Bungie has announced that it will end its partnership with the publisher Activision and will continue to develop Destiny 2 on its own. What implications does this “divorce” have for the immediate future of the game? The studio has now commented on this.
What happened? On January 10, 2019, Bungie unexpectedly announced that it would part ways with its longtime partner Activision after eight years of cooperation. The creators of Destiny 2 will take over full rights to the franchise and continue the Destiny brand on their own.
This is how fans are reacting: The vast majority of fans have received the news with great joy. Social media, forums, and discussion platforms like Reddit are full of congratulations and celebrating fans. However, this development also leaves many question marks.
Many are wondering how Destiny will continue – in 2019 and beyond. After all, Bungie had already concrete plans for Destiny 2 through September 2019 and had presented them in detail based on a roadmap at the end of 2018. What impact will the separation from the publisher have on these plans? Will they potentially be discarded?
This is what Bungie says about its plans for 2019: Now Bungie has spoken on this matter. Community Lead DeeJ has reassured fans on Twitter and announced that the proposed roadmap will remain in place.
He posted a picture of the roadmap and said literally: “Today is a big news day for Bungie. Our plans for Destiny remain unchanged. All these updates are still on the schedule.”
The existing plans will therefore be adhered to. However, how Destiny 2 will continue beyond this roadmap is unknown.
Whether there will be another major expansion, another year with the new Season Pass model, or perhaps the next Destiny title remains to be seen. The studio has not commented on this yet.
A new hotfix for World of Warcraft is intended to improve PvP balance. Three specializations will be nerfed.
Balance in World of Warcraft is always changing – perfection is virtually unattainable. To at least address minor issues, the developers occasionally release some hotfixes that only take effect in PvP, leaving PvE untouched.
Which classes are being changed? The changes affect Mistweaver Monks, Elemental Shamans, and Balance Druids. All adjustments are nerfs – that is, downward corrections that make the corresponding specializations weaker.
Mistweaver Monk
The PvP talent “Falling Mist” now costs 3.8% of base mana (previously 2%) and heals for 20% less.
The PvP talent “Way of the Crane” increases damage dealt by 25% (previously 35%) and now heals for 150% of the damage dealt (previously 200%).
Elemental Shaman
The damage of Earth Shock has been reduced by 10% when you are in combat with other players.
Stormbringer increases the damage of Lightning Bolt by 115% (previously 125%), when you are in combat with other players.
Force of Nature can now trigger up to two additional Lightning Bolt overloads on enemy players (previously 3 additional overloads).
Balance Druid
Celestial Alignment increases your spell damage by 10% (previously 15%) when you are in combat with other players.
Incarnation: Chosen of Elune increases your spell damage by 18% (previously 25%) when you are in combat with other players.
Starfall now generates 2 Astral Power (previously 4 Astral Power) when you are in combat with other players.
The LoL players are dissatisfied with the new Prestige Skins. Many players believe that the Prestige Skins do not differ enough from the normal Skins.
What happened? The LoL developer Riot regularly provides the player base with new Prestige Skins. These are meant to be special and stand out from the normal Skins. Recently, the developers released the two Prestige Skins “Blood Moon Aatrox” and “Firecracker Vayne”.
However, many players now believe that Riot is releasing too many Prestige Skins and that they differ too little from the normal Skins. They demand that a Prestige Skin should once again be something special.
Skins are coming too frequently, lacking flair
This is the general problem: The player base no longer perceives the Prestige Skins as special. Earlier Skins like the K/DA Skins were presented with a song and a music video showing that a lot of time was invested in the cosmetics.
The new Skins seem to the players to be designed without much love.
This is what players criticize: The player “GeneralSecura” posted a thread on Reddit addressing the new Prestige Skins. “Blood Moon Aatrox” has no special features and its visual effects are the same as those of a normal Skin. It has simply been colored differently.
The Prestige Skin “Firecracker Vayne” is more on the right track regarding the effects, but still hardly differs from normal Skins.
In another Reddit post, players are already calling on Riot to limit the frequency of Prestige Skins releases to maintain their special status:
If the Prestige Skins are apparently being released every month, how is that “collector’s value” supposed to be maintained when they appear to become a norm?
Both posts received a lot of support from the community, with many players sharing the opinions of the authors.
This is how players want to solve it: In his post, “GeneralSecura” provides a suggestion on how Riot could have handled this situation better. He writes:
What Riot should have done is first complete the K/DA set. Release Prestige versions of Ahri and Evelynn. And then ONLY release Prestige versions of Skins that are really something special.
Under the post, some players discuss further solutions.
What do you think about the frequency of Prestige Skins?
The world champions of LoL also receive their Skins:
At Destiny 2, Bungie has announced the end of their partnership with publisher Activision Blizzard. They are currently in the process of taking over the rights to the “Destiny” brand from Activision.
This is the announcement: Bungie thanks Activision Blizzard for 8 years of collaboration. However, in the future they will independently continue the “Destiny” brand.
The transition process is now underway, but still in its early stages. Both Bungie and Activision are willing to make this handover as smooth as possible.
Bungie will now publish Destiny independently, while Activision will focus more on their own brands in the future.
This is how Bungie justifies it: Bungie reveals very little in the statement. They only say that in 2010, at the beginning of the partnership, the gaming landscape was different.
At that time, they wanted to have a partner they could trust as an “independent studio” bringing a new experience. They had a vision for Destiny that they believed in, but to launch such a big game, they needed the support of an established partner.
With Activision, they built something remarkable. But now they seem ready to move on independently.
This is how it will continue: Bungie says they learned and listened with Forsaken and have started to understand what players expect from a “great Destiny experience”.
Bungie assures players: More is on the way. They believe in the limitless possibilities and potential of Destiny. New adventures and new worlds filled with mysteries, adventures, and hope lie ahead of them.
What rumors say about the separation: According to the site Kotaku, the decision was reportedly announced at a “team meeting” at Bungie. The meeting took place almost concurrently with the announcement of the news.
There were reportedly “champagne corks” popping and employees cheered. Kotaku cites an anonymous person who was said to be at the meeting.
It is said that there had been long-standing tensions between Activision and Bungie. Activision insisted on an annual release of new content: Either a new Destiny game or a full expansion should be released every autumn.
One of the game directors of Destiny, Luke Smith, then stated that Bungie is very proud of Forsaken and not disappointed. Smith emphasized the focus on “core gamers.” At the launch of Destiny 2, the game was criticized for being too catered to “casual players.”
Furthermore, in June 2018 it became known that Bungie had entered into a partnership with the Chinese company NetEase. They are presumably developing a new “non-Destiny” game together.
In week 6 of Season 7 in Fortnite: Battle Royale, a secret banner awaits you. This time there is no star. We will show you the location of the banner.
What is it about? Regularly, new challenges start in Fortnite: Battle Royale. Today marks the start of the sixth week in Season 7 and brings another hidden banner for you. A hint in the loading screen will show players the location. We will tell you where that is.
The requirement: You cannot simply start searching for the banner. You must first complete all tasks from week 6 and the previous weeks. Otherwise, you cannot loot the banner at the location.
What do you see in the picture? You recognize a scene mainly focused on food. Especially burgers and fries seem to be in the foreground. Not too far away, you will find the hint.
The hint is hidden on the small sign that stands on the left edge of the picture. In the following image, you can see the hint enlarged.
Where you should search: You probably recognized right away where you should search from the hint. For you, it’s after Paradise Palms. There on the large hill in the south, you will find the formation that is shown on the chalkboard. On the map, it is at the coordinates H10.
Video description: To ensure that you find the banner and know behind which junk car you should look, we embed a YouTube video for you here. It shows the exact location.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTwzaIRT4-k
Beware of campers: Players often gather near the star and banner locations to surprise other players. So pay attention to your surroundings when you land there.
With this Matrix emote, you can dodge shots in Fortnite:
On Saturday, January 12th, the Community Day with KarniMana starts in Pokémon GO. We provide you with all the info about start time, shinies, and bonuses so you can make the most of the event.
What are Community Days? Community Days take place once a month in Pokémon GO. For three hours, an event Pokémon spawns more frequently, focusing on that Community Day. In addition to the increased spawns, there are also bonuses that are active for the three hours. Each Community Day also features the shiny form of the Pokémon.
In January 2019, it is all about the Water Starter KarniMana. We will tell you what bonuses are available and how you can best prepare for the event.
Community Day in January – GMT+0: Exact Times and Bonuses
What: The Pokémon GO Community Day in January 2019
When: On Saturday, January 12th from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM German time (GMT+1)
Pokémon of the Day: KarniMana
Exclusive Attack: Aqua Jet (Only for Impergator)
Bonus: The distance to hatch eggs is reduced to a quarter
Bonus: 3-hour lure modules
Additional Bonus: To learn the exclusive attack Aqua Jet, you can evolve your Tyracroc until 3 PM
This means GMT+0: The in-game notification states that the Community Day starts at 10 AM. However, this refers to the GMT+0 timezone. In Germany, we have the GMT+1 timezone, which is why it starts at 11 AM as usual.
Shiny KarniMana, Tyracroc, and Impergator
Is KarniMana also available as Shiny? In every previous Community Day, the event Pokémon was also available in its shiny form. Niantic has not yet confirmed the appearance of Shiny KarniMana, but since it has always been handled this way, one can assume the same this time.
This is the likelihood of getting a Shiny: During Community Days, the Shiny rate has always been elevated. It was 1 in 25. It can be assumed that this rate will be just as high this time. However, this only applies to the event Pokémon and not to other shinies.
How strong is Impergator with Aqua Jet?
How can I get the attack? For your Impergator to master Aqua Jet, you must evolve a Tyracroc into Impergator during the event period. You can only receive the attack between 11 AM and 3 PM. After that, the attack will no longer be available. Impergator cannot learn event attacks through TMs.
Interesting for PvP: Impergator is also a good candidate for PvP alongside the attack. Especially in the Super and Hyper leagues, it can become a powerful weapon. Aqua Jet also deals good neutral damage, making it a solid all-rounder.
This is how KarniMana gets a weather boost: Since KarniMana is a Water type, it will be boosted by the weather in the rain.
How strong is KarniMana in the wild? Without the weather bonus, KarniMana can have a maximum of 970 CP in the wild. This would be a 100% IV KarniMana at level 30. With the weather bonus, it can even reach 1051 CP.
You can copy the following list and paste it into your search bar in the game. The list shows the CP that a 100% IV KarniMana could have. A KarniMana with a higher level might also have the same CP. So evaluate your KarniMana once again afterward:
The incubators are the most important item on this Community Day. You can make the most of the shortened egg distance with numerous incubators. For a 10 KM egg, you only need to walk 2.5 km. If you even use Super Incubators, you only have to walk 1.67 kilometers for a 10 KM egg to hatch.
Important: Only put your eggs in the incubators after the event starts at 11 AM. Eggs already in an incubator before the start of the Community Day will not receive the bonus for the reduced distance.
To catch as many Pokémon as possible, lure modules are worthwhile. They provide you with an even greater chance of encountering shiny KarniMana. Additionally, lure modules are ideal for a little break since you can also linger at lure modules.
Incense – 6 pieces
Ideally, you should use incense. Incense attracts even more Pokémon, and players in the village have a chance for more Pokémon. Incense lasts for 30 minutes, so you should have six pieces to last through the three hours.
Star Pieces – 6 pieces
In addition to the Community Day, there is also the Egg Event. You will receive double candies and stardust from eggs. Since you will hatch numerous eggs during the three hours, the star pieces are also worthwhile. Your stardust will be increased by 1.5x.
Balls – 200 pieces or more
To withstand the onslaught of KarniMana, you should stock up on balls. The catch rate of KarniMana is low, so you should also have some Ultra and Hyper Balls on hand because only a few KarniMana will stay in normal Poké Balls.
GO Plus
The GO Plus helps you catch Pokémon. It catches wild Pokémon for you at the push of a button.
Stay up to date: To ensure you don’t miss any news about Pokémon GO, we warmly invite you to our group on Facebook. You can also stay updated on our Facebook page.
Are you a PvP fan? Then participate in the first global PvP tournament:
TOTY cards via packs and transfer market: Once the TOTY players are available, you can draw them from the packs for a limited time, provided you have a lot of luck. There will be special pack offers during this period. Afterwards, it will only be possible to purchase the TOTY players on the transfer market, where they will fetch high prices.
What you need to know about TOTY cards:
Once the TOTY cards are in the packs, the standard cards of the respective players cannot be drawn from the packs anymore.
A set must contain rare gold players to have a chance of a TOTY player.
If you own a standard card of a TOTY player, nothing happens to that card. If you want a TOTY player, you must draw them from sets with luck or buy them on the transfer market.
The chances of drawing a TOTY player are exactly the same as the chances of drawing the standard card of the respective player at another time.
The beta of Red Dead Online shows no signs of ending. Rockstar states that the online mode of Red Dead Redemption 2 remains in testing, but also announced new content.
What’s new? When Rockstar Games announced that Red Dead Online would initially start in beta, fans were relieved. This way, they could first eliminate errors and prepare the mode for its full release. However, the developers did not specify how long Red Dead Online would remain in beta.
In an announcement regarding the new “Gun Rush” update, Rockstar Games explained that the beta is far from over.
How long will the beta of Red Dead Online last?
This is what Rockstar says: The team writes on the homepage of Rockstar Games:
We thank all players who participated in the Red Dead Online beta over the holidays, especially those who gave us their valuable feedback. Please keep it up – Red Dead Online will continue as a beta for a few more months as we want to add many more gameplay features and improve, stabilize, and refine the player experience through further changes.
The beta will therefore remain active for a few more months. There is currently no date for the full release of Red Dead Online.
Contents planned for Red Dead Online
Players have complained in recent weeks that there is too little content for the online mode of Red Dead Redemption 2. Apparently, the team heard these complaints and is planning new content.
This is planned: More updates should come “soon” that will fill the online mode with game modes and content.
Daily challenges
With these challenges, Rockstar aims to encourage players to log in daily. The challenges are intended to appeal to different playstyles. Sometimes you will need to practice marksmanship, and on other days, escape from lawmen. The rewards have not been explained yet.
Negotiation
The negotiation feature can be activated if aggressive players have killed you four times. In the future, you should be able to activate this even faster to avoid aggressive players. If the negotiation feature is active, the affected players cannot attack each other for 10 minutes.
Red Dead Online defends against griefers
You will no longer see every player everywhere: You will soon no longer be able to see player markings on the map from a long distance. This will only be possible at close range. Players will likely appreciate this change, as aggressive players could previously track your location from a distance and ride to you.
Players who grief and randomly kill other players will be better recognized. They will receive a marking that gradually becomes darker and larger. Every player in the online mode will be able to recognize the griefers more easily and spot their positions early.
Improving player markings is important. As early as November 2018, the always-visible players were among the 10 most annoying things in the multiplayer of RDR 2.
How to further weaken the griefersstill? The team at Rockstar wants to improve the functioning of lawmen and bounties. Griefers should be less motivated to kill other players. For crimes, players should receive a bounty. There will be an incentive to pay this within a certain time. If this is not done, bounty hunters from all states will pursue the players. This will force griefers to pay or flee.
Rockstar announced weeks ago that they intend to take action against griefers in the online mode. Now they finally show how that will work.
The above-mentioned changes will be enhanced with new features and content. However, there is still no outlook on when the content will be released. A lot of new content for RDO is expected this year. Among them:
New missions: In the online mode, you will soon continue your story in “A Land of Opportunities” with new story missions. Familiar faces like Horley and Jessica LeClerk will be involved. But new characters will also join in.
Events in Red Dead Online: More events will take place across the game world. These will be dynamic events that can change.
New game modes: More game modes where you compete in races are planned. Additional content for showdown modes is also planned.
Weapons and clothing: New firearms for the cowboys in multiplayer will be available soon. Which ones they are is still unclear. There will also be new clothing.
What new content would you like to see for Red Dead Online?
The first step was already taken by Rockstar with this new game mode:
In Destiny 2, the fourth weapon exotic from the Black Armory has been discovered: the fusion rifle Jötunn. And the weapon is already causing significant disruption in the Crucible. Here’s how to get the new exotic fusion rifle.
Where can you find the new weapon exotic? The weapon was discovered by the first Guardians after the fourth forge of the Black Armory, Bergusia, opened its doors.
This new exotic weapon apparently drops just like the bow Le Monarque when you complete a powerful weapon frame from Ada-1 in the forge.
However, while Le Monarque can drop from any forge upon completing a powerful weapon frame, all confirmed drops of the Jötunn have occurred in the Bergusia forge.
You should complete your powerful weapon frames in the new Bergusia forge to have a chance at the Jötunn. That seems to be the only source at the moment.
If the weapon does drop in other forges, we will update this accordingly.
How the Jötunn is currently shaking up PvP
What is the Jötunn anyway? It is an exotic fusion rifle with solar damage. The Jötunn is used in the energy weapon slot.
This is what makes the Jötunn unique: The intrinsic perk of the Jötunn is Charged Shot. Holding down the trigger charges an arrow shot that explodes and ignites on impact.
The “Armblaster” Jötunn
Thanks to the perk “volatile launch”, the explosion radius of a normal shot increases significantly – at a cost of handling speed and projectile speed.
The fireball projectiles of the Jötunn also track their targets.
What can the Jötunn do in practice? Currently, not much is known about its PvE qualities. But in the Crucible, this new weapon is currently causing a lot of chaos.
Even though it is an energy weapon and not a heavy weapon, the arrow shot of the Jötunn kills with a direct hit – no matter where you hit the opponent.
The distance to the enemy apparently also does not matter. Even an arrow shot across the entire map is fatal.
Thanks to the tracking, almost every shot hits. Once you fire the weapon, you can basically turn away and already focus on the next target – unless the target notices the shot in time and tries to dodge the fireball projectile. But even that rarely works.
If several opponents are close enough together, you can take out entire groups with a single shot from the Jötunn.
This is what it looks like when you are in PvP with the Jötunn: How (overly) powerful the weapon is in the Crucible is demonstrated by exceptional player Gigz in a video on Twitter.
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The battle royale shooter Fear the Wolves has changed matchmaking with the new update “Unified.” From now on, 2-player teams are the new rule.
What has changed in Fear the Wolves with the update? Fear the Wolves has made the “Duos” game mode the new standard with the Unified update. Most players will likely be looking for a duo partner or playing with a random teammate from now on. This has not been seen in any other battle royale game before.
Can I no longer play alone? Yes, but you’ll be at a disadvantage. Most other players will be found in two-player teams. So, playing alone puts you at a numerical disadvantage. There is no longer the option for all players to compete individually against each other.
What about larger squads? They are no longer available. 3-player and 4-player teams are not possible with the update from now on.
Why did the developers do this? According to the devs, these steps are part of a program to improve player experience.
This is expected to speed up matchmaking and player searches. Furthermore, Fear the Wolves, according to the developers, will provide a unique battle royale experience.
More features of the update
What’s included in the Unified update: Other features of the update include:
Vaulting, meaning leaping over obstacles
A new game lobby
Voice chat features
Improved waiting times in matchmaking
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If you played Fallout 76 last year in 2018, then you now receive the Fallout Classic Collection as a gift from Bethesda. Our author Andreas says: All three are good, but you must definitely play the first Fallout.
The collection that Bethesda is gifting you includes Fallout, Fallout 2, and Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel. The titles bring you closer to the early days of the Fallout series.
Classics free to play
This is how you get the Fallout Classic Collection: The prerequisite is that you played the online game Fallout 76 in 2018.
Start the Bethesda Launcher
Log in with your Bethesda.net account
The Fallout Classic Collection will be automatically unlocked and you install it on your PC
This Fallout game I especially recommend: I first encountered the post-apocalyptic RPG series in 1997 when Interplay released Fallout 1. As good as the successor Fallout 2 was, the first part just stuck with me the most.
Fallout 1 was special at that time. It was the first game that offered this extraordinary post-apocalyptic scenario. This combination of serious background and completely exaggerated elements was unusually new and refreshing.
The story starts typically Fallout and determined the beginning of the subsequent parts, except for Fallout 2.
You are a Vault dweller and live in a bunker where some chosen people sought refuge from the nuclear war. When a control chip for the water supply fails, you are sent out to look for a replacement in the wasteland of Southern California in the year 2161.
By the way, Fallout 2 does not start in a Vault. Instead, you start as a resident of a remote village and must explore the world.
This is not Bethesda’s Fallout
This is how Fallout 1 plays: Fallout 1 differs significantly in gameplay from the newer games developed by Bethesda.
You play from an isometric perspective and fight round by round against enemies. At that time, that was perfectly fine. Today, one has to get used and adapt a bit. But those who do will face an epic RPG.
The first part of the RPG series does not hold your hand. Often you won’t even know where to go. Quests only offer vague descriptions, and you have no choice but to scour every location and talk to every NPC to receive hints.
But that’s how you learn a lot about the world and the background story.
In Fallout 1 there are indeed battles that run tactically and turn-based, but action is somewhat less central than in the newer parts.
Often talking and diplomacy will help you further. That is why it is so important to train your speaking skills and explore all options in conversations. The typical Fallout atmosphere, however, already emerges in part 1.
If you want to take a look at the beginnings of the Fallout series, you should definitely play Fallout 1. It may seem “awkward” and not very modern, but those who take the effort to adapt will be rewarded with a true gem.
Teleportation, incredible running speed and aim hacks. Atlas is filled with cheats, exploits, and glitches. Frustrating for many honest players. But that will soon come to an end.
For weeks, the survival MMO Atlas has been in Early Access. Plagued by numerous issues, there is something that primarily frustrates honest players. Cheats, hacks, exploits, and glitches make the MMO nearly unplayable on the official servers. Especially the Chinese and large companies are accused in the Atlas Subreddits of exploiting these bugs.
This is the problem: Atlas currently has no active measures against cheaters. Reporting cheats and their users proves to be difficult. Players turn to the subreddit and forum, hoping that the developers will take notice of the outcry.
Honest players report teleporting cheaters, incredible running speeds, and aim hacks. This is frustrating not only in PVP but also in PVE. Hours of work spent building a galleon can be destroyed in seconds. Entire companies are wiped out by script commands and everything they have fought for is obliterated.
Sunk ships on the coast. The work of a cheater. Source: Steam.
Anti-cheat is coming: Grapeshot Games has become aware of the issue and promises a solution soon. The BattleEye anti-cheat client is being prepared for Atlas. Already in ARK, Conan Exiles, and other titles, BattleEye ensures more security.
Additionally, there is now the option to create a support ticket. There you can report other players who violate the code of conduct. This includes cheating, exploiting, hacking, as well as insulting other players and racism.
This is what the players say: The Atlas community is heavily discussing the topic in the Subreddits and the official forums. Reddit user Zharak says: “I had to pause my game for several hours every day. Otherwise, I would have been taken out with just one shot every time and my entire equipment would have been gone.”
OmiNya describes a recent incident: “We occupied a whole island with our company and alliance and had some ships on the coast. Suddenly, a stranger came by and did something. All ships sank immediately and simultaneously. ‘Nice cheats dude.'”
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
It was the talk of the last days: Bungie had locked access to the last Forge activity in Destiny 2, Bergusia, behind a complex puzzle. But even after 29 hours of intensive efforts, the puzzle could not be solved, and Bungie opened the Forge for everyone. Right decision, believes our author Robert.
Why was Niobe Labs discussed so controversially? With the Weekly Reset, Bungie handed the Guardians a new puzzle whose solution would unlock the last Forge of the Black Armory, Bergusia.
Unfortunately, this task turned out to be an insurmountable hurdle for all Destiny experts on this planet.
Countless streamers and thousands of viewers, as well as the subreddit of puzzle solvers, were stumped by this task. They made progress, but could not solve the puzzle.
After almost 30 hours, Bungie pulled the plug and announced: We are opening the Forge even without solving the puzzle. This decision sparked both outraged and relieved reactions alike.
While many players believe that Bungie acted “too hastily” here and capitulated to the criticism of the “crybabies”, I keep asking myself how anyone even comes up with the idea of defending this “puzzle”.
Puzzles should be hard, not unsolvable
Why couldn’t the puzzle be solved? To understand this, let’s take a look at the sixth stage of the mission where the Guardians despaired for many hours. The only hint was the word “Brocéliande”.
A simple Google search reveals that this is a forest in Brittany. Here parts of the Arthurian legend are said to have taken place.
However, regarding the puzzle in Destiny 2, there were hundreds of combinations:
Which weapon needs to be shot?
Which symbol needs to be targeted?
On which platform must one take a seat?
The “Armblaster” Jötunn
You guessed it – logic or sensible combination skills won’t get you anywhere here. Specifically, Stage 6 and the (presumably) final Stage 7 turned into a mindless try & error.
Those who followed the streams must have seen how ludicrous the suggestions for solving the puzzle became. Despair spread.
One thing is for sure: If the puzzle is ever solved, it will only be because someone accidentally tried the right combinations. Good puzzle design is different, as Bungie has at least acknowledged by opening the Forge.
That’s why the Niobe Labs are not comparable to other puzzles: In recent days, I have read the hints from many players that there were also great challenges in the past that players had to face.
While this may be true, the puzzles could be solved with good dexterity, combinational and perceptual skills.
The puzzle in the Niobe Labs, on the other hand, is simply incomprehensible.
However, there was an even bigger problem that made it hard for the puzzle solvers.
Why were there no checkpoints in the Niobe Labs? My suspicion is that Bungie wanted to prevent the Guardians from just trying any combinations one after the other until they found the correct solution. In fact, the mission always had to be restarted from step 1. Those who made it to Stage 7 had to input the first six combinations again – each time.
This made a run take easily 15-20 minutes, just to try the “new idea” for the 7th step.
This situation led to
Only little progress being made,
Watching the streamers becoming monotonous and boring, and
The streamers themselves eventually losing the desire to fight through the mission every time
That it can be done differently, Bungie itself has shown. Those who fail at the Escalation Protocol can replay the activity at the second-to-last stage. A start from the very beginning is no longer necessary.
Why did Bungie not provide tips? In fact, a developer stepped in at some point and told the Guardians at least some minor hints on how the sixth stage can be solved.
For the seventh stage, Bungie did not give any tips, probably because any serious hint would immediately solve the puzzle.
Instead, Bungie opened the Forge for everyone but at least kept the puzzle active so that the Guardians could continue to ponder.
Izanagi’s Burden – Sniper Rifle
An experiment went wrong – no more and no less
Why did Bungie even introduce the puzzle? According to their own statement, the developer wanted to try something new, an experiment. Bungie must have learned some lessons from this event:
Puzzles of this kind are generally received positively by the community
The basic design of the task is refreshing (Anyone can participate)
The puzzle itself was far too difficult because it was apparently arbitrary – Here, more fine-tuning will need to be done in the future
A puzzle that excludes content is a questionable design decision. Puzzles and new forges could have run parallel as well
That’s why Bungie reacted correctly: The actual opening of the Bergusia Forge and simultaneously keeping the puzzle was a sensible compromise between frustrated players who wanted to play the new content and the mystery hunters, who anyway gave up except for streamer Gladd.
Bungie also had to intervene in time since the exotic weapon Izanagi’s Burden requires a visit to the broken throne, which is only available once every three weeks. If no one could solve the puzzle by the next Weekly Reset, Guardians would have to wait another three weeks.
Even the puzzle fans must be heard
This action showed: Bungie can not only learn from the “negative” reactions, but also from the positive feedback. After all, there were many Guardians who liked the puzzle.
Here Bungie can see: People definitely want “really challenging” content that is not solved within a few hours.
Many enjoyed that there was something “really hard” in Destiny 2 that players bit their teeth on. Such difficult content that keeps players engaged for days is definitely desired. Only regarding the form should Bungie rethink.
Was it all worth the fuss? The Forge is now open, new content is available, new exotic weapons can be obtained. The design of the puzzle quest may have been questionable, but it was just an experiment – no more and no less.
If Bungie learns from these experiences, the next quests of this kind should be a complete success.
What do you think? What lessons will Bungie have learned from the current controversy?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Players will soon be able to test Anthem in two demos. The reason for this testing phase has been explained by Lead Producer Michael Gamble on Twitter. There is also hope for an in-game hub.
What is it about? Before the release of Anthem on February 22, players will be able to test the shooter in two demos:
A VIP demo with early access, available only for pre-order customers
A demo for all players, including those who did not pre-order
Why are there these demos? Lead Producer Michael Gamble recently explained on Twitter why BioWare opted for a demo. According to the studio, testing Anthem is only fair.
A few people have asked me why we are holding an open demo for Anthem. You have earned your money hard. Games are an investment. Our campaign for the game has always been transparent and we simply think that Anthem is cool to look at, but it is even better to play the game.
A fan replied that it doesn’t take much effort to set up a demo, but Gamble disagreed with that statement. According to Gamble, demos require a lot of additional time and effort, and he would explain his viewpoint when he had the time to do so.
Is a social hub coming? A fan further stated that some players are concerned that the city of Fort Tarsis is just a single-player area. Players are used to hubs through titles like Destiny, The Division, or Warframe and would like to see other players in their games.
Although there wasn’t a satisfying answer to this, Gamble responded that they had heard the fans’ wishes loud and clear.
A new patch has surprisingly gone live for Red Dead Redemption 2: In Red Dead Online there is now the game mode Gun Rush. This is a Last-Man-Standing with 32 players. There are also details about more update content coming in the future.
What’s it about? Rockstar Games has released a new update for Red Dead Online, unlocking the game mode Gun Rush. The developers also give insight into what will happen in Red Dead Online in the coming months.
Gun Rush in Red Dead Online – How does it work?
How the mode works: In Gun Rush, you test your survival skills. You collect weapons and ammunition while the play area continues to shrink.
The developers thank you for the feedback that reached them over the holidays and ask players to continue sending their feedback.
There should be more updates coming soon. The updates will bring new races and showdown modes, new clothing and emotes.
These changes are coming based on player feedback: Rockstar is listening to player criticism and will adjust the following things “soon” in Red Dead Online.
Daily challenges: Every day there are new challenges for players. These include tasks for sharpshooters or challenges where you have to escape the law
Against griefers: There will be changes to the laws and bounties. This is intended to make players less attracted to griefing. Players will soon receive a bounty when they commit crimes. Bounties must then be paid off within a set time. If you wait too long, bounty hunters from all states will appear and pursue the player. This should force rogues to pay off their bounty or flee. Griefers are a problem in Red Dead Online
The Parley system will become more user-friendly so that you can deal with aggressive players more easily
The player icons will soon only be displayed over short distances. This is intended to reduce the chance that other players will choose you as a target from great distances. Griefers, on the other hand, will receive clear markers that can be recognized from greater distances.
This is expected to come later in 2019
The developers are also working on further content to be released this year. This includes
Completely new missions with familiar characters like Horley and Jessica LeClerk. New characters are also included
Dynamic events spread across the game world
Many new competitive modes like showdowns and races
New weapons and clothing
Don’t miss any content: Once the new updates are unlocked, we will report on it. So keep an eye on our Facebook page for Red Dead Redemption 2 to stay updated with the latest information.
Content for Xbox users
For players on Xbox, the Red Fox Arabian, the Alligator Ranch Cutter Saddle, and the Gambler Double-Action Revolver are now available in the beta of Red Dead Online. These contents were initially only available for PS4 players and are now available for Xbox players as well.
Rockstar confirms that Red Dead Online remains in beta:
The Elder Scrolls Online hosted a livestream where players could participate by clicking the mouse. Rewards included early information about the upcoming expansion.
In a livestream, “The Elder Scrolls Online” fans were invited to click the mouse as often as possible to unlock various rewards related to the upcoming DLC. The cat-like Khajiit seem to play a special role in the addon.
Players work together for first info
This happened during the livestream: In the livestream, only a dark board was visible, which had lines embedded in it. From the bottom, the lines were slowly filled with color. The more players clicked their left mouse button, the more the lines turned orange. Overall, it took players nearly 5 hours to complete the board.
These were the rewards:
A special message from Abnur Tharn, a wizard from The Elder Scrolls Online. You can listen to it on Twitter.
A goodie bag that was raffled off to one of the viewers.
A signed copy of the game, which was also raffled off to a viewer.
A “Wrathstone Tablet” that a player received.
Players were given the opportunity to catch a first glimpse of the cover of the upcoming expansion.
Additionally, a very short teaser for the upcoming trailer was shown on Twitter.
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After the trailer, a message appeared, informing fans to look forward to the stream on January 15. More information about the upcoming DLC is to be made public there.
“We waited five hours for this… ?”
Many players are excited: A large part of the Elder Scrolls community liked the teaser. Especially the Khajiit shown in the teaser is well-received by many. In the teaser, he looks surprised at the camera, which some players immediately take as an opportunity to create a meme.
Other players are disappointed: However, another part is disappointed with the material shown. They stared at a more or less unchanged image for several hours, only to have a 7-second trailer run without much announcement.
A player writes: “I feel like I’ve been had. I almost destroyed my mouse.”
In week 6 of Season 7 in Fortnite: Battle Royale, you should search for icy garden gnomes, known as “Frost Gnomes.” You can find out where the Frost Gnomes are located in our guide to the gnomes.
This is the Gnome Challenge from week 6: In week 6 of Season 7 in Fortnite, gnomes must be searched for again. Gnomes have often been the objects of desire in past seasons.
This is what the gnomes look like.
They are hidden in various locations in the game world and this time they can all be found in the southwest. There is the new ice biome and the gnomes are all stuck in the ice, as they were caught off guard by the cold. Overall, you need to collect seven gnomes – who would have thought that?
The locations of the Frost Gnomes
Here is the map of the locations: You can see all the known gnomes in the game here on the map.
Here’s how to find the gnomes: At the following coordinates, you can find and collect the gnomes. Details on where they are can be found by each mentioned location.
C10: On the small island off the coast, a gnome is stuck in the ice. Save him!
E10: There’s also a gnome buried at the coast.
D9: In the north of Happy Hamlet, another gnome is hidden.
C9: In the Yeti cave, a gnome is trapped in ice.
C8: There’s a gnome on the slope of Polar Peak.
D7/8: South of Shifty Shafts, you can find a gnome.
D6: On the hill south of Tilted Towers, there’s a gnome in need.
A6: South of Snobby Shores, there’s a gnome in the ice.
B8: On a hill between Frosty Flights and Polar Peaks, there’s another gnome.
B6: On the hill next to the Viking village, a gnome can be found.
C7: Behind the sunken house south of the ice area, there’s a gnome.
E10: Above the “U” of Lucky Landing on the map, there’s a tree where an icy gnome lies.
As soon as we find more gnomes, we will add them. The gnomes mentioned here are sufficient for the challenge. You only need seven for a success.
These dangers lurk with the gnomes: Since the locations of the Frost Gnomes are also known to your enemies, it could be that opponents are lurking there, wanting to kill you while you search for the gnomes. So be careful while you’re looking for the gnomes.
Here are the remaining tasks and challenges of week 6 in Season 7:
With the upcoming Chapter 2: Lightning Strikes, a popular game mode among fans makes its return in Battlefield 5. What else can fans look forward to in the second chapter of Tides of War?
Many fans are looking forward to: Many were disappointed when the modes for Battlefield 5 were announced. One of the most popular formats of the Battlefield series, the Rush mode, was missing. With the release of the second chapter of Live Service Tides of War on January 17, this mode, along with additional content, will now be introduced.
The exact timing of Rush’s arrival in the game is still unknown. After the end of Chapter 1: Overture, Chapter 2: Lightning Strikes is set to provide new content from January until the end of March 2019.
What makes Rush mode special
How does Rush work? Rush is played with two teams: attackers and defenders. The attackers have a set number of tickets, or lives, that they can use to respawn. The tickets for the defenders, however, are unlimited.
The attackers’ goal is to destroy specific objects using bombs or other explosives like rockets. The defenders must prevent them from doing so. If an attacker successfully plants a bomb on one of the objects, the defender team is alerted. They then have 30 seconds to defuse the bomb.
The maps in Rush are divided into several sectors with bases where the attack objectives are located. The number of sectors and objectives is dependent on the map. Once the attackers have destroyed all objects in a section, their teams receive new tickets, and the combat area shifts to a different sector.
Once all objects have been destroyed or the attacking team has exhausted all their tickets, the match is over.
What made Rush so special? Rush was especially popular in Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and Battlefield 4. Many servers were exclusively reserved for this mode. Players loved the intense, team-oriented battles that this format offered.
The mode required extensive teamwork and coordination from both attackers and defenders. Solo actions rarely led to success, and kills were often secondary. Anyone who appreciated tactical and thoughtful approaches found Rush to be ideal.
What you should know about Rush in Battlefield 5: Rush is set to return as a time-limited mode within Chapter 2 of Tides of War. Whether it will remain in the game afterward is currently unknown.
What fans can look forward to in Chapter 2: Lightning Strikes
In addition to the Rush mode, the upcoming chapter of Tides of War will bring further content to Battlefield 5. Lightning Strikes, as it is called in German, will include the following features:
Squad Conquest: In addition to Rush, this new mode will enrich the playlist of Battlefield 5. However, specific details about this format are not yet known. This mode was already playable on test servers in Battlefield 4, even though it never made it to the live game. It was a compact version of Conquest.
A new Grand Operation: What the new Grand Operation will involve is still unknown. It consists of a large-scale military operation spread over several virtual days and contested in various modes.
Combined Arms: This is the first co-op multiplayer mode for Battlefield 5. In a squad of up to four human teammates, players can engage in a series of combat missions that take place on various maps and include numerous challenges.
Battlefield currency: Although it is not officially part of Chapter 2, it seems that real money currency will also be introduced into the game on January 17. However, EA and DICE assure that this currency can only be used for cosmetic items and that no gameplay advantages can be purchased with it.
Which of these contents may appear on January 17 and which will be gradually released during Chapter 2: Lightning Strikes is still unknown.
A new trailer for The Division 2 has been released. This one focuses on the PC version and showcases which features will be supported.
Division developer Massive seems to place great value on the PC version. The new trailer for the features suggests this. The Division 2 was developed from the ground up for all platforms, and the PC version is supposed to be extensively optimized.
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What can you expect in the PC version? Players can look forward to it.
4K support
HDR support
Variable Refresh Rate
Widescreen and Multiscreen support
No limits on resolution and framerate
Optimized text chat
More options for configuring the HUB
Everyone should be able to play The Division 2: According to developer Massive, The Division 2 has been optimized for a variety of hardware. This allows even players who cannot afford expensive hardware to enjoy the game.
Owners of AMD graphics cards can look forward to special features, as Massive works directly with AMD.
The efforts put into the PC version also seem to be a response to the downgrade discussion surrounding The Division 1.
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, spirits play a significant role. But which spirits are really the best? We present you a selection.
What are spirits? In the latest installment of Super Smash, you have the opportunity to unlock spirits. These spirits can enhance your character with special abilities in battle. The list of spirits is long, and each spirit has different abilities.
In general, spirits are divided into primary spirits and sub spirits. Here, we will only focus on the primary spirits and show you the five favorites of the YouTuber “101leafy”.
These are five of the best primary spirits in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
What are primary spirits? You can equip your character with one primary spirit at a time.
The three categories: There are three different categories of primary spirits. The three categories are, like in rock-paper-scissors, each effective against one another. They are divided into:
Attack
Grab
Defense
In addition to the three types, there are also neutral spirits.
That’s why determining the best spirits is difficult: Determining the best spirits requires a lot of gaming experience, and in the end, it is a matter of interpretation which spirits you do best with. Each spirit has different abilities that can be utilized depending on the player’s character. Some spirits can defend well, cause more damage, or make the fighter more agile.
If you are still looking for the right fighter, we recommend our tier lists for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate:
The YouTuber “101leafy” published his top 5 best spirits. We present his favorites to you and explain why these spirits are so good. It’s purely subjective which spirits are good. The following five spirits should give you a first selection.
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How do I get Bumm Bumm & Pom Pom? You can obtain this spirit relatively early in the “World of Light” mode. You just need to play through a few levels until you encounter Bumm Bumm & Pom Pom. In the Bowser Boss Fight dungeon, you will also find this spirit.
What makes Bumm Bumm & Pom Pom so special? This spirit may not be the strongest, but it is still among the best. Especially its early location makes it special, and it’s advisable to use the spirit right after finding it.
Although Bumm Bumm & Pom Pom is only a 3-star spirit, it is still incredibly strong. Its ability “Hyper Smash Attack” makes the spirit even stronger. With this ability, you can charge your smash attack significantly faster and increase its power. This ability is usually learned very late, but Bumm Bumm & Pom Pom provides you with this attack early in the game.
Rank 4: Link (The Legend of Zelda)
How do I get Link? You obtain Link relatively late from a dungeon. Since he is available so late, Link only ranks 4th.
What makes Link so special? This 4-star spirit has incredibly high values, and especially its defense value of 4707 makes Link important. Its ability boosts all sword attacks.
Additionally, Link has the advantage of being a neutral spirit, meaning it has no weaknesses against other spirits. You can use him whenever you are fighting with a swordsman.
Rank 3: Keldeo
How do I get Keldeo? You can also obtain this spirit early in the game as a 2-star spirit. To get Keldeo, you must challenge Lucario. You should upgrade Keldeo to a 4-star spirit as quickly as possible to unleash its true power.
What makes Keldeo so special? Keldeo is comparable to Bumm Bumm & Pom Pom, but as a shield spirit. Its stats are also significantly better. It has 600 more defense points than Bumm Bumm & Pom Pom.
Keldeo possesses the same ability as Bumm Bumm & Pom Pom, the Hyper Smash Attack. This attack is one of the best abilities in the game, and Keldeo’s stats make it even more remarkable.
Rank 2: Maria Renard (Symphony of the Night)
How do I get Maria Renard? You can upgrade this spirit from the normal Maria Renard spirit. To do this, you need to level the spirit to level 99 by fighting with Maria Renard or training the spirit.
What makes Maria Renard so special? Firstly, Maria Renard has incredible stats, but what is truly special is her ability. Her ability allows the player to perform an additional jump in the air. This gives you an extra jump and helps you escape from tricky situations.
This extra jump is incredibly crucial. This ability enhances almost every character, and Maria Renard’s good stats give this spirit a well-deserved second place.
Rank 1: Akuma
How do I get Akuma? You have the chance to get Akuma relatively early in the “World of Light” mode. However, it will be very challenging to defeat the Street Fighter Akuma, as his stats are incredibly high and the battle is not for beginners.
Another option is Dracula’s castle, after you have completed the “World of Light” mode. There, Akuma can be found in the dungeon segment. He is a mandatory fight that you cannot skip.
What makes Akuma so special? Akuma does not have a special ability, but he impresses with his incredible strength. He has nearly 8000 points and causes tremendous damage.
The attack spirit is especially suitable for 1v1 fights. There, you don’t necessarily need special abilities; it’s all about raw power. With Akuma, you gain that strength and can become a dangerous opponent.
What is your favorite spirit? Let us know in the comments who you prefer to fight with.
Do you need tips to get better? We give you 9 tips to defeat every opponent:
