In an interview with CNN, Tim Sweeney talked about the lawsuit with Apple. The Epic CEO emphasized that he wants to change the industry, even though it is time-consuming and costly.
What’s going on? In August 2020, Epic decided to sell the currency V-Bucks directly in the iOS version of Fortnite. Previously, the currency had to be purchased through the App Store, which incurred additional fees for Apple. We’re talking about 30% of revenue.
The proceedings between Apple and Google versus Epic are still ongoing.
Why is Epic doing this at all? Tim Sweeney is the head of Epic and also owns a significant stake in the company. In his view, he is fighting with Epic for the right of indie developers to their earnings and against monopolists.
In an interview with CNN, he explained that the fight costs a lot, and hardly any other company could afford it.
Sweeney is optimistic that Epic can change the industry
But even in the new interview, he emphasized how important the fight between Epic and Apple is. He fears a dystopian future where few corporations dominate the entire market and only focus on profit.
He sees himself in a role where he can change the industry with Epic:
It’s “Epic” to fight for change or to push for it and to succeed, and that’s not so unusual. We’ve done that quite often, and everyone in the industry has often benefited from it.
Epic is not only fighting against Apple and Google but also against Steam. Recently, they announced that they would bring more than 100 titles exclusively to the Epic Store. With this, they want to compete against the rival Steam, which they believe also takes too much revenue from developers.
What risks does Epic take? In the interview, Sweeney emphasizes the effort and risks behind the lawsuit:
We are still a very independent company that is not beholden to public markets where we must constantly show increasing profits.
And such a fight [against Apple and Google], where we lose money for a year or longer, would never be tolerated. So we have the financial independence to do this.
Moreover, some developers jumped ship from Epic, who previously wanted to implement their games using the Unreal Engine. The engine was developed by Epic and is a factor for revenue.
For example, Ryan Engel tweeted in December 2020 that his company did not want to implement a planned game in Unreal Engine. There was a risk that it would be banned by Apple:
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In the 37-page letter to the district court, it is stated, among other things, that “Epic takes its own customers hostage to gain more leverage in the business dispute.”
What’s next with the lawsuits?
The lawsuit between Epic and Apple is set to be heard in May.
Google, on the other hand, is reported to have requested to dismiss the hearing scheduled for February 18.
Having your own base is of utmost importance, which is why some players invest a lot of time and effort into their home. Here are 3 bases that look particularly cool and that you can use as inspiration for your own houses.
This is the Viking house: Since Valheim is set in a Nordic Viking setting, it’s no surprise that some players have set out to build a real longhouse. And what a house it is.
The huge structure was built by reddit user fate167 and his two friends, with the construction taking about 25 hours in total. They used images of Viking houses that they found online as inspiration.
However, the guys had to improvise with the supports and the internal structure because the game engine wouldn’t cooperate with everything. Some additional pillars had to be added, as the construction wouldn’t otherwise be stable.
The house is large enough to accommodate all important facilities, such as the kitchen, workshop, and sleeping areas. Accordingly, the construction required a lot of wood, which was dragged in from the surroundings. Towards the end of the work, the diligent builders had to walk quite a distance to gather more materials.
If you’re considering building such a large base as well, you need to make sure that you gather enough materials for it. Here are more pictures of the house:
In the future, the builders plan to add more features to their house, such as a defensive wall and a harbor.
Base with a Tavern
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This is the tavern base: If you’re currently playing Valheim alone, you can look to this cool tavern base for inspiration. It was built by a single player and is not as large as the huge Viking house.
However, it still has enough space to accommodate guests, as there is a really lavish tavern inside. There is space for celebrations, a bar with drinks, and a fire pit where you can relax after your adventures in Valheim.
And if the drinks and food run out, there is a cellar specifically for that, where more than enough supplies can be stored.
The reddit user Vettlen took about 9 hours to build the base. He tries to keep the appearance of the house as close to Scandinavian style as possible and based it on historical pictures he found online.
Here are some more pictures of the base while it was still being built:
More articles about Valheim on MeinMMO can be found here:
This is the community multiplayer base: If you’re out and about with several friends, you can take inspiration from grand projects like this cool hub in the video. The large base consists of several differently sized houses built by different players.
The base was built by a player group called Pixel Defects, which includes the YouTuber Zeroster. He made a detailed video showing the large base from all angles and at different times of the day.
Here you’ll find everything your heart desires:
Accommodations with sleeping spaces
Workshops where tools and weapons can be crafted
Kitchens and storage areas to cook food
Defense structures with towers and lookout platforms
Docking spots for boats
If you and your friends enjoy big challenges, then such a base is definitely for you. However, it will definitely cost you a lot of time and resources.
Are you unsure whether you should give Valheim a try? We have a preview report for you:
Season 2 of Call of Duty: Warzone and Black Ops Cold War is expected to start at the end of February. A leak now reveals which 4 new weapons you can expect.
What is it about? Call of Duty regularly brings new seasons to keep its annual premium titles and the “Battle Royale” spin-off Warzone fresh and its players engaged. On February 25, it is expected to be that time again: The second season of Black Ops Cold War will launch, and there should be something for Warzone as well.
A leak from a data miner now provides the first information about the season and shows 4 weapons that might be introduced in the next content period:
NTW-20 – Sniper Rifle
AI-LC10 – Submachine Gun
E-Tool – Melee Weapon
Machete – Melee Weapon
Take the information with some skepticism. While the data miner states that the files for these weapons are in the game, it is unclear whether or when they will actually become playable. However, MeinMMO shows you the possible characteristics that could come with the new weapons.
The leaks come from the Twitter account “TailsDoll553”, which has periodically released data information about Cold War and Warzone in recent months that later proved to be correct.
Leak shows sniper rifle, SMG, and 2 melee weapons
What can the NTW-20 do? The Denel NTW-20 is a South African sniper rifle and is classified as an anti-material rifle. It is specialized in attacking lightly armored vehicles, enemies behind cover, or larger targets that can be taken out with a few solid hits (via Wikipedia). The leaker also provides information about the weapon’s strengths in the game:
Bolt-action sniper rifle, high damage, one-shot kill with headshot, chest, and shoulder hits
Thus, a new, large sniper rifle may be on the way for Cold War & Warzone. However, one fact speaks against its release in Cold War: The rifle was officially developed only in the mid-nineties, long after the events of the CoD title Cold War. However, such “minor” discrepancies also did not hinder the developers with the Groza, the assault rifle of Season 1.
The data miner also found animations, the model, and a future purchasable bundle for the weapon in the data.
What can the AI-LC10 do? There is currently the least information available about this weapon. “TailsDoll553” speaks of a fully automatic SMG and claims to have found the complete model in the data. However, for copyright reasons, he does not share the images on Twitter. The description of the weapon in the game is also minimal – currently, only a placeholder is present: “Full-auto submachine gun”.
What can the E-Tool do? This is a small folding shovel with military specifications. Typically used for digging defensive positions, it also serves as a dangerous melee weapon in Call of Duty.
In-game text: triple-folded military-style shovel. Normally used for digging a defensive combat position, it is just as effective in melee as an auxiliary weapon.
The data miner also provides the task you likely need to complete to unlock the weapon: Eliminate 3 enemies without dying with the knife, in 3 different matches.
What can the Machete do? With the Machete, another large blade might come into play after the nasty Wakizashi sword.
In-game text: Made from a durable steel blade that is hardened for maximum toughness to resist chipping and breaking. Popular in many tropical countries both as a weapon and as an agricultural tool.
Here too, “TailsDoll553” has already discovered the possible challenge to unlock it: Get a kill while injured using the knife, in 3 different matches.
Cold War brings crazy melee weapons into play – like the big sledgehammer.
Still little known about the launch of the new season
Officially, there are usually concrete details about the content of the new seasons of Call of Duty only shortly before the launch. However, since they often follow the same pattern, it is possible to roughly predict what the new content cycle will bring:
A new battle pass with 100 tiers
2 new weapons through the battle pass
Maps for the multiplayer mode of Cold War
Fresh modes in multiplayer
Weapons and battle passes also count for the battle royale Warzone. Here, a small new map – Rebirth Island – was present at the start of the first season of Cold War. However, a similar content drop is not currently expected for Warzone at the season launch. At the moment, many players hope for a large “Battle Royale” map for the 1st anniversary of Warzone in March – You can find information, rumors, and leaks about the new Warzone map here.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The new survival game Valheim is a success on Steam. One of the reasons for this are the tricky boss fights that help you progress in the game. However, the bosses are not just any strong enemies; there is more to it.
What are bosses? Valheim is full of dangerous creatures and enemies that want to take you down. The most dangerous opponents are the bosses, which await you in each of the available biomes:
Eikthyr, the Thunderdeer in the Meadows
The Ancient in the Black Forest
The Bone Mass in the Swamp
Moder in the Mountains
Yagluth in the Plains
These opponents represent key points on your journey through Valheim and are also one of the reasons why the game is currently so well received on Steam. They guide you through the world and serve as keys.
How do I find bosses? Your first boss, the deer Eikthyr, will already be marked on the map at the start of the game. At your trophy circle, you will find a Vegvisir, a Nordic compass that reveals the position.
The Vegvisir (left) shows where Eikthyr is located. With the trophies, you can display which bosses you have already taken down.
It works similarly with other bosses, but the corresponding Vegvisir is not so easy to find. For the second boss, the Ancient, you first need to find a corresponding rune stone in the Black Forest or his summoning place directly.
Once you have located a boss, you cannot just kill him right away. You must first offer a sacrifice to summon him. This usually involves creatures associated with him on the map or his “offspring” that you must kill to anger the boss.
A hunt precedes the fight against a boss in Valheim
This is why the kill is so satisfying: Killing a boss is like a hunt that you need to prepare well for:
All this feels like playing through a chapter of the story to prepare for the finale: the boss fight. It stands at the end of a section and also opens a new chapter after its demise, which you can then play through again until the next boss.
The fights themselves are somewhat reminiscent of Dark Souls. The bosses have special abilities that they use against you, which you need to learn to defeat them – in case of doubt, by dying to them. Multiple times.
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This is what the fight against the Ancient looks like.
Boses can hit pretty hard and each one is stronger than the previous. Especially solo, they can be quite tricky.
However, with a little trickery and technique, even the hardest boss can be defeated, and all your hours of preparation are rewarded with another step forward in Valheim.
How important bosses are: Boses mark points in the story where you can progress. Each boss allows you to explore new areas or process new materials. At the beginning, these include:
Eikthyr, through which you learn the first pickaxe and can mine copper and tin – you can find them in the second biome, the Black Forest
The Ancient, who “hands over” the key to the Swamp. With the key, you can open crypts in the Swamp where you find iron
The metals represent the next tier of armor and weapons, but they are also used to build new components and crafting stations
This allows you to explore the vast world of Valheim further and face tougher opponents. Additionally, the bosses provide you with trophies upon their demise, which you can hang up and from which you can receive buffs. Eikthyr, for example, allows you to run longer and jump easier, while the Ancient increases your lumberjack speed.
You don’t just play Valheim aimlessly and “just do stuff” like often happens in survival games. Instead, you have a red thread to follow in order to progress. The bosses create a guideline with fixed points, while you can freely design the path to those points.
In 2017, Epic sued a 14-year-old who showed cheats for the then newly launched game “Fortnite: Battle Royale” on YouTube. His mother defended the teenager, claiming Epic wanted to make her son a scapegoat. Now, more than 3 years later, the case has been settled. Epic and the family have reached an agreement.
This is the case: In October 2017, Epic Games took action against people uploading videos to YouTube. The videos showcased cheats for Fortnite: Battle Royale. Epic Games sought to remove the videos through copyright strikes from YouTube. However, two users refused to take the videos down. Against them, Epic Games then filed a lawsuit: They wanted to claim $150,000 in damages from them.
In one case, it turned out that the YouTuber was a 14-year-old. He was banned from Fortnite at least 14 times but continued to play. He uploaded videos of himself playing Fortnite while using a “wallhack” and an “aimbot” cheat.
Epic Games only learned during the lawsuit that the cheater was a 14-year-old but proceeded with the lawsuit unperturbed.
Epic Games wanted to distract from their own problems with the lawsuit. Besides, she had never agreed to her minor son playing Fortnite.
This is what the son said: The son himself stated: He had not cheated but only “modded.” And modding was not against the rules of YouTube. Therefore, he did not see any reason to take the videos down.
The young age of the cheater and the mother’s statements contributed to the notoriety of the lawsuit. Additionally, the lawsuit is now almost as old as Fortnite: Battle Royale itself.
After more than 3 years, Epic settles with the 14-year-old cheater
This is how the case went: Indeed, the case dragged on for ages. The court did not want to dismiss the case. However, at a certain point, the mother and the defendant no longer commented on the allegations. Therefore, Epic urged the court to issue a default judgment. The court disagreed because the minor defendant needed legal representation. So, Epic had to file further motions. This prolonged the case for years.
Only now has Epic Games reached an agreement with the defendant. However, it is said that the settlement should remain “confidential” because the defendant is not yet 18 and should be protected.
Epic Games states in a statement to the court (via torrentfreak): “In this case, the personal rights of the defendant outweigh the public interest.”
The minor could suffer unfair damages from a publication of the verdict.
Initially, the boy was sued for $150,000 in damages, but it can be assumed that the settlement was reached with a lower payment. Epic had indicated that they did not want to ruin anyone but only to prevent cheating in Fortnite.
The then 17-year-old FaZe Jarvis was banned for life from Fortnite – he too had cheated for the camera and used an aimbot.
Epic Games has set further examples against cheaters in the subsequent years. In 2019, they permanently banned professional YouTuber FaZe Jarvis from Fortnite, virtually ending a career overnight. The then 17-year-old showcased in a video what it’s like to play Fortnite with an aimbot:
In Pokémon GO, the Raid Hour with Latias and Latios starts today, February 10. We show you the counters and whether it’s worth it at all.
What is a Raid Hour? This event takes place every Wednesday in Pokémon GO and lets a legendary raid appear for one hour at almost all gyms. During this time, you can easily move from gym to gym and participate in raids.
This week, Latias and Latios are the focus. They share the Raid Hour and both will appear.
All Info about the Raid Hour with Latias and Latios
When does the Raid Hour start? It starts at 6:00 PM local time. A few minutes before that, the black eggs will appear at the respective gyms. If another raid is already ongoing, usually another legendary raid will appear afterwards at the gym.
Use these counters: Latias and Latios are both Dragon and Psychic types. Effective against them are the types Ice, Dragon, Fairy, Bug, Dark, and Ghost.
The best Pokémon against both monsters are:
Pokémon
Attacks
Rayquaza
Dragon Tail and Outrage
Dialga
Fire Breath and Draco Meteor
Garchomp
Dragon Tail and Outrage
Zekrom
Fire Breath and Outrage
Darkrai
Dark Pulse and Shadow Ball
Are you looking for more info about the two legendary Pokémon? Then check out the corresponding counter guides:
Are there Shiny Latias and Latios? Yes, you can already catch both legendary Pokémon in shiny form. You can easily recognize the differences. We will include the shiny versions here:
These are the shinies of Latias and Latios.
Is the Raid Hour worth it? If you need the shinies, you shouldn’t miss this event. You won’t find a better event soon to catch both shiny versions.
However, Latias and Latios are not the absolute best Pokémon. Latias does not play a role among the top attackers and Latios is a good alternative, but there are even stronger competitors.
If you urgently need strong Dragon or Psychic attackers, you should focus on Latios. If you already have a solid team, you can wait for raid hours of Mewtwo or Rayquaza.
By the way, Mewtwo will soon come to the raids. It will return for the Kanto tour. There it will appear together with Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos in the legendary raids. All information about the Kanto tour and the returnees can be found here:
In Valheim, signs are increasing that the gods of Norse mythology are watching over the world and revealing themselves to players. A player on reddit believes he has now seen Thor in his chariot.
The weather in Valheim is dynamic, ranging from bright sunshine to severe thunderstorms with heavy rain. Reddit user “Kayzle” ventured outside during a heavy thunderstorm and was working at his cooking station. In the background, lightning crackles around a bright spot racing through the sky.
Is Thor traveling through the sky in his chariot here? In Norse mythology, Thor races through the sky with his chariot during a thunderstorm. A clip has been released on reddit that allegedly shows Thor.
Is Thor flying over Valheim with his war hammer Mjölnir?
Reddit user “Kayzle” believes he saw Thor: In the short clip, Kayzle is just building a barbecue station when he sees lightning in the sky during a heavy thunderstorm and a rapidly moving object. He is clearly playing with friends and cannot hide his surprise: “Oh my God I just saw Thor, Oh I saw him!” (“Oh my God I just saw Thor, oh I saw him!”) you can hear him say at the end of the clip.
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What users think about the clip: In the reddit thread, many users are happy about the post and report possible encounters with gods from Norse mythology. User “Cyncial_Bacon” reports: “We saw Odin sneaking around on our server. Black cloak and a staff. As we approached, he simply vanished.”
Also “Gorcnor” had an encounter with Odin, he writes in the thread: “I’m pretty sure I saw Odin watching over me in the Dark Forest.”
A Twitch streamer has also seen Thor: The Twitch streamer “EdEMonster” has already built a longboat and was out on the waters in Valheim with his group when Thor suddenly appeared in the sky. His reaction clearly shows how much he enjoys this moment.
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The little details in Valheim impress many: Besides Thor, a mysterious stranger in Valheim has been sighted, which players firmly believe to be Odin. Even small details can create an enormous immersion. The community celebrates these details and developers Iron Gates Studios will surely provide more surprises.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The latest patch of Dead by Daylight is live. There are many changes, including some solid buffs and reworks for 3 killers: Clown, Trapper, and Wraith.
