On Pokémon GO, the Environment Week 2022 starts on Wednesday and brings the new Pokémon Kommandutan and Shiny Kikugi. We show you everything about the start, bonuses, and the contents.
What kind of event is this? The Environment Week is an event that runs annually in Pokémon GO. This year, a new Pokémon from the seventh generation makes its debut. New Shinys will also be released. You will be rewarded for moving outdoors.
Here we show you everything you need to know about the event at a glance.
Environment Week 2022 – Start, new Pokémon, bonuses
When does it start? The Environment Week 2022 starts on Wednesday, April 20 at 10:00 AM local time. The event will be active for a few days and ends on Monday, April 25 at 8:00 PM local time.
New Pokémon: The Pokémon Kommandutan makes its first appearance in Pokémon GO. It is from the seventh generation and belongs to the Normal and Psychic types. It has no evolution.
Kommandutan in Pokémon GO
New Shiny: As a new Shiny, you will find Kikugi during the Environment Week. This Pokémon is from the fourth generation and has been in its normal form in the game for a while.
Kikugi, Kinoso in the cloud form and Kinoso in the sun form – Normal form and Shiny
The bonuses: During the Community Day on April 23 with Velursi , a limited research will take place. In each stage of the research, you should walk one kilometer. As a reward, you will receive Kikugi. For every trainer who walks at least 5 kilometers that day, Niantic will plant a tree (up to a maximum of 100,000 trees).
The collector’s task for the event focuses on nature. If you master the task, you will progress toward your top collector medal. There will be a moss lure module and 15 Ultra Balls.
In addition, during the event, you will receive double XP for the first spin of a PokéStop.
With luck, you will encounter: Alola-Digda*, Blubella, Nincada*
Field Research: Completing field research tasks will yield encounters with:
Chelast*, Kikugi*, Serpifeu*, Unratütox*, Igamarao or Paragoni
Also, for some researches, you will receive Mega Energy for Bisaflor or Rexblisar
What do you think of the Environment Event 2022 with its new Pokémon and new Shinys? Is this an event you definitely want to participate in or do you find the content not so exciting? Please share your opinion with us here on MeinMMO in the comments.
Palia is a new MMO in development that focuses on social interactions and side quests like housing, personal farms, and baking. The developers have now shared some images and stories from the Alpha. One story revolves around a player who simply baked too many cakes.
However, the developers have shared some images and community stories from the Alpha in a blog post. You can see the first areas, housing, and fishing, as well as some funny bugs.
1,023 cakes crash the game
What kind of stories are these? Most of these stories mainly revolve around chaos.
The player Berry, for instance, baked cakes with friends. A lot of cakes. With 1,023 of these sweet sugar bombs, the game reportedly crashed. A bug that is set to be fixed in the future.
This is what it looks like in Palia when the village bakes some cakes together (via Palia).
Players have also reportedly been using gathering tools to hit the ground to create cool photos from the dust effect. This wasn’t originally intended by the developers but could remain as a feature in the game, as they revealed in the blog post.
Furthermore, many new friendships are said to have been formed during playtesting, which according to the developers is also the core of the game.
What can you already do in the Alpha? The focus of the Alpha was on fishing, baking, farming, gliding, and housing. Some insights into these activities can be seen in the screenshots we extracted from the Palia blog post:
Palia sounds perfect for fans of Animal Crossing, aiming to offer fair Free2Play
The housing with thousands of different objects. Your friends should be able to come over and help you decorate.
Activities like fishing, cooking, chopping wood, or building your own farm.
You can constantly change the appearance of your character and give it cool outfits.
You can build friendships and relationships with NPCs in the surrounding area.
While there will also be the option to fight against creatures in the environment, this is supposed to be purely optional. It will mainly involve special hunting quests. The game does not focus on classes, but rather on a system of various skills.
What do you think of the concept of Palia? And what do you say about the first screenshots and stories? Would you like to participate in this Alpha? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
More about Palia and the minds behind the MMO can be found in this article:
The launch of Season 26 in Diablo 3 has begun. We show you the sets, the theme, and the most important changes.
When does Season 26 start? On April 15, 2022, it started. Season 26 began for PC players at 5:00 PM German time. Console players had to wait longer for the start. From past seasons, it is known that the starts were activated around 2:00 AM on Saturday mornings on PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch.
Checklist for Season 26 – Season Theme, Starter Sets, Balance Changes
The Season Theme: For the new Season 26, Blizzard has come up with something really special. A new activity where you crush hordes of enemies. The Echoing Nightmare. This works by looting a “Frozen Shriek” from Portal Guardians in Greater Nephalem Rifts. You can then convert it to Kanais Cube, just like a Harvester Ring, which opens a portal.
Inside the portal, you will fight against waves of enemies that become increasingly stronger. You will fight for your survival and be rewarded in the end. Read more about the season theme of S26 here:
These sets are available: If you play a seasonal character in Season 26, you will participate in the free seasonal journey. For completing chapters 2, 3, and 4, you will receive Haedrig’s Gift containing parts of a set. If you open all gifts with the same class, you will receive a complete class set.
In Season 26 you will receive the following sets from Haedrig’s Gift:
What changes? Balance adjustments are made to the Barbarian, Crusader, and Monk.
Barbarians receive a revised Raekor set that excels with a stronger weapon throw. The playstyle is intended to feel better now, and the set has its own identity.
Crusaders playing with thorns now feel slightly different. The set of Norvald’s Angry Zeal was too strong for the developers, which is why they nerfed it. In compensation, the utility of Thorns of the Pursuer was improved.
Monks receive changes to the Inna’s Mantra set, as it performed too strongly with the fire attacker. Furthermore, “Mystic Ally” was adjusted for better gameplay.
How do you like the content and changes of Season 26? Do you think that Diablo 3 is worth playing again, at least for a few days? Or does the game need fresh wind in another way to excite you again? Let us know your opinion in the comments here on MeinMMO.
In the MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online, the release of the expansion High Isle is approaching. MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch was able to speak with Game Director Rich Lambert about the new content, as well as the genre in general.
What will happen in 2022 in ESO? This year’s focus is on the Bretons, a major intrigue spun by a knightly order, as well as the two areas of High Isles and Amenos. A large part of this content will be released with the new expansion High Isle on June 6 for PC.
However, we were already able to take a first look at this expansion and tried out the new card game “Glory Stories”. You can find an article about it here.
Additionally, we spoke with Game Director Rich Lambert. He shared some interesting details about the card game as well as the High Isles. We also wanted to know from him why there hasn’t been a new class in so long.
The new card game has been planned since 2009
MeinMMO: The new expansion High Isle is just around the corner and I was already able to try out the new card game. I found it really good. But this content is not necessarily typical for an MMORPG. Why did you decide to release Glory Stories with the new expansion in ESO?
Lambert: To be honest, this is something we have always wanted to do. I remember presenting the concept of tavern games back in 2009. So it has always been on the list of things we would like to do someday. We just never had the right timing for it.
Before the launch, it was: Let’s make sure there is enough content to keep players engaged. And after the launch, it was: Well, this is not quite the game players want, so let’s make it the game players want.
And now it was kind of the perfect time because we have a lot of quests, we have a lot to fight, but we don’t really have many alternative activities. So this is another way for players to play ESO and, more importantly, to play in a relaxed way with their friends.
The card game is the big highlight of the new expansion.
MeinMMO: When I think of card games, I fondly remember my childhood and trading with friends. But you decided against such a trading feature. Why?
Lambert: Well, primarily we wanted to hit some of the cornerstones of what Elder Scrolls Online is all about in general. And one of those is that it really is up to you to carve your own path and do your own thing, and that the course of the story is based on your progression and not on the rest of the world.
The other side of the coin is that we wanted to make this game as accessible as possible for all players. And one of the ways to achieve that, and the path we chose, was this concept of everyone drawing from shared decks.
Yes, you can upgrade cards and yes, you can find new cards. But we didn’t want anyone outside the game to create a killer deck and then bring it into the game and wreck everything. We wanted strategies to unfold based on the cards played during the game.
MeinMMO: It is common in other games for a meta to develop.
Lambert: That’s right. And at that point, there is only one way to play it, right? In this game, however, I choose the decks, you choose the decks. And then we try to create the best possible deck based on the strategies we apply during the game.
New class brings balance issues and chaos
MeinMMO: Many players hope that with each new expansion a new class will be the big, new feature. So I just have to ask the question: Why hasn’t there been a new class in so long?
Lambert: Of course, you had to ask that (laughs). It’s because we’re simply not ready to do that yet. I think adding a new class is one of those things that can cause a lot of chaos. We want to ensure that balance is in a good state before we upend the balance and introduce new things like skill lines or classes. That’s the most important point.
The other part of it is that it just doesn’t make sense to create a new class now, based on some of the stories and other things we want to do. We only have a certain number of bullets we can fire. So we need to choose wisely.
Start video
ESO announces new expansion High Isles with beautiful cinematic
MeinMMO: Since you have already touched on the development of new features, can you tell us a bit more about the decision-making process when it comes to developing such major innovations?
Lambert: Balance is an important part. You just have to look at the range of things you already have in the game. And we do this with the story as well. We look at where we’ve been, what we’ve done, what we’ve showcased, and then try to do something completely different. And the other big part of the decision-making process is asking what we are missing.
Right now we have a lot of quests in ESO, we have a lot of enemies, we have a lot of unique items, classes, and skill lines to play around with, but we don’t have many alternative activities. So ultimately, the card game made the most sense. Especially when you consider that there are not many alternative activities you can do with your friends.
This is one of those special contents that you can play with your friends.
Companions are also used by those who heavily criticized them last year
MeinMMO: Some players criticize that you confine yourself to such a rigid corset of updates and annual expansions, and therefore innovations fall by the wayside. How do you see this yourself?
Lambert: I think you can argue that to a certain extent. But ultimately, we are innovative. We are continually adding new things. I mean, companions were one thing that was innovative. Antiquities were something new that was innovative. The card game is something completely different.
I believe it really depends on who you talk to. And one of the questions I keep getting from people is about the right way to play ESO. And my answer to that question is always: “If I ask six people, I will get six different answers.”
Some people are only interested in PvP. And if they don’t see anything in PvP, then the game is dead for them. Other players just love the stories and want more stories. And if there is something other than stories, they are not happy. That’s kind of the balance, right? We have a huge player population. Everyone plays the game differently, and it’s really hard to support everything at once. So we try to do something for everyone over the course of a year.
The two new companions from High Isle.
MeinMMO: You have already mentioned the companions, two of which will be introduced in the new expansion. How do you see the companion system now? There was a lot of grumbling about it during the announcement of Blackwood.
Lambert: It is overwhelmingly positive. The vast majority of our players use the companions and have developed them, which is really cool. And that’s also one of the reasons we are including two new companions in the chapter because they have been so well received.
It’s very interesting to see how some of the loudest critics are actually enjoying the system and playing with it now.
In the story, there shouldn’t be too much of the same
MeinMMO: The story of ESO is concluded each year on its own. Are you satisfied with the system, or do you sometimes miss having an overarching, continuous story?
Lambert: Yes, currently we are satisfied with the system. But I think it needs to be done in moderation, right? The last few times, it was like the world is ending if I do something wrong. And that’s cool too. But everyone, even the developers, are slowly getting tired of telling the same stories over and over again. So we are trying to do things differently. And this year is a completely, completely, completely different story.
But to get back to your point: It is self-contained. We told an extraordinarily long story with the Three Banners of War at the beginning, which then led into Orsinium and the war that spanned across two additional chapters.
So we’ve done these long, convoluted stories and then we took a break from that. And who knows what we will do in the future.
MeinMMO: With the last expansion Blackwood, you revised the tutorial. This year you are making no changes to the onboarding. Are you fully satisfied with it by now?
Lambert: I think there is still a lot of room for improvement. We bring in an absurdly large number of new players to the game every year, and thus we get a lot of feedback about the experience of new players.
And I believe one of the biggest feedbacks we receive, which cannot necessarily be addressed in a tutorial and requires much more work, is the feeling of being overwhelmed. You come into this new game, and the first thing you do in the tutorial is choose the story you want to go into. That can be intimidating.
And then, when you first open the skills window, there’s a large, intimidating selection. And then the game is huge, and there aren’t many guides for the first ten or 15 levels. So I think we will spend a lot more time on these things in the future.
MeinMMO: In ESO, you release an expansion every year and three new DLCs. For the DLCs, you need the subscription to experience them properly. However, some players criticize the cost of ESO. What do you say to those critics?
Lambert: I mean, when you really look at it, it’s really fair. You know, we have an optional subscription that provides incredible value when you consider what you get. And it costs a lot of money to run the servers and pay the teams. You have to be able to recoup some of those costs. And that’s how you can make money. That’s why you monetize games.
If you break it down to value per dollar, you spend 40 dollars for a new chapter upgrade. Well, what do you get for that? 40 dollars over 60 hours. That’s about 0.66 dollars per hour. That’s a pretty good value, right?
It’s definitely a sensitive topic because everyone is struggling with the economy and the pandemic and so on. But ultimately I think it’s really, really fair.
Developing MMORPGs is risky, but new games need to be more social
MeinMMO: In the last 6 months, two new MMORPGs, New World and Lost Ark, have come onto the market and garnered a lot of attention. Do you generally look at the direct competition? Do you gather inspirations from them and learn from their successes and problems?
Lambert: I’m a big gamer and a big nerd, so I play games. I play games. So I play everything that comes out as direct competition. But I also play other games. I’ve put 130 hours into Elden Ring and another hundred hours into Forbidden West.
So when something new comes out, I want to play it and take it apart and find out why the team made some of the decisions they did and what works for me and what doesn’t work. I think that’s how you grow as a designer.
I hope more and more games will come out. It’s been great to have a bit more competition and to get a few new ideas.
This is what it looks like in the harbor city of High Isle.
MeinMMO: How do you generally see the future of MMORPGs?
Lambert: I believe, just because they are so expensive and risky to make, there will be more targeted games rather than those huge games that first hit the market. They will be smaller and more focused, and then grow in the areas where players want growth.
I’m sure that MMOs will have to become increasingly social over time, as developing social bonds and the ability to regularly interact with friends is the magic. And that is what keeps players coming back to this type of game.
MeinMMO: That’s super exciting because this trend towards more social interaction is something we’ve also noticed more, especially with titles like Embers Adrift or Palia on the horizon.
Lambert: Yes, I mean, there’s a balance, and you have to provide something for everyone. I believe if you only focus on one specific aspect, there will be a group that is really interested in that and they will then focus on that. But it’s hard to break out of that group or niche. So developing MMOs is definitely a challenge.
For those interested in the shift in MMORPGs, you can listen to our podcast on it here:
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MeinMMO: When we talk about the future, virtual reality is always a topic. What do you think about it?
Lambert: I think VR is interesting. The Holodeck is of course the holy grail of everything, right? But it has its challenges. I know that I personally suffer from pretty extreme motion sickness. And VR makes that absolutely ruinous for me.
I really get sick when I play VR games. So unless we can find a way to solve this problem, I don’t know if it will make its way out of the core markets and into the mainstream.
Performance is the biggest issue with ESO
MeinMMO: If you could change one thing about ESO – regardless of time and budget – what would it be?
Lambert: That’s undoubtedly the easiest question. It would be the performance. If we could go back and redo everything from scratch, we would definitely focus more on scalability and performance in high-traffic combat. I believe that’s really the only thing holding ESO back from exploding completely.
PvP players have a hard time during prime time, and if we can get a handle on that, there’s nothing out there that comes close to what we have. That’s why we are working on it. It’s just, it’s a tough problem.
MeinMMO: Thank you very much Rich Lambert for the interview!
Anyone who wants to read everything about the new expansion High Isle can do so here:
With High Isle, the MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online gets its own card game. You can play against NPCs, but also against friends and in a leaderboard against other players. We at MeinMMO were able to try out the content in advance and reveal how the Tales of Glory work.
What kind of card game is this? The Tales of Glory are a very strategic game that differs significantly from card games like Hearthstone or Magic: The Gathering. While you fight 1v1 against someone else, the typical combat elements take a backseat. You also do not need to eliminate the opponent’s life points.
Instead, during the match, you build a deck whose goal is to win the game in two different ways:
You collect 40 prestige points
You gain the favor of all 4 patrons on the table
If you succeed in either, you win the match. In PvE, this primarily means following a small story or dueling for some resources as a reward.
However, there is also a PvP aspect where you can optionally challenge friends nearby or enter a queue to face another player.
Assemble a hand to win
How does the game proceed? At the start, your deck on the field only contains cards that give you either a gold coin or one power. You draw 5 each round.
You can use gold coins to buy the cards that are in the middle of the table.
Power, on the other hand, is converted into prestige at the end of your turn, with which you can win the match.
If you buy a card from the middle of the playing field, it goes to your discard pile. This discard pile gets shuffled back into your deck once you can no longer draw cards, which happens very quickly at the start as you only start with 6 cards.
The game is played alternately. If you have no cards left in hand, you can end your turn, and the opponent takes their turn. It is advisable to play all hand cards, as the hand will be discarded at the end of the turn anyway.
In this image, you can roughly see the setup of the table: In the middle, there are openly 5 different cards that can be purchased. Everyone has their assembled deck and 5 hand cards that are drawn each round.
What do the cards from the middle bring? The cards you buy from the middle can belong to one of three types:
Action Cards – These have an activation and a combo effect. Combos are activated when you play the respective number of required cards. Typically, these effects bring additional gold or more power. Some also let you draw additional cards or remove cards from your deck, such as the boring 1-gold cards.
Agents – They have similar effects to action cards, but they stay on the field until the opponent removes them. This way, their effect automatically activates gold or power each round. Some have the effect that they prevent enemies from collecting prestige points if they are not defeated. To defeat them, you must bring their life points to 0.
Contracts – These cards only work once; they are played directly when you buy them.
Within a match, you build the perfect deck to win the game. You start with boring cards and grow stronger from round to round.
How do I win now? The easiest way is to play a total of 40 power throughout the game. At the end of your turn, power is always converted into prestige. Whoever has 40 prestige wins.
However, there is a second way you can win. On the edge of the game are 4 patrons, from which each player selects two at the start of a match. You can “buy” these patrons with gold, power, or other effects.
They have the states:
Friendly
Neutral
Hostile
All patrons start neutral and become friendly or hostile depending on which player “buys” them. However, you can buy them back to neutral and later also friendly. Purchasing a patron is only possible once per round.
Additionally, each patron has a special effect when they are friendly or hostile towards you. These effects provide more gold or let you remove cards from your deck again. The exact effects will be supplemented in the future in this article.
The cards in the middle are determined by the players’ decks
How do the cards in the middle come about? The cards in the middle come from a total of 4 decks. Each player brings two of them into the round. However, these decks are fixed and cannot be changed.
At the beginning, you already unlock four different decks through the tutorial. You get another four decks by completing special quests or achievements. These decks contain about 20 different cards with various effects.
There will be no decks available in the shop and no trading or exchanging between players.
What are these quests and achievements for new decks? We will update this part of the guide as soon as we have more time to test the new expansion.
You can compete against NPCs and other players
How do I unlock the new card game? The unlocking takes place through a new tutorial quest that you can accept in the harbor town on the High Isles.
How do I play against other opponents?
In every tavern, you can challenge NPCs
You can play directly against friends
You can join a queue for the Tales of Glory in the group finder, where you also register for dungeons or PvP. There you can compete against other players in unranked or ranked matches.
As rewards, there are achievements, collectibles, furnishings, and gold.
What do you think of the new card game? Are you interested in the Tales of Glory or will you prefer to dedicate yourself to other contents of High Isle?
We have gathered everything about the new expansion here:
Christopher Nkunku of RB Leipzig is Player of the Month in FIFA 22 – once again. The Frenchman collects special cards so regularly that it has become a running joke in the community.
What kind of card is this? The Player of the Month for the Bundesliga is awarded for the previous month and also leads to a special card in FIFA 22. You can’t get that in packs, but rather through Squad Building Challenges.
Christopher Nkunku is the new, current Player of the Month for “March” with a strong 91-rated card. However, FIFA players will see his face in this category not for the first time.
In the previous month, February, Nkunku secured the special card, receiving a 90 overall rating.
In October, Nkunku was already Player of the Month. At that time he got an 88.
Nkunku continues to collect strong cards
But these are far from all the special cards Nkunku has been able to secure so far. In fact, he has already collected a total of 9 special cards in FIFA 22:
Two “Rulebreakers” cards – although you could only get at most one
One “Team of the Group Stage” card, for his performances in the Champions League up to this point
One Headliner card – such cards were given to the best players of the first half of the season
And additionally the 3 POTM cards, that is, “Player of the Month”
For comparison:
Lionel Messi has collected only 3 special cards in FIFA 22
Cristiano Ronaldo has 6
Kylian Mbappé is tied with 9 special cards – although this number is also due to a faulty card appearing twice in the game.
Players believe: There’s more to come
Nkunku is this strong: What stands out with Nkunku is that, apart from the “Rulebreaker” cards, all his special cards are related to his real-life performances. Nkunku has impressive stats in real life as well:
This season, Nkunku scored 17 goals in the Bundesliga and provided 14 assists (in 17 games)
In the Champions League, he has 7 goals and 2 assists (in 6 games)
In the DFB-Pokal, he scored 3 goals and provided 2 assists (4 games)
And one goal in the Europa League (1 game)
Furthermore, he has already scored two goals and provided three assists in just two games in April. Accordingly, players already see him as a “Player of the Month” candidate in April.
Start video
FIFA 22: 10 helpful tips that will improve your gameplay
Fans are counting on more cards anyway.
“He will receive at least two more cards this year,” speculates one user (via reddit).
“Imagine if he got another promo card after the TOTS, like the Summer Stars or something,” says another (via reddit).
In the FIFA community, Nkunku cards have developed into a kind of running joke. Every time, at least one person writes “Finally! A Nkunku special card”.
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A player in the FIFA subreddit once created a theoretical team of Nkunkus, in which only one card would be missing (two if you count the Rulebreakers as just one).
However, he expects one more Nkunku card for the Team of the Season – and that is also relatively likely, as the best players of the season are awarded in each individual league.
Who do you think still deserves special cards? Let us know in the comments.
The space game No Man’s Sky had a rough launch after it broke under its own ambitions. However, this does not seem to deter the creators at Hello Games regarding their next project. Because it is supposed to be very ambitious again.
What is happening with the developers of NMS? No Man’s Sky was for many years the typical story brought up when talking about games that did not meet set expectations.
Now Sean Murray from Hello Games commented to the portal IGN about the studio’s next project. They have been working in the background on something that is “quite ambitious” for quite a while.
What exactly does the boss say? “Similar to No Man’s Sky, it’s the kind of project that seems impossible even if a thousand people were working on it,” explains Murray. He further states: “A small team is working on it, but we like it that way.”
What kind of project it is remains unknown so far. It is currently said to be at a very early stage of development.
In the meantime, Hello Games is also continuing to work on No Man’s Sky: “No Man’s Sky will not be held back by the next project, but the new project will not be slowed down by No Man’s Sky either.”
What is happening with No Man’s Sky right now?
This is the status of No Man’s Sky: The space adventure has just introduced a new update. It is called “Outlaws” and turns you into smugglers and space pirates:
Start video
No Man’s Sky brings a new update, sends you into the criminal underworld of ‘Outlaws’
Overall, No Man’s Sky today is no longer the game it was at its difficult release. With numerous updates, No Man’s Sky has been continuously expanded and improved over the years.
Nowadays, the game is still often quoted in gaming communities, but rarely with a focus on the broken release. Much more, it is seen as a comeback story – which has also led to good reviews.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Today, April 14th marks the start of the co-op mode of the RPG hidden gem Solasta: Crown of the Magister on Steam.
What does the co-op mode offer: The co-op mode includes everything that the base game has to offer. In addition to the main story, current and upcoming DLCs should also be playable with friends.
In the co-op mode of Solasta, each player controls one or more characters. If you play as a pair, each creates two characters. If you play as a quartet, each creates one.
It is even possible, as the developers revealed to MeinMMO, to use old save files and open current save files for the co-op mode.
Start video
Everything you need to know about the co-op mode in Solasta
When and how can I play the co-op mode of Solasta?
When can I play the co-op mode? If you own the game Solasta: Crown of the Magister, you can play the multiplayer starting today, April 14, 2022. This is released as a free update and does not need to be purchased as a paid DLC.
What is Solasta? Solasta is a tactical role-playing game based on the 5th edition of Dungeons and Dragons. In this turn-based game, you take turns using your abilities, attacks, or spells.
In addition to the co-op mode being released today, Solasta also has its own story. There, you complete tasks in a group assembled from 4 adventurers of your choice, explore numerous areas, and convince, seduce, or steal from NPCs.
Solasta has a unique dynamic in co-op mode. Each player decides for themselves whether to stay with the group or explore alone. Since you no longer control the entire group alone, each character develops something like its own will.
In general, Solasta differs from many RPGs on the market. Unlike games like The Witcher or Elden Ring, Solasta directly caters to fans of “pen and paper” RPGs like Dungeons and Dragons.
Does the concept of Solasta appeal to you, so you will test the multiplayer?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Blaidd the Half-Wolf is one of the most popular characters in the community of Elden Ring. But why is that? MeinMMO introduces him to you and shows what makes him so appealing to fans.
However, there are some NPCs that are very popular among fans. Blaidd the Half-Wolf is probably one of the most popular. He is merely a side character who has a supporting role in a side quest.
But how did Blaidd manage to capture the hearts of his fans? We summarize the story of the sympathetic Half-Wolf for you and gather the reasons fans state for why they like him so much.
Note: This article contains possible spoilers regarding Blaidd, as he is associated with an important quest. We won’t go into detail, but his role is crucial to why he is so beloved. Therefore, you should not read further if you don’t want to learn anything about the story.
Blaidd is the loyal companion of Ranni, the Moon Witch
Who is Blaidd? Blaidd is referred to in the game as “Blaidd the Half-Wolf”. Depending on how you progress through the game, you can meet him in various locations. He is the loyal servant of the witch Ranni and you will encounter him multiple times. You can find out where exactly and what steps are needed in detail in our guide to Ranni’s quest. An overview is also in the works.
During the quest, you learn that Blaidd is something like a brother to Ranni and that he follows her unconditionally. He initially reacts skeptically to the players but becomes friendly as they progress. Those who serve his mistress are also his friends.
He throws himself into every fight for Ranni and also fights alongside you against General Radahn, one of the major bosses in Elden Ring. He goes to great lengths and does not shy away from death.
This is Blaidd’s mistress, the Snow Witch Ranni
However, it seems Blaidd is TOO devoted. What exactly that means is something we initially do not know. But this is indicated by the weapon master Iji, who is also a servant of the witch. He is somewhat like Blaidd’s older brother and looks after the naive Half-Wolf. In fact, he even locks Blaidd up, as he may pose a danger to his mistress.
This becomes evident throughout the quest, and his story ends quite tragically; you must even take Blaidd down yourself at the end. Ranni disappears upon completing her mission, and Blaidd subsequently loses his mind.
So much for the few sympathetic NPCs that Elden Ring has. Those that exist often have to be killed because they go mad or meet a tragic fate.
That being said, overall, the Half-Wolf plays only a supporting role in the quest, yet he has evidently remained in the memories of many players. Because when you look around the community, Blaidd has gained a lot of fans.
Fans celebrate Blaidd as a “living legend”
Just recently, a post in the general gaming subreddit went viral, celebrating Blaidd by the community. The post has (as of April 14, 3:30 PM) over 35,000 upvotes and more than 1,700 comments.
It started with a picture from user kalamit889:
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This describes why Blaidd has become a “living legend” in his eyes:
He appears every few hours during a playthrough
He speaks only a few moderate sentences and has few animations
“Simps” so hard that it has become his life’s purpose
Is a large amount of fur
Instantly became a community favorite among NPCs.
What does “Simp” mean? Simp comes from internet slang and refers to someone who shows excessive sympathy and attention to another person without it being reciprocated.
HawkeyeP1 describes it like this: “He is a damn werewolf-gentleman-swordsman. That’s damn cool. Don’t slander the homie.”
In the comments, there are further reasons. Nadordan writes, for instance: “He is very friendly and has a sense of humor.” Many also praise the voice actor, who they believe did an “excellent job”.
Blaidd has even influenced the choice of endings in Elden Ring for some players: “I chose Ranni’s ending in my first playthrough. Blaidd is such a good boy.” – LtColShinySides
He also sees a parallel to other community favorites from games like Dark Souls. Generally, it is the nice characters who are celebrated by people. This is not particularly surprising, but there is a prominent example: Solaire of Astora.
This knight should be known to anyone, at least by appearance, who has been informed about gaming in recent years.
Blaidd’s popularity reminds of Solaire from Dark Souls
Who even is that? Solaire of Astora is a legend and a meme in the Souls community. The knight made his first and only real appearance in Dark Souls 1.
Here you see the founder of the Sunbro cult
There, he introduces himself as a sympathetic optimist who wants to help others and is on a quest for “his own sun.” The term “jolly cooperation” comes from him and symbolizes the part of the community that helps others through the game.
His sun symbol is also the emblem for each of the co-op factions in the Dark Souls games.
Solaire has remained in the minds of many players as a friendly sun knight, but like Blaidd, he met a rather unfortunate end as the victim of his goal and slave to his “new sun.”
While Blaidd does not share this co-op connection, like him, Solaire is one of the few friendly NPCs. The onion knight Siegmeyer is also one of the most beloved NPCs and stands out with his sympathetic nature among the grim figures.
Fun fact on the side: All characters related to Ranni’s quest have Welsh names and speak with a Welsh accent.
Fans have now noticed this, and Salted-Kipper6969 finds it quite annoying: “As someone living in Wales, this is damn irritating because I can’t unhear it; I’m supposed to wander through this mythical land, but everyone sounds like they’re from here.”
How about you? Which NPCs from Elden Ring or other FromSoftware games did you find particularly good or interesting?
The Lance Master will be the next class to find its way into the MMORPG Lost Ark. Thanks to a tweet, we finally know when this class will be released.
When will the Lance Master be released? At the beginning of April, the roadmap for the upcoming months in Lost Ark was published. From it, we already knew that the new class Lance Master should debut in April.
However, there has not been an exact release date until now.
But today, there is a tweet from the developers showcasing a spear and the date April 21. On this day, the next major patch will also be released. Therefore, it is considered certain that the class will be released on April 21. The only other possible date would be a week later.
Popular and strong class finally comes to Lost Ark
What makes the Lance Master special? The Lance Master is the only martial artist who wields real weapons. She switches between a spear and a glaive. Both weapons have different abilities.
As a Lance Master, you will be very mobile with the right tripods and should try to attack enemies from behind.
In Korea and Russia, the class ranks S in several tier lists. We will also be able to incorporate her into our tier lists in the near future.
What do you think about the new class? Are you looking forward to the release next week? Or will you ignore the class for now and wait for the release of another?
If you want to prepare for the Lance Master already, you can check out our class guide:
A new game by the Pokémon GO creators Niantic called Peridot has been announced. It has some similarities but also significant differences – will Peridot be an alternative to Pokémon GO?
What is Peridot? Peridot focuses on taming, raising, and breeding virtual pets – the titular “Peridots”, or simply “Dots”. Augmented Reality will play a major role – you will see your new friends interact with you and the real world through your smartphone’s camera.
The aspects presented so far of the new game are elements that are indeed not foreign to the core concept of Pokémon GO and the broader Pokémon universe. This raises the question: Will Peridot be a real competitor to Pokémon GO?
At least it offers some features that players have long wanted in Pokémon GO.
What can Peridot do that Pokémon GO cannot?
These are the features that Peridot gets: The most striking and at the same time interesting aspect is the point “breeding”. Those who have played the classic mainline Pokémon games intensely know that breeding is also an important factor here.
Numerous trainers have invested countless hours to breed Pokémon with perfect stats. In contrast, this feature has never made it into Pokémon GO, although players expected it especially in the early days.
While there are Pokémon eggs in the game that you collect at PokéStops or receive from Team Rocket – that’s about it. Ultimately, what hatches from the egg is left to a small monster pool and chance.
In Peridot, monster families will be an important factor
With Peridot, however, this topic will take an important focus. Every Peridot you raise is supposed to be unique. You can then use this to pass on certain traits to the next Dot generation.
An additional aspect is certain social features that Pokémon GO trainers have long desired. These are clearly visible in the Peridot announcement: Among other things, there is an in-game chat where players can interact directly.
Such a chat has been missing in Pokémon GO to this day, even though it would be very useful for organizing raids. At least there are hints that Pokémon GO could also get such a feature.
Moreover, Peridot seems primarily to be a “friendly” game, focusing solely on raising and caring for individual creatures.
This might appeal more to players who enjoyed “Tamagotchi” or “Nintendogs”. In Pokémon GO, however, you collect a lot of monsters with little focus on individual ones – with certain exceptions, like the buddy aspect.
What can Pokémon GO do that Peridot cannot?
Where does Pokémon GO have the advantage? The most important aspect is certainly the Pokémon themselves. Searching for and collecting monsters is classic Pokémon and fits really well with the approach of searching outside with your phone. At least it has survived other examples like “Harry Potter – Wizards Unite” quite effortlessly.
This is also written by some players in the Pokémon GO subreddit: “If they added these features to PoGo, I would be interested. I want to play with my Sneasal, not with these things,” writes user BenPliskin (via reddit).
Due to the different approaches to gameplay, Peridot may become more of a supplement rather than a competitor to Pokémon GO. For example, when you no longer have new monsters to search for in Pokémon GO, have little interest in PvP, and prefer to dedicate your time to a single monster.
However, it is important to note: At the end of the day, both games are likely played primarily while walking and moving around. Therefore, capacities are also limited. Whether players simply have enough time for both games – that will still have to be seen.
What do you think of the new game? Are you interested in Peridot, do you want something new? Or do you prefer to stick with the classic Pokémon? Let us know in the comments!
Meanwhile, discussions are taking place in Pokémon GO about a revision of mega evolutions. Recently, new hints about mega Pokémon have surfaced again.
Furthermore, Pokémon GO offers combat elements. Gyms, Team Rocket, raids, PvP league – these are all aspects that have not yet appeared in Peridot. It is possible that competitive elements may be introduced here – but so far, it does not look that way.
Start video
Pokémon GO: The strongest attackers of all types in the video
What connects both games?
Apart from the points mentioned so far, both games want to lure players outside. Discovering new places while collecting monsters – that lies in the DNA of both games. In Pokémon GO, this factor is also being emphasized again.
Additionally, the monsters in both games can interact with your environment, thanks to the AR camera. In Pokémon GO, however, this has so far been somewhat limited in terms of available functions.
You can catch monsters in the real world
Or interact with your buddy Pokémon
Apart from a few nice animations, the feeding of berries or photo shoots, your buddy Pokémon do not do much in camera mode.
In Peridot, you should take care of your “Dots” intensively
At least in the announcement, Peridot seems to place a greater focus on interaction. There is also a feeding and play system, but you should also be able to teach the Dots tricks or let them search for treasures. Raising the monsters will be based on interaction – so it’s possible that Peridot may have the edge here.
Could Peridot replace Pokémon GO?
As it stands, Pokémon GO and Peridot seem to share some similarities, but also have sufficient differences. Purely from the gameplay perspective, no direct competition seems to be developing here. Nevertheless, it seems that the new Peridot features could have done Pokémon GO as an extension a lot of good.
It should also be noted that many trainers have been playing Pokémon GO for years and have invested not only time but also money. This naturally creates a commitment. At the same time, some trainers might have experienced boredom, which certainly provides an opportunity for something new.
Due to the different approaches to gameplay, Peridot may become more of a supplement rather than a competitor to Pokémon GO. For example, when you no longer have new monsters to search for in Pokémon GO, have little interest in PvP, and prefer to dedicate your time to a single monster.
However, it is important to note: At the end of the day, both games are likely played primarily while walking and moving around. Therefore, capacities are also limited. Whether players simply have enough time for both games – that will still have to be seen.
What do you think of the new game? Are you interested in Peridot, do you want something new? Or do you prefer to stick with the classic Pokémon? Let us know in the comments!
Meanwhile, discussions are taking place in Pokémon GO about a revision of mega evolutions. Recently, new hints about mega Pokémon have surfaced again.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands has been released and gives out gifts right at launch. We will show you the new Shift Code and how to redeem these gifts here.
What is a Shift Code? Those who have been playing the Borderlands series for a while will know about Shift Codes. You can redeem these codes in-game to obtain free loot. This system is also being used for Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands.
We will continuously add active Shift Codes to the following table as soon as they become known.
Shift Code
Content
Expires on…
JJRJB-CS3WZ-WWTW5-33BJT-JZ9RJ
1 Skeleton Key
04/18/2022
B3F3J-3S3KZ-CWBWC-BTT3T-SHF5F
1 Skeleton Key
04/18/2022
TBX3T-96TCZ-K53WC-BBTBB-THXJT
1 Skeleton Key
04/14/2022
BTX3T-6RTWZ-K5BW5-3BBB3-3TFCZ
1 Skeleton Key
04/08/2022
BTFTB-RSJKZ-WWB5C-T3JJT-BS36S
1 Skeleton Key
04/07/2022
TB6BT-SWJCS-WKTK5-3B3B3-5BJW9
1 Skeleton Key
04/07/2022
B36T3-KSZ6F-K5TKK-JJ3B3-B6B3J
Vault Symbol Banner
03/27/2022
JBRTT-BZH6F-CC3W5-3TTTB-XB9HH
1 Skeleton Key
03/31/2022
Update, April 12, 2022: A new Shift Code for a Skeleton Key has been added. Expires on April 18.
JJRJB-CS3WZ-WWTW5-33BJT-JZ9RJ
Update, April 11, 2022: The next Shift Code provides a Skeleton Key, expires on April 18:
B3F3J-3S3KZ-CWBWC-BTT3T-SHF5F
Update, April 8, 2022: A new Shift Code has been added – with a Skeleton Key and valid until April 14, 2022:
TBX3T-96TCZ-K53WC-BBTBB-THXJT
Update, April 6, 2022: We have expanded the list with another Shift Code. It includes a Skeleton Key and expires on April 8, 2022:
BTX3T-6RTWZ-K5BW5-3BBB3-3TFCZ
Update, April 1, 2022: Another Shift Code has been announced. It includes a Skeleton Key and expires on April 7, 2022.
BTFTB-RSJKZ-WWB5C-T3JJT-BS36S
Update, March 31, 2022: Another Shift Code for a Skeleton Key was released via Twitter:
TB6BT-SWJCS-WKTK5-3B3B3-5BJW9
The code expires on April 7, 2022.
Update, March 26: Another Shift Code has been released:
B36T3-KSZ6F-K5TKK-JJ3B3-B6B3J
This code expires on March 27.
This is the 1st Shift Code: The first active Shift Code for the game was announced right on time for the release of Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands:
JBRTT-BZH6F-CC3W5-3TTTB-XB9HH
This code gives you a Skeleton Key. But don’t wait too long to redeem it: It’s only valid until March 31, 2022.
We will show you how to use the keys here.
How to redeem Shift Codes in Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands
What you need: Basically, you need to create a Shift account first. This can be done through the official Shift site of Gearbox (here is the link). You can then link this to your respective gaming platform.
Now you have two options:
Either redeem the code directly on the website
Or go to the social menu in Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands (in-game) and enter the code there.
What do I get for the code? Most of the time, Shift Codes will provide what are called “Skeleton Keys” – as does the code mentioned above.
How do I get loot with the Skeleton Key? The Skeleton Key is intended for the large treasure chest in the location Prachthuf. You can only open this chest with Skeleton Keys.
Here you can find the Skeleton Key Chest
In general, you will find pretty decent loot there, which can give you an advantage, especially in the early stages of the game.
By the way: You can generally use fast travel in Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands to get to Prachthuf and then travel back immediately. So you don’t have to worry about long distances when you want to redeem a Skeleton Key.
Have you already started in the Wonderlands, or are you still considering it? Then find 5 things you should know before buying Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands here.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Eintracht Spandau is the LoL team of HandOfBlood and his agency INSTINCT3. MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch spoke with Christian “nRated” Seitz, the coach of the team. They discussed a typical daily routine, the composition of the team, and his general view on the development of e-sports in LoL.
The first part of the season, the Spring Split, ultimately went very well for the team after a difficult start. They secured second place in the league and later also second place in the playoffs.
We at MeinMMO have now talked with the head coach of Eintracht Spandau. He provided some interesting insights behind the scenes of the team and into the daily life of a coach.
Who is nRated? Christoph “nRated” Seitz was born in July 1991 and has been competitively involved in League of Legends since 2010. He started with Dimegio Club and SK Gaming, later also playing for Fnatic and as a substitute for Evil Geniuses. Since 2019, he has been working as a coach and has previously managed the second team of Rogue and Schalke 04 Evolution.
“I’m no longer active but watch a lot of games”
MeinMMO: Hello nRated and thank you for this interview. Since 2019, you have primarily been working as a coach in League of Legends. How does one imagine life as a coach?
nRated: A normal day for me is relatively uneventful. I wake up between 9 and 10 am, check what tasks are pending. Depending on that, I shower, have breakfast, and while doing so, I might watch games from the LCK [Korea] and LPL [China] to prepare for the training matches.
Which drafts should be played and why, what exactly are the training contents I want to convey, and how do I want to convey these. If I have preparations or planning, I usually tackle these early in the day as well. This includes bookings for training matches, possibly interviews, and presenting statistics effectively.
MeinMMO: How important is it to still play LoL actively as a coach and how actively and successfully do you still play?
nRated: This probably varies for every coach. I no longer play actively much; instead, I watch a lot of other regions and competitive games and draw conclusions from them. But I’ve been active for over 10 years and have gone through many different game changes, so it’s easier to draw conclusions and formulate theses that need proving.
Essentially, it’s beneficial for many coaches to actively play LoL, but I’m very ambitious about it. Either I focus on my own game, or I try to recognize and work on things for my players. Therefore, I am currently at a point where I play little but analyze a lot and pass on those conclusions.
Start video
Everything you need to know about the LoL team Eintracht Spandau – in 4 minutes
“I was given free rein in selecting the team”
MeinMMO: Your journey has now brought you to Eintracht Spandau, currently the most interesting team in the German LoL scene. How exactly did you end up with this team?
nRated: At the time when I first heard the rumor, I was still actively with Schalke 04 as head coach and knew Max [HandOfBlood], Hendrik Ruhe, and Johannes Gorzel from earlier when they were still working at Freaks 4U Gaming. I was involved in the beginnings of their work and was partly involved in some videos and also in the analysis of the Worlds.
Initially, I first inquired whether there was any truth to the rumors and from there got into conversation. Unfortunately, we hadn’t had significant overlaps in the past since I was more involved in competitive e-sports and they had made a name for themselves more as commentators and influencers.
Eintracht Spandau was the first project where both aspects merged, and the vision behind it felt tailor-made for me. Following that, there were several intensive discussions in the application process, and the rest is history.
MeinMMO: How much influence did you have on the composition of the team?
nRated: I was primarily responsible for selecting the team; Kevin Westphal, our sports management, gave me free rein, for which I am also grateful. In the past, the teams’ rosters were usually already set, and I, as a coach, only joined later. However, here we worked together and assembled a roster according to my ideas.
We had a longer tryout phase to find the right players with the right mindset, but everything was based on my guidelines and requirements.
My primary goal was to assemble a team that could function without extreme egos. Initially, this was because a team’s progress regarding the EU Masters requires a lot of critique and growth.
On the other hand, it’s also about finding compatible players to generally enable a team structure where everyone wants to work with everyone, brings the same potential, and can also develop it.
This is what the team of Eintracht Spandau looks like. From left to right: Obsess, Prime, Kynetic, Pride, Special.
“I wouldn’t be with Eintracht Spandau if it were just a marketing stunt”
MeinMMO: Hand on heart: Did you expect to finish second and qualify directly for the EU Masters before the start of the Spring Split? Or did you initially dismiss that as a dream of HandOfBlood and his team?
nRated: The management clearly communicated to us that we should aim for the upper mid-field in our first split, but internally it was a bit different.
My statement was that with this roster, we should come in the Top 3. I saw that as a direct goal for us. If it had been just a marketing stunt, I wouldn’t have been involved. However, I had known from earlier times that it was a dream of Max to build a prestigious e-sport organization of his own. Now, as a traditional club, we are definitely very ambitious.
The general internal goal of the team was from the beginning to qualify for the EU Masters and to improve as much as possible. We were convinced we could do it. Initially, it was more about gaining as much as possible in the first split and then, at the latest, attacking directly in the summer. Now just before the EU Masters, I can say that I see significant potential in my team.
As the groups are now set, I think we can make it out of the group phase and reach the quarter-finals, semi-finals, or even the finals.
The EU Masters are not a sprint but a marathon, and we want to gain as much experience as we can to also play strongly together as a team in the next split.
You can see an insight into the world of Eintracht Spandau and their first split in the Prime League in this video:
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MeinMMO: What do you think is the special attraction of Eintracht Spandau that is resulting in this huge hype?
nRated: The authenticity, nothing is staged here. We feel and live the hype we convey and are personally excited to play under this banner. The fans are a gift! I believe I have never experienced such club-like fan structures in an e-sports organization. The extent to which this is taking shape surprises again and again.
Initially, it was planned for an ultra fan club, and now there are well over 20, who organize themselves independently of our club, host events, and support us with incredible enthusiasm. Especially after a 0-3 final, that’s really not something to be taken for granted, but they give us strength and stand behind us, come what may.
At this point, a huge compliment and big thanks to the community and the ultras!
“We underestimated GamerLegion, but will definitely make it to the quarter-finals of the EU Masters”
MeinMMO: After a strong second half and a good start in the playoffs, you eventually lost to GamerLegion in the grand final. How are you dealing with the defeat, and what have you learned for the upcoming EU Masters?
nRated: The defeat against GamerLegion was attributed to several factors. In the week or two leading up to it, we had extremely poor training, where we continuously threw away games individually. That comes back to haunt you.
Moreover, we beat GL 3-0 in the upper bracket final, which led us to underestimate them.
In retrospect, this will help us now regarding the EU Masters. I can clearly feel the change in training since then; on an individual level, we have more determination and want to make up for it and play even stronger.
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MeinMMO: How realistic do you see your chances at the EU Masters? After all, strong teams from France and Spain are also joining.
nRated: We will definitely make it to the quarter-finals! Everything beyond that will depend on luck in the draw, but I am confident that we can hold our own against most teams.
What matters is how much we will improve through the groups up to that point, but so far my guys are taking a lot from this and getting consistently better.
I think France should not be underestimated, but the difference between Spanish teams and those from our league is minimal to non-existent. The hype generated before the season probably wasn’t justified.
First, the groups need to be considered, but four teams from the French LFL, three from the Prime League, and only two teams from the Spanish LVP already speak volumes. I’m curious to see who will prevail, but we will most likely not see a purely French final.
“At Schalke, I was more isolated than connected with the club”
MeinMMO: You were also part of the coaching staff of Schalke 04 Evolution for a while. Schalke 04 is, after all, an established football club. Were there differences in the structure and setup of the team, especially compared to classic e-sports organizations?
nRated: At Schalke, I was quite self-reliant and trained the team independently. So from my perspective, no. However, when it came to the LEC team, there was the gaming house and several coaches, which, from the structure, did not differ fundamentally from other organizations.
In general, Schalke has since made a switch, where the team in the Prime League is now much closer and more integrated with the club. Therefore, I would say that there should have been some changes since then.
But at the time when I was a coach there, it was entirely different; we were more isolated than directly connected with the club.
“Everything is more professional, but the lack of promotion takes competition and class out of the game”
MeinMMO: You have been active in e-sports in LoL since 2010, and you have played for SK Gaming and Fnatic. How do you remember your time as an active player? What were the biggest highlights for you?
nRated: Back then, nobody had in mind that e-sports could actually become a career option. I kind of grew into it and professionalized along with the scene. Generally, I have had many good and bad experiences and have taken a lot for myself.
The best time was when we, with Fnatic – Soaz, Cyanide, xPeke, Rekkles – had a boot camp in Sweden for the Dreamhack and decided at short notice to step in for a team at IPL5, which took place in Las Vegas.
At the Dreamhack, we played in the final against CLG EU, who were at that time one of the best teams in the world, and we dominated them. Then participating in Las Vegas against the reigning world champions, TPA, and receiving 2-3 respect bans against me was a damn good feeling!
A video of the match between CLG and Fnatic has been included here:
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When you compare e-sports in LoL today with that of 12 years ago, what are the biggest differences? What has developed particularly positively and what perhaps negatively?
nRated: I think the structures had to be built first. Nowadays, everything is much more professional. Players have higher expectations and must meet higher standards. Moreover, there were no coaches back then, although I have to say that Riot is pushing for them, yet it does not mean that there is enough competent staff to fill those roles.
The biggest and most significant difference from then to now is the franchise system, which grants licenses for slots to teams. In my active time as a player, one always had to fight for relegation. Therefore, the difference between the best team in the league and the worst was closer together, and one had to remain competitive.
Not having the option for promotion from a lower league as an emerging team takes away a lot of competition and direct class from the game.
MeinMMO: Thank you for the conversation nRated and best of luck to Eintracht Spandau at the EU Masters!
You can find more about Eintracht Spandau’s season in this article:
Magic has a reputation in parts of the Elden Ring community for being played only by people who find the game too hard or who are too afraid to engage in melee combat. A player has now demonstrated in a PvP duel how wrong these claims are.
What is the problem with magic?
Some in the community believe that magic makes the game too easy and that its users therefore do not play it “correctly”.
Melee combat without aids is crucial, and since magic primarily relies on ranged combat, this is considered too easy.
It is the “git gud” part of the community that believes you truly play games like Elden Ring or Dark Souls only by ignoring half of the features.
However, magic is much more than cowardly ranged combat, as the reddit user DeathtosoproC impressively shows in a clip that features a PvP duel of his:
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Overall, the clip attracted a lot of attention and has over 16,000 upvotes and more than 1,300 comments on reddit (as of April 14, 12:30).
Player defends Mage Builds and receives much support
This is what is seen in the clip: The user plays a pure mage build but does not use the usual spells that are considered OP. He also uses the Carian spells that focus on sword magic.
This allows him to use magical attacks that utilize sword animations. His build is essentially a magical swordsman, a hybrid of ranged and melee magic. Some spells he uses include the Carian Spear and Collapsing Stars.
The duel is intense, but he quickly manages to dominate the opponent through his flexible play style. The opponent also seems unprepared for melee magic, as this is rarely seen in PvP.
He himself asks: “Is everyone still hating on mage builds or is this acceptable?” Thus, he addresses the part of the community that looks down on mages. However, there are hardly any reactions from them, and instead, he is praised by other users.
RedShadowF95 writes: “Nah, no hate. This is graceful and looks like a battle mage at the peak of his game. Well done.”
Most commentators agree and many want to try a similar build now. Fundamentally, most agree: Everyone should play the way they feel is right.
Many players are impressed by how precisely and quickly he switches and applies his spells, playing aggressively while not letting the opponent escape.
However, there are also magic critics beyond the “git gud” faction. Some of them criticize that they constantly encounter mages who just spam their spells without actually fighting. In this case, that is not so, which is why they have no problems with this build.
Many players are impressed by how precisely and quickly he switches and applies his spells, playing aggressively while not letting the opponent escape.
However, there are also magic critics beyond the “git gud” faction. Some of them criticize that they constantly encounter mages who just spam their spells without actually fighting. In this case, that is not so, which is why they have no problems with this build.
The famous Twitch streamer Sodapoppin has been banned from the platform. A clip from his stream, which indicates the speculated reason for the ban, shows him painting a video game character black. He then explains his behavior on Reddit.
Why was he banned? Sodapoppin played a game during a livestream on Twitch. There he was able to “paint” the face of the video game character with makeup.
Sodapoppin chose a dark brown-black shade and painted the entire face of the character. In the meantime, he uttered the word “Blackface” without a coherent sentence.
This clip is now circulating on the internet with the suspicion that Sodapoppin was banned for exhibiting the racist act of blackfacing through the video game character. (Clip of the incident via Livestreamfails.com)
What is blackfacing?
Blackfacing is a term from the U.S. that describes an act of darkening one’s face. The term dates back to the minstrel show of the 18th and 19th centuries, where a white person would paint their face with shoe polish and accentuated thick red lips. Such shows have been considered racist since the early 20th century.
Sodapoppin paints the face of a video game character black
Sodapoppin’s statement on Reddit
What does Sodapoppin say about the incident? In a statement on Reddit, Sodapoppin stated that he did not intend to act racially. He did not want it to sound or look that way.
My brain doesn’t really think beyond that when I’m streaming. I’m just trying to paint a potato. In hindsight, I see how that is. It’s like extreme blackface. I didn’t want it to sound/look racist, but yeah, I was just naive and didn’t realize how the mouth would relate to the skin, etc.
In the statement, Sodapoppin mentions that he thought about the comic and toy character Mr. Potato Head, which is particularly known from the children’s movie Toy Story, when he shaped the character. He explained his further actions as follows:
Only during the painting did he realize that he could only paint the face.
He then realized that he was painting a so-called blackface.
Sodapoppin continued to think it was just a harmless mistake.
He then added an exaggerated smile with red lipstick to the face.
Sodapoppin did not realize that the face would appear even more racist with lipstick.
How long is Sodapoppin banned? Sodapoppin’s ban is indefinite. As long as the ban is not lifted, he cannot stream on Twitch.
The current ban is already the second suspension that Sodapoppin has faced on Twitch. He was previously banned in 2020 for nudity but was unbanned just a day later.
Everything about Sodapoppin’s first Twitch ban can be read on MeinMMO:
Ragnarok Online was one of the first MMORPGs played by MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch. In recent years, more and more spin-offs have been published in this world by the same developer. However, these games are just a shadow of the original.
Ragnarok Online was a small phenomenon. In the early 2000s, it tried to establish a new model in the West. Instead of a subscription, players paid for a fixed amount of playtime and could even try it out for free at the beginning. It was a success: Ragnarok managed to attract over 250,000 players in Europe early on (via PCGames).
What fascinated me back then were especially the colorful graphics, the many different classes, and the fact that you could roam the world with many players. There were no instanced dungeons or raids back then.
The game world of Ragnarok Online simply had something special.
However, just in 2002, shortly after the release, the head of the game, Gravity, left after a dispute with the main financier, Samsung. He took a large part of the development team with him, which is painfully noticeable.
The development studio Gravity has since regularly tried to release new games for the franchise.In 2021 alone, three new Ragnarok titles were released. However, none of the games released in recent years have been able to captivate me as much or meet the quality that Ragnarok Online had in its time.
Since April 13, there has been a new Ragnarok on Steam, which has been heavily criticized by players. And I completely understand why.
Who is speaking here? Alex is the MMORPG expert at MeinMMO. He started with Guild Wars 1, Rakion, and Ragnarok Online. In games like Guild Wars 2, ESO, and Black Desert, he has spent hundreds of hours. He tries every new MMORPG, whether Asia games or indie titles.
Mobile, Idle, and Hero-Collector instead of a really good MMORPG
Ragnarok is an IP that many know from their youth and has great potential, which I keep seeing whenever we report on a new Ragnarok game. The interest is there. But in recent years, the reporting on MMORPGs has really hurt.
New titles in the Ragnarok universe rely on collectible card mechanics, are mobile games with autoplay, pay-to-win, or simply poorly made, like Ragnarok 2, which was discontinued in 2019.
The latest title in this series is “The Lost Memories,” which has just been released on Steam. It received 58 reviews in less than 24 hours, of which 71% are negative (as of April 14, via Steam). The criticisms are clear:
It is a mobile port, and you can immediately tell by the controls. There is auto-run, auto-battle, and even auto-quests. You don’t need to play at all.
The version is about 5 months older than the mobile game itself.
There are connection and server issues.
While the game uses the Ragnarok IP, aside from a similar graphic style and the basic backstory, it has nothing in common with the old MMORPG.
Anyone who wants to try it can play it for free on Steam or on their smartphone. I uninstalled it after less than two hours.
You can find an insight into “The Lost Memories” in this video by FG3000:
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So far, the game is only available in Asia, but even there it only received a rating of 2.7 out of 5 possible stars (via TapTap). Experience shows that the criticism is usually even harsher in the West.
Since we can no longer officially play the original version of Ragnarok Online in the West, fans either have to resort to private servers or forgo their experience with Ragnarok.
What remains of Ragnarok Online is a good memory of old times. And the hope that Gravity might release another MMORPG that captivates me again.
What do you think about the Ragnarok IP? Did you love the game back then or couldn’t you relate to this anime game? Feel free to write it in the comments.
An MMORPG that gives me great hopes this year is Throne and Liberty. You can find everything known about the game here:
The spice company Ankerkraut announced on April 13 that the world’s largest and controversial food corporation Nestlé has bought them. Dozens of influencers, Twitch streamers, and YouTubers are not at all enthusiastic about the action. Some of them have been working with the company for years and cannot believe it.
Why is Nestlé controversial? Nestlé is repeatedly criticized:
They are said to be responsible for the deaths of several infants because they distributed free samples of baby food that were prepared with contaminated water.
They are alleged to have used genetic engineering to alter the ingredients of a chocolate bar.
There are accusations that Nestlé allegedly engages in child labor, human trafficking, animal testing, and forced labor.
The multinational corporation reportedly sourced palm oil from companies that destroy rainforest in Indonesia in 2010.
There are many more allegations against Nestlé that you can look up in their Wikipedia entry.
What is Ankerkraut? Since 2013, Stefan and Anne Lemcke have been producing high-quality and unique spices as part of a small family business. However, the company became better known in 2016 when it appeared in the TV show “Die Höhle des Löwen”.
It is about presenting your startup and convincing the “lions” (investors) of your product. Ankerkraut succeeded in this, and Frank Thelen invested 300,000 euros in the Lemckes’ company.
From there, it only went uphill: They already made 9 million euros in revenue in 2017 and employed 70 staff. Nowadays, the two expect annual revenue of over 30 million euros and employ over 200 staff.
This is how Ankerkraut advertises: On their homepage, Ankerkraut advertises that they hold a clear commitment to people, our world, and the living beings that inhabit it. They also consider sustainability and responsibility in production and packaging (via Ankerkraut.de).
Big influencers, Twitch streamers, and YouTubers end collaboration
Ankerkraut primarily relies on advertising by well-known personalities, influencers, and some online magazines. They entered into several partnerships with Twitch streamers, especially from the gaming scene. Even the Twitch logo is featured on their page under the section “as seen on”.
What do the content creators say about it? They are not at all enthusiastic and are even quite angry. Some of them report that they were not informed in advance about Nestlé’s purchase and only learned about it through social media:
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Besides DoktorFroid, Sturmwaffel (via Twitter) and Sintica (via Twitter) reported similar and knew nothing in advance about the purchase.
The big Nintendo YouTuber Domtendo is also directly asking for alternatives (via Twitter). Many Twitter users have also begun to recommend other spice companies in the comments of Ankerkraut.
Further statements from streamers and other influencers:
The Twitch streamer Pewy states: “I am really angry (via Twitter).”
Streamer shushu also says: “This is very sad. I loved the collaboration and the products too (via Twitter).”
Content creator Chefstrobel tries to see it from Ankerkraut’s perspective: “From a moral standpoint, not justifiable. From a business perspective, absolutely understandable. Difficult topic (via Twitter).”
YouTuber JulisTierwelt has a clear opinion: “Too bad, but that’s it. I don’t understand how one can collaborate with the bloodiest company at all for money. Bye (via Twitter).”
Twitch streamer Pandorya supported the initiative of her colleagues to end the partnership with Ankerkraut (via Twitter), and many other users and influencers do the same. The quoted tweets are full of misunderstanding, anger, and announcements about ending cooperation with Ankerkraut.
Humorous: The guys from PietSmiet had a fitting timing regarding spices. Just today, on April 14, they presented their new spice blends as part of the format “PietSmiet cooks”. They advertise with “Now new in the shop: Spice blends without a bland aftertaste”:
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What does Ankerkraut say to the masses of critics? The online magazine t-online has received feedback from an Ankerkraut spokesperson who argued: “We have more likes on Instagram than negative comments.”
Ankerkraut, on the other hand, has a “very good feeling” with Nestlé since they received only “very good answers” when they discussed the criticism regarding Nestlé with the corporation itself.
Furthermore, Ankerkraut anticipated such a reaction, but they are confident that the majority will remain loyal to them. They also wish to engage with the users’ criticism and describe themselves as a “very open company”.
However, they also said: “If of course someone says ‘Goodbye, Ankerkraut’, then that’s the way it is. Such people can’t and shouldn’t be stopped.”
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
For Season 16 in Destiny 2, the current weapon meta has crystallized quite well. Players have found their clear and strong favorites, which are equipped for almost every activity without exception. However, Bungie is aware of this as well. MeinMMO has looked into which of your favorite weapons might soon be the focus of a nerf.
In Destiny 2, Guardians quickly have clear weapon favorites every new season.
Some, like the submachine gun “Trench Barrel” in the current Season 16, remind players of a certain top weapon, with which one could dominate PvP for months.
However, it didn’t turn out to be that bad: With Bungie’s 30th Anniversary Event, Gjallarhorn made a return to the game. At least nowadays, even without owning Gjallarhorn, one can participate in activities in Destiny 2.
Nonetheless, the reintroduced exotic is present a bit too often in all activities, and this could potentially lead to the exotic rocket launcher facing a nerf soon.
Guardians currently take their Gjallarhorn everywhere.
Gjallarhorn could be the next nerf target
If you look at the current statistics on Warmind, the statistical memory of Destiny, the future for the exotic rocket launcher Gjallarhorn does not look good:
The rocket launcher is used in the heavy slot by 51% of players in dungeons.
Additionally, Gjallarhorn is utilized by 52% of players in Trials of Osiris.
In the raid “Oath of the Student”, 67% of Guardians did not want to miss the exotic.
And a whopping 71% of players like to aim their Gjallarhorn at enemies in Nightfalls.
The weapon’s usage rate is strikingly high, and understandably, many currently see no better alternative.
Even the best alternative is a copy of Gjallarhorn: The legendary and craftable rocket launcher Palmyra-B doesn’t even achieve a usage rate of 20% in various activities.
It could even be possible that it indirectly benefits from Gjallarhorn through the perk “Pack Hunter”. This means that one equipped Gjallarhorn provides nearby allies with pack ammo for their own non-exotic rocket launchers. This then turns them into a smaller version of the strong icon.
It’s also interesting to look at the other top weapons in the primary and energy slots. Here the usage rates are high as well, but still rather mixed. They are certainly not as dominant as Gjallarhorn or the Trench Barrel SMG.
The submachine gun “Trench Barrel” has a usage rate of about 40% in Gambit, followed by the legendary glaive “Enigma” with only 19%.
In the primary slot, there is even more diversity. Here, 26% of players like to use the grenade launcher “Scorched Collector” in raids, or 15% use the exotic submachine gun “Osteo Striga”.
In Gambit, the auto rifle “Krait” dominates the primary slot with 25%.
None of these usage rates come even close to what we see with Gjallarhorn. Guardians clearly are reluctant to put down the exotic power weapon.
Gjallarhorn is currently among the top 3 for boss damage.
Why is the weapon so popular? The reason for this popularity is simple. Gjallarhorn is simply an all-rounder right now.
Its ability to fire rockets that then “split” into smaller, homing rockets is still strong in Destiny 2. The rocket launcher not only deals great damage to bosses, but is also a good anti-champion weapon and is suitable for mob clearing. Even the shield of a glaive cannot stop Gjallarhorn, as its homing pack rounds fly accurately around it.
The catalyst makes Gjallarhorn indispensable: With the catalyst obtainable in Destiny 2, the weapon becomes even stronger. Gjallarhorn can reload faster and generates additional stronger rockets when your pack rounds kill an enemy. The magazine size increases to 2 rockets. This means even the exotic rocket launcher “Eyes of Tomorrow” from the raid “Deep Stone Crypt” cannot keep up.
These topics are currently also interesting in Destiny 2:
By now, the “Gjally,” as Guardians lovingly call the rocket launcher, has become the best boss and invader weapon and even ranks among the top 3 for boss damage.
Bungie is certainly aware of this: There is essentially no reason not to use this exotic rocket launcher. And exactly that could mean a nerf for the iconic Gjallarhorn, as Bungie is not blind. All the dominant and overly popular weapons have had to undergo nerfs so far, most recently the raid exotic Vex Mythoclast. It is quite possible that the weapon is already on the list for adjustments.
Where can you get the weapon? Gjallarhorn has been obtainable since December 7, 2021. However, the exotic quest is only available to those who own the “30 Years of Bungie” package. So you must have either purchased the small anniversary package or the “The Witch Queen” Digital Deluxe package, including “30 Years of Bungie”.
Those who have it can start the exotic quest “All Wolves Fly High” and secure Gjallarhorn. Our guide will tell you how exactly the quest proceeds.
What do you think about Gjallarhorn? Do you think the weapon should indeed be nerfed a bit? After all, this would lead to more equality and force Guardians to turn to other options. Or do you want to keep Gjallarhorn as a strong option without losing it to a nerf? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A change in Mega Evolutions in Pokémon GO has been discussed for a while. Now, dataminers have found further hints about what trainers can expect.
What is this find? The find consists of data discovered by the “Pokeminers” for an upcoming update.
The PokeMiners have found various assets related to Mega Evolution. Image files that could be used in connection with the “new” Mega Evolution.
Who are the PokeMiners? The PokeMiners are a group of dataminers who regularly search the source code of Pokémon GO. They repeatedly come across new information, such as planned changes or new Pokémon, which can leak to the public before a release.
However, these are not official information from Niantic, which means this data can be changed or removed at any time in the game.
Legendary Mega Raids and More Found
What the find contains: The assets were shared on the Pokémon GO subreddit “TheSilphRoad” and show some exciting content. Among other things, the “Mega Legendary Egg” quickly catches the eye: it seems to become a new raid tier that players can challenge.
Furthermore, additional points are included, such as a new background referred to as “Mega Tutorial.” This could mean there will be a small introductory course on the “new” Mega Evolution when it arrives in the game.
Additionally, there are further hints that Mega Evolutions could also be performed after a certain cooldown once they have been initially unlocked. This also corresponds with a previous find regarding Mega Evolutions.
What the community says: In the Pokémon GO subreddit, the potential overhaul of Mega Evolutions has already attracted a lot of attention, and trainers are still eager:
“This is very interesting. I think you still have to unlock high Mega Energy, and then you have a choice to use energy or have a cooldown of a week or so for the next Mega Evolution,” user Stanton5 speculates (via reddit).
“Will Mega Evolutions finally no longer be ‘rent-a-Pokémon’?” asks user “Jack0017” (via reddit) – as there has been much criticism of the current Mega system.
As of today, every time you need to invest Mega Energy to unlock a Mega Pokémon, which then only stays for a limited time. It’s possible that a variant may be introduced which is “free” to use.
Additionally, there is a graphic about attack boosts. It clarifies that attacks of the same type as the Mega Pokémon will still be particularly boosted, but attacks of other types can also be boosted – albeit not as much.
Furthermore, there are also hints about “routes.” What this entails is still completely open. Back in 2019, an item related to routes was found but it has not made its way into the game to this day. It’s possible that a new feature is on the horizon.
However, as of now, these remain only datamines which do not necessarily have to come into the game in this form. We will have to wait for official information to be released.
CoD Warzone & Vanguard have officially announced their Season 3. With the release of the new trailer, there were also some hints that a mega event could come to the island of Caldera. Is CoD adapting to Fortnite?
As reported by MeinMMO, there have been concrete rumors and leaks about a mega event in CoD Warzone and Vanguard since February 2022. With the Season 3 trailer, the hints have become even more specific:
Godzilla and presumably also King Kong could cause chaos in Season 3 of CoD Warzone & Vanguard. Such a crazy mega-event with a prominent film crossover continues a new trend in CoD. Battle Royale fans are reminded a lot of Fortnite.
When does it start? The season begins on April 27. Here you can watch the trailer:
Start video
CoD Warzone: Action-packed trailer announces Season 3 – Fans find clues about movie monsters
Kaijū Attack on Caldera? There are many official hints
What has been discovered? In the latest trailer for Season 3 of CoD Warzone & Vanguard, attentive viewers can discover something special. In the last 10 seconds, a strange sound can be heard, which sounds like a curious mix of an alarm and whale song.
This sound may be familiar to film fans and Kaijū fans. It is the ORCA signal from the Godzilla universe. This signal allows people in the universe to communicate with and even control Titans like Godzilla.
Most film fans probably know this sound from Godzilla: King of the Monsters or the Hollywood blockbuster Godzilla vs Kong from 2021. Here you can listen to this sound on repeat if needed:
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As some users have found out, you can discover an inscription if you run this sound through a spectrogram. Simply uploading the sound in audio programs like Audacity shows that the sound hides a message: ‘Monsters are real’.
Since multiple “monsters” are mentioned here and not just a single monster, the suspicion is strong that this confirms speculation around King Kong alongside Godzilla.
With Godzilla & King Kong, Call of Duty could host mega events like Fortnite
How do the monsters work in the game? How exactly the two monsters could appear in Warzone and Vanguard is currently unknown. The community speculates that they could appear in a mega event, as seen in Fortnite. The exact gameplay effects could be varied:
The leaks in February showed images of King Kong swatting WW2 planes from the sky, for example. Influencers like Modern Warzone suspect that Godzilla could cause a volcanic eruption at Peak (via Twitter). Other fans fear that Godzilla and King Kong could be just as annoying as the Christmas monster Krampus, which ruined the fun for many CoD players over the holidays.
What do you think of these hints around “CoDzilla”? Would you think it’s cool if Godzilla and King Kong appeared in Call of Duty? Or do you find such crossover events completely out of place? How would you implement something like this in the game? Let us know in the comments.
Why exactly Fortnite could be a major inspiration for this upcoming mega event has already been discussed in a podcast:
