Schalke 04 faced the best team in Europe, G2 Esports, in the League of Legends. It was about advancing in the LEC Spring Playoffs 2021. Schalke’s top laner, Broken Blade, picked an unusual champion in professional LoL: Darius. He shined with him and achieved the pentakill.
What was that for a game? The playoffs have started in League of Legends. Right in the first match, G2 and Schalke 04 faced each other.
It is a “Best of 5” series; one must win 3 games to advance:
The winner will be in the semifinals of the playoffs and waits to see who they will face next.
The loser moves to the “Loser’s Bracket” and is one loss away from elimination.
Experts agreed beforehand: Schalke actually had no chance. The betting odds stood at about 6:1 for G2.
G2 finished the regular season in first place with 14-4. Schalke was only in fourth place with 9-9.
Darius was not played in the LEC in Seasons 9-11.
Pentakill with a champion that hasn’t been played in the LEC since 2018
This was the great play: Schalke’s star this season is the top laner Sergen “Broken Blade” Çelik. Schalke acquired the 21-year-old from the US top team TSM before the season.
Broken Blade chose the axe-swinging Darius in games 2, 3, and 4. No one had picked this champion in an LEC game since 2018: he was never seen in Seasons 9, 10, and 11.
After game 2, things did not look good for Broken Blade and Schalke at all. The series went as everyone had expected: Schalke was down 0-2 and was on the brink of defeat when Broken Blade once again selected Darius as his champion in game 3.
Here, he pulled off a spectacular play, a pentakill. This is what it’s called when a player gets all 5 kills for their team.
Broken Blade faced multiple near-death situations but showed that Darius can come back from seemingly hopeless positions and secure kills. Anyone who comes close to the axe falls victim to it. Not even the tanky Sion could escape; he caught him at the last moment.
Broken Blade picks Darius 3 times – in match 5, G2 bans the champion
This is how it ended: Schalke was able to win game 4, bringing them back to 2-2.
In game 5, G2 thwarted Broken Blade’s plans: they banned his Darius and forced him onto Aatrox.
Ultimately, G2 chose a combo with Seraphine and Sion in the last game 5 that was too tanky for Schalke. They lost the last game, thus G2 won the series. In game 5, no Schalke player could stop the WoW junkie miracle.
The Pyromancer is considered a fire mage from Outriders. People Can Fly has now introduced this in a video, including an endgame build. What can the class do?
What kind of class is this? The Pyromancer masters the fire element. He is particularly strong at medium distances, but can also be played in close combat with the right perks and mods.
Through his skills, he can burn entire groups of enemies and keep them at bay. The Pyromancer’s abilities can hit enemies even through cover. The official website states: “If you want to effectively hold large groups of enemies at bay, this class is great for you!”
Now the developers of Outriders have shown how this can be played in the later endgame of Outriders – including a build with a legendary armor, the “Fire Witch” set.
Legendary armors and weapons are the most powerful equipment in Outriders. They are particularly rare, have a special design and unique mods. They are an important part of the endgame, as they significantly influence and enhance your builds.
This is what the build looks like in detail:
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This is the build: In the video, a build is used that focuses on four pieces of the “Fire Witch” set (head, chest, arms, legs) and one piece of the Reforged set (shoes). The latter we have already shown in our presentation of 8 legendary armors: See now 8 of the legendary armors from Outriders available at release.
These skills benefit from the set:
The set strengthens certain skills like Overheat through its modifications, which hits all enemies within a certain radius and buffs yourself. You can also make the position of your enemies more visible.
The “Fire Witch” set additionally gives you bonuses that reduce the cooldown of the Overheat skill to 6 seconds. Enemies are marked, allowing you and your group to deal more damage to these foes. If you kill marked enemies, you heal yourself. This is the special healing mechanic of the Pyromancer.
The second key skill of the set is the Phaser Beam. This is a powerful fire beam that pierces enemies and deals massive damage.
With the third skill Eruption, you can make enemies explode at a point. With the set, you can use Eruption up to three times before the cooldown activates.
The powerful skill combinations make enemies literally disappear into ash and fire. Despite or precisely because of the numerous foes, the Pyromancer can fully exploit his strengths. This is what the build looks like in action:
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YouTube expert sees more similarity to Diablo than to Destiny
The YouTube expert SkillUp apparently agrees and has referred to the video on the Pyromancer on Twitter as a good example that Outriders resembles the action RPG more than Destiny: “This is a good video to demonstrate how Outriders is closer to Diablo than to Destiny.”
Who is this anyway? SkillUp is a former Division YouTuber and has spent a lot of time in Destiny 2. The expert currently entertains thousands of fans with reviews of various games and discusses the industry in general. His affinity for loot shooters is evident time and again.
His readers largely agree with him and also feel reminded of Diablo. User Timeras writes: “I felt this from the beginning and have always compared the game with Diablo.”
Why this comparison? As Outriders is a loot shooter, many draw comparisons to other well-known games like Destiny, The Division, or Anthem. MeinMMO author Benedict Grothaus has already compared the games in his opinion: Outriders looks like Destiny 2 – But in good
The developers have already addressed this in an interview with MeinMMO. While they do not avoid the comparison, they view Outriders more as an RPG shooter.
What do you think of the Pyromancer? Will you play the class? And do you agree with the Diablo comparison? Let us know your opinion.
Getting linen thread can be quite challenging in Valheim because you have to face the toughest opponents. MeinMMO explains how to craft linen and what you need the thread for.
What is linen thread? This material is one of the last that you can get in Valheim. You craft weapons and armor from linen thread to prepare for the final boss fight against the fifth Yagluth.
You get linen in the form of the raw material flax, which you can find and grow in the plains. However, you have to fight through some of the toughest and most annoying opponents of Valheim.
Getting linen thread – How to craft it
What you need for crafting: Crafting linen thread is easy. However, you first need flax. You simply need to weave the collected flax on a spinning wheel – it will take care of the rest. However, for the spinning wheel you need a workbench, which you only get after defeating Moder.
Simply put flax into the spinning wheel and the thread will be automatically crafted – just like smelting.
Where can I find flax? Flax often grows in small farming areas in goblin camps. Keep an eye out for clusters of huts in the plains – flax or barley can often be found there.
A tip for harvesting: If you use the special attack of an Atgeir, you can mow down all the flax around you without losing any. You can then simply collect it.
Flax is often found in goblin camps in the plains.
Once you have found flax, you can easily grow it. To do this, you need a bronze plow and first need to cultivate the soil. Just plant the flax.
But be careful: Flax ONLY grows in the plains! You can plant it anywhere, but it will not grow outside of the plains! Be mindful not to waste any plants.
Once you have planted flax, you need to wait. It takes about two to three days in-game (roughly 60-90 minutes) until it is fully grown. You can find more details about the times in our special on the day and night cycle of Valheim.
What you need the thread for: Once you have crafted linen thread for the first time, you will probably learn quite a few new recipes. You need the thread for:
Additionally, you will need other materials such as silver, fine wood, or black metal. Especially for the weapons, you should gather a large amount of metal. Fortunately, you can get this from the goblins that guard the flax. You can read more about it in our comprehensive guide to metals and ores in Valheim.
The journey to flax, linen, the best equipment, and the final boss can be long and exhausting. That’s why we have summarized all the important guides, tips, and support for you in a handy overview: All tips and guides for Valheim at a glance
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Destiny 2 has reached an important point, the maps for 2021 are on the table. In an interview with Nexxoss Gaming, we discuss criticism, praise, and the future of the MMO shooter.
Destiny 2 is in transformation: At the end of 2020, Bungie released the major expansion “Beyond Light”. This was a critical point for many players in Destiny 2, which was supposed to show whether the studio could manage without Activision Blizzard. The expansion was successful, but fell short of expectations, and discontent is spreading among the Guardians.
Bungie has responded and outlined its big plans for 2021. MeinMMO took this as an opportunity to talk with Nexxoss Gaming in an interview about the current state of Destiny 2 and the future of the franchise. In our conversation, there was harsh criticism, nostalgic praise, and a bold prediction.
Who is speaking in the interview? We had the opportunity to speak exclusively with Nexxoss Gaming. With his 58,000 followers on Twitch and 98,000 subscribers on YouTube, he is the largest Destiny streamer in the German-speaking area.
The native Swiss has made streaming his main profession and built up his channels around Destiny 1 and Destiny 2. He has also been a guest at Bungie to discuss the state of the MMO shooter behind closed doors and is the ideal candidate for us to philosophize about the state of Destiny 2.
Note: We have been working with Nexxoss on MeinMMO for years, incorporating his videos into guides and he also enriches our articles during the weekly Xur visits.
About the author: Philipp Hansen mainly oversees the Destiny franchise on MeinMMO. He has spent over 3,000 hours in the Destiny universe and is equally at home in PvE and PvP. His favorite activity is hunting for special weapons and then experimenting with them.
Nexxoss Gaming in interview about Destiny 2 on MeinMMO
MeinMMO: What is your opinion on the current state of Destiny 2?
Nexxoss: Difficult question, I would divide the current state of Destiny into 2 categories.
Category “Veterans”: For them, Destiny is currently more of a repetition and somewhat stretched content, at least that’s how I feel.
Category “Newbies”: For them, the game is currently interesting, as they can theoretically accomplish many things, farm many weapons or armors, and there are quite a few activities for newcomers.
I would say that the state is quite good for newcomers, but rather poor for Destiny veterans.
MeinMMO: You recently made a really long video about what is going wrong in Destiny 2. What are the biggest problems and the most severe criticisms in your opinion?
Nexxoss: The major sticking points I already discussed in the video, but generally the problem that troubles all games in this direction, content. The community has been thirsting for more content for years.
However, it seems difficult to consistently integrate a lot of new content into the game, to create new diverse things, and to keep the community satisfied in the long run. This problem has persisted from Destiny 1 and remains unchanged in Destiny 2. But maybe one should see it positively, as it allows more time for other games.
You can view the collected criticism from Nexxoss Gaming on Bungie and Destiny 2 in full length here:
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MeinMMO: Do you feel the discontent of the Guardians as a streamer and content creator?
Nexxoss: Clearly in all areas, both the view counts of the YouTube videos and the viewer counts on Twitch are going down. The communication of the community has also changed, one can very clearly feel how the fronts are becoming more extreme.
On one side are people who defend and praise everything that Destiny/Bungie presents, while on the other side are people who consistently criticize or disparage everything. Of course, this isn’t the entire community; there are also many who see it much more relaxed, but I increasingly see such extreme factions forming.
Additionally, the comments on Twitch and YouTube have also become somewhat harsher. It is very noticeable that some are expressing their discontent and frustration in their comments [laughs].
MeinMMO: Bungie recently spoke about major changes and the future of Destiny 2. What do you think about the announced plans?
Nexxoss: An extremely large topic, but I will keep it brief.
Many of the announcements (with the exception of the postponement of the “Witch Queen” expansion) sound quite good. As for me, however, I have often heard many announcements or promises before.
In other words: What has been announced is good; now it remains to be seen what will be delivered.
MeinMMO: What is your stance on the sunsetting of weapons and the fact that Destiny 2 is now moving away from it?
Nexxoss: I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, I am happy that it is being removed again. On the other hand, I have finally gotten used to it and resigned myself to it, and now Bungie is changing course again.
It is a good change, but it seems a bit inconsistent in Bungie’s grand plan. Nevertheless, I am glad that weapons and armors no longer have a fixed expiration date. This always took a bit away from the value of weapons and armors, so it’s good that this is gone again.
The oracle reveals: “Destiny will not die!”
MeinMMO: What necessary changes or problems do you think Bungie is not addressing or forgetting?
Nexxoss: It’s difficult; there would be many smaller topics. Here are 2 points I find important:
One topic is PvP. I personally believe that PvP makes Destiny extremely durable and ensures that the “Destiny content drought periods” can be bridged quite decently with PvP.
I am convinced that Bungie should be more aware of the value of PvP.
Of course, many people in Destiny enjoy playing PvE and this content should also be a focus, but once the PvE content is exhausted – which it inevitably will be at some point – many members of the community switch to PvP, play there comfortably and wait for new PvE content.
It was no different in the Destiny 1 times than it is today in Destiny 2. Bungie should be more aware of this and react much faster to widespread problems regarding PvP.
Is the universe saved? Guardians fight in the Crucible – now with a new algorithm that should make everything better.
And the second point is: I personally have increasingly felt that Bungie is focusing extremely on newcomers and that the veterans are somewhat forgotten in the whole process. Of course, newcomers in the game are important; the community should grow, and new people should be enthusiastic about the game. However, there are many long-term fans […], who should not be forgotten!
MeinMMO: Bungie has now committed to Destiny 2 for several more years and is even expanding the franchise. What prediction can you make about the future of the MMO shooter? Nexxoss: I predict that Destiny will not die! A little insider joke for the Destiny community [laughs].
Joking aside, predictions are always difficult to make. However, I believe that Destiny as a franchise will exist for a long time.
Especially Destiny the Game still has many storylines that need to be told, many enemy leaders that need to be fought, and a lot of power of darkness or light that needs to be learned. In the game, I still see a lot of potential.
With all the other plans Bungie has for the Destiny franchise, it is very difficult to say. On one hand, their ideas could be extremely well received and turn out great. On the other hand, there are developer studios or producers who have tried something like this and it went pretty badly.
How it ends, we will see; however, a try from Bungie is certainly worth it. As a fan of the Destiny franchise, I naturally hope for the best.
In the community, it has long been a tradition to predict that Destiny would have finally died with DLC X or expansion Y. Guardians have been oracle-ing this since 2014, and games like Anthem were always considered the Destiny killer.
Luke Smith would be proud: Shooting and chatting with friends is a must for Nexxoss
MeinMMO: Why do you remain loyal to Destiny for years, what makes it so special for you?
Nexxoss: There are many reasons. It is a game that has accompanied you over the years.
You have met new people or even friends through it. With new or existing friends, you experienced great moments: the first raids, strikes, and PvP victories. Rare weapon drops, and so on. Those are just beautiful gaming experiences you associate with the game.
Even the hours-long chats with gaming buddies on the Tower about everything and anything are part of it.
The former Destiny head Luke Smith brought the famous quote: “Destiny is about shooting aliens in the face while talking with your friends about the Oscars”. It’s all about social aspects in the shooter.
For my part, I also started my YouTuber and streamer career with it. Through this, I have also met new people, some of whom have become friends over the years. I have turned this hobby of streaming and creating videos into my job and became self-employed through it. [In Destiny], my streaming and YouTube roots lie, if you will. I received an incredibly great community through Destiny, who now follows me on YouTube and Twitch beyond Destiny.
So it’s probably the sum of experiences and beautiful moments. That’s why I believe that very few completely detach themselves from the game; most just take a shorter or longer break when Destiny goes through difficult times. At least that’s how it is for me.
Destiny is unique but not (entirely) irreplaceable
MeinMMO: Do you have an alternative to Destiny 2 for our Guardians? Preferably a game that is already out and fits into a similar genre or attracts the same type of players.
Nexxoss: Destiny is unique in its form as it exists; it’s certainly not the only loot shooter on the market, but it is the only one that combines PvE and PvP in the way it exists. So, it feels like a one-of-a-kind on the market.
If I had to recommend something for a cozy break from Destiny, I would suggest Borderlands […]. It has a cool story, lots of humor, and a large weapon loot pool. I had a lot of fun “searching through” it with 1 to 2 buddies.
Whoever currently has no loot to hunt in Destiny can try this out in Borderlands.
We sincerely thank Nexxoss Gaming for taking the time to answer all our questions.
What do you think, does Nexxoss speak to your soul, or do you have a different view? Please share it with us and the other readers in the comments. But remember to maintain a polite tone; after all, Guardians only fight each other in PvP when Lord Shaxx is watching.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The publisher Activision has asked the operators of a popular stats site for Call Of Duty: Warzone to close their site by March 29. They are now fighting for survival and mobilizing their community.
What happened? The site SBMM Warzone provides players with all sorts of statistics for CoD Warzone. Now the publisher Activision has contacted the operators of the website through their lawyers and given the instruction: The site must be shut down by Monday, March 29. The operators Ben and Dav announced this on Twitter.
What is the reason? SBMM apparently accesses systems of CoD Warzone. The publisher wants to prevent this. It states literally: “We cannot use their API.” The publisher seems to have concerns about data security, according to the creators of the site.
What does API mean? An API, or Application Programming Interface, is a set of rules that allow different software applications to communicate with each other. In this case, the Warzone API is responsible for collecting player data such as kills and wins.
What kind of site is this? SBMM Warzone is particularly popular among hardcore Warzone players. It provides extensive data for CoD players and gives insight into your number of eliminations and deaths. Since Warzone does not have its own leaderboard or ranked mode, many players use the site as a substitute. They also offer a kind of premium membership that allows access to even more precise data and additional benefits.
The operators are now trying to save the site at the last minute.
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How the site should stay online: On Twitter, the operators of SBMM are mobilizing their community. They hope to enter into a partnership with Activision so that they can continue with official approval: “We have tried to reach them multiple times. Anyone who works at Activision: Contact us!”
They want to try everything to keep the site running. This includes potential improvements, restrictions, or other adjustments to meet the requirements for a partnership.
If that fails, they will try everything to compensate premium members.
“Great” alternative for rankings in Warzone
How players are reacting: Under the call from the website operators, many players show disappointment. Well-known content creators like Vikkstar or Drift0r are also sad about the news. Vikkstar writes on Twitter: “I’m sorry this is happening, your site is a great tool, especially since Warzone doesn’t have its own ranked system. I intend to let Activision know this.”
Drift0r is also not pleased, but sees a possible rescue critically, since the news came from Activision’s lawyers. He writes on Twitter: “This is crap. You provide a great service. Unfortunately, […] it’s unlikely anyone [from Activision] can talk to you. The response will be from top to bottom: ‘We cannot comment on this, talk to the lawyers’ and that will be it.”
Some players doubt the API as the reason for the closure, however. They suspect that the offering of premium accounts could be an issue for Activision, as someone is making money with their API. However, these are just speculations; the publisher has not communicated anything of the sort. It remains to be seen what will happen with SBMM Warzone.
What do you think about the closure? Do you use the site for your own stats? Do you understand the reason for the closure? Let us know your opinion in the comments.
The streamer Ludwig “Ludwig” Ahgren (25) has been live on Twitch for 326 hours. So far, he has generated about $552,000 in revenue. But he calculates himself to be poor. According to his calculations, after taxes, Twitch’s share, and other expenses, he only gets a small fraction of that: He estimates around $10,000.
That’s why Ludwig earns so much money:
The streamer Ludwig started a “marathon” stream on Twitch about 2 weeks ago. The more money he earns in the stream through donations and subscriptions, the longer he stays live: A countdown increases when viewers donate money. The stream has now lasted 326 hours – almost 14 days.
Fans are recording his earnings and are actively writing. He himself is transparent about his earnings and shows them repeatedly. Currently, he is at about $552,216. When he made his calculations a few days ago, he estimated $471,000 in gross earnings.
However, the streamer said in the stream that after all deductions, he gets very little money from the total earnings: he calculated from $471,000 down to $3,000.
Taxes, donations, moderators, and Twitch take most of the money
Why does he only get such a small portion of his share? In the stream, Ludwig explained why only tiny $3,000 would remain from $471,000, which he had earned at that time:
“It’s not that simple. I can’t rely on so much money because there are things in life that you have to pay. That’s called taxes. But before I pay taxes, we need to talk about my share. Because Twitch takes money too. So it’s not all my money; it’s also Twitch’s money.”
Ludwig
Ludwig says: Twitch takes 35% of the revenue because the streamer is still under an “old Twitch contract” that dates back to a time before he became huge with Among Us. So 35% is deducted, which goes to Twitch. He is left with about $300,000.
The share of the money from subscriptions that Twitch takes is negotiable. Normally, a 50% split is expected. However, big streamers negotiate significantly better conditions. Ludwig seems to be unhappy even with 35%.
From the $300,000, half goes to taxes. Because he lives in California, there are extra taxes, the state income tax. This is why many streamers and YouTubers live in Texas, New Hampshire, or Florida and pay less tax, explains Ludwig. But he lives in California, so more taxes are deducted: In California, one pays 13.3% income tax.
Of the approximately $150,000 that are now left, he still has to give his team their share. He employs about 15 moderators and compensates them together with about $5,000 a day. So he was down to $83,000.
From this $83,000, he has promised to act charitably. He wants to donate one US dollar to a charitable organization for every subscription. With about 80,000 subscriptions, the remaining money then dropped to about $3,000.
However, Ludwig also says: Due to tax deductions, he would ultimately be left with between $10,000 and $15,000.
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Is it still worth it for him? Even though he has calculated himself to be so poor, Ludwig explained to the fans that the marathon stream is still worth it for him. Because the long-term growth of his channel through the event stream is impressive. An article about him was published in the New York Times. The attention is invaluable.
Ludwig is considered one of the big winners on Twitch last year. The former “Super Smash Bros.” pro seeks contact with established Twitch stars: He even paid $43,000 to play with Shroud for an hour.
An tax expert explains: The invoice is not entirely accurate.
Are the numbers correct? As the US site Kotaku finds out in conversation with a tax expert, Ludwig made some mistakes in his calculations. Because he would have to pay taxes only after he had paid Twitch, compensated the moderators, and donated to the charitable organization. The tax share is therefore significantly lower than the $150,000 he assumed.
While indeed a lot of money would go away, he would be left with about $80,000 from the $450,000 he had at that time. Since then, he has also added about $100,000 in total revenue, he would probably be safely over $100,000 in profit.
Marathon stream is continuing in the absence of the streamer
How is the Twitch stream doing right now? It’s strange. Ludwig’s marathon stream is still ongoing, but without Ludwig. He set off on a trip. He had already arranged the trip before the stream started. He couldn’t and didn’t want to cancel it.
Ludwig’s roommate “Slime” is currently visible in the stream. He is representing Ludwig. The timer continues to count down and has reached 13 hours and 37 minutes.
The announcement is: Should the timer continue to run down, it will be stopped at one hour and only continues when Ludwig takes over again. That would be a sort of “restart”; Ludwig would then have to convince the viewers again to donate to keep him on Twitch.
A quirky situation for a stream that is already making Twitch history.
With about 130,500 subs, paid subscriptions, Ludwig is currently in 2nd place on the “all-time best list” – but he probably won’t come close to the legendary 270,000 from Ninja during the “Amazon pushes Fortnite” peak times.
A large tournament for the MOBA Dota 2 is taking place in Singapore. One of the top teams there, Team Aster, has to cope without one of their players. The player Borax (also known as: BoBoKa) is out – allegedly because he wanted to pay for sex. This is punished in China.
Team Aster is a major esports team for Dota 2 from China. They are currently competing in a major tournament in Singapore, but without their “Position 4”: BoBoKa. He will not be allowed to play until after the tournament. He is unavailable for “personal reasons”, according to the team.
The team itself does not elaborate on the reasons. However, according to rumors: BoBoKa allegedly hired a prostitute and is now temporarily in jail – or otherwise unavailable.
Whether this is actually true is still unclear. Allegedly, BoBoKa paid around $400 for sex and was subsequently arrested by the police in an apartment. Chinese media reported on the case (via 163.com).
Why is this actually a problem? Prostitution is officially banned in China; those who engage in it or seek it and are caught face fines or a few days in detention.
Although prostitution is illegal, it is offered in China in the form of hotel visits or as an additional “service” in karaoke bars or massage studios with “happy endings”.
In a thread on reddit, a user wrote that one of the officers even recognized the professional player and wanted to let him go. However, BoBoKa had already admitted that he had paid the prostitute.
Who is it actually about? Ye “BoBoKa” Zhibiao is a Chinese Dota professional who plays the fourth position for Team Aster. In the fourth position, he takes on the role of a “greedy support” or “roamer”, which means a supporter for the team.
With his team, he has already won numerous prizes, including first places in smaller tournaments and even a 5th/6th place in The International 2017. For that, his team received a prize pool of over a million dollars at that time.
$200,000 tournament without support
Which tournament is it about? From March 27 to April 4, 2021, the Singapore Major is taking place, one of the larger tournaments in the region for Dota 2. The prize pool for the first place is a hefty $200,000.
Team Aster is replacing BoBoKa for the tournament with their manager, Cheng “Mad” Han. How well this will work for the team remains to be seen. Typically, such a measure is only a last-resort program.
Dota players and fans are already making fun of the situation despite the rather serious circumstances, if all this is true. They mock, among other things, that other players have to stay home because of Corona, while BoBoKa is out because he “wanted to have some action”. This even elicits some sympathy.
The week from March 22 to March 28 was quite calm in the world of MMORPGs. We have highlighted two cool features for you and summarized what else was important.
You were always killing enemies and collecting items there
A backstory was mostly missing
The enemies were usually always the same
Now the developers promise improvement, especially regarding story and variety.
Also, WoW Burning Crusade Classic has launched its beta, so you can play up to level 64 for now, with more content coming gradually. The spots in the beta are highly coveted and not every player who wanted to participate gained access. However, you can still register and secure one of the slots.
The most curious event of the week: In the Free2Play MMORPG Riders of Icarus, a player spent almost 8000 hours. However, he ultimately does not identify as a fan and writes a downright scathing review of the MMORPG on Steam.
WoW has buffed the damage of the three classes Hunter, Monk, and Warlock with a hotfix. This reverses previous damage reductions for the Hunter and Monk.
A new bonus event has started in Guild Wars 2, focusing on the Olmakhan people. Learn more about it on Guildnews.de.
Regarding Final Fantasy XIV, Square Enix plans to release the game for the next-gen console. A beta on the PlayStation 5 is scheduled to begin on April 13. (via gamesradar)
Some new features have been announced for Bless Unleashed. Soon, there will be improvements to balancing in dungeons and a better quest flow. (via massivelyop)
In Wild Terra 2, you can now brew your own alcohol and get festively drunk. This feature was introduced with the latest patch on March 25. (via massivelyop)
What happened with MMORPGs in development:
For Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen, initial information about an alpha has been revealed. However, there is no exact date yet. (via massivelyop)
Additionally, there is another death to report. The mobile MMO Final Fantasy XI, announced in 2015, has been canceled before release. (via massivelyop)
That was the news of the week from the world of MMORPGs at a glance. Did we forget something important? Let us know in the comments.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Boosting is bad! Or is it? Most of you find it acceptable. That was the result of our survey.
A few days ago, we wrote a news article about the streamer Naguura. She publicly admitted that she had herself boosted in PvP in World of Warcraft. She didn’t hide it, published a video, and was completely open about it. This brought her a lot of criticism and reignited the debate about boosting in World of Warcraft.
We asked you what you think about boosting. And even though the result of our survey is extremely close – the majority of you find boosting acceptable.
What is Boosting? In WoW and other MMORPGs, boosting usually refers to helping players achieve a success or rating that they couldn’t reach on their own. Typically, experienced pro players offer this boosting to help another player in exchange for a corresponding amount of gold. This can be defeating a difficult boss in PvE or achieving a high rank in PvP. For gold, such services are – at least in WoW – expressly allowed.
Boosting for gold is okay – A narrow majority
A significant 45% (510 votes) of you believe that boosting is perfectly fine as long as it only occurs for in-game gold. This group has no problem purchasing services like gaining an arena rating or the kill of a particularly difficult boss with gold. For them, this is a core part of the game and acceptable. Here are a few comments from the community:
Angier writes in the comments on MeinMMO:
As long as boosting is not a direct service for real money, I see no problem with it. And no, the workaround via WoW Tokens does not make it a real-money service for me.
Bluthusten added:
Basically, I’m okay with boosting through gold purchase, as long as people obtained their gold by farming or selling in-game items or through the auction house, etc. Please, then spend it for an “Ahead of the Curve” [Current Achievement] or whatever. I’ve boosted players in BFA from 110 to 12 in Freehold for gold and bought my playtime from it.
On Facebook, Anca Nolting wrote:
It’s a service that’s paid for with in-game currency, so that’s perfectly fine. The spam could be less, but otherwise everything is good.
Boosting is still a hot topic of discussion.
Boosting should always be prohibited – Another large group
Also, 45% – but with 509 votes, exactly one person less – believe that boosting has no place in World of Warcraft. It should be prohibited by Blizzard, and anyone who offers or uses it should face sanctions. For these players, purchasing such services goes against the spirit of the game, regardless of whether it’s done with real money or gold. Anyone unable to achieve a gaming performance through their own effort should not be able to purchase it.
Here are a few voices from the community on this as well.
Kyuukei writes in the comments on MeinMMO:
Boosters ruin the game for me. I started with MMO=social. You interact with people, help each other out, assist others as long as it stays within the limits of not being exploited.
Today? We only play with you if you pay us. This is not even made up, unfortunately, sometimes it’s like that on Draenor. […]
Addi Kaffenberger wrote about this on Facebook:
I will never understand these people. Spending 13 euros a month to not play a game remains a mystery to me. If someone is too bad for high keys or ratings, they should just play low until they get better.
Also, Björn Köhler shares this opinion on Facebook:
Clear yes, should be prohibited. What has become of the community? Have all people forgotten the purpose of the game?
The results of the survey – an extremely close race.
Boosting for money – a silent group finds it okay
With 9% (104 votes), there is also a relevant group of players who find boosting acceptable – even for real money. For these players, it is okay to pay for in-game services and earn something that way.
However, there were no supporters and voices from this group in our comments, which is why comments are missing. It seems understandable that these people do not want to publicly comment on this issue.
The survey has definitely shown that there is no unanimous opinion among the player base. Since the groups of supporters and critics are almost equally sized – at least in our survey – one can definitely say that it is not a minority that represents either side. So if someone says that a small group is ruining the fun for the majority, that is simply incorrect.
Did you expect such a result? Or did you think it would turn out more clearly?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
On the Xbox servers of Apex Legends, two Apex Predators have now been banned. They were caught manipulating a ranked match using unfair means, causing server problems.
What are Apex Predators? They are the top players based on rankings. This includes the top 750 players on their respective platform. At the time of the allegations, the affected players were ranked 6th and 4th, making them part of the top 10 players on the Xbox servers of Apex Legends.
What happened? Recently, a video circulated on the Apex Legends subreddit that caused a stir. Players accuse two Apex Predators of performing DDoS attacks on the Xbox servers to easily win ranked matches.
What does a DDoS attack mean? DDoS stands for Distributed Denial of Service. During an attack, servers are bombarded with millions of bots generating so much data trash that they get stuck or are even brought to their knees.
Apex bans 4th and 6th in the Xbox ranking for attacking servers
The Respawn security staff member Conor Fords (nickname “Hideouts”) has already reacted under the reddit post and banned the unnamed players. You can see the reason for this in the video from Loloshooter.
There, you can see how suddenly the server connection is interrupted in the middle of the match. Back in the match, the culprits suddenly stand before the defenseless player and can easily get the kill.
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The player writes: “Undeniable proof that the 4th and 6th Xbox preds are DDoSing the servers after we took them down. […] – Ranked on console is literally unplayable with DDoS attacks in 5 out of 6 predator lobbies.”
How players are reacting to the video: Some players are hoping for broader consequences in addition to the bans. For example, user karp_490 calls for legal action against the perpetrators (via reddit). A DDoS attack violates laws: “That is a federal crime. They should be prosecuted.” Others call for similarly harsh consequences. A ban would not be enough since Apex is free and one can simply create a new account.
These are the consequences: In addition to the bans, they announce on Twitter that they will now tackle the DDoS problem on consoles: “The reckoning for DDoS users and builders on consoles is coming. You can’t hide from it.”
How exactly these consequences will look was not disclosed so far. We will keep you updated on this.
Are cheaters a problem on consoles? On Twitter, there are numerous complaints under the post by developer Hideout. NiceWigg writes, for example: “This needs to be solved soon, I am tired of playing with a ping of 250, just to then play the game on another server. Having North America as a region [server] doesn’t help at all right now.”
Have you also experienced such problems in Apex Legends? Let us know in the comments.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the loot shooter Outriders, almost everything can be played in multiplayer and with crossplay. MeinMMO explains how this works.
Outriders offers crossplay and player search as standard in both the demo and the full game. You can join other players at any time and complete missions together.
How big is a group? Like in Destiny, the group size is limited to three Outriders. But what exactly can be played in multiplayer? And how does crossplay work? MeinMMO explains it to you.
What is crossplay anyway? With this feature, you can form a group with players from other platforms. This includes PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, and PS5.
The condition for this is an account with Square Enix, the publisher of Outriders. Because players are brought together through this system. So you first need to create an account on the official site .
Update, March 29: We have adjusted the guide, as the crossplay functionality is no longer in beta phase.
Crossplay and Multiplayer in the Demo
Crossplay is activated from the start. There is only one condition to be able to use this function:
Before you start, the game will prompt you to link your respective player account (Steam, PSN, Xbox, etc.) with the Square Enix account.
Your friends just need to enter this code, then they can join your group.
There is a player search that will match you with other players. With friends playing on the same platform, you can create targeted groups by inviting them from the lobby. Otherwise, you need the generated code.
The developers are working on a method to invite friends from other platforms with whom you have already played directly.
This is how the setting looks in the ingame settings.
What content does the demo offer? You can play the first chapter of Outriders. This includes the entire prologue and the first main missions, along with a few side quests. Players can also create six characters and try the four classes of Outriders.
You can play this with friends: Except for the prologue, in which you are introduced to the world of Outriders and choose your class, you can complete all the content of the demo with friends or random players.
What else is there to know about the demo? Everything you achieve in the demo will carry over to the main game. You can level up to level 7, unlock World Tier 5 (which are difficulty levels), and even find legendary loot already. So if you definitely want to play at release, you don’t have to start over.
Have you already tried the Outriders demo? What do you think of it? Have you experienced issues with crossplay and matchmaking? Let us know in the comments.
The new survival game Undawn for PC and mobile comes from the mega-corporation Tencent from China and promises completely new innovations. However, the ingredients sound just like the basis of every game in the genre for many years.
What kind of game is this? Undawn takes place in a post-apocalypse after a zombie outbreak. You embody one of the last survivors who have joined the “Raven Squad”.
Your goal is to somehow get through while helping other survivors. You are somewhat like the “last bastion” of humanity. To do this, you collect supplies from the ruins of the past, find vehicles and weapons, and fight zombies and other people who are not as friendly as you.
Undawn is developed by Lightspeed & Quantum Studios, a studio of the Chinese corporation Tencent. They have previously created the mobile survival game Dawn Awakening, from which a considerable amount of content has apparently been adapted – including the appearance of the characters.
In fact, Undawn is reportedly even the “official name” of Dawn Awakening (via PC Gamer). Dawn Awakening only exists in China, and Undawn is supposed to be the global version. However, the new game has great ambitions.
Above: Characters from Dawn Awakening. Below: Characters from Undawn. Image source: PC Gamer.
According to Executive Producer Rick Li, the developers want to create with Undawn “a new kind of action game that mixes open-world freedom with RPG elements that would redefine the genre, regardless of the platform” (via gamespress.com). However, it is still not entirely clear what elements these might be, as everything looks pretty much as usual.
“Open-World Freedom with RPG Elements”
What makes Undawn the same as other games: On the official Undawn website, there are no detailed infos about the game yet. However, the new survival game is said, according to the press release, to have both PvP and PvE elements.
Additionally, you should be able to search for resources in order to craft better gear and weapons and build a shelter. Trade should also be possible – though all of this sounds quite similar to what was already present in DayZ, which had many such features.
Gameplay from Undawn directly is not yet available, but a new video recently appeared that shows what Dawn Awakening looks like. The mobile survival game also looks quite similar to already known games in the genre:
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What is different? One of the major differences is the factions listed on the website. So far, four of them are known:
Clowns
Owl Gang
Eagles
Reivers (Cover Image)
What exactly the factions’ roles are or how players can interact with them remains uncertain. They might represent the mentioned RPG aspects, and players can join them to complete quests for them.
That feature would not be much different from, for instance, the factions in Fallout 76. So it remains to be seen how exactly Undawn wants to “redefine the genre”.
Undawn is set to be released for mobile and PC, with the developers wanting to include crossplay. However, this is still in development. The website has no information about a release date, only the reference: “coming soon”. If it really is the finished version of Dawn Awakening, a release in 2021 is still quite possible.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Which 3 classes will lead Season 23 in Diablo 3? We spoke with expert Leviathan about how the top ranks of the leaderboard will shape up.
What is happening right now in Diablo 3? A major patch 2.6.7 is on the way for Diablo 3, completely overhauling the companions. For this occasion, we spoke with a true Diablo expert. Streamer and YouTuber Leviathan has logged over 10,000 hours on his Diablo clock and can assess what the patch means for the future of the game.
Leviathan is an exceptional Demon Hunter player and repeatedly showcases in his streams just how high this class can be pushed and how the limits can be stretched even further.
In the interview, we wanted to know how he assesses the Demon Hunter in Season 23 and which top classes and builds will emerge in the new season.
The Demon Hunter will not be a top class in Season 23
MeinMMO: In the community, you are considered one of the best, if not the best Demon Hunter player. In patch 2.7.0, there are only minor changes to this class. Do you believe that Demon Hunters will be able to compete in the rankings of Season 23 against buffed classes like the Firebird Wizard?
Leviathan: Oh man! I think that the Demon Hunter will not reach as high in this new patch, and that is the sad truth. The affix “Protection against projectiles” has caused the build “Gears of Dreadlands” to perform some truly crazy feats with “Hungry Arrow – Devouring Arrow”. It’s unfortunate that Blizzard decided to fix the functionality in a way that ultimately lowers the build’s maximum potential.
I was quite happy that the Demon Hunter had a reliable “GR145+” build with the introduction of “Gears of Dreadlands”, but now the class will likely peak only in the low 140s. And this will likely remain the case while other classes like the Wizard and Crusader keep their builds that will probably bring them close to or into the 150s. But there is not just bad news.
One side effect of the nerf is that the build actually feels a bit more consistent and may make speedfarming more enjoyable. Additionally, abilities will be improved against single targets. It will still be the best build for Demon Hunters, but if you were previously a high-end player, you’ll notice the losses. That said, since you specifically mentioned the Firebird Wizard, I’m not surprised that the set had to lose some of its strength in the official patch notes. But I AM surprised that it was toned down this much.
The Demon Hunter is Leviathan’s favorite class
However, with the latest blue post from FilthieRich and the outcry from the community, I wouldn’t be too shocked if they restored some of its performance. Not as dramatically as it was on the PTR, but definitely more than it is now. [Update: Blizzard buffed the Wizard set after our interview]
It’s a significant achievement for Blizzard that they have finally found a clear playstyle identity for this set that players enjoy, but it also needs to feel enticing from a damage perspective. If they manage that, I think we’ll see a LOT of Wizards in the group meta. And that usually means that many players will also be playing this class solo.
So to answer your question, will the Demon Hunter be able to compete with the Wizard? They might actually be closer together than it seems. It really depends on the final numbers for the Firebird, but you could run Demon Hunters in groups either as support or as GoD-speed. With the current speed we have, rat runs seem to still have the upper hand, so in the end, the Necromancer wins again.
MeinMMO: Have you already decided which class you want to play as your main in Season 23? Which is it and why?
Leviathan: I’m starting with the Demon Hunter. Surprise! Despite the nerf, I’m still excited to focus on DH, especially in Season 23 due to the leaderboard change.
Now that you can compete with all sets for your class, and since “Shadow” is my favorite set, you can bet that I will try to maintain rank 1 for this set for as long as possible!
MeinMMO: As of now [March 13]: What will be the 3 strongest classes (+ builds) in Season 23?
Leviathan: Initially, based on the PTR, it looked like the Firebird Wizard would be an S-tier choice for Season 23. But that is now somewhat up in the air until we see if the set gets more love before the patch is released.
I also think that the Rathma Necromancer stuff now, where they specifically focus on Army of the Dead, has a better direction, but I can’t imagine it outpacing Bone Spear. Honestly, the set probably just needs a bit more work, but the Necromancer always finds a way to remain relevant.
Last but not least, a build that Blizzard seems to have attempted to nerf constantly and that still works insanely well is the “Aegis of Valor” Crusader. So I think it will continue to be a strong choice for reliable high-tier clears.
The top 3 for Season 23: We spoke again with Leviathan after the patch notes and asked how the top 3 for Season 23 changes if the Firebird set remains the same. The following classes and builds are ranked at about the same level, so we refrain from providing a ranking here. The order is therefore random. – Crusader with Aegis of Valor – Necromancer with Bone Spear / LOD Skeletal Mage for groups [Rat Runs] – Wizard with LoD Energy Twister
* Shortly after our interview, Blizzard released buffs for the Firebird Wizard. Thus, it will replace Energy Twister in the top 3. How strong the set will be due to the changes will be revealed in Season 23.
MeinMMO: What can we expect from your streams in Season 23?
Leviathan: I plan to stream regularly again from the start of Season 23 and play Hardcore and 100% solo. If you want to follow the action, check out https://www.twitch.tv/leviathan111. I also usually post my highlights, interesting finds, build guides, and similar things as videos on my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/LeviathanD3.
What do you think? How do you like the interview with Leviathan, and have you already decided which class you want to play in Season 23 based on these statements? Let us know here on MeinMMO in the comments and discuss with other players.
A new hotfix has removed the cap for Soul Ash in World of Warcraft. However, this doesn’t really help Twinks.
What has been done? Just a few hours ago we reported that Blizzard is making massive changes to the tank classes. But the hotfix has brought another change that has gone live in the game immediately. The cap for Soul Ash has been removed from World of Warcraft – the cap is history.
Previously, players could accumulate a maximum of 8,000 Soul Ash, and any additional ash was lost. This limit has now been removed, so players can collect and hoard Soul Ash beyond that.
What do you need Soul Ash for? Soul Ash serves a single purpose in WoW: Shadowlands. You need it to create or upgrade legendary items. Crafting the best possible legendary item costs around 5,000 Soul Ash, allowing you to save up for about 1.5 legendary items – purely from the ash value.
You earn Soul Ash in Torghast. The higher levels yield more ash, and the rewards from the lower levels come along with it!
Players are confused and dissatisfied: Most players do not react well to the change so far. While many agree that the cap never made much sense from the beginning, the removal doesn’t change anything now. Instead, many wish for some kind of “catch-up” Soul Ash for Twinks. These often have to wait weeks before they can craft a good legendary and effectively play along.
Many wished that excess Soul Ash from the main character could be sent to a Twink – perhaps even with a bit of loss of Soul Ash along the way.
More news about WoW: Shadowlands can be found here:
Who benefits from this? That’s a good question. Currently, it seems that only a few players benefit from this who have already reached the cap. These could be players who are waiting for the drop of a special legendary power that has so far eluded them.
Otherwise, the change may only be interesting for collectors. Players who want to have all legendary items for their class in the long term can save towards this goal. However, since only one legendary item can be equipped at a time, no one is likely to be in a hurry to achieve this goal.
Thus, the only benefit currently seems to be the nice feeling of still getting Soul Ash after the weekly Torghast run, even though you could not accumulate any before.
What do you think about the change? Reasonable and good? Or is it as pointless as the cap beforehand?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the German community for Pokémon GO, one name is especially well known: Daniel “Spieletrend” Schilling. The Austrian regularly provides his viewers on YouTube with new information and recently spoke in an interview with MeinMMO about the current development of Pokémon GO.
Who is Spieletrend? In the German-speaking area, there is no YouTuber dedicated to Pokémon GO who is anywhere near as big as Spieletrend. Since its release in 2016, the YouTuber has uploaded a video about the AR game almost every day.
Currently, Spieletrend has 359,000 subscribers and has uploaded over 1,600 videos on Pokémon GO. He is considered a voice and expert in the German community and is even a Niantic partner, so he always maintains direct contact with the developers.
We from MeinMMO had a Discord conversation with Daniel Schilling about Pokémon GO. The discussion revolved around the motivation for the game, the current development of Pokémon GO, and his own path on YouTube.
“I have never experienced such a hype before”
MeinMMO: Hello Daniel, first of all, let’s talk about your journey on YouTube. You didn’t originally start with Pokémon GO, but also reported on MMORPGs. Then, in 2016, Pokémon GO was added and at some point, you only showed Pokémon GO on your channel. Why did you make that switch and focus solely on Pokémon GO?
Spieletrend: Exactly, that’s correct. I started YouTube about 10 years ago – completely in the free-to-play world. The concept of MeinMMO was pretty similar to my concept. The free-to-play games, MMOs, and then Pokémon GO came out. It just fit: free-to-play, an app, mobile games were on the rise anyway. I thought I’d give it a try.
In about 6-7 years on YouTube, I grew my subscriber count to 100,000. Then Pokémon GO came, and I have never experienced such hype. You know what happened with Pokémon GO in 2016. And then, on YouTube with the clicks, it was just overwhelming for me.
I didn’t do it for the clicks, but when you compare it: a video on Pokémon GO with 50,000 clicks or a browser game with 2,500 clicks and people think, “Hey, just do Pokémon GO, that’s what we all want to see,” then I’d definitely rather make a video on Pokémon GO.
Additionally, the gaming world changed a bit during that time. There was a period when a new MMO was released every few weeks, and now that’s different. That’s why I stayed with Pokémon GO.
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With this video, Spieletrend started his trainer career on YouTube.
MeinMMO: If you summarize everything now, including the hype in 2016, what does Pokémon GO have for you that other games do not?
Spieletrend: Clearly the AR aspect, that is, going outside. I have been self-employed for as long as I can remember, and you have to sit in front of the computer all day, writing articles, playing games. For Pokémon GO, I had to go outside, there was no way around it. That was such a positive boost for my business. It was killing two birds with one stone: I can work but also be outdoors at the same time.
MeinMMO: You are the largest YouTuber for Pokémon GO in the German-speaking area, so you have already achieved a lot. What is in store for you and your channel in the future?
Spieletrend: Yes, that’s a good question that I’ve asked myself often. I am the largest German-speaking channel because there are hardly any competitors. Many stopped after the hype in 2016, but I stayed on the ball.
My goal is to continue informing the community and not to let them down. I want to maintain my connection to the community and not lose it. However, I never have goals concerning numbers. Currently, I often have 60,000 clicks per video, but I would be more than satisfied with 15,000 clicks.
MeinMMO: Let’s look beyond Pokémon GO for a moment. It might not be around forever. Have you thought about what will happen when Pokémon GO is no longer available?
Spieletrend: Yes, quite often. Especially at the end of the year when I reflect on it. I always ask myself whether it can go this well for another year, but so far it has continued every year.
But I also have to take off the rose-colored glasses. Especially in 2020, Niantic showed that if they make a few wrong turns, things can go downhill quickly. Luckily, in my opinion, they managed to get back on track, but I’m aware that it can go downhill completely within a few weeks.
Because of that, I have already set up a few other legs to stand on and would definitely not end up on the street if Pokémon GO were to decline.
MeinMMO: You just mentioned that Niantic made some critical decisions during the pandemic. I can completely agree, I was even bored at times. How did you feel about it?
Spieletrend: I find the pandemic period really interesting. The past year has been a complete rollercoaster for Niantic and Pokémon GO. When Corona was not taken seriously here yet, Niantic, and I must really praise them, reacted extremely quickly. 30 incense for all players for free, increased PokéStop range, and numerous other bonuses. They immediately started programming remote raids.
I was really glad about that because I’m not a virologist and didn’t know how to deal with [the situation]. I have many viewers who see me as a role model. If I continue to go outside now, that’s not necessarily the best thing I can do.
During this time, things became tricky again. Suddenly, the bonuses disappeared, even though we were still in the middle of a pandemic, then there were a few critical events, such as the issue with shiny Kapuno, there were more and more paid passes, for a Pantifrost you had to pay 9 euros, and much more. It was an emotional rollercoaster, and sometimes I had to consider how the journey would continue.
But right now, I think Niantic has gotten back on track again. They have also, extended the lockdown bonuses by half a year. I can understand the criticism, like the mood surrounding the paid events. A few too many events, I have to say, and people don’t really understand them anymore. But at the moment, I’m basically satisfied.
MeinMMO: I still see numerous repetitions happening right now. For example, the Community Days don’t excite me anymore. I just miss useful monsters, instead, I get them from eggs and even on Community Days, there are repetitions. How do you see that?
Spieletrend: I can understand both sides here. Especially recently with Dartiri: The shiny was new, but the attack was useless. Some Pokémon have completely repeated, like Glumanda. Of course, Kapuno or Kaumalat would be candidates for Community Days at some point, but I also have to look at the other side.
I am quite sure that Pokémon GO is intentionally withholding the good things, which is why there are so many repetitions. Because in so many countries, the lockdown is still in place, and you can’t really go outside. A Community Day with Kaumalat will definitely come as soon as the situation calms down and you can enjoy Pokémon GO again to the fullest. I do believe that some people underestimate that who criticize this.
MeinMMO: What motivates you right now to go out and play Pokémon GO daily?
Spieletrend: I have to say that the “GO Beyond” update, which is the level expansion, was a completely new source of motivation for me. Just the fact of XL candies. I know there was also criticism because you only get them from level 40. But the fact that I can push all my Pokémon higher again, but have to put in something new for it motivates me. I was excited about every Pokémon I caught a thousand times in the past. I just wanted to have the XL candies.
With the “GO Beyond” update, a level expansion and the 6th generation were introduced to the game.
MeinMMO: Do you think that the hype surrounding the update will also last for you in the coming months?
Spieletrend: That’s a good point. The hype is slowly dying down when you already have many XL candies. I’ve also already reached level 50, so there’s no newness anymore. But, overall, a new basic motivation remains.
Another factor, where I am rather in the minority: the PvP mode. Every time a new event announcement comes, I think to myself: “Which Pokémon do I need for PvP?” There are also the daily sets that I play. So PvP is an additional motivation I have.
MeinMMO: Let’s stick to the PvP mode. You say that this doesn’t motivate all players. But what is the appeal for you and why should everyone try it?
Spieletrend: When we look at Pokémon in its essence, it’s about that. “I want to be the very best, like no one ever was.” This is measured by earning badges in gyms and fighting against other trainers. It’s about battling.
Of course, in Pokémon GO, you have Team GO Rocket and raids in the gyms for battling. But the aim is to fight and win against all other trainers in the world. That’s exactly what makes the PvP appealing to me, and exactly what players have been waiting for for years.
If you look at Niantic’s approach, it also presents a clear picture. All attacks from the community days are designed for PvP, and many events and updates have the PvP mode in mind. I find it difficult that they are rubbing it in people’s faces a bit, but I do believe that it is Niantic’s ultimate vision to make PvP bigger.
However, I can’t provide anyone who hasn’t played PvP with reasons why they should start. It’s a bit like soccer and basketball. Just because someone likes soccer doesn’t mean they must be a basketball fan. It’s a completely different game within the game. If someone doesn’t like it, then that’s how it is.
This is the PvP mode: This feature was introduced in Pokémon GO in Winter 2018. Since then, you can fight directly against other trainers in Pokémon GO.
There is also a league where you can rise in ranks and compete against increasingly better trainers. However, the league is often controversial as many bugs cause problems in battles.
Niantic’s communication is extremely important
MeinMMO: Lastly, a look at the future of Pokémon GO. What do you wish for from the game, and what do you think could still come?
Spieletrend: That’s an interesting question. I have to admit that I’ve been surprised so often in the past by Pokémon GO that I exclude nothing anymore. For example, I never thought that mega evolutions would come into the game.
If you think about what other large features exist in the Pokémon world that we don’t have in Pokémon GO yet, it’s breeding. That could come and surely provide some long-term motivation. I wouldn’t rule anything out anymore.
There is still so much in the Pokémon world, like thousands of different berries that still don’t exist. Or balls and other items.
If I could wish for one thing: what is extremely important to me is Niantic’s communication. Mistakes happen, even if trainers have spent money on it, but then they must react quickly and communicate: “Hey, the shiny rate was broken in the first hour, and here’s some compensation.”
If Niantic doesn’t communicate and then I’m a bit caught between the community and Niantic, that’s difficult. I prefer it when Niantic communicates clearly when something goes wrong. But they are currently on the right path.
MeinMMO: Communication is definitely a point of contention. Transparency is repeatedly demanded, “How likely is a shiny?” or “What exactly is in the eggs?” Eggs are even compared to loot boxes. Do you wish for something like that as well?
Spieletrend: That’s a topic that has existed since day one in Pokémon GO. Niantic has never stated which Pokémon appear where and with what probability. Various communities have summarized that up to now.
If Niantic would simply upload that somewhere in a wiki, the discovery aspect of Pokémon GO would be lost. On the other hand, items in comparison with loot boxes from other games is a sensitive issue. If they reduce the chances and introduce a shiny while advertising it, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to be a bit more transparent and simply state that it is ultra-rare. So yes, in this regard, there can never be enough transparency.
MeinMMO: Thank you very much for your time and the interview!
Do you want to see more YouTubers on Pokémon GO? Then check out our big list of the most successful YouTubers on Pokémon GO:
Destiny 2 has given Warlocks in Season 13 the “Cloak of Harmonious Combat” as exotic armor. It is now quite strong in both PvE and PvP. If you want your Super fully charged in 30 seconds and deal extra damage with weapons, you should definitely give it a try.
This Exotic is getting attention:Season 13 enriched Destiny 2 with a new exotic chest piece for Warlocks, Titans, and Hunters. In this article, we take a closer look at the Warlock exotic Cloak of Harmonious Combat.
It does pretty much everything you could wish for with its special perk “Absorption Cells”:
The Exotic charges the Super faster
Grants you more firepower
After the last update, it has become a real insider tip in both PvE and PvP
With this, Warlocks no longer have to be ashamed compared to Titans. The latter and their exotic armor Starfall, which turns you into Superman, were the shooting star of Season 13. MeinMMO clarifies how high the extra damage is, how quickly the Super charges, and why there are a few tips to keep in mind?
Do Warlocks have a new best exotic friend?
This is how you quickly get the Super: With the Cloak of Harmonious Combat, you charge your most powerful ability, the Super, significantly faster. This initially worked only in PvE, but was fixed by Update 3.1.1.1. on March 23 and now works in PvP as well.
Every kill you score with a weapon matching your elemental focus automatically gives you some Super energy. This means that if you use the Solar focus and shoot an enemy with a Solar weapon, the Super meter fills up. This applies to primary weapons with elemental damage, special weapons, and even power weapons. You will see the buff “Energy Drain” on the left side of the screen.
The buff lasts for 2 seconds. During this brief time, your Super charges faster. How much depends on your intellect value – a reduction of 2 to 4 seconds per kill. The lower the value, the more you feel the effect. Don’t be fooled by the small number. In PvE, you can stack the buff almost constantly because you get kills quickly. With additional spheres from masterwork weapons, it is possible to use the Super every 30 seconds.
In PvP, the advantage is somewhat smaller, but having the Super before the other team and creating spheres for your own team is a huge advantage. If you want to be really sneaky, use Chaos Reach, play with the Cloak of Harmonious Combat until about 80% of the Super meter, and then switch to the Geomag Stabilizers.
Once your Super is filled, the second ability of the Exotic activates: The matching elemental weapon now deals more damage.
After a kill, weapon damage increases by 20 to 22%
You can extend the strong effect with each kill – think of it like the Rampage perk
In PvE, the extra damage lasts for 6 seconds and extends by another 4 seconds with each kill
In PvP, the effect lasts 3 seconds (2 are displayed, but Destiny often does not count the last second) and extends by about 2 seconds per kill
You therefore have one of the best exotics for the so-called “neutral game”, that is, the everyday situations Guardians have to deal with. This slot is usually occupied by the Ophidian Aspect or Transversive Steps.
However, since the damage buff is not stackable with all other damage buffs, an exotic like Lunafaction Boots is recommended against raid bosses. However, the Cloak of Harmonious Combat can be combined with the new elemental sources that have very similar abilities:
This is what you need to keep in mind: It’s important to always keep in mind that the weapon used and your Guardian’s focus must have the same element. If you enjoy playing the Stasis Warlock, you only have one suitable Stasis weapon available – and that’s not even practical for killing.
For the future, Bungie has confirmed that more Stasis weapons are coming. Until then, you should equip the Cloak of Harmonious Combat with Solar, Void, or Arc focus.
How to get the Cloak of Harmonious Combat in Destiny 2
Search here: You can obtain the new exotic from Season 13 only through the Lost Sectors on “Legendary” or “Grandmaster”. You will find the mentioned sectors rotating daily on Europa, the Cosmodrome, or the Moon. Additionally, it should be noted that you must run the mission solo and the exotic category of the day must be chest piece.
What do you think about the Cloak of Harmonious Combat? Does nothing else save your Warlock in the universe? Which weapons do you recommend for which focus? Let us know in the comments.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
League of Legends is getting another champion. Gwen is a puppet that enters battle with sewing thread, needles, and a pair of scissors. Additionally, the developer Riot reveals something about her backstory.
Isolde was a poor seamstress living in the kingdom of Viego. Obsessed with her beauty, Viego went mad after her death and now threatens to destroy the world.
It was Isolde who originally created Gwen “with much love.” But “a tragedy separated the two” and the puppet sank to the ocean floor, where she spent many centuries. The puppet uses the same tools in battle that her creator used for sewing.
On Twitter, some fans speculated that Gwen might possess part of Isolde’s soul and that’s why she has come to life. You can see a teaser trailer for Gwen and her story here:
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What can Gwen do? Gwen is an AP Top Lane Skirmisher champion and is said by Riot to be more of a “Tank-Buster” than a “Carry-Killer.”
In the gameplay trailer for Gwen, you can get a glimpse of her ability kit, even though they have not been officially named yet. She seems to use the scissors as a normal attack and uses up to 5 needles as her ranged attack to hit fleeing opponents.
Another ability of hers creates a blue circle around her that follows her everywhere. It seems to be some sort of buff. While it is still unclear what exactly it does, it appears in the video that it would grant Gwen temporary immunity to CC effects.
Additionally, she has a dash ability that gives her more mobility and seems to have a buff that grants her higher movement speed. You can watch the champion trailer for Gwen here:
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When is Gwen coming out? There is no official release date for Gwen yet. However, based on past releases, it is estimated that she could come out in mid to late April with patches 11.8 or 11.9.
More precise information about Gwen will follow after patch 11.7 on March 31. Riot promises that her first skin will be “groovy.”
What do you think of Gwen? Is she an interesting champion or completely boring? Please share your opinion in the comments.
In some countries, the subscription costs for World of Warcraft have risen drastically. Now players here are also concerned that the costs will increase.
World of Warcraft is one of the few games that still relies on a subscription model after more than 15 years. Those who want to play must pay for their game time. For some players, the price is also what deters them from WoW. Now WoW is raising subscription costs in several countries.
What has happened? In recent days, there have been some reports about changes to the sales models for game time at Blizzard. Some countries are facing drastic price increases, particularly regarding the subscription for World of Warcraft. So far, there have been significant price hikes in Russia and Brazil:
In Russia, the subscription costs for monthly payments will increase by 18%.
The longest subscription (6 months) will become 30% more expensive in Russia.
In Brazil, the subscription costs for monthly payments will rise by 25%.
The longest subscription (6 months) will become 34% more expensive in Brazil.
At the same time, Blizzard is slightly lowering the costs of additional services, such as character renaming or server transfer.
However, it should be noted: Almost all players have to pay monthly subscription costs; additional services are only of interest to a fraction of the players. Many people will therefore bear a heavier financial burden.
More cash for Blizzard – subscription costs are rising.
Is Germany also affected? So far not. In Germany, the subscription costs remain at €13 per month and are somewhat cheaper for those who commit for several months. Even after 15 years, the costs here have not increased. One can only hope that this will continue to be the case.
In recent weeks, reports related to World of Warcraft and Blizzard have been increasing again, portraying the company in a negative light: Many people were recently laid off at Blizzard while the CEO pockets a hefty bonus. Furthermore, the next Patch 9.1 seems to be a long way off.
All of this currently gives many WoW players a rather bad feeling, overshadowing even announcements like the start of the beta for Burning Crusade.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In an interview, MeinMMO author Tarek Zehrer spoke with the reader Pannakun about the demo of Outriders. He reached the highest achievement level 21 and played for over 100 hours. He revealed what motivates him, what was particularly annoying, and how he generally views Outriders.
This is the occasion: The release of Outriders is not far off with April 1. The demo version has been available since March 25 and is still a big topic for many.
Because the progress made in this demo can be transferred to the main game. Players can test the 4 classes of Outriders and play the first chapter of the story. Overall, you can achieve 10-12 hours of gameplay to get the classes to level 7, complete side quests, and play a major main mission.
However, MeinMMO reader Pannakun has achieved significantly more progress. He has invested nearly 100 hours and reached the highest achievement level 21, and now he even plays more and has over 120 hours. Thus, he has spent about three to four times the gameplay time in the first chapter than was actually planned for the main story.
What motivated him? And what does he think of Outriders after seeing everything from the demo? He reveals this to us in the community interview we conducted in writing via email on March 21.
What are achievements? Achievements, or also accolades, are the in-game achievements of Outriders. These are numerous smaller and larger tasks that players can complete in several stages. The more you complete, the higher your achievement level. With the content available in the demo, level 21 is the highest possible level before the release of the main game.
10 hours for a single achievement
MeinMMO: How many hours did you spend in the demo?
Pannakun: Overall, I spent 123 hours in the demo [Status: March 26, 2021]. I spent the first 10 hours mainly dealing with the story and side missions. Individual achievements took more time than others, with the level 5 health regeneration for the Pyromancer being the most difficult for me.
I had to play other characters out of frustration at times to spare my controller. This achievement surely took more than 10 hours.
Note: The mentioned achievement for the Pyromancer is based on his self-healing. The Pyromancer heals himself by marking enemies with specific skills and then dealing damage to them. This is not always that easy. The 5th level of the achievement requires particularly high health points.
Some achievements eat up quite a bit of time.
MeinMMO: Why did you invest so much time to achieve that?
Pannakun: I have very high hopes for the game. The genre of loot, collecting, leveling, and crazy shooting action is exactly my thing. I need a task that captivates and drives me, and the promise of reward amplifies that. […] Strictly speaking, I have not achieved all the currently possible achievements; I have only reached the highest level so far. […]
An example: 10 million total damage is massive but doable with the right motivation and time. But starting a new character repeatedly to then kill a “monkey” [referring to the beast creatures at the beginning of the prologue], which counts as an animal, 500-3,000 times, or collecting 25,000 Titans (10 per character), seems impossible to me, especially considering the release on April 01.
MeinMMO: Is it your goal to complete all achievements there as well?
Pannakun: I will do everything to be one of the first to achieve all achievements. However, I am fully employed and assume that I will not be able to keep up.
Level 21 is the maximum in the demo.
Tips for achievements and legendary weapons
MeinMMO:Do you have tips for people who are also planning to do this or who don’t have the patience for it?
Pannakun: Try to tackle multiple achievements simultaneously. Several examples: Use one type of weapon and make kills with your class abilities. Revives can be done in pairs.
While you are in cover, your necessary victim will repeatedly die heroically, and you can revive without any problems. If you need class ability kills, use the main quest just before the solar tower. The melee enemies will run after you and are easy prey.
MeinMMO:Have you farmed legendary weapons as well?
Pannakun: Yes, I have, and I am still farming legendary weapons. I wasted the first 20 hours doing that before I set myself the task of achieving the accolades. After that, I started combining the achievements with farming.
My recommendation is not to look for them, but to be surprised when you receive one [of the legendary items]. Otherwise, the frustration level rises to unimaginable heights. At some point, you won’t want to play anymore, and that ruins the joy in the game.
Currently, I have found 5 out of 10 legendary weapons. Just yesterday, I found two. If you want to look for them, then take the side mission “Wobbly Ground.” After you destroy the log barrier, kill the first sniper, run to the captain, greet him with gunfire, take down the second sniper and then let yourself be killed by the trash. […] I tried to meet the requirements of the accolades in all other respects, and it was completely useless for me.
This is one of the weapons Pannakun has already found.
Wouldn’t it have been better to transfer progress “I wouldn’t have invested so much time.”
MeinMMO:What do you particularly like about Outriders?
Pannakun: Outriders already has great potential. The abilities of the individual characters and the crazy weapons with their special abilities have impressed me a lot. Also, armor mods, which can change your playstyle, are in my opinion a clear sign that this game should not be ignored.
I also find it important that the demo progress can be transferred to the full version. Otherwise, I would never have invested so much time.
MeinMMO:What do you not like as much?
Pannakun: A clear flaw, which I hope will be improved, is marking items in the inventory. The respective item must be loaded first before it can be marked for sale/destruction. This takes time with many items.
The interrupting running at a tight radius or small obstacles is annoying. The cover problem has already been mentioned in another article, and I agree with that.
Pannakun: I have several suggestions for the developers. There must be a way to favorite items very soon to prevent accidental destruction. It would be nice to display the respective mod on the item in advance to quickly mark duplicate items for destruction.
Legendary weapons and later also armor parts must not become inflationary as in other loot shooters! They must remain the crown jewel. Do not patch the legendary items or the ability mods! Laboriously farming items that suddenly become worthless drives every player to the brink of frustration!
And most importantly: For the game to be successful, there must be enough endgame content. Raids, PvP, and solo challenges are just a few of my ideas. Only then will the old hands be able to motivate new players to play.
MeinMMO:Which class did you like the most while playing?
Pannakun: I had to play all classes, but I like the Assassin the most. Slowing down time to block enemy projectiles is totally my thing. With him, I can even manage a headshot. The Destroyer is also a lot of fun. What I plan to do with him, I don’t want to reveal yet.
MeinMMO:Will you play Outriders at release?
Pannakun: I will definitely play the game at release. I’ve been waiting eagerly. I’ve already pre-ordered the full version.
We thank Pannakun for his time and the interview. Good luck with the next achievements!
The company Razer is introducing a new product for gamers that fits perfectly into our current times. Project Hazel is a mask specifically designed for gamers and will feature special functionalities.
What kind of mask is this? In January 2021, Razer unveiled a new product that was to become a special mask for gamers. “Project Hazel” was not meant to be a classic mouth-and-nose protection, but rather to present special features that we know from Razer products.
Initially, it was just a concept, and it was uncertain whether it would actually be available. Now Razer confirms that they will go into production and fans will be able to acquire stylish masks in the future. You can see a preview of the mask here. Back then, it was still in the concept phase:
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This is what Razer’s CEO says: Razer’s CEO Min-Liang Tan personally commented on the new product. In an interview with Yahoo Finance, he stated:
We believe that [this project] will remain relevant even after vaccinations and everything else is provided. […] We have decided, and I can reveal this to you now, that we will turn the masks into reality and they will be released.
We have realized that even with vaccinations, one still needs to wear masks, because there is still a risk factor. Even if you have received a vaccination, you must be extremely careful. […] There are also many countries where it is unlikely that they will achieve full vaccination coverage in one or even two years. Therefore, one must be very cautious while traveling. […]
CEO of Razer Min-Liang Tan
Therefore, Razer plans to release a mask that is both reusable and meets the company’s standards regarding safety and style.
“The smartest mask in the world” lights up in color
What functions will the mask have? Since we are talking about Razer, RGB lighting is of course a must for the mask. After all, almost all of the company’s products can glow in color. But it should not only look cool, but also fulfill all the functions and requirements expected from a protective mask, and more.
The mask is transparent so that the face can be seen
It has a built-in microphone that guarantees clear sound of the voice
In the dark, the mask automatically activates its lighting function. This function is separate from the RGB.
It has the air filtration of a medical N95 mask. The fans can be detached and filter “at least 95%” of airborne particles
There is also likely to be a function that prevents breath condensation on the mask, which occurs especially at low temperatures.
What is an N95 mask? It is a particle filtering respiratory protective mask. To qualify as N95, a mask must filter at least 95% of airborne particles that are larger than 0.3 µm (micrometers, 10-6 meters). This standard was established by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in the USA. The letter N indicates that the mask is not required to be resistant to oily substances to meet the established standard. You can find more about it on Wikipedia.
Razer describes its new product as “the smartest mask in the world.” It comes with a special charging station that charges the mask’s battery while simultaneously killing bacteria and viruses with integrated UV light.
The mask will undergo “rigorous testing” before release. Razer aims to ensure maximum safety and comfort for the wearers during production.
You can find more interesting gaming articles here:
How much will the fun cost? Razer has not yet announced a price for the mask. There is also no release date for the good piece. However, since the product is now actually going into production, we can probably expect an announcement soon.
What do you think of the mask? Would you buy it or is it just a gimmick? Let us know in the comments.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
