New MMORPG celebrates over 1 million concurrent players – And it is not New World

Players in the West have been talking about the new MMORPG New World and its success on Steam for a month now. Meanwhile, a company in Asia is celebrating that its new MMORPG MIR4 has reached a million simultaneous players.

How many players did New World have at its peak simultaneously? New World narrowly missed the prestigious peak value of 1 million players.

On its launch weekend, New World reached a peak concurrent player count of 913,027. The remarkable thing is that New World achieved this exclusively on Steam: New World is only available on PC and only on Steam. It does not have its own launcher.

Since the release weekend, player numbers have dropped.

More on the topic
The Germans love the new MMO New World – Amazon totally underestimated it
von Schuhmann

MMORPG Mir4 continues to grow

Mir4 is now celebrating: The developers of Mir4, Wemade, announced that their MMORPG has managed to surpass the threshold of 1 million simultaneous users:

  • On October 27, Mir4 had over 1 million simultaneous users.

WeMade states that the game is active in more than 170 countries and in 12 languages. It started with 11 servers but now has 169.

Mir4 is available on Steam, as well as on iOS and Android. In addition to our version for the West, there is also an Asian version.

The astonishing thing about the numbers is that Mir4 is growing further compared to New World. Two weeks ago, the peak value was still 800,000.

Botters and gold farmers apparently boost MMORPG growth

Why do so many people play Mir4? The success of Wemade comes with a catch. Because Mir4 has a controversial system: players can mine ore in the MMORPG and convert it into a cryptocurrency that they can then sell for real money.

This leads to some apparently not “playing” Mir4 but “working.” Because through crypto mining, they have a reason to play as much as possible and to be online.

However, the system also means that there are apparently tons of bots in Mir4 that are supposed to line the pockets of their operators. We have already reported on MeinMMO how MIR4 is struggling with bots:

The largest MMORPG on Steam has more bots there than other games have players at all

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. mmorpg.org.pl
  2. zdnet

Apex Legends: Many find the new Halloween mode stupid, even though they like it

In Apex Legends the Halloween mode Shadow Royale is playable again since the beginning of the week. The mode has been awaited for a long time, but the developers seem to have bungled the implementation. This frustrates some fans, although they like the mode itself.

What is the Halloween mode? Shadow Royale is the Halloween mode in Apex Legends and it brings an exciting new feature to the game.

Those who die here are reborn as shadows. Shadows can only perform melee attacks. However, they are incredibly fast, can perform double jumps, and even run along walls. Those who know Titanfall know what to expect.

The mode first came into the game in 2020 and was highly anticipated this year as well. However, somehow this year, something went wrong because the developers did not bring the mode in a way that satisfied the fans. This is all the more curious since the mode itself is still well received.

Apex Legends is also soon starting the highly anticipated new Season 11. It will feature the full program, including a new map, a new legend, and a new SMG weapon. It kicks off on November 2, and here you can find a trailer showcasing the coolest features.

Start video
Apex Legends shows in the gameplay trailer the new Season 11 with extraordinary map

Mode arrives too late, too short, and too buggy

What bothers the players? The first major criticism is also one that MeinMMO editor Jürgen Horn noticed at the beginning of October. Because despite being able to spend money on rather boring skins at the beginning of the month, the gameplay mode Shadow Royale only appeared in the last week of October.

Those who, like me, were looking forward to the new mode had to wait. Worse yet, the mode ends after just one week because on November 1, 2021, Season 11 in Apex Legends starts.

To make matters even more annoying, daily challenges had already appeared before the mode’s release, explicitly requiring players to kill opponents in Shadow Royale (via reddit). Great thing when the mode didn’t even exist on that day. For dedicated players who like to complete everything, this is a nuisance.

Even more annoying is that the current challenges only concern the arena mode and not the Shadow Royale mode (via reddit). So, those who want to grind rewards will initially be forced to play a completely different mode. Moreover, the arena mode does not sit well with all fans.

What could be the reason? Overall, it seems that this year’s Halloween event has been somewhat neglected by the developers. It appears that they just wanted to rush the event out because it is Halloween. Neither the skins nor the gameplay mode have really grabbed the fans this year.

It could also be that the 11th Season in Apex Legends starts on November 1, 2021. And that one has a lot to offer! In addition to the obligatory new legend and weapon, there will be the 4th map on which you can let loose.

So, it is quite possible that the internal resources at Respawn were allocated in such a way that the new season is ready for launch, and Halloween got somewhat neglected.

And in the end, a week of Halloween mode is still better than none at all. Or do you see it differently? Let us know your opinion in the comments here.

Aside from that, Apex Legends enjoys great popularity. Former CoD-pro Nickmercs still has no interest in returning to Warzone and he has his reasons.

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

All 4 game modes of Battlefield 2042 compared – Which mode is intended for whom?

The upcoming release of Battlefield 2042 shows: When it comes to game modes, DICE relies on both familiar favorites and new trends. MeinMMO tells you which modes you can enjoy.

What game modes are there? When you start Battlefield 2042, you first see a start screen reminiscent of Call of Duty. Similar to there, the screen is divided into three parts, and you have a choice of three primary game types. 

But instead of choosing between Black Ops Cold War, Warzone, and Modern Warfare, here it’s All-Out Warfare, Hazard Zone, and Battlefield Portal. What exactly is behind them, we will show you here.

All-Out Warfare

Behind this bombastic name lies the core experience of Battlefield 2042. Because All-Out Warfare offers a choice of two classic Battlefield game modes: Conquest and Breakthrough. 

Conquest

If any game mode defines Battlefield games, it is Conquest, one of the two modes in All-Out Warfare. Although games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare have also successfully tried ground warfare, anyone looking for this kind of gameplay will be happiest in Battlefield games.

What is it about? Conquest takes place with many players and vehicles on large maps. 

  • These are divided into several control points. Two teams – in Battlefield 2042, these are American against Russian troops – fight for dominance on these maps.
  • Teams are divided into several squads of up to four players each, who can communicate with each other. Living squad members serve as selectable spawn points next to the home base and captured control points. 
  • In Conquest, each team starts with a certain number of so-called tickets, which are depleted with each respawn and each captured control point. 
  • The more control points a team holds, and the more enemy players you kill, the faster these tickets are depleted. The first team without any remaining tickets loses the match.

What is new? One of the changes that most affects the player is the higher number of players in a match. 

On next-gen consoles and PC, the maximum number of players doubles to 128. Players playing Battlefield 2042 on PS4 or Xbox One will have to make do with a maximum of 64 players.

This change has the expected consequences: The maps are now larger than before, there are more vehicles, and the battles are more chaotic and intense. 

However, due to the higher player counts, developer DICE must rethink its design philosophy.

How does the new philosophy change the gameplay flow? Daniel Berlin, the design director of Battlefield 2042, calls this new philosophy “Clustering” (via Xbox on Youtube). Although the maps are overall larger, there are specific sectors in these maps that are designed to enhance a particular type of gameplay experience. 

For example, in the map Sanduhr, alongside a wide and open desert suitable for tanks, there are many high-rise buildings for snipers or a close-combat-focused soccer stadium. 

As seen in the beta, some control points will also be divided into several subpoints. All of them must be captured before a team can gain complete control over that one large sector.

Who does this help? Capturing these control points will therefore be less of a tug-of-war between two teams running towards each other and largely neutralizing each other. 

Instead, coordination and good distribution of attention and resources among the subpoints are rewarded. This is not only good for coordinated teams; even lone wolves can create chaos in the opposing team with a clever flanking maneuver and start a kill streak.

Battlefield 2042 Tank Map

Breakthrough

Also in Breakthrough, the second half of All-Out Warfare, the player count has been increased to a maximum of 128. Those familiar with Breakthrough or Rush from previous Battlefield games may find the new player count either intimidating or exhilarating. Because Breakthrough is pre-programmed chaos.

What is the difference to Conquest? DICE sees Breakthrough as an evolution of the very popular game mode Rush. However, it has not worked as well in every Battlefield as it did in the Bad Company games, where the mode made its first appearance.

As a result, Rush has been modified since Battlefield 1, which is now also included in Battlefield 2042. Breakthrough uses the same maps as Conquest, but divides them into several consecutive sectors.

This is how the mode is played: A sector is fought over at a time. The teams are strictly divided into defenders and attackers.

  • The defenders must prevent a varying number of points in the sector from being captured by the attacking team. 
  • Once all points in a sector are captured, the defenders must fall back to the next sector, and the game repeats. 
  • If all sectors fall, the attackers win. The defenders win if they successfully prevent the attackers from capturing the current sector.

What is new? Although nothing has changed significantly in Breakthrough, the many other changes should still have a significant impact on the game’s feel. The gigantic maps allow players on both sides more options to navigate the battlefield and secure good positions. 

More on the topic
7 things from earlier installments that fans already miss in Battlefield 2042
von Tarek Zehrer

Also the new specialists, who replace the classic roles of the old Battlefield games, open up new approaches for attackers to break through or completely circumvent the defenders’ stronghold. 

What effects does this have? Although Breakthrough was not playable in the beta, the experiences from Conquest together with known information allow for many well-founded assumptions. 

Where the larger maps with more smaller sections ensure that the mass of players is largely distributed, the maps in Breakthrough automatically feel smaller due to their sector division. 

Accordingly, in Breakthrough, more so than in Conquest, the sheer number of players should be observable and palpable at all times. One should therefore expect many chaotic battles and almost overwhelming amounts of gunfire and explosions.

Who is this game mode suitable for? Experience has shown that it is significantly more difficult to succeed as a lone wolf in Breakthrough than in a well-coordinated squad. Especially with the increase to up to 128 players, this should continue to be the case. 

Of course, the new specialists might lead to those very special “Battlefield moments” where a heroic lone player decides the battle for the entire team single-handedly. 

But these moments require a lot of luck and nearly perfect gameplay. Good coordination, however, not only makes success more likely, but also leads to fewer angry teammates.

Hazard Zone

Where All-Out Warfare offers the proven strengths of the Battlefield games, DICE takes a risk with Hazard Zone. After the unpopular Firestorm mode, Battlefield 2042 now tries with Hazard Zone not to create a classic battle royale.

Battlefield 2042 Hazard Zone

What is it about? Hazard Zone uses the same maps as All-Out Warfare, but the player count is limited to 32 on PC and next-gen and 24 on last-gen consoles. This is due to a changed focus: On the maps, alongside real players organized into four-man squads, there are also many enemy NPCs.

The players’ main task here is not to kill all opponents, but to complete missions alive. Instead of a classic battle royale, Hazard Zone represents a variant that Escape from Tarkov or Hunt: Showdown have tried. The Dark Zone from the Division games is also a close comparison. 

How is it played? Players must find data carriers on the map after a preparation phase. At two different times, players have the opportunity to evacuate. These occur at about half of the round and at the end.

If the recovery of the data carriers is successful, players receive so-called Dark Market Credits, which can be invested in upgrades. These range from better armor to weapon upgrades and are purchased and equipped during the planning phase.

If players fail to evacuate, whether because they have died or missed the recovery time, they lose their equipment. However, similar to Apex Legends, they can be revived by a teammate at certain terminals.

Who is this game mode suitable for? Those who are bored by classic battle royales may find enjoyment in Hazard Zone. The game mode promises similarly intense, long rounds with painful deaths, but primarily tests your greed for loot. 

Fans of, for example, Tarkov might also enjoy Hazard Zone. Hazard Zone promises a comparable game pace but in a much less complex tangle of menus and inventories.

Battlefield Portal

The third part of the Battlefield 2042 package is the so-called Battlefield Portal, which conceptually resembles a mix of Halo’s Forge and popular Battlefield custom servers. 

It is thus a kind of sandbox in which you can create your own gameplay styles and play the creations of others.

Battlefield 2042 Portal Representative Image

What does this mode include? In addition to the content from Battlefield 2042, players have access to content from the old games in the franchise thanks to Portal. Specifically represented are three games: Battlefield 1942, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, and Battlefield 3. Additionally, game modes like Team Deathmatch are also selectable via Portal.

Each of these games provides two maps that have been technically upgraded to the state of Battlefield 2042. These maps are:

Battlefield 1942:

  • El Alamein
  • Battle of the Bulge

Battlefield: Bad Company 2:

  • Arica Harbor
  • Valparaiso

Battlefield 3: 

  • Caspian Border
  • Noshahr Canals

Additionally, numerous weapons, vehicles, and gadgets from these entries will also be available. A complete list of known content has already been compiled by MeinMMO.

You have the following options: Battlefield Portal is a kind of custom game editor. It offers you several tools with which you can assemble your desired Battlefield multiplayer experience. 

The complexity of these options is not yet clear. In principle, however, the mode promises something comparable to the tools from Halo’s Forge. 

In a web-based editor, players can freely combine what they like. Lobbies in which 128 soldiers armed only with knives destroy a space rocket with WW2 tanks would thus be possible. However, rentable servers are reportedly not offered.

More information about the seven new maps from Battlefield 2042 can be found in our overview.

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

CoD Warzone: Pacific presents new map ‘Caldera’ – release, airplanes & anti-cheat

Finally, information about the new map of Call of Duty: Warzone. The Pacific island is called “Caldera”, will be released on December 2nd and brings airplanes to the battle royale. We will show you all new images and information on MeinMMO.

The battle royale Warzone is facing major changes. With the new Call of Duty: Vanguard, Warzone will receive an upgraded graphics engine, a new, colorful map, and the anti-cheat system “RICOCHET”.

In a large blog post, Call of Duty has now presented the release roadmap for Vanguard and Warzone: Pacific and also showed some information about the new Warzone map “Caldera”. This includes hints about airplanes in the battle royale, the future of Rebirth Island, and a clear statement regarding old content such as operators and weapons. We summarize everything for you.

Release and images of the Pacific map “Caldera”

When will the new map go live? The date for the transition to the Vanguard engine and the new large map is set: December 2nd. On this day, season 1 of Vanguard goes live and simultaneously begins the new chapter of Warzone.

Not all details are settled yet. You apparently have access to Warzone: Pacific 24 hours beforehand if you own Vanguard. Whether there will temporarily be 2 different versions of Warzone online or if the old Verdansk will be completely shut down is currently uncertain.

What new images are there of the map? In the new blog post, the developers write that Caldera and Verdansk only resemble each other in size. Otherwise, the new map is different, new, and fresh in almost every aspect. With 7 images, the CoD creators want to reinforce this impression:

Jungle forests, volcanic cliffs, vacation beaches – Caldera indeed presents itself as the complete opposite of the Soviet city of Verdansk.

Dogfighting – Caldera introduces airplanes

What is going on? As seen in the images above: Airplanes will be part of Warzone.

The blog post mentions “dogfights”, meaning fights between airplanes in the air, where only one pilot can survive. There will also be anti-aircraft guns that you can use to put pressure on the planes from the ground.

The airplanes bring a new, exciting element into the game; however, gameplay details are still missing.

What new vehicles are coming with Warzone? The blog mentions 2 new vehicles:

  • Machine gun fighter plane
  • Anti-aircraft truck

What about the old vehicles? The familiar vehicles will remain in the game. Whether helicopters, Bertha, or the station wagon – the usual vehicles can also be used over the new island map Caldera.

Rebirth Island, operators, and weapons remain in the game

What content will Warzone: Pacific adopt? All fans of the small map Rebirth Island can breathe a sigh of relief: The map will also remain in the game with the new Vanguard engine. Currently, the map is very popular in the community, and demands have been made in recent weeks to keep Rebirth Island in the game. And indeed, the smaller island will remain in Warzone for now.

It was already known, however, that you can also use your old cosmetics from Cold War and Modern Warfare in Warzone: Pacific. This means:

  • All old weapons will remain in the game including blueprints
  • Operators from Cold War and CoD MW will remain in the game
  • All cosmetics can be used further
  • Stickers, emblems, calling cards – all are also part of Warzone: Pacific

Your progress in the prestige system from Cold War will also be preserved and you can continue leveling up – an end to the prestige ranks is thus no longer in sight and could continue for years.

However, loot cash may not be in the game at the launch of the new map. So far, there has been talk of a “Vanguard Royale” mode at launch and “Vanguard Plunder” coming at a later date. In the Vanguard modes, you can only use Vanguard weapons – later the complete battle royale with all weapons will be introduced.

However, on Rebirth Island, you can use all weapons from the start: After the launch, it will be over 150 weapons. An overview of the current meta before the switch to Vanguard can be found here:

More on the topic
Expert ranks every weapon from CoD Warzone: 18 are currently meta
von Maik Schneider

Anti-Cheat “RICOCHET” gains momentum with Warzone

One of the most important new features with Warzone: Pacific is the anti-cheat system. With “RICOCHET”, Call of Duty is overhauling its security infrastructure and aims to establish better protection against cheaters and fraudsters.

While with the release of Vanguard on November 5th the first measures will already be taken in the background, the kernel driver for PC will also start with the new Warzone on December 2nd. “RICOCHET” consists of the following measures:

  • Server-side analysis tools
  • Improved investigation processes
  • Increased account security
  • Kernel driver on PC

If you are looking for more information about the anti-cheat or have questions about the PC driver, then check here: Call of Duty shows the new anti-cheat system – This is “RICOCHET”.

cod warzone pacific logo
The new logo of the Pacific Warzone

Airplanes, anti-cheat, Pacific island – the keywords of the new Warzone: Pacific sound promising and announce a new era of battle royale.

Many details regarding the gameplay transition are still missing, but one thing seems certain: The Warzone will not be the same at the end of the year.

If you want to read more about the possible changes in gameplay, we recommend this article: The 5 most important changes when Warzone “merges” with CoD Vanguard.

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

In WoW there is nothing to do, but again a 25-euro mount

A new shop mount in World of Warcraft is live – and the community is fuming. Doesn’t Blizzard learn?

There isn’t much going on in World of Warcraft right now. Although the Hallow’s End event is happening, there have been no new updates for years. The current content is also stale, and even the next update 9.1.5 brings only a little bit of new content.

That apparently doesn’t stop Blizzard from releasing a new shop mount.

What kind of mount is this? The “Sunwarmed Furline” is, as the name suggests, a pretty large cat in crimson color. As is befitting for a cat, it is quite playful and chases its own tail in the animations.

Recommended editorial content

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

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

Like most shop mounts, the Furline can also fly and adapts to the rider’s riding skill. You can use it on all characters that can ride.

The Furline costs €25 in the shop.

Mount can also be earned “for free”: As usual, the mount can indirectly be earned with gold. You need to collect enough gold to buy the equivalent of the mount in WoW tokens. This way, players can buy the mount with gold if they choose to.

This is how the community reacts: Even though there are a number of players who find the cat mount cute and want to grab it almost instantly, the prevailing voices – at least on wowhead and in the subreddit – are negative. The problem is not the mount itself, but the timing of its release.

Many players are currently dissatisfied with the state of World of Warcraft and don’t see any improvement in the foreseeable future, as patch 9.1.5 essentially only brings the Timewalking: Legion – for many, it is a “FOMO” patch. All other content mainly consists of improvements to the existing game systems and content.

Also disheartening for some is that the mount was basically released simultaneously with a message from Activision-Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick . He listed what Blizzard has already improved after the sexism scandal and even had his salary cut. To some players, it seems like Blizzard is saying: “Look how much we’ve improved. And now give us money.”

However, it is criticized that the mount does not conform to the usual art style of World of Warcraft. Many remark that such a mount would fit better in an Asian MMO than in Azeroth.

WoW Sunwarmed Furline

Accordingly, the rating of the presentation video is also negative. On YouTube, there are about 90% thumbs down for the shop mount.

What do you think about this cat as a shop mount? A nice mount at a fair price? Or totally the wrong timing?

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

New World: New bug steals your money when you are offline – Update

In New World, there is a bug that came with the new patch 1.0.4, which is a big problem especially for traders. Because as long as you are offline, you will not receive any money for purchases in the auction house.

Update 9:10 AM: All servers are back online now.

Update 8:40 AM: The forum now states that the servers are supposed to go back online at 9:00 AM.

Update 7:40 AM: There was a server maintenance today at 7:00 AM, which was supposed to fix exactly this issue.

The servers are currently offline because of this. The maintenance was supposed to take only 15 to 30 minutes but is already taking longer.

Update 12:00 AM: Amazon has confirmed the issue and stated that players should get their money back if they are affected by the bug. So nothing is directly stolen from you, but there is no guarantee that you will actually receive the money.

What’s going on? With the new Patch 1.0.4, Amazon fixed some bugs in New World. However, at the same time, a new and very critical bug has slipped into the game.

Because those who are currently selling items at the trading post are not receiving the coins they earned. They should actually appear directly in your inventory as soon as a buyer is found.

User Nunchaki drew attention to the bug (via NewWorldForum). He first noticed that he had not received any gold for his sales. Together with friends, he was able to reproduce the bug and ascertain that the delivery of gold only did not happen when he was offline. As long as you are logged in, you will receive your gold normally in your inventory.

Who is affected by the bug? Apparently, every account. Dozens of players have reported the bug in the forum and on Reddit. Amazon has also confirmed that the bug exists.

When will the bug be fixed? Community Manager Luxendra writes about the issue in the forum:

We are aware of the issues with the trading post, where players do not receive the gold from their sales and are blocked by active contracts. We have found some causes for this.

One was introduced with the latest patch and prevents players from receiving gold/items from completed buy/sell orders in the trading post. We are currently testing a solution for this issue and will implement it as soon as we are sure.

Players who encounter this problem will receive the missing gold or items as soon as the solution is in place. At that time, you may not be able to switch to another server.

Via NewWorldForum

However, Luxendra cannot tell us exactly when a fix will be implemented.

How can you protect yourself from the bug? The best way is to not post any items in the trading post right now. Because you will hardly manage to be online 24 hours a day to not be affected by the bug.

Although Luxendra promises that players will receive their gold retroactively, we recommend not to take unnecessary risks.

Almost every update brings a new problem

Is this the first time an update brings a new bug? No. Just last week, server transfers in New World were reactivated, which, however, led to a problematic gold exploit.

Characters that had just freshly changed servers were in some sort of “floating state” and could therefore send items and coins without losing them. This theoretically allowed endless gold to be generated.

Also, smaller bugs came with the previous updates, but they did not have as large an impact as the last two patches.

While Amazon is currently working on fixes for New World, players have created a new activity in-game:

In New World, towns are now turning into casinos where money is gambled

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

Can IKEA do gaming? Well-known YouTuber tried it out

IKEA and the hardware specialist ASUS have jointly released a gaming collection for users. Now the tech channel “Linus Tech Tips” has tried out the furniture. And the Linus team is surprised at how good the items are.

Gaming furniture is always an exciting topic for gamers as they are particularly tailored to their needs. That’s why IKEA has presented gaming furniture together with ASUS. The collection is simply called “Gaming Range” or “Gaming assortment”.

The IKEA gaming collection includes:

  • Gaming chairs
  • simple desks
  • desks with extra features like height adjustment or shelves
  • pegboards for hanging tools, cables, and other decorative elements.
  • smaller accessories for the perfect setup.

By the way, the gaming collection also includes a stylish gaming hand that wants to support you while gaming and isn’t too expensive.

Now the large tech YouTube channel “Linus Tech Tips” has also become aware of the furniture. After already having built the ultimate gaming bed from IKEA furniture, he now wants to build the perfect gaming setup with IKEA furniture.

Tech YouTuber builds gaming setup from IKEA furniture

How does the assembly go? Overall, the team consists of 4 people and they are setting up the gaming furniture quite chaotically.

One person from the team explains rather frustrated: The instructions are a real nightmare. And the many individual parts for all the furniture that are lying in a heap are the second nightmare (8:30 in the video).

Another colleague from the team complains: “This is one of the most terrible things about IKEA, that you have hundreds of different screws and stuff that you have to fit into all kinds of holes.” And if you fit the wrong parts together, then the search for the right hole for the screw starts over again. (9:40 in the video).

You can also watch the whole action of Linus and his team on YouTube. Here you can see how they set up and assemble furniture with several people:

Recommended editorial content

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

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the YouTube content
Linus Tech Tips sets up IKEA furniture.

Linus: The furniture looks great, but doesn’t make you great

This is the result: In the end, all the furniture is assembled and positioned. And Linus is impressed.

  • The gaming furniture fits well together and harmonizes with each other. It looks not only like a gaming desk but like a real setup.
  • The cable management is successful and the cables elegantly disappear under the desk.

Unfortunately, Linus also notes somewhat disappointed: “An epic setup does not make you an epic gamer,” as he loses his CS:GO match on the new gaming setup. So if you feel like the new gaming furniture, you need to bring the necessary skill for the games.

Not only IKEA produces gaming furniture

Other gaming furniture: Other manufacturers also produce interesting furniture for gamers. For instance, Herman Miller has presented a $1,500 gaming chair that is said to have been developed together with 30 doctors.

This includes experts from biomechanics, optics, physical therapy, and ergonomics. The chair looks more like an ordinary office chair and does without a gaming design.

Nils Raettig from GameStar has also looked at the newly presented gaming furniture from IKEA and is anything but convinced. According to Nils Raettig, this furniture does not really deserve the attribute “gaming.” What he is not convinced by can be read in his column at GameStar.

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

CoD Vanguard: All information about the multiplayer – maps, modes and gameplay

Call of Duty: Vanguard has already shown some of its multiplayer and MeinMMO collects the most important information for you about gameplay, maps, and modes.

On November 5, the new Call of Duty: Vanguard will be released and the multiplayer is, as always, the centerpiece of the series. What is already known about the mode, how the multiplayer is changing this year, and what content you can expect at release, you will find out here.

Update November 5: Vanguard is online – you can find the first reactions to the multiplayer here.

[toc]

We are embedding the gameplay trailer for the multiplayer here:

https://youtu.be/EfFU-vxbzd0
Update October 29: All maps and modes for the release are now known and we have added the information. You can find the roadmap with the content up to the start of Season 1 here.

Vanguard Multiplayer: All facts about modes, player counts, and new mechanics

As every year, some things will change in the multiplayer, and many mechanics are under scrutiny. Vanguard differs more from its predecessor Cold War this time and moves more towards Modern Warfare from 2019 – thus, the new CoD uses an upgraded engine from Modern Warfare.

For example, fans of killstreaks can look forward to their return. They were replaced by scorestreaks in Cold War, and with Vanguard, they are making a comeback. But that’s not all.

General features of Vanguard’s multiplayer

To start, we want to show you important mechanics of Vanguard that have a significant impact on gameplay:

  • Loadouts / classes in Vanguard
  • Killstreaks return
  • Details on movement
  • Details on gunplay
  • Crossplay in Vanguard
  • Destructible environments
  • Information about the mini-map
  • New ammunition types

How do loadouts work in Vanguard? The composition of your equipment works exactly like in Modern Warfare from 2019. You select a primary and a secondary weapon, choose 3 perks, and then have a primary and a tactical grenade. Field upgrades are also back.

In the gunsmith, you can customize your firearms. Unlike in previous CoDs, you can equip up to 10 attachments on weapons in Vanguard and adapt them to your playstyle. You can find details on loadout composition further down in the article.

cod vanguard gunsmith 10 attachments
10 attachment slots per weapon and each can be filled.

What about the streaks? There were indications of a scorestreak system beforehand, but in reality, Vanguard has killstreaks again. The current CoD – Cold War – relies on a points system to bring these powerful equipment to players. Now it’s more about kills again.

Every kill without dying advances you up the killstreak ladder and grants you powerful military equipment to unleash on your enemies. To find out which streaks are already available in the beta, check further down in the loadout system of Vanguard.

More on the topic
CoD Vanguard brings back Killstreaks – All 10 Streaks of the Beta and those that are still to come
von Maik Schneider

What is there to know about movement? In terms of movement mechanics, Vanguard relies on proven features from Modern Warfare and brings the tactical sprint back into play. This is a short sprint that makes you run faster for a few seconds, but also means that it takes a bit longer to fire again after the sprint.

For more experienced players, a change in the interaction between tactical sprint and “slide cancel” may be interesting. Through a specific sequence of inputs, you can interrupt (cancel) your sliding in the current CoD titles.

This also resets the cooldown of the tactical sprint, and you can immediately tactical sprint again after a “slide cancel.” However, after the second “slide cancel,” there is a brief pause before your character goes back into tactical sprint.

More on the topic
An important trick of the pros changes with CoD Vanguard – also hits Warzone hard
von Maik Schneider

What is there to know about gunplay? That Vanguard uses a polished engine from CoD MW also affects the gunplay. It strongly resembles Modern Warfare, and all the weapons we tested were easy to control even without attachments. Whether this remains until the release has yet to be seen. There may still be adjustments here.

What is certain, however, is that weapon resting is back. You can rest your weapons on edges or against walls to reduce recoil. As a new option, there’s also “blind firing.” This allows you to shoot from behind cover without fully exposing yourself.

More on the topic
Small weapon mechanics from CoD Vanguard could spoil the flow of Warzone
von Maik Schneider

Is there crossplay? You can play with your friends on other platforms again. Vanguard supports crossplay for PlayStation 4, PS 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

What about destructible environments? Vanguard brings destructible environments to a new level in Call of Duty, but these are rather minor details. You can run through some walls, destroy doors, or shoot off plaster from walls. However, these destructions rarely have a significant impact on gameplay.

cod vanguard not really destructible environments
There is a lot that can be done with gunfire – but the wall does not disappear.

How does the mini-map work? If an enemy fires their weapon without a suppressor, you don’t see them simply on the map. It works quite similarly to Modern Warfare again. However, there is the perk “Radar,” which shows enemies on the map without a suppressor when they fire their weapon.

More on the topic
CoD Vanguard: Players demand changes to important mechanics – “The mini-map is useless!”
von Maik Schneider

What is there to know about weapons? There is now a dedicated attachment slot for ammunition types. This way, you can use subsonic ammunition to prevent a ping on the mini-map. But there is also explosive ammunition that causes environmental damage or decay ammunition that can significantly shake your enemy upon hits.

Multiplayer modes and combat pacing of Vanguard

What’s up with combat pacing? Vanguard does not include a large mode like “Warzone” from CoD MW or “Combined Arms” from Cold War. In these modes, different rules apply, and there are many more players on the maps. Vehicles were also a topic in these mega modes.

Vanguard takes a different approach: each mode and map can turn into such a large battle. For this, there are the new “Combat Pacings”:

  • Tactical: Classic CoD experience with 6vs6 players
  • Assault: Between 20 – 28 players populate a map
  • Blitz: Between 28 and 48 players can gas it up on a map
  • The exact number of players depends on the map

With a filter, you can select the desired pacing, and with this mechanic, a small team deathmatch turns into a chaotic slaughter that even on large maps reminds of Shipment or Nuketown.

On the tested maps, this actually resulted in a much faster pace and particularly benefited the large maps. You no longer have to wait long until the first enemy appears in sight, and you can constantly have an enemy sneaking up behind you, as you have 24 enemies, with someone always taking the long way around.

The new mode Patrol was a special experience. A whole train of soldiers stealthily follows the point, and enemies and friends stream from all directions onto the objective for continuous fights. When nearly a dozen players stand on the point, high kill series are guaranteed if you find the right line of fire.

cod vanguard modes patrol slaughter
An enemy takes out half of our team on the point with a magazine here.

What classic modes are in the game? At release, you can definitely find the following classic modes in Vanguard:

  • Free-for-All
  • Team Deathmatch
  • Kill Confirmed
  • Search & Destroy
  • Domination
  • Hardpoint

These are also the modes that you can always start in hardcore mode. There is also again the option to create private matches.

What new modes are in the game? At the release of Vanguard, there will be at least 2 new modes. The one tested in the alpha “Champions Hill” and the position variant “Patrol”.

Champions Hill is a kind of tournament. You enter the game with 12 team lives and have to assert yourself against regularly changing opponents. If you lose all lives, you are out of the game. In total, there are 8 teams, and the last standing team takes the victory. There’s also a cash system with which you can upgrade your weapons and equipment.

In Patrol, there is an area that yields points when a player from a team stands in the area. But unlike in Hardpoint, where new points continuously appear, in Patrol, the point continuously runs on. A new approach for the mode that can lead to nasty kill series, especially with the Blitz pacing.

The multiplayer maps of Vanguard

How many maps are there at release? Compared to Cold War, the CoD from 2020, Vanguard boasts maps at release. 16 6vs6 maps are ready:

  • Hotel Royal: This is a hotel map with 2 levels in the heart of Paris.
  • Gavutu: This map offers a heavily contested Pacific island.
  • Red Star: Here you will fight in the ruins of winter Stalingrad.
  • Eagle’s Nest: Players get a small map on a mountain peak in the Alps. It is the Kehlsteinhaus in Berchtesgaden.
  • Castle: This is a remake of a map from CoD: World at War. The battle takes place in a Japanese castle.
  • Dome: Another remake map where you engage in wild fights in a small hall.
  • Bocage: A map in France where you fight over a devastated farmhouse.
  • The House: This cool map is located in Germany and is a training area where Nazi special forces practice the capture of the White House.
  • Decoy: This map is a fake village where your soldiers can shoot each other.
  • Demyansk: A map in Russia where you fight over a village.
  • Desert Siege: A map in North Africa by the Suez Canal. Expect dunes and houses with flat roofs.
  • Numa Numa: A small map in the Pacific with a machine gun nest in the middle.
  • Oasis: Another desert map where allied forces ambush the Nazis in an oasis.
  • Sub Pens: In this small map, you fight in a German U-boat bunker.
  • Tuscan: In this map, it’s about capturing an Italian village in Tuscany.
  • Battle of Berlin: This large city map takes place in Berlin just before the end of the Third Reich. You can expect brutal house fights in the ruins of the Nazi capital.

In addition, there are the small maps from Champions Hill, which resemble those from firefight maps in size.

More on the topic
CoD Vanguard: All Maps, Weapons, and Modes at a Glance – The Multiplayer Content in the Shooter
von Jürgen Horn

Is there a 3-lane structure? On the 4 shown maps, a clear 3-lane system was observed. Hotel Royale staggered a bit because you could access the roof, providing an additional combat line aside from the lower lanes. But overall, CoD is again relying on the old concept with 3 lanes.

What about vehicles? In none of the modes played and on none of the maps were large vehicles to get into seen. Whether this will change before release remains uncertain.

If you want to see gameplay from the beta, we are embedding 10 minutes of pure shooting action from the multiplayer here:

The loadouts and class system of Vanguard

How does the gunsmith work in Vanguard? The gunsmith resembles the version from Modern Warfare strongly but also provides detailed displays of weapon stats as in Cold War. In total, you can attach up to 10 attachments to each weapon and adapt the gun to your playstyle:

  • Muzzle
  • Barrel
  • Optic
  • Stock
  • Underbarrel
  • Magazine
  • Ammunition type
  • Grip
  • Skill
  • Kit

When you use the weapons in-game, you level up and gain more attachments that way. In the beta, the max level was 30, and for every level, you get an attachment. After release, some weapons may even offer more than 70 different attachments.

cod vanguard details in gunsmith
Plus or minus points indicate attachment values.

What perks are already known? An important topic is also perks, as these passive abilities can strongly influence playstyle and the game itself. We list the currently known perks by category:

  • Extra 1 – Blue
    • Ghost: Protects against detection when you’re moving
    • Flak: Reduces damage from explosives and helps with regeneration
    • Unseen: Immune to the effects of “Piercing Vision”
    • Survivor Training: Resistance to stun, immune to gas
  • Extra 2 – Red
    • Alarmed: Enemies see you outside of the field of view, pulses the field of view
    • Radar: Enemies appear on the mini-map when they fire without a suppressor
    • Data Relay: Larger mini-map, enemy reinforcements are displayed
    • Tracker: Enemies briefly leave footprints
  • Extra 3 – Yellow
    • Demolition Expert: Additional primary grenade and flight curve when throwing
    • Fast Pace: Doubles tactical sprint and allows you to run 30% faster while crouched
    • Tactician: Contributes a tactical grenade every 30 seconds
    • Overkill: Carry 2 primary weapons
More on the topic
25 Perks of CoD Vanguard that you will probably also play in Warzone
von Maik Schneider

What killstreaks are already known? A total of 10 killstreaks were available for testing. There may also be more options in the finished game:

  • Locating / 3 kills – Radar just for you
  • Supplies / 4 kills – Random killstreak from drop
  • Spy Plane / 4 kills – Radar for the whole team
  • Counter Spy Plane / 4 kills – Disrupted enemy radar
  • Glide Bomb / 5 kills – Controllable bomb from great height
  • Death Machine / 5 kills – A kind of mini-gun with explosive rounds
  • Mortar Fire / 5 kills – Marked area will be attacked
  • War Machine / 7 kills – Grenade launcher that you do not lose
  • Flamethrower / 9 kills – Protective suit including flamethrower
  • Attack Dogs / 10 kills – Dogs attack your enemies

Which field upgrades are already known? Vanguard also relies on field upgrades again. These are small equipment with a certain cooldown that you can deploy faster through kills. The stealth mechanic Silence returns, and armored plates are also available in Vanguard:

  • Supply Box – Provides ammunition and equipment
  • Armor Plate – Gives you some body armor
  • Goliath – Explosive mini-tank to control
  • Directional Microphone – Shows enemies nearby on the mini-map
  • Silence – Quiet steps briefly, shooting or knife kills restart the timer

All confirmed weapons so far

  • Assault Rifles
    • STG44
    • ITRA Burst
    • BAR
    • NZ-41
    • VOLK
  • Submachine Guns
    • M1928
    • STEN
    • MP 40
  • Shotguns
    • Shotgun with rotating cylinder
    • Automatic shotgun
  • LMGs
    • MG42
    • DP27
    • BREN
  • DMRs
    • M1 Garand
  • Sniper Rifle
    • Three-Line Rifle
    • Kar98k
  • Handguns
    • Submachine Gun
    • RATT
    • 1911
  • Launchers
    • M1 Bazooka
    • Panzerschreck
  • Melee
    • FS Fighting Knife
  • Primary Equipment
    • MK2 Fragmentation Grenade
    • Gammon Bomb (Contact Grenade)
    • Molotov Cocktail
    • Claymore
    • Thermite
    • Throwing Knife
  • Tactical Equipment
    • M18 Smoke Grenade
    • Stun Grenade No. 69
    • MK V Gas
    • Stim
    • S-Mine 44

These are all the weapons that were available in the beta we tested.

What happens after the release of Vanguard?

What comes after the release? Vanguard adopts the live season system from its predecessors and regularly brings new content:

  • new maps
  • new modes
  • fresh playlists
  • limited-time events
  • seasonal events
  • community celebrations
  • and more

Does new content cost anything? Gameplay-relevant content will be completely free after the release. You have to unlock the new weapons first, but there is no paywall that prevents you from unlocking them.

When does the first season start? The first season of Vanguard starts on December 2. What happens until then is shown by the roadmap of “Season 0”:

cod vanguard roadmap season 0 to season 1

Is there again a battle pass? Like in Cold War and CoD MW, Vanguard will also bring a battle pass to the seasons. In exchange for playtime and experience points, you will unlock plenty of cosmetics.

However, the pass costs if you want to unlock all the items for your inventory. A few tiers will be free, including the new weapons. But most are for premium pass holders. Whether the system is worth it for you can be found out here:

More on the topic
CoD Warzone: What does the Battle Pass actually bring and who is it worth for?
von Sven Galitzki

Vanguard and Warzone – Anti-Cheat & new map

How does the collaboration with Warzone work? It all works similarly to last year with Cold War, just on a much larger scale.

Warzone and Vanguard “merge” and share the seasons and also the technology after the transition. The topic in Warzone shifts away from the Cold War, towards the Vanguard setting, and the content of the battle pass and cosmetics works in both CoDs. In addition, the weapons from Vanguard also enter the battle royale.

Old cosmetic content and all weapons from Cold War and Modern Warfare remain in the game and usable in Warzone. With the first season of Vanguard, the life cycle of Cold War will likely also come to an end.

However, this time the integration goes even further. Warzone gets the graphics engine from Vanguard and thus also some gameplay upgrades. Moreover, the developers announced that Warzone will also receive a new map and the new anti-cheat system from Vanguard when Vanguard launches.

When do Warzone and Vanguard “merge”? With the start of the first season on December 2. In an extensive blog post, the developers shared a lot of information about the merger of the two shooters. You can find the new information about the Pacific map “Caldera” here.

More information about the merging of Vanguard and Warzone can be found here:

More on the topic
The 5 most important changes when Warzone “merges” with CoD Vanguard
von Maik Schneider

Zombies in CoD Vanguard

What is known about the zombies? The first map is called “The Beginning” and takes place in Stalingrad. We do not know all the details yet, but apparently it will not be a classic round-based map. You build a command center in Stalingrad, upgrade your weapons and items there, and then jump through portals to complete missions.

If you achieve a mission goal, additional areas will open at your command center and you will progress further in the story. More on the zombie mode can be found here:

More on the topic
CoD Vanguard: All About the Zombie Mode – This is “The Beginning”
von Jürgen Horn

Conclusion of the participating author Maik

maik author profile

Maik Schneider
Freelance author at MeinMMO

Conclusion – Vanguard seems to finally realize that the maps have gotten too big

Vanguard is already the third annual CoD I accompany with MeinMMO and I never had such a good feeling about the latest title. Even beforehand, I was convinced Vanguard would be really big and good, and the first matches further reaffirmed my view.

In recent years, the paid CoDs have become less interesting to me because the maps have always gotten larger while still maintaining 6vs6 as the norm. I enjoyed mode refreshes with more players on the “small” maps and was often on “Shipment” or “Nuketown”.

But with “Combat Pacing,” I now have the hope of being able to play Call of Duty the way I like – namely with more players. Not counting the tactical mode ”Search & Destroy.”

The attempts to establish a large mode in CoD never convinced me. Be it “Ground War” in CoD MW or “Combined Arms” in Cold War. But being able to approach the ordinary modes and maps with more players hits exactly my taste.

On top of that, the gunplay and movement from CoD MW that I prefer fits perfectly for a solid hype.

maik author profile

Maik Schneider
Freelance author at MeinMMO

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

In New World, cities are now becoming casinos where money is gambled

New World manages to engage players more intensively with each other due to the relatively small game world and the limited server size. On some servers, this has now led to players meeting in cities and simply rolling for money or materials. Several users on reddit report this.

What is the deal with the casinos? As the reddit user Soracaz reports, up to 100 players gather in Windkreis on his server in the evenings to roll with each other (via reddit).

The game is simple:

  • You challenge another player in the casino area and state a value that you will bet for this round.
  • If the other agrees, then you roll with the emote.
  • The player with the higher value wins the prize from the loser.
  • For higher sums over 1,000 Talers, it is shown in the trading window beforehand that the money is available.

If someone cheats, they will be excluded from the server very quickly. There are even Excel sheets with cheaters at rolling, which are managed among others by Soracaz.

According to the user, bets of up to 40,000 Talers have already occurred. Generally, the whole casino activity is supposed to be incredibly entertaining and fun.

Is his server the only one where rolling happens? No, because in the comments, other users also report that they gamble, such as the user Az-Anime-Fan.

The user respakt even founded the guild “Gambling Goblins on El Dorado” on his server

and organizes bets in Immerfall at the trading post.

On the server of the user Doombeard86, however, bets are made for sausages and he himself has already won 66 sausages and a handful of candies.

Kanonkongenn has already rolled with another company leader over who will win the war for territory.

Casino as “real endgame” while New World experiences an economic crisis

How do reactions to the casinos look? On the reddit of New World, the idea of casinos is received very well. Some see it as the “real endgame” of the MMO. After all, New World generally highlights the social aspects of an MMO again.

Others, however, find it curious that precisely in times of economic crisis in New World, money is being rolled. Because Talers are rather scarce in the endgame and the costs for taxes, rent, and crafting fees are high. Many materials therefore have little value, but Talers have.

Moreover, some players want to bring casinos to their servers now. They could even imagine a real casino feature being integrated into the taverns of the cities.

What do you think about the casinos in the cities of New World? Would you participate in such events or would you be too worried about being scammed?

New World celebrated its release exactly one month ago. We at MeinMMO took a look at the current state of the game:

How is New World doing one month after release? – “It’s bizarre, but I love it”

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

Destiny 2: Hotfix 3.3.1.2 is here – All patch notes and information


In Destiny 2 comes today, on October 28, a new update for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, on PC as well as on Google Stadia. The hotfix 3.3.1.2 could solve some issues that have occurred over the past few weeks. The key times and information you will get here on MeinMMO.

This is what you need to know today: Bungie has announced a hotfix for today, Thursday, October 28. In the last TWAB, they wrote down some known bugs that Bungie still needs to fix. These include:

  • The eyes of the Skerren Corvus mask no longer glow. 
  • The “One-Inch-Punch” finisher is played without sound when executed. 
  • Some players may appear invisible or in the loading screen for an extended period. 

These and some others could be fixed with the new hotfix.

So you know exactly when you can play today and what changes in the game, MeinMMO accompanies you through hotfix 3.3.1.2 and continuously updates this article with fresh information.

Update 7:07 PM: You can now download the update. On PS5, the hotfix is 241.9 MB. After you have downloaded the file, you should gradually be able to log back in. If there are any complications, we will inform you about them.

Maintenance on October 28 – All times and server downtime

These times are important today:

  • At 6:00 PM German time, maintenance work will start on all platforms.
  • From 6:45 PM, the servers will go offline. You will be kicked from all activities, and the downtime will begin.
  • It is expected that around 7:00 PM the servers will be back online and the hotfix 3.3.1.2 will roll out worldwide.
  • Once you have downloaded the update (and copied it), you can play Destiny 2 again.
  • At 8:00 PM, the maintenance work is scheduled to end.

It is important: Even if you have downloaded the update, there may be connection issues until the maintenance work ends around 8:00 PM. You may have to expect queues when logging in. Also, keep in mind that third-party applications and the official companion app may not be accessible correctly.

The eyes of this Halloween armor no longer glow

What changes with hotfix 3.3.1.2 in Season 15

This is what the hotfix brings today:

  • Telesto is back.
    Bungie has revamped the functionality of Telesto significantly, and we can reset our timer until the next ultimate gamebreaker through Telesto again.
    • Telesto bubbles no longer stick to allies but now hit and explode.
    • Telesto bubbles can no longer be shot at/destroyed.
    • The lifespan of Telesto bubbles has been changed from 10 seconds to ~5 seconds. When they hit near enemies, they still detonate.
  • Titan’s Diamond Lance:
    No friendly fire is now possible with it.

The complete list of today’s changes can be found in the link to the patch notes further down.

Patch Notes for hotfix 3.3.1.2 in Destiny 2

What’s in the patch notes? The comprehensive list of all changes from hotfix 3.3.1.2 is released by Bungie in the form of patch notes.

Traditionally, the information is published together with the update itself.

How is Halloween going for you so far? Have you managed to collect all the masks? Let us know in the comments.

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

CEO Bobby Kotick draws consequences from the scandal at Activision Blizzard

In a letter, Bobby Kotick, the CEO of Activision Blizzard, commented on the future of the company, which is under scrutiny after several allegations regarding sexism. Kotick has promised improvements and has asked management to cut his salary and bonuses until the goals are achieved.

What was this letter about? The letter was sent by Bobby Kotick to the employees of Activision Blizzard and also published via Businesswire (via Businesswire.com).

It states that Kotick wants to make Activision Blizzard the most inviting and inclusive company in the industry. To achieve this, five steps will be taken:

  • A zero-tolerance policy on harassment will be implemented. Anyone who harasses others can expect to be fired immediately. This will also be a direct clause in future employment contracts.
  • The proportion of women and non-binary employees in the company is to increase by 50%. Currently, the percentage is about 23%. An additional $250 million will be set aside for the next 10 years for this purpose.
  • The company will waive forced arbitration in cases of sexual harassment allegations. If an employee chooses to sue, the company will not stand in the way.
  • The issue of equal pay will be further emphasized.
  • There will be regular progress reports on whether and how these plans have been implemented.

Until the measures are fully implemented, Kotick has asked the management of Activision Blizzard to cut his salary. According to the letter, he would receive $62,500 per year, the lowest amount allowed by law in California for his position. Additionally, he does not wish to participate in bonuses or stock options.

How is Kotick viewed in the community? The CEO is particularly unpopular among Blizzard fans. Many see him as the reason why “their beloved Blizzard” has changed for the worse. Money has become too much of a focus since the acquisition by Activision.

He also received a bonus of $200 million in early 2021, while layoffs were occurring at Blizzard. This was not well received by many gaming fans.

Government Agency Investigated Discrimination at Activision Blizzard

What led to the change in direction at the company? Activision Blizzard is currently under criticism because it is said that a culture like that of a fraternity exists within the company. Women are allegedly targets of constant sexual harassment and are simultaneously paid less.

Men, on the other hand, can get away with anything and even drink alcohol at work. The promotion opportunities for women are also said to be lower than those for men.

This was alleged by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the largest civil rights agency in the U.S., which sued the company in court. A focal person was Alex Afrasiabi, whose room was referred to as the “Cosby Suite” during BlizzCon.

The lawsuit escalated into a scandal that harmed the company’s value and Blizzard’s reputation.

More on the topic
„Cocaine in the Toilet, Sex in the Lounge“ – Scandal surrounding WoW developer Blizzard escalates
von Schuhmann

What has been done since the lawsuit?

JAllenBrack-Entschuldigung
Blizzard CEO J. Allen Brack left the company in the aftermath of the scandal.

Some changes have also been made to the game WoW:

Why is Blizzard still being sued? In addition to the lawsuit by the civil rights agency, there is another proceeding that the employees of Activision Blizzard themselves initiated.

It states that the employees feel oppressed. They are not allowed to openly discuss their salaries, are heavily restricted in their communication on social media, and are not allowed to form a union.

Employees sue Activision Blizzard – Feel oppressed by bosses

The lawsuit escalated into a scandal that harmed the company’s value and Blizzard’s reputation.

More on the topic
„Cocaine in the Toilet, Sex in the Lounge“ – Scandal surrounding WoW developer Blizzard escalates
von Schuhmann

What has been done since the lawsuit?

JAllenBrack-Entschuldigung
Blizzard CEO J. Allen Brack left the company in the aftermath of the scandal.

Some changes have also been made to the game WoW:

Why is Blizzard still being sued? In addition to the lawsuit by the civil rights agency, there is another proceeding that the employees of Activision Blizzard themselves initiated.

It states that the employees feel oppressed. They are not allowed to openly discuss their salaries, are heavily restricted in their communication on social media, and are not allowed to form a union.

Employees sue Activision Blizzard – Feel oppressed by bosses

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

PS Plus: Here are the 6 new games in November 2021 for PS4 and PS5

The new games that PS Plus users will receive in November 2021 are now known. This time there are 6 games for the PS4 and the PS5.

Here are the 6 new PS Plus games for November 2021: The leak for PS Plus in November 2021 was correct! If you have an active subscription to PlayStation Plus or are planning to get one soon, the following monthly free games will be available in September:

In celebration of the PSVR anniversary, three PS VR bonus titles will be offered this month:

  • The Persistence (PSVR)
  • The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners (PSVR)
  • Before The Fall (PSVR)

All PS4 games can be easily played on Sony’s latest console generation via the backward compatibility feature of the PS5.

When and where can you download the new PS Plus games? The 6 new free titles will be available to subscription users starting November 2, at no additional cost in the PlayStation Store.

How to access the monthly games from PS Plus

What you need for this: The requirement for the monthly free games is an active membership with PlayStation Plus, that is, a PS Plus subscription. For a 12-month subscription, you usually pay €59.99, but there are also sales where you can get the subscription at a lower price. Keep in mind: The annual costs are higher with a shorter membership term.

As a subscription user, you will receive 2 selected free games for the PlayStation 4 each month and one free title for the PS5. The games are available as digital downloads in the PS Store for specific periods and won’t cost you anything extra (aside from the regular subscription fees). Once you add these games to your library, you can play them anytime as long as you have an active membership – even if it expires temporarily. The games remain in your possession.

Here are more benefits of PlayStation Plus at a glance: Aside from the monthly games, subscribers to PS Plus also benefit from several additional advantages – including:

What about you? What do you think of the new PS Plus lineup for November 2021? Is there a title that particularly catches your interest or that you are especially looking forward to? Or is Sony’s current selection of games leaving you cold? Share your opinion with us and other users of MeinMMO in the comments.

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

Guild Wars 2 will fulfill the great demand of hardcore players with a new expansion

With End of Dragons, Guild Wars 2 revises the strike missions. These are intended to offer two difficulty levels in the future and will be challenging enough to be considered new raid bosses. This is to finally challenge the hardcore community again.

What has been announced? A new blog post introduced the “Strike Missions 2.0”. These are set to become particularly tough in the new expansion, End of Dragons, especially with the challenge mode.

So far, the strike missions have been somewhat of a shallow introduction to the group content of Guild Wars 2. With a total of 10 players, you fight against a boss from the story that offers various mechanics but can usually be defeated by any group.

However, with the new challenge mode, this is set to change. According to the developers, they should feel “like real raid bosses”. This is a significant change, as the hardcore players have been largely neglected in the last 16 months.

Fights are designed to be hard first and then made easier

What do the new strike missions look like? As before, you will specifically fight against a boss in the strike missions. In normal mode, this will still be easy to defeat.

In challenge mode, however, it is supposed to receive new mechanics and offer “surprises”. Furthermore, specific “damage thresholds” are expected from the players. So if you only moderately master your class, you will struggle with this mode.

To ensure the bosses become really challenging, they have been developed from top to bottom. So first, a hard version for the challenge mode was created, which was then toned down for the normal mode. However, the normal mode is supposed to retain the core abilities of the boss so that players can train there.

Guild Wars 2 Forgemaster
The Forgemaster is one of the bosses from a strike mission of the Icebrood Saga. The appearance of the bosses in End of Dragons is currently unknown.

Will the challenge modes start immediately? No. The developers emphasize that players should first familiarize themselves with the world stories and the new elite specializations.

Only a few weeks after release will the higher difficulty level be introduced.

What about rewards? For completing strike missions in End of Dragons, there will only be one currency. You can use it to purchase unique rewards that will otherwise only be available as drops from the bosses. So those who have bad drop luck will eventually get their desired reward.

Additionally, you should be able to exchange the currency from the new strike missions for the currencies of the old missions from the Icebrood Saga if you prefer the new boss fights over the old ones.

The hardcore community has suffered greatly in recent years

Why is this change so important? Guild Wars 2 and its raid content have a complicated relationship:

  • At launch, raids were completely omitted. However, the 5-player dungeons only offered a low level of difficulty.
  • With the Heart of Thorns expansion, 3 raid wings for groups of 10 players were released, which were even quite well received. The bosses were challenging and demanding for the existing community.
  • Unfortunately, ArenaNet has hardly kept up with the raid content. Guilt managed to complete the raids faster than the developers could keep up. Over time, the difficulty level of the raids also decreased a bit. The first raids were the hardest at the same time.

Since May 2019 – and thus for nearly 2.5 years now – no new raid has been released. Instead, the focus has been on the strike missions, which have been aimed more at “casuals”. The big raid guilds, however, quickly grew bored of this.

Now, with End of Dragons, something is finally coming that promises a real challenge. How hard the bosses will actually be and whether they will be rewarding enough will probably only be known after the release in February 2022.

What do you think about the new direction Guild Wars 2 is taking with the endgame content? How do you find the mix of normal and challenge modes in the strike missions?

More about the new expansion End of Dragons can be found here:

Guild Wars 2: Everything we know about the new expansion End of Dragons

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

Battlefield 2042: New gameplay trailer presents 3 maps and shows wingsuit action

A new trailer for Battlefield 2042 has just gone online. The new gameplay video showcases, among other things, 3 of the new maps in the game.

This is the trailer: The trailer was released on Thursday, October 28, 2021, at 5:00 PM on YouTube. The video shows some gameplay scenes – among other things, the wingsuit is finally seen in action.

Otherwise, there is explosive action with helicopters, airstrikes, zip-line attacks, and plenty of gunfights. However, the most interesting point is as follows: The trailer gives you insight into 3 of the new maps from Battlefield 2042.

Here you can watch the trailer:

New Battlefield 2042 trailer shows the maps Renewal, Breakaway, and Discarded

These are the maps: Overall, you can catch short glimpses of the following maps in the trailer:

  • Renewal
  • Breakaway
  • Discarded

“Discarded” is a map located in India, where you fight through rundown shipwrecks. Storms can influence the events.

Breakaway impresses visually with shiny snow landscapes. The Arctic map is the largest of the newcomers and features not only ice and snow but also an explosive oil refinery.

Here we also see how the player from the trailer uses the wingsuit to dive into the battle and into the ice chasms to move quickly. You can find more about the specialists with the wingsuit here.

“Renewal” places you in the Egyptian desert. It is divided into a sandy, inhospitable area and a green meadow landscape adorned with lavish buildings.

Basically, information about most of the new maps is already available. You can find all 7 new maps at a glance here.

What else does the trailer show? In the gameplay scenes, there are more interesting details visible alongside the maps. Among other things, the video shows that points for kills and assists are now directly displayed.

Additionally, the HUD has apparently undergone another revision compared to the beta.

When is Battlefield 2042 coming out? The new installment in the Battlefield series is scheduled for November 19, 2021. You can find everything about the release here.

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

FIFA 22: Best Packs in Ultimate Team – All Sets at a Glance

What’s in the best packs of FIFA 22? Here we provide an overview of the sets in FUT 22, including prices and values.

What you need to know about pack opening in FIFA 22: There are various ways to get packs in FIFA 22.

What you should always keep in mind: In most cases, buying sets in the Ultimate Team shop is a losing proposition. Often, you pull items from the packs that are worth less than what you invested. Especially with the currently very low transfer market in FIFA 22, it is hard to earn coins from pack contents.

The exception is pulling really strong players from packs that are worth a lot on the transfer market. These can be top players, icons, or special cards. However, the odds of getting such top cards are typically very low.

Therefore, you should always carefully consider whether you want to invest your hard-earned coins in packs or if you should rather improve your team on the transfer market.

However, if you decide to grab a pack from the shop, we will show you how the different packs perform and which might be worthwhile.

Preview Packs – The Packs Without Risk in FUT

These are the packs: In FIFA 22, you can rely on so-called “preview packs” right from the start of the season. In FIFA 21, they were introduced during the summer – in FIFA 22 they are available from the beginning.

The advantage of preview packs is that you can see what cards are in the pack before purchase. If you like what you see, you can buy it. If the pack content isn’t worth the coins demanded, you can put the pack back.

When you start a pack preview, a 24-hour timer counts down after which a new preview pack becomes available. You can check once a day without risk to see if there’s something good in the shop. An exception applies when you buy the pack – then the next one becomes available immediately.

FIFA 22 Preview Pack
The preview packs show what’s inside

As of the current status (October 18, 2021), only selected standard packs were available as preview packs in FIFA 22. However, it is conceivable that more packs will be available as preview versions in the future.

The preview packs can be opened once a day without hesitation and can be put back if necessary. At the same time, there are also the “classic” packs, without insight. We will take a look at which of those are worthwhile next.

The Best Packs in FUT 22 that You Can Buy for Coins

What are the best packs in FUT 22? The aforementioned preview packs are considered the best packs in that you don’t risk losing coins. However, they haven’t had the best odds for top players so far.

There is no guarantee of strong players with the packs in the shop either. In certain SBCs or events, you can earn packs that guarantee a certain rating or contain special cards – however, this is generally not available in the shop.

In the shop, the packs where you pay the least price per rare gold player card are most worthwhile. These cards have the greatest chance to yield a profit on the transfer market or to strengthen your team.

List of the Best Packs: Based on this calculation, you should particularly give a chance to packs whose rare gold players cost the least in comparison.

In this regard, the following packs should be considered the “best” – as they offer the lowest average prices per gold player. However, it should be noted that these are primarily promo packs that are not available in the shop all the time.

Oops, unfortunately this table is no longer available.

Is every expensive pack worth it? The list features quite expensive packs near the top. However, that doesn’t mean that expensive packs are always worth it. It can also happen that an Ultimate Pack only contains cards that do not even cover the coin value.

The odds of pulling good players is only slightly higher than in a simple gold pack. You should never count on a profit from packs – no matter which packs you buy in the shop.

The Packs in the FIFA 22 Shop – How Likely are Top Players?

What types of packs are there? In Ultimate Team, you can find various packs:

  • Standard sets that you can always find in the shop.
  • Promo packs that come with events or temporarily.
  • Additionally, in FIFA 22 there are also new cosmetic packs. However, they are irrelevant concerning player cards.

The Standard Sets in the Shop with Odds

These sets consist of card packs that are always available in the shop – regardless of which event is currently taking place. They offer no huge chances for top players but are a possibility if you don’t want to spend that many coins. Additionally, there are also the preview variants of them.

What’s new? As of the current status, the usual “normal” packs are no longer available. Instead, you can only find the “premium” variants.

We show you the packs with current odds. Important: These odds can change, as, for instance, special cards can play a role. We show you the current odds (as of October 18, 2021) with Road-to-the-Knockouts cards as event cards.

Premium Gold Pack:

  • 12 gold items, players and consumables, 3 rare
  • 7500 coins
  • 100% contains a player rating 75+, 31% contains a player rating 82+, and 8.2% contains a player rating 83+.
  • Currently, there are three different types of RTTK cards in the pack – each with under 1 %.
Premium Gold Pack FIFA 22
The Premium Gold Pack in FIFA 22

Premium Silver Pack:

  • 12 silver cards, players and consumables, 3 rare
  • 3750 coins
  • 100% contains a player rating 65+, 49% contains a player rating 72+, and 14% contains a player rating 74+
Premium Silver Pack in FIFA 22
The Premium Silver Pack in FIFA 22

Premium Bronze Pack:

  • 12 bronze cards, players and consumables, 3 rare
  • 750 coins
  • 100% contains a player rating 45+, 83% contains a player rating 62+, and 39% contains a player rating 64+
Premium Bronze Pack in FIFA 22
The Premium Bronze Pack in FIFA 22

Promo Packs in FIFA 22 – Available for a Limited Time Only

These are promo packs: Unlike standard sets, you can only obtain promo packs in the shop for a limited time. They can also appear in a limited quantity that can only be purchased a limited number of times.

Additionally, these are packs that you can also receive from various rewards in your competitions.

In the following list, you will find promo packs that we know from FUT history. Here you can find the prices of the packs and information about the contents.

More packs may be added throughout the FUT-22 season.

Oops, unfortunately this table is no longer available.

Tips and Hints for Packs in FIFA 22

Here we summarize some important information about the packs in FIFA 22.

  • You do not have to buy packs with FIFA Points for real money; you can also get them with coins. You can obtain coins, for example, through trading in FIFA 22.
  • You can view the odds of a pack at any time in the shop. So make sure to look closely at what card chances a pack actually offers you before deciding to buy it.
  • There is no guarantee for strong cards. You should pay particular attention to this if you wish to buy packs with real money. You should not orient yourself to streamers who sometimes invest huge amounts in packs to pull strong cards.
  • Especially at the beginning of a season, it is better to build good starter teams with the transfer market rather than splurging everything on packs. Then you have better chances of rewards from competitions, from which you can also earn packs.
  • SBCs and objectives often include good packs that are not so difficult to obtain. Keep an eye out for these and earn yourself a pack or two.
  • Regularly check out the preview packs. Here you can try your luck without investing coins.

Have you already put together your team or are you still looking for cards with which you can earn rewards? Then we have here 4 strong formations for you that can help you in Ultimate Team.

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

New World offers 14 different areas – Which one do you like the best?

For almost a month now, you can explore the world of New World. Many have now left the starting areas and taken a look at the higher regions. A good time to talk about which area you like the best so far.

These areas are offered by New World: The 4 regions Everfall, Windsward, Monarch’s Bluffs, and Brightwood are the first ones you can explore in the game. In one of them, you start your adventure and begin exploring Aeternum. In these 4 regions, you will mainly find green meadows, dense forests, and a few mountains and rivers.

In the midgame, you can expect 6 very different areas: Cutlass Keys, Brightwood, Weaver’s Fen, the Unstable Coast, Sound’s Reach, and the Depths.

Especially Weaver’s Fen stands out with its unusual town and the abundant water, which is mostly only knee-deep. The Depths, on the other hand, is dark and rocky and gives a glimpse of the upcoming endgame areas Shattered Mountain and Edenhain.

The Unstable Coast, however, is mountainous and offers wide areas with water in which you can easily drown. In Cutlass Keys, you feel right at home as a pirate-like marauder.

In the endgame, there are 4 very diverse areas. In Edenhain, you’ll encounter many creatures that are made of trees and earth. Everfall, on the other hand, has a more Asian style in its buildings and also features some colorful cherry blossom trees.

The two hardest areas are Shattered Mountain, a very mountainous landscape, and Brackwater, a green and rather marshy area.

Which area do you particularly like?

This is how you can vote: In the survey tool below, you can indicate which of the areas you like best. The criteria you evaluate – gameplay, story, visuals, or simply personal feelings – is up to you.

You only have one vote in this survey and must definitely choose one area. The vote cannot be changed afterwards.

In the comments, you also have the opportunity to explain to us in more detail why you like a particular area or which other areas you consider to be among the best in the game.

From the results of this survey, we will create our own article reflecting your ranking.

In the future, there will certainly be new areas. However, there is no official announcement about this yet. MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch also criticizes this:

New World needs a roadmap and it should happen as soon as possible

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

Who is the Ultimate Edition of CoD Vanguard worth it for? Content, bonuses, Cross-Gen

Call of Duty: Vanguard releases on November 5th and offers you several purchasable versions. In addition to the base version, there is the Ultimate Edition and the “Cross-Gen Bundle” for PS5 and Xbox Series X. There are also bonuses for pre-orders. MeinMMO shows you the details of the bonuses and who it is worth it for.

If you spend a bit more money to buy Call of Duty: Vanguard, you will benefit from exclusive bonuses of the different versions. The timing of your purchase also plays a role as the bonuses for pre-orders are limited.

This article contains all the information about pre-ordering and the contents of the purchasable editions of Vanguard. We will also show you who benefits from the large editions and what you should consider when purchasing the console editions in terms of Cross-Gen.

Pre-order Bonuses for Digital Editions

What bonuses do pre-orderers receive? If you purchase a digital copy of Vanguard, you will receive the following bonuses regardless of which edition you acquire:

  • Night Raid Mastercraft skins for the PPSh
  • Operator Arthur Kingsley
  • Ultra skin “Ghost of War”
  • Access to preload
  • Frontline Weapon Pack for Vanguard

The “Night Raid” skin, the Ultra skin “Ghost of War,” and Operator Kingsley are part of Cold War and Warzone. Therefore, these contents are already usable. The Frontline pack, however, is exclusive to Vanguard and not yet available.

The preload starts for consoles on October 29th and on PC on November 2nd. You can find all the info about the preload and details about the release time here.

How much time do I have left for a pre-order? You will receive the “Night Raid” skin, the Ultra skin “Ghost of War,” and Operator Kingsley only if you pre-order by November 2nd. However, there is no exact time mentioned here yet. For the preload or the Frontline pack, there is no such limitation – as long as you purchase before the release, you will receive the bonuses.

Here you can find all the information about pre-ordering:

More on the topic
Preorder Call of Duty: Vanguard – Editions, Prices & Preorder Bonuses
von Benedict Grothaus

CoD Vanguard: Digital Standard Edition – Old Consoles & PC

What is included in the Standard Edition? Here you only get the game along with the pre-order bonuses. On PC, you don’t need to consider anything, but console players should examine the version closely.

The Standard Edition only offers you the version for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Vanguard will run on the new consoles, but only backwards compatible. The improvements in graphics and performance of the versions for PS5 and Xbox Series. Call of Duty recommends the Cross-Gen Bundle for the new consoles.

Can I upgrade to the new consoles later? For a few euros, you can later purchase the upgraded next-gen version. For the predecessor Black Ops Cold War, it was 5 euros. The price may rise to 10 euros this year.

What are the prices for the digital Standard Edition?

  • PC: 59.99 €
  • PlayStation: 69.99 €
  • Xbox: 69.99 €

CoD Vanguard: Digital Cross-Gen Bundle

What is included in the “Cross-Gen Bundle” edition? This package is only available for console players and is essentially the Standard Edition with the versions for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

You will therefore receive the game for both the old consoles and the new consoles, along with the aforementioned pre-order bonuses. If you want to play Vanguard on PS5 and Xbox Series, then go for the Cross-Gen Bundle. As a small bonus, you also get tokens for 5 hours of double weapon XP with the bundle.

What is the price of the Cross-Gen Bundle? Unlike last year, you have to add 10 euros with Vanguard:

  • PlayStation: 79.99 €
  • Xbox: 79.99 €

CoD Vanguard: Digital Ultimate Edition

What is included in the Ultimate Edition? The largest package is available for consoles and PC. With the Ultimate Edition, you get all the previously mentioned benefits from the pre-orders and the versions for the next-gen consoles, but also a package with additional in-game content:

  • The game Call of Duty: Vanguard
  • Upgrade to next-gen version
  • “Task Force One” package with 3 operator skins and 3 weapon blueprints with tracer ammunition
  • 5 hours of double weapon XP
  • 5 hours of double account XP
  • “Battle Pass” bundle with 20 level jumps for Season 1

What is the price of the Ultimate Edition? Here, too, players on consoles need to dig a little deeper:

  • PC: 99.99 €
  • PlayStation: 109.99 €
  • Xbox: 109.99 €
cod vanguard ultimate edition contents task force one package
The exclusive skin package of the Ultimate Edition.

CoD Vanguard: Standard Edition on Disc – Caution on Xbox One

What is included in the Standard Edition on Disc? Vanguard also offers versions on disc for consoles – PC players only have the digital download.

The only bonus for purchasing the disc version early is early access to the beta. However, that is already over, meaning you basically just get the game. The disc version does not count as a pre-order.

Players on Xbox One should be careful when making a purchase. If you plan to upgrade to Series X|S in the near future, it’s better to opt for the digital version – the disc version cannot be upgraded.

It is different with PlayStation: here you can still upgrade to the PS5 version later in the PS Store, but you must always use the disc when starting the game on PS5. However, the PS5 version cannot be played on PS4.

The next-gen versions for PS5 and Xbox Series do not work on the old consoles PS4 and Xbox One.

What is the price of the Standard Edition on Disc? Compared to the digital standard version, you will have to pay a bit more:

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

Which version is worth it for whom?

Who should go for the digital Standard Version? If you only play on the old consoles PS4 and Xbox One or on PC and have little interest in additional in-game items, then the Standard Version is your choice.

By pre-ordering, you can secure some bonuses. If you are sure that you want to get in at release, then make your move before November 2nd.

Who should go for the digital “Cross-Gen Bundle”? This bundle is intended for all players on the new consoles. You receive few bonuses but get the graphic and performance update for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

If you are more of a casual Call of Duty player, then opt for the disc version on the new consoles. You get the game for the same price and have the option to sell the game later.

Who should go for the digital Ultimate Edition? Whether the Ultimate Edition is worth it for you is hard to assess. We will list the approximate prices for the bonuses of the console editions in the package:

  • The game CoD: Vanguard: approx. 70 €
  • “Battle Pass” bundle: approx. 20 €
  • 3 Operators + Weapons: approx. 25 €
  • Next-Gen Upgrade: approx. 10 €
    • Bundle value: approx. 130 €
cod vanguard ultimate edition contents
All contents of the Ultimate Edition

Compared to the price of the Ultimate Edition for nearly 110 € you save about 20 €. For PC you have to deduct 10 € per version, which also brings you to 20 €.

If the bonuses from the package do not appeal to you, save the 40 € for the Ultimate Edition and check the shop as soon as Vanguard is online.

If you plan to buy the Battle Pass anyway and are on a next-gen console, you can get the bonuses for about 20 € additional cost – in this case, the Ultimate Edition might also be worth it for you.

Who should opt for the disc version? If you are considering selling Vanguard at a later date, get the disc version. For a small premium, you receive a CD version and thus the option to part with Vanguard later.

The latest generation of Call of Duty brings fresh gameplay elements, a ton of new weapons, and a familiar setting. The Battle Royale Warzone also benefits from the CoD release in 2021. A new map, fresh engine and anti-cheat measures are expected to renew the gaming feel and possibly transform Warzone into a completely different game.

You can find the latest info on Vanguard and the Battle Royale Warzone as always on MeinMMO.

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

Insane research reveals: The star from Dune used to be an Xbox YouTuber with his own channel

The young star from the movie hit Dune, Timothée Chalamet, was apparently a YouTuber in his youth. Through meticulous research, it was found that he actually ran a channel where he modded and sold Xbox controllers.

Who is Timothée Chalamet? Timothée Chalamet is a 25-year-old American actor. His acting career began in 2008 as a child actor. His big breakthrough came in 2017 in the coming-of-age drama Call Me by Your Name. However, it was his role as Paul Atreides in the sci-fi epic Dune in 2021 that brought him worldwide fame. You can find a movie review of Dune here on our sister site GameStar.

However, his fans had long suspected that Timothée Chalamet also ran a YouTube channel as an Xbox nerd focusing on controller modding in his youth.

Crazy research proves: Timothée Chalamet really painted controllers on YouTube

What is the source of the suspicion about the YouTube channel? Already in 2018, a year after Timothée Chalamet’s first breakthrough as an actor, fans formed a group on Instagram called ChalametUniverse.

There, a wild theory emerged: Members claimed to have recognized the Hollywood star in an obscure YouTube channel called ModdedController360.

https://youtu.be/UsWktrEcKh0

In the channel, which as of October 28, 2021, has over 21,000 subscribers, a teenager with a distinctive voice presents Xbox 360 controllers that he has painted himself. However, the boy’s face is never seen. But fans say that the characteristic voice of Timothée Chalamet is identical to the actor’s appearances from that time in series like Law and Order.

However, there has been no official statement from Timothée Chalamet regarding his alleged past as an Xbox nerd.

How was the investigation carried out? To get to the bottom of the truth, the website Vice initiated an extensive investigation. Initially, it was planned to identify the star’s voice through forensic voice analysis, but no qualified experts could apparently be found for this purpose.

Therefore, the staff at Vice continued searching and ultimately found a childhood photo of Timothée Chalamet on his Instagram account. In the picture, the boy is sitting in his room at his desk.

See this post on Instagram

A post shared by Timothée Chalamet (@tchalamet)

Details from this room can be recognized in the YouTube videos:

  • The office chair the YouTuber sits on has the same pattern as the chair in the photo
  • The floor in the photo is characteristic hardwood flooring, with a red carpet lying on it. In the video, a similar carpet lies at a similar angle on hardwood flooring.

All these clues are, of course, just indications and no proof of the former YouTube activities of the Dune star. However, there is another clue that deepens the matter: The hand holding the controller in the video has a distinctive scar on the left ring finger. And exactly such a scar also exists on Timothée Chalamet in the same place!

hands
The scar is the strongest clue to the identity of the Xbox modder! Source: Vice

How did the matter end? All these clues prompted the editorial team at Vice to publish an article about the alleged YouTube activity of Timothée Chalamet. And indeed, the star became aware of the article and sent a video back via Twitter.

Recommended editorial content

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

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

In it, he admits to having been active on the YouTube channel ModdedController360 at the age of 15. He actually showcased controllers painted by himself and sold them for $10 each. In total, he is said to have earned a proud $30.

So much for the crazy research about the previously secret identity of the Dune star Timothée Chalamet as an Xbox nerd on YouTube. By the way, it was recently confirmed that Dune is set to get a sequel. The studio Funcom is also reportedly working on a Dune MMO.

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

How is New World doing one month after release? – “It’s bizarre, but I love it”

On September 28th, exactly one month ago, Amazon’s big MMO New World was released. We at MeinMMO take a look at the current state of the game.

What does New World do well? New World offers a refreshing take on the MMORPG genre. Instead of countless skill bars, your two weapons each have three skills. 

Which of these weapons you want to play with is entirely up to you, as there is no class system. In New World, you are what you wear. If you want to throw fireballs in heavy armor, that’s just as possible as swinging a battle axe in a cloth robe.

New World has managed to ensure that none of these builds feel truly useless. Whether they are well-balanced is another question, but you can’t go wrong with your choice of equipment.

A central point in the MMORPG is crafting and gathering resources. You level up an impressive 17 life skills from fishing to engineering, none of which are useless. Leveling these professions and skills feels incredibly satisfying, which is not least due to the game’s great sound design.

Additionally, there is a world that feels very alive. This is not only due to the dense vegetation and the many animals lurking through the forests, but also to the faction system.

In ongoing wars, the three factions of New World fight for dominance in individual settlements and can exert massive influence on their development, as long as they control a settlement.

This way, even as a bystander in the wars, the island of Aeternum feels truly alive. Territories constantly change hands, settlements look different, and crafting stations are rated up and down.

This is how New World creates a world where players enjoy spending time. The only issues lie with the activities in this beautiful New World, but more on that later.

New World Map Syndikat Marodeure
Based on the coloring, one can always tell which faction currently owns which territory

How was the launch of New World: The launch of the new MMORPG brought impressive numbers. On October 3rd, the Sunday after release, 913,634 players were playing New World simultaneously. This places it at 5th in the all-time peaks on Steam (via SteamDB).

But there wasn’t just positive news at the launch of the game. Most of these players were unable to play at all. The culprit was massive queue times, as each server could only accommodate around 2,000 players simultaneously.

Some fans therefore spent over 10 hours in queues before they could finally play. Although Amazon regularly released new servers, the problem persisted for a good two weeks. 

This caused a snowball effect since players logged out only when absolutely necessary. Fans would literally jam their W key and would rather run against a wall all night than get kicked by the AFK timer, thus having to queue again. 

This certainly did not improve the problem, as the queues only dwindled slowly if players no longer logged out.

Now, most of the queues are a thing of the past and anyone who wants to play New World can do so. This is largely because the rush for the MMORPG is no longer as great as it was at launch.

How many people are currently playing New World?

This is the current situation: Currently, exactly one month after the release on October 28th, 375,482 people are still playing New World in the 24-hour peak. So a little less than half of those who played during the big surge at launch.

Currently online – at 11:30 AM – there are a total of 140,510 players, at a time when it is neither prime time in the USA nor in Europe.

Player numbers have remained relatively stable over the last two weeks between 375,000 and 550,000 users in the 24-hour peak. Thus, New World is still placed well above other genre representatives on Steam, such as Bless Unleashed or Final Fantasy XIV and even above the hit GTA 5. 

New World player numbers (via steamcharts.com)

Why are player numbers decreasing? That a game with such huge hype before launch experiences a relatively quick drop in player numbers is the most normal thing in the world. But what are the reasons in the case of New World? 

With over 900,000 people, many joined from the start who only wanted to try the game and quickly realized that they weren’t satisfied. 

Already one week after release, player numbers fell by an average of about 200,000 players. This is mostly due to people who no longer want to play New World or those who just wanted to check it out.

Many players are currently leaving the game because there is little to do in the endgame. A problem that not only New World has. Other newer MMORPGs like Swords of Legends Online or Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis have lost fans for the same reason.

Players who have reached level 60 are currently leaving New World rapidly, as the title has some issues that are only noticeable at the maximum level:

  • The large max-level PvP mode Outpost Rush was long disabled due to bugs and is still so
  • The corruption portals at level 55 were buggy for a long time and could not be closed
  • One could not craft keys to enter the two level 60 expeditions
  • In PvP wars, many people exploited bugs to cheat their way to victory. This was frustrating for many players

These are possible reasons why the player numbers are currently slowly declining. More and more people are reaching level 60 and thus the endgame; Amazon should come up with something soon.

At least the Outpost Rush is supposed to come back soon and the corruption portals can also be closed again. More and more bugs have been fixed gradually, whether it will be enough remains to be seen.

More on the topic
The endgame of New World was long secret – We played it
von Mark Sellner

Nevertheless, New World is currently not in danger. Even though the numbers have dropped, the current player counts are still very good. A month after release, New World is doing well in terms of numbers.

What do the players say? The Reddit page for New World is large and well-visited. Many different topics are discussed there. Many of them also relate to bugs, missing content, or balancing issues.

We have picked out some comments that reflect the current state of New World quite well.

  • The user Journeymaker writes (via reddit): ‘I switched from town project quests to being just a hunter and gatherer. I spend all my time hunting animals and using every one of their drops. It’s fun and profitable. […] You can really enjoy the crafting and gathering, and I feel like that’s the only part of the game that isn’t somehow broken. It’s bizarre, but I love it.’
  • User doctapeppa adds (via reddit): ‘I play to relieve stress, to relax, and to make new friends. I expected that from New World, but what I got was frustration and boredom. I really enjoyed the early levels of New World. The world feels good, the game runs smoothly, and I had fun. But the further I went, the worse the game got. […] By level 39, the game really starts to annoy. And my guild mates at level 60 only back that up. […] I rarely have such mixed feelings about an MMO.’
  • A possible solution is provided by the user IamRadamanthy (via reddit): ‘I was about to quit New World, but then I found a solution. Like many others, I was extremely bored at level 60 and wondered what was causing that. Was it me or the game? Did I have the wrong expectations? It’s probably a mix of everything. Because all I did was rush to level 60 as fast as possible, grind the best gear and optimize everything possible. […] But in doing so, I skipped everything that is fun. I have now started again, on a different server. I read everything, take my time, even take notes. Now I’m only back at level 41, but I’m having so much more fun than before.’

New World – Conclusion after one month

If you have spent more time in the game or engaged with it, a very confusing picture of New World emerges. Therefore, even a month later, it is still hard to say whether the game will be successful in the long term or not.

The current conclusion is as follows:

Pro
  • Untapped setting
  • Good and fast combat system
  • Many options for character development and custom builds
  • Developers provide weekly updates
  • Servers run stably, there are few game crashes
  • Player numbers are still very good
  • No pay-to-win content
Contra
  • Many bugs and balancing issues
  • Little content at level 60
  • Those who want to participate in wars are forced to join a large guild
  • Communication between developers and players is sparse
  • No roadmap for planned content yet

In conclusion, one can say that New World is still in pretty good shape one month after release. The servers are well-populated, but not so full that you have to queue. Player numbers are generally looking good.

Many of the problems that the game had at launch have already been fixed by Amazon. Nonetheless, there are a lot of issues that still remain in the game. The developers communicate very rarely about future developments. A roadmap for new content or similar is still completely lacking.

The player experience starts off great and hardly drops as you progress to level 60, but once there, many players lose their enjoyment of New World. Whether one has fun with the game in the long term now largely depends on how one plays it.

New World had a phenomenal start on Steam and still stands strong a month later despite many issues. Amazon now needs to react, smooth things over, fix bugs, and rethink the balancing. If they then also provide a roadmap with promising content for level 60 players, the MMORPG has a good chance to hold its position high for a long time.

What do you think? Have you played New World or are you still playing it? What level are you at? What are you doing at level 60? Feel free to let us know in the comments here on MeinMMO.

MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch also likes the new MMO but criticizes the lack of a roadmap: New World needs a roadmap and quickly.

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

Final Fantasy XIV allows you erotic roleplay, but stalking is where it ends

Do you think such consensus rules are good? Or should there be strict rules everywhere – even in private chats of a game?

We have extensively covered the issues players have had with stalking in Final Fantasy XIV on MeinMMO:

Players wish that Final Fantasy XIV would protect them better from clingy ex-partners

Erotic role-playing in MMORPGs is actually a taboo topic. Final Fantasy XIV addresses the topic of “eRP” and even has rules for it.

Just yesterday, we reported on MeinMMO that Final Fantasy XIV has changed some of its terms of service. Our article mainly discussed that offering services for in-game money – such as assisting with particularly difficult tasks – has been prohibited in the LFG tool.

However, a few other details have also changed: Final Fantasy XIV allows erotic role-playing – as long as it is kept private and everyone involved agrees.

What’s happening with Final Fantasy XIV? The terms of service for Final Fantasy XIV have been updated. Some sections have been renewed, while others have been articulated more clearly. As an example of allowed behavior, a scenario involving eRP (erotic role-playing) has also been described, which goes as follows:

In the case of role-playing that includes mild sexual expressions (such as in erotic role-playing), with a consenting group of two or more players, when conducted in a private area, this will not be considered a violation unless someone reports it.

However, if you encourage or invite other players to participate in such role-playing without being sure that they want to, then there is a high probability that you will be reported and punished. Please be cautious.

Boundaries are the lowest common denominator: Similarly, this applies to jokes or remarks that could be perceived as offensive. As long as there is a consensus in a free society (essentially guilds in FFXIV) that certain humor is accepted and okay, there are no sanctions.

However, each player should be aware that humor is subjective. What some find funny, others may find hurtful. As soon as even one player no longer finds such remarks humorous, that behavior should be corrected – or it may lead to sanctions if reported.

No tolerance for stalking: It is particularly noteworthy that FFXIV has added several lines regarding in-game stalking. It is not allowed to constantly follow other players or repeatedly message them when asked to stop such behavior. Apparently, some players have had negative experiences with this.

Are these rules so unusual? No, not really. While it is rather unusual for a developer to address specific content like “erotic role-playing,” these rules exist in one form or another in many other games. Most conversations that take place within a closed group are hardly monitored or not monitored at all, but are only investigated upon reports from players. Still, it is refreshing to read that developers seem to know very well what goes on in their game worlds.

Do you think such consensus rules are good? Or should there be strict rules everywhere – even in private chats of a game?

We have extensively covered the issues players have had with stalking in Final Fantasy XIV on MeinMMO:

Players wish that Final Fantasy XIV would protect them better from clingy ex-partners

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