The Spring Playoffs in League of Legends started on April 3. The first match in Europe features the champion G2 Esports against MAD Lions. This encounter brought a big surprise.
What was played? In the Spring Playoffs, the 6 best teams from each region compete for a prize pool, the championship title, and participation in the MSI, an international tournament.
In the first match, the European champion and runner-up G2 Esports faced a chosen opponent.
They chose MAD Lions, who finished the Spring Split in a solid 4th place. The team consists of many young talents playing alongside the well-known mid-laner Humanoid from Team Splyce.
Everyone expected G2 to win the “Best of 5” decisively. The successful team only made a role swap, the players are the same as in the previous year. They ended the current split with 15 wins and 3 losses, one of those, however, against MAD Lions.
Perkz swapped roles with Caps this year and is playing in the mid lane.
At minute 4, a major fight broke out in the middle, where G2 Esports secured the first blood, but Shad0w, the mid-laner of MAD Lions, countered with a kill, making it 1:1. The match remained closely contested for a long time:
At minute 15, the MAD Lions had 6 kills, their opponents a total of 5.
G2 Esports was ahead by almost 1,000 gold.
However, with a team fight at minute 23, MAD Lions took control of the game. They defeated 3 opponents with a great action from the top laner Orome, who flanked the opposing team.
They subsequently secured the Baron buff and had the game under control. After 36 minutes, the surprise was complete. MAD Lions won the first match.
Joy at the MAD Lions team when they still played in the official studio.
G2 Esports strikes back quickly twice
What happened next? The second match of the two teams was firmly in the hands of the champions from the start. After just 8 minutes, it was 5:0 in kills because they chose a very aggressive team for the early game.
G2 “played a bit with their food,” as the casters described, and ended the match after 34 minutes.
This is how Match 2 ended, which was strongly dominated by G2 Esports.
Who won Match 3? In the third match, the MAD Lions initially dominated and took a clear 1:5 lead in kills. Then G2 Esports fought back with good fights and equalized kills at 9:9. However, in gold, the champions suddenly led.
They were somewhat overzealous at times:
Three team members of G2 attempted to destroy the inhibitor in the top lane at minute 39, but the MAD Lions were quicker and secured the mid-inhibitor thanks to the Baron buff.
G2 Esports reacted aggressively with a team fight but lost it. Particularly, the mid-laner Perkz didn’t look good in this situation. The MAD Lions team took a 2:1 lead.
How did Match 4 go? Match 4 was almost a copy of the previous duel. The MAD Lions dominated the early game, G2 Esports fought back during the course. This time, however, the champions won a crucial team fight and ended the match after just 25 minutes.
This is how the G2 Esports team celebrated during the World Championship 2019.
In the decisive match, Caps makes the mistake
How did the decisive match go? In the last duel between the two teams, G2 Esports initially dominated. Supporter Mikyx secured the first blood in the jungle. At minute 10, the champions were leading 5:2 in kills and had a 1,000 gold lead.
In a strong team fight in the top lane, the underdog fought back, equalizing both kills and gold. From that point on, it was a back-and-forth for both teams until minute 25. Suddenly the match became very curious:
The MAD Lions tried to secure the Baron buff. In response, top laner Wunder and Caps attacked an inhibitor in the bot lane and a Nexus tower together.
The other members of G2 Esports, however, died while trying to interrupt the Baron buff.
MAD Lions returned to base just in time and fended off the attackers before worse could happen. Nevertheless, the bot lane was now vulnerable.
G2 Esports attempted to attack the weak spot in several, sometimes desperate, actions. The best chance came from Caps and Mikyx, who together attacked the Nexus at minute 33.
Caps made a strange move as Ziggs, propelling himself away from the Nexus and thus missing an auto attack. Fatal, because the Nexus was below 10% health when both G2 players were defeated.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Twitch that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
The MAD Lions, now on over 10,000 gold and 16 kills ahead, were then able to win a team fight and overwhelm the champions’ entire base.
And thus, the sensation was perfect.
MAD Lions secure at least 3rd place
What does this mean for the teams? G2 Esports has fallen into the loser bracket of the playoffs due to the defeat. There they have the chance to fight their way back to the top over several games. The path will now be significantly more difficult.
The MAD Lions, on the other hand, have already secured 3rd place due to the interesting bracket system. This is likely to please many in the young team.
The next matches continue today, April 4 at 5:00 PM, with the match between Fnatic and Origen. On Sunday, Misfits and Rogue will face each other. Both matches will also be played in the “Best of 5” format.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The MMORPG Legends of Aria is oriented towards old-school MMORPGs and was supposed to be a home for fans of Ultima Online. However, it is currently struggling with low player numbers. Now, a paid DLC has been released that is supposed to turn things around.
How is Legends of Aria doing? The sandbox MMORPG is currently in Early Access and in a difficult position. The core idea of creating your own worlds, where you as a host can change the rules, is really good and led players to have great hopes for Legends of Aria, then still known as Shards Online.
In the last 30 days, an average of less than 100 players have logged into the sandbox game on Steam daily. At its peak, Legends of Aria had over 1,000 players in August 2019 (via Steamcharts). Although there is also a standalone client, many players report of very empty servers on Steam. In the last 30 days, only 50% of the 57 reviews were positive.
Legends of Aria – Player numbers on Steam
Note: The article was first published on March 18 and updated on April 4 with new info about the DLC.
DLC to Provide Endgame Content
What is changing in Legends of Aria? On April 2, the first DLC for the free MMORPG in Early Access was released. Dark Sorcery costs $19.99 and is supposed to finally provide endgame content.
The new features are:
New skills related to dark magic
A new dungeon called “The Monolith”
A new boss
General content for crafting and cosmetics
An exclusive mount for pre-orders
According to the developers, the DLC has been in development for a long time. Work on it began before the Steam release in August 2019. But can this update steer the MMORPG in the right direction?
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
What are the reactions to the DLC? The YouTube video currently (April 4 at 12:30 PM) has nearly 4,700 views and almost three times as many thumbs down as up (39 Upvotes, 101 Downvotes).
There is significant criticism regarding the fact that a game in Early Access, which is still unfinished, wants to offer paid content:
T T comments under the video: “The 100 players will surely be happy to pay 20 euros for a DLC to an unfinished and unoptimized game.”
Thomas Hellmann also reacts negatively: “Really? The game is still in Early Access… Get your tasks done, optimize the game, and then we can talk about DLCs. And yes… I already paid $30 for the game.”
So far, there have mostly been negative reactions to the DLC on Steam. Many hope that the base game will first work well and especially receive endgame content before money needs to be spent.
For many, there have also been too many directional changes in the game. The user Stoned Doggo describes the situation as follows:
This game is a huge mess, I have played over 1000 hours, but it is not visible here because I played before the Steam release.
The developers constantly change direction, and now they announce an expensive DLC with new content – that’s a joke. A paid DLC for an unfinished game. When you invest hundreds of hours in a game to achieve something, and then suddenly see your efforts reset to 0 because of a patch, then you get this game.
Great effort to look like Ultima Online, but you should better play on community servers because the official servers are bad.
How long will LoA remain in Early Access? According to Project Lead Derek “Supreem” Brinkmann, the DLC is supposed to be a milestone towards the full release of the MMORPG.
There are plans to soon release a plan for the end of Early Access (via Legends of Aria).
What does MeinMMO author Alexander Leitsch say? I have only spent a few hours in Legends of Aria myself and certainly have not yet seen its full potential. However, the beginning did not captivate me.
Even though the idea of the MMORPG sounded good on paper, I found the implementation so far lacking. The low player count will not help either. Most especially use a community server that is heavily based on Ultima Online.
On the weekend from April 3rd to 6th, 2020, some online games will be offered for free that you would normally have to buy. We have identified all current games for you that you can temporarily play for free on PC (Steam/Epic Games Store) or the consoles PS4 and Xbox One.
What games are on the list? The selection criterion for our list are games that have an MMO character or at least a form of online multiplayer mode.
We explicitly do not present free-to-play games here, but paid titles that are playable for free for at least 48 hours as part of special promotions.
This week, this applies especially to the following 5 titles.
The Elder Scrolls Online – Free for all 3 platforms
Genre: MMORPG | Developer: ZeniMax| Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox One | Release Date: April 4, 2014 | Model: Buy2Play
What is The Elder Scrolls Online? The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) is a popular MMORPG set in the world of the Elder Scrolls games like Skyrim or Morrowind. Unlike the large single-player RPGs, you’re here traveling together with thousands of other players and experiencing adventures across the entire continent of Tamriel.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
ESO is not only aimed at online gamers, but also has a big heart for single-player fans. Even one of the lead developers recommends taking the game at a relaxed pace. Also, you can play large parts of the game completely alone and do not necessarily need teammates.
When and where will the game be free? ESO has been available for free download since April 1st. You can play it for free on all platforms except Steam until April 13th. Unfortunately, the fun on Steam ends on April 6th. The first wave of players has already ensured that ESO broke a player count record on Steam six years after its release.
CoD: Modern Warfare – Multiplayer Free for all 3 platforms
Genre: Shooter | Developer: Infinity Ward| Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox One | Release Date: October 25, 2019 | Model: Buy2Play
What is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare? Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is the latest installment of the popular shooter franchise and represents a kind of return to the first Modern Warfare. Instead of taking place in the world wars or even the future, it is set in modern times. Therefore, the weapons, items, and soldiers are all contemporary.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Team Deathmatch (“TDM”): Two teams kill each other until 70 kills are achieved.
Kill Confirmed: Like TDM, but points are only awarded if you collect the enemies’ dog tags.
Domination: Capture up to three flags to earn points.
Hardpoint: A single point appears and can be captured for 45 seconds.
Headquarters (“HQ”): Similar to Hardpoint, but once the point is captured, your team can no longer respawn. You hold the HQ until the enemies drive you away or time runs out.
When and where will the game be free? The free weekend starts on April 3rd at 7:00 PM and ends on Monday, April 6th at 7:00 PM.
Genre: Action-RPG | Developer: Hopoo Games | Platform: PC (Steam) | Release Date: March 28, 2019 | Model: Buy2Play
What is Risk of Rain 2? The multiplayer roguelike “Risk of Rain 2” is completely in 3D, unlike its predecessor, and thus even more challenging. Alone or with up to three players in co-op, you fight your way through randomly generated levels and collect items.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
When and where will the game be free? You can download and play Risk of Rain 2 for free on Steam from April 2nd to April 6th, 2020.
Days of War – Multiplayer Shooter in World War II on Steam
Genre: Shooter | Developer: Driven Arts | Platform: PC (Steam) | Release Date: January 30, 2020 | Model: Buy2Play
What is Days of War? Days of War aims to connect to the multiplayer shooter classic Day of Defeat. Therefore, you can expect classic shooter battles in World War II. Up to 32 players compete in one of 6 classes, running across the 12 maps and eliminating each other with up to 60 contemporary weapons.
The game also offers fights against bots and even a map editor. There you can create your own locations and share them with the community.
https://youtu.be/aKXRqpB3sdg
So if you like to mix up the old Eastern Front, are a fan of repeating rifles and old submachine guns, and are generally a fan of World War shooters, you can currently get Days of War for free on Steam.
When and where will the game be free? Days of War is now available for free for download on Steam until April 6, 2020.
Totally Reliable Delivery Service in the Epic Store
Genre: Simulation | Developer: We’re Five Games | Platform: PC (Epic Store) | Release Date: 2019 | Model: Buy2Play
What is Totally Reliable Delivery Service? In this crazy simulation, you and up to 3 friends perform various delivery services together.
You take on the role of couriers, but you don’t just drive around in a car. You deliver your cargo using planes, boats, or hot air balloons.
Things can get pretty crazy, thanks to the unpredictable ragdoll physics, which punish collisions especially hard.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
When and where will the game be free? Totally Reliable Delivery Service is currently available for free in the Epic Store. The promotion runs until April 8 at 5:00 PM.
If you haven’t found anything appealing among these titles, you might consider ordering the Microsoft Game Pass. For currently just 1 Euro in the first month, you can access over 300 titles, including 15 multiplayer games that we can recommend.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Pokémon GO there are adjustments to the current April Fools’ event. This gives you a better chance of obtaining the new Shiny Glibunkel.
What was the problem? Glibunkel was introduced through the current April Fools’ event. The problem was that it was quite rare, and therefore you had very few Shiny checks.
In response, Niantic adjusted the event so that Glibunkel now appears significantly more frequently.
How the current event was altered
These are the adjustments: To give you a better chance of getting the new Shiny, the following changes have been made:
Glibunkel appears more frequently in the wild and in eggs
Griffel, on the other hand, will be somewhat less common in the wild
The quest “Catch 3 Ditto,” which rewards Glibunkel, will be increased
The chance of getting a Shiny Glibunkel is good
What does this mean for players? Those looking for Shiny Glibunkel will be pleased with these adjustments. The odds of getting a Shiny are still 1 in 450, but with the numerous Glibunkel in the wild, you can certainly hope for a Shiny.
Here is some criticism from players: Many trainers do not understand why there are fewer spawns of Griffel, while Voltobal and Tarnpignon continue to appear so frequently.
As TaunTaun_22 writes on reddit: “I don’t think Griffel needs a spawn nerf, unlike Voltobal and Tarnpignon. But I would gladly take more Glibunkel!”
How long will the event last? The event will continue until April 7 at 10:00 PM local time. So you have until Tuesday evening to catch the increased Glibunkel. Afterwards, the Easter event will begin.
Keep in mind that there is currently a risk of contracting the coronavirus. The Federal Center for Health Education recommends staying home as much as possible, keeping a safe distance from others, and avoiding gatherings. Niantic has taken various measures so that you can play Pokémon GO from home.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Destiny 2, a bug is currently causing issues and preventing players from receiving rewards from the Trials of Osiris. It is particularly frustrating that this problem was thought to be fixed.We will tell you whether you are also affected.
This is the bug: Those who were looking forward to exciting PvP matches in the Trials of Osiris and wanted to hunt down powerful rewards need to be careful right now. Because due to an annoying bug, you will not receive loot after 3, 5, and 7 victories. Only the loot from the Flawless Chest is safe.
How to check if you are affected: Not all Guardians will be hit by the loot bug. If you can see legendary rewards in the PvP menu under “Trials of Osiris” at the bottom, next to the victories and defeats, everything is fine – you are not affected.
However, if you cannot read anything about rewards, you do not need to play with this character this weekend. Because you cannot even redeem your Trials tokens, as this can only be done through rewards after victories.
This is what it looks like if you are affected:
If you see no rewards, there are none – This week, it hit me too
An update was supposed to have fixed the loot bug
Why the bug is particularly frustrating: In recent weeks, a loot bug in the Trials has caused long faces. On Tuesday (March 31), Update 2.8.0.2 for Destiny 2 was released, which was supposed to fix the problem.
As it turns out, not everything has been fixed with the hotfix. Still, not every Guardian is receiving their hard-earned rewards.
Meanwhile, Bungie has also commented and confirmed that players affected by the bug will not be able to receive rewards this week:
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Twitter that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
When will a solution come? According to Bungie, the solution for affected players will only come next week. According to German time, on Saturday, April 11, at 7 PM.
How the community is reacting: The Destiny players are divided. Some lack understanding for the situation and are very upset. Also because it was officially stated that the problems had been resolved.
I understand that all of you [Bungie] have a life and that Covid-19 also affects you, but goddamn Bungie, when you say something is fixed, make sure it is fixed. People feel lied to, and it is completely unfair to those who have farmed for hours to get this far.
Are you also affected by the annoying loot bug? The timing of the renewed problem in the Trials could hardly be worse, as Bungie just a few days ago announced their plans to save the Trials.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
GTA Online is once again giving away cash, and this time it’s worth half a million dollars. We show you how to qualify for it and how to collect even more money.
What’s going on? Those who diligently play GTA Online can regularly top up their accounts with cash gifts. You need the online account to buy cars and their tuning, to purchase properties, clothes, or even weapons.
With a cash injection of 500,000 GTA$, one still can’t afford the best supercar, but you shouldn’t miss this offer.
Cash gift in April for GTA Online – How to secure it?
How to qualify: To secure the gift, you just need to log in to GTA Online sometime in April. You have time until the end of the month to qualify. So you don’t need to complete any special mission like this rewarding treasure hunt, just log in and receive the gift.
When will you receive the money? Immediately after your login in the multiplayer of Grand Theft Auto V, you are registered for the gift. Rockstar Games states that it can take up to 7 days for the money to appear in your Maze Bank account.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Twitter that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Take advantage here: In the current event week, time trials are generously rewarded with GTA$. This includes the ones with the large cars and the ones with the RC vehicles.
How to earn 300,000 GTA dollars in 2 minutes, we show you here. If you also use the second time trial, that’s already 600,000 GTA dollars. Together with the cash gift, you will earn 1,100,000 GTA dollars in just a few minutes.
This opportunity should now be taken by everyone who still has a bit of space in their Maze Bank account.
In Call of Duty: Warzone makes a nasty bug even more powerful than the already strong vehicles. They can now even kill through walls.
What kind of bug is this? Vehicles are quite strong in Warzone and can run over and eliminate enemies. Previously, one was largely safe from these vehicles in buildings.
However, now the large trucks can also deal damage to enemies through walls. A nasty bug that many players want fixed.
This is how vehicles become real killing machines
This is shown in videos: Two clips have surfaced on Twitter that show the nasty bug in action:
In the first clip, a truck repeatedly rams a house wall behind which an enemy is hiding. After several collisions, the player receives a message that they have scored a kill. So they eliminated their enemy without even touching them.
The second clip shows the perspective of a victim. He is hiding in a plane from the ramming truck and is suddenly eliminated, not really understanding what happened. After all, no one shot him; he only died because of the truck that crashed into the plane.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Twitter that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Is this a known bug? Among the tweets, there is much agreement. Other players are showing similar situations and are also not pleased with the brutal vehicles.
One clip even shows how a highly motivated vehicle jumps on an enemy and eliminates him. It almost looks like a wrestling move. The vehicles are indeed heavily discussed. It remains to be seen if Infinity Ward will respond.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Fortnite pro Daniel “Dubs” Walsh (17) used a racial slur in his Twitch stream a month ago. As a result, he was banned from Twitch and sentenced to detention by his clan. He had to undergo sensitivity training. Now he appears to be remorseful, almost converted.
This has caused the pro a lot of trouble: The then 16-year-old Daniel “Dubs” Walsh used a racial slur that discriminates against Black people. He did not say this in his own Twitch stream but was heard in the stream of another player who was also playing Fortnite at the time.
Dubs got upset and said the racial slur. The other streamer panicked and immediately exclaimed, “I’m streaming, I’m streaming.” But it was already too late.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Reddit that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
This was the consequence: Before Twitch could act or anyone else really dealt with the case, the esports organization of the player, FaZe Clan, stepped in.
There was a clear statement that such behavior would not be tolerated:
Dubs was suspended from FaZe Clan
Dubs himself and all members of FaZe Clan must undergo sensitivity training
Dubs was missing for a month: There were no statements on his Twitter channel, and his YouTube channel and Twitch channel were dormant. It seems to have been a forced break lasting a month that is still ongoing.
He hasn’t been seen or heard from in almost a month.
Think before you speak – the new motto
This is what the young pro says now: Dubs issued a statement of remorse and insight on Twitter. He said he has taken the time to think about the impact of his words and actions and that they reflect who he is.
The young pro has completed his sensitivity training and learned more about the history and origin of those offensive words that are most frequently used abusively. Dubs has learned with his “Cultural Sensitivity” coach and has understood how these words originated. This has given him a new perspective: Now he is disgusted that he used the words so carelessly.
Now Dubs says he will step in when these words are used and live by the motto “Think before you speak.” He urges all of his fans to also consider this for their lives and refrain from using such words.
The background: This is an extraordinary development. It is more common for Twitch streamers to go off the rails in this way and be banned for a few days. However, it is new that someone apparently works on solving the problem with professional guidance.
The FaZe Clan appears to be fulfilling an educational mission in helping the personal development of its young players.
He was banned for the same reason, but apparently did not receive sensitivity training.
Amazon is currently working on an “The Lord of the Rings” MMO alongside New World and the Shooter Crucible, for which new job postings have now been published, containing some details about the game.
What kind of MMO is this? Already in July 2019, we reported on the new “The Lord of the Rings” MMO, which has been under development since 2018 by the Chinese company Leyou Technologies. Amazon decided at that time to enter the development.
The MMO is supposed to be Free2Play and be released for both PC and consoles. The story is supposed to take place before the movies and books, telling stories that lead up to these events. This means there is no conflict with the already existing MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online.
The game is at least being developed by Amazon itself in Irvine, California. The same studio is currently creating New World.
MMO will be AAA, aims to differ from other games
What new details are there? Through various job postings, a rough picture of the MMO can be formed. Many fundamentals sound interesting:
The new MMO aims to achieve AAA quality.
The “Core Gameplay” is supposed to be enticing even before rewards and progress come in.
The story is to be told through in-game cinematics.
The game is expected to visibly differ from the art-style of other “The Lord of the Rings” games and the films.
It is supposed to have “breathtaking visuals”.
The job posting for a Gameplay UI Engineer includes hints about integration into Amazon services, including Twitch and GameLift.
Will it even be an MMORPG? So far, the new game from Amazon and the Chinese company Leyou Technologies, which holds large stakes in the developer of Warframe, has only been referred to as an MMO.
However, it was stated in an earlier job posting for the UX Designer that the new game should have a large number of interconnected features, as is common in other MMORPGs.
This at least gives hope that it might include more role-playing elements and could even become a full MMORPG.
It is uncertain whether we will encounter any of these characters in the new MMO. The story is supposed to take place before the events of the films.
When will the new “The Lord of the Rings” MMO be released? So far, Leyou Technologies and Amazon are keeping very quiet about information regarding their MMO. However, the job postings suggest that the game is still early in development. A release is not yet in sight.
This is the Dragonknight: The Dragonknights are the fighters on the front lines. You can find them where the battles are the most brutal and the noise of weapons never fades.
Accordingly, this class is good at dealing damage and especially at taking it. Depending on the build and your weapon, Dragonknights can not only be excellent damage dealers but also tough tanks.
This is the Nightblade: Thieves, rogues, con artists: The Nightblades have many names and often a special knack for getting into trouble quickly. They love adventure, sometimes a little more than is good for them.
The Nightblades rely on their stealth, speed, and the favor of the goddess of luck to successfully and as unscathed as possible get through the day. They can deal good damage, but they can also hold their own as agile tanks.
This is the Necromancer: The use of forbidden magic is hated and feared. It is punished with death, regardless of whether the Necromancer has harmed someone or not. Therefore, they must remain hidden.
In exchange for the ostracism and persecution, Necromancers gain power over life and death. In battle, they are good damage dealers, who can also heal and buff their allies.
This is the Warden: As the defenders of nature, the Wardens have roamed Tamriel since time immemorial. Their stories about the Green are so masterful and artistic that they come to life as animals and plants before everyone’s eyes and assist the Wardens in battle.
Their connection to nature allows the Wardens to summon bears that can tear apart their enemies or to grow healing plants that heal their allies.
This is the Templar: Dressed in their heavy armor, the Templars are a bulwark of justice. They wield the power of light and the sun in battle. But not only to deal great damage to their enemies, but also to protect and heal their allies.
Thanks to their toughness and regenerative magic, the Templars are great for solo players. They also make solid healers who can support your group in dungeons with their abilities.
This is the Sorcerer: The concentrated power of the elements of Tamriel rests at their fingertips. It allows Sorcerers to summon tornadoes or lightning storms to annihilate their enemies. Moreover, they can summon Daedric beings to aid them in battle.
However, to wield the power of the elements, one must also make sacrifices. Accordingly, the Sorcerer can deal significant damage, but the light cloth armor offers little protection in battle.
You know the classes of ESO, so tell us: Which is your favorite? Do you love this class for its skills, its lore, or everything combined?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Pokémon GO there are big news at the Spotlight Hour. Niantic has completely revamped this event and presented the Pokémon for the next 4 hours.
What has been presented? Until now, every Tuesday the Spotlight Hour and every Thursday the Wonders Bonus Hour took place. This will not happen in April, as there are adjustments to both events.
In the upcoming weeks, Pokémon will again be the focus of the Spotlight Hour and these monsters have already been announced.
Spotlight Hour in April – What you need to know
What has been changed? The Spotlight and Wonders Bonus Hour will be merged. So now every Tuesday of the month, special Pokémon will be highlighted and there will also be a bonus.
On Thursday, however, nothing will take place anymore. The only event during the week currently is the Spotlight Hour on Tuesday. The Raid Hour on Wednesday has already been canceled due to the coronavirus.
Which Pokémon are in the spotlight? For each week in April, there is already a special Pokémon that is in the spotlight. The following monsters have been presented:
April 7, 2020: Felilou will appear more frequently and there will be double XP when catching Pokémon
April 14, 2020: Magnetilo is in the spotlight and for each Pokémon there will be twice as many candies
April 21, 2020: Woingenau will spawn more frequently and there will be double the amount of candies when you send Pokémon
April 28, 2020: Taubsi will be the Spotlight Pokémon and there will be double XP for evolving Pokémon
What about Shinies? The shiny versions of Magnetilo and Taubsi can already be normally obtained in the game. So you will also be able to encounter the shiny during the Spotlight Hour.
Woingenau is also available as shiny, but so far only from the evolution of Isso. However, it is possible that Niantic will loosen this rule for the event and let Woingenau spawn as shiny through its evolution.
Felilou is not yet available as shiny. Many trainers expect, however, that the shiny version will be introduced beforehand, as otherwise a Spotlight Hour with this rather useless Pokémon wouldn’t make sense.
Please be aware that there is currently a risk of contracting the coronavirus for yourself and others. The Federal Centre for Health Education recommends staying at home as much as possible, keeping your distance from others, and avoiding crowds. Niantic has taken various measures to enable you to play Pokémon GO from home .
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
We now know the specs of both the PS5 and the Xbox Series X, but there is still no sign of the prices. What would be your pain threshold for both consoles?
There are still no official prices for the PS5 and Xbox Series X, which is one of the hottest topics surrounding the upcoming next-gen consoles.
The two manufacturers have nevertheless made some comments regarding the prices of their consoles. And it seems that they have similar strategies.
This is what Microsoft says about the price: Xbox chief Phil Spencer has kept his cards close to the chest so far, but he appears very confident. In a podcast with IGN, he stated:
I feel good about the price we can launch with. I feel comfortable with the price and performance we are achieving for the Series X. I’m extremely confident about the overall package.
Spencer also mentioned that Microsoft “has its eyes wide open” and is watching how Sony will approach the price of the PS5. Spencer’s “winning plan” is to remain agile on price and to exceed fan expectations.
This is what Sony says about the price: At Sony, Chief Financial Officer Hiroki Totoki has said a few words about the price of the PS5. According to him, there are many different factors to consider when setting a console’s price.
On one hand, there are production and labor costs that need to be included, and on the other, there is competition. Totoki said that since Sony does not act alone in the market, it is currently still difficult to discuss the price.
For more information about the two next-gen consoles, check out our articles:
This is how you vote: In the survey tool below, you can cast one vote for the prices of both consoles. On the first page, you vote for the price of the Xbox Series X, and on the second for the PS5.
So tell us: How much would the consoles with their specs be worth to you? Has your price expectation changed with the new information? Or does money not matter to you at all? Let us know in the comments!
The new battle royale game “Call of Duty: Warzone” has a cheating problem. Many big streamers are noticing this at the moment. Tournament organizer Daniel “Keemstar” Keem even says: This problem will kill Call of Duty Warzone in a very short time if they don’t get it under control.
This is the situation: Call of Duty: Warzone is actually the hit that Activision Blizzard expected. Activision’s plan was to bring something new to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare with a “new expansive multiplayer mode,” one that has never been seen before.
Warzone is very successful and had already surpassed the mark of 30 million players after just 10 days
On Twitch, it helped CoD: Modern Warfare shoot up to 3rd place among trending games: In the last 30 days, CoD Modern Warfare has grown by 962.5% on Twitch. That’s almost 10 times larger than in February.
Hackers are haunting CoD Warzone.
This is now the problem: Although the game is so popular, it has faced harsh criticism in recent days. Because Call of Duty: Warzone is plagued by hackers and cheaters.
Under these conditions, a fair tournament was not possible, causing frustration among the players and the organizer.
At the end of the tournament, Keemstar stated on Twitter: “It is clear that hackers have taken over Warzone. […] CoD needs to get the issues under control, otherwise, Warzone will be dead in a week.”
Daniel “Keemstar” Keem, among other things, organizes community tournaments for shooters.
With this criticism, Keemstar is in good company. Many streamers and players are voicing exactly this criticism of CoD Warzone.
CoD veteran Jack “Courage” Dunlop says: Warzone is a great game that people should be playing, but Activision Blizzard must get the cheating problem under control.
He reported dying to cheaters and hackers in 70% of his games over 6 hours of playing Warzone.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Twitter that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
The streamer “ThePreacher” shows a player who killed him, and whom he watched afterwards. The cheater apparently uses aimbot and wallhack. At the end of the match, the cheater had 34 kills and the streamer lost his faith in Call of Duty: Warzone.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Twitter that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Leader of esports clan says: Protection is not sufficient
This was the response: This blog post from Activision Blizzard triggered further criticism. Because 50,000 cheaters are not all that impressive among 30 million players.
This is Nadeshot, the leader of 100 Thieves.
Matthew “Nadeshot” Haag, the head of a major esports organization, explained why this response is so problematic in his opinion.
He said he couldn’t believe that someone would create and launch a free battle royale game without anti-cheat software.
Call of Duty: Warzone’s solution is that a team manually checks the hackers. He considers this to be an inadequate solution for such a large game from such an important game brand.
According to Nadeshot, Warzone urgently needs a solution for the hacker problem. The manual review by a security team is not enough.
Microsoft’s Game Pass Ultimate gives you access to many different games for a monthly fee, which you can play on Xbox One and PC. We have picked the best multiplayer titles from the Pass.
What is the Game Pass? The Game Pass from Microsoft is aimed at owners of an Xbox One or a PC. It gives you access to over 200 different games as long as you have an active subscription. This is similar to the Netflix model, but for games: It’s a gaming flat rate.
The 3 different models of the Game Pass at a glance.
Which games are we introducing? This article revolves around 15 multiplayer games that are currently included in the Pass and that we can recommend. We have categorized the titles into 3 categories:
5 multiplayer games focused on story, perfect for 2 players – On this page
6 co-op games for fun rounds with friends – On page 2 of the article
4 MMOs, where you will meet foreign players – On page 3 along with a preview
The selection was made by the editor himself and is intended to represent a colorful mix of possible games. An overview of all games can be found on the Xbox page.
Note that some games are only usable for one of the two platforms: either for PC or only for Xbox One. We have mentioned this for each title.
[toc]
Wolfenstein: Youngblood
Genre: Shooter | Developer: MachineGames, Arkane Studios | Release Date: July 25, 2019 | Available in Game Pass for Platform: PC and Xbox One
What is Wolfenstein: Youngblood? This title is a first-person shooter and a spin-off of the Wolfenstein series. It takes place in an alternate scenario where the Nazis won World War II.
Twin sisters travel to Nazi-occupied Paris and join the resistance. Armed with a variety of weapons, gadgets, and skills, you slice through hordes of enemies.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
How many players can play? Wolfenstein: Youngblood can easily be played alone. You take on the role of one of the two sisters.
However, the shooter works best in co-op with two players. Here, both sisters and the gameplay with mutual revivals shine the most.
Who is the game worth it for? If you enjoy action-packed shooters and want to take out a ton of enemies, you will feel at home in Wolfenstein: Youngblood. It’s best to grab a good friend and complete the whole story together.
Genre: Shooter | Developer: The Coalition | Release Date: September 10, 2019 | Available in Game Pass for Platform: PC and Xbox One
What is Gears 5? In the cover shooter Gears of War 5, the story of the previous parts continues. You take on the role of Kait, who wants to uncover her origins.
The game emphasizes “duck and cover” mechanics. You will also be equipped with many different weapons and meet other familiar characters from the series.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
How many players can play? Gears 5 can be played alone or with friends. The story can be completed in co-op with up to 3 players. This can be done online or locally on one console.
Who is the game worth it for? Gears 5 is aimed at fans of the “Gears of War” series. But also shooter enthusiasts who enjoy ducking and do not just want to clear enemies thoughtlessly will have a lot of fun with Gears 5.
Particularly the characters of the game are sympathetic, as noted in various reviews at release. Additionally, previous Gears titles can be played in Game Pass.
Halo – The Master Chief Collection
Genre: Shooter | Developer: 343 Industries | Release Date: November 11, 2014 (Xbox) | Available in Game Pass for Platform: PC and Xbox One
What is Halo? Halo is a series of video games about the battle between aliens and humans. You play the role of Master Chief and defeat your enemies.
The Master Chief Collection includes various titles from the series:
Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
Halo 2
Halo 3
Halo 4
Halo: Nightfall
Halo: Reach
These titles are complete, include all existing extras, and are playable in multiplayer.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
How many players can play? Halo can be played alone or together with 3 other players. On Xbox, you can play locally in split-screen, while on PC you must play online.
Who is the game worth it for? Halo is one of the most well-known video game series, and it’s almost a must for gamers to have played at least one title from the series. For shooter fans, it is a huge fun, especially when experienced together with friends.
The Game Pass also includes other Halo titles, including Halo 5 and Halo: Spartan Assault.
Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Action RPG | Developer: Square Enix| Release Date: November 29, 2016 | Available in Game Pass for Platform: PC and Xbox One
What is Final Fantasy XV? This title from the Final Fantasy series is an action RPG. It is set in an open world that is somewhat darker and more realistic than in other parts of the series.
The role-playing game takes place in the world of Eos. All nations, except for the kingdom of Lucis, are ruled by the Niflheim Empire. But even Lucis will be taken by a trick. You take on the role of the heir to the throne of Lucis and try to free the kingdom.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
How many players can play? The main campaign of Final Fantasy XV can only be experienced alone.
However, an expansion named “Comrades” was released. This introduced a multiplayer mode through which you can experience post-campaign story content together with other players.
Who is the game worth it for? Fans of Final Fantasy and role-playing games should not miss part 15 of the series, even if the main campaign can only be played alone.
Genre: Strategy Game | Developer: Forgotten Empires | Release Date: November 14, 2019 | Available in Game Pass for Platform: PC only
What is Age of Empires 2? Age of Empires is one of the real-time strategy classics and offers everything that every strategist’s heart desires:
You can play a campaign and experience the story of famous personalities such as Saladin, Genghis Khan, or Barbarossa.
You can engage in spontaneous battles against computer enemies.
Or you can compete online against other players, whether friends or strangers.
If you become a truly successful commander, you can even climb up a leaderboard in the Elo system.
The Definitive Edition is a remaster of the game, where the graphics have been improved, and some comfort and gameplay improvements have been introduced.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
How many players can play? Age of Empires can be played in the campaign or in battles against computer enemies alone. If you wish, you can fight in a battle with up to 8 players.
Who is the game worth it for? If you are a fan of real-time strategy games, you will hardly get around Age of Empires 2 and the new Definitive Edition.
The game is fairly easy to learn but hard to master. Those who want to play at the top must know a lot about the different civilizations and be reaction-speedy.
Today, on Friday, April 3rd, the next big thing on Twitch is set to be revealed. It is the team shooter Valorant from Riot Games: Everything seems to be planned for it to be the next hype after Fortnite and CoD Warzone and the plan is working.
This is clearly the plan: Everything indicates that Riot Games plans to make its new team shooter Valorant the “next big hype game.” They seem to have worked undercover for the past few weeks to prepare everything to set this avalanche in motion, which is set to start today.
This is planned for Valorant: Tonight at 7 PM our time, Valorant will debut on Twitch with 5 pre-recorded matches featuring some of the biggest Twitch streamers in the world.
This will happen at “Twitch Rivals,” the streaming platform’s own hype format.
Summit1g is currently one of the hottest streamers on Twitch.
3 of the 10 biggest Twitch streamers in the world invited
You can see from the names of the 50 invited streamers what plan Riot Games is pursuing and which target audience they want to reach with Valorant:
Summit1G (No. 3 on Twitch) is an established and respected Twitch streamer who originally comes from CS:GO and enjoys high regard in the shooter community.
TimTheTatman (No. 4 on Twitch) and DrLupo (No. 8 on Twitch) are streamers from Ninja’s circle, both of whom are successful in Fortnite but also regularly stream other games
The Swedish Forsen is a cult streamer on Twitch who brings his own fan base
Dizzy was the star in Apex Legends when the game exploded in February 2019, he crushed everything in the first weeks and practically won every tournament
HighDistortion and Cloakzy are performance-oriented streamers from Fortnite and other shooters
Who is missing from the big names? The top streamers who are missing are Tfue, Myth, and Dakotaz – all three are clearly associated with Fortnite. This target audience is probably not what Riot Games intends to reach or they did not fit into the picture for other reasons.
Surprisingly, DrDisrespect is missing – one might have expected him at the event as a “shooter streamer.”
Timothy John Betar, known as TimTheTatman, is currently the 4th largest streamer on Twitch.
Viewers can win beta access to Valorant
This is the special thing: To encourage even more people to watch, there will be Twitch Drops at the event tonight.
In 2017, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds was the game of the hour that suddenly dominated Twitch – making DrDisrespect a star back then
In 2018, Fortnite took the top position and triggered a massive hype – many current Twitch stars owe their high follower numbers to the battle royale shooter
Tyler “Ninja” Blevins reportedly received a lot of money to promote Apex Legends.
By 2019, this “innocent time” was over. EA launched Apex Legends planned and with a reportedly high budget for streamers on the platform and was able to remain strong for at least a few weeks. Reports suggest that Ninja allegedly received $1 million at that time. The streamer shroud also seemed to be part of this plan, with “sponsored streams” at the release to conquer the platform.
In 2020, “Valorant” is expected to follow in the list if everything goes as Riot Games envisions and plans. However, the game must also convince, be readable for the viewer, and be fun. Whether that is the case will be clear tonight at 7 PM.
Can Valorant be as successful as its predecessors?
Update April 3rd, 8:02 PM: Does Riot’s plan work? Yes, it works. One can already say that. Just before 8 PM, Valorant was by far the strongest category on Twitch.
Worldwide, the new shooter from Riot Games attracted nearly 1 million viewers who wanted to see the game. In second place was League of Legends with about 250,000 viewers.
The majority of viewers are tuning in from the following 7 Twitch channels:
TimTheTatman: 103k
summit1g: 90k
Lirik: 45k
The Twitch Rivals channel itself: 40k
ibai (Spanish): 32k
Gotaga (French): 30k
Pokimane: 30k
The largest German channel is the Twitch streamer Trymacs with nearly 13k.
The Spring Event in Pokémon GO brings some egg bonuses. Additionally, you will find new flower crown Pokémon in the wild. We show you everything you need to know about the event. A bonus is already active even before the official start of the event.
What kind of event is this? Niantic is celebrating spring in the Northern Hemisphere with a wide variety of bonuses in the Spring Event 2020. Even before the event starts on April 9, a bonus is already active.
What changes with the Spring Event 2020? All information
When does it start? The Spring Event starts on Thursday, April 9, at 08:00 local time and will be active for a week, until April 16 at 22:00 local time.
What bonuses are there? Spring-themed Pokémon will appear more frequently in the wild. Additionally, Pokémon with flower decorations will return. Haspiror with flower crown and Pikachu with flower hat will appear in the wild. With luck, you might even find them as Shiny.
Additionally, you will only receive 2-KM eggs from gifts from friends during the event time.
The amount of hatching candies will be doubled and lucky eggs will last for one hour.
Additionally, some Pokémon will appear more frequently in the wild
Owei (even possible as Shiny)
Chaneira
Voltilamm
Marill
Flemmli
These Pokémon will appear more frequently from 2-KM eggs:
Pichu and Togepi with flower crown
Wonneira
Mampfaxo
Rabauz
Klingplim
Riolu
For the researchers among you, there is also good news. There will be exclusive field researches that will reward you with Alola-Kokowei, Azumarill, or with a lot of luck even with Ohrdoch.
Additionally, there will be a backpack and a hoodie with Togepi design in the Style Shop.
The fact that eggs now hatch twice as fast is a bonus that has been active since now, April 3, and will remain active during the event. It is assumed that the bonus will also remain after the event. This makes it easier for trainers to play Pokémon GO from home.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The FUT Birthday in FIFA 20 gets its second team today. Here you will find out who is included in the new set of cards.
These are FUT Birthday cards: Last Friday marked the start of the first week of the FUT Birthday Event. This year, the FUT Birthday does not focus on position changes, as that was reserved for the Shapeshifters. Instead, the Birthday will enhance the attributes of weak feet and skill stars.
When does the new team come out? The 2nd FUT Birthday Team will be released today, April 3rd, at 7 PM in Ultimate Team.
This is the second FUT Birthday team
These cards are interesting: The strongest card in the second birthday team features Virgil van Dijk. He has a rating of 93 and possesses 5 stars for weak foot. Also particularly strong are Paul Pogba (92), Gareth Bale (92), and Angel di Maria (91).
Van Dijk has the strongest card
Two players from the Bundesliga are featured. First is Danny da Costa, who is part of the Birthday-Squad – just like Bremen’s Eggestein. Additionally, you can acquire Köln’s Cordoba through seasonal objectives for the FUT Birthday.
Danny da Costa and Eggestein are included
This is what the second Birthday-Squad looks like:
Van Dijk (93)
Pogba (92)
Bale (91)
Di Maria (91)
Lacazette (90)
Douglas Costa (89)
Hernandez (88)
Lemar (87)
Da Costa (87)
Lasagna (86)
Eggestein (86)
How to get the new FUT Birthday cards
Players in Packs: The new Birthday team is available in packs as usual. The chances are however not particularly high that you will pull strong special cards from the packs. This is something you should always keep in mind.
Players on the transfer market: Cards will also be available on the transfer market shortly after the event starts. Normally, special cards are initially very expensive at the start of the event and only decrease in price in the following days. It might be worth waiting to buy your desired player.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Valorant, the new multiplayer shooter from Riot, is about to launch its first closed beta. We at MeinMMO were allowed to play it beforehand. Our editor Leya Jankowski participated in a digital event where streamers, YouTubers, and journalists had extensive gameplay of Valorant.
Is this supposed to be the new team shooter from Riot? When I watched a gameplay video of Valorant for the first time in March, I had the impression of viewing a prototype. I was quite surprised when I realized that this game is already very close to release.
The graphics of Valorant look like they are from 10 years ago. The concept brings nothing new and strongly resembles CS:GO – with a pinch of Overwatch.
The team shooter has heroes with different abilities. Graphically, everything is kept minimalistic.
The first-person shooter is free to play, for PC, and from Riot
You compete in 5vs5 matches against each other. One team tries to plant a bomb, and the other must prevent it. Fixed points on the map are marked where the bomb can be placed.
You have various heroes with abilities available, called agents. The agents are designed for roles, either aggressive or defensive
Before each round in the match, there is a buy phase. In this phase, weapons, shields, and some agent skills can be purchased and equipped.
Phoenix is an aggressive agent who shoots fireballs with a finger snap.
I played Valorant before the beta started: From March 27 to 29, a digital event took place for Valorant to which we at MeinMMO were invited. I simply couldn’t understand why the pros were so exuberantly excited about the multiplayer shooter. That is why I urgently wanted to play Valorant myself and get a picture of it.
For three days, I was able to indulge in the team shooter and talk to the developers and also with other participants.
Behind the scenes of gaming events: Normally, these playtest events do not take place online. Originally, the streamers, YouTubers, and journalists would have been flown in. In Barcelona, there would have been an event location where we would have tested the game on provided PCs. However, due to the coronavirus situation, we are all stuck at home worldwide. This also applies to the developers of Valorant. It is absolutely extraordinary that about 350 participants came together online and installed the client for testing on their private PCs. Developers and publishers relinquish a significant amount of control and must trust the participants that the recordings run properly and that no NDAs are breached. Only the participants were allowed to see the game, and in private households, partners or children might be around. One participant admitted that his dog was watching the screen. Riot let this slide. An online event of this size is not the norm – not yet.
You have to play Valorant to understand the appeal
First, I got a little familiar with the controls in the practice room. Since I’m a huge fan of crowd control, I immediately grabbed Sage.
The agent has an ice wall to block paths. She can freeze part of the ground for a certain period, slowing down opponents and allies walking on it. That’s just my thing. It’s also practical that Sage can heal herself and others, and as an ultimate ability, she can resurrect a team member.
Sage is an agent in Valorant – she is seen as a strong candidate for the most valuable hero on the team because she provides healing, resurrection, and strong crowd control.
After my first round, it finally clicked: I must admit, it’s been a long time since I played Counter-Strike. I played a lot of Overwatch and Paladins, and expected that I could somehow sneak by using the champs’ skills. My lethargic reaction and semi-good aim shouldn’t be a problem.
Match one, round one. I bought my first weapons and my first skills. There is a cooldown only for one of the agents’ skills, in Sage’s case, it’s her healing. The rest of the skills must be purchased, and I can use them only 1-2 times per round. The ultimate ability slowly charges over several rounds. This is different from the hero shooters I know.
Together with my team, I set out to plant a bomb. We are the attackers. I sneak around the corner, and there I have my first duel! The plan: I take my ice ball, place it under his feet, slow him down, and – BAM. Dead. Well, I am. The opponent hit me with a headshot in seconds, which has a damage multiplier. Damn.
Even though I often ended up on the ground, I had a lot of fun with Valorant.
I gradually understand that:
Valorant is very different from Overwatch
The agents’ skills are only a strategic extra layer
The gameplay requires a lot of skill, aim, map understanding, skillful movement, and concentration
What can I say? Among all the shooter pros I played with, I was hopelessly lost. I often kissed the ground. But I noticed that I was making small progress and my old Counter-Strike memory was slowly dusting off. Although I was so bad compared to my colleagues, I couldn’t help but stay motivated to jump into the matches and wanted to improve.
I was fully in the flow. By that, I don’t mean the game flow. I mean the phenomenon of games that suck you in so much that you feel one with the game and can fully focus only on the game.
About the author: Leya is an enthusiastic shooter player, even though she isn’t very good at the genre. She plays shooters in various forms, from first-person to third-person, in competitive and cooperative modes. Counter-Strike is a long time ago for her, but in recent years she has dived into team shooters like Overwatch and Paladins. Cooperative shooters like Borderlands or Warframe are also among her favorites. Leya has also played League of Legends for many years and is very familiar with Riot’s development policies.
Leya Jankowski from MeinMMO
A pro explained to me what makes Valorant better than CS:GO for many
Since I am not deeply embedded in the CS:GO scene and was still burning with curiosity about why so many pros have so much trust in the game, I sought help. I played a few rounds with the CS:GO streamer Nooky. He was kind enough to talk with me again about Valorant after the event.
I asked Nooky why so many CS:GO players are turning to Valorant. I wanted to know why pros are even switching and what makes Valorant so good for them.
It has a lot to do with CS:GO itself. The game has many issues and bugs that you don’t necessarily see as a layman. People are weary of how little changes there are. There is the weapon “War”, which is so powerful that it is only played. It can even take out sniper weapons. Many are calling for a nerf, and even though I like playing the weapon, I also want the nerf because it’s just too powerful. But nothing happens. Valve is not very responsive or doesn’t listen to the criticism. […]
Sure, you make a lot of money from it, and the top teams and players will probably stay with CS:GO. But many in the mid-tier, or even casual gamers I know, say they just don’t feel like playing CS:GO anymore. The matchmaking system is poor, you only have 64-tick servers, there are so many cheaters, and all that stuff.
These players [who are frustrated now] will have a lot of fun with Valorant. You still have the basis of buying weapons and the 5vs5 shooter. You eliminate opponents with weapons, contrary to what many believe. They see the small videos and clips online and think it’s Overwatch in a different form. But it’s really not. Valorant is much closer to CS:GO than to any other game.
Valorant is CS:GO in a different style and for me personally also more exciting and interesting. Because of all these characters you have, with all their abilities. It brings many more tactical aspects into play. We still don’t know how many maps will come. How many characters will there be later? The variety of tactical possibilities is just much greater in this game.
But you still have the basics: You have to be good at movement; you must act as a team; you need to have a plan for the team and, at the end of the day, eliminate the opponents.
CS:GO pro Nooky to MeinMMO about Valorant
Nooky has been in the shooter scene since 2014, starting with CS:GO 1.5 and quickly becoming a pro. He played for teams like mTw for a long time. Now 34 years old, Nooky has stopped playing professionally and dedicates himself to streaming. On Nookyyy’s Twitch channel, you can soon expect gameplay of Valorant.
Valorant offers more tactical possibilities
Nooky further explained that the appeal lies in the fact that Valorant is also something fresh. The gameplay principle is familiar and feels comfortable, but the thinking muscles are exercised differently than in CS:GO:
We don’t know yet how everything will develop. Which characters will be stronger? What tactics can be played? But even just by having these 9 characters with different abilities and classes, you already have a completely different pool of options.
You can set up a team with classes and characters that are very aggressive. […] Or you could make a completely different setup of characters that have more map control and perform better in defense. You also don’t know how the individual characters will harmonize together. Can you make counter-picks against the opponent? That’s all missing in CS:GO. It adds something to what you already have in CS:GO.
Then Valorant also introduced maps with three bomb sites or teleporters. Who knows what else is to come?
CS:GO pro Nooky to MeinMMO about Valorant
In summary, the situation looks like this:
Some players are currently dissatisfied with the development of CS:GO. There are bugs, poorly balanced weapons, and cheaters making life difficult for players.
Valorant is a new hopeful that looks promising. Because even if much appears almost identical to CS:GO, there are enough gameplay differences that make Valorant a bit more exciting.
Riot uses its own system against cheaters
Another advantage for Nooky (and for every honest player in the world) is Riot’s anti-cheat system. If you want to play Valorant, it can only be done in combination with Vanguard – an anti-cheat software developed by Riot itself. Once a player cheats and is recognized by the system, the game ends immediately for all participants. The cheater is banned right away.
How harmful cheaters can be in a competitive game was recently proven again by Call of Duty. An immortality cheat is currently ruining CoD: Warzone. This causes frustration among all honest players, which in turn damages the longevity of a title. Players lose interest.
How effective the Vanguard system will ultimately be and whether Riot will win the fight against cheaters remains to be seen. But they are already making a clear statement that they take the cheating problem seriously and want to nip it in the bud from the start.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
In this video, you can see 20 minutes of gameplay from Valorant. So make sure to get a picture of how the new shooter plays.
The marketing through streamers is well thought out from the start
Those who see Valorant aren’t immediately blown away. It is intentionally kept minimalistic because the developers prioritize gameplay above all else. They told us during the event that they find it distracting when maps are full of gimmicks. In their experience, these maps are often perceived as exhausting when played hundreds of times.
However, this also results in boring gameplay trailers, which are not very appealing. I felt the same before my own play session.
That’s why numerous streamers were invited to the play event: Soon Twitch and YouTube will be full of Valorant. High-profile influencers were invited to the event.
As soon as the streamers are allowed to show Valorant on their channels, there will be a big wave on the internet about the game. Similarly cleverly thought out by Riot is the fact that whoever wants beta access to Valorant must watch a Twitch streamer play the shooter.
We have already reported in detail about the plan here:
Also clever: It’s possible to turn off blood effects and displayed corpses in Valorant. This allows Valorant videos on YouTube to be monetized. That’s not possible once there are 18+ contents visible in a video. This also makes it more attractive for YouTubers to show videos of Valorant as they can earn money from it.
There isn’t a big buzz around Valorant yet, but it should come at least with the streamers and YouTubers.
Even your mom can play Valorant on her old laptop
The new multiplayer shooter from Riot has incredibly low entry barriers:
Valorant is free
You need hardware that could almost be compared to a potato
There is another reason why Riot has decided not to shine in graphics. Valorant is designed to be as accessible as possible.
The minimum requirements for your PC are as follows:
CPU: Intel i3-370M
Graphics Card: Intel HD 3000
RAM: 4 GB
Operating System: Windows 7/8/10 (64-bit)
With this, you can still play at 30 FPS. So you can smoothly play Valorant with any PC that can run a web browser.
Yes, the graphics are outdated, but really everyone can play it as long as they have an old laptop somewhere.
This is naturally interesting for younger players who can’t always buy the best hardware.
Once Valorant is out, you will play it
With free-to-play and the low hardware requirements, almost anyone can try Valorant. You don’t have much to lose if you check it out for a few hours.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, many releases planned for 2020 are now delayed. For example, The Last of Us Part II was recently delayed – and is not alone in this. The developers are also at home right now. I asked the developers of Valorant if they might be delayed. They assured me that Riot has managed to keep the work running fairly normally. Valorant has been in development for about six years now. Everything happening now is just finishing touches. The release in summer 2020 is expected to remain unchanged.
Once you play it, it is fun. Of course, this assumes that you generally enjoy this type of game. Riot has already proven with League of Legends that they know how to give a game a long life. There are currently few reasons why they shouldn’t also achieve longevity for Valorant. It is already planned to regularly release new agents and maps.
Do I believe that Valorant will completely displace other shooters like Apex or CS:GO? No. Do I believe that Valorant will soon rank among the top of others? Definitely.
There isn’t a big buzz around Valorant yet, but it should come at least with the streamers and YouTubers.
Even your mom can play Valorant on her old laptop
The new multiplayer shooter from Riot has incredibly low entry barriers:
Valorant is free
You need hardware that could almost be compared to a potato
There is another reason why Riot has decided not to shine in graphics. Valorant is designed to be as accessible as possible.
The minimum requirements for your PC are as follows:
CPU: Intel i3-370M
Graphics Card: Intel HD 3000
RAM: 4 GB
Operating System: Windows 7/8/10 (64-bit)
With this, you can still play at 30 FPS. So you can smoothly play Valorant with any PC that can run a web browser.
Yes, the graphics are outdated, but really everyone can play it as long as they have an old laptop somewhere.
This is naturally interesting for younger players who can’t always buy the best hardware.
Once Valorant is out, you will play it
With free-to-play and the low hardware requirements, almost anyone can try Valorant. You don’t have much to lose if you check it out for a few hours.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, many releases planned for 2020 are now delayed. For example, The Last of Us Part II was recently delayed – and is not alone in this. The developers are also at home right now. I asked the developers of Valorant if they might be delayed. They assured me that Riot has managed to keep the work running fairly normally. Valorant has been in development for about six years now. Everything happening now is just finishing touches. The release in summer 2020 is expected to remain unchanged.
Once you play it, it is fun. Of course, this assumes that you generally enjoy this type of game. Riot has already proven with League of Legends that they know how to give a game a long life. There are currently few reasons why they shouldn’t also achieve longevity for Valorant. It is already planned to regularly release new agents and maps.
Do I believe that Valorant will completely displace other shooters like Apex or CS:GO? No. Do I believe that Valorant will soon rank among the top of others? Definitely.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Is there skill-based matchmaking in Call of Duty: Warzone or not? This topic has already been discussed extensively in Modern Warfare, and now the discussion is arising for the battle royale spin-off as well. An expert has thoroughly examined this topic.
What is SBMM? This is a method in online games used to assemble game lobbies. SBMM stands for “skill-based matchmaking”. Players are matched into a lobby based on their skill level. So if you play too well, you might regret it, as the opponents will become progressively better as you perform excellently.
While other criteria also apply, lobbies in such a system are heavily based on the players’ skills. SBMM stands in contrast to the more desired “connection-based matchmaking”.
The CoD YouTuber and analyst “TheXclusiveAce” has now extensively dealt with the topic in one of his English videos and finds clear words, at least for the solo mode:
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Skill-based matchmaking is apparently active in the Warzone
According to Ace’s analyses, there is SBMM in the Warzone. The collected data shows a clear result for him. The players in his tests, where he was able to analyze the data, matched the skill level of the accounts he used for the tests. For him, there is hardly any doubt about it.
How did he find that out? The YouTuber took four accounts with different skill levels and analyzed 100 opponents per account over multiple matches. He then compared the K/D, which is the kills to deaths ratio, and points per minute (“SPM” for “score per minute”) with the average values of the tracked enemies.
He accessed these values using the CoD Tracker and discovered a consistent trend – the better the performance of the account, the better the opponents were:
Level
K/D
K/D Opponents
SPM
SPM Opponents
Top
4.63
1.2
428
173
Good
2.06
1.18
252
170
Average
1.10
1.00
163
140
Poor
0.70
0.67
56
87
You can view the collected data of the 400 opponents and all diagrams in his Google Spreadsheet. Crossplay was activated throughout the entire test.
How certain is this now? Ace is quite sure after his analysis that the lobby assembly is strongly linked to the skills of the individual players. However, he had to make some compromises when it came to collecting and evaluating his data.
His analysis was only conducted in solo mode. While he is convinced that the game modes share the same matchmaking method, this is not yet certain. So he cannot say how the different skill levels within a team affect matchmaking.
Moreover, he had no access to all the data of his opponents. According to him, the CoD Tracker for Warzone does not have data from PC players and also does not list players who have changed their Activision name.
However, he also believes that this circumstance strengthens his result because players who change their Activision names usually engage more with the game and would therefore be better Warzone soldiers. The values of these players would, according to him, have shown even clearer data.
The comparison of K/D values in the chart. The top account faced opponents with values above 2.00, while the poor account only had 7 out of 100 opponents with a K/D over 1.00.
In the eyes of opponents of SBMM, this approach prevents optimal lobby assembly, so players with a good connection also encounter players with poorer pings. Additionally, reverse boosting is an issue.
Some players feel punished for good performances due to SBMM. “alphacentaurai” states on Reddit regarding the matchmaking of the regular multiplayer: “I feel actively punished for playing the game. ‘The match was good… let’s make sure the next 10 suck.'”.
On top of these points is the communication from the developers. Players believe that Infinity Ward is responding too little to soldiers’ requests. Back then, the developers remained silent when the issue arose in Modern Warfare, and the head of another Activision studio deleted some of his tweets regarding the topic.
However, a former insider recently spoke out. According to statements from a former director of Call of Duty (WWII and Advanced Warfare), the developers would have no means to part ways with SBMM. He claims that the directives come directly from Activision.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
What could the PS5 design look like when it is in stores? A designer has now presented how he envisions the PS5 in stores.
Where does the PS5 design come from? The artwork comes from Italian designer Giuseppe Spinelli, known on YouTube as Snoreyn. He has now introduced a retail box together with letsgodigital.org in which the PS5 could be sold.
This is how a designer envisions the retail box for the PS5. Source: Letsgodigital.org
PS5: Are there clues about the design?
What is known about the design? So far, Sony has not presented any information regarding the design of the PS5. The price of the PS5 is also not yet known.
Manufacturer Microsoft has taken a different approach with the Xbox Series X than Sony. Back in late 2019, they had already presented the design of the Xbox Series X and explained why the Xbox Series X looks like a PC tower.
For the PlayStation 5, we are still waiting for news regarding the design of the PS5. Even during the official stream from Sony about the PS5, many users hoped for images regarding the design, which Sony did not show.
Retailers currently only rely on the PS5 logo for pre-orders. This is quite unremarkable. Image source: Mediamarkt.se
All sellers use the PS5 logo on their page and do not present a design of the console.
The prices of the sellers differ so much that it is likely that the prices are just placeholders and not realistic prices.
What could the PS5 design look like? How Sony’s next-gen console could look according to other designers, we have presented in our special about PS5 concepts. Here you can see the best designs of the PS5, how the new console could look.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
