The egg event in Pokémon GO is running and brings more 5 km and 10 km eggs. Our author Noah says that you should rather hatch the 7 km eggs.
The 7 km eggs in Pokémon GO were the focus of the Christmas event 2018. Since then, there are three new Pokémon that you can only get from these eggs.
The egg event has now started, which provides you with more Stardust and candies from eggs. So you should continue to focus on the 7 km eggs:
The 5 and 10 km eggs are mostly bad
If you look at the list of Pokémon that hatch from the 5 and 10 km eggs, it is disheartening. Hardly any good Pokémon is found in the eggs. Why should one hatch these?
This is in the 5 km eggs: After Niantic removed baby Pokémon like Isso or Elekid from the eggs, these eggs are quite useless. The pool of Pokémon is huge, and the chance of good Pokémon is low. Monsters like Haspiror or Quapsel are extremely annoying when hatching.
Then you should hatch 5 km eggs: If you still need candies for the new starter Pokémon, you can rely on these eggs. Otherwise, there is still a chance of Shinys, like with Tannza or Zwirrlicht.
This is in the 10 km eggs: The pool of Pokémon from the 10 km eggs is also unsatisfying. No Relaxo or Chaneira can be found in the eggs anymore. Even Riolu is no longer in the eggs. Instead, you get endless Knacklion or Voltilamm.
Then you should hatch 10 km eggs: The interesting Pokémon from the 10 km eggs are Larvitar, Sheinux, and Kindwurm. If you still need candies, you can rely on these eggs. Especially Larvitar is a good Pokémon from the egg. The evolution Despotar belongs to the best Pokémon in the game.
The 7 km eggs are still great
As disheartening as the yield from the 5 and 10 km eggs is, the yield from the 7 km eggs is much better. Apart from the Alola Pokémon, the eggs contain almost exclusively good Pokémon.
That’s why these eggs are so good: Even after the Christmas event, the pool of Pokémon from the 7 km eggs remains the same. You still have the chance to get Mampfaxo, Mantirps, and Klingplim. In addition, Riolu is included in these eggs.
A paradise for Shiny hunters: The 7 km eggs are the best way to get a Shiny from an egg. Babies like Magby, Elekid, or Isso can also be hatched in their shiny form and the probability of baby Pokémon is high.
Here’s how you can take advantage of the event: If you hatch the eggs mainly for the Stardust and candies, you can also benefit from the 7 km eggs. Together with a Stardust module, you can get up to 4800 Stardust. Additionally, thanks to the egg event, you can currently get up to 42 candies from the eggs. These numbers are identical to the 5 km eggs.
If you do not yet own all three new Pokémon, Mantirps, Mampfaxo, and Klingplim, and still want a chance at Shinys from the eggs, you should focus on the 7 km eggs.
The first Safari Zone 2019 has been announced for Brazil. But it could also become interesting for us:
In GTA 5 Online there is now the Itali GTO. A true luxury car with a lot of horsepower under the hood. The problem is that it handles modestly.
What’s new? New cars are regularly added to the online mode of GTA 5, which players can then purchase with in-game currency (GTA dollars). The latest car is the Itali GTO, which visually resembles a Ferrari.
The car costs almost 2 million GTA dollars and looks really stylish. However, after the first test drives, players criticize the handling. The Itali GTO bounces too much and is hard to drive.
The Itali GTO in GTA Online and its problems
This is the new car: For 1,950,000 GTA dollars, you can now purchase the Itali GTO in Grand Theft Auto Online. Visually, the speedster is well received. Players praise the attention to detail that went into the design.
This is the problem: As players raced with the Itali GTO through the streets, they noticed the strong performance. But also problems.
At high speeds, the car is hardly under control. Especially on bumpy roads or other uneven surfaces, this becomes noticeable. The car bounces a lot.
In a clip from popular GTA YouTuber Broughy1322, these problems become visible. Broughy is an expert on the cars in GTA Online. He regularly tests them and compares them to determine which are the best cars. He has his problems with the new GTO.
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In various social channels like Reddit and the GTAForums, players are actively discussing the Itali GTO.
What are the problems? Players notice that significantly more finesse is required to steer the Itali GTO than other cars demand. Even slight bumps cause the car to bounce and throw the ride out of control. One might say “Ha! Learn to play!”, but the problem is bigger.
The players’ reactions: In the GTA forums, user Watain writes: “There is no other car that handles as poorly as this one. You can’t drive over the smallest bump, bridge, or anything raised without the rear bouncing uncontrollably. You can still steer somewhat, but that has little to do with ‘driving’.”
He also says that it feels more like trying to tame a wild horse in Red Dead Redemption 2 than driving a car in GTA.
On Reddit, players advise you to avoid touching the suspension when tuning and definitely not to lower the Itali GTO. Also, they should refrain from carbon parts, only slightly modify the transmission, and avoid front and rear bumpers. That would help a bit and improve handling.
These could be the problems
GTA intentionally changes handling: As Kotaku reports, the Itali GTO and other new cars released recently have different “handling flags” than other cars in GTA Online. Handling flags are the code for how vehicles behave, how fast they become, how much they weigh, and other important characteristics of the cars.
This is the reason why the new Itali GTO lifts off so easily and bounces.
Is the problem present in all new cars? Although other new cars are also released with these handling flags, the problem with the Itali GTO is particularly pronounced. This is likely because it is so light.
This is how the car drives without problems: The YouTube channel Serenniel uploaded a video showing how the Itali GTO should ideally drive. The video explains that the handling flag causing the bouncing was removed. Everything else was not changed.
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The video shows that the car can drive over curbs and other bumps without starting to bounce uncontrollably.
Will Rockstar fix this? This is still unclear. It is likely not a bug but a desired behavior of the car. Hence the new handling flags.
It is speculated that the developers want to prevent “curb boosting” with this. An exploit where cars gain a speed boost. To do this, you must drive onto a raised surface like a curb and then back down. This makes the car faster. It is quite possible that the bouncy behavior on bumps is to prevent this exploit.
In the roleplay of GTA Online, the new car could lead to many quirky scenes:
The former Hearthstone head reveals what he is now working on: a Marvel game with substantial funding from NetEase. The team of ex-Blizzard employees is said to have 30 million US dollars available.
At the end of last year, he then founded the small studio “Second Dinner” with several other ex-Blizzard employees.
On Twitter and YouTube, they recently announced that their first project is slowly getting off the ground. They introduced their new office space and explained what they are now working on: a game set in the Marvel universe.
30 million $ budget: Ben Brode and Yong Woo sound quite proud as they explain that they have a total of 30 million dollars provided by NetEase and Marvel.
As a result, they claim to have “free rein” and could hire the best of the best to create a fantastic game.
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Genre still unknown: However, there have been no concrete details about the game yet. Neither the genre nor the exact theme is known, although Second Dinner is already working internally on “some prototypes” that they are having “a lot of fun” with.
However, it will be a mobile game.
Team spreads good cheer: From the small introductory video, it is clear that the small development team is extremely cheerful and visibly satisfied with the funding. They appear very confident and optimistic and seem to be excited about working on a game whose worlds “they all learned to love as children from comics.”
They apparently have not forgotten their roots – in the background, you can see an Arthas statue.
We can only hope that Ben Brode’s team can build on the success of Hearthstone.
What are your expectations for Second Dinner? Do you have high hopes for the ex-employees of Blizzard in their new project? Or do you have doubts that these developers can “function” outside of Blizzard?
Ironically: NetEase makes a lot of money in China with Hearthstone as Blizzard’s partner there:
In Destiny 2, three of the exotic weapons from the Black Armory are still missing. They could be coming to the game in January. Some even hope for a fourth weapon, a “Weapon of Sorrow.”
This was the assumption: With the DLC “Black Armory,” five new exotic weapons should be coming to Destiny 2. However, they were not just simply packaged and ready to launch; no one knew where to find the weapons.
They did not drop randomly, and Xur has nothing to do with them.
In fact, the weapons were and are hidden behind time-locked gates. Bungie is not releasing the “Black Armory” DLC all at once but rather spreading it out over three months in chunks.
These 2 weapons have been found: After a good month, at least two of the weapons have been found:
The exotic Raid Grenade Launcher “Anarchy” – it can be obtained, if lucky, after completing the current raid “Scourge of the Past”.
And the exotic Bow “Le Monarque” – players receive it after completing a powerful weapon form from Ada-1, but it is also only available with a small chance.
The “Armblaster” Jötunn
The following weapons are still missing: In total, three weapons are missing. Bungie has already introduced the missing weapons and described their abilities to whet our appetites.
Izanagi’s Burden is a sniper rifle that compresses the bullets in the magazine into a single super bullet.
Jötunn is a hand cannon that fires a fireball that is supposed to track enemies. The fireball is also said to ignite the ground.
The Last Word, the exotic hand cannon, is suspected to be behind the new exotic quest. It would be a returner from Destiny 1.
Izanagi’s Burden – Sniper Rifle
When and how will the missing weapons arrive?
Izanagi’s Burden could be available as early as January 8. The 4th Forge will open then. Many believe that Izanagi’s Burden is the reward for the exotic quest, which is linked to completing all forges. Because the sniper rifle is also the weapon that Ada presents in the concept art: the mysterious fish weapon.
How to obtain Jötunn is still unclear. It could simply drop randomly at some point because it is behind a time gate.
The Last Word will likely be tied to the exotic quest “The Draw.” This starts on January 29. Whether we will receive the weapon right away is unclear.
However, there are good chances that we can see two or three of these weapons in January 2019. There are even some indicators that a fourth exotic weapon is waiting for players.
Is there a 4th exotic weapon? The YouTuber “Unknown Player” has already engaged intensively with the exotic quest “The Draw.”
With a mix of datamining and studying lore books, he is on the trail of the unreleased secrets.
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He connects the quest “The Draw” with the mythology around the “Weapons of Sorrow.” These are special weapons that have come into contact with the corrupting energy of the Hive.
Others believe that Bungie might still have another surprise planned, approaching it from a different angle.
After all, the “surprise exotic” Whisper of the Wyrm was one of the big highlights in Destiny’s 2018. Forbes believes that Bungie might be planning to create another riddle “out of nowhere,” as it worked so well before.
Weird things are happening in Overwatch. A professional player named “Ellie” was supposed to participate in the 2nd league of Overwatch, but doubts about her identity and “high pressure” made her give up.
That was the announcement: Shortly before Christmas, on December 22, the team Second Wind announced that they had signed a new player, “Ellie”, for the next season of the Overwatch Contenders. This is a kind of 2nd league below the major Overwatch League.
That’s why it was something special: What immediately sparked discussion: Nothing was known about “Ellie”, not even her name. All other players in the Contenders had provided their first and last names.
Moreover, her account level of 146 was relatively low.
Immediately, there was an uproar on social media about the question: “Who is Ellie? (via reddit)” The Overwatch community is known for being a bit dramatic. That’s why it flared up and didn’t cool off.
As no answer was found, speculation arose:
Because her account level was low, many thought it had to be just a “smurf” account from a professional
Then the question arose whether it was really a woman or a male player pretending to be a woman
Others said she must be someone’s girlfriend on the team
or it could be a troll who is laughing at everyone for falling for it
A number of well-known male players were quickly identified by fans, who believed they belonged in the Overwatch League, who were now disguising themselves as “Ellie”.
Many consider Ellie a “fake”
This is how Ellie wanted to prove her identity: As the site Kotaku reports, Ellie then live-streamed Overwatch to show everyone that she really is.
But she was not believed. Players said she was just sitting there and next to her “the real player” was playing.
Ellie then posted a Discord chat showing that the Overwatch player “Haunt” wanted to hack her to find out her identity (via Twitter).
Long, unsavory chat logs are circulating between Ellie and this “Haunt”, who is trying to get information from her, bribing her while simultaneously accusing her of being a fake (via imgur).
It implies that she couldn’t possibly be a “hot chick” who is also that good at Overwatch.
This is how it ended: Ellie retired from Second Wind yesterday. She simply said “sorry”.
Second Wind’s Twitter account said her departure was due to “unpredictable reactions.”
The head of the team, Justin Hughes, speaks of Ellie being under pressure from all sides:
“When we brought her onto the team, people reacted as if we had brought a symbol of emancipation. I understand that people meant well, but on one side we had people doubting her authenticity and threatening her, while on the other side there were people behaving as if she were their Messiah.”
This pressure, combined with the harassment, was too much for Ellie. Apparently, the Overwatch community wanted to see something other than “just a player” in Ellie.
At the moment, the story is going through the press as an example of how male-dominated eSports is and what an outlier it is for a woman to participate. Meanwhile, there are long threads on reddit trying to prove that Ellie was just a gigantic troll attempt by a player named Punisher (via reddit).
Update 5.1.: There are new developments in the “Ellie” case:
A somewhat hidden mount has been found in World of Warcraft. We will tell you how to get the Frightened Kodo.
In Patch 8.1 Tides of Vengeance, not only rare-to-obtain mounts like the Swarm Consciousness are hidden, but also some smaller secrets that are not obvious. One of these is the Frightened Kodo, which players can get on the Darkshore – if they show a lot of luck or endurance.
What is the Frightened Kodo? Players saw the mount in the small in-game cinematic for the Darkshore. The Kodo was used by the Horde to deliver a supply load to the forces. The squad, however, was attacked and killed by Malfurion. Only a troll escaped to deliver a message – and the Kodo, which fled in panic.
How do you get the Frightened Kodo? The Frightened Kodo is a friendly NPC, which is why it is not displayed as a “Rare Mob” on the map. It can appear in 6 different locations on the Darkshore. The following map from mmo-champion shows the exact locations.
When you see the Kodo, you must click on it. The first player to do so will have the Kodo transported into their inventory after a few seconds. All other players will go empty-handed.
How often does the Kodo spawn? The Kodo has no fixed spawn times, but a varying respawn timer. Players report respawn times between 2 and 6 hours. Therefore, those who want to claim this Kodo must have a lot of patience or a good portion of luck. On “busy” servers, the spawns are already regularly camped. However, once the first rush is over, it should be easier.
Additional tips and hints: The Frightened Kodo has quite lenient loot rules, which means:
Characters at level 110 can already loot the Kodo. You can therefore leave a slightly smaller twink on the Darkshore.
It doesn’t matter which faction controls the Darkshore. The Kodo can be looted by both sides.
Will you secure the Kodo? Or will you wait a expansion or two before trying to get the Kodo as a mount?
Players of Pokémon GO will soon receive news from the Hoenn region. In a post, Niantic announces a “migration pattern”.
What’s new: Pokémon GO trainers are puzzling over a mysterious email from Niantic’s newsletter. In it, the game developers announce that a migration pattern may soon affect Pokémon from Generation 3.
Players are now actively discussing what this email could mean.
What Niantic might mean with the email
This is what Niantic wrote: “Trainers, we have news for you! We have heard reports of a migration pattern that may affect Pokémon that were first discovered in the Hoenn region. Perhaps we’ll know more about this later in the month…”
What is a migration pattern? The discussion point is the migration pattern. In English, it is called “migration pattern”. What exactly it means can only be guessed. One thing is for sure: it involves Pokémon from Generation 3.
Are regional Pokémon being swapped? Players are divided about this email. They have different theories. Reddit user “thebiggestleaf” writes: “I guess they will swap regional Pokémon like Volbeat and Illumise or Sengo and Vipitis. I hope it’s something more extensive than that, but I think that’s a start.”
A swap of regional Pokémon seems most likely when speaking of migration. Especially Volbeat and Illumise sound plausible, as they have never been swapped before.
Is there a return of legendary Pokémon? Other players see in this email the announcement for the Weather Trio, which is supposed to return in raids. “castiel0504” writes on Reddit: “Give us back the Weather Trio!”
The return of Kyogre, Rayquaza, and Groudon also sounds logical. Niantic might release the three legendaries in different regions of the world and rotate them. This has been handled similarly with the legendary dogs.
When will we know more? It remains exciting in Pokémon GO, and we can look forward to news from the Hoenn region later this month. Possibly, when the Egg Event ends and Heatran disappears from raids. This happens on January 15.
Update: Meanwhile, there is also a German post in the newsletter. This speaks of a migration pattern that impacts the appearance of Pokémon. Whether this was simply poorly translated, or what this message means, is unclear.
Stay up to date: So you don’t miss any news about Pokémon GO, follow our Facebook page and join our Pokémon group.
In Pokémon GO, there are now new raid bosses. Here’s how you can counter the bosses:
The personnel changes at Blizzard don’t stop. Now the finance director is also leaving for a completely different company.
As previously suspected, there are several changes at Blizzard at the turn of the year and some positions are being filled anew. Especially in the executive ranks, it seems that people are being actively exchanged or voluntarily taking on new jobs.
Who is leaving? The affected CFO (Chief Financial Officer) Amrita Ahuja. She has now left Blizzard to work for Square (not Square Enix), a provider of mobile payment processing. In the past, she had worked for other large companies, including Walt Disney, Morgan Stanley, and Fox Networks.
Whether the almost simultaneous change of the CFOs of Blizzard and Activision is just a coincidence or part of the apparently new corporate policy is not so easy to determine.
What do you think about these changes at Blizzard? Is it just a breath of fresh air, or is it normal for a few people to be replaced? Or are you more pessimistic and think that “the rats are leaving the sinking ship”? Let us know in the comments!
Even the well-known WoW YouTuber Bellular advises against buying the current shop bundle. He has strong words regarding Blizzard’s approach.
In recent weeks, the negative news surrounding Blizzard hasn’t stopped. After 100 employees in support were encouraged to leave, there was significant criticism regarding a supposedly great offer in the store of World of Warcraft. The “farewell package” received a lot of criticism.
Even YouTuber Bellular recommends that all players do not purchase the package. But why?
Who is Bellular? The YouTube channel Bellular Gaming is known mainly for its analyses or interesting theories about World of Warcraft. He often spins exciting theories regarding the lore of WoW or points out interesting mechanics or issues within the game.
Reasons against the farewell package: The farewell package includes many mounts, pets, and cosmetic helmets. These will be removed from the shop on January 7. However, Bellular lists several reasons why this offer is brazen and shouldn’t be accepted:
There is no reason for the removal: The mounts take up “no space” in the WoW shop, and Blizzard incurs no costs to continue offering them. Removing them artificially is just harassment for customers.
The announcement that the items “could return” is the plan to guarantee this in the future.
The “finance people” would be validated and gain more power within Blizzard.
You can watch the whole video from him here:
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The amount of manipulation makes the difference: For Bellular, it is clear that essentially every sale is a kind of manipulation. However, it depends on the amount and type of manipulation. Here, a clear line has been crossed.
To rely on a FOMO strategy (“Fear of Missing Out”) would be brazen and blunt, especially in an in-game shop and especially with the note that the purchased items might return someday.
This leads Bellular to the conclusion:
“Please do not support this. If we reward these tactics by agreeing to them, we are only encouraging Blizzard to continue doing so. And in a world where the finance department has more and more say at Blizzard, we shouldn’t give these people even more ammunition.”
What do you think about the farewell package? Are you buying it because it is simply a good deal and you want the mounts, helmets, and pets? Or are you consciously not buying it to make a statement?
He adds that this would be great for big streamers like Ninja or Tyler1. But for many others, it’s very bad.
Other users note that TwitchTV has been announcing this feature for a long time. “I’m pretty sure they have been using SureStream advertisements for quite some time… And they are already bypassable,” writes user Ashes2049.
In fact, TwitchTV announced in a blog post at the end of 2016 that SureStream ads would be rolled out and are already available on some streams.
Is the SureStream feature new now?
On the website Twitchadvertising.tv, the SureStream feature is labeled as “new.” This is the website that the streamer Mylixia refers to in the above-embedded clip.
This is what people are speculating now: It is possible that further work was done on the feature. It is suspected that the feature was only active in a few countries so far and is now becoming relevant for a larger audience. Thus, ads on Twitch.TV could soon really no longer be blocked. However, when this will happen remains unclear.
In any case, it seems that for some, it is a horror scenario to have to see ads.
This advertisement was not well received by streamer DrDisrespect at all:
In any case, it seems that for some, it is a horror scenario to have to see ads.
This advertisement was not well received by streamer DrDisrespect at all:
He adds that this would be great for big streamers like Ninja or Tyler1. But for many others, it’s very bad.
Other users note that TwitchTV has been announcing this feature for a long time. “I’m pretty sure they have been using SureStream advertisements for quite some time… And they are already bypassable,” writes user Ashes2049.
In fact, TwitchTV announced in a blog post at the end of 2016 that SureStream ads would be rolled out and are already available on some streams.
Is the SureStream feature new now?
On the website Twitchadvertising.tv, the SureStream feature is labeled as “new.” This is the website that the streamer Mylixia refers to in the above-embedded clip.
This is what people are speculating now: It is possible that further work was done on the feature. It is suspected that the feature was only active in a few countries so far and is now becoming relevant for a larger audience. Thus, ads on Twitch.TV could soon really no longer be blocked. However, when this will happen remains unclear.
In any case, it seems that for some, it is a horror scenario to have to see ads.
This advertisement was not well received by streamer DrDisrespect at all:
The viewing of ads could soon no longer be circumvented on Twitch by ad blockers like uBlock. At least that’s what one streamer says. He believes that the planned technology “SureStream” could soon become active and Twitch will be just overflowing with ads.
What’s new? In a stream, Mylixia talks about a feature of the streaming site TwitchTV. According to this, it should soon no longer be possible for users to bypass advertisements. Because the ads would be injected directly into the stream through the feature.
In the gaming community, this causes a lot of excitement.
Blocking ads on Twitch – Not possible soon? Here’s what gamers say about it
This is what happened: A clip of the streamer Mylixia went viral in the gaming community at the end of 2018. In it, he showcases the feature “SureStream” on the TwitchTV website. It is a new kind of advertising in live streams.
Mylixia explains: “They inject the ads directly into the stream. They do not use an overlay, you cannot block it with ad blockers.” This was the case for a large part of the ads so far. They were broadcasted as an overlay and could easily be blocked by browser extensions. The viewer does not see any ads, although they are actually running.
With SureStream, blocking ads should no longer be possible. “… and they are now offering this to advertisers. Mh hm. This is the future, Twitch,” Mylixia continues.
Mylixia envisions a horror scenario where Twitch has more ads than regular television. And users could do nothing, absolutely nothing against this “money of the big corporations.”
Why is an anti-adblocker so important from Twitch’s perspective? Ads finance Twitch and also the streamers. As an addition, streamers offer a paid subscription (starting at $5). For many streamers, the subscription means that subscribers no longer have to see ads.
An ad blocker makes this subscription less attractive because regular users also do not see ads.
Therefore, it is important for streamers and Twitch to protect themselves against ad blocks. Another way to support streamers is the cheering function.
What does the community say about it?
This is how users discuss: In the subreddit “Livestreamfail“, the clip is hotly debated.
User Leov 2 writes: “I have already noticed many ads that were not blocked. I don’t mind being forced to watch ads on streams. But in my opinion, this really kills the discovery and search for other or smaller streamers. If I watch and open a few streams and each of them immediately shows an ad (thanks to Twitch, not the streamer), I will most likely close the stream immediately and move on.”
In any case, it seems that for some, it is a horror scenario to have to see ads.
This advertisement was not well received by streamer DrDisrespect at all:
In any case, it seems that for some, it is a horror scenario to have to see ads.
This advertisement was not well received by streamer DrDisrespect at all:
He adds that this would be great for big streamers like Ninja or Tyler1. But for many others, it’s very bad.
Other users note that TwitchTV has been announcing this feature for a long time. “I’m pretty sure they have been using SureStream advertisements for quite some time… And they are already bypassable,” writes user Ashes2049.
In fact, TwitchTV announced in a blog post at the end of 2016 that SureStream ads would be rolled out and are already available on some streams.
Is the SureStream feature new now?
On the website Twitchadvertising.tv, the SureStream feature is labeled as “new.” This is the website that the streamer Mylixia refers to in the above-embedded clip.
This is what people are speculating now: It is possible that further work was done on the feature. It is suspected that the feature was only active in a few countries so far and is now becoming relevant for a larger audience. Thus, ads on Twitch.TV could soon really no longer be blocked. However, when this will happen remains unclear.
In any case, it seems that for some, it is a horror scenario to have to see ads.
This advertisement was not well received by streamer DrDisrespect at all:
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Fortnite has hidden a star for you in week 5 of season 7 again. The loading screen gives the crucial hint for the secret star. Where you can find it, we will show you here.
What’s it about? The new tasks from week 5 of season 7 are now activated in Fortnite: Battle Royale. A secret star has also found its way into the game with these challenges. It is secret because it is only hinted at in a loading screen, and you have to find it. We are here to help you with the search.
The requirement: You can’t just go search for the star directly and loot it. To find it, you must first complete all the tasks from week 5 and the previous weeks. Otherwise, you won’t find a star at the location.
What can you see in the picture? In the foreground, a small tea round is taking place, where hot liquid is being poured into the snowman with the kettle. The hint, however, is located above the kettle in the background of the picture. Above the wooden hut, you can see the upper part of the star. You can find the star in the Yeti’s cave, where the tea round is held.
Where you should search: You can find the Yeti cave in the ice area of Fortnite. It has many entrances. The easiest way is to fly through the hole in the snow. That way, you land directly on the wooden hut that can be seen in the picture. You can find the hole in the ice on the map at coordinates B9.
Video description: If you are still unsure where exactly the star is hidden, then follow the video guide that we will embed here for you. Finding it shouldn’t be a problem.
The classic game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive had one of the strongest months in its history in December 2018. This is probably due to the switch to a Free2Play model.
After CS:GO took the step to become a Free2Play game, the developers faced massive criticism. The negative reviews on Steam skyrocketed and the player base was disappointed.
However, looking at the player numbers in December 2018, one can see that Counter-Strike made a huge leap upwards. It has been a long time since so many players have played the classic game.
This is what the player numbers of CS:GO say
This many players are playing CS:GO: In December, an average of nearly 400,000 players played Counter-Strike, peaking at even 746,000 players simultaneously. In the previous month, November, an average of 310,000 players played CS:GO simultaneously. December is therefore a particularly strong month for Counter-Strike.
Counter-Strike thus had the fifth strongest month ever in December 2018, almost reaching the highest point of all time. This was over 850,000 players simultaneously in April 2016.
Where do these high numbers come from? At the beginning of December, the developer of the game, Valve, announced that the base game would now be offered for free on Steam. In addition to this change, a completely new battle royale mode was also introduced.
Now that the game is free, player numbers are increasing. Anyone who wanted to try the game but didn’t want to spend money can now do so for free.
This is what the community says: The numbers on Steam do not indicate whether the game was only played because it is free. At the beginning of the transition, however, there was a shitstorm and many negative reviews. CS:GO was accused of “going with the flow” and “abandoning its values.”
However, looking at the Steam reviews now shows a clear upward trend. The player base is starting to like the game again.
According to some players, this is not just due to the switch to Free2Play. The new battle royale mode and the still good gameplay of Counter-Strike are also well received.
What do these numbers mean for the future? It remains to be seen whether the players will continue to stay in the coming months. If that is the case, then it was the right step for the developers of CS:GO to make their game free. The numerous positive reviews that have been given on Steam in recent weeks can give the developers hope.
The developers now have the task of building on these numbers. They must prove that it is not only the switch to free that is responsible for these numbers.
We have summarized some comments on Steam that show the positive side of the game:
At the beginning of a new year, many analysts share their forecasts for the gaming market. Analyst Michael Pachter now believes: Overwatch and the blackout mode of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will be free in 2019. Therefore, Pachter believes in the free-to-play transition.
This is the context: In an interview with gamesindustry.biz, several specialists shared their assessments of the development of the gaming market in 2019.
For fans of Activision and Blizzard, it is particularly interesting that Michael Pachter’s forecast is: Overwatch and the battle royale mode Blackout will be free-to-play, that is, free, in 2019.
This is what Pachter says about the topic
This is why Overwatch will be free: Overwatch will enter the second season of the Overwatch League in 2019. In this league, there are now 18 investors involved, who participate with their own teams in the eSports event.
To make the investment of the team owners worthwhile, Activision Blizzard, according to Pachter, will ensure that more Overwatch fans are created. This will be achieved most easily and quickly by making Overwatch free.
If the base game becomes free-to-play, “millions of new users” will be attracted, who may also become viewers of the Overwatch League. Pachter expects that the free-to-play transition will happen by mid-June, around the third anniversary in May.
Players who already own Overwatch will likely receive compensation in the form of skins or similar.
This is why Blackout will be free: Blackout is the battle royale mode of the new Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. This mode is supposed to be available for free to better market the upcoming Call of Duty.
Pachter does not provide a more detailed explanation. He merely adds that Blackout will likely be free one month before the release of the new Call of Duty.
Pachter only talks about the Blackout mode. He does not mention whether the base game Black Ops 4 will also be free.
Who is Michael Pachter? Pachter is an analyst for video games, social media, digital media, and electronics at the investment and financial firm Wedbush Securities. He is known for providing analyses of the video game market.
However, he often clashes with others and makes quite bold statements that generate controversy.
However, Pachter’s predictions for 2018 were largely correct. For example, he predicted that Call of Duty would have a battle royale mode. And he predicted that there would be neither new hardware from Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo nor an announcement of a new title from Rockstar in 2018.
However, Pachter was wrong about a new Elder Scrolls game for 2018, and there was also no significant price drop for the Xbox One X to $349.
The new game from Ubisoft, The Division 2, has received a Mature rating from the ESRB, meaning it’s suitable for players aged 17 and older. The report contains some information about what to expect in The Division 2. We hear about the drug “Spice” for the first time.
This is the ESRB’s rating: As with The Division 1, ESRB recommends that only adult players aged 17 and older should play “Tom Clancy’s The Division 2”.
The ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) is responsible for the age assessment of video games in the USA.
It states: In The Division, there is blood, drugs are depicted. In addition, the game shows intense violence and contains strong language.
This is what the ESRB says exactly: The Division 2 is a tactical third-person shooter where players assume the role of an elite government agent fighting against hostile groups in a fictionalized Washington, DC.
Gunfights include realistic shootouts, screams of pain, and blood splatter.
People are shot in the head at close range, and a bound person is beaten multiple times with a hammer (most of this happens off-screen).
A fictional drug called Spice is present in the game, along with references to other drugs: bags of Spice, a drug lab, and ingredients needed to produce drugs are shown. The word “drug lab” is smeared on a wall.
The words “Fuck, Shit, and Asshole” are heard in dialogues.
Is this a surprise? No, this is not a surprise. The Division 2 takes place in the world of Tom Clancy. He has written hard political and military thrillers like “The Hunt for Red October” or “The Raid.”
The survival MMO Atlas is receiving heavy criticism, yet many players still invest hundreds of hours into it. The survival expert Sascha took a look at the new game from the creators of ARK. After 13 hours, he understood what is so appealing about Atlas.
Atlas is a new pirate survival MMO from Grapeshot Games, a subsidiary of Wildcard. Therefore, Atlas is the latest title from the creators of ARK Survival Evolved. The game made headlines right after its release for many negative reasons.
There were multiple delays for the early access launch, complaints about poor performance, and numerous bugs. On Steam, only 30% of 16,426 players rated Atlas positively. (As of January 3, 2019, 3:00 PM)
According to Steam Charts, however, there are on average over 39,000 players. So, Atlas must be doing something right. To find out, I had to see the game for myself, so I set sail.
A wrong decision can ruin everything
The first decision in Atlas is crucial and can massively impact your gaming experience.
The server choice: By this I mean not the choice between PVP or PVE, but the right choice of spawn. Each spawn server accommodates up to 150 players and they are dispersed throughout the game world. Especially at the start, you should choose a server that includes “Freeport” in its name. These are the safe islands with ports where no PVP is allowed. Perfect to learn the basics of the game.
I chose a Freeport with as few players as possible. That’s not so easy, as most are already full and only a few have spots left. After character creation, I spawned directly in the harbor. <<You are cold>> was the message thrown at me immediately. No wonder, my pirate is completely naked except for a linen pair of pants.
The first steps
Similarities to ARK are notable: While I am virtually overwhelmed by all the hints and tips, I remember ARK. The menu navigation and the first scenes of Atlas look very similar to ARK. Why would the controls be different?
So I run off blindly, diligently collecting the first resources like stones, fibers, and wood and try to craft my first tools. My countless hours in ARK are paying off here, even though I gave up on the dino title a long time ago due to its sci-fi setting.
Fast, frustrating death: But there is a problem. The biting cold. Even by the comforting campfire, my pirate freezes to death and it quickly happens that I die. After respawning, I lost all my items, but at least not my learned skills. After dying multiple times without making significant progress, I recognized my mistake. I spawned too far north.
Several fires were needed to keep me warm.
The first hours were pure waste of time and nearly brought me to my knees. I blame no one for not wanting to touch Atlas again after that.
But I wanted to give Atlas another chance. I found a new Freeport where I could spawn. The golden mean had just a few spots free, and when I arrived there, it was neither too warm nor too cold for my character. Perfect to start properly now.
Without motivation, grinding is hell
Everything for the great sea voyage: In Atlas, gathering resources and leveling up the character is a lengthy process. Anyone who has played on the official ARK servers will be familiar with this.
The grind for materials and experience points can quickly become frustrating. However, with the right motivation, I did find it quite enjoyable.
And I’m not alone in this. Most players I encountered were all busy gathering resources as if there was no tomorrow. Hours of chopping wood, mowing thousands of bushes, and smashing hundreds of stones, but for what?
To get off this one island and sail the sea with their own raft. Because what is a pirate without a ship?
A sea voyage, that is fun and really cool
The feeling on the raft or a larger ship is fantastic. I can literally feel the danger that comes from the deep and rough sea. I sailed my little raft out to the open sea. Always following the wind, in search of treasure. I found the necessary treasure map earlier in a bottle on the beach.
Excitement on the open sea: Whether it’s large sharks or ghost ships on the horizon, the feeling that my raft could be destroyed at any moment gave me an adrenaline rush.
I haven’t had this much fun in a long time. Also, the dives to catch fish with the spear were exciting. But I already loved that in other survival games like Raft or Stranded Deep. The danger of the open sea stirs a certain fear in me, making it even more thrilling.
A ghost ship in the distance … better not sail towards it!
Navigation using the compass needs to be learned. Because without a destination, one can quickly get lost.
Fast death due to open PVP: Heading to the next island is not a bad plan. But outside the Freeport, it is PVP territory on a PVP server, and the players on the next island were not very friendly.
A whole stretch of beach filled with shipyards, large galleons, and higher-level players is a sight to behold. But after the first encounter, I was immediately shot down and my raft sunk.
After 13 hours, Atlas showed me that it is more than just an “ARK re-skin”, as it is often referred to.
Reason 1: The naval gameplay. The shipbuilding and mechanics set the title apart despite its similarities in the menu navigation and grind gameplay from ARK. They provide me with lasting enjoyment.
I was initially skeptical about whether I would even enjoy the title, as I already dislike ARK. However, since it is the sci-fi setting that bores me in the dino game, I decided to give Atlas a chance and was not disappointed.
Reason 2: The pirate setting. I enjoy building my own raft and later a full ship. The idea of sailing the terrifying sea with my friends, encountering dangers, and finding treasures fascinates me and drives me to keep playing.
If you enjoyed gathering resources, building bases, and taming animals in ARK, you will also find enjoyment in Atlas. At least if you can do without the dinos.
You should stay away from Atlas if … you as a fan of the pirate setting expect to jump into action quickly, as you see in the trailers. Then prepare for a harsh disappointment.
You need to invest many hours into the game to achieve even a fraction of something. I’ve heard of groups needing over 40 hours to build a large ship.
However, private servers with adjusted settings can already help with this.
I’m looking forward to many more hours on the open sea. The performance has steadily improved in recent days, and Grapeshot Games is diligently working on further patches.
I’m excited to see what the future holds for ATLAS and will definitely keep an eye on the title.
What do you think, why is Atlas played by so many?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Heroes of the Storm has introduced its latest hero. The angel Imperius likes to engage in close combat and relentlessly pursues enemies.
Players of Heroes of the Storm have wanted this hero from the Diablo universe for several years. Now Imperius has finally arrived on the PTR and is available for all who want to take a look at the angel. Blizzard has released its “Hero Spotlight” video as well.
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In Heroes of the Storm, Imperius is a “bruiser”, a sturdy melee fighter who can also dish out solid damage (comparable to Sonya). Let’s take a look at his abilities:
Imperius’ passive ability is Stigma of the Archangel. When Imperius hits enemy heroes with one of his basic abilities, he gains a Stigma (maximum stacks: 3). Imperius’ next automatic attack consumes all stacks and deals increased damage per stack.
With Celestial Charge, Imperius charges forward after a short wind-up time and impales all struck enemies. These are briefly stunned. The ability can also be used to leap over obstacles, such as terrain.
Solarion’s Fire shoots a burning wave straight ahead. All struck enemies take damage. Enemies hit directly in the center of the flame take additional damage and are slowed for a few seconds.
Imperius’ third ability is Molten Armor. This creates an aura around Imperius that deals persistent damage to enemies in the vicinity. The damage alternates between all available targets and heals Imperius for the damage dealt.
His first heroic ability is Angel’s Blade. For a few seconds, Imperius gains a strong shield that protects him from damage. If the shield is not depleted, Imperius can reuse the ability to fire several blades at a target and deal damage.
His second heroic ability is Wrath of the Angiris Council. Imperius charges at an enemy after a short delay and then disappears with them into the sky. Imperius can then select a landing location, where he lands with the enemy hero and deals damage.
Are you excited for Imperius, the new warrior in the ranks of Heroes of the Storm?
Overall, opinions about Heroes of the Storm are currently mixed. For many, the game is already “dead”,because Blizzard has pulled some developers off. What has led to the failure of Heroes of the Storm has been revealed in this article:
2018 has brought flops for some games and game developers. Valve was also affected. Artifact, the Dota card game, was supposed to be the next big hit. However, the numbers look anything but rosy.
What happened? On November 28, 2018, Artifact was released on Steam. The pay-to-play card game has since almost continuously lost players. At the beginning of 2019, the game is not even in the top 70 of the most played games on Steam anymore. (Currently ranked 76, as of January 3, 2018, 3:25 PM, via Steam)
Artifact is steadily losing players
What is the reason?On Reddit, the topic of Artifact and the declining player numbers has been widely discussed. The community finds numerous reasons why Artifact apparently failed.
One of the most frequently mentioned reasons is the poor marketing, monetization, and competition. Artifact was barely advertised in advance and rarely appeared in the press. There was little information to excite players. Only a few controversies caused a stir.
In addition, Artifact is pay-to-play. It costs nearly €18 and also requires purchases of booster packs and tickets if one does not want to win right away. The system of purchasable cards via the Steam Marketplace sounded interesting to many but turned out to be rather unpopular. Especially after the most popular card cost more than the game itself.
The purchase price itself also disappointed many players. Competitors like Hearthstone or Magic: The Gathering Arena are free to play and provide insight without having to pay. Players can only get an idea of Artifact if they pay.
This is how the trend looks: Artifact started in November 2018 with over 60,000 simultaneous players. However, this is also the peak it has ever reached. Since then, Artifact has lost about 90% of its players.
Until December 21, the player numbers steadily declined. On that day, a new patch was released that introduced a kind of ranking system. Such a feature was frequently requested, but it simply came too late for many players.
The patch briefly raised the numbers again, but since then they have also steadily declined. In the past 30 days, Artifact has averaged 8,653 players.
Whether Artifact will recover remains to be seen. With Valve, a huge corporation stands behind the game, which can afford streamers or highly rewarded tournaments if necessary, so at least possibilities are open for Artifact. Whether the interest still exists remains to be seen.
On Thursdays, the Weekend League Rewards are available in FIFA 19. However, this week the players were surprised: The game shocked everyone with tiny coin amounts as rewards – only afterwards were the real rewards given out. The FIFA community takes it with humor.
This is what happened: As every Thursday, FIFA players who participated in the Weekend League wanted to claim their well-deserved rewards. Normally, depending on the rank, players receive various packs, FUT Champions Points, and at least 1000 coins.
But this Thursday, a nasty surprise awaited: Instead of the usual rewards, the screen displayed tiny coin amounts as rewards.
For example, user “ShapeShifter400” was delighted to receive a whole 9 coins as a reward:
This is how the community reacted: On Twitter and Reddit, many users posted their rewards – and reacted humorously: “Man, you were lucky. I only got seven,” a player commented on ShapeShifter400’s post.
Another feels disadvantaged: “I’m tired of grinding all weekend to finish as high as possible and then seeing a Silver 1 loser get 12 coins. I bet there were enough Top 100 players who didn’t get even 10.”
Others didn’t even participate in the Weekend League but still received an incredible amount of 1 to 12 coins credited. They are now happy about the unexpected windfall: “Great, now I just need 2,388,989 coins,” comments one who seems to be already eyeing the transfer market.
Looking ahead to the upcoming TOTY event, some announce their next commitment: “I have 11 coins! Just a few million more for TOTY Messi.”
Thanks to the free coins, only about 2.5 million away: Lionel Messi in the Inform variant
Real rewards came shortly after
That’s why fans took it with humor: The fact that players took the tiny rewards lightly is because the correct rewards were credited just seconds later. The initial shock was followed by relief – and fun regarding the strange EA error with the rewards.
As usual, there were also Player Picks, this time featuring players from the TOTW 16 – such as Rashford or Milinkovic-Savic.
Of course, as every week, there were disappointed gamers who didn’t pull the hoped-for players from the packs. But at least they could enjoy the free coins. Like the player “PS4_Gerdinho90,” who can now even forgive the past mistakes of the game with a wink: “Guys, we were finally compensated!”
In week 5 of season 7 in Fortnite: Battle Royale, the task is: Search between a giant stone man, a crowned tomato, and a circled tree. We will show you the location where you should search.
What is it about? In Fortnite, you need to search at a specific location to find a treasure. This location is vaguely outlined by the game and directs you to a spot on the map. On our map, we show you where to find the searched location.
Where to search between stone man, tomato, and tree?
In the seventh season, Fortnite is again starting the “search between” challenges. If you find the searched location, there is an upgrade in the battle pass.
Where should you search? Fortnite specifies three locations in the challenge. Players should search exactly between them. In week 5, that is a giant stone man, a crowned tomato, and a circled tree. These locations are all near Tomato Temple. So look in the east.
Requirement: To complete the task, you must have the paid version of the battle pass.
The searched location: In the east of the map, at grid coordinate G4, you will find Tomato Temple. Northeast of it, around H4, stands the giant stone man. Southeast of Tomato Temple, at the border of G4 and H4, is the circled tree.
So, approximately in the middle of that should be the searched spot. That would be on the map the position directly in the last E of Tomato Temple. For that, we will embed a screenshot with the searched location in the article here.
Video guide: To ensure you find the searched spot in Fortnite, we will show you a YouTube video here where the player loots the searched treasure.
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On Twitter, Pokémon GO announced the first Safari Zone of 2019. This will take place later this month, in January 2019, in Brazil.
What is the Safari Zone? Since 2017, Pokémon GO has regularly held Safari Zones. Special Pokémon appear at a specific location, which can only be caught there for a limited time.
The highlight of each Safari Zone is a regional Pokémon that trainers can catch on-site.
For 2019, Niantic announced a Safari Zone in Porto Alegre, a city in Brazil. This confirms that Safari Zones will continue in 2019. Possibly also in Germany, just like 2018 in Dortmund.
This is what the Safari Zone in Brazil brings
If you’re still looking for a vacation destination for the end of January, you might consider Brazil. The bonuses that the Safari Zone brings are very good.
When does the Safari Zone start? Starting this month, from January 25, the Safari Zone Porto Alegre will begin. Numerous event Pokémon will spawn along the banks of the Guaíba River. The Safari Zone will run all weekend until January 27.
Which Pokémon can be caught? According to the image released by Niantic, the Safari Zone revolves around the following Pokémon:
Relicanth (regional Pokémon from Oceania)
Kindwurm
Plinfa
Chelast
Panflam
Enton
Safari Zone with possible Shiny: If Niantic stays true to form, there should also be a new Shiny for this Safari Zone. Players believe it will be Enton.
That’s why the Safari Zone is also interesting for German players
Whether Niantic will handle the Safari Zone in Brazil the same way is unknown. However, the player base is sure that a new Shiny is on the horizon.
That’s why these Shinys are special: Besides Pinsir, for example, Wingull or Roselia were also released in the same way. These then spawned for a while with an increased probability in the wild. The Shiny rate for these Pokémon was also increased, which is why many players could catch one of the Shinys.
One can now hope that the Safari Zone in Brazil will run similarly to the last Safari Zones, because then trainers from Germany can also benefit from the event.
A new event awaits players. Eggs in Pokémon Go now yield more candies and Stardust:
