Season 1 of CoD Cold War & Warzone will be massive – All about content & release

Maik Schneider Maik Schneider Reading time 10 minutes

Call of Duty revealed its plans on the night of December 11 and provided all the information about the introduction and content of Season 1 of Cold War & Warzone. MeinMMO summarizes the information for you and shows what is planned for the release and beyond.

Season 1 of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War starts on December 16. On that Wednesday, just under a week before Christmas, CoD will deliver a huge content drop, connecting Warzone and Modern Warfare with the CoD from 2020 and ensuring that CoD fans have plenty to do over the holidays.

With two new blog posts (Season 1 Blog / Warzone Blog), the developers have now revealed more details about the release schedule, which MeinMMO presents here in overview form. We will show you the planned content based on game mode and release date. Some content will only arrive later in the season – many, however, will already be available at launch.

All gameplay-related content of the new season is free for players of Cold War & Warzone.

Update December 16: Season 1 is live. Here you can find the most important information in summary.

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cod cold war warzone season 1 roadmap complete
The roadmap for Season 1 is packed to the brim.

Cold War Season 1 – General Content

What is coming at launch? The start of the new season and its further development resemble the process of the predecessor Modern Warfare. Except for the introduction of the new prestige system, there are very similar innovations as usual at the start of a new season:

What about the Battle Pass? From December 16, a new Battle Pass will be available. Here you can secure more than 100 mostly cosmetic rewards in exchange for experience points, which are divided into a free and a premium path. For 1,000 CoD points (around 10 Euro), you can unlock the premium part. The complete content of the pass is not yet known.

Since Cold War is following a similar path to CoD MW, the Battle Pass is likely to have a similar structure. You will get a new operator (Stitch), a handful of weapon blueprints, enough CoD points to buy the pass again, and smaller cosmetics like stickers, calling cards, and charms for your points and playtime.

cod cold war operator stitch with weapon
Stitch is the new operator of the “Warsaw Pact”.

What about the new weapons? The free branch of the Battle Pass will also unlock the new weapons: the MAC 10 submachine gun and the Groza assault rifle. You need to unlock 15 tiers of the pass for the SMG and the Groza is yours after 31 “Battle Pass” tiers. Here is a brief look at what the guns might be capable of.

What about the prestige system? With the start of the first season, the new prestige system goes online completely. So far, it has been in pre-season mode with “only” 200 additional levels in 3 prestige ranks above the 55 military ranks. Once the new season goes live, there will be an additional 200 levels for 4 new prestige ranks, followed by another 1,000 levels for anything beyond that. You can find a detailed explanation of the prestige system here. You can level up this rank in Cold War, CoD MW & Warzone.

cod cold war prestige system rewards pre season
In the pre-season, there were only 100 extra ranks. Starting from Season 1, there will be 1,200.

What about mastercraft skins? In the blog post about the season content, the developers also indicated that mastercraft skins from Black Ops 4 will return. This will allow you to further visually enhance specific weapon blueprints to obtain special handcrafted weapon skins marked with the rarity “Ultra”. They are thus one level above “Legendary”, which was previously considered the highest rarity. However, more details about this will not be available for now.

General Content – Coming Later

What is coming during the season? Later in the season, there are more new weapons scheduled to arrive:

  • Streetsweeper Shotgun
  • Sledgehammer
  • Wakizashi (Sword)

Once they are available, you will be able to unlock them through gameplay challenges. In addition to a shotgun, CoD is bringing two large melee weapons into play, which will certainly find their place on the battlefields right away.

As additional general content, the CoD creators at Treyarch announced that 2 more operators will come during the season:

  • Zeyna
  • Bulldozer
  • cod cold war warzone weapons sledgehammer season 1
  • cod cold war warzone weapons Wakizashi season 1
A large knife and an even larger hammer will be added during the season.

Cold War Season 1 – Warzone Content

What is coming at launch? The battle royale Warzone benefits the most from the new season launch. On December 16, a lot will be happening, in addition to the merging of the progression systems of 3 CoDs.

  • Warzone map Rebirth-Island
  • Game mode “Resurgence” for Rebirth-Island
  • New Gulag experience (Verdansk & Rebirth-Island)
  • Over 30 new weapons from Cold War

What about the new Warzone map? Warzone will get its first new map just under 9 months after its release. Rebirth-Island is a Soviet base producing bio-weapons, particularly the dangerous Nova-6 gas, which has already been known from the “Black Ops” storyline. The island is half bio-weapons facility, half prison. The first gameplay trailer is provided by Treyarch – check it out here.

The blog post reveals that games on Rebirth-Island are more oriented toward the action mode “Mini Royale” and generally have fewer players landing on the map than in Verdansk. With the launch on December 16, there will also be a temporary event where you can acquire cosmetics through challenges – probably similar to the Halloween event.

cod cold war warzone rebirth island release picture
A new map for Warzone – Rebirth Island.

What about the new game mode? The new Warzone game mode “Resurgence” takes place on Rebirth-Island and resembles the earlier game mode from the Alcatraz map, which was then released as a DLC for the spiritual predecessor Blackout – but without zombies. There is no Gulag, but a global respawn timer. If you go down, you come back when the timer runs out and your team is still alive. Additionally, you see the entire enemy team when you eliminate one of the opponents.

What about the Gulag? The Gulag gets a new paint job, as there will be an entirely new map for Warzone’s crazy respawn mechanic. You will fight in a large warehouse in Verdansk and in a small prison on Rebirth-Island. Otherwise, everything operates as usual: If it’s not your turn, you stay up and watch the fight. Once it is your turn, you go down for the 1vs1 fight. The blog post does not specify whether the old Gulag in Verdansk will disappear completely or if the maps will rotate.

  • cod warzone new gulag season 1
  • cod warzone gulag rebirth island
Left the new Verdansk Gulag / Right the Rebirth Gulag

What about new weapons? To top it all off, with the start of Season 1, a completely new arsenal will be available. Warzone will actually receive all weapons from Black Ops Cold War in one sweep. That means: 30 new weapons for the battle royale. Among them are 2 sniper rifles, 5 assault rifles & SMGs, and the new weapon class “Tactical Rifles”, which includes the powerful burst weapons M16 and AUG. Additionally, new weapons will be added each season.

Not officially announced, but seen in the gameplay trailer and earlier in a leak, a new contract is set to be introduced alongside a killstreak from Cold War. The RC-XD will likely find its way into the battle royale at launch as well. However, it might also be released later.

cod warzone cold war killstreak rc-xd auto
A new killstreak for Warzone is also on the way. Source: CharlieIntel

As an additional small bonus, the previous Warzone challenges will remain. You can still work on tasks that you have not completed. The developers make it clear in the blog that they want to keep as much content in the game as possible. However, they also mention that it is possible that some old elements may disappear from the game for a certain time or permanently over time.

Warzone Content – Coming Later

What is coming during the season? For the further course of the season, the CoD creators announced the “Assault Helicopter” as a new vehicle for Warzone. The aircraft closely resembles the existing helicopter but offers its passengers a mini-gun on both sides that can be manned by team members. The new helicopter will be available on Rebirth-Island and in Verdansk.

cod warzone assault helicopter release
The new helicopter provides mini-guns for the passengers.

Cold War Season 1 – Content for Cold War Multiplayer

What is coming at launch? Next up is the multiplayer mode of Cold War. The number of maps available at launch was rather limited, but with Season 1 there is a substantial addition. However, most new maps are intended for the smaller gunfight mode.

  • Fresh multiplayer modes
  • 2 new 6vs6 maps & Nuketown holiday map
  • 4 maps for 2vs2
  • New scorestreak H.A.R.P.

What about new modes? The popular gunfight mode from Modern Warfare is going online with the new season. Here you mainly fight in 2vs2 battles alongside a teammate for victory. CoD MW had this mode available several times with different modifications – sometimes with 3 players on a team, sometimes with random weapons, or occasionally just with sniper rifles.

As a second mode for the release week, Treyarch also announced “Prop Hunt”. In this party mode, one team transforms into typical objects that can be found on a CoD map and must hide from the other team. This has already appeared in earlier CoDs, and a leak even found data about it in Warzone.

For the larger 12vs12 mode “Combined Arms”, with Season 1, there will also be “Domination”. You will play the Domination mode on the usual maps, where the objective point regularly changes and must be held for points.

cod cold war maps gunfight game show
In the Gunfight mode, the teams are significantly smaller.

What about new maps? As new 6vs6 maps, Treyarch showcased the two maps “The Pines” (Mall) and a rework of the older map “Raid”.

“The Pines” is described by the developers as a medium-sized map with many levels. The outdoor areas provide engagements at close range while the interior offers space for fights at greater distances. “Raid” offers the classic 3-lane system and takes place in and around a large mansion in Hollywood. The map debuted with Black Ops 2 in 2012. As a Christmas extra, there is also a holiday version of the cult map “Nuketown”.

Since most regular multiplayer maps are too large for the smaller gunfights, the mode will feature its own maps. In total, there will be 4 unique maps at the start of the season:

  • Game Show
  • ICBM
  • KGB
  • Subway
  • cod cold war maps the pine release season 1
    The Pines
  • cod cold war maps raid release season 1
    Raid
  • cod cold war maps nuketown at christmas
    Holiday Nuketown

What about the scorestreak? Finally, with Season 1, a new scorestreak is being introduced. With the H.A.R.P. (High-Altitude Reconnaissance Plane), you can acquire an improved and high-flying recon drone that displays enemies on the mini-map along with their direction of movement.

Multiplayer Content – Coming Later

What is coming during the season? During the season, another mode will be added: Dropkick 6vs6. Here, teams must secure and hold a briefcase containing nuclear material. As long as one team holds the briefcase, there are no respawns for that team. However, the other team without the briefcase can continue to respawn and pressure the team that is carrying it. Points are awarded for holding the briefcase and the holder receives a powerful handgun and cannot use their own weapons.

Additionally, another map is planned. The “Sanatorium” will be released during the season as a new map for the large 40vs40 Fireteam mode. It takes place in a large hotel area in the Ural Mountains. There will also be a new vehicle: Tactical Raft – a watercraft that allows you to explore the picturesque lake.

cod cold war mode dropkick season 1
In “Dropkick,” the goal is to hold a briefcase for the team.

Cold War Season 1 – Content for Cold War Zombie Mode

What is coming at launch? The zombie mode is the least served, but still not completely forgotten.

Season 1 brings you the mode “Jingle Hells” and trims the launch map “Die Maschine” to holiday spirit. Plague hounds with Rudolph noses, zombie-killing snowballs, crazy Christmas power-ups, and much more await you in the crazy Christmas version of the endless mode. Here you can find our beginner’s guide to zombies in Cold War if you want to familiarize yourself with the mode until then.

cod cold war zombie jingle hell plague rudolf
Plague Rudolf brings fear and bad air.

What is coming during the season? Later, the mode “Cranked” for zombies will be added. Here you will receive a buff when you eliminate zombies, and a timer will run down. If you fail to eliminate some zombies before the timer expires, you will go out in a classic fashion.

Tips & Tricks for Cold War:

Schedule & Release Details

When does the new season go live? It is planned that you will have access to the new season from December 16 at 8 a.m.

How large are the downloads? This is still uncertain. The developers explain that a total of 3 downloads will be necessary to access all the content of the season:

The first update, which paved the way for the new season in Cold War, went online already. The other two can only be downloaded when the season starts. If you only play Warzone, you do not need the “Cold War” updates. Learn here what advantages you can benefit from being a Warzone player with Cold War.

The first season of Cold War is extensive and it will be exciting to see how the experience expands with the new content – especially in the battle royale Warzone. Overall, however, it looks like a great content package for the upcoming holidays.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Blog zur Season 1
  2. Blog zur Warzone

Fortnite brings skins from “The Walking Dead” – Check out the new hunters here

Eilyn Rapp Eilyn Rapp Reading time 2 minutes

Fortnite: Battle Royale starts a crossover with Walking Dead. Skins of characters from the series have been announced to be coming soon to the Item Shop. MeinMMO shows you what they look like.

What has been announced? At the Game Awards 2020, which took place on the night of December 10 to December 11, Epic announced a crossover for Fortnite. The collaboration will be with The Walking Dead and brings:

  • A skin for the character: Michonne
  • A skin for the character: Daryl Dixon
  • 2 pickaxes, which are otherwise used by the two characters as weapons against the “walkers”

For the announcement, Epic created a mini-trailer that shows how Jonesy (the main character of Fortnite) brings the two “hunters” from the zombie-infested world to the Fortnite map. Here you can see the trailer:

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When will the skins be released? The release of the Walking Dead skins has been announced for December 16, 2020. In Germany, however, due to the time difference, it might be on Thursday, December 17 at 1:00 AM, as that is when the Item Shop updates.

The next hunters are coming

Why are characters from Walking Dead coming to Fortnite? As seen in the Battle Pass trailer for Season 5, Jonesy recruits the best hunters from other worlds. This leads to some characters from other games or series coming into the game.

After Galactus was on the island and exposed the Zero Point again, everyone can now escape from the Fortnite island. Jonesy’s task is to prevent this, and he seeks help from the toughest hunters.

Fortnite Season 5 Chapter 2 Battle Pass Title
Jonesy assembles a team

Michonne and Daryl Dixon are known from the series The Walking Dead, where they hunt the walkers, the zombies of the series. Michonne is known for fighting through hordes with her katana sword.

Daryl Dixon is often seen with a knife in each hand for close combat or his special weapon: the crossbow, which he uses for silent kills. With their skills, they seem to qualify for the Fortnite hunter team.

fortnite walking dead
Here you can see Daryl and Michonne from The Walking Dead (Source: moviepilot.de)

In Fortnite Season 5, a lot seems to be coming our way. Data miners have already found a lot of weapons in the data that are not yet in the game. If all of these appear in Season 5, players could expect 12 new weapons.

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

Pokémon GO brings Regirock, Registeel, and Regice back – but only for a short time

Patrick Freese Patrick Freese Reading time 2 minutes

In Pokémon GO, the trio Regirock, Registeel, and Regice is returning to raids. This will happen on weekends in December. The legendary Pokémon will only stay briefly as bosses in the game.

What is new? Do you remember the trio of Regis? They are returning now in December as legendary bosses in Pokémon GO. Good news for you if they are still missing from your collection.

You also have the chance to catch the shiny forms of these bosses again. But you must hurry, as the three will only stay for a short time in the arenas.

When are Regirock, Registeel, and Regice coming to raids?

These are the times: During the next three weekends, one boss of the trio will appear in the arenas each time.

  • You can encounter Regirock from Saturday, December 12 at 6:00 AM until Sunday, December 13 at 10:00 PM local time in the arenas
  • You can encounter Registeel from Saturday, December 19 at 6:00 AM until Sunday, December 20 at 10:00 PM in the arenas
  • You can encounter Regice on Saturday, December 26 at 6:00 AM until Sunday, December 27 at 10:00 PM in the arenas

Which boss is there as well? Legendary raids with Kyurem will also take place on these weekends. So you will find both opponents in the level 5 raids.

More about Pokémon GO

What’s happening this weekend? Currently, several events are overlapping in Pokémon GO. Until Saturday morning at 1:00 AM, you will encounter Rocket opponents more frequently, and you can make Crypto Pokémon forget the move Frustration.

On Saturday, the big Community Day will start. This event will take place over two days this month instead of just one. During the event period, your chances of certain shinies will increase, and there will be great stardust rewards. So don’t miss out on the spectacle.

In our guide to the Community Day in December for Pokémon GO, you will find the most important details

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

Everything about the Dawning event in Destiny 2 – How the Guardians celebrate Christmas 2020

Philipp Hansen Philipp Hansen Reading time 5 minutes

In Destiny 2 the Winter and Christmas event “The Dawning 2020” is coming up. Read why Guardians traditionally bake there and what new quests and gifts await you this year.

What is the Dawning all about? Don’t be fooled by the strange name of the event: behind “The Dawning” (eng. The Dawning) is the annual Winter and Christmas celebration of Destiny 2.

The Tower will also be festively decorated in Beyond Light, even outside Europe it snows and there are gifts for all (well-behaved) Guardians. MeinMMO shows you what event loot awaits under the Dawning tree and how you can spread cheer by baking and fighting.

To put you in the right mood, Bungie has released a trailer for the Dawning 2020. In it, Saint-14 encourages players not to be sentimental, but to really go all out:

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The Dawning 2020 in Destiny 2 – All Information about the Winter Event

When does the Dawning event take place? Destiny celebrates Christmas for 3 weeks:

  • Start is on December 15, 2020
  • Ends on January 5, 2021

The Dawning festivities begin and end precisely with the Weekly Reset, which always takes place on Tuesdays.

During the event, Eva Levante returns to the Tower. The “dear grandmother of Destiny” is your main contact person during the three event weeks. With her, you will receive quests, bounties, redeem rewards, and get your own oven for cookie baking.

Here you will find all 21 recipes and all the ingredients you need for the event in 2020:

More on the topic
Destiny 2: All Simmering Event Ingredients and Recipes – How to Bake Properly in 2023
von Philipp Hansen

Who can join the celebration? Bungie excludes no one from the festival of love. All Guardians can enjoy the event in full. The Dawning is completely free and not tied to any DLCs or the Season Pass of the Season of the Hunt.

Dawning Tree Destiny 2 2020
Eva Levante awaits at the shining Dawning tree in the Tower

How to get into the Dawning spirit – Activities and Tasks

Cookie Baking: It is tradition for Guardians not to heat up the enemies during the Dawning time, but to heat up the oven – hoho. Because in the event, you collect recipes and ingredients so that you can bake treats in the so-called Holiday Oven.

Ship Destiny 2 Dawning 2020
Thanks to the reduced loading times of the next-gen version of Destiny 2, you can only briefly admire your new ship

Upgrade your spaceship: To distribute your cookies quickly and best while warm in the solar system, there is a new exotic event ship.

You will gradually upgrade the ship during the Dawning.

  • You will unlock 3 engine effects,
  • an exclusive teleport effect,
  • and an animated shader

How to create Dawning mood: In 2020 Bungie takes the festive mood literally: Through activities like missions, event bounties or baking, you create “Dawning mood”. The more you accumulate, the better your gifts and rewards will be.

  • Each Guardian has an individual mood barometer.
  • There is also a community challenge for players, during which as much mood as possible must be created.
  • In classic tradition, the rewards await you under the Christmas tree, um, Dawning tree.

It also looks like you can have snowball fights again. What is fun among Guardians has been deadly for your enemies in the past. You could freeze enemies in activities like strikes. However, Guardians actually don’t need snowballs anymore – we have received the new ice abilities of Stasis in Beyond Light.

What event loot and rewards does the Dawning 2020 bring to Destiny 2?

What would a Christmas event be without gifts? We don’t know exactly what is hidden in the gifts yet. However, Bungie has already revealed that you will also find upgrade materials in them. Additionally, there will be a new event weapon, the exotic ship, and numerous cosmetic treats from the Eververse, with which you can treat yourself.

This exclusive weapon is available: You can earn the fusion rifle “Glacioclasm” during the Dawning. You can only hunt for this weapon with random rolls during the event.

The weapon deals high damage with the Void element – just like the former Crucible terror Erentil. Glacioclasm has even better stats and could become a true beast in PvP.

Whether the event weapons from previous years will return to the loot pool is still unknown.

Here’s what’s in the Eververse: While events are running, the Eververse of Tess is always running at full speed. This year, however, Bungie has already announced that you can also acquire almost all cosmetic Dawning items from the cash shop with Glimmer (the earnable in-game currency).

Among the highlights is the new event armor. Bungie has already revealed this in advance during a charity marathon as concept art. This is what the sets look like in the game:

The armors cost 6,000 Glimmer or 1,500 Silver per set. Then you have them as universal ornaments, so you can give any legendary armor the Dawning look. By the way, next year proper transmog will come to Destiny 2.

More about the future features of Destiny 2 can be found here on MeinMMO:

Additionally, there will be further cosmetic adjustments for your Sparrow, your upgraded Ghost, festive gestures, and all kinds of additional thematic items like weapon ornaments.

Only 3 items can be purchased exclusively with Silver (the real money currency):

  • The Fire of Joy weapon ornament (for the exotic SMG Xenophage)
  • The Energizer weapon ornament (for the exotic auto rifle Monte Carlo)
  • The “Hail the Eternal Hunted” finisher

Are you looking forward to the wintry Dawning event and that you can celebrate with as many people as you want in Destiny 2? When it arrives on December 15, we will accompany the celebrations and provide you with the latest information.

If you want to know how MeinMMO author Philipp Hansen failed last year with a festive Destiny cake, you can have fun here: Don’t shoot, but bake – With the cake you can make any Destiny fan weak

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

Twitch tightens its rules – This will soon be prohibited in chat

Benedict Grothaus Benedict Grothaus Reading time 3 minutes

Stricter rules will soon apply regarding chat and the use of certain terms on the streaming service Twitch. This effort aims to protect specific user groups that, according to Twitch, face frequent attacks, such as women, members of the LGBTQIA+ or BIPoC community. The rules affect both streamers and viewers.

What are the new rules? The new rules are explicitly intended to reduce harassment, hate speech, and sexual harassment on Twitch. To this end, Twitch is tightening the existing behavior guidelines.

They now explicitly include behavior in the mentioned cases, as affected users are disproportionately often victims of insults or harassment. According to the official statement, the drafting took several months.

What penalties are there? Depending on the severity of the offense, penalties range from a temporary channel ban to permanent bans. The latter can even be imposed on the first violation in particularly severe cases.

Twitch aims to consider the context. In communities where a little “good-natured banter” is part of the game, that should accordingly influence the evaluation. Furthermore, the severity of the penalty is relevant if the user has previously received penalties and how many reports are filed by users or moderators.

Penalties for Hate Speech and Sexual Harassment

This is now prohibited: In the blog post, Twitch provides some examples of content that is explicitly prohibited and will be punished. This applies to messages in chat, private messages, as well as content shown in streams:

  • The assertion that the victim of a well-documented, brutal tragedy has merely faked it or is lying
  • Encouragement of DDoS, hacking, doxing, or swatting actions against other individuals
  • Incitement to malicious attacks on another person’s social media profiles outside of Twitch
  • Emotes are an important part of our communication, but they can also be used maliciously. Therefore, this policy applies to emote combinations, even if used in chat without additional text.
  • Displaying the Confederate flag is prohibited due to its historical and symbolic connection to slavery and white racist groups in the USA.
  • Repeated remarks about a person’s perceived attractiveness are prohibited, even if they may seem positive or flattering to you, if there are indications that they are unwelcome (i.e., you were asked to stop, you will be temporarily or permanently banned from the channel).
  • Lewd or explicit remarks about a person’s sexuality or appearance are prohibited. Note that we make no exceptions for public figures.
  • Sending unwanted/uninvited links to nude images or videos is prohibited.

Twitch relies on users to make use of the reporting function to report such misconduct. You can find the complete behavior guidelines (via Twitch) and further explanations about the new rules on the official Twitch blog (via Twitch).

More about Twitch on MeinMMO:

When does it apply? The new rules will take effect from January 21, 2021, and only for content published after that date. Twitch will not retroactively penalize any content such as clips created before that date.

Sexism and Harassment on Twitch

The new rules aim, among other things, to protect women who have been targeted on Twitch for quite some time. In October 2020, for example, the largest female streamer, Pokimane, complained that she is tired of being sexualized by “perverse losers”.

Pokimane Title Twitch
Fed up: Pokimane

The problem appears to happen more frequently for women on Twitch. According to an insider report there’s even internal sexism at Twitch. It was reported that some men allegedly tried to get rid of the streamer Kaceytron.

Some streamers respond to harassment with sharp comebacks. The streamer PaladinAmber, for example, mocks rude viewers who want to get at her by directly addressing them and showing how out of place their behavior is.

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

Elite Dangerous: Odyssey finally shows gameplay that so many have been waiting for

Sven Galitzki Sven Galitzki Reading time 2 minutes

Elite Dangerous has now given a first look at the gameplay of the upcoming Odyssey expansion in a new trailer. Shooter-style combat was finally visible there as well.

What is Odyssey about? Odyssey is the name of the new, major expansion that is set to be released in 2021 for the popular space sim Elite Dangerous.

Odyssey is eagerly anticipated by many. The add-on brings several new features to the game that fans have been longing for since its launch in December 2014. And now there was finally a proper taste of it in the form of a new trailer that was released during the Game Awards.

Odyssey Elite Dangerous

What does the new trailer show? Something that many fans and players have probably been waiting for. The new trailer for Elite Dangerous: Odyssey finally gives a glimpse of two of the biggest highlights in action. There’s gameplay of the so-called Space Legs as well as of the shooter battles:

  • Space Legs refers to the ability to leave one’s spaceship or exploration vehicle and move freely on planetary surfaces, in buildings, or at stations.
  • The shooter elements come along with the Space Legs and offer the possibility to customize one’s character with firearms and other equipment, and also engage in combat in a first-person shooter style.

By the way, Odyssey can be pre-ordered on PC starting now.

Here you can watch the trailer:

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What is so special about it? Both have always been among the biggest wishes of the community and will be possible for the first time with the Odyssey expansion in Elite Dangerous.

This would take the space sim a whole step closer to being a fully-fledged SciFi MMO and provide a unique experience, especially on consoles. The biggest direct competitor, Star Citizen, is only available for PC. You can find out more here: Elite Dangerous could soon become the SciFi MMO that many are wishing for.

Also interesting: If you only own the base game so far and have not yet played the first expansion Horizons, you can now catch up – and it is completely free now. Because Elite Dangerous is giving players its first addon for free.

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

Survival MMO ARK announces successor ARK 2 – On Xbox and PC

Alexander Leitsch Alexander Leitsch Reading time 3 minutes

The game Ark: Survival Evolved is getting a sequel. At the Game Awards 2020, ARK 2 was announced. The new game is being released in collaboration with Microsoft and exclusively for the Xbox Series X/S and PC.

Update on December 11 at 2:35 PM: In the first version of this article, we described an exclusivity for the Xbox Series X and S. This was based on the statement from Aaron Greenberg on Twitter. This caused confusion in the community. The Lead Community Manager of Ark, Cedric “CeddyBear” Burkes, clarified on Twitter:

“Attention! There is some confusion here. ARK 2 will launch on PC and exclusively on Xbox.

I look forward to sharing more information in due time.”

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How long this exclusivity will last is unclear. We have adjusted the article for you.

What kind of game is this? Not many details about ARK 2 are known at this time. What is clear is that it will once again involve dinosaurs and that this time there will be a greater focus on a story campaign.

Moreover, ARK 2 is being developed in collaboration with Microsoft and is expected to be released exclusively for the new Xbox Series X/S and for PC players. However, there is not yet a release date.

Is there any gameplay yet? No, so far only a cinematic trailer has been shown for ARK 2. In this, actor Vin Diesel makes an appearance. He plays the character Santiago, who roams the jungle with other people.

Along the way, he encounters various creatures, dinosaurs, but also the known sci-fi elements that belong to ARK. These can be seen especially towards the end of the trailer.

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When will there be more details? Later today, on December 11, further information about ARK 2 is to be shared. We will keep you updated in this post and will update it accordingly.

ARK 2 could solve problems that ARK cannot handle

What makes ARK 2 so interesting? ARK: Survival Evolved is a successful game. On Steam, it had over 100,000 concurrent players at its peak in early 2020. It impresses with various dinos, plenty of content, and a crazy story.

However, there is ongoing criticism for the poor performance and bugs that the game cannot manage. Additionally, there were recently illogical story elements that even led to negative reviews on Steam.

ARK 2 could address these issues.

More about ARK and other survival games on MeinMMO:

The ARK series: In addition to the game, a series has been announced, ARK: The Animated Series. In addition to Vin Diesel, well-known actors such as Gerard Butler, David Tennant, Juliet Mills, and Russel Crowe are also involved.

ARK Series

What else was there at the Game Awards? In addition to ARK 2, there were several announcements regarding MMOs and multiplayer games, including

The Game Awards, which took place on the night of Friday, had plenty of info and surprises in store. Which one do you like best? And what do you think of ARK 2? Feel free to let us know in the comments.

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

Oblivion is coming! MMORPG ESO fulfills a big wish for you in 2021

Andreas Bertits Andreas Bertits Reading time 2 minutes

In 2021, the adventure in the MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) continues on PC, Mac, Stadia, PS4/PS5, as well as Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One. A new trailer opens the gates to Oblivion.

What has Zenimax announced? During the Game Awards 2020, the developer studio showed a teaser trailer for the next major story event of the MMORPG ESO, which awaits you in 2021. Gates of Oblivion is the story and takes you to the realms of Oblivion.

What is Oblivion? Oblivion, also known as the Realm of Forgetting, is a dimension that exists outside of Tamriel. Oblivion is divided into several realms, each ruled by Daedric princes. Each realm has its own rules, appearance, and significantly differs from the regular fantasy world in which The Elder Scrolls takes place.

ESO will take you to Oblivion in 2021

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What does the trailer show? A young, blonde elf has a nightmare. In this, she sees a dungeon through which she flies. She reaches a fiery platform where a massive creature arises.

It seems to be the Daedric prince Mehrunes Dagon, the ruler of the Deadlands. Meanwhile, the sign of Oblivion burns into the book that the sleeping woman holds in her hands. At the end, we also see the title “Gates of Oblivion”. Everything points to a very dark story.

More on the topic
What does ESO need to succeed as a NextGen MMORPG? We asked players
von Jürgen Horn

When have we seen Oblivion before? Oblivion plays a recurring role in the Elder Scrolls RPG series.

  • As early as The Elder Scrolls: Arena from 1994, Emperor Uriel Septim VII was banished to Oblivion by his court mage Jagar Tharn.
  • In The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind (2002), the hero even confronted Mehrunes Dagon and had to journey to the Deadlands of Oblivion.
  • The Elder Scrolls 4 (2006) was subtitled Oblivion and revolved around closing the gates that opened from this dimension.
  • Also, in the MMORPG ESO, the Daedric princes and Oblivion occasionally play a role.

What is special about Oblivion? The realms of Oblivion are so different from Tamriel that completely bizarre adventures are possible here. Zenimax has the opportunity with Gates of Oblivion to go far beyond what we expect from regular fantasy.

Horror elements are possible, madness plays a role. Landscapes that constantly change are conceivable. Creatures that are not what they seem are possible. This could mean a really fresh wind for the MMORPG and offer fans something completely different.

When will we learn more? According to the trailer, a reveal event will take place on January 21, 2021 (even though the video mistakenly mentions the year 2020). On this day, we can expect many new details about the major new story of the MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online.

MeinMMO has analyzed what fans wish for the MMORPG ESO. You can read about it in the article “The Elder Scrolls Online: Soon Tamriel will be fully explored, and what then?”.

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

FIFA 21: Icon Swaps 1 and Freeze are here – Bringing strong rewards

Max Handwerk Max Handwerk Reading time 3 minutes

In FIFA 21, two exciting events have started with Freeze and Icon Swaps. MeinMMO provides you with all the information.

When do FIFA 21 Freeze and Icon Swaps start? Both events began on Friday evening, December 11, at 7:00 PM.

What are these events? Freeze replaces the well-known Futmas event, although its content is inspired by the Christmas classic. Icon Swaps should be familiar to most from last year – it’s all about legends!

We will show you what the events have to offer.

What’s included in Icon Swaps 1

This is how the event works: As known from the previous “Icon Swap”, you must complete certain tasks. If you succeed, you will receive Icon Swaps tokens as a reward. You can then exchange these for selected icon cards and pack rewards.

The nice thing is: You can only get icons through playing and do not have to spend any coins. The first tasks take place in friendly matches and Squad Battles. So far, icons are not played for in Rivals.

These icons are available: In Icon Swaps 1, a total of 6 icons are available. They are:

  • Thierry Henry (90) – Needs 17 tokens
  • Rijkaard (90) – Needs 14 tokens
  • Koeman (91) – Needs 13 tokens
  • Suker (87) – Needs 11 tokens
  • Hagi (89) – Needs 9 tokens
  • Vidic (85) – Needs 7 tokens.
Icon Swaps rewards

Even more great rewards: While fewer icons are directly available compared to previous Icon Swaps, there are also more pack rewards and some of them are really good. Here are some examples:

  • For 2 swap tokens, you get 2 Ultimate Packs
  • For 3 tokens, you get a pack with 5 players who have at least 85 overall
  • For 8 tokens, you get a base icon pack with a random base icon
  • For 10 tokens, you get 1 pack that contains either a base or mid icon.
  • For 16 tokens, you get a mid icon pack, where the icon has at least 89.

If you have no interest in any of the 6 direct icons, you can try your luck here. After all, the first Prime Icons are now also included in packs.

FIFA 21 Prime Icons
The first Prime Icons are now here

More about FIFA 21 on MeinMMO:

What’s included in the FIFA 21 Freeze event

This is how Freeze works: The event is based on the contents of the old Futmas event, just without the Christmas flair.

As known from Futmas, there will be daily changing SBCs. Every day, FUT will offer a specific player SBC and a new puzzle SBC. Here, you can exchange players for rewards. Weekly tasks will also be included.

FIFA 21 Freeze
These are the contents of the Freeze event

But that’s not all. There’s also a special Freeze team that has been equipped with new positions and adjusted stats to match. You can find the entire team here in the overview:

FIFA 21 Freeze
This is what the Freeze team looks like

There are some strong cards included. If you’re looking for cards from the Bundesliga, you will find a forward version of Thorgan Hazard and a CDM version of Salif Sané.

The Weekend League is starting again today. Here you can find players who might improve your team!

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

WoW has a transgender character – but not in China

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

In World of Warcraft there is more diversity with Shadowlands – but not in all versions of the game. In China, such characters remain silent.

Even during the beta of World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, some players noticed something interesting. One of the characters from the story of Bastion, Pelagos, reveals a little more about his character upon request. Players learn that Pelagos had a female body in life, but appears as a man in the Shadowlands. He is thus the first openly recognizable transgender character in World of Warcraft. However, not in all versions of WoW does Pelagos stand by his story.

In China, Pelagos remains silent.

WoW Shadowlands Kyrianer Pelagos Title
Pelagos is one of your soulbinds with the Kyrians.

What is it like in China? With the Chinese client, you cannot get this information. There, Pelagos just stands around and has no dialogue options. Players learn nothing about his past or motivations. This is doubly absurd because Pelagos is one of the soulbind characters that are of great importance to the player.

More on the topic
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands – Gewinnspiel
von MeinMMO

What does Pelagos say in the rest of the world? In the other variants of World of Warcraft – such as the German or English client – Pelagos speaks openly about his background and decision upon request. He feels completely himself for the first time in his new form, and his feelings are in harmony with what others see in his form.

Blizzard included a trans character in Shadowlands in such a beautiful way that made me very happy. Just wanted to share here in case other covenants don’t get to see it from r/wow

This is, by the way, a recurring theme in Shadowlands. Souls can choose a new appearance in the Shadowlands that does not necessarily correspond to their being in life.

In Ardenweald, for example, it is common to take on the form of an animal that fits Ardenweald. In Maldraxxus, on the other hand, most choose warrior forms and also modify them with additional limbs or bone shields.

More on Shadowlands can be found here:

Why is this so? In China, extremely strict rules apply to media. Almost always, one must adhere to the instructions of the government. If a game conveys values that the government does not like, media quickly disappears from the scene. This is dangerous for companies, as China is a large and important market that one does not want to upset.

In the Chinese version of WoW, some other content is also missing. For example, there are not the new skin tones for humans, and also – which is a bit ironic – the Asian-looking facial customization options are absent.

But Pelagos has even more advantages – after all, Kyrians are often the best covenant.

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

Christmas is coming soon in Destiny 2 – Cool trailer presents the winter event

Sven Galitzki Sven Galitzki Reading time 3 minutes

Soon, the winter event “The Dawning” will start in Destiny 2. In a fresh, winter trailer, Bungie has now compactly presented what Guardians can expect in 2020 during The Dawning.

What is The Dawning about? The Dawning, also known as “Der Anbruch” in German, is essentially the annual winter event of Destiny 2, which traditionally sweetens the Christmas season for Guardians – this time as part of Season 12.

The Tower of the Last City is then decorated in a festive look. It snows, beautiful lights are hanging everywhere, and there is a festive atmosphere. During the event, Guardians can bake cookies, secure festive loot, or stock up on thematically inspired items from the Eververse.

  • The festively decorated Tower
  • The ship from the event
  • The Dawning armor
  • One of the festive Ghost shells
  • The new event weapon Glacioclasm

What does the trailer show? With a new trailer, Bungie has presented a little preview of what to expect during The Dawning in 2020. You can look forward to the following, among other things:

  • Eva Levante as the contact person for the event. The Destiny Grandma is stationed this year under a particularly elegantly decorated tree in the Tower
  • New universal armor ornaments in a Christmas design, which Bungie presented early because Guardians donated generously
  • New emotes, Ghost shells, Sparrows, ships, or a new event weapon – the fusion rifle Glacioclasm
  • It seems that snowballs can be thrown again

We will soon present the winter event in detail here on MeinMMO for you.

Here you can watch the trailer:

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When exactly does the Dawning event take place? The Dawning will begin on December 15, 2020. The Christmas festivities will last into the new year 2021 – namely until January 5. All Guardians can participate, regardless of optional add-ons like the “Beyond Light” expansion or the Season of the Hunt.

What do you think of the trailer? Does it make you excited for the event? Are you joining in? Or does The Dawning 2020 leave you completely cold?

Also interesting:

By the way: Even though things traditionally quiet down around Destiny 2 at the end of the year – the winter event is not the only thing to look forward to in the closing year. What else the action MMO has to offer in 2020, you can find out here: Destiny 2 in December – These contents still await you until 2021

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

Twitch bans the largest German streamer Knossi – What happened?

Alexander Leitsch Alexander Leitsch Reading time 2 minutes

The streamer Jens “Knossi” Knossalla has been banned on Twitch. The exact circumstances of the ban are still unclear. However, there are already speculations as to why the biggest German streamer has been affected.

Update 7:40 PM: In the meantime, Knossi has been unbanned. The ban lasted just under 24 hours.

This is what happened: On December 10, Knossi was banned on Twitch. This was reported by the website StreamerBans. So far, Knossi has not commented on the ban, but there is already a lot of speculation below the tweet from StreamerBans.

Two events in the last few days are at the center of attention:

  • On one hand, the rapper Sido spat out a drink live during the Christmas camp on December 6. Some suspect that the “vomiting” had consequences (as seen in this clip on Twitter)
  • On the other hand, Knossi reacted live on December 9 to a video showing a naked male butt. Nudity is always problematic on Twitch.

Both actions could have caused Knossi’s ban. This was already the 4th ban for the streamer. However, that does not necessarily mean anything if they are often just “small” bans. This can also be seen with the German streamer Papaplatte, who has been banned 7 times in 2020. We will inform you as soon as the exact circumstances regarding Knossi are clarified.

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Ban could come from a live reaction

What reason is likely for the ban? Most users on Twitter currently assume that Knossi was banned for reacting to a video that showed a naked butt. This is an excerpt from a show by Stefan Raab.

These so-called reaction streams are very popular but carry the risk of showing something that does not comply with Twitch’s terms of use. After all, streamers want to react live and do not watch the content beforehand.

Such a reaction stream caused streamer Sebastian “forsen” Fors to be permanently banned.

twitch podcast header

Why Twitch is so important for gaming – Listen to it in the MeinMMO podcast

Find out here what influence streaming and Twitch have on gaming, the industry, and us as players.

To the podcast on Spotify

Who is Knossi? With 1,545 million watched hours in the last 7 days, Knossi ranks 12th among all Twitch channels and is simultaneously the number 1 in Germany (via Sullygnome). However, he does not have the most followers. Here his buddy MontanaBlack is in the lead.

The streamer is primarily known for his gambling content, which he shows live on stream. He has already been named as a negative example in a documentary by ZDF. The satirist Jan Böhmermann has already taken Knossi to task when it came to the topic of gambling.

However, he continues to attract celebrities with large formats. He is now well known for his “camps”, which he hosted in summer, on Halloween, and most recently on St. Nicholas’ day. During these events, well-known personalities like Klaas Heufer-Umlauf, Manny Marc, or Sido participated in his live streams.

We at MeinMMO took a closer look at the horror camp for Halloween:

How well the horror camp with Knossi and Sido went that dominated Twitch over the weekend

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

Pokémon GO changes Rocket attacker with new Shiny Felino

Patrick Freese Patrick Freese Reading time 2 minutes

In Pokémon GO you can find Felino on every corner and with a bit of luck its Shiny. The Team Rocket grunts and their attackers have changed as well. What is happening in the game right now?

This has changed: Since the night of Friday, December 11, 2020, surprisingly more Felino appear in the wilds of Pokémon GO. To the great delight of numerous trainers, it is even possible to catch the Shiny version of Felino with a bit of luck.

These changes happened around the same time as the small Rocket event that Niantic announced at the start of the Game Awards.

Felino Everywhere – Also as Shiny

New rotation among the grunts: If you fight against the Team Rocket grunts now, they most likely have a Crypto-Felino with them. This is new.

Additionally, the members of Team GO Rocket are currently appearing significantly more frequently than before. This is due to the current Rocket event. Now is a good time to teach your Crypto-Pokémon other moves than Frustration. You should definitely take this opportunity, as it will only last until Saturday morning at 01:00.

More exciting articles about Pokémon GO

Shiny Felino: Many trainers are now wondering what Shiny Felino and its evolution Morlord look like. You can see them in the following graphic:

Pokémon GO Felino Morlord Shiny

How many have been caught already? On Twitter, the Pokémon GO team wrote at around 01:30 on Friday morning that Shiny Felino is now catchable in the game. However, it must have come into the game a little earlier for the counting to add up.

Approximately two and a half to three hours later, the Game Awards team tweeted that trainers had already caught 48.7 million Felino during that time. That would have been more than 285,000 Felino per minute.

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The Pokémon GO team can apparently keep track live of how many and which Pokémon trainers are currently catching and analyze that precisely.

The next big event in Pokémon GO is already approaching. The Community Day in December lasts over 2 days and brings increased Shiny chances. How do you like the events this month? Are they to your liking or do you think certain contents are still missing?

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

Pokémon GO: Regirock counter – How to defeat this Raid Boss

Patrick Freese Patrick Freese Reading time 2 minutes

Regirock is a legendary boss in Pokémon GO. We show you counters, attacks, and tips on how to defeat the boss best.

Update, December 11, 2020: The Regi-Trio of Regirock, Registeel, and Regice returns to Pokémon GO. Each monster will occupy gyms for one weekend in December.

When is Regirock coming? Regirock will kick off. It will be in gyms from Saturday, December 12, 2020, at 6:00 AM until Sunday, December 13 at 10:00 PM. So you might want to stop by while you’re playing the Community Day in December.

Regirock overview with CP, type, weaknesses

Regirock

CP after capture: 1784 CP with perfect IVs at level 20, 2230 CP with weather boost (partly cloudy) at level 25, perfect IVs
Type: It is a Rock type.
Weak to: Fighting, Ground, Water, Grass, Steel
Recommended trainers: At least 4 (with extremely strong attackers), 6-7 to be on the safe side

What attacks does Regirock know?

  • Stone Edge (Rock) – Fast Attack
  • Brick Break (Fighting) – Fast Attack
  • Body Slam (Normal) – Fast Attack
  • Rock Slide (Rock) – Charged Attack
  • Focus Blast (Fighting) – Charged Attack
  • Thunderbolt (Electric) – Charged Attack

Regirock Counter – These Pokémon are strong in battle

With the following attackers, you have a good chance against Regirock in the raid and deal a lot of damage. Here are the top counters:

PokémonAttacks
MetagrossBullet Punch & Meteor Mash
GroudonMud Shot & Earthquake
KrookodileMud Shot & Earthquake
MewtwoCounter & Dynamic Punch
ExcadrillMud-Slap & Earthquake
SwampertWater Gun & Hydro Cannon
LucarioCounter & Aura Sphere
KyogreWaterfall & Hydro Pump
DialgaMetal Claw & Iron Head
ShroomishCounter & Grass Knot

If you can rely on Mega Evolutions, you will also find several very strong options. These are:

  • Mega Blastoise with Water Gun and Hydro Cannon
  • Mega Venusaur with Vine Whip and Petal Blizzard
  • Mega Gengar with Lick and Focus Blast

Best attackers in weather conditions

Rain: If you participate in a Regirock raid while rain weather is active in Pokémon GO, Kyogre is an even stronger attacker. However, be careful if Regirock knows its Electric Attack Thunderbolt. It will then do more damage. Swampert also benefits from its Water Attacks.

Pokémon GO Kyogre

Sun: In sunny weather, Groudon moves further up the ranking of the best attackers. Krookodile also benefits from the weather.

Now you should be well prepared for battle against Regirock. Which attackers do you use in your battle team?

Do you want to get the best attacks for your monsters on Community Day? Then find the attack overview for the event here.

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

Finally: Trailer for Season 1 of CoD Cold War shows the new Warzone map for the first time

Sven Galitzki Sven Galitzki Reading time 2 minutes

A new trailer has introduced what players can look forward to in Season 1 of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and CoD Warzone. For the first time, there were also moving images of the new Warzone map Rebirth Island.

Many have been waiting for this: Recently, Black Ops Cold War postponed its first shared season with Warzone by a few days to December 16. Fresh official information has thus taken a little longer to arrive, but now it is finally here.

With a new trailer, CoD presents the new content in moving images as well. Finally, there is also a first look at the new Battle Royale map Rebirth Island, which will be introduced to Warzone in Season 1. Many have been eagerly awaiting exactly this. After all, a new Warzone map is among the biggest wishes of many players.

You can find the other content of Season 1 in our comprehensive overview on the topic:

More on the topic
Season 1 of CoD Cold War & Warzone will be massive – All about content & release
von Maik Schneider

What exactly does the trailer show? In addition to a first look at Rebirth Island, the following can also be seen:

Here you can watch the trailer:

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This is Rebirth Island: “Rebirth Island” is evidently a revised version of the Battle Royale map “Alcatraz” from Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. The map was also subsequently introduced for the first Battle Royale of Call of Duty, the Blackout mode – by the way, also only some time after its launch.

Rebirth Island is said to be somewhat larger than the source material from Blackout, but significantly smaller than the current Warzone map in the area around Verdansk. The map apparently offers a good, compact mix of buildings, open spaces, and winding tunnels.

By the way, Rebirth Island is an additional map for the Battle Royale and is not meant to replace or displace the existing map around Verdansk.

Also interesting:

What do you think of the new Warzone map? Are you looking forward to finally jumping into the action there? Do you need to form your own opinion first? Or are you not excited about this new map so far?

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

Scavengers is the Fortnite for old people – Slow and more strategic

Benedict Grothaus Benedict Grothaus Reading time 8 minutes

Scavengers is a new PvEvP game that combines elements from battle royale, loot shooters, and strategy. The developers invited MeinMMO author Benedict Grothaus for a preview of the game, which thrilled him – although, or perhaps precisely because it is a game for the “older folks” in the genre.

What is Scavengers? Behind Scavengers lies a game model that is still relatively unexplored: PvEvP. Up to 60 players compete in teams of three against each other and together in rounds lasting about 30 minutes.

The story deals with a quasi-post-apocalyptic scenario. After the moon was destroyed, the Earth is hardly habitable, and the humans have retreated into orbit, where “Mother,” an AI, watches over them. Mother collects important resources and data from Earth and sends clones to the surface – us.

So we play the image of one of the surviving humans and try to assert ourselves against the adverse conditions, aliens, and mutants on Earth that now populate it, to escape with the collected data.

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What makes it so special: Instead of being the last one standing, teams need to gather points. Points are awarded for various activities on the map. They must be brought to an evacuation point at the end of the round. The team with the most points wins.

In Scavengers, we are not just playing against other players, but also with them. Some bosses on the map cannot be completed alone or are difficult to handle without a team, and until a certain amount of resources is gathered, we cannot escape the planet.

More on the topic
You overlooked this shooter at E3 – It sounds really interesting
von Sven Galitzki

Scavengers combines the classic feel of a battle royale with an interesting crafting system both in the rounds and in the meta game. Additionally, it offers PvE content and story. Moreover, Scavengers provides players a selection of heroes with unique abilities and roles.

  • Fortnite or Warzone – the battle royale aspect
  • Warframe or Destiny – crafting and loot in the shooter
  • Rainbow Six – team play and various characters

It plays quite similarly to The Cycle, which I found very exciting, which is still relatively unknown. It is also about points rather than kills, and there is plenty to do in PvE with tasks and materials.

Scavengers Boss
Some enemies are simply too tough for a group alone.

It gives me as much fun as a battle royale without the frustration of biting the dust in the first few seconds and having to restart. Scavengers is slower and more strategic – that’s exactly what I like.

Note: I played an early version of Scavengers and derived my impression from this experience. Much can change by the release.

Scavengers – The “Fortnite for old people”

What does Scavengers have from Fortnite? The battle royale title. More or less, since PvP is not even at the forefront. But before you complain about the comparison: The thought behind it is different.

Fortnite is labeled by many older (or more mature?) gamers as a game for children. And indeed, it is colorful and playful with its comic graphics and many references to current pop culture.

Nevertheless, Fortnite is fun for tens of thousands of players and is one of the most popular games currently on Twitch (via sullygnome). The visuals, mechanics, and content continually excite Fortnite fans.

Scavengers also has this potential, only for an “older” clientele. It requires more planning, teamwork, and offers more opportunities to win a round.

It is battle royale, but it is not battle royale

How much battle royale is in it? In Scavengers, only one team can win. The one with the most points reaches first place and earns the crown for that round.

Additionally, a storm closes in around the map, which grows larger and thus leaves less playable area – just like in a classic battle royale. Scavengers also features the search for weapons and equipment. We start with nothing and first have to find weapons, consumables, grenades, and more.

If desired, one can also go on the hunt for other players and fully experience the PvP. However, the chances of success are relatively low, since Scavengers is still not a “real battle royale.”

What is different? A certain amount of resources needs to be collected. Only when a team possesses a specific amount alone or all teams collectively reach a certain value is evacuation possible.

Points are obtained by collecting data that is spread across the map, mostly guarded by NPC enemies. A tip: bears are REALLY deadly. Often, various materials can also be found at these special locations.

Scavengers Harvest
Important data can be found at such crystals, but not without a fight.

These materials can be used to craft items directly in the game, like the special weapon of your respective character, grenades, and more – provided the corresponding level in the round has been reached. Others can be taken from the round to unlock new items in a further crafting menu.

What kind of characters are there? The different playable “Explorers” each have unique abilities and weapons that determine their role. For example, there is Kali, a sharpshooter with a bow who can cloak herself or Halden, who uses a tactical rifle and can heal his team. In our test, seven Explorers were available, and more are set to appear in the future.

Additionally, Scavengers impresses with a survival aspect. We have stamina that is consumed while running and attacking in close combat, which must be replenished with food. On Earth, it is freezing cold, and we need fire or warmth gadgets to stay warm. Storms come into play – not just the big one but also smaller ones. If a smaller storm front sweeps over us during the round, we must seek shelter in ruins; otherwise, it will get very cold very quickly.

Furthermore, Scavengers offers more strategy than I have seen in any battle royale before. As a team of three, one must always weigh:

  • which target makes sense next
  • whether and where to risk a fight with other players
  • which other team to help or whether to betray them and stab them in the back

All this gives Scavengers a dynamic that I miss in Fortnite, Warzone, and other representatives of the genre. It is more tactical, more strategic, and … slower. More pleasant for someone whose 360 no-scope may still work, but who is getting more cumbersome.

More on the topic at MeinMMO:

Scavengers played – My first sessions were grand

My first steps: For the playable test on December 1, there were three of us: GameStar editor Christian Fritz Schneider, myself, and our team captain assigned by the developers, who was playing as “CAP Tilman”.

After a brief small talk in English, we found out that our captain actually comes from near the Lüneburg Heath and decided that we could play in German as well. With the ice broken like that, communication was much more relaxed.

Overall, we played for three rounds, one warm-up round and two that were recorded. Tilman introduced us to the basic mechanics and guided us through the game with a win, a second place, and a defeat, which I actually enjoyed the most.

Scavengers Lake
The icy environment can quickly become dangerous or confusing. Good coordination and communication are important.

How does it play now? As already mentioned, Scavengers is slower. The initial phase lasts about 10-15 minutes, during which weapons and materials are searched, equipment is crafted, and goals are set.

Afterward, it is about either continuing to gather points or hunting opponents. As a relatively aggressive team, we often sought conflict and took points from our defeated enemies.

However, I quickly realized that one should choose battles wisely. In one case, we managed to clean up two teams that were fighting each other and thus gained a huge lead in points.

The second time, we defeated several teams but attracted a third. The intense PvP fight was what I enjoyed most about the game. We literally danced around the opponents in the ruins, trying to hit each other and always had to weigh whether we could risk a glimpse or whether we needed to fully take out an opponent or whether we would then get hit by an enemy sniper’s arrow. The fight demanded all my skills with my character that had been rather limited until then.

We narrowly lost – much to my chagrin, because the last headshot did not hit … 

In the last round, we barely made it to the ship, only to enter into a firefight with all remaining teams. We managed to gather enough points for a second place and barely escaped. Fortunately, it is enough if one of the team members is on the ship when it takes off.

Scavengers Ship
At the ship, there can be a lot of action at the end.

However, this illustrated to me quite well that planning and teamwork are extremely important. If Tilman hadn’t guided us so well and we hadn’t played so well together, it probably wouldn’t have gone as smoothly and wouldn’t have been as fun.

It’s a blast, but it won’t be a blockbuster

Scavengers is a refreshing break from the other shooters I usually play: Warzone, Modern Warfare, Rainbow Six, and Cold War. It combines the thrill of a battle royale with the tactical demands of a tactics shooter and the action-packed fights of a hero shooter like Overwatch.

This makes Scavengers an interesting mix that I personally find incredibly fun. I already enjoyed The Cycle very much, and especially with friends, I would prefer to play Scavengers over Warzone.

With this praise in mind, I must also say: I don’t believe it will be a blockbuster. The mechanics are extremely cool, but too specific to appeal to a broad masses. Too few players will want exactly this combination of content, and Scavengers is simply too complex for that.

Nevertheless, it will not flop. I am sure that a lot of fans will find themselves who will play Scavengers faithfully and thoroughly. The genre is, similar to point-and-click adventures, something that only exactly the people play who want it, but then all the more extensively.

Scavengers will likely be a cult hit, and there are far too few of those, in my opinion. More studios should have the courage to make fewer players much happier. I’m looking forward to it!

Benedict von MeinMMO

Benedict Grothaus
Freelance writer at Mein-MMO

Release and Beta – When can I play it myself?

How can I play it myself? At the conclusion of the playtest event, we could still ask the developers some questions. They revealed to us that a closed beta will be released in the near future, for which you can sign up at playscavengers.com. The beta runs from now until December 22.

Participation is limited, and those who want to test should be quick. Those who had access before will be automatically re-enabled for this test. How long the tests and the subsequent early access will last depends on player feedback and development.

When and where will Scavengers be released? The developers did not have a release date yet. However, it is certain that Scavengers will be released for PC, PS4, and Xbox One and will offer crossplay. Once Scavengers is released, it will be a free-to-play title with a season model. It will receive constant new updates.

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

Crimson Desert will not be an MMORPG, but sounds like one

Alexander Leitsch Alexander Leitsch Reading time 3 minutes

Pearl Abyss, the makers of Black Desert, have presented their first gameplay trailer for Crimson Desert. The game is set to release in winter 2021 and will officially be an “Open World Action-Adventure.” However, much of what is shown in the trailer and the accompanying information resembles an MMORPG.

What is happening with Crimson Desert? During the Game Awards 2020, the first gameplay trailer for the new game was released. You can see about 5 minutes of gameplay, showcasing various landscapes, cities, characters, and battles.

All content is said to be real gameplay that has not been polished for the trailer.

It is notable that Crimson Desert is very rough and bloody. This was already hinted at in the first story trailer, which reminded many of the successful series Game of Thrones.

Graphically, the new game is very similar to its predecessor Black Desert. You can recognize the game style in the characters, battles, and landscapes, although it appears to look slightly better than its predecessor.

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However, there is said to be a big difference between the two games. Black Desert is officially an MMORPG, while Crimson Desert is not.

What is Crimson Desert now? Originally, the game was announced as the second major MMORPG from Pearl Abyss. But even in the last teaser, all hints of an MMO or MMORPG were missing.

Instead, the video description referred to it as an “Upcoming Open World Action-Adventure.” This description is also present in the new press release.

Previously, the game resembled more of a single-player experience:

  • The focus will be on the story
  • You are the leader of a mercenary band, who visually resembles Jon Snow. He has a tragic backstory and now leads his group to survive in the harsh world
  • Within the story, you can also play as other characters from the group

Recently, Pearl Abyss published more new information about Crimson Desert. These descriptions explicitly mention multiplayer content. And much of it indeed resembles an MMORPG.

More on the topic
The 5 new MMOs and MMORPGs for 2022 with the best prospects
von Schuhmann

Crimson Desert promises content for solo and multiplayer fans

What multiplayer content is there? According to the press release, Crimson Desert will contain content for both solo and multiplayer fans. These include:

  • Fortress battles that are said to scale massively
  • Open world events for multiple players
  • Dungeons

Additionally, the release states that the main story content will be seamlessly intertwined with multiplayer and that there will be character customization that sets a new standard in the gaming industry. While these may not be direct multiplayer contents, both indicate that multiplayer should play a role.

Crimson-Desert-Man
The main character and leader of the mercenary band: Macduff.

A little bit, the descriptions remind of the MMORPG ESO. There, most content can also be experienced alone, and players are almost never reliant on others. The only exceptions are PvP and dungeons. It’s no wonder that ESO is among the best MMORPGs for solo players.

However, how exactly players can interact with each other and whether they can possibly participate in story missions is currently unclear. We will have to wait for more information from the developers.

4K graphics, action-packed battles, and flying mounts

What else has been revealed about Crimson Desert? From the trailer, you can already glean some content that awaits you in the open world action-adventure:

  • Action-packed battles featuring various weapons such as swords, shields, daggers, and axes have been shown. There are also unarmed combat scenarios where you use your fists or kicks
  • There will be puzzles and riddles that you need to solve
  • Players can ride giant, mystical creatures and even fly

Additionally, the developers revealed that Crimson Desert can be played entirely in 4K. The release of the game is still planned for winter 2021, and there are supposed to be beta phases before that.

Plan 8 – another title from Pearl Abyss in development.

What else is Pearl Abyss working on? In addition to Crimson Desert, the developer Pearl Abyss is also working on two other multiplayer games, including the family-friendly MMO DokveV and the new shooter Plan 8. You can find out more about these two titles here:

Makers of Black Desert announce 4 new MMOs

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

Final Fantasy XIV 5.4: How to get calf leather for the new outfit

MGG MGG Reading time < 1 minutes

The calfskin biker jacket and the rest of the set from Patch 5.4 are new in Final Fantasy XIV. Here you can find out how to obtain the rare calfskin.

With Patch 5.4, many new contents came to Final Fantasy XIV. One of them is the calfskin biker outfit, a new craftable set used for projections.

ffxiv calfskin set
This is what the calfskin set looks like

To be able to craft this new set, players must first level the crafting job Tanning to level 80. Additionally, you must own the book “Master Tanning VIII”, which teaches you new recipes.

Alternatively, you can ask a friendly Tanner. Once that’s done, you’ll need the new main material: the calfskin.

More on the topic
Final Fantasy XIV: The main content from Patch 5.4 and how to unlock it
von Irina Moritz

This leather is the new rare drop from the new treasure hunt: The Carousel of Lyhe Ghiah. The portals to Lyhe Ghiah appear randomly when using the yellowed Glaucus-leather cards during the treasure hunt.

Good luck with the treasure hunt!

This article originally appeared on the multiplayer site MGG, our partner. We translated it into German.

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LoL Wild Rift starts – But what about PS4, Xbox and Switch?

Florian Franck Florian Franck Reading time 2 minutes

On December 10th, the beta for Wild Rift, the standalone version of League of Legends, will start. It has only been released for Android and iOS so far, but it is also expected to come to consoles. In an interview with MeinMMO, the developers revealed that the release will still take some time.

Who can currently play Wild Rift? With the start of the open beta on December 10, 2020, the twin-stick MOBA from the League of Legends universe is available in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store in Germany.

The launch in Germany has been long awaited, as some countries in Asia have already been participating in the beta since July 2020. In the USA, players still have to wait until 2021.

However, there is currently no version for consoles.

Riot Games comments on the Wild Rift console version

What does Riot say? We were invited by Riot Games in advance to test Wild Rift, and our editor Alexander Leitsch is very enthusiastic. In this context, we also spoke with the developers of Riot Games. They confirmed to us that work is still being done on the console version.

However, there are currently no major updates that can be shared with the players. More information is expected in 2021.

Why console players can’t play Wild Rift yet: Wild Rift was announced as a standalone game in the League of Legends universe after three years of development in October 2019.

With the announcement of the mobile version, a console version of Wild Rift for PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch was promised. However, unlike the mobile version, no release date was mentioned.

What to expect in Wild Rift:  The standalone version of League of Legends for smartphones and consoles is expected to differ in some aspects from the PC version:

  • An adapted twin-stick control scheme.
  • Shorter matches that are expected to last only 15 to 18 minutes.
  • New animations and models.
  • Additionally, a different champion pool is expected.
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In the /dev update, Michael Chow provides information about the launch of the regional beta of League of Legends: Wild Rift.

When will Wild Rift be released for PS4, Xbox, and Switch? Riot Games has indicated a release on consoles will be possible at the earliest after the beta has ended. The MOBA is expected to leave beta in 2021 and be available worldwide for all mobile users. Console players will need to be patient for a little longer.

You can find everything about LoL Wild Rift, the game modes, and the beta in this overview:

Wild Rift: Everything we know about the LoL mobile – Beta, Release, Champions

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WoW Shadowlands: Players can no longer enter dungeons – Problems & Solutions

Benedict Grothaus Benedict Grothaus Reading time 2 minutes

On the evening of December 10, players report problems accessing Dungeons or the new feature Torghast in World of Warcraft: Shadowlands. Players can no longer enter instances. MeinMMO is looking into what is happening and what you can do.

What is the problem? Today, on December 10, there have been increasing problems with instances since around 6:00 PM. Players in the forums and in the game itself are complaining that they cannot enter either Dungeons or Torghast. According to current reports, the following are affected:

  • mythic dungeons
  • the LFG tool
  • Torghast
  • partially the new raid Castle Nathria

When players try to sign up for a queue for one of these instances or enter them, either no connection is established, or they are immediately kicked out of the instance. Playing is not possible in this content.

Why this is particularly frustrating: Since on Wednesday, December 9, Season 1 of Shadowlands has started, players want to explore the new content. This includes the mythic keystone dungeons and the new stages in Torghast, the Tower of the Damned.

Many are trying to get a few upgrades from the dungeons to prepare for the also new raid Castle Nathria, which has already been nerfed just one day after its release. Castle Nathria currently seems accessible, even though there are reports that it is not functioning.

In Nathria, there are also 48 Legendarys to obtain for the classes, which players may not be able to craft. Because the required soul ash is available in Torghast, which cannot currently be accessed. The items also need to be crafted there.

More about WoW Shadowlands on MeinMMO:

Status on Twitter & possible solution

What I can do: If you are trying to join an instance through a browser, just try multiple times. With a bit of luck, you may still be able to enter the dungeon. You just have to hope that the connection stays stable.

There are currently no more tips from the community. However, the problem seems to be affecting multiple players across all realms in Europe.

More on the topic
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands – Gewinnspiel
von MeinMMO

What do the developers say? The customer service on Twitter has not posted any statements regarding the issue as of now (7:15 PM). So we cannot say exactly how quickly the problem can be resolved.

Players suspect that the instance server is currently unreachable. This is supported by the fact that almost all instances’ content cannot be accessed. Blizzard usually resolves such problems quite quickly, but depending on the severity, it could take some time.

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