The MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) released the Greymoor chapter this year and named the year “The Black Heart of Skyrim”. This led you to Skyrim, and we want to know how you liked it in a survey.
The Elder Scrolls Online is continuously updated with new chapters and DLCs. The overarching adventure in 2020 was called “The Black Heart of Skyrim”.
This took you with the Greymoor add-on to an area that should be familiar to many. We are talking about Tamriel, or English Skyrim, which is already known from an older and likewise named part of The Elder Scrolls series.
This may have triggered nostalgia for some players. However, not every ESO player has necessarily played Skyrim and may still enjoy the chapter. Similarly, not every ESO-playing Skyrim fan must have liked the chapter.
So now it’s your turn: how did you find the year 2020 in the sign of Skyrim?
In Greymoor, you encounter such dark Vampire Lords
The new chapter Greymoor and its DLCs
This is how the year 2020 began: It started with the Harrowstorm DLC, which brought two dungeons and the prologue quest for Greymoor. The two instances were:
Icecap – There you will delve into the Gramstorms that move across the sea.
The Unholy Tomb – There you will enter an ancient burial site that has been reopened.
This is how 2020 continued: The highlight was the Greymoor expansion, which was released in May for PC and in June for consoles. It took you to Skyrim, more specifically to western Tamriel. There, a dark main story and sinister side quests awaited you, involving many vampires and monsters. Additionally, you had:
The Gramstorms/Harrowstorms – Similar to the Anchors, during this group event you can save the world and also loot by killing monsters and dissolving the storm.
Kynes Aegis – A new trial for 12 players, corresponding to the raids in ESO. You have voted on these raids and shared your ranking.
This is how you vote: Now it’s up to you to tell us your opinion about the Skyrim year. Try to consider the year 2020 in ESO from all points of view when rating, such as story, atmosphere, performance, gameplay, and everything that goes with it.
In the following survey tool, there are 6 answer options waiting for you. You can choose whether you have played Skyrim or not and how much you liked the overarching adventure. You only have one vote, so be careful not to click the wrong option.
The voting runs until the morning of December 31, and will be evaluated here at MeinMMO afterwards. Feel free to also leave us your opinion in the comments to contribute to the article.
Currently, the New Year’s event is still running in ESO, where you can grab great rewards. Among other things, it is your last chance to earn a magical stag, an Indrik, as a mount. So it’s worth checking it out.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
No MMO lives forever, and in 2020 some games were shut down again. We present to you the 7 MMOs that you can no longer play in 2020.
Every year new MMOs are released, but every year others are also discontinued. In 2020, several MMOs died again, some of which had only been on the market for a few years or months.
Genre: Shooter | Developer: Amazon Games | Platforms: PC | Payment Model: Free2Play
What kind of game was it? Crucible was a promising new hero shooter from Amazon. You played a pre-made hero with special weapons and abilities. With this, you plunged into fights primarily against other players.
At launch, there were 3 game modes:
In “Heart of the Swarms,” players fight in teams of 4 against massive boss groups to get a heart. The first team to earn 3 hearts won the match. Teams could hinder each other.
“Harvest Machine Command” was a capture point mode where 2 teams of 8 players each tried to capture and defend as many machines as possible. The team that first reached 100 points won.
The “Alpha Hunter” mode was a classic deathmatch mode where 2-player teams tried to be the last surviving in the battle.
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What did it fail at? Crucible appeared almost out of nowhere. On April 2, the developers announced the shooter, and it was to be released in May. However, the game did not resonate with players for several reasons:
Hero shooters peaked in 2016 with Overwatch, and since then, the popularity of such games has steadily declined.
Crucible felt “off” for many players. Especially the gunplay was a problem, as there was little feedback when hitting or being hit by an opponent.
The balance of the heroes was also rather arbitrary. There were extremely overpowered characters and those that were hardly playable.
Overall, the game gave many players a very unfinished and cobbled-together impression.
However, after the release, disappointment set in. There will probably not be many good memories of the gameplay.
Ajonah, one of the heroes from Crucible.
Are there alternatives or successors? If you want to play a hero shooter, there are several games to choose from. The most famous is probably Overwatch from Blizzard. Valorant from Riot Games is your choice if you prefer a more tactical approach focused on firearms.
Another option would be Paladins, the cute hero shooter from HiRez. You can play that, just like Overwatch, on PlayStation, Xbox, and even Nintendo Switch. Paladins has the advantage of being Free2Play and does not have to be purchased first.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
More than 14 hours trapped in a dungeon? These WoW players show massive endurance and never give up.
In World of Warcraft Shadowlands records are currently tumbling once again. Just a few days ago, the first group completed a “Mythic+20” in time, while other players are setting further records – but in ways you might not expect. A highly motivated group was determined to complete a dungeon – even if it took a proud 14 hours.
What happened? A group aimed to tackle the dungeon “Peak of Ascension +17”. This dungeon is already considered one of the more difficult ones; however, with the affixes this week, it became even more unpleasant. The player moogrr1211 decided to stream the entire run on Twitch, and you can watch the whole video here – the run starts at 2:46:00.
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And yes, you are not mistaken. The video lasts over 17 hours; the dungeon run alone took a whopping 14 hours and 6 minutes – this could possibly be the longest visit to an instance ever.
915 deaths until victory: Those who look at the other statistics will quickly realize that not only was time an issue during the dungeon visit, but also the mob groups and bosses. With 915 deaths, each player died on average 183 times – that was already several thousand gold in repair costs.
On average, the group had an item level of 199 – the healer ranked last with 181, while the fury warrior with item level 212 was the best-equipped fighter in the group.
Viewers kept cheering them on: For the spectators in the chat, it was apparently quite entertaining. Time and again, the group was encouraged to keep trying and not lose hope. This was likely one of the main reasons why the group ultimately managed to succeed with a proud 915 deaths (equivalent to about 180 wipes).
The “nerd scream” when the final boss finally falls is almost reminiscent of the World First Kill by Limit. But just listen and watch for yourself – and see how the chat “goes wild”:
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Perhaps this is not the most impressive achievement in terms of time and results, but having the endurance to keep working on the bosses after more than a dozen hours is commendable. Especially in a WoW era where many players simply leave the group wordlessly after the third failed attempt.
Would you have had that much endurance? Or would you have thrown in the towel sooner?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Currently, there are some gaming laptops on offer. We present to you 4 devices that provide enough performance for gaming and home office. You don’t need to spend more than 1200 euros for all 4 notebooks.
Even after Christmas 2020, various retailers still offer interesting deals for gamers or those who can work from home.
What do we present to you? Currently, Otto has several offers of the week, including some notebooks that provide enough performance even for demanding gaming. We present to you four gaming laptops that are currently on offer at Otto.
Gaming Laptop: What you should consider when buying
The following tips should be considered when buying a gaming laptop in 2020 and 2021.
Graphics Card:
Gaming laptops with a GTX 1650 are positioned in the lower performance range. If you are a casual gamer and do not care about the best graphics, these devices might be suitable for you. For people who play Fortnite and games without high graphic requirements, the performance is completely sufficient.
With the GTX 1660 Ti and faster, you can play almost all modern titles at high settings. With these models, you already benefit from higher FPS numbers – as long as your screen allows it.
The mobile variants of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060, RTX 2070, and RTX 2080 offer enough power for maximum details and high frame rates. However, the prices for these models often exceed 1000 euros.
RAM:
If you want to game on the laptop, at least 16 GB of RAM should be installed.
If you want to be future-proof, you should even consider 32 GB.
8 GB is more common in budget laptops. With laptops featuring only 8 GB of RAM, you should ensure that you can replace or expand the RAM.
It is practical if you can upgrade the RAM yourself, and the RAM is not permanently soldered to the laptop’s motherboard.
Ports:
HDMI, USB, LAN, and headphone ports should be present on every gaming laptop. A card reader can also be useful but can also be added with an adapter.
Particularly interesting are Thunderbolt ports. They allow for the transfer of large amounts of data in a short time. External graphics cards (so-called eGPUs) can also be connected through them.
Laptop or Gaming PC: Prices for good laptops start at 700 euros and can easily exceed the 1000 euro mark with appropriate performance. In general, you should consider what you need the device for. If your future notebook is primarily intended to be placed on a desk, you should look for a desktop PC instead. These are significantly cheaper than investing in mobile technology.
HP 15 Omen Gaming Laptop
This is what the device offers: The gaming laptop from HP’s Omen series offers you an i7-10750H from Intel and a dedicated RTX 2060. It also features an anti-glare Full HD display with 144 Hz and 16 GB of RAM. The processor and graphics card deliver enough performance. The hard drive and RAM can be replaced.
However, you will have to make some compromises with the display, as dark and black colors are not accurately reproduced. Another downside is the device’s battery life. For normal tasks like browsing the internet, it lasts about 3 hours, and even less under full load.
Who is this device suitable for? This notebook has plenty of power for demanding applications. The RTX 2060 delivers many FPS even at high settings and can make good use of the 144 Hz display.
Pro
16 GB of RAM
anti-glare Full HD display with 144 Hz
enough power for demanding gaming
Contra
short battery life
screen with low black levels
no pre-installed Windows
Here you can buy the device: Currently, you can buy the notebook for 1151.27 € (1249.99 €), saving 8%. The purchase price also includes a license for Microsoft 365 Single for 1 user at no additional cost.
This is what the device offers: The notebook from HP features an AMD Ryzen 5 4600 and a dedicated GTX 1650 with 4 GB of graphics memory. Additionally, it comes with a Full HD display at 60 Hz and 16 GB of RAM.
The notebook provides enough performance for occasional gaming and has a contrast-rich display, as well as a very good battery life: Fully charged, the device lasts 9 to 11 hours in office operation, which is a strong point. On the other hand, the maximum brightness of the screen is too low and the built-in card reader is quite slow.
Who is this device suitable for? If you are often on the move but do not want to give up occasional gaming, then the HP Pavilion offers a long battery life and enough performance for gaming with the GTX 1650, as long as you do not value the highest settings.
Pro
good computing power
very good battery life
contrast-rich display
16 GB of RAM
good illuminated keyboard
Contra
low brightness of the display
slow card reader
only 60 Hz display
Here you can buy the device: Currently, you can buy the notebook for 707.60 € (899.00 €), saving 21%. The purchase price also includes a license for Microsoft 365 Single for 1 user at no additional cost.
This is what the device offers: The laptop from Captiva features a Full HD display with 144 Hz, an Intel Core i5-10200H and an RTX 2060 with 6 GB of video memory. It also comes with 16 GB of RAM.
The mobile variant of the RTX 2060 provides enough performance for demanding applications, and the 144 Hz display is also interesting for gamers.
Unfortunately, this device does not have a card reader or Bluetooth. Its high weight of nearly 3 kilograms is also less suitable for mobile use.
Who is this device suitable for? If you are looking for a high-performance laptop that provides enough power for demanding titles but can do without Bluetooth, this laptop may be suitable for you.
Pro
Full HD display with 144 Hz
RTX 2060 provides enough performance for demanding applications
illuminated keyboard
modern Wi-Fi standard (Wifi 6)
Contra
no Bluetooth
no card reader
high weight
no pre-installed Windows
Here you can buy the device: Currently, you can buy the notebook on offer at Otto for 1079.00 € (1461.00 €), saving 26%. The purchase price also includes a license for Microsoft 365 Single for 1 user at no additional cost.
This is what the device offers: The MSI GF75 10SDR Thin provides you with an Intel i7-10705H, 16 GB of RAM, and a GTX 1650 with 4 GB, making it a well-equipped gaming laptop. The performance of the graphics card is sufficient to utilize the 144 Hz of the screen, and it delivers enough power for gaming if you can compromise on some details in modern games.
The battery life ranges between 4 and 6 hours in office operation, and it drops significantly while gaming.
Who is this device suitable for? If you are looking for a well-crafted device with enough performance to play almost all modern titles with reduced details, you should consider the MSI notebook.
Pro
high performance
Full HD display with 144 Hz
high-quality workmanship
illuminated keyboard
Contra
weak battery life
high noise under load
Here you can buy the device: Currently, you can buy the notebook at Otto for 1111.00 € (1249 €), saving 11%. The purchase price also includes a license for Microsoft 365 Single for 1 user at no additional cost.
Matchingaccessories for your laptop: If you are still looking for a suitable gaming mouse for your laptop, take a look here: we present the best gaming mice you can currently buy.
The offers listed here are equipped with so-called affiliate links. By purchasing through one of these links, you support MeinMMO: Without affecting the price, we receive a small commission from the provider.
Mit einem Einkaufswagen markierte Links sind so genannte Affiliate-Links. Beim Kauf über diese Links erhalten wir je nach Anbieter eine kleine Provision – ohne Auswirkung auf den Preis.More info.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Game of the Year 2020 is, for MeinMMO author Schuhmann, the strategy epic Crusader Kings 3. There he populates the virtual Middle Ages with his descendants.
For those who don’t know Crusader Kings: It’s a mix of historical strategy epic and a dynastic role-playing game.
You embody the head of a noble family in the Middle Ages, have lands and your followers, command armies, conquer provinces and experience the typical problems that feudal lords dealt with 1000 years ago.
99 Problems – and your wife is guaranteed to be one of them
There are 3 types of problems in Crusader Kings 3.
First, there are the major strategic hurdles of the game:
What do I do when all my neighbors declare war on me at the same time, when raiding Vikings invade, or even when the Mongols attack from the East?
How can I achieve the strategic goals I have set for myself?
How do I expand my empire and improve my position?
The damned Vikings only cause stress. Even the women look mean!
Then there are a variety of role-playing level events that you must decide on repeatedly:
The villagers are about to burn a woman at the stake because there has been a poor harvest – Do you allow it, spare the woman, or even hire her as an advisor?
On a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, you encounter a naked woman who tells you about a new cool religion – How do you deal with that?
The diocesan priest has embarrassed himself with a stupid remark – Do you protect him, make fun of him, or keep your distance?
The most important problems in Crusader Kings 3 always concern the family and the crucial succession. After all, when your character dies, you must continue playing with a descendant. Here, it’s important to choose the right one and give him a good starting position; ideally, he should inherit the entire empire, not just a part of it:
I have 5 sons, how do I make my brilliant 3rd son the main heir and ensure my empire does not fall apart just because the other 4 mediocre heirs want to be Duke instead of the Duke?
Why did I get involved with the wife of a count when she clearly has a sexually transmitted disease? And why does my wife want to kill me again?
My heir accidentally shot a peasant woman on a hunting trip – Do I cover up the murder, betray the troublemaker, or simply kill him myself?
16 Years Ago, Crusader Kings Fever Took Hold of Me
The first Crusader Kings came out in 2004, and I must have discovered and played it shortly thereafter. The game looked pretty bland even for that time. There were only static menus and a huge map where hardly anything happened. Most of it played out in my imagination: I had to think up a lot.
I started imagining what a nasty scoundrel the King of England was; that bastard was surely laughing at me in his palace – he would regret this bitterly! And what were those Vikings doing invading Northern Ireland again?
Moreover, the villagers were surely demanding the head of my French wife, after all, she had not managed to give me an heir in 8 years.
Crusader Kings 1 already offered me a huge variety of scenarios to start with: The game allowed me to start at any time and with almost any character in the game, take them over, and rewrite the history of the Middle Ages.
I always loved the idea of starting from scratch and building a great empire. Ireland seemed to me an ideal sandbox for my plans, as the Emerald Isle was so fragmented that there was not even a regional power.
In Crusader Kings 3, you continue with an heir when your own character dies. This goes on for centuries.
As my empire grew, so did my family tree. I found it fascinating that specific traits of my starting character were inherited by descendants, depending on which wife I had. The larger my empire grew, the stranger my descendants became over time. After years, I looked up and, although I had started with Ireland, I had descendants from German, French, or Baltic lines.
I loved this idea, even though the role-playing elements were only rudimentary in the game back then and a character basically consisted of a name, a portrait, and a handful of values and traits.
Surprisingly, so many people enjoyed this quirky game, which seemed to consist almost entirely of menus and cumbersome lists. So many people liked it that the Swedish developers Paradox Games could build a large studio on this type of game. In 2012, Crusader Kings 2 was released, which eventually got 15 DLCs and became quite a colossus. Since September 2020, I have been playing Crusader Kings 3.
The family tree in Crusader Kings 3 can get a bit out of hand.
Please swipe here, My Lord
The great thing about the game is: Paradox Entertainment has retained the core of Crusader Kings over the years, but much of what I used to have to imagine is now actually found in the game.
The events have graphics, the internal logic has been further improved. The characters in the game are now depicted with full bodies and are no longer just 2D portraits; the mechanics in the game have become increasingly elaborate and clever.
The strange thing is that the way I played Crusader Kings 1 in 2004 seems to be the way many people played the game. The developers deliberately developed the series in this direction:
The tutorial of Crusader Kings 3 takes place in Ireland – the region I instinctively chose in 2004 has become the typical starting area for beginners.
In a starting scenario, it’s explicitly about taking something big from a small starting position, exactly the type of scenario I had looked for myself.
In Ireland, a special religion now allows you to have up to 4 wives – ideal for my playstyle.
The family aspect is much more emphasized than in previous parts of the series – the dynasty now accumulates points, allowing them to unlock special advantages. You are even rewarded with special bonuses for breeding the “Overman”.
Essentially, Crusader Kings 3 is now like someone watched me play the first Crusader Kings 16 years ago and adjusted the game exactly to my play patterns. The game is much prettier, clearer, and better developed than I could have ever imagined.
The soul of the game has never been lost. There’s still the same quirky humor as before. I really had to laugh when Crusader Kings 3 presented a kind of medieval Tinder for the marriage market, and I had the choice of putting the portrait of a potential wife either on the “Interested” pile or on the “Rejected” pile. Please swipe here, My Lord.
Crusader Kings 3 is, in the best way, a “games as a service”: Essentially the same game that has improved over 15 years and utilized new possibilities of the time without losing the charm and spirit of the early days.
For me, Crusader Kings 3 is the game of the year 2020.
For many, Crusader Kings 3 can be intimidating at first. There’s so much to do, and the game gives you so much freedom that you don’t even know how to start. For those who want to walk in my footsteps: I have explained in a beginner’s guide how the first steps can go to later create a great empire and a strong dynasty:
In Destiny 2, Guardians can still expect a few things that should get you logging in. What else is on the agenda before Season 13 starts in 2021?
The last few days in the Destiny universe have been relatively quiet. The expansion Beyond Light has rolled out its content, all Exotics are available, and all known quests are live. The current season is also in full swing. However, Season 12, the Season of the Hunt, has not yet revealed all its surprises.
MeinMMO presents 9 small things that are still on the list before the yet unnamed Season 13 kicks off in February 2021.
1. Unwrap the Exotic Christmas Gift
In Destiny 2, the winter Dawning celebrations extend until January 5. And it is still our community’s duty to keep the festive spirit high. As a reward for this festive mindset, an exotic level gift awaits – although it remains to be seen if there’s actually something exotic inside.
As it stands, it seems that on December 31, just before the new year, the mark of 1 billion Dawning spirit will be exceeded (via Dawning Community Event Tracker).
What is hidden in the big Dawning gift?
2. “Discover Europe’s Secrets”
A glance at the roadmap for Beyond Light and Season 12 reveals that Guardians will hardly find anything new or exciting here. The new raid is open and completed, and Stasis is (for now) fully upgraded.
However, one entry reads “Discover Europe’s Secrets” and is dated until January 12. This end date is somewhat strange, as the season is expected to last at least another month.
However, too big secrets should not be expected. It’s likely about locating all 9 Penguins and completing all tasks for the seasonal title.
3. Hunt for random rolls on the Hawkmoon
Season 12 brought back the classic in a new guise to the Guardians: the exotic hand cannon Hawkmoon. Unlike all other Exotics, the revolver can drop with random perks and attachments.
You can farm a Hawkmoon tailored to your preferences.
Season 12 has officially turned the Guardians into big game hunters. To stop Oryx’s sister, the War God Xivu Arath, players must hunt down her Wrathborn. These are known enemies who have been corrupted by the goddess.
So far, we only find Hive and Fallen that are available to hunt. Lore knows that the Cabal can also become Wrathborn. The hunt might then possibly take place in the Cosmodrome. After all, the revived location doesn’t provide many reasons for a visit yet.
5. All together: The Vanguard, Osiris, and the Cabal
In a video published by Bungie, it is clear that the Vanguard leader, Zavala, is joining forces with Osiris and even the Cabal. This scene caused quite a bit of confusion among the Guardians.
It has been clear since the introductory mission that Osiris plays a larger role in Season 12.
His collaboration with Zavala – who now holds his former position as Vanguard Commander – is not surprising.
Osiris was recently appointed as the Vanguard’s advisor after his exile.
However, the fact that the Cabal are now at the table is curious.
In the center, we see a hologram of the Pyramid ships. This scene may therefore relate more to the Darkness and the upcoming Season 13 than to the events of Season 12. Thus, old enemies must unite to counter an even greater threat.
6. Learn more about the newly reborn traitor Crow
After 2 years of guessing, Season 12 gave us certainty: the avenged Uldren has awakened anew as a Guardian, now bearing the name Crow. Essentially, he is the messenger for the shady Spider in the Tangled Shore. Piece by piece, this new ally tells us his story.
Whenever you complete the weekly 5 Wrathborn hunts for pinnacle gear, Crow shares bits of his story. These are not lore entries, so you need to listen closely if you want to learn more about the fallen prince.
Uldren is now Crow
7. Give the lure the final touch
To hunt the Wrathborn, Guardians use their Kryptolith lure. It can be enhanced in multiple stages. This allows for more efficient hunting or more loot.
However, the lure currently lacks the final upgrade. This is necessary to obtain the seasonal title. Guardians would likely be most pleased if this upgrade improved the targeted hunt for the new weapons.
Guardians will not kill the War God Xivu Arath during Season 12, that is certain. But her champion, the High Celebrant, leader of all Wrathborn, is the reason for the hunt season. The scoundrel killed Sagira – unfortunately not in-game, but “off screen”.
How exactly the enemy will come into play is not yet secured. However, it is already well-known that we will face him and avenge Sagira (via light.gg). Hopefully, Guardians can expect a challenging battle against the High Celebrant compared to the other Wrathborn.
The hunt is not over until the High Celebrant is slain
9. Spider regrets his deal with us
At the end of Season 12, players can expect a secret cutscene that will be crucial for the overarching story. Dataminers have already found a raw version of it. Do not worry, we won’t reveal anything here.
Just this much: The scheming black market dealer Spider will regret his deal with the Guardians at the beginning of Season 12.
You can see, Season 12 has not yet revealed all its surprises. However, those who expect big highlights or fresh content now will be disappointed. Until Season 13 starts in spring 2021, it is likely to be quite quiet in Destiny.
Today, on December 30, the last raid hour with Kyurem starts in Pokémon GO . We show you counters and reveal whether the boss is worth it at all.
What is a raid hour? This event takes place every week on Wednesday. For one hour, there will be a legendary raid at almost all gyms.
This week, Kyurem is in the spotlight for the last time for now. The raid boss has been available for a month and will make room for more bosses in January.
All info on the raid hour with Kyurem
When does the raid hour start? It kicks off at 6:00 PM local time. Most raid eggs will appear on the gyms 20 minutes before the start. Some raids may even run longer than 7:00 PM.
These are the best counters: To know how to be effective during the raid hour, we provide you with the best counters against Kyurem:
Lucario with Counter and Aura Sphere
Metagross with Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash
Meistagrif with Counter and Superpower
Dialga with Metal Claw and Draco Meteor
Machamp with Counter and Superpower
For more counters and information about the raid boss, you can find it in our guide:
Is the raid hour still worth it? Kyurem has been in the raids for a month now and there have already been enough raid hours with the Pokémon. So, if you just want the Pokédex entry, you’re probably done.
However, Kyurem also has some advantages. The 2 other forms of Kyurem, Black and White Kyurem, are among the best Pokémon in the game. They are not currently available, but you can already collect Kyurem candies to level up the other forms to max level more quickly later.
Additionally, legendary raids give a lot of XP and that can be useful for players who still want to level up. So, if you still need XP, you shouldn’t miss the raid hour.
For more tips on leveling up in Pokémon GO, you can find it here:
Blue Protocol is considered an MMORPG hope for the year 2021. The developers are currently still optimizing before the release. This should make the battles even more exciting.
What is Blue Protocol? The interesting online role-playing game initially gives the impression of a new Genshin Impact, mainly due to the anime graphics. However, Blue Protocol is more of an MMORPG. The focus is on the PvE aspect.
You are time travelers who travel 1,000 years into the past to prevent a catastrophe. Blue Protocol tells this story through many quests and interesting NPCs that you encounter.
You not only follow the story but also fight together in dungeons against bosses or participate in raids. This will help you gather valuable resources. You need these to craft new equipment.
There is also no PvP. While you can compete against other players in challenges, it’s not about fighting against each other. Rather, you need to fight waves of enemies, and those who last longer will get a higher rank on the leaderboard.
Here you can see the new battles from Blue Protocol.
Even More Exciting Battles in Blue Protocol
How have the battles been improved now? Blue Protocol already had a very fast and action-packed combat system. However, it especially lacked good hit feedback. It wasn’t really clear whether the hit connected or missed. Additionally, some fans wished for more varied animations.
The development team at Bandai Namco has now optimized the battles based on feedback from the beta, especially regarding
Animations
Dynamics (The terrain must be more integrated into the strategy)
Movement/Evasion
Hit feedback
Based on the videos, it can be seen that the battles now appear smoother, more dynamic, and even more exciting.
Is Blue Protocol really an MMORPG? Bandai Namco officially refers to it as an “Online Action RPG”. Even in the Wiki it is referred to as such. However, players in the city during the beta reported 200 players, of whom 30 can then travel together to one of the adventure zones. In dungeons, you need a party of six.
This sounds more like an MMORPG. Nevertheless, the genre is still unclear at the moment.
When will the game be released? The release is supposed to occur in 2021. However, there is currently no exact date. Blue Protocol is expected to be released worldwide.
Soon there might be a major map change at the Colosseum in Fortnite. Leaks suggest that the map is to be partially flooded again.
This is what the leak shows: It comes from Mang0e, a data miner who has found some exciting things about Fortnite. The leak shows a new variant of the Colosseum, which is completely flooded and filled with 2 boats.
Currently, this is hard to imagine because there is only a large stadium in Colossal Coliseum with a sand area in the middle. Water is far away.
This is why the leak makes sense: In fact, the old Colosseum in ancient Rome was flooded at least once for large ship battles.
The leak in Fortnite would suggest something similar. They want to have a battle between ships as well. Historically, this story is definitely plausible.
This remains questionable: It would not be the first time that parts of the map have been flooded. In Season 3 of Chapter 2, the Fortnite map was gradually flooded and a water theme was present. It remains to be seen whether only the Colosseum will be submerged or possibly also parts around the stadium.
This is how it would change the map: The Colosseum is currently a popular spot for battles. The areas are open, and often the player who can shoot better wins here.
If the Colosseum is flooded, these battles would decrease here, and the area would change completely.
The Russian luxury brand Caviar Royal Gifts has put a golden PlayStation 5 up for sale on its site. The PS5 console is unique, and there will only be one piece worldwide.
What is Caviar Royal Gift? The Russian company Caviar Royal Gift specializes in the production and sale of luxury accessories. The range includes everything that is really beautiful, expensive, and exclusive:
Smartphones
Watches
Shoes
Cigar cases
A service for custom designs
All products are adorned with gold, gemstones, and other expensive materials such as crocodile leather.
Also included in the offer are various unique pieces. One of these unique items is a special PS5 console that Caviar has gilded.
The Probably Most Expensive Console in the World
This is what the world’s most expensive PS5 looks like
Here is the console: This hefty piece has been named “Golden Rock” by Caviar for good reason. According to the manufacturer’s information, the console consists of 8 plates covered in 18-karat gold.
Overall, the console weighs about 20 kilograms of gold according to Caviar.
Karat indicates the degree of purity in gold. It starts at 8 karats with a gold content of about 33.3% and ends at 24 karats, which is pure gold, with a content of about 99.9%.
At 18 karats, which is used for the PS5 by Caviar, it is 750 gold, meaning a gold content of about 75%.
The designers drew their inspiration for the console “from the unique geometry of the gold ore and the elegant beautiful contour of the stone”. Hence the name of the console: Golden Rock.
The console also comes with a matching controller, which is processed accordingly. The touchpad in the middle is also golden, matching the look of the PS5 itself. The grips, however, are covered in crocodile leather, which Caviar Royal Gifts claims will provide a “tactile pleasure”.
The controller comes in the matching look
The official price of the golden PS5 console is not yet known, it can only be inquired. However, when clicking the button on the site, you will be redirected to the form for a “One-Click Order”.
The site letsgodigital.org has, however, made an approximate estimate for the price of the golden PS5. Based on the current price for a kilogram of gold of about €50,000, the site estimated that the luxury console could cost about €1,500,000. However, it is quite possible that the actual total is higher. This makes it considerably more expensive than the golden PS5 from Truly Exquisite.
Apart from the golden look, however, it is “just” a normal PS5 console. The lucky future owner of this unique piece cannot expect improved specs or higher performance for the price.
So if you happen to have a few million € lying around and don’t know what to do with it, then this is the perfect opportunity to grab the stylish PS5.
The hardcore shooter “Escape from Tarkov” (PC) suddenly became the most watched game on Twitch at the turn of the year from 2020 to 2021. Top stars of the streaming platform like shroud, summit1g, and xQc showcase the shooter, but specialists from Tarkov like Pestily also reach peak values. The special thing: The success formula of Wipes, Twitch Drops, and little competition worked a year ago as well.
These are the hottest games on Twitch right now: The strongest games in the 3 days after Christmas on Twitch are:
Escape from Tarkov with 11 million hours, with only 18,600 streamers
League of Legends with 9.6 million hours, but with 61,150 streamers
Fortnite with 8.05 million hours, with huge 152,004 streamers
It can be seen in Escape from Tarkov that relatively few streamers can share a huge pie among themselves.
Escape from Tarkov is considered a game for people with strong nerves and high frustration tolerance.
The secret of Tarkov is to take everything away from the players
Why is Tarkov so high up? Escape from Tarkov is an exciting hardcore shooter from Russia that relies on realism. Because players lose their equipment when they die, streams are exciting and situations are often tense. You can’t just die 5 times like in Call of Duty and still feel good because you’ve taken out 12 opponents in the meantime; every death counts and is filled with meaning.
The peculiarity of Tarkov is that there is regularly a “Wipe”. Then players lose everything they have gained up to that point and start from scratch.
Just such a Wipe occurred now at Christmas with patch 0.12.9, which brought new weapons to Tarkov and revised a map. And just such a Wipe is for many players a trigger to come back to Tarkov. Because the initial phase after a Wipe, when everyone starts again from zero, is for many the most exciting time in Escape from Tarkov. Here, every death really hurts, and everyone is at the same gear level.
Additionally, there are Twitch Drops in Escape from Tarkov once again: So it is particularly worthwhile to watch the streamers. Between December 28 and January 8, you can snag in-game items if you watch a streamer who has enabled Twitch Drops.
The popularity of Tarkov is also helped by the fact that there is not much going on in other games at the moment. There are traditionally no major releases or updates between the years. The hype around Cyberpunk 2077 on Twitch is long gone.
Just like xQc, many Twitch viewers can’t stop watching streamers play Tarkov.
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Australian Pestily is by far the number 1 on Twitch
What kind of streamers are popular in Escape from Tarkov? Among the 6 top streamers of Tarkov, 4 are the “usual Twitch suspects” and 2 specialists of the game:
In 2nd place is summit1g, the continuous grinder from Twitch, who has already played 40 hours
In 3rd place is LVNDMARK, another Tarkov expert
In 4th place is the nice DrLupo
In 5th place is shroud, the man regarded as a shooter expert
And in 6th place is xQc, who rides every hype wave
The Australian Pestily is THE Tarkov streamer and has an interesting accent.
This is what it’s about: Escape from Tarkov has found a strategy to be the number one on Twitch for several weeks a year. The combination of Twitch Drops, Wipe, and a “quiet time without competition” works perfectly.
With this pattern, they have already achieved success several times. Just a year ago, at the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020, Escape from Tarkov was the number one on Twitch. Even then, Pestily was at the forefront.
It seems like this will become a new gaming tradition à la “The same procedure as last year, James.”
A year ago, there was already a huge hype around Escape from Tarkov. Back then, many players started anew with the shooter and quickly realized that they reached their limits, even if they were experienced shooter veterans. But Tarkov is just different in some way:
In Diablo 3 the popular event “The Darkness in Tristram” returns on January 1, 2021, where you take a kind of time travel back to 1996. Blizzard gives fans a reason to play Diablo 3 again.
What kind of event is this? Since 2016, Blizzard has offered you the chance to take a nostalgic trip back into the past of the Diablo series. In the event “The Darkness in Tristram“, you essentially travel back to the game Diablo 1 and relive the adventure of old, including an encounter with the first iconic boss from back then: the Butcher.
While you experience the event with the gameplay and graphics of Diablo 3, a graphic filter comes into play that makes the game look a bit more raw during the event: as if it were from 1996, the release year of Diablo 1. Additionally, you hear the music from the classic action RPG, which brings back the atmosphere of the time.
The event was introduced in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Diablo 1 and returns every year around this time.
So while you wait for Diablo Immortal or Diablo 4, the event provides a great reason to play Diablo 3 again and get your fill of Diablo.
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This is how the event “The Darkness in Tristram” went in 2020.
Travel to the old Tristram from Diablo 1
How to participate: Starting Friday, January 1, 2021, at 1 AM, a new quest will be available to you, in which you must hunt a group of cultists. They will lead you to a portal.
This portal will open on January 4 at 1 AM. If you use it, you will find yourself in the old Tristram from Diablo 1. From the ruined city, you will reach the dungeon of the hack and slays through the cathedral.
Fight your way down the dungeon until you face the Lord of Darkness, Diablo himself.
What are the rewards? You can look forward to a variety of interesting items, including:
unique transmogrification effects
achievements
portraits
the Butcher as a pet
items
How long does the event run? The event ends exactly one month later on the night of January 31, 2021, to February 1, 2021, specifically on February 1 at 1 AM.
The hardcore MMORPG Mortal Online 2 will enter early access on Steam in March 2021. However, you still have a chance to participate in the beta before that.
Part 2 aims to hit the same note, but not be quite so unfair. Unprovoked attacks on players will be punished. Furthermore, PvE will now play a larger role.
When will the release occur? Mortal Online 2 will enter early access in March 2021. You will then be able to play via Steam. According to the developers, the release date is fixed. However, an exact date will be announced later.
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This video introduces you to the MMORPG Mortal Online 2.
Mortal Online 2 still has slots for the closed beta
What does this mean for the beta? Currently, the closed beta of Mortal Online 2 is still taking place. It will not be extended, as the early access release has now been set. This means: If you want to check out Mortal Online 2 before the start of the EA phase, you now have another opportunity to participate in the beta.
Further testers are still being accepted. However, the slots are limited. You can register via the official website of the MMORPG, and with a bit of luck, you will gain access. This will allow you to check out the closed beta.
Who is Mortal Online 2 for? The MMORPG is clearly aimed at PvP players. Even though PvE plays a certain role, the focus is primarily on player versus player combat.
Basically, you have to constantly expect attacks and raids from your fellow players anywhere and everywhere.
Visually, Mortal Online 2 already impresses thanks to the Unreal Engine. The landscapes appear atmospheric and detailed. The battles also look exciting and offer plenty of action.
There are even survival elements. You need to search for resources in the world, which you can turn into useful items with the crafting system. It is even possible to set up a camp, which you must defend against enemies.
If you are looking for quests and a well-developed story in an MMORPG, then Mortal Online 2 might not become your next favorite game.
In Call of Duty: Cold War there is a new playlist update. The developers have even announced a whole new mode. We will show you what’s included in the update.
This is what happened: On December 29, Treyarch announced new modes for Cold War. The playlist has been revised. New to it are:
3v3 Gunfight only with snipers
Face Off
Raid 24/7
Nuketown Holiday 24/7
2v2 Gunfight
Prop Hunt
Especially the sniper mode in Gunfight is interesting. This mode is new in Cold War and could lead to some exciting rounds.
What’s in the new playlist update
This is what the new Gunfight mode can do: In Gunfight, you compete against each other in small groups. Those who are eliminated are out. The team that survives wins the Gunfight.
In the new mode, however, only sniper rifles are allowed. A Gunfight generally consists of eliminating opponents in direct 1v1s faster, and close fights are common there. This becomes more difficult with snipers.
So, it could come down to a camping duel on the small maps of Gunfight. Otherwise, the winner of the round will be the one who can quickscope better.
These are the 24/7 modes: Raid and Nuketown Holiday are getting 24/7 modes. These are 2 popular maps in Cold War, and especially Nuketown is worth checking out now, while it is decorated for Christmas.
What is Prop Hunt? This mode is quite crazy and has not been available for the first time in Black Ops. For example, there was such a mode in Black Ops 4 in 2019.
You can slip into any objects and disguise yourself as these. The opposing team then has to search for the hidden players. This is not necessarily about firepower, but about good hiding spots.
Otherwise, the topic around SBMM in Cold War is big. Recently, there was a hacker offensive:
Pokémon GO in 2020 was eventful and successful. 2021 continues right away, and the first events and new features are already known. We will show you what is already known.
This is what we show you here: Niantic has already been busy and has announced several events for the upcoming year. So you don’t have to worry that Pokémon GO will cut down on content in the coming weeks.
Here, we give you an overview of all the events that have already been announced and provide a preview of further new features that we could expect in 2021.
These events are expected in January 2021
A lot is already known about the upcoming month, and almost everything is planned until at least mid-January.
These raid bosses are coming in January: In January, there will be a lot of rotation in the legendary raids. So far, the following is known:
Ho-Oh: January 1 at 10:00 PM until January 5 at 10:00 AM
Genesect with Flame Module: January 5 at 10:00 AM until January 12 at 10:00 AM
Heatran: January 12 at 10:00 AM until January 19 at 10:00 AM
Kyogre and Groudon: January 19 at 10:00 AM until January 26 at 10:00 AM
Surprise Pokémon: From January 26 at 10:00 AM until unknown
Genesect is returning to Pokémon GO in January.
These are the spotlight hours: In January, there will continue to be a spotlight hour every Tuesday. Each time, a different Pokémon will be in the spotlight. In turn, Yorfleff, Driftlon, Knilz, and Donphan will be featured. There will also always be a bonus available.
This is the research breakthrough: In January 2021, you will receive the Normal Pokémon Chansey as a research breakthrough. It can also appear in shiny form.
This is the first event of the new year: Right on New Year’s Eve, the New Year’s event starts, which will run until January 4. It brings Pokémon with party hats, and Schiggy will wear a 2020 glasses.
These events will also take place: Later in the month, there will be events focused on specific generations. On January 5, the Unova event will start. An event that highlights Pokémon from the 5th generation and introduces shiny Serpifeu.
After that, a Sinnoh event is planned, which will increase the appearance of Pokémon from the 4th generation. This event starts on January 12. In the following weeks, the other generations should also receive similar events.
This Community Day is planned: On January 16, the Community Day this month will take place. It will focus on Machollo and bring triple stardust for captured Pokémon.
This secret could be revealed in January: For several weeks, players have been able to reach max level 50 in Pokémon GO. Australians can even do this for a longer time. However, players are currently stuck at level 47.
For level 48, it takes at least 8 weeks to complete the tasks set there. For Australian players, this deadline ends in January, and they can continue leveling up. Then we will also find out what tasks are hidden behind the last levels and how difficult they will be.
This is the Kanto Tour: This event was announced at the beginning of December and takes place on February 20. The event will exclusively focus on the Kanto region, which is the first generation.
You can buy a ticket for the event to benefit from all bonuses. Even without a ticket, there will still be increased Kanto spawns and limited research.
The event will play a bit like the GO Fest 2020 and will provide you with some shinies.
These shinies will be released during the Kanto Tour.
These events are expected in 2021
What about a GO Fest? It remains to be seen how the COVID-19 pandemic develops in 2021. Niantic had already revealed in an interview with MeinMMO that a GO Fest in the home edition is unlikely to become the norm and that they would prefer to return to local GO Fests.
It is certainly possible that we will experience a new GO Fest in 2021. It remains to be seen whether it will take place worldwide and at home or at a special location.
What about Community Days? The Community Day is already known for January. It is almost certain that we can also expect Community Days in the following months. However, the Pokémon in focus could be interesting. After all, shiny Serpifeu will already be introduced through an event in January. It is the first starter whose shiny version does not come from a Community Day. It remains to be seen whether other starters will receive similar events.
These events are also considered certain: Raid hours and spotlight hours were also successful in 2020. In January they will continue. So it is hard to imagine that they won’t take place in the following months. We can also expect these events in 2021.
Are you looking forward to 2021 in Pokémon GO? What events and new features do you wish for?
You can demonstrate your Pokémon knowledge here at the end of the year:
The wait for The Burning Crusade Classic is coming to an end soon. A promising leak reveals when the first WoW expansion will start. Again.
World of Warcraft Classic is complete. For several weeks now, most guilds have finished Naxxramas, and boredom is setting in among players. Many guilds report a drop in player numbers – not surprising, as there are no “new” contents anymore. But that should change soon. A release date for The Burning Crusade has been leaked.
Where does the leak come from? For weeks now, there have been many rumors and supposed leaks about The Burning Crusade Classic, and it seems to have gotten serious now. The site “Warcraft Tavern” refers to a video by YouTuber Staysafe TV, who has “verified the information with several sources”. He doesn’t name a specific source, but that’s normal, as such sources do not want to be disclosed.
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When does TBC Classic start? According to the leak, The Burning Crusade Classic will enter beta testing around mid-February. However, it will not be particularly long, as other dates are much more firmly set in stone:
On April 14th (Europe), the pre-patch for TBC is supposed to be released.
On May 4th, The Burning Crusade Classic will be released globally and will celebrate its launch.
That means there are still just over four months until players of the Classic version of WoW can step into the shattered world.
Is the date plausible? Definitely. The start of the beta in mid-February would mean that Blizzard announces The Burning Crusade Classic at “BlizzConline” in February and that the beta starts almost immediately afterwards. That would be a nice signal to all Classic players looking forward to new content.
At the same time, the timeline is similar to how it was back in the “Vanilla” days. Back then, Naxxramas was live for nearly 6 months before The Burning Crusade started and that era came to an end.
Blood Elves and Draenei – the new races in The Burning Crusade.
How does the transition work? That is still not quite clear. After all, there are some players who want to stay in a Classic world forever and never switch to TBC. It is likely that server transfers will be offered. Alternatively, character copies to “new” realms that are intended solely for TBC or Classic could be considered. There are many possibilities.
However, keep in mind that all of this information is not confirmed by Blizzard but is based on leaks. There is a chance that the information is not correct – even if it seems very convincing.
Are you excited for “The Burning Crusade Classic”? Or would you rather continue playing “Vanilla” forever?
For the last time, in 2020, new weekly activities and a fresh trial await today, on December 29th, in Destiny 2 where there is double loot twice, but what else is there to do?
What’s happening in Destiny 2? Today marks the start of the Dawning event in its last week. So you have (for now) the last opportunity to bake cookies and create enough Christmas spirit as a community – even if Bungie has to step in to help the Guardian.
Since the last week has been relatively calm and peaceful, our authors at MeinMMO have stirred up heated discussions with their opinions:
Today is also the last Weekly Reset for 2020, and we’re looking at what there is to do. You can grab double rewards in Nightfall all week long. If you also reach the Platinum tier, meaning you defeat all Champions, you will earn double loot again.
Information on the weekly activities from December 29, 2020, to January 5, 2020
You adjust the difficulty yourself in this activity and thus determine your loot quality.
Playlist Strikes are available with these modifiers:
Solar Singe
Stasis Burn
Iron
As always, the Singe modifier will remain active throughout the week. The other modifiers will rotate daily.
Crucible: You can play these playlists and modes in PvP:
Mayhem
Private Match
Rumble
Control
Elimination
Survival
Survival: Freelance
Petra Venj will be waiting this week (Curse Week 1) in the area “The Shore” in the Dreaming City. Furthermore, the 2nd Ascendant Challenge is currently active.
Here are the sources for Powerful loot in Season 12 of Destiny 2
This is how Powerful loot is structured in Destiny 2: Powerful loot comes in several tiers that provide you with different power boosts. Accordingly, higher tiers grant higher power boosts.
Tier 1 (up to +3 above the current power level)
Tier 2 (up to +4 above the current power level)
Tier 3 (up to +5 above the current power level)
Top Gear (+5 or more above the power level. The only gear that goes over 1250 and up to a maximum of 1260 – after that, the level jumps decrease, +1)
The streamer Sebastian “Forsen” Fors was given a permanent ban from Twitch, but has now returned. In a stream, he explained that he wishes for more appreciation from Twitch because he is more important to the platform than the numbers suggest. He used a comparison from WoW: Although he does not deal the most DPS in the raid, he buffs the damage of everyone by 30%.
This is the situation surrounding Forsen: The Swede Forsen (30) has been on Twitch since 2011 and is virtually a staple of the platform.
The special thing about Forsen is that he presents himself authentically as an old hand on Twitch and appears very different from the streamers who have become popular in recent years and present themselves particularly professionally, brand-friendly, and well-lit:
Forsen’s facecam is not really directed at his face but only shows him from a low angle and a lot of his apartment.
His Twitter account consists of short, terse messages.
In the stream, he sometimes gets cereal in his beard and is just as he is.
He plays what he feels like at the moment. Hypes don’t interest him. When everyone on Twitch plays Valorant, he doesn’t.
Forsen is particularly known for his community, the “Forsenboys,” which is considered one of the most creative and trollish communities on Twitch and masters the art of establishing memes on the platform.
Normally, Forsen is on air almost daily for about 6 hours, playing indie games or interacting with his chat.
But a reaction stream became his downfall at the end of November: He showed a seemingly harmless GIF in the stream, which after a few seconds turned into a picture showing an act of sodomy: a young woman had intimate contact with a horse.
Forsen thinks: He receives too little appreciation from Twitch
This is what Forsen says: In a stream after his return, he explains:
“To summarize, I feel a bit underappreciated. You know, I may not have the most viewers, and not the most subscribers, and I may not bring the most ad money or whatever to the platform, but I have a kind of aura effect. Okay, “aura” might be the wrong word.
What I mean is: 90% of the good memes and inside jokes come from this community and spread to other communities. So other communities have more fun, right? And then these viewers stay on Twitch longer.
The meme “forsenE” was the most used emote on Twitch worldwide at the beginning of 2018. It surpassed Kappa and TriHard. (Source: Polygon).
He then listed a number of memes that originated from his channel:
“I am the fucking shaman you only bring for Bloodlust”
This is the WoW comparison: Forsen illustrated his aura effect with a WoW comparison.
“So yes, basically, in the motherfucking Twitch raid, I don’t have the most DPS, but I am the damn shaman you bring because he has Bloodlust and everyone does 30% more DPS. So indirectly, I am the damn shaman who deals the most damage, not individually, but overall.”
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This is behind it: Forsen’s community is indeed known for coming up with and establishing emotes. However, they “establish them on Twitch” by spamming the emotes brutally often in other channels and sometimes annoying and irritating other streamers and communities with them.
Interpreting this as “30% more DPS for everyone” is already a generous view. Forsen’s community is not only considered creative but also extremely toxic.
But the WoW comparison is unique, just like Forsen, who stands out from the masses of big streamers because he seems so authentic.
There are also successful and big streamers in Germany: We have introduced the 5 most successful streamers in an article on MeinMMO. There are also some types that stand out from the crowd.
In 2017, the expansion Path of Fire for Guild Wars 2 was released and received positive feedback, especially for the mounts. However, since then, the MMORPG has been rather quiet. The third expansion is set to follow in 2021. It must be a success to keep GW2 running long-term, says MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch.
Where does Guild Wars 2 stand at the end of 2020? The MMORPG from ArenaNet is currently in a difficult situation:
On the other hand, however, many players feel a lack of excitement. There are no major innovations. Each update does advance the story but is very similar to all previous patches. Additionally, ArenaNet is still struggling with mass layoffs from early 2019. Since then, the updates for GW2 have been rather small in nature.
With this teaser, the developers revealed in early 2020 that it would soon be heading to Cantha.
Why is the expansion so important? Every new expansion for Guild Wars 2 created a bit of hype. There is discussion about innovations, speculations, and players who had stopped playing are looking at the game again.
If “End of Dragons” does not impress with its innovations and convince players, it will be difficult for ArenaNet to plan for Guild Wars 2 long-term.
The regular content updates can only partially keep the players engaged. New players, on the other hand, are not attracted at all, and are rather deterred because they have to pay for missed updates.
The GW2 model simply fails to create hype outside of expansions. A problem that the MMORPG has been carrying since its release.
Rocky Start and Many Experiments
How was the release? Guild Wars 2 was released in 2012 and was considered a major MMORPG hope. After all, the game was the successor to the quite successful Guild Wars 1, had been in development for about 5 years, and aimed to do some things differently.
It promised:
A large and constantly changing world through dynamic events
Action-packed and dynamic combat thanks to a dodge roll and the fact that you never had to stand still to cast skills
A beautiful graphics with many details
A story that builds on the first part
No grind
According to the manifesto, GW2 was especially meant for players who usually do not like MMOs
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Indeed, Guild Wars 2 managed to captivate many players during the beta and the first weeks. Especially the combat system and the open world were convincing. The interest in the game was huge.
However, due to the absence of an item spiral and slow content updates, some players lacked goals and long-term motivation. There were no raids, and the dungeons and events played out very similarly over time.
Another problem was that many fans of GW1 were rather dissatisfied with the successor. Much was new and not at all like in the predecessor. Additionally, the focus was no longer on PvP as it had been, especially at the release of GW1.
By the end of 2012, interest in the game noticeably declined, as can be seen in Google Trends:
The three major MMORPGs behind WoW compared: Guild Wars 2 had the highest peak but has since fallen behind the others.
Experiments in Content Updates: The next 2 years saw the developers experimenting. With the Living World Season 1, there was a unique system: New content was released every 2 weeks, which however completely disappeared 2-4 weeks later.
There were special story contents, dungeons, and even entire maps that were removed again after the period.
There were permanent updates to old maps. For example, new buildings were erected or settlements destroyed in the war.
Content was even implemented that later had an impact on the entire game. There was a campaign between two politicians, and the players decided who won, receiving a tailored story and a specific dungeon as a reward.
This update principle did not work, however. It was stressful for the developers, but also for the players. Anyone who was on vacation for two weeks or longer missed out on content that could not be experienced again. Achievement hunters and collectors were constantly on their toes, as rewards were also removed.
The Middle Ground: ArenaNet then decided on a middle ground in 2014. With the Living World Season 2, the story events took place on special maps. The achievements and the core story remained permanently, only changes on the map and dialogues changed through new updates.
In 2015, to the surprise of many, the first expansion Heart of Thorns was announced. While up until then all updates were completely free, for the first time since the release, money had to be spent on the MMORPG again.
Heart of Thorns offered some innovations, including:
4 new areas
Expansions for the classes
The mastery system in the form of gliding, jumping mushrooms, and other content that only made players stronger in new areas
First raids for endgame
Guild halls
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However, even after HoT, there was another long content pause. Additionally, ArenaNet returned to the old update routine with Living World Season 3, with each update now featuring a new area, and the intervals becoming longer. An episode was released every 3-4 months.
All of this was complicated by the fact that updates were first offered for free, but after the release of the following episode, they had to be purchased. This system still exists today. Anyone starting with GW2 now has to only buy the second expansion Path of Fire, which already includes HoT, but they still miss Living World Season 2, 3, 4, and 5, which have to be purchased separately.
Additionally, up to this day, the contents of Living World Season 1 cannot be replayed, leaving a gap in the story.
Path of Fire Impresses, but the Hype Quickly Fades
In 2017, the second expansion Path of Fire was released. It impressed especially with the very innovative mounts.
As can be seen from Google Trends, this expansion also generated a bit more interest again. However, while some players returned for Path of Fire, as it revisited familiar areas from GW1, many did not stay long.
The problem lay in the areas, which were by no means as well designed as those in Heart of Thorns and the slow innovations in group content.
ArenaNet also returned subsequently to the Living World. A system that mainly benefits hardcore players.
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What is different about End of Dragons? As interest has decreased from expansion to expansion, End of Dragons could bring about a change. At least if ArenaNet gets some things right.
The interest in the Asian-inspired continent of Cantha is high. Especially the areas consisting of the traditionally inspired island of Shing-Jea, the huge cities and skyscrapers in Kaineng, and the Jade Sea provide variety in the otherwise quite monotonous mix of desert, ice, and forest in Guild Wars 2.
With a good implementation, both veterans and old GW1 fans as well as completely new players could be excited. The demand for a new MMORPG, where one can let loose, is high, as we constantly notice at MeinMMO.
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What must End of Dragons accomplish? The most important thing for the new expansion is a unique selling point. Heart of Thorns had the masteries and a new class, Path of Fire brought the mounts. End of Dragons needs to offer something that attracts both old and new players.
Possible contents could be:
New classes
New playable races
New endgame content that binds players long-term
Adjustments to the equipment system
Housing
Additionally, the expansion must already offer substantial content, including new areas, a new story, new group content, and ideally the familiar elite specializations of existing classes.
The advantage of class expansions lies primarily in the fact that they also rejuvenate old content like raids, WvW, and PvP.
With Path of Fire, the ranger received new animal companions and a skill to merge with them, thereby becoming stronger.
In my opinion, it would also be important that the new expansion brings two contents that players have been waiting for:
What happens if End of Dragons disappoints? Guild Wars 2 could have ended in 2019. The finale of Living World Season 4 concluded an important part of the story, and indeed, there was supposedly a discussion at ArenaNet that this would mark the end of the MMORPG’s development.
But they decided against it.
What led to the turnaround is not known. Possible reasons could be the layoffs in early 2019 and the fact that there is currently neither a successor nor another title in ArenaNet’s portfolio. They currently earn their living solely from Guild Wars 2, even though they are supposedly working on at least one new game.
If End of Dragons fails, it could simultaneously signal the end of Guild Wars 2. Although the servers will certainly not be shut down quickly, new updates would likely not be planned any longer, similarly to what is currently happening in Guild Wars 1.
And indeed, ArenaNet is investing a lot of time into the new expansion. For it, they even canceled the Steam release originally planned for November 2020:
2020 was overall quite strange and difficult. But at least Pokémon GO got some things right this year – at least according to MeinMMO author Max Handwerk.
A global pandemic and a game that is based on going outside – preferably in groups. These two things actually go together as well as Hydro Pump and Charizard: One is likely to eliminate the other. That’s what I would have thought before this year.
Instead, Pokémon GO surprised me – in a positive way. Because at the end of the year I had to realize that I had a lot more fun with Pokémon GO in 2020 than I would have expected. And that during a time that actually doesn’t fit this game at all. The reason: It adapted quite cleverly – at least for casual players like me.
Corona bonuses make the game easier and more accessible
To express this view, I should first explain that compared to other players (like MeinMMO Pokémon master Noah Struthoff), I am quite a Pokémon GO noob. I enjoy playing the game while on the go and am happy to catch a few familiar Pokémon during a walk and participate in the occasional Community Day. But I don’t have fixed raid groups, game dates, or anything similar. I do have a few friends who play Pokémon GO, but they all live too far away to play together regularly.
The thing is: If you only play Pokémon GO casually, without walking around much and having a precise plan for the strengths of the monsters, you won’t get very far. Eggs remain unhatched, the item bag is empty, and legendary raids aren’t really a topic. After all, you can’t take down monsters like Mewtwo alone. I could join groups during Community Days, but that was more of an exception for me. However, a lot changed this year.
Strong raids are rarely within my reach
This is how Pokémon GO became better for me: Even though my way of playing hasn’t really changed, I now have much more incentive to play the game. One reason for that were the ‘Corona bonuses‘ that honestly made the game significantly easier. With less effort, you somehow got more of everything. Perfect for a casual like me.
Additionally, there are things like the PvP League, which, although not flawless, provided me with a lot of fun at the beginning. Finally, my caught Pokémon had a proper place to be used instead of just rotting in my collection. The league can be wonderfully played from the sofa, and at times there were really good rewards like legendary Pokémon for it.
The PvP League is always fun in between
The decisive moment for me, however, was the global GO Fest. It was the first of its kind and didn’t take place in a specific city, but rather worldwide. I never would have bothered to take a trip for two days of Pokémon-playing. But this unusual event – I definitely wanted to experience it to see what it was like. And now I see it a bit differently.
Because the GO Fest, which I could now casually play from my hometown, was incredibly fun. For two days I was fully immersed and caught the different monsters. I developed starters to the max, got strong attackers like Flampion or Lichtel, and of course completed the quest for Victini and Crypto-Mewtwo.
Now I wanted to know what I could do with that. And suddenly I was interested in things like the top attackers and move lists. All of that provided a lot of motivation – and the year was only halfway through.
The GO Fest with habitats and Team Rocket was a lot of fun
Speaking of legendary monsters like Mewtwo: My collection in this regard has now become fuller. The reason: remote raids! A feature without which I can’t imagine the game anymore. Because, as mentioned: I have no groups to raid with.
But through remote raids, I can quickly get legendary monsters (especially when colleague Noah catches monster after monster during raid hour and kindly invites me through the remote feature!). Here, too, a feature was found that allows casual players to suddenly participate in the game much better.
Last but not least, there was the Beyond update, which honestly hasn’t had a major impact on me yet. Sure, you can now exceed level 40. But I probably won’t reach that level until at least 2023… or so. Who knows, maybe everything will go a bit faster once the pandemic is over and you can play the game on a larger scale again. I’m definitely motivated. And I would definitely like to experience a proper GO Fest – when it’s possible again someday.
Galar-Pantimos received criticism
Was everything super in Pokémon GO? Of course, there were also some criticisms that can be directed at the game this year. First of all, I think of the mega-evolutions – at least at the beginning. The monsters themselves are cool, but especially at the beginning, they were simply (especially for casuals like me) absolutely unattainable. This has improved somewhat, though. Another point that could use improvement is the PvP league, which still struggles with bugs.
Criticism also arose regarding the fact that the ‘Corona bonuses’ were partially removed, despite the fact that the situation hadn’t really improved. This is a point that will probably be discussed more often – because Pokémon GO in its full depth, with group raids and everything, doesn’t suit the global situation.
Another point that is often criticized is the money that the game wants in some cases. Especially during the Pantimos research, the discussion arose about whether new shinies or Pokémon forms should be purchased with money. This is a point that causes frustration, and I can understand it to some extent. Personally, I just wait until things are eventually available for free in the game and I skip the research. But sure: I would also be happier if such research simply came into the game without payment.
Overall, I personally draw a positive conclusion about the Pokémon year and am curious about how 2021 will go. What do you think of the year in Pokémon GO? Tell us in the comments!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
