Soon there will be a new map for Fortnite. It will probably be exclusive to a Samsung event. Here are the details.
What do we know about the new map? In one of his streams, the popular Fortnite streamer Ninja announced that Fortnite players can expect a new map soon. However, not everyone can play on it. The new map will be showcased for the first time at an event on March 16. It is unclear whether the map is only available at this event, or if it will also be incorporated into the game later.
In the stream, Ninja says: “I will travel to New York on March 16 to play with Jung Chanwoo from iKON. On a brand-new map exclusive to Fortnite. That’s right: A brand new map that was literally built for this event.” He also mentions that it is a “Siege map.” How that will look is unclear.
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Who can play on the map? It seems that only players on site can play on the new Fortnite map.
What kind of event is this? The collaboration between Samsung and Epic Games brings new content for Fortnite. Owners of a Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+, and Galaxy S10e will receive a new K-Pop skin and an emote.
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Samsung addresses questions about the new Fortnite map
The following questions remained unanswered: After the announcement in the stream, many players expected a new map on which they would play Battle Royale in Fortnite. However, Samsung has now clarified that it is a new island in Fortnite’s creative mode.
After a tournament in Fortnite , a major discussion broke out on Twitter about a landing spot. A professional team accused another of intentionally changing their landing spot to disrupt them.
This is what the dispute is about: The Fortnite tournament in Katowice had already caused issues due to a bug, but now it is back in the spotlight.
The professional player “ZexRow” is accusing his opponents from Team OP Gaming of griefing. They are said to have intentionally chosen the same landing spot as ZexRow and his teammate, in order to target and disrupt them. At least, this is what ZexRow tweeted.
A dispute then broke out on Twitter between the two teams, and numerous viewers could follow the arguments.
This was ZexRow’s problem
This is how the tournament started: ZexRow and his teammate “Vinny1x” were leading the ranking on the first day of the duo tournament. On that day, they kept landing in Viking Village and could loot everything there alone. Thus, they were able to gather good resources at the start of the rounds.
The Fortnite pro ZexRow
This was the problem: On the second day of the duo tournament, things did not go well for the two pros, as they suddenly received visitors in Viking Village. The Korean duo from Team OP also landed at the same spot.
For ZexRow, this was a clear sign. The Koreans wanted to deliberately disrupt them and prevent the duo’s victory.
This is how it went in the game: Indeed, the American duo was so disturbed by the presence of the Koreans that they lost several rounds. In the end, they also couldn’t achieve victory in the duo competition.
Why this is a problem: Professionals train their landing spots for weeks in advance. ZexRow and Vinny1x, as well as the Koreans, probably did the same. It is all the more surprising when a team changes their landing spot in the middle of the competition.
After all, this spot should not have been their favorite during training; otherwise, they would have landed there earlier.
Pros discussed on Twitter
The discussion among the professional teams was then conducted on Twitter. The tweets have since been deleted, but hundreds of users were able to follow the confrontation.
This is what ZexRow wrote: The American raised the topic there and accused the Koreans of griefing. They seemed to have it out for ZexRow and his teammate.
ZexRow deleted this tweet afterward. Source: Dexerto
This is what the Koreans replied: “Aimhero_o” from the Korean team responded: “We did not play well on the first day, so I watched the video from the day before. There, ZexRow and his colleague had free rein. That inspired me.” He also writes in another tweet that he landed there just to win. He had no other thoughts about it.
ZexRow backtracks: After some time had passed, ZexRow also spoke up again. He backtracked on his statement and understood the motives of the Koreans. He then deleted his tweets.
The numerous changes before tournaments make many pros upset:
The beautiful sandbox MMORPG Black Desert Online has finally been released on the console Xbox One. There are various versions and a cool launch trailer. All information about the launch, price, and download of Black Desert on Xbox One can be found here.
What is Black Desert Online? This game is a sandbox MMORPG from South Korea. It is set in a medieval fantasy world where you can freely develop in the best sandbox manner. There are numerous possibilities to build a trading network with housing and crafting.
Who is Black Desert suitable for? If you appreciate free gameplay, action battles, solid grind, and PvP, then Black Desert is ideal for you. More information about the game and the target audience can be found here:
When is Black Desert coming to Xbox One? The launch of Black Desert Online on the Microsoft console is today, on March 4, 2019. At the time of this news, the game is already available in the Microsoft Store.
What is the download size? According to the official Microsoft Store, Black Desert for Xbox One is supposed to be 32.74GB in size.
Where can I download Black Desert? A link to download the game can be found on the game’s page in the Microsoft Store.
How much does Black Desert cost? Black Desert Online is a Buy2Play game. This means you need to buy it once and can then play it indefinitely. There are four different editions:
Base Edition for €9.99: Game access only
Standard Edition for €29.99: Includes pet, 30 days of premium, and 500 pearls
Deluxe Edition for €49.99: 60 days of premium, 1,000 pearls, a Tier-3 horse, and horse gear
Ultimate Edition for €99.99: 90 days of premium, 3,000 pearls, a Tier-5 horse, horse gear, a wagon, an outfit, another pet, a horse flute, 30 XP scrolls, and a maid for housing
The 4 editions and their contents.
What is included in the Xbox version? The version for Xbox is not on the same level as the PC version. There are only 6 classes. Additionally, regions like Mediah, Valencia, and Kamasilvia are missing. However, they are supposed to be added soon. This also applies to the classes that are still missing from the PC version.
The roadmap on the official site for the first half of 2019 will thus feature 4 new classes, world bosses, the regions Mediah, Valencia, and Kamasilvia, absolute skills, awakenings, and conquest wars in PvP.
What are the advantages of an Xbox One X? Those who play Black Desert on Xbox One X will receive 4K Ultra HDR support compared to the standard version, which should provide a better and sharper image.
What does Black Desert Online look like? If you want to see how the game looks in action, you can watch the trailer for the Xbox launch.
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World of Warcraft is temporarily losing its biggest streamer on Twitch. Asmongold needs a break and is quitting. And this, despite having announced that exactly this wouldn’t happen.
