In Pokémon GO you can expect Zurrokex in Research Breakthrough in August. Additionally, four Spotlight Hours are starting again. We show you the events in August.
What is new? Just in time for the end of July 2020, the developers of Pokémon GO reveal what to expect in August 2020. This includes a new Research Breakthrough and four new Spotlight Hours. A compensation event for GO Fest 2020 is also planned.
Research Breakthrough in August
Who will you meet? If you successfully complete a field research for seven days and earn stamps, you will unlock a Research Breakthrough. This will consist of items and an encounter with Zurrokex – the Skin Change Pokémon.
Zurrokex is a Pokémon from Generation 5 and belongs to the Dark and Fighting types. This Research Breakthrough in August could be particularly interesting for PvP players.
Its evolution is Irokex. Fitting with a Irokesen cut.
How long will it last? This Research Breakthrough is active from August 1, 2020 at 10:00 PM to September 1, 2020 at 10:00 PM.
What is it? Every Tuesday evening, there is a Spotlight Hour in Pokémon GO. During this time, a specific Pokémon is in focus and is accompanied by a bonus that makes the event interesting for trainers.
Niantic has now revealed the four Spotlight Hours that will take place every Tuesday in August.
Tuesday, August 4
What bonuses are there? On this day, everything revolves around the Pokémon Seeper. You will also receive double candy for catching Pokémon.
What bonuses are there? The focus of the Spotlight Hour is on the Pokémon Toxiped. If you evolve Pokémon during the event time, you will receive double experience points.
Toxiped is not yet available as a Shiny in Pokémon GO.
Tuesday, August 25
What bonuses are there? During the last Spotlight Hour in August 2020, you will encounter Kleinstein more often. Additionally, there is a stardust bonus. If you catch Pokémon during the event time, you will receive double stardust.
Electronic Arts launched the multiplayer shooter Rocket Arena (PC, PS4, Xbox One) just about two weeks ago. Now, as reflected in the Steam player numbers, the game is a flop. But what is the reason for this?
What is Rocket Arena? Rocket Arena is an action-packed 3-versus-3 shooter where rockets play a major role. You choose one of several heroes, each with interesting abilities, and team up in colorful visuals against an enemy team.
You fight not only on the ground but also in the air. You must master the rockets, aim well, set traps, and always proceed tactically to eliminate the enemies.
In Rocket Arena, flying and using rockets plays an important role.
The Success Is Not Coming
How did the launch of Rocket Arena go? The multiplayer shooter launched on July 14 on PC via Origin and Steam. However, the numbers on Steam were not particularly high even at launch. According to SteamDB, the peak of concurrent players was only 913.
What are the numbers like now? In the meantime, player numbers have even decreased further. The peak in the last 24 hours was only 760 players, at the time this news was written, 495 players were playing simultaneously.
What is EA doing about it? Publisher Electronic Arts has started a sale on Origin. You can currently purchase Rocket Arena for a 83% discount. Instead of 29.99 euros, you now only pay 4.99 euros for the standard version.
The Mythic edition with extra outfits and additional rocket fuel is currently available for 9.99 euros instead of 39.99 euros.
Through Steam, you can try Rocket Arena for free over the weekend.
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Rocket Arena looks interesting, but players find the price too high.
The Price Is a Problem
Why is the game flopping? It is clearly visible from the ratings and opinions of players that the price is the main issue. 30 euros are too much for some – especially because there is also a Battle Pass and microtransactions. Similar online shooters are available as free-to-play games.
This criticism was already noted by MeinMMO author Patrick Freese in his Find-Your-Next-Game article about Rocket Arena:
Furthermore, there are some complaints that the developers changed the view from first-person to third-person perspective at release.
SuperBigCat writes on Steam: “The game is fun, but 30 euros are too high for what is being offered. Additionally, there are microtransactions like in a mobile game and a Battle Pass on top. I like the gameplay idea but I cannot support that. I returned it.”
Digiano says: “I paid 40 euros and now they want me to pay extra for the Battle Pass? Apart from that, it is a fantastic game, but I wish they were not so greedy. Because that could cost them players.”
StormtrooperAim explains: “You are matched with players who are significantly above your level through matchmaking. The games are always over 100 ms, which makes it almost impossible to hit the opponents. There is no balancing and almost no content. And a Battle Pass in a game that costs 30 euros is just greedy.”
Wasabi Ice Cream does not find the game that bad: “The game is really fun. There are skill-based 3v3 battles with unique mechanics reminiscent of Super Smash Bros. But I cannot blame anyone for not wanting to pay 30 euros for it, given the additional microtransactions and a Battle Pass.”
Have you also had a chance to try Rocket Arena? What is your opinion about the game?
In the MMORPG Tibia (PC), a player was the first to reach level 1,600. However, the joy was short-lived, as he soon died in battle against a monster and lost the record again: Because in Tibia, you lose levels when you die.
This is the highest player in Tibia: The Polish Tibia player Bobeek became the first player of the MMORPG to reach level 1,600. No one else had managed this before him.
However, the joy was short-lived, as just two hours later he fell in battle against a Turbulent Elemental, a regular NPC opponent. This cost him three levels, and he dropped back to level 1,597.
Especially the big summer update brought some challenges to the MMORPG Tibia (1997) that even high-level players find challenging. Therefore, it can happen that heroes with level 1,600 fall in battle against a monster and then have to face the consequences.
This is what the current high score list in Tibia looks like.
A Race in the Family
Why is it so hard for him? In Tibia, it takes a long time to level up at high levels. From level 1,594 to 1,600, Bobeek needed about two weeks.
Although he only has to rise three levels, it can take several days before he reaches level 1,600 again, and a very special opponent is hot on his heels.
This is how the race for rank 1 in the MMORPG works: His fiancé, known in Tibia as Goraca, has level 1,589. Both want to claim the record, which should be a very exciting race. And both also have to watch out for the Brazilian player Kommander, who currently stands at level 1,564 and also has the record in sight.
Here in the Twitch clip, you can see how Tibia is played:
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What is the highest level in Tibia? In the MMORPG Tibia, there is no level cap. Players simply keep leveling up and essentially set themselves new goals, such as currently 1,600.
The next big goal will be level 2,000. Considering that player Bobeek needed about 4 months to level up 100 levels, it might be possible for hardcore Tibia players to reach level 2,000 in 2021.
Tibia is one of the oldest MMORPGs still running. Do you want to know what the first MMORPG was? We clarify this in an article.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The action-adventure Marvel’s Avengers starts in August with the beta. In the latest War Table, the developers’ livestream, details about the beta content were discussed. There was also information about the AI team members that can be used in missions.
How does the game work? In Marvel’s Avengers, it revolves around you controlling a well-known Marvel hero and progressively equipping them better and unlocking new talents.
This requires you to dive into various missions, which can be completed in multiplayer with a total of 4 players. There are 4 different types of missions where you experience the story or fight bosses.
You can already watch gameplay of Marvel’s Avengers in this video.
What about the team members? Since the missions are designed for 4 participants, it is difficult to complete them entirely alone. However, if you want to go in without other players, you can do so in Marvel’s Avengers.
For this, various AI team members are available to you. But they don’t just follow you mindlessly. Instead, the system is reminiscent of the heroes from Guild Wars 1 because you can influence the AI yourself.
You can assemble your team according to your preferences
How does the AI work? The team members that you can recruit for coop missions are not just predefined NPCs. Instead, you can equip your team with Marvel heroes that suit your play style.
Additionally, you can customize the characters by giving them suitable gear, skill builds, and abilities.
This system is also helpful if your friends are playing the same character as you. Because per mission, there can only be one Hulk, which applies to both multiple players and the AI team members.
You can take on the role of well-known heroes from the Marvel universe.
Why is this AI so cool? The system strongly reminds me, Alexander Leitsch, of Guild Wars 1, a game I have played for thousands of hours. Many of those hours were spent alone with heroes that I could level and customize according to my wishes.
The system ensured that you were not constantly dependent on players and could venture out alone or with a smaller group of friends. Additionally, I could perfectly adapt the playstyle of the heroes to my needs and the respective mission.
Guild Wars 1 has a large repertoire of different heroes.
Are there AI already in the beta? Yes, at the launch of the beta, there will be AI team members for the coop missions. The beta test, which starts on August 7 on PS4, will show how well the AI really performs in the missions and whether it can be an acceptable substitute for other players.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In a trailer, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and CoD: Warzone introduced a brand new faction including new operators. The official start date for Season 5 was also revealed.
When does Season 5 start? The most important thing first – the release date for the start of Season 5 for CoD: MW and Warzone is finally set. As a new trailer revealed, it kicks off on August 5th. Although there were already some hints pointing to this date, it is now official.
However, keep in mind that this is a US time reference. It can also start for us in the new season on Wednesday morning, August 5th. However, it may very well be that due to the time difference, it actually starts in the evening hours on Tuesday, August 4th here in Germany. We will keep you updated and provide more precise timing details.
New trailer sets the stage for Season 5
After numerous teasers for Season 5, the first real trailer has now been released. This reveals a little about the further story development, shows a new faction including operators, and provides a brief look at the new weapons of the next season.
What will happen in Warzone? Apparently, the temporary and fragile Armistice alliance of the Coalition and Allegiance factions has failed in Season 4, and chaos reigns in Warzone. Now, a new grouping is supposed to restore order where the military has failed, and take out the mysterious main antagonist Mr. Z and his Al-Qatala minions – the Shadow Company.
An exciting detail: Currently, some fans are discussing who the trailer is actually about. Some are sure that it is about the infamous General Shepherd from Modern Warfare 2, who once led the Shadow Company. Although he dies in the original Modern Warfare series, since MW 2019 represents a reboot and is detached from the earlier storyline, there could perhaps be a reunion with another well-known character.
What is the Shadow Company? The Shadow Company has its roots in Modern Warfare 2 and is essentially a private military security service with enormous resources, capabilities, and skills. It will be a new sub-faction of the Allegiance with its own operators.
Watch the trailer here:
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These are the new operators: Initially, there will be 3 operators in the Shadow Company:
Roze, who is already known from Season 4 and is moving from the Jackals (Allegiance) there
as well as the brand new
Lerch, a burly former US Marine who struggled to adapt to civilian life after his active military time and is now working in the private security sector
Velikan, about whom little is known. He is referred to as the shadow of a shadow. His trademarks are the heavy full-body armor and his distinctive mask
Roze, Lerch, and Velikan
New weapons of Season 5 for CoD: MW and Warzone
For the first trailer for Season 5, there was also a dedicated blog article where the new faction and its operators were introduced in more detail. And there, keen-eyed fans immediately discovered 2 new weapons that will apparently expand your arsenal in the new season:
In Pokémon GO there is a compensation event for the GO Fest 2020 in August for 3 hours. However, only those who purchased a ticket for the GO Fest can participate. What bonuses are available during the event?
When does the event take place? On Sunday, August 16, 2020, the compensation event in Pokémon GO will take place. It starts at 11:00 AM local time. From then on, the event lasts for three hours and ends at 2:00 PM local time.
Who can participate? The event is not planned for all players. Only players who purchased a ticket for the Pokémon GO Fest 2020 can participate in the compensation event. Players who participated for free cannot join the compensation event.
Compensation Event – What Bonuses?
This is what happens: The three event hours will be divided into habitat hours, just like you know from the GO Fest. The themes of fire, water, and friendship will be the focus. On August 16, starting at 11:00 AM, the habitat hours will look like this for you:
From 11:00 AM: Fire
From 12:00 PM: Water
From 1:00 PM: Friendship
Additionally, incense will attract Pokémon in the spotlight and lasts for one hour per use. Some Pokémon can only be found by using incense.
In the shop, a free box with 2x incense and 2x Friend Raid Pass is waiting for you.
If you open gifts from friends during the event, they may contain special candies.
Why is there the event? During the GO Fest 2020, there were technical issues. Trainers reported lags and disconnections. As compensation, Niantic is bringing this three-hour event in August.
But even if you cannot participate in this special event because you didn’t have a ticket, you can still be excited. Now a three-week event marathon in Pokémon GO is starting, which everyone can participate in. Special Pokémon will come to the wild and also into raids.
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Demonslayers in WoW are simply unstoppable. Now, one has even mastered the Mythic +20 threshold – and took over 10 hours to do so.
Just a few days ago, we reported on a demon hunter who completed the Freeport at the difficulty of Mythic +17. But this wasn’t the end of the line, apparently. Because another demon hunter has now raised the bar even higher. Instead of just completing a +18 or +19 key, he went for the full 20.
What happened? The YouTube channel of the user Enigma has uploaded a video. There, you can see his demon hunter Esanara tackling a mythic dungeon – completely alone. The difficulty is set to level 20 – a level at which even well-coordinated groups struggle significantly.
The video mainly showcases the boss fights. The various battles against most trash mobs are not shown, but they likely wouldn’t be that interesting as they all play out rather similarly.
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The whole run took 11 hours and 22 minutes – almost half a day. However, Esanara also took several breaks, for example against the boss Rezan. After multiple wipes in fights lasting over 20 minutes, a little distraction was in order. Overall, Esanara died between 30 and 45 times to Rezan – clearly the most difficult boss. The final boss Yazma, however, was defeated by the demon hunter immediately on the first attempt.
How did Esanara do it? On one hand, Esanara has a fairly solid gear with item level 474, on the other hand, a variety of Corruption effects. These must be used before they disappear soon. Most of them provide a bonus to versatility, which currently makes tanks – and demon hunters in particular – especially strong. This value not only increases the damage dealt but also the damage taken by set percentages.
Demon hunters are happy about Corruption effects
Occasionally, Esanara swaps out pieces of gear for other effects, such as Shadow Ravage. This can often reduce the fight duration, as the “Shadow Laser” deals a lot of damage.
Additionally, demon hunters already have massive self-healing and can stay alive for a long time – even without a healer on their back.
What do you think of this achievement? Impressive and cool? Or a waste of time?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Next week in Destiny 2, the Iron Banner event kicks off along with an update that Bungie has already previewed.
Here’s what’s coming in Destiny 2: With the weekly reset on August 4th, Lord Saladin returns to the Tower and hosts the second Iron Banner of Season 11. You will have one week to participate in the PvP event.
This is a great opportunity to quickly earn some extra power levels and snag top gear. Here, you can not only show off your high level but also quickly obtain strong mods.
We have summed up which new weapons and perks you should hunt in the Iron Banner of Season 11:
However, before you can welcome the Iron Lord, an update is due: Hotfix 2.9.1.2. This is scheduled to roll out on time for the reset on August 4th at 7 PM. MeinMMO will again provide you with a dedicated article with the most important information about maintenance and times.
For the Leviathan raid and its two sections World Eater and Star Gate, Bungie is now rolling this back a bit. In the TWaB it says: “The Leviathan rewards such as EP, Glimmer, and chances for exotic engrams or shining engrams now have a weekly limit again.”
Note: Weapons and armor are not affected by this and can still be farmed to your heart’s content.
Some players cannot receive the quest “Means to an End” from the Prisma Transformer. This will now be fixed
A problem is being fixed where Fallen Portrait could trigger the healing of the Exo Armor Firmament for Titans
Armors that you focus through Umbral Engrams on specific status values should now always provide more than 10 for the selected value
Bungie also announced that the update next week has even more in store and we are just getting a taste here.
What do you think about the announced changes? What do you think should be at the top of the “must be fixed soon” list?
Soon, the Solstice of Heroes summer event will also kick off in Destiny 2. Bungie announced that in the next blog post on the night of August 7th, they will talk in detail about the celebrations.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In new promotional material for the upcoming Season 5 of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and CoD: Warzone, two new weapons have been spotted, which are apparently supposed to complement your arsenal in the new season. Additionally, there were leaks about 2 more firearms.
Where does the information come from? This time, it was not leaks or datamining finds, but official sources. In a new blog about Season 5 of CoD: MW and Warzone, Activision introduced a new faction along with operators – The Shadow Company, a mysterious private security company.
In an accompanying trailer and official footage, two new weapons were prominently featured, which we can apparently look forward to in Season 5.
Traditionally, in CoD: Modern Warfare and Warzone, 2 new weapons are made available at the beginning of a new season through the Battle Pass. It is likely that these two guns will be available in this manner soon.
APC9: Already visible in the foreground of the title image of our article is a submachine gun that strongly resembles the B&T APC9 from Brügger & Thomet.
The interesting thing is: This weapon has already been spotted in-game several times and has also regularly appeared in leaks – and that shortly after the release of CoD: MW. Initially, it was mistaken for the Vector. Only later did it become clear that it was the APC9, when a player was able to briefly test the weapon in-game due to a bug.
The APC9 in action
Many had hoped that the compact SMG would still find its way into the game. Others, however, firmly believed that it was just a leftover from early development and would be discarded – especially due to its strong resemblance to the Striker 45.
AN-94: The second weapon is the assault rifle AN-94. Already visible in the title image and in the trailer, the Russian weapon can be roughly seen, but it is clearer in the images of the new operators. There, the gun can almost be admired in all its glory:
This is an iconic CoD weapon that has been used in several Black Ops titles and has enjoyed great popularity among many players.
AN-94 in Black Ops
By the way, hints about the AN-94 were already found in the game data before Season 4. So it seems likely that it is now making its way into the game.
These 2 new weapons could also come in Season 5
In addition to the 2 weapons from the Battle Pass, it is customary to introduce 1-2 more firearms per season. Sometimes they are secret, sometimes they are communicated in advance, but they are always introduced during the course of the respective season.
There is currently no official information about the additional weapons of Season 5. However, leaks and datamining results have already discovered 2 additional candidates that could be introduced during the next season:
Whether these two weapons come into the game with Season 5 remains to be seen. However, if it does happen, the arsenal of Modern Warfare and Warzone would be expanded by 2 more fan favorites.
What do you think of the 2 new weapons for Season 5? A cool addition to your virtual armory? Or would you have preferred different guns? By the way, if you want to level up your current weapons before Season 5, now is a good time: CoD MW & Warzone: Now it’s worth playing before Season 5 for you
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The operators of League of Legends, Riot Games, maintain a luxurious partner program for LoL. But they are now cleaning house. They are removing Ashkan “TF Blade” Homayouni from the program, who was the No. 2 on Twitch for LoL last year. But he has a problem with his temper. The biggest LoL streamer, Tyler1, had already lost his partner status back in June.
This is TF Blade: Although TF Blade only has “only” one million followers on Twitch, he is one of the most diligent streamers ever with 2218 hours in LoL. He streams an average of 6 hours a day.
Last year, 21,728,579 hours of League of Legends were watched on his channel – only the top LoL bully Tyler1 has had more (via sullygnome).
TF Blade is known for pursuing a crazy world record: He regularly moves to another country, settles there for a while, and wants to be number one in the local solo queue of LoL. Since TF Blade is an outstanding player in the top lane, he has succeeded in this several times.
This is the luxury program: Riot Games has the “League Partner Program” (LPP) for content creators. Those in it enjoy some privileges:
“League Unlocked” gives players all LoL champs, many skins, and bonuses on LP and XP
Access to the partner Discord provides a direct line to the developers
Additional support on all Riot Games accounts: If problems arise, a partner has better contact with customer service
The right to broadcast games from the US professional league LCS and the Academy Games
However, LoL wants content creators in the program to also behave reasonably and civilly. This seems to be impossible for some Twitch streamers.
Twitch streamer was on probation and not behaving well enough
In response to an inquiry, Riot explained that there is not one specific moment for which he is being removed from the program, but they evaluate TF Blade’s overall behavior over several months.
This is ironic: TF Blade visibly wants to express his anger about the removal in the Twitch clip. He seems to be on the verge of exploding.
But he can’t: Because if he gets upset about being removed, he would surely become toxic again and thus justify the removal indefinitely.
Therefore, we see a Twitch streamer who is boiling inside but is trying to remain painfully calm. An interesting spectacle.
Tyler1 is the biggest LoL streamer. He was removed from the program back in June
TF Blade is in good bad company – LoL is cleaning up
This is what it’s about: Riot Games is currently cleaning up its partner program. It has not only affected TF Blade, but also the similarly toxic Twitch streamer IWillDominate. This was a particularly hard blow for him: He had tailored his channel to broadcast professional games. He is no longer allowed to do that.
Even the far biggest and most successful LoL streamer, Tyler1, lost his access to the partner program in June 2020. However, he didn’t take it too hard. He knows, how successful he is and that LoL needs him.
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Apparently, League of Legends is conducting a cleanup operation to improve its image and at least not to have the known toxic streamers standing in front of it as figureheads while also supporting them with privileges.
However, whether this will change the culture of LoL and the image of the game in the long term remains doubtful. League of Legends is generally regarded as a toxic game, is aware of it itself, and addresses it repeatedly.
Why do so many people watch TF Blade on Twitch, even though he sometimes can’t control his nerves? He is a really strong toplaner, and LoL players learn something from him. We reported on a special play by TF Blade:
The cover image comes from TF Blade’s Instagram account.
This is why TF Blade is getting removed: As indicated in a Twitch clip, TF Blade was already on thin ice and on probation. Riot Games found his behavior generally unworthy of a partner and had given him until the end of July to improve.
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Although Riot told him a month ago that TF Blade needed to approach the standards, they are not seeing any progress and hence are removing him from the partner program, according to an email TF Blade shows. He can reapply in June 2021.
In response to an inquiry, Riot explained that there is not one specific moment for which he is being removed from the program, but they evaluate TF Blade’s overall behavior over several months.
This is ironic: TF Blade visibly wants to express his anger about the removal in the Twitch clip. He seems to be on the verge of exploding.
But he can’t: Because if he gets upset about being removed, he would surely become toxic again and thus justify the removal indefinitely.
Therefore, we see a Twitch streamer who is boiling inside but is trying to remain painfully calm. An interesting spectacle.
Tyler1 is the biggest LoL streamer. He was removed from the program back in June
TF Blade is in good bad company – LoL is cleaning up
This is what it’s about: Riot Games is currently cleaning up its partner program. It has not only affected TF Blade, but also the similarly toxic Twitch streamer IWillDominate. This was a particularly hard blow for him: He had tailored his channel to broadcast professional games. He is no longer allowed to do that.
Even the far biggest and most successful LoL streamer, Tyler1, lost his access to the partner program in June 2020. However, he didn’t take it too hard. He knows, how successful he is and that LoL needs him.
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Apparently, League of Legends is conducting a cleanup operation to improve its image and at least not to have the known toxic streamers standing in front of it as figureheads while also supporting them with privileges.
However, whether this will change the culture of LoL and the image of the game in the long term remains doubtful. League of Legends is generally regarded as a toxic game, is aware of it itself, and addresses it repeatedly.
Why do so many people watch TF Blade on Twitch, even though he sometimes can’t control his nerves? He is a really strong toplaner, and LoL players learn something from him. We reported on a special play by TF Blade:
In Borderlands 3 a new hotfix is released today, on July 30th. Along with small changes, the update launches the anniversary celebration, which will take place until September 10th and whose first event starts today.
What kind of event is this? From July 30th to August 6th, the ECHOcast Overload is taking place. It is a special event associated with the streaming platform Twitch.
You will need the namesake ECHOcast extension for this. It allows you to closely watch Twitch streamers who also use the tool and see what weapons and skills they are using.
At the same time, you also have the chance to get the loot that the streamer earns in-game, as long as you connect the tool with your Borderlands account. Here’s how it works:
Whenever the streamer opens a rare loot chest, you have 30 seconds to respond.
You then enter a draw, and a few winners will be chosen at random.
The winners get to pick an item from the chest, which will then appear in-game in the mailbox.
The current bonus event ensures that you have a higher chance of getting an item from the rare chests. With the ECHOcast, you can earn loot without having to play yourself, or just by watching while you’re on the go.
Additionally, rare chests from the DLC Blood Money have been added to the ECHOcast events.
Blood Money is the latest DLC for Borderlands 3 and the rare chests are now part of the ECHOcast.
Patch Notes for the Update on July 30th
Along with the new event, there were also some adjustments made to the game in general:
The amount of loot that raid bosses drop in Chaos mode has been increased
The rate at which legendary items appeared in vending machines has been increased
The Beastmaster skill Galactic Shadow has been adjusted so that enemies are less likely to attack the player as their pets
The telezapper at the end of the level in the “Where it all began” mission in the campaign add-on Blood Money has received textures
In CoD: Warzone and Modern Warfare you are currently earning double XP. Before the start of Season 5, this is especially interesting and worthwhile for you. We show you how long the bonus is active and where to get the XP.
Why is playing worth it? Tonight, on July 30, 2020, the double XP event started around 7:00 PM. For some players, this might come in handy, as it makes leveling the Battle Pass much easier.
Double XP and perfect playlists for Call of Duty MW
How long does the event last? On Thursday evening, the phase with double experience points started for us. At the usual time, around 7:00 PM, the bonuses began and will last until Wednesday morning, the possible start time of Season 5.
On Wednesday at 8:00 AM, the multiple experience points will then come to an end.
The boost applies to all three progress pillars. You will level up in the following areas:
Your account level
The weapon levels
and also the Battle Pass
To make leveling up even easier for you and to take full advantage of this bonus, the developers have come up with something special. The right playlists are currently available in CoD MW, as the popular mini-maps are running in 24/7 modes.
Which playlists are active? You can find variety in the following playlists that have just been activated in the game:
Gunfight (no blueprints)
Gunfight 3v3 – Knives Only
Shipment 24/7
Shoot House 24/7
Deathmatch Domination
Drop Zone
The playlist has been active since the update on July 28. This is the update that aims to make everyone happy. For Warzone soldiers there is the Juggernaut mode.
This is important: The Battle Pass for the current Season 4 is about to expire. You have only a few days left to level it up. With the event, everything becomes easier and you get the chance to finish this in time.
Everyone is eagerly waiting for Season 5. What will happen there, what new features will be added to the game, and what impact will this have on the Warzone map or the gameplay in Modern Warfare? Official hints have already been given for a possible map change in Warzone.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The action MMO Dauntless is being restructured. After having recently received its biggest update, the developers are now changing even more in the game world – and abruptly destroying the city of Ramsgate. However, this opens up the possibility for great changes.
What happens to the city? Ramsgate, which actually serves as a hub for new and experienced Slayers in Dauntless, is being destroyed. This is shown in the new trailer for the recently released update “Clear Skies”.
After the Slayers found an artifact in an in-game event, a catastrophe strikes the city of Ramsgate. It is destroyed and threatens to take all its inhabitants with it.
However, the people are not lost, but are saved by the scientist Arkan Drew. He ensures that all residents of the city and the goats are safely moved to a new, secure area – the “new Ramsgate”.
This offers a completely revised structure, better accessibility to vendors, and lore that you can collect in the form of hidden items. The entire city will be larger but also more accessible with numerous fast travel options.
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This is the second major change: Along with “Clear Skies”, one of the first weapons in Dauntless is getting an overhaul: the sword. Swords are moderately fast weapons that miss some gameplay depth compared to newer weapons.
We have already played the new swords in advance and find that they are now significantly more enjoyable to play. They are no longer sluggish and feel a bit smoother.
Swords receive a new mechanic called Courage. You can charge it through new combos and then use it to unleash new special abilities, such as an area on the ground that deals damage to enemies.
The old combos of the swords (left) and the new ones (right).
With the new attacks, you are more mobile than ever before and can still attack from greater distances or approach the enemy. Anyone who has just started with Dauntless and has not tried the sword should definitely check out the new playstyle.
These are the new features: Along with the major changes, additional features come. For example, you can now hold a race in the new Ramsgate with a mini-game, where you have to run through the city and collect Aether. You compete against other players, and the fastest time wins.
Additionally, there are numerous improvements in game quality and in the shadow escalation introduced with the last update. It is receiving some new modifications, making it more versatile.
Furthermore, “Clear Skies” delivers another Hunt Pass, with over 50 rewards, including cosmetics, consumables, and more. For the first time, you can even earn an exotic weapon with the pass, the Hunger Sword.
The Hunger Sword is available as a blueprint in the Hunt Pass.
What’s next? Recently, Dauntless released a roadmap outlining numerous changes planned for the future. One of them is the open zones that will make Dauntless more like an MMO. This was supposed to be implemented with a new type of hunt. However, it has not made it into this update yet.
Another side activity was also planned, sky fishing. In this, you were supposed to fish in the strange mists and catch rare fish. However, this feature had to be postponed again.
On reddit, a user came up with something special: He wants to gift two friends a PS5 each with his hard-earned money. But the internet warns him against it. They provide several reasons why it’s not a good idea.
What’s it about? On reddit, the user imme2007 explained that he has saved up almost 1700 dollars. He has something special planned with it. Assuming that the PS5 will cost around 500 dollars, he wants to use the money to buy 3 PS5 consoles:
One for himself and one additional console for each of his two friends.
That’s why he wants to gift his friends: Initially, he intended to buy only one console, but now he has saved enough money that it could also cover additional consoles.
He explains in his reddit post:
Since the budget was only meant for purchasing one next-gen console, I’ll have a bunch left over. So I decided to use it to buy PS5s for my two friends with the rest. They have both gone through a lot and have never been able to get a new console on launch day, so I thought I’d surprise them with one.
It may seem over the top, but I have the money for it, and it will count as a gift to them, for whatever reason I want to give them a present for a few years.
How other users are reacting: However, he receives surprisingly a lot of backlash for his well-intentioned gesture. Some consider his way of thinking to be somewhat naive.
And there are more voices that are critical of his friendly gesture:
One user named ChrisRR writes: “Do you have any emergency funds aside from your savings? I know that buying consoles for your friends seems like a nice gesture, but if you actually don’t have any savings, I would keep that 1000 dollars just in case you lose your job or there is an emergency or you need to replace something that breaks, like a car, computer, or phone.”
Whyisthereasnake believes that he won’t get by with 1700 dollars: “That’s very nice of you, but I would suggest spending even more. I estimate that’s the bare minimum of 500 dollars plus tax for a disc version without games. Make sure they or you have money for PSN subscriptions and shared games since you can’t play together without them.”
A further user named TheRealRaiden warns him that his expensive gift might not even be used by his friends. He once gifted a PS4 to a friend who desperately wanted to play Bloodborne, but the friend never used the PS4. So he writes to him as a conclusion: “So avoid my mistake and make sure that the PS5 you buy will actually be used.”
How the player responds: The player has already responded to several comments. He explains that he is firmly grounded in life and that the 1700 dollars is not his only savings: “I have other savings, and I live comfortably.”
Moreover, he emphasizes once more how important his friends are to him. They are not just people he met on the street a week ago but are individuals he can rely on: “I have great friends who have really supported me in the past and have always been there for me.”
What do you think? Is this a friendly gesture towards loyal friends, or do you think the player is naive for spending 1700 dollars on his friends and himself?
The newly announced battle royale shooter Hyper Scape by Ubisoft has initially launched on PC. But what about a release for PS4 or Xbox One? Ubisoft has now announced new information.
Update from July 30: We have updated this article for you. The latest information from Ubisoft confirms the console launch and the full release in nearly 2 weeks.
When does Hyper Scape come to PS4? On July 30, Ubisoft officially revealed more about the console launch of Hyper Scape.
The shooter Hyper Scape will go into its full release on August 11 – on PC, PS4, and also Xbox One. The game remains free to play on all platforms.
Even at the start of the beta, there were first concrete details about the console launch. At that time, Ubisoft was aiming for a launch on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in the summer of 2020. As it turns out, this has been successful.
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Additionally, you can transfer your rewards and achievements from the PC beta to the console version in the summer thanks to crossplay. The open beta on PC runs until August 2.
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Will there be crossplay in Hyper Scape? According to the PSU.com site, Hyper Scape is indeed expected to feature crossplay, allowing play between multiple platforms. Whether there will be full crossplay between PC, PS4, and Xbox One or only limited play – for example, only consoles with each other or only Xbox with PC – remains open.
However, considering that other popular battle royale games like Apex Legends or Fortnite offer comprehensive crossplay, Ubisoft would be wise to enable this for Hyper Scape as well. A large player pool is essential for the success of battle royale games.
Hyper Scape features various characters, but they do nothing special.
What is Hyper Scape and why should you play it?
Hyper Scape is a new battle royale game, developed by Ubisoft Montreal. They are also behind titles like Rainbow Six and various Assassin’s Creed games. In the game, 66 3-player teams compete for victory in a city that gradually falls apart.
To ensure Hyper Scape isn’t just a cheap knockoff of Apex Legends or Warzone, the developers have come up with some cool new ideas:
The game is fully optimized for Twitch. The Twitch chat is integrated into the game and viewers can occasionally activate special events in the game, such as disabling gravity.
The gameplay is fast and vertical. You climb buildings and fight on rooftops.
Special skills, known as hacks, can be found in the game. They make you even stronger.
Instead of just killing all opponents, you can also collect a crown at the end of the round and hold it for 45 seconds to win without violence.
So if you’re interested in a fast, free battle royale shooter with many new ideas, you should definitely check out Hyper Scape. Especially the massive Twitch interaction could bring success to the game despite strong competition in the genre. If you want to play more good online shooters for PS4, Xbox One, and PC before the launch of Hyper Scape, check out our list.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Fortnite, the small companions are currently only available as back accessories, but could a different form of pets soon provide support in battle? A YouTuber shows why this might soon be possible.
What is meant by pets? This refers to small companions that support you in battle. They can be animals or objects that you can interact with.
Currently, there are no such pets in Fortnite. However, as a simulation, there are animal companions that can be carried as a back accessory.
Although they respond to your actions by growling when you’re on the ground or showing joy when you win a match, they can’t really help you.
The pets in Fortnite are cute, but they can’t help you
As the YouTuber explains, there were mushrooms in Weeping Woods that could be interacted with at that time. If you stood in front of the little ones and started dancing, they came to life. After that, you could offer them 100 wood, which created a bond between the player and the mushroom.
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In this YouTube video, Ali-A explains the story of the little mushrooms and you can see how such an interaction between player and mushroom looked like in Season 2
If the player was near the mushroom, their shield would charge, but as soon as they moved away, the connection was interrupted. However, this interaction was only active a few hours before the end of Season 2.
What happens now if you want to interact with the mushrooms? Anyone searching for these mushrooms in Weeping Woods will still find them. However, even if you dance in front of them now, nothing happens.
If you dance in front of the mushrooms now, nothing happens
However, since this interaction was at one point in the game, it could be a big hint that Epic has something planned about it or at least had it in mind. Weeping Woods has been underwater for a long time since the start of Season 3, along with the little mushrooms. Now that they can be found in the game again, it might mean that they will soon be activated for interaction again.
We will have to see if further information will be revealed and whether pets will become the next big thing in Fortnite. However, players can already look forward to a big change, because soon you can drive cars across the map.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The gaming world is constantly evolving, especially when it comes to hardware. A recent innovation is a controller that is controlled with the tongue in the mouth. What sounds curious at first has a serious yet practical background.
What kind of controller is this? The [In]Brace is an appliance for the oral cavity that allows technical devices to be controlled with the help of the tongue. A mouthpiece is used, and a transmitter is clipped behind the ear:
Hidden in the mouthpiece is a magnetic element that can be moved back and forth with the tongue.
The transmitter behind the ear is used to establish a connection to the device being controlled and to hold the battery, which should not be located in the oral cavity.
A special feature of the controller is that the mouthpiece can be custom-made for each user.
Where does the controller come from? The controller was developed by Dorothee Clasen, a freelance interaction and material designer, as part of a master’s thesis for TH Cologne.
She herself presented the controller in a video and even created her own version of PONG, named TONG, which can be controlled with the [IN]Brace.
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Controller as an opportunity for gamers with disabilities
Why is the controller so interesting? While the design may only appeal to a few players visually, the controller has some interesting application possibilities:
One possibility is physiotherapy, where the focus can be on retraining the tongue.
Another lies in particularly complex tasks where hands are needed, yet an interface still has to be operated.
The third target group is gamers with disabilities who have to do without one or possibly both hands.
From the last group, we have already met some gamers on MeinMMO who, despite their limitations, have lived out their adventures in video games.
These players game with special controllers: The player Rocky has been in a wheelchair for over 13 years and is completely paralyzed, unable to move either arms or legs. Still, he played and won PUBG in 2017 with a mouth controller that operates somewhat differently than the model presented here.
The player Nathan, on the other hand, has to endure even more limitations. After a car accident, he is almost completely paralyzed. He now plays Final Fantasy XIV only with his brain and uses microelectrodes that transmit commands from specific areas of the brain.
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These and many other individuals demonstrate that gaming is possible even with a handicap. The new controller could help some players take steps into the virtual world as well.
Accidentally, the minions on one side were having a “better” time in League of Legends (LoL) than those on the other side. This bug has been present since alpha in League of Legends and has gone unnoticed by almost nobody.
The ranged variants also include the Cannon Minions. They are characterized by the fact that they curve along the lanes with a cannon.
The now-appeared bug is embedded in the code of League of Legends. It manifests itself in that the Cannon Minions on the red side have over 20 units less range than the Cannon Minions on the blue side.
How much influence does this have on the game? The difference in attack range is not particularly large and therefore does not have a significant impact on your games. A player writes on reddit: “That’s probably why the minions on the blue side always win when you just let the minions fight. Because the blue Cannon Minions can attack earlier.”
This mystery has occupied players for a long time. In their observations, they could not determine such a small difference in attack range. They wondered what caused the blue side to win so frequently. Now we finally know.
YouTuber Vandiril conducted a small experiment showing that the blue side has an advantage.
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How was the bug noticed? Reddit user Caenen_ was working on a text for the LoL wiki page and wanted to write about the effects of Baron Nashor. He asked a friend what the attack range of minions buffed by Baron is. The numbers “1050” and “1030” came back.
Confused, Caenen_ looked at these values and realized that there have been these differences in minions since the alpha of League of Legends. Even without Baron buff, the values look like this:
Blue Cannon Minions have 300 attack range
Red Cannon Minions have 280 attack range
Apparently, nobody else has noticed this except him – at least not on the developers’ side. He shared his discovery on reddit and received already over 27,500 upvotes and more than 1,200 comments. The community is passionate when it comes to bugs. A LoL player has listed 180 bugs related to a champion – it is his hobby.
By coincidence, Riot also stumbled across the bug with the minions almost simultaneously.
After over 10 years, the bug is finally history
Curious coincidence at Riot Games: In the comments of the reddit thread RiotPhlox also speaks up. He is a designer at LoL and writes:
“That’s such a strange coincidence. Just last week, I was going through the values of the minions and found this bug. I spent a full two hours making sure that these values are indeed the ones that control the range. Who would have thought this has been the case since alpha?”
What’s next: As the discoverer from the community, Caenen_, writes, this bug is currently being fixed. The fixed version is already on the test servers of League of Legends. In this version, the minions of both sides have the same attack range.
Many soldiers of the Call of Duty: Warzone are constantly on the hunt for the best gear and the next victory. 4 friends and streamers demonstrate that you can win even with the worst loadouts. Here are 4 loadouts that can turn almost anyone back into a noob.
What did the guys do? The great Warzone streamer and YouTuber “CouRage” gathered some of his streaming colleagues for a very special challenge. Each had to put together the worst weapon loadout they could imagine. In attendance were:
CouRage
NoahJ456
BasicallyIDoWrk
landonorris
The setups and weapon combos that resulted sound almost like a punishment. Yet in the end, they even scored a victory. Here’s the English video from “CouRage”:
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The worst weapon selection in the history of unnecessary weapons
What weapons did CouRage use? The YouTuber leaves his powerful firearms in the closet and pulls out a version of the AK-47 from his pocket that could hardly be more hindering in the Warzone:
Terrible AK-47 setup
Muzzle: Suppressed Muzzle Flash
Scope: Telescope
Underbarrel: GP25 40mm High Explosive
Extra: Quick melee
As a secondary weapon, he utilizes the VLK Rogue with the blueprint “One Inch Punch,” which comes with slug ammunition. The weapon is like a helpless teammate and actually hinders more than it supports any playstyle.
Why is this not good? For the Warzone, you need stable weapons that can annoy opponents even at 100 meters. The AK-47 just rumbles along. While it is one of the strongest assault rifles in the Warzone in terms of damage, its rough characteristics prevent it from competing with the stable, compact 5.56 assault rifles. Additionally, he chose 2 attachments that make recoil even more uncontrollable. His large sniper scope won’t help him either.
His secondary weapon speaks for itself. Anyone trying to get a kill with the VLK Rogue in the Warzone will be bitterly disappointed. It feels like you just barely missed the train, only to end up in the gulag instead of at the sausage stand in the Warzone.
The AK to run away from – You can’t get more recoil.
What weapons did NoahJ456 use? To assemble his loadout, he imposed a restriction on himself: he wouldn’t use any weapons that shoot bullets.
Instead, he decided to use a shotgun with dragon’s breath ammunition that spits fire instead of bullets. Which exactly, he did not reveal. However, the hellfire rounds are only available for 2 weapons:
VLK Rogue
Model 680
As a second, more unconventional weapon, he opted for the crossbow. No attachments, no unnecessary gimmicks – Just the plain crossbow with its breathtaking fire rate.
Why is this not good? In the video about his loadout, he says “With this, I am useless at any range” and that’s just it. The dragon’s breath ammunition might be nice in a chaos round “Shipment”, but in the Warzone, the range falls below the needed minimum. The optimal choice for pyromaniacs who like to see their foes burn, but not for players who seriously believe in a victory in the Warzone.
Even the secondary weapon diminishes the chances of a successful fight. At close and medium range, you do hit the enemy hard, but not lethally. You need so much time to reload that a “Grau 5.56” player can take you out about 7 times before you can take your next shot.
Normally, you want to rely on your teammates… With the VLK Rogue impossible.
What weapons did BasicallyIDoWrk use? This streamer at least brings an assault rifle to the fight, but opts for a decidedly poor gun: The FN 5.56.
Unusable FN 5.56 setup:
Barrel: FORGE TAC ultralight
Scope: G.I. Mini Reflex
Stock: FSS Tac-Wrap
Underbarrel: M203 40mm Smoke Grenade
Extra: Quick melee
As a secondary weapon, he has the Mk2 Carbine ready – without a scope, but with a compensator that reduces aiming stability to an unbearable level. Nonetheless, a German streamer managed to take out an annoying hacker with a very similar setup at one point.
Why is this not good? The FN 5.56 is considered a bad choice in the Warzone. The time-to-kill (TTK) is significantly higher than that of its assault rifle peers, and the standard fire burst takes some getting used to. The “FAMAS” can balance this a bit with strong attachments and performs decently well when modded. But the chosen attachments make the version from “BasicallyIDoWrk” a smoke-shooting good-for-nothing and are likely to take skill away from even the best Warzone players.
As a secondary weapon, he chose one of the most uncomfortable options for larger distances in the Warzone. The Mk2 Carbine wants to compete with the big boys but simply cannot keep up in terms of damage – headshots don’t deliver a direct knockout. So the American carbine remains at the base in the CoD battle royale weapon choice and continues to dream of one day being able to represent one of the best sniper setups.
The FN 5.56 helps with a smoke grenade during revives. That’s about it.
What weapons did landonorris use? “lando” shared the least about his loadout but revealed the weapons with which he handicapped himself. For his primary weapon, he took the .357 revolver and fitted it with an unnecessary “Scout Combat Scope”.
In his other hand, he presents the Origin 12, a shotgun that is as effective as the VLK Rogue. A while ago, MeinMMO stated that this weakling needed a buff with Season 4.
Why is this not good? Where to begin? As a “primary weapon,” “lando” introduces a revolver that can hardly compete with the worst assault rifles. The scope helps a little to land a hit or two at longer distances, but the sluggish fire rate of the revolver hardly allows him to profit from the bonus.
Furthermore, he takes the Origin 12, which mows down enemies at close range like tall grass, but brings only the range of a lawnmower. With his setup, “lando” moves far away from being a teammate who could be considered helpful in a normal match.
3 shotgun players and a soldier with a crossbow walk into a lobby… A strong start for a bad joke.
Squad still claims the Warzone victory!
How did they do it? The 3 matches shown in the video from “CouRage” were all played strongly, with the last one even won. The team understands how things work in the Warzone, and they benefit from their vast experience – because even the worst weapon can theoretically hit well.
They play the winning match with a contract tactic. They complete some reconnaissance contracts and thereby know how the combat zone develops. They cleared the hospital and took a strong position at the logistics center just north of the emergency room. With only the gas behind them, they could wipe out their unprotected enemies approaching from the north with even the worst weapons.
Together, the guys picked a superb selection of nonsense and proved through their victory that in the Warzone, a good tactic matters and isn’t always just about the current OP rifle.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Battle League in Pokémon GO often causes discomfort for players due to technical problems. The developers have now announced that they want to further improve the PvP mode.
Niantic announced: Niantic Support shared via Twitter that the GO Battle League will also be accessible during server maintenance in the future. In the past, the league was often deactivated – this was also a measure taken during server overloads at GO Fest.
In the league, your monsters compete against each other
Fans are skeptical about the league
The mode struggled with many issues: In the past, the league repeatedly caused problems with bugs. Already at the start of the league, there were inconsistencies that dampened the enjoyment of the PvP mode. In an interview with MeinMMO, Product Manager Matt Slemon emphasized in March that there would be improvements. The league is now in a better state than at the beginning – however, fans are still skeptical, as seen in the current announcement.
On the Pokémon subreddit, some fans hope, given the announcement, that the league may now have its own servers (via reddit). However, there is still plenty of skepticism:
“Should we now expect a league that lags so much during maintenance that it’s no improvement?” a user shows little optimism (via reddit).
“This can only go wrong,” says another (via reddit).
Further comments criticize ongoing errors and fear that nothing will change regarding the lags.
At the same time, however, the announcement is also defended as a fundamental step in the right direction – provided no further issues arise.
How the change in the league will be noticeable and how it will be improved in the future remains to be seen. Next up in Pokémon GO is the upcoming Community Day in August.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
