The US team Evil Geniuses unexpectedly became champions in the USA in 2022 in League of Legends and proudly participated in the LoL MSI 2022, a major international tournament. Prior to the event, it was said that Evil Geniuses wanted to now take on Europe. They believed they were clearly better than them. At the tournament, they had to face Europe in their very first game – and there they quickly found their limits against G2.
What did the team say?
The US team “Evil Geniuses” surprisingly won the Spring Split in the USA decisively in 2022.
After the championship, Jojopyun stepped up and tweeted: “Going to MSI Shitting on EU” – a clear challenge to the European team G2. The young Canadian (17) also said this in the livestream, much to the delight of the American audience: they are simply “clearly better” than them – but they will see that.
A bold statement from the 17-year-old:
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This is how the dreams of the USA burst – Caps gets First Blood.
The winner says: He respects trash talk
This is how the players sound after the match:
Jojopyun now sounds almost apologetic: “Yes, G2 played well, but I think we just played badly. Much worse than normal. I think we were bad in different ways. The problem was that we weren’t good, not that G2 was so strong. Although they were pretty strong.”
Now the Canadian says that it’s all okay. They would now play internationally and learn a lot.
The winner, Rasmus “Caps” Winther, reacts more mildly than one might expect. Caps doesn’t see it too seriously. He says he respects trash talk. Many US teams are humble. It even feels good when someone dares to be more confident.
Here’s how things progressed: The two teams have already played their rematch: G2 again took the victory. Much to the delight of the German top laner Broken Blade, who also heard the remarks from North America:
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Europe 2 – North America 0, Broken Blade shows with a laugh.
LoL: The 3 favorites have won everything in MSI 2022 so far
How is the tournament going? Caps knows that G2 has many more challenges ahead in the tournament. It seems that G2 has set its sights on Faker and his team, T1, who are considered favorites to win MSI.
Besides T1, “Royal Never Give Up” from China is also considered a co-favorite for the title. G2 is at least given outsider chances by the bookmakers.
Currently, G2 has won all 3 games, but the other favorites T1 and Royal Never Give Up are still undefeated.
The raid “Mausoleum of the First” from WoW: Shadowlands was defeated on Mythic difficulty already at the end of March after a long struggle. More than 100 guilds have completed the raid successfully since then. However, this only applies to the Horde – the Alliance is falling behind and this blocks an important change.
What is the problem? Mythic raids are the hardest PvE content in the endgame of World of Warcraft and the race for “World First” is followed by many players with excitement.
However, the raid parties are almost purely Horde events. The Alliance faction is hardly keeping up. This is particularly evident in the latest raid “Mausoleum of the First”, with the Jailer as the final boss.
Because the 100 fastest progression guilds of each faction end up in the Hall of Fame – a total of 200 guilds. At the time of this article, 109 guilds were noted: 100 for the Horde, 9 for the Alliance.
A clear imbalance, then, and a significant problem of faction balance. And this affects the normal course of a WoW expansion.
What is “progress raiding”? When a raid is still new, the first runs take forever. Even if you know how the mechanics work, the team has to function afterward.
Progress raids are more or less the opposite of casual raids. It’s not (just) about playing comfortably with friends in the evening, but rather making an effort to complete the hardest content as quickly as possible. There is a certain competitive thought behind it.
Why does this block content? Only when all 200 spots in the Hall of Fame are filled, does the raid on Mythic difficulty open for cross-server raids. Currently, only players on the same server can raid mythic together.
This greatly expands the player pool for the hard raids. Many players thereby first receive the chance to complete the raid with strong players or to be part of a progress raid group.
Why is there this imbalance of factions? The short answer: Habit. By now it makes little difference in terms of strength in PvE whether you belong to the Horde or Alliance.
However, this was different in the past. To get the most out of your character, you almost had to play Horde. Since the progression players are always the pioneers, many followed along and stayed.
The reason for this is the various bonuses and abilities of the races. These were simply stronger for PvE in the Horde. The Alliance was traditionally better in PvP, at least for some time. It took many years of balancing before both factions were roughly equally strong.
Particularly the active bonuses of trolls and orcs were responsible for that. They provided a small “battle frenzy” every few minutes. In the Alliance, humans had the upper hand in PvP because they could free themselves from almost every control ability (via WoW Forum).
By the way: Back in Classic, the Alliance was still the preferred raid faction. Special abilities of dwarf priests and the blessings of the then Alliance-exclusive paladins ensured that.
After that, the Horde players took over, and the progress community has had a “historical” focus on the Horde ever since, which now causes the Alliance to fall far behind when it comes to raiding. It remains to be seen whether the problem will be solved, when cross-faction play works.
In the last raids “Sanctum of Domination” and “Castle Nathria”, the Alliance needed nearly a month longer to fill all 100 spots.
Feel free to leave your opinion on this topic. Should the developers address this in any way, or do you think the problem is hardly worth mentioning? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
Blizzard has released new details about Diablo Immortal and provided some exciting insights into the story, the history of the demon lord Skarn, and his personal hell, as well as the level and sound design.
What does Blizzard show about Diablo Immortal? Blizzard has released some new details and insights about Diablo Immortal. The latest installment of the popular game series will be released on June 02, 2022. The new information provides details about the demon gates, the so-called zones, the demon lord Skarn, and his “Realm of Damnation”.
There were also insights into the musical backing, the new dungeon, and the thoughts behind the level design. Here, the Forest of Misery stands out in particular. You can find information about:
The story of the Realm of Damnation
Demon gates, zones, and the dungeon “Pit of Anguish”
The thoughts behind level and enemy design
If you haven’t seen the gameplay trailer with epic battles from Diablo Immortal yet, you can catch up now:
Start video
Diablo Immortal: New Gameplay Trailer Shows Epic Battles and Finally Reveals the Release Date
The Realm of Damnation and its Ruler
What is the Realm of Damnation? The Realm of Damnation is Skarn’s personal hell, a demon lord.
According to Blizzard, it formed out of the hellish chaos and was discovered by guardian angels years ago. These angels are now cut off from the heavens and live in the Realm of Damnation.
There you will also meet the leader of the angels named Verathiel, whose biggest challenge has been to be stranded in the Realm of Damnation. Since you are the bearer of the angel’s dagger, you have the opportunity to find allies among the angels in hell.
Join the surviving guardian angels in their camp
Who is Skarn? The demon lord Skarn is the judge, jury, and executioner in the Realm of Damnation. He is also the mastermind behind the pursuit of the world shards.
According to Blizzard, Skarn’s goal is to collect the shards that were created when Sanctuary fell into ruin, the resulting catastrophe swallowed the Archangel Tyrael, and destroyed the area of Arreat and much of the north.
Skarn also thrived in the age following the events of Diablo 2, when a war raged that found no clear victor. However, it remains unclear if Skarn led an army or merely seized the opportunity.
Additionally, the demon lord Skarn is said to have an interest in humans and has built a following in just a few years that uses seduction and deception to expand its influence in the western kingdoms of Sanctuary.
Start video
Everything you need to know about Diablo Immortal – in 3 minutes
Instances: Demon Gates, Zones, and Pit of Anguish
What are the zones? The zones in Diablo Immortal are described by Blizzard as huge spaces filled with enemies, hidden camps, and treasures.
What are the demon gates? The demon gates are a unique challenge in Diablo Immortal that only appear in the Realm of Damnation. MeinMMO summarizes what makes them special.
appear several times a day
appear at random locations in the Realm of Damnation
demons come through the gates into the zones
with three players, you can locate the gates, enter them, and kill the demons before they grant further power to Skarn’s legions
provide significant rewards
in three fights per day, you can earn bonus loot
What is known about the new dungeon? The new dungeon introduced by Blizzard is called Pit of Anguish. There, you can expect “blade-swinging demons” and an extremely bloody boss fight. This is said to be the bloodiest boss fight in the entire game.
You will also encounter Zaka, an enemy you will not forget quickly, according to Blizzard. Besides his size, the boss is particularly defined by a twist that occurs during the fight with him.
The development team said about the twist that they are curious about how players will react to it.
If you want to see what the gameplay of Diablo Immortal looks like, we have 7 minutes of video material for you here:
Start video
7 Minutes of Gameplay from Diablo Immortal – This is how good the new MMO looks
Not Just Lava and Horns – Variety in Creature and Level Design
What does Blizzard reveal about the sound and level design? According to Blizzard, the individual teams have really put in effort to create appropriate sounds and level designs.
The audio team wanted to ensure that the cruelty and ambitions of Skarn are recognizable in the soundtracks from the Realm of Damnation.
Regarding level design, Blizzard expressed excitement at being able to show a deviation from the expected burning hell with lava and horns. This was also made clear by the description of the creature design.
The development team tried to adapt the creatures to the shapes and colors of the environment. This is intended to provide not only a variation from the classic reddish demon designs but also to convey the impression that the characters have evolved in the environment or have been influenced by it.
What is the Forest of Misery? The Forest of Misery is another example by the developers to emphasize that variety is important to them. This variety is meant to make the journey more interesting and help players remember places with special moments better.
The forest itself is characterized by tangled treetops and demons whose bodies are merged with parts of the realm. This is said to be a punishment for having abandoned Skarn.
If you are interested in more about Diablo Immortal:
With Diablo Immortal, the latest installment of the Diablo series is being released. After the game was originally only supposed to be released for Android and iOS, it is now known that the title will also be released for PC.
If you are wondering what the system requirements for Diablo Immortal on PC are and how powerful your hardware should be, MeinMMO author Tarek Zehrer has the answer for you.
The FIFA series from EA is being renamed after almost 30 years. At the same time, FIFA (the association) is planning a competing product. FIFA and Electronics Arts talk about authenticity and new football experiences – but is that really the most important factor? MeinMMO author Max Handwerk has doubts.
This is what’s happening at EA: Summer 2023 is the end: FIFA as we know it will no longer exist. So – more or less at least. That’s how the announcement from EA Sports reads.
Instead of “FIFA,” players will play “EA Sports FC” starting in summer 2023. The new version of the football simulation is supposed to include “everything” that players love about their “games”: modes, real players and teams, stadiums, leagues, and so on – everything is supposed to remain on board (via EA.com). It also fits that a long-term agreement has been reached with the licensing partner FIFPRO.
At the same time, EA emphasizes that it shouldn’t just be a symbolic change but a real new start. The “independent platform” would bring “fresh opportunities.” Investment in sports is being made, and more and more partners are working on new, authentic experiences.
EA Sports FC is then supposed to bring “joy, inclusion, and immersion for a global community of fans” starting in 2023. However, no specific innovation is mentioned – that will happen only after FIFA 23.
So for now, the whole thing sounds a bit like the old chocolate bar advertisement: “Raider is now Twix, nothing else changes.”
Fantasy names will probably still not or hardly be available in FIFA going forward.
This is what FIFA is doing now: FIFA (the world football association) immediately responded with a press release stating that they will now produce new football video games (yes, plural) with external studios and publishers. Some “non-simulation-based” games are already in production and are set to be released later this year, ahead of the World Cup.
Furthermore, FIFA President Gianni Infantino spoke out in the announcement and emphasized:
I can assure you that the only authentic, real game carrying the name FIFA will be the best available for gamers and football fans. The name FIFA is the only global, original title. FIFA 23, FIFA 24, FIFA 25, and FIFA 26 and so on – the constant is the name FIFA, and it will remain forever and be THE BEST.
Again, the word “authentic” is used – and that’s no surprise. After all, the aspect that the FIFA series always contained a large portion of real players and clubs was a significant advantage over the long-standing competitor Pro Evolution Soccer.
That both sides are now presenting themselves as the “authentic” representatives wishing to offer the best football experience in the virtual realm is not surprising.
However, looking at the history of the dispute, it becomes clear that it is not about authenticity, gaming, or football itself.
It seems more like “the great football video game” is a particularly delicious cake that both believe they are getting too small a piece of.
What role does money play in this dispute?
Who is actually arguing? Both parties, who are working on football video games, have long been criticized regarding money.
EA Sports is regularly criticized for its Ultimate Team practices. Here, packs with random players are sold, which can also be paid with real money. There is no guarantee of getting strong players that advance you in the game – in fact, the odds are rather poor. Nonetheless, Ultimate Team generates unbelievable amounts of money year after year. Additionally, there’s also the purchase price for FIFA. Each year, EA releases a new version of the series as a full-price game.
The FIFA as the football world association, meanwhile, is criticized by many football fans for massively driving the commercialization of football forward. Controversial issues like the World Cup award to Qatar and corruption scandals also play a role.
What are the reasons for the split? In the official statements from both sides, there is little said about the reasons why they prefer to continue without each other in the future. However, in recent weeks and months, various aspects have come to light that are said to have contributed to this.
It all started in the fall of 2021, when EA Sports publicly considered renaming the series and no longer relying on the FIFA license. According to New York Times, FIFA allegedly requested double the price for the license – around a billion dollars for 4 years instead of 500 million as before.
Moreover, FIFA was said to want to restrict the money-making opportunities within the games and keep exclusive rights for itself, while EA wanted to incorporate more monetization options.
Later, alleged statements from EA boss Andrew Wilson from an internal meeting came to light. The site VGC reported that Wilson allegedly emphasized, according to anonymous sources, that they were restricted by FIFA. For example, no modes beyond 11vs11 were allowed. Moreover, they were not allowed to expand the “digital ecosystem” – for instance, through partnerships with companies like Nike. As FIFA had a partnership with Adidas.
Wilson was also of the opinion that the FIFA license would provide “four letters on the box” in years without a World Cup.
He repeatedly emphasized that EA’s players were actually urging them to incorporate even more brands.
As part of the “EA Sports FC” announcement, it is notable that explicitly Nike, alongside many football clubs, has now announced a connection with the “new” football series:
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The FIFA, in turn, emphasizes in its current announcement: “The sector of interactive games and e-sports is experiencing an unprecedented path of growth and diversification. FIFA’s strategy aims to leverage all future opportunities optimally and ensure a wide range of products and opportunities for players, fans, member associations, and partners” (via FIFA.com).
This statement also sounds quite “economical” – and not like it’s coming from the heart of football or gaming.
What does all this mean for the football gaming world? Let’s dream of an ideal situation: It’s not about money at all. Or at least not just that. Ideally, EA with FIFA is no longer the sole dominant player who can rest because no one poses a real threat. But rather, they now face a strong competitor – and EA must deliver a really good, fair game with many innovations with “EA Sports FC”. Otherwise, customers will simply buy “FIFA 24,” which will no longer be distributed by EA.
In turn, FIFA delivers a strong game – and we get a competition of motivated developers trying to outdo each other with their games for years to come. And as if that weren’t enough, newcomer UFL and a revitalized Pro Evolution Soccer will add to the competition. That would of course be great.
But the opposite could also be true. EA saves the FIFA license but can continue as usual and further monetize the game. Perhaps Nike shoes with shooting boosts will be sold in addition to strong players in the game, who knows.
The FIFA, on the other hand, delivers a game that has licenses but not much else. It will be called FIFA 24 or FIFA 25 and ensure that all sorts of people buy the wrong game but don’t get what they expect. Because one must also say: Either way, the football game world could become quite confusing in the future.
For now, it’s probably best to wait – and hope that both sides are willing to really deliver an exciting, cool game. Instead of one that is solely geared towards maximizing profit.
What do you think of the change? What are you hoping for? Let us know in the comments! And if you want to try FIFA: FIFA 22 is currently on PS Plus.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A YouTuber has built a special gaming PC. The hardware is housed in an aquarium. But wouldn’t the hardware get damaged with all that liquid?
Hardware and water are usually great enemies. When technology comes into contact with water, it usually results in a short circuit and damaged hardware, and you have to buy new devices.
A YouTuber has now placed a computer in an aquarium or built an aquarium around a gaming PC. But why doesn’t the hardware get damaged by all that liquid?
Liquid ensures that the hardware is well cooled
What exactly did the YouTuber do? The YouTuber first built a normal gaming PC. For this, he mounted all the well-known components like processor, graphics card, and RAM on a motherboard.
Then he mounted the components in a glass container and added a few decorative objects, like those found in aquariums. After that, he poured the liquid into the container, which covers the hardware. You can watch the entire video on Tiktok. You’ll find the video on reddit as well:
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What liquid does the YouTuber use? The fluid is not actually water. The YouTuber himself explains that a special type of synthetic liquid is used, which he fills into the glass container.
Usually, mineral oils, synthetic oils, or HFCs are used as cooling liquids in such projects.
The fluid is a dielectric. Dielectric is an insulating fluid that can conduct electricity only minimally. The liquid is also supposed to prevent corrosion and serve as a coolant.
A good liquid dielectric should have high thermal stability and inertia towards the materials used in construction so that they do not dissolve. It should also offer non-flammability, low toxicity, and good thermal conductivity.
If the fluid were conductive, certain parts of the hardware like the processor or graphics card would have to be additionally insulated, which would be very complicated.
The idea with the aquarium is not completely new: The YouTuber is not the first user to put hardware “underwater”. In fact, it is especially common in IT to cool large devices this way. For example, servers or storage devices are cooled in liquid to dissipate heat better. Laboratories also like to use this technique.
How does the community react? On reddit, the community is engaged in a lively discussion about the short video. Many are highly impressed by the setup and the final result.
However, some users miss the fish. A few respond that the fish would not feel comfortable with all the blinking and spinning of the fans and would go crazy over time.
Some also explain that cooling with such a fluid is absolutely no joy when it comes to maintenance. For example, a user writes:
Interesting setup, but dealing with the consequences of mineral oil cooling is a nightmare. The entire PC is a total loss.
Because during maintenance, the fluid settles in all holes and openings and sticks to the components. Anyone who builds something like this should be aware of the effort required to clean or maintain the hardware each time. Another user adds that such fluid often dissolves thermal paste (via reddit.com). This would contaminate the cooling liquid.
But who says the case can’t look cool? MeinMMO presents to you 7 PC cases that look really good. Because the owners have invested a lot of time and love into their gaming PCs.
The MMORPG MapleStory calls for blood donation. As rewards, there are in-game events and additional items when certain milestones are reached. With this action, they want to encourage players to help others, even though the rewards are only for people from Malaysia and Singapore.
What is this initiative about? The event is named “Be a Maple Hero today” and runs from May 6 to May 22. All players from Malaysia and Singapore who are over 18 years old can participate.
To participate, they must go donate blood and submit a form with their account details and a picture of their character. This picture will later be shown on a special page for “Maple Heroes”.
Moreover, players can earn rewards in the form of in-game items such as an exclusive outfit. Further rewards will be available if enough players participate in this initiative. If more than 800 players donate blood, there will be additional pets, mounts, and a Cosmic Cocktail Chair.
This package is guaranteed for every player who donates blood.
Nexon and MapleStory want to help because the number of donors is drastically decreasing
What is the background of this initiative? Blood donations are vital to supply people after an accident, during surgeries, or for long-term illnesses.
Especially in Singapore, blood donations among young people have drastically declined. In 2011, there were reportedly 21,793 donations from people under 26, whereas in 2021 there were only 13,967 (via The Straitstimes).
The developers of MapleStory and the publisher Nexon want to encourage people to go donate blood. That’s why they decided on this special initiative.
Is there something like this for us? No, the initiative in MapleStory is only for Malaysia and Singapore. Currently, there is no MMO in the West that offers a similar incentive. However, there is also less blood donation in Germany than is needed in many places, and the donors are on average getting older (via RND).
What do you think of this initiative? Are in-game rewards an incentive to encourage you to donate blood? Feel free to write it in the comments.
That MMORPGs can also be helpful in the field of medicine has already been shown in another context. For in EVE Online, players were able to assist in analyzing blood samples related to Corona through mini-games:
The streamers SpookyUnagi and SpoopyKitt were suddenly banned by Twitch, although they changed nothing about their content. Odd, they think, and complain about the platform, which only recently clarified its guidelines regarding “sexual content.”
What are bikini streamers? Twitch introduced a new category “Pools, Hot Tubs, and Beaches,” which allows streamers to show themselves in swimwear. However, this permission only applies if they are at the beach or in a pool.
But now Twitch seems to suddenly be cracking down on such bikini streamers, as both SpookyUnagi and SpoopyKitt were banned in early May. They claim they are not the only ones and tell of fellow streamers who were also unexpectedly banned from the platform (via Twitter).
More bans on Twitch in our video:
Start video
The 5 biggest Twitch bans that caused a lot of commotion
SpookyUnagi and SpoopyKitt insist: The content has not changed
What does SpookyUnagi say? SpookyUnagi was banned on May 1 for 3 days. On May 9, the second ban followed. The streamer is now worried about her livelihood and complains to Twitch, as she never changed anything about her content:
Twitch allows creators to build a career and a life with content that they had allowed for a year. Independent workers, who essentially work “for” Twitch, buy houses, cars, assets, and have continuous income for investments. And they threaten to take it all away with unjustified bans.
She also believes that Twitch has the right to remove bikini streams since it is their platform. However, she demands clearer guidelines regarding such streams, as the category still exists. Furthermore, the streamer suspects that bots might be behind the bans that continuously report Twitch channels (via Twitter).
What does SpoopyKitt say? SpoopyKitt was banned on May 6 and unlocked again after 3 days. She also does not understand why she was suddenly banned from the platform.
She wrote on Twitter: “I’ve been dancing with a hula hoop in the pool for a year, so I don’t know why it suddenly counts as ‘sexually suggestive.’ Twitch posted ‘Improving the Clarity of Our Sexual Content Policy,’ where it says: ‘This is not a change in policy or its enforcement.'”
The streamer did not change anything about her content that would justify the ban.
Twitch adjusts the clarity of the guidelines on sexual content
What does that mean? Twitch listed more examples of sexual content at the end of April that could lead to a ban, although they did not change the guidelines per se. Things considered “sexually suggestive” include:
Camera focus on breasts, buttocks, genital area, or poses that highlight those areas.
Fiddling or explicit gestures towards breasts, buttocks, or genitals.
Behavior or activities concerning fetishes, such as focusing on body parts for sexual gratification or erotic roleplaying.
Erotic dances (on a pole) that are sexually suggestive in nature.
Further details can be found in the tweet from Zach Bussey:
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MeinMMO author Maik Schneider has The Division 2 played passionately. A loot shooter to his taste. But he is skeptical about the new Season 9. Fresh content is nice, but in the current situation of the game, it actually just makes everything worse.
When I first ventured into the battlefields of a loot shooter with Destiny 1, I noticed how heavily the game concept engaged me. Especially in a team, I could spend countless hours, fatigue was driven away by conversations.
But with the announcement of Destiny 2, I was done, the genre “loot shooter” was temporarily crossed off my list in 2017: once I knew that there would be no continuation with Destiny 1, I was out. All items and weapons collected for nothing? Not with me. Mama Schneider didn’t raise a fool.
With Division 2, I tried a loot shooter again in 2019 and the old Destiny feelings returned. I even started writing about Division for MeinMMO.
Unfortunately, everything went downhill quickly, interest declined rapidly. With the DLC “Warlords of New York,” I had a brief glimmer of hope in spring 2020, but it quickly became clear – there are no real plans for a time after the DLC.
About the author Maik Schneider: The Division 2 is a passion project for me. I started my career as a writer as a specialist author for Division 2. The game concept excites me as well. I have no idea how many hours I spent building builds with pen and paper.
But after a few hundred hours, I was done. Teammates disappeared, and my desire went with them. And even though I would love to unleash my war drones on the enemies of Washington again, I have no idea when Division will pull me back in again.
The Division 2 entered a sort of maintenance mode after the big DLC. It brought a bit of story with the seasons, but that was it. For almost 2 years now, the shooter has been in this season mode, without really delivering anything new. The “Summit” mode is a small exception.
Early on, it was announced that at least one more major update is planned – even with another new mode. Now there is information about it, Division 2 starts Season 9 on May 12.
But I’m not really happy about it.
Division 2: Season 9 brings a bit of everything
Season 9 with TU15 is a scattergun update and brings a bit of everything:
New mode “Countdown”
Expertise mechanic for gear
New manhunt continues the story with 5 targets
6 events and 4 leagues
New weapons, gear brand, exotic, named items and gear
Division 2: Roadmap Season 9
How am I supposed to find 7 other people for the new activity?
The season runs until the end of August due to events. At the end, the “Reanimated” event goes online, from August 23 to 29.
But let’s be honest: how much potential does TU15 have? How long will it keep us entertained? How many players will it bring back? And of course, the most important question when it comes to developing the game: how much money can actually be made from it? And I think it won’t be enough.
The new mode puts players under time pressure and is designed for 8 people. There is matchmaking and you can also manage it with fewer players. But with 8 people like a raid and under time pressure? Seriously?
Why not something for smaller teams – I already find it hard to find even one teammate. And why not use the excellent content that is already in the game and find a twist that allows for more replayability?
I imagine, for example, a hunt through Washington D.C., preferably in my own world instance. Sometimes I need to complete quests, sometimes solve a puzzle, sometimes pull off a mission. This way, I can shoot my way through the city for hours, explore the open world and continuously collect loot.
With the new manhunt, a suitable mechanic is even introduced into the game – mission takeovers. In Season 9, the enemies of the “True Sons” will take over some missions, which will play differently as a result. A good idea from the developers, but hidden behind a limited mechanic – the story-based manhunts.
You play them once and then wait 3 weeks for the next target. The leagues and clothing events don’t really pull me back in either.
I actually only like the expertise system. Here, too, one can argue whether it is just a way to stretch content, as you can level up every important item in the game again. But the idea of pushing your best gear through gameplay time resonates well with me.
The Division 2 will be developed with a significantly smaller team than at its peak. The developers now have to weigh even more critically what is important and what they should rather leave out.
But with Season 9, they are not doing themselves any favors. The game does not become more relevant or gain many new players because of it. In my opinion, it even worsens the prospects for a better future for Division.
I would have been pleased with news about the Division movie, the announcement of Division 3, or the prospect of a genuine DLC for Division 2.
But the new Season 9 has worsened my view of Division 2. I have even fewer hopes than before that I will soon spend fun hours with gaming buddies in this title.
Because, just like back then with Destiny 1, it was always the teammates who kept me entertained for a long time. But with the arguments of Season 9, I can’t get anyone back into the game.
I am very curious to hear what you think of the new Season 9. Are you on my side or do you completely disagree with me? Are you maybe just glad that something is happening in the game at all?
The esports organization FaZe is holding a kind of “Big Brother” house on Twitch to determine which talented content creator can join the clan and receive a signing bonus of about 1.2 million euros. However, the talents are dropping out one by one – they have Covid.
What is it about?
The FaZe Clan is the richest and largest esports organization in the world. They are not traditional esports players, but rather content creators who started out as trick shots in Call of Duty on YouTube and have now become huge in gaming and even have some esports teams running. The FaZe clan repeatedly attracts negative attention for dubious actions.
The clan launched a new show on Twitch on May 5: “FaZe Warhouse”. The show was supposed to be broadcast 24 hours a day for 15 days: 20 streamers from all over the world participated and had the chance to join the FaZe Clan and win a lot of money. To be among the “Top 20”, one had to go through an audition process.
But Covid abruptly ends the dreams of some candidates. Covid has apparently entered the warehouse – those who get sick are eliminated.
FaZe is looking for the super streamer, hosting Big Brother on Twitch
What is there to win? Whoever wins the show will become a member of FaZe and receive a signing bonus of one million US dollars in cryptocurrency, a sponsorship contract worth $250,000, and a Nissan.
If you are part of FaZe and have the marketing machine behind you, it is likely a huge career step for young talents.
What goes wrong: The streamers are stuck together like in “Big Brother”: The clan has rented a large house: The candidates take control of the stream and compete against each other in games.
However, as the FaZe Clan announced, three candidates were already disqualified on May 7. The clan itself speaks of “unfortunate circumstances” – but it is clear that the three tested positive for COVID-19. They will be replaced by two other talents.
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“In the end, the one with the best immune system wins”
This is now the discussion: The FaZe Clan is now being criticized for the show. It is said that protocols should have been in place for such cases:
It is unfair that someone works for months to qualify for the show and then is disqualified for something they cannot help.
One user quips: “In the end, the one who is lucky enough not to get COVID will come to FaZe.”
Another says: “The winner will be the one with the best immune system.”
The participants of the show come from all over the world.
How does FaZe respond? FaZe says they understand that people are disappointed. However, they cannot simply postpone the show as many contracts and obligations are involved: “The show must go on”
The boss has already announced that even if people drop out now, they will not be forgotten.
But for the moment, Ernsto seems inconsolable.
FaZe has shown in the past that they did not take COVID-19 very seriously:
Battlefield 2042 has already failed a few weeks after its release. Vince Zampella, the creator of Call of Duty, had to take the helm of the Battlefield franchise. In a conversation with investors, it becomes clear: EA believes that Zampella can still save the game.
On November 19, 2021, the official release of Battlefield 2042 was for all players. Just a few weeks later, already on December 2, it was apparently clear to EA as well: The game is a flop.
Zampella is considered a legend among developers. He not only created the “Call of Duty” franchise and is hence called the ‘CoDfather’. He was also the co-founder of the developer studio Respawn Entertainment, which is currently celebrating great successes with Apex Legends and is bringing in a lot of money for EA.
In a conversation with investors, it becomes clear how much EA thinks of Zampella. CEO Andrew Wilson hinted at how many freedoms EA is giving the developer in reinventing Battlefield 2042. And that they still have high hopes for the shooter flop.
In our podcast, we discussed the failure of Battlefield 2042:
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EA CEO says: The “Vince Zampella/Respawn model” is meant to save Battlefield 2042
Although EA sees Battlefield 2042 internally as a flop that could not meet expectations, they do not give up on the game. Internally, Halo and demanding PC gamers are apparently identified as a problem for the catastrophic state of Battlefield 2042.
As PC Gamer reports, EA has neither given up on Battlefield 2042 nor the franchise as a whole. CEO Andrew Wilson is said to have stated in the latest investor call for Q4 that they are thinking long-term with Battlefield.
[Battlefield] is one of the greatest franchises in our industry, built by one of the best teams in our industry, and we expect it to continue to grow and remain an important part of our portfolio for many years to come.
Andrew Wilson, CEO of EA
Specifically, Vince Zampella is identified as a great hope. Since taking over as head of Battlefield in December 2021, “the development process has been completely overhauled”. With “thousands of updates, made for the community, work has been done on ‘Quality of Life’ and the game has been prioritized in its core,” says Wilson.
Thus, the game has been completely switched to a “Vince Zampella/Respawn model”, with which Apex Legends is currently so successful. Wilson summarizes this model as a simple design philosophy: “Get to the fun as quickly as possible.”
The ‘CodFather’ Zampella apparently has all the freedoms to set Battlefield 2042 right again. If this model brings the hoped-for success, further investments in Battlefield are to be made. Wilson says:
I think there is still more work for us to do, and the team is committed to doing that work for the community. […] Once we feel that we are in the right place with the core experience and the core game, then you should expect us to invest and grow beyond where the game stands today.
Andrew Wilson, CEO of EA
What do you think? Can Vince Zampella save the game with the philosophy of Apex Legends? Or is the game beyond saving? Let us know in the comments.
A small, superficial innovation has at least made parts of the community happy again:
In early February, Lost Ark celebrated its release on Steam. Since then, it has been an integral part of the top 5 Steam charts. In the last few weeks, the MMORPG has even gained player numbers again. However, there are things in the statistics that are concerning. Are many players possibly bots?
What is the current status of Lost Ark? The new MMORPG from Smilegate and Amazon is currently performing well on Steam. In the last 24 hours, it reached 591,542 concurrent players at its peak – enough for 3rd place in the charts, directly behind CS:GO and Dota 2.
However, the player numbers of Lost Ark have faced criticism for some weeks now. Many players claim that these numbers are inflated by bots, and the community may be significantly smaller overall. We at MeinMMO took a closer look.
Missing weak phases and rising numbers despite lower interest
What is striking about the numbers? Lost Ark essentially has no time during the day when few players are online. Looking at the numbers from the past week – and excluding the maintenance directly at the start of the graph – the highest player count is 628,000 and the lowest is 369,000.
Thus, Lost Ark is able to consistently maintain at least 58% of its player numbers. Furthermore, the graph is relatively stable and has generally low fluctuations – most of the time, significantly over 400,000 players are online at the same time.
The player numbers of Lost Ark from May 4 to today – May 11 (via SteamDB).
Comparing this graph with other top games on Steam, there are clear differences. In CS:GO, for instance, the peak in the last week was at 902,000 players. The lowest regular count was at 317,000 players. That’s just 35% of the maximum player count.
Moreover, the fluctuations here are very strong and clearly tied to specific times. Every day, the same pattern occurs, and every day, the numbers drop significantly below 400,000, thus below the 50% mark.
The player numbers of CS:GO fluctuate depending on the time.
Just as the graph looks for CS:GO, it also appears for other online games such as DOTA 2, Apex Legends, PUBG, and GTA 5 on Steam. They all have a low point when it is about 2:00 AM in our timezone.
Why does the graph of Lost Ark fluctuate less? An explanation for lower fluctuations could be better coverage across all time zones. However, that sounds rather unlikely for Lost Ark. The game has its own versions in Russia, Japan, and Korea that are not available on Steam. Here, one would expect more fluctuations instead.
A commonly held theory suggests that significantly more bots are active in Lost Ark, which continuously inflate the numbers since they are active 24 hours a day to farm. There is also further evidence supporting this theory.
Fluctuations like in bot games and the drop after bot bans
On March 3, there were a peak of 815,000 players online
On March 4, only 759,000 – the first time the game fell below 800,000 players at peak
On March 5, there were again 847,000 players – although one must keep in mind that there are generally more players active on weekends than during the week
Then came a second banning wave. From March 9 (805,000 players) to March 10 (679,000 players). Whether there were further banning waves was not communicated externally.
Start video
Everything you need to know about Lost Ark’s endgame – in the video
No increase in interest, but rising player numbers
In March, player numbers dropped significantly, down to 336,000 concurrent players on March 30. However, in recent weeks they have notably recovered and regularly break the 600,000 concurrent players mark.
Although there have been some new content updates in Lost Ark that players can now explore, the interest in the MMORPG has overall decreased according to Google Trends and is significantly lower than in March. Nevertheless, the player numbers have nearly doubled since then.
The interest in Lost Ark is declining globally, almost back to the level before its release in the West. The player numbers, on the other hand, are rising.
Good updates help, but the numbers are suspicious
Are all players in Lost Ark bots? No, absolutely not. Lost Ark is still very popular.
A strong share of returning players comes from events that have provided more loot and thus less grind, new classes like the Lancer released in April, and the upcoming Destroyer in May, as well as regular new raids and dungeons.
However, anyone starting a new character will encounter many bots. They have now also penetrated the areas of higher gear scores. Complaints about bots frequently appear on reddit. Here’s a selection of threads from the last 7 days: reddit 1, reddit 2, reddit 3, reddit 4, reddit 5, reddit 6.
Even the German community manager Maselbart confirms in the official forum that bots are a problem in the West:
Smilegate and AGS are working closely together, and no one is undermining the other. Bots are a bigger problem in the West than in Korea, as there players must register their accounts with a phone number. This makes things a bit more complicated.
Blaming Smilegate for botting is completely unfounded and, in my opinion, unfair to the developers who put in so much effort.
SG and Amazon are constantly working on different, new methods to tackle this, but it’s not something that can be fixed overnight; it requires time.
How significant the proportion of bots is in the player numbers is hard to estimate. However, much suggests that bots constitute a considerable portion of the good numbers on Steam.
Especially on the American servers, there are strong complaints about bots. Right during their prime time, the usual drop seen in other online games is absent. Here, the game is sometimes 100,000 to 200,000 users stronger than it should be.
Have you come across bots recently? Or have your servers been spared?
Why the numbers of Lost Ark have fallen so drastically is explained by Twitch streamer shroud:
In Pokémon GO, the special research for Poni Island has been available since May 10, 2022. A trainer has now found a trick to complete the task with the Rocket Grunts even faster. We at MeinMMO have tried it out and explain how the trick works.
What kind of research is it? Currently, the Alola Season is running in Pokémon GO, during which you embark on a journey through the Alola region with Professor Willow. Each Alola island has its own special research.
Now it is Poni Island’s turn, whose special research “A Poni Adventure” has been available since May 10, 2022. The tasks and rewards for the new research are relatively easy to complete overall.
A reddit user has discovered a mistake that you can use as a trick to complete one of the quests even faster. We will show you what trick he found.
With this trick, you can “defeat” two Rocket Grunts at once
Which quest are we talking about? On the first table of the Poni special research, you are supposed to defeat two Grunts from Team GO Rocket. Normally, to solve the task, you would first need to catch one of the Grunts, battle him, and win that battle. Then you would have to repeat the entire process again.
This trick has been discovered: The reddit user Cyberfess encountered a bug while solving the task, which he shares with the reddit community. In his post, two images show that he left the battle against one of the Grunts, yet the task was still counted as completed.
He states (via reddit.com): “The task ‘Defeat 2 Team GO Rocket Grunts’ for ‘A Poni Adventure’ is faulty. It can be completed by quitting and leaving the battle.”
Such a possibility had already existed for similar tasks in the past – much to the delight of some trainers. As some reddit users note in the comments, this bug can indeed contribute to completing the task faster. We will show you how it works.
Here’s how simple the trick works
We at MeinMMO have naturally tried the trick and will explain how you can easily use it:
Find a Rocket Grunt (you can find them at PokéStops and in balloons)
Challenge the Grunt to a battle as usual, choose a team, and switch to the battle screen
Once the battle has started, leave the battle via the “Exit” symbol in the top left corner of the screen
Pokémon GO only recognizes the first battle as won
Repeat this process once more to completely finish the task
What do you think of the trick with the Rocket Grunts? Will you use the bug to advance faster with the task? Or would you rather win both battles honestly? Feel free to share your opinion here on MeinMMO in the comments and discuss it with other trainers.
The next new champion in League of Legends is officially known to be a jungler from the Void. Now, her skill set and a video of her appearance have leaked on reddit. The new jungler in LoL is allegedly named “Bel’Veth” and is hungry.
Where does the leak come from? The leak is from the forum “reddit” and is supported by a YouTube video from “Big Bad Bear” in which the champion can be seen briefly.
This is what was known about the champion beforehand: Riot has already presented the next champion several times: It is supposed to be a jungler from the Void, described as the “all-consuming Empress”. The Void features the “monsters of LoL” such as Rek’Sai or Cho’Gath.
Riot spoke of “true elegance, true beauty” and the true face of the Void, which one should submit to: It was said that it would be a Skirmish jungler. From the beginning, the jungler was associated with lavender and a purplish color.
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This is what she looks like now: From the few images we have from the video, she appears to be a golden-purple floating Manta ray with wings and a tail.
Tunnel, Dash and a Whirlpool of Death
What abilities is she supposed to have?
Passive – Defeated enemies drop something when they die. Bel’Veth can collect that and form swarms from it. This grants her lifesteal against jungle camps. She can heal from towers or epic monsters, but consumes all collected materials in the process.
Q – Passively, Bel’Veth receives an arrow in 4 diagonal directions. Actively, the Q is a dash with damage and slow effect, which creates a synergy with the arrows.
W – Similar to Rek’Sai’s tunnel: The jungler digs in, can dig under walls, and gains increased movement speed. When she comes out of the tunnel, she deals damage and knocks enemies up.
E – Bel’Veth channels a whirlpool, cannot move, and deals damage every second. While she is in the whirlpool, she takes less damage and returns a percentage of the damage taken.
Ultimate: Bel’Veth transforms into her true form and gains a buff to all skills and her stats. If she now collects the items from the passive, she gains health back and can damage nearby champions with the swarm.
When is the jungler supposed to come? The leaker only says “soon”.
Warning: Even if the information sounds legitimate, it has not been officially confirmed. The leaker also says: There could still be changes at short notice.
What heroes to expect in League of Legends, you can read here:
The overview of events in May 2022 for Pokémon GO with all dates and bonuses. We show you the 5-star raids, spotlight hours, and themed events that run over several days. This way, you won’t miss anything.
This is what we show here: In the overview, we show you all the events you can expect in May for Pokémon GO. These are one-day events like spotlight hours or raid hours, but also the Community Day and themed events. We will also cover changes in PvP.
We continuously update the article so you can use it as a reliable point of reference.
All events in May 2022 at a glance
Mark the dates: In the following table, we show you all the dates for the events in the coming weeks. Below the table, we will go into details that are worth your while.
Pokémon marked with a star (*) can be caught as Shiny
Which events are especially worth it in May 2022?
Themed Events:
The Aerial Adventure event (from May 3 to May 8) is likely to be exciting for many trainers, as legendary Mega Pokémon can be battled and captured for the first time in the game.
During the Water Festival (from May 12 to May 20), according to Niantic, a “flood of Water-type Pokémon” will appear. Which ones exactly are unclear – during the event period, you will also encounter Mega Blastoise.
The “Alola to Alola”-event runs from May 25 to May 31. Niantic explains that during this event, “all the adventures that you trainers have experienced this year with Alolan Pokémon will be reviewed once more.”
Raids: The Pokémon Kapu Kime celebrates its debut in May and will be found in raids from May 10 to May 25. Unfortunately, it cannot yet be caught as Shiny, but it is certainly still an incentive for collectors.
How do you like the prospect of new events in May 2022 for Pokémon GO? Let us know in the comments which of the events you are looking forward to the most and why.
In June, the big GO Fest 2022 starts. The event runs for two days. You can expect new Pokémon, Shinys, rotating habitats, special bonuses, Global Arenas, and more.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Behind the former pseudonym “Aligator1024” is Viktor Roth (30), who is now better known as “VIK” or “iBlali”. A Let’s Play of Mother 3, in 2009, paved the initial path for the successful German YouTuber.
Important info about VIK at a glance:
As Aligator1024, he created Let’s Plays for various games, especially on Nintendo consoles: Kirby, Mario, or Ninja Gaiden. In between, he uploaded small, funny clips of himself and his “brother” and content creator Suishomaru.
During his “Let’s Play” phase, he also ran a second channel named “Bl4li” where he uploaded small comedy sketches. However, he eventually deleted the YouTube channel.
On the channel iBlali, which he founded in 2011, the former Let’s Player had his breakthrough. Funny comedy clips, lively FAQs under the title “Ali-Tells” or songs by “Dönerbuden-Ali” were published on the channel.
Shortly thereafter, also in 2011, he opened the YouTube channel “BlaVlog,” which is now called VIK. He continues to produce content there even in 2022.
Today, he is also active on Twitch as a streamer, reacting to YouTube videos, playing various games, or chatting with his community.
Many would say “PogChamp” to Viktor Roth’s videos, but what does that even mean? Find out in our video:
Start video
PogChamp is one of the most popular emotes on Twitch and has an exciting story
That was Aligator1024 on YouTube
Fifteen years ago, Roth published his very first YouTube video on Aligator1024. However, it wasn’t a Let’s Play but a showcase of a glitch in Super Smash Bros. Melee for the Nintendo GameCube.
His first Let’s Play was for the game Mother 3, and even back then his audience celebrated his humor and classic voice modulation. However, his commentary was relatively calm compared to later projects, like Wario Land 4.
VIK was not only one of the first Let’s Players on YouTube but also one of the first streamers. In 2010, he streamed occasionally on justin.tv, the precursor to Twitch (via YouTube).
In addition, VIK had a second channel on YouTube: Bl4li, where he released comedy sketches. These are now only partially available as re-uploads, as he deleted the channel.
How did the new comedy channel iBlali come about?
After reaching 20,000 subscribers, he started a poll on Aligator1024 asking whether he should start a comedy channel – iBlali. Time and again, VIK let his lively, comedic style shine through on Aligator1024 when he uploaded subscription specials or sketches on Bl4li.
He created some inside jokes and his comedy character “Dönerbuden-Ali,” who spoke in a more crude and aggressive manner than the “normal” VIK. With Dönerbuden-Ali, his fast speech, and humor in tow, VIK founded his channel iBlali, with which he celebrated his absolute breakthrough.
iBlali on YouTube – Sausages, Dönerbuden-Ali, and Ali-Tells
On April 29, 2011, VIK uploaded his first short video on iBlali, where he talked about the Minecraft trend. Not even a month later, on May 19, he already celebrated his first 10,000 subscribers (via YouTube). By December 20 of that same year, VIK had reached a whopping 100,000 subscribers – rapid growth for the YouTube landscape of that era (via YouTube).
iBlali featured various formats like Ali-Tells, in which he answered viewer questions from the comments with funny clips. “Do you like sausage?” is probably the most repeated question that appeared time and again as a gag.
In 2014, he even appeared as his comedy character Dönerbuden-Ali at the VideoDays of Gamescom and sang “Hände hoch” live in front of 15,000 viewers. He was joined by successful YouTuber Julien Bam.
Not only there did VIK collaborate with well-known YouTubers. His comedy clips on iBlali also featured appearances by ApeCrime, his former girlfriend Yuki, or Taddl. To this day, he has attracted 2.51 million subscribers to his channel.
A typical video from iBlali:
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How did the classic iBlali come to an end? Over time, VIK stated that he changed as he got older. Scripted comedy didn’t interest him for three years at all (via YouTube).
However, he continued to release videos because he still enjoyed it and they performed well. When he tried to bring content to iBlali that he could identify with more, he said:
“The views were rapidly declining, and there was a lot of criticism. Many unsubscribed, and that worries you, especially when you make a living from it. Yes, then you pull back a bit and stick with Ali-Tells, which everyone wants to see, always.”VIK
It was only when he actively filled the channel VIK with stream highlights that he really noticed his struggle. There, he was simply “himself” and talked freely instead of having to say every sentence five times, as was the case with the scripted sketches on iBlali.
When he felt too bad about the overall situation on iBlali and no longer had fun with it, he decided to change something.
What changed? He became more active on his VIK channel and his last well-known Ali-Tells came out on March 2, 2019. He celebrated a comeback with Ali-Tells on iBlali on April 28, 2021, but that activity did not last long.
On February 12, he uploaded the last video to iBlali titled “I am not iBlali…” and explained there once again that he slipped into a role in the videos. iBlali was a “super emotional, super childish, and extroverted” role that was completely different from the private person VIK.
He no longer felt the old jokes about Dönerbuden-Ali and sausages and is just a completely different person today than he was back then. That is not surprising, as 11 years have passed since the start of iBlali. Back then he was 19 years old; today he is 30.
VIK does not want to bring “dumb comedy” to iBlali in the future but rather “more infotainment, more opinion, with a touch of comedy. In general, simply more content that fits more to my current self.”
You can watch the video here:
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VIK was previously BlaVlog, on which he uploaded small vlogs in between. At the end of 2016, the channel was named “Bücherclub,” where only “trash videos” with YouTubers Toni and Nia or serious “talk vlogs” appeared in between.
After a while, however, the Bücherclub dissolved, and VIK only released videos where he appeared alone. He then wanted to incorporate his passion for video games into his YouTube videos and published stream highlights from Twitch, where he played Nintendo games, on VIK.
Here you can watch his video about it:
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What is VIK doing on YouTube? In 2022, VIK has his own merch shop and is currently actively running two YouTube channels: VIK and iBlali Reactions.
On VIK, he does pretty much whatever he feels like: Sometimes he talks about serious topics, shows highlights from his gaming streams, or uploads reactions to “Help Me” episodes or other (exciting) topics.
On iBlali Reactions, he exclusively publishes reactions to other YouTube videos.
How are the two channels doing in terms of numbers?
VIK: Between 4 and 5 million views per month, 997,000 subscribers (via Social Blade).
iBlali Reactions: Between 600,000 and 1.2 million views per month, 117,000 subscribers (via Social Blade).
He himself says that iBlali performed better in terms of views and was his peak, yet he is grateful that after all these years, he can still generate so many views with VIK. He sees that as a privilege.
What is VIK doing on Twitch? VIK is also actively engaged on Twitch as an official partner of the platform, currently having around 1,000 viewers watching his streams simultaneously (via SullyGnome). There, he runs “React Mondays” on many Mondays, where he reacts to different videos.
Furthermore, he faces various crazy challenges in Super Mario Odyssey, plays Among Us or Mario Party with his friends. He also occasionally does “real talk” streams where he discusses more serious topics with his viewers.
VIK still has a loyal community that supports him in his streams and videos – even after over 13 years on YouTube, for which the YouTuber and streamer has expressed his gratitude to his viewers several times.
In Ark: Survival Evolved there are numerous prehistoric, mystical, and mythological creatures. But which dinos are actually the best and who is the strongest? MeinMMO author Dariusz Müller presents you with his opinion on the 10 strongest dinos.
What criteria was used to decide? To determine the best dinos or creatures in ARK: Survival Evolved, a specific purpose must be established. In ARK, you can talk about the best farm animals or discuss the best fighters. We could also categorize them into flying creatures, underwater beings, and rideable animals.
For the 10 best dinosaurs, we chose the strongest creatures. Their strength was evaluated regardless of the creature’s habitat and farming abilities. We specifically looked at the suitability of the creature to either fend off numerous attackers or to engage in boss fights.
One particular criterion was the abilities of a creature that give it a unique advantage in combat. Accordingly, it is not just about the raw damage a dino deals with its attacks but also about its abilities and suitability to survive special situations, as well as the maneuverability of the animal.
The list represents a personal ranking by the author, who drew on his experience in the survival game to find the best dinos in the game. On MeinMMO, he introduces you to what he considers to be the 10 strongest creatures. The focus was on creatures whose taming is worthwhile at each restart, depending on the mode.
[toc]
About the author Dariusz Müller: Dariusz is a passionate ARK player and has gathered over 1,000 hours of gameplay on PC and PS4. During this time, he tamed and bred almost every creature in the game and thoroughly tested them.
Most of his playtime was spent on PvE servers, where he faced the bosses of the various maps. Some of his most loyal dinosaur companions will be seen in this list.
Start video
Everything you need to know about the survival game ARK: Survival Evolved
Rank 10: the Stegosaurus
What distinguishes the Stegosaurus: The Stegosaurus was long considered a dino not suited for combat. It is still very slow and not particularly agile. However, the Stego received a strong buff. It now has three different armor types that you can choose from.
Hardened Plate: Provides a damage reduction buff (reduces damage by half)
Heavy Plate: Causes a slowing effect through the attack with the base tail whip
Sharpened Plate: The attack with the tail whip has the effect of penetrating the opponent’s armor.
Particularly the hardened plates are ideal in combination with a good saddle to absorb extremely high damage. This makes it possible to approach a hostile base or similar closely.
Subsequently, weapons such as the rocket launcher or the sharpened plates of the Stegos can be used to destroy turrets, armor, or other items. This makes the Stego a strong dino when focusing on PvP.
However, even in PvE, you should not underestimate the Stegosaurus. Especially from the perspective of the survivor engaged in a fight with a Stego, the dinosaur performs very strongly.
The dinosaur can not only knock you off your mount or inflict high damage when it hits you with its spiky tail. The creature you are riding will also suffer massive stamina losses and thus be able to defend itself significantly worse.
Rank 9: the Megatherium
What distinguishes the Megatherium? The Megatherium is technically not a dinosaur, but a genus of the extinct family Megatheriidae, yet it has earned its place in our top 10. If the giant sloths are good enough for a Paris museum, they are also good enough for our list.
The Megatherium has a skill in ARK called “Insect Killer,” making it a temporary powerhouse of damage. Insect Killer means that after killing an insect, the Megatherium deals 250% increased damage to any target for 120 seconds.
Additionally, the Megatherium has the passive ability to deal 150% more damage to insects in general. If the Insect Killer ability is active while fighting insects, damage even increases to up to 375% of the base value.
Since there are plenty of insects like the nasty Arthropleura, Araneos, or the nasty Mantis in many caves, dungeons, and other dangerous areas, the Megatherium is one of the best creatures in ARK.
Even the boss fight against the Broodmother—a very large spider—is not a problem with the furry companion.
Rank 8: the Basilisk
What distinguishes the Basilisk? The Basilisk is a mystical creature and a giant snake. Since in ARK the boundaries between real prehistoric beings and mythical creatures blur, the Basilisk should not be missing from a list of the strongest creatures in ARK.
The Basilisk is not only strong when it ambushes unsuspecting survivors in the wild after digging into the ground; it is also a very strong guardian for your base on a PvP server.
The Basilisk shoots venom that inflicts significant damage and can also harm you while you are on a creature. Since it can also dig into the ground while tamed due to your command and subsequently remains invisible to enemy survivors, it presents an unpleasant surprise for anyone who approaches your base unwanted.
Rank 7: the Wyvern
What distinguishes the Wyvern? The Wyvern, similar to the Basilisk, is not a real creature and therefore not a true dinosaur. However, in the blurred reality of the survival game, it still belongs on a list of the best dinosaurs.
For years, the Wyvern has been one of the strongest flying creatures in ARK. However, it is important to note that there is a significant difference depending on which Wyvern type you own.
The Poison Wyvern is generally considered weaker, whereas the Lightning Wyvern is feared. The difference lies in the effect of the breath attack.
In addition to the main attack of the Wyvern—the breath attack—it shines mainly with its speed. Even though the Wyvern is not particularly agile, there are hardly any flying creatures that can keep up with it over long distances.
Rank 6: the Basilosaurus
What distinguishes the Basilosaurus? The Basilosaurus is certainly not a typical contender for a spot on a list of the strongest animals for many ARK players. A wild Basilosaurus usually swims near the coast and allows itself to be surrounded by mantas.
However, if you want to explore the underwater world of ARK, the Basilosaurus is perhaps the best choice. It is strong enough to handle most dangers and has a partner bonus when paired with another Basilosaurus, granting it additional damage.
Particularly strong in the underwater world, the Basilosaurus is not affected by the shocks of the Electrophorus (eel) or the attacks of the Cnidaria (jellyfish).
The nasty attacks usually throw you off your mounted underwater creature, such as the Megalodon (shark), making you an easy target. With the Basilosaurus, you can either swim on without a problem or easily fight off attackers in these situations.
Rank 5: the Tyrannosaurus rex
What distinguishes the Tyrannosaurus rex? The Tyrannosaurus rex is not only perhaps the most well-known dinosaur of all time, but it has also been the first choice in many boss fights in ARK for years.
The T-rex takes a lot of damage and is a mix of tank and damage dealer. Its bite inflicts high damage compared to many other animals, and due to its size, it has a large reach.
The major disadvantages of the T-rex are its attacks’ lack of speed and its immobility. The T-rex has a large turning radius, cannot turn on the spot, and could not even grab a Dodo with its small arms.
Despite this, the Tyrannosaurus rex is indispensable in many ARK players’ boss fights, earning it a spot on our list.
Rank 4: the Spinosaurus
The Spinosaurus stands out among large carnivores due to its agility and the speed of its attacks. It can rear up on its two hind legs and subsequently strike very quickly with its front limbs.
While standing on its hind legs, the Spinosaurus can turn on the spot, making it very agile. It is also an excellent swimmer and receives a boost when it comes into contact with water. This boost grants increased health, increased damage, and increased movement speed. This makes the Spino an extremely versatile fighter.
Since the Spino has both a decent reach as well as damage output and speed, it is a very strong dinosaur when mounted. However, when you let the Spino fight without a rider, it sometimes behaves somewhat ineptly. It also has less health than the rex, but benefits from its high damage per second.
Rank 3: the Velonasaur
What distinguishes the Velonasaur? Also in the case of the Velonasaur, we find that it is not a real prehistoric being, even though it looks like a normal dinosaur.
The Velonasaur is a very strong ranged fighter, as it shoots harmful quills with a high rate of fire. It acts as a mobile minigun and deals significant damage to survivors on mounts.
The Velonasaur can be used as an automated turret for base defense, but it is also suitable as an anti-air measure or war machine.
With a well-thought-out positioning of the Velonasaur and a good mix of damage and stamina, the walking minigun also easily takes down much larger dinosaurs.
Rank 2: the Reaper
What distinguishes the Reaper? The Reaper is in all respects one of the strongest creatures in ARK. Like other representatives on this list, it does not rely on a real model but fits visually very well into the environment of the T-rex and Spino.
Due to its natural armor, the Reaper suffers reduced damage. The armor protects the Reaper until it is affected by light. In addition to the armor, the Reaper possesses numerous abilities.
The Reaper can jump extremely high and far without receiving significant fall damage. Additionally, similar to the Basilisk, it can dig into the ground and thus remove itself from the sight of potential opponents to launch an ambush.
In addition to its powerful bite, the Reaper also has a strong spin attack and the ability to launch poisonous projectiles that deal damage.
Rank 1: the Giganotosaurus
What distinguishes the Giganotosaurus? The Giganotosaurus is still the strongest dinosaur in ARK to this day.
One of the main advantages of the Giga during a fight is its size. However, this does not seem to be depicted realistically. In ARK, the Giganotosaurus is significantly larger than other carnivores like the Spinosaurus and the T-rex, giving it a strong range advantage.
In reality, the size differences were probably not that significant. However, due to regional and temporal differences, it would not be possible for Spinosaurus, Tyrannosaurus rex, and Giganotosaurus to encounter each other.
What gives the Giganotosaurus its superiority? The Giganotosaurus is superior due to its incredibly powerful bite. In addition to a high damage value, the Giga can damage stone walls with this attack, meaning you can only protect yourself from the brutal carnivore with metal or TEK structures.
Furthermore, the bite of the Giga inflicts enormous bleeding damage, which means that even a fight against a wild Giga of a low level can quickly become fatal. Anyone who has fought against a Giga, even if it was “only” wild and not tamed or bred, knows the extent of the bleeding damage and how devastating it can be.
ARK: Survival Evolved has a very large selection of various creatures. Many of them did not make it into this selection of the 10 best dinosaurs but still possess considerable strength.
Many of the small or medium-sized predators did not make it into the top 10, but they should not be underestimated. Especially creatures with bleeding damage like the Allosaurus, Ravager, or the Tyhlacoleo are dangerous hunters—especially when they attack in packs.
Which creature do you think is missing from our list of the 10 best dinosaurs, and who do you consider the strongest?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Final Fantasy XIV has made a number of adjustments to its dungeons in the last major update, with some changes being drastic. The originally annoying instances are now better than ever.
Although FFXIV is one of the most popular MMORPGs worldwide in 2022, there are still many issues that the devs are working on. One of the biggest is the entry into the MMORPG.
There are hardly any players who would describe their first steps in the game as “exciting” or “thrilling.” The beginning is rather sluggish and has thus been continually reworked by the developers.
With Patch 6.1 came further changes, such as the redesign of the most annoying and unpopular dungeons in FFXIV, and they are surprisingly well done.
Start video
Final Fantasy XIV shows new trailer for the start of the next adventure
Mud Puddles, Standing Around and 50 Minute Long Dungeons
FFXIV is structured as an MMORPG such that most old content is still relevant today. This means that players still run the ancient dungeons that were introduced 10 years ago. The dailies provide them with hefty EXP bonuses and currency to buy high-level gear.
However, these dungeons were unfortunately hopelessly outdated until recently. Content like Copperbell Mines or Toto-Rak usually caused me and many other veteran players to sigh in frustration when we landed there in the daily random content.
Copperbell Mines is one of the first dungeons you enter in FFXIV. Its boss fights consisted of a mix of trash mobs that died within a second or mechanics where players could just stand around during the boss fight.
Toto-Rak is a dungeon where players were thrown dozens of exploding poison eggs towards the end. Additionally, the floor was covered in a slime that slowed down movement. It was not challenging or exciting, just annoying.
Cape Westwind was the first 8-man content and was considered a meme within the community for how absurdly easy this boss fight was. The cutscene before the fight lasted longer than the confrontation.
The 8-man contents Castrum Meridianum and Praetorium were riddled with cutscenes like Swiss cheese and both took a good 40 to 50 minutes. The enemies died extremely quickly, most fights had no real mechanics and the bosses were destroyed within seconds.
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The streamer RichWCampbell was trolled by his teammates, who told him that Cape Westwind is incredibly hard.
It was not a good experience even for newcomers. Especially Castrum and Praetorium were originally supposed to be the highlight of the basic story of FFXIV, where you fought against the legendary Ultima Weapon. They were meant to feel epic but had become jokes due to the increased item level.
In a large dungeon survey on reddit, Toto-Rak, the mine, and Goldsmith, which was also adjusted, ranked in the top three of the most unpopular dungeons. Nobody liked them.
The development team was aware of this, which is why these and some other dungeons received more or less large revisions.
“Wow, is this really Praetorium?”
The changes to the dungeons are not surprising. They were announced months in advance in producer streams and also in the patch notes for 6.1. It was the way in which these dungeons were changed that surprised me.
Not only were a few numbers adjusted or something was removed here and there. Some dungeons feel like completely new content and definitely better than before. But the biggest changes happened to the 8-man content:
Cape Westwind has been turned into a personal instance where you now fight the boss solo. It now feels like you are really fighting against a powerful commander of the evil empire.
Castrum Meridianum has removed a lot of unnecessary mechanical stuff and cutscenes that slowed down progress. The party size has also been reduced to 4 players.
Praetorium has changed the most. Not only do you now enter the content with 4 players, but it has also been divided into 3 parts.
The main part is a dungeon with Gaius van Baelsar as the final boss, in which many unnecessary passages and cutscenes have been removed. The mechanics of the boss fights in it have been revised and made significantly more exciting.
The fight against Ultima is now a two-part trial that has also received many new mechanics. They primarily enhance the story significance of the fight and are more visually appealing.
The final boss fight of Praetorium against the Ascian Lahabrea is now also a solo instance like Westwind. Here too, there are new better combat mechanics and the boss no longer dies within seconds.
The final battle against Lahabrea in Praetorium (shown here in Toto-Rak) is now a solo instance and no longer completely anticlimactic.
When I landed in Toto-Rak for the first time after the overhaul because I wanted to take the daily EXP bonus for my Summoner, I barely recognized the dungeon. An acquaintance from the guild, with whom I did another random content thereafter, incredulously asked, “Wow, is this really Praetorium?”
The contents felt slimmer, more pleasant, and better crafted. This was especially noticeable in boss fights that actually introduced certain mechanics very early on. These included AoEs that were not visibly marked, or tank-buster and stack mechanics.
Hopefully, this will ensure that new players do not panic and run away to Narnia in 24-man raids when they actually need to stand with all the other players.
Even though I generally really like the changes, I still looked a bit grimly at the sight of the new map of Toto-Rak. The previously branching dungeon with many different paths has now been reduced to a linear one.
Left: the old map of Toto-Rak (Source: FFXIVInfo.com). Right: the new map.
I understand the reasons for this. Most of the branching paths seen in the left image had not been entered by players in ages. The detour simply wasn’t worth it, so it was removed.
Toto-Rak is, of course, the most extreme example. Most other changes in the layout of the dungeons were rather small or did not change much about the original “linear layout.” I would have still wished for a different solution to the problem.
It would have been more interesting to add something to these side alleys or branches that actually makes the detour worth it. Special items, perhaps a collectible, similar to the Mokoko seeds in Lost Ark.
I still hope that the devs will find a middle ground between both extremes. Dungeons like the old Toto-Rak or Praetorium do not need to exist, but the extreme linearity of the “modern” FFXIV dungeons is also not a good solution.
At the moment, the head of the MMORPG, Naoki Yoshida, has other concerns:
Sony has stated how many PS5 consoles have been sold. However, the sold consoles are not enough, as thousands of users are still trying in vain to buy a PS5.
Where does the information come from? Sony has released its official financial figures for the last quarter and also for the last year today. In this, Sony explained how much money it has earned from various items. This also includes the sold hardware from last year.
Sony states in its report that it sold almost 20 million PS5 consoles in the first two years. However, many users are wondering where all the consoles have gone. After all, Sony promises to deliver even more consoles in 2022 and 2023.
Sony has sold over 20 million consoles since the PS5 release
How many consoles has Sony sold so far? Sony has explained in its report how many consoles have been sold so far.
In the first financial year, a total of 7.8 million PS5 consoles were sold.
In the second financial year, a total of 11.5 million PS5 consoles were sold.
Sony aimed to sell more than 14.8 million consoles in 2022, but the company did not achieve this.
However, this should not surprise anyone, as Sony, like all major hardware manufacturers, had massive issues with the supply of essential components. The problems are expected to persist into the next fiscal year 2022 – 2023.
When can everyone finally buy a PS5? Hiroki Totoki, the CEO of Sony, emphasized that they are still behind in the production of the PS5. He states:
We are very confident that we can get the parts and components, and if the question is whether we can meet the demand, I think we are still somewhat behind.
The stock remains “very low, so to deliver our PlayStation units smoothly and on time to customers, we are still somewhat behind in this regard.”
This probably doesn’t reassure especially those who desperately want to buy a PS5. After all, thousands of users are still waiting to finally be able to purchase a PS5.
Are there any good news? Yes, there are. Sony expects to deliver more than 18 million PS5 consoles in the next fiscal year (between April 2022 and March 2023), which is at least 6.5 million more consoles.
“15 million consoles have surely been bought by scalpers.”
However, many users are surprised that almost half of the sold PS5 consoles are the digital model. For every 11.5 million disc versions, there are said to be a total of 7.8 million digital versions.
The Digital Edition is the device that is sold without a disc drive. Many probably assumed that this model would rather be the second choice for many buyers.
If you haven’t received a PS5 yet: If you haven’t been able to purchase a PS5 yet, it is best to check our ticker. Here we keep you updated daily and explain how you can best get a PS5 and show you drops related to the coveted console.
So far, you can only play the MMOs New World and Lost Ark on PC, not on PS5 or Xbox Series X | S. Could this change? A job posting from Amazon at least gives hope.
What is this ad about? Amazon Games is currently seeking a “Technical Account Manager” via the Amazon job portal. The job description states, among other things, that their task is to bring Amazon titles to partner platforms. Mentioned are PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, Epic & Steam.
Amazon Games is seeking a highly talented and motivated Technical Account Manager to join our Live Operations team in sunny San Diego to help bring our titles to our partner platforms (i.e. Playstation, Xbox, Nintendo, Epic & Steam).
Initially employed, one would work with “game teams” around the world to ensure that the games meet the requirements for release on the partner platforms.
They are specifically looking for someone who already has experience in game development and publishing, and preferably also direct experience in game publishing with Sony, Microsoft, Steam, and other platforms.
What is the status of New World and Lost Ark on PS5 and Xbox?
Both could be possible titles referred to when Amazon talks about “our titles” – leaving aside future projects for the moment. At least New World is briefly mentioned in the job description as an example of projects that Amazon Games has developed. Meanwhile, Amazon only acts as a publisher for Lost Ark.
What is the status of the MMOs regarding consoles? MeinMMO expert Alexander Leitsch believes that New World would be fantastic for consoles. However, in fall 2021, New World stated via Twitter that the game would only be playable on PC for the foreseeable future. A complete exclusion of a console version forever is not the case, but nothing contrary has been announced yet.
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Regarding Lost Ark, there is at least a bit of hope. In March 2022, Soomin Park from Amazon Games stated: “If Lost Ark on consoles is really something that people want, then I think it’s something that both parties should consider” – referring to Amazon Games and developer Smilegate.
Officially, however, nothing has been announced yet. Accordingly, it’s a wait-and-see approach to see whether New World or Lost Ark could also come to consoles in the future.
In Destiny 2 the Guardian Games are in full swing. Players are still fighting for the title of best class of 2022 and the right to show off for a year. However, note that this is the penultimate weekly reset before the new Season 17. We will tell you all you need to know.
In line with the penultimate week of the season, Lord Saladin, or as he is now called, Valus Forge, stops by once more to offer you one last test of your skills. The last Iron Banner of Season 16 will roll out and challenge the Guardians in fierce battles against each other. So participate if you haven’t completed your quests yet and don’t forget to redeem your Iron Banner tokens.
Check out the current trailer for the Guardian Games 2022 here. A little tip: Pay attention to the voice that supports the Hunters in the trailer with kind words.
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Birthplace of Evil, in the Throne World of Savathûn
This time, the mockery is back when you play the campaign mission of Witch Queen as a repeatable story mission. The Witness has helped them to new power, and it is up to the Guardians to put an end to it.
Playlist strikes have these modifiers:
Solar Ignition
Brawler
Blackout
The Ignition modifier accompanies you all week, while the others change daily.
These weapons can be obtained from Nightfalls: Each week, players can receive certain weapons from Nightfall strikes. Currently, there are six weapons in rotation. This week, a bayonet auto rifle is available:
Fixed Duty, Kinetic Auto Rifle
Top-tier Nightfalls: To enter the king’s discipline of strikes, the top-tier Nightfall, from the Vanguard, you need a power level of 1,575. You also fight in competitive mode. This means you will be fighting 25 power levels below the top-tier power level of 1,600, so you must proceed tactically and coordinate with your team. Additionally, the Nightfall weapon drops as a master version, i.e., Adept.
Master this week the simplest challenge in the last encounter of the raid “Oath of the Student” named “Looping Catalyst”. To complete the challenge, your team must maintain at least one stack of the buff “Sucking Power” before the damage phase on Rhulk.
As a reward for the challenge in the last part of the raid on Grandmaster, this week you have a chance at a master version of the weapon glaive “Lubraes Ruin”, the pulse rifle “Deceptive” or the grenade launcher “Blind Sight”. However, keep in mind that hard and normal mode share the loot.
In the Glass Chamber, this time the challenge “Get Out of the Way” takes place. One of your team members will have to deal with preventing the Templar from teleporting. The relic holder stands on a glowing circle, the spot from which he teleports away.
The reward in challenge mode is the time-warped weapon “Fatebringer” (hand cannon). The weapon will come with 2 perks per slot for sure. Keep in mind that hard and normal mode share the loot.
The armor focusing in the raid “Glass Chamber” this week: Recovery
Savathun’s Throne World – Weekly Campaign Mission
“The Ritual” This week you can play the eighth campaign mission of Witch Queen as a repeatable story mission. You will finally face Savathûn in battle and show her how mortal the truth really is.
Crucible – These are the PvP playlists:
Private Match
Rumble
Control
Elimination
Glory Survival
Glory Survival: Freelance
Hexen Cauldron
The Iron Banner
Active bonus this week: This week there are bonus ranks for the Crucible.
Ascendant Challenge – Dreaming City
Petra Venj can now be found in the Dreaming City right at Rheasilvia – as always in the 3rd curse week. At the same time, the 1st Ascendant Challenge is active.
The class struggle is still in full swing
Sources for pinnacle loot in Season 16 of Destiny 2
This is the new max level: In the new season of the Resurrected, the maximum power level of your gear is 1,560. This increases the power level at the start of the DLC by +230 power levels compared to the previous Season 15. However, all players will also be raised to a base power level of 1,350 at the start, and there are many sources to level up quickly.
Complete 3 Vanguard operations strikes with a proper focus (+1)
Hawthorne’s clan task (+1)
Iron Banner (+2)
Glint Dust Highlights in the Eververse
The Guardian Games 2022 are going into the second round, and with them also the offered items from the Eververse. If you are looking for a cool ornament for the “Lawful Heir”, this week is your moment, because Tess is offering one for Glint Dust:
A cool ornament for the Colossus MG
This is what you can still get for Glint Dust this weekfrom Tess:
The exotic Sparrow “Honor Round”
The exotic Sparrow “The Mower”
The exotic Ghost Shell “#Sponsored Shell”
The exotic ship “Team Spirit”
Shader “On Sale”
Legendary Ghost Projection “Titan Projection”
The legendary emote “Power Lifter”
What do you think, which class will win? Do you find it strange that the Warlocks are suddenly in the lead, or do you think it’s a coincidence that the Scholars will probably clinch the title of best class in 2022? Let us know in the comments!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
