Ubisoft shooter wanted to be a fast-paced Twitch experiment – now being discontinued

Nearly two years ago, the shooter “Hyper Scape” set out to offer a fast, exciting alternative in the competitive battle royale market. Twitch was also supposed to play a role in this. But now the game is facing extinction.

This is what Ubisoft says about Hyper Scape: On Ubisoft’s official website, the end of Hyper Scape is announced.

“We have made the difficult decision to end development on Hyper Scape and shut down the game as of April 28. We wanted to create a vertical, fast shooter experience in a confined space, and we are very grateful to our community for accompanying us on our journey. We will take the key learnings from this game into future products.

via Ubisoft.com

Following this, there are a few words of thanks to the community. However, an official reason for the end of Hyper Scape is missing in the statement.

However, the shooter had already faced some problems shortly after its release, which could never be entirely overcome.

What kind of game was Hyper Scape?

This was Twitch’s role: Hyper Scape suddenly appeared in the summer of 2020. Literally, instead of major announcements, the battle royale was presented directly by numerous streamers on Twitch. The launch caused quite a stir, and Hyper Scape reached six-figure viewer counts.

If you watched the streams there, you could also secure access through Twitch Drops to participate in a technical test. The early focus on Twitch was not by chance, as the streaming platform was also supposed to play a role in the game itself.

Through the “Crowncast” extension, the Twitch chat could directly participate in the action. Viewers could trigger events through votes, such as low gravity or revealing players on the map.

Additionally, you could be invited to play along by the streamers you were watching.

What was the problem? However, the integration of Twitch only works if a game is also streamed and followed a lot. Recently, Hyper Scape typically only reached double-digit viewer counts (via Twitch Metrics).

Moreover, the battle royale market was already quite saturated with games like Fortnite, Apex Legends, or Warzone, even at release.

This is how the gameplay went: Apart from the Twitch component, Hyper Scape relied on a futuristic look reminiscent of worlds like “Tron”. In the battle royale, players had to fight for victory while the playable zone continued to shrink.

Hyper Scape focused on speed. Big jumps, quick slides, and tons of abilities – called “Hacks” – transported players rapidly up, down, forward, and backward.

However, that wasn’t for everyone. Among others, streamer “Nadeshot” explained back then that he needed loads of energy drinks to keep up somehow. Also, MeinMMO author Jürgen Horn said back then: “I played the fast-paced shooter Hyper Scape and unfortunately, I’m too old for it.”

As early as October 2020, overhauls of the game were announced, which were meant to lower the entry barriers of the game.

According to Ubisoft, Hyper Scape had caused problems for players new to battle royale: It was “too difficult to aim, track, and consistently deal damage to other players and eliminate them, especially on consoles,” it was said back then.

Furthermore, players were supposed to have more to do, and progression systems for long-term motivation were introduced. Meanwhile, it is clear: It wasn’t enough for a turnaround. In April 2022, Hyper Scape will close its doors.

It is very possible that Hyper Scape will not be the last game to say goodbye in 2022. MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch shows here which MMOs could still disappear this year: “I predict: These 6 MMOs will die in 2022.”

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

Trailer shows new MMO for Game of Thrones – Based on Unreal Engine 5

The South Korean developer Netmarble is reportedly working on a mobile MMO based on Game of Thrones. An initial teaser hints at how the adaptation of the series could look on your smartphones.

What kind of game is this? So far, not much is known about the new game. Besides the teaser, only a few details about the new mobile MMO based on Game of Thrones have been released.

Netmarble is collaborating with the American TV provider HBO, which also produced the series based on the books by George R.R. Martin.

According to Netmarble, the game is supposed to “combine the deep experience of a single-player game” with the large-scale experience of a multiplayer title. Players could experience an unknown story in the world of Westeros while also creating their own narrative (via inven.co).

  • Westeros is said to function as an open world
  • One can get involved in conflicts between characters
  • Fights against White Walkers are also supposed to be included

Although it is a mobile game, the game is expected to have strong visuals. It is being developed in Unreal Engine 5 and features such as constantly changing weather conditions have already been announced.

Teaser shows familiar motifs from the GOT series

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the YouTube content

The teaser shows many things that fans of the series may find familiar:

  • One can see the iconic Wall that was built in the North to keep beings like the White Walkers at bay.
  • A dragon fights beyond the Wall against wights and giants.
  • The Night King also appears at the end of the teaser. It looks quite similar to the scene on the frozen lake from Season 7.
  • Additionally, the official music from the series can be heard.

The MMO could therefore be set during the same time as the series or at least reference the events from the series.

However, further information, such as a release date, requirements, or more details about the game, is not yet available. It seems to be still early in the development phase.

Who is Netmarble? Netmarble primarily operates in the mobile sector and has released games such as “The Seven Deadly Sins”, “Lineage 2 Revolution” or “Marvel Future Revolution“. The superhero game also relied on a well-known franchise, an open game world, and good graphics.

With Game of Thrones, the next license is apparently being added. Its creator, George R.R. Martin, was also involved in the new FromSoftware game Elden Ring. Those who need new fantasy content and aren’t afraid of a tough difficulty level might find Elden Ring just right.

You can find an assessment of the open world of Elden Ring by MeinMMO author Tarek Zehrer.

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

Dying Light 2 finally reveals details about the launch – Everything about the preload and the launch time

Dying Light 2 will be released on February 4, 2022. We already knew this much, but now the developers at Techland have revealed at what time you can play the zombie adventure and when you can download it.

What new information is there? In a tweet and via Discord, the creators behind the survival horror game Dying Light 2 have finally revealed when you can download the new game.

The start times for the different regions were also revealed. However, there are some things that differ between PC and console. So it depends on whether you are playing on PC, Xbox, or PlayStation when you can download and play.

When does Dying Light 2 start? The game will be released worldwide at different times. On Xbox and PlayStation, Dying Light 2 will be available at 12 AM local time on February 4.

More on the topic
Don’t buy the wrong Dying Light 2: What co-op players should pay attention to
von Tarek Zehrer

So on consoles, you can start playing right at 12 AM, no matter where you are in the world. For the PC, it’s a bit more complicated. Dying Light 2 will be available on our computers at 1 AM on February 4, exactly one hour after the consoles.

This is not the case everywhere in the world. In Los Angeles, for example, PC gamers are allowed to enter the world of Dying Light 2 even 8 hours before console fans. In Sydney, on the other hand, it’s a whole 11 hours later. 

You can find the entire map with the release times in this tweet:

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from Twitter that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the Twitter content

When does the preload start? Again, there are differences between the various consoles on which the game is released. On PC and PlayStation, you can download Dying Light 2 48 hours before the release.

On Xbox, however, the preload is already available immediately. The developers say they want to ensure that everyone can play on time at release.

How much do you need to download? According to the official system requirements on Steam, the PC version of Dying Light 2 requires 60 GB of free disk space. On the PS5, you can expect a game size of 25.4 GB, and on the PS4, it’s a solid 51 GB.

In any case, you should plan a little time to install the large survival horror game. 

How are the fans reacting? There are already many people hyped for the zombie parkour game. The comments under the post only affirm this statement. Some people are happy that they have already taken February 4 off work and can start playing right at midnight.

Another user writes that they are already looking forward to sleeping all day to be there at the release.

What do you think? Are you excited about Dying Light 2 and will you use the preload feature? Are you also getting up in the middle of the night to be able to start on time? Feel free to let us know in the comments here at MeinMMO.

How Dying Light 2 actually plays, you can find out in the preview report from MeinMMO author Tarek.

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

Destiny 2: Update 3.4.0.4 is here – All times and information

Destiny 2 is starting and maintenance work is once again imminent. So expect downtime today, January 27, on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC, and Google Stadia. Hotfix 3.4.0.4 fixes issues, but also brings a server downtime and maintenance. You will get all important times and information on MeinMMO.

What you need to know today: Bungie has announced the Hotfix 3.4.0.4 for today, Thursday, January 27, 2022, for the afternoon. You should also keep Tuesday and Thursday in mind as new update days and plan your gaming time around them.

To ensure you know exactly when you can play and what changes in the game, MeinMMO will guide you through Hotfix 3.4.0.4 and continuously update this article with fresh information.

Update 18:00: The maintenance work went according to plan and the Destiny 2 servers are already back online. As soon as you have loaded the update for Hotfix 3.4.0.4, you can play again. The download on PC is 187.6 MB.

Maintenance on 27.01. – All Times and Server Downtime

These times are important today:

  • At 17:00 German time, maintenance work will start on all platforms
  • From 17:45, the servers will go offline. You will be kicked out of all activities – the downtime begins
  • At around 18:00, the servers should go back online, in time for the reset
  • At 19:00, maintenance work is scheduled to end

It is important: Even if you have loaded the update, there may be connectivity issues until the end of maintenance around 20:00. You may have to expect queue times when logging in. Also, keep in mind that third-party applications and also the official Companion app may not be accessible correctly.

Not long now and the new expansion in Destiny 2 will be here.

What Changes with Update 3.4.0.4 in Season 15

What the Hotfix brings today: Bungie has not communicated anything specific about the changes beforehand. Several issues are already known and have now been fixed.

This is what is currently on Bungie’s Hotfix list:

  • When you spawn in an area or activity for the first time, hand cannons sometimes have no ammunition left. 
  • The score streak of the “Trials of Eternity” now grants a maximum of 125 points per completion. 
  • Players continue to receive various error codes and get kicked from the game.

If you also notice problems in the game, it is recommended to report them directly via the official Bungie Help Forum to raise awareness.

Patch Notes for the Update in Destiny 2

What’s in the Patch Notes?

Bungie publishes the comprehensive list of all changes from Hotfix 3.4.0.4 in the form of patch notes. Traditionally, the information appears together or a little later after the update itself. Here we will link you the complete change log:

  • With the buff “Frontal Assault,” players could not consistently kill the target with a charged melee.
  • A problem was fixed that caused you to receive less reputation in the “Trials of Eternity” than intended.
  • And your hand cannons are now reloaded instead of empty after you spawn.

Some players noted that the new downtimes on Tuesdays and Thursdays bring way too many outages. Do you feel the same way? Or do you prefer more frequent short downtimes and fewer bugs in the game? Or are the downtimes in Destiny 2 already too much of a good thing? How do you experience this in other games? Share your experiences with us in the comments.

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

Don’t buy the wrong Dying Light 2: What co-op players should pay attention to

Dying Light 2: Stay Human will have a co-op mode at release. However, there are some limitations, the hardest one specifically affects the German version. What you should consider when purchasing is explained here on MeinMMO.

What does the co-op mode of Dying Light 2 offer? First of all, Dying Light 2 is very story-driven, so the focus is on the single-player experience. Accordingly, the co-op mode is relatively restricted.

  • The co-op mode is available at launch on February 4.
  • You unlock it after the prologue.
  • You can play together with up to four players.
  • You can complete all missions together.
  • However, progress is not shared.
  • The guest player can at least keep their collected loot.

It is currently unknown if there will be adjustments in difficulty. There are also several other things to consider.

Because especially here in Germany, it may happen in the worst case that you cannot play together with your desired people.

Dying Light 2 Co-op – Cut or Uncut crucial, (still) no Crossplay

What does that mean? Dying Light 2 is only released in Germany in a cut version. There are some differences from the rest of the world, which gets the uncensored version.

For legal reasons, players of the cut version cannot play together with others who purchased the uncensored version.

If you want to play the co-op mode with friends from Switzerland, Austria, or anywhere else in the world, you should consider which version to buy.

How do I get an uncensored version? Depending on which platform you are on, there are several options:

  • On console, you just need to change the region of the respective store.
  • On PC, just make sure that you buy a key for an uncensored version.

What happens if you buy the uncensored version: Basically, there should be no problems. You just cannot buy the game here in the corresponding version.

There is according to the developers no “Region Lock,” meaning there will be no automatic switch to cut content when you play in Germany. So if you buy Dying Light 2 uncensored in another country, it won’t suddenly switch to the German version when you activate the game on Steam.

Updates are also supposed to be released for the corresponding version that you own, regardless of which country you are in.

If you want to know more about the differences, you’ll find an overview of the versions of Dying Light 2 here.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from Spotify that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the Spotify content

What about Crossplay? At launch, there is no crossplay feature in Dying Light 2. Techland has, however, stated that they could possibly add it later.

Currently, players cannot even play between console generations, so there is no crossplay between PS5 and PS4 or between Xbox Series and Xbox One.

When this will happen and how extensive crossplay will be is still unclear.

When does Dying Light 2 come out? The release of the new horror survival shooter is now set for February 4 after several delays. Dying Light 2 will be released for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

The fact that crossplay could follow after release will at least benefit from the plans of developer Techland. They aim to provide Dying Light 2 with content until 2027.

Here you can find the first roadmap until summer: Dying Light 2 will bring tons of content after release – The roadmap and DLCs in overview

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

Destiny 2 will finally address the worst problem for heavy players with Witch Queen

In Destiny 2, many Guardians complain about problems in the game. One thing, however, gets old for everyone sooner or later, and that is repeating activities. What Bungie is planning in Witch Queen and whether it will finally tackle boredom, you can find out here.

What is meant by repetition? In Destiny 2, players are used to doing the same thing after a while. A new activity is created, which is then rushed through in no time, until all objectives are achieved and the fun quickly fades. After that, there is hardly any variety left, and players are forced to replay the same activities.

Many players are bothered by this, but now elements are finally supposed to be implemented in the game that will encourage the Guardians to jump back into Destiny 2 for the long term.

The biggest problem might soon be a thing of the past

Often, activities were recycled and declared new with different enemies. However, the magic didn’t last long, and the modes quickly lost their shine. This caused bored players to leave Bungie’s servers in disappointment.

High Celebrant Coup de Grace Season 12 Destiny 2 Title
Wrathborn Hunt from Season 12

The Season of the Immortal or the one of the Hunt are good examples of how a season should not go. A main activity alone is not enough. Alternative modes that offer variety are missing to forget the stale taste of the known modes.

Season 16 could be the boiling point with Witch Queen, according to Game Director Joe Blackburn, where many things could change.

The Game Director brings hope: Joe Blackburn, the Game Director of Destiny 2, spoke a lot about the future of Destiny in an interview back in September 2021. In doing so, he addressed an important point, namely that the story should primarily harmonize with the major expansion without stepping on each other’s toes.

It should not feel out of place, like in the Season of the Immortal, where the Crimson Fortress was created first, and then the Vex attacked the moon contextlessly. The Guardians were placated with an activity that simply lost its appeal after a short play.

We really had issues with some of those seasons that came right next to the expansion. And so we’ve thought a lot about this and have worked hard on how we want to do better this time. I mean, you as hardcore Destiny players know that it can be tough for the season to feel relevant when it comes out a week [after an expansion launches] and you already have raid weapons and you’re thinking, ‘I don’t know if I need this – does this stuff even matter?’

So we’re really looking forward to launching Season 16 alongside Witch Queen day by day and having a lot of things for players to do and engage with, and see the value right away, not just to give you things to do while you level up, but to give you stuff while you’re also preparing for some of those endgame activities.

said Joe Blackburn

Whether Bungie is withholding certain activities and revealing them gradually to raise interest bit by bit remains unknown, but it is certainly possible.

It’s exciting nonetheless, as Bungie is really putting in the effort to appease hardcore players. What do you think of the hint that Joe Blackburn made? Do you believe that Bungie wants to keep you engaged in the long run and that they can achieve this with Witch Queen? Let us know in the comments!

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

One of the most important streamers on Twitch calls for a children’s category for streams

The famous Twitch streamer Pokimane is calling for a version of Twitch specifically for children due to a recent incident on her stream. She wants to create a safe platform for all age groups.

How did she come up with the idea?

  • The variety streamer Pokimane has many fans, including a large number of children and teenagers. As a recent Twitch clip shows, they do not always behave appropriately or write inappropriate jokes in the chat.
  • According to Pokimane, her chat has become even more toxic since the hate raid by streamer JiDion.
  • Therefore, she wants Twitch to filter some troublemakers, especially minors, because they simply do not know better.

Pokimane demands a Twitch version specifically for children

Here’s how it should be: Since the hate raid by the now banned streamer JiDion, Pokimane’s streaming experience has been dampened. She believes that many younger viewers have simply jumped on the troll hype. They would continue where JiDion left off. Therefore, the streamer believes that Twitch needs a category for children or should offer an entirely new platform. Twitch must be particularly careful about what goes on in the chats and what content streamers share.

Okay, maybe the right way Twitch should handle it is that all children must be using a children’s version of the app. […] Just add safety measures that must go through a filter.

Pokimane via twitch.tv
Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from Twitch that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the Twitch content

Pokimane believes that unrestricted access to unregulated Twitch streams and large streamers can be harmful to children. Some of the big streamers are either unaware of their role as role models for younger audiences or even reject it. Today’s Twitch is, according to Pokimane, a breeding ground for toxic behavior that Amazon needs to eradicate.

However, the streamer is also addressing the streamers and accusing some of exploiting their young audience and abusing them for their own purposes. While the 25-year-old does not name specific names, she is likely referring to streamers like JiDion again.

What is Twitch already doing to protect children? Amazon is already giving parents some options to protect their children on Twitch and even provides recommendations for Twitch channels that are particularly suitable for children:

  • The Twitch app in the App Store and Google Play is rated for 17+ or “Parental Guidance”.
  • Parents can select content for 18+ in the “Not Interested” setting.
  • The ability to receive messages can be disabled.
  • Twitch provides a list of child-friendly streaming channels (via bark.us)

Twitch, however, could share its offerings. Competitor YouTube shows how to do it: There is the category “YouTube Kids”, where only vetted content that is suitable for a young audience is visible.

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

In the new mode of Steam hit Splitgate, the best players get the worst weapons

The free-to-play shooter Splitgate launches its Season 1 in beta today. In addition to a new Battle Pass with many skins, the highlight is a brand new game mode. MeinMMO tells you more.

2021 was a crazy year for Splitgate. The arena shooter, which can be described as “Halo with portals”, was already playable in 2019. However, it couldn’t find a really large fanbase. 

Then suddenly came the boom in August 2021. The game suddenly had more players wanting to play than there was space on the servers. Therefore, the beta was even postponed.

This brought a lot of attention, and a lavish cash injection came along. The first results of this are noticeable in Season 1, which starts today. 

In the trailer, you see everything that awaits you in beta Season 1:

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the YouTube content

Beta Season 1 brings map creator and innovative game mode

In addition to enhanced graphics on the map Foregone Destruction, the biggest gameplay innovation with Season 1 is the game mode Evolution.

How does the new mode play? Evolution is played in rounds on the competitive simulation maps. Both teams start the first round with the same weapons. However, whoever loses a round improves their arsenal for the next attempt. The winning team retains the weapons that were successful.

Thus, the stronger team has to make the best out of worse weapons, which should lead to an exciting exchange of fire.

What else is new? A map editor is also new. Up to 8 players can create the map of their dreams using pre-made blocks and test it right away. This is reminiscent of Nintendo’s popular Mario Maker.

However, there are still no new weapons or official maps in Season 1. Developer 1047 Games is planning for the future.

We at MeinMMO are fans of the game. Why, you can find out in our list:

The 15 best multiplayer shooters 2022 for PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, and Xbox

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

Ebay will ensure that buyers of expensive Pokémon cards are no longer scammed after millions of scam losses

In recent months, there has been a lot of hype around expensive and rare Pokémon cards. Recently, however, a million-dollar scam made headlines, where the prominent YouTuber fell for a Ebay fraud. Now the company itself is taking action.

What exactly happened? YouTube star Logan Paul purchased a box in December 2021, which he believed to be the “only sealed box full of first edition Pokémon cards.”

However, the latest purchase turned out to be a scam. After there were already doubts about the authenticity of the cards, the YouTuber eventually opened the box. Instead of the hoped-for first generation Pokémon cards, he found only G.I. Joe trading cards.

The case caused a stir and drew a lot of attention. Now the platform Ebay, where Logan Paul purchased this box, has responded and wants to take action.

Why the hype? Rare first generation Pokémon cards are particularly valuable and sought after by collectors. This has led to increasing hype around sealed booster boxes and rare specimens in recent years.

Well-known streamers jumped on the hype train and spent larger and larger sums on packs of cards, hoping to hit particularly rare cards live. Nowadays, streamers like Logan Paul even invest millions in such boxes, hoping for value appreciation.

Ebay introduces verification program for valuable goods

This is how Ebay plans to prevent such million-dollar scams in the future: In the future, there will be a special verification program to check the authenticity of valuable items. This is intended to ensure that counterfeit goods don’t even reach the buyer.

  • Items valued at $750 or more will fall under the program and be checked for authenticity.
  • Once the purchase is properly completed, the product will first be sent to a verification team.
  • If the item is rated as “genuine,” it will then be shipped to the buyer.

Ebay states: “Your card will be verified and authenticated through a multi-step review process, and will receive a tamper-proof sticker and a QR code to confirm the authentication.” (via invenvglobal.com)

Is such a program also available in Germany? Currently, only the minimum price in US dollars is known. A price in euros has not yet been listed anywhere. There is also no indication of such a program on the German Ebay website.

It looks as if the verification program will only launch in the USA for the time being. However, it is conceivable that it will be implemented here sooner or later.

Dawn Block, VP Collectibles, Electronics and Home at eBay, stated:

Our collectibles business has grown over the past six years, and the recent surge speaks to the immense cultural significance of this category […] . As hobbies transform into investments, authentication services have become a priority in high-value categories for collectors. […]

With the launch of the authenticity guarantee for trading cards, we are giving enthusiasts exactly what they want, while also strengthening trust in the market.

via prnewswire.com

What goods are eligible? On the official ebay website for the program, in addition to categories for trading cards, there are also areas for sneakers, watches, and handbags.

Such measures would also be quite useful for electronic goods, such as gaming consoles. Especially in the hype surrounding the latest console generation, some people have fallen for fraudsters who also demand absurd prices for their PS5 and Xbox consoles.

Whether it will be implemented in the future remains to be seen.

For now, it must be awaited whether the program actually works in practice and can reduce fraud schemes.

Also, NFTs are currently very much in the news. However, among many critics, NFTs are mainly seen as scams and rip-offs. An example of such an NFT scam is the case of the Twitch founder who launched an NFT site and was then scammed out of €132,000.

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

Many do not like the new map of CoD Warzone – a feature from Apex Legends should help

In Call of Duty: Warzone, some players wish for the map rotation from Apex Legends. What a rotation would bring, why players desire it, and why the feature likely won’t come, you can find out on MeinMMO.

About this:

  • The free “Battle Royale” shooters Call of Duty: Warzone and Apex Legends share basic rules, but are otherwise completely different.
  • While Warzone relies on 2 fixed maps, Apex has a map rotation that regularly changes the playable maps in the different modes.
  • Players of Warzone also wish for the map rotation, but are afraid of the consequences for their hard drives.

Apex’s Map Rotation Should Come to Warzone

On reddit, players discuss whether Warzone would benefit from a map rotation like in Apex Legends (via reddit.com). With this feature, there is a regular rhythm that switches the playable maps, providing more variety.

The thread gathered over 2,500 upvotes within a day and is currently one of the biggest topics in the Warzone subreddit.

What is the current situation in Warzone? The Battle Royale offers 2 maps:

  • The large main map “Caldera”
  • The small secondary map “Rebirth Island”

When it comes to the wishes for a rotation, the focus is primarily on the large main map Caldera.

What is the current situation in Apex? In EA’s Battle Royale, there is a lively rotation of maps for the two modes “Battle Royale” and “Arenas”. The maps are only active for a few hours and switch frequently.

On sites like “apexlegendsstatus.com“, you can see when the map will change next.

Warzone Players Want Their Old Map Back – The Chance is Low

What do players say about it? In the discussion on reddit, users interpret the idea of rotation in two different ways:

  • One group wishes for it like in the multiplayer of Call of Duty: After each match, a different map comes up.
  • Others understand the idea as having only one map available at a specific time, which then gets regularly swapped out.

Some players complain about Caldera because they find the map too empty and encounter too few opponents. Verdansk, in their opinion, offered more “Points of Interest” that were closer together and thus potentially attracted enemy teams more.

Others viewed Verdansk as “empty” and are fervent advocates of the island paradise Caldera.

However, most agree that Warzone would benefit from a map rotation. And here lies the crux of the discussion: It is known that both versions of Verdansk are somewhere on the developer servers, but only one map can be played – Caldera.

Why is the feature unlikely to come to Warzone? There are two main reasons for this, which are not likely to be resolved quickly:

  1. The maps in Warzone evolve over time, and this is an essential part of the Warzone content strategy. Maintaining multiple maps with live service would significantly increase the workload.
  2. Warzone is already HUGE. Each player should reserve about 200 GB on their hard drive to enjoy the CoD Battle Royale.

It seems to be a very large development effort to change things on the Warzone maps. Major adjustments to the maps are more the exception than the rule.

Opening the stadium in Verdansk 1 and the ground ravines in Verdansk 2 were the biggest changes to the maps; otherwise, the maps remained more or less in their release state.

Moreover, there is a significant storage demand for Warzone content. In the reddit thread, many users independently speculate that having 3 maps in rotation would require about 1 terabyte of storage. Their SSD hard drives are already stretched thin by the current Warzone.

How could it be possible? Recently, there have been leaks about a continuation of Warzone. In 2023, there may be a kind of “Warzone 2”, which will only appear for the current console generation and PC.

This would likely be the earliest point at which such a drastic change could be introduced.

The current premium CoD Vanguard shows that Call of Duty games can also manage with less storage. The shooter streams high-resolution textures while playing, thereby reducing storage needs.

However, whether the developers will make a strategic shift in this regard is currently uncertain. What you think of a map rotation, feel free to share with us in the comments.

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

Have you noticed that skins in Fortnite are becoming more realistic?

Fortnite has been designing skins for the market and the Battle Pass since Chapter 1. However, new releases that are continuously published are so detailed that they can almost be associated with the real personalities they are meant to symbolize. Have you noticed the constant improvements?

What are skins in Fortnite? In Fortnite, you can acquire skins through purchased Battle Passes or with V-Bucks in the Item Shop. The skins are costumes that are creatively designed. Epic designs skins on its own and then models them into a character that you can purchase in Fortnite. This way, you can either play with your favorite appearance or draw upon many crossovers.

From Marvel superheroes to DC and even other video game heroes, like Kratos, have made it into the colorful shooter. Meanwhile, Epic is improving quietly, without many players noticing. We will show you how the skins of the past differ from those today.

Skins are becoming more realistic

Fortnite has been on the market since 2017. So quite a few skins have rolled into the game. All the old skins still have the Fortnite touch. Faces look as if they are sculpted from clay. They are very imaginative and colorful skins and particularly designed to be original and simple. However, a lot has changed after 4.5 years.

Let’s take a look at the Reaper skin compared to the real “John Wick” skin. Both are meant to symbolize Keanu Reeves from the movie “John Wick”. The Reaper skin is a Fortnite variant of the actor.

You can see in the face that the facial hair and hairstyle clearly stem from him. However, the facial features are far off. There are hardly any similarities. However, if you look at the “John Wick” skin from Season 9 Chapter 1, you immediately recognize that this is John Wick. Epic has improved so much that personalities can now also be ported into the game.

Why is this good? Looking at the development of the new costumes, you can see that more realistic personalities are possible. Ariana Grande, J Balvin, and other well-known stars and streamers have made it into Fortnite.

Players who finally want to dominate the field with their idols therefore get the chance to do so. Thanks to these realistic changes, more human-like costumes are possible.

Does the Fortnite feeling suffer because of this? Anyone who has been playing from the beginning certainly misses the bulky skins that were released in 2017. But with ongoing progress, Fortnite does not lose its character, but rather creates a way to forge even more unique skins.

If you look at Shanta or Gum Guy that have been available since Chapter 3, you can see that Fortnite still creates original creations. Some of them are more detailed and almost appear like a work of art. Others are completely bizarre and come off as playful.

Epic will surely continue to amaze us as more Seasons go by. So let’s wait and see what else they can pull out of their hats. What do you think about the constant change? Do you think it’s good or do you miss the old skins? Let us know in the comments!

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

Oops! ESO accidentally revealed the name of the new chapter and content

The new chapter of the MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online awaits us this summer. This evening, the associated announcement event by Bethesda takes place. However, there were already some news on Twitter, unplanned, about the contents that await us this year.

Update 9:30 PM: The new expansion High Isles has been officially announced. All information about it here:

More on the topic
ESO: Everything about the new expansion High Isle and the contents of 2022
von Alexander Leitsch

When is the announcement event? Official and detailed news will be available today, January 27, 2022, at 9 PM on the official Bethesda channel (via Twitch).

However, a Twitter post gives us some new info in advance. The post was removed shortly after, but of course it did not go unnoticed and was shared by ESO fans.

What kind of post is this? The post actually bears the title “Bethesda Gear Store Giveaway”. However, one can already recognize a few spoilers for the new chapter based on the items being promoted in the giveaway.

In advance, you can have a look at our 3 exciting hints about the new contents of ESO in 2022.

The Twitter post reveals about the new ESO chapter

On some items in the image for the giveaway, one can recognize, among other things, the name of the new chapter:

High Isle” – this is it. So it is certain: This year we are going from the mainland to an island. This could previously be inferred from the teaser released on January 5, but nothing was set in stone yet. It could have just as easily been a coastal region of the mainland.

Furthermore, there is some new information about the person who is also shown in the teaser. In the video, a person in armor is seen climbing a stone staircase. Upon reaching the top, they look out at a stormy sea. Presumably, they are at the viewpoint of a castle.

In the Twitter post, a figure for the giveaway is listed. Below the depicted figure, one can see the inscription “Ascendant Lord Statue with Letter Opener“. This gives us further information about the identity of the figure already known from the teaser. It is thus an “Ascendant Lord”, which means “rising lord”. It seems likely that it might be about conquests? Because how else would our “lord” rise?

What do you think about it? If you want to know exactly how the post looks, you can also check it out yourself, as NefasQS (ESO Stream Team Member) was able to secure the post for all the curious ones.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from Twitter that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the Twitter content

Maybe you will discover more hints? Let us know in the comments! More news directly in Tamriel around all ESO events to always stay up to date and not miss out on rewards can be found in our ESO Event Ticker. This post will be updated continuously.

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

GTA Online makes you rich now if you sell weed – Bonus week

In GTA Online, a new bonus week started today, January 27th. You will now earn more money when selling weed. Additionally, you can get a supercar worth 2.1 million GTA Dollars for free.

What’s new? Every Thursday, a new bonus week starts in GTA Online. For the next seven days, there will be bonuses in certain game modes and when making money. New vehicles are available, and there’s a new car on the podium.

We will show you here where you can earn and save a lot of money in the week from January 27th to February 3rd.

Where you can earn a lot of money now

Here you get triple GTA Dollars and RP: In the game mode “Every Bullet Counts,” you will receive triple payouts in money and RP as a reward. The same bonuses apply to all bike races.

Here you get double GTA Dollars and RP: Your weed farm and document forgery will earn you double GTA Dollars and RP. If you have saved your products over the past weeks, selling them now is very profitable and brings a lot of money.

Additionally, there are also double bonuses for motorcycle club jobs and challenges, as well as contracts.

Furthermore, you will receive 2 million GTA Dollars if you complete the “Dr. Dre Contract” (via Tez2 @ Twitter.com)

You can earn more money in heists like Cayo Perico and your businesses. We have listed for you in the guide the most common ways to earn money quickly in GTA Online.

Where you are currently saving money

The following items are on sale:

  • Weed farms and document forgeries + upgrades (50% discount)
  • Motorcycle Clubhouses (40% discount)
  • Turbo tuning (50% discount)

The following vehicles are on sale:

  • Buccaneer Custom (60% discount, now costs 156,000 GTA Dollars)
  • Voodoo Custom (60% discount, now costs 170,200 GTA Dollars)
  • Stryder (50% discount, now costs 335,000 – 251,250 GTA Dollars)
  • Vortex (50% discount, now costs 178,000 GTA Dollars)
  • Hakuchou Drag (40% discount, now costs 585,600 GTA Dollars)
  • Jubilee (30% discount, now costs 1,155,000 – 866,250 GTA Dollars)

Get a podium vehicle worth 2.1 million for free

Which vehicle is it? This week on the podium in the GTA Online casino, the Progen T20 is being showcased. Visually, the car resembles a McLaren P1.

GTA-Online-Casino-T20
You can view the Progen T20 in the casino on the podium

How good is the car? Although the T20 looks very good visually, it is only found in the upper midfield on the track. In our Top 25 list of the fastest cars in GTA Online, the T20 just misses the cut. With a purchase price of 2,100,000 GTA Dollars, you can save a lot and elevate your supercar collection with a spin of the lucky wheel.

More on the topic
Wheel of Fortune in GTA Online: How to supposedly always win the car
von Patrick Freese

Players claim to have discovered a tactic to always win the car at the lucky wheel in GTA Online. Why not try your luck this week with the T20? Remember: You get one free spin at the lucky wheel every day (24 real hours).

What do you think of this week’s bonuses? Finally time to sell your weed reserves in GTA Online, or would you rather grind more Cayo Perico? Let us know your opinion here on MeinMMO in the comments.

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

Streamer Ludwig shows how little he earns with 12 million views on YouTube

Streamer and YouTuber Ludwig released a video showing how incredibly little money he earns from 12 million views on YouTube Shorts. However, his concerns aren’t about himself, but about his staff.

What happened?

  • Ludwig uploaded a video on his second channel on YouTube. In this, he addresses the miserable pay on YouTube when it comes to TikTok-like “Shorts.”
  • Shorts are short clips that manage without ads.
  • In his most successful Short clip, Ludwig reached over 12 million viewers. However, he earned less with it than with his highlight clips that are much shorter.

Ludwig earns almost nothing from Shorts: Here’s how much 12 million views bring him

This is what his video shows: In the video “How much do you earn with 10,000,000 views on YouTube,” Ludwig asks the viewer at the beginning for their estimation. To you, dear MeinMMO readers out there: What do you think 10 million views bring in, $10,000 or $1,000?

As the YouTube streamer answers in his video, it’s even much less. With 12 million views, Ludwig earned just around $85. YouTube Shorts is not only similar in structure to TikTok, but the earnings are equally low:

The payouts from TikTok and YouTube Shorts are more like a friendly gesture. Like: Hey, your video has a lot of views, here’s a bit of money for that.

Ludwig via YouTube.com
Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the YouTube content

In the video, Ludwig further explains that the poor earnings are also due to the lack of long ad clips played in the middle of a video or at the beginning. To be precise, there are no ads at all in Shorts. YouTube places small Shorts here and there, which are actually hidden ads. Only YouTube itself makes good money from the Shorts, according to Ludwig. The creators of the Shorts, who spread the content, see hardly a cent of the money.

Personally, he wouldn’t care, but Ludwig only worries about his cutter, who creates the Shorts. He shares the payouts 50/50 with him. Watching and creating clips is, according to him, more expensive than what he earns back.

Ludwig is not the first YouTuber to expose this problem. Two weeks ago, YouTuber MoistCritical already uploaded a similar video on the subject. This video is slightly more informative than Ludwig’s (via YouTube.com).

This is how much Ludwig earns from 30-second highlights

To contrast his earnings, Ludwig also reveals the earnings from one of his highlight clips. He discusses a video that has around 2.2 million views, is 30 seconds long, does not contain any ads, just like his Short, but was not uploaded as Shorts.

The only type of advertising that can be played in the clip are pop-up text boxes or a five-second ad. Nevertheless, Ludwig earned around $1,800 with this video.

That’s why Ludwig still finds Shorts good: At the end of the video, Ludwig explains why he keeps his content on Shorts and uploads less as clips. Yes, he would earn more money with the clips, but above all, for Ludwig, it’s about reach. Shorts simply reach more viewers, and they share the short videos even more often than clips.

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

New coop game on Steam mixes Among Us with Survival – „Finally I can kill and eat my friends“

The survival game Dread Hunger has launched on Steam after a lengthy early access phase and received top reviews. However, these refer to a very specific style of play. Find out here on MeinMMO what the “Sea of Thieves for adults” is all about and how to play it optimally!

What is Dread Hunger? The setting of Dread Hunger is an expedition in the Canadian Arctic in the 19th century. You embark as a research expedition on a steamship navigating through icy seas and exploring the area. Each of the 8 players takes on a role in the crew, including the captain, the marine infantryman, or the huntress.

But the landscape is anything but friendly. Instead, it is cold, there is hardly any food, and your ship must constantly be kept steaming. Additionally, there are icebergs that can quickly turn your steamer into a prototype of the Titanic. There are also wild animals and fierce natives that attack you upon landing. In these aspects, the game somewhat resembles the sandbox fun Sea of Thieves, only much darker.

Yet all of this is still not dangerous enough. Because 2 of the 8 players are traitors serving a dark power that wants to see the expedition perish in the icy wilderness. The two traitors will do everything in their power to sabotage and kill the remaining players. The party game hit Among Us comes to mind here.

To achieve this, they use assassination, lure wild animals, poison food, or sabotage the ship. Since survival is also a central aspect of the game, you can hack up dead creatures – including humans – and eat the body parts or even use them as weapons. This game is clearly aimed at adults.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the YouTube content

Dread Hunger has top reviews, but you need to play it “correctly”

How is the game received? Dread Hunger launched after a long early access on January 26, 2022, on Steam. It can be purchased for 24.99 euros on Steam. The reviews so far have been very good. 86 percent of the 1,944 reviews as of January 27, 2022, are positive.

Players especially appreciate the dark atmosphere and the great gameplay in a group – but only if played “correctly”.

How to play Dread Hunger “correctly”? Nearly all reviews agree on this: it’s only fun if you play together with friends. So you should definitely gather 7 more or less well-known players and go on an expedition with them. Then, the detective game of exposing the traitors and the struggle for survival becomes really thrilling.

On the other hand, those who make the “mistake” of playing Dread Hunger alone in a random lobby will likely become quick victims of trolls and griefers. Players report that trollish tricksters simply join the game, throw the hard-earned coal for the steam boiler overboard, and then leave the game.

Or they talk about malicious rogues killing everything and everyone indiscriminately just for fun. This makes Dread Hunger hardly enjoyable for anyone.

However, those who want to embark on the creepy adventure in the Arctic with friends and are looking for a game like Among Us for adults may be in the right place.

Do you like survival games? Then check out our MeinMMO top list of the best survival games 2022!

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

Here you can buy the RTX 3050: These retailers you should keep an eye on

Today, Thursday, you can buy Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3050. MeinMMO tells you which retailers you should watch if you want to buy a graphics card.

What kind of graphics card is this? With the GeForce RTX 3050, Nvidia has introduced its smallest RTX graphics card to date. It offers all the features you can expect from an RTX graphics card, including Raytracing, DLSS, and Nvidia Reflex. For example, Elder Scrolls Online, as the first MMORPG, offers both DLSS and DLAA.

Who is the RTX 3050 for? The RTX 3050 is an entry-level graphics card aimed at users who want to game in Full HD (1920×1080). You won’t be able to play all games at maximum settings. The card is worthwhile if you want to game in Full HD and if Raytracing is not going to play a significant role for you in the near future.

All further information about the RTX 3050, benchmarks, and who it is suitable for has been summarized for you.

Update January 27, 2022: You can now buy RTX 3050 graphics cards at Alternate. Prices start at 400 euros.

You can probably buy an RTX 3050 from the following retailers

When can you buy an RTX 3050? Official sales start on January 27 at 3 PM. The first retailers are likely to list the graphics card by that time or even shortly before.

What will the RTX 3050 cost? Nvidia’s suggested retail price for the RTX 3050 is $279. In Germany, the price with taxes is about 300 euros. However, it is already likely that the graphics card will be significantly more expensive. We suspect that the graphics card will probably cost between 450 and 500 euros.

Additionally, Nvidia does not offer a Founder’s Edition of the RTX 3050. Therefore, you can only buy models from other manufacturers, and those devices will be priced higher than the suggested retail price.

Tip: The following links to the shops will only work from January 27 at 3 PM. Before that, you will receive a notice that the offer is not available.

Where can you buy an RTX 3050 at the MSRP? Your best chances of finding a graphics card at MSRP are at Notebooksbilliger.de. This is Nvidia’s partner in Germany. However, from experience, we know that graphics cards disappear very quickly, as many interested users know that there are graphics cards available at MSRP.

Which retailers else offer an RTX 3050? It is likely that all major retailers will sell the RTX 3050. However, we cannot tell you how large the stock is and how many graphics cards are actually available.

Graphics cards are now available at Alternate. If you want to buy a graphics card, try regularly. Alternate regularly updates its stock with some graphics cards. If you don’t have luck the first time, try again later in the evening:

What alternative exists? A similar graphics card would be the Radeon RX 6500 XT, which is also an entry-level graphics card. The RX 6500 XT, however, disappointed upon release, and the RTX 3050 remains the better option. Users interested in Raytracing should consider the RTX 3060 or the RTX 3060 Ti instead. However, the issue is that you’ll have to pay at least 700 euros for the RTX 3060.

More on the topic
RTX 3060 currently costs 700 € – Be careful, it’s certainly not worth it
von Benedikt Schlotmann

Are you excited about the release of the GeForce RTX 3050 or do you not care about the sale? Will you buy a graphics card when it becomes available? Let us know in the comments!

How much money people are willing to spend on graphics cards, you have already told us on MeinMMO. And many of you are indeed willing to spend money if the hardware would be available:

Buying a graphics card: This is your pain threshold, how much you spend on new hardware

The offers listed here are equipped with so-called affiliate links. By purchasing through one of these links, you support MeinMMO: Without affecting the price, we receive a small commission from the provider.

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

Perhaps you can buy a PS5 at Otto today

There are increasing indications that there may be a PS5 drop at Otto today. For example, the Otto subsidiary Baur seems to have received a small contingent of consoles.

Where do these indications come from? According to rumors from social media and various forums, there might be a sales event from the Otto Group today. Several signs of an impending drop at Baur have already emerged.

However, these have turned out to be a false alarm, as it seems that only changes were made to the URL of the PS5 product pages. Nevertheless, some indications suggest a soon drop. We explain to you why there could be a drop.

Several reasons suggest a drop

What supports the drop? Maintenance work like this has often in the past been a sign of a soon drop.

Another indication of an upcoming sale is definitely that the last drop at Otto took place on 16.12. and 17.12.2021 (also a Thursday and a Friday) around 09:15 AM. Unfortunately, the offered contingent back then was rather limited. The retailer would be overdue.

If there is a drop today, you can already find the

More on the topic
PS Plus: Here are the 3 new games in February 2022 for PS4 and PS5
von Alexander Leitsch

Still haven’t gotten a PS5? If you haven’t managed to get a PS5, it’s best to check our ticker. Here we keep you updated daily and explain how to best get a PS5 and show you drops around the coveted console.

Buy PS5 in January 2022 – Keep an eye on these retailers

The offers listed here are equipped with so-called affiliate links. With a purchase through one of these links, you support MeinMMO: Without affecting the price, we receive a small commission from the provider.

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

CoD Warzone fixes 7 stressful bugs with new update 1.52 – Patch notes

Call of Duty: Warzone has delayed its Season 2 to have more time to fix errors in the game. After the delay, the first update has now arrived and 7 annoying bugs are disappearing from the game. MeinMMO has the patch notes in German.

This is the situation:

CoD Warzone: Update 1.52 – Patch Notes

When will the update arrive? The patch is already live and you can start the download anytime.

How large is the update? You only need to download a few MB, the update is small.

What has been changed? The latest patch fixes bugs in the game. There were no balance changes. The list of the 7 annoying bugs is here:

  • Stability issues on Xbox fixed when you pressed the home button twice quickly
  • Bug related to special characters fixed (e.g.: ©, ®, ™, ∅)
  • Screen flickering in the menu should be gone
  • Some players respawned with parts of their old loadout after a death
  • Issue fixed that crashed entire matches
  • Players should no longer fall through the ground on Caldera
  • Second free loadout drop in battle royale works again

In addition, there are 2 more fixes in the patch notes:

  • Further collision issues on Caldera removed
  • Broken images in the shop for some bundles have been fixed

These were the complete patch notes for Update 1.52. If you want to take a look at the English patch notes yourself, you can find them here (via ravensoftware.com).

Other planned fixes and playlist

What else is in the pipeline? The developers at Raven Software maintain a Trello board (via trello.com). On this digital bulletin board, the developers collect bugs that they have on their radar and that will also disappear from the game soon.

Here are a few things that will be adjusted in Warzone soon:

  • Performance on Xbox and PlayStation is set to improve further
  • Invisible skins
  • Players cannot invert their mouse controls
  • Vanguard weapons are not displayed correctly when carried
  • Game freezes when using the buy station
  • “TOP SECRET” mission is set to return
  • Devil weapons are set to disappear again
  • Double XP for Plunder Duo is set to return

Along with the update, a new playlist has also arrived:

  • Warzone Playlist 27.01.
    • Vanguard Resurgence – Trios
    • Battle Royale – Solo, Duo, Trio, Quads
    • Plunder – Trio
    • Rebirth Island Resurgence – Duo, Quads

That was all the new information regarding the patch and playlist in Call of Duty: Warzone. The battle royale is removing some annoying bugs, but several important fixes are still pending.

If you want to know how things will continue in the battle royale, check out our service special on the new Season 2: CoD Warzone & Vanguard: Everything we know so far about Season 2 – Release, content, leaks

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

WoW: Did this developer ruin the story alone?

A rumor is circulating on the Internet. Alex Afrasiabi allegedly ruined the story of Sylvanas in World of Warcraft single-handedly. But is that true?

In recent days, a rather explosive thesis has been circulating on the Internet. The current state of the story of World of Warcraft is said to be solely due to an unloved developer: Alex Afrasiabi. But is there really something to it?

What is going on in WoW right now? The community around World of Warcraft is – at least largely – dissatisfied with the storyline. Especially the development of Sylvanas and the resulting strong focus on her are souring many players. The criticism that keeps coming up is: The story team of World of Warcraft is bad, they ruin the lore of the game and destroy great characters.

Recently, the rumor arose: The former story chief of World of Warcraft, Alex Afrasiabi, allegedly “sabotaged” the story of Sylvanas on purpose to get back at the WoW team before he was fired during the investigations surrounding the sexism scandal.

Where did the rumor come from? The rumor was spread by the YouTuber Bellular, who wrote in a tweet:

“It’s kind of wild that Afrasiabi decided to have one last laugh with Sylvanas, pretty much destroying her storyline and putting the remaining story writers in a weird position.

It shows that our “WTF is this crap” reaction to Battle for Azeroth was well-founded.”

Bellular referred to a tweet by Ian Bates, the “Red Shirt Guy”, who in turn referenced Michelle Morrow. She is the voice actress for Alleria (in Hearthstone) and supposedly claimed that Afrasiabi created the story of Sylvanas and Teldrassil specifically to carry out his ‘vendetta’.

Morrow then explained in her tweet:

I am sad about the leaked cinematic. [Sylvanas’] entire character was sacrificed for the worst story in the entire history of Warcraft. I’ve heard from a reliable source that the burning of Teldrassil was Afrasiabi’s idea. No idea. Whatever, my girl has now fallen victim to the retcon.

Morrow explained that after the issue exploded on the internet, her tweet had been “overdramatized”. She did not use words like “vendetta” and merely wanted to point out that the burning of Teldrassil is solely attributable to Afrasiabi.

https://twitter.com/michelemorrow/status/1485311733447028737

But is there really something to it? Is the answer that simple? No, some content creators around WoW, like Taliesin, think differently. He has some connections to internal sources at Blizzard and concludes: It’s not as straightforward as it looks.

Taliesin has some contacts at Blizzard due to regular visits to BlizzCon and also because of his YouTube channel. He says he often hears things that developers confide in him – often just small, funny anecdotes, but sometimes also important details from development. He does not want to disclose exact names to protect the individuals involved, but emphasizes: He has heard the same thing from multiple sources at different times.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the YouTube content

Afrasiabi started the story and then left the team

Accordingly, the burning of Teldrassil and the resulting change in Sylvanas’ storyline was a decision made solely by Alex Afrasiabi. The rest of the story team was not in agreement with this move, but ultimately could not prevail.

This also means that Shadowlands and the entire story derived from it are basically just the sweeping up of a story wreckage left behind by Alex Afrasiabi.

However, Taliesin would not go so far as to accuse Afrasiabi of malevolent intentions. His job as story chief was also to create a story that generates hype and creates exciting twists – and probably no event in the history of World of Warcraft has been discussed as wildly as the burning of Teldrassil. It was an important and indeed impressive moment in history.

The problem was rather that Afrasiabi apparently did not know at that time where exactly he wanted to take the story, and the whole WoW team had to basically rely on him to implement his vision and bring the story to a sensible conclusion.

When Afrasiabi was then fired due to severe allegations surrounding the sexism scandal, the rest of the WoW team faced the incomplete story that they never actually wanted.

New story begins only with patch 10 – is that “baby” of the new story chief

Accordingly, the team is currently still in a position where they somehow have to deal with Sylvanas’ character and her current state, which explains the strong focus of Shadowlands on Sylvanas’ story.

The whole chaos, however, also brings a bit of hope, as other sources say: “10.0 is Danuser’s baby” – the new WoW story chief. So all lore fans can hope that the upcoming expansion will be much more coherent and well-thought-out than what was the case from Battle for Azeroth to Shadowlands.

What do you think of this whole situation? An exciting perspective? Or do you ultimately not care because you just want a good story that is currently not being delivered?

By the way, Blizzard has gone even further with Afrasiabi – all references to him have been removed from the game.

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

Lost Ark surprisingly brings 3 new areas and higher max level right at launch

The January team update from Lost Ark brings some news and is likely to please many fans. A highlight is the new areas that no one expected at launch. We at MeinMMO summarize.

What’s going on with Lost Ark? In the middle of last year, many players complained that the communication between publisher Amazon and the fans was rather poor.

Amazon responded and began providing monthly updates on the state of development in October. However, the update was missing in January so far, which many fans found strange right before launch.

Now, Amazon has followed up and released new details for the launch on February 11, answering many questions that arose in the community. Additionally, the publisher announces a whole slew of new content for the start.

What new features are coming? Right at launch, our version will align more closely with the Korean version. The following new content will be available at launch:

  • Increase of the maximum level from 50 to 60
  • Three new continents that were not present in the beta. These are Yorn, Feiton, and Punika
  • Tier 3 content will be available at launch, while we previously assumed that the EU version would start at Tier 1 or 2
  • Some adjustments in the character editor
  • A total of 173 Steam achievements that you can earn in Lost Ark

Additionally, Amazon has already implemented a lot of feedback from the beta to accommodate European and American fans. These changes include:

  • A way to select the Korean original voice lines for your game
  • Many of the cutscenes are now skippable, which were not so before
  • Balance changes for the equipment. You should now find it harder to obtain better equipment than was the case in the beta

The new areas send you underground and to the demons

What is in the new areas? The new areas are not just small maps, but three new continents.

On the continent of Yorn, we explore the home of the Umar, a dwarf-like race that primarily resides underground. Similar to dwarves, the Umar are known for their craftsmanship.

At this point, Amazon promises that you can expect impressive architecture from the capital of the Umar, not only underground but also on the continent itself.

The architecture of the Umar resembles classic fantasy dwarves

The second new continent is Feiton, home to the base class of assassins. Feiton is a dark place full of demons and dangers and was almost completely destroyed and poisoned during the Chain Wars.

On this continent, many demons and hybrids of demons and humans, like the assassins, reside. The land is overseen by the organization Avesta, which trains the assassins.

The third of the new continents is Punika. This is a tropical resort where a mysterious nature magic is at work. Punika is the exact opposite of Feiton; it is friendly, colorful, and inviting. 

You can use your time in Punika to relax on the beaches, celebrate festivals with the villagers, and enjoy the tropical climate in the city of Nia. But something strange seems to be happening with the inhabitants of the land.

What content does it bring? Each of the new continents comes with a bunch of quests and offers unique bosses and NPCs. Additionally, we will receive the respective Chaos Dungeons of the continents directly at launch.

All three continents are aimed more at endgame players, but especially the tropical Punika will keep us engaged in the late game. Here you will also encounter the first Tier 3 content that the January update promises.

The Tier 3 content includes the third floor of the Chaos Dungeons, the Oreha’s Well Abyssal Dungeon, and the Velganos Guardian Raid. To master these challenges, the maximum gear score will also be increased and aligned to the new max level 60.

More freedom for your characters

What’s new in the character editor? Completely new for the Western version of the game will be the ability to choose a voice for your class at release. For each possible class, 3 to 4 different voices are to be available.

Additionally, the developers answer many questions regarding character creation in the January update, including the topic of name reservation and the manual reset needed for that.

First, Amazon addresses the possibility of character names themselves. You are only allowed to capitalize the first letter in all names in the game and may not use spaces or special characters. Your character name must be between 2 and 16 characters long. Guild names can be up to 20 characters long.

In addition, the publisher confirms once again that the character name will remain blocked even after you delete your character. It will only be released if a manual refresh is performed by Amazon.

This refresh is reportedly not going to happen automatically and will not be performed manually in the near future. For the time being, this means that your names will remain blocked even if the character is deleted.

In the character editor, you will soon be able to choose a voice for your hero

What other questions were answered? Many players apparently had concerns about what would happen to their guilds if their leaders suddenly went offline. Amazon has now confirmed that you can choose one of the officers as the new leader once they have been offline for more than 10 days.

Additionally, there were many questions regarding the pre-order packages. The publisher has now confirmed that various packages can stack between €15 and €100. So if you buy the Platinum package for €100 and get the Gold package for €50, you will receive the contents from both packages credited.

There was also the question of whether the Western version would receive specific skins and content that were tied to past events in Russia and Korea and were exclusively available there. Amazon replies that some of these items will be available to us and will also be tied to events here.

What’s next? Amazon promises to provide more information next week. So you can look forward to the following things:

  • Information on pre-load and launch time
  • A list of all servers at launch
  • Information on the weekly reset times

Furthermore, more information is expected before the launch, including:

  • More details on the business model and in-game store of Lost Ark
  • Complete patch notes for the launch of the game
  • More information about how our version differs from the Russian and Korean ones
  • A roadmap with plans for what will happen after launch

The community celebrates the update – except for one thing

How is the update received by the fans? Players have been waiting a long time for this update. The tweet about it garnered over 167 replies in just 30 minutes.

Many fans are excited about the new options and information, but many experienced players are speaking out and finding one thing particularly negative about the update.

In the eyes of some fans, it is too much content to start our version directly with Tier 3 content. It is stated that this decision could result in players not fully enjoying the content of Tier 1 and 2.

What do people say? The announcement tweet is actively commented by the community, but not only positively (via Twitter).

  • User Well writes: “Tier 3 is a big mistake. You will hardly enjoy anything from Tier 1 and 2 and will have to grind like crazy to obtain the important collectibles. People will rush at launch, and you won’t have time to try out other characters if you want to keep up.”
  • User RyStocrat sees it more positively: “Oh my God! The Korean voice-over made my day. Thank you for that, it’s really cool!”
  • Shockax is in the middle of the opinions: “Thanks, there’s a lot of good stuff there. But please rethink launching with Tier 3 content. That will scare off a lot of new players. Let people start gradually.”

What do you think of the announcements from the January update? Are you excited about the new content and the increase in the maximum level? Or do you agree with some players in the comments and find the new things a bit too rushed? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments here on MeinMMO.

If you still don’t know what you want to play at launch, we have the 5 best classes for beginners.

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