Today, on August 19th, the servers of Destiny 2 are down. Bungie is performing maintenance. You can find out how long the servers will be offline here.
These are the important times: Today, Monday, August 19th, Bungie is performing maintenance with downtime. This maintenance is surprising because usually developers announce server downtimes a few days in advance. But today, Bungie announced the maintenance quite last minute.
Maintenance begins at 6 PM. There may be initial disruptions in the game and the companion app.
At 6:45 PM, Destiny 2 will then go offline. If you are still playing, you will be roughly removed. The downtime affects PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Around 7:05 PM, the servers are expected to come back online.
By 7:30 PM, maintenance is scheduled to be completed. Until then, login issues may occur.
Keep in mind that the above time estimates are not set in stone. Bungie has shown in the past that they can bring the servers back online earlier or much later than communicated.
Cross-Save is a new feature launching on August 21st – that’s the day after tomorrow. With this, you can share your Destiny 2 save across multiple platforms and freely switch between PS4, Xbox One, or PC.
Here’s how it works:
You link your accounts with your Bungie account.
Then, you select a main account or save with the characters you wish to continue playing.
This progress/save will be shared and available on all other platforms where you play Destiny 2.
However, keep in mind that you need to own the game and expansions for each platform on which you want to play Destiny 2 to be able to play everywhere.
Cross-Save is a feature that many guardians have wanted for a long time. Many former console guardians have switched to PC to enjoy the full graphical splendor of the Destiny universe but left their friends behind who remained loyal to PS4 or Xbox One. Cross-Save removes a hurdle to switch flexibly between consoles or PC.
And tonight, Bungie is paving the way for a smooth launch of Cross-Save on Wednesday.
Cross-Save should not be confused with Cross-Play, which allows players on different platforms to play with and against each other.
If you have nothing planned for tonight, you can watch the opening night of gamescom 2019 with us. Bungie is planning a reveal there. All info about it here:
The next gaming generation is getting closer. Do you already know which consoles you will buy? Or are you even thinking of switching to a streaming service?
This is what this survey is about: The current console generation is slowly but surely coming to an end. Therefore, we want to know from you: Which manufacturers and services will you rely on in the next gen?
This survey is intended to represent a cross-section of our readers’ opinions.
This is the next gen: Little by little, more and more small and big pieces of information about the specs and features of the next gaming generation are coming out. In addition to the established manufacturers Sony and Microsoft, Google is also trying to make a name for itself in this area:
The classic consoles will also be more powerful in this gen and offer a wide range of games. However, they will likely cost a fair amount again, and their hardware will struggle to compete with high-end PCs.
Google Stadia wants to loan you a complete, powerful PC that you never have to upgrade yourself. You can use this streaming service on any compatible device and even on smartphones. However, it is heavily dependent on your internet connection, which many in Germany see as problematic.
Evaluation live at gamescom 2019
This is how you can watch the evaluation: Together with our colleagues from GameStar and GamePro, we will be streaming from gamescom 2019 for you.
During the show, there will be a segment where we talk about the next-gen possibilities. You can join us live on our channels:
The evaluation of this survey will come on August 20, the gamescom Tuesday, at 6:30 PM.
However, throughout the entire gamescom week, there will also be over 50 hours of talks and information about gaming in our program “gamescom together.” The full program can be found here:
But now it’s your turn: Have you decided which console you will buy in the next gen? Or do you want to try something new this time and get Google Stadia?
At Rainbow Six Siege, a big tournament took place over the weekend. A showcase match was planned here. In a fiercely contested match, Twitch star Shroud suddenly found himself in a 1vs1 with PriesT using mouse and keyboard. He is considered one of the best controller players in Rainbow Six Siege.
That was the tournament: A big tournament took place at Rainbow Six Siege over the weekend, called the “Rainbow Six Siege’s Raleigh Major.”
Along with a lot of “serious e-sports,” there was a showmatch between some of the more well-known content creators on Twitch and community members from Rainbow Six Siege.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare will support ray tracing in selected game modes. In a video, Nvidia now shows what it looks like in the game.
How does Modern Warfare support ray tracing? The developers at Infinity Ward will support the new Modern Warfare with ray tracing in the story mode. While you play through the campaign, you can enjoy the enhanced graphics.
In multiplayer, the feature is not available everywhere. Ray tracing is planned only for the 2v2 Gunfight mode. The larger multiplayer modes will have to do without it. Performance and smooth gameplay will likely take priority there.
This is the trailer: On Nvidia’s YouTube channel, a new trailer for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare has now been shared. It features insights into the campaign and a few seconds of the Gunfight mode.
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Again and again, the video compares the scenes with and without RTX. The development of the shadows, which are more prominent with RTX, is clearly noticeable.
Nvidia states that they are working with the people at Activision and Infinity Ward to create the most impressive and photorealistic Modern Warfare on PC. They are utilizing real-time ray tracing and Nvidia Adaptive Shading.
What is ray tracing? The term is becoming more common in the gaming community. Ray tracing technologies aim to represent shadows and light in scenes in a particularly realistic way.
This is achieved through an algorithm that can calculate and track the path of light. This makes it possible to represent how light interacts with digital objects.
Apart from the visuals, Call of Duty has also evolved in other areas. For example, with weapons. Bullet drop and animations have been tweaked. You can see how this affects the game here:
The MMO shooter Planetside 2 is vying for players’ favor in 2019. The player numbers on Steam are not looking good anymore. Therefore, some changes are planned for the future – Daybreak Games wants to make it easier for new players to get started.
