Usually, you have to adhere to very clear deadlines to be able to request a refund on Steam. In the case of the shooter Battlefield 2042, however, one player seems to have caught an exception.
What’s happening with Battlefield 2042? Battlefield 2042 was released in November 2021, but has since faced extremely critical feedback.
Many players were disappointed with the shooter – and even in recent weeks, there has been a lot of trouble.
As of the current state (January 11, 7:11 PM), the Steam reviews for the shooter are in the “mostly negative” category for both “recent reviews” and “all reviews”.
Only 33% of the reviews in both categories are positive.
So it’s not surprising that some players might be considering a refund for the game. However, on Steam, you usually have to adhere to certain rules to receive a refund.
One player, however, reports an exception.
Player gets stuck in settings – Allowed to return Battlefield
So here are the rules: A refund on Steam can be requested for most purchases on the platform, but to ensure it works, you must meet certain requirements.
Two factors are particularly decisive:
The refund request must be made within two weeks of the purchase date.
Additionally, the playtime must be less than two hours.
The player reports: On the subreddit for Battlefield 2042, user “Roboserg” reports that he apparently got lucky with his return of the game, even though he actually no longer met the Steam rules.
In a longer message, “Roboserg” reached out to Steam Support and emphasized that he had been using Steam for over 15 years and had never played a full-price game with so many issues.
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The user speaks of a bug that made it impossible to change the controller settings and hunted him through the settings menus for two hours before he could even play properly.
Then he played for nearly two hours but experienced low FPS and numerous bugs – which is why he requested a refund, even though the hour limit had already been exceeded.
The first attempt was denied by support, but after another round of explanations, Steam showed mercy – even though the 14 days had already passed.
According to the post, Steam Support referred to it as a customer service gesture that would allow the refund to be granted.
What does the community say? The post has received mainly positive reactions regarding the refund (via reddit). Given the still short playtime, other players are pleased that the return happened. At the same time, however, some are angry who had less luck with their refund requests.
Steam has clearly deviated from the norm here. It seems that for the user, this is more likely an isolated case – it doesn’t look like Battlefield 2042 is currently being refunded en masse.
However, there have been past examples where refunds for heavily criticized games were demanded in large numbers. Cyberpunk 2077 was one such case, which even got pulled from the PS Store because it could not deliver on its promises.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Graphics cards are a rare commodity and in most cases far too expensive. With the RX 6500 XT, AMD introduced an affordable graphics card for under 200 euros.
Which graphics card is it about? AMD presented several new products at CES 2022. Among the products is the Radeon RX 6500 XT. It is officially the smallest graphics card in AMD’s RX 6000 series.
With a suggested retail price of 199 US dollars, it is also the cheapest graphics card AMD has announced so far. In Germany, the MSRP is likely to be a little over 200 euros including taxes.
But not only because of the price do many gamers pin their hopes on AMD’s new graphics card. The idea is to make the graphics card unattractive for miners with a small video memory.
Small Video Memory Should Protect Graphics Card from High Prices
What is exactly the problem? Now the online magazine PCGamer reported that manufacturer Asus has named the first prices for the RX 6500 XT (via PCGamer.com). And the prices are likely to disappoint many users:
The Asus TUF Gaming Radeon RX 6500 XT OC Edition is said to cost 334 € according to the manufacturer.
The cheaper variant, the Dual Radeon RX 6500 XT OC Edition is expected to launch at a price of 299 euros.
The prices mentioned are manufacturer’s recommendations. We expect that the graphics cards at retailers like Amazon, MediaMarkt, or Alternate will likely be significantly more expensive and you will have to spend at least 400 euros for the graphics card.
And this price could disappoint many users. Because AMD introduced the RX 6500 XT as a successor model for the RX 570 and the GTX 1650. These are two popular and widely used graphics cards. Both graphics cards are already a bit older: the RX 570 was released in summer 2017, the GTX 1650 a little later in 2019.
However, AMD is not the only manufacturer that might have affordable graphics cards on offer. Other manufacturers also plan to offer inexpensive graphics cards from 2022, and they could bring some surprises. Among them is a manufacturer that hardly anyone in Germany is likely to know. Whether this could be a potential hidden gem is explained to you by MeinMMO in the following article:
In FIFA 22 there have been recent incidents where particularly valuable FUT accounts were taken over by fraudsters, who then emptied them. Now, EA has made a comprehensive statement on the matter.
What happened? Several members of the FIFA community have spoken up in recent weeks, reporting attacks on their accounts.
Among those affected were content creators and streamers, but also lesser-known names from the top trader lists – players with extremely valuable accounts – have reported incidents. Even “NickRunTheFUTMarket”, a well-known trader in FIFA 22, only tweeted the message “Hacked, Goodnight”. The streamer Trymacs was also hit – twice.
Apparently, someone logged into the Ultimate Team accounts and emptied them. Highly rated players and large amounts of coins were simply gone.
The two-factor authentication sometimes didn’t help. There was much criticism of EA’s customer support, where the security measures apparently were not sufficient to fully protect login data.
EA statement on the incidents – measures to improve security
This is what EA says about the incidents: At first, EA only responded with a very brief message stating that they were investigating the cases. Now, however, there is a more comprehensive statement in the Pitch Notes for FIFA 22, which includes an apology and outlines the steps that will be taken to prevent such incidents in the future.
“In recent weeks, we have been made aware that there were attempts to take over the accounts of high-profile players,” says the Pitch Notes. Investigations have confirmed that several accounts “were compromised using phishing techniques,” according to the statement.
Through threats and other social engineering methods, fraudsters were able to exploit human errors within our customer experience team, circumvent two-factor authentication, and gain access to other players’ accounts.
The EA SPORTS FIFA Team in the Pitch Notes (via EA.com)
As it stands, “fewer than 50 accounts” have been taken over using this method. The owners are currently being identified to restore account access and content. At the same time, investigations are continuing according to EA.
“The security of accounts is always also based on human behavior, and we are aware that there is room for improvement,” says the statement. Therefore, three measures will now be implemented to improve account security.
All EA consultants and those supporting EA account services will receive individual retraining and additional team training. The specific focus will be on account security practices and the phishing techniques used in this case.
We will enhance the account ownership verification process with additional steps, such as a mandatory manager approval for any email change requests.
We will revise our customer experience software to better detect suspicious activities, flag threatened accounts, and further minimize the potential for human errors in the account update process.
The EA SPORTS FIFA Team in the Pitch Notes (via EA.com)
These steps may result in longer waiting times if you contact support with relevant inquiries, but they are necessary to ensure the security of the accounts, according to the statement.
What do you think of the statement? Do you consider the steps to be appropriate, or would you have preferred a different solution? Let us know in the comments.
In Destiny 2 today, on 11.1. 2022, a new week begins and it offers at least a bit of variety, as Lord Saladin comes to raise the iron banner once again. You can expect this and many other changes that we from MeinMMO have listed for you.
This week: The story of Destiny 2 remains frozen in Stasis, but the Iron Banner brings back excitement with its fierce battles. Visit Lord Saladin in the Tower for Iron Banner bounties and to have a quick chat. The old wolf deserves a bit of distraction.
Furthermore, the Challenge loop of the Vault of Glass starts again. If you haven’t completed all the Challenges yet, you can take on the challenge once more.
If you don’t own the Crucible ornament for the Hegemony yet, taking a look at the heated battles with Lord Shaxx might be worthwhile. With double XP, the old Shaxx shows you that he can also wear the giving pants.
The Iron Banner calls you!
The most important information about activities from 11.01. to 18.01.
In the Vault of Glass, the Conflux Challenge named „Wait for it…“ takes place. Note that you can only destroy the Wyverns when they sacrifice themselves.
As a reward, in the raid’s Challenge Mode, a time-lost weapon awaits you. This week it is the scout rifle “Vision of Confluence”. The weapon also comes with guaranteed 2 perks per slot. But always keep in mind that Hard and Normal mode share the loot.
Crucible – These are the PvP playlists:
Private Match
Rumble
Control
Elimination
Glory Survival
Glory Survival: Freelance
Momentum Control
Ascendant Challenge:
Petra Venj has this week’s 2nd Ascendant Challenge for you. You will find Petra and her quest offer by the shore. Savathun’s Curse is retreating again and is at the first stage of the Sorrowful Plague.
If you want to see the new trailer for Witch Queen, we have written a separate article about it:
This is the new max level: In the Season of the Lost, the maximum power level of your gear is at 1,330. This means the power level has only increased by +10 compared to the previous Season 14.
So you won’t be bothered with annoying levels, but can jump straight into the endgame.
This top loot (Pinnacle Gear) brings you over 1,320:
Reach at least 100,000 points in the Nightfall: Proving Ground (+2)
Don’t forget your Glimmer gift: If you’re short on Glimmer, be sure to check into the Eververse right after the weekly reset. Bungie is already giving you Glimmer in the fifth week. You just have to pick it up from Tess and then you can shop for cosmetics.
Do you own the Divinity? Then this is a fitting Sparrow for the weapon
Here’s what you can get for Glimmer this week from Tess:
A weapon ornament for the Ticuus bow “Ferromant”
The exotic ship “Aeshnidae-Starflyer”
Exotic Sparrow “Four Degrees of Separation”
Legendary emote “Dandelion”
Legendary emote “Hairstyle Correction”
Exotic ghost shell “Simulation Shell”
Exotic ghost shell “Archangel Shell”
Legendary ghost projection “Rasputin Projection”
Legendary ghost projection “Tricorn Projection”
and as shader “Mystoposphor”
How do you find this week without the Trials? Will you play some Iron Banner rounds or have you had enough of all the repetitions? Let us know in the comments!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Streamer Matthew “Mizkif” Rinaudo is known as a sharp-tongued mocker on Twitch. After all, he learned from the legendary “IcePoseidon”. But now he has found his master in League of Legends. He clashed with a 14-year-old LoL player, who rhetorically put him in his place. Much to the delight of Mizkif’s acquaintance Emiru, who greatly enjoyed the incident.
“Hey, I own an esports organization – Show some respect!”
This is what Mizkif had to hear in LoL: Mizkif got into a LoL match with a young opponent when they were randomly matched together. During an extensive exchange of niceties, Mizkif also learned that his new nemesis is only 14 years old.
In the following game, Mizkif was again matched with the new enemy and asked him: “You talked so much trash. Are you ready to lose again? Come to the middle for a handshake.”
However, the player had in the meantime armed himself and was excellently prepared for the second round of trash talk. He asked Mizkif: “Wait a second, aren’t you a TikToker? From Mario – and your girlfriend spanked you. Damn, and I have to fight against you?”
His new nemesis was referring to a TikTok video in which Mizkif lost to his acquaintance Emiru in a “Super Mario 64” speedrun (via youtube). In the video, you can see Mizkif desperately hammering on the controller, Emiru taking over, and Mizkif finally shamefully holding his hands over his face.
In the trash talk duel with the young LoL player, Mizkif grinned and turned away from the screen while Emiru was doubling up in joy in the background. Mizkif then wrote: “Hey, I owned an esports organization – show some respect,” but he had already recognized his defeat. The remark evidently hit home.
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The reaction “I own an organization” is on a similar level as the legendary “I can buy the bank that owns your house and can throw you out” from Ninja during his Fortnite heyday.
However, this doesn’t seem particularly impressive to a 14-year-old.
“How will he recover from this?”
This is how it’s being discussed: The clip has now garnered nearly 82,000 views.
On reddit, people are enjoying the streamer’s suffering (via reddit):
“First his girlfriend kicked his ass in Mario Kart. Now this happens. How will he recover from it?”
“You’re that TikToker” definitely hurt him the most!”
“Brings back memories of when we used to trash talk after a 1vs1”
The big question after the video is: How would Tyler1 have handled this situation and how many keyboards would he have smashed in pure rage?
With Elden Ring, FromSoftware brings its next dark fantasy universe after Dark Souls and Bloodborne in early 2022. Everything we know so far can be found here on MeinMMO in our overview.
What is Elden Ring? This is the next big project from FromSoftware, who created an entire genre with Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls. The developers are known for brutally hard, dark, and complex action role-playing games. These include:
The game was already announced at E3 2019 but disappeared for a long time. During the unveiling of the first real gameplay trailer at the E3 2021, fans absolutely went wild.
In addition to Miyazaki, the famous “A Song of Ice and Fire” author George R. R. Martin is involved in the story and lore of Elden Ring. His books also inspired the popular series Game of Thrones. What is currently known about Elden Ring can be found here.
We will continuously update the article with the latest information on Elden Ring.
Update, January 17: We have updated the article and added sections on multiplayer and crossplay.
[toc]
Elden Ring – Release, Platforms, Beta, Playtime
When will Elden Ring be released?
The game will be released on February 25, 2022.
On which platforms will Elden Ring be released?
The action RPG will be released on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, and PC. On PC, the game will be launched via Steam.
Will there be a beta for Elden Ring?
There was already a network test that showcased a lot of gameplay. However, it was only brief and is already over. It is not known whether another test will take place before the release.
Is there a multiplayer mode in Elden Ring?
Yes. There will be co-op and PvP, similar to previous FromSoftware games.
Is there crossplay in Elden Ring?
This is not currently known. As of now, only consoles can play together across generations.
How much playtime does Elden Ring offer?
According to Hidetaka Miyazaki, you can complete the main story in Elden Ring in about 30 to 40 hours. However, with additional content, the playtime will be significantly longer.
Gameplay for Elden Ring
Currently, there is quite a bit of gameplay available for Elden Ring. Here, you can watch 19 minutes of it:
Start video
19 Minutes of Gameplay from Elden Ring – With Coop
Here you can also watch the latest story trailer:
Start video
New trailer provides insight into the story of Elden Ring, the most anticipated RPG at present
Pre-order Elden Ring – Bonuses and Editions
What editions are available? Elden Ring will come in a total of five different variants. Not all of these editions are available for every platform on which Elden Ring will be released. Here’s the overview:
Standard Edition
Price: 59.99 – 69.99 €
Platforms: Available for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC (Download)
Launch Edition
Price: 59.99 – 69.99 €
Platforms: Available for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC (Download).
Game on physical media (PC version comes with a code)
Art cards:3 exclusive art cards show the environment of the Lands Between, size: 135 × 170 mm
Woven patch: An exclusive woven patch
Stickers: 3 exclusive stickers with emblem patterns from the game
Poster: An exclusive poster showing a hero of the past. Size: 393 × 334 mm
An alternative steelbook: an exclusive limited edition of the steelbook depicting a hero of the past
Deluxe Edition
Price: 79.99 €
Platforms: PC only
Digital artbook & original soundtrack
Collector’s Edition
Price: 189.99 €
Platforms: Available for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC (Download).
Game on physical media (PC version comes with a code)
Art cards:3 exclusive art cards show the environment of the Lands Between, size: 135 × 170 mm
Woven patch: An exclusive woven patch
Stickers: 3 exclusive stickers with emblem patterns from the game
Poster: An exclusive poster showing a hero of the past. Size: 393 × 334 mm
Digital soundtrack
Exclusive steelbook
Hardcover artbook with 40 pages: An exclusive artbook with 40 pages. Size: 24.1 × 21.5 cm. Language: English
Statue of Malenia, Blade of Miquella (23 cm)
Premium Collector’s Edition
Price: 259.99 €
Platforms: Available for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC (Download)
Game on physical media (PC version comes with a code)
Art cards:3 exclusive art cards show the environment of the Lands Between, size: 135 × 170 mm
Woven patch: An exclusive woven patch
Stickers: 3 exclusive stickers with emblem patterns from the game.
Poster: An exclusive poster showing a hero of the past. Size: 393 × 334 mm
Digital soundtrack.
Exclusive steelbook
Hardcover artbook with 40 pages: An exclusive artbook with 40 pages. Size: 24.1 × 21.5 cm. Language: English.
Statue of Malenia, Blade of Miquella (23 cm)
An official replica of Malenia, Blade of Miquella’s helmet. Comes with a stand. A strictly limited and numbered 1:1 scale helmet.
Unfortunately, both Collector’s Editions are mostly sold out and can only be found at exorbitant prices. However, you can keep an eye on the shops from Amazon (via amazon.de) and Bandai Namco (via store.bandainamco.eu) in case new copies become available.
However, the quantity of the Premium Collector’s Edition is limited to 6,000 units, so you shouldn’t expect restocks here.
Pre-order customers will also receive some bonuses:
Bonus gesture “The Ring”: This gesture can be used in the game. Players can also obtain it later in the game.
A digital adventurer’s guide: “This guide contains everything you need to know for an adventure in the Lands Between.”
Elden Ring – System Requirements and Download Size
What we know so far about the specs: Officially, FromSoftware has not yet revealed any system requirements. What is known is that Elden Ring will have an FPS lock, as is customary for the developer’s other games.
The game is expected to run at up to 60 FPS, offering a native 4K resolution, and ray tracing will be added after release. (via vg247.com)
What hardware does your PC need? A report from Gameinformer has also published specs for Elden Ring, which have not yet been officially confirmed. (via Gameinformer). So enjoy this information with caution.
Will the game really be that huge? Officially, there are still no details regarding the download size. However, it seems unlikely that the game will indeed require that much storage space upon release. It might just be a placeholder.
However, there is already a leak regarding the PS5 and Xbox Series version, which is reported to have a significantly lower download size.
The PS5 version is said to be 44.4 GB in size. This figure comes from the Twitter account “PlayStation Game Size,” which has correctly revealed download sizes beforehand. (via Twitter)
The Xbox Series version is expected to require around 50 GB of storage. This info is sourced from the Xbox Store, so it is likely accurate (via reddit).
Nothing is currently known about the PC version. Based on previous FromSoftware games, it is likely to be similar to the other versions.
The information refers to the standard version, without any potential Day-1-patch.
Will there be a preload? While this has not been officially confirmed, according to “PlayStation Game Size,” a preload for PS5 and PS4 is expected to start on February 23.
Of course, there are also differences between the individual consoles. Here are the official specifications (via bandainamcoent.eu):
PS4 and PS5
PS4: 30 FPS and up to 1920x1080p (Full HD)
PS4 Pro: 30 FPS and up to 3200x1800p (Dynamic resolution)
PS5: Up to 60 FPS (Performance mode) and 3840x2160p, ray tracing will be added
HDR support
No save game transfer between PS4 and PS5
The PlayStation 5 offers two different modes. One is the performance mode, which provides 60 FPS but reduces the details in the graphical settings. Then there is the quality mode, which delivers 30 FPS and better graphics. Both modes run in 4K.
Xbox One and Xbox Series
Xbox One: 30 FPS and up to 1600x900p, no HDR support
Xbox One X: 30 FPS and up to 3840x2160p
Xbox Series S: Up to 60 FPS (Performance mode) and up to 2560x1440p
Xbox Series X: Up to 60 FPS (Performance mode) and up to 3840x2160p, ray tracing will be added
Here too, there will likely be a quality mode and a performance mode.
Explore the Lands Between of Elden Ring
What is Elden Ring about? As is customary with previous games from the Dark Souls developer, Elden Ring is also a game with a mysterious and dark story.
So far the creators have kept quiet on many aspects, but we now know some hard facts:
The world of Elden Ring is called “The Land Between”.
In the Lands Between stands the powerful Erd Tree, to whose roots the Elden Ring once belonged.
The Elden Ring, a mysterious and powerful object, is broken into six parts due to a significant event.
You play as the “Tarnished”, seeking to reassemble the Elden Ring and ascend to the Elden Lord.
To do this, you must drive away the current ruler, Marika the Eternal. Her many children are demigods and have seized the pieces of the shattered Elden Ring.
They have been driven mad by the power of the pieces, causing a war in the Lands Between.
A large part of the background story and lore of Elden Ring comes from the pen of George R. R. Martin in collaboration with FromSoftware.
You travel through the Lands Between and unravel the mystery surrounding the Elden Ring. Along the way, you encounter various and peculiar characters, battle through numerous threats, and master the challenging combat system known from FromSoftware’s games.
This time, however, side characters are supposed to play a bigger role and also be important figures from the Lands Between. The first gameplay reveal gives you an insight into the Lands Between:
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This is the difference from previous games: The first difference that is likely to catch your eye is the scale of the game world in Elden Ring. It will be noticeably more extensive and larger than what you are used to from previous Souls games like Bloodborne or Dark Souls.
While they also did not have small game worlds, the design and structure of worlds such as Lordran from Dark Souls 1 were significantly closer, more interwoven, and labyrinthine.
Elden Ring aims to push into larger dimensions and offers a more open and expansive game world.
What we know about the Lands Between:
There will be a total of 6 different regions.
There is no specific order in which you must visit each region.
Some areas cannot be fully explored immediately.
There is a day and night cycle, dynamic weather, and events.
Hostile creatures roam around and wander through the various regions.
Despite everything, there is supposed to be a red thread in the story so that you never lose sight of your goal.
While exploring the world, you will receive a useful means of transport. You can quickly get from one place to another with a sort of “spirit horse”.
This horse can be summoned at any time or disappears as soon as you dismount. You can also fight from the back of your horse and traverse steep slopes in giant leaps.
If that’s still too slow for you: There will be a sort of fast travel system.
Legacy Dungeons offer classic level design
What are Legacy Dungeons? In the game world of Elden Ring, there are numerous dungeons. These will include all kinds of varieties, such as castles, caves, catacombs, and other types of dungeons that you will explore. You can enter these seamlessly through the open world.
These dungeons offer the classic level design familiar from games like Bloodborne or Dark Souls. Their game worlds were, aside from a few more open areas, more like nested labyrinths and significantly more compact than typical open worlds. There should even be sections with puzzles.
Those who prefer this level design will not miss out in Elden Ring. How many dungeons there will be is currently unknown. However, since there will be six main regions in Elden Ring, each ending with one of the main bosses, one can assume at least six dungeons.
According to FromSoftware, however, there will be significantly more optional boss enemies than was the case in previous games. So there may be even more Legacy Dungeons in the game.
In Elden Ring, we will once again explore mysterious depths. (via de.bandainamcoent.eu)
Multiplayer in Elden Ring
In Elden Ring, there is co-op and PvP. Both are based on familiar systems that you’ve partially seen in Dark Souls. Summonings and invasions are again central, and the progress in boss battles is not shared.
Co-op Mode
This is how the co-op mode works: Players are “summoned” into your game world. This works through specific symbols that others can place on the ground in their world.
These symbols are then made visible in your game world. This way, you can explore dungeons and the open game world together in Elden Ring. However, you will need several items that you can find early in the game:
The “small golden statue”: This allows you to place a golden symbol in the game world. It then appears at the same spot for random players, who can summon you.
The “Tarnished’s crooked finger” allows targeted collaboration with others. You place a symbol with it, but for your co-op partner to summon you, they need another item.
You can set a password with the crooked finger to play specifically with friends.
With the item “crooked finger medicine” and the corresponding password, you can make your friends’ symbol visible and summon them. However, this item will be consumed.
You can summon a maximum of two players for assistance, so you can be a maximum of three. In Dark Souls 3, for example, up to three co-op partners were possible. If you want to tackle a dungeon with other players, you first need to enter the instance and summon your friends there.
If you are traveling with your co-op partners in the open world, you cannot simply enter the next dungeon. You can freely explore the open world with other players, though. The co-op mode only separates between dungeon and open world.
Furthermore, when you defeat a boss, your co-op partners are sent back to their world.
Is progress shared? No, progress is limited to the host. Guests in a game world cannot take items with them; defeated bosses remain alive in the co-op player’s world unless the player has already defeated them.
At least for defeating enemies, the guest will receive the same amount of EXP as the host, and co-op players do not lose this if they die.
Your horse is also not available in co-op. You will be on foot.
With the “small red statue,” you can place a red symbol. This allows players to summon you specifically and challenge you to a duel.
The “Tarnished Duelist’s crooked finger” lets you summon duel opponents using a password, similar to the co-op mode.
Your opponent also needs crooked finger medicine to summon you specifically.
This is how you can initiate invasions:
To invade, you need the “bloody finger.” This allows you to invade the game worlds of random opponents.
With the “spotter tongue,” you can let yourself be invaded by other players and thus provoke invasions.
With the “blue ring,” you can automatically be summoned into the worlds of other players who are currently being attacked.
Thanks to the “white ring,” you can automatically call players for help who have the blue ring equipped, in case you are attacked by so-called invaders.
The “finger severer” allows you to kick summoned players out of your world.
As in co-op, your horse is not available in PvP. You should keep this in mind. However, you should not have to search forever for your opponents. According to the developers, interface elements will exist that should prevent you from having to play an extended game of hide and seek in the open world.
You can watch the gameplay from YouTuber Arekkz here:
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Is there a crossplay function? The action RPG currently offers only a very limited crossplay feature.
In a network test that took place in November 2021, there was no real crossplay. It was not possible, for example, for a PC player to play with friends on Xbox or PlayStation.
At least the beta of Elden Ring allowed PS4 and PS5 players to play together, and the same applies to Xbox Series and Xbox One players.
This isn’t surprising, as those platforms likely share the same servers.
What about the full version? It is still unclear whether there will be differences in this regard compared to the beta. FromSoftware has not really commented on this yet.
So, there is a tiny chance that the full version will deliver more extensive crossplay options. However, why this is unlikely has been summarized in our overview of the crossplay feature.
The combat system of Elden Ring
How does combat work? Anyone who has seen the gameplay and played earlier games from FromSoftware will likely notice the similarities. Overall, the combat in Elden Ring will again function based on the familiar concept:
Dodge
Block
Parry
Light and heavy attacks
New elements are stealth and jumping, adding several tricks to the combat system.
These weapons are available: The scenes shown so far displayed the already familiar selection of weapons:
One-handed swords
Two-handed swords
Shields
Magic
Bows
Dual weapons
Spears
The previous Souls games offered a wide variety of weapons. It can be assumed that Elden Ring will offer something similar, if not even more extensive.
In Elden Ring, however, you will not only fight on foot but also from the back of your horse, which will provide additional options during combat. In addition, you can call NPCs for assistance in emergencies.
How does this work? This is only possible near small summoning statues, so there are some limitations. This is only possible near small summoning statues, so there are some limitations.
The statue marks the beginning of an area where NPCs can be summoned.
If you interact with the statue, a symbol will appear on the screen. This indicates that NPCs can be called.
There are different NPCs, often enemies that you can defeat in the game world.
These will then drop their ashes. With this item, you can summon the respective NPC types for assistance.
The spirits disappear again when they are defeated, you die, or move too far away from the summoning area around the statue.
For example, you can summon a wolf pack as a ghost troop. These NPCs are a useful support in combat and can already help you as a distraction. Even if you are overwhelmed by hordes, they can save your life.
You can collect these helpers and even level them up, making them stronger alongside you. However, the classic NPCs are not eliminated by this new system.
As in Dark Souls, you can summon certain NPCs at specific locations. These are often characters you meet in the game world.
How was it previously? In previous games like Bloodborne or Dark Souls, you could summon phantoms of NPC characters at specific spots in the game that could help you in battle. They usually were located just before boss battles or at tricky spots and could serve as a kind of co-op replacement.
This principle is now expanded in Elden Ring.
How will that work? In Elden Ring, you can now also summon the ghosts of defeated enemies, who will then assist you against other opponents.
You are supposed to be able to command these undead. How exactly this will unfold is still unclear. Apparently, you can carry these undead as a sort of in-game item and summon them in emergencies.
Your horse will not only be important for exploration but will also play a vital role in combat (via de.bandainamcoent.eu)
Jumping and Stealth System aim to provide more freedom
This is new: To suit the open game world and give players more freedom, the developers have expanded the movement options.
As a result, players can now jump and stealth as desired. These are elements that were already used in Sekiro and are now combined with the more Dark Souls-like elements of Elden Ring.
This is how stealth works in Elden Ring: Miyazaki described the innovation as a simple system that provides numerous new options. Players can crouch, crawl, and perform assassination attacks on opponents.
As a result, you have the opportunity to stealthily eliminate entire groups or simply bypass certain opponents. You can also hide in tall grass and observe the surroundings. This allows you to plan your approach and scout the area.
Jumping can also provide new attack opportunities, especially in combat.
What changes because of that? Until now, there were only dodges in the active combat. In Sekiro, the jumping element, for example, allowed you to deliver blows while jumping or even dodge enemy attacks by jumping onto the opponent’s head.
Overall, in Elden Ring, you will have greater freedom of movement than before.
There will be a total of 10 different character classes, but they only serve as the foundation for your later progression.
These classes are currently known: From previous leaks and scenes, we already know five of the 10 starting classes. (via fextralife.com)
Warrior
Prophet
Champion
Enchanted Knight
Bloody Wolf
You will gather experience points in some form (in Dark Souls it was Souls, in Bloodborne it was Blood Echoes), level up your attributes, and adapt your playstyle with appropriate equipment, spells, or skills.
This is new: In Elden Ring, you can now also unlock certain skills that can be re-assigned at any time. This allows for the use of certain combat styles that were previously determined by specific weapons in Dark Souls. According to Miyazaki, there are over 100 such skills in Elden Ring (via IGN.com).
The skills can be partially purchased from merchants but are mostly hidden in the game world of Elden Ring and need to be discovered.
There is also a kind of crafting system where players can create items at any time, provided they have the right materials.
What do you think about Elden Ring? Are you excited for the latest title from FromSoftware? What innovations would you like to see? Discuss with us in the comments.
The most popular class for the EU launch of Lost Ark was long the Summoner, but she will no longer be available to us. Who has replaced her and what are generally the most popular classes for our version of the MMORPG?
Now, you might think that many players would be angry about this decision. But that would be a misconception, because although there is a lot of confusion in the community about why they don’t just bring both mages, the Sorceress is being received very well.
What is the most popular class? She is even so well-received that she is currently the most popular class in Lost Ark. At least that is indicated by a large-scale survey on the official reddit.
A total of 8,541 people voted on which class they will play at launch. 15.57% of them, or 1,330 people, chose the Sorceress, making her the most popular class. The frustration over the removal of the Summoner seems to have completely faded.
Start video
Lost Ark delivers intense action with 15 classes – See here in the video what they look like
What stands out about the results? Of the 15 classes that we have at the launch of the EU version of Lost Ark, 13 are specialized in damage. The Gunlancer could perhaps still be considered a tank, but actually, he also deals a lot of damage.
There are no healers in this MMORPG, but there are incredibly diverse ways to deal a lot of damage to your opponents very quickly. Ironically, the only two support classes that serve to assist others take the 2nd and 3rd place among the most popular classes.
Just slightly ahead of the Bard with 787 votes, the Paladin with 999 votes is currently in 2nd place. The top 3 is thus dominated by support classes. These are often character classes that are less popular in MMORPGs.
You probably do not need to worry for now that you won’t be able to find a supporter for the first dungeons and raids in Lost Ark.
The complete voting
Why are supporters so popular?
The community is also wondering about this on reddit. Fans are throwing out some interesting aspects as to why Lost Ark is the MMORPG where support is finally fun. We certainly do not want to withhold these from you.
The user Zombie_Alpaca_Lips writes: ‘The game gives us exciting and challenging supporters to play. People are often not fans of healers and supporters because they find them boring and you just have to sit back and heal. Players want to feel that they contribute something to the group, and the Paladin and Bard let you feel that significantly.’
Puzzlehead has a funnier response, but many can relate to: ‘People play Paladin just because they have the coolest outfit at the end. That’s the real endgame.’
MarketingOwn is certain: ‘I am really looking forward to the release. Also, I wanted to play support from the beginning to assist my team members. I’m just not 100% sure yet whether it will be the Paladin or the Bard. They are both great!’
User Khrucible assumes that people do not inform themselves: ‘All those people with the cool skins are going to be so upset when they realize that the evil Paladin is a supporter!’
What do you think of the survey? Do you think there will be enough supporters in the game at launch, or will it take a long time to form groups? And which class will you play at launch? Are you also looking forward to the supporters and the Sorceress, or is there a completely different class that is your favorite for the MMORPG? Feel free to let us know in the comments here at MeinMMO.
MeinMMO’s editor-in-chief Leya Jankowski is confident that we will still have some gaming trends to discuss controversially in 2022. After 2 years of extreme drought, she finally sees a strong year ahead.
I have never anticipated a gaming year with as much excitement as 2022. Sometimes it almost makes me dizzy thinking about everything that is coming our way.
Two hearts beat in my chest: I am incredibly excited that there will be a lot of action. But I am also a bit afraid of the work that lies ahead of us.
That’s why it’s all the more important to be prepared and ready for all eventualities. Here are my predictions:
1. NFTs will stay and grow
Even in 2021, NFT, along with Metaverse, was a major buzzword that spread in gaming. Major players are testing the waters and unveiling plans:
If you think about it, blockchain and NFTs are just a logical consequence in online gaming.
Virtual items have been traded since the early days of MMORPGs. Those who lacked the time or talent to earn the craziest items themselves and still wanted to boast in the guild could check dedicated websites or eBay and make a purchase.
However, they did not achieve real ownership. That is exactly what blockchain technology changes.
Why NFTs are currently so attractive to game developers has a simple reason: NFTs have the potential to generate such remarkable sums that every classic gold dragon would immediately switch to pixels to defend digital assets.
So we can expect several announcements and introductions of NFTs in games this year. Despite the current headwinds from the gaming community. It will be controversial.
The author: Leya started as a freelance writer at MeinMMO at the end of 2016. The job was supposed to be a nice sideline to her marketing studies in the Netherlands. It escalated a bit. In March 2021, she became the editor-in-chief of MeinMMO. What has always fascinated Leya about marketing is the movement of trends. How do they develop and how can one even set them? She carries this fascination into her current job and continuously deals with the questions of why certain areas in gaming boom – or why they don’t.
2. Breakthroughs in poor working conditions for game studios
By now, there is hardly any major gaming studio left that is free from nasty scandals:
Sexism, crunch, bullying, bossing, and drinking parties at work – we have seen more reports on these topics in recent years than we would have liked.
Blizzard Activision stands out particularly. Everything started with a lawsuit in July 2021 from the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing. Shocking details emerged that went through marrow and bone.
You can get a deeper insight into Blizzard’s sexism scandal in the video talk with GameStar:
One could say that the lawsuit against Activision Blizzard was already a breakthrough. There was a high media interest. Employees organized protest marches, work was stalled due to the scandal in parts.
It is clear that the grievances in the industry can no longer continue as they have. I assume that we will read many more insider reports in 2022. Likewise, the studios will reorganize themselves.
3. More “Switch clones,” even though the Steamdeck is flopping
The Steamdeck is Valve’s answer to the extremely popular Nintendo Switch. Even though first tests confirm that the handheld console is of high quality, one question burns in my mind:
Who needs this?
The Nintendo Switch is now 5 years old, and you can see the strain on the console. It’s increasingly hitting its limits. The Steamdeck is supposed to catch that and bring the power of a PC, just in handheld form.
Sounds cool in theory. But how big is the actual target group? Steam is assigned to the PC-gaming community and they are the ones most likely to be addressed by the Steamdeck. But do they really want to play their God of War or Elden Ring on a 4K monitor?
I am convinced that a niche is being addressed here, which probably won’t be enough for the Steamdeck to be a profitable business for Valve.
Cloud gaming is also developing further. With streaming via Game Pass or Stadia, you can already play on the go with a smartphone or tablet. That is the cheaper alternative.
Additionally, 2022 will still be dominated by the pandemic. This decreases the need for a powerful console on the go.
Nevertheless, we will see more “clones” of the Switch, of which there are already some. No wonder. The Switch has now sold nearly 100 million units – others also want to nibble at that pie.
4. We will get more AAA mobile games
The whole platform war has been seriously annoying me for years. I look forward to the days when it won’t matter anymore where we play – and those days are probably closer than we realize.
The mega-success Genshin Impact has shown the way. Even with mobile-typical gacha mechanics, Genshin Impact was able to score on PC and consoles. I played it myself on PC at launch and could not visually tell that I was actually playing a mobile game.
Especially with MMORPGs from Asia, we can observe this trend of high-quality mobile games. They often even release for at least PC as well as iOS and Android.
Additionally, mobile gamers are now expecting higher quality in games. Thesmartphone hardware has become increasingly powerful over the years. The graphics of the games are better, and gaming no longer drains so much battery life.
For a few weeks now, I have been playing League of Legends: Wild Rift on my phone and am about to hit 100 hours. In terms of complexity, graphics, and controls, I notice no difference to a console.
I say that in 2022, there will still be a high-quality multiplatform game that approaches the size of Genshin Impact – perhaps even in the MMORPG sector. And we will see more mobile games with the quality of Genshin Impact, Pokémon GO, Call of Duty: Mobile, outside of Diablo Immortal.
5. The Xbox Game Pass will get serious competition
Over 18 million subscriptions can be counted for the Xbox Game Pass today. I personally use the service and must say again and again that it is really good. This allowed me to replay beloved retro gems or discover cool new games like Psychonauts 2.
At the moment, the Xbox Game Pass offers the best value for money in gaming.
But others are certainly not sleeping and want their own Netflix for gaming. I am convinced that we will see at least one truly serious competitor this year. Valve and Sony are promising candidates here.
For us as consumers, it’s of course a good thing to have more options. After all, every service then has to see how to win our gaming hearts!
2022 will be characterized by several controversies solely concerning NFTs. Keywords like “Play-to-Earn” already make one ponder where gaming is headed. Personally, I find it fascinating how large the industry has become and what opportunities are all open.
However, we are also expecting a pretty cool gaming year due to the sheer number of cool games in the pipeline. It will be rather difficult to decide what to play from all of that.
Next year we will see how it all turned out in 2022. What do you think?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Twitch streamer Katiyln “Amouranth” Siragusa has now announced that she has invested 7 million US dollars in a company that is a leader in producing inflatable swimming pools. This suits her, as Amouranth established the “Hot Tub” meta in 2021 on Twitch: she would sit in such a swimming pool in her living room and talk to fans in a bikini.
This is Amouranth on Twitch:
Amouranth is one of the most successful streamers on Twitch, which is partly due to her enormous workload: She is practically always streaming. In the last 30 days, she streamed 323 hours (more than 10 hours per day, not counting weekends and holidays). Even xQc, who is considered a notorious Twitch junkie, is only at 298 hours.
Amouranth considers herself a variety streamer because she showcases different things on Twitch: She dances, plays Mario Kart, licks a microphone during ASMR streams or has shaped the “Hot Tub” meta on Twitch.
In addition to her Twitch stream, Amouranth has built a “social media” empire. She regularly fills her channels on Twitter and Instagram with photos of herself in revealing clothing. On paid channels, there are these photos with even less clothing on her body.
Amouranth buys company that makes inflatable pools
This is the company she bought: On Monday, Amouranth posted on Twitter that if her post received 400 likes, she would reveal what investment she made. It would be crazier than the purchase of the gas station, which she was able to complete cheaply through tax tricks.
The investment turned out to be a company that produces inflatable swimming pools. The company is said to make about 15 million $ in revenue per year and is one of the main suppliers of this product for retailers like Amazon or Cosca.
Amouranth says the company was acquired for about 10 million US dollars, half of the money would be raised through “low-interest loans”. According to Amouranth, she committed to investing 7 million US dollars of her own money over a period of 7 years in the company to become a partner.
Apparently, she believes she acquired the company relatively cheaply, as it had some “weak years” due to the pandemic. She hopes to achieve over 20% return per year from her portfolio of investments. So far, it is going well, and Amouranth is confident that the pool company will work too.
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What is the “Hot Tub meta”? Amouranth’s investment is particularly fitting because such an inflatable pool was a fixed part of her appearance on Twitch for months. She also says that the company produces these “floating lights” that “we Hot Tub girls” use to illuminate the water.
During the so-called “Hot Tub” meta on Twitch, it was customary for female streamers to sit in a pool in their living rooms in swimsuits and chat with their fans from there. Among other things, viewers could donate money to the streamer, and she would write the names of the donors on her body with a marker.
Amouranth shaped this “meta”. However, she apparently did not feel completely comfortable with it. It is said that when her parents visited, she showed them her whole house, but left out the room with the pool.
The idea behind the “Hot Tub” meta was that the nudity rules of Twitch prohibited streamers from streaming in underwear or appearing sexually suggestive, but allowed them to dress appropriately for the occasion. With the idea of “I’m sitting in a pool”, a bikini was deemed appropriate.
More interesting articles about Amouranth on MeinMMO:
Why is Amouranth doing this? The Twitch streamer says she wants to earn a lot of money over Twitch while she is young by maintaining and celebrating the image of a “shameless E-Girl”.
In the long term, she wants to invest her money so that she can financially establish an animal welfare project. The death of her dog has shaken her. She wants to dedicate her life after Twitch to animal welfare, she said. This is also the purpose of these investments.
Video games have often been identified as a cause of problems in the real world. A Russian newspaper accuses games like Destiny and CoD of contributing to unrest in Kazakhstan.
Is that the accusation? The state-funded Russian media company “Komsomolskaya Pravda” published an article about the current unrest in Kazakhstan. Putin sent military troops there to deal with the “anti-government protests.”
The Russian newspaper mentions that young people aged 25–30 are the reason for the protests. They grew up with American video games that deal with destroying symbols of the old USSR. Among these destroyed symbols is the famous cosmodrome “Baikonur,” known to many players of Destiny 1 & 2.
Which games are allegedly responsible? The media company holds four well-known games accountable that supposedly encouraged young people to protest:
Command and Conquer
Frontline: Fuel of War
CoD: Black Ops
Destiny
The cosmodrome in Destiny occupied by hostile species
What reasons are mentioned? Specifically, CoD and Destiny are highlighted. In Black Ops, one had to destroy a missile of the Soviet troops, as well as kill a general of the then USSR. But the newspaper goes further and names the following things that are part of a mission:
In this, the player had to neutralize the guards of the Baikonur Cosmodrome, shoot down the Soyuz-2 rocket, rescue the CIA agent, and eliminate the Soviet General Dragovich, who forced him to work for the Nazi scientists of the USSR after the Great Patriotic War. This liberation mission called “Special Assignment” was written in 2010 by American programmers.
In Destiny, the Cosmodrome, also known as the space graveyard, was supposedly a victim of previous coups before the place was overrun by Fallen and Hive. Through such images and events in these games, young players are allegedly encouraged to act against the Russian system.
The Russian newspaper wrote the following paragraph:
A completely fresh game from a developer in the United States – Destiny, 2014. There, already in the first mission, the Baikonur Cosmodrome is a ruin, and the enemies are aliens. It turns out that scenarios of coups in Kazakhstan were written in the United States 20 years ago.
By the “completely fresh game,” Destiny 1 is meant, which is already almost 8 years old.
Destiny 1 indeed shows the devastated Cosmodrome. However, the Russian newspaper overlooks the fact that Destiny takes place in a post-apocalypse: The entire world of Destiny is a wasteland. Therefore, there does not need to have been a “coup” in Kazakhstan for the Cosmodrome to be devastated – an alien invasion is the more likely cause.
What do you think of these wild claims? Do you believe there is some truth to it and that Destiny is really responsible for the protests? Or can you only grasp your hair at the thought? Let us know!
By the “completely fresh game,” Destiny 1 is meant, which is already almost 8 years old.
Destiny 1 indeed shows the devastated Cosmodrome. However, the Russian newspaper overlooks the fact that Destiny takes place in a post-apocalypse: The entire world of Destiny is a wasteland. Therefore, there does not need to have been a “coup” in Kazakhstan for the Cosmodrome to be devastated – an alien invasion is the more likely cause.
What do you think of these wild claims? Do you believe there is some truth to it and that Destiny is really responsible for the protests? Or can you only grasp your hair at the thought? Let us know!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
What happens when cows are equipped with gaming technology? A cattle breeder has tried it out and presented the surprising results.
This is what happened: A Turkish cattle breeder equipped his cows with VR technology. In harsh winters, cows have to stay in the barn. But the breeder wondered what might happen if he pretended to the animals that they were actually standing on the meadow?
The action is likely to remind many users of the movie “The Matrix”. Some users are already calling it the “Mootrix”.
This is what “Matrix” is about
“Matrix” is a film from 1999. Humans live, without knowing it, in a virtual reality. Here they produce resources for their keepers.
Cows produce more milk with VR technology and are less stressed
The Turkish breeder Izzet Kocak developed the devices together with veterinarians so that the devices fit perfectly on the cow’s head (via kotaku.com). This way it should also be ensured that nothing could happen to the cows. In total, he equipped two cows with such VR devices for his test.
What is the result? The farmer can certainly consider the result a success:
The milk production of the VR cows increased from 22 to 27 liters per day.
Furthermore, the animals are said to be significantly less stressed than before.
Also because the test was so successful, he now wants to buy 10 more headsets for his dairy cows.
What does all this have to do with gaming? VR headsets are mainly used in the gaming sector. They create a virtual world in which the player can fully immerse themselves. This works because the VR experience reduces impressions from the real world, as the player can only see the virtual world through the headset.
This immersion in a virtual world is referred to in technical jargon as “immersion”.
The idea of improving animal production with VR is actually not new. As early as 2019, the Russian government tested VR technology with cows. This primarily aimed to increase milk production in Russia to circumvent certain sanctions on EU food.
Reports from Russia suggest that the experiment was quite successful, and farmers stated that the milk production of the cows had been increased. As with the Turkish farmer, it was also found in Russia that cows are said to feel less fear, and the herd is more peaceful than without technology.
But there are also news in the gaming sector related to VR technology. Sony finally presented the latest VR model for the PS5 at CES 2022 and also introduced an exclusive game for the console.
After about half a year, players in Fortnite apparently have had enough of fleeing Llamas. They are asking: Can we please have the old ones back?
What are Loot Llamas? The Loot Llamas have existed since 2018 in Fortnite. They serve a similar function as the regular loot crates but are significantly rarer. Moreover, they primarily offer support items such as building materials, potions, ammunition, and more in large quantities.
Especially in the late phases of a Battle Royale match, this can be extremely useful.
Previously, there were always 3 Llamas per match on the map waiting to be found. If you caught one, you had to take some time to open it – but at least it was done quietly. However, at the start of Season 7 – Chapter 2 in summer 2021, a change was made.
Not only could you find more Llamas per match now – they also run away!
The change that happened with the Llamas: Before the change, the Llamas were just rare, stationary special crates; now they are living beings that panic when you approach them. Then they bounce away and try to escape from loot-hungry players.
In this case, you can only shoot at the living piñata until it is defeated and drops all its loot.
However, you only have a limited time to catch the Llama once the chase starts. If you take too long, it teleports away and is gone forever.
Additionally, Llamas have quite a bit of health, so they can consume a lot of ammunition initially. Overall, they are significantly more challenging to deal with than before Season 7 – Chapter 2.
And that seems to be irritating some players now.
Criticism of fleeing Llamas – Are they too “dangerous”?
This is what the community says: In the Fortnite subreddit (via reddit), a post with over 2,000 upvotes and more than 250 comments is currently being discussed, titled “Can we finally get the old loot llamas back?”
User “CorbinMar” criticizes several points about the current Llamas. You need too much ammunition to take them down and would also attract other players in the process. In the worst case, you can hardly fight them if you have just used your ammunition on the Llama, but it teleports away at the last moment (via reddit).
In the comments, there is much agreement with the post:
“Yes, they are a trap. Just leave them out,” writes a user (via reddit).
“I used to open Llamas before they started moving. But now I don’t even bother. I just get sniped or taken down by the MK7 while I’m hunting them,” “Sk49captain” shares their bad experiences (via reddit).
“The idea of taking a risk and making noise to get primo loot is great. The problem is that the loot in the Llamas is never worth it,” criticizes user Kazehana_3 (via reddit).
“At first it was fun, not so much the second time, and then it just became annoying. Even worse is when they suddenly teleport into nothingness. I don’t know why that even exists,” says user pizzaredditor (via reddit).
How are players solving the problem? While many players say they would rather skip the Llamas now, some are still finding the loot exciting enough to take the risk.
One solution to the “escape problem” is to sneak up and quickly build a cage around the loot Llama with building materials. However, this is not exactly easy for beginners, and the Llama can still escape quickly before you have built your box.
Another solution is to stick to the loot that the Llama drops while fleeing and not shoot at all. But then you only get a fraction of the possible loot.
What do you think about the topic? Do you think the current loot llamas are good, or would you prefer the old version back? Let us know in the comments!
They ignored the call for backup from a police colleague and preferred to play Pokémon GO instead. Two police officers were fired for this.
What is it about? Two police officers who worked for the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) were fired. Among other reasons, because they were playing the mobile game Pokémon GO (via Kotaku.com).
On April 15, 2017, the two officers Lozano and Mitchell were assigned as patrol for the LAPD.
Both have over 28 years of experience as police officers combined.
Colleagues communicated via radio that a robbery was taking place and requested backup.
The two mentioned officers ignored the request for backup and instead caught Pokémon.
The exact details of the evening have now been shared with the public through new documents.
Surveillance camera records how the cops were looking for Snorlax
This is what happened that evening: While the request for backup was made via radio, the two officers Mitchell and Lozano were not far from the store where the robbery was taking place. A colleague saw the car with the two officers leaving the area after the radio call. Apparently, so that the two officers could play Pokémon GO.
The surveillance camera (DICVS), which is installed in the police vehicles, recorded the evening and what the officers did. The recordings from that evening, together with the lies of the officers regarding the incidents, led to both being fired.
The representatives of Lozano and Mitchell subsequently filed a request to appeal the decision. They argued that using the DICVS material as part of the official investigation of their behavior violated the privacy protections of conversations between officers. On January 7, this appeal was denied. Therefore, there is now a good insight into what happened that day in the police car of the two officers from the official documents from January 2022:
[…] For the next about 20 minutes, the DICVS recorded how the two plaintiffs talked about Pokémon GO while driving to various locations where the virtual creatures apparently appeared on their mobile phones.
On the way to the location of Snorlax, Officer Mitchell pointed out to Officer Lozano that ‘a Togetic just appeared.’ It would be ‘in Crenshaw, south of the 50th.’ After Mitchell apparently caught the Snorlax and shouted, “I got it!”, the two plaintiffs agreed to ‘get the Togetic’ and continued driving.
At the next stop, the DICVS recorded Mitchell saying: ‘Don’t run away. Please don’t run away!’ while Lozano explained how he caught the Togetic [with Ultra Balls] and then exclaimed, ‘I got it!’
Mitchell explained that he was still trying to catch it. ‘Holy crap, man. That thing is fighting like crazy with me. Finally, Mitchell shouted, ‘Holy crap, finally,’ which was apparently a reference to catching Togetic, and he remarked: ‘The guys are going to be so jealous.’
The two plaintiffs then decided to return to the 7-Eleven (where their Sergeant Gomez later met them) to finish their shift. On the way there, Mitchell remarked, ‘I got you a new Pokémon today, buddy.’
In 2017, the hype around Pokémon GO was still very strong. The game had not even been out for a year yet, and special Pokémon that were strong or rare attracted hundreds of players.
By 2022, no one would probably go out of their way for a Snorlax or a Togetic anymore. The Pokémon have become significantly less exciting, and there are much stronger alternatives that can be fought and caught even from home via remote raids.
Call of Duty: Warzone has announced nerfs for its most popular weapons. The LMG Bren and the submachine gun MP40 will take a hit. MeinMMO presents you with suitable alternatives right now.
Are you currently diligently watching your kill cams in Call of Duty: Warzone? Currently, there are 2 main players:
The LMG Bren for long-range kills
The submachine gun MP40 in close combat
However, the developers have already announced that the airtime of the Caldera stars will be cut. Both are about to receive a nerf. So that you are not completely without a suitable role double, we will show you suitable alternatives.
For the Stable LMG Feel – Type 11 Setup
What can the Type 11 do? With the Bren, an LMG currently sits at the top of the food chain in Warzone. The gun is easy to control, deals a lot of damage, and offers decent mobility for an LMG.
If you are looking for a 1-to-1 replacement for the feel of the Bren, we recommend the Type 11 for the time after the nerf. There is a noticeable kickback on the first shots. However, the sustained fire afterwards feels very calm and pleasant. The MG42 is another stable LMG alternative.
CoD Warzone: Type 11 Setup
Muzzle: F8 Stabilizer
Barrel: Sakura 487mm Shrouded
Optic: G16 2.5x
Stock: Warubachi Weighted
Underbarrel: m1941 Hand Stop
Magazine: 6.5mm Sakura 90 Round Drums
Ammunition: Lengthened
Rear Grip: Polymer Grip
Perk: Brace
Perk 2: Fully Loaded
Attachments in English
Muzzle: F8 Stabilizer
Barrel: Sakura 487mm Shrouded
Optic: G16 2.5x
Stock: Warubachi Weighted
Underbarrel: m1941 Hand Stop
Magazine: 6.5mm Sakura 90 Round Drums
Ammunition: Lengthened
Rear Grip: Polymer Grip
Perk: Brace
Perk 2: Fully Loaded
The Assault Rifle Always Remains Cool – BAR Setup
What can the BAR do? If you want to switch back to assault rifles after a Bren nerf, we recommend the BAR.
The weapon is extremely stable and easy to control due to its low fire rate. However, this is also its biggest disadvantage – if you miss a bullet, the time-to-kill goes up significantly.
CoD Warzone: BAR Setup
Muzzle: Recoil Booster
Barrel: CGC 30″ XL
Optic: G16 2.5x
Stock: Cooper SP
Underbarrel: m1941 Hand Stop
Magazine: .50 BMG 40 Round Mag
Ammunition: Lengthened
Rear Grip: Polymer Grip
Perk: Hardscope
Perk 2: Fully Loaded
Attachments in English
Muzzle: Recoil Booster
Barrel: CGC 30″ XL
Optic: G16 2.5x
Stock: Cooper SP
Underbarrel: m1941 Hand Stop
Magazine: .50 BMG 40 Round Mag
Ammunition: Lengthened
Rear Grip: Polymer Grip
Perk: Hardscope
Perk 2: Fully Loaded
Your New Trusted SMG – Type 100 Setup
What can the Type 100 do? Currently, with the MP40, there is a very balanced SMG at the top with a large 45-round magazine. A nerf is likely to hit the weapon hard because it has several advantages over its competitors. Currently, nothing can compare.
However, with a nerf, the cards will be reshuffled, and the Type 100 has already secured a few trump cards. The SMG is very easy to control and also offers respectable damage. The magazine feels a bit small, also due to the high rate of fire. However, reloading is pleasantly quick.
CoD Warzone: Type 100 Setup
Muzzle: F8 Stabilizer
Barrel: Warubachi 134mm Rapid
Optic: Monocular Reflector
Stock: Warubachi Skeletal
Underbarrel: m1941 Hand Stop
Magazine: 8mm Nambu 30 Round Mag
Ammunition: Incendiary
Rear Grip: Stippled Grip
Perk: Gung-ho
Perk 2: Quick
Attachments in English
Muzzle: F8 Stabilizer
Barrel: Warubachi 134mm Rapid
Optic: Monocular Reflector
Stock: Warubachi Skeletal
Underbarrel: m1941 Hand Stop
Magazine: 8mm Nambu 30 Round Mag
Ammunition: Incendiary
Rear Grip: Stippled Grip
Perk: Gung-ho
Perk 2: Quick
The setups are recommended by YouTuber and Warzone expert “P4wnyhof” with small adjustments. If you want to see more information about the weapons and recoil gameplay of the setups, check out his English video (via YouTube).
After the integration of Vanguard and all the new weapons, the weapon meta is slowly calming down. Bren and MP40 are not overly OP, but still strong enough to push aside many other firearms.
It remains to be seen which direction the weapon compass will point after the next balance update. But with our 3 alternatives, you are well-equipped as soon as the nerf brings the two overpowering Bren and MP40 back to reality.
Take-Two is a publisher for some of the biggest and trendiest video game franchises in the world like GTA Online, Red Dead Redemption 2, Borderlands, or Civilization 6. They have now made an acquisition offer for the mobile company Zynga for over 12.7 billion US dollars. That is significantly more than Microsoft paid for Bethesda in 2020. With that money, they could also develop Red Dead Redemption 2 about 23.5 times.
This is the news:
In a conference call yesterday, the CEO announced that Take-Two has made an acquisition offer for Zynga. The offer was 12.7 billion US dollars. This means they are paying a premium of 64% over the current market value of the company behind FarmVille.
Zynga has 45 days to find a better offer. The deal is not yet finalized.
As a result, Zynga’s stock rose considerably by 40.67% – however, Take-Two’s stock fell by 13.13%.
23.5 times Red Dead Redemption 2 – 48 times GTA 5
How much money is that? 12.7 billion US dollars for Zynga is an extremely high amount. The development costs for Red Dead Redemption 2 are estimated to be around 540 million US dollars. Take-Two could finance about 23 times such a major project with the money they are paying for Zynga (via screenrant).
Red Dead Redemption 2 is considered one of the best games of all time.
GTA 5 is said to have cost “only” 265 million US dollars. So for that money, about 48 times could have been possible. (via metro)
Apparently, the extremely high price that Take-Two is offering for Zynga has caused the “Take-Two” stock to drop on the market.
Why is Take-Two doing this? Essentially, they say: Acquiring Zynga promises them around 500 million US dollars in revenue per year in the future that they would not achieve otherwise.
By acquiring the company, they now have a “clear path” to bring their franchises, which previously only ran on PC and consoles, to mobile. In the coming years, it is expected that 50% or more of Take-Two’s revenue will come from mobile. GTA 5 was the big hit here in recent years.
With the acquisition of Zynga, Take-Two acquires a catalog of mobile games like FarmVille, Words with Friends, CSR Racing, Harry Potter: Puzzles and Spells, and many more. In addition, there are the technology and data of the companies. They also gain access to the NFT/Blockchain technology from Zynga.
“I hate that mobile gaming generates so much money”
How is this being discussed? It is being discussed relatively calmly on reddit and viewed from a business perspective. Only occasionally are there top comments that seem more heated:
One user says. “This is almost double what Microsoft paid for Bethesda – it just shows how much money is in the mobile market”
“Now 2 of the largest gaming companies, Activision Blizzard and Take-Two, own 2 of the largest mobile studios in the world, King and Zynga.”
“I hate that mobile gaming generates so much money, and there are maybe 3 mobile games worth playing, and almost all good ones are just ports.”
People are especially surprised by how much money is involved in the deal. In retrospect, the acquisition of King (Candy Crush) by Activision Blizzard seems like a bargain, it is said.
Coming to mobile soon?
Don’t you guys have phones?
What’s behind it: The deal shows the breadth of the gaming market and that gaming is developing in different directions:
On one side, there are AAA games that push the limits of what is possible and create virtual worlds where gameplay seems to have unlimited possibilities. They are milestones of the genre like Red Dead Redemption 2, Skyrim, or GTA Online.
On the other side, there are games that rely on simple gameplay principles, grind mechanics, and microtransactions.
Both types of games exist in the same economic cosmos, even if they target different audiences. In recent years, and probably still now, many fans of traditional PC and console games see the danger that “their games” are being neglected or overshadowed by casual games.
This was seen, for example, in reactions to the announcement of Diablo Immortal at BlizzCon 2018. But the situation seems to have calmed down somewhat. That companies like Take-Two are making such investments for incredibly high sums seems to be becoming the new normal.
This battle for the “one true gaming”, the PC and console gaming, does come up now and then, but has noticeably cooled down.
As the major next project of Take-Two, many fans wish for GTA 6:
The top streamer Disguised Toast was recently banned on Twitch. The reasons seemed to be similar to those of the also recently banned streamer Pokimane: He watched TV series live on stream and apparently received a copyright complaint. However, the supposed duration of the ban is currently shocking the Twitch community.
Who is Disguised Toast? Jeremy “Disguised Toast” Wang is a Canadian streamer. He started his career on YouTube, was live on Facebook for a while, and returned to Twitch in 2021. There he has 2.4 million followers and an average of 10,000 viewers. He is a well-known strategy genius and performed for years only with a quirky toast mask.
This is the ban: Disguised Toast was recently known for watching anime series live on stream with his viewers. But just 20 minutes before the finale of the series Death Note, his account was suddenly locked and Toast banned.
“They could have really waited another 20 minutes,” Toast humorously stated on Twitter when the ban became public on the night from Monday to Tuesday.
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Is Toast’s punishment really 15 times higher than Pokimane’s?
