Currently, MeinMMO is running the theme month “Find Your Next Game“. In this context, our editor Noah Struthoff has ventured into a new genre: He has played an MMORPG for the first time.
Here’s what it’s about: Throughout June, we at MeinMMO and our colleagues from GameStar and GamePro have discussed new games or titles we can recommend to you.
Therefore, I thought it would be appropriate if I also ventured into a completely new area and not just write about it.
I have never played an MMORPG in my life and often wondered why anyone could be so fascinated by this genre. I just wanted to give it a try and I can already reveal this much: It was a chaos, but a surprisingly positive chaos.
This is what I usually play: My great gaming love is Pokémon GO. Before and after its release in 2016, no game has ever captivated me so much. Here, you also deal with monsters, but the game mechanics are entirely different.
Otherwise, before my trainer career, I played some shooters and collected many hours in Battlefield and Call of Duty.
MMORPGs like Guild Wars were not on my list until now.
WoW, so many character traits
Which game did I even try? We also discussed this in the editorial office. In the end, we chose Guild Wars 2. A free MMORPG that has been successful for years. Plus, it has nice graphics. Also, my loyal companion in the first hours, MeinMMO colleague and MMORPG expert Alexander Leitsch, is a veteran in Guild Wars 2.
This is how my character selection went: Initially, I was on my own, so I had to choose the server and my character without any advice.
I was quite amazed when I saw how much you can configure your character.
First, I had to choose one of the 5 playable races. I opted for the Norn. They were presented to me as impulsive and cheerful – something that definitely applies to me.
Then it was time for optimization. Naturally, I made my character as broad and muscular as possible. Also added some nasty scars on the face and a cool beard – something that definitely applies to me (at least in my dreams).
A stylish beard and lots of muscles – my character in Guild Wars 2
I didn’t pay attention to this: The game repeatedly explained to me that my choices during character selection would also affect my gameplay. That was something I almost completely ignored. I just thought to myself, “To take down some monsters, I’ll just pick the most muscular character – it should work out.” Probably a decision that wasn’t thought through very well.
When even the controls become a problem
These were my first minutes in the game: The start in Guild Wars 2 went as I imagined, but still chaotic. I entered a game world and first had to see what was happening here and where I was supposed to go.
The first major problem was the controls. I work on a PC every day, but I’ve never really gamed here before. Pokémon GO is played on a smartphone, and all my shooter experiences were on the PlayStation. Therefore, the classic WASD controls were really difficult for me. How do I hold my fingers and how can I reach other keys that suddenly also became important?
So I wandered a bit through the game world. Here and there I could interact with NPCs, but I wasn’t making much progress. After I had beaten the first monsters with my sword, I saw that I also had to complete tasks and followed these so-called “quests”.
I fought a lot – although it often didn’t look very professional.
My colleague Alexander was following me and gave me tips here and there that advanced me, but I still didn’t perform very successfully or professionally.
A point that I remember was Alex’s attempt to explain the Tab key to me. With it, I could target enemies directly and attack better. That sounds nice in theory, but where the hell do I find the Tab key? After much back and forth, I understood that it was the key I usually used to make a line break. I had never named that key before and it is probably one of the keys I hardly ever use in everyday life.
In general, at the beginning there was a lot of information for me that I could hardly comprehend. Therefore, I ran around wildly and often fought against the air while the drooling monster just stood behind me. When I read new quests, I then stopped and had to concentrate very carefully on the text, and even then I sometimes didn’t quite understand what they actually wanted from me.
After the first hour, many explanations, and even more embarrassing moments, I slowly began to enjoy the game and also understood the purpose behind it.
A quest was completed and I directly proceeded to the next. Even though I didn’t always fight perfectly, I completed the quests. A good feeling and I noticed that I was making progress.
Over time, I also no longer had to look at my keyboard at every movement, but could also admire the impressive graphics of Guild Wars 2. Furthermore, I noticed how vast the MMORPG’s map actually is. While I walked to a quest for several minutes, the movements on the map were relatively tiny. So, there is still a lot to discover in Guild Wars 2.
The diversity and graphics amazed me greatly.
With the routine came the fun in the game. Although I still fought like a drunk tourist in Mallorca, I was slowly making progress.
My colleague Alexander then also showed me the incredible variety in the game. He proudly presented all his mounts to me, and we even had to protect food from hungry rabbits. In the end, there was a massive snowball fight with kids.
I quickly realized that you can still have a lot of fun here and that the game is virtually endless.
I will be back, no question!
While I started Guild Wars 2 rather skeptically and was sure that after my little exploration I would probably never return to the game, I now see it quite differently.
Guild Wars 2 is really fun and I am especially impressed by the numerous side quests that can be completed. The attention to detail is great and while I have previously steered clear of such games, I will now definitely keep an eye on MMORPGs.
To conclude my first glimpse into an MMORPG, I can only quote the Pink Panther: Today is not every day, I will be back, no question!
First impression of an MMORPG
So far, I have never quite understood why thousands of people are so into MMORPGs. Why would anyone voluntarily want to fight with swords when they could also use modern weapons from shooters?
However, after my first insight, I can understand the thousands of people. MMORPGs are much more than just simple sword fighting. It’s about skills, discoveries, and a massive game world that’s been crafted with great love. You can lose yourself here for hours and forget about everyday life.
Games like Guild Wars 2 may not yet compete with Pokémon GO for me, but I will definitely return to this crazy world. At least when my trainer career allows it.
Noah Struthoff Editor at MeinMMO
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
20-year-old Swede Felix “MagicFelix” Boström is on the brink of a career as a LoL pro, he just needs a starting spot as a professional in the League of Legends. He has now achieved the highest rank “Challenger” in Solo Queue with all 5 roles in LoL. However, personal issues seem to be getting in the way of his career.
This is MagicFelix: The 20-year-old Swede is actually a mid laner. MagicFelix has been playing in lower leagues since he was 16 and is waiting for his breakthrough as a professional player. He has long been regarded as one of the top talents in Europe in the mid lane.
MagicFelix truly shines not in a team, but when he is alone in the Solo Queue of LoL. He once managed to rank among the top 20 in the European leaderboard with 5 different mid lane accounts.
Magic Felix could have been there: Fnatic at Worlds 2019.
In 2019, it almost looked like the Swede had made it: The European top team Fnatic recruited MagicFelix, but did not place him in the mid lane of the professional team, but in the development team Fnatic Academy. So far, he has not been able to surpass the mid laner of Fnatic, Tim “Nemesis” Lipovšek (20), a Slovenian.
Communication issues may be preventing dream career
This is being discussed: On Reddit, a thread about MagicFelix’s performance has over 800 comments (via Reddit). His performance is generally considered “impressive”. Magic Felix is said to be a “Solo Queue” god.
People are somewhat mocking the fact that Fnatic still doesn’t utilize him in the LEC despite his skills. He has only played one game there, as a mid lane substitute.
Speculation on Reddit continues regarding why it has not yet resulted in a breakthrough in the EU League LEC:
One person believes MagicFelix might be suffering due to his shy personality. Some even speak of an anxiety disorder that makes it difficult for him to play in a team. A Reddit user says he couldn’t even talk to his teammates for a long time (via Reddit). He would talk openly about this on his Twitch stream.
Others believe it could be due to nerves when playing under professional conditions. When he had the chance to shine at the EU Masters, MagicFelix only performed “okay” at most, but did not play as outstanding as expected.
One player advises MagicFelix: He needs to find an outstanding sports psychologist.
Perhaps new opportunities will actually open up for MagicFelix after his performance in SoloQ.
He is considered the new star ADC.
MagicFelix currently seems to be the best SoloQ player who cannot find a spot in the professional league. In contrast, Jesper “Zven” Svenningsen dominated the North American LEC league in the Spring Split 2020 and is a beast in the Solo Queue:
Countless trolls stormed the server Feathermoon in World of Warcraft. It was colorful, loud, and bright – but served a pretty good purpose.
In World of Warcraft, there are a number of events that, while not officially offered by Blizzard, have a good reputation in the community. One of these events is the annual “Running of the Trolls,” which took place for the 6th time this year. Hundreds of trolls ran for their lives in WoW – and raised money for a good cause.
Here’s how it went down: As usual, the event took place on the realm Feathermoon (US). Here, the trolls gathered at the spawn point, which is on the Echo Islands. However, this year, some Zandalari trolls joined in, making the overall scene even more colorful and mixed – but that’s exactly what it’s about.
Numerous trolls gathered in the starting area.
Together with various rainbow toys and colorful hairstyles or clothing, the trolls then set off as a large group. They marched through Durotar to Orgrimmar and from there took the portal to Undercity. From there they continued through Tirisfal and the Plaguelands. Some trolls had to give their lives here, as the area guards and the corresponding mobs can hit pretty hard.
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Ultimately, the route continued into the Ghostlands, the Sunstrider Isle, and finally to the capital of the blood elves, Silvermoon. Here, the countless trolls celebrated for a while and wrapped the area in front of the Sunspire Tower in vibrant colors.
What is being supported? The event primarily calls for a donation campaign. The collected money goes to “The Trevor Project.” This is a U.S. hotline for young lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender people (LGBTQ). The money is directly used to help these youths with problems and provide them with support. They are particularly specialized in suicide prevention, which unfortunately occurs more frequently among these groups.
It was just as colorful – even in the gloomy Tirisfal!
How much money was raised? Over the entire month of June, a total of over $6,000 was raised. The original target of $2,000 was exceeded by more than three times. Thus, the troll run in 2020 can also be regarded as quite a success.
What do you think of such actions? Cool, especially if it serves a good purpose? Or does it have no place in games?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone, you can unlock a new skin for the operator Yegor in SpecOps mode. MeinMMO will tell you how to get it.
This is new: For the Ukrainian operator Yegor, you can now obtain the “The Chilled Out” skin. This skin is completely blue and gives the operator a somewhat more serious impression – the skins of Yegor reminded some players even of a Netflix series.
However, the skin does not have to be purchased. You can unlock it by reactivating a perhaps forgotten mode: Spec Ops.
How to get the new Yegor skin
What you need to do: To earn the skin, you must go into the Spec Ops mode. There, you can complete missions in co-op and earn rewards.
In Spec Ops mode, you must complete the special forces mission “Schatulle – Veteran-Modifiziert”. In this mission, you are supposed to infiltrate the Verdansk Bank and find the key to the financial network. If you complete this mission, you will receive the special Yegor skin.
You need to successfully complete this mission. Source: Gamerant
Here is the challenge: The missions in Spec Ops mode are tough, and you should team up with a full squad, as you’ll need to handle the modified veteran version. So you’re not just playing the normal operation, but there are also 3 modifiers running alongside:
Ammunition Diminution – Your magazines deplete over time on their own
Squad Link – Being near comrades increases your damage and heals you better
Gas Martyrdom – Defeated enemies drop a live gas grenade
It’s best to find 3 teammates who also want the skin, or try it with matchmaking and communicate with your teammates. With a little planning you can manage it. Here is a German guide for the mission, without modifiers:
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How long does this action last? You need to hurry if you want to get the Yegor skin. The promotion is time-limited. Next week – probably on Tuesday or Wednesday – the skin will disappear from the mission, and there will be new rewards.
Here is a new weapon for you: If you are not so keen on the new skin, you should secure a new sniper instead. The Rytec AMR sniper rifle can now be unlocked through a challenge in the game. In our guide on this, we will explain how to best acquire the new weapon.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the hot July 2020, the heat is certainly a reason to retreat to a cool room and relax with online games. Therefore, we have some tips for online games and MMOs that we can wholeheartedly recommend to you this month.
What kind of games are these? As usual, we have collected various online games that offer you exciting new content in July. These include, among other things, releases, events, and important updates.
At the end of the article, you will also find an outlook on other highlights that will occur in July 2020, which do not have any specific date, are not yet clearly assessable, or will take place late in the month.
The selected games on the following pages are a colorful mix. The order is random and does not reflect a rating.
[toc]
Borderlands 3 – Crazy loot shooter with a new update
What is Borderlands 3? The loot shooter Borderlands 3 is a crazy game where you can either play alone or cooperatively blasting your way through shabby planets while experiencing outrageous adventures full of dark humor.
The core of the game is the many weapons that a random generator re-rolls with every drop. This way, you always collect cooler and crazier guns. With these, you blast through increasingly wild hordes of psychos, monsters, and corporate henchmen to loot even better drops.
Borderlands 3 regularly receives updates with completely new DLC scenarios that significantly enhance the game. After the first two DLCs “Moxxi’s Heist of the Handsome Jackpot” and “Guns, Love, and Tentacles”, the third DLC called “Blood Bounty” was recently released on July 25. There is a grim Western theme.
Grim cowboys on bizarre motorcycles? You can only find that in the new DLC for Borderlands 3.
These are the highlights of Borderlands 3 – Blood Bounty
In addition to the known advantages of Borderlands, namely dark humor, countless cool weapons, and coop action, the new DLC “Blood Bounty” offers even more goodies:
Grim Western setting that comes off as a bit more serious than the other stories
New vehicles called Jet Beasts. These are motorcycles and monsters in one
Massive new weapons
A narrator who comments on the story based on your actions
A new planet called Gehenna
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As already mentioned, the new DLC brings a lot of action to the game and just like in the previous two DLCs, there should be plenty of cool guns that will surely become some of the most powerful weapons in the game.
In addition, there is a new story. Although some fans say it is a bit too short, it impresses mainly through the cool narrator. He speaks in a gruff and rough voice in classic Western diction about what your Vault Hunters have done. He even changes the narration when you do something different than anticipated.
It all reminds of the cool DLC from Borderlands 2, where you were part of a Pen & Paper role-playing game by Tiny Tina and Tina commented on and described your actions accordingly. So if you are looking for more Borderlands adventures in the usual quality, you will surely have fun here.
To play the Blood Bounty DLC, you must purchase the content. Those who have the season pass will receive it as part of that at no extra cost.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Fortnite there is now a new weapon: The Flare Gun. This signaling pistol is not just for emergencies, but can be targeted against opponents in Fortnite. We will show you what you need to know about this new weapon.
What kind of weapon is this? With the Update 13.20, which was rolled out on Tuesday, June 30, players received a new weapon in Fortnite. The Flare Gun is now available on the map and can even be used as a real weapon that inflicts damage on your enemies.
The Flare Gun is not unknown, as a similar version was seen a year ago in the Block Party trailer (via YouTube). There, the well-known Fortnite character Jonesy was stranded on a deserted island and used the signaling pistol as a distress signal.
Stranded Jonesy finds a Flare Gun
What you need to know about the Flare Gun in Fortnite
Since the weapon has just been added to the game, perhaps some players have not yet seen it in Fortnite. We will now show you how the weapon is used, where you can find it, and how powerful it is.
How powerful is the new weapon?
The Flare Gun may not seem very powerful at first glance, as it does not immediately eliminate an opponent when used. But it is important to know what this weapon is capable of. Here are the statistics for the new weapon (via Twitter):
Rarity: rare (blue)
Weapon category: pistol
Damage (Headshot, Body shot, Building): 60 damage
Magazine size: 6 shots
Range: Up to 640 meters
No additional ammunition available (limited to 6 shots)
Reload time: 1.5 seconds
Must be reloaded after each shot
Once the 6 shots from the magazine are used up, you can no longer use the weapon. If you’re lucky, you’ll quickly find a new Flare Gun that is still loaded.
You can find the signaling pistol in chests, on the ground, and in supply drops. So take it with you when you find it to try it out for yourself.
How is the Flare Gun used?
The signaling pistol is quite interesting, as it can be used not only to inflict damage on enemies. Clearly, you can try to hit the opponent directly and thus cause 60 damage to the player, but the Flare Gun also has other features that make it so special.
In application, the signaling pistol behaves similarly to the new firefly grenades found in Fortnite. One shot ignites a fire that sets the environment ablaze. Thus, you can burn down enemy fortresses, forcing enemies to come out of hiding.
It can mark enemies who are nearby. So if you shoot the signaling pistol in the direction of the opponents, they will be visibly marked for the player. This is quite advantageous when you know exactly where the opponent is.
It is different with the new shotgun, which must be loaded first to inflict high damage. However, loading it is so loud that you immediately make yourself known to opponents. But with the new Flare Gun, you can take advantage of this.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Genre: PvP-Shooter | Developer: First Watch Games | Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch| Release: 2020 | Interview Partner: Bart Koenigsberg
Rogue Company is an ambitious, new PvP shooter that aims to impress with tactics, action, cool heroes, and strong gunplay. But why should fans of other shooters give it a try? What do they want to do about cheaters, and what do they have planned after the launch? The developers answer these and other exciting questions in the interview with shooter expert Sven Galitzki from MeinMMO.
This is Rogue Company: Rogue Company is a promising, ambitious project that fans of competitive and tactical shooters should take a closer look at. Currently, the title is in the alpha testing phase and is expected to be released in summer 2020.
The game is a third-person coop PvP shooter that cleverly combines fast action with tactical gameplay and features heroes with unique abilities.
The title is free-to-play and will be available on all major platforms (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch). It will also offer crossplay and cross-progression right at launch. In principle, you can play against anyone on any platform.
In addition, the new shooter is supposed to become a true live game, meaning a game-as-a-service that will be regularly supplied with new content.
The playable characters are called Rogues
Rogue Company is developed by the studio First Watch Games and published by Hi-Rez Studios, known for their multiplayer games like SMITE, a MOBA, or Paladins, a hero shooter. In addition, they have lead designer Scott Lussier, a former HALO world champion, on board. Thus, there is a wealth of experience and expertise regarding PvP and the competitive scene.
Gameplay of Rogue Company: Before you read the interview, you can already get a glimpse of the gameplay of the new PvP shooter here:
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Rogue Company in an Interview – What’s up with the Shooter? What’s in it? And what are the plans?
The competition is fierce in the PvP shooter genre. Numerous titles like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, CS: GO, Overwatch, Rainbow Six Siege, or Valorant vie for players’ attention.
We at MeinMMO wanted to take a closer look at the game as part of our campaign “Find Your Next Game” and ask the developers how Rogue Company is doing, how they plan to stand out from the big players, what the future plans are, or why anyone who already plays Call of Duty or Valorant should take a look at Rogue Company.
My conversation partner was Bart Koenigsberg, the Senior Brand Director of First Watch Games, and we chatted about numerous details regarding the new shooter from Hi-Rez.
Release planned for summer
MeinMMO: Are you on schedule with development? Due to Corona, it’s tough times. Many games had to delay releases or content. Will you still release in 2020?
Bart Koenigsberg: We could switch to remote work relatively painlessly. I mean, it’s not really the easiest thing in the world, but software development can also be done virtually. It hasn’t slowed us down too much. We lost a few weeks when everyone switched to work from home. […] So we had some delays, but fortunately, that won’t change our plans.
MeinMMO:So you will still release in 2020?
Bart Koenigsberg: Yes. We are still planning to release it this summer.
Why third-person?
MeinMMO: You say the focus of Rogue Company is on gunplay. Most games that focus on good gunplay offer a first-person view. You also have very detailed weapon models and animations. Why did you choose a third-person view?
Bart Koenigsberg: The game was intended from the start to be a third-person shooter. Our goal with Rogue Company is – and this also relates to the marketing position – to develop an action shooter that is also a tactical game.
There aren’t many games that are tactical action shooters because those things (action and tactics) are inherently opposites, but that’s also the goal. That’s why you also have the third-person view, evasive rolls, and covers – all these mechanics of an action game. The aim is also to make shooting feel more like in a tactical game.
While moving around in third-person, some weapons are fired from the shoulder perspective, but some also switch to a first-person scope mode. So with a high-range rifle, you’ll see a sight with a crosshair instead of the shoulder view.
Some scopes switch to first-person view
PvP modes and plans for PvE
MeinMMO:With the Rogues, you have many different personalities with interesting backgrounds. Personally, they remind me of the Expandables – almost like a kind of small family. Will there be elements in the game that allow players to delve deeper into the stories of the respective characters? Perhaps a kind of PvE mission or mode?
Bart Koenigsberg: Regarding the narrative in the game: Much of the world-building is driven by the environment and model design. There are tons of things in the individual levels that you encounter and that give you a sense of what this world is about.
Especially concerning the PvE modes: At the moment, we are experimenting with such PvE modes. They are currently more about practice; you will play against bots in these modes.
Story-driven PvE stuff is something we will look at once the game is already well underway. I think we will expand on that, but during the beta, we are focused on PvP.
MeinMMO: Okay, but are there plans for PvE content?
Bart Koenigsberg: There are plans for PvE content. We have some cool things in development. How story-driven it will be in the first 6 months of the game? Less so. As I mentioned, we will mostly work in the practice area. But then we should be able to develop story-driven PvE.
PvE content is also planned.
MeinMMO:Two game modes are already confirmed, and you’ve talked about a third in the form of King of the Hill. What else is planned? What modes? Will there be other team sizes besides 2vs2 and 4vs4? Something that I can enjoy as a solo player?
Bart Koenigsberg: As you already said: currently, there are these 2 game modes (Extraction, Wingman), everything is objective-based in this game. The mode we are experimenting with is going in the direction of King of the Hill.
[…]. Regarding solo players: that will be more of a PvE experience where only you as a single player are on the move. Initially, we won’t think much about changing the team sizes; 4vs4 is perfect for us. However, the big goal is to ensure that the game offers a variety of modes. Some of them will be limited, and some will be permanent in the game.
I also think that this will be a non-commercial part of game-as-a-service regarding: “What content do we offer?” The designers’ vision is definitely diverse modes that come in and out of the game. […]
MeinMMO: So there’s no deathmatch or battle royale planned?
Bart Koenigsberg: At the moment, there are no plans to create a mode that is not directly objective-based. Even what we consider our version of deathmatch, the “King of the Hill” mode – there is not just one life per round; respawning is involved, but it is still an objective-based mode.
And what may also relate to this question: The characters, the Rogues, are partly defined by what they do with objectives. Some characters have “area denial” or some sort of strategic gadgets. If you had that in a pure deathmatch, it would break the overall concept a bit.
Gameplay from the alpha
How does matchmaking look?
MeinMMO: What kind of matchmaking does Rogue Company use? Skill-based matchmaking? Connection-based matchmaking? A mix of both?
Bart Koenigsberg: All of that. And then you can also add platform and input method.
Because the game offers crossplay and cross-progression at launch. Thus, you will not only be matched against others based on skill, but also based on connection (regionally). And there’s also some hierarchy regarding input. For example, if you are playing on a console, you can decide to play with everyone. But if you’re on PC, you cannot choose to play only with Switch players.
Fortunately, we have already implemented all these things in our other games. Our other games also have crossplay and cross-progression, also have skill-based matchmaking and ranked ladders. So we have a solid foundation to build on. The aim is to incorporate this and then establish robust systems around ranked, party-based matchmaking, etc.
MeinMMO: But if I play on PC with a controller, I can still play with PS4 or other consoles, right?
Bart Koenigsberg: You can. As long as they choose to play with PC players. That would then be input-based matchmaking.
The maps look really nice
What are the plans for maps?
MeinMMO: You have some really cool maps. Some of them remind me of some favorites from Call of Duty. How many maps will there be at launch?
Bart Koenigsberg: Currently, we will have a number for launch. There will be at least 6. We still have to see what we can achieve exactly.
Regarding the inspiration for the maps: The goal is to provide romantic and exotic locations. The game is not just set in war-torn areas or crisis zones. The game is rather situated in a world reminiscent of Mission Impossible. For example, you might be in Paris to steal something. But it’s not a bombed Paris; it’s just Paris.
MeinMMO: Right, it looks very inviting.
Bart Koenigsberg: Exactly, that’s also the goal. They are secret agents, so there don’t need to be explosions everywhere.
MeinMMO: Are the mapssymmetrical or asymmetrical?
Bart Koenigsberg: There are both. When developing a game, you experiment with both. Over time, we have succeeded with both types of maps. So when you play Rogue Company, you will find traditional 3-lane maps – some of them symmetrical, some asymmetrical. There are also some 2-lane maps. But I believe that the majority of the maps being worked on are asymmetrical.
Another map from Rogue Company
Plans for content after launch
MeinMMO: You talk about ongoing content for Rogue Company that will be added regularly. How will that happen? Through seasons? With a battle pass?
Bart Koenigsberg: Fortunately, this is also something where we already have experience from our other games that we can build on.
Basically, you hit the nail on the head. There will be seasons in the form of releases of additional characters; we will also have battle passes. These will be more for cosmetic items and thematically inspired. In a season, a series of Rogues will be released, and in the battle pass, a series of cosmetics like emojis and such things. This is how it is roughly organized.
Besides that, there will also be cosmetics for weapons, wing suits, character skins. A lot of cool stuff for customization.
MeinMMO: If you introduce new weapons or so, will that be freely available?
Bart Koenigsberg: In all our games, everything that affects gameplay is limited to “Non-Gate” currency. Specifically, in this game, that means: If you unlock a Rogue, you won’t go through a second progression system to unlock all their gadgets or weapons.
A Rogue is a unique collection of weapons, gadgets, and perks that exist on a “per match” basis. You purchase items in a shop, and you earn the currency through your actions in the respective match. So if you got 2 downs in a round, you earn more money to buy other things for the next round.
The Rogue Dima
MeinMMO: Will there be microtransactions? Yes, there will be a range of cosmetics that can be purchased. However, this won’t be done during matches, but in the store. Everything is purely cosmetic, for customization and personalization. There are no loot boxes or anything like that. We focus more on rotating store offerings rather than a randomly determined way of purchasing items. That’s the plan.
What makes Rogue Company special?
MeinMMO: There is a lot of competition in this genre (PvP shooters). There are CoD: Warzone, Overwatch, Valorant, CS: GO – just to name a few. How do you plan to differentiate yourself? Why should someone who already plays Call of Duty or Valorant go and try Rogue Company?
Bart Koenigsberg: That’s a good question. One that we think about a lot. It also ties into an answer I already gave before – with the marketing position.
What makes the game unique is that it attempts to merge two genres that are inherently opposites, namely action and tactics. That’s what we’re hoping for.
There are some prominent third-person shooter games that are successful. But not in this specific area (mix of tactics and action). There isn’t much that focuses on really tight gunplay and is not primarily defined by other things aside from aiming. If you think of other third-person shooters – they often use the third-person view for totally outlandish, bombastic things instead of making the game a core shooter.
That’s what we want to do. It’s a game for third-person shooter fans. But it also has all the action elements like zip lines, evasive rolls, cover. The TTK is a bit higher; it’s not a “one-tap style” game. Your characters are relatively fast […].
There is no shortage of action
We believe this is a unique market position. There’s not much that competes in this specific area. This area… You almost have to take us by the hand and believe that it exists. Because basically, it’s like I’m saying, “Okay, I’m making firewater.” It’s these opposing things that are being brought together to achieve a perfect result. And we’re very happy with it.
MeinMMO: What does the progression system look like? Do I unlock more characters, weapons, attachments, skills, or perks? Is there direct character or weapon progression? For example, do I reach level X and get a new outfit or new cosmetics?
Bart Koenigsberg: Basically, yes, to everything. Throughout a match, you can earn currency and make your Rogue more powerful during the respective match. You will also receive a XP-based, time-based currency when playing Rogue Company. With that, you will be able to unlock characters and a variety of items.
Additionally, there will be a real-money currency that you can use to buy cosmetics, characters, etc. Cosmetics can also be earned through the battle pass, which consists of a free and a premium tier.
We are also working on things like mastery systems for characters. For example, you can reach level 20 as Ronin, which offers its own set of rewards. If you master a Rogue, there is a range of cosmetics, like an in-game spray, attached to that.
We are also working on mastery systems for weapons. For example, you can become a shotgun expert or earn your gold camo for a sniper rifle if you are dedicated enough. Those are the major systems.
Some fire guns from Rogue Company
MeinMMO:Just a somewhat out-of-the-blue question: Can you pick up weapons from dead enemies?
Bart Koenigsberg: Yes, you can. The weapons that drop stay on the ground for a while. Every character can use any weapon. But not every character starts with the same weapon. You do have a specific offer on what a character can access in the store. But you can use anything you find on the map.
Each Rogue also has a set of perks to choose from, as well as 2 different gadgets. Usually, one is lethal and one is non-lethal, like a smoke grenade and a fragment grenade. Perks are not items per se and belong to the respective character. However, you drop the gadgets when you get knocked out. And others can then use those.
For very ambitious fighters, ranked play will also come
How about ranked play?
MeinMMO: Will there be leaderboards, leagues, or ranked play? I believe you’ve mentioned ranked play before. What do you have to offer for eSports enthusiasts?
Bart Koenigsberg: Oh yes, with SMITE and Paladins we have had some successes with eSports leagues and we would be happy to do the same with Rogue Company – provided there is interest from the community. Hi-Rez and First Watch Games primarily make “player versus player” service games that are based on the competitive aspect.
[…] But it could be that when we launch the game, we’ll have masses of players who want a full-fledged PvE mode. Then we would work more on that rather than establish an eSports league. […] That’s how we approach things in this area.
However, we have a considerable eSports department across Hi-Rez that handles eSports for SMITE and Paladins. So we definitely have the foundation needed for that. The plan doesn’t aim to dive headfirst into a league in the first year. However, if players want it, we would be ready to support it.
The current plan is to release the game with a queue in matchmaking and later this year to introduce ranks. Maybe also the beginning of next year. Depending on the community’s priorities. After that, custom modes and spectator support will come.
The competition is fierce – also from Valorant
What does Rogue Company say about direct competition?
MeinMMO: Who do you see as your biggest competitors?
Bart Koenigsberg: I think our biggest competitor as an indie game is essentially the industry. You know, if you don’t spend 400 million on marketing, someone else will. That’s a big factor. You have to find the right spot for your game so that it’s not overshadowed by some gigantic triple-A launch.
But apart from that, it’s most of the titles you’ve already mentioned (Warzone, Valorant, CS: GO, Rainbow Six Siege, Overwatch). The shooter genre is crowded, and some of those titles are really massive. And they are released by massive publishers.
The question essentially is: Does our unique attempt to merge the two fundamentally different aspects of the shooter genre manage to attract players’ attention? So far, we’re very confident.
Another area where we see our chances is in full crossplay and cross-progression, which is quite unique concerning launch features. The game is also available on Switch and runs there with 60 FPS, which is also very unique. Here, we are very excited.
The opportunities also lie in being everywhere (on all platforms) and performing well everywhere. The game will not run below 60 FPS on any platform. […] We have already made shooters in the past, and we know where players become sentimental. And performance is a big part of that. The game is built from the ground up to be everywhere and to run well everywhere. While that’s not the easiest thing in the world, we did our best.
Amazon’s Crucible has flopped
MeinMMO:We have already partly talked about this. But some big and ambitious projects have failed with at least somewhat similar concepts – like Amazon’s Crucible. What gives you the feeling that you are heading in the right direction with Rogue Company?
Bart Koenigsberg: One of the most important things is: We are very aware of what this game really is and what we are trying to do.
And what we’re trying to do is a round and objective-based game that is character-driven – regarding personality. But it’s a core shooter; the skills of the characters do not define the game.
So why would one want to keep playing Rogue Company? For the same reason you enjoy playing other core shooters: It’s fun, you learn the maps, you unlock things, you improve, and in the end, you might even get really good. That’s how we see it, rather than saying: “Oh, we’re changing everything you know about arena game modes,” or something like that.
The ambition behind it is to provide a truly fun core shooter experience while having interesting, exciting characters. It’s much less about fundamentally changing – for example, how you think about battle royale.
As a company, we have a very good foundation to develop this kind of game, and we extend our wings into other areas like gameplay or character interaction rather than extremely ambitious game modes. Because those are hit or miss. Battle royale has changed the industry, but how many other modes haven’t?
We are very optimistic; it’s basically like soul food. You recognize all the ingredients and it doesn’t matter how we changed them. You will like how it tastes in the end.
Against cheaters, you will be well prepared
What does Rogue Company do against cheaters?
MeinMMO: Cheaters are a big problem in PvP shooters – especially when they are free-to-play. Do you have concrete plans against cheating? Any special measures?
Bart Koenigsberg: Certainly. The game will be distributed via the Epic Games Store and will be equipped with Easy Anti-Cheat, which is their anti-cheat client. We actually use this for most of our games.
And then we have some additional measures, but as you can probably imagine, no one really wants to talk about them in detail. However, we’ve been quite successful with SMITE and Paladins regarding cheaters. We don’t think our games are plagued by them. At least that’s what the community and the data tell us. We want to continue that with Rogue Company.
Here you can get more insights into Rogue Company from the developers:
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I must admit that I only recently became aware of Rogue Company. However, after delving into it more intensively for a while and clarifying some open questions with the developers, I am now all the more excited about this ambitious mix of action shooting and tactical play.
I find the visuals cool, the arsenal makes me eager for more, and the characters shown so far are really distinctive and successful overall. Those who love tactical shooters like CS: GO or Rainbow Six Siege, whose hearts beat for hero shooters like Overwatch, or who can get excited about the still-young Valorant should definitely keep an eye on Rogue Company.
Here, shooter fans could find a really cool experience waiting that is to be continued over a long time and filled with content. Even those who are fed up with battle royale and the regular triple-A installments of various game franchises could find a quick and fun diversion here.
Sven Galitzki Shooter expert at Mein-MMO
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Division 2 (PC, PS4, Xbox One) has received a new raid. In this, you face off against the True Sons. How is the new challenge being perceived by players?
What is the raid about? Operation Iron Horse is the name of the latest raid for the online shooter The Division 2. The True Sons have attacked a foundry near Washington D.C. and have taken it under their control. There, they are expanding their arsenal of weapons and are apparently planning an attack on the city.
You set out in a group of eight to reclaim the foundry and push the True Sons out of the area. You will encounter new boss enemies, each of which has its own mechanics.
Operation Iron Horse lets you face off against the True Sons.
You must be level 40 to participate (the raid variant starting at level 30 will begin later).
There is no suggested SHD level, but the higher your score, the stronger you are.
The raid resets weekly.
There are exotic weapons like the rifle Ravenous and the pistol Regulus, as well as the Foundry Bulwark Gear Set and the Future Initiative Gear Set available.
The new raid from The Division 2 is receiving good feedback, even though there are some problems.
What do players think about Operation Iron Horse? The mood in the community is somewhat heated, partly because players feel that the developers are leaking information to certain groups to ensure they enjoy advantages such as World Firsts.
kenni writes on Twitter: “It’s a shame that your developers still leak information to certain players to ensure they receive World Firsts. What’s the point in allowing other players to play when it’s only meant for a handful of people?”
Rogue agrees and states: “That’s true, they did the same with the Dark Hours.”
darren davies writes: “They shouldn’t allow these cheaters to play because they have Hamish in their clan, he will feed them information.” This refers to Hamish Bode, Content Lead at Massive (Ubisoft).
However, there is no evidence that employees at Ubisoft are genuinely providing teams with information that gives them advantages in The Division 2. However, some players seem convinced of this.
Additionally, some are frustrated that there is still no matchmaking for the raid with Operation Iron Horse.
BigB comments: “And again. No matchmaking for the raid. Didn’t you learn anything?”
James TheEndOfDays Matthews writes: “Too bad I can’t take down the vicious to hit Hellfire, because there is no MATCHMAKING!!!!”
Generally, however, the new raid seems to be going down well with players. The challenging difficulty is also praised.
Angel aka Hōrō-sha Sunīkā mentions on Twitter: “What a challenge. Anyone who thinks differently should just quit playing and find another game to complain about.”
Murdoc_112_zA writes: “It was really fun. Believe me, it was better than Dark Hours. It just requires a lot of concentration and communication. We couldn’t get past the second boss. But we really worked hard to figure out how to make it. So we’ll definitely try again.”
What do you think about the raid Operation Iron Horse? Do you like it?
In the Call of Duty: Warzone there is a new contract: Supply Run. With this mission, you can secure strong advantages, check out the details here on MeinMMO.
What kind of contract is this? In Call of Duty: Warzone, not only does shooting annoying enemies provide progress towards victory, but contracts can provide significant advantages. With the “Season 4 Reloaded”-update from June 30th, a new contract came to the battle royale, and it’s damn strong again.
When you activate the “Hamstern” contract, it marks a buy station nearby. It doesn’t have to be the next one, there can also be another one that is a bit further away. You then have exactly 2 minutes to reach this station and complete the contract.
You only need to walk near the station. In a critical situation, you do not need to interact with the buy station, you only need to glide past it. Once you have defeated the attackers, you should still head to the station afterward. Because upon receiving the cash reward from the mission, you have only claimed half of the reward.
New contract is damn strong – Hamstern in the Warzone
What do I get for completing it? In addition to the cash, the station goes into a “shot sale” mode for your entire team. This allows you to purchase some of the most essential items in the Warzone at a significantly reduced price, sometimes even for free. Here is the price list:
80%-discount on selected brand items and free revives. Source: YouTube
Armor Bundle – $300
Gas Mask – $600
Cluster Strike – $600
Precision Airstrike – $700
UAV – $800
Self-Revive Kit – Free
Ammunition Box – $1,000
Armor Box – $1,200
Reviving buddies is also free
As a base reward, you receive $1,000 cash on the spot. Based on your contract bonus, it can also be more. Additionally, you earn some XP for your level, your weapons, and the battle pass.
Free revives are the best
Why should I always take this? Although the cash is comparatively low, the rewards at the discount station are really strong.
If you target the contract right from the start, you can secure a self-revive token within the first minutes of the match. A helpful item that is even stronger with some tricks.
Large teams with 4 people can save $18,000 and even get at least an additional $4,000 as pocket money. If a team member dies while completing the contract: Not a problem – the revive is available for free.
However, you can only use the discount station once. Once you have selected a discounted item, you will exit the menu, and when you activate the station again, the “greed is good” action is over. Unfortunately, you cannot organize an “infinite” drone until the end of the match, as with a real “shot sale”.
The self-revive kit helps with survival. Of course, you especially like to take it for free.
What do the other contracts bring? With the “Supply Run”, the 5th contract is now integrated into the Warzone. Currently, in addition to “Hamstern”, there are:
Recon – Shows a preview of the gas circle
Most Wanted – After completion, all fallen team members return, but you are visible on the map
Scavenger – Sequentially loot 3 marked loot boxes
Bounty – Enemy target is marked and must be eliminated
These missions offer good therapeutic activities during the sometimes rather dull mid-games and you can collect a lot of cash and advantages. There is something for almost every play style, and you can even use the contracts to set traps for other teams.
The strategy of one of the most successful Warzone players aims, for example, at completing a lot of contracts at the start of the match to prepare for the endgame as quickly as possible. The “Supply Run” is likely to further support such tactics.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Some players in Destiny 2 have slowly come to terms with the fact that they will someday have to replace their favorite weapons. But the idea of losing their armors still doesn’t make sense to them. They see it as pointless and an unnecessary grind. Now there is a hint from Bungie.
Every legendary armor and weapon will have an expiration date from the time of their appearance. Once a weapon or armor appears in Destiny 2, it can be leveled up to the current maximum power level for one year, but not thereafter. The weapon or armor then stagnates and is no longer an optimal choice for endgame content:
At the moment, weapons and armors can still be upgraded to the current max level – they do not become outdated. But the maximum achievable level is already visible.
Soon there will be a time when weapons and armors can be maintained for a year – but afterwards they will no longer reach their full potential.
So far, players have mainly complained that Bungie wants to take away “their favorite weapons”. After all, every weapon in Destiny 2 is more or less unique due to the gunplay. However, this debate has calmed down somewhat.
This is the problem: What many players still cannot understand is the necessity to eventually replace “legendary armors”. After all, they hardly have any influence on the game, as a user explained on reddit (via reddit).
It should not matter whether you use a helm with high stats from Season 2 or look for a new helm now – it doesn’t change the gameplay
What particularly annoys Guardians is that they have invested many materials into their helm to upgrade it to a masterpiece – it would hurt to lose such armors
If something should be removed from the game, it should rather be exotic armors, as they at least have an impact with their unique perks
The “weapon retirement” regarding armors is generally viewed critically on reddit. Many Guardians see this as an artificial grind that only serves to keep them engaged.
Bungie hears many complaints about masterpiece armor retirement
This is what Bungie says: Community Manager Cozmo spoke up on reddit. He says the team has heard the feedback regarding the weapon retirement of weapons and armors.
Especially concerning the “legendary armors,” they seem to be receiving a lot of feedback, addressing the point that Guardians have invested many materials into masterpiece armors and are upset that they will no longer be optimal in endgame.
Cozmo says: If they have more information, they will share it. This is at least a hint that Bungie is aware of the problem and might be working on a solution.
Our author Sven views the weapon retirement critically.
The topic of “weapon retirement” has been a concern for Guardians in Destiny 2 for several months now, even though it is still a bit away. Our Destiny expert Sven Galitzki has addressed this topic in an opinion piece:
A jungler with medium range is coming to League of Legends. We will show you everything we know about Lillia before the release.
Who is it about? League of Legends will soon receive a new jungle champion. This was hinted at in the roadmap published by Riot Games in early June. Datamining has already revealed the name “Lillia”, which is directly associated with the jungler.
In the “big summer event”, you can already try out the jungler.
We summarize here what we already know about the new champion for LoL.
Riot describes her character in the roadmap as “shy”. One can search for her in the jungle, but it should be quiet and not scare her.
“… if we scare her, she might throw something at us that clouds our vision and makes it blurry,” describes the lead champion producer Reav3 the champ. He then continues in the text that the world slows down. Then he falls asleep during the description.
Mysterious voice lines have also been found on the PBE servers, reports DotEsports. It says:
“They took your home, Lillia.” “Never forget this loss. Do not forget this loss. Let it flow through you.”
“Poor lost souls coming into bloom…” says another voice. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
You can listen to these leaked voices on soundcloud.com.
What are Lillia’s abilities?
This has been hinted at: Based on the story in the roadmap, it is suspected that Lillia can put her opponents to sleep with her abilities. This could work similarly to the “Sleep Bubble Alarm” of Zoe. This attack first makes opponents drowsy and then puts them into a slumber.
However, Lillia may also have a completely new mechanic that has not been present in the game before.
It is also known that Lillia will be a “ranged champion with medium range”. Initially, it was unclear whether the champ should be an assassin or a ranged champion.
When is Lillia’s release?
This is what Riot says: Also in the roadmap, Riot Games announced that one will have the opportunity to try out the two new champions from the roadmap during a big summer event in July.
It is assumed that the second champion is Yone.
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While there is not yet a specific release date, hints on the PBE server have led to speculation. A new item called “Lillia’s Haiku” was found there. It reads that Lillia was found in the woods. According to the description, this item can be opened on July 22 at 9:00 PM German time.
Update 7.7.: This is what Lillia looks like: By now, Riot Games has officially shown the new heroine Lillia in a teaser trailer.
In Valorant there are better and worse agents. However, one was at the bottom of the rankings throughout the beta and only reappeared more often in the game with the release version: The dark agent Omen. We at MeinMMO explain how good Omen is now and why professionals regularly include him in their teams.
Which agent is it? Omen is one of the agents from Valorant who was already part of the beta. The dark champion is clearly inspired by Reaper from Overwatch in his design and has some similar skills. Omen can also move silently through shadows and appear in unexpected places.
Furthermore, skills like Paranoia, which removes visibility for nearby opponents, and the skill “Dark Veil,” which creates a large shadow sphere, are included. Additionally, Omen, with his dark design and his malicious nihilistic quotes, is the prototype of the term “edgy.”
Omen from Valorant does look a bit like Reaper from Overwatch, doesn’t he?
However, Omen was quite the flop in the beta. His skills were too loud for subtle deployments and were also well telegraphed to the opponent. Often, Omen’s attempts to sneak up unnoticed ended with a well-aimed shot from his opponents, who already knew where he would appear.
This rightly earned him the lowest position in many tier lists in Valorant during the beta. However, with the release version of Valorant, this suddenly changed.
That’s why Omen is so good now
What has changed with Omen: Since the release of Valorant, Omen has gone from the underdog to a standout. Top player shroud praised Omen’s performance, which he has shown since extensive patches at the launch of Valorant:
The skill “Paranoia” is now equipped instead of being cast directly – This makes it tactically more versatile, as you no longer have to time exactly when to unleash the skill. You can now just run around with the skill on standby and “fire” it when needed.
When using the skill “Dark Veil,” you can see through walls and better deploy the shadow sphere.
The target of “Clouded Steps” is now visible to Omen on the minimap and in the game world beforehand.
The ultimate “From the Shadows” can now be canceled if it turns out that teleporting right now is a really bad idea.
All these innovations have overall elevated Omen’s skill kit to a new level and made the agent much more useful.
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What are Omen’s new advantages: In the weeks since the patch, Omen has become increasingly popular among top players. The player Hiko, captain of the team 100 Thieves, recently praised Omen in a stream:
For example, the skill Paranoia, which drastically limits the visibility of all affected opponents, is worth its weight in gold as an equipped and freely usable ability. It is one of the best methods to blind entire groups of opponents and make them easy targets. According to Hiko, it is just “insane!” Particularly because you won’t automatically hit your teammates if you aim well.
The second super important ability of Omen is his “Bubble” called “Dark Veil.” This creates a large, hollow sphere of darkness. This is extremely important to protect yourself from snipers and to snipe out of cover yourself. Additionally, the skill is free and also recharges after 30 seconds!
According to Hiko, these two skills make Omen an agent that should actually be in every pro team.
Omen shows strong 1vs5 play and wins
The impressive way the new Omen deals with opponents is highlighted by a player’s experience named “Maf14wastaken,” which he posted on reddit. He faces an absurd overwhelming force of 5 opponents after his team has been wiped out, leaving only him standing.
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As seen in this video, the player uses Omen’s skills with maximum effectiveness to confuse the opponents and never make it clear where he is and from where he will strike.
The completely overwhelmed enemies are gradually attacked from unexpected directions and eliminated. If that’s not a good reason to unlock Omen as the new agent on the next pick…
What do you think of Omen? Is he your secret alter ego, or does your heart secretly beat for other agents from Valorant? Or are you closer to one of the heroes than you thought? Find out and take part in our quiz. Find out which agent in Valorant you secretly are.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The research breakthrough in July brings Pokémon GO the monster Larvitar! We will tell you if the breakthrough is worth it this month.
What is the research breakthrough? You get this feature every time you have completed a field research for 7 days. On the 7th day, you can open a box that brings you a Pokémon encounter and items.
After there was Snubbull in June, Larvitar is now waiting for you in July.
Research breakthrough with Larvitar in July
When is the breakthrough available? You will receive Larvitar from the breakthrough starting July 1 at 10 PM German time. So if you complete a quest before 10 PM and open the box, Snubbull is still waiting for you.
The breakthrough is available for one month and will disappear on August 1 at 10 PM.
With luck, you might get a Shiny Larvitar
Is Larvitar worth it in the breakthrough? The Pokémon can be encountered as Shiny, and its final evolution Tyranitar is among the best attackers of Rock and Dark type. All of this speaks in favor of Larvitar.
On the other hand, it has already had a Community Day and many trainers probably have more than enough candies already. The Shiny form is also no longer really special.
If you missed the Community Day, then the breakthrough may indeed please you.
Trainers demand legendary: With Larvitar, the next Pokémon appears in the breakthrough that is not legendary. While we had legendary Pokémon in the breakthrough regularly last year, there have been no legendary Pokémon for months now.
Runminndor writes on reddit: “Month number 11, in which Niantic realizes that it is not profitable to give us a pathetic legendary Pokémon every week and instead gives us crap.”
However, there are also trainers who are happy about the breakthrough: “I’m happy with it, because I missed the Community Day with Larvitar and don’t see any here otherwise.”
What else is there? In July, many more events are waiting for you. This includes 4 spotlight hours that are already known. There are exciting Pokémon waiting for you that will spawn more frequently for one hour.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Riot Games’ online shooter Valorant, an exploit has been discovered that is so severe that the developers must lock an entire map.
What exploit is it?Agent Reyna was able to sneak under the platforms on the C-Site of the Haven map using her Dismiss ability. She essentially disappeared under the map and could then easily plant the Spike bomb.
In this way, she was even able to attach the bomb in the platform where it could not be defused.
Only if an opposing Reyna also exploited this did the other team have an effective countermeasure.
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How is Riot Games responding? The development team has now removed the Haven map from the competitive pool. It is no longer possible to play on it until the exploit is fixed.
Why did the entire map have to be locked? It is a somewhat more complicated issue. Riot Games is not sure when the map can be made available again. To prevent the problem from being exploited further in the meantime, Haven has been temporarily removed.
The team states:
We were made aware of an exploit on Haven and have disabled it in the queue while we prepare a fix overnight. The map will be re-added to the rotation as soon as we are convinced that the exploit has been resolved.
How long has the exploit existed? According to players, it has been possible for about a week for Reyna to plant the bomb unnoticed through the exploit.
Riot Games seems to have general issues with the Haven map. Because even before the Reyna exploit, Agent Omen was able to unfairly exploit his teleportation ability to teleport onto the platform, placing the bomb in a location unreachable for others.
On May 20, Amazon released the online shooter Crucible on Steam. However, the game was received poorly. 43 days later, the company pulls the plug and reverts the online game back to beta status.
What happened at the launch of Crucible?The launch on May 20 did not go well. Due to technical issues, the game in Europe only launched on the morning of May 21. Subsequently, there was a lot of criticism that continues even today. This includes a lack of optimization and poor performance, the minimap and chat options are missing. The matchmaking is also criticized, as it is not easy to find suitable players.
Nevertheless, some believe that the Free2Play hero shooter Crucible could become a really good online shooter with a bit more work, not needing to hide behind big names like Apex Legends and Fortnite. However, significantly more fine-tuning is required.
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With the launch trailer, Amazon announced the release of the shooter Crucible.
Back to Beta for Amazon’s Crucible
How is Amazon responding now? According to Steamcharts, the player count of Crucible has dropped from a peak of 10,600 to just 183 in the last 24 hours, and the rating on Steam remains at a persistent criticism level of 43%.
Now, the developers have decided to put Crucible back into beta.
Today, on July 1, at 6 PM, the game will go into beta. It will then no longer be possible for new players to download and play it via Steam for the time being. However, existing players who already have Crucible can continue to play normally.
For Crucible, it’s back to the drawing board. Among other things, the following improvements and additions are planned:
Voice and text chat
A solution for AFK players
Better tutorials
Improvements to the combat system
Minimap
Custom games
Performance optimizations
Better matchmaking
What does the beta mean? During the new beta phase, the developers are working on improvements for the online shooter Crucible.
The team said:
We are establishing a community council made up of beta participants from all types of gameplay, from casual to high-performance players, with whom we will work particularly closely. One of the biggest changes you will see is that we will schedule a specific time each week for us as developers to play with the community and solicit feedback.
Colin Johanson, Franchise Lead
Crucible, Amazon’s online shooter, has to go back to beta.
What do players think about the situation? Even though the situation seems absurd and it is unusual to revert a released game back to beta, players are actually responding quite positively:
ottoginc explains on reddit: “This is something I’ve never experienced. A game reverting back to a closed beta status? That means something. I’m not quite sure, but it seems like there is still hope.”
BmoreBreezy writes: “A smart move, and I’m sure it wasn’t easy to make. The future of the game will be better for it.”
Serpientesolida87 thinks this should have happened sooner: “So they finally considered going to beta. Sad that it took them so damn long to change their minds, but better late than never.”
TheNihilistGaming doesn’t see it quite so positively: “This could mean a slow demise of the game.”
When will Crucible return? There is currently no date for the new launch. The developers only state that the new version will be based on the feedback of the testers.
July 2020 brings Pokémon GO once again 4 spotlight hours. We will show you all the Pokémon that will appear in this context and reveal the corresponding bonuses.
What are spotlight hours? These events take place regularly on Tuesday evenings and always focus on a specific Pokémon.
In July, 4 such hours are waiting for you, and the Pokémon that will appear there are already known.
Dates for spotlight hours in July 2020
When does the spotlight hour take place? The event runs every Tuesday at 6:00 PM local time. It runs for exactly one hour each time.
Every Tuesday this month also gets a spotlight hour. So keep your Tuesday evenings free.
Tuesday, July 7, 2020
What bonuses are available here? On this day, everything revolves around Swablu. Additionally, you will receive double the amount of candy when you transfer Pokémon.
What bonuses are available here? On July 14, Zubat is in the spotlight and appears more frequently everywhere. Additionally, there is double the amount of XP when you evolve Pokémon.
Zubat is also already available as Shiny in the game and is not that common. Here you have the chance of a fairly rare Shiny.
Tuesday, July 21, 2020
What bonuses are available here? This spotlight hour features Myrapla. In addition, there is double Stardust when catching Pokémon.
Myrapla can be caught as Shiny, and you need 4 of them if you want to complete the family. So the spotlight hour should be worth it.
Tuesday, July 28, 2020
What bonuses are available here? Here everything revolves around Bamelin. Additionally, there are double XP when catching Pokémon.
Bamelin is the only Pokémon on the list that cannot be Shiny yet. So we can only hope that the Pokémon will be introduced as Shiny before the event, as then the hour would be worthwhile.
Bamelin is currently not available as Shiny.
In July, there is also a three-week event marathon waiting for you, which is meant to prepare for the upcoming GO Fest. There you will need to solve special research tasks and can look forward to new Pokémon.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Winning a duel against level 60 players at level 10? As a rogue in WoW Classic, it is possible – you just need an evasion value of 117%.
In World of Warcraft Classic, Azeroth is not yet as well-balanced as it is in later versions of the game. Even though the corruption effects in Retail allow for insane damage output, the really nasty outliers are in Classic. Like a rogue at level 10 who can win duels against level 60 characters. Because he is simply invulnerable.
What can be seen? The colleagues from Buffed have dug up a video from the player and YouTuber Exehn. On his night elf rogue, he has achieved an impressive feat. The rogue Exehnr cannot be hit anymore, as she has an evasion value of a staggering 117%. Although the rogue is only at level 10, other characters simply cannot hit her with many frontal attacks.
This was proven in several duels against rogues and druids. While Exehnr herself rarely hits for a few damage points, that is still more than her opponents – as they never land a hit.
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How is this possible? The character has extremely many items that inherently provide agility. Since agility is converted into evasion and each point of agility brings a lot of evasion at level 10, one can raise this value to unforeseen heights. Combined with the right enchantments, potions, and buffs, this results in a value of 117%. Such values cannot be achieved at higher levels.
We also reported on Exehnr a few months ago. Back then, he was in the Deadmines and defeated the final boss VanCleef solo at level 10. Because he only has melee attacks, he has no chance against the un-hittable rogue.
Untouchable – simply nasty!
Can the rogue still be defeated?
Is the rogue really immortal? No. He simply cannot be hit by melee attacks. Spells and ranged attacks still harm the rogue and have their full effect. Furthermore, evasion is only possible as long as you are looking in the direction of the enemy. If a character were to attack from behind, the entire evasion value would disappear and Exehnr would likely die after a few hits.
How this plays out in PvP, you can see here:
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Nevertheless, it is still a cool achievement that definitely shows what is possible in World of Warcraft Classic if you pursue a goal using all possible means.
Currently, the servers are down in FIFA 20, online play is not possible. Online features like Ultimate Team will be available again starting at noon.
How long are the servers down? As EA Sports announced on Twitter on Wednesday morning, there were short-term maintenance works scheduled for the servers. EA did not provide the exact reason for the maintenance.
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The maintenance works are scheduled between 08:00 and 12:00 German time. Match creation in Ultimate Team was already deactivated half an hour before. During maintenance, there may be problems reaching EA servers in FIFA 19 and FIFA 20.
Web App also unavailable
Web App and Companion App affected: The Web App and Companion App for FIFA 20 are currently also unavailable. Therefore, you cannot open packs or engage in the transfer market at this time. The SBCs of the current Summer Heat Events, which are very rewarding in total, have to wait a bit.
If you currently access the Web App, you may receive a message indicating that you need to link your EA account with a FUT-20 club. However, this is likely related to the ongoing maintenance and should resolve itself afterward.
This message may currently appear to you in the Web App
Everything should be running normally again by 12:00 noon, unless unexpected complications arise. Recently, a new update raised the spirits of FIFA fans: Title Update 19 finally brought the long-awaited card filter for the transfer market.
Many fans have wished for the card filter for years; it should now be included in FIFA 21 from the start. If you want to make use of the server downtime, you can check here which talents in FIFA 21 need to become significantly stronger than in FIFA 20.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Fortnite the summer mood has broken out. In the new event “Summer Splash”, everything revolves around vacation vibes, beach, and sun.
This is the new event: The island in Fortnite has apparently quickly come to terms with the all-consuming flood, as summer has broken out. After the new update that brought the Flare Gun and hints at Captain America, the “Summer Splash 2020” event will run until the end of Season 3.
Summer has broken out
New Skins and Game Modes for the Summer
What does Summer Splash bring? The Summer Splash mainly comes with summery skins and game modes. Among other things, there will be outfits suitable for the beach. For example, the “Cozy Biter” – a shark costume that fits perfectly with the nasty predators on the map.
Additionally, there will be outfits like:
Par Patrol
Summer Drift
Beach Bomber
But skins are not all that the Summer Splash brings.
New skins come with the event
New Limited Time Modes (LTMs): With the start of Season 3, the LTMs that kept you busy during the last agent season in the form of various operations have come to an end. Now, some classic LTMs are returning. These include:
Fog of War (formerly known as: “Sneaky Silencer”)
Close Quarters
Out of the Vault
Catch!
These are set to be expanded with new features for the Summer Splash. Additionally, upcoming updates will bring completely new LTMs.
Among them is a new version of Operation: Knockout. This mode is known from the Spy Game: You competed as a four-person team or duo in direct duels and fought your way through a tournament tree.
Moreover, the LTMs will be supplemented by a so-called “Let Them Bite” Royale and a “Game with Upgrades Driven by Eliminations” (via Epic), which will be shown in the coming weeks!
The Battle Royale mode is not the only area of Fortnite with news. “Save the World” has also seen changes: It has now left Early Access but will not be free – many players had actually expected exactly that.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
