PewDiePie is in trouble. For some time now, he has been fighting with an Indian company for the number 1 spot on the video platform YouTube. For 6 years, PewDiePie was the YouTuber with the most subscribers. Now, in 2019, he has been overtaken several times, but he is fighting back.
Who has beaten PewDiePie? PewDiePie’s major opponent is T-Series. T-Series is an Indian music and film company that reaches millions of viewers through music videos and Bollywood uploads.
Over 60 billion times, T-Series’ videos have already been viewed. The channel now has nearly 90 million subscribers.
For some time now, PewDiePie has been in a battle with the Indians:
On March 13, T-Series finally overtook PewDiePie with 3000 more subscribers.
PewDiePie did overtake T-Series again, but soon fell back again, this time with 4000 fewer subscribers.
And even today, on March 17, it happened again, and T-Series passed by.
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This is how the battle went: Since 2013, PewDiePie has been the YouTuber with the most subscribers. For a long time, no one came close to the sheer power of PewDiePie’s subscribers.
Until in the summer of 2018, the Indian channel T-Series suddenly made competition for the Swedish YouTuber PewDiePie. The channel surged.
Experts expected that T-Series would surpass PewDiePie with 70 million subscribers around November 2018.
PewDiePie, however, responded with hard work:
through an advertising campaign and a “diss track” against T-Series, he became the first to reach 69 million subscribers
shortly thereafter, he even surpassed 70 and 71 million
by collaborating with the internet legend Elon Musk, PewDiePie secured his position until the end of 2018
in February 2019, he reached 85 million subscribers, and in March already 89 million
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On March 2, T-Series finally made up some ground and reduced the gap:
T-Series was only 5000 subscribers behind
on March 13, T-Series was even in the lead for a few minutes
whereupon PewDiePie immediately added 9000 subscribers and took the lead again.
In total, PewDiePie has now been overtaken by T-Series 5 times. Then the alarm bells go off for the “PewDiePie” supporters.
The YouTuber PewDiePie
This is the current state: Today, on March 17, PewDiePie was overtaken once again. A live stream has even developed from the head-to-head race, which only shows the subscriber numbers of the two channels.
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In Destiny 2 a new character has appeared, who has a pretty dark look. Here’s how you need to equip your Hunter so that he looks like this bad guy.
This is about the bad guy: On March 15th, a new activity for season pass holders went live with the Invitations of the Nine. You can speak to the Emissary of the Nine with the first invitation that Xur brought.
In this cutscene, the Vagabond plays cards with a Hunter who looks quite dark. After a brief dialogue, this Hunter threatens the Vagabond with the Dorn hand cannon, but the cunning Vagabond escapes the critical situation. We embed the cutscene here:
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Apparently, the Hunter is a Shadow of Yor. Bungie also refers to this character as “The Shadow”.
What are these shadows? The Shadows of Yor are a group of “evil” Guardians who revere the notorious Dredgen Yor. He was once a noble Guardian but fell to darkness and became one of the greatest criminals. He killed other Guardians to consume their Light. His weapon was the “Rose”, but this hand cannon became increasingly thirsty for the Light of other Guardians and thus became the Dorn. Shin Malphur killed Dredgen Yor.
The Shadows of Yor wear replicas of the Dorn and are considered a potential threat by the Vanguard and Shin Malphur.
From the cutscene, it becomes clear that the Vagabond was once a part of these Dredgen admirers.
The Shadow conversing with the Vagabond
Here’s how you can look like a Shadow of Yor
On reddit, the user immaphantomLOL has compiled the armor pieces you need to equip to look like the Shadow of Yor.
Keep in mind that the armor pieces can only be worn by Hunters.
These are the armor pieces:
Spender Mask – Legendary helm from Forsaken: This is “world gear” that does not belong to any specific class and can drop from legendary engrams.
Galanor Fragmen – Exotic gauntlets from Forsaken:Random drop from exotic engrams.
Scorn Baron Chestpiece – Legendary chest armor from Forsaken: A world gear that you can randomly get from defeating Scorn Barons and from engrams in heroic adventures and strikes of the Tangled Shore.
Scatterhorn Pants – Legendary leg armor from Forsaken: You receive this item randomly when you complete activities in the Tangled Shore and earn rank-up packages in the Tangled Shore.
Solstice Cloak (Rekindled) – Rare Hunter cloak from Season 3 – This cloak could be earned during the “Solstice of Heroes” event 2018.
Additionally, you will need:
Vex Undying Shader – Shader from Curse of Osiris: You receive it from Glimmer engrams.
Dorn – Exotic hand cannon: We present the Dorn quest here.
Overall, your look will then be as follows:
How the community reacts: On reddit, this “bad guy” look is receiving a lot of praise. Several users say they will replicate this look. However, a criticism is noted that the Guardian bears the title Blacksmith and not Dredgen…
Is this a look that would suit your Hunter as well?
In Anthem there is a problem in Strongholds: invisible barriers. One player has been affected by the issue so badly that the responsible developer apologized to him and promised improvement.
What is the problem? In the dungeons of Anthem, the Strongholds, “invisible barriers” can occur, separating a player from the rest of the group and locking them out.
The system is actually meant to prevent players from “flying back,” but it causes issues when a player is lagging behind.
This is usually an annoyance, but in this particular case, it was brutal.
This was the particularly gruesome scene: A player on Reddit shared a video and wrote: “After more than 80 hours, I dropped my first Legendary item, but a force field cut me off from the drop.”
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This is the video that Reddit user Darthchrisshaw posted
In the video, you can see that the player with his Colossus gets a bit off-course, arrives too late for the loot, and is stopped by the barrier. He can’t grab his Legendary item. It’s permanently lost, and he won’t even find out which legendary item it was.
Truly a sight of horror.
The player then says: “I’m so done with Anthem – the first 30 hours were great, but since then, it’s just grind and glitches.”
The Colossus can’t reach his loot in this scene.
Next patch should remove some force fields
This is how BioWare responds: The Stronghold lead for Anthem contacted the player and personally apologized for this “terrible player experience”:
In the next patch, they have disabled these force fields in the Heart of Rage and the Temple of Scars. Patch 1.0.4 will arrive in March, but he doesn’t know exactly when.
In the future, they will not use such things anymore, except for extremely important reasons that are crucial for the mission.
They plan to remove some of the fields from the game later as they go on.
Until the patch arrives, players should call up the map and use either the left stick of the controller or the “Y” key (with mouse and keyboard); then they will respawn on the right side of the wall.
The developer apologizes again that they have not been able to fix this issue so far. He promises that the team will do better in the future to regain the community’s trust.
The apology is very well received by players on Reddit. They welcome the fact that responsibility is being taken here.
Since patch 8.1.5, the Alliance in World of Warcraft has the Kul Tiran as a new allied race. The abilities of the new humans seem to be stronger than initially suspected.
A user on reddit has found a highly practical use for the “Swings”. He has used the ability to throw opponents from high positions in PvP and kill them through fall damage. This even worked with players who were more than 10 levels stronger.
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Also Rogues or Druids. Since these two classes can stealth, they can easily sneak up on enemies. With a short stun (like a headbutt) or a surprise attack, an opponent can be instantly killed with a “Swings”.
Does this work elsewhere? Yes. The ability can also be used in PvP. In many battlegrounds, abilities that can knock opponents back are very popular, such as:
in Arathi Basin
in Warsong Gulch
in Twin Peaks
In battlegrounds, opponents can be thrown from high positions to the ground or simply into the void, resulting in a guaranteed death. They can hardly defend against this, except with abilities like Shadowstep, Grappling Hook, or through the leap of faith of an attentive Priest.
In PvE, however, the “Swings” has little use. NPCs take no fall damage, and if they die from a fall off the map, the loot goes with them.
The robust Kul Tiran cause a stir in PvP.
This is how fans see the “Swings”: Most players find the scenes quite cool. Some have even created Kul Tiran themselves to try it out.
However, some fans now see the danger that Blizzard might consider it “too strong”. They hope that the “Swings” will remain in the game as it is.
What do you think about the use of the “Swings”?
Even though the Kul Tiran have potential in PvP, PvE is in the hands of the Horde:
After several hours in The Division 2, our author Tarek has identified his first personal highlight. However, it’s not the gameplay or the story, but the setting of Washington D.C. and its dynamic game world.
The Division 2 is a big deal. After several hours of gameplay, I’m still amazed at how much content the online shooter offers:
large story campaign
numerous side missions
open-world activities
a lot of other little things to do
Not to mention the PvP area Conflict and the Dark Zones, which I haven’t even touched yet. I’m saving those for the endgame, which is still ahead of me.
Currently, I’m level 19, and my biggest highlight from the abundance of content is neither the familiar gameplay from part 1 nor the rather fluctuating story. What impresses me most is how the developers have realized the setting. I want to explain to you why.
The new setting of Washington D.C.
The Division 2 takes place 7 months after The Division 1, shifting the setting from the snow-covered New York to the summer capital of the USA, Washington D.C.
This is where the headquarters of the Division and of course the government of the USA is located, but the capital is now in a civil-war-like state on the brink of collapse.
Civilians and factions are fighting for dominance, organized in their own settlements and strongholds.
The change of setting caused skepticism among many fans. Why summer? Why D.C.? The flair is lost! The atmosphere might suffer. And in any case, New York is much more exciting.
New York was both a strength and a weakness of part 1
While The Division 1 had a beautifully designed game world, I found it overall empty and offering little variety. This has less to do with the city itself, but rather with what was made of it. A million-person city just weeks after the outbreak of an apocalyptic virus, which is so deserted? Unbelievable.
Additionally, a lot of potential was left untapped. I would have loved to see more of NYC, Brooklyn, Queens, Central Park, all of that would have surely turned out cool.
I constantly walked through the streets of Manhattan and had to imagine what could have been if the setting had been implemented better.
I love the setting in The Division 1, but the game world had some weaknesses
The few civilians you met there just ran around aimlessly and offered hardly any interaction opportunities (except when I could occasionally get an AK-47 for granola bars).
The setting was a significant strength in part 1 for me, due to the atmosphere and beautiful design.
But at the same time, it was one of the biggest criticisms, as it felt very lifeless and sometimes like a facade.
The Division 2 does this better in almost all aspects.
Now, Washington D.C. I had no specific expectations, but I was still optimistic. My knowledge of the city was limited to the series House of Cards and the usual things one sees in the news.
I decided to immerse myself in it and just hope that Massive makes the right adjustments. And in my opinion, they did.
In Washington, there’s something happening on every corner. When I head out for a story mission, I can count on coming across something interesting along the way.
The world is indeed dynamic
All around, enemies and allies are moving about, frequently engaging in battles. As a good Division agent, I obviously assist civilians and drive off the miscreants.
In return, it can happen that patrolling allies save my skin when I’m pressured by an enemy NPC team.
Even though the civilians are not the most capable fighters, they are definitely more competent than the JTF forces from New York, and even just the distraction can save agent lives.
At some point, I also got tired of the always same house canyons and find it great that you can simply change neighborhoods depending on your mood.
I also find it impressive how much emphasis Massive placed on wildlife. Foxes, raccoons, deer, cats, dogs, insects like dragonflies and bees – the world buzzes with life.
Surely this takes away a bit from the desperate apocalypse atmosphere. Personally, I like the “I Am Legend” feeling (a movie with an apocalyptic scenario that ironically takes place in New York) almost as much as the desolate mood of the predecessor. There’s still enough trash and corpses lying around to create an apocalyptic atmosphere.
My first impression of the setting is very good overall, and I’m glad that Massive made this change in setting.
For the future, I hope that Massive could possibly even introduce seasons. A snowy D.C. would surely reconcile many fans and would be an interesting twist. One can dream.
The setting is, for me – as of now – the biggest factor that positively distinguishes The Division 2 from its predecessor.
What do you think of the setting? How do you feel about the change?
Civilians are not only wandering in the game world, they also organize themselves independently in control points (which must first be conquered). I often observe civilians independently searching for resources.
I can even see on the map which routes they take. You can simply join them if you feel like it. This leads to new skirmishes.
All of this happens continuously throughout the entire game world, regardless of what you are currently doing.
Additionally, there are events like
executions that can be prevented,
supply drops in the form of dropped crates that can be captured or defended,
important points with water and food sources that can be snatched from enemies
and many other activities you can engage in. There’s always something to do and someone to help. The world is indeed dynamic.
D.C. may not be as desolate as snowy New York. Still, you can feel that not just the sunshine is present here.
Exploration is finally worthwhile
A crucial point that The Division 2 improves upon significantly with the new setting is the exploration factor.
There’s loot everywhere in the game world in the form of materials, equipment, and weapons. You don’t even have to look for specific farming routes, as the abundance of loot is huge, no matter where you are.
You can debate how believable it is when containers are lying around everywhere. But personally, I don’t care at all. The amount of loot is an additional incentive to explore the world.
Materials in part 1 eventually just piled up for me, as crafting rarely made sense and had no other use.
The Division 2 offers a significantly larger selection of materials than its predecessor, and each has its purpose, whether for crafting or for projects that in turn support the settlements.
Overall, the city is much more accessible than New York, where you are almost exclusively restricted to the streets. Roofs, alleys, and interiors provide much greater freedom of movement when traversing the world.
Due to the exploration factor, I’m getting to know the city better and discovering cool places, observing new things repeatedly. Certainly, one has to wait and see how it looks after 100, 500, or 1000 hours. But so far, it all looks very promising, and I’m not even at the endgame yet, where there are supposed to be significant changes.
Washington offers significantly more variety
The developers have kept their promise. D.C. offers with its 6 regions a greater variety than New York. There’s significantly more nature between the typical urban areas.
This factor was almost entirely missing in part 1 and opens up new tactical possibilities, especially for someone like me, who prefers to play as a sniper.
At some point, I also got tired of the always same house canyons and find it great that you can simply change neighborhoods depending on your mood.
I also find it impressive how much emphasis Massive placed on wildlife. Foxes, raccoons, deer, cats, dogs, insects like dragonflies and bees – the world buzzes with life.
Surely this takes away a bit from the desperate apocalypse atmosphere. Personally, I like the “I Am Legend” feeling (a movie with an apocalyptic scenario that ironically takes place in New York) almost as much as the desolate mood of the predecessor. There’s still enough trash and corpses lying around to create an apocalyptic atmosphere.
My first impression of the setting is very good overall, and I’m glad that Massive made this change in setting.
For the future, I hope that Massive could possibly even introduce seasons. A snowy D.C. would surely reconcile many fans and would be an interesting twist. One can dream.
The setting is, for me – as of now – the biggest factor that positively distinguishes The Division 2 from its predecessor.
What do you think of the setting? How do you feel about the change?
In Pokémon GO, the field research for March 2019 brings many Shinies. We show you which ones they are, how to get them, and what they look like.
What’s it about? Since the beginning of 2019, you can collect particularly many Shinies in Pokémon GO through the field research. In this overview, we show you which shiny Pokémon can appear through the quests.
Update: This article has been updated for the tasks in March.
Shiny List for Field Research in March in Pokémon GO
Here we list the Pokémon whose Shiny form you can obtain now in March through field research. Keep in mind that these encounters are not guaranteed; there is only a chance of Shinies. Since the field research has not changed, the Shinies here are also similar to February. New this time are Machop and Mankey.
Shiny Gastly
Quest: Make 3 great throws
Quest 2: Send 2 gifts to friends
Shiny Larvitar
Quest: Make 3 excellent throws in a row
Shiny Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle
Quest: Win a gym battle
Quest 2: Use Power-Up 5 times on a Pokémon
Shiny Omanyte
Quest: Win a Level 3 Raid or higher
Shiny Aerodactyl
Quest: Win 5 Raids
Quest 2: Evolve a Pokémon using an item
Shiny Shroomish
Quest: Battle in a Raid
Shiny Dratini
Quest: Catch a Dragon-type Pokémon
Shiny Magnemite
Quest: Catch 5 Fighting-type Pokémon
Shiny Magikarp
Quest: Catch 10 Pokémon
Quest 2: Use 10 Razz Berries to catch Pokémon
Shiny Houndour
Quest: Catch 10 Pokémon (same as for Magikarp)
Shiny Sandshrew
Quest: Catch 10 Ground-type Pokémon
Shiny Kabuto
Quest: Catch 10 Ice-type Pokémon
Shiny Growlithe
Quest: Use 5 Berries to catch Pokémon
Shiny Trubbish
Quest: Use 5 Pinap Berries to catch Pokémon
Shiny Snubbull
Quest: Hatch an egg
Shiny Eevee
Quest: Evolve a Pokémon
Shiny Sunkern
Quest: Evolve a Pokémon (same as for Eevee)
Shiny Machop
Quest: Battle 5 times in a gym (it can also count for “battle 1 time in a gym”)
Shiny Mankey
Quest: Battle in a gym
Shiny Overview for March 2019 – Left Normal form, right Shiny
How rare are Shinies in field research? Shiny forms are significantly rarer than the “normal” forms of Pokémon. It is estimated that the chance of a Shiny is about 1:60. They differ only visually from the normal form. This makes them particularly appealing to collectors.
Why is there a good chance of Shinies now? The field research in March in Pokémon GO rewards you with many Pokémon encounters. A large part of it can be shiny. There is no guarantee of encountering a Shiny through field research. But you have the chance to encounter the corresponding Pokémon in its shiny form if you complete the listed research tasks.
In a new update, Red Dead Redemption 2 is said to have received a graphics downgrade. Fans are recognizing this with a comparison of images before and after the patch.
This caught fans’ attention: Twitter user Darealbandit made a discovery in Red Dead Redemption 2.
With the new patch 1.6 for Red Dead Online, Rockstar is reportedly removing the feature “Ambient Occlusion.” This is said to negatively affect the single-player mode, Red Dead Redemption 2.
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Some players suspect that Rockstar removed Ambient Occlusion to improve performance – players also note that Red Dead Redemption runs significantly better for them.
Players suspect that Rockstar removed “Ambient Occlusion” in favor of the multiplayer mode “Red Dead Online” and are angry that this comes at the expense of single-player fans.
Respawn is increasingly addressing the cheating problem in Apex Legends. Many cheaters have now been banned, but they are complaining about it. They find it unfair.
This is what the cheaters say: In a hacker forum where cheats and exploits for Apex Legends are offered, some cheaters have complained. They were banned and cannot even play with new accounts.
A cheater has reportedly tried everything according to a thread on reddit, but nothing helped:
I really hope there’s a solution to get the ban lifted. It’s really annoying. I don’t even feel the urge to cheat in Apex. I just want to play normally.
Other cheaters are also annoyed by the bans they have received. Some even see this as a “reason” to quit, or they want to buy a new PC for that.
In another reddit thread, a user reports that new cheater accounts are getting automatically banned after a few minutes.
Cheaters feel unfairly treated.
This is what the cheating problem looks like: After the immense success of Apex Legends, there was a massive hacker problem. More and more players complained about hackers, and even major streamers have raised the alarm.
Apparently, the bans so far are also having an effect. The bans are “hardware bans.” This means that not only was the (free) account banned, but the cheater’s computer is also banned based on certain unchangeable properties.
Most cheaters have no way to play again due to a hardware ban, unless they buy a new PC. Even for professionals, it is difficult to circumvent such a ban.
The bans from Apex Legends are not easy to circumvent.
This is how the community reacts: Among the honest fans, there is schadenfreude. Cheaters are faced with mockery and ridicule for their behavior and for now complaining about “unfair treatment.”
I can’t imagine paying to… what exactly? To pretend to be good at a video game? How insecure do you have to be for that to sound like a good idea?
Most players are happy that the bans are now effective and that Respawn is getting rid of many cheaters.H
At the beginning of Apex, an aspiring pro wanted to cheat. It cost him his career:
Overwatch and the Overwatch League have been dominated by a defensive meta for a while now. To make this meta “immortal,” the Overwatch League has come up with something very special.
What are the goats doing on stage? During the pre-show of one of the game days of the Overwatch League, the hosts invited two special guests. To honor the GOATS meta, two live goats were brought onto the stage.
The moment with the goats is supposed to make the meta “immortal,” according to the hosts:
Whatever the future holds, may we always remember this era of Overwatch that we call GOATS.
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The two goats were even allowed to make a “prediction” by eating from specific buckets about which of the playing teams would win in one of the matches. However, they chose London Spitfire, who lost to the Seoul Dynasty that day.
GOATS (translated: goats) is the meta that has dominated Overwatch for some time as the “strongest tactic.” It focuses on three tanks and three healers. It got its name from the team GOATS, which first used the tactic.
What makes the goats special: According to the host Soe “Soembie” Gschwind, the two goats that were brought in are named Lúcio and Brigitte.
This is a reference to the two heroes around whom GOATS is built. Lúcio and Brigitte are now the core heroes of the composition, along with:
Reinhardt
Zarya
D.Va
The third support can be freely chosen, although Moira or Zenyatta often fill this role.
Zenyatta is a popular addition.
What is the problem with GOATS? When two teams with the GOATS composition face each other, not much usually happens in the game itself. The fights essentially revolve around which Zarya can use her Graviton Surge better.
In Anthem, there are several NPCs who are eager to start a conversation with you after your missions in Fort Tarsis. Among them are also some stories that take an unexpected turn.
The more you engage with the different characters, the more they reveal about themselves. Some of the stories even take a surprising turn.
Spoiler Warning: If you haven’t completed the main campaign of Anthem yet, you might learn some details about the story here. If you don’t want to know anything about it, you should probably not continue reading!
Merelda and the Search for Her Child
Merelda is a friendly older woman you encounter in Fort Tarsis right at the city gates. She is searching for her child, who should be arriving at the Fort any moment now, and says that your Freelancer reminds her of her son or daughter. If you continue to talk to her, she tells you that her child was in Freemark.
Merelda is right at the gates of the city.
As you learn from the campaign, Freemark was attacked over ten years ago by the Dominion – only a few people survived. You can give her hope and say that her child might still come, or you can tell her that you don’t think she should continue waiting for her family.
If you speak to the old lady again, she believes that your hero is her child. You can then tell Merelda that she is mistaken or let her believe that it is indeed true. If you choose to tell her that your Freelancer is her son or daughter, she will be delighted and treat you maternally in every conversation.
At some point, your Freelancer must confess to her that he or she is not her real child. At first, she appears confused, as she believed that the Anthem of Creation worked a miracle and saved her child. After a while, however, she can come to terms with the death of her family and thanks you for allowing her to experience a mother’s love once more.
This letter is sent to you by Merelda after you complete her story. Click to enlarge.
The Story of the Worrying Caretaker and the Two Tailors
Pirndel Blatch is the caretaker of the Fort and is responsible for maintaining and improving public spaces. He hopes that your influence can help make his security proposals more popular among the people of Fort Tarsis.
“Safety first!” – Pirndel Blatch
As the story progresses, Pirndel worries, for instance, about the restored fountain. Puddles would now form all over Fort Tarsis, and these would hardly get along with the cables lying around everywhere.
Enter Marl and Gunther: Marl is a tailor who, along with his muse Gunther, wants to give the Fort more beautiful outfits and colors. The two open a shop, and Marl is even inspired to create a completely new look: a golden scarf.
Marl (left) and Gunther (right) show off the latest craze in Fort Tarsis: a golden scarf.
But then disaster strikes: the shop burns down overnight, and Marl and Gunther blame each other for starting the fire. However, our caretaker Pirndel Blatch shows up and announces that it was not arson, but that a cable lying in a puddle caused the fire.
If only the people of Fort Tarsis had listened to the caretaker’s warnings beforehand!
Fortnite: Battle Royale is actually known for radically changing every season. But in Season 8, not much seems to be happening. Is the excitement gone, or is this actually a good thing? Our author Jürgen draws a conclusion.
Admittedly, the cannons and the Kugler are fun and enjoyable, but overall not much is happening in Fortnite.
You will search in vain for new weapons and the map has only changed in a limited area.
Comparing this to Season 7, where the map became larger and a ton of new things like zip lines, airplanes, and new weapons were added, Season 8 seems rather unspectacular to me.
Only the Battle Pass and the lackluster Level 100 skin are often criticized.
The cannon is fun and brings joy.
It seems that many players appreciate that Fortnite takes a step back with new updates and keeps things a little calmer for now.
Season 7, on the other hand, accelerated new content and radically changed the game first with planes and then with swords and new game modes.
This was too much for many players.
That’s why it’s smart: By focusing on fun and not groundbreaking innovations, Epic seems to bind players and give them what they want.
Is there a plan behind this? Perhaps Epic is also saving the big new stuff to lure players back from Apex Legends once the initial hype around the upcoming Season 1 there has died down.
Here is our Dark Zone guide to The Division 2. This is how you can unlock the Dark Zones, how to find the crates, and everything you need to know about the DZ is here in the overview.
The Dark Zone is the major unique feature of the Division series. It was announced in part 1 as the most dangerous and exciting area of the game, as you never know how other agents will behave in it.
In The Division 2, the Dark Zone returns – but with some innovations.
[toc]
These are Dark Zones – dangerous PvEvP modes
What to expect in Dark Zones: The Dark Zones are the areas in Washington D.C. that are particularly contaminated and therefore sealed off with walls. When the people fled from these areas, they left behind strong military equipment.
Now you enter the Dark Zones to grab the best loot in The Division 2. However, you are not the only ones in there. Numerous strong PvE enemies are waiting for you – and other players who can open fire on you to steal your loot.
In the Dark Zones, you will find loot that you can equip directly. However, the most desirable stuff is contaminated and must first be extracted by a helicopter. Only when the chopper pulls up the rope to which you attach the contaminated items does it safely belong to you.
These are the 3 Dark Zones: In The Division 2, there are three Dark Zone areas that differ from each other:
Dark Zone East: The largest of the three Dark Zones is in the east. You have long sightlines in overgrown public parks.
Dark Zone South: In the south is the smallest Dark Zone. The focus is on close combat, and you usually have only short sightlines.
Dark Zone West: The DZ in the west is divided by a large canal. Battles take place at medium range.
Map to the 3 Dark Zones:
This is how you unlock and enter the Dark Zones
What you need to do to enter the Dark Zones: The Dark Zones are not directly available at the start. You need to make sufficient progress with your agent to unlock the Dark Zones.
Now talk to Senait Ezera in the Theater Settlement. She then moves to the White House, where she works as a Dark Zone Officer. You will find her on the first floor.
Once you visit her, a reconnaissance mission for the Dark Zone East will be activated. This mission is a kind of tutorial where you explore the Dark Zone, eliminate enemies, and extract contaminated loot.
After Dark Zone East, you can unlock Dark Zone South and finally Dark Zone West as you progress through the game. These also have reconnaissance missions.
This is how Dark Zones work
The following explains the key mechanics in the Dark Zone.
What you need to know about loot in the Dark Zone
This is how loot and loot collection works:
Unlike The Division 1, there is loot in the Dark Zones of part 2 that belongs directly to you when you pick it up – which means it does not have to be extracted first. Since the collection process with the helicopter often ends in a bloodbath, this secured loot drop “stabilizes your player experience”. So you do not lose all your loot that you have painstakingly earned if you die during the collection.
However, the best stuff is contaminated and needs to be flown out. To do this, go to one of the extraction zones that are marked on the map in each Dark Zone. There you can request the helicopter with a flare gun. However, it takes a few seconds for it to appear. It also takes a while for the chopper to pull up the rope and fly away. Only when the rope that holds your loot is pulled up does it safely belong to you.
The quality (gear score) of the extracted rewards always depends on the player who extracts the rewards. In other words, if you’re wondering whether it’s worth stealing rewards from other players with lower levels, the answer is: Yes!
You can tell that other players are carrying contaminated loot by the yellow container on their backs that can be stolen.
As soon as you fire the flare gun, NPCs will appear for you to deal with. However, the other agents who can also appear to extract their gear – or to enhance their gear with your loot – are more dangerous.
When your rewards are hanging on the rope, you must guard them until the chopper pulls up the rope. Other agents can cut the rope and grab all the loot.
Loot from crates: You receive loot from NPCs, other agents, or crates. You can break these open – but then you will become rogue – or open them with Dark Zone keys. You can read more about crates further down in the guide.
What you need to know about becoming rogue
Is it worth becoming rogue? In The Division 2, the rogue mechanic has been completely overhauled. Now there are different levels of “rogue status”. When you become rogue, you risk much, but the rewards are good.
What you need to know about the “rogue” status: If a group member becomes rogue, everyone in that group becomes rogue. So clarify whether you really want this.
These are the rogue levels:
Rogue – You have not killed anyone, but you have behaved inappropriately. For example, you broke open a Dark Zone crate, stole DZ loot, or activated this status yourself.
Disavowed Rogue – If you are rogue and kill other agents, you get this status. You will be marked with a red symbol on the map and can be actively hunted.
Manhunt Status – If you have killed multiple agents and behaved quite badly, you reach the highest level: Manhunt. All players are notified that a nice bounty has been placed on you. Many will try to kill you.
This is how to get rid of the rogue status: Rogue agents are shown their own safehouses. In these “thief hideouts”, you can get rid of the status. However, you must first increase your countdown through “thieving” actions to a certain point before the hideout appears at a random location.
Agents with the manhunt status can only deactivate their status at three terminals that are displayed on the map. At such a terminal, you can either remove the status or even increase the notoriety and bounty to have better rewards. You can then still get rid of the status at one of the remaining two terminals.
Info on normalization, matchmaking, and occupied Dark Zones
This is normalization: To create relatively balanced conditions in the Dark Zones, normalization comes into effect. This means all weapons and equipment are balanced so that strategy and skill decide victory or defeat in combat, rather than an extremely powerful loadout.
Info on matchmaking: You will be placed into level brackets when you start matchmaking:
Level 1-10
Level 11-20
Level 21-30
World Ranks
This way you will be grouped with players who have made about the same progress as you. A maximum of 12 players can be present in each Dark Zone at the same time. Solo players should primarily encounter other solo players, but this is not guaranteed.
These are occupied Dark Zones: Occupied Dark Zones are mainly aimed at PvP-enthusiast agents. These are events where only one of the three Dark Zones should be occupied at any time. Basically, all rules are thrown out:
There is no longer a separation between rogue and decent agents.
Friendly fire is active.
No normalization of equipment – whoever has the best build has a big advantage.
The Dark Zone benefits
This is how you get Dark Zone benefits: Your activities in the DZ will be rewarded with DZ XP. The more DZ experience points you collect, the higher you rise in the DZ level. You start at level 1, and at the highest level, you receive expert containers.
If you are killed while rogue, you lose DZ XP. The higher the rogue rank, the more DZ XP you lose upon death.
At certain DZ levels, you can activate DZ benefits with Senait Ezera. If your DZ level falls below the required DZ level for benefits, the benefits are deactivated again.
What do the benefits do? Every 5 DZ levels, you rise in a “rank”. For each rank, there are benefits such as
additional space for contaminated items
25% more DZ XP for eliminating other players
25% chance of receiving DZ keys from loot crates in the DZ
25% faster start of extraction
and many more. You can inspect them with the Dark Zone Officer.
Locations of Dark Zone crates East
The locations of the DZ crates in DZ-East: In the video from Arekkz Gaming, several crates in the Dark Zone East are shown to you. First, you will see the respective location on the map, then in the open world:
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This is how you get Dark Zone keys: Elite enemies with yellow health bars and names can drop the keys. You can also steal them from other players. If you are at DZ level 25, you can unlock the benefit that loot crates in the DZ have a 25% chance to drop a key.
You need the keys to open the crates in a proper way. However, if you break them open, you will become rogue.
Note: The locations of the crates in other Dark Zones will be added in the future.
Tips on how to survive in the Dark Zone
These tips you should keep in mind: In addition to all the tips mentioned in this guide, we have these tips for you:
Do not run around in the open street. You are an easy target for NPCs and other agents there. Use cover, check if the way is clear, and stay in the shadows!
Solo agents are usually at a disadvantage in Dark Zones. We recommend tackling this PvEvP mode in a group, as you can use all the support you can get.
Always keep an eye on your surroundings. When you fight NPCs, other agents may see this as an opportunity to shoot you in the back. It is best to pay attention to what is happening around you in the group.
On the other hand: If you hear gunshots, run towards them and try to take advantage of the situation. Maybe there is a lone agent who is not paying attention to what is happening behind him…
When extractions at extraction points, many expect someone to open fire. Particularly nasty agents may dance with you first to create a false sense of security. Just before the extraction is complete, they shoot you in the back. So be careful of agents who seem particularly friendly.
If you discover good contaminated items, do not hesitate to have them extracted quickly. The longer you wait, the greater the chance of being ambushed.
And the most important tip: Trust no one!
Do you have any further tips? Post them in the comments!
The mobile game Fate/Grand Order is considered the prime example of “Pay2Win” games. But the gacha principle works incredibly well. According to new reports, players have spent 3 billion US dollars – predominantly in Japan.
How much money does the game make? As reported by SensorTower , Fate/Grand Order has generated approximately 3 billion US dollars globally since its release in August 2015.
This corresponds to a $60 PS4 title that has sold 50 million copies:
82% of the 3 billion dollars come from Japan, which is about 2.2 billion $
12% from China – 360 million US dollars
In the USA, it accounts for 3%, which is about 90 million dollars
The game is distributed in Japan and the USA by Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Japan. Fate/Grand Order is an important revenue generator for Sony.
In South Korea, Netmarble is the publisher – they have been considered pioneers in the mobile sector for decades.
What kind of game is it? Fate/Grand Order is an online game for mobile platforms iOS and Android. It is based on the Japanese visual novel Fate/stay night.
The game was released:
In 2015 in Japan
In 2017 in the USA and South Korea
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Fate/Grand Order is a turn-based role-playing game. The player collects characters and can use up to 6 of these Servants in a match: 3 are active, 3 in reserve.
These games are also called “Collectibles RPGs”, because ultimately it is about collecting special heroes.
Players access the Servants in Fate/Grand Order via a “Gacha” mechanic: thus through classic “loot box” mechanics. The mechanics are considered “Pay2Win” in the West – in Asia, however, the mentality seems to be different.
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Gacha originally comes from Asian machines that operate similarly to the gum machines we used to have. You put in money and have a chance to get something good or a dud (the gum).
The in-game currency “Quartz” can be earned by players in Fate/Grand Order or purchased through microtransactions – it is needed to pull at the machine and trigger the Gacha mechanic.
When the Quartz runs out, just head to the cash shop – Source: Polygon
Why is the game considered Pay2Win? There are many stories of players who spend a lot of money on microtransactions to win specific, extremely rare heroes. The odds of getting the top prizes in these systems are tiny and players invest a lot of money on microtransactions to get the heroes they want.
The Wall Street Journal reported in March 2018 about a man who spent $70,000 on the game.
The US site Polygon states that Fate/Grand Order openly addresses this Pay2Win aspect and has even made it part of the advertising for the game.
What is the key to success? The catch is that the players of Fate/Grand Order build an emotional connection to the most coveted heroes and desperately want them because they consider them to be particularly cool.
However, these heroes need to be obtained multiple times to optimize them, and the odds are tiny.
How does Fate/Grand Order deal with Pay2Win accusations? Fate/Grand Order has designed a character named “Gudako” who is a classic whale, meaning she invests massive amounts of money to progress quickly in the game and acquire everything she wants.
She is apparently driven by the desire for other players to admire her and want to be as powerful as she is.
According to Polygon, fans love this character.
This is the character that represents “Whales” in Fate/Grand Order.
What lies behind it: The success of Fate/Grand Order shows differences in culture:
Here in the West, gacha mechanics in games trigger shitstorms. “Paying for Progress” is frowned upon – only purely cosmetic cash shops like in Fortnite, LoL, or Overwatch are tolerated by core gamers.
With Season 6, the arsenal of Guardians in Destiny 2 was expanded with new weapons from Gambit Prime. One of these weapons is gaining increasing popularity among Guardians and should definitely be tried if you like hand cannons.
This weapon is about: Specifically, it concerns the new hand cannon Notration. The weapon is classified in the kinetic slot, fires at 150 RPM and belongs to the archetype with a lightweight shell. Therefore, the handling is top-notch and you move faster when the weapon is equipped.
What makes the weapon so special? The Notration is a direct competitor to the Midnight Coup from Year 1 – still one of the best and most popular hand cannons for the kinetic slot today.
The stats of the Notration (Source: light.gg)
The twist: The Notration outperforms the Midnight Coup in all important stats and can be further customized and enhanced with mods! Additionally, the Notration can roll with new perks that have come with Season 6. And some of them are really impressive.
For comparison: The stats of the Midnight Coup (Source: light.gg)
These include:
Multi-kill Clip: The perk increases weapon damage after reloading based on the number of quick kills previously made
Outlaw: Kills partially reload the magazine from reserves, but the reserve capacity is reduced
Gunslinger: The weapon’s damage is increased by melee kills and kills with the weapon
This perk combo is particularly popular: Especially the combination of Gunslinger and Outlaw is currently very popular in PvE.
After a kill, Outlaw reloads 2 bullets from reserves into the magazine, so you hardly need to reload when clearing regular enemy groups. Although the reserves are cut by about 60%, since it is white ammo, you should not be troubled by ammunition shortages.
Gunslinger works similarly to Frenzy and increases weapon damage. But unlike Frenzy, Gunslinger can stack up to 5x and lasts 4.5 seconds. Additionally, Gunslinger can also be activated by melee kills. A melee kill gives you an immediate 5x Gunslinger. Frenzy can, on the other hand, stack 3x and lasts 3.5 seconds without a mod.
This allows the damage of the Notration to be significantly increased. 5x Gunslinger (2,172 damage on red bars) is essentially equivalent to 3x Frenzy (2,182), but lasts longer. With, for example, the Minor-Spec mod, the damage of the Notration can be further pushed against smaller enemies, which surpasses the Midnight Coup.
In short: If you use this Notration combo correctly, you can maintain increased damage for a long time without having to reload. A perfect and worthy replacement for the Midnight Coup and excellent for PvE. But even in PvP, the weapon can shine with some good rolls.
You can find a detailed review of the weapon in this video by Atzecross Gaming:
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A particularly reliable source is obviously Tier 3, which is the third level of Reckoning. Numerous Guardians report that the Notration can drop there after the final boss fight with a high probability. No special requirements or tasks need to be completed for this.
Trainer battles in Pokémon GO are not boring! This is proven by numerous tournaments that are also held in Germany.
What kind of tournaments are these? The American website TheSilphRoad regularly organizes PvP tournaments in Pokémon GO. These take place all over the world. We reported on the beginnings back in January, but now it is also gaining momentum in Germany.
All over Germany, venues are hosting their own tournaments and participating in TheSilphRoad’s regulations. We will show you how these tournaments are run here.
These are the PvP tournaments in Germany
Who organizes the tournaments? Every month, TheSilphRoad announces a new cup. The rules are then established. For example, every month features different types with which you can battle.
The Tempest Cup is currently ongoing
Once the cup is known, each community organizes itself. They set the place and time, and then battles are fought according to TheSilphRoad’s rules.
How is it received in Germany? All over Germany, small tournaments are held. Communities regularly report about their successful tournaments.
PvP tournament in Mainz – A great success
So we can give you an example of a successful tournament, we spoke with the organizer of the Mainz PvP tournament.
This is how the PvP tournament in Mainz went down.
So many people were there: A total of 3 tournaments have already been held in Mainz, so they participated in every call from TheSilphRoad and even organized their own tournament.
Boulder Cup: 41 players
Free for all: 39 players
Twilight Cup: 46 players
Here’s what else is in store: At the tournament, it’s not just about battling; there is also plenty of interaction. Additionally, there are themed treats related to the cup.
In the end, there is even something to win. This is provided by the organizers. So whoever wins the tournament will also be rewarded.
These treats were specially made for the Twilight Cup
Not just in Mainz: The organizer of the tournament is also in contact with other communities. Tournaments are held in many cities throughout Germany. There are also small prizes to be won there.
Do you want to participate as well? You can easily register your community on the TheSilphRoad website. If you’re still looking for a community, you’ll also find it there.
This month, the Tempest Cup will still take place. So you can get started with battling right away. Among others, in Mainz. Battles will take place there on 24.03.
If you have any questions about the PvP mode, check out our comprehensive guide:
In The Division 2 there are unique equipment pieces and weapons called Exotics that you can find. Here’s how to get one of the coolest exotic handguns in the game.
What are Exotics?Exotics, or exotic gear, are unique weapons and armor pieces that you can obtain in The Division 2. You can equip only one exotic weapon and one exotic gear piece in your builds.
This is the weapon: Each piece has a unique look and abilities that no other weapons have. One of them is “Kendra’s Liberty,” an exotic Desert Eagle pistol, which has been shown in a leak.
This is what the exotic pistol Liberty looks like
You can get the blueprint after completing the campaign
This is how you get the exotic weapon: At the end of the campaign, you will be sent to the enemy stronghold at the Capitol. There, you need to take out Kendra Nelson. Once you’ve done that, you will be rewarded with the exotic material “Pistol: Trigger and Mechanism.”
Initially, you won’t be able to do much with this material, but if you complete 3 specific missions on the difficulty level “Hard” or higher, you can craft your first exotic pistol.
After defeating the bosses from these missions, you will receive the remaining exotic parts and the blueprint you need. Then you’ll need to have 19 polymer, 15 carbon fiber, and 45 components ready.
In the end, you still need one crucial item: a D50 high-end pistol. Finding this can take some time, as it’s a random drop.
So keep an eye out to see if you already have it. Make sure to hold on to it!
You will receive the exotic materials from the missions. The rest you have to find yourself. Source: Youtube
Kendra’s Liberty looks cool
Since exotic weapons also come with their own talents, let’s take a closer look at Liberty’s.
These are the talents of the exotic pistol:
Liberty: Double damage against hostile electronics (drones, turrets, and other abilities)
Blind Justice: After destroying a weak point or enemy electronics, your next bullet deals 500% more damage. If the shot is lethal, your magazine is instantly refilled. The damage of the weapon is increased by 100% for this magazine.
Independence (When holstered): Destroying weak points refills your equipped weapon’s magazine by 20%.
This video from WiLLisGaming shows you how to get Kendra’s Liberty in action:
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With the quest for the exotic hand cannon Thorn, Guardians in Destiny 2 have several options for how to obtain this weapon. However, they still need to participate in PvP at least once. Read our guide on how to get the Thorn in Destiny 2.
On Tuesday, March 12, a new quest will launch in Destiny 2 for all owners of the Annual Pass. It is designed to lead Guardians through several steps to the exotic hand cannon Thorn, which makes its return in Season 6 of Destiny 2.
The Thorn quest brings a new quest design
What makes this quest so special? The unique aspect of the Thorn quest is that it allows players for the first time to choose how to approach certain steps.
Guardians have the choice in most extensive quest steps whether to enter the Crucible, engage in PvE group content, or go solo in PvE and complete the respective task.
Everyone can now choose how they earn the new exotic weapon based on their personal preferences. You are no longer forced into a playstyle or activity that you actually do not enjoy.
Here’s the catch: There is one exception to this new quest design. Players cannot completely avoid the Crucible.
One quest step requires participation in PvP. However, precautions have also been taken here to make this part more bearable for Guardians who are less enthusiastic about PvP.
How to get the Thorn in Destiny 2
The quest is titled “Independent Studies.” You must first follow a clue at a mysterious location in the EDZ on Earth. This is where the quest begins for you.
Here’s how to get the first quest step: The Thorn quest starts in the EDZ on Earth. Head towards the area called Trostland.
Run north to the salt mines, enter the saltworks and continue to the broken elevator, where you will find a teleporter. Use this.
Once you are ported, run up the hill until you reach an energy barrier. Keep to the left along the rock wall and jump through the small passage above. There you will find an abandoned hideout.
Search the campfire and you will receive the first step of the Thorn quest.
After that, the following steps will lead you to the new weapon exotic:
A melted metal lump: At the start of the quest, you will receive a burned weapon that you can identify as Thorn. It is broken but might still be repairable.
Therefore, you need to bring the damaged Thorn to the weapon master Banshee-44 in the Tower.
The Essence: Banshee instructs you to gather some components for the Thorn’s repair. First, you need Hadron Essence. Here are your options to obtain it:
Complete bounties for Asher Mir on Io
Defeat Warlocks in the Crucible
Complete Nightfall Strikes
Successfully completing the Nightfalls is said to be the most effective way to progress.
The Steel: Now you need to gather Plasteel Plates. You have several options for that as well:
Complete bounties for Sloane on Titan
Defeat Titans in the Crucible
Complete encounters in the Blind Well
Mastering the Blind Well contributes most significantly to your progress.
The Binding: As the third and final component, you need Sapphire Wire. You can obtain this material in the following ways:
Complete bounties for Ana Bray on Mars
Defeat Hunters in the Crucible
Complete a wave of the Escalation Protocol
The most effective way is to fight your way through the waves in the Escalation Protocol.
Transform the Unknown into a Weapon: In this step, the Thorn must now be connected with the Light, which will inevitably lead you into the Crucible. Because there is no other option outside of PvP for this quest step.
Here you need to eliminate Guardians with Void energy or hand cannons in the Crucible. Precision shots with Void hand cannons are the most effective for progress.
Additionally, progress is multiplied in the Iron Banner and in competitive PvP matches. Apparently, there will be no loss of progress due to your own deaths.
With these options, even those who are not keen on PvP should have a good chance of mastering this step with some time and dedication.
One thing remains: To learn more about the weapon, you should now pay a visit to the Cryptarch Tyra Karn on the Farm and speak with her.
Chasm of Screams: In this final quest step, you must transform the repaired weapon into the true Thorn. To do this, you must defeat the Lieutenants Sardav and Telesh, as well as Savathûn’s Song in a harder version of the “Savathûn’s Song” strikes.
If you successfully complete this step, the Thorn will belong to you.
The release of The Division 2 is just around the corner. 3 years after the predecessor, many returning players are now wondering: What’s new? We present to you 7 of the biggest innovations.
The Division 1 has a turbulent history behind it, but over the years the shared-world shooter has continued to evolve. The Division 2 continues this path. However, some fans are wondering: Where are the innovations?
While many of the features and systems were already present in a similar form in part 1 and have been further developed for part 2, there are now some innovations that were missed in The Division 1.
[toc]
The Clan Feature
What’s new: In The Division 1, there were no options to form any clans or similar in-game.
Social features existed, but apart from the basic premise of co-op gameplay, there were none. In The Division 2, you will find an extensive clan system.
How does it work? In the game, you can create a clan at any time. However, you must first unlock the functions through the story.
What’s new: Strongholds, or also strongpoints, are missions that are significantly larger than the main missions of the campaign.
There are a total of 4 strongholds, the headquarters of the enemy factions of The Division 2. They play an important role in both the story and the endgame.
How does it work? The first 3 strongholds can already be played during the main campaign. But for that, you must first complete the relevant main missions. The strongholds are one of the prerequisites to reach the endgame.
In the endgame, the 4th faction, Black Tusk, appears and takes over all strongholds itself.
Therefore, these must be completed again in a harder variation to advance in the world ranks.
Once you have completed all 3 strongholds again and reached world rank 4, the 4th stronghold, Tidal Basin, will be unlocked. It is the stronghold of the Black Tusk.
In addition to the safe houses known from the predecessor, civilians now live in proper settlements and organize themselves into groups. You can
interact with civilians both inside and outside the story,
accept missions and projects,
deliver resources,
trade
and recruit individuals important for the Division’s mission.
The Theater Settlement has already been visited by many agents in the betas
Additionally, there is a network of dynamic checkpoints distributed throughout the game world. These are highly contested and can be controlled by either civilians or the enemy factions.
How does it work? Civilians and enemy factions constantly fight for control of these important points in the game world. You can support the civilians in capturing them.
Once you capture points, they will be occupied by civilians. You can constantly supply them with resources such as materials and food and assist in their defense. Captured checkpoints also provide loot that corresponds to your level.
A green checkpoint is under civilian control, red means hostile (Beta screenshot)
There is finally a Photo Mode
What’s new: Many players have already wished for a way to take cool pictures and screenshots in the predecessor.
In The Division 2, players can finally use a photo mode to capture the detailed and large game world of Washington D.C. and create cool works.
How does it work? The photo mode can be started from the menu. You can move the camera within a certain radius of your character and test different positions. There are also filters and other effects.
This image was taken with the photo mode in the private beta
The 3 Specializations
What’s new: In addition to the huge selection of weapons and gear, there are now also new specializations in the endgame. These are new progression trees that you can develop from level 30 onwards.
How does it work? Each of the 3 specializations comes with an individual weapon, various skill variants, perks, and other advantages.
Sniper with a .50 caliber sniper rifle,
Destruction expert with a grenade launcher
Survival specialist with a crossbow.
This allows you to develop your preferred playstyle and optimize builds further. Are you more of a sniper who inflicts damage from a distance and locates enemies with a scanner drone, or rather the destroyer who creates chaos with a shotgun and grenade launcher?
You can constantly freely switch between the specializations and develop all to the maximum.
What’s new: Although there were PvP modes in The Division 1, these were more of a nice addition that was only delivered later with DLCs.
In The Division 2, there is now a dedicated PvP area called Conflict, right from the start.
In The Division 2, chaos ensues
How does it work? In your operations base, you can choose from 2 PvP modes:
Skirmish (Team Deathmatch, 4 vs 4)
Domination (Capture and Hold, 4 vs 4)
The matches take place on dedicated PvP maps that have been specially designed for these modes. In the first part, only certain sections of the game world were used for the PvP maps.
What’s new: Even before the release of The Division 1, fans expressed the desire to play large raids. However, with incursions, rather mini-variants were introduced; there are no larger raids.
This will change in The Division 2, as the first raid “Operation Dark Hours” is set to launch shortly after release.
How does it work? There is hardly any more detailed information. It is certain that raids are designed for 8 players and that the venue for Operation Dark Hours will be the Washington Ronald Reagan Airport.
Otherwise, the developers provided only vague information. It is said that the raid will challenge players and remind one more of raids from classic MMORPGs. Exploration will apparently be a central point of the raid.
Dark Hours will be the first, but not the last raid. Massive is already planning further 8-player activities.
Starting March 15, you can see the innovations of The Division 2 for yourself. Those who pre-order certain editions can already take vacation in Washington D.C. starting March 12.
2019 seems to be the year of Apex Legends and streamer Shroud on Twitch. Apex Legends has dethroned Fortnite as the top game on Twitch. Shroud is the new star, and his career plans differ drastically from those of his predecessor Ninja.
Who is the face of Twitch? In recent years, there has always been a big game and a streamer who represented it, enjoying tremendous success alongside the game:
In 2019, it seems that Apex Legends will be the big game of the year, and here is Michael “Shroud” Grzesiek at the top. Shroud is calm, not a showman, but an outstanding shooter. Nickname: “Human Aim-Bot.”
The respective streamers were considered the “face of Twitch” during their time.
All three streamers have been very successful before and after their “peak,” but, so far, there has often been only room for one at the top.
DrDisRespect, the star of Twitch 2017
Shroud and Apex Legends replace Fortnite and Ninja in February
How successful is Shroud: Currently, Shroud has the fastest growing channel on Twitch by far, as shown by the site “Twitch-Metrics.”
The fastest growing channels on Twitch in the last 30 days. Source: Twitchmetrics
This coincides with the rise of Apex Legends on Twitch. It surpassed Fortnite in February, after Fortnite had been the most-watched game for 11 consecutive months.
Since Fortnite completely entered the mainstream in March 2018, it had been at the top. But now Apex Legends is here.
Shroud himself is surprised by this success. The former CS:GO pro has been on Twitch for years and was already a big player with PUBG, but he likely did not expect this rise with Apex Legends.
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This is how Shroud deals with success: What is interesting is how Shroud envisions his future. In a stream, he says:
A lot of people in my position would now try to do more. They would try to take advantage of the moment and grow bigger and bigger.
I’m not interested in that; I just want to play games.
I don’t care about going to events or meeting stars – but that’s exactly what one has to do to grow and later pursue another career.
But I don’t want that. I just want to game until I die. That’s my plan.
Shroud on his future plans
Apex Legends surged in February
This is what’s behind it: Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, the Fortnite star, did exactly what Shroud rejects for himself. He sought the company of celebrities. His plan was clear: to grow bigger and bigger.
Shroud has a different idea. Apparently, each game will also get a streamer that somehow fits it.
Fans of electronic sports can look forward to a special feature. The popular cartoon series “The Simpsons” has collaborated with the developers of League of Legends, Riot, on a special episode.
What is the episode about? It is about a new episode from the now 30th season of The Simpsons. This is set to air tomorrow, Sunday, March 17, in the USA.
The episode will be titled “E My Sports” in the original, a nod to Bart’s famous saying “eat my shorts.” A date for the premiere in Germany is still pending.
This is what the episode is about: After The Simpsons have already ventured into MMORPGs, it is now about E-sports. In the episode “E My Sports,” Bart becomes a pro-gamer. He plays with several of his classmates a game called “Conflict of Enemies.” Conflict of Enemies appears to be some sort of MOBA.
What Conflict of Enemies looks like has already been shown by producer Al Jean in a tweet. The visuals are reminiscent of MOBA giants like League of Legends or Dota 2. We have included the tweet below for you.
As a coach, it seems that his father Homer is acting. Bart even plays at home on his computer, accurately portrayed with nice equipment and a mustache. (Title image. Image source: Kotaku)
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This is the purpose of the collaboration: Simpsons producer FOX has partnered with LoL creator Riot for the production of the episode. The goal was to portray video games as authentically as possible.
Riot Games Esports consulted with the writers of The Simpsons for an accurate depiction of video games in the episode. Bart will be a “one trick” who loses his lane, freaks out, feeds, trolls, and then griefs his teammates.
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