The latest “Mid-Chapter-Patch 4.5.0” has just been released for Dead by Daylight. While it didn’t introduce a new killer, it brought a lot of reworks, minor adjustments, better graphics, and buffs for killers. Three killers are having their abilities improved or expanded. We’ll tell you what has changed for the killers.
Clown received a mini rework, new bottles
Most of the changes were made to the Clown, as he received an overhauled ability in addition to a graphical update. Instead of just one poison, the Clown now has two different brews that he can apply to survivors and himself. He is therefore able to enhance himself (or survivors).
Has the big hour of the Clown finally arrived?
The normal brew remains untouched. It still has the same effects as before, causing survivors to slow down, impairing visibility and making survivors scream and cough.
The new brew is called “Antidote” and has interesting effects:
A gray cloud appears, which turns yellow after 2.5 seconds.
The cloud lasts a total of 7.5 seconds and is smaller than the poison cloud.
If poison and antidote overlap, both are dissolved.
Survivors and the Clown receive the “Strengthened” bonus when they touch the cloud.
“Strengthened” increases movement speed by 10% for 5 seconds.
If a poisoned survivor touches the antidote, they are no longer poisoned.
Additionally, the reload time of the bottles has been reduced from 5 seconds to 3 seconds, saving a lot of time during chases.
There are also a number of addon reworks. The Clown can swap the colors of the two brews, which should cause some confusion. The new brew can be modified so that affected players can see the auras of all other players within a radius of 16 meters. For those who prefer something funny, the brews can also be enriched with confetti. While this has no useful effect (except for blood points), it looks funny. At least you can have a laugh before the Clown cuts off your fingers.
For many players, however, the best detail is something else. The Clown now has his own music for the terror radius and the chase! You can listen to the new soundtrack in its entirety here:
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The Wraith has long been considered one of the weakest killers. Good players can detect his invisibility from a great distance, and he hardly has any means to end chases early. Here, the developers are tweaking a bit, which should at least provide slightly better chances:
As long as the Wraith is cloaked, he is completely invisible to survivors from over 20 meters away – there is no weak shimmer to detect.
The duration of the speed boost after being revealed has been increased (from 1 to 1.25 seconds).
Small buffs for the Wraith definitely make him creepier.
These may be only minor adjustments, but they should allow the Wraith to sneak up on his victims more effectively and he will be noticed later. The increase in speed duration, while only 0.25 seconds, is still a substantial 25% and should therefore add an extra half to a whole meter of distance.
Finally, there are a few minor changes that make the Trapper more efficient, as his traps are now more potent. In the future, survivors may have no chance of freeing themselves from traps. The changes are:
Escaping from the bear trap now has a 1/6 (16.6%) chance per attempt, but attempts are limited to 6. The last attempt guarantees escape.
Addons that increase the difficulty of escaping from bear traps reduce the chance per attempt but increase the number of possible attempts accordingly.
Ultimately, this means that survivors will be guaranteed to escape the trap after a certain number of attempts. However, it is still advisable to quickly rescue a trapped ally.
What do you think of these improvements and buffs? Were they urgently needed? Or are the killers now way too strong?
In short: Play through all possible activities until you can afford a Challenger Medallion or reach the maximum capacity of Cabal Gold (by default 42).
Improving the Hammer – All About H.E.L.M. and the Strategy Table
At the start of Season 13, you only have the base version of the Fire Trials Hammer. However, you can and should significantly upgrade the seasonal item. To do this, you need to go to H.E.L.M.
What is H.E.L.M.? H.E.L.M. stands for “Hub for Emergency and Logistical Maneuvers”. Think of this new location as a compact command center of the Vanguard. You will find H.E.L.M. by selecting the Tower from orbit at the top left of the Tower map.
Here you will find
A Postmaster
Your vault
The Umbral Decoder
The Prism Shaper
Crow – the NPC is important for story missions
The Strategy Table
At the strategy table, you will find Hammer upgrades and bounties
This is how you improve the Hammer: Head to the strategy table in H.E.L.M. In the menu, you will see a bluish image of the Fire Trials Hammer – click on it.
This opens a complex menu with 21 upgrade options for your Hammer. The upgrades are divided into 3 tiers (1. green, 2. blue, and 3. purple). You must first unlock the lower tier to obtain the next higher one.
Here you will find upgrades that allow you to
hold more than 3 Hammer charges
increase the Cabal Gold limit above 42
find additional charges or Gold when smashing tribute crates in Battlegrounds
increase chances for special Umbral Engrams
At the strategy table, you can also accept bounties for Battlegrounds, buy mods, and unlock further rewards later.
Why Seasonal Challenges Are Important for Hammer Improvements
Where do Hammer improvements come from? At the beginning, almost all improvements for your Fire Trials Hammer are locked. You unlock them by mastering seasonal challenges.
You will find all seasonal challenges at the top of the quest menu. For the first 11 weeks of a season, here you will find a series of missions and tasks with each weekly reset (Tuesdays).
Seasonal challenges give you:
Experience points
Strategy Table reputation
Items like weapons or cosmetics
Glint Dust
You need the strategy table reputation to unlock Hammer improvements. In the Destiny week from February 9 to 16, you will find 3 challenges that will award you strategy table reputation as a reward.
Fight through seasonal challenges of Season 13 for weapons, XP, and resources
Guardians currently do not know for sure if this is the only way to obtain Hammer improvements. We will stay updated and accordingly expand the guide.
That’s why you don’t need to rush: The seasonal challenges and rewards will not disappear next week. You have the entire Season 13 to tackle all challenges. With this system, Bungie aims to combat bounty fatigue and FOMO (fear of missing out).
In short: Complete seasonal challenges on the side to earn Hammer improvements.
Prism Shaper, Umbral Engrams, and Fire Trials Hammer
You now know exactly what the Fire Trials Hammer is, how to charge and improve it. But what exactly do the returned Umbral Engrams and the Prism Shaper have to do with it?
This is why you need the Hammer: Go to the Prism Shaper in H.E.L.M.
Use your Hammer at the Prism Shaper to focus Umbral Engrams
Here you can use the charged Fire Trials Hammer to focus your found Umbral Engrams.
This allows you to choose exactly what loot is in the Engrams
The more targeted you are in narrowing down the loot, the more expensive it will be for you
For example, if you only want Cabal weapons from Season 13, it costs you a Hammer charge (and additional resources)
By meeting certain requirements, such as x kills with bows or artifacts found in tribute crates, you will gradually unlock more focus options here over time.
In short: With Hammer charges, you can precisely dictate what kind of loot you want from Umbral Engrams.
All information about Umbral Engrams that you need your Hammer charges for can be found here on MeinMMO:
A final tip: Take your time! You have until May 11, 2021, until Season 13 ends. And even beyond that, H.E.L.M., the Strategy Table and the Fire Trials Hammer will remain relevant throughout Year 4 of Destiny 2.
So, complete seasonal challenges on the side and keep recharging your Fire Trials Hammer in the meantime. You’ll soon see that you’ll have more than enough Umbral Engrams to focus and that with the new unlocks, you will also soon receive plenty of strong new weapons and armor.
If you have any questions or further tips about the Season of the Chosen or the mechanics explained here, please share them with us and other players in the comments.
You need the strategy table reputation to unlock Hammer improvements. In the Destiny week from February 9 to 16, you will find 3 challenges that will award you strategy table reputation as a reward.
Fight through seasonal challenges of Season 13 for weapons, XP, and resources
Guardians currently do not know for sure if this is the only way to obtain Hammer improvements. We will stay updated and accordingly expand the guide.
That’s why you don’t need to rush: The seasonal challenges and rewards will not disappear next week. You have the entire Season 13 to tackle all challenges. With this system, Bungie aims to combat bounty fatigue and FOMO (fear of missing out).
In short: Complete seasonal challenges on the side to earn Hammer improvements.
Prism Shaper, Umbral Engrams, and Fire Trials Hammer
You now know exactly what the Fire Trials Hammer is, how to charge and improve it. But what exactly do the returned Umbral Engrams and the Prism Shaper have to do with it?
This is why you need the Hammer: Go to the Prism Shaper in H.E.L.M.
Use your Hammer at the Prism Shaper to focus Umbral Engrams
Here you can use the charged Fire Trials Hammer to focus your found Umbral Engrams.
This allows you to choose exactly what loot is in the Engrams
The more targeted you are in narrowing down the loot, the more expensive it will be for you
For example, if you only want Cabal weapons from Season 13, it costs you a Hammer charge (and additional resources)
By meeting certain requirements, such as x kills with bows or artifacts found in tribute crates, you will gradually unlock more focus options here over time.
In short: With Hammer charges, you can precisely dictate what kind of loot you want from Umbral Engrams.
All information about Umbral Engrams that you need your Hammer charges for can be found here on MeinMMO:
A final tip: Take your time! You have until May 11, 2021, until Season 13 ends. And even beyond that, H.E.L.M., the Strategy Table and the Fire Trials Hammer will remain relevant throughout Year 4 of Destiny 2.
So, complete seasonal challenges on the side and keep recharging your Fire Trials Hammer in the meantime. You’ll soon see that you’ll have more than enough Umbral Engrams to focus and that with the new unlocks, you will also soon receive plenty of strong new weapons and armor.
If you have any questions or further tips about the Season of the Chosen or the mechanics explained here, please share them with us and other players in the comments.
In short: Play through all possible activities until you can afford a Challenger Medallion or reach the maximum capacity of Cabal Gold (by default 42).
Improving the Hammer – All About H.E.L.M. and the Strategy Table
At the start of Season 13, you only have the base version of the Fire Trials Hammer. However, you can and should significantly upgrade the seasonal item. To do this, you need to go to H.E.L.M.
What is H.E.L.M.? H.E.L.M. stands for “Hub for Emergency and Logistical Maneuvers”. Think of this new location as a compact command center of the Vanguard. You will find H.E.L.M. by selecting the Tower from orbit at the top left of the Tower map.
Here you will find
A Postmaster
Your vault
The Umbral Decoder
The Prism Shaper
Crow – the NPC is important for story missions
The Strategy Table
At the strategy table, you will find Hammer upgrades and bounties
This is how you improve the Hammer: Head to the strategy table in H.E.L.M. In the menu, you will see a bluish image of the Fire Trials Hammer – click on it.
This opens a complex menu with 21 upgrade options for your Hammer. The upgrades are divided into 3 tiers (1. green, 2. blue, and 3. purple). You must first unlock the lower tier to obtain the next higher one.
Here you will find upgrades that allow you to
hold more than 3 Hammer charges
increase the Cabal Gold limit above 42
find additional charges or Gold when smashing tribute crates in Battlegrounds
increase chances for special Umbral Engrams
At the strategy table, you can also accept bounties for Battlegrounds, buy mods, and unlock further rewards later.
Why Seasonal Challenges Are Important for Hammer Improvements
Where do Hammer improvements come from? At the beginning, almost all improvements for your Fire Trials Hammer are locked. You unlock them by mastering seasonal challenges.
You will find all seasonal challenges at the top of the quest menu. For the first 11 weeks of a season, here you will find a series of missions and tasks with each weekly reset (Tuesdays).
Seasonal challenges give you:
Experience points
Strategy Table reputation
Items like weapons or cosmetics
Glint Dust
You need the strategy table reputation to unlock Hammer improvements. In the Destiny week from February 9 to 16, you will find 3 challenges that will award you strategy table reputation as a reward.
Fight through seasonal challenges of Season 13 for weapons, XP, and resources
Guardians currently do not know for sure if this is the only way to obtain Hammer improvements. We will stay updated and accordingly expand the guide.
That’s why you don’t need to rush: The seasonal challenges and rewards will not disappear next week. You have the entire Season 13 to tackle all challenges. With this system, Bungie aims to combat bounty fatigue and FOMO (fear of missing out).
In short: Complete seasonal challenges on the side to earn Hammer improvements.
Prism Shaper, Umbral Engrams, and Fire Trials Hammer
You now know exactly what the Fire Trials Hammer is, how to charge and improve it. But what exactly do the returned Umbral Engrams and the Prism Shaper have to do with it?
This is why you need the Hammer: Go to the Prism Shaper in H.E.L.M.
Use your Hammer at the Prism Shaper to focus Umbral Engrams
Here you can use the charged Fire Trials Hammer to focus your found Umbral Engrams.
This allows you to choose exactly what loot is in the Engrams
The more targeted you are in narrowing down the loot, the more expensive it will be for you
For example, if you only want Cabal weapons from Season 13, it costs you a Hammer charge (and additional resources)
By meeting certain requirements, such as x kills with bows or artifacts found in tribute crates, you will gradually unlock more focus options here over time.
In short: With Hammer charges, you can precisely dictate what kind of loot you want from Umbral Engrams.
All information about Umbral Engrams that you need your Hammer charges for can be found here on MeinMMO:
A final tip: Take your time! You have until May 11, 2021, until Season 13 ends. And even beyond that, H.E.L.M., the Strategy Table and the Fire Trials Hammer will remain relevant throughout Year 4 of Destiny 2.
So, complete seasonal challenges on the side and keep recharging your Fire Trials Hammer in the meantime. You’ll soon see that you’ll have more than enough Umbral Engrams to focus and that with the new unlocks, you will also soon receive plenty of strong new weapons and armor.
If you have any questions or further tips about the Season of the Chosen or the mechanics explained here, please share them with us and other players in the comments.
In Destiny 2 you now have access to a new feature in Season 13 – the Fire Trials Hammer. We explain how to charge, improve, use it correctly and how to determine your loot with it.
Here’s what it’s about: In Destiny 2, Season 13, the Season of the Chosen started on February 9. To stand against the Cabal forces, you need to prove yourself on the battlefields and properly utilize the new Fire Trials Hammer.
MeinMMO explains step by step how to improve the seasonal item, what you need Cabal Gold for, and how to focus your Umbral Engrams with the Hammer. Throughout the Season of the Chosen, this guide will be expanded and kept up to date.
This is important because you have to deal with this throughout Season 13 and beyond.
After each section, you will find the key information summarized briefly.
Before we explain the new mechanics in detail, here are the basics in a quick overview:
Where can you find the Fire Trials Hammer in Destiny 2?
If you have mastered the introductory quest of Season 13 (“A Challenger Rises”), you will find your Fire Trials Hammer in the quest menu.
How do I charge the Hammer?
You must equip the Hammer with a “Challenger Medallion” – which costs Cabal Gold. Then, you smash crates at the end of the new activity “Battleground” to obtain a charge.
What do I do with the charged Fire Trials Hammer?
With the charges, you can determine your loot yourself. To do this, you need to go to the new “H.E.L.M.” base (in the Tower). Here you then focus Umbral Engrams to receive weapons or armor.
Can I improve the Fire Trials Hammer?
Yes. You do this at the strategy table in H.E.L.M. and need to master seasonal challenges for it.
In the quest menu, you can see if your Hammer is charged
[toc]
Fire Trials Hammer from Season 13 Explained in Detail
When you open the 3 different Hammer menus, it can seem quite overwhelming. Therefore, we will guide you step by step through the functionalities of the Fire Trials Hammer from Season 13.
This is what you need to do first: Your Hammer alone won’t do anything; you need to equip it with a mod in the quest menu – press “Details” to do so.
Here, you initially have access to only one mod, a so-called Challenger Medallion, reminiscent of the bait loading mods from Season 12.
Only after activating the Challenger Medallion can your Hammer collect the important charges.
By default, the “Engraved Challenger Medallion” costs 14 Cabal Gold.
In short: Put a Challenger Medallion that costs Cabal Gold into the Fire Trials Hammer.
The Fire Trials Hammer can only be used with Cabal Gold
Off to the Battlefields
This is how you charge the Hammer: If there is a Challenger Medallion in your Fire Trials Hammer, you should play the new seasonal activity “Battlegrounds”.
After defeating the Cabal boss, a normal loot crate will appear.
Additionally, 3 more crates will appear, which you can only open – to be more precise, smash – with the Hammer.
In the additional crates, there is seasonal loot again, but also a Hammer charge and sometimes Cabal artifacts that unlock new focusing options.
Keep in mind that you must first put the Challenger Medallion in the Hammer before you can smash the crates.
In short: Smash one of the 3 extra crates in the Vanguard version of Battlegrounds to charge the Hammer.
Give the tribute crate a whack with the charged Hammer
This is the “correct” Battleground: You need to choose a special version of the Battleground activity. Navigate to the Vanguard playlist in orbit. On the bottom left, you will find a more challenging version of the Battlegrounds.
Do not select the Battlegrounds directly at the locations – crates will not appear to smash at the end here.
The activity has matchmaking – it will automatically match you with other players.
Be aware of the modifiers: You will encounter nasty champions and elemental burns in the Battlegrounds.
What is Cabal Gold and where do you get it in Season 13?
Cabal Gold is a seasonal resource. You need it to equip the Fire Trials Hammer with Challenger Medallions and thus ultimately receive Hammer charges.
Here’s how to find Cabal Gold: The material awaits at the end of various activities. You must have received the Fire Trials Hammer in the introductory quest of Season 13 at least once in order to find gold.
Play these activities:
Strikes from the Vanguard playlist (14 Cabal Gold) – including Nightfalls
Crucible matches (8 Cabal Gold)
Gambit matches (9 Cabal Gold)
Public events at all locations (depending on difficulty 5 to 8 Cabal Gold)
Dungeons – Prophecy, Shattered Throne, Pit of Heresy
Nightmare Hunt on the Moon
Blind Well in the Dreaming City
In the new season pass of the Season of the Chosen, you will later unlock bonuses that grant you more Cabal Gold for completions. It currently seems that not every activity guarantees Cabal Gold drops upon completion.
All information about Umbral Engrams that you need your Hammer charges for can be found here on MeinMMO:
A final tip: Take your time! You have until May 11, 2021, until Season 13 ends. And even beyond that, H.E.L.M., the Strategy Table and the Fire Trials Hammer will remain relevant throughout Year 4 of Destiny 2.
So, complete seasonal challenges on the side and keep recharging your Fire Trials Hammer in the meantime. You’ll soon see that you’ll have more than enough Umbral Engrams to focus and that with the new unlocks, you will also soon receive plenty of strong new weapons and armor.
If you have any questions or further tips about the Season of the Chosen or the mechanics explained here, please share them with us and other players in the comments.
You need the strategy table reputation to unlock Hammer improvements. In the Destiny week from February 9 to 16, you will find 3 challenges that will award you strategy table reputation as a reward.
Fight through seasonal challenges of Season 13 for weapons, XP, and resources
Guardians currently do not know for sure if this is the only way to obtain Hammer improvements. We will stay updated and accordingly expand the guide.
That’s why you don’t need to rush: The seasonal challenges and rewards will not disappear next week. You have the entire Season 13 to tackle all challenges. With this system, Bungie aims to combat bounty fatigue and FOMO (fear of missing out).
In short: Complete seasonal challenges on the side to earn Hammer improvements.
Prism Shaper, Umbral Engrams, and Fire Trials Hammer
You now know exactly what the Fire Trials Hammer is, how to charge and improve it. But what exactly do the returned Umbral Engrams and the Prism Shaper have to do with it?
This is why you need the Hammer: Go to the Prism Shaper in H.E.L.M.
Use your Hammer at the Prism Shaper to focus Umbral Engrams
Here you can use the charged Fire Trials Hammer to focus your found Umbral Engrams.
This allows you to choose exactly what loot is in the Engrams
The more targeted you are in narrowing down the loot, the more expensive it will be for you
For example, if you only want Cabal weapons from Season 13, it costs you a Hammer charge (and additional resources)
By meeting certain requirements, such as x kills with bows or artifacts found in tribute crates, you will gradually unlock more focus options here over time.
In short: With Hammer charges, you can precisely dictate what kind of loot you want from Umbral Engrams.
All information about Umbral Engrams that you need your Hammer charges for can be found here on MeinMMO:
A final tip: Take your time! You have until May 11, 2021, until Season 13 ends. And even beyond that, H.E.L.M., the Strategy Table and the Fire Trials Hammer will remain relevant throughout Year 4 of Destiny 2.
So, complete seasonal challenges on the side and keep recharging your Fire Trials Hammer in the meantime. You’ll soon see that you’ll have more than enough Umbral Engrams to focus and that with the new unlocks, you will also soon receive plenty of strong new weapons and armor.
If you have any questions or further tips about the Season of the Chosen or the mechanics explained here, please share them with us and other players in the comments.
In short: Play through all possible activities until you can afford a Challenger Medallion or reach the maximum capacity of Cabal Gold (by default 42).
Improving the Hammer – All About H.E.L.M. and the Strategy Table
At the start of Season 13, you only have the base version of the Fire Trials Hammer. However, you can and should significantly upgrade the seasonal item. To do this, you need to go to H.E.L.M.
What is H.E.L.M.? H.E.L.M. stands for “Hub for Emergency and Logistical Maneuvers”. Think of this new location as a compact command center of the Vanguard. You will find H.E.L.M. by selecting the Tower from orbit at the top left of the Tower map.
Here you will find
A Postmaster
Your vault
The Umbral Decoder
The Prism Shaper
Crow – the NPC is important for story missions
The Strategy Table
At the strategy table, you will find Hammer upgrades and bounties
This is how you improve the Hammer: Head to the strategy table in H.E.L.M. In the menu, you will see a bluish image of the Fire Trials Hammer – click on it.
This opens a complex menu with 21 upgrade options for your Hammer. The upgrades are divided into 3 tiers (1. green, 2. blue, and 3. purple). You must first unlock the lower tier to obtain the next higher one.
Here you will find upgrades that allow you to
hold more than 3 Hammer charges
increase the Cabal Gold limit above 42
find additional charges or Gold when smashing tribute crates in Battlegrounds
increase chances for special Umbral Engrams
At the strategy table, you can also accept bounties for Battlegrounds, buy mods, and unlock further rewards later.
Why Seasonal Challenges Are Important for Hammer Improvements
Where do Hammer improvements come from? At the beginning, almost all improvements for your Fire Trials Hammer are locked. You unlock them by mastering seasonal challenges.
You will find all seasonal challenges at the top of the quest menu. For the first 11 weeks of a season, here you will find a series of missions and tasks with each weekly reset (Tuesdays).
Seasonal challenges give you:
Experience points
Strategy Table reputation
Items like weapons or cosmetics
Glint Dust
You need the strategy table reputation to unlock Hammer improvements. In the Destiny week from February 9 to 16, you will find 3 challenges that will award you strategy table reputation as a reward.
Fight through seasonal challenges of Season 13 for weapons, XP, and resources
Guardians currently do not know for sure if this is the only way to obtain Hammer improvements. We will stay updated and accordingly expand the guide.
That’s why you don’t need to rush: The seasonal challenges and rewards will not disappear next week. You have the entire Season 13 to tackle all challenges. With this system, Bungie aims to combat bounty fatigue and FOMO (fear of missing out).
In short: Complete seasonal challenges on the side to earn Hammer improvements.
Prism Shaper, Umbral Engrams, and Fire Trials Hammer
You now know exactly what the Fire Trials Hammer is, how to charge and improve it. But what exactly do the returned Umbral Engrams and the Prism Shaper have to do with it?
This is why you need the Hammer: Go to the Prism Shaper in H.E.L.M.
Use your Hammer at the Prism Shaper to focus Umbral Engrams
Here you can use the charged Fire Trials Hammer to focus your found Umbral Engrams.
This allows you to choose exactly what loot is in the Engrams
The more targeted you are in narrowing down the loot, the more expensive it will be for you
For example, if you only want Cabal weapons from Season 13, it costs you a Hammer charge (and additional resources)
By meeting certain requirements, such as x kills with bows or artifacts found in tribute crates, you will gradually unlock more focus options here over time.
In short: With Hammer charges, you can precisely dictate what kind of loot you want from Umbral Engrams.
All information about Umbral Engrams that you need your Hammer charges for can be found here on MeinMMO:
A final tip: Take your time! You have until May 11, 2021, until Season 13 ends. And even beyond that, H.E.L.M., the Strategy Table and the Fire Trials Hammer will remain relevant throughout Year 4 of Destiny 2.
So, complete seasonal challenges on the side and keep recharging your Fire Trials Hammer in the meantime. You’ll soon see that you’ll have more than enough Umbral Engrams to focus and that with the new unlocks, you will also soon receive plenty of strong new weapons and armor.
If you have any questions or further tips about the Season of the Chosen or the mechanics explained here, please share them with us and other players in the comments.
Valheim is currently one of the biggest hits on Steam. If you are among the newcomers, you are surely interested in a powerful weapon. MeinMMO shows you how to craft a powerful club with the Stagbreaker shortly after starting.
As you take your first steps in Valheim, many dangerous creatures will stand in your way. Therefore, good armament is essential. With the Stagbreaker, you have a weapon that can certainly help you.
What kind of weapon is this? The Stagbreaker is a two-handed weapon and looks like a massive club or hammer. This weapon also falls into that skill category. It deals blunt damage accordingly and can hit multiple enemies at once. In our guide, we show you how to obtain the weapon.
These are the stats of the Stagbreaker:
Due to the relatively high weight, you will have to carry a lot with you, but you can deal significant damage. Just remember not to run around with your weapon drawn, as the penalty to movement speed is also high.
This is what makes the weapon so strong: As a special ability, the hammer can knock back enemies in the vicinity and stun them briefly. Thanks to the knockback of the Stagbreaker, you can keep many enemies at bay and deal damage to them. This makes it especially effective against groups.
Powerful club right from the start – The Stagbreaker
This is what you need to craft the Stagbreaker: You must gather the following materials:
5 Stag Trophies
2 Leather Scraps
20 Core Wood
You get the trophies from the stags that roam the meadows. Leather scraps can also be found in the meadows from wild boars. You can hunt them or simply tame and breed them. In our guide on MeinMMO, we explain how to tame wild boars in Valheim.
Core Wood is a greater challenge. You can only find it in the Dark Forest, a somewhat more difficult biome.
This is how you find Core Wood: First, you need to get to a Dark Forest biome. There, you should look for pines. These are the massive conifer trees in the area. If you chop them down, you will obtain Core Wood. You need a flint axe for that.
You can also check out the video from Indie Game Guides to see what you need to do and how the Stagbreaker looks in action:
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How do I find a Dark Forest biome? Since every game world is randomly generated, this varies for each player. Most players start in the meadows. Usually, you can find a Dark Forest biome not far from there.
If you encounter enemies in a Dark Forest, it’s better to avoid them or just run away. Greydwarfs can quickly overwhelm you with their sheer numbers, and trolls are particularly dangerous enemies without the right weapons.
Keep in mind that you need a workbench at level 2. So you need to have either a chopping block or a tannery near the workbench.
All PS4 and PS5 players with a PS Plus subscription can rejoice: Sony is giving away the game “We Were Here” to all users. However, the puzzle adventure game is only available for a short time.
Here’s how to get the game for free: You need an account for the PlayStation Network. Log in to the PS Store with that. There you can search for “We Were Here” and download the game for free.
However, keep in mind that you also need PS Plus to play the online co-op game.
Play We Were Here for free – Is it worth it?
What is We Were Here? It is a series of puzzle games. The first part of the series is now available for free. All other parts are expected to be playable from February 23 for PS4 and PS5.
In We Were Here, you play as a duo in an explorer team in Antarctica. There you encounter the large castle Castle Rock.
In the castle, you have to solve puzzles and escape. However, you and your friends are separated and have to communicate using walkie-talkies. Only by working effectively together can you solve the puzzles and escape.
We embed here the short trailer of We Were Here:
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The story told in We Were Here continues in the following parts. With the free game, you get a first glimpse into the game and the mechanics behind it.
How long is the offer valid? You shouldn’t wait too long. The offer is available until February 22. If you get a taste of the game, you can purchase the other two parts of the trilogy.
If you’re looking for even more free games for PS4 and PS5 that don’t require PS Plus, then check this out:
Hearthstone brings a new Classic mode and lets you play the game as it was in 2014. Yes, no Demon Hunters.
For the year 2021, Hearthstone has big plans. Just a few weeks ago, the mini-expansion “The Darkmoon Race” was released, and now before BlizzConline, the next big thing has already been revealed. Hearthstone is getting a Classic game mode and is reverting all nerfs and adjustments that have taken place since June 2014.
What kind of game mode is this? The Classic game mode brings Hearthstone back to the state of 2014, shortly after the first balance changes. You have the 240 cards available that existed back then. All expansions that were introduced afterward are not available there. This also means that many game mechanics are unavailable.
Quests, dual-class cards, hero cards, and the Demon Hunter are then not available.
Do you then have the cards doubled? Yes and no. If you own a Classic card that has different stats or text in the Classic mode than in Wild and Standard format, it counts as a single card in your collection. However, it exists in different versions depending on the game mode. If you disenchant the card, you lose access to it in both game modes. At the same time, you get the corresponding card for both modes if you craft or draw it from a pack.
When is the game mode available? With the next major patch, which will also bring the latest expansion. This Classic mode should already be available before the new expansion is unlocked. We will probably receive an exact date at BlizzConline on February 19 and 20.
Is the mode playable in ranked? Yes. Anyone who wants to can play the Classic format in “Ranked Play” in the future and earn seasonal rewards, complete quests, and collect achievements. The Classic mode stands equal alongside the other two modes, “Wild” and “Standard”.
The good old Innervate returns.
Hype in the Community
The community is excited and looking forward to it: In the Hearthstone subreddit, the announcement has triggered a lot of nostalgia. Many players reminisce about card combos that were considered overpowered back then because you could have a 4/5 minion in the first turn. Such and other possibilities pale in comparison to what is possible today in Hearthstone. The overall “power level” of the cards has significantly increased, leading to devastating combos early on.
A few quotes from the community about the plans:
“Yeti in turn 1 will feel just as good as it did 7 years ago.”
“Oh man, I just realized that this means we’re getting our Wild Growth for 2 mana back and also our ‘+2 mana’ Innervate.”
Over time, various payment models have emerged in MMORPGs. Which one do you prefer?
Here’s the deal: In order for ongoing games like MMORPGs to produce new content over a long period, they need to make money, of course. To stay afloat, developers have tried various payment models in recent years: Pay2Play, Buy2Play, and Free2Play.
Often, all these models have additional means of funding, such as a cash shop with cosmetic items or premium subscriptions that offer gameplay advantages. However, they differ in their fundamentals and the financial “entry barrier” for players:
Pay2Play is a model that includes a monthly subscription. Players pay a certain amount each month and gain access to the game (Examples: World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy XIV).
With Buy2Play, players have to purchase the MMORPG once and can then play without restrictions (Examples: Guild Wars 2, ESO).
Free2Play MMORPGs are those that do not require players to pay money to gain access to the game (Examples: Blade & Soul, TERA)
Various large MMORPGs owe their success not least to their payment model that finances them
So tell us: Which payment model do you like the most? How strongly does the payment model of an MMORPG influence your decision to play it? What experiences have you had with the different payment models? Share your answers in the comments.
How can I vote? You can cast your vote in the survey tool under the article. Note that each user can only vote once, and the vote cannot be undone.
The survey ends on February 13.
Have fun voting!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Season 13 of Destiny 2 has started. From now on, you can also expand and customize your freshly acquired Stasis powers with new aspects and fragments. MeinMMO shows you how to get them and what they can do.
What is happening right now in Destiny 2? On the evening of February 9, Bungie’s action MMO launched the new Season 13. This brings new content as well as various innovations and changes, including for the Stasis element.
Recently, Guardians could acquire and improve the new icy power in the “Beyond Light” expansion, which ran parallel to Season 12. But that wasn’t the end. In the new Season 13, you can further expand and better customize Stasis.
Expanding Stasis in Season 13 – Here’s How
In total, you can expect in Season 13
3 new Stasis aspects – one for each of the three Guardian classes
4 new Stasis fragments that you can use with any class
How do you even get Stasis? You receive the icy powers by completing the campaign of the Beyond Light expansion and mastering a few additional tasks. After that, you can unlock further specializations of this power and tailor Stasis to your playstyle. How to do that, you can learn here: Improve Stasis in Destiny 2 – Here’s how to find all aspects and fragments
This is what the customization options look like for the Stasis Hunter
With Season 13, you now have new options to further adapt the Stasis element to your needs or preferences – thanks to new aspects and fragments.
Keep in mind: This customization system is currently only used for Stasis in Destiny 2. All other focuses still use the old system, which offers far less freedom in composition.
This is what aspects and fragments do: The special Stasis aspects have drastic effects on your Guardian’s playstyle. They either change existing Stasis abilities or introduce a completely new skill.
Fragments modify individual aspects. They provide bonuses for damage or affect your Stasis abilities with other buffs. Some even have both powerful positive and negative effects. Each aspect provides space for a varying number of fragments.
This is new in Season 13: In Beyond Light and Season 12, each aspect had to be unlocked individually with the corresponding Guardian class, but now this happens account-wide in Season 13.
In other words: If you complete the quest for the new aspect of Season 13 with one character, you can essentially just collect their own aspects with your other characters (classes). This now saves a lot of time and nerves.
The 3 new Stasis aspects of Season 13
This is what the new aspects can do in detail:
Dusk Harvest (Hunter, 2 fragment versions):
The new Hunter fragment from Season 13
Dusk Watcher: (Warlock, 1 fragment version):
The new Warlock fragment from Season 13
Howl of the Storm: (Titan, 2 fragment versions):
The new Titan fragment from Season 13
This is how you get the new aspects: The new Stasis aspects come through the quest “Aspect of Influence.” You receive this from the Exo Stranger, who awaits you at the lower landing zone of Europe and is marked with a quest marker.
She will ask you to investigate the emergence of entropic shards in the “Well of Infinity” area. The mission objective is marked on the map. Essentially, you need to destroy small floating pyramids with the exotic Stasis grenade launcher “Grip of Salvation” and conquer a boss at the end.
You can see the exact path and procedure here:
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After that, you need to master a heroic Exo challenge, which you will also find on the map of Europe.
Once that’s done, return to the Exo Stranger, who will then send you to the nearby Ziggurat in the Beyond area (also marked on the map).
There, you will be teleported inside and only need to collect the respective aspect.
Keep in mind: The quest completion now counts account-wide. If you have obtained one of the 3 new fragments with the corresponding class, you just need to collect it on the other two classes (if available). Go to the Exo Stranger, and she will then send you directly to the Ziggurat, where you can pick up the appropriate new fragment.
The 4 new Stasis fragments of Season 13
This is what the new fragments can do:
Whispers of Chains: While you are near a frozen target or an allied Stasis crystal, you take less damage from enemies. Also grants +10 to recovery.
Whispers of Torment: Each time you take damage from enemy fighters, you gain grenade energy.
Whispers of the Rift: Your melee energy charges faster when you are near 2 or more fighters. As a drawback, you also receive -10 discipline.
Whispers of the Drive: When you deal damage to targets with Stasis melee, it reloads your stowed weapons and grants you a temporary boost on weapon readying.
Here you will receive the fragment quests
This is how you get the new fragments: You obtain these just like before through the self-explanatory fragment quests given by the Exo Stranger. There you can choose whether you want to complete these task sets in PvE, PvP, or Gambit. Two quests per week are possible per account.
After you have completed such a fragment quest, you can unlock a fragment at the Exo in return. These are then available account-wide for all characters and classes.
