Schalke “0:4” starts poorly into the new LoL season, shows gallows humor

Alexander Leitsch Alexander Leitsch Reading time 4 minutes

A second team fight at Baron then led to the decision, again in favor of MAD. FORG1VEN remained pale in this game as well, with a statistic of 1/3/9. Too little for a successful AD Carry.

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von Schuhmann

Gallows humor after a 0:4 start

How does Schalke react to the start of the season? While the frustration in the last matches was evident from the players during the stream, at least the social media department of S04 shows humor.

They even post memes about the poor start in the LEC and challenge fans to also vent their frustration, but also their mockery.

A well-known meme refers to Schalke taking a 4:0 lead in the Prime League, a tournament for newcomers from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. This provides a balance to the 0:4 in the highest league.

But even the fans do not hold back when it comes to funny remarks. Naturally, the 0:4 with which they started the season is particularly popular.

The missing victories are also repeatedly addressed, as in this tweet:

Tweet from @Eriknivia

A small glimmer of hope still remains for the fans. They refer to the football season 2018, in which Schalke was down 0:4 in the first half against their arch-rival Dortmund.

They managed a spectacular comeback and they then reached a 4:4 final score. Something that many fans of the LoL team would also wish for as their next step.

More on the topic
von Alexander Leitsch

A well-known meme refers to Schalke taking a 4:0 lead in the Prime League, a tournament for newcomers from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. This provides a balance to the 0:4 in the highest league.

But even the fans do not hold back when it comes to funny remarks. Naturally, the 0:4 with which they started the season is particularly popular.

The missing victories are also repeatedly addressed, as in this tweet:

Tweet from @Eriknivia

A small glimmer of hope still remains for the fans. They refer to the football season 2018, in which Schalke was down 0:4 in the first half against their arch-rival Dortmund.

They managed a spectacular comeback and they then reached a 4:4 final score. Something that many fans of the LoL team would also wish for as their next step.

A second team fight at Baron then led to the decision, again in favor of MAD. FORG1VEN remained pale in this game as well, with a statistic of 1/3/9. Too little for a successful AD Carry.

Gallows humor after a 0:4 start

How does Schalke react to the start of the season? While the frustration in the last matches was evident from the players during the stream, at least the social media department of S04 shows humor.

They even post memes about the poor start in the LEC and challenge fans to also vent their frustration, but also their mockery.

A well-known meme refers to Schalke taking a 4:0 lead in the Prime League, a tournament for newcomers from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. This provides a balance to the 0:4 in the highest league.

But even the fans do not hold back when it comes to funny remarks. Naturally, the 0:4 with which they started the season is particularly popular.

The missing victories are also repeatedly addressed, as in this tweet:

Tweet from @Eriknivia

A small glimmer of hope still remains for the fans. They refer to the football season 2018, in which Schalke was down 0:4 in the first half against their arch-rival Dortmund.

They managed a spectacular comeback and they then reached a 4:4 final score. Something that many fans of the LoL team would also wish for as their next step.

On January 24, the new season of the LEC started in League of Legends and Schalke has set high expectations with a new AD Carry. However, the start did not go well at all. The team is dealing with it with gallows humor.

What is the situation? Schalke 04 was actually aiming to make a breakthrough in the LEC this year. They finished 4th in the preseason, but with fresh wind in the team and the well-known AD Carry FORG1VEN, they wanted to make a statement in 2020.

The first week started off really poorly for the team. While the first match ended very closely, they lost the second one decisively against Origin. Ironically, the former AD Carry Upset made a very good impression.

Week 2 was supposed to bring a turnaround, but that also went wrong. Schalke is now trying to take the situation with humor and is entertaining themselves on Twitter with the fans.

LoL-Schalke-Forg1ven-1140x445
FORG1VEN, the big hope of Schalke 04 this year.

No chance against Fnatic, victory against Mad wasted

How did the game against Fnatic go? In the first 4 minutes, the Fnatic team showed that Schalke had little to gain. They opened the game with two kills on the bot lane.

After that, the bot lane duo, consisting of Hylissang and Rekkles, began roaming across the map and secured two more kills before minute 6.

Fnatic maintained control throughout the entire match, securing the first dragon and the first two towers. Schalke had no chance of winning at any point and lost the game in less than 22 minutes.

His hooks particularly hit FORG1VEN

Hylissang, the support from Fnatic, impressed especially with many good hooks using Thresh.

How did the match against MAD go? The game against MAD started with a trade in the middle, where Schalke was able to secure the first blood. Throughout the match, things were rather balanced.

After 15:30 minutes, it was 3 to 2 in kills for Schalke, although they had farmed 600 gold less in total. After the first big team fights, things looked even good for Schalke: 11 to 5 in kills and over 2,000 gold advantage at minute 30.

Humanoid from the Mad Lions

But the team fight at minute 36 did not go according to Schalke’s plans at all. 4 players died and they only took one opponent with them. MAD took advantage, secured Baron, and took control of the game from that point on.

The missing victories are also repeatedly addressed, as in this tweet:

Tweet from @Eriknivia

A small glimmer of hope still remains for the fans. They refer to the football season 2018, in which Schalke was down 0:4 in the first half against their arch-rival Dortmund.

They managed a spectacular comeback and they then reached a 4:4 final score. Something that many fans of the LoL team would also wish for as their next step.

A well-known meme refers to Schalke taking a 4:0 lead in the Prime League, a tournament for newcomers from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. This provides a balance to the 0:4 in the highest league.

But even the fans do not hold back when it comes to funny remarks. Naturally, the 0:4 with which they started the season is particularly popular.

The missing victories are also repeatedly addressed, as in this tweet:

Tweet from @Eriknivia

A small glimmer of hope still remains for the fans. They refer to the football season 2018, in which Schalke was down 0:4 in the first half against their arch-rival Dortmund.

They managed a spectacular comeback and they then reached a 4:4 final score. Something that many fans of the LoL team would also wish for as their next step.

A second team fight at Baron then led to the decision, again in favor of MAD. FORG1VEN remained pale in this game as well, with a statistic of 1/3/9. Too little for a successful AD Carry.

Gallows humor after a 0:4 start

How does Schalke react to the start of the season? While the frustration in the last matches was evident from the players during the stream, at least the social media department of S04 shows humor.

They even post memes about the poor start in the LEC and challenge fans to also vent their frustration, but also their mockery.

A well-known meme refers to Schalke taking a 4:0 lead in the Prime League, a tournament for newcomers from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. This provides a balance to the 0:4 in the highest league.

But even the fans do not hold back when it comes to funny remarks. Naturally, the 0:4 with which they started the season is particularly popular.

The missing victories are also repeatedly addressed, as in this tweet:

Tweet from @Eriknivia

A small glimmer of hope still remains for the fans. They refer to the football season 2018, in which Schalke was down 0:4 in the first half against their arch-rival Dortmund.

They managed a spectacular comeback and they then reached a 4:4 final score. Something that many fans of the LoL team would also wish for as their next step.

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

WoW Classic has a big problem and it is a black flower

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

The raid players of WoW Classic are struggling with the costs. The culprit is a particular herb that causes many problems in Classic.

While part of the community in World of Warcraft Classic is celebrating the first “Rank 14” players, PvE players are facing a big problem. Anyone who wants to actively participate in raids should equip themselves with buff materials, such as potions. However, these have exorbitant prices on many realms. This is not due to particularly greedy alchemists, but simply to a lack of resources for the player population.

What are potions? Potions are among the most powerful buffs players can obtain in WoW Classic. They are extremely strong drinks that last for one hour and also work beyond death. They increase the spell power of caster classes, the damage of melee players, or the hit points of tanks. In many raid groups, potions are considered mandatory – those who do not have them will not be taken along.

WoW Alchemy night elf cheer potions title 1140x445
Everyone needs potions in a raid – at least most of the time, it is mandatory.

What is the problem? In order to craft potions, alchemists need a particularly rare herb, namely “Black Lotus”. It has very few spawn points in the entire game world and a single herb has a long cooldown. Therefore, when it is gathered by an herbalist, it can take a long while before the herb reappears.

This leads to a significant shortage of resources and drives the prices of potions up. Depending on the realm, they often range from 60 to 80 gold – a huge sum in Classic. It wasn’t as bad in the “Vanilla” version of World of Warcraft.

Why are the prices so high? The reason for this is the higher realm capacity compared to back then. On Classic realms, there are three to four times as many players as there were on the original realms. More players mean, in this case, a greater demand for potions, but this cannot be met. Because the Black Lotus is still just as rare as it was back then, but now has to suffice for a multiple of the players.

WoW Classic Goblin Buff title 1140x445
Auction house foxes make a fortune off potions.

What do the players demand? On the WoW Classic subreddit, a portion of the players has been calling for adjustments for a while. Two ideas are generally discussed:

  • Black Lotus should spawn more frequently to accommodate the increased server capacity.
  • Black Lotus should no longer appear at fixed spawn points, but randomly at the location of other herbs, so they can no longer be targeted “camped”.

The problem becomes even more dramatic when the Week of Blackwing Lair (BWL) opens its gates. Then many raid players will be craving for potions again.

What do you think about this? Should Blizzard make adjustments? Or should Black Lotus remain the same despite the higher player count?

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von Cortyn

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

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. reddit.com/r/classicwow/ (1)
  2. reddit.com/r/classicwow/ (1)
  3. reddit.com/r/classicwow/ (1)

Call of Duty 2020 conceals developer studio – Is internal conflict to blame?

Sven Galitzki Sven Galitzki Reading time 4 minutes

Now it is official – Call of Duty will also get a new installment in 2020. But what kind of game will it be and which studio is actually in charge? Apparently, there were issues during development and a change in the project’s leadership.

Where is the information coming from? On February 6, Activision, the major publisher behind the CoD series, held an investor call for the fourth quarter. During this call, Call of Duty 2020 was also addressed.

What does Activision say about Call of Duty 2020? Not much, really. It was mentioned for the first time that a “Call of Duty” installment will be released in the fall of 2020.

This may sound unsurprising to some – after all, we are used to an annual CoD release by now. But it was the first time that Call of Duty 2020 was officially mentioned.

This was surprising: What is surprising, however, is that Activision did not mention which studio is now responsible for the new CoD installment during this investor meeting.

It was only said that the new title would generate high interest with internal play tests and that there was a good feeling about the upcoming content.

Actually, Activision Blizzard has established a fixed developer rotation for Call of Duty. There are three studios that take turns developing a new Call of Duty each year. After Treyarch with Black Ops 4 and Infinity Ward in 2019, it would normally be Sledgehammer Games’ turn in 2020.

The fact that no official developer was named is very unusual, as the lead studios have always been mentioned in such calls before. So why is Activision silent about this detail?

This might be the reason: The absence of this specific information reinforces a report from the US site Kotaku from 2019. The well-known gaming journalist Jason Schreier claims to have learned from insider sources that there were development issues surrounding the new CoD 2020, which led to a change in the responsible studio.

What was specifically mentioned in the insider report? The report also states that Call of Duty 2020 was originally supposed to be developed by Sledgehammer, together with Raven studio. They were to jointly create a CoD set during the Cold War.

However, according to the insider report, there were difficulties between Sledgehammer and Raven. The studios often clashed over the direction of the development. According to Kotaku, sources referred to Call of Duty 2020 as a “mess.” Additionally, Sledgehammer reportedly lost some key figures and developers, which further impacted morale.

Therefore, Activision subsequently transferred control of the Call of Duty 2020 project to Treyarch, the developer of Black Ops 4. Sledgehammer and Raven were supposed to support them. Since Treyarch now had only 2 years instead of the usual 3 for development, they reacted divided to this decision.

More details can be found here: Call of Duty 2020 is said to be Black Ops 5 – After Development Crisis

Although this information is not officially confirmed, the fact that no developer was named for Call of Duty 2020 during the investor call certainly suggests that Jason Schreier’s Kotaku report could be correct.

What do we know so far about Call of Duty 2020? There is no official information available.

However, the Kotaku report mentioned a Call of Duty set during the Cold War, which was then to be reworked under Treyarch’s leadership into a Black Ops 5.

Additionally, the well-known and reliable CoD leaker “LongSensation” revealed some alleged details about the new CoD 2020 in August 2019 some possible info about the new CoD 2020. His details coincide with the report from Kotaku.

Apparently, two names are in the running for the new CoD:

  • Call of Duty: Black Ops
  • and Call of Duty: Black Ops V

It is said to also be a reboot like Modern Warfare 2019 – and from the Black Ops series. The storyline is supposed to cover the timeframe of the Cold War – including Vietnam and Korea. In addition, CoD 2020 is said to be even more brutal than the new Modern Warfare.

One of the leaders at Treyarch already gave a possible hint about the gameplay of the new “Call of Duty” installment but then quickly backtracked: Call of Duty 2020: Developer talks about gameplay for the first time, then backtracks

Currently, for the ongoing Call of Duty, namely Modern Warfare, Season 2 is just around the corner. Here’s what we know about it:

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von Sven Galitzki
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. CharlieIntel
  2. Dexerto

Crimson Week 2020 Revealed – How Destiny 2 Celebrates Valentine’s Day

Philipp Hansen Philipp Hansen Reading time 3 minutes

In Destiny 2, love is in the air. Bungie revealed what to expect in this year’s Valentine’s event. Read everything about loot, activities, and the schedule for Crimson Days 2020.

This is how Destiny celebrates the Day of Love: Have you always wanted to see the Tower draped in red and decorated with countless petals? Then “Crimson Days” is just your thing.

During the event, Guardians celebrate romantic togetherness and brotherhood on the battlefield. This means players will enjoy a special mode alongside thematic loot.

crimson day 2020 destiny

When does Crimson Days start? The Valentine’s event in Destiny 2 kicks off with the next reset. From then on, you have exactly one week to enjoy the romantic flair.

  • Start is on February 11 at 6 PM
  • End is on February 18 at 6 PM

Together with the dates, Bungie released a short video on Twitter introducing the highlights of Crimson Days:

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Lord Shaxx flirts with the Queen of the Awoken – utterly delightful

Who can participate in the event? As befits an event of brotherhood and partnership, no one will be excluded. All Destiny players are welcome to join the celebrations.

Regardless of whether you own the current season, a major expansion, or simply enjoy the base game Destiny 2 – all activities and the entire event loot pool are available to you.

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This is what Crimson Days offers

This is your contact person for the event: At Lord Shaxx in the Tower, you’ll find everything you need for Crimson Days. He provides you with special bounties.

The event currency is called “Heartfelt Candies”. You earn these through bounties and Crimson activities. You can exchange Heartfelt Candies with Shaxx for a variety of rewards.

This activity awaits you: Throughout the week, a special PvP mode is available: Crimson Doubles. In this mode, you face off against another duo with just one partner or weapon sister.

If you don’t have a partner on hand, one will be assigned to you by the matchmaking. At least that was how it was in the last event.

Like in the past, the Crimson Doubles also feature special buffs:

  • Near your partner, you enjoy increased ability regeneration.
  • If you drift too far apart, you will be permanently marked to the enemy.

In the past, secret triumphs lured players into the event playlist. Whether they will return or even be expanded with new triumphs has not yet been announced.

crimson double destiny

This special loot can be obtained: Various cosmetic items will make your Guardian’s heart race. With the Heartfelt Candies, you can acquire:

  • A new ghost shell
  • A weapon ornament
  • Romantic emotes
  • A special sparrow
  • An event weapon

Additionally, many Crimson event items from previous years are making a return and are available through Eververse for Glimmer.

Enjoy a romantic sparrow ride together

This special weapon is available: The legendary combat bow The Vow makes its return. We cannot yet say at what power level the weapon will be. However, it is known that the bow awaits you as a fully leveled masterpiece of level 10.

You can show off with an exclusive emblem: During Crimson Days, you can unlock a new emblem. The decoration will later be accessible through Bungie Rewards.

You fought. You were victorious. You gave your new sparrow heart-shaped donuts in the hangar. Now you can really show off.

Description “In the Valley”

What do you think of the announcement for Crimson Days? We will keep you updated on the romantic event. Meanwhile, players are preparing for the future of Destiny 2 with another event:

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von Sven Galitzki
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Bungie
  2. Bungie

WoW: N’Zoth is down! Limit claims the World First Kill

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

The race for the World First by N’Zoth in WoW is over. The winner this time is Complexity Limit, the professional guild from the USA.

This time, the race for the World First Kill in World of Warcraft lasted just over a week. About an hour ago, a decision was made, as the US guild Limit was able to prevail and finally strip N’Zoth of his last hit points. Therefore, the victory goes to Limit.

More than 250 attempts: In total, Limit needed 274 attempts to defeat N’Zoth the Corruptor, the hardest boss, thus fully clearing the raid Ny’alotha. Just yesterday, they managed to reduce N’Zoth to 8% of his health. Today the kill was achieved, bringing N’Zoth down to 2% remaining health – this threshold had to be reached for the fight to be considered finished and for the cinematic to begin.

The kill attempt begins at 05:54:10.

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Complexity Limit obtains the World First Kill on N’Zoth

This is what nerd screams sound like: As usual, a first kill comes with the obligatory “Nerd Scream” video, where the players scream with joy as they achieve success and finally defeat the Corruptor. You should turn your headset or speakers down a bit because the excitement is quite loud:

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Many bugs plagued the race: Although Limit constantly led this race, it was marred by bugs and errors. There was a bug that incorrectly made N’Zoth immune at 25% of his health or spawned a portal that served no purpose. In the end, even Blizzard had to inform Limit that there was indeed no 2nd secret phase of the fight.

Where does Method stand? The European guild Method is still far from their kill. Currently, their best attempt is at 31.9% remaining health, so they are not even close to being in kill range.

In any case: Congratulations to Limit! A well-deserved victory.

This will also temporarily be the last “World First” race. The next one will follow only with Shadowlands and that will take many months, even though the beta might start soon.

Did you follow the race for the “World First Kill”? Or do you not care about such things?

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.

Ubisoft raves about quarterly figures of Rainbow Six, ignores Breakpoint

Noah Struthoff Noah Struthoff Reading time 3 minutes

The developer studio and publisher Ubisoft has provided insight into their figures for the last quarter of 2019. There is much praise for Rainbow Six Siege, but they barely mention their big flop Ghost Recon: Breakpoint.

What was presented? Ubisoft showed their figures for the last quarter of 2019, running from October 1 to December 31. The important Christmas sales period is included in this timeframe.

The key findings: As big winners, Ubisoft celebrates:

  • Rainbow Six Siege
  • Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
  • The Crew 2
  • Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
  • Just Dance 2020

However, Ubisoft also mentions that the fiscal year 2019 fell significantly short of original expectations. This is likely primarily related to Ghost Recon Breakpoint. The game did not perform well and even caused the Ubisoft stock to drop to a low in October 2019.

Rainbow Six still extremely successful

How Rainbow Six is doing: In the quarterly report, Ubisoft lists some successes of Rainbow Six from the past quarter:

  • Over 55 million registered users
  • A record for monthly active players in December
  • Increase in sales of digital items, DLCs, and season passes
  • Ranked 7th in the most impressive games from The Esports Observer

Rainbow Six Siege was already praised in the first quarterly report of 2019. They expressed excitement that it is also performing better in the 4th year than the previous year.

rainbow six siege top 50 header
Rainbow Six Siege is still widely played years after its release

What is said about other games? The 2020 installment of Just Dance was positively highlighted by Ubisoft. It sells about as well as the 2019 release.

Additionally, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is also receiving praise. The game is performing significantly better than its predecessor.

How does Ubisoft generally fare? They compare the figures from 2019 with the figures from 2016. While they had 2 billion gameplay hours 4 years ago, there were already 4.5 billion gameplay hours in 2019.

Compared to previous years, the last quarter of 2019 is expected to reach similarly high figures. So there are no signs of a crisis at Ubisoft.

Ubisoft ignores Breakpoint – only briefly mentions it

The major controversy in 2019 was certainly the release of Ghost Recon: Breakpoint for Ubisoft. The game flopped because players did not understand why they should set aside the predecessor. Because Wildlands was continuously improved, even long after the release.

Ubisoft does not even show the new title of Ghost Recon in the quarterly figures. A statement by Yves Guillemot, the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ubisoft, suggests that it was a flop. He says: “Although the current fiscal year falls significantly short of our original expectations, […]”.

Breakpoint itself only appears briefly in the report: among the releases of the current quarter. This refers to Adventure 1, which is scheduled for this quarter.

Breakpoint
Ghost Recon Breakpoint completely flopped – The game does not appear at all in the quarterly figures

What does this mean? One can only speculate what it means for Ghost Recon: Breakpoint to not appear in the quarterly report.

A comparable case occurred with WildStar and the publisher NCSoft. The MMORPG gradually stopped appearing there and eventually disappeared completely from the reports. Later, the game was shut down.

It remains exciting around Breakpoint. It remains to be seen whether the game can eventually recover from the many criticisms.

Ubisoft has already postponed two major titles. The reason for this was also Ghost Recon: Breakpoint:

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von Benedict Grothaus
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. globenewswire.com

Blizzard recruits new overseer for Diablo 4 and Immortal, a closer

Alexander Leitsch Alexander Leitsch Reading time 4 minutes

Rod Fergusson has announced his move to Blizzard. There, he will oversee the game franchise Diablo. Two Diablo games are currently in development at Blizzard: Diablo 4 and Diablo Immortal. Fergusson became known as the head of the Gears series and later as the “Closer” of BioShock Infinite, meaning someone who finishes games and leads them to release.

What happened? Rod Fergusson announced his move to Blizzard. In a tweet, he shared that he will leave the developer studio “The Coalition” (Gears 5) and will oversee Diablo in the future.

According to his own statement, Fergusson will not oversee a specific title of Diablo, but apparently the entire franchise. His area of work mainly includes the two new titles Diablo 4 and Diablo Immortal.

He will officially take up his new position starting March 2020.

Rod Fergusson is regarded as the “Closer”

Who is Rod Fergusson? Rod Fergusson is a Canadian developer and former Director of Production at Epic Games. There, he created the highly successful “Gears of War” series.

Furthermore, he worked on the following titles at Epic:

  • Unreal Tournament 3
  • Infinity Blade, the first iOS game with Unreal Engine
  • Shadow Complex, which IGN called one of the best games of 2009
Rod Fergusson at Gamescom Opening Night 2019 (Source: YouTube)

Why is he regarded as the “Closer”? A Closer is a pitcher in baseball who is brought in during the last inning to successfully finish a game. In the gaming industry, such a “finishing expert” is responsible for successfully completing games in the final phase of development and leading them to release.

In 2012, Fergusson moved from Epic to Irrational Games to assist in the final development phase of BioShock Infinite.

In an interview with Polygon, he spoke in 2013 about his move and what his role was:

When I stopped at Epic, I heard that Irrational was looking for a “Closer” to successfully complete BioShock Infinite. I appreciate good storytelling in the games I’ve worked on, and I saw it as an opportunity to learn from Ken [Levine] and his team.

The completion of BioShock Infinite was successful. The shooter sold over 11 million copies by May 2015 and received strong ratings on Metacritic. It has maintained that reputation since then.

What did Fergusson do after BioShock? In January 2014, he returned to Gears of War. The franchise had just been freshly acquired by Microsoft.

Fergusson was then appointed to lead the new studio The Coalition, which has released the subsequent parts of Gears of War.

In 2019, he also drew attention when he revealed at E3 that Fortnite would have been canceled under his leadership. However, he took it in stride and said that players should be glad he left Epic back then, as otherwise this global phenomenon would never have happened.

Gears 5 Team Escape
Gears 5 – The last part of the series from Rod Fergusson?

Diablo will not be an easy task

What will be the challenges with Diablo? Currently, there are two titles in development for Diablo. Fans have high expectations for Diablo 4. To even present the game at BlizzCon 2019, Blizzard had to take strict measures.

However, players have concerns, also because not everything went smoothly with the predecessor Diablo 3. In addition to many bugs at release, the real money auction house and the update policy were significant flaws that players have not forgotten.

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On the other hand, there is Diablo Immortal, whose release is especially important for Blizzard. With the new title, they aim to attract mobile fans and simultaneously tap into the major markets in China, India, and Brazil.

However, Immortal did not go well with many fans at BlizzCon 2018. Many fans of the game studio are also upset about the fact that it is not developed solely by Blizzard.

The condition of Diablo Immortal is also unclear:

  • NetEase, Blizzard’s Chinese partner, stated in February 2019 that “the development of Diablo Immortal is basically complete from a co-developer’s perspective” (via bloomberg)
  • However, Blizzard said in November 2019 that it was a rumor that Diablo Immortal was already finished. Diablo Immortal is still “in full production”

It is now also up to Fergusson to ensure that Diablo Immortal becomes successful despite its rough start and that Diablo 4 becomes successful despite still being in development. Blizzard needs a true leader for the franchise. They may have found one in the “Closer”.

What do you think? Can the “Closer” get Diablo back on track?

