In Pokémon GO the submission of PokéStops is working again! This is reported by Niantic on Twitter and makes many players cheer. The feature was missing for days.
What was the starting point? At the end of September, the feature surrounding PokéStop submissions suddenly disappeared from the game. Niantic mentioned a bug with the photos, so the feature was temporarily disabled.
For about 3 weeks now, there has been no news on the subject. Now Niantic’s support announces that PokéStops can be submitted again.
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PokéStop submissions possible again – Things to consider
This is important when submitting: The guidelines for submitting PokéStops are still the same. You cannot submit just any house, but there should be a reason behind it.
Currently, only Ingress players can rate the PokéStops, which means it might take a while if you submit a stop. Therefore, think carefully about whether the proposed PokéStop actually meets the guidelines or will be rejected anyway.
Which places are good for PokéStops? Especially suitable are, for example, churches or monuments. But information boards or stumbling stones often work as well.
However, make sure you take a good picture and that the description is consistent, otherwise a PokéStop can also be rejected for this reason.
This could soon make many things easier: Ingress players repeatedly report that there is a true flood of submissions to evaluate, causing a long wait for a submission to be approved.
This is what the system looks like for rating PokéStops.
Something is finally happening in Fortnite after the long wait. The servers are down, and a downtime for Fortnite Chapter 2 (formerly Season 11) has begun on all platforms. A patch of 15 GB is also available on PC – but the Fortnite patch notes are still missing.
What happened? After the live event that took place on October 13, 2019, all one could see in Fortnite was a black hole, and the game was no longer accessible.
Players have waited a long time to see when Fortnite would continue. Epic Games deleted all posts on Twitter and on their main page. Only a live stream of the event was still being broadcasted.
This is what it looked like after the live event in Fortnite
Now however, it might finally continue with Fortnite. A downtime is still ahead of us.
Downtime for Fortnite Chapter 2 finally started
When did the downtime start? Today, Tuesday, October 15 at 10:00 AM, the downtime started. If you were in Fortnite, you were logged out.
This is what it looked like:
When will the servers be back online? How long the maintenance will take is not yet known. However, since it is a completely new “season” being rolled out, it might take longer than usual.
How big is the update? The update is now available and is expected to be relatively large. The update for PC is said to be almost 15GB. The data miner FortniteBR posted this on Twitter:
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As soon as more information about the update is available, we will inform you here on MeinMMO. Then we will also see the patch notes for Fortnite Season 11.
Here you can also see the cinematic for Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 1:
A new trailer for Chapter 2 of Fortnite has appeared. It shows glimpses of a completely new world and entirely new ways to get weapons.
What kind of trailer is this? The cinematic has not been officially shown by Epic, but Rod Breslau, a well-known eSports journalist, also shared the trailer.
It is one of the first glimpses of the new world that Fortnite will receive with the start of Chapter 2. It also showcases skins that will be waiting for you.
Watch the trailer for Season 11 of Fortnite here
This is the clip: The video lasts over a minute and shows various innovations that will come with Chapter 2:
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This will be new: The new map is naturally at the forefront, which will be waiting for you. You can see a gigantic dam and a kind of nuclear power plant dumping purple liquid into a river. There are also snow-covered mountains and some towns.
It also seems that there is a new way to get weapons. You just have to fish, and with a bit of luck, you might get your gun.
These are the skins: The video mainly showcases 4 new skins. This includes a suit that has a black 8 on its head, reminiscent of a billiard ball. There’s also a blue skin that looks a bit like a jellyfish. How to obtain these outfits is still completely unclear.
What’s next for Fortnite? Currently, the game is in downtime. You can’t play it right now. However, it seems that the Battle Royale will continue soon.
Fortnite: Battle Royale is currently unplayable, as an event has simply ended it. At least for now. For everyone who still needs their battle royale fix, we present here five free alternatives.
Many players and even Twitch streamers aren’t quite sure what to do while their favorite game is unavailable. That’s why we provide you with some alternatives to Fortnite that you can check out while the servers are down.
How were the games selected? The current list is unordered and has been created based on personal recommendations and experiences from the editorial team, as well as some impressions from reviews.
All alternatives are free and have a unique twist or a unique selling point that makes them unique in their own way.
Apex Legends
What is Apex Legends? Apex Legends (PC, PS4, Xbox One) is a new battle royale from Respawn and EA. It plays in the well-known and popular Titanfall universe and borrows characters and weapons from it.
PUBG can therefore be considered the “classic” battle royale that many successors, including Fortnite, have oriented themselves towards. There are several maps, a solo, duo, and squad mode, ranked play, and the same requirements for everyone.
This is currently happening in PUBG:In July, Season 4 of PUBG started and brought some changes. The map Erangel was visually overhauled and some weapons received adjustments.
How good is PUBG? The current (recent) ratings on Steam are 47% positive and therefore “Balanced”.
Ring of Elysium
What is Ring of Elysium? Ring of Elysium (PC) comes from the Chinese gaming giant Tencent and is a direct competitor to PUBG. It also relies on realistic graphics, many weapons, and even on destructible environments.
It was officially released on June 26, 2019, on Steam for PC. However, it has been in playable early access since September 2018.
This is currently happening in Ring of Elysium: Currently, special challenges are running in Ring of Elysium, where you can earn a free Adventurer Pass for Season 6, E-Points, experience, and a portrait. The challenges last until October 22.
How good is Ring of Elysium? Right after the official launch, the ratings on Steam were still quite good with about 74% positive votes. Meanwhile (as of October 15 at 10:00 AM), the recent reviews have fallen to 68%.
Realm Royale
What is Realm Royale? Realm Royale (PC, PS4, Xbox One) is the battle royale that is probably closest to Fortnite. Like Fortnite, it features comic graphics, a colorful environment, and crazy weapons.
Realm Royale is made by Hi-Rez, the studio behind SMITE and Paladins. It is free for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and the Switch. Downloads are available for all platforms on the official website.
This makes Realm Royale unique
Mounts that you can summon
Smithing stations scattered across the map to craft equipment
Equippable abilities that are scattered like weapons
This is currently happening in Realm Royale: In October, the BokOps event will start with futuristic skins and items that you can secure. In addition, there is a Battle Pass specifically for the event to level up. The update also brings a third ability slot and gyro support for PS4 and Switch.
This is currently happening in Call of Duty: Mobile: The game celebrated its release on October 1, 2019. Accordingly, it is still plagued by some issues, which the developers are currently working on.
Finally, there is information about the Halloween event 2019 in Overwatch. But the scariest detail might be that Zenyatta will soon learn to walk.
In October, Overwatch traditionally hosts the Halloween event. There was already some concern that it could be canceled this year. Blizzard had not released any information or teased any content. But that has now changed. Blizzard has announced the date for the Halloween event and also shown a cool emote for Zenyatta.
When does the Halloween event take place? The event “Halloween Terror 2019” starts on October 15 – so today! It runs until November 4, 2019, which is exactly 3 weeks. During this time, players have the opportunity to earn special Halloween loot boxes and thereby obtain the unique cosmetics.
Zenyatta’s emote is strange: With the new emote for Zenyatta, Blizzard seems to have made a little joke. Instead of a truly scary emote, Zenyatta gets a moment of peace. He looks around sneakily for a moment before standing on the ground, stretching a bit, and relaxing. But after a panic look over his shoulders, he takes off again. This should clarify whether Zenyatta can actually walk. Yes, he can. He just doesn’t want to.
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Fun fact: Zenyatta is one of the quietest heroes, as his steps make no noise – after all, he doesn’t touch the ground.
What other content is coming? Other content for the Halloween event has not yet been disclosed. However, further emotes and at least 3-5 new skins are expected. Blizzard has always added a lot in past events. Whether the “Junkenstein” game mode will be revised or return in the same form is also still unclear.
In a few hours, we will know more.
Are you looking forward to the Halloween event in Overwatch?
We haven’t heard much about the battle royale shooter PUBG lately. However, the game is particularly successful in its mobile version.
What is the current state of PUBG? Especially the mobile version of the battle royale shooter is on the rise, even though we hardly hear anything about the game. Generally, there has been relatively little news about Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds. The last major news about the game was the launch of the free-to-play version PUBG Lite in this country.
Mobile Game Storms the Charts
How successful is PUBG? PUBG Mobile achieved the number one spot in the global mobile games chart in the third quarter of 2019. This allowed the shooter to dethrone the “eternal” champions Honor of Kings and Fate/Grand Order.
According to the website Sensor Tower, PUBG Mobile generated a revenue of 496 million dollars in the third quarter of 2019, an increase of 652% compared to the previous year!
What is the reason for this success? The success of the mobile game is mainly driven by the Asian market. There, PUBG Mobile is so popular that the Indian government even had to intervene. There are reports suggesting that the game may even be responsible for some deaths in India.
In China, the game was even taken off the market, where it had been among the most successful mobile games until May. Due to regulations, China replaced the shooter with the “government-friendlier” Game for Peace.
What about the PC and console version? This version does not reach the success of the mobile version. This is because more games are played on mobile devices than on PC or console, especially in Asia.
The Mobile Market is Extremely Large
How does it compare to other mobile games? In the second and third places of the charts, we find Honor of Kings and Fate/Grand Order. Honor of Kings generated a revenue of 377 million dollars in the third quarter of 2019, while Fate/Grand Order achieved 354 million. In third place is Pokémon GO with a revenue of 308 million dollars.
The mobile game Mario Kart Tour did not make it into the top 100 mobile games with the highest revenue, but it landed in 3rd place for most downloads, just behind PUBG Mobile in 2nd place and Fun Race 3D in 1st place.
PUBG was the trend game of 2017
What does this tell us? Mobile games are extremely successful – especially in Asia. According to Sensor Tower, the total revenue of all mobile games was 16.3 billion dollars in the third quarter of 2019.
In this country, mobile games still do not enjoy quite the success they have in Asia, but the games are no longer to be missed in the market.
The grind has begun. In FIFA 20 you can earn Icon cards yourself. Which legends offer the best value, you can find out here.
With the wide selection of legends of the first Icon Swaps in FUT 20, it’s not easy to decide on one. Diligent players can even get several icons in their team.
The prices vary greatly. The cheapest Icon card costs you 6 swap tokens and the most expensive one costs 23 tokens. We help you make the right decision.
So much are the tokens worth: Reddit user bradt10183 calculated how many coins a swap token is worth compared to the purchase price of the respective Icon card on the transfer market.
Currently, the Drogba card costs 1.5 million FIFA coins on PS4. With Icon Swaps you can get this for 23 tokens. Thus, one token is worth 71,889 coins.
This way, you get the highest value for your hard-earned tokens with Drogba. For Kluivert, the value of one token is only 39,194 coins.
But are the expensive cards really the best? We will tell you which cards you should take a look at:
Didier Drogba – 89
The price of the card: The 89-rated Icon card of Didier Drogba is the most expensive card of the Icon Swaps at 23 tokens and 1.5 million coins (PS4). However, it is also a really strong card.
However, the way to get the 23 swap tokens could be quite arduous, as not every task is easy to accomplish.
Cost: 23 swap tokens
Why is this card recommended? Not without reason is Drogba currently so expensive on the transfer market. The bulky striker has fantastic values in his mid-icon version, including really strong shooting stats. The highlight of this Icon card are certainly its physical values, which hardly any other striker offers.
Additionally, Drogba has 4-star weak foot and skill moves. This striker card leaves hardly any wishes unfulfilled.
Rio Ferdinand – 85
The price of the card: You can get this base Icon card for 16 swap tokens, which means a lot of work. However, it can pay off since the defender is usually found for about 700,000 coins (PS4) on the transfer market.
Cost: 16 swap tokens
Why is this card recommended? Many FUT players swear by Ferdinand’s base card. Compared to the medium and prime version, this one is even slightly faster. Additionally, the defensive and physical values are really strong.
In FUT 20, there are hardly any defenders who can keep up with Ferdinand.
Miroslav Klose – 89
The price of the card: To obtain Klose, you need to give up 12 swap tokens. And that’s not a bad deal, as you would usually pay about 500,000 coins (PS4) for the German legend on the transfer market.
Cost: 12 swap tokens
Why is this card recommended? This card has many strengths and can score a lot of goals in any team. Especially the strong shooting values and good dribbling stand out. And if you use a Hunter chemistry style, Klose reaches 93 pace, making him even more dangerous.
Michael Ballack – 86
The price of the card: Ballack’s base card is available for about 600,000 coins (PS4), which is quite a lot for many players. However, 12 swap tokens are much easier to earn. And investing in Ballack would not be a mistake.
Cost: 12 swap tokens
Why is this card recommended? With this card, you get a really strong midfielder who can be effective both defensively and offensively. He has fantastic shooting and passing values and can defend excellently as well. Additionally, the 4-star weak foot and skill values round off this strong Icon card.
For this reason, Ballack will undoubtedly be many FUT players’ first choice in the Icon Swaps.
What the community says about Icon Swaps
What FUT players say: The FIFA community is surprised that the tasks of the Icon Swaps are easier than expected. Reddit user ChilliClock says: “I already have 6 tokens and I barely played the game. A great way to get icons.”
And Ld511 is also pleased: “Honestly, most tasks are not that hard. And only one player costs 23 tokens, so you don’t have to work much for most players.”
Some players are also sad that they have to choose one player, like KeanuReefed: “Somewhat sad that I can’t have Ballack and Roberto Carlos, I’m missing one token.”
