The start of the new Operation Grand Heist brought numerous new content and improvements for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. However, a specific feature is currently ruining the start of the new season for many fans – loot boxes.
What happened? On February 19, with Operation Grand Heist, the new season of Black Ops 4 began, at least on PS4. The Xbox One and PC will follow a week later.
As part of the accompanying update, the black market, i.e., the in-game shop, was revised. There, loot boxes now expand the microtransaction palette of the game, much to the chagrin of many players.
How do the loot boxes work? The loot boxes are optional and can be earned through the Blackout mode and in the traditional multiplayer mode of the game. They can also be purchased with real money in the black market and offer random content. One crate, meaning one box, costs 200 CoD points, which is approximately 2€.
Currently, only cosmetic items are included. Gameplay advantages cannot be purchased through the boxes. The item pool includes contents from Blackjack’s reserves, meaning essentially all cosmetic content from previous operations.
What is the problem with the loot boxes? Many players see the boxes as further proof of Activision’s greed. In the eyes of many, the publisher is trying to squeeze money out of fans – everywhere possible.
After all, Black Ops 4 is a full-price title for nearly 60€. Moreover, many players have purchased the Black Ops Pass, which is a season pass, for about 50€. In such a model, microtransactions should not exist, according to many fans.
Therefore, the already existing microtransaction opportunities in the form of the black market (essentially a battle pass) with direct purchases of ranks and cosmetic packages are regularly in the spotlight of criticism.
But now, with the loot boxes, a new type of microtransactions is being added. For many, Black Ops 4 has finally crossed the line.
How are fans reacting? Fans are venting their anger on Reddit and social media.
The discussion platform is full of posts on this topic. This move is considered to be brazen, according to the prevailing sentiment. There are frequent calls to not support this business practice and to refrain from purchasing boxes.
Additionally, the implementation of the loot boxes is criticized. It is complained that players are not informed about the chances of obtaining certain items and that there is no protection against duplicates. Other games handle this better.
Some players also note that the loot from paid loot boxes seems significantly better and more valuable than from crates earned through gameplay, for which players would need between one and a half to three hours, depending on their playstyle.
Moreover, fans fear that the contents of the loot boxes might not only remain cosmetic. For example, the predecessor Black Ops 3 included some powerful weapons in supply crates that could be purchased with real money.
Even in Black Ops 4, there are already reports from players stating that weapons like the SWAT RFT assault rifle are available from the new boxes. Although this is content from the last season, the weapon is not cosmetic.
Many can therefore imagine that this could just be the first step towards further microtransactions that might also include new powerful weapons. While some fans previously defended the earlier models and dismissed them as typical, there is currently hardly anyone who understands the introduction of loot boxes.
What do you think about the return of loot boxes? Can you not understand the frustration over these optional contents? Or has Activision crossed the line for you as well?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
As previously teased, the MMORPG Neverwinter is expanding with the massive dungeon “Undermountain.” According to the developers, this is the largest expansion yet for the online role-playing game.
A huge add-on
What does “Undermountain” offer? The expansion introduces players to the great city “Waterdeep,” where they will delve into the classic dungeon Undermountain.
This is a vast cavern that stretches deep beneath the city. Here awaits a new adventure in a massive mega-dungeon full of dangers and valuable loot.
Once, Undermountain was a fortress of dwarves, which was driven out by monsters from the depths.
The tavern “The Yawning Portal” is a new social hub where players meet before descending into the depths of the dungeon.
The dungeon consists of five large zones that spread across several levels.
The dangers you face are so great that you can level up to the new level 80.
New endgame content “Hoard of the Mad Wizard.” There you will face the dark wizard Halaster Blackcloak.
New rewards
An interesting expedition system where you visit constantly changing caves full of challenges.
What is special about “Undermountain”? The dungeon was first mentioned in 1975 and introduced as the first dungeon of the Forgotten Realms. It gained fame through the AD&D campaign set “Ruins of Undermountain” released in 1991.
The labyrinth of Halaster Blackcloak and the fight against the mad wizard are among the classics of “Dungeons & Dragons” adventures. Undermountain is THE dungeon in the Forgotten Realms game world. In essence, no adventuring party can avoid visiting this dungeon at least once.
Accordingly, it has also been the setting for several D&D novels and computer games such as the 1990 release Eye of the Beholder, or the add-on “Hordes of the Underdark” for the RPG Neverwinter Nights.
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How are the players reacting? In general, the community is excited about the new expansion, as it is extremely large with five zones. No previous expansion for Neverwinter has offered such scope. Furthermore, Undermountain is certainly something many D&D fans have been waiting for a long time.
However, many are eyeing the overhaul of class powers with some suspicion.
In the depths of Undermountain, you will also encounter the dangerous Umber Hulks.
BillowsB sarcastically mentions on Reddit: “Great. An increase in the level cap and a rebalancing of the classes has worked out so well in other MMORPGs.”
Some fear that everything they have worked for their class was “in vain” and that the character will essentially need to be redeveloped. Exactly how this will play out remains to be seen.
When is “Undermountain” coming out? The PC version of the expansion will be released in Spring, with an exact date to be announced. The preview on the test server starts on March 1. Console players will have to wait a bit longer as usual.
In Pokémon GO there are limited researches this weekend. It’s all about Perlu and other water Pokémon.
A new Pokémon is being released: Another event is happening this weekend, bringing a new Pokémon from the third generation. By completing field research, you will have the chance to catch the water Pokémon Perlu.
We give you an overview of these limited researches and tell you everything about Perlu and its evolutions.
What we know about the Limited Research with Perlu
When does the event start? This weekend, on Saturday, February 23, the limited researches will take place. You can encounter Perlu between 11 AM and 2 PM.
What are limited researches?You may know this kind of event from Barschwa. You will receive special field researches from PokéStops that are all focused on the event Pokémon for over 3 hours.
This time, you will find Perlu as a reward in the field researches. The Pokémon will make its first appearance.
These are the bonuses of the event: The encounter with Perlu is not the only special thing about this day. You will also receive:
the chance for more water Pokémon in the wild (e.g., Krabby and Wailmer)
double Stardust for catching water Pokémon
special field researches around Perlu
What do we know about Perlu? The Pokémon can evolve into two different monsters. From a Perlu, both Aalabyss and Saganabyss can evolve.
Perlu, Aalabyss, and Saganabyss
In Pokémon GO, the evolution will be random. On the Pokémon website, it states: “The Shell Pokémon has two possible evolutions – Aalabyss and Saganabyss – but which evolution your Perlu takes, you will only know once it has evolved.”
You should have enough candies so you can evolve both Pokémon even without much luck.
You should use Nanab Berries: Perlu requires 50 candies to evolve. It is advisable to use the Nanab Berry when catching it.
You will need at least 100 candies for both evolutions. If you are unlucky with the evolution, more candies will be needed.
I can’t be there. What now? Just because you miss the event doesn’t mean you won’t get the chance to catch Perlu. After the limited researches, Perlu will also be available in the wild. You might stumble across this Pokémon anytime.
Do you want to know what hatches from the eggs? Here is the current egg list:
The Interceptor Javelin is designed for speed and melee combat in Anthem. We show you a powerful build variant that allows you to deal damage well even solo.
That’s why we recommend this build: With the high area of effect of the two equipped abilities, you can hit as many enemies as possible. The components support you in many ways.
If you are already fit enough for the endgame in Anthem, we alternatively have an endgame build for you. There we deal with masterful equipment and explain to you how to use it correctly. This way, the Interceptor can easily handle the Grandmaster difficulty levels.
Why is this build good even solo? With the combination of the Acid Bomb and the Storm Hit, you can wipe out entire groups of enemies in no time without relying on your teammates.
This is the procedure: First, throw the Acid Bomb into a group of enemies. Shortly after, activate the Storm Hit attack. The Interceptor jumps into the clouded group of enemies and triggers several combo attacks. Additionally, you adopt an acid aura through the Interceptor’s passive ability.
With this aura, you can then easily take out the remaining survivors with your regular melee attack and distribute the acid status effect even further.
Once your two abilities are recharged, you can start the process anew. With this combination, you should be able to cope with strong enemy masses even when playing solo. Tough single targets can be permanently stunned with your melee (stunlock). The acid aura also supports you in this.
This is what the components do:
Shield Enhancement (1): Significantly increases the maximum strength of the Javelin’s shield.
Melee Inscription (2): Increases the damage of melee weapons.
Amphibious Upgrade (3): Increases acid damage and acid resistance. Additionally, it increases oxygen capacity.
Hit System Improvement (4): Improves the hit system and increases the damage of the equipped ability.
Blade Inscription (5): Increases the damage of melee hits.
Interceptor Combo Upgrade (6): Increases the aura combo pulse frequency.
What the components bring to the build
The Shield Enhancement component (1) strengthens your shield system. Since you are mostly in the middle of the action with this Javelin, you should equip at least one component that supports your defensive protection options.
The Hit System Improvement (4) and the Blade Inscription (5) increase the damage of the Storm Hit attack, making it even stronger. Although the base damage and hit area of the attack are already very good, you further increase the effectiveness of the Storm Hit with this.
The Melee Inscription (2) and the Blade Inscription (5) increase your regular melee damage, which you primarily use while your abilities are on cooldown. Generally, as an Interceptor, it is never a bad idea to use your melee, as it often stuns smaller enemies and incapacitates single targets as long as you keep hitting.
Amphibious Upgrade (3) improves your Acid Bomb and gives you a few qualitative passive bonuses.
The Interceptor Combo Upgrade (6) further enhances your aura effect. This way, you should be able to maintain the acid aura constantly and for a longer period.
These weapons are suitable for this
Which weapons should you use? For this build, weapons that allow you to play aggressively are suitable. Since you mostly find yourself in close proximity to enemies, weapons like the “Revenge” shotgun are excellent companions for this build.
That’s why the Revenge is a good choice: After you throw the Acid Bomb, the affected targets take even more damage from your weapons due to the acid status effect. This is the ideal time to go in with the Revenge and deal significant damage. Thanks to the shotgun’s high fire rate, you can deal substantial burst damage.
As a second option, you should consider a weapon that is effective at long distances. Sniper rifles, such as the “Devastator”, are great for dealing high damage to single targets.
Since you probably won’t use this weapon as your primary tool, you can use it as a backup plan if you need to retreat from combat for a short time or take out a distant enemy or turret.
This is what the Devastator can do: This sniper rifle has a low ammo capacity, but each shot explodes upon impact.
This weapon is ideal for opponents that are far away or hard to hit. You can also deal high critical damage against bosses if you manage to find and hit the weak spot. Since you will use this weapon only situationally, you don’t have to worry too much about the low ammo capacity.
In FIFA 19, the winter upgrades of the Bundesliga are active. Due to the new ratings, some player cards are now significantly more interesting.
This is what makes the upgrades interesting: The Bundesliga winter upgrades bring 23 new cards with updated, improved values. These are a selection of Bundesliga players who received new cards in FUT 19 for their performances in the first half of the season.
Perhaps some Bundesliga cards were not a topic for you at the beginning of FIFA 19. This may have changed with the winter upgrades.
We will show you which players are now worthwhile.
Axel Witsel: 82 to 85
Axel Witsel: 85
This is why the card is interesting: The midfielder from Borussia Dortmund now has an overall rating of 85. All stats have been improved. However, the biggest upgrade comes in his defensive skills, which have been significantly boosted and now surpass the old 83-rated card. The increased passing values also stand out, an important upgrade for a player in his central position.
Pace: 71 -> 72
Shooting: 74 -> 76
Passing: 77 -> 80
Dribbling: 79 -> 80
Defending: 75 -> 81
Physical: 82 -> 83
There are no big jumps in the remaining solid values. But that doesn’t matter because with these stats, we have an ideal defensive midfielder for any Bundesliga team.
Conclusion on Axel Witsel: It’s hard to pass on the new card of Axel Witsel when looking for a defensive midfielder for your Bundesliga team. He distributes the balls excellently and brings stability to the squad. He is rather weak in finishing, but that is not his main task.
He is priced under 20k, which should make him affordable for many.
Marco Reus: 85 to 88
Marco Reus: 88
This is why the card is interesting: The upgrade for this card is remarkable, Marco Reus now has an overall rating of 88 and a position change from LM to CAM. This will please many FUT players. However, one might not be pleased with the price, which has significantly risen – from around 20k to over 200k.
Pace: 85 -> 86
Shooting: 86 -> 87
Passing: 82 -> 85
Dribbling: 86 -> 87
Defending: 44 -> 47
Physical: 64 -> 69
But when looking for a strong alternative (with standard cards) for the attacking midfield, you only encounter James Rodriguez. He is not a bad choice, but it cannot be compared to the Marco Reus upgrade, who impresses with his speed and 4-star weak foot.
Conclusion on Marco Reus: Marco Reus, regardless of the version, could be the star of your Bundesliga team. With his offensive quality and speed, he is very dangerous and can also be used as a striker. If you have the coins, you should definitely add Marco Reus to your team.
Nico Schulz: 78 to 81
Nico Schulz: 81
This is why the card is interesting: This upgrade gives us a good and affordable alternative for the left-back position. This is particularly interesting for FUT newcomers. Compared to his old card, the important defensive and physical values have been significantly raised.
Pace: 87 -> 88
Shooting: 51 -> 53
Passing: 72 -> 74
Dribbling: 77 -> 79
Defending: 72 -> 76
Physical: 72 -> 76
Conclusion on Nico Schulz: The fast left-back is definitely worth considering if the budget does not allow for a David Alaba yet. He has solid values, is strong in dribbling, and is not too small. In fact, Nico Schulz is now the second-best left-back in the Bundesliga by overall rating of standard cards.
So much luck in Hearthstone is just outrageous. So many legendaries in a row has probably never happened before…
Opening card packs is probably one of the highlights of Hearthstone. The little thrill and hope of having that cool, legendary card you’ve been waiting for in the next pack. The probability of this is low, however. But if luck is on your side, you can pull legendary cards from four consecutive card packs.
Four legendaries in a row: On Reddit, user TTMGaming posted a video where he opens some card packs. In the very first pack, there is a legendary card “Shark’s Grail”. Satisfied, he opens the next pack – which also features a legendary. After pulling Gaunah from the pack, he just can’t stop. There is also a legendary card in the third and fourth packs. So he ends up with the following legendary cards:
A damn low probability: The chance of pulling four legendary cards in a row is incredibly low. Because actually, statistically speaking, every 20th pack in Hearthstone contains a legendary card. In other words: Statistically, one would have to open around 80 packs for this amount of legendary cards, not just four.
It might be worth it for TTMGaming to fill out a lottery ticket this week – who knows if the lucky streak will continue for a bit longer.
What was your luckiest moment in Hearthstone? Have you ever pulled a golden legendary card from a pack? Or are you still waiting in vain for your dream legendary?
In Destiny 2, the first Ascendant Challenge is now active, which you can undertake in the Dreaming City. In this guide, you will learn how to do it.
How do I get an Ascendant Challenge? Visit Petra Venj in the Dreaming City. She has this challenge available as a Weekly Bounty in her inventory. In the first week of Forsaken, the bounty is available and expires 7 days after it is accepted.
What do I get from it? With this Ascendant Challenge milestone, you will receive top loot. The rewards are Dark Fragments and Powerful Gear, which allow you to acquire items beyond the soft cap of Power Level 500.
Ascendant Challenge with Queen’s Leaf Tincture
The requirement for the bounty: Grab the bounty from Petra and first look for a consumable item called “Queen’s Leaf Tincture”. This item opens your mind to the secrets of the Dreaming City for 30 minutes. It can be found randomly in various chests throughout the city.
How to access the Ascendant Realm: Go to Petra Venj. Now enter the Lost Sector located right next to Petra. When you activate the tincture, a portal opens that teleports you to the Ascendant Realm.
Tip: It is sufficient to take the tincture in the Lost Sector. This way, you will have more of the 30 minutes that you have for the challenge.
Andy Edition shows you the way to the Lost Sector from Petra Venj (from 1:29):
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In the Ascendant Realm: Now run along the edge of the Ascendant Realm, where you can shoot four Taken Blights. Ignore all other enemies.
Once the Blights are defeated, run to the center of the Ascendant Realm where crystals are floating. Destroy them to kill the boss enemies.
Tip: It is advisable to shoot the outer crystals first and then the inner ones so you can run in a circle, forcing the enemies to follow behind you.
End of the bounty: Then open the reward chest, and the bounty is complete. You have now finished the Ascendant Challenge, and the loot is yours. Don’t forget to turn in the bounty in your inventory.
In the above-embedded video from Andy Edition, you can see the complete fight and the locations of the Blights in the Ascendant Realm. If you have any trouble, you can peek at his video.
You can find all collectibles in this video:
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Apex Legends receives its first content update. The next patch will introduce a new weapon, the Havoc.
What is the Havoc? The Havoc will likely be an energy-based assault rifle and the third weapon to utilize energy ammunition. The other two implemented energy weapons are the Devotion and the Triple Take, with which a gaming grandpa has already taken out an entire squad.
The Triple Take from Apex Legends.
According to the website altchar.com the sound files found in the game files suggest that the Havoc can utilize three different hop-ups simultaneously:
Precision Choke: Concentrates the pellets from the barrel into a point
Selectfire Receiver: Allows for different firing modes
Turbocharger: Increases the charge rate, reducing the time to maximum fire rate
The Havoc is essentially an automatic rifle. According to the leak, with the three hop-ups, it can combine five shots into a powerful attack, allowing for very high damage. According to the information, the Havoc is “a battle rifle with railgun capabilities.”
When is the Havoc coming? According to an official tweet from Apex Legends, the Havoc is set to be implemented with a patch today, Wednesday, February 20. A short preview video has been posted on the official channel, which we will embed for you here.
An exact time has not yet been specified.
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The L-Star is a light machine gun, about which not much is known regarding its capabilities. As the Havoc has already come to pass, it is quite possible that the L-Star will also find its way into Apex Legends.
After the end of Far Cry 5, players wonder what happened to their character Rookie after the bombs fell. Far Cry New Dawn shows the bitter result.
Spoiler warning: The article contains references to the story of Far Cry: New Dawn.
This question is answered by New Dawn: You can now play the new installment of Far Cry “New Dawn”. The setting for the new Far Cry is in Hope County, Montana, just like in the predecessor Far Cry 5.
New Dawn takes place 17 years later, after atomic bombs fell on the location. Many familiar faces you will meet again in the new installment. But what actually happened to “Rookie”, your character from Far Cry 5?
The last thing seen of Rookie was that he was dragged into a bunker with Joseph Seed, the crazy cult leader.
New Dawn now informs us about what has become of our hero.
What happened to New Eden? This cult now lives far away from the land in the north. They have largely renounced technology. They wear animal skins and hunt with bow and arrow.
As PCGamer reports, when you first attempt to speak with the cult, you will be greeted by a person wearing a mask. However, they will not let you in. You first have to complete another quest. After that, the masked person will let you in. You will learn that Eden’s Gate is now led by Joseph Seed’s son.
Source: PC Gamer
This is Rookie: The masked person, called The Judge, will become one of your companions. And this is Rookie from Far Cry 5. However, who The Judge is remains a secret in New Dawn for a long time.
The secret about the masked person: The Judge does not speak. If you address him, there is no response. If you search the bunker, you will find notes in some places. These were probably written during the time your Far Cry 5 character spent with Joseph Seed underground.
You will find these notes:
“God tells you, when I listen to you, it is good and right and I can help. And I can save people and make it right. And everything will be okay.
When I judge as your judge [here the translation with Judge], the judgment is right and just. The judgment is God’s word. I understand now. I am so sorry.”
“Please, give me a mask.”
“Thank you, Joseph, thank you, Father.”
This happened to Rookie: It seems that Rookie underwent some kind of brainwashing during the time he spent with Joseph Seed.
Actually, Rookie was against Seed because the cult leader is a vile, cold-hearted murderer. But the time, the years, that Rookie had to spend with him slowly changed his opinion.
Source: PC Gamer
Are there more signs? Bring The Judge to Roughnecks Corner. This is the place where your companions hang out when they are not fighting for you. Wait there for a while and then listen to Pastor Jerome and Hurk. They will talk to The Judge, who does not speak himself. They talk about the good old days and what became of The Judge.
In addition, Carminia Rye thanks The Judge for helping her parents. She is the child of Nick Rye. For those who have forgotten: He is the pilot from Far Cry 5.
Many fans suspected this beforehand through information leaked by Ubisoft. But the fate of Rookie is now apparently set as “The Judge”. A sad end for a character who bravely fought against Seed. What do you think of the story around the character?
Are you still busy in New Dawn? Then upgrade your base like this:
The new online shooter Apex Legends went live just a few days ago and already has a star. “Dizzy” is only 18, was reportedly the first player to reach max level 100, holds the record for solo kills, and won the first tournament. In just a week, he went from nobody to star. How did he do it?
It’s about him: The player Coby Meadows is 18 years old and just a few weeks ago he was a relatively unknown streamer who hardly anyone had on their radar.
Meadows is known by the name “Dizzy” and is already the shooting star of Apex Legends.
As of February 1st, Dizzy had about 24,000 followers on Twitch according to Socialblade.
Now on February 15th, he has over 141,000 followers on Twitch. Trending rapidly upward.
To Stardom in 3 Days
This is how Dizzy got noticed: Just a few days after the launch of Apex Legends on February 4th, he set three milestones:
He reached max level 100 in Apex Legends after one week, on February 11th – likely the first player to ever achieve that
Dizzy set the record for solo kills with 33 on February 12th (there are only 60 players in a lobby)
And he, along with KingRichard and Ninja, won the first official tournament in Apex Legends on February 13th. He was the strongest player. Ninja was even accused of letting Dizzy carry him to victory.
Where does Dizzy come from? Dizzy actually comes from Counter-Strike and played a bit of Fortnite afterwards.
However, he fell in love with Apex Legends from the start. When the game went live, he streamed for 21 hours straight.
How long did Dizzy take to reach level 100? Dizzy was at level 100 on February 11th. Thus, he is likely the first PC player to achieve that in less than a week.
Two days after reaching level 100, on February 13th, Dizzy told Forbes that he spent about 90 to 100 hours in Apex Legends. This means he had to play about 11 to 12 hours a day.
How did he win the tournament? Dizzy actually stood no chance of getting invited to the first Apex Legends tournament as only well-known streamers were invited.
One of those famous streamers, “KingRichard,” tweeted that he would likely be the team captain for the tournament and Dizzy sent him his own stats via Twitter.
They were impressively high, as Dizzy had mainly played with Wraith and had amassed massive kills.
Therefore, KingRichard gave the newcomer a chance and he shone in the tournament.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34-4Rdfcqa8
This is the kill record: Even before the tournament, Dizzy made a name for himself when he set the “Solo Kill World Record” for Apex Legends.
His tactic is to land, grab the nearest weapon, and then act aggressively and accept every fight, as he reveals to Forbes.
He now hopes to turn this success into a career. His plans are to become a full-time streamer and also a professional player in Apex Legends.
Apparently, Dizzy sees his first week in Apex Legends only as the beginning of something big. He has already signed a contract with Team NRG and is thus one of the first professional players in Apex Legends.
In The Division 2 , a surprise test is coming up. Selected players will be invited to a “technical test.” However, this is only for PC players.
Who can participate and play The Division 2? To participate in the technical test, one must be a PC player.
Ubisoft states that they will invite “a selected number of PC players” for the technical test. The invitations are set to be sent out on Wednesday, February 20.
Even those who pre-ordered The Division 2 on PC are not “guaranteed” to be part of the test. Ubisoft aims to make a random and as broad a selection as possible.
It appears there is no way to sign up directly for the test or to recommend oneself in any form. Even those who are selected for the test have no chance to invite friends to play along.
Less content than in the Private Beta
When is the test? The test begins on Thursday, February 21, and ends on Friday, February 22.
Those who do not make it into the test can comfort themselves with the thought that they are not missing anything groundbreaking.
Those who are not selected must wait for the Open Beta
What about everyone else? Ubisoft kindly points out that everyone else can participate in the Open Beta from March 1 to 4. This will also be open to players on Xbox One and PS4 – and all PC players.
The current test is intended to gather feedback and is not under any non-disclosure agreement.
This is how fans are reacting: The first one calls his mother to bring him a sacrificial lamb. He needs the luck.
Other fans seem to generally be pleased that Massive is working so hard on The Division 2. The agents feel that the developers are doing their best.
The Community Day in Pokémon GO unlocked the new Pokémon Mamutel. We explain to you why you should definitely power up this monster.
This is what it’s about: On the Community Day in February, everything revolved around the Pokémon Quiekel. You could also develop Mamutel for the first time using the Sinnoh Stone.
Now the question is whether Mamutel is actually good and what it can be used for. We can advise you: Level up your Mamutel, because it will be worth it!
This is why Mamutel is so good
Mamutel is good for two types. It has strong Ice and Ground attacks and ranks among the best attackers for both types.
These are its stats: Mamutel has strong stats. Especially its attack stat is above average:
Attack stat: 247
Defense stat: 146
HP stat: 242
Max CP: 3328
Mamutel as an Ice Attacker
This is why it’s so good: Mamutel benefits from the fact that there has never been a really strong Ice attacker in the game. As a result, it ranks first among attackers of this type by a large margin.
With the moves Powder Snow and Avalanche, it has a top moveset and its enormous attack makes Mamutel a true weapon.
What is it good for? Mamutel can easily sweep any Dragoran or other Dragon Pokémon from gyms. But it also easily defeats Pokémon of the Grass, Ground, or Flying types.
In raids, the Pokémon with its Ice attacks becomes interesting especially against legendary dragons. If Rayquaza should return, then with Mamutel you have an extremely strong counter. You can almost defeat the legendary Pokémon by yourself. Mamutel can also defeat other Dragon-type raid bosses as a top counter.
Mamutel as a Ground Attacker
This is why it’s so good: With Ground attacks, Mamutel is not as strong as an Ice attacker, yet it ranks third among Ground Pokémon. However, the competition here is greater than among Ice attackers. Groudon and Rihornior are ahead of Mamutel.
With the moves Mud Shot and Steam Roller, it may not have the best Ground attacks, but it should not be underestimated. If you don’t have a good Groudon or Rihornior, you should rely on Mamutel.
What is it good for? As a Ground attacker in gyms, it causes problems for Pokémon of the Fire, Electric, Poison, Rock, and Steel types. Classic candidates include Arcanine, Electivire, or Metagross.
In raids, you could perfectly counter the potential return of Raikou. It ranks among the top counters there. But other raid bosses, especially of the Electric type, will also have their problems with Mamutel.
During the Community Day in February, something was also changed:
In FIFA 19 the winter upgrades for the Italian Serie A are known. These player cards are now available in packs in Ultimate Team.
Ratings Refresh for the Serie A: The winter upgrades in FUT 19 are entering their third round. Today, on February 19th, EA Sports released the next ratings refresh batch. This time, it’s the Serie A’s turn.
The best Serie A winter upgrades: Two players stand out with top ratings: Chiellini with 90 and Koulibaly with 88. Both are center-backs in the Serie A.
All player cards from the Serie A Ratings Refresh
The new cards in FUT 19:
The stats of the starting eleven:
The stats of the substitutes:
Information on the winter upgrades in Ultimate Team
These are winter upgrades: As the standard cards in FUT 19 have remained unchanged since release, many players have shown better performances in recent months than before, the winter upgrades upgrade the standard cards of many players.
After this “ratings refresh,” only the new, updated cards of the respective players can be found in the sets.
New cards replace old ones in packs: Once the winter upgrade cards are released, they can be drawn in the sets. The only requirement is that the set can contain players. The “old” cards of the respective players will no longer be found in the sets from that moment on.
What happens to my old card? If you already own a card of a player who is being upgraded, this remains unchanged. It will not be automatically updated. If you want the player’s card with improved attributes, you must draw it from a set.
It is also possible to purchase the winter upgrade cards from other players on the transfer market.
In other words: After the ratings refresh, two versions of standard cards for the respective player coexist in FUT.
Long loading times are a problem in Anthem, which annoys many players. We will show you how to equip yourself against this. There are also tips for more FPS in Anthem.
In this overview, we show you how much SSD drives help your loading times. We also give you tips on graphics settings that can boost your FPS.
What is the problem? The numerous loading screens are a frequently mentioned point of criticism in Anthem. Players are annoyed by how much time they have to spend in loading screens. This is also shown by first user reviews of Anthem.
Especially annoying: When the rest of the team has faster systems than one player and then constantly has to wait for that person. Without prior agreement, this becomes complicated and frustrating.
A loading screen in Anthem – You encounter these often
An SSD can help you: An SSD is a hard drive that has many advantages over a regular (HDD) hard drive. The biggest advantage is significantly shorter access times due to its design.
So if you have an SSD in your system, it is advisable to install Anthem on it. Players rave about how much the loading times for Anthem are shortened as a result.
How much does an SSD improve loading times in Anthem? As Gamestar reports, an SSD has clear advantages over an HDD in several areas. They tested Anthem with SSD against Anthem with HDD and came to the following results:
Starting the game takes about 50 seconds with an SSD, about 80 seconds with an HDD.
Loading the first game area takes about 25 seconds with an SSD, about 125 seconds with an HDD.
Loading a mission takes about 35 seconds with an SSD, about 150 seconds with an HDD.
In the test, a Crucial MX500 SSD faced a Toshiba DT01ACA HDD.
If you do not have an SSD yet, you can easily upgrade.
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Also for consoles: If you want, you can upgrade your console with an SSD as well. We have described how to install SSDs in consoles by using Destiny as an example.
Patch to improve Anthem on HDDs: On Twitter, Michael Gamble, Lead Producer for Anthem, explains that the Day-1 Patch brings improvements for hard drives. They want to enhance Anthem for HDDs with 5400 RPM and 7200 RPM.
Adjusting Graphics Settings in Anthem
Players say that performance in Anthem can be slightly improved if you tweak the right knobs. In a discussion on Reddit, two settings stood out particularly that can provide a true FPS boost when disabled or reduced.
Ambient Occlusion: You can disable this feature
Postprocessing Quality: Set this option to low or turn it off completely
How to change the settings: Go to the menu (Escape), select “Video” and then “Advanced Graphics Settings.” Now you need to set the graphics quality to Custom to make individual adjustments to the settings.
Your settings should look like this according to Reddit users’ tips.
What does it bring? On Reddit, user OmniBlock writes that by turning off Ambient Occlusion and setting Postprocessing Quality to “low,” he played with 75 to 80 FPS, instead of 55 FPS afterwards.
The graphical differences from the settings are minimal and will hardly be noticeable in combat. However, your hardware will be less stressed and can deliver more FPS.
What does Ambient Occlusion do? The cracks or gaps on objects receive shadows depending on the lighting.
What does Postprocessing Quality do? This adjusts the resolution of the effects.
These Nvidia Drivers You Need for Anthem
If you game a lot on your computer, you should also regularly update your drivers. For Anthem, this is probably very important as well. As user JOIentertainment writes on Reddit, updating to Nvidia driver 418.91 drastically improved its performance.
Are you experiencing low FPS in Anthem on consoles? That’s understandable!
Newer versions of Nvidia drivers are good as well.
Note about version 418.91: Players report that installing this driver may cause issues with Apex Legends. If you play that battle royale game, you might want to wait for newer drivers that run without issues.
Are you experiencing low FPS in Anthem on consoles? That’s understandable!
Where are waterfalls in Fortnite? On this map, we show you the locations for the extension challenge tasks.A free Battle Pass for Season 8 is at stake.
What kind of task is this? Today, on February 19th, new tasks for the extension challenges were added in Fortnite. We show you all of these extension challenges here.
A new task has been added: “Visit various waterfalls”. For those of you who do not know the Fortnite map inside and out, we have compiled the locations here.
First, we show you 10 waterfalls on the Fortnite map. You can find them at the tip of each arrow.
Where should I search? If the map is too vague for you, you can better orient yourself with the following descriptions.
F10 – Lucky Landing: Right at the “end of the world”
B6 – South of Snobby Shores: The waterfall falls from the Viking ship
E5 – Loot Lake: Here the waterfall that leaves Loot Lake counts as well
E4 – Loot Lake: In the middle of Loot Lake, there are 3 small waterfalls that also count for this task
G2 – Northeast of Lazy Links: Here the waterfall flows down from the map
J5 – Lonely Lodge: You can find the small waterfall hidden under trees here. Just follow the little stream.
H9 – Southwest of Paradise Palms: You can find the waterfall at the lake
I10 – South of Paradise Palms: The waterfall flows down the map here
Screenshots of the locations: To ensure you find the waterfalls, we are embedding screenshots here that show you all the mentioned locations.
F10 – Lucky Landing
B6 – Snobby Shores
E5 – Loot Lake
E4 – Loot Lake
G2 – Lazy Links
J5 – Lonely Lodge
H9 – Southwest of Paradise Palms
I10 – South of Paradise Palms
How far are you with the extension tasks? They are really worth it and can reward you with a free Battle Pass for Season 8.
Anthem has its official release on February 22nd. Then the launch for PS4 will take place. Find out everything about preload, release, and read first reviews here.
What do I need to know about Anthem as a PS4 player?
Do I need PS Plus to play Anthem? Yes. Anthem is a multiplayer online game. For most online games you need PS Plus and Anthem is among them.
Are there bonuses for PS Plus members in Anthem? No.
How many FPS does Anthem achieve on PS4?Anthem does not achieve 60 FPS on PS4. Neither on the standard version nor on the stronger PS4 Pro. The consoles achieve 30 FPS.
Transfer save data to the new console generation: When the new console generation is released, old save data can be transferred. This means you could continue playing on PlayStation 5 with your current save.
PS4 players cannot test Anthem for 15 euros: It is not possible on PS4 to subscribe to “Origin Access Premier” for a month. This costs 15€ and gives access to many EA games for 30 days, including Anthem. However, this is only possible on PC.
Buying Anthem: Pre-order bonuses and Special Edition
What editions are there?
Standard Edition: 69.99 euros
Special “Legion of Dawn” Edition: 89.99 euros
What do pre-orderers receive?
Player banner for founders
Cosmetic “Legion of Dawn” armor pack and weapon
What bonuses does the Legion of Dawn Edition have?
Anthem is for you if: You like loot shooters in the style of Destiny 2 or The Division. Additionally, you should enjoy the hunt for better gear, similar to the Diablo series.
However, it should be noted that Anthem is not a pure loot shooter. The game has strong RPG elements and fuses these two genres together.
If you like to have adventures with friends or also with strangers, Anthem might also be something for you. All activities have matchmaking, so you never have to play alone if your friends don’t have time.
Anthem is not for you if: You prefer to compete with other players rather than facing off against computer-controlled opponents in PvE. Anthem will not have a PvP mode at launch. Whether this will ever be added is uncertain; the developers want to wait for player feedback first.
At first, it is certainly frustrating to start later than everyone else. However, the late start also has its advantages.
Many bugs and issues have been fixed by the PS4 release: Anthem struggled with several problems during its Early Access. For example, there is a horror quest where an important component of the quest is bugged. The endless loading times also cause difficulties for players.
There are already first guides to Anthem: Players from Early Access can currently examine Anthem closely. Some questions have already arisen, creating guides:
Since Anthem has neither PvP nor crossplay, the late start has only a few disadvantages.
Much is already known about Anthem: There is already a lot of information about Anthem circulating on the internet. For some, it may not feel like a truly fresh start.
It is difficult to avoid spoilers once you are on the internet.
First tests, reviews, and conclusions about Anthem
The Early Access players have formed an initial opinion about Anthem.
Is there already a rating on Metacritic for Anthem? No. This will only be available from February 22nd when Anthem has its official release.
Everything else you need to know about Anthem
What is Anthem? In Anthem, you take on the role of a Freelancer. Freelancers are brave warriors who protect the people of Fort Tarsis with their exosuits, called Javelins.
This is the long-term motivation Anthem wants to offer: A major factor for long-term motivation in Anthem is the loot system, inspired by the Diablo series. Players will collect various pieces of equipment with random bonuses, which can also have different rarity levels.
For the endgame, various activities await, such as challenges, faction contracts, or strongholds, raid-like dungeons that can be tackled with a group.
The Grandmaster levels will only be unlocked when players have reached Pilot Level 30, the current maximum level. As the difficulty level increases, the loot also improves.
In Destiny 2 today, on the 19th of February, is the Weekly Reset. The weekly reset brings the last content of Season 5: The Iron Banner event.
Iron Banner starts today: Season 5 is sprinting towards its end. On March 5, 2019, Season 6 will kick off, where there will be fresh activities and rewards. Some rewards, such as the Iron Banner armor from Season 5, can only be obtained now.
For today, on the 19th of February, the whistle blows for the last Iron Banner of Season 5. This PvP event also represents the last content of this season. It lasts until February 26. From then on, it’s only a week until the “Season of the Vagabond”.
Strikes starting February 19 on PS4, Xbox One and PC
The Crimson Week is now over. If you wanted to collect sugar hearts with your loved ones at Lord Shaxx, then you are too late. Instead, you can engage in the Nightfall strike together.
You have the choice between:
A Garden World
Strange Terrain
Savathun’s Song
The recommended power level for the Nightfalls is 540. If you wish, you can customize the Nightfalls with a Challenge Card, which you can get from Xur. You should also plan your loadout in advance, as the character overview will be locked for the duration of the Nightfall strike.
This is how you get Powerful rewards from the Nightfall strikes:
Complete one Nightfall
Complete the Nightfall with at least 100,000 points
Strikes and Story Missions
In the heroic story missions the following modifiers are active:
Void Burn
Grounded: You take more damage while you are in the air
Heavyweight: Power weapons deal more damage and more ammunition is available
In the Vanguard Strikes you will find the same modifiers. The Burn modifier will remain until the next weekly reset. However, the other two modifiers will change every day.
This is how you get Powerful rewards from Vanguard Strikes and the heroic missions:
Complete 3 heroic story missions
Complete 3 heroic strikes with a focus on the same light element as a member of your fireteam
Crucible Activities and Gambit
This week you can participate in the following activities in PvP:
Quickplay
Competitive
Rumble
Iron Banner
Private Match
This is how you get Powerful rewards in PvP and Gambit:
Complete 5 Crucible matches
Complete 3 Gambit matches
Vagabond: The bounty “Get on with it” grants Powerful gear when you earn 12 points in Gambit. A victory gives 3 points, a loss gives one point.
Escalation Protocol
If the current rotation is maintained, you have the chance to get the following weapon from the end boss of the Escalation Protocol this week:
The Flashpoint location: This week the Flashpoint is on Io. For the corresponding heroic adventure, you will be rewarded with Powerful gear.
Powerful loot from Ikora Rey: You may master 20 bounties of your choice.
Lord Saladin is at the Tower on the roof above the Gunsmith. Take his Iron Banner bounties; they will all yield Powerful gear. You need to capture 50 zones or complete 15 matches, for example.
Hawthorne: For 5,000 clan XP, you can also get Powerful gear from Hawthorne. If you complete the weekly raid challenges “Stay Outside” and “Stay on Track” as a clan member, you can earn two additional Powerful prizes.
Ada-1: You will receive the Powerful weapon shapes of the Hand Cannon, Sword, and Pulse Rifle from her.
Petra Venj: In the Dreaming City, the highest level of the curse has been reached. You can play the Broken Throne and earn several Powerful engrams from Petra, as through the mission “Dark Chamber”. Or you complete 8 bounties with her or master the Ascendant challenge. Currently, the 1st Ascendant challenge is active.
The Raid Challenge takes place in the Gardens. For the prestige raid sections, you need a kinetic shotgun, an energy auto rifle, and a rocket launcher. Gladiator is active.
Eververse Highlights:
“Strange Dance” emote
“Mask of the Silent” ornament
All kinds of purple ships, sparrows, ornaments, and a ghost shell
The first players have already reached the endgame in Anthem. How is the game received and what do the freelancers have to complain about or praise?
Who is in the endgame? On PC and Xbox One, some Anthem players can start Early Access as of February 15. All other players and PS4 owners will have to wait until the official launch on February 22 before they can jump into their Javelin.
The earlier start in the action RPG means that the most dedicated players are already in the endgame of Anthem. A few of them are expressing their opinions on the endgame or even suggestions for improvement in the Anthem subreddit.
What does the community say about the endgame of Anthem?
Community divided: In the Anthem subreddit, players hardly agree on a common point. While some complain that there isn’t enough to do or that the story is too short, others think the exact opposite.
Some players express criticism or highlight topics that they particularly enjoyed, and they can substantiate their opinions well.
Endgame loot: Are rerolls missing?
In a Reddit post with 1500 upvotes, the user Leimone states that the loot in the endgame of Anthem does not feel rewarding. Especially the random bonuses on the gear pieces are a source of frustration. Masterwork or Legendary gear can be completely useless due to the various affixes, which is frustrating.
Additionally, there are affixes that make little sense and about which there is no information. The player wonders why there is no reroll system that allows rerolling the bonuses on weapons or gear.
The post has been actively commented on by BioWare developers who want to pass the feedback on to the live team.
Story – How long does the campaign last?
The user Polska13 wondered in his post in the Anthem subreddit what there is for him to do after the campaign. He is only level 23 and has already completed the story and all tasks in his journal.
Should players grind through Freeplay and Strongholds until the max level 30, or has he perhaps skipped some leveling opportunities?
In the post, players note that the campaign of Anthem is quite short. One player states that he spent about 12 hours on the story and compares the story of Anthem to the campaign of Destiny 2.
Other players agree with him and state that besides the main story, there are also side quests. Many players would forget the stories about the characters Brin, Yarrow, and Matthias.
Endgame: The builds are the endgame
In zFlashy’s post, the discussion continues about the endgame, as one user notes that even if players rush through the story, this is no excuse for the absence of endgame content.
The user MomoKu_ states that he compares the endgame of Anthem with that of Destiny, but that it is presented differently. Anthem has a lot of gear with different affixes, making finding the right gear a large part of the endgame.
In his post in the Anthem subreddit, firefoxx20 states that he wants to wait for the Cataclysms before evaluating the endgame of Anthem. Cataclysms are large events that could change or develop the map. For instance, areas might be devastated or completely new regions could emerge.
Firefoxx20 further states that he does not want to defend what players currently have, but he also does not want to judge before he has seen the Cataclysms.
MoRicketyTick wonders why players are already crying out for too little endgame, even though the game has only recently entered Early Access, has many challenges, and four Javelins that need to be equipped. In his opinion, there is enough to do in Anthem.
Furthermore, BioWare has already announced the first content update for March.
The makers behind Fortnite, Epic Games, have now announced that they will take legal action against the “Fortnite Live” festival in Norwich. This has faced significant criticism. Children and parents were disappointed.
The festival took place on February 16 and 17, and visitors paid ticket prices ranging from €14 to €23.
However, there were only a few attractions that were not set up for the massive crowds that flocked there: 3000 children were reportedly present, but the attractions were often only designed for four children at a time.
This caused frustration among parents and children who had to stand in line for hours only to have a rather lame experience.
Parents felt that they were not getting enough value for their money, and the festival made international headlines.
This particularly annoys Epic: Apparently, the company had advertised with “Fortnite” and used the logo and characters from Fortnite, but without having received an official license from Epic.
Epic seems to be bothered by being associated with this festival – especially when negative reports about it circulate worldwide.
“Epic Games was not involved in any way in this event that took place in Norwich, and we have filed claims against the organizers in the High Court in London.”
Organizer wanted a second chance in 2020
This is what the organizer said after the event: After the event, the organizers of the event, Exciting Events, said that the difficulties on Saturday were due to a staffing shortage. 8 out of 19 staff were absent. But by Sunday, the situation had improved.
In an interview with edp24, the organizer, Shaun Lord, defended the event: It was for the kids who loved Fortnite. In his view, “a lot of people were there who were extremely happy.”
He wants to make the event an annual thing and ensure that next year everyone experiences something worth their money. Now that they have realized that they did not offer enough value.
Additionally, he is planning more events that would be “bigger and better.”
At the moment, it seems highly questionable whether there will really be a revival of the event in 2020.
The new survival MMO Atlas has been playable for some time now. After a rough start and divided opinions about the game, let’s take a look at how Atlas has developed after two months in Early Access.
The majority of improvements still referred to performance, but also conveniences like lower weight for some items or a fountain of youth to preserve older characters were introduced. Atlas is also actively cracking down on cheaters.
This is how the community stands towards the game:The reviews of Atlas on Steam were initially “mostly negative”, with only roughly 30% positive reviews in the first days. At least this has largely improved.
Meanwhile, the recent reviews have risen to 44% and thus to “balanced” (as of February 19 at 3:50 PM). However, players’ opinions are quite diverse:
The biggest point of criticism remains “land claims”, which ruin the entry for new players.
Especially official servers receive little positive reviews, often speaking of griefing and poor performance.
Conversely, players find the experience on private servers with friends good, where they can play according to their own rules.
After 216 hours, I can only say, keep your hands off… Totally unripe… Yesterday it was patched that a character with 100 years dies. […] Now I have to travel to a fountain of youth that is guarded by 100 Chinese who kill anyone who comes too close to the entrance after 5 hours of travel.
– Kellogz on Steam
Steam should offer a third option alongside YES and NO as a recommendation: CONDITIONALLY. […] It [Atlas] is fresh enough to provide at least 100 hours of gaming fun and for this reason, it gets a recommendation. […] AVOID official servers unless you really want to travel the ENTIRE map […]
What do the player numbers say about Atlas? The player numbers of Atlas have significantly decreased. Since the release, Atlas has lost just over half of all average players.
According to Steamcharts, the average in December 2018 was just under 40,000 players. In February 2019, there are still about 15,500. The number of peak players at the same time has also decreased from 58,788 to 37,997.
A similar picture also emerges on Twitch. Due to some issues with recording Atlas streams, no concrete numbers can be provided. However, both at the statistics page SullyGnome and at twitchtracker, Atlas has indeed become less popular in recent times. Fewer and fewer people are streaming and watching Atlas.
Nevertheless, the developers continue to work on their game and release new updates weekly that improve Atlas. Whether Atlas is worth playing must be decided by each person for themselves.
What do you think about Atlas?
Part of the development has now been taken over by players who have created the hottest game mode themselves:
