Registrations for gamescom now started on August 9. You can now participate in the major community event of the gamescom 2021 called EPIX and with a bit of luck grab limited prizes.
What is gamescom now? gamescom now is the go-to place for gamers who want to get the most out of gamescom 2021. It is a community hub where you can register for free to follow the shows and streams of gc21.
The site has been revamped this year and offers an improved user interface that is also optimized for mobile devices. Registration also gives you additional benefits:
Here you have an overview of all shows and the content of gamescom partners: All shows, trailers, interviews, and other information are centrally bundled
Registered users can receive various goodies on the pages of gamescom partners
You can create your own watch list of streams that interest you
If you register for gamescom now, you will automatically gain access to EPIX.
What is EPIX? This is the major community event of gamescom 2021. Together with other participants, you can complete various quests as a community that span all the social media channels of gamescom: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and more. The first quest has already begun and is about Twitter.
Participants must write a tweet for the first quest
In total, there will be 15 quests that the community can tackle. Once all are completed, the vault of gamescom opens, and loot will be distributed. A small preview of this is already visible on the gamescom now page (via now.gamescom.de).
This includes, for example, discount codes for goodies from the gamescom store or for Panasonic brand electronics in the manufacturer’s online stores. There will be prizes for all registered users, but also other special prizes that you can grab with a bit of luck. What exactly they are has not been revealed. However, they are supposed to be “exclusive and strictly limited” items.
All information about gamescom 2021 can be found in our hub:
Today, on August 10th, the Spotlight Hour featuring Shalour (Eastern Sea) begins in Pokémon GO. We will show you here if the event is worth it and what exactly to expect.
What kind of event is this? Spotlight Hours take place every Tuesday evening in Pokémon GO. For one hour, from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM, you will find a selected Pokémon significantly more frequently in the wild.
The Pokémon of today’s Spotlight Hour is Shalour from the Eastern Sea. The “Spotlight Hour” is accompanied by a bonus that grants you double XP.
Spotlight Hour on August 10th – Bonuses, Shiny and more
When does it start? The Spotlight Hour begins at 6:00 PM local time. The wild spawns in Pokémon GO will then transform into Shalour (Eastern Sea). The event lasts for about one hour and ends around 7:00 PM local time.
What bonuses are there? As you already know, you will encounter the event Pokémon throughout the map. If you activate a lure module, it will also attract Shalour. Keep in mind that this time it is Shalour from the Eastern Sea, so it is blue. In contrast to the version from the Western Sea, which is red.
You will receive double XP for catching Pokémon. Even if you already have enough Shalour, catching them might still be worthwhile, especially if you are still on the way from Level 41 to Level 50 in Pokémon GO. If you also activate a Lucky Egg, you will receive four times the XP for catching Pokémon.
Is there a Shiny Shalour? No, the Shiny variant of Shalour has not yet been released in Pokémon GO. You cannot find it during the Spotlight Hour.
Is today’s Spotlight Hour worth it?
This is what it brings you: First and foremost, you are participating in today’s Spotlight Hour for the experience points. After all, the blue Shalour from the Eastern Sea is already found in Germany. The red variant from the Western Sea will appear in the next Spotlight Hour, which is definitely more interesting.
For shiny hunters, there isn’t much to gain today either. Generally, Shalour is not strong. Its evolution, Gastrodon, doesn’t have much to say in PvP or PvE. There are far better Pokémon to battle with.
Will you participate in today’s Spotlight Hour with Shalour or will you skip the event this time? Share your thoughts with us here on MeinMMO in the comments. Maybe you have other reasons that speak for the event.
The new MMORPG Bless Unleashed starts with strong player numbers on Steam, but initially struggled with bad reviews. Now the game can gather more and more positive ratings, although it changes nothing at all. We from MeinMMO summarize for you what this is about and what people who like the game say.
What’s up with Bless Unleashed? On August 6, 2021, the new MMORPG was released on Steam. Although many players initially associate the name Bless with the negative experience of Bless Online, the games do not actually have much in common. They merely share the same brand and the same world, but are produced by two different development studios.
This connection has recently been enough for many players to give a bad rating out of principle. This led to Bless Unleashed having many players, but the ratings on Steam stood at “mostly negative”. However, the longer the game runs, the more positive remarks players can find.
This has resulted in the ratings steadily increasing. Currently, around 57% of over 9,500 ratings on Steam are positive. Additionally, Bless Unleashed was able to win up to 73,000 concurrent players in recent days (via steamcharts.com). We at MeinMMO want to take a look at what people who have actually played the game have to say.
The player numbers of Bless Unleashed are remarkably high. (via Steamcharts.com)
“Nothing that will keep me forever, but it’s fun”
What do the people who like Bless Unleashed say? We searched for reviews from people who have played Bless for more than 10 hours. Some of the biggest pros are the appealing graphics, the combat system, and the fact that you don’t have to pay anything for Bless Unleashed:
The user silver2774 writes after 19.4 hours of playtime (via Steam): “The graphics are beautiful, although a bit outdated. There are plenty of quests. The possibilities regarding crafting, upgrades, and armor are almost too much. […] Apart from the world bosses, it plays almost like a solo game, apart from the quests where you have to share enemies with others. This can lead to wait times, but you also have help everywhere.”
The player Kite5 writes after 35.8 hours of playtime (via Steam): “The game is not a 10/10 of the new MMOs, but it’s fun enough to keep me entertained. It brings massive technical improvements over Bless Online, even if the game shows its age in some textures. […] The combat system feels a bit strange at first, but gets much better, although not perfect. Graphically, it surprises again and again with details like reflections of things on metallic surfaces. […] For me, it’s a 6.5/10. Nothing that will keep me forever, but it’s fun.”
The user KrulNobu writes after 57.1 hours (via Steam): “The game is really great. It’s free2play and without pay2win, so you should definitely check it out. The initially poor ratings were partly due to server issues at launch. However, the developer acted quickly here and reached out to the community. It now runs smoothly and without lag or stuttering. […] “
If you filter by German and English reviews from players with more than 10 hours of playtime, 87% of the ratings are positive.
What do players who do not like Bless Unleashed say? Even if you find more positive ratings among users with more playtime, there are also players who have a lot to criticize about Bless Unleashed. The critical players are still complaining about technical issues and lags, while some others mainly object to the cash shop and the PvP principle of Bless:
The player wisdorin writes after 22.9 hours in the game (via Steam): “It’s the Genshin Impact of MMORPGs. I am not influenced by Bless Online and I gave the game an honest try. But I feel like the best way to play the game is with my credit card in hand. From the mid-levels on, you are forced into open-world PvP. Turning off the option only means that I cannot attack anyone anymore. To actually deactivate the PvP, you have to buy a one-hour pass for real money.”
The user Daikarian expresses negatively after 29.5 hours (via Steam): “It’s good at the start, but then just gets boring. You level almost only through quests, and the skill system is very small. The animations look like they are from 2010.”
Miwako Sato comes to the conclusion after 20.4 hours (via Steam): “Beautiful graphics and a great story, but the combat system and the performance are a nightmare and haven’t improved since the beta.”
As the ratings show, you can certainly have a lot of fun with Bless Unleashed in its current state. However, some players are annoyed by the unavoidable PvP or complain about lags and technical issues. Since it is basically free2play, anyone can form their own impression.
Bless Unleashed has nothing to do with Bless Online
What is Bless Unleashed? The MMORPG arrived on PC from consoles on August 6, 2021. It is free2play and offers an extensive in-game real money shop. Bless Unleashed was already released in March 2020 for the Xbox, so there is about a year and a half between the original release and the PC version.
Bless Unleashed promotes the following aspects:
Quests and bosses in an open world
Action combat system with 5 different classes
A main story revolving around divinity
Dungeons and crafting
Open-world PvP content
What was Bless Online again? It is the same brand and the same publisher, Neowiz, but different developers are behind both games. The Bless brand has gone through a lot before Bless Online was shut down in September 2019.
Have you also played Bless Unleashed for more than 10 hours, and if so, how do you rate the game? Will you take a look at the game after the positive reviews, or is it more not for you? Feel free to let us know in the comments.
A major point of criticism for many players regarding World of Warcraft: Shadowlands is the story. There has been a lot of discussion about it.
That not all players are satisfied with World of Warcraft: Shadowlands is an old story by now. Whether it’s systems like the different covenants, cosmetic items through anima, or Torghast – much is only liked by a part of the player base. However, in recent weeks and months, the story has also been criticized more frequently. This is not only due to the latest events, such as with Sylvanas or Tyrande, but also because of the Shadowlands themselves.
What is the biggest problem for players? The main point of criticism from most players in the relevant post on Reddit revolves around the Shadowlands themselves. The post has received over 3,400 upvotes.
For many players, death in World of Warcraft seems to have lost its threat as the Shadowlands are now easily accessible through a portal. When someone dies, it’s not such a big deal because you can simply visit the soul in the Shadowlands. This diminishes the significance of many threats and the impact of beloved characters’ passing.
As AlwaysUpvote123 writes:
I personally think that visiting the afterlife is a huge problem regarding the lore. I mean… people can apparently just go there and visit dead people? And they have confirmed that there is a form of existence after death. That makes dying in the story not a serious threat anymore.
There is a lot of agreement on this.
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands in the big video review
What else is being criticized? At the same time, many players feel that the Shadowlands do not really feel like an afterlife or a “hereafter”. As chickenburgerr writes:
I hate the fact that what you get in the Shadowlands as life after death is just one damn job.
“You were noble and helpful in your previous life and you worked hard to stay on that path. As a reward for that, we take your memories of it and make you work for all eternity. But hey, here’s an owl man as a slave for you. Oh? You were a proud Tauren? Now you’re a blue human.”
More news about World of Warcraft on MeinMMO can be found here:
It looks even more drastic for masterraemoras, who finds quite direct words:
For me, the story simply ends with Legion. BFA was already pretty ‘meh’, considering it went from “Finally addressing the conflict between Horde and Alliance” to “Old Gods” and now Shadowlands simply drowns in whatever is currently interesting for “THE EPIC STORY OF SYLVANAS AND HOW SHE NEVER DOES ANYTHING WRONG: The Night Elf Bullying Edition” and “You know that cool, mysterious cosmic power that served as a fascinating background for our series? Well, now you meet them and they are super disappointing!” (…)
So yes, I cut off the story for myself after Legion. (…) Everything after that is just my main character experiencing a drug trip in the deep train because he mixed Noggenfogger Elixir with some mushrooms he found.
What are your thoughts on the current story and Shadowlands? Do you find the story good? Or do you also belong to the dissatisfied players?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
On Reddit, the possibility is being discussed that in Destiny 2, primary ammo could be made unlimited as early as Season 15. There are 3 hints that support this development.
Many of these changes are actively discussed by the community. From the combination of some adjustments, an exciting and widely discussed theory arises. Fans see signs that Guardians could be running around with unlimited primary ammo already in Season 15.
Why Guardians could soon have unlimited primary ammo
This is the theory: The theory assumes, as mentioned at the beginning, that primary ammo could become unlimited in Season 15 – something many Guardians have been calling for quite some time.
Primary ammo containers (left in the picture) might soon no longer exist
The theory is primarily based on changes to 3 perks:
in the weapon perk magazine
in overcoming inertia from the middle path of the Striker Titan
and the already implemented change in the weapon perk Outlaw
In combination, and particularly regarding primary weapons, many Guardians see these changes as clear indications of potentially unlimited primary ammo – also because Bungie has hinted twice at a still unknown change regarding primary ammo.
Magazine: The magazine is no longer rolling on new weapon drops, as its functionality will be changed later. In Season 15, there will be a change for which the perk needs to be adjusted – as well as some perks with similar functionalities. The interesting part is: Magazine is the only perk where you actively lose ammo when reloading. The perk causes the magazine to be expelled when reloading, wasting ammo but significantly increasing reload speed.
Overcoming inertia: Recently, Bungie also announced that there will be changes to the Overcoming inertia perk of the Striker Titan in Season 15. This basically ensures that when sliding over ammo (including primary), certain bonuses are obtained. On the one hand, the equipped weapon is reloaded, and on the other hand, weapon damage is temporarily increased. This perk will soon receive the following buff:
Duration increased from 4 to 6 seconds.
Sliding over an ammo block now grants 20 % melee energy.
Overcoming inertia grants you bonuses for sliding over ammo
However, the studio emphasizes that this substantial buff will be balanced by something that has not yet been mentioned. More info should follow in a future TWaB blog.
Many users see this buff as a kind of compensation for the potentially unlimited primary ammo and the resulting rarer triggering opportunities due to scattered ammo boxes, which would affect the overall effectiveness of the perk. Because primary ammo is currently found most often while playing.
Outlaw: This perk causes the magazine to partially reload from reserves when defeating enemies. A negative effect of the perk was removed some time ago: The reserve ammo is no longer reduced with the triggered reload.
What do you think about all this? Do you also believe that we could be running around with unlimited primary ammo in Season 15? Or do these theories and their arguments sound too far-fetched to you? Let us and other readers of MeinMMO know in the comments.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Battle Royale Call of Duty: Warzone is richer in curiosity. A player discovered a setup of the assault rifle FAL, with which he can detect enemies through walls and even eliminate them.
Through the extensive gunsmith of Call of Duty: Warzone, you can better adapt the firearms in the game to your playstyle.
For more range, a hefty barrel comes on the weapon. For more mobility, you attach a nimble stock. For a wallhack, you take the underbarrel M203 40mm reconnaissance … Wait, a wallhack?
Right, because a player has now found out that with the right attachments he can see and kill enemies through walls.
FAL setup discovered and enemy eliminated through walls
What does that look like? On reddit, the user “LordTexugo” posted a clip demonstrating the new “wallhacks”:
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In a Battle Royale match on Verdansk in solo mode, Texugo runs with a riot shield across the map and activates a reconnaissance drone. In one of the Soviet apartment blocks, he detects a suspiciously quiet, red dot through the reconnaissance – a camper about to be slaughtered.
The dot on the radar only allowed for 3 possible positions of the opponent, and Texugo could fairly accurately predict where the enemy was situated. He runs up the stairs, pulls out his secondary weapon, and uses the reconnaissance grenade from his underbarrel grenade launcher. Through the grenade, Texugo can briefly see the enemy through the wall. The “full metal jacket” attachment does the rest – with his FAL, Texugo eliminates the camper through the thick house wall.
Is this intended? The full metal jackets work just as they should. With the additional attachment, you can give many weapons from Modern Warfare a penetration boost. While not all walls can be reliably shot through, there are some structures that become “more permeable” as a result. However, penetration still depends on the weapon. The FAL already offers strong penetration without the full metal jackets, and the attachment adds even more.
However, it can be doubted whether the functionality of the reconnaissance grenades is intended. The so-called “snapshot grenades” actually require a line of sight to the enemy when being thrown. But in the video, it is clear how far Texugo is from a line of sight. He would actually have had to throw the grenade into the room to trigger the effect of the grenade. In fact, it worked even from the hallway. It is quite possible that this is a bug in the game. However, no indication of the error from the developers can currently be found.
By the way, you can find these underbar grenade launchers on all assault rifles from Modern Warfare except for the AS VAL.
What do the players say about it? Even if it is a supposed bug, the mood in the thread about the video on reddit is relaxed. The commentators respect the player’s discovery and ask questions about full metal jackets. The assault rifle FAL is also a topic. Some consider the weapon to be underestimated and feel it deserves much more attention.
Most are just celebrating the clip:
Hired__2_Kill: “Yes, I would definitely report you for that.”
GABO_BOX: “People are now becoming legal hackers.”
Yucas1981: “Well, I guess that’s something I want to try now.”
The thread creator Texugo also participates in the discussions and even gives recommendations for a setup with the reconnaissance grenades: “Keep your time to aim low so you can quickly target the displayed enemies”.
On August 12, Season 5 of Call of Duty kicks off and brings another type of legal “wallhack” into the game. For the first time, Warzone gets its own perks and with “Combat Scout” you can see enemies through walls if you hit them with a bullet first. The second new perk “Tempered” improves your armor plate logistics.
If you are always on the lookout for the latest trick in Battle Royale, then check back regularly on MeinMMO. Otherwise, next time you might be lying upstairs in the Soviet block and become a victim of the nasty wallhack setup.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Trainers on reddit have noticed a change in the evolution of Eevee in Pokémon GO. It is now significantly easier to evolve Espeon and Umbreon. Whether that was Niantic’s intention or whether the change was meant to come on Community Day is still unclear.
What’s new? To evolve an Umbreon or Espeon from an Eevee, you now only need to have it as a buddy and be out at the right time of day. Normally, you would need to walk 10 km with the Eevee you want to evolve, but that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore.
It is unclear whether these changes were intended by Niantic or if they will disappear after Community Day. So far, we only know that it works now. We were able to test this successfully ourselves at MeinMMO.
How to evolve Eevee into Umbreon and Espeon now: Unlike before, you can save yourself the walking now. Everything else remains the same. Here’s a summary:
Select the Eevee you want to evolve as a buddy
To do this, click on your avatar at the bottom left and then on your buddy
Then scroll down and click on “Change buddy”
There, select the Eevee you want to evolve
Now close the menu and look for your buddy in the Pokémon menu
Depending on the time of day, you can now evolve your Eevee
At night it will become Umbreon, during the day it will become Espeon
Based on the preview image on the “Evolve” button, you can see which evolution it will take if you click now
As you can see, we can evolve Eevee without having to walk with it. Based on the evolve button, you can see that it would become Espeon.
Normally, you would need to walk 10 km with the Eevee as a buddy to unlock these evolution options. But Niantic has now removed that without notice, presumably in preparation for the upcoming Community Day with Eevee this weekend.
This might also be a bug and this change wasn’t intended for Community Day.
Eevee gets a special Community Day
What is special? The Community Day with Eevee will take place this weekend over two days instead of just one. There will also be more exciting bonuses that you are not used to.
When is the Community Day? The special day for Eevee is on Saturday, August 14, and Sunday, August 15, from 11 AM to 5 PM local time each day. If you evolve an Eevee during the time from Friday, August 13 at 7 PM until Monday, August 16 at 7 PM, it will learn a specific move that varies depending on its evolution.
What special moves are there? Each Eevee evolution gets its own Community Day move. We have compiled what they are for you. Which is the strongest evolution of Eevee might not change with the new moves.
Vaporeon learns Scald
Jolteon learns Thunder Cannon
Flareon learns Superpower
Espeon learns Shadow Ball
Umbreon learns Psychic
Leafeon learns Leaf Tornado
Glaceon learns Water Pulse
Sylveon learns Psychic Fangs
All Eevee that you catch and hatch during this period will have the move Last Resort
More bonuses for Community Day: Just like the previous Community Days, there will be an exclusive special research available for €1 in the shop. You can expect the usual bonuses here. The special research also includes a Glacier and a Moss Lure Module, so you can ensure that you can evolve a Leafeon and Glaceon.
Additionally, Lure Modules will last 3 hours during the event, eggs will hatch 4 times faster, and the chance of encountering a shiny Eevee is also increased.
Will you play the Community Day with Eevee, or are you already done with the little companions? Do you think the special moves are worth it? And will you secure Umbreon and Espeon the new way as long as it lasts? Feel free to let us know in the comments.
In World of Warcraft you can only wear one Legendary at a time – and there’s a good reason for that. Because a Warlock breaks the rules and kills everything.
Legendary items are a staple of World of Warcraft Shadowlands. Without a Legendary, the character loses a lot of power. However, legendary items are limited to one item per character. You cannot wear multiple at the same time. Why this is for the best is demonstrated by the YouTuber Rextroy in his video. He combines multiple legendary effects – and dominates in PvP before his opponents can react.
What happened? The well-known Paladin Rextroy has unpacked his Warlock in the latest video to impressively demonstrate how this class can completely destroy up to four well-equipped players in PvP – and that in less than 3 seconds.
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How does it work? Rextroy skillfully alternates between different legendary items so that the various buffs are stacked higher in succession. In the end, he benefits from three legendary effects:
Wrath of Consumption: This Legendary increases regular damage by 30% for up to 30 seconds.
Rotting Soul pouch: Increases critical strike rating and haste by up to 20% for 8 seconds.
Claw of Endereth: Increases the speed of the life drain channeling by 100%.
The exciting thing here is that the effects of the Legendaries also remain active when the item is removed – as long as the corresponding buff does not expire.
This is further combined with additional buffs, such as the War Drums, which create a haste buff.
Additionally, the popular frogs that Rextroy uses in many videos are also not to be missed. This time they also help to stack Agony several times to maximize the yield of the talent “Inevitable Death”, which increases the damage of the next life drain by up to 750%.
All these things combined ultimately mean that the Warlock deals about 40,000 to 50,000 damage within 2 seconds – blasting everything except tanks out of existence.
Accordingly, the poor Horde players react with surprise after their resurrection and express their respect in most cases. Some are also quite angry and take revenge first.
More news about World of Warcraft on MeinMMO can be found here:
Isn’t that totally OP? Basically yes. However, this probably won’t work in most situations, as the combo requires a long setup time and a lot of preparation. “Just box someone” is practically not possible. Furthermore, this quirk of legendary items is likely to be fixed soon, as Rextroy usually informs Blizzard about such exploits before he uploads his video.
What do you think of this method? Cool and creative? Or a clear indication that you shouldn’t get more than one Legendary in Shadowlands?
Anyone who has played Fortnite should have heard of Kevin. Players who have not known about him until now may soon get acquainted with him. What Kevin is and what makes him so special can be found here.
Who is Kevin? Kevin is a cube, to be precise, but not just any cube; he is a purple being of unknown origin with supernatural powers.
A tweet is now causing a stir, as the words could mean that Fortnite is bringing the cube back into the game.
This is Kevin
What makes the purple cube in Fortnite special
Kevin does not just stand motionless in the countryside; he can move, shape environments to his liking, and even deal damage to you if you do not show him respect. All in all, one might think he has a peculiar character.
What makes him so special? To make it short, variety. After about 5 seasons, the old Kevin was brought to life and added to Fortnite. Subsequently, the community wondered what the purpose of this cube in Fortnite was. They observed him for hours, days, and even weeks to find out why he was even there. Through his presence, he changed the map without any apparent reason.
What has come to light now? A tweet from the Chief Creative Officer of Epic Games surfaced, featuring a well-known title that everyone associated with Kevin back then. However, this time it refers to a second part of the title, suggesting a comeback from Kevin himself.
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Since many statements from Donald Mustard have hinted at what will ultimately be implemented in Fortnite, we are optimistic that this time it won’t be empty words.
However, whether this was just a meaningless allusion or has deeper reasons remains to be seen. The fact is that Kevin could potentially bring back some variety to Fortnite, if not bridge the gap until a new update with new content is ready for download.
Kevin could soon change Fortnite as follows:
Significant map changes
Different physical conditions such as zero gravity and high jumping
More story, exploring Kevin’s background week by week
Cool Kevin content in the form of challenges or even in the battle pass
As the current season 7 in Fortnite is nearing its end and there is not much time left, we might just expect an announcement or even the appearance of Kevin. Whether this will happen remains in Epic’s hands.
Many players were able to gain first experiences with the game during the last beta of New World. It is already known that there will be no console release, but what about controller support? We at MeinMMO show you how to play New World with a gamepad.
What about the support? New World has made contradictory statements about gamepad support in the past. However, it currently looks like there is no controller support on PC for the new MMORPG.
And this is despite the fact that New World confirmed upcoming controller support back in March (via Twitter). Amazon is now backtracking and also informed a fan on Twitter that “Sorry, but we are not currently planning gamepad support”.
This tweet currently represents the latest statement (as of 09.08.2021). However, we do not expect anything to change before the release.
How to play with a controller: There is, however, a way to bypass the officially unsupported gamepad feature, and that works through Steam. Whether you’re using an Xbox or a Steam controller, you can use any gamepad that your PC recognizes.
To play New World with the controller, follow this guide:
Connect your controller to the PC
Then open Steam
In the top left, click on the “Steam” button
Select the “Settings” tab and click on the “Controller” button
Go to “General Controller Settings” to choose your controller
Configure your controller as you like and save the configuration
Now you need to put Steam into “Big Picture” mode. To do this, click the small “maximize” button in the top right of your library’s main menu
When you start the game, Steam will force the controller on the game, and you can play
Here you need to select your controllerThis is how you start the “Big Picture” modeVisual guide for the controller workaround
However, please note that New World will not function perfectly this way. The game is not designed for controller and gamepad control. We cannot guarantee that you will be able to use the full functionality of New World in this manner.
Alternatively, you can also resort to the following programs. However, we do not guarantee the functionality of the external tools:
None of these are optimal solutions for playing with the controller, but they at least provide a way to experience New World with a gamepad. At least until, perhaps someday, official support comes.
What else is at stake? Controller support is just a matter of convenience for many, as they prefer using a gamepad. However, it goes much further than that. There are many players with disabilities who have difficulty or are unable to use a mouse and keyboard.
For this group of people, it is crucial whether a game offers official controller support, as they simply cannot play otherwise. Even workarounds are of little help since they usually only provide suboptimal support.
Official support for gamepads and controllers would also make it easier to connect aids like an adaptive controller (via GamePro). This greatly facilitates gaming for people with disabilities.
Do you want to play New World with a controller, or can you perhaps not play any other way? Do you find the controls with mouse and keyboard well implemented? Let us know in the comments.
The Zombie Shooter Back 4 Blood was able to excite many players on Steam over the weekend – but not the PvP mode. It is an absolute disaster.
In recent days, the beta of Back 4 Blood took place, allowing a glimpse into the upcoming zombie shooter. Together with three friends, I shot my way through the various modes for almost 20 hours, sending several thousand zombies to the great beyond.
But before I start with the problems, I want to first explain what the PvP mode actually is.
Rounds-based PvP with guaranteed death
In the PvP mode of Back 4 Blood, 4 Cleaners (humans) face off against 4 Ridden (zombies). Team A plays as humans first and Team B as zombies. Games are played on relatively small maps, where you simply have to defend the environment. There is no objective location, such as a safe room.
Team A now tries to survive as long as possible. They choose maps from their decks (essentially “perks”) and must manage the sparse resources scattered across the map. They also have a brief minute for preparation before the zombies attack.
At the beginning, the humans choose 5 cards from their deck – these are their starting perks.
There are a total of three regular waves of zombies, and after each wave, there is a short interval during which the “swarm” moves. The swarm marks a kind of death zone and limits the area where the humans can stay without suffering permanent damage. Thus, the playing field gradually shrinks, as seen in “Battle Royale” titles. It is therefore not possible to simply barricade yourself in a room from the beginning, as it will soon be overtaken by the swarm.
If the humans survive all 3 waves – which takes approximately 5 minutes – a final, endless wave of zombies comes. The swarm has restricted the playing field to a radius of maybe 5 meters, so it’s only a matter of seconds before the zombie players win.
When the last human goes down, the two teams switch. Team A now takes on the role of the zombies, while Team B plays the humans.
The zombies are divided into different classes, such as:
Tallboy, a slow but devastating close-combat fighter
Reeker, a large zombie that can spit poison and explode
Stinger, an agile but fragile zombie that can pin down survivors
Zombies can be upgraded during the match – both the players’ special zombies and the normal zombies. This is done through mutation points that you automatically gain over time and through bonuses when you deal damage to the humans.
The time previously accrued by Team A is now the time limit to beat. If Team B manages to last longer than Team A, Team B wins this round. If the zombies manage to eliminate Team A before they reach the time limit, the victory goes to Team B.
After that, the whole process is repeated on two other maps, as it is a “Best of 3”.
Too much preparation for too little gameplay
What sounds like a cool concept on paper fails at so many corners and edges that the fun of the game completely falls by the wayside.
Particularly bitter is the relationship between preparation time and actual gameplay. It’s simply terrible.
Each round begins with 75 seconds during which the Cleaners can select their cards. Zombies choose their character during this time and wait.
Then there are another 60-70 seconds during which the Cleaners have time to search the map for equipment and prepare their defense. Zombies choose a possible spawn point – and wait for the rest of the time.
Then comes the actual match, where the Cleaners usually survive between 2 and 5 minutes. Sometimes more, sometimes less.
Then the teams switch and the whole thing starts again.
Or in other words: Each round has, on average, just as much preparation time as actual gameplay for both sides.
As a zombie, you spend a lot of time waiting until it finally begins.
Left 4 Dead set the precedent, Back 4 Blood leaves it out
Extremely harsh is also the comparison to its predecessors and thus also to the templates Left 4 Dead – Parts 1 and 2. Here, all maps of the campaign missions could also be played in PvP. The survivors tried to get as far as possible, while the zombies had to ensure that the survivors died as early as possible. The further a survivor progressed, the more points were awarded.
This is where all the different campaign maps could have been utilized. In Left 4 Dead it was incredibly fun to hold up the survivors on campaign maps and eat them or, as a survivor, just barely reach the safe room to earn a lot of points. Various strategies from “we all rush to the goal in panic” to “we go slowly and cautiously” were possible. This made each match feel unique.
Exactly this variety, which makes Back 4 Blood grand in the co-op campaign, is completely lost in the PvP mode in its current form.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a few maps where you simply have to last a certain amount of time. That would indeed be interesting as part of a variety of maps. But that all maps are solely “defend this point until your death” is sad and leaves the PvP mode far, far behind expectations and potential.
As a human, you have a little time to prepare before the zombies attack.
A final major point is the lack of feeling of satisfaction that arises from playing as a human. In Left 4 Dead, there was always a possible endpoint. A safe room or an event that the humans had to reach to achieve the maximum score and thus practically win.
In Back 4 Blood, this does not exist. The humans die. Guaranteed. There is no survival. No matter how well the team fights, the mode is designed so that you are overwhelmed and killed at the latest beyond the 5-minute mark. Even if you survive for a fantastic time of 8 or 9 minutes, death awaits at the end. Thus, a victory never feels like a real victory, no matter how well you played.
Problems that (hopefully) only exist in the beta
Additionally, there are numerous other issues that were extremely disruptive during the beta but likely relate to being in beta. However, I will briefly mention them here for the sake of completeness:
Matches were almost never played 4vs4. Almost immediately, one or more players leave the match. There are no substitutes, and missing players are not temporarily replaced by bots. If a player leaves, they are simply missing and it is a huge disadvantage.
Connection problems exacerbated the first issue. There were often error messages from the server.
Even if the entire opposing team has disappeared, the match does not end. The mode simply continues regardless of whether there is anything to do or not.
But at least these last three problems are likely due to the fact that it was just a beta and that there were no penalties for disconnects – although it might be better for server stability.
Even in PvP, the various Cleaners have their quirks.
The community is also angry
By the way, I’m not alone in my dissatisfaction with this game mode. In the Back 4 Blood subreddit, hardly anything else has been discussed regarding the PvP other than all the shortcomings of this mode (via reddit.com).
As potatoflavoredbrain writes:
I would kill for campaign PvP (zombies, of course). Honestly, for anything that isn’t this current circle arena PvP crap. Presumably, campaign PvP was in the planning, but [due to Covid] it was probably discarded.
shdavistx sees it just as drastically:
The PvP mode is an absolute joke. Everyone wanted the game mode from L4D2 PvP. Whoever made the decision that “swarm” is the PvP mode needs to be fired.
BamboozledByCrocs sees the whole thing a bit more positively:
I believe that if they have to, it should be relatively easy for the developers to incorporate campaign versus. The campaign maps already exist. It is just a matter of whether the community as a whole demands it.
Conclusion: PvP could be so much better if the developers just want it
What annoys me the most: The pure gameplay is fun. It’s fun to shoot zombies controlled by players. It’s fun to play zombies that attack survivors while slowly leveling up and unlocking new talents. The fundamental gameplay of “zombie versus survivor” is really enjoyable, but all the “surroundings” is pure torture and so much worse than it could be.
If the developers want the PvP mode in Back 4 Blood to be more than just a nice addition, but really to motivate and entertain over the long run, then a lot needs to be done. It’s not enough to simply polish a little; massive work is required to completely revamp the PvP.
And if I’m honest, I simply don’t believe there is enough time for that before the release of the game in October. I can only hope that the developers take the time and energy after the launch to fundamentally revise the PvP and give players what they want: the campaign levels in PvP style, like in Left 4 Dead. Because anything else is doomed to fail at this point.
In Left 4 Dead 1 and 2, I clocked almost 1,000 hours, with surely around 700 in the Versus mode and its various variations. However, in the PvP of Back 4 Blood, I’ve already seen enough after about 5 hours to think: “Better just go back to co-op.”
Do you remember the RGB face mask with fans from Razer? It’s clear that a gaming mask won’t be released without a beta. And now you can sign up for it if you’re ready to share photos.
What kind of mask is this? At the CEO Electronics Show 2021, Razer presented the face mask, fitting for the Corona pandemic. The mask is now called Razer Zephyr, previously went under the project name “Hazel”, features a medical N95 respirator, is water-resistant, and of course has RGB, so it lights up in colorful ways.
If you’re interested in this stylish gamer “air purifier”, you can now sign up for the beta. However, it might mean that your face will be used for promotion.
Beta Registration for Razer Zephyr / Project Hazel
How do you sign up? On Razer’s website, you can sign up for the community beta test of the Razer Zephyr (via razer.com). Scroll down a bit and you’ll find the form where you should enter your name, country, email address, social media profile, and a reason why you want to participate in the beta.
What you need to consider: Razer itself points out that by registering for the community beta test, you agree to provide images and feedback for Razer’s social media channels.
It’s quite possible that your face with the mask will then be shared on Razer’s social media profiles. If you don’t have a problem with that, you can now register for a chance to participate in a test with Razer. With a bit of luck, you might be able to test the mask before its official release.
In the YouTube trailer, you can get additional insights into the Razer Zephyr.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMKIkNo-QMg
Razer Zephyr – Release, Price – What is known?
When is the release? The mask is expected to launch in Q4 2021. A more precise date has not yet been established. Due to high demand, the sales will be staggered in multiple waves.
How much does the mask cost? The price of the Razer Zephyr is not yet known.
How does the RGB work? The mask has two RGB rings surrounding the air filters. The RGB elements are compatible with Razer Chroma software, allowing you to make the Zephyr glow in the same colors as your keyboard or PC.
With the active ventilation system, at least 95% of particles are supposed to be filtered, Razer explains.
What has changed? Since the introduction of Project Hazel, the mask has seen some changes. Now there is a grill at the front, below between the filters. It is possible that speakers and a microphone will find their place there.
With the built-in microphone, the Zephyr captures your voice and then plays it back through the speaker. This is supposed to ensure a clear voice even while wearing a mask.
What else does the mask offer? The Zephyr features a silicone seal that ensures your glasses don’t fog up while wearing it. The mask’s viewing window has a seal against fogging. According to Razer, the mask is also waterproof, scratch-resistant, and robust. Additionally, the masks are made from recycled plastics, contributing to sustainability along with their reusability, Razer explains.
In the “air purifier,” N95 filters are used that can be replaced. The fans need to be charged once a day. To charge them, you can place the Zephyr in the wireless charging case. Inside, UV lamps illuminate to keep the wearable sterilized.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
What have you been playing lately? It seems a lot of players on Steam have opted for two fresh shooters: Splitgate and Back 4 Blood jumped into the Top 10 on Steam over the weekend.
These are the games in question: Over the course of the weekend, two games impressed that are currently still in beta and not yet fully released. One of them is:
Both games managed to secure a spot in the Top 10 of the Steam charts over the weekend (via PC Gamer).
This is how the first beta phase for Back 4 Blood went
Here are the numbers for Back 4 Blood: Back 4 Blood gathered quite a few players during its first early access beta (via Steam DB).
On Friday, August 6th, the peak was over 88,000 players.
On Saturday, it even reached 98,024 players – a high point.
Sunday brought in around 81,000 players at peak as well.
On Monday evening, August 9th at 9:00 PM, this first early access beta ends. The next chance to take a look at the game will be between August 12th and 16th – then an open beta starts, for which no key is required. The game will be fully released on October 12, 2021.
Cortyn from MeinMMO also took a look at the Back 4 Blood beta over the weekend, after initial alpha doubts. However, the beta version did so much right that Back 4 Blood may now even have the potential to be Cortyn’s co-op game of the year. You can read Cortyn’s impression of the Back 4 Blood beta here.
https://youtu.be/C4Epmnk8G4Q
What kind of game is this actually? In Back 4 Blood, you can face a zombie threat with up to four players. It offers a co-op campaign that you must complete together. You can choose from 8 characters, each with their own unique abilities. There is also a PvP mode.
Here are the numbers for Splitgate: Splitgate also gathered a ton of players over the weekend – at least on Steam.
On Friday, the peak was about 63,000 players
On Saturday, it was slightly less with around 60,000
On Sunday, 67,724 players were attracted to Splitgate on Steam – a record for the portal shooter on Steam.
This is the situation with Splitgate: Splitgate has been in early access since 2019 but launched an open beta for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC (Steam) on July 13. The console release was accompanied by an unexpected surge in popularity that pushed the developers’ server structure to its limits. The originally scheduled release of Splitgate for July 27 had to be postponed to adapt to the larger player base.
In the meantime, there had been wait times of over 90 minutes for players wanting to test Splitgate. However, since then improvements have been made, as reported by the official Twitter channel (via Twitter). This was apparently noticeable over the weekend. Currently, it is rated as “very positive” on Steam (via Steam).
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What kind of game is this actually? Splitgate is a free multiplayer shooter from indie developer 1047 Games, which has already been compared to the Halo series or Unreal Tournament in terms of its approach.
You can fight in various arenas that offer a unique twist: You can use portals to jump from place to place. Alternatively, you can shoot through a portal and hit enemies in a completely different location on the map.
The spotlight hours in August for Pokémon GO are known. In total, there are five dates. We will show you when you will receive candies and XP and when there will be stardust again.
What kind of events are these? The spotlight hours take place every Tuesday evening in Pokémon GO. For one hour, a specific Pokémon is the focus and spawns almost everywhere. This is accompanied by a bonus that gives you more stardust, more XP, or more candies.
In this overview, we will show you all the dates for the spotlight hours in August 2021.
All Dates – Spotlight Hours in August 2021
Remember the Pokémon: In the coming weeks, the following Pokémon will be the focus of the spotlight hours:
Date
Pokémon and Bonus
August 3
Magnemite and more stardust
August 10
Shellos (Eastern Sea) and more XP
August 17
Shellos (Western Sea) and more candies
August 24
Raffel and more candies
August 31
Wolly and more XP
Below, we will go into detail about the spotlight hours and show you the bonuses in detail.
Spotlight Hour on August 10
Which Pokémon will you meet? Shellos in the form of the eastern sea.
What bonuses do you get? For catching Pokémon, you will receive double the amount of experience points.
Who is this worth it for? If you generally need experience points on your way from level 41 to 50, the spotlight hour can help you. In combination with a lucky egg, you will receive four times the XP during the spotlight hour. The blue Shellos can also generally be found in Germany, so that’s not a significant bonus regarding the Pokémon.
Is it available as Shiny? No, Shellos is not yet available as Shiny in Pokémon GO.
Spotlight Hour on August 17
Which Pokémon will you meet? Shellos in the form of the western sea.
What bonuses do you get? For catching Pokémon, you will receive double the amount of candies.
Who is this worth it for? The candies are rather secondary at this event since you mainly encounter Shellos in the wild. Instead, it is worth doing raids to secure the double catch candies. In combination with Nanab Berries, you will then receive four times the candies.
Additionally, the red Shellos cannot be caught in the wild in Germany. This gives you a chance for regional Pokémon.
Is it available as Shiny? No, Shellos has not been released as Shiny yet.
Spotlight Hour on August 24
Which Pokémon will you meet? The focus of the event is Raffel.
What bonuses do you get? For sending Pokémon, you will receive double the amount of candies.
Who is this worth it for? Here, it is worth sending few Pokémon throughout the month and then sending them all at once during the spotlight hour. This way, you will earn the most candies.
Is it available as Shiny? No, Shiny Raffel is not available in Pokémon GO yet.
Spotlight Hour on August 31
Which Pokémon will you meet? The focus of the event is Wolly.
What bonuses do you receive? For evolving Pokémon, you will receive double experience points.
Who is this worth it for? For everyone who is saving Pokémon to evolve and still wants to collect a lot of XP. You can use the hour to perform your evolutions.
Is it available as Shiny? No, Shiny Wolly is not available to catch in Pokémon GO yet.
In the coming days and weeks, there will be several events for you in the game. The Community Day with Eevee, raid hours, and much more.
In our overview of all events in August 2021 for Pokémon GO, we will show you all the dates. Which events and spotlight hours do you definitely want to attend this month? Share your opinions and selections here on MeinMMO in the comments and discuss with other players.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
On Steam, the new MMORPG Bless Unleashed launched with a huge surge. Up to 71,000 players played the new online role-playing game simultaneously, but the Steam reviews are poor. What is the reason for this?
What is Bless Unleashed? Many players may have already had negative experiences with the name Bless, but more on that later. The newly released Bless Unleashed is fresh on Steam and had a solid start.
Unlike what the name suggests, the new Bless Unleashed does not come from the same development team as the previous Bless Online. What they want to improve, the new development team explains in the interview.
Bless Unleashed is a Free2Play MMORPG that came from Korea to the West and fundamentally without overhauling its shop. It also comes with some Pay2Win aspects. Bless Unleashed has been available since March 2020 for Xbox, followed by the PlayStation release in Fall 2020, and now PC players can join in.
The game aims to score with the following aspects:
Open world and quests
5 different classes in an action-packed combat system
Main story up to level 25
World bosses, dungeons, and crafting
Open-world PvP as a mandatory aspect
This differentiates Bless Unleashed from Bless Online:
The story is told from a new perspective
The combat system is noticeably different
The focus of the story is not on politics but on divinity
The developers refer to Unleashed as a “parallel world”
Here is the trailer for the game:
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How did the PC launch go? On PC, the new Bless attracted masses of players. Up to 71,577 players were simultaneously in the MMORPG. Thus, Bless Unleashed even has about 4,000 more players than the classic Final Fantasy XIV at its “all-time peak”.
The “All-time peak” value describes how many players played the game simultaneously on Steam and reflects the highest value that the title has achieved so far. We can only rely on Steam’s numbers for Bless and Final Fantasy XIV. Final Fantasy has its own launcher besides the console versions. Bless Unleashed also has additional console versions to Steam.
The player numbers for Bless Unleashed on Steam
Bless Unleashed compared directly to Final Fantasy 14 on Steam
But despite the successful launch, the game has a major problem on Steam, namely a large number of negative reviews that are not necessarily due to the game itself.
Bad Reviews, but Bless Unleashed is not solely to blame
Why so many negative evaluations? At this point (as of August 9, 2021), Bless Unleashed has a “Mixed” rating on Steam and is slowly recovering, having started at “mostly negative”. Nevertheless, currently only 50% of the reviews are positive.
Some of the negative reviews refer to Bless Unleashed itself. Pay2Win, the forced open-world PvP, or the combat system are points of criticism among Steam users. However, the larger portion of negative reviews is attributed to a game that no longer exists.
The predecessor in spirit, Bless Online, caused quite a stir in the MMORPG community about three years ago, and many players have not forgotten that. Exactly these disgruntled buyers of Bless Online now want to ensure that the rights holder Neowiz does not forget it either.
Bless was considered an MMORPG hope from Korea in 2018 – Did not perform well
What was Bless Online? There was much commotion around the rise and fall of the MMORPG Bless Online. We from MeinMMO summarize briefly for you:
Bless Online was released in May 2018 as an early access title on Steam. There were no beta or other opportunities to try the MMORPG beforehand. It was also not a Free2Play title like its successor. Buyers had to purchase Bless Online blindly in 2018.
Later, they apologized for the misunderstanding. The early access version was not supposed to be a finished game.
Without any prior announcement, Bless then became Free2Play at the final release, which annoyed fans who had already paid.
However, after release, Bless Online could not achieve much. Content was only released sporadically and consisted of parts that were cut from the actual game.
What do the Steam reviews say? The comments and ratings for Bless Unleashed are correspondingly marked by an exciting past.
The player Yato writes (via Steam): “I haven’t forgotten the old Bless Online. I’m just here to see how much they want to scam people here again.”
Player NNKakaMe is also disappointed (via Steam): “Bad gameplay, just like the last Bless, and just like the last Bless, it will sink, and Neowiz [the publisher and developer] will walk away with stolen money. You’ll have nothing left except wasted time and effort. The problems of the game are too deep to fix. Even the Korean version of the game has been shut down since 2018. [..] You will even be scammed if you don’t pay for the game.”
Player Raz0r summarizes (via Steam): “We know what Bless Online was, and much more needs to be said about it.”
Have you played Bless Unleashed yet? Did you enjoy it, or are you bothered by the gameplay mechanics of the Free2Play MMORPG? Or will you not give Unleashed a try at all because you are still cautious from Bless Online? Let us know in a comment.
Security researchers discovered vulnerabilities in routers that attackers can exploit to integrate them into a bot network. A list shows affected routers from Telekom, Vodafone, and O2. If your router is among them, you should urgently take action now.
Why are routers becoming bots? By exploiting vulnerabilities, attackers gain access to areas of routers that typically require authentication. This affects routers from at least 13 providers spread across 11 countries.
Now it appears that the “hackers” taking advantage of these vulnerabilities are turning the routers into parts of a bot network.
Routers from Telekom, O2, Vodafone, and Asus affected
How does the attack work? Researchers from Tenable discovered the security gap CVE-2021-20090. It allows attackers to bypass the authentication of the web interface of routers. This also grants them access to devices within the home network or corporate network.
As reported by hothardware, attackers find a page of the router that is on a bypass list (via hothardware.com). However, anyone with a bit of skill can also append “/info.html” or other pages to the URL, as long as the bypass list option is at the beginning of the URL. This way, one can access pages that typically require authentication.
Who is attacking? Only a few days after the vulnerability was disclosed, Mounir Hahad and Alex Burt from Juniper Networks reported that attackers are already utilizing it (via juniper.net). They state, “Since August 5, we have identified several attack patterns attempting to exploit this vulnerability from an IP address in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.”
These active exploitation attempts seem to be aiming to deploy a variant of the Mirai botnet on the vulnerable routers.
The list of potentially vulnerable routers is from Tenable (via Tenable.com):
Source: Tenable.com
What you can do if your router is affected
This is how you can secure yourself: If your router is on the list above, you can contact your internet service provider or the router manufacturer. They can explain how to patch the vulnerability. There may already be a firmware update for your device that fixes this security flaw.
Is your router affected by the new security vulnerability? If not, you can calmly prepare for the future of your PC. Because “Windows 11” is already on everyone’s lips. The new operating system is expected to be released later this year.
MeinMMO Director for zombie affairs Cortyn is now heavily excited about Back 4 Blood after initial reluctance. It could become the co-op game of the year 2021. Read in the preview test how Cortyn felt about the time in the beta with friends.
When I played Back 4 Blood a few months ago in the alpha, my impression was bad. Really bad. I didn’t like the card system, the gameplay and balancing felt clunky. There was just no joy.
I actually didn’t want to play Back 4 Blood anymore, and only the Discord message from a friend made me check out the beta with a group of 4 last weekend. We subjected ourselves to the PC version of Back 4 Blood.
Now, after more than 20 hours of gameplay, my opinion is: Back 4 Blood will be my co-op game of the year 2021.
The deck system requires a bit of familiarization. But once you get the hang of it and unlock more than the first 7 standard cards, you can solidly customize your character and find your own playstyle.
Holly still looks stylish in the apocalypse – and likes to swing her nail-studded baseball bat. But inside, she is very gentle. She claims.
Since my Holly regenerates 10 stamina constantly when she takes down a zombie in melee, I focused her on melee combat entirely. She got a combat knife, which makes even her “shoving” a devastating melee attack, plus a card that regenerates 2 health points with every melee kill.
Combined with additional stamina and later a heavy melee attack, I could hold my ground at the front while my teammates cleared out the zombies from behind with their rifles.
One teammate, on the other hand, opted for the conspiracy theorist Hoffman and was basically our ammunition depot. He had a chance to find extra ammo with every zombie kill and simultaneously increased the maximum carry capacity of the entire group.
Oh, and he could carry 2 Molotov cocktails and was nearly immune to fire damage while causing double fire damage himself. Yes, he set us on fire multiple times. Yes, he got away with it every time. The zombies did not. Neither did the rest of us.
At the beginning, the deck building allows for little variation, but that changes quickly.
In contrast to our team selection stands the “AI Director”. Veterans already know this from Left 4 Dead. This is a dynamic system that adjusts the gaming experience with every playthrough. The AI Director responds to a whole bunch of factors:
How well is the team currently doing?
How much ammo and equipment does the team have left?
How well have the players managed the last horde attacks?
Based on that, the AI Director adds more and more “Corruption Cards” that change the game to disadvantageous conditions for the players. For simplicity, we have always called the Corruption Cards in the game “affixes” – in reference to similar systems like in WoW or Diablo. Here are a few examples of what Corruption Cards can cause:
Zombies are more aggressive and have spiky mutations that protect their heads. They no longer die from a single headshot.
Fog rolls in and out at regular intervals. The visibility is limited to about 10 to 30 meters.
Numerous swarms of crows can be found on the map. If startled, they alert a horde of zombies.
The whole map lies in deep darkness, and only flashlights reliably illuminate areas.
The special zombies are more resilient, cause more damage, or come in deadlier variants with more abilities.
Especially the Corruption Cards, which significantly altered the appearance of the map – such as fog and darkness – created a completely different gaming atmosphere. When a normally well-lit swamp suddenly lies in deep darkness, it creates real atmosphere. The same goes for the cursed fog. Because in Discord, everyone screams like “little girls” when suddenly a giant Tallboy appears out of the fog and hits the group hard.
The Tallboy (left) rips players apart in no time. Especially annoying when a Snitcher (right) supports him – he screams and alerts a horde.
There is also a weapon and loot system that has taken just the right mix of loot shooter and fixed weapon designs. Like in an MMO, there are weapons with different quality levels (white, green, blue, purple, orange) and different stats. Thanks to weapon mods, ammo can be increased, a scope can be attached, or damage can be increased.
This way, it actually feels over the course of a campaign like you are progressing. Both as a character through the cards and through the weapons with their upgrades.
A campaign in Back 4 Blood consists of 8 consecutive levels and can be paused.
However, it was never the case that the game “threw loot at us”. Anyone expecting color explosions with dozens of weapons like in Borderlands is definitely mistaken. Loot is relatively rare and often a “bonus” when deviating a bit from the main path or cracking a locked door with a toolkit.
I don’t want to pretend that we played perfectly – we did not. On the “Veteran” difficulty (there are “Survivor”, “Veteran”, and “Nightmare”), the game was quite challenging, and despite communication via Discord, we died and had to start campaigns over multiple times. Because after the 3rd failure, it’s over. There is no endless “retry” like in Left 4 Dead.
Zombies with “spikes” on their heads are more resilient and require multiple headshots from many weapons.
Above all, I want to emphasize the atmosphere of Back 4 Blood. The different maps, the various zombies, and the soundscape are amazing. While exploring a spooky farm with flesh overgrowths, you can quietly hear the rasping snores of sleeper zombies, while the ominous swarms of crows nearby pick apart some corpses, and Hoffman tells the team that “this is what the lame-stream media wants to keep from us,” to which all the others on the team simply respond with a bashfully amused “Hmhm”.
Or to put it another way: I wanted to keep playing. I would have gladly played 2 to 3 more campaigns if it hadn’t suddenly turned from 6 PM in the evening to 2 AM at night. Back 4 Blood has stolen my time and got me hooked.
What about the PvP mode? The PvP mode will get a separate article, as it has its own issues and peculiarities that have little to do with the co-op experience of Back 4 Blood. We will address that separately.
Back 4 Blood is not perfect, but the flaws are minor
However, there are also a few small criticisms that I want to address and must.
The “Corruption Cards” that the game threw at us sometimes stand in stark contrast to the game design. This was especially evident with the card “Speed Run.” This card rewards extra copper at the end of the match if you complete the respective level within a time limit.
Basically, there is nothing wrong with a time limit, but it clashes badly with the small “loot shooter” aspects. If you find, for example, a purple Uzi on the ground and want to compare it with your assault rifle, it just takes time. Being rushed in this aspect of loot selection feels like you are constantly making the wrong decision:
If you take too long comparing the weapons, you won’t progress, and the timer keeps ticking down.
If you just go by “feeling”, you might pick the wrong weapon, which could cost the team later.
A second aspect is the “AI Director”, which is supposed to keep the match exciting. While I previously praised it, there were also a handful of situations where it simply felt “unfair” and the experience was drastically different.
We had several scenes where we had to defend a point against the horde until a gate opened. The first time we were overwhelmed by the horde, so on the second attempt we took all the pipe bombs to distract the zombies.
Then the AI Director apparently thought, “Gotcha, I won’t make it easy for you,” and sent 3 Tallboys after us simultaneously. However, in this scene, only a very small area had to be defended, and there was no way forward or back, so we were completely taken apart – from 100% HP to 0% in the span of about 8 seconds. With our equipment, there was simply no chance to survive that attack.
Holly had to die often this weekend. Very often.
A third criticism is the different difficulty levels. We played most of the time on “Veteran” and it felt challenging and exciting. However, it is completely different on the “normal” Survivor mode. There, the opponents are so weak and so dumb that the game feels completely different and is simply not fun. I can only advise against a “normal” run. That is, without exaggerating, simply “hold down left-click and run through the level.”
My last negative remark is regarding the level design. I find it terrible that in almost every level there is the possibility to go all the way “back” to equip yourself in the previous safe room. That ruins the aspect of resource-conserving gameplay and also leads to very boring passages, where the smartest decision is simply to waltz back to the entrance before the final fight to re-equip. I would wish for more “points of no return”, where the starting area is off-limits after a while.
The trailer invites you to the beta and shows what you can try out.
Although Back 4 Blood is still in beta, there are only a few months left until the release. Whether these issues will be addressed – or whether they will even be seen as problems by the broader public – remains to be seen. For us, they slightly dampened the fun of the game. But it was not enough to ruin the great weekend we had, even when the zombies coldly took us out.
Did you check out the beta of Back 4 Blood? What was your first impression of the zombie slaughter?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The YouTuber and Twitch streamer Dream makes videos and speedruns for Minecraft. His fans are obsessed with him and absorb everything about Dream. No one knows what he looks like, which seems to make him even more mysterious and exciting for hardcore fans. Now he shows hair.
This is Dream:
Before 2019, hardly anyone knew Dream: But since then, his YouTube channel has grown from less than 1,000 subscribers to 25.2 million. Although he is rarely on Twitch, he has 5.2 million followers there – ranking 15th worldwide. When he does stream, 150,000 people watch him.
Dream became popular with ‘Custom Coded’ Minecraft content, which means he used heavily modified versions of Minecraft where the gameplay is altered. Dream also creatively reinvented well-known YouTube formats. For instance, he did speedruns of Minecraft but intentionally got sabotaged by a friend.
The special charm of Dream is: No one knows what he looks like; they only know his very pleasant voice. This seems to completely excite numerous fans online. They absorb every piece of information about Dream.
Huge hype around Dream’s “Face Reveal” that never comes
This is the new joke: The hype around “the face of Dream” has now reached enormous proportions. Dream posted a picture on Instagram featuring a Minecraft sword, a YouTube button, and himself (via instagram).
This is what fans make of this image: People rush to the picture as if they had to solve a murder case. The Instagram picture alone has 1 million likes.
On Twitter, a seemingly electrified Dream fan says there is so much to analyze. They talk about a “Hair Reveal” and are apparently totally ecstatic about the gloves and pants that Dream wears.
Since nothing is known about Dream and only his voice is recognized, he seems to become even more attractive to some enthusiastic fans: Because he is the perfect projection surface for their own wishes and dreams. Just a dream.
So it’s not the case that one can only have a successful career as a content creator if one is an attractive young woman – as is often read in comment sections. It’s also enough to create good content and make a huge mystery out of what one looks like.
Corpse Husband follows a very similar pattern to Dream:
Recently, Bungie provided a glimpse into the changes to Guardian abilities in the upcoming Season 15 of Destiny 2. One of them is now being controversially and heatedly discussed within the community. What do you think about the slide nerf?
What is the debate about? Season 15 of Destiny 2 is just around the corner, and as tradition has it, Bungie has revealed some details about the upcoming changes shortly before. Among other things, they addressed how the abilities of Guardians will change in the new season.
One of these changes is currently being actively discussed – especially by the PvP faction. Because along with numerous buffs, a fundamental movement (also a popular element in PvP) is being nerfed – the slide. And not everyone seems to be happy about that.
Slide nerf in Season 15 – Threatened meta shift or not worth mentioning?
This is the slide nerf in detail: During sliding, the following will apply to weapons starting Season 15:
- 20 stability
+ 15 % shotgun spread (Pellet Spread)
1.5x flinch (flinching from enemy hits)
Bungie emphasizes: These changes may appear more concerning on paper than they will feel in reality. They will closely monitor the impact.
Punishments for weapons will soon be applied during sliding
Why the nerf at all? Even though sliding itself embodies a fundamental movement in Destiny 2 and is not a real ability, sliding has established itself as an effective tactic in PvP, yet it is criticized and hated by many players.
Especially fast sliding with a shotgun (or fusion rifle) – whether charging directly at someone or unexpectedly around the corner – is seen by many as one of the most annoying phenomena in the Crucible and often drives some Guardians to frustration. Moreover, this playstyle is very low-risk and cannot be countered by everyone. The shotgun changes from the last update have not really changed this.
However, Bungie now seems to share the opinion that perhaps not every PvP encounter should start with a slide as the optimal tactic, and thus are introducing some penalties for handling weapons while sliding. This is what is causing the discussions now.
This is what the opponents of the nerf say: There was a loud outcry in parts of the community. Memes circulated showing Guardians sliding across maps in slow motion with captions like “This is how Bungie wants you to play.” Accusations arose that Bungie is once again trying to artificially narrow the skill gap between skilled and less skilled players, thereby leveling the playing field for poorer players.
This is what the supporters of the nerf say: Others are glad, celebrating the change and hoping it will make life harder for “the sliding shotgun and fusion monkeys.” Many are tired of this one-sided, yet very prevalent and dominant playstyle and hope that it will bring some more variety into Guardian duels.
In PvE, the impact of the penalties may not be significant. But for PvP, it is a wait-and-see approach
Some are reacting more reserved: However, there are also many players trying to smooth out the waves between the two sides and calling for restraint. After all, we still do not know how this will actually play out in the end.
It is pointed out that Bungie has already stated: the changes may look worse on paper than they actually are. Additionally, reference is made to the recoil changes from the Season of the Chosen on PC, which were also heavily criticized at the time of their announcement, with many angrily asking what it was all about. Yet, when the change was implemented, it was completely fine, and most didn’t even notice anything had happened – such were the careful adjustments.
Furthermore, it is also pointed out that the negative effects are only active during the slide – a time window of less than a second (except for Stasis Titans). Once you stand or crouch again, there are no more negative effects. The slide itself is not fundamentally changed – neither the duration, speed, nor the range of the actual movement. The slide penalties do not appear to be leading to any of the feared meta changes in PvP. Many assume that sliding will remain effective – just not universally for every fight.
Many recommend: Wait and see for now. Let’s see how the changes perform in practice. Afterward, we can still complain if necessary. But reacting immediately is not necessary. What some players across the board agree on is the necessity of PTR, i.e., test servers, where players could test such adjustments and provide feedback before they go live.
What do you think of the slide nerf?
Participate in our survey: In light of the discussions within the community, we also want to hear from you, the readers of MeinMMO, about your thoughts on this issue. To that end, we have prepared a survey for you and invite you to participate actively. Keep in mind, you only have one choice.
By the way, regarding your opinion on the upcoming slide nerf in Season 15, you are not just limited to the survey here. Feel free to share your views with us and other readers of MeinMMO in the comments.
This question was raised by reddit user TheMillionthOne, who decided to give it a try. So far, he has explored 81% of the world of Guild Wars 2 completely without fighting. How that works, we will explain here.
What is it about? In most MMORPGs, the focus is primarily on fighting. Becoming an even stronger hero and then battling even more powerful monsters. If you want to refrain from all that violence, you often can’t get very far in many games.
However, in Guild Wars 2, it seems, you can, as reddit user TheMillionthOne proves. He reached the maximum level of 80 and explored 81% of the world without dealing any damage at all. However, how long it took him has not yet been revealed by the user.
What are the rules? To accomplish such a task, you first have to define it more precisely because pacifist is a broad term. The user established the following rules for himself and always adhered to them:
No abilities causing damage. However, stunning enemies, distracting them, or healing oneself was allowed.
No summons, pets, or turrets – Anything that belongs to the player or was summoned by them must not cause damage. However, the user decided that other players or NPCs are not his problem. So, if he came to a place cleared of monsters by another player, so be it.
No shortcuts – The user forbids himself from using items that grant him experience or generally make leveling easier. He also wants to limit crafting, which also grants experience in Guild Wars 2, though not entirely prohibit it.
How can this work? Guild Wars 2 offers multiple ways to complete the progress for most quests. For instance, in one quest in the starting area of the humans, you can kill the large spiders so that the farmers can continue to collect their apples. Or you can directly collect the apples and bring them to the farmers. Both grant you quest progress.
The user proudly presents his progress (via reddit)
Reviving players and NPCs also grants you progress for every quest in the game. Reviving a dead NPC in the quest area helps with the quest – no matter what the actual task is.
Why only 80%? Some tasks in the game are simply not solvable without combat. This includes primarily the hero points, which often can only be earned in combat but count towards world completion. The user also couldn’t play the story since the personal story also forces you into combat.
This is how the player proceeded
Which character did he choose? One of the most important decisions for such a task is probably the question of which class to play. He considered the thief or the elementalist but ultimately decided on the engineer. This class has many ways to heal itself, stun without dealing damage, and escape from dangerous situations.
He chose the Sylvari race. Although the player admits that an Asura might have been better suited due to the race-specific skills. But he felt more comfortable in the role of the wandering plant.
He carried only a shield for defense; he never equipped an offensive weapon. The engineer in Guild Wars 2 can utilize various kits.
TheMilionthOne primarily uses the Med Kit for healing here. He also utilizes the skills ‘Elixir S’ for temporary invisibility and the net turret to immobilize enemies without dealing damage.
The pacifist’s skill kit
How did it go? The player places the highest value on exploring the world, as visiting new places also grants experience in the game. The first levels went by quickly but were also the hardest, as the user writes, since he was missing many of his skills.
By level 55, the Sylvari had fallen so far behind that he had to rely on crafting to make up for the experience missed from combat. He exclusively sourced the materials from the collected karma and gold he could obtain as quest rewards. After all, there is no loot without fights. So he crafted his way up a few levels so he wouldn’t lag too far behind on the current maps.
In some quests, the player also had to use somewhat unfair means to make progress. He often found himself herding whole hordes of monsters into an enclave of peaceful NPCs just so he could revive them later and gain quest progress.
However, he did not do this with players. “The last thing an AFK player needs is to be overrun by a horde of spiders,” he writes in the thread.
Overall, it went well; after all, the player managed to reach level 80 and explore over 80% of the world. How much time it took him and how often he died has been asked but he hasn’t answered yet.
What happens next? TheMillionthTime has only dealt with the contents of the base game so far and wants to continue his journey in the expansions Heart of Thorns and Path of Fire. He also wants to work towards 100% world completion, even though he says that complete 100% without combat will simply not be possible.
He continues to completely skip personal story, even if he should not pursue his challenge any further. “Everyone else is commander of the Pact. It is fun to just be some plant for once. Good luck with all the dragon stuff.”
The community celebrates the wanderer
What do other players say? On reddit, his post has already received 400 upvotes, which is not bad for Guild Wars 2. The comments under his journey are also warm and enthusiastic.
The user n-ghost writes (via reddit): “You are the lifeblood of this game.”
Referring to Scarlett from Living World 1, the user ohiv21 writes (via reddit): “That’s fantastic, I thought. Then I suddenly remembered a certain Sylvari engineer who tried to destroy the world. We should keep an eye on this.”
The user Arnoldthehawk writes (via reddit): “I’m not a pacifist myself, but you are incredible. And honestly? The game is just as amazing. I never thought this was possible.”
What do you think about the path of the pacifist? Do you think this is possible in other MMORPGs as well? Feel free to leave us a comment.
