In a live stream about the Japanese MMORPG hope Blue Protocol, Bandai Namco finally showed new gameplay scenes from the closed beta. A new class was also introduced: the “Heavy Smasher”. MeinMMO summarizes the key information for you.
What is Blue Protocol? The MMORPG initially reminds of Genshin Impact due to its anime graphics. However, Blue Protocol is officially an MMORPG with a focus on PvE. It is said that Blue Protocol will not offer traditional PvP at launch.
Blue Protocol places a strong emphasis on storytelling, during which you encounter NPCs that help you save the world. You are a time traveler fleeing 1,000 years into the past to prevent a catastrophe.
What’s new? In a live stream, the developers from Bandai Namco showed new gameplay, featuring some combat scenes. A new class was also introduced.
Gameplay shows fights and a new class whose weapon resembles Monster Hunter
What kind of class is this? Translated, this class is called “Heavy Smasher”. It fights with a type of hammer that can also be used as a firearm.
In the gameplay, you can see how the character bashes enemies and also blasts them with energy shots. This partially resembles the gunlance from Monster Hunter, which is a mix of a physical melee weapon and a kind of firearm.
In the gameplay, it shows that the class can charge shots, deal damage with swings, and initiate powerful jump attacks.
Here you can check out the gameplay in a compilation:
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Who is Blue Protocol interesting for? The online RPG is aimed at anyone who enjoys Genshin Impact but prefers to experience the game as an MMORPG. Blue Protocol offers group play, raids, dungeons, quests, and action-packed combat in a beautiful anime world. If that appeals to you, you should keep an eye on the title.
This is what Blue Protocol is about: The MMORPG tells its story through many quests and interesting NPCs that you encounter. The overarching story sends you as a time traveler back about 1,000 years into the past to prevent a catastrophe.
In addition to the story, you will fight in dungeons together in a group against boss opponents or participate in raids. This way, you will obtain valuable resources. These are needed to improve your equipment and craft new gear.
Is there PvP? No, there is no PvP. You can only indirectly compete in challenges against other players. There are no battles against other players.
When will Blue Protocol be released? The MMORPG is currently in beta phase in Japan. The release in Japan is planned for 2021, but a specific date has not been announced yet.
The new MMORPG Swords of Legends Online gained attention mainly for its PvE content during its initial announcement. For a long time, many were unaware that PvP also plays an important role. We at MeinMMO also did not have everything in view at first, but we now want to enlighten you about the PvP content.
What is going on with the PvP in SOLO? Swords of Legends Online has a considerable focus on PvP content. There is even special PvP equipment that you can earn through the arenas and which is more effective in fighting against other players.
SOLO offers roughly 3 different types of PvP:
Open-world PvP
Two factions fighting each other
Various arenas where players can fight each other in a clear scenario
However, there is some confusion regarding open-world PvP. We at MeinMMO initially assumed that it was optional. But that is not the case. To make sure you know how PvP works in SOLO, we have summarized all the information here.
PvP in the open world, but with harsh penalties
How does open-world PvP work? Upon reaching the maximum level student 1, every character gains the new ability blood frenzy. Whoever activates this can then attack other players in the open world who also have the ability. And this is where the confusion arose.
Every character automatically gains the ability with student 1, and this cannot currently be prevented. However, merely possessing it is enough to be attacked by other players with blood frenzy, even if you never use the ability. Below student 1, you are safe from attacks.
Anyone who attacks a player who has not activated the blood frenzy ability must expect penalties:
For kills of other players, you accumulate stacks of “malice”.
Anyone killed with many stacks of malice by other players ends up in prison and has to serve in-game time there.
However, there is an exception: Since beta 2, you can join one of two PvP factions or remain neutral. Players from the opposing faction can be killed in the open world without accumulating malice, provided the faction skill has been activated (more on that in the faction section).
The prison in SOLO is primarily a dark and desolate place.
How does the prison work? Anyone who dies with stacks of malice goes to prison. You must stay there until you have removed all stacks of malice or defeated the guard. You lose stacks as follows:
Every 3 in-game minutes, one stack automatically decreases as you sit and sing at a specific spot.
You can carry stones in a repeatable quest, which greatly slows you down. For each stone carried, you receive a potion that removes 4 stacks of malice.
Additionally, you should definitely disable blood frenzy, which slowly but surely builds up more stacks of malice.
For killing 2 other players, I already accumulated 100 stacks of malice in beta. This means I had to sit out 5 hours of in-game time or transport numerous stones boringly from point A to B.
In the upper right corner by the compass, you can see your stacks of malice.
The guard can be fought after completing another quest in the prison. Theoretically, you could try to defeat it and thus escape. However, upon entering the prison, you receive a debuff that caused me to deal 0 damage. The debuff lasted for 90 minutes but kept refreshing.
Besides singing, carrying stones, and fighting the warden, you can play cards with NPCs in the prison, but this does not remove any stacks of malice.
What does open PvP even bring? Nothing at all. There are no loot or special rewards for killing other players. On the contrary, if you kill another player, they can even place a bounty on you, allowing other players to hunt the killer. However, we have not been able to test this bounty system yet.
Otherwise, there’s only punishment, which you must serve in the form of in-game time. Therefore, there is no real reason to kill other players who do not want to engage in PvP.
The Heavenly Alliance (blue) is an order committed to order and morality
The Mystics (red), on the other hand, worship several deities and are very in tune with nature
The two factions fight each other and can kill each other in the open world without receiving malice. However, the faction skill must be active to fight other players. This can be activated manually or is automatically activated by entering the faction area.
The faction skill deactivates itself every morning at 6:00 AM or can be disabled by a special item obtained from faction vendors. However, if you teleport into the area and then leave it, you can deactivate PvP again by activating the faction skill.
To join a faction, you need to complete a quest that you can find in the cultivation (key “J”). However, you can also avoid this and remain neutral. The faction is also bound to the respective character.
You can choose between these factions.
What are the benefits of being in a faction? By joining a faction, you can enter the new PvP area Sword Sound Valley and fight there. This is a huge map that is entirely focused on the battle between the factions and where there are no penalties for PvP.
Can you change factions? Yes, that’s theoretically possible every 7 days and costs 50 gold. However, you will lose your gained progress with the respective faction.
PvP in different arenas
What is arena PvP like? In the arenas, you can expect 5 different modes:
The duel battle, where you play in a 3v3 in an arena and can rise up a classic leaderboard from bronze to diamond
The “Realm of the Five Elements” where you fight 15v15 against each other
The “Fort Haizhou,” where you must hold a flag in the middle of the map until you reach 1,000 points first. This is played in 10v10
The Brothers of the Emerald Clouds also hold a battle. This is a type of battle royale where you can gather loot and the map becomes smaller over time. However, this arena is only available on certain days and at certain times.
The fifth mode is the “Battle in the Sand.” Here, 10 players face off against 10 players. In this mode, one player per team is transformed into a monster and must be healed. The first group to possess 3 runes wins. However, this mode has been temporarily disabled by Gameforge.
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What do you think of the PvP content in Swords of Legends? Does it rather scare you away or make you want more? And do you have any further questions about PvP that we should answer? Please feel free to write them in the comments.
Even in June, owners of the Xbox Game Pass can expect a new selection of games. Again, it is a wide range of titles. MeinMMO shows you which games you can look forward to this month.
What is the highlight in June? In addition to some other cool titles, the highlight in June is a big multiplayer game from Ubisoft: For Honor. We introduce you to the game and explain why it is so popular.
When is For Honor available? From June 3rd, you can play For Honor on consoles and via the cloud. Unfortunately, PC players are left empty-handed.
What kind of game is it? For Honor is a multiplayer game that sends you into melee with axes, swords, and other weapons. These are brutal, fast, but also tactically influenced. On the battlefield, it’s worth keeping a cool head; blind brawling will be quickly punished.
You assume the role of different fighters, each of whom has special characteristics and equipment. The combat system focuses primarily on combos, parries, blocks, and feints. The focus is on dueling and teamwork.
For Honor has different modes where you meet rather in smaller groups, such as in 4-vs-4, and less large battles with dozens of participants.
The current metascore is 79. The user score is 5.8 (via metacritic.com).
Players especially praise the scope, the technically optimized state of the game, and the good gameplay.
Some criticize the in-game shop of For Honor, which invites spending money even though it is a full-price game.
Others complain that it could become repetitive after some hours of gameplay.
For Honor is especially something for fixed groups that can coordinate and communicate. So if you’re looking for a game to play with friends, you should definitely try For Honor.
Pro
Good, dynamic, and tactical combat system
Large scope
Diverse characters
Still supported by the developers
Contra
Only motivating in the long term with a fixed group
In-game shop with purchasable content, despite the buy2play model
Much grind needed to unlock items
Overall 4 new games from June in the Game Pass
These are the new games for the Game Pass: In addition to For Honor, there are three other titles coming to the different platforms of the Game Pass:
The Wild at Heart (only on Cloud) – Available
Backbone (PC) – From June 8th
Darkest Dungeon (Cloud, Console, and PC) – From June 10th
The new content in the Game Pass starting in June.
Games that are no longer in the Pass from June 15th:
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown (Console)
Night Call (Cloud, Console, and PC)
West of Dead (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Wizard of Legend (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Observation (Cloud, Console, and PC)
What is the Xbox Game Pass? It is a subscription service that allows access to over 100 games for Xbox One as well as Xbox Series X/S and PC. The most expensive version of the subscription is the Xbox Game Pass, which costs a maximum of 12.99 euros per month. The Xbox Game Pass can also be described as a kind of Netflix for games .
Thanks to a special method, it is even possible to save some money. However, be aware that not every game in the Xbox Game Pass is available for the Xbox consoles and PC. The offer also changes monthly.
Microsoft is continuously working to expand the Game Pass offering. Meanwhile, the offer is very extensive on both consoles and PC. Even the subscription model “EA Play” from Electronic Arts is part of the Ultimate Game Pass and thus expands the offer by some games from the publisher.
In League of Legends, the new patch 11.12 will be released next week. The developers have provided a first look at the upcoming changes. Among these, there are notably many changes to the top lane, including a nerf for the currently strongest champion in LoL.
What changes with patch 11.12? On Twitter, developer Mark Yetter shared an image with the planned adjustments. It is evident that quite a few changes will occur in the top lane:
Wukong, Nasus, Gnar, and Renekton will receive a nerf
Illaoi and Malphite will receive a buff
Dr. Mundo will finally get his visual rework
However, the nerfs are not surprising. Just in the previous patch 11.11, there were several adjustments to tank items that greatly benefited the top lane champions. This led to two of them currently having the highest win rates among champions.
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When will patch 11.12 be released? The new update is expected to be released on Wednesday, June 9th.
Wukong and Nasus dominate the win rates
Which champions are currently so strong? According to the statistics website League of Graphs, the champion Wukong currently has a win rate of 53.6% and ranks 1st when looking at all ranked matches starting from Iron rank (via League of Graphs). He was able to gain a remarkable 1.3% in win rate since the last patch.
Nasus has also made significant gains, currently holding 3rd place in win rate with 53.4%. His chances of winning have even risen by 1.5% compared to the previous patch.
Looking at the statistics for ranked games in Platinum or higher, Wukong still ranks 2nd in the statistics, while Nasus comes in at 7th place. However, there are champions in the top 10 that hardly anyone plays:
Wukong is used in nearly 10% of all matches, while Nasus appears in 5%
Sona, who is in 1st place, is used in just under 2% of all matches. Skarner (in 4th place) is even the champion with the lowest usage at 1.1%.
The second champion that is extremely strong in the top lane.
Why are the top laners so strong? With the previous patch 11.11, several items for tanks were adjusted. In particular, the Divine Sunderer, one of the mystical items, was buffed so that Nasus and Wukong can deal more damage while also receiving more healing.
Nasus also benefited from adjustments to Randuin’s Omen and Frozen Heart, while Wukong benefited from the buff to Black Cleaver. Overall, patch 11.11 was good for these champions, which is why they are now getting a nerf.
What about the other nerfs? In addition to the top laners, Varus and Kai’Sa will also be weakened. Kai’Sa was represented in 37.7% of all matches on average, making her the second most popular champion in LoL. A nerf here seems justifiable.
Varus, on the other hand, was relatively unpopular for a long time. In recent weeks, his popularity has increased somewhat, directly followed by a nerf from Riot Games.
Dr. Mundo gets his long-awaited rework
What changes for Mundo? With patch 11.12, Dr. Mundo will receive a new character model, new animations, and special effects to make him look better. However, his old playstyle as a super tank will still be preserved, along with the throwing of his giant cleaver.
Mundo is already the 24th rework that Riot Games is making to older champions. You can see exactly what these changes look like in this YouTube video from SkinSpotlights:
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On June 11, the e-sports scene will continue. The pros are expected to play on an older version, through which we might see Wukong in the top lane. However, we will not see some professional players in the upcoming Summer Split.
WoW BC Classic was released on June 2 at midnight – worldwide. Everyone started at the same time. Not even 16 hours later, the first players have already reached the new maximum level 70. However, the method is not particularly exciting.
Who are the players? The warlock Hacez from the EU server Firemaw was the first player to reach level 70 in BC Classic. Four of his group members followed right after him:
The report of the max-level players from wowhead went live just 15 hours and 20 minutes after the release of BC Classic. They even mention that the group supposedly took only 13 hours (via wowhead.com).
How did they level up so quickly? The group gave themselves a kind of “kickstart” by having each player accumulate a full quest log of completed quests. The group then turned in these quests with the opening of the Dark Portal and subsequently only farmed dungeons.
Auchindoun in the forests of Terokkar has four dungeons on offer.
As a group of five, they visited instances for hours and completed them in combination with pure mass pulls. The presence of strong AoE abilities in the group from the mages, warlock, and paladin allowed them to gather and “kite” masses of enemies.
It’s not really varied, although it’s not necessarily without demand. A mistake can easily lead to a wipe and significant time loss, but you really have to mess up to do that.
What are they doing now? The group is now going into the first raids together with their guild. Apparently, their colleagues have already caught up, and together they have mastered at least Gruul’s Lair, one of the first raids of BC Classic. You can watch them live on Twitch, where one of the guild’s healers shows what they are up to:
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Can I do that too? In principle, “spamming dungeons” is a valid strategy to reach level 70 – it’s just quite boring. Seeing the same thing dozens of times without variation is not everyone’s cup of tea.
This method has the advantage that you farm reputation and also pretty good gear directly. Both can also be obtained through questing, just not as quickly.
Apparently, the tactical shooter Valorant will also be playable on iOS and Android in the future. A mobile version of the game has been announced.
What do we know about it? So far, not much official information about the mobile version of Valorant is known – apart from the fact that it is supposed to come. When that will be the case and what the mobile version of the game will look like is still open.
The announcement of the mobile version of Valorant (via The Verge) comes just in time for the game’s anniversary, which was released on June 2, 2020, for PC. In its first year, Valorant aimed to prove that it is a worthy competitive tactical shooter, as quoted by Executive Producer Anna Donlon.
Now, they want to make this competitive gaming experience accessible to even more players around the world after attracting 14 million players so far.
Valorant for iOS and Android – Players wonder how this will work
How the community reacts: In the Valorant subreddit, some players respond with question marks to the announcement. Valorant offers a variety of abilities and play styles – one user doubts whether this can be implemented on smartphones (via reddit).
Another player hopes that Valorant will not simply be a 1-to-1 implementation on mobile but will be adapted: “Please be a separate game, like PUBG Mobile” (via reddit).
A month ago, rumors about a possible mobile variant had emerged, prompting players to discuss the feasibility. Even then, the “how” was discussed, and whether it could be a different kind of mode.
A player commented: “If anything, it will be good for the game. More people will find out what Valorant is and possibly bring them to the main game on PC” (via reddit).
Other games like Fortnite, Call of Duty, or PUBG have also taken the leap to mobile platforms. Valorant will also join this group. How exactly this will look in the end remains to be seen in the future.
Since June 2nd at exactly 0:00 AM, the first expansion of WoW Classic is playable with Burning Crusade. MeinMMO author Benedict Grothaus played through the release, and everything went surprisingly smoothly that night – at least until the peace was disturbed.
This was the release: At midnight, the Dark Portal opened, ushering in BC Classic, the re-release of the 14-year-old first expansion of World of Warcraft. Thousands of players were already waiting in front of the portal and wanted to explore the new areas of Outland.
Back then, in 2007, it was a huge chaos. I was there, and nothing worked. The servers stuttered, there were incredibly long login queues, and questing was nearly impossible. Even the release of WoW Classic in 2019 went like this, which is why I didn’t expect anything different this time.
Traditionally, an addon release in WoW is always a time when everything is overloaded and barely anyone can play properly. However, everything actually worked quite well with BC Classic – comparable to back then with Shadowlands. Apparently, the developers have finally learned from many years of experience.
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Just a reminder: The intro of Burning Crusade back then.
Here’s why everything went so well: BC Classic didn’t launch exactly as it did back then but with some changes. Some of these changes helped make the release as smooth as it ultimately was. Three reasons particularly stand out that allowed us to play so well this time:
Many players ignored the quests and directly fled to the new dungeons to level up through pure grind
Through dynamic respawns, enemies appear much faster after being defeated
The layering technology divides player populations into different phases where they don’t interfere with each other
The last two changes go somewhat against the “classic feeling” but haven’t trivialized questing at all. We still had to fight for mobs in our group and invited random players to quickly complete one or two quests together.
Moreover, the servers ran smoothly. Except for the largest US server, there were hardly any reports of crashes or login issues, even on the large German and EU realms. However, this only lasted for the first few hours – and the issues weren’t even Blizzard’s fault.
Where do the problems come from? Around 2:00 AM German time, there were repeated larger lags and apparently even disconnects at times. However, these didn’t come from overloaded servers but from an external attack on the infrastructure.
The official Twitter account of the WoW developers informed during the night that a DDoS attack is occurring. This could lead to the corresponding problems:
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In a DDoS attack (short for “distributed denial-of-service”), attackers flood their target with countless requests from various directions. This leads to an overload and ultimately causes normal users to suffer.
However, even the attack apparently did not spoil the fun for most players or even hinder them. The first players have already reached the new maximum level of 70 – not even 16 hours after release.
If you want to get a better picture of WoW Classic for yourself, tune into our stream. On June 2nd, we’ll dive back into Outland live:
Today, June 3rd, the new and final DLC for the major survival game ARK: Survival Evolved is set to release. Genesis: Part 2 brings the story to a conclusion and several new content with it. However, this DLC will not be “the end” of ARK.
Update – When is Genesis Part 2 coming out? The release is scheduled for Thursday, June 3rd. There is even a specific time: At 2:00 PM German time, the update is expected to go live (via Twitter.com).
This is another delay from the originally planned June 2nd.
Previously, there had been delays for the DLC, as Genesis Part 2 was expected to release in March and then on May 26th.
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The latest trailer for Genesis Part 2 from November 2020.
What’s included in the new DLC: Part 2 concludes the story surrounding ARK and Edmund Rockwell, the main antagonist of the game. If you’re not exactly sure what it’s all about, you can find the entire story of ARK and Genesis so far on MeinMMO.
Genesis Part 2 also brings new features. Some of the most important are:
The Eden Zone, a new starting area for beginners with all the necessary resources for survival
Tek Trenches, a kind of bridge between the biomes and possibly the rings of the world
Rockwell’s Garden and a biome that seems to have merged with Rockwell himself
new creatures like the Astrodelphis, a space dolphin that you can ride
new weapons like net projectiles, the Tek bow with special arrows, and a minigun
tools, structures, and cosmetics
The two biomes will together apparently create the largest map of ARK so far. In the article, you can also find some images of the new creatures from the DLC.
Is ARK finished after this? No. Even though Genesis Part 2 will be the last DLC for ARK, the game will still receive further updates afterwards. According to community manager Cedric, there will be updates and bug fixes at least throughout 2022. He even teases a new map on Twitter:
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However, ARK 2 will be released exclusively for Xbox and PC. PlayStation players are out of luck here, as there are currently no plans for a PS version of the sequel. There isn’t much information about ARK 2 yet, but many players hope that the second part will solve the performance issues that have plagued ARK: Survival Evolved for years:
The MMORPG Justice Online has been playable in China for several years. Even now, it ranks among the most beautiful MMORPGs currently available. The developers at NetEase employ not only ray tracing but also “Mesh Shading”. MeinMMO explains why this is something special.
The Chinese MMORPG Justice Online looks extremely beautiful and detailed. For this, the developer at NetEase relies on the latest techniques.
On one hand, the developer utilizes Nvidia’s ray tracing technology, which was implemented in the game in 2020. Additionally, the game uses RTXGI (RTX Global Illumination), a scaled-down version of ray tracing, which is expected to benefit even weaker graphics cards. RTXGI works not only with RTX graphics cards but also with the GTX 1660 and models from the GTX 1000 series. The MMORPG Sword of Legend: Online is also expected to receive ray tracing support (via MMORPG.com)
In a post from late May 2021, it was announced that “Mesh Shading” would now also be implemented in Justice Online (via developer.nvidia.com). This is a technique that allows for particularly high-quality graphics representation without losing many details.
Is Mesh Shading a “Game Changer” for Future Games?
What is Mesh Shading, anyway? Simply put, Mesh Shading renders only what is actually needed and seen in a situation. Other techniques do this as well, but “Mesh Shading” takes it a step further.
Thanks to dynamic adjustment of the level of detail (LOD), gamers benefit from significantly better performance as well as much more detailed objects. Distant details are faded out, thereby reducing the load. This means that only what can actually be seen is calculated. With Mesh Shaders, you get better performance without loss of detail (via game-debate.com).
An important step in graphics representation (or graphics pipeline) involves geometry. In geometry, elements like models, lighting, and projection play a crucial role. Represented scenes are depicted with triangles, lines, and points.
The Mesh Shader checks the visibility of elements and assesses how many triangles are visible. The necessary triangles are passed from the shader to the graphics card, which then renders them. Previously, the graphics card had to render all triangles simultaneously. This reduces the load on the graphics card, meaning more details can be depicted.
What this looks like can be seen, among other things, in a tech demo from Nvidia, which we have embedded here:
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Why could this technology become so important? YouTuber RedGamingTech presented the technique in detail in a video and subsequently conducted benchmarks with various RTX graphics cards.
Furthermore, performance significantly increases with “Mesh Shading”. Sometimes the graphics cards reach double or triple the performance they had previously.
In particular, the fact that Mesh Shading is also supported by the PS5 and Xbox Series X will likely play an important role in the future.
What does Mesh Shading look like in Justice Online? There is already an official video showing “Mesh Shading” in Justice Online. We have embedded the video here for you:
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The beautifully designed Justice Online cannot be easily played in Germany
Officially, you can’t play Justice Online in Germany. Essentially, it is possible to play the game in Europe with some tricks, but the client is only available in Chinese.
There is currently no English version, which will likely pose a hurdle for many interested players.
However, if you still want to try the game in Germany, you can find a guide on how it works here:
In eSports, strange things happen in Valorant : The actual superstar of the team “Sentinels” was involved in a scandal and was suspended in the middle of the season. As a replacement, the team borrowed 20-year-old Tenz and bought him before the World Championship for allegedly 1.25 million US dollars. At the World Championship, Tenz ultimately became the best player in the world.
Why do the Sentinels need a replacement in the middle of the season? The Sentinels actually started the Valorant season with an excellent team. Their star player was Jay “Sinatraa” Won (21): He had made a name for himself in Overwatch and was named the most valuable player in 2019. When Sinatraa left Overwatch and transitioned to Valorant, even Blizzard regretted it.
But with some delay, Sinatraa was caught up in a scandal in 2021: His ex-girlfriend made allegations against him, claiming he mistreated her and emotionally manipulated her during their relationship. Blizzard then severed all ties with him; his Valorant team, the Sentinels, initially placed him on the bench.
Riot Games, the creators of Valorant, initiated an investigation and ultimately suspended Sinatraa for 6 months because he could not assist in clarifying the matter as he had previously promised.
So the Sentinels needed a replacement.
Jay “Sinatraa” Won was suspended from Valorant for 6 months.
Player was apparently unhappy with old team, ended career early
This was the drama surrounding the signing: The Sentinels borrowed player Tyson “TenZ” Ngo (20) from direct competitor Cloud9. The Canadian Tenz had been an excellent CS:GO player before his Valorant career. Like some other CS:GO pros, he switched to Valorant in April 2020.
However, Tenz had actually retired from professional Valorant in January 2021 and announced he wanted to become a content creator. Obviously, it was about the team, because he wanted to play for the Sentinels after all.
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In January 2021, Tenz announced he no longer wanted to be a pro for Cloud 9.
Starting in March 2021, Tenz replaced the suspended Sinatraa at the Sentinels as a loan player. However, Cloud9 retained the transfer rights to him.
In any case, Tenz played so well that the Sentinels wanted to sign him permanently. However, Cloud9 allegedly wanted to let him go only for a transfer fee of 2 million US dollars.
Expert Doublelift says: Cloud 9 keeps Tenz in a prison
This was the controversy: The Twitch streamer and former LoL pro Doublelift already shouted out: It can’t be that Tenz is kept hostage like this. He clearly wants to play for Sentinels.
Doublelift said: He is in a “contract prison” and Jack (the head of Cloud9) does not want to let him go.
Doublelift found it unfair: The player signed a contract at 17 to become a pro and now cannot play for the team he wants to play for.
These are the ugly sides of the pro business.
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This is now the deal: As has now been revealed (via esportsobserver), the Sentinels were indeed able to buy Tenz. Allegedly, 1.25 million US dollars were paid – significantly less than the 2 million US dollars that Cloud9 previously wanted.
This is the irony: The deal was closed before the World Championship in Valorant, which took place in Iceland. At the World Championship, Tenz stepped up, dominated the tournament and was voted the best player.
The transfer proved to be a bit of a bargain for the Sentinels.
The “Valorant Champions Tour 2021 – Stage 2 Masters – Reykjavik” took place from May 24 to 30. The Sentinels won the tournament with a prize money of $200,000. Tenz was named MVP on Day 7, the final day. Therefore, he is unofficially considered the “best player” in Valorant until the next major tournament.
The head of Cloud9 explained: The deal was already agreed upon before Iceland (via twitter). It was a risky deal for them because they would play against the Sentinels in the qualification for Iceland, but it was important for Tenz to be able to play again.
After Tenz and the Sentinels won, the Cloud9 CEO tweeted again: “It’s a prison break,” which presumably refers to the accusation that they had put Tenz in some kind of captivity with the contract.
Maybe the Cloud9 CEO now regrets selling Tenz “so cheaply.” Apparently, Tenz was able to significantly increase his market value during the World Championship.
Tenz has attracted attention early on. We reported on MeinmMO already in the early phase of Valorant about the unusually talented player:
In Pokémon GO today, on June 2, 2021, the Raid Hour with Regirock starts. We show you which counters are worth it against the Rock Giant.
What is a Raid Hour? The Raid Hour takes place regularly on Wednesdays in Pokémon GO. During this hour, Level 5 raids appear at almost all gyms, where you can encounter legendary Pokémon.
This week, the Raid Hour revolves around the legendary Pokémon Regirock. It returned as a Raid Boss along with the giants Regice and Registeel at the start of the“Season of Discovery” in Pokémon GO. Here you will find all the info you need about Regirock.
Raid Hour with Regirock – Info and Counters
When does it start? The Raid Hour with Regirock starts at 6:00 PM local time. Shortly before, black Raid Eggs will appear above the gyms, hatching just in time for the event start. At 7:00 PM, it will already be over.
These counters you should use: Regirock has some weaknesses that you can exploit. It has problems with Pokémon of the types Steel, Water, Fighting, Ground, and Grass. Therefore, you have some strong counters available. Good attackers against Regirock are for example:
Pokémon
Moveset
(Shadow) Metagross
Bullet Punch + Meteor Mash
(Shadow) Machamp
Counter + Dynamic Punch
(Shadow) Swampert
Water Gun / Mud Shot + Hydro Cannon
Groudon
Mud Shot + Earthquake
Machamp
Counter + Dynamic Punch
If you can use Mega Evolutions, it’s worth it to use:
Mega Blastoise
Mega Venusaur
Mega Gyarados
The Mega Evolutions can deal damage with water or grass type attacks and simultaneously enhance other monsters of their type. However, you need Mega Energy for the evolution.
How many trainers are needed? You can defeat Regirock with four trainers and the right counters. If you want to be sure, you should look for raids where more trainers are active – for example, using Remote Raid Passes. You can also invite other players to raids who can then attack with Remote Raid Passes.
Is there a Shiny Regirock? Yes, there is a shiny variant of the giant in Pokémon GO. Those on the hunt for shinies may encounter the differently colored version of Regirock.
This is what the shiny version of Regirock looks like
Is the raid worth it? The Regi trio has been available before, including Regirock. However, if you don’t have one yet and want to complete your Pokédex, it’s still worth participating. Additionally, shiny hunters can get their money’s worth if they encounter the shiny variant.
In battles, however, Regirock is not particularly worthwhile. In the PvP league, it has not played a significant role so far, and among Rock attackers, it is surpassed by the best attackers in Pokémon GO. It is mainly characterized by a high defensive value but cannot be used as a gym defender as a legendary Pokémon.
What’s next? Regirock will continue to be available as a raid boss after the raid hour, together with its colleagues Registeel and Regice. The other two members of the trio will each have their own raid hour in the coming weeks. You can find an overview of all June events in Pokémon GO here.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Massive Stasis nerfs are coming to Destiny 2 soon. Even during the current Season 14, the icy power will be weakened. However, it could become exciting around this young damage element as soon as next season. Find out why here.
The current status of Stasis: Since its introduction in late 2020, Stasis has been a controversial topic. In PvE, the ice powers are quite well received and are fun to play. In PvP, however, they are a big problem and take away the last bit of fun for many players in the already heavily neglected Crucible.
What is happening with the nerfs? The criticism and feedback have not gone unnoticed by Bungie, and after some minor adjustments, a proper extensive nerf for the icy element is coming on June 3rd – something many Guardians have been longing for.
Initially, the massive Stasis adjustment was supposed to occur in Season 15, but due to its urgency, the studio decided to implement major parts of the new balance attempt in the ongoing Splicer season.
What exactly is Stasis? Stasis is a relatively new damage element introduced with the Beyond Light expansion. Stasis is represented both as a focus of Guardian powers and as a damage type on a few weapons in the game. It embodies ice and frost. You receive these icy powers when you have completed the campaign of the Beyond Light expansion and mastered some other tasks. After that, you can unlock more specializations of this power and tailor Stasis to your play style.
Also soon to be found on legendary weapons – the young damage element Stasis
More Stasis for the Guardian arsenal in Season 15
With the nerfs, many hope that the frosty reign of terror will finally be over and that there will finally be some peace around the much-discussed Stasis element. However, despite the pre-emptive nerfs, there could be some excitement around Stasis in Season 15 for another reason – because something new is coming for Stasis.
What’s new in Season 15: What Bungie announced a while ago which many might have forgotten: In Season 15, Destiny 2 will receive new legendary energy and power weapons that utilize the Stasis element – a first in Destiny 2. Until now, there have only been 2 exotic representatives that are based on the icy powers and deal Stasis damage. This is supposed to be the first wave of legendary Stasis weapons, with more to follow.
Why is this exciting? It will definitely be very exciting to see what conclusions Bungie has drawn from the Stasis nerfs for these weapons and whether they will show the right touch in introducing the weapons thereafter. Because in PvE, they could certainly bring fresh wind and new strategies, but in PvP, there could be a disaster if these weapons slow players too strongly or for too long, or even freeze other Guardians. Especially these two Stasis mechanics are particularly hated in Guardian duels.
It is also almost certain that in the new season, fresh Stasis aspects and fragments will make their way into the game. They will give the icy Guardians even more powers.
What do you think about legendary weapons with Stasis as a damage element coming soon? Are you looking forward to experimenting with them or do you fear the next fiasco in the Crucible? Let us know in the comments along with other readers of MeinMMO.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
On June 1st, the new expansion Blackwood for The Elder Scrolls Online was released on PC. Many players quickly earned the new companions, which are the big new feature of the expansion. However, the companions are not well received by all players.
What are the companions about? With Blackwood, the two companions Bastian and Mirri were introduced. These are NPCs you can unlock through quests and then summon one of them to your side.
They accompany you in the open world, in story missions, or in dungeons, where they can take on the role of tanks, healers, or a damage dealer. They even occupy a slot in the group.
After unlocking, you can equip Bastian and Mirri with special gear, customize their appearance, and change their skills as you wish. Companions are only not allowed in PvP and solo instances.
How do the companions fare? Very mixed. Even at the official announcement of the companions, there were critical voices who felt cheated out of a major feature that should have come instead of the companions. Many were especially wishing for a new class.
However, even now after the release, the new companions remain the focus of discussions. Some players see them as good support, while others see them as an annoying aspect that disturbs the overall atmosphere of the game world.
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Companions Disrupt Immersion in the Game World and are Only Useful in Light Content
What do the critics say about the companions? Critics currently mainly complain that you encounter the same companions everywhere in the new zone of Greymoor and in some places even outside:
Lugaldu writes (via ESO Forum): “The thing about the clones really diminishes the fun of our ‘unique’ companions. I wanted to pick up Bastian, and another Bastian is already coming towards me. You take the quest with Mirri, and all around are people with Bastian in tow. In the dungeon, suddenly other Mirris walk through my Mirri.”
On reddit, there is a separate thread expressing the wish to be able to give the companions headgear, so that there is more individuality among the characters (via reddit).
However, there is also criticism regarding the usefulness of the companions:
GreenHere writes (via ESO Forum): “From my experience so far, they are only useful in situations where I don’t need them anyway. As soon as it gets tough, they are immediately dead. AoE mechanics – dead. A big boss – dead. They fight against a large number of enemies – roll backward and pull them away from me and then they are dead.”
The user Accimplished-Dig2312 is also dissatisfied with their strength (via reddit): “At low levels, they are nothing more than a weak DoT (Damage over Time). It would take them a minute to kill a simple mob, and without a healing skill, they might die.”
The Ultimate Compendium for ESO Blackwood
148 pages of guides for newcomers and returnees, including a free extra: ESO base game, Morrowind and 25% discount on Blackwood at Gamesplanet.
What do the positive voices say about the companions? Besides the many critiques, there are also players who are very satisfied with the companions:
Alketes writes (via ESO Forum): “I am positively surprised by the companion. Questing and farming outside of peak hours is much more fun with it.”
Caninnly writes under GameStar’s review: “I think the companion system is really good. I like having an NPC with me everywhere. Of course, it could be even better, for example if you could change their appearance etc., but overall I am satisfied with the system, even though it is true that there are now more clones than in Star Wars.”
Soldier224 was positively surprised by the companions (via ESO Forum): “I have to say that many fears did not come true. The companions’ lines are fitting, and you can also adjust the frequency of them. In combat itself they may not be such a big help. But they keep you occupied and at the same time you feel you are not alone. The voice actors have also done a great job with the companions. The customization options work and are enough for me for now. However, I would wish that sometime you could also give them hairstyles or tattoos from the collections.”
In Call of Duty: Warzone there are plenty of weapons and even more factors why exactly that one weapon is the best fit for you. MeinMMO provides you with another factor: The assault rifles with the setups that offer the best kill/death ratio of the weapons.
An efficient way to improve in games like Call of Duty: Warzone is through imitation. Watching gameplay from professionals and utilizing tips from the best will inevitably lead to better performance – as long as training is not neglected. This also applies to weapons.
The CoD YouTuber and Warzone expert “JGOD” has therefore identified the two weapon setups of assault rifles that provide players with the best K/D ratio (via Twitter). For this, he used the data tool “Warzone Ranked” (via wzranked.com). MeinMMO shows you the weapons with the corresponding setups and provides an assessment of them.
What is the K/D? The “kills to deaths” ratio is the most popular metric to assess a player’s abilities in Call of Duty. The figure relates the achieved kills to the deaths and shows whether you have died more or gotten more kills. Simply, kills are divided by deaths. A K/D of 1.0 means you have collected as many kills as deaths. With a value of 0.5, you have only half the kills compared to your deaths and at 2.0, twice as many kills as deaths. You can find out more about the K/D calculation in Warzone here.
Setups of the AK-47 from Cold War and CR-56 AMAX lead the K/D ranking
Which assault rifles are at the top of the K/D? These are the AK-47 from Cold War and the CR-56 AMAX from Modern Warfare. The two weapons hold positions 1 and 3 on WZ Ranked regarding K/D. In between them is the shotgun “Street Sweeper” (K/D – 1.22), which is played significantly less than the AK and the AMAX:
CR-56 AMAX: K/D of players – 1.27
AK-47 from Cold War: K/D of players – 1.15
As of 02.06.21
What does the best K/D setup of the AMAX look like? With a K/D of 1.72, a setup of the AMAX stands out, which is only interesting for players with a good sense of recoil. The AMAX has noticeable recoil and requires significantly stronger corrections while shooting compared to the also very popular Kilo 141. However, players of the K/D setup forgo a foregrip, making the weapon even harder to control. However, with the VLK scope, the AMAX is still optimized for range with this setup.
Warzone: AMAX K/D setup
Muzzle: Suppressor (Monolithic)
Barrel: XRK Zodiac S440
Scope: VLK 3.0x scope
Ammunition: 45-round magazine
Perk: Sleight of Hand
Instead of the stabilizing grip, the perk “Sleight of Hand” is the choice. This reduces your reload speed and allows you to be ready faster when the magazine runs dry. Otherwise, the setup does not deviate from the usual meta setups in Season 3.
What does the best K/D setup of the AK-47 from Cold War look like? The AK setup makes a bigger statement and shines with a K/D of 1.93 – a strong value in Warzone. The AK-47 is more designed for close combat and follows the path of the FFAR 1, which dominated close range in Season 2. With a time-to-kill of 500 milliseconds for chest hits and its pleasant mobility, the AK from Cold War is a reliable companion in short-distance fights. The weapon remains stable enough to cover even medium distances.
Warzone: AK-47 K/D setup
Barrel: 20″ Spetsnaz RPK barrel
Laser: Tiger Team Spotlight
Scope: Microflex LED
Stock: KGB Skeleton Stock
Ammunition: 45-round
The setup focuses entirely on mobility and gains important bullet speed through the long barrel. The setup completely foregoes recoil-dampening attachments – the AK-47 from Cold War is strongest in close combat and should be used here.
The dilemma of weapon choice has never been greater in Warzone. Aside from the AMAX and the AK from Cold War, you can choose from more than 20 weapons that are currently classified as “meta”. Experiment, play around with different setups and use weapons with which you land many kills. Improving in Warzone is sometimes not so easy – but the right weapon can make all the difference.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Pokémon GO, the new season has brought changes to spawns and egg pools. However, two monsters that should have appeared were missing – which players quickly noticed and criticized.
This is what happened: On June 1st, the new “Season of Discovery” in Pokémon GO started. This fundamentally changes nearly all aspects of the game. New raid bosses came to the arenas, new Pokémon are roaming in the wild, and the monsters available from eggs have also been adjusted.
However, the adjustments apparently did not go as planned in every aspect. Players were missing two monsters in both wild spawns and the egg pool.
Trainers missed Summer Deerling and Mime Jr., now coming
These Pokémon were missing: There was confusion regarding the Pokémon Deerling in its summer form. This monster was supposed to appear to players in the Northern Hemisphere with the start of the Season of Discovery. In several threads on the Pokémon GO subreddit, trainers pointed out shortly thereafter that no specimens of this monster appeared on their radar (via reddit).
Mime Jr. and Deerling did not appear as expected
The second Pokémon that caused confusion was Mime Jr. This is the baby form of the regional Pokémon Mr. Mime, which can be caught in Europe and is typically found in eggs. A trainer shared the altered egg pool on the subreddit, noting that one could no longer obtain the regional monster if they were in Europe (via reddit). This garnered a lot of attention, which also reached the developers.
This is how Niantic reacted: It turned out to be a mistake, as a correction was announced via the Niantic Support Twitter channel. Changes were made for both Pokémon: “Deerling now appears more often in the wild, and Mime Jr. is again available in 5km eggs in Europe. Thank you for your reports,” the Niantic team thanked the trainers who pointed out the issue.
Almost a year ago, the Western release of Lost Ark was confirmed by Amazon. Since then, there has been no new information. What is the current status of the MMORPG?
The current status:On August 19, 2020, the developer Smilegate announced that their award-winning and highly acclaimed MMORPG Lost Ark will be released in Europe and the USA. They signed a publishing contract with Amazon Game Studios, which is responsible for the release of the game in the West.
As a “target timeframe” for the release, Amazon indicated that it would be in 2021, according to the Korean site gameca.com. In April 2021, Smilegate emphasized in a statement that the contract with Amazon regarding the publishing of Lost Ark in the West is still in effect.
There are no changes in the contract schedule that we signed last year with Amazon Games. Even now, we are preparing our schedules according to the contract with Amazon.
Since the announcement of the collaboration with Smilegate, almost 10 months have passed, and there have been no further statements from Amazon regarding the release of Lost Ark in Europe or the USA.
Amazon’s silence is unusual: Normally, developers and publishers try to communicate at least small bits of information to their communities, even if they can’t show anything yet. Whether in the form of blogs like with Ashes of Creation or even short personal tweets from developers like with Call of Duty Warzone.
These signals to fans are meant to show that work is still ongoing behind the scenes. On the other hand, it keeps the game in the memory and ensures that players continue to have it on their radar. This type of communication has not occurred with Amazon so far.
The isometric action MMORPG was highly anticipated at release.
Outlook for 2021
Is there anything coming? After a year-long pause, the digital E3 fair will begin next week on June 12. During the multi-day event, developers and publishers present their latest games and announce updates or deals. It is the highlight of summer for many gamers.
This year, Amazon Games will also participate in the E3 fair. With their own MMO New World, which launches in August, they have something big to present. There are also hopes that new information about Lost Ark might finally come during the E3.
The timing for a big presentation of Lost Ark would be fitting:
On one hand, E3 is one of the largest events in the gaming industry, even in purely digital form. Therefore, Amazon’s announcement would receive a lot of attention that could reignite interest in the MMORPG.
On the other hand, 2021 is already almost halfway over. If Amazon is aiming for a release this year, it’s high time to start the first public tests. Rumors about internal alpha tests for staff have been circulating for quite some time. However, they were unsubstantiated and should be taken with a grain of caution.
Some fans also speculate that a release of Lost Ark in 2021 is unlikely, because Amazon would then be releasing a competitor to their own MMO New World. MeinMMO user Nostro noted back in February, for example:
I’m extremely hyped, but I think we should all not expect a release in 2021. We’re heading into March, no closed alpha/beta, not a single confirmed update from Amazon. I strongly expect spring/summer 2022. First comes New World.
These updates are coming to Lost Ark: In the regions where Lost Ark has already been released, the updates continue. While Korea always receives the latest content, the Russian and Japanese regions are steadily catching up.
In Japan, the new big 16-player raid Kaishuter and the class Holy Knight were released.
In Russia, a new episode of the story was added, and a new event took place.
In Korea, two classes were released in recent months,loosening the gender lock in the game. Additionally, Korean players are getting a detailed system to dye and customize their outfits.
Smilegate is also planning to release their roadmap for the second half of 2021 in June. Based on experience, we can expect new classes, raids, and areas in it. So, it doesn’t look like the developers are slowing down or halting the pace of their updates.
What do you think about the current status of Lost Ark? Do you still have hopes for a release in 2021? How do you feel about your interest in the game? Let us know in the comments.
Dream sees the situation as an unfortunate accident and apparently considers the current backlash to be totally exaggerated:
I know I am a good person. And I don’t care if you see it differently. You can think that, you can continue to live your life negatively and I will stay positive.
Dream
Dream then explains that he will probably stream on Twitch more often in the future – but will not do any more speedruns.
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How successful the stream was: It is extraordinary how successful Dream is on Twitch, even though he hardly streams there and is actually a YouTuber.
The “explanatory stream” lasted only 1.5 hours, but had an average of 185,000 viewers and peaked at 206,000.
This once again shows how incredibly popular Minecraft still is after many years and that a “world record” in the game, especially when it is so controversial, interests millions of people.
How to avoid your own downfall when you’ve dug yourself in?
What’s behind it: This is already an exciting situation. One wonders how one would get out of it in the YouTuber’s position.
Dream is incredibly popular, but his popularity depends on these speedruns in Minecraft. It is therefore important that his viewers can trust him to do everything fairly.
The problem is that Dream has defended himself against cheating for months with all his might. But many were not satisfied with that.
A lot of steam has built up in the kettle, which is now being released through the “confession”.
But Dream seems determined to ride it out and approach it with humor. On his Twitter channel, he humorously announced that he would now rule the community with an “iron fist”. Toxic people would be eliminated first.
The title image is from Dream’s Instagram account.
This once again shows how incredibly popular Minecraft still is after many years and that a “world record” in the game, especially when it is so controversial, interests millions of people.
How to avoid your own downfall when you’ve dug yourself in?
What’s behind it: This is already an exciting situation. One wonders how one would get out of it in the YouTuber’s position.
Dream is incredibly popular, but his popularity depends on these speedruns in Minecraft. It is therefore important that his viewers can trust him to do everything fairly.
The problem is that Dream has defended himself against cheating for months with all his might. But many were not satisfied with that.
A lot of steam has built up in the kettle, which is now being released through the “confession”.
But Dream seems determined to ride it out and approach it with humor. On his Twitter channel, he humorously announced that he would now rule the community with an “iron fist”. Toxic people would be eliminated first.
The title image is from Dream’s Instagram account.
Dream sees the situation as an unfortunate accident and apparently considers the current backlash to be totally exaggerated:
I know I am a good person. And I don’t care if you see it differently. You can think that, you can continue to live your life negatively and I will stay positive.
Dream
Dream then explains that he will probably stream on Twitch more often in the future – but will not do any more speedruns.
How successful the stream was: It is extraordinary how successful Dream is on Twitch, even though he hardly streams there and is actually a YouTuber.
The “explanatory stream” lasted only 1.5 hours, but had an average of 185,000 viewers and peaked at 206,000.
This once again shows how incredibly popular Minecraft still is after many years and that a “world record” in the game, especially when it is so controversial, interests millions of people.
How to avoid your own downfall when you’ve dug yourself in?
What’s behind it: This is already an exciting situation. One wonders how one would get out of it in the YouTuber’s position.
Dream is incredibly popular, but his popularity depends on these speedruns in Minecraft. It is therefore important that his viewers can trust him to do everything fairly.
The problem is that Dream has defended himself against cheating for months with all his might. But many were not satisfied with that.
A lot of steam has built up in the kettle, which is now being released through the “confession”.
But Dream seems determined to ride it out and approach it with humor. On his Twitter channel, he humorously announced that he would now rule the community with an “iron fist”. Toxic people would be eliminated first.
The title image is from Dream’s Instagram account.
The streamer and speedrunner Dream is backed into a corner in Minecraft . After admitting that he cheated during a speedrun, he has now started a Twitch stream. Over 200,000 people wanted to hear what he had to say.
This is the situation:
The Minecraft speedrunner Dream has 22 million subscribers on YouTube. He is therefore hugely popular. His greatest achievement so far was an extremely fast run through Minecraft. However, allegations arose that he cheated during the record run. He had so much loot luck that it seemed statistically impossible. The Minecraft record was taken from him.
Initially, Dream denied cheating: such luck may be unlikely, but possible. But eventually Dream confessed that he “accidentally” cheated: A plugin was active, of which he allegedly had no knowledge, that was active during the run. This had changed the loot rates.
After all the drama, Dream was seen on Twitch for the first time again. Over 200,000 people wanted to hear what he had to say on Twitch now. It was a lot, after all, some demanded serious consequences. They felt deceived and believed that Dream had built his career with cheats.
People demand Dream’s head
This is what Dream said in the stream: The streamer was in a kind of “Last Stand” situation in the stream, as people demanded his head. Some felt that he could not continue after the affair.
From Dream’s perspective, people wanted to “cancel” him.
Dream explained once again: He did not “cheat”, but merely had an “unclean run”. For him, cheating clearly involves intent. But since he was not aware that the plugin was active, which increased the loot chances, he does not see himself as a “cheater”.
Dream said: People are extremely emotional. It is just a terrible situation. People have already formed their opinions and would blow this up into a huge thing.
He is clearly bothered that people are now trying to “cancel” him and end his career. Dream wants his YouTube channel to be completely left out:
Do not try to diminish my achievements or discredit my YouTube channel. [The speedrun] wasn’t even on my YouTube channel.
Dream
People would now say: He gained 22 million subscribers because he cheated – but that wasn’t the case. He never uploaded the speedrun to YouTube – it might have gained him just one more subscriber.
The title image is from Dream’s Instagram account.
This once again shows how incredibly popular Minecraft still is after many years and that a “world record” in the game, especially when it is so controversial, interests millions of people.
How to avoid your own downfall when you’ve dug yourself in?
What’s behind it: This is already an exciting situation. One wonders how one would get out of it in the YouTuber’s position.
Dream is incredibly popular, but his popularity depends on these speedruns in Minecraft. It is therefore important that his viewers can trust him to do everything fairly.
The problem is that Dream has defended himself against cheating for months with all his might. But many were not satisfied with that.
A lot of steam has built up in the kettle, which is now being released through the “confession”.
But Dream seems determined to ride it out and approach it with humor. On his Twitter channel, he humorously announced that he would now rule the community with an “iron fist”. Toxic people would be eliminated first.
The title image is from Dream’s Instagram account.
Dream sees the situation as an unfortunate accident and apparently considers the current backlash to be totally exaggerated:
I know I am a good person. And I don’t care if you see it differently. You can think that, you can continue to live your life negatively and I will stay positive.
Dream
Dream then explains that he will probably stream on Twitch more often in the future – but will not do any more speedruns.
How successful the stream was: It is extraordinary how successful Dream is on Twitch, even though he hardly streams there and is actually a YouTuber.
The “explanatory stream” lasted only 1.5 hours, but had an average of 185,000 viewers and peaked at 206,000.
This once again shows how incredibly popular Minecraft still is after many years and that a “world record” in the game, especially when it is so controversial, interests millions of people.
How to avoid your own downfall when you’ve dug yourself in?
What’s behind it: This is already an exciting situation. One wonders how one would get out of it in the YouTuber’s position.
Dream is incredibly popular, but his popularity depends on these speedruns in Minecraft. It is therefore important that his viewers can trust him to do everything fairly.
The problem is that Dream has defended himself against cheating for months with all his might. But many were not satisfied with that.
A lot of steam has built up in the kettle, which is now being released through the “confession”.
But Dream seems determined to ride it out and approach it with humor. On his Twitter channel, he humorously announced that he would now rule the community with an “iron fist”. Toxic people would be eliminated first.
Cortyn already mourns the fate of WoW: Shadowlands. Because it is obvious that Blizzard has no good solution.
The content drought of World of Warcraft: Shadowlands continues. Although Patch 9.1 Chains of Domination is slowly coming into view, many players are already plagued by boredom. The raid is done, mythic dungeons are exhausted, and many have even earned their coveted Anima rewards.
The content drought is taking a toll on the game as a whole.
Honestly, this isn’t so bad for me personally. I finally managed to complete that damn Andre side on M+15 with the guild within the time limit this week and finally finish the Keystone Master. For my guild and me, the content is therefore “really done” now, which we definitely wanted to achieve.
But I know that many feel differently.
And just because Patch 9.1 is finally coming out, unfortunately, does not mean that Shadowlands has overcome its problems. Because in the coming months, the issues will likely weigh even heavier. Blizzard has to decide how to handle “the rest” of Shadowlands. Neither option looks particularly rosy.
Two Scenarios for the Future of Shadowlands
The first option is that everything in World of Warcraft simply shifts. Patch 9.1 Chains of Domination is already appearing with a delay of 2-3 months. Most likely, development for the subsequent Patch 9.2 is currently completely on hold to finally finish the 9.1 patch. The most optimistic scenario would be:
Patch 9.1 is released at the end of June / beginning of July 2021.
Patch 9.2 is released about 6-7 months later, i.e., January/February 2022.
Patch 9.3 is released another 6-7 months later, i.e., July/August 2022.
The next expansion would then be released no earlier than the second quarter of 2023.
The second possibility is that the developers are mainly focused on the release of new expansions: If Blizzard were to stick to its normal plan for launching a new expansion, we could expect the next addon around Autumn 2022. This would result in the last major patch being released around Spring 2022. At the current speed, that would then be Patch 9.2. This would mean that Shadowlands would only receive 2 major patches and therefore be somewhat “trimmed” like Warlords of Draenor was.
Will some stories end up being too short?
If I’m honest, I consider the second scenario to be more realistic for several reasons.
That’s mainly because of the financial benefit that a new expansion brings. Not only can Blizzard charge each player an additional €40 to €100 – depending on the version – but it also attracts both old and new players back, leading to subscription revenue. A new expansion indeed creates much more hype and pull than another patch.
At the same time, the long drought period in Shadowlands is already causing the addon to fall out of favor, and early players “just want something else.” A dissatisfaction arises that isn’t primarily related to the Shadowlands itself, but to the delay of the patches. This, in turn, leads to Shadowlands being mentally categorized as a “bad expansion.”
And here comes the problem I have with it: Shadowlands started off quite strongly.
Yes, a few people still complain today that the covenant abilities are too restrictive. Yes, a few people have no fun in Torghast.
Yes, Mythic+ could be a bit better balanced, so the different weeks do not matter as much.
Yes, Anima grinding through world quests as the only valid option for cosmetic rewards is not the end of wisdom.
But when you look at the pure world of Shadowlands with its fresh story approaches and the many new characters that Blizzard has created, it’s sad what’s happening right now. With Shadowlands, WoW has really dared to tell something, and ventured into new territories. Each area has nearly a dozen interesting characters that one would like to learn more about.
In Ardenweald, many stories still need to be told. Will they still come?
I want to experience many more adventures with Lady Moonberry, follow Pelagos’ development, or watch the decadent, Victorian-inspired vampires in Revendreth weave their political intrigues.
But that is highly unlikely to happen to the extent that would do justice to these characters. The risk is extremely high that Blizzard will now apply the “Warlords of Draenor” scissors and simply cut a content patch to conclude the storyline as quickly as possible and transition to the next addon.
I would like to complain more and refer to an optimal solution for all. But I just can’t find it.
Shadowlands is doomed to go down in history as one of the poorer WoW expansions. And that’s a shame, because neither the fresh game world nor the systems of Shadowlands really deserve it.
Or how do you see the whole thing?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The current final boss of WoW: Shadowlands is getting hit by the nerf bat one more time. Last chance for the Mythic achievement.
Slowly, very slowly the next update of World of Warcraft: Shadowlands can be seen on the horizon. The Patch 9.1 Chains of Domination is gradually taking shape on the PTR and marks the end of interest in the raid Castle Nathria. To ensure that the last raiders can still defeat Denathrius on mythic difficulty before the new patch, there will be another small nerf.
What will be changed? Although the health points or pure strength of Denathrius will not be changed, there will be an adjustment in the transition from Phase 2 to Phase 3. This will now be triggered as follows:
Phase 2 now ends when Denathrius reaches 37% of his health (previously 40%) or when 225 seconds have elapsed (previously 210 seconds).
Kill Denathrius on mythic before the patch? Now or never!
What are the implications? What may sound like a minor adjustment can have significant effects and give some guilds the necessary boost to still kill the boss. Because with a later start of Phase 3, less health needs to be deducted in this phase. Therefore, slightly less DPS is also required to ultimately defeat Denathrius. As Phase 3 is also shorter, the likelihood that the entire area is covered with a deadly void zone until his kill decreases.
Overall, guilds now need to deal about 7.5% less damage in Phase 3 to defeat Denathrius. This makes it possible to potentially compensate for 1-2 deaths, which would otherwise have been an automatic reason to “wipe”.
This brings the achievement within reach for many.
More about WoW: Shadowlands on MeinMMO can be found here:
Which achievement is it about? It is about the achievement “Top Notch: Lord Denathrius”. While this time it is not rewarded with a mount – just like the heroic achievement – it will not be available anymore with Patch 9.1. Therefore, it is at least an exclusive title for your collection. By the way, there is at least the title Sinbreaker – although all other players can also obtain it more easily in a few weeks when they can tackle the mythic Denathrius with better gear.
Do you find the nerf appropriate and sensible? Or was Denathrius on mythic difficulty already too easy, and did you defeat him with the monitor off and dance mat as input device?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
When The Burning Crusade was released in 2007, a special pet came with the Collector’s Edition. If you want to redeem these pets today in WoW BC Classic or in World of Warcraft, you will find: That is no longer possible, at least not in Europe.
What are these pets? We are talking about the Netherwhelp and Lurky, a white baby murloc. The whelp is the pet that was included as a digital goodie in the Collector’s Edition of The Burning Crusade 14 years ago (in the title image on the left).
Lurky is a compensation for EU players after there was an issue with redeeming the Netherwhelp here. Anyone affected by this problem received the little murloc as an extra (in the title image on the right).
Why can’t I get the pets anymore? European players could only redeem their contents at that time with some extra steps. The reason for this was that the keys in the EU versions were merely upgrades from Vanilla to TBC, not a CE version. To unlock the pets nonetheless, players had to:
take a photo of the collector’s card and the barcode of the Collector’s Edition
print the account management page or write down the account name along with the email address
send all this by mail to Blizzard HQ in France
However, this is no longer possible today, as a player noted on Reddit (via reddit.com). According to wowhead, the redemption was still possible earlier this year. However, the corresponding support article from Blizzard has also been removed without comment (via wowhead.com and battle.net). The support article can still be viewed via an archive page (via web.archive.org).
This is the response of a GM regarding the issue. Apparently, it is no longer possible. Image source: wowhead.
It is unclear why redeeming no longer works. wowhead suspects it is due to the closure of the Blizzard office in Versailles announced in 2020. Only the Collector’s Editions of The Burning Crusade are affected, while all others should still work without any issues.
If you have already activated your Collector’s Edition beforehand, you should be able to simply pick up your pets from an innkeeper in the capitals or from Landro in Booty Bay (via battle.net). However, some players report that this does not work reliably either.
BC Classic – Strong Start Even Without Collector’s Edition
When Burning Crusade Classic launched on the night of June 2, 2021, and the Dark Portal opened for the second time, thousands of players were waiting to explore the shattered world once again.
The launch went surprisingly smoothly, even on large German servers. The servers ran stable and were not as shaky as 14 years ago, the areas themselves were not overly crowded, and thanks to layering and dynamic respawns, even quests could be completed quickly. Only a few trolls spoiled the fun with DDoS attacks.
If you want to see more about BC Classic, tune in on the evening of June 2 at Monsters and Explosions on Twitch. We will be playing the first expansion of WoW Classic live, and you can watch us once again wreak havoc in the shattered world:
