The general tone is that while Astellia is not a groundbreaking MMORPG and hasn’t reinvented the genre, it is overall not so bad and is therefore liked by many. Only the performance has received significant criticism.
We came to a similar conclusion here at MeinMMO in September 2019, when we published a review after 20 hours of gameplay. We also found the MMORPG surprisingly positive.
How many people play Astellia on Steam? Astellia has already been using its own client for over 4 months and only appeared on Steam at the end of January. Nevertheless, the game seems to have found some new buyers.
In the last 12 days, an average of 610 players played Astellia on Steam. The peak was at 995. This peak was reached on Sunday, February 9. At the time of the article (February 11, 3:00 PM), there were still 883 players online on Steam.
Overall, the trend of the game is still slightly upward. The small dip on February 11 was due to the scheduled maintenance, which takes place every Tuesday and usually brings about 3 hours of downtime.
Players of Astellia on Steam (Source: Steamcharts)
Traditional MMORPG with a fair price
What do the positive voices on Steam say? Astellia receives a lot of praise on Steam, though one must keep in mind that many players have not yet reached the endgame. Specifically, MMORPGs often have issues with the content there.
OzanOfficial (148 hours played): “The game is good enough for its price. Better than ArcheAge Unchained, with the corrupted and collapsed Trion/Gamigo. [..]”
Snatchernl (23 hours played): “If you like a traditional MMO, then give Astellia a chance. It will be worth your time. If you’re more of a sandbox player, then keep your hands off it, you would waste your money. [..] Astellia is an Asia-MMO, which usually comes with Pay2Win. However, they have done a good job removing the eastern content that players in the West hate…”
RLH Gaming (153 hours played): “So far, the game reminds me of other MMOs I’ve played, but with a better experience. Dungeons are fun, the players are nice and the economy seems not to be broken. I especially enjoy the Buy2Play the most.”
csrosley (13 hours played): “This game does not try to reinvent the wheel and that’s okay. I am very satisfied with what I have experienced so far. I won’t go into details, but the highlights are: the colorful art style, the Astels, a better plot than the average MMORPG, comfortable gameplay with old-school tab-targeting. Downsides: Limited classes, gender lock, and linear leveling.”
An Astellian (the player) with his Astels
Problems with Optimization and Performance
What do the negative voices on Steam say? The negative voices mainly complain about the lack of optimization and performance. A few express negative opinions about the MMORPG’s content:
Feightry (96 hours played): “[..] Pros: Decent MMORPG, it runs without crashes, no Pay2Win. Cons: It doesn’t run smoothly, not even on good PCs [..], generic and uninteresting story [..], high entry costs [..], a very expensive cash shop [..] and grindy in endgame. It’s not worth its money, maybe buy it when it goes on Steam sale.”
KamenAkuma (2 hours played): “The optimization is not good. I use a 2080 and I only get 45 FPS on high but not the highest settings. The edges around objects look blocky, and nothing looks as good as in the trailer. For some reason, I expected a combat system like in BDO, but it is standard. So don’t buy it if you expect anything beyond ‘Point and Click’.”
Senyuki (0.7 hours played): “Well, how do I start. Graphically, I find it really poor by today’s standards. [..] The performance is unfortunately really bad, it lags sometimes and crashes. [..] The German translation is occasionally incorrect and simply wrong. [..] There is still gender lock.”
Perry the Platypus (1 hour played): “Pros: Good graphic style, good UI, the combat system is familiar and engaging. Cons: The open world is limited by invisible walls [..], constant FPS drops [..], the game feels rushed, especially in the cutscenes and interactions with NPCs. I would not recommend it in its current state. Potential is there, but it needs a lot of work.”
What is your experience with Astellia? What rating would you give this MMORPG? What can you recommend to our community?
With Season 2, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare offers a digital $100 “Battle Pass” version. Here you can see what the bundle has to offer.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare enters its second season and makes a tempting offer for newcomers. For $100 / €84.99, you get the digital game along with a bunch of in-game items.
We break down the bundle and take a look at what you get, what it’s worth, and whether the “Battle Pass” edition of Modern Warfare is worth it.
Edition with Operator Bundle, CoD Points, and Blueprints
These are the contents of the bundle for €84.99 / $100
How much would it cost without the bundle? For the price of the digital version, we take the standard price from the PlayStation Store. While you can now buy used versions significantly cheaper, some of you might want to share this online game with a friend.
Game for €69.99
Operator per bundle around €5
3,000 CoD Points around €25
Totals about €100
The values for the other contents are estimates since there is no bundle in the CoD shop that allows you to buy just one operator with a weapon, nor is there a CoD Points package with 3,000 points.
The three weapon blueprints of the digital edition are always obtained when you buy the game digitally, so they are not included in the calculation.
Although this version is called the “Battle Pass” version, the pass is not included in the bundle. You would need to buy it with the 3,000 points included in the bundle. Here you can find out whether the Battle Pass is worth it for you.
Season 2 brings a bunch of new contents and a fresh Battle Pass. Here you can see the roadmap.
Bundle offers advantages and unique skins at launch
Is the setup worth it? Compared to the regular price, you already save €15 here. The Operator Pack makes the difference. If you like to buy some in-game currency for your games, you get a few skins thrown in for free.
This bundle isn’t that bad for the start. The weapon blueprints give you good guns with attachments right away, without needing to level up. The XRK version of the M4 is really strong for beginners, but that one is also available with the standard digital version.
Currently, there’s even a sale in the PlayStation Store, and the bundle is available for €67.99. Here you save more than €30 in total.
What do the weapon blueprints do? Normally, you unlock weapons with your level. At the beginning, you only have one shooter available in each weapon class.
With the blueprints, you have a small advantage because you can use weapons and attachments that you wouldn’t normally have access to yet. The bundle gives you an assault rifle and a strong sniper right away.
The blueprints in this specific bundle are also unique and can only be obtained through it. Here’s a guide on how you can use the weapon blueprints.
Operator skins provide a great look right away
What do the operator skins provide? Unlike the predecessor, the operators in Modern Warfare do not provide any advantages. They are purely cosmetic skins for the character. Due to the different sizes, it may seem that the skins have different hit boxes, but there is no difference here as well.
At the beginning, you actually only have access to the standard skins, but if you already have skins for an operator, you get that operator for free. So the bundle also saves you the unlocking of 3 operators.
You unlock the remaining operators via the campaign, the co-op mode “SpecOps”, or in the shop with CoD Points.
Are you new here? We have plenty of guides, tips, and builds on our site to help you get started.
In 2020, Activision Blizzard decided to showcase its eSports exclusively on YouTube instead of Twitch. During the first weekend of the Overwatch League, almost a third of the viewers were missing compared to Twitch.
Here was the situation: For 2018 and 2019, Activision Blizzard had signed a deal with Twitch to showcase the Overwatch League games exclusively there. The Overwatch League was one of the biggest channels on Twitch during these years with the most viewer hours over the respective year.
The Overwatch League was huge on Twitch in 2019. Source: Sullygnome
This is how the first weekend on YouTube went: The Overwatch League started on Saturday, February 8. The US site Dotesports compared the numbers from the inaugural weekend of the Overwatch League 2020 on YouTube with those from 2019 on Twitch:
In 2019, there were 63 hours of Overwatch over 4 days – 16 matches were played. Viewers watched 6.16 million hours on Twitch.
In 2020, there were only 16 hours of Overwatch – only 8 matches were played. Just over 1 million hours were viewed.
Comparing the hours viewed is unfair because there was 4 times more Overwatch in 2019.
However, what can be compared is the average viewer count:
2019 had an average of 97,168 viewers on Twitch in the first weekend
2020 had only 63,505 viewers for the Overwatch League on YouTube
The heroes of Overwatch might be a bit worried right now.
What is the reason for this? Dotesports notes that there was a strong drop in concurrent viewers when the action switched from New York to Dallas. Overwatch reportedly lost about 30,000 concurrent viewers here.
Many viewers apparently did not switch to a different broadcast, which may have significantly disrupted the viewing experience.
One of the advantages of YouTube is certainly that matches can be easily watched later as video-on-demand.
As a teaser for Season 2 of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, the game hinted at a weapon behind the Classified inscription. Upon closer inspection, one can also recognize which weapon it is: the M26 MASS, a shotgun.
What was shown? At the start of Season 2, Infinity Ward released a roadmap. It shows content such as new operators, multiplayer maps, “Ground War” maps, and new weapons. Some of the content will be available right at the start of Season 2 in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.
Others will follow later in the season. One of these is a weapon. It is announced as a “new weapon” and is hidden behind a “classified” inscription on the roadmap graphic.
The M26 MASS – New Shotgun in CoD Modern Warfare
Upon closer inspection: When zooming in on the image, our colleagues from GameStar noticed a strong resemblance to the M26 (MASS) shotgun. MASS stands for Modular Accessory Shotgun System. It is an under-barrel shotgun that can be attached beneath the handguard of a rifle.
The idea behind such an attachment is to have a weapon ready quickly in close quarters combat that possesses high firepower.
However, the MASS can not only be mounted on the under-barrel of a rifle in the real world, but also, in a certain configuration, used as a standalone weapon. This requires mounting a pistol grip and a stock. (via Wikipedia)
The weapon will likely be available as a base model that you can then expand further with attachments. It is also possible that two different models may come into play that can then be configured in different ways.
A glimpse from the trailer for Season 2 of Call of Duty at the new weapon
How do you unlock the M26? Exact details are still missing. It is conceivable that Infinity Ward will stay true to its motto and hide the M26 MASS behind an in-game challenge as a reward.
What other weapons are coming? Per season, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare apparently releases three new weapons. Right at the start of the season, the Grau 5.56 and the Striker 45 are available for you.
The MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Stadia) now offers a huge selection of dungeons. In a survey on Reddit, players can now choose the easiest and hardest dungeons. We have the first results for you.
In The Elder Scrolls Online, the ever-growing player base can enjoy themselves in many dungeons. Each of these offers various difficulty levels in ESO. But which dungeons are the hardest and which are the easiest?
The Reddit user grimr7529 has taken it upon himself to answer this question and has started an extensive survey.
Here’s what the survey looks like: grimr7529 created a survey on the website surveyplanet. It includes 38 dungeons from The Elder Scrolls Online. There you can rate them in different categories:
Normal difficulty
Veteran difficulty (no hard mode)
and Veteran difficulty (with hard mode)
The rating options range from 0 (easy) to 10 (hard). Players have participated in the survey and shared their personal assessments of the difficulty of individual dungeons with us. The survey is still ongoing, but an initial result has already been published.
The evaluation should be taken with a grain of caution. It is not a scientific survey, yet it provides some interesting results.
Reddit is looking for the hardest dungeon
This is the score distribution: The survey results have all possible ratings represented. It starts very easily with a score of 0.1 in the normal mode of “Mushroom Cave I”. The highest score is held by “Scalecaller Peak” with 6.9 points in hard mode.
grimr7529 presented the results with this graphic on Reddit
The 4 hardest dungeons in ESO
The scores are closely spaced. However, according to the survey, the hardest dungeons are:
Frostvault – This dungeon was introduced with the “Wrathstone” addon in 2019
Bloodroot Forge – Part of the “Horns of the Reach” expansion from 2017
Moon Hunter Keep – You can enjoy yourself here since “Wolfhunter” in 2018
Scalecaller Peak – This dungeon was introduced with the “Dragon Bones” expansion in 2018
A score close to 10 cannot be established. According to the Reddit user, no dungeon is, on average, very hard or even too hard. Whether this changes with the new dungeons in the Harrowstorm addon remains to be seen:
The normal dungeons have an average difficulty of 1.62 with just under 3000 votes.
The veteran dungeons have a score of 2.91 (without hard mode) or 3.59 (with hard mode). Here the votes are slightly fewer, but still over 2000.
It can be stated that some dungeons rise or fall in ranking when their difficulty level changes. While, for example, “Moon Hunter Keep” holds the first position in the first two categories as the hardest dungeon, it falls behind “Scalecaller Peak” in the third category (veteran dungeon with hard mode).
Thus, Scalecaller Peak is currently the “hardest” dungeon in ESO.
This is what some players want: A further discussion has begun in the comments. There has been a request for a new difficulty level:
I think we need a new difficulty level for dungeons: Hardcore or Nightmare […]
The MMORPG Shroud of the Avatar (SotA) offers you a very special house for $7,000.
What kind of house is it? It is the so-called Lord of the Isle Mansion. You can only get this if you purchase the Lord-of-the-Isle Bundle, which costs $7,000 in the SotA store.
It is a huge mansion that you can only place on a building lot designed for castles. The house has a unique design and is meant to represent something very special in the game.
However, you must collect the decorations for the house yourself. You only receive the empty building, which you set up on the lot.
This is what the Lord of the Isle mansion looks like.
An Expensive Bundle
What else does the bundle offer? You only get the house if you buy the Lord-of-the-Isle Bundle. This also includes some other things:
A certificate of ownership for a castle building lot – free for one year
The title Lord of the Isle or Lady of the Isle
A ticket for the community event Festival of the Avatar for you and a companion
Another house from the store
A cellar for a castle
The castle wall set as decoration
A special dungeon room
140,000 Crowns in-game currency
1,000 bank slots
Some other in-game items
Early access for Episode 2
Episode 1 with box and map signed by the team
An hour-long video call with the new CEO Chris Spears
One of eight silver rings made personally by Lord British – both in real life and in-game
A dinner with Lord British, Starr Long, and Chris Spears in Austin, Texas or New York City
A tour of the offices of the development studio Portalarium
How are the players reacting to the house? The SotA community is behaving quite calmly. This is because only the real fans are basically in the official forum, defending the game at all costs. The Lord-of-the-Isle Bundle was already discussed last year upon its introduction. At that time, the opinion was that it is merely a luxury item that doesn’t need to be purchased if one doesn’t want to support the MMORPG with so much money.
The work on Episode 2 of Shroud of the Avatar is progressing.
How is SotA doing right now? The team continues to work on the MMORPG and releases a major update every month. Currently, the developers are on their way to Episode 2, which will gradually be released throughout the year. Starting with a new landmass, then a new quest system, and additional content.
However, the player numbers do not look very good. According to Steamcharts, an average of around 90 people are playing simultaneously, which is about a quarter of the total players. Most use the own launcher.
The ratings on Steam are currently at 52 percent and balanced for the past 30 days. According to player opinion, there are still partly massive bugs, the game feels outdated, and plays very clumsily. The team has not yet managed to improve the bad image of SotA.
Whether to invest $7,000 is a decision each person must make for themselves.
The pre-season of the PvP league in Pokémon GO is moving to the next round and this time it is the Hyper League’s turn. Therefore, we will show you the best Pokémon from this league and tell you how you can achieve victory.
We will show it here: We present a selection of the best Pokémon. In the PvP mode, there is not “the best Pokémon“, but a lot depends on the right deployment and smart tactics.
So we will show you a selection of Pokémon that perform the best and from which you can build strong teams.
Tier List for the Hyper League in Pokémon GO
This is important when choosing Pokémon: The closer you get to 2500 CP, the better your Pokémon. The IVs are also differently decisive here than in raids.
The attack value is not that important here. If this value is lower, then you might still be able to push your monster to a higher level, making it even more durable in battle.
But also focus on the right moves. There are significant differences between PvP and raids. In PvP mode, it matters much more that you have varied moves and fast charging moves.
Giratina (Altered Form and Origin Form)
The best moves for the Altered Form: Shadow Claw, Shadow Ball, and Dragon Pulse
The best moves for the Origin Form: Shadow Claw, Ancient Power, and Dragon Claw
This is what the Altered Form is known for: The Altered Form is ideal as a counter against the Origin Form. In a 1 vs 1, this form wins the battle. Otherwise, you can also use the Altered Form against Psychic-type Pokémon, and you can stomp Pokémon like Mewtwo or Cresselia into the ground.
Dragon Pulse as a second charging move is not mandatory, but may surprise some opponents facing you. Even against Normal-type Pokémon, where Giratina is usually quite ineffective, Dragon Pulse can provide you with a surprising advantage.
This is what the Origin Form is known for: The Origin Form is actually the more popular choice in the Hyper League. You can even enter battle with 3 different move types. Dragon Claw is a fast charging move that quickly draws out opponents’ shields, and Shadow Claw is an instant move that is useful against all Psychic-type Pokémon.
Ancient Power as a second charging move is not mandatory, but it could come as a surprise. With it, you can effectively hit Pokémon like Regice or Charizard.
Registeel
The best moves for Registeel: Focus Blast, Flash Cannon, and Heavy Slam
This is what Registeel is known for: Just like in the Super League, Registeel is also a good choice in the Hyper League. Here you will have to invest more Stardust. Especially the move Focus Blast makes Registeel so effective, as it is one of the best instant moves in PvP.
Additionally, Registeel is only vulnerable to 3 types. A total of 11 types are ineffective against this legendary Pokémon.
Swampert
The best moves for Swampert: Mud Shot, Hydro Cannon, and Earthquake
This is what Swampert is known for: Swampert was also a good choice in the Super League. The move Mud Shot charges charging moves extremely quickly, and it masters Hydro Cannon, which is one of the best charging moves in the game.
Additionally, Swampert is effective against many popular PvP Pokémon. For example, it can easily defeat Registeel. It is only vulnerable to Grass-type Pokémon.
Snorlax
The best moves for Snorlax: Lick, Body Slam, and Earthquake
This is what Snorlax is known for: Snorlax is of Normal type, and Fighting is thus the only type effective against it. If your opponent does not have a Fighting-type Pokémon, then you can survive for quite a long time.
You can then effectively use Snorlax against both forms of Giratina because Ghost-type moves deal little damage to Normal-type Pokémon. Moreover, it masters Lick and is thus effective against Ghost-types. The charging move Body Slam charges quickly and draws out opponents’ shields.
Alolan Muk
The best moves for Alolan Muk: Dark Pulse, Foul Play, and Sludge Wave
This is what Alolan Muk is known for: Alolan Muk is also a good choice against Ghost-types in the Hyper League. It is also effective against Psychic-type Pokémon.
The move Sludge Wave adds some variety as it effectively hits Grass-type and Fairy-type Pokémon. Another advantage: Only Ground-type moves deal effective damage to Alolan Muk.
Regice
The best moves for Regice: Focus Blast, Earthquake, and Blizzard
This is what Regice is known for: Here, the instant move Focus Blast is again the big advantage. Earthquake and Blizzard take a long time to charge, but Focus Blast charges quickly and additionally inflicts considerable damage on the opponent.
With Earthquake, it hits Alolan Muk effectively, and a Blizzard takes down Pokémon like Togekiss or Meganium.
Mew
The best moves for Mew: Shadow Claw, Overheat, and Psyshock
This is what Mew is known for: Mew is a special Pokémon because it can learn a multitude of different moves. Thus, the opponent has no idea what to expect.
With Shadow Claw, you can counter common Pokémon like the two forms of Giratina. Overheat hits Pokémon like Regice or Meganium. Psyshock is a relatively fast move that is mainly meant to draw out shields. Your opponent will often use a shield at the beginning to see which move you actually have.
Cresselia
The best moves for Cresselia: Psycho Cut, Future Sight, and Moonblast
This is what Cresselia is known for: Cresselia is quite durable, and if your opponent does not have the perfect counters, you can last for a long time.
Additionally, it learns Moonblast, which you can effectively use against Pokémon like Scizor, Machamp, or even Giratina. Future Sight is a strong charging move that can deal considerable neutral damage.
Armored Mewtwo
The best moves for Armored Mewtwo: Confusion, Rock Slide, and Dynamic Punch
This is what Armored Mewtwo is known for: Armored Mewtwo is useless in raids, but outstanding in PvP. It masters 2 charging moves that inexperienced players may not expect. Additionally, it is very durable in battle.
The Rock Slide hits Pokémon like Regice effectively, and Dynamic Punch does a lot of damage against Snorlax.
Regirock
The best moves for Regirock: Focus Blast, Stone Edge, and Dynamic Punch
This is what Regirock is known for: Just like with the other two Regis, Focus Blast is extremely strong here too. Additionally, it has Stone Edge, a move that effectively hits some popular Pokémon like Regice or Charizard.
With Dynamic Punch, you’ll bring the surprise factor into play. With it, you can quickly defeat a Snorlax or Regirock.
Are you still looking for tips for the PvP league? Then have a look here:
Doom Eternal is set to release in March and promises plenty of exciting shooter action. This is said, unlike the Doom reboot from 2016, to not end with the release of the game, but rather to be continuously expanded, as Marty Stratton revealed.
Who is speaking? Marty Stratton is the Executive Producer of Doom Eternal. He told Xbox Magazine that the shooter will continue to be developed even after release. The developers have learned from the last game.
According to Stratton, many players still play Doom 2016 today, even though there have been no updates for the game for years:
We see hundreds and thousands of players who continue to play Doom 2016 and we have nothing [for them].
They have asked for new DLCs, they have requested new game content and – to be honest – we dove right into the development of Doom Eternal and gave them nothing.
This is set to change for Doom Eternal.
Hugo Martin (left) and Marty Stratton (right) at the Bethesda event at E3 2019
What exactly is set to change? Doom Eternal is not to remain in its release state. Instead, the developers plan regular updates, DLCs, and additional content for the shooter, as Stratton revealed:
I am very excited about things like the Master Levels and the DLC we have prepared. Additionally, there will be new challenges that we will offer on a weekly or monthly basis.
We will continue to support the Battle Mode and add invasions. We have so many things for the time after launch, we are really giving the players what they have asked us for, reasons to come back to play and to provide them with more variety in their experience.
First, Doom Eternal has to release at all:
Originally, the release was planned for November 22, 2019.
However, the shooter has been postponed to March 20, 2020.
More and more games are receiving content additions like MMOs
What the idea is about: In the past, almost only MMOs were consistently developed further and provided with new content after release. Other games were like Doom 2016 – after the release, the teams were actually already working on the sequel to have another game in the store that would then generate revenue.
The new direction in Doom Eternal shows the general shift in the industry: even traditionally single-sale games are now relying on a “robust content pipeline” to keep the game relevant in the long term.
What new gameplay is there to see? The YouTuber “TheSpudHunter”, known for Doom and Quake videos, was invited by Bethesda to play the new Doom Eternal on-site.
He focused on the boss fight against Cyberdemon, a boss in the endgame of the shooter.
The YouTuber praises the way Doom Eternal plays and is particularly enthusiastic about the arena setup, where he can jump around and find cover everywhere.
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The Fortnite professional Tyler “Ninja” Blevins had a remarkable achievement in Fortnite when he eliminated a team despite having no sound in the game. We show you what happened.
This is the situation: The professional player Ninja was just about to start a match in Fortnite when he accidentally turned off the audio in the game.
However, it was already too late to turn it back on, and he had to face the opposing team without being able to hear them.
Ninja kills an entire team without sound
Ninja started a Fortnite match and landed with his friends in Craggy Cliffs. He quickly realized that he had accidentally turned off his in-game sound.
I don’t have audio. I turned it off.
Ninja
However, he had no way to turn the sound back on as an entire team had landed with him. Therefore, the professional immediately set out and confronted the fight.
Equipped only with a green assault rifle, he shot at the first opponent. Shortly afterward, he also knocked down the second opponent.
The ground beneath him was destroyed by all the shooting, and he fell right in front of the next opponent.
Thanks to his quick reaction, he was able to eliminate this opponent easily as well. Ninja, however, had no break as the last opponent appeared behind him and hit him with a shotgun.
The Fortnite professional shouted and desperately tried to hit the opponent who was bouncing around the area. When he finally eliminated him, he yelled:
“Ohhh, what’s happening right now?!”
Ninja
Ninja seems proud of his achievement
Why is this so special? In games like Fortnite, audio is particularly important. Those who can hear where their opponents are located have a clear advantage.
That Ninja was able to wipe out an entire team of four without being able to hear where they were exactly is quite an achievement. Key factors here are reaction speed, accuracy, and a bit of luck.
He can certainly be proud of this performance, as it is really not easy.
The head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, has now admitted that they are not doing as well as they would like in the current console generation battle between PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Therefore, they are trying some new things for Xbox Series X. They want to be bolder in everything.
This is what Spencer says: In a podcast from Gamertag Radio, Xbox chief Phil Spencer admitted that they are not doing as well as they would like with the Xbox One in the current console generation. Therefore, they have now decided to do things differently for the new console generation, the Xbox Series X:
Let’s face it: We are not in the market position we want to be in from the last generation. I don’t think we can achieve growth for our business and become a disruptive force if we do what we have always done. We need to try new things.
Phil Spencer
Announcement at “third-party event” was bold
What are examples of new things? One of the things Microsoft has already done differently was the introduction of the Xbox Series X. Because they revealed it not at their own event, but at a third-party event, at the Video Game Awards in December 2019.
This was already a “bold decision” for Spencer. After all, you give up some control over the presentation and the flow of information.
When this idea was first presented in a meeting by a female executive from the marketing department, she said: “We should do something bold. Something we have never done before.”
This is how the new Xbox Series X is supposed to look.
Spencer said he was initially hesitant about the idea. He was not the “biggest fan of this idea”, as there would be a lot of other games at the show.
However, Spencer slowly warmed up to the idea of showcasing the Xbox Series X at Geoff Keighley’s show. In the end, it was a success for Microsoft:
It was cool to do it. And it got a great reception. But to be honest, I could be sitting here now and it would have been a total disaster.
Phil Spencer
Halo Infinite is intended to be “the big hit” for Xbox Series X.
Xbox Series X will be presented with more boldness and differently
This is how it will continue: Spencer says they want to approach the next steps for Xbox Series X boldly and do things differently than all the time.
With every decision we make from now until launch, we will look at things differently. Some we will get right, others we won’t. But we will not be bland at all. We will be bold in what we will do.
In addition to Google Stadia, Microsoft’s xCloud or Shadow, graphics manufacturer Nvidia has now also launched its cloud gaming service GeForce Now. GeForce Now promises to let you play your own games from Steam for free. What games does Nvidia offer and is 4K and Linux supported?What are the differences to the other providers, can I use existing subscription services and what do the first reviews actually say?
What is GeForce Now? GeForce Now is a cloud gaming service, similar to Google Stadia or Shadow.
Cloud gaming always requires a fast internet connection but promises to make users less dependent on expensive hardware: Instead of investing several thousand euros in high-end hardware, cloud gaming promises to provide this high-end performance for a small fee.
In the following, we want to introduce you to Nvidia’s new streaming service. At the end, we have summarized the first reviews around GeForce Now for you.
[toc]
GeForce Now – Costs, Requirements, and Operating System
Currently, Nvidia offers two different models, a free model and a Founder model. The price for the paid model is likely to increase later.
What does GeForce Now cost?
Nvidia’s streaming service offers two different models:
With the free version, you can use GeForce Now for one hour, after which you have to rejoin a virtual queue.
The paid version costs 5.49 euros per month. Here you can play for a maximum of 6 hours at a time and have access to ray tracing. After that, you also end up in the queue, but are prioritized compared to free users.
If you subscribe within the first 90 days, you pay 5.49 per month and get the first three months for free. Nvidia calls this the “introductory phase.” This price only applies for the first year; Nvidia has stated that this is a special price for the Founder.
Which operating systems are supported? GeForce Now officially supports Windows 7 and 10, Macintosh, and Android. There is no app for iOS, and Linux is not supported.
The online magazine It’s Foss criticizes that Linux is excluded from GeForce Now, although the goal of cloud gaming should actually be that all players – regardless of the operating system – can play together. However, this is not guaranteed by GeForce.
What hardware requirements does GeForce Now need? Those who want to use GeForce Now must install the client from Nvidia. Additionally, they must meet the following requirements, which are relatively low:
A dual-core processor with at least 2.0 GHz or faster
4 GB of RAM
A graphics card that supports at least DirectX 11. Nvidia recommends at least a GeForce 600 series, a Radeon HD 3000 series from AMD, or Intel HD Graphics 2000 series
Can I use GeForce Now in the browser? Those who want to use GeForce Now must either install the program on Windows or Mac, or alternatively use the app for Android.
In contrast to Google Stadia, GeForce Now cannot be used in the browser. Therefore, the streaming service is currently also not compatible with Linux because the client cannot be installed there.
GeForce Now – Internet Speed
Before starting, the GeForce Now client checks whether the available internet connection is sufficient for cloud gaming. If the speed is not adequate, an error message will appear, and you cannot establish a connection.
How fast does my internet connection need to be? Nvidia recommends in its own FAQ (external link) how fast your internet connection needs to be to play reasonably well.
For 720p at 60 FPS, you need at least 15 Mbit/s. However, if you want to play somewhat comfortably, the speed should be a bit higher.
For 1080p at 60 FPS, you need at least 25 Mbit/s. Nvidia recommends an additional performance of at least 15 Mbit/s, which would bring you to about 40 Mbit/s.
Nvidia also recommends using a wired Ethernet connection or a Wi-Fi router with 5 GHz.
GeForce Now – Games, Launchers, 4K, and Subscription Services
GeForce Now supports PC, Macintosh, and Android. iOS and Linux are currently not supported. Here, Stadia has the advantage because Google’s streaming service also supports Linux.
Which games are supported by GeForce Now? GeForce Now currently supports around 1000 games from various developers. There is currently no complete list available, and you cannot specifically browse your game library for compatible titles.
Instead, you can access the Nvidia website (external link) to enter any game title and see if it is supported by GeForce Now.
Can I play my games for free? Anyone can stream their games for free through GeForce Now because GeForce Now only provides the hardware for streaming. You must already own the games to be able to stream them. Unlike Google Stadia, you cannot purchase games through GeForce Now.
Which launchers are supported? In contrast to Google Stadia, which initially offered only a handful of games, you must already own the games to use them with GeForce Now. The streaming service supports the most common libraries like Steam, Origins, or Uplay. However, it varies from game to game whether it is officially supported or not.
Which games work with GeForce Now?
Games from Activision Blizzard no longer available? Nvidia has announced that all titles from Activision Blizzard will be removed from GeForce Now. While Nvidia does not provide any reasons, the new strategic alliance between Blizzard and Google is believed to be behind it.
Does my favorite MMO work? Games like Destiny 2, which also runs on Stadia, as well as Apex Legends or Guild Wars 2, are officially supported by GeForce Now. Supported titles also include free-to-play titles like Fortnite or Dota 2.
Many older titles are still not supported. For certain titles, such as Black Desert Online, you are also bound to Steam. If you own the game outside of Steam, you currently cannot play it through GeForce Now.
GeForce Now considers the content ratings of the respective countries. This means that if you use GeForce Now in China, your favorite game may not be available. You cannot bypass country restrictions or similar using GeForce Now.
What happens to my save games? For those playing with GeForce Now, their data is stored locally on the server – and deleted immediately after shutdown. Games that use cloud saves, as is the case with many games on Steam, Origin, and others, are not affected.
However, those who play games that do not offer cloud saves will be out of luck, as GeForce Now always deletes local data. So far, no game on the list has been noted that does not support cloud saves. In particular, you are safe with MMOs.
Does GeForce Now support 4K? GeForce Now supports a maximum of Full HD (1080p) at 60 FPS in both the free and paid versions. 4K is not yet supported by GeForce Now.
Can I use subscription services with GeForce Now?? According to a Reddit post, it is indeed possible to use Uplay+ through GeForce Now. GeForce does not differentiate between purchased or “rented” games in this regard. Ubisoft games can be started and played with GeForce Now.
Origin Access or Xbox Game Pass are officially not supported, but games like Battlefield can certainly be started with GeForce Now.
How does GeForce Now work?
With GeForce Now, the user does not install games on their own PC. Instead, you only install the client from Nvidia to establish a connection with the server.
The gameplay and also the “installation” take place entirely on the server. The user simply sends commands from the mouse and keyboard to the server and simultaneously receives the image data. Practically speaking, it works like a video stream.
Your own PC, console, or smartphone then only takes on the task of displaying the stream. The main tasks are performed by the server and the internet connection. And here lies the biggest hurdle: Without a fast internet connection, cloud gaming does not work.
What hardware is behind GeForce Now? Sufficient performance is provided by a CC150 CPU and an RTX T10-8 GPU from Nvidia itself. This is particularly interesting because the Nvidia GPU cannot be bought in official stores. Thanks to several clues, details about the individual components are now known (via WCCFTech.com).
The Intel processor has 8 cores with a total of 16 threads. Two players share one processor (so-called nodes). In addition, there is 16GB of dynamic RAM, of which about 2 GB is occupied by the system.
The RTX T10-8 GPU from Nvidia provides sufficient performance to stream games in Full HD. WCCFTech suspects that two players share a node, one of whom requires less performance and the other more.
What do the first reviews say about GeForce Now?
GeForce Now also works on Nvidia’s own Nvidia Shield.
Meanwhile, the first tests of Nvidia’s new streaming service are also available. We have summarized the first reviews for you and present them here.
TechRadar: Best Streaming Service Because the Competition is Weak
TechRadar is skeptical about GeForce Now: The online magazine writes in its conclusion:
Nvidia’s GeForce Now is currently the best streaming service – but only because the competition is so weak. The performance is decent, the interface is confusing, but the large number of games and the fair price make it interesting.
IGN praises the ability to play well on a very old PC with GeForce Now. The poor interface, which is very confusing and not intuitive enough, is criticized:
It’s something special to play a new PC game on a Mac that is almost a decade old. Aside from the terrible interface and lack of games, GeForce is a fun service. But with a weak internet connection, the service barely works.
Chip.de: Great Android App, But Missing Settings Options
Chip.de especially praises the excellent Android app. With it, you can play modern titles excellently. Furthermore, the editor from Chip.de states:
We also find it very inconvenient that GeForce Now only adds a game to the profile after installing it once through the search. This means anyone unsure about what to play must browse their libraries in other ways. There is no option to sort the Steam library by compatible titles.
MeinMMO: Good Concept, but Only Condition for MMOs Recommended
Also, our author Alexander has been able to try GeForce Now. He was able to play his favorite game Guild Wars 2 through GeForce Now, and his conclusion about the new streaming service is:
Nvidia is somewhat ahead of its competitors like Google Stadia with its concept regarding games and the integration of Steam, but I still prefer to rely on my own, beloved PC and upgrade it for a few more years before hopefully the infrastructure improves on all sides in the future.
What do the reviews say? Overall, the tests agree that GeForce Now requires a strong internet connection.
Many are bothered by the confusing and poor interface and the lack of ability to filter games or to be able to see directly on Steam which games are compatible.
The ability to use your own games clearly distinguishes GeForce Now from Google’s competitors, and the current price of around 6 euros is also fair for the service.
Are you interested in the competition to GeForce Now? Since November 2019, you can now use Google Stadia. You can find all information about Google’s streaming service with us:
Planetside 2 will soon receive a very large update. This introduces so many exciting game elements that battles will never play out the same way as before.
What is coming for Planetside 2? The development team has announced a another huge update for the online shooter called Escalation. It is set to permanently change the battles on the distant planet Auraxis.
The Bastion Fleet Carriers are new battleships in Planetside 2.
Many changes are coming
What does this update bring? Escalation is intended to provide a deeper gaming experience that is even more strategic than Planetside 2 already was. The shooter will be massively changed as follows:
The Bastion Fleet Carriers come into play as massive battleships. You summon the ships to join the battle. To shoot them down, you need to work as a group and attack their weak points.
You can manufacture new War Assets, such as the Bastion Fleet Carriers, shields, a connection to an orbital satellite that fires at a location on the battlefield, or you summon a ground vehicle that is delivered to you from the air.
Outfit Wars represent a new monthly challenge where you fight for control of the planet and earn rewards and resources.
New advancement opportunities through loyalty levels. This allows you to earn the currency Merits, which you can use to enhance yourself further.
The Sanctuary as a social hub where you find teammates for the next war.
When does the update start? Escalation is already available on the test server. The update will be deployed on the live servers on February 19.
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What is special about Escalation? It is an update that offers something for all players, regardless of their level. The upcoming changes will affect the entire gameplay, making it more exciting and tactical. Planetside 2 will not play the same with Escalation as it did before.
How is Planetside 2 doing currently? In the past four months, the shooter has seen a noticeable increase in players. This is due to some changes that the developers made at the community’s request. This shows that the team behind the shooter stands by it and wants to continuously improve it. This has been well received by the players.
Escalation is likely to further ensure that the player numbers for Planetside 2 increase.
For Valentine’s Day, Apex Legends (PC, PS4, Xbox One) brings back the popular “Duo” mode. Players are demanding that it stays forever. And they want a mode for singles too.
What is the Valentine’s Day event? This love celebration event runs from February 11 to February 18 in the shooter Apex Legends. You have a week to take advantage of various bonuses, collect gifts, and play in duos.
These are the bonuses: Those who play now secure a Valentine’s Day 2020 badge.
Additionally, you will receive a strong XP boost that grants you double experience points when you team up with a friend. This is limited to 20,000 XP daily.
New and returning Valentine’s Day items are also expected.
2 new Pathfinder and Nessie weapon charms
DMR Longbow skin “Through the Heart” and the “Love for the Game” frame are available for a discount in the shop
Joy over the duos, should stay permanently
What do the players say? The reactions to the event are positive. Players are happy that the developers are bringing back the duos.
After the mode had disappeared, players regularly asked when it would return. Now it is finally here, but only for a short time. And that gives a bittersweet flavor to the otherwise positive feedback. On Reddit, they write
“Oh, how I wish that duos could just stay permanently. Stop teasing us, Respawn!”
“Fuck Yes. I will play this with my girl. We had so much fun in Gold Rush. I wish they would make it permanent.”
“Can they stop bringing duos as limited-time modes? Make them permanent and solos too.”
Players even want to start a petition to make Apex Legends keep the duos forever. Some players are taking it humorously. One writes, “Great. Instead of disappointing 2 players, it’s now just one.”
When asked why the duos can’t stay forever, a Reddit user writes:
“One of Respawn’s tasks is to entertain people indefinitely and maintain the longevity of the game. Therefore, they create modes and maps with limited time. So that the game feels new and fresh. If they made everything permanent, players would get bored faster and demand new content, which from a creative standpoint becomes increasingly difficult to implement.”
What is being demanded? The duos for Valentine’s Day are being well received, but one group of players apparently feels neglected. Players who are alone for Valentine’s Day. The singles demand that a solo mode be launched.
That is what zzwolfy demands on Reddit and receives a lot of support.
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Settlements and fortresses are the core of the new MMO New World. They can be conquered, defended, and expanded. New details have now been published in a blog post.
Why are settlements and fortresses so important? In New World, there are three player factions and a hostile NPC faction, the Corrupted. They are all fighting for the dominance over the island of Aeternum.
While fortresses represent the military aspect and can be attacked and conquered, settlements are places for trade, crafting, and housing. Each settlement can develop differently and have various levels of expansion.
In the long run, New World is about conquering fortresses, controlling settlements, and then expanding them accordingly. The focus in New World is on guilds, referred to as Companies in the game. They are responsible for the development and tax revenue of a settlement.
Screenshot of a settlement in New World
This is how settlements work
How can one claim a settlement? A settlement belongs to the faction that controls the respective area and the fortresses within it.
When an area is controlled, a member of the corresponding faction can pay a fee in the fortress to “buy” the settlement. Afterwards, it is under the control of a Company.
How does one expand a settlement? The Company can start to expand the settlement. There are many so-called city projects for which gold and experience points are needed:
The settlement receives gold and experience points through certain missions that can be completed by players.
Additional gold comes from the taxes that the Company charges in the settlement for houses, crafting, and purchases.
Players are encouraged to collaborate with the Company to complete the large city projects. This allows higher crafting tiers and new content for the settlement to be unlocked, benefiting both sides.
What advantages does a settlement have? To become a “member” of the settlement, you must build a house in it. You have to pay taxes on this house. In return, you receive the benefits of the settlement.
This allows you to utilize all expanded content and receive so-called “lifestyle bonuses.” These are permanent enhancements for crafting or combat, depending on the settlement’s level of expansion.
A well-developed settlement also offers the associated fortresses special bonuses in the event of a war.
Settlements can lose levels of expansion and be conquered
Can a settlement lose levels of expansion? Yes, a settlement can be downgraded. Settlements must pay dues to the respective faction. If these dues are not paid or are only partially paid, a settlement loses levels of expansion.
Also, in the event of a PvE invasion by the Corrupted, which is not successfully repelled, the settlement can lose levels.
This is what it looks like when a Company manages a settlement
What happens when a settlement is conquered? If a hostile faction takes control of the area, the settlement also switches sides. However, nothing changes for you initially.
You can continue to reside there and trade. However, there may be tax disadvantages if the new Company decides to make significant changes.
Companies are owners and managers of settlements
What are Companies? Companies are the guilds in New World. They control fortresses and settlements and manage their expansion. They are also responsible for ensuring that the fortresses cannot be conquered by hostile Companies.
Companies always belong to a faction, just like the players within a Company.
A Company can only be attacked by another if they do not belong to the same faction. Accordingly, a settlement can only be lost to a hostile faction.
Building an area in New World
How are Companies structured? A Company always has a leader who has all the rights. They can also appoint Consuls, who can take care of things like expansion or taxes.
Additionally, there are members in a Company who have no rights regarding the expansion and management of settlements and fortresses.
What do you think about the system? Could the battles for fortresses and the expansion of settlements motivate you in the long run?
To maximize efficiency in WoW, one must send their units to death. It’s a bit ridiculous and quite unnecessary – at least that’s what Cortyn thinks.
World of Warcraft has a number of mechanics that are under scrutiny. The follower missions have been around since Warlords of Draenor. They are quite controversial among players. Some players hate them because the mechanic strongly resembles mobile games, while others like them because they generate income or resources for the character “on the side”.
The concept is basically quite simple. You have a “mission table” where various missions are offered. As a hero, you send strong subordinates along with troops on the respective missions and try to counter the challenges of the missions. If I want to complete several missions simultaneously with the greatest possible success, then I need to plan my available troops a bit or focus on 2-3 missions.
You earn a little extra at the mission table – but with the right units even more.
However, the problem is that my available troops are random. That’s already pretty annoying, but with Patch 8.3 Visions of N’Zoth it has become even worse. Starting from a respectful reputation, new troops can be unlocked in Uldum and the Valley of Eternal Blossoms, which are also randomly recruited.
These new troops have the additional bonus of being able to bring “Corrupted Relics” from missions. I need these to unlock new abilities in the visions, which in turn provides better loot.
Units with this bonus are what I need – all others must be sent to death.
I’m therefore wise to possess as many of these new troops as possible, so I can obtain as many Corrupted Relics as possible.
Or in other words: If I want to play as effectively as possible, I must eliminate all hired troops that do not belong to the new type as quickly as possible. So I should send them on missions that guarantee their death.
This is not only totally ridiculous from a story perspective, but also just annoying.
Recruitment is Slapstick Comedy
It’s also pretty absurd that when you go to the corresponding NPC, you just recruit all kinds of troops. In Legion, you could still specifically request different troop types; in Battle for Azeroth, it’s done randomly. The character trains troops, and which ones they are is then decided by luck.
I always picture such scenes because they beautifully highlight the absurdity.
I then see in my mind’s eye how my Draenei talks to Matthias Shaw:
My character:“So we need specialists for this mission … ideally a squad of gnomish snipers.”
Matthias Shaw: “All right, boss. We’ll take care of it! They’re already on their way!”
– 10 minutes later –
My new squad: “The unit of profit-diving worgen warriors reporting for duty!”
I’d let Matthias Shaw get away with it once. Maybe twice. But then my patience would wear thin, and I’d find another recruiting officer who would actually provide me with the troops I need.
Of course, this is just a single aspect from Battle for Azeroth and Patch 8.3. Overall, I have quite a lot of fun with the game and belong to the few percent who still enjoy the addon.
Nevertheless, the follower system in this expansion is a RNG system with an integrated RNG system. I wish for an improvement with Patch 8.3 and not a deterioration.
After numerous leaks and a long wait, the Season 2 roadmap of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare has finally been officially presented. We will show you what content you can expect right at the start and what to look forward to throughout the new season.
The Season 2 Roadmap – Players had to wait a long time for this: Finally, Activision and Infinity Ward have officially unveiled the new Season 2 of CoD: Modern Warfare – in the form of a new roadmap.
However, players were kept in the dark for a long time. It was only on the eve of the launch of the new Season 2 that it was officially announced what to expect in Modern Warfare in spring 2020. Before that, there were only leaks and speculations. Let’s take a look at the new content. What does Season 2 bring?
These new contents will await you right at the start of the Modern Warfare Season 2
When exactly does Season 2 start? The start time: The new season starts on February 11 at 7:00 PM German time – on all platforms (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
Will there be an update for Modern Warfare regarding Season 2? This is highly likely. However, there is no information yet on how extensive it will be and what exactly it will include.
Do you have to pay for Season 2? No. All substantial and gameplay-relevant contents of Season 2, such as new maps, modes, or base weapons, are free for all players and on all platforms.
However, for the additional premium rewards from the new Season 2 Battle Pass, you will have to pay extra by purchasing the Battle Pass (costs 10€).
On Day 1, at least 4 new maps will be introduced for different modes:
The popular and already leaked Rust returns for the standard formats. It is a relatively small map for intense close-quarters combat set in an oil refinery in the Middle East.
A brand new map, Atlas Superstore, will be available for modes like Team Deathmatch or Domination. It is a type of large supermarket with a warehouse where combat occurs at both close and long ranges.
For the large 64-player Ground War mode, the new map Zhokov Boneyard comes. This is an old aircraft graveyard filled with many old wrecks, containers, and other junk.
The fast-paced Firefight format will also receive at least one new map right at the start. It’s called Bazaar and, as the name suggests, takes place in a winding market in Urzikstan.
For the Firefight mode, the roadmap indicates “and more” regarding new maps. However, no further details have been communicated about this.
New Multiplayer Modes
On February 11, 2 new multiplayer modes are set to enrich the multiplayer battles in Modern Warfare:
The Firefight Tournaments, which are being introduced as a time-limited mode after their beta phase. Here, you fight with a partner in a 2vs2 format in a knockout system against 31 other teams for rewards until one team emerges as the tournament champion.
Once Season 2 goes live, the new Battle Pass with 100 tiers will also be activated.
Free Rewards: This has a free rewards track for all players. There are only a few rewards available (not at every tier), but you still get all gameplay-relevant items, such as the 2 new weapons of Season 2.
Premium Rewards: If you want to snag a reward at each of the 100 tiers, you will need to purchase access to the premium rewards branch of the Battle Pass for 10€ (1,000 CoD points). However, almost all prizes there are purely cosmetic. But there are also CoD points and XP boosts among others.
How to get your money back: If you manage to fully unlock the premium Battle Pass, you will end up with a total of 1,300 CoD points in the end, allowing you to finance the Battle Pass for the next season.
With Ghost, Season 2 introduces an absolute cult figure from the Modern Warfare series – Simon “Ghost” Riley. This operator is unlocked immediately when you purchase the Season 2 Battle Pass for 10€.
Additionally, you can earn another skin for this elite soldier through the Battle Pass.
How to get the weapons? Just like in Season 1, via the Battle Pass. In Season 1, the weapons were available through the free reward branch and were tied to a specific tier. This will not change in Season 2.
These contents will still await you during Season 2
After the first fresh content drop at the beginning of the new season, you can expect more new content throughout Season 2. You can look forward to the following, among other things:
The new multiplayer map Khandor Hideout.
The 2 new operators Talon (Canadian Special Forces) and Mace (former US Ranger).
At least 3 new multiplayer modes. Already confirmed are Infection Ground War, NVG Reinforce, Demolition, and other Firefight variants. However, other new modes are also expected to follow in Season 2.
A new weapon, which is still a secret for now. However, it is likely to be a new shotgun – specifically the M26 MASS. This could potentially be unlocked through an in-game challenge, just like the crossbow in Season 1. However, no further information is available yet.
What about Battle Royale?
Battle Royale has been discussed regarding Modern Warfare since its release. Although the developers have never officially acknowledged it, there were several new leaks before Season 2 suggesting a potential introduction of a Battle Royale mode in Season 2.
What do you think of the contents of Season 2 that are already known? Is there anything in particular you are looking forward to? Or does the new season leave you cold so far?
The Yellow King has launched on Steam as a new MMO in Early Access that aims to scare you. It is inspired by the works of horror author H.P. Lovecraft and offers endless gameplay.
What is The Yellow King? The Indie MMO mixes roguelike elements with MMO features and takes you to a dark world haunted by grotesque creatures. Cooperating with friends, you set out to fight these monsters. You slash through endless dungeons similar to a hack ‘n slash, collect items, and upgrade your hero. PvP is also possible.
A dark god wants to destroy your soul, which probably isn’t very funny for you, so you want to prevent it.
Hack ‘n Slash Horror
What is a Roguelike? Basically, it is an endless dungeon crawler that only ends when your hero dies or you finish the game. New levels with content are continuously generated. Most roguelikes do not provide a real story or conclusion.
The goal is to get as far as possible, defeat as many monsters as possible, and collect plenty of loot.
What makes The Yellow King special? The MMO is set in a horror scenario. The creatures you fight are inspired by H.P. Lovecraft and resemble the Cthulhu Mythos. Those familiar with the books know that slimy beings with tentacles await you here, appearing to have sprung from a nightmare.
However, you should not expect a realistic look. The Yellow King opts for a stylized, comic-like graphic that still shows brutality such as blood, dismemberment, and the burning of NPCs. So, the MMO is not delicate in any way.
What status is the MMO in? The Yellow King is still in Early Access. This means it is a fairly early version that does not yet offer all content and may have bugs. According to the developers, only about 20 percent of the game is currently visible. The focus is on testing these systems:
Basic network performance
Server stability
Client performance
Account creation and login
https://youtu.be/vOma8le0eew
A gem that is not yet polished
How is the game currently received? The current rating on Steam is 80 percent and very positive. Players believe that a little gem awaits us here, even if the Early Access phase has its problems.
jakira writes on Steam: “Overall, the game is not very optimized yet, but there is already a lot that is really good. From the endless dungeons to the fun rolling around. It’s a lot of fun and I’ll keep playing to see where the journey goes.”
Jahjohama says: “I stumbled upon this little gem. I love it so far and I’m really looking forward to what the developers have in store! It offers a great community, awesome PvP, and dungeon crawler fun that is enjoyable in a group or guild.”
In Pokémon GO another spotlight hour starts tonight. This time it’s all about Spoink. We give you the overview of the event.
What is the spotlight hour? This event series is currently being tested in Pokémon GO. Last week, Onix kicked things off, and this time it’s Spoink’s turn.
Within an hour, this event Pokémon will spawn more frequently and you can go shiny hunting.
Spotlight Hour with Spoink – All Information
When does it start? The spotlight hour starts today, February 11th, at 6 PM. You can encounter Spoink more frequently for one hour, until 7 PM.
What exactly will happen today? During the event, you will encounter Spoink more frequently. The Pokémon won’t be found on every corner, but it will be significantly more present.
You might also encounter a shiny, as Spoink can also be found in its shiny version.
The shiny form of Spoink and Groink
How do we know this already? Players in New Zealand and Australia can already play the spotlight hour. It is already 6 PM there.
This information about Spoink comes from those countries. So you can be sure that Spoink will appear everywhere here in a few hours.
The players from these regions already report that the spawn rate of Spoink is better than last week’s Onix. There was some criticism because in some regions there were too few Onix to find. With Spoink, that should be different now.
The spotlight hour already took place in Australia. Source: reddit
Is this event worth it? From a usability perspective, Spoink is not relevant. It is useless in raids and does not play a significant role in the currently relevant Great League.
However, for shiny hunters, Spoink might be interesting. The Pokémon doesn’t appear that frequently outside of events, and some may still be hoping for a shiny. During the event hour, you have a good chance of encountering one.
What’s behind this event? Niantic is trying something new here. They are now planning to introduce two more events, in addition to the raid hour on Wednesdays.
While the spotlight hour takes place on Tuesdays, the bonus hour will run on Thursdays. During this hour, there will be a special bonus, which will be announced later.
The storm Sabine continues to rage. Perhaps this time, not only dragon Pokémon will lure you outside:
The players in Destiny 2 are working together towards Season 10 and the Trials. We will look at the current state of the community event and what new information Bungie has released about it.
This is what concerns the Destiny players: Currently, there is a community event in full swing in Destiny 2. It is about rebuilding the Lighthouse with generous donations.
What is the current status of the community event? The rebuilding process is happening in 7 stages. The Guardians have now completed stage 4 of the Empyrian Foundation. This was announced by the official Twitter channel of Destiny 2 last night.
At the same time, the next donation target was revealed: Stage 5 requires a whopping 3 billion Fractaline.
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The jump to the next donation target is therefore 800 million Fractaline. Compared to the previous stage, the increase is less. Here, even 1 billion more Fractaline was required (compared to stage 2).
It is thus confirmed that Bungie can adjust the required amount of Fractaline at will. Therefore, it is not possible to make predictions for the upcoming stages 6 and 7.
More fresh information for Empyrian Foundation
Can I continue to donate after the event? Anyone who is worried about not being able to spend all their Fractaline can breathe a sigh of relief. Even after the last donation target (stage 7) is reached, you can still donate Fractaline at the Tower Obelisk until the end of Season 9 (Bungie via Twitter).
And there are several reasons to donate Fractaline:
In doing so, you will receive free Fractaline delivered to your home every week. The amount of Fractaline you “receive” from the Tower Obelisk depends on the combined rank of all four planetary obelisks.
You can now easily increase the resonance ranks without Fractaline investment. To do this, you buy what is called “Light-Fused Fractaline” from the Tower Obelisk.
Stuff your pockets
How can I get the new item cheaply? The new material costs 20,000 Glimmer and 10 Legendary Shards per unit. By using Light-Fused Fractaline, the rank of an obelisk increases by a full level.
Since these items cost quite a bit of Glimmer, a visit to Spider in the Tangled Shore may be worthwhile. At this shady Warlord, you can trade resources – also for Glimmer.
The trick is not new, but still lucrative
His inventory changes daily. Always keep an eye out for a material trade that advantage you. For example, if you have an abundance of shards, you can trade these resources. With your excess resources, you can cheaply exchange for Glimmer.
Tonight, another event awaits you. How romantic Destiny 2 will be and what thematic loot there will be, you can find out here:
This evening, the new season starts with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. We summarize what is already known about Season 2, the Battle Pass, and new content such as weapons, modes, or maps.
What are the seasons in CoD Modern Warfare all about? With the seasons, Modern Warfare is supplied with new content. Certain content such as new maps, modes, or weapons are delivered over a certain time span – and this is free for all players and simultaneously on all platforms.
With a so-called Battle Pass, additional usually cosmetic items like emblems or operator skins can be earned in the corresponding season. New weapons or blueprints are also included in the Battle Pass.
This is what is known so far about Season 2 of Modern Warfare
What is already officially known about Season 2? Although there were numerous leaks prior to the start of Season 2, some even from official sources, the new Season 2 has finally been officially presented. We now know exactly what to expect in spring 2020.
Season 1 extended: The developers of Infinity Ward have extended Season 1. This will end today, on February 11, a week later than originally planned.
The start date for Modern Warfare Season 2: The leaked official trailer for Season 2 revealed the exact start date. There will be a seamless transition, and Modern Warfare Season 2 will start directly after Season 1, also on February 11, simultaneously on all platforms (PS4, Xbox One, PC).
The start time for Season 2: Larger patches and updates and new content have typically gone live in Modern Warfare around 7:00 PM German time. It is therefore likely that the season will also start today, February 11, at 7:00 PM.
Will an update for Season 2 need to be downloaded? This is expected. However, there are currently no details on how large the download will be and what specific changes will accompany the new content.
What do we know about the new Modern Warfare Battle Pass for Season 2?
What is included in the Battle Pass for Season 2? The developers had already announced before the release of Season 1 that they will continue with the new Battle Pass model. There will be no more loot boxes in the game.
However, recently a leak has revealed more about the exact contents of the Modern Warfare Season 2 Battle Pass. It will have the same format as the Battle Pass from Season 1 – it comes with various cosmetic rewards such as operator skins, CoD points, XP boosts, and new blueprints and weapons.
Do you have to buy the Modern Warfare Season 2 Battle Pass? The Battle Pass only needs to be purchased if you want to fully access all of its rewards. It will cost around 10€, just like in Season 1.
In general, you do not have to purchase the Battle Pass – not even in Season 2. It has a premium rewards branch for buyers, but also a free rewards branch for all players. There, you simply receive fewer rewards but still everything relevant.
Infinity Ward had already announced before Season 1 that the Battle Pass for buyers is only supposed to provide additional cosmetic rewards. All gameplay-relevant items, such as new base weapons (like the recent new crossbow), can be freely earned without purchase. In short: If you don’t buy it, you’ll simply have fewer cosmetics.
What is known about the contents of Season 2 in Modern Warfare?
The cult figure Ghost comes as a playable operator: After the large Modern Warfare Update 1.13, players recently encountered some mysterious screen displays on various multiplayer maps. A skull was briefly displayed on screens or digital billboards. This then disappeared shortly afterwards.
Many saw this as a clear hint at the upcoming return of Ghost, as the trademark of this cult character is a mask with a white skull. It was assumed that he would come into the game with Season 2 – and now it is official. Ghost will indeed return as a playable operator as part of the Season 2 Battle Pass.
Will Season 2 also bring Battle Royale to Modern Warfare? Call of Duty: Modern Warfare was released without Battle Royale, but speculation and rumors on this topic have been ongoing since the release: What do we know about Battle Royale for CoD Modern Warfare?
Several leaks have already suggested that Modern Warfare could receive a Battle Royale mode – either as an additional mode in-game or even as a standalone version. Shortly before the beginning of Season 2, there was recently the latest leak.
This leak mentioned that Battle Royale could indeed come into the game with Season 2 and that the new season might have been delayed for this reason. However, the mode could also be completely discarded. You can read more about this here: Battle Royale could come with Season 2 – leak at CoD MW provides hints
What about new maps and modes in Season 2? Officially, 4 maps have now been announced for the beginning of Season 2, with more to follow. The maps known are:
Throughout the season, the map Khandor Hideout is also expected to follow.
New modes will also be available. From February 11, these 2 new formats will be available to you:
The Gunfight Tournaments
The CDL playlist, where games are played according to the professional Call of Duty League rules
Throughout the season, at least 3 new multiplayer modes will also come. Already confirmed are Infected Ground War, NVG Reinforce, Demolition, as well as further Gunfight variations.
