Marvel’s Avengers has MMO elements, like a cooperative mode, but in many ways, it is more of a classic single-player game. The developers now explain the reasons for their design decisions against an open world and multiplayer campaign.
This is how the campaign of Marvel’s Avengers works: In an interview with the site IGN, the developers from Crystal Dynamics discussed the gameplay of the story campaign of the upcoming Marvel’s Avengers.
Contrary to initial assumptions, it is supposed to be a purely solo affair. You play as different Avengers in various story sequences, each one at the center of the action.
The narrative patterns and structures are intended to flow like in games such as Shadow of the Tomb Raider, which is also developed by Crystal Dynamics.
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There will be heavily scripted scenes that hardly work in multiplayer. Thus, to ensure optimal suspense and atmosphere, these are purely solo missions.
That’s why there’s no open world: According to the developers, this narrative structure and the Avengers theme work best when there are multiple locations.
The Avengers, after all, do not stay in one place like Spider-Man all the time. Instead, they travel around the world (and beyond) to tackle the numerous threats to humanity.
This, in turn, is hard to reconcile with an openly accessible world. Therefore, there are individual, self-contained scenarios that you will visit and play through in the missions.
Multiplayer Co-op for Side Missions
This is how it goes in co-op: The co-op mode of Marvel’s Avengers, where you can play with four different heroes together, will definitely not be part of the main story.
Instead, the co-op mode is reserved for side missions. You unlock them during the main campaign and can then play them with your friends as you wish.
Those who prefer can also tackle the co-op missions solo, even though they are fundamentally designed for 4 players.
This is how fans are reacting: Many players from the community view the solo-only campaign skeptically. Among the comments under the article on IGN were the following:
“Avengers, assemble! But only in side missions, please!”
“A game about a team that you can’t play as a team, what a terrible decision!”
“So multiplayer will be a lame wave defense mode or something … why should one even play that? Oh, to show off their cool microtransaction skins to their friends!”
Other players defend the design decisions, as it ensures that the story will be better:
“The game should never be a multiplayer game. It is designed as a proper single-player experience.”
“I really like this. At least we know that the main story is well structured and scripts each hero into the scene while you can experiment more in multiplayer during side missions.”
What do you think of the developers’ design decision?
In Rainbow Six Siege, it is about the collaboration of your own team against enemy players. What happens when a single player controls all the operators of a team? This is what the streamer Basically Homeless wanted to find out and set up an impressive setup to play five accounts simultaneously.
What was the idea? The streamer Basically Homeless is a very good Rainbow Six Siege player and had the idea to play all the operators of his own team – that is, to take control of five characters. To do this, he set up five PCs, each with its own copy of the game and account, as well as six monitors.
He used only one mouse and one keyboard. Through a switch, he was able to switch to all accounts to guide them through the game. A macro prevented his accounts from being kicked out of the game due to inactivity.
In his video, Homeless explains that even the five PCs led to difficulties: He could not provide power to all PCs in one room, as otherwise the fuses would have blown. So he ran extension cords throughout the house to operate the PCs from different outlets.
Here is the streamer Basically Homeless between his various accounts.
In the game, Homeless uses his other accounts as a kind of respawn: He controls one character and switches to the next when his current operator is eliminated. In doing so, he gains valuable information for his next attack, as he already knows where the enemies are entrenched.
How far does he get with the setup? After ensuring the basics, Homeless ventured into the casual mode. After he cleaned up with his five-stack there, the streamer took it a step further and tried his hand at ranked play.
Even there, he was able to perform quite well. In between, one of his accounts was banned, so Homeless continued playing with a random teammate. This teammate could hardly believe who he was playing with and that the streamer was actually using four accounts.
Together with his random teammate, Homeless made it to round 9. The matches were all quite close and exciting, as he proves in his video:
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What does the community say? Basically Homeless is something of a legend in the Rainbow Six community. Even the latest video from “Mr. Hummus,” as his viewers call him, is well received by the players.
The players are excited about the streamer’s skills and that he manages “to carry himself through the game”.
Furthermore, they joke that Homeless has finally found a solution to the often lacking communication of team members in the game: you just play all the operators yourself…
In GTA Online the time trial “Power Plant” is currently active. Grab a motorcycle and earn 101,000 GTA dollars. We will show you in the guide how it works.
How to earn the money? Drive to the power plant on the map. A purple stopwatch will be displayed to you there. This is where you start the race. If you arrive on time at the finish line, you will receive 101,000 GTA dollars.
Which time trial is active? You currently find the time trial “Power Plant”. You have 1:26.6 minutes to reach the finish line.
How to win the time trial Power Plant in GTA Online
The course: You start your path directly through the power plant towards the road.
About at the yellow exclamation mark you shortcut the way. At the red exclamation mark, just after the ramp, you drive up the mountain.
Then you turn left and follow the road for a while. Before entering the road loop, you turn left and cut across the fields on the course. You can see this here in the picture:
Cut the course here
Then you drive onto the highway. Accelerate over the gas station property and continue following the road. Shortly after the ramp on the right, you race up the mountain.
Over the mountain towards the goal
Here there are now few reference points, so you should roughly orient yourself according to the yellow point on your map, which represents the goal. Once you have overcome the hill, you weave through the houses and reach the finish line.
Video guide: The path is much easier to understand in the video. We embed a guide from GTA-Series here that illustrates the route.
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Can the race be repeated? Yes, you can race it as often as you want as long as it is active. The 101,000 GTA dollars are, however, only available once.
Which vehicles should be used? Motorcycles are best suited here because a crucial part of the race takes place off-road. In our attempt, we made it on time with the Shotaro.
In GTA Online, a major update is expected: The Casino opens:
A recent survey from us on MeinMMO has shown that almost all participants already know which game they will buy in September 2019: Destiny 2 Shadowkeep or Borderlands 3.
Which of the two loot shooters will you buy in September 2019? Shadowkeep or Borderlands 3?
Does it affect you that both release dates are so close together?
The survey appeared as an article on MeinMMO – the survey participants had to access it and decide for themselves whether to participate in the survey. They could only give one answer to both questions.
How many participated in the survey? About 3300 readers saw the survey. Just over 800 readers participated in the survey. So a respectable amount.
This is the surprising part: We were surprised that 96% of readers already know how they will decide in September. Only 1 in 25 chose the option “I don’t know yet and will decide later” (4%).
This means that most users have already made a purchasing decision, even though not much is known about both games yet and the presentations are still ongoing.
But apparently both franchises are so well established that the purchase decision for many was made long before the release.
Borderlands 3 vs. Destiny 2 Shadowkeep: Who is leading?
These are the results:
On our site, 42% said, “I will buy Destiny 2 Shadowkeep”
29% said, “I will buy Borderlands 3”
22% chose “I will buy both titles”
Only 3% said, “I will buy neither of the two titles.”
Fortnite: Battle Royale is very popular among children and teenagers. YouTubers shamelessly exploit their naivety and ignorance to secure subscriptions with deceitful tricks, especially when an event is coming up, like now with Polar Peak.
What is the deal with the YouTubers? If you’re on YouTube looking for Fortnite during upcoming events, you might often think that things are really heating up. According to a report on PCGamer, a massive number of YouTubers are advertising with sensational titles and corresponding thumbnails to attract viewers.
For example, many videos were uploaded about the Eye in the Ice, the Polar Peak event, indicating that you should watch the video IMMEDIATELY because something super important is happening RIGHT NOW!
However, all these videos are nothing but fluff, lacking any current information. In the end, they only show the eye in the ice without anything actually happening.
The Eye in the Ice in Fortnite
Photoshop Tricks,
Endless Countdowns and Fake Events
These are the tricks of the YouTubers: To achieve their goal of more subscribers and views, YouTubers often resort to cheap tricks. When nothing exciting is happening, they pretend something is about to start. The following methods, listed in the report by PC Gamer, are often used:
Super crazy headlines: Typical for Fortnite event videos are exaggerated sensational headlines. Best with lots of exclamation marks and in uppercase. Also important: The words EVENT and NOW must often be present.
Big red arrows in the thumbnail along with Photoshop: A thick red arrow signals that something is happening, even when nothing is happening.
Fake countdowns: Especially during live broadcasts, untrustworthy YouTubers simply overlay a random timer counting down arbitrary numbers. This is supposed to suggest that the streamer knows exactly when it starts. But in the end, the countdown simply resets and starts over.
Feigning enthusiasm: In addition to countdowns, YouTubers often go absolutely wild and seem almost to lose control from excitement. Hence, they blabber loudly and quickly about some superlatives and often shout exclamations like “Oh my God” and similar phrases.
Extremely silly fake events: Particularly at the Eye in the Ice, very silly methods were used to suggest activity. Some YouTubers wildly waved their mouse or controller to suggest that the earth is shaking and the monster is breaking free RIGHT NOW.
Alleged rewards: Additionally, YouTube clickbaiters often promise all kinds of rewards and winnings if you follow their channel or if the channel reaches a certain number of views.
The YouTube landscape on such topics is thus very similar to a noisy marketplace, where dozens of shady vendors supposedly offer fresh fish and miracle cures for all diseases and shout each other down.
On the PCGamer page, this video above was compiled that shows the worst examples:
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This is what happened at the event: During the Polar Peak event, YouTubers capitalize on the “fear of missing out” (FOMO) among viewers.
Everyone knows that something will happen in Fortnite at this point – but no one knows exactly when. So, YouTubers suggest to the viewers that they have to be at this spot at all times – for fear of missing out.
That is why this approach is a problem: For most adult YouTube consumers, the tricks of the YouTubers are easy to see through. You have to be naive to fall for them. Or just be a child who has not yet learned to deal with such psychological tricks from scammers and clickbaiters.
The consequences are unpleasant, as one loud screamer gets undeserved traffic and thus attention and money. On the other hand, the ignorance of young people is shamelessly exploited, and they are taken advantage of.
What is YouTube doing about it? While YouTube does indeed take action against fraudulent schemes aimed at real money, they are less strict with scammers who “only” want attention and clicks.
At E3 2019, The Division 2 presented its next DLC during the Ubisoft press conference – Episode 1: D.C. Outskirts: Expeditions. Additionally, there was a preview of further content for Year 1.
This is what to expect in Year 1: The liberation of the Capitol was just the beginning. At E3 2019, the developers from Massive presented the upcoming content for The Division 2 during the Ubisoft PK.
According to the roadmap, there will be three story episodes in the first year. Each of them is set to introduce new areas, modes, rewards, specializations, weapons, and gear, as well as exotics. Furthermore, all three episodes will be freely available to all players.
Here you can watch the trailer for upcoming content from Year 1:
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“Episode 1” DLC – Here’s what to expect in the summer: The next new Episode 1 DLC is called D.C. Outskirts: Expeditions and takes agents to the wooded outskirts of Washington D.C. There, players will be able to discover the Washington National Zoo.
It revolves around finding and taking down a leader of the Outcasts. A new expedition mechanic will provide new weekly missions in Kenly College, which focus on uncovering the fate of a lost military convoy. This DLC will be released in July.
“Episode 2” DLC – Here’s what to expect in the fall: In the fall, Episode Pentagon: The Last Castle will be released, where you must defend the namesake Pentagon against the Black Tusk to keep important military secrets safe. Additionally, the second 8-player raid of The Division 2 will launch in the fall.
“Episode 3” DLC – Here’s what to expect in early 2020: In the third episode called Coney Island: Homecoming, agents return to the origin of the outbreak – to New York. There, they will encounter an old enemy among other things. It appears that the focus will be on hunting down and stopping Aaron Keener – a former Division agent, an estranged brother who holds the fate of humanity in his hands.
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Many fans believe that the lows have been reached in Destiny and Destiny 2 because the influence of Activision Blizzard and the greed for more profit were too strong. However, the game’s director, Luke Smith, contradicts this at the 2019 E3.
This is the theory: There has long been a theory among the Guardians of Destiny. The weak state in which Destiny 2 was released is due to the bad influence of Activision Blizzard. They forced Bungie to:
The “Activision is to blame” theory likely stems from the fact that Bungie enjoyed such a good reputation from the Halo days and many couldn’t imagine that the team could mess up so badly at the launch of both titles.
In a panel at E3 2019, the Franchise Director Luke Smith discussed the lows of Destiny. He uses the English word “slipped”, which refers to something “slipping away” from someone.
“We have slipped with Destiny twice. Once it happened with the original game and it happened again with Destiny 2. We did not do this for business reasons; it happened for purely creative reasons.
At that time, we were trying to do what we thought was best for the game.
What sometimes happens in such relationships between developers and publishers: You work together and make decisions about directions. And sometimes these directions are not the ones that core players are interested in. We have now spent a year just focusing on that.”
Luke Smith (left) and Mark Noseworthy (right)
This is supposed to change now: The producer Mark Noseworthy adds that they now want to make the player the center of all decisions. Many played and loved Destiny.
Now they want to chase after those players with their newfound independence: “We are going to make Destiny for the people who love it. PERIOD.”
This is what they want to change: In a live stream, they have already presented Bungie with a variety of changes that will come with Shadowkeep. These include:
As a further step to improve Destiny 2, they now want to ensure that seasons transition better into each other. The last seasons felt very isolated, as if they had little to do with each other.
This is what they want to change with Shadowkeep: Something that concludes Season 8 should also initiate Season 9.
This is behind it: We once criticized on MeinMMO that Bungie never truly owned up to the mistakes of Destiny 2. Luke Smith has now publicly made up for that.
It seems that there is indeed a lot changing in Bungie at the moment, also regarding their public image. We are excited to see if this “new spirit” that Smith and Noseworthy are calling for will be reflected in the game in the long term.
Game theorists are sure they have found the most complex game in the world. Researchers from various countries have examined a game for certain characteristics and now believe that it is the most complex game in the world.
What game is it? This refers to arguably the most well-known card game in the gaming genre: “Magic: The Gathering.” Magic has been around for 26 years now. It was created in 1993 by its creator Richard Garfield.
There are also regular tournaments for Magic worldwide, all of which have strict rules with harsh penalties for violations. Now players can also boast about playing the most complex game in the world.
Gameplay from Magic: The Gathering – Arena
What makes Magic so complex?
The scope of the game is vast: The biggest reason for the game’s complexity is the possibility of moves, which is determined by the size of the possible collection.
Magic: The Gathering has nearly 20,000 unique cards according to deckbox.org. These are divided into five basic colors (with some special cases) and several types, such as:
Creatures and artifacts
various spells
Mana (lands)
Planeswalkers
What makes Magic so complex are the possibilities that arise from the effects of the cards. Many cards have abilities that change the game, leading to an ever-increasing number of decisions that must be made.
Magic has many cards with effects.
How is the complexity measured? Independent researcher Alex Churchill from Cambridge, along with researchers Stella Biderman from Atlanta and Austin Herric from Philadelphia, have delved into the game.
They created a direct game situation in which both players are forced into certain moves by effects and both are on the brink of victory or defeat. They then simulated the possible moves using a so-called “Turing machine.”
A Turing machine is a model that simulates algorithms to determine their computability. In simple terms, the researchers attempted to find out whether a computer can predict the outcome of a round in Magic.
The outcome of a round cannot always be predicted.
That’s why Magic is the most complex game in the world
How complex is Magic: They concluded that Magic cannot always be calculated by a computer. The possibilities are too varied for every round to have a unique outcome.
In fact, in real Magic games, situations can occur where moves repeat endlessly. In such a case, the round ends in a draw. For a computer, however, this means no definitive outcome, as would be possible in chess through the calculation of a finite number of moves. Magic is the first game in which a winning strategy cannot be definitively calculated.
Especially the fact that the game can be “programmed” during a round makes it difficult for machines to calculate. Effects that already change the conditions during the game can be altered again by cards like “Artificial Evolution.”
The card “Artificial Evolution”. Image source: cardkingdom.
The outcome heavily depends on which creatures are present in the game and in what order cards are drawn. However, the researchers’ insights go even further. Biderman explains:
If you choose your favorite math problem, you can create a Magic game situation by appropriately selecting cards that solves this problem.
This may be cumbersome, but it is possible and shows that Magic is more complex than a computer can calculate. It is even more complex than previously assumed as to what is possible and now requires further research in this area. At least in other areas, computers are more than capable:
With global challenges, the legendary cats will also return in Pokémon GO. But which Legendary is worth it?
When do the cats return? This month, only Raikou will return, provided you have completed the global challenge. Entei is expected to come in July and Suicune in August. Here too, the completion of the respective global challenge is required.
This is what Raikou has: The legendary Electric-type Pokémon returns first. Its stats are as follows:
Attack value: 241
Defense value: 195
HP value: 207
Max CP: 3452
Raikou has a good attack value and can also withstand quite a lot of damage. Another advantage is its moves. With Thunder Shock, it has the best Electric charge move in the game.
Raikou is thus one of the best Electric attackers in the game. It shares the first place with Electivire.
Shiny Raikou is entering the game for the first time
When does Raikou come? The Raikou day has not been dated yet. However, it will surely come sometime this month. You will also have the chance to get Shiny Raikou for the first time.
This is what Entei has: The legendary Fire-type Pokémon is supposed to come in July. Here are its stats:
Attack value: 235
Defense value: 171
HP value: 251
Max CP: 3473
Entei has solid stats but is primarily a Pokémon that can withstand a lot of damage. A disadvantage of Entei is its moves, as they are not particularly strong.
Because it does not have strong moves and has strong competition among Fire attackers, Entei is more of a good alternative but does not belong to the best attackers.
This is Shiny Entei
When does Entei come? The Fire Pokémon will have a raid day on July 14, provided you complete the appropriate tasks for it. It will also appear as Shiny.
This is what Suicune has: The Water-type Pokémon is expected to come in August. Here are its stats:
Attack value: 180
Defense value: 235
HP value: 225
Max CP: 2983
Suicune is generally rather weak. For example, it has no Water fast move. Also, it has a quite weak attack value.
Among the best Water attackers, Suicune plays no role. Therefore, it has more collector’s value, as you won’t be able to use it in battle.
This is what Shiny Suicune looks like
When does Suicune come? The Water Pokémon is expected to come in August. The raid day is planned for August 20. Its Shiny form will also enter the game.
Which Pokémon is worth it the most? From a usability perspective, Raikou is clearly the winner here. Electric Pokémon are also needed repeatedly, just like for the return of Kyogre this month.
The other two Pokémon have more collector’s value. Entei can still be chosen as an alternative to Fire attackers; Suicune, on the other hand, is quite useless.
What is your favorite? Which raid boss are you looking forward to the most?
When Bethesda announced the battle royale mode “Nuclear Winter” for Fallout 76 , hardly anyone could really imagine it. A few days after the release, however, the mode became so popular that it was decided: it will remain permanently.
Some fans felt that battle royale was the last thing Fallout 76 needed. Even MeinMMO readers under some of our articles expressed their opposition to the mode or were dissatisfied with the decision:
Is every game now getting the BR stamp? I’m already looking forward to FIFA battle royale: the last one standing wins. Fallout 76 is just a tragedy. It’s a shame what they have done to the Fallout universe.
Many fans didn’t like the BR idea before the launch.
That’s why the mode will stay: After the mode was available for all active and new players during a free week from June 10 to June 17, this sentiment quickly changed.
Bethesda has now reacted to the hype of the new mode. In a statement, the developers said that the battle royale mode will be added permanently to the game. Those who want to buy Fallout 76 after the testing week can continue to play “Nuclear Winter”.
Nuclear Winter in
Fallout 76 – Why the mode rocks
What makes the battle royale so good? Behind the great praise for the mode is that Nuclear Winter fits well into the gameplay of Fallout 76, according to many fans:
the story simply fits – 52 people fight for the overseer title of Vault 51
features like atom bombs and PvE mobs complement the mode
Nuclear Winter has hardly any bugs, everything runs smoothly
Additionally, Nuclear Winter rewards players with small bonuses like experience and caps for the adventure mode as well as cosmetics and perks for Nuclear Winter itself.
What’s next for “Nuclear Winter”? Work on the mode will now be ongoing permanently. It will receive updates while players can test it and it will continue to be developed.
The eponymous “Nuclear Winter” update itself will unfold over the summer of 2019. Vaults 94 and 96 are to be added as raids for high-level players and more story content will come.
Then in autumn the “Wastelanders” update will come, which mitigates one of Fallout 76’s biggest criticisms:
Bungie has publicly called Destiny 2 an “MMO” for the first time after 5 years. There was much resistance to overcome before they acknowledged this, say Bungie’s executives now. But “MMO” is also the direction that Destiny 2 will take. What do the executives mean by this, and what does it mean for the future of the game?
This is the announcement: The topic surrounding E3 2019 at Bungie is the new identity of the game, which they are now shaping as they stand independently without Activision and make all decisions on their own.
During the live stream before E3, when Bungie revealed Shadowkeep and the many changes, Luke Smith suddenly stated clearly: “We are making an awesome action MMO.”
That was even the first point of the new identity.
Why did Bungie resist for so long? Game Manager Mark Noseworthy explained that they had hesitated to call the game that for a long time. Because the term “MMO” carries a number of questions that they had preferred to avoid for a long time:
Do you need a subscription?
Do I have to play this with mouse and keyboard?
Journalist Jason Schreier also asked in an interview at E3 sarcastically: “So does this mean Destiny 2 will now be World of Warcraft?”
But Noseworthy says: “We are now on our own. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it is a duck.”
Luke Smith (left) and Mark Noseworthy (right)
What doesn’t change? Bungie is keen to emphasize that nothing changes at the core of the game. The core of Destiny 2, the action game, remains intact, said Noseworthy.
Destiny 2 is a game with wonderful gunplay, where you shoot aliens and watch their soul escape, said Noseworthy. That doesn’t change.
What does this mean? When Bungie uses the term “MMO”, it does not mean that they will bring more multiplayer activities or really delve into the “Massive” aspect. There will not be 20-man raids coming now.
In the definition of Destiny, “We are making more MMO”:
more game depth, more stats, more slots
more ways to influence the player character, their play style, and their equipment
more social elements, making it easier to find groups
In Destiny, they use “MMO” synonymously with “more RPG” elements, more material for the “core gamers.” This becomes clear from Bungie’s further statements.
These are the next plans: Noseworthy and Smith make it clear in an interview with Kotaku that in the future, Destiny 2 will move significantly more in the MMO direction. Plans include bringing “more values, more customization” options into the game.
Destiny is going to become even more MMO than it has been recently:
With Shadowkeep, the values are set to return – Smith hopes that players will chase something like the “T12” from the time of “The Taken King,” meaning an optimized equipment
Additionally, armor will be more customizable; the long-term goal is to give players a collection of mods to individually customize their character
“crafting” character should be a part of Destiny 2
There should also be more slots in Destiny 2’s inventory, like the artifact slot. This should be significantly deeper than the previous version
This is what it’s about: It is indeed as we have suspected on MeinMMO for years: Bungie avoided the label “MMO” because it is too closely associated with “World of Warcraft”.
When people think of MMO, they think of a subscription model, mouse and keyboard, and a “tab-target” combat system.
Therefore, Bungie shied away from this term, as they thought they could scare players on PS4 and Xbox One if they associated MMO with the “uncool” WoW and not the cool Halo.
Thus, they had been presenting the game for years under labels like “Shared World Shooter”.
Now, Destiny as a brand is well established enough, and the concept of “MMO” has evolved so that Bungie is now adopting and reinterpreting this label.
It is quite possible that Bungie has been planning this re-labeling for a long time, but Activision’s PR department prevented it for years.
For Bungie, the announcement “We are going to be an action MMO” is essentially equivalent to “We are going to make a game for our core gamers with more RPG elements.”
From a purist and traditional perspective, Destiny 2 is not an “MMO” because it cannot fulfill the “Massively” aspect with a maximum of 6 players in an instance.
“MMOs” in the 90s and early 2000s defined the “Massive” as over 100 players simultaneously on screen – that would today impact performance, graphics, and balance too much.
However, the term “MMO” has been changing for years – and Bungie now seems to be accepting this new definition of “MMO” for themselves.
We have extensively written about the evolution of the term “MMO” in recent years:
The next update of World of Warcraft is finally on the starting blocks. Patch 8.2 Rise of Azshara has reached the final stage on the PTR.
For many weeks, fans of World of Warcraft have been waiting for the Patch 8.2 Rise of Azshara. In terms of content, it is likely to be one of the most extensive patches in the history of WoW.
With two new zones, a new raid, and a new mega-dungeon, along with a variety of new mechanics and dozens of mounts and collectible items, Patch 8.2 offers something for every player.
Yet one thing is still missing: a release date. The latest update on the PTR now brings relief, as the patch is nearly complete and is considered a “release candidate”.
What is a “release candidate”? When the developers of World of Warcraft believe that a patch on the PTR is complete, it gets the designation “Release” in its version number.
In that case, the features are complete and a patch is likely to go live in this form. Exceptions usually only occur if significant bugs and other issues are found that need to be addressed quickly.
When will Patch 8.2 actually be released? Blizzard has still not given a specific date. However, the fact that there is now a release candidate fuels the assumption that the patch could be released on June 26, 2019 – which would be in less than two weeks.
Blizzard had previously issued several warnings that the current PvP season would soon end, and with it, some rewards would disappear.
This warning traditionally appears about 2 weeks before the release of a new patch, so it would fit into the timeline.
As soon as Blizzard announces a specific date, we will of course report on it.
Are you excited for Patch 8.2? Which feature are you most looking forward to? Or are you waiting to finally dive into WoW Classic?
Ihr wollt mehr zum Spiel? Tolle Specials, heiße News und interessante Infos zu World of Warcraft findet ihr auch auf unserer WoW-Seite auf Facebook.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Borderlands 3 will have to do without a fan-favorite from part 2. A certain woman will not appear in the game.
With just a few months left until the release of Borderlands 3, more and more information is being released about the loot shooter. One piece of news is likely to sadden fans, as one of the most popular characters from Borderlands 2 will not be appearing in the sequel. The DLC class “Mechromancer”, represented by the highly intelligent Gaige, will not make an appearance in Borderlands 3.
Who was Gaige? Gaige was one of the DLC Vault Hunters in Borderlands 2. Players could purchase her and then had an additional playable character class. Her special ability allowed her to summon a powerful mech, “Deathtrap”, which functioned particularly well as a tank and could also deal a lot of damage.
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Why is Gaige missing? In the stream, Paul Sage from Gearbox explained why Gaige will not be featured in Borderlands 3. He said:
“Gaige is not in the game, but not because we wouldn’t love Gaige. The thing is, there are NPCs we have to spend time with. If we don’t spend enough time with an NPC, then it isn’t worth adding them to the game at all. You are not doing them [the NPCs] any favors – you are not doing anyone any favors.”
It was decided not to include Gaige in the main game of Borderlands 3. Apparently, there are already enough NPCs with whom players must spend time, and Gaige would have been “too much” to accommodate meaningfully.
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Gaige’s absence makes little sense: On Reddit, users express outrage that Borderlands 3 must do without Gaige. This would be a small scandal, as there are enemies in the game based on “Deathtrap” – the mech models that Gaige developed. These plans were apparently stolen and used for mass production.
What about the future? However, one should not completely bury the hope of a reunion with Gaige. It is quite possible that she will still appear in a future DLC, as she and her Deathtrap were extremely popular among fans. Additionally, she is an important character in the story, who should not simply vanish without mention in the cosmos. Sage confirms this at the end of his remarks:
“We have a large collection of NPCs we want to come back to. There are DLCs and all that stuff. My hope is that we can bring everyone’s favorite NPCs back – at some point in the timeline of Borderlands 3.”
Will Gaige return as an NPC in a DLC? The chances are good if Borderlands 3 is successful.
What do you think about Gaige not appearing in the main game of Borderlands 3? Do you hope she will get her own DLC?
In Fortnite: Battle Royale there is now Fortbyte #14. It is located at a trailer park. If you know where it is, it can be easily found.
Where is the Fortbyte?
Fortbyte number 14 is stated in the game text as “at a trailer park”. Such a place is located just northwest of Mega Mall at coordinates I5 on the Season 9 map.
Get Fortbyte number 14, found at a trailer park
This is how you can collect the Fortbyte: You just have to collect the byte at the trailers. There are no additional conditions this time. You don’t need a specific skin, emote, or stunt to find it.
But just be careful that no nasty byte camper is lurking around and shoots you from behind. Such guys often lurk around the bytes, so scout the area well and maybe don’t go there right at the start of the game.
Is there a video as well? The embedded video here shows the location of the Fortbytes. Have fun searching!
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What are Fortbytes and how do you collect them all? Fortbytes are nothing more than virtual puzzle pieces. They ultimately create a still secret image of Jonesy in the bunker. There are a total of 100 pieces, with a new one released every day. Additionally, you unlock the bonus skin for Season 9 this way.
More and more sources are talking about a release date for The Last of Us: Part II (PlayStation 4). The game might be released early in 2020.
One of the most eagerly awaited titles is The Last of Us: Part II. The story set in a world ruined by an epidemic impressed in the first part with exciting, varied gameplay and a dense atmosphere. However, the true highlight was the two characters Ellie and Joel, who made the game a truly special experience.
It’s no wonder that the sequel The Last of Us: Part II is highly anticipated. There was no official release date after aiming for Fall 2019, which was then abandoned.
Now, reports are increasing that The Last of Us: Part II will be released in February 2020.
The first hint comes from an interview: There are several sources and hints pointing to a release date. In an interview, Ashley Johnson, the voice and actress behind Ellie, talked about The Last of Us: Part II.
When asked when the game would be coming out, she begins her answer with “Feh-” and then trails off. It sounds like the beginning of the word “February”.
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Other sources confirm the date: Of course, this alone is not enough for a substantiated assumption, but there are more sources. Jason Schreier recently reported that he had been told that The Last of Us: Part II had been pushed to February 2020.
Schreier has repeatedly written major exposés in the past and has relied on numerous insider sources, whose statements have mostly proven true.
The last source is Daniel Ahmed, a video game analyst, who has frequently drawn on insider knowledge in the past as well. He confirmed that February 2020 is the current “internal release date”.
Can the sources be trusted? Of course, all these sources are not solid evidence or any confirmation from the publisher or developer. However, when the same information leaks from several often trusted sources, the likelihood is high that there is a grain of truth in it.
Those who want to hop on the hype train will be looking forward to February 2020. Everyone else remains skeptical and hopes that the game will not be delayed any further.
The Fortnite World Championship is set for the end of July. The favorites are pros aged 14 or 15 years. An expert thinks one of these kids will go home with $4 million and finds it crazy. However, he believes that in the long run, the “big names” will also make the big money – not the kids.
Who is speaking? It is Alex “Golden Boy” Mendez, a well-known host and caster. He foresaw the eSports boom early on and discusses in an interview with Kotaku what is happening right now.
A major topic for him: The young eSport professionals who are often still minors, and the older Twitch streamers. Both groups, the entertainers and the athletes, shape Fortnite.
Tfue is the only really big streamer who has qualified for the Fortnite World Cup so far.
How much money is at stake in the Fortnite World Championship? From July 26 to 28, the 100 best solo players and the 50 best duos in the world will compete in the Fortnite World Cup.
In total, only during these 3 days, there is $30 million in prize money – another $12 million will be distributed during the ongoing qualification.
Every player who qualifies for the World Cup is guaranteed at least $50,000
The solo champion in Fortnite will receive $3 million
What the expert says: Mendez believes that it won’t be the “big Twitch streamers” competing for this money, but the young pros.
Another hot candidate is Mongraal (15), an Englishman with slight issues controlling his anger. However, he is considered incredibly talented in Fortnite.
Recently, a 12-year-old boy made headlines(cover image) because he was already signed as a professional, even though he was below the age limit of 13.
Special Case: Fortnite – Here Personality Counts
The catch is: The kid who wins the World Cup and so much money will probably still not be the most famous player with all the success, thinks Mendez.
Because Mendez believes that the “real winners” of Fortnite in the long run are not the young pros who are taking the prize money but the entertaining streamers with their huge Twitch channels like Ninja and those guys who are making money.
Therefore, many eSports players are considering leaving eSports and just streaming. Like Dafran did for Overwatch. He said after a short time in the Overwatch League, “You know what? I think I’d rather stream.”
With that, Dafran became more successful than ever before.
Also, Overwatch pro xQc has managed to make a career out of being dropped from his Overwatch team.
Ninja: He will not be at the solo championship but will probably earn more than the big winners.
That’s why Fortnite is so ideal for streamers: Fortnite is a prime example of an eSport where viewers can identify much more with an individual rather than with a team, says Mendez.
There have been individual pros who became a brand: Like Poach, Vivid, 72Hrs, or Ayden. But they are not nearly as much a brand as Tfue, Nickmercs, or Ninja.
Therefore, in Fortnite, it is an option for players to leave eSports and just stream.
That’s also the difference between eSports and traditional sports; in traditional sports, nobody can say, “I’m streaming now.”
Even a Fortnite player became a pro, even though he wasn’t even 13 yet:
The upcoming new superhero MMO Marvel’s Avengers will feature a
coop mode where a whole team of Avengers will beat enemies in droves.
Since you can freely choose and upgrade your heroes, there should be
nothing standing in the way of an epic beatdown team of four Iron Mans, Thors, or Hulks, right?
Here are the plans for the coop mode: In an interview with the site Eurogamer , lead designer Philippe Therien talked about the concepts of the coop mode from the superhero MMO Marvel’s Avengers.
Levels will be designed for four players, but there will also be solo sections. But what if everyone in the team is a fan of Iron Man and wants to play their favorite?
That’s why there can only be one Iron Man: There shouldn’t be multiple versions of the same Avengers hero:
“You all have to play as different characters online. The Avengers have all different abilities and talents and we want you to have a well-balanced team. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be the Avengers.”
So it seems you need to agree in the coop beforehand on who gets to be Iron Man. It’s probably better not to get too fixated on a single hero.
Every hero counts
How do the developers want to guarantee the balance of heroes? Well, 4 Iron Mans are probably off the table. But what if I play Black Widow and my friends are Thor, Iron Man, and the Hulk?
They are totally different in their abilities. A mortal woman with ordinary weapons on one side, a god of thunder with a magical weapon on the other.
How do the developers plan to prevent Thor and Co. from sweeping everything and Widow having to watch in boredom? The developers had answers in the interview as well:
“Black Widow will kick just as much ass as Thor. All heroes can let loose! […] This will, among other things, depend on some enemies or environments benefiting one hero more than another.
We will have situations where a hero can shine compared to the others, but that doesn’t mean the others will feel inferior.
You will experience moments where you can fully utilize your strengths and it will feel really good. You will feel like you are that character, as you will do what he would have done in that situation.”
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According to the developers, it shouldn’t matter which hero you play as long as they fit your playstyle and the group is well balanced. You should at least have 4 heroes in the coop that you gel with.
Have you already decided which heroes you prefer to play?
In Pokémon GO you can now submit PokéStops, but the principle behind it is much more complex than it seems. We will clarify this for you.
This is the new feature: Players at Level 40 can now submit PokéStops in Pokémon GO. For this, you can simply take pictures of landmarks and submit them. With a bit of luck, a PokéStop will be created from it.
The principle behind it is quite complex. You cannot submit a PokéStop at every location. Additionally, submitting can also create new gyms. We explain how the principle works.
Submitting PokéStops in Pokémon GO – What it entails
What system does the submission work with? The principle behind it is the same one that Ingress players have been using for years. Ingress is the predecessor game of Pokémon GO.
Every PokéStop is introduced into the game based on a special principle
This principle accesses the S2 cells. These cells divide the entire world into different sized boxes in Ingress technology. Depending on the size of the S2 cell, so is the size of the box.
These are the important cells: For submitting PokéStops, the S2 cells at levels 14 and 17 are crucial.
A level-17 cell can have only one PokéStop in Pokémon GO. Such a cell is about the size of 2 single-family homes.
A level-14 cell determines the appearance of gyms. We will explain how exactly this cell has an influence later in the article.
What you need to consider when submitting stops: On various websites, you can view the S2 cells for your city. There you can see how your area is divided into level-17 cells.
In each of these blue boxes, exactly one PokéStop can be located.
When you want to submit a PokéStop, check carefully if there is already a PokéStop in this level-17 cell. If there is already one, submitting another one is not worth it, as it cannot be confirmed.
What other requirements are there? The list is long when it comes to what you can submit as a PokéStop and what you cannot. A detailed view can be found here:
How is a gym created? For gyms, the level-14 cells are crucial. In these boxes, it is decided how many gyms will be created.
The boxes for gyms are significantly larger
If there are two PokéStops in a level-14 cell, one of these PokéStops will become a gym. If there are then 5 PokéStops and one gym in this cell, the next gym will be created. If there are a total of 20 PokéStops and gyms in a level-14 cell, a third gym will then be created in this cell.
How to best get gyms: If you want to have gyms as quickly as possible, you should operate previously empty level-14 cells with two submissions each. This way, one submission will become a gym.
Alternatively, you should look for cells where there are 4-5 or 17-19 PokéStops or gyms. There, you will then only have to submit a few stops, and the next gym will appear.
Why you should never place Tyranitar in gyms, you can find out here:
A highlight from E3 2019 fulfills the dreams of thirsty gamers: the “Cantroller” is a beer can that also serves as a Bluetooth gamepad for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and other consoles.
This is what the can can do: The beer can first fulfills its normal purpose. It contains 0.35 liters of “Miller Lite”, a drink that is considered beer in the USA.
It is also truly “beer” in the can and you can put the thing in the fridge.
Via Bluetooth, the beer can can also connect with PS4, Xbox One, or PC, and then serves as a normal, somewhat unusual gamepad.
The beer can has rechargeable batteries and lasts for about 3 hours. Haptic feedback is also promised – although early testers dispute this.
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This is what the manufacturers say: This is a PR campaign by Miller Lite, highlighting how well gaming and beer go together.
About 40% of gamers reportedly sip a beer while gaming, so they are bringing this to a new level, says a manager at Miller Lite.
How many of these things are there? They had 200 Cantrollers made, but there are reportedly several hundred more on the way. Players could win them at E3 2019 – it is not currently a product for sale.
“Of course it is not good – it is a beer can!”
Is the controller any good? A British PC gaming magazine tested the controller and played Sonic the Hedgehog with it.
The author says: “Of course it is not good! Look at it, it only has a few buttons and it is a beer can.”
The only way to control worse than with membrane controls would be touch screen controls. But at least he played Sonic with a beer can now.
It is a “Nintendo” configuration with A/B/X/Y, which are slightly elevated. Additionally, there are: a start and a select button next to a direction pad.
For the release of WoW Classic, most people probably have a big “To Do” list. Cortyn reveals what needs to be tackled first when the game goes live.
When World of Warcraft Classic releases in August, I will surely be hit by another wave of nostalgia. In the last weeks and months, I often thought about what things I would like to experience again.
There are simply some memories that I believe, even after many years, that experiencing them again does not diminish the experience. Much will not be as beautiful as the first time many years ago – but there are a few things I simply must experience again.
Here are my “Top 5” things on my “To Do” list that I definitely want to do in WoW Classic after the release.
1. Test the limits of my character
I still remember quite well that I set out to conquer the dungeon “Scholomance” solo. It was my first dungeon that I completed with a fixed group that also lasted for years. I was there dozens, if not hundreds of times with my group, because we all wanted something cool – for me, it was “Headmaster’s Charge”, an epic staff that had a very low drop chance from the final boss.
At some point, I decided – the Nether knows why – to conquer as much of Scholomance as possible alone. I spent so many hours slowly defeating the enemy groups solo that I could still recite my pull order in my sleep.
In the beginning, I always “zerged” one enemy and then ran to the instance exit to reset the others that would have killed me. Over days and weeks, I got better and better, managing to clear more and more of the dungeon solo.
Was it stupid and super ineffective? Absolutely. Did it feel fun and give me pride when I could solo bosses like Rattlegore by kiting and “jumping through the floors”? Oh yes!
A loading screen that I will never forget.
Back then, you could still consume all sorts of potions at the same time, which is why I always buffed my mage to the max with all sorts of stuff. Even potions for attack power were consumed – it was indeed possible.
2. Complete silly quests in Alterac Valley
Even today, in current World of Warcraft, players can complete many quests in the battlefield Alterac Valley. Very few do this now, unless they are farming reputation with the PvP factions there to earn some achievement. However, back then, these quests were an essential part of winning or advancing the battle – at least we always told ourselves that when we preferred to do quests rather than actually kill opposing players.
If one wanted, one could pick up armor scraps from fallen soldiers, tame rams, or collect the blood of enemy soldiers.
The collected materials could then be turned in at the respective base. If enough players did this (or if a few players repeated it often enough), there would be special buffs for your teammates. This could be something minor, like 10% more armor, but also really strong effects like elite ram riders joining the battle or a gigantic ice elemental rampaging through the players of the Alliance.
Lokholar is likely to bring death and destruction to the Alliance again.
Even now, I still remember the fastest routes to the damaged commanders, whom you first have to rescue on the battlefield before you can turn in their quests.
I sincerely hope that the “Classic” players will allow such Alterac Valleys again – but I fear that the “running past each other” tactic would have worked just as well in Classic, just that it was simply unknown back then.
3. Create a level 19 PvP rogue twink
It’s nasty and unfair and ruins every player’s first PvP experience in the Warsong Gulch. When I went into PvP for the first time with my mage and suddenly collapsed “out of nowhere”, I was confused.
Why on earth is the opposing rogue SO strong? Why are his weapons glowing? Why does he have almost twice as many hit points as I do?
The answer came in the guild chat: It was a PvP twink. A rogue wearing optimally geared equipment for level 19. He had nearly perfect daggers from Shadowfang Keep and had enchanted them (Cruisader), which are quite expensive even for level 60 players.
A night elf rogue twink – also back on the list.
My first thought was: “Oh man, that’s unfair!” Closely followed by the second thought: “I want one too!”
Afterward, I spent two or three weeks working with a friend to create two PvP rogue twinks to dominate the battlefields. But since we didn’t find that stupid enough, we leveled the characters a bit higher so they could use the quest item “Dartol’s Rod of Transformation” from Ashenvale. That transformed the player into a furbolg.
I still have the quest item today – and I’ll never part with it.
Back then, we found nothing funnier than when two rogues in furbolg form would take down helpless clothies.
4. Sit for hours in the park of Stormwind
I like the new park in Stormwind. I liked it even more before they placed all the demon hunter NPCs, void elves, and night elf refugees there. It was a quiet place for nice RP, which I associate with a lot.
However, this connection actually began in Classic when the park was still in its original state. There was still a moonwell in the park – or something that looked like a moonwell, since tailors could not use it as a moonwell for a long time.
I found the atmosphere there extremely beautiful and sat on the bench with my mage while I was more or less “afk”. Most of the time, I read some RP stories in the forum or wrote my own.
The park holds special significance for me because I had my first “RP date” with my mage there. I didn’t actually expect that many roleplayers would still be active at that time and especially not in that part of town, but a night elf did join me. Until nearly dawn, the elf told my mage about Darnassus, the night elves, the moon goddess, and the druids – this was unknown to both me and my character; at that time, I did not know more than the story of Warcraft 3 about the elves. One of my first, really long “RP sessions” that I can’t forget.
But to share another anecdote: The memory of this RP meeting was severely marred the next day by my guild leader. When I told him that my mage had met a night elf named “Adrianus,” his first comment was, “Well, that meeting must have been really lame.” It took me longer than I care to admit to understand that, and I could still slap myself today.
5. Listen to Allimania until I drop
For most German WoW players, the audio play “Allimania” is probably forever associated with the memories of Classic. Whether you like it or not, most WoW players have probably heard it during their Classic time (or later).
If you don’t know it: It is a fan-made audio play that tells the story of an Alliance guild fighting through World of Warcraft while experiencing all sorts of absurd adventures. Usually, WoW mechanics are satirically processed, or typical clichés of classes and races in Warcraft are poked fun at.
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I still clearly remember that Allimania was always released late at night as part of the “WoW Night,” an online radio show. For me, it was always the highlight of the week (or month – the episodes were getting longer and the wait times too). The problem was, I had to stay long past my “agreed time” on the PC when the rest of the household was already asleep.
Listening to the latest episode of Allimania late at night was always mixed with the adrenaline that at any moment, a very angry parent could burst into the room to give me a PC ban for a while.
But honestly? The danger was worth it. Listening to the latest adventures of Horst, Panski, and the night elf “Uschi” enriched my nights incredibly.
Many of the jokes may seem very blunt and clichéd from today’s perspective – but back then, I thought they were great. Even if much of it wouldn’t meet my humor in other formats anymore, so much nostalgia is associated with Allimania that I can still laugh at the “Blazing Dildo of the Fire Queen” or have tears in my eyes when the pit lord Magtheridon plays a delicate and incredibly attractive elf in Pen&Paper. At the latest, when the doddering Kel’Thuzad flies against something with Naxxramas and has to hand over his necropolis driver’s license, I could roll on the floor with laughter.
While leveling in Classic, there will only be one playlist for me – and that is all 20 parts of Allimania that will accompany me until level 60.
What are you really looking forward to with WoW: Classic? What nostalgic memories do you want to relive?
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