FIFA 21 Ultimate Team: All Innovations in FUT Overview

Julian Schröder Julian Schröder Reading time 4 minutes

We present to you all the updates and changes to FIFA 21 Ultimate Team in an overview. Find out here which new features FUT 21 will offer

These are the updates of FUT 21 at a glance: Over the past few weeks, EA Sports has presented various new features that await you in the FUT 21 season of FIFA 21. These include the following major updates:

  • Online co-op for FUT
  • Customizable stadiums for FUT players
  • No more management cards
  • Improvements in Weekend League and Division Rivals
  • Shorter animations to reduce frustration

[toc]

Ultimate Team now with Online Co-op

This is what you can expect: The biggest innovation in FUT 21 will be the new online co-op mode. You can now play FUT matches in FIFA 21 with a friend and earn rewards and collect progress together.

In previous FUT versions, you could only play FUT together offline on one console. However, the second player received no rewards or experience points.

In FUT 21, these modes can be played together:

  • Division Rivals
  • Squad Battles
  • Friendly matches

However, you cannot compete together in Weekend League. Here’s how it works:

This is how the co-op lobby in FUT 21 looks

Individual stadiums for FUT players

This is what you can expect: FUT 21 is increasingly moving towards fantasy mode and offers players even more opportunities for customization in the latest installment. You now get your own stadium that you can design and decorate as you like.

There are 2 different upgrade levels that you must earn first. The following elements can then be customized:

  • The audience
  • The structure of the stadium
  • Choreographies in the stands
  • Fan chants
  • The main color of the stadium
  • The seat colors
  • Pyrotechnics behind the goal
  • The color of the goal
  • The structure of the pitch
  • The field banners
  • Presentation of won trophies

All about the new FUT stadium in FIFA 21.

This is how an individual stadium in FUT 21 can look

The annoying fitness cards are a thing of the past

This is what you can expect: For many years, FUT players had to deal with the annoying fitness cards. But soon, this unpleasant topic will finally be over. There will be no more fitness items and training items in FIFA 21 Ultimate Team.

How does fitness work now? After the removal of the fitness cards, player fitness will only matter during a match. Otherwise, every player starts with full fitness in a match.

Alongside the fitness cards, training items will also be removed. In the official explanation, it is stated that this mechanic was hardly used by anyone.

fitness fifa 20
The fitness cards will soon be a thing of the past

Changes in the FUT modes

This is what you can expect: The Division Rivals mode will be slightly adjusted in FIFA 21 Ultimate Team. Instead of having unlimited matches to rise and fall between divisions, only the first 30 Division Rivals matches will count in FUT 21. No points are awarded for additional matches.

In contrast, there is hardly any change to FUT Champions; here, only the Top 100 will be expanded to a new Top 200.

Shorter animations to avoid frustration

This is what you can expect: You concede a goal in the last minute and then the opposing goal scorer runs to the camera and does the “Shush” celebration? That can be quite annoying. Therefore, EA has decided to reduce the frustration in heated online matches in FIFA 21.

On the one hand, the animations during goal celebrations and set pieces will be significantly shortened. On the other hand, the developer has removed two celebrations. These two celebrations are:

  • The “Shush” celebration, where the goal scorer puts a finger to his lips to signal that they should be quiet.
  • The “A-Ok” celebration, which is based on a celebration by Dele Alli.
fifa 20 demo jubel
You will no longer see this celebration

For the waiting times before set pieces, which previously lasted all 30 seconds, the changes are as follows:

  • Before kick-off, the wait time now lasts a maximum of 10 seconds
  • Throw-ins last 12 seconds
  • Goal kicks take 15 seconds
  • Corners also take 15 seconds
  • Penalties take 15 seconds as well
  • Free kicks take 20 seconds

Additionally, animations, such as when a player retrieves the ball for a throw-in from the side, will also be removed from online matches.

The additional features and changes in Ultimate Team

What will be new: In addition to the major updates in FIFA 21, a few smaller things will also change in FUT. We already know the new card design:

This is what FUT 21 cards look like

And we also know what the new pack animations will look like.

What do you think of the updates in Ultimate Team? Would you have liked more new features? What new features in FIFA 21 are particularly exciting, we have summarized here for you.

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

A brilliant troll cleans up in CS:GO – Makes sure that cheaters have to jump off the map

Noah Struthoff Noah Struthoff Reading time 2 minutes

In the shooter Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) cheaters are not uncommon. A clever player outsmarts the cheaters and takes control over them.

This is the situation: The YouTuber and CS:GO player ScriptKid takes action against cheaters in Counter-Strike. He offers a cheat software that looks completely normal on the outside, but actually hits the cheaters with their own weapons.

Those who download this software start to do very crazy things. Players with this software suddenly jump off rooftops or simply throw away their weapons. ScriptKid’s videos then show the extent of it.

Clever player defeats cheaters with their own weapons

This is what the YouTuber shows: We already reported on ScriptKid in July. There he showed a first video of how cheaters eliminated themselves. Now he has further developed his software and lets the cheaters eliminate themselves in even more ways.

We embed here the latest video from ScriptKid:

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This is what the software does to the cheaters: When the cheaters have downloaded the supposed cheat software, everything still appears normal at the start of the round. But when it starts, very different things can happen:

  • The character simply jumps off the skyscraper and eliminates itself
  • The cheater uses a weapon that makes noise but does not fire any bullets – it looks like every shot hits, but then no one is hit
  • The affected player simply throws their weapon out of the window or off the skyscraper and can no longer use it
  • Another cheater walks through a field and this changes their movements – instead of walking forward, they walk backward or look to the side

Why does ScriptKid do this? Cheaters are a daily problem in CS:GO. Cheating is even done freely in tournaments and everyone who regularly plays CS:GO has probably encountered a cheater.

The YouTuber wants to counter this, as developer Valve does not seem to handle the cheater problem very well. In addition, ScriptKid provides funny videos that probably bring a smile to the faces of fair players.

Despite the problems, Valve is trying hard to combat cheaters and the toxic community. A.I. examines the chat histories of players and ruthlessly bans players who become particularly abusive. Over 20,000 players were banned due to this A.I. in 2019.

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

Fall Guys banishes cheaters to their own island where they cheat each other

Jürgen Horn Jürgen Horn Reading time 3 minutes

In Fall Guys the developers secretly created a place where they let all cheaters play against each other. This worked well for a while and there are shocking videos of it. But since the cheaters are too clever, Fall Guys is now getting help from Epic.

What is the deal with the cheater place? The colorful battle royale Fall Guys has a cheating problem. Time and again, it happens that cheaters zoom through the map incredibly quickly or even fly over obstacles. To prevent cheaters from ruining the fun for everyone, the developers secretly collected data and banned all players who exceeded a certain threshold of evidence to a server called “Cheater Island” without their knowledge.

Cheater Island – The Hell on Earth!

This is how Cheater Island works: Cheaters who landed on Cheater Island were initially complaining because the server population was too low to facilitate matches. Since the character was stuck in a loop falling down on the loading screen for a round, many players complained that they would “fall forever”. This was not a bug, the developers say now. Those were all cheaters who couldn’t find a match due to the low server population on Cheater Island.

This is what the rounds looked like: Later, there were apparently enough players on Cheater Island and the rounds were all a nightmare. There is a video in which EVERYONE is using a speed hack and the round ends in a crazy tangle of tangled Fall Guys right before the finish line.

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In another round, it seems that a single player is not cheating and not even a second after the countdown to the round start is the game over, because everyone else was as fast as The Flash.

The developers state that the two videos cannot be proven to come from Cheater Island, but it is to be assumed.

By the way, how cheaters are prevented from the regular lobby, you can find out here.

More on the topic
Brave players in Fall Guys lose voluntarily, so cheaters do not win
von Jürgen Horn

That’s why Cheater Island is gone again

Why did it ultimately not work? In a post by the developers, it is further explained how things went with Cheater Island. Because even though it was a lot of fun to let the cheaters compete only against each other, the cleverness and persistence of the cheaters were underestimated.

The cheaters exchanged ideas in cheating forums and soon they circumvented the ban on Cheater Island. Among other things, by playing together with compliant people who were not cheaters. This way, they could get back into the regular playlist. Others used Steam Family Sharing to create new accounts for free and continue cheating there.

fall guys level exploit title 01
Playing with cheaters is no fun in Fall Guys.

Developers bring in Epic for help: The developers realized that the cheaters did not learn their lesson when confronted. Instead, they were eager to leave Cheater Island to be the only cheater in the match again. No remorse or improvement was in sight.

Therefore, the developers have had enough. To win the arms race against the cheaters, they have now enlisted Epic Games for help. The Fortnite developers already have experience with anti-cheat, and thus the new update for Fall Guys will also be called “Big Yeetus and Anti-Cheatus”.

Epic has at least achieved some success against cheaters in Fortnite, but the fight against cheaters is an eternal arms race. Therefore, a game will probably never be completely free of cheaters. However, Fall Guys might soon have entirely different problems. According to top streamer shroud, something urgently needs to change so that Fall Guys does not die.

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

The Division 2: Maintenance, server down on 15.09. – Patch notes and all information

Sven Galitzki Sven Galitzki Reading time 2 minutes

The Division 2 is conducting maintenance today, September 15th, across all platforms, including PS4, Xbox One, Stadia, and PC. The servers will be offline for several hours. Here you can read how the maintenance will proceed, when the downtime will occur, and what the patch notes reveal.

Update 11:01 AM: The maintenance was completed this time already 90 minutes before the planned end. The servers should now be back online on all platforms. Have fun and good luck, Agents!

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What is the maintenance about? Anyone wanting to play The Division 2 this morning has to take a forced break. Although the big Title Update 11 will be released next week (on September 22nd), which will bring new content as well as various changes and fixes, the game is being worked on again today – albeit on a smaller scale.

By the way, TU11 brings among others

with it.

And here Massive is already hinting at the release of The Summit and a new event: The Division 2 reveals the release date for Summit, teases a mysterious event

Maintenance schedule on September 15

Note the following times: As usual, Massive communicated the key times regarding the maintenance process the day before. Here’s the plan for today:

  • The maintenance begins today at 9:30 AM German time 
  • The downtime starts simultaneously, the servers are offline from now on
  • The forced break is expected to last 3 hours, this is how long the maintenance is supposed to take
  • If everything goes smoothly, the Division 2 servers should be back online by 12:30 PM German time at the latest
  • With the end of the downtime, today’s maintenance will also be completed

Keep in mind that these times are not set in stone. Especially the end of the maintenance is often rescheduled – forward and backward. If there are any changes to today’s schedule, we will update it here in the article.

Patch Notes – What changes today

What do the patch notes say? The change log is again very concise today. Apparently, there is only one fix planned during the 3-hour downtime:

  • A problem was fixed that caused the weekly SHD project not to reset if you were online during the reset

No further changes or bug fixes have been communicated by Massive for today. But next week, with TU11, much more should come: Finally, we know how The Division 2 will continue – Roadmap 2020

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

Pokémon GO brings Mega Pidgeot – Will immediately be the best flying attacker

Noah Struthoff Noah Struthoff Reading time 2 minutes

In Pokémon GO there are finally details about the release of Mega-Pidgeot. The evolution is coming this week and will be incredibly strong.

When will Mega-Pidgeot be released? The special evolution was unlocked through the first Mega event in early August. It will now be released on September 18 at 10:00 PM German time.

It is the first new Mega evolution coming to the game after 4 Mega evolutions were released simultaneously in August.

Mega-Pidgeot will be really strong – All info

These are the stats: First, let’s take a look at the stats of Mega-Pidgeot so that you can get a rough overview:

  • Attack value: 280
  • Defense value: 175
  • HP value: 195
  • Maximum CP: 3680

Is Mega-Pidgeot worth it? With this Mega evolution, we get a new top Flying attacker! Generally, the selection of Flying attackers is quite modest, and Mega-Pidgeot has an easy path to land in first place.

It is the combination that makes Mega-Pidgeot so good. The attack value of 280 is not the best among all Flying attackers, but still among the top 5. Additionally, it has the perfect Flying attacks. Other Flying attackers usually have only one Flying attack or weaker moves of this type.

As a counter against the legendary Pokémon Virizion, Mega-Pidgeot ranks first. It inflicts the most damage by far and should ideally be used for a duo.

Virizion
Against Virizion, Mega-Pidgeot is now the best counter.

How can you get Mega-Pidgeot? This Mega evolution will be obtainable through raids. It works exactly like with Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise. You battle in Mega-Pidgeot raids and collect Mega energies. With these energies, you can then Mega evolve a Pidgeot.

How much energy Mega-Pidgeot needs is still unclear at the moment. However, it could very well be that it will be less than with the 3 starters.

Should you secure Mega-Pidgeot? Opinions differ on this. Of course, Mega-Pidgeot is incredibly strong and will be the best Flying attacker. However, the evolution only lasts for 4 hours, and you need to invest several raid passes to obtain the evolution.

We therefore recommend that you collect the Mega energy and only use it when you can effectively utilize Mega-Pidgeot. This would be sensible against Virizion, for example. If the legendary Pokémon returns to raids, you could then conduct several evolutions with the collected Mega energies.

Currently, there is a bug with Mega evolutions that makes them up to 145% stronger. If this also affects Mega-Pidgeot, you will have an even stronger monster in your inventory.

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

FIFA 21: The 25 Best Talents – 6 Come from the Bundesliga

Max Handwerk Max Handwerk Reading time 5 minutes

The best talents with the highest rating at the launch of FIFA 21 are known. Here you will find the strongest U21 players for the career overview – including some Bundesliga players. 

These are the talents: After the strongest player ratings in FIFA 21 were already released, EA Sports has now also shown the best players under 21 years old. They fall into the category “talents” and have plenty of time to improve during the career mode – even if they already have a high initial rating. 

Here you will find the 25 best talents sorted by position in the overview. We will also take a look at the best talents from the Bundesliga! All info about FIFA 21 can be found in the release overview.

FIFA 21: The best talents in attack 

Mbappe FIFA 21
The strongest talent in FIFA 21: Mbappé

Striker talents at ST, MS, LF, and RF: Among the offensive players, there are already many strong talents. This includes cover star Mbappé, who is among the best players in the game but still has a lot of potential. Behind him are strikers like Haaland, who also already have strong values, but also developable strikers like Napoli’s new signing Osimhen. Here is the overview: 

  • Kylian Mbappé (Overall 90 / 21 years / ST) 
  • Erling Haaland (Overall 84 / 20 years / ST) 
  • Joao Felix (Overall 81 / 20 years / MS) 
  • Christian Pulisic (Overall 81 / 21 years / LF) 
  • Vinicius Junior (Overall 80 / 20 years / LF) 
  • Rodrygo (Overall 79 / 19 years / RF) 
  • Osimhen (Overall 79 / 21 years / ST) 
  • Alexander Isak (Overall 79 / 20 years / ST) 

FIFA 21: The best talents in midfield 

Havertz FIFA 21
Havertz is the second-best midfield talent

Midfield talents at ZOM, RM, LM, ZDM, and ZM: The midfield is led by Jadon Sancho, followed by strong players like Kai Havertz or Martin Ødegaard. But there are also players with an overall rating below 80, like Phil Foden.

  • Jadon Sancho (Overall 87 / 20 years / RM) 
  • Kai Havertz (Overall 85 / 21 years / ZOM) 
  • Martin Ødegaard (Overall 83 / 21 years / ZOM) 
  • Achraf Hakimi (Overall 83 / 21 years / RM) 
  • Moussa Diaby (Overall 81 / 21 years / LM) 
  • Ferran Torres (Overall 81 / 20 years / RM) 
  • Mason Mount (Overall 80 / 21 years / ZOM) 
  • Phil Foden (Overall 79 / 20 years / ZOM) 
  • Boubacar Kamara (Overall 79 / 20 years / ZDM) 
  • Declan Rice (Overall 79 / 21 years / ZDM) 

FIFA 21: The best talents in defense & goal 

Alexander Arnold FIFA 21
Liverpool’s Alexander-Arnold leads the defense

Defensive talents at CB, RB, LB, and GK: These players are designed to keep things tight at the back. At the top is Trent Alexander-Arnold with a rating of 87. And with Gianluigi Donnarumma, a goalkeeper has also made it to the list. The overview: 

  • Trent Alexander-Arnold (Overall 87 / 21 years / RB) 
  • Matthijs de Ligt (Overall 85 / 21 years / CB) 
  • Gianluigi Donnarumma (Overall 85 / 21 years / GK) 
  • Alphonso Davies (Overall 81 / 19 years / LB) 
  • Dayot Upamecano (Overall 79 / 21 years / CB) 
  • Jules Kundé (Overall 79 / 21 years / CB) 
  • Dan-Axel Zagadou (Overall 79 / 21 years / CB) 

The 6 strongest talents from the Bundesliga for the career

These are the Bundesliga talents: In FIFA 21, 6 Bundesliga players belong to the talents with the highest starting rating. These are:

Jadon Sancho 

Sancho in FIFA 21
Sancho in FIFA 21

The Dortmund forward player had to endure a surprising pace downgrade, but still impresses with his offensive values. He has an overall rating of 87 at just 20 years old and is the best player from Borussia Dortmund. 

Erling Haaland 

Haaland in FIFA 21
Haaland in FIFA 21

Sancho’s teammate Haaland is among the players who have made a huge jump in ratings. He comes with a base rating of 84 and, at just 20 years old, still has a lot of potential. 

Alphonso Davies 

Davies FIFA 21
Alphonso Davies in FIFA 21

Some players would have liked to see the Bayern left-back rated even higher – as would some other Bayern players. After all, he was among the strongest defenders last season. Still, with his overall rating of 81 and a pace of 96, he is definitely a strong option for left back. And Davies is only 19 years old. 

Moussa Diaby 

Diaby
Diaby in FIFA 21

The Leverkusen forward man also makes a strong jump in the ratings – just as expected after last season. He stands out with extremely high pace and, at 21 years old, still has a lot of time for development. 

Dayot Upamecano 

FIFA 21 Upamecano
Upamecano in FIFA 21

Upamecano plays for RB Leipzig and could become a very good option for your center-back position in the career. He offers good values in pace, defense, and physicality. And with his 21 years, those values are likely to improve further. 

Dan-Axel Zagadou 

Zagadou FIFA 21
Zagadou in FIFA 21

The Dortmund center-back is a real presence in the penalty area at 1.96 meters tall. He is unlikely to be outjumped during headers. At 21 years old, he still has plenty of opportunities to improve. His defensive and physical ratings are already very good at the start.

Thus, the strongest talents in FIFA 21 are known. It remains to be seen which young players will join these top talents once all ratings are revealed. Do you agree with the talents’ ratings? Or have you missed some other players on the list? Here you will find 5 players who deserve stronger ratings. 

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

Microsoft allegedly wants to buy Destiny 2 along with the studio – This is what Bungie says now

Philipp Hansen Philipp Hansen Reading time 3 minutes

Rumor has it that Microsoft wants to acquire Bungie along with Destiny 2, but that would have become too expensive. Bungie’s CEO has now commented on this. We take a look at the relationships the Destiny developer and the software giant have had in the past and will have in the future.

This made headlines:

  • On the evening of September 14, some magazines headlined that Microsoft planned to acquire Bungie, including Destiny 2, and that several talks had taken place between the companies.
  • However, the developer studio was said to be too expensive – thus, no agreement was reached between the software giant and the Destiny developer.

These rumors first emerged from the GamesBeat podcast (via YouTube starting from 1:17:30) by Jeff Grubb. Shortly after, Eurogamer also reported on the potential acquisition, citing its own separate sources. In both instances, no sums are mentioned.

This is Bungie’s reaction: Bungie’s CEO Pete Parsons commented quite briefly on the matter: “That’s not true.”

This statement was made in response to a tweet from Twitter user Nibel, who spread the rumor of the acquisition and its repeated failure due to Bungie’s high price.

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Parsons does not elaborate on what exactly is incorrect or untrue. It could be considered, among other things, that there were indeed talks, or that it fell through due to money.

Vanessa Vanasin, global communications manager at Bungie, commented more extensively on the rumors, but chose a different tone according to her position:

All the info and speculations are not true. We are happy to have such good relationships with our many friends over there [at Microsoft] who play Destiny. And Halo will always have a special place in our hearts.

Vanessa Vanasin via Twitter

David Dague, head of Bungie’s communication team better known as “Deej”, also responded to Nibel dryly via Twitter: “If you spread gossip about our company, please use our current logo.”

Xbox Project Scarlett Destiny 2
So no marching orders towards Xbox?

Do Bungie and Microsoft have an endless on/off relationship?

The rumor about the acquisition probably remains just that – a rumor. But why the topic might be quite conceivable is shown by the past and, in particular, the future connecting Destiny and Microsoft.

This is what the shared past looked like:

  • In 2000, Microsoft acquired the independent developer Bungie
  • With the Halo series, Bungie and Microsoft celebrated great successes together (Halo was considered a system seller and the most important title for the Xbox at that time)
  • At the end of 2007, Bungie and Microsoft parted ways – since then, Bungie has been an independently run company, while the rights to Halo remained with Microsoft
  • In summer 2020, Destiny 2 played an essential role in the Xbox Games Showcase

In 2010, Bungie made an amazing deal with Activision, which brought us Destiny 1 and 2. In 2019, the two companies parted ways, but this time Bungie retained all rights to the game franchise. It is said that the corks were popped when they became the sole masters of Destiny’s future.

More on the topic
Destiny 2: Bungie legend tells horror story about deal with Activision Blizzard
von Schuhmann

What does the future of Bungie and Microsoft look like? In the near future, there are indeed strong touchpoints between the two:

  • The major expansion Destiny 2: Beyond Light was postponed by about 2 months. The release date is now set for November 10, 2020. Recently, it was announced that on that very date, Microsoft’s next-gen console, the Xbox Series X, will be released.
  • De facto, Destiny is thus a launch title for the new console and a Halo replacement. The original release of Halo: Infinite has been postponed to 2021 (as our colleagues at GameStar report).
  • Additionally, it is known that Destiny 2 will be fully available in the Xbox Game Pass
Beyond Light takes you to the ice moon Europa and brings Stasis, the first new element in 6 years

With all these factors, it’s easy to assume that exploratory talks took place between Microsoft and Bungie. But according to the Destiny makers, there is nothing to it.

All the Guardians out there on PlayStation, Stadia, or Steam can now surely breathe a sigh of relief. Because fortunately, no exclusive deals are planned, and Destiny 2 has already shown its ideas for the coming years: Destiny 2 will continue for years as an MMO – beyond Light and plans until 2022

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Eurogamer
  2. Forbes
  3. PCGamer
  4. Dualshockers

The godfather is upset about what has become of MMOs: “Reduced to kill quests”

Andreas Bertits Andreas Bertits Reading time 3 minutes

Is gameplay in modern MMOs only about kill and fetch quests? Raph Koster, the godfather of the genre, has his own opinion on this.

Who is Raph Koster? Koster began his career with the MMORPG classic Ultima Online, where he served as lead designer for the expansion The Second Age. Later, he worked as Creative Director on Star Wars Galaxies. He is considered one of the founding fathers of the MMORPG genre.

Koster frequently discusses his experiences and the state of MMORPGs. For instance, he explained that even today subscription games could compete against free-to-play games if the model is implemented correctly.

He also clarified what he understands by the term “MMO.” Namely, a label for online games that are continuously evolving.

tera battle
Is MMORPG gameplay, like in TERA, only about killing monsters and collecting items?

What has happened to MMORPGs?

What does he say about MMOs now? At the release of the role-playing game Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning, the designer spoke out. He expressed surprise at an article comparing the gameplay of the role-playing game with Destiny 2, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and The Division 2. Specifically, in the form that while the player always has something to do, they receive very little in terms of story or narration in return.

The article states:

As I played the first hours of Re-Reckoning while often listening to podcasts, it dawned on me that I was essentially playing Destiny 2. I played Call of Duty Modern Warfare and completed my daily tasks. I played The Division 2 and helped civilians who seemed to need something every few hours.

I carried out endurance tasks that spread thinly but constantly before me and seemed to stretch into eternity. I played something that drew my attention and energy while only feeding me the most general plot details, with very little of it extending into a wide narrative.

Cameron Kunzelmann, Vice

According to Raph Koster, this experience of the article’s author shows that MMOs are increasingly reducing their gameplay to kill and fetch quests – or at least some players perceive it that way. It’s primarily about fighting enemies or collecting something.

For me, the most fascinating aspect of this article is how the ‘MMO-ness’ has been reduced to a series of kill-and-fetch quests. It doesn’t have to be that way, and it won’t be if I can help it. Alternative worlds are a bigger dream than that.

Raph Koster
Star Wars Galaxies Housing
In Raph Koster’s MMORPG Star Wars Galaxies, players were offered a virtual world where it was not just about battles or collecting items.

Do MMOs really consist only of such standard quests? Raph Koster believes it doesn’t have to be that way. For him, MMOs consist of much more. He wants to ensure that online games, especially MMORPGs, showcase what they truly have to offer. And this goes beyond kill and fetch quests.

As he explained earlier, baking and planting flowers are among the important elements of an online role-playing game.

How does Koster intend to change this development? The designer is currently working on his own MMORPG. With his development studio Playable Worlds, he is creating a game that is intended to be about more than just going through the familiar list of tasks in an MMO.

When this MMORPG will be released is currently still unknown.

Do you agree that MMOs are increasingly developing in a direction where it’s all about fetch and kill quests? Or is there much more to this genre?

Are you currently looking for a new MMORPG that has been released this year? We present four candidates that you might like.

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

Call of Duty: Next major cheat provider gives up – Activision too powerful

Sven Galitzki Sven Galitzki Reading time 3 minutes

Activision continues to take a hard line against cheat providers for CoD titles like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare or Warzone. Following a threat from the publisher, the next big seller is now backing down.

Next success in the fight against cheat providers: Even in the ongoing Season 5 of CoD MW and Warzone, cheaters and hackers are a pesky problem – especially on PC.

However, publisher Activision and the developers continue to work hard to get this problem under control as best as possible. This is also demonstrated by the recent case of a major cheat provider site. After a threat from Activision and the visit of a private detective, this site has now ceased the sale of cheats for “Call of Duty” games.

Already a few weeks ago, another major cheat seller shut down operations after being sued by Activision: Activision sues major cheat provider for CoD – Apologizes

This is the cheat seller in question: The website GatorCheats offers cheating software and hacks for various online games such as GTA Online, Valorant, or until recently, also Modern Warfare and Warzone. GatorCheats was one of the larger providers, especially for the CoD games.

cod modern warfare warzone update cheater melden knopf titel
Cheaters are a big problem in CoD Warzone.

“I can’t afford legal proceedings with this company”

In a post on its own Discord server, GatorCheats has now publicly addressed the matter and explained how the confrontation with Activision unfolded. Interestingly: Apparently, a clearly formulated warning was enough – there was no court proceeding at all.

This is what happened at GatorCheats: Back in May 2020, GatorCheats received a warning from the lawyers of Activision Blizzard. The site was instructed to cease any manufacture and distribution of cheats and hacks for “Call of Duty” products. Initially, GatorCheats did not fully comply with this demand, and so in September 2020, there was another warning.

This time, Activision apparently enforced its demand more emphatically and delivered the second warning through a private detective. This person showed up at the residence of the website owner, delivered the letter, and made it clear that they knew pretty much everything about the owner and their activities – even the names of their family members.

After that, communication with Activision continued and the publisher once again threatened with legal proceedings should GatorCheats not permanently cease all sales and any support for all products of Activision Blizzard.

Here is the full statement (Source: CharlieIntel)

This is what GatorCheats says about the matter: The warnings with the threat of legal action seem to have convinced the owner. They published a statement on their Discord server and publicly announced that they would never again design, test, or update a cheat for a game from Activision Blizzard. The sales have already been completely halted.

And as much as he loves his customers, he loves his family more, said the owner of GatorCheats. He cannot afford to take this company to court and has a responsibility to his family.

What is the status of the cheat provider now? GatorCheats does not want to give up entirely yet. Although Call of Duty is over now, in the near future, they apparently want to switch to other options, according to the statement. The site itself is still operational and continues to offer cheats for other games.

What do you think of Activision’s hard line? Would you have wished for this much earlier? Or is this approach still not harsh enough in your opinion? By the way, if you’re wondering how CoD Modern Warfare and Warzone will continue after Season 5: CoD MW, Warzone Season 6: Is there even going to be a new season? What we know so far

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

WoW Classic: Player may reach Rank 14 without having reached level 60

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

A player from WoW Classic has set himself a particularly difficult goal. He could soon reach rank 14 in PvP – without being level 60.

In World of Warcraft Classic, there are some goals that are very hard to achieve. One of them is obtaining a black Qiraji plate drone as a Scarab Lord, another goal is to reach PvP rank 14 – the highest honor. Even at level 60, this is a task that can take several months to accomplish. However, the player Crashgaming247 has almost reached this goal with his warrior.

What is he planning? Crashgaming247 is trying to reach rank 14 without having his character already at the maximum level. He wants to hold the highest rank while his character is still messing around at level 59. This makes the task significantly harder but adds even more exclusivity than the PvP rank 14 already has.

WoW Classic Rank 13 87 percent

How far is he? In the meantime, Crashgaming247 has already reached rank 13 and is at 87% of rank 14. If everything goes well, he will reach rank 14 with the upcoming maintenance, thus ending his long journey.

What makes this so special? Rank 14 is already a challenging task, but at level 59 it is significantly harder to accomplish. On one hand, there are significantly fewer players in this PvP area, and most here are well-equipped twinks. This not only creates strong opponents but also leads to longer waiting times when joining PvP battles.

Furthermore, he still has to fight against level-60 players for the ranks. The rank system only allows a certain number of players to rise, especially in the highest ranks. This sometimes requires doing 12 to 20 hours of PvP per day.

However, the whole action also has a few small advantages. Through the PvP system, it is possible to receive and use an epic mount even before level 60.

More on the topic
The grind to rank 14 in WoW Classic demands sacrifices – Why is it so tough?
von Cortyn

Trolls make his life difficult: However, there are also some envious and resentful people. He gets trolled every now and then. Some fellow players are trying, among other things:

  • to intentionally kill NPCs in Alterac Valley near him so that he gains experience points and reaches level 60.
  • to threaten him in the Twitch stream to hack his account and level his character if he doesn’t pay money.
  • to transfer to his realm to disrupt the PvP brackets for this week and cost him another week of time.
WoW Classic Rank Sirvoktorius
Well-equipped on the way to rank 14.

However, all of this has not stopped him. If all goes according to plan, Crashgaming247 will reach his goal in just a few days – it has taken long enough.

What do you think of this task and the achievement so far? Impressive and interesting? Or rather a waste of time?

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

FIFA 21: 5 strong players whose ratings are too low

Maik Schneider Maik Schneider Reading time 4 minutes

MeinMMO has looked at some underrated players from FIFA 21. Here are 5 professionals who actually deserved better ratings.

These are the ratings: The new ratings of the soccer simulation generate a lot of discussion every year and some rating surprises. Also in FIFA 21, the skill rating does not always reflect a player’s actual performance. Therefore, the FIFA team from MeinMMO has reviewed the ratings available so far. Some big names stood out who certainly deserved a few more skill points.

All 5 players showed seemingly better performances than the rating changes would suggest. MeinMMO shows you the old and new cards in comparison, as well as a brief assessment of the ratings.

By the way: Players from the Champions League winners FC Bayern are not on this list – even if some of them certainly belong here. The Bayern rating is a topic in itself. If you want to get informed about the upcoming release of the new FIFA besides the ratings, check it out here:

More on the topic
FIFA 21: All information about release, new features, crossplay, demo
von Max Handwerk

Timo Werner – Goes Abroad and Downgraded

This is how Werner’s rating looks: The lightning-fast striker scored 28 goals in the league last season and provided 8 assists. Now Werner has made the leap to the Premier League.

However, instead of being rewarded for his consistently good performance and the jump to the big English league with a few extra points, the German striker even loses a point in his overall rating, going from 86 to 85.

  • fifa 20 player werner2
    FIFA 20
  • fifa 21 player werner2
    FIFA 21

Marco Reus – Very Injured and 3 Points Down

This is how Reus’s rating looks: One of the biggest stars in the lineup of the German runner-up has to cope with a significant downgrade. While the midfielder had a strong 88 on the card last year, only 85 points remain at the start of FIFA 21.

Unfortunate for the BVB captain, who did have some injuries, but such a strong downgrade is a bit too much.

  • fifa 20 player reus
    FIFA 20
  • fifa 21 player reus
    FIFA 21

Ciro Immobile – As If the Golden Boot Never Happened

This is how Immobile’s rating looks: Former Dortmund and Italian top striker Ciro Immobile won the “Golden Boot” for the best European striker. However, this seemed to play a minor role in his FIFA ranking, as he only rises from 86 to 87.

Although his speed rating (84) seems a bit exaggerated compared to others (Gnabry – 82 / Sancho – 83), his shooting value could have been even higher – just like his overall rating.

  • fifa 20 player immobile
    FIFA 20
  • fifa 21 player immobile
    FIFA 21

Parejo – Already Better, But Not Reflecting His Performance

This is how Parejo’s rating looks: The Spanish midfielder was ready at the center circle as the playmaker for FC Valencia for 9 years before his move to Villareal and regularly found the net. However, in FIFA 20, this card could be safely ignored – as the speed rating was a dreadful 41.

With FIFA 21, things hardly improved. His speed is now 50, and he also received an overall downgrade from 86 to 85. Many fans expected an upgrade given a season with 8 goals and 3 assists, and somehow there was one. All stats on the card are either the same or higher than in FIFA 20 – which makes the overall downgrade even stranger.

  • fifa 20 parejo
    FIFA 20
  • fifa 21 player parejo
    FIFA 21

Lukaku – Even Complains Personally

This is how Lukaku’s rating looks: The Italian championship ended very closely last season, and this player is one of the reasons why. Lukaku scored an impressive 23 goals for Inter Milan in the league and put the champion Juventus and superstar Ronaldo under pressure. Additionally, there were even more goals in cup competitions.

It just wasn’t meant to be, and apparently, the striker’s individual performance wasn’t enough for the FIFA developers to award the goal scorer an upgrade. He himself commented on his ratings (via Instagram) with the words: “81 speed – bruh, didn’t they see my second goal against Shakhtar Donetsk? What’s going on with them…?”

  • fifa 20 player lukaku
    FIFA 20
  • fifa 21 player lukaku
    FIFA 21

The ratings are a contentious topic because FIFA now aims to meet the balancing demands of players as well as those of fans and real footballers. After the initial reactions, this year it seemed to have gone rather poorly. One fan even said the ratings look like EA didn’t see any of the season” and started a petition for a revision.

Which player do you think has more to offer than the rating changes suggest? Or do you think the player values are just means to an end?

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

Destiny 2 is soon nerfing a weapon that is about to retire

Philipp Hansen Philipp Hansen Reading time 2 minutes

Destiny 2 sends many weapons into retirement with Beyond Light, but that doesn’t protect them from a nerf. We now know that the Mountaintop will be hit twice this autumn.

This is what weapon retirement looks like: Destiny 2 introduces the so-called weapon retirement (sunsetting) with the major expansion Beyond Light. Your gear will receive a kind of expiration date and, when that is reached, cannot be infused further, meaning it cannot be enhanced and will fall short in high-level content.

This change is not liked by many Guardians at all. In our MeinMMO survey, you concluded that retirement hurts. According to Bungie, this is necessary, as it allows for the future creation of powerful weapons that won’t haunt the sandbox forever.

However, as it has now turned out, it is not enough for some weapons to just be banished from the endgame. A controversial piece, the Mountaintop, receives a nerf for retirement in Season 12.

This weapon will still be nerfed in retirement: The Mountaintop is a grenade launcher and belongs to the long-extinct top-tier weapons. These special firearms were linked to tough quests and rewarded eager players with legendary weapons that are actually exotics.

Destiny 2 the Mountaintop

At its reveal shortly before Season 5, the weapon was only mildly ridiculed, as “who needs a grenade launcher in the kinetic slot?” As it turned out: everyone. The Mountaintop is basically a rocket launcher that uses special ammunition and is now firmly entrenched in PvP and PvE loadouts.

Even in Season 11, it ranks among the best weapons you can equip. Many players are dissatisfied with it in the Crucible, as they can theoretically be taken out from any distance with a single shot or just accidentally run into a rocket that has turned into a mine.

Even though there are no new top-tier weapons anymore – this is how you get the Mountaintop

Destiny 2 nerfs the Mountaintop in Beyond Light – but doesn’t want to “kill” it

This is what Bungie says about the troublemaker: Recently, Bungie presented the alternative to top-tier weapons. Guardians mocked their (recycled) appearance on Twitter. Community Manager Dylan “dmg04” Gafner chimed in on such a tweet and casually mentioned a nerf for the Mountaintop:

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According to dmg04, some tuning for the Mountaintop is on the way. They don’t want to kill the weapon, just balance it.

We currently don’t know how the balance adjustment will look on November 10. Next month we will learn more about the changes to the sandbox in a preview.

However, we already know that with Beyond Light, the long-neglected 110 hand cannons will be revised (TWaB September 10). Additionally, it is to be hoped that the confirmed return of an exotic classic will also bring some love to the 140s: Destiny 2: Why the return of the Hawkmoon gives hope for an entire weapon class

What do you think about the fact that retirement doesn’t protect against a nerf? Is that already okay in the case of the Mountaintop?

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

Now is the perfect time to play Borderlands 3 again

Max Handwerk Max Handwerk Reading time 2 minutes

In Borderlands 3, the 4th DLC has arrived, marking the last expansion for now. Perfect timing to jump back in – as this DLC also introduced a new max level.

What’s new in Borderlands 3: For a few days now, players can battle through the psyche of former vault hunter Krieg. This DLC came three months after the last expansion “Blood Money”, providing long-awaited content replenishment.

The DLC alone is worth it to check back into the loot shooter. But even players without the expansion should take another look at Borderlands 3. The reason is that a certain part of the game will now not change for the time being: the max level.

Krieg
Krieg is currently luring you into the game with his madness

The new max level is ideal for returning players

Changes to levels: Last Thursday, the hotfix brought support for the Krieg DLC and also raised the level cap by another 5 points. This means: Your vault hunters can now reach level 65.

This once again means that the weapons previously collected at the top level of 60 will be below the new max level. You will have to farm your favorite weapons again to sweep the strongest enemies off the map in seconds. However, it seems this is the last time for an indefinite period. This allows players who have preferred to wait for “impending” level increases to start searching.

Farming new weapons had disturbed some players during past max level increases. Also, because those increases were not as substantial and often only encompassed two to three levels. It was quite annoying when the Godroll Hellwalker suddenly fell just short of the mark.

Blood Money
The last level increase came with the “Blood Money” DLC

The recent level increases typically came with newly released DLCs. However, since “Psycho Krieg” will be the last for now, the max level is likely set – at least for a while.

Further innovations for Borderlands 3 have been announced, but they have not been precisely detailed yet. It is known that Borderlands 3 will get an upgrade for the next-gen consoles, will feature 4-player split-screen, and that there will be two additional purchasable contents. These are expected to be a new game mode and new skill trees.

Story-based DLCs, as seen in the first Borderlands year, are still missing in the announcements. The same goes for an expansion of the max level – although it cannot be ruled out that an increase might come at some point.

Until then, players can safely start collecting weapons again. By the way, Borderlands 3 is one of the 6 online games we recommend for September.

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

WoW: A small fan tournament is so good that even Blizzard helps – We asked how this works

Benedict Grothaus Benedict Grothaus Reading time 5 minutes

A group of fans has created its own tournament in World of Warcraft, called the “Burning League”. This small project has already attracted quite a bit of attention – even from WoW creators Blizzard themselves, who support the tournament. MeinMMO spoke with the head of the project and asked how it all came to be.

What kind of tournament is this? The Burning League (in original: “Ligue Ardente”) was established in 2016 as a project by fans who wanted to do more with their friends. Therefore, they launched a PvP event that anyone could participate in.

Over the years, the event has grown significantly and now includes artists, voice actors in several languages (including German), as well as its own videos, clips, and trailers for their events:

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The event is small but has become quite popular. Even Blizzard has taken notice of the Burning League and provides the organizers with in-game rewards that they can use as prizes for the tournaments.

Thus, the league not only offers space for PvP enthusiasts but also for artists and people with organizational talent who want to participate. This year’s league will take place on September 19 and 20, 2020.

We contacted the creative mind behind the Burning League, who is known in the community by the nickname “Embu,” and asked him some questions about his project.

From the classroom to World of Warcraft

Our first questions naturally revolved around the origin of the Burning League. It came about more or less by coincidence during Embu’s Latin class. He wondered how he could give his friends more to do in WoW, to spend more time with them, and picked up on a single word:

At that time I was trying to organize a tournament while also completing my school assignments. I heard my teacher pronounce the word “burn”. I thought it was cool and kept it in mind. Since we were still in the Legion expansion at that time, I thought about the Burning Legion and that “Burning League” would be a fitting name that also sounds like a tournament.

According to Embu, over 40 people have been working on the project since then, allowing it to grow continuously. It’s both an opportunity for players to participate and win, but also for creative artists who want to collaborate and showcase their talents.

WoW Burning League staff
The league now has numerous members in many different languages. Embu even showed us a table with all contributors.

No competition to Blizzard’s own tournaments

However, Embu emphasized that the Burning League does not aim to replace the Arena World Championship (AWC) at any time. It also differentiates itself from that.

The Burning League 2020, for example, is specifically directed at Level 20 players. This means that players who do not own WoW but play with a Starter Edition are explicitly invited. The AWC, on the other hand, showcases the best players and the best arena combos currently on display at the highest level.

More on the topic
WoW: Crazy combo brings players to the top of the arena thanks to an accessory
von Benedict Grothaus

“Having fun together makes us happy”

The Burning League has numerous “staff members” now but remains largely unknown. Embu reveals that it is more the idea to remain a fan project and appeal to fans:

An interview with MeinMMO is already a huge success for us! To be honest, we are not reaching for the stars. We do not want to replace the AWC; Blizzard is already doing very well at that. We are just a bunch of friends who want to have fun. Being able to bring players and artists together, having fun together makes us happy.

Fortunately, we have the support of many WoW fans and Blizzard. We never thought it would get this big.

Indeed, Blizzard actively helps with the Burning League – especially the now-inactive community manager Toschayju, who is likely a name known to German players.

Blizzard agreed to send us rewards for the community. This is not the first time we have collaborated with them; this has been the case since last year. Therefore, we would like to thank Toschayju and Thyvene here, as we could only obtain the giveaways through their help.

A month for the first trailer – How does one become a community tournament?

Initially, we even asked for help in Dalaran because we had no idea about organization. Things like video editing were self-taught, and it took “a lot of time and hair” to create the first trailer alone.

This is a memory that goes back a long way. But back then I had the time for it, and after a month I had what I wanted. However, I would not recommend my method to anyone, as it can be done much faster another way. But as you Germans say: Only the tough get into the garden!

Since the creators can only work on the project in their free time, the creation and improvement of such a tournament takes a long time. Each year they have learned from past mistakes and made new ones.

WoW Burning League participation
For more information and registration, you can find on the Discord of the Burning League.

Over time, Embu says, it has only gotten better. They have understood how everything runs, how to organize properly, and what rules are necessary for a fair tournament. Now they are looking forward to the fourth iteration in 2020.

More information and participation in the Burning League

This is what it’s about: The Burning League is a PvP tournament that has been taking place since 2016, almost annually. The tournament includes other events with different names that also come from the community.

The events always offer different objectives. In 2019, for example, there was a PvP battle with many players at the famous raid Zul’Gurub. The Burning League 2020 follows a different and interesting approach.

WoW Burning League Events
The previous events.

How does it work? The tournament involves matches for players at level 20 in teams of three. It is divided into two categories:

Both categories have their own tournaments, for which there are even rare prizes that mainly come from WoW’s official trading card game and are provided by Blizzard itself. For more information on how to participate, check the official Discord of the Burning League or the official website. Registration is open until September 17th.

What is there to win? The rewards of the tournament are all items from the trading card game of World of Warcraft. For example, there are:

  • the “Path of Cenarius” for the winners
  • color bombs for the finalists
  • the pet “Saber Cub” for the tournament MVP
  • party grenades for every participant
WoW Burning League rewards
Some of the league’s rewards.

Embu plans to remain active with the upcoming expansion Shadowlands in World of Warcraft. However, he could not yet reveal what he has planned for the new addon. However, Blizzard seems to be involved again: “While I was answering the interview questions, one of Blizzard’s community managers messaged me. I hope they can give us the opportunity to enter into more partnerships with them in the future.”

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

Community in Neverwinter is still growing 7 years after release – New update shows why

Alexander Leitsch Alexander Leitsch Reading time 4 minutes

The MMORPG Neverwinter will release a new update on September 15, which we at MeinMMO are excited to exclusively present to you. To do this, we spoke with Lead Designer Randy Mosiondz and developer Asterdahl. They told us more about the contents as well as the development of the game.

What’s going on with Neverwinter? Released in 2013, this free-to-play MMORPG, based on the world of Dungeons & Dragons, has been continually expanded since then. We have extensively presented how the game has developed as part of Find Your Next Game.

In 2020, the expansion “Infernal Descent” was released, paving the way for the story that continues in the current expansion Avernus and now also with the second episode of the “Redeemed Citadel”. This episode brings:

  • The character Soradiel, who will send you on new hunting adventures
  • New challenging quests
  • New heroic encounters where you will fight against the infernal legions
  • A new trial with two difficulties
  • A new artifact
  • New weapon sets and mount upgrades

Although Neverwinter has been around for a while and the graphics no longer look fresh, there is currently a surge in this MMORPG. Besides the regular updates, improved communication is one reason for this. This was introduced in 2019 by a former Lead Designer from Guild Wars 2.

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Trailer for the chapter Avernus.

Upswing, not just due to Corona

How is the MMORPG doing? Neverwinter continues to enjoy great popularity 7 years after its release. On Steam, the game peaked in April 2020 with an average of 2,683 players and even peaked at 4,435 players (via Steamcharts). A similarly high value was last seen in 2018.

However, these high player numbers are not just a one-time peak caused by the coronavirus, as Randy Mosiondz told us:

Many people are stuck at home, and free-to-play multiplayer games are attractive because they have a low entry barrier and provide social contact.

We continue to see an upward trend, but that started even before the outbreak of the pandemic.

The reason for this is that we are working hard to provide a game that excites our players in many ways and that we are constantly expanding with new content that they enjoy.

Randy Mosiondz in conversation with MeinMMO

To find out what players like, the Community Development Program was established at the end of 2019. Based on player feedback, decisions were made, and even course corrections were decided:

The goal of this program is to give communication between developers and our community a solid form and thereby improve it. Every year we publish a series of development roadmaps, we hold discussions with our community about our development goals, and we work with well-known content creators.

We have definitely made some changes to our course based on community feedback.

Randy Mosiondz in conversation with MeinMMO

Chris Whiteside, who worked as Lead Producer at Guild Wars 2 from 2011 to 2015, was instrumental in the establishment of the program that was launched shortly after his hiring. The program and the open communication from Whiteside were well received in the community. There are several threads on reddit that highly appreciate his work.

But not only communication receives praise. The MMORPG itself has been regularly expanded over the past years. The latest update is now on the horizon.

Updates that require the whole server to work together

How is the new update structured? The current campaigns are set up in such a way that they are only available for a limited time. The focus is on playing together with others on the respective server. They must jointly reach milestones and overcome challenges.

This time, the task is to restore the citadel by defeating enemies, completing heroic encounters, finishing quests, or participating in hunts. And this is where Soradiel comes into play.

Neverwinter Soradiel Task Update
Here you will get your tasks in the new update.

Soradiel is the main character in the new update. She is the leader of the Celestial Septem and is dedicated to hunting the most terrible creatures in the world. Accordingly, she provides you with new hunting tasks. Goals include:

  • Caphriel the Red Lady
  • Reothadh the Frosty
  • The Living Hellfire

These hunts are said to be more powerful and harder than the previous monsters, according to developer Asterdahl. There are also supposed to be new gear to be obtained.

A highlight of the update is also that players can be supplied directly with Blessed Blade weapons from a merchant in the Redeemed Citadel. These powerful weapons were part of the previous update and can thus be obtained retroactively.

As rewards, this update offers:

  • Teleport scrolls for the Redeemed Citadel
  • A new companion: Holy Zariel
  • Tears of the Redeemed (reagent for restoring Blessed Weapons)
  • Box with Astral Diamonds
Neverwinter Avernus Reward

When is the update coming out? The update will be released on September 15 for PC and will also be released for PS4 and Xbox One at a later date.

What’s next for Neverwinter? Some new content is already planned to be released throughout the year and beyond:

  • A revision of the mount system that will allow players to upgrade them in multiple ways.
  • There will be another event at the end of 2020.
  • After that, there will also be new expansions and chapters.
Neverwinter Avernus Boss
One of the powerful creatures you face in Avernus.

Is it still worth starting?

The action MMORPG is still fun. The new campaigns continuously tell your story in the game, and you are regularly delivered new content.

The current story is even so important for the entire game universe that you should really experience it, whether you’re a Neverwinter or D&D fan. Because it impacts the entire Forgotten Realms and represents the biggest event of recent times. Baldur’s Gate 3 also plays a role here, with Neverwinter chronologically preceding it.

According to Randy Mosiondz, entry into the MMORPG should always be possible:

We revise the entry experience every few years. We add new content every year, so there is always a lot to do. And we have a fantastic community that is helpful to newcomers.

Randy Mosiondz in conversation with MeinMMO

It is no wonder that the MMORPG Neverwinter is among the 13 best free-to-play MMORPGs. You can read a comparison of these games in the list.

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

Destiny 2 apparently kills 3 characters you know – but as text, so no one notices

Philipp Hansen Philipp Hansen Reading time 5 minutes

In Destiny 2, a large evacuation took place, but we couldn’t save everyone. Unfortunately, hardly anyone knows the heroic fates.

What happened? In Destiny 2, the encroaching Darkness is no longer a distant sound, but for the first time in 6 years, a direct threat. In Season 11, the dark Pyramid ships have arrived in our solar system. As we have little to counter the mysterious power, we are evacuating the affected planets.

In the lore book “Tribulation and Resistance,” the events of the evacuation are recounted. We read that not all characters made it to the safe walls of the Last City. MyMMO highlights the fate of the heroes who willingly stayed behind and stood up against the Darkness in their own way.

For those who want to know who we could successfully evacuate and what secrets have finally been revealed after years, find the info here:

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Destiny 2: New exotic quest confirms two wild fan theories on the side
von Philipp Hansen

Asher Mir – Io

You know Asher Mir as the always grumpy scientist on Io with the robotic arm. During Strikes, he enjoys complaining and frequently tells you how dumb you actually are – why do you know so little about Radiolarian lakes?

asher-mir
The grumpy Warlock Asher Mir

This is what happened to Asher: What does a mad scientist do when an alien ship appears in the sky? Right, he bombards it with a railgun. But since the Darkness cannot be stopped this way and it seems to be targeting Vex technology on Io, Asher sets out to prevent it.

After a chat with Eris and a brief thought about a farewell letter, Asher heads into the Pyramidion. Like us, he must dodge laser barriers in the Strike, and as he progresses, the Vex corpses pile up. Upon arriving in the boss room, he literally lets the ceiling fall on his head – thus he destroys the Pyramidion and heroically buries himself.

Sloan – Titan

The Vanguard Commander oversees the moon Titan and is our contact for all matters there. Sloan is a close confidant of Zavala and a stoic, duty-bound Titan like out of a storybook.

Sloan is asked in the lore how she actually survives on Titan without a helmet

This is what happened to Sloan: When the Pyramid ships prepare to attack Titan and the Hive go insane, Sloan decides to wave goodbye to the last evacuation ship as it departs. She then puts on a kind of combat suit from the Golden Age.

Like a Viking filled with battle lust, laughing and shouting, she plunges into Titan fashion alone against the two hostile forces. We do not read that she actually dies in this endeavor. It is mentioned, however, that the suit suppresses her Light – Guardians can only be resurrected through the Light of the Traveler.

Brother Vance – Mercury

Brother Vance is probably the biggest fan of Warlock legend Osiris. The blind cultist has settled on Mercury and studies the timelines of the Infinite Forest, but only theoretically. He was stripped of the supervision of Osiris’s Trials because he seemingly lost his mind.

Vance sees nothing, but hears strange melodies

This is what happened to Vance: When the Darkness threatens to engulf Mercury, Vance decides to turn theory into practice. He enters the Infinite Forest and wants to emulate Osiris – Vance now clearly hears the fateful melody that drove him insane.

In the infinite timelines or parallel dimensions or simulations (again, no one understands Vex technology), he suddenly encounters himself. Both go for each other’s throat, and the alternate, still seeing, Brother Vance gets his eyes gouged out. It is not entirely clear what the cold-blooded murder means.

Why are the supposedly “dead” still hanging around with me?

This is the problem: If you now visit one of the locations, you will be surprised to find that Asher, Vance, and Sloan are still lively exactly where they have been for years. This is partly due to the fact that the story of Destiny 2 does not align with the timeline of our real world.

Due to the delay of Beyond Light by a good two months, the quest does not quite fit chronologically into the season. In our game world, the Pyramid ships have not yet begun their attack. They remain motionless in the air. However, in the story of the game, the world is in the midst of an attack. This will probably change shortly before Season 12, possibly with a live event.

Destiny Darkness Pyramid Season 11
In Io, the pyramids are now firmly part of the inventory

This is the bigger problem: Most Guardians do not grasp all the fates and the significance of the arrival of the Darkness.

  • When playing with a full fireteam and chatting or
  • simply having no desire to read the lore books, one learns nothing about the story.

Short clips would be very desirable here. Especially since Bungie repeatedly shows how beautifully they can stage cutscenes. Only hearing about Zavala’s fate in passing at the end of the quest does not do justice to this.

How cool would it be to watch the grumbling Asher tear the core out of a Minotaur with his Vex arm and then have to destroy what he has been deciphering for years at the cost of his life.

All of this is found – admittedly very well-written – in the lore texts. But this way, the story and the feeling that something is truly changing would reach many more players.

In missions with Saint-14, Destiny 2 showed how great story must be staged in-game

What do you think, are the 3 characters really all done for or will we see them again in the future? Are you also annoyed that the story reads beautifully but needs to be brought closer to players in other ways?

Who knows, maybe Destiny 2 will surprise us with a cool video shortly before Beyond Light launches with the new Stasis subclasses.

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

CoD Warzone: Streamer does what he sees in a cool TikTok video – Fails spectacularly

Jürgen Horn Jürgen Horn Reading time 2 minutes

In Call of Duty: Warzone a player used what seemed like a genius trick to gain a much-needed advantage. But the TikTok trick was sheer nonsense, and the player perished rather than fattening his winnings.

What happened? LuckyChamu is a streamer who is active in Warzone. There, he has already collected massive kills and participated in tournaments with big names in the scene. But in one situation in Warzone, he certainly didn’t shine.

The Warzone match was already well underway, and there were only three other teams left in the game. From LuckyChamu’s quad team, only he and one teammate remained.

To gain an advantage, LuckyChamu wanted to jump from the top of a high-rise building and surprise the opponent with this quick position change.

But how can one quickly get from the very top to the very bottom? Good thing LuckyChamu had recently seen a surefire tip about it on TikTok…

TikTok trick only brings death and mockery

What TikTok says: On the video platform TikTok, there is a post with 350,000 views and around 27,000 likes. It explains that you survive any fall from any height if you land on a dumpster at the end. This is also impressively demonstrated in the video.

https://www.tiktok.com/@blankgreenbill/video/6870214910752689413

This is how it all ended: “So why not try this out?” LuckyChamu must have thought and jumped down. There actually was a dumpster at the bottom.

But instead of safely landing there and hopping away lightly like a fairy, LuckyChamu’s operator broke all his bones and was done for.

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Bro, I saw a damn TikTok and it said you could jump on the damn dumpster, bro!

While LuckyChamu said this resentfully, the chat in the background was laughing hysterically.

Another streamer who embarrassed himself can be found here.

More on the topic
CoD Warzone: Streamer boasts about his skills and accidentally reveals that he is cheating
von Sven Galitzki

What was wrong with the TikTok? Since you can clearly see in the TikTok video that the player survives the jump, some fans assume that the action was once possible and has since been patched. The video apparently was also uploaded again on TikTok, making this theory quite plausible. However, you can also see in the TikTok that it is a round of “Ground War” from the multiplayer mode and the rules are somewhat different here than in the Battle Royale. That there are such strong deviations in some things will probably only now be clear to some soldiers.

In any case, the action is a good example that you shouldn’t believe everything you see or read on the internet. You can see another dumb action that cost a player a sure victory here. Here a player actually had already won, but due to human error, everything went wrong.

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

You can buy all games on Steam or instead a small villa

Alexander Leitsch Alexander Leitsch Reading time 2 minutes

Steam is the platform of choice for many PC gamers, offering games across all genres from various developers. The selection is so vast that it can be overwhelming. But what would it cost to buy all the games on Steam?

On a website by Chengang Wang, you can see at a glance what it would cost to buy all games on Steam. He makes use of the official Steam API. The total is substantial:

  • All Steam games: $521,909.63 (around €440,000) – current discounts included
  • All Steam games: $537,192.37 (around €452,000) – calculated without current offers

This collection includes every title, every DLC, and all the little extras that you can purchase in games on Steam, such as soundtracks or art books. The number is never 100% accurate because it is regularly updated, but prices are constantly changing.

Instead of the complete game collection, you could buy 10 Tesla Model 3s (€43,000 each) or even a house. In some places, you might even get a small villa.

Save money through sales: However, if you buy during the bigger sales, you can save a lot of money. The graph shows that savings of up to €180,000 are possible – if you are really considering collecting all games.

Steam buy all games
These are the costs for all games on Steam. As you can see, the numbers drop significantly during sales.

The simulator is the most expensive game

How much do you pay for the most expensive title? As our colleagues from GameStar reported at the end of 2019, the Train Simulator is the most expensive game on Steam.

For all content and DLCs, you had to pay over €7,700 nearly a year ago. Since then, the total has likely increased significantly. In September 2020 alone, 4 new paid contents were added, costing a total of €84.

But MMORPGs can also be expensive. The game Mortal Online 2 is asking up to €2,500 for an alpha access. For this, you are especially supposed to get PvP and hardcore content.

More on the topic
New co-op game on Steam mixes Minecraft with Zelda and Diablo – and it works
von Alexander Leitsch

How much is your collection worth? If you want to check how much money is in your Steam collection, you can use the SteamDB page. There you can enter your Steam ID and then take a closer look at the value.

The site tells you both the value of your account and what you would need to spend to buy all games at the current time.

Maybe you already have enough money invested in gaming for at least one Tesla.

If you are still looking for new games, you can find the 10 MMOs with the most players on Steam here.

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

Pokémon GO: Mega-bug makes Mega-evolutions up to 145% stronger

Patrick Freese Patrick Freese Reading time 2 minutes

Whoops! Pokémon GO has seemingly made Mega Evolutions far too powerful. Experts discovered the error and shared their findings with the players. What’s going on?

This is why Mega Pokémon are so strong: Mega Evolutions can be performed by players in Pokémon GO to significantly strengthen selected Pokémon. However, the system has faced criticism.

Currently, Pokémon GO is running the second event for Mega Evolutions. Niantic had already stated: When you evolve Mega Beedrill, it will become stronger than usual during this event.

As it turns out, all Mega Pokémon are currently becoming really strong. Not just Beedrill. This is happening due to a mistake, a bug. And when you take this bug to the extreme, Mega Pokémon can become up to 145% stronger. That’s a huge boost for these Pokémon.

What’s Behind the Mega Bug

This is how the experts explain it: The website Pokebattler, which is known for combat simulations in Pokémon GO, published their results on the bug. For more than a week, they and other trainers examined the bug to understand what is going wrong in the game.

  • Beedrill is supposed to level up to level 44 when evolved to Mega Beedrill during this event
  • In certain situations, Mega Beedrill receives extremely high CP after its transformation

According to Pokebattler, this is because every power-up that Beedrill receives after its evolution but before its Mega Evolution is counted twice during the Mega Evolution.

This is what it means for you: We can explain the bug more easily with an example.

  • You have a 100% Beedrill that can no longer receive power-ups (maxed out). It was caught as a Kakuna at level 3 or 4.
  • If you use the Mega Evolution on this Beedrill, it is stronger than if you had caught it at level 20.

These are the observations: The experts summarize their findings as follows and show how a buff of up to 144.5% damage can occur.

  • As intended: The Mega Pokémon buff of 30% is credited to other Pokémon in raids that attack with moves of the same type as the Mega Pokémon.
  • As intended: The Mega Pokémon buff of 10% is credited to other Pokémon in raids that do not attack with moves of the same type as the Mega Pokémon.
  • As intended: If there are 2 Mega Pokémon in the raid and they have the same attack types, they boost each other by 30%.
  • Bug: All power-ups given to a Pokémon are given a second time when it is evolved into a Mega Pokémon. When a level 1 Pokémon is leveled up to level 40, it receives a buff of 88.1%.
  • Bug? Mega Pokémon do not buff themselves with the Mega boost, only group members do.
  • As intended + Bug: If there are 2 Mega Pokémon in a raid and they are of the same type and were previously level 1, they receive a boost of 144.5%.

Pro is permanently banned from Fortnite, playing again – not going so well

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 3 minutes

The professional player and Twitch streamer Jarvis “FaZe Jarvis” Khatri was permanently banned by Epic from their online shooter Fortnite in 2019. He attempted to sneak back into the game but was kicked live during his first Twitch stream. The question remains whether it was truly a ban or if Jarvis staged the public kick.

This is why FaZe Jarvis is so special: The then 17-year-old Fortnite pro and YouTuber has the dubious honor of being the only person who has been permanently excluded from Fortnite – as far as we know:

  • Every day, many players are banned from Fortnite for cheating. However, bans only affect accounts. Cheaters can create new accounts and play again
  • But FaZe Jarvis is banned as a person. Epic does not want him in the game anymore. The career of FaZe Jarvis was based on Fortnite, so this is tragic for him. At that time, he even shed tears

In November 2019, Jarvis used an aim bot on a secondary account to show his viewers what it’s like to play with an aim bot. He apparently thought that since he wasn’t using his real account, nothing could happen to him. But Epic saw it differently.

Fortnite-Jarvis-Bann
In the video, the boy appeared distressed.

The ban of FaZe Jarvis concerned the community at the time:

  • Some said he had it coming. Epic should take a clear stance here. Cheaters are a plague for the community
  • Others felt that Epic was too harsh on FaZe Jarvis. He was only 17, and Epic was basically giving him a professional ban. Epic had been more lenient towards other worse cheaters than him

This was the action: After almost 10 months, FaZe Jarvis publicly tried to play Fortnite again. He announced it on Twitter beforehand: It had been almost a year since Epic banned him. He would play again in the evening.

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On Twitch, his ongoing match was stopped, and he was logged out. He expressed his displeasure about it in the clip.

He exclaimed “Oh my God,” jumped up, and whined in a high pitch.

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This is the discussion: In hindsight, it was debated whether it was really a ban. It seemed more like someone had just logged into FaZe Jarvis’s account:

  • This could mean that the “ban” was just faked
  • However, others discovered that FaZe Jarvis’s account is indeed disabled. But they are not entirely convinced.
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YouTuber capitalizes on his ban

This is what’s behind it: FaZe Jarvis is a YouTuber who found success with Fortnite but is banned from Fortnite. This is a dilemma. As a solution, FaZe Jarvis apparently plans to continue working with Fortnite, but without actually playing it, instead lamenting that he can no longer play it.

He had already stood out after the ban by flirting with his image: “The boy who got banned from Fortnite.”

Even a year later, he seems to want to profit from the ban. Because, one way or another, he was aware of how this had to end: Either Epic would ban him, or he would seek an exit himself.

A continuation of his career in Fortnite seems to be excluded. Not even mom could do anything about that.

Fortnite-Jarvis-1140x445
The most famous ban from Fortnite: The young FaZe Jarvis.

We looked a month after his ban from Fortnite at MeinMMO to see what FaZe Jarvis had been doing during that time.

At that time, he stood out for some prank videos that repeatedly referenced the ban from Fortnite:

What is FaZe Jarvis doing a month after being banned from Fortnite?

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