What do you think of the new options for Stasis from Season 13? Is there anything you can already identify as particularly strong or particularly weak? What do you think about the idea that the Stasis focus can apparently continue to be expanded over time? How do you view the old focuses of Destiny 2 in light of this development? Let us and other readers know in the comments.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
To equip you as best as possible against Latios, we show you the best counters and useful tips against the monster.
The best Pokémon against Latios
Use these types: Latios is a Dragon and Psychic type. Therefore, you should use Dragon, Ice, Bug, Fairy, Dark, or Ghost types. Your selection is vast.
Use these Pokémon: Here are the 10 best Pokémon against Latios. We also include suitable moves that your monsters should have:
Pokémon
Moves
Rayquaza
Dragon Tail and Outrage
Dialga
Fire Spin and Draco Meteor
Salamence
Dragon Tail and Outrage
Zekrom
Fire Spin and Outrage
Garchomp
Dragon Tail and Outrage
Darkrai
Sludge Bomb and Shadow Ball
Dragonite
Dragon Tail and Outrage
Reshiram
Fire Spin and Draco Meteor
Palkia
Dragon Tail and Draco Meteor
Giratina
Shadow Claw and Shadow Ball
What you should know: In general, Dragon-type Pokémon are best against Latios. However, Latios also sometimes knows Dragon moves and is therefore effective against your Dragons.
If Latios knows Dragon moves, you should rather switch to Ghost or Dark Pokémon.
How many players are needed for Latios? The legendary Pokémon can already be defeated with three players and you don’t necessarily need strong Pokémon for this.
So, even if you haven’t reached Level 40 or even higher levels yet, you can defeat Latios well with three players, provided you choose effective counters.
How much CP for a 100% IV? A Latios with 100% IV needs exactly 2178 CP after the raid. With weather boost, it needs 2723 CP.
Is there a Shiny Latios? Yes, you can also catch the Pokémon in its Shiny version. The chance for that is about 1 in 20. The Shiny form is greenish and not blue anymore – you can see the difference clearly.
This is what Shiny Latios looks like.
Are Latios raids worth it? Latios is among the best attackers of Dragon and Psychic type. However, it has better competitors in both types. So it’s only an alternative, which is not necessarily bad.
You should think carefully about whether to invest raid passes in Latios. We recommend focusing on Pokémon like Rayquaza or Mewtwo and investing raid passes there when they are available.
Are you looking for more strong attackers in Pokémon GO? Then check here:
In The Elder Scrolls Online will release its fifth major expansion, Blackwood, for the MMORPG in 2021. We at MeinMMO take this opportunity to ask: Which expansion has actually been the best so far?
With the upcoming expansion Blackwood, it will be about the fight against the Daedric Prince Mehrunes Dagon. There will be new areas, new story quests, and dungeons.
ESO follows an increasingly established pattern of DLCs and a major expansion in summer. This pattern was initiated by Morrowind in 2017, with the DLCs thematically aligning with the expansion only starting with Elsweyr.
The Structure and Content of ESO Expansions
Each expansion in ESO brings fixed content, including:
New story
New areas
A new trial
Additionally, there have always been further special features, including classes or new professions. We briefly summarize the most important content of the expansions:
Morrowind: In Morrowind, the story revolved around the God-King Vivec and his diminishing divinity. This included the introduction of the new class Warden and new PvP battlegrounds.
Summerset: In this expansion, the storyline continued with the Daedric Triad. Additionally, the Psijic Order was implemented, through which new skills could be learned. For crafters, the ability to craft jewelry was introduced.
Elsweyr: Dangerous dragons and the home of the Khajiit were the major themes of Elsweyr. Additionally, the new class Necromancer was introduced.
Greymoor: In Greymoor, everything revolved around a dark vampire lord. It also took place in western Skyrim and the Blackreach. Special features included antiques, the new mythic gear, and a revamp of the vampires.
Which Expansion Do You Like Best?
Now we come to your voting. Which of the expansions did you like best? Keep in mind that you only have one single vote.
Please leave a comment after voting and explain why the expansion you chose is the best so far, and what you missed in the other expansions. Feel free to also tell us what new features you generally wish for ESO.
The survival game Valheim has launched in Early Access on Steam and is already gaining popularity. The game constantly attracts new players who are now taking their first steps. MeinMMO reveals 11 things that will make your start easier.
What is Valheim? In Valheim, you play as a Norseman in a mythical land, trying to gain the favor of the gods. To do this, you must defeat powerful enemies and bosses and prove that you are the strongest warriors.
You start with nothing in a large world and must secure your survival. To do this, you build your own home, tools, and weapons. The world offers many areas to explore, different biomes, and dangers that you must face. The first trailer for Valheim already showed how tough you need to be. At launch, there is a new trailer featuring gameplay of the game:
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Meanwhile, Valheim is in Early Access on Steam and is currently well-received. The survival game has already reached a peak of 31,990 concurrent players (via steamcharts). Our tips will help you survive your first hours in Valheim.
Update from February 10: We have added a tip about storage spaces and further tips on building.
1. First build tools, weapons & aids instead of a house
One of your first tasks in Valheim is to build a workbench and cover it. Only if it is covered can you fully utilize it. Otherwise, it serves merely as a construction site with an effective area.
Many players therefore quickly gather wood and build their first home around the workbench. However, this is wasteful because you only need a shelter. A few walls and roofs will suffice; the workbench must not stand out in the open.
This way, you save materials and can look for or create a suitable construction site by leveling the land.
A shelter like this is sufficient. Image source: techraptor.
What should I build instead? Use your resources to craft all the essential tools and aids. Especially early on, collect flint near water in the meadows for the flint axe – it is significantly stronger than the stone one. Important for the start are:
an axe, preferably made of flint
a flint spear for hunting, which can be thrown with the middle mouse button
the hammer for construction
a bed for respawning, should you die
chests for storage
a campfire with a cooking station
Tip: A hoe is not meant for gardening but allows you to flatten land. Craft a hoe early to define your building area.
You can place the bed along with a chest in a small plot right in front of the workbench, as the bed also needs to be covered. A minimalist shelter with all necessities consists of:
8 walls
2 26° outside roofs
4 26° roofs
Workbench, bed, chest, and campfire
Optional: a cooking station
Total cost: 60-62x wood and 5x stone (hammer not included)
This way, a small outpost can be built quickly.
2. Storage is important
You will often need to go to the forest to gather more resources – such as meat, leather, or wood. You can make your excursions much more efficient by not just gathering what you immediately need.
Generally, collect as long as either your tool breaks or your inventory is full. This way, you have to go out less frequently but need enough chests.
If you create storage spaces, you can divide your time between gathering and building or crafting. Ideally, create a separate building for your chests and systematically sort all materials into them.
By having a storage house, you save space in the main house and don’t have to tear down or restructure things later.
3. Building parts can be torn down again
If you have already built a house around your workbench or accidentally placed building parts, you can easily tear them down again. Choose the hammer and try to place another part.
If you now set this part over an existing one, you can remove already placed items by pressing the middle mouse button. You receive some of the building materials back.
This works for normal building parts like walls and floors, as well as for objects like the workbench or campfires.
4. Small trees can be punched for wood
Many newcomers think they can only collect wood from the ground by looking for branches without an axe. However, you can also fell the first trees with your bare hands.
Look for smaller trees that are only slightly taller than you. Punch them, and after some time they will be destroyed, giving you a lot of wood in return. Especially practical if you want to build your first tools or buildings.
An additional advantage is that you can skill unarmed combat this way. When you punch small trees, your skill in using your fists increases.
Once you have built your first workbench and tool, you can search for more resources. However, your tool will lose durability and may eventually become unusable.
To prevent this, you can simply repair items at the workbench. This costs nothing in Valheim, unlike in most other survival games. It is possible that costs will be implemented later, but at least right now in Early Access, repairs are free.
This is particularly important when you move further away from home to explore new areas or go hunting. Before an expedition, you should always repair all your items.
6. Train on a stone
To be more effective with weapons, you need to skill them up. In Valheim, your ability with weapons or other skills increases by using the corresponding items or performing actions.
However, with weapons, it is not enough to just swing into the air. You need to attack something. But large rocks and stones will suffice for that. When you strike a stone with a weapon, your skill increases, and you deal more damage.
Note that this will decrease the durability of your weapons. So it’s better not to train in the middle of the forest, where enemies may appear and catch you with a broken weapon.
Some skills like sprinting, jumping, or swimming can also be improved by use. This happens passively, but you can also specifically run or jump. Skills like sneaking can only be improved near enemies—so just sneak around some deer for a few minutes.
A large stone under a tree is the perfect spot to train – and nice to look at.
7. Weapons reduce movement speed
Weapons have, in addition to attack and durability, another value: movement. This percentage value indicates how much a weapon or tool slows you down while carrying and moving with it.
Heavy and larger items like hammers or shields significantly slow you down. Lighter items like knives do not slow you at all. Be careful not to carry heavy items when you are on the move to conserve your stamina.
If you still want to be armed, you can equip your desired weapons and then put them away by pressing the “R” key. This way, you move at normal speed and can draw your weapons again at any time by pressing the key again.
8. Food buffs stack
Some of the first food items you find will be mushrooms, berries, and meat. Each item has different values to heal your health points or stamina and provides a buff.
These buffs heal you additionally over several minutes by a certain value per second. Important here is: Don’t just eat the strongest food, but several items at once. Because the buffs are combinable.
This only applies to different food items. For example, you can eat a piece of meat, a cooked neck tail, and a mushroom at the same time and benefit from their buffs. However, two different pieces of meat do not stack. For starters, the following three items are advisable:
Cooked meat
Cooked neck tail
Mushrooms
Meat can be found almost everywhere, and mushrooms are stronger than berries. You can do without the neck tail if you don’t find any neks.
If you’re interested in more survival games, this might appeal to you:
To make your home cozy, you need a fireplace inside the house. The easiest way is to have a campfire in your house. To do this, you first need to place the campfire on the ground and then build your house around it, or you remove a floor piece and place your fire there.
However, it is important that the smoke can escape. So make sure you have a chimney or at least a hole in the wall near the roof. Some players reported that their character died from the trapped smoke (via PCGamer).
You need the fire to make your home “comfortable.” This value is important as it grants you a “Rested” buff when you are home near the fire. The buff increases stamina and health regeneration. The higher the comfort of your home, the longer the buff lasts.
A fire in the house is important, but remember the chimney! Image source: PCGamer.
10. Don’t use floors as a roof
When building your house, floor pieces might tempt you to use them as a roof since they have a practical shape and allow for easy huts. After all, square houses are very pragmatic.
However, in Valheim, you need a proper roof. If you use floors instead, the house won’t count as a “shelter,” and objects like the workbench or your bed won’t be considered “covered.”
Without a proper roof, you cannot use some of your objects and won’t have protection from the weather.
11. No damage without PvP
Valheim features “consensual PvP.” This means you can only attack other players if you activate PvP mode in your inventory. You can find that in the top right:
two parallel swords mean: PvP is off
crossed swords indicate that PvP is active
Players only deal damage to each other if both parties have PvP activated. If PvP is disabled, no other player can kill you. This also has another advantage.
If you play in a team, you can fight with your friend without active PvP, thereby leveling your combat skills. Since neither of you takes damage but is actively attacking, your abilities will improve.
With these tips, your first attempts in Valheim should go smoothly. If you enjoy the game and are looking for more great games in the genre, you can find the 25 best survival games 2021 for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox in our list.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Chemistry is one of the fundamental principles in FIFA 21 Ultimate Team. You can find out how important it really is here.
This is chemistry: Chemistry is a value that each of your players gets in Ultimate Team. There are two variants that must be distinguished.
The team chemistry results from your entire starting eleven. It has a maximum of 100.
Each player has an individual chemistry value of up to 10.
A team consisting entirely of Premier League players also gets perfect chemistry
Why chemistry is important: Each player receives a chemistry effect depending on how high the chemistry value is. This is crucial when you use a chemistry style. These items can increase certain values of your player, depending on how high the respective chemistry value is.
An example: If you use a Hunter chemistry style, the pace and shooting values of your player increase. The better the chemistry value of your players, the faster he becomes and the better he shoots. This is based on a certain formula:
For players in the starting eleven, the chemistry boost consists of 25% team chemistry and 75% individual player chemistry.
For substituted players, there is a set individual player value of 5. Their boost consists of 25% team chemistry and 75% individual player chemistry. Therefore, a high team chemistry is particularly relevant for them.
The higher the team and individual player chemistry, the better the values your players receive. This means: When building your team, you should always aim to achieve as high a chemistry as possible.
The chemistry values of your players are based on the composition of your team. The better players fit together, the higher the chemistry value. The connections between players, which are displayed with different colored lines, are decisive. A poor connection is represented in red, while a perfect connection is displayed in green.
For the connection, the following points are decisive.
The nationality of the players
The league of the players
The club of the players
The more of these points match between players, the better the connection and therefore the chemistry. Furthermore, it is important for the individual player’s chemistry value that they are in the correct position indicated on their player card.
An example:
This is what chemistry links look like in FIFA 21
Mats Hummels and Emre Can, as German players at BVB, have a perfect connection with each other because nationality, club, and league all match.
Between Can and midfielder Steffen, there is a somewhat weaker link – but at least the league matches.
James from Chelsea still gets a few chemistry points because he is in the right position – but he has no links to any of the other players.
Right-back Raphael is completely out of position in goal and has no links at all. Accordingly, the chemistry is low.
Ultimately, to achieve a good chemistry, it is essential to place players who fit together. An exception is icons in FIFA 21: The legends are not assigned to any club or league and fit with all players within a team. So if you have a legend available, you can be a little more flexible with your team formation.
You can also receive additional chemistry boosts by placing a manager with the appropriate league and nationality.
In the end, it comes down to finding the perfect balance between chemistry and strong individual player values. You should always pay attention to making your team as strong as possible in terms of chemistry to find value boosts.
Have you already found your perfect team? Then it’s time to get into the game. And so that you concede as few goals as possible, you can find our guide to defending in FIFA 21 here.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Do you still remember the MMORPG Grand Fantasia? The game, which is about 11 years old, is returning as a remake – for mobile devices and with new graphics.
What is Grand Fantasia? The anime MMORPG released in 2010 puts you in the role of a fighter, hunter, acolyte, or summoner in a colorful fantasy world. There you will face quests, occasionally cute opponents, and many challenges that you overcome to improve your hero. For larger missions and dungeon runs, you team up with other players. PvP is executed through duels.
Grand Fantasia still runs today, although it no longer offers a modern gaming experience. The developers at X-Legend want to change that now.
The trailer shows you what the remake looks like:
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What does the remake offer? Grand Fantasia Reborn essentially feels like a new game. While it still features anime graphics, they look much more detailed now. Especially the characters and monsters now appear as if they came straight out of an anime. This alone gives the remake the impression of a modern game being released in 2021.
Furthermore, the battles seem to be significantly faster than in the original. They feel like confrontations in a hack and slay. Generally, Grand Fantasia Reborn seems to be more of an action RPG.
The most important change is that the title is now being released for mobile devices, while the original is a PC MMORPG. Whether there will be autoplay is still unclear.
You can tell that X-Level is targeting a different audience with Grand Fantasia Reborn. Mobile gamers who desire faster gameplay while still enjoying good graphics.
When will the game be released? The mobile MMORPG Grand Fantasia Reborn is set to be released in Asia in 2021. An international release has not yet been mentioned. However, the original remains popular among its target audience here, which makes it quite likely that the Reborn version will be released here as well. Whether that will still be the case in 2021 remains to be seen.
Do you like Grand Fantasia Reborn? Or would you have preferred this remake for PC?
In Call of Duty: Warzone, there are a few complicated Easter Eggs that reward you with weapon blueprints. However, players are now reporting that an absurd bug is ruining their reward.
What’s going on? To take a break from the tough “Battle Royale” routine in Call of Duty: Warzone, you can solve some Easter Eggs that reward you with special weapon skins:
But currently, you should think twice before tackling the puzzle in the stadium of Verdansk – because the reward is currently bugged. Since the Easter Egg is really tricky and luck plays a certain role, you should refrain from hunting for the weapon skin at this time.
Easter Egg in the stadium rewards with a bug instead of a weapon skin
What does it look like? It looks quite crazy. As soon as you open the doors to the room with the Easter Egg, you can see the name of the skin, but instead of the weapon, there’s just an empty loadout crate. On reddit, the user “DingDingDongDotJPG” shows a picture of the absurd bug:
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The user writes: “We have completed all the Easter Eggs, in Verdansk and on Rebirth Island, except for this one. After trying for days, we finally managed to collect the cards within the time limit, and then we got this in the secret room of the stadium.”
The user and their teammate tried everything to uncover the blueprint and claim their well-deserved reward. But in the end, they had to give up in frustration.
What can I do? Currently, we recommend you not to seriously tackle the Easter Eggs in Warzone. Reports of bugged rewards have only been reported for the Enigma blueprint in the stadium so far. However, the puzzles are sometimes so elaborate that you shouldn’t risk spending your playtime on a “possibly” broken mechanic.
Will this stay like this? You can expect the developers to do something about this nasty bug. However, it cannot currently be estimated how long this will take. On the Trello board for Cold War and Warzone, where the developers list bugs they are currently working on, there is still no entry about this.
A bug as frustrating as this, potentially ruining hours of gameplay for dedicated players, is likely to be fixed quickly. However, there is no guarantee. Currently, the Battle Royale suffers from some small and larger issues that have even led to the “Armored Royale” mode being removed from the game.
Since the integration of Cold War last December, Warzone has simply not found peace, and new bugs arise almost weekly. Although broken Easter Eggs are not game-breaking, like the recently fixed Stim glitch, they are certainly annoying.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
