A passionate player created a graphic for the Blackout mode of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 to help you find the right assault rifle more easily.
In Blackout, the in-house battle royale mode of Black Ops 4, there are numerous weapons to take down enemies. Assault rifles are one of the most important and common weapon types. But how do the individual assault rifles perform? A new graphic illustrates the performance differences.
Performance of All Assault Rifles in Blackout – Graphical Overview
What does the graphic show? At what distances are assault rifles effective in Blackout? What damage do the individual weapons cause? And when does damage fall off? All of these are important questions that can be decisive for the individual weapon choice.
These questions have been answered by the Black Ops 4 fan and Redditor SonnyBeVapin in a custom graphic he presented on Reddit. A high-resolution version of a complete overview can be found here: Black Ops 4 Blackout Assault Rifle Graphic
The graphic utilizes a section from the Blackout world and illustrates how the individual assault rifles perform as distance increases through numerous reference points.
ICR-7
Maddox RFB
VAPR-XKG
SWAT RFT
KN-57
Rampart 17
Only the performance of the bare weapon is measured – without attachments and against targets without armor.
Specifically, it shows how much damage each weapon deals (red = maximum damage), when exactly the damage drop-off begins, and how the damage effectively reduces (the following values and colors).
What makes this graphic so special? The special thing is that players do not just see numbers that many cannot assign, but also helpful visual cues. This makes it much easier to understand a weapon’s performance and choose the best fitting one for their playstyle.
How to use the graphic properly: Keep in mind that the graphic is only meant as a guide for individual weapon choice. Do you prefer to fight at long or close range? Is the weapon you are using not designed for the distance?
The graphic shows the effective combat distances and when the weapon starts to do less damage. It does not take into account the fire rate, accuracy, or time to kill of the respective weapons.
For instance, the Rampart has a slightly higher distance at which it deals maximum damage than the Maddox. However, there are other factors to consider beyond just this distance. The Maddox has a much higher fire rate, almost equal to that of an SMG. On the other hand, the Rampart has one of the lowest fire rates of all assault rifles but deals significantly more damage at the same distance than the Maddox.
The graphic thus helps you weigh how the weapon functions and whether it suits your playstyle. Because fighting at long range with the Maddox is not particularly sensible, while the Rampart still deals more damage at the longest range despite damage drop-off than many of the assault rifles at optimal combat range.
Will there be more such graphics? As SonnyBeVapin explained on Reddit, more factors are to be considered in future versions – including damage with various attachments (suppressors, long barrels), damage against body armor, or the time to kill.
Such graphics for the other weapon types are also planned.
Is Cristiano Ronaldo the best player in FIFA 19? Not only the base values of the CR7 card say yes: No other player hits the net as consistently as Ronaldo.
This is what the goal statistics say: On the FIFA site futbin you can access the “Players Game Performance”. This statistic collects all kinds of data. For example, the total number of matches in which the football stars have been used by FIFA players, along with cards, assists, and of course goals.
The best striker in the game: Patrick Hoban?!
This player has the best goal ratio: Looking at the goal ratios, which is the average number of goals per game, a rather unknown name stands at the top: Patrick Hoban from Dundalk FC. The striker rated 76 in the first Irish league scores an average of 2.6 times per game – so is he the best attacker in the game?
This is why Hoban is not the most successful striker in FIFA 19: No, Patrick Hoban is not the best striker in the game. Because Hoban has only been used 1,467 times – this number is statistically negligible. Regularly used players tend to have several million uses. Most strikers who score more than one goal have not even been used 1000 times – only two strikers fall out of this statistic.
Ronaldo, the goal machine
This is the most successful striker in FIFA 19: The first of the two top strikers in FIFA 19 is the 94-rated Icon version of Ronaldo – the Brazilian Ronaldo. However, the striker has only been used 118,276 times in total. A number that is also small compared to the millions of uses of other players.
Often seen: Ronaldo celebrating a goal
Cristiano Ronaldo, in his base form, was used 2,696,025 times – scoring an average of 1.019 goals per game. No wonder that one starts to tremble immediately when the opponent has CR7 on their team: The Juventus Turin forward is hard to defend.
These are Ronaldo’s values
Ronaldo, the top player: This card should now be well-known to every FIFA player: The base card of Ronaldo excels in all areas (except perhaps in defense). It is no coincidence that Ronaldo was early on the number one in the Top 100 FIFA players.
The striker is dangerous in every situation: With Ronaldo, you can counter quickly, he wins most aerial duels, has perfect long shots in his repertoire, and is also a good choice for free kicks.
The fact that this Ronaldo card has the highest rating to date may be due to the fact that the Inform versions are significantly more expensive and thus less common. The base form is currently around 2,430,000 coins, while the Champions League card costs around 3 million. Such cards require an extremely high number of coins – with league SBCs you can at least save part of it.
How the other players perform
Who could pose a threat to Ronaldo? Are there any players currently who could match Ronaldo’s goal ratio? It doesn’t look like it at the moment. Gabriel Jesus, with currently just under 12,000,000 uses, is the attacker with the most matches, but has only a goal ratio of 0.56. The same applies to Kylian Mbappé, the fastest player in the game: 11.3 million uses, 0.55 goals per game.
This is Messi’s score: The eternal rival of Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, currently stands at about 3.6 million uses – so a good million more than Ronaldo, which may also be due to the price: Messi currently costs only one million. On average, Messi scores 0.74 goals. It is unlikely that this will suddenly increase. However, it is quite possible that Ronaldo’s score will worsen with more games.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
This amount of stardust in Pokémon GO is unbelievable! Brandon Tan, the player with the most XP, has now also collected an enormous amount of stardust.
What happened? The Pokémon GO player Brandon Tan from Singapore has finally reached his stardust goal after months of catching Pokémon. He has now cracked the unbelievable amount of 100 million stardust.
No player has possessed this much stardust at once before. At least not with photographic evidence. We will show you his journey to this point and reveal what he can now do with all that stardust.
100 million stardust after 2 years
Who is Brandon Tan? Brandon Tan is the player who has the most experience points in Pokémon GO. He has already earned over 700 million XP, which is by far the most. Some time ago, he made headlines after being banned for a month:
How long did he save up for the stardust? On Twitter, Brandon Tan mentioned that he has saved for over two years to finally possess this enormous amount of stardust.
For each Pokémon caught, you get 100 stardust without any bonuses. Based on this, Tan must have caught 1 million Pokémon.
How did Brandon Tan achieve this? Tan continuously walks around with a stardust bonus. This multiplies the stardust by 1.5. He also takes advantage of stardust events and plays there all day.
What can you do with the stardust now? On Twitter, Brandon Tan announced that he wants to invest his stardust now. Nevertheless, he wants to remain frugal and only level up Pokémon that are truly worth it.
If we assume that he levels up Pokémon that are at level 20, then he will need about 250,000 stardust. If he wants to use up all of his stardust, he could max out 400 Pokémon.
Whatever he wants to do with his stardust, he certainly won’t get bored with it.
Note: Before Brandon Tan reached this stardust milestone, the player “yama1989DD” had collected 100 million stardust. He was actually a few days faster than Brandon Tan.
There are role players in GTA Online as well – even with voice chat. But the character “Johnny Laser” is the funniest thing roaming Los Santos, according to Cortyn.
If you know my articles and me a little, you know that I have quite a thing for role-playing. Whether it’s Star Wars: The Old Republic, World of Warcraft, Guild Wars 2, or the departed WildStar.
Without role-playing, I get bored after a few months – and yet no RP session was as funny as what happens on an RP server in GTA.
Laser-Tazer is the hero the world needed
I didn’t realize for a long time that there is actually role-playing in GTA that is played over voice chat.
My absolute hero of the last few months is the character “Johnny Laser”, a somewhat confused villain trying to establish himself in Los Santos and find his place among all the gangs that are already established.
By the way, he also considers himself the superhero “Laser-Tazer”, who got his superpowers when the police took him down with a taser. What his superpowers are? He doesn’t know that yet. But they are certainly super.
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The great thing is that he shares these RP encounters repeatedly in montages on YouTube. Those who watch the individual videos keep recognizing recurring characters like the genius policeman Krüger, who has had it with Johnny from the very first day and likes to keep him in custody a little longer:
As punishment, Johnny is often just taken out to a mountain outside the city and has to make the long journey back on foot.
Or Johnny ends up in prison, where players really have to serve a sentence (usually only a few minutes to hours) and chat with the other inmates.
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Yes, the humor is sometimes crude, occasionally childish, now and then below the belt, and you can’t really take Johnny Laser as Laser-Tazer seriously – and you shouldn’t either.
The player behind it deserves my full respect for how seriously he can stay in this role and how articulate he is. The cool lines he comes up with sometimes in seconds are hard to find even in common comedy formats.
I have included a few of his outings in this article. Immerse yourself in it and give “Laser-Tazer” a chance to entertain you. I’m sure it’s worth it.
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The YouTuber Aster is a little hero for me, who sweetens my day every time a new video from him comes out. There’s a little Laser Taser in all of us, isn’t there?
With version 0.11 came a major update for the online shooter Escape from Tarkov. However, the open beta is still not in sight.
Fans of the hardcore online shooter can look forward to many new contents including more quests and a dangerous boss enemy. A trailer gives you an insight into the new features.
What does update 0.11 bring? The big update 0.11 brings a whole range of new features and adjustments, including:
The underground laboratory complex “TerraGroup Labs” as a new map
What about the open beta? The new update 0.11 is still for the currently ongoing closed beta of the game. The announcement text for the patch makes no mention of the open beta.
It seems this is still a long way off, even though it should have started back in 2018.
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What’s next for Escape from Tarkov? The developers give a small outlook on the future of the game. A lot is planned for 2019:
Offraid healing
A system for customizing character clothing
VOIP
Further developments of weapons and character
New skills
A system for creating and publishing weapon presets
Optimization of graphics and net code components
Bug fixes and issues
The hideout
New maps, weapons, and items
Improvement of interaction with equipment and weapons
An upgrade to a new version of the game engine
Update of graphics
Much praise for the trailer and the plans
This is how players find the new update: In the official forum, players are excited about the announced features and are already looking forward to being able to play the new version of Escape from Tarkov.
The trailer receives a lot of praise on YouTube. It has already garnered 185,000 views and over 8,500 upvotes. In the comments, everyone agrees: The team can make trailers.
When will version 0.11 be released? The update was deployed on December 26.
In Destiny 2, the first Iron Banner of Season 5 is in full swing. We explain why participating at the end of the year could be worthwhile for you.
Since the weekly reset on December 25, the last Iron Banner of the year 2018 has been running. Guardians can still compete under the watchful eye of Lord Saladin in the limited-time PvP event until January 1 and grab fresh loot.
But what does participating bring? We show you 4 reasons why this Iron Banner could be worthwhile.
1. Use the Iron Banner to level up
With the start of Season 5, the level cap has been raised for all owners of the Forsaken expansion. Currently, many Guardians are still working their way up to the new max power level of 650. For them, the Iron Banner offers an additional opportunity this week to push their Guardian’s level towards the cap.
Lord Saladin offers 7 weekly bounties, all of which yield powerful rewards.
If your Guardian hasn’t reached full power yet, you can still make a solid push towards max level along with the usual sources with some time and effort.
This way, you can prepare your Guardian for the new Raid Scourge of the Past if their power level is still below 640.
If you are still in the leveling process, be sure to take this opportunity.
Additionally, for those who like the new look of the armors and want to find good perk combinations, participating in the ongoing Iron Banner can be worthwhile.
3. Iron Banner weapons from Year 1 – but with random rolls
As part of the Iron Banner, you can currently earn weapons from the last season. For example, the rocket launcher Bear Roar is available for direct purchase.
In addition to the weapons from Season 4, which will be available in Season 5 unlike the armors, two returning weapons from Year 1 can now be earned:
However, these come with random rolls and can also be equipped with Year 2 mods. Crimil’s Dagger can be purchased from Lord Saladin with fixed perks and also drops randomly. The submachine gun is only available as a random drop.
The SMG has very decent base stats for its archetype and some interesting rolls are possible. However, this weapon type is currently not a top choice.
The hand cannon has average stats and is outperformed by its direct Year 2 competition Duke Mk. 44 in almost all categories.
However, Crimil’s Dagger can now roll with perks such as Enhanced or Stable Rounds, Lawless Killclip Combo, Mess Seeker, or Zen Moment, which significantly improve the weapon compared to Year 1 and still performs quite well.
However, both weapons are not must-haves; they are rather average with chances for some good rolls. So, if you’re only playing the Iron Banner for the “new” weapons, the ongoing event is not mandatory. However, if you’re still chasing some good weapons from Season 4, you may have the opportunity to boost your arsenal.
4. Big bonuses during the Iron Banner
To celebrate the end of the year in style, Bungie has also introduced significant bonuses alongside the Iron Banner. There are
from December 25 to December 28, 2x Valor Points
from December 28 to January 1, 3x Valor Points
All those who, for example, are working to earn the pulse rifle “Redrix’s Claymore” in the Crucible and have to reset their valor rank multiple times within a season can greatly benefit from these bonuses. This is an opportunity that should not be missed.
Mercy is a character in Overwatch who has been reworked more than any other hero. Many players find her too boring since the last nerfs. A movement called #ReworkMercy aims to make her exciting again.
Who is #ReworkMercy? The #ReworkMercy movement is an association of players initiated by YouTuber Aria Rose, aiming to improve the hero Mercy. Fans are collecting suggestions and criticisms and actively discussing which changes could make Mercy a better hero.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QViVB72FhDk
#ReworkMercy, a slightly different movement
According to the movement, Mercy feels less exciting to play after her reworks and nerfs than before. Many fans complain that they no longer have an impact on the game.
What is the criticism?
One of the biggest criticisms is that Mercy, as a support, has lost her usefulness. Since her last nerf, Mercy heals less, which used to be her unique selling point. She has always been the support who could heal best and most effectively – at the cost of other abilities.
In this area, she is now at least outperformed by Moira and Ana, both of whom provide equally strong healing while also supporting the team with damage and other useful abilities.
A player has elaborated on his suggestions and criticism to the US site Kotaku. Mercy is no longer influential enough for Overwatch and is not fun anymore:
I think that although her kit is fine, Mercy’s ultimate and abilities need improvement. Specifically, her ultimate Valkyrie. I agree that she is balanced, but the ultimate no longer excites me like the mass-res. Right now, nothing about her says, “Hey, play Mercy over hero X.”
It is acknowledged that Mercy is still played in higher ranks. However, it is about allowing the much larger part of casual players to enjoy the game as well, not just the “1%”.
What is the goal?
#ReworkMercy aims to remain constructive at all times. Fans are trying to get attention through videos and posts on forums or Reddit. They collect criticism and publish it, discuss suggestions, and engage in conversations about possible changes.
They are trying to find out why Mercy feels so boring from their perspective. This insight should then be spread so that it also reaches Blizzard and prompts changes.
After other movements like #DeleteBrig emerged, which achieve their goal through unfriendliness, #ReworkMercy wants to prove sustainable constructiveness. Aria Rose states:
Do I believe one can get attention faster with a toxic hashtag? Yes. But that’s not the point. I want to take this toxic movement and make something good out of it. I want it to be the counterpoint to the #DeleteBrig movement. I want to see ideas.
Many players have followed the call since then. New videos and contributions in forums addressing the topic keep appearing. Several possible changes have come up repeatedly:
Mercy should regain her old ultimate, Resurrection.
Mercy should receive a new ultimate with a completely new mechanic.
Mercy is actually in a good position and only needs buffs.
Mercy should gain abilities that compensate for the lack of healing and make her playstyle more active.
One of the possible new ultimates is that Mercy slams her staff into the ground. Around her, a kind of refuge appears, where allies are healed and resurrected. Other users suggest improving healing abilities or possible “overhealing”.
In a Google Doc, Aria Rose even collected and made all previous suggestions accessible. More than 100 suggestions have been submitted.
What the opposing voices say
There are also several critics of the movement who oppose another rework of the heroine. One user in the official forums writes on the subject:
I wouldn’t call it a “movement”. It’s the desperate attempt by e-girls to make their favorite hero overpowered again. She won’t get a rework. Stop hoping. Just play someone else.
Somewhat less derogatory and more constructively, some players at higher skill ratings argue that Mercy still has her place. As part of the “Pharmercy” comp, that is, Pharah and Mercy, she is still popular and strong.
For this statement, he was harshly criticized by other YouTubers who are part of the movement. However, Stylosa also brought his own suggestions for improving Mercy, which primarily focused on making her less dependent on her “Resurrection” mechanic and integrating her more actively into gameplay.
The offer boxes in Pokémon GO should provide players with many benefits. We show you what the player community desires the most.
What are offer boxes? Regularly, Pokémon GO offers offer boxes in the in-game shop. There you can purchase the boxes for coins. The boxes contain incubators, lucky eggs, or other items.
A survey on Reddit now shows what wishes the players have for these boxes. Which items should be included, and which items should definitely not?
This is what the perfect offer box should look like
What kind of survey is this? The survey could be filled out by any player on Reddit. It asked which items are desired and which items should not be included in an offer box. This way, the most popular shop items were determined.
Nearly 3,800 players participated in the survey. Multiple items could be selected as response options.
This is what players want:
83.3% want incubators
68.4% want raid passes
33.1% want star pieces
14.7% want lucky eggs
9.5% want incense
6.4% want lure modules
Incubators are the most popular. Especially right now, where you can hatch three new baby Pokémon, the incubators are in demand. They belong in an offer box for the majority of players.
At least more than half of the players want raid passes in the box. With them, you can complete more than just one raid per day and challenge the current legendary raid boss Heatran, for example.
This is what players do not want:
59.9% do not want lure modules
49.1% do not want incense
44.1% do not want lucky eggs
12.5% do not want star pieces
9.2% do not want raid passes
1% do not want incubators
Lure modules are the least popular. For most players, they are not useful.
Incense is also unpopular. Especially in large cities, there are enough Pokémon spawning, making incense not very useful there. Many players have reached level 40 and no longer need any more experience points, which is why lucky eggs also score poorly here.
Specialized box or balanced box? Over 70% of the community prefer an offer box that is specialized on one item. For example, if you need to hatch eggs during an event, then a box containing many incubators is desired.
Only 30% of players want a balanced box. They want a little bit of everything and not many identical items.
In Red Dead Online you can quickly improve the bond with your horse with an easy method. We will show you how it works.
What is it about? The bond with a horse in Red Dead Online is important so that you can call it from great distances and the animal won’t run away from you in heated situations. Players have now found a way to easily increase this bond and reach the maximum level within an hour.
Lead your horse to quickly increase the bond
A Reddit user tried out a method to increase the bond with his horse. On Reddit, he posted as Captain_Jalapeno how he casually increased the bond with his chestnut Arabian from level 1 to level 4.
What method was used? Instead of feeding the horse, petting it, or performing other actions that strengthen the bond, the user took the reins and led his horse.
In this method, Captain_Jalapeno also published a screenshot showing the distance covered.
Source: Reddit
This route fills the horse bond: The player writes that he took the horse from the stables in Valentine, then led it along the main road, then followed the train tracks south to the station. After that, he went up north. Along this route, Captain_Jalapeno led his horse, which had the maximum bond with him upon reaching the green line. However, you can also use any other route.
How long does this method take? For this player, it took 24 in-game hours to reach the maximum bond. That corresponds to about one “real” hour.
Reddit user pieceofchess asked if all horses require the same amount of experience points to strengthen the bond. To this, user michael4540 replied: “No. The higher the quality, the longer it takes.”
Are there problems with this method? Some players notice that the bond with their horse in Red Dead Online resets. However, that is just a display error. User dikdiklikesick writes that you can simply send your horse away and bring it back after 30 seconds to display the correct bond.
Will you use this method to improve the bond with horses in the future, or is it too boring for you?
Everyone is talking about Fortnite: Battle Royale and you want to try it out too? Find out in our beginner’s guide with tips and tricks in English how not to end up as cannon fodder!
Fortnite’s battle royale mode (PC / Mac, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android) is now considered one of the largest games in the world. Despite its simple gameplay, Fortnite’s battle royale mode allows for many tactical tricks that we will introduce in this article.
Download Fortnite: Battle Royale
How do I get Fortnite? The mode is completely free, just download the game from the respective store (PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One) or directly via the Epic Launcher (the game is not available on Steam) on your PC or Mac.
This is the goal of Fortnite: Battle Royale: Once you are in the game, you can get started right away. Matchmaking for 100 players is quick due to the massive player base, and lobbies are found quickly.
In addition to the solo mode for one player, you can also join the battle in duo mode with another player or directly participate as a 4-man squad.
Your goal is to survive the individual rounds as long as possible to emerge victorious from the matches.
You are new to Fortnite and just learned the controls? The following beginner tips will make it easier for you to get started. The second part deals with tips and tricks for advanced players who want to increase their chances of winning or win rate.
Don’t make a sound!
Fortnite has no radar. You are completely dependent on your hearing. However, this also applies to your opponents. Therefore, keep your noise level to a minimum.
If an opponent hears you, they have an advantage in battle – even if you are armed to the teeth.
Try to sprint as little as possible – walking or crouching produces significantly less noise.
Always pay attention to your surroundings before building or gathering resources with your pickaxe.
Note: Other players can also hear you when you switch weapons.
Use headphones!
To increase your chances of emerging victorious from a fight, you should definitely play with headphones. Any second earlier that you can hear your enemy is a huge advantage.
Speakers or televisions are not well suited for this purpose. Those who own a decent headset can hear sounds much better and locate them much more precisely with surround sound.
Why should one always be alert? Stay vigilant all the time! Don’t rest anywhere, an opponent could surprise you at any moment and invite you to a romantic dinner with their shotgun.
Found a point from which you can oversee a lot of ground to shoot opposing players? Always remember that you are not the only one who came up with this glorious idea. If you’re unlucky, you will already be expected there.
Why should you always keep an eye on the map? You should regularly call up the map to get an overview of the safe zone, which is displayed as a circle on the map.
If you are outside this ring after time runs out, you will continuously take damage from a storm.
This mechanic forces players to keep moving. The portion of the map that is safe from the storm gets consistently smaller and forces players into duels to inevitably end the rounds.
Align all your strategies according to the location of the safe zone. Luck and misfortune go hand in hand here. Is the eye of the storm far away? Then move immediately! It is not uncommon for other players to cross your path as you flee forward.
Can’t defeat enemies without risking being caught by the storm? Ignore them and run past at a safe distance. Don’t get involved in a protracted fight. You gain nothing from a victory if the storm eventually catches up with you and finishes you off.
Use shield potions immediately!
If you stumble across one of the coveted blue potions, consume it immediately! Because the potions grant you a shield of 50 points – and this lasts for the entire match. However, since the potions only provide a bonus to your shield, you are not safe from some types of damage:
Fall damage will always directly affect your life,
The storm also chips away directly at your life bar.
You can consume up to two of these potions to receive a shield bonus of 100 points.
Only attack with a realistic chance of victory!
Why should you think carefully about every fight? Unlike most multiplayer games, Fortnite’s battle royale mode is primarily about survival, not about killing opponents.
Always remember: You can kill 98 enemies and still lose the round.
So focus primarily on surviving! Anyone who rushes into enemy players like a bull in a china shop will make noise. This clamor can attract other players who may bring you back to the lobby unceremoniously.
Despite everything, Fortnite also rewards risky play: A successfully defeated opponent leaves all items from their inventory, which can give you an advantage in the final round. If you want to know which weapons you should pick up from fallen opponents, read our guide to the best weapons in Fortnite: Battle Royale!
Don’t rush to collect loot from fallen enemies!
Here’s why you shouldn’t be greedy for loot: You defeated an opponent and there was a true loot explosion? Suppress the impulse to immediately go there and inspect the loot. Gunfights make noise and can attract nearby players.
It is unlikely that your little tête-à-tête went unnoticed. Any player looking at the loot of fallen opponents is vulnerable at this moment. Your attention is compromised, and you present an easily overcome target.
Therefore, after every fight, wait to see if other players are attracted. This gives you the opportunity to take out greedy players who want to make off with your loot.
Every cover is destroyable – have a plan B!
Pretty much everything in Fortnite can be destroyed. Be it with the pickaxe or sheer firepower. Always keep this in mind when looking for a safe spot.
Scan your surroundings for easy escape routes and escape options if you are surprised by an opponent who targets your cover.
If you find a rocket launcher or grenade launcher, you can also turn the tables. Because these weapons are ideal for drawing opponents out of their hiding places and smoking out enemy structures.
Use the building function!
Why should you build in Fortnite? You have the opportunity to build walls and stairs to protect yourself from enemy fire. You should always do this as soon as someone shoots at you.
Building is the A and O of Fortnite and the unique selling point in the battle royale genre. Mastering the building mode gives you a huge advantage. If you want to get familiar with the nuances of building mode, you can check out our extensive building guide with plenty of tips and tricks.
This is what you can do with resources: Additionally, you should keep an eye on stocking up your resources during the game. There are three of them: Wood, Stone, and Metal. While metal is more robust than wood, the cheapest resource provides the best initial protection after placement. In the event of enemy fire, you should always use wood as cover.
If you find traps, take them with you! In the endgame, these can save your butt in your own structures.
Fortnite: Battle Royale Tips for Advanced Players
You mastered the basics and know how the building mode works? If you often reach the endgame but feel overwhelmed there, you can rest assured. We have some more interesting information that will help you finally achieve the coveted epic victory!
This is how you win with the building mode even in ambushes!
You’re running late and want to get into the eye of the storm in time? Particularly under haste and stress, it can happen that one becomes careless and only focuses on the target (the safe area).
You will not infrequently be flanked or pursued by opponents. To avoid being shot and taken down, you should immediately start building cover when under fire. Switch to building mode and build up to four walls around you with a 360-degree turn.
However, completely digging in only makes sense if you can’t locate the shots. If you know exactly from which direction the fire is coming, a placed wall is enough. This opens up retreat options for you.
If you are fired upon but not hit, you will learn where the bullets are coming from (the corresponding wall piece will be hit). However, this is only the first step to victory.
Because within your four walls, you can’t see your opponent and therefore can’t attack them. Therefore, immediately build a staircase in the direction from which the fire is coming. This way, you can overlook the area and scout your enemy.
Ideally, you now have a height advantage over your opponent, which significantly increases your chances of winning. If the opponent stays in place – shoot them with your assault rifle.
If the opponent is quick and tries to reach your shelter with an equally placed staircase, run towards them and give them a shot with your shotgun.
If you have mastered the building process under enemy fire, you will immensely increase your chances of emerging victorious from a fight. Once the walls and stairs are finished, shelters made of metal and stone provide much more protection than those made of wood.
Learn to coordinate between building mode and inventory!
Why is the switch between building mode and weapons so important? Fights in Fortnite: Battle Royale are hectic. The coordination between building mode and weapon inventory can often be overwhelming. You often want to build a wall under fire but haven’t selected the appropriate resource for which the units are available.
Switching to the weapon menu can also lead to equipping the wrong weapon or even a healing item, leaving you defenseless for a brief moment.
To keep track in the chaos, internalize the following points:
Remember the order of your weapon inventory. If you want to build cover or ambush the enemy with a well-placed staircase, select the weapon you want to attack with beforehand. A later weapon switch costs time.
Before you set off, equip the building resource with which you can build cover in case of attack. This saves time and frustration.
Sort your weapon inventory so that you can easily switch between two weapons. Those who keep bandages and shield potions alongside shotguns and assault rifles will struggle to use the weapons appropriately in a pinch.
The right coordination between building and shooting, as well as switching between building elements and weapons, represents one of the main disciplines in Fortnite: Battle Royale. Only those who always keep an overview of their entire inventory and resources will gain the decisive advantage in battle.
Weapons win battles, buildings win games
In the endgame, self-built fortresses are a surefire way to victory if done skillfully. After the available map area has shrunk for the second or third time, you should start building structures at the edge of the safe zone.
You should place these so that you can build stairs in two directions. The number of floors you need depends on how high your starting point is. In general, your building should always be as high as possible.
Now patrol within your fortress to
Spot and eliminate running enemies
Kill attacking opponents before they reach your fortress
Locate opposing structures
Many players hesitate to build a structure because they feel exposed (after all, the enemy then knows where you are). However, it is rare for other players to attack enemy structures (because they have rocket launchers or grenades). In general, your elevated position gives you an advantage.
Enemies shooting rockets at your shelter can be a nuisance. However, remember that the rockets can’t harm you as long as there is a wall between you and the rocket.
In doubt, you can leave your shelter from a hidden spot, surprising the opponent (who continues to rain rockets down on your shelter). This can be done by placing a door on the side away from the enemy.
You can also install a launch pad from your shelter, which can quickly bring you to safety or behind enemies – a great tool for surprise attacks, as the following video shows:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmM8Es0Hiy0
What do you think of Fortnite’s battle royale mode? Do you have more tips? Let us know in the comments!
Note: The article was originally published in January 2018; we have updated it for Christmas.
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This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
If you believe the reddit about Fallout 76, the game was under many people’s Christmas tree this year. Two little brothers made their older brother very happy with a special Christmas gift.
This is what happened: The reddit user chinablu13 posted a story about his Christmas gifts. He received Fallout 76 for his Xbox One, while his two little brothers got it for their PlayStation 4.
He writes that he lives on the other side of the country and therefore rarely gets to see his family throughout the year. His two little brothers pooled their allowance and gifted him a PS4 version of Fallout 76. This way, they can at least play together.
Fallout 76 and the sweetest Christmas gift
Why the second version? Fallout 76 is available for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. However, there is no possibility of crossplay between the versions, meaning players cannot play together across different platforms.
Therefore, it was necessary for the family to have two PS4 versions so that they could play together. Fallout 76 allows players to explore the world of Appalachia in a group with friends or family.
As a result, players can share the experience of the wasteland and help each other out when they are in a bind. Many players report having much more fun playing together. The pleasant side effect: In a group, you can earn more experience points.
This is how the community reacts: Although some trolls and naysayers in the comments of the thread tried to undermine the game and the situation, most members enjoy the story.
Comments included: “Stop, I have to cry.” Other players shared similar stories about finding new and best friends through Fallout 76. The friendly and helpful Fallout 76 community is often praised.
The new multiplayer game Atlas is receiving a lot of negative feedback. Even big Twitch streamers like Lirik and Summit1G, who were actually looking forward to the MMO, are now disappointed.
What is going on? There is a lot of commotion around the new pirate game from the Ark developer Wildcard and its subsidiary studio Grapeshot.
After the game was delayed several times right before the release, Atlas finally entered its “Early Access” phase on December 24. And immediately, it got negative reviews on Steam.
The game is said to be a reskin of Ark, and the trailers promised too much to the players. Although the ratings on Steam are dominated by poor reviews, the sales figures of the game are still quite high.
“I was lured in by the cool trailer”
What are streamers saying about the game? The two streamers Lirik and Summit1G were eagerly anticipating the release of Atlas on their Twitch channels, only to end up experiencing disappointment. Especially Summit1G was really frustrated:
You would think they could have toned down the collecting and survival aspect just a little bit. […] Make it a bit more pirate-like, just a tiny bit. But it’s Ark, just with water between the islands.
Summit1G also believes that “Early Access” is not a good excuse for an unfinished product. “If they just wanted to test it, they should have offered a free-to-play weekend instead of charging $25 from people…” he said on Twitter.
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Lirik takes the disappointment with bitter humor and mocks the developers’ false promise that individual servers should be able to accommodate up to 40,000 players: “It was probably a misunderstanding. The developers joked that they would have 40,000 players, and the guy who made the trailer put it directly into the video.”
Additionally, both streamers retweeted a popular meme about Atlas on their Twitter accounts:
“Atlas shows how hungry players are for a functioning, large PvP/PvE multiplayer game for PC, despite the prevailing battle royale madness,” Lirik said about the initially high interest in Atlas on Twitter.
Due to the state of the game, gamers are demanding their money back:
In Destiny 2, many Guardians are wondering if they should struggle through Gambit for the top weapon “Halsbruch?” Is the auto rifle worth the hassle? Here’s what experts say about the weapon.
This is what Halsbruch can do: Halsbruch is a precise auto rifle and the new top weapon in the Gambit of Season 5 of Destiny 2. When players obtain the weapon, the auto rifle already comes with the maximum upgrade level of 10 as a masterwork weapon.
The two main perks:
Rampage – Kills with this weapon temporarily increase damage. Stackable 3 times
Onslaught – The fire rate of this weapon increases by stacking Rampage.
What do you need to do to get Halsbruch?
You get the quest for the weapon from the Nomad in the Tower.
You must achieve 500 auto rifle kills
Achieve 100 auto rifle multikills
Defeat 150 challenging enemies
And complete 40 Gambit matches – this is certainly the biggest time investment. Expect around 13 hours of playtime.
Then you will receive a masterwork version of “Halsbruch” from the Nomad.
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This is the idea behind the weapon: Halsbruch has been designed by Bungie for Gambit. In this mode, Guardians often need to take down larger groups of smaller enemies and also face “harder targets” that absorb more damage.
Since Halsbruch deals more damage after kills and kills also speed up the weapon, Halsbruch is a DPS monster in Destiny 2 when you have taken down 3 enemies with it.
Is Halsbruch worth the stress?
This is what Datto says about Halsbruch: The YouTuber Datto has spent a lot of time with the weapon. He believes that “Halsbruch” is indeed worth the stress.
According to Datto, Halsbruch is practically a “God Roll” auto rifle and is suitable for many encounters in the “Last Wish” raid or in PvE.
He sees weaknesses mainly in the fact that the weapon is an auto rifle and therefore doesn’t perform well at long range.
The weapon particularly shines in Gambit mode. So if you manage to grind through 40 Gambit matches, you should get Halsbruch.
You shouldn’t expect wonders in PvP with Halsbruch. For the weapon to unleash its full potential, it’s important to complete the 3 kills for “Rampage.”
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Nexxoss also highlights the specialty of the weapon:
The weapon is ideal for killing smaller enemies, or even a mini-boss if smaller enemies are flitting about nearby.
However, the weapon is only limitedly suitable for boss enemies.
In PvP, Nexxoss finds it hard to stay on target with the weapon. He can only recommend it with reservations.
While the weapon tends to run out of ammo because so many bullets fly, it is a lot of fun in PvE and proves to be a beast when there are enough small enemies to stack “Rampage.”
Nexxoss describes the weapon in PvE as a “gem” and sees himself in a deep love affair with Halsbruch. For Nexxoss, it’s a clear “must-have” in PvE.
Bungie seems to have succeeded in Season 5 in creating top weapons that are optimal for the activity you need to farm to obtain them.
In FIFA 19 the TOTW 15 (Team of the Week 15) is being released today in Ultimate Team. You can find out which players get new Team of the Week cards in the overview.
The release time for TOTW 15: The fifteenth Team of the Week will be available on December 26 at 7 PM in FUT. Then the special cards of the TOTW players will be in packs starting at 7 PM.
The players in Team of the Week 15: Here you can see all the new Inform cards:
Overview of Team of the Week 15 – All Cards
Starting XI:
Substitutes:
How and when do you get TOTW players in packs?
How to get TOTW players: You can obtain the TOTW cards from packs that may contain rare (Gold) players,
However, the chance of this is considered low; you need a lot of luck.
Additionally, it is possible to buy the TOTW cards on the transfer market when they are available. However, the prices are usually extremely high, especially for the top players.
When can you get the new TOTW players? The TOTW players are available in sets for one week – from Wednesday 7 PM to the following Wednesday 7 PM. You can acquire the TOTW 15 from December 26 at 7 PM until January 2 at 7 PM in packs.
Trading and investments with TOTW cards: If you are willing to take some risk, you can earn many coins with TOTW cards and the associated predictions. However, you must be aware that these predictions never match the “real” TOTW 100%. Therefore, there is no guarantee that you will be successful with these investments.
At Fortnite today, on December 26th, Day 8 of the Christmas event “14 Days” begins. The task is to use all possible weapons. You need to deal damage with 8 different weapons.
These are the 14 days of Fortnite: For two weeks over Christmas, Epic has come up with something special: The event “14 Days of Fortnite” with changing modes.
A new special challenge comes to Fortnite every day at 3 PM, which immediately promises a reward when completed.
The challenges can be completed in any order.
Use all possible weapons in Fortnite and start shooting
This is the challenge today on Day 8: Today, the challenge is “Deal damage to opponents with different weapons.” You need to do this a total of 8 times.
According to initial reports, it is indeed sufficient to use “different weapons”; it is not necessary to use 8 different weapon types in Fortnite. You can, for example, deal damage with two different types of assault rifles and already have a progress of 2 out of 8.
This is what you get as a reward: It was already predicted, and the dataminers were right. As a reward, you get the dance “Take the Elf.” This is the famous “Take the L” dance, but a bit more Christmas-themed.
The character then holds a mistletoe above his head, inviting to be kissed.
Help, there is a problem: Currently, the emote “Take the Elf” disappears after players complete the challenge. Epic is already aware of this and tweeted: Players will receive the emote at the beginning of 2019 after completing the challenge.
Frozen Queen and Snowman in the Fortnite shop today
This is what’s in the shop today: The new skin “Sparkle” was already released yesterday. It closely resembles Queen Elsa from Disney’s film “Frozen.” Sparkle costs 2000 V-Bucks and is still in the shop today.
They have already brought “ice skins”, so this is probably the real “Frozen skin” from Epic.
Winter is here and it’s getting cold outside. A good time to cozy up with an important person in front of the warm heater and play some games. But even for fans of the icy coolness, this list has a game to offer.
In this article, you can expect games that are great to enjoy together or should be enjoyed together. From MMORPGs to battle royales to a heated cooking game, there’s a lot to choose from.
Keep in mind that this is a personal list. Games that I enjoy playing with my girlfriend or have played together.
Guild Wars 2 – Experience Adventures from Home
What is Guild Wars 2?Guild Wars 2 is an MMORPG that has captivated players around the world since 2012. As the successor to the beloved Guild Wars, it attempts to continue the story.
In Guild Wars 2, you create your own avatar with whom you experience adventures. You can choose between one of five races and one of 8 classes. If you own one of the two paid expansions, Heart of Thorns or Path of Fire, you can also play the ninth class, the Revenant.
During character creation, you not only choose your name and appearance but also create your personal story, which you play until about level 40.
Why should you play it together? Traveling alone through the world of Guild Wars 2, Tyria, is fun. But when you face dangers together, you can support each other.
Many game mechanics in Guild Wars 2 almost push players to cooperate. For example, events happen regularly, where all players participating are rewarded. Players collect their own loot, which ensures no disputes arise over who gets the powerful sword. And it’s best to tackle dungeons with companions.
If you have a higher level than your partner, your level will be adjusted to the area level, allowing you to continue gaining experience points and getting stronger together, independent of your individual progress. Guild Wars 2 is simply much more fun together.
Price:The base game of Guild Wars 2 is completely free. You can level up to 80 without significant restrictions and explore all areas of the base game. If you want to continue your journey after level 80, you can purchase one of the two expansions, which will take you to new areas with new quests. Guild Wars 2 is available on PC and Mac.
2018 brought some gaming gems and blockbusters that MeinMMO has enjoyed reporting on. But which games have particularly remained in the memory of the editorial team?
What would the end of the year be without a year in review? In 2018, we were able to report again on many great games for you. But which games have stuck in the editorial team’s memory, and which addons or features have particularly impressed this year?
On the next pages, our editors will share their highlights from 2018!
These are the highlights of the MeinMMO editorial team
In our favorite games of 2018, we focused on titles that we followed at MeinMMO this year. For games that have been on the market longer, we picked out features that were newly added in 2018.
Tarek
Monster Hunter World is probably the game I’ve played the most this year and despite content drought, I never really put it down. There were always new events, and even when there was no gear to farm, my friends and I simply scheduled monster-hunting dates for fun. Now they’ve announced the Iceborne expansion, so it will continue next year as well.
Sputti
Guild Wars 2 remains my favorite game in 2018. Especially the new roller beetle mount and the associated races have captivated me. Moreover, I love the story. We are just about to face an important final battle against the dragon Kralkatorrik. I hope it happens next year; I am definitely prepared!
Benedict
My top MMO in 2018 is Conan Exiles, which narrowly surpassed Fallout 76. It offers a vast, harsh world to explore, tough opponents for challenging battles, dungeons, and a great story. The main reason it’s ahead of Fallout 76 for me is the private servers with their own rules, which Fallout still lacks.
Discord is a popular VOIP app among gamers and now wants to open its own gaming store in the style of Steam. An investment of 150 million dollars will help Discord with this.
The background: Discord is an app that primarily provides gamers with a platform to chat and talk to each other. In 2019, Discord wants to expand its offerings and become a game publishing platform for PC games. The VOIP provider could thus be an alternative to the giant Steam.
Discord promises developers a 90/10 revenue split, while Steam has a 70/30 distribution.
Discord receives significant investment: The company is getting financial support for its endeavor. In total, investors are providing the community messaging service with an amount of 150 million US dollars. This is approximately 132 million euros.
Value of the investment is estimated at 2 billion US dollars
Who has invested? A large portion of the investment comes from Greenoaks Capital, a company specializing in investing in technology-based firms.
Also, Tencent is among the investors. The Chinese game publisher is behind League of Legends (LoL) and distributes several western games in the Chinese market. Among them is the Diablo-like Path of Exile.
Other companies that have invested are Firstmark, IVP, Index Ventures, and Technology Opportunity Partners.
Discord increases its value again: In April, Discord already received a financial boost from investors. Here, the company received an amount of 50 million US dollars, with an estimated value of 1.65 billion. Through the new investment, Discord reached a new estimated value of 2 billion US dollars.
More than 200 million users: It may be difficult for Discord to break the monopoly that Steam has built over the years. The Discord store is still very unknown. However, Discord has a huge user base that frequents the free app daily. Most users are PC gamers.
By now, it has become nearly impossible for publishers to overlook Discord. A part of community management and distribution of news takes place via Discord. Therefore, the app is also attractive for console gamers. Generally, gaming is discussed and informed about on Discord.
This vast user base and the potential it holds makes the Discord store likely attractive to investors.
Discord has so far mostly financed itself through its Nitro subscription model. Users with Discord Nitro have minor advantages such as special emoticons.
More competition for Steam: Discord is not the only company that is opening a new game store.
The Korean publisher Nexon and developer Neople have announced the new joint project BBQ. It is a 3D action MMORPG for PC, based on their older MMORPG Dungeon Fighter Online.
What is Dungeon Fighter? The joint game by Nexon and Neople is a successful 2D side-scrolling MMORPG in Korea, inspired by classic arcade beat ’em ups.
The battles take place in large instanced dungeons, leading players through hordes of monsters threatening their kingdom.
The new Project BBQ will partly be based on the lore and mythology of Dungeon Fighters and borrow some character classes from its predecessor.
What is known about Project BBQ? The game is an action MMORPG in a colorful anime style, developed in collaboration with Nexon and Neople. The combat system, where combos of abilities will play an important role, is based on arcade beat ’em up games.
Players will have a choice of “seven or eight” different characters, each with unique abilities and weapons. The game world will mostly be “seamlessly open”, with the exception of instanced dungeons. Developed with Unreal Engine 4, it will also be the first “Dungeon Fighter” game to be entirely in 3D.
Project BBQ has been in development for about a year. You can see how the MMORPG looks in action in the reveal trailer:
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It is still unknown which payment model Project BBQ will use. However, it can be assumed that it will be free-to-play with a cash shop, as is the case with many Nexon games.
If you’re looking for new anime MMOs, we have something for you:
To begin with, it’s important to say that the article is largely based on my personal perception, my feelings, and my assessment of the current situation. I refer to facts or statements from interviews with former Blizzard employees from other sites. However, this will mainly be an emotional text.
If I read under the comments that “Cortyn just hates everything about WoW” or “is fully diving into Blizzard bashing”, it bothers me and makes me sad. From my perspective, I am not entering any “bashing” but rather trying to capture and reflect opinions and sentiments within the community.
But that is not my job, at least not solely. MeinMMO is not a Blizzard fan page, even if I consider myself a long-time Blizzard fan. It is part of my job to highlight the negative or questionable incidents and to write about them according to our community-oriented approach. If things go downhill, if something fails, or if sentiments on social media are negative, that should be mentioned.
I do not want to ruin anyone’s game. If someone has fun with World of Warcraft, Heroes of the Storm, and all the other titles, then please: Have fun! I did too. But just because part of the players or even I myself am very satisfied with something, it doesn’t mean that it applies to the entire player base. These problems and criticisms must be reported, as they are part of comprehensive reporting.
So, I now come to the elephant that has been in the room for months: What the hell happened to Blizzard?
Blizzard, the untouchable colossus
Over the past nearly 20 years, Blizzard has ridden an almost endless wave of victories. Games released by Blizzard have hit like a bomb.
Every game that the developers brought to market was a great success, praised by players and critics alike. And rightly so.
Even though personally I couldn’t do much with Warcraft 1 and 2, these games were already formative for the genre.
Diablo 1 and 2 were absolute milestones. Even though there were other hack-and-slash games, you could find players in every class, every sports club, and every clique to jointly eliminate the great evils or to run that special dungeon one more time that finally gave the desired weapon.
Anyone who owned a PC and didn’t just use it for work had at least one Blizzard game on their computer.
No wonder, in Korea, the ancient StarCraft still stands for well-balanced, tactical real-time gaming.
Few companies cancel as many games as Blizzard
However, despite this winning streak, not everything Blizzard touches turns to gold. The developers and executives repeatedly emphasized that many game ideas were discarded even in the middle of development.
Some games were even far into development, such as Titan, StarCraft: Ghost, or the Warcraft adventure starring Thrall. The latter was even almost “finished” and played online in a playable form.
But why does Blizzard never release a game that was actually finished? Because Blizzard has maintained an extremely high standard for decades. If a game did not meet their own, nearly perfectionist expectations, it simply wasn’t released.
“We want to create games that we ourselves would like to play,” the developers said. If this goal was missed, a game did not appear.
Many of these titles were never reported on because Blizzard never announced them officially. This is also logical, as one does not want to promise the players something that then fails due to their own expectations and is not released. In the case of StarCraft: Ghost and Titan, information had already come out to the public.
The disappointment that StarCraft: Ghost was cancelled was, at that time, significant. That was the time when “internet shitstorms” did not really exist yet, and if they did, they took on different, smaller dimensions than they do today.
But Blizzard could afford it. Blizzard could just develop games “a little bit” and then cancel them whenever there was no hope left for something they could be proud of. They took it in stride and decided to use the learned lessons from the failed project for future work.
They never wanted to tarnish the quality name Blizzard with an unfinished or poorly made game. If a game was not finished, then a deadline did not matter.
“It’s done when it’s done” and “Soon” were established phrases for Blizzard games. “Good things take time” and in the end, they always delivered.
Only at BlizzCon 2018 was it confirmed again in interviews that Blizzard had cancelled more developed games than it had released.
It should be clear to every player that this can’t be 100% economically viable. That it can only work if the games that are actually released are absolute hits is the logical consequence.
As long as a hit followed another, this was not a problem.
But as we know, it unfortunately didn’t stop there.
The colossus is beginning to wobble
Blizzard was not infallible, and this became really clear for the first time with Diablo 3.
At the launch of the hack-and-slash, there was a lot of criticism. The title did not convince in terms of gameplay. It felt “sucked dry” and could not reignite the magic of Diablo 2. The auction house, where players could buy and sell items for real money, was also a thorn in the side of many. Spending money on a full-price title was still frowned upon at that time, and the community’s feedback was negative.
A few patches later, the “real money AH” was gone, and a few more patches turned Diablo 3 into a good game of the usual Blizzard quality – but only retrospectively.
Another failure was the WoW expansion “Warlords of Draenor”. While the story, quest design, and dungeons were praised, the expansion lacked relevant endgame content. The garrison felt underdeveloped.
The consequence was that Blizzard even shortened the planned patches and instead poured more resources into the next expansion “Legion”. This led to entire story arcs on Draenor never being properly completed or led to an illogical, rushed conclusion.
However, Blizzard was quickly forgiven for this because “Legion” did everything right and is considered one of, if not the best expansion for World of Warcraft, which got many things right.
The significant negative point in Blizzard’s history was likely the BlizzCon in 2018. The large mass of fans, who had mainly accompanied Blizzard on the PC for years, eagerly awaited the new announcement of a Diablo title.
It came, but not as anyone wanted. “Diablo: Immortal” was supposed to be a mobile game and also one that is being developed in cooperation with a Chinese developer. Fans were disappointed and angry. They, the core players, the foundation of Blizzard’s success over the years, were not the target audience of the new game.
On YouTube, the trailer was rated so poorly that YouTube Rewind and Justin Bieber had to temporarily worry about losing the crown for “most thumbs down.” The only reason that didn’t happen is probably that gaming is indeed not meant for all people on YouTube.
That a game announced by Blizzard was perceived negatively on such a wide scale had never happened before. Never had Blizzard’s fans’ expectations been so ruthlessly undercut that they hated Diablo: Immortal even before its release, even if it were to become a good game eventually.
The evil Activision?
Where this change at Blizzard comes from is not entirely clear. The assumption is that the “change” began after Activision and Blizzard merged into “Activision Blizzard.” Even though it was often said in the early days that they would remain independent and only share business infrastructure, this is said less frequently nowadays.
I do not want to judge whether the merger of Activision and Blizzard was a positive or negative thing, even though my impression currently leans towards the latter. But at that time, the merger seemed logical and necessary to further develop the company. After all, both sides benefited from it, and in a global world, it’s always good to be able to appear more powerful.
However, there are quotes like the one from 2009 by Robert A. Kotick, the CEO of Activision, that make me doubt. Nearly 10 years ago, he said he wanted to “take the fun out of developing video games” and that it was good for a company to establish an “atmosphere of skepticism, pessimism, and fear.” I wish while writing these lines that I had just made that up (link to the source).
With such leaders in a company, it seems only logical that morale would sink. And I firmly believe: If someone doesn’t enjoy their work, especially if it has artistic components, then the result won’t be optimal.
In recent weeks, almost directly after BlizzCon, voices from Blizzard have repeatedly emerged, reaching out to various sites to complain.
Morale within the company has reportedly reached an “all-time low,” and Activision is supposedly exerting more and more influence. This is noticeable, among other things, in that finance and marketing people are now present in most meetings and have significant say.
In addition, large numbers of employees in support and other departments are currently being encouraged to accept severance pay and resign. Resources are being drawn from all areas except for pure game development.
Does this mean fewer cool cinematics? Fewer comics, fewer animated shorts, fewer conversations with the community? Probably. Thanks, Activision.
However, it is also quite possible that these efforts come from Blizzard itself, because now, after some failures by Blizzard standards, a new structure is needed. Whether Activision is really the sole “bad guy” in this story, I do not want to judge.
The answer likely lies somewhere in between. The impact of Activision and the increasing influence of the “marketing and finance department” will both contribute their share to Blizzard’s transformation.
Questionable sales options in World of Warcraft
I probably belong to the old-fashioned generation that still considers real money purchases in full-price games that are also monthly subscription-based to be a catastrophe. But the gaming market has evolved, money needs to come in, and I can live with that.
But the timing that Blizzard currently displays with World of Warcraft is an utter disaster.
But then it got strange. A significant part of the World of Warcraft community is unhappy. Many are bored because they cannot find anything to do with the new features like island expeditions or warfronts. Additionally, many classes are currently in poor condition, making it hard for some to find any enjoyment.
Even if the mount looks really beautiful, the timing was catastrophic. If WoW were in good shape and had developed healthily, no one would have complained about a mount in the shop.
But putting a new price tag in front of dissatisfied players is probably the dumbest move Blizzard could make.
Unfortunately, that was not the end of it. Now, just before Christmas, the “See You Later” bundle is available in the shop. Many mounts, pets, and cosmetic items can be purchased for €50, which would otherwise cost €150. The offer is generally pretty good if you’re into such things, but one detail bothers: Blizzard states that the items will be removed from the shop at the beginning of January.
The reason is clear: They want to create pressure and instill the fear of possibly missing out on something forever if they don’t buy it now. However, they make a small side note that the items “may come back later”.
Apparently, they want to boost the numbers just before the end of the quarter to make shareholders happy.
My gut feeling tells me these are decisions pushed by the “marketing people” in meetings.
Where have my Blizzard heroes gone?
Another point that makes me sad every time and causes me to write appropriate news and articles only with a heavy heart is the departure of long-time Blizzard employees. When Chris Metzen, the lore guru of Blizzard and the voice behind Thrall, Ragnaros, Varian Wrynn, and several other heroes, left a few years ago, I was saddened. Metzen always came across as so warm, authentic, and above all, incredibly human, yet was simply brilliant in his ability to create a fantasy world.
Unlike many others, I have nothing against Ion Hazzikostas as the Game Director of World of Warcraft. Even if his past as a lawyer is evident in his often vague wording, he occasionally speaks very clearly and explains why change X is being made. Moreover, he is able to admit when they have messed up and a mechanic did not resonate with players. Honestly, I even appreciate it when he sometimes takes a clear stand and says, “We are sticking to X or Y because we believe in it.” I personally prefer that over a flag in the wind.
That Mike Morhaime, who was often seen as the “anti-CEO”, standing for diversity and creativity, also stepped down was not easy to process. Especially since everyone felt that he was not leaving voluntarily, but rather “being let go” to be replaced by someone who might impose Activision’s views – like J. Allen Brack.
This image is something J. Allen Brack must live with as well, as many of the questionable decisions, such as the mass “motivated” layoffs, the stronger pressure within the company, and the enhanced position of the finance people occurred directly with his taking office.
Whether one can really pin the blame on him or he is merely the bearer of bad news is not easy to determine.
Heroes of the Storm has been left behind
I was completely caught off guard by the announcement a few weeks ago that Heroes of the Storm would completely withdraw from esports. The development team is also being reduced, as some developers will now work on other titles. Given what we know, these will likely be mobile versions of all major Blizzard genres.
However, I am convinced that the developers at the time of BlizzCon 2018 still didn’t know that Heroes of the Storm would be so “shrunk” and that large esports tournaments like the HGC would be discontinued. After all, they had just promoted that the HGC would take place again in 2019 at the BlizzCon.
However, I am naive and gullible enough to at least give the developers here the credit that they did not see this step coming either. Therefore, not only do the esports players have my sympathy, but also the developers who have believed in Heroes of the Storm for years and have put their passion into the game.
This decision had only losers, on all sides.
Blizzard, please get back on track in 2019
And now, sitting here on Christmas, I am writing my probably longest article of the year about a company that has accompanied me through my leisure time longer than any other and has provided countless hours of fun.
Blizzard is not just a game developer for me, as Squaresoft (now Square Enix) or Game Arts (anyone remember Grandia?) once was. Blizzard has always stood for more. When a game bore the “Blizzard” seal, you just knew it was a good game. Even if one did not like individual genres, like hack-and-slash in Diablo or shooters in Overwatch, it was never in question that they were still fantastic games.
I hope I am wrong. I hope that the massive layoffs of support employees are a healing optimization process. I hope that the influence of finance people ultimately proves helpful and leads to better games. I hope the new CEO is not the personified devil. I hope Activision does not have its fingers too deep in Blizzard, and that this is all just “panic-mongering”.
But to be honest: I can only hope, because I am not convinced.
And that hurts me. It hurts more than I thought it could. Blizzard is a part of my childhood, an even bigger part of my leisure time over the last years, and thus also become part of my work. I do not want to see a game developer that has given me thousands, if not tens of thousands of hours of joy suddenly embody all that I dislike about the gaming industry. I do not want to have to write constant negative news.
If I have a wish for 2019, it is quite selfish and yet fundamentally honest: Blizzard, become the Blizzard I fell in love with again. Otherwise, I would really miss you.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