We take a look at the MMO shooter Planetside 2. How is the game doing and what content is planned for the future?
Planetside 2 needs more players
How is the MMO shooter doing today? You only hear sporadically from Planetside 2, but the developers are still hard at work to develop new content and improve the gameplay.
According to the website, Planetside 2 had nearly 30,000 simultaneous active players at Steam launch in November 2012. Today, it’s only around 2,400 during peak times.
For a long time, the average player count on Steam was around 2000 – but this has gradually fallen and has been below 1500 for several months in 2019.
On average, around 1,470 players played the MMO shooter simultaneously in the past 30 days – however, these numbers only refer to Steam.
Planetside 2 still has its own launcher, and there is also a PS4 version. Nevertheless, it is clear that Planetside 2 needs more players as an MMO shooter.
Many on Steam love Planetside 2 – but demand changes
What do players say about Planetside 2? The reviews on Steam currently sit at 82 percent and “very positive”. However, you can also see that the ratings have dropped in the past 30 days. Because during this time, the shooter only received 65 percent.
It is criticized that the balancing is no longer right and that Planetside has turned into a “zerg fest”. In addition, spawn camping is said to be a problem, and newcomers have a hard time.
Many still consider Planetside 2 to be an excellent MMO shooter that the developers simply need to continue to optimize.
This is how Planetside 2 wants to win new players
What are the developers planning for the future of the game? After the Robo-soldiers of the Nanite System, the focus is now mainly on improving the experience for newcomers to ensure a flow of new players. Some adjustments are planned:
Trusted players will be marked in chat so that newcomers know who to turn to
After your death, a camera view will show you the player who eliminated you
Loading screens will provide tips for newcomers
A modular tutorial is planned, allowing newcomers to test individual elements such as classes and play styles
With Sanctuary, a safe zone will be introduced that represents the first social hub in Planetside 2. Here, everyone can interact without fighting. The hub should also serve as a waiting area when it takes longer to jump into a match
The mandate system will offer concrete challenges. These are special tasks that will also provide a reward. You can complete these tasks in teams, and they can even represent entire events
These contents are not the only things that Daybreak Games is currently working on for Planetside 2. However, they represent the current focus.
When can we expect these changes? The developers have not yet provided a specific date. However, it is planned that this content will be introduced in the MMO shooter in the autumn.
The four new Hextech champions are currently shaking up the meta in Teamfight Tactics. They can be used in almost every combo. We’ll tell you what to watch out for when fighting against them.
Jinx particularly dominates the meta, but the other three are also welcome. Vi performs well in bruiser combos, and Jayce is a central piece in the shapeshifter combo.
A combination of two Hextechs can be found in almost every meta build. Accordingly, their special ability activates quite frequently.
What is the ability of the Hextech champions? Two or all four Hextechs throw a bomb at opponents at the start of a fight, disabling enemy items for 8 seconds.
The bomb always targets an enemy champion with an item:
The bomb also hits all surrounding enemies
If you have all 4 Hextech champions, it will also hit all enemies in a field around them
In the image, you see Graves in the middle as the target. If the opponent has two Hextech champions, he and the red fields are disabled; with four, your champions in the yellow fields are also affected.
Hextechs do not like gaps
What should I watch out for against Hextechs? Currently, you generally encounter only the combination of two Hextech champions. Therefore, you should first ensure that two champions with important items are not standing next to each other.
There is also the possibility of giving a champion a simple and less important item and placing him far away from the rest of the team. With a bit of luck, the bomb will land far away from your important fighters.
Yasuo is ideal for such a distant champion with just one item, as he doesn’t want to be near the team anyway. In general, it also helps to develop new strategies for positioning your team.
How do I position my team? During the times of assassins and ice creatures/rangers, heroes were collected in a big ball in one of the corners.
This avoided the problem of assassins suddenly jumping into the backline and simultaneously built a wall between your ranged fighters and the enemy champions.
This is how you position your team in Teamfight Tactics
General tips for positioning: There are various ideas and concepts for positioning the team. Gaps are currently desired, due to Hextech champions, but also due to AoE attacks.
Additionally, Blitzcrank is currently in vogue as a bruiser. Placing your carry all the way at the back is therefore tricky, as Blitzcrank will otherwise grab him. Unless you know exactly where the enemy Blitzcrank is located.
It is important that you keep an eye on your opponents, especially when some have already been eliminated.
An example of new positioning
In the fictional example, we know that the opponent always positions their Blitzcrank (from their perspective) far left. Therefore, they also attack our champion far down left at the edge of the image, to whom we should ideally give an unimportant item.
At the same time, our Lucian with many items stands somewhat isolated in the middle, while Vi and Garen tank the damage. This setup works well against Hextech and Blitzcrank but would have major problems with assassins that could easily take out our three carries.
What problems arise with positioning? In our example, we had a clear front and a clear backline. This made the setup easier.
However, with protectors like Braum and Leona, it becomes difficult, as many champions want to receive the bonus. The shapeshifters also require a completely different setup.
Therefore, the most important thing in positioning is keeping track of the other players and adjusting accordingly. In general, since the new patch, you should spread your champions with items apart.
On August 20, Vault 94 will open its doors in the online game Fallout 76. This is the raid and the first instance in the survival game. However, Bethesda reserves the right to take the raid offline immediately if there are problems.
What is Vault 94? The bunker is one of the many vaults built before the Great War. The mission of the inhabitants of Vault 94 was to replant the world after the nuclear war so that the survivors would have food. The inhabitants were a group of pacifists who wanted to spread their message of peace after the war.
Just one year after the bombs fell, the vault opened its doors, and missionaries were sent into the world to help the survivors. However, shortly thereafter, the G.E.C.K. fusion generator failed, leading to a massive explosion and the release of radioactivity. The vault became contaminated, and all inhabitants perished.
Now, however, the doors are opening again, as something is happening inside. Mysterious plants are growing around the vault, and you are now called upon to uncover the secrets of the bunker in Fallout 76.
Fallout 76 introduces instances
What can you expect in the vault? Bethesda is not revealing exact details yet, but Vault 94 is said to offer one of the biggest challenges yet. It is a raid that you will explore as a team of four. There are supposed to be valuable rewards, including plant armor.
Where is the bunker located? You will find Vault 94 between the Mire and the Savage Divide.
What is special about the vault? Vault 94 introduces the instance system in Fallout 76. Until now, you have always been adventuring in the world together with all the players on the server. This will change with Vault 94.
Once you enter the bunker, an instance opens up for your team of up to four players, where only you are present. This is similar to what you know from MMORPGs like The Elder Scrolls Online. You will experience the adventure in three difficulty levels: Beginner, Standard, and Expert, each promising different rewards.
What do the instances offer? Bethesda explains that this instancing system brings several advantages.
Other players cannot disturb your adventure
The developers have more control over the dungeon and can ensure that each “run” feels new and interesting
Raid will be taken offline if there are problems
This restriction exists: The instancing system will initially be available only for PC starting August 20. Bethesda wants to use this as a test.
If everything goes smoothly, Vault 94 will soon be opened for PS4 and Xbox One, and then you will also be able to conquer the challenging raid in instances there.
So do not be surprised if Vault 94 suddenly closes again and Bethesda needs to revise the content after launch.
Players expect plant monsters in the 1st raid of Fallout 76
What do the players think of the vault? The fans are already looking forward to the bunker and speculate about what they might encounter there. One idea is that plant monsters inhabit the bunker, similar to what was the case in Vault 22 of Fallout: New Vegas.
The inhabitants of Vault 22 were also supposed to take care of plant life after the war and ensure food supply for the survivors. But something went wrong here, and giant insects and plant creatures took over the place.
The fans of Fallout 76 also praise Bethesda for being so open about initially opening the vault only for PC and immediately taking the raid offline if major issues arise. This openness is something players wish to see from all announcements in the future.
Last weekend, the first official PvP tournament took place in Pokémon GO. The winner, Kieng Iv, is now calling for Niantic to provide more support there and for a competitive scene around Pokémon GO to form, a real e-sport.
What kind of tournament was it? Around the Pokémon World Championships in Washington D.C., this tournament took place in Pokémon GO. Pokémon and Niantic invited 8 personalities to fight for victory in the PvP mode of Pokémon GO.
It was an “Invitational,” a invitation-only tournament.
Who won? In the end, Kieng Iv won. He is already known from various challenges around raid bosses. However, he was also very strong in the PvP mode.
The tournament winner Kieng IV. Source: dotesports
What Kieng Iv wishes for Pokémon GO
This is what the winner says: After his victory, the US magazine dotesports was able to speak with the Canadian. There, Kieng says that he wishes for more support from Niantic for the PvP mode in Pokémon GO. He states that PvP is “very watchable”, but there is still a lot to be done.
We need more support from Niantic, and more help from Pokemon would be very helpful, alongside all the great work that Silph Arena, GoStadium-Discord and others are doing to develop the competitive scene.
What is the current state of the competitive scene? The first official tournament of Pokémon GO took place last weekend.
For example, TheSilphRoad regularly holds such tournaments worldwide, where players can sign up. This is by no means comparable to the eSports scenes of other games.
In July, TheSilphRoad hosted the Jungle Cup
This is exactly where Kieng Iv wants to take action. For him, the PvP mode in Pokémon GO could become big, but this can only happen with the support of Niantic.
Is a competitive scene conceivable? Many other mobile games, such as Clash Royale or Arena of Kings, already have such scenes. The PvP mode of Pokémon GO could also offer something like this. Thus, it is certainly conceivable.
What do you think? Would a competitive scene be good for Pokémon GO?
In the benefits program of GTA Online, you can now receive at least 250,000 GTA dollars as a gift if you own a penthouse. We will show you how to do this.
This is how the event works: If you already own a penthouse in GTA Online, you just need to log in to GTA Online by Wednesday, August 21. This will grant you silver status and the 250,000 GTA dollars. Owning a penthouse is thus the prerequisite for the cash gift.
But the silver status is just the beginning. In the benefits program, there are now up to 400k GTA dollars for you if you play the story missions.
The current event is divided into different status areas. Achieving gold, platinum, or diamond grants you 50,000 GTA dollars each and another gift. We will show you what the rewards look like and how they work here:
How to earn up to 400,000 GTA dollars
Gold status: You will receive gold status when you complete the mission “Clean Up the Place.” This secures you an additional 50,000 GTA dollars and the tattoo “The Royals,” which is inspired by the card game. In total, you will receive 300,000 GTA dollars with gold status.
Platinum status: If you complete 5 casino missions with Ms. Baker, you achieve platinum status. This unlocks an additional 50,000 GTA dollars and a vintage poster from Benny’s Original Motor Works.
In total, you will receive 350,000 GTA dollars with platinum status.
Diamond status: When you have completed all story missions, you achieve the highest status – the diamond status. This secures you an additional 50,000 GTA dollars and the red diamond T-shirt.
Once you have reached all membership levels, you unlock a total of 400,000 GTA dollars.
When will the money be unlocked? If you have qualified for the payouts, you will receive the money by August 28.
Do you want to secure another 200,000 GTA dollars and increase to 600,000 $? Then quickly complete this time trial:
In The Division 2, the developers are looking for community experts who want to improve the game as an Elite Task Force. Massive invites you to Sweden.
That’s why Massive wants your expertise: A few weeks ago, Massive announced that they would soon be establishing an Elite Task Force. And now it has begun.
Massive refers to an Elite Task Force (ETF) as a group of community representatives who want to chat with the developers about the future of The Division, share their opinions and ideas concretely, and thus directly contribute to the future of the game.
With the current ETF, Massive wants to discuss the state of The Division 2 and plans for upcoming changes to the endgame, loot, PvP, inventory, and other areas.
ETF applications are open
Here’s how to apply for the ETF: Massive has set up an application form online, which you can access via the link provided. In it, you need to provide several details about yourself and give initial assessments of the state of The Division 2:
You can provide your name, email address, country, Uplay ID, possibly your console nickname, and your preferred platform.
Then Massive wants to know how many hours you have spent in The Division 1 and 2. You should also answer these questions:
How do you see the current state of The Division 2?
What change would have the most positive impact on the gaming experience?
What makes you a good candidate for the ETF?
Here are the requirements: Before you say, “Finally, I can tell Massive my opinion!”, you should check if you meet the ETF requirements:
The ETF takes place from September 4 to September 6. Arrival is on September 3 and departure on September 7.
The ETF workshop will be held in Malmö (Sweden) at the Massive studio.
You need valid travel documents to travel to Sweden at that time.
Massive pays for flights, hotel, and meals during the stay in Sweden.
The ETF workshop is under NDA – that means you cannot tell anyone about what you experience and see in the Massive studio.
You must be at least 18 years old.
You should be fluent in English.
You can apply until August 20 at 9:30 AM.
Who will be selected? Your application does not guarantee that Massive will invite you to Sweden. Participants are selected according to certain criteria that Massive does not disclose publicly.
In the past, besides well-known Division YouTubers and streamers, unknown agents have also been invited to the ETF. So you don’t need to have a YouTube channel with thousands of subscribers to have a chance for a trip to Sweden.
Has an ETF ever taken place? Yes, there have already been several ETF phases for The Division 1. The most important ETF was probably the one before the Update 1.4, which finally put The Division back on the right track after months of criticism.
Due to its success, further ones followed. Now this “tradition” continues with The Division 2.
According to Massive, past ETFs have been important key moments for implementing game-changing innovations. The Division has been strongly influenced by the ETF workshops.
What is the current state of The Division 2?
How is The Division 2 doing? At launch, The Division 2 had a phenomenal start, it was praised by fans and press, there was plenty to do, and a rosy future was anticipated.
However, after these “honeymoons,” the content gradually ran out, and with new updates, issues arose that Massive is still catching up with.
Title Update 6 aims to address some of the major issues troubling the community:
the RPG in the endgame
how players obtain gear
how players organize their inventory
how all the new changes fit into PvE and PvP
These topics will be addressed in the ETF workshop. Therefore, we can strongly assume that the update will take a while to arrive.
What else the future holds for The Division 2, we summarize here:
In WoW Classic, Blizzard has heeded the call of the fans. After German players have complained for weeks that the German-speaking servers are too crowded, WoW Classic will now launch with 4 German servers instead of two. The new servers are called Razorfen and Venoxis, and name reservation begins there on Tuesday evening.
Blizzard is now advising players from Everlook and Lucifron to consider switching. They want the player population to be as evenly distributed as possible. This is the foundation for the best gaming experience.
The German servers filled up quickly – players demanded more.
Additionally, it is mentioned:
they are cautious about opening new realms because the server structure is intended to be active for months and years
the realms are much larger in 2019 than in 2006 – therefore, designations such as “low, medium, high, or full” refer to much larger player numbers than in 2006
Essentially, the German community manager says the same thing as a US community manager on Friday. He warned that 10,000 players would be queued in front of a full US server and advised players to switch to a new one.
German role players would like their own server
How do players react? The initial reactions are positive. However, role players still feel excluded. None of the new servers are marked for role play.
Especially for role players in WoW Classic, it is important to immerse themselves in role play in their native language.
In Fortnite , advertisements for scammers are now seen on the channels of the biggest streamers on Twitch. The scammers offer V-Bucks and use clips from top Fortnite streamers like Tfue, Nickmercs, or TimTheTatman. The fraudsters manipulate Twitch’s clip system.
What is the problem? Many Fortnite fans regularly watch clips of their favorite streamers on Twitch. However, these clips are not created by the streamers themselves. Others edit these short clips from the hours-long streams together and then upload them.
The clips are given a title and are attributed to the respective streamer on Twitch.
TimtheTatman has the honor of serving as a carrier for 3 clips with the advertisement.
Now, however, a site that wants to “sell” V-Bucks spreads such clips, names the title after its own URL, and thus gets free advertising. Because anyone who looks for clips about Fortnite immediately discovers the URL of this site.
The URL of the scam website is thus shown publicly to thousands of stream users – free advertising.
Tfue is especially suitable as a carrier because of his massive reach – Image source: Dexerto.
TimTheTatman and Tfue serve as carriers
How widespread is this? When you look at the “last 7 days” of Fortnite clips, you find these “fake clips” three times among the top 20 results, with TimTheTatman serving as a carrier. The actual clips are unremarkable: The tattooed streamer is essentially just flexing his hands and talking about what he will do next.
Further down the top list, clips with the URL and four well-visible green dollar signs appear with Nickmercs.
With Tfue, the currently largest Fortnite streamer on Twitch, a clip reached over 100,000 views. However, the clips with Tfue are a bit older and are therefore not visible in the “last 7 days” anymore.
It has been going on for quite some time – especially with Tfue, the clips reach many thousands of viewers.
The Twitch system helps spread free advertising
What is the nasty part? Twitch is set up to frequently offer players these clips. When you watch a clip of a Fortnite streamer, other clips related to Fortnite are offered below.
This way, Twitch’s systems are providing these fraudsters with free advertising right to the target audience they want to reach.
Such memes warn against V-Buck scammers.
Epic warns: Don’t do this
What is it with V-Buck scams? V-Bucks are the currency of Fortnite. There are numerous fraudsters trying to lure unsuspecting players with “free V-Bucks”.
Behind these schemes are traps designed to make players watch endless ads or worse: The scammers want to access the players’ information. Thus, accounts are hacked, which are then sold.
Epic expressly warns against using such sites. But apparently, especially younger Fortnite players have fallen for the trick – and that for years now.
The global release of Jirachi in Pokémon GO seems to be imminent. Niantic is running a countdown on Twitter that ends tomorrow, August 20.
What is this countdown? Niantic shows a star map on Twitter with a countdown made of stars. Each day, there is one less star in the tweet, and more stars appear in the star map. Tomorrow evening, the countdown would end.
On the star map, Jirachi is becoming more and more recognizable. It seems that something big is going to happen around Jirachi this Tuesday. After all, there have already been various hints prior to this.
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Would it fit Jirachi? Jirachi is a Pokémon in the console games that grants wishes. Stars are directly connected to this mysterious Pokémon.
An announcement by Niantic makes sense in this context. The fact is that this countdown is ending, and apparently, something will happen afterwards.
When exactly does the countdown end? So far, Niantic has uploaded the images always at 10 PM German time. If such an image is posted this evening, the countdown should end tomorrow evening, August 20, at 10 PM.
This is how Jirachi has appeared so far: This mysterious Pokémon has only been available at all 3 GO Fests through a special research task. These events are now over, so nothing stands in the way of a global release.
I already have Jirachi, what now? If Jirachi comes as a special research task, players from GO Fest will also receive this research, but at the end of the quest line, there will be Jirachi candies instead of an encounter with the Pokémon. This was the case with Mew and Celebi.
Are you a Pokémon master? Then participate in our quiz:
WoW Classic relies on a layering system to make the start as pleasant as possible for players. “New” content will only be available once layering is disabled.
In just over a week, many Warcraft fans will finally see their long-standing wish fulfilled as WoW Classic is released. However, to ensure a smooth launch, several technologies are in play that weren’t available back in 2006.
One of these is “layering,” which divides players at the start, even though they are playing on the same server. But this will not remain active forever. In fact, WoW Classic will remain in Phase 1 for at least as long as the layering is still active.
What is Layering? Simply put, layering refers to different shards (or simplified “instances”) of an area. For example, there could be three copies of the entire game world on a server, so each of these layers would contain only a third of the players.
This results in less contention over enemies in starter areas and a more pleasant entry experience. However, later all players are expected to be merged back together and the layers will be disabled. Then, all players of a realm will actually be permanently in the same world.
Why is Layering needed this time? There are several reasons for layering. The most important is that this time all players will start at the same time, as WoW is already installed on almost all players’ computers. Previously, about 15 years ago, this was not the case. Brian Birmingham explained in an interview with colleagues from GameStar:
Back in Vanilla, you had to drive to a store for the midnight release, buy the game, drive home, install it, patch it, and only then could you start playing. Naturally, this spread players out more evenly in the game.
This time, that will not be the case. Just in time for the release, hundreds of thousands of players will flood the servers, leading to overcrowding. Layering is intended to mitigate this.
New content only without layering: The content of World of Warcraft Classic is staggered across several phases. This simulates the patches that were available during the Vanilla era.
Phase 2, the first “new content”, will not be released until the layering is disabled on all servers. There is no exact timeline for this yet. However, it is likely that Blizzard will wait until the initial rush is over and the player base is distributed across multiple areas.
What do you think about layering in WoW Classic? Is it a good and sensible thing? Or does it ruin your Classic feeling?
Still not sure what you want to play in Classic? Then you should check out this post:
When is the reveal? Today, Monday, at 8 PM, the Opening Night of the gamescom 2019 takes place. In the context of this fair kickoff, numerous developers and publishers will showcase world premieres and novelties – including Bungie.
What will be shown? Bungie has already revealed via Twitter that they will present fresh content for the Shadowkeep expansion. It is referred to as a “Cinematic Reveal”. In other words, we can expect a movie-like trailer.
Here’s how you can participate: On Twitch, we will broadcast exciting content from the gaming fair throughout the entire gamescom week – including the Opening Night. You can find our program for gamescom 2019 here.
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If you don’t have time to watch the stream at 8 PM, there’s no need to panic. We will report tonight in an article about everything Bungie reveals at the Opening Night.
Information on the migration to Steam
Here’s what it’s about:After the split from Activision, Bungie has been planning for a while to leave battle.net with Destiny 2 and switch to Steam.
Steam will only be the new home for Destiny 2 on PC starting October 1, 2019, but you should start taking action this week to ensure a smooth migration.
This is the date for Steam: The “Linking Process” starts on August 20. That’s tomorrow, Tuesday. You can then link your PC player accounts from Steam and Battle.net.
You have a good month to connect the accounts. However, we recommend doing so promptly to avoid missing the migration. Because after October 1, Destiny 2 will no longer be available on Blizzard’s Battle.net. If you want to continue your Guardian journey on PC, the migration is necessary.
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This is the date for Cross-Save: From August 21 – that’s Wednesday this week – Cross-Save will be possible.
Cross-Save refers to the ability to share a save file between different platforms on which you play Destiny 2.
If you play with your friends on PS4 but switch to PC later that evening, you will carry over your progress. With Cross-Save, it will be possible to unify your adventures across multiple platforms.
What should I consider? You need the game and the expansions on every platform you want to play Destiny 2 to be able to play everything everywhere.
An example: If you own the Forsaken expansion on Xbox One but not on PS4, you cannot access the Dreaming City on PS4 after transferring your Xbox Guardians with Cross-Save.
The same goes for powerful rewards. If you have a Guardian at 750 Power Level on your Xbox and switch to PS4 where you do not own Forsaken, the loot will be capped at Power Level 380.
Is there anything else exciting this week? Yes! Because we from MeinMMO will grab Scott Taylor, the Project Lead of Shadowkeep, as well as UX Director Orval Halldorsson, to talk with them about the fall expansion at gamescom.
This will take place on Wednesday, August 21, starting at 1:15 PM as part of our big live show “gamescom together”, which you can follow in the embedded Twitch stream above.
All information about gamescom together can be found here:
In GTA Online, a trend is emerging where small cars are catapulted into the air. This is done using the powerful rocket boost of other vehicles. The results are celebrated on Reddit.
What kind of stunts are these? In this type of stunt, players preferably take small cars and launch them high into the air. Since there is no huge catapult in GTA Online, they make do with the Vigilante.
This rocket boost is so powerful that it ruthlessly catapults innocent cars into the air. And players use this boost for outrageous stunts.
What the stunts look like
The flight with the mini vehicle: A post on Reddit is called “Extreme Sports” and quickly reaches over 9,000 upvotes. One player grabbed an airport vehicle from Los Santos and drove it to the pier.
At a staircase, a friendly player was already waiting in his Vigilante for the car. He parked it diagonally at the steps. With the airport vehicle, the driver backed up to the Vigilante, carefully chose his parking position, and was then launched. How it looked, player SomeBigWheels shared on Reddit.
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A player commented: “The first 20 seconds: What is this bullshit? The last 15 seconds: grin, nod in agreement, and click replay.”
Additionally, players praise the dedication the video creator had in driving the slow vehicle to the pier. A Cargobob for transportation was not utilized.
With the Smart up the mountain:Player ArkcadeDuck1 writes on Reddit that he and his brother spent 30 minutes getting the Smart up high on Mount Chiliad. And that was just to launch the car off the mountain afterward.
He needed 30 minutes for that because it was raining and the path was muddy. Here too, players comment that a Cargobob would have greatly simplified the process. Nevertheless, the video is well received.
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At a gameplay event for Borderlands 3, our author Leya had the chance to play FL4K for the first time. Afterwards, she conducted an interview with Paul Sage, the creative director of the loot shooter, who provided a lot of background information about the new pet class.
The background: At a gameplay event for Borderlands 3, various media representatives were allowed to play the character FL4K for the first time. He is an android and fights alongside his three pet companions. We at MeinMMO were present at this event and got to play FL4K for 5 hours.
After we played, there was also the opportunity to talk with the creative director of Borderlands 3. Paul Sage was primarily responsible for FL4K’s presence in the game and shared some insights about the gameplay and the character’s development.
MeinMMO:Hello Paul, we briefly talked before the event about how FL4K is largely your creation. Why is FL4K in the game now, and what makes him special?
Paul Sage: “There are two aspects that are important for FL4K and his creation in the game. Scott Kester is our art director, and he was eager to have a robot as a character. That’s the basis for the idea of FL4K. Scott created a concept drawing for him with his team. When we saw the drawings, everyone immediately agreed that we needed this character in the game.
The second aspect is that FL4K has pets. That was the idea I pushed forward because I strongly felt that we needed a class with pets. So not just one animal, but multiple animals.
The idea comes from older days. We have many Pokémon fans in the industry who love battling and raising pets. Even when I worked on Ultima Online, we had pets in the game. So we wanted animals in Borderlands 3 that you can name and that feel like your own.
During the development process, when we were working on FL4K’s skills, we wanted the animals to always be present. That was really difficult. So it was a large team effort to get FL4K into the game.
He should fulfill the need to have a “care class” in the game that takes care of its animals.”
FL4K is a robot who lovingly takes care of his three animals. People, however, are not quite as cool in FL4K’s eyes.
There are synergies between animals and certain skills
MeinMMO: When I was playing with FL4K, I noticed that the animals are represented in different talent trees. A pet also appears next to one of the three active action skills. Are the skills that appear next to the animals also a perfect match for the respective animal, or does it not matter how I mix them?
Note: For a better understanding, you can find the talent trees in the following article:
Paul Sage: “It is indeed the case that the animals complement well with the skills in their talent tree. This also applies to the action skill. However, early in the development process, we decided that the animals should function independently of the skills next to them.
We wanted to ensure that players who like a certain animal can play with it in different ways.
I’ll give you an example: we have our Gamma Burst skill. That is the ability to teleport an animal to a specific location, make it grow really large, deal more damage, and give it more health. The Gamma Burst was initially fixed with the Skag. You can still notice that because they are next to each other in the talent tree. But then we asked ourselves, why shouldn’t we also give our Spiderant and Jabber that [the action skill]?
At the top of the talent tree are the action skill and the animal next to it. The animals harmonize particularly well with the talent tree they are in. Nevertheless, they can be combined wildly.
As we delved deeper into the subject, we simply wanted more flexibility to allow for more strategic decisions. I think the animals and skills in a talent tree can complement each other well, especially the passive skills in the tree.
I also believe that we have succeeded in allowing players to mix the different skills with the animals as they wish. The Rakk Attack works great with the Jabber when it uses its weapon to shoot. The Spiderant actually belongs to the Rakk Attack, due to its ranged attack. So it works well with both to fight from a distance.”
The animals can be incapacitated and go down for a while. They will automatically return, but it takes time. You can revive them to have them back by your side faster.
FL4K is all about making decisions
MeinMMO: While playing, I thought it was particularly cool that the animals can also be incapacitated and we can revive them.
Paul Sage: Yes, with FL4K it is indeed a lot about making decisions. Your pet could be incapacitated in an area that is currently dangerous. Going to your pet to revive it could get you killed.
But if you don’t do it, you have to manage without the pet for about 2 minutes, making you weaker. So you have to decide whether you really want to be without the animal for that long.
MeinMMO: Exactly what you just said happened to me! My pet was down on the ground, right next to the boss enemy. I knew I would die if I ran to the pet to revive it. But I can’t stand it when the pet is down, so I of course went for it and naturally died immediately.
Paul Sage laughing: “Yes, we’re playing with your emotions!”
FL4K is really a crazy cat lady
MeinMMO:By the way, I was surprised by FL4K’s personality. He is so sarcastic and doesn’t like people at all, but is very loving and caring towards his pets. Why is that?
Paul Sage: “FL4K was meant to be a sarcastic character. Sarcasm is something we can all relate to. A sarcastic FL4K is funny for us because he shouldn’t be robotic.
FL4K is actually a bit like a cat lady. Do you know the term? It’s someone who has a lot of cats but doesn’t talk to people very often. I equate FL4K with that.
FL4K feels more connected to animals because they don’t disappoint you like humans sometimes do. I believe that is a safety net for FL4K. Yes, I think that’s the reason… FL4K has a trust in animals that he simply does not have in humans.”
More from the gameplay event: We have already published a few articles that arose from the gameplay event. In addition, there is a video about our first impressions that was created in cooperation with our colleagues at GameStar.
We asked you if you are attending gamescom this year. Here are your responses and opinions.
What was the survey about? gamescom 2019 is just around the corner, and once again, the fair in Cologne will be one of the largest gaming events of the year.
We wanted to know if you are attending GC this time or have little interest in visiting the fair. And you provided us with numerous responses.
Here’s how you voted: A total of 501 readers participated in the survey:
No, I used to go, but not this year
39.72%
No, I’ve never been and don’t want to go
25.15%
Yes, I have been several times
24.95%
Not sure yet
6.59%
Yes, going for the first time
3.59%
A large portion of you will not be attending this year, but still, nearly a third of the MeinMMO readers will be in Cologne.
“Sure, but only on the trade visitor day”
Here’s what you said: The numerous comments about the survey were this time a colorful mix of different opinions and reasons why you are going or not. Many of you would actually like to go to gamescom, but find it too crowded. As Artur B. wrote on Facebook.
No, way too crowded to see anything. Some booths have lines 50 km long.
Things are different on trade visitor days. Thanks to WildCards, on gamescom Tuesday, people who are not attending gamescom for work-related reasons can enter the fair a day earlier. These tickets are more expensive than regular admission and are highly limited. Accordingly, it is quieter and less busy on the trade visitor day at GC.
Of course, but only on the trade visitor day. It would be too crowded for me on the other days.
Daniel T. on Facebook
These comments are also reflected in the survey results, where over 60% of you voted “No.” Some of you still enjoy going to gamescom, even though they find the fair too crowded as well. Reader Andy Paetsch, for example, prepared thoroughly to endure the long queues:
I’ll be there from Tuesday to Friday with a buddy, bringing a chair, card games or something else, and long queues won’t be a problem. And since we are there for several days, we won’t have to stress. What we want to see, we’ll manage in the 4 days.
Even if it gets crowded, it’s a must-attend and I’m looking forward to it!
gamescom together with MeinMMO, Gamestar and GamePro
MeinMMO will also be present at gamescom 2019. Together with our Webedia colleagues, we will be streaming live from the fair for you and have put together a program of over 50 hours of talks and news.
You will be able to watch these talks on our streaming channels:
There is currently a dispute on Reddit between developers at Respawn and the community over Apex Legends. After Respawn apologized for the skins in loot boxes, fans are still angry – and one developer spoke out in a way that frustrated players. The developer referred to them as “Free-Loader,” similar to freeloaders or those looking for free handouts.
This is the conflict in short: If you missed the last few days in Apex Legends, here’s the latest:
For this event, there were new legendary skins that looked pretty cool and the players wanted them
One of the new skins from the event.
However, players could not directly purchase these cosmetic skins, but had to buy loot boxes (about €7 each) in hopes that the skin they wanted was inside
This led to a lot of anger – accusations were thrown at “EA” for pushing their loot box games
This was the conflict: After the apology, the discussions did not calm down but continued heatedly. The community blamed EA and felt pressured to spend money. The players reacted aggressively. They believed: We need to make a statement to prevent this in the future.
Attempts at explanations from the developers were partly dismissed as “bullshit”.
One developer, Respawn Project Lead, Drew McCoy, engaged with fans in a conflict overnight from Friday to Saturday, and it turned into a kind of flame war. He apparently lost his temper because he felt mistreated along with his team.
The developer’s comments were heavily downvoted and are now causing a stir.
These are the controversial comments
In a comment that has nearly 3000 downvotes, McCoy says (via reddit):
I’ve been in the business long enough to remember a time when players weren’t complete assholes, and that was really nice. Back then, I formed long-lasting connections with some. It would be cool if it could be like that again and we wouldn’t have to deal with toxic people […]
In a second comment (via reddit), which has now received 4059 downvotes, he says:
“Hey, guys. I found the dick I was talking about. I didn’t even read your comment except for the first and last sentences. This kind of crap doesn’t deserve a response, but luckily for you, I already wrote a comment about it earlier. Go find it.”
Most of you are freeloaders – and we love that
These are the comments about loot boxes: Critically viewed, there are also comments regarding loot boxes and microtransactions. Players criticize that the skins in Apex Legends are too expensive – yet the developer claims that discounts on prices do not lead to more sales. The data shows that.
They are “incredibly generous” at Apex Legends regarding the amount of free stuff. There is a price for every product, and they are in the neighborhood of other games.
The developer Drew McCoy calls for time and patience to prove that Respawn can do better.
He further states that people should vote with their wallets. Reddit and Twitter are bad places to really gather data.
They need to generate revenue at Apex Legends to keep the game running and to be able to build more things for the players. However, they always receive negative feedback when they release something that costs money. People want “free stuff.”
“There is a lot of data on how monetization works in free-to-play games, and we’ve done tests ourselves by offering skins as sales in the shop. The number of people spending money is incredibly low; most of you are freeloaders – and we love that – but a change in price doesn’t move the needle.”
The developer apparently feels unfairly treated by the fans
What else does he say? Besides the comments that upset players, there are numerous other comments in which the developer tries to explain his position.
He says: “You can yell at us when we do something stupid. […] Please give us the opportunity to make changes and do the right thing.”
They are “incredibly generous” at Apex Legends regarding the amount of free stuff. There is a price for every product, and they are in the neighborhood of other games.
The developer Drew McCoy calls for time and patience to prove that Respawn can do better.
He further states that people should vote with their wallets. Reddit and Twitter are bad places to really gather data.
They need to generate revenue at Apex Legends to keep the game running and to be able to build more things for the players. However, they always receive negative feedback when they release something that costs money. People want “free stuff.”
As Bungie showed in the last stream for Shadowkeep, players will soon be able to carry much more Glimmer in Destiny 2 than they can now. The cap will be 250,000 Glimmer. While some players are happy, others are skeptical.
What will be increased? Bungie showcased not only the new feature Armor 2.0 in the last live stream for Shadowkeep but also a small detail that will please some players. The Glimmer limit is significantly increased with the upcoming expansion.
While players already hit the limit with 100,000 Glimmer, the Glimmer cap will be raised to 250,000 with Shadowkeep.
This has players coming up with the strangest ideas to stockpile Glimmer for the expansion: The idea was expressed in the Destiny subreddit to pull the exotic Sparrow “The Other Side” from the collection.
This costs five legendary shards and 7,500 Glimmer and can be dismantled back into five shards and 5,000 Glimmer. Players want to hoard the Sparrow in the vault to build a currency cushion for Shadowkeep.
For some a great idea, for others complete nonsense: hoarding Sparrows to build a Glimmer stockpile for Shadowkeep
This is why players are happy: 100,000 Glimmer that players can currently carry sounds like a lot of “money” at first. However, Guardians often hit the limit faster than they want. Especially in longer activities, such as Raids or when out with a group in the Menagerie, the cap is quickly reached.
It is easy to forget to pay attention to the Glimmer limit or to regularly trade the currency with Spider in the Tangled Shore for resources. This is particularly significant for players who just had to level the Chalice from the Season of Opulence or purchase tributes in the Triumph Hall and were therefore always “short on cash” anyway. If one of these resource drains is removed, suddenly the pockets are full of Glimmer again.
That with Shadowkeep you no longer have to keep such a close eye on your currency is well received by the players. They have often wished that the limit would be raised.
This is why they are skeptical: The sudden significant increase in the Glimmer limit makes some Guardians not only rejoice but also skeptical. They fear that Bungie raised the Glimmer cap because with Shadowkeep a new activity will be introduced in which Guardians will have to invest all their resources again. Here, the Triumph Hall or the Chalice is mentioned as a comparison.
Furthermore, they fear that costs in the game will rise drastically if players can now carry more Glimmer.
It was also discussed that during the stream, it was shown that developers earn less Glimmer per kill now. If players received 10 Glimmer for taking out enemies, they were rewarded with only 2 Glimmer per kill during the live stream. However, it must be noted that the developers were playing on a private server, so this may not apply to the live servers.
Additionally, the increase in the limit may simply be related to the new feature Armor 2.0. Here, players can again invest tons of resources: bringing various armor pieces to the Masterwork level and equipping them with mods can consume a lot of Glimmer. The activation of a mod alone costs 500 Glimmer. It seems to be a wise decision by Bungie to raise the Glimmer limit from the start.
