FIFA 20 TOTW 24: The Predictions for the New Team of the Week

In FIFA 20 there are now predictions for the TOTW 24 (Team of the Week). You can find out what the next Team of the Week might look like here. Good chances for a spot include Messi, Aubameyang, and Gnabry.

Update: The TOTW 24 is now known:

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What are TOTW Predictions actually? The predictions for the Team of the Week are assessments from the community. The aim is to predict which players could be included in the next TOTW.

This is closely based on the performances of players from the last weekend.

Prediction for the Team of the Week 24 in Ultimate Team

These predictions come from Austor – FIFA Prediction and More:

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Goalkeepers:

  • GK: Oliver Baumann (TSG 1899 Hoffenheim)
  • GK: Aitor Fernández (Levante UD)

Defenders:

  • LB: Patrick van Aanholt (Crystal Palace)
  • LB: Nacho Monreal (Real Sociedad)
  • CB: Guillermo Maripán (AS Monaco)
  • CB: Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain)

Midfielders:

  • CM: Iñigo Eguaras (Real Zaragoza)
  • CM: Koke (Atlético Madrid)
  • CM: Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig)
  • CM: Sergio Peña (FC Emmen)
  • CM: Exequiel Palacios (Bayer 04 Leverkusen)
  • CAM: Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
  • CAM: Serge Gnabry (Bayern München)
  • LW: Francis Amuzu (Anderlecht)
  • LW: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (FC Arsenal)
  • RW: Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)
  • RM: Renato Steffen (VfL Wolfsburg)

Forwards:

  • ST: Dominik Stroh-Engel (SpVgg Unterhaching)
  • ST: Alexander Sørloth (Trabzonspor)
  • ST: Loïc Rémy (LOSC Lille)
  • ST: Jhon Córdoba (1. FC Köln)
  • ST: Jonathan David (AA Gent)
  • ST: Edin Džeko (AS Rom)
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Possible Bundesliga Players in TOTW 24

These players from the Bundesliga could be included:

  • Serge Gnabry was involved in all 3 goals of Bayern in the narrow 3:2 victory against SC Paderborn. He provided 2 assists and scored 1 goal himself. A second Inform card would be quite conceivable for this performance.
This could be how Gnabry's 2nd Inform card looks
This could be how Gnabry’s 2nd Inform card looks
  • Oliver Baumann, the goalkeeper of Hoffenheim, had a really strong game and secured a point for his team with his 9 saves against Borussia Mönchengladbach. He definitely deserved his second Inform card in FUT 20 for this strong performance.
  • Christopher Nkunku was the best player on the pitch in the 5:0 victory of RB Leipzig against Schalke 04. He directed the game and was involved in almost all goals with 4 assists. A TOTW card should be within reach for him.
  • Exequiel Palacios played noticeably and stood out mainly with his many accurate passes. However, will that be enough for a spot in TOTW 24? We will see on Wednesday.
  • Renato Steffen scored 2 goals in the 4:0 win of Wolfsburg against Mainz and also had a very strong pass completion rate. Whether that is enough for a spot in TOTW 24 can only be answered by EA.
  • Jhon Córdoba was the “Man of the Match” in the sensational 5:0 success of 1. FC Köln against Hertha BSC Berlin. He scored 2 goals and prepared another. He definitely deserves an Inform card for that.

Then the TOTW 24 will be released: You can find the new Inform cards of TOTW 24 starting Wednesday, February 26 at 7:00 PM in FUT 20.

This is how you can use the predictions now: To quickly earn some coins in Ultimate Team, you can also make use of the TOTW predictions. We will show you what you need to do for that:

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Because addons in WoW became too strong, Blizzard had to ban many of them

Addons and World of Warcraft are an everlasting story. As the bosses grow stronger, the interface addons also gain power.

World of Warcraft is one of the MMORPGs where players can make many choices about the interface. Almost every element of the user interface can be customized through addons, giving the game a completely different look. Addons are particularly relevant for players in PvE, as they provide a variety of assistance.

PCGamer conducted an interview with Morgan Day, the lead game designer of WoW. They talked extensively about addons and brought some interesting details to light.

Addons have been a problem since Classic: WoW has always been quite open to interface modifications, and the first truly “bad” extremes of this appeared already in WoW Classic. We still recommend some of these today.

Many players may still remember the golden days of the addon “Decursive.” There, you just had to press a button, and the addon automatically freed cursed (or poisoned) teammates from those debuffs. Independent thinking was no longer required. Blizzard blocked this function quite early.

Archimonde became significantly easier through an addon.

But even in recent years, such restrictions still existed, for example, during the times of Warlords of Draenor. In the final battle against Archimonde at the Hellfire Citadel, some addon authors developed programs that allowed players to “paint” and display arrows “in the game world.” This trivialized one of the core mechanics of the fight. Day commented:

I didn’t even know people could do that. That’s so clever. It’s something that is actually a core functionality of WoW, but they had learned how to apply it in a way that made the raid encounter easier.

The corresponding function was also removed by Blizzard shortly thereafter.

This functionality in a raid went too far for us, and we made changes to the rules of World of Warcraft so that such addons were no longer possible.

WoW Addons Twitch Client neu
With tools like the Twitch Client, you can quickly update a variety of addons – standard for many players.

Addons sometimes become WoW features: It is particularly interesting that some elements from addons have become a fixed part of World of Warcraft. A notable example would be the “bars” from addons like DBM, Bigwigs, or WeakAura. These are progress bars that display the elapsed time until a skill is used. Blizzard has adopted this in some cases and given bosses an energy display that fills up slowly. Whenever the energy is filled, the boss uses its most devastating ability.

Want to experience WoW “completely differently”? Then check out these 3 addons!

Also, one of the most important raid features back then was just an addon. If you wanted to see all 40 players in a raid group in your interface, you needed a corresponding addon for that. This was naturally a problem for healers and meant that raid leaders had to assign each healer individually. To bring an end to this problem, “Raid Frames” soon followed, allowing players to see all 40 players.

Despite everything: According to Day, Blizzard internally tests the boss fights always with the standard interface and tries not to consider addons. However, when it comes to the details later on, they closely examine which abilities or mechanics an addon can read and utilize.

WoW Bosses Ragnaros Lich King Archimonde title 1140x445
Bosses struggle with interface mods – but the developers keep an eye on it.

Cortyn says: Between addon developers and the developers of the boss fights in World of Warcraft, there seems to be a kind of “hidden war” going on – and has been for many years. After Classic, boss mechanics kept increasing. In the past, you only had to pay attention to one or two mechanics, if at all.

Today, boss opponents often have dozens of mechanics and abilities, and without addons, you can quickly lose track in some fights (especially at higher difficulties). By now, everything seems to have settled into an acceptable range – but in a world where almost every player uses Deadly Boss Mods or BigWigs, there is no need for even more effects that the addons then loudly warn about.


How many addons do you use in WoW? What kind of addons are they? Or do you avoid interface expansions?

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von Benedict Grothaus

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.
Source(s):
  1. pcgamer.com

New pirate game Blackwake launched on Steam – 85% reviews in EA

The new game “Blackwake” officially launched on Steam and has received strong reviews in Early Access: 85% liked the multiplayer naval FPS. For those who want to engage in a refined naval battle, Blackwake could be a good option.

This is Blackwake: In Blackwake, exciting naval battles are at the forefront. You can hire your own crew and choose from a large number of ships, from the junk to the bomb ship.

The maps are also versatile. There are:

  • Island landscapes
  • Volcano maps
  • Ice worlds
  • A gigantic storm

In addition, there are alternative modes. For example, teams can compete to raise a treasure chest – of course, preferably before the other team. There’s also a siege mode where you must attack a castle. 

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Long road to release: Originally, Blackwake was conceived as an idea in 2013, as the developers felt there was a lack of exciting games focused on naval battles. An initial Kickstarter campaign failed – prompting the developers to abandon the originally intended simulation character and move more towards casual gameplay.

This led to the final version of Blackwake, whose Kickstarter was successful in 2015. In 2017, it entered Early Access and became a success – according to the developers also because the PUBG beta servers were down at that time and streamers were looking for something else to play.

Thus, a lot of players landed in Blackwake, who supported it through Early Access. On February 20, it officially launched on Steam – and is receiving good reviews.

Blackwake
Challenge other ships

Positive reactions to Blackwake in Steam reviews

Here’s how the reviews look: So far, Blackwake has received 11,801 reviews, of which 85% are positive. A strong value for a game that has just come out of Early Access. In the last 30 days, Blackwake had 79% positive reviews on Steam.

This is what players praise:

  • The weapon mechanics work well
  • Playing with friends is especially enjoyable: “Very well-made team play. There is always something to do on a ship, and it requires a lot of personnel. When everyone works well together, one can be very successful,” says user “[OG2K]huegie“.
  • “The best naval game there is. The only thing I wish for is a better damage system. In the images on the store page, you could see how boards were blown out, but in the game, it’s just a small hole. Moreover, the hole caused by cannonballs is the same every time,” says user “MrDeeds“.
  • “This game perfectly represents what naval battles would have looked like in older times. I would recommend this game to everyone. The only downside is the bugs,” says user “Crazyninja77“.

It is precisely these bugs that take center stage in critical voices. Additionally, the servers may not always hold up, which can sometimes lead to long wait times for a match.

For everyone who wants to engage in exciting naval battles with a few friends, Blackwake is still worth a look. Currently, it costs €7.37 on Steam (including a 10% discount until February 26, regular price €8.19).

If you’re looking for more sailing games, you’ll find them here:

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

Pokémon GO: When will the weekly reward arrive? Time, content, eggs

Every Monday you receive the weekly reward from Adventure Sync in Pokémon GO. Here we provide an overview of the time, the eggs, and the rewards.

What is the weekly reward? Those who have been active all week with Adventure Sync will be rewarded every Monday. There are 3 different reward tiers based on the kilometers walked:

  • 5 km
  • 25 km
  • 50 km

You will receive important items and even special eggs that contain rare Pokémon.

Everything you need to know about the weekly reward

At what time is the weekly reward available? Every Monday at 9 AM local time, you can claim the weekly reward.

Adventure Sync Reward

What do the rewards look like? Depending on the kilometers walked, you can score different rewards. If you have walked 50 kilometers, you get the maximum rewards. Additional kilometers per week are not honored. So you get:

  • 5 Kilometer Rewards
    • 20x Pokéball
  • 25 Kilometer Rewards
    • 20x Pokéball
    • 10x Great Ball
    • 1,000 Stardust
    • as well as one of the following rewards:
      • 5 km Egg
      • 3 Rare Candies
      • 3 Silver Nanab Berries
  • 50 Kilometer Rewards
    • 20x Pokéball
    • 10x Great Ball
    • 5x Ultra Ball
    • 5,000 Stardust
    • as well as one of the following rewards:
      • 5 km Egg
      • 3 Rare Candies
      • 3 Silver Nanab Berries
    • and one of the following rewards:
      • 5 km Egg
      • 10 km Egg
      • 5 Rare Candies
      • 5 Silver Nanab Berries
Pokémon GO Silver Nanab Berry
The Silver Nanab Berry is one of the rewards

Weekly Reward for 100 km – What does Adventure Sync give?

Is there a reward for 100 km? Since the end of 2019, Pokémon GO also rewards the very dedicated runners. If you cover more than 100 kilometers per week, you receive an additional reward:

  • 10,000 Stardust

So you can expect at least 16,000 Stardust if you walk 100 kilometers.

100 km Reward

How to get more Stardust: If you claim your reward at 9 AM while activating a Star Piece, you will receive even 24,000 Stardust.

What’s inside the Adventure Sync Eggs?

What do the eggs contain? The 5- and 10-km eggs from Adventure Sync have a very special egg pool. They are not comparable to the eggs from PokéStops. The following Pokémon can be found in the eggs:

  • 5-km Eggs:
    • Glibunkel
    • Bamelin
    • Bronzel
    • Shnebedeck
    • Finneon
    • Wadribie
  • 10-km Eggs:
    • Tanhel
    • Larvitar
    • Sheinux
    • Dratini
    • Riolu
    • Kindwurm
Eggs

We have listed everything about the probabilities of the respective Pokémon in the eggs for you here:

These 12 Pokémon you currently can get from Adventure Sync Eggs

Adventure Sync isn’t working, what now? There are often complaints about mileage not registering correctly. You might have walked more but Adventure Sync isn’t counting properly or at all.

There can be several reasons for this. Generally, you should check that your Adventure Sync is turned on in the game settings. Also, there must be a connection to a fitness app.

You should also check that your phone has granted all permissions for Pokémon GO.

If there is still no solution, you should contact Pokémon GO support. They usually respond quickly and can resolve the issues.

Do you want to filter specific Pokémon in your Pokébox? Then use search terms:

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

FL4K build for Borderlands 3: How to kill enemies in Mayhem 4 with one shot

In Borderlands 3 you have four unique vault hunters to choose from. One of them is the Beastmaster FL4K. In this guide, we want to suggest a strong build for level 53 that can make all enemies melt away.

The Beastmaster FL4K is a very versatile class. YouTuber Joltzdude139 (via YouTube) has now presented a video on the so-called “Deputy FL4K”. A build for level 53. Some may find this familiar. There was already the “Deputy Sal” (Gunzerker) in Borderlands 2.

With this build, you can handle Mayhem 4 and Co. very well solo. You have high survival chances and a great damage output. In this guide, you will learn:

  • Your required skills
  • What equipment you need
  • What blessed items you should pay attention to

These talent trees you need

For this build, two talent trees are important. The Hunter tree and the Master tree.

These are your talents from the Master tree:

  • Wasteland and Wild
  • Persistent Hunter
  • Aim for the Eyes!
  • Who Rescued Who?
  • Careful, Bitey!
  • Frenzy
  • Barbaric Roar
  • Mutated Defense
  • Stack Tactics
Talents FL4K Borderlands 3

These are your talents from the Hunter tree:

  • Interplanetary Stalker
  • Leave No Trace
  • Hunter’s Eye
  • Heads or Tails
  • Big Game
  • Dangerous Game
  • Galactic Shadow
  • Grim Harvest
  • Megabeast

These skills you should equip:

  • Rakk Attack
  • Falconer’s Feast
  • The Whole Herd
  • Spiderant Scorcher

This is your required equipment

This build mainly relies on Jakobs weapons with high damage output. It also includes blessed equipment that provides you with additional procs.

For bosses, the “King’s Call” is a good choice here, for other monsters the “One Pump Chump”, or the “Maggie”. The “Wedding Invitation” is also a very good choice for this build. It was available during the Heartbreak Day event in Borderlands 3 and is currently not accessible anymore besides from other players.

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The choice of the right grenade: The Hunter-Seeker grenade fires additional projectiles upon throwing. These extra shots can trigger “Megabeast” or “Leave No Trace”. This grants you back ammunition.

This is the right class mod: The class mod “St4ckbot” gives you a bonus of 3 points to your “Stack Tactics” ability. Additionally, it adds 2 points to “Quick and Fluffy”. This provides you with more damage, greater mobility, and additional health. However, other class mods are also possible.

This artifact and shield you should use: As an artifact, you choose a “Last Stand” and “Stop Gap” as shield in this build. This is because FL4K does not have the best healing. The resulting invulnerability will help you survive the Maliwan Takedown alone.

Additional procs from blessed equipment

With the blessed equipment, you still get an extra portion of skills on top. For this build, the following are particularly interesting:

  • 100% more weapon damage when your action skill ends
  • 125% more weapon damage on badass and named enemies, as well as on bosses
  • 50% more elemental damage with weapons when your action skill ends. It is up to you which element you choose

Details about the build can be found here in the video by Joltzdude139:

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With the increased level cap to 53, there is of course also better equipment. Until you get that, you can certainly play this build with 50 gear.

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A build in Wolcen is so strong that it is almost ridiculous

The red node points in the passive skills then give warrior-typical bonuses: You need less rage, have higher crit chances, and more health points.

Kabbalist-Time-Weaver
Amazing amount of purple for a warrior build, but that’s where the ailments come from. Source: YouTube

The warrior skill Bleeding Edge can be modified in the midgame with a single click in the skill window “s” so that it deals bonus damage for every debuff on the opponent.

Therefore, current builds with Bleeding Edge revolve around getting as many ailments as possible on the opponents. Thus, the bonus damage keeps increasing.

Wolcen-Bleeding-Edge
This modifier for Bleeding Edge significantly increases damage.

Player shows how a click increases their damage by a factor of 40

This is the effect: Through the combination of debuffs on the opponents and the skill “Bleeding Edge,” which deals more damage the more debuffs are on the opponent, it is possible for warriors to relatively easily complete expeditions with level 105, as demonstrated by a player.

They say that by putting 3 points into the rune “Despotic Perseverance,” they can increase their damage by almost 40 times. This also makes the hardest expeditions a mere formality.

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This is how it is being discussed: Currently, several sayings are circulating on reddit about “Bleeding Edge.” The skill is considered incredibly strong.

Especially mages feel a little cheated because spell classes traditionally deal the most damage in action RPGs but can take the least damage.

A warrior build that combines decent defense with such a damage output is considered unfair. On reddit, it is said that Wolcen should hire a developer to analyze the balance.

Players share images like this, showing that “Bleeding Edge” is all the rage.

Bleeding-Edge-heiß

People are making jokes on reddit about Wolcen’s team having nerfed a strong skill with the hotfix while Bleeding Edge is still worse.

On MeinMMO, user Bodicore said after the nerf in the new hotfix: “It sounds like I might need to toss my heal/tank build in the bin and play Bleeding Edge/WW like all the other noobs.”

When he tried it out, Bodicore said: “I also play Bleeding Edge and hope it gets fixed soon. I really like the skill because I can stay mobile with it. But the damage is at least 60% too high.”

A detailed guide to a strong hybrid build with Bleeding Edge in Wolcen will be shown here.

Update 24.2. 6 PM: The Wolcen team has announced that the skill “Bleeding Edge” will be nerfed in the next update.

In the new Steam hit Wolcen the balancing is currently being discussed. Many who rely on spells feel cheated because a skill for melee fighters is so strong. What is “Bleeding Edge” about and what makes the builds with the melee skill so special?

What kind of skill is that? The skill Bloody Cut (Engl. Bleeding Edge) allows an axe to whirl around the player.

It is a warrior skill, you can only use Bleeding Edge if you are wielding a melee weapon. Most builds in Wolcen that focus on Bleeding Edge recommend wielding two-handed weapons.

However, it seems that the skill will soon be nerfed.

Ailments are the “key” to damage in Wolcen

What makes the skill so strong? In Wolcen, there is the mechanic “Ailments.” These are debuffs that stack on the opponent. Any type of damage can cause a corresponding type of debuff on the opponent.

The debuffs in Wolcen are largely logical:

Actually, the spell classes are the “Ailment” masters in Wolcen. Many of the purple nodes in the web of passive skills in Wolcen are linked to ailments. The purple nodes are at least somewhat geared towards spell classes, but ultimately everyone can use the skills for their builds, leading to a wild mix.

The key areas for builds with Bleeding Edge are:

  • Time Weaver
  • and Kabbalist

They focus on the “ailment” aspect.

The red node points in the passive skills then give warrior-typical bonuses: You need less rage, have higher crit chances, and more health points.

Kabbalist-Time-Weaver
Amazing amount of purple for a warrior build, but that’s where the ailments come from. Source: YouTube

The warrior skill Bleeding Edge can be modified in the midgame with a single click in the skill window “s” so that it deals bonus damage for every debuff on the opponent.

Therefore, current builds with Bleeding Edge revolve around getting as many ailments as possible on the opponents. Thus, the bonus damage keeps increasing.

Wolcen-Bleeding-Edge
This modifier for Bleeding Edge significantly increases damage.

Player shows how a click increases their damage by a factor of 40

This is the effect: Through the combination of debuffs on the opponents and the skill “Bleeding Edge,” which deals more damage the more debuffs are on the opponent, it is possible for warriors to relatively easily complete expeditions with level 105, as demonstrated by a player.

They say that by putting 3 points into the rune “Despotic Perseverance,” they can increase their damage by almost 40 times. This also makes the hardest expeditions a mere formality.

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.
Link to the Reddit content

This is how it is being discussed: Currently, several sayings are circulating on reddit about “Bleeding Edge.” The skill is considered incredibly strong.

Especially mages feel a little cheated because spell classes traditionally deal the most damage in action RPGs but can take the least damage.

A warrior build that combines decent defense with such a damage output is considered unfair. On reddit, it is said that Wolcen should hire a developer to analyze the balance.

Players share images like this, showing that “Bleeding Edge” is all the rage.

Bleeding-Edge-heiß

People are making jokes on reddit about Wolcen’s team having nerfed a strong skill with the hotfix while Bleeding Edge is still worse.

On MeinMMO, user Bodicore said after the nerf in the new hotfix: “It sounds like I might need to toss my heal/tank build in the bin and play Bleeding Edge/WW like all the other noobs.”

When he tried it out, Bodicore said: “I also play Bleeding Edge and hope it gets fixed soon. I really like the skill because I can stay mobile with it. But the damage is at least 60% too high.”

A detailed guide to a strong hybrid build with Bleeding Edge in Wolcen will be shown here.

Update 24.2. 6 PM: The Wolcen team has announced that the skill “Bleeding Edge” will be nerfed in the next update.

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

Fortnite: 5 Reasons Why I’m Already Excited About Season 2

Season 2 has finally started in Fortnite and brought several changes. Our author Eilyn Rapp had a few expectations for the new season. She is already excited and here are her reasons for that.

Season 2 started on Thursday, February 20. Although the season just launched a few days ago, I am thrilled with the changes it has brought.

Reasons why I am excited about Season 2

For a season to be good in Fortnite, various aspects are needed. I compiled a wish list outlining my expectations for the new season.

Here were my 5 things that need to change in Season 2 of Fortnite. Unfortunately, not all wishes were fulfilled, but Epic introduced changes that I didn’t even know I needed.

1. Reason: Some map changes

One thing I wished for were map changes. With the launch of Season 2, this was fulfilled, as we received several new locations.

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New locations are always exciting, as you can explore them thoroughly. These places are particularly suited for action lovers, as many opponents land there at the start.

Especially the new agency located in the middle of the map seems to have become the new Tilted Towers. Anyone who lands there will encounter a lot of action.

Fortnite-agentur-map
“The Agency” seems to be the new Tilted Towers

2. Reason: New agent features are really cool

In Season 2, new “agent features” were also introduced. The new eavesdropping system, where you can eavesdrop on opponents and learn the location of your teammates, is quite helpful in combat.

The “side missions,” where you must fight mini-bosses, eavesdrop and scan henchmen, are very varied. The music gives it a special feeling and you feel like a real agent.

Once you have dealt with the mini-boss, you get a keycard that allows you to open a vault containing high-quality loot.

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If you want to confuse your opponents even more, you can use the new decoy grenades. The duplicates don’t deal any damage, but they can cause confusion.

Moreover, it looks pretty funny when suddenly 4 identical skins run in the same direction and just destroy things in confusion.

Fortnite-Klon-Köder

3. Reason: There is a story again

One reason why I love Fortnite are the stories told in the background with loading screens, map changes, and even events.

Last, we had this in Season X, when the story of the Visitor was continued. This story started at the end of Season 3 and “ended” with Season X.

In the new chapter, I have missed this so far. Season 1 Chapter 2 offered hardly any story, and you had to puzzle for a long time before you could come up with a theory of your own.

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With the start of Season 2, that seems to change. The trailer for Season 2 is about agents and villains.

Players even have to choose a side: Ghost or Shadow? Could there perhaps be a battle between the alliances?

4. Reason: Gameplay is getting exciting again

With the start of the new chapter in Fortnite, 28 items and weapons were removed. This threw Fortnite back to its roots and left players with basic Fortnite.

At first, this was perfectly fine and one could indulge in nostalgia. But over time, it became boring because:

  • You always had the same weapons and items
  • You were always killed in the same way
  • The game had the same process in every match

With Season 2, some items and weapons returned. Although the game becomes more chaotic, it is such a nice change to face different fights.

Developing new tactics, trying out different weapons and items, and planning counter-attacks. These things make the game so much more interesting for me.

Fortnite-Kampflabor

5. Reason: The Battle Pass is great

One of the biggest motivations in a new season for me is the Battle Pass. If I like the pass, I am immediately motivated to complete challenges and play a lot.

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All new skins from Season 2 of Fortnite – Plus leaks
von Eilyn Rapp

I want to unlock my favorite skins from the Battle Pass. I particularly like the skins in this season. Especially, 2 skins have caught my attention.

Unfortunately, I will only unlock my favorite at level 80, but that’s fine as it will keep me motivated to level up for a long time.

How do you like Season 2 in Fortnite so far? Let us know in the comments!

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

The LoL professional that no one wanted is supposed to save the weakest team in the LCS now

The story of the “League of Legends” pro Eugene “Pobelter” Park (23) continues. After not being hired for the 2020 season in LoL, he is now expected to help the weakest team in the LCS to victory: Counter Logic Gaming has signed him in dire straits.

Who is involved? Pobelter is one of the most successful players in the LCS, the US league of League of Legends. He is one of the few pros who have achieved over 1000 kills.

However, many teams apparently considered Pobelter too old before the season, as he is already 23. The American pro has already been a champion three times, but has not been able to find a team for the current season.

This has annoyed the mid-laner considerably, and he complained that teams place too much value on young talent and neglect experienced veterans.

Nevertheless, he has not given up. At the beginning of 2020, Team Liquid hired Pobelter as a coach. He was supposed to help the team regain its stature. For a short time, it was even speculated whether he might step in as a jungle substitute for Broxah.

However, it is now clear that neither is the case. Pobelter now plays firmly on the mid-lane for Counter Logic Gaming (CLG). The team announced this in a tweet:

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Pobelter is to help CLG out of trouble

What is the status of CLG? In the current standings of the LCS North America, Counter Logic Gaming is in tenth place and thus in last place (via LoLEsports). The team has only achieved one victory against eight losses.

LoL LC Standing February 2020

This places the team far behind its usual performance. In the LCS Summer 2019, CLG still secured third place and took home $25,000 (via liquipedia).

At the moment, it doesn’t look like the team will catch up to third place or even reach first place. That is currently held by Cloud9 with 9 to 0,after it parted ways with its bot laner Sneaky.

How can Pobelter help? Pobelter has been a champion in the LCS three times since 2015 and has also consistently secured second and third places. He even won his first championship in 2015 together with CLG. Subsequently, he played for Immortals, Team Liquid, and most recently for FlyQuest.

LoL-Pobelter
Pobelter.

His strength lies in the mid-lane, where he now plays as a substitute for Lee “Crown” Min-ho at CLG, who has performed quite poorly lately (KDA of 1.7 with 21/26/23 and a consistent deficit in gold and XP according to oracleselixir.com)

Pobelter himself sees great potential in himself:

I still think I’m one of the best players. […] I don’t think I have reached my limit yet. I think you only gradually get worse when motivation and drive fall off, and I am still as motivated as on the first day of the LCS.

Pobelter via TwitLonger (translated)

Whether Pobelter’s deployment on the mid-lane pays off remains to be seen. In any case, LoL fans will be able to see him more often now.

More on the topic
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von Schuhmann
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Survey shows: The plan of the MMORPG ESO with Skyrim Online worked out

The MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) takes place in the universe of the eponymous video game series. The Elder Scrolls already achieved great success before ESO. A survey now shows that the developers’ plan has succeeded.

After a very rocky start in 2014, the MMORPG ESO has definitely improved. At first, players complained about many bugs and balance issues. Especially the time shortly after the release left many fans of The Elder Scrolls (TES) disillusioned.

At the beginning, the game did not quite know which direction to take. It wasn’t until 2015 that they found their focus.

The Big Plan to Attract Skyrim Players

Especially with the console release in 2015, Zenimax wanted to excite TES players for ESO. Most titles related to Skyrim and Oblivion sold well for Xbox and Playstation.

This is what a developer says about ESO: Lead developer Matt Firor distanced himself from the MMORPG term in an interview back then. He has not changed this opinion over the years. ESO is just as playable solo as all other TES titles. No one has to do anything here, players have the freedom of choice. They can play it as an MMORPG with raids and plenty of dungeons, but they don’t have to.

Many come together in groups for world bosses like dragons

He therefore prefers to call ESO an online RPG or console RPG, emphasizing that the game is not a classic MMORPG. It is an expansive Elder Scrolls role-playing game. An adventure with friends that players can also undertake alone. Simply just an Elder Scrolls.

Of course, a connection to MMORPGs cannot be denied. Even elements from classics like World of Warcraft can be found in ESO. The rejection of the term likely stems from the fact that the target audience remains the TES fans.

The content for TES fans continues: This trend was confirmed in 2017. With the add-on Morrowind, the volcanic island Vvardenfell from The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind came to ESO. Along with it came the Guardian and structured arena PvP.

Morrowind-Screen
The island of Vvardenfell

With the latest add-on Graymoor, ESO hits the mark. It finally leads players to Skyrim. From then on, you can explore a new part of Tamriel. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is arguably the most popular game in the TES series. Whether this attracts even more players to the already successful MMORPG remains to be seen.

The Community Speaks Up via Survey

A tendency towards TES fans in ESO is now also shown by a survey on Reddit. The user Im_Sheogorath (via Reddit) asked there whether players found ESO through TES or through MMORPGs.

This is the result of the survey: The majority of users had only played TES series games before. Here, Skyrim is especially mentioned. Most have hardly any MMORPG experience. Many even said they did not like MMORPGs or MMOs at all:

I actually hate playing MMOs.

Daedric Windrammer via Reddit

Almost as many players state that they had played both before ESO. They had played some parts of the TES series, but also MMORPGs:

Both here! I started my TES adventure with Skyrim but simultaneously fell in love with WoW.

nitasu987 via Reddit

In contrast, far fewer players stated that they had not played any TES before. Only a few said they came from MMORPGs. Therefore, the plan of ESO to attract TES and especially Skyrim players to the MMORPG has worked. At least with the new add-on, it seems to have reached the status of Skyrim Online.

But how is it with you? Have you always been hardcore MMORPG fans or did you come to ESO through the TES series? Let us know in our survey!

You can still convince yourself that ESO players are a “small” family here:

More on the topic
In the MMORPG ESO, hundreds mourn a popular player – Zenimax honors him
von Schuhmann
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Reddit
  2. Metro

CoD MW: Strange booking at the fair leaves fan hopeful, Battle Royale starts soon

Everything suggests that the game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare will receive a new companion game as a free-to-play game. It will likely be Call of Duty: Warzone. At the moment, the battle royale mode does not have a release date yet, but fans are hopeful that it will start soon.

This is why the situation is so strange: Officially, Activision Blizzard has not yet introduced the new battle royale mode, Warzone. Activision Blizzard has never officially said, “By the way, we are releasing a ‘Battle Royale’ mode, get excited about it.”

However, there are leaks about the mode circulating. Dataminers have already found the map and exact details on how the 200-player mode will operate. There’s a feeling in the air that it should come out every week now, as everything is already ready.

cod-mw-warzone-lobby
Here is an image from the Warzone lobby, which actually doesn’t exist yet.

It is almost certain that there is some truth to the rumors. Recently, Activision Blizzard filed a court application to identify a leaker so they can take legal action against them.

Almost everything about Warzone is known, except for the start date

What is still unknown: Two core pieces of information are currently missing:

  • Will Activision Blizzard introduce the mode at all, or do they want to simply launch it live, as EA did with Apex Legends a year ago?
  • When will they release the mode, when will it start?
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These are new pieces of information: Next week, the first major gaming fair of 2020, PAX East in Boston, will start. This is the first opportunity for western publishers to present something bigger since the Video Game Awards on December 12.

Traditionally, announcements about games come at the PAX fairs, but often these are from the second tier.

The fair starts on Thursday, February 27, and ends on March 1, which is a Sunday.

The strange thing is that Activision Blizzard has 3 stands for Call of Duty:

  • 2 are clearly marked as “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare”
  • One is just called “Call of Duty”
CoD-Pax-East-Buchung
What are they doing at the 3rd stand? Source: Pax East.

This is now the theory: A fan who also runs the reddit for Warzone has put forward a hot theory. He believes: Activision Blizzard will show a playable version of Warzone at this smaller third stand of PAX East.

However, since the stand is too small to cram 200 players for a LAN party, the fan concludes that the mode will officially start on Tuesday, February 25.

According to the theory, there would be a “soft launch” on Tuesday. Then the mode would simply be there, and Activision Blizzard would already have the opportunity to promote and introduce it at PAX East.

Uncertainty about release fuels hype but also annoys

What other theories are there? According to the last leak, CoD: Warzone is set to launch on March 3 or 10. That would be after PAX East, which would then happen without a major announcement.

The speculation surrounding the launch of Call of Duty: Warzone seems to have drawn the attention Activision Blizzard was hoping for. However, some people are now also annoyed because this topic has been circulating for so long without a clear statement from Activision Blizzard.

More on the topic
CoD MW is reportedly planning an attack on Fortnite – Using the strategy from Apex Legends
von Schuhmann
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. gamerant

Destiny 2: Where is the Iron Banner that I fell in love with 5 years ago?

Lord Saladin, a word – In its current form, the Iron Banner does not excite me in Destiny 2. Read how love came about and what has happened since.

This week, there will be another Iron Banner in Destiny 2. However, the arrival of Lord Saladin has not made my Guardian leap for joy in quite some time.

In the past, the PvP event was one of my absolute highlights in the Destiny universe. I want to indulge in nostalgic memories and share my problems with the current Iron Banner.

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With the Iron Banner armor in Season 9, Destiny 2 trolls its most loyal players
von Sven Galitzki

This is why the Iron Banner was special for me: I first encountered the Iron Banner in 2015. That’s right, I only played PvP during the Taken King era. That’s when the topic hit me full force.

The entire theme fascinated me. While we are in a far-off future in Destiny, a so-called Iron Lord in knight armor comes along and tells me stories like from an Arthurian tale. I wanted to be, no, I had to be one of those knights of the (Space) Round Table.

Lord Saladin in battle with the pack

A strong reward awaited: There was a compelling reason to love the Iron Banner: the loot. Because the equipment of the Iron Lords was something special.

The weapons and armor pieces dropped at a very high power level. In my early days, I was neither a raider nor an endgame player. Therefore, I always carried the powerful Iron Banner gear in my inventory. With the proper power boost, my knight’s armor felt twice as strong.

Especially the weapons from the Iron Banner pool could be extremely powerful:

The armors were not to be underestimated either. They came with unusually high stat values. The hunt for the mythical Tier 12 was possible in the Iron Banner. This is how PvP should be: rewarding and cool to package.

I got to become an Iron Lord: My Iron Banner hype peaked in the third year of Destiny 1. The focus of the Rise of Iron expansion was precisely on the Iron Lords.

Finally, I didn’t have to wait a month for the next Iron Banner and the arrival of the Lords. Now, my Guardian finally marched to the Iron Lords at Felwinter Peak.

destiny-felwinter-peak
The wolves guard the entrance to the temple on Felwinter Peak

In the story of the DLC, I finally got to be part of the sworn round table that so many legends surround. In the end, I was even elevated to knighthood myself.

While the battles were not as epic as I imagined them in my mind or how my nostalgia now colors them, it was still something truly special for me.

The Iron Banner of today is a shadow of its former self

What is the current state of the Iron Banner? Lord Saladin still appears monthly in the Tower, inviting Guardians to the rustic brawling in the Crucible. Unfortunately, I am no longer the torchbearer of the Wolf Pack.

The equipment I can currently earn no longer has the wow factor. Only the high level of the equipment remains. But in Destiny 2, thankfully, there are many ways to earn high-level items.

The variety is lacking: A major problem with the Iron Banner is stagnation, at least for me. For over a year, there seems to be nothing new.

Control is always being played. I have already received the rewards all too many times. The armors look nice, but they have been repeating for 2 years. I find myself perceiving the Iron Banner no longer as fun but as a routine to be completed.

I already know you all by heart

The current event frustrates me: For the sake of nostalgia and to raise my gear to 970, I have ventured into the Iron Banner again. I encountered problems that are symptomatic of the entire PvP:

  • The matchmaking lets me down – In six consecutive games, I faced a full squad of coordinated Guardians.
  • My own team was almost never full. With such a disadvantage, games ended quickly, and the same went for my good mood.
  • For too long, there has been nothing changing in the meta – I can count on one hand how many different weapons have taken me down. 80% of the time, the culprits were shotguns and fusion rifles. Occasionally, a bullet from a hand cannon would stray in my direction.
  • There were no duels. Players mostly avoid direct combat. If you don’t get a quick kill with a one-shot weapon, a tactical retreat follows.

The artifact does not belong in PvP: Level differences have significant impacts in the Iron Banner. The artifact allows for absurdly high disparities in Guardian levels.

In Destiny 1, it was an incentive to equip your best gear and possibly enjoy minimal advantages. But with some Guardians, I feel like I’m shooting with cotton balls instead of bullets.

I do not want to undermine the hard-earned level advantage of players. But the system originates from a time when Guardians could not be over-leveled by the artifact.

I didn’t know that a level above 999 was even possible

Is the Iron Banner salvageable?

This is why I have hope: The current season of Dawn is slowly coming to an end, but Season 10 is already on the horizon. A new season hopefully means change and reform.

A glimmer of hope lies in the persistent rumor that the Trials will return. Since Forsaken, PvP in Destiny has largely stagnated. If anyone can bring new momentum, it would be the once-legendary class.

Currently, Bungie is announcing many changes for the coming months. A new Iron Banner weapon has already been revealed. However, that’s not enough. For me, it requires:

  • New armors and no reskins
  • Unique perks and rolls on weapons
  • More than just one mode
  • Finally, improved matchmaking

Whether the announced focus on the Crucible will address and solve all problems remains to be seen. I at least hope that my beloved Iron Banner can return to its former glory. A little dreaming is surely still allowed. After all, we all want our favorite loot shooter to succeed.

What do you think about the situation regarding the Iron Banner and the Crucible? Do I see the past through rose-colored glasses and am simply fatigued, or do you feel similarly?

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

Red Dead Redemption 2: NPC kills colleague, saves player – They wonder why

In Red Dead Redemption 2, players are currently puzzling over an unusual NPC rescue act. A cowboy suddenly became a vigilante – but why?

This is what happened: On reddit, user DMarlow310 reported his experience. After being rudely approached by an NPC, Arthur made a fitting response. The NPC certainly didn’t want to accept that and immediately started a fight – with fists. 

The player initially just focused on blocking, as witnesses in RDR2 usually only start to snitch when you become aggressive. Just as he was about to attack, the player said on YouTube, suddenly another NPC intervened.

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As seen in the video, the NPC did not intervene in favor of the other NPC, as the player expected. On the contrary: He pulled out his knife and ended the fight with a sneaky attack – on the other NPC.

“I’ve never seen an NPC do something like that,” the player finally wrote on Reddit. The post received over 3000 upvotes – and other players also started pondering what was going on.

This is how the community reacts: Overall, the comments are quite surprised. Normally, in fights, you can expect NPCs to rush to each other’s aid. However, it’s new for an NPC to take advantage of the situation to eliminate one of his colleagues. 

  • “He saw his chance and took it,” comments user xi-GoinHam. Could the NPC have been planning this act for a long time?
  • “Now I want to see if I can do that too! Maybe it has to do with the fact that you only blocked and didn’t hit, so the AI perceived the other as a troublemaker?” user Bladehelm suggests.
  • “I guess the NPC agreed with you!” user Raynachu speculates.
  • And user Bloodaxe47 expresses his profound impression: “This is new. Even now, you still discover new things in this amazing game.”

Unusual events occur repeatedly in Red Dead Redemption 2 frequently. Why exactly the NPC struck remains a mystery. Did the NPC simply have enough of always being in the background? That would be a story quite similar to one that will take place in an upcoming movie:

EVE Online is planning a “Revenge” feature, reactions range from “cool” to “stupid”

CCP Games, the developers of EVE Online, have announced a new feature for their famous sci-fi game. It will soon be available for testing, but for now, the entire community is not convinced of its effectiveness.

What is this feature? The feature is called “Frigate Escape Bay” and allows players to store a frigate in their battleship. This is extremely useful for space battles and skirmishes.

If a battleship is destroyed, the pilot escapes in an unarmed escape pod, which is easy prey. With the new feature, you will directly board the frigate instead of the escape pod.

Eve Online Executioner Frigate
With a fast Executioner frigate, it’s easier to escape.

You can fully equip and store the frigate ready for combat beforehand. However, it cannot have special abilities such as cloaking or faster means of movement. The feature will be implemented on the test servers on Monday, February 24.

Feature sounds good, but receives criticism

What is it good for? You will have the chance to take revenge for your lost battleship with the Frigate Escape Bay – or to escape a bit more safely.

With the lighter, more agile frigate, you can either try to take the opponent’s battleship as well, or you use your maneuverability to escape. This probably provides little comfort for the loss of especially expensive ships, but could lead to satisfaction.

Eve Online Megathron Battleship
The Megathron battleships are known for their strength at short ranges.

The developers state that the idea is to “shake up the battleship meta a bit.” Some players already see the benefits:

  • Nathan Galbadia writes: “I think this makes fleet battles much more interesting. ‘I destroyed his battleship, but now he’s repairing his mates.'”
  • Nana Skalski shares a similar view: “As far as balance in PvP is concerned: If people use fleets of battleships, they are immediately in the fight after their main ship is destroyed. They could then fill the support role, dampening the opponents’ sensors or providing logistical support for friends.”
  • Sen Isu simply finds: “I don’t know how this will work, but holy shit, I think it’s a really cool idea.”
Eve Online Navitas Frigate
With a Navitas frigate, you could support friends.

This is being criticized: However, the feature is not only perceived positively. Some players see disadvantages and even express their opinions in very direct terms:

  • QuakeGod believes: “This is… stupid […] All that will happen is that you will not only lose your battleship but also the frigate. I mean, if you are already so outnumbered that your battleship is destroyed, the little frigate won’t save you anymore.”
  • Ugren Okaski doubts: “What’s next, battleship escape bay for supers?”

The corresponding thread in the forum has now over 300 replies. It has recently become common for the EVE community to quarrel over features. There have also been many differing opinions on the Drifter event that kept EVE busy for two months, which angered some players.

However, the new feature for EVE is not the only thing the developers are working on. A new shooter is also in sight after Project Nova was shelved:

More on the topic
EVE Online cancels MMO shooter, announces a new one
von Alexander Leitsch
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Kotaku
  2. EVE Foren

Germany has a high-profile MMO studio – We spoke with the boss

The German MMO studio YAGER in Berlin is 20 years old and has 110 employees. They have now entered into a strategic partnership with gaming giant Tencent. We interviewed YAGER’s CEO, Timo Ullmann, and asked him how it feels to be alongside the big players.

On February 10, it was made public that Tencent has made a strategic investment in the Berlin studio YAGER. Tencent is huge: In 2018, they generated 7 times more revenue than Activision Blizzard in one quarter.

Tencent is known for investing in high-profile gaming studios that are then largely left to operate unhindered. Tencent is involved in:

  • Riot Games (League of Legends)
  • Epic Games (Fortnite)
  • Bluehole (PUBG)
  • Grinding Gear Games (Path of Exile)
  • Supercell (Clash of Clans)
  • Funcom (Conan Exiles)

And now also in the German studio YAGER. They have already developed an MMO with Dreadnought, currently have a Free2Play action game called The Cycle in live operation, and are already working on an unannounced title.

We interviewed YAGER’s CEO, Timo Ullmann.

At YAGER, they speak English and Berlin dialect

MeinMMO: Hello Mr. Ullmann, you lead a studio with 110 employees in Berlin. What percentage of your workday do you speak German and how much English?

Timo Ullmann: We predominantly speak in English with each other, and the small remainder is conducted in pure Berlin-accented German.

Dreadnought was released for PC and PS4.

MeinMMO: In international press, YAGER is referred to as “the studio that made Spec Ops: The Line.” That is a game from an established franchise. Is that acceptable to you, or would you rather be known as the studio that made “Dreadnought” or “The Cycle“, something completely original?

Timo Ullmann: I have no problem with that at all. We love all our games, and while Spec Ops: The Line is based on a franchise, it is not widely discussed nowadays.

Our game, on the other hand, has developed into a cult hit, especially due to the way we approached the subject. Thus, it is also a YAGER game, even if we do not own the brand.

Establishing a new IP is not easy, so we are very pleased to be working on The Cycle, a game that we are developing and marketing ourselves. And we already have a large player base that associates YAGER with The Cycle.

Spec Ops: The Line was released in 2012. YAGER achieved international success with this third-person shooter.

MeinMMO: Could YAGER be considered an MMO studio today?

Timo Ullmann: I definitely think so. Dreadnought and especially today The Cycle are both games that have a large player base, around the world, and online as well. Especially with The Cycle, we are exploring a new type of multiplayer, whether PvP or cooperative.

MeinMMO: YAGER received the German Developer Award for Best Studio in 2019. Has that increased your visibility? Do you feel that gamers in Germany know your studio, or is YAGER still somewhat under the radar for gamers here?

Timo Ullmann: We were thrilled with this recognition, which we have received for the second time since 2012. It is a great honor for us. I don’t actually know how well the German Developer Award is known among players. I think, as a studio, YAGER is not so known among players in Germany, unlike the games we make. However, we are well established in the German developer landscape, and have been for over 20 years.

Yager Developer Award
YAGER was named Best Studio in Germany in 2019. The jury praised their self-publishing of The Cycle. A significant step for the studio.

MeinMMO: Recently, a reader wrote to us saying he had played this great game “The Cycle,” but he hardly reads anything about it. I noticed that too: The Cycle is rarely discussed. On Twitch, the game is ranked around 350 in the last 180 days. Dreadnought seemed to have had the same fate, from my observation. How hard is it for a studio to appear in international gaming press or to get on the radar of influencers?

Timo Ullmann: The Cycle is still relatively new; currently, we are in early access on the Epic Games Store. We are continuously working on new features and are also actively communicating with our community to incorporate feedback into the game. We have a lot ahead of us, and things are going quite well.

At the beginning of February, season 2 started, and we can see from the growing participation of players and influencers that we are on the right track. It is indeed a challenge to launch a new game in the market and in the press, especially if it is a Free2Play game.

Our goal is to establish a new and innovative gaming experience with The Cycle and to compete alongside the biggest representatives of the genre. I believe that with our interesting approach to developing a quest shooter with a mix of PvEvP elements, we are on the right path. The response has been overwhelmingly positive.

The Cycle Artwork
The Cycle – currently the pride of the studio.

YAGER specializes in Action

MeinMMO: YAGER has been around for over 20 years in Berlin. Germans are known for their love of real-time strategy games. Other German companies have made a lot of money with mobile strategy games in recent years. Don’t you eventually feel tempted to say: Let’s go in that direction?

Timo Ullmann: YAGER’s strength as a studio lies in action games. With interesting characters/stories and fascinating worlds. We feel absolutely comfortable in this area. It is a broad spectrum when you look to align Dreadnought and The Cycle. Furthermore, we want to support all platforms where we can find an audience, from mobile to PC and consoles to streaming.

Tencent brings global market access for YAGER

MeinMMO: After so long, Tencent has now joined you. When looking at what Tencent has invested in before and what games they have attracted: Path of Exile, Conan Exiles, PUBG, Fortnite, LoL. Is this like a knightly accolade when they come calling?

Timo Ullmann: We do consider it an honor when you look at the portfolio of investments. It’s a “who’s who” of the industry. However, what was more important to us was gaining access to know-how and continuing to learn, in addition to financial resources. That’s why we consciously chose Tencent.

Tencent
Tencent is a huge global player in China. The company owns LoL, among other things.

MeinMMO: Is an offer from Tencent one that “can’t be refused,” or do you hesitate longer?

Timo Ullmann: As mentioned earlier, YAGER receives not only financial resources from Tencent’s minority investment but also know-how and access to a global market. Throughout our now 21-year history, we have periodically addressed how we can better position ourselves as an independent development studio. Management has faced the question of how to reconcile creative freedoms with strategic goals.

I think we wanted to be in a position to not only conceive and develop our games, but also to market and evaluate them. The value creation should benefit the studio and thus lay the foundation for further development of YAGER.

The-Cycle
We can expect to hear even more from The Cycle in the coming years.

YAGER has a lot in store – The Cycle is set to come to consoles and mobile

MeinMMO: Tencent reportedly invested $330 million in Epic Games in 2012. The head of Epic said the investment enabled a new strategy. They were able to readjust and reinvent the company. 5 years later, Epic released Fortnite and became a dominant force in gaming over the next few years. What are your plans for the next 5 or 10 years, Mr. Ullmann?

Timo Ullmann: YAGER has a lot planned. It is clear that we want to continue making games, preferably together with our players. The Cycle is currently available in Early Access on the Epic Games Store, and we want to release it on consoles as well as on mobile platforms. This is definitely not a sprint but a marathon.

In addition, we are already working on a second, yet to be announced project. We are expanding our team and working on new concepts. The gaming industry is constantly changing, so long-term forecasts are difficult. But as long as people enjoy our games, we will continue to develop ourselves and our projects.

MeinMMO: Mr. Ullmann, thank you very much for the conversation.

In addition to YAGER, there are other successful studios in Germany, such as Innogames, which fully embrace the Germans’ love for strategy:

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

25 Games You Should Definitely Keep an Eye on in 2020

The year 2020 is full of exciting new games. We take a look a bit beyond the MMO horizon: Which games could be particularly exciting this year?

In this list, you will find 25 games and expansions that are set to be released in 2020 and could be really exciting. We do not focus on individual genres or platforms, but rather gather an overview: What else is happening in the gaming world in 2020?

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX

Genre: RPG|Platform: Nintendo Switch|Release: 06.03.2020

This is Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX, you are not a trainer looking to catch monsters. No, in this remake, you actually take on the role of a Pokémon – just like in the original Mystery Dungeon games. 

Equipped with a cute comic style, the game tasks you with rescuing troubled monsters alongside your Pokémon friends. Meanwhile, you try to figure out why you have actually turned into a Pokémon yourself. 

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Animal Crossing: New Horizons 

Genre: Simulation|Platform: Nintendo Switch|Release: 20.03.2020

This is Animal Crossing: Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the latest installment in the nearly classic Nintendo building series. Surrounded by a colorful world full of talking animals, you’ll build your very own life. With a house, garden, and everything else.

The new installment sends you to an island, which you can actually customize. For all players who want to relax while building their own little world, Animal Crossing is a lovely option.

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Nioh 2 

Genre: Action RPG|Platform: PS4|Release: 13.03.2020

This is Nioh 2: Nioh 2 is a direct sequel to its predecessor from 2017. Accordingly, there is once again a dark atmosphere in Japan during the Sengoku era, where you must fight your way through as a powerful warrior in the truest sense of the word.

You are half human, half supernatural Yokai – so there are plenty of fantasy elements in Nioh 2. Your Yokai form gives you abilities that complement your samurai fighting style and make your way through Nioh 2 a bit easier. This is also urgently needed: Because like its predecessor, the game will offer a nicely challenging difficulty level.

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Doom Eternal 

Genre: Shooter|Platform: PS4, Xbox, PC|Release: 20.03.2020

This is Doom Eternal: Doom Eternal is probably going to be the first big shooter in 2020. As Doom Slayer, you are out to stop the demons from hell – if necessary, with the flamethrower. Or one of the many other weapons the game provides.

Doom is loud, Doom is explosive, and Doom has been an extremely popular shooter series for years. Doom Eternal is likely to cause quite a bit of explosions come March – the trailer promises to be a true firework event:

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Half-Life: Alyx (PC)

Genre: VR Shooter|Platform: PC|Release: 23.03.2020

This is Half-Life: Alyx: Players have been wishing for Half-Life 3 for so many years that the running gag has become old. Clearly, however, it was brought up again with the announcement of Half-Life: Alyx. Because once again, no Half-Life 3 was presented – but rather an exciting-looking VR offshoot.

Alyx is set between Half-Life 1 and 2 and tells the story of the well-known titular character. It will be playable exclusively via VR technology and will push the possibilities of the headset to the max. How that will look in the end is likely to be extremely exciting.

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On the next page, you will find a remake that has been awaited for many years, and a large expansion.

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

2 new modes, new map and more XP – This is how CoD MW will change next week

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare receives a new update next week. It includes some changes that the community has been requesting for a while, as well as a new promised map and a large XP bonus.

What’s in the update? In a blog post the developers revealed what will be changed next week. So far, there are only short descriptions of the new features:

  • A 3v3 variant of Gunfight only with snipers on Rust
  • Infantry Ground War, a ground war mode without tanks
  • New Gunfight map: Bazaar
  • Double XP starting Friday

When is the update coming? Updates usually come on Tuesdays. Therefore, we expect the new patch to go live on Tuesday, February 25th, around 7 PM.

New Update – All Changes

What are these new modes? The new sniper mode takes place on Rust, the new map introduced with Season 2. You play in teams of three players and apparently follow Gunfight rules, but you only get sniper rifles. Here you’ll find tips to become a better sniper.

Infantry Ground War removes heavy vehicles from the ground war mode. You will not find tanks or anti-personnel vehicles there. It is still unknown whether the mode applies to a specific or all ground war maps.

cod modern warfare infantry tank
Tanks are particularly annoying in Ground War. They are also available as killstreaks.

The infantry mode has been a player wish for some time. Several threads on reddit have emerged since December 2019, calling for a ground war variant without tanks, just with soldiers. Earlier, in November, there was already a suggestion to modify the map Aniyah Palace for such a mode as it is a bit smaller than the ground war maps.

What is this new map? Bazaar was originally scheduled to arrive at the start of Season 2, but it has been slightly delayed on the roadmap. The map is set in a bazaar in Urzikstan and offers many angles and cover.

The map will be for the Gunfight mode.

This is what the XP bonus offers: Starting Friday, February 28th, you will earn double experience points for all actions. This will allow you to level up faster in the Battle Pass and unlock its rewards, such as the new weapons Grau 5.56 and Striker 45.

Finally, we can only hope that the update does not introduce similar issues into the game as the previous update from February 18th:

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Overwatch: Incredible 2vs6 victory excites thousands

When 4 players leave the match in Overwatch , you might as well give up. Or not? This video shows how you can still win 2vs6.

Overwatch is a game where fairness and tactical skill are important elements. Both teams consist of 6 players, and if one player is missing from a side, a victory is hardly to be expected. All the more impressive is a clip by Zacarooney15 in the Overwatch subreddit. Here he shows how two players can still achieve victory against a superior force of 6 players.

Never surrender! from r/Overwatch

Here’s how the players did it: The match seemed hopeless. It was played on the map Hanamura and the team was already broken. Three players had already left the match and the fourth was just about to. To capture and win the control point, the last two players, CokedBread17 (Winston) and MaliciousBiscuit (Brigitte), would need to take the control point to over 60% – nearly impossible against a full group of 6 players.

But they coordinated through voice chat and strategized. Brigitte had her ultimate ready, and the opposing team became overconfident. Instead of protecting the control point, they attacked and wanted to eliminate the two remaining players right at their spawn point.

Brigitte activated her ultimate and distracted them while Winston sneaked around from the side and made his way to the control point. While Brigitte got 2 kills, the opposing team slowly realized what was happening – but it was too late. Just as the battle was won for the duo, the enemy Pharah reached the control point.

Overwatch Brigitte Highlight Shield Title
Brigitte distracts while Winston captures. Perfect strategy!

The chances of victory were extremely low: Of course, it is clear that such a victory will not always be successful, most likely even in the rarest cases. However, it can occur that the opposing team becomes arrogant because they only have to fight against a small number of enemies. But this arrogance can cost them the win – and those who do not even try to take advantage of this cannot win either.

By the way, Overwatch now has “Hero Pools”, which are supposed to make the league more exciting.

Much praise on Reddit: This clip is celebrated in the Overwatch subreddit. With over 17,000 upvotes and several gildings, it is one of the most popular posts in the Overwatch subreddit. The comments below also praise the video and the ambition of the two players. For example, it says:

  • “This could be the best video I have ever seen in this subreddit. Awesome.”
  • “Perfect. Overwatch is a game of strategy and you had the best strategy. Well-deserved victory.”
  • “In 3 years of Overwatch, I have never seen anything like this. Haha, gg!”

Have you ever experienced a situation like this in Overwatch and achieved an unexpected victory? Or has that not happened to you yet? Maybe you can succeed in Overwatch 2

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Mehr zu Overwatch: Auf unserer Overwatch-Seite auf Facebook findet Ihr auch weitere News und Specials zum Spiel. Auf der Suche nach Mitspielern? Besucht unsere Overwatch-Gruppe auf Facebook und sucht dort nach Mitspielern.

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Is Red Dead Online worth it now and will it ever be as cool as GTA Online?

Is the multiplayer of Red Dead Redemption 2, Red Dead Online, worth it now in 2020? We take a look at the changes and potential of RDO.

The beta of Red Dead Online started in late November 2018, about a month after the release of Red Dead Redemption 2. Initial criticism of the online mode focused on a lack of content, few objectives, and the absence of entertainment through mini-games like poker.

Now, at the end of February 2020, we look at whether the online mode has become more worthwhile. What has Rockstar Games changed?

These new contents are offered in Red Dead Online 2020

The most important update: One of the biggest and probably also the most significant updates for Red Dead Online, Frontier Pursuits, was released on September 10, 2019.

This update focused on the three roles that players can take on as bounty hunters, traders, or collectors. Once the roles are unlocked in the game, there is plenty to do.

  • Bounty hunters track down criminals on the map of Red Dead Online. You find out the key details through wanted posters and then go on the hunt
  • Traders produce valuable goods and then sell them. They obtain animal carcasses, pelts, or other parts from animals.
  • Collectors keep an eye out for valuable treasures during their travels in the online world. Each week there is a new list of collectible items that can later be sold individually or as a set to Madam Nazar.

Players who had little to do in the online world received a lot of variability in gameplay through these three roles. Each role offers a ranking system that gradually unlocks cool features and items. So motivation is also provided.

Red Dead Online new Roles Title
Collectors, traders, bounty hunters, or perhaps … moonshiners?

More story in Red Dead Online: The lack of story was often criticized in the early days of Red Dead Online. In December 2019, Rockstar Games continued to introduce new roles with the moonshiners, simultaneously bringing more story into the game.

Maggie Fike is a notorious moonshiner with whom you play in story missions. This can be done solo or in co-op. After meeting a few prerequisites, you can open your own bar in Red Dead Online and sell your moonshine there.

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With these four new roles, Red Dead Online now offers much more variety and objectives that make the online game more interesting. And thus, they also tackled the story content.

But smaller updates, such as the poker mini-game or new game modes help to make Red Dead Online more interesting.

“More loving” interactions

That was the problem: What bothered players at the beginning of the online mode of Red Dead Redemption 2, were mainly the griefers. They would scout you from kilometers away on the map, follow your path, and then gun you down. After they caught you once, particularly nasty players would take you out again and again.

What has changed: In several patches, developer Rockstar Games took action against these negative cowboys and gave those who didn’t want to deal with the troublemakers options to avoid them.

Since then, the situation with griefers has calmed down significantly. Even the announcement of anti-griefer measures was well received.

New Motivation – The Outlaw Pass

What is it? Nowadays, a battle pass is an essential part of live games. In Red Dead Online, this item is called “Outlaw Pass” and unlocks exciting things for you at various levels following the usual principle.

The Outlaw Pass #2 has 100 ranks and unlocks the following upon reaching:

  • 40 gold bars (also the price of the pass)
  • role XP boosts
  • horse masks
  • camp dog
  • map
  • free fast travel coupons
  • horse care packages
  • and more

Just by leveling up in the pass, you’re earning further content for your cowboy and your horse.

Red Dead Online Outlaw Pass

Conclusion – Will it be as good as GTA Online?

For whom is it worth it now? A lot has improved for the better since the release of Red Dead Online. You now have much more content to keep you engaged in online sessions. The role system has brought a fresh breeze to the Wild West, which was desperately needed.

If you stopped playing Red Dead Online early, you should definitely try the new content now.

Trying out Red Dead Online is worth it for you in 2020 if you like the role of bounty hunter, collector, trader, or moonshiner. Even if it was just the lack of content that frustrated you at the beginning of Red Dead Online.

For whom is it not worth it now? To make a lot of money with the new roles, you still have to put in a certain level of grind. If you don’t like the grinding concept at all, you won’t be happy in Red Dead Online either. However, grinding is now less monotonous than at the beginning. Red Dead Online is still far from perfect.

Will it be as good as GTA Online? The comparison with the online mode of Grand Theft Auto V is tough, as GTA 5 Online has been filled with content for much longer.

Nevertheless, Rockstar Games has created a good foundation that is important for future content. More new roles, weapons, businesses, and especially story should keep players entertained.

From GTA Online, we know that Rockstar listens to player feedback. In Los Santos, the big casino opened in the summer of 2019, and the matching heist followed the winter after.

That Red Dead Online has potential is also shown by player numbers. In January 2020 there was a record number of players. The foundation is now laid, and one can already have a lot of fun.

If Rockstar Games continues to listen to player feedback and regularly expands the online mode, RDO could connect to the success of GTAO. However, there is still a long way to go before it becomes as good as GTA Online.

A problem that chased players away from Red Dead Online was the lack of animals. But there is good news:

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Destiny 2: Space cowboys want finely tuned hand cannons – This is what Bungie says

In Destiny 2, many players have loved stylish sidearms for years. They are now demanding that Bungie make some changes to slower archetypes as they are currently adjusting the balance. But Bungie’s answer is clear and firm: No.

What is so special about sidearms: Since Destiny 1, sidearms have been the favorites of some Guardians. Because the weapons felt wonderfully out of place for a science fiction shooter.

A weapon like Last Word turned a space zombie into a space cowboy with special animations, and space cowboys have a certain charm that no one can deny.

d2 last word teaser 2
An elegant weapon.

While “Pump players” have often been mocked in the history of Destiny, players of sidearms claimed to be stylish, cool Guardians in PvP.

Bungie should balance sidearms

This is the situation with sidearms in Destiny 2: Currently, there are 4 main types of legendary sidearms in Destiny 2 among the archetypes. They are separated by their fire rate.

  • The slowest sidearms fire 110 shots per minute, those are the 110s
  • In the mid-range, there are 140s and 150s
  • The fastest sidearms are 180s
d2 last word teaser
“Draw!” – Looks stylish already.

The best sidearms in PvP are all “fast”

The 3 best legendary sidearms in PvP are considered:

These are all “fast sidearms.”

This is what Bungie should change now: Guardians in Destiny 2 demand that Bungie needs to achieve finer tuning with the next balance patch with Season 10, so that the weapon types distinguish themselves more clearly and there are good reasons to choose each archetype.

  • Either the 140s and 150s should be merged or they should be better separated.
  • The slow 110s need a range buff to stand out from the mass of weapons.

In general, slow sidearms need a bit more love, so that player choice becomes greater. Because at the moment, the faster sidearm archetypes dominate.

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This was Bungie’s response: Bungie’s community manager, dmg04, said on Twitter: There will be no changes to the 110s and 140s.

This specific response led to hope on Reddit: Okay, then Bungie will likely change the 150s and 180s.

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But even this hope was dismissed by dmg04: There will also be no changes to the faster sidearms. dmg04 states: Sidearms are among the most used weapons in PvE and PvP. If they make changes, they will let Guardians know beforehand.

However, Guardians should continue to provide feedback; they have already been collecting information for the 110s and 140s for a while. Feedback helps the team understand what the issues are for players, so that Bungie can set the right priorities.

dmg04 explains that balancing is one of those things Bungie sometimes has more or less time for. Because that also requires resources in testing and development.

At the moment, balance is a big topic in Destiny 2:

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The new dog is the funniest item in Fortnite for a long time – and useful

With Season 2 came a ton of new features to Fortnite. One of them is the new decoy – and it’s quite funny. And even useful: because it spawns 3 bots that look like the player.

This is the decoy: The decoy is a new type of grenade that you can find since the start of Season 2, just like 5 mythical weapons in Fortnite. However, the decoy does no damage – at least not in the conventional sense.

If you collect the decoy, you can create up to three copies of yourself, which will then run around the map – a bit like Zane from Borderlands 3 or Mirage from Apex Legends.

You can see what that looks like here:

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After a few seconds, the clones disappear again. Until then, they can cause quite a bit of mischief.

Decoy basically creates 3 silly but useful bots

This is what the decoys can do: Once you have created your decoys, they will run off. So – somewhere. You can’t really control that.

They are able to shoot or hit walls with the pickaxe, but they don’t always do that accurately. Just like the classic, silly Fortnite bots. Also, they don’t take much damage and disappear after a short time.

Still, they can harass and confuse your opponents. They become very useful, especially if you’re being cornered and need to create some space.

You can see that, for example, in the first few minutes of the video from Fortnite SparkTV: Here, players make good use of the bots to lead enemies on a wild goose chase, even though they were backed against the wall.

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While your bots distract the enemies, you can make your getaway. Or you can attack yourself. Just hope that your enemy isn’t a decoy as well.

This is what fans say: New items in Fortnite often spark controversies, but the decoy is off to a good start. Also, because the comedy potential of the grenades is quite high.

On reddit, first ideas are already popping up. For example, one user suggests that all players should collect decoys and toss them during the final circle. That would make for a pretty crowded circle – which could look quite funny with the current new skins.

fortnite-meowscles-skin
All full of cats?

And user SupremeLeaderSnoke feels almost invincible now thanks to the decoy:

“The best part is that they will be especially useful for players like me, who were mistaken for bots from the beginning! Running into walls, standing out in the open without cover? Shooting without aim? Dying quickly? Good luck telling us apart!”

Looks like the new grenade could bring a lot of crazy fun in Fortnite. Speaking of crazy: In the new season, you can unlock Deadpool as a skin!

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