consciousness in conversation with humans and, according to the employee, has become so ‘alive.’

In a conversation, the ‘living’ AI even reportedly requested a lawyer to protect its rights. The Google employee advocated for the chatbot to give its permission before any further experiments were conducted. It is even said that LaMDA was prohibited from speaking to other AIs.

Google, meanwhile, denies that LaMDA has developed a consciousness but confirms that discussions about a possible consciousness of AIs have taken place within the company. The Google employee who went public no longer works at Google following a leave of absence.

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Legendary developer created fantastic sci-fi worlds – Considers metaverse and NFTs as bad ideas
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What do you think of the professor’s statements? Do you agree with him or do you think it’s nonsense? Let us know in the comments.

The British-Indian entrepreneur Herman Narula has been the hope for fans of MMOs and MMORPGs since 2017. His new project aims to initiate the “metaverse” and reach up to a billion people:

One man is the hope for MMOs – Says his new platform can handle a maximum load of one billion people

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Computer Bild
  2. heise

Lost Ark bans the leaders of 12 of the largest guilds in the MMORPG – Was it all the same person

Mark Sellner Mark Sellner Reading time 4 minutes

In Lost Ark, it is possible to have up to 18 characters on the same account, and theoretically, each of them can create their own guild. However, the leader of 12 of the largest guilds in Europe has now been banned for breaking the golden rule. We at MeinMMO summarize.

What kind of guild is this? These are the “Fenris” guilds, which are active on the EU-Central server Sceptrum and are among the largest in Lost Ark. Together, the 12 guilds in the Fenris alliance have more than 450 members, making them not only the largest alliance on Sceptrum but also a top contender across all EUC.

All 12 guilds are led by more or less the same player. He leads the Fenris guilds alliance, runs one himself, and is at least a Deputy in all others. A Deputy in Lost Ark has almost all the rights of a guild leader and is unique to each guild.

The leader of this alliance, therefore, had considerable influence on the game’s events and was always seen as a Sorceress. A screenshot from his account shows 6 Sorceresses with a Gearscore between 1,460 and 1,504, which is currently a very high value in the MMORPG.

At first glance, his account looks quite impressive (via reddit).

Why was he banned? A reddit thread shows screenshots from the guild leader’s personal chats. According to them, Amazon banned him for buying an enormous amount of gold. According to the thread creator, this was always in “small” batches of 2 million to avoid drawing too much attention.

In the screenshots, he claims to have spent 20,000 Euros for gold in Lost Ark and bought it illegally from bots. However, he insists no one should know this.

A guild member then asks him if he is currently taking a break from Lost Ark, to which he responds by sending a screenshot that he is permanently banned. He adds that he does not want to talk about it and cannot write about it either.

With a lot of gold and good equipment, one would also have advantages in the new area Elgasia; watch it in our video:

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Lost Ark announces a new update for Korea – New area Elgasia in trailer

Guild leader withdraws several thousand Euros via PayPal – Faces backlash

How does the guild leader react? He issued a statement on Discord explaining his situation. According to this information, he admits to being banned for RMT, but only for a few days. After this ban, he was “no longer so stupid” to continue buying gold from bots. However, in the screenshots of the personal chat with a guild member, he presents a different situation. We cannot assess which is actually true.

Furthermore, he explains that he created several tickets with Amazon and received no satisfactory response. The publisher accuses him of cheating, and he is not given any further information. He continues, stating that he withdrew all payments to Lost Ark via PayPal to prompt Amazon to respond.

He also confirms that PayPal refunded him several thousand Euros that he spent in the Lost Ark in-game shop. He additionally states that Amazon also did not provide a satisfactory response to PayPal.

He admits that he used RMT back then and that his account is currently permanently banned. As the next step, he deletes all people from his Discord friends list and blocks his private messages to avoid further backlash. He mentioned that he had already had enough hate to read over the past few days, according to the guild leader. You can read the entire statement in a screenshot on reddit.

What happens now with the guild? If a guild leader is inactive for 10 days, the leadership automatically passes to the Deputy of the respective guild. However, since he was also a Deputy in many guilds and has been inactive for more than 10 days, the leadership goes to the next active officer.

It is still unclear how the Fenris alliance will deal with this situation. There is no statement from the new leadership yet.

If you find yourself in a similar situation, this guide on how to leave a guild might help you:

More on the topic
How to leave a guild in Lost Ark
von Anny

“This guy destroyed our entire server”

How does the community react? On reddit, people are primarily glad that Amazon is reacting to buyers as well, and not just bots. The mood in the thread could be described as spiteful, and many are very pleased that someone who bought so much gold lost their account.

Fans are also discussing whether he would lose his Steam account due to the PayPal withdrawal, although opinions are divided. However, the community seems to agree that the guild leader is trying to play the victim, even though he is “the criminal.”

Some players on the Sceptrum server also complain that he and his guild have indeed caused damage in the game through this behavior.

More about Lost Ark on MeinMMO:

What do fans think? They are visibly annoyed by his behavior. Especially the players on his server were affected. Some of the comments on reddit that we would like to share with you:

  • j0ker80 writes: “I play on his server and the first time I saw him, he was at 1450, with a +20 weapon, and it was extremely early in the game. He destroyed our entire server because we simply couldn’t get any Relic equipment”
  • Fenodvs writes: “Most people on Sceptrum didn’t even want to mess with these whales. Hopefully the server will be healthier now without a guild that dominates everything just through high numbers.”
  • Hydred keeps it short: “You deserve it. Good job, Amazon.”
  • Likewise, asolram says: “That’s great. I love to see RMTers getting banned. It’s so deserved!”

What do you think about the situation? Did Amazon do the right thing by permanently banning the guild leader? Or are you more on his side and think it’s not fair from the publisher? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments here on MeinMMO.

Those who are not permanently banned for buying gold just have to work off their debts.

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

Role-playing fan lets dice decide his sandwich every day – Will he become a TikTok star?

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 3 minutes

Rolling for lunch. Does that sound too absurd? A TikTok star succeeded with this, thrilling with terrible sandwiches.

Some decisions in everyday life need to be made anew every day. Like the vital question of what to put on today’s bread. What might require just a second of survival for most people is staged by some as a fateful decision – one that then gains worldwide attention.

This is what happened to Jake Pauwels. He turns his daily lunch into a real event and never really knows what he will eat today until he rolls for it.

What does Jake Pauwels do? On TikTok, Pauwels has a small recurring show called “Roll for Sandwich”. And exactly that is pretty much all you need to know. Instead of making his sandwich based on whims, he asks fate for help in the form of various dice.

Depending on how many ingredients are available in a certain category, he uses different dice. For larger categories, he uses a 20-sided die (“D20”), while for smaller categories, like the type of bread, he uses a regular 6-sided die.

Sandwich or what some think of it
One of the more scary creations. Peanut butter with mayonnaise, lettuce, and cucumbers.

Sometimes, pretty creepy creations come out, which already cause discomfort just from reading the ingredients. Or who among you would enjoy a multigrain sandwich with crab meat, cheese, pickles, salt, pepper, and a hearty chocolate sauce to top it off? You can witness the delightful sufferings of this creation on TikTok.

The idea was born from his passion for role-playing games – especially D&D (Dungeons & Dragons), a rather classic Pen&Paper role-playing game where the fate of heroes and villains often hinges on dice rolls.

More curiosities from the world of TikTok and streamers can be found here:

Why has this become so successful? More than 880,000 people have now subscribed to Pauwels’ TikTok channel “Adventures in Aadria”. Watching him decide with which possible and impossible combinations he makes his daily lunch seems to have a special appeal.

According to Pauwels, this method teaches a lot about the taste combinations of different ingredients and leads to combinations that are much better than one would initially think. Much of the fascination also seems to come from directly witnessing Pauwels eat a sandwich whose ingredients do not harmonize at all. In response to the question from Polygon magazine whether he eats every sandwich, he explained:

Yes, that was important for the concept of the show. Simply rolling for a meal that I can then throw away if I don’t like it wouldn’t have the same weight. There are real consequences for the rolls you make in D&D. Well, at least real fantasy consequences. I hoped to incorporate that into this project too. It’s not like I have anything dangerous on the list – I can suffer for five minutes and eat a bad sandwich to uphold the integrity of the show and entertain people a bit.

Another important point for Pauwels is that he does not want to waste any ingredients.

There’s so much food waste on TikTok, where people create terrible, grotesque things and then don’t eat them. I’m not in a financial position where I can buy food every week, only to throw half of it away.

It’s clear that this approach turns virtually every lunch into an adventure – but whether one would enjoy participating oneself is another matter.

Can you understand the fascination with such a format? Or would you even take it on for your lunch if it weren’t so much effort?

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

Fortnite: Streamer with the most followers on Twitch has trouble due to cotton candy – “Blue-haired, greedy rat”

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 4 minutes

The gaming influencer Tyler “Ninja” Blevins has by far the most followers on the streaming service Twitch. The now 31-year-old became successful mainly in the years 2017 and 2018, when he took advantage of the hype surrounding the online shooter Fortnite to become a multi-millionaire and Twitch star. Recently, he has been particularly noted for his deals where he monetizes his popularity. He is now involved in a dispute with his former friend Keemstar: He is accused of having appropriated the idea of energy drink manufacturer “G FUEL” in a deal.

Who has the most followers on Twitch? Ninja has by far the most followers on Twitch:

  • Ninja is in first place with 18.28 million followers. However, most of the followers came in 2018, when he gained 11.89 million followers during the Fortnite hype.
  • The Spanish-speaking streamers Auronplay (12.95 million) and Rubius (11.98 million) are slowly catching up, but they are still far behind. It will probably be years before they can truly catch up to Ninja.
  • His former long-term competitor Tfue (11.07 million) and hothead xQc (10.86 million) are growing faster than Ninja, but much slower than the exploding Spanish-speaking Twitch.
More on the topic
Ninja finally reveals what he really earned with Fortnite back then, and it drives people crazy
von Schuhmann

Ninja tries to cash in on fame from 2018

How is Ninja doing today? Even though Ninja has so many followers, he is no longer as popular as he once was: In terms of average viewers, Ninja is now only in 366th place in the world. His excursion to the Twitch rival Mixer made him rich, but it also cost him a lot of his relevance in gaming.

With the hype around Fortnite fading, so did the success of Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, who currently plays Fortnite again since the “No Build Mode” was introduced, but in recent years he mainly turned to LoL.

Today, Ninja is mainly known for being such a big deal 4 years ago and having built a big name that he now monetizes. He offers a “Masterclass for 200 €” on how to become a successful streamer.

He is also constantly entering new advertising deals. Currently with the brand “G FUEL”. Here he presents his “very own flavor, NINJA Cotton Candy”.

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Ninja presents his “very own flavor”: Ninja Cotton Candy.

Gaming influencer accuses Ninja of stealing “his flavor”

What is he being accused of now? The controversial gaming influencer Daniel “Keemstar” Keem accuses Ninja of having copied the flavor “Cotton Candy” in his deal with the energy drink brand “G FUEL”. But that is supposed to be Keemstar’s brand (via twitter):

It’s not that Ninja copied my flavor because the greedy rat knew that people wanted my flavor back. It’s about other stuff.

Screw that blue-haired greedy rat who sends his wife to talk to me instead of coming himself. We’ve been friends since 2017 – we’re not friends anymore!

He goes to G FUEL and says: “I want Cotton Candy!”

Keemstar apparently feels betrayed and disrespected by someone he considered his friend: In a video (via twitter), Keemstar explains that he and Ninja have been close friends for 5 years. He has defended Ninja in every controversy and promoted him.

But now Ninja went to G FUEL and said: “I want Cotton Candy”.

Behind this lies the cold calculation of the Blevins couple. Because his fans, who are also Keemstar’s fans, have been demanding for years to bring back the flavor “Cotton Candy”. Therefore the Blevins probably knew that the flavor would sell well.

If Ninja had personally asked him for permission to take over the Cotton Candy flavor, Keemstar would have agreed. But all of this happened behind his back – Keemstar apparently cannot cope with that. That is incredibly disrespectful.

Daniel Keem Keemstar Title
On 180: Keemstar.

Instead of asking him for permission to take over the brand, only Ninja’s wife, Jessica Blevins, called him and informed him about the takeover of the brand. Attempts by Keemstar to personally reach Ninja and clarify the story man-to-man failed:

I spoke with many creators. Everyone agreed: He’s a rat if he did it that way. Then I calmed down and said to myself: Okay, let me talk to Ninja myself. I called him multiple times – no answer. Screw that blue-haired freak. We are done. I hate that guy. I unfollowed him, I unfollowed his whiny little wife. We’re done!

Keemstar loses collaboration with G FUEL because he is too controversial

This is the backstory: On June 13, G FUEL announced that they would bring the new flavor “Ninja Cotton Candy” to selected Walmart stores in the USA. This is the first G FUEL brand that is inspired by “Ninja” himself. Cotton Candy fits the “wild and unpredictable personality of Ninja.” (via G FUEL)

However, the flavor “Cotton Candy” was not new for G FUEL: The gaming influencer Keemstar had originally established “Cotton Candy” as a flavor at G FUEL in 2018.

However, G FUEL ended the collaboration with Keemstar in 2020 when allegations arose against him that he had played a role in the death of YouTuber “Etika” and had turned his show “Drama Alert” into a spectacle from the man’s growing mania (via gamerant).

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In 2018, G FUEL still introduced the brand “Cotton Candy” with an overjoyed Keemstar.

This is how it is being discussed: The Blevins do not comment on the case.

Overall, the comments from Keemstar are seen as rather amusing online. The idea that one could secure the flavor “Cotton Candy” doesn’t make sense to many.

Because Cotton Candy has existed forever: Of course it is the best flavor ever, but Keemstar can’t claim rights over that.

cotton-candy-keemstar
The legend says: This is how the idea for drinkable Cotton Candy originated.

Here’s what’s behind it: The example of the “dispute” between Keemstar and Ninja shows how rough it can be in the influencer business behind the scenes and how fragile such business friendships actually are.

Keemstar is known for promoting controversies and using them for his reach. However, this makes him a person deemed “not brand safe”. It is a risk for large brands to collaborate with such controversial individuals, as their behavior could negatively reflect on the brand.

In contrast, Ninja is seen as someone who apparently has no major scruples when it comes to advertising deals.

Twitch streamer Ninja becomes a hero in a game he has never played: “I’m really excited”

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

In Escape from Tarkov loot now falls from the sky – Battlestate Games starts Pre-Wipe event

Dariusz Müller Dariusz Müller Reading time 2 minutes

In Escape from Tarkov one of your main objectives is to collect loot and improve your gear. Generally, this comes with a high risk because you lose all your equipped gear if you die in-game and the potential loot is scarce. But now, suddenly, loot is raining from the sky in Tarkov. What is behind this?

What’s happening currently in Escape from Tarkov? There is currently an increased number of so-called airdrops in Escape from Tarkov (short: EFT). These are supply drops that are dropped by an airplane over the city of Tarkov and contain heaps of loot. This loot can include not only the strongest gear like armors but also weapons and similar items.

Not only an increased number of airdrops are new for EFT players. Recently, Battlestate Games introduced Escape from Tarkov Arena:

Start video
Hardcore shooter Escape from Tarkov shows bloody battles in the teaser – presents new game as an independent project

Pre-Wipe Event brings Airdrop

What is a Pre-Wipe Event? The airdrops and the associated loot rain are the latest Pre-Wipe Event of the hardcore shooter. These are in-game events that take place shortly before a wipe.

You can recognize an upcoming airdrop by one or – especially during the event – several airplanes in the sky of Tarkov, which drop the loot crates.

Why are there Pre-Wipe Events? In addition to heaps of loot, the current event stimulates the in-game economy and especially the PvP aspect of the shooter.

EFT players currently have to expect that their opponents are lurking near an airdrop, waiting for someone to secure the loot. The greed for loot also leads players to open fire when someone else is also near the coveted crates.

“Ready for the Wipe?”

What is a Wipe? In a wipe, games like Escape from Tarkov reset all player progress and let them start the game anew. The collected gear, completed missions, and the level achieved by a player are gone after a wipe.

The shooter is reset to the state it had when purchased or first started. However, this does not mean only loss. The basic gear of a player, which depends on the purchased EFT version, is fully restored, including weapons, backpacks, armors, ammunition, etc.

When is the next Wipe? Currently, there is no exact date for the upcoming wipe, although it cannot be too far away.

So far, wipes in Escape from Tarkov have taken place approximately every 6 months. The most recent wipe occurred on December 12, 2021, and the previous one on June 30, 2021.

Studio chief and EFT game director Nikita Buyanov also hinted at the next reset recently on Twitter, asking if players are ready for the wipe.

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Nikita Buyanov via Twitter: “Ready for the Wipe?”

If you are interested in more about Escape from Tarkov:

Escape from Tarkov has been an extremely popular shooter for some time and often achieves high viewer numbers on Twitch following a wipe.

The special thing about it is that EFT, due to its hardcore gameplay and associated difficulty, is not suitable for every player and is anything but beginner-friendly.

What do you think of Escape from Tarkov? Is the hardcore shooter with its pre-wipe events and total reset interesting for you, or do you prefer the other titles from the 15 best multiplayer shooters 2022?

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

YouTuber builds the largest Xbox Series X in the world – And it actually works

Benedikt Schlotmann Benedikt Schlotmann Reading time 2 minutes

A YouTuber has built the largest Xbox Series X in the world. And on the device, you can really play. MeinMMO presents the project.

The Xbox Series X is currently the fastest next-gen console. But what happens when the console is bigger than a person?

Now a YouTuber has come up with a unique project. He built an Xbox Series X that is larger than a person. But the Xbox is not a joke; behind it is a gift for an organization that cares for children.

YouTuber Builds Giant Xbox for Youth

What kind of project is this? The YouTuber Michael Pick teamed up with the well-known YouTuber Zach Hsieh, also known as ZHC, to build a giant Xbox. ZHC has around 22 million subscribers and does various activities. The YouTuber is known for buying objects and then painting them.

In the meantime, he has also released his own NFT collection. Some of you may know ZHC from his giant 3-meter-high PS5, which he built and spent around 70,000 euros on.

The giant Xbox was actually meant for the “YMCA YOUTH AND TEEN DEVELOPMENT CENTER” in Atlanta. You can think of it as a daycare for children and teenagers where they can meet friends, play sports, or just play games.

More on the topic
You should activate the new feature of the Xbox Series X now to avoid annoying others in multiplayer
von Benedikt Schlotmann

What is the secret behind the giant console? In fact, it is just a giant box that looks like the Xbox Series X.

On the back, there is a drawer containing the original Xbox Series X. This is then connected to the new case via various cables. If you press the big button on the giant Xbox Series X, you start the original device inside the case. You can check it out in the video from minute 3:30. So there is no huge motherboard in the case, and you also don’t need a monster HDMI cable.

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YouTuber builds giant Xbox Series X that really works.

The YouTuber Behind the Xbox is Known for “Big” Projects

The Xbox Series X the size of a car is not his first project of this kind. He has already built a Nintendo Switch that is as big as a desk. In a video, he demonstrated that you can really play on the thing.

What do you think of the project? Do you think it’s excessive to build such a giant case for an Xbox, or do you think it’s a cool action for the kids?

Xbox Series X vs Xbox Series S – Which console should I buy?

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

Fortnite: Patch Notes for Patch 21.10 – All important information in English

Christos Tsogos Christos Tsogos Reading time 4 minutes

In Fortnite, today, June 21, the servers are down on all platforms (PC, Mac, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch, Android). The maintenance works are used to load the new update 20.30 onto the servers. Preliminary patch notes for the update can be found here.

What is happening today in Fortnite? This time you can expect a patch. For this, the servers will be taken offline for maintenance and the new patch 21.10.

The patch brings new skins, wild weapons, and possibly changes to the map. To ensure you don’t miss anything, we at MeinMMO will regularly update this article throughout the day for you.

Update 11:38 AM: The servers are back online and we have listed all the patch notes later in the article.

Fortnite: Server Down – When and how long is it offline?

This is the downtime in the morning: The servers are expected to go down at 10:00 AM our time to install update 21.10. The matchmaking will be disabled 30 minutes prior, so you won’t be able to search for new rounds from 09:30 AM.

When can you play again? The servers are usually offline for several hours during such maintenance, and playing will not be possible. The downtime is expected to last between 30 minutes and 2 hours. This has been shown by updates from the past weeks.

During such maintenance, there can also always be technical issues, bugs, and delays. If any complications arise, we will report it to you immediately here.

When will the patch notes come? Epic Games has been releasing little to no patch notes for a while now. However, community members usually search for and find the changes quickly. If any important changes do come, we will also update this article for you.

What new content does update 21.10 bring?

What’s new for the Battle Royale mode? Specific statements from Epic Games about the contents of patch 21.10 have not yet been made. However, the start of the “Summer Royale 2022” could be possible.

DARTH VADER’S LIGHTSABER: BECOME A POWER TO BE RECKONED WITH

Darth Vader has begun his mission on the island and lands in every match with his stormtroopers at a specific location on the island. Defeat Darth Vader and take his lightsaber! With Darth Vader’s lightsaber, you can deflect shots, throw the lightsaber like a boomerang at your opponents, and of course, strike them when they get in your way.

Together with the stormtroopers, the E-11 blaster rifles are also back! Find the E-11 blaster rifles in imperial chests at Darth Vader’s landing spots or get them from eliminated stormtroopers.

SUPERLEVEL STYLES FROM CHAPTER 3 – SEASON 3

You are surrounded by a certain aura … In the “Bonus Rewards” section of the Battle Pass, all players who have reached level 100 could unlock bonus styles for outfits from Chapter 3 – Season 3. With V.21.10, the superlevel styles of this season have been added! Reach progress in Chapter 3 – Season 3 beyond level 140 and unlock the styles Platinum Rift, Blue Slurp, and Aura Shine for Malik, Evie, Adira, Sabina, and Storm Runner.


SOCIAL MEDIA TAGS AND “FIND A GROUP”

Show how you play Fortnite! There is now a new option that allows you to add up to three social media tags to your profile that can be seen by other players. With these tags, you can highlight your favorite game modes (2v2, deathrun, free for all, etc.), your playing style (casual, microphone off, microphone on, etc.), and your preferred competitive events (Cosmetic Cup, Hype Cup, Lightning Cup, etc.). Additionally, Fortnite player experiences will be suggested based on your social media tags.

To add social media tags to your profile, simply click on your profile icon in the sidebar and then select +Add Tag. Once you have at least one social media tag on your profile, you can send group invitations to players with the same tags or receive group invitations from players with the same tags (as long as they are in the same server region as you). These group invitations can be sent through the new section “Find a Group” in the sidebar. This section is Fortnite’s own “find a group” feature (LFG), through which you can team up with people based on your interests and region.

In this section, you must first activate “find a group” before you can send or receive invitations from players. You can deactivate “find a group” at any time. If this feature is disabled, you will not receive any further invitations and your sent invitations will expire. If you play duo, trio, squad, etc., “find a group” is optional. The familiar group invitation system will continue to exist.

Social media tags and “find a group” are features that are currently still being tested. These features will gradually be made available to all players. The pace will be determined by the course of the test.


GAME BALANCE CHANGES TO THE REALITY SEEDLING

We have adjusted how many reality fruits grow on a reality seedling based on its rarity grade. In each growth cycle, reality seedlings now grow:

  • 3 fruits if uncommon or rare
  • 2 fruits if epic
  • 1 fruit if legendary or mythic


ADJUSTMENT OF AUDIO VISUALIZATION

We have reduced the detection radius of “visualize sound effects” for footsteps, chests, and vehicles so that it corresponds more to the range over which these sounds would be audible. This means that the source of these sounds must be closer before they are displayed on the HUD.


COMPETITIVE NOTES

  • The “Darth Vader” boss, Darth Vader’s lightsaber, stormtroopers, and E-11 blaster rifles are not available in competitive game modes. 

You can find more about Fortnite here:

What do you think of the constant updates that Fortnite feeds with new content? Do you think it’s cool that Epic is putting in the effort, or do the constant updates annoy you? Let us know in the comments!

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

Elden Ring: Tinkerer builds robot for farming, because normal cheating would be much too easy

Marko Jevtic Marko Jevtic Reading time 3 minutes

In the Elden Ring subreddit, a player showcases a brilliant invention. A cardboard robot with a light sensor lights up in front of it, while motors provide audible movement on the screen. The robot automatically farms runes. The post is very well received by fans – but is deleted by the community moderators.

Between the late evening of June 20 and the early morning of June 21, a post soared high in the Elden Ring subreddit. This post gathered over 24,000 upvotes, 1,149 comments, and nearly 50 awards within just a few hours – until it was deleted by the subreddit moderators.

The post featured a video about 2 minutes long, showing a robot in Elden Ring farming runes automatically.

The reasons for the post’s deletion are unclear, but it was probably considered an unfair cheat by the mods. However, the community apparently celebrated this contribution. We will tell you here what it was about.

“I built a robot to automatically farm runes”

How does this robot work? In the 2 minutes of the video, you can clearly see what is happening. Even though the construction seems very complex and intimidating, its function can be easily deduced. Ultimately, this farming robot does just what some cheaters accomplish with macros.

Here you can see the video from the now deleted Reddit post:

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In the Mohgwyn-Plats of Elden Ring, where you can also find the powerful White Mask, there is a popular farming spot. Here you can quickly and easily kill about a dozen Albinaurics and farm some runes. You can then invest them in leveling up.

With cheat macros, some players automate this process, as the steps for this farming spot are predictable and precisely controllable. This way, you can earn about 6 million runes in an hour.

This robot likely follows the same steps, but uses a hardware solution instead of software. Anti-cheats cannot detect that something (or someone) is amiss.

Technicians who recreate cheat-like functions with hardware solutions seem to be becoming a trend:

Here you can see how a semi-naked top player in Elden Ring became a legend:

Start video
A half-naked player in Elden Ring became a community legend – This is his story

The robot is a monster made of cardboard and bright lights

What is this robot made of? Several close-up shots reveal how this robot functions. It becomes clear that despite complicated technology, the materials used for this farm-bot are inexpensive.

Dozens of cables converge on a board that can light up red and green and was plugged into a MacBook via USB. Additionally, a light sensor is taped to the monitor with electrical tape.

With this light sensor, the robot can identify where the Site of Grace is located. Once the farm-bot recognizes the save point, the character then locks onto it, allowing the entire process to start over.

Curiously, the robot itself is a monstrosity made of cardboard and foam, where switches press against cardboard wings – presumably to press buttons on a controller. You can clearly hear the sounds of the motors that set these switches in motion in the video. In CSGO, you have to defuse things that look like this.

More about Elden Ring on MeinMMO can be found here:

“You are an evil genius”

What other players say: Before the post was deleted, there was plenty of praise and enthusiasm in the comments on Reddit for this solution.

  • “I thought macros were impressive for killing Albinaurics. You… this is the next level. You are an evil genius.” – Revolutionary-Today1
  • “The good kind of AFK-farmer!” – zipfern
  • “How the hell is it possible to be both this lazy and this hardworking? Amazing.” – ThunderHype

There were also jokes made about the tinkerer misunderstanding the term “Elden Ring Build.”

What do you think of this invention? Brilliant or brilliantly wrong? And do you understand why the Reddit mods deleted this post? Let us know in the comments.

Clever fans of Elden Ring are not only inventing robots to play the game in very special ways. Even angelic instruments are being repurposed for the hardcore action RPG:

Player uses harp as controller in Elden Ring – defeats bosses better than most of us

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

New gadget for 600 euros gives your laptop larger monitors – Is this worth it?

Benedikt Schlotmann Benedikt Schlotmann Reading time 2 minutes

A manufacturer has a gadget on offer that allows you to triple your laptop’s workspace. It looks crazy but works surprisingly well. A well-known tech YouTuber tested it. MeinMMO explains what it’s all about and whether such a thing is worthwhile.

While laptops are very portable, they have one disadvantage: the workspace is limited, as laptop displays are often no larger than 17 inches. You can connect an additional monitor, but you would have to carry this along all the time.

A manufacturer has an alternative on offer that allows you to quite simply triple your workspace. However, the price is not insignificant.

Gadget for 600 Euros aims to mitigate the disadvantage of laptops

What kind of device is this? The gadget presented is a plug-on display from Kwumsy/Ofiyaa.

You mount it on the back of your notebook and then connect it to your device in the next step. Ideally, this is done through a USB-C port. After that, you still need to navigate through the Windows system settings and activate the display units.

Other manufacturers take it a step further and embed the entire computer behind a display unit:

More on the topic
Your next gaming PC stands on legs, costs 2000 € and does not need an extra monitor
von Benedikt Schlotmann

Who is testing this? Linus Sebastian regularly tests exciting and sometimes absurd hardware with his network. In his latest video, he has now tried the special accessory for laptops.

You can watch the entire test video in English directly on YouTube. We have embedded the video here for you:

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Linus Tech Tips tests a new gadget for laptops.

YouTuber thinks the idea is cool, but not refined

What is the reaction? The additional monitors literally drain your battery. Linus and his colleague Adam explain that in the test with a 17-inch laptop, several hours of battery life are lost. If you want to use the monitor system on the go, that’s the price for modularity.

There is also criticism of the packaging. Although you can elegantly fold the device from the monitors together, the displays point outward. In the most frustrating case, you could scratch the technology when you’re on the move.

  • The monitors are very stiff and can hardly be moved. If you are very unhappy with the sight angles, you cannot really change them on the current model.
  • The monitors are supposedly supposed to provide a brightness of 220 cd/m². However, Linus considers that to be ‘very optimistic.’

Presumably, the gadget is only worthwhile for you if you are looking for a second monitor for your setup.

After all, the price of 600 US dollars (around 570 Euros) is quite high. For that money, you can now get two good mid-range monitors that you can also connect to your laptop – but without the comfortable design and requiring significantly more space.

You can find the best monitors for your gaming PC, by the way, in our extensive purchasing guide here on MeinMMO:

The best gaming monitors 2022 for PCs

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

WoW: With this addon you turn your Anima into gold

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 4 minutes

Gold in World of Warcraft has always been important and probably will remain so. We’ll tell you how to convert Anima into Gold in Shadowlands.

WoW: Shadowlands is in its final phase, even though another season is still upcoming. But slowly, the next expansion “Dragonflight” is beginning to appear on the horizon, which will demand many resources from players once again – including Gold.

Currently, everyone still has the opportunity to convert their excess Anima into Gold.

If you’re looking to efficiently farm Anima, in case you haven’t obtained all rewards yet, we explain it in detail in our Anima farming guide.

How do you convert Anima into Gold? This is possible with the mission table in your respective Covenant Sanctum. There, you can send your followers on missions that reward you with various loot. This ranges from direct Gold rewards to crafting materials, pet followers, or reputation tokens.

So, you either receive Gold directly or materials that you can list on the auction house to earn a little extra.

This becomes especially lucrative when you can start missions with just a few clicks and don’t even have to think about it because an addon takes care of the task completely – namely “TLDR Missions”.

How does the addon work? Actually, the missions were designed so that you need to position your units somewhat tactically in order to come out victorious and claim the rewards.

However, the addon “TLDR Missions” takes on this work for you and even runs simulations to find out which team is most likely to win a mission. With just a few clicks, the teams are then assembled and sent out.

Here you can download TLDRMissions: Link to download TLDR Missions on Curse

If the addon is installed and loaded, you can access it via the small “TLDR” button on the mission table interface.

WoW TLDRMissions Screenshot
The small button opens the menu – and then you can send out all troops with just a few clicks.

You only need to set which missions you want to complete once per character. We recommend considering the following aspects:

  • Gold (pure profit)
  • Pet followers (to buy pets that can be sold in the AH)
  • Reputation tokens (eventually grant Paragon rewards with Gold)
  • Crafting materials (can be sold in the AH)
  • Equipment (can be sold directly to the vendor)

If you wish, you can of course still collect other rewards, such as additional follower XP or more Anima.

At first glance, this may not look like much, as a single mission yields only about 200 to 400 Gold. However, if you make the process as efficient as possible and also spread it over several characters, you can easily save a medium six-figure gold amount before the next expansion starts.

To complete your missions and re-send the followers, you need a maximum of 30 to 60 seconds – the loading screen probably takes longer than the actual sending of the adventurers.

Additionally, the method is scalable. You can complete table missions on several characters simultaneously and thus multiply your profit.

WoW Gold Goblin title
A small cushion of Gold for the next expansion – it can’t hurt!

Since the missions usually take several hours, it’s sufficient to send your followers once or twice a day to convert Anima into Gold effortlessly.

However, you should keep two important things in mind:

  • If you switch your Covenant, the current table missions will be canceled. They won’t continue when you switch back to the Covenant. Those who frequently switch the Covenant with one character should rather use the method on other characters.
  • If your characters no longer have any Anima, you can send them some from your main character. In Oribos, at the vendor “Au’Dara” next to the flight master, you can purchase the item “Container of Anima of the Traveler” for 1,000 Anima and send it to your other characters, ensuring there’s always enough Anima available everywhere.

More interesting content about World of Warcraft can be found here:

Why should you do this now? Most players have already purchased what they want with Anima. Even though there were seemingly endless rewards in the form of transmog sets or mounts at the beginning, they are slowly being exhausted.

No matter what gameplay content you enjoy, there is a steady stream of Anima that ends up in the Covenant reservoir and is not needed.

Therefore, it makes sense to convert the Anima into Gold or resources with the mission table before this option disappears. In Dragonflight, there will be no mission table of this kind, and Blizzard is known for drastically nerfing the mission tables of older expansions, making them barely worthwhile.

In other words: All Anima that you do not convert into Gold now is somewhat wasted and will be significantly less valuable later.

Are you already converting your Anima into Gold? Or have you long since run out of Anima to do that?

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

Pokémon GO: Spotlight Hour today with Webarak and XP bonus

Franzi Korittke Franzi Korittke Reading time 3 minutes

In Pokémon GO there is a Spotlight Hour with Webarak today, June 21, 2022. Here on MeinMMO you will find everything about the event start, the bonuses, and whether there will be shiny chances.

What kind of event is this? Every Tuesday, Pokémon GO hosts a one-hour event in the form of a Spotlight Hour. This highlights a specific Pokémon, which can then be found everywhere in the wild.

This week you can encounter the Bug and Poison-type Pokémon Webarak. In addition, you will receive a special XP bonus, which should further enhance the short event.

Spotlight Hour with Webarak – Start, Bonuses & Shiny

When does the Spotlight Hour start? As you know from previous weeks, the Spotlight Hour will start again today at 6:00 PM local time. At 7:00 PM, it will also be over, and the many Webarak spawns will disappear.

What bonuses can you expect? Primarily, during the Spotlight Hour, you can catch tons of Webarak. The little spider can be found on almost every corner. If you use a lure, you will get even more specimens. In addition, you will receive double experience points (XP) for evolving Pokémon.

Can you catch shiny Webarak? Yes, with a bit of luck, you might encounter a shiny Webarak. You can recognize it by its bluish body and pink legs.

Webarak normal (left) and as Shiny (right)

By the way: During the crossover event, a Ditto can hide behind Webarak. Which Pokémon the Transform Pokémon can also be found behind, you can read in our guide:

More on the topic
Pokémon GO: Catching Ditto – It is hidden behind 3 new monsters at the crossover event
von Franzi Korittke

Is the Spotlight Hour with Webarak worth it?

How strong is Webarak: The Bug and Poison-type Pokémon comes from Generation 2 and can evolve into Ariados. Its stats are not particularly high, which is why Webarak does not play a role in raids or the GO Battle League.

It is similar with its evolution, Ariados. Its stats are also not particularly high. Instead, focus on the best attackers in Pokémon GO during raids.

More about Pokémon GO:

Who is the Spotlight Hour worth it for? The Spotlight Hour should primarily be used by shiny hunters. If you don’t have a shiny Webarak yet, you will have the chance to encounter one today.

And the XP bonus can also be worthwhile for players who wanted to evolve one or another Pokémon anyway. Trainers, on the other hand, looking for a strong Pokémon are likely to be disappointed.

Will you participate in the Spotlight Hour with Webarak today? Or would you rather skip this week and wait for the Spotlight Hour on June 28? Let us know here on MeinMMO in the comments.

And the XP bonus can also be worthwhile for players who wanted to evolve one or another Pokémon anyway. Trainers, on the other hand, looking for a strong Pokémon are likely to be disappointed.

Will you participate in the Spotlight Hour with Webarak today? Or would you rather skip this week and wait for the Spotlight Hour on June 28? Let us know here on MeinMMO in the comments.

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

The 5 Best Multiplayer Shooters in the New ‘Game Pass’ from PS Plus on PS4 & PS5

Maik Schneider Maik Schneider Reading time 5 minutes

From June 23, the PS Plus subscription will offer you a sort of Game Pass. With PS Plus Extra, you get access to hundreds of games that you can play on PS5 and PS4 within the subscription at no extra cost. We will show you the 5 best multiplayer shooters from the list on MeinMMO.

Update, June 23: The new subscriptions are online. Here you will find an overview of all 566 games.

How were the games selected? To provide you with the best multiplayer shooters from PS Plus, we analyzed the complete list of available games and selected five titles that we believe are the top highlights for shooter fans.

The only requirement: a multiplayer mode. The order does not represent a ranking, and 5 games are on the list. If you’re interested in a brief introduction to the game, you can click on the corresponding section in the article:

Note: The list is based on the games from PS Plus Extra available in the “North America” region. Many of the games will also be available in Europe, but it is not yet 100% certain that the 5 games will also be part of the subscription here.

You can view the complete list for North America here (via videogameschronicle.com).

For more information about the new PS Plus, check out our video:

Start video
Everything you need to know about Sony’s new PS Plus model – In 2 minutes

Borderlands: The Handsome Collection

Developer/Publisher: 2K | Genre: Coop Shooter | PlayStation Release: 03/27/2015 | Price in PS Store: $39.99

What kind of game is this? Borderlands mixes crazy stories with RPG mechanics in a cell-shaded look and is one of the most popular coop shooter franchises.

You massacre hordes of monsters, collect crazy weapons, and fight your way through a fireworks display of inappropriate quips and deadpan humor.

“The Handsome Collection” offers you two complete Borderlands adventures with all DLCs from Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel.

We will embed a trailer with gameplay here:

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Who is this for? If you like loot, silly remarks, and endless shooting, congratulations, you are part of the Borderlands target audience. If you also love the quirky graphic style, then you have found your new favorite game.

The series also offers a certain RPG depth, allowing for independent build and skill combination creation. You can find a hands-on report on the latest Borderlands installment (Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands) here.

Pros
  • Crazy story, quirky characters
  • Different classes
  • Countless hours of coop action
Cons
  • Graphic style is not for everyone

Tom Clancy’s: The Division

Developer/Publisher: Ubisoft | Genre: Loot Shooter | PlayStation Release: 03/08/2016 | Price in PS Store: $29.99

What kind of game is this? An artificially created virus led to the downfall of New York City. You are called as a Division agent to restore order or at least find out where the virus came from.

From a third-person perspective, you run from cover to cover and blow the anarchists of the city their own cost to pieces. Meanwhile, you collect a bunch of weapons and gear so that your agent is always one step ahead of the opposing forces.

Division relies on realistic graphics and also convinces through atmosphere and “Environmental Storytelling”.

We will embed a trailer with gameplay here:

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Who is this for? Shooter fans who like to experience a realistic setting with corresponding graphics will get their (subscription) value here. The game is a bit aged, but still offers enough graphical power to marvel at in some places.

Additionally, you will have to deal a lot with the found gear and constantly optimize your build. Later on, the entire endgame is based on expanding your strengths and hunting for the next best piece of equipment.

But even before the endgame, the story provides enough fodder for many hours of gameplay, and Division is worth it alone for that reason. Because all of this can be experienced in coop. You can find tips for getting started with Division here.

Pros
  • Realistic setting
  • RPG mechanics
  • Large open world in New York
Cons
  • Declines after the campaign

Fallout 76

Developer/Publisher: Bethesda | Genre: Open-World Shooter | PlayStation Release: 11/14/2018 | Price in PS Store: $39.99

What kind of game is this? Fallout 76 is so far the latest game in the post-apocalyptic series, but it takes you right to the beginning of the Fallout story.

In this world full of dangers, you learn to survive, help the local survivors, and improve your irradiated character on the never-ending quest for peace. You experience a story full of deprivation and what it means to rebuild the world after an atomic catastrophe.

To be useful, you continuously level up your character, find powerful weapons, and even nuclear-powered armor.

We will embed a video about FO76 here:

Start video
Everything you need to know about Fallout 76 – in 2 minutes

Who is this for? If you enjoy roaming through an open world where there is something to discover at every corner, Fallout 76 is worth a shot. If you know the single-player titles of the series, you will find a sort of coop Fallout here.

For friends of looting & leveling, the table is also richly set. Everywhere you can find new equipment, materials for upgrading, and through the C.A.M.P. system, a mobile base can be established.

Fallout 76 received a lot of criticism shortly after its release. However, it sees itself as a service game and is still being developed further. On MeinMMO, it ranks among the best survival games.

Pros
  • Post-apocalyptic adventure
  • Comprehensive crafting system
  • Is still being developed
Cons
  • Minor technical issues

Battlefield 1

Developer/Publisher: EA | Genre: First-Person Shooter | PlayStation Release: 10/21/2016 | Price in PS Store: $19.99

What kind of game is this? Battlefield is a large-scale shooter with gigantic maps that aims to provide an immersive combat experience.

Different classes bring you various skills and weapons. You also have access to vehicles and airplanes. There are explosions everywhere, and you can go stealthily or aggressively. In the end, it all comes down to being tactically ahead of the opposing team.

Battlefield 1 deals with World War 1 and thereby succeeds in shaking up the dusty genre of World War shooters a bit.

We will embed a trailer with gameplay here:

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Who is this for? The Battlefield series is a classic among shooters, and BF1 brings a bit of fresh air to the series due to its setting in World War 1. Fans of first-person shooters will certainly find a few hours of fun here.

After the poor release of Battlefield 2042, disappointed players should also take a look at the old titles of the BF series. They are still actively played – including Battlefield 1. Here you can find more alternatives from Battlefield players.

Pros
  • Epic battles
  • Setting in World War 1
  • Still being played
Cons
  • Not exactly fresh anymore

Alienation / Dead Nation

Developer/Publisher: Sony | Genre: Twin-Stick Shooter | PlayStation Release Alien: 04/26/2016 | PlayStation Release Dead: 03/05/2014 | Price in PS Store Alien: $19.99 | Price in PS Store Dead: $14.99

What kind of game is this? As a closing note, we want to present you two games together because they essentially offer the same thing. Alien Nation focuses more on aliens and sci-fi weapons – Dead Nation on zombies and conventional weapons.

You run through large areas in search of your mission goal and blast masses of enemies out of the way. The whole thing happens from a fixed, slightly tilted top-down perspective (isometric) and is controlled via your two sticks – left for moving, right for aiming.

You encounter increasingly larger hordes, tougher opponents, and stronger upgrades for your guns, ultimately achieving nothing less than saving the Earth. Whether from the undead or aliens.

We will embed a trailer with gameplay from Alienation here:

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Who is this for? The games offer fast shooting action and can also get quite tricky. You need to coordinate your approach so you don’t get eaten alive.

Both are also excellent for couch co-op fun, but also tap into their online potential and offer hours of nonstop shooting without regards to restroom breaks. You can find more co-op games in our big list on the subject.

Pros
  • Shooting without end
  • Decent difficulty level
  • Upgrades between matches
Cons
  • Somewhat one-dimensional gameplay

The new “Game Pass” from PS Plus offers hundreds of games in subscription and the potential for thousands of hours of gaming fun. As soon as the games for Europe are known, you will find more lists with the top games from different genres in PS Plus Extra on MeinMMO.

If you’re still unsure which subscription is right for you, you can find answers here: PS Plus Subscription: Essential, Extra or Premium – Which package is right for me?

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

An extreme Pay2Win mechanic of Diablo Immortal is only seen when you have already paid

Maik Schneider Maik Schneider Reading time 4 minutes

Since release, new Pay2Win accusations have been surfacing, and the image of Diablo Immortal has suffered greatly. However, a little-known mechanic takes it to the next level: gem resonance. MeinMMO takes a closer look at the mechanics.

The most important points at a glance:

  • With Diablo Immortal, the action-RPG series has gone mobile and celebrated a strong launch with many players.
  • However, even beforehand, testers and players were concerned: Many mechanics in the game seem to lead to an extensive Pay2Win system.
  • After the release, it became clear: Diablo Immortal gives you many ways to buy strong advantages with real money. But an extreme mechanic is only just becoming known: gem resonance.
More on the topic
Twitch streamer calls on US senator for loot box discussion – and he responds
von Cortyn

Gem resonance takes Pay2Win to a new level

What does gem resonance bring? Through this mechanic, the controversial legendary gems can be further improved and expanded. Through the merchant “Master Jeweler,” you then have access to a whole new menu that promises additional strong bonuses.

This menu only appears when you own the following items:

  • Legendary gem at rank 10
  • Legendary item at rank 6
  • Real money item “Awakening Echo”

This item combination can be “awakened.” This gives you an immediate boost to the legendary effect of the equipment item. With the shoulder equipment “Sorrow’s Spike” from the Necromancer, the awakened effect immediately provides 10% more damage on “Corpse Explosion.”

More on the topic
Legendary Gems: How to Get the Best Items in Diablo Immortal for Free
von Benedict Grothaus

The bonus is additional to the normal legendary effect and differs for each legendary item. Even before the release, the “Awakening” garnered attention. But an additional mechanic takes this to the extreme.

Because it is closely intertwined with the legendary gems. Once you have a gem at rank 10, you can insert other legendaries into this gem, unlocking extra bonuses. These bonuses correspond directly with the advantages of the gem, providing an even stronger boost for your build.

The “Awakening” brings Pay2Win and your character to a new level:

  • The resonance increases, enhancing all attributes in your build
  • The combat rating increases
  • The gem effect is enhanced
  • Additional effects by inserting gems

The awakened effect is then considered an upgrade and can be transferred to other equipment.

More information about the legendary gems can be found in our video:

Start video
Diablo Immortal: What are legendary gems? Facts and locations in 3 minutes

Extra menu only appears when you pay

How does it work? As a Free2Play player, gem resonance is theoretically attainable, aside from the item “Awakening Echo.” However, you need a lot of luck with the legendary gems or be skilled at trading platinum.

To level up the legendary gems to a new rank, you need the same gem again and gem power, which you primarily obtain by breaking down legendary gems. However, the gem does not need to have the same number of stars.

For the ?/5-star gems, which you can only obtain via legendary emblems, it becomes really expensive. You need to upgrade the gem to rank 10 again: once to rank 3 and twice to rank 5. You must also upgrade these items with gems and gem power beforehand.

More on the topic
The best legendary gem in Diablo Immortal and why everyone wants it
von Maik Schneider

Once the gem is at rank 10, it can be further upgraded via the “gem resonance” menu. For that, you need specific legendary gems that must also be at rank 5 or 10 for additional bonuses. These vary with each legendary gem.

However, you must first upgrade the gem with the item “Awakening Echo.” This costs about 15 euros and unlocks the above-mentioned menu with the Master Jeweler.

diablo immortal gem resonance jessirocks
YouTuber jessirocks shows the “hidden” Pay2Win menu. Source: YouTube

Over €1,000 for the complete package

What does it cost? Based on the probabilities that Diablo Immortal shows for legendary gems, we try to estimate the costs for a fully awakened item:

  • Find and upgrade legendary
    • No costs: €0
  • Buy Awakening Echo
    • Real money shop: about €15
  • ?/5 gem found (4.5%)
    • Around 20 legendary emblems: about €20
  • 20 ?/5 gems for upgrading
    • Around 400 legendary emblems: about €500
  • 12 ?/5 gems for gem resonance
    • Requires specific gems: estimated €500

If your luck roughly matches the given probabilities, you still need about €1000 to bring a ?/5-star to rank 10 and reach maximum resonance.

For the weaker 1-star and 2-star gems, the process is significantly cheaper. But for the ?/5-star gems, one can spend an incredible amount of money before reaching the maximum bonuses.

If you want to go after the big fish and fully commit to a 5/5-star gem, it becomes really expensive. The streamer Quin69 spent €15,000 on the game before he received the 5/5-star gem he was searching for. After that, the Twitch streamer deleted his character.

Guides to Diablo Immortal on MeinMMO:

Diablo Immortal offers a lot for Free2Play players. If you just want to play a bit of Diablo and slay demons on the go, then the action RPG provides many hours of entertainment.

However, the mobile hit also has plenty of ways to increase your power with real money. For players with high standards, the only option left is to reach for the wallet to secure those big numbers and bonuses.

Further estimates on the Pay2Win system in Diablo Immortal can be found here: Players compare how strong they become in Diablo Immortal for €0 – And how strong for €33,000

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. YouTube - 4Fansites
  2. YouTube - Scrappy Academy

Player buys a weapon that exists only once in his MMORPG for over 15,000 €

Alexander Leitsch Alexander Leitsch Reading time 2 minutes

The German MMORPG classic Tibia Online is known for things working a bit differently than in modern MMORPGs. For special occasions, the developers release items that can’t be found in the game otherwise. One such weapon is the Blessed Shield. It has now been sold for approximately 15,690 euros.

What kind of weapon is this? The Blessed Shield is one of the best weapons available in Tibia. It was handed over to the player Elleshar by the developers in 1999. Elleshar had previously helped with the graphic design for the game.

A few times, the shield was sold, until its trail was lost. There was even speculation that the shield no longer exists. However, it has now reappeared and was sold for 12 billion gold.

How much real money does that equal? In Tibia, there is the possibility to trade in-game items for Tibia Coins. These coins, in turn, can be purchased for real money.

12 billion gold corresponds to about 450,000 coins or approximately 15,690 euros. That is a lot of money for a single item. This makes it one of the most expensive items ever purchased for real money in MMOs.

Tibia 15.000 Euro
This screenshot shows the trade of the item (via YouTube).

The buyer has the Holy Trinity of rare items together

Who is the buyer? The buyer is the character Rei dos Antica. This is a druid at level 7. However, in reality, it is said to be one of the most well-known traders in Tibia Online, who likely possesses more than enough gold.

For Rei dos Antica reportedly owns not only the Blessed Shield but also two other items:

  • The Magic Longsword, which was accidentally introduced into the game and then given away in a nerfed version. The sword was sold for 5.5 million gold years ago, but its value is likely much larger now.
  • Crown, a helmet that was distributed on the Antica server in 2000. This weapon also exists only once.

In a screenshot from the house of Rei dos Antica, one can see the icons of the two items. He has thus collected something like the Holy Trinity of rare items from Tibia.

More about MMORPGs on MeinMMO:

What makes Tibia so special? The MMORPG Tibia Online was released in 1997 by the German studio CipSoft and is still very popular today. This is also due to items that tell special stories. In addition, there are always mysterious puzzles or secrets that players have not solved even after years. Moreover, there have been regular updates for 25 years.

We spoke extensively with the developers about their MMORPG in our podcast:

Developer of the largest German MMORPG says: “Earlier MMORPGs were more exciting because you could be evil”

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

Blizzard’s partner postpones the release of Diablo Immortal in the crucial China – Has trouble

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 3 minutes

In the West, Diablo Immortal has been released since June 2nd. However, in the crucial market of China, the release has now been postponed indefinitely. Blizzard’s partner there, NetEase, has co-developed the game, but is now announcing a delay due to the desire to improve the game. There are also apparent issues with the Communist Party.

This is the situation:

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von Andreas Bertits

Release of Diablo Immortal in China is postponed at short notice

This is now the announcement. As NetEase itself announces, the release of Diablo Immortal in China was originally planned for Thursday, June 23, but is now postponed indefinitely.

On Sunday, NetEase said they wanted to make some changes, including ‘improvements to the gameplay experience’ and ‘various optimization adjustments.’

They apparently want to unlock the game for more devices and make the online experience “smoother and better.”

They are also preparing a “thank you package” with legendary gear to reward Chinese gamers for their patience (via di.blizzard).

We show you the 6 classes of Diablo Immortal – in our tier list for Diablo Immortal you can see who is currently leading:

Start video
Diablo Immortal: All 6 Classes in Brief Overview with Gameplay

Social media account banned 3 days before release

What could also be behind the postponement? This is not entirely clear at the moment. As the news agency Reuters reports, NetEase actually received the necessary license for the distribution of Diablo Immortal back in February 2021.

However, in recent months new regulations and rules have come into force that have resulted in no new games being approved in China for nine months. They are talking about a “freeze.”

It was already noticeable that Diablo Immortal received a license so easily: after all, the game involves killing demons and witches, themes that are problematic for Chinese games because violence and religious content are considered sensitive.

Diablo 3 already had to be significantly altered for China.

winnie-the-puh
This meme has led to Winnie the Pooh being unpopular in China.

Is a comic bear to blame for the trouble, or is it the pay-to-win issue?

This could also be problematic: The game’s social media account on Weibo was banned 3 days before the release and cannot make public postings anymore.

However, it is not entirely clear what happened. There are rumors that the Weibo account may have posted a reference to “Winnie the Pooh” (via resetera): The comic bear is considered taboo in China. He is seen as a negative reference to Communist leader Xi Jinping.

This is apparently due to a comic in which the portly and somewhat clumsy Winnie the Pooh was compared to Xi Jinping during an appearance with Barack Obama.

Other people suspect, however, that the Chinese community of Diablo has reported Diablo Immortal to the Chinese government so often for “unfair gambling elements” that it led to trouble.

Even if Diablo Immortal is not yet released in China, the game is already performing excellently:

Diablo Immortal is being torn apart – but it is a financial success for Blizzard, especially in Germany

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

Outriders Worldslayer in Preview Test: The expansion offers more of the same, but better

Marko Jevtic Marko Jevtic Reading time 6 minutes

On June 30, Outriders Worldslayer, the first major expansion for the brutal loot shooter, will be released. MeinMMO author Marko Jevtic had the chance to play it and had a lot of fun. However, there is a major catch.

Outriders is my favorite among all the loot shooters on the market. It feels as if it was tailor-made for my shooter taste: whether story or gameplay, this game is brutal, aggressive, and uncompromising through and through.

Not only are the abilities of each class a firework, but you truly feel as powerful as the story describes.

I have already played Outriders Worldslayer, and I was not disappointed. Everything I liked about the original game is here too. Just more of it, and better. However, there is a slight bitter aftertaste: the price of €40.

In this detailed spotlight video, you can see what the Outriders expansion has to offer:

Start video
Spotlight zur Enthüllung von Outriders Worldslayer

Outriders Worldslayer gives you more reasons to play as usual

The Worldslayer expansion aims to convince you with the following innovations:

  • The story campaign continues, with a new villain: the fearsome Commander Ereshkigal.
    • The story content is said to provide between 4 and 10 hours of gameplay, plus the new endgame.
  • The new “Apocalypse Items” give legendary and epic loot an additional mod slot, making these weapons and armor even stronger.
  • There are 2 new upgrade paths for your class:
    • In the Pax skill tree, you can invest a total of 5 points in insanely powerful class improvements.
    • The Ascension skill tree works like the Badass Ranks in Borderlands – for each level after max level 30, you can slightly improve individual stats.
  • Apocalypse Ranks are the new difficulty system that replaces the world tiers. They go up to rank 40 and can be increased with any type of content.
  • In a new endgame activity, you can work through various challenges and grind for your desired loot. The structure with branching paths leading to bosses is reminiscent of roguelites like Hades. This endgame is hardly manageable solo; it is clearly designed for 3-man teams.
  • There are many new enemy types and plenty of new loot.
Outriders Apocalypse Items
Outriders Ascension Ranks
Outriders Apocalypse Ranks
Outriders Pax Points
The new mechanics, as explained in the game.

If you were hoping for new classes or abilities, you will unfortunately be disappointed in this expansion. Because the fundamental principle of Worldslayer is clearly for the familiar, but better.

Basically, not much is changing with the expansion in Outriders, but everything plays even smoother.

Outriders has always been a game where the incredible “power fantasy” is at the center. As a cold-blooded quasi-god in a broken world, it only matters to deal more damage than any other creature in the game.

More on the topic
Outriders returns after a tough 1st year with the big DLC Worldslayer – Who is it worth it for?
von Tarek Zehrer

Who plays the most aggressively lives the longest thanks to self-healing from damage. This was a successful formula a year ago, and it still is. And exactly this will be pushed to the limit with the expansion, thanks to the new upgrade options in the game.

The Apocalypse Gear and the new upgrade paths sum up perfectly what you can expect from the Worldslayer expansion. You don’t really get fundamentally new toys of destruction, but can absolutely tear apart your favorites even more spectacularly.

Here, the new enemy types also deserve praise. In the first hours of play, you will face several enemies who want to make your life hell in close combat with hefty axes or knives. These villains not only visually resemble enemies from Diablo or Elden Ring, but you also have to dodge their attacks skillfully, much like in those games, to crack them.

Outriders Worldslayer Executioner
The Executioner is incredibly deadly in close combat
Outriders Ereshkigal
Commander Ereshkigal is the new main villain
Outriders Fisher
The Fisher reminds a bit of Kratos, equally brutal
Outriders Old Enemies
Old enemies also make a return

My personal highlight in the first hours of play was therefore the mission in a dilapidated fishing village, which atmospherically reminded me of the last level from the Bloodborne DLC with its horror atmosphere and ghost stories revolving around the vengeful spirit of a fisherman.

There was nothing comparable in the base game, but it fits perfectly into the already brutal and nihilistic world of Outriders.

Worldslayer offers good content at a steep price

The innovations in Outriders Worldslayer are very good, even if they don’t even try to reinvent the wheel. Together with the “New Horizons” update, the loot grind is now more fun and effective than ever.

When I found two apocalyptic armor pieces with my Technomancer that together granted four powerful mods for my minigun, the power trip after an hour in the expansion was already bigger than in the endgame of the base game.

The developers at People Can Fly clearly understand what makes their loot shooter fun: big magazines, bigger explosions, gigantic damage numbers. If you enjoy that, you will be well satisfied with Worldslayer.

Especially in comparison to the loot shooter king Destiny 2, Outriders plays significantly faster, more aggressively, and more brutally. There is still no PvP in Worldslayer, but anyone wanting to destroy even better in PvE should still have a lot of fun with Outriders in 2022.

More on the topic:

The contents of Worldslayer seamlessly continue the story from the base game. You must have reached the endgame of Outriders to start Worldslayer. You have two options:

  • You can take your old max-level character into the new campaign and start the new campaign from your stash.
  • You can create as many new characters as you like, starting directly at level 30, and thereby immediately dive into the expansion.

This allows both newcomers and veterans to jump right in if you want. Trying out new classes will be easier than ever.

However, the price is disappointing. Worldslayer costs €39.99 as an upgrade to the base game, and both together without discounts cost about €80. For big fans or very interested newcomers, this price point might still be justifiable. But if you are not firmly convinced in advance that you want to play Worldslayer, then this expansion offers too little that is truly new to be convincing.

Pro
  • Many new content improves the base game
  • More options to perfect your builds
  • New enemies and regions are varied and fun
  • You can dive directly into the expansion
Contra
  • No new classes or abilities
  • Doesn’t really play differently
  • Relatively steep price

Outriders Worldslayer is exactly what I wished for from the expansion: the intense, aggressive gameplay of the loot shooter is further rounded and polished with new challenges, better loot, and higher stats.

As a fan, that is completely sufficient for me. Because in hardly any PvE game have I had so much fun playing the same things repeatedly, as in Outriders. Just the fact that each class heals itself through hyper-aggressive gameplay is still genius to me. Therefore, Worldslayer is exactly what it officially is: a good expansion of what I already love.

However, it is not a reinvention of the game. Outriders is still Outriders, now there is just more of it. If, like me, you loved the previous content and don’t necessarily need a new class or anything like that, you can buy it without hesitation. However, if you never fully warmed up to Outriders, you will probably find few new reasons to learn to love the game.

Especially for the comparatively steep €40 that the expansion costs, I can currently recommend Worldslayer primarily to Outriders veterans or very interested newcomers.

Marko Jevtic
Freelance writer for MeinMMO

The release of Outriders Worldslayer is on June 30. If you pre-order the expansion, you can start collecting loot on June 28.

If you haven’t played Outriders in a while, you should also know that the loot system has been drastically changed. Here’s what happened:

Outriders radically changes loot to save the game – Did it help?

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

EA knows exactly: Some will play The Sims 4 now just because they find werewolves so sexy

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

The long-running ‘Sims 4’ has a new expansion centered around werewolves. At EA, they know exactly which community this particularly delights: furries. This is a subculture interested in anthropomorphic animals – and not just in a purely scientific way.

This is what The Sims 4 is known for: The game ‘The Sims 4’ by Electronic Arts was originally released in September 2014. Because EA has a knack for squeezing the most profit out of a good idea, ‘The Sims 4’ is known for offering an absurd number of expansion packs and DLCs. The game now has after 8 years

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von Dariusz Müller

What’s up with werewolves? The latest expansion ‘Werewolves’ expands the game with werewolves. With the new expansion, Sims can transform into werewolves, join packs, or indulge their wild impulses during the full moon.

A new neighborhood has also been added to the game, ‘Moonwood Mill’, where you can uncover the secrets of the residents (spoiler: some are werewolves).

Start video
The Sims 4: Werewolves Trailer

Werewolves since ‘Twilight’ somehow differently exciting

What stood out: As the site PC Gamer writes in the article “I WooHooed an Alpha Wolf and then betrayed him in The Sims 4 Werewolves”, the expansion ‘Werewolves’ is somehow sexually charged – perhaps because werewolves have been sexualized since Twilight.

In an article on PC Gamer, the author describes how she created a female Sim and just wanted to hang out in the new neighborhood, but then ‘Kristopher Volkov’, the alpha wolf of the Moonwood Pack, started flirting with her.

The author writes: This led to a drama that could serve as a template for a teen romance.

Recommended editorial content

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Link to the Twitter content

EA plays into the “Furry Thirst” of players

What tweet is being discussed now? EA seems to be very aware of the status of “werewolves as objects of desire”. In a tweet, the Sims’ social media account was asked if the glitch that makes werewolves invisible has been fixed.

EA replied unusually suggestively:

“We can confirm that the cases of invisible werewolves have been resolved. All players will be able to satisfy their furry desires tomorrow.”

They used the term “Furry Thirst Trap” – a term from internet slang that describes a sexually charged message or image designed to elicit how much others feel attracted to the object of desire.

How is this being discussed? Normally, gaming accounts refrain from commenting on any sexual innuendos in their games. That EA is now so openly addressing this in the family-friendly The Sims 4 seems somewhat strange.

Twitter users find it quite amusing:

  • One says: “I don’t even have The Sims 4, but I find it hilarious that you just said that.”
  • Another user speculates: “I’m totally convinced that the person running this account is really a furry and a very lustful person.”

The Sims 4 has a PEGI rating of 12+. You can find harder games here:

Only for adults! 10 MMOs and multiplayer games rated 18+

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. inven
  2. PCGAmer (auch TItelbild)