ESO gets 10 new armor sets with Blackwood – Here is what they have to offer

Andreas Bertits Andreas Bertits Reading time 5 minutes

With the Blackwood addon, new sets are coming to the MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online (PC, PS4/PS5, and Xbox One as well as Xbox Series X). We present these sets to you.

If you enjoy collecting armor sets in ESO, Blackwood will be a pleasure for you. You can find the sets both in the Dark Forest zone and in the trial “Felsheim”. Some can also be crafted. The methods to earn the sets in the new expansion are not unusual.

Of course, a bit of grinding is again required to obtain the individual pieces. However, this is also the case with the previous sets that you can already find in ESO.

We present the individual armor sets to you, explain where you can find the pieces, and what exactly it brings you if you wear several or even all items of a set. Additionally, we have an assessment of the respective sets from the official ESO streamer MiezeMelli. You can find her on Twitch or Twitter.

You can watch the new sets from Blackwood here in this video by YouTuber ArzyeL Gaming:

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This article was originally published on April 26 and updated on May 5. There we have added the assessments from MiezeMelli.

These sets are added with ESO: Blackwood

Bahsei’s Mania

  • You obtain the set through the new trial (light armor only)
  • 2 items: Adds 129 spell damage
  • 3 items: Permanent minor slayer, increases your damage in dungeons, trials, and against arena monsters by 5%
  • 4 items: Adds 657 critical spell damage
  • 5 items: Increases your damage against NPC enemies by up to 15% based on your missing Magicka

The perfect version additionally provides another 129 spell damage with 5 items.

What is this set good for? PvE, Magicka DD Builds.

How useful is it? Not very useful, as current player and group survivability (sustain) is very good, making it rare to achieve a high effect through the 5-piece bonus. Becomes better with poor sustain.

Moorslayer

  • You obtain the set in the new area (light, medium, and heavy)
  • 2 items: Adds 1096 maximum Magicka
  • 3 items: Adds 1206 maximum health
  • 4 items: Adds 1096 maximum stamina
  • 5 items: When a foe you have recently damaged dies, you gain 10 ultimate and your health regeneration increases by 1156 for 10 seconds. This effect can be repeated every 10 seconds.

What is this set good for? Stamina and Magicka DD Builds.

How useful is it? This set is interesting as a grinding setup and in certain situations in trials as a trash fight setup, allowing for more frequent ultimate ability usage (comparable to Totwater’s Pieces).

Deadlands Assassin

  • You obtain the set in the new area (light, medium, and heavy)
  • 2 items: Adds 129 weapon damage
  • 3 items: Adds 129 weapon damage
  • 4 items: Adds 1096 maximum stamina
  • 5 items: When you deal damage to an enemy within 10 meters with a heavy attack, you throw a cone of knives that deals physical damage to the affected enemies. If a hit enemy has 50% health or less, they also take 13 seconds of additional bleeding damage, based on the higher of weapon or spell damage.

What is this set good for? Stamina DD Builds.

How useful is it? In PvE, light attacks are stronger than heavy attacks at the moment, making this set less interesting.

Victory of the Diamond

  • You can craft the set (light, medium, and heavy)
  • 2 items: Adds 129 weapon or spell damage
  • 3 items: Adds 657 critical chance
  • 4 items: Adds 129 weapon or spell damage
  • 5 items: Dealing direct melee damage grants you 5 seconds of ranged superiority, adding 437 weapon and spell damage to your damage over time and ranged attacks. Dealing direct ranged damage grants you 5 seconds of melee superiority, adding 437 weapon and spell damage to your melee attacks.

What is this set good for? Stamina and Magicka DD Builds.

How useful is it? Interesting only for combinations like Magicka DD with melee spammable or Stamina DD with bow backbar. However, only part of the skills get buffed, so likely other sets with effects on all skills will be stronger.

Frostbite

  • You obtain the set in the new area (light, medium, and heavy)
  • 2 items: Adds 129 spell damage
  • 3 items: Adds 657 critical spell
  • 4 items: Adds 129 spell damage
  • 5 items: Increases your damage with frost abilities by 6%. Increases your damage against chilled enemies by 4%. Increases damage against enemies affected by Minor Brittle by 2%.

What is this set good for? PvP and battlegrounds.

How useful is it? Thinkable on a Guardian Frost build for battlegrounds.

Heartlander Overlord

  • You can craft the set (light, medium, and heavy)
  • 2 items: Adds 129 weapon or spell damage
  • 3 items: Adds 196 maximum Magicka
  • 4 items: Adds 1096 maximum stamina
  • 5 items: Increases the effectiveness of your weapon traits by 100%. This does not affect the traits “Decorated” or “Intricate”.

What is this set good for? PvP.

How useful is it? Sounds like an interesting damage set for PvP.

Hist Whisperer

  • You can craft the set (light, medium, and heavy)
  • 2 items: Adds 129 health regeneration
  • 3 items: Adds 129 stamina regeneration
  • 4 items: Adds 129 Magicka regeneration
  • 5 items: When you deal damage with a light or medium attack, you heal for 318 health and recover 318 stamina and Magicka. When you deal damage with a fully charged heavy attack, you heal for 636 health and recover 636 stamina and Magicka.

What is this set good for? PvP.

How useful is it? Sounds like a very interesting set for sustain in PvP.

Saxhleel Champion

  • You obtain the set through the new trial (heavy armor only)
  • 2 items: Adds 1096 maximum Magicka
  • 3 items: You receive a small Aegis at all times, reducing your damage taken from dungeons, trials, and arena monsters by 5%.
  • 4 items: Increases maximum stamina by 1096
  • 5 items: When you use an ultimate ability, you and up to 11 group members within 28 meters of you gain “Great Force” for 21 seconds, increasing critical damage dealt by 20%. This effect can occur once every 30 seconds.

The perfect version additionally provides another 1096 maximum stamina with 5 items.

What is this set good for? Tank and healer in PvE.

How useful is it? The last bonus is very interesting. Since healers and tanks often play the War Horn from the Alliance War as an ulti (this provides the same effect). In the future, one might replace this ulti with the set and take another ulti for even more damage.

More tips for ESO:

Oath of the Stone Speaker

  • You obtain the set through the new trial (light armor only)
  • 2 items: Adds 129 Magicka regeneration
  • 3 items: You receive a small Aegis at all times, reducing your damage taken from dungeons, trials, and arena monsters by 5%.
  • 4 items: Adds another 129 Magicka regeneration
  • 5 items: Your fully charged heavy attacks place a soul bomb on the target, which charges when the target takes damage. After 10 seconds, the bomb explodes, restoring 5% of the damage taken in the form of stamina and Magicka, up to 2240 stamina and Magicka, for 12 group members within 16 meters of the explosion. This effect can occur once every 10 seconds.

The perfect version additionally provides another 1096 maximum Magicka with 5 items.

What is this set good for? Healer in PvE.

How useful is it? Could be interesting as sustain sets for Magicka and stamina groups (comparable to Hollow Tooth).

Sul-Xan’s Torment

  • You obtain the set through the new trial (medium armor only)
  • 2 items: Adds 129 weapon damage
  • 3 items: Increases the damage you deal to dungeon, trial, and arena monsters by 5%.
  • 4 items: Adds 657 critical weapon damage
  • 5 items: When an enemy you have recently damaged dies, they leave behind a vengeful soul for 6 seconds. You can only generate one vengeful soul at a time. Touching the soul increases your weapon critical by 2160 and your critical damage by 12% for 30 seconds.

The perfect version additionally provides another 657 weapon critical with 5 items.

What is this set good for? Stamina DD in PvE.

How useful is it? Sounds interesting for a setup in arenas or dungeons for stamina DDs, but more challenging in trials due to positioning.

These are the new sets coming with ESO: Blackwood. What do you think of these? And which ones do you believe will be particularly useful?

There is also a quite exciting change in ESO: The MMORPG introduces new quests with which you can earn shop items.

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

Nearly 100 players attempt to crash the servers in CoD Warzone with a massive explosion

Max Handwerk Max Handwerk Reading time < 1 minutes

With a pretty well-organized attack, a large group of players in CoD Warzone set out to hit the new map with a big explosion. Led by YouTuber MarleyThirteen, the plan was executed – and not for the first time.

This was the plan: The fact that the old map in CoD Warzone had just said goodbye with a big explosion event for Season 3 apparently wasn’t enough for YouTuber MarleyThirteen. In other words: He apparently took the map change as an opportunity to trigger a pretty big explosion with the help of an armada of teammates – causing the server connection to give out.

He now attempted to repeat this feat on the new map, Verdansk ’84. How it looked is shown in a new video:

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Servers go down again

This is how it went this time: As the YouTuber explains, the decision to cause another big explosion was made with the release of the new map. They now knew how to do it.

With the help of a complete custom lobby, they worked to position as many vehicles as possible in one spot. At one point, 96 people were involved in the implementation, kills were forbidden.

They chose a spot near the under-construction stadium. After slight problems and early explosions occurred during the gathering of vehicles last time, it was pointed out this time to please park as orderly as possible.

In a short time, a large pile of vehicles had gathered again. A few shots were fired early, and even a car was blown up. But there was no premature big bang – that didn’t take long to happen.

CoD Warzone
The pile of vehicles was prepared neatly
Source: MarleyThirteen/YouTube

This is how it ended: Once everything was gathered, the players called for previously collected airstrikes. They struck and set the pile of vehicles ablaze. The explosions came, more and more vehicles went up in smoke – and then it was over. With the message “Server Snapshot Error”, the connection said goodbye. The goal was achieved.

“That was insane, guys. Consider Verdansk ’84 broken,” MarleyThirteen cheered. This time it worked right on the first try – the last attempt took three tries.

With the vehicles, they managed to create another massive explosion on screen. Overall, the vehicles are drawing attention to themselves. This applies to the truck “Big Bertha”, which is itself a pretty powerful weapon in the Warzone.

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

Destiny 2: Weekly Reset on 04.05. – The Finale of the Guardian Games and Season 13 starts

Philipp Hansen Philipp Hansen Reading time 3 minutes

In Destiny 2 today, on May 4th, the last week of Season 13 begins. The finale of the Guardian Games kicks things off. Bungie has finally presented the new season with a cool trailer.

Current standings in the competition: Today, May 4th, the Guardian Games 2021 enter their final round. Weeks 1 and 2 were decisively won by the Hunters – congratulations!

Next week, on May 11th, the new Season 14 will start. So you don’t have much longer to claim rewards from the Season Pass. Bungie is already heating you up for the Season of the Splicer with a new trailer.

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During the hustle and bustle of the return of the Glass Chamber and the awards ceremony in the Guardian Games, don’t forget to deconstruct all your 1,000 shaders. Otherwise, they will dissolve into nothing, and you’ll miss out on a fortune.

What you can expect in the new season, we have taken a look at here: Trailer for Season 14 shows new weapons and old enemies. Everything else we know about the new season can be found here in the handy overview:

More on the topic
Season 14 in Destiny 2: All information and leaks that are known so far
von Philipp Hansen

By the way, Bungie is giving you double Infamy until the next reset – so head into Gambit. What else does this Destiny week have to offer?

The most important information about the activities from 04.05. to 11.05.

In the Nightfall: The Ordeal, you’ll fight through

  • The Arms Dealer

You only have one week left here for a chance at “Shadow Price” – because the rare Nightfall weapons are taking a break. Additionally, the other Nightfalls are also selectable for top performers, so title hunters can check off their lists.

Playlist Strikes come with these modifiers:

  • Arc Singe
  • Wrecking
  • Grounded

The Singe modifier remains identical until the next reset, while the other two modifiers change daily at 7:00 PM.

destiny-2-kabal
In the strike “The Arms Dealer” you’ll face the Cabal

Crucible: Lord Shaxx is proud of you in these modes:

  • Private Match
  • Rumble
  • Control
  • Elimination
  • Glory Survival
  • Glory Survival: Freelance
  • Mayhem

Petra Venj stands at the pavilion in the region “The Shore” (In the Dreaming City, the Curse is at Level 1). In the 2nd Ascendant Challenge you can prove yourself.

These are the sources for Powerful Loot in Season 13 of Destiny 2

This is how Powerful Loot is categorized in Destiny 2: Powerful Loot comes in several tiers, granting you different Power boosts. Accordingly, higher tiers also grant higher Power boosts.

  • Tier 1 (up to +3 above your current Power level)
  • Tier 2 (up to +4 above your current Power level)
  • Tier 3 (up to +5 above your current Power level)
  • Top Gear (+5 or more above Power level. The only gear that goes above 1300 and up to a maximum of 1310 – after that, level jumps are reduced by +1)

Sources for Powerful Loot in Season 13: 

Tier 1:

  • Complete 8 Crucible bounties
  • 7 wins in the Glory Crucible playlist
  • Complete 8 Gambit bounties
  • Complete 8 Variks bounties
  • Complete the Nightfall: The Ordeal
  • Win 7 rounds in Survival
  • Loot from the Wrathborn Hunt
  • Imperials Hunt
  • Battlegrounds (goes up to Tier 3)

Tier 2:

  • Collect Clan XP for Hawthorne

Tier 3:

  • Decoding Exotic Engrams
  • Exotic Quests
  • Primus Engrams

Top Loot:

In Season 14, your Power level will only increase to 1,320 next week. This means if you work hard now, you only need to grind for the top loot.

Destiny 2 Guardian Games title
The “Highscore” emote is on sale this week
  • The Exotic Sparrow “Honor Lap”
  • The Exotic Ghost Shell “Plush Shell”
  • The Exotic Ship “The Favor”
  • The Exotic Emote “Just Juggling”
  • The Legendary Emote “Highscore”

You can get the universal ornaments of the event armors as a set for 6,000 Silver Dust for each class.

How are you spending the last week of Season 13? Have you completed everything, or are you benefiting from the fact that many of the contents are also playable throughout Year 4? And what content from the recently announced Season of the Splicer are you looking forward to?

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

Here is a simple trick to bypass the armor bug in Outriders

Tarek Zehrer Tarek Zehrer Reading time 2 minutes

In Outriders a bug has been driving players crazy since the last patch, related to their armor. The community has discovered a trick that seems to help with the issue.

What kind of bug is it? Since the last update, numerous players have been complaining that they can suddenly take significantly less damage in the endgame of Outriders than before.

They are being knocked out by numerous, even the smallest enemies, with just one hit.

What is the cause? No one knows for sure. There is currently no official statement from People Can Fly regarding the exact cause of the problem.

What is certain is that the problem occurred with the last patch, and there is no fix as of now. Reddit user Thorkle 13 (via reddit) has introduced a trick that at least temporarily helps with the bug.

If you want to avoid the nasty bug, you have to undress

What kind of trick is this? After growing frustration from failed expedition attempts, Thorkle 13 tried some things.

In desperation, he removed all of his gear and then put it back on. According to him, the next expedition went much better: “I think my armor literally didn’t work until I took it off and put it back on, because before I could take a maximum of 10% damage. After using this fix, about 30-40% was mitigated.”

While this doesn’t make him a tank god, at least he has a chance against enemies again. It’s important to repeat this after every expedition. In his post, he asks other players to try it as well and share their experiences.

Several other players then reported that they confirm Thorkle 13’s impression. The trick apparently works for many, at least they report that on reddit.

Does the armor value even work?

This is what the players suspect: Reports on reddit suggest that the trick needs to be used again after each expedition to maintain the effect. This leads to speculation. Does the game not properly recognize the players’ gear?

User funforreal9 (via reddit) draws a possible connection to another bug that has been released since the patch. Items are displayed as new in the inventory after each loading sequence, even if they are already equipped.

Some players now suspect that the game no longer properly recognizes the equipped armor, and certain values may not be active at all.

More about Outriders:

Therefore, one apparently has to remove and re-equip their equipment to let everything run normally. Some even suspect that physical defense doesn’t work at all and can only be compensated through defensive mods.

As there is still no statement from the developers regarding the issue, the speculation will likely continue for some time. You can find out what else went wrong with the update in our summary: Outriders: New patch brings new problems: “It is now worse than at release”

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. PCGamer.com
  2. reddit.com

FIFA 21: Here is a better alternative to POTM Haaland

Julian Schröder Julian Schröder Reading time < 1 minutes

EA has just announced the new Bundesliga POTM in FIFA 21. The winner is Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund and we show you whether the new card is worth it for your team.

What is POTM? “POTM” stands for “Player of the Month” – which means Player of the Month. It is awarded once a month for different leagues in FIFA 21 Ultimate Team.

For the Bundesliga, this time Erling Haaland won the fan voting. He is receiving his second POTM card in FUT 21 and is now the Player of the Month for April.

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Haaland is Competing Against Himself

This is what the new POTM card can do: The stats of the new Haaland card are really strong and offer outstanding stats in all relevant areas. POTM-Haaland is lightning-fast, physically strong, and has incredible shooting stats, though they are somewhat marred by his 3-star weak foot.

However, there is strong competition: Haaland himself has another 91-rated card in the game that offers identical stats and is even slightly stronger in passing and dribbling. This is Haaland’s Headliners card.

Here you can compare both cards:

To add the new POTM card of Haaland to your team, you need to complete a proud 4 SBC tasks and exchange numerous cards. Here are the requirements:

  • Task 1: A team with 83 rating, team chemistry of 89, and one in-form player is required
  • Task 2: A team rating of 84 is required with a chemistry of 75
  • Task 3: You need one in-form player in a team with an 85 rating and a chemistry of 65
  • Task 4: A strong 86-rated team must be submitted with a team chemistry of 55

In total, you will need to invest around 320,000 coins (as of May 4 at 5:30 PM) if you cannot give away any players from your own club.

Is POTM Haaland worth it? If you want to play with a fast striker with great shooting stats and outstanding physicality in your team, then Haaland is a good choice. However, you should rather use his Headliners card. This card offers the same stats as POTM-Haaland and costs roughly the same number of coins:

  • POTM-Haaland costs about 320,000 coins
  • Headliners-Haaland costs about 330,000 coins

Another advantage is that Haaland’s Headliners card can get even better. Once Haaland makes it into a TOTW (Team of the Week), the card will receive an additional rating upgrade. Additionally, you can sell it if you do not like it.

The POTM card of Haaland is worth it only for players who have plenty of SBC fodder in their club and can acquire the card much cheaper.

But in both cases, it might also be worth waiting for the Bundesliga TOTS, where another and possibly even stronger Haaland card could be coming to the players.

If you’re looking for strong TOTS cards, we have a few budget-friendly recommendations for you:

3 budget-friendly TOTS players who are still strong

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

Destiny 2: Trailer for Season 14 shows new weapons and old enemies

Philipp Hansen Philipp Hansen Reading time 4 minutes

In Destiny 2, the “Season of the Splicer” has been officially announced. Check out the cool new trailer for Season 14 and get the first information about the story, the new weapons and Exotics, and why you will soon become a master hacker.

Here are the new details: Bungie has finally spilled the beans and officially announced the new Season 14. In the Season of the Splicer, we team up with the Fallen to stop the time-traveling Vex.

When does the season start? The new season releases on May 11 and runs until August 24. Bungie has now revealed additional details:

  • The trailer gets you excited for the new season
  • We have received a first glimpse into the seasonal story
  • 2 new activities and a returning raid have been shown
  • Over 30 new legendary weapons await to be hunted
  • 4 Exotics from Season 14 have already been shown

Check out the new trailer here: Guardians are always especially looking forward to the new trailers and cinematics from Bungie. And the new trailer for the Season of the Splicer is once again really cool.

Enjoy the clip with catchy 80s synthesizer music and retro neon colors here in German:

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These contents await you in the Season of the Splicer

This is the seasonal story: The Vex have managed to plunge the Last City into endless darkness and trap us in a simulation where the sun no longer rises. Therefore, you must team up with the Fallen and hack the Vex network from within.

Our old friend Mithrax will assist us in this effort and use the forbidden Splicer technology. The Splicers are essentially technology shamans who worship SIVA and other mysterious devices and nearly wiped out humanity once.

Two new activities provide variety in PvE

  • Override: A 6-player activity with integrated matchmaking. You are supposed to hack into a Vex network together and steal a code.
  • Tildung: You are to advance weekly into an evolving Vex architecture, using Splicer keys to open vulnerabilities and bring the Vex down from within.
A first look at the activities “Override” and “Tildung”

Additionally, your H.E.L.M. base in the Tower will be expanded. Here you can then access Splicer technology yourself.

The Vault of Glass opens again

This is the “new” raid: It was already known beforehand that the “Vault of Glass” returns as a raid. This is the very first raid in Destiny’s history, which originally opened its doors in 2014.

In the trailer, we only saw the famous entrance area on Venus. Starting from May 22, you can see for yourself why veterans have been raving about their adventures on Venus for years.

The entrance to the Vault of Glass on Venus

All the new activities should remain relevant throughout Year 4 in the game. Because Destiny 2 is moving away from FOMO (Fear of Mission Out, or fear of missing out). So you can also catch up on content from the expiring Season 13.

More about Season 14 of Destiny 2:

This is the new legendary and exotic loot

Bungie mentions that you can hunt over 30 new and revamped legendary weapons in Season 14. These will be divided among the Trials, Iron Banner, the new activities, the raid, and surely also a quest weapon.

We have already seen some of the new Splicer weapons in action in the trailer. Additionally, Bungie shared a screenshot of it:

These are likely the new weapons from the seasonal activities

Which Exotics do we know? Bungie has presented 4 new Exotics directly:

  • Kryosthesie 77K: An exotic Stasis sidearm. This is special since there is only one Stasis weapon so far, and you carry it in the power slot. The weapon is likely to be included in the new season pass and also available to Free2Play Guardians.
  • Stellar Hunter’s Boots: Exotic Hunter boots that charge and enhance your super quickly.
  • Path of Burning Steps: Exotic Titan boots that enhance your weapons after a Solar kill and are said to withstand Stasis better.
  • Boots of the Tinkerer: Exotic Warlock boots that send the healing or empowering powers of the Rift to your allies at range – sounds like the Lumina Revolver as a shoe.

With great certainty, there is still a secret Exotic waiting to be found by you. Additionally, there is also a new seasonal artifact that raises your power level and provides you with useful mods. Moreover, the long-demanded cosmetic feature of real Transmog is the focus of the new season.

What do you think of the new trailer? Are you excited that Destiny 2 is going all Cyberpunk and are already eager for the Season of the Splicer? Let us know in the comments.

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

Activision Blizzard turns every studio they buy into a ‘Call of Duty’ factory

Jürgen Horn Jürgen Horn Reading time 3 minutes

Meanwhile, publishers Activision Blizzard have 9 studios. However, each one of them is more or less involved in a single franchise: Call of Duty! Find out here what is in the big CoD factory and what comes out of it.

Who is currently working on Call of Duty? When a studio is acquired by Activision Blizzard, the employed developers should bring a certain passion for shooting, weapons, and soldiers, as it seems inevitable to work for the popular Call of Duty franchise.

Recently, this was the case with the studio “Toys for Bob”. They had developed the game “Crash Bandicoot” in 2020, but now they are – in addition to supporting Crash Bandicoot – also part of the CoD machine and are diligently putting out content for Season 3 of Warzone. By the way, Crash Bandicoot is one of the top 5 co-op games for Xbox Series X and S.

More on the topic
Here are the 5 best coop games for Xbox Series X according to Metacritic
von Tarek Zehrer

Thus, all new studios owned by Activision Blizzard are somehow working with CoD. In addition to the previously mentioned Toys for Bob, they are:

  • Activision Shanghai is involved with CoD Online
  • Demonware is responsible for server support
  • High Moon Studios (formerly Destiny) also supports Call of Duty
  • Beenox has been a CoD studio since Black Ops III
  • Raven Software has supported CoD development for 11 years

Additionally, there are the three main CoD studios, Treyarch, Infinity Ward, and Sledgehammer, which each release a new CoD on an annual basis.

Only the studio Blizzard itself is not actively developing a CoD game, but they sell the thing via their webshop.

A studio from Activision Blizzard that has not worked on Call of Duty was Vicarious Visions: But they also had to provide support services. They first developed the PC version of Destiny 2 for Bungie – now Activision has assigned the studio to Blizzard: They are now working on the Diablo franchise.

Does the CoD factory prevent new games?

Studios either make CoD or nothing at all: At Activision, it seems there is not much else being developed besides CoD. Studios that were acquired by the publisher and did not join the CoD team were ultimately dissolved, and their employees and resources were redistributed to other studios that work on CoD. Among these dissolved studios are names like Grey Matter Interactive (Return to Castle Wolfenstein) and Neversoft (Guitar Hero 6).

CoD content instead of new games: This focus on CoD, in turn, prevents the creative energy of developers from flowing in another direction. An example here is Raven Software, which before its acquisition by Activision in 2010 developed a string of its own successful games, including the highly praised Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy. But since 2010, Raven Software has only been active as a support studio for various CoD titles and has not produced or continued any of its own games. This is unfortunate for everyone who would have liked to see a sequel to Jedi Academy and more.

If you’re interested in more about CoD Warzone, you might find this appealing:

What’s behind it: It seems that a studio acquired by Activision either has to develop CoD or will soon disappear. On the other hand, CoD is currently a major and successful franchise for the publisher that needs to be continuously developed. This requires a fresh influx of developers and resources to meet the high demands of the target audience.

Because masses of players gather daily on the servers, and constantly new content and patches are needed to satisfy the demand. Additionally, each year a completely new game in the series must be released, which in turn is integrated into the popular battle royale version Warzone. Without a large pool of developers, the CoD machine would hardly be able to keep running, even if much potential for new creative ideas surely falls by the wayside.

Activision Blizzard seems to be the publisher that has understood how a service game can satisfy the unrelenting hunger of players: They do not let just one studio work on it, but several. They wanted to do the same with Destiny, but those plans ended when Bungie parted ways with Activision Blizzard. With Call of Duty, they are now trying this model again. Apparently with some success.

What is your opinion on the big “CoD machine”? Is this large focus on a franchise given its success a no-brainer for Activision, or would you prefer it if the publisher would let the acquired studios do something original again?

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

Pokémon GO: Spotlight hour today with Waumboll – Is it worth it?

Patrick Freese Patrick Freese Reading time 2 minutes

Today, on May 4th, the Spotlight Hour featuring Waumboll starts in Pokémon GO. We will show you the bonuses and analyze for whom this event is worthwhile.

What is a Spotlight Hour? This event takes place every Tuesday in Pokémon GO and features a special Pokémon in the spotlight for one hour. There is also a bonus that complements the event.

This week, you will encounter Waumboll. The Wool Pokémon of the Grass and Fairy type belongs to the 5th generation and fits the current Fairy event that introduced Xerneas to the game.

Spotlight Hour with Waumboll – Start Time and Bonuses

When does it start? As you know, the Spotlight Hour starts again today at 6:00 PM local time. In the game, you will notice that most of the spawns around you will consist of Waumboll. You will have one hour to take advantage of these special spawns. Around 7:00 PM, the Pokémon in the wild will revert to those matching the current Fairy event.

These are the bonuses: While the event is active, you will find Waumboll everywhere. The bonus this time affects the candies you receive. For every catch, you will earn double the candies. This also counts for catches from encounters you unlock through research or other content. So, if you battle Giovanni during the event and receive his Shadow Lugia, you will get double candies for that.

Here’s what you need to know about Waumboll:
Waumboll is the base form and can evolve into Elfun. If you want to perform this evolution, you will need a Sun Stone.
In the Mini Cup, Waumboll has been an important fighter that could take on the opposing teams. In PvE, Waumboll and Elfun play an insignificant role.

Is there a Shiny Waumboll? No, the shiny version of Waumboll is not yet available in Pokémon GO.

Is the Spotlight Hour worth it today? That largely depends on whether you play PvP (Trainer Battles). Because there, at least Waumboll can score points and is considered an important counter with Fairy moves. For a charged attack, Vine Whip works well. If you want to secure some strong specimens for PvP, you can easily do that.

Unfortunately, shiny hunters also won’t have any luck during the Spotlight Hour today.

More about Pokémon GO

In May, there are still many more events planned. After Waumboll, three more Spotlight Hours will take place. Additionally, an event featuring Marill is on the horizon. We will show you in the overview all events in May 2021 for Pokémon GO.

Let us know in the comments if you are participating in the Spotlight Hour today and which event you are looking forward to next.

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

Pokémon GO brings a Marill event on Sunday, trainers are annoyed

Patrick Freese Patrick Freese Reading time 2 minutes

In Pokémon GO the Limited Research event with Marill starts this weekend. However, trainers are not satisfied with the announcement. They are asking why Marill gets so many events.

What kind of event is this? In Pokémon GO, a Limited Research event starts on Sunday, May 9th. The water and fairy Pokémon Marill will be the focus during the event day. You can expect many exclusive tasks that will reward you with Marill encounters.

Here we show you an overview of everything we know about the Marill Research event and why trainers are annoyed.

Limited Research with Marill – Start and Info

When does it start? The Limited Research with Marill starts on May 9th at 08:00 local time. You have until 22:00 to participate and complete the event quests.

What else is known: You will have the chance to encounter Shiny Marill again during the event. The shiny form has been available in Pokémon GO for a long time. There are also field research tasks that reward you with Marill encounters.

How did it go at other events? Limited Research events are a recurring format in Pokémon GO. The Pokémon participating in them change. There have been research events with Sniebel, Nidoran or Snubbull.

In past events, trainers were able to complete them easily from home, without having to leave their four walls. Until now, research tasks have always been divided into 3 quests per chapter, all rewarding you with the respective event Pokémon.

Is Marill worth it in Pokémon GO?
In PvE, that is in raids against raid bosses, Marill and its evolution Azumarill do not play a significant role. In PvP, however, it is a different story. In trainer battles, Marill leads the field in the Great League along with Galar-Option. They are the two strongest Pokémon you can use in the Great League.

Trainers show annoyed reactions, why?

This is what trainers say: Trainers say “Not another Marill event” or that they already own the entire shiny family and see no reason to participate in the event (via twitter.com). The biggest “problem” noted is the frequency of Marill events.

On reddit, trainers also share their opinions about the event. User ZekromFPS writes (via reddit):

Almost 700 Pokémon in GO.

Niantic: Yep, let’s give them the third Marill event within a year

Others suspect that Niantic really wants to give every player the chance to collect strong Azumarill for the PvP league.

What do you think of the announcement for the Marill Research day? Is it something you are happy about or do you already have shinies and strong PvP specimens? Please share your thoughts here on MeinMMO in the comments and discuss with other trainers.

The limited research for the Xerneas event is currently running. Here we show you all tasks and rewards from Illuminating Legends X.

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

Biggest WoW streamer explains: “Blizzard fixes problems that players don’t even have”

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 3 minutes

The biggest WoW streamer sees some issues in his favorite game. Especially because Blizzard is fixing problems that players don’t even have.

In the retail version of World of Warcraft there is currently a tense atmosphere. For almost half a year, players have been waiting for new content and improvements to existing systems. Now, the WoW streamer Asmongold has also spoken out and explained what bothers him about Blizzard’s policy regarding Shadowlands.

Who is he? Asmongold is a long-time WoW player and streamer. He is one of the biggest WoW streamers overall, consistently reaching large audiences on both Twitch and YouTube. With nearly 2 million followers, he is even among the top 100 streamers overall.

What does Asmongold say? In one of his latest videos, he speaks unusually calmly and factually about the problems he has with the current WoW and the developers. The two main points are summarized as follows:

  • Blizzard is fixing problems in WoW that players don’t even have.
  • The developers introduce new systems and only fix them over the course of years.

He elaborates on both points in the nearly 30-minute video and explains, with several examples, what is going wrong.

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Solutions that players don’t want: He explains the first point with some mechanics and systems that only exist to harass players and artificially slow them down. He says:

Why is media energy in the game? What purpose does it serve? Who does it help? I believe Blizzard developers are fixing problems that players don’t even have with solutions that players don’t want. This has been going on for years. I’m tired of it. I feel exhausted every time I play the game. When I want to do my world quests, I log in and after 3 quests I want to do something else, like watch a YouTube video.

He mentions more systems and mechanics that serve no purpose for players. For example, he still doesn’t understand why the vendor for corruption effects in BfA had a rotation instead of offering the entire stock permanently. The same goes for media energy, where players are restricted in something that doesn’t need restriction.

More about WoW: Shadowlands can be found here:

Systems refined over years: Asmongold goes on to explain how WoW has received new systems over the last few years that were simply uninteresting or flawed in their initial implementation. The prime example of this is the Azerite armor from Battle for Azeroth, which changed multiple times throughout the patches, and with which players were never truly happy. This was feedback that had already been given in the beta of Battle for Azeroth but was never implemented by the end of the expansion.

It is the same again now, for example with the anima system or Torghast. It doesn’t feel complete, and in an interview, Ion Hazzikostas said that it is part of the process to revise and expand systems over multiple patches. Here Asmongold disagrees and clearly states that he and many other players are tired of hearing that every time. Blizzard should finally bring complete, well-thought-out systems into the game and not fix them only after months or years.

Over months and years, systems like legendary items in Legion or Azerite powers in BfA are revised and improved until they are finally in the state they should have been at release in the last patch of an expansion.

What do you think about this? Do you agree with Asmongold and his statements regarding the game systems of WoW? Or do you find the new systems good, even if they are not optimal at the beginning?

If you are no longer interested in retail WoW, you can also check out Classic. The launch of Burning Crusade has just been leaked there.

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

Fortnite suddenly brings 2 “favorites” out of the vault – How do the players react to this?

Eilyn Rapp Eilyn Rapp Reading time 3 minutes

In Fortnite: Battle Royale, there were some spontaneous changes, and Epic brought back 2 favorites, as they call them, from the vault. What changes and weapons have been added to the game, and how are players reacting to it now?

This is what’s happening in Fortnite: The start of Season 6 introduced some new weapons, and now you can even craft primitive weapons. But now, Epic has spontaneously made additional changes and even brought back some weapons from the vault.

It’s not the first time that Fortnite spontaneously adds some changes without a proper update taking place. Just recently, Epic made some buffs for weapons that made bows very powerful and caused players to fear them directly.

Which 2 “favorites” are back?

Which weapons are back in the game? On May 3, Fortnite Status announced on Twitter that 4 changes have been made in the game (via Twitter). This took place in a hotfix, which players didn’t notice directly in the game. In the announcement, Epic revealed that they have brought back 2 favorites, as they call them, into the game. These weapons are:

  • The Infantry Rifle
  • The Tactical Shotgun

Both weapons can now be found on the island in all rarities. You will be able to find them in chests or on the ground, as they cannot be crafted.

These two weapons are now back from the vault

“Good aim will be rewarded again”

This is how players react to the return of the two weapons: In an official reddit thread, the return of the weapons was also announced. Opinions on the return are largely positive (via reddit). Some are happy because good aim will be rewarded again with the Infantry. They comment:

  • “I know you will never see this Epic, but thank you for bringing these items back from the vault.”
  • “It’s very powerful [the Infantry Rifle] and there’s hardly any RNG, so it’s really your pure aim that makes it a good weapon.”
  • “Okay, this is just … great! Tactical is back and so is the Infantry.”
  • “Competitive players have long asked for the return of the Infantry because it rewards good aim.”

However, not all players seem to be satisfied with the return of these two weapons. Under the announcement on Twitter, players are asking about the Heavy Sniper: “You forgot these weapons!” In Season 2 Chapter 2 the Heavy Sniper was also one of your favorite weapons before it was put in the vault.

Epic brings further changes to the game

What other changes has Fortnite made? In the announcement tweet, Fortnite Status revealed further changes made to the game. This is now different:

  • Possibility of spawning crafting materials has been doubled again
  • Mechanic parts when farming cars have been increased by 50%
  • Improved loot chances at fishing spots, supply drops, and bunker chests
fortnite bunker chests title
Bunker chests guarantee you great loot when you find them

Bunker chests guarantee you great weapons without much effort. However, as they are not so easy to find, we show you our guide to the locations of bunker chests on the map.

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

CoD Warzone: Hunt for Eagles – How to get the Operator Skin

Patrick Freese Patrick Freese Reading time 3 minutes

With the start of Season 3 in Call of Duty Cold War and Warzone, the “Hunt for Adler” challenge has begun. We will show you all the tasks and rewards as well as the Adler skin.

What is this event? Players in Call of Duty need to complete tasks for the “Hunt for Adler” in Warzone and Cold War. There are rewards like stickers, calling cards, and weapon charms. We will show you all the rewards and which tasks you need to fulfill for the hunt.

Update: Due to technical issues, many players could not receive the Adler skin despite completing the challenges. Therefore, the developers have decided to make the skin available for free to all players.

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If you want the Adler skin, just log into the game, open the operator menu, and there you will find the new skin with Russell Adler and can easily equip it.

But be careful! The skin is only available until the end of Season 3, so don’t take too long.

Hunt for Adler in Warzone – How does it work?

In Warzone, you need to gather various information in matches. This takes place on the new “Verdansk ’84” map, which was activated with Season 3 in Warzone. Go wild there and gather the info to grab the coveted rewards.

TaskReward
Complete the Intel contract at FarmsCalling Card “Missing”
Complete the Intel contract on the SummitSticker “Rebel Rivas”
Complete the Intel contract at FactoryWeapon charm “Close Call”

Tips for the challenges: It’s best to start at Factory (near Super Store). There you need to locate and collect three supply boxes nearby. Collecting the three supply boxes is the goal at all locations. You will have 5 minutes for each box to collect it. It works easiest if you own a heli and simply fly quickly to the locations, collect, and move on.

According to player reports, there are about 2-4 Intel contracts per location to pick up. So do this as the very first task at the start of a match so that other players don’t snatch them from you.

Hunt for Adler in Cold War – How does it work?

In Cold War, you need to play through a few games to unlock the rewards. Especially on the Yamantau map, you will have to play more often to complete all objectives.

TaskReward
Play and complete 7 games on YamantauSticker “Head Comrade”
Eliminate 25 opponents revealed by your Spy Plan
H.A.R.P. or Field Mic.		Weapon charm “Pager”
Eliminate 25 opponents in a killstreak while using
the Assassin Perk		Calling Card “Vengeful Commando”

Tips for the challenges: These challenges are not particularly difficult, they just take time. Play the games as you normally would. For the 25 kills, you can place the Field Mic near the enemy spawn to reveal as many enemies as possible.

What’s new:

The rewards for Hunt for Adler – Skin

This is what it looks like: In the following tweet from CharlieIntel, you can see the 6 mentioned rewards in the game:

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How to get the Adler skin: If you are keen on the skin, you only need to complete 3 of the tasks. Either all 3 in Warzone or all 3 in Cold War. You do not need to solve 6 tasks for the Adler skin.

Warzone Adler Skin
Source: CharlieIntel.com

As you can see, you don’t need to change your playstyle much for the challenges. Most tasks will be completed alongside your regular gameplay anyway. Once the initial rush for the Intel contracts in Warzone calms down, your chances of obtaining the coveted pieces will increase.

What do you think of these types of tasks? Do you enjoy having some fresh wind in the game or should there be other ways to earn skins like this?

Are you looking for more cool skins? We show you 5 black skins in Warzone that give you advantages in the dark.

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

Court allows accidental calls in the Epic vs. Apple trial – children shout: “Free Fortnite”

Alexander Leitsch Alexander Leitsch Reading time 3 minutes

On May 3, the trial between Epic and Apple officially began. The trial is taking place with people on-site and is broadcast to the public and press in a conference. Some children managed to obtain speaking rights in the conference and disrupted the proceedings with shouts like “Free Fortnite”.

What’s happening exactly? Since August 2020, Epic and Apple have been in a legal dispute. This was triggered because Epic directly sold V-Bucks in Fortnite, bypassing Apple’s revenue share in the App Store. As a result, Fortnite was removed from the store, leading to a lawsuit and countersuit.

On May 3, the trial officially began between the two parties. Present during the hearings were the judge and witnesses, including Tim Sweeney, the head of Epic, and Tim Cook, CEO of Apple.

The press, the public, and parts of the legal teams were able to join from outside. And that’s where problems arose and Fortnite fans made their appearance.

What did the kids do? According to the website The Verge, some individuals were able to speak in the public call during the first minutes of the trial, disrupting the proceedings (via The Verge).

It was mainly children and teenagers who shouted phrases like “Free Fortnite” or “bring Fortnite back to mobile, please your honor”. Others reportedly played music from Travis Scott or promoted their YouTube channel.

The call resembled a chaotic Discord conversation more than a serious trial. In total, over 200 people participated in the broadcast.

The audio version can also be listened to later on YouTube. The interruptions are primarily heard around the 6:40 mark:

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How long did the disruptions last? According to The Verge, the hearing was supposed to start at 5:15 PM our time. However, it wasn’t until 5:30 PM that the situation was brought under control, allowing Tim Sweeney to start with his statements.

Apple views the legal dispute as a PR stunt, Epic wants equal rights for all

What is behind the legal dispute? Anyone selling a game or in-game currencies in the App Store is supposed to pay 30% of their revenue to Apple. However, Epic and their head Tim Sweeney find this rate too high and tried to bypass this fee. With several consequences:

Apple sees Epic’s entire action as a PR strategy for a struggling Fortnite.

Tim Sweeney Epic Games
Tim Sweeney, the head of Epic Games.

Why is Epic doing this? Tim Sweeney is the head of Epic and also owns a large share of the company. In his eyes, he is fighting with Epic for the rights of indie developers to their revenues and against monopolists.

In an interview Sweeney explained that the battle with Apple costs a lot and hardly any other company could afford this. Yet he remains optimistic that Epic can change the gaming industry.

Epic has also taken on Steam, as they continuously try to release new games exclusively on their platform, forcing Steam to lower the shares they take from developers. However, exclusives are said to be very costly:

More on the topic
Epic invests a lot of money in the fight against Steam – Makes over 300 million dollars in losses
von Alexander Leitsch

How did the first day go? On the first day, mainly Tim Sweeney and the lawyers from Apple spoke. The focus was on whether Apple’s 30% cut is really justified, how much Epic actually earns with Fortnite, and the state of the Epic Store.

Many figures were presented here, such as the 9.1 billion dollars that Fortnite is said to have generated in 2018 and 2019. This is enough to buy Star Wars twice.

What happens next in the trial? According to PCGamer, the trial will mainly involve compiling all arguments from the past months (via PCGamer). In addition to the heads of Epic and Apple, Lori Wright, Vice President of Xbox Business Development, and other individuals outside the two companies will also present their statements.

It is suspected that the trial will last about 2 weeks. Afterwards, US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers will issue a decision.

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

Roccat presents two gaming keyboards under 100 euros, Magma and Pyro

Benedikt Schlotmann Benedikt Schlotmann Reading time 4 minutes

Roccat has introduced two new gaming keyboards. Magma and Pyro are aimed at gamers who want to spend no more than 100 euros. MeinMMO presents the new gaming devices to you.

Roccat is expanding its portfolio in the peripheral sector with two new keyboards:

  • The Roccat Magma is a keyboard with membrane keys for 59.99 euros. In addition to special lighting, there is a wrist rest and programmable keys.
  • The Roccat Pyro introduces a mechanical gaming keyboard for 99.99 euros. In addition to a wrist rest and lighting, it also features a durable aluminum casing. Roccat applies a similar quality to its more expensive Vulcan models.

A week ago, Roccat had already introduced two new mice with the Roccat Kone Pro and Kone Pro Air. MeinMMO presents in this article what the two keyboards can do and what competition currently exists on the market.

Roccat focuses on membrane keys and linear switches in its new keyboards

What components do the keyboards use? The Roccat Magma uses membrane keys. Roccat promises “whisper-quiet keys” here. Membrane keys are generally quieter than mechanical keys, as there is no clicking mechanism but a rubber plate under the keys. Improved anti-ghosting is also included. This helps ensure that your operating system recognizes all keys, even if you press multiple keys simultaneously in the heat of the moment.

The Roccat Pyro uses mechanical keys. Roccat chose red linear switches here. These red switches provide neither tactile nor acoustic feedback. The keys feel the same when gaming or typing. You won’t find Roccat’s Titan switches, which are used in the Vulcan series, in this price range. The Pyro also offers anti-ghosting.

Various views of the new mechanical keyboard Roccat Pyro.

Both keyboards offer “Easy-Shift” for double-function keys and a detachable wrist rest. Both keyboards are also full-size keyboards. This means both devices have their own number pad. However, Roccat also already offers the Roccat Vulcan TKL Pro, a tenkeyless keyboard without a number pad. We tested the Roccat Vulcan TKL Pro for you here.

When can you buy the keyboards and what do they cost? According to Roccat, the two keyboards will be available from May 30, 2021, but you can already pre-order them on Amazon and at Roccat itself.

  • The Roccat Magma costs 59.99 euros
  • The Roccat Pyro costs 99.99 euros.

You can already pre-order the Roccat Magma on Amazon and get it directly on release date.

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You can get an initial impression with the official product video from Roccat. In the YouTube video, you can see Roccat Magma:

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Roccat’s Magma in the official video.

What is already available from Roccat? In the entry-level sector, you already have the Roccat Horde. This is a keyboard that combines mechanical and membrane technology. The aim is to reduce the disadvantage of the membrane keys, which is their low durability, and to increase precision. You can currently get the Horde for around 60 euros.

The Roccat Horde has at least made a mark with its fair price-performance ratio, offering not only decent lighting but also a grippy control wheel (via GameStar.de).

In the high-price segment for gaming keyboards up to 150 euros, Roccat has positioned itself with its Vulcan series. Here, Roccat uses its own developed switches that are located under the keys. In his column, MeinMMO author Benedikt Schlotmann explains why he prefers to type and work with Roccat’s Vulcan 121:

More on the topic
Why Roccats Vulcan 121 is the best keyboard for gaming and home office for me
von Benedikt Schlotmann

In the price range of around 100 euros, you can already get some strong keyboards

For under 100 euros, you can already get a good gaming keyboard from Razer or Corsair that offers good build quality and several features:

  • The Razer Ornata V2 offers mecha-membrane keys. All keys are programmable and you get media keys and cool lighting.
  • Corsair’s K63 is a mechanical gaming keyboard with red switches. These are particularly fast, but also audible. In the 60-euro range of the Roccat Magma, the Corsair K55 RGB PRO is also worth mentioning. This provides media control keys in addition to the Magma.
  • The SteelSeries Apex 3 relies on rubber dome keys, which are noticeably lower than mechanical switches.

You can find the best gaming keyboards you can currently buy, right here on MeinMMO. In our buying guide, we explain what to consider when buying a keyboard and which models are recommended this year. You can also find the K63 from Corsair in this buying guide.

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

PS Plus in May: The new free games for PS4 and PS5 are now available

Irina Moritz Irina Moritz Reading time 3 minutes

Sony has recently announced the new free games that PlayStation Plus members will receive in May 2021. And now these PS Plus games are available for download. As always, there are 2 games for PS4 and one exclusive PS5 game.

These are the PS Plus games for May 2021: A new month is coming, along with new free games for PS Plus members for PS4 and PS5. This time, there’s a survival game, a shooter, and a driving game where absolute chaos reigns:

  • Battlefield V (PS4)
  • Stranded Deep (PS4)
  • Wreckfest: Drive Hard. The Load (PS5)

You can easily play the PS4 titles on your PS5 using the backward compatibility feature without any issues.

When does the free download start in the PS Store? You can download the new PS Plus games starting now (May 5) from the PlayStation Store. Keep in mind: You need to be logged in and have an active PS Plus membership.

Battlefield V

What is Battlefield V? The first-person shooter developed by EA DICE is the latest installment in the popular Battlefield franchise and is set during World War II. In the single-player campaign, you play various characters from different countries in 4 story episodes and learn more about their struggle for survival. The story provides gripping moments that depict the war especially dramatically.

In multiplayer, after several updates, you have a wide selection of weapons, skins, vehicles, and maps that take you to various European countries, as well as the Pacific, Africa, and other World War II locations. Also, read the detailed text about Battlefield V from our colleagues at GamePro.

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You should check out Battlefield V if you are in the mood for a cool shooter set in a World War II setting, where team play is very important. The maps offer plenty of variety in settings, and you can have a lot of fun in the diverse modes.

Link to download in the PS Store: Battlefield™ V – download for free with PS Plus (From 04.05.)

Stranded Deep

What is Stranded Deep? In Stranded Deep, you take on the role of a survivor of a plane crash, which you play from a first-person perspective. You land on an uninhabited island after the crash and must fight for your survival. You have the classic survival gameplay mechanics at your disposal.

You start with nothing and must craft your own tools, build a shelter, and, most importantly, search for food to avoid starving. But be careful: the resources on your island are limited, and you must think carefully about how to use them. Your goal is to escape the lonely island and ultimately find out why your plane crashed here in the first place.

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You should check out Stranded Deep if you enjoy classic survival games and are looking for something new. Stranded Deep places you in a colorful tropical setting, and you can not only explore the island but also go diving in the ocean.

Link to download in the PS Store: Stranded Deep – download for free with PS Plus (From 04.05.)

Wreckfest: Drive Hard. The Load

What is Wreckfest: Drive Hard. The Load? The game focuses on crash racing and everything that goes with it. You can choose from numerous cars to compete in races on off-road tracks. And there’s plenty of shoving and ramming involved.

Especially in Destruction Derby, an “all against all” mode, you have to use precise maneuvers to turn the opponent’s cars into scrap while also ensuring that your own car remains as intact as possible. The chaotic mass crashes are much more tactical than they appear, and simply ramming won’t get you very far.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKVVkTPEEqI

You should check out Wreckfest: Drive Hard. The Load if you are looking for a new racing game where you can really wreck your cars. If you’re a fan of games like FlatOut, then Wreckfest will appeal to you, after all, it was made by the same development studio.

Link to download in the PS Store:  Wreckfest: Drive Hard. The Load – download for free with PS Plus (From 04.05.)

How to get the PS Plus games

Here’s what you need: Basically, you only need an active PS Plus subscription.

For about €60 a year, you will receive 3 PS Plus games monthly: 2 for PS4 and one extra PS5 title. You get them as a digital download in the PS Store at no additional cost. Moreover, as a member of PlayStation Plus, you enjoy several additional benefits.

Also interesting:

The benefits of PS Plus at a glance: In addition to the monthly free games, subscribers also receive the following:

  • Access to online multiplayer in many games
  • Exclusive discounts in the PlayStation Store
  • Exclusive in-game content for numerous games
  • The PlayStation Plus Collection for PS5 owners
  • Access to the free trials, where you can try some full titles for free

What do you think of the new May lineup for PlayStation Plus? Are these cool games, or would you have preferred others? Is there any title you are particularly looking forward to? Let us know and other readers from MeinMMO in the comments.

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

In the new Apocalypse event of Rainbow Six Siege, you fight for the last plant on Earth

Jürgen Horn Jürgen Horn Reading time 2 minutes

In the tactical shooter Rainbow Six Siege, there is now a new, cool mode called Apocalypse. At first glance, it might seem like “just” a rework of the Outback map, but the new mission objective allows for some fresh experiences in the game. Find out here what the new mode entails and what the special features are.

What is the new event about? The new Apocalypse event in Rainbow Six Siege takes you into a bleak future. Due to various nuclear disasters, the Earth is thoroughly messed up, and the few survivors are facing the ultimate demise. But there is still hope. The last living plant has appeared in an old reactor, and it could be the key to reviving the planet.

But before the happy gardening can begin, the plant must first be obtained, and since two factions are fighting over the plant, there will be quite a shootout. This takes place in a specially modified version of the Outback map for the Apocalypse.

When does the event start? The event starts on May 4, 2021, and runs until May 18, inclusive. During this time, you can play the new mode.

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The trailer gives a Mad Max vibe.

New gameplay mechanics force you to change tactics

What makes the Apocalypse event different? While the map is essentially the familiar Outback map in Mad Max style, the developers have come up with something new in terms of gameplay mechanics. The game mode is basically the usual bomb defusal, except that it involves the coveted plant instead of an explosive device.

However, unlike the bomb in the regular matches of Rainbow Six Siege, the plant is mobile and can be carried and repositioned by the defending team. This allows for completely different methods and tactics than would be the case with stationary bomb sites.

For the attackers, there are also new possibilities, as they can use special scanners to check if enemies are in a room or not. The tactical possibilities these small changes offer should not be underestimated. Rounds in Apocalypse are noticeably different than the previously known gameplay. Good players with thousands of hours of experience can surely still do well here.

More about Rainbow Six on MeinMMO:

What else is there? The selection of operators in Apocalypse is limited. There are only 5 operators allowed for each side. For the defenders, these are:

  • Maestro
  • Melusi
  • Rook
  • Smoke
  • Valkyrie

The attackers bring in the following characters:

  • Fuze
  • Gridlock
  • Maverick
  • Nomad
  • Twitch

Each of these operators will also receive a new, paid special skin in a post-apocalyptic style. However, some of them are unintentionally funny, as Melusi still wears her camouflage uniform in the desolate atomic wasteland, which, of course, makes little sense when fighting over the last remaining plant on the planet.

Rainbow Six Siege: So seht ihr die Deutsche Liga

Alle Infos, Ankündigungen und Streaming-Pläne zur großen deutschsprachigen GSA-Liga.

Zur Übersicht

If you have gotten excited about Rainbow Six Siege with the new event, it’s definitely worth diving back into the tactical shooter. How to do that best and how much effort it requires has been summarized for you in a special article. Find out here, how difficult it actually is to start with Rainbow Six Siege in 2021.

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

Fortnite generated enough money at its height to buy Star Wars – 2 times

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

As has now been revealed through the court dispute between Apple and Epic Games, the online shooter Fortnite generated an incredible sum of $9,165,000,000 in 2018 and 2019. That would have been enough to buy the SF franchise Star Wars from LucasFilm twice – or once Bethesda (Fallout/The Elder Scrolls).

Where do the numbers come from? Apple and Epic Games are currently involved in several lawsuits against each other: Epic Games complains that they have to give a large portion of their Fortnite earnings to Apple on iPhones and iPads. They had stood up against this. Apple subsequently removed them from their platform. Epic Games feels treated unfairly here and demands “Free Fortnite.”

Apple, on the other hand, complains that Epic Games has breached their contract and tried to circumvent the payment methods in the App Store in a sneaky operation.

In any case, court proceedings are now bringing to light information that one normally does not hear. For example, an answer to the question: How much money did Fortnite make at its peak?

The hearing was interrupted earlier by children who shouted “Free Fortnite” and other phrases in between.

Fortnite reached revenues of over $9.1 billion in 2018 and 2019

This is how much Fortnite earned at its peak: Epic reveals the revenue figures from a presentation in January 2020 (via assets.documentscloud.org):

  • In 2018, Fortnite generated $5.4 billion – at today’s exchange rate, that would be about €4.5 billion
  • In 2019, it was still $3.7 billion

2018 is generally seen as the peak of Fortnite. Twitch streamers like Tyler “Ninja” Blevins introduced the shooter to a large audience. Fortnite entered the mainstream as music stars like Drake and mainstream sports magazines showed interest in the game. At that time, it seemed like Fortnite was the topic on every playground and was being played in every children’s room and many living rooms.

2019 was the big year of the Fortnite World Championship, which generated even more hype, although the thrill was already beginning to fade.

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von Schuhmann

This is how much money that is in relation: As calculated by the US site Kotaku, the $9.16 billion that Fortnite generated during that time would be enough to buy the Star Wars franchise. Disney acquired it for $4 billion from Lucasfilm. Fortnite could also have financed the purchase of Bethesda by Microsoft on its own: Bethesda is said to have cost $7.5 billion.

The revenues of Fortnite are not profits yet, but the way Epic Games behaves, it seems that they have money to spare. They have deliberately pumped a lot of money into the Epic Games Store to challenge market leader Steam:

Epic invests a lot of money in the fight against Steam – incurs over $300 million in losses

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

Superhero MMO is now completely Free2Play, this is how DC Universe Online is today

Andreas Bertits Andreas Bertits Reading time 3 minutes

DC Universe Online (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch) will finally be completely free to play. This means you won’t have to pay for the upcoming story episodes either. Is this a good reason to dive into the superhero MMORPG?

What did the developers announce? Although there have always been limited-time events for new episodes of the superhero MMO allowing players to try the new story for free, it was actually supposed to be purchased.

This changed with the last episode 40: World of Flashpoint, which was released completely free of charge. The team behind DC Universe Online (DCUO) has now stated that they want to maintain this type of release for future content updates. All upcoming episodes will therefore be free. Additionally, all previous episodes will be available for free with the summer update.

In the developers’ post, it says:

The experiments have shown us many good reasons to bring more players directly into the new content without barriers. So we will keep it that way.

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World of Flashpoint was the first free episode of DCUO.

What about the subscription? Subscribers have previously received new episodes as part of their subscription. To maintain the value of a subscription, there will be more rewards in the future. The team encourages subscribers to send them ideas about what they would like to see in the future.

The current state of the superhero MMO

How is DC Universe Online doing today? The MMO regularly receives updates and new story content. This also includes the survival mode, which started in March. In this mode, players face wave after wave of enemies to earn rewards. This mode will be expanded in the future with new seasons where you compete against different foes and earn new rewards.

Episode 40: World of Flashpoint tells the current story in which the superhero Flash has caused chaos through time travel, and players now experience alternate realities. More episodes will follow.

Player numbers on Steam have shown an upward trend for some time. In the last 30 days, 1328 players played the MMO simultaneously (via Steamcharts). It’s worth noting that DCUO can also be played via its own launcher and on PS4/PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, as well as on Nintendo Switch. The actual player numbers are likely much higher.

As for the ratings on Steam, these have been at 80% over the past 30 days, and the overall rating stands at 79% (as of May 4th at 11 AM via Steam). The MMO is therefore quite well-received by players.

We summarize some current reviews for you:

  • PokerforceG says (via Steam): “Cool game. I wish the fights were a bit faster, but it’s generally really good.”
  • Vengeance can only recommend DCUO (via Steam): “Just play it! It’s not pay-to-win, but you do need to invest a lot of time. It really offers years of entertainment.”
  • beamerballer4575 agrees (via Steam): In my opinion, it’s one of the best games I’ve ever played. It offers non-stop action, and it feels like the missions never end. I’m not saying it’s perfect, but if you like DC games, I can only recommend it.”
  • Cursed Thrall Puncher finds DCUO not so great (via Steam): “Although it receives regular updates, it has outdated character models and a UI that may deter many MMO players.”

More about DCUO:

Who is DCUO worth it for? Those who love the DC superheroes like Batman, Flash, Wonder Woman, and Superman will enjoy fighting side by side with these icons against supervillains in DC Universe Online. Or you can take on the role of a villain yourself and face the heroes.

DCUO is designed like a comic book. Episodes are regularly released that tell new stories. This way, you improve your self-created superhero or supervillain over time and learn new powers.

If you want to experience an MMO in a non-fantasy universe and play as a superhero, DCUO is likely right for you. Especially now that the episodes are being offered for free.

However, the MMO has been around for over 10 years, and you can clearly see that in the graphics. It could also be a bit more user-friendly and comfortable to control. If you can overlook that, you get a very extensive online role-playing game with a scenario that offers something a little different.

DC Universe Online is listed among the 7 MMOs and MMORPGs without the classic fantasy setting on MeinMMO.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Website von DC Universe Online
  2. Steam

LoL is getting its own series on Netflix in 2021 – What we know about Arcane

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

With a 19-second teaser trailer, Riot Games now announces that an animated series based on League of Legends will premiere on the streaming service Netflix in autumn 2021. We compile what is already known about the LoL series on Netflix at MeinMMO.

This is the announcement: LoL has released a 19-second trailer for the Netflix series “Arcane”, although a few seconds of that are spent showing the Netflix logo.

The key message is: The animated series, introduced by Riot Games for the 10th anniversary in 2019, is coming to the Netflix streaming service in autumn 2021.

The news about the trailer on YouTube outlines the storyline:

“Arcane” is a new animated series from the creators of “League of Legends”. Set in the utopian city of Piltover and its oppressed district Zhaun, the story tells of the beginnings of two legendary LoL champions and the power that will divide them.

From the Netflix trailer
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Arcane apparently revolves around the LoL sisters Jinx and Vi

What we know about the plot: Piltover is a developed city in the world of LoL, inspired by steampunk. Zhaun is a sprawling district beneath the city, where quite eccentric characters reside.

 It seems to be about the sisters Jinx and Vi:

  • Jinx is quite a crazy lady in LoL with a strong preference for firearms and a punk style – she is described as an “impulsive criminal from Zhaun”. She somewhat resembles Harley Quinn from Suicide Squad.
  • Her sister Vi also started as a criminal in Zhaun but has now made it into the upper world of Piltover. She uses enhanced, gigantic fists and is affectionately called “Fat Hands” by her sister Jinx.

It seems that Arcane will revolve around the story of the two unequal sisters and the uneven cities.

When is it coming to Netflix? In autumn 2021. There is not yet a specific release date for the Netflix series Arcane.

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Are there any other videos about the series? Yes, in October 2019 the series was first introduced, on the occasion of Riot Games’ 10th anniversary.

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Blizzard is working on a Diablo series for Netflix besides Diablo 4
von Patrick Freese

Fans hope: Arcane features their favorite LoL champs

This is what’s being discussed: The first reactions in LoL mostly revolve around every player wanting to see their favorites in the series:

  • One person says that characters like Camille, Warwick, or Viktor must definitely appear in Arcane. Hopefully, the series won’t just focus on “fan service”.
  • Another user says: Hopefully, they will show heroes who are not sexy boys or girls. He hopes for Dr. Mundo and Tahm Kench.
  • A third user says: He doesn’t care about any of that; Riot Games should first get the balance right in LoL.

Riot Games is currently working on expanding the universe around LoL. They are also releasing new games:

LoL succeeds in what many other games fail – successful spin-offs

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

Dead by Daylight brings more “Left 4 Dead” story than Valve in a decade

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 3 minutes

The story of Bill from Left 4 Dead is continued – but in Dead by Daylight. After 11 years, the war veteran’s journey continues.

There are a number of game series where fans have been eagerly waiting for a sequel for many years. One of these series is “Left 4 Dead,” which has delivered the best cooperative zombie action of all time for many players. However, over 11 years after the release of Left 4 Dead 2, there are no signs of a third installment. Fans can still get a bit of story – but in a completely different game. Namely in Dead by Daylight.

Why is there Left 4 Dead in Dead by Daylight? Valve and Behaviour collaborated to bring Bill from Left 4 Dead to Dead by Daylight a few years ago. There, he is not only a popular survivor but also has one of the strongest survivor perks – Borrowed Time. Now Bill is getting a bit of “new” story for the first time. This gives players of Dead by Daylight what many “Left 4 Dead” fans have wished for over the past decade – more of the beloved characters.

Who is Bill? William “Bill” Overbeck is one of the four original survivors that players could play in the original Left 4 Dead. He is an aging war veteran who often comes off as a bit grumpy, but has a good heart and selflessly supports his comrades.

He even made another appearance with his fellow survivors in Left 4 Dead 2. There, he saved all the other survivors by sacrificing himself to the zombies and protecting the missing generator that allowed the rest of the group to escape. In Dead by Daylight, the story goes a bit further, as instead of dying, the Entity pulls the former soldier into its realm to allow him to escape death over and over again.

How does story work in Dead by Daylight? The gameplay of Dead by Daylight contains very few story elements. The stories are instead unlocked through a challenge system. Here, players can complete various missions, such as rescuing a specific number of survivors or escaping the killer for two minutes. This gradually unlocks small memory fragments that are then narrated by a speaker.

Once all memory fragments of a specific story have been collected, a small cutscene awaits at the end, giving more insight into the character’s life.

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What can be seen? The first trailer already roughly shows what Bill’s story will be about. It seems to be about his service in the war, where he lost many comrades. There, he made, at least according to what the trailer suggests, his first contacts with the outbreak of the zombie plague. Bill had to witness many of his comrades not only die but also ensure that they stayed dead.

Find more about Dead by Daylight here:

When is it playable? The latest “Tome” featuring the stories of Bill, the plague, and the Observer starts tomorrow, May 5th. You can then begin to complete the challenges and unlock the story gradually. This will unlock not only the story but also cool rewards in the form of cosmetic items. How exactly this works has been explained in the presentation of the “Battle Pass in Dead by Daylight”.

Even though fans would prefer a Left 4 Dead 3 over a little story about a single character in Dead by Daylight, it’s better than nothing. Those who enjoyed Dead by Daylight and played Left 4 Dead are likely to enjoy the upcoming stories.

The former creators of the first Left 4 Dead are working on a new zombie shooter – Back 4 Blood.

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