Now is the perfect time to play Borderlands 3 again

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

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.

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“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

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

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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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

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.

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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

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.

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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

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

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

CoD MW: Incredible knife kill makes players doubt whether it was intended

In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare a player performed an absurd stunt with a knife. He threw the blade to dizzying heights and accurately hit the opponent’s head. It is not even certain whether the stunt was intentional.

What happened? A player and reddit user named TruceBrian performed an extreme stunt with a throwing knife in CoD Modern Warfare. He was in a custom match in Free-For-All mode and wanted to take out a few bots to improve his skills.

He was primarily using the knife and taking out opponents with it. To spectacularly finish one of his opponents, he threw the knife high into the air.

The blade flew across the map and TruceBrian followed the knife. It seemed as if he had thrown it accidentally. In fact, just at that moment an opponent came down the alley, and somehow TruceBrian still had hope that the knife could do something.

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The probably coolest knife kill of all time!

Here’s how it went on: But instead of disappearing somewhere in the foliage uselessly and ineffectively, the knife came crashing down like a punishing lightning bolt from the gods and audibly struck the bot’s head. He immediately died and probably wondered what the hell had just happened. A similarly insane knife stunt has been done by a player before.

More on the topic
CoD MW: Player wins with incredible knife throw: “I will never manage this again”
von Noah Struthoff

Fans celebrate knife kill: On reddit, where TruceBrian published the clip of his great achievement, the post was well received. At the time of this article (September 14, 2020), the post had over 22,000 upvotes. In 245 comments, the action was praised.

For example, SnottyGoblin simply wrote “Beautiful”. User TheBigDIDD admitted to having watched it for 5 hours and Psy343 simply said, “Wow, that guy is really lucky!”

Another user named Frengerr, on the other hand, claims that there is a kind of “magnet effect” with the knife, which causes it to fly accurately towards opponents. Thus, such a throw wouldn’t really be that spectacular in the end.

But no matter whether the kill was due to a secret knife mechanic or pure luck: the action looks very cool and makes TruceBrian’s victory truly legendary. Insane stunts and kills are nothing new in Call of Duty. For instance, a player took out a rocket in mid-air with an excellent sniper shot.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. VG24/7
  2. GameRant

WoW Riddle Guide: How to get the secret cat Jenafur

The riddle of the cat Jenafur in World of Warcraft was finally solved after a year. We reveal how to get the hidden pet.

Most of the major riddles in World of Warcraft have been solved within a few weeks of implementation. But one riddle lasted nearly a year – the cat Jenafur. On the night of September 14, the “Secret Finding” Discord finally managed to solve the riddle. We will reveal the steps that will transfer Jenafur to your possession.

Step 1: Visit Amara

First, travel to Ashenvale and seek out the NPC Amara Moonshadow. She is a somewhat pale night elf that you can find at the coordinates 17 / 49. She stands in a small shelter, northwest of the Shrine of Aessina.

WoW Jenafur Amara

Talk to Amara and select her dialogue option. That’s it for this step.

Step 2: Off to Elwynn

Next, travel to the Elwynn Forest, to the crazy cat lady Donni Anthania. She is located at the coordinates 44 / 53 in her house, surrounded by countless cats. On the floor to the right, in front of the large cupboard, there is a small food bowl. Interact with this and you’ll have completed this step as well.

WoW Jenafur empty dish

Step 3: Treats in Karazhan

The last step of the riddle leads to Karazhan, but to the new version from Legion. You need to gather a total of 8 items in Karazhan, namely different types of meat scattered throughout the dungeon. It’s best to clear all enemies up to the Virtuous Maid and Moroes so that you can quickly collect everything.

  • 2x Juicy Leg
  • 2x Fish Pieces
  • 2x Flank Steak
  • 1x Dripping Ribs
  • 1x Meaty Snack

You only have a little time for this. The items remain in your inventory for exactly 5 minutes before they dissolve. So you need to collect all the items quickly and return to the opera hall afterwards.

The exact locations of the items can be found in this image:

WoW Jenafur Karazhan Food Locations
Especially the 7th item is tricky – it is hidden behind a large chair.

Note that you only need the eight marked items. There are more foods in Karazhan, but you do not need to use those.

After that, return to the opera hall. Rotate the camera so that you can look down on the action. You now have little time left to correctly arrange the eight items in the room. It is important to place the items on the correct “floor plates”. Start from left to right, so the correct order is:

Juicy Leg – Flank Steak – Fish Pieces – Meaty Snack – Flank Steak – Dripping Ribs – Juicy Leg – Fish Pieces

WoW Jenafur Food Positioning
Start from left to right.

If you place the items in the correct order, a little melody will play, and the cat Jenafur will appear on the ground. Now you just need to click on her, and the cat will find its way into your inventory!

Jenafur on floor

Jenafur has creepy sayings: Jenafur has apparently mutated quite a bit due to the Void. Not only does she look creepy with her tentacles, but she also has a few concerning whisper messages that she occasionally delivers to the player. She says:

  • Your flesh smells delicious.
  • Only blood can quench my thirst.
  • Your eyes look tasty.
  • Feed me souls.

It’s also pretty creepy if you click on her multiple times. Her sounds are really, really dark…

Well, who hasn’t always wished for such a loyal companion that seeks your death? By the way, the swarm consciousness fits nicely with the riddle – a cool mount for 5 people.

What do you think of Jenafur and the riddle? A cool thing and a great addition to your pet collection?

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

One of the most unfair MMORPGs gets a second part – This is how you can play it today

If you enjoy participating in a not-so-fair PvP against players of an MMORPG, then perhaps Mortal Online 2 is for you. For 39 dollars, you can participate in the new Alpha.

What is Mortal Online 2? Mortal Online 2 is the sequel to the hardcore MMORPG Mortal Online, released in 2010. In Mortal Online, PvP battles are at the forefront, aimed at those who want as few rules as possible.

Therefore, Mortal Online 1 has the reputation of promoting ganking, which means constantly attacking weaker players, and player killing, making it one of the “unfairest” MMORPGs. Yet, this is exactly what appeals to fans of this genre.

Mortal Online 2 is fundamentally based on the same gameplay principle but aims to enhance it with more PvE, greater accessibility for new players, and more rules. This means that anyone who attacks and eliminates another player without reason is considered a murderer and faces certain disadvantages, which the developers are still working on.

It is played on a single server to facilitate large-scale battles and territorial wars.

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This video shows the alpha version of the MMORPG Mortal Online 2.

Prove yourself in the PvP of Mortal Online 2

Who is Mortal Online 2 for? The MMORPG is clearly aimed at PvP fans. You should expect things to get quite intense in the game world. PvE is more important than in Mortal Online 1, but the focus remains on PvP.

If you enjoy PvP and believe you are good at it, then Mortal Online could be for you. If you need fairness or only engage in PvP casually, then you should look for another game.

How to get involved: The developers have expanded the Alpha and are inviting more players. If you want to participate, you need to purchase access. This can be found on the official website. There, you must donate at least 39 dollars to obtain an alpha key. However, the access is limited, and those who want to join need to hurry.

Mortal-Online-2-Screenshot
The MMORPG Mortal Online 2 focuses on PvP battles.

What does the alpha test offer? The developers of Mortal Online 2 primarily want to test the server. There have already been complaints from players in the USA. Since the server is located in Europe, players from the USA experience poor performance. The developers wish to optimize the servers now but need more participants for a stress test.

What comes after the alpha? A beta is planned for the end of 2020. No exact date is available yet. You can already register for the beta on the official website of Mortal Online 2. With a bit of luck, you will be selected.

In addition, an early access phase via Steam is planned. However, this currently does not have a start date. The release of the MMORPG is not expected before 2021.

What do you think of Mortal Online 2? Is it an MMORPG for you? Do you want to check out the alpha?

If you enjoy PvP and want to know which MMORPG is particularly suitable, you might find your new game in the MeinMMO article “The 10 MMORPGs with the best PvP of all time.”

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

WoW players solve the mystery of a mysterious cat after a year

Players have been puzzling over a riddle in World of Warcraft since September 2019. It involves the cat Jenafur, a seemingly corrupted kitten from the Void that you can earn as a pet. After many months of puzzling and even tips from Blizzard themselves, players have now figured out how to get Jenafur.

How do I get Jenafur? Basically, it is quite simple, and you just need to follow a few steps:

  • talk to the NPC Amara Lunastern in the Ashenvale (Coordinates: 17/49)
  • go to the house of the crazy cat lady in Elwynn (Coordinates: 44/53) and interact with an empty food bowl there
  • now go to Karazhan and enter the side entrance (to the Legion instance, not the Burning Crusade raid)
  • there you need to collect various food items in order and distribute them in front of the stage at Karazhan

We are currently gathering the individual steps to create a detailed guide, which will be released soon. The YouTuber Kelani shows you in the video how you need to proceed:

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Months of Riddling about a Cat

Players have been puzzling for so long: The riddle was already released in September 2019, along with Patch 8.2.5. The new NPC, a night elf, who was apparently forced into undeath by Sylvanas, worries about her cat Jenafur.

Players then pondered for months about what to do, but without really making progress. Because after you have spoken to Amara, there are no further hints indicating what you should do.

WoW Amara Secret Elf
Amara is the starting point – But how does it continue? That was unclear for a long time.

In January 2020, Blizzard even gave tips about the riddle, which, however, did not really help. The hint at the time was that the cat had grown tentacles now. Only now has the riddle finally been solved.

Why did it take so long? Over time, Blizzard continued to give hints, which have likely led puzzle enthusiasts to finally come up with the solution after a year.

That it took so long is probably due to the fact that the exact order of the food items had to be figured out first – and that such an order even exists.

We have the complete guide to Jenafur here for you:

More on the topic
WoW Riddle Guide: How to get the secret cat Jenafur
von Cortyn

Such riddles have been around in WoW for some time and a small community has formed to solve exactly these riddles. However, this does not always take a year. The riddle about the mount Lucid Nightmare was solved after just three days.

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

Fan starts petition against FIFA 21 ratings: “As if EA hasn’t seen anything from the season”

Even Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang faces a downgrade despite a strong season – one of the major surprises from the ratings. The forward only had a few laughing emojis left on Twitter for that,

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How did you see the ratings? Should EA adjust the player values again in your opinion? You can find everything else about the upcoming game in our overview of the FIFA 21 release.

The FIFA 21 ratings have sparked many discussions. Now a fan demands: “EA: Redo the FIFA 21 Ratings”. What is behind this?

This is what the fan demands: On the platform “Change.org” user David Mariyasin started a petition against the new FIFA 21 ratings. Under the motto “EA: Redo the FIFA 21 Ratings” the player wants to achieve a revision of the existing player ratings.

He writes: “[…] so many of them are so inaccurate that it almost looks like everyone got a downgrade and as if EA saw nothing from the 2019-20 season.” Now he wishes in his petition towards EA that “they review these ratings again and make a new assessment before people might not buy this game in the end.”

An example: David Alaba received a surprising downgrade

At the time of this article, the petition had gathered 1,282 votes within 4 days and targeted an initial goal of 1,500 votes. So, that’s not too many votes yet. In comparison: In FIFA 20, there was a petition to raise the rating of the legend Johan Cruyff to 98, after he had a 94 in FIFA 19. A total of 41,443 fans signed – without success, by the way. The Prime card remained at 94, only the Moments card landed at 96 – and thus one point higher than the previous year.

However, looking at the reaction to the ratings, it is conceivable that this year’s petition might receive a few more votes.

FIFA 21 Ratings Create Controversy

Here are the reactions: David Mariyasin is not the only one with his petition who is not convinced by the new ratings. There is much discussion about the ratings on social media – for example, there were criticisms of the ratings of FC Bayern, which were rated too low in the eyes of many fans. Readers here on MeinMMO also expressed criticism of the ratings. Two examples:

  • Reader Alex wrote: “[…] The ratings for Bayern are really the biggest joke of the year. I only see FUT as a kind of fantasy league. The players and values have nothing to do with the real players. Then such illogical values are also bearable. […]”
  • Reader Psycheater says: “I’ve already written it under the last FIFA 21 ratings articles; the values simply feel completely arbitrary.”

Some of the rated stars also commented on the ratings. For example, forward Romelu Lukaku scored 23 goals in 36 league matches this season and provided 2 assists. In the Europa League, he scored 7 goals in 6 matches. However, there was no FIFA upgrade for the forward rated at 85:

https://twitter.com/RomeluLukaku9/status/1304327397752352768?s=20

“Let’s be honest, EA is just messing with the ratings so that we players complain and give the game more publicity. I’m not playing this sh*t anymore. I know what I’m doing.

Romelu Lukaku on Twitter

Even Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang faces a downgrade despite a strong season – one of the major surprises from the ratings. The forward only had a few laughing emojis left on Twitter for that,

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How did you see the ratings? Should EA adjust the player values again in your opinion? You can find everything else about the upcoming game in our overview of the FIFA 21 release.

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

New map for CoD Warzone found – apparently from the celebrated Blackout DLC

The Call of Duty: Warzone is set to continue evolving even after the release of Black Ops Cold War. How this will all unfold is still unclear. However, apparently there will be a new map – at least that’s what dataminers suggest.

What was found? After each new update, dataminers dive into the files of Call of Duty: Warzone and sift through the data chaos to uncover interesting hints about the future.

And now it has happened again. Dataminers discovered something new in the Warzone that might be directly related to the release of the next “Black Ops” title: data for the Blackout map “Alcatraz”. This “mini-royale” was released as a DLC for the spiritual predecessor of Warzone “Blackout” and was impressive from the start. It seems that this acclaimed content is also coming to the new Battle Royale.

Zombie Prison Alcatraz as a new Warzone map

What does the leak look like? First, rumors circulated on social media, and various dataminers and leakers highlighted the find. Twitter user @xXNanikosXx then shared the relevant files:

https://twitter.com/xXNanikosXx/status/1305092064430809090

What is particularly important here is the bottom image, as it shows locations of the Alcatraz map from Blackout.

  • Warden’s House
  • New Industries
  • Cell House
  • Docks
  • Power House

All locations from the Blackout DLC. While some places are also missing, like “Submarine” or “Shipwreck”, the overlaps are unmistakable.

How likely is an Alcatraz comeback in Warzone? That there are files from Blackout also in the Warzone files has been known for a long time. However, one of the most well-known Warzone leakers “TheGamingRevolution” (@TheGamingRevo3) confirms that the data has been newly added and are not leftover Blackout files:

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Since these are new files, the likelihood is high that the developers are planning something with them. Whether it will be a new Warzone map, a new part of the old map, a special mode, or something entirely different remains unclear for now. But with this leak, there are direct hints of a new map in the Warzone data for the first time.

Small map with big dangers

What is Alcatraz? The map on the world-famous prison island in San Francisco Bay is set on the rocky remnants of the former high-security prison. It is significantly smaller than the Blackout map and also Verdansk, the Warzone city.

Here, 40 soldiers fight in 10 teams in a mix of Battle Royale and Zombie mode against each other. There are respawns for a period of time, the circle shrinks over time, and PvE zombies make life difficult for the players. After a certain time, respawns are disabled and the team that remains at the end wins the mini-royale.

cod black ops cold war zombies leak longsensationyt titel
A zombie mode for Cold War is definitely coming. Undead in the Warzone are currently unconfirmed.

Zombies in Battle Royale? Undead were already a staple of gameplay in the Battle Royale Blackout from the start. This PvE component provided scary action and valuable loot.

There are also leaks for Warzone announcing zombie modes. The data points to a “Zombie Royale” where you mutate into an undead upon death and can only return to being human by consuming the hearts of fallen soldiers. Sounds brutal – and it likely will be.

Whether, how, or when zombies or the new Warzone map will come to Battle Royale is still not definitively clarified. So far, the rumors are purely based on the data found in the game, but not on official statements from the developers. However, the outlook for fresh locations and gameplay sounds good – just like the already confirmed fact that CoD MW, Warzone, and Cold War content will share.

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

Everyone is happy that EA is joining the Xbox Game Pass – I foresee trouble

The Xbox Game Pass is available for a moderate monthly fee and represents a kind of Netflix for games. Currently, Microsoft is being praised for bringing EA into the Game Pass – completely for free. What at first glance seems like a heavenly good offer could represent a turning point in the gaming industry, but not in favor of the players. MeinMMO author Robert explains why this is the case.

Admittedly, the Xbox Game Pass reads very deliciously on paper:

  • Access to over 100 games at the same time
  • Another 100 games that rotate in and out, with the fee for online gaming included
  • And now an additional 60 titles from EA are joining the lineup.
  • The price is extremely moderate at €12.99 for the Ultimate variant (and can be lowered further with a clever trick).

In contrast, Sony’s offering seems dusty and outdated: While Sony has some cool exclusive titles on offer and also has its own game subscription with PS Now, the fees for online play are high and the monthly free games rarely offer true blockbusters.

Gamepass Xbox
The Xbox Game Pass wants to impress with a ton of games

In fact, Microsoft has pulled off a true marketing coup with this action. The offer attracts new players to the Xbox platform, who will presumably also opt for the Game Pass. This opens up entirely new control and, more importantly, monetization opportunities for Microsoft and developers. However, this could push the entire console industry in a direction that the skeptic and cynic in me is not comfortable with.

Because by effectively abolishing acquisition costs for games, the threshold for pay-to-win mechanics will decrease further. The already absurd DLC madness will take on even more bizarre forms. Even worse, however: Resistance from players will decrease. The reason is the new pricing structure. But let’s take it step by step.

Pay to Win (P2W)

Pay to Win refers to a mechanic in often free mobile games that aims to allow players to progress faster by spending real money than players who do not invest money. These often grind-heavy games invite players at various points to spend small amounts (also called microtransactions). This type of monetization is highly controversial among gamers, as victory or defeat is determined not by skill but by the wallet.

Zombies_Survival_Mobile_P2W
Screenshot from the mobile game Puzzles & Survival – P2W in simple Match3 games

What does a game subscription mean financially for the developers?

It is no secret: The production of elaborate and high-quality games is becoming increasingly expensive. With the new console generation, game prices could rise even further. A cheap game subscription like Microsoft’s Game Pass seems like an anachronism. Let’s take Netflix as a comparison: Netflix started cheaply but has carried out several price increases in recent years. Reasons for this are the increased licensing costs for outside content as well as the improved quality of their original productions.

Witcher Netflix Series
The Witcher is a popular series and game adaptation on Netflix

EA has also likely demanded a hefty price for participating in the Xbox Game Pass. But is that enough to cover the costs of future productions? Of course, the games can be sold at full price on other platforms. However, I doubt that this will offset the missing revenue on PC and Xbox. Nonetheless, game developers have a significant advantage over Netflix – paid content in otherwise “free” games.

A paid DLC in an otherwise free game would be comparable to a movie where deleted scenes are available for a small fee (which, of course, is unrealistic). The primary purpose of companies like Microsoft and EA is to make money. By presenting a lot of content without real acquisition costs, in-game monetization will inevitably take on a much higher importance. And this is just one of many new opportunities for developers.

Especially games like FIFA benefit significantly from the Xbox Game Pass

The new opportunities for developers with Microsoft’s Game Pass

Approximately 100 games are permanently available in the Game Pass. Additional games rotate in and out – just like in Netflix. With the elimination of acquisition costs, players will try games more often that they have avoided due to high costs. This opens up the following possibilities for developers:

  • Games that perform poorly can be removed from the Game Pass, revised, and reintegrated,
  • Basic versions of games will be included in the Game Pass (similar to the free basic version of Destiny 2), but special editions and premium content like costumes, etc. will still require payment,
  • Additional story content like chapters can continue to be offered for a fee and
  • Different pay-to-win mechanics can be tested in varying forms.
  • The Game Pass could potentially become more expensive considering new titles or more elaborate productions.
destiny-cayde-titel
Games like Destiny 2 are free in the basic version – but offer very little content

What could this look like in practice? The popular football simulation FIFA presents a new edition each year that is graphically improved and contains the latest team data. However, this looks very different on mobile devices. There is no longer a FIFA 20, but simply FIFA. A core element of the mobile game are sophisticated mechanics designed to encourage players to purchase player packs. This model is also conceivable for the Xbox Game Pass. A streamlined FIFA experience that offers graphical updates and the latest team data but revolves mainly around the cash cow FUT (FIFA Ultimate Team).

FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT)

FUT (FIFA Ultimate Team) is a game mode within FIFA where players can build individual teams and compete against each other. New players are drawn through corresponding packs that can be purchased with in-game currency or real money. According to EA, FUT is the most popular game mode in FIFA and has been continuously expanded in recent iterations.

xbox game pass titel
100 games will be permanently part of the Game Pass

The main source of income for companies like EA is in-game sales, meaning sales generated when the player already owns the game. These revenues will increase when more players own the game – for example, as part of a subscription.

The possibilities for experimentation are limitless here. It will be interesting to see if there will be resistance from players against such practices. After all, the games are included for free in the Game Pass. Anyone who wants more than the standard has to pay extra. The possibilities in a game like FIFA seem seemingly boundless:

  • Legendary teams from yesteryear are only available for an additional fee
  • Scenarios to replay past matches are available for a small fee
  • Larger tournaments can be offered as DLCs
  • New or old jerseys, socks, or balls can be offered for real money
fifa17-legends
Legendary former players as paid DLC?

The list can be continued indefinitely. Whether it will come to this extent is, of course, uncertain. Depending on resistance from the gaming community, developers may adjust their approaches and gain new insights and results. The aspects of psychology, reward systems, incentives, and interaction opportunities are becoming increasingly important in the gaming industry. Since players have access to significantly more games with the Game Pass than before, the field for experimentation on the part of developers is immensely enlarged.

Why Sony has a significantly better approach in my opinion

Sony’s flagship on the Playstation 4 has been elaborate exclusive titles like God of War or The Last of Us, and they will likely be so on the Playstation 5 as well. God of War was an absolute highlight of this console generation for me, not only because of the fantastic gameplay and graphics but also because it was simply a single-player experience. Without annoying microtransactions. The focus was on the game, not on additional monetization opportunities.

god of war 4 wallpaper2
One of the console highlights of this generation – God of War

I wish for such a puristic gaming experience for the future as well, even if it is considered less “innovative”. Innovation should not lead to psychological studies about the buying behavior of players becoming more important than the content itself. I sincerely hope that Sony resists the impulse to imitate and stays true to its line. Conservatism could well be the successful model here. Nevertheless, valuable insights can still be gained from afar about this unprecedented experiment.

Conclusion: Quo vadis, gaming industry?

Because that is what it is: a gigantic experiment – and we are the guinea pigs. The resistance of players from this field study will significantly influence the direction the gaming industry takes. Will we be overwhelmed by low-budget base versions of games that shine mainly through paid content? Or will we continue to enjoy high-quality (and thus high-priced) blockbusters? Sony’s and Microsoft’s philosophies appear to be diametrically different drafts. Which one prevails will be decided by consumers and players – with their wallets.

What is your opinion on this controversial topic? For colleague Leya, the Game Pass is even a good reason to switch to Xbox:

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

Twitch streamer gets killed by CoD pro at event, until he screams and whines

The Twitch streamer Tim “TimTheTatman” Betar was desperate in an event for the new Call of Duty: Cold War. Because a pro had it out for him. Against the CoD crack Scump, TimTheTatman saw no way to win. He pleaded for Scump to slow down, after all, he was already 30, a dad, and losing his hair.

This was the event: Activision Blizzard unveiled the 2020 Call of Duty: Cold War in a gameplay reveal last week. They had invited several streamers and pros to take a look and play it.

One could see a stark difference between streamers and pros at the event. Especially the popular Twitch streamer TimTheTatman felt the skill gap:

  • TimTheTatman is a rather casual player. He is 30 years old. Fans enjoy watching him because he creates a relaxed atmosphere. He has 5.5 million followers, making him channel number 6 on Twitch. He maintains the image of the buddy next door, with whom you like to hang out and chill in the evenings.
  • Seth “Scump” Abner is 25 years old but has been a pro in Call of Duty for 9 years. He has earned over $840,000 in e-sports prize money. The American is considered one of the best Call of Duty players in the world. Scump is also on Twitch, with 935,000 followers, which makes him much smaller than TimTheTatman. That puts him at place 144.

Here’s how it went for TimTheTatman: The streamer felt like Scump was hunting him. TimTheTatman couldn’t go around a corner without being shot by Scump from somewhere. The streamer initially reacted friendly. He pointed out his own strengths:

Scump, I am literally better than you, stronger than you, and look better than you. Never kill me again!

TimTheTatman sets the facts straight

“I’m 30 and losing my hair!”

But the tone changed quickly.

“Scump!!! We all know it: You are a professional Call of Duty player. I am a 30-year-old dad who is losing his hair.”

TimTheTatman experiences feelings

Ultimately, TimTheTatman pleaded for Scump to take it easy. Everyone wanted to have fun here. This wasn’t a league match.

Betar managed to sound both angry and slightly whiny as he exclaimed: Someone should please tell Scump that this isn’t about the championship. This is really enough now.

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The Sufferings of the Young Streamer

A redditor created a compilation from the plight of poor TimTheTatman. The compilation was very well received.

It was particularly impressive that Scump seemed completely relaxed in his stream: He chatted with the viewers while mowing down streamers one after another.

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This was the lesson: TimTheTatman was so outclassed by the pro player at the event that he ultimately realized why “skill-based matchmaking” in Call of Duty is actually a good thing:

  • With normal matchmaking, streamers as “frequent players” often play against casual players, kill them in masses, and look good doing it. They are celebrated by fans. Therefore, streamers are generally against “skill-based matchmaking”, as they would only play against equals, not weaker players.
  • Now TimTheTatman got to feel in the stream what it’s like to be the beginner getting farmed.
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This is what’s behind it: We clearly see the difference between streamer and pro.

A player like TimTheTatman is certainly a decent gamer who often appears competent and strong in his own streams, but pros play at a completely different level.

Fortnite Mech Tatman
He is one of the highest-paid players in the world.

TimTheTatman is especially loved by his fans for also being the “loser” sometimes, which apparently many can identify with.

Surely he is not a bad player, but when he is with strong players like Ninja, TimTheTatman appears confused and often takes a beating. Nevertheless, or precisely because of it, he made it onto the list of the highest-paid gamers:

The 10 highest-paid gamers in the world – They earn the most on Twitch, YouTube, and more

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Numbers show: Black Desert is one of the 5 major MMORPGs alongside WoW and ESO for us

Is the MMORPG Black Desert Online (PC, PS4, Xbox One) increasingly aimed at Korean players? Current figures show that it is extremely successful here.

What do the numbers for Black Desert Online look like? According to a press release from the developer studio Pearl Abyss regarding the company’s anniversary, 40 million players from over 150 countries have registered for the MMORPG BDO – and for all platforms, including mobile.

Since the release of the MMORPG in late 2014, nearly 2 billion dollars in revenue have been generated.

Black Desert PvP
The MMORPG Black Desert is very successful internationally.

Great success in the West

What is special about these numbers? Some may believe that BDO is particularly popular in Korea. However, as Pearl Abyss explains, 40% of the revenue comes from the USA and Europe.

The remaining 60% break down as follows:

  • 26% from Korea
  • 34% from other Asian countries like Japan and Taiwan

What does this mean? The numbers show that Black Desert Online is very successful internationally and is particularly well received in the West, namely in Europe and the USA, with many players willing to spend money in the in-game shop.

The largest MMORPGs in our region are:

  • World of Warcraft
  • The Elder Scrolls Online
  • Final Fantasy 14 and
  • Guild Wars 2

And now Black Desert Online apparently counts among the most popular and lucrative titles in the genre here. Therefore, it is also worth it for newcomers to take a look.

It even eclipses Star Wars: The Old Republic. At the end of October 2019, Electronic Arts announced in an Earnings Call, a conference call with investors, that SWTOR had generated almost one billion dollars in revenue since its release in late 2011.

https://youtu.be/_g6XCLNQl_w
According to analyst Daniel Ahmad, the graphics also contribute to the success of Black Desert Online.

This is what an analyst says about the situation: Daniel Ahmad, an analyst from the market research company Niko Partners, explains:

Pearl Abyss has built the Black Desert brand by offering an MMORPG with high-quality graphics, combat, and gameplay systems. The developer has been able to tailor the game to specific markets, with a free-to-play model in most Asian markets and a buy-to-play model in the West, which aligns with the preferences of each region.

Pearl Abyss has also expanded the game to additional platforms, including consoles for the West and mobile phones for Asia and other markets.

Daniel Ahmad, Niko Partners

Pearl Abyss seems to have succeeded in developing an MMORPG that is internationally very successful, as the developers cater to the preferences of the respective markets.

Can you understand why Black Desert Online is currently so successful in the West? Would you have expected this?

Do you want to know which MMORPGs are particularly popular in Germany? Then check out the MeinMMO list “These are the 15 most popular MMORPGs in Germany according to Google“.

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There are hidden bombs in CoD Warzone, but hardly anyone uses them

In Call of Duty: Warzone, gas canisters have appeared everywhere after a patch. However, they are not just decoration, but can be improvised into effective bombs. Clever players have figured this out.

What’s up with the canisters? On August 5, a major update for Warzone was released with Season 5. This changed large things, such as the stadium on the map. But there were also some small things, like adjustments to the gulag weapons, new rifles, or the buy stations.

Another change that few players have noticed so far are the gas canisters. They are scattered around the game world and actually look like decoration. However, you can pick them up, ignite them, and throw them like bombs!

Clever players find ways to throw gas canisters like bombs.

This is how the canister bombs work: The gas canisters look like regular gas bottles, which are used, among other things, for grilling, and stand out because of their bright red color.

If you find such a canister, you can either shoot it directly to make it explode. You can also pick it up. Then you have the option to turn on the gas and ignite it with a lighter.

https://youtu.be/TR1Upp99M6E
This is how to use gas canisters as weapons.

Then the canister will explode shortly after, and you should throw it away beforehand. Since your operator is likely a super soldier, they throw the canisters surprisingly far. Alternatively, you can throw it and then cause it to explode with targeted fire. The fireball is quite impressive and makes for an excellent improvised bomb.

These are the toxic gas canisters: In addition to the red explosive gas canisters, there are also yellow gas bottles. These release toxic gas that also reduces the zones during gameplay. The variant from the gas bottles releases a lot of lethal gas over a larger area that deals damage over time, but eventually dissipates.

The toxic gas bottles function just like the red bottles. So if you need a heavy bomb in the game and see such a bottle lying around, don’t hesitate to pick it up and use it as an improvised explosive device. However, you’ll find quite different bombs in Bunker 11. There you can admire a real atomic bomb and also grab a free blueprint.

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Source(s):
  1. Dexerto

The chef says about the long development time of Star Citizen: “It is not a figment of the imagination”

Chris Roberts, head of Cloud Imperium Games, has addressed the criticism regarding the long development time of the space online game Star Citizen. He explains that the game is truly meant to be released and represents his lifelong dream.

What is the situation surrounding Star Citizen? The space online game was successfully funded via a Kickstarter campaign in 2012. The game is intended to be a mix of the classic Wing Commander and a persistent online world where players can follow their own paths – similar to the space games Privateer or Freelancer – but interact with each other online.

This game concept was received so well that further crowdfunding – primarily through the sale of in-game spaceships – has generated over 313 million dollars in revenue.

However, the development of the game is dragging on. During the Kickstarter campaign, it was stated that Star Citizen would be released at the end of 2014. Now, it is fall 2020 and the title is still in the alpha phase. As a result, the game has already gained a reputation for possibly never being released.

Star Citizen Alpha 4
The development of the space online game Star Citizen is taking a long time, and there is a reason for that.

There Should Be No Compromises with Star Citizen

What does the head say about this? Chris Roberts, founder of the development studio Cloud Imperium Games, has now addressed this criticism about the long development time.

I understand that some are frustrated. However, you are looking at the project from the outside without fully understanding what it takes and the order we have chosen to create the gameplay that Star Citizen prioritizes above all else.

Chris Roberts, CEO Cloud Imperium Games

Roberts explains that this is his absolute dream project:

This is the game I have dreamed of my whole life. Now I am finally in a position to implement it. I am not willing to make compromises that would undermine its potential, just because it takes longer than originally thought.

Chris Roberts, CEO Cloud Imperium Games

When is the game coming out? Chris Roberts even talked about when we might expect the release. Although he once again makes a somewhat vague statement here.

I promise you, the gameplay is not a pipe dream and it will not take 10 or 20 years to implement. I cannot give you a specific quarter in which everything comes together, but with the new roadmap, you will see that the teams are making progress to reach the goal.

Chris Roberts, CEO Cloud Imperium Games

This is why it takes longer: Chris Roberts explains that he wants to give the teams as much time as needed to perfectly implement the individual parts of the game.

Management does not set deadlines. We only set priorities for the teams. There is always much more work to do than we have employees.

Chris Roberts, CEO Cloud Imperium Games
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The single-player offshoot Squadron 42 is also affected by the long development time.

What about Squadron 42? Chris Roberts also briefly commented on the single-player offshoot Squadron 42, which has also been in the works for a long time.

Squadron 42 will only be released when we have achieved our final and optimized creative vision.

Chris Roberts, CEO Cloud Imperium Games

This means that we simply have to be patient, as Chris Roberts wants to implement his vision for Star Citizen – and Squadron 42 – exactly as he envisions the game and will not make compromises, even if the development takes a long time.

Do you still have patience regarding Star Citizen? Can you understand Chris Roberts’ arguments?

Why do players patiently wait for Star Citizen even after all these years? We asked 8 fans for their reasons.

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Destiny 2 doubles the Dusk loot tomorrow – This time even legally

In Destiny 2, you can expect a week that brings a bonus that was previously celebrated as a glitch. You can prepare for Beyond Light in no time.

What’s the deal with the extra loot? In Destiny 2, the Season 11 lasts longer than planned. The next expansion, Beyond Light, has been delayed from September to November. To sweeten the waiting time and the gaps in the roadmap for players, bonus events are starting for a month until the Festival of the Lost 2020 in October.

The beginning of the small compensation is doubled loot in the Nightfall: Ordeal from the Strike playlist.

What bonuses will follow is not completely known yet. However, we do know that you can soon look forward to double XP in PvP and Gambit (via Bungie).

More on the topic
Destiny 2: How to Crack the Fire Trial on Platinum and Snag the Best Loot
von Sven Galitzki

Here’s what you need to know:

  • The doubled loot in the Nightfall: Ordeal is active from the Weekly Reset (7 PM) on September 15 until the reset on September 22
  • The strike “Shattered Lake” is active in the EDZ
  • The doubled loot is available on every difficulty
  • While the higher levels promise significantly more valuable drops – but you’ll have to forgo matchmaking

No matter which version you choose, anyone farming can quickly become “rich” and be all set for Beyond Light.

This kind of bonus has never existed in this form in the game, at least not intentionally. Some time ago, a glitch caused such a loot shower and prompted players to flock to Nightfall farming.

Strike Shattered Lake Boss Hunter Arc Title Destiny
In the strike “Shattered Lake”, you will face a Taken Phalanx as the boss

That’s why it’s worth the Nightfall: Ordeal for a week

Here’s how to quickly get rare loot: The strike “Shattered Lake” that is active throughout the week is the shortest strike in the game. Accordingly, the boss fight lasts only a few seconds. Even at maximum difficulty, the mission can be completed quite easily and is no comparison to (hated) strikes like “The Corrupted”.

How to make it through the strike and easily achieve your goal even at leaderboard difficulty, you can read here:

Preparation for Beyond Light: With the doubled loot and the recent changes to the leaderboard, you can secure 4 Ascendant Shards after just one run. This is the rarest material in the game.

  • You’ll also accumulate other Masterwork materials in record time
  • If you’re still looking for Exotics with strong random rolls, you should take advantage of this week.
Guardian Destiny 2 Beyond Light
The gear from the Beyond Light expansion needs to be upgraded

Especially in light of the new items from the upcoming expansion and the criticized weapon sunset, you can now build up a cushion and then upgrade your new gear on November 10.

What do you think about the bonus week? Are you planning a few runs or does the doubled loot not lure you into the Ordeal? What bonuses would entice you? Let us know in the comments.

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