Destiny 2: Hotfix 4.0.0.4 from 03/22 is here – Patch Notes and Information

Britta ♤ BeAngel Britta ♤ BeAngel Reading time 3 minutes

In Destiny 2, on Tuesday, March 22, a server downtime for hotfix 4.0.0.4 is scheduled. This also includes downtime on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC, and Google Stadia. MeinMMO is tracking the downtime and will inform you when exactly you cannot play today.

What you need to know today: New content also brings several possibilities for bugs in Destiny 2. Some are already known, which is why Bungie is releasing hotfix 4.0.0.4 today. However, the server downtime today is expected to be very short, so hopefully, you won’t have to wait long to play.

MeinMMO is tracking hotfix 4.0.0.4 and will constantly update this article with fresh information.

Update history for hotfix 4.0.0.4:
7:00 PM: Maintenance went as planned and has just been completed. Console players experiencing issues updating to 4.0.0.4 should restart their console and try downloading the update again.
6:00 PM: The update has been completed and is now rolling out across all platforms. The update on PC is 126.9 MB.
5:45 PM: Maintenance has begun, and players have been removed from all activities. Bungie has also published the patch notes for the update. You can find them further down in the article.

Maintenance on 22.03. – All times and server downtime

These times are important today:

  • At 5:00 PM German time, maintenance begins on all platforms.
  • From 5:45 PM, the servers will go offline. You will be kicked from activities, and downtime begins.
  • Around 6:00 PM, the servers are expected to be back online, and hotfix 4.0.0.4 can be loaded.
  • By 7:00 PM, the maintenance is expected to be fully completed.

It is important: Even if you have downloaded the update, there may be connection issues until the end of maintenance around 7:00 PM. You might have to expect queues at login.

Also, keep in mind that third-party applications and the official Companion app may not be accessible correctly.

Today, Hunters, Titans, and Warlocks will have to be patient for a while.

What changes with hotfix 4.0.0.4 in season 16

What the hotfix brings today: It is firmly planned for today to remove the resource caps for weapon crafting. What else is being addressed in the latest hotfix 4.0.0.4, we do not yet know. However, Bungie has already published a list of known issues in the last TWaB blog (This Week at Bungie) that are on the to-do list.

This includes the bug that armors are only available with very low stat values, which currently affects the NPC vendors in the Tower, Ikora Rey in the legendary campaign and Xur.

What is currently on Bungie’s hotfix list:

  • Increased occurrence of error codes Marmot, Centipede, and Calabrese.
  • Players who go flawless in Trials do not receive weapons or rewards after their victory. Also, no Mementos drop in Trials of Osiris.
  • The progress tracking for “The Oryx’s Leviathan” raid teams seems to be broken.
  • Season 15 Pathfinder and Season 14 Lightbearer armor sets can no longer be applied as ornaments if they have been unlocked through armor synthesis.
  • The yellow subtitles on the PS5 platform are either not visible or appear and are only displayed as white text.
  • And unfortunately, there is also still an issue with the Bungie names, as not all players have been able to change their Bungie name after the release.

These errors have additionally been reported by players:

  • In Gambit, the sniper hand cannon Eriana’s Vow is out of control.
  • The charge banners in the activity “Source” on Grandmaster and in the raid “Oryx’s SotN” do not always work correctly. Sometimes it takes a while for players to charge.
  • In the activity “Vox Obscura” on Grandmaster, errors occur where players can fall through the map with the tank and have to start from the beginning.

If you notice any issues in the game, it is recommended to report them directly through the official Bungie Help Forum to raise awareness.

So you don’t get bored during the server downtime:

Patch notes for hotfix 4.0.0.4 in Destiny 2

What is in the patch notes? The patch notes for today’s update will be released later. Traditionally, the information is published together or a bit later after the update itself. As soon as we have them, we will add them here as a link.

Many Guardians are primarily waiting for the fix for the poor armor values at the NPCs, so that visiting the vendors becomes worthwhile again. Are you in the same boat? And have you also noticed errors in the game that Bungie may have overlooked? Feel free to let us know in the comments.

At least you can expect the first improvements for weapon crafting after the update:

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Bungie Twitter

Oldschool MMORPG on Steam dies after 4 years – Developer prefers singleplayer project

Mark Sellner Mark Sellner Reading time 4 minutes

The old school MMORPG Gran Skrea Online (PC) is shutting down, just 4 years after it started. The developers explain what happened to the game and how it will proceed after the MMORPG ends. We at MeinMMO summarize.

What kind of game is this? Gran Skrea Online was meant to appeal to the old school community. It relied on a medieval fantasy world and a role-playing concept that you would expect more from older games. Players could distribute their skill points freely and even completely misallocate them.

Furthermore, the game offered the following activities:

  • A focus on story and a well-told narrative
  • PvE for solo players and groups
  • Open-world PvP with full loot, meaning you lose items when you die
  • A complex crafting system that allowed you to create better equipment
  • A moral system that punished bad deeds
  • Player housing
  • In the future, ships, more cities, and guilds were to be introduced, but that is now history.

Gran Skrea launched with big plans in June 2018 as Early Access on Steam and remains there to this day. The MMORPG struggled with serious technical issues until the end and could only win a few players.

However, it has mostly positive reviews on Steam, as the few fans that the game managed to attract were enthusiastic. Nevertheless, the developers found themselves in a dead end, leading to the game’s shutdown.

In this video, YouTuber TheLazyPeon plays the MMORPG:

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“The game would never have worked without significant investments”

Why is the game shutting down? In a statement on Steam titled “Gran Skrea Offline”, the developers honestly reveal why Gran Skrea was no longer salvageable. They explain that the MMORPG started as a hobby project in 2014 and that they drastically underestimated the ongoing costs of an online role-playing game.

They say that while their team could have developed new content and provided regular updates for the game, they could not manage the technical issues at the same time.

This led to frequent lags and server crashes, the causes of which were clear and what needed to be done was known. However, these tasks were so massive that they would have required significantly more manpower to address. This additional workforce would also have needed more funding, presenting the next challenge.

Ultimately, only an average of 2 players were playing the MMORPG simultaneously on Steam. (via Steamcharts.com).

Focusing on attracting more players to the game, which would also mean more revenue, would not have worked. The game was technically unable to handle larger player numbers. If we had focused on fixing the bugs bit by bit, there would have been no new content and thus no new players, so that was not really an option either.

We let it run for a while longer, but the truth is that the game would never have worked without significant financial investments.

What’s next? On June 1st, almost exactly 4 years after the launch of Early Access, Gran Skrea Online will be discontinued, and the servers will go offline for good. However, you can no longer purchase the game even now.

They also reveal that there are no realistic plans to restart the MMORPG in the future. Instead, they want to focus on a single-player project that would better match the size of the team and financial resources, according to the developers.

The new game is titled The Black Grimoire: Cursebreaker and aims to set similar focuses as Gran Skrea. The developers promise that you will enjoy the new game if you had fun in Gran Skrea. 

Start video
Where does the term MMORPG come from? The history of the genre in 2 minutes

The community reacts surprisingly positively

How are the fans reacting? The comments under the announcement in the Steam forum are overwhelmingly positive. Many players thank the team for the shared experience and the honesty.

Some also admit that they are looking forward to the single-player project just as much as to the MMORPG and assure the developer team of their continued support. Of course, the fans are still sad that Gran Skrea is being permanently shut down. Overall, however, the tone is positive and understanding.

What are the players saying? This is how the last players of the MMORPG are responding in the forum (via Steam):

  • Helecaraxe writes: “Thank you so much for the game. It was an honor to meet you and the game, and I look forward to playing your new game soon.”
  • Torac also thanks: “I really enjoyed Gran Skrea. Thank you for all the hard work on the game. I will definitely keep an eye out for your new project.”
  • Bungus and his friends say goodbye: “I loved this game so much. It’s a shame it never really took off, but at least I managed to convince five of my friends to play with me. It was truly a Gran Skrea time! Thank you for the game and the unwavering support over the years.”

More on MMORPGs at MeinMMO

What do you think of the MMORPG? Have you ever played Gran Skrea Online? Are you sad that the game is shutting down, or did you see it coming like some of the fans? What do you think of the developers’ statement? Feel free to leave your comments here at MeinMMO.

Gran Skrea Online was not among the 6 MMORPGs that MeineMMO editor Alexander Leitsch says will die in 2022.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Steam
  2. Steam

Guild Wars 2 shows roadmap for the future of the MMORPG – announces 4th expansion and Steam release

Alexander Leitsch Alexander Leitsch Reading time 3 minutes

Recently, the new expansion End of Dragons was released for Guild Wars 2. The developers have now provided a glimpse into the future of the MMORPG, which looks quite promising. In addition to the return of Living World Season 1, a new expansion and a Steam release are also planned.

What have the developers announced?

  • In the coming months, adjustments will be made to the game to implement the release on Steam, which is expected to bring a new wave of players to the MMORPG. The release is firmly planned for 2022, although there is not yet a specific date.
  • The Living World Season 1 will return with 5 episodes throughout the year 2022, finally closing an important gap in the story. The first episode will be released on April 19.
  • Further maps and story content for the continent Cantha are planned.
  • At the end of the blog post, the developers revealed that Guild Wars 2 will continue for the long term. Accordingly, the 4th expansion has already been announced, although it is still some way off.

Additionally, the developers revealed that the new expansion End of Dragons is a tremendous success.

More on the topic
New ‘Guild Wars 2’ expansion is flooded with praise
von Alexander Leitsch

7 new updates planned by the end of June

What will happen in the coming weeks in Guild Wars 2? In line with the major announcements regarding the next expansion and the Steam release, the developers have also given an insight into the upcoming updates.

The roadmap shows 7 patches by June 28:

  • March 15 – Polish build of End of Dragons
  • March 29 – Super Adventure Festival and polish build of End of Dragons
  • April 19 – Episode 1 for Season 1 of the Living World and challenge mode for Aetherblade Hideout
  • May 10 – Challenge mode for Xunlai Jade Junkyard
  • May 24 – Episode 2 for Season 1 of the Living World, challenge mode for Kaineng Overlook, and new variant for legendary weapons
  • June 7 – Dragon Bash Festival and challenge mode for Harvest Temple
  • June 28 – Balance update and new variant for legendary weapons

In addition to these updates, adjustments are planned for World vs. World and class balance, although there is not yet a specific date for this.

Guild Wars 2 Roadmap 2022
The roadmap for the coming weeks in Guild Wars 2.

Guild Wars 2 triples player count compared to the previous expansion

What do the developers say about End of Dragons? According to ArenaNet leaders, TJ and Colian Johanson, the expansion is said to be a tremendous success:

  • The blog post states that the active player numbers have tripled in the last two years.
  • End of Dragons has already sold more frequently than the previous expansion Path of Fire.

This is also one of the reasons why the studio is focusing on the continued development of Guild Wars 2.

More about Guild Wars 2 and MMORPGs on MeinMMO:

Is a new game from ArenaNet coming soon? The blog post also states that communication with the fans of Guild Wars 2 will now be handled by Josh “Grouch” Davis as the new Game Director and Amy Liu as Executive Producer.

The ArenaNet leaders, in turn, will take care of the operation and leadership of the studio at macro level. The fact that ArenaNet is working on new games has been suspected for some time due to job postings:

Developers of Guild Wars 2 are working on a new game for consoles – Is it an MMO?

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Guild Wars 2

ESO: Everything about the new Shipwright’s Dungeon – Bosses, Achievements and Loot

MiezeMelli MiezeMelli Reading time 7 minutes

With update 33 Ascending Tide, the MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online has received two additional dungeons. Among them is the dungeon Gram of the Shipbuilder. Here you will learn everything about the mechanics with tips from MeinMMO author MiezeMelli.

What kind of dungeon is this? You can find the Gram of the Shipbuilder in the Rift. You can expect not only the regular 3 bosses but also secret bosses that give you bonuses for the normal boss fights.

This guide describes the mechanics in Veteran Hardmode. The regular veteran mode is significantly easier, and in normal difficulty mode, you can ignore many mechanics. Generally, running around wildly does not provide any advantages against the bosses.

If you want to watch all the mechanics in a video, you can do so as well:

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This is what it looks like when you dare to enter the new dungeon.

For everything about the new DLC, check out our ESO Special on Ascending Tide.

Important vocabulary you should know for this guide
  • What is a synergy? A synergy can be activated with X (default binding). This triggers a specific effect. Here, it’s the crystals that summon a secret boss or the flames that you can pick up with the synergy. There are also abilities from allied players that you can synergize. This often activates a positive effect on you or an additional negative effect on the enemy.
  • What is an execute? This refers to abilities that deal particularly high damage when the target has low health.
  • What does it mean to spawn? This term comes from English and means “to appear” or “to show up”.
  • What does the term cleave damage mean? This refers to damage that does not hit just the main target but also additional targets nearby.
  • What does it mean to rez? To revive a player in the group with a soulstone.
  • What does Rez-Ulti mean? This term is derived from the ultimate ability of the necromancer class. This ability revives all fallen group members.
  • What is a taunt? This refers to a skill that taunts the enemy. This causes only the player who cast this skill to be attacked.
  • What does HM mean? HM stands for hard mode.
  • What does stacking mean? This means you and your group members stand in the same spot. This allows you to safely receive important buffs that the healer or tank casts on you. The same applies to AoE healing.
  • What is a K.O. mechanic? Once this mechanic comes into play, the group will die. You must absolutely prevent this.
  • What does dodging mean? This is the English term for the dodge roll in ESO. By default, you activate it by double-tapping your movement keys W, A, S, and D. However, you can adjust this control in the settings so that you only need to click once.

[toc]

How to find secret bosses in the Gram of the Shipbuilder

You will reach the first secret boss when you enter one of the houses. You can always recognize the correct path by the ghost NPCs that will speak with you.

ESO - Gram of the Shipbuilder path to Secret Boss 1 jpg
Enter this crumbling house to reach the Secret Boss.
ESO - My values Vanessa
You will find this document at a skeleton.

You will reach the room for the secret boss via a hatch to the icy cavern. There you will encounter Vanessa’s ghost again and shortly thereafter the twilight mother “Forgotten Virgin”.

After defeating this boss, you will receive a buff and can leave the room via a portal. You will find a secret boss before each boss. Pay attention to people in spirit form.

Here is an overview of the secret bosses:

  1. Forgotten Virgin – Buff: Protection of the Virgin
    • Increases your maximum Magicka by 10%. If you have 10% or less health, you cast “Breakout,” which temporarily grants you a shield. “Breakout” has a cooldown of 30 seconds.
  2. Veiled Axe-Swinger – Buff: Veil of the Axe-Swinger
    • Increases your maximum health by 10%. If you are hit by an attack that destroys at least 50% of your total health, you cast “Veiled,” which increases your healing done by 100% for 5 seconds. “Veiled” has a cooldown of 30 seconds.
  3. Storm-Cursed Sailor – Buff: Curse of the Storm
    • Increases your maximum stamina by 10%. Your heavy attacks will inflict “Curse of the Storm,” causing you to deal an additional 6,000 lightning damage to your target.

The 1st Boss (Gram of the Shipbuilder) Foreman Bradiggan in ESO

For this boss, you should definitely play in a group composition with a tank, a healer, and two DPS. You will need a lot of healing during certain boss phases.

ESO - Gram of the Shipbuilder 1280

The mechanics of Foreman Bradiggan:

  • Add Spawns: at around 80%, 60%, 40%, and 20%, 5 ghosts (horrific seekers) and a ranged attacker spawn. Deal with these adds before continuing with the boss. The ranged attacker (skeleton flame thrower) needs to be interrupted when it uses its fire skill. You can recognize this by the red lines coming from it. If possible, the tank should pull this add (and the others) to the boss.
  • Flesh Colossus: The Flesh Colossus deals nasty damage. Focus on it to finish it off quickly. During this phase, there is also a harmful area on each group member that needs to be healed strongly. These areas should not overlap, so don’t stack with anyone else.
  • Soul Bomb: With this mechanic, an area appears on one group member. To minimize damage, you need to stack with exactly one other group member. No more than that should be in the area.
  • Stunning Fear: AoE areas charge from the boss, which move quickly away from the boss once they are fully filled. You can avoid these areas if you are close to the boss. Alternatively, you can also dodge in other ways, but usually, that’s only possible if you are farther away from the boss.

Completing this boss in Veteran HM grants you the achievement: Collective Stabbing.

How to obtain the achievement “Short Route”

I strongly recommend not doing this achievement in hard mode.

In just one add phase, each player must pull the horrific seekers individually to one of the four tombstones located at the edge of the battle scene. Then you must kill them. You can tell if you succeeded by seeing if the raven leaves the tombstone and flies away.

The 2nd Boss Nazaray (Gram of the Shipbuilder) in ESO

For this boss, a fixed group composition is also important. The tank will occasionally need strong healing. You will also require high DPS at times to avoid a K.O. mechanic.

The mechanics of Nazaray:

  • Unrestrained Kinship: Four “kin spirits” will appear. You must defeat two of them within a short time, or else they will leave behind a large AoE that will surely kill you. If you prevent two of these areas, one area will remain free for you.
  • Slurper: This enemy deals heavy damage to the tank. The DPS should therefore focus on it.
    • Tormenting Thunderbranch: The slurper casts this AoE, from which you should quickly move away.
  • Numerous AoE areas: You must always move away from these areas. Blocking or dodging is too unreliable.
  • Boss Shield: Nazaray will create areas that emit blue smoke. These temporarily grant the boss a shield. The tank should always move the boss out of these areas.

The Final Boss Captain Numirril (Gram of the Shipbuilder) in ESO

This boss requires self-healing from the DPS, focus damage on the adds, and kiting from the group members.

Here are the mechanics of Numirril:

  • Surging: The boss creates multiple AoE areas that you must dodge consecutively, and they will follow you.
  • Drowned Colossus: Focus on this add.
    • Pursue: With this mechanic, the colossus charges at a random player and inflicts cone-shaped damage: You need to dodge this.
  • Drowned Corpse: You must interrupt these adds. They cannot be pulled by the tank, so you will need to move across the platform to kill them.
    • Drowned Corpse, Wave: This AoE moves in a straight line. It causes you to stagger and interrupts you when standing in it, inflicting damage.
    • Drowned Corpse, Throw: These adds leave many poison fields behind, so you should always take them down a notch. After a while, these fields explode.

Completing the HM grants you the following achievements and items:

  • Victorious of the Gram of the Shipbuilder (Achievement)
  • Conqueror of the Gram of the Shipbuilder (Achievement)
  • Set Sail! (Achievement)
  • Without Spiritual Support (Achievement)
  • Body Paint of the Abyssal Embrace (Collection: Body Paint)
  • Trophy: Nazaray (Collection: Undaunted Trophies)
  • Statue: Nazaray (Collection: Undaunted Busts)

More Achievements in the Gram of the Shipbuilder

There are still several achievements for other actions in the dungeon. Usually, the normal veteran mode suffices without hard mode.

How to get the achievement “Wet to the Gills Safe”

You must stand in the wave that spawns a drowned corpse or even go with it. If you are drenched three times, you will receive the achievement. This requires a healer who heals you consistently.

How to get the achievement “Safe Harbor”

This can be done in the regular veteran mode. You must defeat the final boss at the moment when there are fewer than 10 Galleons in the arena. The Galleons are the poison areas left by the drowned corpses.

How to get the achievement “Last Blessing”

For this achievement, you must face the three secret bosses and thereby receive the respective buff.

If you are interested in more about ESO, you might be interested in this:

How to get the achievement “Challenger of the Gram of the Shipbuilder”

Complete the following achievements:

  • Conqueror of the Gram of the Shipbuilder
  • Set Sail!
  • Clear Ship
  • Shipyard Sprint

How to get the achievement “Maormer Slayer”

This achievement can be done in veteran mode without hard mode. You will need several runs for this, as you must defeat a total of 200 Maormer. You probably won’t encounter that many Maormer in a single run.

How to get the achievement “Slurper Slayer”

This achievement can be done in veteran mode without hard mode. You will need several runs for this, as you must defeat a total of 50 Slurpers. You probably won’t encounter that many Slurpers in a single run.

How to get the achievement “Shipyard Sprint”

This achievement can be done in veteran mode without hard mode. Complete the dungeon within 25 minutes.

How to get the achievement “Clear Ship”

This achievement can be done in veteran mode without hard mode. No group member may die throughout the entire run.

How to get the achievement “No Regrets”

This is the Triple – Veteran HM, Speedrun, No Death. The reward is the title: Buccaneer.

Have you checked out the new dungeon yet? Do you like it, or are you starting to feel like the ceiling is closing in on you in the Gram of the Shipbuilder? Then check out our ESO Event Ticker. Maybe there are also some other interesting things to do in ESO.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

WoW: Double Legendarys – How to Unlock Them, These are the Rules

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 3 minutes

In World of Warcraft the double Legendary items are unlocked. We reveal what you need to know – and how it works.

With the completion of the campaign in Zereth Mortis this week, Azeroth’s heroes unlock a new feature: double Legendaries. But how does the feature actually work? Which legendary items can be combined? Is it account-wide?

The most important points at a glance:

  • Every character can wear two legendary items.
  • Only a specific Legendary can be the second one.
  • You will receive a legendary belt as a gift at the end of the quest.
  • You can channel the legendary effect onto other items apart from a belt.

How to unlock double Legendaries?

It’s quite simple. You just need to complete the current covenant campaign from Patch 9.2 up to the last mission “A New Beginning.” This questline rewards you with a legendary belt at the end, which automatically acts as your second Legendary.

The questline can be completed starting March 23, 2022 – right after the weekly maintenance.

WoW Draenei legendary chest pandaren cheer title title 1920x1080

What can the legendary belt do? The cool thing about the legendary belt and the “Unity” effect is that it always matches your current covenant. So if you switch covenants, the belt changes its effect too. Thus, every class has several potential legendary effects, and the covenant switch can be done at will.

Is the unlocking account-wide? The answer is clearly “maybe”. Essentially, the unlocking of the belt is individual for each of your characters. However, the power “Unity” attached to the belt is tied to reputation with the Enlightened and can be unlocked account-wide there.

If you have been diligently playing in Zereth Mortis so far and have at least done your weekly tasks, you should already have a respectful reputation with the Enlightened or be close to it.

This is important because only with a respectful reputation do you unlock the legendary power “Unity” as an account-wide legendary power. You can purchase the “Unity” power from the Rares trader in Zereth Mortis as soon as you gain respectful reputation and complete the campaign. After that, your alts can also benefit from the double Legendaries – without ever having set foot in Zereth Mortis.

WoW Double Legendary Trader
Once the campaign is completed, you can buy the legendary power – if you have the reputation.

These alts will then naturally need to use a legendary raw item to craft the Unity Legendary.

Alternatively, they can also complete the questline in Zereth Mortis and thus get the legendary belt at item level 265 for free.

Can you combine all Legendaries with each other? No, that is not possible. Although you can wear two legendary items, you are limited to one “free” Legendary. The second must inevitably always be “Unity”. You can freely choose the other Legendary. If you already have a legendary item, you can now just combine the belt with the “Unity” effect of the chosen covenant.

More about World of Warcraft can be found here:

Can you upgrade the belt? No, that is not possible. The quest reward belt is limited to level 265.

However, you can simply craft another Legendary to replace the belt. This is also quite easy to do, as the legendary power “Unity” can be transferred to all armor slots. You can thus freely choose which slot you wish to fill with the Unity effect.

Ideally, you should take a slot that is not occupied by your other Legendary or a potential tier set piece. For many classes, rings are particularly suitable options.

Are you looking forward to double Legendary items? Or is this still far-off future music for you?

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Lost Ark: Community desperate due to bot flood – “Every new player will stop immediately again”

Mark Sellner Mark Sellner Reading time 4 minutes

The new MMORPG Lost Ark has been incredibly successful in recent weeks. Unfortunately, this also brings along problems. One of the biggest is the number of bots that just doesn’t seem to stop. We at MeinMMO summarize.

What is the situation in Lost Ark? The game had an extremely strong launch and was able to attract over 1.3 million fans concurrently into the MMORPG. Even weeks later, Lost Ark still makes a good impression, but is facing problems.

However, following the one million banned bots, if some players on reddit are to be believed, more than two million new ones appeared. The exact numbers are mere speculation, but it is certain that Lost Ark is currently being overrun by bots.

The situation is getting worse: Initially, only the starting areas were massively affected by the bot problem, which led to it not being properly acknowledged in the community. Many forum users and subreddit members are already in the endgame and thus have not noticed bots for a long time.

Now, however, more and more bots are also reaching level 50 and farming there in the Chaos Dungeons, where valuable upgrade materials can be obtained, which you need to improve your equipment.

This is already reflected in the price of the materials, as the upgrade materials for the first tier have significantly decreased in price. This is not only due to the bots, as more and more real players are reaching T1 and higher, but it is still quite possible that the bots are affecting these prices as well.

Scenes like this are not uncommon but everyday life in Lost Ark:

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Bots are a problem for all players

Why are they so annoying? It has several reasons. On the one hand, the area chat is practically unusable due to a multitude of bots. The automated chat logs spam the areas completely with dubious gold offers. A normal exchange between players often becomes difficult.

On the other hand, the sheer number of bots has made it harder and more annoying to play new characters up to level 50. This is especially discouraging for completely new players. Often, one has to duel with bots over specific monsters needed for quest completions.

These duels are usually lost, as the bots often also use some sort of speed or teleport hack. The experience for new players suffers tremendously due to the bots.

Start video
Everything you need to know about Lost Ark’s endgame – in the video

What is annoying in the endgame? As many of the automated characters have now also reached the endgame, the farce does not stop as soon as you reach Vern. On the contrary, it gets even worse. Because in the endgame of Lost Ark, group content is relevant.

Many players report on the subreddit that they have been automatically matched with bots who turn out to be useless allies in raids. Even in chaos dungeons, you often get bots in your team when you play them through automatic matchmaking.

Bots have thus been a problem in Lost Ark since release, but since they have reached the endgame, the situation has completely escalated and makes life difficult for many fans in Arkesia.

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In this podcast episode, the MeinMMO editorial team talks about what still makes Lost Ark so successful

“Every new player will immediately quit”

How does the community react? It varies greatly and ranges from one extreme to another. While many fans are very upset about the bots, some try to just take it with humor. Some even look for creative ways to trap these bots.

But even if jokes are made and a lot of sarcasm is present, the situation is difficult for all players who want to spend time in this MMORPG regularly. Many are also bothered by Amazon’s response, which, besides the massive ban wave, seems to have done little against the bots so far (via reddit).

  • The user rigsta writes: “I can’t even imagine how the experience feels for new players. […] In the starting areas, there are now undoubtedly more bots than real players.”
  • Also TheKingsDM is disappointed: “I’m currently leveling a new character with my son, and we have to constantly contend with teleporting berserkers over quests. It’s so stupid, every new player will immediately quit.”
  • KingCPB writes: “The bot situation is getting worse. Some are already appearing in raids and PvP matches. Once bots reach ranked PvP matches, the game will lose the entire PvP community.”

More about Lost Ark on MeinMMO

How does Amazon react? There are always smaller and larger ban waves from Amazon. Furthermore, they have already removed some gold sources from the early game in an update in the hope of taking away the incentive for bots to bot at all.

They promise to continue working on the problem, to combat the bots, and to develop further tactics.

What do you think about the whole situation? Are you still playing Lost Ark, and if so, what do you say about the bots in the endgame? Feel free to write it to us in the comments here on MeinMMO.

All guides, tips, and builds for Lost Ark in the overview

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. playlostark

Destiny 2 sent the best weapons into retirement – players are now simply recreating them

Britta ♤ BeAngel Britta ♤ BeAngel Reading time 4 minutes

Destiny 2 once retired some of the best weapons because they were too strong. This included many Guardian favorite weapons. But instead of mourning, players are simply crafting improved versions of their favorites through the new weapon crafting in Witch Queen. MeinMMO tells you how to craft the fastest bow in Destiny 2 now.

For a month now, players have been able to try the content of the latest DLC “The Witch Queen.” In addition to a fresh campaign that brought an amazing story to the game, players can also create their own weapons and modify them.

So there’s enough time to earn all the necessary materials for weapon crafting and the last resonance weapons from the Urquell activity with moderate time investment.

Why did it take so long? In the Urquell activity, the needed resonance weapons for obtaining a weapon blueprint go through a 4-day rotation. This means you have to wait a few days until the desired weapon is available again. Additionally, you also need some luck, as the weapons must drop as resonance weapons.

  • Day 1 (Attack): Arc Automatic Rifle “Come to Pass”
  • Day 2 (Defense): Arc Grenade Launcher “Tarnation”
  • Day 3 (Attack): Kinetic Bow “Fel Taradiddle”
  • Day 4 (Defense): Void Sniper Rifle “Father’s Sins”

Besides the automatic rifle “Come to Pass,” especially the bow “Fel Taradiddle” is becoming increasingly popular among players, and for good reason.

After initially getting the desired weapons, players have started to shape them in the Enclave on Mars and experiment with crafting. Thanks to the new weapon crafting, a shaped weapon can be reshaped repeatedly until you are satisfied with it. This way, it’s also possible to bring the properties very close to, or even exceed, the previous best attributes of personal favorite weapons.

In our guide, you will find everything you need to know about weapon crafting in Destiny 2:

More on the topic
Ultimate Weapon Crafting Guide – How to Shape Your Own Weapons in Destiny 2
von Britta ♤ BeAngel

Player crafts improved version of the once fastest bow

This is exactly what Destiny 2 player TheSoulChainer did and then posted a video on reddit showing his shaped version of the kinetic bow “Fel Taradiddle” and writes: “I optimized [the bow] for SPEED and I’m sure other ‘speed enthusiasts’ will appreciate this.”

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Here, player “TheSoulChainer” shows his new bow in action.

The bow already scores with a decent draw time and a lightweight frame, allowing it to fire arrows at insane speed with the right perks.

With these properties, the bow was shaped:

  • Polymer String: Allows for slightly faster drawing.
  • Fiber Arrow Shaft: Significantly increases accuracy.
  • Shooter’s Tempo: Draw time decreases after each precision hit.
  • Successful Warm-up: Each kill increases charge and draw speed.
  • Additionally, it combines with the mod “Handlaid Stock.”

Note: In order to utilize the improved perks on your new bow, the weapon must have level 20. So you’ll need to play with it for a while before you can use the perks.

fel-taradiddle-das-blaue-vom-himmel-bogen-crafting-godroll-destiny2

“This is not a bow, this is a machine gun,” comments player “TrueComplaint8847” under the post on reddit. And indeed, this combination makes the new kinetic bow from Savathun’s Throne World even faster than the previous fastest bow “The Stringer.”

The “The Stringer” had to be earned through a painfully long quest in Gambit. But once you got it, you could use the perk “Gambit of the Shooter” to fire arrows at a massive draw speed bonus (3x speed) for a short time (7 seconds) after landing precision hits from the hip.

At that time, it was considered the best legendary bow in the game. The bow only took about 0.2 seconds (instead of 0.617) to fully draw and fire again when used optimally. A dream for fans of this weapon type.

However, after sunsetting, this bow could not be used anymore, as it could no longer be infused.

What does the term “sunsetting” mean in Destiny 2? Sunsetting is the most hated feature Destiny 2 ever had. The term was coined by Bungie when the developer announced it would remove weapons from the game when they had reached their peak “in the sun.” This was supposed to ensure that these powerful weapons would eventually fall out of the endgame meta automatically. It was basically a retirement for too powerful weapons that no player wanted to put down voluntarily.

But the community hated it, and thus Bungie rolled back sunsetting in 2021. However, by that time, several strong weapons had already fallen victim to sunsetting, such as the Spyglass, the Summit, or the now recreated Gambit Bow “The Stringer.”

If you want a bow that shoots almost faster than a machine gun, you should definitely try this perk combination for “Fel Taradiddle.” Especially since bows are also supported by artifacts in Season 16 and are strong against champions.

These weapons are currently strong in Destiny 2:

What do you think about the bow? Are you fans of this weapon type? Or have you crafted another perfect weapon for you? If you’re still experimenting with what makes a good combination for your favorite weapon, let us know your ideas in the comments.

By the way: With today’s update, you will be able to reshape your weapons more often in the future, as the previously set artificial caps for weapon crafting materials will be increased.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. GameRant
  2. Reddit

Fortnite: The 5 Best Weapons in Season 2 Chapter 3 – How Strong They Are

Christos Tsogos Christos Tsogos Reading time 5 minutes

Since Season 2 of Fortnite was released, many players have had time to extensively test the new weapons. That’s why we show you the 5 best weapons in Season 2 that you should definitely use.

Where do the weapon info come from? The information about the weapon stats is based on the available values that can be seen in the inventory from the weapon menu. Therefore, we have created a self-made map and compiled all weapon values for you in Creative mode.

In this top list, I will compile everything and additionally include my own experience to show you which weapons are sure to bring you an epic victory.

About the author: My name is Christos, I am a freelance writer at MeinMMO and actively involved in the fields of Fortnite and Destiny. After more than 3,000 playing hours and numerous seasons in Fortnite that I have actively experienced, I can form a well-founded judgment about what matters in a weapon in Fortnite and which weapons are most likely to prevail this season.

These are the best weapons in Fortnite Season 2 Chapter 3

When it comes to weapons in Fortnite, good handling and high damage are usually crucial. Since every second in a fight could mean the end, the special function of each weapon is also not overlooked. Currently, the following weapons stand out:

  • Drum Shotgun
  • Combat SMG
  • Infrared Assault Rifle with Scope
  • Shadow Tracker
  • Storm Scout Sniper Rifle

[toc]

Drum Shotgun

An automatic shotgun

What makes the weapon strong? The weapon impresses with its high fire rate and moderate damage. You can easily hold down the trigger until your opponent is torn to shreds with 12 shots. This weapon is especially worthwhile for players who like to play aggressively.

Important information about the weapon:

  • Damage: ranges from 57.6 – 69.6 (depending on quality)
  • Reload rate: takes 35.8 – 3.15 seconds (depending on quality)
  • Magazine size: 12 rounds

Where can you find it? Where can you find it: Everywhere on the map, in chests, on the ground, and at vending machines.

Pro
  • High fire rate
  • Can perform well at short and medium range
  • Accurate when aiming and high damage
Contra
  • Long reload time
  • Very inaccurate when firing from the hip

Combat SMG

fortnite-kampfsmg
Unreleased SMG

What makes the weapon strong? This SMG resembles a hybrid between an MP and an assault rifle. With its combination, you can perform very well at both short and long distances. With its moderate rate of fire, you can even outperform assault rifle players.

Important information about the weapon:

  • Damage: ranges from 20.0 – 24.0 (depending on quality)
  • Reload rate: takes 2.6 – 2.2 seconds (depending on quality)
  • Magazine size: 32 rounds

Where can you find it: Everywhere on the map, in chests, on the ground, and at vending machines

Pro
  • Fires rounds quickly in succession
  • High range
  • Large magazine
Contra
  • Slow reload

Infrared Assault Rifle with Scope

A cool assault rifle

What makes the weapon special? The infrared assault rifle is like a sniper but fires like an assault rifle. With this rifle, you can spot opponents from any distance as the scope highlights them.

Important information about the weapon:

  • Damage: ranges from 29 – 31 (depending on quality)
  • Reload rate: takes 2.2 – 2.1 seconds (depending on quality)
  • Magazine size: 15 rounds

Where can you find it: Everywhere on the map, in chests, on the ground, and at vending machines

Pro
  • Optimal for medium and long distances
  • High damage with precision shots
  • Highlights opponents through scope
Contra
  • Slow reload
  • Does not have a fully automatic firing mode

Shadow Tracker

The exotic pistol – Shadow Tracker

What makes the weapon special? With this small pistol, you can eliminate opponents with quick but precise shots. You can mark your opponents with hits so that your teammates can track them as well.

Important information about the weapon:

  • Damage: amounts to 29
  • Reload rate: takes 1.26
  • Magazine size: 16 rounds

Where can you find it: One of the teddy bear skins in Camp Cuddle sells this pistol for 400 gold bars.

Pro
  • Fast reload rate
  • High damage with accuracy
  • Large magazine
  • Marks enemies visibly on hits
Contra
  • Expensive and rare to acquire

Storm Scout Sniper Rifle

fortnite storm scout
A crazy sniper

What makes the weapon special? This is a multifunctional sniper. You can snipe enemies from a distance but also keep an eye on the storm. The sniper always shows you the next location of the storm eye before it is visible to other players.

Important information about the weapon:

  • Damage: amounts to 90.0 (depending on quality)
  • Reload rate: takes 2.6 seconds (depending on quality)
  • Magazine size: 6 rounds

Where can you find it: You can find this useful sniper on the new map at Sanctuary. It is sold for 500 gold bars by Foundation, the leader of the Seven.

Pro
  • Fast reload rate for a sniper
  • High damage with accuracy
  • Large magazine – missed shots can be forgiven
  • Shows you the next storm eye
Contra
  • Sight can be distracting
  • Expensive and rare

Fortnite has much more good weapons to offer, but these 5 are certainly among the best guns in Season 2 that will definitely give you an epic victory. Furthermore, glowstick grenades can also be perfectly taken into the inventory to burn opponents’ cover.

More about Fortnite:

Note: This list is a compilation of the weapons that I and many others declare as the “currently best” – but that doesn’t necessarily have to apply to you. As always, it ultimately depends on personal taste, individual preferences, and simply whether you can handle the respective weapon or not.

Just because many people think they are good or the stats are top, it does not automatically mean that you will handle them well enough for them to perform strongly for you.

If you have other weapons in mind that are not listed here, feel free to tell us about them in the comments.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Never waste money on duplicate games again: This website reveals which games you can grab in a subscription

Benedict Grothaus Benedict Grothaus Reading time 3 minutes

There are now many game subscriptions like the Xbox Game Pass. It can be easy to lose track. A website from Germany helps you see which games you don’t have to buy directly – or which ones you might already own.

What kind of website is this? DontBuy.Games is operated by Fabian Vowie from Fulda. The website checks which games you can get in which of the many game subscriptions.

Which subscriptions are we talking about here? Game subscriptions are services from providers where you can gain access to all kinds of video games. They differ in price, scope, and platform, depending on the provider.

The Xbox Game Pass is likely the most well-known game subscription. The service costs a monthly fee and provides you with free access to games, including new releases like Halo Infinite or the acclaimed Total War: Warhammer 3.

Other providers like Ubisoft with Ubisoft+ and EA with EA Play and EA Play Pro have also entered the market with their own subscriptions. Don’t Buy Games compares the offers and lists where you can play which games. The website includes the following subscriptions and services:

  • Xbox Game Pass (incl. PC Pass and Ultimate)
  • EA Play and EA Play Pro
  • PlayStation Now
  • Ubisoft+
  • Xbox Cloud Gaming
  • Stadia Pro

What benefit do I get from the site? You can directly check via the site search whether the title you are looking for is included in any of the offers. This way, you can potentially save money if you would otherwise buy a game new, even though you have a corresponding subscription.

More on the topic
With the Xbox Game Pass, you saved over €5,000 in 2021
von Cortyn

Moreover, a subscription is usually cheaper than an AAA title, so you can decide to “test” for less money first. Currently, 1,519 games are listed that you can play without having to buy them separately.

The service is still in beta, so the offering will likely expand. However, you can also use the website to see which games you could potentially play.

New games like Halo Infinite often land directly in the respective subscriptions at release:

Start video
The new Halo Infinite trailer reminds of one of the “best trailers of all time”

Discover games you already have without knowing it

How to use Don’t Buy Games: Through the search you can directly find titles and corresponding subscriptions in which they are included. The website then shows you on which platform and with which service you can play the respective game.

If you own one or more subscriptions, Don’t Buy Games offers another feature: the discovery. Here you can set filters for which platform and which service you have and what games you are looking for.

With additional settings, you can even choose game modes like single-player, coop, or battle royale, and filter by specific genres like strategy, sports, or shooter. This way, you can easily discover new games in the subscriptions you have, or decide which subscription is worth it for you.

dont buy games filter
With various filters, you can choose which subscriptions you own or which ones may interest you.

While you can also view corresponding lists on the providers’ sites, with Don’t Buy Games you can find everything at a glance. Especially if you play on different consoles or platforms, it is easier to keep track.

If you have no idea what to play, the website even offers a “random” button. If you click it, a random game from the offerings will be displayed along with platforms and subscriptions in which it is included.

More on the topic on MeinMMO:

When searching for new games, we can also assist you. With Find Your Next Game, we regularly present new games or hidden gems that you might not be aware of, but are definitely worth your time. The next FYNG starts in April 2022, but the event takes place more frequently on MeinMMO, GameStar, and GamePro:

Here you find the overview of our presentations at Find Your Next Game

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Don't Buy Games

Pokémon GO brings new research to the Shadow Jungle event – A quest you should use

Franzi Korittke Franzi Korittke Reading time 4 minutes

In Pokémon GO, the Shadow Jungle event started today, on March 22. You can find thematic limited research and various event quests in the game. We at MeinMMO will show you which monsters are truly worth it.

What kind of research is it about? With the start of the Shadow Jungle event, Niantic has provided you with a series of research tasks in the game that you can find or complete throughout the event period.

This includes, among other things, a limited research, as well as 6 new field research tasks. Below, we show you which tasks and rewards you can expect and tell you which quest is particularly worth it.

Tip: All Pokémon that you can encounter in their shiny form with a bit of luck are marked with an (*).

The limited research for the Shadow Jungle event

During the entire event period, you will find a limited research in the “Today” view of your game. This is thematically oriented to the Shadow Jungle event and revolves around plant Pokémon.

As you are used to from other limited researches, you must complete this during the event and also collect your rewards. At the end of the event on March 29, 2022, at 8:00 PM local time, the tasks and rewards will also disappear.

This also applies to rewards that have already been completed but not yet collected. So don’t forget. The following tasks and rewards await you in the limited research of the Shadow Jungle event:

Limited Research Shadow Jungle Event 1/4

TaskReward
Walk 1 km10 Pokéballs
Catch 10 Pokémon5 Razz Berries
Use 5 berries when
catching Pokémon		5 Nanab Berries

Stage Reward: If you complete all three tasks, you will also receive 5 Nanab Berries, 500 XP, and an encounter with Kinoso (Sonnenform).

Limited Research Shadow Jungle Event 2/4

TaskReward
Walk 1 km10 Pokéballs
Catch 5 Pokémon
of the plant type		Encounter with
Endivie*
Use 10 berries when
catching Pokémon		Encounter with
Knofensa*

Stage Reward: If you completed all three tasks, you will also receive 5 Razz Berries, 1,000 XP, and an encounter with Duflor.

Limited Research Shadow Jungle Event 3/4

TaskReward
Walk 1 km10 Pokéballs
Catch 10 Pokémon
of the plant type		Encounter with
Tarnpignon
Use 15 berries when
catching Pokémon		Encounter with
Knilz

Stage Reward: If you completed all three tasks, you will also receive 5 Nanab Berries, 1,500 XP, and an encounter with Paras*.

Limited Research Shadow Jungle Event 4/4

TaskReward
Walk 1 km10 Pokéballs
Feed your buddy
3 candies		Encounter with
Sonnkern*
Catch 7 different
types of plant Pokémon		Encounter with
Igamaro

Stage Reward: If you completed all three tasks, you will also receive a Moss Module, 2,000 XP, and an encounter with Imantis.

6 new event quests for the Shadow Jungle event

In addition to the limited research, you can find 6 special event quests at PokéStops during the Shadow Jungle event. These will be stored in your “Field” view after spinning the photo disc, which you can access by clicking on the binoculars.

You can recognize the event tasks by the separate notice “Event” that adorns the bottom of the tasks. You have unlimited time to complete the tasks, as always. You can look forward to the following tasks and rewards:

TaskReward
Catch 5 Pokémon
of the plant type		Encounter with
Owei*
Sonnkern*
Samurzel*
Kastadur*
Catch 5 different types
of plant Pokémon		Encounter with
Waumboll*
Use 3 berries when
catching Pokémon		Encounter with
Raupy*
Waumpel*
Use 10 berries when
catching Pokémon		Encounter with
Imantis
Use 15 berries when
catching Pokémon		Encounter with
Paras*
Parasek
Walk 1 km3 Razz Berries
2 Nanab Berries

Which Pokémon are particularly worth it?

The monsters from the research are not particularly strong. However, you should not overlook two Pokémon: Paras and its evolution Parasek. Both Pokémon are from the first generation of games and belong to the types Bug and Plant.

Although these two monsters are not particularly strong either, catching them can be really worthwhile for you. Paras and Parasek are among the 22 Pokémon that give you a Stardust bonus.

Depending on whether you catch Paras and Parasek with or without a Stardust item, they give you the following amounts of Stardust:

Pokémonwithout
Stardust item		with
Stardust item
Paras500750
Parasek7001.050

So you definitely should not miss out on this. Completing the task should be no problem and thus be done quickly. It’s best to collect several of these tasks and complete them one after the other later. This way, you save precious Stardust items.

By the way: For catching Knilz and Tarnpignon, which you encounter in the limited research, you also receive 500 Stardust without a Stardust item and 750 Stardust with a Stardust item.

More about Pokémon GO:

Other interesting Pokémon from the quests

In addition to Paras and Parasek, the tasks surrounding Imantis and Waumboll are also worthwhile. Imantis is appearing in the game for the first time. So if you can’t get enough of the new plant Pokémon, you have the opportunity to obtain more specimens through the quests.

Imantis can evolve into Mantidea. You can recognize it by its small, pink to pinkish body, leaf-like arms, and green decorations on its head.

Pokémon-GO-Imantis-Mantidea
Imantis and its evolution Mantidea

The plant and fairy Pokémon Waumboll has been in the game for a while, but it is available in its shiny form for the first time. The field research offers you an additional chance to encounter a shiny Waumboll. Furthermore, you have more opportunities to catch it during the spotlight weekend on March 26 and 27.

You can identify shiny Waumboll by its white-yellow body and the orange decorations on the sides of its head.

Pokémon-GO-Waumboll-Elfun-Shiny
Waumboll and its evolution Elfun normal (left) and as shiny (right)

Which research tasks are you definitely not going to miss? Will you try to farm as much stardust as possible with Paras and Parasek? Or do you find the rewards rather lame this time? Feel free to write us your opinion here on MeinMMO in the comments and exchange ideas with other trainers.

By the way, with the start of the Shadow Jungle event, the new special research on Akala has also been unlocked. We will show you all tasks and rewards for it.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. LeekDuck

CoD manages to annoy the community with the coolest rapper ever

Dariusz Müller Dariusz Müller Reading time 3 minutes

The hype in the Call of Duty community should actually be enormous. The popular musician Snoop Dogg is receiving his own bundle, allowing players to wear a skin that resembles the rapper. However, the pricing policy particularly confuses players of “CoD: Mobile.” MeinMMO explains why the community is angry.

Why are the players upset? Snoop Dogg is one of the biggest and most well-known musicians of our time. Fans of the superstar can now look forward to seeing the rapper in the games Call of Duty: Vanguard, Call of Duty: Mobile, and Call of Duty: Warzone.

However, the joy is not universal. Many players are expressing their frustration on Reddit and Twitter about the differing pricing policies across various platforms. The CoD Mobile community is particularly affected.

The problem with the bundle is that Warzone and Vanguard players can easily purchase it, while in CoD Mobile a so-called “Lucky Draw” is required.

Mobile players therefore not only require a cash investment to roam the maps in CoD as Snoop Dogg. A bit of luck is also needed to obtain the desired content.

Step into the role of Snoop Dogg in Call of Duty Warzone and Vanguard

Details about the “Snoop Dogg Operator Bundle” and the Lucky Draw

How to get the bundle: The first opportunity to roam the CoD maps as Snoop Dogg will be on April 1, 2022, in Season 3 of Call of Duty: Mobile. MeinMMO shows you when and how to obtain the bundle on which platform.

  • CoD Mobile: Available through: Special Lucky Draw; available from: April 1, 2022, Season 3
  • CoD Warzone and Vanguard: Available through: “Snoop Dogg Operator Bundle”; available from: April 19, 2022
What is a Lucky Draw? A “Lucky Draw” is the random selection of an item in Call of Duty: Mobile. The system is similar to a spin-the-wheel mechanism. You “spin” the wheel and the game randomly determines which item you receive.

You must purchase a spin of the “Lucky Draw.” The price doubles after each spin. After a maximum of ten spins, you will receive all items.

The calculated price of a content item can exceed one hundred euros depending on the package if a player needs all ten spins for the desired item.
The Snoop Dogg Operator Bundle will stand out on the “Call of Duty” maps

What is included in the “Snoop Dogg Operator Bundle”? The new “Snoop Dogg” bundle from Call of Duty includes various contents depending on the platform.

In CoD Mobile, Snoop Dogg receives an outfit reportedly embroidered from head to toe with 24 karat gold. Additionally, Activision grants him a “Signature Weapon.” This will be a rapidly firing legendary SMG adorned with gold and diamonds.

Furthermore, the aforementioned legendary SMG will have a death effect. This triggers a mini-concert where enemies are illuminated by spotlights. The already conspicuous SMG is said to become even more prominent when players achieve eliminations with it, according to Activision.

In Warzone and Vanguard, the “Snoop Dogg Operator Bundle” contains ten different items. Three of these items are exclusive to Vanguard. In addition to the 10 contents, there is also an “Operator Progression Track” with 20 levels of operator progress available.

The 20 levels of the track include weapon XP for Snoop Dogg’s preferred weapon from Vanguard, three alternative outfits, and other cosmetic items.

More articles on Call of Duty

Snoop Dogg is undoubtedly a polarizing figure. After the rapper was already seen in Call of Duty: Ghosts, he returns to the popular franchise.

In addition to Snoop Dogg, we have already seen numerous other famous faces in various video games. World-renowned actors, iconic athletes, or legendary musicians – they all increasingly interact with the world of gaming.

Who would you like to see as a playable character, skin, or main actor in your favorite games?

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Call of Duty Blog
  2. dexerto.com

Legendary developer couple brings back a remake of an old classic after 20 years – reason is the lockdown

Jürgen Horn Jürgen Horn Reading time 2 minutes

The legendary developers Ken and Roberta Williams once founded the company Sierra. After 20 years, they want to develop a game again. It is a remake of a true classic of computer games. Read the full story here on MeinMMO.

Who are Ken and Roberta Williams? Ken and Roberta Williams are a legendary game designer couple. They became famous through their company Sierra On-Line, which they founded in 1982. At that time, Sierra was one of the big game manufacturers.

Legendary games like the series around King’s Quest, Gabriel Knight, and the risqué Leisure Suit Larry came from Sierra. However, around the turn of the millennium, Sierra fell into trouble and was first sold to Vivendi and then to Activision-Blizzard.

In 2008, the company was dissolved, but the Sierra brand still exists at Activision-Blizzard. The Williams couple had already left the company in 1999. Nevertheless, the two are making waves again after more than 20 years away from the industry. They want to develop a game called Colossal Cave 3D Adventure.

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After more than 20 years, a game from the legendary developers is coming back

What kind of game is it? Colossal Cave 3D Adventure is a remake of an ancient classic of video games. It was first released in 1976 and was then a pure text game. Through text input, players explored a dark cave, encountering all sorts of dangers, but also funny events, including a meeting with a bear, trolls, and even pirates.

The version by Roberta and Ken Williams is meant to be a remake of this classic. This time, however, with graphics, the powerful Unity engine, and over 140 locations that you can explore in the vast cave.

More on the topic:

Why are they starting again now? In a statement to the site PCGamer, Roberta Williams describes the return to the business as follows:

Ken and I were locked down like everyone else. Ken was bored and I suggested that we write a book about Sierra. The process of writing brought back long-forgotten memories, which led to Ken deciding to learn [the engine] Unity and develop a game.

We had no interest in starting another company. We just wanted to do something fun, and I had the idea to pay homage to the game that inspired our company and changed our lives.

This game, according to Roberta Williams, was indeed that Colossal Cave Adventure. To this, Ken Williams adds the following:

I was looking for something interesting to program when Roberta suggested Colossal Cave. Roberta set to work adapting the game to 3D, and I assembled a team. As we delved deeper into the game mechanics, we discovered further layers of complexity that explain why the game was such a phenomenon in the industry back then.

It has action elements, humor, a scoring system, adventure elements, interesting characters, a huge world to explore, and much more. This is truly a game that will excite a new generation, and it is 100% different from anything I have seen on the market so far.

Furthermore, the new Colossal Cave is also supposed to support VR and provide a unique immersion experience. The game is expected to be released in fall 2022.

More interesting games coming out in 2022 can be found here.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

A bad talisman in Elden Ring makes the strongest strategy against bosses even better

Marko Jevtic Marko Jevtic Reading time 4 minutes

The Ash of the Mimic Tear is a popular tool in Elden Ring. Even after the nerf, this NPC summon is a massive support in every boss fight. With a clever trick, you can get the absolute best out of it. MeinMMO tells you more.

Patch 1.03 has nerfed the Ash of the Mimic Tear. This caused a big stir in the community. Users of the Ash were concerned that it was now useless; purists hoped that more people would have to “play the game correctly”.

However, none of these reactions have proven true. The Mimic Tear does less damage after the nerf, but that was never its main strength. Instead, this summon is so incredibly powerful because it distracts bosses and takes damage in your place.

With a clever trick, you can leverage this and make the best of the Mimic Tear even better. And it’s really easy to do.

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In the MeinMMO podcast, we discuss whether you can play Elden Ring incorrectly

Mimic Tear becomes stronger when you briefly equip a bad talisman

How does this strategy work? For this clever trick, you first need the Ash of the Mimic Tear. This NPC summon is an exact copy of your character, including your weapons, armor, and talismans. This clone then fights independently with you against the bosses.

You can find the Ash of the Mimic Tear in Nokron. We’ll tell you exactly where in detail in this article:

More on the topic
How to find the Mimic Tear in Elden Ring – Makes every boss ridiculously easy
von Marko Jevtic

Next, you need the talisman Shabriris Woe. You can find it in the game world (more on that later), but you can also select it as a keepsake right at the beginning of the game. However, this is not recommended.

Because Shabriris Woe is one of the worst talismans in the game. Once you equip this item, you continuously attract enemy aggression. You essentially make yourself automatically and voluntarily public enemy number one in the Lands Between, with no positive side effect, unless you play solo.

Elden Ring Shabriris Woe Description
Shabriris Woe is actually one of the worst talismans in the game.

But you can use this negative effect with the Mimic Tear to your advantage. And that against every boss. Here’s how:

  • Equip the talisman Shabriris Woe.
  • Enter the boss room and the area where you can summon spirits with an ash. You can recognize these zones by the gravestone symbol at the left edge of the screen.
  • Summon the Mimic Tear.
  • Immediately take off the talisman Shabriris Woe.

What is the effect? With these steps, you’ve ensured that the Mimic Tear has equipped Shabriris Woe. And as long as it is active. However, you immediately take off the talisman, so you are no longer affected by the effect.

This means your clone continuously draws aggro from the boss. The boss is completely distracted by the Mimic Tear and is only hitting your clone. You, in turn, have all the time in the world to deal damage to the boss.

This strategy works against every boss and enemy where you can also summon a spirit. Whether and when this is possible is indicated by this symbol in the HUD:

elden-ring-spirit-summoning-symbol
This symbol shows you that you can summon a spirit like the Mimic Tear

How to find the talisman Shabriris Woe

Since you probably and correctly did not select the talisman as a keepsake, you need to find it in the game world for this strategy.

The talisman is hidden in the Village of the Raging Flame in Liurnia. This is not far from a tower that gives you the madness status effect just from looking at it. Just ride past quickly.

Elden Ring Shabriris Woe Location
You can find the talisman Shabriris Woe at the southern end of the Village of the Raging Flame in Liurnia

You reach the village or the tower itself by turning right towards the east just before the Dectus lift that takes you to the Altus Plateau.

The talisman is located at the southwestern end of the village, at a tower. It’s not hard to find there. In case of doubt, you can check the exact location on the interactive map.

More about Elden Ring:

This is how you find the worst talisman in the game, Shabriris Woe, which makes a strong strategy even better with a clever trick. Do you often use the Mimic Tear? Do you still do so after the patch? If so, do you find the patch reasonable? And what do you think about this strategy? Let us know in the comments.

Since the Mimic Tear clones your entire build, it’s worth equipping the best weapons in the game. In our weapon tier list, we tell you how good each of the 309 weapons in the game is and which ones you should definitely play:

Elden Ring Tier List – All 309 weapons ranked after Patch 1.03

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Dexerto

Witcher 4 has been announced, but not for you

Irina Moritz Irina Moritz Reading time 2 minutes

At the Game Developers Conference 2022, developer CD Projekt Red announced their next Witcher game. What you can expect from the sudden announcement will be revealed in the new episode of the MeinMMO Podcast.

This is what happened: A news spread like wildfire through the gaming community on March 21: The new Witcher game has been announced! A flood of reactions overwhelmed forums and social media.

Many of them were euphoric and celebrated the announcement. Others were more cautious and repeatedly mentioned the problematic launch of Cyberpunk 2077.

So far, however, very little is known about the game. It is said to be open world again and tell an entirely new story that is not based on the book’s template. Players also do not need prior knowledge of the previous games to understand this new story.

In the new special episode of the podcast, Leya, Schuhmann, and Micha from GameStar discuss what the announcement means and what we as players can expect from it.

Here you can listen:

You can also listen to the podcast here:

Another open-world hit that is currently being talked about a lot in the gaming community is the action RPG Elden Ring. If you want to jump into the challenging game as a newcomer, we can tell you what to expect there.

You can find more episodes of the MeinMMO podcast here:

Suggestions or criticism?

Here’s how you can contribute: You can actively participate in improving the podcast. If you have feedback, suggestions, or criticism, or just want to submit a cool topic proposal that should definitely be discussed, then take a look at our Discord server.

Alternatively, you can also directly email us at [email protected] and share your thoughts with us. Share your opinion in the comments.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Lost Ark: Learn to whistle – How to get this important emote

Alexander Leitsch Alexander Leitsch Reading time 2 minutes

The emote “Whistling” is needed in Lost Ark for a useful relationship quest. Through this, you can obtain gold and epic engraving manuals. We at MeinMMO will reveal where you can learn to whistle.

How to get the emote whistling? To learn the emote, you need reputation level 3 with “Insects in the Grassfields.” You level up this reputation through the daily quests from Unas Tasks.

First, you must complete the quests “Ruffians in the Ground.” This takes place on the island of the Azure Winds south of Rohendel and requires a gear score of 802 or higher. Once you have completed this quest, you can level up the reputation faction.

You can then pick up the whistling as a reward once you have raised the reputation of “Insects in the Grassfields” to level 3 out of 3. However, to gather enough reputation, you must complete quests for this faction for at least 15 days.

It is advisable to place the Bifrost point on the island of the Azure Winds for reputation grinding.

Lost Ark Whistling Unlock
In this section of Una’s Tasks, you will find the emote.

Why is whistling important? The whistling can generally be used as an emote at any time. However, it becomes especially useful in connection with the relationship quest to the NPC Nagi. This NPC is located in the village of Nia in Punika.

Epic Engraving Manuals and Other Useful Rewards

What does the relationship quest bring? You will receive the relationship quest with Nagi after you reach item level 1,100 in Feiton. It is called “Strange Symptoms.”

After you have completed the first tasks, you must whistle for quest progression. This is only possible if you already possess the emote.

More about Lost Ark on MeinMMO:

Once you have established a friendly relationship with Nagi, you will receive, among other things, two bags of engraving manuals of the Honor Battle, which may provide either an epic or even legendary engraving manual. This reward is where the whistling plays an important role.

You will also receive 2,200 gold once you reach the rank “Familiar.”

Start video
Everything you need to know about Lost Ark’s endgame – in the video

Have you already unlocked the emote whistling? Or do you know of other places where whistling gives you an advantage? Feel free to write it in the comments.

All our guides to Lost Ark, including beginner guides, builds, and generally useful tips, can be found in our comprehensive overview:

Lost Ark Guides: All tips, tricks, and builds at a glance

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Pokémon GO: 4 % of you like the smoke change – “Let the lazy finally run again”

Franzi Korittke Franzi Korittke Reading time 4 minutes

In Pokémon GO some changes regarding smoke were made a few days ago. We at MeinMMO wanted to know how you feel about them. In the meantime, more than 2,900 readers have participated in the survey. We have summarized the results for you here.

What changes are we talking about? With the beginning of the Alola season, Niantic not only ushered in a new season, but also introduced some changes related to smoke and Raid Passes.

The goal is primarily to get trainers out of their comfort zone and send them back outside. After all, that was the original game concept of Pokémon GO. Therefore, since March 1, 2022, the following innovations have been implemented:

  • up to 2 free Raid Passes per day when you spin a PokéStop
  • Smoke now lasts 90 minutes
  • Smoke is more effective when moving (about 1 Pokémon per minute)
  • When stationary, smoke attracts fewer Pokémon (about 1 creature in 5 minutes)

However, especially the changes regarding smoke have caused a lot of discussions on social networks. For this reason, we wanted to know from you in the past days how you like the smoke changes:

More on the topic
Pokémon GO: 15 days after the smoke change, how do you like it?
von Franzi Korittke

You have a clear opinion about the smoke change

These are the results: On March 15, we asked you in our related article how you liked the smoke changes. As of March 22, 2022, at 11:55 AM, a total of 2,972 people participated.

Your answers clearly indicate that you have a pretty clear opinion on the smoke change. We received the following results from the survey:

  • 2,727 votes (92 %) for “I think the change is bad”
  • 124 votes (4%) for “I think the change is good”
  • 121 votes (4 %) for “I don’t care about the change”

Accordingly, the overwhelming majority of trainers are dissatisfied with the new smoke conditions. Nevertheless, 124 participants think the new changes are good. To better understand their respective decisions, some readers elaborated in the comments of our article and in our Facebook group about why they made their choices in the survey.

Why did you decide this way?

This is why they find the change bad: For most trainers, the reduced spawn rate when stationary is a major problem. In 2020, Niantic made the smoke more effective even for playing from home as part of the COVID bonuses due to the ongoing pandemic.

This allowed players to catch about one Pokémon every minute even while stationary. In the meantime, trainers have become accustomed to this premium item and mainly used the smoke as a supplement during events in recent months.

Furthermore, the increased spawn rate also made it possible and easier to play in bad weather, in areas with few PokéStops, or during quarantine. Now, trainers can no longer benefit from this advantage and must leave their homes for more spawns. This is also reflected in your comments (Facebook/MeinMMO):

Note: For better understanding, we have corrected the following comments for spelling and grammar. The content remains unchanged.
  • Attila M.: “Nothing for quarantine”
  • Hans-Martin I: “Very disadvantageous for people with disabilities”
  • Chrissie E.: “The smoke is now rubbish. At home, 1 to 2 Pokémon spawn, and due to my shift work and working in the middle of nowhere, the smoke was great… especially when you had to work on C-Day, you could at least try to catch Shinys… and last week I was sick and going outside didn’t really work and thus the smoke was pointless from the couch… They should change it back and make it like it was before…”
  • Melanie L.: “Well, I’ve been here from the beginning, but the smoke has never been this bad. It has become completely useless and pointless. Even when moving properly, the spawn rate is really poor, to the point where you don’t even notice a difference whether you activated it or not. This article is definitely going to be a dead stock in the shop now.”

More about Pokémon GO:

  • CHRISTIAN: “I think the smoke should be strengthened again, as it is really hard to complete the tasks in villages and there is much more going on in cities. So please Niantic, strengthen the smoke again. Otherwise, I won’t buy a pass anymore, since I can’t finish it anyway.”
  • HIOBtheDragon: “The smoke change makes the item partly simply USELESS! When you are on the go, you don’t need it, and when stationary, it’s not even as promised that a Pokémon spawns every 5 minutes, but (after multiple tests) about every 10-20 minutes. Once I had to wait almost half an hour. Overall, Pokémon GO is strongly declining, and the fun of the game is not really there anymore. If I weren’t so stubborn, I probably would have stopped playing a few weeks ago.”

This is what you like about the new smoke: However, not all trainers find the smoke change bad. After all, 4% can find something positive in it and even see it as an improvement to the game. They primarily hope that more trainers will head outside to play again. This is also evident in their comments (MeinMMO):

  • Malte: “I think it’s good like that. Pokémon GO is not responsible for whether you can’t play just because you are sick or the weather is bad. They were more than generous in the last two years, and I’m tired of how many lazy people complain that they can no longer play the game from home. Personally, I like to use smoke when I’m in villages or out in nature, where there are hardly any stops.”
  • erzi222: “Good, let the lazy people finally run again! It’s a GO game, not one for home.”
  • zigZag: “The smoke is simply a comfort bonus. I only used the ‘better’ smoke at the beginning, but even then I quickly lost interest because I simply didn’t want to sit on the couch for an hour and stare at my phone.”

Moreover, a few readers, like ZigZag, suggest that the smoke could be strengthened again during certain events, like Community Days.

Whether Niantic will heed this criticism and adjust the smoke in favor of the players remains to be seen for now. If there are any new updates, you will find out here on MeinMMO.

What is your opinion on the current smoke? Let us know in the comments!

Moreover, a few readers, like ZigZag, suggest that the smoke could be strengthened again during certain events, like Community Days.

Whether Niantic will heed this criticism and adjust the smoke in favor of the players remains to be seen for now. If there are any new updates, you will find out here on MeinMMO.

What is your opinion on the current smoke? Let us know in the comments!

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Find Your Next Game: Spring – Many new games in April!

Benedict Grothaus Benedict Grothaus Reading time < 1 minutes

In the first week of April, we will present many new titles in our livestream and on our websites again. There will also be live gameplay, a live podcast, and some surprises.

At the beginning of April, it’s time on our websites GameStar.de, GamePro.de, MeinMMO.de and on our livestreaming channel Monsters and Explosions on Twitch again Find Your Next Game – short FYNG.

In the Spring Edition, we will present you with numerous new games in over 20 livestream hours and many preview articles, including some exclusive new gameplay.

We will broadcast live from April 4 to 7 from late afternoon until late at night.

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In addition to the game presentations, we offer a Ask-me-Anything round with representatives from all three editorial offices, a live podcast, and a talk on board games for role players. Of course, there will also be live gameplay again, presumably a brand new co-op hit.

For the game presentations, we have well-known developers in interviews who will answer your questions. You can ask our experts live in the stream or express your opinions as always.

Soon, you will learn more about FYNG: Spring here, including the expected broadcast schedule and the topic of the big live podcast.

Here you can already listen to current podcast episodes:

In addition to the streams and talks, you will find detailed articles on all three sites about the featured games as well as insider tips from the editorial teams. You are sure to find a hit or two that will captivate you for the coming weeks or even months. You can find all previous presentations from MeinMMO in our FYNG hub:

All game presentations from Find Your Next Game from previous years

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

CS:GO: Professional team throws a player out in the middle of a match – “He is drunk”

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

In Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (Steam), the team Strife released one of their players during an official league match. The 21-year-old American cxzi played so poorly that teammates thought he must be drunk. And he apparently actually was.

This is how the situation looked from the outside:

  • The team Strife played against the team MIBR in the ESL Challenger League. Strife lost the first map 16-5.
  • In particular, the professional player Danny “czxi” Strzeczy seemed completely out of form. He had one of the worst games of his career and ended with a rating of 0.45.
  • After the first map, there was a long break. Then Strife announced that cxzi would not play in the next map – and would not compete for Strife for the entire season. Austin “AAustiN” Urb was substituted in, but couldn’t save the situation either. The next map was lost 16-6.
More on the topic
Man dressed up as “Only for Women” tournament in CS:GO – Totally exposed
von Schuhmann

Player reportedly slurred and played complete nonsense

What happened there? As the website dust2.us reports, the player cxzi was apparently intoxicated when he played the match.

According to his own statements, the 21-year-old had taken about “5 drinks” between 2 PM and 4:30 PM, before he arrived for the match at 7 PM. Strife had thrown cxzi out of the team after the game and terminated his contract.

It is said that one of the players suspected in Round 1 that cxzi had been drinking. By Round 2, the rest of the team noticed as well.

One player said that cxzi must have “just come from a dentist appointment and can’t use his face or he is drunk.”

When cxzi was inexplicably separated from his team during the bomb planting, they were sure, “he must be drunk.”

Player posts suspicious video with “beer bongs” before the match

It was also added that cxzi reportedly slurred during the match. The player apparently posted a story on Snapchat after the match showing some people using “beer bongs” and “shotgunning” beer. This is when someone punctures a hole in a beer can and then drinks it as quickly as possible.

What does the player say? The player claims that he posted the video but was not there. He seems to admit that he drank something before the match, but in his perception, he was apparently not drunk. He says:

“In the end, I’m the only one who can assess how I feel. People make assumptions about how I spoke or so, and have “evidence” against me, but that proves nothing.”

We have reported on MeinMMO before about professionals in CS:GO who ruin their careers:

Player sabotages professional career in CS:GO at 14, sues Valve at 18

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. dust2.us

Ubisoft has developed a technique to create even larger games than Far Cry 6 – Who needs that?

Tarek Zehrer Tarek Zehrer Reading time 4 minutes

Ubisoft has recently introduced a new cloud-based technology called “Scalar.” This is said to allow for the creation of “even larger worlds.” In the presentation, this was portrayed as something good. MeinMMO author Tarek Zehrer, however, believes: Games don’t need this.

What kind of technology is this? Here’s the summary:

  • Scalar is based on cloud technology but is not meant to be a streaming platform like GeForce Now or Google Stadia.
  • Rather, the cloud takes over tasks that would otherwise have to be calculated by graphics cards and chips thanks to Scalar. Thus, for example, the computation of AIs, in-game physics, and other things could be outsourced.
  • This is expected to make it possible to create technically more demanding games without needing to upgrade the hardware again.

Here you can watch the trailer:

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The announcement states that Scalar is supposed to enable “even larger” games. At first glance, that sounds good. But then I remembered how Ubisoft’s games have been structured over the years and how the infamous Ubisoft formula has established itself.

For me, this is not good news. It’s akin to a threat.

The Ubisoft formula shows that “larger” does not equal “better game world”.

Ubisoft has built in a number of systems and features in numerous franchises like Assassin’s Creed or Far Cry 6 that are nearly identical in every new installment. This is known among gamers as the Ubisoft formula.

The best example here is Far Cry 6, which was released 10 years after the 3rd part of the series. But regardless of whether it’s 2012 or 2022, the pattern has remained exactly the same:

  • One takes a “twisted” setting with an “iconic villain”
  • Add a huge game world as an adventure playground.
  • Some generic enemy strongholds are interspersed, mixed with repetitive mission types.
  • On top of that, one adds imposed RPG mechanics, predictable skill trees, and resource grinding.
  • The whole thing is framed by a meaningless story that can at best pretend to be provocative.
  • Also “iconic” are the lookout towers that reveal parts of the map. This mechanic has been copied numerous times in other games since then.

The series evolved from action- and story-heavy games with compact open worlds to games with absurdly large worlds.

The maps are getting larger and larger, while the content becomes more monotonous, stretched, and generic. This video shows you how ridiculous the dimensions have become:

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And now Ubisoft wants to bring even larger games with new technology? For whom, who even wants this? One can only hope that with “larger” something other than the dimension of the next mega-map is meant.

Open-world games need many things, but not more boring time-eating tasks

I am a fan of games with large, open worlds and have loved many of them. And yes, I used to have fun with games like Far Cry 3 or Assassin’s Creed Black Flag.

But back then, these formulas were still relatively new and served their purpose, especially since they were created due to the limited resources of the developers. However, if, almost 10 years later, there are barely any advancements in terms of variety and quality, I start to wonder.

Ubisoft should focus much more on filling larger worlds with meaningful content rather than creating larger worlds. Because nothing is more boring these days than a packed, generic game world where nothing feels special.

There are plenty of examples that do it better.

  • Those include games like Elden Ring, Zelda: Breath of the Wild, or Red Dead Redemption 2. They are by no means perfect, also have massive dimensions and their own issues.
  • But they fill these game worlds in a meaningful way, or offer outstanding gameplay, as in the case of Breath of the Wild’s sandbox mechanics. Thanks to the incredibly good game physics and the possibilities to exploit them, the world has a pull and is literally a playground.
  • Or they are extremely immersive like RDR2, which presents a believable world at the beginning of the 20th century in the dying Wild West, including a grand story and characters. The game world serves here as an unbelievably beautiful backdrop that carries the main story while still offering freedoms for players who want to spend more time in it.
  • Elden Ring, on the other hand, excels in using exploration as a central gameplay mechanic and does not throw everything at you with quest markers. No matter which corner you are currently exploring, there’s something cool to discover. It hides its valuable loot so well sometimes, that it makes you really paranoid. That’s why, in my eyes, it also has the best open world to date.

Such elements are clearly missing in games like Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry. The maps are littered with icons, the backdrops are beautiful, but offer hardly any interaction options. There is now no feature, aside from their size and nice graphics, that really stands out.

In this regard, I hope that Ubisoft doesn’t mean simply enlarging the maps with “larger.” Rather, the technology should be used to move away from the efficient but excessively worn-out Ubisoft formula and bring some depth to the worlds.

More on the topic:

Whether this happens, I doubt it. The successes of Far Cry 6 and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla show that the Ubisoft formula is at least financially very profitable.

So why dismantle a functioning system? But hope dies last, and perhaps Scalar will indeed turn out to be a “game changer.”

But what do you think about the topic? Do you have similar concerns or are you more optimistic than I am?

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Because WoW is no longer playable in Russia, an old game is now bursting at the seams

Alexander Leitsch Alexander Leitsch Reading time 3 minutes

Large MMORPGs like WoW and New World are currently no longer playable in Russia. The reason for this is sanctions related to the Ukraine conflict. The old MMORPG Allods Online is therefore enjoying great popularity. The developers even had to open three new servers.

What is currently happening in Allods Online?

Russian players flood Allods Online – now has eight times as many players as before

What exactly is the player surge like? As mail.ru reports, more than eight times as many people are currently playing Allods Online as before the shutdown of WoW. Three completely new servers have even been opened, the last one on Saturday.

This surge can also be seen very clearly on Steam. There, the Russian version reached an all-time record of 2,198 concurrent players. Just in February, an average of nearly 100 people played the Russian version of Allods via Steam (via SteamDB). The number of peak players has thus increased nearly 22-fold.

An insight into the MMORPG is provided by this video from YouTuber Airini’s Legacy, who tried it out in February 2022:

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Does this surge also affect the western version? No. Those who want to play Allods Online in English, German, or French are still almost alone in the game world. The western version has a peak of 30 concurrent players on Steam in the last 24 hours.

Although there is also a separate client outside of Steam, Allods Online players themselves say that there is hardly anything happening on the western servers.

Our expertise at MeinMMO pertains to gaming. Anyone wanting to delve deeper into the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is advised to consult official sites or news magazines:

– Ukraine Live Blog (via Zeit)
– War against Ukraine (via Tagesschau)
– Solidarity with Ukraine (via auswärtiges-amt)

Important Note: If you are troubled by dark thoughts due to the current situation: You are not alone. Please seek help. For example, at the telephone counseling service at 0800/111 0 111 or the online counseling, where you can also use a chat. It is free and applies nationwide.

Allods Online resembles WoW in space

What kind of game is this? Allods Online is a Free2Play MMORPG that is strongly reminiscent of WoW. It features similar visuals and the same game systems, but in a space scenario. It was released in 2009 and still receives regular major updates.

  • You follow a story that is told through quests
  • You can join a guild to experience content together
  • There are dungeons and raids in the endgame
  • You can use a crafting system
  • There are also special PvP maps where you can compete against other players. The largest map offers a 24 vs 24 battle

However, Allods Online has never been particularly successful in the West. There has been significant criticism of the shop system from the beginning, which many consider to be Pay2Win. However, there are now two versions of the game: a Free2Play version and a pure subscription server where there is no in-game shop.

An MMORPG currently being implemented by some Ukrainian staff has posted a status update. In it, they explain what is currently happening in the studio:

Ukrainian studio behind Corepunk explains what it’s like to develop an MMORPG during the war

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.