The end of Season 17 in Diablo 3 is in sight. The start of Season 18 follows shortly after. Everything you need to know.
When does Season 17 end? In the forums of Diablo 3, Community Manager Nevalistis has now announced that S17 will end on Sunday, August 18, 2019. Here in Germany, it is supposed to be finished at 5:00 PM.
When does Season 18 start? The developers did not want to reveal an exact start date yet. It is said that they will announce the date when they release the preview for Season 18. And that is supposed to happen before the end of Season 17.
It is suspected that after the end of S17, there will be about a week to two weeks of pause before the new season begins.
Season 18 could start on August 23 or August 30.
This is happening in S18: The new chapter will start with Patch 2.6.6. And here Blizzard has come up with some changes to make the game interesting.
when players stay in this circle. The idea behind it is that the Season buff should be helpful for all players – no matter how far they have progressed in the current season.
Additionally, a new Legendary gem will come into play that has captivated players. With the “Legacy of Dreams” gem, players receive the buff from Legacy of Nightmares. Instead of wearing two rings, you can comfortably wear one gem. The Legacy of Dreams is likely to define Season 18.
In Destiny 2 , the Solstice of Heroes is currently in full swing, and many Guardians are chasing the corresponding event armor. If you want not only the armor itself but also a specific roll, you should keep a little something in mind – it might be worth it.
I have the armor – now what? Once you have earned the legendary set, you can further masterwork it and/or chase your personal desired roll. Because the armor has been brought up to Year 2 standards for the Solstice 2019 – it comes with corresponding mod slots and random rolls. With a bit of luck, you can not only look stylish but also align the armor functionally with your playstyle.
Here’s what you should consider while hunting for your desired roll: In order to hunt for different rolls on the Solstice armor, you first need to earn the legendary (majestic) armor set for the respective class.
Once you have done that, this armor will be added to the loot pool of the Solstice packages. Consequently, alongside rare and legendary gear, enhancement cores, and materials, legendary set pieces can now also drop from Solstice packages. You will receive these packages during the event.
Anyone wanting to pursue a specific desired roll should pay attention to the following:
First, refrain from opening Solstice packages.
Collect these packages and stash them until you have earned a majestic (legendary) set.
When you open them afterward, they can now contain random set pieces with random rolls.
By the time you have earned a legendary set, you should already have accumulated quite a few packages, if you haven’t opened them yet. This gives you a good additional chance to get your desired roll on the event armor pieces.
What makes the Solstice armor interesting: The cool thing is: the Solstice armor can roll with improved perks as one of the few legendary sets in the game. So you not only have the chance for a desired perk, but this can also be stronger than most of the other armor pieces in the game – another reason why opening the packages at the right time is worth it.
Here’s how you get the Solstice packages: You receive these packages from the chests at the end of the combat meditations in the European Air Zone (ELZ). You can open the chests with Solstice Key Fragments, which you receive by completing any activities during the Solstice of Heroes.
After the mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, the debate over violent video games has flared up again in the USA. Republican politicians see video games like Call of Duty as partially responsible. Fortnite is also being dragged into the debate.
In recent days, there have been two mass shootings in the USA:
A shooter killed 20 people and injured 26 others in a shopping center in El Paso, a border town with Mexico
In Dayton, Ohio, a man killed nine people and injured at least 27 others
Both atrocities occurred within 24 hours.
Video games dehumanize people
This is what the Republican group leader says: American politician Kevin McCarthy is the Republican group leader in the US House of Representatives. The Republicans are the more conservative of the two US parties. President Donald Trump is also a member of their party.
McCarthy says video games contribute to the dehumanization of people. For him, video games in which players shoot at others have always been a problem for future generations.
Looking at photos, one can find similar scenes in video games.
We have always had weapons – but video games are new
This is what Dan Patrick says: The Lieutenant Governor of Texas, Dan Patrick, expressed similar sentiments: He said that in the shooter’s manifesto, he talked about living out his super-soldier fantasy in Call of Duty. Patrick questions how long the video game industry will be allowed to continue and remain ignored. He sees the federal government primarily responsible.
According to Patrick, there have been studies that say video games influence people and others that say they do not.
But as a father and grandfather in his 60s, he asks himself: “What has changed in the country? We have always had weapons, there has always been evil, but what has changed since we have had so many mass shootings? And I see the video game industry teaching young people to kill.”
This is what a former FBI agent says: Maureen O’Connell used to work for the FBI. She speculated on FOX that the shooter surely spent 6 to 8 hours playing one of these shooters like Fortnite, where you do nothing but dehumanize people by shooting them in the head.
She sees “soft” parenting methods as part of the problem.
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How do well-known gamers respond? In the wake of the reporting, some well-known Twitch streamers, associated with games like Fortnite, spoke critically about the statements made by politicians and TV networks like Fox News.
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Ben “DrLupo” Lupo says: The only thing that dulls the majority of Americans against gun violence is the amount of gun violence. Video games did not cause him or anyone else to go out and shoot someone.
He calls for real change.
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The former caster of Call of Duty, Jack “CourRage” Dunlop, advocated for a change in gun laws in the USA. He will henceforth vote for the candidates who support the necessary change.
The Pokémon GO Festival in Japan is approaching and brings Shiny Quapsel with it. Additionally, all previous Hat Pikachu will be available.
What kind of event is this? After the GO Fests in Chicago and Dortmund have already taken place, Yokohama now follows. Just like at the other events, there will be a new Shiny here as well.
However, the Japanese event brings another bonus. Since the Pikachu Outbreak is taking place in Japan simultaneously, all previous Hat Pikachu will also be catchable worldwide.
All about Shiny Quapsel and the Hat Pikachu
When is the event? According to the Twitter announcements, the Pokémon will come at different times:
The Hat Pikachu will be available from August 6 at 3 AM until August 12 at 10 AM
Shiny Quapsel will be available from August 6 at 3 PM and will likely remain until the end of the GO Fest, which is also August 12 at 10 AM
What do we know about Shiny Quapsel? If the introduction goes as it did for Shiny Seeper and Shiny Nidoran, it should also be found somewhat more frequently in the wild. At least as long as the event lasts.
The Shiny family of Quapsel
Shiny Quapsel is significantly brighter than the normal one, and you will recognize it at the latest during its final evolution.
With this image, Niantic introduces the Hat Pikachu
Some of these Pikachu were also available as Shiny. It remains to be seen whether all these Pikachu will now be available as Shiny due to the event.
Another Shiny could come: Some players speculate that Shiny Hoppspross could also make an appearance. It can be seen in the announcement image for the GO Fest and is otherwise not very useful. A Shiny version would definitely make sense. However, this is not confirmed.
How such an event works: In line with Quapsel, there will likely be other Pokémon that will appear more frequently. This was already the case during the events in Dortmund and Chicago.
In addition to the GO Fest, there is also an event with gifts and a new Shiny starting today:
The last season of Hearthstone was extremely unpopular. The blame was on a new format, which Blizzard immediately buried again.
In the previous season of Hearthstone, there was a lot of criticism directed at Blizzard. A new tournament format had ensured that the matches became boring and especially the viewers experienced little variety.
That is why the “Grandmasters” tour has now decided not to play the “Specialists” format in the next season, but to return to “Conquest,” while bringing some improvements.
Players were only allowed to play one class – fans found it boring
What was the Specialists format? In the Specialists format, players were only allowed to play one class. One deck was then chosen as their “main deck,” and the other two decks had to belong to the same class. Only a handful of cards were allowed to differ, leading to many variations of the same deck being seen.
For many viewers, this was boring, as the adjustments to the decks were often minimal and the same strategy was often seen repeatedly.
Dozens of Control Warriors – exciting is something else.
What changes with the Conquest format? In the Conquest format, players must now bring 4 decks, all from different classes. Each player can then “protect” one deck. This deck cannot be selected to be removed by the opponent.
After both players have protected a deck, the opponent selects one of the remaining three decks that cannot participate. With the three decks that each player still has, they play until one player has won two matches. That player is the winner of the match.
Grandmasters is set to become more dynamic: For 2020, Blizzard announced that the spots in the Grandmasters tournament will be more freely accessible. Currently, it is the case that the professionals in the tournament can hardly lose their position. Only two of the 48 professionals can drop down, allowing newcomers to rise. This was considered extremely elitist and static. In the future, they want to increase this number but have not provided any specific details yet.
Do you think the changes to the eSport of Hearthstone are good? Or did you like the Specialists format?
Fortnite: Battle Royale has been around for a while and various curious facts have accumulated. Only true Fortnite experts know them. Are you one of them? Then prove it in our quiz about Fortnite!
The 10th season of Fortnite has started, bringing drastic map changes and even heavy mechs that will change the battle. But what has happened before?
Do you really know all the details and secrets of Epic’s colorful battle royale game? Our quiz includes a range of questions that should challenge even hardened Fortnite connoisseurs.
This is how the quiz works
You start the quiz by jumping right in the embedded window. Select what you think is the correct answer and then click “Continue”. A total of 15 questions await you, each with four answer options.
If your answer was correct, you move on and earn a point. An incorrect answer will also take you further, but without points. In any case, an explanation for the answer will be displayed.
If you access the post from your smartphone via Google, you need to reload the page via the link for the quiz to appear.
Dieses Quiz ist geschlossen.
The quiz is not sorted by difficulty; we have mixed the questions randomly. In the end, the quiz categorizes you into one of five categories based on your points for correct answers. Have fun guessing and pondering!
Feel free to let us know in the comments afterwards whether you liked the questions and how many you were able to answer correctly!
The “High Moon Studios” were assigned in 2015 by Activision Blizzard as a support studio to Bungie’s partners to work on Destiny and Destiny 2. Now, it is known what they are doing after separating from Activision Blizzard and Bungie: They are assisting with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.
What kind of studio is this? The “High Moon Studios” were formerly known as “Sammy Studios” and were founded in Carlsbad, California.
They are known for their work on the Transformers games between 2010 and 2012. Those were still released under their own name.
Shortly thereafter, High Moon Studios officially announced that they are working on Destiny with their 100 employees.
Thus, the studio later announced its collaboration on Destiny.
The celebrated campaign made by Forsaken
What was strange about Destiny: Even though High Moon Studios was recruited in 2015 as a support studio for Bungie, their actual work was consciously recognized in public only really in 2018.
After the end of the partnership, Activision laid off some employees
The idea behind it was: Activision Blizzard wanted to solve Bungie’s content problem with the “High Moon Studio”. Because they could not produce content for Destiny as fast as the fans were consuming it. Bungie had about 700 employees, but that was still not enough.
What are they doing now? As it has now been revealed, Activision Blizzard has found a new use for the studio. They are assisting Infinity Ward in the development of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Along with Beenox and Raven Software, High Moon Studios are also involved in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. They are supposed to provide overall support there.
The studio has experience with Call of Duty. In 2014, they developed the “Xbox 360” and “PS3” versions for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare.
In Pokémon GO Stolloss is not really a good choice in battles. However, two trainers are proving that the Pokémon is quite strong against Rayquaza.
What did the two players achieve? They defeated the current raid boss Rayquaza in a duo using only Stolloss. While Rayquaza is easy to defeat with two, it’s quite difficult to do so with Stolloss. The Pokémon’s stats are just too poor.
Nevertheless, Stolloss shines here, as one can exploit Rayquaza’s weakness and finally use the Pokémon effectively.
On Reddit, the trainers are being celebrated for this action. After all, Stolloss is generally hated, but here you can see that it can do something after all.
2 Stolloss teams can actually defeat a Rayquaza
How to defeat Rayquaza using only Stolloss
Why is Stolloss so bad and hated? The Steel and Rock-type Pokémon is mostly despised by competitive players. It is suggested in almost every raid, even though it is simply bad.
The stats of Stolloss make it quite useless. It is not a good attacker and not even good as a defender.
This is what two players are showing now: The well-known trainer “kiengiv” has previously achieved spectacular duos. Now he shows with his teammate “SparklTangerine” that a team of 6 Stolloss is sufficient against Rayquaza:
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How is this possible? In the last change of moves, Niantic finally gave Stolloss a Rock-type quick move. It now has the move set Rock Throw and Stone Edge.
Additionally, Stolloss’s endurance is an advantage. Each trainer lost just 4 Stolloss and did not have to revive any Pokémon. This saves a lot of time.
Finally, the two trainers also benefit from weather bonuses. Stolloss is therefore stronger than usual. That’s the only way to succeed.
Despite the video, you should not use Stolloss in any raid
Is Stolloss a good counter? Even though the two players showed here that Stolloss is not so bad, it remains no top counter.
They are fighting here with 6 Stolloss at the highest level. You would need to invest a lot of dust to build such a team. So it is better to stick with Mamutel, Snibunna, and Glaziola against Rayquaza. This way you can defeat the legendary Pokémon much easier.
Have you heard about the new gift event in Pokémon GO?
The players are celebrating the release of a very specific item in GTA 5 Online at the casino shop. It is a yellow dog statue: Yellow Dog with Cone.
What is special about the statue? With the announcement of the casino in GTA Online, a shop page also went online. It showcased the new items for the penthouse and exclusive outfits that players can earn in the casino.
Below was the “Yellow Dog with Cone” statue. It is an abstract imitation of a sitting dog wearing a cone collar. And apparently, this dog has charmed the GTA 5 community. Because when the casino went online and the dog was missing from the shop, the disappointment was great.
In several Reddit threads and on social media, such as Twitter, players are asking where the dog statue has gone. To emphasize their demands, fans of the yellow dog even created their own subreddit .
How does the community react? But now, a week later, this significant flaw in the casino shop has finally been fixed. For a mere 41,500 chips, you can finally call this masterpiece your own.
The arrival of the dog statue was celebrated on Reddit and social media with several posts and threads. Under the announcement tweet there were numerous comments stating that they have now bought the dog. Players also posted screenshots of themselves and their dog statues.
If you want to get the yellow dog statue for your own penthouse, you need to hurry. One cannot predict when the item will be available again once the content of the shop has changed.
Why is the dog so popular? Players are sure to have various reasons for their enthusiasm. For some, the dog statue in GTA 5 Online may be understood as an “ironical comment” on modern artworks in the real world, of which no one knows why exactly they are art, but people place them in their luxury apartments for an unbelievable amount of money.
And in GTA Online, wealthy players can now also be such eccentric art collectors.
In Destiny 2 , first images of the new Shadowkeep armor and new weapons have been released. Warlocks need to be strong now.
Where do the images come from? Both Bungie and the official Destiny 2 page on Steam have recently released fresh images of the upcoming Shadowkeep expansion. For the first time, new armor pieces and weapons can be seen that you can obtain in “Season of the Shadows.”
On the left, you see the Titan in new armor. This is reminiscent of an astronaut suit. In his hand, he presumably holds a shotgun.
In the middle stands the Hunter in new attire with a sidearm.
On the right, the Warlock shows his new armor. On his back, he carries a sword, and in his hand, he presumably has a scout or automatic rifle.
What do Guardians say about this armor? Many players are laughing and crying about this Shadowkeep armor on Reddit. There is no doubt that this is the “Moon Set,” but from a design perspective, Bungie hasn’t done anything particularly great.
“I’m not sure how well a spacesuit from the 1970s holds up against blaster fire, void rays, and arc projectiles,” jokes one Guardian.
Another says Bungie definitely needs to change the armor designers.
“They look terrible” or “Thanks, I hate it” is also being read.
Overall, most Guardians find these armor pieces funny or just ugly and unworthy of a Guardian. Especially the Warlock helm is being ridiculed:
What do Guardians say about the Warlock helmet:
“Did the Warlock just shoot a bird and decide to wear its body on his face?”, asks one. Because around the helmet is a feathered, strangely designed mask.
One mentions that the mask looks like the Warlock landed directly in front of a pigeon while teleporting, which is now squished on his helmet.
And one Guardian writes: “As a Warlock, I personally feel harassed.”
Another user sums it up this way:
Titan: “I am an astronaut!”
Hunter: “I am a creepy guy!”
Warlock: “Hey guys, look what I found at the flea market!”
More new images of Shadowkeep:
Titan and Warlock in new armor
The Hive lurks on the Moon
Guardian on the way to the Citadel, where danger lurks
Guardian with sword battling the Hive
Guardian with the Citadel in the background
Overview of the Moon
Destiny 2 Shadowkeep takes the Guardians back to the Moon. There you must help Eris Morn fend off new dangers. All info about Shadowkeep can be found here:
In Red Dead Online, 3 new roles are set to be introduced this summer. For many animal lovers, one of the jobs fulfills a long-held wish: a dog is coming.
What is this highlight? Those who have closely examined the announcement of the 3 jobs will have seen that pets will soon be available in the online mode of Red Dead Redemption 2.
So, the trader is supposed to get a loyal companion who will warn of impending attacks on the camp. Fans are already excited because pets have been long desired.
How excited players are about dogs in Red Dead Online
What do players say? In the Subreddit of Red Dead Online, the announcement of the 3 jobs was celebrated with many upvotes. However, the top comments were mostly about the joy over the trader’s loyal companion.
The trader will also have a dog
So, one user writes ProbablyFear: “The most important new feature: DOGS!” and receives a lot of support.
Another user responds: “Oh my god, did they listen to my suggestion? I mean, other players must have suggested it too, but this is just great.”
What do players wish for? From the brief announcement that traders will have dogs, there wasn’t much information.
Players currently hope that the dog will accompany them in the open world and not just wait for them at the camp.
Pets have long been desired in Red Dead Online
Additionally, much speculation is already taking place about the possible dog breeds. Fans have various wishes for which dog breed should appear in Red Dead Online.
There are already many Reddit threads where players are looking for suggestions for dog names. They want to give their loyal companion a really cool name. The anticipation for this feature is apparently high.
What do you think about dogs in Red Dead Online? Are you excited about the furry companion?
Guild Wars 2 is a successful game, but not everyone can warm up to the MMORPG. The game targets specific demographics. In this article, we will reveal which player types should definitely give the game a chance.
The reasons why players dislike Guild Wars 2 are varied. Some find the content not challenging enough and feel that new raids come too infrequently. Others miss the ever-increasing gear level and therefore have no long-term goals.
But those who don’t see a problem with these two points are exactly in the target group of the MMORPG.
Casual Players
The casual player doesn’t need overly heavy content in 2019, but is satisfied that he can experience the current story and the latest content alone or with his best (in-game) friends.
That’s why GW2 is suitable for casual players: ArenaNet pays great attention to ensuring that all story content is playable solo. Even fights against nasty final bosses and huge dragons forgive mistakes and allow for a respawn after death without resetting the battle.
As early as 2014, the developers removed penalties such as repair costs for broken armor from the game. With the accompanying patch, the entry into the game was also simplified, and many new explanations were added.
All open world content can also be completed in spontaneously formed groups. The huge world events with 50+ players ensure that you feel like you are defeating a really tough boss. However, ideally, you don’t have to organize anything and don’t need to know any of your teammates to experience these epic fights.
Players with Limited Time
MMORPGs and family life don’t always fit together. However, Guild Wars 2 eliminates many hurdles for exactly these players.
That’s why GW2 is suitable for players with little time: In November 2012, the “Ascended” gear level was introduced. It has since been the highest level, and anyone who crafted armor in 2012 still has the best stats today.
ArenaNet thus avoids regular grinding for the best gear. The two expansions, Heart of Thorns and Path of Fire, have not changed anything about that.
The only hurdle that players with little time mostly have to overcome is logging in once every 2-4 months. This unlocks the current episode of the Living World and eliminates the need to purchase it later with gems.
Otherwise, you can also take a break for several weeks or months.
Players of Multiple MMORPGs
Those who play several MMORPGs at once usually have not only a problem with time but also with costs. Regular expansions and subscriptions are not uncommon in this genre.
That’s why GW2 is suitable for players with multiple MMOs: Guild Wars 2 has no monthly costs and has released only two expansions over a period of 7 years, with a total price of 75 euros at launch. Currently, both packages together cost only 49.99 euros.
Even if you miss Living World episodes in between, you can purchase them for in-game currency. Even if you only want to log into Guild Wars 2 occasionally, you don’t have to worry about costs.
The difficulty with Guild Wars 2 actually lies in sometimes missing the carrot in front of your nose. You have to set your own goals, but not everyone finds that easy.
That’s why GW2 is suitable for self-sufficient players: If you want to let your creativity flow, you can especially let loose in the “fashion” area in Guild Wars 2. There are many different armors that can be combined with each other and dyed to your liking.
The wardrobe system makes it possible to restyle characters in seconds while also providing access to all armors and weapons you have ever unlocked.
In addition, special skins are waiting at the end in legendary armors and weapons. Some of these even have special animations or can be combined with colorful infusions that provide additional effects.
If you’re not into fashion, you can lead a guild and decorate the guild hall as you like, chase achievements, help other players, or level up new characters.
With all the love for personal goals, we still have to say that Guild Wars 2 is a theme park MMO. In the end, there are certainly limits here that don’t necessarily exist in sandbox games.
Story Fanatics
Story fanatics love the story and absorb every detail. The developers of Guild Wars 2, on the other hand, love to work in great detail.
That’s why GW2 is suitable for story fanatics: While the core story of the game is quite simple and linear to follow, real fanatics should take a look to the left and right.
The developers often hide details in dialogues or tell tragic stories about characters found only on the outskirts of a map. In the new episode “Everything or Nothing“, for example, there is an NPC who wants us to fetch him ammunition supplies.
Only in later dialogues do we learn that his friends have been corrupted by the dragon. They repeatedly attack innocents who come to the village. He has made it his life’s mission to shoot his friends repeatedly to keep them in check.
If you want to earn easy gold in Guild Wars 2, we reveal all the tricks here:
In the shooter The Division 2, players have been discovering clues about strange yellow rubber ducks that somehow look suspicious since the release. What’s behind this? And what does Massive itself say about it?
What does The Division 2 have to do with ducks? It seems to be a running gag in The Division 2. Yellow rubber ducks are scattered throughout the game world, found in strange locations.
The ducks are often conspicuously arranged, as if they are hiding or have done something wrong.
A player found two ducks sitting in a heart and kissing.
Particularly striking is a top duck sitting in front of a pile of bottom ducks with the graffiti “ProDUCKtive” in the background – the English word for “productive.”
Even in a devastated city, people are having fun
What’s up with that? An employee from Massive has now commented on reddit and said that it’s an insider joke among the developers. They did it just for fun.
There are situations in the game where players find a corpse and a rubber duck nearby that looks quite guilty.
One of the developers wrote in a Dev Blog post: “A fun thing we came up with was to place ducks everywhere. You can see them in the beta and it became a big deal for the fans.”
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From a game logic perspective, it makes sense not to take everything so seriously. The environment developers ensure that these little gags are not forced upon players, but that the world feels believable and coherent.
Environment artist Sonja Christoph said: “One must remember that there are still people living in this world. They are rebuilding this devastated city. I do believe that they would at least try to have a little fun doing so.”
From the developers’ perspective, the inhabitants of Washington D.C. are thus arranging the ducks in the game world to enjoy themselves.
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Are players reacting? There is a dedicated Twitter channel for The Division 2, Division 2 Duck Hunt, which is solely focused on finding pictures of rubber ducks in The Division 2. However, it’s been a bit quiet since April.
Nevertheless, players continue to rediscover the ducks of The Division 2 and will chuckle and wonder about them.
In Fortnite, a new location could soon emerge. Dataminers have found hints of a Western town named “Tilted Town.” This could be the successor to the former hotspot “Tilted Towers.”
What indicates the new town? Already in the Season X trailer, the narrator revealed that the world today may not be the same as the world of tomorrow in Fortnite. Season 10 could thus bring significant map changes.
Now, dataminers have found new details in the Patch 10.00. There were hints of a new town that is to be built at the site of Neo Tilted.
Is the Wild West Coming to Fortnite Soon?
What have the dataminers found? The leaker “FortTory” shares various pictures of houses in a Western style on his Twitter account. He also found some files named “Western_Enter.”
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The dataminer shows the changes to the map, indicating how the view of the new town will be. There is not much left of the modern Neo Tilted.
FortTory also shares a video that is supposed to give a first glimpse of the new town. While the buildings from Neo Tilted are still standing, the rest already looks changed:
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Moreover, the Wild West fits the theme of time travel that Fortnite is currently exploring. For example, Dusty Depot reappeared, which has not been in the game since Season 4. Another time travel could turn Neo Tilted into Tilted Town.
Is this confirmed? So far, there are only leaks about it. Epic itself has not said anything yet. Therefore, this information should be taken with caution for now, as Epic may not include anything in the game.
What do you think? Would a Western theme fit into Fortnite?
In the MMORPG EVE Online, chaos breaks out, and that is exactly what CCP’s CEO, Hilmar Pétursson, wants. He warns players: Get ready for the impact. According to the CEO, EVE Online had more players in July 2019 than in the last 5 years.
What’s happening in EVE Online? For years, EVE Online existed in constant conflicts. These were initiated by the players: Huge alliances of thousands of pilots formed and fought against each other. There were major intrigues, wars, betrayal, lies, espionage, and dramas.
But that came from the players. The game universe itself was relatively stable and predictable.
This has changed in recent weeks. Now CCP is actively intervening in the MMORPG:
At the same time, developer CCP has not communicated some of the changes and simply let them happen – some players even declared war on CCP as a result. CCP responded by making the NPCs even more aggressive.
The CEO of CCP, Hilmar Veigar Pétursson.
CEO of EVE says: We do not want this so-called order
This is what the CEO says: The CEO of CCP Games recently discussed the changes in a podcast (via talkingstations).
He says: “Over time, the chaos in EVE Online has slowly moved towards order and reached a common denominator of how things should be.”
But this so-called order is not something he and his team wish for EVE Online.
The goal is to mix things up with more experiments in the coming months.
What’s next? Pétursson has declared this time of chaos and tells players they should prepare for the impact.
Next, CCP plans a massive intervention in the game’s economy (via devblog). A tax increase is coming to the MMORPG EVE Online. It is mainly aimed at NPC-controlled space stations, thereby strengthening the player-run markets.
Players are willing to pay taxes for the defense of EVE Online, right?
Additionally, there are hints that CCP is questioning “Asset Security,” the security of items.
Currently, if a space station is destroyed, a player can, under special circumstances, retrieve the items they would otherwise lose.
As Kotaku reports, the lead community developer has stated for years that he opposes this system. This is not something that should exist in EVE Online. Pétursson now states that Asset Security is something that could be removed from the game to increase the factors of “chaos” and “risk” in EVE Online.
EVE Online had more players in July 2019 than in the last 5 years
Has this been successful? The reactions to this era of chaos and change are mixed. Some are happy about the variety; others criticize the new form of EVE Online.
According to the CEO, the strategy has been successful. July 2019 would have been the strongest month with the most active players in 5 years.
About a year ago, CCP was bought by a Korean studio. It is quite possible that the revival of EVE Online and the “new more radical perspective” are related to this.
At the gaming expo ChinaJoy, a visitor destroyed a PS4 console in protest. He expressed his displeasure with the new game Genshin Impact.
What happened at the ChinaJoy expo? At the ChinaJoy expo in Shanghai, developer miHoYo announced a PS4 version of its new game Genshin Impact. Sony is handling the port and promotion of the title.
The third-person action game has faced a lot of criticism since its initial announcement at E3 2019 for PC and mobile devices. Many of the gameplay elements and the graphic style are strongly reminiscent of the popular Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Why did the fan destroy the console? One of the fans of Breath of the Wild was particularly outraged by the “shameless copy.” The expo visitor stood in front of the Genshin Impact booth, took a PS4 console out of his backpack, and smashed it on the ground in front of everyone.
He believes it is shameless of Sony to bring a game to the PS4 that so brazenly copies Breath of the Wild. And he is not alone in his opinion.
On the Chinese social media platform Weibo, the post about the PS4 port of Genshin Impact has received many angry and insulting comments towards Sony and developer miHoYo.
What is Genshin Impact? Genshin Impact is a third-person action game that sends you on adventures in an open world. You have a selection of several different characters, each with their own abilities and strengths.
During the announcement at E3 2019, the developers stated that Genshin Impact was inspired by Breath of the Wild. You can watch a trailer here and judge for yourself whether it looks like a “clone” or not:
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Battle Royale has always been a topic of speculation in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Now a developer provides some insight: while aiming for 100 players, Infinity Ward is currently evading questions about Battle Royale.
Blackout, the Battle Royale mode from Call of Duty, has many fans in Black Ops 4. Even more fans wish to see the mode in the new Modern Warfare.
In an interview with IGN, Joe Cecot, Multiplayer Design Director of Infinity Ward, talked about this mode and reveals why Battle Royale is not currently a topic for Modern Warfare.
No Battle Royale for Modern Warfare?
What does the developer say? Cecot stated in the interview that Modern Warfare is meant to be authentic.
He believes that they have focused mainly on the core principle of Modern Warfare. They want to keep Modern Warfare pure.
Developers don’t commit, want to talk about other things
So is there no Battle Royale? Here Infinity Ward leaves a backdoor open. Cecot says: “We are big fans of Battle Royale. We are excited about the huge player counts and other things that Battle Royale offers, but currently we are focusing on the pure multiplayer.”
That’s why Battle Royale would fit: As Infinity Ward has already announced, they are working on matches with up to 100 players. While only 20 against 20 will compete at release, larger matches are planned for the future, according to the developers.
Battle Royale would definitely fit if they manage to engage 100 players simultaneously in a game. Nevertheless, Geoff Smith, Design Director at Infinity Ward, emphasized that these player numbers are not intended for Battle Royale but for other modes.
It remains to be seen whether Battle Royale will find its way to Modern Warfare. However, Infinity Ward has not completely ruled it out.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare will be released on October 25, 2019, for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. It is likely that Activision will hold back some revelations until then.
What do you think? Could Battle Royale still play a role in Modern Warfare?
Even before FIFA 20 is released, there are several ways to play the game in advance. Here we show you what options are available. The earliest way is with EA Access, an early access variant by EA for FIFA 20.
When is FIFA 20 released? On September 27, 2019, FIFA 20 will be released for Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
Early Access for FIFA 20 before the release
EA Access: With a paid EA Access membership, you have the opportunity to play FIFA 20 a full 8 days before the official release. You can start on September 19. However, there is a catch; your gameplay time in these 8 days is limited to just 10 hours. Still, it is a good opportunity to gain a small advantage in Ultimate Team and test the game a few rounds.
Origin Access: PC players also have the opportunity to download and play FIFA 20 starting September 19. And here, too, there is a limitation to 10 hours of gameplay for Origin Access Basic members. However, those who have an EA Access Premier membership can use the game unlimited and without restriction starting from September 19, 2019.
Special Editions: You can get full, unlimited access to FIFA 20 with the FIFA 20 Special Editions already 3 days before the release. You can start on September 24, 2019.
These editions will provide early access on September 24:
FIFA 20 Champions Edition
FIFA 20 Ultimate Early Edition
Many players are excited about the new gameplay
This could be included in the demo: In addition to regular matches in FIFA 20, a test version of the new VOLTA mode would likely be the biggest wish of many FIFA fans for the FIFA 20 demo.
A serious problem occurred in the economy of the shooter Team Fortress 2. A player now claims that the Steam operator Valve made a lot of money from the Steam marketplace. Valve, meanwhile, presents the solution to the problem – but many find it too “exploit-friendly.”
These hats are otherwise very rare. The cosmetic items are traded on the Steam marketplace and are actually valuable.
This was one of the hats in question.
Because the supply of the otherwise rare hats increased:
there was suddenly a price explosion for loot boxes, the crates.
the price for the rare hats, however, fell sharply.
much more people logged into Team Fortress 2
there was increased activity on the Steam marketplace.
Player numbers in Team Fortress 2 exploded briefly on Steam.
Accusation: Valve profited from the exploit
This is the accusation of a player: On reddit a player says that according to his calculations, the Steam operator Valve made a profit of over $30,000 from the market crash alone from crates 82 and 85.
When all is added up, Valve might have made over $67,000 in profit from its mistake in Team Fortress 2. This is due to the fee that Valve takes from each transaction on the Steam marketplace.
The user then precisely details how much money the various loot boxes and keys were sold for and what Valve’s share was each time.
Others say: Reset would be too complicated
This is what’s behind it: The implied accusation behind the calculation is that Valve will not simply reverse everything that happened on the marketplace on July 25. Because Valve profits from it and would otherwise have to refund the money.
This “reroll” has been demanded by many in the community. But quickly skeptics said: “Valve will not reset the trade.”
But the skeptics believed it was not because Valve made money from this, but simply because it would be too complicated.
A reaction on Reddit: If you find a glitch, exploit it. We will forgive and reward you. Source: Reddit
Valve leaves trade as is – but offers “refunds”
This is how Valve now responds: Valve had briefly suspended trading a week ago and marked the items from the crates as “non-tradable”.
On Friday, Valve now presented the solution to the problem (via teamfortress.com):
The first “unusual hat” that players bought on the market on July 25 will be tradable retroactively and will become a normal item
All other hats will remain non-tradable
Anyone who deleted a hat from these buggy loot boxes out of fear of a ban will receive that hat back
Anyone who wishes can trade these non-tradable hats and receive a refund for each hat, each crate, and each key they purchased on the marketplace
Another reaction on reddit to the exploit and Valve’s handling of it.
Players find: The honest one is now the dumb one
This is how it is seen: Valve’s current solution is viewed critically in the Team Fortress 2 community. They had warned against exploiting it. Many players expected that Valve would reverse all trades on that day and that the exploiters would look foolish.
Now, people believe that those who exploited it ultimately benefit. And the “honest” players who did nothing are the suckers.
Many Guardians are currently frustrated with the ELZ in Destiny 2. The task can be completed fastest if one leaves early.
The problem in the ELZ: The ELZ, the European Air Zone, is a new activity that was introduced with the Solstice of Heroes. In it, players must defeat mini-bosses, then take down a boss, and subsequently collect chests.
However, many Guardians currently complain about a poor gaming experience in the ELZ. Numerous Guardians simply leave after defeating the mini-bosses. This leaves one quite lonely and at a disadvantage when they must solo the boss. It’s not fun for anyone.
This is why Guardians leave early: Bungie has set the task of killing 100 mini-bosses in the ELZ to obtain the Renewed Solstice Armor. In a normal ELZ run, one can accomplish about 5 to 7 mini-bosses, which means a lot of runs are needed. This can be quite the grind, which many Guardians shortcut by leaving the ELZ match immediately after the mini-boss phase and starting new ones.
Since the ELZ is an activity with random player search, countless Guardians are currently being left behind in the fight against the final boss.
Guardians Demand a Revision
This is how players are reacting: The topic is currently heating up on Reddit. Many players have already completed the first stage of the Solstice Armor and are now working on acquiring the legendary armor, for which they need the 100 mini-bosses.
A user accuses Bungie of having completely messed up this task. The task has ruined the ELZ entirely, and it needs urgent adjustment. This complaint has already received over 11,000 upvotes on Reddit, making it the absolute top topic right now.
However, Guardians already have improvement suggestions ready:
The final boss kill should count as 5 mini-boss kills. This way, Guardians wouldn’t leave the match early.
Bungie should reduce the 100 mini-bosses to 50 mini-bosses. Because for the Renewed Solstice Armor, you also need to loot 50 ELZ chests. The chests are available at the end of an ELZ match. If Bungie had set the number of mini-bosses equal to the number of chests, this problem would be solved.
Or there should be time penalties for Guardians who leave ELZ matches early.
It takes time to upgrade this armor
ELZ Has Been Praised So Far
This development is unfortunate: So far, the ELZ has actually been praised all around. The “verticality” of this zone – meaning that players can climb up all buildings, have little restrictions on exploration, and can move around freely – was celebrated.
Some Guardians therefore suggested keeping the ELZ permanently in the game. The fact that the gaming experience has become so poor is therefore especially frustrating.
Whether Bungie can still implement adjustments in time remains to be seen. After all, the Solstice of Heroes ends on August 27th – and no update is planned before then.
