The current situation is that Xbox and PS5 are still in short supply, and it has a lot to do with luck to actually get a next-gen console. Now the hardware manufacturer Toshiba has stated that the shortage could last until 2023.
The Japanese company Toshiba was once one of the largest manufacturers of electronic devices. Its portfolio includes laptops, televisions, memory, and also microchips, which are used in devices like calculators.
Toshiba also manufactures high-performance chips that are used in cars and entertainment devices.
A Toshiba employee stated to Bloomberg that “the supply of chips will remain very tight until at least September next year,” adding that “some customers may not be fully serviced until 2023” (via bloomberg.com).
The employee did not name any direct customers, but the head of Toshiba also commented on the situation. In particular, console manufacturers like Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo are among the customers demanding the most chips.
Semiconductor shortage lasts until 2023, especially affecting game consoles
What does the Toshiba CEO say? The head of Toshiba, Takeshi Kamebuchi, explained that the current situation is particularly difficult for other manufacturers. One reason is both material shortages and a high demand for semiconductor chips, which currently exceed the production capacities of the company. He explains (via gamesradar.com):
We are considering which customer is facing the hardest situation, for example, with the risk of the entire production line coming to a halt or the business being ruined without the delivery of chips… The manufacturers of game consoles are among the customers who are making the strongest demands, and I sincerely regret their frustration, as none of them [manufacturers] are 100% satisfied.
Takeshi Kamebuchi, CEO of Toshiba
What is actually the problem? Kamebuchi explains that the shortage of semiconductor chips cannot simply be circumvented. Microsoft and Sony may choose other producers for other components, but this is not so easy with semiconductor chips. According to Kamebuchi, this is mainly due to safety certifications.
Semiconductors are in almost every modern electronic device
Who needs semiconductors at all? Semiconductors are used and deployed in many areas including:
Processors and graphics chips
Cars
Refrigerators
Power supplies for other devices
In everyday life, you encounter semiconductors in many places. Without semiconductors, you couldn’t use your computer, your smartphone, or other everyday devices. Without semiconductors, you couldn’t even turn the ignition key in your car, as there is also a chip in there.
This is why they are in high demand: Due to the Corona pandemic, many people have moved to home office. And here, people need the right devices. This includes laptops, printers, or other office devices. Moreover, people naturally also want to game at home when they cannot or are not allowed to meet outside. Additionally, due to the US trade war with China, the production of important semiconductors has further declined.
You will need to be patient for some time until you can buy consoles or graphics cards at reasonably fair prices again.
And if you haven’t gotten a PS5 yet and desperately want a next-gen console, check out our PS5 ticker on MeinMMO. Here you will find all the important news about the possibilities when you want to buy a PS5.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
NCSoft, the developer of MMORPGs such as Lineage and Blade & Soul, is currently facing a backlash in its home country. The focus is on the Battle Pass and boosters in the game Blade & Soul 2. Many players felt compelled to purchase the Battle Pass.
What is happening at NCSoft? On August 26, the new MMORPG Blade & Soul 2 (PC, Mobile) was released in Korea. The interest in the game was substantial, as 7.4 million players had already pre-registered. However, shortly after the release, there was a rude awakening.
The game turned out to be Pay2Win and received significant criticism:
Important items that provided gameplay advantages were included in the purchasable part of the Battle Pass and could not be traded with other players. This led many players to feel compelled to make a purchase.
Additionally, there were loot boxes with weapons that had good attributes.
The shop also offered numerous boosters for XP and gold.
The game subsequently experienced a backlash. In the Google Play Store, Blade & Soul 2 temporarily had a rating of 2.6 stars (now 3.1). From 2nd place in the charts, the MMORPG fell to 12th place in just 24 hours.
The release also had consequences for NCSoft. The stock of the Korean developer dropped from 870,000 Won (about 633 Euros) to 622,000 Won (about 450 Euros). This is the lowest value since early 2020.
How did NCSoft respond? On September 1, changes were made for Blade & Soul 2. The contents of the paid Battle Pass were made available for free and many boosters were disabled. Players also received gifts as compensation.
Moreover, the overall loot system was revised to provide players with better equipment more frequently.
Those wanting to gain a first insight into the game can find a video with information here:
Start video
Everything you need to know about the MMORPG Blade & Soul – in 2 minutes
NCSoft is working on more MMORPGs that are also expected to come to us
What is the significance of the backlash? According to the Korean website Joongangdaily, Blade & Soul 2 was actually supposed to be the answer to Odin: Valhalla Rising from competitor Kakao Games (via joongangdaily.com). However, while Odin is a success and currently very popular, the website already refers to Blade & Soul 2 as a flop.
The outcry regarding NCSoft’s latest game could, however, have positive consequences for the future. NCSoft is currently still working on additional games, including:
AION 2, which is set to come for PC, consoles, and mobile
From the perspective of Western players, Project TL is likely the most interesting new MMORPG, as it strongly resembles Lost Ark and is also set to be released globally. Due to the backlash, NCSoft will likely now carefully consider how the monetization of this game will look.
Can you play Blade & Soul 2 in Germany? Sort of. Blade & Soul 2 has not officially launched here yet, but NCSoft did not impose a region lock on the game. You can even verify with a German phone number.
However, the downloader on Google blocks IP addresses from abroad. Nevertheless, some users have uploaded an external download file that allows you to play Blade & Soul 2 easily. However, there is currently no English patch for the game, which makes gaming more difficult:
For almost 6 years now, the tactical shooter Rainbow Six Siege has been holding strong, and there is no end in sight. Other games have long since had successors by this time. But the boss sees no reason for it – just like MeinMMO author Benedict Grothaus.
What kind of shooter is this? Rainbow Six Siege is one of the best shooters ever, even in 2021. The shooter was first released in December 2015 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
You play as agents of the “Rainbow” special unit, which brings together members of various police services and military units from around the world. The goal is counter-terrorism. Each agent (“Operator”) has a unique ability that sets them apart from the rest.
Rainbow Six is known for its tactical gameplay. Coordination within the team is crucial; a single bullet is often fatal, and reconnaissance and information on the enemy usually lead to victory.
Why doesn’t the game need a successor? I have been playing Rainbow Six Siege for years, not regularly, but now and then. And that’s the point: it doesn’t need a successor. Even after a break, I can return and simply jump back in.
In the meantime, things may have changed, but those are more reasons that a “Siege 2” is unnecessary. Because Rainbow Six keeps getting better. The Creative Director, Leroy Athanassoff, feels similarly.
“We want to protect your investment and increase its value”
Here’s what the boss says on the topic: In an AMA on Reddit in July 2021, Leroy Athanassoff spoke about the future of Rainbow Six and the possibility of a successor. He said:
“Siege 2 would mean a new game, a new environment, possibly a new inventory, and a new dev team. We don’t think that is what the community needs right now. Your investment in the game is important to us, and we don’t want to start a new [game].
Instead, we want to protect your investment and increase its value by making its current home (i.e., Siege) better. It’s like renovating your old home to make it contemporary, beautiful, and appealing.”
So why would Siege 2 be a bad idea? “Siege 2” would mean a new game, as Athanassoff explains. This means: everything players have achieved so far would disappear, and they would have to start over.
But since many fans – including myself – have played for years to acquire their favorite skins and have gotten used to their operators, this would be more of a step backward. I’m even sure that Siege would lose players because of this.
But won’t it get boring at some point? Rainbow Six makes an effort to reinvent itself continually. The meta is constantly changing, there are reworks for the oldest operators or new toys for the players.
What’s included in the updates? Rainbow Six Siege regularly receives new seasons with content – typically 4 per year. In the past, each of these seasons brought two new operators; now it’s just one. However, the roster already includes over 50 playable characters.
In addition to the operators, there are always new maps or revisions to existing content. Even new weapons or tools are introduced, such as a special explosives charge for reinforced walls.
The latest season starts on September 6. It is named Crystal Guard and is already thrilling the experts. The new operator of the season is Osa, the first transgender operator in the game with an interesting gadget.
What about new technology? Rainbow Six Siege has also made the leap to next-gen. Siege was already available in 2020 as a free upgrade on PS5 and Xbox Series X with 120 FPS – players didn’t even have to pay anything. The developers are continually working to eliminate bugs.
Hundreds of thousands still play and celebrate Rainbow Six
So many people play Siege: Rainbow Six regularly appears in the top titles on Steam, often when a new season is about to start. The all-time high is even 201,053 players simultaneously (via SteamDB.info). The figure is just above the successful beta launch of New World and just below No Man’s Sky. On average, 49,906 players were playing in August 2021 (via steamcharts.com).
These figures only represent numbers for PC and exclusively on Steam. Rainbow Six Siege is playable through Ubisoft’s own launcher and on consoles, which likely increases the actual player counts significantly.
How is Siege received? The rating on Steam has always been “very positive” since release, with 88% positive reviews out of over 808,000 reviews (via Steam). While there is criticism from time to time, a significant drop in ratings has never really been observed.
There has never been a significant downturn.
What about esports? Even in the professional arena, Siege is still considered one of the largest titles worldwide. The biggest tournament is the Six Invitational, which in 2021 offered a prize pool of $3 million.
Rainbow Six is thus among the esports titles with the highest prize money ever (via esportsearnings.com). The Invitational attracted over 300,000 viewers at its peak this year, averaging over 156,000 (via escharts.com).
Germany, Austria, and Switzerland have their own league, the GSA League. Here, newcomers and professional teams compete against each other for a prize pool and even a spot in the pro league.
Rainbow Six Siege: So seht ihr die Deutsche Liga
Alle Infos, Ankündigungen und Streaming-Pläne zur großen deutschsprachigen GSA-Liga.
No one needs Siege 2 – just keep doing what you’ve been doing!
Siege 2 is pretty much off the table, and that is good, because Siege shows how service games should work. Instead of remaking the title, the existing game is simply expanded continually and improved until it’s at least “good”.
Unlike Call of Duty, Rainbow Six does not need an annual reboot. This also eases the wallet. Even if I were to buy the battle pass every season, I spend less in a year than on a new AAA title.
Rather than bringing out a new game, Siege will simply get better. Even “Lord” Tachanka received a major rework.
What’s next for Rainbow Six? The upcoming seasons will surely bring more operators and maps, revise existing maps and gadgets, or give operators completely new functions.
That is exactly what Siege needs and does well. The game is already good and doesn’t need to be much better. Siege doesn’t need a reboot; it just needs occasional incentives to play another round.
It’s nice to be able to return after a few months’ break and feel at home. After a short adjustment period, you’re almost back to the same skill level and can jump in fully.
Despite its age, the entry into the game is relatively easy. Or as easy as a shooter can be in which you can die from a single bullet. Some level of frustration tolerance is, of course, necessary, but with the right tips, even beginners can have a lot of fun:
To level up the new character Shogun Raiden, you need Amakumo Fruits. MeinMMO presents the best locations to find them.
What do you need the fruit for? You need the Amakumo Fruit if you want to ascend the new 5-star character Shogun Raiden (“Baal”).
For ascension, you need 10, 20, 30, 45, and for the final ascension 60 Amakumo Fruits. Additionally, you also need “Storm Pearls” for the ascension, which can also only be found on Seirai.
Where can you find the fruit? You can only find the fruit on the new island Seirai, which came to Genshin Impact with update 2.1. At the current time (September 5), you can only collect the fruit here.
If you have collected seeds for the fruit, you can also plant the fruit in your garden in your teapot – the housing in Genshin Impact.
The best Amakumo Fruit locations
Here, we present to you the most important locations for the fruit. We will introduce you to both northern and southern locations. In the northern half, you will not be damaged by the thunderstorm that rages at the beginning on Seirai.
At each marked location on the map, you will find several fruits. The plants have blue leaves, and the pink fruits are in the middle.
This is what the locations look like: The leaves are blue, and the pink fruit is in the middle.
What you need to consider: Although you can enter the southern part, there is a severe thunderstorm there. This can be removed if you complete the quest regarding the new boss “Incarnation of Thunder.” As long as you do not complete the quest, you will take damage every few seconds when entering the southern area.
However, this is where the particularly rewarding locations are.
These are the northern locations: In the northern area, you won’t find many fruits, but there are a handful of worthwhile spots. You can safely harvest these without being struck by the thunderstorm.
The Amakumo Fruit locations in North-Seirai
These are the southern locations: In the south, there are significantly more locations. However, these are initially still “protected” by the bad weather, and you will take damage every few seconds. Once you have defeated the boss “Incarnation of Thunder” for the first time, the bad weather will disappear completely.
On average, the fruits grow back every two days and behave like other collectible items. If you have collected all the fruits, you will have to wait a few days for the fruits to be available again.
If you want to learn more about Genshin Impact and want to know how update 2.2 might proceed, MeinMMO presents you with the most important information regarding Genshin Impact:
In 2013, the game Cookie Clicker was released and nearly 8 years later, it celebrated its launch on Steam. On September 4th, nearly 50,000 people played the game simultaneously. But what is behind it and why is it so hyped?
What is Cookie Clicker? Cookie Clicker is an 8-year-old browser game. According to legend, it was put together in just one evening by its developer Julien “Orteil” Thiennot and posted online. After that, it captivated hundreds of thousands of players.
The game was originally intended as a kind of joke, but it made such waves that an entire genre was formed from it: the Idle Games.
In the game, you simply click on a cookie to collect it. Once you have collected enough cookies, you can unlock upgrades to collect more cookies, including:
Additional cursors that click on the cookie with you
A grandma who bakes more cookies
A factory run by cyborgs that further increases cookie production
Cookies that travel through time and space
The basic principle remains the same: you click on cookies, as you can see in this trailer:
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So, on September 4th at 10:00 PM our time, around 47,600 people were playing Cookie Clicker simultaneously (via Steamcharts). At that time, the game was ahead of the shooter Rainbow Six: Siege and Civilization 6.
Additionally, Cookie Clicker is receiving excellent ratings. Of the 4,140 reviews, a remarkable 98% are positive.
What is an Idle Game? The English word “Idle” means inactive and also describes the way one plays. Without much effort and attention to the game, you should feel a sense of achievement and reward.
In the case of Cookie Clicker, this means that you only have to click on cookies, but the numbers shoot up rapidly depending on upgrades, which feels rewarding. Idle Games are also said to have a high potential for addiction.
People pay for Cookie Clicker on Steam because they love the developer and the nostalgia
What is so fascinating about the game? The gameplay of Cookie Clicker is simple and promises little variety. But when you play it, you get pulled into a kind of trance and want to push the cookies per second as high as possible.
This is also described by some of the positive reviews:
Baron Calamity explains his fascination as follows: “It’s addictive. It’s fun to see the numbers go up. This applies to any Idle game. Cookie Clicker, however, does it with a sense of style and humor that other Idle games have completely lost.”
IIVMCMXC writes: “I’m an IDLE Game addict and anyone who has played Cookie Clicker in its browser version will love it.”
Tyler is excited about the new achievements: “Finally, I can go back to the time when I was 16 and clicked on cookies… Just this time with Steam achievements!”
The crazy thing is that Cookie Clicker has been playable for free in the browser for 8 years (via orteil.dashnet). Nevertheless, people enthusiastically buy the version for 3.99 euros because they say they want to support the developer.
However, the Steam version is also said to offer new features. These include more than 500 Steam achievements and new upgrades and mini-games where you can pet a dragon.
Who is Cookie Clicker worth it for? Fans of Idle games should definitely try the pioneer of the genre. Additionally, the game is ideal for passing time, such as when you are waiting for a partner in a meeting or just generally want to waste some time.
If you prefer to play actively, you should check our list of the best MMOs and MMORPGs. They all require a lot of your attention:
Today, on September 5, 2021, a one-day smoke event takes place in Pokémon GO to celebrate the arrival of Hoopa. We at MeinMMO have looked into which Pokémon and bonuses you can look forward to. We also tell you whether the event is worth it.
What kind of event is this? With the change of the month, the season in Pokémon GO has also changed. This season is themed “Season of Mischief” and revolves around the mysterious Pokémon Hoopa. Its arrival is to be celebrated, which is why there is a dedicated event today in the form of a smoke day.
As Niantic has announced, strange phenomena associated with Hoopa are supposed to appear all over the world (via pokemongolive.com).
When does the event start? The smoke event starts today, on September 5, 2021, at 11:00 AM. It ends today at 5:00 PM local time.
These are the Pokémon for the smoke day
As you are accustomed to from other events in Pokémon GO, there will also be numerous Pokémon available today. The current spawns have been adjusted and now include different monsters.
Additionally, the event-related spawns will appear alternately in two categories:
Psycho-type Pokémon
Dark and Ghost-type Pokémon
The monsters will spawn wild during their respective time periods but will be drawn even stronger by using smoke. This is especially worth it when you are walking, as the effectiveness of the smoke is particularly high then.
Which monsters you can expect and at what times you will get them, we have summarized for you below with the help of the overview from Leekduck (via Leekduck/reddit):
Spawn periods
Pokémon
Psycho Pokémon:
11:00 AM to 12:00 PM 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
All Pokémon marked with a (*) can, with a bit of luck, also be caught in their shiny form.
These are the bonuses for the smoke day
Of course, the bonuses shouldn’t be missing for this occasion. For this reason, you can look forward to the following:
double candy when transferring Pokémon
a free box with one smoke
exclusive field research, where you will be rewarded with special candies and various Pokéballs
collection challenge, where you will receive 10 Hoopa candies, 7,200 XP, and an exclusive avatar pose
Additionally, regarding the arrival of Hoopa, the next part of the special research “Misunderstood Mischief” will be unlocked. In this research, you can already meet the mysterious Pokémon.
Is the event worth it?
Both the spawns from the Psycho hour and those from the Dark and Ghost hour may seem rather unspectacular at first glance. However, the event can shine with one or another strong monster for use in raids or the PvP league.
If you are looking for a strong Steel and Psycho Pokémon, you should focus on Tanhel. Its evolution Metagross is among the best attackers in Pokémon GO. Two other strong attackers are Despotar and Psiana. However, these are said to spawn a bit less frequently according to Leekduck. So it is worth catching one if you encounter it.
The Ghost and Fire Pokémon Lichtel could also be interesting for you. Its evolution Skelabra is among the best Ghost and Fire attackers in the game.
For PvP battles, according to PvPoke, especially Zobiris and Drifzepeli, the evolution of Driftlon, are suitable for use in the Great League (via pvpoke.com). But Irokex, the evolution of Zurrokex, can also impress in the Great and Ultra Leagues, according to PvPoke.
Additionally, the shiny forms of the monsters are particularly interesting. So there is a chance that you can secure one or the other shiny that you are missing in your Pokédex. Shiny hunters will certainly have a great time today.
What you should definitely take advantage of is the collection challenge. In this challenge, you will be rewarded with 10 Hoopa candies. Based on experience, the mysterious Pokémon are only very rarely obtainable in the game, which means that you often cannot farm many candies.
As part of the special research, Hoopa can finally be caught in the game starting today, but it is possible that there will be only a limited number of catching opportunities for this mysterious monster as well. To be able to level up a strong specimen, you should secure as many candies as possible.
How do you feel about the Pokémon you can get today? Which one do you like the best? Or is this event today not for you? Feel free to share your opinion here on MeinMMO in the comments.
In Pokémon GO, it’s all about the Season of Mischief and the associated mysterious Pokémon Hoopa. Now you can finally catch this coveted Pokémon. We will show you how to get Hoopa starting from the Misty Day.
What is Misty Day? Misty Day is a one-day Psychic event that takes place in honor of Hoopa’s arrival in the Season of Mischief. According to Niantic, some crazy phenomena are expected to occur worldwide, with Hoopa being involved (via pokemongolive.com).
In some parts of the world, the event has already started due to the different time zones, and players are reporting encounters with Hoopa.
When does the event take place? The Misty Day event runs today, on September 5, 2021, between 11:00 AM and 5:00 PM local time. However, you can still catch Hoopa after the event – the mysterious Pokémon will be available for the first time during the event.
How to get Hoopa starting from September 5
According to reports from feezlo on Twitter, Hoopa has finally been released in the game and has already been caught by this trainer.
The background for this encounter with the mysterious Pokémon is the current Special Research “Misunderstood Mischief”. This was unlocked with the start of the new season on September 1 in the game.
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Unlike previous special researches, this one is very extensive and consists of a total of 16 parts. Furthermore, Niantic announced that the tasks in this research will be released only gradually. So far, only one tablet has been unlocked.
With the start of today’s event for Hoopa’s arrival, the second and third quest tablets will be unlocked. And Hoopa is supposed to be found there as a reward. As you can see in the following image, you just need to land 5 curveballs, catch 10 different Pokémon, and collect 5,000 Stardust.
Special task for “Misunderstood Mischief” Tablet 2 (left), Tablet 3 (center), and Tablet 4 (right)
Is Hoopa a guaranteed catch? By redeeming the overall reward at the end of the 3rd tablet, you will finally encounter Hoopa. According to data miners, it has been reported that this monster’s escape rate has been set to 0 percent by Niantic (via twitter.com). If these findings are correct, you will be able to catch Hoopa for sure.
After the 3rd tablet, it’s time to wait again, as the next tasks will only be unlocked in a few days for the Psychic Spectacle. Whether there will be further encounters with Hoopa and whether you will get both the banished form and the unleashed form is currently unknown. If there are further information, you will learn it here on MeinMMO.
What are the PokeMiners? The PokeMiners are a group of data miners. They regularly analyze the game code and make their findings available to the public. This often reveals certain changes before a release. However, this data is still unpublished information. Therefore, Niantic can change it at any time or decide against a release.
What kind of Pokémon is Hoopa?
Hoopa is a mysterious Pokémon from Generation 6. It belongs to the types Psychic and Dark. It also has two different forms: the unleashed form and the banished form. In Pokémon GO, it is now available in its banished form.
With the help of its rings, Hoopa can teleport things from one place to another. For this reason, it is responsible for the events of the second day of GO Fest 2021 and was also involved in the 3rd Hyper Bonus event.
Additionally, Niantic had made visual changes in the game and therefore integrated Hoopa’s golden rings in the sky. The community had been hoping for a release for several weeks.
What do you think about Hoopa being catchable on the 3rd tablet of the special research? Do you think there will be further encounters with this monster in the coming weeks? Feel free to share your opinion here on MeinMMO in the comments.
During the week of August 30 to September 5, Lost Ark and New World dominated the headlines, sometimes even for the same reason. We have summarized all the important news of the week from MeinMMO for you.
Guild Wars 2 launched the event “Festival of the Four Winds” on Tuesday. You can find a good guide to it from the colleagues at Guildnews (via Guildnews.de).
Black Desert announced in a dev letter that class overhauls and new “quality of life” changes are coming (via PlayBlackDesert.com).
These were the news of the week from the world of MMORPGs at a glance. What was your personal highlight? Did you experience anything exciting this week? Or did we forget something important? Please let us know in the comments.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
This week, Amazon revealed how the MMO New World will continue after its release. Additionally, many streamers staged a strike on September 1st. Here are the week’s news in the podcast.
These are the topics: In an interview with New World Game Director Scott Lane, we learned this week how the MMO will proceed after its release on September 28th. Another new MMORPG received terrible reviews on Steam but is still being played because players can earn money in it.
There was trouble on Twitch this week. Streamers protested on September 1st to draw attention to hate raids that have been terrorizing them for weeks. There was also more trouble at Blizzard. After a sexism lawsuit from a state agency in California, the developers decided to give the character Jesse McCree a different name.
Apart from the news, we also share our expert opinions on the respective topics in the podcast. Share your own perspectives in the comments and discuss with us.
Here’s how you can contribute: You can actively participate in improving the podcast. If you have feedback like suggestions or criticism, or if you want to submit a cool topic proposal that should be discussed urgently, then visit our Discord server.
Alternatively, you can also directly email [email protected] and share your thoughts with us. Share your opinion and discuss with us!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online recently released Update 31. The base game was released back in 2014. Many new players often wonder, what do I do after reaching level 50? We at MeinMMO will tell you how to proceed from there.
Is level 50 really the max level? Yes, level 50 is the maximum level. Your character will not level up any further. However, you unlock a new character-wide leveling system: the Champion Point system. Once you have collected some Champion Points, they will be available for use on all your characters immediately.
Additionally, there are many other activities that await you at the maximum level of 50. We provide you with a selection here.
This is what your new leveling system looks like. You see the 3 constellations: Skillful, Power, and Strength.
The CP system at a glance.
You can use 4 active Champion Points in each constellation. You must equip or pull them into the bar you see above. There are also passive CPs that you do not need to equip separately. You will alternately receive CPs from each constellation, ensuring that they are evenly distributed.
These are the constellations:
Skillful (green): Here you get practical bonuses for crafting, housing, gathering resources, fishing, riding, pickpocketing, fence interaction, stealth, and gold received.
Power (blue): Here you receive bonuses to damage, healing, and status attributes.
Strength (red): Here you mainly receive defensive bonuses or bonuses that improve your survival.
2. Collect Max-Level Gear
As soon as you have obtained 160 Champion Points, you can start to collect gear intentionally. From now on, you will receive maximum-level gear. Now it is worth picking up the gear you find and really engaging with set bonuses.
What are monster sets? Monster sets consist of head and shoulders. These sets consist, unlike the sets you know, of 2 set bonuses. You can find the corresponding shoulders from the quest givers of the Undaunted. The Undaunted enclave can be found in the capitals of Gramfeste (Deshaan), Eldenwurz (Grahtwald), and Wegesruh (Sturmhafen).
Quest giver Urgalarg Chief’s Curse at the Undaunted Enclave. Here you receive the daily quest for the DLC dungeons. Additionally, you can purchase the crate of the respective dungeons, which contain the shoulder of the monster set.
But the monster sets aren’t the only thing making this place interesting. You should definitely visit the Undaunted Enclave.
3. The Pledges of the Undaunted
The Pledges of the Undaunted refer to the daily dungeon quests you can receive in ESO. Depending on the difficulty level, you will receive a different amount of transmutation stones and keys as rewards.
With the keys, you can purchase chests from the quest givers of the Undaunted. Inside, you will find a shoulder with a random trait in light, medium, or heavy. You will need to run some dungeons before you receive the desired gear piece.
The Undaunted Enclave in Gramfeste (Deshaan).
But gear isn’t the only reason you should definitely take a closer look at the dungeons in ESO. There are many achievements for collectors that you can complete in veteran mode. Additionally, you improve your skills and learn to act in a group.
For achievement challenges, it is best to find a regular group. This makes it easier to coordinate and recognize your mistakes to grow from them. Completing a difficult achievement after working together in a group for some time can be incredibly fun.
But it’s not just achievement collectors that have something to benefit from the dungeons. You also receive ornate busts for completing in veteran mode, which can be placed in your house.
So maybe you know the trials in normal difficulty mode already. But in veteran mode, real challenges await you and your group. Trials are designed for a total of 12 players. The challenge of working together is perhaps the most notable here.
There are also exciting achievements in trials that you can fight for as a group. Here, you will notice the importance of buffs and debuffs most strongly. The definition of your role as a tank, healer, or DD will also gain in significance here. Learn more in our beginner and role guides.
The hard modes of veteran raids are particularly challenging. You should already have a higher CP level and experience in veteran trials for this.
Institution Sanctorium: On the right, you see the miniboss Felms, on the left, the miniboss Llothis, and behind the gate waits the huge metal dragon Olms.
So there are still some great group challenges for you. You can unlock titles and collectibles by completing certain achievements. This includes appearances and mounts.
Similar to dungeons, you also receive an ornate bust with a pedestal for completing a veteran raid, which you can showcase in your home.
5. Housing
For the creative minds among you, this is just perfect. You can fill your homes with numerous items that have been added since Update 13: Homestead. There are no limits to your imagination. Whether you build a giant PvP arena out of nothing or cozy up a small room in an inn.
A huge self-built chessboard by @miezemelli in the outdoor area of the abandoned fort.
However, you should know that housing in ESO is a very expensive affair. Therefore, it is often playfully referred to by the community as “the true endgame.” Be prepared for your gold to slip through your fingers when you get into the furnishing flow.
Particularly beautiful items can be purchased from the luxury vendor in the Empty City (Kalthafen) every weekend. And the vendor doesn’t bear his name for nothing. The items come at a price.
Equally important is crafting for creating items.
6. Daily Crafting Quests and Master Writs
For completing daily crafting quests, you will receive 4,600 gold per character at max level. With the right CP points, you can increase this to 5,100 gold. Additionally, you will receive crafting materials, including, with a bit of luck, the expensive enhancers.
You can also receive what are known as master writs. For crafting this writ, you will receive a certain amount of writ vouchers. Writ vouchers can be redeemed at writ vouchers vendors in the capitals.
There are legendary housing recipes, crafting styles, practice dummies, crafting stations for your home, and materials. It is definitely worth visiting for every player.
If you are interested in more about ESO, you might also like this:
In the correct city, the crafting stations are very close together, saving you walking time when completing daily quests. I recommend the cities Vivec (Vvardenfell), Leyawiin (Dunkelforst), or Gramfeste (Deshaan). Here are the advantages of the cities:
Vivec: Here, you have a banker right amidst the crafting tables. However, you have to walk a bit to turn in the quest. The Morrowind expansion is now even included in ESO+.
Leyawiin: Here, all the crafting tables are probably closest together. However, you need the Blackwood expansion for that. The bank and quest turn-in are not very far apart either.
Gramfeste: If you already have the provisioning and alchemy writs prepared in your bank, you can quickly complete the remaining quests here. The quest turn-in is also not far away.
Crafting nook in Leyawiin (Dunkelforst).
7. Completing Collections
This is a huge topic that covers everything from crafting, housing, to endgame content. Whether it’s a crafting style, recipe collections, or group challenges, you have a lot of collections that you can complete by achieving achievements.
So take a look at your collection (U) or your achievements (J, Achievements). You might discover an interesting challenge for yourself.
A popular collection is also the “sticker book.” This refers to the collection of set items as players like to call it.
MeinMMO author Benedikt Schlotmann bought a graphics card. But now he regrets not buying a faster graphics card right away.
A few years ago, I wanted to upgrade my PC again and bought a new graphics card for that purpose.
Back then, I paid a whopping 139 euros for my Radeon RX 570 with 8 GB of video memory. A price that many users can only dream of today. Currently, graphics cards are being sold for thousands of euros on eBay. Nowadays, one has to pay around 300 euros on eBay for the 8-GB model of the Polaris graphics card (via eBay.de).
In hindsight, I regret not investing more money in a faster graphics card back then.
Especially considering the current graphics card prices, it annoys me that I didn’t opt for the RX 5700 XT at that time, which was also available in stores when I made my investment. And there are several reasons for this, which I would like to mention to you in this article.
I bought a RX 570 – should I have invested in a RX 5700 XT instead
That’s why I should have opted for the RX 5700 XT: The Radeon RX 5700 XT has been considered one of the best cards in the mid-range and WQHD segment for the last few years. For instance, our colleagues at GameStar had long listed the RX 5700 XT as the best alternative for gamers in their graphics card advice (via GameStar.de). Meanwhile, the new RX 6000 series has replaced the 5700 XT in the buying advice.
Especially with very new titles like Assassins Creed or Anno 1800, I can noticeably tell that my current RX 570 doesn’t always keep up. In Apex Legends or Overwatch, I still get around 100 FPS, but in many other games, I am far from that.
Especially in a time when new top titles appear that demand the hardware accordingly, but there are no graphics cards available at reasonably acceptable prices, I regret that I “only” chose a Radeon RX 570 back then. Particularly because, according to Nvidia, graphics cards are also expected to remain expensive in the future.
What did the RX 5700 XT cost? The Radeon RX 5700 XT was launched at 419 euros and was either just above or below the recommended retail price. It is also interesting that the price of the RX 5700 XT remained stable at around 400 euros and had hardly any fluctuations upwards or downwards.
Currently, prices for a used RX 5700 XT range somewhere between 700 and 800 euros, and for new cards, one pays even more and thus slightly above the RX 6700 XT. This is also because the old series is better suited for mining than the new models.
It is certain that I probably won’t buy an RX 5700 XT anymore, as AMD has now released its 6000 series. And here, there are interesting alternatives for me now.
If you’re interested in hardware, this might also interest you:
The current prices are keeping me (still) from buying a graphics card
Which graphics card would I buy now? If I should still buy a new graphics card in the coming months, there are currently two sensible alternatives for me: Either the RX 6600 XT or the RX 6700 XT.
The 6600 XT appeals to me the most as a Full HD gamer, and I wouldn’t mind giving up ray tracing performance. Moreover, the graphics card is currently actually somewhat available.
With the RX 6700 XT, I would be set for the next few years and would also have some reserves for ray tracing and other fun features. However, the price is currently what keeps me away, as I am (still) not willing to pay 800 or 900 euros for a graphics card.
If I had had the time or had been at gamescom in the Rhineland, I would have even gone to Cologne for an RTX 3060 in the end.
This is my recommendation: So if you have the chance to get a graphics card at a fair price, then don’t skimp on a few euros, but rather buy a bit more performance than to have to upgrade again a year later. Because while it saves money in the short term, sooner or later you can’t avoid it and will have to buy new hardware.
In general, the buying decision always depends on several factors. First, it depends on how large my budget for buying a graphics card actually is, and second, it plays a role what I actually need the graphics card for:
What resolution am I playing at?
What refresh rate does my monitor support?
What games am I playing?
More tips, tricks, and what to consider when buying a graphics card can be found in the Plus Guide from GameStar (via Gamestar.de). Plus is the paid premium offering from GameStar.
What do you think? Were you lucky enough to buy a fast graphics card in time or did you even manage to get a new graphics card at somewhat fair prices? Tell us in the comments!
Currently, you should not buy certain graphics cards. The RX 5700 XT is also among the graphics cards you should not buy right now, unless you can get it at a really good offer:
In Rainbow Six Siege, AFK players are a nuisance. Therefore, the developers want to take stronger action against them, and an automated system is also in development. However, many players are more annoyed by something else
What is the problem with AFK players? In Rainbow Six Siege, AFK players are a nuisance. They are players who use a bot that does almost nothing but occasionally shoot and fidget a little. Otherwise, the character just stands still and does not contribute constructively to the game.
This still earns the user of the AFK bot points at the end of the round, allowing them to gradually rank up. This is mainly exploited by cheaters to prepare replacement accounts with high levels, which can then be used to continue playing and cheating after a ban.
However, the teammates in rounds with such AFK users are the ones who suffer, as in a team shooter, it is crucial for everyone to work together optimally. An AFK player means that you are significantly outnumbered and likely to lose.
What do the developers want to do about it? Since such actions are unfair and ruin the game for everyone else, the developers have announced measures. According to a message on Twitter, the developers want to take stronger action against players who are intentionally AFK from now on.
They will initially issue manual bans and also ask the community for diligent help. Later, they will examine methods to automatically detect and ban AFK players.
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AFK players are annoying, but many users have a problem with MnK on Xbox or PlayStation
How are the players reacting? The community’s cheer for the announcement was rather muted. While users certainly find AFK players annoying and see the measure as a step in the right direction, most comments on Twitter complain about a completely different problem in Rainbow Six Siege.
What disturbs many players more than AFK? For a large part of the users in the comments under the developer announcement, “MnK cheating” is a much bigger problem than AFK players.
MnK refers to “Mouse and Keyboard”. This means that players connect a mouse and keyboard to a console and play with them. Many players on consoles consider this cheating because with this input method, they have a significant advantage in control and shooting.
That is why many comments read like this selection here:
Scarn (via Twitter): ‘Manual bans for that, but not for MnK? Good to see where the priorities lie.’
DiegoCanales (via Twitter): ‘And when will there be sanctions for people who use mouse and keyboard on the console?’
Jai Boi (via Twitter): ‘No, no, no, let that be. Fix MnK players on consoles first, that is cheating!’
That’s why not much will happen: However, as many players are annoyed by MnK, not much will likely change. As many users point out in the comments, this is not something the developers at Ubisoft can change.
Instead, console manufacturers Microsoft and Sony would need to develop a measure that prevents input via mouse and keyboard. The developers at Rainbow Six Siege cannot do this.
For many fans of MMORPGs, addons and mods are simply part of the experience. They allow you to change the UI or add assistance for quests. But will the upcoming MMO New World from Amazon support such addons?
Will New World support addons? This is still unclear. So far, it has not been possible to install your own addons or mods during the Alpha and Beta. There is also currently no official interface through which things like a character’s condition or position in the world can be queried.
However, addons or mods have not been completely ruled out by Amazon so far.
Additionally, there is always the option to work with so-called overlays. These do not access the game files but allow an additional layer of information to be placed over the displayed game content. Such overlays are practically impossible to prohibit as long as players are in windowed mode.
What are addons and mods interesting for? Third-party addons – meaning not from the game’s developers themselves – are often used to change the UI of the game. This is because not all MMORPGs offer such an option, or it does not go far enough for players in some titles.
In addition to the adjustments to the UI, addons also have several other functions, including:
Tips and assistance with quests
Displaying resources or farming routes on the map
A damage meter
Supporting hints when bosses use particularly strong abilities
They can therefore be useful in almost every area of an MMORPG.
Addons like Deadly Boss Mods in WoW provide players with many valuable tips in battles against strong bosses
However, there are also MMOs that refrain from using such tools, such as Guild Wars 2 or Black Desert.
What direction New World will take will probably be revealed at release. However, we already know some content that the new MMO is supposed to receive after the release:
If you want to quickly earn some money in GTA Online, our guide will help you easily get over 220,000 GTA Dollars and only takes about 5 minutes of your time. We will show you how it works.
What’s going on in GTA Online? On Thursday, a new bonus week started in GTA Online, unlocking new time trials and events that will provide you with money. We will show you which activities you should participate in to quickly earn a few hundred thousand bucks.
All you need is some driving skill and a little bit of your time.
Two Time Trials for a Total of 203,000 GTA Dollars
The first time trial: The first time trial you should complete is called “Coast to Coast”. You have 2:29 minutes to complete the race. If you make it to the finish within the time, you will earn 102,000 GTA Dollars. And with that, you have completed the longest part of this money collection.
The second time trial: This one takes place at the power plant. With your little RC Bandito, you have to maneuver through the tight corners and find the quickest way to the finish. The track is a bit trickier because even a little accident can mean that you have to start over. You have 1:45 minutes for the race.
If you make it to the finish in time, you can expect 101,000 GTA Dollars. At this point, you will have already earned 203,000 GTA Dollars in just over 4 minutes.
Treasure Hunt for $20,000 – Even if you are finished
How to get the money? A few days ago, Rockstar Games started a new treasure hunt for GTA Online. Players are to find shipwrecks, which change their location daily. Once you find seven of them, you will receive a pirate outfit for free.
No matter if you haven’t found any crates, a few crates, or all crates: You can collect the crate once a day and pocket 20,000 GTA Dollars for it.
So just visit the current location of the daily treasure chest and grab the $20,000. This should take you no more than a minute, and you’ll be at 223,000 GTA Dollars in about five minutes.
If you’re in the game anyway, take a moment to check out the casino. With the right spin of the lucky wheel, you can win an additional car there.
And you don’t have to buy the new sports car Cypher for $1.5 million, you can win it instead. So there are a few reasons to start an online session in GTA 5 right now. Did everything go according to plan for you in earning money?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
There are also many MMORPGs, such as FFXIV or WoW, that do offer player trading but mainly trade through the auction house. Because it’s simply faster and more convenient for many players.
Which games make trading interesting? A good example of a social trading system is ESO. While many transactions also run through a type of auction house here, these stores are tied to guilds.
And so you do end up talking to other players because you first have to become part of such a trading guild. In the guild chat, you often exchange prices.
Furthermore, ESO also allows direct trading between players and has made it its goal to ensure that direct trading between players is an important component.
In ESO, I can only trade directly with other players or through the guild.
This adaptation ensures that an auction house doesn’t work at least for the equipment and that crafters can make a name for themselves in the game again. Because it should be difficult to obtain the best recipes. They will not simply be sold to you by the teacher.
What do you think about the situation regarding trading between players? Do you welcome the auction houses or do you sometimes wish for the old times back? Feel free to write it in the comments.
In the coming months and years, several interesting MMORPGs are on the horizon. We will introduce them to you here:
In the old MMORPGs, it was important to know the best crafters on a server. They provided the best goods. In many new games, however, there is no direct player trading anymore. MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch is annoyed by this change.
“In the past, MMORPGs were more familial and social” – this sentence is heard and read again and again. And there will hardly be an MMORPG player who would deny this statement. The “simplification” of the game is often identified as a problem or the fact that “everything must be doable solo”.
I would not completely disagree with these points, but I see the problem in a completely different aspect. Because for social interaction, it is important that players are brought together somehow. This can happen through 40-player raids or hardcore content, but these aspects are not important to me.
I would much rather welcome it if I had to interact with other players in my daily life – for example, through trading. Because while I depended on other players in Guild Wars 1 or Star Wars Galaxies, they have today virtually been replaced by an auction house.
Players spend more time in the AH than with other players
What is the problem? If I want to sell rare or particularly strong items in Guild Wars 2, Black Desert, or Retail WoW, I travel to the nearest auction house for that. There I list the item and wait for another player to buy it.
Done.
That was my interaction with another person who bought my legendary great sword Düsternis in Guild Wars 2. I farmed for weeks for that, yet at the end I don’t even know who is now holding it.
And that annoys me immensely. Because trade is made easier by auction houses, and many new MMORPGs don’t even allow me to trade directly with other players. These games include:
Guild Wars 2
Bless Unleashed
Black Desert
The upcoming Elyon
Especially in Black Desert, the renunciation of player trading is complete nonsense, because economy and trade stand at the center of the game. But this center quickly becomes the auction house.
In games like Black Desert or here in the picture Guild Wars 2, you can spend a lot of time in the auction house.
What makes trading so interesting? In player trading, you are reliant on contacting other people. In Guild Wars 1, I fondly remember selling items in Kamadan and getting into conversation with other merchants or buyers.
Through one of these conversations, I met my later guild leader. He was selling a very rare Naga Raincaller minipet back then, and of course I wanted to know how he got that mini.
In Star Wars Galaxies, it was important to know the best crafters in the game. Because it was virtually impossible to level up multiple professions high. Thus, you were basically forced to interact with other players and could even make a name for yourself in the game, so that everyone had to know the armorsmith XY.
In modern MMORPGs, however, nobody knows the person who listed an item in the auction house.
Auction House serves as protection against scams and is much faster
Why do games refrain from direct trading? The direct trading between players also carries dangers. It can always happen that someone uses trading for fraudulent actions, for example, by calling out an overpriced price or tricking with the items.
Often such frauds result in additional effort for the game developer, for example through tickets where players would like to get back their item or money that was taken from them in the fraud.
There are also many MMORPGs, such as FFXIV or WoW, that do offer player trading but mainly trade through the auction house. Because it’s simply faster and more convenient for many players.
Which games make trading interesting? A good example of a social trading system is ESO. While many transactions also run through a type of auction house here, these stores are tied to guilds.
And so you do end up talking to other players because you first have to become part of such a trading guild. In the guild chat, you often exchange prices.
Furthermore, ESO also allows direct trading between players and has made it its goal to ensure that direct trading between players is an important component.
In ESO, I can only trade directly with other players or through the guild.
This adaptation ensures that an auction house doesn’t work at least for the equipment and that crafters can make a name for themselves in the game again. Because it should be difficult to obtain the best recipes. They will not simply be sold to you by the teacher.
What do you think about the situation regarding trading between players? Do you welcome the auction houses or do you sometimes wish for the old times back? Feel free to write it in the comments.
In the coming months and years, several interesting MMORPGs are on the horizon. We will introduce them to you here:
For the upcoming league of Overwatch in 2022, an early version of Overwatch 2 is to be used. What exactly will be used and what this could mean for the release of Overwatch 2, we will explain to you here on MeinMMO.
What is the relationship between eSports and Overwatch 2? According to an official statement from Blizzard, there will be an early version of Overwatch 2 in the upcoming season of the eSports event Overwatch League (OWL).
The new season of the OWL will start in April 2022. From then on, you can see the first features of Overwatch 2.
What kind of game is Overwatch 2 actually? Overwatch 2 is primarily a successor to Overwatch. However, it will also be integrated into the old game.
This means: The major balancing and PvP changes in Overwatch 2 will also be seen in Overwatch 1. Additionally, both games will share a player pool.
A major innovation, however, is the solo campaigns that Overwatch 2 is set to receive.
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What could change with Overwatch 2 gameplay in the season? Among the major changes and innovations in Overwatch 2 is a controversial feature. Because the match size will be reduced from 6v6 to 5v5.
This means that one tank is completely removed, which has many tank players in Overwatch eSports worried about their jobs. It is possible that this change will come in the new season.
Moreover, tanks are expected to be less massive in the future, but rather become a type of “offensive brawler,” meaning character types that can withstand more than regular characters and thus speed up gameplay.
However, it is also unclear whether this change will come in the new season in 2022.
More about Blizzard and Overwatch can be found here:
When is the release of Overwatch 2? Here too, we know hardly anything official. Overwatch 2 was announced back at BlizzCon 2019. But since then, it has been quite quiet about the new game and information has been sparse.
However, if builds of the successor for eSports are already being used in 2022, it is possible that we may experience at least a beta, if not already the release of Overwatch 2 during the course of 2022.
At the end of 2020, the League of Legends team G2 Esports strengthened their roster with player Martin “Rekkles” Larsson. He was considered the best European AD Carry at the time and was bought from direct competitor Fnatic. However, G2 missed the Worlds that year. Now, they are reportedly looking to part ways with Rekkles.
What happened around Rekkles?
The European teams G2 Esports and Fnatic have been vying for championships for years and participated in the Worlds every year.
At G2 Esports, it was primarily the mid laner Caps who dominated, while Rekkles was the star at Fnatic.
Now, G2 Esports is reportedly looking to part ways with Rekkles again.
What is this rumor about? E-sports insider and LoL expert Duncan “Thorin” Shields shared the rumor on Twitter. He states that Rekkles is likely to be sold or even released by G2 Esports.
Thorin recommends fans prepare tissues and chocolate.
In another tweet, he also mentions that Carlos Rodriguez, the head of G2 Esports, would have the “biggest balls” if he actually carries out this dismissal.
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How much is there to the rumor? Thorin is considered an insider in e-sports and has often predicted transfers correctly with his background knowledge and contacts. However, there has been no official statement from G2 Esports yet.
Do Caps and Rekkles not fit together that well?
Why should G2 part ways with Rekkles? The year 2021 did not go according to plan for G2 Esports. Essentially, the team only changed in one position. 4 of the 5 players from previous years remained the same, and there was no change in the coaching staff either.
So it sounds logical that Rekkles is the current problem for G2 Esports.
Underneath Thorin’s tweet, there is speculation that the playstyles of mid laner Caps and AD Carry Rekkles are too different:
Rekkles loves to farm for a long time and then overwhelm opponents with his gold advantage
The rest of G2 Esports, led by Caps, plays very aggressively, especially at the beginning of matches.
This theory also aligns with the fact that G2 Esports extended Caps’ contract early until 2023.
Caps and Rekkles originally played together at Fnatic, were rivals for years, and were finally reunited in 2021.
Is Rekkles going to America? However, it is unclear which team would take Rekkles. The strongest teams from Europe already have a solid bot lane. Especially Fnatic has achieved a lot this year with German player Upset.
It is not uncommon for strong European players to move to America. They are often offered lucrative contracts in a seemingly weaker league. Recently, the German player Abeddagge moved to the USA. He has even become a champion with an underdog team:
Blizzard takes desperate measures to beautify its player numbers. Good for the players: WoW and Hearthstone fans get hefty bonuses.
Blizzard has been struggling with declining player numbers for years, and this is particularly evident in the quarterly reports. The MAUs (Monthly Active Users) continue to decline. However, Blizzard has a brilliant trick to simply double the numbers in some areas: A WoW subscription now brings Hearthstone players more bonuses than if they were to simply buy these bonuses directly in Hearthstone.
What is it about? Players of World of Warcraft are used to receiving a few additional goodies when they sign up for a 6-month subscription. Not only do you save a few euros compared to the one-month subscription, but for years there has also regularly been a rather stylish mount as a bonus.
Now Blizzard has dug deep into the trick bag and has linked a whole lot of additional rewards for Hearthstone to the WoW subscription. So those who sign up for a 6-month WoW subscription for nearly €65 will receive the following bonuses in Hearthstone:
Innkeeper’s Pass for the current and upcoming expansion.
Battlefield bonuses for the current and upcoming expansion.
15 card packs of the current expansion.
15 card packs of the next expansion.
30 Mercenaries packs from the Mercenaries mode.
€140 in Hearthstone – for a €65 subscription in World of Warcraft
The sheer value of these bonuses is completely insane. Anyone who actively plays Hearthstone and spends money there really has to get a WoW subscription, because there’s no better offer. Let’s run the numbers:
The Innkeeper’s Pass costs €20, which is available for the current and upcoming season, so €40.
The Battlefield bonuses cost €10, and they are also available for the current and upcoming season, totaling €20.
15 card packs of the current expansion cost €20, and they are available for the current and upcoming set, so €40.
The price of the 30 Mercenary packs is not yet exactly known. But since they also cost 100 gold, they will probably be as expensive as regular packs – that’s another €40.
For a WoW subscription costing €65, you’re getting a value of €140 in Hearthstone. That’s a price so cheap that it has never existed in Hearthstone – and that is crazy.
The WoW subscription brings really big bonuses – but in Hearthstone.
Why is this a trick? Essentially, the offer is of course a good thing for the individual user. You hardly get card packs, battlefield bonuses, and Innkeeper’s Pass at such a low price otherwise. However, this offer is also quite cleverly devised and a clear move to artificially inflate the MAU numbers for the next report.
Because one must not forget: If a player logs into both World of Warcraft and Hearthstone within a month, they count as 2 monthly active users.
That’s why the timing is also set up so that you are encouraged to log in during 3 different months:
Right now there are 15 packs for the current expansion “United in Stormwind” (September) in Hearthstone.
In December, there will be another 30 packs (15 from the new expansion, 15 for the Mercenaries mode).
The thought behind it is clear: They want to bring Hearthstone players into World of Warcraft and entice WoW players to dive a bit into Hearthstone. Additionally, this way, one easy converts one MAU into 2 MAUs over the span of 3 months. That will certainly look nice in the next quarterly report for the investors.
One should also not forget Diablo from the new Mercenaries mode, which is coming to Hearthstone. Maybe it will catch some Diablo players who then check out Hearthstone – and also increase the MAU numbers.
More news about Blizzard, Hearthstone, and WoW can be found here:
What should one make of this? Well, everyone has to decide for themselves what they think of this move. From a player’s perspective, the offer is worth it – whether you’re just a Hearthstone player or regularly play both games. Then the value for a 6-month WoW subscription, which additionally grants 60 card packs and around 6 months of all desirable bonuses in Hearthstone, is simply unbeatable. Especially since there’s also a mount in WoW through the subscription and another mount after the release of the Mercenaries mode.
What do you think of this action? A cool thing that benefits you? Or a rather cheap trick to beautify the player numbers?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the current beta of Call of Duty: Vanguard, you can try out a new game mode. It is called Patrol and offers you the gameplay of the well-known Hardpoint mode with a dynamic twist. Read here on MeinMMO everything we know so far about the new mode.
What kind of game mode is this? The new game mode in CoD: Vanguard is called Patrol and can currently be played in the beta. In this mode, it runs similarly to the Hardpoint mode known from earlier titles. The only difference is that there is only one Hardpoint that does not disappear, but rather moves continuously along a designated path on the map.
What is Hardpoint? Hardpoint is a game mode that appears in various CoD titles in multiplayer. The mode is considered one of the fastest multiplayer game modes. In Hardpoint, you have to capture and hold a point. This earns you points, and whoever has enough by the end wins.
However, to prevent matches from becoming boring, the point eventually disappears and reappears somewhere else on the map. Therefore, you must always keep moving to have an advantage over your enemies on the maps.
A new mode that rewards aggressive gameplay
What are the features of Patrol? The Hardpoint is always moving but does not disappear. This means you must be even faster and camping on the maps in this mode is even less effective.
In regular Hardpoint, you could at least hunker down at the point until it disappeared. Here, however, the point is always moving away, and you must adjust to its pace if you want to collect enough points.
On the other hand, the position of the point is quite predictable, and those who strategically use certain killstreaks, like a bomb drop, can potentially wipe out an entire enemy team for a time.
What kind of combat behavior is required here? Patrol rewards players who are constantly on the move and want to quickly adapt to new tactical situations. Those who enjoy this fast, tactically flexible playstyle will surely get their money’s worth here.
How does this align with the new Combat Pacings? Combat Pacings are a new feature of Vanguard. There are three modes that change your game fundamentally by simply throwing many more players onto a map designed for fewer people.
Tactical: This is the classic CoD experience with 6vs6 players
Assault: This mode features between 20 – 28 players on a map
Blitz: Between 28 and 48 players duke it out here
A round of Patrol in Blitz mode can get extremely crazy when nearly 50 players are battling on a map intended for 6vs6.
In Destiny 2, the first PvP event of Season 15 is still running for a few more days. We have gathered 3 strong arguments for the event. However, there is also one reason against the Iron Banner.
In Destiny 2, the Iron Banner is running until the next Weekly Reset. The PvP event is a great opportunity at the beginning of the young Season 15, the Season of the Lost, to improve your Guardian and grab strong items.
You need to hurry, because starting from September 7, Lord Saladin will leave the Tower, along with the playlist – at least until presumably October. MeinMMO has highlighted 3 good reasons why you should spend the weekend in the Iron Banner. As a finale, there’s also a bit of criticism of the event – do you agree?
[toc]
New Event Loot – Especially One Weapon is Worth It
This is new in the Iron Banner: The Iron Banner has stagnated for a long time. The actually mass-market PvP event from Destiny 1 had increasingly lost its shine. Especially because there was hardly any new loot at all.
Now in Season 15, there are completely new armor sets for all 3 characters to farm for the first time in years (see title image). The design is controversial among Guardians, but it is definitely better than old reskins. Conveniently, you will receive the entire set at the end of a small quest from Lord Saladin, which should not cost you more than 2 evenings of gameplay.
In addition, there are 2 completely new weapons. The two new guns complement the strong arsenal from Season 14, which you can still obtain. Here are the two new weapons:
The pulse rifle “Forgemaster’s Oath” (390) with Solar damage
The pistol “Peacebond” (491 – Salvo) with Stasis damage
You will receive both weapons guaranteed once per character via the seasonal Iron Banner quest – after that, you need some loot luck
The new Iron Banner weapon “Peacebond” is small but dangerous.
This small pistol rocks: The star among the new weapons is the inconspicuous pistol “Peacebond”. Many Guardians are currently raving about the Stasis weapon in the kinetic slot.
Even big names praise the little monster in PvE and PvP:
True Vanguard calls the new weapon: “King of all pistols” (via YouTube)
Ehroar describes Peacebond as: “Stasis pistol that you must get [in PvE]” (via YouTube)
Drewskys praises the weapon as: “insanely good” and is really thrilled about the new Stasis perk (via YouTube)
The new Stasis perk is “Gravekeeper”. This creates a large Stasis crystal after precision kills. So you can either start synergistic loops with Stasis classes or use the nasty ice powers even without a Stasis class. Additionally, perk combos like Shotgun Targeting + Demolitionist are recommended if you’re looking for a reliable and deadly weapon for PvP.
Quickly Grind the New Ritual Weapon from Season 15
How to get the “Hegemony” rocket launcher: With Season 15, a new quest weapon (ritual weapon) has come to Destiny 2: the rocket launcher Hegemony. You can currently obtain this new weapon really fast.
Many Guardians are used to earning this weapon through a quest from gunsmith Banshee-44 – but that is now different. In the Season of the Lost, the new quest weapon is not obtained through quests but through rank-ups (Rank 16) with the 3 NPCs Zavala, the Drifter, and Lord Shaxx.
Coinciding with the Iron Banner, Bungie has increased rank gain in PvP. By the way, you will level up with Shaxx really quickly and can grind to Rank 16 much faster than usual, just through Iron Banner matches and bounties.
The Iron Banner provides bonus reputation for ranks with Lord Shaxx.
The bonus ends with the next reset on September 7, when the Iron Banner will also disappear until likely October.
4x Top Loot from the Iron Lord Just for Participating
That’s why you level up quickly: The Iron Banner is always a great opportunity to significantly raise your Guardian’s power level. Lord Saladin has also brought 4 bounties with the new quest, all of which guarantee strong top loot.
Only through the top loot can you increase your power level above 1320 in Season 15 – up to a maximum of 1,330 (without artifact bonus).
The high level will benefit you in the Iron Banner itself, in the Trials, and in PvE endgame like Nightfall or while farming new Exotics in sectors.
Sources for top loot are otherwise quite limited. Only a limited number of activities distribute the valuable resource. Often, you have to seek top loot in raids or other endgame activities. So take the opportunity and complete the 4 Iron Banner bounties. You only need to participate and get kills – which weapon or class you use is completely irrelevant.
What has Been Annoying in the Iron Banner for Years
Why the bad token system? Bungie has almost completely banned the dreadful token system from Destiny 2. Because Guardians do not like receiving placeholder tokens instead of direct loot at the end of an activity, which they then have to exchange for loot after a trip to the NPC.
It is also annoying that you have to manually hand in the tokens in small steps and have no influence on your loot from them. It’s a gamble where you often end up with useless stuff despite investing a lot of time.
With Season 15, for example, Zavala has been revamped and all his Vanguard tokens deleted. Also, the Trials will be overhauling the old system on September 10. Lord Saladin and the Iron Banner stubbornly cling to this old mechanic from 2017.
According to Bungie’s community manager Dylan “dmg04” Gaffner, nothing will change anytime soon. He speaks of a possible change in “a future season” (via Twitter).
Due to the antiquated token system, it’s quite hard to fish for the new strong pistol “Peacebond” apart from the 3 guaranteed quest drops. However, the Iron Banner has regained some of its old glory and is especially worthwhile at the start of the season.
What do you think of the Iron Banner in Season 15? Have you done all 3 things we described and are now proud owners of the new weapons – hopefully with good rolls. Let us know in the comments how you plan to spend your Destiny weekend.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
