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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The Asia MMORPG Astellia has talked extensively about its own combat system. It is said to be traditional but also to contain some special elements. Players should particularly recognize the evasion roll.
Tab-targeting or action combat? The most important question regarding new MMORPGs usually revolves around the combat system. Will it be more dynamic and action-packed, or will we happily switch through the mobs?
Astellia claims to rely on old values and focuses on tab-targeting. However, a bit of movement and a few peculiarities are also incorporated into this combat system.
The dynamics in battles
Can you dodge attacks? A special feature of Astellia’s combat system will be the evasion roll. This can be activated by double-tapping a directional key.
Generally, you stand still when casting a skill. Nevertheless, elements have been integrated to make fighting more dynamic.
These evasion rolls are comparable to Guild Wars 2. They are primarily intended to help avoid large and powerful attacks and to reposition in a fight.
Better gameplay feel with skills: Currently, work is being done on the length of animations. The aim is not to bind players to a skill for too long.
Furthermore, the developers are currently working on allowing the casting of skills to be interrupted, for example by the active evasion roll. This was previously not possible, but was urgently requested in player feedback.
Special combinations with the Astels
What are Astels? The combat system of Astellia is complemented by the Astels. These are small summons that support you in battle.
Similar to a trading card game, before a battle you can select 3 out of 30 different Astels to fight alongside you.
Each Astel has special functions and can deal damage, tank, heal players, or perform combo attacks with them.
Combos with your Astels: As an example, the developers describe in their post that the class Assassin can apply a backstab and teleport behind the opponent.
If you now use Seika (also an Assassin) as an Astel, a joint teleport and backstab will be executed. Due to the synergy, this causes particularly high damage.
However, many other combinations are also said to be possible. With 5 classes and 30 Astels, there should be a variety of combinations for Astellia’s group content.
Own playstyle through skill points
In Astellia, you will be able to distribute skill points that will influence your abilities.
What do skill points change? As an example, the shield bash of the warrior was mentioned. You can skill it so that the duration of the stun is increased. Alternatively, you can invest points to reduce the cooldown.
Although the difference may not sound particularly large at first glance, this system is intended to be applied to each individual skill in the game.
Astellia is doing well in Korea, will it succeed here too?
Saturn.de is currently offering Samsung’s former phablet flagship, the Galaxy Note 8, at a particularly good price. In addition, numerous Steelbook Blu-rays are discounted.
Well-aged high-end smartphone: Although the Galaxy Note 8 was released in 2017, it still holds up very well in terms of specifications compared to current models.
The features:
6.3 inch AMOLED display with 2,960 x 1,440 pixels and HDR support
Samsung’s in-house Exynos chip with eight CPU cores and up to 2.3 GHz along with 6 GB of RAM
The rear dual-camera offers 12 megapixels along with optical image stabilization and can record videos up to 2160p at 30 fps.
The built-in storage is 64 GB and can be expanded via microSD slot (Android 9.0 available via update).
The 3,300 mAh battery is non-removable and supports wireless charging (Qi, PMA).
IP68 certification against water and dust
Includes stylus for pen operation
Ports and interfaces: USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 (OTG), 3.5mm jack, WLAN 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, ANT+, fingerprint sensor
User feedback: The Galaxy Note 8 is almost universally positively rated, especially in terms of its good specifications. However, the battery life is sometimes criticized as being needing improvement.
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In further testing:Chip.de gave a rating of 90.8 percent and found mainly good things about the model:
The Galaxy Note 8 performs well in our tests. The dimensions remain moderate compared to the Galaxy S8 Plus and iPhone 7 Plus. A real highlight is the beautiful, edge-to-edge display as well as the dual-lens camera with 2x zoom.
We also like the new S-Pen features. Given the price, Samsung could have been more generous with the internal storage. It’s also a shame that at launch, it ran Android 7 and not the new Android 8 Oreo.
Savings: Saturn.de currently offers the Galaxy Note 8 shipping free for 389 Euros instead of the MSRP of 999 Euros. In the price comparison at Geizhals.de, it is listed as available starting at 444 Euros.
With the “Saturn Card”, you can currently save another 10 percent, which we have already covered in a separate announcement.
The same applies to the discounted Blu-rays in Steelbook packaging, with various films available for just 7.99 Euros each. The promotion runs here until Monday at 9 am.
Mit einem Einkaufswagen markierte Links sind so genannte Affiliate-Links. Beim Kauf über diese Links erhalten wir je nach Anbieter eine kleine Provision – ohne Auswirkung auf den Preis.More info.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
When you fight in raids or arenas in Pokémon GO, a team will always be suggested to you. However, this is often not good and should not be taken.
That’s why you shouldn’t listen to Pokémon GO: The suggestions for teams are not the most effective Pokémon, but rather the monsters that can endure the longest.
This is not always good, as you primarily want to deal effective damage. We will tell you what lies behind the suggestions and what you should do instead.
That’s why you shouldn’t fight with the suggestions
This is the goal when fighting: Of course, you want to deal a lot of damage in a gym battle or raid. For this, you need effective counters.
In battles, you should not listen to the suggestions.
This is what Niantic suggests: The suggestions in the game are designed to endure a lot. So it doesn’t matter how effective your Pokémon is, the main thing is that it can endure a lot of damage.
They only have a high HP and defense value, which is why they can endure a lot of damage.
This is what you should do instead: It is worthwhile to assemble a good fighting team for each raid. You could also have a general fighting team for arenas ready.
A good fighting team is crucial.
This is what the suggestions are good for: In raids, the suggestions can sometimes be useful. This way, you can sometimes see which moves the raid Pokémon possess.
If in Palkia raids, for example, fairy Pokémon like Pantimos or Togekiss were suggested to you, then Palkia had Draco Meteor. If dragon Pokémon were suggested to you instead, then Palkia had Hydro Pump.
This is because the move Draco Meteor is very effective against dragon Pokémon and the Pokémon of this type cannot endure much damage. However, if Palkia has Hydro Pump, the dragons can endure more and will be suggested.
What about PvP? In PvP battles, a team is also suggested to you. However, the composition is different because you do not see the opponent’s team, unlike in raids or arenas.
Here, you should definitely pay much more attention to what the opponent might use. A lot of luck in team selection also plays a role.
A good Pokémon for your fighting team is Rameidon. We will tell you why:
In The Division 2 you can assist civilians in building their settlements and reap rewards through projects. Our guide explains how it works.
At the beginning of the story of The Division 2, Washington D.C. is in a chaotic state. The civilians, as well as the Division, are in distress. Hostile factions are fighting for control.
Throughout the story, the goal is to reclaim D.C. and restore order. Civilians and their settlements play an important role in this. We explain how they work and what you need to know about the settlement projects.
Settlements and Civilians – the Extended Arm of the Division
These are the settlements: Apart from your Operations Base, the White House, there are several settlements in The Division 2 where civilians are organized and live independently.
However, these are in rather bad shape at the beginning of the game. Part of the game is to support and build up the settlements.
In return, they function as refuges, trading hubs, and their inhabitants support you in the fight against the threats in the city. You could almost consider them additional Operations Bases.
This is how the settlements work: If you support the people of the settlements, you receive many benefits in return. These include
NPCs who unlock new functions for you in the White House and are important for progress
Merchants who supply you with gear
new side missions that grant you blueprints and SHD tech
and projects.
How can you expand settlements? If you complete main and side missions, areas of the settlements will be built up, expanded, and living conditions improved there.
This earns you loyalty levels. With each level, there are new functions or bonuses. For example, through the 4 levels of the Theater settlement, which is available right at the beginning, you can unlock these NPCs for the White House:
Level 1: Inaya al-Khaliq – Crafting Station
Level 2: Grace Larson – Clan Functions
Level 3: Senait Ezera – Dark Zone Officer
Level 4: Charles Douglas – Shooting Range
In addition to the NPCs, there are many more side missions that then become available. Additionally, there are new projects that you can complete.
Projects are worth it, so collect everything
What are projects? These are essentially settlement assignments that you can pick up from the respective NPCs. Projects consist of several requirements that you must fulfill to complete them.
Once you succeed, you receive rewards in the form of gear, blueprints, experience points, or bounties.
This is what you need to do to complete projects: In the game, you can view your accepted projects at any time either in the main menu, at your project manager in the Operations Base, or with the respective project officer of the settlements.
There you have an overview of your progress on all projects and can see at any time what you are missing for completion.
This is what a possible project looks like. Here a bounty mission and EXP as a reward.
Projects may present you with various tasks:
Material Donations: This usually involves various materials like ceramics, polycarbonate, or steel. So it’s worth collecting all kinds of stuff in the open world.
Gear Donations: Typically, this means 3 items of the same kind, such as 3 masks or holsters.
District Activities: Complete 3 activities of any kind in a specific district or, more specifically, prevent an execution.
Find SHD Containers: There are several SHD containers in each district that will be shown to you on the map.
Most tasks can be completed alongside other activities while you finish other tasks in the Operations Base. However, it can be worthwhile to complete them specifically if you want certain blueprints.
Accordingly, it’s important that you don’t immediately dismantle or sell all the gear, but check your projects first.
This tip is one of 15 others that we will present to you in our special:
In general, you should collect everything you find in the open world. Every exploration tour is worthwhile, as it can benefit you in many projects. Often, you can complete several projects at once this way.
Are you looking for more information and guides on The Division 2?
In Fortnite , an an extraordinary event could take place as early as tomorrow, Sunday, March 17th. Because then it’s St. Patrick’s Day – that could turn Fortnite quite green, bring some skins and a new mode.
Update March 17th: The event has now started. We have information about it on Sunday morning
This event is about: St. Patrick’s Day is the Irish national holiday – which is also celebrated in other countries like the USA, where many people have Irish roots.
St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated by turning as many things green as possible: clothing, rivers, beer – everything that can be made green.
St. Patrick’s Day is also observed in video games:
An event skin is relatively rare and therefore highly sought after.
Sgt. Grünklee (Unusual – Saint Patrick’s Day)
“Green” mode with pretty bad loot
How does Fortnite celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year? Nothing has been officially announced yet, but dataminers have found a new mode.
The new limited-time mode is called “Going Green”: This is a classic battle royale mode, but there’s almost only green loot – meaning relatively poor items.
On the occasion of St. Patrick’s Day, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is currently celebrating the “Shamrock & Awe” event. However, the festivities are not well received by all fans. Once again, the pricing policy of the game is the focus of criticism.
What is the event about? Since March 12, the seasonal spring event of Operation Grand Heist from Black Ops 4 has been live – at least on PS4. PC and Xbox One are expected to follow a week later.
The event brings, among other things, a spring update for the Blackout map and paints it in a juicy green color with a lovely spring sun. Additionally, the in-house Battle Royale now receives a Hardcore mode. The traditional multiplayer mode features a event-specific mode called Stockpile, and there are also new theme-inspired contents for Zombies.
What is the problem with the spring event? However, one thing that many fans expected is missing or at least not without further costs – the appropriate rewards in the form of new items.
Because while the event in Call of Duty: WW II still brought new playable items and weapons into the game, that is no longer the case for Black Ops 4. Shamrock & Awe does not receive its own stream in the Black Market through which new items could be earned.
Instead, players have the option to acquire a special order in the Black Market for the equivalent of €20. This reward package contains some pre-known event items as well as 10 reserve crates.
What do angry fans say? Numerous players are once again upset about the pricing policy of Black Ops 4. Because the appropriate event rewards for Shamrock & Awe – for many the primary motivation to participate in the event – are essentially hidden behind a €20 paywall.
No other rewards are available. Additionally, there is no opportunity to earn these event-specific rewards in-game. The actual content would therefore be limited to some new modes and a map update. Only a calling card and a gesture could be picked up when logging in.
So those who want to fully enjoy this event have to pay extra – even though it is supposed to be free for everyone. This practice is highly irritating for many players. On Reddit, numerous fans are now expressing their frustration. Because this development would take away the joy of playing from many.
Notably: Previously, users in similar discussions often called for restraint and emphasized that such rewards are purely optional cosmetic items. However, when one now looks at the comments, very few voices can be found that tolerate or accept such pricing policies.
Is there a reaction from Treyarch? No, there isn’t one at the moment. But it will be interesting to see how Black Ops 4 reacts to this criticism. Because when there was recently some trouble regarding the introduced loot boxes, the developers quickly made adjustments.
In The Division 2, the first review on Metacritic is online. It is surprisingly poor. Fans of The Division 2 attack the reviewer.
This is the review’s subject: Those who look at the Metacritic page to find the first reviews of The Division 2 get a rather negative impression of the game:
Currently (Saturday, March 16, PS4 version), there is only one review displayed with a rating from the press – and it’s quite bad.
The review comes from the page Cheat-Code-Central. The page gives The Division 2 an overall rating of 2.8 (out of 5). This means the game receives the tag “average”, which in this page’s rating system lies between “bad” and “fair”.
Metacritic converts this rating into 56 out of 100 points. Thus, The Division 2 is scraping the lower “Mixed” rating threshold. Below 50 points, a game is classified as “Negative” on Metacritic.
Why is the review from this site important? The review is important because it stands on Metacritic and thus garners a lot of attention.
Many potential buyers orient themselves by what they read on Metacritic.
Graphics: 4 out of 5 – The city looks great from the outside. However, the character models, interiors, and environmental design are rather bland.
Controls: 4 out of 5 – This is mostly simple and straightforward. However, it doesn’t feel particularly tactical when constantly rolling around.
Music: 3 out of 5
Gameplay Value: 3.5 out of 5 – Tons of endgame content and various quests, as well as many character build options await you as you trudge through a banal story, according to the author.
Reviewer considers The Division 2 “Survival Porn”
Why is the overall rating only 2.8? The author has a lot to criticize in his review. He writes that the story develops from cheesy and bad to “extremely dumb.”
The author also seems to have an ideological problem with The Division 2: The game feels like propaganda for the violent right-wing – like Survival Porn.
As a player, you are sent to sparsely developed NPCs at various locations to retrieve things to bring to the White House. You follow orange lines to complete missions and find loot, just to finally get to the endgame, the critical part of the game. But all of this is “so boring.”
Agent from The Division 2
This is the main criticism: The main problem with The Division 2 is its pace. White repeats this often. You play for many hours but hardly notice any significant progress. He played mission after mission and found hardly any exciting loot he wanted to equip. Most of the time, he spent dismantling trash loot.
Moreover, the environmental design isn’t particularly interesting, especially indoors. The city itself is quite impressive, but the aesthetic of The Division 2 consists mainly of junk everywhere. Trash bags and waste dominate the design. Every room looks the same; it’s hard to distinguish between them, and everything is cluttered with trash.
However, he enjoyed the gunplay, even though he criticizes the game’s “terrible” pace. Everything takes forever. You have skills and armor kits, but both take an eternity to activate – and for no apparent reason.
“Using a medikit feels like holding down the D-pad button for ten years, and the cooldowns for skills are enormous.”
Lucas White, CheatCC
You can improve the cooldowns with upgrades, but first, you have to play for hours until it gets better.
In terms of content, The Division 2 feels packed. There are several dark zones, many random Destiny-like events popping up on the map, and the campaign itself is also quite lengthy. But he emphasizes again: The pace is the biggest problem. It takes forever to make significant progress.
This is his conclusion: The Division 2 is a loot shooter with too much trash loot and a lovingly rendered Washington D.C., which mostly leaves you hiding behind piles of trash in dark buildings.
I didn’t even think I would experience something exciting, unique, or creative while playing this game […] and The Division 2 is already fighting a lost battle for my attention.
Lucas White, CheatCC
Many disagree with this review
This is how readers react: In the comments of this article, the review is met with a lot of criticism. The nicer commentators still write that The Division 2 is probably just not the right game for the tester. This is okay, but the tester must also consider the audience for whom this review was written.
Others are more aggressive in their criticism and say this is not a real review and now only serves to make the game look bad on Metacritic. The review is full of “bullshit” and “lies.” There are also personal, quite hostile remarks against the reviewer.
Several write that the rating is “unfair.” They understand that opinions can differ, but they cannot comprehend such a poor rating. They call it a “joke.”
What is the current mood around The Division 2? Because actually, there is currently a nearly uniformly positive first opinion about The Division 2. Some of the things that the author criticizes are even seen as good by numerous agents:
The slow pace is “fantastic,” wrote Youtuber Skill Up, and many agreed with him. This allows one to immerse themselves in a world full of details, collectibles, resources, and events. You can also rush through, but those who want to enjoy the game and like to explore the world will find plenty to discover.
And the fact that there is trash everywhere in the post-apocalyptic Washington D.C. actually contributes to the atmosphere. The details and the dense atmosphere are continuously praised on reddit.
The loot and progression system also receive positive responses from many agents.
If you look for aspects that multiple agents criticize, you mainly find bugs, technical issues, long cooldown times for skills, and strange weapon mods. The fact that the protagonist is mute and the character editor leaves much to be desired adds to this.
The reviewer’s criticisms cannot be shared by many.
So far, all other authors in the press have refrained from giving ratings as they want to thoroughly test the endgame first, as have my colleagues from GameStar. Presumably, further ratings will follow on Metacritic next week. We are curious to see how these will turn out.
But: The agents mostly agree that the currently only rating on Metacritic does not do the game justice.
However, he enjoyed the gunplay, even though he criticizes the game’s “terrible” pace. Everything takes forever. You have skills and armor kits, but both take an eternity to activate – and for no apparent reason.
“Using a medikit feels like holding down the D-pad button for ten years, and the cooldowns for skills are enormous.”
Lucas White, CheatCC
You can improve the cooldowns with upgrades, but first, you have to play for hours until it gets better.
In terms of content, The Division 2 feels packed. There are several dark zones, many random Destiny-like events popping up on the map, and the campaign itself is also quite lengthy. But he emphasizes again: The pace is the biggest problem. It takes forever to make significant progress.
This is his conclusion: The Division 2 is a loot shooter with too much trash loot and a lovingly rendered Washington D.C., which mostly leaves you hiding behind piles of trash in dark buildings.
I didn’t even think I would experience something exciting, unique, or creative while playing this game […] and The Division 2 is already fighting a lost battle for my attention.
Lucas White, CheatCC
Many disagree with this review
This is how readers react: In the comments of this article, the review is met with a lot of criticism. The nicer commentators still write that The Division 2 is probably just not the right game for the tester. This is okay, but the tester must also consider the audience for whom this review was written.
Others are more aggressive in their criticism and say this is not a real review and now only serves to make the game look bad on Metacritic. The review is full of “bullshit” and “lies.” There are also personal, quite hostile remarks against the reviewer.
Several write that the rating is “unfair.” They understand that opinions can differ, but they cannot comprehend such a poor rating. They call it a “joke.”
What is the current mood around The Division 2? Because actually, there is currently a nearly uniformly positive first opinion about The Division 2. Some of the things that the author criticizes are even seen as good by numerous agents:
The slow pace is “fantastic,” wrote Youtuber Skill Up, and many agreed with him. This allows one to immerse themselves in a world full of details, collectibles, resources, and events. You can also rush through, but those who want to enjoy the game and like to explore the world will find plenty to discover.
And the fact that there is trash everywhere in the post-apocalyptic Washington D.C. actually contributes to the atmosphere. The details and the dense atmosphere are continuously praised on reddit.
The loot and progression system also receive positive responses from many agents.
If you look for aspects that multiple agents criticize, you mainly find bugs, technical issues, long cooldown times for skills, and strange weapon mods. The fact that the protagonist is mute and the character editor leaves much to be desired adds to this.
The reviewer’s criticisms cannot be shared by many.
So far, all other authors in the press have refrained from giving ratings as they want to thoroughly test the endgame first, as have my colleagues from GameStar. Presumably, further ratings will follow on Metacritic next week. We are curious to see how these will turn out.
But: The agents mostly agree that the currently only rating on Metacritic does not do the game justice.
