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The 8 Best Games in the Xbox Game Pass Over the Holidays – Something for Everyone

Marko Jevtic 24. December 2021 Reading time 8 minutes

The Xbox Game Pass is one of the best gifts you can give yourself or your loved ones this Christmas, thanks to a massive selection of great games. MeinMMO author Marko Jevtic recommends something from the subscription service for every type of player.

For me, Christmas means one thing above all: lots of free time. Accordingly, I always plan to play a few games during the holidays that I don’t have time for in my daily stress.

This year, the Xbox Game Pass will especially help me with that. Therefore, I want to recommend 8 games from the Game Pass that can fill your quiet hours during the Christmas days.

About the author Marko Jevtic: I am the shooter expert at MeinMMO, but in my private life, I play just about everything: Since my earliest childhood, I’ve played anything I find remotely interesting. The more mechanical depth and creativity a game offers, the more excited I am about it.

This love for video games manifests not only in my job at MeinMMO. I am also currently writing a dissertation on narratological aspects in video games. Therefore, I am professionally, academically, and privately interested not only in the best gameplay but also in the deepest and most exciting stories in gaming.

What is the Xbox Game Pass? The Xbox Game Pass can be understood as a kind of Netflix for games : Microsoft offers you a subscription that includes over 100 games for Xbox One as well as Xbox Series X|S and PC. This year alone, games worth over €5,000 have been added, including big titles from Microsoft like Halo Infinite right on launch day. The game offerings differ between PC and console.

The Game Pass is available on PC and Xbox consoles for €9.99 per month. The Game Pass Ultimate gives you access to PC and console games and costs €12.99 monthly. With the deals presented by us, you can get the Game Pass even cheaper.

All versions of the Game Pass can also be canceled monthly. Both the PC Game Pass and Game Pass Ultimate also include a subscription for EA Play. This allows you to play selected games from EA.

How did I choose the games? Besides the fact that the games should be available on the Game Pass, I had 4 criteria that were very important to me when choosing:

The games must have personally excited me.
These games should be extensive, as you will have more time to play them through during the holidays than in daily life.
They must be playable on all devices – this includes the cloud, so you can also play the games through an Android or Apple device.
There should be something for every type of player.

If you already know the main selection, it was also important to me to recommend at least one alternative. This increases the chances that you will find something exciting.

[toc]

1. For the Couch Co-op: It Takes Two

Playable on: Xbox (requires Game Pass Ultimate for EA Play), PC, Cloud | Metacritic rating: 89 %

For me, It Takes Two is one of the best games of 2021. This co-op game is perfect right now when visiting family or your partner during the Christmas holidays. However, the title is meant to be taken literally: It Takes Two can only be played in co-op.

It Takes Two is extensive, and each player has their own fun mechanics in each of the many levels. This not only provides a lot of variety, but you also need to communicate with each other constantly. Only then can you solve the clever puzzles in the game and handle the action.

The whole thing is crowned by partially stunning graphics, clever puzzles, and a very good story with plenty of charm and humor. An absolute top recommendation in the Game Pass.

Alternative Recommendation: Unravel Two

Unravel Two is also a great co-op platformer. Here, too, players need to communicate a lot to complete the many jump-and-run segments. While Unravel Two is not as extensive as It Takes Two or packed with great ideas, it’s still a lot of fun. You will also need a subscription with EA Play for this game.

Both games are our top recommendations for couch co-op games in 2021.

2. For the Online Co-op: Deep Rock Galactic

Playable on: Xbox, PC, Cloud | Metacritic rating: 85 %

In Deep Rock Galactic, you play as heavy-drinking space dwarves who dig for valuable stones together. That’s already a damn good reason to try the game. However, the game with the dwarves is also a huge amount of fun content-wise. That’s why it’s one of the best co-op games in recent years.

For me, the best thing about this co-op shooter is the pacing: between intense waves where you have to shoot aliens, there are many completely quiet moments. In those, you can have pleasant conversations, discuss tactics, or reminisce – before it all starts again.

This way, you don’t always have to give commands in gamer language and make callouts – you can also just spend an evening together with occasional alien bugs. And frequently shout: Rock and Stone!

Alternative Recommendation: Sea of Thieves

The pirate simulator Sea of Thieves takes place on a vast open sea. There, you encounter skeletons, sea monsters, or other players, but above all, you spend time with your crew on a ship. Together, you can search for treasures, capsize boats, blast yourselves out of a cannon – or drink until you drop while you play and sing sea shanties together. It’s a hell of a lot of fun and a great evening filler.

3. For the Optimizers: Hades

Playable on: Xbox, PC, Cloud | Metacritic rating: 93 %

Hades has won many awards, including many awards for Game of the Year 2020. Recently, it also became the first game ever to win a Hugo Award for literature (via Eurogamer). I also love this game: It’s the perfect mix of story, gameplay, music, and addictive factor.

As a roguelite, you always have to start again in Hades – whether after a death or after a victory. The individual abilities and level layouts in each run are randomly generated. Unlike most roguelites, however, the story of the game also develops further with each restart: so you always feel like you are making progress.

A successful run takes under half an hour with some practice. However, to get good at the game, you have to learn some lessons and unlock things. That’s what makes Hades as fun as few other games, which is why I can recommend it unconditionally here.

Alternative Recommendations: Slay the Spire & Monster Train

Because Hades is so popular, many may already know it, I will recommend 2 games here at once. While they are similar in many respects, they have their own great strengths. And since both are in the Game Pass, I also recommend playing both.

Both Slay the Spire and Monster Train are deck-building roguelites. You assemble a deck of cards over the course of a run, with which you create strategies. Both games place very little emphasis on story but are absolute strategic delights. You can really get into both games and play them almost endlessly.

4. For the Explorers: Hollow Knight

Playable on: Xbox, PC, Cloud | Metacritic rating: 90 %

Hollow Knight is breathtakingly beautiful, incredibly atmospheric – and quite hard. A popular summary of the game is that it is a kind of Dark Souls as a Metroidvania. And while that’s quite accurate, the game is much more than just that.

Metroidvanias are probably my personal favorite genre. Hollow Knight is probably the best I have played from the genre. Incredibly clever gameplay and map design ensure that you always discover something exciting and important – no matter how far you stray from the planned path.

I can’t praise the graphics and atmosphere of Hollow Knight enough. It is also extensive – you should budget at least 50 hours. You must play this game.

Alternative Recommendation: Supraland

The Supraland, developed in Germany, is my Metroidvania secret tip. It is also an excellent puzzle game and often resembles Portal – both in content and quality.

5. For the Problem Solvers: Prey

Playable on: Xbox, PC, Cloud | Metacritic rating: 82 %

The specialists from Arcane have developed one of the best games in the “immersive sim” genre with Prey. Every problem in the game – whether a closed door, an enemy, or a puzzle – has several possible solutions. Because every mechanic in the game is so versatile, it can be used in many clever ways.

As long as you’re creative enough, mechanically skilled enough, and have enough resources, you can solve a problem in multiple ways equally. For example, the first weapon in the game can freeze enemies – or build an improvised staircase so you can easily bypass the enemy.

The first half hour of the game is also one of the absolute best moments I have ever experienced in a game. After that, you can expect a great mix of survival horror and intelligent science fiction.

Alternative Recommendation: The Dishonored Games

Also grandiose ‘immersive sims’ and also by developer Arcane are the Dishonored games. In the role of a supernaturally gifted assassin, you can slaughter, sneak, and/or teleport through a steampunk world – just as you like. If you only have time for one game, Dishonored 2 is the best choice.

6. For the Looters: Outriders

Playable on: Xbox, PC, Cloud | Metacritic rating: 74 %

Because Outriders divides the player community, I recommend it here. For me, it’s a great looter shooter with very good gameplay – MeinMMO colleague Tarek Zehrer has a similar opinion. The Game Pass provides the perfect excuse to test this game. Thanks to the latest fantastic update, there are also many reasons to get into it now.

The biggest strengths of the game are the 4 classes and the associated build possibilities. This makes the game incredibly fun in co-op. So if you can convince another Game Pass user to shoot with you, you will have a lot of fun with Outriders.

Alternative Recommendation: Minecraft Dungeons

If you find Outriders too dark in terms of story and atmosphere, Minecraft Dungeons is also a very good choice. It doesn’t have the gameplay depth of Outriders or Diablos, but especially in couch co-op, the game offers surprisingly entertaining looter action.

7. For the Drivers: Forza Horizon 5

Playable on: Xbox, PC, Cloud | Metacritic rating: 92 %

I must admit that I’m not a car fan. The fact that I know the difference between a rim and a tire is already a surprise. When I play racing games, it’s only Burnout, Mario Kart, or F-Zero.

Forza Horizon 5 still grabbed me. This is not only because trying it out was risk-free thanks to Game Pass. The game has great graphics, and the gameplay is a perfect mix of arcade adrenaline rushes and realistic attention to detail. Additionally, the game knows how to motivate the player with constant rewards.

Alternative Recommendation: Snowrunner

Snowrunner is a very special “car game” because it’s not primarily about being fast. Instead, it’s about struggling through an unwelcoming landscape with huge vehicles. The game is remarkably comparable to Death Stranding, as in both games, movement itself is the challenge. This can require a lot of patience, but leads to unique feelings of success.

8. For the Diligent: Stardew Valley

Playable on: Xbox, PC, Cloud | Metacritic rating: 90 %

At the beginning of this pandemic, MeinMMO demon Cortyn found refuge in Stardew Valley. For the once again difficult times around this Christmas, I recommend the game as well – but not just as a way to isolate from reality.

Stardew Valley is a sweet classic farming simulator. It’s therefore more comparable to Harvest Moon than with games for tractor enthusiasts. Accordingly, you slowly try to develop an old, rundown farm into an agricultural masterpiece. Along the way, you also build relationships with the villagers.

Those who enjoy putting things in order and structuring will have a lot – and a long time – of fun in Stardew Valley. The game also has multiplayer.

Alternative Recommendations: Minecraft & Terraria

My alternative recommendations should be familiar to everyone, but I want to mention them here again. Because if you haven’t played the games yet – or haven’t had serious time for them – this holiday season is a very good time. Minecraft and Terraria are not without reason among the most popular games of all time.

Terraria is in 2D perspective and comparatively places more emphasis on fighting and exploring dark depths. Minecraft plays in first-person perspective and emphasizes building itself more clearly. Both games can entertain for years – this holiday season could be the start of a lasting passion thanks to Game Pass.

Even though there are many more games in the Game Pass that I like: These are the 8 games plus alternatives that I especially recommend for the holidays. There should be something for every type of player.

Is one of these games perhaps already a favorite of yours? Do you have any other recommendations? Do you perhaps feel that this list doesn’t quite resonate with you? Let me know in the comments. I am very happy about any new recommendation I receive – and every other that I can make.

If you’re also looking for the best single-player shooters for the holidays, I have a list for you:

The 10 best single-player shooters under €20 – perfect for the Christmas season

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

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FIFA 22: Winter Wildcards Team 2 with the next, crazy cards is here

Max Handwerk 23. December 2021 Reading time 2 minutes

In FIFA 22, the Winter Wildcards event progresses to the next round. We show you what to expect from the event today.

What’s happening in FIFA 22? The Winter Wildcards event has been running since Friday, December 17, and has brought alongside a first promo team numerous player SBCs and various tokens that you need to earn. So there’s a lot going on in Ultimate Team.

What happens today? On Thursday, December 23, the “Winter Wildcards Team 2” will be released at 7:00 PM and will then be in the Packs of FIFA 22. It will appear a day earlier than we are usually used to from FIFA events, which normally bring new content on Fridays.

What can we expect? Basically, the second team consists of 11 cards. The first “Wildcard” team was characterized by the fact that there is no specific aspect that is changed across the whole team, but each card can be individually altered. This applies to the second team as well.

This means: You can expect position changes on some cards, while others may receive boosts to skill moves or weak foot. Additionally, all cards will get boosts to the overall rating and certain individual stats.

Here is the Winter Wildcards Team 2

Which cards are included? The new team features some strong, improved cards. However, the highly anticipated Ibrahimovic is (for now) not included. The team includes:

Romain Alessandrini (86)
Lucas Moura (88)
Raheem Sterling (90 and 4 Star Weak Foot)
Martial (88 and 5 Star Weak Foot)
Eden Hazard (88)
Guendouzi (86 and 4 Star Weak Foot)
Morales (86)
Florenzi (85)
Collins (85)
Soyuncu (86)
Tierney (86)

Whether more cards will be added remains to be seen in the coming days.

What’s next? In addition to the event team, new objectives will surely go online again, which may bring special cards and rewards. Moreover, more tokens should be released, which can be obtained via SBC or objectives – after all, there should be a total of 24. From December 26, you can exchange your Wildcard tokens.

In addition to the current event, the Icon Swaps continue as well. Tips for the Icon Swaps token can be found here!

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Twitch founder opens NFT site, fraudsters steal 132,000 € – thanks the hacker

Schuhmann 23. December 2021 Reading time 3 minutes

Justin Kan is a co-founder of the popular streaming service Twitch. In 2007, he broadcast his life live on “Justin.tv”. Now, he has launched a website focused on the new technology NFT, known for attracting scammers. Indeed, they hacked the Discord of his site and scammed unsuspecting customers.

Who is Justin Kan?

The 38-year-old is an American internet pioneer and entrepreneur who made a major breakthrough 14 years ago.
In 2007, at the age of 23, Justin Kan launched a live video feed featuring a camera mounted on his head, streaming his life. This real-life “Truman Show” lasted about 8 months.
From this idea, the video platform Justin.tv was created in 2007, named after him. From Justin.tv, the streaming platform Twitch emerged in 2011, which was purchased by Amazon in 2014 for $970 million. It is estimated that each of the 4 founders of Twitch earned around $120 million at that time. Kan’s fortune is currently estimated at $100 million (via celebritynetworth).

More on the topic

Destiny 2 Developer Explains Why the Gaming Trend 2021 Makes Gaming Worse

von Schuhmann

“Next Step in Gaming”

That was the idea of his new site: In December, Justin Kan launched the website “Fractal”, a marketplace for NFTs. In a blog post, he referred to it as the “Next Step in Gaming”, stating that NFTs could now generate “unimaginable value” for players and the ecosystem. (via medium)

Players would now truly own the value of their in-game items through NFTs.

Fractal was supposed to play an important role in this new world as a marketplace that would be an “open platform” for freely trading digital goods.

What Went Wrong? Scammers hacked Fractal’s Discord and left a message stating that they had 3,333 NFTs for sale.

As reported by a Twitch reporter, the scammers managed to sell almost all of these NFTs, 3,294.

However, these NFTs did not exist; it was all a scam. The link the scammers posted did not lead to Fractal but to “Fractai”.

People incurred losses of $150,000, about €132,000. There are many angry messages from scammed buyers demanding their money back.

One user stated: He lost all his money, which was exactly 1 Sol. That is now gone. He wants his Sol back – he is poor.

A Sol (SOL) is a cryptocurrency currently valued at €163.44.

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Kan warned customers about his own Discord.

Company Thanks Hackers for the PR – Compensates Customers

This is how the company reacts: In a message to buyers, it states that 373 community members were scammed, and the hackers stole 800 Sol worth about $150,000.

It is indeed impressive that out of 100,000 community members, only about 0.3% fell for the scam.

Fractal reported early that it wanted to rectify the situation and later stated that it had replaced every Sol lost. The company even goes further and thanks the hacker, saying that he made the community “stronger.”

Moreover, they appeared on the website “Techcrunch” twice – so everything is great. It’s like “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”

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Twitch Founder Complains About Stupid Gaming Press

This is how Kan reacts to the criticism: The gaming press in the U.S. – like many players – critically observes the current trend toward NFTs. Especially the site Kotaku continually mocks NFTs. For them, it’s almost logical that NFT buyers get scammed. The authors of gaming sites are particularly critical of the environmental impact of NFTs and enjoy when an NFT model turns out to be a scam.

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A post about the scam on his site, Kan bitterly comments: The reporters created nothing of value and now laugh at the victims of the hack. The press is a “bankrupt institution that interests no one anymore.” The gaming press is anyway irrelevant; people learn about new games through YouTube or Twitch.

Currently, some players are resisting “the future of gaming”, which Kan sees in NFTs:

Reactions to the new NFT microtransaction are so bad that Ubisoft hides the video.

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

Source(s):

kotaku

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MMORPG New World shrinks from 485 to 135 servers – Looking forward to the future

Schuhmann 23. December 2021 Reading time 2 minutes

The MMORPG New World (Steam) has closed almost three-quarters of its servers. From 485 servers, it is down to 135. The head of the game, Scot Lane, looks optimistically towards the future and says they are very satisfied with the current player participation. He expects great things ahead.

This is the situation:

The MMORPG New World was bursting at the seams upon its release in September 2021 on Steam. The rush was huge. The servers could only hold relatively few players, estimated at around 2000 – thus the few servers at launch quickly filled up. Players complained about the endless time they had to spend in the waiting queue.
In the first days after release, Amazon constantly launched new servers, especially in Germany, where the demand for new servers was huge. By October, New World suddenly had 45 servers recommended for German players.
However, after a few weeks, the player count decreased drastically. There wasn’t much to do in the MMORPG. Now players complained they were stuck on “dead” servers and could no longer enjoy the MMORPG. Soon came the large server consolidation.

More on the topic

The CEO of New World says about the rapidly falling player numbers on Steam – 83% less

von Schuhmann

How many servers are left in New World? Of the 485 servers, only 135 remain. Most of them are in Europe:

Europe – 61 servers (previously 203)
North America (East) – 38 servers (previously 158)
North America (West) – 14 servers (previously 49)
South America – 9 servers (previously 35)
Australia – 12 servers (previously 40)

How the German servers of New World were consolidated, we show you in a separate article.

New World focuses on endgame and new rewards

What’s next for New World? In a message to the community from last night it says:

Players would like another server transfer – New World is still working on a persistent bug
The situation with the servers will be monitored and reevaluated in 2022

A few days ago, head developer Scot Lane gave a preview for 2022

Currently, they are satisfied with player participation and are pleased with how many hours players spend with New World per session
They are looking forward to the future and will focus primarily on bringing new content for the endgame, which will also include new rewards. They will take more time to get the balance right

Twitch streamer explains why he is still playing New World and believes in the MMORPG

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GTA Online gives you a car and important items for Christmas now

Patrick Freese 23. December 2021 Reading time 3 minutes

In GTA Online there are many gifts for Christmas 2021. You will receive the Gallivanter Baller ST as a gift. Additionally, the Festive Care Package containing important items. The Överflöd Zeno is now available at Legendary Motorsports.

What kind of gifts are these? Every year at Christmas, there is the “Festive Surprise,” including in 2021. You will be rewarded for logging in and playing GTA Online. The GTA Online team has now announced what gifts you can expect:

Vehicle: Gallivanter Baller ST
Festive livery for the Baller ST
Festive livery for the unreleased Pfister Comet S2 Cabrio
Festive Care Package
Baseball Bat T-Shirt
Liveries for Bravado Banshee

The Baller ST will not be available at car dealerships in GTA Online until 2022.

We will show you an overview of when you need to log in for the gifts and on which days you can receive which content for free in GTA Online.

These gifts are available for Christmas 2021 in GTA Online

These are the gifts: The Gallivanter Baller ST with its festive livery draws attention on the streets:

This is how you qualify for the gifts

What do you need to do? Log in during this event week (until December 29, 2021), and secure your free Gallivanter Baller ST. You can order it for free at Legendary Motorsport. After that, the car will cost you 890,000 GTA dollars.

If you get the Baller ST this week, you will also receive the Christmas livery for free. Additionally, just by playing this week, you will unlock the Christmas livery for the unreleased Pfister Comet S2.

The Festive Care Package you will receive directly upon logging in. It includes:

A clownfish mask
A festive red T-shirt
A firework launcher
20 firework rockets
Full snacks
Full armor
25 sticky bombs
25 grenades
5 proximity mines

From previous years, it is known that armor, snacks, as well as bombs, grenades, and mines were refreshed every day. Perhaps this will be the case again this Christmas. Snow is now falling in GTA Online:

More on the topic

GTA Online: Snow 2021 is now here – What’s in the winter update?

von Patrick Freese

What gifts have there been in recent years?

In GTA Online, it is tradition to give players gifts who play during the holidays. Usually, you just need to log in and you will secure the rewards. In recent years, these gifts have included cool or funny cars, armor, weapons, money, and more:

How do you like the gifts for this year’s Christmas in GTA Online? Will you log in daily for it? Let us know in the comments which gift you are most looking forward to and how you plan to use it.

Is this your first Christmas in Grand Theft Auto V and you are not sure whether you should participate? Why you should definitely play GTA Online for Christmas 2021, we show you here on MeinMMO. An important point is the snowfall that turns the streets of Los Santos into adventurous drift tracks.

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Fortnite: YouTuber shows all gifts for the Winter Festival 2021 – What contents are included?

Patrick Freese 23. December 2021 Reading time 2 minutes

In Fortnite, the Winterfest 2021 is running, rewarding you with gifts. Here you can see the contents of all the gifts that YouTuber Ali-A opens for you in the video. This way you know what each gift contains.

What is it about? In Fortnite, the Winterfest 2021 has been running since December 16. It is active until January 6. During the event, you can visit the Winterfest Lodge and choose from 14 gifts. Every day, you can unwrap a new gift.

If you are specifically looking for skins or gliders, we show you here the contents of each gift. This way you know exactly what lies within and can unwrap your favorites first.

All Contents of the Gifts in Fortnite

What the YouTuber shows: In a video, Ali-A opens all the gifts waiting in the Winter Lodge. We embed the video here for you. Below, we list the contents of the gifts for you:

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Green gift with matrix letters: Legendary Glider Sentinel
Purple gift with yellow bow and snowflakes: Contrail Auroral Arc
Red gift with green bow and snowflakes: Emote Choice Knit
Large red gift with green bow and candy canes: Harvesting Tool Snowplower
Purple gift with blue bow and snowflakes: Harvesting Tool Holly Hatches
Purple gift with white bow and candy canes: Spray Bombastic Winterfest
Large golden gift with red bow and snowflakes: Emote It’s Perfect
White gift with blue bow and Christmas trees: Wrap Twinkly
Light blue gift with white bow and candy canes: Music Loot in the Mountains
Blue gift with purple bow and Christmas trees: Loading Screen You Better Watch Out!
Yellow gift with green bow and candy canes: Banner Icon
Silver gift with red bow and Christmas trees: Wrap Wooly
Large golden gift with red bow and candy canes: Chrisabelle
Frozen blue gift: Outfit Polar Peely (Winter Schali)

Normally, you can open one package per day. YouTuber Ali-A had community members make videos of them opening different gifts. This way, he was able to compile early what was behind each gift.

How to get Chrisabelle and Winter Schali?

Which of the gifts from Winterfest 2021 in Fortnite: Battle Royale do you like the most? Are you particularly looking forward to the two skins of Chrisabelle and Winter Schali, or have you set your eyes on one of the other contents? Let us know here in the comments on MeinMMO.

You have until January 6 to open your gifts. With the help of the overview, you can set the order for your gifts.

But are the skins enough to improve the mood among the fans? Some say, that Fortnite is currently in a skin crisis. Read on MeinMMO why players say this.

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3 engaging co-op games with open world and story that can be played over the holidays

Maik Schneider 23. December 2021 Reading time 6 minutes

Between the holidays, many players enjoy their well-deserved vacation. If you are looking for a few cool co-op titles to play together with your friends during this time, MeinMMO has 3 exciting titles for you.

What is this list about? A multiplayer mode makes games better – that’s how many readers of MeinMMO will surely see it. But between endless PvP battles and lengthy MMORPG content, sometimes you wish for something shorter that you can complete relatively quickly.

For this, we present to you 3 strong co-op games that offer you an open world and whose main storyline you can complete in under 25 hours. All titles are available on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC, but without crossplay functionality.

The Division 2 – Story at every corner

What is the story about? The story behind The Division 2 shows a pandemic-stricken world with areas where the government has completely collapsed.

As part of the special unit “The Division,” you help to free the former capital of the USA, Washington D.C., from anarchistic forces, improve the lives of the residents, and thwart the plans of the mandatory villains.

To do this, you explore the rundown city with its many sights and slowly understand the story behind the city’s downfall and the immoral machinations of its former and current rulers.

The Division 2 tells its story not only through the fully dubbed dialogues and quest lines. Much also happens through environmental storytelling. Around every corner, in every small alley, the environment tells you a story and pulls you deeper into a world full of tragedies but also heroism.

How does it play? The Division 2 is a third-person tactical shooter with a large open world and a lot of co-op involvement. Once you have completed the tutorial mission, you can play together immediately and make the area unsafe … or rather “safe again”.

You create your Division agent in a character editor, and that’s not the last RPG feature. You level up your agent through a level system and specialize your character with class-like “specialists” that can greatly influence your play style.

Additionally, there is an inventory system and loot. Lots of loot.

This way, you build fire-breathing tanks with explosive proximity mines, highly specialized snipers with homing flashbangs, or ruthless drone masters who terrorize enemies with their gadgets.

We embed a gameplay trailer so you can get a picture of the gameplay in the shooter:

How long do we need to complete it? According to “howlongtobeat,” players took an average of 24 hours to complete the main campaign (via howlongtobeat.com).

Is it worth continuing? The Division 2 is a large loot shooter and upon completing the campaign and reaching max level, many more contents are available. If you want more from The Division 2, you can continue the adventure for a long time.

Additionally, there is a large story DLC called “Warlords of New York,” which you will need to purchase separately. Here you even get a second open world with locations in New York.

Once you’ve seen everything, the motivation comes from perfecting your gear and the shared co-op experience with your friends. As a co-op highlight, there are 2 large and difficult raids, which however require 8 players.

Pro

Large open world with a lot of environmental storytelling
Beautiful graphics with a realistic style
Countless equipment combinations and build possibilities

Contra

Becomes tedious in the endgame
Loot management can be stressful

Borderlands 3 – The shooter on funny drugs

What is the story about? Wealth, honor, and madness – not necessarily in that order.

On the hunt for one of the legendary “vaults,” you fittingly travel as a vault hunter, blasting your way through the craziest enemies with the wildest weapons and meeting the most outrageous characters.

Not enough superlatives yet? Borderlands offers you one of the craziest stories, with the wildest characters and the most unnecessary violence. Okay, that’s enough, I realize it myself.

In Borderlands 3, you roam back and forth through the galaxy full of diverse planets, whose bloodthirsty inhabitants are also on the hunt for the “vaults.” In doing so, you get a lot of support from well-known Borderlands characters and countless silly remarks thrown at you.

A direct contrast to the serious story of The Division 2, which is more thought-provoking, while Borderlands urgently recommends thinking less about what you are currently doing.

Borderlands 3 Titel Kammerjäger — You choose from the vault hunters Amara, FL4K, Zane, and Moze

How does it play? Borderlands 3 is a first-person shooter that also comes with RPG elements – including loot and a class system.

At the start, you choose one of 4 characters that essentially make up your classes. There is a beast master who sends his vicious creatures to attack enemies or also a siren who fires brainless foes out of the picture with her superhuman abilities.

The classes can further be specialized through skill trees that you develop over time along with your level.

For variety, there are also the “somewhat” unusual weapons. There are guns that talk to you. Others fire hamburgers. In the next one, little turrets spring from the gun, growing legs to attack enemies.

If you’re in for a story filled with dark humor, crazy character builds, and a seemingly endless selection of weapons, let Borderlands 3 entice you.

Here we embed another gameplay trailer so you can convince yourself of the madness of Borderlands:

How long do we need to complete it? According to “howlongtobeat,” players took an average of 22 hours to complete the main campaign (via howlongtobeat.com).

Is it worth continuing? If you enjoy the offbeat humor, there is much more to discover in the vast world of Borderlands 3 beyond the main campaign. Additionally, the game now offers 4 story DLCs, each providing around 5 hours of main quests.

Once you’ve seen everything, motivation can quickly fade. While there are enthusiasts who will spend a long time perfecting their builds to tackle the toughest challenges in the game, those who haven’t had enough can also turn to Borderlands 2 or one of the other predecessors.

Pro

Crazy loot shooter with somewhat tasteless humor
Countless different weapons
Outrageous class system
Predecessors offer more days of Borderlands action

Contra

“Cel shading” graphics are not to everyone’s taste
The humor doesn’t resonate with everyone

The Forest – For brave forest rangers

What is the story about? After a plane crash, you find yourself on a green peninsula. You fight alongside your friends for survival and are looking for your son, who was abducted from the plane wreck.

Of the 3 suggestions here on the list, The Forest is the least story-driven and offers you no linear plot. Rather, it’s about exploring and the gradually rising awareness that something is wrong on this island.

On your journey across the island, you explore dark caves, find new tools, and secure your base against the horrors of the island that descend upon you at night.

As you go, you will gradually discover more hints about the background of these horrors and what the hell has happened to your son.

How does it play? The Forest is a smaller survival title from the first-person perspective, but it wants to challenge you with many mechanics of the genre.

Hunger, thirst, cold, and illness make life difficult for you. Relatively quickly, you also receive the previously mentioned nightly visit from disturbing creatures who want to remove your laboriously constructed shelter from the neighborhood.

To counter this, you find helpful materials and items during your rounds on the island, which you can optionally transform into stylish log cabins or monster-destroying Molotov cocktails through the quite extensive crafting system.

At night, the atmosphere gets pretty dark and you are often at a disadvantage against the enemies. But if you don’t let the search for your boy distract you, The Forest is a dark masterpiece with a captivating and emotional story.

For a first impression, we recommend the launch trailer for the PS4:

How long do we need to complete it? According to “howlongtobeat,” players took an average of 15 hours to complete the main campaign (via howlongtobeat.com).

Is it worth continuing? Depending on how thoroughly you explored, there is little left to discover after the story ends. You can still gather many smaller hints about the backgrounds, but overall The Forest is finished after the story.

However, a second part is already in the works – Here you find all info on Sons of the Forest.

Pro

Small survival title with strong mechanics
Gloomy atmosphere raises the pulse
Story progression through exploration

Contra

No linear plot
Not for the faint-hearted

An exciting story in a successful open world offers the potential for countless hours of action and adventure together.

If you are looking for more ways to share co-op experiences with your friends, you will find many options for your gaming crew in our large co-op list: Top 25 of the best co-op games 2021 for PC, PS5, Xbox, and Switch – WE have chosen

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Twitch rogue discovers his heart at Christmas and does something really nice

Sayumi (Lena) 23. December 2021 Reading time 2 minutes

In keeping with Christmas, the biggest Twitch streamer, Félix “xQc” Lengyel (26), wanted to bring joy to his community. Viewers had the chance to post their Amazon wish lists in the chat during his livestream. xQc then randomly selected lists and gifted the respective person items that were on their Amazon wish list. Among the viewers was a streamer who was particularly happy about this.

A few days ago, Lengyel stated that he makes an insane amount of money. xQc’s viewers should no longer give him money, but rather support smaller streamers, as he has enough money. Furthermore, xQc mentioned that he wants to give back to his viewers more from now on.

Lengyel wants to do more giveaways, cash prizes, and other things to show his appreciation – uncharacteristically calm words from the Twitch rogue, who once made a name for himself in games like Rust by peacefully robbing and murdering playing streamers.

xQc made no empty promises and had already started giving away gifts to his viewers just a few days later. They could post their Amazon lists in his chat, and he would randomly select some. Among them was a small streamer: anthemofthedead.

More on the topic

Twitch Leak List: Hacker published earnings of the biggest streamers – This is how much the stars earn

von Kevin Willing

xQc gifts wheelchair to sick streamer

Who is anthemofthedead? Anthemofthedead is a small streamer with just over 700 followers on Twitch. She primarily plays Genshin Impact and the rhythm game “Osu!”. Additionally, she suffers from two diseases that cause her daily pain, she explains in a stream: fibromyalgia and polyarthralgia (via Twitch).

While medications help her manage the pain intermittently, she can barely walk properly due to her illnesses. At home, anthemofthedead can only move around with a cane, but outside, every path becomes a challenge, she explains.

That’s why she had long wanted to buy a wheelchair and was saving up for it.

What is fibromyalgia? Fibromyalgia causes (muscle) pain in various body regions, sleep disturbances, and increased fatigue (via Wikipedia).
What is polyarthralgia? Polyarthralgia is not a disease in itself but a symptom. This symptom causes pain in multiple joints (via DocCheck Flexikon).

This is what xQc did: Accidentally, xQc noticed her Amazon wish list and purchased her a wheelchair costing approximately 425 euros. But that wasn’t enough, as there was also an ergonomic gaming chair on the wish list for 255 euros, which xQc gifted her as well.

Actually, Lengyel wanted to gift her an even better, more expensive wheelchair, but Amazon could not deliver it to her.

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Anthemofthedead tearfully explained in her stream how much the gesture meant to her and that she had been watching silently in his chat for over 2 years. Health and gestures like xQc’s are not to be taken for granted, the Twitch streamer continued.

She hopes that more acts of kindness like this occur in the Twitch community in the future and stated near the end of her stream: “Good things actually happen, I promise you.”

Survival MMO on Steam gives its players a small Christmas miracle

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Warframe will give you more of what you love about the new expansion in 2022

Marko Jevtic 23. December 2021 Reading time 2 minutes

The New War is the latest expansion of Warframe. After the release on December 15, it quickly captivated the community. Now the Warframe developers promise that 2022 has more in store.

When the MeinMMO editorial team was allowed to take a deeper look at the latest Warframe expansion The New War in advance, we had the impression: It sounds like something akin to Warframe 2.0 will come after “The New War”. The latest announcements from Warframe developer Digital Extremes seemingly confirm this impression.

What do the developers say? In a post on the official Warframe forum, Director Steven Sinclair addressed a message to the community. This was not only a thank you to the fans at the end of the year but also a brief summary of the reactions to the latest expansion. In this entry, Steve Sinclair also gave a preview of the year 2022 for Warframe.

We did it. Thank you for making The New War our biggest story update ever. I’m so glad for your reactions and grateful for your patience and enthusiasm. […] If you have played the expansion, you know that many crazy things were in the lineup. […]
I have seen many statements along the lines of “I wish this gameplay would stay” and we share this view, so there will be a few more experiments that will bring variety to the game in ways that are not just quest-driven.
We dedicated our Update 31: The New War solely to the quest because it is so extensive, and we dedicate 2022 to what’s coming next: a year where we do only the right things for Warframe.
Steve Sinclair in the Warframe forum

This statement is not a concrete roadmap for future plans, but a clear indication

What can Warframe players expect in 2022? This statement from the developer is quite vague in itself. However, players who have completed The New War should have a clear idea of what is meant. While this is not a roadmap in the classic sense, it is a clear indication of what could come.

We will avoid spoilers here, but even the marketing of The New War has already presented some unique storytelling methods and gameplay possibilities of the expansion. These include new playable perspectives and action-free classroom scenes.

Start video

Warframe shows trailer for the expansion ‘The New War’ and a very special character

In 2022, Digital Extremes seems to want to continue in this direction. Given the very positive response to the latest expansion, this statement should delight Warframe fans.

The unofficial Warframe 2.0, which The New War has likely initiated, apparently continues to take shape. If you have not played the expansion yet and are curious, we recommend our overview:

Warframe: Huge, free update with a great solo story is here – here’s what’s included

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Destiny 2: The currently strongest power weapon in Season 15 is a surprise

Britta ♤ BeAngel 23. December 2021 Reading time 5 minutes

In Destiny 2 a few power weapons are particularly strong during Season 15. A YouTuber has now made the direct comparison and, to the surprise of many players, achieved the most damage with a legendary PVP linear fusion rifle.

Exotic fusion and linear fusion rifles dominate the current chart of the most popular power weapons in Season 15. However, it is not always just exotic power weapons that provide the strongest option for Destiny 2 players. Sometimes, legendary weapons can also become true boss killers and thus a secret tip. Especially when they can deal additional damage through a seasonal mod such as ‘Particle Deconstruction.’

The YouTuber VeneroTV has now made the direct comparison and tested 5 popular power weapons in Season 15 for you. The result has surprised many players now. His rank 1 is a legendary power weapon that apparently can easily keep up with strong raid exotics in Season 15.

The legendary power weapon was stronger than:

the exotic linear fusion rifle Sleeper Simulant
the raid-exclusive fusion rifle “1000 Voices”
the exotic sniper rifle “Whisper of the Worm”
the new exotic rocket launcher “Gjallarhorn”

This is the weapon: It is the only Stasis linear fusion rifle ‘Reed’s Lament’ from the Trials of Osiris with the seasonal mod ‘Particle Deconstruction.’

How was it tested? In the video by VeneroTV you can see the currently most popular weapons in a direct comparison and the damage they cause. For this, the maximum damage output of each weapon was tested on the first boss in the new dungeon ‘Sog der Habsucht’.

In VeneroTV’s ranking, the newly released exotic rocket launcher Gjallarhorn only takes 5th place. Then follows the raid exotic 1000 Voices in 4th place. In 3rd place is the exotic sniper rifle ‘Whisper of the Worm.’ In 2nd place, the exotic linear fusion rifle Sleeper Simulant ranks. In his test, rank 1 is held by the master version of the legendary Stasis linear fusion rifle Reed’s Lament, which he tested with the perks ‘Triple’ and ‘Vorpal Weapon.’

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What makes the weapon so good in Season 15? Compared to other legendary representatives of its kind, this Trials weapon has a really good perk pool and thus benefits not only from the seasonal mod ‘Particle Deconstruction.’ This mod alone gives the weapon more damage with each shot and stack. So at maximum stack, you will receive up to 40% more damage.

Each shot increases damage from Particle Deconstruction:

+ 8 %

+ 16 %

+ 24 %

+ 32 %

+ 40 %

‘Vorpal Weapon’ gives you, since the last update, 10% more damage with power weapons against bosses/minibosses. (15% on special weapons, 20% on primary weapons) Meanwhile, ‘Sharpshooter’ gives a 20 percent improvement in precision damage when you are near two or more allies. The weapon is thus more effective when you play in a team and hit accurately. The perk ‘Triple’ restores 1 round in the magazine when landing quick precision shots, allowing you to shoot longer.

Reed’s Lament is currently the only linear fusion rifle in Destiny 2 that can drop with the perks ‘Triple,’ ‘Vorpal Weapon’ or ‘Sharpshooter.’

All of this makes ‘Reed’s Lament’ a really strong linear fusion rifle that you can equip in Destiny 2 right now. Therefore, it is considered by some players to be the strongest legendary PvE DPS option.

Please note: However, the weapon is only the best option if you hit accurately in a stressful situation, because only then can you get the most out of the weapon.

This newly released exotic weapon might then become one of the best options in Season 16:

More on the topic

Destiny 2: How to get the new exotic rocket launcher “Gjallarhorn” and its catalyst

von Britta ♤ BeAngel

How to get the weapon ‘Reed’s Lament’ in Season 15 with the perk ‘Triple’

The linear fusion rifle ‘Reed’s Lament’ can only be obtained from the Trials of Osiris. To add it to your Trials loot pool, you first need to have obtained the weapon. For this, you need Trials engrams, which you can then decrypt at Master Rahool to get a chance for the weapon.

Once the weapon has dropped for you once, you can now focus all further Trials engrams on the linear fusion rifle at the 14th Saint. This gives you the opportunity to also receive other perk combos like ‘Triple’ and ‘Sharpshooter.’

How to get the Trials engrams: You receive Trials engrams by ranking up in the Trials of Osiris or as a reward at the end of a match once you have achieved seven wins on a passage. Through the seven wins, you also have the best option to earn Trials of Osiris engrams. Here, it does not matter whether you have been flawless or not. Once you win a match with the 7-win card, you also have a chance to get a Trials engram.

Reed’s Lament as a Master version: If you want to get the improved Master version of Reed’s Lament, you need a flawless Trials Pass that brings you to the Lighthouse. However, please note: The weapon is not available every week in the Trials of Osiris. Therefore, pay attention to the weekly rotation so you know when the linear fusion rifle can be played again. MeinMMO informs you every Friday in the Xur news whether the Trials are active and which weapon is available in that week.

Even though all of these are excellent exotic power weapons in Season 15 and Reed’s Lament is considered a recommendation, personal preferences and individual skills always play an equally important role. They should additionally be considered when selecting your power weapon.

If you handle another weapon better and especially hit more accurately, that can certainly be just as good and strong an option. Especially since the difference in damage between the two weapons is about the same, Reed’s Lament is currently the best legendary option compared to the exotic linear fusion rifle Sleeper Simulant.

Does this result surprise you? Which power weapon is your personal favorite in Season 15? Is there a weapon missing in the ranking? Let us know in the comments.

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The largest MMORPG on Steam allows selling heroes – a character went for 127,000 €

Schuhmann 23. December 2021 Reading time 3 minutes

The biggest MMORPG on Steam is not The Elder Scrolls Online, Final Fantasy XIV, or New World, but MIR4: an online role-playing game that many play just to earn money. Now it reaches a new dimension: The developers allow trading of characters. The most expensive characters sell for cryptocurrency worth more than €100,000.

What is currently the biggest MMORPG on Steam?

With 71,930 concurrent users, Mir4 is currently the biggest MMORPG
New World has 62.70 users
FF 14 stands at 30,760 users
Black Desert has 18,602 users
ESO brings 13,464 concurrent users (via steamdb)

It should be noted that Final Fantasy XIV, Black Desert, and ESO all have their own clients and run on consoles – so the Steam numbers do not represent “all players” who are playing the MMORPG at the same time.

Mir4 also has mobile versions and is playable in other ways. Recently, they celebrated one million concurrent players.

More on the topic

NFT is the new trend in gaming, companies are worth billions of dollars – But why?

von Schuhmann

MIR4 – MMORPG focuses on “Pay-to-earn” and NFTs

What is the special twist of Mir4? The MMORPG MIR4 is not convincing due to great features, an exciting story, or a fantastic world. The special twist of the MMORPG is that it is a “Pay-to-earn” game. By playing, one can earn real money – albeit at a modest hourly wage.

Players can mine an ore in MIR4, smelt it, and exchange it for cryptocurrency, which they can then sell for real money.

The player numbers in MIR4 are evidently high because many play the game to “make money” – apparently, many bots are used for that.

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The community manager spreads the good news.

Players can convert characters into NFTs, seal, and sell

This is now the latest gimmick: In a new update on November 21, the MMORPG introduced an NFT website for character trading:

Players can convert a character into an NFT and trade it on a website. To do this, a character must first be “minted” as an NFT. The character must be over level 60 and have more than 100,000 in Power Score.
If one wants to sell such an elite hero, they must “seal” them, making them unplayable for the creator of the character.
Whoever buys such a sealed character acquires their achievements as well – the gold on the character remains with the seller.

What do the characters cost? A Lancer at level 104 was sold on December 22 for the equivalent of 127,000 €. A Sorcerer at level 105 was sold on December 21 for the same amount.

It should be noted that the characters are traded in the currency “WEMIX”, which fluctuates in price. Currently, WEMIX is at 11.12 US dollars.

For those who find this too much: The “recommended characters” on the website are already available for modest €12,000 to €50,000.

mir4-helden — They only cost a few tens of thousands of euros.

In MIR4, the NFT model seems to work significantly better than at Ubisoft:

Ubisoft introduces NFT microtransactions in Ghost Recon – competitors laugh at poor revenue

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If the leak is true, Sony will soon give players on PS4, PS5 one of the best cooperative games ever

Benedikt Schlotmann 23. December 2021 Reading time 3 minutes

First leaks about PS Plus in January 2022 claim that a really good co-op title is coming to PS Plus. MeinMMO introduces you to the game and explains what makes it so good.

Here’s what it’s about: If you subscribe to PS Plus on PlayStation, you get 3 free games as a bonus every month. Meanwhile, PS Plus for January 2022 is supposed to have been leaked. And the selection looks not only really worthwhile but also promises to deliver a really good co-op title.

If the leak is true, you can look forward to one of the best co-op titles of recent years. MeinMMO explains what “Deep Rock Galactic” is all about,

As a space dwarf, you diligently collect resources for your base

What kind of game is this? Deep Rock Galactic is a co-op title that belongs to the best indie titles of 2020. It is a co-op shooter for up to 4 players, but the game can also be played with AI companions.

Alone or together, you dig your way through cave systems as a space dwarf searching for valuable resources. The caves are also randomly generated each time, so you must explore a new environment with every expedition. As a heavily drinking dwarf, you battle aliens and other creatures that want to prevent you from mining the resources in first-person perspective.

To do this, you need to choose the appropriate class with which you venture into the cave system:

With the Gunner, you focus entirely on firepower and eliminate your enemies
With the Navigator, you are the scout of the group and have various tools at hand.
With the Driller, you are the miner and can eat through walls to access valuable resources.
As an Engineer, you are a kind of supporter. You can set up various defensive positions like turrets to cover your teammates.

The game fully emphasizes the co-op aspect. While you can also play the game with AI, in co-op you can coordinate exactly who uses which class, for example. And “Deep Rock Galactic” is among the currently best co-op games you can play.

“The best co-op game on the market”

How is the game rated? There is also a lot of praise for the game otherwise. For example, the news magazine IGN writes in its review (via IGN.com): “Deep Rock Galactic is the best type of co-op game for four players. Exciting battles, great missions, and many upgrades make this game a winner.”

The game is very well received and gets a lot of praise. The cave systems look amazing and are completely destructible, and the game encourages exploration and collecting. The abilities of the dwarves synergize well, and the co-op mode is highly motivating. Added to this is a touch of rough (dwarf) humor and plenty of options to adjust the difficulty to your needs.

On Metacritic, the game receives an average rating of 85 out of 100 points (via metacritic.com).

How is the game received by users? And there is also a lot of praise in the community:

User 40_Onyx??? writes on Steam: “I’ll keep it short. The best co-op game on the market. And the best community. I don’t feel like I need friends to play 4-player co-op. Even without voice chat, communication in the game provides enough coordination to play as a team even on the hardest difficulty, which is rare.”
User D(e)adman writes on Steam: “If you enjoy wild shooting in a team and interconnected abilities of the individual classes, you’ve come to the right place. Awesome game!”
User taKen also writes on Steam: “For people who enjoy PvE shooters, it’s probably one of the best games out there. A game that is worth its price without question and constantly updated to a newer state. For once, a game with a very friendly and pleasant community.”

What do you think? Have you already played Deep Rock Galactic and can also recommend the game, or do you not understand the enthusiasm?

Are you looking for more co-op games for a nice evening or for you and your friends? Then take a look at our co-op list. Here we present the best co-op games of 2021:

Top 25 best co-op games of 2021 for PC, PS5, Xbox, and Switch

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GTA Online: Snow 2021 is now here – What’s in the winter update?

Patrick Freese 23. December 2021 Reading time 3 minutes

Players are looking forward to the big Winter Update 2021 in GTA Online. Everything about the launch, gifts, bonuses, and more. The snow event 2021 has started.

What is the Winter Update? Every year around Christmas time, a big update starts in GTA Online with snow, gifts, and in-game bonuses. For players, this is always a highlight, as usually logging in is worth it just for the gifts. It snows on the map, and the streets of Los Santos become really slippery.

Update from December 23: The snowfall in GTA Online is now active. You can now log in to GTA Online, collect your first gifts, and skid across the icy streets. We have updated the article with all the new information available as of December 23.

When does the Winter Event in GTA Online start?

So far, Rockstar Games has not confirmed the Christmas event for 2021. However, it can be assumed that it will take place as it has in previous years.

Before the snow update, GTA Online released the big December update “The Contract” with new cars and weapons. You can find all the information about this on MeinMMO.

When does it start? The snowfall in GTA Online began on December 23, 2021. It started in the morning. In line with the new bonus week, new content and initial gifts were added to the game.

The gifts include:

A clownfish mask
A festive red T-shirt
A firework launcher
20 firework rockets
Full snacks
Full armor
25 sticky bombs
25 grenades
5 proximity mines

How long does the event last? In recent years, it snowed for a few days before and during Christmas. After the Christmas holidays, the snowfall stopped for a short while and returned for New Year’s Eve.

What does the Christmas event bring? In recent years, you could snag cool bonuses just by logging in.

Additionally, you usually receive full ammunition, snacks, firework rockets + launcher, and full armor on a daily basis. For the Christmas spirit, clothing, masks, and accessories should of course not be missing. The event is accompanied by bonuses that offer enhanced rewards in certain missions.

Moreover, it snows in Los Santos. Everywhere on the map, the streets and pathways are covered with snow, inviting action-packed drifts. So make sure to equip your vehicles with the right tires and get ready to drive more sideways than straight.

If you don’t like sliding through the streets in a car, your character can also pick up snow from the ground, shape it into a ball, and throw it at other players, NPCs, or cars.

What content are you looking forward to the most in GTA Online for Christmas 2021: the snowy streets for drifting or gifts like cars? Share your opinion with us here on MeinMMO in the comments.

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New TMORPG on Steam is beautiful and innovative – But unfortunately also totally unsuccessful

Sayumi (Lena) 23. December 2021 Reading time 3 minutes

On October 11, 2021, the “Early Access” version of the new TMORPG Book of Travels was released on Steam. It describes itself as a “living, fairy-tale world” and has received very positive reviews, but major success has not yet been achieved. Now the developers “Might and Delight” of Book of Travels have spoken out. They have no good news to share before Christmas.

What is Book of Travels? The TMORPG – “Tiny Multiplayer Online Role Play Game” – focuses on exploration and exciting, fairy-tale experiences in an open world. About 30 players can be present with you in the game world, but you will likely rarely meet them. Hence the “Tiny” instead of the typical “Massively” before “MORPG”.

If you encounter other players, you can interact with them, but not chat with them. The encounter is meant to be something special and not an everyday situation.

You can also move freely in the world of Book of Travels: No quests or stories restrict your exploration path. You must find your own way in the hand-drawn environment; no one will guide you. Additionally, you should be mindful of how you shape your adventure – your characters are not immortal.

More on the topic

New MMORPG on Steam goes its own way – wants to be small, cozy and for role players

von Mark Sellner

Studio must lay off 25 of 35 employees

Although it was described by some players as “the game of the year” and has received very positive reviews on Steam so far, the success unfortunately has not materialized. The studio “Might and Delight” behind Book of Travels wrote a post to the community on December 21, openly describing the studio’s problems (via Steam).

Might and Delight describes the experience with the release of the Early Access of Book of Travels as emotional, fascinating, and unique. The Early Access was postponed several times, as the game received continuous feedback and reports during the beta period. The studio wanted to deliver an Early Access they could stand behind.

After the Early Access was released on Steam on October 11, 2021, there were some players who praised Book of Travels highly, but the sales were not enough: Might and Delight had to part ways with 25 employees.

This may initially not sound like much, but for such a small studio, it is a significant burden. After the layoff wave, 10 employees remain, which Might and Delight describes as the “toughest test in their 11-year career”.

In addition, the studio notes that development will of course be affected and take longer. But they still pursue the motto:

Survive and bring the best possible content into the game.
Founders Anders, Jakob & Developer Team

Might and Delight describes themselves as determined and they want to do their utmost to continue to advance Book of Travels.

The developers recently released the game’s soundtrack and also created the “Cup of Kindness” (via Steam). For €1.59, you can purchase the “DLC” for Book of Travels, which practically contains nothing. You are merely supporting the developers in furthering the game if you like it.

How many players does Book of Travels have? The numbers look really bad: The game peaked in December 2018, reaching a peak of 2000 players – on average, there were about 610 players online 3 years ago.

However, the majority of these players disappeared quickly. By March 2019, the game had only 99 players on average online at the same time, and in the following years, the numbers declined further.

In the last 30 days, there were an average of 27 players online simultaneously, with a peak of just 120 players. This is evidently too few to continue employing the full staff.

What happens next? The future of Book of Travels is now uncertain. Might and Delight originally wanted to stay in the “Early Access” phase for about 2 years, but it may well be that this phase will now extend significantly.

What do you think about the TMORPG? Have you played it already or do you want to play it in the future? Feel free to let us know in the comments.

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EA worked on a large MMO for Harry Potter – But completely miscalculated

Mark Sellner 23. December 2021 Reading time 4 minutes

The major publisher and developer EA apparently worked on a large MMO in the Harry Potter universe about 20 years ago, but for unimaginable reasons, it was canceled. We at MeinMMO summarize.

What game was EA trying to make? An MMO in the Harry Potter universe was in discussion. However, the game was also supposed to have offline content and combine it with online content. How this was supposed to look in the game is not explained.

It could involve individual missions played alone or with a group, mixed with certain hub areas where multiple players could meet. But this is speculative at this point.

Where does the information come from? In an interview on the YouTube channel Original Gamer Life, Kim Salzer talks about the game and her disappointment that it did not happen.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Salzer was the Director of Product Marketing at EA from 2000 to 2003. So we can assume that the information about the Harry Potter game is accurate.

How far was the development? Apparently not very far. Salzer mentions in the video that they had already conducted surveys and had a rough plan of how the game could look.

She also mentions that she and her team were convinced that the title could be successful. However, she finds it unfortunate that EA ultimately decided to cancel the project, as she mentioned in the interview.

“We didn’t think the brand would establish itself”

Why were the works canceled? At the time when the MMO was planned, the Harry Potter brand was comparatively new. The first book “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” was released in July 1997.

In 2001, the first film adaptation of the books followed and was very successful. However, EA apparently thought that this success would not last long and decided to cancel the MMO.

“We didn’t think the brand would establish itself and be successful for more than a year or two,” Salzer says in the interview. That was probably EA’s reasoning for why the team had to drop work on the MMO.

The most important excerpt from the interview can be seen here:

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How did it go internally? According to her statements, Salzer’s team was very disappointed about the cancellation of the title. “We had already conducted surveys and worked with children, which was really fun. […] I was convinced that the game could be a success. “

She only speaks about the game when her interview partner asks her which game she was particularly excited about in her career. Salzer then says that it was supposed to be a Harry Potter MMO and she was really looking forward to it.

“There are many reasons why a Harry Potter MMO could fail, but the longevity of the brand is not one of them”

How does the community react? An excerpt of the interview with Salzer was shared in a thread on reddit, which received 6,729 upvotes and 1,392 comments within 20 hours.

These comments are mixed in nature. Many seem sure that an MMORPG would have failed at that time and that the decision to cancel the MMO was a good one.

Others are glad about EA’s decision, as otherwise, there may not have been a Star Wars: The Old Republic.

The discussions under the post are extensive and cover various topics. They only agree on one thing: the reason for the cancellation of the game. Because today, about two decades later, it is clear that the Harry Potter brand was able to establish itself very well.

What do the fans say? In the mentioned thread on reddit, there is a lively discussion with a lot of input. We want to capture the mood for you.

question2552 writes: “I think if there had really been a Harry Potter MMO back then, it would have been a terrible disappointment.”
so2017 still wishes for the game: “Even the children in my daughter’s primary school live and breathe Harry Potter. There is definitely a niche for such a game and it is large.”
With more humor, PM_ME_CUTE_SM1LE says: “An MMO would never have worked, let’s be honest. What weapons other than wands and more wands would there have been? Besides, there is no level 100 dragon scale armor in the Harry Potter universe.”

In conclusion, it can only be said for sure that there should have been no worries about the longevity of the Harry Potter brand. The first book alone sold over 120 million copies, making it one of the best-selling books of all time.

What do you think? Would you have been excited about a Harry Potter MMO 20 years ago, or do you also believe that it would have backfired? Feel free to let us know in the comments here at MeinMMO.

The fact that a Harry Potter license alone is not enough was recently demonstrated by Pokémon GO developer Niantic, as Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is dying and shutting down its servers.

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New tool in CoD Warzone bans 48,000 cheaters in one day – Does it finally solve the big problem?

Marko Jevtic 23. December 2021 Reading time 2 minutes

RICOCHET, the new anti-cheat system for CoD Warzone and Vanguard d started a week ago. Official social media announced that over 48,000 cheater accounts were banned in a single day. But is that enough to solve the problem?

In Call of Duty, there has been a well-known cheater problem since the release of Warzone. The highly anticipated and urgently needed new anti-cheat system named RICOCHET was developed to help with that. Cheaters should be better identified and banned forever from all CoD games.

Last week the new cheat tool launched globally. Now, the official Twitter account for Call of Duty has reported that a large ban wave occurred in a single day. But is that enough to solve the problem?

Developers say: 48,000 cheaters banned in a day – thanks to RICOCHET

What happened? On Twitter, the official Call of Duty account stated that 48,000 cheater accounts were banned in CoD Warzone and Vanguard. This happened in a single day, on December 21.

https://twitter.com/CallofDuty/status/1473746439553617923

According to the tweet, it is specifically the new cheat tool RICOCHET that is responsible for this. Accordingly, these accounts should be banned forever from all CoD games.

In August, it was reported that over 500,000 players were banned since the launch of Warzone in March 2020 until August 2021 (via VGC). How many more have been added until yesterday’s ban wave is not specifically known.

Are these measures sufficient?

The major problem with modern CoD games is cheaters. Especially since the launch of Warzone, they have been annoying the community. The immense popularity of the free battle royale and crossplay contributes to the size of the problem.

More on the topic

CoD Warzone: How to disable crossplay on Xbox One and PS4

von Maik Schneider

Fans have high expectations for the new anti-cheat system RICOCHET.

According to the latest statements, thanks to RICOCHET, 48,000 players were banned in a single day, compared to 500,000 in about 1.5 years. However, these numbers do not reflect how quickly cheater accounts have proliferated since then and continue to grow. Thus, it is unclear how many cheaters are actually being identified and how many there are in total.

Accordingly, it cannot be clearly seen whether RICOCHET can completely solve the problem. However, the numbers are impressive in any case – regarding both the number of cheaters and the apparent effectiveness of RICOCHET.

What about you? Are you still experiencing issues with cheaters after RICOCHET? Or has the new system noticeably improved the game? Let us know in the comments.

But not only cheaters upset the CoD community. They are absolutely dissatisfied with the current state of the games:

Before Christmas, CoD Warzone and Vanguard are a “mess full of bugs”

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Source(s):

VGC

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Former PR chief of LoL says: ‘Reddit is not for discussions’

Cortyn 23. December 2021 Reading time 4 minutes

Reddit is a hellhole for developers. Players there often deliberately play power games – claims the former communications lead of Riot Games.

No matter which game it is: Each has its own forum on Reddit, a so-called “subreddit.” The latest topics, exciting developments, but also criticism of the games are discussed here. But for game developers, Reddit is something to be avoided if one wants good feedback – at least that’s what a former Riot employee claims.

Who is speaking? Ryan Rigney, who worked from 2018 to 2020 as the global PR head of League of Legends, previously worked for 3 years at Riot Games in PR and as a writer. In addition to his work on LoL, he also worked on PUBG and Apex Legends – he began his career as a gaming journalist from 2006 to 2014 (via linkedin).

Some users may still know him as “Riot_Cactopus”, as he was very popular in the League of Legends subreddit for years. In a conversation with Inven Global, he now spoke about the dark sides of Reddit.

“On Reddit, it’s about power and domination”

What was said? Rigney has little good to say about Reddit. He believes that discussions in a game’s subreddit are no longer conducted for the pure purpose of discussion or to exchange views. Almost always there is a certain agenda behind a few players to push developers to implement a very specific change in the game:

In 2021, we can move away from the idea that discussions in video game subreddits only represent pure player opinions. Reddit is not about discussions – it’s about power and domination. Only one opinion can win, and it is represented by the comment that receives the most upvotes. Our brains have a strong bias when it comes to “socially validated” ideas.

This means Rigney: When we see that an opinion has received a lot of support from other people, we are also more inclined to accept that opinion as a fact or correct.

With Reddit, many people have understood this dynamic: When an opinion gets a lot of upvotes, it influences many others to agree with that opinion. If you express an opinion about a game on Reddit and it gets a lot of attention, you will see it subsequently in other places on the internet.

It should be noted that in the subreddit, often only a small part of the community is involved – and often quite a vocal one. Even if only a fraction of the community is represented on Reddit, it can seem like everything in a game is currently negative.

Because almost all Reddit users understand this dynamic, it also means that the game subreddits have changed to focus on influencing the development of the games instead of discussing them. That is simply a fact, and no one who regularly uses Reddit would disagree.

Reddit drives developers into depression

However, Reddit can also have real consequences for developers, as Rigney has experienced. Since Reddit often brings only the worst to light, it influences developers who regularly browse Reddit.

You see them working and can watch as the enthusiasm slowly fades from their eyes. I lived next to an ‘environment artist’ who worked on ‘The Last of Us Part II’ and a certain part of the subreddit had dedicated itself to tearing the game apart when it came out. It was crazy because many people believed it was a great game, but my neighbor couldn’t see that bright side. He became depressed. He thought the masses hated this thing to which he had dedicated years of his life. Ultimately, he left the gaming industry.

When confronted with such incidents, the discussion leaders on Reddit often become defensive, Rigney explains further. One can simply claim that it is only about honest feedback.

[…] They then say things like: ‘I just believe that the progression system should be better, am I not allowed to say that? That’s feedback! Players should be able to give their feedback to the developers!’ You simply can’t get these people to look at the bigger picture so that they would have to admit they are part of a subjugation ritual.

According to Rigney, it also does not help to continue discussing because that would only lead to dead ends where developers can only lose.

One of the top comments [under this interview] will be by a guy saying that all of this [on Reddit] is legitimate feedback, due to X, Y, and Z. The best way to maintain power is simply to act as if the power does not exist.

Despite all this, Rigney does not believe that Reddit is inherently bad.

It’s a fun website. It’s fun to see which comment under a news story gets the most upvotes. I use Reddit every day.

But developers would do well to use other platforms to engage with the community. Currently, Discord serves this purpose well for many developers, as it is always a ‘snapshot’. There, one speaks with individual players and receives various opinions without any opinion being particularly highlighted.

It’s always worth going where the players are. But for this daily interaction, I believe developers should be much more selective.

What do you think of this view? Do you agree that developers shouldn’t give too much on Reddit? Or is Reddit just feedback that developers should consider?

Sometimes developers also yield to the demands of players – and just play their game themselves, like with New World.

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Pokémon GO: Research Breakthrough in January with Onix, Trainers are disappointed

Patrick Freese 23. December 2021 Reading time 3 minutes

The research breakthrough in January 2022 at Pokémon GO is the Pokémon Onix. Trainers are expressing disappointment on social media. We will show you what the community has to say about it.

What’s new: On the evening of December 22, 2021, the Pokémon GO team announced the content for January 2022. The research breakthrough rewards you with the Pokémon Onix, which comes from the first generation, after seven days.

However, players are dissatisfied with this “reward.” After the last few months, many had hoped for a better selection, it is said. Here on MeinMMO, we will show you what’s going on in the community right now.

Catching Onix in January – Research Breakthrough

Here’s what you get for the breakthrough: If you achieve a research breakthrough in January 2022, you will be rewarded with an Onix encounter and Mega Energy for Steelix. With a bit of luck, you might encounter and catch a Shiny Onix.

How long does it last? The research breakthrough in January 2022 is active from January 1, 2022, at 10:00 PM to February 1, 2022, at 10:00 PM.

Onix is from the first generation of the game and has been catchable since the release of Pokémon GO in 2016.

What does Shiny Onix look like? In the following graphic, we show you the original Onix compared to the Shiny form. The Shiny is green instead of gray.

“The worst breakthrough since … ?”

What trainers say: Reactions to Onix as a research breakthrough are quite negative on reddit and Twitter. Especially after the research breakthrough in December, which was “finally good,” the disappointment is now significant.

User CursedMadness writes on Twitter: “I mean, at least we get Mega Energy. But how can we switch from Kapuno to ONIX? Uff”

User FlamesClover says on Twitter: I have no need for Onix, but I would gladly take the Mega Energy.”

On reddit, TryDoingaScience writes: Are we really switching from Kapuno in breakthroughs to Onix? Really? Kapuno gave me hope that they were improving research breakthroughs. I was mistaken. This must be the worst breakthrough since … what, Flower Crown Eevee?” – In September and October 2019, Eevee with flower crowns was the reward for the research breakthrough.

Player SBC1321 writes on reddit: “Onix breakthrough must be one of the worst of all time. I’m grateful for the Mega Energy, but still …”

To which krispyboiz responds defusingly:

“Honestly, it’s not good, but I don’t think it’s the worst.
Fleknoil was terrible. I don’t care that they introduced Fleknoil with it, it was still a useless Pokémon and came shortly after into the wilderness. Imagine it as a breakthrough NOW.
Flower Crown Eevee was bad. Not the worst, as it had a relatively rare costume and some usefulness, but it came at a time when Eevee were still frequently found in the wild.
But it’s crazy that it’s been two years since legendary Pokémon were in breakthroughs in January. To be honest, it would be nice to have just one or two months a year with legendaries. Maybe June and December. Better than nothing.”

Recently there has been a big problem with raids in Pokémon GO and trainers were not pleased with how Niantic handled the issue.

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8 new Netflix series from 2021 that are now perfect for the holidays

Leya Jankowski 23. December 2021 Reading time 9 minutes

Are you looking for recommendations for Netflix series that you can watch over the holidays? MeinMMO editor-in-chief Leya Jankowski has compiled a list of 8 new Netflix series that debuted in 2021 and kept her glued to the couch.

Here you will find a list of very personal Netflix series recommendations. The 8 series are (almost) all new in 2021 and have captivated me.

The recommendations are of course free of spoilers.

Sweet Tooth

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Civilization, as we know it, has collapsed. An unmanageable disease is to blame. At the same time the disease arrived, mysterious hybrids were born: a mix of animal and human.

But as humanity tends to do, it reacts with hatred and fear towards these new beings and hunts them down. We follow the kind-hearted deer boy Gus, who sets out on a dangerous journey.

That a disease drives humanity to the brink of extinction is not a new scenario. What captivates me is the mystery surrounding the hybrid children in Sweet Tooth.

Especially the uncovering of the backgrounds creates a huge tension arc. Where do the hybrid children come from? Why are they so hated? What ultimately led to the collapse of humanity? Where does the deer boy Gus really come from?

As can be gleaned from the trailer, the series is anything but as dark as the scenario sounds.

Despite the dark themes, there are many heartwarming moments accompanied by cheerful indie guitar music – which might be related to the fact that Sweet Tooth was produced by Susan Downey and Robert Downey Jr. They are behind the children’s adventure film “The Amazing Voyage of Dr. Dolittle”.

For fans of: The Rain, Carnival Row, His Dark Materials
Genre: Fantasy, Drama, Adventure
Rating from Sweet Tooth on IMDb: 7.8
Length: 8 episodes, each approximately 40 to 60 minutes. A second season has been officially confirmed.

An additional tip for Sweet Tooth: Since I liked the world of Sweet Tooth so much, I immediately researched its origins. The series is based on the comic series of the same name by Jeff Lemire. After I finished the series, I got the comics and couldn’t put them down.

However, I must say that they are really dark and show the worst of humanity. One needs strong nerves to read them. The series has made a significant departure from this.

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Midnight Mass

Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csa7U8zVpMg

The small and impoverished Crockett Island is so secluded that hardly any soul wanders there. Time seems to flow slower here, and the residents are trapped in their daily routines. Until a young, dynamic priest arrives on Crockett Island.

The arrival of the priest is accompanied by miracles. The residents fall into a religious frenzy – unaware of what they have gotten themselves into.

Midnight Mass is the only series on this list that I couldn’t binge-watch in one go. Director and writer Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House) gives his characters so many profound monologues that they almost lose their significance. However, it is worth sticking to the characters’ words and listening closely.

Each monologue contains a philosophical story about life, death, guilt, sin, forgiveness, religion, and the meaning of God in this world. Midnight Mass is designed more like a theatrical play. One must really like this and it requires concentration.

The series is extremely critical of the church and fanaticism. This is repeatedly underscored when dramatic sequences are accompanied by church music. The criticism particularly stands out during dialogues between the pastor and one of the main characters, who has lost her faith in God.

Although I found it somewhat exhausting to watch Midnight Mass at times, the series rewarded me multiple times. There are twists that I recognize as surprising and especially bold. There are images that have burned themselves into my mind.

Although Midnight Mass is far from perfect, the series has left a lasting impression on me.

For fans of: The Haunting of Hill House, Constantine, Penny Dreadful
Genre: Horror, Drama, Fantasy
Rating from Midnight Mass on IMDb: 7.7
Length: 7 episodes, each approximately 60 to 70 minutes. The mini-series is self-contained.

Arcane

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In a two-class society, a war between two cities is slowly brewing.

In Piltover, the economy is thriving – due to progress and a newly discovered magical technology. In the undercity district of Zaun, the black market is flourishing. Here, criminal gangs are rampant.

The two cities are dependent on each other. However, they are in conflict due to the uneven distribution of wealth. In the midst of the conflict stand two opposing sisters who must make hard decisions.

Arcane is to me the best video game adaptation of all time. This is mainly because the series is so much more than just an adaptation of League of Legends.

Arcane shows the emergence of a war in all its complex facets. The characters and their stories go far beyond simple black-and-white thinking. Arcane manages to question one’s own morality. It utilizes a setting that is still very unexplored: Steampunk.

The seemingly evil have motives for their actions that are understandable on a human level. The seemingly good sometimes act in inhumane ways – in their unwavering belief that they are always doing what’s right. It reaches the level of Game of Thrones at its best.

Arcane also shows the bitter consequences of one’s actions in a war. The series does not shy away from depicting a dying child. However, this does not occur for voyeuristic reasons, but because it is crucial to the gravity of the story. Arcane breaks taboos.

Additionally, there is an incredibly high production value. Each episode of Arcane takes about 40 minutes, which is unusually long for an animated series. The unique look mixes 2D and 3D animations.

For fans of: Love, Death & Robots, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Castlevania
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Science-Fiction, Steampunk
Rating from Arcane on IMDb: 9.2
Length: 9 episodes, each approximately 40 minutes. A second season has been officially confirmed and is in production.

Maid

Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0RlLrq-tdo

A young mother escapes with her little daughter from an abusive relationship. To support herself and her daughter, she takes a job as a maid. On her journey towards independence and freedom, many obstacles are thrown in her path.

Maid is hard to digest, which is what makes the series so important. It shows how difficult it is for victims to escape their dire situations.

Be it through authorities that set up nearly insurmountable hurdles before victims can receive help. Be it the downplaying of violence, as long as it is not physical – not yet. Or be it through “friends” who take the side of the perpetrators.

A major theme here is financial independence, which is the only way out for the young mother from her misery. Maid is based on an autobiography titled “Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive.” The author Stephanie Land describes her struggle against poverty.

A particularly strong stylistic element in the series is a counter that is repeatedly displayed whenever the protagonist earns or spends money. The counter symbolizes the calculations that constantly run through one’s mind when one is truly dependent on every last cent.

I wouldn’t say that it brings much joy to watch Maid. However, the series opens the eyes to why many victims of domestic violence find it so hard to escape.

If you are affected by domestic violence, you can confidently reach out to the Weißer Ring’s counseling service.

For fans of: Gilmore Girls, Changeling, Dead to Me
Genre: Drama
Rating from Maid on IMDb: 8.4
Length: 10 episodes, each approximately 40 – 60 minutes. The mini-series is self-contained.

Centaurworld

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On YouTube, there is only the English trailer. However, on the Netflix page of Centaurworld, you will find the German one.

A war horse named Horse is separated from her rider by a magical artifact and pulled into a bizarre world – everything here is different than in her war-torn world.

Is Centaurworld at times super silly and over-the-top? Absolutely! At the same time, the series offers a strong contrast with the war horse Horse. She is actually bitterly serious, seeking danger and adventure.

The crazy humor made me laugh out loud at times. It reminds me of Adventure Time, one of my favorite series of all time. Amid all the silliness, there are indeed adult and serious themes that ground Centaurworld.

You can also look forward to a musical here. In each episode, songs are sung. The songs are as high quality as Disney ballads.

The trailer gives you a good impression of Centaurworld. If it appeals to you, just take a look. If it doesn’t, better stay away.

For fans of: Disney and Pixar animations, Adventure Time, Steven Universe
Genre: Musical, Comedy
Rating from Centaurworld on IMDb: 7.6
Length: Season 1 has 10 episodes, Season 2 has 8 episodes. An episode lasts just under 30 minutes. Whether there will be a third season is still uncertain. However, the second season has a cohesive ending.

Squid Game

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Gi-Hun is heavily in debt and addicted to gambling. One day he is offered a one-time chance to escape his debt trap. He can compete against 455 other debtors for a cash prize of several million.

The competition consists of seemingly harmless childhood games. Only later do the candidates realize how high their stakes are.

Anyone who doesn’t live under a rock should have heard of Squid Game. The South Korean drama was the viral series hit of 2021. Squid Game was reenacted on playgrounds, even though people die in the series in the most brutal ways. Big YouTubers jumped on the trend and hosted their own Squid Game.

In total, 111 million people watched Squid Game within just 27 days. I was among them and had to watch one episode after another. Even though the principle of “Battle Royale” or “Hunger Games” is well-known, Squid Game stands out among them.

Thanks to a special twist at the start of the series, it becomes clear how bad the characters really are off. For them, the hell of the game is still the better option than to exist with nothing in their normal lives.

Squid Game has some moments that cut deep and clearly demonstrate that there is no real equality of opportunity for the characters. Be it because they couldn’t afford an education or because they are disadvantaged as immigrants.

P.S.: The episode with the marbles wrecked me. If you watch the series, you will know what I mean.

For fans of: Alice in Borderland, Battle Royale, Cube
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Mystery
Rating from Squid Game on IMDb: 8.0
Length: 9 episodes, each approximately 50 – 60 minutes. A second season has been officially confirmed.

Alice in Borderland

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A young and aimless gamer suddenly lands in a parallel world of Tokyo. The city seems deserted. Soon he must fight against others in a deadly game for survival.

The series premiered in December 2020, which is why it just made it into the new releases for 2021.

Alice in Borderland is based on a manga of the same name by Haro Aso. The name is a nod to Alice in Wonderland – a story I have loved since childhood.

Therefore, I particularly enjoy the numerous parallels between the two stories! In the brutal retelling, you encounter the Mad Hatter, the rabbit that guides the protagonist, or the queen’s playing cards.

However, I can particularly sympathize with the protagonist Arisu. He has no job, is a loser in the shadow of his brother. However, he is an outstanding gamer.

This ultimately helps him in the games that he must win in order to survive. Through his gaming skills, he often has a completely different tactic than his rivals and opponents.

Alice in Borderland is quick-paced action, with exaggerated choreographies typical of Japan, which are produced with high quality at every point. If you do not enjoy the completely exaggerated Japan-specific aspects, then this series is not for you.

For fans of: Alice in Wonderland, Squid Game, Sweet Home
Genre: Drama, Science-Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
Rating from Alice in Borderland on IMDb: 7.6
Length: 8 episodes, each approximately 40 – 50 minutes. A second season has already been officially confirmed.

Inside Job

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What if all famous conspiracy theories are true? Reptilians? They exist. Just like Chemtrails. The moon landing was just a fake.

The organization “Cognito Inc.” is responsible for keeping these conspiracies secret.

In times like these, I was really unsure whether I wanted to watch a series about conspiracy theories.

Afterwards, I was glad that I did! Inside Job parodies the entire world of conspiracy theories so cynically that I just had to laugh. The series actually helped me to see everything with a bit more humor.

Inside Job comes from the pen of Shion Takeuchi, who is responsible for the top series Gravity Falls, Disenchantment, and Regular Show.

For fans of: Men in Black, Rick and Morty, Futurama
Genre: Comedy, Satire
Rating from Inside Job on IMDb: 7.7
Length: 10 episodes, each approximately 30 minutes. A second season has not yet been officially confirmed. However, we can assume that one will come. Netflix has ordered a total of 20 episodes, of which 10 were released in the first season.

Bonus: Cowboy Bebop – But the Anime!

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The anime Cowboy Bebop premiered this year as a live-action adaptation – and unfortunately it was pretty bad. So bad that Netflix canceled the new series just 3 weeks after its release. I couldn’t stand watching the live-action adaptation until the end.

The good news is that Netflix also brought the anime to its platform (for promotional purposes)! Since the live-action adaptation was so quickly history, it is questionable how long the anime will still be on Netflix.

Therefore, I highly recommend watching the original Cowboy Bebop over the holidays – no matter if you can relate to anime or not. Cowboy Bebop is one of the best series I have ever seen, regardless of genre.

Since Cowboy Bebop premiered in 1998, we are dealing with a square format. The series uses this for its visual language, resulting in many strong, centric shots. Cowboy Bebop takes its time for atmosphere and does not rush its story. The jazz music that underscores the plot is particularly noteworthy and is not just there for the sake of it.

The anime has a lot of depth and is more progressive than many series claim to be today.

You follow a bounty hunter through space, whose crew slowly expands. They all escape from their reality.

For fans of: Firefly, The Fifth Element, Final Space
Genre: Science-Fiction, Western, Neo-Noir, Space Opera
Rating from Cowboy Bebop on IMDb: 8.9
Length: 26 episodes, each approximately 25 minutes. The series is self-contained.

More on the topic

These 8 new Netflix series from 2018 are perfect for the holidays now

von Leya Jankowski

Do you have any recommendations?

These were my Netflix series from 2021 that I would like to recommend to you. Therefore, of course, they are colored by my personal taste.

Do you have any other series or movies that you can recommend? Feel free to write them to us in the comments!

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Pokémon GO starts today with Part 2 of the Christmas event featuring new Pokémon and Shinies

Patrick Freese 23. December 2021 Reading time 3 minutes

In Pokémon GO on December 23, 2021, the second part of the big Christmas event starts. This introduces the new Pokémon Arktip along with its evolution Arktilas into the game. We show you all the bonuses and Shinies of the holiday event.

What happens during the event? Niantic divided the big Christmas event in Pokémon GO 2021 into two different events. The second event starts on Thursday, December 23, for you.

For the first time, you will find Arktip and Arktilas in the game
You will receive rewards for spinning PokéStops
Further Limited Research awaits you with Galarian Pantimos
A mini-event will take place within the event
And you will get a Collector Challenge

Additionally, as always, there will be altered spawns in the wild, different raid bosses, special content in the 7 km eggs, and Pokémon encounters in specific field research tasks. In this overview, we show you all the bonuses from the second part of the Christmas event.

Pokémon GO: Holidays Part 2 – All Bonuses, Pokémon, Bosses, and Shinies

When does Part 2 run? From Thursday, December 23, at 10:00 AM to Friday, December 31, at 8:00 PM (local time) the event is active.

Important Tip: As a bonus for the event, you will receive a Incubator for the first spin of the day at a PokéStop each day. ~~So wait until Thursday for the event to start before you spin your first PokéStop. If you spin before 10:00 AM, you won’t receive an Incubator on Thursday.~~ Update from December 23: Trainers report that you can also spin the first stop before 10:00 AM and then receive an Incubator at the start of the event. Niantic has apparently improved this after the last events.

Get Galarian Pantimos: In the second part of the Christmas event you will receive new, limited research tasks. They revolve around friendships and catching Pokémon. You will be rewarded with Galarian Pantimos. This is a major incentive for many trainers, as Galarian Pantimos was previously only available for purchase in Pokémon GO.

New Pokémon: For the first time, you will find Arktip and its evolution Arktilas in Pokémon GO. Arktip and Arktilas are both Ice type Pokémon and come from the sixth generation of the game.

Wild Pokémon: During the event from December 23 to 31, you will encounter the following Pokémon in the wild:

Pikachu with a Christmas Hat*
Quiekel*
Christmas Botogel*
Christmas Damhirplex*
Christmas Seemops*
Schneppke*
Shnebedeck*
Christmas Petznief*
Gelatini
With luck, you will encounter the following Pokémon:
Alolan Vulpix
Frigometri
Arktip

Pokémon marked with a star (*) can be encountered as Shiny. During the Spotlight Hour on December 28, you will encounter Petznief in its costumed form.

Raid Bosses:

Difficulty	Raid Bosses
Level 1	– Pikachu with Christmas Hat* – Alolan Vulpix* – Christmas Seemops* – Christmas Petznief* – Galarian Flampion*
Level 3	– Lapras* – Christmas Botogel* – Christmas Damhirplex* – Christmas Glaziola*
Level 5	– Kyurem*
Mega Raids	– Mega Rexblisar*

Eggs: The 7 km eggs you receive during the event can hatch the following Pokémon:

Quiekel*
Christmas Petznief*
Kussilla*
Galarian Flampion*
Arktip
Frigometri

Field Research: From the event field research, you can encounter the following Pokémon:

Pikachu with Christmas Hat*
Alolan Sandan*
Quiekel*
Christmas Damhirplex*
Christmas Seemops*
Christmas Petznief*
With luck, you will encounter Galarian Flampion*

Mini-Event in the Christmas Event

When does it start? From Saturday, December 25, at 10:00 AM to Sunday, December 26, at 8:00 PM, a mini-event in Pokémon GO will take place.

What happens then? During the event, you can trade with friends up to 40 kilometers away. This bonus was extended by Niantic beyond the event duration.

During the event, there will be additional field research tasks rewarding you with Christmas Botogel.

Collector Challenge: From December 25 to December 31, the challenge is active. You will need to trade the following Pokémon:

Quiekel
Schneppke
Seemops (costume optional)
Shnebedeck
Gelatini
Petznief (costume optional)

If you trade them all and complete the challenge on time, you will be rewarded with a Galarian Pantimos.

What do you think of the bonuses for the event? Are you excited for the second part and have already picked certain Pokémon that you definitely want to catch? Let us know your opinion in the comments here on MeinMMO.

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