More on the topic
3 things are important for Blizzard in 2020 – Warcraft 3 Reforged is not one of them
von Schuhmann
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Players want their money back for Warcraft 3: Reforged – Blizzard now officially concedes

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

Dissatisfied with Warcraft 3: Reforged? Blizzard allows you to return the game. But it took a long time.

The release of Warcraft 3: Reforged was nothing less than a disaster. Buyers and pre-order customers are severely disappointed with the state of Blizzard’s revamped real-time strategy game and have plenty of criticism to offer. In addition to removed features, the developers were also accused of misleading and “false advertising.” Now Blizzard has indirectly addressed all these complaints and allows players on a large scale to return the game and get a refund – so you will receive a refund.

There was also initial feedback from Blizzard regarding the state of the game.

Warcraft 3 Reforged Title

What rules have been relaxed? Actually, Blizzard has certain rules when it comes to returning products, unless there are special legal regulations in a country. For example, the purchase date must not be too far in the past and the user must not have played a game for more than a few hours.

These rules have now been relaxed by Blizzard. It is possible to return Warcraft 3: Reforged without major issues. As stated on the official website:

Blizzard stands behind the quality of its products and services. Normally, we set limits on when a game can be returned based on the time since purchase or whether the game has been used. Nonetheless, we want to give players of Warcraft III: Reforged the option to return it if they feel that the game does not deliver the experience they wanted. That is why we have decided to allow returns upon request for the time being.

How can you return Warcraft 3: Reforged? If you have registered Warcraft 3: Reforged on your Battle.net account, you simply need to visit this support page from Blizzard and follow the steps. This will allow you to initiate a return quite easily.

Warcraft 3 Refund prompt

Blizzard changed its course: Shortly after the release of Reforged, Blizzard appeared rather unyielding. Many “refund requests” were denied and posts describing the process for a guaranteed refund were deleted from the official forums. However, for the past few days, Blizzard has been more open about refunds and has officially confirmed this today.

Are you turning Warcraft 3: Reforged into Warcraft 3: Refunded now as well? Or do you hope that the patches will improve the game?

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von Cortyn
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. eu.battle.net

FIFA 20: The broken Weekend League wasn’t that bad, players think

Max Handwerk Max Handwerk Reading time 2 minutes

After the Weekend League rewards were distributed in FIFA 20 today, the next round of the competition is set for tomorrow. It will last three days as usual. That is a shame, some players think.

What was wrong with the Weekend League? Last week, there was a problem with FUT Champions, or rather in Ultimate Team in general. On Friday, when the Future Stars started, the matchmaking was temporarily disabled due to a bug.

fut-champions-logo

As a result, Weekend League matches were not possible for a while. Many players were annoyed, but it also resulted in a positive side effect.

The problem was resolved during Friday evening, but quite a bit of time had already passed. Therefore, EA Sports exceptionally extended the Weekend League by one day until Monday evening. And some players didn’t mind that at all.

More time for the Weekend League?

This is how the players reacted: During a Weekend League, one can register for up to 30 matches. So anyone who wants to maximize their chances must invest a lot of time in the game.

Some players had already completed several matches on Friday and were happy about an extra day. Other players were pleased that they could use Monday, for example, because they often have other commitments on Fridays.

FIFA 20 Weekend League
More time would make the Weekend League more relaxing for many

A corresponding post was made by Reddit user Markyp145, who also enjoyed being one day closer to completing the Weekend League Rewards. In the end, he raises the question of whether an extra day in the Weekend League might be beneficial.

The reactions are mostly positive. A brief overview:

  • “The ability to spread the matches over four instead of three days is a game-changer for me as someone who has a wife and a house,” says user SconnieBro.
  • “Friday to Monday is an option that should exist. It’s more relaxed, you have more time,” says user NuclearDisaster5.
  • User Foxu also finds the idea good, but would prefer Thursday to Sunday. “Thursday to Sunday would be great. Then I could start right after the rewards,” agrees user JohnCasey14.

Some players report that they only registered for the Weekend League because it was extended. That way, they were able to complete the 30 matches for which there would otherwise be no time.

How would you like an extended Weekend League? Let us know in our Facebook group! And if you are on the hunt for the Daniel James card, you should check this out:

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

Blizzard explains why you cannot keep the new popular mechanic in Diablo 3

Patrick Freese Patrick Freese Reading time 3 minutes

Season 20 in Diablo 3 introduces a new mechanic that is active throughout the entire season. Players are demanding that it stays permanently. However, Blizzard explains why that isn’t possible.

What is this mechanic? As a special gimmick for Season 20 in Diablo 3, Blizzard allows all seasonal characters to utilize Kanai’s Cube as they see fit.

This Kanai’s Cube is an item in the game that grants characters legendary properties extracted from weapons, armor, or jewelry. Normally, the cube is designed so that only

  • one weapon property
  • one armor property
  • one jewelry property

can be equipped at the same time. However, the new mechanic in Season 20 allows the 3 slots to be filled with weapons, armor, or jewelry in any combination. For example, there can then be room for 3 legendary weapon properties that the cube passively grants to players simultaneously.

Why is this so popular? By removing these restrictions, there will be many more options for players’ builds. We believe that Season 20 will likely change every build in Diablo 3.

Players have long wished for this change to Kanai’s Cube. Accordingly, the mood in the community was very positive when Blizzard announced this for S20.

“I love the theme. It’s going to be fun to go crazy with every build for 3 months,” writes a player.

On our site MeinMMO, Ardyn writes, “The first theme that really interests one. WoW”

On Reddit it even goes so far that a player wishes: “I really hope that removing the item class restrictions in Kanai’s Cube becomes permanent.” But Blizzard explains what the problem is.

What does Blizzard say about this? In the comments on Reddit, community manager Nevalistis responded to the player’s wish. She writes:

I have said this pretty much every season we’ve added a new mechanic, but whenever I see this feedback (and we’ve seen it for almost every seasonal theme), it means we probably did a good job with the seasonal theme. 🙂 We want them to be compelling and different and to change the way you play. It should be exciting!

But, and I think this is very easy to accept, making something crazy and powerful permanent tends to have a negative effect in the long run. Such a change could make the current playstyles that are fun obsolete, and too strong a combination could actually limit the variety of builds we are trying to expand with our other efforts.

We are still actively working on balance (slowly, I admit, but surely). There will likely be more than one ridiculous combination, some of which we probably won’t see until during the season; people are infinitely creative, and there are a lot more of you than us.

Playing around with extreme power changes is fine as long as it’s only temporary. But transitioning into the broader game is much harder to roll back even if it ultimately causes harm.

People generally don’t like to be nerfed, no matter how good it may be for the game. That’s why we are very selective about such changes when they become necessary and provide them with as thorough an explanation as possible.

While it’s not impossible, if it doesn’t get nearly as crazy as we imagine, it’s a pretty big risk. And I don’t think it’s likely that we will introduce this particular change permanently.

Source: Nevalistis on Reddit

A player responds that Blizzard doesn’t really know whether something crazy and powerful would actually have a negative effect permanently because that has never happened in Diablo 3.

Nevalistis responds that Diablo 3 actually made a seasonal bonus permanent when they incorporated the Legacy of Dreams gem into the game. That was a direct consequence of how well the seasonal theme resonated with players.

In general, Blizzard is not against the idea of permanently incorporating a theme if it is well received. However, ultimately, it should be a positive effect with little risk that is worth the resources to implement.

Further insights into the future of patches in Diablo 3 were recently shared by Blizzard.

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

5 cool features that the Pokémon MMO Temtem should still get

Alexander Leitsch Alexander Leitsch Reading time 3 minutes

The MMO Temtem is very popular, even though it is still in Early Access. In the meantime, the first players have completed the story and seen most of the content. Therefore, we are looking at the updates that Temtem is set to receive.

What can you currently do in Temtem? Temtem already offers various content during Early Access that should keep you occupied for at least several dozen hours, including:

  • Catching, leveling, and breeding Temtems, with the current max level capped at 48 and the number of different Temtems limited to 86.
  • Luma Temtems, which are particularly rare.
  • A story that you can follow up to Arena 4.
  • 4 of the 6 announced areas.
  • Various methods to make money.
  • A co-op experience, allowing you to experience everything together with a player.
  • An enemy faction called “Clan Belsoto”.

However, this content does not keep players tied to the MMO forever. Therefore, we are looking at the updates that Temtem is still set to receive, which should keep you engaged long-term.

Lady Lottie, one of the heads of Clan Belsoto

1. Mounts

In Temtem, you have to do a lot on foot and repeatedly take your Temtem to healing centers. To avoid this taking too much time, you should soon be able to ride.

However, you won’t be riding on just any animals, but on suitable Temtems. There are already rumors that Oceara will be one such Temtem.

Oceara (left) and Nessla (right) – the two rarest Temtem from Deniz

2. Guilds

Playing an MMO is especially fun when you experience the adventures with friends. Therefore, Temtem is also set to introduce a guild system called Clubs.

A Club will provide the ability to chat with each other and participate in weekly tournaments together.

3. Housing

Those who have already reached the second island, Omninesia, will have found a place where your house could potentially stand in the future. The NPC in front will tell you that the content is not available yet.

Housing could become a long-term engagement in Temtem. The homes are supposed to be completely customizable and remodelable, including furniture and walls.

The housing areas will be divided into instanced neighborhoods, allowing you to visit other houses, especially those of your friends.

Screenshot of the housing from the Kickstarter page

4. Mystic Temtem

The Mystic Temtem are set to become a special type that can only be found in a specially created area. There are also supposed to be specific new quests surrounding the special Temtem.

However, there are currently no further details about the Mystic Temtem.

5. Tournaments with Replay System

An additional goal through the crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter was the automated weekly tournaments. In these, the tamers will compete against each other and play through several rounds to victory.

Competitive PvP in Temtem
Competitive PvP in Temtem

There will also be a pick-and-ban phase. Participants can expect in-game rewards as prizes.

In addition, Temtem is set to receive a replay system, allowing you to watch your own battles as well as those of successful champions and learn from them.

When will these features come?

So far, the developers at Crema Games are still withholding exact details about when new features will arrive. Nothing is known yet about the release of Temtem.

However, you can expect that we at MeinMMO will keep you updated. You can find all information about Temtem on our overview page.

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

Fortnite pro Ninja freaks out live on stream when he is let down

Eilyn Rapp Eilyn Rapp Reading time 3 minutes

Professional player Tyler “Ninja” Blevins was streaming Fortnite when he was left behind by his teammates and subsequently eliminated. The pro reacted quite angrily to this action and let everyone know about it.

The Fortnite star Ninja was casually playing a few rounds with his friends Reverse2k, Funk, and FaZe Ewok in his stream.

However, the game quickly took a negative turn when the streamer realized he was alone and had to fight against an entire team.

Ninja is left behind

The pro had just finished looting and upgraded his weapons at a workbench when he was suddenly shot at. A stream sniper team had found him and attacked him from all sides.

He informed his teammates that he was currently in a fight. However, they had long since moved away from him.

He had to face the fight alone and was eliminated despite all his efforts.

The pro struggles to compete against good players because he is missing one thing.

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Mobile users please fast forward to 22 seconds.

Ninja gets mad at teammates

During the fight against the enemy team, the pro remained quite calm. But once he was eliminated, he vented his anger at his teammates.

“I am so mad. I was behind you the whole time, guys!”

Ninja

A teammate told him not to be mad at him, to which Ninja replied that he was mad at all of them. Especially about his teammate Funk, the pro was upset.

“I don’t play with a team just to be left behind! Funk, listen to me: I hate playing with people who always run away. It’s so frustrating!”

Ninja

Ninja pleads with him to just bring Reverse2k back and finish the game.

“Please finish the round. Don’t jump down there. I will be even angrier if you don’t finish the match!”

Ninja

But Funk edits his stair, causing him and Ewok to fall to their deaths. Thus, the Fortnite round ended for the four friends.

Fortnite-funk-ewok-tod

In the end, the pro says he was just joking. It was 90% fun and 10% honest. But he admonishes his teammate Funk not to leave him behind in the future.

Would you react the same way if you were left behind by your teammates?

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Ninja says it bothers him that Funk runs away in every round and leaves him behind. Funk admits the mistake and explains that he always has auto-running activated.

Ninja-Horror

Fans try to calm him down – only make it worse

The Fortnite star muted his microphone in the game and talked to his chat. He explained that he wasn’t a baby for getting upset. He wouldn’t loot for 7 minutes just to be killed by a stream sniper team.

Moreover, he didn’t need a team that left him behind while he was fighting against an entire team.

“I have the right to be mad at my friends and yell at them without you telling me to shut up. If someone uses the excuse that it’s just a game, I will lose my mind.”

Ninja

It is the competitive spirit and it is about respect and pride. That goes much further than just a video game.

Fortnite ninja ausraster

Trolling ending leaves Ninja desperate

Ninja’s teammate Funk wants to end the round prematurely and eliminate himself so that the pro does not have to wait. But Ninja does not agree with that at all.

He urges Funk to revive Reverse2k so they can finish playing and secure the victory. But teammate Funk is already building up into the clouds.

Ninja pleads with him to just bring Reverse2k back and finish the game.

“Please finish the round. Don’t jump down there. I will be even angrier if you don’t finish the match!”

Ninja

But Funk edits his stair, causing him and Ewok to fall to their deaths. Thus, the Fortnite round ended for the four friends.

Fortnite-funk-ewok-tod

In the end, the pro says he was just joking. It was 90% fun and 10% honest. But he admonishes his teammate Funk not to leave him behind in the future.

Would you react the same way if you were left behind by your teammates?

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This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
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Destiny 2 is struggling on Twitch, but the streamer celebrates huge success in 2020

Philipp Hansen Philipp Hansen Reading time 4 minutes

On Twitch, Destiny 2 doesn’t actually play a major role in 2020. However, Destiny streamer Sean “Gladd” Gallagher is now speaking out and says he has the most subs worldwide on Twitch overall. That is a significant financial success for him.

Although Destiny 2 doesn’t really play a role on Twitch, the loot shooter is currently stirring up the streaming platform. The person with the most subscriptions on Twitch worldwide is said to be a Destiny streamer.

Who is this about? The streamer is named Sean Gallagher, but is better known by the name “Gladd”. In Destiny 2, Gladd is among the best PvE players ever and has been the biggest Destiny streamer on Twitch since KingGothalion moved to Mixer.

This is his success: According to his own statement, Gladd currently has 32,722 “Subs”, which are money-generating subscriptions. Assuming that a subscription brings the streamer about $3, Gladd earns about $100,000 a month just from the subs.

How much he actually earns is unclear because there are different tiers of subs and it varies how many percent the streamer receives from the revenue and how much goes to Twitch.

Gladd proudly shared on Twitter the numbers of a tracking site, stating that he is in first place:

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A Destiny streamer is among the top on Twitch

According to the numbers of a tracking site, Gladd surpasses streamers like Summit1g and xQc and is in first place among individual streamers.

Is Gladd really number 1?

The problem with the numbers: Viewer and follower counts on Twitch are accurately tracked. Subscription numbers work differently.

Again, tracking sites like Twitchtracker do list entries and numbers. However, these are estimates and projections. Since the values depend on which subscription data a streamer forwards, they are not infallible:

  • The site then also says: “There is an error margin.”
  • The streamer Summit1g called the numbers incorrect in January 2019. They were just estimates after the site had ranked him higher, which he did not want.
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We recently looked at the “problem” of the “No. 1 in subs on Twitch” with a German streamer on MeinMMO. MontanaBlack claimed to be the numero uno when it comes to Twitch subs:

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How likely are Gladd’s numbers? The reported numbers from Gladd can be considered real. Because, unlike other streamers, he has a sort of live ticker for subs running.

The problem is: We don’t know if he really is number one because not every streamer discloses their sub counts.

Anthem-xGladd
Is Gladd wearing the sub crown?

Why is Gladd so successful?

A community puzzle as a springboard: Recently, a complex puzzle kept the Destiny players engaged. For almost a week, the mega puzzle caused sleepless nights – including for Gladd.

Gladd was the player who first made it through the maze. Solving the puzzle was only possible through the cooperation of the community.

The puzzle gave the tireless streamer a significant boost on Twitch. During this time, Gladd reached about five times as many viewers as usual and apparently managed to maintain the momentum of the puzzle.

However, Sean Gallagher was already a well-known figure in the Destiny cosmos.

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Streamer impresses with achievements: Over the years, Gladd has repeatedly made headlines with achievements in PvE, incredible perseverance, or crazy challenges.

His achievements include:

That was all cool, but Gladd had never been as successful as he was now in early February. Apparently, the puzzle gave him lasting momentum. This is all the more remarkable because Destiny 2 is not actually a trending game on Twitch:

  • In 2019, Destiny 2 was only in 24th place among games on Twitch in terms of average viewers

Destiny 2 plays hardly any role on Twitch

What about Destiny 2 on Twitch? The loot shooter from Bungie has been struggling to make its mark on Twitch lately. In the days of “Destiny 1”, a special mode attracted streamers to PvP and a ton of viewers to their screens: the Trials of Osiris.

However, many well-known streamers have turned their backs on Destiny and found their homes in other games like Fortnite, becoming big stars there. Former players include DrLupo and even Tfue

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Last year, large parts of Destiny 2 became free-to-play and the game skyrocketed on Steam. However, the initial boom could not be maintained.

Especially on Twitch, Destiny is lagging far behind – compared to giants like Fortnite. Whenever a major expansion of the MMO shooter hits, Twitch numbers do rise, but it doesn’t last long.

Aside from the peaks in the autumn months (when the biggest DLCs traditionally release), things do not look rosy for Destiny 2 on Twitch either. Even during the strongest phases, Destiny 2 continues to trail behind the giants:

Source: Sullygnome

Under these circumstances, Gladd’s many subs are particularly impressive.

What do you think of Gladd – has he earned his success through hard work, or is he being overrated? Currently, Destiny players on Twitch can grab a ton of loot:

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This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
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How well do MMORPGs actually perform on GeForce NOW, the new streaming service?

Alexander Leitsch Alexander Leitsch Reading time 6 minutes

In February, Nvidia’s cloud gaming service GeForce NOW officially went live after a year-long testing phase. Our author Alexander Leitsch took a look at the service and tried out his favorite games, the MMORPGs, with it.

What is GeForce NOW? With Nvidia GeForce NOW, you can stream various games from a wide range, similar to Google Stadia. This saves you from downloading games and possibly needing powerful hardware.

The platform offers you two versions:

  • A free version that always interrupts the gaming session after one hour.
  • A paid version for 5.50 euros, which interrupts gaming sessions only after 6 hours and includes ray tracing.
  • In both versions, games can be played in 1080p and 60 FPS and 720p with 120 FPS. However, there is no support for 4K.

What games does GeForce NOW offer? Unlike Google Stadia, Nvidia does not sell the games itself but lets you play over your own game accounts – for example, through Steam.

This gives you access to many games, including MMORPGs. Our author Alexander Leitsch is a self-proclaimed fan of Guild Wars 2, Black Desert, and other games in the genre. He has tried these with GeForce NOW.

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The start is super fast and super easy

Setting up GeForce NOW: At the start of the project, I registered on the Nvidia website and downloaded GeForce NOW. Currently, there is a promotional offer where the first 90 days are free.

Within GeForce NOW, I can easily add my favorite game Guild Wars 2 to the library and start it directly. Upon the first connection, I’m assigned a server, GeForce NOW EU Central 3.

I haven’t made any personal settings to see if Nvidia has selected the best configurations by itself. So I immediately start Guild Wars 2 and log into the client.

Server connection in GeForce NOW

Unfamiliar client and first image issues

The first steps in the game: The initial steps in Guild Wars 2 are very unfamiliar because the game is not adjusted to my settings. After a few tweaks, the client sets the language to German and the interface is customized to my preferences.

I already notice that Nvidia had set the graphics settings to “Medium” by default. While Guild Wars 2 still looks good, I had hoped that the streaming service would allow me to utilize the full graphics power.

Additionally, the image sometimes becomes a bit pixelated, as is common with live streams. In the vast emptiness of the Twisted Depths, this is not a major issue, but during the first world boss, it gets worse.

World boss Tequatl GW2
World bosses in GW2, an adventure for many players, but also many effects

How does the first group event go? At the first world boss Thaida Covington, a pirate, I meet about 30 other players early in the morning. Initially, the FPS hovers just above 40, but then I become a bit overzealous and set the graphics to “High”.

And behold, the FPS drops to numbers between 7 and 20. This makes the event difficult, so I quickly lower the graphics settings again.

However, the positive aspect is that the ping remains in a good range throughout the entire event. I experience occasional image issues but no input problems or lags. The gaming experience is decent, although not groundbreaking.

On average about 35 FPS on medium graphics in Guild Wars 2

Tweaking the settings and disappointment with bitrate

What settings does GeForce NOW offer? After the first group event, I naturally wanted to know if I could still improve the settings in GeForce NOW myself. Nvidia offers three presets:

  • Balanced (default choice) – 1920×1080, 60 FPS, no Mbps specified, consumption about 10 gigabytes per hour.
  • Data-saving mode – 1280×720, 60 FPS, 12 Mbps, consumption about 4 gigabytes per hour.
  • Competitive – 1280×720, 120 FPS, no Mbps specified, consumption about 6 gigabytes per hour.

Additionally, I can make my own settings. The maximum bitrate is 50 Mbps, which is supposed to consume 15 gigabytes per hour.

In the speed test, my internet connection reaches almost 150 Mbps. So I still have a bit of headroom. With some luck, this could also improve the performance of Guild Wars 2 again.

How much does GeForce NOW burden the CPU? An interesting aspect of this test is how much GeForce NOW loads my own PC and what performance is required for it.

According to the task manager, GeForce NOW consumes 3.3% of my CPU and about 330 MB of RAM in full use with GW2, which is below Microsoft’s communication software “Teams” that I always run in the background for work.

GW2 in various settings

How does GW2 perform at maximum settings? Of course, I took another shot and set the settings to maximum bitrate.

This leads to the possibility of playing at least occasionally with 50 FPS. However, during a second world boss fight with the Jungle Worm, the FPS also drops to the 30s to 40s range.

At maximum graphics, I also do not exceed 20 FPS here.

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How does GW2 perform at minimum settings? In data-saving mode, Nvidia presents Guild Wars 2 to me in 1280×720. This looks not only odd but is also nearly unplayable.

With a maximum transfer of 12 Mbps, the game runs, but I experience genuine lags and ping issues for the first time. During the boss fight against the Svanir Shaman, I have an average ping of over 300.

In all my enthusiasm, I then even set the resolution to 1920×1080 and then have a continuously pixelated image, no matter where I am:

Other MMORPGs on GeForce NOW?

How do other MMORPGs perform? In the next step, I want to try out whether the problem might be with Guild Wars 2 itself. Even with good PCs, this MMORPG always encounters performance problems when many players are involved.

While GW2 could be launched via its own client, you are bound to the versions on Steam for The Elder Scrolls Online and Black Desert Online. However, I only own both games separately from Steam. Since the accounts cannot be linked, I cannot access both MMORPGs.

Lastly, there’s World of Warcraft. The game launches in the Battle.net launcher but seems not to be installed by Nvidia. At least it offers me the download but then states that storage space is insufficient. Other games from the launcher, such as Hearthstone, I can play.

I should install WoW on GeForce NOW – Which did not work

Conclusion: Not enough for MMORPG fans

This is what Alex says about GeForce NOW: A few hours of trying out is enough for me to determine that GeForce NOW is still not mature – at least for MMORPG enthusiasts.

Although Guild Wars 2 can be played with a good internet connection, the experience is rather mediocre. The graphics cannot be maximized, and larger events are best avoided if you want a smooth experience. The support for known MMORPGs is also moderate, as many things are tied to Steam.

Nvidia is somewhat ahead of its competitor Google Stadia due to its games concept and the integration of Steam, but I still prefer to rely on my own beloved PC and upgrade it for a few more years, hopefully until the infrastructure improves on all sides in the future.

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My data for the test:

  • Intel Core i7 4770k
  • 16 Gigabytes RAM
  • Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070
  • Windows 10 64-Bit
  • 148.021 Kbit/s download according to speed test before and 147.088 Kbit/s after the test
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This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Buy CoD Modern Warfare: Battle Pass or not – who is it worth it for?

Sven Galitzki Sven Galitzki Reading time 4 minutes

In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Season 2 is starting soon. Some players are wondering what the new Battle Pass offers and whether they should get it. However, purchasing it is by no means mandatory if you want to enjoy the seasons. We explain why.

What is the Battle Pass for Modern Warfare? Through so-called seasons, Modern Warfare continuously receives fresh content. Additionally, Call of Duty introduced the Battle Pass system with Modern Warfare – each season thus gets its own Battle Pass.

This provides players with additional incentives in the form of further rewards – if you buy the Pass, even more. Some players may wonder if they are missing out if they do not acquire the Battle Pass during a season. Is it necessary to fully enjoy the season – such as with the upcoming Season 2? Or do non-purchasers still have enough new content through the overall season?

You will find out here.

What’s in the Battle Pass for Modern Warfare

Battle Pass instead of Loot Boxes: Even before the release, developers from Infinity Ward announced that there would be no Season Pass and no Loot Boxes in Modern Warfare anymore. Instead, there would be a clearly structured Battle Pass through which rewards can be earned without any random factor.

Since the start of Season 1, we now have a good idea of what a Battle Pass looks like and what contents it offers. And even though nothing is known yet about the Season 2 Battle Pass itself, the structure from the first season should represent all future seasons as well. This is the system that developers are relying on for Modern Warfare.

What the Battle Pass brings: With the Battle Pass, additional, mostly cosmetic items like emblems or operator skins can be earned in the corresponding season. But bonus XP tokens, new weapons, or crafting plans for alternative cosmetic variants of the firearms are also obtained in the Battle Pass.

cod modern warfare battle pass offer

This is divided into 2 reward tracks:

  • a premium track for purchasers (costs about 10€). Here, as a buyer, you immediately receive some cosmetic items like operator skins, XP tokens, or a watch. In 100 levels, you can unlock additional rewards at each level by leveling up the Battle Pass (simply by playing).
  • a free track, which offers rewards for all owners of CoD Modern Warfare – regardless of the actual purchase of the respective Battle Pass. Here, too, there are 100 levels, but only a few of them offer rewards.

By the way, if you fully earn a purchased Battle Pass, you will receive enough CoD points to refinance the Battle Pass for the next season.

What’s in the Seasons of CoD Modern Warfare

Everything is free and available to all: Through the seasons, Infinity Ward provides the game with new content. Fresh content such as new multiplayer maps, new modes, or weapons is delivered in segments over a certain period of time.

cod modern warfare season 1 roadmap

The cool thing is: all this new content is completely free for all players and is released simultaneously on all platforms – that is, on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

How it used to be: The direct predecessor, Black Ops 4, looked quite different. If you wanted to experience new maps or zombie adventures there, purchasing the so-called Black Ops Pass (essentially a Season Pass) was mandatory.

You could not purchase the map packs individually. Moreover, new content was released a week earlier on PS4. So, if you wanted to fully enjoy the game, you had to make a purchase.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare Battle pass in the menu

Is the Battle Pass in Modern Warfare worth it?

Battle Pass in CoD Modern Warfare – Buy or not buy? It really only depends on what is important to you and whether you play a lot or regularly.

Because all essential content from the respective season, such as the two new base weapons from Season 1, is also available to you even if you do not buy the Battle Pass – whether through the free reward track of the respective Battle Pass or as a free update within the relevant season.

The purchase of the Battle Pass essentially only expands the reward pool and gives you some XP bonuses, CoD points, and a lot of cosmetic stuff.

Conclusion: If you play a lot and regularly and/or if cosmetics for character and weapon customization are important to you, then the Battle Pass could be worthwhile for you.

cod modern warfare weapons battle pass 1
The two weapons from the Season 1 Battle Pass

Because for 10€, heavy players are offered a lot of cool cosmetic items in addition to all the free contents of a season. However, these need to be unlocked by leveling the Battle Pass (or purchasing the ranks with CoD points, the real money currency), so you really need to stay focused. In the end, you might actually get the CoD points for the next Battle Pass.

If you play little or occasionally and do not care for optional cosmetics, you can safely skip the purchase. After all, you receive all relevant seasonal content like new maps or new base weapons without any extra money as well, so you can enjoy the seasons and fresh content to the fullest, unlike previous installments.

And casual players won’t easily gather the CoD points for the Pass anyway. So if you are not into optional bling-bling, you really don’t need the Battle Pass.

What do you think? Is the Battle Pass in Modern Warfare a must for you? Or do you also get full enjoyment without it?

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

Those who use mods in Final Fantasy XIV go against the will of the chief

Irina Moritz Irina Moritz Reading time 3 minutes

During a livestream for the upcoming Patch 5.2, the director of Final Fantasy XIV, Naoki Yoshida, commented on the use of mods and other third-party tools.

What is this about? In the FFXIV community, mods have gained significant popularity over the years. They drastically alter the appearance of equipment and characters.

Players obtain outfits, hairstyles, and other assets that do not exist in the game. Or they gain access to items that are not available to them, such as items that must be purchased in the cash shop or earned in very difficult content.

Screenshots of such mods are circulated on the internet, and the director of Final Fantasy XIV has now asked the community to refrain from using these mods.

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No mods or other third-party tools

What does Yoshida say? In the producer’s letter, Yoshida stated that mods and other third-party tools are prohibited in FFXIV. The use of them is not a grey area, as some players in the community had claimed, but is explicitly not allowed.

In some countries, screenshots with modded content are even illegal and violate applicable laws.

We don’t want people asking us: “From which game are these screenshots even? Change the code so that it’s no longer possible!”.

Naoki Yoshida

Yoshida also emphasized that the use of other third-party tools is not allowed. He specifically referred to the DPS meter ACT and tools that access the code of Final Fantasy XIV.

The head of the MMORPG stated:

We cannot check if people have a small window open that shows them ACT. We also don’t want to “scan” your PCs, apart from it being illegal.

But there are additional plugins for ACT that can heavily influence the game. This breaks the balance of the game and will be punished more severely.

Yoshida mentions the ACT triggers that scan the log during combat and for example predict which attacks are coming next. This allows players to master raids more easily.

There are also videos of addons that make normally invisible AOE attacks from bosses visible, making them significantly easier. The use of these will also be harshly punished, according to Yoshida.

While ACT itself remains a grey area, because unlike other programs it does not modify the code but only reads it, Yoshida still asked players to refrain from using it.

In the end, he emphasized once again that an internal DPS meter in Final Fantasy XIV is out of the question, as it would lead to too much toxic behavior.

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Trouble in the Japanese community

This was the first incident: Both ACT and the mods have been around for a very long time among FFXIV players. The fact that Yoshida is insisting on this now can be attributed to several incidents that have occurred in the Japanese community in recent months.

The first was related to the race for the world-first kill of the ultimate battle against Alexander. The group that accomplished the fight first received anonymous death threats.

They were accused of cheating and using information obtained through data mining. Square Enix responded by banning several well-known data miners, but officially recognized the group’s victory.

final fantasy xiv yoshida stormblood
Naoki Yoshida – the head of Final Fantasy XIV is revered by many as the savior of the MMORPG.

This was the second incident: Another incident reportedly revolved around player Dingo and his use of mods. According to a Reddit post aiming to bring attention to the events, he was actively hunted by a group from the Japanese community.

Comments like the following circulated:

  • He is a sinner and is trying to destroy FFXIV
  • Mods are against the TOS and he deserves to be punished
  • Yoshida will remove the G-Pose function if modded screenshots continue to be taken.

Players have tracked Dingo in-game and on social media, and also harassed people who played with him. He became outcast and systematically isolated. He was apparently also wished death several times.

The same group allegedly also tried to attack Western players who posted modded screenshots publicly, according to a Reddit user’s account.

In both cases, there has been a lot of trouble in the Japanese community, which has apparently also caught the attention of Square Enix.

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This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
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Star developer believes his last game flopped also because it was too politically correct

Noah Struthoff Noah Struthoff Reading time 3 minutes

The game developer Cliff Bleszinski, known for Gears of War, recently recorded two major flops. Especially his game LawBreakers is said to have flopped because it was overly politically correct.

Who is Cliff Bleszinski? The developer worked on the Gears of War franchise and left just before Fortnite was released from the studio Epic Games. He then founded his own studio named Boss Key. However, it has since shut down after developing two flops:

  • Lawbreakers was released in 2017 for PS4 and Windows and was supposed to be a competitive first-person shooter but never managed to build a player base
  • Radical Heights was a battle royale game that also did not find success

Especially regarding the downfall of the game LawBreakers , Bleszinski has now commented. One of the reasons for the failure is said to be that it was too politically correct.

Troubled by “gender-neutral bathrooms”

Bleszinski describes the failure as follows: He first made it clear that it was not just political correctness that was to blame, but also many other reasons. It was just one of many problems that led to LawBreakers’ failure:

  • He should have completely rethought the game when it became clear what a giant Overwatch was – a game that Lawbreakers was often compared to
  • and he should have pushed his own design ideas more strongly
LawBreakers Banner
The game LawBreakers totally flopped

Nevertheless, political correctness was one of the criteria. Bleszinski provided several examples of what he and his studio might have done wrong:

Instead of “this game looks good”, it became “the game with the ‘woke Bro’ trying to shove his dirty politics down our throats with gender-neutral toilets”. Instead of “these characters seem fun”, it became “this is the studio with the CEO who refuses to make his female characters sexier”. Instead of “who will I vote for”, it became “a white guy using the diversity of shoelace makers in his game and then smelling his own self-satisfied farts in interviews” instead of just letting the product … speak for itself.

Cliff Bleszinski on Instagram

Bleszinski says he regrets relying on political correctness. He also states that this can be done if the developer studio already has a hit that secures the developers. However, this was not the case for Boss Key.

Radical Heights
Radical Heights was supposed to save Boss Key again, but it also flopped

How did the developer studio fare in general? After Bleszinski left Epic, he founded Boss Key and immediately started working on LawBreakers. However, after the game failed, they turned to the battle royale genre in “one last desperate attempt,” as the developer stated on Twitter, and released the game Radical Heights.

However, the shooter could not stand out from the strong competition around Fortnite or PUBG and also failed. It only caused quite a stir during a Fortnite outage.

In May 2018, the developer studio then shut down. That was only 4 years after its founding.

Apparently, Bleszinski is still struggling with the failure and continues to write about the reasons even almost 2 years after the closure. This is quite understandable, as the developer was once considered a genius and one of the most influential developers when he achieved great success with Gears of War.

Can you understand Bleszinski? Or do you say that the failure had completely different reasons? If you are looking for successful shooters, then check out here:

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WoW: Method is running out of time, but they are not fighting the final boss

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

Team Method is running out of time for the First Kill in World of Warcraft. However, they are not practicing on N’Zoth, but rather doing other things.

In World of Warcraft, the race for the mythical First Kill of N’Zoth is still ongoing. While Limit is already very close to the First Kill, Method seems to be taking their time – they are not working on N’Zoth but have other plans. Instead of directly continuing to tackle the last boss of the Ny’alotha raid, they prefer to replay the entire raid once more.

What’s going on? Last night, the US guild Limit came dangerously close to a First Kill of N’Zoth. They had the boss down to 10.6% of its remaining health. Since the fight presumably ends at around 2% HP left, they only lack a mere 8.6%, which corresponds to about 20-25 seconds of full damage. Limit is confident that they can kill N’Zoth if they can execute a clean pull without errors.

Currently, the guild Limit is asleep, while the European players are active. The EU guild Method has only reached 48.1% of the fight so far, which means they are still far from a First Kill.

That’s why Method is not practicing right now: Method has decided not to directly continue practicing on N’Zoth. Instead, they are currently running “split raids,” where they are defeating the bosses of Ny’alotha once more. This way, they want to collect a few better items and further improve their characters before they return to work on N’Zoth.

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Meanwhile, time is constantly ticking for them, because if Limit wakes up again, the First Kill could happen at any moment.

How many guilds are at N’Zoth? In the meantime, quite a number of guilds have gathered at the final boss N’Zoth and are trying to defeat the toughest boss. With 9 guilds at the final boss, the race for the World First is more exciting than it has been in a long time. Some of the top guilds currently include:

  1. Complexity Limit
  2. Method
  3. Pieces
  4. Alpha
  5. Aversion
  6. Jitianhong
  7. FatSharkYes
  8. Skyline
  9. Exorsus
WoW Nyalotha Ilgynoth

Race as exciting as it hasn’t been in a long time: Although there has been much criticism of the boss fight against N’Zoth, such as because it was bugged and Limit was able to skip a phase or even a portal appeared that shouldn’t have existed, the race for the “World First Kill” is as exciting as it hasn’t been in a long time. Even if the fight doesn’t fare well with critics, the difficulty level is still challenging and (nowadays) well-balanced.

Currently, Limit is still leading, but perhaps this will change in the coming hours. Otherwise, the Americans have excellent chances this time for the World First Kill of a final boss.

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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.

Twitch streamer demands an hourly wage from viewers, otherwise he will go offline

Maik Schneider Maik Schneider Reading time 3 minutes

A streamer asks his viewers on Twitch for an “hourly wage” of $10, otherwise he will stop playing Call of Duty 4. 10 minutes later, the stream was over.

This is how the scene went down: In the Twitch stream of Richard “WingsOfRedemption” Jordan, a strange scene recently unfolded. The streamer currently has almost 160,000 followers. He mainly plays Rainbow Six: Siege, but here he was playing the remastered version of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare from 2016.

After a round of Team Deathmatch, which actually went fairly well for him and he finished with a K/D ratio over 2, the streamer took a deep breath and explained to his viewers that he would not continue playing unless he received at least $10 per hour in donations.

Alright guys, I hate to be this way. But if you want the stream to continue, make it $10 the hour.

We need $10 donations per hour for me to keep this crap going. Otherwise, I’m going offline.

WingsOfRedemption
twitch wingsofredemtion leaderboard donations
The round actually didn’t go that bad, but the streamer was quite dejected.

$10 an hour or I will end the stream

These were the reactions in the chat: Many viewers were astonished by the announcement and a few “WTF” messages were visible. “How about another game?” suggested one user.

Another user wrote “Broooo, what? Come on Jordie, that’s not a good attitude!” and hit the point. Donations are supposed to be voluntary, and that’s what the system is based on – voluntariness, for viewers and streamers.

However, WingsOfRedemption seems to have some loyal fans as well. “I will put in 5, anyone else?” wrote one of his subscribers, but it didn’t help.

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What happened next? 10 minutes after his brazen donation request for an “hourly wage”, the streamer ended the game in the middle of the ongoing match and went offline with the words “Alright guys, that was the stream for today.”

What else is WingsOfRedemption known for? The streamer was once a really big deal on YouTube and became known for his videos where he commented on his recorded gameplay. In the early days of the video platform, this was a huge hit.

However, he didn’t really manage to keep up with the new trends and repeatedly fell into negative attention due to immature actions.

In the “Call of Duty” community, “Wings” became particularly legendary through a match. He mocked one of the best Zombie mode players in the world at the time, ProSyndicate, and then spectacularly lost in a 1vs1.

Donations on Twitch are normal, but they should be voluntary

Seansstream Twitch Stream Record Ben laughs
If WingsOfRedemption wants to earn more, he should maybe stream more often. Like the German “Seansstream” who was online for 595 hours in a month.

However, WingsOfRedemption does not seem to be the only one trying to stay afloat through demanded donations. BadBunny, a streamer known for her “Just Chatting” content, recently yelled at her viewers for donations.

That it can be done differently is proven by German streamers with a regular charity event. Here, well-known faces from the scene collect donations for charitable purposes. In the 12-hour stream, more than 1 million euros were raised in the “Friendly Fire 5” in 2019.

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Pokémon GO temporarily shuts down PvP league – Is it due to this nasty bug?

Noah Struthoff Noah Struthoff Reading time 2 minutes

The PvP league of Pokémon GO is currently inaccessible. Niantic took the feature offline. This may be due to a bug that had granted you victory under certain circumstances.

Niantic announced: On Twitter, Niantic’s support reports that they will take the PvP league offline for the next 16-24 hours.

During this time, the developers will roll out fixes intended to improve the game. Many trainers suspect that this is primarily a fix for an exploit that allowed for easy victories against other trainers.

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Ferocious bug hampers many PvP battles

This was the bug: We don’t want to explain the bug in detail here, but when the airplane mode was activated at the right moment, it could trigger this exploit that provided significant advantages.

This error gained traction and more and more players exploited it, disrupting many of their 5 battles. After a trainer made a video about it, Niantic became aware as well.

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Those who want to achieve victory in the PvP league fairly should look at the best Pokémon for the Super League .

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Was this bug the reason for the shutdown? On reddit, this error gained significant attention and Niantic even reacted to it. They stated that they would look into the error.

It’s quite conceivable that this is why the PvP league was temporarily taken offline. After all, it significantly affects competition, and players can easily earn a lot of Stardust this way.

How are players reacting to it? Instead of complaining about the PvP league being taken offline, mostly positive feedback is being received. They appreciate that Niantic is working on the errors and particularly that they are informing trainers. After all, there was recent criticism that Niantic communicates too little with players.

On reddit, many also hope that they can resolve the airplane mode bug, as it significantly hampers the game. As Scream_BloodyGore states: “At first, I was a bit disappointed since I wanted to fight some battles this evening, but if they can fix the airplane mode issue, then I’m all for it.”

When the PvP league is back up, we can soon look forward to Wrestler Pikachu:

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