Power on the Steam Deck, download the game, start playing – It could be so beautifully simple. However, the device reveals its origin.
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In a new trailer, Battlefield 2042 has finally revealed moving gameplay for its major Portal mode. Here we see the map remakes from well-known classics for the first time, which excites fans. MeinMMO summarizes the trailer and the reactions for you.
What is Battlefield Portal? This mode is one of the three major categories of Battlefield 2042. Alongside All-Out Warfare and Hazard Zone, it makes up a large part of the multiplayer shooter’s content.
It is a kind of community-based mode that provides players with numerous tools, such as developer tools, to create their own modes.
Interested players can have fun on all seven new maps of Battlefield 2042. Adding to this is probably the most interesting aspect of Battlefield Portal: the mode brings numerous contents from Battlefield classics into the latest installment of the series:
In addition to weapons, classes, gadgets, vehicles, and aircraft, Portal also brings two map classics per installment in a new guise to Battlefield 2042. The latest trailer now gives a first glimpse of the new old maps. Here you can watch it:
This is shown in the trailer: The scenes consist solely of gameplay and introduce the six map remakes from the Battlefield classics.
Especially classics like El Alamein, a massive desert map, or Valparaiso from Bad Company 2 generate huge anticipation among players.
Here is how fans are reacting to the trailer: The comments are almost exclusively filled with enthusiastic voices. They praise both the gameplay and the presented maps. TBAG [Epic Gaming] states: “This is the type of Battlefield gameplay trailer I expect. It looks fantastic.”
Numerous players report waves of nostalgia. iamjohnnycos comments: “This brings me back 20 years in my memories. I can’t wait!”
There is plenty of praise for the remakes themselves. BottomFragger writes about Noshahr Canals, a map from Battlefield 3: “It just looks beautiful!”
Why could Battlefield Portal become the most important mode? Many players hold this view. DooM49 states: “The mode we’ve all been waiting for!” to which Richard Beard responds: “Yeah man, I’m only going to play this mode.”
The reason for this could be the criticism of the specialists in All-Out Warfare. They replace the previously typical Battlefield class model with a system that resembles operators from CoD Warzone more closely.
Battlefield Portal allows players to play their beloved classes from previous installments and to avoid unpopular innovations. Moreover, more content from other Battlefield parts is expected to follow after release.
For this reason, many see this mode as a clever idea, as The Doctor comments: “Battlefield Portal is literally one of the smartest moves they [DICE] have ever made.” Because of Portal, Battlefield 2042 can make nearly every kind of Battlefield fan happy.
If you want to learn more about Portal, you can check out our overview of the new game mode of Battlefield 2042 here.
When is Battlefield 2042 coming out? The shooter will be released on November 19, 2021. On November 12, players can already start into an early access phase if they have pre-ordered the Gold or Ultimate Edition or have an EA Play subscription.
On which platforms will Battlefield 2042 be released? The game will be available on PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, and PS4.
We now also know the size of the download on PS5 and when the preload starts.
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Genshin Impact sent the new 4-star character Thoma to the battlefield. How you can perfectly utilize his potential as a Pyro Shielder can be found here in the build on MeinMMO.
How and when do you get Thoma? Thoma is included as a 4-star character in the event banner of Hu Tao from November 2nd to 23rd. Afterward, you can obtain him anytime in the Wanderlust banner or with a low chance in other event banners.
Thoma has been the first new male 4-star character since the release of Genshin Impact and has been receiving a lot of attention since his announcement.
We at MeinMMO show you in these builds how to best equip the Pyro Shielder and which talents and constellations you should particularly pay attention to.
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What attacks and abilities does Thoma have? Thoma deals normal physical damage with your standard attacks, heavy strikes, and falling attacks.
His elemental skill “Flaming Blessing” deals Pyro area damage and creates a shield for the entire team. The shield protects the active character from enemy attacks. Its duration depends on how high Thoma’s maximum hit points (HP) are.
If the shield is not destroyed by attacks, it will dissipate by itself after 8 seconds.
Thoma’s special ability “Red Ooyoroi” deals Pyro area damage to enemies upon activation and envelops the active character with “Burning Ooyoroi”. When using standard attacks, Pyro waves are released that deal Pyro area damage.
Additionally, you receive a small shield with standard attacks that functions just like the one from his elemental skill. This shield can be obtained approximately every 2 seconds. The duration of the shield again depends on Thoma’s maximum HP or lasts 8 seconds if it is not destroyed by enemies.
Heavy strikes and falling attacks do not activate the Pyro waves and the shield.
Thoma’s special ability cannot snapshot. This means he does not retain the damage bonus from effects such as Bennett’s field when he leaves the field or it stops taking effect.
Thoma vs. Zhongli’s shield: Zhongli is currently the best shielder in Genshin Impact, how does Thoma fare in comparison? Looking at both elemental skills at level 6, we get the following comparison:
| Character | Damage Absorption | Shield Duration | Cooldown |
| Thoma | 10.08% of max HP + 1098 | 8 seconds | 15 seconds |
| Zhongli | 17.92% of max HP + 1951 | 20 seconds | 12 seconds |
Thoma does not reach Zhongli’s shield due to the higher cooldown and shield duration, but unlike his rival, he has the ability to create new shields with his special ability. If you synchronize both abilities of Thoma, he can keep his shield up almost constantly.
What passive talents does Thoma have? Thoma possesses 3 passive abilities, 2 of which enhance his special and elemental abilities.
What do the constellations bring? Constellations unlock new abilities and/or stats for characters. This list shows you the most important constellations of Thoma and what bonuses they provide.
Thoma’s constellations are useful, but not as overpowered as those of other characters. A C0 Thoma can already provide tremendous support. However, if you have saved enough primogems, the constellations help maintain his shields more consistently.
Moreover, his C6 can boost the damage of the main DPS when you switch to him immediately after using Thoma’s elemental and/or special ability.
What weapons can bring out the best in Thoma? It all depends on how you want to build Thoma. If you want to play Thoma purely as a shielder support, weapons with HP or recharge rate as the second stat are recommended, as his shields depend on max HP.
Additionally, his special ability has high energy costs of 80, which means you want to provide him with ample recharge rate to have it available again soon.
If you also want to dealsome damage, you can use weapons like the “Homa Spear” or the spear “Wavebreaker Fin”.
There are differing opinions on which weapon is the best for Thoma. This time, especially the Free2Play weapons are recommended. The spear “The Fang” is a great choice for the Pyro fighter.
Not only does it provide a solid recharge rate bonus, but it also increases the damage of his special ability and adds critical hit rate. All you need to do to level up the spear to its max level is to fish. Thoma’s passive ability also makes this even easier.
An alternative to this is the spear “Black Tassel”, which gives you HP as a sub-stat. It is the only spear with this property and increases the damage absorption of Thoma’s shields. Its effect is irrelevant.
If you don’t feel like fishing, you can also go for the “Prototype Starglitter”. It gives you recharge rate and increases the damage of normal and heavy attacks. You can easily craft this spear at the blacksmith.
These Non-Free2Play Alternatives you have: Given the recharge rate as a second stat, Skyward Spine, Grasscutter’s Wave, and the Favonius Lance can be worthwhile. Especially the Favonius Lance can help you create valuable elemental particles, allowing Thoma’s special ability to recharge faster.
Especially if you want to go on the offense, Grasscutter’s Wave can be beneficial with its effect. It increases your attack by 28% of the percentage points over 100% recharge rate.
Furthermore, the “Homa Spear” strengthens your critical damage (CD) and increases your HP by 20% through its effect. This, in turn, benefits the duration of the shields. Additionally, your attack increases based on max HP if your HP is under 50%.
“Wavebreaker Fin” is a new 4-star spear, which you can obtain in the event banner of Patch 2.2. It gives you attack and enhances the damage of special abilities depending on the total energy costs in your team. The higher the energy costs of the party, the greater your damage.
Which artifacts are worthwhile for Thoma? You can successfully play several artifact combinations on Thoma. If you want to boost the special ability of the spear fighter, the artifact set “Emblem of Severed Fate” is recommended.
You can also equip the support set “Old Court Ritual” on Thoma, supporting not only him but also other team members.
The artifact set “Tenacity of the Millelith” can also be used in a 2-piece combination with “Emblem of Severed Fate” or “Old Court Ritual”. It increases your HP by 20%.
Together with “Old Court Ritual”, you enhance the shield’s damage absorption and the damage of the Pyro waves. If you combine the Fate set with the Millelith set, you increase the shield’s damage absorption and can recharge the special ability faster.
What stats are important to note? Thoma requires around 180% recharge rate due to the 80 points of elemental energy cost for his special ability, so that you can comfortably use it repeatedly without long waiting times.
If you do not want to use a weapon with recharge rate or do not have one, you can use recharge rate as the main stat on the sands. If you have enough recharge rate, you can also opt for an HP or attack sand.
For the goblet, HP or Pyro damage as the main stat is recommended to either bolster the shield or the damage.
The crown can be assigned critical damage (CD), critical hit rate (CH), or HP depending on how you want to play Thoma. Choose CD and CH if you tend toward dealing damage, and HP if you want to increase the shield’s damage absorption.
The sub-stats of the artifacts behave similarly: HP, recharge rate, attack, CD, and CH can be beneficial. However, it is also worthwhile to invest in elemental mastery so that the elemental reactions caused by Thoma deal a bit more damage. However, keep your focus especially on HP and recharge rate.
These artifacts sound tempting, but are rather less worthwhile: The artifact set “Reverse Meteor” sounds appropriate, but its effects only apply to the character who equipped it.
Since Thoma only occasionally deals Pyro area damage, it hardly makes sense to use the set “Burning Pyro Witch”, even though it increases Pyro damage by 15% and enhances elemental reactions in the 4-piece set. The Pyro waves from “Red Ooyoroi” are considered special ability damage.
Sets like “Old Court Ritual”, “Tenacity of the Millelith”, or “Emblem of Severed Fate” are therefore more suitable for Thoma than these two.
Which teams does Thoma fit into? Thoma fits into teams that can benefit from a shielder. These include main DPS like Hu Tao or Xiao. Additionally, he can trigger useful reactions with his Pyro waves and other elemental characters such as Cryo, Hydro, and Electro.
Hu Tao Team: Hu Tao must consistently stay in the low HP range, which makes playing Thoma with her worthwhile. Additionally, both trigger the Pyro team bonus, which gives you 25% more attack for all characters. The entire team consists of:
Xiao Team:
Yoimiya Team:
What do you think of these builds for Thoma? Do you have any more suggestions for him and will you use him in your team? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
Genshin Impact: Yoimiya – These are her best builds
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The online shooter Fortnite is already 4 years old and you may be wondering if you should check it out as a newcomer or jump back in as an old pro. We at MeinMMO will show you if the battle royale shooter is worth it for you and what makes Fortnite in 2021.
What is Fortnite? Many players know Fortnite as a battle royale shooter. But what some players may not know is that there is also a PvE content called “Save the World”. In this mode, it is your task to build fortresses to withstand hordes of zombies in order to save the last remnants of humanity from a mysterious storm.
However, Epic Games announced that they do not want to continue updating “Save the World”. Now only the battle royale mode and the creative mode remain. In both modes, you and your friends can have exciting battles on maps and have fun with games.
The primary goal in battle royale is to emerge as the best among 100 opponents. You achieve this by jumping from the Battle Bus, daring to land on the big island, hoarding weapons, and pumping yourself full of shield potions.
In battles, you can build cover or entire complexes of buildings thanks to the building system, thus outsmarting and defeating your opponents.
The battle royale mode does not offer a direct story in this sense. You can jump in and out at any time without missing anything.
How is the mood right now? Currently, Season 8 of Chapter 2 is underway. Players were upset at the start:
But after some time, the map changed, thanks to the cube invasion, on its own and Epic fixed the XP problem. Now you can unlock the bonus styles of the skins without any issues in the current season.
As things slowly turn for the better now, many players are curious about what will happen after the invasion. The Cube Queen, who is now hovering at the center of the map, is known for annihilating realities. Perhaps a second black hole could soon herald Chapter 3.
What does a loadout look like today? Fortnite is known for setting the meta each season. Weapons are always taken out of the vault or put back in. This creates variety in each season. Now, favorites like the notorious assault rifle or the pump still dominate Fortnite, but quite a bit has changed since Chapter 1. You can equip your loadout with new items such as:
There are also vehicles, like the motorboat or cars. With them, you can move faster and can, if necessary, even run over some players with them.
Is Fortnite worth it for me? If you are unsure whether you should get started, now would be the right time.
Currently, Epic Games is implementing everything that players have criticized:
Fortnite is known for its building feature. This has led many players to be reluctant to start a round at all.
Nevertheless, you can have fun with the battle royale shooter even without being a building freak. Many items offer a good counter against building. Apart from that, with some practice, even a simple wall can serve as cover, helping you achieve victory.
What do you think of Fortnite? Will you try a round? Let us know in the comments what you think!
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The new killer in Dead by Daylight has been leaked. We show you what we already know about the mysterious lady.
Dead by Daylight is mainly known in the community for two things: Curious bugs with damn funny effects and leaks that reveal too much about the future of the game in advance. Both have been increasing again in recent weeks and now there are first hints of new killers.
One of them is being intentionally teased piece by piece, while the other seems to have been leaked by employees.
What is being teased? For several days now, Dead by Daylight has been hiding small hints in the code of the website. The Twitter account “DBD-Leaks” has already found the following hints:
When put in the correct order, it results in “The Black Vale”.
“The Black Vale” is a secret organization that appears in several story texts of Dead by Daylight. It is a cult of people in black robes who try to elevate humanity to the next level of being in several realities. They are mentioned, for example, in the background story of Elodie Rakoto. They were also significantly involved in the creation of Victor and Charlotte, the killer “The Twins”.
In addition, an image of the new killer has also been leaked. This apparently is a woman who, for Dead by Daylight standards, still looks quite good. Only her arms give the impression that you might not want to shake her hand.
Perks and abilities are still completely unknown.
There is a strong suspicion that this is a leader of the cult “The Black Vale” – more about this will surely be available in the coming days.
The upcoming survivor also suspiciously resembles the probably most famous DbD streamer Otzdarva – which some community members have also noticed:
What else has been leaked? In addition, a few upcoming assets have also been leaked – various objects that will be placed in the game. These belong to a map that will probably only appear with chapter 23 – that would be the next chapter and is presumably planned for February 2022. The assets suggest that chapter 23 is a collaboration with the franchise “The Conjuring”, known in German as “Die Heimsuchung”.
This is a relatively new horror franchise that has already seen many film adaptations since 2013 – the “Annabelle” films and also “The Nun” belong to this universe.
Who the killer and survivor might be here is still unknown. Whether the second leak turns out to be accurate, we will probably only find out at the beginning of 2022.
The community is excited: The Reddit community of Dead by Daylight has a somewhat “difficult” past when it comes to attractive killers. After all, the K-Pop killer “Trickster” was declared a sex symbol right after his announcement and was inspiration for numerous fan artworks that one might not want to see too closely.
It is to be expected that the new killer will trigger a similar hype – where one might want to avoid corresponding subreddits for a while.
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In the MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online you can join up to 5 guilds. At first glance, that sounds like a lot. However, certain conditions lead many players to perceive this number as too low. Among them is MeinMMO author MiezeMelli.
For many MMORPG players, this may sound strange at first. But ESO is a bit different from its genre colleagues in some aspects. This significantly affects trading, for example. But first, a little about my current guilds:
What you’ll definitely notice first: I have 2 trading guilds. As I mentioned, trading in ESO works a bit differently than many are used to from other MMORPGs. And that brings me to one of my main points:
Unlike some other MMORPGs, ESO does not have a central auction house. To trade, players must join a guild. This guild must then acquire a merchant. To do this, the guild must bid on the desired merchant each week.
Only the guild with the highest bid can then sell items through this merchant for 1 week. This means that merchants at central locations are especially sought after and thus particularly expensive. Therefore, only trading guilds with strong capital and turnover can prevail.
This results in some trading guilds acquiring their permanent merchants for quite some time. If a player wants to join one of the stronger trading guilds, they naturally have to be worth it for the guild. This leads to minimum revenues or donations that must be made weekly.
This may pose a problem for trading newcomers. It’s advisable to start with a smaller guild instead.
Another fact also represents a limitation for trading.
Each guild can only offer 30 items at a time. At first, this doesn’t sound like a lot. But if you earn gold primarily due to the quantity of relatively cheap items, it becomes more difficult.
Since you are obviously not logged in all the time, there are always periods where these slots remain unused. It would be good if there was at least the option for sales items to “fill in”.
Most guilds do not offer every activity that can be done in ESO. They usually specialize in a small area. Personally, I’ve found that it’s usually less useful to ask in a trading guild for replacements for raids and such.
On the flip side, not every strong player is necessarily an asset to a trading guild. This specialization thus makes sense in a way. The actual issue is that there are more guild types and activities than there are guild slots.
And even if every guild type were represented: What about those who need a 2nd trading guild? What if a player runs raids in different guilds? Or if someone doesn’t want to part with their 1st guild, even though hardly anyone is actively playing there?
In the guild search alone, there are 7 categories, 11 subcategories (activities), and still 3 different playstyles that can be selected in the search. One would instinctively think that there should be at least 7 guild slots.
These are the 7 categories:
At the same time, you can also select up to 11 activities:
When it comes to playstyle, you still choose between:
Personally, some categories are of course also uninteresting. At the same time, I also miss some activities. I think, for example, that housing could establish itself as its own category, and I would be interested in such a guild.
I must say that I often would like to have a 3rd trading guild. I sell both individual expensive items and many cheap items. After a few years of playing, my bank space is more than utilized. Depending on how diligent I am in doing craft dailies, I often don’t know where to put all the stuff.
But I still have a need for guild slots for group PvE. I have been in several raid groups now and in the past, for which I don’t have a slot in their guild. The contact could only be maintained because someone else had to be removed from the full friends list.
And now we are already at the next problem.
But often it’s just about keeping in touch with a few people when one guild had to make space for another. Every player then has to weigh which guilds they are most active in. Unfortunately, the limitation affects not only the guilds but also the friends list.
In ESO, you can have up to 100 friends. Anyone who has used social media for a long time will know: 100 slots are not much. My friends list has been full for many years, and I had to start prioritizing based on activity in the game. I find that really unfortunate.
Especially since ESO places so much value on community, I find this limitation somewhat paradoxical. Because, as in real life, you get to know more and more people over time. And even though the game has been online for over 7 years now, the number of slots has never been increased. It’s about time!
What do you think about guilds? Have you ever been in a situation where you had to choose one guild over another? Feel free to let us know in the comments.
If you don’t want to miss any events in ESO, visit our ESO Event Ticker.
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With a cinematic trailer, Call of Duty: Warzone concludes the story of the last shared season with Black Ops Cold War. MeinMMO shows you the trailer, explains the background, and what the fans say about it.
Black Ops Cold War introduced the setting of the Cold War into Call of Duty for the first time and told a story about secret agents, brainwashing, and the demonic Perseus. However, with the end of the solo campaign, the story of Cold War did not end.
With each live season, the CoD creators advanced the story a little further, which ultimately led to the destruction of large parts of the city of Verdansk. Now Warzone & Cold War showcased the last cinematic trailer of the shared live seasons and clarify who Perseus is. But the story is not quite at an end yet.
We embed the cinematic trailer for you here:
In the video, the two opponents Adler and Stitch face each other. The two have a long history and have been fighting against each other for many years.
For Stitch, it has been a personal story from the start. When they were younger, Adler destroyed one of Stitch’s eyes during an interrogation – this humiliation he could never forget.
For Adler, it also became personal. Stitch captured him, brainwashed him, and made Adler work against his team. This all ended with the destruction of Verdansk, for which Adler is largely blamed.
As in the solo campaign of Cold War, it remains Adler’s goal to eliminate Perseus. However, in the video, Stitch tells Adler that Perseus is not a person, but an idea. Over time, there have been different people who were Perseus – and currently it is Stitch. The Perseus that Adler hunted for many years is already dead and died in 1983.
The cinematic ends with a black screen and a shot can be heard.
The season story starts in January 1984, at a time when Stitch has already taken on the role of Perseus.
Stitch uses the dangerous nerve gas Nova-6 to set a trap for Adler and capture him. This also introduces the production site of Nova-6, and Rebirth Island becomes part of the Warzone.
Woods ventures into the jungle of Laos to follow a lead on Adler. The location brings a map for Cold War, and nearby is also the second zombie map “Firebase Z” from Cold War.
Stitch’s crew obtains the data on “the numbers” at Mount Jamantau. With the data, Stitch has access to brainwashing techniques and simultaneously strains the relationships between the Soviet Union and the USA, as they blow up the mountain. Adler is influenced by the numbers and then freed by Woods.
Stitch causes satellites to crash to acquire a piece of transmission technology. The programmed Adler assists and steals a circuit board from one of the satellites. Satellites also came down in Warzone, impacting gameplay slightly.
With the stolen numbers technology and transmission technology, Stitch’s team gained the ability to control soldiers without having to program them for long. Friends can thus quickly become enemies. The transmission stations of the transmissions can also be found in Warzone.
Adler plants seismic bombs under Verdansk in a brainwashing frenzy, and with a timer, half the city explodes. This resulted in the most extensive map change in Warzone since the transition to Verdansk ’84.
If you want to watch the cutscenes of the season again all at once, you can find the English versions in the video here:
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Today, on November 3rd, 2021, the last raid hour with the Dark-type Pokémon Darkrai takes place in Pokémon GO. We at MeinMMO show you the best counters against this legendary monster and tell you if the short event is worth it.
What kind of event is it? Every Wednesday there is a one-hour raid hour in Pokémon GO. During this time, level 5 raids with legendary monsters appear in almost all gyms. As it was last week, Darkrai will also be the raid boss today, November 3rd, 2021.
When does the raid hour start? The raid hour starts as usual at 6:00 PM local time. You will already see the dark eggs above the gyms that announce the raids. After the start, you have 60 minutes to face Darkrai until the short event ends again at 7:00 PM local time.
Which counters should you use? Darkrai is a Dark-type Pokémon, which makes it particularly weak against Fighting, Bug, and Fairy type attacks. Take advantage of this weakness and use appropriate attackers against the legendary monster. The best counters have been summarized for you with the help of the overview from Pokebattler below (via pokebattler.com):
| Pokémon | Moveset |
| (Shadow) Machamp | Counter + Dynamic Punch |
| Conkeldurr | Counter + Dynamic Punch |
| (Shadow) Hariyama | Counter + Dynamic Punch |
| Lucario | Counter + Aura Sphere |
| Scizor | Counter + Bullet Punch |
| (Shadow) Granbull | Charm + Play Rough |
| (Shadow) Pinsir | Bug Bite + X-Scissor |
| Zacian | Quick Attack + Play Rough |
| (Shadow) Gardevoir | Charm + Dazzling Gleam |
| (Shadow) Scyther | Fury Cutter + X-Scissor |
Use these Mega Evolutions: In addition to the previously mentioned monsters, your Mega Evolutions also serve as suitable counters against Darkrai:
Further good counters against Darkrai can be found in our counter guide:
How many trainers do you need? With the most effective attackers and a high player level, you can defeat the raid boss with just three players. However, we recommend bringing one or two more trainers. With a group of 5-6 players, the raid becomes a little easier, and you should definitely succeed.
Is there a shiny version of Darkrai? Yes, with a bit of luck, you may encounter a shiny specimen. You can recognize it by its purple body.
Should one participate in the raid hour? Darkrai can be particularly impressive with high attack and stamina values, making it one of the best Dark-type attackers in Pokémon GO. If you still need a strong specimen, you should take advantage of the raid hour today. Even shiny hunters will get their chance during the short event.
What do the next days bring in Pokémon GO? After today’s raid hour, you have until November 5th, 2021, at 10:00 AM local time to battle against Darkrai. After that, the legendary Dark-type Pokémon will no longer be found in the game for the time being.
It will be replaced on Friday directly by three legendary raid bosses: Cobalion, Terrakion, and Virizion. You can encounter them in level 5 raids until November 16th. Additionally, the Festival of Light begins on Friday, bringing you Dedenne. We looked into why trainers love the new Pokémon Dedenne so much.
Will you participate in the raid hour today? Or have you already caught a strong specimen and will skip today? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments here on MeinMMO.
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Before the release of CoD Vanguard on November 5th, Sledgehammer Games listed numerous changes since the beta in a blog post. Now, another new feature has been quietly added to this list, showing that players can be even quieter.
After the Vanguard beta caused mixed feelings in the community, developer Sledgehammer Games reacted. In a comprehensive blog post, summarized by MeinMMO, they presented a variety of changes for the release. It was clear: Almost all adjustments benefit aggressive players.
Now, without major announcements, this blog post (via Sledgehammer Games) has been discreetly expanded with another point. This change could make a significant impact by the time of release.
What is it about? Dead Silence, a field equipment from Modern Warfare and Warzone, is back in CoD: Vanguard. Now it is stronger than ever.
Dead Silence, like the perk Ninja, makes player movements quieter. But unlike Ninja, Dead Silence is not a perk and therefore not active all the time.
After it was already announced that the perk Ninja is making a return, some players thought: Why should I choose Dead Silence now? Why not just choose Ninja and take a different field equipment?
The developers’ solution: Vanguard now not only has Dead Silence and Ninja in the selection, but Dead Silence has also been enhanced with the functionality of the perk Ghost. So, Dead Silence now functions like both Ninja and Ghost, two of the traditionally strongest and most important perks in CoD.
Why this is more important than the late and discreet addition in Sledgehammer Games’ blog suggests, is shown by a look at the professional scene. Because for many CoD veterans, a ‘Call of Duty’ game is only good if Ninja or Dead Silence is present and working well.
Now both are available, once as a perk and once as field equipment. Not only that: Dead Silence is better than ever. This makes loadouts much more flexible and the perk balance more even.
This change will change the meta: Since Ghost and Ninja are blue perks, it was thought: Players must decide whether they want to be permanently quieter with Ninja, or remain undetected on the mini-map with Ghost.
With the changes to Dead Silence, players now get both the effect of Ghost and Ninja. But only for a limited time.
What does that mean? Dead Silence is a field equipment, therefore its abilities are time-limited and have a cooldown. During this limited time, however, you have the effects of two of the strongest perks at once, both of which are blue.
This means you can equip another blue perk. Effectively, for the limited time of the field equipment, you have the effect of 5 perks:
Additionally, Dead Silence could still increase your movement speed and your field-of-view, as currently seen in Warzone and CoD MW.
This is particularly exciting because blue perks are probably the strongest perks in the game. Ghost, Ninja, and Ballistic Vest were among the most important perks in Black Ops Cold War for almost all loadouts. In Vanguard, the equivalent perks are now all blue:
Strong perks are now more relevant: Since one can forgo Ninja or Ghost, the strong other perks in Tier 1 become much more attractive. The perk Reinforced reduces damage from explosives and helps with regeneration, while Survival Training makes you immune to gas and gives you more resistance to flash effects.
The newly announced perk Dauntless could also land in Tier 1. With this perk, you do not lose speed when shot.
What are the implications? All these perks make aggressive, so-called ‘Run&Gun’ gameplay easier. At the same time, campers will have a harder time as they can rely less on sound cues and the mini-map.
Aggressive players can now create even more aggressive loadouts that either take less damage from explosions or better resist gas and stun effects.
Additionally, they can now use Dead Silence to flank opponents quickly and unnoticed, or to escape to a new position after a multi-kill.
Online, many players are very happy about this change. Especially the higher flexibility in loadouts is being praised.
In the Reddit post about this discovery (via Reddit), users express their enthusiasm for the new possibilities:
What do you think? Do you think this is a good solution for loadout variety and perk balance? Or do you think it makes aggression too strong? Let us know in the comments.
Find all further information about the preload and download size of CoD Vanguard before release on MeinMMO.
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Since yesterday, the Iron Banner event has been active in Destiny 2 and there’s literally hot news. In yesterday’s update, Bungie overhauled the Iron Banner armor for Hunters, Titans, and Warlocks, giving them a fiery-cool armor glow.
In the past seasons, the Iron Banner event has increasingly become the norm for Destiny 2 players. Bungie had long only brought back old, revamped armors and weapons. This did not allow for a connection to the prestige of old Iron Banner times. Thus, it was refreshing for players to realize after the first rounds of Iron Banner that their newly earned armor is now literally burning for the Iron Banner.
The change came with the last update: After it was released, Bungie’s community manager confirmed the fiery armor glow of the “Iron Forerunner” armor on Twitter.
A pesky little bug prevented the Iron Forerunner sets from glowing with a bright flame during the first Iron Banner event of the season.
That’s why the armor is so cool: The community finds the new armor glow really fiery. And that can be taken literally. This armor burns for the Iron Banner. Hot flames erupt from your chest.
The players are excited too: An armor that glows like the Trials armor or the Solstice armor is already cool and very popular. But this armor has a realistic flame effect, and that makes it really hot. Player metal-4-life on reddit agrees:
Man, I hope this isn’t just for the banner week, it looks so cool!
The player Charles tweets a photo of the new set and thanks the community manager of Bungie for his now complete hot look.
To get the new glow, you merely need to complete the bounties from Lord Saladin and earn Iron Banner tokens. Afterwards, you can exchange the tokens for weapons and the new “Iron Forerunner” armor pieces from Lord Saladin in the Tower. You need a bit of luck with him until you have the complete set.
Lord Saladin’s tasks consist, as always, of 1 quest “For the Upcoming War” and 4 bounties.
Bungie wants to see your fiery armor: If you’re also burning for the new armor, you have a chance to be featured in Bungie’s upcoming TWAB. All you need to do is upload a screenshot of your burning armor and reply to the tweet from dmg04. You have until Thursday for that.
That’s the catch: Unfortunately, the armor glow is not permanent. The community manager also shared this on Twitter. Your armor only glows during the Iron Banner week. However, players have already requested that the new fiery armor glow should be permanent.
Can the armor be used as an ornament? The new Iron Banner armors can, thanks to transmog, also be converted into ornaments. For this, you need synthetic fabric straps. Ada-1 offers corresponding bounties in the Tower, which you can also complete in the Iron Banner. Per class and season, you can convert up to 10 armor pieces.
However, there are still some issues: A few players have reported problems when converting armor pieces. Apparently, it doesn’t always work correctly as an ornament. The issue is similar to that of the Solstice armor. It also didn’t function properly with transmog. Bungie will need to improve this.
Have you already been able to snag some of the new armor pieces? What do you think of the fiery look, and should Bungie reverse its decision to activate the burning only during the Iron Banner week?
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Battlefield 2042 is currently increasing the number of players per match more than its predecessors. Never before have so many soldiers been able to battle each other on a map. MeinMMO gives you an overview.
How many players can play against each other? Here are some decisive factors. Depending on the mode, the numbers vary, and the platform you play on is also crucial.
In general, Battlefield 2042 offers the highest possible number of players per match. Up to 128 players are possible, allowing 64 against 64 players to compete.
This is only the case on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. According to DICE, the PS4 and Xbox One are technically limited and must make compromises with some other differences in player numbers.
Battlefield 2042 has three major categories and four modes that the multiplayer divides into. This refers to All-Out Warfare, Hazard Zone, and Battlefield Portal.
This is how it looks in All-Out Warfare: All-Out Warfare includes two modes, Breakthrough and Conquest. Here, 128 players per match are possible, older consoles only support a maximum of 64 players.
This is how it looks in Hazard Zone: In the Hazard Zone mode, for example, there are not 128 players per match, but a maximum of 32. This is because the mode is set up more like Escape from Tarkov or Hunt: Showdown and there are numerous NPC enemies on the maps. Here you will find a summary of Hazard Zone and how the mode works.
There are also restrictions for older consoles here. Instead of 32 players, only 24 players are possible. The reason lies in another limitation for Xbox One and PS4: The maps are significantly smaller than on PC or the newer consoles.
This is how it looks in Battlefield Portal: Since players in Battlefield Portal can create their own matches and can modify almost everything thanks to numerous tools, 128 players per match are also possible here.
However, this is only valid for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
How was it until now? The recent Battlefield installments were still released for PS4 and Xbox One. Due to technical restrictions, the player counts were limited to a maximum of 64 players per match, meaning teams of 32 against 32 players could compete.
Here’s a brief list:
64 players have been a long tradition. However, compromises have often had to be made with consoles, as they are traditionally technically weaker than modern gaming PCs.
Since the Xbox One and PS4, the numbers have at least leveled out, and the PS5 and Xbox Series can actually achieve 128 players now.
What do you think? Are the player counts okay for you? Or would you have preferred more or fewer?
If you don’t yet know the maps you will be playing on: Here is an overview of all new maps from Battlefield 2042.
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In League of Legends, the best European team, G2, is completely restructuring for 2022. The long-time champion in European LoL will sell its bot lane consisting of the legendary ADC Rekkles and the supporter Mikyx. The new players are reportedly talents from the Regional League.
What’s going on with G2?
This was G2’s previous bot lane: As a carry, G2 had probably the most famous bot laner in European LoL in 2021: Martin “Rekkles” Larsson. The 25-year-old Swede was the face of Fnatic for 5 years and won numerous championships with them.
As a supporter, the 22-year-old Slovenian Mikyx played, who spent nearly 3 years at G2 and was part of the team that won everything in 2019 and 2020.
The Slovenian has made a good name for himself in LoL over the years, although he has often been seen as a bit unstable. People joke about a “coin-flip” player who flips a coin before a match to determine whether he plays exceptionally well or poorly.
These are the reportedly new players: As reported by Dotesports, G2 has played a series of training matches against the “big teams” during the Worlds in Iceland, trying out various players. The selection process is said to have lasted several weeks.
In the end, a new bot lane emerged:
Dotesports reports that the ADC Flakked has apparently managed to establish himself against established competition from Europe. Allegedly, G2 also considered signing the ADC of the Mad Lions Carzzy or the one from Rogue, Hans Sama. But they seem to have decided on Flakked.
Flakked and Targamas are reportedly set to officially join G2 on November 16. It’s still unclear who will play on the top lane and at which teams Rekkles and Mikyx will end up. Both players are reportedly for sale.
At the moment, these transfers are not yet confirmed, but are just rumors. The players will only be able to transfer officially in 2 weeks when the transfer period begins. However, many players have already received permission from their teams to look for new opportunities.
Update 3.11., 16:29: Following new rumors, the German Broken Blade is allegedly in talks for the top lane of G2. He recently played for Schalke, but they sold their spot in the league.
An interesting development is currently taking place in the USA. Although the teams have a lot of money, the players are still pushing onto the market:
LoL: The richest US teams are currently losing their outrageously expensive players
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Horde and Alliance – Finally united? An interview with the WoW director at least suggests “Cross-Faction” play and raises hopes.
This is a topic that has been around for ages and is repeatedly discussed in World of Warcraft. The faction barrier disturbs many players who would like to play with their friends “on the other side.” However, this has not been possible so far. At least for raiding, a solution seems to be slowly coming into sight. Because Game Director Ion Hazzikostas gives hope.
Where did the information come from? From an interview between VentureBeat magazine and World of Warcraft’s Game Director, Ion Hazzikostas. He revealed many details about the current state of development in a lengthy conversation and also addressed some critical questions. One of the topics was the possibility of Horde and Alliance being able to raid together.
What was said? Hazzikostas was asked if “something like cross-faction raiding is now more on the developers’ radar” and gave the following response:
I would say it is more on our radar, yes. That is one of the things we need to solve a lot, how we could approach it and enable it, but in the end, the question is: If Jaina and Thrall can fight side by side in a raid, why can’t Alliance and Horde do that in this raid as well? Especially when we know it would solve many of the social problems players are facing. […]
Accordingly, it seems that the developer team of World of Warcraft is at least seriously considering such an implementation. However, it is also clear that this would involve many adjustments. For example, specific rules would need to be established so that a combined group in PvP in the open world could not exploit.
When could this happen? Since implementation has not yet been confirmed, one should not expect it in the near future. Such large features are usually introduced with the launch of a new expansion or the corresponding “pre-patch”.
If the developers actually want to bring the feature, then the first (realistic) date for that would probably be Patch 10.0, which is the start of the expansion after Shadowlands. And that is likely still two years away.
What do you think about it? Do you want Horde and Alliance to raid together? Or would that ruin the core of WoW?
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As part of the FYNG: Hardware Edition, we want to know what resolution you prefer at a minimum. Is 1080p enough for you, or do you need more?
On the occasion of our Find Your Next Game: Hardware Edition week, we want to know from you: What resolution should it be for you when gaming at a minimum? Are you still gaming on a 1080p display and are satisfied with it? Or do you already have a WQHD or 4K display at home and can’t imagine gaming without these high resolutions anymore?
What resolutions are available? Currently, there are three resolutions that are widely used:
A high resolution has several advantages when gaming: details come out sharper, and the entire image looks crisper. However, for higher resolutions like 2K, WQHD, or 4K, you also need corresponding displays to truly benefit from the higher pixel count.
Vote and let us know what resolution you game with. Discuss with us in the comments which resolution you prefer:
More about FYNG Hardware: We at MeinMMO, together with our colleagues from GameStar and GamePro, present exciting facts and news about hardware. We also introduce you to new products if you need a gift for yourself or someone else for Christmas:
Find Your Next Game Hardware – All articles and streams at a glance
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Just 2.5 years after release, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite must now close. The last weeks of the game are running. We show you what Niantic says about the end of the game.
What’s new? On November 2, Niantic announced that their game Harry Potter: Wizards Unite will close on January 31. The game is expected to be removed from app stores in December. In conclusion of the game, there will be a big event that unlocks more rewards and additional bonuses for you.
We will show you everything you need to know about the end of the Pokémon GO successor.
What’s next for Wizards Unite?
How long can you play? You can still play Wizards Unite until January 31, 2022. However, you will not be able to download the game starting December 6. On January 31, the community forum and all social media accounts for the game will also be closed.
What about my in-game currency? Niantic states, “Players will not receive refunds for past purchases unless required by law, but can continue to use their gold and items before the game closes on January 31, 2022. We have planned a number of fun changes to the game for the last few months, so players will have plenty of opportunities to enjoy their remaining gold. We will stop the ability to make in-app purchases on December 6, 2021.”
Looking for alternatives? Check out:
Players are writing: Many people from the community are expressing their sadness about the closure on Twitter. Harry Potter: Wizards Unite was released in the summer of 2019 and attracted a fair number of players at launch. Many knew that Niantic had experience with Pokémon GO and were looking forward to the AR game in the Harry Potter universe. There were even features of Wizards Unite that Pokémon GO players envied
This is currently active: Since November 2, an event is running in Wizards Unite that gives you the following bonuses:
What do you think about the closure of Harry Potter: Wizards Unite? Are you still playing actively and now have to stop, or did you stop playing earlier? Let us know your opinion and what you think the reasons for the closure are, here on MeinMMO in the comments.
Niantic continues to support Pokémon GO and recently released Pikmin Bloom, which also strongly resembles the other games from the developers.
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The news about the postponement of the highly anticipated Blizzard titles Diablo IV and Overwatch 2 has caught fans off guard. But what do you think, readers of MeinMMO? Participate in our poll and let us know your opinion about the postponement.
What is the situation regarding Diablo IV and Overwatch 2? In the latest ‘Investor Earnings Call’, Blizzard discussed the status of its upcoming projects. The two highly anticipated projects Diablo IV and Overwatch 2 have been postponed indefinitely.
It is now expected that the earliest release will be in 2023. Hopes of playing a new Blizzard hit in 2022 have thus been completely dashed.
What were the expectations? This is particularly disappointing, as there had recently been many promising updates about the two titles.
For Diablo IV, various heroes and disgusting monsters had already been revealed. Additionally, the developers showed how the gross sound effects in the game were created.
For Overwatch 2, there was strong anticipation of a 2022 release, as according to a report from Blizzard, the upcoming e-sports season is expected to utilize elements from Overwatch 2.
Why is Blizzard postponing the games? Apparently, the development of both titles is still not in a state that justifies a release in the upcoming months. Rather, the postponements are likely necessary to ensure the desired quality of both games.
This is understandably just a weak consolation for many fans. After all the scandals and upheavals at Blizzard, a positive announcement about an upcoming release of a new AAA game would surely have smoothed the waters and sparked new hope.
But perhaps it is overall a good thing that Blizzard is playing it safe with its two major new projects and giving the games more time.
But what do you think, readers of MeinMMO? Do you find the postponement generally acceptable, or can you only shake your head at it? Participate in our embedded survey and let us know your thoughts on the matter.
Feel free to use the comment function and share your thoughts on the matter regarding Blizzard and the postponement of Diablo IV and Overwatch 2.
In addition to the postponement of the two games, Blizzard is also not finding peace otherwise. The recently appointed co-CEO Jen Oneal has already stepped down from her position and has completely left the company Blizzard. You can read the full story about the incident here: Co-CEO of Blizzard leaves – once again it’s only a man in charge
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Activision Blizzard has presented its business report for Q3 2021. The cash shop registers are glowing in games like Call of Duty: Warzone, Hearthstone, and WoW. However, the stock fell by 13% in pre-trading. The reason is apparently the postponement of Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4 to 2023.
How is Blizzard doing financially? On November 2, there was an earnings call for Q3 2021 at Activision Blizzard. Financially, it was a good quarter for the company:
This number stands out:
A metric appears in the financial reports that is called “In-Game Net Bookings”, which is the money Activision Blizzard earns through microtransactions made in the game – that is when the customer has already purchased the game.
The figure for Q3 2021 is a whopping $1.198 billion. That is more than half of Activision Blizzard’s total revenue. A lion’s share of the money will come from the free-to-play title Call of Duty: Warzone, but there are also increasing offers in WoW’s cash shop, such as a €25 mount in the shop.
Why did the stock drop anyway? Blizzard’s stock fell by 8% in after-hours trading following the earnings call.
This morning, in pre-trading, it is even cheaper. Compared to the price at market close on Tuesday evening, the stock has now lost about 13% of its value.
This is just a snapshot, however.
The share loss is apparently due to the postponement of Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4 to 2023. Originally, the release of both titles was planned for 2022.
Blizzard is chronically suffering from releasing too few new games. This allegedly also causes internal trouble with Activision Blizzard.
Moreover, Jen Oneal, the co-head of Blizzard, will leave the company. She was promoted to the top of the company only a few months ago after J. Allen Brack left the company following a lawsuit over sexism.
We have thoroughly discussed Blizzard’s situation in a podcast:
What else stood out? A major topic in the business report was once again the fight against the apparently rampant and systemic sexism at Activision Blizzard. Here, they have established a catalog of countermeasures:
CEO Bobby Kotick draws consequences from the scandal at Activision Blizzard
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Patch 9.1.5 of World of Warcraft brings a lot that players have been wishing for. We have all the content and novelties here for you.
The content of Patch 9.1 has become stale for many players of World of Warcraft, and there has been eager anticipation for the update 9.1.5. The patch is finally live and has brought many improvements, fulfilling the community’s wishes. This aims to make the time spent in the Shadowlands more pleasant. We will tell you everything that has changed with Patch 9.1.5.
Note: The article will be regularly updated with new information when changes occur in Patch 9.1.5. Currently, it is up to date as of 03.11.2021 – the release date of the patch.
When is the release date? The patch went live on 03.11.2021. You can already play it.
Are there new zones, dungeons, or raids? No. Patch 9.1.5 is a “minor” patch that mainly brings improvements to existing content.
What are the highlights? Factions can be switched without penalty, Legion Timewalking comes along with the Mage Tower, and the AoE cap will be removed again.
Even though there are no particularly large content updates like new raids, dungeons, or areas, there are a few novelties in the form of fresh or rehashed content to keep players entertained.
Timewalking: Legion: Particularly noteworthy here is the Timewalking: Legion, which will run for the first time for 2 weeks and then integrates into the usual rhythm. Unusually this time, the dungeons will also be available in their “Mythic+” version, offering great rewards that you can upgrade with Valor Points. The following dungeons will return with Timewalking:
In the “Mythic+” timewalking, these dungeons will all have their own affixes, separate from the rest of the “Mythic+” system.
Return to the Mage Tower: The Mage Tower from Legion will reopen in Patch 9.1.5 – at least during Timewalking: Legion. There are the familiar challenges for all classes to overcome, but now with new rewards in the form of a set. A special treat awaits Guardian Druids, as they can earn a new skin of the “Bear Form”.
More Timewalking Dungeons: Even though “Timewalking: Legion” is one of the highlights of Patch 9.1.5, work is also being done on other timewalking periods and new content will be added. In total, 9 old dungeons will return in addition to the existing ones and ensure that old instances from Burning Crusade, Wrath of the Lich King, and others can soon be tackled meaningfully again.
New Character Customizations: A few races can look forward to new options for how their character can look. Especially Nightborne, Lightforged Draenei, and Void Elves will receive additional cosmetic options that you can select at your trusted barber in the future. These include varying ear lengths, new hair colors for Void Elves, different tail lengths for Draenei, and new tattoos for Nightborne.
New Forms for Druids and Night Fae: Followers of the Night Fae covenant can be particularly happy, as they will receive even more soul shapes to choose from. Additionally, there will be “small creature forms,” such as squirrels or Corgis. However, these can only be used in rest areas. Druids are also expected to receive new travel forms, but details are still missing.
Aside from these larger improvements and novelties, there are also a lot of small tweaks and adjustments that are not that significant and may only interest a fraction of players. But due to the abundance, there is likely to be something for every player.
Probably the biggest changes will be made by Blizzard to the covenant system. After nearly a year of criticism, the developers accept the community’s feedback and ensure that switching covenants is possible without issues. This comes with a whole series of further changes:
However, much attention is also being paid to feedback and criticism outside of the covenants. The experience in the dungeons is drastically improved. The AoE cap on many abilities is removed, and the worst affixes are made significantly more bearable.
Furthermore, there are adjustments for actually outdated content that is still visited, for example, to collect transmog or mounts. This includes:
With a new patch, many new balance changes also come into play. While these are not as plentiful in Patch 9.1.5 as players are used to, there is still much to report.
The biggest change is the adjustment of the AoE cap on many abilities of almost all classes. Classes were previously limited to dealing damage to a maximum of 5 targets with one ability, but this cap is now removed or significantly expanded. This means that additional targets will take less damage, but at least all targets will be hit. As a result, all classes are at least somewhat viable in all situations.
Real buffs are given, for example, to the Frost Mage, whose three most important abilities now deal 10% more damage on average.
If you’re interested in all class changes in detail, this article delivers all the information about class adjustments.
Besides that, there are also a few adjustments that do not directly relate to gameplay but are more aimed at fostering a more sociable interaction. In the future, Blizzard will send a warning to all players who have been reported too often, perhaps for spam or offensive language. If the behavior does not improve, there will be consequences. Players who report such incidents will also be informed that their report resulted in a sanction.
In addition to sensible changes to gameplay, there are also a number of decisions that are viewed skeptically by the community. For example, Blizzard is altering some representations of women in the game and even removing an ancient emote.
When will Patch 9.1.5 be released? The patch has already been released, officially on November 3, 2021, in Europe, including Germany. Americans usually got to enjoy the update already on November 2 due to maintenance work and time differences.
What do you think of Patch 9.1.5 and are you looking forward to it again? Or are you rather waiting for the next big update 9.2, which will likely be more extensive?
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Jen Oneal is stepping down from her co-lead position at Blizzard. Responsibility now falls solely on one man, Mike Ybarra.
Just a few weeks ago, J. Allen Brack stepped down as head of Blizzard and was replaced by a new co-lead. Mike Ybarra and Jen Oneal were supposed to lead the company together and ensure that the issues of the past – such as the sexism scandal – do not recur in the future.
Barely 3 months after taking on this job, Jen Oneal is now giving it up. The leadership of Blizzard is now going back to Mike Ybarra.
Where does the info come from? From Jen Oneal herself. She initially reached out to employees and later to everyone. She published a statement on the official Blizzard website, describing her reasons for leaving. She reflects on her past at Blizzard and is confident that Mike Ybarra can handle the task alone.
What else did Oneal say? In her farewell post, she describes that she and Mike Ybarra have done a lot in recent months to make Blizzard a better workplace, so that the company can again be “the creative powerhouse” that has brought millions of players into Azeroth and all the other Blizzard worlds.
She further describes that video games and creating them have been her “lifeblood” and that she has had the fortune to find her passion in being a voice for diversity, equality, and inclusion.
The following is stated:
I wanted you to hear from me personally that I have made the decision to step down from the co-leadership of Blizzard and take on another role before I leave ABK [Activision Blizzard King] at the end of the year. Effective immediately, Mike Ybarra will lead Blizzard. I do this not because I have lost hope for Blizzard, but quite the opposite – I am inspired by the passion of everyone here, who are working wholeheartedly towards meaningful, lasting change.
This energy has inspired me to step out and explore how I can advocate more strongly for the intersection of games and diversity, and I hope to have a larger impact on helping Blizzard (and other studios). While I am not entirely sure what shape that will take, I am excited to embark on this journey.
Blizzard stands behind this decision and supports Oneal by donating 1 million dollars to “Women in Games International”, a non-profit organization that Oneal is also involved with. WIGI advocates for equal opportunities and diversity in the games industry.
Oneal continues, stating that she trusts Ybarra and expects him to make good decisions for Blizzard’s games and work culture – many of which have already been initiated and partially implemented in recent months.
Blizzard’s best days are ahead of us. I truly believe that.
In conclusion, Oneal thanks all employees who have raised their voices in recent months to bring about improvements. That has inspired her to take a different path, where she can still support these efforts.
How the community reacts: The announcement is also hotly discussed in the community. Many initially found it good that Blizzard was led by a man and a woman in the course of restructuring and equal opportunities. However, that the woman is disappearing just under 3 months later raises some eyebrows. It especially seems that the position of Jen Oneal will not be filled – the leadership completely returns to Mike Ybarra.
Some believe it was a “PR stunt” to feign diversity and then quickly revert to the old pattern. Oneal’s words, however, contradict that.
Others just shrug and wonder if Oneal did anything during her time. After all, Ybarra has been heard much more, actively engaging with the community – for instance, during streams where he played World of Warcraft quite ambitiously.
However, others note that good leadership from outside can be difficult to recognize. Just because Oneal was not as much in the public eye does not mean she had nothing to say or that she did not make decisions.
Many view the departure critically: However, there is also a large part of the community that is discussing in the WoW subreddit, who do not believe the reasons for the departure. Mid22 summed up the entire text like this:
Blizzard inspired me so much that I decided to leave the company and distance myself as much as possible.
More than 2,300 upvoted this comment – a sentiment that apparently resonates.
In a slightly different interpretation, Zoupa7, who also received nearly 400 upvotes, expresses:
Lol. My guess is that this whole co-lead thing was basically a competition between the two, and they concluded that Mike is better suited for the role.
In any case, Oneal’s departure is causing confusion in the community. The message being sent right now dampens the excitement and hope that Blizzard would transform for the better. A dampening that also affects Blizzard itself. Amy Dunham, a Blizzard employee who announced her departure just a few hours ago, spoke to PCGamer magazine:
That Jen is leaving Blizzard is tragic. I have complete understanding for her and her decision, and I respect her immensely. She is a world-class leader. She was also the one thing this entire year that made me feel hopeful about the company.
What do you think of this announcement? Logical and understandable? Or strange that Oneal is already leaving?
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