Do you like the article? Then let us know!
Fallout 76 had a rather rough year in 2019, despite initially looking promising. The game has potential and a big chance in 2020. Our author Benedict has ideas for content that, in his opinion, are necessary for success.
What are these things? The ideas I list here are all features that have not yet received any official information. They are things that I noticed were very useful but missing while playing.
Some of the ideas have also appeared in the community and have been requested by players on reddit, often multiple times. However, there has been no statement from Bethesda yet on whether they will be implemented.
Since Fallout 76 was released in November 2018, several innovations have been implemented in the game, such as:
Nevertheless, some content is still missing that I believe would be important for gameplay or simply for the feel of the game.
Why this feature is important: So far, players in Fallout 76 can only communicate via voice chat. Voice chats are important and a good solution, but not everyone wants to use them, and many people deliberately refrain from showing their voice. Additionally, women often refrain from speaking.
There are also people who are hearing impaired or simply cannot speak. For them, aside from emotes, there is no way to communicate or draw attention in Fallout 76.
The community of Fallout 76 is known to be friendly and supportive. A global chat would also help players to call for or offer help across the entire map.
Integrating this into the game would also be straightforward. Every player already has a Pip-Boy. For the story and role players, global chats would run through it since it can also receive a radio signal. Why not have a text chat?
A text chat would help both those who cannot or do not want to communicate any other way, as well as facilitate general coordination. I really don’t understand why this feature was not included in the game from the start.
What is meant by this? Characters in Fallout 76 are built using the well-known S.P.E.C.I.A.L. system and are then equipped with special abilities and traits through perks. This allows for various builds for weapons and armor or for gathering and crafting.
What is currently lacking, however, is the ability to truly specialize in these aspects and utilize them. While one can fulfill a role in a group, for the game itself you need to be proficient in more or less everything to progress.
In a thread on reddit, user Yzalirk has even pondered what possible specializations, professions, or roles could look like:
Why this feature is important: With the opportunity to specialize in something, the various builds would gain even more depth. This would also complement the plan to bring legendary perks into the game as well as the perk loadouts that are already planned.
Especially with regard to the upcoming Wastelanders update and the NPCs that will come with it, players could earn a reputation or rewards with these specializations. Fallout 76 would then be a good step closer to being an RPG.
What is the current problem? Even though there are already numerous dungeons and raids, they are currently not well received. Several issues exist with them:
How this feature could be better: Similar to the current raids, dungeons should be generally instanced. This way, players would again have a real reason to team up with their friends and complete an instance.
Additionally, more sophisticated mechanics than “defeat X waves of Y enemies while collecting Z items” would help with replay value and challenge. At the moment, neither dungeons nor raids feel really unique.
This would work well with roles and specializations. Depending on team composition, different strategies would need to be chosen, possibly even with alternative paths through the instance.
If there were also special loot, similar to the “potted plants” in Vault 94, that could open up new builds, the entire feature would certainly be more popular.
What is meant by this? The areas in Appalachia are largely populated by various monsters. This also affects the different cities and locations. Hardly any place is truly abandoned; everywhere have Burned, mutants, or creatures settled.
The places in the open landscape, on the other hand, are often so hilly or full of debris that little can be built there. There is a lack of opportunities for players to embark on larger C.A.M.P. projects alone or collaboratively.
Why this is important: Role-playing has become an important aspect of Fallout 76. Many players embody special characters and thereby enliven the game world. There are even some player groups, who play an entire police station.
For these players, it would be good and important if they had places where they could do what Vault 76 was intended for: rebuilding Appalachia.
Ghost towns with accessible and usable buildings would be one way to give players a role-playing city even without a C.A.M.P. Larger areas would enable players to collectively build cities – similarly to the already T.O.W.N. project conceived by fans in early 2019.
Why more music? This is something that really has little impact on the game itself, but as a fan of the Fallout series, I’ve often noticed it while playing. The radio in Fallout 76 gets quite monotonous over time.
When I wander through the wasteland, I usually listen to Radio Appalachia because these oldies, along with the atmosphere, always delight me about Fallout. However, it gets repetitive quickly.
As someone who likes to wander around, intentionally get lost, and sometimes find particularly creepy or quirky places in Fallout 76, I need music for that.
The Fallout series has had wonderful radio stations with good music in previous installments. I don’t quite understand why these songs aren’t simply included in the playlist or even why the corresponding Fallout titles (“Radio New Vegas”) aren’t available as stations.
It would be a great expansion and would certainly sweeten the game for me. Surely a somewhat selfish wish, but one that has already been voiced several times by other players.
What Fallout 76 is already getting: Besides my wishes for 2020, Fallout 76 has already announced several things that are definitely coming. Among them are several features that are truly important – sometimes even more important than my ideas here. These include:
Whether that will really be enough to turn Fallout 76 into a good game remains to be seen. At least the changes promise a good future:
Do you like the article? Then let us know!
In December 2019, a new type of streamer took over the Twitch platform. After the departures of Tyler “Ninja” Blevins and Michael “shroud” Grzesiek, there is a new star: the Canadian Félix “xQc” Lengyel was the most-watched streamer in November and December 2019. He is considered the streamer of the “TikTok” generation.
Who were the most-watched streamers in December 2019? Although the month is still ongoing, it is already clear who has won it:
This is the second month in a row that xQc can win. He was already the most-watched streamer on Twitch in November 2019 and unseated Asmongold, who heavily benefited from the hype around WoW Classic.
How did xQc win the month? The 24-year-old xQc was previously an Overwatch professional but failed as an esports player due to his explosive temperament.
Currently, xQc is considered a variety streamer who plays new games or regularly engages with well-known online games like Overwatch or Fortnite.
In December 2019, xQc found a game that he could play for 48 hours: that was “Jump King”, a PC game from May 2019, a platformer.
Jump King seemed particularly well-received by xQc’s fans: when xQc “misjumped” here, he fell down several levels and shouted or got frustrated.
The triumph was all the greater when xQc was able to complete the game.
What makes xQc appealing? xQc is not a streamer like the last top streamers on Twitch such as Ninja, shroud, or Tfue, who fully mastered a game and played it non-stop every month, entertaining their fans with a mix of personal skill and personality.
Often, xQc does not even play, but is in “Just Chatting”, browsing the internet, watching short clips, and reacting to them.
On reddit, xQc is teased for his manner of skipping every tutorial and then letting his chat explain to him how a game works.
Moreover, xQc has developed some somewhat odd speech patterns. He frequently says “Dude” in various forms. The Twitch streamer TSM Myth makes a fun of imitating xQc.
xQc had his big breakthrough 8 months ago, when he made fun of the “over-the-top stream setups” of other streamers. Here you can see his speech patterns and emphasis in full action.
Observers believe that xQc speaks to a young audience with his style of streaming, jumping from thing to thing and engaging heavily with the chat, especially the TikTok generation that constantly needs new stimuli.
On the Chinese app, videos are uploaded that last 3 to 15 seconds. This app and xQc apparently correspond to the current zeitgeist.
What’s behind it: In recent months, Asmongold has dominated Twitch due to the hype surrounding WoW Classic – in the months prior, games like Fortnite or Apex Legends were strong, benefiting Tfue, Ninja, and shroud.
Now in December, there was no major hype around any game – this is the opportunity for streamers who coincidentally meet the zeitgeist to rise to prominence. Currently, xQc seems to match this zeitgeist the best.
Do you like the article? Then let us know!
The year 2019 is coming to an end and Pokémon GO has received many new features this year that have improved the game. We are counting down the top 10.
New Pokémon, new items, and new events. Pokémon GO had a lot to offer in 2019. Since you probably don’t remember all the new features, we will show you important features here.
The features have been listed based on personal preference.
What is limited research? At the beginning of the year, Pokémon GO held limited research events three times from January to March. The event revolved around field research, and you could pull out some shinies there.
Initially, it seemed that it could take place monthly, but it suddenly paused in April and has not appeared since. Many fans loved this event series.
Why is this important for Pokémon GO? Limited researches were a nice change from the Community Day, which also took place every month. Here, the focus was completely on the quests, and you had to approach things differently to be effective. They brought fresh air into the events.
What is the Team Switch Medal? Since February, you can use the Team Switch Medal to change your teams. You can buy the medal for 1000 coins and then choose a new team.
Why is this important for Pokémon GO? If you are alone as a Yellow in a city full of Red and Blue players, then a team switch wouldn’t be so bad. Many players wished for this feature, as it allows you to finally be in the same color as your friends or join the team that seems most sympathetic.
What are these lures? Along with a new wave of Pokémon, the 3 special lures also came in May. They primarily bring out Pokémon of specific types. Compared to normal lures, there are twice as many spawns here.
Additionally, they serve as a type of evolution item, allowing you to perform two Eevee evolutions, among others.
Why is this important for Pokémon GO? The new lures brought movement to the evolution system in Pokémon GO. Now you have to cooperate more and can perhaps contribute together to the desired evolutions.
Additionally, the lures are better alternatives for Stardust. Here you can collect Stardust much faster than with normal lures.
What are Lucky Friends?In April, Lucky Friends were introduced to Pokémon GO. If you interact with your best friends regularly, you will become Lucky Friends and can guarantee a lucky Pokémon trade.
Why is this important for Pokémon GO? Lucky Friends gave the friends feature more meaning. Previously, best friends were almost useless, but now they make sense again.
Additionally, guaranteed lucky Pokémon are extremely important. This way you can get rare shinies with good IVs or even trade Pokémon like Kaumalat or Kapuno. Additionally, you save half the Stardust when leveling up.
You can find recommendations for Pokémon suitable for lucky trades here.
What are snapshots? The AR feature was introduced in February. You can now take photos in AR mode, and Pokémon can jump into the screen. That’s how Farbowl was introduced.
Why is this important for Pokémon GO? People who enjoy playing Pokémon GO for the AR factor will get plenty out of this. You can take cool pictures and may even be surprised by a Pokémon afterward.
Finally, you could complete the Pokédex of the 2nd generation. Farbowl was the last missing Pokémon.
What are these new Pokémon? In February and May, the last two waves of Generation 4 were added. This included evolutions from the Sinnoh Stone, Kaumalat and the two Eevee evolutions Glaziola and Folipurba.
In September, the first monsters from Generation 5 arrived. These included strong monsters like Trikephalo and Stalobor.
Why is this important for Pokémon GO? The new Pokémon from 2019 were especially important for the meta of the game. Many new top attackers came along and brought fresh air into the battles. Additionally, the collection frenzy broke out again. You had to complete your Pokédex again.
How does the rating system work? Until now, you had to click through several sentences to at least see rough IVs. In the new rating system, it’s much clearer. You can see exactly how high the values are, allowing for much quicker assessments.
Even search commands for IVs have been introduced. This promises rapid evaluations.
Why is this important for Pokémon GO? Thanks to the new system, you can evaluate hundreds of Pokémon within seconds and see at a glance whether you have captured monsters with 100% IV. This saves a lot of time and greatly facilitates playing.
What is Team GO Rocket? The biggest new feature of 2019 came in July. Team GO Rocket has invaded Pokémon GO and now lurks at PokéStops waiting for you. They bring Crypto Pokémon with them and challenge you to battle.
In November, the 3 Rocket bosses Cliff, Sierra and Arlo were added. In a special research, you can challenge Giovanni once a month.
Why is this important for Pokémon GO? The Rocket grunts bring a whole new gameplay experience to Pokémon GO. For the first time, you are on your own and must be well-versed in effectiveness. Otherwise, you’ll get brutally defeated by the grunts and the even harder-to-beat bosses.
How does the submission and evaluation process work? Since June, players at level 40 in Germany can submit PokéStops. You can now turn important places in your city into PokéStops in the game.
In October, Niantic Wayfarer was also introduced and you can even evaluate the suggestions of other trainers. However, you must also be level 40 and pass a test.
Why is this important for Pokémon GO? Especially villages with few PokéStops benefit from this feature. New Stops and Gyms enrich the game, and you can now help make them happen.
What is the new buddy feature? To wrap up the year, Niantic revolutionized the buddy feature. Your buddy walks next to you on the map, and you can even become best buddies. This brings you special bonuses.
Why is this important for Pokémon GO? If you’ve always wanted to walk through the city with a Pokémon, this is perfect for you. The feature brings you numerous conveniences and finally puts more emphasis on your buddy after it lost some value in recent months.
Is Pokémon GO too boring for you despite all the features? Our author Noah shares his tips:
Do you like the article? Then let us know!
What does Destiny 2 lack the most at the end of 2019? And what could the game do to bring back wayward veterans and excite more Guardians in 2020? These 5 points would make Bungie’s shooter more attractive to many.
Quo vadis, Destiny 2? The year 2019 is slowly coming to an end. Therefore, we took a moment to reflect on the outgoing Destiny year. How has Destiny 2 developed? What does it still lack? What is most requested by the community?
In this context, the following 5 points have emerged, which would make Destiny 2 significantly more attractive for many active Guardians as well as wayward players.
It is not about any utopian fan fantasies like an endless flow of content or exorbitant, unrealistic demands for Dedicated Servers or 60 FPS on current-gen consoles. Ultimately, these are all things that have either been in the game before or that the predecessor Destiny 1 even implemented better.
This is how Destiny 2 developed in 2019: The Forsaken expansion finally brought Destiny 2 into a state in autumn 2018 that many had wished or hoped for at the release of the game. With the help of Seasons, Destiny 2 was then supplied with new content until autumn 2019 through the Forsaken Annual Pass. There followed thematically inspired Seasons around the Black Armory, the Wanderers, and the Caball Emperor Calus.
Then came the launch of Shadowkeep, which brought improvements to Destiny 2 in addition to fresh content at several critical points – for example, in the form of the new Armor 2.0 system, the universal ornaments, or the seasonal artifacts.
There is still additional content available through Seasons, but since the split from Activision, they are now smaller than in the second year of Destiny 2.
Moreover, the basic version of the game was made Free-to-Play – in the form of Destiny 2: New Light, through which many new Guardians found their way into the Destiny universe.
This is the state of Destiny 2 at the end of 2019: Overall, one can certainly say that Destiny 2 has massively changed since its launch in 2017 and has gradually become much more aligned with the wishes of the fans – this path was consistently pursued in 2019.
However, there is still room for improvement – particularly regarding long-term motivation, as well as content flow and quantity. Currently, the Seasons do not offer enough content for every Guardian to be entertained for an entire season. Moreover, some core elements of the game still generate criticism.
But exactly these problem areas could be easily solved or at least significantly improved – and that with comparatively simple ideas.
These 5 points would make Destiny 2 stronger in the new year – even in the long term.
Many Guardians criticize that many weapons – essentially the focus of a shooter – have become more and more bland in Destiny 2. Often, there is practically no difference in the weapons one plays with – especially in PvE.
What is missing is that special something, THE weapon that everyone wants and that most chase after, even if it takes weeks or months – like the Gjallarhorn from Destiny 1.
Such weapons did exist – also in Destiny 2 and also in 2019. But instead of allowing more standout weapons (as initially announced), Bungie consistently pursues a policy of flattening these weapons to provide a smooth experience.
For example, numerous weapons Exotics have been nerfed to the point where they now only gather dust in the vault. The studio also recently scrapped the concept of top-tier weapons and replaced them since Season 8 with ritual weapons because they considered firearms like the Recluse or Not Forgotten to be too powerful. However, the ritual weapons are hardly comparable to the top-tier weapons from previous Seasons and are substantially less sought after.
Many therefore wish for more “wow” experiences regarding weapons. Sure, the balance in PvP should be maintained to some extent – if possible separately. However, in PvE, many Guardians would prefer to grapple with the choice of which overpowering guns to use this time to pulverize the aliens and have fun – rather than worry about which gun to pick today when it essentially doesn’t make a significant difference.
Standout weapons are special and have always had a magical effect on Guardians. The hunt for the Gjallarhorn in Destiny 1 kept many players busy for months or even over a year, continuously motivating them to play Destiny.
Such weapons are currently practically nonexistent. And even if they do exist, many are no longer inclined to hunt them down because they fear (from experience) that Bungie will soon turn the weapon from a top-tier firearm into a dust magnet.
And this is exactly where the studio could start. More outstanding, powerful, unique weapons for PvE – whether Exotics, top-tier weapons, or regular Legendaries with strong perk combinations. There is also a strong desire among Guardians for mod slots for exotic weapons.
If Bungie presents Guardians with more of these tempting carrots, a whole lot of players are sure to chase after them tirelessly. Here, there wouldn’t even need to be much new effort involved. A rethinking of the core philosophy and some listening would suffice.
Regular Strikes and the Vanguard Strike playlist are virtually withering away in Destiny 2. There are virtually no real attractive incentives to play them.
The Nightfall strikes do offer the chance for strike-specific loot (which was only introduced later), but there are only weapons and some cosmetics. Thematically inspired armor parts like in Destiny 1 are nowhere to be found. The weapons are, with very few exceptions, not particularly powerful, and ships or ghost shells are not really special.
Furthermore, the focus in the Nightfalls is shifted towards farming certain materials or resources. Yes, there is also an increased chance of Exotics at higher difficulties. However, the rewards are not really exciting either. In short: Strikes, especially the regular ones, generally lack attractiveness.
Many players wish for the special strike loot from Destiny 1 to return. So many Guardians have spent countless hours hunting for the perfect roll of the hand cannon Imago Loop or securing a well-rolled “Griff of Malok” pulse rifle. These are not complicated or resource-intensive activities, yet they kept many engaged in the long term—even when there was no real content left.
Many also found it really cool to earn the skull of a slain Hive strike boss or other accordingly inspired armor pieces exclusively through strikes. The later introduced special armor sets (Snowfall, High Feeling, Dying Star) were well received. I myself specifically ran the strike Shadow Thief over 100 times to finally equip my hunter with Taniks’ Cloak, a cool-looking hunter-class item without a hood.
However, this is completely lacking in Destiny 2 so far. Because the strike loot does not currently include any special armor pieces. Here, many Guardians simply wish for the same system as in Destiny 1, and thus Bungie could create long-term engagement for many Guardians with comparatively little resources—without having to come up with a new raid or another new activity.
Because the basic framework, that is the strikes, is already there. They just need attractive rewards – weapons, armor, and cosmetics. Simply maintaining the standard from Destiny 1 regarding the quality of weapons and armor pieces should provide many with new motivation to constantly tackle the strike list.
In Destiny 1, it was essentially an unwritten law: once the game had exhausted its PvE content, the PvP kept Destiny alive until the next content surge.
In Destiny 2, however, this is no longer the case – at least not to the extent it was with its predecessor. Generally, many players agree (not just the PvP lovers) that the Crucible in Destiny 2 is not getting enough love and is being neglected far too much.
Meta, weapons, maps, modes, balance, and more – many found these aspects better in Destiny 1. Although Bungie recently mentioned wanting to give PvP more attention in the future, it currently doesn’t offer enough to keep players engaged long-term.
The Trials of the Nine, the reinterpretation of Trials of Osiris from the predecessor, were supposed to be the big highlight for the PvP elite. True to the model of Destiny 1. However, the activity flopped in Destiny 2 and has been removed from the game indefinitely for a remodel. Guardians have been waiting for its return since the end of August 2018, still hoping: Guardians have strange occurrences in the universe – Now think Trials will return
For many, it would already be enough if they simply took the tried-and-true Trials format from the first Destiny without reinventing the wheel and equipped it with attractive specific rewards that can only be obtained there.
Why Bungie resists introducing a proven system or why the Trials of the Nine were not at least kept in their original state in the game until their overhaul is still a mystery to many.
If Bungie does bring back the reimagined Trials soon, many players will likely be very happy. If not, the studio could simply adopt the format from Destiny 1 – just that would likely bring many PvP fans back into the fold and bind them long-term.
And even for this, Bungie would not need to come up with new ideas or put in really huge resources. Because the entire successful concept has been sitting at home for years.
In Destiny 1, vendor NPCs had larger loot pools, and the offered items rotated weekly. For this reason, many eagerly anticipated the Weekly Reset week after week.
Almost traditionally, players would set out and check all merchants to see if there was an attractive roll available this time.
The faction representatives also enticed with changing offers on their items and lured Guardians with particularly dedicated exclusive Exotics.
This is all missing in Destiny 2. The merchants’ inventory not only has fixed rolls – it has essentially remained unchanged except for the transition to Armor 2.0. Here, many players wish for the flair and excitement from Destiny 1 to return. That would be another element that would add extra appeal to the game week after week.
The factions, which, like the Trials (for the umpteenth time) have been removed from the game for an overhaul, are also desired back with the system from the predecessor – at least until their next iteration.
Currently, many would be satisfied if one could simply progress with the group NPCs continuously and in exchange be rewarded with faction-specific loot. This, in conjunction with Armor 2.0 and Random Rolls, would already make numerous Guardians happier and keep them engaged more in the long run.
With the release of Shadowkeep and the transition to Free-to-Play, the in-game shop Eververse has come into sharper focus in Destiny 2 – even more so than before.
Basically, many players understand that Bungie needs to earn money through the shop as well and have no problem with it in general – but the distribution of resources is really bitter for some Guardians.
What annoys many: If you want to look good in Destiny 2 and have the coolest cosmetics, you don’t have to complete the hardest activities like raids, but can essentially head straight to the in-game shop. I, Sven, have criticized this situation before: Is it worth it to invest time and 10€ in Destiny 2 again with Season 9?
Especially with Shadowkeep, this discussion has flared up again. Because in the new raid, for example, there was only reskins of known old sets as loot. Moreover, many resources in the game are recycled, say the fans.
However, with the regular content, it seems that the capacities are not sufficient for more than a handful of new features. The Eververse, on the other hand, is almost overflowing with pretty armor and ornaments, cool ships, ghost shells, or alternative finishers.
While these are not only available for real money but also with in-game currency, the supply of the currency in the game is scarce. Some items are also only available for silver (real money currency). Additionally, players are irritated that the developers seem to pay noticeably more attention to Eververse items and that these often turn out to be significantly prettier than the regular rewards from the game – even from the hardest activities.
This is all else but motivating – after all, for some players in Destiny 2 it is also increasingly about cool-looking loot and fashion for their Guardians.
The most visually appealing items should not only be obtainable through the Eververse but also directly from the game. Ideally, according to the difficulty of the activity. Many players from the community wish for this.
Attractive loot is one of the pillars of Destiny 2 and what likely drives most players in the game – this applies not only to functionality but also to appearance. However, if the appearance is increasingly determined through the in-game shop, it does not necessarily enhance the fun of playing. Many wish for a different weighting – that some cool cosmetics like ships or ghost shells can also be earned in-game.
No new system or complete rethinking by Bungie is needed for this. A balance adjustment in favor of gameplay would be welcomed by many. Because of course, you do get satisfied. But many find the carrots taste better when you have to chase them than when they come from the same boring feed trough every time.
For example: In Season 9, there are 11 new exotic ships and sparrows. Not one of them will be earned through gameplay – all will come from the Eververse. Also, 7 out of 8 exotic ghost shells are only available in the in-game shop. The other comes from the Season Pass.
What’s next for Destiny 2 in 2020? Currently, not much is known about Bungie’s plans for the year 2020, apart from the planned contents of Season 9. Whether Destiny 2 will continue in autumn 2020 or whether there might already be a Destiny 3 remains to be seen.
However, if Bungie were to specifically address these 5 points, they could eliminate some acute deficiencies of Destiny 2 or at least bridge them in a conciliatory and acceptable form until the proper solution is found with comparatively little effort.
Simply that would likely make Destiny 2 more attractive for many Guardians in 2020, drawing them to engage more deeply in the game until hopefully further significant content – in whatever form – awaits after the already planned Seasons 10 and 11.
What do you think? Would these 5 points already be enough to make Destiny 2 strong for the year 2020 in your eyes? Does Bungie need to work on more things for the game to gain attractiveness? Or are you satisfied with the current state of Destiny 2? What do you wish for this shooter in the new year?
Do you like the article? Then let us know!
Most indie MMORPGs fail within a few months after entering Early Access. However, 2019 saw the rise of a small Polish MMORPG, Gloria Victis, which gained traction on Steam largely under the radar of most MMORPG fans.
What is so special about Gloria Victis? Actually, “Indie” and “MMORPG” are hard to combine. While indie MMORPGs are viewed as a sort of “last hope” for many fans in the West, because big publishers hardly develop MMORPGs anymore, numerous indie MMORPGs fizzle out, either never make it to release or are only sparse in their further development.
The great ambitions often envisioned by MMORPGs are difficult to reconcile with the small team size of an indie MMORPG. In recent years, there have been many disappointments, and some MMORPGs that sounded great on paper never saw the light of day.
However, Gloria Victis seems to be doing well on Steam. The sandbox MMORPG has been in Early Access since 2016, experienced a surge in October 2018, and has stabilized and continued to grow in 2019.
What kind of MMORPG is Gloria Victis? It is a medieval MMORPG focused on realism. Crafting and PvP play important roles. Players are not guided like in a theme park but enjoy a lot of freedom.
The good development of the game by the indie developers is particularly praised.
Gloria Victis is also considered quite brutal and only suitable for “adults.” NPCs use language that is not suitable for minors.
This is how player numbers have developed:
The MMORPG has been playable on Steam since 2016 and has developed well over the years:
In addition to Steam, Gloria Victis also has its own client.
This is what the reviews say: An upward trend can also be seen in the reviews. While the reviews on Steam have been balanced over the last 3 years (68%), there has been a trend towards “mostly positive” in the last 30 days (77%).
Reviews praise the mass PvP in the game: the sieging of fortresses is seen by many as the highlight of Gloria Victis. Raiding with small groups is also well received by Steam players.
It is pointed out that the game only costs $20 ($10 on sale) and thus offers good value for money.
Criticism points include the cumbersome combat system, which seems to have a steep learning curve.
This is what lies behind it: Gloria Victis will probably never become a mass MMORPG, but it is an example that indie MMORPGs have a chance to develop further out of Early Access on Steam, retain players, and lead a better career than most other MMORPGs.
Do you like the article? Then let us know!
GTA Online experienced a massive increase in viewers on Twitch in 2019, with over 200% more people watching streamers play compared to 2018.
What about the Twitch rankings? The rankings of the most-watched games on Twitch at the end of the year initially show the usual suspects dominating: LoL, Fortnite, and other multiplayer games that have established themselves over the years.
However, in 2019, GTA V saw a rapid increase in viewers, securing a spot in the top 3 of Twitch games, with almost 3 times as many viewers compared to 2018. A number that many other games can only dream of.
This trend was already evident at the beginning of the year when there was a sudden surge in viewers in March.
| Genre | Hours Watched in 2019 |
| League of Legends | 990 million (+7%) |
| Fortnite | 884 million (-28%) |
| “Just Chatting” | 651 million (+42%) |
| GTA V | 523 million (+277%) |
| Dota 2 | 458 million (+1%) |
| CS: GO | 397 million (+5%) |
| World of Warcraft | 372 million (+55%) |
| Apex Legends | 294 million (New) |
| Overwatch | 247 million (-6%) |
| Hearthstone | 217 million (-38%) |
Of the games that were released in 2019, only Apex Legends managed to make it into the top 10. All other games are old favorites that have been in the lists of most-watched Twitch games for years.
What are the reasons? In fact, we primarily associate the concept of role-playing with MMORPGs like WoW or Final Fantasy XIV. But it is exactly this role-playing that is responsible for the significant increase in viewer numbers for GTA V.
At the beginning of the year, big streamers like Lirik, Summit1g, or Sodapoppin, who have millions of followers, regularly stream new RP adventures on their channels.
On special RP servers, they roam around as police officers, drug dealers, pickpockets, or bank robbers. The exciting part is that on the role-playing servers, you never know how the person you encounter in the game is going to act. This often leads to cool or funny scenes.
But even smaller streamers gain many viewers for creative ideas and good execution. For instance, a role-player in GTA V held a live concert that thousands watched. There are also many German channels that stream RP content for GTA V. This includes, for example, Bonjwa.
It is obviously fun to watch role-playing in GTA V.
However, sometimes fun turns into serious business:
Do you like the article? Then let us know!
You don’t need to be afraid of an AFK killer in Dead by Daylight? Oh yes! This Michael Myers spreads fear and terror.
Dead by Daylight is an asymmetrical game where a killer faces off against four survivors. Typically, this is an extensive “cat and mouse game” that stretches over several minutes. However, when a killer doesn’t follow the rules and breaks the known gameplay, it leads to really funny and bitterly ironic scenes.
What happened? In the Dead by Daylight subreddit, the user illum1nati11 posted a compilation of his experiences with the killer “The Shape”, also known as Michael Myers from the Halloween movies. The video is about 5 minutes long and shows some interesting scenes where he, as a supposed “AFK killer”, can still turn the tables and take the survivors out in a nasty way.
How does the killer operate? As Michael Myers, the player pretends to be simply AFK and not participating in the match. He stands idle after a while. This motivates many survivors to run around the killer, to go into his line of sight repeatedly, or to teabag him. After all, there are necessary points for rank progression if you stay close to the killer for a while.
What the survivors mostly don’t realize: While they are fooling around in front of Michael Myers, he is just charging his ability on the side until he is just about to reach “Evil Within 3”. Once he achieves that, he can drop players with one hit and is extremely fast. Additionally, he has addons that allow him to simply grab the survivors mid-run and kill them on the spot. What that looks like is shown in this clip:
But the cruelty doesn’t end there. Illum1nati11 showcases other builds with which he drives the players into despair. With “Insidious,” he waits at the exit to execute survivors at the last moment before the rescuing gate. Or he uses “Bloodwarden” to close the exit and let the survivors crawl until the End Game Collapse timer kills them.
The community calls this a masterpiece: The players of Dead by Daylight are thrilled with the cut of the video and the approach. They refer to the whole thing as a “masterpiece,” but also call the creator a “wonderful sadist.”
If you encounter a killer in Dead by Daylight who is supposedly AFK – be wary. Maybe he has the upper hand after all.
Do you like the article? Then let us know!
Google is a search engine that has countless users every day. This search volume can be analyzed. We have put together the 6 largest MMORPGs in Germany just before the year 2020. We look at: Who were the winners and losers of 2019?
Through Google Trends, we can find out which games have the highest search volume: Which games are the players in Germany most interested in.
After a pre-selection of the largest MMORPGs according to Google, we let the 6 most popular online role-playing games compete against each other to see which MMORPGs were the largest in Germany just before 2020. The period covered is the last 12 months, i.e. the year 2019. The tool gave us a ranking that we would like to share with you here.
Are these statistics for player numbers? Google Trends shows us how popular a game was in 2019 through searches. This is only partially related to player numbers. However, you can assume that a game with a large volume on Google also has a correspondingly large number of players.
What kind of game is SWTOR? The MMORPG SWTOR (PC), which takes place in the Star Wars universe, has been on the market for a while. It was released by Bioware and Electronic Arts in 2011. Chronologically, it takes place thousands of years before the well-known movie blockbusters.
SWTOR focuses on fully voiced quests. In recent years, expansions have shifted towards ‘single-player story’ and have been praised for their epic presentation.
When was SWTOR most popular in 2019? Search interest in SWTOR peaked at the end of October 2019. This was due to the release of the Onslaught expansion, which finally came out on October 22. Hence, the release was a month later than planned.
However, among the players of the MMORPG, the addon is very well received.
What were the most searched terms? One of the biggest search terms in 2019 was “Onslaught”. Given the new expansion, this is not surprising. Other perennial favorites such as Reddit, downloads, and SWTOR companions were also found at the top. Interestingly, there was also a recent search for a film about “Star Wars: The Old Republic”. The Old Republic is being discussed as the next film saga.
How does SWTOR compare to 2018? Relatively stable. Since SWTOR’s resurgence in October 2019, interest has remained at the same level as early 2018. Even EA is surprised at how much money SWTOR is still generating.
What kind of game is Black Desert? Black Desert (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Mobile) was released in 2014 and features beautiful atmosphere and graphics. Additionally, there are massive possibilities for character development. In Black Desert, quests and story are not the main focus. The MMORPG combines theme park elements with a sandbox world.
You should build your own virtual life in this MMORPG. You can be a merchant, craftsman, or adventurer. In addition, you can also indulge in PvP in Black Desert.
When was Black Desert most popular in 2019? Interest in Black Desert grew significantly from August 2019:
What were the most searched terms? In Germany, people are primarily searching for the PS4 version of Black Desert and Black Desert Mobile. For both keywords, the best classes in Black Desert and updates are intriguing to players.
How is the interest compared to 2018? Relatively stable. Overall, there were no major changes throughout the year. However, Black Desert hit higher peaks in August than in 2018. That year, there was also a relatively long phase of low attention from April to the end of July.
What kind of game is GW2? Guild Wars 2 (PC) was released in 2012 and continues the MMORPG Guild Wars. The focus is on the game world and the constantly evolving story. In addition to the usual questing, lively tasks pop up when you are nearby.
The story of Guild Wars 2 revolves around the Living Story. New chapters continuously advance the narrative.
Besides the normal PvP, which takes place in a separate world in Guild Wars 2, there is also WvW. In World vs. World, players from different servers battle against each other.
When was GW2 most popular in 2019? Search interest in Guild Wars 2 peaked especially at the end of May and in June. This was due to the release of the new episode “Eternal War”, which went live on May 14. Additionally, there was a lot of interest in August 2019, when the new Living World 5 was on the way. The Icebrood Saga began on September 22, 2019.
What were the most searched terms? Larger spikes in search for Guild Wars 2 include searches for events, legendaries, builds, and mounts. Specifically, the mount “Skyscale” and the Warclaw. Additionally, chapters of the Living Story, inquiries about a new addon, and standards like Reddit or the download and purchase of the game.
How has interest changed compared to 2018? Declined somewhat. Guild Wars 2 is the loser regarding Google interest for the year. Unlike other MMORPGs, no major expansion was released, which impacted interest.
What kind of game is FFXIV? The MMORPG FF14 (PC, PS4) from the popular Final Fantasy franchise launched in 2010. After some issues, a new version was ultimately released in 2013. The MMORPG focuses on numerous quests and teamwork with friends to defeat gigantic foes. You embark into the fantasy world of Eorzea.
PvP plays a minor role in FFXIV and is not integrated into the open world. However, you can compete against each other in arenas. With the Shadowbringers expansion in 2019, FFXIV expanded its story, introduced new features, more areas, and new playable races.
When was FFXIV most popular in 2019? Final Fantasy XIV saw a spike in searches in June and July, due to the release of the Shadowbringers addon. It was available in Early Access for pre-orders starting on June 28, 2019, expanding the story, areas, and races of the MMORPG.
What were the most searched terms? The standout search term for FFXIV is undoubtedly “Shadowbringers”. The expansion of the MMORPG was very well received and heavily searched. Also in demand were new jobs like the “Dancer” and “Blue Mage” or the search for a DPS meter.
How has interest changed compared to 2018? Increased. Final Fantasy XIV is a winner among MMORPGs in 2019 due to Shadowbringers. Such an expansion was lacking in 2018.
What kind of game is ESO? The MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Stadia) takes place in a fantasy world called Tamriel. There, fantasy fans can indulge in three add-ons. The original world has expanded, most recently with the Elsweyr expansion, which brought dragon battles to Tamriel.
In The Elder Scrolls Online, questing and exploration are at the forefront. You fight through dungeons and battle various monsters while uncovering new secrets on the map.
When was ESO most popular in 2019? The Elder Scrolls Online had the highest search volume in May and June 2019. At this time, the 3rd major chapter Elsweyr launched, available on May 20 for PC and June 4 for PS4 and Xbox One. Another spike for ESO was in October 2019 due to the Dragonhold DLC, which started on October 21, 2019.
What were the most searched terms? Players were particularly interested in the search for the “Elsweyr” expansion. This includes the new class “Necromancer“, which is a highlight for many. Also, the builds for Necromancers were examined. Furthermore, the new DLC “Dragonhold” and the Witches’ Festival are found in the trends. ESO was so popular at that time that it was almost overwhelming.
How has interest changed compared to 2018? Declined somewhat. In 2018, there were more peaks in search interest compared to 2019, where only Elsweyr stands out significantly. Nevertheless, ESO’s level of interest remains relatively high.
What kind of game is WoW? The oldest MMORPG in our list is World of Warcraft (PC). It was released in 2004 and quickly built a large fanbase. Even players who previously had no interest in the genre were drawn to World of Warcraft. It combines the popular Warcraft strategy games with functioning MMORPG elements.
World of Warcraft takes place in the fantasy world of Azeroth. There, you navigate your character through countless quests and instances such as dungeons or raids.
The MMORPG can look back on seven expansions; in 2020, you can expect the eighth addon Shadowlands. Additionally, since 2019, there have been official WoW Classic servers, where you can experience the game as it was in its early years.
When was WoW most popular in 2019? World of Warcraft had a massive spike in Google interest at the end of August. This had been hinted at earlier in the month, as it was leading up to the launch of WoW Classic, which many players had been waiting for years. They wanted to finally play the original World of Warcraft, free from all addons.
What were the most searched terms? World of Warcraft has the highest search volume on this list. Players are interested in various things, but “Classic WoW” and “WoW BfA” are the focus. BfA is the current addon Battle for Azeroth, which launched in 2018. Here, players were particularly interested in patch 8.2 and Mechagon, followed by 8.2.5. With WoW Classic, much of the post-release discussion revolved around the “phases” and various guides (classes, professions, gold farming, and fast leveling).
Additionally, the new expansion Shadowlands is highly sought after and is increasing in demand.
How has interest changed compared to 2019? Increased. The hype around WoW Classic was tremendous and resulted in a considerably stronger second half of 2019 compared to 2018, whereas interest in WoW in the first half of 2018 and the first half of 2019 was relatively low but still significantly higher than that of competing games.
Here’s what the graph looks like: We show you the interest in five of the MMORPGs from January 1, 2019, to December 21, 2019, in Germany. WoW is so far ahead of the other five games that including it would distort the graph.
Will the new MMORPGs coming in 2020 change anything in the rankings? That remains to be seen.
Here you can read a list of the 15 largest MMORPGs in Germany from the summer of 2019 :
Do you like the article? Then let us know!
The new year 2020 is approaching and dataminers found leaks about a possible New Year’s Eve event in Fortnite. We will show you what you can expect for the new year.
What kind of event is this? Last year in 2018 there was also a live event to celebrate the New Year. This event featured a live experience, challenges, and skins.
Dataminers have now found hints about this year’s New Year’s Eve event and how it might unfold.
Dataminers found a hint about how this year’s New Year’s Eve event might unfold. The dataminer Lucas7yoshi discovered in the files that the event will likely be quite similar to last year’s. He posted this on Twitter:
He states that he found no changes compared to last New Year’s Eve event. It will likely unfold the same way, but adjusted for the year.
How did the New Year’s Eve event 2018 unfold? For the last New Year’s Eve, there was a big celebration in Fortnite. There were challenges, a live event, and matching skins for the celebration.
Every full hour, a huge disco ball appeared in the sky, fireworks were launched, the number 2019 appeared in the sky, and players were forced to dance.
This year there are also challenges that will bring you a festive reward. Last year, one had to place devices on a creative mode island.
This year there are 2 different tasks to complete:
Will the matching skins return to the shop? It might be possible that we will see the disco skins again in the shop this year. In 2018, these were presented in the item shop.
So it is quite possible that they will make a comeback for New Year’s Eve.
Here were the skins in the New Year’s shop 2018:
How the New Year’s Eve event 2019 will unfold exactly remains a mystery. It could also unfold completely differently and surprise the players.
Do you like the article? Then let us know!
A Twitch streamer in League of Legends can control two LoL champs alone. The trick is: He plays the supporter Yuumi among other things with his feet, as Yuumi can attach herself to the ADC in LoL. The little Twitch streamer has indeed found some success over the holidays.
Who does that? The Canadian Tony “Saskio” Chau is a gamer who plays in the US “College LoL Championship”.
Until 2017, he was the top laner for Maryville University and won a championship title there. In the meantime, he has changed universities and positions: He plays for Winthrop University on the bot lane.
Saskio operates a small streaming channel on Twitch with 1443 followers. As reported by Inven , he dreams of becoming a LoL pro one day.
Here’s the joke: Saskio has found a way to occupy the bot lane in duo with himself. He controls two accounts and thus two champions simultaneously. On Twitter, he showed how he set up his equipment to achieve this:
This is how it goes: Saskio took advantage of the quiet time during the holidays on Twitch to present his idea and it was well received. A first stream on Twitch on December 26 had record numbers for his standards. Instead of the usual 5 viewers, a peak of 434 suddenly watched. (via sullygnome)
Saskio now plans to publish his adventures using this dual account on YouTube and rank up from “Unranked to Diamond”.
This style of play is possible due to a special feature of the support champion Yuumi, as the champ can attach herself to an ADC, making her untouchable and following them everywhere.
In the last season, the combo of Yuumi and Garen on the bot lane was indeed a preferred pick for some European professional teams. However, Saskio seems to prefer classic ADCs like the new LoL champ Aphelios when he is his own duo partner.
Do you like the article? Then let us know!
During the holidays, there is a major criticism in World of Warcraft Classic: The call for a ban wave in Azeroth is getting louder.
In the last few months, a lot has happened in World of Warcraft Classic, and for several weeks, players have been working on their PvP ranks. However, while grinding for honor in Alterac Valley and chasing tier sets in raids, there is an increasingly growing problem: Bots are taking over many WoW Classic servers, plunging more and more aspects of the game into chaos. Players are now demanding a ban wave from Blizzard.
What is the problem? Bots on WoW Classic realms have a significant impact on many game systems:
They all disrupt the gameplay of honest players and can even be the decisive disadvantage in PvP, causing one side to lose the battle.
But at least you can still simply throw dwarves at the enemies…
That is the players’ demand: After a corresponding post was opened in the WoW Classic subreddit, there was a flood of agreement and upvotes. The post received over 9000 upvotes and more than 93% approval (as of: 28.12.2019, 12:00 Uhr).
A small excerpt from the post says (translated):
“I think that bots are ruining the game. Honor bots push people with jobs and lives further down in their ratings. AH bots specifically buy and immediately resell the items at a higher price. Bots in the open world farm XP and materials. Sure, players will also do these things without bots, but at least THEY did it (and created interaction with other people).
Bots diminish the achievements made by real people who play the game. The community is what makes Azeroth so great, and every time you destroy a part of the community, Classic dies a little more.”
Does Blizzard not ban? Much discussion is taking place on Reddit regarding this issue. Many players report bots they have been observing for weeks, and despite numerous reports, nothing happens. Even “after weeks and hundreds of reports,” these bots are still roaming and continuing their work. This leads to a sense of powerlessness among players, as neither reporting seems to help nor does Blizzard seem to really want to tackle the problem.
Sometimes Blizzard even secretly changes small things in WoW Classic.
Whether this sense of powerlessness reflects the truth will probably become clear in a few weeks. After all, Blizzard is known for banning bots in large waves to make it more difficult for bot creators to figure out how they got caught.
Moreover, it is currently the holiday season, so the number of employees handling bots is likely to be reduced as well.
Are you also suffering from the bot problem? Or have you not noticed this in Classic at all?
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.
Do you like the article? Then let us know!
In Destiny 2, you often hear about cheaters in the Crucible. But this Guardian has found a new and mean way to annoy you in PvP.
What happened? The streamer ZkMushroom showcased his skills in Comp mode. Normally, the PvP expert dominates easily. But his opponent Potato Router continually managed to kill him even after his own death.
At first, ZkMushroom thought that the occasionally annoying lag was to blame. But it quickly turned out that the reason for his demise was not the poor internet connection of his opponent. Rather, Potato Router “cursed” his victims.
Check out ZkMushroom’s seemingly hopeless fight against the cheater in this video:
Whoever shot the cheater simply died 10 seconds later. It didn’t matter if they were far away or in their Super. Once the death countdown had ticked down, it was “Guardian down”.
After the first encounter with the cheater, ZkMushroom met him in another match. In the second match, the cheater faced the entire team of the Crucible expert alone.
In the end, the pros had to concede defeat to Potato Router. His name is certainly humorous. A Potato Router is a derogatory term for a poor internet connection.
What does the community say about it? Of course, viewers immediately called for a ban of the aforementioned cheater. Calls to report Potato Router also made the rounds.
Interestingly, a large portion of the viewers were amused by the cheater. One user joked that he was probably wearing the ‘Two-Eyed Mask’. This refers to the especially feared One-Eyed Mask in PvP.
Brother, didn’t you hear? That’s the new TWO-Eyed Mask. If you shoot me, you literally only have 10 seconds to live.
Jack Pauly via YouTube
This is the problem with cheating in Destiny: The Crucible matches in Destiny do not run on dedicated servers. This means there is a Peer-to-Peer structure (P2P). There is no one central server that everyone plays on; instead, each Guardian is connected to one another.
Due to this structure, malicious players can cheat more easily than would be the case on a central Bungie server.
Especially the so-called DDoS attacks annoy the good Guardians in PvP. In these attacks, their router is bombarded with a massive amount of information or requests, turning it into a Potato Router.
The humiliated Guardians are left with little choice but to use the in-game report function. Unfortunately, it seems that the wheels at Bungie are turning slowly in this regard. And that’s despite promises of improvement.
One of the most famous cheaters in the history of Destiny is probably “Clay is Clutch”. The fraudster made life difficult during Destiny 1. His trademark was a modified fire rate. His weapons shot at an incredible speed, mowing down the righteous players in an instant.
What do you think about the cursing cheater? Have you encountered such nasty cheaters in PvP?
Do you like the article? Then let us know!
Corinna Kopf is one of the larger female streamers on the Twitch platform. She has built a community with Fortnite , but she is even bigger on YouTube and Instagram. After a temporary ban on Twitch in early December that upset her, Kopf is now transitioning to Facebook Gaming.
Who is Corinna Kopf? With 412,290 followers, Corinna Kopf (24) is a major streamer on Twitch. Kopf is an even bigger name on Instagram, where she has 3.5 million followers.
She only turned to streaming on Twitch in April 2018, and her channel grew rapidly there. In terms of follower growth, she was in the top 100 of all Twitch channels in 2019.
In the last year, her stream was viewed for 868,341 hours, making her one of the largest streamers on Twitch worldwide.
Kopf has spent most of her time on Twitch playing Fortnite: She has broadcast the game for 300 hours. Fortnite players might recognize Corinna Kopf from her association with No. 1 on Twitch, Turner “Tfue” Tenney.
Why was she banned from Twitch? Kopf received a temporary ban on Twitch in early December, which she publicly expressed outrage over. Initially, she thought she had been banned because she wore a Chanel top in her birthday stream.
Later, however, Kopf stated that she was banned for a Twitch clip that was over a year old: In this stream, her bra was visible. This violates Twitch’s rules.
The ban upset her because she felt that other streamers like Alinity Divine do much worse things and get away with it. Yet she is banned for such an old story: Corinna Kopf felt this was unfair. Twitch would measure with two different standards.
After the ban, she announced on December 3 that she would now look at her options for which “evolving streaming platform” she could switch to.
This is now the switch: Kopf announced that she has signed an exclusive contract with Facebook Gaming:
“As a female streamer, it is so important for me to find a home that not only supports me but also my community, so we can have a positive impact on the gaming world.”
Corinna Kopf
Kopf is now the first major female streamer to sign an exclusive contract with Facebook Gaming, as Business Insider reports. Her first stream on Facebook is set to start on December 30.
What’s behind this: It is surely again about a lot of money – this is never mentioned. After Ninja’s switch on August 1, 2019, a battle between the four streaming platforms for the biggest streamers began. Facebook apparently sees great potential in Corinna Kopf and has offered her an exclusive contract.
Corinna Kopf is now the second major name to leave Twitch following a ban. Previously, Overwatch pro Dellor was poached by YouTube Gaming, after Twitch banned him for self-harm.
Twitch is increasingly criticized for strange banning behavior – now, in this new era, bans of streamers can lead to them switching platforms if they do not feel comfortable and valued on Twitch.
Some streamers, like the German MontanaBlack, accuse Twitch of being difficult for even large streamers to contact in such situations when it comes to resolving issues with the streaming platform.
Why Facebook of all places? Although Facebook is a huge social media platform: streaming is still a niche there. Streamers like Disguised Toast have specifically switched to Facebook because they hope to gain advantages there: They hope to reach a new audience.
Facebook will certainly be willing to pay quite a bit for this switch.
Do you like the article? Then let us know!
These days, hardly any AAA MMORPGs are released, and even games in this genre sometimes do not last long. Titles like Destiny are booming instead. Is this due to the fundamental concept of MMORPGs? Does it simply not work anymore today? Or is the genre just maturing?
MMORPGs were the hottest games about 15 years ago. World of Warcraft opened the genre to a broad audience in 2004 and was so successful that more and more competitors tried to enter the market. The genre was considered a gold mine. Players were willing to pay monthly fees just to be able to play.
Today, however, the situation looks different. Only a few AAA titles in the genre are being released, and new MMORPGs that come to market sometimes fail within months, like Bless, for example. Major publishers and developers are no longer venturing into the genre. For years, no real AAA MMORPG focusing on group play, raids, and massive players in one area has been announced.
In contrast, online games like Destiny or The Division are popular. Many fundamental elements are similar, though. In Destiny, there are missions that you complete, you team up with players, even tackle raids or compete against each other in PvP. And yet there are significant differences, such as the number of players in an instance.
In Destiny or The Division, you encounter many other players in hubs, but during missions, you are only with a small group. This seems to appeal more to the current generation of players. Is the MMORPG genre in crisis?
Is it really true that players prefer to be in small groups? This can create the feeling of being heroic. There are no strangers fighting the same bosses or completing the same quests at the same time. What you do feels a bit more significant when you do it “alone” – at least in that moment.
Looking at the success of World of Warcraft Classic, however, this theory falters. The “retro version” of Blizzard’s MMORPG captivates many players. They love the concept of exploring the world together with thousands, not just experiencing quests or dungeons in small groups, but being able to meet other players everywhere.
The Elder Scrolls Online shows this as well. Zenimax’s MMORPG is a classic theme park game and is so successful, that even performance suffers because of it. Here, too, you are in the game world together with many other players, can team up with others everywhere or duel.
While there are instances, most of the game takes place in an open world where other players are also present – and ESO is successful with this concept. Nevertheless, many new MMORPGs that want to provide exactly this also fail. Why?
The market has become more diverse in recent years. Single-player games still play a large role and can be extremely successful, as seen with Sony’s God of War or CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher 3. Meanwhile, MMORPGs that require a lot of time and attention have emerged, and we have received loot shooters and multiplayer games for smaller groups.
This diversity shows that the market has changed. New concepts and ideas have emerged. These target new, younger audiences and attempt to consider the changing circumstances of players who are growing older, who have less time for long raids, and who want to achieve something within shorter play sessions.
The offering of games today looks very different compared to about 15 years ago. It has become difficult to entice players with a classic MMORPG.
Then why are WoW Classic and The Elder Scrolls Online performing so well? These games target a specific audience. The players who grew up with classic MMORPGs and still want to experience this type of game today. Nostalgia plays a big role. However, these games are not truly modern, and it is hard to reach the broader masses with them. That’s why developers keep trying new things in the genre.
And that is precisely what is important. Shooter elements are added, gameplay sessions become shorter, or the number of players per server is significantly reduced, as the indie game Book of Travels does. The genre evolves to remain interesting. It becomes more modern to adapt to the market. The genre is maturing.
Conclusion: The MMORPG genre is constantly changing. It is maturing. It is precisely these adaptations to a constantly changing market that define this maturation. The genre grows with the players and their gaming habits and preferences, just as it has always been in the field of computer games.
Games like WoW Classic or The Elder Scrolls Online are exceptions. They offer a glimpse into another time. They show how the genre once was. This can certainly still work for a certain target audience – even very successfully. However, one cannot rely on that. Because any stagnation would mean stagnancy.
It is therefore hard to say that MMORPGs are in crisis. Because they are simply evolving, and that is how it should be. Evolving is part of maturing. We will likely experience many more changes in the genre. This is not a real crisis but simply the natural course of things, and that is good.
Do you like the article? Then let us know!
Players have discovered a new, unknown reward from the Battle Pass of CoD: Modern Warfare. It is a special emblem.
While some players are currently annoyed by a nasty bug in CoD: MW that is denying them their hard-earned EXP, one player has managed to complete the Battle Pass entirely.
What is the reward? User Damo240sx discovered a special emblem while grinding the Battle Pass for Season 1. He then posted it in a thread on reddit:
This emblem is modeled after the logo of the Season 1 Battle Pass. However, the skeleton is animated. Its cape flutters, and the background changes colors between red, blue, white, and black.
Although the rewards for all levels of the Battle Pass were leaked before the start of Season 1, this emblem was not on the list.
How do I get the emblem? If you want to claim this reward, you first need to reach Level 100 of the Battle Pass and complete it. Once that’s done, you just have to complete a T100 mission of the new operator Mara.
For this, you need to land 15 kills with an SMG, and the stylish emblem will be yours; it is directly the first reward.
How do players react to the emblem? Many players who commented in the reddit thread noted that they are currently stuck at Level 60 or 70 of the Battle Pass. They mostly react positively to the reward. The top comment in the thread was:
Damn. I need that.
by Capecodswag
The emblem stands out strongly with its animation and demonstrates that the player has invested a lot of time in CoD: Modern Warfare.
However, there have also been various jokes about the flashing background of the emblem and how it could be problematic for epileptics.
Ooh cool, a free test for epilepsy!
by MyopicOwl
What do you think of the emblem? Is it worth the grind? Let us know in the comments!
Do you like the article? Then let us know!
No MMO lives forever, and in 2019, some games were shut down again. We present to you the 9 MMOs that you won’t be able to play in 2020.
Every year, new MMOs are released, but every year, others are also discontinued. While some MMOs died in 2019, these were mostly less known titles, unlike the previous year, which saw Wildstar, Paragon, and Gigantic shutting down.
On this page and the following pages, we will introduce you to the games that will cease to exist in 2020.
[toc]
What was Bless Online? Bless Online was a AAA MMORPG from Asia that reportedly cost 61 million dollars to develop. It looked graphically appealing and caused a small hype in 2018.
Here in the West, people were desperately waiting for a new MMORPG. Although Bless was already struggling to succeed back in its home country of Korea, players were excited about the game here. This was partly due to the developers giving players hope for a version of the MMORPG tailored for the West.
What did the MMO fail at? Bless failed in the West on many levels:
In June 2019, the end for Bless Online was announced. It was then shut down on September 9.
What are the best memories? The game was praised mainly for its good taming system, where you could capture 660 different creatures. Some of them were pets, while others could even become mounts.
The game world of Bless was also beautifully designed. Players probably won’t have many more positive memories, as many demanded refunds on Steam.
Are there alternatives or successors? Bandai Namco plans a reboot of Bless under the name Bless Unleashed for Xbox One. Bless Unleashed takes place in the same world, but a different time and was initially supposed to be released at the end of 2019. However, this version has become quiet in recent months.
A good alternative is the MMORPG Astellia. It also comes from Korea but offers specific adjustments for the West. Exclusive areas for us have already been added, and the Pay2Win has been removed. Work is also being done on the gender lock.
Do you like the article? Then let us know!
Today, on Saturday, December 28th, the big winter weekend in Pokémon GO begins. We give you an overview of bonuses, spawns, and event times.
What kind of event is this? As part of the Christmas event there will also be a special event day this Saturday. You will again encounter Regice and additional bonuses will be unlocked.
We will tell you which bonuses you should take advantage of and how to approach the event best.
When does the event start? It starts tomorrow, on Saturday, at 11 AM local time. You can benefit from the event for a full 8 hours, as it ends at 7 PM.
What bonuses are there? These bonuses are in addition to the bonuses from the Christmas event. So there are:
You should take advantage of this bonus: Especially the two-hour lures sound interesting. There, you have a good chance of encountering Frigometri. This Pokémon is new to the game since the Christmas event and is mainly found in glacial modules.
So, choose a place with friends to activate multiple modules together. You can then stay there and catch Pokémon diligently. Glacial modules yield double the number of Pokémon compared to regular modules. It’s worth it.
These bonuses are additional: All other bonuses from the Christmas event remain active. You will also find increased ice Pokémon in the wild, quests, raids, and eggs.
Additionally, there will also be a free egg incubator on Saturday and double the amount of XP when catching Pokémon.
What is Regice weak against: The legendary Pokémon is of Ice type and therefore weak against Fighting, Fire, Rock, and Steel types. So you can bring a broad counter team.
The best counters: The list of effective counters is long. We show you the top 10:
How many players are needed for Regice? It depends on the level of the raid boss. In the paid live event, the raids were a bit easier and could therefore be done by two.
If this changes, you will need 3-4 players with good counters. This remains to be seen.
Is there a Shiny Regice? Yes, you can catch the legendary Pokémon as Shiny as well. The rate is about 1 in 19. This is usually the case with legendary Shinies.
Are Regice raids worth it? Anyone who already has it as Shiny can easily skip Regice. It is quite useless in raids and gyms. Only in PvP does it have some more use. However, if you’re not that keen on it, you won’t miss anything.
Niantic has also announced a new PokéStop feature:
Do you like the article? Then let us know!
Thanks to a bug, a player’s Lucario transformed into the anime character Naruto in Pokémon GO. The Pokémon kept running non-stop just like “a ninja”.
This is the bug: On reddit, the player “AlickThePappa” reports this error that his girlfriend noticed on her account.
It seemed that her Lucario was running almost continuously and strongly resembled Naruto, who has a very unique way of running that has been frequently used as a meme on the internet. It looks like this:
This is the clip: It shows the buddy menu in the overview. You can also see a small image of your buddy, who usually just stands there and waits for a berry.
Bug: GFs Buddy is stuck Naruto Running from r/TheSilphRoad
However, the Lucario in the clip is not standing still. Instead, it keeps running and apparently cannot be stopped.
Is this really a bug? The fact that the Lucario runs in the buddy menu is indeed just a funny bug. However, it also has this unique running style when it runs alongside you on the map. If you happen to speed up a bit, it will chase you in Naruto style. The same goes for Riolu. It has the same running style.
You can actually experience the Naruto running style even without a bug. However, not for as long and with a direct overhead view.
What else can the buddy feature do? Your buddy can not only walk alongside you with the new feature but can also collect gifts and souvenirs for you.
Additionally, you can receive various bonuses when you level up the buddy level.
Are there any other funny buddies? Lucario is not the only Pokémon that runs alongside you in such a funny way. We have listed 6 more Pokémon that have funny animations.
In Pokémon GO, there is also a new feature related to PokéStops. We explain why it is so important:
Do you like the article? Then let us know!
Today, the exotic merchant Xur pays the Guardians a final visit in 2019 in Destiny 2. But where can you find him and what does he have for sale? Find out everything about his location and inventory this weekend
This is happening right now in Destiny 2: Currently, the Guardians can still dive into the multiplayer battles of the Christmas Iron Banner until the next weekly reset. But unfortunately, one quest step dampens the mood a bit:
Additionally, the winter event is currently running in Destiny. Here you can bake cookies and gift your favorite NPCs.
But first, Xur is coming by, and we’ll show what he has for the Guardians.
What does Xur offer to the Guardians? Let’s take a look at his inventory this weekend and show you his exotic goods.
This is Xur’s time: The exotic merchant appears today, Friday, December 27 at 6:00 PM, on any planet.
He will stay there until the next weekly reset and offers his goods to the Guardians during this time.
Xur’s position: You can find the noodle face this weekend in the EDZ in the “Twisted Cove” area.
Weapon: Lion’s Roar – Grenade Launcher for 29 Legendary Shards
Titan: Type 44 Offside – Leg Armor for 23 Legendary Shards
Hunter: Mechanic Trick Sleeves – Gauntlets for 23 Legendary Shards
Warlock: The Stag – Helmet for 23 Legendary Shards
Exotic Engram for 97 Legendary Shards
Five of Swords, the free challenge card to customize the Nightfall strike
Invitations of the Nine for 9 Legendary Shards, if not completed yet
A compact summary of Xur’s inventory can be found in this video by Nexxoss Gaming:
Do you like the article? Then let us know!
