Heroes of the Storm has been “dead” for 3 years and that’s why I love it

In MOBAs, you can quickly lose touch. That’s why Cortyn loves the game Heroes of the Storm, which has been almost dead for years.

Almost 3 years have passed since Blizzard announced at the end of 2018 that not much would happen in its own MOBA Heroes of the Storm. Although they refused to call the game “dead,” development was drastically scaled back, eSports tournaments were discontinued, and the team was downsized. For many players, it was clear: HotS is dead, nothing more will happen.

However, the fact that Heroes of the Storm has hardly changed makes the game perfect for me.

I can only play MOBAs like SMITE or League of Legends in phases. When there is a lull in World of Warcraft or Dead by Daylight, I like to switch to another game for a week or two and play it intensively. In the past, it was often SMITE.

Heroes of the Storm Hogger
Hogger was the last hero – nothing has happened since then for 7 months.

But I just can’t do it anymore. The games change so quickly that I can only stay in touch if I made these MOBAs my main game. I can’t and don’t want to do that, as MOBAs only intrigue me every few months for a few weeks.

This is where Heroes of the Storm has a huge advantage. Even after 6 months, it’s still the game I left half a year ago. The last hero, Hogger, is now over 7 months old. While there is a small balance patch every month, it usually changes so few details that it hardly affects my understanding of the game.

I believe the last major change I noticed was the renaming of the “Brawl” mode to “ARAM” because that’s what everyone was already calling it.

What many long-term players see as a weakness, wanting more content, new heroes, maps, and skins, is precisely its strength for me.

HotS still works the same even after years – because it is hardly developed.

When I log into SMITE today, I am completely overwhelmed. So many gods and mythological figures have been added that I would have to click through the menus for hours just to get a rough idea of what all the newcomers can do, so I don’t run into their abilities like a fool.

In other words: To really enjoy the games, I would have to invest a lot of time to get back into the game. Not a very enticing thought.

Because Heroes of the Storm only gets absolutely necessary patches now, I never have to relearn the game. Even after 6 months, I know which hero works well against which other hero, how the basic gameplay flows, which talents are sensible in which mode, and what my opponents can throw at me.

To be completely honest: I’ve missed that. I miss games that don’t change much anymore. I miss the old Super Smash Bros. from the Nintendo 64, multiplayer matches in the first Halo games, or versus rounds in Left4Dead2. Those were games that were simply “finished”. Games where I could start again after years, knowing exactly how everything works.

Heroes of the Storm Li Ming
Li-Ming in the “ARAM” mode – almost always a victory.

Of course, this isn’t good or sensible for all game genres. An MMORPG like World of Warcraft would eventually lose its appeal without new content. But especially in the area of MOBAs, I would wish for a conclusion, where developers would say: “Hey, we now have a ton of champions/heroes/gods, I think that’s enough now.”

Of course, that’s not possible because new characters draw more attention to the game and also boost sales – I know that. But I’m still allowed to dream a little.

I wish more competitive games were like Heroes of the Storm and reached a state where they are largely “finished”. Because even though this was not a voluntary decision of the developers or players, it has – from my very personal perspective – benefited the game immensely.

That’s why I can still play it for a few rounds every few weeks.

What do you think? Do you still occasionally play Heroes of the Storm? Or have you not touched the MOBA in years?

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

In FIFA 22, the lame player career finally becomes exciting for me again

FIFA 22 is getting closer, and the first information about the modes is slowly being released. Surprisingly, a mode that has been neglected in recent years comes with new features. At least for MeinMMO author Max Handwerk, it could now become interesting.

Which mode is it about? On August 5th, new information about the career mode was announced. As FIFA veterans know, it is divided into:

  • Manager Career
  • Player Career

The first variant lets players manage a club (this year even a self-created one) and has been my classic go-to mode when Ultimate Team isn’t appealing.

I have largely ignored the player career in recent years. Although I have played the mode occasionally, I always came to the conclusion relatively quickly: something is missing here.

The mode simply didn’t feel like a real career. The progression system was too opaque, and the advancements were treated too dryly. Young players were either summoned to the starting eleven or directly loaned to the next club – an in-between situation. Fighting for a place in the starting eleven through performance just didn’t happen. Yet that is the path that promising talents often take in professional football.

The player career felt lifeless for years, and not much changed. FIFA has certainly been able to breathe life into single-player modes in the past, such as in the story mode “The Journey” with Alex Hunter, which started in FIFA 17 and ended with FIFA 19. Playing solo was actually a lot of fun.

This “life” was something I missed for a long time in the player career. But in FIFA 22, there is hope that the mode might become really interesting.

What is better this year?

Of course, whether the mode will actually be “good” remains to be seen. Nevertheless, the announcements at least give hope that the player career in FIFA 22 will feel significantly more vibrant.

It starts with the ability to be substituted in as a player from the bench. A seemingly small change that instantly adds a dose of realism to the mode and provides a realistic goal to start the career.

Additionally, you must earn the coach’s trust through various game objectives. If you can’t convince when the coach calls you from the bench to turn the game around, you might quickly find yourself out of a job. Depending on the manager rating, you will receive more responsibility in the team or end up on the transfer list.

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You have to achieve specific goals to level up

Here, there is also a distinction between top clubs and smaller teams. For example, at FC Bayern, as a newcomer, you will likely have to work harder than at Shrewsbury Town in the third English league.

The same goes for the national team: you must also earn your place and convince a coach. This sounds like you have a lot of objectives ahead of you.

A bit more role-playing

What changes: In the outdated player career, you level up your player, collect XP and skill points to unlock new abilities. The nice thing is that the skill tree allows you to customize your player just the way you want. So I could create an absolute passing machine that runs only 3 km/h but delivers passes with razor-sharp precision. Well, theoretically.

The fact is: if you enjoy tinkering with skill trees – like I do – you will likely have a great time in the player career.

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This will also be complemented by a new perk system. You can unlock up to three perks for your player. And there is an endlessly long list of perks. Here are a few favorites:

  • Distance Shooter – Increases your accuracy and power with shots from a distance. Grants you the Finesse Shot trait and the 5-star weak foot ability.
  • Clutch Finisher – Increases your shooting attributes in the last 15 minutes and extra time. Grants the Finesse Shot and Power Header traits and increases your weak foot ability.
  • Hot Streak – Shooting attributes are increased for a short time (15 minutes) after you score a goal. Grants the Finesse Shot and Power Header traits and increases your weak foot ability.
  • Last Defender – Increases your defensive attributes when you are the last player left before the goal.

It may sound a bit like arcade fun, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. On the contrary: I think such detailed abilities are great and look forward to trying them out.

Party hard in the locker room

A bit more atmosphere: The last important point as to why the player career could become more exciting: generally, there should be more atmosphere in the mode.

This includes new cutscenes when you win a game, lose, embarrass yourself, or get to lift a trophy. This way, hopefully, you feel more like a real part of the team.

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Transfer negotiations are also set to feel livelier, and there will generally be more reports on issues such as:

  • Club records set
  • Making your club debut
  • Impressing greatly in the first season
  • Winning the Golden Shoe

Many other situations are expected to be included. Additionally, there will be new intro cutscenes on NextGen consoles. You will see warm-ups, walking onto the pitch, the groundskeeper, and more. Especially important matches are intended to be prepared more excitingly – and if you disappoint the spectators, they might just leave early.

It may be that all these cutscenes become relatively repetitive quickly. That risk exists when you play several seasons with a plethora of match days.

But overall, the improvements seem like a much-needed injection of life that could elevate the player career mode to a new level. I will definitely give it a chance. However, it’s still a bit until the release. You can find all information about the FIFA 22 release on October 1st here.

What do you think of the updated mode? Are you looking forward to it or would you rather check out other modes? Tell us in the comments!

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

Largest German WoW fan site Vanion is shutting down – “Passion for WoW is at an unprecedented low”

German WoW fans surely know the site Vanion, where you could always get the latest news and guides on World of Warcraft. But the operator of the site no longer wants to continue, as his passion has faded. What this is all about and what might still be possible, you will find out here.

What is Vanion? The WoW fan site Vanion.eu was founded in 2010 by Patrick “Vanion” Michalczak and grew with great passion and ambition to become the largest WoW fan site in Germany. Even after the unexpected death of Patrick Michalczak in 2018, operations continued and his business partner Andi has since taken over the site.

At Vanion, you always found current news and information about WoW, and the site was so popular that fans even demanded a memorial in the game for the deceased site founder. However, the Vanion site is now coming to an end.

“There’s just nothing positive to report anymore”

Why is the operation being discontinued? In a video on YouTube, the current Vanion operator Andreas explains that he will no longer run the Vanion site:

  • The site will remain, but it will no longer be updated with news and other content
  • The series Azeroth-Adventures will also not continue
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As reasons, Andi mentions that simply the passion, which is so important for a fan site, has faded. “My passion for WoW is at an unprecedented low,” and there is “nothing positive to report anymore”.

This is not only due to the current scandal surrounding Blizzard, but rather that WoW and Blizzard, according to Andi, are no longer the WoW and Blizzard he loved back then. Instead, he feels that the developers are just working away without seeking contact with the community.

Consequently, the quality has steadily declined since Legion, and even the low point of Battle for Azeroth has currently been surpassed.

All of this has led to Andi simply not being able and willing to invest more energy and passion into the Vanion project.

What’s next? However, Andreas claims that he does not want to completely stop with WoW. His old job as a programmer no longer excites him, and he still enjoys being a content creator on YouTube.

However, he does not want to only report on WoW but is already looking forward to the new western MMORPGs – including New World, Ashes of Creation, Palia, the upcoming LoL MMORPG, and lastly, the action MMO Core Punk.

Core Punk, which is supposed to start its beta in August, by the way, strongly reminds him of WildStar, which he loved very much. What exactly Andreas will do in the future, you will find out in the coming days on his YouTube channel.

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

Destiny 2: From Season 15 you can improve Stasis more easily and clearly

If you want to further improve the icy Stasis powers of the Guardians in Destiny 2 after obtaining them, you currently have to struggle through lengthy, confusing quest lines. Bungie, however, intends to improve this soon.

This is Stasis: Stasis is a relatively new damage type that was introduced with the Destiny 2 expansion Beyond Light. This element exists as both a focus of the Guardian powers and as a damage type on certain weapons in the game. It embodies ice and frost.

What is the deal with improvement? You obtain these powers by completing the Beyond Light campaign and mastering some additional tasks. Afterwards, you can use aspects and fragments of this power to enhance it, thereby unlocking further specializations of this power and thus tailor Stasis to your individual playstyle.

What many find annoying: Further fragments and aspects are hidden behind lengthy and very convoluted task chains. You also never really see how far along you are in the quest and how much longer you have to work for each respective improvement. It is also not clearly presented which aspects and fragments even exist – especially for new players.

The Stasis powers can be extensively improved and customized

Bungie’s Plan to Optimize the Stasis Experience

As the developers recently explained in their “This Week at Bungie” blog, the studio is aware of these weaknesses and wants to improve all of this soon – already in the upcoming Season 15, which starts on August 24.

The following changes are planned:

  • The Exo Stranger on Europa, the point of contact for Stasis, will provide more information on how to complete tasks required to acquire Stasis.
  • Guardians who have completed the “Beyond Light” campaign and visit the Exo Stranger will be able to see the complete path to unlock the aspects and fragments.
  • Additionally, many prerequisites for acquiring and completing the “Born in Darkness” quest line will be made simpler or completely removed. So far, Guardians had to complete numerous quest lines to obtain the exotic Stasis grenade launcher “Griff der Erlösung” before they could receive additional Stasis powers.
  • Guardians who have finished the Beyond Light campaign will be able to access the “Born in Darkness” quest line directly with the Exo Stranger on Europa.
  • The Exo Stranger will also display every fragment that has not yet been obtained, no matter how far you are in the “Born in Darkness” quest line. This way, you will get a preview of all the powers that you can unlock.

Bungie wants to ensure that even more Guardians will unlock the icy powers.

What do you think of these adjustments? And how do you see the upcoming Season 15 and the changes that come with it in general? Let us and other readers of MeinMMO know in the comments.

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

Fortnite: This is how the Ariana Grande concert went – Don’t miss it

The first live concert in Fortnite by Ariana Grande took place on Saturday, August 7. We from MeinMMO were live at the concert. Here we report on how the live concert by Ariana Grande in Fortnite went and share with you whether it was worth it.

How did the concert go: The first concert started on August 7 at 00:05. Before the event began, you spawn on the UFO, which is located in the middle of the map. There you could pass the time with other players.

Object transformations were possible, projecting your own skin, or just hanging out on the UFO.

After a long wait, the long-awaited live concert by Ariana Grande finally started with the opening of a rift portal, through which the viewer was suddenly pulled in.

After a surf session with other players on a color-changing slide, a soft landing followed in a cuddly paradise.

Suddenly, you found yourself on an X-4 Stormwing and fought with other event participants against the Storm King, while his zombies danced to the music.

After that, the plane crashed. In the next moment, you were revived with other players and could marvel at how a star landed on a planet. The star turned out to be the long-awaited Ariana Grande. After that, she began to perform her songs.

During the performance, you experienced various environments. These included a cloud world, ancient temples, and some sort of space.

Here you can watch the entire live concert in full length:

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If you missed the show, don’t worry. There are still four more dates that you can attend:

  • Show 2 – Saturday, August 7, 20:00 h
  • Show 3 – Sunday, August 8, 06:00 h
  • Show 4 – Sunday, August 8, 16:00 h
  • Show 5 – Monday, August 9, 00:00 h

All further important information about the Ariana Grande concert has been compiled here for you.

How was the Ariana Grande concert compared to the other concerts

The concert by Ariana Grande was more extensive compared to the previous concerts by Travis Scott and Marshmello. More depth and love for detail were given. There were many areas to explore and the transitions were well chosen. Moreover, the music in the background always matched.

The overall package filled the viewer with goosebumps and curiosity to want to dive deeper. From the animal cloud city to the enraged Storm King, everything was included. All of this harmonized surprisingly well.

Since this event not only offered a show but also required action, like fighting against the Storm King, one must admit that this concert was one of the best yet.

Conclusion: All in all, the live concert was definitely worth recommending. The work that Epic Games put in deserves great praise, and you are probably just as curious as we are about what Epic Games has planned for the next event.

What do you think of the concert? Did you find the implementation cool and enjoyed every minute or did you just want to grab the associated umbrella? Or do you generally not care about such events? Let us know!

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

Pokémon GO: The 5 Best Attackers for the Master League – August 2021

On Monday, August 9, 2021, the Master League starts in Pokémon GO for PvP battles. We have looked at which monsters are best suited for use and explain what you should pay attention to in PvP battles.

What is it about? In addition to catching Pokémon, interacting with friends, and battling in raids, there is another possible activity for trainers in Pokémon GO: the PvP battles. In these, you can compete and fight against other trainers in the Super, Hyper, or Master League during each season.

Of course, you can expect appropriate rewards for a victory. Starting Monday, the Master League takes place in Pokémon GO. We show you which Pokémon you can best use for your battles and give you some tips to help you choose.

When does the Master League run? The Master League starts on Monday, August 9, 2021, at 10:00 PM local time. It will run until August 23, 2021, at 10:00 PM.

These are the 5 best attackers in the Master League

To play in the Master League, you need to assemble a team of three Pokémon that will compete against others. You can choose from all your Pokémon without any CP restrictions. Therefore, it is helpful to consider the following aspects beforehand to select the right monsters for your team:

  • Which monsters are perfect for the PvP League?
  • Do you have enough candies to power up your monsters?
  • Do your selected Pokémon have the required moves or can you teach them?
  • Which Pokémon are commonly used by other trainers?

With the help of the overview from PvPoke, we have summarized the 5 best attackers in the Master League for you and will introduce them below (via pvpoke.com):

Lugia

The Psychic and Flying-type Pokémon, Lugia, is considered by PvPoke to be the best suited for use in the Master League. It impresses with strong values in defense and stamina. Due to its typing, it is weak against Rock, Dark, Electric, Ghost, and Ice-type attacks.

To make the most of your Lugia in the PvP League, you should use the following moves:

  • Dragon Tail
  • Sky Attack
  • Aeroblast*

*The charge move Aeroblast is an event move. You can only learn it with a Premium Charge TM.

Lugia

Melmetal

Melmetal is a legendary Steel-type Pokémon. Therefore, it has issues with Fighting, Fire, and Ground-type attacks. In contrast to Lugia, it has particularly strong values in stamina and attack. However, its defense is also quite impressive. It ranks 2nd in the PvPoke ranking.

In the Master League, you should best use the following moveset for Melmetal:

  • Thunder Shock
  • Superpower
  • Heavy Slam
Melmetal

Dialga

The Dragon and Steel Pokémon, Dialga, ranks 3rd in the PvPoke ranking. This monster has quite a strong attack but can also show good values in stamina and defense. It is particularly vulnerable to Fighting and Ground-type attacks.

The best moveset for Dialga in the Master League is as follows:

  • Fire Fang
  • Iron Head
  • Draco Meteor
Dialga

Yveltal

Ranking 4th in the PvPoke ranking, the Dark and Flying Pokémon, Yveltal, also has very good attack and stamina values. However, it is somewhat weaker in defense. Because of its type, it is weak against Rock, Electric, Ice, and Fairy-type attacks.

Use the following moves in the Master League for Yveltal:

  • Oblivion Wing
  • Dark Pulse
  • Focus Blast
Yveltal Pokemon GO
Yveltal

Ho-Oh

The Fire and Flying-type Pokémon, Ho-Oh, can also impress in the Master League according to the list from PvPoke. It is slightly weaker in stamina compared to the previously mentioned Pokémon but scores well in attack and defense. Its weaknesses are Rock, Water, and Electric-type attacks.

If you want to use Ho-Oh in the Master League, you should utilize the following moveset:

  • Incinerate
  • Brave Bird
  • Earthquake*

*The charge move Earthquake is a special event move. You can only obtain it using a Premium Charge TM.

ho-oh
Ho-Oh

These Pokémon are used by other trainers

Anyone who regularly competes in the PvP League knows that the teams of other trainers do not always consist solely of the best attackers. The YouTuber Zyonik introduces his favorite team for the Master League, consisting of Melmetal, Giratina (Altered Forme), and Mewtwo, in the following video.

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The community surrounding The Silph Road has also dealt with this topic and assembled an overview of which team compositions trainers have observed from their opponents (via silph.gg). As of August 5, 2021, a total of 31 different teams have been reported.

Using this overview, we have summarized the most frequently used Pokémon in the Master League:

  • Metagross was seen by participating trainers in 10 of the 31 teams
  • Giratina (Origin Forme) and Mewtwo were used in 8 different teams each
  • Dialga was represented in 7 teams
  • Dragonite was used by 6 trainers
  • Kyogre and Togekiss were seen in 5 teams each
  • Tyranitar and Garchomp appeared 4 times each in the Master League

If you use three of the best attackers against these Pokémon, your opponents might potentially have the upper hand. Especially, Lugia, Melmetal, and Dialga struggle against the attacks of these Pokémon.

What is The Silph Road?
The Silph Road is a network of trainers, dataminers, and Pokémon GO enthusiasts. Together, they exchange knowledge about the game and try to analyze it. They then provide their insights to other players.

These Pokémon you can also use

If you prefer to assemble a team that is tuned to the most frequently used monsters, you should especially rely on Pokémon with Electric, Ice, Dark, and Fighting-type moves. This will cover the relevant weaknesses of most of the mentioned monsters.

According to the ranking from PvPoke, the following Pokémon of the previously mentioned types could also be interesting for your team (via pvpoke.com):

PokémonMoveset
MamoswinePowder Snow + Avalanche & Superpower
(Shadow) ArticunoIce Shard + Ice Storm & Hurricane*
GlaceonIce Shard + Avalanche & Ice Storm
(Shadow) ZapdosThunder Shock* + Steel Wing & Thunderbolt
(Shadow) RaikouVolt Switch + Wild Charge & Shadow Ball
(Shadow) MagnezoneSpark + Wild Charge & Mirror Shot
(Shadow) MachampCounter + Cross Chop & Heavy Slam
MachampCounter + Dynamic Punch & Stone Edge
SnoruntOblivion Wing + Avalanche & Focus Blast

Moves marked with a (*) are event moves. Depending on the attack, you can only teach your Pokémon these moves using a Premium Fast TM or Premium Charge TM.

Are you going to participate in the Master League, or is that not your thing? And which Pokémon are in your team? Feel free to share your opinion about this on MeinMMO in the comments!

Do you prefer raids instead of PvP battles? We have looked at the best attackers in Pokémon GO by type and summarized them for you.

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

Destiny 2: Xur today – Location and offer on 06.08.

In Destiny 2, Xur is visiting today, August 6th. Where is the mysterious merchant with the noodle face this time and what exotics does he have for you? All about Xur’s location and inventory as well as the Trials of Osiris this weekend.

What’s going on in Destiny 2 right now? Unfortunately, not much regarding content at the moment. The outgoing Season 14 is in its final stages, and basically, most players are waiting for the start of Season 15. This will launch on August 24th, but this week there have already been some exciting updates on what players can expect in the new season and beyond. Here we have summarized the most interesting details for you:

Additional info about the future of Destiny 2 is expected during the reveal of the upcoming Witch Queen expansion on August 24th.

But today, Xur is visiting again and has some exotics in tow. Let’s welcome the old noodle face together and see what he has with him this time.

All info about Xur on August 6, 2021 – PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Google Stadia

When does Xur come? Until the switch to Standard Time, Xur’s time is always Fridays at 7:00 PM. Then he settles on a planet of his choice and brings his exotic wares to the Guardians from there. By the way, Xur will remain there continuously until the next Weekly Reset on August 10th.

Where is Xur? This is his location this weekend

Xur’s position: You can find him on Nessus. Look for Xur in the “Guardian Grave” area on the tree:

Xur’s location

Xur’s inventory from 06.08. to 10.08. – All exotics at a glance

What does Xur have to offer? The noodle face regularly carries exotic weapons and armors for all three Guardian classes. Every week, there is a random offering, and the stats for the Exotic armors are rolled randomly. We will take a look at Xur’s current offerings and provide important data on each item so you don’t miss out on a potential must-buy.

Weapon: Heavenly Bane – Scout rifle for 29 Legendary Shards

Titan: Split Barrier – Chest armor for 23 Legendary Shards

  • Mobility: +9
  • Resilience: +7
  • Recovery: +16
  • Discipline: +14
  • Intellect: +14
  • Strength: +2
  • Total: 62

Hunter: Ophidia Spatha – Chest armor for 23 Legendary Shards

  • Mobility: +9
  • Resilience: +2
  • Recovery: +21
  • Discipline: +12
  • Intellect: +2
  • Strength: +14
  • Total: 60

Warlock: Eye of Another World – Helmet for 23 Legendary Shards

  • Mobility: +18
  • Resilience: +12
  • Recovery: +4
  • Discipline: +9
  • Intellect: +12
  • Strength: +7
  • Total: 62

Exotic Engram for 97 Legendary Shards

Weekly quest for an Exotic Code

Exotic offers are also available at Nexxoss Gaming – here’s everything about Xur in video format:

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Trials of Osiris from 06.08. – 10.08.

Which map is active? You are fighting on the PvP map Bannerfall:

These are the current Trials rewards:

  • 3 wins and endgame loot: Curse of Exile (fusion rifle)
  • 5 wins: Class item from the Trials set
  • 7 wins: Igneous Hammer (hand cannon)
  • Flawless: The Messenger as Master version (pulse rifle)

When do the Trials run? The Trials of Osiris start today at 7:00 PM German time. This PvP peak activity can be tackled until Tuesday, August 10th. But remember to exchange all earned tokens at Saint-14 in the Tower hangar.

What do you think about Xur right now? Do you still hunt the exotic dealer week after week for well-rolled exotics or have you long stopped visiting the noodle face? Let us know in the comments.

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

Twitch lowers subscription prices by 1 € – Gronkh calculates how bad this is for streamers

Twitch announces that subscription prices will be lowered in Germany and other countries. Viewers now have to pay 1 € less for a Level 1 Sub. For streamers, however, it makes a big difference, as Gronkh explains.

The situation in brief:

  • On August 5, the streaming service Twitch announced that subscription prices for Level 1 subs will be reduced from the current 4.99 € to 3.99 €.
  • The price reduction affects not only Germany but also other regions, and varies in strength in other countries.
  • While the price reduction is beneficial for viewers, streamers will receive less money as a result. Some of them may fear for their jobs.

The popular YouTuber and streamer Gronkh has now calculated how hard the cut will hit streamers.

Less money for streamers

What Gronkh says: On Twitter, the German streamer Gronkh commented on Twitch’s announcement. He calculated in a tweet how much losses streamers would suffer from the price change and how many new subs they would need to compensate for those losses.

In his calculation, Gronkh assumes a standard 50% payout. This is, therefore, an estimate, which can vary for larger streamers as they receive a higher percentage. One can see in the table that losses increase linearly with the number of subs.

Taking into account that a large portion of subs come from Amazon Prime, revenues will drop even further. Instead of receiving 2.50 € per sub, streamers now only make 2 €. For large streamers like Knossi, Papaplatte, or MontanaBlack, Prime subs account for more than 50% of all their subs, as can be seen on the statistics site TwitchTracker.com.

montanablack subs
Prime subs account for half of all subscriptions from MontanaBlack

This is what Twitch is doing: To cushion the losses, Twitch offers a compensation: for the next three months, streamers will receive 100% of the revenue from subs. The streaming service will only waive its part of the sum if the streamers are online for at least 85% of their normal time.

German streamers respond to the price reduction

After the announcement, various German streamers expressed their opinions about it on Twitter. Despite the compensation from Twitch, many streamers do not look forward to the price change. Smaller streamers fear that they will no longer be able to generate enough revenue to remain independent, or that they will have to make up the missing money through other side jobs.

https://twitter.com/HoneyballCookie/status/1423305182327279628

The price difference between different countries is also problematic. On eBay, there are already offers for various levels of Twitch subs, which cost less and are sometimes sold in larger packs of 10. The streamer Inzyania discovered such an offer even before the price change.

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If this “business model” turns out to be lucrative, streamers will end up receiving even less money than they already will due to the price reduction.

When will the price reduction take effect? Twitch stated on Twitter that they are currently implementing the price reduction. The changes should be noticeable from this week, according to the statement from the official German Twitch account.

Twitch: The 5 biggest streamers worldwide in August 2021

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

CoD Warzone: New update nerfs one of the best assault rifles – What else is changing?

Together with the playlist update on the evening of August 5, Call of Duty: Warzone also brought a small balance patch. The popular assault rifle Krig 6 received a nerf and the new submachine gun CX-9 benefits from a buff. We show you the fine print on MeinMMO.

What’s going on? Call of Duty: Warzone has put a lot of thought into a new balancing of weapons in recent months. Since the start of Season 3, there hasn’t been a heavily OP weapon, and in Season 4, the time-to-kill for range weapons has increased significantly. And the developers continue to tinker, even on small details.

Before the start of Season 5 on August 12, Warzone brought a small balance patch. The most popular assault rifle Krig 6 lost some damage. In addition, the new submachine gun CX-9 now hits a bit harder. Find out on MeinMMO how the adjustments affect and what the playlist looks like after the update.

The developer tweet about the patch:

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CoD Warzone: Update on 05.08. nerfs Krig 6

What’s different with the Krig 6 now? The assault rifle from Cold War is currently the most popular assault rifle and gathers so many fans because it is simply easy to use. With the Krig 6, it’s hard to miss, and even at longer distances, moving targets are not safe from your bullets. And apparently, that’s supposed to stay that way – the developers haven’t touched the recoil.

Rather, the damage from torso hits has gone down. The weapon is supposed to remain easy to use but become slightly weaker overall.

Previously, chest and torso hits had the same value. To continue benefiting from the time-to-kill of chest hits, at least 4 of your hits must land in the chest; the rest can hit the torso or limbs.

  • Torso hits before the patch: 33 damage / 644 milliseconds
  • Torso hits after the patch: 30 damage / 736 milliseconds

Additionally, the Krig 6 loses a bit of range. The first damage range without attachments is 2 meters smaller, going from 38 to 36 meters. The second damage range remains unaffected by the changes. (Values via truegamedata.com)

Assessment of the Krig 6 after the patch: The Krig 6 is supposed to be a controllable assault rifle that does not deliver outstanding damage for it. The patch cements this status but makes the weapon only slightly weaker. You can continue to use the Krig 6 without hesitation, but you need to pay better attention to your chest hits in the first damage range.

More on the topic
CoD Warzone: The best weapons with setups – Meta in Mid-Season 5 / October 2022
von Maik Schneider

What’s different with the CX-9 now? The submachine gun was just introduced to the game a few days ago (Here’s how to unlock the CX-9). However, the developers at Raven Software apparently weren’t completely satisfied with the weapon. Essentially, two things have changed:

  1. The new damage values lead to a strong second damage range
  2. The third/final damage range is weaker than before

Without attachments, you have a time-to-kill of 579 milliseconds for chest hits up to 13 meters. Then it goes up to 637 milliseconds up to 22 meters and then to 753 milliseconds.

Assessment of the CX-9 after the patch: The SMG resembles the popular MAC-10 – good range, control, and high rate of fire. However, the weapon from CoD MW cannot keep up with the important mobility of the “Cold War” SMG MAC-10.

With the new second damage range, the CX-9 stands out from the MAC-10 and offers a significantly better time-to-kill in the range of 15.5 – 22 meters (MAC-10 including open-bolt delay). For fans of the MAC-10, it’s a new alternative in the game (Values via truegamedata.com). It’s also worth mentioning the high headshot damage, which gives good shooters an additional boost.

Warzone playlist in the last week before Season 5

Before the new content cycle starts on August 12 with Season 5, you can access the following modes in the game:

  • Battle Royale: Solo/Duo/Trio/Squad
  • Mode Season 4: Cargo
  • Rebirth Island: Revival Squad
  • Plunder: Blood Money Squad

A new mode has been announced for Season 5 that lets 50 teams compete against each other, and new locations are also on the way. Visit our article with the roadmap for Season 5 of Call of Duty for more information.

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

10 of the rarest Shinies in Pokémon GO that you can catch right now

The shimmering monsters in Pokémon GO are very popular among trainers. However, these Shinys are not that easy to obtain in the game. We have taken a look at which ones are particularly rare to find.

This is what it’s about: Many trainers in Pokémon GO look forward to an encounter with a shiny Pokémon. But not every one of these monsters is easily found in the game. There are therefore Shinys that only a few players have. Some trainers even resort to daring tricks and risk one shiny specimen to hopefully obtain another, rarer one.

To give you an overview of which shiny Pokémon are particularly rare to find in the game, we have put together a list for you. This is based on the collected information as of August 2, 2021, provided by trainers to the network of The Silph Road (via thesilphroad.com).

What is The Silph Road?
The Silph Road is an international group of Pokémon trainers, dataminers, and other Pokémon GO enthusiasts. Together, they form a community with which they try to analyze the game, but also hold their own contests, such as special PvP tournaments. In addition, they exchange ideas about the game and share their insights with other trainers.

The Top 10 Rarest Shinys in Pokémon GO

What has been considered in the list? We have listed only those Pokémon that you can currently catch regularly in the game. Although costumed or event-related Pokémon, such as Pikachu with a hat, are particularly rare Shinys, you cannot encounter them permanently in the game. For this reason, we have not included them in this list.

Place 10: Dusselgurr

Dusselgurr is a flying and normal-type Pokémon. Its shiny variant differs only slightly from the normal form. You can best see the difference in its red eyes.

In the overview from The Silph Road, participants indicated that they found only 3 shiny specimens out of 2,478 Dusselgurr. This corresponds to a probability of about 1 in 826. Dusselgurr therefore ranks 10th in this ranking.

Dusselgurr normal and as Shiny

Place 9: Samurzel

The plant Pokémon Samurzel has a shiny probability of about 1 in 883 according to The Silph Road overview. Therefore, this monster has been seen by trainers 2,648 times, but only 3 shiny specimens were found.

Some trainers will rightly say that they caught this Pokémon in abundance during the Community Day in May 2020. However, the data collection from The Silph Road excludes such events. Moreover, the calculations only started after the Community Day. Hence, it reflects the shiny chances outside of events.

You can recognize the shiny variant of Samurzel by its brown color. It is, as you can see in the following image, clearly distinguishable from the normal type. Due to the low shiny rate, it ranks 9th in the ranking.

Samurzel normal and as Shiny

Place 8: Dodu

Dodu, the normal and flying-type Pokémon, takes 8th place with a slightly worse shiny rate than Samurzel. According to trainer reports, only two shiny specimens were found out of 1,783 observed Dodu. This results in a probability of 1 in 892.

As you can see in the following image, the shiny specimen is clearly distinguishable from the normal Dodu due to its green color.

Dodu normal and as Shiny

Place 7: Nebulak

The ghost and poison-type Pokémon Nebulak also ranks in the top 10 of the rarest Shinys that you can currently catch in the game according to the information from The Silph Road. You can recognize Nebulak by its purple color.

Nebulak was already available to catch during a Community Day in July 2020. Similar to Samurzel, the data collection here also only recorded data outside of such events to better reflect the shiny probability.

Your chance of encountering a shiny at the moment is only about 1 in 941. Out of 3,763 observed Nebulak, only 4 shiny specimens were found. Thus, Nebulak ranks 7th in the ranking.

Nebulak normal and as Shiny

Place 6: Quiekel

Another rare shiny Pokémon according to The Silph Road overview is the ice and ground-type Pokémon Quiekel. It differs in its shiny variant by its green color from the normal type. However, encountering one is not that easy, as the rate is currently about 1 in 956.

The participating trainers indicated that they found only 11 shiny specimens out of 10,517 observed Quiekel. Also, for Quiekel, statistics only began after its Community Day in 2019, which is why an increased shiny rate has no impact on the data collection.

Quiekel normal and as Shiny

Place 5: Dratini

The dragon-type Pokémon Dratini was seen even less frequently according to The Silph Road data. Only 23 shiny specimens have been found among 22,255 Dratini. This results in a probability of 1 in 968. You can recognize a shiny Dratini by its pink color.

Dratini is also one of the Pokémon that has already had a Community Day in the past. As with Quiekel, Nebulak, and Samurzel, The Silph Road’s data collection was not supposed to be influenced by increased shiny rates. For this reason, such events were not considered.

Dratini normal and as Shiny

Place 4: Relaxo

Trainers have found a shiny Relaxo significantly less frequently than Dratini. The rate here is 1 in 1,139 observed Relaxo. In addition, Relaxo, aside from events, is not so frequently found in the wild, making it even harder to catch a shiny specimen.

This normal-type Pokémon hardly differs in color from the shiny specimen. The shade of blue is slightly stronger in the shiny.

Relaxo normal and as Shiny

Place 3: Felino

Felino, the water and ground-type Pokémon, is also very rarely seen in its shiny form in Pokémon GO according to The Silph Road. The participating trainers found a total of 1,167 Felino in the game, of which only one was shiny. If you are lucky enough to encounter one, you can recognize it by its pink color.

Felino normal and as Shiny

Place 2: Digda

In second to last place among the rarest shiny Pokémon is the ground-type Pokémon Digda. The participating trainers have seen it only once among 1,509 Digda. This results in the second worst shiny rate. You can recognize the shiny specimen solely by its blue nose.

Didga normal and as Shiny

Place 1: Knofensa

The Pokémon with the worst shiny rate is Knofensa according to The Silph Road. Only one shiny specimen has been registered among 1,828 observed Knofensas by participating trainers. It ranks first in our ranking. The plant and poison-type Pokémon can be recognized in its shiny form by its yellow body.

Knofensa normal and as Shiny

Another Rare Shiny

In addition to our Top 10 of the rarest Shinys that you can currently catch in Pokémon GO, there is another very rare Shiny: Fermicula.

The bug and steel-type Pokémon Fermicula belongs to the monsters that belong to a specific region in the game. After Fermicula was catchable in 2020 east of the Prime Meridian, including in Germany, it has now swapped regions with its predator Furnifraß. Thus, it cannot currently be caught here.

Fermicula normal and as Shiny

So, if you haven’t been able to snag a shiny specimen yet, you currently only have the chance to do so west of the Prime Meridian. According to the overview from The Silph Road, participating trainers have not been able to spot a single shiny out of 733 observed Fermicula. How high the exact probability of finding a shiny specimen remains open at this moment.

Have you caught the Shinys from our Top 10 list yet? And which shimmering Pokémon can you simply not find in the game? Feel free to share your experiences in the comments and exchange with other players.

By the way: What is the Shiny Pin, anyway? We have taken a look at what it’s all about and explain it to you.

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

New World and Elyon are released only 24 hours apart – Why that is bad for everyone

The new MMORPG New World from Amazon recently postponed its release date by almost a month to September 28, 2021. The MMORPG Elyon will be released just about 24 hours later, which is bad for everyone.

What happened? New World has built a lot of anticipation among players over the past few weeks, also due to the now completed beta. Now the game has been postponed again. While there was initially about a month between the two releases, there are now only about 24 hours. Elyon has received only a fraction of the media attention compared to New World.

Who is writing here? Mark has been involved in the MMORPG genre for over 10 years. He has spent several thousand hours playing various games. He does not have a specific genre, but has played everything from Flyff to Silkroad to Guild Wars. So he is primarily a fan of variety in MMORPGs.

What do the games have in common? Even though both titles focus on different core features, they are both, at their heart, MMORPGs. The following features await you in both games:

  • Quests, dungeons, and world bosses
  • Open-world PvP and more PvP content
  • Player housing
  • Character leveling
  • Crafting and resources

New World and Elyon therefore share many core contents, even if their main focus diverges a bit.

More on the topic
Developers reveal to us what makes Elyon better than TERA and other MMORPGs
von Alexander Leitsch

Who is in the lead? You might think that this is just Elyon’s problem. After all, New World is currently huge. The beta alone managed to climb to third place in the Steam charts with over 180,000 players. Google Trends data also indicates that Elyon is likely to fall short in direct comparison to other upcoming MMORPGs like Lost Ark and New World. Even if that would be unfortunate, I believe, for many players.

The global search trends for the last 12 months of Elyon, New World, and Lost Ark (via Google Trends)

A failure of Elyon would be bad for the genre

Why this is bad for everyone: In the MMORPG genre, it feels like so much is happening at the moment, more than in years, and that is good for every MMORPG player. Every new game in the genre generally increases the player base of the genre, from which everyone can benefit who enjoys playing multiple titles.

If Elyon actually flops right at release, it would be a loss for the entire genre. Unfortunately, the chances of this are not so low. Due to the already low interest in the game compared to New World, Elyon could become what the iceberg was for the Titanic – the downfall.

If there are fewer successful MMORPGs on the market, the market itself will also shrink. Because variety is important in any genre, leading to revitalization, exchange, and thus also to improvements of the existing titles, in my opinion.

I believe that revitalizing the genre is good in any measure. Even though I can hardly relate to mobile games, I look forward to every new mobile MMORPG that is announced. Because that means that my beloved genre is gaining a new audience that might eventually also be into the MMORPGs I am currently playing. Then I can be happy because my favorite MMO is doing better again and attracting more new players.

Why could this be bad for New World? To put it bluntly, this means that in the long run, New World could harm itself by overshadowing Elyon. If many players who actually wanted to play Elyon prefer New World at release, that is, of course, good for Amazon. But I think a few steps ahead:

If Elyon is successful and New World performs less than expected, Amazon will have to come up with something to regain success with their game. This could lead to more innovation, new mechanics, and cooler approaches. This is especially good for one party, namely us – the players.

If New World does not need to come up with new, innovative ideas because it has only a few competitors, players of New World will eventually become bored. In the long term, New World might actually not do itself any favors by pushing Elyon aside.

What do you think about the two games? Which of the two interests you more? Will you play Elyon even though you are looking forward to New World? Write it in the comments!

Our editor Alexander Leitsch has played Elyon for a while and says: “It will not be a flop, but also not a huge hit.”

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

An old-school MMORPG is the highest-rated free-to-play MMO on Steam – What is it about?

RuneScape is a 20-year-old MMORPG that only appeared on Steam in 2020. However, this old-school MMO quickly gained fans there and received positive review scores of 88 percent. But why are players so fond of this oldie?

What is RuneScape? RuneScape is a fantasy MMORPG from developer and publisher Jagex. They are also behind the new co-op action game Space Punks. However, RuneScape is an old-fashioned online role-playing game from 2001.

Since its release, the game has been revised multiple times, resulting in quasi-sequels such as RuneScape 2 and 3, while the original continued as Classic. In addition, there is the spin-off Old School RuneScape as well as RuneScape 3, which was released on Steam in October 2020 and can be played in crossplay with the mobile version.

How is it received on Steam? If you look at the most popular free MMORPGs on Steam, RuneScape is at the top of the list. The game has 88 percent positive ratings for the entire period since its release.

But why is an old-school game like RuneScape still so popular today?

Pokémon GO: These are the best counters against Palkia 2021

The legendary raid boss Palkia is coming to the arenas of Pokémon GO. We will show you how to best counter the Pokémon and how many players are needed to defeat it.

New guide: We have a new counter guide against Palkia updated for 2022

Use these counters against Palkia

What is Palkia weak against? The legendary Pokémon is of Water and Dragon type. Its weaknesses are the Dragon and Fairy types. Therefore, you should focus primarily on these types.

We will now show you the best counters against Palkia ranked by effectiveness:

1. Rayquaza

pokemon_icon_384_00
  • Fast Attack: Dragon Tail
  • Charged Attack: Outrage
  • Note: Due to its high attack value, Rayquaza is the best choice. It has a strong Dragon moveset and deals the most damage. You can even defeat Palkia with Rayquaza in pairs.

2. Dialga

  • Fast Attack: Fire Spin
  • Charged Attack: Draco Meteor
  • Note: Dialga is among the best attackers in Pokémon GO. With its good attacks and strong attack value, it is well-suited against Palkia.

3. Salamence

  • Fast Attack: Dragon Tail
  • Charged Attack: Outrage
  • Note: Salamence is the strongest non-legendary Pokémon that can stand against Palkia. With its attacks and high attack value, it is just behind Dialga.

More good attackers

Pokémon GO Latios Latias Title
  • Zekrom with Fire Spin and Outrage
  • Garchomp with Dragon Tail and Dragon Claw
  • Dragapult with Dragon Tail and Outrage
  • Garchomp with Dragon Tail and Outrage
  • Palkia with Dragon Tail and Draco Meteor
  • Latios with Fire Spin and Dragon Claw
  • Gardevoir with Charm and Dazzling Gleam

The alternative Pokémon

Use these counters in general: Especially the Dragon Pokémon are good attackers against Palkia. There isn’t a really good Fairy Pokémon, so the selection is limited.

Giratina Pokémon Go

Good alternatives to the best Dragon attackers are Altaria, Giratina, or Dragapult. For Fairy Pokémon, you could use Togekiss or Granbull.

What you should know about Palkia

How many people do you need for Palkia? A group of three players should be able to defeat Palkia. Players with very strong counters should also be able to defeat Palkia with just two.

Is there a Shiny Palkia? Yes, since August 6, 2021, you can catch it in its shiny form in the game. You can recognize it by its slightly pink body.

Pokémon GO Palkia Shiny
Palkia normal (left) and Shiny (right)

That’s why you should save revives: Palkia has powerful Dragon attacks and hits the top counters very effectively. If it has Draco Meteor as a charged attack, your Dragon Pokémon will be defeated very quickly. Therefore, it is important that you have enough revives and potions to restore your Pokémon after the battle.

How much CP should your Palkia have? A Palkia with 100% IV will have 2280 CP. If it is boosted by windy or rainy weather, it can even have a maximum of 2850 CP.

Along with a counter team for Palkia, these 6 Pokémon should not be missing from any battle team:

More on the topic
Pokémon GO: These 6 Pokémon should not be missing from any battle team
von Noah Struthoff
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Pokébattler

Asmongold compares FFXIV to Lord of the Rings: “It is much better than I expected”

The Twitch giant Asmongold is normally known for his streams in World of Warcraft. Recently, however, he started playing Final Fantasy XIV and is now comparing the story highlights of the base game “A Realm Reborn” with the classic Lord of the Rings.

The situation in brief:

  • Asmongold is currently the largest streamer on Twitch (as of July 2021).
  • A while ago, he decided to give the well-known MMORPG FFXIV a chance.
  • Now Asmongold has completed the first campaign of the game and finished “A Realm Reborn”.
  • He is now drawing a serious conclusion about the base game on his secondary channel on YouTube.
Caution: Spoilers for the main story of FFXIV and the Bahamut raid follow.

This is what Asmongold says: In his conclusion video, which he published on the secondary channel ZackRawrr, Asmongold shared his impressions of the story of ARR. His overall impression is very positive. The story of A Realm Reborn just feels good and “so much better than I expected.” Especially because the streamer was often warned by fans before starting FFXIV that this segment of the story was boring.

For Asmongold, these warnings did not prove true. Especially a scene within the main story captivated the streamer and was “something very special” for him.

It happens when you climb to the top of the crashed airship. […] There is this huge dragon Midgarsormr. He is wrapped around the flagship and it has crashed […] and killed the dragon. […] So you go up on this ship and see the dragon. The dragon’s eyes just turn red and he starts talking to you. The dragon speaks even though he should actually be dead.

What’s cool about it is that the game takes a story that has a small focus and makes something really big out of it. It’s so hard, especially for a game, to create such a moment. To make it as pure and grand as possible to have such a big effect and to trigger this really emotional reaction. I think they did an incredibly good job with it. […]

Asmongold

Therefore the “Lord of the Rings” comparison: Asmongold emphasizes that the story of FFXIV is significantly more complex and far-reaching than one initially thinks. He compared this climax of the plot of the base game with the resurgence of Gandalf in the second part of the “Lord of the Rings” films. It evoked similar emotions in him and left a similar impression:

I wondered what other story has done the same [as FFXIV], and I found two examples particularly good that underline my point: The first is when Gandalf returns in The Two Towers. He comes back and everyone thought he was dead. He reveals himself, disarms Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas in a second and says: “I have returned. I have defeated the Balrog.” And you just think “Oh my God, I never expected that.” It expands what Gandalf is and makes the entire world so much bigger. […] That’s exactly how [the plot of FFXIV] feels.

Asmongold

The second example that Asmongold brings up in his video as a comparison comes from the acclaimed manga classic “Berserk” by Kentaro Miura. This work is also celebrated by millions of fans for its story and depth. The director of FFXIV, Naoki Yoshida, is himself a fan of it, and the story of the Dark Knight job was inspired by the manga.

Here you can watch the whole video:

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What else does he say? In his conclusion, Asmongold seems excited about FFXIV. He mentions that he mostly played the game like a single-player RPG, which he doesn’t mean negatively at all. The game is driven by its story, and he was really captivated by it.

For the first time, FFXIV “caught” him even before his encounter with Midgarsormr:

In the story itself, I really lost myself for the first time when I was in the Bahamut raid. […] When Alphinaud and his sister Alisaie find their grandfather Louisoix below and ask him: “What happened? Why is Bahamut still alive?” […] Then [Louisoix] looks to the side, the screen turns white, and a completely animated cinematic is played where the guy transforms into a phoenix […]. He becomes a Kamehameha ball and pierces Bahamut’s heart. And just like that, the entire world was revived. […]

Asmongold in the video

He understands why so many people would love the story of FFXIV and are very taken with it. Especially for an MMORPG, this is not easy to achieve, but the developers have managed it, and Asmongold thinks it’s great.

The streamer also explains that another personal highlight of the plot is the moral gray area. It turns out that something which seems purely evil at the beginning is actually a good deed at the end. You get to know your opponents and understand the reasons for their actions. It’s not just about revenge and death, but also about second chances and forgiveness. These plot twists make the story of the game great.

He also enjoys the raids

What does he say about the other aspects? Asmongold seems particularly taken with the raids in FFXIV as well. He says that the raids, alongside the story, are his highlight of the game so far. He explains that the raids in the game do the same to him as the story: They offer much more than one would have expected.

Asmongold then discusses the role of the tank, mentioning that as a tank, you typically don’t have to do much except take damage.

[…] It’s funny because as a tank, you usually just sit there and tank. And that’s it. […] In FFXIV, I have to do so much more [than in WoW]. I admit: It was really difficult, and I had to put in effort. To some extent, it’s also about mastering things that other people find difficult. That fulfills me, and I can have fun from it. […] And if I had to say why I really enjoy FFXIV, it would be because of the raids.

Asmongold in the video

In FFXIV, though, a tank has many more mechanics to execute that are specific to the tank role, and that’s exactly what makes the game so enjoyable for the streamer.

What’s next? Asmongold emphasizes in the video once again that he will not stop playing World of Warcraft. He still loves the MMORPG, even though he is currently spending more time in FFXIV. But he is already looking forward to the next story campaign in FFXIV. Next up is the story of Heavensward.

He has also announced that he wants to complete all achievements to get the magnificent Phoenix mount, which he affectionately calls “golden Lugia.” The streamer’s journey in FFXIV is far from over.

He also thanks his community for supporting him so much, even when it’s not about WoW. He also thanks the players of FFXIV who welcomed him so warmly.

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

Fortnite: Here are the Alien Artifacts of Week 9 – Locations on the Map

With Chapter 2 Season 7, the new alien artifacts were introduced in Fortnite . We at MeinMMO will show you what you need the items for and where to find them in week 9 of the season.

What are alien artifacts used for? The alien artifacts are a new currency. They allow you to further develop your Kimera skin to add a full beard or even stalk eyes. The Kimera is an alien skin that can be unlocked in the Fortnite Battle Pass of Season 7 and customized as you like. 

When do the artifacts appear? New artifacts are released every Thursday at reset. Since they always spawn in new locations, we will show you their exact positions. You can also find them in cosmic chests if you are lucky.

Locations of the alien artifacts in week 9

This is how you find the artifacts: The locations of the artifacts vary from week to week. If you missed your artifacts for the last week, it’s not a big deal. You can still visit the previous artifacts from past weeks to complete your Kimera.

These are the locations of the alien artifacts in week 9:

These are the locations of the alien artifacts from week 9 – Source: DualShockers
  • Artifact 1 – Craggy Cliffs: The artifact is located northwest on an island, under the scaffolding of a fishing hut.
  • Artifact 2 – Corny Complex: You will find the artifact south of Corny Complex in a rest area.
  • Artifact 3 – Weeping Woods: The artifact can be found on the huge satellite dish east of Weeping Woods. 
  • Artifact 4 – Weeping Woods: The location is directly in a hut next to a former spire tower.
  • Artifact 5 – Holly Hedges: West of Holly Hedges, the last artifact of this week can be found in a fishing hut on a huge rock.

The artifacts are relatively easy to reach, but sometimes they also require certain prerequisites, such as building up or gliding to certain locations. If you want the exact locations, here is a video from the YouTuber “EveryDay FN” linked for illustration.

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Important Tip: Make sure to collect all artifacts, as these boost your progress and give four artifacts per collection. Don’t rely on the cosmic chests; they may occasionally drop artifacts, but they are not a good source for farming.

Don’t forget that Ariana Grande’s concert is coming up soon; have you marked a date yet? Here are all the important details about Ariana Grande’s concert.

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

Destiny 2 brings extensive class adjustments in Season 15 – This is changing

With Destiny 2, the new Season 15 is around the corner and brings various changes and new features – including for many abilities of all 3 Guardian classes. MeinMMO shows you what will change with the major ability balance patch.

What is the balance patch about? Some time ago, Bungie announced that they would take another look at the individual Guardian classes and make adjustments if necessary. Especially many old Light focuses have fallen behind compared to Stasis – not only regarding customization options.

In Season 15, starting on August 24, it’s finally time, and the studio has now presented the changes coming to the players in the current edition of “This Week at Bungie” blog.

The ultimate goal of these changes is for abilities to complement gunplay, but not replace it and not dominate everything. This balance patch is intended to pave the way for large-scale, systematic changes to the abilities. Over the course of the coming seasons, for example, the frequency of ability usage in the Crucible (PvP) will be adjusted.

By the way, there were already fresh details about the future of PvP: Destiny 2 finally talks about the future of PvP – What’s coming in the next seasons

How the abilities of the Guardians change in the new season

The focus of the changes is mainly on the abilities of the Light classes of the Guardians, but there were also a few adjustments to the icy Stasis abilities.

General abilities

Stasis freezing: Being frozen by Stasis can be quite frustrating. That’s why there were some adjustments to freezing.

  • Frozen players can initiate breaking free from the ice in the air
  • The breakout animation and camera transition have been shortened
  • Long freezing and short freezing can now be visually distinguished, making the respective status easier to recognize

Sliding: Bungie found sliding into a fight to be too effective. Therefore, they added some disadvantages (for weapons) to it. While sliding, the following applies:

  •  - 20 stability 
  • + 15 % shotgun pellet spread
  • 1.5x flinch (shrink when hit by an enemy) 

Titan abilities

Gunfight Barricade: This variant is rarely used, so they have spruced it up a bit. In addition to the reload bonuses, the following buffs apply when standing behind this barricade:

  • + 30 stability
  • + 10 % range
  • – 50 % flinch

All barricades: Some abilities currently allow players to move quickly through an enemy barricade while suffering only minimal damage. This is set to change. Although barricades will still not deal lethal damage, you will noticeably take more damage.

  • Players moving at high speed through an enemy Titan barricade will now take more damage
  • Barricades now slightly reach into the ground to better protect the Titan’s feet on uneven ground. This should occur less frequently, with explosions and projectiles slipping under the barricade and hitting the Titan 

Colossus (Stasis): After the extensive Stasis nerf, there’s now some fine-tuning for this Titan focus.

  • Cryoclasm (Aspect):
    • When equipped, base slides now shatter crystals and frozen enemies
    • The FX effect duration on screen that signals when the long slide is ready has been increased from 1 second to about 4.5 seconds
  • Shiverstrike:
    • Movement speed increased by 25 % 
  • Whisper of the Wisp (Fragment):
    • A bug has been fixed where the overshield granted by this fragment did not scale precision damage properly

Sunbreaker (Middle Tree):

  • Throwing Hammer:
    • The time before the hammer explodes after it lands on the ground has been increased from 6.5 to 10 seconds (more time to pick up the hammer)
    • Damage against orange and yellow bar enemies in PvE (powerful enemies) has been increased by about 50 %

Striker (Top and Bottom Tree):

  • Fist of Havoc:
    • The detonation radius of the fist slam has been increased by 14 % 
    • The damage drop-off from the slam has been reduced 
    • The activation cost for the slam has been reduced from 21 % to 18 % 

Striker (Middle Tree):

  • Overcoming Inertia:
    • Duration increased from 4 to 6 seconds 
    • Sliding over ammunition now grants 20 % melee energy

Sentinel (Top Tree):

  • Dusk Shield: 
    • Damage taken from bosses increased from 0.25x to 7x (at 0 resilience)
    • Then scale the damage taken down to 0.25x – depending on the user’s resilience stat
Strike See der Schatten Boss Jäger Hunter Arkus Titel Destiny

Hunter abilities

Revenant (Stasis): The nerf of the Stasis Hunter was considered too harsh in some parts, so in Season 15 there are now the following adjustments:

  • Shadebinder: 
    • Movement speed of the storm increased by 20 %
    • The storm now stays in place when it touches a boss
  • Blade of the Withering: 
    • Projectile speed and tracking increased by 10 %

Gunslinger (Middle Tree):

  • Deadshot: 
    • Burn duration increased from 3 to 4 seconds

Gunslinger (Top Tree):

  • Six Shooter: 
    • Damage drop-off now starts at 25 meters rather than 20

Arcstrider:

  • Arc Staff:
    • Passive duration of the super increased from 16 to 20 seconds 
    • Detonation radius of the heavy attack increased from 5 to 6 meters 
    • Damage against PvE enemies increased by 33 % 
  • Top Tree: 
    • Deadly Reach 
      • Duration increased from 8 to 10 seconds 
  • Middle Tree: 
    • Chain Lightning 
      • When dealing damage with Arc Strike, this now triggers Chain Lightning
      • The timer can be extended by dealing damage with any weapon

Nighthawk (Middle Tree):

  • Spectral blades:
    • Damage reduction during the super decreased from 52 % to 47 %
    • Additional damage reduction while invisible: decreased from +5 % to +3 %
destiny-2-warlock-super

Warlock abilities

Shadebinder: Here, the Stasis nerf hasn’t gone far enough, so there is now an additional nerf for PvP.

  • Winter’s Wrath: 
    • Damage of the shatter shockwave against close-range supers reduced 
      • The Warlock now has to freeze and shatter players with active close-range supers (Dawnblade, Fist of Havoc, Sentinel Shield, Nova Warp, Arc Staff, or Spectral Blades) twice to defeat them (For Glacial Fortify, you only need to shatter once)

Dawnblade (Top Tree): This subclass has been too dominant for Bungie in PvP, which is intended to change with the following adjustments:

  • Celestial Fire:
    • Angle of the tracking cone reduced. 
    • The detonation size will decrease over time 
    • Detonation size reduced by 1 meter 
    • Damage drop-off at short ranges increased
  • Icarus Dash: 
    • Dodging in the air is now possible every 4 seconds 
      • Under the effect of Heat Rises, dodging is enabled at 2x every 5 seconds
  • Heat Rises: 
    • Duration increased from 10 to 15 seconds 
    • Timer extension for aerial kills while Heat Rises is active has been increased. The duration of the extension varies depending on the type of enemy defeated 
    • Your position will now be displayed on the enemy radar when Heat Rises is used

Dawnblade (Middle Tree): Here, the effectiveness in boss fights is to be reduced, while performance in PvP is to be slightly increased – through the following changes:

  • Well of Radiance:
    • Damage received from bosses increased from 0.25x to 7x (at 0 resilience)
      • Damage taken is then scaled down to 0.25x – depending on the user’s resilience stat 
      • This applies to the well itself, not to the players inside the well
    • The damage resistance buff against enemy players has been increased from 20 % to 40 % 
      • Players inside the well are now immune to Stasis freezing and Stasis slow effects 
      • The well sword can now be frozen and shattered by Stasis
  • Guiding Flame: 
    • Duration increased from 7 to 10 seconds 
    • Damage buff increased from 20 % to 25 % 
destiny-2-warlock

Dawnblade (Bottom Tree): This subclass felt too lackluster compared to the other options, so it has been spruced up a bit.

  • Phoenix Dive:
    • Delay before the dive starts has been reduced
    • Now the direction can be specified to dive in
  • Firebrand: 
    • Ability overhaul: Solar ability kills and kills from burning targets now cause the targets to explode and burn nearby enemies (who also explode if they die while burning)

Stormcaller (Middle Tree): Here, the main focus was on ensuring that enemies would not be hit behind walls as much as possible.

  • Arc Soul:
    • Size of the environment collision for the beam has been increased
    • Damage radius of the beam in PvP reduced by 20 % 
    • Radius of the endpoint sphere of the beam in PvP reduced by 33 %

In future seasons, the aim is to make it harder to use the beam in the Crucible.

Stormcaller (Bottom Tree): This subclass will receive a bit more love in regard to player feedback and will be spruced up a bit.

  • Arc Soul:
    • Duration increased from 12 to 13 seconds 
    • Rate of fire increased by 10 %
  • Electrostatic Surge:
    • Now increases sprint speed when allies are nearby
  • Landfall:
    • Now fires 5 Arc floor projectiles upon triggering

Voidwalker (Middle Tree): This subclass also requires a bit more attention in Bungie’s eyes – especially in PvE – and will be strengthened as follows:

  • Nova Warp: 
    • Damage against PvE enemies increased by 73 % 
    • No longer slows movement speed when charging or charged
    • Now detonates upon triggering 
  • Hand Supernova: 
    • Damage against PvE enemies increased by 100 % 
    • Hold time increased from 2.5 to 3.2 seconds 

What do you think of these changes to the abilities of the Guardians? Are you satisfied with it, is it at least going in the right direction in your opinion, or did you expect much more – especially regarding the Light focuses? Feel free to let us and other readers of MeinMMO know in the comments.

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

Twitch professional shroud sees Fortnite as number 1 over Apex and Warzone – One feature makes the difference

Fortnite: Battle Royale is according to Twitch pro shroud the number 1 game among battle royale titles and comes before Apex Legends and Warzone. This is due to a special feature that neutralizes a major annoyance.

What does shroud think is the big problem in battle royale games? The successful Twitch streamer and former CS-Go pro shroud loves the game Apex Legends. It currently attracts some CoD players who are plagued by hackers in Warzone.

However, according to shroud, it is not Apex Legends, but Fortnite that is the number 1 game in the genre. This is because a major problem present in other games is not present here.

In the endgame of Apex and others, it often happens that you are attacked from the side by a third party and thus are left with little chance.

Especially in Apex, where the high time-to-kill promotes long stalemates, surprise flanking attacks from a third squad are often the end and a source of frustration according to shroud:

“That is the worst aspect of any battle royale… you’re in a fight and constantly pushing forward and then you’re shot from the side.”

But not so with Fortnite.

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Fortnite has according to shroud the fairer end fights.

What Fortnite does differently in the endgame: According to shroud, Fortnite is unique in competitive gameplay. Because “In Fortnite you can build”.

This allows, according to shroud, that “only you and your opponent are fighting”, because you secure yourself by building and also manage to get out of tricky situations.

If you build your personal fortress with high walls, you are appropriately warned when an opponent suddenly appears from the side and thus have your own little end fight arena for a while. According to shroud, this is the major factor that makes Fortnite so good in the competitive sector and against which Apex and Warzone fall short.

However, in his personal ranking, Apex Legends is still in first place, followed by PUBG and finally Fortnite. In addition, shroud loves the endgame in Amazon’s MMORPG New World.

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

CoD Warzone & Cold War show roadmap for Season 5 – new weapons, perks and event

On August 12, Season 5 starts for Call of Duty: Warzone and Black Ops Cold War. Now the roadmap is online and MeinMMO shows you in detail what the new season intends to offer.

What’s going on? Call of Duty sees itself as a service game that constantly grows and evolves. Therefore, the developers release a season update every few weeks that provides new, free content for CoD soldiers.

On Thursday, August 12, it’s that time again – the new Season 5 is coming. The roadmap is packed and shows many contents for the multiplayer and the zombie mode of Cold War, as well as exciting adjustments for the battle royale Warzone (via callofduty.com). MeinMMO will go through the roadmap with you:

cod warzone cold war season 5 roadmap

With one click, you can quickly get to your favorite section:

Cold War Season 5: Multiplayer gets a hefty supply of 6vs6 maps

What’s coming in multiplayer? Cold War has lagged behind in the number of 6vs6 maps since its release and with Season 5 it finally manages to catch up a bit. Throughout the season, a total of 4 new standard-sized maps are expected:

  • Echolon: Play on Berlin’s Teufelsberg, a debris hill and the second highest point of the capital
  • Slums: A classic 3-lane map from Black Ops II in Panama City
  • Drive-In (In-Season): Rework from Black Ops I. Very small map in an abandoned outdoor cinema
  • Zoo (In-Season): Came to Outbreak last season and will get a 6vs6 version throughout Season 5

Additionally, at the launch of the season, the Gunfight map “Showroom” is coming into play (2vs2 / 3vs3).

In addition to the new maps, Cold War also offers fresh modes again. Particularly exciting is the mode “Double Agent”. It reads like Call of Duty with “Among Us” rules. We will embed the English trailer for the mode here:

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As another highlight, the Demolition mode returns to the current CoD (In-Season). This is a modified version of the classic “Search & Destroy”, only that in Demolition there are infinite respawns and everyone carries a bomb.

A little cherry on top: The flamethrower is coming as a scorestreak in multiplayer. Hints about the hot streak had already been around before the release of Cold War, and now the flamethrower finally makes it into the game.

Cold War Season 5: Zombies get a heavy tank in Outbreak

What’s coming in zombie mode? In the fight against the rotting enemies, you will receive support in the form of a new perk, a fresh field upgrade, and a new support weapon:

  • Perk: Death Perception – New perk soda that allows you to see enemies better (upgrades should make the perk useful)
  • Field Upgrade: Tesla Power – Stunning lightning that can spread over your team-mates
  • Support Weapon: Flamethrower – Zombie killer for close combat. CoD makes a pun in the blog with “Firepower”

Outbreak goes a bit further. You will receive a new map for the zombie playground (the map Collateral) and 2 cool new gadgets. Although “gadgets” might not do it justice. Because from Season 5 there will be tanks in Outbreak. The tanks come with a large turret and a mounted minigun for a second player. The tank is supposed to be slow and therefore takes many hits from desperate zombies, but its firepower easily makes up for that.

cod cold war zombies outbreak panzer
Shooting holes in zombies has never been easier than with a tank.

The second gadget is a grappling hook. At the crafting table, you can craft the “Grapple Gun” and drastically increase your speed. Whether the gun gets used up after a few uses or just takes up a slot in the inventory bar is currently uncertain.

Outbreak also offers new intel to collect and a new main mission. In the crazy Dead Ops Arcade, you can find a new bonus level and the PlayStation-exclusive Onslaught mode also gets a new map (Echolon) and new intel to collect.

Warzone Season 5: For the first time, unique perks for the battle royale

What’s coming for Warzone? After extensive changes to the weapons, it’s now the perk meta’s turn to be shaken up a bit. For the first time, Warzone gets its own perks:

  • Combat Scout: When you hit enemies with your bullets, they are marked by a ping and can be seen briefly through walls, with an orange outline. Category: Still Unknown
  • Tempered: Instead of 3 armor plates, you only need to use 2 to have 150 armor. Category: Red

In addition, the perk “Alarmed” is likely to be revised. The developers announced they would use the reconnaissance perk as a counter against dead silence.

In Season 5, the Gulag is also changing once again. This time the map “Rush” is the model. The map is a type of paintball facility in multiplayer and should be significantly more open than the current Hijacked Gulag.

cod warzone gulag rush
The new Gulag should be clearer.

As new locations, “Mobile Broadcast Stations” are being added to Warzone. These mobile stations appear in a different spot in each match and offer strong loot. However, it reads like the stations give off a signal to your opponents when you get too close. In the roadmap blog post, there is another hint at a new location, which is however once again somewhat censored.

This is rounded off by a new mode – Clash. Throughout the season, this new version of the 50vs50 Rumble mode will be introduced. However, you will find more game mechanics from the normal battle royale in Clash: vehicles, buy stations, the ping system, armor – everything is activated and you can test your Warzone loadouts in a large team deathmatch with infinite respawns.

What else does Season 5 offer?

What else is coming in Season 5? As always, there is a fresh battle pass with plenty of content right at the start of the season. The roadmap also announces an event: Mid-Season, “The Numbers” will launch. The event is somehow connected to the Red Doors and the new “Mobile Broadcast Stations”.

In total, 4 new weapons make their way into the game in Season 5. In the battle pass, you will find the assault rifle EM2 at level 15, which offers a built-in scope with low zoom, as well as a rather low fire rate with good control and average range. At level 31, you will find the TEC-9, a submachine gun. The TEC-9 is also said to offer a low fire rate, combined with good control and medium range.

At the start of Season 5, the cane is also ready. The perfect melee weapon when you want to reward the boomer in you. Throughout the season, the pistol Marshal will also be added. A type of mini-shotgun that is manually loaded.

As always, there are also 4 new prestige emblems and new prestige rewards for the heavy players among you.

cod warzone cold war prestige embleme season 5
The 4 new prestige emblems are impressive.

The first look at the roadmap is promising and looks like it could be fun. However, it remains to be seen how the new contents will be received in the end. Especially Warzone players are currently struggling with other problems than lack of content: New weapon in CoD Warzone causes problems – cheat provider mocks: It works for us

What’s your first impression of Season 5 – will you check it out again?

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

Pokémon GO: All new quests from the 2nd Hyperbonus and which ones are worth it

As of today, August 6, 2021, the 2nd part of the Hyper Bonus event is taking place in Pokémon GO. Once again, new quests and a limited-time research await you. We will show you what these tasks look like and tell you which ones you should complete.

What is it about? As of today, the 2nd Hyper Bonus is happening in Pokémon, which trainers earned during the GO Fest 2021. Just as in the 1st Hyper Bonus, you can also participate in limited-time research or spin new field research tasks at PokéStops during this event.

We have looked at the new tasks and will show you which ones are particularly worth it.

These are the new field research tasks for the 2nd Hyper Bonus

During the 2nd Hyper Bonus event, you can look forward to 5 new quests in the field research. To obtain them, you just need to spin at the PokéStop. With the help of Leekduck’s overview, we have summarized them for you (via Leekduck.com/reddit.com):

Field Research TaskReward
Catch 15 PokémonStaryu*
Make 5 good curveball throwsLunatone* or Solrock*
Make 7 great curveball throwsShellos (East or West)
Spin 10 PokéStops or Gyms10 Poké Balls
Send 5 Pokémon3 Nanab Berries
Pokémon marked with (*) can also be caught in their shiny variants with a bit of luck.

The most interesting reward from the new quests is Shellos. You can find it in both its eastern and western forms. Particularly the latter is usually not catchable in Germany. So if you don’t have one yet, you should take this opportunity. You can recognize it by its pink color.

Shellos and its evolution Gastrodon in western form (left) and eastern form (right)

This is the limited-time research for the 2nd Hyper Bonus

In addition to the 5 new quests in field research, there is also a limited-time research available to every trainer. You can find it in the Today view of your game. To complete it, you have time from today, August 6, 2021, at 10:00 AM, to August 17, 2021, at 8:00 PM.

The limited-time research has been divided into a total of 5 blocks. We have looked at these with the help of Leekduck’s overview and summarized them for you (via Leekduck.com/reddit.com):

Part 2 of the Hyper Bonus: Space 1/5

TaskReward
Catch 10 PokémonEncounter with
Somnion
Make 5 good throwsEncounter with
Clefairy
Send 5 Pokémon7 Nanab Berries

Stage Reward: If you complete all tasks of this part, you will receive the following reward: 10 Poké Balls, 484 XP, and 5 Ultra Balls.

Part 2 of the Hyper Bonus: Space 2/5

TaskReward
Catch 10 Pokémon8 Raspberry Berries
Use 5 Raspberry Berries when
Catching Pokémon
Encounter with
Lunatone
Use 5 Nanab Berries when
Catching Pokémon
Encounter with
Solrock

Stage Reward: If you complete all tasks of this part, you will receive the following reward: 10 Nanab Berries, 484 XP, and 5 Ultra Balls.

Part 2 of the Hyper Bonus: Space 3/5

TaskReward
Catch 10 PokémonEncounter with
Gastly
Make 5 great throwsEncounter with
Shuppet
Make 5 good throws in a rowEncounter with
Shuppet

Stage Reward: If you complete all tasks of this part, you will receive the following reward: 15 Poké Balls, 484 XP, and 5 Ultra Balls.

Part 2 of the Hyper Bonus: Space 4/5

TaskReward
Catch 15 Pokémon6 Nanab Berries
Make 5 great curveball throwsEncounter with
Shellos (East)
Make 5 good curveball throws in a rowEncounter with
Shellos (West)

Stage Reward: If you complete all tasks of this part, you will receive the following reward: 12 Raspberries, 484 XP, and 5 Ultra Balls.

Part 2 of the Hyper Bonus: Space 5/5

TaskReward
Catch 6 Pokémon of
Psychic type
Encounter with
Psychic
Win a RaidEncounter with
Psiau
Make 2 excellent throws1 silver Nanab Berry

Stage Reward: If you complete all tasks of this part, you will receive the following reward: 20 Poké Balls, 3,000 Stardust, and 5 Ultra Balls.

If you complete all 5 parts of the limited-time task, then it will also be finished. You should definitely take advantage of this as it gives you the opportunity to encounter a western Shellos. Also, Psiau is only obtainable from eggs or raids. Therefore, this is also a good opportunity to snag one.

What do you think about the new quests for the 2nd Hyper Bonus? Which ones do you think are the most worthwhile and which would you rather skip? Feel free to share your opinion here on MeinMMO in the comments.

Finally, there are also first details about the 3rd Hyper Bonus known. We have looked at these and will show you which Pokémon and bonuses you can expect from this event.

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

Pokémon GO: How the developers respond to the open letter from the community

Due to the change in the PokéStop interaction radius in Pokémon GO, trainers from around the world came together. They addressed an open letter to Niantic. Now the developers have responded. However, the reactions from the trainers show disappointment.

What happened? In recent days, the developers of Pokémon GO have been under criticism.

  • On August 1st, some corona bonuses expired, which Pokémon GO activated during the pandemic. Thus, trainers in the USA and New Zealand now have to come within 40 meters of PokéStops to interact with them. With the bonus, the radius was doubled to 80 meters.
  • On August 2nd, many trainers took to social media to declare that the removal of the corona bonuses is a slap in the face for players.
  • On August 5th, trainers from around the world shared an open letter to Niantic. Among them were the biggest YouTubers focusing on Pokémon GO and important content creators. In the letter, trainers demanded that the radius be increased back to 80 meters and highlighted the benefits this brings in the game. Especially, what disadvantages the 40-meter radius brings. With the hashtag #HearUsNiantic, trainers wanted to be heard.
  • On August 5th, the Niantic team shared their response to the open letter, which we present to you here.

In general, Niantic indicates that they have heard the community and their demands. Niantic also shows how they plan to respond. However, they are not simply increasing the PokéStop radius.

Why Niantic changed the radius and what happens next

This is what Niantic says: On the Nianticlabs blog, there is a lengthy statement regarding the open letter (via Nianticlabs.com). We embed the translated version here in the article.

To our Pokémon GO community:

We thank you for your letter and all your feedback. We hear you. We are very impressed by your reaction. Not every game has such a passionate, global player base that we are fortunate to have.

Like everyone else in the world, our team has also worked very hard to adapt to the global health environment. The recent changes to the exploration bonus that we’ve made in the USA and New Zealand aim to restore some of the foundational elements that players enjoyed before 2020 and to reward players for movement and exploration again. Niantic is committed to encouraging people to explore together, move, and play safely.

The health and well-being of players is our top priority. That’s why we’ve introduced the new exploration bonuses in selected regions where it is considered safe to be outdoors. Research shows that outdoor walks are safe and offer multiple health benefits. Additionally, promoting outdoor exploration aligns with Niantic’s mission. Nevertheless, we will continue to monitor health and safety guidelines regarding outdoor activities and make adjustments as necessary.

We have heard your feedback regarding a specific change – the interaction distance between PokéStops and Gyms. We have reverted the interaction distance in the USA and New Zealand from 80 meters to 40 meters because we want people to connect with real places in the real world and visit places worth exploring.

However, we have heard your suggestions loud and clear and are taking the following actions to address the concerns you have expressed: We are assembling an internal, cross-functional team to develop proposals on how we can maintain our mission of inspiring people to explore the world together while also addressing the specific concerns raised regarding interaction distance. We will announce the results of this task force by the next seasonal change (September 1). As part of this process, we will also reach out to community representatives in the coming days to join us in this dialogue.

Our goal is to create fun and engaging experiences that remain true to our mission, and we thank you for challenging us with your thoughtful and constructive feedback.

The Niantic Team

Source: Nianticlabs.com

“So they don’t want to change the distance”

This is how players react: On reddit, Niantic’s response has sparked numerous comments (via reddit.com). However, the mood there is rather gloomy.

A player quotes the penultimate paragraph of the letter, which discusses the internal team, and writes “So no. They don’t want to revert the changes to the interaction distance.”

User dave5104 remarks (via reddit.com): “I’m pessimistic about the ‘results’ they will come back with. A simple answer to all of this would have been: ‘We will revert the distance change while we discuss internally!’ But they won’t even throw us that bone. It sounds like they’ve already made up their minds and don’t want to rip the band-aid off a second time.”

Others question what the justification for the 40-meter distance is supposed to mean. AgentNeko writes (via reddit.com): “80 meters interaction distance makes it impossible for us to connect with real places in the real world and visit places worth exploring?”

Player mybham suggests as a solution that players should need to approach a stop within 20 meters the very first time they visit it. After that, the interaction distance should be increased to 80 meters (via reddit.com).

What do you think about Niantic’s response? Do you like how they are now responding to the players, and is this an answer you had hoped for from the open letter? Or do you find the 80-meter interaction distance unnecessary and would be satisfied if it were reduced back to 40 meters?

Let us know your opinion here on MeinMMO in the comments and discuss with other players.

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