What were the reasons for the ban? Apparently, Toast became the latest high-profile victim of bans due to copyright violations. After all, the series Death Note is not freely available and is actually only available to paying customers.
By providing the series to his fans for free, Toast clearly committed a copyright violation.
How long is Toast gone now? Since Pokimane was only gone for 48 hours, fans expected a similarly short ban. However, a recent tweet from the streamer stated: “See you in a month”.
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This, in turn, is interpreted by many colleagues of the streamer as a 30-day ban. That would be 15 times longer than Pokimane’s ban. Some streamer colleagues are shocked by the supposed severity of this punishment.
Among others, top streamers HasanAbi and Asmongold expressed their condolences. Valkyrae demanded “Free Toast!” and streamer Ludwig suggested going climbing in the mountains together for the month.
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Update: According to streamer Slasher, the ban of Toast is not actually 30 days long, but also only 48 hours, just like with Pokimane. However, a clear statement from Toast himself is still pending. It’s possible that the streamer just wants to take a vacation and has therefore deliberately expressed himself unclearly in his tweet.
xQc snitches on Toast: “He’s much worse than I am”
Interestingly, Toast’s ban came shortly after an angry stream from streamer xQc. He was criticized and mocked online for also streaming copyrighted material. In his stream, he complained that he was being treated unfairly because Toast had streamed much more copyrighted content live.
What are the backgrounds? One reason for the unusually long ban could be that Toast was one of the first streamers to establish streaming series and did so excessively.
Among other things, he streamed entire episodes of the series Naruto and seemed not to care that this content is actually protected by copyrights.
Halo Infinite seems to have another cheating scandal in the pro scene. One pro accuses another of using wall hacks in an online tournament. It was about almost 10,000 euros in prize money.
What happened? Minds, an American esports player in Halo Infinite for the team Built By Gamers, is said to have used cheats. At least that’s what Roman “Druk” Nasirudin, also a Halo pro, claims.
It is alleged to have happened in a weekly online tournament organized by the NFT collective Magic Mushroom Clubhouse. In this tournament, there was $10,000 (approximately €9,000) to be won.
One of the losers now says: There was a cheater among the winners.
Video clips are said to prove wall hacking
What are the allegations? After Minds was able to win the tournament with his team, Druk posted on Twitter and YouTube. There he shows several “suspicious clips” that are said to show Minds cheating. Specifically, these are said to be wall hacks – cheats that reveal the position of opponents through walls.
In Druk’s Twitter thread, you can form your own impression of these scenes. The tweet links to a longer video with several scenes. These clips are said to show that Minds repeatedly targeted, shot at, and reacted to players he shouldn’t have been able to see:
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Druk lost the decisive match against Built by Gaming by the narrowest margin: 50 to 49. He says that this is also due to a cheater on the opposing team.
Nickmercs, a well-known streamer and pro player with the esports team FaZe, has also reacted to these clips. He also finds Minds suspicious and writes: “Isn’t that the guy who beat us in Rivals?” (via Twitter).
Druk also says that Minds was already banned from another Halo tournament on January 9, 2022, after evidence of cheats was supposedly presented (via Twitter). The player from the Pioneers team does not provide evidence for these claims.
Defendant player denies allegations
How does the accused respond? Minds also reacted in a tweet to the allegations. There he writes:
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I am very sad about the cheating allegations that were made against me today. I am not a cheater and take this game very seriously and would never jeopardize my career with cheats. I am open to all necessary investigations.
The accused Halo pro Minds on Twitter
The tournament organizers have not yet made an official statement.
However, these cheating allegations are not the first in Halo Infinite. Recently, there was a cheating scandal in this young esports scene. In a tournament hosted by the Halo developers, a player from the team Sentinels was found guilty and temporarily suspended:
The new Nintendo Switch OLED features the namesake OLED display. But what about burn-in effects? A YouTuber tested what happens when you leave your Switch running for over 2 months.
What is the Nintendo Switch OLED? The Nintendo Switch OLED is the latest model of Nintendo’s handheld console. Nintendo equipped the model with an OLED display. The first reviews of the Switch OLED are generally positive, praising the good display and vibrant colors.
However, some users are concerned that the OLED display has its downsides. OLED displays come with a risk of burn-in effects.
What is burn-in anyway? Burn-in on an OLED TV refers to when static content like TV logos or banners “burn” into the screen. A kind of shadow then remains on the image. This is due to the light crystals used in the display.
On the Nintendo Switch, there are indeed static menus. In games, there are certain areas that are permanently displayed, such as the user interface of specific games. But how high is the risk for the Nintendo Switch OLED?
YouTuber Wulff Den conducted the test and let the Switch run for 75 days. You can watch the full video here:
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After 2000 hours of continuous operation, there are “no noticeable burn-in marks” on the Switch
What are the results of the test? The YouTuber checked the Switch before and after the test. And his results are surprisingly positive:
On one hand, he could not find any burn-in marks on his console.
The colors are still as vibrant as before.
However, he points out that the brightness has decreased slightly and some color tones have developed a slight green tint.
The YouTuber explains in his video that this is not a major problem. Most users shouldn’t worry when they are playing intensively on their Switch:
If you’re worried about OLED screen burn-in on your Switch because you’ve spent 2000 hours in a game, you can relax a little. I don’t think that poses a practical problem for anyone.
The Nintendo Switch OLED has also tested gamers worldwide with some features. Some users noticed that there is a thin film on the surface, and some buyers have already attempted to remove this film. Nintendo, however, has clearly pointed out that you should definitely leave this film on:
Albion Online is among the most successful MMORPGs in 2022, focusing on PvP. We provide you with some tips in this guide to help you get started in the game as best as possible in Germany.
What can you expect in Albion Online? Albion Online is a sandbox MMORPG with PvP in an open world, at least when you reach higher areas. In the strongest endgame areas – the Outlands – there is also full loot. You can lose your equipment and your inventory.
Nevertheless, the game enjoys great popularity in 2022. This is partly because the game systems and gameplay are very well thought out. In recent years, many good contents have been implemented, including random dungeons, a revision of the Outlands, and new content for your own hideouts.
In order for you to get started in Albion Online without major problems, we have compiled this beginner’s guide for you. If you want to find out more about the game in general, you can find a current preview report here:
Where can I play Albion Online? You can play the sandbox MMORPG on PC or mobile via Android and iOS. You can find the download on the official website (via Albion Online).
What does Albion Online cost? The MMORPG itself is free to play. After the download, you can start immediately.
However, there is an optional subscription for 10.70 euros per month, which gives you more resources, gold, experience points, learning points, and a 50% discount on market taxes.
Additionally, you can buy some special skins in the shop and gold for real money. The gold can, in turn, be exchanged for in-game currency at the marketplace with other players.
Premium players and those who invest real money have an advantage at first glance, but everything can also be earned in the game itself through grind, even the premium buff.
The Start: No Classes, Iso Perspective, and an Unusual Combat System
How does the entry into Albion Online work? At the beginning, you create a character. However, the editor is not very extensive. You choose from 9 male and 9 female models to select a basic character, after which you can choose hair, beard, and accessories.
There are no classes in Albion Online. Your playstyle is determined by the weapons, armor, and the destiny board, which is essentially your talent tree.
The character editor is rather simple.
After character creation, you can and should play the tutorial to learn the basics. This includes the somewhat unusual controls for MMORPGs. In Albion Online, you view your character from above and control it by clicking with the mouse buttons. By clicking on enemies, you also execute auto-attacks.
The keys Q, W, E are your three standard attacks, determined by the weapon. With them, you primarily deal damage. Further interactions are provided by the following keys:
R – A skill on the chest piece
D – A skill on the headpiece
F – A skill on the shoes
A – Mount Up
1 – Potion
2 – Buff Food
What effects do the different armors have? Depending on which armor types you wear, you can expect different advantages:
Cloth armor has low defense but high damage bonuses
Leather armor offers a good balance of offense and defense
Plate armor has high defense but lower damage bonuses
The abilities on each armor are also different. Light armor has more offensive effects, while heavy armor provides more defensive effects. In medium armor, there are useful effects like additional movement speed or invisibility.
What is the maximum armor in Albion? The armor in Albion Online ranges from Tier 1 to Tier 8. Additionally, you can enhance it with up to 3 passive effects. The maximum armor is therefore called Tier 8.3.
How does the overall combat system of Albion Online work? In Albion Online, you must actively select your enemy with a mouse click and then attack them. Normal attacks are performed automatically by the character. You can supplement these with your weapon abilities.
However, in Albion, it’s less about cycling through rotations and mindlessly attacking foes. Instead, you need to constantly dodge the enemy telegraphs and keep moving. It’s also important to interrupt enemies at the right moments. This is what makes the combat system exciting.
You should definitely move out of such effect circles.
Character Development and New Skills: The Destiny Board
How do I learn new skills? Pressing the B key opens the destiny board. This is fundamentally important for all game systems, as it unlocks new crafting levels, new equipment, new skills, and even the difficult expeditions. Those who understand the destiny board essentially know how to play Albion Online.
To unlock a higher level in any area, you often need to repeat the old content:
If you want to become the perfect archer, you must first defeat enemies of Tier 2 or higher with a novice’s bow until you have collected 5,000 fame. Then you can distribute a learning point and rank up in archery.
After that, you must defeat enemies of Tier 3+ with a novice’s bow or better until you have collected 25,157 fame. After that, you can rank up again.
In the end, you can then specialize in a specific bow, such as a longbow or war bow. For that, you must also defeat enemies again.
With each level reached, you unlock new tiers, new skills, and damage bonuses for the respective weapon.
You will experience the same grind with the armor (cloth, leather, plate), gathering professions, crafting professions, and generally adventurer content, to unlock new activities like endgame dungeons.
The branches become more numerous and specific the longer you play.
However, you need learning points to unlock each node:
Free-to-play characters can earn a maximum of 10 learning points per day through adventure challenges. These missions include daily gathering, refining resources, or defeating enemies. You will see them directly in the interface under quests.
Premium players automatically receive 30 learning points per day and can earn another 10.
After completing the tutorial, you will receive 100 learning points that you can use first.
Can I reset learning points? No, if you have misallocated your learning points, you cannot reset them. So think carefully in advance about how you want to spend the points. There is a button that automatically allocates points, but we would advise you against using it.
Can all skills on the destiny board be unlocked? Yes, but it takes a lot of time and you have to grind extensively. However, there are players who have unlocked all skills.
How do I equip skills? Once you have equipped a weapon, you can choose from various skills for the keys Q, W, and E. You simply click on the equipped weapon. At first, you won’t have much choice, but later you will learn some additional skills until you have unlocked the maximum number of skills at T4.
The same applies to your armor.
In the inventory, you can change the skills.
Information on Crafting and Trading
How does crafting work exactly? In Albion Online, there are 5 different types of raw materials: wood, stone, ore, leather, and wool. You can easily gather these in the open world or you have to skin animals for the leather that you have previously killed.
However, certain materials are only found in specific areas. The particularly rare resources can also only be found in the endgame zones. You will also need stronger gathering tools later on to obtain the rarer materials.
Keep in mind that you only have a limited number of inventory slots and inventory weight and that you only need to have the tools in the inventory and not equip them.
The gathered raw materials can first be refined at various crafting stations and then processed into new equipment. However, the processing at the smith resembles more of a purchasing system.
Does trading play an important role? Yes, because Albion Online relies on a special crafting system, where you always have to craft the lower-quality items for higher-quality items first. This way, even low-level players can sell their materials well at the trading post, as high-end players do not necessarily grind in low-level areas.
On the other hand, you need a lot of silver at the beginning to repair equipment or buy your own land.
Furthermore, the MMORPG does not rely on classic NPC traders. If you want to make something into gold, you must put it up for sale at the trading post. The marketplaces are not connected, and there are different offers in each city.
The only exception is the black market in Caerleon. There you can sell items to NPCs, who then turn those items into loot from mobs. Depending on the equipment, there is even a chance of getting better prices there than in the player marketplace.
Getting the first mount: In Albion Online, you learn what mounts are during the tutorial and get your first mount for 3 silver. If you want to earn faster mounts later, you can buy them at the trading post.
Shortly after the tutorial, however, the priority should be to get a new mount. Either the faster horse mount or a pack mount if you enjoy gathering and crafting. You can get mounts easiest through the marketplace in the game.
However, keep in mind that you must have unlocked the adventurer’s apprentice on the destiny board to use these mounts.
The pack mounts are super useful and a must-have.
The Different Areas, First Dungeons, and First PvP Content
How are the areas structured in Albion Online? After the tutorial, you land in the “Royal Continent”. You will be busy on this island for a long time. Areas in Albion Online are instanced and are divided into cities – where fighting is not allowed – and areas.
First, you explore the low-level areas marked blue where there is no PvP and you also do not lose any items. However, over time, this changes:
Higher areas are marked yellow. There, you can optionally fight against each other if you opt for PvP.
The red areas are PvP areas. Here, you can expect some action in fights against other players, and you will lose equipment, inventory, and your mount if you are defeated by a player. You keep only your silver.
In black areas, it’s basically all about PvP. You are automatically flagged and will also lose your inventory, equipment, and mount upon death. However, you can only find these areas in the Outlands, another island in the north of the map.
However, you can only find the best resources in the game in these black areas. This adds a certain thrill.
An excerpt of the map of Albion Online.
While you can open the large map with the “M” key, you should also know that you can open the maps for a specific area or dungeon with the “N” key.
What should I do first after the tutorial? Basically, you are well advised to first complete the assigned quests in the first city. They will give you your first tasks and further explanations about the game.
One of these quests will lead you to the first personal expeditions. You can enter these through a portal in the cities.
In the dungeons, you will encounter many mobs and bosses in between. You will also unlock checkpoints during a dungeon where you can respawn. You can experience your first dungeon in Albion Online after about 15 to 20 minutes if you get through the tutorial quickly.
In general, dungeons are a good source of income to quickly earn silver. You can run the first dungeons solo, later group dungeons are also possible.
The first portals for dungeons can be found in a city.
The next level after the dungeons in the cities are the dungeons in the open world. These are also portals that you have to find first. It is recommended to have a T3 gear set to enter these.
Solo dungeons shine green on the map
Group dungeons shine blue
The first expedition of the day will also reward you with a seal that you can either sell at the marketplace or keep for later armor upgrades.
But be careful: In higher areas, players who flag for PvP can also join a dungeon and attack you. This can be a lot of fun but also annoying. After all, you might lose your equipment upon death.
Why is losing equipment in Albion Online not so bad? Equipment in Albion Online is seen by many more as a resource, similar to potions in other MMORPGs. In Albion, you can quickly advance to T4 or T5 armor.
Many players use this gear to gather in red and black areas. With T4 armor, you have unlocked all available skills. If you lose it through PvP, it doesn’t hurt as much, and you just build a new one.
The higher and stronger armors are then used for playing content where you do not lose the equipment or where the rewards are so great that the risk is worth it. Otherwise, they just stay permanently in the bank.
As a rule of thumb: Do not go into a zone where you could lose your gear that is worth more than 10% of your total money.
What does Albion offer in terms of housing? In Albion Online, you can buy your own island. You will need a premium account for this, but only for the purchase itself. It can then expire, and you will keep your island.
After the purchase, you can build buildings on the island, including crafting buildings like a forge or agricultural areas like fields or herb gardens. However, you will need a lot of silver and various materials for this.
Alternatively, there are lots in cities that you can acquire and build a house on. However, space is limited, so you have to wait for auctions.
On your own island, you can set up crafting stations and other things.
General Tips for Beginners
In this section, we gather some general but short tips for newcomers:
You can see which resources you can find in the respective area on the map.
Generally, it is cheaper to buy a mount in the marketplace than to breed one.
If you hold down “ALT,” you use abilities on yourself, such as healing.
With the “V” key, you open an interface to change your appearance or that of your armor.
Important Settings You Should Make
What is important in the settings? Basically, you should adjust your settings in a way that works best for you. However, we can recommend a few useful settings.
Under General, it’s advisable to check the box for “Skip Intro Video” after the first view to get into the game faster. It’s also usually more relaxing for your eyes to uncheck “Screen Shaking,” as the shaking can be very tiring.
In the Controls section, you should switch the mouse pointer to “Crystal”, as this is the most visible. It’s also useful to check the option “Double Click to Attack.” This prevents you from accidentally attacking an enemy when you actually just wanted to run.
In the Social section, you should disable duel invitations if you are not interested in them. It is also advisable to activate “Automatically Decline Guild Invitations.” Invitations are often spammed, but especially at the beginning, you should not join a guild as this is linked to taxes and the benefits for you are rather minimal. You can also activate or deactivate a profanity filter there.
A useful option is “Double Click to Attack”.
Useful Chat Commands: If you enter /fps in the chat, you can permanently see your frames per second bottom left on the map. With /ping, you can activate or deactivate the ping display.
Typing /help also provides many explanations about the game itself.
What Does the Endgame of Albion Online Offer?
The endgame of Albion Online is somewhat what you make of it. After all, Albion prides itself on being a sandbox MMORPG. This aimlessness can lead to losing fun in the game. Therefore, we reveal what you can generally do in the endgame.
Endgame PvP: Albion offers a rich array of PvP content in the endgame. For example, you can:
Run alone in black zones and gank other players
Fight with a guild for control of outposts
Play in the Crystal League. This involves 5v5 arena battles where the equipment level doesn’t play too strong a role.
The pinnacle is leading your own guild or PvP team.
Become a Crafting Expert: One of the special features of Albion Online is its economic system. Even the drops in the open world were made by players who then sold their items on the black market. Therefore, crafting plays an important role.
Many players therefore focus entirely on the gathering/crafting aspect of the game.
Farming PvE content: There are also several tasks for PvE fans.
You can generate a steady income through the dungeons in blue and especially the T5 dungeons in yellow zones without risking losing your items to other players.
There are hardcore expeditions in the cities that are difficult and have no PvP.
If you want it really hard, you can also run T7 to T8 dungeons. However, there is PvP here.
Furthermore, there are the Avalonian Dungeons for groups of 12 to 20 players. PvP also exists here.
Additionally, there are now mobs in the open world that become stronger the longer they are left untouched. These can also be farmed as a solo player or in small groups.
What do you think about Albion Online? Do you enjoy playing this MMORPG? And do you have any more tips and tricks for beginners that we could add? Feel free to share them in the comments.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
PlayerUnknown‘s Battlegrounds, now officially known as PUBG: Battlegrounds, is now free-to-play on all platforms. MeinMMO tells you everything you need to know.
Without PUBG, battle royales might not be the huge phenomenon they are today. Today, the genre is dominated by Fortnite, CoD Warzone, and Apex Legends – but the hype really started with PUBG. The competition for PUBG has had a huge advantage over the trendsetter so far: the other popular BRs are all free-to-play.
Now Bluehole Studios follows suit and makes PUBG free too. On PS4, PS5, Steam, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S you can download the battle royale for free.
For PlayStation players, there’s a small caveat: Since the game is rated 16+, it costs 25 cents in the Playstation Store, like other free-to-play games with this age restriction. This is intended to prevent minors from accessing the game.
Can I play the game immediately? No. Although you can download PUBG for free on all platforms now, the game’s servers are under maintenance for a while. This is to prepare the servers for the switch to a F2P model. You can start on Wednesday, January 12.
The trendsetter of battle royales is now F2P
What makes PUBG special? After PUBG’s release in 2017, the game was a massive hit on Steam and Twitch, and to this day it remains one of the most played shooters on Steam. It is also a phenomenon on smartphones with PUBG Mobile.
PUBG wasn’t the first BR, but it almost single-handedly brought the genre to the gigantic size it is today. With the switch to a F2P model, even more players should be able to play PUBG – until now, the game cost €29.99.
Here you can see gameplay scenes of the battle royale classic
Is the game completely free? No. While you can play the base game without issues, you need to purchase a DLC for access to ranked matches and custom games.
This DLC is called Battlegrounds Plus. It includes access to the aforementioned modes as well as some cosmetic bonuses and in-game currency for further skins. The price of the DLC is €12.99. Players who purchased PUBG before the transition to the free-to-play model will receive Battlegrounds Plus with a few cosmetics right away.
You can already download it for free, and from January 12 you can also play.
Why it made it to our list of the 15 best multiplayer shooters of 2022 five years after release, you can find out here:
