In almost every open-world game, there is a map feature that provides an overview of the respective game world. In Elden Ring, the map also plays a very important role. All information about it can be found here in our map guide.
Anyone who plays open-world games regularly knows the typical maps that these titles provide to help navigate the world.
Here you have all sorts of forms, from rough models like in Cyberpunk 2077, detailed interactive maps like in Skyrim, to real maps like in GTA Online.
While most maps show many, if not all, important points in the game world beforehand, the map in Elden Ring is almost empty at the beginning. How you gradually reveal it, how to use it, and why you should do so can be learned here.
Update, April 7: We have updated the article and linked another interactive map.
Elden Ring – Uncovering the Map and Discovering the Lands Between
At the start of the game, the map of Elden Ring looks like this:
Initially, you haven’t seen anything of the game world, the Lands Between. However, you will find map fragments in the game to gradually reveal all areas and make visible what awaits you in which regions.
How can I unlock additional sections? First, you should just get started and explore the game world. There are several factors that will guide you along the way.
For example, when you rest at Sites of Grace, you will see a golden aura floating in a certain direction.
This roughly indicates the direction you need to go for the next story objective.
Traveling in the game world won’t reveal the map, but you can at least make a “cloud cover” disappear, under which faintly drawn paths will emerge.
You should take a closer look at these paths because you will keep finding these pillars:
You will find map fragments at these pillars.
How do I find these pillars? This guide will not list the exact locations, but we will give you some tips that will help you find the map pieces yourself.
The pillars are usually not far from areas where the region can be accessed.
Normally, when exploring and following visible paths, you will come close to such a pillar sooner or later.
So keep an eye on your map while exploring a new area. Once you discover roads, you can assume they will lead you to a map.
However, in later areas, it might become more difficult to reach the map fragments. However, it’s worth it because the map is a very valuable tool in Elden Ring. Not only for navigation but also for finding interesting places and important things.
The Map of Elden Ring and Its Functions
What is the map actually for? Unlike other open-world games, even an uncovered map is not a universal tool.
Unlike in games like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey or The Witcher 3, the map isn’t filled with question marks. The game world is packed with optional dungeons, bosses, interesting places, and loot, but you have to discover them yourself first.
The map only shows you a drawn picture of the surface. Dungeons located underground are usually not visible on the map.
Numerous ruins and buildings can be recognized directly even without markings. Once found, they will be displayed to you permanently.
Thus, it’s up to you to study the map and consider, based on the geographical features, where a secret might lie. However, the map also provides sufficient means for this.
These are the map’s functions:
You can make manual markings at specific points using various symbols that indicate something.
This can be, for example, a skull that marks an optional boss you want to return to at a later time.
You can also plan routes using number markings from 1 to 5 that lead you to the next objective.
How do I find interesting places? The combination of the tools listed above and the drawn map allows you to figure out where the next dungeon might be based on the landscape and buildings.
Some buildings also have recurring architectural structures, which allow you to gauge what encounter or type of reward may await you. Simple ruins are usually inconspicuous but often hide a valuable treasure.
They are very easy to spot on the map. The same applies to many other things.
Interactive Map for the 6 Huge Areas of Elden Ring
How big is the game world of Elden Ring? The expanse of the Lands Between, with its vast open areas, elaborate legacy dungeons, and optional locations, is gigantic.
Thus, it is difficult to say how large it actually is.
There are 6 large areas, each with a main boss, which are also the target of the main story.
In addition, there are dozens of caves, ruins, fortresses, and other places that you can visit regardless.
Furthermore, there are also some secret and optional areas that expand it even more.
The website mapgenie.io specializes in maps for game worlds and has published a work-in-progress map for Elden Ring. It can give you more detailed insights into the various places in the world:
Here you can see the full map. If you prefer to be surprised, avoid this box.The map is still a work in progress. mapgenie.com
Alternatively, there is also the interactive map from Elden Ring-Wiki Fextralife.com.
For those who absolutely have no issues with spoilers, you can take a closer look at this video to see the scale of the surface world:
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
The Cycle: Frontier is the latest shooter hope, even before it hits the market. The closed beta thrilled players and viewers on Twitch. As part of Find Your Next Game, MeinMMO author Marko spoke with the game designer and community & player support lead from the Berlin studio YAGER.
Genre: PvPvE shooter | Developer: YAGER | Platform: PC | Release: April 2022
When the Berlin development studio YAGER launched a game called The Cycle in early access, it was the year 2019. It was the year of Battle Royale: Fortnite had its first world championship, a new blockbuster appeared on the market with Apex Legends, and fans of Call of Duty were eagerly absorbing rumors of an upcoming battle royale mode.
Also, The Cycle was such a battle royale and aimed to stand out from its PvP competition with PvE and survival elements. A storm made the map smaller over time, but you could also simply collect crystals or complete missions to succeed.
This attempt at the battle royale formula had fans, but it was unsuccessful. But instead of completely giving up on The Cycle and turning to new projects, YAGER found another way.
The Cycle: Frontier invites you to the final beta in the trailer, for the first time with story events
Currently, The Cycle: Frontier is in closed beta 2, with the release tentatively scheduled for April 2022 – but they do not want to commit to a specific date.
During a one-hour gameplay session, I talked with 2 developers about the consequences of this radical decision and pondered why this type of game seems to have become a German specialty.
The Cycle is dead – Long live The Cycle: Frontier?
In the lively interview, my conversation partners Mando and Flo from YAGER were present. Mando is the game designer at The Cycle: Frontier, and Flo is the community & player support lead.
With this combination, I was able to gain many insights about The Cycle: Frontier from very different perspectives. But whether it was about the gameplay or the community of the shooter, both Mando and Flo spoke very openly about particularly 2 other games: Escape from Tarkov and Hunt: Showdown.
Insights from my gameplay session with the developers of The Cycle: Frontier
Because both games have a major similarity with the new “The Cycle”: The gameplay loop around the right gear before a match, the search for loot as the core element, the extraction at the end of the round, and the constant danger of losing everything with a wrong move.
Game designer Mando describes the optimal player experience in The Cycle: Frontier as follows:
Ideally, I imagine the gameplay loop to be that a player logs in, checks their missions, and reviews the loot drops. Maybe they also check where they are in the battle pass. Then they make their plans and consider what they want or should do on the planet. The player then makes a conscious decision about which map they want to play.
In a match, the player then has 3 ultimate goals:
To find and collect better loot such as weapons, armor, resources, and valuables.
To complete missions assigned by 3 factions beforehand.
To successfully and alive leave the map by extraction.
Especially the last part is the most difficult, because during a match, players are faced with several dangers: “These include events like a falling meteorite, the dangerous storm brewing, being attacked by creatures, and of course, also through the biggest ‘wild card’ of all: other players.”
This nasty monster is called Jeff by the fans. I shouldn’t have attacked Jeff here – not with my weapons.
If you die in a match due to any of these dangers, you lose almost everything you had – the equipment you packed before the match and all the loot from the round itself.
We got so much attention in closed beta 1 that it’s absolutely crazy. Suddenly we had 100,000 viewers on Twitch and were ahead of Fortnite, Minecraft, and Valorant. At times, it was absurd and gave us a lot of confidence.
“High Stakes” gameplay like Tarkov, but “essential for the broader mass”
Anyone who has played Tarkov or Hunt: Showdown will probably find this recipe for success very familiar. Although neither of the two games has meteorites or deadly storms as fixed events, the core gameplay of loot and risk is the same.
But as clear as the reference games like Hunt: Showdown and Escape from Tarkov are named, the name for this type of shooter itself is much less clear. A popular designation is “PvPvE” – that is, player versus other players and NPCs.
However, for YAGER, this is only part of it. The development team does not see itself as a survival game, as Flo tells me. Instead, he and his colleagues internally use the term “High Stakes.” This, by chance, evokes memories of a round in the casino, as Mando reveals to me:
For me, the essential thing is that in every match of The Cycle: Frontier, you can choose your stakes yourself. To me, it almost has poker elements: It’s up to me whether I go in with expensive gear; whether I dare to risk not losing it.
The Cycle: Frontier aims to tease a willingness to take risks out of the players. Through in-depth and extensive decisions with gear before a round and the approach in the match itself, this is supposed to be rounded off.
That this kind of game comes from Berlin with The Cycle: Frontier is amusing to me. Because the other famous example, Hunt: Showdown, was developed in Frankfurt. Therefore, I asked my teammates how ‘German’ such a “High Stakes” game mechanic is in their opinion. Mando replied:
Basically, I do find that this type of game fits Germany very well. If I look back and see what has been created in Germany in terms of pen-and-paper role-playing games or role-playing games that are very table-intensive and in-depth, then this kind of deep gameplay, which is so multifaceted, really fits perfectly.
That the developers themselves love this type of game was clearly audible in the interview. The fact that they are fans of Hunt and Tarkov is just as undeniable as the clear inspiration that these two games provide for The Cycle: Frontier.
But it was also important for the developers of YAGER to emphasize why these references are so clear:
Just to be clear: Yes, Tarkov and Hunt are indeed huge references, especially in game design for The Cycle; I won’t lie about that. I would even consider Tarkov our primary reference – at least regarding the core formula. For everything else, we have tried to really reach a completely different target audience than Tarkov, with a different development philosophy.
This different target audience is for YAGER “mid-core shooter players”, so players who come from Apex Legends, Sea of Thieves, PUBG, maybe Fortnite. The Cycle: Frontier does not want to be a military simulation with super-realistic systems to capture the hardcore Tarkov fans.
“We’re fundamentally different from Tarkov,” says Mando, “and the entry friendliness is of course a huge difference for us. We never want a player who, to learn the game, has to study any Excel sheets.”
The right equipment before the match is immensely important.The missions are the primary form of progression in the gameIn the hub station, you can equip yourself with missions and gear.
Thus, The Cycle: Frontier is fundamentally designed for a broader audience than Tarkov and offers itself to a group of players who might not otherwise play such a type of game. For Mando, this represents a “market gap” that “couldn’t be clearer.”
Flo summarizes it as follows:
We pack the fun into ‘high stakes’. You can quickly drop into the “match,” you can also get into the game very quickly. It explains a lot to you at the beginning, and you can get into it very quickly.
Also, the matchmaking is significantly faster than that of the competition: Since the servers usually run for about 6 hours before the maps are refreshed with new loot, players can enter and exit these games almost any time. Only during events like the storm is this not possible.
For the events specifically, YAGER wants to be like Sea of Thieves: “It should happen as much unforeseen as possible on the player’s way to the goal. Every drop, every adventure should feel personal and unique.”
“We have communicated very openly that the old game didn’t work”
But this market gap was not the audience discussed from the old The Cycle 2019. Therefore, I wanted to know what had to change to be this kind of game that The Cycle wants to be with the addition of “Frontier.” The biggest change concerns the philosophy around competitiveness:
From a game designer’s perspective, the most important difference for me is that the word ‘competitive’ has been removed. That changes everything in game design.
You no longer have to ensure that the weapons are perfectly balanced against each other as you do in a competitive game. Instead, they just need to be balanced for their tier level.
As radical as this change in game design was, the surrounding context is still The Cycle – just better, says Mando: “I would say that almost everything except the game design could actually be retained or even improved and amplified.”
That The Cycle in its original form did not have the success that the developers wanted became clear quickly. It was also clear that a rethinking of the core gameplay must take place. However, it needed to be explained to the players, which, however, had significant stumbling blocks:
We have communicated very openly that the old game didn’t work. But the communication of the announcement at that time didn’t go smoothly.
There was particularly “a minority of super-toxic players who came from the competitive scene and didn’t understand why something they loved was being taken away from them.”
From a player’s perspective, that’s frustrating, of course,” says Mando. But the changes were so well received after the implementation in the closed alpha that many skeptics could be convinced of the new direction that YAGER has taken with The Cycle. Flo confirms this with his view of the community:
The community growth since the change is so much higher than anything we had before, so in the end, this core group of old community members can guide the new players. Our Discord moderators are almost all still from the old game, who have walked this path with us.
This community should also be a core part of the development of The Cycle: Frontier. That the final release still has no fixed date is also due to the wish to continue responding to community feedback.
“Of course, you can’t implement all feedback, not in a game like ours. But we want players to feel heard,” says Flo. Therefore, “everything that the majority of players want is either planned or already in the game.”
The future of The Cycle: Frontier
For the full release of The Cycle: Frontier, currently planned for April 2022, the game will be completely free-to-play for everyone. “It will also have seasons, with a battle pass (or Fortuna Pass, as we call it), with cosmetics and the usual F2P monetization mechanics.”
What they do with the wipes in Path of Exile is just right. You think, “Wow, I definitely want to check that out again because I can discover new things.”
Over time, YAGER wants to thematically design these seasons, “even if that won’t work perfectly for the first season.” So one season could revolve around the storm, while another could focus on new weapons or mods.
These seasons are intended to last about 3 months, and the goal is to combine the progress resets and seasons: “After 3 months, everything will be wiped, and the new battle pass will come out – that would be cool, but we need to see if that can be combined.”
At the end of the interview, I asked my teammates and conversation partners why The Cycle: Frontier should be the next game for our readers. Mando’s answer was that their game is a kind of antidote to the consequences of shooters like Call of Duty:
I personally feel that I and other players have become a bit dull lately because players face very few consequences for losses in shooters. When a defeat can’t be bad, no victory can feel that fantastic.
And games like Hunt: Showdown or Tarkov have shown that people really want strong emotions. People want to be afraid of failure. They also want to be punished a bit when they played poorly. And then it’s even more valuable, emotionally speaking, when you make the right decisions and play well.
The Cycle: Frontier is currently in its 2nd closed beta. The full release as a free-to-play game on Steam and Epic Games is currently scheduled for April 2022.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Starting today, April 6th, the Closed Beta of Fractured Online is playable. We from MeinMMO will show you what kind of game it is, what is included in the beta, and how you can participate.
What is Fractured Online?
This is an MMORPG with an open-world sandbox. The setting is classic, Western-style medieval fantasy.
There are PvP and PvE elements, played from an isometric perspective, as seen in Lost Ark or Diablo.
The combat system takes place in real-time and is action-focused. It is supposed to depend on skill and dexterity, not on equipment or player level.
Here you can watch the introduction video from the developers at Dynamight Studios:
Start video
New sandbox MMORPG starts the closed beta in a few days – Here’s how to participate
Fractured Online starts Closed Beta
This is what to expect in the Closed Beta: Apparently, a fairly large part of the game will be included. According to the announcement, you can explore various biomes. These include:
Snowy mountains
a hot volcanic region
a steppe region with heavy rain
a tundra region where weather anomalies are less frequent. However, there are many more monsters to fight, such as mammoths, Jotunns, arctic wolves, and elementals.
During the Closed Beta, there will be several events across different channels of the developers.
When does the Closed Beta start and how to participate? The beta has been available since today, April 6th. To participate, you need to buy the Founder’s Pack from the official website. It costs 24.99 Euros for the Bronze version, the most expensive variant costs 129.99 Euros.
In addition to participating in the beta, there will be other in-game rewards.
More details are expected to follow in the future. According to the developers, Fractured focuses more on skill than your level and gear. Cleverness and competence are to be rewarded.
You can choose to play PvE and PvP content, either solo or in a group. The economy also plays a significant role, as is common in most MMORPGs.
The game does not give you directives; you can choose your path. Whether you want to be a farmer, craftsman, or shepherd: In Fractured Online, that should be possible. Just as being a looter can make the trails unsafe.
CoD Vanguard has been struggling with some serious and strange bugs since release. On reddit, a user shared a clip showing the curious effects of a motorcycle explosion. It resembles the best scene from a Hollywood hit. MeinMMO tells you what it’s all about.
A clip is currently making the rounds in the CoD Vanguard subreddit, where a player suddenly stands on a wall and can shoot at their opponents from there.
What was once a feature in the sci-fi installments of Call of Duty is completely out of place in the World War setting of CoD Vanguard. This “Wall Run” was a result of a bug that turns a player into Spider-Man due to a motorcycle explosion.
Player sticks to the wall like Spider-Man thanks to bug, sees the world from a curious angle
A player of CoD Vanguard stands next to a motorcycle and shoots at it, causing it to explode. However, the character does not die as expected. Instead, something absurd happens, as the player sticks to the nearby wall like Spider-Man, seeing the world from a whole new angle:
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Reddit that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
How does this bug happen? Anyone who has played Call of Duty may have noticed that the angle of the viewport tilts slightly when you die. This happens here too – but the player does not die.
Instead, at the moment they should die, they are transported alive to a nearby wall. They stick to it like a fly and can continue playing from a curious 90-degree angle.
It looks cool and is reminiscent of perhaps the best scene from the Hollywood hit Inception featuring Leonardo DiCaprio:
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
But in practice, this bug is extremely annoying. It has already appeared in the zombie game mode in CoD Black Ops Cold War, with the same causes. It can even become worse than in the clip. A reddit user explains how annoying this can be:
It can deviate by only 15°, but the more you move or move the mouse, the more tilted the view angle becomes. At first, it may be fun and amusing, but a deviation of 90° is just terrible. Even worse is when the view angle flips by 180°.
The only way to fix this without quitting the game is to enter or exit a vehicle.
The player from reddit mentioned that he did not play sober in this match. Therefore, his ability to shoot accurately was not really the focus. A pro with tactics like “shoot at a motorcycle next to me for no reason to make it explode” probably wouldn’t be successful anyway.
Meanwhile, the competition in the professional scene has just thinned out:
A CoD player has won prize money in several tournaments and has vehemently denied any cheat accusations. To prove his innocence, he set up a camera on his monitor – but unfortunately forgot one small, important detail:
As expected every Wednesday, we have the new TOTW 29 (Team of the Week) in FIFA 22. Here on MeinMMO, we show you the current Team of the Week.
Update, April 6, 2022: The current Team of the Week is now available. With cards like Neymar (93) and Sterling (91), there are even exciting candidates for your team. You can see the complete TOTW 29 here:
Here you can see the current TOTW 29
This is where you can continue with the original predictions article. This way you can see which cards actually made it into the TOTW.
What is the Team of the Week? Every week EA presents a new TOTW in FUT 22. This team consists of 23 players who performed strongly in the last football weekend.
For this, they receive a spot in the Team of the Week as well as improved Inform cards that are available in packs for one week in packs .
What are TOTW predictions? TOTW predictions are community forecasts that try to guess which players might land in the Team of the Week.
However, it is important to note that the predictions are not a guarantee for the final Team of the Week 29.
As Konami has confirmed, eFootball 2022, the free-to-play spin-off of Pro Evolution Soccer, will receive a sort of re-release. Although version 1.0 already launched, a “proper” version 1.0 is now being introduced. They express regret and claim to have learned from their mistakes.
What is eFootball 2022 anyway? After PES 21, fans were actually expecting a PES 22 as a successor, as usual. But Konami had other plans: eFootball, a free football game that offers crossplay from mobile to current consoles and PC. At least, that was a bonus compared to FIFA, which still has no crossplay.
eFootball is intended to become a kind of long-lasting football platform that will be continuously expanded. For this purpose, there is an in-game shop where various items can be purchased with real money, as is now familiar from almost every free online game.
Now Konami has announced a comeback attempt, and eFootball will receive its second version 1.0 already in April.
eFootball 2022 introduces new version 1.0, aims to improve everything
This is what the developers say about the new update: In an open message to players, Konami shows remorse and provides insights into the mistakes made at launch. Back then, the developers already apologized and took a stance, which they are now doing again.
According to them, they failed to meet their ambitions and prioritized punctuality over quality. As a result, they brought the game to market too early:
We want to offer football fans worldwide the chance to enjoy a new football game that is as realistic as never before. With this intent in mind, we began the two-year development period of eFootball 2022. However, we were too focused on getting the game to market on time to keep our most important priority in mind – the quality. Of course, we were rightly scrutinized by disappointed fans.
They are working hard to restore trust. Players have played a significant role in this, and their feedback will help improve the game.
Now, 6 months after release, they feel ready and want to release a proper version 1.0. This means eFootball is finally in the release state they had wished for.
The update, however, is just the beginning of the actual plans for eFootball 2022, for which there is now also a roadmap.
What’s coming in the update? The version 1.0 includes a long list of improvements and fixes. Here’s a brief overview:
The defensive controls and behavior of the defense have been revised.
Passing has been improved, and there is now a command for a “stunning pass”
Improved shooting
Improved dribbling
Better stability of online networks
Additionally, there is a new mode “Dream Team” in which you can build your own team.
According to Konami, this is just the tip of the iceberg in the patch notes. You can find the previously known content in the developer’s post.
At the same time, however, there was also bad news for mobile players. They will have to wait longer for the update to arrive.
When is the new version 1.0 coming? The update arrives on April 14 for all platforms except mobile. When this will be updated is unknown.
While some are tentatively hopeful and look forward to the update, many do not believe that eFootball can be saved by it.
The reason for this is the lack of offline content. There are also no cooperative modes in the F2P game. Especially this point is a disappointment for PES veterans and also one of the reasons why they still prefer PES 21 to this day.
Some fear that Konami will primarily focus on the new Dream Team mode. They also suspect that the lagging mobile version will consume much of the developers’ time and thus delay new modes and content for the other versions.
However, there are also positive voices. They are pleased with the new content and hope that the football simulation can go up from here.
What do you think of the announcement? Have you even engaged with eFootball? Or did the game pass you by due to its troubled start?
Boc is not the only example of an NPC in Limgrave who surprises players. Gostoc, the gatekeeper at Stormveil Castle, pretends to be a kind soul. In reality, however, he is cheating you all the time in the most brazen way:
However, since experienced players are also likely to ignore this part of the map during new playthroughs, even after the patch, the chances remain slim that Boc will be found by these players.
Ironically, new players who will most likely follow the main path now have the best chance of finding Boc.
After the patch, Boc has become much louder with his desperate cries, so he can now be heard much better from a distance. Newbies carefully making their way down the first main road will thus hear these cries most likely.
The extent of the difference is shown in this tweet:
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Twitter that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Boc’s quest is also heartbreakingly tragic after the update
What role does Boc play in the game? From a purely gameplay perspective, it’s absolutely no problem to miss the half-human tailor. Because Boc can adjust your clothes – something you can later do yourself at any site of grace.
However, from a narrative perspective, it’s worth starting and completing Boc’s quest. Without revealing too much: Boc is a sympathetic soul who has become an outsider for several reasons and desires nothing more than a fresh start.
In Elden Ring, however, few things are as easy and uncomplicated. This also applies to Boc. If you missed the NPC or don’t feel like completing the quest yourself, you can see all scenes and necessary steps in this video:
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Did you discover Boc? If so, was it before or after the update? And how did you do it? Did you find his quest good? Let us know in the comments.
Boc is not the only example of an NPC in Limgrave who surprises players. Gostoc, the gatekeeper at Stormveil Castle, pretends to be a kind soul. In reality, however, he is cheating you all the time in the most brazen way:
The vast world of Elden Ring is filled with all sorts of curious moments and interesting secrets. However, many fans who have been playing the action RPG since the beginning have completely missed a sad quest. Instead, it’s now new players who will have their hearts broken by the NPC Boc.
The authors who primarily write about Elden Ring at the MeinMMO editorial team had a joint Aha moment a few weeks ago. We had completed FromSoftware’s action RPG 6 times among ourselves and only then found an NPC who appears right at the beginning.
The half-human tailor hides right by the 3rd site of grace that players will visit on purpose. He is actually located just a bit east of the spot where most players get the horse Stormwind.
However, because he was unknowingly well hidden, most completely missed him. Ironically, it’s the new players who find him much more easily, and thus get to experience his heart-wrenching quest.
Boc is louder after the update, but new players are most likely to hear him
Where is the NPC hiding? The poor guy Boc was unknowingly turned into a bush near the telescope in the starting region Limgrave. As such, he is waiting to finally be noticed.
Before the big update 1.03, this waiting was mostly in vain – players would simply ride past him without even thinking that one of these bushes could actually be a kind NPC.
About here in Limgrave, Boc is hiding.
Why do new players find him more easily? Before the patch, players had to stray from the main path and stand almost directly next to Boc to hear him. However, anyone who does not suspect anything hidden here will unwittingly play through the entire game and then forever miss the chance to find Boc before New Game Plus.
However, since experienced players are also likely to ignore this part of the map during new playthroughs, even after the patch, the chances remain slim that Boc will be found by these players.
Ironically, new players who will most likely follow the main path now have the best chance of finding Boc.
After the patch, Boc has become much louder with his desperate cries, so he can now be heard much better from a distance. Newbies carefully making their way down the first main road will thus hear these cries most likely.
The extent of the difference is shown in this tweet:
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Twitter that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Boc’s quest is also heartbreakingly tragic after the update
What role does Boc play in the game? From a purely gameplay perspective, it’s absolutely no problem to miss the half-human tailor. Because Boc can adjust your clothes – something you can later do yourself at any site of grace.
However, from a narrative perspective, it’s worth starting and completing Boc’s quest. Without revealing too much: Boc is a sympathetic soul who has become an outsider for several reasons and desires nothing more than a fresh start.
In Elden Ring, however, few things are as easy and uncomplicated. This also applies to Boc. If you missed the NPC or don’t feel like completing the quest yourself, you can see all scenes and necessary steps in this video:
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Did you discover Boc? If so, was it before or after the update? And how did you do it? Did you find his quest good? Let us know in the comments.
Boc is not the only example of an NPC in Limgrave who surprises players. Gostoc, the gatekeeper at Stormveil Castle, pretends to be a kind soul. In reality, however, he is cheating you all the time in the most brazen way:
The horse “Stormwind” is a constant companion in Elden Ring. But how do you get it and how can you summon it? MeinMMO gives you an overview of the spectral horse.
Elden Ring offers a significantly larger game world than previous games from the developers, such as Dark Souls or Bloodborne. That’s why the game gives you the spectral horse “Stormwind” as a companion.
With its help, you can not only progress faster. The horse has the important double jump. This allows you to reach places that would be out of reach on foot.
Additionally, you can fight from your horse’s back, which can be a huge advantage in certain situations and can even make boss battles easier. However, it can be confusing for new players to find it at first.
In this guide, we explain how you can get your horse, how you can summon it, and what else you should keep in mind.
Start video
Everything you need to know about Elden Ring – in 2 minutes
How to find Stormwind and summon the horse
You start the game without a mount. To get it, you first need to complete the tutorial. After that, you need to fulfill a few requirements.
How to find the horse in Elden Ring: After you have completed the tutorial, you must activate three Sites of Grace. These are the glowing resting points where you can level up, set spells, and do other things.
It’s best to follow the route that was also intended by the creators:
Avoid the dangerous tree guardian who is wandering just outside the tutorial dungeon, below the Site of Grace.
Continue north until you reach the church of Elleh. Rest there and also visit the merchant who is sitting there. You will also find a smithing stone on an anvil.
Now move on and follow the path behind the church until you encounter a large gate.
Right in front of the gate waits the third Site of Grace. Here you need to rest and the first encounter with Melina will start.
Complete the dialogue and you will receive the spectral steed whistle from her. This is the key to using Stormwind.
Here you can see the “normal” path that you are also progressing along in the main story.
Of course, there are many other Sites of Grace in the area. So you have several options. You can see a large part of the remaining resting points on the map.
This is how you can summon the horse: Once you have received the whistle, you can place it in the quick select or in your pouch.
For the quick select, you need to go through the pause menu to your equipment, select an appropriate slot, and assign the spectral steed whistle to it.
Equally practical and often better is to place the whistle in the pouch. You do this by selecting one of the 6 boxes on the right edge of the pause menu.
Four of these boxes correspond to a direction on the directional pad with controller or arrow key on the keyboard. If you press triangle (PlayStation), Y (Xbox), or E (keyboard) followed by the appropriate direction, you will activate the pouch item.
In this image, you can see where to find the pouch. In this example, I am using the spectral steed whistle with Y (Xbox) / triangle (PlayStation) and the right directional pad.
You can summon Stormwind almost anywhere on the surface. There are also occasionally underground areas that can be traversed on horseback.
However, in dungeons, you will have to do without Stormwind. These are usually narrow and complex areas that are easier to explore on foot.
What you should know about Stormwind in combat: Aside from faster movement, Stormwind is also useful in combat. The horse partly acts as a shield against damage, as it can take hits for you.
Thanks to a sprint function, you can become very fast and also dodge attacks through the boost.
Additionally, you can also use your weapons, spells, and summons in a limited form from the back of the horse.
You can perform light and heavy attacks with each hand.
Charged heavy attacks are also possible.
Depending on the type of weapon, the attack movements and range also differ.
Heavy weapons are slower on horseback but can launch entire groups into the air.
Light weapons are significantly faster and can hit enemies that get too close more easily.
Here’s the controller controls
Light attack, right: RB/R1
Heavy attack, right: RT/R2 (To charge: Hold down)
Light attack, left: LB/L1
Heavy attack, left: LT/L2 (To charge: Hold down)
Depending on the region and types of enemies, these things should be taken into account and it is advisable to always carry light and heavy weapons with you. This way, you are prepared for anything while on the go.
Some boss fights in the open world are even easier when you use Stormwind. Therefore, it is also worth practicing with the horse so that riding becomes second nature.
This is how Stormwind helps you explore the game world: Thanks to your spectral horse, you can reach significantly higher places and also leap over larger chasms via double jump.
This gives you a great advantage in the vast and very vertically designed game world. You can also survive deeper falls thanks to the horse in ‘fall damage.’
What happens if Stormwind dies? Your horse is a spectral horse, so it cannot die. If the health points are depleted, Stormwind simply disappears. You can only summon it again until the next rest at a Site of Grace if you sacrifice a purpur beverage for it.
As long as you have healing potions, you can summon your horse in combat indefinitely.
Can Stormwind be healed in combat? Yes. In the game, there are plenty of crafting materials and items that can also be used to heal the horse. The most common are the Rowa fruits, which you can gather almost everywhere.
There are also more powerful healing items that you can craft using various recipes.
As a new light in Destiny 2, it can be hard to figure out how to get exotics. The game world is large and overwhelming, and it’s easy to get lost in it. That’s why we show you all the ways to obtain exotics and what else you should know.
How to get exotic weapons? Destiny 2 offers you many options for obtaining exotics. We will show you all available sources and how to find them in detail:
By completing activities like PvP matches or strikes
These are all the ways to obtain exotics. However, not all options are the best. Therefore, we will show you three ways to efficiently and effectively get the rare exotics.
The three best ways to get exotics
You can use all the methods we listed, but not all are suitable for efficiently obtaining many exotics. That’s why we will show you three of the best ways to get exotics:
You now have the choice between four difficulty levels:
Master – Rare chance to get exotics
Hero – Average chance to get exotics
Legend – Good chance to get exotics
Grandmaster – Good chance to get exotics
Nightfall – Good chance to get exotics
It is advisable to choose either the “Legend” difficulty or ideally “Grandmaster”, as the challenge is manageable and you also have high chances of getting an exotic. Now you need to farm the activity.
After each completion, start a new run with your team, collecting your exotics gradually. Additionally, you have chances at catalysts that improve your exotic weapons after completing the requirements.
Monument to Lost Lights
How does the monument work? A safe but costly way to obtain exotics is the Monument to Lost Lights next to the vaults in the Tower.
Once you arrive, you can choose from a whole range of 36 exotic weapons that can no longer be earned. However, you will need the necessary resources for a purchase. These are as follows:
150 – 200 Planetary Materials
100,000 Glimmer
1 Ascendant Shard
1 Exotic Cipher
Xur, the quirky black market vendor
This is Xur
What can I do with Xur? Xur offers three exotic armors, one weapon, and various legendary items every Friday to Tuesday until the weekly reset. The armors can be obtained for 23 legendary shards and the weapons for 29 shards. You can also purchase a random exotic engram for 97 shards, but only twice a week.
You can also additionally purchase a quest for an exotic cipher. If you complete the requirement, you will receive a cipher from Xur. With it, you can either shop in the Monument to Lost Lights or exchange it at Xur for a random exotic engram.
What do you think of our suggestions? Do you have better ways to easily obtain exotics? Let us know in the comments what you think!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Bellatores is the latest game from the developer Nyou. They are already known for several mobile MMORPGs. However, their latest work is set to release only for PC on Steam and will be developed using Unreal Engine 5.
What kind of game is this?Bellatores was originally announced as Project N1 in 2020. It is supposed to be a fantasy MMORPG focusing on a medieval world. Although the developer is based in Korea, the primary target audience is the West.
The world is intended to mix a rather realistic medieval scenario with fantasy elements.
You will be able to make decisions throughout the story that impact its course.
Expect a “survival adventure” with massive PvP battles. Various continents in the game world are set to compete against each other.
The characters are all designed in a more Western style, and there will be no sexualization or gender lock.
When will the game be released? There should be a playable version of the MMORPG in 2022. However, whether it will be the final version or more of an alpha or beta is currently unclear. The developers emphasized that the global release and the international market are important to them.
However, there is still no gameplay footage of Bellatores. Here we have embedded a gallery with current screenshots:
384
Bellatores receives a lot of funding for development
What is special about the MMORPG? The developers recently announced that they have received a funding boost of around 23 million euros to advance the development of Bellatores. Already in 2020, more than 30 million euros were said to have been provided by investors for development. They are also supposed to help with distribution and the service infrastructure, providing their expertise.
These investments represent large sums, which many Western studios attempting new MMORPGs can only dream of. In addition, Nyou has its own revenue from mobile games.
Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen, on the other hand, seems to constantly operate at the limit. After an initial Kickstarter campaign didn’t even reach 700,000 euros from backers, there was later a seven-figure sum from a private investor. Packages on the website, according to the developers, were bought by over 8,000 people by 2021 (via Pantheon).
Start video
These are currently the 7 most popular MMORPGs 2022
However, such large sums are not uncommon, especially with Korean MMORPGs. The small theme park MMORPG Astellia is said to have cost around 27 million euros.
The latest game from NCSoft (Blade & Soul, Lineage, Aion) is also reportedly quite expensive and is set to release for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. The first gameplay trailer looks really good as well:
You are looking for a strong build for the Graveborn class in Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands? Here you will find a variant that focuses on powerful companions and high damage.
This class is about: In Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, you have a total of six classes to choose from. One of them is the “Graveborn”.
This class relies on dark magic and support from companions, such as the half-lich who aids in attacks. The latter point is fundamental for the following build.
What kind of build is this? YouTuber “Moxsy” has created a video that shows how powerful the Graveborn can be with a focus on numerous companions. We embed it here for you:
In the video, you can immediately see how bosses simply melt away against the build. Moxsy combines the Graveborn with the “Spore Warden” class. This is possible thanks to the multiclass system that you unlock as you progress through the game.
We will show you what the build looks like here.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
This is the most important skill: In the Graveborn skill tree, you will find the ability “Loyal Minions” quite early on. You can invest up to three points in this if you are only working with skill points. However, Moxsy uses a Class Mod to bring the ability up to six points.
The skill is crucial as it increases all damage per companion you have. This applies to all damage types, including weapons and spells. Additionally, the companion respawn rate is increased.
To get the most out of this skill, it is advisable to summon as many companions as possible.
The Graveborn attacks with monsters
What companions are used? Moxsy not only relies on the half-lich that is already there, but also tries to get more companions through weapons.
For example, there is the weapon “Snowballing Doodad of the Warrior” from Feriore. When thrown during reloading, it transforms into an additional Hydra companion. You can throw several of these, so the skill “Loyal Minions” gets additional stacks at the same time.
There are Feriore weapons that turn into “flying weapons” when thrown. They deal damage independently but also count as stacks for “Loyal Minions”.
Additional Feriore weapons can transform into flying fairy companions when thrown. These then deal extra companion damage but do not count as “Loyal Minions” stacks.
Furthermore, there are various spells that can summon Hydras – sometimes even 4 at a time. These also increase your “Loyal Minions” stacks.
Which abilities are used? Especially skills that increase companion, spell, and ability damage are interesting. For this, Moxsy relies on the following skills in the Graveborn build:
Essence Drain (4/3 using Class Mod)
Loyal Minions (3/3)
Dark Pacts (5/5)
Harvest (3/3)
Soul Leak (1/5)
Dark Hydra (3/3). This skill is particularly important as it can summon powerful Dark Hydras when you defeat enemies.
Ascension (4/3 using Class Mod).
In addition, Moxsy uses abilities from the “Spore Warden” tree. Here, he gets the mushroom companion and some strong abilities for companion damage.
Connected Heart (5/5)
Affinity (5/5)
Porthole (4/5)
Medical Mushroom (1/1)
Thrill of the Hunt (3/3)
Start video
Trailer for Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands shows the wonderfully absurd world of the shooter with gameplay
The majority of abilities focus on increasing damage through your companions and skills that also ensure that your overall damage skyrockets. Additionally, the resilience of your companions is increased, and the mushroom companion can even save your life.
New World was released on September 28, 2021, and has experienced some highs, but even more lows since then. MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch summarizes all the important milestones and explains why he is still excited to play New World.
Genre: MMORPG | Developer: Amazon Game Studios | Platform: PC | Release: 09/28/2021
New World has only been on the market for just under 6 months but already has a very eventful history behind it. At the start, there was a huge hype with over 910,000 concurrent players during the weekend after the release on Steam. A milestone that many didn’t expect before launch.
However, there was already much criticism at release due to long queue times, bugs, and exploits. Gold dupes and bots were a nuisance for many players. Later on, there was criticism regarding the equipment system, the leveling process, and especially the lack of endgame content.
Since then, much has changed. A lot has improved, some things are still bad and hard to understand. Yet, New World holds a special place in my heart and it is no coincidence that I have accumulated well over 500 hours of gameplay.
What captivates me the most are the atmosphere of the world, the combat system, and the constant carrot in front of my nose that is so easy to obtain yet never disappears.
Who is speaking here? Alex is the MMORPG expert at MeinMMO. He has spent several thousand hours in Guild Wars 1, Guild Wars 2, and ESO. In addition, he tries every new MMORPG, whether Asian games like Elyon and Lost Ark or indie titles like Crowfall and Broken Ranks.
New World, however, has particularly captivated him since the alpha, and he still actively plays it.
[toc]
New Weapons, New Dungeons, and Many Bug Fixes
Since the release, New World has received a major update every month. In between, there have also been dozens of small patches, mainly containing bug fixes.
But that’s just the rough overview of the many changes that New World has undergone in recent months. Especially in terms of “Quality of Life”, the combat system, and the bugs, much has changed.
Anyone who found leveling to level 60 annoying will notice that the required XP has been reduced in several updates. Travel costs have been significantly reduced, and storage can now be accessed globally from anywhere.
However, the biggest leap took place regarding endgame equipment. There you can see how rough the MMORPG was at the beginning and how much fine-tuning the developers had to undertake to create a somewhat functional and simultaneously unique system.
Start video
Everything you need to know about the New World endgame – in 2 minutes
Finally, A Structure in Equipment and Clear Goals in the Grind
The first stages of equipment were clear and understandable from the start. You received better gear drops with higher levels and could equip them. However, around item score 500, it became opaque. The reason was an invisible “watermark system”.
Each player had a fixed item score for each equipment slot that was increased by farming mobs and opening chests. This value determined what you would typically drop for an item score.
The longer there was no increase in this invisible value, the higher the chance of getting a drop with a higher item score. If this was the case, the invisible watermark adjusted to the new value and you had to grind again to level up. Sounds complicated, and it was.
In December, this system was replaced by the so-called “competency”. This value is now clearly visible alongside the equipment, and there are precise percentage indications for increases, as well as the gypsum system.
The pink numbers next to the equipment indicate which competency you currently have.
Through the gypsum system, you can complete daily tasks, such as finishing a dungeon, playing two rounds of Outpost Rush, or completing events in the open world. As a reward, you receive special diamonds through which you can create a gypsum version of your current equipment.
This gypsum version guarantees an increase in competency, allowing you to specifically work towards item score 600 and later even 625.
In my opinion, the system is successful, albeit somewhat grind-heavy. For progress to be made, you often have to repeat the same tasks over and over. Many daily tasks are quick to complete, and it creates that constant feeling of progress.
The Wrong Order in Content
New World was opaque at many points at launch and made many unusual decisions. Much of this has been corrected in recent months, but it is by no means perfect.
Players had wished for bug fixes or new content like new areas or new story content instead of directly receiving more grind for equipment. There were also fears of balance issues in PvP, which have not turned out to be significant so far.
Nevertheless, some players were left with an unpleasant aftertaste.
This unpleasant aftertaste has also persisted through further releases, as New World still regularly encounters bugs and issues that shouldn’t usually occur on live servers:
Server merges and transfers are still chaotic, resulting in some companies being split. Some servers are also on the brink of extinction but have yet to be merged with any other world.
With the February update, adjustments to the combat system were introduced that not everyone appreciated. There were problems with the “ability queue” whereby, when activating multiple abilities, they played out in sequence. This made it impossible to react to current situations. However, a fix has since been implemented.
Even the latest March update had problems. Originally, it was supposed to launch on March 30 in the morning our time. Then it was hastily postponed to March 31 in the morning. The release finally took place on March 31 at 7:00 PM, right in Europe’s prime time.
Opinions divided on the combat system
New World has made several adjustments to the combat system over the past months. Some have even worsened the battles, including the aforementioned “queue system”.
Since the latest update in March, however, the combat system feels better again and is overall smoother than it was at release.
An Atmosphere and Gameplay That Convince Me
Despite the launch errors and the many problems that New World still has, I am a big fan of the MMORPG. This is mainly due to:
The unique atmosphere of the world
The combat system
The incredibly satisfying crafting system
The constant progress I can achieve in New World without having to invest much
I like medieval settings. The fights over the settlements and the choice of weapons in New World fit perfectly. This is complemented by a mysterious and enigmatic world that I have understood in its basics by now but leaves plenty of room for more stories.
What exactly lies behind the Azoth, and which mysterious areas await beyond the currently known, intrigues me greatly.
Moreover, I love fighting in New World. The attacks have considerable weight, and I constantly have to plan my steps in advance. Due to the long animations and the limited abilities, I can’t just spam a mindless rotation that I learned by heart.
I am constantly challenged, especially in PvP battles. There, I have never felt that I am lacking additional abilities. On the contrary, six abilities, two different types of attacks, blocking, and dodging are more than enough to keep me on my toes.
In general, I am a fan of having to dodge attacks and actively aim. I also enjoy being challenged in my reaction speed and the fact that I can combine completely different playstyles with two weapons. The combat system of New World offers me all of this.
Start video
New World zeigt neue Donnerbüchse im Trailer – Ist viel mehr als eine stinknormale Schusswaffe
What I can also spend a lot of time on without much pressure are crafting and the grind for new competency levels. Both are indeed grind-heavy, but they are very well manageable.
Either I am with my colleagues in voice chat, running a dungeon or a few events together, or I join a large group of players. Then I can zone out a bit and watch series while we slay hordes of corrupted enemies or simply run around looting chests.
For me, New World offers a robust combat system, an exciting world, and paired with plenty of relaxation and grind for which I don’t have to think much outside of dungeon mutations or PvP. I previously enjoyed this mindless grind in Black Desert:
But I also really enjoy the PvP. I have participated in numerous wars and almost play a round of Outpost Rush every day. I enjoy competing against other players and measuring my skills against them. Additionally, we have to coordinate in both modes and achieve secondary objectives.
I am also motivated by the news that new PvP arenas are expected to be introduced in the spring of 2022.
I also view the developers’ communication positively. Every month, there is a video with explanations for the new update, featuring background on design decisions and future outlooks. This transparency is something I only know from FFXIV and recently Lost Ark, but not from large western games like WoW, SWTOR, or ESO.
The Future of New World Remains Uncertain Despite the Roadmap
After 6 months, the player count of New World is far from its all-time peak. Instead of the 913,000 players from October 3, only about 37,300 were online at peak on April 3 (via SteamDB).
Thus, New World is likely still slightly above the level of Lord of the Rings Online and DC Universe Online. Both have between 100,000 and 400,000 unique players who log in at least once a month. These MMORPGs show that ongoing development over the years is possible, but major leaps like graphics or engine updates do not necessarily have to happen there either.
A similar fate could befall New World if there is no significant turnaround.
The 3v3 PvP arenas and new PvP rewards, which are scheduled to appear in spring.
An automatic group search feature for dungeons and a new dungeon in summer.
The first new area and the “Great Sword” weapon in autumn.
Various events, including a summer event and something for Halloween.
Especially the PvP arenas and the group search for dungeons could spark some renewed interest. Both are content that the game’s fans have urgently requested. However, Amazon would have to ensure that these updates are rolled out flawlessly.
New World had a very rocky start and remains far from being a perfect MMORPG even 6 months after its release. Bugs are still present, issues surrounding empty servers are unresolved, and errors still occur after new updates, just like with the Valentine’s skins or the recent gold dupes.
But New World has changed significantly in the last 6 months. Leveling is faster, there are more weapons, more quests in the endgame, more rewards, and more clarity about how the various systems in the game work.
Those who couldn’t stand the fundamental system of New World, the world, or the combat will not find a reason to check out the MMORPG again in 2022. However, those who were particularly bothered by bugs, missing “Quality of Life” content, or a lack of endgame should definitely visit the world of Aeternum again.
Especially the new dungeons, the dungeon mutations, and the PvP content offer diverse tasks. Additionally, one can lose oneself beautifully in the grind of crafting materials or equipment. The player count has also solidified significantly by now, although at a lower level than many had hoped. However, the very small servers quickly foster a familial atmosphere, so you eventually get to know your friends, group leaders, and even enemies from other factions, even if you don’t engage in any company.
I still have fun and can continue to recommend the MMORPG to all my friends and readers here.
Alexander Leitsch
MMORPG expert at MeinMMO
If you are still not convinced despite the many arguments in favor of New World, we invite you to check out Find Your Next Game for more MMOs and MMORPGs. Black Desert, for instance, has changed with its latest expansion and gained some new content:
If you want to buy an SSD for your PS5, you need to consider a lot of things. New accessories might make this much easier for many users. MeinMMO presents the accessories to you.
Sony unlocked the long-awaited SSD slot of the PS5 at the end of 2021. Because around 667 GB are left for games and apps on the PS5. Especially modern games require a lot of space.
Since the official update, you can even install a new SSD yourself with a little skill. However, you need to pay attention to various things:
Only SSDs with a minimum performance fit into the PS5
Only M.2 SSDs fit into the PS5.
A heatsink is also recommended: This is a heat sink that is mounted on the SSD.
For many users, these points make the installation of an SSD unnecessarily complicated. But now a manufacturer has introduced new accessories for the PS5. This should make the installation of an SSD in the PS5 significantly easier for many users in the future. Some users have already tested what happens when you install an incompatible SSD in the PS5.
New heatsink from SilverStone makes selecting SSDs much easier
What kind of accessory was introduced? SilverStone has announced the TP06. This is a specially designed PS5 M.2 SSD heatsink. This specially shaped piece of technology is designed to sit perfectly on the SSD and keep it cool.
This should make the search for an SSD significantly easier for many. Because now you no longer have to choose an SSD based on the suitable cooling solution. Instead, you can simply buy an SSD with the right performance and just mount the heatsink from SilverStone on top.
This is what the installation of the new heatsink in the PS5 looks like
Why is this a sensible idea? The presentation also means for many users: The selection of SSDs that can be installed in the PS5 is likely to grow significantly with such a heatsink.
Because previously, either the heatsink had to fit on the SSD, or the cooling itself could not be too strong. If you are still looking for an SSD for your PS5, then take a look at our buying advice on MeinMMO:
This kind of upgrade for the PS5 is not entirely new
Has something like this existed before? SilverStone is not the first manufacturer to offer such a heatsink. The manufacturer Sabrent has already come up with the idea and offers a heatsink specifically made for the PS5 in addition to suitable SSDs.
With a price of 34.99 Euros or currently on sale for 24.99 Euros, the price for this cooling solution is also significantly higher than for other heatsinks. Here the price is usually between 10 and 15 Euros.
Oops, unfortunately this affiliate widget is no longer available.
If you have already purchased an SSD, you can easily retrofit it with a heat sink from Sabrent or soon from SilverStone.
More tips and tricks regarding the PS5: Are you interested in more information from the world of PlayStation 5? Then take a look at the following article: Here we explain which PS5 console could be the most worthwhile for you:
Ubisoft’s tactical shooter Rainbow Six: Siege announces a series of adjustments for various operators with the “Designer Notes” for the Y7S1.2 test servers. The reactions from the community to the changes are extreme, as Ubisoft nerfs one of the most popular operators, even though they classify him as “too weak.” Other operators, deemed too strong, remain unchanged.
Which operator is being addressed? The British SAS operator Smoke is one of the most popular operators in defense. In Ubisoft’s tactical shooter Rainbow Six: Siege, he plays a crucial tactical role in many line-ups.
The developers regularly check which operators are used in the rankings and how often they win. Based on this, they make adjustments. One of these adjustments now affects Smoke.
The developers are nerfing him on the test servers now. Smoke will henceforth take damage from his own gas. It is surprising that Smoke is being weakened, despite Ubisoft classifying him in the analysis as “too weak.”
Why is a too weak operator being nerfed?
Is Smoke too weak? Smoke’s win delta is below 0%. Thus, the operator is considered “too weak.” Generally, however, Smoke is seen as relatively well-balanced.
Even though the win delta of the SAS defender is below 0% in the “too weak” category, he is in a comparatively good condition with more than -1%. For example, Castle and Goyo are in a worse situation (via ubisoft.com).
Smoke is very close to a balanced win rate. The nerf aims at the operator’s presence. However, this is not tied to his strength, but rather to his tactical relevance.
Is Smoke played too much? Since its release, Smoke has been a very popular operator. In Ubisoft’s recent presence analysis, he is one of the seven most played operators in defense at around 30%. He surpassed Mira, Bandit, Lesion, Mozzie, and Vigil and is considered “overpicked.”
This is how the operators perform regarding their presence and corresponding win rate
Important operator for tactical setup
Why is Smoke played so often? Smoke’s high presence is partly due to the lack of an adequate alternative to him.
Smoke has a shotgun as a primary weapon and the SMG-11 as a popular fully automatic secondary weapon. This combination allows him to engage in gunfights at close, mid to long range, making him very flexible as a defender.
More importantly, he can shoot holes in walls and floors with the shotgun, creating new sightlines and passages. Operators with similar equipment often lose out in terms of tactical relevance, as Smoke can relatively safely block access from a distance with his gas canisters and prevent the placement of the defuser.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
The trailer for the current “Rainbow Six: Siege” season Demon Veil
Reactions from the community: “Absolutely unnecessary”
What are the reactions? The adjustments that Ubisoft has published on the Y7S1.2 test servers have elicited strong opinions from the community even before the first tests.
Many players are unhappy with the changes. Some are worried about their favorite operators, while others are urgently missing much-needed nerfs for Finka and LMGs. MeinMMO shows you some reactions from the community:
@MacieJay via Twitter: “I am definitely not a fan of Smoke losing immunity to his own gas. I generally hate passive abilities, but when it is tied to the primary gadget of an operator like Smoke, I think it is good and should stay as it is.”
@namesYuuri via Twitter: “How did the Smoke nerf even pass the brainstorming session at Ubisoft?”
However, alongside the numerous negative opinions, Niclas Mouritzen alias Pengu does not see the Smoke nerf as a problem. Pengu is one of the best and most recognized Smoke players in Siege and a two-time “Six Invitational” winner (the Rainbow Six: Siege World Championship).
Maybe I play Smoke differently, but I rarely find myself in my own gas. Although it is a strange change, and the consistency / reasoning for some changes is odd, I really don’t see the bigger problem from a gameplay perspective.
Test server update brings further nerfs but also buffs
What has been announced? In addition to the nerf for Smoke, Rainbow Six: Siege has released further adjustments in the designer notes for the Y7S1.2 test servers. The proposed changes aim to influence the win rate and presence of operators in played matches with ranks.
Other popular operators like Bandit and Nomad are also affected by the changes. MeinMMO summarizes the adjustments announced for the test servers in the designer notes (via ubisoft.com) for you:
Smoke: Is vulnerable to his own toxic gas.
Bandit: Can deploy multiple batteries for the same reinforced wall or gadget.
Blackbeard: Loses the breaching charges as a secondary gadget and instead receives claymores.
Claymores: The number of claymores available to an operator increases from 1 to 2.
Ying: The number of Yings “Candelas” increases from 3 to 4, while Ubisoft reduces the duration of the flash effect of a candela from 2.8 to 1.4 seconds.
Warden: The duration of his glasses’ effect (protection against flashbangs and the ability to see through smoke) increases from 10 seconds to 20 seconds. To counter this buff, the cooldown of the mentioned ability will also be increased from 10 to 20 seconds.
Gridlock: The number of Trax canisters increases from 3 to 4.
Nomad & Oryx: Knocked down operators can remain on the ground and regain control of the character faster. Additionally, the recovery time of a knocked-down operator decreases from 2 seconds to 1.25 seconds.
Besides the Smoke nerf, further changes are being tested on the test servers. The changes regarding Bandit’s batteries, Warden’s glasses, or the number of claymores are also exciting and raise numerous interesting questions.
How do you assess the changes of the test servers? Do you find them justified and wish for them in the main game? Are there still changes you feel are necessary, like the mentioned LMG nerf? Would you like to see any adjustments regarding the current state of Finka?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
After the hype around the Witch Queen campaign in Destiny 2 has faded a bit, the focus is now on some issues that are currently causing great dissatisfaction among players. It is not only the mysterious vendor Xur who is suffering from this, but also the players are at a disadvantage. We took a look at what these issues are and why this is actually unworthy for Bungie.
Now that many players in Destiny 2 are completing the last tasks in the Throne World and for their triumphs, it’s time to talk about issues and adjustments. Especially since these are issues and bugs that have appeared shortly after the release of the new expansion and have not been fixed since.
For weeks, the vendors have been delivering poor armor values, including Xur.
Contempt opponents deal far too much damage with their Void crossbow, and Bungie knows it.
The drop rates of the exotic glaives are poor and need optimization.
Currently, the only thing that helps against the Contempt crossbow is a lot of Void resistance.
Aside from the everyday issues and bug fixes, these particular problems have turned out to be particularly stubborn in recent weeks. It has even gone so far that the player galadham writes in the comments on MeinMMO that the current situation is unworthy for Bungie.
NPC vendors have been selling junk for weeks
It all started with Ikora. After completing the legendary campaign, players were initially pleased with the first Witch Queen exotic. But the disillusionment with their own decision came quickly, as it was a nasty trap.
All selectable exotics from Ikora Rey had really bad stats, and that is bitter, as it has far-reaching implications for the affected players.
No one wanted to shop at Xur anymore: The mysterious vendor Xur and the sellers in the Tower are also affected by this error. Every Friday, players hope that especially Xur will finally bring reasonable armor values. But instead of better, the armor values this weekend were even worse than the base value from the collection.
An explanation for this issue came from dmg04, Destiny 2 community manager, and was until yesterday the only information available.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Twitter that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
The fix, however, has led to a new problem: In the yesterday’s update 4.0.0.6, Xur received a correction, but this led to another, albeit smaller problem.
So pay attention when you visit the exotic vendor that the displayed stats on Xur’s inventory screen may differ slightly from the item received. Bungie is continuing to investigate the problem, and until then, you’ll have to be surprised when making purchases.
Certain Contempt enemies deal too much damage
Contempt enemies with the Void crossbow have been dealing excessive damage for far too long. Many players have already felt this in Nightfall strikes. Bungie has communicated that an adjustment is coming, but it will only be in a few weeks, at the start of Season 17, as Destiny’s community manager writes on Twitter.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Twitter that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
In this post, the developer at least refuted the players’ assumption that this is a result of the already known FPS issue. Rather, the fault with the Contempt crossbow shooters seems to be that they apparently fire three crossbow bolts. That, coupled with other damage components, makes them guaranteed one-shot killers in the endgame.
The drop rates of the exotic glaives in the Well are poor
The next problem awaits in Savathun’s Throne World. Looking at the drop rates of certain weapons there, such as the exotic glaives in the activity Well, it becomes clear that this has been frustrating for players for far too long.
The fight in the Well is currently not very rewarding.
Almost as tedious as hunting for a rare raid exotic: Some players have completed 30 and others even 60 runs in the Well and are still waiting for the blueprint for one of the three exotic glaives. Especially in the Well, the drop rates are mysteriously low.
Bungie has increased the drop rates for the legendary resonance weapons, that is, weapons with red frames, but not for the exotic glaives. Not to mention the fact that the glaives themselves are currently not really strong, have disappointed players across the board, and urgently need a buff.
Higher difficulty levels also offer no added value: Especially frustrating is the fact that there apparently are currently no increased drop rates for higher difficulty levels. So players gain nothing from pushing themselves harder, which does not feel rewarding.
The players can no longer comprehend this
Actually, players are used to something different in Destiny 2. The developer not only pampers its community with regular updates but is also very good at recognizing and addressing the problems of players.
Usually, an urgent adjustment does not take months before a solution is available from the developer. No wonder that players can no longer comprehend this and wonder why certain adjustments that are important to them are taking so long. Especially Xur has been harshly criticized, as no one wants to shop with the old offerings anymore.
Let’s hope that Bungie soon finds the necessary solutions to address the most urgent issues quickly. We from MeinMMO will keep you updated as soon as new information becomes available.
Additionally, there are some reasons to explore Destiny 2 – we summarize it for you in 2 minutes:
Start video
Everything you need to know about Destiny 2 – in 2 minutes
What is your opinion on this? Do you think the players are just too spoiled by Bungie’s previous support? Or do you believe there might be deeper issues at play that could mean that certain changes require much more work? We’d love to hear your opinion in the comments.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Call of Duty: Warzone is holding its first public tournament that all adult players from North America can participate in – with a prize pool of $100,000. This is reminiscent of the Ranked mode, which is unlikely to come to Warzone (1) in the desired form.
A “Ranked mode” would alleviate the issue – strong players would then tend to play in this mode
Now, the Battle Royale is attempting a kind of Ranked mode, but the implementation is somewhat far from what players envision
CDL Tournament on Rebirth Island introduces a kind of Ranked mode
What kind of tournament is this? The “Call of Duty League Resurgence: Rebirth Island” tournament is a competition that any adult player can participate in across the designated regions.
The first tournament is for players from North America:
USA
Canada
Mexico
Puerto Rico
Jamaica
To participate, one must first create an account on an external website and register their team for the tournament.
There is a prize pool of $100,000, and Warzone even provides a special limited mode for it, essentially a kind of Ranked mode:
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Twitter that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
The tournament proceeds in 3 phases. In the “Open Stage” phase on April 5th and 6th, competitors can play the mode for 3 hours each, after which the tournament mode will be removed from the playlist.
Points are awarded for each kill in the team, and kills receive a multiplier if teams place first, second, or third. The 10 matches with the most points count.
The best 40 teams advance to the qualifying phase and compete together in private lobbies for victory. After this phase, only 8 teams remain.
In the “Main Stage”, in addition to the 8 public teams, 12 teams from the professional league Call of Duty: League join. In the finale, the remaining 10 teams compete in 6 matches for victory.
Why is this not what players want? The tournament itself is an exciting event. Without many detours, North American players can compete for $100,000 and also have the chance to play with real CoD professionals.
However, the tournament strongly resembles a Ranked mode that has been a long-standing desire of many players.
What is a Ranked mode? These are modes in competitive games that use a very strict, skill-based matchmaking system. Only players with a similar skill level are grouped together in lobbies.
Often there are additional rules – in CoD Vanguard, for example, some weapons and equipment are banned. In the MOBA League of Legends, there is a special champion selection before ranked matches, where you can ban characters for the opponents.
Warzone does not currently offer such a mode, and there are currently no signs that ranked play is a topic in the current Warzone. Implementation could be possible in the already announced second part of Warzone.
Will such a tournament come to us? The organizers currently do not want to make a definite statement about this. On the tournament’s website, the FAQs state: “We look forward to your feedback and hope to expand this to other regions in the near future” (via callofdutyleague.com).
The entire event is organized by Call of Duty: League, which includes some teams from Europe. A similar event for our region is not out of the question, but it is far from certain.
If you want to participate in a Warzone tournament, look for it online. There are some communities that regularly organize such events. However, if the organizers want money for an entry spot, you’d better look for something else without costs.
We are also interested in what you think about the topic. Would you like to see such a tournament in our region? Do you wish for a Ranked mode for Warzone? Feel free to leave us a comment.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Great Rift was introduced in patch 2.6 in Genshin Impact. However, you need to complete a few tasks before you can dive into the depths of the dark mines of the area. We at MeinMMO will tell you exactly what you need to do.
When do you unlock the required quest? To descend into the mines in the lower area of the Great Rift, you must have reached adventure level 28.
Additionally, you must have completed the Archon quest “A Rising Star” and the world quest “Secret Mission to Dissolve the Qixing Formation”.
Where do you find the world quest? The world quest is also located directly in the new area, which you can only accept since patch 2.6. Teleport to the Qingxu Pool in Liyue and glide west into the unexplored area and walk to the NPC “Yuehui”, who is marked with a blue exclamation point on the map.
If you have trouble finding the NPC Yuehui, it may help to speak with Katheryn from the Adventurers’ Guild in Liyue to start the main quest “Unexpected Reunion in the Depths” in the Great Rift. She will send you to another NPC who is clearly marked on the map. Nearby, Yuehui for the world quest is also present.
Start video
Genshin Impact shows all content from Update 2.6 in the video – See here what to expect
Complete the “Secret Mission to Dissolve the Qixing Formation”
Once you’ve found the NPC Yuehui, you need to speak with “Xiqiong,” who is standing just a few meters away. She will send you to a worker camp, which will be marked on your map. There, you need to defeat some treasure looters and take the Lumenstone Catalyst from the hut.
After that, you need to return to Xiqiong, who will assign you a new quest: “Find a way to destroy the rock keys”.
To complete the quest, you first need to bring down a larger stone pillar so it shatters. You can do this by destroying the glowing rock. A small star-like crystal will emerge from the stone, which will circle around you once you collect it.
You must bring the crystal to the nearest vessel. After that, you can attack the vessel with normal attacks and it will shoot a type of Geo energy at the larger stone pillar, bringing it down. Make sure to stand in the correct position in front of the vessels, as you will only shoot in the direction you direct your strikes.
This is what the glowing stone and the vessels look like.
What happens next? The first stone pillar was just a warm-up exercise. After that, 3 more pillars will be marked on the map that you need to find.
2 of the pillars are relatively obvious on the map, while the stone pillar in the north is somewhat hidden in a cave. The cave is directly below the huge Geo stone, which even triggers a dialogue with Paimon when you approach it.
Just drop onto the ledge directly below the huge Geo stone and you will quickly discover the cave.
What happens after destroying the stone pillars? After destroying them, you need to return to Xiqiong and subsequently start a new quest called “Beginning of Exploration of the Great Rift”. A point will be marked on the map that brings you to a wooden elevator.
When you ride the elevator, you will be taken directly into the deep mines of the rift and can explore there from now on. If you also want to use the Lumenstone to create light in the mines, you will need to complete the subsequent world quests. However, you can also wander through the mines without it.
What do you think about the area around the Great Rift? Do you like it and have you already explored it, or do you not like the setting there very much? How do you find patch 2.6 so far? Feel free to write it to us in the comments.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The new update 1.03 of Elden Ring introduced the Vessel Child, a new NPC with its own questline. MeinMMO shows you what you need to do to complete the new quest series.
Where can I find the NPC? The Vessel Child can be found in the place called Vesselburg, in the east of the Liurnia Lakes. Vesselburg is easy to overlook, but not hard to reach.
His quest is connected to those of the NPCs Diallos and Alexander, whom you meet at the Table of Grace. How they are related and what you need to do to resolve the quest of the new NPC from update 1.03 will be shown here.
This is how you get to Vesselburg to the Vessel Child
Vesselburg is located on the eastern coast of Liurnia, directly south of the Caria study hall.
You need to turn to the cliff on the south side of the tower and jump down over some protruding gravestones:
Here you find the way down.Jump from here from gravestone to gravestone.Rest at the Site of Grace, and from there you can already see the NPC.Bairn sits in front of a building on the entrance steps.
Talk to him there and reload the area from the Site of Grace. Do this until Bairn has no new dialogue lines left.
You need to complete some steps of the Diallos quest
This is how you do it: You meet Diallos at the Table of Grace. He is the guy in the silver armor with the black cloak. Here’s a quick summary of the necessary steps:
Talk to him until he has no new dialogue lines left.
Then you will find him in the north of the Academy Gate Town in Liurnia.
After that, you find him again at the Table of Grace. Talk to him there, and then he moves on.
Now you will find him in the Volcano Manor. To talk to him, you must first join the manor. Then you will find him in the dining hall.
During the Volcano Manor quest, you will encounter his brother, whom you must eliminate.
After that, you will find him again in the Volcano Manor.
Before patch 1.03, this was the end of his quest. Now there are additional steps that are directly related to the Bairn quest.
Here you can watch the necessary steps in the video:
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Find Diallos in Vesselburg and complete the Alexander quest
After you have completed the necessary steps in the Diallos quest, you will find him in Vesselburg. First, talk to Bairn and then look for Diallos in one of the houses.
It is the furthest house on the right side when you turn directly from Bairn towards the village. There you will find Diallos crouching among some jugs.
Complete all dialogue lines and reload the area. Now you will meet Bairn at the entrance of the village. Talk to him, and he will tell you that Diallos defended the village from attackers.
A few meters further, Diallos lies defeated on the ground. Talk to him and tell him that he defended Vesselburg. He then dies.
Reload the area, and you will see Bairn kneeling by Diallos’s corpse. Talk to him and complete all dialogue lines again.
Now comes the quest of the great warrior vessel Alexander into play. You need to complete it first. Then, you must hand over Alexander’s insides to Bairn, who is again sitting on his stairs in Vesselburg.
Alexander’s quest is also a long journey throughout the game world of Elden Ring. You will meet Alexander early in the game. You must free him from the hole he got stuck in, in Limgrave.
After that, you will find him again in the Gael Tunnel, and later you must defeat one of the main bosses with him. You can check out how to complete them in another video from Games from Mars:
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
This is how you complete the quest of the Vessel Child and can receive a useful talisman
This is what you need to do now: If you have played Bairn’s quest up to this point and completed Alexander’s quest, you must hand over Alexander’s insides to Bairn.
Bairn is back sitting on his stairs in Vesselburg. Give him the quest item, complete all dialogues as usual, and reload the area.
Now Bairn has disappeared, and you receive a talisman.
Here you will find the exact description of the talisman
It is the Companion Vessel Talisman. It enhances the effects of throwable vessels that you can create from various materials.
These vessels can have all sorts of effects, whether elemental damage, status effects, or just explosions. They can be useful in battle, but you need to have enough materials to craft and use them effectively.
It’s certainly not a talisman that will be counted among the best. However, those who enjoy using throwable vessels often might find this talisman useful.
It is just one of many quests that you can complete in Elden Ring. Many of them are interwoven, and your actions influence various aspects of the game world.
One of the longest quests is that of Ranni, the witch. She also leads you through the game world, and you will have to fight some bosses, but you will be rewarded with some useful items, spells, and a powerful weapon.
In December 2021, the shooter secret tip GTFO left Early Access. The next big update will be released on April 13. As part of FYNG, MeinMMO author Marko Jevtic exclusively played the latest levels with the developers and discussed the past, present, and unique position of the horror co-op shooter.
The biggest fans of co-op games and horror shooters should have long heard of GTFO (short for: “Get The F**k Out”). This secret tip from Swedish studio 10 Chambers was in Early Access for exactly 2 years, before the full release in December 2021.
GTFO is a co-op shooter with a hardcore difficulty level, where you fight as 4 unfortunate guinea pigs through underground laboratories overrun by all sorts of monsters. The gameplay can roughly be divided into two phases that could not be more different:
Slow stealth phases where you try to sneak up on sleeping monsters and silently take them out with melee weapons.
Hectic combat phases when cover is blown or a security door needs to be opened. Here, often several dozen enemies rush at you in waves, and survival becomes a mad struggle.
All of this is garnished with a brutally hard difficulty level and rare supply resources, meaning every bullet in the pistol feels like a valuable treasure.
This combination is well-received by players: Of nearly 27,000 reviews on Steam, 87% are positive. Shortly after the Early Access launch, over 57,000 people watched GTFO streams on Twitch. The fact that the game is still a hidden gem is partly due to player count. Currently, about 800 people play the co-op shooter daily, but there are always brief bursts of renewed interest.
Here you can see the release trailer for GTFO:
Start video
Check out the release trailer for the shooter hidden gem, GTFO – Launching today on Steam
These fluctuations and the niche existence are part of the plan: GTFO intentionally targets an absolute hardcore community, explicitly rejecting repetitive gameplay in loops and starting completely anew with each major update.
In the run-up to the next major update on April 13 and as part of “Find Your Next Game”, I played with the developers. I was also allowed to take an exclusive look at Rundown 6.5. I asked them why they make such unconventional design decisions, such as radically deleting and completely replacing all existing levels in the game with each major update.
Comparisons to Elden Ring? “It’s not that absurd”
Full transparency: You are the only person outside the team who has ever played this.
This sentence came up during my approximately 90-minute play session with Calle Johansson-Sundelius, the Community Manager at 10 Chambers, and Robin Björkell, the Communications Director.
We played the first level of Rundown 6.5, which the upcoming patch will reinvent GTFO. These Rundowns are one of the many special features of the shooter.
A Rundown is like its own ‘instance’ of GTFO that has an expiration date. Each Rundown consists of a variable number of levels and challenges that are available to all players for a certain amount of time.
Some Rundowns last months, others only a few weeks, but the duration is communicated in advance. Once a Rundown is over, it disappears from the game forever. With the next instance, completely new levels will come that challenge in new ways and continue the story.
They are most comparable to the “Elusive Targets” from the latest Hitman games: time-limited, unique content. The big difference is that in GTFO every level in the game is affected, and all others are lost forever.
The atmosphere in GTFO is as dense as the fog that obscures your vision in the underground laboratories of the game.
The upcoming Rundown 6.5 aims to bridge two major instances of the game, the currently available Rundown 6 and the Rundown 7 coming this year. In the next update, new dangers and even areas will be introduced that have not existed in GTFO before and could play a significant role in the future.
What exactly these new dangers and areas are, they refused to tell me during the play session. The level I played was in the lab complex, where most levels of GTFO take place. However, there were new password-protected terminals that encourage further exploration.
Players should be surprised by the other changes while playing and try to decipher the story being told in the background.
But how are new players supposed to follow this narrative when all old levels are no longer playable?
“Our community,” was Community Manager Calle Johansson-Sundelius’s proudly stated answer. The cumbersome nature of the narrative is meant to encourage players to talk to each other, exchange theories, and pay close attention to the details in the levels that also tell this story.
Calle Johansson-Sundelius, Community Manager at 10 Chambers and one of my two playmates during the interview
When I casually said that this reminded me of Elden Ring, my teammate from the developer team replied that this comparison “is not entirely absurd.” The brutally difficult and opaque FromSoftware games are not a direct inspiration, but 10 Chambers has intentionally made aspects of GTFO deliberately cumbersome and pursues a similar philosophy to Elden Ring. This goes beyond the lore and specifically concerns difficulty:
GTFO is so hardcore because we trust in our players’ abilities. We want them to figure things out themselves, or together with their co-op partners and the entire community.
This includes the necessity for players to thoroughly explore the levels together to find out how to proceed.
What sets GTFO apart from Left 4 Dead or Back 4 Blood? – “We provide real co-op”
That this is not so simple was demonstrated during this play session. We quickly realized that it is almost impossible to conduct an interview while playing GTFO. But the developers anticipated that – it is even a core aspect of the design philosophy of the shooter:
In GTFO, there should be no real opportunity to engage in small talk. We want people to immerse themselves completely in our game and communicate precisely and succinctly about what is most important. Because we want every distraction to potentially mean your death.
The developers at 10 Chambers pursue this philosophy not because they hate or want to punish players. Quite the opposite: GTFO is so difficult because the developers want to create co-op action that couldn’t be more immersive. The interplay should be the focus, and the more the players are challenged while playing, the better the cooperation has to be.
So Calle also provided me with a very enlightening example of how deep this vision goes and how it concretely manifests in GTFO:
When you start our game, you don’t see any logos from our studio, not even the game title. The game is supposed to completely and uncompromisingly suck you in from the very first second – such ‘self-promotion’ at the beginning would make that impossible.
Nonetheless, the game has become more beginner-friendly. As each Rundown completely changes the first level, the developers have repeatedly refined the “invisible tutorial” that awaits the players.
To make things more visible to newcomers, there are now also bots in the game, as well as online matchmaking and checkpoints within the levels.
These adjustments have improved the game, Calle said. They help the players without diluting the immersive hardcore experience.
With the difficulty level, 10 Chambers wants to show that they “trust in our players and their abilities.” In this way, GTFO also wants to distinguish itself from the competition that is even made easier.
We really like games like Left 4 Dead, we enjoy playing them a lot. But these co-op shooters compromise on co-op. In most groups, there’s a player who is significantly better than the others; one who rushes ahead, kills everything alone while the rest lags behind, doing their own thing and chatting with each other.
It’s fun, but we don’t want that for our game. We want real co-op, and we want to achieve that with our hardcore philosophy.
“Real co-op” means here that each player should be roughly equally skilled in shooter games. It means that players should smartly share the very limited resources among themselves. It also means that a mistake by one can lead to the downfall of the entire group. The hardcore difficulty level is intended to promote highly precise communication and thus create “real and completely uncompromising co-op gameplay.”
Before starting a so-called expedition, you can select your equipment in GTFO. You should coordinate this well with your team.
We don’t want the game to take cooperation and communication away from the players. We trust our players to handle that themselves.
How do you make a game called GTFO appealing to new players? – With a “very careful balancing act”
Not entirely unspoken, this question was of course also on the table during the discussion:
How do you convince newcomers to a game with such a hardcore philosophy and the off-putting name GTFO? Calle had a surprisingly open answer to this question. It’s a “very careful balancing act” of business and creative interests.
The fact that this is such a complicated question for the developers is also due to GTFO’s business model. The game costs a one-time fee of €39.99. This is to remain as long as 10 Chambers can afford it financially.
Dozens of enemies, little ammunition, low health points – that’s GTFO in one picture.
GTFO completely forgoes DLCs. There are no microtransactions, and all Rundowns are delivered as free updates. Rundowns 7 and 8 were announced for 2022 in a roadmap.
There is also no enforced grinding – the artifacts with status improvements that players can find in the underground laboratories become rarer the more frequently they play.
We are happy if players play an update for as long as they have fun. Whether that’s 2 hours or 200 is irrelevant to us – we don’t want to artificially impose replay value on our game.
The fact that GTFO needs new players is unavoidable for sheer business reasons. But the developers do not want to do this at any cost. The vision of GTFO as an immersive hardcore shooter is something 10 Chambers definitely does not want to give up.
We want to sell our game, of course, that’s the only way we can survive as developers. But we do not want to achieve that if we have to sell our principles as developers to do so.
Throughout the entire interview, I noticed that this uncompromising vision of an uncompromising game is at the top of the developers’ priority list. Players can feel this in the game, and I could clearly hear it from the developers’ answers to my questions.
So Calle also provided me with a very enlightening example of how deep this vision goes and how it concretely manifests in GTFO:
When you start our game, you don’t see any logos from our studio, not even the game title. The game is supposed to completely and uncompromisingly suck you in from the very first second – such ‘self-promotion’ at the beginning would make that impossible.
Nonetheless, the game has become more beginner-friendly. As each Rundown completely changes the first level, the developers have repeatedly refined the “invisible tutorial” that awaits the players.
To make things more visible to newcomers, there are now also bots in the game, as well as online matchmaking and checkpoints within the levels.
These adjustments have improved the game, Calle said. They help the players without diluting the immersive hardcore experience.
In Pokémon GO you can now encounter the new Alolan Pokémon Molunk. We at MeinMMO have taken a look at what kind of monster it is, how strong it is, and where you can actually get it.
Which Pokémon is it? With the kickoff of the Rocket Event “Team Outing”, a new monster is also found in Pokémon GO: Molunk. It originates from the 7th generation of games. But how strong is this monster anyway, and where can you actually get it? We explain it to you.
What kind of Pokémon is Molunk?
The Alolan Pokémon Molunk is of the Poison and Fire types. You can recognize it by its lizard-like gray-black body and a red decoration that extends from its back to the tip of its tail.
Molunk can be found in both its male and female forms in the game. You can evolve the female variant into Amfira using 50 candies. The male form has no evolution.
Molunk and Amfira
Is there a shiny version of Molunk? No, currently you cannot find Molunk in its shiny form in Pokémon GO. If it ever becomes available, you will recognize it by its black and white body.
How strong are Molunk and Amfira?
Molunk is not particularly strong. Its evolution Amfira can score with a good attack, but it can only rely on average stamina and defense. Thus, it does not come close to other strong Fire and Poison attackers.
In raids, you should therefore prefer to rely on a candidate from the best attackers in Pokémon GO. And even in the GO Battle League, Amfira does not play a decisive role.
How to get Molunk – Location and chances
The Poison and Fire Pokémon is currently very hidden in Pokémon GO. Even though it celebrated its debut in the game with the start of the Rocket Event, it is not that easy to get. The reason for this is its location.
Unlike other new Alolan Pokémon like Mangunior, Wuffels, or Miniras, which can be found in various ways in the game, you can only obtain Molunk from 12 km eggs.
How to get the 12 km eggs? You can only obtain these special eggs after successfully defeating the Rocket bosses Arlo, Cliff, and Sierra, as well as their leader Giovanni. The path to an egg is thus associated with considerable time investment.
To defeat Arlo, Cliff, and Sierra, you first need to find them. For this, you need a Rocket Radar. With each battle against a Rocket Grunt, you will receive a mysterious component. Once you have 6 mysterious components, you can assemble the radar and track down the bosses.
If you are still looking for the best counters against the Rocket bosses, then check out our counter guides:
Even if you finally managed to get a 12 km egg, it does not guarantee that you will get Molunk from it. After all, the small Alolan Pokémon is in great company in the 12 km eggs with other interesting monsters that can only be obtained from these eggs. With a bit of luck, you may encounter Pokémon like Ganovil or Gladiantri.
How high the chances of getting Molunk from a 12 km egg exactly are is not known. However, you can only see on the probability display below the 12 km egg that it is one of the monsters that hatch from this egg the least often.
Molunk rarely hatches from 12 km eggs
Anyone who also wants to secure an Amfira for the PokéDex must thus hope for a female Molunk. Your chances of getting one seem to be rather low.
Since it has only been available in these eggs since April 3, 2022, there are still no detailed numbers from the community of The Silph Road pointing to a specific probability (via thesilphroad.com). Once there are further insights, we will add them here in the article.
Who is The Silph Road? The Silph Road is a global community where trainers, dataminers, and Pokémon GO enthusiasts attempt to better understand the game. They analyze specific processes, such as which monsters hatch from eggs how frequently, and then publish their results on their site.
Which Pokémon you can get from eggs besides Molunk, we show you in our egg overview:
When you look at the stats of Molunk and its evolution, they are not Pokémon that belong to the must-haves in Pokémon GO. And even shiny hunters are currently not benefiting from Molunk at all.
Thus, the Alolan Pokémon is not really worth it. However, if you want to have a full PokéDex, you probably can’t avoid hatching the eggs. To keep the hatching time as low as possible, it makes sense to take advantage of certain events where the hatching distance is reduced.
When these bonuses are announced by Niantic, you will of course find out about it on MeinMMO. So it’s worth checking back regularly.
What do you think of the new Alolan Pokémon? Have you had any luck and managed to secure one from the 12 km eggs? Or are you not interested in this monster from the 7th generation at all? Feel free to share your opinion and experiences here on MeinMMO in the comments and exchange ideas with other trainers.
Are you more interested in the legendary Pokémon Mewtwo? We’ll show you how you can get Mewtwo.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
