Today, on May 26, the new episode “No Mercy” was released in Guild Wars 2. MeinMMO author Alexander Leitsch was able to play it in advance with the developers. He is thrilled about the episode because it is truly brutal.
What kind of update is this? The new episode “No Mercy” continues the story of the Icebrood Saga. It is available for about 3 months for free and brings a host of new content, including:
This update offers what players are accustomed to from previous episodes.
But “No Mercy” differs from other updates. The new map brings features from World vs. World into PvE for the first time. The civil war among the Charr escalates, and things get quite brutal at times. Even beloved characters suddenly stand against me.
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What happens on the map? The new map “Mistwood Coast” is completely geared towards war. There are a total of 9 zones, one of which represents our base, while 7 others can be conquered by us. Only in the middle is a neutral zone with calm fauna.
The meta-event is entirely about dominance on the map:
From the Umbral Cave, players launch a campaign against the camps of the Charr Overlords. This is the new alliance of the Charr that takes up arms against our four known legions.
They spread out over 2 “lanes”, one team goes left through the forest along with the Ash and Flame Legion, while another team goes right over the beach alongside Iron and Blood.
The objective is to conquer 4 outposts of the Charr.
In the fifth and final area, the finale of the meta-event will take place, provided all other areas are controlled.
The special thing about the map-wide event is that the outposts are constantly under attack. Sometimes Charr appear for recapture, and sometimes there are airstrikes. You can also be pushed back in progress if an outpost is lost.
The new map, divided into 9 zones. Blue is controlled by the players, red belongs to the Charr.
The sieges: For the war atmosphere, I use siege weapons from WvW on the map such as battering rams, ballistae, or arrow carts. These can be built and purchased using Charr supplies, the currency of the map.
The currency can be obtained through:
Mining nodes (also for the home instance)
Event rewards
and as random drops.
Friends become enemies: The war on the map is a civil war of the Charr. Some familiar faces from the allied legions have defected to Bangar Bloodfist, the former leader of the Blood Legion.
The Charr in Guild Wars 2 are currently in a civil war.
A special moment: If I succeed in the meta-event, I can first go hunt champions on the map, similar to Dragonfall.
However, after a timer expires, a special spectacle occurs: With the help of airstrikes, the enemy Charr retake the entire map. This is accompanied by the howling of sirens and many explosions.
About the Author: Alexander Leitsch is responsible for MMORPGs at MeinMMO. In Guild Wars 2, he has already spent over 7,700 hours of gameplay.
From 2013 until early 2020, he was also responsible for the GW2 fansite Guildnews.de.
The civil war is a challenge, even for the commander
At this point, we would like to briefly summarize what has happened so far and how the entry into the episode proceeds. We won’t reveal anything about further content and possible twists.
What happens in the story? I am summoned to the camp of the Charr because there is a problem: deserters. Many supporters of the allied legions wonder if Bangar is not the better leader.
The Charr boasts a victory over the dragon champion Drakkar, one that I actually achieved. At the same time, his apparent goal of fighting the Elder Dragon Jormag seems more impressive than the waiting attitude of my allies and me.
Accordingly, Bangar’s troops have grown significantly, and his army is advancing further and further. Now it’s up to me to turn the tide.
Bangar Bloodfist, the current enemy of the Icebrood Saga.
Upon arriving at the Charr camp, I should help restore morale. But upon my arrival, the Iron Legion immediately executes 3 deserters. Not a good starting point for restoring morale.
At least some humans pledge allegiance to the alliance with the Charr and send reinforcements. Two familiar faces reappear: Kasmeer Meade and Logan Thackeray.
Deserters, war, fear, and the senseless dying of the Charr preoccupy me throughout the episode. Even I find myself facing a questionable decision in the course of the story:
How far am I allowed to go in war?
Mastery brings new PvE skills
What does the mastery of the episode bring? Through the new masteries, each player receives two special skills that can only be used in PvE:
The Electromagnetic Pulse deals damage, stuns enemies for 2 seconds, and slows them for 5 seconds. It can hit up to 10 targets.
The Remote Detonated Charge can be placed and triggered when an enemy steps on it. It deals damage and burning, and also throws targets up. Here too, 10 targets will be hit.
The skills come with 3, or 5 uses for the explosive charge from the “Special Action” slot. You can obtain them for 10 War Supplies each at way stations.
The cool thing about it is: You can purchase a portable way station from the vendor for 25 War Supplies. With this, you can use the skill on other maps as well. However, each way station can only be set up once, but it can be used by all players.
These are the three masteries.
Many rewards round off the episode
What rewards are there? As a reward for the meta-success, you can earn the new emote /playdead. In this, your character dramatically falls to the ground. The developers told me that there are some interesting interactions with this emote.
However, how exactly these interactions look is something the players should find out for themselves.
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In the episode, you can also earn two new weapon sets:
The Tengu weapons
The Stormcaller weapons
Both also have a collection with corresponding rewards and achievement points.
Gallery of the Tengu weapons:
Axe
Dagger
Torch
Focus
Rifle
Greatsword
Hammer
Horn
Shortbow
Longbow
Pistol
Shield
Sword
Staff
Mace
Scepter
Gallery of the Stormcaller weapons:
Axe
Dagger
Torch
Focus
Rifle
Greatsword
Hammer
Horn
Shortbow
Longbow
Pistol
Shield
Greatsword
Staff
Mace
Scepter
Additionally, you can earn new backpacks appropriate to the legions, new Charr war masks, and two exclusive weapon skins in the episode.
Furthermore, there are 4 pieces of the Ceremonial Bear Armor, which you already know from a screenshot from the developers.
The Ceremonial Bear Armor from the official screenshot.
One of the best episodes of the Living World ever
Is the new episode worth it? “No Mercy” is an interesting episode that brings many story highlights and interesting twists. The truly well-designed map offers what many have wished for since HoT: a cross-map event that requires coordination from players.
Although I still don’t know how difficult the event will actually be or whether players will find ways to bypass the map mechanics as effectively as possible. But during the first playtest, it felt like there was finally a challenge again. Added to that is the overall setting and the use of siege weapons. These are all things I have always wanted for a map.
The episode is rounded off by the new assault mission associated with the final battle of the meta-event, as well as many rewards I can earn.
I am very much looking forward to enjoying the episode again in all its brutality and experiencing the meta-event with many players.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
After the update 12.61, data miners found a legendary Fortnite skin that is set to be released soon. This provides hints as to how the live event of Season 2 might unfold.
What kind of skin is it? Today, on May 26, 2020, update 12.61 was released. In the files of Fortnite, data miners were able to find a legendary skin that is set to be released soon.
This skin has a ball as a head, very reminiscent of the doomsday device seen in Midas’s office. The skin could play a crucial role in the live event of Season 2 taking place on May 30.
This is what the leaked skin looks like:
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However, it’s not just the appearance of the legendary skin that causes speculation, but also the labels of the items. “Conquer the Storm” and “Wherever the Wind Blows” are the lines.
Could a hurricane cause the flooding?
How could the live event unfold according to the hints? The leaked skin provides hints of a storm and wind. This indicates a hurricane that could hit the island.
Around the agency, one can find 5 items that contain a purple substance inside. This resembles the storm that every Fortnite player knows from the rounds. Perhaps the energies for the upcoming storm are stored there.
A leaked loading screen shows even more hints about the story of Midas, the leader of the agents. It shows him looking at a suit that resembles the new skin.
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Looking closely at the image, there is a reflected face that looks like the woman whose picture is found in Midas’s office. Could this be his daughter, wife, or sister?
Perhaps Midas will wear the suit and summon a hurricane with the doomsday device that will flood the island. After all, all hints and leaks point to the fact that the map of Season 3 is completely flooded.
The hints lead to theories that the live event could be huge, especially if natural disasters are involved. How the event will unfold remains a surprise that hopefully all players can experience live.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
With the i9 10900K, Intel has released a processor that is set to succeed the i9 9900K. We show you how well the CPU performs in initial tests and present benchmarks. Additionally, there is the strongest competitor to the i9 10900K: the Ryzen 9 3900X.
Since the end of May, the latest processors of Intel’s tenth generation have been available. For many gamers, the i9 10900K is particularly relevant. This CPU is the successor to the very successful i9-9900K.
There are now also the first tests of Intel’s new i9 10900K. We introduce you to the new CPU and look at how well it performs in current tests and what alternatives are available:
All information about socket, price, and power consumption
Important facts and technical specifications
i9 10900K compared to Core i9 10900K, Core i9 9900K, Core i7 8700K, and Ryzen 9 3900X
What do the first reviews say about the Core i9 10900K?
The best alternatives up to 250 and up to 600 Euros
[toc]
i9 10900K: All important information about socket, wattage, and price
What is the i9-10900K? It is the latest processor from Intel, released in mid-May 2020. It belongs to the 10th generation of Intel processors. With its 10 cores and 20 threads, its strongest competitor is AMD’s Ryzen 9 3900X.
What socket does the i9-10900K use? Intel uses the new LGA-1200 socket for its new CPU. This socket replaces the previous LGA 1151, which has been in use for the last four CPU generations.
What do I need to consider when buying? This means that anyone wanting to buy a Core i9-10900K will definitely need a new motherboard that supports the corresponding socket. Existing motherboards will no longer work.
How future-proof the socket is still remains unknown: According to Notebookcheck, the LGA-1200 could be replaced by an LGA 1700 socket in 2021.
What does the new processor cost? The prices for the i9 10900K with ten cores start at 590 Euros and go up to nearly 1000 Euros.
In comparison, the predecessor CPU, the i9 9900K, costs only 535 Euros, which is not much less.
The prices for AMD’s Ryzen 9 3900X start at 430 Euros
How much power does the i9 10900K need? On paper, the new CPU requires 125 watts. However, under full load, the processor can consume well over 400 watts. Therefore, you need a suitably powerful power supply.
How is the gaming performance? The benchmarks show what many testers attest to Intel’s new CPU: In pure gaming performance, the i9 10900K still stands unchallenged at the top of the CPUs:
i9 10900K vs 3900X: In comparison, the i9 10900K delivers almost 20 fps more than the Ryzen 9 3900X.
10900K vs 9900K: Intel’s latest CPU barely surpasses the older model from 2019 by around 5 fps.
10900K vs 8700K: The difference to the Core i7 from 2017 provides the i9 10900K with 13 fps more.
i9 10900K performance in general applications
Cinebench i9 10900K application benchmark
How is the multi-threading performance? In Cinebench R15, the strength of the Ryzen CPU is evident, as it benefits from better-utilized cores in the Cinebench benchmark.
Here, the Ryzen 9 3900X is clearly ahead with 3058 points compared to the Core i9 10900K, which scores 2654 points.
This difference is also due to the number of cores: While the Core i9 provides 10 cores with 20 threads, the Ryzen 9 comes with 12 cores and a total of 24 threads.
First tests of the i9 10900K – What do the first reviews say?
How does Intel’s new CPU perform in tests? And how does it fare against AMD’s direct competition?
There are now initial tests regarding the Core i9 10900K from Intel. In the following, we have summarized results for you.
What is the overall impression of the Core i9 10900K? All tests consider Intel’s new CPU to be one of the fastest processors currently available. This also applies particularly to the gaming sector: Here, Intel’s new CPU once again stands unchallenged at the top.
Also, in other respects, all testers agree: AMD has managed to establish a true alternative to Intel processors with Ryzen in recent months. Compared to Ryzen, Intel can scarcely justify the high price, as the alternatives simply offer better value for money.
Computerbase – The biggest problem with the i9-10900K is Ryzen
For the testers at Computerbase, Intel’s new Core i9-10900K has a major problem, and that is Ryzen. Because AMD’s Ryzen processors offer almost the same performance, but for less money and lower consumption. The testers write:
12 cores from AMD cost only 430 Euros in the form of the Ryzen 9 3900X, which is 150 Euros less than the Intel Core i9-10900K. More performance and lower consumption — nothing speaks for Intel. Only in gaming does Intel still remain the benchmark. However, the progress Comet Lake-S offers is minimal at the top. Core i9-9900K(S) owners will find no compelling reason to switch when it comes to gaming.
GameStar – very fast CPU, but strong competition with Ryzen
The testers at GameStar note in their tests that the i9 10900K has nothing to fear in terms of gaming competition: Here, Intel’s latest CPU is unbeatable at the top.
In terms of multi-threading, however, the strong competition from AMD shows. Here, the combination of high core count and performance at a fair price presents a true alternative:
The Core i9 10900K [is] once again a very, very fast CPU. On the other hand, the contrast to AMD’s steady progress with the Zen architecture and the very good mix of high core count and performance at a fair price is hard to overlook. (…) However, I am still very glad that AMD has succeeded so well in establishing a true alternative to Intel processors. And the release of the Core i9 10900K changes nothing in that regard.
Hardwareluxx – Crown in gaming, but no chance against Ryzen in multi-threading
For Hardwareluxx, the Core i9-10900K is still the strongest CPU in gaming. However, as soon as it comes to multi-threading, Intel’s CPU quickly falls short. The testers see great potential in overclocking — provided there is appropriate cooling:
The Core i9-10900K retains the crown in gaming but cannot keep up with Ryzen processors with many cores when those cores need to be utilized.
One point can still be in favor of the Core i9-10900K: It still offers potential for overclocking. While the single-core clock will hardly be pushed much higher than 5.3 GHz, there is still some headroom for all-core turbo — given the right cooling. In any case, the interested buyer can still have some fun here.
igorslab – fast, but power-hungry and outdated technology
According to igorslab, Intel’s CPU is extremely fast and delivers very high performance. In terms of gaming, Intel’s CPU is still “the benchmark. That’s something to acknowledge without envy.”
However, the CPU also demands a corresponding amount of power. The testers also criticize the lack of PCIe 4.0 support. Overall, buyers are better off with an 8-core or a Ryzen CPU:
You can certainly find the Intel Core i9-10900K even appealing if you want to squeeze out the last bit of performance from your setup and if the PCIe 3.0 environment doesn’t deter you. Since the Z490 infrastructure is not much more modern than the production process, it is, however, anything but inexpensive. You can certainly enjoy the Core i9-10900K for a long time, with your local or regional power provider as a free rider. Those who prefer to go solo should consider an 8-core or a Ryzen.
Techradar.com – Worthy successor for i9-9900K, if it weren’t for Ryzen 4000
The testers at Techradar see the Core i9-9900K as a worthy successor to the i9-9900K from 2019. However, with the possible release of Ryzen 4000 and the lack of PCIe 4.0 support, there is no reason to buy Intel’s latest offering:
The Intel Core i9-10900K would be a worthy successor to the Core i9-9900K in 2019, but as the AMD Ryzen 4000 series is rapidly approaching, it makes no sense to use a high-end platform that falls behind in raw performance and lacks PCIe 4.0 support.
i9 10900K or 3900X? Who should buy Intel’s new CPU?
Our colleagues at GameStar explain that there are hardly any reasons to buy the i9 10900K at this time:
Should I buy the i9 10900K or 3900X? For pure gaming systems, the high price for the i9 is not worth it, because both Intel’s own Core i5 and Core i7 CPUs pose competition to the new processor, and the significantly cheaper AMD models also stand out.
The high costs only make sense if you absolutely want the fastest desktop CPU from Intel. Additionally, you will definitely need a new motherboard.
If you prefer applications and thus multi-threading, the Ryzen 9 3900X is hard to pass up, as it offers two more cores and is also 100 Euros cheaper. In terms of price-performance ratio, AMD still has the upper hand. Additionally, Ryzen offers you the much more modern architecture and PCIe 4.0 support.
What are the advantages of the Intel i9 10900K?
high all-core boost of 4.9 GHz
fastest top CPU in terms of gaming performance
What are the advantages of the Ryzen 3900X?
cheaper price
more cores
significantly ahead in multi-threading compared to the i9 10900K
PCIe 4.0, the i9 10900K only supports PCIe 3.0
more modern manufacturing
lower power consumption (in watts) than the i9 10900K
i9 10900K alternatives: Best processor up to 250 Euros in the mid-range
In the mid-range, both the Core i5-9400F from Intel and the Ryzen 5 3600 from AMD are recommended. Both processors are priced between 150 and 200 Euros and offer more than enough performance for most gamers.
Both processors handle all everyday tasks effortlessly, and you will have no issues in games either. However, if you rely on hardware-intensive applications or prefer to render videos, there are faster alternatives available.
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i9 10900K alternatives: Best processor up to 600 Euros in the high-end range
If you are looking for a high-end processor with high clock rates and excellent gaming performance, you should consider the i9 9900K: The Core i9 9900K from Intel offers slightly less performance than the new 10900K processor, but you don’t need a new motherboard if you already have an Intel processor. This way, you can save several hundred Euros comfortably.
In the high-end area, the i9 9900K and i9 10900K are still at the top, but for a pure gaming PC, you don’t need that power, as processors like the Core i5-9400F and Ryzen 5 3600 are perfectly sufficient.
The alternative from AMD is the Ryzen 9 3900X. The AMD CPU offers similarly high performance as Intel’s i9 processors but provides more cores and shows its true strength particularly in multi-threading. If you rely heavily on many applications or render videos, go for Ryzen.
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MyMMO Hardware Recommendations 2020
Are you looking for other hardware recommendations? In addition to processors, there are also other exciting hardware that can make your gaming everyday life easier:
We have looked at the best gaming mice 2020 for you. Here, we explain what to consider when buying a gaming mouse and which mice we liked best.
We have also looked at the best gaming keyboards 2020. MyMMO explains what to consider when buying a keyboard and gives tips for the best mechanical and membrane keyboards. Additionally, we explain the difference between wireless and wired models.
If you are looking for a great headset, we have also introduced the best gaming headsets 2020. MyMMO explains what to consider when buying and the difference between USB and 3.5mm jack.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Shirley Curry has been posting videos on her YouTube channel for years. The focus is on the game The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. In her latest video, however, she reveals that she will be scaling back in the future. The reason is the know-it-all comments on her videos and her health situation.
Update 4:50 PM: Shirley Curry has since commented on Twitter regarding messages about her situation. She emphasized that while there were negative comments, it was not an “onslaught” of comments, as some media outlets have titled.
Who is the “Skyrim Grandma”? The now 84-year-old Let’s Player Shirley Curry released her first video on September 18, 2015. This first episode has now been viewed over 2 million times.
The “Skyrim Grandma” currently has over 830,000 subscribers on YouTube and has released over 1,200 videos.
Viewers appreciate her for her calm demeanor and the role-playing aspect in her videos. In her honor, an NPC has even been created in a mod that can be installed for Skyrim, as our colleagues from GameStar have reported. She is also set to become an NPC in TES6.
What has happened now? In a new vlog released in early May, she shares rather sad news. Instead of providing nearly daily new content, she is taking a break and will publish less content in the future.
The reason is the know-it-all comments posted under her videos. But she is also disappointed with the general viewer behavior.
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“I have been playing Skyrim for years, I know the mechanics of the game”
What is the big problem? Shirley Curry revealed in the video that she is mainly annoyed by the comments that constantly try to explain to her how Skyrim works and what she could do better:
I have been playing Skyrim for years, I know the interface, I know the different mechanics of the game, I don’t need to be constantly reminded.
Curry tries to highlight the role-playing aspect in her videos. She doesn’t want to rush through the content or engage in min-maxing. She simply enjoys experiencing the content her way.
Additionally, there are comments that recommend new or better games to her. She is also dissatisfied with these:
I look at all games. I am a gamer. If I wanted to play those games, I would play them. And if I say no to someone, that’s a simple answer, easy to understand.
But these comments have currently ruined her fun. That’s why she plans not to respond to such statements in the future:
I know I shouldn’t let these things stress me, but they do. From now on, I will respond to very, very few comments. I will just delete a lot of comments.
Skyrim, one of the most famous role-playing games. Shirley Curry particularly fell in love with this game.
What else bothers her? In addition to the know-it-all comments, the Skyrim Grandma has a problem with viewer behavior. Although she has over 830,000 subscribers, most videos are only watched by a few thousand.
She doesn’t understand why so many people follow her when they are not interested in the content. And she is also surprised why many viewers drop out of her videos after just 4 to 5 minutes.
The numbers, says Shirley Curry, are generally indifferent to her. But those who do not want to watch her content should not follow her. She is stressed by the fact that she tells a compelling, cohesive story that then doesn’t interest anyone.
The “Skyrim Grandma” has been releasing a video almost daily for a long time, lasting between 20 and 40 minutes.
An insight into Shirley Curry’s video history on YouTube.
How much is the situation affecting her? Right at the beginning of the video, the YouTuber reveals that she is not in good health:
My health is not so good. My blood pressure is high, and my stress level is significantly too high. And I need to regain control over that.
Even the fun of playing suffers under the current situation:
I am not happy. I play to have fun. And if I am not having fun, I shouldn’t be playing.
That’s why she has taken a break for now. The vlog from May 2 is currently the last video that Shirley Curry has released. But she is doing well, and she continues to share a Skyrim screenshot on her Twitter account daily.
Hamako Mori has been a passionate gamer since 1981.
The tentacle monster Cthulhu will be playable in the MOBA SMITE. The developers are breaking a tradition – and this opens up many new possibilities.
One of the few MOBAs that can still hold its ground after years is SMITE. This is due to several reasons. On the one hand, SMITE has an unusual perspective for MOBAs, which is close to the action, and on the other hand, SMITE features a pretty cool selection of playable characters based on gods from real religions and myths.
However, SMITE is now breaking with its tradition and is delving deeper into the realm of fantasy.
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Who is Cthulhu? Cthulhu is one of the “Great Old Ones” and originates from the extensive mythos of horror writer H.P. Lovecraft. He is described as a massive monster with countless tentacles, sleeping somewhere in the depths of the oceans. Even in dreams, he exerts his influence on the world and creates cultists who yearn for his awakening. His appearance is said to be so horrific that it instantly drives even a stable mind into madness.
By the way, Lovecraft’s Cthulhu mythos has also inspired other games – in World of Warcraft, the “Old Gods” are also based on the Cthulhu mythos.
What can Cthulhu do in SMITE? The exact kit of Cthulhu is still unknown. However, he will be a Guardian, meaning a magical tank who can also deal solid damage. A few details have already been revealed, so he can:
Drive opposing gods insane and create new acoustic and optical confusions.
“Break” the minds of crazed gods to become permanently stronger for the rest of the match.
Additionally, he is said to be the largest playable god yet, though not as long as the World Serpent Jormungandr. During his ultimate, he will grow even larger to emphasize his monumental presence.
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Cortyn from MeinMMO says: To be honest, I haven’t played SMITE in a while and haven’t started it. But the announcement of Cthulhu has reignited my enthusiasm, so I want to dive back into the world of SMITE to play Cthulhu as soon as possible. No wonder, the stories surrounding the Cthulhu mythos are timeless and still great horror literature today. If playing Cthulhu is only half as cool as he sounds right now, he could become my new “main god”…
Although SMITE has strayed a bit from the “strictly mythological” path before and introduced characters like Baba Yaga, with Cthulhu a whole new chapter is being opened. And this opens up many new, cool possibilities.
What do you think about Cthulhu in SMITE? Is it cool that the developers are incorporating more fantasy? Or is this the wrong direction?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The 27-year-old German motorsport professional Daniel Abt finished third in a virtual Formula E race. The problem: He didn’t drive himself, but hired a gamer to compete for him. This was discovered.
This is the situation: Formula E is a racing series for cars with electric motors. Normally, they race on city circuits. However, due to the current situation with the novel coronavirus, the actual races on-site have been suspended, and a virtual racing series “Race at Home” is being held instead.
The fifth race of this series took place on the virtual course of Berlin-Tempelhof.
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The German driver Daniel Abt achieved third place on the course – actually a great performance. Abt is not only a racing driver but also runs YouTube channels and presents himself on Instagram as someone who also enjoys racing from home.
This is the problem: As was revealed later, Daniel Abt was not at home driving his virtual race car; it was taken over by a gamer for him, the Austrian e-sports professional Lorenz Hörzing.
The second-place finisher of the race, Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne, expressed doubts after the race about whether Daniel Abt really drove himself:
Abt had turned off the video camera during an interview
furthermore, the driver hid his face during the race behind a microphone arm – that was probably too conspicuous and looked somewhat ridiculous
The microphone arm was particularly poorly positioned to cover the face. (Source: YouTube)
This is the consequence: Daniel Abt was disqualified, lost all his points from the series, and was forced to donate nearly €10,000 to a charity organization.
Hörzing, the e-sports professional, was also disqualified in his class at the “Race at Home” challenge.
This is what the driver says: Abt apologizes for his act. He says he “didn’t take it as seriously as he should have.”
He is particularly sorry because a lot of work went into the project. Abt is aware that his violation now has a bitter aftertaste, but it was never done maliciously.
Audi fires Daniel Abt
Update 16:19: Audi published a statement on Tuesday afternoon. The statement says that integrity, transparency, and constant adherence to the rules are important for Audi, and this applies to all areas of the brand.
Therefore, they have decided to suspend Daniel Abt with immediate effect (via the-race).
Abt announced on Twitter that he would give a statement of his own at 6 PM.
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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone offer numerous perks that you can equip in your loadouts. However, one of them is now stronger than you might think: KRD (Eng. EOD). MeinMMO explains why it is so good.
What is KRD? The perk KRD (short for: Explosive Ordnance Disposal) is a perk in the first extra slot (blue). It reduces the damage you take from explosive weapons and explosions. The only exceptions are killstreaks, which always deal full damage.
As a perk in the blue slot, it shares the selection with important extras like Cold-Blooded and Looting. Until now, Cold-Blooded has been the perk that many players preferred to use.
However, that could change now. After several adjustments, most recently in the massive mid-season update on May 19, the KRD perk could become the strongest in its category. We’ll show you why this is the case.
The KRD perk in Modern Warfare.
KRD – The strongest perk in its slot?
This is what KRD does: The effect of KRD is divided into two different instances:
in the first instance, KRD limits the maximum damage you can take from explosives to 80
in the second instance, it reduces the damage you generally take from explosives by about 15% (about 40% in Warzone)
This only applies to pure explosive damage. Direct hits from a rocket launcher are not reduced and will kill you instantly even with KRD.
They can now kill players if they hit just a piece nearby – in Warzone even with 3 armor plates. This leads to more and more players using them. However, KRD significantly reduces the effectiveness of rockets. With the perk, you will only be killed by direct hits.
Additionally, KRD even reduces the damage you take from Molotovs. The CoD expert and YouTuber TheXclusiveAce has found that with KRD, you can survive about two seconds longer if hit directly and can stay in the fire for two “ticks” longer. We’ve embedded his analysis video for you here:
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The strengths mentioned above mainly refer to the various multiplayer modes of Modern Warfare, but in the battle royale mode Warzone, KRD may have an even stronger effect.
On the one hand, the reduction is stronger (around 40% instead of 15%). On the other hand, opponents always need at least three rockets to kill you, unless they hit directly.
The first explosive damage you take can at most take away your armor. It doesn’t matter if you are wearing one, two, or three armor plates.
If a rocket lands next to you, your armor will be taken away first. After the second hit, your health points will drop to 20, and only the third rocket can kill you, provided you don’t take damage from other sources.
KRD vs. Cold-Blooded – Which is stronger?
So far, the perk Cold-Blooded has been the favorite for the loadouts of most players. This is because thermal optics were particularly popular in Warzone for a long time – especially on sniper rifles.
Cold-Blooded prevents you from glowing brightly in the thermal sight and appearing to the opponent like a torch. However, fewer sniper rifles are being used nowadays, and more rocket launchers.
Ace believes that KRD will replace Cold-Blooded and he himself is already using only this perk in his loadouts. He thinks that the current meta is changing at least in Warzone and that KRD will take the place of Cold-Blooded in the short to medium term.
The Cold-Blooded perk has been very popular so far.
As much as KRD was an underestimated perk until now, full metal jackets for weapons are actually overrated. Full metal jackets (short: FMJ) are a popular extra for many players’ weapon setups. However, they are not as strong as many think. We have explained in our article, how strong full metal jackets really are.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The operator Ronin in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is based on an American YouTuber. With this background, many players wish for similar characters in Season 4.
This is Ronin: The operator appeared at the beginning of Season 3 and seemed familiar to some players. He resembles Tu Lam, who runs a YouTube channel focused on military topics. He also has a security company named “Ronin Tactics” and is a Special Forces veteran.
He fits well into the picture of Modern Warfare, which is brutally realistic and likes to take inspiration from real personalities without naming them directly.
This is Tu Lam – the operator Ronin is based on him
This is what is desired: Now the start of Season 4 of Modern Warfare is approaching, and players are hoping for another operator they recognize from real life. On reddit, they have already made some suggestions.
Operators that would fit in Modern Warfare
This is how it has been approached so far: The operators in Modern Warfare have been realistically portrayed. One can easily imagine that the characters played there are actually in combat.
It can be assumed that upcoming operators will be similar. If one takes real individuals as an example, they should be experts in military affairs.
The following individuals are mentioned: The thread on reddit features a picture of the YouTuber Matt Carriker. He runs the channel “DemolitionRanch” and shows various experiments with firearms. He is not a Special Forces member, but has extensive knowledge of firearms and is quite well known globally with 8.4 million subscribers.
The YouTuber Matt Carriker deals a lot with weapons in his videos. Source: YouTube
Another person mentioned is Travis Haley. He is a military veteran and shares various tips and tricks about firearms on his YouTube channel “HaleyStrategic“. He fits the profile of Tu Lam better, who has a similar background.
A similar request is for an operator based on Garand Thumb. The soldier, whose real name is Michael Jones, is still active and entertains his community on YouTube with funny clips but also with serious videos about gear and weapons.
What about well-known streamers? If Modern Warfare stays true to its realistic representation, then we probably won’t see well-known streamers like Nadeshot or DrDisrespect. They don’t fit the image of the dangerous-looking operators.
In Destiny 2, a new quest is now live – The Lie. The final reward is the legendary shotgun Felwinter’s Lie – an iconic returner from Destiny 1. We show you what the complete quest for this weapon looks like and what the new Felwinter’s Lie is all about.
New quest is live: The ongoing Season 10 has exhausted its roadmap content and other communicated content with the end of the Guardian Games. However, with the weekly reset on May 12, a new quest – The Lie – surprisingly went live in Destiny 2. The leaks have proven true.
However, Bungie has since fixed that – with Update 2.8.1.3, the quest is now completely playable without issues.
But what can players expect after the controversial first step? How does the quest continue? And what’s the effort for? You will now find out here.
Felwinter’s Lie
The Lie – Here’s how the quest goes
Getting “The Lie” quest: The quest is available from Ana Bray on Mars. Visit the Braytech Futurescape area and just talk to her.
Ana Bray
Step 1 – Warmind Evaluation: The Warmind Rasputin, our (hopefully) ally in the fight against the falling power and the darkness, wants to get a better picture of the Guardians. Therefore, we are to help him build a defense network.
As a community, we needed to achieve 9 million public event completions by Guardians at three locations – each with 3 million events in:
the EDZ on Earth
on the Moon
on Io.
Each Guardian in a successfully completed event counts as a completion. So if 5 Guardians complete an event, that’s counted as 5 completions.
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By the way, “normal public events” do not count towards progress. Guardians must complete the Seraph Tower events from Season 10 for this. Bungie clarified this on Twitter after an unclear description initially caused a lot of confusion among players.
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This step has been successfully completed by the community, so you no longer need to struggle. If you haven’t completed it yet, it will be automatically done for you when you speak with Ana.
Step 2 – One of Many: Once the evaluation by Rasputin has been successfully accomplished through community efforts, you simply need to return to Ana in this step.
Step 3 – Vostok: In this step, you will receive coordinates from the Warmind Rasputin and are to investigate energy anomalies in a mission on the Crucible map Vostok. Where exactly, you can see here in this video by Esoterickk:
https://youtu.be/4Mhco2Bpaog
Find the energy signatures easily in the video
Although Vostok is a PvP map in Destiny 2 set in the Iron Temple, a sanctuary of the Iron Lords, you will not need to fight there as part of the “Secrets of a Warmind” mission. You just need to scan the energy signatures. During this, there are some interesting lore tidbits to hear.
The Vostok map
Step 4 – Shotgun Telemetry: In this step, you need to achieve shotgun kills in the Crucible or throughout the system. Here Destiny 2 gives you the choice again whether you prefer to complete the task in PvP or PvE.
This step requires you to kill 1,000 enemies. That has now been confirmed. Defeated Guardians contribute more to progress than AI enemies. A killed enemy controlled by the computer counts as 1 kill, while a defeated Guardian counts as 6.
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Step 5 – Moon Trip: Now Rasputin has apparently seen enough. After carefully tracking your progress, he wants to speak to you in the Seraph Bunker on the Moon.
Step 6 – Warmind Heuristic: In the last step, you are to investigate one of Rasputin’s best-kept secrets. This step was initially unplayable due to the bug, but it now works perfectly.
For this, you need to investigate the bunker on the Moon. For spoiler reasons, we don’t want to say too much here. However, you will not have to fight in the course of this mission “The Tyrant”, but can look forward to some exciting lore.
Felwinter’s Lie in Destiny 2
The Reward of “The Lie” – Felwinter’s Lie
This is the reward for “The Lie”: Based on datamining findings, it was pretty much established: In the end, you will receive the legendary shotgun Felwinter’s Lie – a returner from Destiny 1 and once one of the most powerful weapons of the first installment.
This was quickly confirmed officially after the final step was finally mastered by the Guardians.
What makes Felwinter’s Lie in Destiny 2 special? By now, not only the leaked ornament but also the weapon itself is in the game. Here are its stats at a glance:
Do you have PS Plus and a PS4? Then you can grab one of the new monthly free games for June right now. Call of Duty: WW II is now available for all members for free in the PlayStation Store.
Wait, a new PS Plus game already? Actually, the regular presentation of the monthly PS Plus free games for June is still pending. But Sony revealed a PS4 game early on May 25 that all PS Plus subscribers can look forward to in June 2020.
This monthly free game is now available a week earlier: As announced on Twitter, PS Plus members will receive the first-person shooter Call of Duty: WW II for free as one of the monthly PS Plus games for June.
Here’s how to get CoD: WW II for free right now: Not only was the announcement of the PS Plus title earlier than expected: CoD: WW II for PS4 is already available for all subscribers for free in the PlayStation Store (without additional costs apart from the subscription). Thus, the first monthly free game is already available a week before the regular date – namely the first Tuesday of the month.
If you want to play the World War II installment of the popular shooter series on your PS4 right now, simply follow this link directly to the download in the PS Store:
Keep in mind: You need to be logged in to do this. Alternatively, you can also search for the game through the PS Store on your console.
What about the other free PS Plus game for PS4 in June? These are usually announced the Wednesday before the first Tuesday of a new month – so tomorrow, on May 27. Then we will find out which game or games PS Plus members can look forward to in June 2020.
After CoD: WW II – are there still 2 PS Plus games in June? That is still unknown, but it is being actively discussed. Normally, you receive 2 monthly free games for PS4 with PS Plus. So it is possible that Call of Duty: WW II is one of the 2 games.
However, there have also been months when bonus games were also offered – such as for example in February 2020. There, in addition to The Sims 4 and the BioShock Collection, which itself already includes 3 games, there was also the VR shooter Firewall Zero Hour.
Some believe that CoD: WW II could also be such a bonus title and that’s why it was announced earlier than usual.
For some time now, Rainbow Six Siege has been planning to overhaul one of the oldest and weakest operators in the game. A small group of fans, however, does not want to see this and has started a petition against it.
Which operator is it about? It’s about Tachanka, a defender of the Spetsnaz, who has been in the game since the release of Rainbow Six Siege in December 2015. The Russian operator has become an icon due to his appearance with the bulky helmet and his special gadget: a mounted machine gun with a shield.
Through this, he gained the status of a meme in the community and the nickname “The Lord”. Now, however, the developers are planning a big rework for the operator.
At the Six Invitational, it was already revealed in February what changes are to be made: His MG turret will disappear and instead, he will receive a grenade launcher with incendiary grenades as a gadget. The colleagues at GameStar have reported extensively on Tachanka’s rework.
Why the rework? Tachanka is not only one of the oldest operators, but also currently the weakest by far. He is so weak that his strength doesn’t really have a place on the graph:
Tachanka is indeed quite weak. Image source: Ubisoft.
Furthermore, according to Game Director Leroy Athanassoff, his MG has caused problems and repeatedly led to bugs. That’s why it needs to go. Another point is likely the eSports scene. There, balancing is important for professionals to adapt their setup ideally to the opponent. With a new Tachanka, strong rush tactics for attackers would be more difficult.
With the rework, the chance increases that the Russian operator will have a place in eSports and will be played in the ongoing GSA League. This would also be good for Tachanka fans, as they would finally see their favorite in professional action.
Rainbow Six Siege: So seht ihr die Deutsche Liga
Alle Infos, Ankündigungen und Streaming-Pläne zur großen deutschsprachigen GSA-Liga.
This is how hardcore fans resist: Two years ago, Tachanka fan Byron Panos started a petition to Ubisoft on change.org to keep “The Lord” as he is. His main argument is: If you are going to make the effort to completely redesign an operator, you might as well create a new operator and keep the old one.
That way, Tachanka fans would not lose their favorite and there would still be the opportunity to introduce the new features. This would have only advantages for everyone, Panos argues in his text.
About two weeks ago, the petition reached 200 votes. Since then (May 26, 2020), it has gained 202 approvals. The support for Tachanka does not seem very large.
When will the rework come? So far, there is no specific date for Tachanka’s rework. It is supposed to come in Year 5, which is currently ongoing, rumored to be in Season 3. However, there is no date for that yet.
Recently, Ubisoft revamped the operator Ying. However, she was nerfed so much that the studio had to backtrack. How the Tachanka rework will turn out is yet to be seen. However, the developers emphasize that it is important to maintain his status as an icon. Tachanka should remain “the Lord” of Rainbow Six.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
For The Elder Scrolls Online, the new addon Greymoor is coming today. But how do you get to western Skyrim and where do you start the main quest? How do you get into the Blackreach and where can you find the new skills related to antiquities? Here you will learn everything you need to know for the start.
When does Greymoor come out?Greymoor is finally here and after initial issues and further updates, it seems to be running stable now. But how does one even get there?
The Way to Skyrim and Blackreach – Along with the Main Quest
How do I reach the new area? In Greymoor, you can finally explore more regions of Tamriel. You will find the well-known locations from Skyrim Solitude, Morthal, and the Dragon Bridge. And don’t worry, you don’t have to trek through endless snowy fields to get there.
Instead, at the start of Greymoor, for all who purchased the addon, the way shrine “Docks of Solitude” will be accessible. Simply go there and you will be right in the new area.
In the background is the great city of Solitude.
How to enter the story and the main quest
How do I start the main quest? This is also very simple. You only need to open your “Collections Menu” for the main quest and select the quest “The Rising Storm” under the “Tales” and “Chapters” tab. The starting quest should now be active and you can follow your compass to accept it.
How to enter the story: Since Greymoor is only part of the larger story of the “Dark Heart of Skyrim” that runs throughout 2020, you should know the background. It first begins with the two DLC dungeons from the Harrowstorm addon. After that, there is the Prologue quest about a dark vampire conspiracy in Skyrim that you can complete for free and which immediately continues into Greymoor.
Here is the first access to the underground: Another important part of the new game world is the underground of Blackreach. It was “only” a particularly extensive dungeon in Skyrim. Here it makes up 40 percent of the game world and houses, among others, the Vampire Lord in his ultra-dark vampire fortress of death, the eponymous Castle Greymoor.
But how do you get there? Ideally through the mysterious Dwemer lifts. There are three of them in Greymoor. You will find the first one south of the waypoint “Docks of Solitude”. You will also be automatically sent there in the main quest soon. However, it is also possible to enter Blackreach earlier if you wish.
Here is the next lift to the underground.
But what can you do in Skyrim when you don’t want to follow just the main story? At least treasure hunters will enjoy the new skill system.
How to acquire the new antiquities skills
Here are the new abilities for treasure hunting: Greymoor does not offer new classes, but new skills for each hero. This time you can join the antiquarians and excavate valuable relics. However, you must first complete an introductory quest. You can find it as follows:
Go to Solitude
Look for the new symbol of the antiquarians (It is located opposite the Bard College)
Talk to Verita Numida and you will receive the introductory quest and the associated “Eye of the Antiquarian”.
Additional useful advice for the release of Greymoor
How to get your pre-order bonuses: Those who pre-ordered Greymoor will receive certain goodies. You can find them at the start of Greymoor either already in the collections menu, in the Crown Store, or as a message in your mailbox. However, the outfit style “Swordthane” can only be found if you use a costume table.
How to become a vampire: Especially vampires have a good time in Greymoor, the whole addon revolves around the machinations of the bloodsuckers and vampires received a massive overhaul.
How to prepare for the new challenges: We from the MeinMMO-ESO team have already compiled useful tips and advice for you in advance on how to optimally prepare for the new challenges in Greymoor before the release.
How to easily return to the game as a returning player: Have you not played ESO for years, but now that Skyrim is finally here, do you want to get back in? Then definitely read our comprehensive guide for returnees, which we created in collaboration with the German ESO community.
Also for the new areas from Greymoor: If you currently do not have any friends on hand or prefer to go it alone, this is no problem. Because ESO is also in its new chapter Greymoor the ideal MMORPG for solo players. However, you probably won’t be able to complete the new raid alone.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
On Twitch, former Overwatch professional Felix “xQc” Lengyel is known as a hothead. It’s hard to imagine someone like that as a chess expert, yet he has now started streaming chess. More than 30,000 of his young fans are watching him. He has received praise from Hikaru Nakamura, a chess grandmaster.
This is xQc: The 24-year-old Canadian was originally known as a tank player in Overwatch. However, his temperament often got in the way. For an esports player, xQc was too uncontrollable. He was released by his teams and banned from the game multiple times. He tended to have outbursts, in which he wildly insulted teammates and opponents.
After the end of his Overwatch career, xQc became a star on Twitch. His authentic style is especially loved by young fans. After the departure of Ninja and shroud from Twitch, xQc was even briefly the new number one in terms of hours watched at the end of 2019. Nowadays, xQc is a well-established figure on Twitch, shaping the platform with reaction streams and his unique style.
More than 30,000 tune in when xQc plays chess on Twitch
What’s up with chess? In recent weeks, xQc has started playing chess live on Twitch. On average, 31,178 of his mostly young viewers are watching him. That’s significantly more than any “real” chess player has on Twitch (via sullygnome).
Several chess clips featuring xQc have become popular. In them, the former Overwatch professional appears rather aimless.
In one clip, he focuses so much on his own attack that he overlooks that he is on the verge of being checkmated. We have embedded the clip above.
In a second clip, xQc is only one move away from victory but wants to play it safe, overdoes it, and the game ends in a draw.
The chess world must keep up with the times
This is why a chess grandmaster praises him for it: 32-year-old chess grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura, a Japanese-American, is currently the biggest chess Twitch streamer. He explicitly welcomes that xQc is now playing chess:
When I watch xQc, I can tell you what the reaction will be. The classical chess world will simply say: The guy is not good at chess. He is so bad – why should we waste our time with him?
Hikaru Nakamura
But this attitude, Nakamura says, is complete nonsense.
xQc was a grandmaster in Overwatch. If you put Nakamura in Overwatch or Magnus Carlsen, the best chess player in the world, they would also be total noobs.
The chess world must keep up with the times.
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The card game Legends of Runeterra officially celebrated its release at the end of April. MeinMMO author Alexander Leitsch spoke with Jeff Jew, the Executive Producer, about the game and future plans.
But how is Legends of Runeterra performing now, and what are the future plans for the card game? We asked Jeff Jew, the Executive Producer of LoR, in an interview.
Millions of new players, thanks to mobile release
MeinMMO: Legends of Runeterra was released on April 28. How has the game changed since then? Did many new players join or did old players come back?
Jeff Jew: We are very excited about how many players have joined since the release. We had millions of new players, as well as many old ones who played during the beta. And it obviously helped that we released the game as free-to-play on Android and iOS. We have a ton of players trying out LoR on their smartphones right now.
To be honest, the smartphone is also where I play the most because it fits better into my life rhythm. We received a huge amount of feedback from new players and about the new set, and it’s just great that so many new players have joined.
This is how the cards are held in the mobile version.
With one touch, you then have your hand in the middle
MeinMMO: The mobile version was an important step and is well received by many players, considering the reviews. Do you notice any differences in gameplay between mobile and PC?
Jeff Jew: I think there are slight differences. The large monitor on PC helps a bit with the overview of the game. But our goal is to make the experience as similar as possible, and from our perspective, there is no real advantage to playing on either platform.
We have worked very hard to ensure performance, especially not to drain the battery. And much of this is reflected in the feedback, as you yourself mentioned. We have invested a lot of time and effort, and it’s nice to see that reflected in the reviews.
At this point, I would also like to emphasize that cross-platform play is a feature. So the features are identical and so are the card collections – and that was extremely important to us. You can face players on PC or on smartphones, and I don’t believe players notice any difference when facing each other.
Jeff Jew, Executive Producer of Legends of Runeterra.
Inspired by Magic: The Gathering and other card games
MeinMMO: If I remember correctly, you have some Magic fans among your developers, which also led to the creation of LoR. How much did Magic influence your card game?
Jeff Jew: Yes, we are big fans of Magic, myself included. About 10 years ago, we started a card gaming club at Riot and met every two weeks to play. We played Magic for a long time, and some even played it professionally.
It’s a great game, and it helped us create a foundation for LoR. At the same time, we wanted to ensure that our matches feel “short and snappy”. They should also fit into the LoL universe and bring the champions and their friends to life. Our big goal was also to make the matches last about 10 minutes, which is important for mobile devices, to keep up with that.
This is what it looks like at Magic: The Gathering Arena, the PC version.
MeinMMO: Were you inspired by other card games besides Magic? What did you adopt from them?
Jeff Jew: Oh absolutely, I’ve played Magic, Pokémon, recently Hearthstone, Gwent, Duelyst. During development, we created an incredible number of prototypes, I think over 20. Small games we experimented with, sometimes on paper, sometimes already digitally. In the end, we decided on the current system, because it had gameplay that allowed alternate turns. That was one of our main criteria for the game.
We had the impression that many modern CCG games, even though they are very well programmed, lack the feel of playing against real players. You don’t get to know your opponent, how they bluff and maybe hold spells for the perfect moment. How they react exactly to the moves.
It’s like a puzzle you start, then hand over to the other to complete. You don’t solve it completely alone, but you don’t interact directly with the other either. But solving it can still be fun.
We worked more on achieving that back-and-forth between the players. And we learned a lot from other games for our business model, where we wanted to avoid the slot machine.
In Legends of Runeterra, each action is performed alternately. However, quick spells can also be reacted to directly.
MeinMMO: And where do you see your card game? Earlier you mentioned that the connection to LoL is important. But are you mainly targeting players or did many come from outside?
Jeff Jew: As you rightly pointed out, we have exactly two core target groups: the League players, whether they used to play or still do, and the general card and strategy game players. However, there is a large overlap between the two groups, which was one of the main reasons we made LoR.I simply think:
If you are a LoL player, you can look forward to your champions, dive into the world, and enjoy the many new artworks.
And if you never played LoL, you are lucky because everything is easy to understand, the card texts are clear, and you will find your way around immediately.
To be honest, this will probably be the first LoL experience for many players ever. Especially the new mobile players, who may have never played LoL on PC. And we have focused heavily on being as beginner-friendly as possible.
Cards in LoR are explained simply and understandably.
Everything for the sake of balance, even monetization
MeinMMO: Your game model is based on free-to-play and allows players to buy cards directly rather than drawing them from packs. You mentioned you want to avoid the “slot machine”. How satisfied are you with this and what is the player feedback like?
Jeff Jew: So far, we are very satisfied with the feedback. Our original approach was not to be generous to the community, but to balance and develop the game over the years. The problem we see with other card games is that you need a lot of packs to get the card you want. Or you destroy your collection for it. Both feel bad.
Packs do have a positive side when you get the desired card. Personally, I still enjoy opening booster packs. That tension when you hope for that one card. But eventually, you realize that to get the card you want, you receive many unwanted ones. And then, when you’ve spent 15, 50, or 100 dollars on the card, it’s hard for us as developers to nerf it. Because when I do, it results in negative feelings. You don’t want me to nerf the card, even if it’s bad for the overall game.
In Legends of Runeterra, you collect cards through reward paths and shards from duplicate versions.
We wanted to ensure that we can balance LoR from month to month, and to do that, we needed to detach the player a bit from their love for a single card. If a player builds a deck around a single card, they feel bad when we nerf that deck. They should then have the chance to quickly build other decks and adapt. Our goal was for a player to own 2, 3, or even more decks simultaneously, and hopefully, they will realize that Riot only adjusts cards that are truly problematic. If they then touch my deck, I have enough cards to play another.That’s why we settled on the current system, where you:
Have shards that you can spend on cards of your choice.
No slot machine, instead, there are regions where you can progress to get the cards for a deck. You always know when playing that you are moving towards a goal, your desired deck.
We are very satisfied with the system, although things can always change based on player feedback. Even in the beta, we modified things like required XP, adjustments for newcomers, and the new region from Rising Tides.
A new champion from the Rising Tides update.
MeinMMO: While we’re on the topic of balance: My experiences lately and also player feedback on reddit repeatedly mention that Ionia and Elusives are a bit too strong. How do you check if a deck is really too strong?
Jeff Jew: To be honest, I don’t think Ionia is OP. I think, however, that there are a few other decks that are currently a bit too strong. With Ionia, the problem is that some players are frustrated when facing them. Ionia is very focused on countering, they don’t play aggressively, and they don’t have overly many stats. They collect their spell mana and wait for you to make a mistake they can punish immediately. They destroy your champions when you bring too many onto the field or counter a key spell you wanted to cast.
The spell Deny, for instance, used to cost 3 mana, now it’s 4, because it was too easy to counter someone just using spell mana. If a game goes too heavily into the late game, then yes, Ionia likely wins. They have strong cards like Karma.
However, if you look at the statistics on Mobalytics, you’ll see that Ionia is actually a challenging deck to play and its win rate isn’t that high. It’s also important that we don’t just look at the data when it comes to balancing. Deny and the Elusives of Ionia do not have an overly good win rate, but they frustrate players, aren’t fun, and they don’t want to keep facing them over and over again.
So if you have feedback, not just regarding win rates but also about the gaming experience, bring it to reddit or another platform, discuss it with others, and if it becomes clear that many are having a bad experience, we will make appropriate changes. For us, it’s not just about the data, but overall the fun of the players.
New modes, updates, and card rotations
MeinMMO: With Rising Tides, the first new region has already been introduced. You also announced that you want to bring more card sets. When can we expect new cards?
Jeff Jew: Between the start of the open beta and now Rising Tides, about 3 to 4 months have passed. That will also be the rhythm in which we want to release new cards, at least in the short term. Our goal is to provide regular new content. However, we do not want to constantly require players to change their decks, as this can also be overwhelming.
You can expect to work with this rhythm, though we are also discussing internally whether we want to release all 200 cards at once every 3-4 months or if we prefer to release a few cards every month. The reason is that many new users come from smartphones, and even though large releases are currently standard for CCGs, we believe we are entering a new era where players demand more content in a shorter time. It’s entirely possible that you will see several experiments from us.
Currently, we are already working on 6+ new sets. Some are already in playtesting, and we will also release some new regions.
With Rising Tides, a new card set was released just 3 months after the beta launch.
MeinMMO: And how do you plan to deal with the new sets? Are you planning rotations like in Hearthstone and just keep releasing more cards?
Jeff Jew: We are definitely planning rotations, but we are initially avoiding them for at least another year, probably even longer. Rotations have positive and negative sides. For new players, it’s a good time to start and not have to collect 2,000 cards immediately. We are situated better with LoR than other card games, because it will always be about simply playing and thus making progress towards the desired cards, directly from the latest regions. And you don’t have to feel like: “Oh my god, I have to buy cards that are already a year old, and then they will be gone in a few months.”
So yes, we will implement rotations, but players shouldn’t worry about that right now. We always want to ensure there is a format in which you can still play with old cards. Personally, I love this mode in Magic more than Standard. I think we have found a good way to provide a format where you don’t have to destroy your old collection to keep up. That’s why we will support such a format.
Our players should always be sure that their cards are valuable, and it will certainly be a fun mode where some things are broken – simply because there are so many cards. We are looking forward to it.
In the game mode Tavern Brawl in Hearthstone, there are regularly crazy rules that loosen up the overall gameplay and decks.
MeinMMO: Card rotations are one thing, but many players also wish for new modes, perhaps something like Tavern Brawl in Hearthstone. Are you planning something in this direction?
Jeff Jew: Yes, this is a very high priority for us, rotating game modes or mutating game modes. We cannot yet talk about what they will look like, because they are still early in development, but players are warmly invited to give us feedback on such modes.
The beauty of LoR is that we currently have a lot of cards quickly. The modes are then perfect for finding ways to use cards differently than in Standard or Ranked.
Entering E-Sports due to positive feedback
MeinMMO: You mentioned earlier that social aspects have played an important role in the development of LoR. However, many players are calling for new features in that regard, such as the ability to watch friends play or to add users as friends directly after a match. Are you planning innovations in this direction?
Jeff Jew: Oh yes, I saw a reddit thread where my colleague Andrew [Andrew Yip, Game Designer of LoR] commented a lot. We consider these social features very important, and we are already working on some of them. This includes the spectator mode and also generally some new modes, including new ones for competitive players. However, there were also cool ideas we are discussing, like directly adding friends.
However, we also see this as very divided. There are good reasons to add it, but also to leave it out. I would say in 50% of the cases when a player adds you, they want to be your friend, in 50% of the cases, they’d rather insult you. If you really want to add someone, you can theoretically do it through their name. Making it too easy could also be a disadvantage.
As for the spectator mode: We have tried it and other features, such as guilds, beforehand, but when it comes to launching the games, you have to ensure that the content you release is well done. Some of these haven’t met those standards, but we are also overhauling a lot and will bring it at a later date. And the spectator mode is definitely on our roadmap.
Watching friends as well as professionals in their matches is on the wishlist of many players.
MeinMMO: If you are already working on a spectator mode, it would also be a good idea to develop towards e-sports. Do you currently have any plans for that?
Jeff Jew: Our approach to the game was that we did not want to launch with a focus on e-sports. One reason is that LoR is many people’s first LoL product, especially when they come from mobile devices, and they are not necessarily into e-sports. Riot is known for focusing on e-sports, but we wanted to show that we also care about the social aspects and that players can simply join and have fun.
But throughout the beta, we have received a lot of feedback from players that ranked play is fun for them, and surprisingly, we had a lot of players actually playing ranked. There have already been some local tournaments in Europe, Korea, and America. There has been a surprisingly high level of attention.
That’s why we decided to bring more competitive features and to hold tournaments in the future. It’s important for us that whether Legends of Runeterra becomes e-sports or not depends on the players. We do not want to force it, but based on the current feedback, it’s likely that we will develop a “Path to Pro” that involves ranked play, tournaments, and a “Who is the best player in the world.” Don’t expect it in the next few weeks, but considering the history of Riot Games and the current feedback, it is quite likely.
LoR plans long-term because it is flexible and part of the LoL universe
MeinMMO: E-sports, 6 new sets, and new game modes – you really plan far into the future with Legends of Runeterra. What makes you so sure that you will survive on the market for a long time?
Jeff Jew: Oh yes, I think there are 3 reasons for that:
LoR fits into your life, regardless of what device you are playing on or how busy you are. Matches are relatively short, and the game is optimized whether you play on PC, iOS, or Android.
I believe that League of Legends and all the games we are currently developing will continue to grow for years. So anyone who is a fan of the lore, of the IP in general, will have fun and continually find new champions and additions to LoR.
We are just starting out. There are many features we want to develop. Anyone who engages intensively with LoR will notice that we are closely connected with our community, working hard, and really love our game. We release an update every two weeks and will keep that up for now. I think anyone looking for a game behind which the developers completely stand and who seek very close communication will find us to be that team. When you look at the developments in the coming weeks and months, you will see how hard and dedicated the team has worked. And that should convince players to dive fully into the game.
MeinMMO: That sounds really good. Thank you for your time and good luck with developing the new sets and content.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In ranked games of League of Legends, Yuumi currently has a particularly high ban rate in Europe. In Korea, however, the champion is rarely banned and played. This is because Koreans act differently than players in the West.
What is wrong with Yuumi? Yuumi appeared in May 2019 as a new champion and has since enjoyed great popularity in the bot lane. As a supporter, she can effectively heal her AD carry and make herself invulnerable by jumping onto a teammate and using her skills from there.
This strength has led to Yuumi being banned in 73.4% of matches in Europe starting from Platinum rank and above (via u.gg). That’s a really high rate. In North America, she still has a ban rate of 59.3% (via u.gg).
In Korea, however, Yuumi is only banned in 1 out of every 10 games. This is notable and has a reason: Koreans, like the superstar Faker, play differently than the West.
More overview of the map makes life difficult for Yuumi
What is Yuumi weak against? Yuumi’s weakness is ganks, meaning attacks from other players on the bot lane.
While she ensures a good position for her AD carry with healing and damage in a direct 2v2 on the bot lane, she has trouble when suddenly receiving a lot of damage at once.
For if the ADC, on whom she is currently sitting invulnerable, dies, she is usually defeated very quickly as well.
And this is exactly where Korean and Western players differ.
Yuumi, the cute cat champ, who keeps the West on its toes.
What do the regions do differently? Korean players are more aggressive in SoloQ and utilize the map better. Therefore, ganks occur more frequently. Yuumi players correspondingly have problems. In Korea, LoL is supposed to feel more like a team game, even when not in voice chat.
In Europe and North America, however, many players focus on themselves. There are long laning phases, so players remain static in their positions. Therefore, they have to ban Yuumi more often.
This is also described by Gabriël “Bwipo” Rau, the top laner of Fnatic, in a livestream:
Movement on the map is something that most players in EU and NA, who play in Solo-Q, find unfamiliar. In Korea, [at] level five, there are five people on the mid lane, right?
Sometimes people make mistakes and take a fight they shouldn’t take. But being there is often the right move, regardless of whether the outcome of that maneuver is right or wrong.
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In the meantime, top striker Lukaku has finally received a TOTS card with a 95 overall rating in FIFA 20. But as strong as the card looks, it is not that great. FUT players are disappointed.
After Romelu Lukaku surprisingly did not make it into the Team of the Season So Far of Serie A, there was confusion. After all, the Inter Milan striker shone with strong performances and 23 goals in the current season in Italy. Even Lukaku himself was surprised that he did not receive a “Team of the Season” card:
But EA Sports had a change of heart: Now the Belgian finally has his TOTS card in FUT 20, which can be unlocked via SBC (Squad Building Challenge). However, there is a problem: The card is not as strong as one would suspect at first glance.
The problem with the TOTSSF Lukaku card
What is wrong with the new Lukaku card? If you take a look at the stats of the new Lukaku card, the values initially look fantastic: 94 pace, 96 passing, 94 dribbling, and an extremely strong 97 in physicality.
However, upon closer inspection of the card, especially the in-game stats, it becomes apparent that the card lacks several attributes that make a top striker in the endgame of FIFA 20.
The new TOTSSF card of Romelu Lukaku
What stands out are mainly the in-game stats in the areas of physicality and dribbling. A Reddit user, AlinMaior, has particularly well illustrated the issue. He compares the physicality values of TOTS Lukaku (physicality: 97) with those of TOTS Milinkovic-Savic (physicality: 96), who is also represented in the Serie A TOTSSF.
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It becomes clear that Milinkovic-Savic, despite having one point less than Lukaku with 96 physicality, still has much stronger in-game stats and thus significantly better physicality values.
In every single sub-attribute, Milinkovic-Savic is equal to or better than Lukaku, but in the overall rating, he is weaker.
Romelu Lukaku has the following stats with a physicality value of 97:
Jumping: 81
Stamina: 86
Strength: 99
Aggression: 81
How he arrives at a 97, as stated on his card, is questionable for many players. This is a discrepancy that confuses and frustrates the fans. After all, Lukaku has many supporters, as the comment section on futbin shows (via futbin).
The fans are confused and angry
This is what FUT players say: For the most part, there is disappointment and confusion regarding the new TOTSSF card:
Futbin user HalfChop says: “Ah, look at that. The card everyone wanted, but now no one will play” (via futbin)
Or toniotron, who wonders about the stats composition: “Why does he have 97 physicality? 99 strength okay, but the rest of the stats are in the high 80s???” (via futbin)
Additionally, there are FUT players like Sonnyinho, who accuses EA of false advertising: “This is false advertising at its finest” (via futbin)
How do such values come about? On reddit, there is heated discussion about Lukaku’s rating and frequently the upgrade method that EA is supposed to use for TOTS upgrades is mentioned. The base stats are multiplied by the card stats of the TOTS card and then subtracted from the overall value of the base card.
This would result in the TOTS stamina value of Lukaku, for example:
The TOTS card has 97 physicality and the base card 71 stamina and 84 physicality. EA apparently calculates the value like this: 97*71/84= 81 stamina.
A complicated calculation that certainly is not known to every FUT player and can indeed cause confusion. Therefore, it is always important to take a close look at the in-game stats of the cards, as the values on the card can often be misleading.
TOTS Lukaku
How strong is the card actually? It is certainly disappointing that the new Lukaku card leaves some wishes unfulfilled in key areas and thus does not fit into the current meta of the game.
But despite its shortcomings, his TOTSSF card is a strong striker card with top shooting values, which is not too expensive at around 200,000 coins.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Currently, a gamer with a disability is impressing in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. He plays with only one hand, but might be better than some of you.
This is about the clips: A video has surfaced on reddit showing various clips of a one-handed gamer. You can also see how the player controls the controller.
He surprises many viewers, as he showcases his skills despite his disability and achieves some tricky kills.
Gamer with a disability dominates in Modern Warfare
This is the clip: The video has already over 16,000 upvotes, showcasing some highlights of the gamer. The clip comes from a friend of the player, who explains that he has been one-handed since birth and wants to inspire others in similar situations with the clip.
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There are some kills with the sniper and tight combat situations that he managed to win. Generally, he seems to enjoy playing with a sniper rifle, as even on the tight map of Shipment he is equipped with the Kar 98k, which is typically intended for long distances.
What do viewers say about it? They are impressed by the skills of the player. For example, Reconic4K says: “Great, now I feel bad because I have 2 hands and I’m not as good as he is.”
Others also say that he plays better than they do and are impressed by how good he is despite his disability.
Are there more clips like this? Gamers with disabilities continually impress in video games. In FIFA 20, for instance, a Brazilian streamer who plays only with his feet impresses, as he has been without arms and hands since birth.
For Minecraft, you don’t even need a keyboard – at least not in the traditional sense. This streamer simply controls the game with 7 potatoes.
Streamers are constantly looking for new ways to entertain their players. Some come up with quirky ideas for a gamepad, like playing MMORPGs with a dance mat. Others choose a more “biological way” and opt for a vegetable-based control. The streamer and YouTuber _Skrepka recently plays Minecraft with potatoes.
Who is he? The Russian YouTuber _Skrepka shows a wealth of tricks and tips related to Minecraft on his channel. Often, it involves mechanics in the game, such as command blocks or minor tricks and gimmicks.
With view counts ranging from 100,000 to several million per video, he belongs to the larger YouTubers. However, since his videos are predominantly in Russian, he is not as well-known among us.
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What is he doing? In his latest clip, which is more than a 3-hour livestream, he shows a very special gamepad. He has creatively repurposed seven potatoes and built a gamepad out of them. Then, you can watch for nearly 3 hours as the potato control works in practice. He completes all tasks in Minecraft that one would normally handle.
At the end (02:49:00), he even got “fed up” with one potato. It was used as the “Use” button and stopped functioning properly. As a result, his Minecraft character couldn’t eat and therefore couldn’t heal. To fix the problem, he replaced the potato – with a tomato. Suddenly, everything worked as intended again.
Don’t you sometimes think of your friends and long loading times: “Oh man, is he actually playing on a potato?” Well, maybe that’s closer to the truth than you assumed…
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
InThe Division 2 today, there will be maintenance and downtime on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The servers will go offline for several hours. Here you can find everything you need to know about the maintenance process and the patch notes.
Update 12:13 PM: The maintenance is now reported to be finished by Massive – slightly earlier than planned.
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By the way, the third fix mentioned in the patch notes was not implemented.
What is happening today in The Division 2? Today there will be the next maintenance for The Division 2. This time, however, the developers are also making some changes to the game, so it is not a routine server maintenance like last week. We summarize everything important for you.
These times are important today: Massive has already posted the plan for today’s process on Twitter and in the official Ubisoft forums:
The maintenance is scheduled to start at 9:30 AM German time.
At the start of the maintenance, the Division 2 servers will also go offline and stay offline for several hours.
The duration of today’s maintenance is indicated to be about 3 hours. During this time, you won’t be able to play The Division 2.
If there are no unexpected problems, the servers should be back online around 12:30 PM German time.
The end of the downtime also marks the end of the maintenance work. From around 12:30 PM, you should be able to start again.
However, please note: These times, especially the end of the maintenance, may change during the maintenance work. It has happened several times that Massive finished a bit earlier, but also sometimes only with several hours delay. If anything changes in today’s process, you will find out here. We will keep the article updated.
What changes today? The patch notes? There were no adjustments during the last maintenance and consequently no patch notes, but this time there are some. The following changes are expected today:
A problem has been fixed that prevented players in a group from earning progress in global event challenges through their allies.
A problem has been fixed, causing the doors during the “Break Through the Black Tusk Forces” step in the DARPA Lab main mission not to open.
A problem has been fixed that caused status effect icons for fire and bleeding not to be displayed above NPCs. (This fix was not implemented as part of this update).
What’s next for The Division 2? Currently, there will only be minor server-side fixes until the next major update, which is expected in June – Title Update 10.
Initial changes from it are already being thoroughly tested on the test servers of The Division 2. With TU10, the second part of a comprehensive balance adjustment is to take place. In particular, loot, new gear, and new talents are to be the focus of the next major patch – all with an eye on the next raid, which is probably also set to launch in June.
Today, the Spotlight Hour with Bronzor starts in Pokémon GO on May 26, 2020. This is especially worthwhile for players who are stuck on the Sinnoh task. We will show you what bonuses are waiting.
What is it about? Regularly, Pokémon GO launched Spotlight Hours in May. Today, Tuesday, May 26, there is another one. The focus is on the Steel/Psychic Pokémon Bronzor.
With its types, this Pokémon is ideal for players who are stuck on the Sinnoh task with Steel Pokémon.
Spotlight Hour with Bronzor – What happens?
When does it start? As you are already used to from other events of this kind, the starting signal will be at 6:00 PM local time. You can enjoy the bonuses for one hour. The Spotlight Hour will end at 7:00 PM.
What bonuses are there? In the wild, you will encounter Bronzor much more frequently.
Additionally, you will receive double the candies for sending Pokémon. This is a good opportunity to clean up your collection and earn extra candies.
What does Shiny Bronzor look like? With a bit of luck, you might encounter Shiny Bronzor during the Spotlight Hour. In the following graphic, we show you Bronzor and its evolution Bronzong in the shiny variant.
Good help for Sinnoh research
Why does it help? Some trainers are currently having trouble finding Steel Pokémon in Pokémon GO. The task “Catch a Steel-type Pokémon” awaits you at Step 6 of 9 of the Nostalgia Challenge: Sinnoh.
If you are also stuck on this step, just catch Bronzor tonight and complete this quest.