However, some FUT players are also disappointed with the tasks. Starm1X, for example, says: “Much too grind-heavy. Give us the SBCs back!” Or Josh2807: “Wow, this is a full-time job.”
In Pokémon GO a big live event is coming up. This event brings the legendary Pokémon Regigigas into the game. The Regi Trio will also return around the event and bring their shiny forms.
What did Niantic announce? There are two big news items in Pokémon GO. The Regi Trio featuring Regirock, Regice, and Registeel is making a comeback. They will also appear as shiny for the first time.
In addition, there will be a global live event which includes a special research task that will eventually bring Regigigas.
Everything we know about the live event in Pokémon GO
When is the live event? The event takes place on Saturday, November 2, from 11 AM to 7 PM local time. However, you only have access if you purchase a ticket in advance.
How can you participate? Until the event starts, you can purchase a ticket for the event in the in-game shop. The price is $7.99 and cannot be bought with coins. You will need to invest real money.
What does this live event bring? With the ticket, you gain access to the special research “A Colossal Discovery.” This research will bring you the Pokémon Regigigas, which can be caught exclusively in advance. After the event, Regigigas will return in EX Raids.
The following additional bonuses are available:
A medal for your list
Up to 10 free raid passes that can only be used during the live event period
An Unova Stone and a Sinnoh Stone
An exclusive avatar pose
This avatar pose will be available for you
Should you invest the money? If you don’t spend money on the game, then you won’t miss out on anything. Regigigas will be available in EX Raids in November. So if you just want the Pokédex entry, you can wait until then.
A highlight of the event will be the fact that you will receive 10 free raid passes. Although these can only be used during the live event, those who have time there can make good use of them.
When will Regigigas come to EX Raids? The legendary Pokémon will likely replace Mewtwo. On November 12, Mewtwo will be removed. Afterwards, invitations for Regigigas will likely be sent out.
Shiny Regi Trio is coming and brings Shiny Panzaeron
This event is about: When the Halloween event ends in Pokémon GO on November 1, it will continue directly with the Regi Trio. However, you only have a few days for this, as the event will end on November 4 at 10 PM.
These are the bonuses: Not only is the return of Regirock, Regice, and Registeel being celebrated, but additional bonuses await you:
The following Pokémon will appear more frequently in the wild: Kleinstein, Magnetilo, Quiekel, Stollunior, and Seemops
The following Pokémon will hatch from eggs: Aerodactyl, Pottrott, Sniebel, Panzaeron, Schneppke, and Tanhel
Shiny Panzaeron, Regirock, Regice, and Registeel will appear in the game for the first time
Incubators are twice as effective
This fits well together: The live event with Regigigas falls directly into the event days of the Regi Trio. Since on Saturday you will have 10 free passes, provided you buy the ticket for the event, you can invest these directly in the shiny hunt of the Regi Trio.
What do you think of these events? Will you invest the money for a ticket?
The next patch of World of Warcraft is available on the PTR. However, some players are already worried. There may be too little content.
Those currently playing on the PTR of World of Warcraft can already experience the content of Patch 8.3 Visions of N’Zoth. However, as playtime on the PTR increases, there are also some voices in the community expressing concerns. The content may not offer enough long-term motivation to keep players engaged for an extended period.
What is the problem? Patch 8.3 represents the climax of Battle for Azeroth – after all, it is against the Old God N’Zoth and his minions. However, there is no new area. Although the big raid Ny’alotha and the Horrific Visions as repeatable content are coming, there are only two parts of the Valley of Eternal Blossoms and Uldum classified as “new areas.” During an assault by N’Zoth, these areas have been altered, featuring new quests, enemies, and treasures.
This is too little for many players since there is no truly new area, unlike Nazjatar or Mechagon.
What do fans wish for? In the World of Warcraft subreddit, players hope that Blizzard will revise more areas that will then be attacked by N’Zoth. User timmawa created a few maps as rough concepts of how that could look.
What is the players’ concern? In the comments on Reddit, players express the concern that the content of Patch 8.3 will not “last” very long. It could become stale quickly. For instance, Morati87 writes:
I played this content in the Beta [PTR] and it becomes monotonous quickly. These are revamped invasions with nothing new. The Horrific Visions are basically behind a time gate. With resources and talents building over time and the upgrades of the legendary cloak, the content becomes a joke after a while. To be honest, I expected more from Patch 8.3. There is nothing particularly exciting new in the world.
After Patch 8.3 comes the drought: The concern is combined with the fear that there will be a long pause after Patch 8.3. After all, this would be Blizzard’s normal rhythm. This would mean that after Patch 8.3, there would be no new content for several months as they work on the next expansion. This would result in 6 to 9 months without fresh content. Many players doubt that the contents of 8.3 can keep them entertained for that long.
What do you think? Are you convinced by the content of Patch 8.3 that you have seen so far? Do you think it will suffice until the possibly next addon (Patch 9.0)?
The new Buy2Play version of ArcheAge is released today, on Tuesday, October 15th. We have summarized everything important about the release for you.
Update 4:30 PM: The game has now started and is running smoothly. However, you need to manually activate your package again for work points and credits. Here we tell you more about it.
What time does it start? ArcheAge Unchained will be released in Europe at 12:00 PM our time. The developers announced this during the livestream last Friday.
You can start playing at noon and enjoy the entire day.
Can I download the game beforehand? As a pre-order customer, you can download Unchained already. However, those who do not want to purchase the game in advance must wait for the download until the release.
What benefits do pre-order customers have? In addition to early download, pre-order customers can already reserve names and create characters.
Additionally, there are exclusive pre-order bonuses in the form of titles or cosmetic upgrades. In return, the release version of ArcheAge Unchained might become cheaper.
Generally, the MMORPG is Buy2Play, meaning you always have to purchase the game version. The cheapest pre-order package currently costs 25.99 euros. The pre-order packages will disappear along with the official release on October 15 at 12:00 PM.
How many accounts can you own? For ArcheAge Unchained, the publisher Gamigo introduces the rule that a player may own a maximum of three accounts.
Furthermore, these three accounts can only be played separately. If someone operates multiple accounts simultaneously, they must expect a penalty.
Will Unchained be released on Steam? ArcheAge Unchained will also be released on Steam. However, there will be no pre-order versions there. Those who want to buy via Steam must wait until launch.
How many servers are there? At the launch of Unchained, you can choose from three European servers:
Alexander
Halnaak
Belstrom
There are no differences between the servers, as there are no pure PvE servers in ArcheAge. There is also no separation for individual languages such as German or French.
Can you transfer advantages from ArcheAge to Unchained or vice versa? No, because both game versions function separately. They are treated as two separate MMORPGs, even though they offer the same content. Both will also receive Patch 6.0 on October 15.
They differ only in the way they are monetized and which content is available in the shop. Unchained does not include a subscription or APEX, a currency that allows you to exchange real money for in-game currency.
If you have any further questions about ArcheAge Unchained, feel free to ask them in the comments!
A trailer for Fortnite has appeared for Chapter 2. The new season will be called “Fortnite Chapter 2 – Season 1,” not Season 11. The trailer showcases many new features that fans can expect after the “Fortnite Down” event. However, Epic is reportedly deleting the leaked trailer as quickly as people post it online.
What kind of trailer is it? It is apparently the new trailer for the “Fortnite Battle Pass.” The trailer lasts about 30 seconds. The site “SkinTracker.com” has spread it via Twitter.
It is apparently not intended for players to see the trailer yet.
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Epic deleted the trailer immediately – however, there were already some mirror downloads circulating. We were able to view the trailer early from MeinMMO via YouTube.
Update 10:58 PM: Epic has apparently released the trailer as the Twitter account that originally leaked it states. Epic apparently could no longer remove the trailer from the internet.
In Fortnite you will soon be able to fish for level-ups
The big marketing slogan of the trailer is that there are now “More ways to level up in Fortnite.” It shows that there are level-ups or an upgrade of various medals when you
kill an enemy – that gives an upgrade of the “Battle Medal”
open and loot a chest – it will be called “Scavenger Medal Upgraded”
harvest resources like a tree – “Survivor Medal Upgraded”
fish – here the player leveled up to 127 in the trailer.
Additionally, it will be possible to explode a gas tank by shooting at it. In the video, a player blows up a gas station.
The gas tank then deals damage to nearby enemies. This also granted an upgrade for the “Battle Medal” since the player eliminated 4 enemies during the match.
Pogo sticks, hula hoops, and motorboats
What else is shown? The trailer apparently shows the new map of Fortnite. It looks quite idyllic with mountains and lakes.
There are “Pogo-Sticks” that you can ride on. They look like small llamas. Also, there are hula hoops that spin around your hips.
A nasty trick may be that you can hide in a dumpster and then attack enemies from behind. Additionally, you will be able to carry players.
Fortnite “goes underwater” in Chapter 2
Motorboats were shown as a new vehicle. Players shot at each other from the boats. And you can see how a player dives into the water with a diving jump.
This probably means: Water will soon be a usable area in Fortnite. This also fits with the fishing.
There are said to be over 100 new rewards in the Battle Pass.
The Battle Pass trailer usually focuses on cosmetic upgrades and gameplay changes. Therefore, this should represent some of the most important improvements in Fortnite.
In Pokémon GO there are now over 500 Pokémon, making it difficult to keep track of them all. However, one monster is now missing: Paras seems to no longer appear.
This has been observed: On Reddit , the trainer Shipoffools1 posted his observations and explained that his community has been missing Paras for several days. No one has seen it, and now he is asking players on Reddit if they might have encountered Paras.
The opinions here are all the same: Paras has not been found for several days. The Pokémon seems to no longer be appearing in the wild.
Searching for Paras – A One-Off Case?
What players are reporting: The search for Paras is receiving a lot of support on Reddit. You can find over 250 comments under the thread. The responses are always the same: I haven’t seen any Paras either.
Paras seems to have disappeared
It is notable that the evolution Parasek is still found. So it seems to be only Paras itself that is not appearing.
Are there further cases of this? It is hard to say whether other Pokémon are currently missing. After all, there are so many Pokémon in the wild, making it difficult to keep track. Currently, however, only Paras is being discussed.
Is it perhaps just bad luck with the spawns? Of course, there is no guarantee that Paras has currently been removed from the spawn pool, but no player has yet proven otherwise.
The Reddit channel has nearly 500,000 members and none of them have reported a Paras so far.
The fans of Pokémon GO are currently annoyed with Niantic. A new feature is only available for Wizards Unite:
Does the mobile game “Coin Master” introduce children to gambling addiction? At least that’s what Jan Böhmermann suspects in his show Neo Magazin Royale – the Federal Review Board is now responding.
Mobile games have been all the rage for several years now and can be found on pretty much every display. However, what thousands of players, often children, play is not always immediately clear at first glance. In his show “Neo Magazin Royale,” satirist Jan Böhmermann took a look at a popular mobile game and concludes: Children are being taken money out of their pockets and are being deliberately made receptive to gambling.
As an example, the game “Coin Master,” which often ranks high in the App Store, usually at number 1. It is extremely popular.
What is Coin Master? Coin Master is a mobile game with cute graphics that is clearly aimed at a younger audience. In terms of gameplay, it resembles many other mobile games. Players can build their own villages and raid other players’ villages.
Most actions in the game, however, cost coins, the namesake coins. Depending on the app store, the game is rated at 16 or “17+”, but was previously available without age restriction.
What is the problem? The coins are limited in Coin Master. They are primarily received when the player plays on a virtual one-armed bandit. However, players can only use it a few times per hour, which severely limits the acquisition of coins.
However, those who wish can play on the machines much more frequently if they pay real money for it. Depending on the offer, this can cost up to €109.99.
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Böhmermann criticizes game content, advertising, and developers’ intentions
Jan Böhmermann criticizes several aspects of Coin Master. He believes that these games are only developed to acclimate children and young people to gambling from an early age so that they later take their money to casinos. He supports this statement, among other things, by pointing out that the investors behind the development of Coin Master are largely involved in gambling businesses, one of whom founded the sports betting site bwin, while another led a massive offering of online casinos.
Actually, there are strict rules for gambling in Germany, which can only be played by adults and only under compliance with many regulations. However, this does not apply to Coin Master and its one-armed bandits.
Why isn’t this gambling? Playing the one-armed bandit in the game does not constitute gambling under German law. For that, all 3 criteria must be met simultaneously:
Real money stake
Real money winning possibility
Outcome based on chance
In Coin Master (and similar apps), not all 3 conditions are met because you cannot win real money. In some cases, the outcome is also not based on chance but on an algorithm. Therefore, such games are not considered gambling and are still accessible to minors.
Advertising by Influencers is inappropriate: Another point of criticism is Coin Master’s advertising campaign. In various clips, well-known influencers can be seen playing the game. Among them are famous YouTubers like Bibi from Bibis Beauty Palace, Simon Desue, but also Dieter Bohlen and musician Pietro Lombardi.
Especially the influencers primarily have a teenage audience that is to be guided to gambling-like activities.
How Böhmermann achieved a response from the authorities
In his show, Böhmermann called on his viewers to file a complaint with the Federal Review Board for Youth-Endangering Media (BPjM). This can only be done by educational institutions (like schools) or authorities in such cases.
The call was successful: Just a few days after the call, Böhmermann was able to record a success. Because as reported by GameStar, the BPjM has received “a multitude of applications or suggestions for the indexing of the game”. As a result, Coin Master is now being reviewed by the authority for its youth-endangering character.
Coin Master is a special case: It also appears from BPjM’s statement that Coin Master is, in fact, a special case. Normally, applications involve cases of glorification of violence or pornography. However, in Coin Master’s case:
The use of loot boxes in video games and gambling simulations is discussed in the context of gambling, promoting media addiction behavior, and cost traps on the internet.
In contrast to the traditional jurisdiction of the BPjM, the risks for children and adolescents in this case do not primarily arise from the actual content of the game, but from the special game setup.
Could it soon be banned for children? It is possible.
It must be noted that Coin Master is by far not the only game of its kind. Referring to it as a “special case” could therefore create a false impression. It may be a special case for the Federal Review Board because it usually receives different reports – however, Coin Master is certainly not a “special case” in mobile gaming.
In many mobile games, it is common to have a waiting time component that can be bypassed by using real money. A similar principle often exists with treasure chests that can be opened or energy supplies that can be restored.
These methods have been increasingly criticized in recent years – especially within the gaming scene.
Thanks to Böhmermann, this kind of game may now be brought more into the public eye. And maybe it will help some parents protect their children from these gambling traps.
What do you think about such games? Should they be banned, or should they not be accessible to minors? Or should we take it all lightly?
Gambling and loot boxes are a topic that comes up time and again:
In Destiny 2, Izanagi’s Burden is one of the best weapons available. However, many new Guardians are currently unable to obtain this exotic sniper due to game bugs. You can read about the issues and what the weapon can do here.
With Shadowkeep , many changes have been made to the Destiny universe. One of these changes involves the Forges of the Black Armory and the associated gear.
What are the Forges? The Forges are three-player activities with matchmaking, where waves of enemies must be defeated, culminating in a boss fight. The Forges were introduced with the “Black Armory” DLC in December 2018 for Destiny 2. The Forges were gradually unlocked.
The special thing about them is that one can repeatedly farm one of the exclusive “Black Armory” weapons.
This is new since Shadowkeep: There are four completely different Forges. With the latest expansion, players no longer have access to all Forges at once. There is a rotating schedule that determines which of the four locations can be visited.
In this context, Bungie responded to a request from the Guardian community: The Forges can be selected from orbit. Previously, you had to land on Nessus or the EDZ and tediously travel to the starting point by Sparrow or on foot.
The reduction to only one active Forge at a time seems to be intended to prevent unnecessarily lengthy matchmaking.
Previously, the Gofannon Forge was found on Nessus
The Forges are not running smoothly
This is the current problem: In addition to the legendary weapons, there are also exotic Forge weapons. Two of them are now much easier to acquire. The exotic sniper Izanagi’s Burden is the third weapon and awaits you at the end of a long quest. And this quest seems to be bugged and hardly solvable at the moment.
Some of the complaints are:
Bugs and even freezes (the screen “freezes”) occur frequently. As a result, the completion of the activity is not counted.
To progress in the quest, certain tasks must be completed in various Forges. Due to the rotation, Guardians have to wait unnecessarily long for the required Forge.
During the quest, you need to complete a rare bounty. This can drop randomly when you redeem daily bounties. However, not all daily bounties can be completed as some are specific to only one Forge.
The necessary “Black Armory Key” required for completion is not findable. Players should actually receive a corresponding schematic from Ada-1. New Destiny 2 players end up empty-handed with the key. Originally, the quest item was received after all four Forges were opened sequentially. Since all Forges are now immediately available, the process of opening is missing.
This is what the community says: On reddit, a discussion on the topic currently has nearly 8000 upvotes and over 850 comments. Players complain that the process of switching to only one active Forge was not well thought out and makes completing the quest “Mysterious Box” impossible for new players.
We have collected some comments here:
Fizjig: “I have been stuck on the ‘rare’ bounty step for ages. I never got one and now I think I will never manage, as broken as the Forges are.”
Big_Tie: “The worst part is that Izanagi is completely meta right now. So every new player wants to get it, and it’s being made damn near impossible for them.”
With a touch of optimism, jori2dope writes: “Finally, the topic is on the front page! Thank God”
What does Bungie say about this? The developer of Destiny has been rather tight-lipped so far. In the official Bungie forum, it simply says, “Thank you for the report. We are currently looking into the issue.”
When the problem will be fixed or how long the solution will take is currently still up in the air.
Short and sweet
Reward for the Effort – Izanagi’s Burden
This is the powerful weapon in question: What makes Izanagi’s Burden special? The sniper rifle is the only exotic sniper in the kinetic slot and requires special ammunition. The weapon has a fire rate of 90, placing it in the middle between rapid-fire snipers and the slow but hard-hitting sniper rifles like Whisper of the Worm.
The unique exotic perk is: Honed Edge – When you hold the reload button, the magazine is consumed, and you receive a round with increased range and more damage.
If you condense your four-shot magazine into one powerful shot, the new projectile deals five times (5x) damage. With the exotic catalyst, the damage of “Honed Edge” is even increased to six times (6x).
Rewards Precision – Izanagi’s Burden
This is how you use the weapon: Essentially, you fire six bullets at once with just one shot. This carries a high risk, as if you miss, you’ve wasted a lot of ammunition. But the risk is worth it. Currently, Izanagi’s Burden is the strongest burst damage weapon in the game. This means the rifle deals the highest damage with just a single shot.
The weapon is classified in the kinetic slot and does not therefore take up the power weapon slot. So, for example, you do not have to forfeit the currently very powerful grenade launchers such as Wendigo GL3.
That Izanagi’s Burden earns its place in the loadout for endgame activities is demonstrated to you by Clan Redeem member Ehroar here:
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Does this problem affect you as well, or did you have luck and got Izanagi’s Burden before Shadowkeep? Perhaps you also completely forgo the exotic – share your opinion with us.
The Halloween Event 2019 in Pokémon GO has been announced! For the first time, Darkrai will be available in raids, and Shiny Makabaja is making its debut!
What kind of event is this?As previously teased, there will also be a Halloween event in 2019. This time, numerous bonuses will be available in Pokémon GO, and the highlight will be the new raid boss Darkrai.
When is the event running? The bonuses will last for 2 weeks, from October 17 at 10 PM, this Thursday, to November 1 at 10 PM.
Everything about the Halloween Event 2019
These are the bonuses: A huge load of bonuses awaits you within the 2 weeks. These include:
Makabaja comes to the game and appears directly as Shiny in Pokémon GO
Darkrai will appear in level 5 raids and replace Giratina
Ghost and Dark-type Pokémon will appear more frequently in the wild
Double candies for catching, hatching, and sending
New field research will come to the game
The special research “A Creepy Message” returns and presumably rewards Kryppuk again
Pokémon with special costumes can be caught in raids and in the wild
New shadow Pokémon will come to the game
3 new Pokémon come to the game
What new Pokémon are coming? So far, only Makabaja and its evolution Echnatoll and the mysterious Pokémon Darkrai are known as new Pokémon. No further Pokémon have been mentioned in the announcement.
This is what the Shiny of Makabaja looks like.
It is interesting that Darkrai will appear in regular raids since it is a mythical Pokémon. Such monsters have only been available in EX raids or special research previously.
However, in an announcement video for the event, Niantic also showed Pokémon like Lichtel and Golbit. They would also fit the event:
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What is known about the special research? In their announcement, Niantic mentioned that a creepy message has been left. This was also the title of the special research for the 2018 event, which rewarded Kryppuk.
Furthermore, Niantic states that you might encounter a forbidden Pokémon. Kryppuk is also mentioned.
These costume Pokémon are coming: Not only Pikachu can wear hats! For Halloween, the starters from the 1st generation will also wear costumes. They include:
Bisasam with Ninjatom costume
Glumanda with Tragosso costume
Schiggy with Makabaja costume
Pikachu with Mimikyu costume
All of these Pokémon can also appear in their shiny form. You can see their costumes in our title picture.
14 new shadow Pokémon are coming
Which shadow Pokémon are coming? A whole bunch of new shadow Pokémon are coming to the game. These include:
Hornliu, Kokuna, Bibor
Elektek
Magmar
Lapras
Voltilamm
Samurzel, Blanas
Zobiris
Knacklion
Tuska
Shuppet
Zwirrlicht
What is known about the spawns? Here, Niantic only mentions ghost and dark-type Pokémon and also names the two monsters Nebulak and Kramurx.
However, there are various other Pokémon that would fit. For example, Traunfugil, Zwirrlicht, Zobiris, Shuppet, and Driftlon, all of which can be shiny. They are also ghost-type Pokémon. So these monsters would be ideal for the Halloween event.
As dark-type Pokémon, Alola Rattfratz, Sniebel, Hunduster, Fiffyen, and Kanivanha could work. They can also all be shiny.
There was incorrect information here: Some players were shown that a raid day with Alola-Knogga would take place. This was just a mistake, as Niantic has now confirmed. So there will be no raid day.
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This is what you get for your avatar: In line with the event, there will also be various outfits available for purchase in the shop. This way, you can set your avatar in a Halloween mood.
The event is likely to make many players happy. Recently, there was a stir:
The world of Fortnite has been swallowed by a black hole, rendering the game unplayable since then. This has caused a wave of various reactions online.
Since then, Fortnite has been unplayable, and fans trying to log in only see a black hole. This event has gone viral, even provoking reactions from people and organizations that have nothing to do with Fortnite.
From parents to astrophysicists to Pornhub – Everyone is talking about Fortnite
How are those affected reacting? The “blackout” of Fortnite is not just affecting the game itself. The Twitter and Facebook accounts of Fortnite also only show the image of the black hole. In the thousands of comments, you can find the most diverse reactions to the event.
Especially many parents commented under the posts, thanking Epic for “the peace.” Some also shared how their children reacted to the collapse of the Fortnite universe. Facebook user Jule. K wrote, for example:
I, as a mom of 2 playing kids, enjoy the peace. My kids were very shocked and could barely put it into words. But I’m also curious about what happens next…
Meanwhile, Fortnite players are onto a new development that provides new information about the story of the game:
On Twitter, user Tim Nesmith even captured his son’s reaction live and posted it in a series of tweets. The boy is shocked and doesn’t understand what has happened to his game. The father is enjoying himself:
The official Fortnite subreddit has also changed its design in line with the event, now also black with the image of the black hole in the header. They are following the trend set by Fortnite on their social media channels.
The Reddit thread on the topic now has nearly 35,000 comments filled with speculation and theories about what might happen next with Fortnite. There is general excitement but also impatience that the game has been unplayable for many hours.
I didn’t think I was addicted to Fortnite, but my behavior in the last three hours proves otherwise.
How does the rest of the internet react? The black hole from Fortnite has not only sucked in active players and their parents. People and organizations that actually have no connection to the game have also commented on the event.
Leading the charge was once again the internet platform Pornhub, which has frequently tweeted about various events in gaming and pop culture in the past.
In a brief tweet, Pornhub said: “We have better holes to stare at,” adding the Fortnite hashtag:
The well-known astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson also tweeted about the event. Tyson is known for his research on black holes and could not miss this topic.
He wrote: “Did your Fortnite game suck you and everything else into a black hole? I can’t help you there. But death by black hole is possible, and there might even be an entire universe on the other side.”
Did your @fortnitegame suck you & everything else into a black hole?
Can’t help you there.
But death-by-black-hole is a thing, and there might even be an entire universe on the other side.https://t.co/Toio6gpgdv
Also, MeinMMO readers who don’t actually play Fortnite have commented on the event. Many think it’s cool that Epic is doing something unique with the black hole and are following the news about the event, even though they are not active players.
Our reader M.Z. wrote in his comment, for example:
From a marketing perspective, they are really amazing; what they offer their players is fantastic. Other developers could really take a page from this … Personally, I’m not a fan of EPIC/FORTNITE, but for this action, they deserve praise and recognition. Hats off!
There have also been countless memes making fun of the fact that Fortnite players will finally see the light of day again after years thanks to the blackout. Others find it funny that millions of people have stared at a black hole on their screens for hours.
“Best to leave it off entirely”
However, there are also many dissatisfied reactions, both from active players and their parents, as well as from people who do not like Fortnite.
These are the negative voices: On social media and in forums, many players express their dissatisfaction with the event. People are annoyed that the blackout has been going on for over 18 hours and want to play again.
Dear Epic Games team, you’ve made us wait since last evening to see what happens. A black hole, nothing more.
Not even “Save the World” works anymore, even though I bought the game for 40€! My friends and I are really upset with you and your colleagues; it was a game that was really fun in the evening!
Lara H. on Facebook
Epic has not officially commented on the end of the event yet, and there are only speculations about when the black hole will disappear and what will come next. However, players are starting to get impatient.
This is what Fortnite looks like right now
On the other hand, there are also people who do not like Fortnite and openly express that the game should never be playable again.
In the comments on Facebook, for example, someone said, “Best to leave it off entirely.” And there are also some readers who do not like Fortnite. Our reader TNB, for example, wrote in the comments:
It would be so nice if it were really over.
Meanwhile, Fortnite players are onto a new development that provides new information about the story of the game:
What is shown in the new video? The video titled “Sinister Passage” begins with the champion Lucian and his memories. These revolve around his wife Senna, whose soul was taken by Thresh.
After Lucian frees himself from his memories, he is seen sailing on a small boat towards an island. His destination is clearly the Shadow Isles, the home of Thresh.
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Who will be the new champion? The teaser strongly indicates Lucian’s great love, Senna. Players speculate that when Thresh and Lucian meet, Senna’s soul will be freed.
Since the champion is supposed to be an unconventional marksman according to Riot’s statement for the end of 2019, this role would fit Lucian’s wife well. But there are even more clues.
What other clues are there? On Friday, LoL already released a short story about Lucian on the website. It is about the conflict he fights with Thresh, but also with himself. At the end of the story, he sets off to the Shadow Isles to carry out his final act.
In addition to the official information, players have also gathered further evidence on reddit:
Currently, at the start of the game, there is sometimes a mysterious fog in the game.
There was briefly a weekly mission on the PBE where players were supposed to play as Senna.
Additionally, there was briefly a new splash art on the PBE that could represent a skin for Senna.
Additionally, there is a special interaction between Lucian and Thresh. If both are in the game at the same time, Thresh already has collected a soul, namely that of Lucian’s wife.
This interaction seems to no longer exist since patch 9.20. Thresh now also starts with Lucian without a soul. Another indication that Senna’s soul has been freed.
The newly released Gears 5 features a cooperative mode that is popular among many players, where multiple players can complete a mission together. Those who let their teammates down now face quite severe penalties.
The problem is that the mission or a round is almost doomed to fail for the team as soon as someone leaves the group. Since their spot is not taken and remains empty, the other players can more or less give up on the round.
That’s why the penalties are so severe: Microsoft’s Director of Communications Dana Sissons states that these players “ruin the game for the other nine players they are playing with.” Those who start a round and then leave ruin the fun for everyone else.
According to investigations by Microsoft, some players have left 18 of their 21 started rounds early – and that within just one day. These players then received the full penalty immediately.
“Leavers” get a second chance:Some players have already received the 2-year ban and complained about it. They did not receive a warning but were simply banned.
Microsoft has responded and lifted the ban of the players “on probation.” While they can now play, if they leave another game early, the ban will be reactivated:
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Microsoft has responded and lifted the ban of the players “on probation.” While they can now play, if they leave another game early, the ban will be reactivated:
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The CEO of Blizzard responded to the Hearthstone issue with Blitzchung. Cortyn, however, finds the response to be a bad joke.
Last week was quite a PR disaster for Blizzard. What started as a relatively unremarkable ban of a Hearthstone player turned into a massive boycott movement, supported tens of thousands of times across various forums.
A brief recap: The Hearthstone player Blitzchung wore a gas mask during a stream and expressed support for the protests in Hong Kong. Blizzard subsequently banned the player and the two casters of the interview. Blitzchung was banned for 1 year and his prize money was withheld, the casters were banned for life.
This caused days of uproar on social media until we received a message from J. Allen Brack, the CEO of Blizzard. The punishment was reduced to 6 months for casters and players, and the prize money will be paid out.
Moreover, there is a very long justification regarding the “decision-making” and repeated references to Blizzard’s “Core Values, ” which are the guiding principles of the company.
I want to clarify: I do not understand all the nuances of the China-Hong Kong conflict and do not want to give the impression that I can contribute an expert opinion in this situation. The topic is politically sensitive and reducing it to “Hong Kong wants to be free and China wants to integrate Hong Kong into the state” would be an extreme oversimplification. So this will only be touched upon briefly.
Blizzard’s statement is purely damage control without value
At first glance, J. Allen Brack’s statement is nothing special. He comments on the “Core Values,” stating that they stand by them clearly. He then explains in many detailed steps why they judged the way they did and what will be changed.
My favorite passage is the following (translated):
At Blizzard, we pursue the vision of “bringing the world together through epic entertainment.” And we have guiding values that apply here: ‘Think globally’, ‘Lead responsibly’, and importantly: ‘Every voice matters’, which we want to encourage everyone to express their perspective. Our actions over the weekend made people question whether we still stand by these values. We absolutely do, and I will explain that.
Yet exactly that is what he fails to do: Brack doesn’t explain how Blizzard stands by these core values.
Expressed somewhat exaggeratedly, he essentially says that everyone should express their opinion, but only on other channels. When opinions and perspectives can only be expressed on channels not belonging to the company, then that is simply not a company value.
J. Allen Brack – the head of Blizzard.
The rest of the statement mainly discusses that Blitzchung should receive his money because he played fairly and that the punishments were relaxed. He also explains the roles of all involved – both casters and players – in great detail and what their tasks are in a stream.
By the way: The statement is in no way an admission of guilt or an apology, which many players would have wished for. There are no words like “We apologize”, “We are sorry” or “We made a mistake”. And that becomes important shortly.
In summary, Blizzard does not want to be a platform for “controversial social and political views” and will continue to enforce this through tournament rules.
So far, so logical and clear. Right?
The Chinese statement says the exact opposite
What many do not know is that the statement from J. Allen Brack is not the only one that Blizzard has published.
Through the Chinese service Weibo, Blizzard’s official Hearthstone account also issued a statement. Blizzard operates in China with partner Netease, which is nonetheless Blizzard’s mouthpiece. In this post, they state that they are “very angry” about what happened. But especially the last sentence is particularly impressive, as it translates to:
We will always respect and defend the pride of our country.
If you want to position yourself as a neutral, global company, it is highly questionable if one of your statements is to “defend the pride of the country”.
This has also caught the attention of the community. The corresponding post still exists today and has not been deleted. It is very easy to say that you are politically neutral when in the respective countries you take sides where it is desired to appease the government.
This is not neutral. This is not apolitical.
Oddities in the statement itself
There are also a few details that might require one to put on their foil hats a bit tighter. The publication of Brack’s statement is dated October 12. However, at the time of publication, it was still October 11 in America. In some other time zones – like China – October 12 had already begun.
Moreover, many native English speakers say that Brack’s statement reads strangely. It contains phrases and expressions that one would not typically use if one is a native speaker.
Is this alone terrible? No. It is only logical that one meets with partners in China after such an incident to agree on strategy and weigh carefully what to say. But this reinforces the impression that it does not genuinely represent the words of the Blizzard CEO, whose opinion was so eagerly awaited, but rather a document crafted carefully with dozens of people to appease all sides and not offend anyone.
This would also explain why the statement does not mention at any point an admission of guilt or that a mistake was made. Because that could again be interpreted as being “against China”.
Yes, the Grandmasters signed a contract that states that penalties apply if they make statements that could offend any group. However, this clause is so vaguely worded that Blizzard could essentially interpret any sentence that way if they want.
In this specific case with politics, it would have been quite clear.
But this absence of politics is not something Blizzard adheres to in its own events either. Politics is simply a topic that permeates almost every event, especially for a globally operating company. An example? Blizzard, especially Overwatch, celebrated “Pride Day” quite strongly. It is mainly about the rights and equal treatment of LGBTQ+ individuals.
While I personally find the positioning and support, also through Overwatch’s lore, absolutely commendable, it is still a political statement. I believe that this could very well anger a demographic in countries like Russia or other more conservatively minded nations.
Nevertheless, casters are allowed to moderate in rainbow colors and the Overwatch League even distributed sweatbands in Pride colors on-site.
And that is precisely why I find J. Allen Brack’s statement so annoying. Politics and political statements have always been part of the gaming environment, sometimes more, sometimes less explicitly. Why is a Pride armband acceptable but a call for “Free Hong Kong” is not? Both are definitely political.
The answer is at least clear to me: With support for the Pride movement, one is primarily on the side of the fans. The overwhelming majority of the younger generation would likely support and approve of such things.
Mei became a symbol of protest – out of boycott against Blizzard.
With “Free Hong Kong”, however, there is concern about losing access to a market because in China, the state only needs to give a thumbs down, and Blizzard loses access to the entire country.
If J. Allen Brack stands up and says that they are not a platform for “controversial social or political views”, then in my eyes, that is nothing but hypocrisy.
I can absolutely understand that Blizzard does not want to lose the Chinese market and therefore behaves the way they do. But don’t try to sell the rest of the world as fools. Your players are not that stupid.
In the MMORPG Astellia, players are accompanied by the Astels. However, many treat them secondarily and only as a minor aspect, even though much can be gained from them. They even passively enhance the attributes of the player’s character.
About this guide: The guide aims to inform you about the most important features of the Astels. It starts with the basics such as AP costs or usage in combat.
Later on, it will also cover details such as upgrading the star levels or deck effects. There is also a tip for farming Astel cards included.
What are Astels? Astels are small companions that stand by you in the story and also in combat. They take on classic roles such as:
Tank
Healer
and Damage Dealer.
In combat, you can use up to three of them, ensuring you are never alone in the open world. They can also level up and perform combo attacks together with you.
Various Astels
Where to get Astels? Currently, 33 Astels are available to you, with two more announced for 2019. You can find Astels:
Throughout the story.
In dungeons.
As rewards in Star’s Tale.
If you have already found an Astel and receive it again as a reward in a dungeon or through Star’s Tale, the found card will be consumed and level up your Astel further.
How do Astels work? Once you find an Astel, it will be added to your Astel card (shortcut key “J”). From there, you can drag it into your active deck, the skill bar at the bottom. You can create up to 5 decks that you can switch through, but only the selected one counts as the active deck.
Astels from your deck can be summoned with a hotkey and will fight by your side. However, summoning them consumes AP, the yellow resource below your mana bar.
AP gauge (yellow) in Astellia
Maintaining an Astel also costs AP. You have enough natural regeneration to permanently summon one Astel. However, you can use up to three of them simultaneously in combat. But the AP gauge depletes quickly then.
What skills do Astels have? Each Astel has different skills that can be used in combat:
There are automatic skills that the Astels use independently.
Each Astel has a special skill that you as a player can activate. To do this, you either press the hotkey again or drag the skill into your bar.
Some Astels also have coop skills. These activate when the player has previously used a specific skill. The exact skill that must be used is indicated with each Astel.
Coop skills with Capricornus
What classes do Astels have? Interestingly, Astels have more classes to choose from than players do when creating their characters. There are:
It is important to note that the Astels also have different relationships with us. They can be divided into:
Servants – Skills of the Astels cost no AP.
Saviors – Summoning costs no AP, skills cost AP, they also only last for a certain time.
Guardians – Summoning costs more AP, skills cost AP.
However, the relationships are fixed from the beginning and cannot be changed. The first Astels you find in the game are all servants.
Overview of all Astels
Improving My Astels
How do I upgrade the Astels? Astels are as complex as our character and have various ways to improve:
They have a level and level up just like the player character by killing mobs and completing quests. However, their level can never exceed that of the player.
Additionally, Astels have a star level, with some starting at level 1 and others already at level 5.
Moreover, the stats of the Astels can be enhanced by equipping star jewels.
How do the star levels work? Below the experience bar in the Astel menu, there is also a ZK bar. This indicates when an Astel levels up in star level.
The ZK bar increases only when you receive an Astel card and already possess the Astel. This happens through dungeons or achievements. Each card yields 10 ZK, making a level up very time-consuming.
Even though currently only 5 stars are displayed in the menu, it seems that Astels can be raised up to star level 10. To upgrade an Astel from level 1 to level 5, you need a total of 650 ZK and even 3,240 ZK to reach level 10.
The Astel Ram, a healer
The star level of the Astel influences both the player character and the usable star jewels.
How do star jewels work? Each Astel can be upgraded with star jewels. These actively enhance the attributes of the Astel. For this, 5 star jewels are used:
Alpha Star
Beta Star
Gamma Star
Delta Star
Epsilon Star
Each star provides different bonuses to the attributes. Once applied, they enhance the Astel but can also be easily removed again.
Once you have equipped all five different stars, you can permanently transfer the stats to the Astel. This makes the stars disappear, and the Astel receives a +1 next to its name. Such upgrades can be performed up to +5.
Star jewels with Tetrinio, a tank Astel
However, be aware that you cannot use every star jewel for every character. Physical Astels cannot use magic effects and vice versa. Additionally, the star jewels have different rarities.
What skins are available? Finally, you can also visually customize your Astels. There are skins that you can either find in-game or purchase in the real-money shop.
Additionally, there is the Karzas Arglist package, which unlocks all Astel skins for you for a limited time. However, skins do not affect the combat effectiveness of your Astels.
What influence do Astels have on the player character? The star level of the Astels plays an important role in the character’s attributes. These can be improved through value points.
The more stars your Astels have in total, the more value points you have. It is therefore worthwhile to collect many Astels as well as to increase the star level of already existing Astels.
Astellians and their companions
What are deck effects? In your deck, you can equip up to 8 Astels at the same time. They count as the active Astels and gain experience while the others do not.
They also have an active deck effect. Deck effects improve, for example:
The AP rate
The movement speed
Crafting and gathering effects
but also combat effects, such as instant spells or reduced cooldowns.
However, for these effects to activate, you need the right Astels in your deck, and they must have a high star level.
Deck effects from Covus, an assassin Astel
Tips for farming Astel cards: If you want to level up your Astels quickly, it is advisable to farm Astel cards in low-level dungeons. However, pay attention to the fact that in certain dungeons, only specific cards are available.
In the endgame, you also receive Star Caller’s Coins for daily and weekly quests. These can be exchanged in Maeville at a vendor for chests from which you can also obtain Astels.
For those who want to improve not only the Astels but also their own character, here’s a suitable guide:
