MeinMMO survey reveals surprisingly: Many women in MMORPGs are actually men

Irina Moritz Irina Moritz Reading time 3 minutes

We from MeinMMO wanted to find out together with you whether most female characters in MMOs are really played by men. The results shocked us.

This was the survey: Does the stereotype hold that most men prefer to play female characters? In a survey, we asked you this question and let you vote on which gender you prefer in MMOs.

The survey ended on March 5th. 4,610 readers participated. According to their own statements:

  • 4027 male
  • 484 female
  • 99 non-binary

Each of you was allowed to cast only one vote.

Many modern MMOs do not have a gender lock when it comes to class selection.

This is how you voted

This is the overall distribution of votes among all who participated in the survey:

  • I am male, prefer to play male: 33.33%
  • I am male, prefer to play female: 31.74%
  • I am male, have no preferences: 22.28%
  • I am female, prefer to play female: 7.85%
  • I am female, have no preferences: 1.43%
  • I am female, prefer to play male: 1.22%
  • I am non-binary, have no preferences: 1.19%
  • I am non-binary, prefer to play female: 0.59%
  • I am non-binary, prefer to play male: 0.37%

Surprising, isn’t it? It turns out many female characters in MMOs are indeed played by men, as long as there is no gender lock.

Who would have thought?

More on the topic
Why is there a gender lock in MMORPGs anyway?
von Leya Jankowski

Men play heroines and heroes in MMORPGs

This is how the men voted: Of the 4027 male readers, 1536 voted for the option “I prefer male characters.” That is just over 38%.

Just behind them was the group of male readers who prefer to play female characters in MMOs. Those scamps. For this option, 1463 male readers voted, which corresponds to about 36.3%.

Men who prefer to play their own gender cited the identification with the game character in the comments as justification. While for female characters, aesthetics, animations, and generally appearance play a significant role:

I am male and only play male characters! […]   I think I want to identify a little with my character in an MMO/RPG? 

Comment by ThePig

[…] I would primarily say female characters, but there are several reasons: […] For example, I just find the running animations much better. Male characters often have the most terrible running animations. Also, armor for the most part looks better […]

Comment by Nico

1028 of our male readers, about 25.5%, had no special preferences when it comes to the gender of their character in MMOs. As justification, you mentioned in the comments that for example the appearance and classes should fit the gender:

In MMOs, I have no preference for a gender. It usually matters to me that it fits the class, race, and faction. How do the armors look on the respective types? And depending on what looks better, I take a man or a woman.

Comment by Darkyll

The majority of women also play women

This is how the women voted: In stark contrast, the results among the female readers who voted were that a whopping 74.79% of women prefer to play female characters. That is 362 votes.

Only 56 of the surveyed women prefer to play male characters in MMOs, which corresponds to about 11.5%. Thus, this result is even lower than “I am female, have no preferences,” which was chosen by 66 of the women. That is about 13.6%.

This is how the non-binary readers voted: Among our non-binary readers, the option “I have no preferences” dominated with 55 votes, making up 55.56% of the respondents. Immediately behind them were those who preferred female characters with 27 votes, and finally came the non-binary readers who prefer to play male with 17. That was about 27.2% and 17.1% of the votes respectively.

Are you as amazed by the results as we are? Or do you have clairvoyant abilities and could predict the voting distribution?

More results from our surveys are, by the way, just as astonishing. You can find them here:

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

Borderlands 3: The new hotfix strengthens these 10 legendary weapons

Max Handwerk Max Handwerk Reading time 2 minutes

Borderlands 3 has received a new hotfix. This is meant to prepare you for the new endgame – with improved weapons!

This is the new hotfix: The new hotfix for Borderlands 3 went live overnight from Thursday to Friday. As usual, you need to wait a moment in the main menu until the “Hotfixes Applied” banner appears. Then the update is properly installed.

The hotfix includes several bug fixes, and furthermore, the description texts of some abilities have been adjusted. Most importantly, the hotfix is once again full of weapon buffs, just like last week. These are meant to prepare you for the upcoming Mayhem Mode 2.0 – the times of “Nerflands” seem to be finally over.

Borderlands 3 hotfix weapons
Your vault hunters are getting more powerful weapons for support

10 Legendary Weapons That Are Now Better

These weapons are being improved: Just last week, some weapons were improved, making “The Lob” a new fan favorite. Again this week, legendary weapons are the target of some improvements. They consist of the following guns:

  • Crader’s M4-P5: The critical damage is increased by 80% when you are in the air
  • Faisor: Increased the number of shotgun projectiles from 6 to 8. Additionally, there is an increase  in the reload time of the under-barrel shotgun, as well as an increase in weapon damage.
  • Firestorm: Increase in weapon damage
  • Hellshock: Increased the projectile count per shot to 2, more weapon damage
  • Krakatoa: Increase in weapon damage
  • 9-Volt: Increase in weapon damage
  • Sickle: Increase in fire rate and damage 
  • Smart-Gun: Increase in weapon damage and damage of thrown projectiles
  • Storm: Increase in weapon damage
  • Thunderball Fists: Increase in damage on the first shot and of the thunderball

Make sure to check if you still have one of these weapons lying in your bank. With them, you should be well prepared for the upcoming content. 

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

These long-missing abilities return with WoW: Shadowlands

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 3 minutes

In World of Warcraft many missing abilities are returning. There is something for most classes to look forward to.

Over the years, the developers of World of Warcraft have continued to refine the classes. Specializations have become increasingly important, so a Fire Mage now has completely different spells than a Frost Mage – they hardly share any abilities. This will change again with the next expansion “Shadowlands”. Alongside many shared abilities, several long-forgotten abilities are making a return!

Update: This article originally appeared in November 2019. It was updated in early March 2020.

What was said? In the future, characters will start at level 1 without a specialization. Each class will then receive a few basic abilities at the beginning, which are necessary for almost every specialization. For example, a Mage might learn Frostbolt, Fire Blast, and Arcane Explosion early on. This is intended to give players an impression of all the possibilities and create a common foundation of what exactly defines this class.

From level 10, a character will specialize and receive new abilities based on their specialization. However, “other abilities” will not disappear just because they do not belong to the specialization.

Have you seen that leveling is about to be significantly reworked?

So many class abilities are returning with Shadowlands

In addition, Blizzard has announced which iconic class abilities will be returning. These include abilities that were once in the game, were only available through talents, or were important PvP talents. All the examples mentioned below are set to return for all representatives of the respective class, making them part of the class’s “core kit” again.

Class abilities Death Knight

  • Raise Undead (Raise Undead)
  • Anti-Magic Zone (Anti-Magic Zone)
  • Summon Gargoyle (Summon Gargoyle)

Class abilities Shaman

  • Frost Shock (Frost Shock)
  • Various Totems

Class abilities Paladin

  • Consecration (Consecration)
  • Hammer of Wrath (Hammer of Wrath)
  • Auras

Class abilities Druid

  • Ursol’s Vortex (Ursol’s Vortex)
  • Cyclone (Cyclone)

Class abilities Rogue

  • Shiv (Shiv)
  • Poisons

Class abilities Warlock

  • Death Coil (Death Coil)
  • Demonic Circle (Demonic Circle)
  • Curses
  • Ritual of Doom (Ritual of Doom)

Class abilities Hunter

  • Hunter’s Mark (Hunter’s Mark)
  • Kill Shot (Kill Shot)
  • Eyes of the Beast (Eyes of the Beast)

Class abilities Warrior

  • Shattering Throw (Shattering Throw)
  • Challenging Shout (Challenging Shout)

Especially the announcement of “Eyes of the Beast” caused cheers among the audience at BlizzCon, as Hunters have wanted this “fluff” ability back for a long time. It has little utility in combat but was very popular among Hunters. It was always fun to explore the world through the eyes of the beast.

Please keep in mind that these abilities are just examples. There are many more abilities that will return with Shadowlands. We are sure to learn more about this in the coming months.

What do you think of this change? Do you think it’s good that many abilities are returning? Or does that just clutter your action bars too much?

More on the topic
WoW: Death Knights and Demon Hunters will soon start at a lower level
von Cortyn

Ihr wollt mehr zum Spiel? Tolle Specials, heiße News und interessante Infos zu World of Warcraft findet ihr auch auf unserer WoW-Seite auf Facebook.

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

CoD MW: New Warzone leak shows ranking system and “Free to Play” mode

Maik Schneider Maik Schneider Reading time 4 minutes

The well-known CoD leaker “TheGamingRevolution” received some new information from dataminers about the Battle Royale of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. This time it’s about the leveling system, details on the “Free to Play,” and a crazy game mode.

What kind of information is this? The YouTuber “TheGamingRevolution” has once again received fresh information from his dataminer friends. The well-known Warzone leaker has already brought several “secret” details to light, and it will be exciting to see what ultimately turns out to be true.

This time it’s about:

  • Warzone leveling system
  • Details on the “Free to Play“
  • a special game mode

That the Battle Royale “Warzone” of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is starting soon seems to be becoming increasingly certain, but there is still no official information. Therefore, we continue to rely on the wisdom of the data and take a look at how the mechanics of “Warzone” could work.

Please keep in mind: Everything presented here is interpretations of data and not certain information. A healthy dose of skepticism is warranted.

cod modern warfare leak warzone
This is what the loading screen might look like…

Call of Duty: Modern Warzone – The wait continues

How is the leveling system supposed to work? The YouTuber reads from the available data that the leveling and progression system of “Warzone” is the same as in Modern Warfare. This includes:

  • The rank
  • The weapon levels
  • The Battle Pass progress

This trinity of current CoD progress will likely also apply to the Battle Royale. So we can take our unlocked items from multiplayer or even the challenging co-op mode “SpecOps” into Warzone, such as operators or cosmetics.

This also means that soldiers who already have the Battle Pass and their weapons at maximum might find themselves underemployed in the “Warzone.”

For “TheGamingRevolution” this is reason enough to speculate that the Warzone release will coincide with the start of a season. This would mean that we might have to wait another month for the CoD-BR until Season 3 starts – or even longer.

cod modern warfare map battle royale vergleich blackout
The size comparison of the CoD-BR modes. The box at the bottom left shows the size of the BlackOut map, the Battle Royale of its predecessor. Source: Twitter

What is there to know about the “Free to Play”? The data suggest that the F2P version of “Warzone” might come with some restrictions.

It looks like players of the free version may not be able to reach the maximum rank or use special operators. “TheGamingRevolution” thinks that while it’s great if the BR comes as F2P, he finds it inappropriate to impose such restrictions to make players more inclined to purchase the full game.

How the free version will look or whether “Warzone” will even come as a free version remains to be seen.

What game mode has been found? The data have indicated for some time that there will be a “Plunder System” in the Battle Royale. We can collect the in-game currency “Plunder” during rounds and use it to request equipment or deposit it at banks scattered throughout the map to earn XP.

cod modern warfare warzone battle royale leak map plunder banken
The possible Battle Royale map with locations of the “Plunder banks” – Source: YouTube – TheGamingRevolution

This feature likely also plays an important role in varying the gameplay experience. “TheGamingRevolution” mentions a game mode called “Blood Money.” He can only speculate what it entails, but it seems to be a mode where collecting Plunder is the focus rather than eliminating opponents.

There have been previous hints that we might be able to enter and exit the Warzone map in various ways. With this mode, the Battle Royale could be structured very differently, perhaps resembling the raids in “Escape from Tarkov“. We then have a specific objective, need to accomplish it, and defend ourselves against enemy players that we encounter by chance while they are on their own mission.

Here you can find a compilation of gameplay leaks and info about the possible flow of Warzone matches:

More on the topic
CoD Modern Warfare: Battle Royale – All information on release, content and size
von Maik Schneider

Players are going nuts and so am I

When is Warzone finally coming? There is still no official information. Many players believed March 3rd would be a safe date for the release. There are a ton of Easter eggs and in-game information that are associated with this date. Instead of the Battle Royale, we got the Tomogunchi. Nice, but not a substitute for solid information about “Warzone”.

Me and the boys when WarZone finally drops! from r/ModernWarzone

When is the next date? The next possible release date, and currently also the last leaked date in circulation, which is set before the start of Season 3, is March 10th. This date has been circulating for a while and thus remains current.

Whether the mode will come on March 10th, whether it will be “Free to Play,” and whether I will survive the next date if the BR does not come again remains to be seen. But the hype is slowly dying down, and the developers should seriously consider if it is not time to bring the first official nuggets of information to the people.

At least the playlist currently offers a good variety for all team sizes:

More on the topic
No matter the team size – The new CoD MW update has something for everyone
von Maik Schneider
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. YouTube - TheGamingRevolution

Pokémon GO now brings 4 special raid weekends – What is happening?

Patrick Freese Patrick Freese Reading time 3 minutes

In March 2020, a legendary event takes place on every weekend in Pokémon GO. Then Giratina, Darkrai, Kobalium, and Lugia return. We will show you how it works.

What kind of events are these? In March 2020, Niantic is not holding back with special events that change the gameplay in Pokémon GO. Several events are scheduled for this month, including one on every weekend.

Every Friday, a legendary Pokémon will appear in the gyms of Pokémon GO. All of them have appeared in the game before. If you missed them, now is your chance to catch them. Hopefully even in their Shiny form.

This is definitely worth it for the collectors among you.

Weekend from 6.3. to 9.3 with Darkrai

When does the event take place? From Friday at 08:00 AM to Monday at 10:00 PM local time. At the same time, the big Rocket event in Pokémon GO is happening.

What’s happening? During this time, you will find the legendary Pokémon Darkrai in 5-star raids. And if you are lucky, you might even find it in its Shiny form, which you can then catch.

Shiny Darkrai
This is how the Shiny form of Darkrai differs from the “normal” – The chances for a Shiny encounter in this raid are probably 1:19

Darkrai is one of the best attackers of the Dark type. The raids this weekend are particularly worth it.

To succeed in the raids, you should use these counters against Darkrai.

More on the topic
Why you should do as many Darkrai raids as possible in Pokémon GO
von Noah Struthoff

Weekend from 13.3. to 16.3. with Giratina

When does the event take place? From Friday at 08:00 AM to Monday at 10:00 PM local time.

What’s happening? During this time you will encounter Giratina’s Altered Form in the 5-star raids. If you are lucky, you might also encounter its Shiny form.

Shiny Giratina Pokémon GO
The comparison between Giratina’s Altered Form – Normal and Shiny

If you use these Pokémon, you can even defeat Giratina with three players.

If you are active in the Battle League in Pokémon GO, this Pokémon is particularly valuable. Giratina is one of the best Pokémon for the Hyper League.

Weekend from 20.3. to 23.3. with Kobalium

When does the event take place? From Friday at 08:00 AM to Monday at 10:00 PM local time.

What’s happening? During the event time, you will find the legendary Pokémon Kobalium in the 5-star raids. With a little luck, even in its Shiny form.

Pokémon GO Kobalium Normal Shiny
Kobalium (normal) and Kobalium as Shiny – Which one do you want?

What’s special about these raids is that Kobalium knows the move “Sacred Sword” if you catch it during the event time.

If you use the ideal counters, you can defeat Kobalium at level 30 with just three players.

Weekend from 27.3. to 30.3. with Lugia

When does the event take place? From Friday at 08:00 AM to Monday at 10:00 PM local time.

What’s happening? During the event time, you will find the legendary Pokémon Lugia in the 5-star raids. You can find the best counters against Lugia here.

It has been a guest in Pokémon GO several times and now gives you the chance to catch it as Shiny again.

Pokémon GO Lugia Shiny Normal
This is how the Shiny version differs from a normal Lugia

If you catch Lugia during the event time, it will know the move Air Slash.

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

Destiny 2 is now being developed from home – Bungie closes studios due to Corona

Sven Galitzki Sven Galitzki Reading time 2 minutes

The Corona virus (Covid-19) has worldwide effects, which are now also felt at Bungie, the developers of Destiny 2. The developers have to adapt and are shifting their work from the studio to their own homes.

What is currently happening at Bungie? Bungie has decided to send its employees to work from home immediately and until further notice – worldwide.

In a very short time, they have set up a network with appropriate software and communication tools to maintain daily operations in all areas outside the studio in Seattle.

This network has now been activated, and developers and staff from other areas are now working from home.

Destiny cayde thumbs up
Safety first

Why are they doing this? The reason is the worldwide spread of the Corona virus. The Covid-19, which originated in China, has not only reached the USA, but has also appeared heavily in the Seattle area, where Bungie’s studio is located.

With this step, Bungie aims to contribute to the containment of the virus and to proactively protect the health and safety of its employees by keeping them away from potential infection and transmission hotspots like a studio. The measures apply to Bungie’s personnel worldwide.

What impact does this have on Destiny 2? Although this is a significant change for Bungie, the studio states that they want to maintain the work on Destiny 2 as best as possible. They believe that they can manage it with the established infrastructure for working from home.

The content for the new season is already determined

They remain committed to the communicated content plans. The Season 10, the Season of Worthy, is scheduled to launch on March 10 as planned. The return of the Trials on March 13 is also not in danger.

Additionally, they want to continue maintaining Destiny 2 and providing critical updates during this time – even though the frequency of patches may be impacted in the short term. They will keep players as updated as possible.

The development of the game is also expected to continue from home. Overall, fans should not notice much difference from the change.

Have you also felt any restrictions due to the Corona virus?

More on the topic
Destiny 2: The Highlights from the new Season Pass – Exotics, Armors, Cosmetics
von Philipp Hansen
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Bungie

Ghost Recon Breakpoint: Huge update revises the shooter flop – Here’s what’s new

Andreas Bertits Andreas Bertits Reading time 3 minutes

Recently, Ubisoft announced that the major update for the online shooter Ghost Recon Breakpoint will be postponed. But at the end of the month, it will finally arrive. Players can expect significant changes.

What does the next update bring? The biggest novelty is the Immersive Mode. This fundamentally changes the game that flopped at release.

Previously, it was essential to constantly search for new gear. If an enemy dropped a weapon, you had to pick up the loot like in Destiny or Diablo and check if it improved your gear score. With a higher gear score, you could face the more challenging missions and enemies.

This completely changes with the Immersive Mode. Gear score will no longer matter. You pick up a weapon and may find that it suits your playstyle well. Then you simply keep it and use it as long as you want. During this time, you can upgrade and customize the weapon. You no longer have to constantly search for better loot.

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Plenty of Customizations

What else does the update bring? Besides the Immersive Mode, you can also play in a Custom Mode. This allows you to make many adjustments, including the health and stamina of your character, set how severely a hit wounds you, and customize the HUD to your preferences.

These customization options are also available: There are several new features coming with the mode. They include:

  • If you reload and there are bullets in the magazine, they are gone.
  • You can limit the amount of bandages you can carry.
  • In the new private mode, you will only encounter story characters and your teammates.
  • It is possible to access Maria’s shop at bivouacs or restrict access to the Erewhon base.
  • You adjust the difficulty level according to your preferences.
  • Decide whether there should be a gear level or not.

Can I continue to play as before? Ubisoft does not force anyone to use the Immersive or Custom Mode of Ghost Recon Breakpoint.

If you enjoyed the online shooter as it was and liked searching for loot to improve yourself, simply choose the Regular Mode. In this mode, Ghost Recon Breakpoint plays just like before.

You can also switch between the settings at any time.

Ghost Recon Breakpoint new modes
The major update for Ghost Recon Breakpoint offers several game modes.

Players are Excited

When is the update coming out? You won’t have to wait long anymore. The major update will be released on March 24 for Ghost Recon Breakpoint.

What do players think about these announcements? Overall, there is a significantly better mood than after the last major update, because players see that Ubisoft is addressing the criticisms and making appropriate changes.

  • Fuel4Data writes on reddit: “Good news. GRBP (Ghost Recon Breakpoint) seems to be on the right track to address key issues and fix problems. Keep it up!”
  • PaulGeru says: “This news made my day. Let’s hope the game continues to develop in the right direction! The potential is very high!”
  • QuebraRegra is not as enthusiastic: “Well, it’s something, but one of the main issues has always been the enemy AI. The AI of enemies and opponents in general needs improvement.”

What do you think of the announced changes and the Immersive Mode of Ghost Recon Breakpoint?

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. PCGamer
  2. Kotaku
  3. Reddit

Destiny 2: How Power Level Changes in Season 10 – How Important Will the Artifact Be in the Trials?

Philipp Hansen Philipp Hansen Reading time 3 minutes

With Season 10, the power level in Destiny 2 rises higher than expected. Additionally, Bungie announces changes to the pinnacle gear and discusses the role of the artifact in the Trials.

What you need to know about the power level: In less than a week, on March 10, the new Season 10 starts. Traditionally, this comes with an increase in power level, i.e., the maximum level cap.

Then, players must first loot and level up. In the most challenging activities, enemies usually have a high level. Only if your Guardian is strong enough do you stand a chance.

This is what the level cap looks like in Season 10: With the start of the Season of Worthy, the level cap increases by 40 points. The maximum power level is thus 1010.

This is how it affects gear drops:

  • Powerful gear goes up to 1000 power (Powerful cap)
  • Pinnacle gear goes up to 1010 power (Pinnacle cap)
  • Normal drops from all sources have been increased to 950 power (Soft cap)

Surprisingly, the increase is higher than anticipated. In the last season, the level cap only increased by 10 power. This means it is now possible for the first time to break the magical power barrier of 999 without an artifact ..

Artifact Warmind Sword Destiny Season 10
The seasonal artifact is a sword in the Warmind style this time

There will be more pinnacle loot: Destiny 2 wants to give you more opportunities to obtain pinnacle gear. Guardians should be able to reach the new pinnacle cap through a variety of activities.

These powerful rewards will be pinnacle rewards:

  • Crucible challenge (weekly)
  • Gambit challenge (weekly)
  • Strike challenge (weekly)
  • The weekly clan engram

When will these changes come? To benefit from the additional sources for pinnacle loot, you need to be a little patient. According to Bungie, the changes will find their way to Destiny 2 in the middle of Season 10.

Another “Quality of Life” improvement aims to spare you from bad loot luck. The Destiny developers want to prevent you from repeatedly receiving a chest armor piece as a pinnacle drop while the helmet you need to level up is missing for a long time.

How and when Bungie plans to implement this “Bad Luck Protection” is currently unknown. Until then, the new sources for pinnacle loot should provide a good and worthwhile level increase.

Will artifact power in the Trials become a problem?

The artifact is also active in the Trials at the start: With the seasonal artifact, the power level can be increased in addition to the gear. Especially regarding PvP activities where level advantages are active, this can create an imbalance. Thus, Guardians feared for fairness in the Trials.

Bungie took the criticism of the system to heart and reacted quickly, much to the delight of the Guardians. In the Trials and in the Iron Banner, the artifact level will not affect the power level, according to Bungie.

There’s a catch: In the current TWaB (March 6), it states: “Unfortunately, the Season of Worthy has already been approved for certification, so we cannot disable the power of the artifact for the first Trials weekend.”.

Trials of Osiris Season 10 Destiny
The Trials will not be a walk in the park

What does this mean for the Trials? Developers usually have to submit their updates in advance to platform operators, such as Sony for the PS4, for review. Bungie plans to bring the promised changes to the artifact level into the game on March 17.

The first Trials of Season 10 start on March 13 with level advantages through the artifact. However, the impact of the artifact there may not be as noticeable yet. There are only 3 days between the Trials and the start of the season. The problem will not exist in all future Trials weekends.

What do you think of the changes to the power level? Did you expect an increase over 1000? Are you happy about more sources for pinnacle loot, or does the artifact level in the Trials concern you?

What powerful abilities for the Trials have been adjusted can be read here:

More on the topic
Destiny 2: How Season 10 Revises the Most Powerful Abilities for the Trials
von Philipp Hansen
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Bungie

In 15 minutes, I experienced a PvP MMORPG in fast forward

Alexander Leitsch Alexander Leitsch Reading time 6 minutes

Since February 27, you can test Shadow Arena, the battle royale from Pearl Abyss, in a beta on Steam. Our author Alexander Leitsch has taken a closer look at the offshoot of Black Desert and also conducted an interview with Executive Producer Kwangsam Kim.

What is Shadow Arena? Shadow Arena was originally a battle royale in the MMORPG Black Desert. However, the mode could not reach its full potential, as Kwangsam Kim told MeinMMO.

That’s why Pearl Abyss decided to create an entirely new game from the mode. In it, you will be thrown into a large arena along with 40 other players, which shrinks over time.

There, you not only collect equipment but also level up against PvE enemies and learn new skills. You essentially play an MMORPG in fast forward. A round lasts about 15 minutes on average.

Shadow Arena - The new Battle Royale
Shadow Arena – The new Battle Royale

According to Kwangsam Kim, the game is no longer comparable to the original battle royale in Black Desert, as many features had to be adjusted for the standalone version. However, the visuals and the black spirit theme still remind of the MMORPG.

The first closed beta test runs until Sunday, March 8. You can still win keys with us. A release is planned for the first half of 2020. The game is supposed to be free-to-play, and the associated shop is currently deactivated.

Why is Shadow Arena fun? After the interview, I decided to try Shadow Arena myself. And after seven rounds, I can say that I really enjoy the battle royale.

The different classes, the short rounds, and the strategic elements provide a lot of variety. And since I enjoyed playing Black Desert, it’s like a “light version” for PvP fans. But let’s take it step by step.

Loot, level up, and PvP

What is there to do in advance? At the start, I have a choice between different modes:

  • Solo – 40 players fight against each other
  • Team – Teams of 2 players fight against each other
  • Practice – To get to know the game
  • Private Matches – To fight specifically with friends in an arena

After deciding on a mode, I choose from one of 9 characters, which I will introduce in more detail later. I can also bring one piece of equipment of my choice into battle. At the end of the match, I can take one item back out with me.

Once I’ve made my selection, I have to wait until enough players have signed up. On the European servers, this took between 2 and 4 minutes. During this time, I am already in a small arena, where I can try out skills and jokingly attack other players.

Screenshot with Hanu in Shadow Arena

How does a match work? When the match starts, I am shot out of the arena in black spirit form into the world. I can control the flight a bit and determine where I land and against which PvE enemies I fight. There are even boss battles on the map!

In the first 4 minutes, there is a grace period. If I die during this time, I will respawn and even retain the experience points I’ve collected.

Every character has two attacks on the mouse buttons and 4 additional skills that I have to unlock first. For this, I need XP and skill books. Both can be obtained by fighting the creatures in the vicinity.

These also drop equipment that I can equip with the press of a button. The game immediately shows me whether the equipment is better or worse than my current one. Very practical in the heat of battle.

Shadow Arena Screenshot Equipment
On the right, you can instantly see whether the equipment is better or not

My first PvP experience: Since the PvE mobs don’t take much damage, I was surprised how differently the battle went after I encountered my first player.

Unlike in Ashes of Creation Apocalypse, we both can withstand several hits, dodge, and control the opponent with CC. The fight lasts almost 1 minute due to potions and defensive skills and ends with my victory.

Soon after, however, another player caught me while I still had half health left. I ended up in 14th place out of 40, but I also had the ambition to continue.

Shadow Arena screenshot Loot
You leave a lot of loot when you die

9 different characters

Which character started my journey? The first rounds, I played as usual as an archer. I had Orwen available, a mix of human and elf.

While Orwen has a huge advantage against PvE mobs due to range, she struggles a lot when attacked in close combat by assassins like Haru. She has virtually no CC, and aiming against fast opponents is really difficult.

Orwen Shadow Arena
Orwen – my first character

How does Haru play? After three rounds with Orwen, both of which were mediocre, I decided to go with Haru. Haru is a little assassin who can become invisible and also has a teleport.

The quirky character provides a lot of fun and has two skills to keep enemies at bay. With her, I even reached the top 8 in one round.

What can the other characters do? Executive Producer Kwangsam Kim briefly described the abilities of all characters and shared his assessment:

  • Jordine Ducas – A well-balanced character between offense and defense. Good for beginners.
  • Yeonhwa – Melee fighter with very high speed. Deals a lot of damage but has low defense.
  • Ahon Kirus – A character with medium range. Can be very strong but is difficult to control.
  • Gehard Schultz – A strong fighter who ignores CC. He is devastating in close combat.
  • Herawen – A ranged fighter with solid defense and a strong healing skill.
  • Goyen – An aggressive character who uses his own hit points as a resource but also possesses healing skills.
  • Badal the Golden – Martial arts fighter with a very unique skill set.
Haru and the other characters from Shadow Arena
Haru and the other characters from Shadow Arena

Long-term motivation through leaderboards and new updates

What does the future of Shadow Arena look like? To keep players engaged in the long run, Pearl Abyss relies on a uniquely created ranking system:

There is a ranking and tier system in Shadow Arena. The rank is based on player skills, a bit of luck, and consecutive successes. The system is unique.

Kwangsam Kim

The Executive Producer also shared a few details about the future of the game. Several new features have already been prepared that will be released shortly after launch.

Overall, the developers plan many updates for Shadow Arena to keep the game exciting and varied.

Kwangsam Kim Pearl Abyss
Executive Producer Kwangsam Kim at the G-Star 2019

A huge PvP fun, especially for fans of Black Desert

What is the conclusion for Shadow Arena? If you want to experience a battle royale in the style of an MMORPG, then Shadow Arena is definitely an option. The fights are fast and dynamic, leveling up is quick, and motivation is given by a prominently displayed leaderboard.

Of course, the game is especially fun for fans of Black Desert, who will recognize many similarities. However, even those who have not yet come into contact with the MMORPG can have a lot of fun with Shadow Arena.

In any case, I had a lot of fun and will continue to keep an eye on the battle royale. Since Shadow Arena will be free-to-play, everyone can easily check it out on Steam. Pearl Abyss is also planning 3 more MMOs besides Shadow Arena, including a PvE MMORPG:

More on the topic
Developers of Black Desert announce 4 new MMOs, 2 of which are even MMORPGs
von Alexander Leitsch
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

“The Last of Us” is getting its own TV series and I’m damn excited about it

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

A dream come true for zombie fans is coming. The PS3 masterpiece “The Last of Us” is getting its own TV series.

If you ask PlayStation fans which game has moved them the most and was perhaps the most intense experience, one game keeps coming up: The Last of Us. Although Part 2 is currently in development and players’ anticipation has been building for months, there is now another reason to be excited, because:

“The Last of Us” is getting its own series.

What will the series be about? As revealed on the Hollywood Reporter website, the series will primarily focus on the storyline of the first part of “The Last of Us”. Whether it will stick closely to the source material or make some deviations in order to change the story and create new surprises has not been disclosed.

In any case, we can probably expect to meet Ellie and Joel in some form – and also the resistance movement known as the Fireflies. HBO promoted it on Twitter with their logo.

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When will the series be released? There is no release date for the show yet. Although the Twitter account of HBO talks about “soon”, the filming and production will probably take a while. So we should not expect it before 2021. But maybe we will get a specific date in the coming months.

Anyone wanting to see an MMORPG series before the release could check out “Mythic Quest”.

Who is in charge of the series? The project is being led by Craig Mazin, who many will remember as the screenwriter of the series “Chernobyl”. He is working together with Neil Druckmann, the Creative Director behind The Last of Us on the PlayStation 3.

More adaptations are planned: Although there are no details yet, it has been suggested that more adaptations from the video game sector are planned. So we can expect that in the coming years, more games will be turned into series. In addition to Diablo 4, Blizzard is working on a series for Diablo.

The Last of Us Part 2 Ellie Title

Cortyn says: The Last of Us was one of my first truly dramatic games on the PS3, after primarily playing Final Fantasy or Bayonetta before. I have rarely perceived a game as intensely and oppressively as The Last of Us. It was the perfect mix of action, quiet moments, and great characters. While the whole “zombie hype” following Left 4 Dead left me rather cold, The Last of Us fully captured me with its infected.

Whether it will be a success remains to be seen. After all, the Witcher series has already shown how fantastic a video game adaptation can be when done right. This raises my hopes that the adaptation of The Last of Us can be a similar success.

Are you excited about the series adaptation of The Last of Us? Or would you rather have seen the video game series left as it is? Which game would you like to see as a series?

More on the topic
The Last of Us 2 is the most anticipated PS4 game in 2020 – What we know about the standalone multiplayer
von Benedikt Schlotmann
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. hollywoodreporter.com
  2. kotaku.com
  3. polygon.com

Free Fire ist vielleicht das größte Game, von dem ihr noch nie gehört habt

Alexander Leitsch Alexander Leitsch Reading time 4 minutes

Garena Free Fire is a Battle Royale for iOS and Android. The game has been localized in German, yet you hear almost nothing about it here. However, it is extremely successful and was the most downloaded mobile game in the world in 2019.

What is Free Fire? Garena Free Fire, also known as Free Fire Battlegrounds, is a Battle Royale from a company based in Singapore. The game was released on December 4, 2017, and has since gained immense popularity.

The gameplay is similar to well-known games like Fortnite or PUBG:

  • You fight in an arena against 49 other players
  • The goal is to be the last survivor
  • You jump out of a plane and land at a location on the map
  • There you search for weapons and other useful items to eliminate your opponents and survive longer.

A round lasts a maximum of 10 minutes, as the arena keeps shrinking. A highlight is also the vehicles, which allow you to explore the map quickly.

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How successful is the game? Garena Free Fire has more than 450 million registered players worldwide and has generated over 1 billion dollars in revenue since its release (via Pocketgamer).

In 2019, the game was downloaded 266.9 million times through the Google Play Store and the App Store, making it the most downloaded game of the year. The numbers even surpassed well-known apps like Netflix, Spotify, or Tinder (via Apptopia).

But what makes the game so successful? And where is it so popular?

Free Fire requires low performance, is particularly popular in Brazil and India

What makes Free Fire successful? The free Battle Royale has very low requirements for your smartphone and is therefore ideal for playing on weaker devices. Compared to PUBG, the user interface and gameplay are said to be somewhat simplified, reports the Brazilian website techtudo.

However, it does not look as graphically stunning as competitors in the genre. Additionally, the map is said to be a bit too big for the number of 50 players. There is also criticism that some cosmetic weapon skins can provide an advantage, even if it is only slight.

Yet that seems to have no impact on its success.

This is how Free Fire looks in-game
This is how Free Fire looks in-game (Source: PlayStore)

In which countries is the game popular? Free Fire is particularly well-received in Brazil, India, and Indonesia. There, PUBG Mobile is also enjoyed, but nowadays Free Fire can regularly dethrone this title from the top spot in the charts.

For India, the Battle Royale even created a own YouTube account along with its own tournament series, the India Championship. The tournaments broadcast there in Hindi reach around 1 million views. In comparison: The shoutcasts of the World Series 2019 on the European channel only reached 175,000 views.

The other two mentioned regions are also actively promoted by the game. The World Series 2019 took place in Rio de Janeiro, and the final will be held in Indonesia in 2020.

Interestingly, the Battle Royale is also offered in China, but it is not as successful there. Perhaps they couldn’t trick as well as Tencent.

Free Fire Battlegrounds parachute
In Free Fire Battlegrounds, everything starts with the parachute jump

Localization is weak, gameplay impresses with Free Fire

What do German players say? In the reviews on the Google Play Store, there are also some German reviews. They criticize the localization and the lack of German players, but praise the fundamental gameplay:

  • Luca Bucher (5 stars): “I think the game is really cool, but almost never can I play with people who speak German. Can you perhaps make sure that all Germans play together, please?”
  • Casey Arney (5 stars): “Best shooter, really awesome game […]. My only suggestion for improvement would be the connection to the server, because when the ping is high, nothing works anymore.
  • Lady Red (4 stars): “Everything is nice and good, but the German translation is a complete disaster. Otherwise, I would want a small introduction or valuable tips […]. Still, 4 stars because it is nice for a smartphone shooter, especially because of the variety of weapons. I would still wish for more maps.”

In total, Free Fire has an average rating of 4.4 stars on the Play Store with over 43 million ratings.

If you are interested in other mobile games, we have gathered some articles for you here:

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

The first can soon play the new Cyberpunk MMORPG “Zenith”

Alexander Leitsch Alexander Leitsch Reading time 3 minutes

On August 12, 2019, Zenith, which calls itself a Cyberpunk MMO, appeared out of nowhere on Kickstarter. But the game seemed to hit a nerve. In 4 hours, the campaign goal was reached. Now the game is set to launch in March into Pre-Alpha.

What is Zenith? Zenith is a cross-platform MMORPG that emphasizes playing and experiencing together. A special highlight is the VR support, which means the game offers an immersive and vibrant world where players can lose themselves. However, VR is not mandatory.

But Zenith also aims to provide a lot in terms of gameplay:

  • a classless system where your equipment and skills determine your playstyle
  • a dynamic combat system that is expected to flourish especially in VR
  • Housing
  • a crafting system
  • epic raids and world events

The game relies on the “wonder technology” SpatialOS, which is supposed to create huge, dynamic worlds. The developers want to fully leverage the system, so there will be no loading screens in the open world.

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When can you play Zenith? As the developers mentioned in a video, the Pre-Alpha will start on March 21, 2020, about 3 months later than originally planned. It is also expected to be very rudimentary and more like an early demo.

Everyone who purchased a corresponding package on Kickstarter or through the website can participate. The price for the Pre-Alpha is set at $79, while access to the Alpha is available for $39.

Initial Alpha tests are expected to take place about 3 months after the start of the Pre-Alpha. Approximately the same timeframe is set for the Beta.

Cyberpunk + JRPG, an interesting mix

Why a Cyberpunk MMO? By including Cyberpunk in the title, the developers of Zenith have certainly drawn attention. After all, many players are eagerly awaiting Cyberpunk 2077. A multiplayer mode is also being repeatedly requested, but that seems to be a long way off.

Visually, the MMO resembles a JRPG more than Cyberpunk, which the developers agree with. They claim to have been inspired by old anime and games like Final Fantasy and Sword Art Online.

Zenith Artwork for a Dungeon
Artwork for a Dungeon in Zenith

What makes the game Cyberpunk? The trailer shows where the Cyberpunk idea comes from. It features things like:

  • Steel airships with modern propulsion
  • Futuristic cities
  • Modern vehicles that look like they could fly
  • An interface that evokes associations with the future

VR in MMORPGs is the exception

What else makes the MMORPG special? Virtual reality MMORPGs are still very rare. Rob Pardo, former developer of WoW, said in 2017 that it still has a long way to go before successful games of this type exist.

Currently, there is only Orbus VR, an MMORPG specifically developed for Virtual Reality. However, the game has not been very successful.

Ramen, the 3-person studio behind Zenith, wants to seize this opportunity. This is particularly evident in the description of the skills:

The combat system of Zenith fully utilizes the physical reality of VR to achieve satisfying gameplay.

Pull earth shields from the ground, draw creatures together with devastating gravity wells, or simply blast them away with the ultimate power of a chain lightning.

Mastering a class will feel like learning a sport or a martial art. The Essence Mage places a high value on long-range attacks and targeting and accuracy. The melee duelist, on the other hand, emphasizes timing and combos.

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On which platforms will Zenith be playable? The new MMORPG will support the following VR offerings:

  • Oculus Rift
  • HTC Vive
  • Valve Index
  • PlayStation VR

Additionally, it should also be playable on PC and PS4 without VR.

However, Zenith is not the only “Cyberpunk MMO”. Mankind Reborn will be a huge sandbox and visually resembles Cyberpunk 2077 much more.

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

Riot shooter Valorant introduces Phoenix, the first hero along with gameplay

Benedict Grothaus Benedict Grothaus Reading time 2 minutes

The official Twitter account of Riot’s new shooter Valorant has shared a new video showcasing the first hero: Phoenix. It features his skills in action.

This is what to see: In the just 33 seconds long clip, the hero Phoenix can be seen throwing fire abilities as his name suggests.

These abilities are presented along with a short gameplay snippet, which strongly resembles Counter-Strike – but with abilities. But see for yourself:

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Previously, a leak revealed the heroine Sage. Additionally, the heroes were also introduced earlier. Phoenix is now the first hero that LoL creators Riot have officially showcased along with gameplay.

First hero: Phoenix

What can Phoenix do? The hero comes with a variety of fire skills. They have been known since March 2, as they were shown in advance to some sites (via Polygon). Phoenix has the following abilities:

  • Hot Hands: Throws a fireball that explodes after a short delay or on contact with the ground. The lingering area damages enemies and heals you.
  • Blaze: Creates a wall of fire that blocks vision and damages enemies passing through. The wall can be curved by turning while casting.
  • Signature Ability – Curveball: A flashbang that can be thrown in a curve, temporarily blinding enemies.
  • Ultimate – Run it Back: Marks the current position. If you die during the duration or time runs out, you will respawn at the position with full health.
Valorant Phoenix skills
Image source: King on Twitter.

The signature ability of each hero is free every round. The ultimate has to be charged. All others need to be purchased first.

What is special about Phoenix: Riot has introduced Phoenix as a hero from the United Kingdom. This sounds as if the heroes will receive similar backstories as those from Overwatch, who also come from real existing regions.

In appearance, Phoenix somewhat resembles the Overwatch hero Baptiste. However, the gameplay looks significantly different and resembles CS:GO, which is likely why some CS:GO professionals want to switch upon release.

Overwatch Baptiste Medikit Title
Similar hairstyle, similar clothes: Baptiste and Phoenix look quite similar.

By the way, we have also written a detailed guide on Phoenix for you.

How Valorant is received

The game is currently generating quite a hype. Many players are eager, and even well-known streamers like TimTheTatMan (known for Fortnite) writes on Twitter: “I am so excited about this game, dude…”

Slowly, more and more information about Valorant is coming to light. What we already know about the game has been compiled here for you:

More on the topic
5 Things We Know About Valorant’s Gameplay
von Alexander Leitsch
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Fortnite pro is banned from Twitch – Tfue: He is 10, but that doesn’t make it better

Patrick Freese Patrick Freese Reading time 2 minutes

The Fortnite pro “Dubs” has now also been banned from Twitch after being punished by the FaZe Clan, following his use of a racist insult. Pro colleague Turner “Tfue” Tenney says: He is about 10 years old. As kids, we do stupid things, but …

Why was the player banned? The ban on Twitch came a few days after Daniel “Dubs” Walsh made a racist remark during a stream. However, this did not happen on his own channel, but rather on another Twitch streamer’s channel.

In the voice chat, Dubs’ racist comment could be heard. Shortly thereafter, his team, the FaZe Clan, issued a statement declaring that such behavior would not be tolerated. For the time being, the Fortnite pro is suspended from the clan and does not represent them any further. Additionally, the player is to undergo sensitivity training.

Following the incident on Twitch, pro Dubs had already caught attention in the Fortnite community and at his clan on February 29, 2020. However, it wasn’t until now, on March 4, that his Twitch channel was banned. This information comes from @StreamerBans on Twitter.

It is quite possible that the ban is a consequence of this remark, and Twitch is enforcing the ban even though the remark did not occur on Dubs’ channel.

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Streamer colleague MontanaBlack was banned on Twitch in October 2019. Here, too, an outburst was to blame, which was not heard on his own channel, but rather in another stream.

Tfue: “He’s like … 10 years old?”

This is what the colleague says: After the FaZe Clan’s punishment of Dubs became clear, pro colleague Tfue spoke up. He says that Dubs should not be labeled as a racist. (via Dexerto)

This is Turner “Tfue” Tenney with his $3500 keyboard

“Just because someone says the N-word doesn’t mean that person is a racist. So I don’t believe Dubs is a racist. But it is pretty odd that he would say something like that in his ‘off time’,” explains the pro. The situation seems strange to Tfue because it sounded like Dubs said the word intentionally in his non-streaming time and not accidentally on his own stream while under pressure.

“He’s also about 10 [years old]. Not that it makes it any better. But when we were kids, we all did stupid stuff, you know?”

A user commented that this probably happened by accident. “That was by accident? I don’t think he says the ‘hard R’ by accident.” Hard R refers in English to the racist insult “Nigger.”

Even Tfue slipped this word during a live stream, which is why he was banned from Twitch for a week.

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

ARK Genesis: Magmasaur Guide – Find and Hatch Eggs, because taming is not possible

Sascha Asendorf Sascha Asendorf Reading time 3 minutes

The fiery lizard in the ARK: Survival Evolved expansion Genesis cannot be tamed. We will tell you how to still get to a dangerous Magmasaur.

The Magmasaur is an impressive fiery lizard and cannot be tamed in the conventional way. Unlike the Bloodstalker or the Giant Tortoise, you have to breed a Magmasaur yourself.

Location – Here you can find the Magmasaur eggs

The lizards are at home in the volcano biome and feel comfortable in close proximity to lava. To breed your own Magmasaur, you need a fertilized egg, which you can find in the caves beneath the volcano. You can already tell when picking up whether an egg is fertilized. However, according to players, there are only fertilized eggs in the caves anyway.

Warning! The volcano erupts regularly. If you are still in the cave, you will die.
  • Magmasaur cave entrance
  • Magmasaurus location
There are 2 cave entrances at the volcano, which are clearly visible with purple crystals.

How to get the eggs: Stealing a Magmasaur’s eggs is not easy. YouTuber nooblets.com has some tips:

  • Take a Bloodstalker: With the help of the Bloodstalker, you can enter the cave, devour the smaller enemies, and swing down to the eggs. Once you have collected the egg, quickly swing back up. Provided you can handle the Bloodstalker correctly.
  • Take a Ferox: With a Ferox, it’s a bit easier. Just jump over most enemies and avoid the large stone golems and Magmasaurs. Jump down to the eggs, grab them and climb out. Feed the Ferox enough element beforehand so that it doesn’t revert back in the middle.
  • Take a Grappling Hook: Armed with a grappling hook, you enter the cave. Take enough weapons and ammunition for the small enemies and try to avoid the big ones. Look for a spot where there are hardly any Magmasaurs and grab an egg. Then disappear with the grappling hook as quickly as possible.
  • Use your HLN-A drone: Go into the cave equipped with a Ghille suit and look for an egg that is not guarded. Activate a portal with HLN-A and collect the egg just before teleporting.

How to hatch the Magmasaur egg

Once you have successfully stolen a fertilized egg from the cave, return to your base. Build a small room with at least 9 air conditioners inside and place the egg down. You then have about 5 hours to take care of other things.

What you need for an air conditioner:

  • Craft at the fabricator
  • 80 metal ingots
  • 15 electronic parts
  • 5 polymer
  • 15 crystals
  • Requires electricity to operate

What you need to consider: Once the Magmasaur babies have hatched, they need food. As babies, they only eat Ambergris, feces from the Space Whale. You can find this in the moon biome, just look for stones that shimmer blue/green.

ARK-Genesis-Lunar-Biom-Ambergis

However, you only get a small amount of Ambergris from the respective stones. Ideally, use a mining laser or an Ankylosaurus to be as effective as possible. Otherwise, a pickaxe and some time will suffice.

Ambergris satisfies the hunger of the babies by 500 and spoils after 15 minutes. In a refrigerator, it lasts for about a day.

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Have you already captured a Magmasaur? Perhaps other dinos are more your thing:

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

New boss finds Diablo 4 creepy: “Material for nightmares”

Benedict Grothaus Benedict Grothaus Reading time 2 minutes

The new head of Diablo 4 has been able to take a look at the game archives for the first time. The works of the artists have apparently deeply impressed him, even though he should be quite tough himself.

Who is the new head? Since March 2020, Rod Fergusson is the new head of the entire Diablo franchise at Blizzard and thus also of the upcoming Diablo 4. Fergusson himself is regarded as a “Closer,” someone who finishes games.

In the past, Fergusson has worked on:

  • Unreal Tournament 3
  • BioShock Infinite
  • Shadow Complex
  • Gears 5 and other “Gears of War” titles

He announced his move from The Coalition (Gears of War) to Blizzard in February. On March 1, he worked at Blizzard for the first time and on March 2, he saw the Diablo archives for the first time.

Fergusson finds Diablo 4 art “disturbing”

This is what Fergusson says about Diablo 4: In a tweet, Fergusson shared his impressions of his new job for the first time. He claimed to have seen the archives and praises the work of the artists. It is great, but also “the stuff of nightmares.”

He writes: “I got access to the art archive of Diablo 4 today and OMG, there are so many beautiful, albeit disturbing images there.”

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However, he did not attach an image as an example, or it was removed again, as he hinted.

Why is this so special? Fergusson is actually accustomed to brutal images from his work on Gears of War. In the Gears series, it is common to saw enemies in half with a chainsaw.

In Diablo 3, fans criticized that the game had become too colorful, no longer dark and grim like Diablo was supposed to be. Diablo 4 is supposed to be darker again – apparently so dark that even a splatter veteran is impressed.

diablo 4 trailer burning city
Dark and brutal – Diablo 4 probably won’t have any rainbows.

What is the status of Diablo 4?

After part of the community saw little future for Diablo 4, especially after the incident with Diablo Immortal, the mood seems to be improving again. A fan on Twitter even writes: “Rod the god, here to save another franchise.”

Indeed, Fergusson has already helped many games to success. BioShock Infinite sold over 11 million copies in just two years after release and was highly rated. Fans are now hoping for the same success for Diablo 4.

When exactly the new ARPG will be released is still uncertain. However, Blizzard is currently working on several Diablo projects simultaneously. What we know about the release, we have compiled here:

More on the topic
Diablo 4 release in 2021? Everything we know so far
von Patrick Freese
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. GameSpot

The Division 2 and the Corona Virus: I have a strange feeling

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 4 minutes

In The Division 2, a virus has swept across civilization. A scenario that fits the current threat posed by the Corona virus. This is not entirely coincidental. The “Tom Clancy” brand deals with threats that could arise in the near future, says an employee of Massive.

The developers say about the Corona virus: In an interview with Gamesbeat, Massive’s World Content Manager, Cloe Hammoud, was asked about the parallels between The Division 2 and the Corona virus (Covid 19).

The interview was published on February 11. At that time, the Corona virus was not yet as present in the West as it is now.

Hammoud stated that the situation with the Corona virus is “unfortunate timing.”

However, it apparently wasn’t so unlikely that a game from the Tom Clancy universe would deal with a threat affecting the real world.

tom_clancys_the_division_concept_art-1280x720 (1)
In the world of The Division, civilization has collapsed.

Because Tom Clancy’s books revolve around “Clear and Present Danger,” the English name of Clancy’s novel “Das Kartell” from 1989. The novel addressed the influence of South American drug cartels on the USA and the danger they posed.

Later, Tom Clancy addressed other, contemporary threat scenarios, such as nuclear bombs, biological attacks, or assassinations.

The “Tom Clancy” brand addresses real threats

Hammoud explains: The “Tom Clancy” brand deals with such actual threats of the near future and investigates them.

She says that when they were working on The Division 2, they researched a lot in Washington D.C. and spoke with police and firefighters to find out how these people would respond to such disasters and how they would cope with them.

division-amherst

Indeed, many players praised The Division 2 for its detailed portrayal of the city of Washington and its landmarks in the game.

Apparently, Ubisoft not only researched the city but also disaster scenarios.

The virus plays an important role in the game series. It is the threat lurking in the background: The virus shapes the world, its effects are felt everywhere, in the game world and among the people in it.

A super virus threatens the world in The Division

How important is the virus in The Division? Especially in the base game of The Division from 2016, players continually confront the consequences of the virus and a pandemic.

The Division uses “Environmental Storytelling” to confront players with the collapse of civilization after the virus and the many human tragedies during the outbreak:

  • Players find audio recordings to experience the fate of the population.
  • They see the effects of the pandemic in the post-apocalyptic world they move through.
  • Their opponents represent possible reactions to the catastrophe: The Cleaners want to purify everything “contaminated” with fire. The Looters want to pillage. The Hyenas try to find fun and joy in a declining world.

In 2016, Ubisoft released a video that clearly showed how realistic such a pandemic scenario could be.

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In The Division 2, the virus is already several months old, and the world has reached a state of “post-apocalypse.” The Division 2 revolves around restoring civilization in Washington.

division-weihnachten
In The Division, there is hidden consumer criticism.

This is the virus in the world of The Division: In The Division, scientist Dr. Gordon Amherst developed a super virus to curb overpopulation. The virus was spread through dollar bills on the most important consumer day in the USA, Black Friday.

The scenario was critically thought out by The Division regarding consumerism. The developers saw parallels between a buying frenzy on Super Sale Day and looting during a catastrophe.

The mutated smallpox virus is designed to infect 95% of the population and kill between 80% and 90% of those infected.

The virus differs significantly from the current situation in the real world with the Corona virus. The Corona virus is neither “artificially created” nor does it have such a high mortality rate. The Corona virus is assumed to kill between 0.5% and 2% of those infected, which is still frighteningly high.

division-2-ny7-cleaners
They want to free the world from the virus by burning everything down.

I feel a bit uneasy

This is how players respond: Even though the “Dollar Flu” in The Division differs significantly from the Corona virus, many players have recently been reminded of their game when they saw the impact of the Corona virus.

One player said that playing through New York now was “disturbing and incredibly immersive.” He didn’t know how he should feel about it.

Another player said: “Strangely, the mask I bought for Division cosplay is suddenly really useful.”

the division 2 wp

One more player said: “Look, all I’m saying is: In The Division, there’s a virus called Dollar Flu. And in the news, I’m reading that they’re burning banknotes in China because that’s how the virus spreads.”

Another stated that he felt “The Division 2 had now prepared him for the virus.” He had to hear: “Yes, that’s true. And Skyrim prepared me for the return of dragons.”

The player base of The Division 2 reflects the reactions to the Corona virus that we also experience in the real world. People fluctuate between fear and the admonitions not to panic and overreact.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. gamesbeat
  2. reddit (Weitere Spielerzitate)
  3. reddit (Beunruhigend und immersiv)

LoL brings back the popular “One for All” – A champion creates excitement

Alexander Leitsch Alexander Leitsch Reading time 3 minutes

The game mode “One for All” last appeared as an April Fool’s joke in League of Legends in 2018. Now the mode returns 2 years later and you can already play it on the PBE. One champion is already a highlight.

What is “One for All”? In this popular mode, each player on a team selects a champion. Then one of the champions is chosen at random, and all 5 players must play that champion, regardless of which lane they are on.

“One for All” is played on the usual Summoner’s Rift map. Since there are five of each champion, all sorts of crazy situations can occur.

Players have really enjoyed this mode, and a reunion has been eagerly anticipated.

lol social header
Aphelios, one of the champions that have not yet participated in “One for All”

When does “One for All” return? The game mode was already available with the update for Patch 10.6 on the test server. It will likely stay there for a brief two weeks. So, if you can’t wait, you can already get hands-on there.

For everyone else, the mode is expected to be released with update 10.6 on March 18.

Players are extremely excited, especially about Yuumi

Why is the mode so popular? When “One for All” was last playable, the platform YouTube was flooded with crazy highlight videos and compilations.

League of Legends is actually not designed for having one champion so many times. That’s why there were crazy “Wombo Combos” happening everywhere.

A compilation with over 300,000 views particularly caught our eye. In it, you can see:

  • A Jhin dodging all skill shots from Xerath
  • Trundles building complete ice walls
  • A skillshot duel between Ziggs and Heimerdinger
  • Zeds wiping out opponents easily

and many more highlights.

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Link to the YouTube content

What changes are coming to the mode? “One for All” takes place in the familiar Summoner’s Rift, but Riot has made some changes. The goal is to have fast and fun matches, with a bit of laning phase and a lot of “Fiesta”.

Therefore, there are adjustments to:

  • Gold and XP
  • The towers
  • The scaling of the Baron

However, these changes are not set in stone, and it is possible that something will change on the test server before the final release.

Lol Champion Sett
Sett, the newest champion in the LoL universe

What are players particularly excited about? Riot Games has released a short teaser on Twitter showing 5 Yuumis. Yuumi, along with the 7 champions:

  • Pyke, Neeko, Sylas, Qiyana, Senna, Aphelios, and Sett.

were not in the game during the first appearance of “One for All”. The idea of suddenly having 5 Yuumis in a match appeals to many players.

Yuumi has the unique ability to bind to a champion and use abilities from there. It would be possible for one Yuumi player to control all characters while the other 4 focus on skill shots and abilities. Additionally, there’s the funny sound and the skill shot with a large hitbox, making the situation even more ridiculous.

Some players have already tested the combo on the PBE. There was even a 5 Yuumi vs. 5 Yuumi match. You can also check the result in a video:

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Patch 10.5 introduced the Eternals

What else happened in LoL? On March 4, Patch 10.5 was released with several changes. Among these is also the new achievement system “The Eternals”, which you can now activate in the game.

There has been no change to the quirky build of Senna, who is played as an ADC but does not farm. No nerf is visible even on the PBE with the first version of Patch 10.6.

Additionally, LoL has announced that it will close the official forums and instead will move to other social platforms, including Discord, which will likely be very pleased:

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Discord is going to compete with Steam, receiving 150 million dollars for it
von Leya Jankowski
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

New multiplayer game launches today on Steam! 5 reasons to check out MisBits

Benedict Grothaus Benedict Grothaus Reading time 4 minutes

Today the new party game MisBits is entering Early Access on Steam. If you haven’t heard of it yet, you should definitely check it out. We’re going to show you why it’s worth taking a look at the game.

What is MisBits? MisBits is a new multiplayer game from 3BlackDot that combines the genres of sandbox, action, and building. The game draws inspiration from well-known and popular games such as Minecraft, Fortnite, and Rocket League.

Starting today, Thursday, March 5 at 6:00 PM German time, the game launches in Early Access on Steam. It costs €12.49. The status is expected to last about four weeks until the game approaches its full release.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gbbpiq6qzYo

Why should I play MisBits? MisBits offers a wide variety of game modes and content for you to explore. We give you five reasons why you should check out the game.

1. Diverse Game Modes – Something for Everyone

How does MisBits play? In MisBits there are various game modes that cater to every type of player. Most modes are designed for between 2 and 16 players. For example:

  • Playhouse – Various rooms with minigames
  • Deathmatch and TDM – Classic fight for the most kills
  • Kick Brawl – A kind of “Rocket League” with additional features like different abilities
  • Arcade – A collection of various other modes that is expanded weekly
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gxtwxYPa7o

Additionally, the “ToyBox” will be added later. Here players can create their own game modes with their own rules. The community has a significant influence on what you can play in MisBits.

2. Creativity – Build Your Own Game

The possibilities available to you: With the upcoming ToyBox, you will have access to almost all developer tools to create your own levels and game modes. The limits are your own creativity.

Do you want your fellow players to solve tricky puzzles? Or would you rather create a shooter mode with crazy rules? It’s up to you how you design your game mode and who you want to invite.

Would you prefer to build your own kingdom? Unlock various building components and construct a castle or even an entire city. Build it just for yourself to feel at home, or invite other players to explore your world and discover hidden secrets.

3. Pure Party – Have Fun with Friends

This is why MisBits is worth it with friends: Many of the modes resemble classic party games like Mario Kart or Super Smash Bros., where you can play with (or against) friends. MisBits hits the same note.

In my demo test at PAX East in Boston, I felt like this was the ideal pastime for friends. With a handful of my best buddies, MisBits could definitely provide many fun nights, especially since the variety of game modes keeps things interesting.

MisBits Soccer
Want to kick the ball today? Or would you prefer a round of Kick Brawl?

Whether we fight against each other in Deathmatch, compete in teams in Kick Brawl, or explore worlds together, it’s more fun together. The only downside: local co-op is not available.

However, it can also be played online, with voice chat. If you prefer sitting together with friends, you can find the best party games for the couch for PC, PS4, and Xbox One here.

4. Casual-Friendly – Just Play a Round in Between

How long does a round last? MisBits is not a “serious game” but is fully aimed at casual play. Accordingly, the rounds are quite short and can easily be integrated into your evening after a busy day.

Most standard modes are quite fast-paced. In my rounds, it took about ten minutes for them to be decided. With approximately 10-20 minutes per round, you can easily schedule one or two games in between.

If you want, you can also sweat it out properly in Deathmatch. But the rounds are generally too chaotic to be upset about a loss. Just start the next round and take off your opponents’ heads with a giant cucumber.

MisBits Sword
Unfair if someone comes to the cucumber fight with a sword!

5. Totally Over the Top – Crazy Ideas with Comic Graphics

This is how crazy MisBits is: Finally, MisBits benefits from a timeless comic graphic style. The game focuses not on realism but on as much chaos as possible. Core features include:

  • various bodies and vehicles that you can control with your head, each having different properties
  • crazy weapons like giant cartridges and cucumbers that you can use to smash opponents
  • skins and cosmetics that you can unlock to customize your appearance
  • exploding chickens
MisBits Sphinx
The image speaks for itself.

All in all, MisBits is a party game and should be played as such. With good cheer, it’s really fun, especially with friends and a lively atmosphere.

Will you check out MisBits? Or would you rather wait for initial feedback and the release? Let us know in the comments.

If you prefer playing together with friends, you can find the best couch co-op games of 2020 here:

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The coolest couch co-op games – What our editorial team plays in 2020
von Micha Deckert

Disclaimer: MisBits is published by 3BlackDot and Pow Wow Entertainment in collaboration with Webedia. MeinMMO is part of the international Webedia media group.

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

10 Tips for Destiny 2 to Master the Trials of Osiris Right Now

Philipp Hansen Philipp Hansen Reading time 5 minutes

Do you want to complete the Trials in Destiny 2 flawlessly? With our tips, you can start working on it now and be well prepared to dive into the trials.

Here’s what the Trials are about: The Trials of Osiris is a hardcore PvP mode that finally makes its return to Destiny 2 with Season 10. The Trials are better known by their English name “Trials of Osiris” or simply Trials.

The unique aspect is that players only have one life, and each death can decide the match as a whole. Accordingly, the Trials play differently. If you manage to win 7 rounds in a row, you will reach the legendary Lighthouse and collect the special flawless loot.

We want to help you and have prepared some tactics and tips.

Trails duel PvP Destiny 2
Will you be on the winning side in the Trials?

How to succeed in the Trials of Osiris

We present to you “Mindsets” that will help you keep a cool head in the Trials and be prepared for any situation. The great thing about our tips: You can start working on all these things right now and have full control over them.

The Trials will not be friendly to you – The first lesson for the Trials

Everyone plays to win: Be prepared for the worst and hope for the best. This credo should always be present in your mind during the Trials. Be ready to face the meanest weapons and the trickiest tactics from the entire Crucible.

The Trials of Osiris are about victory. To achieve this, you have to “sweat” hard. Do not curse your opponents for exploiting all legitimate options. If you develop a thick skin and realize that you cannot rely on any code of honor, you have already won a lot.

More on the topic
Destiny 2: How Season 10 Revises the Most Powerful Abilities for the Trials
von Philipp Hansen

Communication is key – The second lesson for the Trials

Use callouts correctly: One of the most important elements for victory is communication within your team. Make sure to work on your coordination. Through callouts, which are short but precise shouts, you will provide your allies with important information.

Ideally, you have internalized this so much that you announce every seen enemy with position and inform your fireteam of what you plan to do.

Average teams with good communication can beat good teams with poor communication

CoolGuy via YouTube

Listen carefully: Even if you do not want to speak in a party, at least be open to the information from your teammates. Alternatively, you can use emotes to communicate your plans. What else you can do with gestures is considered unsportsmanlike by some.

Even in solo play, you can practice reporting your actions to a hypothetical partner. This way, important callouts become second nature.

Know your enemy – The third lesson for the Trials

What is your opponent playing? If your opponent uses a sniper, remember that the red-blue hunter is dangerous at range. If you see the Warlock with their distinctive helmet using their Rift, then their team will have no healing available for a while.

Connect the details with quickly recognizable features like color or distinctive armor. Always using all this information is a tremendous advantage. Over time and with practice, you will be able to process more and more information.

If you hear the reloading of a weapon or the enemy gasping from a hard hit, it’s time to push and let your team know!

Trials of Osiris Season 10 Destiny
The golden armor and distinctive helmet look good, but can also be deceptive

Guardians are creatures of habit: We all develop certain patterns and behaviors while gaming. After countless hours in Destiny 2, we may not even notice them ourselves. But it is possible to memorize opponents’ behaviors and gain an advantage from them.

Does your opponent start every duel with a jump? Then you know you’ll have to aim high. Are your opponents splitting up and the red-blue hunter keeps falling behind you in every round? Be prepared to counter and punish their habits.

Map knowledge – The fourth lesson for the Trials

Know the map well: An important step towards victory is knowing the map like the back of your hand. Many veterans explore the weekly map in private matches. This is also a great way to practice callouts.

This also includes an essential but very important tip: Do not stand out in the open on the battlefield. Always know where the nearest “emergency exit” or safe cover is. This leads us to the next point.

More on the topic
4 Tips to Always Keep Control in Destiny 2 PvP
von Philipp Hansen

Play for your life: Try everything to stay alive. What sniper angles can become dangerous for you? The most experienced players often use what are called “head glitches.” This means they shoot from advantageous positions that are nearly unseen, so avoid these traps.

It’s no shame to retreat when hurt and regenerate. Move a few steps further into cover than necessary. Because a stray bullet or grenade can quickly finish you off.

Position yourselves correctly: Don’t just keep an eye on your own position. If you want to win, you must always know where your teammates and enemies are.

In many cases, staying close to your allies is the safest choice. However, do not huddle so close that a well-placed grenade can take you all down at once.

With good positioning, it’s also possible to take turns peeking from cover. This way, you can act as a shield for injured teammates while they heal. But do not block an exit so your colleagues can’t retreat.

Anomaly Map PvP Destiny
The map “The Anomaly” is one of three additional PvP maps from Season 10

Personal tips for the Trials of Osiris

I have gained my experiences in PvP royalty in both Destiny 1 and the Trials of the Nine in the past. Therefore, I want to take this opportunity to share two important tips with you.

Revive your teammates: Sounds simple, right? But I have experienced often enough (including myself) that we Guardians get tunnel vision and go all out. As the last living player, we want to be a hero and take out all three opponents. In nearly all cases, this is a huge mistake.

The Trials often play out more slowly than other PvP modes. Many rounds are decided by the “First Pick.” Do everything in your power to keep all Guardians on the battlefield. But of course, do not revive blindly; often, a sniper will aim at an orb, that is, a dead Guardian.

More on the topic
The 5 best snipers for the Crucible of Destiny 2: Shadowkeep
von Philipp Hansen

Learn to use the sniper: A good sniper is the strongest weapon in the Trials. From a relatively safe distance, you can secure your team the “First Pick” and a significant advantage.

Even most supers can be wiped out with a precise shot. Although there are some changes in Season 10 to the sandbox, snipers remain the deadliest weapon – in skilled hands, of course.

I myself am more of a fanatic close-combat fighter, but I will definitely work on my sniper skills. Until Saint-14 starts the new Trials on March 13, you and I still have time to practice.

destiny-2-leuchtturm
I wonder how the new Lighthouse will look?

Share your experiences and help other Guardians

Do you have your own tips? We have given you an overview of important lessons for the Trials. Is there something missing in the list, or do you have your own experiences with the Trials?

Help other Guardians reach the Lighthouse and write your best tips in the comments. We will create an article from it so the community can benefit from your suggestions.

More on the topic
Destiny 2 presents the roadmap and content for Season 10 – Here’s what else is coming besides Trials
von Philipp Hansen
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Cerridius auf YouTube
  2. CoolGuy auf YouTube
  3. Bungie