Friday night is again at the doorstep and everyone in Destiny 2 knows that Xur will also pay a visit. What you can expect from the tentacle-faced vendor from a distant place this week, you will find out here at MeinMMO.
What happened this week? This week the Iron Banner started again. Lord Saladin lets us compete against each other in Control and complete our quest once more. However, this time he has also placed emphasis on the outward appearance, as your Iron Banner armor gets a burning emblem each time an Iron Banner event takes place.
And for those who want to experience sweaty moments in the Trials: The Flawless pool is back. Bungie realized, after player protests, that the new system did not go over well last week. Many avoided the Trials as a result. This will now change because on Sunday the streamers and hardcore PvP players will be thrown back together and you will not be matched with them unless you have obtained a Flawless ticket.
All info on Xur on November 5, 2021 – PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Google Stadia
When does Xur arrive? Xur will arrive punctually at 6:00 PM in Destiny 2. He will have set up his shop until Tuesday, 09.11, until the weekly reset at 6:00 PM and looks forward to your visit.
Where is Xur? This is his shop for the weekend
Xur’s location: He is located in the EDC at the winding cove.
Xur’s location in the EDC
Xur’s inventory from 05.11. to 09.11. – All Exotics at a glance
What does Xur have on offer? As always, Xur has an exotic weapon and armor for all characters, that is for Warlocks, Hunters, and Titans. This is his current offer:
Weapon: Prometheus Lens – Trace Rifle for 29 Legendary Shards
Hunter: Shinobu’s Vow for 23 Legendary Shards
Mobility: +9
Resilience: +3
Recovery: +22
Discipline: +16
Intellect: +9
Strength: +6
Total: 65
Titan: Unyielding Lion for 23 Legendary Shards
Mobility: +10
Resilience: +14
Recovery: +6
Discipline: +2
Intellect: +14
Strength: +15
Total: 61
Warlock: Crown of Storms for 23 Legendary Shards
Mobility: +9
Resilience: +9
Recovery: +16
Discipline: +13
Intellect: +15
Strength: +2
Total: 64
What Xur always has with him: You always get an Exotic Engram for 97 Legendary Shards from Xur, as well as the weekly quest for an Exotic Code.
The Trials of Osiris are cancelled due to Iron Banner
Since Bungie announced the Iron Banner last week, there will be no Trials this week. They decided to do this because both events bite each other. This way, a single active PvP event does not cause overlap and they cannot take players away from each other. This maintains their relevance.
The Iron Banner armor got a new coat of paint
Although the Trials are not active, Guardians can still tear other Guardians apart with their pack. As always, Control is active in the Iron Banner. Pay attention to your power level as the level advantages in the Iron Banner are active just like in the Trials.
Are you looking forward to Xur? What will he bring us this time? Let us know in the comments what you think of him and whether he is still relevant to you.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Now the time has come, the closed beta of Lost Ark has started and everyone who received a key is allowed to take a peek. Many fans are currently criticizing on reddit that the class-specific prologues have been removed. MeinMMO author Mark Sellner, however, says that the entry is much better because of this.
On November 4th, the closed beta for the new MMORPG started. Anyone who has pre-ordered the game or was lucky enough to win a key is allowed to participate.
We have also spent the first hours in the beta of Lost Ark and had a lot of fun. One thing stood out particularly positively for MeinMMO author Mark, namely the removed prologues of the individual classes.
Attention fans may have noticed a particular point in the last developer update of Lost Ark. In addition to numerous improvements and smaller adjustments, the new prologue stood out.
This is not a decision from Amazon but from the developer Smilegate. At the same time, the prologues had to be removed from the Korean and Russian versions of Lost Ark as well.
This made many fans sad at first. The class prologues were actually an exciting and engaging introduction to the game. They provided more background knowledge about the story of the individual classes and what they did to end up where they are now.
The old prologues are now told in short comic-like videos
The new prologue completely disregards the previous individuality. It is colorful instead of dark and focuses on bringing you closer to the main story of the game, in contrast to the old prologue, which referred to your character’s story.
As all characters experience the same main story, the new entry is the same for all classes. As a result, it feels more generic than the individual stories but is nonetheless a more suitable introduction to Lost Ark.
Who is writing here? Mark Sellner is an MMORPG and news author at MeinMMO. Since his childhood, he has been involved in various MMORPGs and has spent thousands of hours in their virtual worlds. Since Lost Ark appeared on the radar in 2014, he has kept himself informed about the game over the years. Now he can finally play and explains why his enthusiasm was justified.
Fans complain about the new prologue, wishing for the old ones back
On reddit, you can find several threads about why the new entry is not good. Many players wish for the old beginning to return, as it would make more sense. Players miss the old prologue, which revealed more about their character.
User Pariah writes on reddit: “The only criticism I have is that the start feels really weird. You get told a story that sounds like it would have been really fun to play yourself. Then you have to choose a class, 20 seconds later an advanced class, and you start at level 10. Why should I even choose a base class?
I have no idea what’s going on here, but it feels like I’m starting with Act 2 of the story.”
With this opinion, Pariah is not alone; another thread is titled “I’m really disappointed that they removed the unique prologues; they were really much cooler.” (via reddit).
Yes, they were. The old prologues were really cool and beautifully staged. When I read that they would no longer exist, I was initially disappointed too. But the new entry is much better and explains much more.
Thanks to the new entry, I understand just as well who my character is and what he has lost in the story as before. With the new prologue, I am no longer completely confused when a weird raven-demon-human type burns down a whole city an hour later and then relentlessly pursues me.
The new entry mainly tells me more about the story of Lost Ark. It reveals to me who this raven guy is, why he burns down the city, and what his motives are for constantly following me. All this information was withheld from me by the old intro, and that did not do the main story any good.
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Lost Ark delivers intense action with 15 classes – See here in the video what they look like
The new prologue is the same for everyone – equally good
Instead of the old prologue, which was different for each class, now everyone plays the exact same beginning. The old prologues are not lost, however. Before you really start playing, you will be told the story of the old prologues.
This happens in atmospheric images in a drawn style. A voice-over takes on the role of the narrator and explains to us how we got into this situation. This video remains different for each class.
After you have seen this video, it starts, and the new prologue begins. No longer dark and rather evil-looking like the old prologues, but flashy and colorful. On a ship heading to Trua. In this, you are part of an expedition group searching an island for a mysterious artifact.
Alongside the pirates and scoundrels you are traveling with, there is also a priest by your side who looks just as confused as you do. He takes on the role of your guide and tells you things about the church, the island, the Ark, and more.
On the ship, the new prologue starts
Thanks to the new prologue, you finally understand the story
In Lost Ark, it’s all about nothing less than what the name already reveals. You are searching for an Ark that has been lost. This lost Ark has the power to either save the world or destroy it.
People have been searching for this Ark for so long that many consider it a mystery. But now, due to your emergence, there is new hope.
However, it’s not just you searching for the Ark. The previously mentioned raven-demon-human also wants to get his hands on the artifact, and his most effective way to do that is you. All this makes the new prologue the topic.
As a fan of the old prologue, I struggled to let go, but the new one is simply better. It fits more comfortably into the world that the game throws us into shortly after.
Although Lost Ark is a dark game in many places, the start in the village of Prideholm is colorful and pleasant. The new prologue picks up on this mood, is more colorful, and clearly shows why we are going to Prideholm.
Also, the game’s main villain gets much more face and character with the new prologue. Because in the new, roughly 30-minute prologue on the island, we are also introduced to the villain of Lost Ark, his intentions are explained, and it is revealed that he is more than just the bad guy.
At the end of the prologue, you will know why you are searching for the Ark, why you have to go to Prideholm specifically, and why the church spends so much money to find the Ark.
All of these are factors that the old intro did not reveal and more or less left us aimlessly traveling to Arkesia. Now you have a goal, a task, and a plan, and all of this is already done before the actual game starts.
Before the revision, there was a feeling of just appearing in this world. It felt like a short story, just without a proper introduction.
You knew who you were but had no idea what you were doing, searching for, or supposed to do in this place. The new prologue delivers this introduction much better than the old ones and gives the story much more support than you would attribute to these 30 minutes.
Starting at level 10 feels wrong
Gameplay-wise, I have to agree with Pariah. Starting directly at level 10 with your subclass makes choosing a base class completely obsolete and feels rather unbalanced.
It can also be overwhelming for many players that you no longer learn new skills gradually but start directly with several of your skills. Priest Morpheus is present in the prologue to explain the basic mechanics, but it is still a lot to take in in a short time for genre newcomers.
The lack of progression is also tiring. While I fought my way through the old prologue level by level to become a powerful level 10 hero at the end of the intro, I now do not level up at all throughout the prologue.
I start the entry at level 10 and leave it at level 10 as well. Furthermore, the new prologue also shows weaknesses in gameplay, as I have to fight much less, although fighting is what is fun.
However, these are all things that can be relatively easily revised. I have not lost hope that these key issues will be refined by the time the game comes to us.
Lost Ark still offers you the option to simply skip the prologue. That was already possible before. Then you land directly in Prideholm after selecting your subclass instead of on the island of Trua, but you also miss a lot of story.
For story-averse individuals, this is of course the simpler and more sensible way. However, we can advise anyone who wants to explore Arkesia along with its stories not to miss this new prologue.
It offers much more than one might think in the first few minutes and also enhances your gaming experience afterward because you can understand much better.
After the new prologue, everything remains the same, and you can explore the world of Lost Ark and do the same as usual, although with some minor improvements and new side quests.
Start video
Everything you need to know about the MMORPG Lost Ark – in 2 minutes
The new prologue sets the right focus
The new entry into the game gets to the point of the story of Lost Ark. It ensures that much less confusion arises in the following hours and does not take away any information that the old intro had.
However, it is less spectacularly staged than the class prologues before. Nevertheless, Smilegate is taking the right step here by focusing the introduction on what it should be, namely an introduction to the world, the story, and the characters of the game. The new prologue does this significantly better than any of the old ones.
What do you think of the new prologue in Lost Ark? Did you play the old ones? Which do you prefer? Are you, like me, a fan of the new intro, or do you miss the class-specific prologues? Feel free to let us know in the comments here at MeinMMO.
Patch 9.1.5 has brought many new soul shapes for Night Fae in World of Warcraft. We show you where to find the new forms.
Although the Patch 9.1.5 has brought relatively little truly new content, there are still a number of interesting details for players to discover. Especially followers of the Night Fae covenant will enjoy numerous innovations. Many new soul shapes are available – including quite a few for small pets.
The colleagues from WoWhead have already found many of the new shapes, so we can present you with a list of all known locations.
The new shapes for the soul shape
Alpaca Soul: The Alpaca Soul has a drop chance from all current world bosses in Shadowlands.
Eagle Soul: You can buy the Eagle Soul from Quartermaster Salorn at the Amphitheater in Ardenweald. The soul costs a whopping 20,000 Anima.
Goat Soul: The Goat Soul has a chance to be left from all reward chests of the calling quests.
Mammoth Soul: You can obtain the Mammoth Soul from the Paragon chest of the Wild Hunt.
Ram Soul: You can buy the Ram Soul from the NPC Spindlenose in Ardenweald, the armorer from the Night Court. The item costs a hefty 25,000 Anima and 50 Grateful Gifts.
Shoveljaw Soul: The Shoveljaw Soul has a chance to drop upon completing PvP battlegrounds. It can also drop during the current “Comp Stomp”, where you only play against bots.
Master Clerk Salorn has new items available.
The new small pet shapes for the soul shape
What is the small pet shape? The small pet shape is a new subcategory of the soul shape. It allows Night Fae to transform into particularly small animals – such as squirrels or rabbits. However, these forms can only be used in rest areas, as they are not intended for combat. Most of these souls are somewhat better hidden or require more effort.
Squirrel Soul: You will automatically learn this soul when you speak to Choofa in the Night Fae covenant sanctum.
Cat Soul: You can find the Cat Soul on the various large trees in Ardenweald (the big ones that are enriched with Anima). There you need to look for the NPC “Lost Soul”. Approach the soul, target it and type “/soothe” or “/calm” to obtain the soul.
Chicken Soul: Travel to Revendreth and go to the small stalls at 64 / 62. There you have a chance to find a blue bag with “Spectral Feed”. Attention: The bag is only there for about 10 minutes per hour! Travel with the Spectral Feed to position 63 / 43, where the chicken can sit on a fallen tree trunk. Target the chicken, type /chicken until it looks at you, and then use the feed to obtain the soul.
Corgi Soul: You will get the Corgi Soul in the Heart of the Forest in Ardenweald. Simply target the dog “Glitter”, approach it, and type /pet. Then the soul is unlocked (you do not receive an item).
Even Spindlenose has new goods available – for a lot, a lot of Anima.
Cricket Soul: You can purchase the Cricket Soul from Spindlenose in Ardenweald. The cost is 15,000 Anima and 25 Grateful Gifts.
Frog Soul: You can find the Frog Soul while fishing in Ardenweald.
Otter Soul: You can find the Otter Soul in Bastion. Go to the coordinates 50 / 47 and search the small rivers. If you find an otter named “Lost Soul”, target it and type /pet to obtain the soul.
Porcupine Soul: The Porcupine Soul can be found in the Paragon chest of the Wild Hunt.
Prairie Dog Soul: You can buy the Prairie Dog Soul from Quartermaster Salorn at the Amphitheater in Ardenweald; it costs 10,000 Anima.
Rat Soul: You will receive the Rat Soul in the dungeon Tazavesh after defeating the first boss. Keep an eye out for the shopkeeper and stay close to him. At some point, he will whisper to you and ask “if you like little creatures”. You can confirm this when you select him and respond with /yes or /nod. Then you can trade with this NPC, and he sells the Rat Soul for 735 gold, 2 Sinvyr lockboxes, and 2 Stygian lockboxes.
Saurid Soul: Travel to Maldraxxus to the coordinates 44 / 65 and select the “Mysterious Pile of Rubbish”. Approach it and use the emote /bow to obtain this soul.
Saurid Hatchling Soul: You can obtain the Saurid Hatchling Soul from the last boss in the Adamant Vault of Torghast.
Snake Soul: The Snake Soul can be found in reward chests of the calling quests.
More news about World of Warcraft can be found here:
However, there are still a number of soul shapes that have not yet been found. The game data already indicates that they exist – but the exact source is still uncertain. These are the souls for:
Sporerunner
Jormungar
Kodo
Cloud Serpent
Boar
Owl
It is suspected that these souls can be found during the various timewalking events. However, this has not been confirmed and is therefore speculation.
We will update the article once the source of the last souls has been identified.
Which new shape is your favorite? What will you use to battle as a Night Fae?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Call of Duty: Vanguard lets you play as one of 12 new operators in the campaign and multiplayer. New is that you can level up the operators this time and equip them with more skins. But first, you need to unlock them. How to do that, you can find out here.
What are operators in CoD Vanguard? In Call of Duty, an operator does not refer to a technician, but rather to one of the playable soldiers. At the launch of Call of Duty Vanguard, there are new characters again, but there are only three of them available at the beginning of the game.
You must unlock the remaining 9 guys and gals through special challenges.
Start video
Everything you need to know about the new Call of Duty: Vanguard – in 2 minutes
Unlocking operators and leveling up for more skins
What is special about the Vanguard operators? Operators are certainly nothing new in CoD games. But this time, you can not only unlock the soldiers, but also level them up yourself. This way you get even more cool skins and other cosmetic options for the operators, which should make a significant impression during the new MVP elections.
Also new are the favorite weapons. Because although every operator can handle any weapon in the game, each of the new characters has a favorite weapon. When you use this weapon with the operator, you level up faster.
We will introduce the individual operators, their unlock criteria and favorite weapons in the following sections.
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Arthur Kingsley
Who is he? Arthur Kingsley comes from a reputable family from Cameroon and is fighting for the British forces with the rank of Sergeant.
How do you unlock the operator? You can unlock Arthur by getting 10 kills with killstreaks.
What is the favorite weapon? Kingsley prefers to shoot with a STEN, a submachine gun. He is suitable for players who like to engage in close combat.
Wade Jackson
Who is he? Wade is an American fighter pilot and daredevil. He holds the rank of Lieutenant First Class.
How do you unlock the operator? To unlock Wade, you need 100 headshots.
What is the favorite weapon? Wade’s favorite weapon is a Type 100 submachine gun. Curiously, this is a weapon of the Japanese Empire. The weapon is also accurate at medium range and suitable for an aggressive play style.
Polina Petrova
Who is she? Anyone who has seen the Vanguard gameplay at E3 2021 knows that Polina is a Russian sniper. She started her career as a medic but quickly had to prove her skills with the rifle. Polina Petrova holds the rank of Lieutenant in the Red Army.
How do you unlock the operator? For Polina, you need 2090 kills with sniper rifles.
What is the favorite weapon? Hard to believe, but Polina actually prefers a sniper rifle. Specifically, the Mosin-Nagant, the deadliest sniper at the launch of the game.
Lucas Riggs
Who is he? This is a rugged Australian from a sheep farm. He is a simple man and holds the rank of Private in the British Commonwealth forces.
How do you unlock the operator? Lucas Riggs moves into your barracks when you achieve 100 kills without aiming.
What is the favorite weapon? The rugged Riggs has no use for subtle maneuvers. Thus, he prefers to charge wildly into the fray with his Owen SMG. If you also enjoy such audacious attacks, then play this operator!
Who is he? Roland is from Luxembourg and was forcibly recruited by the Nazis. However, when his family was murdered by the fascists, he deserted and joined the Allies.
How do you unlock the operator? To unlock Robert, you need to deliver 300 kills with assault rifles.
What is the favorite weapon? Assault rifles are Robert’s thing and he prefers the powerful German STG44. So if you want to shine with the all-round rifle in every combat situation, you should choose this operator.
Daniel Take Yatsu
Who is he? Daniel is an American of Japanese descent. Although his family was dispossessed and interned, he serves in the US Army as part of a regiment that consists only of Americans of similar descent.
How do you unlock the operator? You unlock Daniel by delivering 200 kills with marksman rifles.
What is the favorite weapon? The classic M1 Garand rifle is Daniel’s favorite weapon. It allows for precise shots, making Daniel a sort of mobile sniper.
Solange Hardewijk
Who is she? Solange is from Amsterdam and was actually a student there. When the war broke out, she first fled to England and then joined a special unit.
How do you unlock the operator? You need 10 double kills to unlock Solange.
What is the favorite weapon? Solange uses a heavy assault rifle of the NZ-41 type. This allows for many kills, especially at short distances.
Shigenori Ota
Who is he? Shigenori comes from Japan and is a descendant of an old samurai family. He was falsely accused of desertion and actually deserted.
How do you unlock the operator? To obtain Shigenori, you must first perform 25 finishers.
What is the favorite weapon? Shigenori prefers a Japanese LMG of the Type 11 brand. This weapon is lightweight and versatile but not as strong as other LMGs.
Béatrice Mercier
Who is she? Béatrice is a freedom fighter who fights against the Nazis on the side of the French Resistance.
How do you unlock the operator? If you want to have Béatrice as an operator, you need to achieve 10 times 5 kills without dying in between.
What is the favorite weapon? Béatrice’s favorite weapon is an assault rifle of the AS44 type. The weapon fires very quickly but is difficult to control.
Padmavati Balan
Who is she? Padmavati is a brutal jungle fighter from India who has a problem with colonial powers.
How do you unlock the operator? Padmavati loves shotguns. Therefore, you should deliver 200 kills with a shotgun before she becomes playable.
What is the favorite weapon? Padmavati’s favorite weapon is a combat shotgun. With this pump-action gun, you can wipe out anyone in close combat.
Constanze Trude Müller
Who is she? Constanze is from Düsseldorf and was forced to join the BDM. However, when she fell in love with a Polish freedom fighter, she joined the Allies.
How do you unlock the operator? You need to unlock Constanze with 300 LMG kills.
What is the favorite weapon? Constanze prefers the powerful German MG42. With this, you can shower your opponents with a veritable hail of ammunition and effectively control the battlefield.
Halima Zambardi
Who is she? Halima is from Somalia and fights as a resistance fighter against the Italian colonial powers.
How do you unlock the operator? To obtain Halima, you must execute 50 kills while lying down.
What is the favorite weapon? Halima prefers the German submachine gun MP-40. This weapon is a true all-round talent.
So much for the operators at the launch of Call of Duty Vanguard. More operators will surely follow soon. In addition, you will likely be able to play the new operators gradually in Warzone. It will soon get a new map in the Pacific.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Destiny 2 players can be a funny bunch, especially when they have too much time on their hands. Now that the content drought has set in, the community is coming together and thinking about the silliest things. For example: “What if Hive bosses had other names?” The results are hilarious.
Out of a spontaneous fit of social camaraderie and a pinch of boredom, thanks to Destiny 2 player ConsequenceNo5041, a really funny discussion on reddit has emerged. This also made the German community grin.
Hey, it’s fun to poke fun at the rules: Normally, the Hive is a rich and storied race with fearsome names. Their leaders are ancient gods who have ruthlessly wiped out countless civilizations to become stronger.
Destiny 2 players have had many of them in their crosshairs:
Navota, the witch in the Vanguard strike “Fallen from Grace.”
Hashladun – Daughter of Crota, nasty Hive boss in the Scarlet Fortress.
Dul Incaru – Daughter of Savathun and boss enemy in the dungeon “The Broken Throne.”
The highest Hive gods Oryx and soon Xivu Arath as well as their sister Savathun.
This is usually how Hive names originate: These names are actually honors for the Hive. They arise either from their glorious deeds or from their relationships with other Hive greats or hierarchies. However, when players start goofing around and playing “What if,” you just have to grin.
Not so threatening anymore – so let’s have a little fun
I mean, who can stay serious when “Kevin the Serf” charges at you? And a teammate at that moment shouts “Oh my God! You killed Kevin!” A classic.
Or when “Bob the Not-Builder” is having a bad day in his Hive construction? Check out the dungeon “The Pit of Heresy.” So many doors looking like a creepy Hive youth hostel. I think that was definitely Bob.
It’s the same with “Kyle – Alone in Chicago.” A reference to a possible new Destiny 2 location with Hive enemies. Only a Kyle can survive that.
Those would all be Hive names if they had been born in America and not on Fundament, their home planet.
First Dörte, then shoot everything else.
International it gets even funnier: The player The_Owl_Bear notes on reddit that the Hive in the Cosmodrome would actually be Russian. This opened up even more possibilities for funny renaming for the community. Darin1355 responds to him and renames “Akorith, Light-drinker of Savathun” to “Sergei, Vodka-drinker of Savathun.”
This little game can also be expanded to other bosses in Destiny 2. How about
“Will of Crota,” the “Prince” of the Hive and son of Oryx.
“Alkap-Mock,” for a dark mock-boss of the Ether Mafia.
This week’s Nightfall boss “Sendpiks Prime.” Have you taken a selfie with him at 100K yet? He must be secretly dreaming of having his own Instagram account. (Why isn’t there a meme of that yet?)
It is probably the best-known – and funniest – scene from the Red War Reveal Trailer. If you haven’t seen the trailer yet, you definitely should.
Cayde-6, then still Hunter Vanguard, forgets the name of the big boss during his speech. First, he calls him “Gary.” Then he thinks for a moment, throws in “Gil?” or “Glenn?” and states, “I have no idea, something with G!” The players never called the boss anything else after that. Gary has now become Destiny 2 cult.
In contrast to the dry speeches of Commander Zavala and Ikora, such gags from Bungie or the community are funny and refreshing moments in Destiny 2. There should be more of these.
Even Golmuut, the ogre was renamed by the players to “Greg.”
Phogoth, from the Nightmare Hunt, was simply no replacement for him. Greg was the perfect, walking shooting range. Moreover, he always brought along a few Dörtes, Kevins, and Wendys in the Lost Sector, who were then sacrificed for building buffs.
Or how about Randal? He was a Fallen who often picked players up unprepared in the open-world due to his exceptionally high health. The community then quickly renamed the “Reaver Vandals” to “Randal the Vandal.”
These are not just funny little things: The Destiny 2 community is especially good at having fun while playing. Even Bungie likes to join in on this.
So the community manager shares the Movies of the Week every week in the TWaB. Recently one from the leaderboard Nightfall “The Corrupted,” where the enemies bounced around like rubber balls, only to come back very nasty.
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These are of course just examples. But I bet that when you read the name of a Hive boss in Destiny 2 next time, you will surely chuckle and think “Well Brian? Are you still hanging around here?”
Share with us your funniest experience in Destiny 2. What funny things have you experienced? Do you also have funny names for events, strikes, or weapons? Or what funny names would you give to Destiny 2 bosses? Let your sarcastic Gary run free.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
MeinMMO author Maik Schneider has completed his first hours in the multiplayer of Call of Duty: Vanguard and feels right at home. He believes the new CoD returns to the franchise’s strengths and is excited for the coming year in the game.
The CoD games of the last two years have always managed to create a pleasant hype for me before their release. Even before the release of Call of Duty: Vanguard, I felt that familiar buzz building up, and when I finally got to play my first rounds in the completed multiplayer, that buzz turned into goosebumps at times.
Because the first hours were pure fun – unlike the previous two installments Black Ops Cold War and Modern Warfare. Vanguard plays like a true CoD from the first moment and delivers exactly what I expect from the series: fast skirmishes, many great 6vs6 maps, and an exhilarating feeling when taking down opponents.
Start video
Everything you need to know about the new Call of Duty: Vanguard – in 2 minutes
Vanguard gives me what I wanted
This is how I define a “true” CoD: The Call of Duty community is huge and has grown over many years. This leads to each of us perceiving the franchise a little differently. For example, if your first CoD was one with jetpack gameplay, that might be your thing. It was never mine. I have different standards:
Well-structured maps for thoughtful tactics
Fast movement
Many 6vs6 maps at launch
Fun assault rifles
No futuristic setting
Many skirmishes
Killstreak mechanics
About the author: The “Call of Duty” series has accompanied Maik throughout his adult life, and here on MeinMMO, he has been writing almost daily about fast shooters for the past 2 years.
Aside from the CoDs with jetpack gameplay, he has spent a significant amount of time in the multiplayer after each release, amassing several thousand hours of playtime. Maik is motivated by the ambition to play even better in the next match.
His defining experience was especially the time of Modern Warfare 2, the CoD from 2009. Many strong assault rifles, intricate map design, grounded setting. That was a CoD to his taste, and Vanguard has the right elements to become another hit for him.
I’m almost flying over the map, sliding around the corners, shredding enemies with headshots, and I already feel very powerful when I start. Every double kill pushes me further ahead, and my kills cast a dark veil over the mood of the opposing team. The movement feels seamless, I quickly got the hang of it, and I already racked up my first 10 kills.
Moreover, Vanguard utilizes an upgraded version of the graphics engine from Warzone. I only needed to invert my controller settings and was immediately warmed up. Okay, I did adjust a few more settings, but I was fully engaged from the first moment.
But also, the maps. Oh yes, what maps! On none of the maps I have tried so far have I felt uncomfortable or faced excessive disadvantages. Here and there, perhaps a bit more color could be in play, as Vanguard’s setting in World War II is evident – the colors are not saturated and rather pale.
But the layout and gameplay quickly drew me in. Vanguard relies again on more structured maps with mostly clear paths, an action-packed center, and many flanking opportunities. Thoughtful approaches are rewarded, and so far, I could hardly identify power positions that dominate the entire map.
Also, some classics from CoD: World at War are in the game, on which I completed my first multiplayer matches back then.
This view of the Dome map began my CoD career.
The familiar controls, strong movement, and the good first impression of the maps have made me feel like I’m experiencing a “true” CoD. Something I missed upon release of the last installments.
From the first moment, I was sliding, shooting, and jumping around corners as if Vanguard had been a gift for my 18th birthday. And that was quite some time ago, back then the first Call of Duty was current.
CoD MW and Cold War were not my thing at launch
The CoD from 2019 was a bit sluggish at launch. In the map layout, the developers tried something new, bringing in a lot of verticality to the maps and skipping the typical three-lane structure. However, the lanes ensured that there was something for every play style: close and long-range fighters.
The maps, some mechanics, and the fast time-to-kill favored more stationary gameplay and thus campers.
Additionally, I found many maps too large, and at times I traveled a whole minute without seeing an enemy – that may sound little, but it’s a lot in Call of Duty terms! In contrast, Vanguard offers with the Combat Pacing the option to approach 6vs6 maps with more players. Even on the larger maps, I regularly encountered enemies in my crosshairs.
In Modern Warfare, I had the most fun on the chaos map “Shipment”, and the gameplay there was not necessarily the usual feeling of CoD MW.
In Vanguard, I feel powerful – nice when the score is right too.
With Cold War, I also had the problem with the large maps. The Combat Pacing is one of the best new features in Vanguard for me – perhaps even the best new feature.
However, the 2020 CoD failed to convince me with its overall gameplay. Everything felt so static, the movement felt sluggish, and there was no sense of constant action.
Also, the scorestreaks soured Cold War for me a bit. I believe killstreaks are the perfect reward system that can create incredible motivation in matches.
What are Streaks in CoD? A streak allows you to acquire powerful equipment during matches in Call of Duty. This includes tools for reconnaissance, disrupting enemies, and powerful war machines like bombers sweeping over the battlefield.
In a killstreak system, only the kills you collect without dying count toward a streak. In the scorestreak system of Cold War, you collected points for a streak over multiple lives, but here too, more kills in succession resulted in a better score, hence more points for your streaks.
Although many kills without dying were also important for high streaks in Cold War – nothing beats the feeling of achieving a 10 killstreak in a sweat lobby after intense skirmishes. And Vanguard has the dog squad back, with which I unleash a pack of dangerous attack dogs on opponents.
The new CoD not only picks me up, it takes me to the party, doesn’t drink anything, and brings me home again. Possibly a very good friend in the coming year.
My first impression is very positive because Vanguard gives me much of what I expect from a CoD. For me, it is a “true” CoD that impresses with strong maps and plenty of content at launch, while the gameplay gives me a sense of strength.
This feeling of power that settles in immediately after the first killstreak and pushes me to perform even better. That’s precisely what Vanguard conveys to me from the very first second, and that’s what I want from a Call of Duty.
However, I’m also curious about your opinion on this topic, as for some of you, a “true” CoD perhaps means something different. Do you also feel reminded of other CoD times when playing Vanguard, or does my opinion perhaps rub you the wrong way? Feel free to leave me a comment.
Perhaps you could encounter golden wolves that are equipped with good loot like mini-bosses. They could also be provided with specific resources that can only be obtained through hunting. This would allow for crafting special weapons again.
What do you think about the listed items and objects? Do you also think they need to be revised or do you find their current state acceptable? Let us know!
In Fortnite, several items have been introduced into the game. However, some are so questionable and unnecessary that no one would miss them if they were gone. We show you 4 items that definitely could use some changes.
What kinds of items are these? These are items that can exist not only in the item slot. Our freelance author Christos Tosgos has looked at many items in Fortnite and has tried to actively observe the dominance in matches.
He has noticed items that may perform well and had their use, but still are not as dominant as other items or objects in Fortnite.
About the Author: My name is Christos, I am a freelance author at MeinMMO and I am particularly involved in the areas of Fortnite and Destiny. After more than 2,000 hours of gameplay and numerous seasons in Fortnite that I have actively experienced, I can make a well-founded judgment about what is important for an item in Fortnite and which ones manage to assert themselves.
1. Hunter’s Cloak
The stinky Hunter’s Cloak
What kind of item is this? The Hunter’s Cloak. Some of you have surely used this cloak in Chapter 2 Season 6. If you didn’t notice, it’s also available in Season 8, but hardly anyone uses it.
If you build this meat jacket, you become invisible to wildlife and can even tame them. This way, you have wild allies that attack any enemy in sight.
What should be changed? The idea is good, but unfortunately not fully thought out. Of course, who wouldn’t want to tame wildlife and then use them as fighters, but that unfortunately isn’t enough to assert oneself. The animals die too quickly, and the effort to build something like this is luck-based as you don’t always encounter animals.
It would be cool if you could ride on the animals after taming them. That would be a fun thing and would fit the style of Fortnite perfectly. Especially since it would be more useful as the animals don’t need gas.
2. Instant Items
Vegetables and fruits
What kind of item is this? These are items that allow you to heal, get a speed boost, or even recharge shields. You can find these foods all over the map. Either on the ground in the form of mushrooms or on trees in the form of fruits.
You can find them easiest in POIs that are stocked with green boxes. These boxes function like ammunition crates and provide you with plenty of vegetables or fruits after opening.
What should be changed? Don’t get me wrong, vegetables and fruits are cool, but why would I take 15 cabbages when I could carry a whole med-kit or even fish that can regenerate more HP?
Currently, they just take up space in their form. It would be interesting if the consumables would transfer certain effects like the chili or the zero-point pretzel. Then they could assert themselves better and automatically bring variety to the gameplay.
3. Gas Stations
A quiet gas station
What kind of item is this? This is not directly an item. It’s about the gas stations and their function. With them or a gas canister, you can fill up your vehicles with fuel. You need this as your vehicles will eventually run out of fuel without it.
You are therefore bound to always find a gas station if you are soon running low on fuel. Once you reach a gas station with your last bit of fuel, you have to refuel. This is unfortunately not so easy, as many players hide in such places to ambush you.
What should be changed? From my observations, the gas stations are very cumbersome. Epic definitely had a realistic approach here and perhaps wanted to limit the vehicles with them. They previously drove without fuel sometimes, which annoyed some during a chase.
It would be best to make the gas stations a bit safer. Perhaps one could be equipped with a shield while refueling, or the hose could be extended at the pump since it sometimes glitches away.
What kind of item is this? This is about the animals in general. Since Season 6 in Chapter 2, there are animals that can randomly encounter you on your journeys through the map. These include:
Wild Boars
Wolves
Raptors
Chickens
Crows
From them, you get meat, and ideally from golden crows, a very good weapon. That’s it. You can try to tame raptors or wolves using the Hunter’s Cloak. But nobody does that because you first need to get meat. If you are lucky enough to finally find an animal, you have to kill it to get meat.
Once you’ve killed it, you still need the right amount to craft a cloak. If you meet all these requirements, you can tame an animal, but that requires you to have an animal. Once you manage it, you have animal companions after this odyssey, who can be taken out with a few bullets immediately. That is not profitable.
What should be changed? Animals are an opportunity that Epic does not utilize here. In Season 6, they were still useful, as you could get bones from them, which you needed to craft prehistoric weapons. But now that those weapons no longer exist, it might be a good idea to categorize them like the crows or sharks.
Perhaps you could encounter golden wolves that are equipped with good loot like mini-bosses. They could also be provided with specific resources that can only be obtained through hunting. This would allow for crafting special weapons again.
What do you think about the listed items and objects? Do you also think they need to be revised or do you find their current state acceptable? Let us know!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Pokémon GO today, November 5, 2021, a new event has started: The Festival of Lights. Right on schedule, there are also 8 special field research tasks. We at MeinMMO show you the quests and their rewards, and our author Franzi Korittke explains why she is disappointed with the tasks.
Which quests are it about? As you know from past events, there are also new field research tasks for the Festival of Lights. You will receive these by spinning the PokéStop. The respective tasks will be displayed to you in the “Field” category, which you can access by clicking on the binoculars in your map view.
When does the event take place?The Festival of Lights in Pokémon GO runs from November 5, 2021, at 10:00 AM local time to November 14, 2021, at 8:00 PM local time. During this time, you have the opportunity to collect the special quests. There is no time limit for processing them, so you can also complete them after the end of the event.
These are the 8 new quests for the Festival of Lights
During the Festival of Lights, you can encounter a total of 8 new quests that reward you with items or various encounters with Pokémon. Below, we have summarized the new field research tasks with the help of LeekDuck’s overview (via LeekDuck/reddit):
Task
Reward
Catch 5 Electric-type Pokémon
Encounter with Magnemite* or Frosmoth*
Catch 5 Fire-type Pokémon
Encounter with Vulpix* or Furfrou
Catch 5 different species of Electric Pokémon
Encounter with Electabuzz*
Walk 1 km
10x Pokéballs or 5x Ultra Balls
Defeat 2 Grunts from Team GO Rocket
Encounter with Electabuzz*
Send 5 Gifts to friends
Encounter with Electrode* or Magmar*
Send 7 Gifts to friends
Encounter with Flareon*
Use 10 Power-Ups on Pokémon
Encounter with Dedenne
All Pokémon that you can also encounter in their shiny version are marked with an (*).
That’s why I find the quests so disappointing
Usually, new event quests bring one or another interesting monster with them, which is not so easy to catch outside of these quests. In this event, however, the yield in this regard is negligible.
The reason for this is the spawns. Almost all of these monsters are already available in the wild or through raids during the Festival of Lights. This makes the field research tasks rather uninteresting for me and leads to disappointment.
And the encounters themselves don’t really excite me. I have been playing Pokémon GO for over 2 years and have collected some specimens in abundance during this time through Community Days and other events. This includes Electabuzz and Magmar, which had their day last year.
For this reason, I will rather ignore the field researches during this event. But I think there are trainers for whom one or another quest might be worthwhile.
Who might find the quests interesting?
In my view, the tasks are more suitable for trainers who have not been playing Pokémon GO for long. They should especially look for strong Pokémon in these quests. But they are also suitable for shiny hunters or to complete older special researches.
The research tasks are all relatively easy to solve and therefore can be done in a short time. Only the power-ups involve the use of some stardust.
Strong specimens
Among the strong specimens of these researches is the Electric- and Steel-type Pokémon Magnemite, which can evolve into Magnezone. Magnezone is one of the best attackers in Pokémon GO.
The same applies to Electabuzz. Its evolution Electivire also ranks among the best Electric attackers. For strong Fire Pokémon, you should look to Flareon. Its evolution Flampivian is one of the best Fire attackers after Reshiram and Chandelure.
And in the GO Battle League, both Magnezone and Electivire are suitable candidates, especially in the Ultra and Master leagues (via pvpoke.com). So if you are looking for a strong specimen for raids or PvP battles, you should consider these monsters.
Other reasons to use the quests
The new Pokémon: Of course, you also receive the new Electric- and Fairy-type Pokémon Dedenne in the tasks. If you can’t get enough of this monster, you should take your chance. Why trainers love Dedenne so much, we explain in the following article:
If you have not fully completed these tasks, you can get these two monsters this way without having to spend expensive raid passes. The tasks are easy and quick to solve.
Shiny hunters: And of course, shiny hunters will also get their money’s worth with these quests. So if you are still looking for a shiny specimen, you can try your luck this way as well. Except for Dedenne and Furfrou, all other monsters are also available in their shiny version.
What do you think of the new quests for the Festival of Lights? Do you find them as boring and disappointing as I do, or will you secure one or the other monster from them? Feel free to share your opinion here on MeinMMO in the comments and exchange ideas with other trainers.
In the endgame of New World , much revolves around the best gear in the game. A player has farmed over 22 hours and more than 500 elite mobs to reveal how you can quickly get the best max gear without being in groups.
What is this grind spot? The grind spot is located at Spryla Tower in the Bruchberg area and is officially designated for players level 63. You will encounter elite mobs of silver difficulty that you can defeat alone or in pairs, as well as a boss.
The reddit user EmperorsShadow has grinded at this location for 22 hours and defeated over 500 mobs. In doing so, he farmed legendaries and purposely increased his gear score.
Why do people even grind? New World has a special loot system where each piece of gear remembers the maximum gear score that has dropped for that slot. Players refer to this as the “watermark” system.
Over time, more luck accumulates, which increases the chance of a new maximum value. However, this increase in luck can only happen through direct drops or chests, not through crafting or the trading post.
Each enemy also has a maximum gear score that can drop. That’s why in the endgame, players try to grind as effectively as possible in difficult areas. We have summarized how the loot works here:
Player increases gear score from 562 to 590 in 22 hours
How does grinding work? You basically just go into the area and kill all the enemies there. They have a respawn timer of about 5 minutes.
However, there is a trick. If no one else is at the landmark and you yourself move away from it, the enemies respawn in 2 minutes. So if you are completely solo, you have a good chance to grind quickly at Spryla Tower.
How effective is this? EmperorsShadow has increased the gear score of his drops from 562 to level 590 at the grind spot within 22 hours, which he considers a “maximum value.” Starting from gear score 590, you should receive random drops of all levels, including from the maximum gear score 600 (via Docs.google.com).
He mentions in his data an increase of about 4 gear score per hour on each piece of equipment.
According to him, you don’t have to be a pro to grind in this area.
Is the spot worth it aside from gear score? Yes, because the boss at this location – Fay, the last Protector – has two unique drops:
Fay’s Covenant – a legendary rapier with 30 dexterity, additional damage to targets with 30% less health, and 1.4% life steal
Earthbinder Ward – a legendary hammer with taunt gem, additional aggro, and 30 constitution
In his data, he adds that the rapier has a drop rate of about 3.2% and the hammer 3.8%. The items are certainly farmable. Anyone wanting to deal especially high damage to Fay should focus on fire damage.
How exactly the grind spot works is demonstrated by EmperorsShadow in a YouTube video:
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Is this the most effective method in the game? This grind spot is said to be one of the best for solo or duo players.
However, the general consensus is that chest runs are the most effective method. Many chests are opened quickly there, but large groups of players are needed. So if you don’t want to roam with these big groups, you can grind for yourself at this tower.
What do you think about the grind spot in Bruchberg? Do you enjoy grinding solo or do you prefer to run in a large group or complete expeditions? Let us know in the comments.
If you’re currently waiting for new content, you won’t have to wait much longer. The first “major patch” is scheduled for November. At least some bug fixes and new features have already been announced for it:
Mysteries, mysterious structures, and a lot of questions – that’s what the story around New World offers you. With its dark fantasy environment, the game tries to captivate you. We at meinMMO explain the story, its interconnections, and what narrative the game wants to tell us.
This is the setting of New World: The story takes place in the 17th century and shows elements of the colonial era. Technological progress is still in its infancy, as the most innovative things in the game are cannons or muskets in their early stages. However, magic and sorcery do exist and are used by the inhabitants.
The world around you is more gloomy than idyllic. Ruins decorate the barren spots of the map, and mysterious monsters and figures inhabit Aeternum, the island where the entire main story takes place.
Myths and legends speak of a “source of eternal life” that is located on this island. This liquid is called Azoth and promises the user great power and eternal youth. But every coin has two sides, and Azoth also shows its terrible side effects, proving that the alluring advantages are only parts of its true power.
This is how your story begins in New World (Warning: Spoilers ahead)
How are you involved in the story? Right in the intro of the game, a dark scene plays out for you. Two men meet in a rundown tavern. One of them, a survivor of the last expedition to Aeternum, tells that the myths and legends about the said island are true and incredible riches can be found.
This survivor hands your captain Thorpe a mysterious box, the content of which remains (as yet) a mystery. With new insights and the box under his arm, the captain starts the expedition to Aeternum. You are part of his crew, lured by the scent of the promised riches that await you in the new land.
But you will quickly be brought down to earth, namely, that this journey is a fight for survival. The ship is attacked by an unknown force and capsizes. You wake up on a dark and infected shore, and a tutorial awaits you, which gives you a first glimpse into the world and game mechanics of New World.
In most MMOs, you are the chosen one who is supposed to save the world from destruction. In New World, it’s no different. The main mission tells your story and how you confront the great evil.
Start video
New World reveals a new cinematic trailer for gameplay
This is how it continues. After this brief plot, you awaken and find yourself stranded on a shore. You realize that the tutorial was only a kind of dream or bad omen and want to warn the island’s inhabitants of the immediate danger that was visible in the form of a red plague.
After unsuccessful attempts to warn the coastal settlements of the impending doom, you are introduced to a supposed madman, Yonas Alasar, who knows more about the threat than anyone else on the island. Over time, you learn more and more from him about the secrets that the island holds.
Azoth, the key to immediate power – or ruin
What is Azoth? You learn from Yonas that the “source of eternal life” is the so-called Azoth. This resource can be found all over the island and alters the laws of life and death. The monsters you find on the island are mostly deceased beings that have been mutated into lost entities by Azoth.
Furthermore, you learn in the story about a ritual that can make you immortal, allowing you to confront the plague. However, this comes at a high price, as you bind your soul forever to the island and cannot find redemption. You are aware of the dangers and still decide to use this power.
The corruption and the ancients: On the path to immortality, you gain tools like the Azoth staff to combat the so-called corruption, a dark, slimy plague with piercing red traits. The origin of this plague is unknown, but one thing is clear: Corruption is the dark side of Azoth, tainted by the anger and evil of souls.
It takes over the bodies and souls of living beings and causes mutations. All reason is erased, leaving only hatred and a lust for destruction. A red substance surrounds you, marking the corrupted.
The ancients, to whom Yonas also belongs, were the guardians and inhabitants of Aeternum long before we discovered the island. Their technology and magic were powered by Azoth. Through rituals, they could create immortal warriors and foot soldiers who still guard the ruins today in the form of skeletons.
According to rumors, the corruption arose from a failed experiment of the ancients. Their greed for more power and Azoth was their downfall. Throughout Aeternum, you can find paper pages telling bits of this story.
Like a vile plague, corruption destroys everything living
You eventually succeed, and you are ready to march north with united forces, as the origin and core of the corruption is suspected to lie there. But suddenly you receive a letter from your former captain Thorpe, in which he challenges you to a duel and demands the mysterious box that he lost at the start of the expedition.
The factions must stand together
The past must be buried: With the knowledge that your former captain is now corrupted, you hurry to the Unstable Coast to free him from his suffering.
To do this, you must complete the expedition “The Shallows,” where you will ultimately face Thorpe as the final boss.
It was all just a trap: After you return victorious, you find your base burning. You learn that it is not Captain Thorpe, but a much more powerful enemy behind all the corruption. Her true name is “Isabella,” and during your absence, she has overrun the base with an army of the corrupted.
You try in vain to rush to your friend Yonas, who was able to briefly stand up to Isabella, but you arrive too late. You look into his glowing red eyes.
His mind has already been consumed by the corruption. You know that only death is the salvation and prepare to strike.
Isabella – full of hatred, she commands the corruption
Hope is dwindling. Is doom certain?
Your master and friend Yonas, who showed you the way, is no more. Your army has been defeated, the base lies in ruins, and the morale of the survivors is dwindling. Just before all hope seems lost, the words of Captain Thorpe come to mind – The mysterious box, its contents must be the key.
What is the content of the mysterious box? After you follow the clues to where the box is located, you also learn about its content. Half of Isabella’s soul is sealed in the box. This Isabella, who leads the corruption and is erasing all living things with her power.
Once her soul is fully restored, her true power will be unleashed.
With her new power, she could even leave the island and spread the corruption throughout the world. With this new understanding, you search for the mysterious box as quickly as possible and ultimately discover that the so-called “Angry Earth Creatures” are hiding the box and protecting it from Isabella.
What did our captain see in the box?
The island itself turns against you in the story
Who or what are these “Angry Earth Creatures”? The island itself is described as an organism. To contain the dangers, Mother Nature created Earth Creatures, which try to restore balance. They destroy any threats and spare neither humans nor corruption.
With this knowledge, you hurry to the center of the Angry Earth Creatures – Edenhain, the birthplace of the mentioned species. But even there, you quickly realize that Isabella was one step ahead of you. The so-called Mother Source, the heart of the Earth Creatures, has been attacked and partially corrupted.
The nature fights back, showing no mercy even against you
An alliance between humanity and nature? Why has the corruption not been able to spread outward? Nature itself has erected a so-called “storm wall” around the island to contain the plague and keep it on the island. Now, however, as the Mother Source has weakened, the plague can advance outward.
A massive fleet, led by Isabella, is set to sail soon and embark on a major invasion outward. With the help of the Earth Creatures, you sabotage the ships and cripple the entire fleet. For this, you must complete the expedition “Dynasty,” where the fallen queen of the dynasty awaits you as the final boss.
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth: You discover that corruption affects Earth Creatures differently than all other beings. When the Azoth of the Earth Creatures connects with the tainted Azoth of the corrupted, a bright green plague – the so-called “Blight” – is created.
The “Blight” infects everything it comes into contact with and spares even the corruption. You devise a plan to fully infect the Mother Source with this bright green plague and thereby redeem the entire island from corruption, as the source has stretched its roots into every corner of Aeternum.
The Source Guardian as the last bastion: With a clear goal, you gather the favor of nature and assemble an army. The Mother Source is, of course, well protected, and to reach it, you need a lot of firepower. In the end, you will face the so-called “Source Guardian,” who is extremely powerful and wants to erase you from this planet.
After you defeat the boss, nothing stands in your way anymore, and you infect the source to put a stop to the corruption. Here, the story comes to a temporary end. More content will surely follow in future patches.
What do you think of the story of New World? Have you experienced it yourself or did you just rush through? Let us know in the comments below.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Destiny 2 will return to the Flawless pool and the familiar matchmaking system for the upcoming Trials of Osiris after player protests last week. The unpopular changes will be reversed.
“Sometimes you learn more when things are not going well.” With this statement in the TWaB, Bungie refers to the many protests from players regarding the matchmaking changes made during the last Trials weekend.
Matchmaking has long been a major point of criticism: Balanced matchmaking is a science of its own. Destiny 2 is no exception. The player compositions often feel unbalanced and stressful. The Flawless pool seemed an adequate solution, which also left players somewhat satisfied.
When Bungie removed the pool, it ruined the last Trials weekend.
What changes did Bungie make to matchmaking?
Before the change, Destiny 2 players with 7 victories on their pass gained access to the special Flawless pool. This created a kind of time-based two-class system based on win-based matchmaking. The Flawless pool activated Sunday evening at 7 PM and separated regular players from the Trials sweaters and Flawless gods.
After the abolition of the Flawless pool, players were matched based on the same number of wins, regardless of how many times they reset their card. This meant that PvP professionals, who achieve “Flawless” 10 times per weekend, would be matched with other players who (for example) have more than 70 wins on their cards, no matter how they achieved those wins. Each victory increased the difficulty of the next match. It kept getting harder and harder.
Although it sounds like a good idea in theory, it did not quite work out as Bungie had hoped. The feedback followed promptly. Players found it simply terrible.
The Ghost shell from the Trials of Osiris.
Statistics show how poor the decision was: Compared to three weeks ago, Trials games were down about 33% overall. That’s already a lot and unfortunately led to players with many victories having to wait more than five minutes to find a match. They subsequently played an average of two hours less Trials. There was also a significant increase in one-sided matches. Ironically, Bungie hoped to reduce this by replacing the Flawless pool.
There were just too many disadvantages: Although there was also positive news, most data turned out to be either negative or neutral. Combined with the feedback that Bungie was overwhelmed with on social media channels, it was shared in the This Week at Bungie blog that they plan to return to pass-based matchmaking with the familiar Flawless pool for the foreseeable future.
This is also interesting for PvP players in Destiny 2:
However, this test was not a waste. Bungie states that they were able to gain valuable data from the experiment. As part of the Trials Labs, they will continue to collect this active player feedback.
This makes every Trials player a guinea pig, but should lead to success in the long run. Especially since the developer plans to continue optimizing Trials of Osiris until the mode feels good for all players.
What else is Bungie planning? The Trials of Osiris will return on November 12. Again with Trials Labs. Nothing is known yet about the final version of Trials of Osiris, which will be released on February 2, 2022 with “The Witch Queen“. Until then, players will have to remain patient while Bungie reports on the tests in the weekly TWaB.
There will be no Trials today, as we have a Iron Banner week. But next week the event will return and also brings back the Flawless pool along with pass-based matchmaking.
It seems that the system actually works well. Or do you not believe that it is a good solution to separate players in a time-based manner? After all, it means that players have to wait until Sunday evening if they want to play their games in peace. Is it worth it for you?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the first week of November, you will get the full load of gaming hardware on our websites and in the stream. MeinMMO presents what you can expect from Find Your Next Game: Hardware Edition!
What is FYNG Hardware? From November 1 to November 7, everything on GameStar.de, GamePro.de, Mein-MMO.de, and in our livestream channel at Monsters and Explosions on Twitch is all about hardware. Okay, we will of course continue to report on games as usual. However, what you play with will be particularly in the foreground in the first week of November.
No matter if graphics cards, consoles, or mice – we will show you how to find the optimal model for you, get the most out of your hardware, and we will test brand new and popular components for you – including exotica like Razer’s Airmask Zeyphr with RGB lighting.
If you missed our packed livestream schedule on November 3 and 4, you can still watch it afterwards on the Twitch channel “Monster and Explosions”:
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When does the livestream take place? The two-day streaming program will take place on Wednesday (November 3) and Thursday (November 4). The program starts each day at 15:00 and runs until 19:00 on Wednesday and until 19:30 on Thursday.
What will be shown? In the two-day livestream, we will present exciting content related to hardware. Among other things, you will get
Hard facts about Intel’s upcoming Core i-12000 processors
A hardware quiz with a competition
Big expert duel: Who can build a gaming PC faster (and better)?
Should you switch to Windows 11 already, or not?
You can find the entire program of our livestream in the following overview.
All highlights and articles on GameStar.de, GamePro.de, and Mein-MMO.de
This is what you can expect: Learn about the highlight articles that will be published on our websites on the individual days in this paragraph. Once they are published, we will add the corresponding links. You will also find the schedule for our stream at the end of the article.
All articles published for the hardware edition of Find Your Next Game can be found on our overview pages under the following links:
Mechanical or Rubberdome, switches in red, yellow or green, wireless or wired – we provide the necessary clarification in the keyboard confusion so that you can find the optimal keyboard.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Patch 9.1.5 of World of Warcraft is full of hidden changes. We reveal what has changed without your knowledge.
A new update is live in World of Warcraft. The Patch 9.1.5 brought not much new content, but a lot of improvements that significantly upgrade the game for main and secondary characters. But aside from the numerous changes recorded in the official patch notes, there are many smaller adjustments that Blizzard has not publicly mentioned.
Often these are just small detail changes, sometimes nice gimmicks or tricks to combat bots. We reveal all previously undocumented changes – the things that Blizzard keeps silent about in the patch notes.
The character selection screen now shows whether a character has unread mail.
Newly created characters now have a high-resolution armor set.
The Paladin’s “Divine Storm” has a different visual effect.
The frog mounts have a slowed animation.
The jump animation of the Night Fae’s yak form has been changed.
The ascent animation of the trolls has been revised.
The cap for Valor and Conquest points has been removed. You can now farm these two resources infinitely until the end of the current season.
The portals in the covenant sanctums now teleport you to the flight master area of Oribos and no longer to the arrival platform.
The icon for the standard backpack has been revised and is now higher resolution.
The currency symbols for gold, copper, and silver have been revised and are now higher resolution.
A chest of countless things is now located in the entrance area of Torghast.
The Soul Forge in Torghast now has a new layout.
More news about World of Warcraft can be found here:
Apart from these undocumented changes, there are still countless smaller changes that, while broadly announced, have not been documented in detail. These involve content that is seen as problematic by the developers and parts of the community. Jokes with particular suggestiveness, sexist implications, and humor that is not shared by everyone. Overall, these changes can be summarized as follows:
Numerous jokes and flirt lines of the characters have been disabled.
Many female NPCs have been renamed or supplemented with male NPCs with similar roles.
NPCs, quests, and items with references to real people have been renamed.
Some game content, such as certain images, has been redesigned.
The area “Mac’Aree” on Argus has been renamed “Eredath,” including all items that refer to it.
These are just the changes that have become known so far. Have you noticed any further details? Have you observed adjustments or innovations that were not included in the official patch notes?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Twitch streamer Tyler1 is known for flaming a lot and behaving toxically in his League of Legends livestreams. However, he now criticizes other streamers for their disrespectful behavior towards the staff at Twitch Rivals. They allegedly shouted like children while the rules of the games were being explained.
What is Tyler1 criticizing? In a livestream directly from the Twitch Rivals event, Tyler1 complains about the behavior of some of his streamer colleagues.
He calls them childish and describes how they behaved towards the Twitch staff. However, he did not name any specific individuals in his criticism.
The staff explained the rules, and some just shouted: “Can we put it in our mouths?”. Yo bro, how about you shut up?
Everyone started laughing and wondered how socially incompetent streamers are.
The guy [staff member] was explaining the rules, and everyone was just talking over him, no one was really paying attention. What’s that about? Are you kids?
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These statements are particularly interesting because Tyler1 himself is considered one of the biggest jerks on Twitch. He was permanently banned from League of Legends by Riot Games in 2016 for insults, but was allowed to return to LoL later.
However, he behaves very toxically there and even yelled during a tournament about “motherfuckers”, which was even a bit awkward for the commentators. He boasts about it because he is too important for LoL to be banned.
But outside of the character Tyler1, the streamer seems to have reasonable approaches, especially in dealing with people who are not streamers on Twitch.
WillNeff justifies himself on Twitch, Tyler1 and xQc get praise
Who was so disrespectful at Twitch Rivals? If you believe the comments on Livestreamfails-reddit, Tyler1 is said to be referring to the streamers Sodapoppin and WillNeff. WillNeff later explained the situation in a stream.
He and Sodapoppin were just asking if it was allowed to put the dice in their mouths. They were not allowed to drop them during the task, and it was just a specific inquiry and not disrespectful.
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However, some comments on reddit doubt the statement.
On one hand, interrupting someone who is explaining the rules is still disrespectful, and on the other hand, the lack of attention, which Tyler1 also criticized, was not addressed.
Tyler1 and xQc are praised: On the other hand, there is currently a lot of praise for Tyler1 and xQc on reddit. Although both tend to exaggerate in their streams, and especially Tyler1 is disrespectful and toxic, in real life they behave “like gentlemen”.
xQc is particularly celebrated for an action where he orders food to his hotel room.
While other streamers around him behave like children, laughing and shouting, he remains cool and polite on the phone and even apologizes. Some see him as a “real Canadian”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEaKzqrsjr8
Twitch Rivals is filled with real-life challenges this time
What is Twitch Rivals anyway? In Twitch Rivals, well-known streamers compete against each other in various events. There have already been tournaments in LoL, Fall Guys, or Minecraft.
Currently, the Twitch Rivals Ultimate Challenge is underway. The streamers were flown to Las Vegas for several days and are competing against each other in a kind of game show in various disciplines. They have to play mini-golf, go-kart racing, or knock over a bunch of game pieces with a giant slingshot.
At this event, 18 teams with two players each are currently participating, including HasanAbi, a streamer who recently caused a controversy for criticizing the rich while living in an expensive house:
Do you have a clan tag for CoD Vanguard in mind that you absolutely want to use? Then you should hurry up, because they are currently highly contested.
What is it about? In Call of Duty Vanguard, you can create clans for multiplayer. The clans have a name and also a tag, which is an abbreviation. However, if you want to create a public clan, you may quickly run into problems, as the names and tags are unique.
We will show you what we know so far about clan tags and clan names in Vanguard.
Creating a Clan – Errors with Clan Tags in Vanguard?
You need to keep in mind: When creating a clan, the name can consist of a maximum of 28 characters and up to 6 numeric characters.
Additionally, your clan tag must be unique and can consist of a maximum of 5 characters. The exception for the clan tag is that case sensitivity matters. This means that MwZ is not the same tag as MWZ. Both can exist simultaneously.
How to create a clan? Start CoD Vanguard and then select “Social” in multiplayer mode. For PC players, this is the F1 key. Once you are in the social menu, you have the option to join a clan or create one under the “Clan” selection. From here, everything is self-explanatory.
Error when creating? On Twitter, unique clan tags are a big topic. Players often “secure” popular tags, thus taking them away from other players.
This is what the account @ModernWarzone writes: “Every name and clan tag is unique. This means there can only be one of each in Vanguard. When I tried to set my clan tag [MWZ], I received the message that it was not possible and was then given several other options for names that are not in use or available” (via Twitter.com).
The clan tag [MwZ] is already in use – Vanguard will then suggest new variations that work
This is the problem: Many players are already complaining on Twitter that their clan tags are taken, and they now have to come up with new variations or change the tag completely.
“I wonder which 11-year-old took [FaZe]”, writes Kyle on Twitter
“All clans are already taken or reserved by disposable accounts”, says VanguardZone on Twitter
“People will surely sell the rights to some of these clan tags” writes Clippers SZN on Twitter
By joining a clan and playing with other clan members, you get advantages in Vanguard.
When your clan levels up, each member receives exclusive rewards.
For each clan, you can level up to 20 levels and unlock a new frame with each level up.
When you play together with clan members, you receive a 10% bonus on your level, weapon, operator, and clan XP.
You can create an emblem and clan tag that all members can equip.
Were you able to secure your desired clan tag, or were you too late? Share your experiences with the clan system of Call of Duty: Vanguard here on MeinMMO in the comments and discuss with other players.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Call of Duty: Vanguard offers a new feature in multiplayer that allows you to designate a player as the top gamer of the round. This gives you additional experience points. Players appreciate it, but unfortunately, there is a catch that fans do not like. Here you can find everything about the new MVP system in Vanguard.
What is an MVP feature? MVP stands for “Most Valued Player”. In other words, the player who is most valued. After each round in the multiplayer mode of CoD Vanguard, the game evaluates the actions of the players and the three best gamers are selected at the end of the match.
Then the achievements are listed, including heroic feats such as multi-kills or kill records. The corresponding player avatars perform their victory poses while players have the opportunity to cast a vote for one of the three candidates. Anyone who knows games like Overwatch will find this feature familiar.
What’s the fun in it? Each vote gives the player who cast it a small bonus of experience points. Currently, that’s 25. It’s not much, but the gesture counts. The winner of the voting is then the MVP of the match and can boast with their glory.
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Everything you need to know about the new Call of Duty: Vanguard – in 2 minutes
Players love the MVP feature, but one thing is really annoying!
How is this received by the players? Initial reactions from the community to the MVP feature are quite positive. Players think it’s great that they can show appreciation to their teammates and the small XP bonus is well received.
Moreover, players are delighted when they win the MVP award and are appreciated by their teammates.
What’s bothering about the new MVP feature? However, there is a significant downside to the MVP system that quickly diminishes the joy of many players and causes them to complain about the feature: the voting lasts a whole 35 seconds, and before that, you have to watch the animations of all three players for over 10 seconds.
You cannot cancel or skip all of this, so you have to stay until the end of the voting and cannot start a new round.
In that time, you could have already started the next round of multiplayer in the predecessor Cold War, and that annoys many fans. One player on reddit succinctly summarizes what many are thinking right now: “I like the concept, but I think voting should take 15 seconds or so, not 30!”.
Other players don’t like the whole thing as they see it as a cheap ploy by Activision to sell more skins and animations. After all, you see these in all their glory when you enter the MVP selection.
It remains to be seen whether the developers will reduce the voting time with the next patch or make the voting phase skippable.
In Pokémon GO, there’s a special research for trainers since the start of the current season about Hoopa. Soon, there will be a second part of such research, which will not be free for every player. We at MeinMMO have looked into what it’s all about.
What is the special research about Hoopa? On September 1, 2021, the current season “Season of Mischief” started in Pokémon GO. In line with this theme, the Mischief Pokémon Hoopa has been causing mayhem in the game.
What makes Hoopa’s tasks so special? Unlike previous special research tasks, they were not all unlocked on a specific date. Trainers receive only two new sections of this research at irregular intervals with the start of various events.
With the start of today’s Festival of Lights, another two task sections will be released. In total, the special research consists of 16 task blocks. So, the special research will soon be completed, and as Niantic has already announced, there will be a second special research about Hoopa. Below, we will show you what we know about it and who can access it.
What we know about the new special research on Hoopa
On November 4, 2021, Pokémon GO announced via their Twitter account that there will soon be another research on Hoopa.
They write: “Hoopa…? Trainers, remember to complete the special research for this season. Once you’ve done that, you can participate in an exclusive special research at the end of the season, which focuses on Hoopa!” (via twitter.com).
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Who gets the special research? In its blog, Pokémon GO also mentions that the second special research is set to reveal even more about Hoopa (via pokemongolive.com). It will be unlocked for all trainers who have completed the first special research “Misunderstood Mischief”.
But even trainers who are progressing slowly through the tasks have a chance to activate the second research. For a price of $5, you can purchase it.
Will there be Hoopa outside of this research again? As stated by Pokémon GO, there might also be another opportunity to catch Hoopa (Unbound) in the future. When that will be and the context in which you can then access Hoopa is not yet known.
What kind of Pokémon is Hoopa? Hoopa is a mysterious Pokémon from Generation 6. It is of Psychic and Ghost type. With its golden rings, it can teleport things from one place to another, opening a sort of portal. Hoopa can also assume the forms of “bound” and “unbound.” So far, it has only been possible to catch it in Pokémon GO in its bound form via special research.
Will there be Unbound Hoopa?
There is currently no official information regarding the release of Unbound Hoopa. However, the PokeMiners, a group of data miners, have already found early hints about Unbound Hoopa. This group regularly analyzes the game code for updates and publicly shares their findings with other trainers.
In their current search, they have come across the first texts from Professor Willow regarding the new special research, which also has hints about an Unbound Hoopa, such as: We have no time to lose—we must stop them! Hoopa (Unbound) is incredibly powerful, and I have no doubt that Giovanni intends to use it for some sinister purpose.
In the game code, this text looks like this (via pokeminers.com):
+RESOURCE ID: quest_special_dialogue_season4_14_3 +TEXT: There’s no time to lose—we have to stop them! Hoopa Unbound is incredibly powerful, and I have no doubt that Giovanni intends to use it for some sinister purpose.
However, the data from the PokeMiners is not official information, which is why it can be adjusted by Niantic at any time in the game code or not published at all. Therefore, you should always view these findings with a certain skepticism. Whether Hoopa can then also be caught in its Unbound form remains to be seen for now.
In the texts found, Giovanni is mentioned, which intensifies the rumors around him. Why trainers hope for a return of the Rocket boss, you can read in our following article:
In social networks, there are mixed opinions on the second part. On one hand, many trainers are happy about further tasks and want to continue. Particularly the fact that they have to wait after every second block of tasks annoys them.
This opinion is shared by Riotmike_IE, who writes: “I’ve been at it for days and would love to finish if you would release the rest – time-limited research is not attractive.” (via twitter.com)
Trainers are still working on past tasks
However, some players are not even up to date with the current research related to Hoopa. Especially the tasks around the Halloween event are giving them trouble.
Aker666 writes: “I forgot to evolve a Psyduck, and now I don’t know how to catch 30 Ghost-types since they are very rare in my area.” (via reddit.com). Legofiu also asks on Twitter: “How can I get Dark-types? I need them for the research.” (via twitter.com).
Concerns of the players
Other trainers, like REDRogersRevenge, have different concerns regarding the research. He writes on reddit: “Considering those who are actively working on the research are at step 12/16, Niantic will publish some super hard/monetary tasks for 16/16, in an attempt to make more people fail and pay $5? I hope not, but time will tell…” (via reddit.com).
Users like Kirinn42, however, have no such concerns: “I don’t think so. This is a backup option for people who haven’t kept up with the tasks for the entire season during the events when the tasks were easier to complete.” (via reddit.com).
Are you looking forward to another special research with Hoopa? How far are you with your tasks in the current research? Will you be able to finish them on time? Feel free to share your opinion on this topic in the comments here on MeinMMO and exchange ideas with other trainers.
Yesterday, the beta for the new MMORPG Lost Ark started successfully. Right at the beginning of the closed beta, the Diablo MMO reached the top 10 on Steam. We at MeinMMO summarize.
What happened with Lost Ark? The Korean MMORPG is actually not set to release in our region until next year. To ensure a smooth launch, a technical closed beta started yesterday, allowing some players to play for the first time.
There is a large demand for the game, as although only pre-order customers and those who won a key are allowed to play, Lost Ark reached over 88,000 simultaneous players last night.
This led to enormous login queues at the beginning of the beta, which were intentional by the developers. They stated on Twitter that there would be targeted login queues during the first three hours to test this and ensure a good final release (via Twitter).
This earned the beta a spot in the top 10 of the most played games on Steam. It gets even more exciting when looking at the Steam sales charts.
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Everything you need to know about the MMORPG Lost Ark – in 2 minutes
Free2Play game as a bestseller: In addition to the high player numbers already in beta, another Steam top list stands out even more. The game, which is set to release as a Free2Play title, is still holding on to positions 6 and 7 in the sales charts after the beta launch.
These are the pre-order packages that promise certain advantages at launch and are also practical before the release, as they grant immediate access to the ongoing beta.
However, this would already be the cheapest package for €14.99. This so-called Bronze package is at position 7 on the charts, while the Platinum Edition of the packages, which costs a hefty €99.99, holds position 6.
Lost Ark is competing at the top of the sales charts, although it is Free2Play
The players love Lost Ark
How is Lost Ark received by players? In addition to its good placement in the sales charts, the ratings of the MMORPG stand out particularly.
What do the players say? Currently, a thread is being hotly debated on reddit titled “Amazon should have released Lost Ark first.” Other threads discussing how much fun the game is have also received numerous upvotes.
The user Zambash writes (via reddit): “I know that many people are having technical issues right now. But guys, this is a beta and the game is just super. I couldn’t stop playing after an hour and I am really looking forward to the final release.”
User CoffeeLoverNathan also writes: “I have been waiting for this game for years and it is absolutely worth it. I just can’t put the game down. Everything feels so good and smooth.”
User Pariah adds: “My only criticism is that the new prologue feels really weird. […] The gameplay is just damn cool. It feels so satisfying to beat trolls with a sword that is bigger than I am. I can’t wait for the launch!”
Lost Ark is great for Diablo fans, but not a Diablo alternative
What is Lost Ark? At its core, Lost Ark is an MMORPG and many players overlook this when they only briefly engage with the game. Due to the isometric perspective, monster hordes, and the focus on the hack&slay combat system, this is more than understandable.
But Lost Ark is not a second Diablo, it is an MMORPG, with many skills, character optimizations, role-playing and raids. Those who expect a hack&slay game here will not be satisfied in the long run.
Because the MMORPG goes deeper in many areas than a hack&slay would. Especially regarding the optimization of your character or your island. The various romances are also quite untypical for the genre.
What can you expect? The battles in Lost Ark are good, feeling powerful and fluid. What you get is, however, an MMORPG that has more to offer than just the combat system.
Lost Ark is therefore recommended for all Diablo fans who do not want to play another Diablo. As well as for MMORPG fans looking for a refreshingly new kind of MMORPG.
Have you played the beta yet? What do you think of the game so far and what are your biggest criticisms? Feel free to let us know in the comments here at MeinMMO.
Our author Mark Sellner was able to play the game before the beta and tells you why the game does many things right, but also one thing wrong:
In the test, both the cardioid and stereo modes convinced us. Our voice is clearly understandable, and the microphone reproduces the speaker’s voice neutrally and without distortion. We set the microphone up about 20 centimeters away, and it sounds clear and understandable.
In the whisper mode, the compression can be clearly heard, which is why we hardly used this mode. Additionally, we sound uneven in volume, and not everything is transmitted.
Roccat Torch – Whisper Mode
However, the Roccat Torch is susceptible to interference. The stand with the control elements picks up vibrations and transmits them into the microphone. If you make adjustments to the microphone, your listeners may hear that. If you sit in a larger room and the microphone is farther away, the sound quality also suffers.
For recordings, the Torch is not always practical since you cannot adjust sound and other properties through the software. We are hoping that Roccat will provide more comprehensive software in the future.
Yeti Nano Sound Test
The microphone offers two different recording modes. In addition to the cardioid mode, there is also an omnidirectional mode. While the first mode is especially suitable for podcasts and streaming where one person speaks, the omnidirectional mode is intended for instruments, multiple voices, and singing. The microphone does not offer a bidirectional mode for a conversation between two people.
In the test, both recording modes work very well, but we mainly use the cardioid pattern. The recording quality is high, and it is possible to position the microphone 20 centimeters away from the head without compromising quality. However, the click sound when pressing the mute button is audible in the recording. There is also a slight echo in the audio track.
However, we noticed that it takes some time for the microphone to sound really good. However, if you take the time to click through the software and adjust the microphone to your voice, you will get a really good microphone.
Conclusion on Audio Quality
Both devices offer high quality: With both, we are clearly and distinctly understood, and our voice sounds natural at a distance of 20 centimeters. In both cases, a gaming keyboard is positioned between us and the microphone. In larger rooms, you will hear some echo with both devices. The echo is somewhat more pronounced with the Yeti Nano.
The cardioid pattern impresses us with both the Roccat Torch and the Yeti Nano. We prefer the stereo mode of the Roccat Torch over the omnidirectional mode of the Yeti Nano, which sounds too muffled. The Yeti Nano does not have a whisper mode, but the exclusive Roccat mode does not convince us either.
Winner: Tie
Roccat Torch or Yeti Nano – Which is the better microphone?
Both microphones offer different strengths and weaknesses, but overall we prefer the Yeti Nano. The deciding factor in the end is primarily the more mature software with the Yeti Nano. Here you can make numerous adjustments, while with the Roccat Torch you currently have to rely on the basic settings being in order.
Thus, the purchase decision ultimately also depends on what you expect from your microphone. If you want good basic settings without having to adjust much, then the Roccat Torch is the better choice. Here you can also make necessary adjustments directly on the device. The Roccat Torch is a good microphone for beginners in the podcast or streaming field who do not want to waste much time on adjustments.
However, if you take the time to go through the numerous settings of the Yeti Nano, you will end up with a better microphone overall. With BlueVo!ce and the equalizer, you have significantly more options here.
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Roccat Torch
Who should choose the Roccat Torch? If you are looking for a microphone with good base settings and stability on the desk, then the Roccat Torch is a good choice. The microphone looks nice and allows synchronization with other Roccat hardware. The new NEON software has great potential but currently offers too few functions. The price for recording quality and build is reasonably set.
Pros
Good basic settings
stable and good tactile feel
good voice quality with three recording types
attractive design
Cons
mostly made of plastic
underdeveloped software
Yeti Nano
Who should choose the Yeti Nano? If you are looking for a microphone with good build quality and many adjustment options for around 100 euros, then the Yeti Nano is a good option for you. The software is mature and offers numerous functions, and the microphone takes up little space on the desk. However, you will have to forgo colorful lighting like on the Roccat Torch.
Pros
High-quality build
slim stand
developed and extensive software
Cons
few functions can be adjusted directly on the microphone
micro USB connection on the microphone
Further recommendations: If you are looking for suitable headphones for the microphone or just a gaming headset, check out our buying guide here on MeinMMO: Here we present the best gaming headsets, headphones, and microphones that you can currently buy.
With the Roccat Torch, the microphone is connected with the control elements. Then the plate with the elements is connected to the PC. If you want to hang the microphone, you have to keep it connected to the plate.
The Roccat Torch lights up when it is active. The Roccat cat can be synchronized with other Roccat devices.
Yeti Nano
The Yeti Nano sits in a round holder and is mounted there. On the front, there is a round switch on the body of the microphone, which allows you to switch the volume of the connected headphones and mute the microphone. On the back, there is another switch to change the polar patterns. You can also connect a headset via the 3.5mm jack on the bottom of the microphone.
If you want to hang the microphone, you can connect it directly to the PC. The stand has only a supportive function with no additional features. The Yeti Nano is available in various color variations. The microphone completely dispenses with color play and RGB.
The Yeti Nano is simple and understated, foregoing RGB lighting.
Conclusion on Design and Build
We prefer the design and build quality of the Roccat Torch in comparison to the Yeti Nano. In particular, the modern USB-C port on the Torch is more appealing than the micro-USB option on the Yeti Nano.
With the Torch, we can reach all important settings via the panel below the microphone, while the Yeti Nano offers significantly fewer adjustable options directly on the microphone. However, the downside is that the Torch requires a bit more space on the desk and must always be connected to the panel.
If you want to hang the microphone, you have to first connect the hung Torch with the button and then plug it into the PC. This step is unnecessary with the Yeti Nano.
Winner: Roccat Torch
Build Quality
In this section, we look at the build quality of both devices and compare them. We will then explain which of the two devices makes a better impression.
Roccat Torch
The plate with the control elements and the microphone itself are made entirely of plastic. However, the surface of the plate has a metallic look, giving it a valuable impression and reminiscent of the Roccat Pyro, where Roccat uses a similar design. The body of the microphone is mounted on the housing with a metal thread.
Front and back of the Roccat Torch
Yeti Nano
The Yeti Nano features a sturdy metal desktop stand, giving the microphone a high-quality impression. The buttons on the front and back are large enough to be easily and comfortably accessible.
The cable management on the underside is not very convincing once the microphone is on the table. Here the connection cable bends significantly, which will not be beneficial for the durability of the cable in the long run.
Front and back of the Blue Yeti Nano
Conclusion on Build Quality
In terms of build quality, the Yeti Nano has the edge and overall impresses us more than the Roccat Torch. The Yeti Nano’s stand is made of metal, and the microphone itself appears to be more qualitatively manufactured than the predominantly plastic Torch. The only exception is the connection cable on the Yeti Nano.
Winner: Yeti Nano
Software
Here we look at what software the microphones offer. We discuss the functions of the software and how intuitive it is to use.
Roccat Torch
Roccat uses the new NEON software, as with the Syn Air Pro. We are using version 0.91.6-beta. At this moment (October 27, 2021), the software only offers one function. With the software, you can only turn the microphone’s lighting on and off for now. Microphone functions or an equalizer are not available to us.
In the Neon software, you can turn the lighting on and off. That’s it.
Yeti Nano
The Yeti Nano uses Logitech G-Hub software. We are using version 2021.10.8013. Currently, within the software, we can adjust numerous microphone functions. For example, we can adjust the input gain or use an equalizer for the voice. Alternatively, we can choose from several presets.
In another aspect, we can additionally adjust the microphone signal and set noise suppression or determine under which threshold the device should not pick up sounds. This is useful, for example, if you don’t want your listeners to hear the typing of your keyboard.
Software of the Blue Yeti Nano. The device uses Logitech’s G-Hub software
Conclusion on Software
With software, the Yeti Nano is the clear winner. You can make numerous adjustments to the microphone through the G-Hub software, which is extensive. The software for the Torch is very poor; you can only turn the lighting on and off.
Winner: Yeti Nano
Price
The suggested retail price (RRP) for the Roccat Torch is 99.99 euros, and you currently can’t get it cheaper.
The RRP for the Yeti Nano is 120 euros; however, you can currently get the microphone for around 90 euros on average. Over the past 6 months, the price has ranged from 90 to 110 euros.
There is no clear winner when it comes to price, as both are closely priced at the time of the review (as of October 27, 2021). You pay 99.99 euros for the Torch and about 9 euros less for the Yeti Nano.
Winner: Tie
Audio Quality
The recording quality is perhaps the most important criterion for evaluation. After all, a microphone should primarily produce recordings of acceptable quality. In this section, we want to explain whether the microphones can meet expectations.
For the recording test, we used Aesop’s 29th fable, “The Donkey and the Lion.” The recordings were made using the Audacity software.
Roccat Torch Sound Test
The Roccat Torch offers three different recording modes. In addition to the cardioid mode, the device provides a stereo mode and a whisper mode.
The stereo mode is especially helpful when spatial sound is important or when you want to conduct a conversation with multiple people. The whisper mode is said to enhance and compress the input signal simultaneously. This way, even with a quiet voice, good recordings should be possible.
In the test, both the cardioid and stereo modes convinced us. Our voice is clearly understandable, and the microphone reproduces the speaker’s voice neutrally and without distortion. We set the microphone up about 20 centimeters away, and it sounds clear and understandable.
In the whisper mode, the compression can be clearly heard, which is why we hardly used this mode. Additionally, we sound uneven in volume, and not everything is transmitted.
Roccat Torch – Whisper Mode
However, the Roccat Torch is susceptible to interference. The stand with the control elements picks up vibrations and transmits them into the microphone. If you make adjustments to the microphone, your listeners may hear that. If you sit in a larger room and the microphone is farther away, the sound quality also suffers.
For recordings, the Torch is not always practical since you cannot adjust sound and other properties through the software. We are hoping that Roccat will provide more comprehensive software in the future.
Yeti Nano Sound Test
The microphone offers two different recording modes. In addition to the cardioid mode, there is also an omnidirectional mode. While the first mode is especially suitable for podcasts and streaming where one person speaks, the omnidirectional mode is intended for instruments, multiple voices, and singing. The microphone does not offer a bidirectional mode for a conversation between two people.
In the test, both recording modes work very well, but we mainly use the cardioid pattern. The recording quality is high, and it is possible to position the microphone 20 centimeters away from the head without compromising quality. However, the click sound when pressing the mute button is audible in the recording. There is also a slight echo in the audio track.
However, we noticed that it takes some time for the microphone to sound really good. However, if you take the time to click through the software and adjust the microphone to your voice, you will get a really good microphone.
Conclusion on Audio Quality
Both devices offer high quality: With both, we are clearly and distinctly understood, and our voice sounds natural at a distance of 20 centimeters. In both cases, a gaming keyboard is positioned between us and the microphone. In larger rooms, you will hear some echo with both devices. The echo is somewhat more pronounced with the Yeti Nano.
The cardioid pattern impresses us with both the Roccat Torch and the Yeti Nano. We prefer the stereo mode of the Roccat Torch over the omnidirectional mode of the Yeti Nano, which sounds too muffled. The Yeti Nano does not have a whisper mode, but the exclusive Roccat mode does not convince us either.
Winner: Tie
Roccat Torch or Yeti Nano – Which is the better microphone?
Both microphones offer different strengths and weaknesses, but overall we prefer the Yeti Nano. The deciding factor in the end is primarily the more mature software with the Yeti Nano. Here you can make numerous adjustments, while with the Roccat Torch you currently have to rely on the basic settings being in order.
Thus, the purchase decision ultimately also depends on what you expect from your microphone. If you want good basic settings without having to adjust much, then the Roccat Torch is the better choice. Here you can also make necessary adjustments directly on the device. The Roccat Torch is a good microphone for beginners in the podcast or streaming field who do not want to waste much time on adjustments.
However, if you take the time to go through the numerous settings of the Yeti Nano, you will end up with a better microphone overall. With BlueVo!ce and the equalizer, you have significantly more options here.
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Roccat Torch
Who should choose the Roccat Torch? If you are looking for a microphone with good base settings and stability on the desk, then the Roccat Torch is a good choice. The microphone looks nice and allows synchronization with other Roccat hardware. The new NEON software has great potential but currently offers too few functions. The price for recording quality and build is reasonably set.
Pros
Good basic settings
stable and good tactile feel
good voice quality with three recording types
attractive design
Cons
mostly made of plastic
underdeveloped software
Yeti Nano
Who should choose the Yeti Nano? If you are looking for a microphone with good build quality and many adjustment options for around 100 euros, then the Yeti Nano is a good option for you. The software is mature and offers numerous functions, and the microphone takes up little space on the desk. However, you will have to forgo colorful lighting like on the Roccat Torch.
Pros
High-quality build
slim stand
developed and extensive software
Cons
few functions can be adjusted directly on the microphone
micro USB connection on the microphone
Further recommendations: If you are looking for suitable headphones for the microphone or just a gaming headset, check out our buying guide here on MeinMMO: Here we present the best gaming headsets, headphones, and microphones that you can currently buy.
With the Torch, Roccat has released its first USB microphone. We compare the Roccat Torch with the Yeti Nano in this review and tell you which is the better device for 100 euros.
The most important points at a glance:
The Roccat Torch and the Yeti Nano are both desktop microphones for under 100 euros. You connect the devices via USB to your desktop PC or laptop.
The Yeti Nano appears better manufactured in our tests and comes with significantly more mature software. The Roccat Torch, on the other hand, offers lighting and better out-of-the-box sound settings.
What it’s about: With the Torch, Roccat released its first USB microphone. With a suggested retail price of 99.99 euros, the aim is to reach many potential buyers.
Similarly positioned is the Yeti Nano. The device is priced slightly above the 100-euro mark at 120 euros, targeting mainly beginners as well. By now, you can get the device for around 90 euros.
MeinMMO has looked at both devices and compares them in a comprehensive test. In the conclusion, we explain which microphone ultimately convinced us more.
Features and technical details:
Roccat Torch
Blue Yeti Nano
Sampling rate
48 kHz
48 kHz
Bit depth
24-bit, optionally at 44.1 kHz
24-bit
Capsules
2 x 14×6.5mm condenser capsules
2 x 14 mm condenser capsules
Polar pattern
Cardioid (unidirectional), Stereo, Whisper
Cardioid (unidirectional) and Omnidirectional
Frequency response
20 Hz – 20 kHz
20 Hz – 20 kHz
Sound pressure
110 dB
120 dB
Price (RRP)
99.99 euros
119.99 euros
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Design and Build
In this section, we discuss the design of the Roccat Torch and Yeti Nano. What do the microphones look like and what features are attached to the microphone?
Roccat Torch
The Roccat Torch stands on a square base where all control functions for the microphone are integrated. Here you can adjust the recording volume (gain) of the microphone, change the polar patterns, or turn the device completely off. The controls are intuitive and easy to understand. The elements have a good tactile feel and are also easy to operate.
On the back of the microphone, you can also connect a headset via the 3.5mm jack. On the top of the microphone, there is a quick-mute function. If you touch the microphone at the top, you can mute or activate it.
With the Roccat Torch, the microphone is connected with the control elements. Then the plate with the elements is connected to the PC. If you want to hang the microphone, you have to keep it connected to the plate.
The Roccat Torch lights up when it is active. The Roccat cat can be synchronized with other Roccat devices.
Yeti Nano
The Yeti Nano sits in a round holder and is mounted there. On the front, there is a round switch on the body of the microphone, which allows you to switch the volume of the connected headphones and mute the microphone. On the back, there is another switch to change the polar patterns. You can also connect a headset via the 3.5mm jack on the bottom of the microphone.
If you want to hang the microphone, you can connect it directly to the PC. The stand has only a supportive function with no additional features. The Yeti Nano is available in various color variations. The microphone completely dispenses with color play and RGB.
The Yeti Nano is simple and understated, foregoing RGB lighting.
Conclusion on Design and Build
We prefer the design and build quality of the Roccat Torch in comparison to the Yeti Nano. In particular, the modern USB-C port on the Torch is more appealing than the micro-USB option on the Yeti Nano.
With the Torch, we can reach all important settings via the panel below the microphone, while the Yeti Nano offers significantly fewer adjustable options directly on the microphone. However, the downside is that the Torch requires a bit more space on the desk and must always be connected to the panel.
If you want to hang the microphone, you have to first connect the hung Torch with the button and then plug it into the PC. This step is unnecessary with the Yeti Nano.
Winner: Roccat Torch
Build Quality
In this section, we look at the build quality of both devices and compare them. We will then explain which of the two devices makes a better impression.
Roccat Torch
The plate with the control elements and the microphone itself are made entirely of plastic. However, the surface of the plate has a metallic look, giving it a valuable impression and reminiscent of the Roccat Pyro, where Roccat uses a similar design. The body of the microphone is mounted on the housing with a metal thread.
Front and back of the Roccat Torch
Yeti Nano
The Yeti Nano features a sturdy metal desktop stand, giving the microphone a high-quality impression. The buttons on the front and back are large enough to be easily and comfortably accessible.
The cable management on the underside is not very convincing once the microphone is on the table. Here the connection cable bends significantly, which will not be beneficial for the durability of the cable in the long run.
Front and back of the Blue Yeti Nano
Conclusion on Build Quality
In terms of build quality, the Yeti Nano has the edge and overall impresses us more than the Roccat Torch. The Yeti Nano’s stand is made of metal, and the microphone itself appears to be more qualitatively manufactured than the predominantly plastic Torch. The only exception is the connection cable on the Yeti Nano.
Winner: Yeti Nano
Software
Here we look at what software the microphones offer. We discuss the functions of the software and how intuitive it is to use.
Roccat Torch
Roccat uses the new NEON software, as with the Syn Air Pro. We are using version 0.91.6-beta. At this moment (October 27, 2021), the software only offers one function. With the software, you can only turn the microphone’s lighting on and off for now. Microphone functions or an equalizer are not available to us.
In the Neon software, you can turn the lighting on and off. That’s it.
Yeti Nano
The Yeti Nano uses Logitech G-Hub software. We are using version 2021.10.8013. Currently, within the software, we can adjust numerous microphone functions. For example, we can adjust the input gain or use an equalizer for the voice. Alternatively, we can choose from several presets.
In another aspect, we can additionally adjust the microphone signal and set noise suppression or determine under which threshold the device should not pick up sounds. This is useful, for example, if you don’t want your listeners to hear the typing of your keyboard.
Software of the Blue Yeti Nano. The device uses Logitech’s G-Hub software
Conclusion on Software
With software, the Yeti Nano is the clear winner. You can make numerous adjustments to the microphone through the G-Hub software, which is extensive. The software for the Torch is very poor; you can only turn the lighting on and off.
Winner: Yeti Nano
Price
The suggested retail price (RRP) for the Roccat Torch is 99.99 euros, and you currently can’t get it cheaper.
The RRP for the Yeti Nano is 120 euros; however, you can currently get the microphone for around 90 euros on average. Over the past 6 months, the price has ranged from 90 to 110 euros.
There is no clear winner when it comes to price, as both are closely priced at the time of the review (as of October 27, 2021). You pay 99.99 euros for the Torch and about 9 euros less for the Yeti Nano.
Winner: Tie
Audio Quality
The recording quality is perhaps the most important criterion for evaluation. After all, a microphone should primarily produce recordings of acceptable quality. In this section, we want to explain whether the microphones can meet expectations.
For the recording test, we used Aesop’s 29th fable, “The Donkey and the Lion.” The recordings were made using the Audacity software.
Roccat Torch Sound Test
The Roccat Torch offers three different recording modes. In addition to the cardioid mode, the device provides a stereo mode and a whisper mode.
The stereo mode is especially helpful when spatial sound is important or when you want to conduct a conversation with multiple people. The whisper mode is said to enhance and compress the input signal simultaneously. This way, even with a quiet voice, good recordings should be possible.
In the test, both the cardioid and stereo modes convinced us. Our voice is clearly understandable, and the microphone reproduces the speaker’s voice neutrally and without distortion. We set the microphone up about 20 centimeters away, and it sounds clear and understandable.
In the whisper mode, the compression can be clearly heard, which is why we hardly used this mode. Additionally, we sound uneven in volume, and not everything is transmitted.
Roccat Torch – Whisper Mode
However, the Roccat Torch is susceptible to interference. The stand with the control elements picks up vibrations and transmits them into the microphone. If you make adjustments to the microphone, your listeners may hear that. If you sit in a larger room and the microphone is farther away, the sound quality also suffers.
For recordings, the Torch is not always practical since you cannot adjust sound and other properties through the software. We are hoping that Roccat will provide more comprehensive software in the future.
Yeti Nano Sound Test
The microphone offers two different recording modes. In addition to the cardioid mode, there is also an omnidirectional mode. While the first mode is especially suitable for podcasts and streaming where one person speaks, the omnidirectional mode is intended for instruments, multiple voices, and singing. The microphone does not offer a bidirectional mode for a conversation between two people.
In the test, both recording modes work very well, but we mainly use the cardioid pattern. The recording quality is high, and it is possible to position the microphone 20 centimeters away from the head without compromising quality. However, the click sound when pressing the mute button is audible in the recording. There is also a slight echo in the audio track.
However, we noticed that it takes some time for the microphone to sound really good. However, if you take the time to click through the software and adjust the microphone to your voice, you will get a really good microphone.
Conclusion on Audio Quality
Both devices offer high quality: With both, we are clearly and distinctly understood, and our voice sounds natural at a distance of 20 centimeters. In both cases, a gaming keyboard is positioned between us and the microphone. In larger rooms, you will hear some echo with both devices. The echo is somewhat more pronounced with the Yeti Nano.
The cardioid pattern impresses us with both the Roccat Torch and the Yeti Nano. We prefer the stereo mode of the Roccat Torch over the omnidirectional mode of the Yeti Nano, which sounds too muffled. The Yeti Nano does not have a whisper mode, but the exclusive Roccat mode does not convince us either.
Winner: Tie
Roccat Torch or Yeti Nano – Which is the better microphone?
Both microphones offer different strengths and weaknesses, but overall we prefer the Yeti Nano. The deciding factor in the end is primarily the more mature software with the Yeti Nano. Here you can make numerous adjustments, while with the Roccat Torch you currently have to rely on the basic settings being in order.
Thus, the purchase decision ultimately also depends on what you expect from your microphone. If you want good basic settings without having to adjust much, then the Roccat Torch is the better choice. Here you can also make necessary adjustments directly on the device. The Roccat Torch is a good microphone for beginners in the podcast or streaming field who do not want to waste much time on adjustments.
However, if you take the time to go through the numerous settings of the Yeti Nano, you will end up with a better microphone overall. With BlueVo!ce and the equalizer, you have significantly more options here.
Oops, unfortunately this affiliate widget is no longer available.
Roccat Torch
Who should choose the Roccat Torch? If you are looking for a microphone with good base settings and stability on the desk, then the Roccat Torch is a good choice. The microphone looks nice and allows synchronization with other Roccat hardware. The new NEON software has great potential but currently offers too few functions. The price for recording quality and build is reasonably set.
Pros
Good basic settings
stable and good tactile feel
good voice quality with three recording types
attractive design
Cons
mostly made of plastic
underdeveloped software
Yeti Nano
Who should choose the Yeti Nano? If you are looking for a microphone with good build quality and many adjustment options for around 100 euros, then the Yeti Nano is a good option for you. The software is mature and offers numerous functions, and the microphone takes up little space on the desk. However, you will have to forgo colorful lighting like on the Roccat Torch.
Pros
High-quality build
slim stand
developed and extensive software
Cons
few functions can be adjusted directly on the microphone
micro USB connection on the microphone
Further recommendations: If you are looking for suitable headphones for the microphone or just a gaming headset, check out our buying guide here on MeinMMO: Here we present the best gaming headsets, headphones, and microphones that you can currently buy.
