At the GDC in San Francisco, not only are many innovations from game developers revealed, but also deeper insights into their games themselves. Bungie was also present for Destiny 2 and they revealed some information: including a graphic that shows how popular the loot shooter actually was in 2018.
What is the GDC? The “Game Developers Conference,” abbreviated as GDC, refers to a major event where game developers meet in San Francisco to discuss innovations. During this event, developers exchange ideas and talk about changes in the market.
In the meantime, Bungie was also present and provided some insights into Destiny 2. A graphic was shared that compares Destiny 1 & 2 and the weekly active player numbers in the first weeks after each release.
One can see from the statistics how extremely the player numbers dropped in the first weeks after the release of Destiny 2.
How did the comparison look? Bungie created a graphic that compared both loot shooters: They compared the player number development in the first half year after each launch:
Destiny 1 was released on September 9, 2014
Destiny 2 was released in September 2017
Ben Hanson, a former video producer for Game Informer, photographed the graphic and tweeted it on Twitter for illustration.
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Destiny 2 is marked in orange and Destiny 1 in white. It can be seen how drastically Destiny dropped after about 4 months:
Destiny 1 experienced a surge in players 10 weeks after release and rose again. After six months, the player numbers were still solid.
Destiny 2 did see surges after week 8 (PC release on October 24) and in week 14 (DLC release Curse of Osiris on December 5). However, after that the player numbers dropped rapidly. After 26 weeks – about half a year after the release of Destiny 2, active player numbers were at a low point
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In the MeinMMO podcast: What happened to The Division? It used to be huge
DLCs worked well in Destiny 1 – Failed completely in Destiny 2
What was the reason for the declining interest? There could be many reasons that the Guardians were fed up about half a year after the release of Destiny 2, in February 2018.
stretched content
few challenges
unnecessary resource grind to keep players engaged
patrols as the main activity
weak DLCs
Also, the new raid wing in the former Leviathan could not impress. It even resembled a Worlds-First more of a sprint than a long race. Exotics did not feel special and were given away at every corner. Basically, the entire character of the loot shooter was banished.
Is Destiny 2 performing better in 2022? We do not have exact statistics on this, but we do know that Witch Queen, the new expansion for Destiny 2, sold a million copies. Many players also stated that it has the best story and the new raid is the best of its kind.
A lot has changed at Bungie since the split from Activision, and yet the development team was able to pull itself together and still achieve great things. It remains to be seen whether Bungie will continue to give it their all as they did with Witch Queen.
What did you think back in 2018 about the Curse expansion on Mercury? Did you play the expansion or were you fed up as well? Let us know!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A curious bug in Lost Ark currently allows you and everyone around you to protect yourselves from annoying spam with love. What exactly this is about, we at MeinMMO will tell you here.
What is this bug? It is currently unclear how long the bug has existed in Lost Ark; we only know that love is currently making you truly blind. Players are now using this for various funny but also practical purposes.
If you write a heart in the Lost Ark chat, that is <3, the chat freezes for everyone who reads it, including yourself. So if you just want to be nice and then receive no reply, it is not meant to be rude; you might just not see the response.
And what’s worse is that you don’t really notice it. The bug doesn’t actively prevent you from sending messages; you just can’t see them anymore. The entire chat freezes at the point where it should display the <3.
Even system messages no longer appear in your chat window, and whispers and guild chat seemingly just disappear into nothing.
Start video
The 5 Reasons for the Incredible Success of Lost Ark
Since Lost Ark cannot display the <3 message at all, you should pay attention more often to whether your chat is working at all. For example, if you see an empty message in the chat and then nothing for a long time, love has probably caught you cold.
How do you fix the error? This is still not really clear. In our own tests, we found that it helps if you switch characters or simply restart the game. A teleport or even a change of channel or map does not seem to fix the problem.
Other players on reddit report that it can help to turn the respective chat tab off and on again, but that did not help in our tests.
You should therefore check whether your chat is currently working before you go into an Abyssal Dungeon or other content that requires communication from you. Because as funny as the bug sounds at first, the love of other players can be quite annoying in the long run.
How does the community react? A player noticed the bug on March 27 and shared it on reddit; since then, it has garnered attention and clarifies for many fans the previously inexplicable events.
Most players take it with humor, although there are some fans who are upset that such bugs made it into the finished game. However, most are having fun, especially regarding the spamming bots in Lost Ark.
A fan writes, “This is awesome, I no longer have to block bots; I can just love them.” He further explains that you can’t stop the bots from continuing to write, but even a broken chat would be better than a spammed chat, according to the user.
Other fans finally understand why people suddenly stopped responding to them. Or why the guild chat was practically deserted on a Friday night, when all they wanted was to show their love and affection, writes user NCNR8.
What do the fans say? In the reddit thread where the topic is discussed, many users ask intriguing questions about the curious bug. We want to share some of them with you:
Clisky writes: “After the raid yesterday, I wrote ‘Thanks for the run <3’ and no one replied to me all evening long. Thanks for finding that!”
happypofa feels guilty: “I don’t even want to know how many chats I’ve already broken because I like to send people <3 after completed dungeons..”
Chillmatica writes: “I hope it’s really just a curious bug. In New World, you could execute whole HTML commands via chat, which would not be good.”
To this, KitaiSuru responds: “It’s like in New World, Amazon did it again.”
Have you encountered this bug yourself and wondered why your love in Lost Ark remains unrequited? What do you think about it? Do you find the error more funny or problematic and concerning? Do you also see a way to get rid of the annoying bots? Feel free to share your thoughts with us in the comments here at MeinMMO.
The smallest mobile phone in the world is smaller than a matchbox. But what can you do with it? MeinMMO introduces you to the tiny device.
Nowadays, smartphones are getting bigger and more comprehensive. Some devices are now so large that they barely fit into a pocket and end up in a backpack or bag instead.
A YouTuber has now introduced a phone that the manufacturer itself calls the “smallest phone in the world.” Due to its size, the phone is supposedly even popular in prisons.
Phone is smaller than a matchbox
How big is the phone? The ZANCO Tiny T1 measures 6.5 x 2.5 x 1.0 cm, making it smaller than a standard matchbox. A matchbox measures 5 cm × 3.5 cm × 1.5 cm, giving it almost double the volume.
What does the phone offer? Of course, you shouldn’t expect any technical marvels from the device or expect to install dozens of apps. The phone offers Bluetooth 3.0, 3 days of standby time, and you should be able to save up to 500 contacts on the device, providing up to 3 hours of talk time.
According to the manufacturer, the device is suitable as an emergency phone or if you want to do sports outdoors and want to have a phone with you. It’s so tiny that you can easily clip it to your belt.
You can see how big the device is and what you can do with it in the latest video from Linus Tech Tips. Linus tried the device and was himself surprised by its tiny size:
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Why do prisoners like the device? Prisons rely on body scanners. With the scanners, they want to prevent items like drugs, smartphones, or weapons from entering the cells. The British magazine Dailymail reported that these devices are so small and made of plastic that they would not be detected by body scanners. The magazine quotes a prison inmate:
The phones can easily be smuggled inside the prison, especially by inmates who are allowed out on the day of release. The prisoners swallow the SIM card so it cannot be retrieved and later found.
Can you use the device in Germany? You can buy the device in Germany; it officially uses the 2G network. This network is widely available in Germany; by the end of 2021, German network operators had shut down 3G.
Whether such a device is really worth it for you is certainly another question. For just under 50 euros, you can really only make calls and send SMS messages with the device.
You won’t be able to play online games on the tiny device. However, if you’re looking for a suitable MMORPG for your current smartphone, check out our MMORPG list. Here, MeinMMO has listed the best mobile MMORPGs for you:
Elden Ring offers you more options than any other Souls game to defeat the challenging bosses. An underrated innovation is the Aromas, which can even make you Superman. MeinMMO tells you how this works.
Compared to the other games from FromSoftware, you have the ability to create your own items in Elden Ring. Throughout the game, you can find recipe books with which you craft arrows or antidotes.
As the game progresses, the Aromas come into play, which you can craft in the simple crafting menu. However, many players completely ignore these mechanics.
On reddit, an Elden Ring fan impressively shows why you should not ignore a particular Aroma. This has sparked a discussion about their effectiveness.
Player in Elden Ring becomes Superman, effortlessly blasting everything away with ‘lasers’
What sparked the discussions? A clip is gaining popularity on reddit. In it, you can see a player running towards their opponents completely undisturbed. Meanwhile, a fireworks display of ‘lasers’ erupts from their head, incinerating opponents in droves.
The player refers to this build as a “Mech Suit,” but with the cape and lasers coming out of their head, it also resembles Superman. This is what it looks like in action:
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In addition to the light show of yellow fire rays, another thing stands out: The player takes almost no damage from hits.
Therefore, commentators in the reddit post are asking: “Why aren’t you taking any damage?” The answer is quite simple: Aromas.
Aromas are an underrated, extremely powerful mechanic in Elden Ring
What are Aromas? Aromas are a new mechanic in Elden Ring. In the game world, you can find perfumer’s manuals that allow you to craft these Aromas in the item crafting menu.
The “Man of Steel” in the reddit clip specifically uses the Iron Vessel Aroma. This exemplifies why you should not completely ignore these mechanics for all other crafting items. Because with this Aroma, players receive an effect that was called Iron Skin in the Dark Souls games:
The Iron Vessel Aroma greatly increases your resistances.
Players consume some FP (the mana in Elden Ring) with the Aroma to harden their skin. This significantly improves your poise and almost all damage resistances, but makes you slower and lightning more deadly.
If you also wear heavy armor, you are practically invulnerable. Hardly any attack can seriously harm you, and most attacks cannot interrupt your own hits. Therefore, enemy attempts to stop you bounce off you almost literally.
These items are used by the player for their Superman build
How can I craft the Aroma? To craft the Iron Vessel Aroma, you need to find the 3rd perfumer manual in the dungeon “Side Crypt of Auriza.” It’s best to start at the grace point “Outer Wall – Battlefield” northwest of the capital and ride along the marked route westward:
To craft the Aroma, you need the following items:
2x Altus Bloom (found on the Altus Plateau)
1x Sprouting Cave Moss (found in caves)
3x Shard of a Living Vessel (drops from the living vessels)
Where can I find the rest? To make this laser show possible, the player uses two more things:
A potion that uses the sky blue secret tears
The invocation Unbearable Rage.
With the tear, you consume no FP for 15 seconds after drinking the potion, allowing you to freely unleash the flames of Unbearable Rage.
You can find the tear in the northwest of the map, while the literally “insanely powerful” invocation is found in the Consecrated Snowfield. You can see the exact location in the video:
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Do you use the crafting menu in Elden Ring? Have you ever crafted and used an Aroma? If so, how powerful do you find the Aromas? Let us know in the comments.
Elden Ring has surprises even for the most experienced Souls players, as MeinMMO author Tarek Zehrer has found out. He has completed the game multiple times and missed one of the largest dungeons in the game during the first two playthroughs:
At MeinMMO, everything revolves around the players of multiplayer online games. We report on their adventures in online worlds. But it doesn’t always have to be Twitch streamers or eSports players having exciting experiences. It can also be the gamer next door. That’s why we are looking for your best gaming stories.
This is the idea of MeinMMO: Since 2013, MeinMMO doesn’t want to be just another gaming site reporting on online games, but rather a platform that tells the stories of players and their adventures in MMOs, MMORPGs, and multiplayer games.
Over the years, this has led us from humble beginnings to becoming one of the largest gaming sites in Germany.
An image of part of the MeinMMO team from 2017 at Gamescom.
We want to hear and tell your stories
This is what we want now: In the coming weeks and months, we want to increasingly tell your stories at MeinMMO, the stories of our readers.
Normally, we tell many stories that Twitch streamers, eSports players, or players from the English-speaking world experience, who share their stories in the big forums.
But we are sure: You have just as exciting stories.
What kind of stories are we looking for? We don’t have a preset story in mind, but are open to the story. We are looking for unusual, special experiences:
How will this work exactly? Write us a text about what happened to you, what your special story is, and send the text as an email to [email protected]. It doesn’t have to be perfect, no worries.
If the story resonates with us, an editor or a staff member from MeinMMO will get in touch with you and conduct an interview. We will then either publish the story as an interview or as a story.
The final version of the story will be agreed upon with you.
We at MeinMMO look forward to your stories.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Twitch has permanently banned the streamer Steven “Destiny” Bonnell II (33). He had been active on Twitch for 11 years, but apparently, a 14-second clip was enough to trigger the permanent ban. A feud with another female streamer resulted in a tasteless reference to an increased rate of suicide attempts among transgender people. This apparently was the reason for the ban due to hateful behavior.
This is the situation:
The streamer “Destiny” started his career on Twitch in November 2010 as a streamer for StarCraft II, but then became a political streamer, often clashing with his theses and statements, ultimately losing his partnership in 2020.
Twitch permanently banned the streamer a few days ago. The reason was not known. The streamer said he believed he was banned for the statement that transgender women should not compete with cis women in sports. We reported on MeinMMO about Destiny’s ban.
It has now emerged that Destiny was apparently permanently banned from Twitch for a tasteless remark about suicide.
Start video
The 5 biggest Twitch bans that caused a lot of commotion
14-second clip apparently triggers ban of Twitch streamer Destiny
What was Destiny really banned for? It’s difficult to determine the exact reason for a ban from Twitch because they do not disclose it. In the case of a permanent ban, the streamer’s channel is locked and all content is destroyed: the “evidence” is therefore no longer visible.
Twitch only reveals the duration of the ban (“Unlimited”) and the general rule that was violated; in Destiny’s case, it was “hateful behavior.”
The message about the ban from Twitch that Destiny received is circulating on reddit (via reddit).
This message was apparently received by Destiny from Twitch regarding his ban. He did not receive further information.
However, in the aftermath of Destiny’s permanent ban, a clip of him circulated, which is now identified as the reason for his ban:
In the ban, Destiny plays the action RPG Elden Ring.
He discusses the genitals of streamer Keffals, who apparently had her testicles removed in surgery.
A user in the chat then says: “It’s comforting to know this person will kill herself in 30 years” – Destiny laughs somewhat hesitantly at this remark.
Destiny finally says: It’s tempting to now tackle the “41 percent” jokes.
What does he mean by that? The reference to “41 percent” refers to a survey, the “National Transgender Discrimination Survey,” in which 41 % of the 6,450 respondents said they had attempted suicide at some point in their lives (via hrc.org).
Destiny is apparently alluding with his remark and in this dialogue that transgender streamer Keffals will attempt to take her own life.
This seems to be the reason for his permanent ban – not a statement about transgender women in sports.
The rules of Twitch were tightened again in December 2020 to provide special protection to minorities, as Twitch considered them vulnerable.
“He picked a fight with me, he got banned, I won”
How does Keffals respond? Keffals tweeted (via twitter):
I must say, it’s incredibly creepy to see one of the most famous livestreamers of the last 10 years giving a monologue about my genitals.
A staggering €85,000 has been spent by the pros in World of Warcraft – and then lost. Is it Pay2Win?
The “World First Race” in World of Warcraft was one of the longer ones with patch 9.2. The Jailer and the other bosses of the Sepulcher of the First Ones proved to be particularly tough. After many long nights, Echo secured the victory, while other guilds were left high and dry, including the professional guild Team Liquid. They threw in the towel and took a break after it became clear that they could not win. The costs were quite hefty.
The professional guild spent well over half a billion gold on the race.
How much did Team Liquid spend? According to member Veyloris, Team Liquid’s costs totaled a staggering 723 million gold pieces.
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245 million were spent on trading and exchanging equipment. 215 million went for the direct purchase of “Bind on Equip” items.
In total, 723 million gold was spent – and Liquid now has a debt of nearly 535 million gold.
What about the missing gold amount? Veyloris lists only some cost items, so not all entries on this long bill are known.
The remaining 263 million gold pieces are likely to have been invested in various things. For one, all raiders need a lot of flasks and buff food – with over 1,000 attempts with 20 people each, that adds up to a significant amount of gold. The repair costs are also likely to fall somewhere between 25 million and 35 million gold.
Another portion may have gone towards “PvP boosts.” It is common for professional guilds to have experienced PvP players boost them at the start of a season to have a better chance of getting strong gear from the reward chamber in Oribos in the first weeks. This is likely also a three-digit million amount.
One of the toughest final bosses of all time: The Jailer.
How much is all this gold worth? In World of Warcraft, gold has a real value since you can buy gold with real money using the “WoW Token.” Even though Team Liquid may not rely on WoW Tokens, an amount of 723 million gold coins at the current US rate of the token equates to about 4,600 WoW Tokens.
These 4,600 WoW Tokens would be worth $93,000 (€84,900)!
Despite these gold expenses, it ultimately wasn’t enough to secure the “World First” title, although the race was extremely exciting for long stretches.
Veyloris emphasizes that this value is not necessarily final, as Liquid is still trying to defeat the Jailer – but no longer as the first guild in the world.
More news about World of Warcraft can be found here:
How will they make back the gold? For regular WoW players, such a sum may seem astronomical, but Team Liquid should have little trouble recouping the borrowed gold in the coming months. Professional guilds are in a relatively comfortable position, offering a range of services for gold. They charge other players later through the Mythic raid or particularly tough “M+” dungeons to earn that gold back. Buyers stand to gain mounts and achievements as rewards – in addition to fairly strong gear.
Such amounts of gold often spark discussions about whether World of Warcraft is not “Pay2Win.” However, one should never lose sight of the fact that gold has always played a larger role in the races – and in the case of the “World First Race,” it’s worth nothing without the skill of the players.
What do you think about this?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Although Elden Ring is extremely difficult, some players stand out with ridiculous achievements. One of them has set out to complete the game without leveling up and without dying. He has now effortlessly taken down a particularly strong enemy with a starter item.
What is this item? The Bewitching Branch can be chosen as a keepsake when creating a character. Later, you can purchase the item from merchants and use it in combat.
When used, the branch causes nearby enemies to fight for you instead of against you. You temporarily gain companions that assist you. However, out of all the keepsakes in Elden Ring, the branch is considered rather weak due to its limited usability.
Nonetheless, a player has achieved a remarkable victory against the endgame boss Commander Niall using this very item: Taking no damage while being unarmored.
Why is the branch so powerful here? Niall summons two spirits for support right at the start of the fight. Both he and each of his companions are already tough opponents, especially without armor or additional levels. The player Ongbal, however, has made use of the boss’s companions.
With the Bewitching Branch, he made the two spirits fight by his side. Immediately, they turned against their master and began to beat him up. Even without an OP Blood Build, he has an easy time.
Before Ongbal even has to fight himself, the two knights have already brought their commander down to about 40% of his health. The remainder of the battle goes quite one-sided for the player, as shown in the video linked here:
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Who is the player anyway? The YouTuber Ongbal repeatedly attempts insane challenges in the Soulsborne series. He has especially made a name for himself in Dark Souls 3 and Sekiro.
While other players can complete Elden Ring in just 37 minutes, Ongbal has set himself the goal of not dying even once and not leveling up. He fights therefore half-naked and essentially completely under-leveled.
However, with tricks like the branch, he still makes good progress, as the video shows. Of course, a good dose of skill comes into play, which the YouTuber has accumulated over the years in other games in the series.
Soulsborne games like Elden Ring have a particular difficulty as a trademark. Those who manage to complete them are usually proud of it and show their skills. Because of this, capable players like Ongbal are often admired.
Other players, on the other hand, overlook some of the game’s contents even on their second playthrough, as MeinMMO author Tarek Zehrer:
For some time now, trainers in Pokémon GO have had the opportunity to execute a Mega Evolution with some of their Pokémon. Recent findings show that this feature is set to be improved even more. We at MeinMMO have taken a look at what it’s all about.
What are Mega Evolutions? In Pokémon GO, certain monsters like Charizard or Venusaur can temporarily evolve into a Mega Pokémon. This is done with a specific amount of Mega Energy.
Using them is particularly beneficial in raid battles since Mega Pokémon are stronger than other monsters. Additionally, they enhance the attacks of their respective type during battle.
However, as the PokeMiners, a group of data miners, have discovered, there are likely to be some changes in this area that will improve Mega Evolutions even further. Below, we show you what data has been found.
Who are the PokeMiners? The PokeMiners are a group of data miners who regularly search the game code for new information about Pokémon GO. This allows new monsters and features to be discovered before their actual release. They then make this data publicly available to other trainers.
Even though the findings of the PokeMiners have often been accurate in the past, they do not represent official information. Niantic can change or delete this data in the game code at any time.
What improvements to Mega Evolutions are expected?
As the PokeMiners mentioned in their latest post on their site, they found a variety of new information in the game code (via pokeminers.com). Some of this data revolves around the Mega Evolutions in the game.
According to this, Mega Evolutions will soon receive one or more new features, such as the introduction of Mega Levels, special cooldowns, and certain advantages.
Mega Levels and Special Advantages
The PokeMiners have found that there is expected to be a kind of level system for Mega Evolutions in the future. Similar to what you know about friend status with other trainers or your buddy, there will be different levels that you can achieve with the Mega Evolution.
Details about what the individual levels will look like and how you can achieve them are still unknown. However, in a previous finding, they stumbled upon a kind of Mega Points that can be earned daily.
Furthermore, each achieved level will bring certain advantages in the game. So far, the PokeMiners have discovered the following bonuses in this context:
reduced energy
catch XP
attack bonus during joint attacks
cooldown
XL candies
candies when catching
Cooldown and Free Evolutions
Besides the findings regarding Mega Levels and their associated bonuses, new information about the cooldown has also been discovered. The PokeMiners found a new animated graphic that shows the remaining cooldown time. Once it is finished, the symbol lights up accordingly.
Additionally, a button labeled “Free Mega Evolution” was discovered. The PokeMiners assume that this is related to the level bonus “Cooldowns,” which could allow free evolution at certain intervals.
How are Trainers reacting to the new findings?
Trainers in the Reddit community are excited about this news and hope these features will be available in the game soon. Especially the possibility of a free Mega Evolution creates anticipation. Other trainers hope for the debut of Mega Evolutions in the GO Battle League.
One can read the following reactions in the comments (via reddit.com):
titoxx88: “I am really looking forward to free Megas. This could be interesting.”
Shona_Cloverfield: “This is actually a pretty big hype, a better Mega system and more progress in the routing system? Count me in! Hope the advantages system is fun.”
Caio_Go: “Mega Evolutions should have been like this from the start.”
krispyboiz: “I look forward to seeing how they improve Megas, and I hope they make the feature worthwhile for the general player base. The benefits of reduced cooldown and the like are very promising.”
Nikaidou_Shinku: “Given that they apparently plan to implement free Mega in some form and that the Mega Surprise at the end of the mid-season is associated with Mega Evolution, they might be planning to allow Mega in PvP.”
The first glimpse of the planned features surrounding Mega Pokémon is thus initially positive. However, whether and when these changes will occur remains to be seen for now. As soon as we have more information, you will, of course, find it here at MeinMMO.
What do you think of the planned levels and advantages for Mega Evolutions? Would you be happy about such a reward system? Or do you find Mega Pokémon rather uninteresting? Feel free to share your opinion here on MeinMMO in the comments and exchange thoughts with other trainers.
As part of our “Gaming Storys” call to the community, reader Daniel reached out to us. He wrote to us about how, despite all the problems and prejudices, he has successfully played the MMORPG SWTOR with a controller for years.
What are Gaming Storys? Normally, we tell many stories from the gaming community in our articles, about streamers, eSports athletes, or just players who have done something cool.
But we are also interested in your stories. We want to know what special or unusual experiences you have had while gaming. That’s why we launched a call for you to share your own stories with us.
One such email came from MeinMMO reader Daniel, who has played the MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic with a controller for a long time despite all obstacles.
SWTOR is one of the games that does not offer native controller support. Accordingly, players have to either settle for keyboard controls or look for ways to get a controller working.
How that works, Daniel reveals in our conversation.
Start video
SWTOR prepares with new, movie-like cinematic for the release of Legacy of the Sith
Progress Raiding with Controller and Nobody Notices
MeinMMO: Hello, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?
Daniel: Hi, my name is Daniel and I am from Kaiserslautern. When I am not gaming on the console, I help my wife raise our little 2-year-old or I am streaming. I started DJ streams about 1 ½ years ago. I mainly play synthwave.
Also, I love pen-and-paper role-playing games, but I have had to neglect this hobby a lot lately. The week just doesn’t have enough days.
MeinMMO: In your email to us, you wrote that you started as a console player. What exactly bothers you about keyboard control?
Daniel: Generally, I don’t mind keyboard control; I played on a 486 in the 90s, but I prefer the comfort of a gamepad when I play from the living room couch (my favorite gaming spot).
SWTOR is actually a game that does not offer native controller support.
MeinMMO: You mentioned that you ran raid content in SWTOR for a long time with the controller. Can you tell us how your teammates reacted when you told them? Did they even notice?
Daniel: I probably kept my control to myself at the time, as I was well aware of the “PC Master Race” setup.
Only after the instances, if a conversation developed, did I “confess” to the others in the group that I was playing with a gamepad. They were usually very surprised, as you couldn’t tell.
In SWTOR, this topic never really came up, as no one expects someone to not play with a mouse and keyboard. Before the endgame (which was before the release of Rise of the Hutt Cartel), I ended up in a wonderful guild where fun was the priority. The group was called Dark Sun, led by Emperor Helron, and they were exclusively on the Empire side.
Even within the guild, I always let people see me play first before I told them that I was on the gamepad. I initially went raiding within the guild on content that most had already mastered internally. I was part of a group of “latecomers.”
Little by little, however, I was able to convince the officers in the guild that I was usable as a tank and was then invited to one of the progress groups after some time. Outside my guild, I never raided at that time. We were big enough that it was never necessary.
With the Right Tools, Everything Works
MeinMMO:To play the MMORPG SWTOR, you specifically installed an emulator. What is the name of the emulator? Can you briefly explain how exactly it works?
Daniel: I had two emulators running at the time: motionjoy and X-Padder. With motionjoy, I could assign any gamepad button either to a keyboard or a mouse button.
At the time, I assigned the directional pad and X, O, triangle, square of my DualShock 3 controller to the numbers 1 to 8 on the keyboard and assigned Alt and Control to the buttons R2 and L2. This allowed me to distribute 32 skills. WSAD were assigned to the respective axes of the left stick.
With X-Padder, I could use the right stick to move the mouse cursor and switch between mouse button pressed or not pressed with a toggle function when pressing R3, allowing me to control either the camera or the mouse with the right stick.
I aimed to cover as many buttons as possible. The idea of using Alt and Control came to me since many PlayStation games utilize L2/R2 to cover skills; Demon Stone, Dragon Age, and Mass Effect immediately come to mind.
MeinMMO: Which controller did you use? Was it your first choice, or did you have to try several before it worked out?
Daniel: Since I came from PlayStation, my first choice was naturally the DualShock 3. Many people complain that it is too small for their needs, but I was very satisfied back then. However, I wouldn’t want to part with my PS5 controller today (laughs). Everything worked out great back then.
MeinMMO: What were the biggest challenges?
Daniel: The biggest hurdle was moving the camera. Thanks to X-Padder and the toggle effect, this was possible.
MeinMMO: Did you have to forgo certain controls because the buttons were missing?
Daniel: Not really. Of course, I had to get a small Bluetooth keyboard to communicate in the various chat channels of the game. But I joined a guild early on that maintained a very active TeamSpeak server, so I didn’t have to use the keyboard very often.
MeinMMO:What other MMOs have you also played using the controller through the emulator? Were there any that didn’t work at all?
Daniel: None. I switched to the re-release of Final Fantasy XIV (A Realm Reborn), and that game was designed for gamepad control. I was pleased to see that the developers had almost the same idea for gamepad controls. I felt right at home in the game.
My wife quickly became interested in Final Fantasy as well, even though she isn’t really a gamer. So I played on the PS3 whenever she was online while I left the PC free for her.
When the PS4 version came out, I switched to that version as it was equivalent to the PC version at the time. And I found the ability to also play from the bedroom via Remote Play on the PS Vita genius.
We thank Daniel for the conversation and the explanation about the controller support in SWTOR. If you also have a unique story you would like to share with us, send us an email at [email protected]
MeinMMo author Michael has been in the GTA Online gangster business for eight years. What he has learned during this time is that the heists lure with adventures but bring only nightmares.
After nine years of GTA Online, I have to say: The game is so good because it is so terrible. Yes, the driving is great, the shooting is fun, but otherwise, multiplayer is just boredom and grind for me. And yet, there is no other game that gives me such a good gangster experience. I love making shady deals, shooting people down, and instilling fear on the streets. Everyone complains about the toxic community, rightly so, but I find that the nuisances strangely complete the game. It’s just a gangster game.
And what do all gangsters dream of? Of the heist of their lives, of course. When developer Rockstar finally introduced the heists, I wanted to drop out of school. But as cool as the missions are designed, with all the cutscenes and assignments, the heists are still the worst in GTA Online. You have to imagine this: The absolute best feature for a gangster game comes along and it turns into a disaster because the players are absolutely incapable.
GTA Online has seen three major heist campaigns over the years: the regular heists, the Doomsday Heists, and the Cayo Perico Heists.
The most important rule of the Heist Club is: Never play with randoms!
In the community, two rules for heists have been established. First rule: “Always play the heists with friends.” Second rule: “Never play the heists with randoms.” To all the wise gangsters out there: I really tried. I tried to “convince” my friends to play and looked for player groups. But in the end, I had no choice but to let matchmaking decide with whom I would go on a robbery.
In rare cases, I got ridiculously lucky and ended up in a group that would have made the A-Team envious. Everyone knew what to do. For every section, they knew a clever solution. And their driver was a devil behind the wheel, elegantly avoiding the cops without getting a scratch. I have rarely felt so cool in GTA Online. I would have sacrificed all the earned money just to stay in that team.
But if I didn’t have the absolute pros on my team, then bloody beginners enriched my group. And that was almost invariably the case. Honestly, waiting minutes for a full lobby was the most pleasant part of it. When the round finally started, the arguments began. How do we ensure everyone can play the pilot, even if only one person is designated for it? Or how can everyone get the entire loot at the same time? In many cases, I wanted to abort the heist after the preparations.
My worst heist in GTA Online
To explain why I hate the heist missions with such “hardcore” gangsters, I could pull out hundreds of stories. But why, when the worst provides the best example? It wasn’t even the finale for the prison break, but just one of the preparation missions that we had to play six times. Yes, six times. And no, we couldn’t complete them.
In this case, one player and I had to steal a car from a ship. The mission isn’t actually difficult; it can be solved quickly with some precision and stealth. But that’s the big problem with heists in GTA Online: In Team Deathmatch, it’s all about the most kills. But heists, on the other hand, suddenly require patience, teamwork, and a certain interest in the mission’s objective. That’s a novelty in gangster multiplayer.
GTA Online means chaos. Heist tactics have little room here.
The typical GTA Online random still wants to quickly finish the heist like any other mission to get the money because he’s currently saving for an overpriced sports car. And heaven forbid the heist doesn’t work out the first time. For such things, the GTA Online random has no time. Then he plays even more brutally and senselessly. Back to our car theft on the ship: The said player always rushed in and died repeatedly, causing us all to fail.
First, he fell off a container, and the next times the guards killed him. We couldn’t throw him out, as that would have aborted the mission. It increasingly felt like a Saw trap that apparently we could only survive together. I told him he could wait on the dock; he didn’t have to worry, I would take care of it. It didn’t help; the random completely freaked out, and in the end, he shot everything down, even the car.
In the last attempt, I took the car by myself and left him behind. He then left the game. Instinctively, I turned off the console and yelled into a pillow.
If you’re interested in more about GTA Onlinethis might also appeal to you:
Heists promise so much, but they are a festival of frustration
Ultimately, he’s not to blame: The heists are strictly speaking tactical coop campaigns and do not fit into a chaotic PVE/PVP multiplayer like GTA Online. I hate the heists for opening the dream of the big gangster coup but rarely fulfilling it. Moreover, the wow factor quickly fades. After I played them through in a few afternoons, that was it.
Now I can only repeat them to grind for money. Because if we’re honest, you don’t make the “big” money with them. By the twelfth time, the plan behind the heists doesn’t seem so brilliant anymore. Then I just bluntly go through the steps. Over and over again. The heists are an extremely cool feature on paper, but they demand too much from the community – and thus are only really fun on rare occasions.
After nine years of GTA Online, Rockstar can no longer shock me as a hardened gangster. But the heists cause me pain. Because they show what could be possible. But that indeed is not the case.
If you want to read more posts from me in the GTA Online universe, I can heartily recommend my dangerous taxi challenge.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Call of Duty: Warzone cheating is still a topic, and even among professionals there is some uncertainty about whether one or the other pro player is using unfair aids. A pedal under the table plays a certain role.
Even though the anti-cheat system RICOCHET from Call of Duty: Warzone is celebrating successes – the cheating problem is not completely solved yet.
An important part of the system are therefore also the reports from players. This helps the system to identify conspicuous players and initiate an investigation.
But there are also tricks that make it difficult to recognize whether a player is cheating or not. And a pedal under the table is said to be a great help in this regard.
Pedal activates cheats when needed
Recently there was a controversial clip of a pro player who allegedly cheated during a tournament with a total prize pool of $100,000:
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The community was divided: Is cheating happening here or not? The player in question has clearly stated his case on Twitter and is insisting on his innocence (via twitter.com).
The whole case has led to the topic of cheating receiving more attention in the community again. Also, because professional players are repeatedly part of the discussion.
Because with small tricks and special cheats, gameplay can be made to look as if one is not using an aimbot.
Especially insidious is a method using a “pedal”. The following clip shows how difficult it is to detect an aimbot and how well it works:
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The pedal trick is not new, but it is currently making its rounds in the community. It shows how calculated some cheaters are and how important it is for them to continue their “hobby” unfairly.
For professional players, much more is at stake. But here, clarification is even more important and therefore controversial: Labeling someone as a cheater without being 100% sure jeopardizes the player’s status.
Another insidious method to hide cheats is “Silent Aim“. The weapon doesn’t even have to be aimed at the opponent, which prevents the “snap” effect when the aimbot targets a goal.
It’s a shame that as players we are confronted with such problems and cheaters. Unfortunately, there will always be cheaters who secure an unfair advantage when they have the chance.
Anyone who wants to start with Destiny 2 has picked the perfect time. The action shooter currently impresses with the continuation of one of the most gripping stories, linking to the Light and Darkness saga of Destiny 1. MeinMMO has looked into how Destiny 2: Witch Queen plays when you play the game in its free version, that is, Free-2-Play.
After more than 7 years, Destiny 1 and 2 can indeed be described as a mainstay among action shooters. Bungie has poured a lot of heart into its first-person shooter and is currently working to conclude one of the biggest stories in its universe. The launch of Witch Queen has already indicated that this will be epic, as the start of Witch Queen has shown. So we’ve also taken a look at what players can expect when they want to enter the game for free and how that feels.
How good is Destiny 2 in 2022? Overall, the game has improved significantly since Year 1 and will likely continue to improve in the future. So if you’re considering it, the best thing you can do is to explore the free content of Destiny 2 first, before you fully fall under the spell of Destiny magic and buy one or more expansions.
With “New Light”, the Free-2-Play version of Destiny 2, the game is available for free to anyone who wants to know what the action MMO has to offer in 2022.
Players can try out weapons and test the excellent gunplay of Destiny 2.
Many contents can be tried for free, such as Gambit, Crucible, or even a legacy raid.
This is what it looks like when you encounter a paywall through New Light.
What is Destiny 2: New Light? New Light is the name for the free-to-play version of Destiny 2, which went live on October 1, 2019, with the release of the Shadowkeep expansion. This offers many contents of the previous Destiny 2 experience completely without any cost.
With New Light, Bungie aimed to “tear down walls” and bring as many players together in the Destiny universe as possible, so they can experience adventures together. There should be nothing in the way of a spontaneous Destiny evening with friends, except for a download.
For our personal test of Destiny 2’s free version “New Light”, we got the game through Steam and created a blonde Hunter class, who was to explore the Destiny universe as a new Guardian.
MeinMMO editor becomes your “Blueberry”
The MeinMMO editors have played Destiny 1 and 2 for many thousands of hours and know every corner of Bungie’s universe. But even we are happy to become “Blueberry” for you again to get a picture of what new Guardians can expect in the free version of the game in 2022.
What are “Blueberries” in Destiny 2? Destiny 2 veterans call new players “Blueberries” because they appear as a blue dot (not allied) on the map, and their first gear in the game is also completely blue. A newcomer is immediately recognizable by long-time players. Only after exploring the game a bit do they get better, legendary (purple) armor.
Commander Zavala is always happy to see new Guardians.
These free contents await New-Light players in Destiny 2
New players start in the Cosmodrome: If players haven’t done their research beforehand, they receive the most important information about the universe in their first mission and meet their Ghost for the first time. The introductory mission itself is now a bit longer, as it has been extended for Witch Queen.
In the New-Light mission, Bungie essentially sends new Guardians into a Destiny 2 bootcamp. The entry campaign explains all the important aspects.
How is the map used? How do you use the grenade? Where can you see your quests?
And what is the deal with the super ability? And why does everything want to kill me?
Additionally, they receive a ship and a Sparrow at the end of the campaign to get to the Last Safe City, where they are supposed to introduce themselves to the NPCs in the Tower.
Starting their second life for the Vanguard without memory of what happened before their death.
If you want to know more about how things work in Destiny 2, we recommend our ultimate Destiny 2 beginner guide:
During our test, we were surprised how much new players can actually discover from Destiny 2 without paying anything. Free-2-Play players are even allowed to travel to the newest location, Savathun’s Throne World, and experience the first two Witch Queen campaign missions, “The Arrival” and “The Investigation.” Classic and Legendary campaign options can also be chosen.
This way, players can also take their first shot at the main character of the latest Witch Queen expansion: Savathun, the Witch Queen.
Those who play for free can also try out the Witch Queen campaign.
Free-to-Play players also have all listed locations available to them, allowing them to play patrols in the open world or public events, and even complete some story missions. However, some destinations are only accessible after unlocking them with experience points.
Strike, Crucible, and Gambit playlists are also free. The strikes correspond to the active locations. The PvP playlists are a “best-of” mix of maps from Destiny 1 and 2.
The new weapon crafting is also a usable feature available to Free-2-Play players.
Some events, such as the Guardian Games, the Halloween event, the Dawning, or the Solstice are also accessible.
Some destinations must first be unlocked with XP in the free version.
On the other hand, certain missions and especially new activities are not free:
After the first two Witch Queen missions, that was it, and we hit the paywall.
New multiplayer activities could only be tried out once in some cases, and afterwards, we had no more access to them.
Current raids, such as “The Witch’s Curse”, and the entertaining dungeon “The Haunting Force” (available through the 30th Anniversary Bungie bundle) are also not accessible.
Exotic missions, such as “Vox Obscura” or “Of Queens and Worms” for current exotic meta weapons can only be started if you have purchased the corresponding expansion.
Likewise, the trials of Osiris are off-limits if you do not own the current annual (paid) expansion – currently Lightfall.
As an entry point, Free-2-Play is more than sufficient: However, if you just want to get a basic understanding of the game, you’ll have plenty to do just with the free content. At least we were occupied for a while with the quests assigned to us. In addition to the Cosmodrome quests, we followed the mission “Concrete Evidence” at the Witch Queen’s Proof Table in the Mars Enclave and played the seasonal quest “Growing Tensions.”
The weapon crafting is also available for free, allowing us to shape, use, and improve the new weapon type “Glaive” without having to pay for it. However, the schematics in free play are limited because neither the Throne World or raid weapons, nor the seasonal Season 16 weapons can be crafted without an expansion.
Thus, in addition to the Enigma Glaive, we were only able to unlock the schematics for the Stasis rocket launcher Palmyra-B, the Stasis pulse rifle Syncope-53, and the kinetic shotgun Ragnhild-D through the first quest.
Good to know: Once you create your Free-2-Play Guardian, you can always return to the world of Destiny 2 with them on the free path. Their level will be raised with each expansion. For casual players, this is a great way to occasionally dip into Gambit or the Crucible with friends, even if they are not regular players.
Destiny 2 unites players from all platforms: It’s also worth noting that even as a free beginner in Destiny 2, you are never alone. Especially in the Cosmodrome, where you start, there are always Guardians who will spontaneously accompany you. For example, a veteran Titan helped us find a few loot boxes in the Cosmodrome, and stayed by our side in the Lost Sector and during the Public Event.
In Destiny, that is normal. You often encounter friendly Guardians in the world. Thanks to cross-play, it’s even more frequent. Additionally, players can play Destiny 2 across PC, Xbox, PS4/PS5, or Stadia using the same account through cross-save, which is quite convenient.
The season pass is also usable, but with fewer benefits
In the free version, players also have a free season pass available to them, granting them season pass contents that can be earned by gathering experience points.
This way, they can receive the seasonal weapon exotic “The Grand Overture.” However, to obtain it, they must reach Rank 35 and thus earn experience points first. Paying players receive the exotic immediately, giving them a slight advantage, at least at the beginning of a season.
The top row is available for all players in the season pass for free.
Is it worth it to buy expansions for Destiny 2?
Starting for free in Destiny 2 is certainly a good start, as Bungie is very generous to new players. Every player is welcome and can explore a lot through New Light with Free-2-Play before hitting the paywall.
These contents are extensive enough if you want to see whether the gameplay suits you. Though I’m sure that even casual shooter fans will quickly find the action and possibilities in Destiny 2 enjoyable.
However, the game is much better when paid: The fact is that Bungie continues to deliver the best Destiny 2 content in the paid expansions.
Especially when playing in a team or with a clan, you can dedicate many hours to the Destiny universe. Eventually, you will inevitably hit the limits of the free version because fellow players may want to play a mission that you don’t have access to as a New-Light player.
Guardians undertake several campaign missions in Witch Queen.
Shadowkeep, Beyond Light, and especially Witch Queen not only offer story content and missions. They also include exotic weapons, new abilities, and better equipment that you can’t access for free. Depending on the activity, many exotic weapons remain relevant even today, including those from Forsaken.
For example, to use the exotics from Forsaken, like the iconic hand cannon The Last Word from Cayde-6, you need the now vaulted Forsaken expansion.
And to use the latest darkness super “Stasis”, you need to buy Beyond Light, the DLC Beyond Light.
Not to mention the sad, thrilling, and inspiring heroic deeds that you would miss out on in the Free-2-Play version. Bungie simply tells captivating and profound space magic stories best. That’s one reason why many players have followed the game for years. Narratively, the game has long been a novelty in the first-person shooter genre.
For me, it’s time to leave my newly created Hunter in Destiny-2-New-Light for now. I probably won’t miss her. But there is one thing I will regret a bit leaving her: the vault! I haven’t had that much space in my veteran vault in years. I really need a Vex Tor in this alternate, free dimension.
The dream of every veteran: a second vault with 500 free slots.
Nevertheless, I was glad to have my old arsenal back, with all legendary God Rolls and exotic weapons available. The well-equipped armor with a plethora of available mods does make a difference in gameplay. And I would also be reluctant to miss out on the well-crafted exotic missions, like Vox Obscura, that are really fun and challenging.
Have you also tried Destiny 2 for free? What did you think of it? Or are you perhaps someone who is only playing Free-2-Play? Then feel free to share your experiences.
Of course, we are also interested in the opinions of paying players: Do you find it unfair that New Light offers so much for free? Or is that okay for you? Please leave your opinion in the comments.
Or do you prefer to focus on the current features in the game, like weapon crafting?
In April 2022, several interesting MMOs and online games are recommended. This time, especially updates or titles still running well from March are presented here. However, a new release is coming as well.
What kind of games are these? The selected games here are MMOs and online games. So titles that you can play together with friends or entirely new players. Each of the selected titles gets an update this month, celebrates its release, or is currently relevant for other reasons, making now a particularly worthwhile time to play.
The games we selected are varied, and the order does not reflect any ranking. On the last page, there is also a brief outlook on what else will happen in April 2022.
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Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands
Genre: Shooter | Developer: Gearbox | Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X | Release Date: March 25, 2022 | Model: Buy2Play
What kind of game is this? In Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, it is a spin-off of the quirky looter-shooter series Borderlands. Here, you play a character from a pen & paper role-playing game set in the Borderlands world.
The game master is the infamous, crazy 14-year-old Tiny Tina. Anyone who played the DLC “Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep” in Borderlands 2 knows what’s coming: A lot of crazy action with many hilarious gags and numerous references to Dungeons & Dragons.
Particularly lots of fun in co-op with up to three buddies
The last point is particularly relevant, just like Borderlands before, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands relies on co-op action, making it particularly enjoyable with friends.
Why you should play Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands in April
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands was already released on March 25, making it naturally still relevant in April. The game relies on the well-known and beloved Borderlands playground: Shooting, looting, and even more shooting. In between, there are outrageous gags and jokes non-stop.
If you enjoy crude humor, all kinds of references and parodies of pen & paper RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons, you will have a lot of fun here. But the fun gunplay and the chase for even better loot are also highly motivating.
Ideally, you have up to three friends on board who enjoy shooting, looting, and humor just as much, then the whole thing is the most fun.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The MMORPG New World by Amazon experienced a huge influx at launch. This has tapered off: some guilds have emptied their original servers and are now turning to new ones. On one of the last full servers, a duel is taking place between the best guild of Poland and the strongest guild of Russia.
On some servers, individual guilds were so dominant that they quickly found no more challenges and then invaded other servers with a mass transfer, to loot and wreak havoc there.
Now there are fewer and fewer full servers, and on one of the servers, Vega, two such marauding guilds have transferred.
Russian and Polish guilds have each dominated 2 servers, now meet
What are these guilds? As one of the participating players states, a duel is happening on the server “Vega” between two guilds:
The Polish guild EMIGRACJA (Emigration) has dominated the Karkar and Bran servers, and they came to “Vega” to find a new challenge. They were also on the verge of dominating there, but then another guild joined in.
The Russian guild Chaos has also already dominated two servers, as the competitor says, before landing on Vega.
Start video
Everything you need to know about the New World endgame – in 2 minutes
How is the war going? The Polish player says: The two guilds initially had a balanced feud with fights, battles, and wars. It resulted in a stalemate, as neither could really defeat the other.
While there are claims that the Russians are also disadvantaged by the blockade of Russian and Belarusian players by Amazon, the player does not accept that: while some may indeed have problems, most have circumvented the ban through VPN.
The player is now calling on every Polish person who plays New World and wants to “kick Ruskies” to join the fight of Emigration on the server Vega.
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On March 6, the guild had already engaged in a battle.
Instead of streamers, countries now fight against each other in New World
What’s behind it: At first, Amazon thought that mainly “Twitch streamers” would engage in such battles. However, the situation in New World has now led to guilds from large countries clashing and delivering these legendary battles, which should also be in the spirit of the game.
In such cases, it almost comes with the territory to accuse the opposing guild of using every dirty trick possible to gain an advantage. This is traditional.
If it’s up to Amazon, New World will make a strong comeback in 2022:
The MMORPG Black Desert Online has announced a new class called Drakania. She wields a sword as her weapon and will be playable in April. Pearl Abyss has released a first trailer.
This is the Drakania: The new class in Black Desert Online was teased a few days ago. Now there is a video presenting the Drakania.
She is a warrior who wields a sword in combat and can harness the power of lightning. She taps into the strength of dragons, which can be seen in the animations of her abilities.
During some attacks, dragon wings made of lightning appear on her back; she also uses the wings for a short dash in mid-air. One of her ranged attacks is a lightning dragon that flies towards her opponents.
Drakania carries the title “Destroyer of Ynix”. This makes her a bitter enemy of the Guardian, who wields the power of Ynix, within the lore of Black Desert Online. This rivalry is clearly depicted in the new trailer, where Drakania and Guardian fight against each other on a frozen lake.
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Black Desert Online: New Class Drakania Gameplay Trailer
Start video
Black Desert Online: Story Trailer for the new class Drakania
When will Drakania be released? Players who want to try out the new class won’t have to wait long. The release of Drakania is set for April 6, which is less than 2 weeks away.
However, the new characters can already be created on March 30. If you want to have fun in the beautiful character creator of Black Desert Online, you will have a week to create your perfect Drakania.
In League of Legends, Team SoloMid is actually the most successful and prestigious team in the USA. They have won the LCS championship 7 times and qualified for the playoffs in LoL every time, 18 times in total. But in 2022, nothing came together.
Why is Team SoloMid so prestigious?
TSM has always been the team to beat in the USA. The organization originated from a website dedicated to LoL, professionalized early on, and managed to host some of the best players in eSports for years. Legendary players for the team include individuals like TheOddOne, Xpecial, Dyrus, WildTurtle, Doublelift, Biofrost, Svenskeren, and Bjergsen.
TSM was a leader in “content creation” and “social media” worldwide: They presented their players like stars. Besides FaZe no other eSports team was this successful. This paid off in 2021: Through a deal with a cryptocurrency exchange, TSM is making more money than ever before.
TSM has won a total of 7 championships in the LCS and qualified for the playoffs every time, 18 times in total. In the playoffs, the champion is determined at the end of each rune.
TSM misses playoffs for the 1st time after 18 successful qualifications
What went wrong? In the Spring Split 2022, TSM will not participate in the playoffs this time. This is the first time in the franchise’s history that they miss the playoffs.
On March 18, an online site calculated that for TSM to qualify for the playoffs without a tie-breaker, one single “perfect scenario” would have to occur out of 33,554,332 possible scenarios, based on how the other games would play out (via clutchpoint).
But that did not happen.
The last defeat against 100 Thieves with the German midlaner Abbedagge sealed TSM’s fate: They are currently standing at 5-12, so poorly that there is mathematically no chance left for a playoff spot.
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Last in the league because they relied on youth – But they are last too
Why is it going so badly this year? Apparently, they completely messed up their transfer policy:
After last year, almost all key players left the team, including the strong German midlaner PowerOfEvil and world-class supporter SwordArt. Even the botlaner “Lost” left.
There was a Plan A to rehire their “franchise player” Bjergsen after he coached the team in 2021. However, the midlaner did not want to and went to rival Team Liquid. They are currently in 1st place in the league – Ouch.
So they decided on Plan C; an expensive rebuild, with young players from China and the USA, mixed with 2 players from the old team who remained. But this lineup failed to gel in 2022 and disappointed. 3 of the new Asian arrivals are playing in the academy team. They are currently in last place.
Those were better times for TSM: Bjergsen (left) and Doublelift.
In addition to the sporting problems, TSM faced a number of setbacks in 2022:
How is TSM handling this? Apparently, they are taking it with humor. Jungler Spica was asked if he is taking the next matches easy now that there is nothing left to play for. They are still playing against Team Liquid.
Spica laughed but said: He definitely wants to beat them. Bjergsen is playing there. He left TSM … like a rat.
Thereby implying: Like a rat leaving the sinking ship.
In 2021, there was an open dispute at TSM between the head of the team and one of its big stars:
Hogwarts Legacy is a new promising action RPG in the Harry Potter universe. It is set to be released in late 2022 for PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. However, there is controversy surrounding the game. The German-speaking streamer Shurjoka is calling for a boycott of the game. She accuses the author of Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, of showing a hateful attitude towards transgender people.
This is the reason for the discussion: On March 20, the streamer Shurjoka shared a post from the US site GameSpot, which had previously dealt in detail with J.K. Rowling’s stance on transgender people (via gamespot).
The unusual article for GameSpot “JK Rowling’s Anti-Transgender Stance and Hogwarts Legacy” by Jessi Earl details across several pages how J.K. Rowling spreads misinformation about transgender people and holds anti-transgender views. The author of the article categorizes J.K. Rowling into a group she calls “gender-critical feminists”:
Rowling’s views culminated in an essay in June 2020, in which she stated that suddenly many young women identified as transgender. This was a kind of “fashion phenomenon”.
Girls would undergo surgeries to change their gender, such as breast reductions. Later they would regret the decision.
Additionally, Rowling and people allegedly ideologically close to her spread the thesis that men pretend to be women in order to invade areas that are explicit safe zones for women.
GCF (gender-critical feminists) would also claim that transgender women try to convince lesbian women to have sex with them.
According to the author of the article, these are falsehoods told to convey a particular narrative: Ultimately, the argument leads to the point that “transgender children” are only victims of sexual violence and that transgender women are actually male sexual offenders.
Author says: One can play Hogwarts Legacy, but not ignore what comes with it
What does this have to do with Harry Potter? The author on GameSpot further states: J.K. Rowling is the “leader” of this active hate and discrimination movement. Therefore, it is difficult for a transgender person to look at any element of the “Harry Potter” series without seeing the woman behind it, who causes so much suffering.
It is impossible to separate Harry Potter from J.K. Rowling. She is still in charge of the series and benefits financially from every sale. The “Harry Potter” series supports the platform of a woman who incites hate.
The author of the article says one is not a bad person if one wants to play Hogwarts Legacy. Many transgender people are also looking forward to the game despite their anger at Rowling. But everyone should be aware of the problem and decide whether to buy the game or not. Many would surely ignore the conflict or even buy the game as a form of protest without considering transgender people.
But it is wrong to ignore the hypocrisy that lies behind the origin of the game.
The Twitch streamer Shurjoka.
Streamer compares Rowling to “openly racist author”
How did this discussion get here? The Twitch streamer Shurjoka shared the GameSpot post and intensified the tone of the article even further. She wrote on Twitter.
Just ask yourself: Would you support a franchise from an openly racist author who brands people criminals based on how they were born?
No? Why are you then buying products from JKRowling, who does that with transgender people?
The statement from the streamer sparked some angry reactions, as she writes.
Rowling sees herself as an advocate for free speech, feels personally affected
What is J.K. Rowling’s position? In the essay from June 2020 that GameSpot discusses, J.K. Rowling explains why she is so involved with this issue despite the immense hate and anger it brings her (via jkrowling).
She states, for instance, that at the first signs that she was engaging with the topic, she received a lot of hate from “trans activists” publicly, and was subjected to severe insults. At the same time, she privately received a lot of support, which showed her that it is an issue that burdens many. From her perspective, a “climate of fear” is created if one critically engages with the subject of transgender. She wants to counteract that.
In her view, various people are being labeled as “transgender-critical feminists”:
such as mothers whose gay sons want a gender transition to escape constant bullying
or an elderly lady who no longer goes into a fashion store because suddenly men have access to the women’s changing rooms as they identify as women.
She, as an author whose work is banned in many countries, has a strong interest in freedom of expression.
Rowling thinks it’s normal for teenage girls to not know who or what they are
She can very well relate to girls who would rather be boys – she herself considered becoming a man in the 80s to escape the difficult position women were in. Many teenage girls wage a “war against their bodies”. It is absolutely normal to be confused during this time, sexually or not, and not to know who or what one is.
Rowling states: She wants to make it clear that she believes a gender transition is a solution for some people. However, there are also studies that prove that 60-90% of teenagers outgrow such dysphoria.
Rowling speaks in her essay about “Rapid-onset Gender Dysphoria” [ROGA, suddenly occurring gender dysphoria]: This is a controversial term that implies that the desire to change one’s gender arises from societal influences. The term is rejected by American associations of psychologists. It is not an recognized diagnosis.
Rowling also talks about her own experience as a victim of violence in the essay and explains that due to these experiences she firmly believes that women need “safe spaces”. She sees the safety of these spaces threatened if men had access to them by identifying as women.
She apparently feels misunderstood. When she expresses herself nuanced on the topic, she is subjected to harsh insults and labeled as “transphobic”. Many women are now rightfully afraid of “trans activists”.
However, she does not want to submit to this movement.
Especially on Twitter, it is impossible to address a topic in a differentiated manner. When she does, something is immediately assumed about her. Someone even told her that she is Voldemort.
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J. K. Rowling sees herself as an advocate for girls who have decided on a gender transition and later regret the decision.
What happened next? The widely noticed essay by Rowling is 2 years old. Meanwhile, Rowling tweets almost incessantly on the topic of “transgender”. She seems to have become a complete red flag for transgender activists and is deeply entangled in the subject herself.
The fronts seem to have hardened. Differentiated positions are hardly exchanged anymore. Both sides are hostile towards each other and demonize the opposing side:
For trans activists, Rowling is the head of a movement that spreads hate
Rowling sees transgender activists as people who spread an “atmosphere of fear” and do not allow any opinion other than their own.
What is the discussion around the boycott like? The discussion initiated by Shurjoka is not very nuanced.
Harry Potter is part of my childhood/adolescence and I will not let that be taken away from me. That does not automatically mean that I support what this woman says, because I absolutely do not! This insinuation always resonates in such tweets.
Some people agree with her: They loved Harry Potter. However, since they have become aware of Rowling’s views, they have completely distanced themselves from this beloved childhood memory.
However, there are also some who reduce this discussion to “I do not share Rowling’s views, but if we start, we would have to boycott everything.” They said if it came to that, one would have to boycott everything from Maggi to iPhone to H.P. Lovecraft. One must separate the work of the author.
However, attempts to understand the other position are rarely evident.
And what about movies from Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, Mel Gibson, and half of Hollywood who are either Scientologists, woman-beaters, or anti-Semites? What about Naidoo or Nena? The list could go on indefinitely.
Interestingly, both Shurjoka and Rowling, two years earlier, come to the realization that Twitter is simply not the right place for nuanced discussions. That seems to be at least a common denominator.
Hogwarts Legacy is a single-player game that we rarely deal with at MeinMMO. When we do, we focus on the impact of the game on gaming culture. The game appears to divide opinions:
The end of Season 25 in Diablo 3 is in April. We will show you when the season of the Lords of Hell ends and what happens next.
What is currently happening in Diablo 3? Players are eagerly waiting for the start of the new Season 26. But so far, it wasn’t even clear when the current chapter would end. Thanks to a blog post from Blizzard, we now know:
The end of Season 25 in Diablo 3 is on Sunday, April 10th, at 5:00 PM German time. We will show you here how things will proceed after the end of the season.
Season 25 ends in April, then Season 26 starts
This is known: In the Diablo 3 forum (via blizzard.com), Community Manager FilthieRich writes that the current Season 25 is coming to an end.
A preview of Season 26 with the corresponding start date is expected to follow shortly. It is assumed that about one to two weeks will pass after the end of S25 before the next chapter begins. If there are complications, you may have to wait a bit longer.
What happens next? Season 26 will be an exciting journey for many players, as the Echoing Nightmare will significantly overhaul the gameplay. You will find special items that will unlock endgame dungeons for you. In those, you will fight your way up and earn strong rewards.
The outlook for the new season is already quite good. Season 26 is being actively played on the test servers. As soon as there is an official start date, you will read about it here on MeinMMO. We will provide you with tier lists and guides for the new chapter so that you can quickly reach the endgame and achieve great successes there.
The guild Echo defeated the final boss in the current raid of World of Warcraft last night. They did it in a hotel converted into an e-sports center in Hamburg-Bergedorf. Originally, an event was planned, but the guild decided against it. They wanted to keep it exclusive. They invited the audience but rapper Bushido. He slipped away from his 8 children, saying dad “had to take care of something.”
Where was the final boss killed?
A gaming center called “RCADIA” is being built in Hamburg. Originally, it was the “Commando Hotel” – now it is set to become the “largest gaming house in Europe.” RCADIA will offer events and hotel rooms: a single room will start at 49 Euros, while booking the “Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Gaming Apartment” will cost 2,200 €.
Currently, RCADIA is in a “soft launch,” and they haven’t really opened yet: renovation work is still ongoing, but they are starting to host events.
From the end of February to mid-March, the world-class WoW guild, Echo, was a guest in Hamburg. They wanted to kill the final boss in the new raid at WoW from there. They succeeded – last night the “Jailer” died. Originally, it was planned to invite the audience, but the guild was against it.
What was the plan? As reported by the Hamburger Abendblatt, it was originally planned that audience members and fans could watch the top guild live on-site.
Members of the audience were supposed to have the chance to book rooms in the hotel as individuals or teams to participate in the open “Race to World First” race (via abendblatt). After all, the race was free.
Did it happen? No, that was apparently canceled at the last minute at the request of the guild “Echo”. They uninvited the audience.
According to the team’s PR manager, the guild wanted to “keep it to themselves.”
When asked if they canceled the event due to the Ukraine war, she said, “No, there’s a lot going on in general.” In addition to the WoW race, other tournaments and construction work are taking place. The guild had rented the space exclusively at the end of February to prepare for the race.
Anyone who wanted to watch Echo compete had to do so digitally.
As PR spokesperson Nathalie mentions in a video, they referred to Bushido only as “Voldemort” in advance of his visit so that not everyone would recognize who was visiting Hamburg. She says Bushido is a fan of Echo, indicated that he would like to come by, and Echo organized it.
The segment begins around 1:34 minutes.
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In a video from the organizers, you can see Bushido shaking hands with the players. In small talk with a moderator, he explains that he sneaked away from his 8 children:
“This is just my dream, you know? I had to explain to my wife why I’m away for two days. Normally I have rather serious things to do, either you are in the studio or you have an interview or a performance. […]
Yeah, for me [it’s definitely serious]. But try explaining that to the people who are not in the loop and then my kids ask: “Dad, where are you going?” I have eight at home now and I said: Yeah, dad has to take care of something and then I secretly sneaked out my keyboard.”
Bushido
The hotel in Hamburg was apparently a competitive advantage for Echo. Another team in the World First race had issues with their accommodation:
