PS Plus in May supposedly brings a PS4 game for free, which is not available to us

Benedikt Schlotmann Benedikt Schlotmann Reading time 4 minutes

According to one source, PS Plus offers two free titles in May, but one of them is not officially available in Germany. Because Dying Light is indexed.

Update April 29, 5:35 PM: The leak was wrong; in May we will get Cities: Skylines and Farming Simulator 19 as monthly PS Plus games for the PS4. You can learn more about it here: PS Plus in May 2020 brings 2 of the best simulations for the PS4

Where does the information about the new PS4 games come from? A picture was published in the resetera forum that shows the free games for May 2020 at PS Plus (via Pushsquare.com). But many do not consider this source very trustworthy.

How trustworthy is the source? User Adookah posted a picture of the PlayStation Plus games for May 2020 on ResetEra.

alleged leak from forum
The alleged source from the forum, image source: ResetEra.com

At first glance, the image looks like an official announcement. But it becomes interesting when you compare the image from the forum with the official images from Sony. Here you can find the differences:

PlayStation Plus in March 2020
The original presentation of PlayStation Plus in March 2020. Image source: Sony.com
  • In the original, the period is also specified. In the alleged source, this is not the case. In addition, the statements are much too brief.
  • There are also differences in the main font: In the original, the two “E”s of “Free” are closer together, and the “A” and “M” of Games do not touch.
  • The original has a ® for “Registered Trademark” between PlayStation and Plus; this is completely missing in the source. The ™ symbol is missing in the yellow cross.
  • The original additionally uses a completely different font for “PlayStation Plus”: PlayStation is bold in the original and Plus is kept simple, whereas in the source everything is kept simple.
  • In the original, “Free” and “March” are left-aligned on one line. In the forum post, “May” and “Free” are not on one line and are slightly offset.

This is actually what is in PlayStation Plus in May: Sony has now announced the two free titles, and they are not Dying Light and Dark Souls Remastered. Instead, PlayStation Plus subscribers will receive two games, one of which is particularly “German”:

More on the topic
PS Plus May 2020: Grab 2 of the best simulations for the PS4
von Sven Galitzki

Dying Light and Dark Souls supposedly free via PS Plus

Which games are supposed to be free in May? According to the leak, the games Dark Souls Remastered and Dying Light are supposed to be free for PS Plus subscribers in May 2020:

  • Dark Souls is an action RPG that relies on a relentless level of difficulty.
  • Dying Light is a survival title with dynamic weather and day and night transitions. You play as agent Kyle Crane, who is supposed to infiltrate the quarantine zone of the city of Harran.

Here lies the problem: MeinMMO lists Dying Light among the best end-time games of 2019 and 2020. The problem, however, is that Dying Light is indexed in Germany, and therefore cannot be officially sold: As a result, sales pages such as Steam or the PlayStation Store are not visible to German users.

Dying Light 2 City
Dying Light is indexed in Germany and cannot be officially purchased. In the picture Dying Light 2, which could belong to the most interesting games of 2020.

Indexing in Germany – what does that mean?

Why are games indexed? In Germany, there are regulations in the German Youth Protection Act (via Gesetze im Internet).

First, the games are tested by the USK. A classification does not always have to be clear: For example, Fortnite has received different age ratings on Switch and PC. Furthermore, Sony is not allowed to offer USK-18 titles for free, so you need to pay a small amount for games like Apex Legends in the PlayStation Store.

If games are not classified for whatever reason, they can be indexed on application or suggestion from the Federal Review Board for harmful media (BPjM). According to the BPjM (via bundespruefstelle.de), media that

  • are immoral
  • corrupt
  • extremely violent
  • incite to crimes or racial hatred
  • or view self-justice as the only means of justice

What does indexing mean for the player? No advertising may be made for indexed games, nor may these titles be openly sold.

Playstation Plus
Indexed games are often not offered by providers like Sony at all: The effort is usually not worth it.

Shops are generally allowed to sell indexed titles, but they can only do so out of public view, so that children and adolescents do not have access. Rules also include separate rooms that are not visible from the outside. This applies to films, books, and computer games.

Additionally, it is crucial whether games end up on list A or B:

  • Media on list A can still be sold under the counter or “on demand”.
  • Media on list B are confiscated. This no longer falls under youth protection but rather under criminal law. Accordingly, it can become quite complicated.
  • In addition, there are lists C and D, but they are not public lists. This includes so-called telemedia (electronic media). These may include internet addresses that are not publicly visible.

What list is Dying Light on? Dying Light is on list A. This means that the game can be sold under the counter. Sales platforms such as Steam, Uplay, or Sony do not offer such indexed titles in advance, as they cannot provide these restrictions or it is not worth the effort for them. For providers, it is easier to block games for German IP addresses than to expose themselves to legal problems.

If the leak turns out to be true, it is unlikely that Dying Light will be free for German players, and instead, we may receive another title in Germany.

What is currently available on PlayStation Plus? In April, one of the best adventure games is currently free for PlayStation Plus members in April 2020. MeinMMO explains why PlayStation Plus in April 2020 is particularly worthwhile.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. pushsquare.com
  2. Bundespruefstelle.de

Valorant Ranked: Developers show new information about the release and system

Jürgen Horn Jürgen Horn Reading time 4 minutes

Valorant currently does not have any ranked lists, everyone is just playing for “fun”. However, contrary to initial assumptions, the release of a ranked system is likely still coming in the beta. After initial speculation, there is now concrete information about the ranked system from the developers.

Update 29.04. 2020: We have updated this article from April 17 with more information and patch 0.49.

What is a ranked system? In competitive games, like League of Legends or Counter-Strike, it is common to offer special ranked leagues. Players progress based on their performance, earn rewards, and frequently face appropriate opponents.

Ranked lists are therefore very popular among players who do not just want to play for fun but also want to be rewarded for their performance and compete against others. Many fans of Valorant are asking when a ranked mode will finally appear.

Release, Badges and League Structure – What We Know So Far About the Ranked Mode

What does Riot say about the release of the ranked mode? For a long time, it was assumed that the ranked mode would not be included in the beta of Valorant but would be one of the release features in summer 2020.

Meanwhile, the ranked mode has appeared in Valorant. You can find all important information about it here.

More on the topic
Valorant: Everything about the Ranked System – Unlocking, Ranks and Lists
von Jürgen Horn

How is the ranked mode structured? There are eight ranks:

  • Iron
  • Bronze
  • Silver
  • Gold
  • Platinum
  • Diamond
  • Immortal
  • Valorant
valorant-ranked-modus-rated
This is what the ranks and badges of Valorant should look like. The highest rank, Valorant, has only one sub-level.

Each of these ranks has three subdivisions. Only the last rank, Valorant, is represented as the ultimate professional rank with only one level. Thus, the absolute elite of the game is expected to be found there.

When is the ranked mode coming? According to the developers, the new mode should start after update 0.49. The patch is now available, but the ranked mode according to Riot is still inactive. They want to wait until everything runs stable. Additionally, the mode will only be available in the North America and Europe regions initially.

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According to Riot, the ranked mode will be available very soon.

How can you participate in ranked matches? You need to have beta access to Valorant to participate in ranked matches. Then you must have played at least 20 matches in the unranked mode to gain access to the ranked matches.

How can one rise or fall in rank? To rise or fall in ranks, the game will evaluate several factors:

  • Win or loss?
  • Good/bad performance in the game?
  • Good/bad teamwork

If someone plays poorly and loses, they lose more points than a generally good player who only narrowly loses after a tough match with their team. Especially in higher ranks, teamwork is supposed to be heavily weighted, while personal performance is clearly secondary.

The developers also want to analyze data more intensively to find out if, for example, a “smurf” is on the loose. This is a very good player who deliberately starts with a new account to farm the little noobs on the lower ranks.

How long do you keep your rank? If you do not log in for 14 days, your rank will no longer be displayed. However, if you play again, the rank reappears. It does not expire.

What happens after the beta? The ranked lists will be deleted after the beta. However, there will be new ranked lists in the release version.

What if I want to play with friends? You can play in ranked matches with friends, but only if you are not more than 2 ranks above or below them.

Will Valorant Get a Ranked Mode Like League of Legends?

This is how ranked leagues in Valorant could work: Insightful readers have already discovered similarities to the ranking system of League of Legends, which also comes from Riot. Therefore, it is likely that Valorant may later use a similar system. It would look something like this:

  • A ranked season divided into several “splits”. At the end of a split, there are rewards, and at the end of the season, progress is reset.
  • Each player receives points at the end of a ranked match – added or deducted depending on their performance. If you accumulate 100 points, you enter a promo series where you need to win three times. Then you rise one level in rank.
  • Conversely, you can drop in rank if you fall below 0 points. However, you start the lower level with 75 points.
  • The higher you rise in the ranks, the better rewards, such as skins, are offered at the end of the splits. So it is worth trying to be as high as possible in the rankings.

However, keep in mind that this information about the league’s structure is purely speculative for now. But given the success and long lifespan of LoL, it is quite likely that Riot will stick to proven patterns.

How does Valorant fare as an eSport? There has already been a first tournament with pro players and streamers in Valorant. Although there was no money involved, there were some spectacular gaming moments. Riot’s new 5vs5 shooter is expected to have an exciting future in eSports if such events continue to occur soon.

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

New weapon for CoD Warzone & MW – Season 3 reportedly brings classics back

Philipp Hansen Philipp Hansen Reading time 2 minutes

In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and the in-house Battle Royale Warzone, a new LMG is on the menu in Season 3, and for the first time, there is solid material available.

This is about the leak: Recently, the well-known leaker TheGamingRevolution on YouTube made headlines with a video. He shared a lot of info about unreleased content from CoD MW and Warzone. Included was also a first look at a new weapon that is expected to be added to the game soon as part of Season 3.

Even though the dataminer enjoys a good reputation in the community, we ask you to take the information with caution as they are not official.

Update April 29 – 10:00 AM: The new patch is live and the LMG is in the game as “Bruen Mk9”. Here are the patch notes for update 1.20.

Leak shows a new LMG for Call of Duty

This weapon was found: According to the leaker, soldiers will soon have fun with a new LMG. In his video, the weapon can be seen without a final coat but fully modeled:

Saw MG Season 3 Leak Call of Duty Modern Warfare
The yet-to-be-classified LMG from Season 3 – Source: TheGamingRevolution

According to the file names, the weapon is designated LM_MKIL03, but it strongly resembles a classic from the “Call of Duty” history: M249 SAW.

In earlier series installments like Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Remastered, the M249 SAW impressed with a very high rate of fire. The designation SAW does not stand for saw as often assumed, but is an acronym for “Squad Automatic Weapon”.

The light machine gun would thus join a pistol and a DMR that have been freely playable for all players since the start of the current season.

When might the weapon arrive? According to the leaker, the LMG could find its way into the game as early as tomorrow, April 28th. Because then, the new, rather large update for Modern Warfare and Warzone is due.

Developer Infinity Ward has officially announced that a new LMG will be featured in Season 3. If you take a look at the S3 roadmap, the corresponding weapon is marked “classified”:

Season 3 Roadmap LMG Call of Duty Warzone Modern
The operator Ronin is now live

What else is in the massive update? Whether the new weapon actually launches on April 28th is still uncertain. But these contents are definitely included in the new update:

  • Master Camo for favorite weapons
  • Frankenstein / Frankensmithing for blueprints
  • Shoot the Ship with “Boosted” and “Grind”
  • Gas changes in Warzone

You can find more detailed information about the changes here: CoD MW & Warzone: Big new patch brings favorite mode and crazy weapons.

What do you think about the possible return of the beloved LMG – cool thing or would you have preferred another weapon type for Season 3?

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

Ninja explains: “These 2 weapons should never have returned to Fortnite”

Eilyn Rapp Eilyn Rapp Reading time 2 minutes

The Fortnite pro Tyler “Ninja” Blevins is annoyed by 2 weapons that returned in Chapter 2. He now wants them removed from the game.

Which weapons is he referring to? The Mini-Gun and the Heavy Sniper should be removed from the game. At least that’s what the Fortnite pro Ninja wants.

For these two weapons, players would need absolutely no skill, the pro claims. The worst weapon in Fortnite has already been identified by the pro and he wants it removed from the game as well.

What defines these weapons? The Mini-Gun can fire many shots in quick succession. Thus, it can destroy all buildings shortly or quickly drain players’ health points.

The Heavy Sniper is currently strong. It can land a headshot at long distances, dealing 375 damage to players. Thus, a player is directly eliminated, even if they have full health and shield.

No wonder players wanted a nerf for this:

More on the topic
Fortnite: Players demand nerf of a weapon that has just returned
von Eilyn Rapp

The weapons require no skill

What does Ninja think about the two weapons? In a stream on April 24, he played with Twitch streamer SypherPK, after Ninja had frequently been meeting in his Mixer streams while playing CoD Warzone and Valorant (via Mixer).

However, things didn’t go well for the pro in the first game. His teammate SypherPK was quickly eliminated, and Ninja struggled against 2 opposing players.

With two players equipped with a Mini-Gun, they were able to quickly breach Ninja’s built box and eliminate him in seconds. This visibly frustrated the streamer.

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In the YouTube video, you can see the situation Ninja is in and the explanation of why he wants these two weapons removed from the game.

Mobile users please skip to 18 seconds

He says he came back to Fortnite to have fun. But then his teammate is hit by a Heavy Sniper and goes down. With a Mini-Gun, he is ultimately eliminated.

“Can they finally remove the Heavy Sniper from the game? I will tell you which two weapons should never have returned … the Mini-Gun and the Heavy Sniper.”

The biggest problem with these weapons is that handling them is not so difficult and any player can be successful with them. Players land a lucky hit with the Heavy Sniper and are rewarded with an elimination.

“I guarantee you, no player was eliminated by these weapons and thought: This player had so much skill and totally outsmarted me.”

According to Ninja, the regular snipers were fine. A body hit dealt about 90 damage and the hit player still had a chance to counter. With the Heavy Sniper, that wouldn’t be the case.

Although Ninja says he hates complaining too much, he already has some suggestions for improvements for Season 3 in Fortnite. These are the things Fortnite needs to change to bring more players back.

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

German Computer Game Award 2020: How to watch the event today on Youtube

Irina Moritz Irina Moritz Reading time 3 minutes

This evening, the winners of the German Video Game Award 2020 will be crowned. Here you can find out who is nominated for the DPC and where you can watch the award ceremony, for example on YouTube.

The following will be awarded: This year, a total prize pool of 590,000€ will be awarded for the best video games from German game developers.

The awards will be distributed in a total of 14 different categories:

  • The winner of the “Best German Game” category will receive 100,000€
  • Other categories will receive prize money between 30,000€ and 75,000€
  • However, the “Best International Game” category is, for example, an unawarded prize

When is the award ceremony? The festive presentation of the awards cannot take place this year due to the situation surrounding the Corona virus during a gala before an audience. Instead, there will be a special stream:

  • The stream for the award ceremony begins today, April 27, at 19:30.

Where can I watch it? You can watch the live broadcast in the official stream. Here’s the link to YouTube:

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Best Games of the German Developers

This year, a whole range of games from German game studios are participating. Here are all categories and nominations for which the awards will be presented tonight:

Best German Game

1st place – 100,000 Euros. 2nd and 3rd place – 25,000 Euros

Best Family Game

1st place – 75,000 Euros

Young Talents Award – Best Debut

1st place – 40,000 Euros

Young Talents Award – Best Prototype

1st place – 35,000 Euros. Nominations – 20,000 Euros each

  • Couch Monsters (Laurin Grossmann, John Kees, Marie Maslofski, Dennis Oprisa, Luca Storz, Jaqueline Vintonjek – HTW Berlin)
  • Echoes of Etrya (Nik Douglas, Sylvia Exner, Lisa Günther, Robin Hentschel, Silvan Koch, Pia Krensel, Jacob Menz, Melina Stratmann, Soren Wagner – S4G School for Games)
  • Prim (Oskar Alvarado, Bryan Atkinson, Jonas Fisch, Florian Genal, Michael Kenny, Maria Pendolino, Sascha Schneider – CMMN CLRS)
  • Sonority (Franca Bittner, Marvin Clauß, Nadine Harter, ?ahin Kablan, Madeline Reinaldo Mendoza, Lisa Nonnemacher, Clemens Sandner, Alice Schlotterbeck, Elisa Schorrig, Willi Schorrig, Vladyslav Trutniev)
  • Wild Woods (Nadja Clauberg, Moritz Heinemeyer, Johannes Kutsch, Eric Massenberg, Marcus Meiburg – HAW Hamburg)

Best Innovation and Technology

1st place – 30,000 Euros

  • Blautopf VR (Pixelcloud, TELLUX Next)
  • Lonely Mountains: Downhill (Megagon Industries)
  • Pingunauten Trainer (Chair of Media Computer Science, University of Duisburg-Essen)

Best Game World and Aesthetics

1st place – 30,000 Euros

Best Game Design

1st place – 30,000 Euros

Best Serious Game

1st place – 30,000 Euros

Best Mobile Game

1st place – 30,000 Euros

  • Arbo (It Matters Games)
  • Song of Bloom (Kamibox)
  • Stranded Sails (Lemonbomb Entertainment)

Best Expert Game

1st place – 30,000 Euros

Best Studio

1st place – 30,000 Euros

  • Deck 13 Interactive (Frankfurt am Main)
  • Mooneye Studios (Hamburg)
  • Yager Development (Berlin)

Best International Game

Unawarded

Best International Multiplayer Game

Unawarded

Player of the Year

Unawarded

  • Gob b (Fatih Dayik)
  • GameTube (Daniel Feith, Martin Le, Michael Obermeier and Christian Schneider)
  • MoAuba (Mohammed Harkous)

Special Jury Award

Unawarded

  • Possible winners in this category will be announced on April 27, 2020.

Audience Award

Unawarded

Webedia Gaming supports the German Video Game Award as a media partner. The nominees are determined by a panel of experts, which also includes GamePro editor-in-chief Rae Grimm.
In a media partnership, two companies agree to promote each other. Usually, no money flows, but rather it’s about benefiting from each other’s strengths.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

The LoL star is back with the team that threw him out and that he wanted to destroy

Alexander Leitsch Alexander Leitsch Reading time 3 minutes

One of the most popular and best players in League of Legends is Yilang “Doublelift” Peng (26). He parted ways with Team Liquid after a weak Spring Split and is now returning to his old team. However, there was actually a lot of drama and trouble with it.

What is the situation? Team Liquid won all 4 titles of the American LCS (League of Legends Championship Series) in 2018 and 2019. The team was considered strong, also due to the deadly bot lane with Doublelift and CoreJJ. But in 2020, nothing came together.

The team finished the Spring Split in second to last place, with 7 wins and 11 losses, setting a negative record. Never before has a champion failed to at least reach the playoffs in the following tournament.

LoL LCS Spring Split 2020 standings
No good Spring Split for established teams TSM, CLG, and Team Liquid (via Gamepedia).

Only one change was made to the team before the season. They traded the jungler Xmithie (28), who was criticized at Worlds, for the younger Broxah (22) from Fnatic. Broxah, however, had issues with his visa and only showed up after the league started.

In total, there were likely major communication problems in the team. Doublelift was reportedly no longer motivated, even being benched for a short time.

As the player revealed in a vlog, he no longer felt confident making calls upon returning to the team because he was afraid of “losing his job again”.

Doublelift returns to TSM, whom he actually wanted to destroy

What has happened now? In the off-season and before the start of the Summer Split, Team SoloMid (TSM) announced that Doublelift would return to them.

In an introductory video, the player explained that there were problems in player dynamics at Team Liquid. He and Liquid CEO Steve Arhancet agreed that a transfer would take place when the right team came calling.

The choice fell on TSM, which surprised many. Because the atmosphere between Doublelift and the team was very tense at the split in 2017.

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What is the reason for the dispute? In 2017, TSM parted ways with Doublelift. However, he did not learn about it from a personal conversation, but from a thread on reddit. Subsequently, Doublelift vowed revenge, which he also got several times.

Why is he going back now? In a vlog, the player now revealed why he is returning to TSM specifically, despite the previous drama. There were speculations that it might have to do with the special relationship between him and TSM president Leena Xu, which was seemingly more than just professional. However, Doublelift said:

If Leena weren’t at TSM, would I join TSM? Definitely, yes. I joined because the roster is good, because the organization is super hyped and because of my previous relationships with Bjergsen [mid-laner at TSM and also a part-owner of the organization] and Bio [support at TSM].

I think if you took her [Leena] out of the equation, my decision would be exactly the same.

Can TSM now compete for the championship?

The time with Doublelift is considered one of the most successful for Team SoloMid:

  • In 2016, the team finished 2nd in the Spring Playoffs and 1st in the Summer Playoffs.
  • In 2017, TSM won both playoffs.
  • In both years, they qualified for the Worlds, even if they were eliminated early there.

After the split, the organization reached the playoffs in every split, but only managed a 2nd place in Spring 2019. In the Spring Playoffs 2018 and the Summer Playoffs 2019, they finished both times 5th out of 6.

The Worlds have not been reached since Doublelift’s departure.

Many fans are now hoping for success with the return of the star player. Because even for TSM, the Spring Split went rather average. Doublelift himself is eager, as a tweet shows:

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But for that, TSM would have to get past Cloud9. They are currently dominating the 2020 season. In doing so, the team made an unconventional decision and parted ways with the actual star player.

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

Bugs make Borderlands 3 almost unplayable – It could be so beautiful

Max Handwerk Max Handwerk Reading time 3 minutes

Many players of Borderlands 3 are currently struggling with bugs. The last big update brought fantastic content – but apparently also some errors.

What’s new in Borderlands 3: The big update from last Thursday brought a lot of great new content to Borderlands 3. It’s worth checking back in: The Mayhem Mode 2.0 offers a heavy, chaotic challenge. “The Revenge of the Cartels” sends you on a gangster hunt in the stylish new Villa Ultraviolet. And thanks to the “Loot the Universe” event, you can currently go on a targeted loot hunt. But the update also brought some problems.

Update not as nice as hoped?

We tried Mayhem 2.0: Eager for the new content, the Borderlands 3 disc also found its way into my PS4 drive over the weekend, Max Handwerk.

In local coop mode, we went on a discovery tour. Splitscreen on, game started – at first, everything seemed the same. So we cranked up the new Mayhem Mode 2.0, starting at level 4. And there it was, the planned new chaos: huge heads, difficult enemies, crazy battles. At the “Cliff of Ascension,” we were able to collect legendary sniper rifles endlessly, thanks to the “Loot the Universe” event, while defeating new cartel enemies.

Borderlands 3 Loot the Universe
The new loot event is a lot of fun – as long as you can play

It was a lot of fun, and the new content has brought a breath of fresh air. But even on Pandora, it became apparent: Somehow the screen is stuttering more than usual.

Bugs take away the fun: In PS4 splitscreen, you get used to some technical hiccups in Borderlands 3. But when we first entered the new Villa Ultraviolet to fight the cartels, things really got going.

The frame rate dropped, the sound was no longer understandable, and it took forever to get into the menu. Hitting enemies became really difficult due to the severe stuttering of the game. Shortly after, it was all over: the game crashed, and we found ourselves back in the PS4 main menu.

Unfortunately, this was not an isolated incident. Even after restarting and with different Mayhem modifiers, the game continued to stutter. Exploring the fan-favorite Villa map was virtually impossible. And many players in the community are also complaining about bugs.

New bugs lead to complaints about Borderlands 3 

Players report bugs: On reddit, there is a new bug thread since the big update, where players summarize the errors. It has now become quite long. Especially console players report bugs that make the game practically unplayable. There are also numerous reports of frame drops on PC, along with crash issues. 

Additionally, there are smaller bugs, such as certain weapons not scaling with the Mayhem levels or a glitch causing multiple players to be unable to scroll through the Mayhem modifiers. The list is long – and the community hopes for a quick fix.

Borderlands 3 Mayhem 2.0
Unfortunately, with Mayhem 2.0 came a lot of unplanned chaos into the game

What Gearbox says: The developers have not yet shared much about the errors. At the start of the update, a hotfix was released that addressed certain audio problems, but the remaining bugs have not yet been tackled. In a tweet, it was announced that they are still working on performance and stability updates:

Typically, new Borderlands updates are released on Thursdays. It’s possible that some issues will be resolved during the week. For now, however, it seems like it’s a waiting game.

Anyone who has ignored Mayhem 2.0 because the level is still too low should first try to reach the maximum level as quickly as possible. Here you can find two ideal places to level up.

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

CoD MW & Warzone: Big new patch brings favorite mode and crazy weapons

Maik Schneider Maik Schneider Reading time 4 minutes

In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and the battle royale spin-off Warzone, a major update is coming. The contents sound enticing – Master Camo and brand new gunsmith options are likely included. Plus, one of the most popular modes will return.

What’s coming to CoD? This Friday, April 24, Activision Blizzard released the community update for this week and gave us a glimpse of the new patch.

This one could be significant. There are likely 4 special points to come, some of which could fundamentally change our CoD experience in Modern Warfare and Warzone:

  • Master Camo for favorite weapons
  • Frankenstein / Frankensmithing for blueprints
  • Shoot the Ship with “Cranked” and “Grind”
  • Gas changes in Warzone

If everything goes smoothly, we are awaiting the biggest changes to the gunsmith since the release of Modern Warfare. Additionally, changes to the gas circle in Warzone and a favorite mode will return to the playlist. This could be an incredibly good week for Call of Duty.

Update April 29, 10:00 AM: The patch is live and even brings more than expected. The new LMG “Bruen Mk9” can now be unlocked. Here are the patch notes for update 1.20.

Update April 28, 11:00 AM: It seems a fifth point is being added. With the update, a new contract arrives in Warzone. With “Most Wanted,” you can earn revives for the entire team.

When will the update be released? For us, it is expected to go live either on Tuesday, April 28, at 7:00 PM or on Wednesday, April 29, around 8:00 AM. Console players should prepare for a longer update time. After the patch, players on Xbox and PlayStation will need to download a 15 GB data pack to get back into the game.

cod modern warfare crazy scar
Already, you can create crazy setups at the gunsmith. Let’s see what amazing creations are possible with “Frankensmithing”.

Gunsmith with new offers

What is the Master Camo? The blog post mentions “Obsidian camo.” It is suspected that this is another skin variant that we can unlock by playing a specific weapon a lot.

So far, there are 3 special metal skin variants here, which take quite a long time to unlock:

  • Gold – Master the weapon
  • Platinum – Master the weapon class
  • Damascus – Master almost all weapons

Now, a real grind skin for individual weapons seems to be coming. Joe Cecot, Design Director at Infinity Ward, revealed a few weeks ago that we can expect something here, and now it seems to be happening.

https://twitter.com/JoeCecot/status/1248831837633302530

We haven’t had a look at the new skins yet. However, the volcanic glass “Obsidian” is usually represented as black, and it’s possible that CoD goes in this direction as well.

What is “Frankenstein”? Also an exciting skin feature that elevates the customization of our weapons to a new level. The blog post talks about “mixing and adjusting blueprint weapon attachments to your heart’s content.”

So, if we have the blueprint of an M4A1 and particularly like the shape of the barrel, we can integrate this barrel into another M4 blueprint that we particularly like the shape of.

This allows for a whole new way of customizing. The weapons can look completely different, and crazy setups are possible. They may not always look good, but they are definitely unique. A really cool innovation that many soldiers will likely enjoy.

If unwanted pay-to-win blueprints appear again, players can then attach the OP attachments to their own weapon.

Cool playlist in MW and new gas circle in Warzone

What does the mode look like? With “Shoot the Ship” (it was previously called “Shoot or Ship, it doesn’t matter”), one of the most popular modes is returning to the playlist. The mix of the crazy mini-map Shipment, which has an unusually large fanbase, and the slightly larger map “Shoot House” launches as a Moshpit with “Cranked” and “Grind.” This promises an explosive mix:

  • Cranked – Anti-camper mode where a timer counts down after each kill. New kills extend the timer. If it runs out, it goes BOOM!
  • Grind – Reminiscent of “Kill Confirmed,” but the collected dog tags must be brought to a specific location before they count as points.
cod modern warfare cranked timer
As long as the timer runs, your movement stats are buffed, and everything goes a bit faster. If you don’t get a kill in time and the timer runs out, you respawn.

What happens with the gas? It is not yet clear, but changes to the gas are likely to affect gameplay in Warzone significantly. The preliminary patch notes state: “The speed and size of the circle in Warzone will be adjusted.”

“TheXclusiveAce,” who discusses the current Call of Duty and Warzone extensively in his English videos, suspects in his notes analysis that the circle could get smaller and close faster. He believes that after the start and the completion of the first firefights, it sometimes goes a bit too quiet.

It’s possible that we will soon have a faster gas circle or that the intervals between gas phases will become shorter, but the circle at the beginning will be larger. Running away from the gas could become even more difficult. However, we will only see how the circle changes with the update. As soon as there is newer information, you’ll get it here on MeinMMO.

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

Wolcen: How is the former Steam hit 2 months after release

Andreas Bertits Andreas Bertits Reading time 3 minutes

The hack and slash Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem launched extremely successfully on Steam in February. But then came the crash. We take a look at the current state of the action RPG.

How are the ratings and player numbers for Wolcen at the moment? Looking at the entry of the action RPG on Steam, it currently has a rating of 55% in the last 30 days and an overall rating of 56%.

According to Steamcharts, the player numbers are currently averaging 2,652 players online simultaneously. The peak is 7,236 in the last 30 days.

Wolcen Steamcharts April 2020
Wolcen has lost many players according to Steamcharts.

What do players say about the hack ‘n slash? We summarize some of the current opinions on Wolcen for you:

  • Miaz, Wb. says on Steam: “Looks good and has a good, fun concept. However, it feels incredibly unfinished. There are many very minor bugs that are not necessarily game-breaking but can be annoying or impractical. With a little polishing, this could be an amazing game.”
  • Naturr explains on Steam: “I was hoping for a quality action RPG. The gameplay mechanics are below average. I tried it twice, but both times I was just bored playing it.”
  • Guywars writes on Steam: “It has a lot of potential, but even months after the release, it is still broken in so many ways. It’s a better-looking Diablo 3 with an interesting story, but it doesn’t even come close to games like Path of Exile.”
  • Acthron on Steam believes: “Most of what has been said in other reviews is true, so I will not repeat it all. It’s a really good game with the potential to be great, but it hasn’t reached that yet.”

What has changed since the release? The developers have released regular updates addressing the worst bugs and balancing issues. For example, the problem with disappearing items and characters was resolved relatively quickly.

The Corona crisis now means that the developers have to work from home and new patches will have less content and will be released later. Nevertheless, regular updates are released that take player feedback into account and bring improvements.

The last update was released on April 22. Version 1.0.13.0

  • optimized the UI of the hack and slash,
  • addressed bugs like the strange targeting behavior of melee attacks
  • and improved localization, including the German texts.

New content such as additional areas and new acts are expected to follow in a few months. The team wants to focus on optimizing the action RPG first.

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The release trailer for Wolcen made us eager for more. Then came the disappointment.

How did Wolcen launch? The release on February 13, 2020, was so successful that the servers could not handle the influx of players. For several days, it was hardly possible to play online. At launch, Wolcen averaged 31,746 players. The peak was 127,542.

However, it quickly became apparent that Wolcen was plagued by numerous problems.

  • This included bugs that accumulated especially from the second act and could reset progress.
  • Additionally, players complained about disappearing items. In some cases, entire characters suddenly vanished.
  • Furthermore, there were balancing issues and frequent crashes as well as connection problems when playing online.

The ratings on Steam did not fare well as a result. Just a few days after launch, they stood at only 63%. The launch of Wolcen did not go as the developers likely hoped.

2020 is expected to bring more interesting action RPGs. Which ones that are, we will tell you in the MeinMMO list of 9 new hack ‘n slashes expected to come in 2020 while we wait for Diablo 4. Perhaps there is an exciting game for you in there.

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

Twitch streamer Tfue insults: “Ninja is a pussy” – Fortnite rivals in dispute

Noah Struthoff Noah Struthoff Reading time 3 minutes

Twitch streamer Turner “Tfue” Tenney (22) made headlines over the weekend when he botched a charity event. His fellow streamer and former Fortnite rival Tyler “Ninja” Blevins (28) took the opportunity to criticize his competitor.

This is the event in question: YouTuber “MrBeast” hosted a charity event in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Internet personalities competed against each other in rock-paper-scissors. Streamers Ninja and Tfue were also present.

However, Tfue drew a lot of attention and backlash for accidentally leaking private information from the tournament and MrBeast.

Tfue streams, even though he shouldn’t

This is how the mishap occurred: Tfue, the biggest streamer on Twitch, streamed the tournament live on his own Twitch channel for a while. During this time, he accidentally opened a chat with MrBeast. There, the YouTuber’s phone number and an access code to the private chatroom of all event participants were visible.

As a result, numerous viewers flooded into this chat and spammed it.

Tfue MrBeast Leak
This image was briefly seen in Tfue’s stream. Source: Dexerto

This is particularly delicate: As several sources stated, each participant was instructed not to stream. After all, every viewer was supposed to be watching MrBeast’s stream directly to donate.

After the mishap occurred, Tfue quickly shut off the stream and told his fans to switch over to MrBeast’s stream.

Ninja takes aim at Tfue and he strikes back

Here’s what Ninja said about it: The well-known Mixer streamer, Ninja, was also present during the stream and witnessed Tfue’s mistake. He tweeted: “Dude, Tfue leaked the code for the private chat while streaming.”

This is how the great discussion began: However, the situation didn’t end with Ninja’s tweet.

Tfue reacted sensitively to this criticism, even though he admitted his mistake. But the fact that Ninja was the first to attack him didn’t sit well with Tfue.

Tfue struck back and said: “Ninja is a pussy.”

Ninja replied: “We weren’t supposed to stream, Bro! The 50,000 viewers you have should come to the main stream where people can donate for charity.”

Tfue shows remorse: Clearly, the whole situation affected Tfue, as he apologized again to MrBeast and even donated $10,000. Afterwards, he encouraged his fans to donate as well.

Ninja’s wife defends her husband

Here’s what Jessica Blevins said: Ninja’s wife and manager defended her husband on Twitter and painted Tfue in a worse light.

She said: “Yes, Tfue’s leak was a mishap, but it wouldn’t have happened if he had listened to everyone who was told NOT to stream this event and to direct all their viewers to the YouTube main stream to DONATE for charity. Now the event is hacked and will be restarted.”

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Tfue then spotted and retweeted a statement that “Ninja sends his wife to fight his battles while Ninja waits for her in bed.”

Tfue and Ninja – A major rivalry

What is behind the feud? Tfue and Ninja have been rivals for a long time. Both are ambitious and have long competed for the same audience. Especially during the time when Ninja was still streaming on Twitch, they were direct competitors in Fortnite.

There is a clear contrast between the two streamers:

  • Tfue is an emotional streamer who doesn’t think much about what he says. He’s “unfiltered.” However, Tfue is an outstanding player in Fortnite and significantly younger than Ninja.
  • Ninja, on the other hand, is a brand behind which major advertising deals stand. The streamer was previously much more toxic, but has now become calmer and knows how to market himself. Ninja filters what he says out of respect for young viewers.

In 2018, Ninja was the undisputed number one on Twitch. Tfue stood in his shadow and only truly shone in 2019 after Ninja switched to the streaming platform Mixer. Nonetheless, he lacked something in the process.

Fortnite-Tfue-Pause-1137x445
Tfue is 6 years younger than Ninja. Both enjoy crashing into each other.

For years, the rivalry between the two existed but was never really articulated. Ninja acted as if he and Tfue were actually buddies. Tfue said he always had the impression that Ninja simply didn’t like him. The two kept their distance for a long time. This changed in the last few months:

  • Tfue continues to provocatively challenge Ninja and calls him out, even for a boxing match
  • Ninja seems confused about where this aggressiveness is coming from. But he can’t help himself either. He doesn’t avoid Tfue but rather enjoys commenting on negative things Tfue does.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Dexerto
  2. Gamerant

LoL developer is harassed in Valorant – Riot wants to respond

Jürgen Horn Jürgen Horn Reading time 3 minutes

In Valorant female players have been complaining about harassment in voice chat for being women for a while now. Recently, a LoL developer also fell victim to it and aired her frustrations on Twitter. This led to developers from Valorant stepping in and working on measures against such behavior.

What happened? The UX designer Tea “Greenily” C. from Riot Games primarily works on League of Legends, but enjoys a few rounds of Valorant. At least she enjoyed the rounds in the shooter until she said something in voice chat and shortly after, a male teammate felt compelled to hit on her.

The guy wouldn’t let up, repeatedly calling Greenily “Babe” and treating her as if she were his noob girlfriend that he had to carry.

When the developer asked him if he was 16 years old, he first confirmed it. When she then said “Then I’m at least 10 years too old for you!”, he got caught up in embarrassing contradictions: “I’m actually 23. Okay, I’m 17, but I will be 18 soon!”

https://twitter.com/Evergreenily/status/1253769891720511488

Later, he became aggressive, telling Greenily to “shut up” and that he didn’t want to carry her anymore.

The constant comments from the player increasingly annoyed Greenily and ruined her concentration, which ultimately led to the defeat in the game.

Toxic guys ruin women’s fun – Riot wants to intervene

That’s the problem with voice chat: In Valorant, you can mute the voice chat, but then you won’t hear anything from your teammates at all. Unlike in League of Legends, where you can at least still communicate with pings on the map, in Valorant it’s a big disadvantage not to hear your team.

Important tactical information is often exchanged in the voice chat, for example, when you are running through the corridors in a panic and searching for the bomb, while the team calls out warnings and advice.

However, since female players are often recognized by their voices as women, they face harassment from male teammates. As in Greenily’s case, lewd and condescending remarks are directed at female players. If the female player stands up against it, the mood often turns, and the woman is aggressively insulted and verbally attacked.

As a result, many female players don’t even dare to say anything in chat anymore. The streamer Fiona M has reportedly already fallen victim to such actions and has already complained about it on Twitter. She wants to be treated “normally” in Valorant.

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This is how Riot reacts: The numerous complaints from female players have now been noticed by Riot. Besides Greenily, another employee named Aeneia has also been harassed online. She is an analyst and strategist at Valorant.

https://twitter.com/aeneiaa/status/1253732516457930753

Executive Producer of Valorant, Anna Donlon, intervened and stated, “I also can’t play solo because of this.” By this, she means the solo matchmaking, where you play with randomly selected teammates.

However, that is supposed to change, as the producer promised in the same tweet: “We will look for long-term solutions so that you can play Valorant safely, even in solo queue!”

What exactly Riot wants to do to curb the toxic atmosphere in voice chat towards women has not been mentioned. Possible ideas could be

  • Mutes for individual people
  • or a strictly regulated ban system

After all, Valorant is still in closed beta and is likely to undergo some changes before the release.

Wasn’t there something about sexism and Riot before? Indeed, the studio Riot Games has a controversial history regarding sexism and harassment in the workplace. It has reportedly become so bad that there was an exposé by Kotaku about the work atmosphere at Riot.

As a result, a lot has been done at Riot, including hiring a Harvard professor to reform the company.

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

The new online game is like Escape from Tarkov, but with tanks and in space

Andreas Bertits Andreas Bertits Reading time 2 minutes

Marauder is currently an interesting online game that resembles the PvP shooter Escape from Tarkov in gameplay. However, in Marauder, you are piloting space tanks.

What is Marauder? The online game places you in a parallel universe where humanity seeks to conquer space after World War II. However, the spaceships resemble tanks and there are no lasers or railguns, just regular projectiles and bullets.

Your hero sets out to search for loot and valuable resources in spaceship wrecks and space stations, either alone or in a group with friends. As other players are doing the same, PvP battles frequently occur.

This is how Marauder unfolds:

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The gameplay video of Marauder shows how the game works.

What are the parallels to Escape from Tarkov? Loot plays an important role in Marauder. In missions, you should search for as much loot as possible. However, in the tactical battles, you must proceed very carefully and thoughtfully. If your hero perishes in a battle with another player, that player can loot him and take his gear. Therefore, you should carefully consider which weapons to take before each mission.

This closely resembles Escape from Tarkov, where loot is also important and other players can rob your corpse. Additionally, just like in Escape from Tarkov, it is possible to improve your heroes in Marauder through skills.

What are the special features of Marauder? Besides the very unusual scenario of tanks in space, it is not only possible to search for loot as a fighter on stations and wrecks and engage in heated battles with other players. You also command a military frigate.

With these frigates, you engage in tactical space battles against each other. Every player tries to get as many fighters as possible to the station or wreck. To do this, you have to shoot the players to their destination with drop pods. However, it is possible to destroy these pods. Therefore, it is necessary to protect the transports with your frigate and try to take out the opponent’s pods.

You can also upgrade and enhance your frigate over time to have a better chance in space battles. It is also possible to fire your drop pods at enemy ships to board them. Boarded ships can then be sold. With the money, you can acquire better gear and upgrade your ship.

Marauder Boarding
A drop pod is on its way to a hostile ship to board it.

When is Marauder coming out? The release of the online game is planned for January 2022 on PC. However, there will be alpha and beta phases beforehand, during which the developers want to collect feedback from players. These phases do not yet have a date.

Currently, Marauder is still in the crowdfunding phase on the Fig platform, through which the funding for the game is to be secured.

Marauder is still a bit of a wait. However, MeinMMO has compiled a list for you, where you can see the 11 best multiplayer shooters for PC, PS4, and Xbox One that you can play in 2020. This way, you can effectively shorten the waiting time.

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

In Destiny 2, one class dominates the Guardian Games, which no one expected

Philipp Hansen Philipp Hansen Reading time 3 minutes

In Destiny 2, there is a competition between Hunters, Titans, and Warlocks. The event “Guardian Games” is surprisingly dominated by the underdog, the Titans. Players are asking: Is this rigging or the result of hard work?

This is the current event status: A week ago, on April 21, the kick-off for the Guardian Games took place. The competition, inspired by the Olympics, has the three classes competing for medals and the glorious spot on the winner’s podium.

As many players predicted and some feared, the Hunters started strong. The most played class in Destiny 2 quickly secured the podium spot on the first event day. No wonder, as here on MeinMMO, the Hunters lead the popularity ranking in Destiny 2.

However, the following day saw a shift. The Titans surprisingly took the lead. Even more surprising: They haven’t given up the pole position since then.

For almost a week, the Titan banner has been flying high over everyone.

Titan-Guardian-Games-Lead-Destiny-2
This is the status as of April 27: Titans dominate significantly, Warlocks hold their own, and Hunters are sinking

This is how the Hunters react: Questions about the accuracy of this dominance are coming from the Hunter faction. Calls of rigging and conspiracy theories are being voiced.

On reddit, widely noticed threads revolve around this topic and speculate that Bungie has its hands in this. It is said that the games are manipulated to make the competitions seem exciting.

Therefore, the event flags, which indicate the current standings at any time, are raised behind the scenes by the developer itself.

Bungie ensures equal opportunities in the competition event

This is how the medals are weighted: To determine which class is ahead in the competition, earned medals are counted. Since there are significantly more Hunters than Warlocks and Titans in the Destiny universe, a weighting comes into play.

In other words, depending on class popularity, a gold medal is worth a bit more or a bit less. This is how Bungie wants to manage the dominance of the Hunters and has made this clear before the event started.

https://twitter.com/Maurice_BNG/status/1250807963394039808

What advantages do Titans have in the event?

This is why Titans may have an advantage: Much in the Guardian Games revolves around collecting laurels. These are dropped by enemies when they are taken down with abilities. This includes kills with:

  • Super
  • Grenades
  • charged melee

Hunters generally struggle a bit more with ability kills than other classes. Warlocks have their Stormcaller and the corresponding Crown of Storms, creating their own ability kill machine.

However, Titans play with the Exo One undefeatable Skullfort in a different league. With this helmet, they can do what Titans do best: keep hitting.

A charged arc melee can take down basically any opponent, depending on the subclass taking out everything in close range. Empowered by the exotic, this deadly ability is fully charged with every use, and all melee kills heal the user. Additionally, if the mods are optimized, you become an immortal laurels producer.

destiny-2-titan-skullfort
The preferred Titan exotic during the Guardian Games: One undefeatable Skullfort

This speaks for a fair competition: It is not as unfair as it seems. In the Guardian Games, medals are not the same as laurels. Each day, all three classes have the same number of achievable gold, silver, or bronze medals in the game.

Just because Titans are good at ability kills and collecting laurels, they do not necessarily earn more medals than the other two classes. Some triumphs might be completed faster, but this has almost no impact on the event placement.

Gold medals often require not a laurel, but rather:

  • Complete 5 forges, strikes, or PvP matches
  • Eliminate a few hundred opponents – how you play does not matter

It currently seems that Titans are consistently executing their medal raids, scoring, and thus gaining points. If Bungie wanted to artificially keep the games exciting, the Titans would probably not have been in control for over a week, right?

By the way, we at MeinMMO are also participating in the competitions, and proudly as Warlocks: Destiny 2: MeinMMO rocks the Guardian Games live on Twitch – Check it out!

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

Pokémon GO: Evolving Rabott to Kapoera, Kicklee or Nockchan – How is that done?

Patrick Freese Patrick Freese Reading time 3 minutes

The development of Rabauz in Pokémon GO can go in three different directions. You cannot influence this, but with a trick you can see whether it develops into Kapoera, Kicklee, or Nockchan.

What is it about? In Pokémon GO, there are special Pokémon like Rabauz, which have different developments.

You know this from Evoli, where it depends on the naming whether it develops into an Aquana/Blitza/Flamara or Nachtara/Psiana.

Rabauz also has several evolution stages, which however depend on its battle values and not on nicknames. This has been discovered by the Pokémon experts of TheSilphRoad. It can develop into Kapoera, Kicklee, or Nockchan based on these values.

Update: We updated this article for you in April 2020.

Developing Rabauz – What is the trick?

This is how you find out what it will become: To find out into which of the three fighting Pokémon the little brawler will develop, you first need to have the Pokémon evaluated.

Select your Rabauz in your Pokémon storage, then click the menu button at the bottom right and select evaluation. Your team leaders will now inform you about the values of Rabauz and tell you how strong it is. You can see the battle values in the graphic at the bottom left of the app.

Pokémon GO Rabauz development before
In the test – 2x Rabauz – Once with the highest value “HP” and in test 2 with “Defense” as the highest battle value

The development of Rabauz depends on its highest status value.

  • If Attack is Rabauz’s highest value, it will become Kicklee
  • If Defense is Rabauz’s highest value, it will become Nockchan
  • If Stamina (HP) is the highest value, it will become Kapoera

If two values are equal, the development will be decided randomly. If all three values are equal, the development will also be random.

Pokémon GO Rabauz development after
The development of Rabauz worked as described – HP turns into Kapoera, Defense into Nockchan

This way, you can see in detail what Rabauz will evolve into. If you do not have the evolutions yet in your PokéDex, a question mark will initially appear next to the develop button. This trick is good for checking.

If you already have the evolutions in your PokéDex, these will appear directly next to the button as a small image.

Pokémon GO Rabauz to Nockchan

Influencing Rabauz’s evolution – This is not possible

This is not what it is about: Unlike Evoli, you cannot actively influence the development of Rabauz. However, you can see before developing what Pokémon the brawler will turn into. There are no nicknames or stones that influence the evolution of the Pokémon.

Item for the evolution? You cannot influence the development of Rabauz with items either. Some Pokémon can only evolve with certain stones. You can see the best evolutions with the Sinnoh stone in Pokémon GO here.

Among the best attackers in Pokémon GO, Nockchan, Kicklee, Kapoera, or Rabauz are unfortunately not included. Pokémon like Lucario have the upper hand. Therefore, you primarily need these evolutions of Rabauz to complete your PokéDex rather than to breed strong fighters.

Have you developed a Rabauz yet?

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

The streamer tells everyone on Twitch how great his exclusive deal with Facebook is

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 3 minutes

The streamer Jeremy Wang, better known as Disguised Toast, is an expert in strategy games Hearthstone and Teamfight Tactics. In November 2019, he moved to Facebook for presumably a lot of money; he was briefly back on Twitch and raved about how great it is on the other side of the digital river.

This is Disguised Toast: The streamer is regarded as a creative and unconventional mind who walks his own path. At the beginning of his career, he appeared wearing a gray toast mask and sunglasses.

By now, the face of the streamer is well-known, even though he would probably prefer to look like LoL player Pobelter : He apparently finds him more attractive than himself.

https://twitter.com/disguisedtoast/status/1198661866156773376
Disguised Toast: “I will tell my children that was me” and posts a picture of Pobelter.

Disguised Toast is regarded as a clever strategist and has repeatedly tried to crack games like Hearthstone or Teamfight Tactics by inventing and showcasing particularly creative combinations.

He also presented himself transparently. He publicly stated what he and other top performers on the streaming platform Twitch earn.

On Twitch, Wang was a quite successful streamer with 1.3 million followers. That’s not quite enough for the top league there, but he was close. However, in November 2019 he unexpectedly announced that he was moving exclusively to Facebook to stream there.

Disguised-Toast-Streamer
This is how Disguised Toast appeared for a long time.

It is suspected that Facebook is paying a lot for exclusive rights to his gaming streams. His move to Facebook happened in the shadow of the “big streamer” deals initiated by the transition of Twitch star Ninja to Mixer in August 2019.

On Facebook, Disguised Toast has far fewer followers than he once had on Twitch. So far, 270,000 people have subscribed to him.

More on the topic
Former Twitch employees are behind million-dollar deals for shroud and Ninja
von Schuhmann

Facebook is “really chill” – Less stress than on Twitch

What is he doing back on Twitch? Disguised Toast was back on Twitch for a “Just Chatting” stream. At the peak, 22,000 people watched him. The topic that interested most people: “How is it going for him on Facebook now.”

This is what the streamer says:

  • Facebook finds it absolutely okay if he is on Twitch. They are “chill” and even encouraged him to do so. Apparently, Facebook has no problem as long as he keeps his gaming exclusive to Facebook.
  • He is now much more relaxed than before. Because on Facebook he can stream what he wants and when he wants
  • Disguised Toast no longer has stress with the chat. On Twitch, he was often so angry with it before.
  • If he had to decide again, he would do it exactly the same way and switch again just like he did 5 months ago.

Disguised Toast is no longer a partner on Twitch, so he can hardly earn money there. Donations he received, he passed on to victims of Corona.

What’s behind it: Facebook is currently considered one of the “most difficult platforms” to stream on. The German streamer MontanaBlack called the platform “garbage.”

It is clear that Disguised Toast no longer has the relevance in gaming on the platform that he had during his time on Twitch.

However, the “real name requirement” on Facebook has an advantage: streamers can more easily identify and remove flamers and trolls there.

Moreover, it seems that Disguised Toast has freed himself from the disadvantages of Twitch: Some streamers who earn money on Twitch complain

On Facebook, Disguised Toast seems to be enjoying a quieter life thanks to his exclusive contract.

Nevertheless, Twitch has some advantages, such as interaction with the chat, the subscription system via “Twitch Prime” that pays out a lot of money, and the general relevance that Disguised Toast may miss on Facebook, even though he now paints streaming there in the best colors.

Fortnite Ninja Cash Money title
His move in August 2019 led to the current era, where 4 platforms compete for the best streamers: Tyler “Ninja” Blevins.

Disguised Toast was the most well-known streamer who switched from Twitch to Facebook. Facebook, in turn, has been one of the big winners in recent months and has grown strongly.

New developments, such as a special app, seem to make it clear that Facebook wants to further expand live streaming in the future.

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

The veteran of WoW brings joy even to the bitterest fans of the MMORPG

Benedict Grothaus Benedict Grothaus Reading time 3 minutes

As part of a family event from Blizzard, former Vice President Chris Metzen recorded a short video for World of Warcraft. This has touched many hearts.

Who is it about? It is about Chris Metzen, the former “Senior Vice President of Story and Franchise Development”, who is known to many fans as the mastermind behind the lore of World of Warcraft. He retired in 2016 due to panic attacks.

What has he done now? In conjunction with the “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work” day in the USA, Blizzard prepared a little extra. Many people have to stay home due to the current Corona crisis, but Blizzard did not want to let the day go by without acknowledgment.

So Chris Metzen stood in front of the camera and read from a book he contributed to: Snow Fight – A Warcraft Tale. It is essentially a children’s book filled with illustrations featuring Thrall, Varian Wrynn, and Arthas engaged in a snowball fight while learning about friendship and cooperation. We’ve embedded the five-minute video here for you:

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Children’s Book Brings Joy and Nostalgia

The reactions to Metzen’s reading have brought sheer joy to many Blizzard fans. In a highly-rated comment on YouTube, the user Demon Salad mentions: “This is absolutely the best. The Man Himself is reading a bedtime story for me, a big baby.”

Metzen’s video seemingly touched at least as many adults as the story was supposed to appeal to children. Many of them are excited to hear from the genius behind Warcraft again.

metzen-blizzcon
Chris Metzen is a hero for many fans of Blizzard.

Fans Are Moved Despite Frustrations with Blizzard

Recently, Blizzard has faced increasing problems. The situation has been ongoing for several years. Here is a brief overview:

In the meantime, Blizzard also faced significant backlash over Diablo Immortal and the banned Hearthstone pro Blitzchung. One of the newer disasters is the situation surrounding Warcraft 3 Reforged, whose release went terribly wrong. On MeinMMO, Cortyn asks: “Where is the Blizzard that I love so much?“

This question has been circulating within the Blizzard community for some time, and many fans feel disappointed again each year. They simply do not like the changes happening at Blizzard.

However, Metzen’s presence has the exact opposite effect: they are glad to see his face, reminding them of the times of the “good Blizzard”.

Metzen is also known as the voice of the Warchief Thrall, a character he still wants to portray.

Despite their grievances with Blizzard in recent years, they are genuinely happy about the video. Just a nice moment in an uncomfortable time. Fans only wish that he had read the book in his famous voice as Thrall.

The title image is from the YouTube video.

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

The super dungeon in WoW Shadowlands is so good that I even play mages for it

Benedict Grothaus Benedict Grothaus Reading time 5 minutes

The release of World of Warcraft: Shadowlands is still some time away, but many of the new features can already be tested in the Alpha. MeinMMO author Benedict Grothaus is one of the testers and can’t get enough of one feature.

What kind of dungeon is this? It’s about Torghast, Tower of the Damned. Torghast is a kind of super-dungeon where players can earn legendary items among other things.

It’s an endgame feature of the new expansion Shadowlands, designed for players at the new maximum level 60. The dungeon becomes increasingly difficult, providing a growing challenge.

However, there are currently no rewards for this in the Alpha. Legendaries and other items have not yet been implemented. For each run, I am currently only receiving quite worthless placeholders. Moreover, only four classes are allowed:

  • Priest
  • Mage
  • Warlock
  • Demon Hunter
About the author: Benedict has been playing World of Warcraft for over 15 years and has had a nearly continuous subscription with a few breaks since then. Here at MeinMMO, he has been following the MMORPG since August 2017 and supporting Cortyn. Among other things, he maintains the current DPS list of WoW.

Although his primary activity in World of Warcraft is raiding, he has also dabbled in PvP (especially in the arena) and Mythic+ dungeons. During this time, he has looked at each of the 12 playable classes but generally tends to prefer melee fighters.
Benedict from MeinMMO

Although I should probably spend more time as an Alpha tester finding bugs and thoroughly exploring all areas, I must admit that I spend way too much time in Torghast.

By now, surely 10-15 hours of my Alpha playtime have flowed into this dungeon alone and I still can’t get enough. Torghast alone will keep me hooked on Shadowlands for months – and rightly so.

Torghast, the new endgame feature

What makes Torghast so good? The key to Torghast is that the dungeon gets endlessly harder. It is divided into layers, where I must defeat enemies and collect rewards. With the distributed “Anima,” I can strengthen my character during the dungeon run.

wow torghast strange buffs
This is what a selection looks like. There are also some strange abilities, such as characters dying after time warps … not very helpful.

Crazy builds are possible because many Anima fundamentally change the functions of spells and abilities or even build synergy with each other. It’s similar to Diablo 3 – only that the entire game is squeezed into a dungeon.

If I die too often, a giant monster chases me, which can instantly kill me if I don’t escape. There is no time limit, but it certainly raises the thrill.

World of warcraft torghast tarragrue behind bars
The Tarragrue behind bars looks cute, but when it’s lumbering after you, it’s not so cute anymore.

Crazily insane builds and hours of fun

What builds are possible? I personally don’t like any of the classes that Torghast is currently playable with. Actually, I have been playing rogues, warriors, and death knights for many years. But for the test, I created a Mage, placed 6 in the list of the most popular classes in World of Warcraft, and had a blast.

The current selection of abilities in Torghast for the Mage includes many perks that build on the spell “Blink.” In my most fun run so far, my build consisted of the following core abilities:

  • Blink has no cooldown and costs no mana, but I can only move at 3 meters per second (“RP-Walk”) movement speed
  • casting Blink leaves a mirror image for 10 seconds
  • mirror images have more spells they can use
  • the spell “Mirror Image” summons an additional copy

In addition, there were many useful abilities like increased speed and damage. In the end, I got to the point where I had hardly any global cooldown on Blink and didn’t fight bosses myself anymore. Instead, I blinked against a wall and let my about 30-50 mirror images do the work:

  • WoW Torghast Mage Mirror Images 1
    Just a few me’s as friends.
  • WoW Torghast Mage Mirror Images 2
    A few more of me. What could possibly go wrong?
  • WoW Torghast Mage Mirror Images 3
    With too many egos, chaos ensues quickly.
  • WoW Torghast Mage Mirror Images 4
    The bosses can’t decide which Void Elf they want to nibble on first. Delightful!

The great thing about it is that this Anima can even stack, allowing me to summon even more mirror images or further increase my damage. Certainly not efficient on that level yet, but incredibly fun.

In other runs, I built a build around “Arcane Explosion,” which amplified it by 850% on its first use and steadily increased my damage, allowing me to basically run through the levels exploding.

And those were just the possibilities of the Arcane Mage – a class I don’t actually like. Now, if I imagine what I could do as a warrior, death knight, or in a group there, I’m really itching to try it out.

I just hope that there will be no restrictions for Torghast like there were for the visions of patch 8.3. The actually best feature of BfA, I couldn’t enjoy at all.

Is Shadowlands really going to be that good?

Besides Torghast, there currently aren’t many features that can be tested in the Alpha. The first area “Bastion” and recently the bloody “Revendreth” in Bloodborne style are currently the highlights.

WoW Shadowlands Revendreth Screenshots 5
The new zone Revendreth has a bit of the Victorian Bloodborne feel.

Asmongold claims that Shadowlands will be the best expansion of all time. I cannot agree with that yet, as there is still too little to see. At the moment, it’s mainly about testing and less about content.

But I am sure that Shadowlands will turn out very well and will surely make it onto our list of the best WoW expansions. Moreover, I can already see that I will personally spend much more time in the new addon than I currently do in Battle for Azeroth, even if only to try out more hilarious builds in Torghast.

More on Alpha & Beta of Shadowlands

Now that Revendreth has been introduced, there are still three more of the new areas of Shadowlands missing: Maldraxxus, Ardenweald, and the Maw. I can’t say exactly if and when these will be testable.

Moreover, one of the most important core features of the expansion: the Covenants is still not fully testable and is something I’m also very much looking forward to.

MeinMMO will keep an eye on the development and report on the most important information and details about Shadowlands and the Alpha. If you want to get an impression of the new expansion, you can sign up yourself for testing. All information about Alpha & Beta can be found here in our round-up article.

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

The 5 best RPGs of PS4 are currently on sale in the “Big in Japan” sale

Benedikt Schlotmann Benedikt Schlotmann Reading time 6 minutes

Sony has launched the “Big in Japan” sale on PlayStation 4. We present you the best RPGs and MMOs that you can buy at a low price right now. We also take a look beyond the horizon.

Sony has started its “Big in Japan” sale in the official PlayStation Store. But which games are actually worth it amidst the multitude of offers?

MeinMMO has selected the best RPGs and MMOs for you that are particularly worth it right now. We will present them to you in the following unordered list.

How long does the “Big in Japan” sale last? The sale started on April 24, 2020, and lasts until May 8. All games that have been developed in Japan are offered at a discount.

How did we choose? The titles on our list were selected based on which ones are particularly popular among fans. We also took a look at the top list of the best PS4 games of all time (via GamePro) from our colleagues at GamePro. Additionally, we checked which titles have received updates in some form (remastered or re-release).

[toc]

Monster Hunter World

Monster-Hunter-World-Handler-1062x445
In Monster Hunter World, you will always be accompanied by a scientist who will give you valuable tips, especially at the beginning.

Genre: Action-RPG | Developer: Capcom | Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox One | Release Date: January 26, 2018 | Model: Buy-to-Play

What is Monster Hunter World? In Monster Hunter World, you fight monsters as a hunter, collect their remains, and strengthen your equipment with them. Through a “drop-in” multiplayer mode, you can hunt monsters together with other players or explore the game world. For Capcom, it is the best-selling game in the company’s history.

What has been happening in the game recently? Regularly, events take place in Monster Hunter World. For instance, in April 2020, the Flor Festival occurred where you could unlock a hilarious weapon. Capcom accommodated many players with the event tasks and unlocked quests earlier due to Corona.

What does Monster Hunter World cost? The action RPG currently costs €14.99 instead of €29.99, making it perfect for those who have always wanted to take a look at Monster Hunter World.

Anyone who already owns Monster Hunter World can purchase the discounted expansion “Iceborne”. It costs €29.99 instead of €39.99 and expands the game world with another area and several monsters.

Black Desert Online

Black Desert Online offers 19 different classes, some of which have a gender lock.

Genre: MMORPG | Developer: Pearl Abyss | Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox One | Release Date: March 3, 2016 | Model: Buy-to-Play

What is Black Desert Online? Black Desert Online is an MMORPG that focuses on an action-heavy combat system. It combines typical MMORPG ingredients with sandbox features, such as crafting and extensive housing.

What has been happening in the game recently? Pearl Abyss recently opened season servers that play like Diablo 3, which are currently quite popular: These servers are reset after some time, but offer significantly more XP and money. For a while, you could also get Black Desert Online for free on Steam, and the game also benefits from high player numbers.

What does Black Desert Online cost? The MMORPG currently costs €14.99 instead of €29.99, so you save 50% when purchasing the title. You also need an active PlayStation Plus membership to play.

Persona 5

The protagonist, who can be named freely, fights in the parallel world as “Joker.” Together with friends, he tries to steal the hearts of evil people.

Genre: Party-RPG | Developer: Atlus | Platform: PS4 | Release Date: April 4, 2017 | Model: Buy-to-Play

What is Persona 5? In Persona 5, you plunge into turn-based party battles in a parallel world with the male protagonist Joker. After the fights, you lead your life as a normal student, earn money, and get to know your friends better. After school, you then hunt for the hearts of evil people.

What has been happening in the game recently? On March 31, 2020, Atlus released the Royal Edition of Persona 5. This expands the game with an additional semester and two new characters. If you’re hesitant about the full price of Persona 5 Royal, you can start Atlus’ RPG for under €20.

Persona 5 optionally offers English and Japanese voice acting with English subtitles. Persona 5 Royal also includes German subtitles and interface.

Our colleagues at GamePro praise Persona 5 and award it 92 points. Heiko Klinge states, “every gear meshes perfectly, no game element feels unthought-out or misplaced.”

What does Persona 5 cost? The RPG currently costs €17.49 instead of €69.99. You save 75% when purchasing the game.

  • Persona 5 for €17.49 (€69.99), you save 75%.

Final Fantasy XV

Genre: Action-RPG | Developer: Square Enix | Platform: PC, Xbox One, PS4 | Release Date: November 29, 2016 | Model: Buy-to-Play

Final Fantasy XV. The image shows the mobile version.

What is Final Fantasy 15? Final Fantasy 15 is an action role-playing game. The protagonist Noctis fights in the fantasy world of Eos to regain his home. The game world is open and filled with side quests, and the battles are highly action-oriented.

What has been happening in the game recently? In 2017, a multiplayer mode called FFXV: Comrades was introduced to Final Fantasy XV. You create up to eight avatars and fight alone or together against enemies. With the resources, you can upgrade your weapons or unlock new quests.

To use the multiplayer mode, you need a valid PS Plus membership. Alternatively, you can also try Final Fantasy XIV, an official MMORPG around the fantasy world of Eos.

Hannes Rossow from GamePro explains in his review (rating 88 points) that Final Fantasy XV does many things differently, “but it still feels like a full-fledged installment, completely in line with Final Fantasy…”

What does Final Fantasy XV cost? The action RPG currently costs €17.49 instead of €34.99. So you save half of the normal price.

Ni No Kuni Remastered

Genre: Role-playing game | Developer: Level-5 | Platform: PC, PS4, Switch | Release Date: September 20, 2019 (Remastered) | Model: Buy-to-Play

Oliver tries to save his mother with his companions. Image source: GamePro.de

What is Ni No Kuni Remastered? Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is the first collaboration between the developers Level 5 and the animation studio Studio Ghibli (among others “Spirited Away” and “Princess Mononoke”). In this role-playing game, you play as the young Oliver who wants to save his mother from the evil witch in a parallel world. Along the way, you collect companions in a Pokémon-style that you can level up and equip.

What has been happening in the game recently? In 2019, Level-5 released a remastered version of the old PS3 title for PS4, PC, and Switch. The game features high-resolution graphics and is otherwise adapted for modern systems. On March 23, 2018, the sequel Ni No Kuni 2 was released, and a third part is already in the works (via GamePro).

Our colleague Ann-Kathrin Kuhls praises the excellent execution of the remastered version in her review (92 points), “which is why I strongly recommend everyone who doesn’t know Ni No Kuni yet to take a look at it.”

What does Ni No Kuni Remastered cost? The RPG currently costs €24.99 instead of €49.99, so you save 50% when buying the game.

The successor Ni No Kuni 2 Revenant Kingdom is also available in the “Big in Japan” sale. This focuses less on collecting companions; instead, you have to manage and expand a kingdom. You do not need to know the story of the predecessor to play Ni No Kuni 2.

PlayStation Plus is the paid subscription service from Sony for PlayStation 4. Currently, one of the best adventures of all time is available for free with PlayStation Plus. We present you the Lineup of PlayStation Plus for April 2020 and tell you why the membership is particularly worthwhile in April 2020.

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

Destiny 2 will flick a crucial PvP mode, might charge for it – is that enough?

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 4 minutes

In Destiny 2, the new PvP mode “Trials of Osiris” has been struggling after just a few weeks. It has too few players. Now Bungie announces initial changes. However, the things many players look forward to are still far away. There are also considerations to stop offering the mode for free.

This is the situation: Some vocal PvP players have long demanded that Bungie bring back the Trials of Osiris. This is a weekly PvP event. Especially Twitch streamers benefit greatly from the mode – even financially.

Twitch-Gernaderjake-1140x445
The Twitch streamer GernaderJake. He is the big winner of the new mode in Destiny 2, but he also worries about how it will continue.

Trials are rarely played – only 2.6% on PC, 5.7% on PS4

The PvP event was successful in Destiny 1 for a while, in Destiny 2 the concept was revised but later removed. Bungie was disappointed with the new Trials and apparently wanted to replace them with the new mode “Gambit”, their then favorite mode that came in September 2018.

Now the Trials were reintroduced with Season 10, but the mode doesn’t work. The Trials were supposed to be the highlight of the current Season but only reach a few players.

According to current values from warmind.io (as of Sunday, 1:50 PM), the Trials are played by:

  • only 2.6% of players on PC
  • 4.1% on Xbox One
  • about 5.7% of players on PS4

The numbers surely vary – but especially on Sundays, the percentage participation in the Trials of Osiris is frighteningly low. On Fridays, at the start of the Trials, it is surely higher, but still so low that Bungie is announcing changes now.

Destiny-2-Warmind-io
The tracking site Warmind.io shows what players spend their time on in Destiny: (as of Sunday, April 26, around 1:50 PM German time)

Bungie has identified 3 problems:

astralhorizont-trials-shotgun-destiny-2
The weapon is so strong that players only want to get the first 3 wins in the Trials.

More materials and tokens with Season 11

These are the changes Bungie is bringing with Season 11: Bungie has presented two major changes for Season 11 in Destiny 2:

  • Making rewards for reaching milestones “more worthwhile.” The Trials should drop additional tokens and more upgrade and infusion materials
  • there should also be rewards even if players only participate but lose most of their matches

Season 11 should start in about a month in May.

Trials soon only for players who purchase a Season?

What about cheaters? Bungie wants to take a tougher stance against cheaters. For the Trials, they have some ideas: Players might need 100 hours to participate in the mode. But that is still not set in stone.

Additionally, Bungie now believes it may have been a mistake to offer the Trials for free and not as part of the paid Season Pass. It could be that this changes: then only players who pay for the current Season could participate in the Trials.

Nothing will change in Season 10, but Bungie “will reevaluate the decision”.

It is said: If Bungie has to choose between accessibility and integrity, they will make the Trials a “sacred, protected place”.

More on the topic
Destiny 2 builds PvE content for Twitch – But the best PvE streamer doesn’t want to play it
von Schuhmann

What about the wishes of the fans? Hardcore players had actually hoped that Bungie would bring special rewards. They primarily wanted to see unique weapons for reaching the Lighthouse.

Bungie does not want to comment specifically on this, but only says: Such things might come in “future seasons.” If it comes, it will probably be different from previous rewards, which were Adept Weapons.

They are currently looking at this and want to reveal more later.

Bungie is putting a band-aid on the problem instead of operating on it

This is what’s behind it: Anyone hoping for clear communication from Bungie regarding the Trials will be disappointed. If real comprehensive changes are coming, then probably not until fall.

For Season 11, the Trials will be a bit more rewarding, but not substantially.

Bungie has decided to communicate short-term solutions for now. The access conditions to the Trials seem to be far from settled.

But it seems to lead towards restricting access to the Trials if Bungie cannot get the cheater problem under control.

Titel Trials Shotgun Destiny 2
Bungie wants to solve the biggest problems first.

The “communication offensive” that Bungie has announced is starting rather meekly in terms of the Trials. There are answers and improvements, but they are more of a band-aid than real surgery.

The Trials are already in a poor state. The top PvP streamer, GernaderJake, had envisioned very different solutions for the Trials. However, he now praises Bungie for their openness. The changes are a “great start for the future of the event.”

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

7 years ago I built a WoW city in Minecraft – I would never do it again

Sascha Asendorf Sascha Asendorf Reading time 6 minutes

It’s been over 7 years since our MeinMMO author Sascha Asendorf recreated the human city of Stormwind from WoW in Minecraft. Even today, the city looks impressive in blocky style, but he wouldn’t do it again.

Wow – it’s already been 7 years since I took it upon myself to recreate the human city of Stormwind from the MMORPG World of Warcraft. How time flies. I still remember what it was like when I was building almost every day, which drove me and is why I started in the first place. However, I wouldn’t do it again today.

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The trailer already shows a lot of Stormwind in Minecraft. Filmed on an old computer

So much time went into this: I don’t know exactly how many hours went into this build. I did take breaks for days at a time during the process. However, over a period of 1.5 years, I managed to finish the build. I estimate that it added up to over 2,000 hours.

During that time, I am convinced that I created the most detailed Stormwind on a 1:1 scale. YouTuber Vale Yard, however, surpassed the level of detail under contract from Blizzard and achieved impressive results at a larger scale.

This is how it all started

I estimate that I started building around the end of 2011. At that time, the WoW expansion Cataclysm was running, where I completed all raids with my human paladin and had nothing significant left to do.

This is why I started: Boredom drove me so far that one evening I thought: “I could build something in Minecraft“. A raid colleague had previously encouraged me to start playing the block game. Although I was never particularly good at survival mode, I could let my imagination run free in creative mode and created many smaller buildings.

Minecraft-Stormwind-Burg-Anfang
The entrance of the Castle Stormwind

I have always found the castle in Stormwind really cool. So I tried to recreate it in Minecraft. First just the entrance. But when I had proper fun with it and saw that it was working great to recreate something on a 1:1 scale, I continued to expand the castle.

After several hours or days – who really knows – the castle was also finished and looked impressive. The throne room was waiting for its king, the library was filled with books, and the garden looked well kept. That should have been it, but I wanted more.

Minecraft-Stormwind-Burg
The finished castle, as it looks in the standard Minecraft design in 2020

This is how it continued: After the castle was completed, I moved on to the old town. Subsequently, I implemented the trade quarter with the Valley of Heroes, the Dwarven District, and the Cathedral Square.

The Mage Quarter gave me quite a headache with its many round shapes. I postponed the build for a long time. Although parts of the city were destroyed by Deathwing in Cataclysm, I wanted to have a repaired version. So I completed the walls and also brought back the old park.

Minecraft-Stormwind-Magierturm
The Mage Tower in the center of the Mage Quarter

In the end, I reconstructed the entire harbor of Stormwind and edited the surrounding terrain with an in-game editor. But that also took many hours.

This is how detailed Stormwind is

About 95% of the entire city is hand laid stone by stone. Only large areas I filled in with the editor, such as the sea.

This is how I used the template: I tried to stay as close to the original as possible. Meanwhile, I always had WoW open on a second screen. This is how the 1:1 version in Minecraft was created, as well as it could be done in the block game. All walkable buildings have appropriate interiors, and the dungeon and the Mage Tower can also be inspected.

Stormwind-Uebersicht-Cataclysm
This is what Stormwind looked like during Cataclysm. However, I wanted to repair the destroyed park.
Minecraft-Stormwind-uebersicht
This is what Stormwind currently looks like in Minecraft

This is why the build was so easy for me: When I started building, I had already completed my first training. At that time, I was not an author, but a trained architectural draftsman.

I have developed good spatial imagination and used it in the construction. For each quarter, I previously laid out a floor plan in the game until it matched the scale or I was satisfied.

Minecraft-Stormwind-Altstadt-grundriss
A floor plan like this is really helpful when building

I was often amazed at how well everything fit together and interlocked. At least, when you accepted that Stormwind cannot be perfectly recreated in Minecraft.

Wow-in-Minecraft
If you overlay the WoW UI over Minecraft, the similarity is already astonishing

The media and community motivated me

I spent about 1.5 years and 2,000 hours on the entire build. Of course, that requires a great source of motivation. At some point, I started recording videos of the build for my old YouTube account that I ran with friends. With my old junk computer 7 years ago, the quality was terrible, but the project still gained attention from the community.

Minecraft-Stormwind-Friedhof
Thanks to shader mods, Stormwind looked impressive in the Minecraft version 1.4.6. The community also liked it

This is what the community and media said: Many WoW and Minecraft fans cheered me on in the comments to keep going. They found the project really cool, and various media discovered the project:

  • The MMO site Buffed wrote: “That World of Warcraft is also a popular topic in Minecraft is no secret, but such a detailed version of the human city Stormwind is rare.”
  • Playcentral (formerly Playnation) was also thrilled: “YouTuber Sascha309 built Stormwind in blocky style. While there are already numerous recreations of the city, none are as detailed as this one.”

You can believe me when I say that I was very proud of it. Had MeinMMO existed back then, you would surely have read something about it here.

But that is exactly what contributed to my motivation. The WoW news site Vanion.eu also became aware of the project. The unfortunately deceased head of the site, Patrick Michalczak, sponsored me a Minecraft server back then so that other people could watch the build live.

Every day new people visited me, who felt at home as WoW fans. That gave me the drive to complete Stormwind.

I look back with pride but wouldn’t do it again

When I think back to that time or talk about it with friends, I realize how proud I am of this achievement. When I start Minecraft, I like to walk through this impressive city and ask myself: “How did I manage to do that?”.

  • Stormwind-MC-Kathedrale
  • Stormwind-Minecraft-Hafen
  • Minecraft-Stormwind-Park
  • Stormwind-MC-Magierviertel
  • Minecraft-Stormwind-garten
  • Minecraft-Sttormwind-Hinterhof
Further insights into Stormwind

Never again! At the same time, I also tell myself that I will never do such a project in Minecraft again, under any circumstances, let alone finish it. And there are various reasons for that.

This is why I would never do it again

Sure, it was fun for me, and I am glad to have finished Stormwind. But the time that went into the build could have been invested much better in hindsight. I repeatedly neglected my friends or family, and my high school diploma also suffered. I was obsessed with finishing the build, which made me more antisocial at that time.

Today I know better, and like many others, I have much less time in my late 20s to invest 2,000 hours into a single game like this.

The more respect I have for the players who come together as a group and create really great projects in Minecraft. The Harry Potter RPG in Minecraft is one of them.

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