Valorant reveals big plans in the new roadmap for 2023. Riot focuses entirely on esports and aims to displace big competitors like Rainbow Six Siege and Counter-Strike (CS:GO). This is expected to be possible thanks to the groundwork laid in League of Legends.
What is the status of Valorant?
Valorant was released in June 2020 as a new tactical shooter aimed mainly at fans of Counter-Strike. Fans were sure back in 2020: This will be 10 times better than Overwatch.
Over the years, Valorant has evolved, with Riot providing it with new content and heroes. In 2022, Valorant still counts as one of the best multiplayer shooters.
Now, on April 28, Valorant reveals how it will progress in 2023 – shortly after introducing the new heroine Fade.
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Valorant introduces new agent Fade – Showcases her cool skills in the gameplay trailer
Esports as a goal and everyone should be able to participate
This is the roadmap: In the update for the coming year, Valorant creators Riot primarily speak of plans to strengthen esports. This is the big goal for next year. Various stops on the roadmap are planned:
3 new international leagues where teams from America, Europe, and Asia will compete against each other.
The best teams qualify for the Masters and the “VALORANT Champions,” where the world champions will be crowned.
New national leagues are intended to enable young talents to rise into the larger professional leagues.
Riot is already looking for sponsors and partners to finance and support the new leagues. The goal is to ensure that selected organizations do not charge any admission or participation fees to make esports more accessible.
The plans for 2023.
What’s in it for players? Valorant will receive a new competitive game mode. This will complement the existing leaderboard and help teams recognize and recruit young talents early on.
Additionally, Riot plans to offer annual scholarships. The size of the financial support and who can qualify is still unknown. Whalen Rozelle, the Head of Esports Operations at Riot, says:
With Valorant, we aim to build not only an exciting esports but also ambitious, efficiently managed teams that can serve as role models for the industry. Thanks to our model with long-term partnerships, teams can advance their business alongside the overall growth of Valorant esports.
However, fans should have the opportunity to express their loyalty to their teams. More content is to come for this purpose. Additional information is still lacking, but it is conceivable that exclusive skins for the heroes will be introduced, similar to those in the Overwatch League.
LoL is supposed to help become the “world’s leading ego shooter esports”
This is the goal: According to a press release, Valorant aims to become the largest ego shooter in esports. This means that at least four major names must be surpassed, which according to the statistics page Esports Earnings have set a high bar:
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive with over 132 million dollars in prize money so far
Fortnite with over 112 million dollars in prize money so far
Overwatch with over 33 million dollars in prize money so far
Rainbow Six Siege with over 23 million dollars in prize money so far
Although these are cumulative prize pools over many years, individual tournaments have been awarded over 15 million dollars at their peak. On average, it is usually between 2 and 4 million dollars. The competition is therefore setting a high standard.
While Fortnite is not an “ego” shooter, it still falls into Valorant’s competition, similar to CoD: Warzone and PUBG. “Battle Royale” games, however, are in a different category than traditional shooters. Riot says, however, that they believe they can excel in this area with their experience.
How is this supposed to work? According to Riot, the experience of the past 10 years with League of Legends helps establish Valorant as an esport. Through LoL, the company has been able to connect better with teams, thus building partnerships and a real “ecosystem”.
Riot aims to excel through fair pay for players as well as through a “more robust support system.” Whether all of this will work for Valorant in 2023 remains to be seen.
The competition is already launching a new title. Blizzard is developing Overwatch 2, which is also expected to be released in 2023. We were able to play it already:
The MMORPG Lost Ark had an incredibly strong start in terms of player numbers. However, these numbers rapidly declined until the big April update. Now the game can once again be at the top on Steam. We at MeinMMO summarize.
What is going on with Lost Ark? The MMORPG had a really strong start on Steam with over 1.3 million concurrent players, but that was almost 3 months ago. During this time, Lost Ark slowly lost concurrent fans, which was to be expected. About two weeks ago, the game was at around 350,000 players in the 24h peak.
However, the big April update from last week is reversing the trend again. For a short time this week, Lost Ark was even the game with the most concurrent players on Steam. In the last 24 hours, the peak was 556,000 fans who were in-game at the same time.
Since the April update, more than 200,000 active fans have returned to Lost Ark. The new value of approximately 450,000 to 550,000 players has remained quite stable since this patch. But what is the reason for this?
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Why this patch in particular? The big April update was long delayed and postponed several times. Therefore, a certain anticipation had already built up among the fans, as the content was well chosen.
Initially, an outdated roadmap was circulating on the internet, which did not necessarily create a good atmosphere in the community, Smilegate replaced it with a new roadmap. These new contents were chosen specifically to satisfy the community.
Among other things, the class of Arcana was replaced with the Lance Master. The Lance Master was previously an extremely popular class in the community. Her release in the West likely brought some fans back.
Additionally, there is a new continent called South Vern that continues the main story of Lost Ark. So, all fans of the story have also found a reason to check back into the game. There were also quality-of-life updates and a battle pass that were very well received by fans.
The events are convincing as well: Currently, two more events are running that make progress in Lost Ark easier. This includes the express event, where you can level a character to Gearscore 1,100 much easier, as well as a Guardian Raid event that offers valuable rewards.
Both will run until July, but are already causing many players to return to Lost Ark with new characters or even to first experience the real endgame in Tier 3.
Furthermore, the Feiton Power Pass, which gives players a character with item level 960, is currently being positively received by players. This gives you two characters that are far advanced in the game practically for free. This particularly reduces the grind from the early days of the MMORPG and could attract new fans.
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The 5 Reasons for the Incredible Success of Lost Ark
Even more quality-of-life
The game is friendlier to its players: Since the strong release, Lost Ark has seen many improvements in terms of “quality of life”. So far, numerous convenience features have been added, such as the ability to sort your skills after use or share treasure maps with the entire group.
Another point that many players have noted positively is the increase of the maximum number of characters on an account from 12 to 18. Since Lost Ark boasts a huge number of classes, you are now much less limited in your selection.
Additionally, many translation errors have been removed from the game since the release in February, making some quests significantly easier to understand. Skill descriptions have also been affected, and a counter-skill is now called Counter instead of the previous “Zähler”.
In general, it can be said that a lot has happened in Lost Ark in just about three months. Especially the big April update has contributed significantly and brought many people back or even for the first time to Arkesia.
How long player numbers will remain at this level, and whether the May update will bring a similar boost, remains to be seen.
What do you think of the previous updates in Lost Ark? Are you still actively playing or have you returned to the game after the update? How do you feel about the changes? Or have you perhaps taken a look at Lost Ark for the first time recently? Feel free to let us know in the comments here at MeinMMO.
With Dysterra, a new survival MMO from Korea is coming to the West. It resembles a mix of Fallout 76 and the gunplay and world of Halo. There was a closed beta on Steam in 2021, and it will be reopened in May.
What kind of game is it? In Dysterra, you should gather resources and food, build a protective home, and generally fight for your survival. The game relies on a futuristic sci-fi setting:
You explore a beautifully designed world from a first-person perspective.
You are affected by radiation and temperature fluctuations. The biggest problem are the recurring “Terrafires,” which are caused by humans drilling down to the Earth’s core.
Combat is primarily through firearms, which you can craft and improve. However, there will also be melee weapons, including an upgraded mech arm.
You can find various vehicles in the world to get around.
The focus is on PvE and collaboration between players, though there will also be PvP.
The building system is heavily reminiscent of Fallout 76, as you should be able to improvise a lot. For example, you can build a grill out of scrap metal to cook meat from animals.
The game is being developed by Reality MagiQ, a Korean studio. It is being brought to the West by publisher Kakao Games (ArcheAge, Elyon).
When will Dysterra be released? The survival MMO will be available on Steam, although there is no specific release date yet. However, there will be an open beta in May that everyone can participate in.
A first look at the gameplay is provided by this trailer:
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Trailer zum neuen Survival-MMO Dysterra
Two weeks of free play for everyone
What is this beta about? From May 4th to May 17th, all players who register on the official Steam page of Dysterra can participate in the beta.
What has changed since the last beta? A lot, says Kakao Games. The developers have revised the UI and the impact of attacks, as well as improved character animations in the game using their own motion capture.
Furthermore, there is an update in the main region of the map, which has been significantly revised compared to the first test.
Did you play Dysterra in the first beta? Are you interested in the setting or have you had enough of sci-fi survival games? Feel free to write it in the comments.
For GTA Online, the new content for GTA+ is now known. We will show you what you get in the subscription.
What is GTA+? GTA+ is the new subscription for players in GTA Online. So far, it is only available on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. For the price of €6 per month, you receive various bonuses and content that regular players do not get or receive later.
Since April 28, there is new content that we will show you here in the overview.
Since April 28, there are now new content from the subscription that we show you here. They will remain active until June 1. Maybe this will change your opinion about the subscription – whether positively or negatively. Here are the contents:
500,000 GTA Dollars directly in your account
the car “Grotti Brioso R/A” (featured image) free at San Andreas Super Autos
Special upgrades at Hao for the Grotti Brioso – engine and appearance
Early access to the HSW upgrade and the HSW designs for the Grotti Brioso R/A (from May 5 they will be available for all players)
The agency in Rockford Hills for free (This unlocks The Contract if you don’t own an agency yet)
Free clothing and accessories such as the oversized red sunglasses, red bracelets, and the red swirl jacket.
The red split-camo design for the Übermacht Cypher is available for free at car dealerships
Double pay for security missions
50% more GTA Dollars and RP for nightclub warehouse sales
Double RP and GTA Dollars in the adversary mode Kart Krash: Full Auto
Additionally, special deals in the PlayStation Store and Microsoft Store on CashCards.
What do you think of the new bonuses for the upcoming weeks? Do you think that the content of GTA+ has improved and that the subscription for €6 is now more worthwhile, or do you still view it skeptically and see no reason to spend money on it? Please share your opinion here on MeinMMO in the comments and discuss it with other players.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
If you’re looking for cool games during the Corona period, you don’t necessarily have to spend money. Many free-to-play games now provide just as good gaming experiences as some full-price titles. This is shown by these popular and well-rated free games for PS4 and PS5 in 2022.
We have selected 20 free games from various genres for you and present them here. Some of these have been on the market for several years, but all of them still count among the most popular free-to-play titles on PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 in 2022 and mostly have top ratings. The good thing is: You have nothing to lose.
If you are interested in one of these titles, you don’t have to think long, read reviews, or struggle to decide between several titles. You can simply download these games for free (or for a small fee of 25 or 49 cents for age verification for titles rated 18+) from the PS Store and get started right away.
And it could definitely be worth it for you. Many people are still restricted by developments related to the Corona virus and are more bound to their homes. Perhaps you will find a title to bridge this time or something that can even captivate you for the long term – without spending a cent.
The best free-to-play games for your PlayStation in 2022
Note: The games are not listed in any order of value. They primarily consist of online games with multiplayer elements (but not exclusively). Additionally, all titles listed here can be played without any problems via the backward compatibility feature of the PS5 or through a PS5 upgrade on Sony’s newest console generation.
Which PS4 games can you play for free? Let’s start with the best free PS4 and PS5 games of 2022:
[toc]
Dauntless
What is Dauntless? If you know Monster Hunter World, you’ll quickly feel at home in Dauntless. In a world of floating islands, gigantic monsters terrorize the people. These so-called behemoths consume the aether, causing the islands, your home, to float. To prevent humanity from being wiped out, you take on the role of a Slayer and hunt down the giant beasts – either alone or in co-op multiplayer with up to three other hunters.
Massive monsters that feel like raid bosses in combat
Gameplay similar to Monster Hunter World: You have to hunt monsters in strategic fights to acquire better equipment
All kinds of weapons, armors, and consumables
No pay-to-win: All gameplay-relevant content is available for free
“Game as a Service” model. Dauntless is designed to receive long-term updates and new content
Dauntless is suitable for: Anyone who enjoys spectacular and challenging fights against individual monsters, and loves crafting as well as hunting for better loot.
Also, anyone who enjoys or is interested in Monster Hunter World should take a closer look at this free alternative.
What is Fortnite?Fortnite is probably the most popular battle royale shooter in recent years. Although the game also has a paid PvE part called “Save the World,” this is nowhere near as popular as the free battle royale.
You have to fend off against 99 other players on an ever-shrinking play area. The one who is left standing wins.
Start video
Fortnite: The End – Event for Chapter 3 in the Video
In Fortnite, however, there is a building mode that allows you to build your own fortresses and other structures to protect yourself against others. This provides additional tactical options and tricks not found in other genre representatives.
This is what makes Fortnite special:
Cool colorful graphics in comic style
Easy to access and learn
Building mode
Events, different game modes, and formats
Regular updates and new content through battle passes and seasons
Fortnite is suitable for: anyone who enjoys battle royale and wants to unleash their inner builder, or who has a general interest in the genre. Even if you are looking to enter the battle royale realm, Fortnite is just right for you. The entry is childishly simple, matchmaking is quick, and the player base is enormous.
What is Apex Legends?Apex Legends is a battle royale shooter set in the universe of the iconic Titanfall series. You jump into an island with two teammates and fight it out on an ever-shrinking play area until only one team remains from the originally 60 players started. To do this, you first choose a hero with unique abilities and make use of a range of futuristic weapons and gadgets you find along the way.
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Apex Legends: Trailer to “Dark Depths” shows the new skins that you can earn soon
As is usual in the BR genre, there are regularly new seasons, including battle passes through which you can unlock new content. The game itself is free-to-play; you only have to pay for cosmetics and the battle pass but can also play entirely without spending money.
This is what makes Apex Legends special:
Numerous heroes (legends) with unique abilities that radically influence your playstyle
Many cool weapons
Excellent gunplay developed with the help of professional shooter player Shroud
Focus on teamwork
New content in the form of seasons and battle passes
Apex Legends is suitable for: fans of fast BR shooters like Fortnite. If you appreciate dark humor, enjoy sharp gunplay, and prefer to skip the building aspect, then you are also in the right place with Apex Legends. However, fans of hero shooters like Overwatch might also find enjoyment in Apex Legends and its distinctive characters.
What is War Thunder?War Thunder is a military MMO simulation that allows you to experience various aspects of the battlefield. You have the choice between airplanes, tanks, and even ships and helicopters.
The goal is to destroy the enemy or capture and hold strategic points. Depending on which map you are playing, either only one weapon type is allowed, or there are combined battles in which, for example, airplanes and tanks fight together.
Your vehicles are divided into tiers. The lower ranks are early versions from the 20s. The technology level increases as you progress, ending in the 90s. From biplanes to jets, everything is included.
The famous Twitch streamer Daphne “39daph” Wai has spent many hours playing various shooters and has now explained the infamous “Valorant accent” that one gets when playing too much of it. Furthermore, according to the streamer, you should not date anyone who has such an accent.
Who is the streamer?
39daph is one of the larger streamers on the platform with 1.1 million followers on Twitch. On average, 6,235 people watch her, and she has over 3,700 subscribers.
The streamer plays not only shooters like Fallout: New Vegas or Apex Legends, but also the currently popular Elden Ring or Cyberpunk 2077.
Now, Wai has stated that you should not date anyone who possesses the “Valorant accent”. For her, that’s a total red flag.
What is the Valorant accent?Famous Valorant players like TenZ have a specific way of speaking dubbed the Valorant accent. Thus, the term spread in the community.
Some players are said to artificially stretch certain words while waiting in the lobby for the next game. A clip of 39daph went viral, in which she explained and accurately imitated how the Valorant accent works:
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I saw a few TikToks and realized that you should never date anyone who has a Valorant accent. If you don’t know what the Valorant accent is – it’s when they talk like this: “You’re so braaaain-dead, dude.”
39daph
She then came up with a fitting comparison: “Do you know what I just noticed? They talk like race car engines” and then mimicked a race car.
The clip ended with: “Steer clear, that’s a red flag,” so: “Avoid those, that’s a red flag.”
What does the Valorant community think about it? Below the reddit post, players are thrilled by 39daph’s imitation. The post has generated over 20,000 upvotes.
Here’s what the community says:
Old_Sport says: “To me, it always sounded like when I’m filling a glass with water, but the engine of a race car is also a pretty good analogy. LMAO.”
eeem1l says: “I have never agreed so much in my life.”
xanee_music recognizes a family member: “Oh, she just described my 14-year-old brother. That explains a lot, lmao.”
Some also talk about the well-known Valorant streamer sinatraa, who supposedly talks just like 39daph described. That’s why many players are said to talk that way and have adopted the Valorant accent.
Others, on the other hand, recognize themselves in it and warn other reddit users: “Stay the hell away from me, I talk like that too!”
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Do you really want to buy a PS5? According to current rumors, both Media Markt and Saturn are finally selling the coveted console again today after a long time. We at MeinMMO present you with all the important information for this.
Update: April 28, 3:50 PM: Stay tuned! A few contingents have just been released again!
Even nearly a year and a half after its launch, the PlayStation 5 is still in absolute short supply. Accordingly, the joy is of course great when there are finally again drops or sales actions at reputable dealers.
According to current rumors, this should be the case today at Media Markt and Saturn. On the product page of a new bundle, the so-called “availability lights” have just appeared at both dealers. In the past, this has almost always indicated an imminent drop.
What kind of PS5 will there be? Presumably, several bundles will be offered again, and maybe also “naked” consoles. It is already clear, however, that these bundles will be available:
Didn’t get a PS5? If you didn’t manage to get a PS5, then be sure to check our ticker. Here we keep you updated daily and explain how you can best get your hands on a PS5 and show you drops related to the coveted console.
The offers listed here are equipped with so-called affiliate links. When you make a purchase through one of these links, you support MeinMMO: Without affecting the price, we receive a small commission from the provider.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
MrBeast is one of the biggest YouTubers and Twitch streamers in the world. With Feastables, he launched a website where he sells chocolate. In a 10-minute giveaway of the Feastables chocolate, numerous fans secured the free treat from the YouTuber, who was then surprised by how much money the action cost him.
Why is he giving away chocolate? On April 15, 2022, MrBeast announced via Twitter that he wanted to give away Feastables chocolate for free using a promo code and cover the shipping costs.
As a reason for the action, the YouTuber stated that he wants to give people who cannot afford the chocolate the chance to get it.
Every customer of the Feastables website who entered the code “Free” during a 10-minute window received free chocolate. Furthermore, the YouTuber covered the shipping costs.
I lose a few dollars on the order, but I want to give some of you who couldn’t afford our chocolate the chance to get some.
MrBeast announces the chocolate giveaway on Twitter
How much did it cost him? Almost two weeks after MrBeast gave away chocolate for free for 10 minutes, the YouTuber spoke out again in this context. In a Twitter post, he informed his followers about how expensive the action was for him.
MrBeast explained that the 10 minutes lasted longer than he thought. After assessing the damage incurred, the endeavor cost the YouTuber chocolate worth approximately 1.2 million euros.
“We assessed the damage after shipping the chocolate and gave away chocolate worth $1,300,000, lol. I think 10 minutes are longer than I thought.” MrBeast via Twitter
YouTubers and other influencers often spend large sums on one-off actions that then create a big stir.
A prime example of exorbitant spending is the controversial YouTuber Logan Paul, who is now aiming for a career as a wrestling star.
Paul drew particular attention when he wore a Pokémon card worth 5.4 million euros as a necklace during his debut at the wrestling event “WrestleMania”.
The company Artesian Builds manufactured customized, sometimes very expensive gaming PCs and promoted this with giveaways on Twitch. However, a single appearance by their CEO Noah Katz two months ago ended the company’s rise. Now Artesian Builds even had to declare bankruptcy. The remaining stock is to be sold. But some customers are still waiting for their PC – they have already paid for it a long time ago.
What a terrible 59 seconds that was!
The CEO of the company, Noah Katz, held a raffle two months ago where brand ambassadors could win a gaming PC. This was streamed live on Twitch.
A winner was drawn, the small Twitch streamer Kiapiaa. But Katz excluded her from the giveaway on camera. He found the streamer had too few followers on social media and – the worst part – no PCs from Artesian Builds had been sold through her link. Therefore, Katz announced the “cleansing” and made a redraw. During the appearance, he seemed as if he had caught a fraudster red-handed.
The streamer found it outrageous in a tweet on March 1, 2022, that she was excluded from the giveaway, she had won fairly and adhered to all the rules. There had never been any mention of these new conditions on how much one had to sell. Kiapiaa felt belittled and defamed – both herself and her viewers (via twitter).
Katz’s appearance (left) was seen as impossible and “disgusting”:
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This was the consequence of his appearance: This one appearance and the complaint from the streamer afterwards, that she was treated unfairly, completely ruined the company’s reputation:
There was a wave of outrage on Twitter.
Previous supporters distanced themselves from the company.
1.37 million US dollars in orders are still pending
Here is the result now: Last Friday, April 22, 2022, Artesian Builds declared bankruptcy in California. There are still over 3 million dollars in liabilities, with about 1.37 million US dollars in unresolved orders.
A “Restructuring Officer” is now said to be working to sell the company’s assets to bring money into the cash register, it is said.
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Some customers have been waiting 6 months for a very expensive gaming PC
Who is the victim now? The approximately 50 employees of the company were already laid off months ago.
Now the customers who have already placed orders with Artesian Builds and transferred money are having problems. The English-speaking site PC Gamer reports that two customers from Artesian Builds contacted them, who ordered gaming PCs for around 5,000 dollars, but have not yet received them:
One of the customers was told in February 2022 that they were still working on orders from October 2021.
Other customers, however, were successful in having their credit card payments refunded through their banks.
As PC Gamer reports, the company was already in significant trouble before the disastrous live stream, as staff members of the company had anonymously informed them. CEO Katz had already been looking for new investors before everything collapsed.
We at MeinMMO have already dealt extensively with the escalating and bizarre details of the situation. It is said that Katz lived in an apartment above the company’s office, but rarely appeared for work:
MeinMMO has spoken with some of the leading developers of World of WarcraftWe talk about talents, story, and flying in the new WoW expansion “Dragonflight”.
In the wake of the announcement of World of Warcraft Dragonflight, we had the opportunity to conduct an interview with some developers from Blizzard. We immediately bombarded Steve Danuser, the story chief behind WoW, and Brian Holinka, the lead combat designer of the game, with questions regarding Dragonflight.
In doing so, we covered many different topics. It’s about the new talent trees, the return of old abilities, the story of the Dracthyr, and whether flying will ever be possible on the Dragon Isles.
The Dragon Isles and what we want there
MeinMMO: What exactly are the Dragon Isles – and why are we going there?
Steve Danuser: The Dragon Isles are the ancient breeding grounds of the dragons. It’s a place where they lived a very long time ago, before the War of the Ancients and the Sundering tore the world apart. And when that happened, that is when the world was torn apart, the magic disappeared, and so the dragons left this place to allow it to heal. They [the dragons] waited for a time when the magic would hopefully return. And with all the things happening with Azeroth, [Azeroth] is entering a time of renewal and these life energies are flowing through the world again. This means that the Dragon Isles are being awakened again. At the same time, the dragons feel this call within them that beckons them home.
So now is the time for them to return to their old home. But other, old threats and enemies are also returning to the Dragon Isles. Moreover, so much time has passed that the dragons have to work hard to reclaim their homeland. This lays the groundwork for some of the conflicts we will see as we stand by their side. The dragons need our help as heroes of this world to take back the land and ensure that this kingdom can be restored.
The concept art of the Dragon Isles.
MeinMMO: Can you talk a bit about the different areas? What is the basic story behind them and what problems do the dragons face there that players need to help with?
Steve Danuser: Sure. So the main part of the Dragon Isles is this landmass that consists of the 4 new areas.
After the players have heard the call of the dragons and want to assist them, they arrive at the “Coast of Awakening”. This is a land that is quite infused with elemental energy. When we arrive, we immediately encounter one of the larger threats, the elemental half-giants called the “Djaradin”. They can channel magma and mold it into weapons or armor. They hunted dragons long ago – that’s sort of their main task. They are eager to drive the dragons away and seize some of their power sites for themselves.
At the coast, we also see some of the main locations of the dragons. The Red Dragonflight has the “Lifepools”, where they preserve life and defend future generations of dragons. The Black Dragonflight has a place called the “Obsidian Citadel”. There, the Black Dragonflight, which was responsible for defending this land back then, had a fortress. We discover that the Djaradin have invaded there and taken control of the Obsidian Citadel.
This is one of the threats where we need to support the dragons.
But let’s move on to the other areas.
We travel to the Plains of Ohn’ahran, which are vast grasslands where centaur culture flourishes. Here we will get embroiled in some of their clan conflicts. And while we fight alongside them, we also encounter the green dragons in their Emerald Gardens. There we learn that this flight, which lost its aspect… do you remember when Ysera died during the events of Legion? We then experience the story [of the green flight] and find out what challenges they must overcome.
From there we head to the Azure Mountains, the home of the Blue Dragonflight. The land is divided into these large forests with giant trees and the more autumnal tundra, which then leads into the frosty parts of the land. There, the Blue Dragonflight has its archive full of knowledge and powerful artifacts. In doing so, we learn something about their past and find out that this flight is also struggling. Many of its members have been lost in the conflicts of recent years – and their aspect, Kalecgos, is still quite new in his job. He has a lot to manage to reunite his flight.
In the end, we find ourselves in Thaldraszus, the heart of the Dragon Kingdom. This area is the most intact in terms of the buildings left behind. We discover that – without the dragons there – some of the Dracthyr and Dragonkin have looked after the place, but they too have encountered many problems and now need help. After all, this long stretch of time has also had an effect here. It is truly the heart of the kingdom, here stands “Tyrhold”, this Titan building that represents the bond between dragons and titans.
[The areas] all have quite different, exciting stories to tell.
Is there a big villain in Dragonflight?
MeinMMO: Most recent expansions had a clear “big bad”. Will Dragonflight have one too?
Steve Danuser: We really want to start this expansion with a sense of discovery, exploration, and adventure. We wanted to return to that impression of discovering a very magical landscape and wanting to explore it, rather than having the whole world hanging by a thread. We want the story to unfold and gradually lead towards that.
Nevertheless: There will clearly be a few identifiable villains, especially at the start of the expansion.
We will find out that the dragons were not always united. Long, long ago there was a kind of conflict over the philosophy between the aspects who embraced the gifts of the titans and allowed those gifts to transform them – both physically, culturally, and philosophically. And then there were other dragons who wanted to be free of that influence and believed that dragons should evolve from within and find their own path in this world that is not tied to the titans.
These philosophical differences led to tensions. The tensions led to hostilities. And the hostilities led to fights. We learn from the history of this great war that took place between the dragons long ago. Although the leaders of this separatist movement were defeated and imprisoned – not everything that was imprisoned stays so, when some of those forces rise up that want to free them.
We will dive into this story and experience some very primal dragons that have a very different agenda than the aspects.
Endgame Features: Does Dragonflight lack in that department?
MeinMMO: At first glance, Dragonflight looks promising, however, it seems to lack a major endgame feature like Torghast, covenants, or warfronts. Are you focusing endgame more on traditional features, like dungeons and raids? Or what will players do at level 70?
Steve Danuser: The important thing to keep in mind: This is just day one, we are revealing only some of the main things of the expansion. Many more details of this content will be discussed in the coming time.
Still: What we are trying to achieve is that the max-level content feels truly connected to the world. There are many factions that you will find on the Dragon Isles – not just the dragons, but also other friendly factions with whom you want to work. This offers players many different paths they can take – in any order. There is no block preventing you from working with just one faction at a time. It is a huge array of choices and you can decide which ones to pursue and which rewards you want to earn. These paths will also unlock additional story content.
In Shadowlands we had these 4 large covenant campaigns that were quite linear. The max-level gameplay in Dragonflight is very open and allows you to interact with it as you wish. You can really tailor your experience to what your character enjoys doing, what you want to see in the world, or who you want to work with and increase reputation for. All of these options will be available.
With the centaurs, you can farm reputation.
MeinMMO: To jump in there briefly: Will world quests scale with item level again?
Brian Holinka: We are making some adjustments so that people scale as their item level rises, so they have a good gameplay and quest experience. However, we always ensure that players feel stronger when they receive better gear. At the same time, we want to ensure that they have a good experience when playing the game and that combat feels fun and exciting.
Whenever people would receive heroic or mythic raid gear, it would otherwise be a problem in the open world – [the scaling] we will continue to do.
Origins of the Dracthyr and their Story
MeinMMO: Why have we never heard of the Dracthyr before?
Steve Danuser: The details of what happened to the Dracthyr and why they were previously isolated is something that will be explained in the starter experience.
But to give you an overarching, somewhat spoiler-free version of it:
The origins of the Dracthyr go back to a time when the dragons were at the height of their power. They had this land, the Dragon Isles, and were truly at the top of the food chain – the most powerful beings in this world, as the kingdoms of mortals were still very young.
But Neltharion, before he became Deathwing, was tasked with protecting the dragons and their culture. He believed that some of the dragons who had a philosophy different from the aspects were slowly building up troops. Neltharion decided that as a protective force he wanted to create the perfect soldier. He took the powers of the dragons and their essence – the things that made them noble, strong, and magically gifted and looked at these mortal races that were still young but full of potential in terms of their adaptability and cleverness.
He took all of that, combined it, and thus created the Dracthyr as ideal soldiers.
But as we will find out, the mere existence of these soldiers caught the attention of the separatists. That was then the incident that triggered a great war.
We will later reveal more about what happened and why Neltharion lost command over the Dracthyr, as they had to be locked away afterward.
Because afterward, Neltharion embarked on a rather dark path, the Dracthyr remained somewhat forgotten while Neltharion’s attention turned to other, more insidious experiments.
It is right now, as the Dragon Isles awaken again and some of the threats emerge, that the need for the Dracthyr to arise exists so that they can help against these threats.
However, [the Dracthyr] enter a world that they also do not know. For they have been in stasis for so long. Part of their story is to find out what they should do now, where their creator, the aspect that guided them, no longer exists. What path should they take? It is a story about finding a legacy that they can carry into the future.
The Dracthyr will be a highlight of the expansion.
Dracthyr only have 2 specializations – on purpose
MeinMMO: Why did you decide to give the Dracthyr a DPS and a healer specialization, when there’s already a tank shortage? Aren’t you afraid that there will be even fewer tanks if people play Dracthyr?
Brian Holinka: There are 2 reasons for that. Firstly: Every time we have implemented a new hero class – monks, death knights, demon hunters – we have added a tank specialization, but never a ranged DPS specialization. Therefore, we thought it was time to do something different and offer something new.
Additionally… when we design a tank, we want something that stands out clearly and then balance it. The more tanks we add, the harder that will be. We feel that we have a good set of tanks and that players enjoy playing them.
The Dracthyr have a healing specialization and that is also a role that is often sought after. This gives people a new way to play a healer.
And of course, we always need to have a DPS specialization to cater to everyone, especially for players who want to venture into the world and quest. They simply need to have an option to deal damage.
In short, we believe that players who play tanks will continue to do so. And we can try to increase the number of tanks by addressing the issue differently – and not with a new class.
We are bringing a dragon and we want to make the dragon experience as cool and fun as possible. We want to address the tank shortage differently, like through easier accessibility or by making tank gameplay more enjoyable and easier to shoulder all the responsibilities that tanks carry.
The Dracthyr have many customization options.
MeinMMO: Having only 2 specializations has already troubled players back in Legion. Why did you decide to handle it the same way for the Dracthyr?
Brian Holinka: On the one hand, this gives us the opportunity to think about what else we could do with specializations for this class in the future. We didn’t want to laser-focus on 3 specializations right away. We wanted a ranged DPS and a healer. Do we really need 2 ranged DPS specializations? We didn’t feel that was necessary. Since [the Dracthyr] are closely tied to the magics of the dragon flights, we also wanted to focus exactly on that.
It really was just about getting these two specializations just right and making them as cool as possible.
MeinMMO: Since the dragon riding feature is coming to the Dragon Isles, does that mean traditional flying mounts will not be accessible at all on the Dragon Isles?
Brian Holinka: I wouldn’t say “not at all”. Our focus at launch is on mobility with dragon riding and making it a cool, fun experience. We want to bring a new way of movement into World of Warcraft. A new experience with which you can travel around while questing. That’s why we focus on dragon riding.
The initial experience may be similar to the gliding of demon hunters or the goblin glider, where you move very quickly but descend slowly. Over time, however, you can teach your dragon to rise into the air or do a barrel roll, climb, and do all these other things. This helps you journey through the world and unlock new areas of the map.
We believe that by first focusing on dragon riding, we make the player experience during questing significantly more interesting.
More about Dragonflight can be found here on MeinMMO:
Talents bring back old, popular abilities: Legendary effects, azerite, covenant skills, and more
MeinMMO: How do you ensure that you do not recreate the problems of the past in the rework of the talent system, where you could allocate a talent point with each level, but the selection was almost meaningless?
Brian Holinka: Yes, that’s kind of funny. You know, we looked at many of the thoughts of the developers back then when we created these talent trees. We read articles about the “Mists of Pandaria” talent tree and watched some of the videos from the developers back then, which problems they were trying to solve.
One of those was: There is just a limited number of meaningful decisions in the talent trees, so we want to offer you only those and focus on really significant decisions.
Back then, we referred to the talent system of “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare”, which we found really cool.
Now that we have played with this system for several years, one of the things we can return to… I wouldn’t necessarily call them “meaningless decisions”. I would rather call them “simple decisions”. We underestimated the value it has to get a point with each level-up and then set: This is how my character will be. So instead of these things just being given.
We believe that having this selection, being able to make these micro-decisions, has a little value that we lost.
With all that in mind: What talent trees allow is to say: I might choose this talent here and that’s not such a super significant decision, but it leads me in a direction with which I can reach a talent I want. I can slowly work towards it.
We believe that there is value in making those decisions over a certain period of time.
MeinMMO: Can we expect some completely new talents? Because with the removal of the covenants, some abilities will be missing.
Brian Holinka: Yes, two things about that. Firstly, I wouldn’t say there are “extremely many” new abilities, but there will be some.
We are always looking at the various abilities and systems from recent years and what we had, like artifacts, azerite traits, or covenant abilities and soulbinds. There’s some good material that has fallen away. This is now an opportunity for us to reintegrate some of those cool things. Legendaries are another example.
This will be integrated into the talent trees, so that players can choose what they want to have back.
As you might have seen in the preview for druids, with Convoke the Spirits. This is a popular covenant ability among druids that appears in the talent tree.
Many abilities that players have gotten used to or that are particularly iconic for the classes – we are bringing back in the talent trees.
Many familiar abilities are being returned as talents.
Professions should create social connections and community cohesion
MeinMMO: Can you talk a bit more about the professions system? How does profession gear or work orders work? And what is that supposed to achieve?
Brian Holinka: Several things. On the one hand, we want professions to have their own progression system. We want that if it’s important for players to be a really good blacksmith or one who is known for their blacksmithing work, then that should be possible. We want to give players the opportunity to do just that.
We don’t want a world where you just build really good gear and throw it in the auction house. We prefer that you can be someone others go to when they want something specific.
So we have work orders. These allow players to ask other players to create items for them. For example, items that are bound when picked up and not just the BoEs [“Bind on Equip”] as we have today.
If you are currently a craftsman, then you can make good items – but really only for yourself, unless it’s BoE. We [as developers] often have to use “BoE” and “BoP” to maintain the balance of power so that people cannot just get the best stuff directly from the auction house.
This allows someone to say: I have a rare reagent here, which I got from the raid. I’m going to Steve now and say, “Hey, can you craft me the Sword of Incredibility that you are so good at making?” And then Steve can do that for me, even though I can’t do it myself. In doing so, Steve can progress in his profession…
That was sort of the goal behind the system, to allow players to do that.
Steve Danuser: Yes, we really want to get back to that community feeling, where players benefit from other players in the world who have different professions and have made different choices. So that everyone somehow works together. Or, if you just want to enjoy the benefits of knowing many people, you can simply have them craft things for you.
It should really bring people together more and lead to crafting something together – and you get some really cool outfits in the process. That’s a plus as well.
MeinMMO: Can we get a hint on the release date?
Steve Danuser: No, we’re not talking about the release date yet.
On April 28, the weekly update of Lost Ark arrives and smooths out your mistakes. At least if you weren’t completely careless. We at MeinMMO summarize the update for you.
Update 1:49 PM: The servers are back online 11 minutes earlier than planned. We wish you good loot in Arkesia!
What is included in the update? The weekly update is of course overshadowed by the big April update from last week and therefore cannot keep up in terms of scope. Nevertheless, there are some useful details, adjustments, and changes.
The changes mainly affect the currently ongoing events. These include the express event and the Guardian Raid event.
With this, the developer is responding to complaints from the community. You can only select and start the express event on a single character, but it is simply no longer of use to you with a gear score of 1,100. Some players did not read this warning and started the event on their main character.
This caused frustration among players, as they had nothing from the supposedly very good event. With the update, the developers lend a helping hand to these players and smooth out their mistake again. The announcement was already made on April 26 via Twitter and generated excitement in the community.
The well-known Lost Ark streamer and host Neek2lo commented on this: “Not just 10 minutes before the update and you actually care about the problem. Plus, you provide a timely solution. Keep it up!” and other people also thank the developers for that.
May Update Sooner Than Expected
Furthermore, the patch notes give the first insights into the May update. This is supposed to be released in the 3rd week of May. However, the developers point out that this plan can still change and the contents of the update are not final yet.
The patch notes provide a glimpse into the future
These are the highlights of the update:
You can now change the selected character for the express event once, as long as you have not consumed the rewards yet. Additionally, the event can no longer be accepted by characters whose Gearscore is over 1,110.
The time you have to complete the express event has been extended from June 30 to July 28.
The Guardian Raid event will also be extended until May 19. In addition, there are now new rewards for the event tokens from the Guardian Raids.
There were some changes to the rewards from quests that occur early in the game and gave gold. These now no longer give gold. This is meant to prevent bot farming.
Diverse bug fixes
How long will the maintenance last?
Update 10:40 AM: The patch notes have been updated and the maintenance has been extended from 4 to approximately 5 hours.
The servers will be shut down at 9:00 AM German time and are expected to stay offline for about 5 hours. Thus, as of now, you will not be able to return to Arkesia until 2:00 PM.
We will keep you updated in this article about the maintenance work.
As these are relatively minor changes, you do not need to expect a larger download.
Update 1:42 PM: The update can be downloaded via Steam and is 58 MB in size.
A function has been added that allows you to change your character for the express mission event, if you have not yet used the T1 and T2 enhancement bonuses from the event.
You can only change your character for the express mission event once.
Please note that you cannot create a new character if you delete your express mission event character.
The event has been adjusted so that you can now only select characters level 50 with an item level below 1100 as express mission event characters.
The engravings available in the engraving selection chests of the express mission event have been updated. All engravings are now available and all claimed and unused selection chests will be retroactively updated so you receive the full selection of engravings.
The end date in the event menu has been updated to show July 28 as the event end date.
You still have to select a character to participate in the express mission event before the selection phase ends on June 30. However, you can complete quests with your character until July 28.
Further details and specifics regarding the changes made to improve the express mission event can be found here: Update on the express mission event 6.
Guardian Raid Event
The occasional Guardian Raid event has been extended until May 19 to allow for player progression before the content update in May.
The expiration dates of the rewards for items you received through the Guardian Raid event have been adjusted to the new end date of May 19.
The rewards for the Guardian Raid event have been updated.
Jewelry chests have been removed to prevent excessive “bot farming.”
The following items have been added to the weekly rewards:
Epic Class Engraving Guidance Selection Chest (10)
Additional Fixes
The gold rewards from various early world and fortress quests have been replaced with a series of new rewards to prevent bot farming.
The dialogue from Xereon during the quest “Alliance on Time” in South Vern has been updated.
The issue where a debug text was displayed when placing an object in the fortress has been fixed.
The expiration date of the applied Feiton Power Passes has been corrected to June 30.
Please note that ALL Feiton Power Passes will expire on June 30, regardless of when you applied for them.
What do you think of the update? Did you make the mistake with the event yourself? Do you think these changes are justified, or would you have preferred if there was no help for the players? Are you already looking forward to the May update? Feel free to let us know in the comments here at MeinMMO. We look forward to your opinion.
Since April 26, 2022, the PvP beta of Overwatch 2 has been playable. MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus has extensively played it since then. After initial skepticism and even a rage quit, he can’t seem to get enough now. And this is despite the fact that the game does only a few things differently than its predecessor.
Overwatch 2 is a big change, even though everything feels absolutely familiar. The same maps, the same heroes, and yet a completely different game feel. How does a game manage to reinvent itself and do it well?
At the moment, only the PvP modes are playable, so the full game is not yet available. But already, it shows how different Overwatch 2 will really be, even though it remains somehow the same game at its core.
The story trailer for Sojourn serves to set the mood for the new game:
Start video
Overwatch 2 shows heroine in origin story – “A new journey is just around the corner”
Overwatch 2 is a completely new game with little change
What is new? The beta patch for Overwatch 2 brings several new features, which could also just be patch notes for a larger update. These include:
Reworks of several heroes such as Bastion and Doomfist
A new hero: Sojourn
Push as a new mode that replaces attack along with new maps
Minor balance adjustments
Each role (tank, healer, DPS) now has special properties
So why does one have to create a new game for such an update? It’s due to how these changes eventually integrate into the game.
How does the game change? Actually, there is only one really big change that Overwatch 2 brings in PvP: the speed. A fight is resolved much faster than in the predecessor. The reason for this is that there are now only 5 instead of 6 heroes per team.
The change to 5 players per team is enormous. Overwatch 2 plays more like a fast-paced old-school shooter and less like a large hero battle. A team now consists of:
one tank
2 healers
2 DPS heroes
This means that each team lacks a proper chunk of combined health points. Additionally, many shields of numerous tanks have been completely removed from the game, and the ones that remain are significantly weaker than before. The result: fights end faster, as less damage is sufficient to wipe out teams.
And this is exactly where Overwatch 2 suddenly becomes a completely new game. Anyone used to the fights from the predecessor must quickly adapt to keep up.
Faster and more intense – But you need to get used to it
This is how Overwatch 2 feels: While a fight in Overwatch can last up to a minute or even longer, during which opponents dance around each other with ultimates and skills, in Overwatch 2, the outcome is usually decided within a few seconds.
Heroes die much faster, most skills have shorter cooldowns, and almost all heroes deal more damage. Additionally, the life of a single player is more important. Winning a 4 against 5 match is significantly harder than a 5 against 6.
This makes flanking attacks more important, but also the choice of your heroes. If you can completely counter an opponent, it might be more important than building large synergies with your own ultimates.
You are essentially always in combat and still need to try to fulfill the map objective. Unlike in Overwatch, where teams sometimes face each other forever until both sides have charged their ultimates to then decide with a big bang who wins.
How hard is the adjustment? It takes some time to get used to how fast everything is. I often cursed how quickly critical hits from the opposing Soldier could send me to the ground.
The meta has been completely shaken up by the change and there are new heroes at the top, some of whom were previously treated as absolute troll picks:
Start video
Overwatch 2: 5 heroes that dominate the matches the most in the beta
In the end, all of this is not much harder than adjusting after a new update with reworks of some heroes. If you still remember the switch between tank, dive, and GOATS meta – it’s somewhat like this.
Overwatch 2 changes the meta, just a bit stronger than any update before. If you embrace it, you will certainly have fun in the new part as well. And you can simply carry over your experience so far,
Overwatch 2 remains fundamentally the same game
If you are now worried that you won’t be able to handle Overwatch 2, I can reassure you. Most maps are the same, heroes are also nearly identical. You can even carry over your skins from Overwatch.
From my experience, the most important thing is still knowing your hero and all others. If you know which opponent can and will use which ability at what time, you have a huge advantage.
That was important in Overwatch and is even more crucial in Overwatch 2. Unlike in the predecessor, you don’t have to focus so much on the synergy within the team anymore. Your own performance counts more – your own death punishes your team harder.
Anyone with previous experience in Overwatch has an advantage here. If you know the maps and strategies, you can use them in Overwatch 2 as well. Most modes are still identical, and in the end, it still comes down to winning as a team.
Eichenwalde is almost identical in Overwatch 2. A bit prettier, and there are now different times of day. Servers are still partially tricky in the beta.
The same applies to your abilities with your favorite heroes. If you are already a pro with Widowmaker, Moira, or Reinhardt, you will also be among the top players in Overwatch 2. Only the heroes that have been completely reworked will, of course, need to be relearned. But luckily, there is the “closed beta,” which is still somehow open to everyone.
A “Closed” Beta for everyone, but not yet complete
The model has taken cues from Valorant, where it has worked excellently. You don’t need to own the predecessor; you will get a demo version for the beta. However, in the beta, you can only play PvP and only the standard mode. Other content like Arcade is missing.
The drops are now disabled again. However, there have been several waves in Valorant already. So it’s possible that you will still get another chance for an invitation. There are no official details yet. The beta will run until May 17.
What’s coming in Overwatch 2? The main selling point of Overwatch 2 is actually the coveted co-op mode. Here you should play your heroes in some kind of campaign and even be able to level up.
However, there is currently no menu option for this mode in the beta and no hints. How exactly this will look remains to be seen – also whether the campaign would justify a new purchase.
When is the release? A release date for Overwatch 2 is still open. Many rumors suggest a release only in 2023. As soon as we know more about the release and the price, you will find out here on MeinMMO.
If you are waiting for the release and don’t want to spoil the fun with the beta, you will find the currently best shooters on the market here:
You are essentially always in combat and still need to try to fulfill the map objective. Unlike in Overwatch, where teams sometimes face each other forever until both sides have charged their ultimates to then decide with a big bang who wins.
How hard is the adjustment? It takes some time to get used to how fast everything is. I often cursed how quickly critical hits from the opposing Soldier could send me to the ground.
The meta has been completely shaken up by the change and there are new heroes at the top, some of whom were previously treated as absolute troll picks:
Start video
Overwatch 2: 5 heroes that dominate the matches the most in the beta
In the end, all of this is not much harder than adjusting after a new update with reworks of some heroes. If you still remember the switch between tank, dive, and GOATS meta – it’s somewhat like this.
Overwatch 2 changes the meta, just a bit stronger than any update before. If you embrace it, you will certainly have fun in the new part as well. And you can simply carry over your experience so far,
Overwatch 2 remains fundamentally the same game
If you are now worried that you won’t be able to handle Overwatch 2, I can reassure you. Most maps are the same, heroes are also nearly identical. You can even carry over your skins from Overwatch.
From my experience, the most important thing is still knowing your hero and all others. If you know which opponent can and will use which ability at what time, you have a huge advantage.
That was important in Overwatch and is even more crucial in Overwatch 2. Unlike in the predecessor, you don’t have to focus so much on the synergy within the team anymore. Your own performance counts more – your own death punishes your team harder.
Anyone with previous experience in Overwatch has an advantage here. If you know the maps and strategies, you can use them in Overwatch 2 as well. Most modes are still identical, and in the end, it still comes down to winning as a team.
Eichenwalde is almost identical in Overwatch 2. A bit prettier, and there are now different times of day. Servers are still partially tricky in the beta.
The same applies to your abilities with your favorite heroes. If you are already a pro with Widowmaker, Moira, or Reinhardt, you will also be among the top players in Overwatch 2. Only the heroes that have been completely reworked will, of course, need to be relearned. But luckily, there is the “closed beta,” which is still somehow open to everyone.
A “Closed” Beta for everyone, but not yet complete
The model has taken cues from Valorant, where it has worked excellently. You don’t need to own the predecessor; you will get a demo version for the beta. However, in the beta, you can only play PvP and only the standard mode. Other content like Arcade is missing.
The drops are now disabled again. However, there have been several waves in Valorant already. So it’s possible that you will still get another chance for an invitation. There are no official details yet. The beta will run until May 17.
What’s coming in Overwatch 2? The main selling point of Overwatch 2 is actually the coveted co-op mode. Here you should play your heroes in some kind of campaign and even be able to level up.
However, there is currently no menu option for this mode in the beta and no hints. How exactly this will look remains to be seen – also whether the campaign would justify a new purchase.
When is the release? A release date for Overwatch 2 is still open. Many rumors suggest a release only in 2023. As soon as we know more about the release and the price, you will find out here on MeinMMO.
If you are waiting for the release and don’t want to spoil the fun with the beta, you will find the currently best shooters on the market here:
Season 3 of Call of Duty: Warzone brought extensive balance changes, particularly the sniper weapons have significantly changed. The formerly strongest sniper rifles can no longer take out enemies with a headshot from a distance. MeinMMO explains the changes and provides an initial assessment of what the new meta could be.
What has changed? As announced by the developers in advance, sniper weapons in Call of Duty: Warzone have radically changed with Season 3. Here are the highlights of the patch notes.
Smaller, mobile sniper rifles like the popular Kar 98k from CoD MW can no longer eliminate enemies with a headshot at all distances. This remains the privilege of the larger sniper weapons.
MeinMMO takes a look at the changes with you and gives an initial glimpse into the future meta regarding sniper weapons.
CoD Warzone: The meta of sniper weapons changes in Season 3
At what distances do the weapons achieve headshots? For an overview, we first show you the weapons in the individual headshot categories:
One-Shot Headshot in the first damage range
Kar 98k (MW)
SP-R 208 (MW)
Pelington (CW)
Tundra (CW)
Swiss K31 (CW)
Type 99 (VG)
Kar 98k (VG)
One-Shot Headshot at any distance
HDR (MW)
AX-50 (MW)
ZRG 20mm (CW)
Three-Line Rifle (VG)
Gorenko (VG)
No One-Shot Headshots
Rytec (MW)
Dragunov (MW)
M82 (CW)
Weapons in category 1 will now provide you with one-shot headshots only if you hit in the first damage range. As a result, the range values of the individual sniper rifles are much more important now.
Warzone expert “JGOD” has created a graphic that shows you at which distances the individual weapons can still land one-shot headshots:
It’s good to see how the more mobile, faster weapons now lose power around 50 meters. Only the Pelington stands out with nearly 70 meters range.
Which sniper weapons are now meta? A fully reliable statement cannot be made this soon after the season start. However, especially in Battle Royale on Caldera, sniper weapons with limited range are likely to lose popularity.
“JGOD” sees the HDR (MW) ahead on Caldera but wouldn’t be surprised if the ZRG (CW) or the Three-Line Rifle (VG) also played a significant role. This creates a strong option for 3 CoDs that Warzone shares the weapons with.
Aggressive and mobile players will likely continue to rely on the faster variants on Caldera. 50 meters is still a strong range for headshots. The Pelington may find its way into loadouts more often due to its 20 meters more.
On Rebirth Island, it remains to be seen how players react to the adjustments. On the small island, combat distances are often not that high, and the old meta favorites Kar 98k and Swiss K31 could continue to dominate.
But even here, the chances are good that the Pelington will make a mark.
Destiny 2 is a sought-after game worldwide, and so the game developer informs about its planned changes in other languages as well. However, it seems that a new exotic weapon for the upcoming Season 17 has been accidentally revealed. It once dismantled everything in the PvP of Destiny 1. MeinMMO reveals which weapon it is and why this could also mean the return of the Iron Lords.
Bungie had a lot to report last week, and therefore the weekly blog post consisted of almost 9000 words. To make it even more exciting, the developer also mentioned an unknown weapon that will soon be introduced in the game. Its name, however, was mentioned in the text only as [CONFIDENTIAL].
Apparently, the name of the weapon was not censored in the Japanese article.
After translation, the English word “Trespasser” was revealed there.
The weapon’s name was not censored in the Japanese version.
What weapon is it? “Trespasser” is an iconic exotic sidearm with a 90s rate of fire from Destiny 1 and was called “Unbefugter” in the German game. If the leak is true, it would return in Season 17. However, please note that this is a leak and the information has not been officially confirmed.
In Destiny 1, this exotic sidearm was, after a change, one of the best and most popular weapons in PvP. In “Elimination,” it even ranked third among the special weapons that achieved the most kills. And even in PvE, one could shred through enemy masses with ease when Arc Burn was active.
This is what the weapon looked like in Destiny 1.
Back then, the exotic dealt Arc damage and had three exotic perks:
Unyielding Pursuer: Kills briefly grant enhanced tracking on movement.
Be the Danger: Fires shot bursts with deadly precision – When you pull the trigger once, three shots are fired simultaneously.
Exotic Perk “Not Remorseful”: Reloading after a kill enables a longer super burst – The burst consists of six shots.
Will the Iron Lords soon awaken again?
This specific exotic sidearm is also a Destiny 1 weapon that came into the game with the expansion “The Rise of Iron”. The phrase below the weapon name mentions Shiro-4. He was the NPC vendor in the Iron Temple at that time and a good friend of Cayde-6.
This is Shiro-4: The Exo Shiro-4 was a well-known NPC vendor in Destiny 1 and provided bounties to players in the Iron Temple. During the SIVA crisis (during the Destiny 1 campaign), Shiro-4 assisted Lord Saladin Forge and Cayde-6 by supplying the Guardians with important information on the battlefield. Shiro-4 was once part of the fireteam that included the late Hunter Vanguard leader Andal Brask and Cayde-6. He was also present at Cayde-6’s funeral and still conducts scouting missions for the Vanguard today. Some players therefore see him as the best option for the successor to Cayde-6.
Will Cayde’s friend Shiro-4 perhaps return to the Tower soon?
The player “EnriqueRdz” has therefore speculated that Destiny 2 might be heading towards a new season of the Iron Lords in 2022 and the upcoming Season 17. Essentially, what the Pastebin leak has already hinted at.
Revision of Iron Banner in the next season, Solar 3.0 (probably) the next element, then the “Trespasser,” which belongs to Shiro-4. I keep my fingers crossed and hope with all my heart that the next season has the theme “Iron Lords” and that Shiro returns to become the next Hunter Vanguard and Exo representative in the Tower.
The player “Wonderusechelon” has also recognized the connection and commented on reddit:
Please. Ever since Forsaken I’ve literally asked myself every season where the hell Shiro is. He is perfect Hunter Vanguard material. Although we all know that [the position] will likely go to Crow, the way things are going.
What does Bungie say about the Japanese weapon leak? On Twitter, the new community manager “Hippy” expressed her thoughts on the releases at 4 am. She mentioned that she received a lot of messages and screenshots about the Japanese leak and is confused about it as well.
The TWAB hasn’t even been sent to our localization team, so I’m unclear on where this “Japanese TWAB leak” comes from. It doesn’t exist. […]
On Twitter, the discussion with the Guardians then escalated further, as there seemed to have been several misunderstandings. Meanwhile, Bungie corrected the version of the Japanese “This Week at Bungie” blog so that the name of the weapon is now no longer visible there.
What Guardians are currently talking about in Destiny 2:
What do you think of this revelation? Do you think this exotic sidearm is good and do you believe the Iron Lords will really return soon? Or are the Japanese wrong and the leak is just a strange coincidence of a wrong translation? Feel free to leave us your thoughts in the comments.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The manufacturer Nike presents NFT shoes for thousands of euros, and on top of that, there are extremely expensive skins.MeinMMO explains how the shoes work and what you can do with them.
For your personal digital world, you can now buy just about anything. From bored NFT apes, to sailboats, to entire plots of land, you can buy anything for your digital life. These NFTs are part of the current trends in gaming, even if many gamers can’t quite figure them out.
But one of the biggest manufacturers of sports shoes seems to have discovered a market gap and is offering digital sneakers for sale. Prices vary greatly, but you could easily spend half a million euros if you want to buy your favorite shoes.
Nike shoes are now digital, cheerful glitter effects cost real money
Who is behind it? The well-known company Nike has teamed up with RTFKT Studios for the digital sneakers. This is a company that develops and sells digital fashion items and avatars. The company was founded in January 2022.
How do the shoes work? The Nike CryptoKicks are therefore NFT sneakers named “RFTKT X Nike Dunk Genesis.” You buy the digital shoes and can then give them a new look with a bottle (called “Skin Vials”). This way, you can give your sneakers fun patterns or glow effects. And all for a few measly thousand euros.
Such sneaker skins can also be bred and developed yourself. How exactly that is supposed to work is not known to us. Colleagues from PC Gamer compare it to Pokémon – just with shoes (via pcgamer.com).
Such NFT shoes from Nike can be currently purchased.
What do the shoes cost? Prices for sneakers start at around 6,000 US dollars (around 5,500 euros), but there are already some shoes for which you have to pay more than 100,000 US dollars.
If you now also want a matching skin for your shoes, namely these “Skin Vials,” you will have to spend another 40,000 US dollars (about 35,000 euros). However, you can now easily spend half a million euros for these bottles.
If you’re interested in more about NFTs and tech, this might also interest you:
And for those now thinking that thousands of euros for a pair of shoes or for a property is a lot of money, there are even more exciting examples.
An anonymous user treated himself to “The Metaflower Super Mega Yacht,” an NFT object for an online game. He paid 149 ETH for it. The crazy thing about the story is that the game doesn’t even exist yet. You can read the whole story and what it’s about on MeinMMO:
Twitch could bring changes in the future that affect not only streamers but also viewers. The streamers of the platform are less than enthusiastic. MeinMMO reports what lies behind it.
What changes are supposed to happen? Twitter user Nibel summarized what amendments could be coming for Twitch users this summer:
Incentives for more advertising.
New compensations, everyone will receive 50% from Twitch, not 70%. Top streamers could negotiate better compensation – now everyone should be treated equally. A subscription from a viewer will bring in Germany about €1.90 gross.
As an alternative to the new compensations: A new tier system. Twitch will set criteria that streamers must meet to achieve the respective tier. This system could determine future compensation.
No more Twitch exclusivity, meaning: All streamers can stream on any platform. Whether simultaneously on Twitch and, for example, YouTube or staggered. Until now, this has been contractually prohibited for most.
Start video
Prime Gaming, the secret behind Twitch’s success
Streamers are against the possible changes
What do the streamers say about it? Many large and small streamers have commented under the tweet from Nibel and find the change regarding advertising particularly terrible. Twitch is already flooded with ads, and when a viewer opens a stream, they are first confronted with an ad.
Some also expressed concerns about the compensation and stated that the partner program would then differ even less from the affiliate status. The affiliate status is essentially a preliminary stage to becoming a partner. As a streamer, you get fewer emotes for subscribers and fewer advertising opportunities to earn money.
The large streamer Pokimane says that while Twitch can add more ads, they should not interrupt the livestream. She suggests options like a sidebar, picture-in-picture, or as an overlay. Pokimane also understands that ads are necessary for the platform to be profitable; however, they should not disturb the viewers significantly (via Twitter).
Other statements from streamers:
Peter from PietSmiet asked around: “These are just rumors, and Twitch itself did not want to comment on it, BUT: How has streaming on YouTube developed in your opinion (via Twitter)?”
aSmoogl says: “For streamers, it makes a lot of sense to stream on YouTube parallel to Twitch, especially when many streamers’ earnings are continuously declining. First, the rules from €4.99 to €3.99, now possibly the 50/50 rule. Does this help Twitch as a platform? Difficult (via Twitter).”
Jacksepticeye thinks: “What a joke. This makes it worse for everyone, except Twitch itself (via Twitter).”
Slimecicle says: “No one hates Twitch streamers as much as Twitch itself, LMAO (via Twitter).”
A Twitter user summed up the situation aptly for many:
So, these streamers do all the work, all the time for less compensation while Twitch relaxes and does nothing to ensure they get more? And more ads, so viewers can’t even see the hard-working streamers? This doesn’t make sense to me.
Many streamers only criticized the point of excessive advertising, as most of them already receive the 50/50 share from Twitch. Only a few could negotiate for better compensation.
What is the current advertising situation on Twitch?
How does advertising currently work on Twitch? When viewers enter a channel and do not have a subscription with the respective streamer, ads are played. However, the streamer even has the option to play ads despite the viewer’s subscription. They can simply toggle this in the settings of Twitch.
Smaller streamers who have not even unlocked the affiliate status have no options to regulate advertising. This makes it difficult for newcomers to get a first impression when they are shown razors instead of the streamer.
In addition, ads are automatically played every 30 minutes by Twitch if the streamer has not activated any beforehand. Sometimes there are 7 ads in a row, and you have to wait over a minute before you can continue following the livestream (example via Twitter).
Additionally, there are ad inserts that take place in the middle of the livestream, the streamer is muted but remains visible. These appear also if the Twitch streamer forgot to manually activate ads or is unable to do so. This is what it looks like:
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Viewers and streamers are already against the massive ads due to such incidents and the current situation, but the potential changes will likely make things worse.
What does Twitch say about all this? Twitch has not yet commented on the criticism and the changes and has also declined to address it upon request.
Surely many of you have gotten lost in the game world of Elden Ring more than once. One player also experienced this and stumbled into one of the nastiest areas within less than 10 minutes.
The reddit user Hazumiii is a newcomer in Elden Ring. And his first minutes of gameplay will likely remain vividly in his memory.
He posted in the subreddit with an image, asking: “I’m new and 10 minutes into the game, where the hell am I?” The image shows the region Caelid, in the east of the Lands Between.
This is not a beginner area and in its design and the enemies you find there, probably the most terrifying and gruesome area in Elden Ring. His trip to “hell” amuses the community, which empathizes with the newcomer.
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“There are no safe places in the game” and Mandalorian jokes
This is how players react to the newcomer’s experience: The post is going pretty viral on the official Elden Ring subreddit and has already received over 25,000 upvotes, with 3180 comments (as of April 28, 11:40).
Meanwhile, some try to explain where the player is with “helpful” comments. Intelligent-Frame180 thinks it is the “tutorial area”.
Several others make a joke referencing the Star Wars series “The Mandalorian” by quoting the creed of a Mandalorian group: “This is the way.”
At least the player would learn quite a bit right from the start, even if much faster. Sprinting is mainly mentioned as an example, or using soap, since you also have to wade through rot swamps.
effemeris sums it up well: “You are in Caelid. I recommend you to just be somewhere else than there.”
Caelid is probably the most dreadful area in Elden Ring
Why is the area so notorious? Although Caelid is not an endgame region like the snow area, most find themselves there in the midgame.
However, there are several aspects that make this region, regardless of your progress, probably the most brutal area:
First of all, this area simply looks dreadful. The sky is bright blood red, and strange, viscera-like plants grow everywhere. Skeletons and remains of creatures are scattered all around.
Additionally, there are the monsters that live there. Huge monstrous crows sit on high places, ready to swoop down on you at the slightest sight. Giant monster dogs roam the landscape and often overwhelm you in groups. There are also small, but equally dangerous mutts that can infect you with scarlet rot.
In the center, there is also a gigantic scarlet rot swamp, filled with deadly geysers and other threats. There are few places in Elden Ring that are as hostile to life as Caelid.
Here you can see Caelid on the map.
This doesn’t mean that there aren’t numerous other similarly terrifying areas. However, Caelid apparently occupies a particularly rotten place in the hearts of the community.
What do you think about it? Did you also get lost as much at the start as in this case? Share your experiences with us!
The MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic received a new update on April 27, which included a small but important change. Players can now change the design of their weapon without affecting its stats. This has been long desired in the community.
What can now be done with weapons? The new Patch 7.0.2 has integrated the weapons into the wardrobe. There, the appearance of the weapon can now be customized at will:
You must first equip a weapon. This determines the stats your character receives.
Then you switch to the wardrobe. There, you can apply a different weapon and use its skin.
This weapon must belong to the same family (pistol, rifle, lightsaber, etc.) and you must have this weapon in your inventory.
In the game, you have several storage slots available to store items. This is useful, for example, if you have saved different playstyles with the loadouts and your tank should look different from the damage dealer.
However, all items from the wardrobe still take up spaces in your inventory. Additionally, changing outfits costs some credits.
This is what the in-game weapon designer looks like.
Change long desired for 7 years, but the implementation is not perfect
How long have players been waiting for this change? Very long. The wardrobe was introduced with Patch 3.2 – Rise of the Emperor – in April 2015. But this option had not previously existed for weapons. However, weapon mods could be adjusted if one wanted to keep the skin.
This has now changed, almost 7 years later.
What do players say? In general, the change to the wardrobe is well received among players. Many are happy that they can now easily change the skin of their weapon.
But there is also criticism:
There appears to be a problem when switching between a combat style with a two-handed weapon and with two single weapons. The wardrobe currently cannot handle this, and you have to manually adjust the appearance again.
Anyone wanting to change the crystal and thus the color of the lightsaber afterwards must first remove the weapon from the designer, adjust it, and then pay credits again for applying it.
The occupation of many inventory slots continues to bother many players. They would prefer a system like the wardrobe in Guild Wars 2, where a skin is unlocked once and can then be used repeatedly.
Everything about the new expansion of SWTOR can be found in this video:
Start video
Everything you need to know about SWTOR: Legacy of the Sith – in 2 minutes
Patch brings numerous bug fixes and balance adjustments, prepares XP event
What else is included in the update? Patch 7.0.2 brought mainly many small adjustments:
Some currencies have been renamed.
The descriptions, some companion effects, tooltips, and various spelling errors have been revised.
The health points and damage of all enemies from four different flashpoints have been reduced. There were also balance adjustments to the flashpoints.
The rewards for PvP, Galactic Starfighter, and operations have been increased.
Additionally, a double XP event has been prepared, which will run from May 3 at 14:00 to May 10 at 14:00. A good time to dive back into SWTOR as a new player or returnee.
What do you think about the adjustments to SWTOR? Is this small change a reason for you to return to the MMORPG? Or has Legacy of the Sith disappointed you too much?
Anyone currently looking for good MMOs and MMORPGs should take a close look at this list:
In Call of Duty: Warzone Season 3 is now online and brought a lot of changes – weapon balance, new locations, a fresh mission. However, the Senior Creative Director at developer Raven Software primarily celebrates one innovation: lootable perks.
The new Season 3 of Call of Duty: Warzone changes a lot in the free battle royale. Many sniper weapons have fundamentally changed, and some places on the map Caldera look completely different. You can find the highlights of the patch notes here.
In addition, there was a small change in loot – you can now loot individual perks and benefit from the passive bonuses.
For the Senior Creative Director of Warzone, Ted Timmins, this new feature is a “game changer”. MeinMMO reports on the developer’s statements and explains the new mechanics with the lootable perks.
Lootable Perks are supposed to change gameplay experience
What did the developer say? Ted Timmins conducted an interview with the American CoD news site “Charlie Intel” (via charlieintel.com) after the release of Season 3.
In this, the developer also talked about the new, lootable perks in battle royale and expressed his enthusiasm:
This is something we have never had in Warzone before. […] a fundamental game changer for Warzone. Probably one of the biggest we have ever had. […] I can’t remember many changes to loot that had such an impact on the gameplay experience from one second to the next.
Ted Timmins, Senior Creative Director at Raven Software
How do the lootable perks work? You can now loot perks all over Caldera and add them to your loadout perks.
However, only one loot perk can be active at a time. If you pick up a new perk, the old one disappears. If you get killed, the perk disappears, and you do not leave the bonus as loot.
You can now loot the following perks on Caldera:
Battle-Hardened
Protects against tactical grenades
Technician
Detects and hacks enemy equipment
Alarmed
Optical signal when enemies are looking at you
Refill
Gives equipment back over time
Hardened
2 instead of 3 armor plates for full armor
Patch Up
Health regeneration starts immediately after a kill
Plunderer
Enemies leave supply packs
Pointman (cash only)
Contracts yield more cash as a reward
More perks are expected to come later. By the way, this new mechanic is currently only available in battle royale on Caldera, not on Rebirth Island. Lootable perks are expected to be added later as well.
Why is the impact on gameplay supposed to be so great? The perk meta in Warzone is quite strict, and usually only a few alternatives are worth choosing. Perks like “Overkill” or “Combat Scout” are so strong that alternatives are rarely chosen – even though some can be quite helpful in gameplay.
For example, there is “Alarmed”, a very strong perk that gives you an optical signal when enemies are looking at you. If “Overkill” and “Ghost” didn’t exist, this perk would certainly land more often in loadouts.
Knowing from which direction an enemy is aiming at you does actually change gameplay quite significantly and also your behavior in the match. With more strong perks in the lineup, the impact of lootable perks on gameplay can certainly be noticeable.
Season 3 brings a lot of content and many adjustments right from the start. However, many players are now looking forward to May 11 – that’s when the event “Operation: Monarch” starts, bringing Godzilla and King Kong to Caldera.
Before that, we would like to know what you think of the lootable perks in Warzone or the changes in Season 3 in general. Feel free to leave us a comment on the topic.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Destiny 2, grenades have been hit hard. Guardians accuse Bungie not only of the uselessness of some bombs but also that the developer kills everything that is fun in the loot shooter. MeinMMO will tell you how badly the grenades have been affected.
Which grenades have been affected? In Hotfix 4.0.1.1, grenades have been hit hard. Not only those of all Guardians but especially those of the Hunter. The following grenades have been nerfed:
Hunter’s Jump Grenade – Arc
Axion Bolt Grenade of all classes – Void
Early Light Field Grenade with Hunter Exo “Renewal Grips” – Stasis
Since Bungie already nerfed the Hunter Exo “Renewal Grips” regarding the Stasis Grenade beforehand, the nerf of the Early Light Field Grenade was no surprise.
However, the nerf of the Axion Bolt and Jump Grenades surprised many Guardians. Although these bombs are either unpopular or even easy to counter, they have been crushed, which Guardians cannot understand. They even say that Bungie is not nerfing but completely killing abilities.
Bad not only in PvE, but also in PvP
How bad is the nerf? The changes to the bombs in Hotfix 4.0.1.1 primarily affected PvP. The cooldown for the Stasis and Void Grenades was increased to 152 seconds. So you can no longer spam the little helpers and must wait until you can use them again in PvP after a long waiting time.
Jump Grenades have been hit even harder. They have been nerfed in both PvE and PvP to the point of being completely useless. A Guardian has tested the extent of the change in PvP on YouTube. Here we have embedded the video for you:
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The grenades have been nerfed so badly that they can no longer break the shields of enemies.
These grenades were once considered a terror in PvP. A Hunter equipped with the Exo “Shinobu’s Vow” could regain grenade charge on hits through the exotic perk “New Tricks” and even grant you an additional charge of these tracking bombs.
Despite the grenades having a rather unpopular existence and hardly anyone playing with them, they were nerfed by Bungie. Therefore, some Guardians suspect that there is more behind these changes.
Why were Arc Grenades nerfed so hard? Guardians believe it has something to do with the transition to Arc 3.0. Kevin Yanes, one of the sandbox leads of Destiny 2, posted on Twitter that changes in Hotfix 4.0.1.1 for further 3.0 abilities had already been implemented beforehand.
For Bungie, it is common for such changes to be included with the actual transition to 3.0 in Destiny 2. Therefore, the user harmlessbug stated on reddit that Bungie must have found such a serious bug that they had to address it immediately before the release of the elemental transition of the upcoming Season 17 to fix it.
Nevertheless, Bungie managed with this nerf to make an already unpopular Jump Grenade completely useless. It remains to be seen whether Arc 3.0 can offer Guardians aspects and fragments that will improve certain grenades again.
What do you think of the grenade changes in Destiny 2? Do you find them all justified, or do you think Bungie’s actions are exaggerated and they should have waited to see how the community reacts? Let us know in the comments what you think!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