Why is Asmongold quitting? Asmongold is no longer satisfied with his own content. The world-renowned streamer has informed his fans in a video on Twitter.
He literally said that his last streams were “dog shit”. However, he does not want to deliver “dog shit”:
I don’t really know what I want to do. But the one thing I know I don’t want to do is sit around, be miserable, and produce shit content that everyone hates. Why should I do that?
Asmongold appears to be on the verge of tears in the video. It seems difficult for him to express these things and communicate them to his fans.
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How are his fans reacting? On Twitter, Asmongold receives a lot of support. His fans are trying to lift him up and offer support. Many of his followers are offering to do something with him to help him get back on his feet and find himself again, including other streamers.
On Reddit, where the clip was also posted, the criticism is already harsher. Asmongold is being attacked for complaining about having a job. He has so much money and has become a millionaire playing games. Many community members cannot understand his frustration.
His content is also being criticized. People agree with Asmongold that his latest content, especially regarding WoW, hasn’t been that good. The general sentiment, however, is to wish him luck for his future and hope that things will get better again.
World of Warcraft was the main source for Asmongold’s streams.
Asmongold actually didn’t want to quit
This has been the situation so far: According to the statistics site SullyGnome, Asmongold is the largest WoW streamer in the world and was one of the biggest streamers overall last year, ranking 34th among the most-watched streamers:
Now, Asmongold talks in his Twitter video about having personally changed some time ago:
Imagine being someone who has played video games their entire life, cared about it, and suddenly it means nothing to you. That’s really quite strange.
There are also some voices saying that Asmongold simply wants to start a new chapter in his life. After having appeared frequently with his girlfriend, who also streams, it seems likely that he wants to spend more time with her.
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What’s next? Asmongold himself doesn’t know how things will go from here. He only said that his goal is to deliver good content and stream well again in an uncertain future.
I will come back, create content, stream, and everything will be fucking normal again. And God in heaven, I look forward to it more than you, I guarantee that.
Asmongold also referred to the upcoming WoW Classic, which he will probably only play if he’s streaming. However, he couldn’t say yet how long his break will be. He will get in touch when he knows.
Asmongold – one of the most popular WoW streamers out there.
What do you think about the situation?
Another German streamer is apparently doing quite well, unlike Asmongold:
The gaming clothing company Cranium Apparel has developed a special collection for women in e-sports. However, the implementation of the idea was anything but clever. Now, there’s mockery and scorn from women.
What do the clothes look like? The British company Cranium Apparel recently presented a new collection. This is specifically tailored for women in professional e-sport gaming.
The clothes are short, sleeveless dresses made of “skin-friendly, high-quality polyester”. They were promoted with the slogan “Giving female gamers a new identity!”
In the announcement tweet from the manufacturer, it is mentioned:
“It is high time that we do something for female gamers who face so much headwind in the community. Stay strong… We respect you!”
Additionally, one should tag every female gamer one knows.
Female gamers are not impressed with the dress
This is how the clothes were received by the target group: The action from Cranium Apparel was not well received.
Esport host Eri Newman spoke up on Twitter with the following words:
You guys shot yourselves in the foot with how you posted.
Some might have gone for the apparel if you simply announced it but you saying that this dress gives female gamers identity is wrong and plain ignorant.
But at least you guys are taking the criticism constructively. 🙂
“You shot yourselves in the foot with how you posted. Some might have gone for the apparel if you simply announced it, but to say that this dress gives female gamers identity is wrong and plain ignorant.”
Other female gamers are also not fond of the dress:
“We want to play, not do cheerleader exercises!”, a gamer mentioned on Twitter about the topic.
This is how the company wants to change course: Another gamer asked Cranium Apparel if women were even involved in the design of the dress:
To that, they actually gave the honest answer: “Unfortunately not, but we are already asking the community for ideas.”
In response, Cranium Apparel promised to address these wishes soon.
But apparently, at least a few female players had been consulted by the supposedly all-male team at Cranium about the outfit, and they had thought it was good. However, they will now reconsider the clothing.
Another gamer noted that dresses and skirts are not for every type of woman and certainly not identity-creating. Rather, it would be great if Cranium offered appropriate shirts, jerseys, and leggings for women.
Definitely also in plus sizes. And if it has to be a dress, then at least one with pockets!
In response, Cranium Apparel promised to address these wishes soon.
Found gear
provides you with advantages in Anthem
for various aspects of the game. However, a clever player has now
found that this does not apply to all perks. One ability causes the exact opposite of what it is supposed to do.
What are perks on equipment items good for? Found weapons, components, and gear provide bonuses for various aspects in the game. This way, you can find more ammo, improve the damage of abilities, or charge faster.
Perks on equipment are supposed to provide advantages like armor here
These perks are supposed to provide bonuses that make it easier for you to survive in the world of Anthem. However, for at least one aspect, this does not seem to be the case, as Redditor Sashweed found out after some tests. What is going on?
Which perk doesn’t work as it should? A certain perk reduces the time your Javelin needs to cool down after it has overheated. This happens when you fly too long without cooling your engines or if you stay in hover mode for too long.
An overheated Javelin is a useless Javelin
Especially annoying is an overheated Javelin in battle against titans. Their fire attacks can be devastating, especially at higher Grandmaster levels. You will be bound to the ground for a while and have to wait until your suit cools down enough for you to take to the skies again.
During this time, you are exposed and need to be especially cautious of your enemies. It only makes sense to want to reduce the cooling time.
Redditor Sashweed thought the same and added the corresponding perk to his gear. On paper, his suit should now cool down significantly faster than without the perks on his gear. Well, it should, but unfortunately, the exact opposite is the case.
Very annoying when the Javelin is overheated – the fire rings of the titan
This is how the Redditor tested the cooling delay: Sashweed conducted two trials:
Once with corresponding perks that were supposed to reduce the cooling delay by a total of 35% and
once without corresponding perks on the gear
The result was the opposite of his expectation. The Javelin with perks took 20 seconds before the suit finally started to cool down. Without perks, it was only 12 seconds.
You can also watch the results of his tests in the following videos:
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Is this really a bug? Or is it even intended by BioWare? This question has also been raised by the Redditor. He does not want to rule out that this behavior might be intentional and that equipment can also be affected by negative effects.
This would, however, make little sense. Players would simply avoid equipment that comes with negative effects. Furthermore, there have been no other known cases where negative effects occur. “Luck” occupies a special position here, which in the opinion of many players simply has no benefit at all.
What does this mean for me as a player? Stay away from equipment that has the corresponding perk unless all other stats on that gear are perfectly rolled or you have no alternative in your inventory.
Additionally, numbers in the low percentage range likely won’t be very noticeable. However, especially when fighting enemies that throw fire around, you need to get back in the air quickly in case of a hit.
Have you noticed this problem as well? Or do you generally avoid this perk?
Already before the reveal of Season 6 of Destiny 2, Bungie announced that there would be opportunities for Guardians with a low Power level to quickly catch up and jump right into the new content. Now there are concrete details.
This is how Destiny 2 makes it easier to get into the new content: All Season Pass holders with a low Power level will have the opportunity to reach a Power level of 640 with little effort within the first few hours at the start of the new Season 6 on March 5.
The Power Surge Bounties, a type of catch-up mechanic, make this possible. This is to ensure that all Annual Pass holders are strong enough to tackle the new content.
With Power Surge Bounties to Power Level 640 – Here’s how
This is how the new Power Surge Bounties work: At the Wanderer, there will be four of these new Bounties. The requirement, in addition to the Annual Pass, is a character at level 50. The Power level of the character apparently does not play a significant role.
With the help of these special Bounties, players should be able to safely and deliberately reach a Power level of 640 – chance is not a factor.
Upon completing a Bounty, you will receive two fixed items with a Power level of 640. By completing all four Bounties, you will receive a total of 5 armor pieces and 3 weapons for each slot – so a complete package at 640.
Thus, your Guardian is ready for new adventures – if you haven’t already overcome this hurdle.
By the way, the Power Surge Bounties are apparently quite simple. For example, completing a strike or killing 50 enemies was mentioned. The effort will therefore be very low.
However, it is currently not known whether these Bounties are offered only for one character or ideally available for up to three characters.
This is behind this catch-up mechanic: This is meant to prevent Guardians from having to level for a long time and grind old content before they can start with the new content.
What about players without an Annual Pass? This change aims to prepare players for the new content under the Annual Pass, which requires a higher Power level.
However, Bungie has not yet revealed how high the recommended level is for the new content. But with 640, you are apparently ready.
However, Guardians who only own the base game do not have access to content that requires such a Power level (except for the Iron Banner).
Additionally, for players who only purchased the Forsaken expansion without the Annual Pass, there are basically no activities that go beyond the Forsaken level cap of 600. For them, this catch-up mechanic is therefore not really relevant.
In Fortnite: Battle Royale, a new client was used at the start of the big $500,000 ESL tournament in Katowice. This caused all sorts of bugs, glitches, and a lot of frustration!
What happened in Katowice? The big ESL tournament in Katowice (Poland) caused a lot of trouble and frustration for the participants. Due to many technical problems and bugs, some professionals were significantly hindered and fell far behind their capabilities.
Among other things, the following problems occurred:
FaZE professional Nate Hill was caught by the Quad-Crasher glitch and got eliminated quickly
Issa from Ghost Gamer suddenly couldn’t move his camera anymore
Other players reported nasty lags that ruined their chances of victory.
The famous professional NICKMERCS even experienced a complete system crash before the final round. But instead of restarting the game, the organizers just kept going. Even when 6 to 8 other players dropped out in solidarity, it seemed to be of no concern to the organizers.
Furthermore, the headsets either attacked the ears with static shocks or there was simply no sound to be heard.
Professionals complain about the catastrophic state of the game
The numerous errors and problems led to considerable anger among the affected professionals. After all, it was about a prize pool of well over $500,000, and as a participant, you do not want to deal with such unnecessary technical issues.
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“The event was not my best experience,” NICKMERCS remarked as the understatement of the week.
Why was the event so plagued by errors? The main reason for the many issues was likely the new game client of Season 8, which came to the servers fresh and likely without extensive testing just before the tournament. This was probably a very bad idea, as much frustration could have been avoided.
Even beforehand, many professionals were angry because, among other things, Season 8 arrived a day before the tournament started and removed popular loot locations from the professionals’ training.
Now these critical problems added to the mix.
Actually, Epic did not want to bring such actions anymore:
In Anthem, there are daily and weekly challenges that send you on the hunt for the various factions. One of them is the Outlaws, who appear relatively rarely. We show you how to farm them.
Why are Outlaws so important? For some reason, the Outlaws are the faction in Anthem that is encountered least frequently on missions and in free play. Nevertheless, they are part of the daily and weekly challenges that can be completed in the online game.
These tasks are of interest to many, as they reward you with crafting materials and coins. Therefore, we show you how to effectively farm Outlaws.
You need to complete faction kills every week if you want rewards
There is a spawn trick to farm Outlaws
Here’s how you can farm Outlaws: This question has also been asked on Reddit. One method was posted there by User MrSuitss.
Go to the Necropolis dungeon in free play mode.
There are some Outlaws in this cave.
Only deal with the standard enemies with red health bars.
Leave at least one legendary enemy alive.
As long as it doesn’t die, the standard enemies will continue to spawn and you can leisurely increase your kill count.
Does this only work in free play? In theory, this can also be done in any mission where Outlaws appear. For example, if you have a target where you need to collect relics or echoes, you can simply ignore those and focus on farming the Outlaws.
As long as you do not complete the target, new enemies will continue to spawn and you can easily increase your count. However, this method is mainly suitable for fixed groups, where you can coordinate with friends.
Where are Outlaws? We show you a few locations
If you prefer to fly casually through the game world while farming Outlaws, we show you a few places in Bastion where you should encounter them.
Keep in mind that you can only be out in the map with random players or a fixed team. You might encounter other players.
The Necropolis
The Necropolis
Where is the Necropolis? This dungeon is located east of the Great Falls gorge. You can find its exact location on your map.
In this dungeon, you can either apply the spawn method mentioned above or use it as a starting point for a farming route recommended by gamepur.com.
The Gorge
The gorge is located at the northwestern edge of the Academy ruins. There, you can also apply the spawn method to farm the Outlaws.
Farming route for Outlaws
Most Outlaws are found by the Great Falls gorge and the Academy ruins. You can find random spawn points for Outlaws there.
If you feel like it, you can start directly in the Necropolis or the gorge, take out all the Outlaws, and then head outside. There you can scour the Great Falls gorge and the Academy ruins.
In the Valley of Tarsis, you also have additional spawn points for Outlaws. Once you have completed the other areas, you can simply head there and continue searching.
Complete Arcanist missions
If you prefer to deal with Outlaws while completing missions, Arcanist faction missions are particularly suitable. In these, you will more often encounter Outlaws.
This way, you can not only complete your weekly assignments but also collect loot with Legendary Contracts on the side.
With a bit of luck, you may also encounter Outlaws through world events. Our guide explains to you how world events work.
In The Division 2 you will continuously be provided with what was desperately awaited in The Division 1 after launch: story.
What was The Division 1 lacking? The first installment of The Division quickly ran out of narrative content.
While you could play nearly 20 story missions right at release, no new content was released in the following months and years that could satisfy players’ thirst for new stories.
There was a lack of supply of story missions.
Faye remained injured forever, as the story did not progress
Story missions with unique action
That is why players wanted more story missions: In the first months after release, players criticized pretty much everything about The Division – the endgame, the Dark Zone, numerous balance issues, bugs, exploits, and glitches. However, the story missions were never criticized. In fact, it was often read on social media that the main missions were the best part of The Division.
There are several reasons for this:
They offered a varied action experience.
You fought against different factions, challenged their bosses, and learned more about their backgrounds.
The Division offered an exciting setting from the very beginning, where one wanted to experience a story. How did the virus outbreak happen? Who is responsible for it? The post-apocalyptic world was intriguing.
The story missions were cool designed with an eye for detail.
Moreover, the story missions were spared from major criticism, as balance issues in these pure PvE contents were not as significant as in the Dark Zone.
Dark Zone in The Division 1
Why was there nothing more afterwards? In the following months, Massive had their hands full fixing the problems in the game. They also worked on the Dark Zone experience for a long time. And the expansions in year 1 only delivered new endgame modes like Underground, Survival Mode, or PvP.
With the following DLCs and years, the lack of story was not alleviated. A few new phone recordings could be discovered in the world, containing narrative content, but one waited in vain for a batch of fresh story missions.
This is how the agents reacted: As a result, there were frequent calls for Massive to finally introduce new missions.
In The Division 1, the developers could not keep up with this demand, but they are now taking this feedback into account for The Division 2.
Agents in The Division 2
The Division 2 will continuously advance the story
This is how The Division 2 plans to do better: Right at launch on March 15, the second installment wants to offer you a lot of story. According to a product description, the campaign is expected to take around 40 hours, which is approximately double the scope of The Division 1.
New story missions will also be delivered post-launch. The free expansions in year 1 will have narrative episodes that will advance the story.
This is known about the story expansions:
In summer 2019, the episode “D.C. Outskirts: Expeditions” will be released. In it, you will explore the surrounding areas of Washington and hunt elite members of the Outcast and Black Tusk factions. In new play areas, you will fight for the liberation of the city. 2 new story missions have been announced.
In fall 2019, the episode “Pentagon: The Last Castle” will come. In it, you will enter the Pentagon and unveil secrets that lie in this protected labyrinth. It is said that there will be “more new main missions”.
In winter 2019, year 1 of The Division 2 will conclude and pave the way for “more exciting content”.
Already before the first episode in the summer, two content updates will be released after the launch, where you will storm the Black Tusk stronghold and face the raid at the airport. Presumably, even these contents will be connected with narrative content.
By the way: If you own the paid year pass, you can play the narrative content earlier and even experience a bit more story than everyone else:
In August 2018, the developers of Guild Wars 2 announced that there would be no new expansion in the foreseeable future. Instead, they are focusing on the Living World, which is intended to bring the same content. However, the layoffs from last week now paint a different picture.
The announcement of Living World Season 5: For the sixth anniversary, the developers released a video about Guild Wars 2, in which they informed players that they want to transition directly into another season after Living World Season 4.
At the same time, Game Director Mike Zadorojny emphasized that the content updates will also bring features that would otherwise only be reserved for an expansion.
These are the doubts of the community: Players reacted skeptically to this announcement. Expansions attract new players and are usually associated with a greater financial advantage.
In light of the current situation surrounding the layoffs, the community may have had reason for their doubts.
Why was an expansion rejected?
Many players wondered back in August why an expansion was decided against. The current events might provide an answer.
Too few developers for an expansion? Last week, ArenaNet experienced layoffs. The reason for this was a decline in revenues, but also delays in new projects.
These layoffs also affected some familiar faces from the Guild Wars 2 development. However, Game Director Zadorojny later stated that to compensate, some former developers are returning to Guild Wars 2.
ArenaNet had a different focus: The studio behind Guild Wars 2 was apparently also working on several projects, from which employees were quietly pulled away.
Which projects these were exactly has not been disclosed so far. However, it is likely that these projects had an influence on the plans for Guild Wars 2.
As it stands, we will have to do without an expansion for the entire year of 2019 and at least the first half of 2020.
Living World instead of expansion – Can this work?
What is the Living World? Every 2-4 months, Guild Wars 2 releases a content patch. These updates typically include:
A new map
New achievements and rewards
The continuation of the game’s story
Irregular innovations such as skins, legendary weapons, fractals, or raids
As these updates build upon each other narratively, they are collected in a season of the Living World.
Over the years, ArenaNet also changed the structure of the Living World. While in 2013/14 emphasis was placed on actual changes occurring on old maps, the story now progresses on new maps.
This is what our author Alex thinks:
While I am a big fan of the Living World, the content of these seasons has never been able to compete with an expansion.
Differences between updates and expansions: While the Living World has a consistent structure of story and maps, expansions typically refresh with innovative ideas and a structure that flows from the first to the last map.
One reason for this could lie in the coordination of the teams. Guild Wars 2 has several teams for the Living World, who work closely together, but ultimately each works individually on the episodes.
The team for addons, on the other hand, develops the content together. This makes the expansions in Guild Wars 2 so far feel very coherent, while the Living World always seems a bit fragmented.
I found the transition between a season of the Living World and an expansion very pleasant. It built anticipation over two years for a completely new setting, while also allowing regular updates to be played in the meantime.
This is the dilemma with new players: Moreover, it is difficult for new players to find their footing in the MMORPG or even to become aware of the game at all. An expansion always provides a good entry point and refocuses external attention on the game.
Conclusion: I hope that ArenaNet manages to produce a spectacular Living World Season 5 and keep existing players engaged. Afterwards, however, an expansion will be necessary, as this is the only way the game can stay afloat financially.
Currently, Guild Wars remains the only game of the studio, and in the long run, that is a big risk. Also for the remaining 250 developers.
Apex Legends has announced its player count and interesting stats about pings, respawns, and care packages. Compared to Fortnite, Apex is clearly ahead here.
Apex Legends was released without much advertising beforehand. Suddenly it was there and spread massively. After just eight hours, a million players were already playing. After 24 hours, 2.5 million players were on board.
How does Apex Legends compare to Fortnite? The Twitter account of Roundhill Investments shared a graphic for this comparison. Fortnite took about four months to reach 45 million players.
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However, one should also consider how Fortnite began in this comparison. Initially, it launched as a PvE game with “Save the World.” When the battle royale mode was released two months later, Fortnite became really popular. Since then, the player count has steadily grown and is now around 200 million. Recently, Fortnite celebrated a record of 7.6 million concurrent players.
What other numbers does Apex Legends reveal? The announcement of 50 million players was celebrated by Apex Legends with a highlight video. This shows strong and funny gameplay moments and reveals interesting statistics:
Mobile gaming, apart from simple casual games, still holds a niche existence here. For many gamers, playing on a touchscreen is too fiddly. Our author Jürgen thinks this could soon change thanks to new foldable smartphones.
What is the problem with mobile gaming? Mobile gaming still struggles here. A quick round of casual games like Candy Crush and Clash of Clans as well as card games like Hearthstone are okay, but a large part of the target audience of gamers still can’t get excited about serious gaming. The reasons are manifold, but often you hear the following arguments:
“The controls are a complete mess on the touchpad; I can’t see anything because my fingers are in the way!”
“The screens are too small; you can’t see anything!”
“You can’t get a real gaming feeling on a mobile device!”
It’s hard to shoot with fingers on the display.
Unlike in Asia, where the mobile networks are better and gamers seem to be less bothered by the technical limitations of mobile devices, mobile gaming has found little joy among “real” gamers here for the aforementioned reasons. They still prefer to game on consoles or PCs.
Or on specialized gaming handhelds, like the Nintendo Switch. After all, it has a larger display and controllers that are outside the screen.
However, a new technical innovation could soon change that.
Foldable Phones are the Future
This is how I wish for mobile gaming: I, Jürgen, love mobile gaming. I dream of a day when I can play every game irrespective of the platform, both at home on the PC and on the mobile device. Fortnite does this well, but how great would it be if that could happen for all games someday?
But I am hindered by the same limitations I mentioned above, which make mobile gaming unpopular here in the West among the target audience.
That’s why I find foldable phones amazing: I became all the more interested when I heard about the first smartphones with foldable displays. “If this works, it could be really cool for mobile games!” were my immediate thoughts. Because the new displays can seemingly unfold without negative effects, effectively doubling the display size or even making it larger.
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With this, one would have the portability of a phone and the display size of a tablet in one.
However, gamers who want to play more than simple clicker games and card games are likely to get their money’s worth with foldable phones. In a video by tech expert Dave Lee on YouTube, a foldable phone of the brand Huawei Mate X is shown. The user plays a kind of MOBA game, which requires a lot of action and interaction. Looks like Arena of Valor.
The game looks like a typical mobile game on the folded phone. Nice, but far too unwieldy due to the relatively small display and fingers in the way.
However, when the device is unfolded to a proud 8 inches (the size of an iPad Mini 4), you can finally see properly what’s actually happening. The touchscreen controls are further down on the screen and can be operated without losing sight of the game.
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Thus, Dave Lee’s conclusion also sees foldable phones as well-suited for mobile gaming of high-quality titles. Check out the video starting at 0:50 to get an impression of what it might look like.
I see it the same way. With a high-quality device and a large foldable display, I could – assuming good mobile connectivity – also game high-quality shooters, MMORPGs, and MOBAs on the go, eliminating many of the disadvantages of mobile gaming.
That’s why it will take a while until mobile gaming takes off here: Unfortunately, the new foldable phones, like the mentioned Huawei Mate X or the brand new Samsung Galaxy Fold, are currently only attractive for early adopters with deep pockets. The devices cost around 2,000 euros and up and are likely to still have some teething problems in the first generation.
But if foldable devices establish themselves fundamentally – and everything is currently pointing in that direction – then in a maximum of 2 years, once the third or even fourth generation of foldables hits the market, they should also become affordable for regular users.
And then effective mobile gaming of high-quality titles could finally establish itself here in the West and perhaps make my dream of limitless gaming come true.
But that’s my opinion. What do you think about foldable phones? Will they be the new standard and especially in gaming set new trends? Or do you not think much of such gimmicks and even less of mobile gaming?
In the MOBA LoL (League of Legends) players can now choose between 3 skins that should be developed. This say in decision is celebrated by many players.
LoL starts voting for a new skin The champion Tristana has been part of League of Legends since 2009. There are already 9 skins for the champion, but now another new look is to be created.
The developers from Riot Games offer players 3 skins to choose from. One of them will be the new Tristana skin. On the LoL homepage you can vote between:
Candy Shock Tristana: Tristana wears a gum cannon with this colorful outfit
Galactic Bounty Hunter Tristana: This skin is less colorful and focuses more on an adventurous style
Little Demon Tristana: This is probably the complete opposite of the Candy Shock skin – Here Tristana looks really evil
Is this the first time that players can vote for a skin? No. About a year and a half ago, Riot Games held a vote for a skin. At that time, it was about the champion Illaoi. The winner was Steel Warrior Illaoi, and the skin was then developed.
Steel Warrior Illaoi – Fans really wanted this skin
Where can you vote? On the official LoL website you can vote for the Tristana skin. To do this, you need a League of Legends account. Here you go to the vote on LeagueofLegends.com
Why is this important for LoL? Since the beginning of League of Legends in October 2009, players have been able to buy skins for champions. This year marks the 10th anniversary.
These are cosmetic changes that give heroes and abilities a new look. Such votes are creative ways to engage players for a new skin. This keeps players interested.
Rather than simply putting the skins in the shop, players have a say here. They feel like they have contributed to bringing a specific skin into the game.
These were the previous approaches: LoL has been doing cool actions for years to make skins appealing. For example, this music video, which exceeded all expectations:
In the future, more cool ideas from Riot Games can be expected to engage players for new skins.
This is how players respond to the vote
On Reddit players are excited about having a say. The thread reached about 7,800 upvotes. In the top comments, you can read:
“That was unexpected, but nice that Riot is doing another skin vote. I really look forward to seeing what the forums want and how it will be implemented. Like they did with Illaoi.” writes user Spideraxe30.
Player OnlnyAnEssenceThief says: “I love these interactions with the community. Steel Warrior Illaoi turned out really well, and it really felt like a collaboration that people liked.”
SNSDave says: “Pretty cool! I’m glad they’re using the Illaoi system instead of ‘send us your ideas!'”
Other users say that there is now a war in the community. The skins are well received by the players, making it difficult to pick a clear favorite.
Which skin is currently the most popular? On the LoL website, you cannot see the interim results of the vote. Therefore, Reddit users created their own survey to see an unofficial result. According to that, Candy Shock Tristana seems to be in the lead. The survey shows how close the results have been so far on Reddit.
What do fans love about the Candy Shock skin? The small hat that Tristana wears with this skin is praised. Fans also imagine how Riot implements the skin. One player wishes that Tristana shoots with gum that hopefully comes in different colors.
Besides skins, LoL can also produce really good videos:
Apex Legends has been on the market for a while now and has captivated many players. Some have acquired special skills and demonstrate with unconventional weapons and actions how one can win spectacularly with enough practice.
How did the player win? In a short clip, Polish streamer aichitv shows how he single-handedly takes down the last two remaining squads. He primarily uses one type of weapon and a few shots from a Wingman for backup.
As Pathfinder, he watched the battle of the last remaining teams near Skulltown. While the two teams were engaged in a firefight, aichitv intervened and covered one of the teams with Arc Stars, a type of sticky grenade that sticks to surfaces and opponents and explodes.
aichitv had 14 of these Arc Stars. After the first team was eliminated, he briefly pulled back to regenerate and then used his zipline to attack the last remaining players. He bombarded them with a hail of stars and ultimately won the round.
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How fans react: The clip was posted by aichitv’s brother on Reddit and received much approval there. Players are particularly impressed by his movements and his handling of the seemingly weak Pathfinder. Others compare the play to ultimates:
His way of winning also brings about laughter and amazement. The fact that he won virtually by throwing many Arc Stars generates many jokes. Some already compare him to the cyborg ninja Genji from Overwatch, who also uses shurikens as his main weapon.
What do you think about the spectacular victory?
Of course, more well-known professionals also showcase their skills. Some of them do so evidently that they can hardly believe it themselves:
In Fortnite there is currently a discussion about the creepy creature Momo. The thing allegedly keeps appearing in videos and causes fear and terror among many children. Parents are also worried.Because the thing urges children to harm themselves.
What is Momo? This creepy creature first appeared in 2018. At that time, a strange number messaged thousands of WhatsApp users and urged them to send the message to 15 other users. If this didn’t happen, the user would die.
For adults, such a chain message is not really taken seriously. But children were indeed frightened.
What Fortnite has to do with Momo
This is why Fortnite is also affected: Some Fortnite players have now reported that this creature appears in videos on YouTube.
It appears during Let’s Plays of Fortnite and interrupts the video.
It probably says: “Hello, I am Momo. Your worst nightmare. I will kill you. At night, I will be in your bed, in the morning you will be dead.
Do you want a surprise? Look me in the eyes. I’m not lying. You will die.
Cut your leg, and you will never meet me. Cut your wrists, and your parents will never see me. Sweet dreams, my dear.”
This is what the creepy creature Momo looks like.
This is why parents are worried: For adults, it is easy to distinguish between fake and reality. However, many children who watch Fortnite videos may not be able to do so.
Not only Fortnite is affected by these horrible videos. This creature supposedly also appears in the children’s series “Peppa Pig”. This show is primarily aimed at preschoolers.
Many parents have reported that their children came to them completely disturbed. The videos pose a significant danger to children.
What parents report
Child told to shave their head: This topic is particularly big in England. Some children there are affected. The “Sun” reports on a 5-year-old girl who was found by her parents in the bathroom with scissors. Momo allegedly ordered her to shave her head, or she would be hurt.
Child hears creepy noises: A 6-year-old boy is said to have heard creepy noises in a gaming video. Momo supposedly said that one wants to hurt their friends. As a result, the boy could only fall asleep in the presence of his mother and a watchdog.
Momo is also said to appear in Fortnite videos.
Many parents, including in Germany, are now in an uproar and are demanding that YouTube remove such videos from the platform.
This is how YouTube reacts to these videos
This is what YouTube says: The video platform takes this issue seriously, but gives parents some reassurance:
After a long review, we have not seen any recent evidence of videos promoting the Momo Challenge on YouTube. Videos that promote harmful and dangerous challenges are clearly against our policies, including the Momo Challenge. Despite press reports about this challenge, we have not received any new links from YouTube that violate our community guidelines.
What does that mean? According to YouTube, there are no more videos on their platform that call on viewers to harm themselves. However, there are still videos that report on this creature and also show images of it. This does not violate YouTube’s policies.
Originally, Momo is this Japanese doll. Source: Instagram
This is how to recognize potential videos: If you watch videos, pay close attention to ensure they are uploaded by the right channel. The videos in which Momo appears are reuploads. The video was usually re-uploaded by a small channel, with the Momo sequence edited in the middle.
In conclusion, we can only hope that this sick challenge will eventually disappear, as it did in 2018 on WhatsApp.
Momo is unlikely to appear in MontanaBlack’s videos:
Progress is important in online games so that players feel they are achieving something in a game. But what happens to this progress when an addon is released? Should the level cap be increased, which could lead to new grinding, or should there simply be additional content while keeping the max level untouched?
Arguments for Increasing the Level Cap
A MMORPG is not put aside after completing the story and reaching the highest level. Development studios want to keep players engaged long-term, which entails releasing updates and expansions.
A “Level Up” in a game can be a moment of achievement.
Grinding as an Option to Engage Players
A relatively easy-to-implement content is grinding. A developer increases the level cap through an addon to motivate players to reach the new maximum level. This means players must grind again to obtain the experience points needed for the new level. Grinding is a way to give players something to do without requiring developers to put in too much effort.
Additionally, levels are a good way to compare oneself with other players. Those with a higher level are “better.” Therefore, it is important to level up.
New content such as new game modes, new enemies, and additional quests is often quickly consumed by players. This usually does not keep players engaged for long, despite the time it takes to develop such content.
The Feeling of Happiness that the Hero is Getting Better
However, in increasing the level cap, something else also plays a role. New, larger threats appear in the world, which players can only face if they become stronger. Thus, it is a continuous process to further improve one’s hero to feel they are advancing in the game.
This comes from the “Pen & Paper” templates. In D&D, for example, players start at level 1 and gradually improve throughout the adventures and campaigns they play.
When a new adventure is due, one wants to continue playing the beloved hero. However, they also want to enjoy a sense of achievement that goes beyond defeating the new final boss. The hero should gain something from it, and a new level is a good reward. Because if the champion remains at the same level, it will eventually become boring to continue playing them.
Therefore, increasing the level cap represents a motivation for many players to reach the new max level, and developers receive a relatively easy-to-integrate opportunity to give players something to do again.
Arguments Against Increasing the Level Cap
Level cap increases also come with disadvantages. They can distract from the actual content of a game, reducing a MMORPG to merely wanting to quickly reach the new maximum level.
A level-up is usually associated with the improvement of skills.
It Could Be Boring and Tedious to Reach the Level Cap
Grinding is not for everyone. Because grinding can also be boring. Repeating the same content to gain EXP and possibly new items can become a repetitive and dull affair, leaving one to wonder why they are even doing it.
A grind can even question the game world and story: “If I can never defeat the evil dragon boss and he continues to terrorize the village forever, why am I fighting him?” It is no longer about making the game world feel alive and “logical” through the story but merely about accumulating EXP.
It might even take an extremely long time to reach the new level cap, which can eventually destroy the motivation to keep grinding.
It Could Also Be Too Easy to Reach the New Maximum Level
However, there is also the other extreme. Many MMORPGs cater to casual players. These often lack the time and inclination to engage in grinding for long periods. If they take too long to level up and keep up with others, motivation can wane. However, if the level cap is reached too quickly, this also negatively impacts the game.
One might reach the endgame too quickly, and the game’s content becomes boring too fast. Developers must then quickly provide new content, which can become problematic because it takes considerable time to develop such content, yet they are quickly consumed.
Older areas may become uninteresting as new zones enter the game, allowing for faster leveling. Therefore, the focus would need to be on constantly introducing new and/or repeatable content.
What do you think? Is it important to you that you can always level up your character in a MMORPG and that the level cap increases with addons? Or would you prefer new content that defines you? Let us know in our survey:
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Many fans believe they have found the unique weapon of an upcoming new specialization in a trailer for The Division 2. However, this firearm seems more suitable for an action movie.
What is the deal with the new weapon? Recently, The Division 2 revealed its DLC content that players can expect in Year 1. As part of the trailer, three additional specializations were announced, but without providing specific details.
At the same time, the developers mentioned that observant fans could already recognize the unique weapon of one of the new specializations in the trailer.
A minigun for agents? Here’s what is known so far
This is the weapon in question: It didn’t take long for the first fans to find it and share their theories with the community on Reddit. Many fans believe they have recognized the outlines of a very special weapon in the background – a so-called minigun.
A scene from the trailer featuring the outline of a minigun
This is an automatic firearm with 6 rotating barrels that has tremendous firepower. Many may remember it from iconic action films like Predator or Terminator 2. In the game, the weapon is already used by several enemy types.
How likely is the minigun? The developers have clearly communicated to fans that a hint at one of the new unique weapons is hidden in the trailer.
Moreover, they have emphasized the term “mini” multiple times around this announcement – including as “mini-hint” in the trailer.
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And the supposed outline of the minigun appeared in the trailer exactly at the point where the new specializations of Year 1 were discussed. While it is not officially confirmed, the hints seem quite clear to many fans.
Why this weapon doesn’t really fit The Division 2
The biggest problem – implementation: If the minigun actually comes as a new unique weapon, it will be interesting to see how The Division 2 implements it in the game. Even though the minigun is already available as an NPC weapon in the game, as a player weapon it doesn’t really fit the philosophy and the concept of a cover shooter with a realistic setting.
Only the Terminator can shoot the minigun so casually from a standing position
This is how the minigun is implemented for enemies: Enemies that use the minigun in the game are heavily armored, slow, and behave essentially like a terminator from the namesake movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
They don’t really take cover but position themselves with their minigun in a suitable spot and then fire from a standing position. During this time, they are vulnerable and exposed to the agents’ fire. However, their powerful heavy armor protects them from incoming fire.
They resemble massive combat machines that are almost equivalent to a heavy stationary weapon, mowing down everything that stands in their way.
Does the minigun really fit as a player weapon in The Division 2? However, for players, the opposite principle applies in The Division 2. If you don’t act tactically and use cover, you can be taken out by powerful enemies and on higher difficulty levels in just a few moments.
Because The Division 2 has, among other things, tweaked the time to kill. You now knock down opponents faster, but they can also take you out just as quickly.
Using such a weapon to crawl from cover to cover and quickly fire from cover would also not do justice to the nature of such a powerful weapon. Furthermore, it is already implemented differently for NPCs. While it’s not ruled out that it would work completely differently for players, it is at least questionable.
The current 3 specializations along with their unique weapons
It may be possible that players would thus become a massive tank for some time with the specialization – heavily armored and equipped with a powerful minigun. However, this would not align with the previously known specializations and would clash with the cover shooter aspect that The Division 2 aims to emphasize more than it did in part 1.
However, the idea remains intriguing and such a concept is certainly exciting.
The field research in March has not changed. Many Pokémon GO players are annoyed about this. The quests are cool, but also boring in the long run.
That’s why the quests are annoying: For January and February there were new field researches in Pokémon GO. These were supposed to be changed again in March, but so far they are still the same.
Many players are now annoyed and wish for some variety in the quests. After all, they have been the same for the third month now.
This is what the players think of the quests in March 2019
The quests have been running for this long now: On Reddit, many players are sure that the field research will not only run for March but also for April. This would fit with the new research breakthroughs for March and April.
This is a selection of Pokémon that you can get from field research.
Players are disappointed: Many players are disappointed with the field research. “BrianSpencer1” writes: “Since quests are one of my favorite aspects of the game, I’m very disappointed.”
Another player writes: “I would love new quests. Especially those that bring other Gen 4 Pokémon than Bidiza.”
“We have had these quests for 2 months already, and we will have the same ones for another 2 months? No! Why are they trying so hard to mess it up! Same outdated research breakthroughs for 2 months (4 months even for the dogs) and the same quests for 4 months? No, just no,” writes another player.
Many players are now like this Pikachu: Annoyed
That’s why it’s all the more sad: In early January, Niantic was praised by the community for finally making the field research appealing to the broad masses.
Now Niantic wants to take advantage of this praise and extends the quests by 2 months. This pleases hardly any player.
At least this is new: There is a small innovation in the quests. There is a new Pandir form. Number 5 no longer appears and is replaced by Number 2.
The new Pandir form Number 2
Do you want an overview of all quests for March 2019? You can find it here:
Without much announcement, the FUT Player Days started last Friday in FIFA 19. Although the event brought cheap packs and an Inform Best Of, the community is divided – was it a great event?
Here were the FUT Player Days: The FUT Player Days ran all last weekend and end this Monday. The highlight: The best Inform cards of the current season were back in packs.
The best Inform cards of the season were included again
Additionally, packs were particularly cheap. Half-price offers or two-for-one deals dominated the shop, and some of the best packs were available at particularly low prices.
Moreover, there were also gifts: Depending on the number of days played so far, there was even a Ultimate Set for free in the best case.
“Finally, EA is doing something right”
The community liked this: The event program was completed by worthwhile puzzle SBCs, more Prime Icon Moments SBCs, and gifts in the Companion and Web App. In short: It was possible to get a lot of packs with relatively low coin investment.
In the FIFA subreddit, some voices expressed happiness about finally being able to strike properly in the shop – because normally, buying packs with coins is not worth it at all. The free packs also brought joy – even if in the end, there were no strong players inside.
Packs and rewards through simple play: Yet some players even pulled one of the TOTW players or, quite unexpectedly, an Icon card. For these players, the event was a complete success. Additionally, there are the new weekly tasks that are also interesting.
For example, it is possible to earn a Draft Token – an option that players have been wanting for a long time. Stylish jerseys and a particularly strong pack are also included. So it is possible to earn good rewards simply by playing, without having to spend money.
The new Swap Deals with event players released as part of the event were also well received by many – but as often in FIFA 19, this coin has two sides. Many players criticized the latest event in the FIFA series.
“Can you pull them too?!”
The community did not like this: Even if the packs only cost half – to pull top cards, you still need a huge amount of luck. So there were also many players who bought massive amounts of packs and ended up getting nothing. A problem that is criticized in most events.
A user on Twitter commented, for example: “Can you pull them too? 6 x 125 k packs and no walkout – in the most expensive pack in the game. You should really be ashamed of ripping off people like this.”
A walkout is spoken of when a player runs out from behind the card during a pack opening or jumps in from the side of the screen. This animation is only triggered by the best and most expensive players, which is why every fan wants to see the walkout animation when opening a pack.
Unfortunately, he was also not in every pack during the Player Days: Kylian Mbappé
Player Days with mini market crash: For some, the Best Of Informs themselves posed a problem. One player, for example, had just bought IF Lewandowski for 370,000 coins. But during the event, the Bayern forward was suddenly only worth 220,000 because he was available in packs again. Good for the players who want to buy him now – but bad for all sellers. A glimmer of hope: Most players assume that the event cards will soon increase in value again once the Player Days are over.
But does this also apply to Leon Goretzka’s Ones-to-Watch- card? This card is earnable for everyone within the FUT Swap Deals – and promptly dropped in value by 40,000 coins. No wonder that players who wanted to sell the card soon were upset.
