On August 24, the new DLC Stonethorn will be released for the PC version of the MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO). A dungeon full of undead awaits you there.
What kind of dungeon is it? Castle Dorn is a mysterious fortress where the enigmatic Lady Dorn has assembled an army. However, cases of missing persons are piling up in the surrounding area, and everything points to the castle’s ruler being involved.
You are to lead an attack on the castle, accompanied by the NPC Gwendis, who should be familiar to ESO story experts from the main game. Your task is to stop Lady Dorn before she can unleash her army on Skyrim.
Castle Dorn is home to undead and the dangerous Death Dog!
A Castle Full of Undead
What awaits you in the castle? It is a fortress where the undead dwell. You will encounter living dead everywhere and must fight your way through to reach Lady Dorn. Your opponents include skeletons, zombies, blood servants, and vampiric beasts, as well as even worse creatures.
Boss monsters are also waiting for you:
A giant Death Dog
Powerful Vampires
Vaduroth, the servant of the Daedric Princess Nocturnal, who resurrects fallen vampires in battle
Lady Dorn
This new adventure fits perfectly into the story around the Black Heart of Skyrim and the Greymoor expansion, which is indeed about undead and vampires.
What rewards await you? The castle holds ancient treasures that you can claim for yourself. This includes the powerful set Talfyg’s Betrayal.
With this armor set, you enhance your magical power. However, the set also makes you weaker against damage from Fire and Fighter’s Guild abilities.
You will also receive the mask set of Lady Dorn, which not only deals damage to your enemies but also weakens them and grants your allies the synergy sanguine explosion.
Special titles and the ability to transform your appearance into a vampire thrall are among the rewards if you master the new dungeon.
The set Talfyg’s Betrayal awaits you as a reward in Castle Dorn.
When is the dungeon coming?Castle Dorn is one of two new dungeons introduced with the ESO-DLC Stonethorn. This will be released on August 24. The version for Xbox One and PS4 will be available on September 1.
Update 27 of the MMORPG will be released simultaneously with the DLC, but unlike Stonethorn, it will be available for free.
The Summer Sale has started in the PS Store. We present to you 7 role-playing games that are currently on sale and that every RPG fan should play at least once.
What kind of sale is this? This is the Summer Sale in the PlayStation Store. As a result, many games are on sale in the PS Store right now. Here we present the seven RPGs that you should definitely take a look at. If you don’t like our selection: At the end of the article, you’ll find the link to the overview of the entire sale.
How long does the new promotion run in the PS Store? The sale starts on July 22, 2020, and runs until August 6, 2020. You have just over two weeks to check out the offers.
The Witcher 3
Genre: RPG | Developer: CD Project Red | Release date: May 19, 2015 | Model: Buy2Play | Price range (according to Geizhals.de): 18.99 – 66.00 €
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What is The Witcher 3? In Witcher 3, you take on the role of the witcher Geralt of Rivia and experience adventures in a vast fantasy world. From cities to wild landscapes to “Viking” islands, it’s all included.
Why the game is worth it: The Witcher 3 offers a top-class voiced story, combined with great music and a dynamic combat system. Especially fans of the previous games or the books will enjoy this. Even aside from the main quest, the game offers plenty to do, including tons of quests and tasks, a lively and varied game world, and an exciting crafting system.
In The Witcher 3, many adventures await you even aside from the story.
This is not so successful: The Witcher 3 looks stunning on the PlayStation 4, but the demand for performance is clearly noticeable. Occasionally, frame drops occur, and loading times can sometimes be very long.
No direct disadvantage, but we would advise you to play the previous games or read the books. Alternatively, you should at least look at a short story summary of parts 1 and 2. Many references are made, and you can also carry over save files.
Who is The Witcher 3 worth it for? The game is highly recommended for any RPG player looking for a strong story or interesting characters. Gameplay-wise, The Witcher 3 is undoubtedly one of the best RPGs of recent years.
Pros
fantastic voiced and staged story
dynamical combat system
many tasks and a large game world to explore
great music
interesting crafting system
Cons
If you don’t know the predecessors or books, you won’t have much understanding
Frame drops and other technical issues
Where can you buy The Witcher 3? Currently, only the standard edition of The Witcher 3 is on sale:
What is Horizon Zero Dawn? In Horizon Zero Dawn, you take on the role of the young woman Aloy. She is a special protagonist because she is an outcast and not initially a shining hero. Together, you learn not only to fight with her but also to train for her so-called trial, with which she wants to finally leave her outcast life behind.
Why the game is worth it: On PlayStation 4 and PS4 Pro, the game looks simply fantastic. The game is visually stunning, and the world is filled with details and great landscapes: sometimes you roam snowy valleys, sometimes you walk through a barren steppe landscape. The story is also well staged, which is partly due to the game being excellently voiced in German. The visual and narrative elements are paired with a well-made RPG component and a thoughtful crafting system.
Fighting robo-dinos with bow and arrow looks fantastic.
This is less successful: After the player has met Aloy in a great tutorial, the game loses a lot of momentum at first. Only after about a third of the game does the story regain pace. Also, the normal difficulty is much too easy. Experienced players should immediately opt for a higher difficulty level of the four available. It’s also a pity that there isn’t an influence system among the factions as there is in other games.
Who is Horizon Zero Dawn worth it for? Horizon Zero Dawn is worth it for all players who want to experience an exciting and gripping story. The mix of Stone Age and high-tech is unique in its form.
Why should everyone play this game? Horizon Zero Dawn tells one of the most interesting stories of recent years and is one of the most important (still) exclusive titles for PlayStation 4. For many fans, Horizon Zero Dawn is still a must-buy.
Pros
great landscapes and fantastic design
well-staged story and sympathetic protagonist
excellent German voice acting
good RPG system and thoughtful crafting
New Game Plus
Cons
The story loses a lot of momentum in the first third
difficulty is much too easy
no influence system for factions
Where can you buy Horizon Zero Dawn? Currently, the game is on sale in the PlayStation Store.
What is Persona 5 Royal? In Persona 5, you dive into turn-based party battles in a parallel world with the male protagonist Joker. After the fights, you lead a normal life as a school student, earn money, and get to know your friends better. After school, it’s time to hunt the hearts of evil people. There are relatively loose time constraints that divide the game into days and semesters.
Why Persona 5 Royal is worth it: The Royal Edition represents the extended version of the old PS3/PS4 game. Even the original game Persona 5 was distinguished by its enormous scope. The Royal version adds even more: it expands the game with an additional semester and two new characters. So, you’ll comfortably spend 20 to 30 additional hours on it. If you view all cutscenes, read texts, and engage in battles, you will be engaged with the game for over 100 hours. Additionally, the replay value increases even more due to the new semester and characters.
The Royal version, unlike the “normal” Persona 5 version, also offers German subtitles and interface. The voices can still be chosen between English or Japanese.
These characters await you in the game.
What is less successful? If you’re interested in the new features compared to the old game, you’ll necessarily have to buy the game, as there is no upgrade option. It’s also a shame that the Royal version still only offers English or Japanese voice acting.
Who is Persona 5 Royal worth it for? Those who enjoy Japanese role-playing games will be fully satisfied here. And for all players who have not yet purchased Persona 5 because they didn’t want an English version, they can also join in now: Persona 5 Royal offers German menus and subtitles.
Even for players who already own Persona 5, purchasing Persona 5 Royal can be worthwhile, as the new game content significantly expands the great game.
Why should everyone play this game? Persona 5 is one of the best role-playing games and it remains an exclusive title for PlayStation 4. Now that the Royal Edition also includes German subtitles, there are hardly any excuses not to play it.
Pros
very large scope (100+ hours)
unique story around personas
many personas to collect and combine
interesting and lovable characters
high replay value
great soundtrack
Cons
no upgrade option from the old Persona 5
only English and Japanese voice acting
Where can you buy Persona 5 Royal? Currently, the basic game is on sale in the PS Store. Alternatively, you can also grab the Deluxe Bundle, but it only includes the Kasumi Costume Bundle, which offers 4 sets of cosmetic items.
What is Ni No Kuni 2? This is an RPG that mixes action-packed battles with strategy and role-playing. The story revolves around the young king Evan, who is overthrown in a coup. Together with his friends, he travels the land and tries to convince the people to follow him.
Why the game is worth it: Ni No Kuni 2, like its predecessor, relies on beautiful graphics and a fantastic soundtrack. No wonder, as the music of the game is composed by Joe Hisaishi, who has composed the music for nearly every Ghibli production.
In terms of gameplay, the game is incredibly motivating. In addition to dozens of tasks, you build your own kingdom. There’s also a nice strategy mode: here you lead small armies into battle. Unlike the predecessor, Ni No Kuni 2 focuses on an action-oriented combat system rather than a turn-based system.
You don’t need to know the predecessor to play, but some places will be familiar, such as Cat’s Rest.
Some bosses in Ni No Kuni 2 can become quite large – due to the easy difficulty, this rarely becomes a problem.
This is less successful: For those of you who enjoy role-playing games, Ni No Kuni 2 will feel significantly too easy overall. While the difficulty increases during the game, the game never becomes challenging. You’re also never rushed in building your kingdom. It’s also a shame that some side quests cannot maintain the quality of the rest of the game: here, simple fetch quests are required. Additionally, the characters outside the main characters lack depth.
Who is Ni No Kuni 2 worth it for? Those who enjoyed the predecessor will also be happy with part 2, even if some things have changed compared to the predecessor. RPG fans will also fully enjoy it. And even if you are not a JRPG fan, Ni No Kuni 2 could appeal to you. Merely for the setting and the fantastic soundtrack, a look into the world of Ni No Kuni 2 is definitely worthwhile.
Why should everyone play this game? Ni No Kuni 2 shifts its focus a little differently than its predecessor but still offers a beautiful soundtrack and an exciting story. For those who may not have enjoyed JRPGs previously, Ni No Kuni 2 could still surprise you.
Pros
beautiful graphics style
great soundtrack by Joe Hisaishi
action-packed combat system
motivating building mode
successful main characters
Cons
somewhat trivial side quests
bland side characters
occasionally too easy
Where can you buy the game? Currently, the game is on sale in the PlayStation Store:
What is Divinity: Original Sin 2? This is a fantasy role-playing game with turn-based combat. If you’ve played the predecessor, you’ll find it very familiar. In the game, you can either create your own character or play as one of a selection of pre-made characters. Each character offers its own backstory.
Why the game is worth it: Divinity: Original Sin 2 offers a wonderful, vibrant game world with many quests and well-written dialogues. Many quests also offer different solutions. Additionally, the game can be completely experienced cooperatively. In Divinity: Original Sin 2, up to four players can participate in a session simultaneously.
A true highlight of Divinity: Original Sin 2 is the turn-based combat system.
What is less successful? Although the game world is lively, it has some inconsistencies: for example, characters do not react to corpses lying around in the game world. Since every character can use magic, it makes magic feel interchangeable and arbitrary. It’s also a shame that the game master mode missing completely from the PC version.
Who is Divinity: Original Sin 2 worth it for? If you’re interested in a complex and well-written role-playing game that can be experienced cooperatively, you should take a look at Divinity 2. If you’ve played the predecessor, you can’t go wrong either.
Why should everyone play this game? Divinity: Original Sin 2 is considered one of the best role-playing games in recent years. After the official release, developer Larian Studios added a bunch of new quests and improvements in the Definitive Edition to the already great game. Among cooperative games, Divinity: Original Sin 2 is also a great tip.
Pros
great, vibrant game world
great dialogues
many quests with different solutions
lots to discover
voiced dialogues
long playtime (80h+)
cooperative possible
Cons
No zooming in battles
inconsistent game world (corpses don’t matter)
game master mode is completely absent
Where can you buy the game? Currently, the game is on sale in the PS Store:
What isThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition? This game is an optimized version for modern consoles. The story takes place in the region of Skyrim, which is on the brink of civil war. The hero of the game is a dragon hunter; otherwise, it’s up to the player how they navigate through the open world and which quests and missions they choose to complete.
Why is the game worth it? Elder Scrolls V offers a comprehensive role-playing experience. In addition to a believable game world and many tasks to complete, the game features extensive free character development. The game also includes all three add-ons, so you’re well over 100 hours of gameplay busy until you’ve seen everything. Also commendable: modifications are also supported.
Even today, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim impresses with a huge game world – character animations, however, leave something to be desired.
What is less successful? You can see that the game is many years old: the character models are outdated, and the animations look stiff and not up to date. Technical issues like pop-ins and clipping errors also disturb the gaming experience. The main storyline is also uninspiring.
For whom is Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition worth it? Are you looking for an extensive role-playing game in which you can invest hundreds of hours of gameplay and freely develop your character? Do you not mind completing dozens of tasks outside the main storyline and climbing through ruins or tombs? Then you should take a look at this game.
Why should everyone play this game? The Elder Scrolls series is considered one of the most well-known role-playing series. The fifth part, Skyrim, is also regarded as a great role-playing game and offers (almost) endless playtime, especially due to modifications. For gamers looking for role-playing games with great freedom, there’s no way around Skyrim.
Pros
long gameplay (150h+)
all three add-ons included
believable game world
great music
fair difficulty level
mods are supported
free character development
Cons
old character models
clunky animations
boring main story
technical errors in the PS4 version
Where can you buy the game? Currently, the game is on sale in the PS Store:
What isDragon Quest XI? In Dragon Quest, you are the reborn Luminary and must free the world from a great evil. The game uses turn-based combat that, like the character and combat system, becomes increasingly challenging over time. Gameplay-wise, Dragon Quest XI can be compared to Final Fantasy.
Why the game is worth it: Dragon Quest XI offers you a massive game world filled with diverse tasks and a motivating crafting system. The emotional story gives you an atmospheric introduction to the game world, and the companions are also nice assistance. Additionally, there’s a powerful soundtrack that enhances the game’s atmosphere.
In Dragon Quest XI, players will find a huge game world that can also be explored from horseback, which is sorely needed.
What is less successful? Despite the emotional story, the protagonist remains silent and bland throughout. Additionally, it’s frustrating that combat does not show a turn order, making battles seem random. The saving mechanics are also cumbersome: anyone who wants to save must run to the church and pray.
Who is Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age worth it for? Dragon Quest XI offers a vast game world packed with tasks. If you’re looking for an emotional story and pleasant turn-based battles, you should check out Dragon Quest XI.
Why should everyone play this game? Dragon Quest XI relies on old-school mechanics like few other games and draws from nearly 30 years of role-playing tradition. According to our colleagues from GamePro, “Dragon Quest 11 is also among the best-rated role-playing games of 2018 worldwide.”
Pros
pretty graphics
varied tasks
individually customizable characters
motivating crafting system
huge game world
emotional story with an atmospheric introduction
nice companions
fantastic soundtrack
Cons
silent and bland protagonist
no turn order in battles
cumbersome saving mechanics (church)
boss fights unevenly strong
Where can you buy the game? Currently, the game is on sale in the PS Store:
Valorant currently has a problem with the ranked system. There are several issues, and players are dissatisfied. However, according to a leak from data miners, there seems to be an update in the ranked mode coming in August for Ignition Act 2.
What does the leak say? According to the leak revealed by the data miners from “Valorant-Leaks” via Twitter, there is already a change to the ranked system for Act 2 of Valorant’s first season “Ignition”.
There are still 8 ranks from “Iron” to “Radiant”. However, these are now divided into five instead of three tiers. This also applies to the maximum rank “Radiant”, which previously only had one tier and united all top players of Valorant. Within the tiers and ranks, players should now be able to rise and fall according to fixed rules.
Additionally, there will be special visual markers for each rank and tier. The first tier will always only have a simple triangle. In contrast, the 5th tier per rank is richly adorned.
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When is the new ranked mode coming? According to the leaks, the ranked update is already planned for Act 2 of Ignition. This would be happening already on August 2, 2020.
Ranked is the troubled child of Valorant
What was the problem with ranked? The ranked mode has always been a work in progress in Valorant. Recently, players have complained that it is not transparent how one can rank up or down. Players would hardly rank up despite many wins. But if one lost just once, a quick drop would follow. No one knows why this is the case.
This seems to apply to Riot as well. A leading developer even admitted unusually openly in a stream about the topic: “Currently, no one is responsible for ranked.” The employee who developed ranked no longer works at Riot, and since then the system has probably been left in a state of disrepair because no successor was appointed in time. Such things happen even in large game studios.
What will happen next was not clear in the dev stream. However, it seems that Riot has finally found a developer responsible who is taking care of the ranked mode and has now found a solution.
How plausible is all of this? Data mining always carries the risk that the information is incorrect and everything turns out to be a rumor.
The data that Valorant Leaks has evaluated is said to come from the latest game update. Nevertheless, there have already been some severe false reports. For example, data miners found two “new” agents in the code that will probably never make it into the game. According to Riot Games, these were actually ancient fragments of discarded heroes.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Pokémon GO there is a new promo code that you can redeem. We show you how to get the 21 free items.
What is Niantic giving away? In the past days, you had to solve a small puzzle around Pokémon GO on Twitter. As a thank you for the numerous participation, there are now a few items worth having for the GO Fest.
The following items are available via the code:
10 Ultra Balls
10 Max Potions
One Sinnoh Stone
This is the promo code: To claim the gift, you need to enter a promo code. This one is:
5PTHMZ3AZM5QC
Enter the promo code and secure your gift
Is the gift worth it? Certainly, the items may not be incredibly much, but quite worthwhile. The Ultra Balls can be well used for the GO Fest, which is taking place this weekend.
How do you redeem the code? For Android users, it is quite simple. Just go to the in-game shop and scroll down to the bottom. There you will find the field for the promo code. You can then copy the code there and claim the items.
If that doesn’t work or if you are using an iOS device, you need to go to the Niantic website. There you can log in and enter the code. If that works, the items will be credited to you.
It can always happen that the code cannot be redeemed. Then you should simply repeat the process a little later.
Until when is the code valid? According to Niantic, you can still enter the code until July 27th. So you have this week to do it.
Damage and healing will be a bit more random in the next WoW expansion. The lost variance in abilities is back.
Currently, abilities in World of Warcraft deal a fixed amount of healing or damage. However, this is likely to change soon. The developers have announced that with Shadowlands, variance will return. The exact effects of abilities will then differ with each use of an ability.
What has been said? Blizzard has announced that a variance of around 5% will be reintroduced for all abilities and spells with Shadowlands. This is a mechanic that has been used for ages in RPGs and was lost in World of Warcraft due to some changes. This is intended to ensure that players do not always see the exact same damage or healing values when repeatedly using abilities.
Each fireball does different damage – back then it was normal, soon it will be again.
What does this mean in plain terms? All abilities in Shadowlands now have a certain range in which they cause damage or healing. If a fireball currently deals exactly 1,000 damage, then this value will range between 950 and 1,050 with Shadowlands and will change with each cast. As a result, players will not always see the exact same numbers.
This variance is actually a typical RPG element and was already present in pen & paper role-playing games, so abilities had slightly different effects each time.
On average, this variance will even out, and will change a player’s actual performance only minimally.
Was there variance before? Yes. The variance in the effects of abilities has been a fixed part of World of Warcraft since WoW Classic, but was deactivated during the last expansions. This was not intentional, but a bug that occurred during the overhaul of some mechanics in Legion. This was also confirmed by Game Director Ion Hazzikostas on Twitter.
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Is everything much more random now? Not really. The actual performance of a player will hardly change over the duration of a long fight. Only particularly strong spells with long cooldowns might deviate if they hit particularly hard or particularly weak, reaching the outer limits of the 5% variance. However, this should have minimal to no impact on a character’s overall performance, but simply provide a bit more variety in the numbers.
Do you think it’s good that the 5% more randomness is returning? Or did you prefer it when the numbers were always fixed?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Building strong teams in FIFA 20 Ultimate Team is not that easy. YouTuber MattHDGamer tried to create a pure event team – and in the end, he assembled a tremendously powerful squad.
What kind of team is this? YouTuber MattHDGamer set out to build a team with 100 chemistry solely from Summer Heat cards. Summer Heat is the current event, featuring new versions of the most popular FIFA 20 cards.
The special thing is: The Summer Heat cards are not available for purchase on the market. You can either earn them from objectives where you complete tasks, or solve SBCs and receive them as rewards. Additionally, many of the cards are only available for a limited time – so you need to play in time to get them. This is important if you want to combine suitable cards for 100-chemistry teams.
MattHDGamer attempted it with these event cards – and built an extremely strong team. You can see what it looked like here in the video:
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These players are in the team: The starting eleven consists of excellent players throughout. These players are included:
GK: Nick Pope
CB: Presnel Kimpembe
CB: Clement Lenglet
LB: Ferland Mendy
RB: Malang Sarr (Originally CB)
CM: Ousmane Dembélé
CAM: Phil Foden
CAM: Fabinho
RM: Bernardo Silva
LM: Vinicius Junior
ST: Roberto Firmino
This is what MattHDGamer’s team looks like (via Futbin)
These difficulties arose: Achieving 100 chemistry is not that easy. After all, players earn chemistry points through:
Correct position
Links to players from the same club, league, or nation
It didn’t help that Kevin Mbabu – a fantastic card for Bundesliga teams – was the only right-back of the promo. In the end, the YouTuber couldn’t fit him in. Nick Pope, on the other hand, the only keeper of the event, made it into the team.
However, since the team mainly consists of a suitable combination of Brazilian, French, and Premier League players, the chemistry works out in the end. Only positions need slight adjustments in-game, as for example, Dembélé is not really suitable as a defensive part in midfield compared to Fabinho.
How strong is the team? At the end of the day, the YouTuber built a team that includes not a single player below 90. In short: it is incredibly powerful.
Players like Dembélé, Fabinho, or Mendy belong to the absolute top cards. No wonder that MattHDGamer thinks: “This is one of the best promos they have ever done.”
Summer Heat is a great way to secure strong cards for your team. Thanks to the event, really good teams are currently possible even without investing money in FUT.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The next important employee at the major European gaming publisher Ubisoft (Assassin’s Creed, The Division) has been let go. PR Director Stone Chin was fired. He explains on Twitter what exactly led to his dismissal and how he is dealing with the allegations.
2 other managers were suspended, including Hascoët’s right-hand man
now the PR chief has stated that he was fired
Women seem to have a hard time at Ubisoft. Not just the unfortunate Faye Lau from The Division.
Women shown the cold shoulder, who turned him down
This is what the PR chief says: Stone Chin begins his statement by claiming he is innocent of an allegation against him. There is an accusation that he committed a sexual offense against a woman in 2012. He had spent a night with her by mutual consent.
Later, she felt that he was treating her like an object, but he thought that had been resolved. In any case, there is nothing to the allegation.
However, he has done some things over the years that were inappropriate. He was fired for his “management style,” it was communicated to him by Ubisoft that it did not meet the company’s standards:
Chin invited two female employees on dates, and when they turned him down, he gave them the cold shoulder in the future
he also made derogatory comments about employees who had previously reported to him
Chin says: He now understands that he failed to recognize the power dynamics between genders, especially in the gaming industry. And he was not always aware of how his actions affect women. Chin was blind to the many difficulties women have to deal with every day.
The former PR chief says he is sorry. He will improve himself and hopes to personally apologize to those affected. Chin says he will now seek help from family and friends and will go into therapy.
This is the unique aspect of the case: Chin is now the first Ubisoft manager to openly state that he was fired. All other personnel changes at Ubisoft that have come to light have been presented as resignations or amicable separations.
Ubisoft seems to be conducting internal investigations, clarifying cases, and making large-scale personnel changes.
This is Reynad, the head of an esports organization.
While Ubisoft is apparently investigating the incidents professionally, many allegations are based on reports from alleged victims on social networks. These reports generate outrage and create pressure and a self-dynamic.
Thus, the head of an esports organization critically addresses this, whose star player has been affected by allegations and who has now admitted them and stepped down:
The LoL team 100 Thieves did not start well in the Summer Split of the American LCS. Therefore, it was decided to bench the well-known player Meteos. He publicly complained and was subsequently completely removed from the team.
What happened? In the first three weeks of the Summer Split, the team 100 Thieves managed only 1 win out of 6 games. Too little for a team that achieved 3rd place in the regular league in Spring 2020.
Therefore, the coach decided to temporarily bench the jungler William “Meteos” Hartman. However, he was completely against this and vented his anger on Twitter.
This led to further consequences and ultimately to his dismissal. In the meantime, the professional is showing remorse. It is not unusual for professionals to be temporarily benched. This also happened to the well-known LoL pro Doublelift, who had a poor Spring Split 2020.
Teammates were probably unaware of the timeout
Why was Meteos so upset? After Meteos was to take a seat on the bench for the upcoming week, he publicly complained in a now-deleted tweet. In it, he allegedly wrote, according to the website Forbes:
It’s quite strange to hear that the players on my team knew nothing of the decision or did not agree to it […].
Obviously, people who are not on the team know what’s best for the team.
He criticized the decision of the coach and the team officials because they did not speak with the players and obtain their agreement.
This tweet was followed by many reactions, with even fans of the LoL pro calling him unprofessional. The team of 100 Thieves also reacted to the tweet and has since parted ways with the professional.
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How did Meteos react to the dismissal? In a post (via Twitlonger), Meteos spoke up again after the separation from 100 Thieves. He admits that his behavior was dumb and that he accepts the consequences:
Our results were not good, but I was not too concerned about it because we had a tight schedule and we were constantly improving in practice. After all, it was not the first time that we had a premature season slump from which we always recovered (Spring 2018, Spring 2020).
It goes without saying that I was shocked when I was told that I was benched after week 3. I let my emotions get the best of me and made some angry tweets, which were a mistake. It was unprofessional, and I take full responsibility for that mistake and accept all consequences that arise from it.
Meteos via Twitter
Apparently, the team offered Meteos a spot in the Academy Team. This is a team where young talents are nurtured and trained for the main team.
However, Meteos did not find the solution ideal and declined the offer:
I had the option to share time with him [Shane “Kenvi” Espinoza, the jungler of the team] for the rest of the season, but I would rather leave him the spot as a time share would not be ideal for either of us, nor for the rest of the team.
I let the team know that I am available if they need anything, but I am confident that they will be fine without me.
What’s next for Meteos? Meteos, who already won the LCS with Cloud9 and celebrated the biggest successes from 2013 to 2016, stated that he does not want to join a new team in the middle of the season.
However, under the tweet from 100 Thieves, there are some voices that no longer expect a return to the highest American league. It is said that he is too bound to tank-junglers and is already relatively old. Many teams are filled with stronger and younger talents.
Sneaky was the face of Cloud 9 for many years. Now he is “just” the owner of the team and a streamer.
He could face a similar path as his former teammate Zachary “Sneaky” Scuderi. He was a successful and popular bot-laner at Cloud 9 for many years but withdrew in early 2020 due to internal conflicts.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The American furniture manufacturer Herman Miller has partnered with Logitech to create a new gaming chair. You can buy it now, although the price is not low.
What kind of chair is this? The Herman Miller x Logitech G Embody Gaming Chair was developed in collaboration with more than 30 doctors and experts in biomechanics, optometry, physical therapy, and ergonomics, according to the official website.
It is supposed to provide “exemplary ergonomics” for gaming and ensure a comfortable and cool sitting experience.
Although the price of $1,495 (€1,276) is in a very high segment, it is said to be a long-term investment for the body and comes with a 12-year warranty. The chair can already be ordered through the official website.
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What is special about the chair? The entire chair uses a cooling foam technology, which is supposed to make long and heated gaming sessions more bearable.
In doing so, the chair ergonomically supports the spine and is supposed to adapt precisely to one’s own shape. It also offers fully padded and adjustable armrests.
What stands out particularly? The most notable feature is the design. The G Embody Gaming Chair resembles a traditional office chair rather than the “racer look” of many gaming chairs, such as DX Racer or Noblechairs, which are among the best models.
For gamers who do not even want to sit on a chair.
Ashes of Creation (PC) has released new details and even first gameplay since the beginning of the year. Therefore, this MMORPG is currently being hotly discussed. However, some readers on reddit and here on MeinMMO fear that it may be too ambitious and, consequently, could fail.
What is so special about the game? Ashes of Creation has been in development since 2016. It occupies a unique position because it was launched by millionaire Steven Sharif. He had no experience in game development at the start but made a lot of money selling juice in the USA and was therefore able to finance the game himself in the beginning.
He gathered several developers from well-known games like EverQuest and Planetside 2 around him and had interesting ideas with which he wanted to bring fresh air into the genre.
However, some of these ideas, especially regarding the nodes and the scale of the battles, seem too bold and even utopian to some players. This concerns both the technology and the way it will be utilized by players.
But what makes the game actually so interesting and are the plans actually feasible? We at MeinMMO have taken a closer look at the contents of Ashes of Creation.
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Players can complete tasks and quests within them and thus collect XP for the nodes. Through this system, a node can develop from a small camp to huge cities and metropolises with mayors and player-owned housing.
Some nodes will offer dungeons and boss fights that can only be unlocked at higher levels. Since a node ensures that neighboring areas cannot level up to the same or a higher level, this creates incentives for PvP to “delevel” a node. Even PvE players may need to participate in these battles if they want to experience certain content.
Additionally, the nodes differ in type. There are those with a focus on economic, military, religious, or scientific aspects.
Nodes level from stage 0 to 5.
What is the problem with this? Some MMO fans are skeptical about the node system, especially since the number of 103 areas is large. They fear that the technical implementation of an open world with so many variables and the vassal nodes will be difficult and labor-intensive.
The way players interact with the system could also lead to problems:
While lucrative nodes with dungeons or raids level up, border or simply unattractive areas may be neglected and ignored.
Some guilds are so strong that they hold a megacity that can never be captured again. Players may therefore lose interest in AoC.
In both cases, this could potentially lead to PvP coming to a standstill.
What argues for a good solution? So far, the worries are mainly countered by promises and concepts from the developers. In the first gameplay of the pre-alpha, the basic leveling of nodes was presented, and it worked.
Moreover, this system is essentially the core of Ashes of Creation. The developers at Intrepid Studios have done everything to make the nodes work and will likely continue to do so in the future.
Up to 500 players can participate in the battles for these fortresses.
Sieges of fortresses play an important role in Ashes of Creation
What is the problem with this? Experiences from other, more modern MMORPGs have so far shown that battles with such large player numbers often lead to lags and server problems.
What argues for a good solution? Since there have not yet been playable battles for fortresses, there is little to say. The only positive aspect is the server issues that Intrepid Studios faced with their Battle Royale Apocalypse.
There were enormous problems during the first release in 2018, which were resolved in the course of 2019. However, only 40 players faced each other at that time.
Can PvE players have fun at all?
What does Ashes of Creation offer? In this MMORPG, a lot revolves around the nodes, housing, and battles for the areas. For PvP players, there are also caravan events and dedicated arenas.
Aside from that, Ashes of Creation is also supposed to engage PvE players with the following content:
Quests
Crafting
Dungeons and raids in the open world
Instanced dungeons and raids (for 8, 16, and 40 players)
Events where nodes are attacked by PvE creatures
This is what world bosses look like in the Alpha 1 of Ashes of Creation (Source: AoC Livestream).
What is the problem with this? Ashes of Creation relies on open-world PvP. This does not appeal to every MMORPG fan and therefore leads to discussions. Particularly pure PvE fans are often deterred by the fact that other players can simply kill them.
What argues for a good solution? This MMORPG relies on a corruption system that is supposed to punish players when they kill other players outside of PvP events.
If the corruption level rises too high, they can even lose their entire inventory upon death. Additionally, other players can kill them without being marked for PvP or the corruption level.
Is the game even coming out in the next few years?
Where does Ashes of Creation stand today? The ambitious MMORPG is currently in its first closed alpha. There, players who invested early and heavily can take their turns. However, tests are only supposed to take place at certain times, and there are no permanent servers yet.
What is the problem with this? The first tests only allow the players to see a small part of the vast world. Implementing everything and thoroughly testing will require a significant amount of time and money.
What argues for a good solution? Starting in the fall of 2020, there should be servers that run permanently, and the NDA is expected to be lifted as well. At the same time, CEO Steven Sharif appears optimistic and cannot resist a dig at New World regarding the release.
However, there is currently no exact date for the release. And it also looks like it will be a while longer. The original plan of the end of 2019 has already been scrapped.
For the Pokémon GO Fest 2020, Victini is set to appear in the game. However, it seems you won’t be the only ones wanting to catch the mysterious Pokémon. Team GO Rocket is once again making plans.
Team Rocket back on the hunt: On Twitter, the official Pokémon GO account shared some hand-drawn notes from Team Rocket. The team had already used them for their intricate balloon plans and apparently didn’t clean up properly.
This time, however, the mysterious Pokémon Victini apparently plays a role in the Rocket plans.
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This is what you can see: Three images were shared:
In the first image, Victini is seen at the bottom right. In the top left, a Rocket Grunt approaches in a balloon.
In the second image, he can be seen rappelling from the balloon and grabbing Victini with the Poké Ball.
The third shows victorious Rocket bosses and grunts celebrating in front of a fireworks display. Clearly, Team Rocket is planning yet another resounding success!
It could be that you have to prevent the Rockets from capturing Victini within a special research task – or that you need to free it from the team’s clutches again. Recently, a leak suggested that Team Rocket will likely not hold back at the GO Fest.
This is how Victini has been hinted at so far
This is Victini: Victini is a mysterious Psychic and Fire-type Pokémon. It is already known from the fifth generation of the main games, but it has been absent in Pokémon GO so far.
By the way: Depending on the generation, Victini’s Pokédex entry promises that trainers with Victini on their team will be simply unbeatable. It seems to offer limitless energy. No wonder that Team Rocket is planning a big celebration if they manage to get their hands on it!
To perfectly prepare you for the GO Fest next weekend, we have put together some tips. This way, you’ll be perfectly equipped for Saturday and Sunday – and can also take on Team GO Rocket.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The cover of FIFA 21 has been revealed. Mega-talent Kylian Mbappé from Paris St. Germain will be featured in the new game. What does that mean for his card?
This is FIFA 21 cover star Mbappé: Football fans and FIFA players will be well acquainted with the young forward. He is considered an absolute phenomenon, having already become a world champion at just 21 years old, and shapes the game of his club PSG.
In FIFA, he is known for his explosive pace – Mbappé is not only one of the fastest but also one of the best players in the entire game. Now he is on the cover – apparently in all editions.
This is what the key art of the standard edition featuring Mbappé looks like
How strong will Mbappé be now?
What does that mean for the game? One hundred percent certain, direct conclusions about the game itself cannot be drawn from the cover star. Apart from the fact that we will likely see Mbappé in many menus and similar contexts. All known information about FIFA 21 can be found here.
However, looking at the last cover stars, it is quite clear that the players gracing the title usually also have extremely good ratings:
Virgil van Dijk, for instance, was among the best cards in FIFA 20.
Zinedine Zidane led a new generation of icons for the game.
Hazard had the fourth best player ratings at the start of FIFA 20.
Since Mbappé is also playing very well in the real world, it is clear that the PSG talent will rank among the best players in FIFA 21. This is already the case in Ultimate Team, due to his many special cards:
This is just a part of the many Mbappé cards
With an overall rating of 89, Mbappé narrowly missed out on the top 10 best players at the start of FIFA 20. But it can be assumed that the mega-talent will have even better ratings this year and will secure a spot in the top 10. After all, he has also scored goals in abundance in real football. In just 20 league appearances, he scored 18 times.
A dream comes true for Mbappé
This is what Mbappé says: In a statement from EA Sports, the forward declared that it is a “dream come true” for him to be on the cover of FIFA 21.
“I have been playing this game since my childhood and I feel honored to represent a whole new generation of footballers and to be in the same group as many other outstanding footballers with whom I now share this honor”
Kylian Mbappé in the official statement
This is what the Champions and Ultimate Editions look like
In Conqueror’s Blade (PC), Season IV: Blood of the Empire started on July 21. This brought a new free update to the game that introduced the Ottomans as new forces. Additionally, the MMO is set to receive a Turkish localization.
What’s new in this Season? Season 4 has brought new excitement to the medieval game. While Season 3 focused on the new class Warhammer, there are now two new battlegrounds that can be accessed starting August 18:
Reginopolis – An almost impregnable fortress city that can be played in siege battles.
By land and by water – A new field battle
Another new feature is the launch of a new server (EU West 3) and the planned Turkish localization, which will be released on August 4. Additionally, there will be various new units that will be unlocked throughout the Season:
Janissaries (3 stars) – Elite musketeers available since July 21
Azabs (4 stars) – Warriors armed with a curved saber and small shield coming to the game on August 4
Siladhars (5 stars) – Halberdiers that can be used starting August 18
Sipahi (4.5 stars) – Cavalry of the Ottomans who fight with clubs, to be released on September 1
You can get an insight into the update, the new units, and maps in the update trailer:
What rewards does Season 4 bring? Along with the new content, new rewards have also been introduced in the game. These can be earned through the Battle Pass. You can expect:
New armor, weapons, and cosmetics in the style of the armies of the Ottoman Empire
New emotes for characters like applauding, flexing muscles, laughing, and crying
There is a free and a paid pass available in the game. However, the emotes are expected to be earnable for free.
What is Conqueror’s Blade? This MMO is a mix of action RPG and strategy game. You take on the role of a commander in battle, commanding a unit as well.
You can train and upgrade this unit before a battle. The same applies to your character, where you allocate attribute points, equip gear, or switch weapons, which in turn affects your entire playstyle.
This allows you to siege fortresses, compete against other players in open fields, or fight in small arenas without units. Additionally, there is a large world map where houses (guilds) in the game can battle each other.
Who is Conqueror’s Blade suitable for? The game is primarily aimed at tactical fans who want to prove themselves in medieval battles and sieges and lead a troop. At the same time, Conqueror’s Blade offers you an action-packed combat system.
Moreover, the game contains some RPG elements, such as equipping and leveling up characters and units. You can even earn achievement points and titles, and there is a simple crafting system.
In Call of Duty: Warzone, you can find mysterious messages since the start of Season 4. MeinMMO shows you here the Intel of week 4 for the mission “New Perspectives”.
What are Intel missions? Along with the introduction of Season 4, new Intel missions started that you can check in the challenges tab of the menu in Call of Duty: Warzone. Under the “Missions” section, you will find the “Intel” tab all the way to the right. Now Season 5 is just around the corner and the fourth part of the Intel hunt is available.
You can earn relatively easy many experience points here and learn about the background of the story of Verdansk. There’s still a lot to come, according to a developer’s statements.
Overall, you need to collect five pieces of information for the mission of week 4, which are scattered all over the large map of the battle royale. So you don’t have to search for the Intels of the mission “New Perspectives” alone, here are the individual pieces of Intel marked on the Warzone map. Here are the Intels of other weeks:
Ghost sends you on a scavenger hunt through Verdansk.
How to complete the 6 steps of the Intel mission in CoD Warzone
Tip: Only one step of the quest can be completed per round. Overall, you need to collect 5 pieces of information and start at least 5 matches. However, it is possible to collect Intels from different missions in one match, so for example, Intels from week 1 and 4 at the same time.
It’s best to go alone in a round with large teams, like Trio or Quad. This way, you have more enemies in the individual teams, but overall fewer teams that can get in your way. If you want to be completely sure, start the current Plunder mode. Here, you can respawn directly if something goes wrong. Plunder is also best suited for collecting data from different weeks since there is no gas circle putting you under time pressure.
You can quickly reach almost all Intels of the last weeks after your parachute landing. Grab the info and jump straight into the next match. This way, you can earn a total of 27,500 XP within half an hour. If you complete the missions as a team, each member must collect the Intels themselves.
Attention Bug: There are frequent reports that players are unable to pick up certain Intels. If you are affected, there is currently nothing you can do about it and you will have to hope for a patch.
1. Find the position from Ghost’s message
Reward: 2,500 experience points
How to complete the task: The first data can be found in the form of a golden coin at the “Military Base”. Land in the area that looks like a shooting range and climb up the narrow wall on the eastern side.
The climbing act looks easier than it is. Stand on the boxes and jump onto the wall without using the “climbing animation”. It’s tight, but with a simple jump, you can get onto the thin wall.
2. Start looking for the drone
Reward: 5,000 experience points
How to complete the task: You can also find Intel number 2 in the “Military Base”. This time you need to interact with documents lying on the floor at the top of the tower.
The tower is a popular spot for snipers to secure possible headshots. However, if you land on the roof of the tower right after the start and are alone, you can quickly and safely collect this data.
3. The drone was controlled from the airport
Reward: 5,000 experience points
How to complete the task: Now go to the airport. Actually more to the edge, because the data is hidden in one of the barracks at the far eastern end of the airport.
Land inside the walls, crash through the door of the southern barrack, and grab the data on the desk. If you brought company with you during landing and want to quietly collect the Intel, crawl through underneath the barrack from the eastern side. There’s a trapdoor here that lets you safely enter the building.
4. The downed drone was repaired
Reward: 5,000 experience points
How to complete the task: Another long jump, this time to “Boneyard”. At the southern end, almost at the train station, you will find the Intel in the eastern hangar.
Thanks to the large door, it’s possible to land right in front of the data. A poorly positioned notebook is sitting there on its side, and interacting with it will reveal the Intel.
5. A damaged picture may still provide clues
Reward: 5,000 experience points
How to complete the task: For the last piece of data, go to “Downtown”. A computer is waiting behind an info counter in the parliament, waiting to be tapped by you.
Land on the roof with the large dome or on the eastern side of the government building, the side with the lion statues. Then go through the door, over the counter to the right and there is a slightly unsecured computer ready for data theft.
6. Learn the truth behind the attacks / Mission completed
Reward: 5,000 experience points
How to complete the task: For the last step, you don’t have to do anything anymore. Upon your return from the match, you will feel a digital pat on the back from Ghost in the form of another 5,000 experience points to your account.
If you want to look at the individual points again in detail in the video, we have embedded a 4-minute video from German YouTuber “TarKoffeL” here:
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The little “story campaign” of Warzone gives insights into the events surrounding the attack on Verdansk and brings in decent experience points. The story has now been further advanced through arranged “leaks” and with Season 5, three map changes could be coming your way.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Free Trial in Final Fantasy XIV is being massively expanded. The base game and the first expansion are available to players for free. We spoke about this with the head of the MMORPG.
Which content is free? Currently, interested players can experience the content of Final Fantasy XIV up to level 35. This includes the story, as well as the available classes and races from A Realm Reborn (ARR). This will change in a few weeks.
Starting from August 11th with the release of Patch 5.3, Free Trial users will have unrestricted access to all content of the base game A Realm Reborn and the first expansion Heavensward. This includes:
All jobs and classes up to level 60, including the Heavensward jobs Astrologian, Dark Knight, and Machinist
6 playable races
All story and side quests up to Patch 3.55 just before the add-on Stormblood
Access to raids Bahamut, Crystal Tower, Void Ark, and Alexander
Access to all 49 dungeons from A Realm Reborn and Heavensward
It is a very large amount of free content. In an exclusive interview, we asked the Director and Producer of Final Fantasy XIV, Naoki Yoshida, what the reasons for this are and how the team wants to make the onboarding of new players smoother.
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The suggestion to integrate a much larger part of FFXIV into the Free Trial came, according to Yoshida, more than a year ago. He himself had the idea, which was then discussed a lot within the team.
However, the marketing department expressed concern that the revenue from the starter pack would collapse. The pack currently only contains the base game A Realm Reborn and 30 days of gameplay.
The current level restriction is level 35. From a story perspective, it doesn’t really contribute to the story. Therefore, we wanted to extend it to 3.55 and motivate players to subscribe for Stormblood and beyond. That’s the reason I suggested it.
Director Yoshida
The Heavensward expansion revolves around the thousand-year war between the nation of Ishgard and the dragons. It is very popular among FFXIV players.
The Heavensward expansion is regarded by many active players as the best of FFXIV. Therefore, it is often read in forums and on reddit that new players are encouraged to quickly level through to the expansion, as that is when the really good part of the FFXIV story begins.
Therefore, the team decided to accept the loss of revenue. If it meant that new players could see more of the world and the story of the game and then subscribe, that would offset the losses.
It was at the time when the Shadowbringers expansion was released and praised by many. We often compare FFXIV to Japanese TV dramas, similar to Netflix. They often have many seasons and then offer Season 1 and 2 for free. But if you want to continue watching and see more story development, you are encouraged to subscribe.
So we decided on this approach. Our focus, our main philosophy so to speak, is that we want to convey the story to as many players as possible. We want them to immerse themselves in the world of FFXIV. The storyline of Heavensward was also highly praised and that was the reason why we included the expansion in the Free Trial.
It can also be seen as a message to the players. After “Season 1” (ARR) and “Season 2” (Heavensward) are already great, there will be even more content in future expansions.
Director Yoshida
Current owners of the starter pack will of course also gain access to Heavensward content.
Player protection as top priority
Even though the goal of the expanded Free Trial is to attract new players, the highest priority is still the protection of existing players.
Final Fantasy XIV has implemented many regulations and restrictions to prevent bots and RMTs (Real Money Traders / Gold Sellers) from exploiting the free trial version for their purposes. In FFXIV, several thousand accounts are banned weekly due to gold seller activities, at the release of Shadowbringers, it was even over 30,000.
Therefore, it is not possible for Free Trial accounts and characters, for example, to
join free companies (guilds),
sell items on the market board,
send friend requests,
and use other social features of the game.
This will not change with the extension of the trial version on August 11th.
The most important thing for us is the existing player base that has a subscription and that we want to protect. Therefore, we do not intend to make social features accessible to Free Trial players. That would cause many problems and reopen the gates for RMTs. It would endanger the community and the security within it.
We therefore do not intend to make free companies available for the Free Trial and this also applies to the market board.
Director Yoshida
Yoshida also does not believe that these restrictions would frustrate potential new players on their way to level 60 and the end of the trial version. According to the statistics available to the development team, new players typically complete their subscription about 7 days after starting their Free Trial. They rarely complete the trial version entirely before transitioning to the full version.
Even though we are opening the Heavensward expansion for the Free Trial now, we expect players to complete their subscription at a later point [than is currently the case]. But we don’t expect every Free Trial player to play through all the free content up to 3.55, level all jobs to 60, and then buy the game. We don’t believe that will happen.
When you know something is fun and you want to keep playing it, at some point you will make the decision to buy the game. Also because you want to have fun with the community and the complete experience that the full version offers. It is another reason why we opened these features for the Free Trial.
They will be shortened or completely removed, as they are often criticized in the community for their sluggishness and unnecessary fetch tasks. The statistics from the FFXIV team also confirm that many new players stop playing during these quest lines. This is supposed to change now.
To make the journey of new players smoother, the team has been working on the update for over a year, according to Yoshida.
The concept behind this is as follows: When we look back at the time when we created ARR, it was the time when we had to create 2.0 and work on the original FFXIV. The development team has grown since then, they and I myself have gained new knowledge and experience over time. We now see that the way the old quests were made was very inconsistent. The level of quality was all over the place.
Therefore, we wanted to go back and clean things up a bit. The goal is to refine the story and make it easier for new players to experience it. This is the big concept behind the refinement of A Realm Reborn.
Director Yoshida
The quests of the base game A Realm Reborn are considered very tedious and not very exciting. However, they lay an important foundation for later events in the game.
The task here sounds simple at first. You take quests A, B, and C and remove the redundant quest B. But according to Yoshida, that was not as easy as it seems at first glance and took the team a lot of time.
In doing so, the important aspect of story had to be taken into account. Throughout the quests of ARR, characters are introduced and lore elements are introduced that play a significant role in the later expansions. Thus, the team had to be careful not to remove anything important at this point.
The bulk of the task was to look at the quests and the steps needed to complete them. We went through countless quests, I lost count, and looked at them step by step. And then we took out the unnecessary parts to make the players’ journey smoother.
We were so thorough that it took a year to finish the work. And we couldn’t just focus on that because we had to work on other content like the patches. So we had to find small windows of time during the patch updates in which we could work on it. It was a long process, but we did it.
Director Yoshida
However, consistency in the story was not the only difficulty. Final Fantasy XIV is a live game that is almost always online and actively played. This also means that there are currently players who are completing the revised quests.
This means for example,
that player A has already completed a quest, but there are also other players.
Player B is currently in the process of accepting this quest
and player C is currently playing it while we are speaking here.
Therefore, the team had to carefully consider where to cut with the digital knife.
What’s next for Final Fantasy XIV?
The team is currently busy preparing for the release of the next major content patch 5.3, which, in addition to the expansion of the trial version and the overhaul of ARR, will include additional content:
The “Unreal” boss fights against former primals at elevated levels. The first of these will be Shiva
New dungeon
And more content
This patch will be the pinnacle of the Shadowbringers expansion and will conclude the story events in the first shard world. Accordingly, it will differ somewhat from the other .3 patches, Yoshida stated.
The reason for this is that the story of Shadowbringers revolves around the events in the first shard world. There are so many NPCs there that the Warrior of Light and their companions encounter. Although the Warrior of Light has no obstacles during his travels between the first shard world and the original world, that is not the case for other characters. They must return.
There will be many scenes of goodbyes, where you say farewell to the people of the first shard world, and we wanted to portray that very carefully. Therefore, the ending of Shadowbringers is slightly different from the previous expansions.
Director Yoshida
Fans of the story can therefore prepare for many long cutscenes, as this patch will contain more video material than most previous content updates (excluding expansions).
In the “Producer’s Letter” livestream, Final Fantasy XIV showcased the content of the upcoming major update. You can look forward to this content in August.
What kind of Mecha is this? The next major update for FFXIV is coming in just a few weeks. From the release on August 11, players can enjoy the new content, which will allow you to control a cool giant Mecha.
In the new trailer for Patch 5.3, you can see the Warrior of Light (the player character) sitting inside the flying battle robot and controlling it (from 1:14). The beast was apparently built by the inventor Cid and his engineers to counter the weapons of the Garlean Empire.
You can watch the German trailer for the update here:
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How will this work? Players will be able to control the Mecha during the side quest series “Concerns of Werlyt.” You need to complete the previous quests in the series to unlock it. So far, that includes the fight against the Ruby Weapon.
Your own job skills will not be available while controlling the Mecha. According to director Yoshida, the Mecha will have its own rotation with unique skills that you must execute in battle.
Who the opponent is that we see in the trailer is still unknown.
Mass Battles for 72 Players
Unlike the Mecha battle, which is designed for one player, the new content Bozjan Southern Front is a massive instanced battle involving up to 72 players.
The front battles continue the quest line about the new “Relic Weapons” from Shadowbringers, the weapons of Queen Gunnhildr. It is an ongoing quest line, at the end of which players can craft powerful weapons for their jobs. The next stage will happen at the Bozjan Southern Front.
How can you participate in the battle? To unlock the Bozjan Front, you must complete the previous quests in the “Queen’s Weapons” series.
Your character does not necessarily have to be level 80 to participate in the battles. Starting at level 71, you can join the battles of Bozja. You will be temporarily boosted to level 80 and gain access to all your job’s abilities.
The front also serves as an alternative leveling option to bring other jobs to max level.
How does the content play out? In the Bozja instance, you will regularly get into fights. On the battlefield, you will encounter the IVth Legion of Garlemald, which must be defeated:
“Skirmishes” function like normal FATEs and will appear very frequently. All players can participate.
“Critical Engagements” are larger and triggered when enough Skirmishes have been mastered. They allow only a limited number of players, which is 24 or 48 players. You must register separately for them.
The engagements can also be solo. If you perform particularly well in a normal engagement, the game will invite you to a solo fight.
Similar to Eureka, there will be special abilities within the Bozja instance, which you obtain through crystals. You can only carry a certain amount of them, so players must decide which ones they want.
All 3 types of fights will reward you with crystals, loot boxes, and “Mettle.” When you’ve collected a certain amount, you can rank up.
This is what battles at the Bozjan Front will look like.
This part of the update will come somewhat later compared to other content. It will be released with Patch 5.35.
Update Brings New Story, Raid, and Boss Battles
Along with the cool Mecha battle, a whole series of additional content is coming to FFXIV. The story of the Shadowbringers expansion will conclude with Patch 5.3. The upcoming patches will then lay the groundwork for the next yet-to-be-announced expansion.
Director Yoshida mentioned in the last livestream that the update will contain the most cutscenes ever and will be very emotional. In addition to the story quests, there will also be:
The next part of the Nier raid YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse, which is designed for 24 players.
A new dungeon.
A new trial boss battle, which is currently a secret to avoid spoilers.
The streaming platform Twitch temporarily banned one of its biggest streamers, Chance “Sodapoppin” Morris. His “apology” video is so funny that the ban doesn’t hurt him. The variety and WoW streamer apparently got lost in an “anime sex dungeon” and came into contact with a resident succubus, he says.
This is Sodapoppin: Chance Morris (26) is a veteran on Twitch. He has been on the platform for 8 years and was one of the first Twitch stars in WoW in 2012. Later, he expanded his portfolio: Today he is one of the biggest variety streamers on the platform. He streams what almost no one else shows. At heart, however, he remains a big WoW junkie, when WoW Classic came out, he even slept during the stream. He didn’t want to miss a bit of EXP.
Sodapoppin is currently ranked 22nd among the largest channels on Twitch with 2.47 million followers. He has a quirky sense of humor, which he has demonstrated again.
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When a big streamer gets banned, everyone who wants to knows about it.
Succubus rubbed against streamer on Twitch
Here’s why Sodapoppin was banned: From what is known, it revolves around a scene in a stream where Sodapoppin had something to drink. He was in “VRChat”. It’s like a chat room, except that participants are represented by virtual avatars.
An anime succubus in lingerie positioned herself in front of him and performed sexual acts. The horny avatar acted as if the succubus was rubbing against Sodapoppin’s avatar and doing other things.
Although Sodapoppin repeatedly stated that he was immune to such sexual stimuli and that he couldn’t do anything about it since he was live streaming, it seems that it was too risky for Twitch to air what was going on. The ban came.
A recording of the clip can be found on YouTube. It contains sexually suggestive content. You have been warned.
If mom says: Beware of succubi, she means exactly this kind.
Always trouble with the succubus
This is the funny part of the ban: Sodapoppin found the ban so silly that he released an “apology video” on YouTube. He sits there, trying to look serious while apparently not taking his apologies to his fans for his misbehavior seriously at all.
He begins by saying he loves his fans, his car, and his money. But he has apparently taken all of that for granted. He owes the fans an explanation for why his channel was banned:
“A few nights ago, my good friend Rob and I were desperately searching for female attention during the fifth month of the Corona lockdown. I haven’t talked to, touched, or seen a woman in over two years. So we decided to enter the world of anime breasts in VRChat.”
Sodapoppin
They then entered the world of the “Golden Corral” at 3 a.m., a sex dungeon. And before they knew what was going on, they were sitting in a sex dungeon discussing content appropriate to the situation. Then one of the “local succubi” came and decided to rub against him. He resisted.
Apparently, all of this was too much sexual content, and he understands that Twitch is punishing him now. He feels terrible about it. He apologizes to his mother, his father, the fans, and dogs. If Twitch wants, he will also give them back the sweater – on closer inspection, though, maybe not.
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The video has over 1.2 million views and generated many laughs.
Here’s how it’s being discussed: People are delighting in Sodapoppin’s show on YouTube and wondered how often he broke into laughter while recording it.
Sarcasm and irony drip from every sentence, and people who know Sodapoppin pick up on that right away. It’s a parody of stiff “apology videos” that celebrities release after wrongdoing.
The video now has 1.2 million views and nearly 110,000 likes. The ban of Sodapoppin and his friend, roflgator, lasted only 24 hours; both are back on air.
In spring 2019, Sodapoppin was totally excited about the idea of diving deep into WoW Classic again. The prospect thrilled him so much that it was unimaginable for him to miss the release later that year. He even made a sacrifice for it:
The free trial version of Final Fantasy XIV will be massively expanded starting August 11. Players will have permanent free access to all content of the base game and the first expansion.
What’s available for free starting in August: If you have ever wanted to thoroughly test FFXIV without spending any money, you will soon have the chance to do so.
Beginning August 11 with the release of Patch 5.3, the base game “A Realm Reborn” and the first expansion “Heavensward” will become accessible to players of the free trial version of the MMORPG. This means you will have access to hundreds of hours of content.
This includes among others:
All jobs and classes from FFXIV ARR, including the Dark Knight, Astrologian, and Machinist with a maximum level of 60 (current maximum level is 80)
6 playable races
All quests from A Realm Reborn and Heavensward up to and including Patch 3.56, which marks the end of the expansion.
The raids “The Binding Coil of Bahamut”, “Crystal Tower”, “The Void Ark” and “Alexander” normal and savage
49 dungeons from ARR and HW
All equipment up to level 60
The end of the Heavensward expansion with Patch 3.56 marks about half of FFXIV, this part is Free2Play. After that follows the content of the expansions Stormblood and Shadowbringers, for which a fee is required. If you decide to upgrade the trial version to a full version, your progress from the trial will be fully carried over.
There are no time restrictions, so trial players can play all content from ARR and HW as long as they want. If you want to test several jobs or try crafting in FFXIV, you can take as much time as you need.
Trial players receive the same content as active players and will play together with them in dungeons and raids. In FFXIV, there are no separate trial servers.
Compared to the current version, which only goes up to level 35, this is a massive expansion.
Are there restrictions? There are still some restrictions. Trial players will not be able to access a large part of the social features:
They cannot sell anything on the market board
Cannot join guilds
Cannot send friend requests
Cannot whisper other players
The full list of restrictions can be found on the official page of FFXIV (via Lodestone). According to the statement of Director Yoshida, nothing will change regarding this.
Along with the expansion of the free-to-play version, the old quests of FFXIV will also be revised. They will be shortened or completely removed to provide players with a smoother gaming experience.
The main story quests are mandatory in FFXIV and accompany players all the way to endgame. However, they are often described as lengthy and consist of many fixed quests. This is set to improve now.
13 % of the quests will be completely removed and the rest will be shortened
New players will receive special teleport tickets that will quickly take them to an important location in the game. Previously, players had to return there repeatedly, which made the travel time long.
Flying will be possible in the old areas of A Realm Reborn
The quest where you receive your first mount will be mandatory and can no longer be overlooked.
All in all, August will be the perfect time to get a clearer picture of FFXIV. So if you want to consider which class to start with, check out our guide on that.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
For many Guardians, the duel between Destiny 1 and Destiny 2 favors the original. However, the well-known expert Datto has a different view and explains to us that we might not remember it correctly.
This is the statement in question: In the Destiny community, Datto is considered an absolute expert, but now he is polarizing with his opinion. According to him, Destiny 2 is better than its predecessor Destiny 1.
This puts him against the current trend – usually, the hierarchy of the two MMO shooters looks exactly the opposite. Datto made this controversial statement during a Q&A session (via YouTube). MeinMMO explains the reasons the streamer had for this.
On YouTube, he has over a million subscribers (via YouTube) and was the third largest Twitch streamer for Destiny 2 last year (via Sullygnome). His word carries weight among Destiny players. But Bungie also trusts Datto and lets him conduct important interviews. There were even rumors about a job offer as Bungie’s savior.
During the big reveal in June 2019 for the “new era” of Destiny, DeeJ was not present – his part was taken over by YouTuber Datto (right).
“People romanticize Destiny 1”
This is how the expert justifies it: Datto prefers Destiny 2 over the original. Players “glorify the prime-time experience of Destiny 1.” By that, he means the times when:
when the Trials of Osiris brought fresh air into PvP and became a phenomenon
Destiny 1 was completely turned upside down by the Taken King
According to Datto, such people do not realize the massive content droughts that gaped between these highlights. The serious issues from back then are simply ignored, nostalgically glorified – true to the motto: Everything was better back then!
By the way, the Glass Vault is coming to Destiny 2 soon:
Destiny 1 also scores bonus points because there was no comparable experience before. The peak of the exploration drive has thus ingrained itself in our memory and has dulled us towards Destiny 2.
He admits that Destiny 2 had a rough start and is still far from perfection, but is objectively the rounder and better game.
Do you agree with Datto rationally or does the expert err here greatly? Do we really only remember the good moments from Destiny 1 and block out the rest?
A 17-year-old player convinced his parents that he could drop out of school to play Fortnite professionally. On some days, he even earns more than his father.
This is the situation: The Australian teenager Alex “AleccAU” Mackechnie (17) has now dropped out of school to spend more time on Fortnite. He participates in tournaments there and has already earned $32,000 (approximately €27,000). He plays and practices for 6 hours a day.
In an interview with “A Current Affair”, the teenager said it has always been his dream to be a professional gamer. However, convincing his parents to let him drop out of school for that took some persuasion.
In an interview with “A Current Affair”, the teenager talks about his experiences so far and his father explains why he eventually allowed his son to drop out of school.
What does his father say about this decision? Alex Mackechnie’s father eventually agreed after some persuasion, even though he never thought he could do that with any of his children:
We never thought we would do this with one of our children. The expectation was that they would finish school up to 12th grade without any further compromises.
Alex’s father in an interview
However, the fact that his son is ranked 77th in the Fortnite world ranking convinced him of the potential. After all, millions of players play Fortnite, and that would be a great achievement of which he is also proud.
The teenager and his father sometimes hold a competition to compare how much earnings they made in a day. Alex’s father works as a podiatrist and admits: “On some days, he even earns more than I do.”
Alex’s father Matthew admits that his son sometimes earns more than he does.
How is it going for AleccAU right now? Besides the tournaments that the Fortnite pro participates in and can earn money from, he also streams on Twitch. On the streaming platform, he has 22,600 followers. Through Twitch, AleccAU also earns money as a content creator:
He receives donations there
Makes money through advertising or possible sponsor deals
Additionally, money comes in through subscriptions. A Twitch subscription costs at least $4.99 per month, of which the streamer receives at least half
Those who play well in Fortnite become even more well-known on streaming platforms. This is proven by the wonder kids Benjyfishy and MrSavage. The Fortnite pros who recently intentionally lost to 5-year-old fans can boast over 1 million followers on Twitch.
Not every player can make a living from Fortnite: Players and streamers often make headlines about how much they earn and how successful they are. But these are usually major exceptions.
A large part of the players and streamers do this as a hobby rather than a profession. For AleccAU, the career could also take another direction.
Winner of the Fortnite World Championship 2019: Bugha.
However, he has another huge opportunity to become a millionaire through the game: the Fortnite World Championship. If it takes place again and Alex Mackechnie qualifies for it, he could win a large sum.
