For Sea of Thieves, a new update is approaching that significantly reduces the game size on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox One X. However, you will need to reinstall. What is behind this?
Rare, the developers of Sea of Thieves, have announced a new update for February. However, this is not a normal content patch, but an update that notably affects the installation size.
This is how Sea of Thieves is changing: With the update, the installation size on Xbox One will be reduced to about one-third. On Xbox One X and PC, the installed games will be about half as large afterward.
Xbox One: Installation size shrinks from 35GB to 10GB
Xbox One X: Installation size shrinks from 47GB to 25GB
PC: The installation shrinks from 47GB to 25GB
When is the update coming? This update for Sea of Thieves is scheduled for February 6th. The update will be larger than the usual updates for Sea of Thieves.
Update requires reinstallation: When you are prompted to install the update starting February 6th, the update will be downloaded, and a reinstallation will take place. This will lead to the installation sizes mentioned above.
What changes for Sea of Thieves as a result? As a result of this update, patches in the future may be a bit larger, writes Executive Producer Joe Neate in the blog post. However, this ensures that the overall installation size does not continue to rise sharply, as has been the case in the past.
Sea of Thieves can react faster: Rare mentions that the changes in installation size will affect future builds.
Thanks to the changes in game installation, we can generate and transfer builds more quickly. This is an important part of daily development at Rare. It leads to improvements in various areas of the development process. Including how quickly we can generate builds and release them for players.
For 2019, Sea of Thieves is still planning many changes:
In Pokémon GO, you now have a short chance to catch the regional Pokémon Lunatone. You can find it in raid battles now.
What’s new? Lunatone is normally not found in Germany. Instead, its counterpart Solrock is. However, the Pokémon has now appeared in raids for a limited time, giving you the chance to catch this regional Pokémon here.
What are the two Pokémon? Lunatone is associated with Solrock. One represents the moon and the other the sun. Normally, the two Pokémon appear in different locations, but now you have the chance to catch both Pokémon for a limited time.
Where is Lunatone usually found? Typically, we find Lunatone in North and South America and Africa. Solrock can be found in Asia, Europe, and Australia. At least, that has been the case since June 21.
However, Lunatone does not appear in the wild. Instead, the chance of encountering Solrock in the wild is currently increased. So, if you don’t have it yet, you should keep an eye out.
Can I defeat Lunatone alone? Since the Pokémon is only a level 3 raid, you can defeat it alone. The best counters against Lunatone are Metagross, Kyogre, and Gengar. However, you should be at level 30 or higher to defeat Lunatone.
For the Hoenn event, there are also three new field research tasks. They are not particularly popular among players:
In a new gameplay video of Anthem, a side quest in the open world is introduced. Finally, the Javelin Colossus can also be seen in action.
What is shown? The new video of Anthem shows gameplay scenes from the high-level quest “Hidden Depths”. This mission is given by the NPC Matthias, who wants the players to retrieve manuscripts located in a tower at a mountain peak.
In the video, a team of three Javelins sets off for the mission: an Interceptor, a Storm, and a Colossus. The gameplay is presented from the perspective of the Interceptor and the Colossus.
Colossus
What is to be seen? The three-man team starts into the open world and follows a marker indicating the mission objective. Various quest steps send the Javelins back and forth, where they must collect runes or defeat enemies. There are also puzzles to solve.
In addition to some flight sequences, the team also ventures into an underground cave. The way there leads through a lake, into which the Javelins dive down.
The end of the video shows a thick boss fight, where the strengths of the Interceptor and Colossus are showcased: While the Interceptor quickly engages in close combat, the Colossus deals damage from a distance.
This is the Colossus:After the Interceptor was introduced recently we now get to see quite a bit of the Colossus, who takes on the role of the tank in Anthem. He is more heavily armored than the other Javelins and is correspondingly a bit more cumbersome.
Especially in the battle with the thick boss, you can see what differentiates the Colossus from the other Javelins: One of the character’s abilities is to shoot a rocket from his suit at the enemy. Immediately after, the tank protects himself with a small shield. His ultimate ability allows the Colossus to briefly pull out a grenade launcher that deals high damage.
Want to learn more about Javelins? Everything we know so far is here for you:
Anyone who wants to look stylish in their Power Armor in Fallout 76 usually has to buy skins. However, some are also available for free in the game. We will show you how to get the cool Nuka-Cola paint for the T51-b.
Most skins for Power Armors can only be obtained through real money via the Atom Shop of Fallout 76. However, if you explore a bit, you can get a paint for free as well. Here’s how.
How to get the Nuka-Cola skin for the Power Armor
To get the skin for the Power Armor, you need to traverse Appalachia once. You need to visit a total of five locations.
Step 1: The Toolbox Key
Here’s what to do: You start your journey at the northern border of the Cranberry Bog, far east of Appalachia at “Pylon V-13.” Head to the respective huts at the foot of the pylon and take a look around.
To the north, you can see a petrified corpse standing there. Go towards the corpse and a little further. Then turn left.
Near some stones on the ground lies a skeleton in a researcher’s coat. Next to the dead researcher is a duffle bag. Open it and take out the toolbox key.
Step 2: The Key for Clara’s Chest
Here’s what to do: With the toolbox key, you now go to Watoga. Specifically to the eastern edge of the city. Follow the river from the entrance of Watoga or take the road east in Watoga.
Near the river, there is a small stage with instruments and some stands in front of it. Go a little further to the rocky cliffs.
On one of the large rocks, there is a corpse next to a red toolbox. Open the box and take out Clara’s key.
Step 3: The Nuka-Cola Vault Key
Here’s what to do: You will now need the newly acquired key for Clara’s chest, located near Sutton. Sutton is in the middle of the woods, southeast of Vault 76.
The easiest way to reach the location is by traveling to Vault 76. The trip is free. From there, it’s just a few corn cobs further to Sutton.
Northwest of the settlement on a playground, there is a doghouse. Next to the house lies a skeleton – presumably Clara’s. Inside the house, you will find Clara’s chest and a letter. Open the chest and take the Nuka-Cola vault key.
Step 4: The TNT Dome 3 Key
Here’s what to do: The next step takes you to the Nuka-Cola plant Kanawha in the southwest of the woods. Enter the building through the main entrance, marked by two huge Nuka-Cola bottles in front of the gate.
Inside the plant, go through the first passage into a larger room behind the reception. There, head up the first staircase on the right and directly through the first door on the left. You will come into a small room with a locked door on the other side.
Pick the lock (Lockpicking Rank 1) and you will enter the laboratory behind it. Cross the room and the adjacent hallway until the very end. There, you will find a locked locker on the floor. Open it and take the “TNT Dome 03 Key.”
It’s really dark there. You will need a flashlight.
Step 5: The Recipe
Here’s what to do: The TNT Dome 03 is the last station. Go to the Black Mountain Ordnance Works where you can also find ammunition for the Alien Blaster.
The Dome 03 is a little off to the northeast of the plant. Follow the road for a bit and then go up a hill to some rocks that cover the entrance. The sign to Dome 03 has fallen and lies on the ground.
Open the door and you will find scattered throughout the storeroom several bottles of Nuka Cola in all varieties and in the middle on an overturned cart the recipe for the paint.
How do I use the paint?
To use the paint, you need a Power Armor chassis with parts of a T51-b Power Armor in it. Set it up and then go to a Power Armor station and press the button for “modify / repair”.
You can now customize the parts of the Power Armor. Select the desired part, go to “Paint” and select the Nuka-Cola paint here.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 recently received a new update. This included a new icon that has excited parts of the community.
What happened? The new update 1.11 for Black Ops 4 brought changes to the Battle Royale mode Blackout, launched a new zombie event, and refreshed the playlists in traditional multiplayer.
The patch also added two new multiplayer maps, which are currently only available through the Black Ops Pass, to the regular map rotation in multiplayer. In practice, this means for players: once these maps are up, all players without the Season Pass will be kicked from the lobby.
Source: Reddit User CarolinaFiasco
What is the significance of the icon? At the same time, the developers from Treyarch introduced a new icon – a yellow warning triangle. This will now mark all players in the multiplayer lobbies who do not own the Season Pass.
While the idea of highlighting DLC owners in multiplayer lobbies is not necessarily new, many Black Ops 4 players see it more as a psychological element. The icon creates the impression that everyone without the Black Ops Pass is missing out on something extremely important, not just optional content.
How are the fans reacting: The Black Ops 4 subreddit is currently full of posts and comments on this topic. Many are frustrated with this new feature. On one hand, it would just be visually annoying, and on the other hand, these “shaming markers” would subconsciously create pressure to buy the Season Pass.
There are numerous threads where players are urged not to give in to this “tactic” and not to get the Pass for this reason. One of these threads is nearing 100,000 upvotes.
However, fans are not only reacting angrily. Many are also having fun with it and humorously showing that the Black Ops Pass is apparently less popular among players than some might have thought. Countless screenshots from lobbies show clearly that the vast majority of players there do not own a Black Ops Pass.
While this is not a truly revealing indicator of how many players have actually purchased the Season Pass, the images have a strong impact and are widely supported. According to statements from numerous players, it often gives the impression that about 80-90% have not gotten the Pass. With this feature, Treyarch is not necessarily doing themselves a favor.
How are the developers reacting: The icons have since been removed from the game. Treyarch asserts that it was a bug.
However, even if a bug is truly responsible for the “shaming markers”, Treyarch has definitely not done themselves any favors. Players are still upset about it, and the jokes about it just won’t stop right now.
Good Azerite armor will be quite expensive in World of Warcraft. We will tell you what you have to pay for the best equipment.
The upcoming Wednesday (January 23, 2019) is an important date for many players in WoW, as the second season of Battle for Azeroth begins. This not only includes the opening of the new raid “Battle of Dazar’Alor” but also an update at the vendor for Azerite armor. He will then have much stronger items available – but they will also come at a high cost. Anyone wanting to own them will need to scrape together several thousand Titan Residuum.
What is Titan Residuum? Titan Residuum is obtained by scrapping Azerite armor with an item level of 340 or higher. The value for this is fixed and increases with a higher item level. The stronger the item that is scrapped, the more Titan Residuum is received. In addition, Residuum is awarded weekly from the “Mythic+” reward chest.
What do the Azerite items cost? As of that Wednesday, the vendor in Boralus and Dazar’Alor will have new items in stock. You will be able to purchase Azerite items with item levels 400 and 415, provided you have enough Titan Residuum. The prices are as follows:
A random item of item level 400: 675 Titan Residuum
A specific item of item level 400: 1725 Titan Residuum
A random item of item level 415: 1725 Titan Residuum
A specific item of item level 415: 7150 Titan Residuum
So if you want to buy a full set consisting of head, shoulder, and chest armor with item level 415, you will need to gather a hefty 21,450 Titan Residuum. Even the professional raiders will have some time to chew on that.
How much Residuum have you farmed already? Or are you just doing this on the side without any rush?
A new “Animated Short” from Overwatch has been released – but it is completely different from anything we have seen before. There are plenty of cats!
An event is currently taking place in Overwatch, the Ana Challenge. In this, players can earn a special skin if they win at least nine matches. The event is based on the short story “Bastet”, which revealed some details about Soldier: 76. A new cinematic has now been released. While it was not created directly by Blizzard, it was made in collaboration with the developer.
Blizzard approached “Dillon goo” and commissioned him to create a cinematic for the “Bastet” event. The entertaining result “Katsuwatch: Bastet Rises” can be viewed here:
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What happens in the video? The story of the video seamlessly follows the short story “Bastet” and takes place in Cairo – however, Ana and Soldier: 76 are depicted as cats and their prey, Hakim and his henchmen, are mice. This fits perfectly since the mask worn by Ana belongs to Bastet, who is regarded as the goddess of cats. It leads to a classic “cat and mouse chase”, where Ana and Soldier:76 confront Hakim and overpower him and his men.
Of course, it is all sprinkled with a lot of humor, like the scene where the Soldier-cat immediately wakes up the freshly stunned opponent. As a punishment, he is sent straight to the land of dreams the next time.
The video ends with a “live scene” where Ana tells her story while Soldier: 76 sleeps peacefully and Mercy trembles – after all, she is sitting across from two old friends she thought were long dead.
Who is dillon goo? dillon goo is a YouTuber who has been creating numerous videos about Overwatch for over a year. Sometimes they are just “relaxing” videos, like Mercy as a witch stirring in her cauldron for an hour during Halloween, but often they are funny battles featuring the even more stylized Overwatch characters – such as cats. His entire YouTube channel is definitely worth a look.
At least dillon goo refers to the video as “official” lore and it fits what is known from the story “Bastet”. It can thus be assumed that Ana and Soldier: 76 did visit Mercy after their little cleaning operation in Cairo.
What do you think of this cinematic? A cute and damn cool action? Or is it silly and unworthy of Overwatch? Let us know in the comments!
In Pokémon GO Absol, Surskit, and Nincada now hatch from 7 km eggs. You can find them only for a limited time in the eggs.
What is new? The Hoenn event in Pokémon GO is now in full swing and players are reporting special Pokémon hatching from 7 km eggs. At least three Pokémon are now in the pool of 7 km eggs that were not included before.
Specifically, these are Absol, Surskit, and Nincada. You can get all of them from the eggs that you find in gifts.
Absol, Surskit, and Nincada in 7 km eggs
Why are they in the eggs? In the announcement for the event, Niantic mentioned that Pokémon from the 3rd generation would now hatch from 7 km eggs. This announcement has now been realized and the egg pool has been expanded.
What is special about Absol and Surskit: The two Pokémon could only be obtained from raids until now. They were extremely popular there, as you could also find the Pokémon in their shiny forms.
Some time ago, Absol could already be obtained from field research, but these quickly disappeared again. Now you have the first chance to get both Pokémon from 7 km eggs.
What is special about Nincada: The bug Pokémon first appeared in field research in November. After that month, the Pokémon was not spotted anywhere, and players searched in vain for it.
The Pokémon that can evolve into Ninjask can now also be found in the eggs. This is the first time that you can hatch Nincada.
What else is in the 7 km eggs? So far, no other new Pokémon have been confirmed in the eggs. However, this only happens through the community, and some Pokémon may not have been hatched yet.
Update 01/17: In addition to the three mentioned Pokémon, Anorith, Lileep, and Barboach have now been found in the eggs. They have now been hatched and confirmed by players.
Otherwise, the egg pool of the 7 km eggs should have remained the same. You still have the chance for shiny babies and Alolan forms. A list of the entire egg pool can be found here:
How do I get the 7 km eggs? You do not get these special eggs from PokéStops. You only receive them as rewards from the gifts from friends. So if you want to hatch the new Pokémon, you should open some gifts with an empty egg inventory.
How long will the Pokémon stay in the eggs? It can be assumed that the three Pokémon will disappear at the end of the Hoenn event. The event ends on January 29 at 10:00 PM.
The Hoenn event also brings new raid bosses. Here you can find the complete list:
In an interview about ESO and the new addon Elsweyr, we also asked a leading developer from Zenimax what advice he has for the devs of Fallout 76.
What is it about? Rich Lambert is the Creative Director of The Elder Scrolls Online. He actually talked to us about the innovations from the upcoming Elsweyr expansion and the Season of the Dragon 2019 in an interview. However, in the end, we also had the opportunity to ask him about the situation of the developers of Fallout 76. After all, Bethesda and Zenimax are part of the same company and the various devs usually know each other personally.
Rich Lambert, the Creative Director of ESO.
Therefore, we asked Rich what advice he would give to the developers of Fallout 76 in light of the debacle surrounding the launch of the game.
Creative Director of ESO advises to persevere and stay engaged
MeinMMO: “ESO had some issues at launch and a lot of negative feedback from the community. So you have gone through something similar – although not as severe – as the developers of Fallout 76. What advice would you like to give to those people?”
Rich: “We are constantly talking to each other; we have a good connection to Bethesda. They have also seen at our place what can be made of a game when you work on it with full passion. And they do this; they say it again and again. I expect that some good things will come out of this.”
MeinMMO: “Yes, but what would be a concrete piece of advice you would give to the Fallout developers or maybe have already given?”
Rich: “I think the biggest advice from me would be ‘Learn how to take hits’. That’s how it is in the ‘internet world’. It’s full of fear, anger, and opinions that all arise from passion. People don’t complain if they aren’t somehow affected by what they are upset about.
So you always have to keep in mind that these feelings arise from passion, from the strong desire for something to change or improve. That can be tough. It can hurt when you put your whole passion into something and then people dump on it. So stay engaged, don’t give up, it will get better.”
A different kind of advice
The message from the colleague at ESO is clear: Stay engaged and don’t let yourself be defeated; it will certainly work out. In doing so, Rich offers a somewhat different form of advice than Mike Fisher, the former CEO of Square Enix, has given.
He was of the opinion that Fallout 76 should focus more on a thorough overhaul and possibly a reboot. Just as they did with the catastrophically failed first version of Final Fantasy XIV at Square Enix back then.
In one point, Lambert and Fisher probably agree: The Fallout team must definitely stick with it and must not shy away from a lot of work and effort. With the latest patches Fallout 76 seems to be heading in the right direction.
The highly anticipated Battle Royale mode of Black Desert Online was supposed to debut today. However, so many players flooded the servers that issues arose.
Update from 17.01.2019: The Shadow Arena is now open to all players. Changes have been made to improve stability for all players.
What happened? Pearl Abyss has temporarily locked all players out of the new Battle Royale mode Shadow Arena. Just a few hours after the mode was unlocked for all players.
The influx of players was apparently too much for the servers. Players reported repeated connection issues. There were graphical glitches, and many players were unable to try out the new mode as a result.
According to a community manager at Black Desert, the team is working on a solution to the problem so that the mode is available again as soon as possible.
In the Shadow Arena, everyone starts equally
What is the Shadow Arena? In the Shadow Arena, 50 players compete against each other on an ever-shrinking map. Each player initially controls a Black Spirit, with which they can possess one of the nine playable classes.
In the Early Access of the Shadow Arena, the classes Black Mage, Giant, Tamer, Valkyrie, Wizard, Sorceress, Dark Blade, and Mystic are playable.
All players start with equally poor equipment and must gather better gear, as well as special items, potions, and traps. You gain new talents by defeating monsters or opening chests. The last player standing at the end wins the game.
Since players do not play with their own equipment in the Shadow Arena, theoretically all players have a chance to win, and it only depends on the skill of the players.
Battle Royale in Black Desert
What does the Battle Royale mode bring? Depending on how high-quality your equipment is and what rank you place, you will receive rewards. The best reward goes to players who find yellow-tier equipment. They receive a whopping 400,000 silver.
If you are among the last 20 survivors, you will receive black stones. These items can be exchanged for black stones, concentrated magical black stones, or memory fragments.
How do I play the Battle Royale mode? To do this, you open your game menu in Black Desert with the ESC key and navigate to the “Marnie’s Secret Island” menu item. Click on it, and you will be asked if you want to enter the Shadow Arena. Your character must have completed the tutorial for the mode.
The Shadow Arena opens its gates only at specific times. During the week from 4 PM to 1 AM for nine hours and on weekends for 14 hours from 11 AM to 1 AM. You can also try the game mode with the 7-day trial version of Black Desert.
Many fans of The Division 2 are eagerly waiting to finally get their hands on the game and try it out. Ubisoft has now officially announced the start date for the Private Beta.
There will be a private beta for all pre-orders. Fans also have the chance to participate in a subsequent closed beta if they are among the lucky ones selected after signing up.
However, there is currently no specific date for either of the two betas. Many fans are eagerly waiting to see when it will finally begin.
This is how the potential beta date became known: A leak from Sony’s PSN store might now provide clues about when players can first play The Division 2 as part of the beta.
Currently, several images are circulating on social media showing “The Division 2” among the pre-orders in the PSN store.
The start date for the private beta of The Division 2 on PS4 is listed as February 6, 2019. It is not known if this will also apply to other platforms.
According to images, the beta for pre-orders will run until February 10. Thus, the first beta of The Division 2 would start just 3 days after the public demo for Anthem. Fans of shared-world shooters, who might still be deciding between the two titles, will have plenty to do in early February.
Note, however, that these are currently unconfirmed details. The entries have since been removed from the store. An official announcement from Massive Entertainment or Ubisoft has yet to be made. This information should therefore be viewed with appropriate caution.
Today, January 16, Division 2 revealed more about its story. How will the story of the Strategic Homeland Division in Washington unfold? A new trailer has finally provided more insights. You can see it here!
You can watch the new story trailer here: Many fans of The Division 2 have eagerly awaited this. Just yesterday, the official Twitter account of the game teased the world premiere of the story, and now the new trailer is finally here. Watch it:
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This is in the new trailer: In the story trailer, a female SHD agent, who was already deployed in New York (Division 1), narrates her first trip to Washington. After surviving the first attack in New York, the agents were needed in the capital.
However, the country, i.e., the USA, apparently descends increasingly into civil war, and the agents do not know who they can still trust. Ruthless factions threaten to destroy the foundation of democracy. Religious fanatics, fascists, or outcasts terrorize the population.
Meanwhile, the remnants of the government apparatus are desperately trying to preserve the country from total collapse with the help of the Division agents.
The fight for the country is currently in a decisive phase. The Division now has the chance to not only reclaim the capital but also the country and make history. However, it seems that the Division agents face a far more powerful enemy than marauding gangs.
This is what was known about the story of The Division 2 so far: Until now, there have been few details, and the story was only very roughly outlined. The Division 2 takes place 7 months after part 1. The setting is not the snowy New York this time but summer Washington D.C.
Exact details about characters, enemies, and backgrounds are scarce. However, the story will likely revolve around helping civilians and working with them against hostile factions. In the end, order will be restored.
In this regard, you will probably play a sort of detective, reconstructing what happened at various locations in D.C.
In a previous trailer, there was a hint that the enemy may be among us, possibly in the government, according to fan speculation. Also, the main antagonist from part 1, Aaron Keener, who escaped at the end of the main campaign with important data about the virus, is said to play a role again.
So you can pass the time before the trailer: While you wait for the trailer, you can check out the following articles where you can learn more about the story and the setting around The Division 2:
The biggest map update is likely the gigantic ice ball that has appeared above Polar Peak. Players are now speculating about what this sphere means.
What could be behind the ice sphere in Polar Peak
Where can I find the ice sphere? In the middle of Fortnite’s winter landscape, this giant sphere hovers above the castle of Polar Peak. To reach it, you need to build up high. There is no other way to get up.
What does this sphere do? The sphere is currently floating above Polar Peak. When you get close, your screen freezes, and you can barely see anything. Additionally, this sphere emits strange sounds that are difficult to define.
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A video shows a player trying to climb this sphere but continuously sliding down. The strange sounds can also be heard.
Haven’t we seen this before? Fortnite players may remember this sphere from the cube from Season 5. This cube moved across the map for weeks and caused several surprises. In the end, it burst and unleashed “Not-Zombies” upon the Fortnite world.
Does the sphere hint at the Ice Storm event?
Reddit is buzzing with wild theories about the ice sphere, and data miners are also trying to find hints in Fortnite’s code.
A data miner found the following: The renowned data miner “Lucas7Yoshi” found indications in the code that the sphere is related to the “Ice Storm” event, which was also found in the patch.
It is said that the sphere will soon break and herald the new Ice event. It is referred to in Fortnite’s code as “Mooney”.
A Reddit user found the following: The Reddit user ” MomoRM8″ took a closer look at the sounds of the sphere and also stumbled upon something intriguing.
He ran the sounds through a spectrograph and discovered the outlines of the Ice King in the spikes. This could also hint at the “Ice Storm” event and supports the data miner’s theory.
The idea of using a spectrograph is not new; players have already discovered other information about Fortnite using this principle. The Reddit user has now adopted this idea.
What does this tell us? We do not have much information about the ice sphere. It is once again a puzzle that Fortnite presents us. However, the image of the Ice King in the spectrograph is interesting, and the data miner’s theory seems plausible. Now we have to wait and see if the sphere actually has anything to do with the Ice event.
The new patch in Fortnite also caused an iceberg to melt and revealed a mysterious bunker:
The developers of Forza Horizon 4 stated in the patch notes of the new update that they are removing two emotes from the game. This could be due to caution regarding lawsuits against the Fortnite developer Epic Games.
What happened? Playground Games, the developers of the Xbox One exclusive racing game Forza Horizon 4, have indicated in the patch notes for the latest update that they are not only adding some features but also removing two emotes. These are the dances “Carlton” and “Floss”.
Both emotes are also known from the battle royale game Fortnite. However, the gestures are currently causing a stir there, as both creators of the respective dances – Alfonso Ribeiro from “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” for the “Carlton” and Russell “Backpack Kid” Horning for the “Floss” – are currently suing Epic Games for the use of the emotes in Fortnite.
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Why are the emotes being removed? Playground Games did not provide a reason for the removal of the emotes. However, it can be assumed that it has something to do with the dances in Fortnite, as the “most famous” lawsuits currently filed against Epic Games concern precisely these two gestures.
In addition, Forza Horizon 4 features other well-known moves: players can have their characters dance the moonwalk by Michael Jackson, the Macarena, or “Hotline Bling” by Drake.
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Are there more lawsuits? Fortnite is currently overwhelmed with lawsuits. In addition to Alfonso Ribeiro and the “Backpack Kid”, rapper 2 Milly and the mother of the “Orange Shirt Kid” have also raised issues regarding the use of their gestures. Both parties complain that while Epic Games uses their dances, it fails to acknowledge that they did not create the emotes at all. Additionally, there are the revenues the studio generates through the sale of the gestures.
Although the new MMORPG Astellia has just celebrated its launch in Korea, the online role-playing game has already been announced for Europe and North America. We conducted an interview with the developers and asked them what makes Astellia special.
What is Astellia? The gameplay of the new action MMORPG from Studio 8 mainly revolves around the so-called Astell system. Astells are companions that possess various magical abilities and can fill different roles, such as healer or damage dealer.
Players will be able to collect many different Astells, level them up and customize their abilities. You can watch the trailer for the MMORPG here:
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In an interview, the developers revealed to us what Astellia is about and why they believe that their MMORPG will be successful in Europe.
“Tailored to Western Players”
MeinMMO: What makes Astellia special and when can we expect the release?
Astellia is set in a world on the brink of chaos because the balance between light and darkness is threatened by the forces of evil. Players assume the role of an “Astellian”. This is someone who has the power to control so-called “Astells”, messengers of good.
The demonic forces of Karza have kidnapped your little sister in the story and are trying to keep you under control. Therefore, you set out into the world to rescue her and restore balance.
Astellia will go online in Europe and North America in 2019.
MeinMMO: Would you consider your MMORPG to be an AAA game? How many people are working on the title and for how many years?
In all our studios, branches, and teams, we have over 200 people dedicated to the success of the game. And we have been working on it for about 6 years now.
MeinMMO: Bless demonstrated that many players are very thirsty for a new MMORPG, yet they did not find what they were looking for. Do you believe that your MMORPG will be able to deliver what the players want?
Every game has that one “thing” that captures the attention of players and draws them in. In Astellia it is a mix of new ideas and classic concepts. Astellia will have the familiar “Holy Trinity” of tanks, DPS, and healers.
However, we are aware that players evolve alongside games. The “Astell system” will allow players to customize gameplay beyond that.
They will be able to play as a tank with healing Astells and be practically unstoppable. Alternatively, they can choose a mix of crowd control and DPS Astells and become an annoying mountain of armor.
We are confident that this type of gameplay will interest both veterans and new MMO players.
MeinMMO: How successful is Astellia in Korea?
Astellia is still very new in Korea, but the game and community response are very promising. In the West, we are closely monitoring progress and feedback in Korea to continue polishing and refining the game for our audience.
MeinMMO: Players in the West are afraid of “Pay-to-Win” models. What can you tell the players about Astellia?
We understand very well that Pay-to-Win has no place in the Western market. To support this view, Astellia will be “Play-to-win”. Items from other regions that would be deemed P2W in the West will instead be made available through in-game mechanics and not sold for real money.
We want players to view Astellia as a long-lasting game. That has been our mindset from the very beginning.
MeinMMO: How will quests work in Astellia? Have you focused on story or is it more important for you that players reach the endgame quickly?
Astellia features a main story that shows players the world and helps them reach the endgame. However, to learn more about the world, obtain important items, and prepare properly for the endgame, players will need to work through the side quests and complete the individual zones fully.
MeinMMO: How big will the difference between the content of the Korean and Western versions be?
At launch, the difference will be at most six months, but we have a plan on how we can minimize this difference as much as possible. There will always be some delay for new content due to localization.
Depending on what new systems or mechanics are implemented in other regions, we will need time to adapt them for the Western market.
MeinMMO: Is there anything about Astellia that you would describe as innovative?
The Astell system exists to allow players to shape their gameplay on a deeper level. Astells have their own classes, abilities, combos, and potential upgrade options.
Players will be able to assemble teams that support different strategies and provide the player with more healing, crowd control, damage, or even tanking.
This allows players to maintain their class identity without being forced into a specific role for the rest of the game.
MeinMMO: What does a typical day in Astellia look like? Do you need to invest a lot of time to progress?
For me, a typical day in endgame consists of a mix of high-end dungeons with friends, gathering resources on the world map, and then ending with some PvP, either in the arena or in Avalon.
Content for PvP and PvE Players
MeinMMO: There are undoubtedly many players in Europe and America who like Asian MMORPGs. Yet, few of these MMORPGs have actually been able to succeed, including TERA, Black Desert and Final Fantasy XIV. What is your formula for success in the West or in other words: What do you think specific Western players will like about your MMORPG?
Adaptation is the most important aspect of the formula when bringing a game from Asia to the West. At Astellia, we are working precisely on this to provide Western players with the best possible experience. The Astell system has several different aspects that will appeal to different types of players. It can
be the collection of Astells through the “in-game method”
or leveling Astells with the goal of bringing them to their best form
or trying out the many possible combinations
There is also the ongoing debate in the community about PvP versus PvE. PvP players generally want open-world PvP and the ability to take down anyone who crosses their path. PvE players either want nothing to do with PvP or the choice to participate or not.
However, most games implement PvP through instanced content such as arenas and battlegrounds, which doesn’t really hit the PvP nerve.
We have recognized the wishes of both sides and responded to them with “Avalon” in Astellia. It is a 300vs300vs300 open-world PvP area. Players must first choose to enter the area (with level cap) and will be able to fulfill various tasks in this massive area (if they want) and engage in PvP.
We believe this is a good solution for both types of players to have fun and experience the game.
MeinMMO: In Germany, we are increasingly noticing that a large part of the players miss MMORPGs with new good PvE content because most games focus on pure PvP. Have you also noticed this, and do you have enough content for this player group?
We have indeed noticed this. Astellia has been designed to be welcoming for both PvE and PvP players. There are:
Several dungeons that are actually relevant
Arenas for PvP and PvE
And of course Avalon, a PvP map for 3 factions
It doesn’t make sense to exclude half or more of the players when we are able to produce content that is fun for both sides. And we will continue to work in this direction.
MeinMMO: There are territorial faction wars in your game. How is that going to work? Is it comparable to Guild Wars 2 or PlanetSide?
Avalon is a permanent area of vast proportions where three different factions compete against each other on a weekly basis. I would most closely compare it to the RvRvR content from Guild Wars 2.
MeinMMO: Astellia has a gender lock. That is definitely a topic that will cause a lot of discussions. Why do you believe that this is the best solution for the game?
We are currently working on making both genders available for the classes. Adapting the game for the Western market is an extremely critical aspect of development. We ourselves are Western gamers and know how unwanted gender-locked classes are seen.
And lastly: What type of gamers would you recommend Astellia for?
Astellia is very balanced and offers content for both PvE and PvP-focused players. And we are specifically working to support both hardcore and casual players so that as many people as possible can enjoy the game.
In Fortnite, security experts have uncovered a flaw in the login process of Fortnite. One wrong click was enough for hackers to access the data. 80 million accounts were potentially at risk.
Who are the security experts? The company is called “Check Point.” It is an Israeli security firm. Their experts have tried to find security vulnerabilities in Fortnite and indeed found some. They are basically “hackers on the side of good.”
That’s why they are testing Fortnite: The company says that the online game Fortnite is such an important target because about 80 million accounts log in each month: these are the active players that one assumes.
These players have personal information, credit card details, and other data linked to their accounts: That is all data.
And whoever accesses this data can sell it.
As the head of the “vulnerability” researchers says, platforms like those of Epic are increasingly in the crosshairs of hackers because so many sensitive data is stored there. Moreover, there is a lively market for selling accounts that have special skins.
This was the flaw: The experts identified three vulnerabilities in Epic Games’ server structure to exploit them.
This is partly because Epic wants to make it as easy as possible for players to log into Fortnite. Therefore, Epic allows access through “third parties” like Google or Facebook.
The diagram from Check Point shows the attack – Source: Check Point
In this process, an “authentication” token is created. The attackers were able to intercept this because the login page “accounts.epicgames.com” was vulnerable to a redirect.
Thus, the attackers could load a JavaScript on another subpage of Epic Games, to which players were lured. This allowed them to siphon off login data.
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As soon as the players clicked on the link, the attackers already had the data. The players did not even have to provide their account data.
This is what attackers could have done with the data: The attackers could have charged the credit cards, siphoned off data, or listened in on the in-game chat.
This is what the security experts did: The people from Check Point communicated all their findings to Epic Games before publication. They have since closed the security gaps, as the Forbes website reports.
This is what the experts recommend:
The company recommends that every customer implement two-factor authentication. Epic agrees.
The professionals advise companies like Epic to collaborate with other major gaming companies. Blizzard has had the same problems for years. An industry that makes billions should share its methods with others and show that it cares about the well-being of customers and fans.
Last year, Samsung showcased “The Wall,” a very large TV display with a screen diagonal of 146 inches. Now, the manufacturer has presented an even larger model with 219 inches. That corresponds to a screen diagonal of 5.5 meters.
The catch is: In the display technology of “modular micro LEDs,” millions of self-illuminating and energy-efficient RGB LEDs of microscopic size are used as pixels. These can be modularly assembled to any size, seamlessly without borders.
This means that there are virtually no limits to the format, and, for example, custom shapes apart from the usual rectangles can also be created without much effort.
While the pixel density remains unchanged when additional modules are added, the displays will then upscale the content.
In order to avoid just seeing a huge black surface when being on standby like with “The Wall,” the display should be able to adapt to its surroundings if necessary.
This should happen, for example, by displaying the surrounding wallpaper or other room elements.
Micro LED Displays as the Future Standard
How about the picture quality? The micro LED technology promises especially higher brightness compared to the currently dominant OLED displays in terms of picture quality.
By simply switching off the LEDs, a similarly good black value is achieved here as well. Compared to OLEDs, the technology is also supposed to be more durable and does not lead to any burn-in effect.
Compared to traditional LCDs, the mentioned advantages are also evident – this should also affect contrast and response speed.
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And what about the disadvantage? The cost-effective miniaturization is progressing slowly. Especially with “The Wall,” the transitions are still not always completely invisible upon closer inspection.
Prices and availability have not yet been mentioned for the variants presented.
However, a more living room-friendly model with a screen diagonal of 75 inches and 4K resolution was also showcased.
Additionally: Alongside Samsung’s “The Wall” and other display presentations, there were also a few highlights for gamers at the recent CES 2019, which we have already summarized in a small selection:
In FIFA 19 the TOTW 18 (Team of the Week) arrives today on January 16, 2019. You can find out which players will receive Inform cards this week here in the overview.
The release time for TOTW 18: The Team of the Week will be available on January 16 at 7 PM in the Ultimate Team mode of FIFA 19. Then the special cards of the TDW players will be in packs from 7 PM.
The players in Team of the Week 18: Here you can see all the new Inform cards:
Team of the Week 18 Overview – All Cards
How and when do you get TOTW players in packs?
Here’s how you get TOTW players: You can pull the TOTW cards from any packs that may contain Gold players,
However, the chance of this is considered low, so you’ll need a lot of luck.
Additionally, it is possible to buy the TOTW cards on the transfer market. However, prices are usually extremely high, especially for good players.
When do you get the new TOTW players? The TDW players are available in the sets for one week – from Wednesday at 7 PM to the following Wednesday at 7 PM. You can get TDW 18 from January 16 at 7 PM until January 23 at 7 PM in packs.
Investing with TOTW Predictions
Many football and FIFA experts make their predictions about which players might land in the upcoming TOTW. You can read the predictions for TDW 18 here.
Trading and investments with TOTW cards: If you take a certain risk, you can earn a lot of coins with the TOTW cards and the predictions. You must be aware that these predictions never match the “real” TOTW 100%. There is no guarantee that your investment will pay off.
Flux is one of the “endgame materials” in Fallout 76. You need Flux in different colors for the best mods and equipment. We will show you how to obtain and process it.
What is Flux? Flux is the residue of radioactive plants in Fallout 76. Flux is highly unstable and decays in your inventory after a short time. To process it, you first need to stabilize it.
What is Flux used for? With Flux, you can create “premium closures” for various weapons, the best mods for your underarmor, and some items for your C.A.M.P..
Radioactive flora is the largest source of Flux.
How to craft and process Flux
How to collect raw Flux: You get Flux from all plants in the impact area of a nuclear bomb. All plants within the corresponding red radius are transformed and even receive different names.
You can collect the plants just like their “normal” counterparts. The Perception perk “Green Thumb” even grants you double the yield. When you harvest a plant, you receive the raw Flux directly into your pockets instead of a plant. There are five types of Flux:
cobalt Flux
fluorescent Flux
yellowcake Flux
purplish Flux
violet Flux
In the Whitespring Bunker, you will find notes on Flux and which plants yield the respective colors.
Stabilizing Flux – here’s how: You cannot use raw Flux to craft mods. You must first stabilize it. You will learn the recipes for this as soon as you collect Flux for the first time. You can then stabilize Flux at a workbench under “radioactive flora”.
To craft stabilized Flux, you need:
1x hardened mass
1x highly radioactive liquid
1x glowing mass
10x raw Flux
All the required items can also be found in Fallout areas of nuclear bombs. Every enemy in these zones has a chance to drop the respective items. Unlike raw Flux, the items do not have durability and do not decay.
Stabilized Flux no longer decays and can be stored and processed further. With the Luck perk “Super Duper”, you have a chance to produce double the amount of stable Flux every time.
The associated event “Burned Earth” is then open to all players on the server. You have the chance to obtain stable Flux directly for both completing the event and killing the queen.
The location of the Prime Rift.
What can I craft with Flux?
Recipes for Flux: To ultimately process Flux, you first need the corresponding recipes. You can also obtain these from the Scorchbeast Queen.
The recipes include:
premium closures that deal more damage to the weapon and bonus damage against Scorchbeasts and Burned.
Ultracite ammunition for weapons with premium closures (learned with the closure).
mods for underarmors like “shielded”, which increase resistances and S.P.E.C.I.A.L. values.
C.A.M.P. items like decontamination arches that remove all RAD.
Raw Flux is also necessary for some recipes such as orbital strike grenades or orbital scanners.
Tip: If raw Flux decays in your inventory, it turns into inactive Flux. You can still use this. On the one hand, all vendors pay a good price for inactive and raw Flux.
On the other hand, you can drink inactive Flux for a large amount of liquid. The radiation absorbed is less than that of boiled water, but the increase in liquid is as high as that of treated water.
In Pokémon GO there are three new field research tasks. They all revolve around Pokémon from the 3rd generation. However, many players do not like the new tasks.
The Hoenn event in Pokémon GO brings numerous innovations to the game. There are also three new field research tasks related to Pokémon from the Hoenn region. However, the quests are not well received by all players.
How long do the quests run? You have 2 weeks to find and complete these field research tasks, until January 29. The quests promise Pokémon or Stardust.
Here are the 3 new field research tasks
What are they about? During the Hoenn event, these 3 quests are quick to solve. All field research tasks relate to the event and feature Pokémon from the 3rd generation. The quests are:
Hoenn Event: Catch 10 Swablu and Zigzagoon
Reward: 1000 Stardust
Hoenn Event: Hatch 2 Eggs
Reward: Encounter with a Surskit
Hoenn Event: Evolve 3 Wurmple
Reward: Encounter with a Trapinch
You can use the quests for: Especially the quest with Trapinch is interesting. You can combine this with the field research “Catch 10 Ground-type Pokémon”. Finding 10 Ground-type Pokémon is difficult, but Trapinch helps you with that, as it is exactly of that type. As a reward, you get a Sandshrew, which can be shiny.
This is why players are disappointed: Players express their disappointment with the three new field research tasks. With Surskit and Trapinch, there are not really interesting Pokémon as rewards. For having to hatch two eggs, the reward of a Surskit is too little for many players.
Players wish for different quests: So the player “Bacteriophag” writes on Reddit:
As a quest enthusiast, I am quite disappointed, only 3 quests with mediocre Pokémon as rewards. I wish they would release a Surskit quest or other fun things like Kecleon. Who needs Surskit…
The player “leandruskis” agrees and adds: “Yes, that’s right. Or maybe Pokémon like Nincada, which have only been available for a month so far.”
The new field research tasks are definitely unpopular, especially after the best field research tasks ever were available this month with the best field research tasks ever.
The Hoenn Event also brought new raid bosses to the game. Here’s how to best counter the bosses:
