So you don’t have much time left to check off your goals that you still want to achieve in Season 5.
When will the annual pass content arrive? Bungie has only announced the start date of the new season so far. The paid, new annual pass content will probably be released a week later, on March 12. However, this has not been confirmed.
The contents of Season 6 and Joker’s Wild
Are there new details about the contents? Bungie only announced the start date and added that there would be some exciting developments for your Guardian lifestyle. Additionally, there will be bug fixes.
The known information about Season 6: Season 6 is called “Season of the Drifter” and will be free for all Guardians. It includes:
New decorative rewards
New triumphs and lore
New rank rewards for Gambit, Crucible, and Vanguard
Xur bounties. The Agent of the Nine will apparently regain relevance
A new Gambit experience
A new exotic quest
A new weekly quest as part of the DLC
Additional new triumphs and lore books related to the events surrounding Joker’s Wildcard
It is known that more information about the backstory of the Drifter will be provided. Specifically, it will probably be about the enormous rock he is dragging behind his ship:
In the latest patch 7.40 of Fortnite there are again numerous new skins and cosmetics. We present to you all the outfits that will soon be available.
This is what we know about the skins: The outfits are not yet available in the shop. They were only found by data miners in the new patch of Fortnite.
The cosmetics will then gradually appear in the in-game shop of the game over the next few weeks.
These cosmetics have been found by data miners
These skins have been found: A total of 4 skins were found in the current patch. The names of all characters are not yet known.
One of the characters is the fallen love ranger. This skin will be available from 15.2 for around 20 euros in an in-game package, which also includes new challenges.
These gliders are new: 2 new gliders await you in patch 7.40. The ice glider fits perfectly with the ice skin. No suitable glider has been found for the love ranger.
These pickaxes are: The patch also brings you 5 pickaxes. Among other things, you will soon be able to hit someone with a street sign.
These are the new backpacks: A total of 6 backpacks will come to the shop in the coming weeks. This includes a cool backpack full of spray cans.
These new wraps are: 3 new wraps have been found that you can use to beautify weapons and vehicles. This includes the Cuddly Hearts wrap that you can obtain for free.
Note this when buying: None of these outfits or cosmetics give you special powers in the game. They are merely cosmetic enhancements and do not provide you with any bonuses in the game.
When will the cosmetics be available in the shop? There is no exact schedule for the release of the outfits. You will likely find them gradually in the shop.
You can also soon get the Battle Pass for Season 8 for free:
The first extension challenges in Fortnite are live. For one task, you need to find coins on Creative mode islands.
In Fortnite, you can now complete new challenges. If you complete 13 of the 20 tasks, the free Battle Pass for Season 8 awaits you.
Now the first challenges of the extension challenges are already available. One of the tasks is “Collect coins on featured Creative mode islands.” We will show you how to best complete this task.
Here you can find the coins for the challenge
To find the coins at all, you need to start in the Creative mode of Fortnite. There, choose any island and start the player search immediately.
Where can I find the coins? The coins are spread across the entire map. There are no fixed spawn points, but there are enough coins for you to find them quickly.
This is how you complete the task: To complete the task, you need to find 15 of these coins. It takes some time before you can successfully complete the task.
It is enough to look at the coin. You will then see the progress on the bar so you can be sure that the collected coin counts.
This is what a coin looks like in Creative mode. Source: Dexerto
That’s why you should complete the task: There is a solid reason why you should complete 13 missions of the extension challenges: after that, the free Battle Pass for Season 8 is waiting for you.
With the Battle Pass, you can then receive free skins in the upcoming season and complete further weekly challenges.
That’s why you need to hurry: You should start completing the task in the next few days. You have until February 27 to get the free Battle Pass. By then, you should have found all the coins.
You can also gift a free glider. However, you need to have 2FA activated:
Even before the release of Far Cry New Dawn, some magazines and players were allowed to test Ubisoft’s new game. We show you how they evaluate it and what they say in their reviews.
Fans are currently eagerly awaiting the release of Far Cry New Dawn. The game will be released on February 15, 2019. Already now there are the first tests and ratings. We have checked them for you and show the most important opinions.
This is what the press says: On Metacritic , the ratings for Far Cry New Dawn are now being gathered. The reviews praise how the game has improved compared to its predecessor, Far Cry 5. It is said that New Dawn is not a revolution of the Far Cry series, but a solid game.
This is enough for an overall rating of 73 out of 100 points (as of 14.02. 17:10)
The ratings of Far Cry New Dawn on Metacritic
These are selected reviews that you can find on Metacritic for Far Cry New Dawn. (As of February 14, 2019)
Here we show you a few examples of why the testers made their ratings. What they liked about Far Cry New Dawn and what was criticized.
Gamestar: “When a weakness becomes a strength”
In the test, Gamestar gives 77 out of 100 points and particularly praises these points:
Gameplay mix of stealth and shooting remains great
Motivating exploration of the old game world
Some really great missions (expeditions, fortresses)
Author Dimitry Halley explains that the recycling of the old game content from Far Cry 5 surprisingly works well in New Dawn. While the game does reuse some elements like weapons and landscapes, it improved with sequences and focused more on fun shooting this time.
In conclusion, it states: “Not a lame rehash, but a solid conclusion to the Seed saga and a fun shooter. More innovation is still needed in the future.”
The centerpiece of the Seed saga – Joseph Seed
IGN: “More of Far Cry’s chaotic formula is always a good thing”
IGN gives 7.5 out of 10 points (75 on Metacritic) in the test and praises these points:
Cool weapons like the sawblade thrower
The gameplay with the new outposts is a lot of fun
Author Daemon Hatfield writes that there is still fun to be had in the revamped map known from Far Cry 5. This is evident when chaotically clearing the outposts.
New Dawn is a pleasant change while waiting for the next big Far Cry thing, it says in the test.
Gamespot: “Mild, mild world”
Gamespot gives 60 out of 100 points on Metacritic. They criticize the following features:
The crafting system does not differ enough from rank 1 for many weapons and vehicles at higher ranks.
The post-apocalyptic world is beautiful but does not bring the feeling of despair associated with the theme.
The fights at the outposts are also praised by Gamespot.
Author Edmond Tran writes that the ideas in New Dawn have a lot of potential, but the game gives them too little space to breathe. New Dawn is a flavorful but understated spin-off that feels like it could have achieved so much more.
For the release of the action RPG Anthem, District 9 creator Neill Blomkamp produced a short film. Check out Anthem: Conviction here.
What is this film about? The short film Anthem: Conviction takes place decades before the events of the game. It hints at the backstory of the Javelin and Freelancer and shows in live-action what Fort Tarsis and the exosuits would look like in the real world.
What can be seen? The short film feels very much like a trailer for something that could still come. It either alludes to the story of the game or to further films that expand the story of Conviction.
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In the film, a ranger is seen who finds a girl in a white dress at the gates of Fort Tarsis. Meanwhile, a mother tells her son how people were once enslaved by the Urgoth, but were able to rise against them and win.
Meanwhile, the ranger and an interceptor arrive in Fort Tarsis with the girl and tell that she was alone in the jungle. People assume she survived there for years, something that shouldn’t really be possible.
Then, small snippets of various scenes are shown: a cypher talking about a new beginning, a soldier, perhaps a sentinel, promising another man that he will get his son back, as well as people and freelancers, fighting against their enemies.
In one scene, even the Monitor is seen, one of the villains that we have to fight against in Anthem.
Who created the film? The whole thing was produced by science fiction director Neill Blomkamp, who is known for District 9, among other works. Blomkamp has also worked on short films for the release of Halo 3 and was even in talks with Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson for a film adaptation of the Halo franchise for a time.
In Apex Legends, two new legends could soon be added. At least, that’s what a player suspects on Reddit and receives a lot of support for it.
This is the suspicion: In the Apex Legends channel on Reddit, a thread from a player is currently receiving a lot of attention. He believes that two legends, briefly shown in the gameplay trailer, are already known.
Over 1000 people agreed with the user and discussed the potential release of the legends. We present the theory to you and explain whether such a release is likely.
These legends could soon come to the game
Here’s the basis of the theory: At the beginning of the month, the developer Respawn released a gameplay trailer for Apex Legends on YouTube. At the end, two new legends were shown that could only be seen briefly and from a distance. The characters, however, were not clearly recognizable.
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Starting at 5:28, you can see two new legends for a brief moment.
The Reddit user “FrozenFroh” took a closer look at these legends and explained plausibly which characters could be behind this announcement.
This is what FrozenFroh says about the left legend: According to the Reddit user, the left legend is a robotic character. He is even sure that it must be a simulacrum pilot with a red hood.
This could be the robot character.
This artwork actually existed in Titanfall but was never used for the game. The Bloodhound legend also had the same fate, as it was designed for Titanfall but was introduced only to Apex Legends.
This is what FrozenFroh says about the right legend: The Reddit user also has an interesting theory about the right legend. This legend is said to already be present in the game. The character first appeared on a tapestry in an artwork of Pathfinder.
This Korean fighter is depicted on the tapestry.
Here, you can see a Korean fighter preserved on the tapestry. The silhouette of the legend seen in the trailer actually resembles the character in the picture.
In the next raid of World of Warcraft, almost all items have special effects. We show you what cool mechanics are on the loot.
With Patch 8.1.5 , there is a new “mini-raid” in World of Warcraft. This will probably be the bridge between the story of Patch 8.1 and Patch 8.2. It is slowly heading against the Old Gods, and the first manifestations of N’Zoth’s influence can be seen. The raid “Crucible of Storm” consists of only two bosses but has interesting loot. Almost all items have additional effects that you usually only know from trinkets – and some of them are really nasty.
We want to briefly introduce some of the most interesting effects here. Please note that these numbers and values are provisional and may still be incorrect. They will also scale with the item level of the item.
Interesting Items of the Boss “The Restless Cabal”
Pillar of the Drowned Cabal (Staff) – Use: You place a shield on a target for one minute. If the target takes at least 39642 damage from a single hit, the shield is consumed and the target is healed for 39642 damage. (40 seconds cooldown)
Fathom Dredgers (Cloth Gloves) – Passive: You absorb 123 damage for 15 seconds, per 1000 mana spent, up to a maximum of 12257 absorption.
Zaxasj’s Deepstriders (Cloth Shoes): Your movement speed is increased by 200 for every 20% health missing, up to a maximum of 600 movement speed.
Interesting Items of the Boss “Uu’nat, Harbinger of the Void”
Void Stone (Trinket) – Use: Envelops a friendly target in darkness for 12 seconds, which absorbs the next 79109 damage or healing. (2 minutes cooldown)
Lurker’s Insidious Gift (Trinket) – Use: Receive the gift from N’Zoth, which increases your mastery by 940 for 30 seconds. Every second you gain a stack of “Suffering,” dealing 966 shadow damage per stack. Use the trinket again to end both effects. (2 minutes cooldown)
Malformed Herald’s Legwraps (Cloth Pants) – Use: Opens a Void Rift beneath you, increasing your haste by 1021 for 15 seconds. You take 27716 shadow damage when you leave the rift.
Idol of Indiscriminate Consumption (Trinket) – Use: Feeds on 5 nearby allies or enemies, devouring 8265 health from each. You will be healed for 300% of the damage dealt. (1 minute cooldown)
Harbinger’s Inscrutable Will (Trinket) – Passive: Your damage-dealing abilities have a chance to hurl a spear at the target, dealing 9207 damage. The spear then returns and deals 4603 damage to you.
Bring your friends down: With the Idol of Indiscriminate Consumption, it is indeed possible to kill friendly targets if they are nearby. Because the item steals their health.
Dark themes on the items: Blizzard has added some items to the bosses’ loot list that have dark and devastating effects. Often, there is a trade-off on whether to really use an effect because it can bring disadvantages. But this fits well with the overall theme of the whispers of the old gods.
Why do loot have such bonus effects? Blizzard seems to be trying to give individual items in the raid “Crucible of Storm” more “personality” and make the items more relevant. Previously, there was often criticism that items felt interchangeable and one couldn’t even remember the names of loot because everything was identical. With such interesting effects, the items are likely to be remembered longer and create cool moments.
Please note that these are statements from the PTR. Much can still change about the items before the release of Patch 8.1.5.
The patch 7.40 brings significant changes to the rules of Fortnite. Alongside numerous balance adjustments and a free Battle Pass, Fortnite even alters the fundamental principles of the online shooter.
These are the significant changes in Fortnite: In the patch notes for 7.40, Epic made it clear today that it’s addressing the core of the game and implementing profound changes to the standard mode:
Players who now eliminate opponents regain 50 health or shield points
When opponents die, they drop 50/50/50 materials
Overall, there are only 500 materials of each type, so wood, stone, and iron (previously 999)
Additionally, players will now be able to gather materials 40% faster
These are the new rules for the standard mode and not just for individual tournaments or limited-time modes. This is the “New Normal.”
Epic states that they have adopted the parameters of the “Pop-Up Cups” because these rules have led to engaging battles in tournaments and rewarded risky play.
Fortnite becomes more aggressive, riskier, faster
What’s behind this: These are drastic changes that apparently reward a more aggressive play style.
Overall, players will now spend significantly less time mining materials with their pickaxe.
This change is likely Epic’s response to criticism that players have been avoiding fights for too long.
This is how Fortnite is stepping up: It is noticeable how Epic is suddenly speeding up, particularly in a situation where they would normally slow down. Until now, the end phases of a season have been rather quiet and characterized by surrounding events. But as season 7 comes to an end, Epic is ramping up:
Why is Fortnite doing this? The popular sentiment in the forums today and in the past days is that Fortnite is directly responding to the competition from Apex Legends, which has emerged seemingly out of nowhere and created a stir in the last 10 days.
Some players even thank Apex for motivating Epic to step up their game.
When we at MeinMMO asked in a survey why players now prefer Apex, 32% cited the reason “It is a BR shooter without building.”
Here we reveal everything about the release, editions, and content of Far Cry New Dawn.
What is Far Cry New Dawn? Far Cry New Dawn will be released on February 15, 2019, and is a new installment in the Far Cry series. New Dawn takes place 17 years after the events of Far Cry 5. New villains will confront you, which you will fight with animal companions and weapon support from NPCs.
1. Spin-off of Far Cry 5 – Not a completely new game
That’s why you shouldn’t expect a completely new experience: You don’t play a fundamentally new game in New Dawn. It is a spin-off of Far Cry 5 and utilizes some elements from it. New content and features provide variety, but the structure is based on FC5.
Who do you fight against? Your opponents are the Highwaymen. They are led by the twin siblings Mickey and Lou who want to steal the supplies from the people. Everything revolves around power and emotions. Ubisoft says, You will love to hate the twins.
These are your enemies: The sisters Mickey and Lou
You team up with the survivors and continue the story of Far Cry 5. Alliances form that you wouldn’t have expected during the story of Far Cry 5. You now team up with the former arch-enemy Joseph Seed.
Far Cry New Dawn uses the map from Far Cry 5. However, it now shines in much brighter colors. After the nuclear war, some locations may have changed significantly.
Expeditions: Expeditions are located outside the map, and you can travel to them.
The expeditions come in various difficulty levels. You participate in them to gather resources. In this video, you can see such an expedition:
Weapon Ranks: With New Dawn, the developers pursue an approach similar to an RPG. To create more depth, players should be able to craft weapons with different ranks.
Enemies now have health bars and ranks. With a level 1 weapon, you have a good chance against level 1 opponents. A level 1 weapon will have problems with level 3 enemies.
The twins are heavily armed – With a sawed-off crossbow
Improved Outposts: In New Dawn, you can choose whether you want to take over and hold an outpost or simply loot it.
After looting, the outpost will remain empty for a while. However, stronger enemies will return afterwards. They will have more resources starting in the outpost but can also defend it better.
New Home Base: There is a new type of base in New Dawn. With the Home Base system, you can upgrade weapons and vehicles with parts you find in the world. A crafting system, in other words.
New NPCs and animals on your side: Already in Far Cry 5, you could enlist the help of NPCs who would assist you in battle. Some characters return in New Dawn.
Left in the picture: Horatio in action
You can choose, for example, a giant wild boar named Horatio as your support. However, we have to do without the most loyal companion from Far Cry 5.
Far Cry New Dawn gives you the opportunity to play together with a friend again. 2-player co-op works.
In Far Cry 5, you could already complete every mission together. In New Dawn, there might be even better ways for the co-op mode. Because with the enhanced outposts, which you can lure stronger enemies to, the difficulty is significantly increased. A reliable shooter, with whom you can coordinate, would therefore be quite helpful.
The expeditions could also be a lot of fun for 2 players.
No classic multiplayer: If you’re looking for a new multiplayer game, you are in the wrong place. Far Cry New Dawn primarily emphasizes storytelling, which you experience at most with another person.
In co-op mode, the mission progress is only saved for the host. This system was also used in Far Cry 5.
4. Who is Far Cry New Dawn suitable for?
With its setting, Far Cry: New Dawn aims to appeal to fans of the post-apocalypse. However, not everything is dark and in ruins, as in Fallout 76. Instead, what awaits you is a flourishing, colorful world that is already far in regeneration.
In New Dawn, you practically make a deal with the devil by teaming up with a cult leader. You have to be a little off your rocker for that. You can expect insane dialogues, which are already hinted at in the trailers.
Far Cry New Dawn is ideal for you if you are looking for a game that doesn’t take itself too seriously. You should enjoy shootouts with heavy weapons such as sniper rifles or flamethrowers.
Fans of crazy stories will get their money’s worth here. If you are looking for a fun adventure as a single player or together with a friend, you can find it in Far Cry New Dawn.
5. What about microtransactions in New Dawn?
Uncertainty about the cash shop: Players wonder whether New Dawn will offer the possibility of microtransactions. Ubisoft has not gone into detail about this yet. However, it can be assumed that similar options will be found as in Far Cry 5.
These could then be for cosmetic items or XP boosters. Players do not believe in pay-to-win content regarding the transactions. Moreover, since in Far Cry New Dawn it is not about direct PvP fights, pay-to-win would be unnecessary here.
On Reddit, a user named iKissedMyGhost writes that he has not spent money on microtransactions in any Far Cry game so far. You can easily collect in-game currency in the game.
6. System requirements for 4k and 60FPS
If you want to play Far Cry New Dawn in a great resolution at 60 FPS, your setup needs to be quite powerful. On PC, New Dawn requires the following configurations:
4K – 60 FPS
Operating System
Windows 10 (Only 64 Bit)
Processor
Intel Core i7-6700K at 4 GHz or AMD Ryzen 7 1700X at 3.4 GHz or equivalent
RAM
16 GB
Graphics Card
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (8 GB) or AMD RX Vega 56 CFX (8 GB), or better
Sound Card
DirectX 9.0c compatible with latest drivers
DirectX
DirectX June 2010 Redistributable
Disk Space
30 GB
Peripheral
Mouse, keyboard, or controller
The minimum requirements for PC users are significantly lower:
Some specialists have already been able to take a look at Far Cry New Dawn before its release. On February 14, they published their reviews and show how New Dawn holds up.
Especially the revamped outposts are praised, which we have already addressed here. However, there is also criticism. You can see the ratings here:
8. Pre-order – Differences between the Standard and Deluxe Editions
What editions are there and how much do they cost? New Dawn is available in Standard version for €44.99 and in Deluxe Edition for €54.99. A Limited Edition for consoles is also offered, which costs €44.95 on Amazon.
Is there a pre-order bonus? Yes. When showcasing the Standard or Deluxe Editions, you unlock the Unicorn Trike. This is exclusive to pre-order customers. The bonuses are available to pre-order customers on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
This is the colorful Unicorn Trike that pre-order customers of Far Cry New Dawn will receive.
This is how the versions differ
Standard Edition: Here you only buy the game and no additional content. If you pre-order this version before the game is released, you unlock the shown Unicorn Trike.
Deluxe Edition: The Deluxe Edition unlocks cosmetic content for you. This includes:
The Hurk Legacy Pack
“Hurk’s Fury” skin for the M249
“Hurk’s Legacy” skin for Off-Roader
“Hurkling” outfit
The Knight Pack
Knight SVD Claymore
Redder Sidecar
Retro Science Fiction Pack
“Retro Sci-Fi” skin for M133M
“Launch” skin for RAT4
Exclusive Amazon Version: Amazon also sells a Limited Edition, which is partially already sold out. In addition to the base game, this offers you the Knight Pack, which consists of a sniper rifle skin and a sidecar skin. You can see these contents in the gallery for the Deluxe Edition.
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New maintenance work has been announced for Fallout 76. On February 14, the servers will be temporarily unavailable in the afternoon. Bethesda plans to remove items that have been duplicated by dupers.
The servers will be offline during this time: Maintenance work will begin at 3 PM. It is currently unclear how long the servers will be unavailable.
The maintenance work is addressing an issue with item duplication (Duping). We summarize the changes that Bethesda will implement.
Your items could soon disappear from your inventory
This is what the server maintenance is supposed to achieve: According to Bethesda, during the maintenance, a large list of items created through an exploit will primarily be removed.
This exploit is also known as Duping. Players manage to duplicate all kinds of items repeatedly through various tricks. This can range from harmless food items to legendary weapons. Bethesda attempted to respond to the item dupers with bans.
These items are often gifted to other players, sometimes sold for real money. Therefore, the in-game economy of Fallout 76 is quite damaged. Proven players are banned for duplication; at times, even players who merely possessed these items were affected.
A patch was supposed to stop this problem, but even after the update, Duping is still possible.
Is anything else happening during the maintenance? In addition to removing duplicated items, a server-side fix is also planned to reduce connection losses.
In Fortnite:
Battle Royale, there is a new glider that you can get for free.
But to do that, you need to gift it, and this can only be done with
2-Factor Authentication (2FA). We explain how to activate this feature and gift the item here.
Update – How to get the free banners: If you are after the free Doggus and Cattus banners, you can find a guide to it here.
What is 2FA? 2FA stands for “2-Factor Authentication“. It is a security measure that requires an additional code when you log in. Currently, you can obtain the code through either an authentication app or a confirmation via email.
Why do I need 2FA? 2FA is not mandatory, but it makes your account safer against hackers. Plus, you also get a gifted emote when you do it. There’s also an additional benefit that applies today, on February 14th for Valentine’s Day.
How to get the free glider for Valentine’s Day
Currently, there is a glider in the shop called “Heartspan”. It is free, but can only be gifted. If you want it, you need a friend to gift it to you. Epic has reactivated the gifting option until February 16th, 2019.
However, to gift something, you need a secure account, so 2FA is mandatory.
How to activate 2FA: Follow these steps, and you’ll soon have Two-Factor Authentication activated:
Go to your Epic account settings and click on Password & Security. There you will find the security settings.
Under the “Two-Factor Authentication” section, select to enable Authentication App or Email Confirmation.
Currently, the following authentication apps are supported for Two-Factor Authentication. You can find them in your respective app store:
Google Authenticator
LastPass Authenticator
Microsoft Authenticator
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For Valentine’s Day, there are additional tasks where you can even get the new Battle Pass for free!
For a long time, Destiny 2 was the leader in its genre. Now, it is being challenged by new titles like Anthem and Apex. What does Destiny need to do to remain relevant in the future?
This is the situation: Destiny introduced two new concepts to the gaming world in 2014:
PvE content like in an MMO – but with shooter gameplay. Players complete missions, dungeons, or even raids together in co-op and collect loot.
Titles like Fortnite or now APEX are constantly changing, staying current, patching at a much higher rate than Destiny, and altering the world. There is more often something new.
Fresh games like Anthem, The Division 2, or even Monster Hunter World promise this PvE experience, doing activities together with friends and collecting loot. And they have an advantage over Destiny: They are fresh.
Although Destiny as a brand has a five-year head start, its position as the leader suddenly seems more threatened than ever.
What should Destiny be to remain relevant? Given the current situation, the idea that Destiny can shine as a “PvP game” seems quite hopeless. Bungie has tried this multiple times but ended up breaking more than improving.
In the PvP market, “Free2Play” titles with maximum accessibility like Fortnite or Apex dominate. These games don’t even have to be purchased, and players can jump right in without leveling up or equipping their heroes first. The path to PvP seems to be closed for Destiny now.
If Destiny could have become a “PvP mega-hit”, it would have certainly happened at some point over the past 5 years.
Destiny’s best option is to remain a “PvE shooter” that claims the gap for “co-op and loot shooters”, focuses on team play, and thrives on outstanding gunplay.
In this area, there is no alternative to Destiny. The upcoming rivals differ significantly in gameplay; they are not first-person shooters.
Only a possible Borderlands 3 could go in that direction if Gearbox manages to create something this decade.
This is Destiny’s main problem: We can talk for a long time about the difficulties in Destiny, about little mistakes and things that urgently need improvement. Players have been doing that for years.
There is discussion about PvP balance, the way Bungie communicates, or the lack of dedicated servers.
And of course, a certain fatigue has set in. Players have known Destiny for 5 years, know how Bungie works, have heard many phrases often, recognize the developers, and yearn for something new and fresh.
The real core problem that underlies all other difficulties is: the lack of content.
This has been the central problem from the start: Destiny gives players the feeling that the world could be vast and that new adventures could await around every corner, but these adventures are long overdue.
From the players’ perspective, an expansion the size of “The Taken King” or “Forsaken” could be released every 3 months, and they would consume it with joy. A new strike every 2 weeks, a fresh raid every 4 weeks, occasional surprise events, new quest lines, and fresh exotics – all of this players would eagerly enjoy.
However, highlights like Forsaken only come once every 12 months, and in between, there is usually little going on.
Bungie attempts to bridge the long content droughts between the “highlights” with tricks, time-gates, grinding, and recycling, but so far that has not been enough. This “replacement content” looks increasingly weak now that there is strong, fresh competition or games that seem much more vibrant.
How has Bungie tried to solve this problem so far? When Bungie started in 2014, the solution for the lack of content was: “We simply have massive dimensions.” There were images of gigantic office buildings. Bungie was said to employ hundreds of people.
It quickly became clear: Even if there were hundreds of developers, it was still too few. The prepared content supply was exhausted by September 2015, and then nothing came.
Early on, internal restructuring into different teams began. While some crews worked on “new things”, others were supposed to support the ongoing game with smaller updates (the live team). But this led to “permanently recycled content” that dampened morale.
By 2017, a solution seemed to be found. The significant investor Activision sent its own studios to Destiny to work on content. This resulted in Forsaken and the current “season pass content”, which offered an improved status quo that still seems insufficient.
This is why it has gone wrong so far: There are at least three major problems:
Bungie’s engine is reportedly very complex, and creating content with it is time-consuming – this was reported by the US site Kotaku, citing “internal sources”.
Then Bungie made “reboots” twice before Destiny 1 and Destiny 2, seemingly throwing away months of work because management was dissatisfied with the direction.
And the option with the “support studios”, which seemed to work now, fell apart when Bungie separated from Activision.
This is why the content problem is so hard to solve: Developing “good content” for PvE is fundamentally time-consuming and costly. You need countless people with various skills to create this content: designers, graphic artists, programmers, and many more.
Players will always consume content faster than it can be produced.
The engine will not be easily changeable for Bungie – this is thus a “fixed problem” that will only change with a possible Destiny 3 and the transition to the new console generation.
This is what Bungie needs to do with Destiny: Ultimately, the only correct path for Bungie will be to find a solution for the content problem.
All other options, like adding more time-gates or more recycling, would just be a facade to cover up the fundamental problem. Bungie would have to align itself to release substantial new content at a pace that keeps the game fresh and alive.
If Destiny wants to shine as a “co-op PvE shooter”, new content updates like Forsaken or The Taken King need to be released regularly.
Bungie’s attempt to resolve this solely through “mini-DLCs” and to keep players “somehow” engaged with endless grinding won’t be enough to keep the game relevant in the long run.
Bungie has had 5 years to solve the content shortage problem. The pressure has increased and will continue to rise in the coming months and years.
For more on the topic, we will be having a live talk tonight:
Today, on February 14, 2019, the glossy MMORPG Black Desert Online starts its open beta on Xbox One. Here you will find everything about the launch, the content, and how to download it.
When exactly does the beta of Black Desert Online for Xbox One start? Today, on February 14, 2019, the open beta of Black Desert Online on Xbox officially begins. You can start right away.
How long does the beta last? You have now 4 days to explore the world of Black Desert Online. The beta ends next Monday, February 18, 2019, at 08:59 AM our time.
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How do I get into the beta? The open beta is open to all players. You do not need any special key or founder’s pack. Just go to the homepage of Black Desert Online and click on “Sign up for Beta”. This way you also participate in a raffle and can win a full version of the game.
What is included in the beta? In the beta, you can explore the regions of Balenos and Serendia. The level cap is 40 and you have the six classes Warrior, Ranger, Mage, Berserker, Magician, and Sorceress. There are also special GM events:
Hide and Seek: On February 14 at 4 PM, you can take on a quest to find 5 NPCs within an hour. This makes exploring even more rewarding.
Master Fishermen: On February 14 at 7 PM, you can participate in the fishing event in Velia. You need to catch “Fish Bones” once within an hour to receive 10 Black Stones (armor).
Velia Beach BBQ Party: On February 15 at 4 PM, you can grill with the GMs on the beach and win Black Stones.
Whoa There Horsey: On February 16 at 4 PM, you can find and catch a lot of horses south of Velia. You can win horse equipment for this.
Cart Racing: On February 16 at 7 PM, you can participate in a silly cart race and win a dog pet and a title.
Battle of the GMs: Every day at 11 PM, you can compete with the GMs on the Red Battlefield and experience brutal PvP action. There are Black Stones for this.
Slay the Corrupted One: On February 17 at 4 PM, you can take down a big world boss.
Node War: On February 17 from 8 PM to 10 PM, you can participate in a large PvP war for resource nodes.
When is the release of the full version of Black Desert on Xbox? On March 4, 2019, you can then play the full version of Black Desert Online on Xbox One.
A new hotfix brought some changes to the PvP of World of Warcraft. Healers are mainly affected, but rogues also have to deal with a change.
There are always small balancing changes in World of Warcraft, which are primarily focused on PvP. Such a change also came today on February 14, 2019, to the European servers of World of Warcraft. Almost all healers are affected, as their mana regeneration is drastically reduced. But a few other specializations are also impacted by the changes.
And again, it affects the mana regeneration …
PvP Hotfix from February 14, 2019
Please keep in mind that the mana regeneration of many classes in PvP was already reduced by 15%-30%. The new values should not be “added on top”, but are the new total value.
Restoration druids now have a 55% reduced mana regeneration in PvP.
Holy priests, holy paladins, restoration shamans, and mistweaver monks now have a 50% reduced mana regeneration in PvP.
Discipline priests now have a 45% reduced mana regeneration in PvP.
Balance druids, feral druids, and elemental shamans now have a 35% reduced mana regeneration in PvP.
Additionally, the mana cost of the PvP talent “Care” for druids has been increased by 30%.
A small nerf for rogues: Rogues must also accept a nerf of a PvP talent. Their neurotoxin is weakened. It now increases the cooldown of affected abilities by only 1 second (previously 3 seconds). Additionally, the cooldown of neurotoxin has been increased to 45 seconds (previously 25 seconds), and the duration has also been massively reduced – from 10 seconds to only 3 seconds.
However, the developers note that there are “some technical difficulties” with neurotoxin, which is why it does not function as desired. The problem is bigger and will likely be resolved only with Patch 8.1.5.
Why the changes? Blizzard was not satisfied with the current pace in PvP. Apparently, healers were healing much longer and more effectively than the developers intended. The reduced mana regeneration should ensure that healers run out of steam faster and need to manage their mana better.
The new update 1.03 for Apex Legends causes big problems. At least for players on Xbox One. That’s why you no longer see certain skins.
What kind of update is this? On Wednesday, Apex Legends received a major update that fixed a few bugs, changed the interface, and also addressed server stability. The update has the version number 1.03.
What problems have occurred? Shortly after the release of the update, Xbox players reported two serious issues:
Crashes on Xbox One
The characters Caustic and Mirage cannot be directly selected in the selection on Xbox
What do the developers say about the problems? The Twitter account of Apex Legends acknowledged these issues and wrote:
“Hey everyone. We have discovered an unfortunate issue with the Through the Heart Valentines DMR skin, Gibraltar’s Daemon Hunter, and Neural Net skins that are causing crashes on Xbox One. We have disabled the skins while we investigate the issues.”
The skins are indeed responsible for the crashes. There’s also mention of the problems with the legends:
“We are seeing reports from players that they cannot use Caustic or Mirage after they have been unlocked on Xbox One. We are currently investigating this.”
They will provide updates when there is more information about the issues on Xbox One. Players on PC and PS4 do not seem to be affected by these bugs.
Don’t miss any news: Stay up to date with Apex Legends by following our Facebook page.
What else is in the new update 1.03? The update fixed an exploit that some players were taking advantage of. It was possible to duplicate items in the inventory. So a dupe exploit.
Fortnite has a big surprise for you this Valentine’s Day: Epic is giving away the Battle Pass for Season 8 to every player who completes the challenges.
The Battle Pass for Season 8 normally costs 10 euros, but now Epic Games is giving the pass away for free to every player.
What do you need to do? In order to receive the Battle Pass for free, you must complete 13 challenges. Anyone who successfully completes these challenges will get access to the Battle Pass for Season 8 for free.
This is how you get the Battle Pass for free
This is what Epic says: The developers want to thank the players for the enormous feedback on the “Love You” event and are therefore giving away the Battle Pass.
This was the Battle Pass from Season 7
What can the Battle Pass do? There is also a Battle Pass in Fortnite for each season. The Battle Pass guarantees two free outfits. You can unlock 5 more skins throughout the season.
Additionally, with the Battle Pass, you can complete extra tasks each week. These are part of the weekly challenges.
How do I get the free Battle Pass? You need to solve 13 challenges to obtain it. These tasks start today, as the servers are back online. The new patch and the tasks are already live. We will provide you with a detailed guide to the tasks later.
Not all challenges are available in the game yet. Only 3 out of 20 challenges are in the game. However, the remaining tasks are likely to be introduced in phases.
This is the first part of the challenges.
You have this long: You can only receive the free pass within a certain timeframe. You have until February 27 to complete the challenges. After that, the chance for the free Battle Pass expires.
This is what the fans say
Fans are excited: On Reddit , many fans are thrilled about the free Battle Pass. As one user “jawryse” enthusiastically writes: “Epic Games are the best! The Battle Pass is free!”
As one user writes: “They feel the pressure from Apex and are therefore offering the Battle Pass for free!”
Indeed, Epic must have been quite challenged lately to keep its player base engaged and not lose players to Apex. A free Battle Pass could bring many players back.
Before the release of Anthem, some players can start earlier in Early Access. What you need to know is found here.
While Anthem will officially be released on February 22, PC and Xbox One players will have the chance to jump into the game starting February 15. Unfortunately, PlayStation 4 players will not have this opportunity: there is no Early Access for PS4.
When does Early Access begin?
What time do I need to be on PC? In Germany, Early Access starts on February 15 at 4 PM.
The preload for PC began on February 13 at 7 PM. However, you can only perform the preload if you have either pre-ordered Anthem or are using Origin Access Premier.
February 15
Players with Origin Access Premier on PC receive access to the full game
February 15 with 10-hour limit
Players with Origin Access on PC
Players with EA Access on Xbox One
February 22
Regular release for all buyers
Pre-orderers of the Standard Edition on PC, Xbox One and PS4
Players on PC can participate in Early Access either with Origin Access Premier or Origin Access Basic. Xbox One users will have the chance to do so with EA Access.
What is Origin Access Premier? With the subscription service Premier, you gain access to the full version of Anthem starting February 15. Additionally, you will have access to a growing game collection and a 10% discount on Origin purchases. The subscription costs €14.99 per month or €99.99 per year.
What is Origin Access Basic? This is the cheaper version of Origin Access. It costs €3.99 monthly or €24.99 per year. Subscribers also have access to a game collection and can access Anthem for 10 hours starting February 15.
If you decide to purchase the game, your progress from the 10 hours will carry over to the main game.
What is EA Access? On Xbox One, EA’s subscription is called EA Access. It offers the same benefits as Origin Access Basic. This subscription also costs €3.99 per month or €24.99 per year and grants you access to the 10-hour trial of Anthem as well as a collection of various games.
As on PC, your progress will also carry over on Xbox One after the trial if you decide to purchase.
Everything you need to know about Anthem
We have listed our most important articles about Anthem here again in various categories:
Among the raids, there are many new faces. For the first time, Chaneira is available in raids. However, there are also other new bosses. This is rounded off by many familiar faces that have been around before.
We will list the bosses and tell you how to counter them best.
These are the raid bosses for the Valentine’s Day event
On Reddit, diligent players have already compiled all current raid bosses, so we’ve created a list.
Here are the Pokémon in question: In the new event, there are numerous pink Pokémon. The monsters with this color can also be found in raids. There are many good Pokémon for which investing raid passes is worthwhile. Additionally, there are also monsters where you can find the shiny version with a bit of luck.
List of new raid bosses in Pokémon GO in February 2019
Raid Level
Pokémon
Level 1 – pink eggs
Krabby Liebiskus Ponita Snubbull Sheinux
Level 2 – pink eggs
Schlurp Magmar Elektek Kirlia Lahmus
Level 3 – yellow eggs
Chaneira Porygon Miltank Waaty Vulnona
Level 4 – yellow eggs
Tornupto Despotar Absol Togetic
Level 5 – black eggs
Palkia
The current raid bosses at Level 1 / Tier 1
Krabby
Can be Shiny
Liebiskus
Can be Shiny
Ponita
Can be Shiny
Snubbull
Can be Shiny
Sheinux
Can be Shiny
The current raid bosses at Level 2 / Tier 2
Schlurp
Magmar
Elektek
Kirlia
Lahmus
The current raid bosses at Level 3 / Tier 3
Chaneira
Counter: Kapilz with Counter and Wuchtschlag
Counter: Machomei with Counter and Wuchtschlag
Counter: Lohgock with Counter and Focus Punch
Porygon
Counter: Kapilz with Counter and Wuchtschlag
Counter: Machomei with Counter and Wuchtschlag
Counter: Lohgock with Counter and Focus Punch
Miltank
Counter: Kapilz with Counter and Wuchtschlag
Counter: Machomei with Counter and Wuchtschlag
Counter: Hariyama with Counter and Wuchtschlag
Waaty
Counter: Groudon with Mud Shot and Earthquake
Counter: Rihornior with Mud Slap and Earthquake
Counter: Rizeros with Mud Slap and Earthquake
Vulnona
Counter: Rameidon with Rock Throw and Stone Edge
Counter: Kyogre with Waterfall and Hydro Pump
Counter: Impergator with Waterfall and Hydro Pump
The current raid bosses at Level 4 / Tier 4
Togetic
Counter: Rameidon with Rock Throw and Stone Edge
Counter: Metagross with Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash
Counter: Elevoltek with Thunder Shock and Zap Cannon
Absol
Counter: Machomei with Counter and Wuchtschlag
Counter: Kapilz with Counter and Wuchtschlag
Counter: Hariyama with Counter and Wuchtschlag
Despotar
Counter: Machomei with Counter and Wuchtschlag
Counter: Kapilz with Counter and Wuchtschlag
Counter: Hariyama with Counter and Wuchtschlag
Tornupto
Counter: Kyogre with Waterfall and Hydro Pump
Counter: Rameidon with Rock Throw and Stone Edge
Counter: Despotar with Rock Throw and Stone Edge
Ursaring
Counter: Machomei with Counter and Wuchtschlag
Counter: Kapilz with Counter and Wuchtschlag
Counter: Hariyama with Counter and Wuchtschlag
The current raid bosses at Level 5 / Tier 5
Palkia
For the legendary raid boss, we have an extra counter guide. The best attackers can be found here.
The viewing distance in Pokémon GO has been increased again:
Dead by Daylight will be playable on the Nintendo Switch later this year. We will reveal the details.
The asymmetrical horror game Dead by Daylight has been riding a wave of success for several years, and it seems that it is not going to end. Because now the developer Behaviour has stated that Dead by Daylight is set to be released on the Nintendo Switch in Fall 2019 (between October and December). However, there are critical voices regarding this decision.
What content will be included on the Switch? The exact content of the Switch version has not yet been announced. However, it is possible that certain characters, such as licensed killers (Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger) or some survivors (Bill from Left4Dead) may not be available in the Switch version. The corresponding perks will still be present, so there will be no gameplay disadvantage for the other characters.
How good will the game look? The developers already say that Dead by Daylight will run at 30 fps and in the “best possible graphics that Nintendo’s console allows.” Since the Nintendo console is a bit less powerful than its competitors, the graphics will likely be scaled back to enable smooth gameplay. By the way, a subscription to Nintendo Switch Online will be required for playing.
No Cross-Play: The possibility of cross-play, meaning playing against users on other platforms, has been directly ruled out. Players on the Switch will only compete against other players on the Switch.
Skepticism in the Community: Players are looking forward to the release on the Nintendo Switch with mixed feelings. While many welcome that Dead by Daylight will conquer another console, there is also clear criticism. The other console versions (PS4 and Xbox One) are currently not running smoothly and are facing stuttering and other technical issues. Therefore, players doubt that Nintendo’s console will be able to handle the game.
We will only see what the final result will look like in Fall 2019 – it will still take a while.
Are you excited for Dead by Daylight on the Switch?
Here’s what it’s about in Far Cry Primal: Anyone who has played one of the newer Far Cry games like Far Cry 5 and enjoyed it will likely be satisfied with Primal as well.
This spin-off of the first-person shooter series takes place in prehistoric times. You only have primitive weapons available and must navigate through a prehistoric game world.
Far Cry: Primal leads you into merciless tribal wars
The map is a revised version of the Far Cry 4 world, similar to what is the case in the upcoming Far Cry: New Dawn. This is also just a spin-off and takes place in a futuristic version of the game world from Far Cry 5.
Here’s what it’s about in Ghost Recon Wildlands: Wildlands is a tactical third-person shooter that also scores with huge game worlds. You can play the entire game with up to 4 friends, clearing enemy strongholds with a wide selection of weapons and vehicles and fighting against cartels.
Here’s what it’s about in Watch Dogs 2: Watch Dogs 2 takes place in San Francisco and also features a large game world. As part of a resistance movement, you can hack systems and manipulate the game world throughout the story.
You play in the third-person perspective, and the gameplay consists of shootouts and smaller parkour elements.
However, there are a few things you need to keep in mind regarding the offer. We show you how it works.
With this squad you are in the Wildlands
The offer does not apply to everyone
Who gets the free game? Those who pre-order The Division 2 in the Standard, Gold, or Ultimate Edition digitally on PC can choose from the three games.
Any disc versions as well as Xbox One and PS4 are not affected.
How to claim the offer: If you have pre-ordered The Division 2 digitally, it should appear in your game list on the respective download platform in the Uplay Store or the Epic Games Store.
Once that is the case, you can select one of the 3 games on this page and install it. You can only play it from the release of The Division 2 on March 15th.
If you cancel the pre-order, the title will also be removed from your library.
Until when can I get my gift? The offer is active until March 31st. You can download one of the games until then.
Players speculate about another gift
This is how the community reacts: Many are happy about the offer. A few fans who already own all titles have also spoken up on Reddit. They received a message from Ubisoft stating that they already have all 3 games in their library.
Instead, they are supposed to look forward to the release of The Division 2, as another gift will be waiting for those players. So instead of the games, there will likely be some in-game reward.
Now the fans are speculating about what the gift might be. Some suspect extra currency, while others predict cosmetic items as rewards. Overall, the initiative is well received.
Everything about the pre-order and editions of The Division 2 is summarized:
