Next update in Fortnite will probably change the map again – Here’s what we know

A new rift has appeared in Fortnite . In Season 10, a new rift means a change to the map. The next update is likely to affect Fatal Fields.

Where does the rift appear? A rift and a machine appeared in the middle of Fatal Fields, similar to what we saw at Neo Tilted and Retail Row.

It seems that we might be able to expect changes as early as tomorrow, September 3, or at the latest Thursday, in the new update.

Fortnite Rift Zone Fatal Fields

New Rift in Fortnite – Is the floating island returning?

What could the rift cause? So far, rifts have always brought back old areas. For example, Dusty Depot returned and Neo Tilted became Tilted Town, an old western town. Retail Row became a zombie town.

However, Fatal Fields has never been changed, so there is no way to bring back an old location. Is the floating island returning now?

A few dataminers leaked the limited-time challenges for next week, and one of the challenges is “Visit a floating island and a meteor” (via @Lucas7yoshi).

Additionally, the loading screen for next week was found, showing a floating island over Fatal Fields. You get the loading screen when you have completed 3 weekly limited-time challenges.

Fortnite Loading Screen Week 5 and 6
Source: Dexerto

What’s the story with the floating island? The floating island is known to most of you from Seasons 5 and 6. It started in Season 5 with the cube that the community calls Kevin.

A large cube that wandered through the map until it sunk into Loot Lake. After that, it rose into the air along with the island. Thus, the floating island was created, which moved throughout the map. It is set to return over Fatal Fields.

When will there be more info? In the past, whenever a new rift appeared, one could expect changes with the next update.

So, with the next update that is supposed to come between Tuesday and Thursday, one can expect to discover the new rift zone.

What do you think? Would you be happy to visit the floating island again?

This article is by Eilyn Rapp from the MeinMMO community

More on the topic
Fortnite: German streamer Montanablack says he is number 1 in Twitch subs
von Schuhmann
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Of all things, WoW Classic pulls Activision Blizzard’s stock out of the crisis

At Activision Blizzard, the stock had recently fallen after a sobering financial report. Now it is on the rise again: Responsible for this are the success of WoW Classic, first reactions to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and rumors of a Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2.

A month ago: Less than a month ago, on August 9, the outlook for Activision Blizzard was bleak. The financial report for Q2 2019 painted a sobering picture for the publisher:

  • Nothing significant happened in Q2 – player numbers were stable, but revenues were significantly lower than the previous year
  • Activision Blizzard also gave a sparse outlook for Q3, which fell short of Wall Street expectations
  • Additionally, President Donald Trump had just warned about violent games
  • Activision Blizzard was in a state of upheaval, had laid off employees and had hardly any new games on the horizon
  • and somehow there was a sense of danger in the air that trouble could arise due to loot boxes – something was brewing
WoW Azshara Smug Face
Did not look good at all – a month ago for Activision Blizzard.

The stock price of Activision Blizzard fell by 3% after the financial results – they had already come from difficult waters, having laid off their financial chief at the turn of 2019, lost the Destiny franchise, and lost considerable value on the stock market.

More on the topic
Activision Blizzard will fire its CFO – 26% stock loss
von Schuhmann

WoW Classic makes Activision Blizzard look like geniuses

That’s why everything is different now: In recent days, the tide has turned. Now the positive attributes of Activision Blizzard are emphasized and praised. Analysts suddenly give buy recommendations:

  • WoW Classic is a hit, and that for a subscription-based game. Profits are now expected here – the queues, which are so annoying for games, delight analysts. The Twitch numbers are also seen as an important indicator for analysts
  • In addition, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare seems more and more like a hit as it releases in October. The first reactions to the PS4 beta were positive, as analysts note
  • Moreover, there are rumors of new announcements at BlizzCon for Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2 – these are also being favorably noted
  • Furthermore, Activision Blizzard has announced, to disclose loot box chances by the end of 2020 – addressing investor concerns
  • 2020 anyway marks the beginning of the new console generation, from which investors expect profits
WoW Night Elf Druid happy classic title 1140x445

This is how analysts now see Activision Blizzard: Although not much has changed compared to early August, there is now a different perception of Activision Blizzard.

It is said: All signs point to a surprising turnaround for the stock.

The stock has risen by 7% in the past week, and experts believe the stock still has massive potential. It is still missing 40% compared to last fall.

Activision-Blizzard stock
How strongly the tide can change in a month.

Here’s what analysts say:

  • Analyst Matthew Thornton estimates that Call of Duty will be a hit, also because it faces weaker competition. He believes Activision Blizzard’s earnings per share will rise by 15% – and sales numbers will climb by 10% each in 2020 and 2021.
  • According to analyst Michael Olson, World of Warcraft Classic is an important puzzle piece that can lead to accelerated revenue growth for Activision Blizzard in 2019 and 2020.

At the moment, it seems as if WoW Classic will mitigate or even completely end Activision Blizzard’s weak phase.

The irony is that “WoW Classic” is considered a game that Blizzard didn’t even want, but was forced upon them by the fans.

More on the topic
Analyst is sure: These 3 games will still be hits on PS4, Xbox One and PC in 2019
von Schuhmann
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. barrons

Adventure Sync announced for Wizards Unite – What it means for you

Finally, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is getting the “Adventure Sync” feature. Fans have been wishing for this for a long time. We will show you why this feature is so good.

What was announced? A few weeks ago, Niantic announced the “Adventure Sync” feature. Now, emails are being sent to players stating that the feature is about to be released. So it won’t be long before Adventure Sync is enabled for all players.

Wizards Unite Adventure Sync Mail
Source: Reddit

A release date for when the feature will appear is still pending. Players are excited about the announcement on Reddit, saying “My battery is very grateful for this” or “Finally, I won’t have problems opening the portal chests anymore.”

What can the feature do? The predecessor of Wizards Unite, Pokémon GO, has had this function for several months. It uses data collected by Google Fit (Android) or the Health app (iOS) to credit to the game.

This is how it looks in Pokémon GO when you receive rewards through Adventure Sync.

Players no longer need to have Wizards Unite open for the distances traveled to be credited to the game. This works with Adventure Sync even when the app is closed. When logging back into Wizards Unite, the data will be synchronized with the fitness apps and added to the game.

Collecting kilometers to open the portal chests will therefore become much more convenient.

Why Adventure Sync is so important

How long the wish has existed: Since the release of Wizards Unite, players have been expecting that they could also use the function from Pokémon GO in their Harry Potter game.

In June, we already reported that fans want Adventure Sync for Wizards Unite so that steps and kilometers are counted even when the app is switched off. Players wondered at that time why collecting kilometers in the game was so difficult and demanded help.

Players became impatient: At the beginning of August, a new update for Wizards Unite was released. It received decent feedback, but players kept asking for the special feature:

More on the topic
The 3 professions in Wizards Unite and what you should know about them
von Noah Struthoff
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

After weeks of silence, Conan Exiles surprises with a cool PvP feature

Conan Exiles suddenly awakens from its summer slumber with several announcements – including a cool new feature for PvP fans. The developers announced this in a brief post.

What is this feature? In a blog post, Funcom introduced the new feature of “Battle Standards,” or battle banners. These are a new placeable object specifically for PvE servers.

Standards are large, placeable flags with two crossed swords that allow for a PvP zone on a PvE server.

This is how you can use the standards: A standard allows PvP within its area, but simultaneously makes all buildings in its vicinity and itself immune to damage from players. According to the developers, the usage works as follows:

  • You build a combat arena to your liking.
  • You place the standard in the middle of the arena.
  • The standard and buildings can no longer be destroyed by players. New building parts can no longer be placed.
  • PvP is activated within the arena, even on PvE servers.
conan exiles battle standards

Once you enter the arena, you will be warned. If you want to participate, you can confirm this. By default, you lose no loot if you die in an arena. The standards also follow specific building rules to prevent other players from being disturbed and to prevent too many arenas from being placed on top of each other.

The contents of “Blood and Sand”

These new contents are coming: In addition to the banners, Funcom announced a new DLC, which is included as the second content of the Season Pass for 2019 . Funcom showcased some of the contents of the new DLC “Blood and Sand” in a one-hour dev stream:

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the YouTube content

New building parts are included that are specifically designed for the aforementioned arenas so you can build even nicer settings for combat. Arenas and gladiators form the main theme of the DLC.

The new armors, on the other hand, are all inspired by Age of Conan:

Additionally, with the upcoming Update 37, two new weapon types will be introduced: Great Axes and Short Swords. These and the older weapons can be enhanced with new weapon oils and mods.

Blood and Sand is set to be released on September 3 alongside Update 37 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One simultaneously.

What’s next: Shortly after the update, on September 6, the decay timers will also be reset to the standard time. In the course of a summer break for those who want to take a vacation, these were extended in July.

The upcoming updates are also planned to be released simultaneously across all platforms rather than, as previously, first for PC and then later for consoles.

If you want to pass the time until the next update, why not quickly get a cool new armor:

More on the topic
Now you can get new equipment in Conan Exiles in the “Dark Souls” style
von Benedict Grothaus
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Is Monster Hunter World: Iceborne Suitable for Beginners?

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne is just around the corner. Our author Larissa wonders if the addon is even suitable for newcomers.

Starting from September 6, fans can battle new monsters in the new addon Iceborne. But should only seasoned hunters do this, or is Iceborne also suitable for newcomers? After all, you need nothing more than hunter rank 16.

From level 16, everyone, including newcomers to Monster Hunter World, can travel to the snow-covered Hoarfrost Reach. You reach this rank by completing the main story. It is a low requirement and no additional missions are necessary.

The 3 big questions:

  • Can newcomers jump straight into Iceborne, or are the challenges awaiting them too difficult?
  • How good does the equipment need to be to tackle Iceborne properly?
  • How high must the skill level be to face the challenges without getting frustrated?
A group of hunters against a Barioth.

Gifted equipment is strong, but hunters remain inexperienced

What about the equipment? Every player will receive the “Guardian” armor set for free on September 4. This will make it considerably easier to get through the low rank and probably also through the high rank in Monster Hunter World.

So equipment isn’t a problem for entering Monster Hunter World: Iceborne.

But is this armor a curse for players or a blessing?

More on the topic
„Psycho Chicken“ is coming to Monster Hunter World Iceborne – fans groan
von Irina Moritz

What about experience? In the base game of MHW, players had to earn their high-rank armor and learned many useful things about the game along the way. And this gifted set could actually spell doom for newcomers.

This armor is a carry armor. It carries newcomers through, and in Iceborne, they don’t understand how the game works.

Jan on Facebook

Due to the easier difficulty, many experiences are missed that would otherwise have been collected. Especially in the missions that come after the main story, players usually gain essential combat experience.

He must be seen through in Iceborne: The Nightshade Paolumu

These important experiences would be missed by the players:

  • Monster behavior: The move sets of many monsters are very similar. When players have already faced many battles, they can better assess new monsters and defeat them more easily.
  • Items and their effective use: Many items in Monster Hunter World make the hunt easier for you. For example, there are knives that cause status effects or special powders that can save your life in tight situations.
  • Learning from other players: By playing with other hunters, you also learn useful tricks. This includes, for example, the sleep trick in Monster Hunter World, where you can place bombs in front of the monsters’ noses.

How important is the equipment in this regard? My long-standing experience with the Monster Hunter series has often shown me that it’s not just the armor that leads you to success.

Monster Hunter World Iceborne new weapons and armor
Such powerful weapons and armor can look in Iceborne.

If you master your weapons in Monster Hunter World well and can anticipate the movements of the monsters, it is possible to have a tough battle even without armor. But that requires practice.

If you breeze through your story too easily, you miss many valuable player experiences that will help you in tough fights.

Iceborne promises tough challenges

In Monster Hunter World, I usually take down most monsters with my favorite weapon, the bow, in just a few minutes, but that will surely change with Iceborne. The newly introduced Master Rank plays an important role here. This new difficulty level is also supposed to make life hard for seasoned veterans.

Monster-Hunter-World-Iceborne-Kampf
A hunter against a Banbaro

What do the developers say? This was already evident during the play sessions at Gamescom. There, players could get a first impression of Iceborne. Our author Leya also took this opportunity and received further information directly from the developers in an interview. You can see more about this in the following video.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from Twitch that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the Twitch content
Watch Monster Hunter World: Iceborne with the lead developers of MONSTERSANDEXPLOSIONS on www.twitch.tv

Should newcomers stay out?

This does not mean that absolutely no newcomer should play the Iceborne addon in Monster Hunter World. However, one should probably prepare for a high frustration curve. The motto is not to give up immediately, but to persevere.

Some good players might not have any problems at all, but one should not get overconfident due to the strong gifted armor. In Monster Hunter World, experience counts more than equipment:

  • Anyone planning to start with Iceborne as a newcomer is well advised to perhaps play a few rounds in the main game first.
  • Anyone familiar with “Monster Hunter” as a franchise will likely be able to succeed with the “gifted armor,” even if they haven’t perfected the main game yet.

In any case, I am looking forward to the new challenges and hope to meet many of you in Iceborne.

Here you can find out how to prepare well for Iceborne:

More on the topic
Monster Hunter World: These 6 things you should do before Iceborne
von Gastbeitrag

What is your opinion on the topic? Do you think one should already get started with JR 16 in Iceborne?

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

Best Trainer in Pokémon GO does 50 raids a day, approaching a huge milestone

For many players, Brandon Tan is considered the best player in the world in Pokémon GO. He is now close to a major goal: one billion experience points.

Who is he? The player Brandon Tan is well-known in the Pokémon GO community. He invests a lot of time into Niantic’s mobile game and thus reaches impressive milestones. In December 2018, he broke the 100 million Stardust milestone, which he earned in 2 years.

How much does Brandon Tan play? The exact hours he spends on Pokémon GO each day are unknown. However, it must be a lot, as in 2018 he told Nick from TrainerTips on YouTube that he completes 50 raids a day. Whether he does this every day or if this number varies is unclear.

Pokémon GO Brandon Tan Car

What makes him the best player? Based on the experience points he has earned in Pokémon GO, Brandon Tan ranks among the top players. In addition to over 100 million Stardust, he has already accumulated over 999 million experience points.

This is over 49 times the amount of experience points needed from level 1 to level 40. Many trainers in Pokémon GO still have not reached level 40, even three years after the release.

1 billion experience points – the great milestone

When will he reach one billion XP? On Twitter, Brandon Tan keeps his followers updated on his journey in Pokémon GO. On August 29, he wrote that he was less than one million experience points away from the billion mark.

He added that it would take him 2 days to achieve this. Now, players are eagerly waiting for him to release a new update.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from Twitter that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the Twitter content

For the player and the Pokémon GO community, this is a huge event. So far, no other player is known to have collected as many experience points. Another successful collector of experience points is KingCuso (Twitter) – he currently has about 720 million XP.

This is why the player is controversial

What is the problem? When reading about Brandon Tan, one cannot miss the negative comments from other players. In September 2018, the player was banned by Niantic for 30 days in Pokémon GO. No exact reason was given at that time. However, Brandon Tan offered a catching service.

https://twitter.com/JohnPokemon1987/status/1167776016779173890

Trainers transferred a certain sum of money to the player and received legendary Pokémon in return, some with guaranteed good IV values. This violated Pokémon GO’s guidelines, which may have led to his ban.

The fact that he had violated Pokémon GO’s rules is a recurring topic whenever this trainer is discussed.

More on the topic
Pokémon GO: Field Research September – Here are the rewards and Shinies
von Patrick Freese
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Destiny 2 makes a silly secret about Sunshot – Now it is solved

In Destiny 2, it is now known what the Sunshot buff looks like. Bungie kept the Guardians in suspense for a long time.

What is the Sunshot buff about? A few days ago, community manager dmg04 revealed that Bungie is working hard on sandbox changes for Shadowkeep and that the Exotic “Sunshot” will receive a buff. Shortly after, his colleague Cozmo tweeted that the weapon will have more shots in the magazine.

The “Sunshot” is a hand cannon that was one of the first Exotics for many Guardians in Destiny 2. Besides a cool design, the weapon features the Sunburn perk, which triggers explosive rounds and marks hit enemies.

It’s actually a great weapon that many Guardians would love to play with. But there are currently much better alternatives, which is why players have been demanding a buff for Sunshot for quite some time.

Now it’s finally happening, a buff is coming. Playfully mocking, the players express exaggerated joy with slogans like “Praise the Sun” and other exclamations – to show Bungie: It was about time, the buff is long overdue.

Destiny 2 Sunshot

What mystery did Bungie create around the buff?

How strong will the buff be? The developers didn’t reveal that for now. But dmg04 posted a picture of the Sunshot on August 31 with the question of how many shots it will hold in its magazine:

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from Twitter that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the Twitter content

One day later, on September 1, he responded to this tweet with: “The answer is” – and kept the community guessing how many bullets fit into the magazine.

Hours later, dmg04 gave a hint: “It starts with a T”. Players speculated, it would be 10 (Ten), 12 (Twelve) or 13 (Thirteen), while others even hoped for “three hundred”.

About an hour later, dmg04 wrote: “There are several “E”’s in it”. This ruled out 10 (Ten). Some Guardians became impatient and wrote: “Dylan (that’s the name of dmg04), just tell us already!”

The solution to this silly riddle was found a little later in the background of a picture that dmg04 shared on Twitter. He shows himself together with Cozmo and wrote about having fun at PAX West. In the background, the stats of the Sunshot can be seen – it has 12 shots in the magazine starting from the Shadowkeep expansion.

dmg04 apparently had a lot of fun creating a mystery around the shot count.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from Twitter that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the Twitter content

12 shots represent an increase of a hefty four bullets. Previously, it had 8 shots.

What does the community say: “You have no idea how happy I am about this,” replies one on Twitter in the comments. This news has also already garnered over 2,500 upvotes on reddit. People are glad that the Sunshot will be significantly improved, as it is still one of the coolest weapons in Destiny 2. “Ohh, that’s good, very good,” comments a user.

Moreover, they celebrate dmg04: “What a way to reveal this,” writes a user laughing.

Are you satisfied with the new 12-shot magazine?

More on the topic
Guardian complains about recycling festival in Destiny 2 Shadowkeep – Still looking forward to it
von Sven Galitzki
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. reddit
  2. reddit

6 new items are coming to Apex Legends – Here’s how to get them for free at the event

In Apex Legends, the new Voidwalker event is starting, offering new items. We will show you what you can get and how to obtain it.

What new items are there? A total of eight new rewards are coming with the new Voidwalker event. Six of them are new items that you can earn:

  • Voidwalker Badge: Play the new “Armed and Dangerous” mode
  • Armed and Dangerous Badge: Win the new mode 5 times
  • Wraith Login Screen: Win any mode
  • Wraith Music Pack: Win 3 times with different characters in any mode
  • G7 Skin “Paint the Planet”: Complete 7 daily tasks during the event
  • G7 Skin “Outside the Lines”: Complete 14 additional daily tasks
Apex Legends Voidwalker unlockable items

Additionally, there are 30 crafting materials for 30 headshots and another 30 materials for 60 additional headshots.

These items are also available: If you are not satisfied with the earnable items, you can also purchase a total of eight new items through microtransactions. These include:

  • Skins for Wraith, Bangalore, Lifeline, and Gibraltar
  • Skins for the Prowler and the RE-45
  • A banner frame for Wraith
Apex Legends VOidwalker purchasable items

The Wraith skin costs 1800 credits (about 18€), the frame costs 1000 credits (about 10€), and the other skins cost 500 credits (about 5€).

The Voidwalker Event and the “Armed and Dangerous Mode”

What kind of event is this and how long does it last? The Voidwalker event starts tomorrow, on September 3rd, and runs for two weeks until September 17th. During this time, you can earn or buy the new items. It is a follow-up to the Iron Crown event and the solo mode.

During the two weeks, the “Wraith Town Takeover” will also take place. Some bandit groups have settled in areas of King’s Canyon and occupy research stations of the Wraith Project.

Apex Legends Voidwalker Teaser

In the game itself, you will find an experimental portal during this time that is supposed to bring players immediately to the ground or away from there. Furthermore, clues to the story are likely to be scattered everywhere, probably related to Wraith and her origin.

Moreover, Respawn seems to have learned from past mistakes. After a huge backlash regarding loot boxes during the Iron Crown, the developers decided to make event skins purchasable. This is already the case at the beginning of the Voidwalker.

This is how the new mode works: In the limited-time mode “Armed and Dangerous”, loot on the map is drastically altered. You will only find sniper rifles and shotguns.

apex-double-pump

However, the distribution of loot is generally very limited. The weapons you can find are also rarer.

There’s more in the event: There will also be a Double XP action during this time. From Friday, September 6th, to Monday, September 9th, at 7 PM CEST, you will receive double experience for your account and the Battle Pass if you finish or win a game in the top 5.

A transition to Season 3?

What comes next: The way the Voidwalker event is currently integrated into the game roughly aligns with the first event, the Legendary Hunt of Season 1. This event initiated Season 2 back then.

Season 2 started a few days after the end of the event. Since we expect Season 3 to start in early October, it seems plausible that Voidwalker also serves as a transition. The villain from Season 2 will apparently become the new legend in Season 3:

More on the topic
Apex Legends reveals Crypto, but you shouldn’t know about this yet
von Benedict Grothaus
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. gamestar
  2. EA

Teamfight Tactics wants to reduce randomness in loot by making everything more random

The distribution of items in Teamfight Tactics is the biggest point of criticism from many players. Riot Games aims to address this with Patch 9.18 by introducing more randomness into the game.

What will change about the item distribution? In addition to the 11 new items that are set to be introduced with the update, developers also plan to revise the loot boxes from NPC creatures.

This means that NPCs will drop boxes of varying rarity. These boxes will contain items, gold, champions, and the item Neeko’s Help.

Why is this change being made? Lead Designer Mortdog explained in the forum that this change aims to make TFT more exciting, but also fairer.

The reason for this is a newly adjusted loot table which will provide developers with greater control.

More control leads to more fairness

What changes will be made to the boxes in general? There will be three types of boxes in the future:

  • Common boxes contain: gold, champions, or Neeko’s Help
  • Uncommon boxes contain: item components, gold, champions, or Neeko’s Help
  • Rare boxes contain: spatula, complete items, gold, champions, or Neeko’s Help

The rarer a box is, the better its contents will be. Players should be able to tell when a box drops whether they can look forward to opening it or not.

More on the topic
Teamfight Tactics: These tricks help against the strong, new Hextech combo
von Alexander Leitsch

What changes will be made to the loot tables for the boxes? In the current version of Teamfight Tactics, it can happen that after the first 3 PvE rounds you have 9 gold and not a single item.

The new system is supposed to provide more control because developers will adjust the tables and also because more items will be in the boxes. Overall, this should reduce blowouts, where a player can have 6 items after 3 PvE rounds.

Moreover, Mortdog mentions that an early 2-star Kennen could have even more impact on the game in the mid-game than a new item.

Kennen LoL TFT Champions

When will the changes be implemented? The changes to NPC boxes are planned for Patch 9.18. Accordingly, you can already test the adjustments on the PBE.

The release of Patch 9.18 is scheduled for Wednesday, September 11. It will be released two weeks after Patch 9.17, which brought us Pantheon.

On Mein-MMO, you will find various guides on TFT. In one of them, we reveal which items stack and which do not:

More on the topic
Teamfight Tactics: Which items stack and which do not?
von Alexander Leitsch
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. TFT Forum

Why it’s particularly worth buying an SSD now

In the past, SSDs were very expensive. However, they are now available at very low prices. If you have always wondered what the difference between an SSD and an HDD is and whether it is worth buying an SSD right now, we explain it in this article.

They were once a rarity, but today they are almost everywhere: Solid-State Drives or SSDs. But when and for whom does it actually make sense to buy an SSD, and when is a conventional hard drive (HDD) still worth it? In the following, we explain to you…

  • Why are SSDs actually so cheap?
  • What is the difference between a conventional hard drive and an SSD?
  • What are the advantages of an SSD?
  • What are the disadvantages of an SSD?
  • When does an SHDD provide a sensible alternative?
  • What is an M.2-SATA and for whom is it usable?
  • SDD vs. SHDD vs. HDD
  • For whom is the purchase of an SSD worthwhile?
  • Which SSD or SHDD is recommended?

Why are SSD prices dropping so much?

The major manufacturers like Samsung or Micron produce much more flash memory than the market can buy. Therefore, since the end of 2018, the prices for SSDs and flash memory have been falling. Some manufacturers are trying to reduce production.

Prices are expected to continue to drop further by the end of the year: In 2018, you paid around 250 euros for a 1-terabyte SSD, while in 2019, you will pay less than half for the same capacity.

The SSD is a large format USB stick

A Solid State Drive or SSD is a data storage device that roughly functions like a USB stick. Both rely on flash memory chips. The computer stores data on these.

Magnetic disk vs. flash memory chip: This is the biggest difference between an SSD and a conventional hard drive. Imagine a turntable: Just like with a turntable, there is a rotating disk and a read head in an HDD. A hard drive consists of a magnetic disk, and the head can also write data.

Slower and faster storage: The enormous advantage of SSDs is speed. If you use an SSD, your computer starts significantly faster than with an HDD. In addition, games like Destiny 2 can benefit from a fast SSD.

Source: Computerbase

For example, in Far Cry 4, the enormous speed advantage of an SSD compared to a conventional hard drive is evident. However, note that more expensive SSDs are naturally faster than inexpensive entry-level models.

The boot process of a Playstation, on the other hand, is not influenced by this since the system is on the internal memory and not on the additional hard drive.

Durability: A difference that is often overlooked is the durability of hard drives. Here, HDDs generally have the advantage. But what is the reason for this? Conventional hard drives can theoretically write their data to the magnetic disk an unlimited number of times. In contrast, with SSDs, the flash memory wears out over time as individual blocks fail. Therefore, very cheap SSDs often have a significantly shorter lifespan than more expensive storage.

TBW for an SSD?
TBW stands for Terabytes Written and indicates the guaranteed total write capacity of the hard drive. With particularly cheap SSDs, the TBW values are usually significantly lower than with expensive drives.

What special features should be considered with an SSD?

What do I need to consider when using an SSD? Recovery from a broken SSD is significantly more complicated and difficult than with an HDD. A backup is generally advisable, especially with an SSD – particularly if valuable data is stored on it.

No defragmentation with SSDs: Avoid unnecessary write and delete operations and do not use defragmentation programs. Defragmentation originates from the era of classic hard drives, as data is written differently here. With flash memory chips, defragmentation is irrelevant and may even harm your SSD!

Advantages of an SSD

  • Cheap price for performance boost compared to a new purchase
  • More robust and shock-resistant compared to conventional hard drives, especially suitable for mobile devices
  • Less noise
  • High operating speeds
  • Lower power consumption than HDDs

Disadvantages of an SSD

  • Data recovery is significantly more difficult than with a conventional hard drive
  • Shorter lifespan compared to HDDs due to flash memory
  • In price comparison, SSDs are still significantly more expensive than HDDs
  • Partially much cheaper flash memory of lower quality is available on the market

Are M.2-SATA-SSDs a special alternative?

M2-SATA from WDGreen
This is what an M.2-SATA-SSD looks like using WD Green as an example. On the right, you can see the typical M2-SATA socket.

What is an M.2-SATA? M.2-SATA drives are smaller than conventional SSDs and use a special socket. The M.2 interface is compatible with both PCIe and SATA just like SATAe. An M.2-SATA does not require a cable and only needs the designated socket.

Who can use them and how?

Modern motherboards for desktop PCs now almost all offer an M.2-SATA socket. Even very cheap motherboards can feature this. However, you need to be careful with laptops. Check either in your manual, where all available sockets are listed, or look closely before purchasing: M.2-SATA sockets cannot be retrofitted.

  • Desktop PC owners: Older motherboards can be upgraded with PCIe adapters for around 10 euros to use an M.2-SATA-SSD.
  • Notebook owners: Check carefully if your device has the corresponding M.2 slot. Not all manufacturers include the appropriate interface, especially for budget consumer models. It’s best to consult the user manual.

Form and technology of an M.2-SATA

Different sizes for desktop and mobile: M.2-SSDs come in different sizes. The most common size is 22×80 millimeters. But be careful: Notebooks use smaller formats, with 22×42 millimeters being common.

SATA and NVMe: Especially the small M.2-SATA-SSDs use SATA. The normal sizes (22×80) generally use the significantly faster NVMe protocol. However, keep in mind that your motherboard must also have the appropriate interface. However, it is always worth spending a few euros more for the faster NVMe protocol if your PC supports it.

Who benefits from installing an SSD?

If you regularly transfer large amounts of data, then an HDD is generally the better choice. However, if you do not want to miss the high speed of the SSD, then either buy a high total write-capacity SSD or purchase an SHDD.

SHDDs as a secret tip for large amounts of data

SHDD as a worthwhile alternative
An example SHDD from Seagate.

HDDs with flash memory: SHDDs are HDDs with a smaller portion of flash memory, on which frequently used programs are stored. An intelligent algorithm ensures that frequently used data ends up in flash memory. Another advantage: The flash memory relieves the magnetic disk, which positively affects its performance and noise level.

SHDD attempts to combine the advantages of HDD and SSD: With an SHDD, many programs start quickly, and you can store a lot of data without having to compromise on longevity. SHDDs are usually only slightly more expensive than conventional HDDs, which quickly makes them an attractive alternative.

  • The operating system starts faster
  • Programs are loaded faster
  • Flash memory relieves magnetic storage, saving power, producing less noise, and keeping the hard drive cooler.
  • Playstation also benefits from flash memory

SDD vs SHDD vs HDD

How fast does an operating system boot?
How fast does my system boot with SSD, HDD or SHDD? Source: Gameswelt

What do the tests say about the storage? With an HDD, your system takes the longest to start. The SSHD or SHDD takes several boot cycles before it writes important files into its flash memory. Therefore, boot times are significantly reduced after several boot cycles. The SSD performs the best here. Here, pure flash memory is present, without the mechanical “disadvantages” of an HDD.

240, 480 or rather 1 terabyte for an SSD?

How big should an SSD be? For SSDs, the rule of thumb is: The larger the capacity, the greater the increase in price. For mobile devices that only have one hard drive slot, large capacities are worthwhile.

If you own a desktop computer, 480 gigabytes of capacity is completely sufficient for the operating system, programs, and several games. HDDs still offer a better price-performance ratio in terms of capacity and durability – especially if your computer is stationed at home and never leaves the house.

Best option for the desktop: SSD as a complement

For gamers: The best option for a desktop PC is still an HDD with an additional SSD. The SSD usually contains the operating system and the most important programs. All other data are stored on the HDD. Games also do not necessarily benefit from being placed on an SSD. For movies, images, or MP3 collections, the speed of an HDD is usually sufficient.

For image and video editing: During image and video editing, a lot of data is copied. Especially with large images or very many editing steps, an SSD is put under more stress. Here, it might be worth investing in faster RAM rather than an SSD.

For mobile users: If you are often on the go with a laptop, then definitely buy an SSD! If your device only supports a hard drive or you do not want to give up a DVD drive, then buy a large storage. Currently, a one-terabyte SSD is also within a reasonable budget. Especially since laptops are subjected to movements and fluctuations while in use, an SSD is particularly recommended here.

Is it useful to install an SSD in a Playstation?
When is it useful to install an SSD in a Playstation?

SSDs in a PS4

When does a Playstation benefit from an SSD? The Playstation benefits from an SSD when the game has to write a lot of data to the drive. Check the minimum requirements on your game packaging: If a game only requires space in the megabyte range, then the game is loaded from the Blu-ray and not from the SSD.

Many download games with the PS4? If you mainly rely on download games here, then you will benefit from the fast write and read performance. A slow hard drive limits download speed since the hard drive can only process/write a certain amount at a time.

In summary: For whom does an SSD make sense?

  • For gamers, an additional SSD for the operating system is worthwhile
  • For mobile users, an SSD with a large capacity is sensible
  • If you mainly play download titles on the Playstation, an SSD is also recommended

What should I consider when buying an SSD?

Cheap and affordable vs. expensive and durable: Very cheap SSDs usually offer significantly worse flash memory than the expensive products. Cheap SSDs often use TLC-NAND (Triple-Level-Cell): This allows the drives to provide high capacities at a low price, but durability and speed suffer.

TLC memory cells have the lowest durability: In TLC memory cells, a single bit is written three times. Hence “Triple-Level-Cell”. The problem: The higher the bit density, the greater the risk of individual flash cells failing, eventually resulting in a total failure.

3D NAND:
3D NAND flash does not affect the quality of flash memory and simply means that the ratio between capacity and physical space is improved.

Prefer MLC and SLC memory: Here, a single bit is written only once or twice. Therefore, the memory is more expensive at large capacities than with TLC but also lasts significantly longer, as individual memory cells are not under such heavy load.

When buying, it’s best to look at which memory a manufacturer uses.

Which SSDs are currently recommended?

Performance winner – The Evo series from Samsung: Samsung’s standard SSD is slightly more expensive compared to competitors but offers by far the best flash memory and thus the best durability. If you want to check this or a larger SSD from Samsung, you can easily do so on Amazon at this link:

Oops, unfortunately this affiliate widget is no longer available.

Good all-rounder – The MX and BX series from Crucial: The MX and BX series hardly differ from each other. The BX series offers a few additional features for a few euros more. Otherwise, both drives provide a decent option in the affordable entry segment.

Oops, unfortunately this affiliate widget is no longer available.

Affordable entry – The SanDisk-Plus series from SanDisk: Compared to the competition, SanDisk offers the slowest flash memory and thus the lowest speeds for an SSD, which is still significantly above an HDD. However, hardly any SSD offers so much storage for so little money. If you just want a significant performance boost for little money, you can opt for the SanDisk-Plus series.

Oops, unfortunately this affiliate widget is no longer available.

Hybrid drive as a combo solution: The hybrid drive from Seagate is an affordable alternative to the SSD and can also be easily installed in a Playstation. The Seagate drive offers 8 GB of flash memory. With the Compute and Gaming series, Seagate provides an affordable solution and another option for those who want to get more out of an SHDD.

Oops, unfortunately this affiliate widget is no longer available.

Recommended M.2-SATA-SSDs

M.2-SATA-SSD for Desktop: The M2-Sata from WDGreen is a standard size of 22×80. It fits into any desktop PC. The M.2-SATA from WDGreen offers a very good price-performance ratio, but it is somewhat slower in writing than the competition. If you want something a bit better and have a larger budget, you can also opt for the EVO series from Samsung.

Oops, unfortunately this affiliate widget is no longer available.

M.2-SATA-SSD for Laptops: If you have a laptop with an M.2-SATA socket, then you should check out the M.2-SATA-SSD from Transcend. This is a fast and very affordable M.2-SATA-SSD for laptops with the size of 22×42.

The smaller laptop sizes are somewhat more expensive than the normal M.2-SATA-SSDs. The Transcend model stands out mainly for its high write and read speeds.

Oops, unfortunately this affiliate widget is no longer available.

If you need not only a new hard drive for your computer but also a new processor, then check out our report on the new Ryzen processors from AMD:

More on the topic
Buy AMD Ryzen 3000: Is an upgrade worth it for me?
von Benedikt Schlotmann
Mit einem Einkaufswagen markierte Links sind so genannte Affiliate-Links. Beim Kauf über diese Links erhalten wir je nach Anbieter eine kleine Provision – ohne Auswirkung auf den Preis. More info.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Twitch streamer escapes police in GTA 5 by braking cleverly

The streamer Summit1g was in a 20-minute chase with the police in GTA Roleplay (GTA 5). With a clever maneuver, he shook off the cops. The viewers are celebrating it.

Who is the streamer? The streamer Jaryd “Summit1g” Laza is a well-known face on TwitchTV. For a long time, he played Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and built a large community over the past years while playing various games such as Sea of Thieves and GTA 5. He has been faithful to the roleplay of GTA 5 for some time now, showcasing entertaining scenes repeatedly.

The roleplay in GTA 5 brought the game back to the top of Twitch in 2019.

Why was he chased by the police? In his stream on August 30th, Summit decided with a few friends to rob a small store in GTA 5. In their roleplay roles, they executed this heist. Summit kept looking out the window to check for the police.

Suddenly, a patrol car appeared and raced into the parking lot in front of the store. Summit ran to his getaway car, waited for his friends, and then sped away.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from Twitch that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the Twitch content

This is how Summit shook off the police: For over 20 minutes, this chase between Summit’s gang and the cops went on. He tried to shake off the police officers, but he didn’t succeed. At one point, he thought about using a braking maneuver to lose the police car that was closing in on him.

He hit the brakes, the first police car drove past him, was rammed by Summit, and then rolled over. The second patrol car could not avoid the accident and rammed police vehicle 1, which was sliding on its roof at the time.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from Twitch that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the Twitch content

In the getaway car, they wondered, “Okay, how could that work?”

Summit1g also tried the popular WoW: Classic. But it has its challenges:

More on the topic
Streamer Summit1g desperately struggles with the ‘stupid’ mechanics in WoW Classic, wants to break through the wall
von Patrick Freese
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

WoW Classic: 1st player to level 60 is carried on hands through Stormwind

Player Jokerd has managed to be the first player to reach level 60 in WoW Classic. He celebrated his success exuberantly on his stream – and dozens of players with him.

This is how the milestone was celebrated: After Jokerd reached level 60 in WoW Classic on Friday evening, August 30 as the first player, many players on his server celebrated this event with him.

He even started a small parade in Stormwind, first on his mechanical mount, then on foot, so that everyone could join. With a cheerful “Run, run together!” they traveled loudly shouting and casting spells to Goldshire.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from Twitch that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the Twitch content

There was already another surprise waiting: Dozens of other players lined the street in honor of the level 60 gnome. They lined the road to the small village and elicited a slightly incredulous: “What the fuck?!” from the streamer.

All this was accompanied by “Celebration” by Kool and the Gang and other hits from the 80s, culminating in Jokerd wanting to delete his character. However, he was not allowed to do that, as the community repeatedly sent him letters preventing the deletion.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from Twitch that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the Twitch content

WoW Classic: First Player at Level 60

Did everything go fair? Despite all the celebration, there were comments from other players on some Twitch channels and also in the game, that Jokerd reached level 60 with partly illegal means or otherwise cheated. It was claimed that he

  • shared his account with his brother
  • used an addon that Blizzard had banned shortly before
  • constantly switched layers in WoW Classic through group invitations
wow classic jokerd first lvl 60

However, so far, these are just rumors. What is certain is that Jokerd chose a strong class for leveling as a mage. If you want to reach level 60 quickly yourself, you can find 10 tips for leveling quickly in WoW Classic here.

Level 60 – And now? So far, there is nothing new from Jokerd. He has not participated in the “World First Race” for defeating the “new old bosses”. However, that already ended shortly after his success.

The guild Apes defeated Ragnaros on the night of August 31 to September 1.

All of this happened on the First Try. Some players of the raid apparently had not even reached level 60, as that is not a requirement to enter the Molten Core in WoW Classic.

More on the topic
Ragnaros in WoW Classic is down! Guild APES gets the First Kill
von Cortyn
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Dexerto

In FIFA 20 you can pass with your back – 12 new, crazy passing skills

In FIFA 20, you can pass and shoot in completely crazy ways. We present some “Fancy Passes” – including backheel passes.

What are these passes in FIFA 20? In FIFA 20, you have significantly more tricks and animations available than in FIFA 19 to show off stylish dribbles, passes, or shots on the pitch.

This is mainly due to the major innovation in FIFA 20: The Volta Mode, which brings street football back. On the street, skill moves and pretty flair shots and passes are essential, which is why EA adds some new tricks.

However, you can perform the new animations not only in Volta mode but also on the big field in 11v11. The EA game-changer Kazooie94 now presents some “Fancy Passes” in the video, which we show you below:

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the YouTube content

Fancy Passes can be performed by almost all players in FIFA 20

Who can perform these cool passes? For the Fancy Passes, the only requirement specified is one star in skill moves. This means that any player can perform them – even the goalkeeper. However, some pass animations require the “Flair Trait,” which only a handful of players possess.

How to perform the “New Back Heel” pass: Hold L2 (LT), press X (A) and push the left stick back. Then the player pulls the ball back with one foot and passes it with the heel:

hacke-pass

How to perform the Knee Pass: Hold L2 (LT), press X or Square (A or X) and push the left stick forward. The player then passes the ball directly with the knee:

kniepass

How to perform the “Fancy Lob 90 Outside Foot” pass: Hold L2 (LT), press Square (X) and push the left stick left or right. The player lifts the ball with one foot and kicks it with the other foot:

fifa 20 pass 1

How to perform the Back Pass: Hold L2 (LT), press X or Square (A or X) and push the left stick back. The player then receives the ball with his back and passes it on:

rücken-pass

How to perform the “Fancy Volley Medium” pass: Hold L2 (LT), press X or Square (A or X) and push the left stick back. For this pass, the player continues the ball like this:

pass fancy

How to perform the “Fancy Volley High” pass: Hold L2 (LT), press X or Square (A or X) and push the left stick back. For this pass, the player performs the same acrobatic movement as the previous pass, but in the air:

luft pass

How to perform the “Outside Foot Pass”: Hold L2 (LT), press X or Square (A or X) and push the left stick forward. The player passes the ball with the outside of the foot:

pass außenseite

How to perform the “Rainbow Pass Forward”: Hold L2 (LT), press X (A) and push the left stick forward. The player traps the ball between both feet and passes it on similarly to the rainbow trick:

rainbow pass

How to perform the “Back Heel Pass High”: Hold L2 (LT), press Square (X) and push the left stick down. The player passes the ball high backwards with the heel:

hoch hacke

How to perform the “Rainbow Pass Backwards”: Hold L2 (LT), press Square (X) and push the left stick down. The player then passes the ball with the heel backwards, initially lifting it in rainbow style:

rainbow hacke

How to perform the “Fancy Lob 90”: Hold L2 (LT), press Square (X) and push the left stick left or right. The player pulls the ball back and lifts it with the heel:

lob

How to perform the “Ball Hop Pass”: Hold L2 (LT), press X (A) and push the left stick forward. The player hops the ball between his feet upwards and passes it high in rainbow style:

ball hops

All these crazy passes in moving pictures can be seen in the video above. Keep in mind that the animations are triggered depending on the context. You must always hold L2 (LT) and pass the ball with X or Square (A or X). You cannot directly influence which animation will be triggered.

Other key combinations that you should know in FIFA 20 can be found here:

Such passes are probably not useful or sensible in all situations. But you can surely surprise the opponent or at least give your play style a personal touch.

What do you think of these stylish passes? When the demo for FIFA 20 is released, you can try them out directly. All information about it here:

More on the topic
FIFA 20 Demo – Release Date & Teams for PS4, PC, Xbox One
von Tom Rothstein
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

WoW Classic eliminates exploit – you level up slower now

Blizzard has fixed a bug in WoW Classic that gave many higher-level players an advantage while leveling. This makes the game feel “more like it used to.”

What was fixed? It’s about an incorrect calculation of experience points in raids, meaning groups of players of six or more. Those in a raid were previously receiving more experience than intended.

Actually, raid groups were supposed to have their received experience drastically reduced. Due to a bug, however, group members received significantly more XP and could defeat enemies much faster – after all, they were more.

WoW-Classic-voll
Many players defeat enemies faster.

This allowed players to level unexpectedly quickly. However, that is no longer possible.

If you still want to reach level 60 quickly, you can find 10 tips in our leveling guide.

In Vanilla, there were not so many XP

No “punishment” from Blizzard: The developers emphasize in the forum that this is not a punishment for players playing the game “incorrectly.” In 2005, in World of Warcraft, players actually received less experience in larger groups:

We want to note that this fix does not represent a change or balance adjustment.

In original WoW, there was an XP penalty in groups of 6 or more players. A temporary bug has eliminated this penalty and it is now fixed.

Community Manager Kaivax in the forum

Blizzard is therefore only fixing a bug that was exploited. WoW Classic is thus becoming “more like it used to be.” Some changes from the original version, such as trading loot, have been controversially discussed in advance.

This is how the exploit was used: In WoW Classic, instances do not have a limit of five players, allowing raids to visit low-level instances like the Scarlet Monastery.

Scharlachrotes-Kloster-WoW-Classic-Gamepedia

Players exploited the bug to level quickly. They repeatedly visited these instances to benefit from the large group and high experience points. This was particularly useful for larger guilds and groups.

One guild was able to defeat Ragnaros first within just a few days. However, it is unclear whether the guild APES used this exploit. However, it is certain that their experience from private servers helped them:

More on the topic
Pirates dominate WoW Classic, achieving all First-Kills – Does Blizzard like this?
von Schuhmann
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Dexerto

The update brings playable guitars to Warframe – Tenno can now play Guitar Hero

The PC version of Warframe has recently received a new update called “Saint of Altra”. The patch not only introduced the lightning-fast frame Gauss but also “Shawzin Hero”. The Shawzin string instruments, which previously served as decoration for one’s spaceship, can now be played.

Update brings playable guitar: The developers at Digital Extremes have released a new update for the PC version of Warframe. In addition to some new content, there is also a new feature for music enthusiasts.

You can now play the Shawzin. The string instrument was previously only used as a nice decoration for your Orbiter, but can now be played.

The Tenno have already shown in countless videos which hits can be played with this new feature. Classics like “Through the Fire and Flames” or “House of the Rising Sun” must not be missing, as well as “Despacito”, which you can listen to here on Reddit.

Warframe Shawzin Guitar Hero playing

How does it work? The “mini-game” is started via a new emote, which is now available in the in-game shop as a bonus for the Shawzin decoration. Players who already own the decoration will receive this emote automatically.

Players can play different notes, change octaves, and even turn on a metronome. They can also record their own songs and share them with other Tenno. These will then play the tracks in Guitar Hero style.

This is somewhat reminiscent of the musical Warframe Octavia, who entered the game in 2017.

However, playing songs exactly is not possible. Players noticed that there are two chords on the Shawzin that do not appear in any octaves: A#4 and G#4.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the YouTube content

What else did the update bring? In addition to the playable Shawzin the last update for Warframe mainly brought the new frame Gauss. He is so fast that players are concerned about how Gauss controls in the game and what impact he has in the open world.

In addition, there were also a number of new weapons and new disruption missions. Furthermore, players can now share their loadouts with others.

When the “Saint of Altra” update will be released for consoles is currently unknown.

For Warframe, however, the next major expansion Empyrean is planned for 2019.

More on the topic
6 years after launch, Warframe gets an intro worthy of a Tenno
von Jürgen Horn
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Guardian complains about recycling festival in Destiny 2 Shadowkeep – Still looking forward to it

Destiny 2 Shadowkeep is coming soon. Some fans are increasingly skeptical about the major autumn expansion. The biggest criticism for many is the so-called content recycling. However, in the eyes of our author Sven, this is not necessarily a bad thing, and there is still enough new content to look forward to.

What is Shadowkeep? Shadowkeep, or Fortress of Shadows, is the new major autumn expansion for Destiny 2, set to be released on October 1, 2019. The add-on is expected to usher in a new era for Destiny 2. It comes hand in hand with an update that overhauls some mechanics, such as the armor system, and introduces fresh elements like Finishing Moves as well as new content into the game.

You can find everything you need to know about Shadowkeep here: All about Destiny 2: Shadowkeep – Release, Pre-order, and Features

What is the source of skepticism? Less than a month remains until the release. More and more details about Shadowkeep are becoming known – whether through official channels or through gameplay leaks from the PAX West fair, where Destiny 2 along with some new content could be played.

What makes many guardians increasingly skeptical: Many new contents coming with Shadowkeep and the update are not really new. Much of it is already known to the guardians from Destiny 1 or Destiny 2. A lot is being recycled, and this annoys the fans.

The real innovations and changes are said to be rather limited – this is currently the general sentiment of many guardians who express their frustration and anger about this situation on Reddit and other platforms. A popular thread on Reddit about this topic received over 6,600 upvotes in just about 15 hours.

destiny 2 shadowkeep

What is being reused? The Reddit post vigorously debates content recycling, and guardians list numerous examples where Bungie is using old content. Here are some of them:

destiny 2 shadowkeep waffe rüstung

Why I don’t think it’s bad: When looking at the examples, the fans are not wrong. That Shadowkeep indeed utilizes many existing or known resources cannot be denied. But is this really that bad? At least not for me.

Yes, the PvP maps are already known. But both Widow’s Court and the Duskfall were among the most popular maps in Destiny 1 for many players and should therefore be well-received in Destiny 2.

Yes, the planetary vendors keep their old gear, but it will be updated to new standards. And that’s exactly what many fans wanted.

How many times has the community asked Bungie to make all the Year 1 armors useful again? Because Destiny 2 has a lot of cool armor sets, most of which have become obsolete since they were not updated to the then-new system post Forsaken.

destiny-2-shadowkeep-titan-warlock

The Moon is also already familiar to many. But this location was very popular in Destiny 1 and remains one of my personal highlights to this day. Moreover, this location has been expanded and enhanced with new areas and activities. So as a veteran who has known the Moon since the beta, I am excited and can hardly wait to rediscover this location.

I am also grateful for any additional planets in Destiny 2. Even if Bungie were to bring back all planets in addition to the existing ones, I would not be unhappy. And I believe I am not alone in this.

I also don’t find the reskins of the raid armor as well as the reuse of some iconic bosses from Destiny 1 bad – on the contrary. I personally liked the Omega Mechanos sets, and what I have seen of the reskins so far seems coherent. The sets have been visually enhanced and are definitely a valuable addition to the loot pool in my view.

destiny 2 shadowkeep mond

What’s new: But even if others see the recycling differently than I do – Shadowkeep and the accompanying update still provide plenty of new content to look forward to as a player.

  • The new armor system Armor 2.0, which takes the game further in the direction of RPG.
  • Nightmare Hunt, a new activity on the Moon
  • New story surrounding the Moon and Eris Morn
  • 2 new strikes
  • Completely new areas on the Moon
  • New raid
  • The seasonal artifacts, which should provide additional gameplay depth with their mods
  • Elimination mode in PvP
  • New weapons, armors, and more
Destiny 2 Shadowkeep Mond

That’s why I’m looking forward to Shadowkeep: In short: Yes, recycling is debatable. Not everyone is a fan, and I can understand the displeasure of many guardians. For me, it always depends on how it is implemented and how old and new content relate to each other. And with Shadowkeep, I am quite optimistic about that so far.

And ultimately, I learned one thing in my guardian career: no matter how good or bad the content may seem beforehand – I will only pass my final judgment after I have played it thoroughly and made my own picture of it.

If all those “old” resources are coherently integrated and implemented with high quality, as well as being fun in combination with the new and additional content, I see no real reason to condemn Bungie for its first major work after separating from Activision.

What do you think? Are you tired of recycling? Or can you live with it if it’s well done? Are you looking forward to Shadowkeep?

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

In the new MMORPG Crowfall, there are rewards for chopping off players’ heads

In the MMORPG Crowfall, a Pre-Alpha event is taking place again. In this event, you go hunting for the heads of fellow players to earn rewards.

What kind of event is this? The “Decap-a-Thon” in the MMORPG Crowfall makes it your task to hunt skulls until September 3rd.

To do this, you fight against fellow players in the game and try to behead them. This way, you will receive skulls. Collect them. The more skulls you have, the higher you climb in the rankings.

The head must roll!

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the YouTube content

How do you get skulls? You have to engage in a duel with another player and use a specific skill:

  • You need the skill “Deathblow”, which you find in the Survival Tray.
  • You need to press and hold the “F” key.
  • It takes some time for your character to aim and then strike.
  • Your enemy then has time to release their Crow Soul. If that happens, there will be no skull.
  • You must therefore still be quick.
  • Furthermore, you need a Runestone (Spirit) Axe. Only with this can you behead an opponent and receive their skull as a trophy.
  • The Runestone (Spirit) Axe is essentially a regular axe that you also use for chopping down trees; you just need to craft it in the special “Spirit” version.

What do you do with the head? You must sacrifice your collected skulls at a brazen fire to the gods. Only the heads you have collected in the respective campaign world count.

Each sacrificed head adds a point to the faction you are fighting for.

In the MMORPG Crowfall, you must collect skulls during an event.

Rewards in Pre-Alpha Events

What rewards are there? The players of the faction that is victorious at the end of the event on September 3rd receive a Factional Skull. This gives you a stat bonus of +2% to Critical Hit and Critical Healing Chance.

How is the event received? The players of Crowfall like the idea of collecting skulls from defeated opponents. Nevertheless, the question remains why a Pre-Alpha needs such events, when the game is still quite far from a release.

Of course, fans take part in this event and the rewards, but Crowfall is still in a quite early development phase and is treated somewhat like a live game already due to the events.

More on the topic
Crowfall: Developers promise that every MMORPG fan can have fun
von Andreas Bertits
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

The Division 2: This could solve the most annoying problem with the vendor reset

In The Division 2 , an agent presents solutions on how to end the most annoying problem with the vendor reset. The suggestions are well received.

This is the problem: Weekly, agents get upset that they have to switch their clan during the vendor reset to get the best items.

Because the clan vendor brings different items depending on your clan level, and in recent weeks, it has frequently happened that low-level clans were offered the best items.

Currently, for example, the clan vendor at level 15 has a top vest with +25% Total Armor. Those who have already reached the max level of 30 must leave this clan and find a clan at level 15 if they don’t want to miss out on this must-have item.

division vest

Clan hopping is what some agents call this – and players do not like it. After all, one wants to remain loyal to their clan and not hop between multiple clans every week to browse their vendor inventories.

The fact that these low-level clan vendors also bring items with such high stats that you can’t find despite months of farming adds to the aversion against clan hopping. Because clan hopping becomes the most efficient method to specifically get good gear.

How can this problem be solved?

Here are possible solutions: The YouTuber NothingButSkillz presents three options for how to put an end to clan hopping. Especially the first option is well received by the agents.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the YouTube content

Solution 1 – A new tab for the inventories of lower clan levels

This is the proposal: In the inventory overview of the clan vendor, there are “Buy”, “Sell”, and “Buy Back” tabs at the top right. Here, Massive should add an additional tab that allows access to the inventories of other clan vendor levels.

This tab would only display the clan vendor inventories that are of a lower level than your own clan.

So it would be worth it to raise your clan level, as you would then have access to all offers and could quickly access them without having to awkwardly leave the clan.

new tab
Here could be an additional tab

Solution 2 – Everyone gets the same items

This is the proposal: To curb clan hopping, Massive could also simply standardize the clan vendor inventory for all levels. Regardless of level, the vendor would then offer the same items for everyone.

This would greatly limit the motivation to raise the clan level – but at the moment, you also don’t get better items if you have a high clan level. On the contrary.

division 2 agent

Solution 3 – The higher the clan level, the more items

This is the proposal: The third solution approach is a mixture of proposal 1 and 2. Here, the clan vendors at all levels bring the same items, but the vendors of higher-level clans offer additional items.

In other words, a level 4 clan is offered 5 items. A level 10 clan is offered the same 5 items with the same stats, but also 3 additional items. And a level 30 clan has access to all items from the lower clan levels, but also to a few more.

In comparison to proposal 1, the additional tab would be omitted, but there would be less selection.

In the comments, many consider the first proposal to be the best. Because it would reward agents who reach a high clan level the most – and not punish them as before.

Whether Massive will implement any of these changes remains to be seen. In a few days, the ETF workshop begins, where developers will hear many suggestions for the future of The Division 2. Perhaps these will also be included.

What do you think of these proposals?

More on the topic
The Division 2 returns from the summer break – What happens in September?
von Tom Rothstein
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Pirates dominate WoW Classic, achieving all First-Kills – Does Blizzard like this?

In WoW Classic, pirates are taking the World First in leveling and boss kills. Both the first level 60 and the raid guild that first defeated the bosses Ragnaros and Onyxia gained their experiences on illegal private servers. This is unlikely to please Blizzard.

Here was the situation before the launch: Before the release of WoW Classic, it was believed that the “big World First” guilds like Method would take the race in WoW Classic:

WoW Ragnaros Classic title thirteenth attempt please please 2

This is how it has gone now: In fact, Twitch streamers and professional raid guilds play no role when it comes to the World Firsts.

Leading are players specialized in WoW Classic. They have been playing this version for a longer time. However, on servers that are a thorn in Blizzard’s side. They are “P-Servers”, private servers or pirate servers, which are operated under dubious circumstances without a license and run “older versions” of WoW:

This is openly communicated – the players are proud of their achievements there.

APES-Ragnaros
Consistent dominance, 40 players at level. Image source: mmorpg.org

WoW Classic is the Hour of Private Servers

This is what’s behind it: Private servers have been a big thing in WoW for years, but they operate in the shadows. When private servers become too popular like Nostalrius, Blizzard takes action against them and has them shut down.

Players on official WoW servers often say: “Private servers don’t count” – who knows what special conditions apply there.

Over the years, the sentiment has built up that private server players want to show everyone when WoW Classic goes live and want to gain their recognition. That is exactly what has happened.

WoW Nostalrius Shutdown
Classic server Nostalrius, shortly before the servers were turned off.

For Blizzard, this is a double-edged sword:

  • With the official servers, they now entice “private server players” to play an official WoW again.
  • But the fact that the pirates are now profiting so much has a strange aftertaste – after all, they have circumvented official WoW for years. They are known for being very critical of Blizzard and retail WoW.

For the private server people, it must be a satisfaction. They see themselves as a driving force in the creation of WoW Classic, which has pushed Blizzard to get going and move away from their “You think you want it, but you don’t want it” attitude.

More on the topic
The new Blizzard CEO was the hate figure of WoW Classic fans
von Schuhmann
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Guild Wars 2 Quiz: How fit are you for the Icebrood Saga?

In September, the new season of the Living World begins in Guild Wars 2. But are you ready for the Icebrood Saga? We want to test your knowledge about the Norn, the North, and the Old Dragons.

What’s happening in Guild Wars 2 right now? On August 30, the fifth season of the Living World was announced, which is set to bring new areas, stories, and content for the MMORPG.

Thematically, it’s heading north and fighting the minions of the Old Dragon Jormag. There’s also a detour into the Charr homeland and into the story of the playable race. The new season kicks off on September 17 with a prologue.

guild wars 2 jormag

Test your knowledge about the lore of Guild Wars 2

What is the quiz about? To check if you are ready for the Icebrood Saga, we have prepared a small quiz. You will be asked 15 lore questions about the Norn, Jormag, and his minions.

For each question, there are four answer options. A correct answer gives one point, an incorrect answer gives none. After answering a question, you immediately proceed to the next one.

Can you answer all 15 questions correctly and earn the title “God Among Mortals”? Or are you just a “Traveler” who rarely checks in on Guild Wars 2? Give it a try!

Dieses Quiz ist geschlossen.

Some questions in the quiz can be quite tricky. For some, the article with the most important lore information about the Icebrood Saga might help you.

For the other questions, you’ll just have to experience the story again and play through various chapters of the base game and Living World Season 3.

Feel free to let us know in the comments after completing the quiz if you liked the questions and how many you answered correctly!

More on the topic
Guild Wars 2 announces the Icebrood Saga – Here are the first reactions
von Irina Moritz
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.