The mid laner Felix Braun (21) played for 2 years on Schalke in the League of Legends, until the club ran into financial trouble and sold him to the USA. There, “Abbedagge” made a name for himself, becoming one of the top 2 mid laners in the LCS and actually leading his team “100 Thieves” to the LoL Worlds 2021.
What happened there? Like in football, Schalke 04 shows a great ability to discover and develop talents that then continue their careers successfully elsewhere.
Young mid laner Felix Braun was signed by Schalke in November 2018 from the Turkish team Royal Bandits. It was a rollercoaster ride for Schalke starting in 2019, until in 2021 it all went downhill:
Then a young team actually formed, with Abbedagge as a key player, but they never quite made it to the top 3 of the LEC and thus to the World Championship.
Just when it looked like the group of young players was slowly maturing into a top team, Schalke 04 was relegated from the Bundesliga, needed money urgently, sold Abbedagge to the USA, and then lost everything they had in the LEC. Schalke even sold their spot in the LEC to a team in Switzerland.
This is the team Abbedagge joined: The e-sports organization 100 Thieves had previously finished fourth in the US LCS, but had no big name in LoL. In the US, teams like Team Solo Mid, Team Liquid, or Cloud 9 are the big names that regularly go to the World Championships and dominate them since 2016.
100 Thieves was founded in 2016 by former Call of Duty pro and YouTuber Matthew “Nadeshot” Haag. They are an organization more rooted in shooters and focus on content creators and style. They have signed big YouTubers like Valkyrae and Courage and operate their own clothing line. In LoL, they haven’t achieved much in recent years.
100 Thieves often seems more like a fashion label than an e-sports organization.
German talent matures into a star player in the league in the USA
While things rapidly went downhill for Schalke in Germany, Braun was shining in the USA. Braun became one of the best mid laners in the USA in just 26 games:
Braun won 69% of his matches – the best rate
achieving a KDA of 4.5 – good enough for second place
notably, Abbedagge dies relatively rarely. With 52 deaths, he plays much safer than the expensively acquired star player Perkz, who has died 71 times.
In terms of the kill-assist-death statistics, Abbedagge ranks second among the most frequently used mid laners in the USA. Only Power of Evil is ahead of him. However, he has left a veteran like Jensen (4.4) or star purchase Perkz (3.7) behind.
This is what he has achieved now: 100 Thieves secured a spot at the Worlds 2021 with a victory against Evil Genius in the playoffs, making them one of the first teams worldwide to do so – the last time the team made it to a World Championship was in 2018.
Abbedagge is seen as a key change, along with a change in the coaching staff, that made 100 Thieves as successful as they are and helped them find their identity as an “early game” team.
Does Abbedagge have a chance at the World Championship? No, he does not. It is still unclear which top teams from around the world will qualify for the World Championship. So far, only a few have qualified. However, teams from China like FunPlus Phoenix or from Korea like DAMWON Gaming are already clear favorites.
For Felix Braun, however, a dream is surely coming true, as he gets to measure up against the top Asian players in the world like Showmaker or Doinb in the mid lane. That was never enough during his time at Schalke.
The player “Abbedagge” is named after a sound made by a unit in “Age of Empires” (via youtube, 0:18). Felix Braun thus fulfills a classic “German gamer” stereotype, as we are into real-time strategy games like Age of Empires.
Although TSM finished first in the regular season, they have already lost a playoff series against Team Liquid and now have to somehow make their way through the Loser’s Bracket.
In Europe, there are actually only two Germans left playing for strong teams:
22-year-old Norman “Kaiser” Kaiser is a supporter for the Spanish team Mad Lions. They are already qualified for the Worlds after defeating G2 Esports in the playoffs.
Elias “Upset” Lipp is the bot laner for Fnatic. Whether they will make it to the LoL Worlds 2021 is still uncertain. They will play against Misfits in round two of the LEC playoffs in a few days.
With the latest update in Pokémon GO, new animations were introduced in the catching interface. Now trainers have noticed that they have disappeared again and are demanding their return. We have taken a look at what happened and will show it to you.
What is it about? With the last update of Pokémon GO, new animations were introduced in the game. The Pokémon were excited and moved playfully when opening the catching interface. However, these animations are now gone, which is causing a lot of discussion in the Pokémon GO community.
We will show you the players’ reactions.
“It’s kind of fun to have this animation”
This is what the players say: Many players found the new greeting cool and were excited. They also shared this joy on social networks. The Twitter user R2-D2 TL46 wrote, “It’s kind of fun to have this animation” (via twitter.com).
Additionally, he showed how you can see the animation of Hitmonlee in the following video:
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However, as seasoned players know, the animations were not new at all. They have actually been used for some time when playing with a buddy. This was also noted by the Reddit user Qualimiox, who pointed out the following issue:
“Something was definitely wrong, because these animations exist for all Pokémon, but they only played for some selected ones. They were also played for friends in the friends list, and I’m pretty sure that the friends list was slowed down because of this” (via reddit.com). This could of course be a hint as to why the feature was removed so quickly.
GrantB1222, on the other hand, remembers a similar situation from the past, where particularly high-quality cries were implemented for the first 151 Pokémon and then removed again after a few days (via reddit.com).
Trainers demand the return of the animations
Other players are sad about the quick end of the new animations in the catching interface and are calling for their return. The Twitter user Susavina writes, “Were they necessary? Not at all. Were they just great? Hell yes! Niantic, bring them back!” (via twitter.com).
Other trainers also express their disappointment. For instance, bigmike19867 wrote on Twitter that he was excited about the new fresh look (via twitter.com). And KagamiSnowy is convinced that it would have given the characters personality and is angry with the CEO of Niantic for removing this feature (via twitter.com).
Is there hope for a return of the animations?
As some players report on Reddit and Twitter, they had problems displaying these animations. The Twitter user KantoCrewTrnr explains, “I loved it, but it had some lags and glitches. Maybe they will fix that and implement them again” (via twitter.com). Other trainers are hoping for this as well.
Another point that Niantic may need to address first is the animations for the missing Pokémon. Because as the Reddit user Qualimiox explained, these were not available for all Pokémon (via reddit.com). The Twitter user Karan_WZ is therefore convinced that these animations will first be adjusted for all Pokémon before they come back (via twitter.com).
Whether Niantic will merely adjust the problems and then re-implement the popular feature in the game remains unclear. If there is new information about this, you will find it here, on MeinMMO.
What do you think about the animations in the catching interface? Do you want them back? Or would you rather catch quickly and are not really interested in the greeting? Let us know your opinion here, on MeinMMO, in the comments!
Ubisoft has introduced Season 3 for Year 6 in Rainbow Six Siege. The season is titled “Crystal Guard” and brings a new operator, Osa, among other things. Experts are already excited about the updates, and one of them says: This will be the best season yet.
What’s in the new season? Season 3 of Year 6 in Rainbow Six brings numerous updates. The next major update includes:
With the maps, it is emphasized that “buffs” are being discussed, not just adjustments. For example, there are adjustments to Clubhouse and Coastline, where various obstacles have been removed. You can now move more easily around the maps.
The highlight of the presentation is probably Osa, the new attacker. After Flores, the first openly gay operator, Osa is the first transgender character in the game. However, it is her gadget that makes her particularly attractive, at least according to the YouTuber BikiniBodhi.
The new trailer for Osa.
Who is the expert? BikiniBodhi has been creating content about Rainbow Six for many years and is one of the largest and most well-known YouTubers for the game. His channel now has over 1.64 million subscribers.
In his videos, he informs his viewers about changes and excites them with his strong and sometimes very creative gameplay. In one of the recent updates, he showed how he made the weakest operator really strong with a crazy trick.
New operator is “scary”
Who is the new operator? Anja Katarina “Osa” Janković comes from a Croatian family of toy makers. In Rainbow Six, she is responsible for the development of various protective gadgets, including Wamai’s Mag-NET system.
Militarily, she comes from the special unit Nighthaven, like Wamai and Kali. She has a special connection with Kali. Osa is the first transgender operator in Rainbow Six Siege.
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The German expert Cornyyy shows his assessment and guide to Osa.
What can Osa do? Osa’s special ability is the Talon-8 clear shield. This is a portable shield made of bulletproof glass, which behaves like a mobile shield of the defenders.
Just like the mobile shield, the Talon-8 can lock into doors or be placed on the ground. It can also lock into windows, providing visibility and protection, similar to Mira’s mirror – except that the shield is transparent from both sides.
When carried, the Talon-8 acts like a portable shield of the attackers. It combines multiple gadgets in one. If it is hit in a deployed form by a melee attack, the glass shatters and becomes opaque.
A cartridge on the back can destroy the glass, just like with Mira’s mirrors.
Why is Osa “scary”? The gadget itself opens up completely new paths for attackers. With the shield, attackers can:
coordinate new attacks through windows, as there is always a gap at the top to shoot through
secure areas while being protected, such as when the floor is blown up
secure zones as attackers when a bomb is being defused
Although the shield primarily opens up new defensive options, it can also be used for attacks. BikiniBodhi, for example, demonstrates in his video a combination of Osa and Sledge that he describes as “scary.”
As Osa, he sets up his shield and aims at enemies in the room behind. Although they can see him too, they can do nothing. He now instructs his Sledge to use his gadget, a sledgehammer, to destroy the shield.
At the same moment, he already shoots through and takes out the opponents without any possibility of resistance. This works only because the opponents cannot anticipate Sledge’s action when he is concealed behind a wall. Other similar combinations are apparently also possible. You can see the scene in the embedded video starting at 3:34:
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What else is in the new season? In addition to Osa, there are some adjustments to existing operators. Among the more important ones are:
IQ, who can now ping enemy gadgets through walls with Ping 2.0
Fuze, whose explosive charge can now even penetrate reinforced walls
Twitch, whose drone can now jump
Interestingly, operators will have no armor starting from Season 3. Armor is instead converted into health points, making the resilience of characters more transparent. In the developers’ notes, you will find all the changes, buffs, and nerfs in detail (via ubisoft.com).
Furthermore, you can now customize the popular elite skins. Previously, you could only equip all parts of the set or none at all. This will change. For now, you can only customize headgear and uniforms, but in the future, every part should be interchangeable.
When can I play it? The new season will be playable on the test servers starting August 17, with Osa available from August 18. When exactly the new update will be rolled out to the live servers has not yet been announced. Traditionally, it takes about 3 weeks until the release, so September 7 seems plausible.
Rainbow Six has steadily improved over the years and continues to provide interesting new approaches. One of the reasons it remains one of the best shooters in 2021:
The new free-to-play MMORPG Ecila (PC) launched in Early Access on Steam on August 15. The game aims to impress with a free class system, anime aesthetics, and a complete avoidance of pay-to-win mechanics. We at MeinMMO will reveal what’s inside.
What is Ecila? First, we need to clarify that Ecila shares its name with a pixelated rogue-like game, but the two games have nothing to do with each other.
Our Ecila is a 3D sidescrolling semi-open-world MMORPG, which sounds much more complicated than it actually is. Essentially, the game is an MMORPG with anime aesthetics that is mostly controlled with the keyboard. You move right with D and left with A, but the levels offer more depth than a normal sidescrolling game would.
Ecila fundamentally offers an open world, but also has many instanced areas, which is where the term semi-open-world comes from. Story-wise, Ecila wants to take you on a journey dealing with fairy tales and mythical creatures, but all of them are not quite themselves anymore.
It borrows the phrase from the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland and makes “We’re all mad here” (German: Wir sind hier alle verrückt) the guiding motto of Ecila’s story.
The gameplay features: Ecila offers some exciting gameplay aspects, which we would like to briefly present to you:
3D sidescrolling gameplay with keyboard controls
Jump & Run elements and combat
A story revolving around fairy tales and mythical creatures
An open class system that depends on which weapon you carry
You can equip up to 3 gear presets at once and freely switch between them, which is essential for fighting in the harder levels
Crafting and item upgrades
An optional auto-play feature that automatically fights, runs, and takes potions
Avoidance of pay-to-win, but possible pay-to-progress
In this video from Sokol, you can see 17 minutes of gameplay from Ecila:
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How will pay-to-win be avoided? Ecila offers you two real-money currencies, Diamonds and Topaz. While you can only buy Diamonds with real money, you can earn Topaz but also purchase it with Diamonds.
Cosmetic items like skins or costumes can only be obtained with Diamonds, while you can also purchase experience boosters, teleport items, and automatic healing potions with Topaz. The extent to which one has to grind to earn valuable Topaz is not yet known.
The community smiles nostalgically
What do the players say? The game receives a lot of praise, but also some criticism. We summarize the most important points for you:
The positive voices:
The user ron.ofman writes (via Steam): “Good game! It gives me the nostalgic feeling of the Maplestory/FlyFF era from 2005. It still has some bugs, which is okay for Early Access. Ecila has the potential to become a really good game.”
The player Alex has played almost 30 hours and writes (via Steam): “Very cute, reminds me of Maple Story and Flyff. […] It feels like a 2008 MMO has been remade. Many seem to be bothered by the auto-battle feature, but it’s optional. I think the game will appeal to those who grew up with the old MMOs and miss them.”
The user sylardean writes (via Steam): “I love this MMO. It’s super cartoonish and reminds me of Dragonica, only that it’s about fairy tales. At the beginning, it can be a bit grindy, but the auto-battle feature actually makes it very bearable. Ecila still has its problems, but that’s what Early Access is for. As a fan of cute anime MMOs, Ecila really brightens my heart.”
The negative voices: Negative reviews mainly criticize the auto-battle feature and the bugs present in the Early Access version. The user ehbunny writes among other things: “Without the auto-battle feature, one simply has to grind too much, so it’s not really optional. The game is therefore not for me, but maybe for you.”
What do you think of Ecila? Will you play it or are you also bothered by the auto-battle feature? Do you like the aesthetics and miss the old MMOs too? Let us know in the comments.
Season 5 of Call of Duty: Warzone is still fresh, and the first weapon balancing is already on the way. On August 16, the developers released an update with a total of 5 weapon nerfs and 2 buffs. Two of the best weapons were affected by the nerf: the MP5 from CoD MW and the AS VAL. Details can be found on MeinMMO.
What’s going on in Warzone? The battle royale entered its 5th season with Black Ops Cold War on August 13 and introduced new weapons, new locations, and a new battle pass. However, weapon changes did not come at the season launch.
In the first update of Season 5, Warzone aims to catch up on that. A small update on August 16 brought 7 weapon adjustments, and MeinMMO shows you the changes. Additionally, the developers provided an interesting insight into the type of balancing that is planned for the near future.
Warzone: Update on 16.08. nerfs 5 weapons and buffs 2
Which strong weapons were nerfed? The MP5 and the AS VAL from Modern Warfare have been hit. The “old” MP5 was considered a very strong option in close combat in Season 4, while the AS VAL was a fan-favorite weapon that exchanged a small magazine for massive damage.
MP5 Nerf
Base damage of the first damage range decreased from 34 to 31
Range decreased by 5.4%
Chest damage multiplier increased from 1 to 1.1
In the first important damage range, the MP5 is now slightly harder to play. To achieve the strong time-to-kill of 526 milliseconds (8 hits), you now need to aim a little better. Body and limb hits are now weaker. However, if you primarily hit your enemies in the body or chest, not much changes for you. 7 body hits and one chest hit are enough for the strong time-to-kill. However, the first damage range is half a meter shorter.
In the second and last damage range, the increased chest multiplier even provided a buff, but it doesn’t have a big impact. Overall, the nerf was very cautious and should only slightly affect the overall strength of the weapon. You can still use the MP5 from CoD MW without worries.
AS VAL Nerf
Base damage in the first damage range decreased from 30 to 27
With Season 4, the developers started to increase the average time-to-kill of assault rifles across the board, and the AS VAL has not been affected until now. But now the damage monster with the small magazines is in focus and has lost significantly in the first damage range. Chest hits now yield a TTK of 475 milliseconds (previously 407) – instead of 7 hits, you now need 8. With 3 headshots, you can once again achieve the 407 milliseconds.
The AS VAL was already a niche weapon before the nerf. The small magazines make the assault rifle difficult to play in modes with larger teams. However, the stats remain good – even top-notch. In the category of automatic weapons, nothing can currently compete with the time-to-kill. If you are a fan of the AS VAL, you often need one more bullet in close combat now, but you still hold your own even against submachine guns.
By the way: If you want to be part of the MeinMMO team, we are now looking for support for our “Multiplayer Shooter” team:
Which weapons were further weakened? 3 of the weakened weapons are pistols. The developers state that the nerfed pistols should come closer to the other weapons in these classes. The 3 secondary weapons were too strong compared to the competition:
AMP 63
Base damage in the first damage range decreased from 33 to 31
New second damage range with 28 base damage
Base damage in the third damage range decreased from 23 to 20
M19
The changes only apply with Akimbo perk
Base damage in the first damage range decreased from 33 to 29
Base damage in the second damage range decreased from 28 to 25
Base damage in the third damage range decreased from 23 to 20
Sykov
The changes only apply with the “Sorokin 140mm Auto” barrel
Base damage in the first damage range decreased from 27 to 24
Base damage in the second damage range decreased from 23 to 20
Base damage in the third damage range decreased from 19 to 17
Due to the strengths of the weapons before the update, there were certain situations where the pistols could adequately replace a primary weapon. However, the pistols are intended to be secondary weapons and should also deal corresponding damage. Especially the Sykov with the auto barrel is likely to scare away the last fans after the now third nerf.
For a deeper insight into the nerfs, check out the English YouTuber and Warzone expert “JGOD” (via YouTube).
Two SMGs receive minor buffs
Which weapons were strengthened? Although there is no increase in damage for the two submachine guns, their handling is intended to be improved with the adjustments:
Fennec
Bullet speed slightly increased by 13.4%
OTs 9
Sway when aiming down sights decreased
The Fennec is more of a weapon in the second or third tier in Warzone due to its small magazines. However, its high rate of fire shakes enemies with hits and the damage is right. The buff doesn’t turn the Fennec into a top caliber, but hitting from a distance should be easier.
The OTs 9 came in Mid-Season 4 and definitely has its charm. With good control and strong damage, it has appeared more frequently in loadouts in recent weeks. However, aiming with iron sights had some issues. In quick movements, the optics would overlap, causing issues when aiming. With a reduced idle sway when aiming down sights, this problem should be resolved.
Developers discuss balancing – Want new weapons in the meta
What did the developers announce? An interesting announcement from the developers in the patch notes provided insight into future changes with a statement about the current balancing in Warzone:
We are generally satisfied with the balancing and believe that nothing needs to be changed immediately. However, we believe that there are some outliers in the assault rifle category that have been in the top tier for long enough. Therefore, we feel it is appropriate to reduce the strength of some assault rifles to give other weapons a bit of time in the spotlight.
These changes will come very soon.
Weapons like the Krig, the C58, or older mainstays like the M4A1 or the Grau 5.56 could be affected. Warzone has more than 20 assault rifles, and some of them have never been part of the meta. Therefore, an exciting season awaits us regarding balancing.
What do you think of the state of balancing in Warzone? Do you have a weapon that absolutely needs to be weakened or strengthened? Share your thoughts with us in the comments on MeinMMO.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Stephan Frost was a central figure in the MMORPG WildStar for 4 years, then worked at Amazon, Blizzard (WoW), and Nexon. Now he explains why the development of MMORPGs is so difficult and what can go wrong. The influence of fans, YouTubers, and the publisher makes life tough for developers – and tempting poaching offers come in.
Frost has had a somewhat strange career. Most know him as “the face of WildStar”. He was a producer at Carbine from 2010 until October 2014 and featured in many videos and dev talks about the eagerly awaited MMORPG WildStar.
Currently, Frost works at a studio in Colorado, Deck Nine Games, as Game Director. The studio is primarily known for “Life is Strange: Before The Storm”.
Here’s what Frost says now about the development of MMORPGs: Frost posted several tweets with the major headings: “The flat cycle of MMORPG development”.
He basically says: The development always proceeds in the same way.
The Development Phase of an MMORPG
Frost writes that the first 4 to 6 years of development of an MMORPG are painful and full of great ideas that are difficult to implement. In this phase, it’s hard to figure out where an MMO stands, as the systems don’t yet work together. A lot of technology is needed in this phase.
The problem is: During this phase, new MMORPGs emerge that already offer features that you have planned. Then you have to reshuffle your plans and further develop the concepts. Because you still need 3 years until release.
The publisher is already starting to push for a soon release.
The Alpha Phase of an MMORPG
In the alpha of an MMORPG, the hype is at its peak. YouTubers start making excited videos: “Finally a break from WoW!” Followers begin to fantasize about what the game could be. There’s now a lot of feedback and even more hype for the MMORPG.
Internally, the developers are still deep in creating level content and must already fix alpha issues. The community is told that the feature everyone wants probably won’t make it into the game (while internally it is already known: It’s definitely not coming).
In fact, the team should now be working on endgame content, but they have already promised the publisher and the community so much stuff that they must work on it. The hype is high, and the pressure is building.
The First Setback
Now the producers are shouting: “Alarm.” The deadline expectations just don’t match anymore, the deadlines cannot be met.
Now you have to walk to the publisher and ask for more money and more time. The MMORPG must be postponed. Because there is so much hype, the publisher allows it. The community understands the delay: “The game has to be good.”
But now comes a drought period, without new features. During this time, YouTubers have nothing to do and post “What I wish for” videos, which further fuels expectations.
Frost is primarily known for his work on WildStar.
The Beta Phase of an MMORPG
Now everything becomes more concrete, the MMORPG feels rounder, but is still far from release. Players are allowed to participate occasionally and like what they play.
But the developers realize that there is still much work ahead of them and that endgame content is still missing. By now, they have already worked on the MMORPG for 5 to 8 years, and the funder, the publisher, is becoming nervous. He has already invested 60-100 million US dollars in the project and wants to see his “return on investment”; now money must be made.
Players and developers know: The game needs more time. But still, the launch is now. The publisher allows no more delays.
The game is out and gets a lot of hype, but endgame is still missing: that is still months away. But now the issue with bugs really begins. Players want fixes and want them fast. There are problems with bugs, servers, endgame, complaints about balancing and tuning of the game.
For developers, everything is different now: They are in live development, and problems need to be solved.
The player count is already dwindling, YouTubers aren’t getting as many clicks as in the beginning, they try to stay positive, but are slowly getting fed up. Developers work hard to combat the frustration. But now offers from other studios come in, luring with a lot of money to work on new projects. The game is getting better, but it takes time.
Now several big names from the studio have already left. The team is exhausted. The YouTubers are angry: they feel like no one is listening to them. Player numbers are dwindling.
A major patch comes with bug fixes and new zones, but it hardly brings players back. YouTubers make videos like “THIS HAS FINALLY KILLED THE NEW MMORPG” and get a lot of clicks for it.
The game is getting better, but more and more developers are leaving. The team that knows how the MMORPG works is either gone or completely burned out.
Now there are two options:
Either the MMORPG has earned enough money, and development continues, new developers can be hired, and players can be kept interested
Or the MMORPG closes in 6 months
And Forever Temptation to Poach
From Frost’s account, it becomes clear that the main difficulty of an MMORPG from the developers’ perspective is external influences from players, YouTubers and the publishers because the game is ultimately never where it should be, as there is always pressure from outside.
Apparently, the devs would prefer to work in a closed room in peace. Once pressure from outside comes, the game suffers, as described by Frost: priorities are then shifted, often to the detriment of the endgame.
An interesting detail is the “poaching offers” from other studios. We see this with failed MMORPGs and MMOs like WildStar and Anthem: the responsible people disappeared constantly in the “post-release” phase. This means that positions have to be refilled, impacting the continuity and quality of a game.
Kevin “PapaPlatte” Teller (23) is one of the biggest Twitch streamers in the world. But how did the Berlin native achieve this and what do Logan Paul and a camping van have to do with it?
Kevin Teller, better known as PapaPlatte, is one of the largest streamers in Germany and now even one of the largest streamers in the world. With a unique streaming project, the hyperactive streamer from Berlin recently landed in 8th place on the Twitch worldwide charts.
This is PapaPlatte: In his streams, he captivates and entertains his fans primarily with his “first speak, then think” style. His rash manner prompts his viewers to tease him and poke fun, including jabs at his first name Kevin.
However, PapaPlatte always takes the jabs with humor. Because he can take it, no one holds it against him when he also makes jokes at the expense of others. He skillfully packages his quips in various streaming formats: sometimes gaming, sometimes just chatting with the community.
In eight years, the German streamer has managed to appear at the top of the Twitch charts. But how did he succeed in this?
[toc]
PapaPlatte’s origin lies in taking shots
These were his first steps on the internet: Kevin Teller founded a YouTube channel with three friends while in 7th grade. Not under the name PapaPlatte, but as SchnitzelTV. The content consisted of crazy challenges. Among other things, they competed in the challenge “Who can drink more lemon concentrate?” They poured down copious amounts of the bitter brew one after the other to crown a winner.
However, Teller declared this channel dead after only a few uploads. It just wasn’t what he envisioned as content, as he later said. But he never deleted the videos from SchnitzelTV.
In 2013, Teller wanted to focus fully on his newly launched streaming career — his new passion. On Twitch, Kevin Teller first took on the pseudonym PapaPlatte, under which he is still known today. His journey began rather unspectacularly: at first, he had only a few viewers, but over time, his audience grew to a few hundred, until his growth plateaued in 2016 and 2017 at around 4,000 new followers per month.
Growth of PapaPlatte over the last 5 years (Source: Socialblade.com)
This is how PapaPlatte celebrated his first major successes on Twitch
This is how he first reached many viewers: In 2018, PapaPlatte launched a streaming format that allowed some streamers before him to earn several thousand euros per broadcast: called Sell-Out Streams. These are streams in which the streamer offers a service in exchange for donations apart from the stream itself:
Reactions to videos submitted by viewers
Viewers can decide under what conditions a game is played.
Viewers can request songs that a streamer plays or streams from a service.
Viewers get the opportunity to participate in exclusive giveaways.
PapaPlatte primarily watched videos that his viewers sent him. Some were funny, others serious, and some included jump scares. The success speaks for itself: In one of his Sell-Out streams, PapaPlatte collected around €11,000 in just 4 hours. Often he also used his Sell-Out stream for various charitable causes.
Around the same time, he started a new YouTube channel, which he also named PapaPlatte. Here, he primarily uploaded summaries of his streams. On YouTube, the Sell-Out streams were by far the most successful compared to the rest of the content.
His rash manner brought PapaPlatte not only success but also some trouble with the sometimes strict rules of the streaming platform Twitch: To date, PapaPlatte has been banned a total of 7 times. Fortunately, never permanently, which allowed him to continue growing.
Finally playing with the big leagues – also because of Logan Paul
Successful thanks to Pokémon cards? The name PapaPlatte first gained worldwide recognition through a stream by US YouTuber and amateur boxer Logan Paul. The US star bought a sealed box of Pokémon trading cards for around $200,000. He then gave willing buyers the chance to secure a pack for $11,000.
The catch: A booster pack for $11,000 could contain cards worth five times or more. PapaPlatte was watching Logan Paul’s livestream (via youtube) when he pulled his slip and opened the pack. Inside was a very rare Charizard card from the first generation, for which collectors would pay absurd amounts of €50,000 – €65,000.
Captivated by the hype, PapaPlatte partnered with Trymacs to adopt the concept from Logan Paul’s stream. They also bought expensive boxes, involved other German YouTubers, and now hosted large “Pokémon Card Openings” in German.
Youth Word & Road Trip through Europe – What’s happening with PapaPlatte in 2021
Fans submit youth word: Rather unintentionally, the Berlin streamer is currently gaining attention due to the selection of the youth word of 2021. The word “Papatastisch” is also up for voting, but hardly any outsiders are likely to know or understand the term.
However, a targeted Google search quickly reveals countless articles reporting on the connection between Papatastisch and streamer PapaPlatte.
“Papatastisch” is up for selection as the youth word of 2021 (Source: PapaPlatte via Twitter)
Continuous stream catapulted PapaPlatte to 8th place on Twitch
This is how PapaPlatte reached 8th place on Twitch: The latest stunt from PapaPlatte and his YouTube colleagues Reeze and AnyNoob brought PapaPlatte even more fans. Starting on July 27, the trio traveled through Europe for 9 days. Of course, always with a running camera in hand and stream chat in sight. They only temporarily ended the stream in the most urgent emergencies or complete exhaustion:
Bathroom breaks & hygiene
Sleeping at night
Or in dead zones with no signal
It was well worth it: Measured by watch time, PapaPlatte jumped from 55th place among the most successful streamers in the world to 8th place. On the last day of the road trip, he also shared the key data from the week:
The tour in numbers:
Distance: 3479 km
Stream time: 85 hours
Viewer record: 39,550 viewers simultaneously
Countries: 7
Before the tour, only a few hundred followers joined his fanbase daily. During the road trip, PapaPlatte gained around 3,000 – 5,000 new followers daily. On the first day of the tour, about 1,400 new fans subscribed to him. Thousands more followed over the following days.
One of the two Blizzard CEOs is also quite competent in World of Warcraft. Mike Ybarra easily clears dungeons on “Mythic+20” and streams it.
One accusation that developers and executives of gaming companies have to endure repeatedly is: “They don’t know their game and don’t play it themselves!” In many cases, this is sheer nonsense: A studio head clearly proves that it simply isn’t true. One of the two new Blizzard heads plays World of Warcraft extensively – and probably much better than most of you.
Who is that? Mike Ybarra has been at the helm of Blizzard alongside Jennifer Oneal for a few weeks. The two have replaced the former head J. Allen Brack, who vacated his position due to the sexism and discrimination scandal at Blizzard.
Before his career at Blizzard, Mike Ybarra worked at other major gaming companies. He was involved as a manager with games like Age of Empires Online or Ryse: Son of Rome.
He has now also started streaming again on Twitch.
What is he playing? In a stream lasting over 3 hours, Ybarra showed that he knows World of Warcraft not just in theory, but is also a pretty competent player. Together with his group, he tackled some dungeons of the “Mythic+20” level – this is quite a big deal even for experienced players, and only a few are able to master these dungeons within the time limit.
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He also managed to do that in “The Other Side” and “Mists of Tirna Scithe” quite easily. However, in the dungeon “The Ascendant’s Pinnacle”, the group narrowly failed, as the last of the 3 minibosses before the final boss is particularly nasty to play with the current affixes.
Interestingly, Ybarra still wanders around with a legendary item of item level 235, even though he could have upgraded it twice more. However, he complains about the prices on his realm and is not willing to spend most of his gold on an upgrade:
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What does that mean? For the Blizzard community, it is definitely a good sign when one of the CEOs is so open and also streams on Twitch. He has already offered to answer questions about his work as well as gameplay mechanics questions. This not only makes him seem competent but also gives players a bit of the openness they have long wished for from Blizzard and the management.
Whether these streams will become a regular occurrence remains to be seen.
More about World of Warcraft on MeinMMO can be found here:
By the way, Ybarra is not only committed to Blizzard games on Twitch. He also plans to check out other games, such as playing Final Fantasy XIV with the guild leader of Complexity-Limit. Whether that was just a casual offer or will really lead to a “WoW professionals play Final Fantasy” session remains to be seen.
What do you think of the behavior of the Blizzard CEO? Is it cool that he streams on Twitch and shows what he can do? Or should one in his position rather not act as a streamer?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Nowadays, many large publishers have their own subscription services that allow you to access a selection of their games. Which ones do you actively use and why?
These are the services: There are subscription services everywhere nowadays. Whether it’s movies, music, TV, or other forms of entertainment, there is sure to be a subscription service available. Consequently, various services have also been established in recent years for video games that require a subscription to use.
Some of them let you stream games and are somewhat like “Netflix for gamers,” while others provide you with a selection of free games that change at regular intervals. It’s a colorful mix of offers and games that gamers can access.
Some of these gaming libraries and offers are huge and provide hundreds of hours of gaming fun. Accordingly, choosing is sometimes not easy for us. Therefore, we at MeinMMO want to know which ones you have chosen and why.
This is how you can vote: You can make your choice in the survey tool below. You can check as many answers as you have subscriptions. However, you cannot undo your choice, so be careful what you click.
So go ahead: What gaming subscriptions do you currently have running? Do you have several at the same time, do you prefer to stick with one subscription, or do you entirely forgo subscription services? What do you think of the concept of “Netflix for gamers” and streaming games in general?
Let us know your opinion in the comments and feel free to share what you think about this trend.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Destiny 2, the last week of the upcoming Season 14 has arrived, but there are still some question marks that have not yet been uncovered. Will this happen at the last minute?
Warning, potential spoilers! Read on at your own risk!
What mysteries? Today, on August 17th, we are expecting the last Weekly Reset of Season 14, before next week on August 24th the new Season 15 will launch. Officially, nothing more (big) is planned for this week. With the epilogue from last week, the roadmap for the outgoing season ends.
However, there are still 2 potential contents from the season of the Splicer that have not yet made their way into the game – not even with the epilogue, which some had actually speculated about. So what can we still expect in the last week of Season 15?
New Exotic Splicer Ship
What’s the deal with the ship? In Season 14, we were supposed to earn a new exotic ship, which has been visible in the database for some time – the “Forbidden Memory” (via light.gg) in the typical Fallen style. The source is listed as the “Season of the Splicer” quest.
The exotic ship “Forbidden Memory”
It was assumed that Season 14 would end with the epilogue from last week and that the ship would also be received at the end there. After all, Commander Zavala visits a joint memorial of humans and Eliksni in the lore of the ship – presumably in honor of the shared fight against the Vex as part of the epilogue. But the ship has not yet been a reward.
How likely is it? This could indeed still happen in the last week of Season 14, the chances are quite good. According to data mining, there should be another small quest this week where the ship could be the reward.
Mysterious Oracles
What’s up with the mysterious Oracles? When Season 14 began, Vex Conflicts (a kind of “digital” pillar) suddenly appeared in some Lost Sectors in the Tangled Shore, surrounded by floating Oracles and protected by a Vex Minotaur. Players began to speculate what it could be. But shortly thereafter, Bungie patched it out of the game and stated that it had been a mistake. You can watch them in a video by Esoterickk here:
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But the mystery itself lived on. There were numerous theories about what it could be – for example, a new activity, a community puzzle, or an exotic quest (for the Vex Mythoclast), which was supposed to appear later in the advanced stage of the season but simply appeared in the game too early. But none of this has been confirmed so far.
How likely is it? Currently, there are basically 3 theories around these mysterious Oracles:
It is something that will come into the game this week – however, this is the least likely variant.
It is something that was intended for Season 15 and just appeared in the game too early.
It is a remnant of content that was originally planned for Season 14 but was discarded and accidentally made its way into the game. This is likely the most plausible explanation.
In short: One should not assume that anything bigger is about to happen or go live right now. But you never know. Either way – this mystery should be solved soon.
What do you think? After the last Weekly Reset of Season 15, will we still manage to earn a new exotic ship at the last minute? And what do you think about the mysterious Oracles? Do you think something will come – either this season or next season? Or was it really just a bug? Let us know in the comments.
The Tower Defense event “Theater of Devices” (“Theater Mechanicus”) returns to the game of Genshin Impact. MeinMMO shows you how to overcome all stages without difficulties and how the event works.
What do you think of the event? Longtime players may remember the tower defense game in Liyue. This time it can be found in Inazuma at Komakata, directly in the capital near the forge. To participate, you must reach Adventure Rank 30 and complete the quest “The Escape from Ritou”. You can also play the game cooperatively with one of your friends.
Here you will find an overview of what to expect in this guide. Just click on the respective title to get to the section you are interested in.
Before you start a match, there are important things to know. This also applies to those of you who know the old event, as the current one differs significantly from the previous.
The levels of devices cannot be increased outside of a match, unlike the predecessor.
Only the theater level (Theater Tactics) provides bonuses for you. The higher the theater tactics, the more points, luck, and device points you receive.
There are four different types of amazing sticks that you can draw during a match:
Lucky sticks: Provide bonuses and upgrade devices.
Wonder sticks (from Theater Tactics: Level 4): Provide bonuses for you.
Courage sticks: Strengthen enemies, but you receive more device points when defeating such an enemy.
Deceitful stick: Luck-based. It costs less, but can result in negative effects, such as: Destroys a random device, the purchased deceitful stick has no effect, reduces the attack level of the device tower (…).
You cannot accumulate elemental energy and activate special abilities; only the elemental ability and normal attacks are available.
Your characters cannot deal damage to enemies but can destroy shields.
At the start and between rounds, a glowing path will show you the way the enemies will take.
The power of lucky sticks
Why are these sticks so important? The devices alone will not bring you victory. It is important to not only have many devices on the field but also to upgrade those you have. Especially when you draw a lucky stick that costs 1500 device points. These are often the strongest of all, and it is worth getting one instead of building three new devices.
A lucky stick always pertains to an element that represents all devices of that element type. Thus, it may be better if you focus on two to three specific elements and continually upgrade them. The same sticks can be acquired multiple times. Once you do this, you upgrade the previous effect. For example:
Sticks that increase the attack level provide 2000 attack per new drawn stick.
Each stick that has an elemental customer bonus increases this by 75 points each time.
1500 device points sticks have a bonus of 100%. If you buy it again, you will receive 100% on top of that.
You can read all stick effects in the event tab under “Action details”.
Take your time to read the effects of each stick during the match. When you press the “T” key, you bring up the stick menu and can switch to “available amazing sticks” at the top. There you can see which bonuses you have already received and how far they have been upgraded.
Lucky sticks 65, 68, and 71 can be useful in every possible stage.
Once the free draws are used up, it is better to use a reroll for 50 device points than to take an upgrade from which you get nothing.
Recommended characters
Which characters are worth taking? There are certain troop members who are particularly helpful and can significantly assist you with their elemental abilities.
Saccharose: Temporarily holds enemies in check and together.
Sayu: For mobility and her sword strikes.
Jean: Her elemental ability can be used to suck in enemies and throw them into the abyss.
Geo Traveler: The elemental ability is useful to prevent enemies from moving further.
Kazuha: Can hold enemies together with his elemental ability and stop them for a short time.
Venti: Enemies are swept into the air with his elemental ability and temporarily held in place.
Fischl: Can be used to distribute the Electro element on enemies.
Xingqiu / Barbara / Mona: To apply the Hydro element to enemies.
Yanfei / Klee / Yoimiya: Effortlessly distributes the Fire element on monsters.
Ayaka / Kaeya: You can use both characters to bring the Cryo element to enemies.
If you do not possess certain characters, it is not a problem. From personal experience, I can report that you only need a swordsman to push back enemies with heavy blows when things get tough.
All stages and tips to master them
1st Stage: “Restless Adept Bridge”
Tips for your possible victory:
At the start, place a “Salvage Device – Charity” near the purple gate.
A bit further behind, Pyro, Electro, Hydro, or Cryo devices can be placed. Ideally, stick to two to three different ones and take the remaining device points for lucky sticks.
Combining Electro and Pyro, Hydro and Cryo, or Hydro and Electro devices is recommended for this stage.
If you notice that individual enemies are escaping, you can either deactivate the bridge with the cube or push the enemies back with sword strikes or throw them into the abyss. This works especially well with Hydro Samachurls.
Which enemies can appear in this stage? The enemies differ from match to match. Each stage, except for this one, has two fixed final bosses that determine which sticks cannot be drawn.
Final phase: Ruin Guard (Healing – Heals at 50% health if not defeated quickly enough).
Possible tower arrangement for the perfect victory
Only Electro and Fire devices have been upgraded since the beginning of the match.
What approach was chosen? In the center, fire and electro devices were initially set up. Near the gate from which the enemies come, a “Salvage Device – Charity” was established at the start to gather many device points. Initially, existing towers were upgraded, and then several more were gradually added. The first two waves can be completed with two to four towers if you push enemies back with your sword.
2nd Stage: “Autumn Glow”
Tips for your possible victory:
At the start, place a “Salvage Device – Charity” near the spot where enemies die. This depends on which devices you are using. Test this in the first phase and place the salvage device after the first Hilichurls are defeated.
Electro and Pyro devices have an advantage in this stage.
Pay attention to the Geo bonus on lucky sticks as there is a stick in the Pyro attribute that attributes fire Geo damage and thus destroys shields faster.
It’s best to build (many) towers where both enemy paths converge, to eliminate all enemies from both purple gates.
Which enemies can appear in this stage? From this stage onward, two different patterns can appear. The last enemies determine which devices cannot be upgraded with lucky sticks. You can reset the pattern by leaving the match with Escape and re-entering.
Pattern 2 is easier to defeat than pattern 1 as you can clear everything with just Pyro devices. Phase 1 with the Hilichurls is always the same.
Pattern 1:
No Hydro and Anemo sticks
Stone Hide Lawachurl (Stonebreaker – Destroys all Geo devices in its vicinity every 15 seconds)
Hydro Samachurl and Hilichurl Berserker (Both: Fleetfooted – Particularly fast movement speed)
Pattern 2:
No Hydro and Cryo sticks
Frostarm Lawachurl
Hydro Samachurl and Cryo Samachurl (Both: Fleetfooted – Particularly fast movement speed)
Possible tower arrangement for victory
This arrangement has too few upgrades for the towers, but it was sufficient for victory.
What approach was chosen? Below the steps, the maximum number of Electro and Pyro devices were placed. Since all enemies above the stairs were defeated, initially, a “Salvage Device – Charity” was set up instead of the Cryo tower to start gathering device points early. During the rounds, additional Pyro and Electro towers were also set up on the right and left. Some monsters could escape, and others had to be shoved into the abyss, but with that, you can unlock the next stage.
However, ideally, without any escaped monsters, it would have been: Fewer devices, more upgrades right at the beginning. The first two phases can be easily completed with just two to three towers.
3rd Stage: “Multiple Springs”
Tips for your possible victory:
At the start, place a “Salvage Device – Charity” near the spot where enemies die. This depends on which devices you are using. Test this in the first phase and place the salvage device after the first Hilichurls are defeated. Usually, the spot is near the portals from which they come.
Pyro devices for penetrating power against the final phases. Preferably in combination with Electro devices. Upgrade all with the remaining device points and always pay attention to the 1500-device points sticks.
It’s best to place all devices in the middle lane, where both paths of enemies run parallel to one another.
Optionally, you can place Anemo devices if you have pattern 1. Turn these in the opposite direction of both monster portals and you can watch the enemies being tossed back and forth.
Which enemies can appear in this stage? In this stage, two different patterns can appear. The last enemies determine which devices cannot be upgraded with lucky sticks. You can reset the pattern by leaving the match with Escape and re-entering.
Pattern 2 is easier to defeat than pattern 1, as the Mitachurls are fast on foot and might get away from the towers. Additionally, the upgrades for the strong Hydro and Electro devices are missing. Phase 1, with the Hilichurls, is the same for both patterns.
Pattern 1:
No Hydro and Electro sticks.
Mitachurl with Fire Axe (Stonebreaker – Destroys all Geo devices in its vicinity every 15 seconds) and Mitachurl with Lightning Axe (Both: Fleetfooted – Particularly fast movement speed)
Pattern 2:
No Hydro and Anemo sticks
Stone Hide Lawachurl (Stonebreaker – Destroys all Geo devices in its vicinity every 15 seconds)
Possible tower arrangement for victory
In this arrangement, too few upgrades for the towers were made, but it was sufficient for victory.
What approach was chosen? In the center, several Pyro and Electro devices were built and were only partially upgraded. The Cryo tower was there to slow down the enemies. Furthermore, at the beginning, in the vicinity of the enemy portals, a “Salvage Device – Charity” was placed, and later replaced with several Pyro and Electro devices. Some enemies could escape, yet the match ended successfully.
Ideally, so without escaped monsters, it would have been: Fewer devices and more upgrades directly at the start. The first two phases are very safe to complete with just two to three towers if things get tight, you can help with elemental abilities and a swordsman. In addition, no Cryo device and its upgrade are needed.
Tips for your possible victory: From now on, you can acquire the “Mystical Device – Arcanum”. This strengthens the devices around it and increases their attack by 50%.
Place your devices in the center of the stage, preferably where both enemies must pass.
At the start, place a “Salvage Device – Charity” in front of the steps below, where only four fields are available for building; in that area, many enemies should fall if you build just in the middle.
Always upgrade your devices and always pay attention to the 1500-device points sticks. Also take the sticks that can upgrade Arcanum. The attack boost is particularly valuable.
If you want to conquer pattern 1, Pyro and Electro devices and their upgrades are again recommended. If you want to master pattern 2, you can resort to Pyro and Cryo devices. Additionally, single Anemo devices are also helpful to toss back enemies and cause swirling damage.
If necessary, add additional elemental devices in front of the stairs where you placed the salvage device.
“Mystical Device – Arcanum” is optimally utilized when placed in the middle of four other devices.
Which enemies can appear in this stage? In this stage, two different patterns can appear. The last enemies determine which devices cannot be upgraded with lucky sticks. You can reset the pattern by leaving the match with Escape and re-entering.
Pattern 1 is easier to defeat than pattern 2 as the possible Cryo and Pyro combination in pattern 2 does not work as well as the possible Pyro and Electro combination in pattern 1. Phase 1 with the Hilichurls is the same for both patterns.
Pattern 1:
No Cryo and Hydro sticks.
Frostarm Lawachurl (Stonebreaker – Destroys all Geo devices in its vicinity every 15 seconds)
Pattern 2:
No Hydro and Electro sticks.
Lightning Helmet Lawachurl (Stonebreaker – Destroys all Geo devices in its vicinity every 15 seconds).
Possible tower arrangement for the perfect victory
What approach was chosen? It was reset as long as needed, until pattern 1 came up. Afterwards, Pyro and Electro devices were placed in the middle and could be upgraded directly with the 1500-device points sticks. Subsequently, the Arcanum devices were also upgraded, leading to everything running smoothly. Initially, a “Salvage Device – Charity” was placed in front of the steps to farm enough device points.
5th Stage: “Double Trouble”
Tips for your possible victory: Stage 5 could be a bit tricky, as you should ideally place some devices directly in front of the blue portal. That’s where both enemy paths converge.
At first, two to three towers are enough to keep the Hilichurls at bay.
Place a “Salvage Device – Charity” in the direction of the path without stairs, where you can more easily gather device points.
Pattern 2 is easier to defeat than pattern 1 because the Ruin Hunters can take a lot of damage and move incredibly fast. However, with many upgraded Hydro and Cryo/Electro devices and centrally placed Arcanum devices, this is feasible.
You can overcome pattern 2 with both the Pyro and Electro device combination as well as especially with an Electro and Hydro device combination.
Don’t forget to upgrade the towers with lucky sticks.
If the devices in front of the blue gate are not sufficient, you can place additional devices below the steps, so you only have to pay attention to the path without stairs.
Which enemies can appear in this stage? In this stage, two different patterns can appear. The last enemies determine which devices cannot be upgraded with lucky sticks. You can reset the pattern by leaving the match with Escape and re-entering.
Pattern 1:
No Anemo and curious device sticks that have no elements.
Ruin Hunter (Fleetfooted – Particularly fast movement speed).
Pattern 2:
No sticks for devices that do not contain elements.
Ruin Colossus (Stonebreaker – Destroys all Geo devices in its vicinity every 15 seconds and Healing – Heals at 50% health if not defeated quickly).
Possible tower arrangement for the perfect victory
What approach was chosen? For the first phases, several Pyro and Electro devices were placed in front of the blue portal, reinforced by an Arcanum device. Furthermore, a “Salvage Device – Charity” was placed at the edge of the path. The devices were then upgraded. As it became necessary and the monsters advanced too far, new devices were built and at the end, some were also placed below the stairs. After retesting, the Hydro and Electro device combination performed better in both patterns.
6th Stage: “Restless Adept Bridge 2”
Tips for your possible victory:
Place two “Salvage Device – Charity” in the directions of the two purple portals.
Behind them, you can place Electro and Pyro devices with a central Arcanum device for pattern 1.
For pattern 2, it is best to place Hydro and Cryo/Electro devices along with a centrally placed Arcanum device.
If it gets too tight in both patterns, you can place additional elemental devices behind the yellow bridge and/or use the cube to disable the bridge briefly, once per phase.
Which enemies can appear in this stage? In this stage, two different patterns can appear. The last enemies determine which devices cannot be upgraded with lucky sticks. You can reset the pattern by leaving the match with Escape and re-entering.
Pattern 1 is easier to defeat than pattern 2 because the Ruin Hunters can take a lot of damage and move incredibly fast. Phase 1, with the Hilichurls, is the same for both patterns.
Pattern 1:
No Hydro and Anemo sticks.
Stone Hide Lawachurl (Stonebreaker – Destroys all Geo devices in its vicinity every 15 seconds).
Pattern 2:
No Anemo and curious device sticks that have no elements.
Ruin Hunter (Fleetfooted – Particularly fast movement speed).
Possible tower arrangement for the perfect victory
What approach was chosen? I received pattern 2. Hydro and Cryo devices were built gradually in the middle and behind the yellow bridge. Centrally stood an Arcanum device each time. Initially, two “Salvage Device – Charity” were placed towards the purple portals to gather device points. Both elements were heavily upgraded, causing the enemies to be permanently frozen and slow.
7th Stage: “Autumn Glow 2”
Tips for your possible victory:
Build a “Salvage Device – Charity” at the spot where the enemies fall.
In pattern 1, Pyro and Cryo devices in front of the stairs are recommended as both paths meet there. You can also set up Anemo towers to push back fast enemies.
Pattern 2 can best be solved with Hydro and Cryo devices.
Remember to upgrade your devices using Arcanum and/or sticks.
Which enemies can appear in this stage? In this stage, two different patterns can appear. The last enemies determine which devices cannot be upgraded with lucky sticks. You can reset the pattern by leaving the match with Escape and re-entering.
Pattern 1 is harder to master perfectly than pattern 2. Due to the mass of enemies and their speed, some enemies may be able to escape. Phase 1, with the Hilichurls, is the same for both patterns.
Pattern 1:
No Hydro and Electro sticks.
Mitachurl with Fire Axe (Stonebreaker – Destroys all Geo devices in its vicinity every 15 seconds) and Mitachurl with Lightning Axe (Both: Fleetfooted – Particularly fast movement speed).
Pattern 2:
No Pyro and Electro sticks.
Geo Dragon Lizard (Stonebreaker – Destroys all Geo devices in its vicinity every 15 seconds and Fire of Wrath).
Possible tower arrangement for the perfect victory
What approach was chosen? I intentionally chose pattern 2 as the previous stages were almost exclusively won with the Pyro and Electro combination. First, a “Salvage Device – Charity” was placed directly in front of the stairs on the lower level. Then, two Hydro and Cryo devices were added, rounded off with an Arcanum device in the middle. After that, the towers were upgraded as much as possible. As it became necessary, additional towers were built on the right and left side, but these were not needed after the Salvage Device was replaced by a Hydro Tower.
8th Stage: “Multiple Springs 2”
Tips for your possible victory: Stage 8 is the first that has three purple gates from which enemies escape. Unfortunately, the paths only meet just before the blue portal, requiring a slightly different strategy.
Ideally, build two “Salvage Device – Charity” towards the third, as well as towards the first and second purple gates, to gather device points early.
In pattern 1, you can use Hydro and Cryo, Hydro and Electro, or other combinations with Pyro. The Hydro and Electro combination is particularly successful.
In pattern 2, you can choose a Cryo and Pyro combination. Additionally, Anemo devices can prove useful to push back fast enemies. Individual Hydro devices can pay off to hold enemies in place with the freezing effect through the combination with Cryo devices.
Don’t forget to upgrade your devices with sticks and place Arcanum devices.
Which enemies can appear in this stage? In this stage, two different patterns can appear. The last enemies determine which devices cannot be upgraded with lucky sticks. You can reset the pattern by leaving the match with Escape and re-entering.
Pattern 2 is harder to master perfectly than pattern 1. Due to the mass of enemies and their speed, some enemies may escape. Phase 1, with the Hilichurls, is the same for both patterns.
Pattern 1:
No Anemo and curious device sticks that have no elements.
Ruin Hunter (Fleetfooted – Particularly fast movement speed and Stonebreaker – Destroys all Geo devices in its vicinity every 15 seconds).
Pattern 2:
No Hydro and Electro sticks.
Mitachurl with Fire Axe (Stonebreaker – Destroys all Geo devices in its vicinity every 15 seconds) and Mitachurl with Lightning Axe (Both: Fleetfooted – Particularly fast movement speed).
Possible tower arrangement for the perfect victory
What approach was chosen? I fought against pattern 1. At the beginning, “Salvage Device – Charity” was placed in both directions. Additionally, as many devices as possible were built close to the center and towards gate three. Electro devices predominated. Individual Hydro devices were only built for reactions. Until the third phase, only the initial towers were upgraded before new ones were added. In the last phase, the salvage devices were replaced with additional Electro devices to maximize damage.
9th Stage: “Dream Pavilion 2”
Tips for your possible victory: In addition to the three purple gates of Stage 8, a second blue portal is now added that you must protect.
Place a “Salvage Device – Charity” in front of each purple gate and upgrade it. Make sure to give it the buff that restricts the movement speed of the enemies.
For particularly fast enemies, you can place Anemo devices near the purple gates to hurl them back into the salvage devices.
If this is not enough, you can also use the “Devil Device – Expulsion” as help.
In pattern 1, Cryo and Hydro combinations have the advantage.
In pattern 2, Electro and/or Pyro devices can be beneficial as attack towers. Pay attention to the Pyro-Geo stick during upgrades.
Pattern 3 can best be mastered with Pyro devices as the attacking variant.
In the last phase of all patterns, make sure to remove shields and replace them with attack towers, as the final bosses do not bounce off them.
Which enemies can appear in this stage? In this stage, three different patterns can appear for one time only. The last enemies determine which devices cannot be upgraded with lucky sticks. You can reset the pattern by leaving the match with Escape and re-entering.
Patterns 2 and 3 can be completed most easily, as in pattern 1, you must do without strong attack towers. Phase 1, with the Hilichurls, is the same for all patterns.
Pattern 1:
No Pyro and Electro sticks.
Geo Dragon Lizard (Stonebreaker – Destroys all Geo devices in its vicinity every 15 seconds and Fire of Wrath).
Pattern 2:
No Hydro and Anemo sticks.
Stone Hide Lawachurl (Stonebreaker – Destroys all Geo devices in its vicinity every 15 seconds and Energy Drain – All curious devices affected by this attack cannot perform their base attacks. Happens every 30 seconds).
Pattern 3:
No Hydro and Electro sticks.
Lightning Helmet Lawachurl (Stonebreaker – Destroys all Geo devices in its vicinity every 15 seconds).
Possible tower arrangement for the perfect victory
Phase 1-4
Phase 5
What approach was chosen? As the fast enemies escaped repeatedly and the restraints were insufficient, “Devil Device – Expulsion” was placed in front of all purple gates. Additionally, an Anemo device was built in front of gate two and three, while two were erected at gate one. The highest monster population occurs at gate one, requiring more towers for defense.
As an attack method, Pyro devices were used, which were deployed as soon as an enemy could escape the shield and Anemo tower. The most important part of the setup were the “Salvage Device – Charity” at each purple gate. It was extremely important to invest in at least one to two upgrades that reduce the enemies’ movement speed by 20%. In phase five, all devices that were not Pyro devices were replaced, except for the salvage devices.
10th Stage: “Double Trouble 2”
Tips for your possible victory:
Adjust your devices to the different monster types at the two gates. This means that you should build Hydro and/or Electro devices below the stairs, for example, against Pyro enemies.
“Devil Device – Expulsion” in combination with “Salvage Device – Charity” and/or Anemo devices can keep fast enemies at bay.
Set up more towers in front of the blue portal, as both paths that the enemies take meet there.
In pattern 1 and 2, you are well equipped with Hydro and Pyro devices.
Make sure to upgrade all your devices. If you use the Devil device, you can exclude it from upgrades as it should be exchanged in the last phase.
Which enemies can appear in this stage? In this stage, two different patterns can appear. The last enemies determine which devices cannot be upgraded with lucky sticks. You can reset the pattern by leaving the match with Escape and re-entering.
This time, you need to be aware that gate one and two send different types of monsters to the battlefield. Phase 1, with the Hilichurls, is the same for all patterns and gates.
Pattern 1:
No Anemo and curious device sticks that have no elements.
Gate 1: Lightning Helmet Lawachurl (Stonebreaker – Destroys all Geo devices in its vicinity every 15 seconds).
Gate 2: Geo Dragon Lizard (Stonebreaker – Destroys all Geo devices in its vicinity every 15 seconds).
Pattern 2:
No Electro and curious device sticks that have no elements.
Gate 1: Frostarm Lawachurl (Stonebreaker – Destroys all Geo devices in its vicinity every 15 seconds).
Gate 2: Geo Dragon Lizard (Stonebreaker – Destroys all Geo devices in its vicinity every 15 seconds).
Possible tower arrangement for the perfect victory
What approach was chosen? The first two phases were completed with few devices. First, a few Pyro devices were set along with salvage devices. The salvage devices had upgrades that increased their range and slow the enemies by 40%. As different monsters with different elements came out of both gates, additional Hydro devices were built on the appropriate side. During the match, more towers were added until the maximum number of 14 was reached. In the last phase, all devices that did not have the element Pyro or Hydro were exchanged. The salvage devices were excluded.
Rewards
What rewards are there? In addition to Mora, original stones, EXP cards, and materials to enhance talents, there is a name card for your profile that you can’t get otherwise. The green coins (“Wondrous Talisman”) to buy rewards at the action trader can be obtained by mastering the challenges under “Action Rewards” in the event tab.
All name cards that the community has been able to receive at events so far were event-specific. If you are a collector, you have until August 26 to grab this card.
Did you enjoy the guide or was something unclear? What do you think of this event? Do you like this kind of mini-games or would you wish for something else? Feel free to write it in the comments below.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Fortnite, the servers are going down today, on August 17, on all platforms (PC/Mac, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, Android). The downtime will be used to install the new update 17.40. What changes are coming to the game? We at MeinMMO summarize.
What is happening today in Fortnite? Update 17.40 was announced last night by Fortnite Status (via Twitter) and will be released today, Tuesday. The patch is expected to bring the Imposter Mode, changes to the Coral Castle, and more DC content.
To ensure you don’t miss this, we at MeinMMO will update the article for you so you always have the latest information.
Update (August 17, 2021): The servers are back online and we know of the following changes:
A legendary questline with extra experience
A new legendary quest every Thursday
The new weapon Kymera – an Alien Pulse Rifle that fires in bursts
New information about the Imposter Mode and Coral Castle has been updated below.
Fortnite servers go down for maintenance – when and how long?
Downtime in the morning: The servers will go offline at 10 AM our time to roll out update 17.40. The matchmaking will already be disabled 30 minutes prior, so you won’t be able to play after 09:30 AM.
When can you play again? The servers will be offline for a while, and playing will not be possible. The downtime is expected to last between 30 minutes and 2 hours. This has been shown by updates in the past weeks.
Of course, there can always be technical problems and delays during such work. We will keep you updated and maintain the article accordingly.
When will the patch notes be released? Typically, EPIC publishes little to no information about update changes in the Battle Royale mode. These are often found by the players themselves.
However, if important changes occur, we will also update this article for you.
What new content does update 17.40 bring?
What’s new for the Battle Royale mode? We are not yet entirely sure about the changes, but leaks and data miners have often proven to be reliable sources in the past. Likely, the following changes will occur.
The Imposter Mode: EPIC has teased it before, and with update 17.40, it is expected to make its way into the game. As the name suggests, it could be a kind of Among Us crossover/game mode, where you have to deceive your fellow players. We already know that it is supposed to relate to Fortnite lore.
The Imposter Mode is available in public matches but also in private groups of four to ten players.
A first teaser image of the mode
Coral Castle gets abducted: The aliens causing havoc in the Fortnite world are reportedly abducting the next Point of Interest. This time it is said to be Coral Castle, as ShiinaBR shows on Twitter. The aliens seem to have calculated that it will take longer to take Coral Castle, so the area will gradually change throughout the week.
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Wonder Woman arrives: After Superman and Batman, the fighter Wonder Woman is set to enter the world of Fortnite on August 19. Additionally, there will be a Wonder Woman Cup on August 18. To obtain the skin in the cup, you must be one of the best in your region during the cup.
To participate in the cup, you must be at least level 30 and have two-factor authentication activated.
Wonder Woman in Fortnite
There will also be various bug fixes. Among other things, a bug that prevented you from completing the Free Guy quest is supposed to be fixed.
We will see if more is coming our way and keep you updated when the changes of the update are announced.
What changes do you wish for from update 17.40 in Fortnite? Have you gotten used to the morning patch times or do they annoy you or disrupt your gameplay? Feel free to let us know in the comments.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
An era in Dead by Daylight is coming to an end. The Demogorgon, Steve, and Nancy are disappearing. Behaviour is losing the “Stranger Things” license.
Fans of Dead by Daylight need to be strong now, as the number of available killers and survivors is shrinking for the first time in the game’s history. All characters from the “Stranger Things” DLC will soon no longer be available in Dead by Daylight. And it gets worse: The special map, Hawkins National Laboratory, will completely disappear from the world of the Entity.
What happened? Dead by Daylight announced via Twitter that the “Stranger Things” content will soon be removed from the game’s shop. In the future, it will not be possible to purchase the killer Demogorgon or the survivors Nancy Wheeler or Steve Harrington. Until November 17, interested players have the opportunity to secure these characters – after that, this option will disappear permanently.
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Why is this happening? There was no specific answer as to why Dead by Daylight could not extend the licensing rights for Stranger Things. However, the most likely theory is that Netflix itself is planning a “Stranger Things” game and therefore does not support competing products with its own licenses.
After all, Netflix recently announced that it intends to enter the video game market and publish its own games. Therefore, it seems reasonable to deny licenses of its own productions to other publishers and developers.
However, there is no confirmation for this.
What if you already have the characters? Nothing. Those who already own the characters or purchase them by November 17 can keep and continue to use them. All purchased cosmetics can also continue to be used.
For killer collectors, this also means that anyone wanting to play the Demogorgon in the future should act now, so that a killer doesn’t end up missing from their collection.
There will be some sales in the coming days. The characters and their cosmetics will be reduced by 50% starting August 18. This is the perfect opportunity for collectors to get in on the deal.
Three characters that will soon disappear.
What will happen to the perks and achievements? The characters’ perks will still be available through the Shrine of Secrets, even if Nancy, Steve, and the Demogorgon can no longer be purchased.
Achievements associated with the characters will be reworked into “generic” achievements that can be unlocked with all characters. If you have already unlocked the corresponding achievements, you will keep them.
What will happen to the map? This is particularly bitter for all fans of the “Hawkins National Laboratory” map. Starting November 17, this map will no longer be accessible in the game – neither in private nor in public matches. The map will simply be removed from the game without replacement.
The loss of a license is a novelty in Dead by Daylight. Stranger Things was only in the game for just under 2 years – and now is the last chance to permanently secure the characters before this option expires.
Find out more about Dead by Daylight on MeinMMO here:
How are players reacting: In the Dead by Daylight subreddit, players are reacting shocked and dismayed to this announcement. Especially the map “Hawkins National Laboratory” is popular among many players, as it is an interesting indoor map. But the very fact that Dead by Daylight can lose licenses and killers may become “unattainable” again concerns many players. After all, this could mean that in the long run, other characters – like Michael Myers or Freddy Krueger – might also disappear from the game.
What do you think about it? Not a big deal? Or “The beginning of the end” of Dead by Daylight?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Intel presents its brand “Arc” for high-end graphics cards. The GPUs are expected to arrive in spring 2022. We present you the information.
What’s it about? Intel has presented solid information about its high-end graphics cards under the brand “Arc”. With these graphics cards, they aim to stir up the market starting next year.
This introduction from Intel is unlikely to surprise users interested in graphics cards. Intel has made it clear for several years that it is interested in becoming a serious third player in the field of modern gaming graphics cards. So far, mainly AMD and Nvidia are competing for potential buyers of a graphics card.
When is the graphics card coming? Manufacturer Intel has at least provided a time window for when the graphics card is supposed to arrive: early 2022. The first Arc graphics cards, based on the “Alchemist” generation, will be released in the first quarter of 2022 and will signify the official start of Intel’s entry into the graphics card market.
Intel wants to introduce both graphics cards for desktop PCs and gaming laptops, aiming to position itself as broadly as its competitors, who also offer graphics cards for various devices.
What will the graphics card cost? Currently, there is hardly any solid information on this. We do not know prices, but it is quite likely that Intel will orient itself on the competition. Nvidia’s popular GeForce RTX 3080 is expected to be available for a suggested retail price of 729 Euros, but current market prices are significantly higher.
Whether prices will stabilize by early 2022 is also uncertain.
When will there be more information? Intel stated in its conference that it would release more information regarding the new high-end graphics cards by the end of 2021. So we will have to wait a bit longer to know more.
Nonetheless, the initial response to Intel’s presentation has been quite positive. MeinMMO summarizes the first user reactions for you:
In early 2021, Intel released low-end graphics cards for pre-built PCs
At the beginning of the year, Intel introduced low-end graphics cards for pre-built computers. These are the DG1 graphics cards, Intel Iris Xe Max. They are primarily aimed at office users and were not designed for gaming, nor are they suitable for it. Especially the software had significant issues.
Intel’s upcoming Arc graphics cards are based on the Xe microarchitecture, which is also the foundation for the low-end graphics cards, but the architecture is referred to as Intel Xe-HPG. The HPG stands for High Performance Gaming and is being developed under the codename DG2.
How much performance the new graphics card from Intel will provide is still unknown. The graphics card is expected to offer hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI-driven super sampling. Additionally, it will have full support for DirectX 12 Ultimate.
With AI technology, they want to compete with Nvidia and AMD
What does Intel’s graphics card offer? Intel plans to offer “AI-driven super sampling” directly from release with its graphics cards. Nvidia is already successfully using this in its Nvidia’s Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) technique.
How exactly Intel’s technology will work is not yet known. Nvidia’s DLSS technology can only be used on Nvidia graphics cards with tensor cores. AMD has chosen an open variant that works with the competitor’s graphics cards as well.
What does this technology actually bring? The aim of all these technologies is to upscale games from a lower resolution to achieve smoother frame rates without noticeable losses in image quality. This way, the game runs significantly smoother without requiring a faster graphics card.
With DLSS, there is a simple way to significantly increase the FPS while maintaining quality. This is especially helpful when the graphics card is already heavily loaded. For the GeForce RTX 3060, the performance gain can be up to 30%.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Overwatch character McCree is under criticism. Many are calling for a renaming, as they are bothered by the name.
In recent weeks, the discrimination and sexism scandal at Blizzard has overshadowed almost everything. In the course of the aftermath, some employees were let go, including Jesse McCree. However, there is a bigger problem here, as he was the namesake of an Overwatch character. Many fans are now calling for the renaming of McCree.
What is the problem? The cowboy Jesse McCree is one of the most well-known Overwatch characters. However, he shares his name with one of the developers, who Activision Blizzard recently parted ways with and who was involved in the sexism scandal. Jesse McCree was mainly responsible for Diablo in recent years and, apart from the name similarity with the cowboy McCree in Overwatch, had nothing to do with the game.
In various streams, the casters at matches have already begun to avoid saying McCree’s name, instead referring to him just as “the cowboy” (via dotesports.com).
Has anything similar happened before? Yes, in World of Warcraft. Several characters and items bore the name of the developer Alex Afrasiabi. Blizzard promptly renamed the corresponding items and characters after players spat on and killed the Afrasiabi NPC for days.
Streamer Asmongold finds the behavior ridiculous
However, the demand does not receive unanimous support. The streamer Asmongold has commented on this issue. Asmongold is primarily known for World of Warcraft or, in recent weeks, Final Fantasy XIV. He stated in the stream that he would find it ridiculous if McCree were renamed in Overwatch and explained this quite extensively:
I hope they don’t change McCree’s name in Overwatch. From my perspective, that would be just dumb. McCree is an existing character with a lot of history around him. The damned NPCs of Alex Afrasiabi didn’t have that; they were just random NPCs with his name.
So, if that were to happen, I would just find it weird. It’s like trying to hide it, like retconning things to make it look like it never happened.
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Asmongold also reacts to the casters avoiding McCree’s name. He says:
I find that just dumb. This is just one of those things where it’s like… yes, even though it was originally named after this guy who was an asshole, that’s not really what [the Overwatch character McCree] is. The character has developed. At least that’s how I see it.
Towards the end, Asmongold even becomes a bit annoyed:
What happens if you say his name? Do you call him three times and then he comes back? Is this like the damned Voldemort or Beetlejuice?
More about Overwatch on MeinMMO can be found here:
How likely is a renaming? Rather unlikely. The effort of a renaming would be massive compared to the renaming of the Afrasiabi changes. Not only would McCree have to be changed in the texts, but also in the numerous dialogues and comics. This would mean that Blizzard would have to review all media related to Overwatch or have over two dozen voice actors record their lines with McCree’s new name.
An effort that seems hardly proportional to the benefits.
What do you think about this matter? Should McCree be renamed?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Open Beta starts on the weekend in Diablo 2 Resurrected and lets you play the remake for free for three days. We will tell you how to participate and what the beta offers here at MeinMMO.
When does the beta start? The open beta of Diablo 2 Resurrected starts on August 20 at 7:00 PM and runs until August 23 at 7 PM. A preload is available from August 17, as soon as the closed beta ends. This allows you to download the nearly 25 GB and start right at 7 PM on Friday.
How can you participate? The Open Beta is available for PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4. The Nintendo Switch version will be released on September 23, alongside the game.
To participate in the Open Beta, you need the online service of your respective platform, even if you only want to play single-player. PSPlus, Xbox Live, or Battle.net are mandatory for the beta.
If you have that set up, you can simply download the beta starting August 17 and play on August 20.
What can you play in the Open Beta? In the beta, not the entire game is available; you can only play the first two acts of the game and only 5 of the 7 classes. These 5 classes are:
The Druid
The Barbarian
The Sorceress
The Amazon
The Paladin
Necromancer and Assassin players will have to wait until the end of September to join the battle with their favorite classes.
What progress will be carried over? If you have already played the Closed Beta or Early Access Beta, you can continue playing in the Open Beta from where you left off. However, no progress will carry over to the final game.
Crossplay is not available despite the wide availability, neither in the beta nor in the final release.
In this video, you can see gameplay of Diablo 2 Resurrected:
It remains to be seen whether Blizzard can get the problems under control by the start of the Open Beta.
What does the community say? Content-wise, the remaster is well-received by players. Some players are pleased with the ability to switch between the old and new graphics at any time. This quickly shows how much Blizzard has improved.
At the same time, many praise how much Blizzard has not done, namely in terms of gameplay. The remaster remains true to the original in many ways and adds meaningful quality-of-life improvements, as user Ziffibert notes on reddit.
The most commonly mentioned problem topic is by far the lack of ultrawide support. These screens are not recognized optimally, instead of seeing more, users only see black bars. This bothers many users accordingly.
Many bugs also seem to be an issue, as user TechnicalNobody notes on reddit : “As a veteran, I found at least 3 dozen bugs in just these 2 acts. And this is only the 10% of the content that they [Blizzard] are confident enough to show. This is not something they can fix in a month.”
Have you been able to play the beta already or are you still waiting for the free open beta? Or have you had enough of Blizzard’s remasters after the Warcraft 3 debacle? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments.
In Black Desert Mobile, a new update “To the Sea” is coming soon. In it, a large new ocean will be introduced that you can explore and discover.This will make the already beautiful and extensive game even prettier and larger.
Because the new ocean can be freely explored and you can use special ships or dive into the depths of the ocean.
Ships, Sea Monsters, and New Currency to Grind
How do the ships work? To navigate the ocean, you need a ship. These are not small boats, but powerful sailing ships. The ships are necessary to cross the sea and explore the islands, which in turn reveal further parts of the world map. The ships are steered almost like real sailing ships, and you must consider the winds if you want to travel effectively.
However, sailing for too long damages your ships, and the ship’s stamina is only replenished once a week on Monday. If you want to use your ship more effectively, you need to increase a specific sailing skill that reduces the overall energy loss of the ships, allowing them to travel further each week.
What can you do in and on the ocean? You increase the sailing skill through typical tasks in the ocean, which include:
Searching for treasures
Exploring new areas
Fishing
Fighting sea monsters
Additionally, you can earn a new currency called “Oquilla Coins” and engage in trade.
The beta of Back 4 Blood is over. But there is still urgent work to be done before the release – 5 aspects still need improvement.
The open beta of Back 4 Blood is coming to an end, and anyone who wanted to take a look at the cooperative zombie shooter had the opportunity to do so. However, the beta has also revealed that not everything is perfect for the launch in October. A number of improvements and fine-tuning are still necessary to ensure Back 4 Blood can be a success. We present to you the 5 things that Back 4 Blood should improve or clarify before launch.
1. Better AI for the bots
Of course, Back 4 Blood is most fun when played with 3 friends in a fixed group. But that is not always possible. Occasionally, a player may disappear from the ongoing match; after all, a single campaign can take several hours.
In that case, a bot “helps” out and takes the place of the survivor.
This works more poorly than well. The bots in Back 4 Blood fluctuate in their abilities between “absolute skill gods who one-shot every zombie” and “braindead meat sacks” that barely resemble zombies.
So the bots often stand in the toxic spit of zombies, do not heal themselves in the safe room even though they could regenerate 50 health points for 100 copper, or take strange detours to rescue fallen teammates.
The bots occasionally shoot through walls – or not at all.
In other cases, they ruin the game’s tension as they can already see special zombies through walls and often empty an entire magazine into a harmless wall behind which a Tallboy or Hocker is hiding.
The quality of the AI cleaners is definitely lacking and requires a lot of fine-tuning. Otherwise, they will continue to cause frustration and many rounds will be ended prematurely instead of continuing with a bot.
2. Better balancing of difficulty levels
Back 4 Blood offers 3 difficulty levels at launch, which vary massively in their demands. While “Veteran” provides a really solid challenge that already requires good coordination, “Nightmare” is only for true masochists who want to proceed in a planned and tactical manner and take their time with every little action.
The easiest difficulty level, “Survivor”, on the other hand, is a bad joke. At this level, the game is so simple that you basically just have to hold down the left mouse button. There is no joy to be found, and while the popping of zombie heads does bring a certain baseline satisfaction, it is not enough to make the game truly fun.
Better balancing between the difficulty levels or a few additional gradations could improve the gaming experience for everyone in the long run.
3. Fine-tuning of the AI Director
Even though the AI Director with its Corruption Cards, which are basically “affixes” for the run, already has many cool possibilities to make the run harder or easier, there is still some fine-tuning needed.
In the beta, it often did not feel like the AI Director was truly reacting dynamically.
It was common for the entire team to be wiped out during a mission, and with a “Continue” they had to replay the map. Why the AI Director thought it wise to implement even less loot and fewer “bonus rooms” but increase the number of Snitcher zombies is simply questionable – as this also doomed the second and third runs to failure.
Fine-tuning of the AI Director could definitely help here to keep the runs challenging without players feeling disadvantaged or facing “unfair” situations.
4. Clear words on the DLCs
A major unknown regarding Back 4 Blood is the upcoming DLCs. There is a season pass that is supposed to bring new content repeatedly in the first year. This includes new missions, but also new special zombies with new traits and abilities.
Particularly questionable: even now it is not known what content will be included at launch in Back 4 Blood.
In an earlier trailer, the zombie variants “Breaker” (a fast, strong melee fighter) and “Hag” (a giant zombie that devours survivors whole) were showcased. This is content that was shown in a trailer back in May but has not yet been discovered in the game. The corresponding trailer can be seen on YouTube; the special zombies can be seen starting at minute 2:18.
This raises the question of whether this content will be available in the launch version or whether it is content that will come only with the DLCs. If that is the case, it might be an indication that “finished” content has been cut from the launch version – something that Evolve (also from Turtle Rock Studios) was often accused of.
There are still too many unknowns regarding the content and the DLCs. More clarity is urgently needed.
More about Back 4 Blood can be found here on MeinMMO:
The last point is also one of the most important but also the most unrealistic: the PvP. The swarm PvP mode was already extremely unpopular in the beta and disappointed many fans of Left 4 Dead who were hoping for a similar campaign-versus mode. We have also harshly criticized the mode.
In Left 4 Dead, this was a cornerstone of the game and was loved by many. The fact that this mode does not exist in Back 4 Blood and everything basically boils down to “defend the point until you are overrun” is not pleasing to many.
Additionally, the swarm mode suffers from many issues. The long preparation time is extremely boring, the matches are too short, and real action rarely occurs. Most matches are decided after just 2 or 3 minutes.
If Back 4 Blood can address these points, nothing will stand in the way of a good release.
What do you think, what aspects of Back 4 Blood need further improvement?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Streamer Rex Sterling originally wanted to do a “3 Hour” stream for the new trailer of the mysterious PS5 game “Abandoned,” which some believe to be the covert “Silent Hill” project by Hideo Kojima. It turned into 74 hours, and in the end, there was a major disappointment.
What is “Abandoned?” Very little is known about the title, which makes it even more exciting. In April 2021, Hasan Kahraman reached out via the PlayStation Blog. He stated that his team was working in the Netherlands on a new game that would be exclusive to the PS5.
It is supposed to be a “survival simulation” revolving around the question: “Can you survive alone in the wilderness?” The new PS5 game is set to be a “first-person horror survival shooter.” A first teaser was released in April.
A horror game from a small studio – that’s not particularly exciting.
Conspiracy Theory about new PS5 game Abandoned
What is the mystery surrounding the game? Early on, rumors started circulating that this game might not even exist, but rather be some kind of trick, a cover for a much more exciting game.
In reality, it would be no new game from the Netherlands, but the “Silent Hill” project that video game legend Hideo Kojima was working on. Although the developers say there is nothing to the rumor, that Abandoned is a new game, this legend has persisted since then, making “Abandoned” incredibly fascinating for some people on the internet.
“Silent Hill – P.T. (Playable Teaser) was a teaser from the legendary developer Hideo Kojima, which was released in August 2014 as a free download for PlayStation. The teaser was taken offline when Kojima abandoned the project. However, the teaser was so good that it consistently made its way onto lists of the “Best Horror Games of All Time.”
Streamer planned 3-hour livestream for the new trailer
This was the plan of a streamer: The team from Blue Box Game Studios had promised a new trailer for “Abandoned.”
Streamer Rex Sterling intended to:
Go live on YouTube one hour before the trailer release and build some hype
Watch the trailer together with his fans
Discuss and analyze the trailer afterwards with his viewers
He thought: The whole event would take a maximum of 3 to 4 hours.
This is how it really was: The trailer simply did not come. The promised release date passed.
Sterling then decided to wait “in protest” and stay on air, thinking the delay could only last a few hours.
In the end, Sterling waited 74 hours until the trailer appeared – he was on air for more than 3 days. People tuned into his stream and felt: Something special was happening – an event.
Finally, the relatively unknown Sterling became relevant – he was the guy who had been waiting on the trailer for hours.
This is how the trailer turned out: It was disappointing. There was only music to be heard and a few images shown before the announcement came: “A playable prologue will be released soon.”
The streamer is left to catch his breath after this trailer, which he had waited so long for, and then exclaims: “What the hell was that?”
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Streamer says: He is not crazy – just very dedicated
Does he regret waiting so long? No, not at all. Sterling explains in a YouTube video that he finally became relevant with this “waiting stream” (via youtube). There was a great atmosphere in the chat:
50% of users believed that Kojima was indeed hiding behind the game
50% thought that was nonsense
Some big streamers later shook their heads about the “crazy” guy waiting 74 hours for a trailer, even though the studio behind it has no name. They would have thought of him as a “crazy Kojima fan.” But that’s not the case, Sterling says. He is just a small streamer who desperately wants to make a name for himself and is willing to invest a lot into his channel.
For Sterling, the 74-hour continuous stream was apparently an event, through which he felt part of a community and that he had made a name for himself. He believes he found many new viewers – it seems that waiting and suffering together brings people together.
What is the current state of eSports? What challenges is it facing? In a special of our MeinMMO Podcast, we talk to an expert about the biggest issues in eSports.
The topic of the special: In the gaming bubble, we know eSports very well. It is often seen as the sport of the future, with strong investors and eSports stars earning in the millions. However, it seems that electronic sports are struggling to make it into the mainstream, at least in the West. Is it all just a bubble in the end?
In this special episode, we will explore the biggest problems facing eSports. We will also highlight what needs to happen for eSports to succeed.
To do this, we will draw comparisons to traditional sports, look at the market relevance numbers, analyze why eSports is larger in Asia than in the West. We will discuss the definition of sports and look at who actually benefits from eSports. We will address the conflict of interest between gaming for the “normal” consumers and eSports. The distribution of genders in eSports also plays a role in market relevance.
For the analysis, Leya has invited eSports expert Timo Schöber. Timo Schöber is the author of the bestseller “Screen Athletes”. In addition, he works as a lecturer at the European University Viadrina and is the director of the think tank Esportionary.
How you can contribute: You can also actively participate in improving the podcast. If you have feedback such as suggestions or criticism or simply want to submit a cool topic suggestion that should urgently be discussed, then feel free to visit our Discord server.
Alternatively, you can also directly send an email to [email protected] and share your thoughts with us. Write us your opinion and discuss with us!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
