The Xbox Series X is huge and initial comparison images of the consoles show what is actually coming into your living room. Microsoft also confirmed that the stand can not be removed.
Lay it down or stand it up? A question in the living rooms or at the desks of gamers is whether to place their PlayStation or Xbox vertically or horizontally. Aesthetics and space play an important role in this decision. Especially now that the Xbox Series X has been presented with price and release date, the topic is exciting.
Some TV stands only have horizontal, open shelves. That’s where you place AV receivers, Blu-ray players, or other devices. Many of them lie on their side. But do they even offer enough space for the large Xbox?
The dimensions of the Xbox Series X are:
301 mm length, 151 mm width, and 151 mm height – The console weighs 4.45 kg
The PS4 Pro is 327 mm long, 295 mm wide, and 55 mm high
The Xbox One X is 299 mm long, 241 mm wide, and 60 mm high
The size of the Series X compared to PS4, Xbox One X, and Series S
It’s a design question: The Xbox Series X has been introduced to players as a standing console. A foot at the bottom of the console provides stability.
Microsoft has already confirmed that you can also lay the console down if you wish. However, the logo on the power button will not rotate. Additionally, you will see the stand on one side, which is actually meant to be at the bottom. These are the minor disadvantages of laying the console down.
What do the Xbox Series X and Series S look like? Our colleagues at GamePro already received “dummy” consoles for testing. These dummies contain no hardware – they are meant to give a first impression of the case, connections, and proportions.
This shows you how the Series X and the Series S stack up whether standing or lying down. All impressions of these consoles can be found in the article by GamePro.
Further comparisons: Theverge.com also managed to secure some dummies and compared them, among others, to the Xbox One X. Right next to each other, the Series X looks huge:
In the YouTube video by Unbox Therapy, the Xbox Series X is placed on top of Sony’s PS4. This makes it clear how tall Microsoft’s console is even when lying down.
Ryan McCaffrey from IGN confirmed this. He had a test unit at home and found no solution to remove the stand. Microsoft confirmed to him that this is intentional.
What do you prefer? Do you want to stand the console up or are lying consoles a must for you at home? And do you even have enough space for that? Let us know in the comments how and where you want to place the large console and if the dimensions bother you at all. Maybe there is more space next to the TV or on the floor than in your TV cabinet.
EA Sports has released the first ratings for FIFA 21. This includes some BVB and Bayern players. We show you the ratings and look at whether they are justified.
With the release of the first FIFA 21 ratings, EA Sports revealed how good or bad the players from FC Bayern and Borussia Dortmund will be in the new FIFA installment.
We take a close look at the new values and compare them to last year – there are some surprises.
How many players from both clubs are included in the ratings? In addition to the top 100 list of the best players in FIFA 21, we could also identify several players from Bayern and Dortmund in other lists from EA. So far, there are new ratings for:
11 players from FC Bayern
and 16 players from Borussia Dortmund.
As soon as more new ratings are known, this post will be updated.
These are the ratings for FC Bayern
These values are already known: By now, we know the values of the 9 best Bayern players and reveal how they have changed compared to FIFA 20.
Robert Lewandowski – Upgrade from 89 to 91
Lewandowski – FIFA 20 and FIFA 21
How strong will Lewandowski be in FIFA 21: Robert Lewandowski makes a strong jump of 2 points in the overall rating, which is certainly justified. After all, the striker played what was likely his best season and scored 55 goals in 46 games.
Thus, he rightly shares 3rd place among the best players in FIFA 21 with Kevin De Bruyne and Neymar.
Manuel Neuer – Upgrade from 88 to 89
Neuer – FIFA 20 and FIFA 21
How strong will Neuer be in FIFA 21: Manuel Neuer had another strong season and thus earned an upgrade in the overall rating by one point. Few should have anything to say against that.
Joshua Kimmich – Upgrade from 86 to 88
Kimmich – FIFA 20 and FIFA 21
How strong will Kimmich be in FIFA 21: Joshua Kimmich receives a strong upgrade in FIFA 21 and a positional change to defensive midfield. Although he has slightly worsened in pace, EA has given the midfielder reasonable upgrades in all other values.
Thomas Müller – remains at 86
Müller – FIFA 20 and FIFA 21
How strong will Müller be in FIFA 21: Despite a really good season, Thomas Müller does not receive an upgrade in FIFA 21. He remains at an overall rating of 86, which could definitely be stronger by a point. Particularly concerning: In individual values, Müller even receives downgrades:
Speed: 72 -> 68
Shooting: 83 -> 82
But at least his passing value was improved by 3 points.
Serge Gnabry – Upgrade from 84 to 85
Gnabry – FIFA 20 and FIFA 21
How strong will Gnabry be in FIFA 21: The fast winger from FC Bayern is no longer as fast in FIFA 21. His pace value deteriorates from 90 to a shocking 83! A really nasty downgrade for the attacker. Not even the other improvements can make up for it:
Shooting: 82 -> 83
Passing: 75 -> 78
Physicality: 69 -> 70
Why EA decided on such a strong downgrade in pace remains open.
Thiago (now Liverpool) – Downgrade from 87 to 85
Thiago – FIFA 20 and FIFA 21
How strong will Thiago be in FIFA 21: This downgrade for Thiago comes as a surprise because the Spaniard certainly had a good season at FC Bayern. Why he still has to drop by 2 points in the overall rating is difficult to understand.
A rating that would have remained at 87 would likely have been accepted by most Bayern fans.
Leroy Sané – Downgrade from 86 to 85
Sané – FIFA 20 and FIFA 21
How strong will Sané be in FIFA 21: In contrast to Thiago, the downgrade for Sané is somewhat understandable. After all, the winger was out for almost the entire last season due to injury. He will have to prove himself at Bayern to earn stronger ratings in the future.
Kingsley Coman – remains at 84
Coman – FIFA 20 and FIFA 21
How strong will Coman be in FIFA 21: Kingsley Coman receives a card in FIFA 21 that looks very similar to his FIFA 20 card, as only 3 individual values have changed by one point each.
These are:
Speed: 92 -> 93
Dribbling: 86 -> 87
Physicality: 60 -> 59
Thus, Coman receives a mini-upgrade that is acceptable. However, there could have been a bit more, especially considering his performances in the Champions League.
David Alaba – Downgrade from 85 to 84
Alaba – FIFA 20 and FIFA 21
How strong will Alaba be in FIFA 21: For years, Alaba was one of the strongest left-backs in FUT, but that changes in FUT 21. Alaba changes positions and is now one of the best center-backs in the game, despite a slight downgrade. However, it is questionable why there is also a pace downgrade of 6 points here.
Other confirmed Bayern ratings
These players are now known: Further new ratings of various Bayern players have now become known:
Niklas Süle – Downgrade from 85 to 84
Alphonso Davies – Upgrade from 72 to 81
These are the ratings for Borussia Dortmund
These values are already known: Since BVB only has a total of 4 players in the top 100 ratings and two more in the side lists, we can only compare these with the values from FIFA 20 for now. We are looking forward to the remaining values of the BVB players.
Jadon Sancho – Upgrade from 84 to 87
Sancho – FIFA 20 and FIFA 21
How strong will Sancho be in FIFA 21: Jadon Sancho is the strongest player at Borussia Dortmund this FIFA year. With his new rating of 87, he even ranks ahead of Marco Reus. And he has earned that, as he scored 19 goals and provided 19 assists in 43 games.
What is surprising, however, is the pace downgrade that Sancho also experienced, dropping from 88 to 83.
Mats Hummels – Downgrade from 87 to 86
Hummels – FIFA 20 and FIFA 21
How strong will Hummels be in FIFA 21: The downgrade for Mats Hummels in FIFA 21 is somewhat curious because the defender has not deteriorated in any individual value. In fact, some attributes have even improved:
Speed: 51 -> 58
Passing: 76 -> 77
Physicality: 76 -> 77
Marco Reus – Downgrade from 88 to 85
Reus – FIFA 20 and FIFA 21
How strong will Reus be in FIFA 21: As we already suspected, Marco Reus receives a significant downgrade in FIFA 21. His overall rating falls by a full 3 points, likely due to the fact that he missed many games due to injury last season.
The biggest downgrades occur in these values:
Speed: 85 -> 80
Shooting: 86 -> 86
Dribbling: 87 -> 85
Physicality: 66 -> 63
Erling Haaland – Upgrade from 73 to 84
Haaland – FIFA 20 and FIFA 21
How strong will Haaland be in FIFA 21: The meteoric rise of Erling Haaland can best be understood by looking at his starting cards from FIFA 20 and FIFA 21. In just one year, he has achieved a strong upgrade of 11 points in the overall rating.
Considering his performances in the Bundesliga, this is not surprising. His new FIFA 21 card looks extremely strong and is likely to be a key player in many Bundesliga teams. Especially in pace, shooting, and physicality, the new card shows impressive stats.
Raphaël Guerreiro – Upgrade from 81 to 84
Guerreiro – FIFA 20 and FIFA 21
How strong will Guerreiro be in FIFA 21: Due to his strong season and many competitive matches for BVB, Guerreiro receives a 3-point upgrade in overall rating in FIFA 21. The biggest jumps he makes in these areas:
Shooting: 75 -> 78
Passing: 82 -> 84
Dribbling: 85 -> 87
Defending: 66 -> 73
Roman Bürki – Downgrade from 85 to 84
Bürki – FIFA 20 and FIFA 21
How strong will Bürki be in FIFA 21: Roman Bürki must accept a reasonable downgrade from 85 to 84 in his overall rating in FIFA 21. However, he still has a decent card, and many FUT players would likely love to play the 84 card, especially at the start of FUT.
Other confirmed Dortmund ratings
These players are now known: For BVB, there is significant follow-up after the first ratings:
Julian Brandt – remains at 84
Axel Witsel – Downgrade from 85 to 84
Thorgan Hazard – Upgrade from 82 to 83
Emre Can – Upgrade from 81 to 82
Thomas Meunier – Downgrade from 82 to 81
Nico Schulz – Downgrade from 82 to 80
Łukasz Piszczek – Downgrade from 81 to 80
Dan-Axel Zagadou – remains at 79
Manuel Akanji – Downgrade from 83 to 78
Mahmoud Dahoud – Downgrade from 78 to 76
What do you think about the new ratings in FIFA 21? Would you have rated the players differently? New ratings are expected to follow in the coming weeks, ahead of the release of FIFA 21. Find out everything about FIFA 21’s release in the overview.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A boat ride in Minecraft is quite safe. With one exception, however, as anyone who misjudges the distance by one block will die.
Minecraft has changed quite a bit over the years, many bugs have been fixed and several new features have been added to the game. Yet, from time to time, you might encounter bugs or hidden quirks where players are unsure whether they are intentional or a secret. For example, boats can protect you from fall damage quite reliably – except at a very specific height.
That’s why boats are useful: Boats serve multiple purposes in Minecraft. They can not only be used for a quick journey across waters but can also be used to transport NPCs like villagers, animals, or even monsters. However, a rather rare use is the protection against fall damage.
If someone gets into a boat – this can also be done on open ground without water – they can slide down cliffs. This still works perfectly in the current Patch 1.16. Fall damage is then avoided. Even at dizzying heights, the character does not die but lands safely with their boat on the ground.
What is this exception? In the Minecraft subreddit, user ryancflam published a short video showing various fall heights with the boat. At a distance of 48 blocks, everything is fine and the character survives. The same happens at a height of 50 blocks. However, at exactly 49 blocks, the boat breaks and the character suffers full fall damage – which in most cases leads to immediate death. This video shows it:
Why is this so? Users are speculating about this. It is probably just a curious bug that has been lurking in the Minecraft code for years. The fact that exactly this – and only this – height is lethal seems to have no deeper meaning or reason.
A possible – definitely very plausible – solution has been presented by the user TriangularSheep. They wrote:
It’s like this because you are at a height of 49 blocks, and most Minecraft blocks are cubes, and every cube has square sides, and the square root of 49 is 7.
How many different heights did you die with the boat in the video? At exactly one, and 7-1=6.
You tried it from three different heights, so if we take the number 6 and use it three times, we get 666, the number of the beast.
And the beast wants your soul.
And that’s exactly why you die in a boat at a height of 49 blocks.
The explanation was showered with upvotes and awards and seems to satisfy most players as a solution.
In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, a player made an impressive sniper shot. He saw a strange flying object coming and skillfully shot it down. In the end, it turned out that he hit a missile.
What happened? The player and reddit user MattyTSquared recently posted a video where he made a genius shot. In a multiplayer round of Modern Warfare, he saw a fast-moving object racing towards the battlefield in the sky.
He didn’t know what it was, but he had the suspicion that it couldn’t be anything good. So he aimed with the sniper rifle, adjusted his shot angle, and pulled the trigger.
The perfect shot hit, and a bright explosion shook the sky. MattyTSquared had seemingly shot down a missile from the killstreak cruise missile.
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Players didn’t even know you could shoot down missiles
This is how the community reacted: MattyTSquared’s master shot is special in many ways:
Fast, moving targets are hard to hit
Fast, moving targets at long distances are even harder to hit
It was completely unknown that you could hit and destroy missiles
Therefore, many of the reddit users were quite surprised by the video and could hardly believe what they saw. Consequently, there was a lot of praise and congratulations for the lucky marksman.
What was the reward for the effort? Curiously, there were no experience points, achievements, or other feedback from the game for the shot. Therefore, a minority among the commenting readers suspects that the shot was not valid and the missile exploded for other reasons. However, it indeed looks like the shot was the trigger for the explosion in the video.
Do you also want to become a good sniper? Here are 7 useful tips for you:
Want more bizarre news from the wild world of Call of Duty multiplayer battles? Then read our report from an engaged player who loves the big pistol model Desert Eagle so much that he only shoots with it and has already efficiently blown away a whopping 43,000 opponents.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The surprise hit Remnant: From the Ashes is getting a sequel. More specifically: A prequel named Chronos: Before the Ashes. This comes from the same developer and apparently tells the story before Remnant. However, the game is missing an important feature that made Remnant so popular: co-op.
What kind of game is this? From the information available, it is not clear how Chronos: Before the Ashes is connected to Remnant, other than that it apparently takes place all before. However, it is not yet revealed how far back in history you will go.
In Chronos, you play as a young adventurer who sets out to protect his world from various dangers. Such as the Seed, the great threat in Remnant that seeks to bring everything to a standstill and destroy humanity. In doing so, you will repeatedly have to enter the labyrinth, which was already the focal point for travel through the worlds in Remnant.
A – admittedly somewhat strange – trailer shows the first images of the upcoming game:
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As it seems, Chronos is leaning even more towards the Soulsborne games, which already served as inspiration for Remnant. In the first scenes, the characters fight with sword and shield, dodge relatively slow attacks, and prepare to counter. That’s how the battles from Dark Souls are known.
A special mechanic is death. As soon as you die, you must go back into the labyrinth and age by one year. This apparently has effects: when you are younger, you are more agile and stronger, and the older you get, the more wisdom and knowledge of the Arcane and magic you accumulate. However, it is not yet clear what concrete effects this will have on gameplay.
When will Chronos: Before the Ashes be released? The prequel to Remnant: From the Ashes is set to be released on December 1, 2020, for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. This is just a few months after the second and final DLC of Remnant, Subject 2923.
What is missing in Chronos: The predecessor Remnant became one of the best multiplayer shooters of 2020 thanks to its co-op mode and was a massive hit upon its release in 2019. It seems there was a strong desire among players to play together.
According to the Steam page of Chronos, the prequel will not have a co-op mode. It is listed as a purely single-player game. Whether there is a PvP mechanic like in Dark Souls or Bloodborne, we cannot say yet.
Apparently, there is even a smith like in Dark Souls.
However, the co-op part was indeed an important part of Remnant’s success, as playing together with friends is important for many gamers and is more fun. But those who enjoy playing Remnant alone should take a closer look at Chronos when it arrives, as long as the trailer doesn’t scare you off too much. However, yelling at your friends like in Remnant will not be possible.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Division 2 has presented the content of the next big Title Update 11 and explained how the game will continue through the end of 2020. Here is what you can expect this year.
Many have been waiting for this: For a long time, players have been in the dark about what The Division 2 has planned for the foreseeable future. A roadmap was released – for many, it was the wrong one, as it only showed information about upcoming developer streams. Finally, there was a proper one. And this shows how Massive’s shooter will continue until the end of 2020.
What to expect in 2020: You can look forward to the following content in the coming weeks and months:
Title Update 11 including The Summit
Season 3
Title Update 12 with a mysterious Special Event
Season 4
The new roadmap
Everything about Title Update 11 (TU11)
When is Title Update 11 coming? TU11 will be released on September 22, 2020, on all platforms.
What does TU11 include? Title Update 11 will introduce major features and make changes to the game. Here are the most important ones:
The Summit: A replayable PvE mode in a 100-story skyscraper styled after Underground from Part 1. Free for all “Warlords of New York” owners. Also starting on 22.09.
Agnostic Mods: A system that unlocks gear mod slots for mods of all colors. This means all gear pieces with mod slots will be changed to accept any type of equipment mod.
Loot improvements: Among other things, for the so-called rainbow loot problem, where the first attribute will now have a percentage chance of being the same color as the core attribute.
Balance improvements
Bug fixes
The Backfire SMG – one of the 3 new exotics from TU11
What we know about Season 3
When does Season 3 start? Season 3 will launch in conjunction with Title Update 11, on September 22, and will last for approximately 3 months.
What’s included? There will be a new Season Pass, which will cost €10 for access to the premium reward branch. As usual, new seasonal activities and events will be introduced. The story and seasonal bounty will revolve around the leader of the dubious mercenary organization Black Tusk, Bardon Schaeffer, and his four followers. There will be new equipment and rewards to earn.
The Black Tusk
Outlook on Title Update 12 (TU12)
When is TU12 coming? Massive has already given a first brief look at Title Update 12. While no specific date was provided, this major update is set to be released in December 2020.
What’s included? Not much is known yet. So far, the points for cross-gen compatibility on consoles and a mysterious event called Codename: Nightmare (Codename: Nightmare) for TU12 have been listed.
Cross-Gen: As the developers recently revealed, The Division 2 will also be playable on next-gen consoles PS5, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X thanks to backward compatibility. Additionally, cross-generation play will be possible – for example, PS4 with PS5.
The Kenly College
Special Event: There is essentially nothing known about the mysterious event other than that it will be coming this winter and will take place in the already available Kenly College. Codename: Nightmare is said to be time-limited. More information will follow soon.
What we already know about Season 4
When does Season 4 start? Season 4 will be released alongside TU12, also in December 2020. This season is also expected to provide the game with fresh content regularly for about 3 months.
What’s included? Here the story is likely to become really exciting. Because Faye Lau, a former Commander of the Division who unexpectedly defected and disappeared at the end of the Warlords expansion, seems to be returning there.
Faye Lau at the briefing
The season will follow the previously known pattern. There will be a new Season Pass with fresh rewards, a new seasonal Manhunt, and various seasonal activities and events.
What do you think of the roadmap and the announced content so far? Are you looking forward to it? Is it too little or too much of the same? Or does it all leave you completely cold? By the way, how the new Summit mode is currently received, you can find out here: New Summit mode should revive The Division 2 – Will you come back for it?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Fortnite with the start of Season 4, several new features have been added. Now there are superheroes as mini-bosses that can give you special abilities. We will show you where to find the Season 4 bosses on the map.
What are mini-bosses in Fortnite? Bosses were introduced in Season 2 Chapter 2. They are NPCs that stay at a specific location with their henchmen. They have much more health than regular players.
Defeating the bosses is worthwhile because they drop mythic weapons and a vault keycard.
Which bosses are there now? This feature remains in Season 4. Now it is Marvel superheroes from the Season 4 Battle Pass that you must defeat. Once you have done this, the bosses will drop their special abilities, and you can use them for combat.
So far, it seems not all superhero bosses are on the map. We will update the article for you as soon as there is more information.
Doctor Doom – Location and abilities
Where is he located? Doctor Doom has entered the Fortnite world and can now be found at “Doom’s Domain” (the original Pleasant Park). In the northern part of the small town, Doctor Doom has set up a base and can also be found there.
Doctor Doom’s headquarters is located in the original Pleasant Park
What abilities do you get? From Doctor Doom, you receive 2 different abilities for combat:
Doctor Doom’s arcane gloves
Doctor Doom’s mystical bomb
With the arcane gloves, you can fire green energy bursts at your enemies, dealing about 35 damage. You can also hover in the air when you use them.
The mystical bomb works similarly but can be thrown as a “ball” and ignites everything nearby.
Doctor Doom gives you cool abilities
You can use both abilities as often as you want. However, there is a cooldown after each use, so players cannot just spam them.
Iron Man – Location and abilities
Where is he located? Tony Stark, also known as “Iron Man,” has set up in his headquarters at Stark Industries and can now also be found there. For this, a completely new location was added to the map with update 14.10. You will find him in the large building, but you may need to search for him as he strolls around.
Iron Man has his own residence in Fortnite
What ability do you get? Unlike Doctor Doom, Iron Man only drops one special ability. You receive this superpower:
Iron Man’s Unibeam
Although this ability only takes up one slot in the inventory, it has 2 different functions. You can use Iron Man’s “gloves” to fire laser beams. If you hit opponents directly, they will lose health points.
Additionally, you can hover in the air when you have the ability equipped in your inventory. This secures a safe distance from your enemies, allowing you to laser them from there.
With the Iron Man Unibeam, you can directly attack enemies
During the season, more heroes from the Marvel universe will likely become mini-bosses and bring changes to the map. The map has already changed at the start of Season 4, which may not be obvious at first glance. However, we have summarized all the changes for you.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The year 2020 is not over yet, but some new MMORPGs have already been released. We would like to introduce them to you in a list.
What kind of MMORPGs are these? The games in this list are titles that have been released in the year 2020. However, they must have had a full release; we have not included beta events or early access.
At the end of the list, you will also find a preview of games that are currently scheduled to be released in 2020.
[toc]
Bless Unleashed – New game in the familiar universe
Developer: Round 8 Studio | Publisher: Bandai Namco | Platform: Xbox One (PC and PS4 in beta) | Release date: March 12, 2020| Model: Free2Play
What is this game about? The theme park MMORPG Bless Unleashed lets you fight various enemies and follows a story that is traditionally told through quests. These lead through a large game world with different challenges:
How is the game received after the release? Bless Unleashed was received very positively at launch, but has struggled with the fact that it does not offer any real highlights compared to other MMORPGs.
During the presentation of the multiplayer of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, the developers showcased a completely new mode: Fireteam. In this mode, you play with 39 other players in small teams and pursue various objectives.
What kind of mode is this? In Fireteam, you play with a total of 40 players in a match, divided into 10 named “Fireteams” with 4 members each. In these teams, you complete tasks on the map.
The goal is to find Uranium on the respective maps and take it to locations where bombs are waiting. These dirty bombs are then detonated, contaminating the surrounding area, which leads to a change in the map for the rest of the match.
You must avoid the contaminated areas while continuing to fight against the other Fireteams. A short clip of Dirty Bomb was shown during the presentation, which we have embedded here:
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This is what makes the mode so special: As seen in the video, there will also be vehicles in Fireteam. The maps will be correspondingly large, although there is no specific information yet about which vehicles you will get.
The Fireteam format allows us to emphasize teamwork and reward creativity. And it allows you to do things you’ve never done in Black Ops multiplayer.
However, information on additional modes is still missing to make more specific statements about how it will look. In our special, you will find everything that the Cold War multiplayer has to offer. You can find a short glimpse of the multiplayer in the embedded video from expert jackfrags:
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When can I play myself? Cold War will be released on November 13 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. However, before that, there is already a beta that you can participate in – first exclusively for PlayStation, then for all platforms.
The release will be exciting, even for players who do not want to play Cold War directly but want to stick with Modern Warfare and Warzone. The old game and the battle royale will not simply disappear. Due to the plans for Warzone, the contents will be linked: MW, Warzone, and Cold War will share upcoming content.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The developer of the MMORPG Black Desert Online (PC, PS4, Xbox One) is turning 10 years old. To celebrate the anniversary, you can look forward to gifts. Especially the new free costume is very well received.
What’s going on in BDO? Pearl Abyss, the developer of the MMORPG Black Desert Online, is celebrating its 10th anniversary. The milestone birthday is, of course, being celebrated. So after the introduction of a new but rather unpopular class, there are now gifts.
What are the gifts? First of all, everyone gets a new outfit – for free. It is the costume “Soldier from Serendia”. According to the developers, there were some requests for higher variety of this outfit. For this reason, the costume is now also available in green and blue variants.
You must first complete the main quests in all regions except Valencia.
Then you will receive new quests from the Black Spirit.
Complete these quests and you will get the new costume variants as an outfit box in the Pear inventory.
Per character you can only complete the quests once.
The new costume variants are well received by BDO players.
How is the costume received? Players are quite enthusiastic. For some, it’s an outfit that doesn’t have to hide behind the other outfits in the in-game shop. It’s also well received that the costume doesn’t show a lot of skin on female characters, unlike other outfits. It is already being discussed on reddit.
Ozzyjb says: “Now we can’t joke that free outfits look bad just so we can buy costumes.”
sarahtookthekids is thrilled: “Finally, an outfit for women that doesn’t show 90% skin!”
HighlaneForza is a bit more reserved: “I wouldn’t say it’s better than most, since many of the Pearl outfits are also nice, but it is certainly good to have more options available.”
What other gifts are there? In addition to the costume variants, you will receive a gift box, which you unlock using a coupon code. In this box, you will find:
1 x Furniture Set: Coral
1 x [Event] Package: Blessing of the Old Moon (7 Days)
How to redeem the coupon: You must follow these instructions to get the items.
Visit the BDO website. You must be logged in with your account there.
In the game, you can also press ESC and then select “Redeem”.
Enter this code: BDOPA10
The coupon must be redeemed by maintenance on Tuesday, September 29, 2020.
Are you excited about these gifts for the 10th anniversary of Pearl Abyss? What do you think of the outfit variants?
In Fortnite you should find Wolverine’s trophy to unlock a cool reward. The game has entered Season 4, bringing Marvel superheroes into the Fortnite world. We will show you where the trophy is located.
You can also unlock his matching back accessory, but you need to find it on the Fortnite map. Unlike the back accessory “Groot Sapling”, you can now unlock the Wolverine accessory without having a certain level in the battle pass.
The red arrow points to the building where the trophy is located
Once you land at Dirty Docks, start looking for a building that is located a bit further south from the harbor. When you enter the building through the front door, there is a small room immediately to your right.
This is the front of the building you must enter
In the room, there are only some shelves and a chest. You need to go to the shelf directly across from you when you enter. Destroy the box inside, and Wolverine’s trophy will appear. Now you just have to collect it and you will immediately receive the back piece.
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In this video, you can see exactly where the trophy is located and what happens when you collect it.
Once all this is done, you have a new piece in your collection of skins and accessories. After all, this piece will be a reminder that the Fortnite world has merged with the Marvel universe.
The FIFA 21 ratings are out, but some player values are very surprising. Players like Gnabry and Sancho received strange values, while Davies or Bale are still completely missing. An overview.
Many players have already been revealed. However, some of the values raise questions. Here are some of the biggest surprises from the ratings.
Serge Gnabry and Jadon Sancho slower than expected
What is up with Gnabry and Sancho? Both Serge Gnabry and Jadon Sancho are considered real speedsters. Both are lightning-fast on the wing in the Bundesliga – but in FIFA 21 they might be slowed down.
This is what Gnabry’s card looks like in FIFA 21
Sancho comes with a very high overall rating of 87, Gnabry with an 85. The speed surprises both: Sancho has a speed value of 83, Gnabry is at 82. For comparison: Last year, Sancho started with a speed of 88, Gnabry even with 90. It’s hard to explain why both are being slowed down here.
This is Sancho’s card in FIFA 21
Alphonso Davies is still missing
What is up with Davies? Alphonso Davies had a fantastic season and rose from being a third-division player in Bayern’s reserve team to a regular starter and Champions League winner. Accordingly, many expected a decent upgrade for the full-back.
This is what Davies’ card looked like in FIFA 20 – and a big leap is actually expected for FIFA 21
That he is not yet in the top 100 as a young player after just one real professional season may not be surprising. However, he is also missing from the overview “Best Full-Backs.” For comparison: The last place among the 20 best full-backs is occupied by Acuña with a value of 83. Therefore, Davies is unlikely to exceed that.
He was also missing from the overview of the best Bundesliga players – which EA removed from the homepage one day after the ratings release (via EA Sports). His final rating remains to be awaited – but many had expected here a big leap that would at least catapult him into the 20 best full-backs.
Where is Gareth Bale?
That’s why Bale is surprising: Gareth Bale was among the best footballers for several years – both on the real field and in the FIFA series. But at Real, he is no longer being played. Accordingly, a downgrade was expected – but it could turn out to be more severe than expected.
Bale is missing from the top 100, just like in the overview of the best wingers and the best La Liga players. It is already clear that he will have a rating below 84. This is where the respective last players of these categories lie.
Real Madrid shared the best ratings on Instagram – Bale was missing Source: Instagram/Real Madrid
However, Real Madrid shared the best ratings of the team on Instagram – where the weakest player Rodrygo had a rating of 79. This could mean that Gareth Bale might indeed fall below 79, which would be a huge downgrade – unless he wasn’t left out of Real’s overview for other reasons. For now, it remains to be seen.
Aubameyang’s overall rating is weaker than last year
What is up with Aubameyang? The former Dortmund player is now one of the most dangerous attackers in the Premier League and started the last FIFA with a value of 88. In the past season, he scored a total of 22 goals in the league and provided three assists. Very good values.
Aubameyang is rated one point lower in FIFA 21
But instead of getting an upgrade or at least maintaining his value, Aubameyang’s rating has dropped by one point.
The new Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War has already shown quite a bit of its campaign and multiplayer. However, the creators are holding back information about the popular zombie mode – but a prominent leaker is not.
What does the leak look like? One of the most well-known CoD leakers has struck again. This time, the Twitter account “Tom Henderson” is stirring up the zombie fans, as the usually well-informed user has left some information about the new coop mode of Black Ops Cold War, which has so far received little substantial information from official sources:
Night [of the Undead] was reused by the Russians for their nuclear program
Nazi zombies can free themselves and infect the area (there are Russian and Nazi zombies)
New crew
Old weapons from World War II can still be found in the area
You start with a torch until you turn on the power
Together with the few images shown during the first multiplayer trailer, veterans already get a decent insight into the possible story behind the new mode. The information from “Henderson” is completely unconfirmed, but the previous leaks from the account lend a decent amount of credibility to the information.
Why can you believe him? Formerly operating under the name “LongSensationYT” on Twitter, he has leaked numerous pieces of information that later turned out to be correct and very precise, sometimes months after the leaks. He predicted CoD Warzone as a free-to-play title – in early August 2019.
At that time, not even the beta for CoD MW was running and he was already writing: “Apparently, the battle royale of Modern Warfare will be a free mode to be released at the beginning of 2020. It will be downloaded as a separate game but still connected to the core game.”
Now we know how much truth was in that tweet – it turned out to be exactly the case. But still, the latest information is also unconfirmed leaks. There could still be some changes or different outcomes. A bit of skepticism is therefore appropriate. For the multiplayer, however, there are already plenty of facts.
What does that mean for the zombie mode? The return of parts of “Nacht der Untoten” suggests that certain elements from the classic zombie maps will return. “Nacht” was the very first zombie map introduced in 2008 with Call of Duty 5: World at War (which, by the way, was released on November 13, just like Cold War).
If the leak is to be believed, the Russians take over the facility from “Nacht der Toten” after the conquest of Germany to support their nuclear program. This even makes some sense, as the zombie stories involve not only an outbreak of infectious undead but also dark powers, energies, and teleportation. Weapons from World War II will also be available, which fits previous zombie maps.
Besides “Nacht der Untoten”, some players also suspect the return of parts from the zombie map “TranZit” from Black Ops 2:
The images below left and above right show snippets from the new “Cold War” trailer, while the other two depict the possible counterparts from previous maps. It could all take place on one map, as “TranZit” included the zombie map “Nacht der Untoten”. Some suspect that the first zombie map of Cold War is the map “TranZit” – albeit several years after the events of the first visit.
I don’t know about that, what is Zombies in CoD? This is a very popular PvE survival mode. The goal is to survive maps packed with puzzles while slaughtering masses of zombies.
You start poorly armed and usually collect money for weapons and equipment or power-ups to protect yourself from the raging zombie hordes. The game progresses in waves, and with each wave, the difficulty usually increases. However, the maps are also peppered with zombie traps, easter eggs, and tell a crazy story that delves into the supernatural.
The strength of the mode is its replay value. It can take dozens of rounds and hours until you even remotely understand what is going on and how to complete the map. There are also special easter eggs and story fragments everywhere that reveal more about the dark backgrounds – all while under pressure not to be bitten by the advancing zombies.
Even for Warzone, zombies could play a role. Some game data indicates that undead modes are planned for the battle royale. Already in its spiritual predecessor “Blackout”, the battle royale from Black Ops 4, zombies were a PvE component, and it is possible that the rotting fellows will soon shuffle through Verdansk as well.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Hard to believe, Destiny recently celebrated its 6th birthday. MeinMMO author Philipp Hansen looks back at the past years, wonders why he even goes through this, and feels old.
Destiny had its birthday: On September 9, 2014, Destiny opened its servers and initiated a love for many that has lasted for 6 years with Destiny 2. On the occasion of the anniversary, Bungie also released some numbers that dropped my jaw.
Apparently, we’ve spent three times as much time in Destiny 1 and 2 as modern humans have even existed. With over 3,000 hours, I’ve certainly contributed a bit, but 166,999,999 other players have also been diligent Guardians.
I want to take this opportunity to explain how I’ve experienced the MMO shooter over the past 6 years, which some players deemed doomed from day one.
Destiny was on everyone’s lips even before its birth: I first heard about Destiny when Bungie and Activision struck a staggering deal in 2014. Almost every serious gamer heard that $500,000,000 was to be invested . And an ambitious 10-year plan aimed to change everything in gaming – superlatives were abundant.
What I later found out: Destiny had actually found me back in 2009 during my Halo days and hinted at my future. After all, I primarily write for MeinMMO about that very franchise, about Destiny.
I just couldn’t interpret the signs back then. But even in Halo 3: ODST and later in Halo: Reach (both games are also by Bungie), Destiny teasers appeared. Great, when I think back to Halo, I really feel old.
Destiny Easter Eggs in Halo 3: ODST (left) and Halo: Reach
I’ve played Destiny the “wrong” way
That’s how I became a Guardian: I became a Guardian twice. The first time, I played Destiny the “wrong” way, at least from my current perspective:
Shortly after the release, I borrowed Destiny from a video rental shop. Six years ago, that was still quite normal (man, now I really feel old again). I completed the “story” in no time and had my fun, but didn’t really understand the hype. When the game went back, I didn’t shed a tear.
Later, two friends and I were looking for a new game that we could play together on our newly purchased PS4 consoles. The choice fell on Destiny, and this time I became a real Guardian.
Only now did I really dive into the Destiny world. Previously, I only admired the pretty sky boxes (which I liked so much in Halo) and wondered about guys who were shooting continuously in caves, but now I paid attention to the unique weapons and abilities and wanted to own every exotic.
Soon, I was consuming in-depth videos and reading my first article on MeinMMO – I still remember the topic today: The Iron Banner – I really fell in love with that mode
The Iron Lords combine fantasy and sci-fi – it can’t get cooler
Destiny, loving you breaks my heart
The same problems for 6 years: This “right” way of playing Destiny brought a lot of problems with it. You know how it is, a Guardian is insatiable. Once you grind out an exotic and defeat a raid boss, you don’t just sit back, pat yourself on the back, and think that’s it.
Such achievements want to be repeated – Bungie has not and cannot push content out as quickly as we consume it. Even small fixes in Destiny feel like they take an eternity. The blame is said to lie with the completely outdated engine. Later, more and more dark internal matters came to light that painted a bad picture behind the scenes.
As long as there has been Destiny and the hunger for content, there has also been the “PvE vs. PvP” problem. Achieving balance between the two modes seems impossible. Either items destroy the Crucible and are nerfed to uselessness in PvE, or vice versa. For many, it’s also incomprehensible why they have to visit the Crucible or, God forbid, Gambit for a quest.
The Destiny chief Luke Smith has to always take the blame when something goes wrong
No matter which camp you belong to – there’s always a reason to complain. Since I belong to both camps, I complained twice as much. I don’t even want to talk about “smaller” issues like connection quality or cheaters; I’m already annoyed enough.
Does getting annoyed even make me older? Is the first gray hair already showing?
Shouldn’t everything get better? The hopeful switch to Destiny 2 was supposed to usher in a second golden age – unfortunately, that was another pipe dream. The greedy cash shop, the Eververse, dug its claws deep into the game and destroyed what colleague Sven Galitzki considers to be Destiny’s soul.
The separation between Bungie and Activision reignited all hopes, but led to a rude awakening. And also upcoming worries like the guns retirement or the removal of half the game regularly drive the community and me up the wall.
In Beyond Light, we get new Stasis Supers, but also say goodbye to many contents
The divorce papers were signed
This all sounds quite bitter, so why am I still on board after 6 years? One could quickly point out:
that it has become customary, just routine
that I don’t want to admit that I invested my time wrongly
that I blame myself for suffering from separation anxiety
This is how I wanted to escape: But that’s not how it is. I have intensively looked into other games. In dry phases, I swapped the first-person perspective for the shoulder perspective of Warframe or Division 1 + 2. I even tried to play as a Pokémon trainer and regularly dived into the Warzone of Call of Duty and fought in Apex Legends.
But every time it’s the same: No game can keep up with Destiny for long.
As soon as a new expansion comes, the old gold rush feeling breaks out immediately. There it is again, that feeling of discovering something new, being in a distant world. Nostalgia grabs me by the collar and drags me into the depths of raids, keeping me grinding quests for hours.
Atheon in the Glass Chamber was the first raid experience for many shooter players
A big factor is also my small, family clan. I believe that it is through strong collaboration with other Guardians that Destiny reveals all its facets. Who else should I tell about my new Godrolls? My better half just says again that I’m too old for video games. But stuffed animals on the bed are so much more adult…
That’s why the gameplay is unmatched for me: When I play my Warlock, I am the Warlock. Others curse about the jump, comparing it to a wet sack in free fall, but it has become second nature to me. I’ve come to love these character peculiarities.
As much as I wish for it, I have yet to hold a weapon in any game and say: “Hey, this feels better than in Destiny.” When I fire a heavy revolver, it kicks like a horse. I can feel through the controller as soon as another perk is on the weapon.
I know every weapon by name – should I have used my storage capacity better?
In my opinion, there simply isn’t a worthy challenger to date that combines shooting, sliding, throwing grenades or activating abilities into a choreography as well and feels as immersive as Destiny. None are in sight. And although many service games have tried – my aged space shooter cannot be easily dethroned.
With all due respect, I can confidently say that no other video game has ever had such an influence on my life and accompanied me for so long. That’s why I was happy about the now 6 years. May there be many more years to come.
Because the plans that Bungie has presented for the future of Destiny 2 hit me right in the feels. They aim for full throttle towards action-MMO. And even now, I know that the future will bring nasty problems.
But still, I wish you all the best on your birthday, Destiny! Let’s grow older together a bit more.
How did you come to love Destiny? Why can’t you get enough of the game, even though it often brings disappointments? Is there still no real alternative for you to this day?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Albion Online, a player worked hard to rise through the ranks of a guild and was promoted to officer. Then he suddenly robs the guild and leaves. In his farewell, he even thanks them for the wonderful events they had together but admits that the heist was planned for a long time.
What happened? User Vocandin reports on reddit about a nasty act in which the guild Fricks in the MMORPG Albion Online was robbed. Specifically, they lost items worth more than 1 billion silver, the in-game currency of the game.
This theft seems to have been a long-planned operation, as the player Huhfesstus, who robbed them, revealed in a Discord message to the guild.
There are also said to be other “rats” in the alliance who helped him rise to this position in the guild.
What does the message say? In the message, Huhfesstus reveals that he had a great time in the guild Fricks, which is part of the alliance CLAP. Unfortunately, however, everything in the game revolves around politics, and players can be easily influenced.
He is aware that this theft makes him a target, but for him, it was absolutely worth it. The CLAP alliance is said to have made many enemies, and many would be willing to pay to harm the alliance. A lot is expected to change for the alliance in the future.
At the end of his message, he emphasizes again that he had a lot of fun in the guild and will never forget some events. But “good spies take the long road, earn trust, and then rob everything.”
The message from Huhfesstus to his guild on Discord (via reddit).
How is the action being received? On reddit, several users report that Huhfesstus recently lost his expensive mammoth (a mount) and was also not allowed to participate in ZvZ (Zerg vs Zerg / PvP events in Albion). They do not see it as a long-planned action, but rather as that of an “egoistic child” seeking revenge.
The player faced several consequences from the theft. He is already banned from the “Official Hardcore Expedition Discord server” (via reddit). There are over 10,000 players who organize themselves and trade in groups there.
Even though the heist has nothing to do with Discord, Huhfesstus attempted to sell the stolen items there. The Discord organizers did not tolerate this.
He is also said to have applied to other large guilds that have rejected him. However, another guild is said to have accepted him so that he gets a “3-day cooldown” (via reddit). Users say that this means he cannot join a new guild for some time.
Who did the player steal from? The guild Fricks is known for helping new and inexperienced players. Internally, they have a system where officers are elected.
Some users now suspect that the player Huhfesstus bought votes. This would also align with his statement that there are “more rats” in the alliance.
Decisions with consequences that affect the game world is something that is very appealing in single-player games. However, this doesn’t really work in MMORPGs. Baldur’s Gate 3 (PC, Stadia) could present a solution, says MeinMMO author Andreas Bertits.
Due to a decision made by the player during the adventure, bandits suddenly overrun a settlement, leveling it to the ground. Such things can indeed happen in a single-player RPG, and that’s what makes it appealing for some fans.
The difference between single and multiplayer: In titles like The Witcher or the Fallout series, decisions during quests or dialogues are an essential part of the player experience. What are the consequences when I choose to help NPC A and leave NPC B to their fate?
However, in an MMO, this is difficult to implement. If an NPC dies due to my decision, other players can no longer visit them. Teammates might have acted differently and be frustrated with the outcome of the situation. Therefore, in many MMOs, decisions have no real consequences.
The evil boss enemy threatens to attack and destroy the city, but it never happens. And even if heroes defeat the monster, it always comes back.
In the MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic, you do make decisions, but they don’t have real effects.
These solutions already exist: Some MMORPGs are trying to change this. In Star Wars: The Old Republic, you can influence the story during the storyline. However, this mainly affects your personal story. There are no consequences for the game world.
The Elder Scrolls Online tried to solve this with phasing technology. NPCs can die and then disappear. But in this case, players who made different decisions are in different “phases” and no longer meet.
For this reason, this system is hardly used in modern ESO. Players simply want to play together and not be separated due to different decisions.
How could decisions with consequences work in MMOs?
Could a single-player RPG show us the way? Larian Studios is currently working on the RPG Baldur’s Gate 3 (introduced by the colleagues from Gamestar). Although it is not an MMORPG, the multiplayer part offers a very interesting option for how players can make joint decisions that actually impact the plot and the world.
As the developers revealed in a video, branching storylines involve a vote. Each player indicates which option they choose. The game then takes the option that received the most votes. The entire group must then live with it. We will experience how well this works at the end of September with the start of the Early Access phase of BG 3.
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This is how decisions play out in the multiplayer of Baldur’s Gate 3.
This can sometimes lead to funny situations. For example, if a vampire is in the party, it occasionally has to drink blood and can drain its teammates. However, they have a say in the matter. And that is through voting. So it is democratically decided which player will be bitten by the bloodsucker.
Are votes the solution? This system could even work in MMOs. If there are decisions during quests that have consequences for the entire server, a vote starts. Depending on how urgent it is, it remains “open” for a certain time. As many players as possible need to participate now. This voting then determines the course of action.
However, this is not an ideal solution. Those who are not online at the time cannot participate and may feel overwhelmed by the decision made. Notifications via email or phone might help here. If a vote takes place, every player on the server receives a message and can then decide whether to participate or not.
In the multiplayer of BG 3, all players vote for their preferred option during dialogues.
It could work under certain circumstances: Quests would naturally need to be designed accordingly to integrate such votes meaningfully. If heroes need to ask the entire server whether it is okay to make the death blow in a fight against the dark boss, the flow of the game would stall.
However, votes would be possible when an invasion into an enemy territory is about to start or when an NPC is revealed as a traitor and is waiting for their trial. Do players acquit them or do they face execution? These decisions could have larger consequences:
The invasion results in a declaration of war from a third party or
the NPC was a member of a secret organization that now hunts the players.
Perhaps Baldur’s Gate 3 shows us with the voting system that we can indeed expect real decisions with consequences in online games, and in the future, more games, even MMORPGs, may adopt this system.
Would you appreciate such a voting system in an MMO to experience decisions with consequences?
Bungie has now taken a closer look at the upcoming quest weapons in Destiny 2. These are supposed to come into play with Beyond Light and tie in with the popular and much-missed pinnacle and ritual weapons.
What are pinnacle weapons? Pinnacle weapons are powerful legendary firearms with special powerful perks that are sometimes as strong (or were) as Exotics. Even in Season 11, they are not only among the best that Destiny 2’s arsenal has to offer, but are also difficult to obtain and usually associated with a lot of effort and time. Whether PvP, PvE, or Gambit – every area of Destiny 2 has such weapons to offer.
However, these weapons were too powerful for Bungie, overshadowing numerous Exotics. Therefore, they were eventually replaced by so-called ritual weapons. The principle remained quite similar, but the guns were no longer as powerful and also not as difficult to obtain.
But Bungie has phased out these weapons as well. Although almost all previous pinnacle and ritual weapons can still be earned, due to the upcoming weapon retirement, they are losing significance. And there haven’t been any new ones for quite some time. However, that is supposed to change with Beyond Light.
One of the most iconic pinnacle weapons – Luna’s Howl (Source: @saboe627 on Twitter)
This is the replacement for pinnacle and ritual weapons in Beyond Light: In the upcoming autumn expansion Beyond Light, Bungie wants to introduce special legendary weapons again that you can hunt for.
These are now called quest weapons. They come with fixed perks, which can be adjusted or selected in parts. The last two perk columns offer several options, allowing you to better align the respective firearm according to your personal preferences.
This is different now: While there were usually one weapon each for PvP, Gambit, and the Vanguard (a total of 3) with pinnacle and ritual weapons, only one quest weapon per season will be offered from Beyond Light and Season 12, which is tied to a quest.
However, you can freely choose how you want to earn the base model of the weapon – whether through Strikes, the Crucible, or Gambit, for example. Depending on which activity you choose, you will have to fulfill specific objectives.
This will probably be the new quest weapon of Season 12 – the sniper Adored
This is how you can give quest weapons a special look: Once you have mastered the main quest for a quest weapon, Commander Zavala (Vanguard), Lord Shaxx (PvP), and the Drifter (Gambit) will offer you a follow-up quest.
You can earn special ornaments through this, which you can then use to visually enhance the quest weapon. The ornaments are inspired by the respective activities, allowing you to show where you prefer to roam in Destiny 2.
The different ornaments for the Adored
By the way, you are not limited to just one ornament. With the sniper, you can earn all 3.
Which quest weapon will come in Season 12? This is currently not 100% known, but the sample images in the current TWaB blog suggest that it is likely to be the sniper “Adored”, visually reminiscent of the “Beloved” from the Menagerie – it had a brief appearance in the Stasis trailer as well. However, what it can do in detail is unfortunately still unknown.
What do you think of the new quest weapon system so far? An adequate replacement for pinnacle and ritual weapons? Or would you prefer more special weapons in the previous style? Speaking of weapons – the 3rd weapon Exotic from Season of Arrival has also turned out really well: Chosen of the Traveler – New Exotic is even better than expected
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
MeinMMO editor Leya Jankowski has been playing on PlayStation consoles since childhood. Now she wants to switch to the Xbox Series. The primary reason for this is the Xbox Game Pass.
Why I’ve never owned and wanted an Xbox: I grew up in a playful household. In the early 90s, we were one of the first families in our area to own a gaming PC with the Amiga. Later, there were also Game Boys and consoles added.
Over the years, we had pretty much every gaming device in my parents’ house – but never an Xbox.
The variety of platforms has continued into my teenage and adult years, as I appreciate them for different needs. I always own a combination of:
a PlayStation for exclusive titles like Last of Us and cozy couch gaming
a Nintendo handheld for on-the-go and titles like Pokémon
a PC for shooters and games that don’t come to console
That’s what I know from childhood. The controller of an Xbox still feels somehow wrong in my hands.
The strong exclusive titles of PlayStation have also consistently been a major argument against an Xbox for me. Games like God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, or the current Ghost of Tsushima speak for themselves. It was never a question of which new home console I would buy when a new generation was imminent.
The Xbox Game Pass changes everything
What is the Xbox Game Pass? It’s a damn good deal!
You can think of the Xbox Game Pass as a “Netflix for gamers.” You subscribe for a large selection of games.
The Game Pass Ultimate costs €12.99 a month and includes over 200 games. Over 100 of those are permanently included in the Pass, and new ones are constantly added. The others rotate in and out of the Game Pass.
The Pass is available for PC and Xbox simultaneously. It includes really high-quality games, for which you would normally have to pay around €50 to €70 separately, including currently popular games like Crusador Kings 3 or the Microsoft Flight Simulator.
Xbox Live Gold is also included in the Game Pass Ultimate at no extra cost. You need the premium membership, just like with PlayStation Plus, to play online.
Recently, Microsoft announced that soon EA Play will be integrated into the Game Pass at no extra cost. With the Game Pass, there will also be games like FIFA 20 or Battlefield added. In total, about 60 games will be added through EA.
The Xbox Game Pass can already be considered ridiculously cheap for what you get.
The Game Pass is simply an incredibly good deal.
Say Leya, why don’t you just use the Game Pass on your PC? That’s what some of you might be asking. After all, I could skip the console if it’s just about the Game Pass.
I could also comfortably game from the couch on the TV with the PC. However, there are four reasons against it for me:
I have no desire to:
run the necessary cables,
have streaming issues. I tried Steam Link once. It was a dreadful hassle, and there were always technical difficulties.
have the TV right next to the PC.
The PC is also a work device for me, where I also play simultaneously. Sometimes it’s just nice to turn off the machine and officially end the workday.
Microsoft proves innovation, Sony stagnates
What I currently like about Xbox: The Game Pass is an innovative offer as a “Netflix for gamers” that is entirely built on customer-friendliness. The subscription model is inexpensive and designed for our fast-paced modern lifestyle. Before we fully commit to a game and then shell out a lot of money for 1-3 big titles per year, the Game Pass gives us the opportunity to sample games. Maybe one game is played for 3 hours in the evening and another for 300 hours.
What bothers me about PlayStation now: In contrast, Sony seems to have fallen asleep with their market strategy for PlayStation. They still rely on exclusive titles as THE big selling argument. It seems to me like they are resting on their exclusive titles. I don’t see any new, innovative ideas that blow me away.
Of course, the PS5 will also come with innovative new technology. Otherwise, there would be no need for a new generation. Technically, the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 probably don’t differ that much in the end. Ultimately, the consoles will excel in different areas, better or worse than the other model.
It will probably be the cute Xbox Series S
Why the smallest Xbox? The Xbox Series S is the smaller, cheaper version of the Xbox Series X. It costs only €299, but it doesn’t have a disc drive. The “big” X variant costs €499 and is therefore €200 more expensive.
Since I have only been buying my games digitally for years now, the lack of a drive on the S is not a problem for me.
The Series X is technically superior to the Series S and offers a significantly better graphics chip that is designed for a native 4K experience.
However, that doesn’t bother me much, since I don’t own a 4K TV and won’t be getting one anytime soon. Also, I still have a powerful PC that I can upgrade long-term for super nice graphics.
The smallest Xbox also didn’t get its name without reason. It is 60% smaller than the bulky Xbox Series X. The cute design reminds me of a retro radio. I’m really into this look, and it will be a real eye-catcher in my apartment.
The little one exudes personality.
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Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold Warwill probably have a feature that is important for many multiplayer fans: Map Voting. Curiously, this was no longer present in Modern Warfare, but a small detail in the multiplayer stream strongly hints at the return of the feature, which delights fans.
What is Map Voting all about? Map Voting has been a staple feature in previous Call of Duty titles. It allowed the lobby of a multiplayer match to vote on the next map after each battle. The map with the most votes would then be played next.
However, in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, this useful feature suddenly became a non-issue. Furthermore, the lobby was dissolved after each game, which was unfortunate if you had found really competent and pleasant teammates.
But in a stream after the reveal of the multiplayer of Cold War, you can clearly see that there is a small window for Map Voting located at the bottom left of the screen. The feature, which was also present in the predecessor Black Ops 4, is likely to return in Cold War.
You can find all collected info about the multiplayer mode of Cold War here:
That’s why Map Voting is so popular: The return of Map Voting delights Call of Duty fans, of course. This useful little feature allowed players to avoid unpopular maps. This was particularly important when those maps were disliked due to bugs and poor balance. Moreover, developers could quickly identify which maps might need some attention soon.
This is where you see the Map Voting feature.
Therefore, it was incomprehensible to many players why this feature was missing in Modern Warfare, and for a long time it was loudly demanded that it be reintroduced. This has not yet happened in Modern Warfare, but at least the future players of Cold War on reddit are very pleased. There, developer Treyarch is praised and fans appreciate such little things that make the CoD life more enjoyable.
Now, there is only hope that the automatic dissolution of the lobby will also be a thing of the past in the game. The joyful reactions to this small feature stand in contrast to the rather subdued feedback from the community regarding the multiplayer reveal itself. Because there were many vehicles shown there, which did not please classic Call of Duty fans and rather reminded them of the larger-scale Battlefield.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Pokémon GO the new limited research “Mega Battle Challenge” is now active. We will show you all quests and rewards here. One of the tasks also involves a Mega Evolution – and that is not well received.
What is new? On September 11, 2020, Pokémon GO started a new event focused on Mega Evolutions. These special evolutions are currently the big topic in the community and have received quite a bit of criticism in recent days and weeks.
The new limited research is accessible to every trainer in the game and rewards you among other things with Mega Energy, revives, experience points, and stardust. We will show you all quests and rewards here.
Limited Special Research “Mega Battle Challenge”
This research is again divided into four steps, each with three tasks. The last step rewards you with items. So you need to complete a total of 9 tasks to successfully finish the limited research.
Step 1/4
Task
Reward
Battle in a raid
3 revives
Catch 7 Bug-type Pokémon
5 Poké Balls
Use 7 power-ups on Pokémon
1x Up-Grade
Stage reward: 35 Mega Energy for Beedrill, 500 stardust and 1,000 experience points.
Stage reward: 60 Mega Energy for Beedrill, 1,000 stardust and 2,000 experience points.
Step 4/4
Task
Reward
Already completed
10 Poké Balls
Already completed
3 Hyper Potions
Already completed
3 Max Revives
Stage reward: An encounter with Roserade, 2,500 stardust and 5,000 experience points.
Up-Grade Item in Pokémon GO – What is it for?
In the rewards of the new limited research you will find the Up-Grade item already at stage 1. This is one of the special items in Pokémon GO used for evolving.
With a Sinnoh Stone you can evolve Porygon2 into Porygon-Z
The reason Niantic is now including these two rewards in this special research is probably the upcoming Community Day in September featuring Porygon. By securing these items in combination with the increased spawns during the Community Day, you can definitely evolve into Porygon-Z.
What Trainers Criticize About the Research
This was the problem: Trainers have criticized the Mega Evolution system extensively.
The evolutions would be too expensive
For the price, the Mega Evolutions would hardly be worth it
It seems you have to spend money for the Mega Evolutions
This is now a new problem: On reddit, trainers express surprise that the Mega Evolution, which has been under criticism, is actually part of the research.
Player Mercury_Paradox writes “Perform a Mega Evolution” – the first special research that I will not complete. […]”
Another user adds that you have to complete 5 to 6 raids for this research. The problem many see lies in the rewards. They are not valuable enough for them to use their scarce Mega Energy for this.
Another user explains that he saved his Mega Evolutions specifically for an event that would reward him appropriately. For 3 silver Pinap Berries and a Roserade, the player will not do that.
What do you think about the new research? Will you complete it despite the Mega Evolution, or will you skip it this time?
