The new pirate MMO Atlas, by Studio Wildcard, promises a huge game world for over 40,000 players. Can that work?
What happened? Studio Wildcard announced an impressively designed pirate MMO called Atlas at the “Video Game Awards 2018”. Behind it is the developer of the Steam hit Ark: Survival Evolved. Players were particularly struck by one statement: A gigantic server is supposed to accommodate over 40,000 players, providing a real MMO feeling. Sounds great, right?
Yes, but there was something … Now many players are wondering if that can work. Players have been complaining about poor performance in ARK: Survival Evolved to this day, especially console players were dissatisfied with the FPS. Now an even bigger server for the game Atlas is supposed to bring improvement? Players are skeptical.
Can this game work?
This could be Atlas’s downfall, players fear: With Atlas comes a game that has a playfield 1200 times larger than that of ARK.
This is what the developers say about the concerns: Jesse Rapczak, co-founder of Studio Wildcard, says in an interview with PC Gamer: “We have developed new technology that connects a world that is 1200 times bigger than an ARK server.” The entire game world is made up of several smaller servers, and players sail over a kind of grid of servers. Players themselves should not notice that.
Studio Wildcard invested a lot of money in their new MMO. The developers emphasized that special attention was paid to server quality. In ARK, some mistakes were made in the game’s further development. However, this should not happen again; thus, they want to pay more attention to community feedback now.
Therefore, performance is supposed to be better than in ARK: According to Wildcard, rendering an open sea is much easier from a performance perspective than a dense jungle, as is the case in Ark. They also modified and improved the Unreal Engine. Therefore, Atlas is expected to work better at release than ARK does now.
Should you buy Atlas without reservations? If you rely on the word of Studio Wildcard, you can buy the game on December 13 through Steam. For everyone else: It is advisable to wait for the first reviews on Steam before being sure whether Atlas can actually deliver what it promises.
Despite all the performance issues, Wildcard managed to keep millions of players engaged in ARK: Survival Evolved for years for good reason. Therefore, players are currently less concerned about gameplay and are looking forward to the pirate setting.
What makes Atlas so special? Atlas is supposed to accommodate over 40,000 players simultaneously. These players are to compete for dominance of the oceans in a 45,000 square kilometer game world.
Unlike Sea of Thieves, which is aimed more at small groups, Atlas promises an experience that even approaches EVE Online. It aims to revive the “Massive” in MMO. Players themselves will also ensure that it remains exciting. They will explore and annex islands, engage politically, and fight massive battles.
This is how Atlas aims to guarantee fun for everyone: There will be a PvP server, but also one for PvE. Similar to back in World of Warcraft, to also attract players who do not want large PvP action and want to avoid griefers.
Can I just fight? Players can build a crew composed of NPCs and online players who take up designated positions on board your ship. You can continuously improve your ship and also build structures on one of the many islands of the map.
Atlas is not only focused on fighting. It is supposed to offer you an entire world in pirate style. You need to take care of the crew’s supplies and also attend to your own needs. In the video, you can see the enormous map that gives players plenty of space to explore.
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When does the game come out? The game will be available for purchase on Steam starting December 13. Early access is supposed to last at least two years.
Tanking in World of Warcraft has become a strange matter. At least, that is what Cortyn thinks.
Anyone who currently enjoys experiencing the most challenging content in World of Warcraft with a small group dives into the various “Mythic+” dungeons of Battle for Azeroth. Here, the difficulty increases more and more depending on how strong the keystone is. While most keystones below “+10” can still be tackled with normal tactics, that is hardly possible later on.
I’m not talking about having to suddenly CC enemies again and freeing them in turn, no. That is cool, planned gameplay, as needed in Classic, Burning Crusade, and Cataclysm.
I’m talking about the fact that the playstyle of a tank eventually transforms into complete absurdity.
This is the problem with tanking: In almost all other PvE content of World of Warcraft, tanking works on a simple principle: The tank gathers the enemies, binds them to himself, and tries to avoid as much damage as possible. He does this by interrupting spells, stepping out of area effects, or timing his defensive cooldowns correctly.
However, from “Mythic+15” onwards, this is no longer the case. A tank does not “tank” there anymore. He only runs around the room in panic after having attacked the enemies for a few seconds using almost all of his cooldowns.
Little planned gameplay: It’s no longer about the character being able to withstand the enemy due to his equipment, but rather about getting the enemies into a perpetual run. The goal is to ensure that the enemies can no longer reach the tank, leading to different “courses” through which you pull the enemies from dungeon to dungeon. Those who get hit lose.
Departure from class fantasy: Maybe I’m the only one who feels this way, but this has very little to do with the desired playstyle of a tank for me. When I’m a warrior with a shield or a grim demon hunter, I don’t want to run around the dungeon panicking like the clichéd “little girl” in fear of being hit. I want to be able to resist enemies, to face them in melee combat, and fight them there.
I have nothing against kiting as such. Occasionally, it is a great mechanic and can certainly fit. But when every fight turns into such a silly back-and-forth, I lose the feeling that I am truly a tank.
How do you feel about the current situation as a tank? Do you enjoy this constant running? Or does it also disturb your class fantasy?
The streamer Sweet Anita plays Overwatch and claims to have Tourette’s syndrome. She quickly became a phenomenon on Twitch. Phrases like “Can I come on your cookie?” are a regular occurrence in her stream.
Who is the Tourette streamer? The young woman is 28 years old and comes from the United Kingdom. Under the pseudonym “Sweet Anita”, her channel mainly features let’s plays of the hero shooter Overwatch.
Her channel is aimed at an adult audience, as Sweet Anita uses extremely vulgar language. However, this is not voluntary. The young woman states that she has Tourette’s syndrome.
This is how Sweet Anita’s Tourette manifests
This is particularly noticeable: Sweet Anita experiences symptoms such as twitching her eye, and making whistling or popping sounds with her mouth.
However, it is her language that has made Sweet Anita famous. Her verbal tics are mostly of a sexual nature and burst out of her in the middle of normal sentences.
Freely translated from English, Sweet Anita suddenly says things like:
“Bitch Lasagne”
“Fuck my cunt!”
“I want a dick”
“Fish-fister”
“Any cookie-fuckers?”
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This is the success Sweet Anita has achieved so far: In September 2018, Sweet Anita started streaming. Just one month after starting her stream, she reached over 150,000 followers. Following that, Twitch partnered with Sweet Anita. The Brit now has over 238,000 subscribers on Twitch. Clips of special moments are also shared on YouTube and Reddit.
Why is Sweet Anita so popular? The Brit openly discusses her illness. She often explains to her viewers what Tourette’s syndrome triggers in her and describes strange experiences that have resulted from it. Sweet Anita laughs about the whole situation and encourages her viewers to laugh too.
It is just a bizarre, charming, and funny picture when this young, delicate woman suddenly talks about her “dick being on fire.” The chat usually has a friendly tone, and one could call it pure situational comedy.
What is known about the streamer? It is as if Sweet Anita appeared out of nowhere. There is no personal information about her. Her real name is unknown, and there are no photos that could imply her private life.
Sweet Anita herself tells fantastic stories about her life and past. For instance, she claims to own 200 chinchillas or that her mother was infected by a volcano with a disease.
Supposedly, she was raised by hippies and lived in a treehouse.
Is it certain that she has Tourette’s? There are no relatives or friends of Sweet Anita known who could confirm her Tourette’s condition.
The streamer prefers to remain anonymous as a young woman on the internet. Therefore, she also does not provide any medical certificates to external parties.
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Do fans have doubts about Sweet Anita? Her viewers simply feel entertained by the streamer. The question of whether her Tourette is real or not seems to interest very few.
So far, Sweet Anita’s success has not been harmed by her reluctance to prove her condition and her preference for anonymity.
What is the current status of the MMORPG? Alpha 1 was planned for this December but has been postponed to January. However, a pre-alpha has now started. In this phase, you will primarily be able to test the combat system cooperatively.
Participants in the pre-alpha will be selected from the MMORPG community.
Those who are highly engaged within the community can expect to be chosen.
Approximately 100 to 150 players will be allowed to participate.
It is not allowed to report on the contents and impressions of the pre-alpha or to make videos and screenshots.
The “Miracle Technology” for Giant Worlds
What does Spatial OS bring to the MMO?Spatial OS is a technology that allows even smaller development teams to create vast, open game worlds, populate them with life, and manage them.
Spatial OS is not subject to the limitations of a server or a game engine.
All systems run in the cloud, allowing for much larger and more vibrant game worlds.
Dropped items can stay “forever” in the game world, allowing players to have a lasting impact on the world.
Developers do not need to worry about server infrastructure, so more time remains for the game’s further development.
When is the release? So far, it has only been revealed that the official start of the MMORPG Fractured is expected to take place at the end of 2021. The game is now starting its pre-alpha, followed by alpha 1 in January. The beta is also planned for 2019. If you are interested in Fractured and want to be part of one of the testing phases, you can purchase access in the store.
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The new game from Funcom is called Conan Unconquered. Funcom already has two Conan titles with the MMORPG Age of Conan and the survival MMO Conan Exiles – but the new Conan game will be a strategy game, primarily for single players.
In a press release, Funcom announced their latest Conan game. They describe it as a fast-paced strategy game where players must fight against a large number of NPCs.
It is assumed that Conan Unconquered is primarily intended for single players.
Conan Unconquered is meant to be primarily for single players
What is the new game about? In Conan Unconquered, you will play as a single player against increasingly larger waves of enemies.
The further you get, the harder it becomes to survive the wave. In Conan Unconquered, players must build and continually expand their own fortress to withstand the onslaught of enemies.
Do you have to fight alone? As support, players have the option to summon giant beasts that will fight alongside their crew. In the trailer, one of these large monsters can be seen.
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Is it a multiplayer game? Conan Unconquered is primarily announced as a single-player game. However, it is expected that you can also defeat enemies in a co-op mode with two players.
But it will not be a classic MMO.
What is the inspiration behind the game? The game is inspired by a short story by the Conan creator Robert E. Howard called “Black Colossus.” The story has been adapted in later books and comics.
When will Conan Unconquered be released? The game is expected to be released between April and June 2019, according to Funcom. The game will be available for all PC players. Another Conan game is also expected for this year.
Funcom was in a crisis a few years ago until Conan Exiles saved the studio:
In Destiny 2, the second forge of the Black Armory is live. Read here how to unlock the Gofannon forge and how to get the second key for the mysterious chest from the new exotic quest. We also explain how to access the sniper rifle Tatara’s Sight.
What happened? On Friday, December 7th, the second of four forges from the Premium DLC “The Black Armory” arrived for Destiny 2.
Guardians now have the chance to tackle the next quest of the Black Armory and unlock the new Gofannon forge on Nessus. There, you’ll also find the next key for the exotic quest.
Unlock Gofannon Forge on Nessus – What You Need to Do
Now the Guardians should unlock the second forge, this time on Nessus.
The Gofannon Forge
Kill Fallen
How to get the item “Stolen Gear from the Black Armory”: After successfully unlocking the first forge on Earth, you now need to take down Fallen. They drop the “Stolen Gear from the Black Armory” after a few kills – a blue item that will end up in your inventory.
The first players reported that this item dropped for them at the beginning of the new raid “Scourge of the Past”.
However, more and more Guardians say that the item can drop randomly from all Fallen enemies. So kill Fallen until you get the item, which reportedly happens relatively quickly.
Once you have the item, return to Ada-1, the new merchant of the Black Armory, in the Tower and talk to her. There, you’ll find the next quest step.
Eliminate Fallen with Precision Kills
How to get the item “Corrupted Gear from the Black Armory”: Now you need to eliminate Fallen – specifically with precision kills. You need to collect 35x of the item “Corrupted Gear from the Black Armory”.
This task can be easily completed in the EDZ area of The Tangled Shore on Earth. There are always plenty of Fallen, and you can also take a detour into one of the three Lost Sectors.
Here you should find enough Fallen
Once you have the required 35 items together, visit Spider in the Wyrd Bight of the Reef.
Cryo Capsule Event and Melee Kills
What you need to keep in mind: After talking to Spider, you will get the next step. You need to complete the public Cryo Capsule event heroically.
This event must involve Fallen enemies and a boss. The event must also be completed in the area of Thebe’s Mouth, right in front of Spider’s front door.
Additionally, you need to eliminate a total of 75 Fallen with your melee attacks in the Wyrd Bight.
Once that is done, return to Spider.
Spider
Mission “Scourge of the Armory” in the EDZ
Fly to the EDZ: Spider will now send you to the EDZ on Earth. There, you need to complete the mission “Spider’s Rival,” which involves investigating Fallen depots in the EDZ. The mission is marked on the planet map.
What you need to keep in mind for the mission: The recommended power level for this quest is 620. So make sure you are at least around 610. As a group, the task is also significantly easier if your power level is below 620.
Your task is essentially to run through a few Lost Sectors, eliminate the bosses protected by shield drones, and scan the Black Armory chests.
Bosses and chests are not hard to find. Just follow the mission markers. Once you encounter the boss, take out the drones first until the overshield disappears, then take down the boss. After that, interact with the chest so your Ghost can scan it.
Intercept High-Value Targets on Nessus
How to find the Captain: Once that is done, the next quest step sends you to Nessus. There, you need to eliminate a roaming Fallen Captain. Simply head to the Exodus Black area.
In this area, you will either immediately or relatively quickly encounter the Captain with a yellow health bar at the Fallen camp (not difficult to miss). Take down the Captain, and the quest step is complete.
Mission “Source: Nessus” on Nessus
What you need to keep in mind: This mission is marked on the planet map and is self-explanatory. Just follow the mission markers and the instructions on the screen.
This involves infiltrating a Lost Sector, taking down the boss, and scanning some items. Once you have completed this, you’ll receive the next quest step.
In this mission, the recommended level is also set at 620.
Find the second lost forge in Destiny 2
How to find the forge: Now you can finally head to the Gofannon forge on Nessus. The entrance is located in the area of Artifact’s Room.
Once you spawn, accept the mission that is right in front of you. It’s easy to spot. The level recommendation is 620.
Now just follow the mission markers. These will lead you past the crashed spaceship to a small opening in the wall. From there, it goes through narrow tunnels to the forge.
There, you just have to defeat the Servitor and then return to Ada-1 in the Tower. You can now access the forge at any time and start the event there.
Here is a video guide from Destiny Guides on how to unlock the Gofannon forge in Destiny 2:
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How to get the sniper rifle Tatara’s Sight in Destiny 2
This is the reward: At Ada-1, there is the next weapon form, this time for the sniper rifle Tatara’s Sight. You can get this weapon by following a similar procedure as in the quest for the first forge to obtain the machine gun Hammerhead.
What you need to do:
obtain a weapon core and mixed ether on Nessus. You get the core from a weapon chest of the Black Armory in the area of Artifact’s Room. Take out the drone and loot the chest. You can quickly get the ether from Fallen in the “Chamber” area
achieve 25 precision kills and take down 5 high-value targets – all with a sniper rifle
Here you’ll find plenty of powerful enemies
achieve 10 sniper rifle multikills. For this, eliminate enemies in the starting passage of the Leviathan raid from Year 1, preferably with Whisper of the Worm. Reload the raid until you complete the task
collect 20 Radiant Seeds. You can also do this easily on the Leviathan. It’s best to grab the Sleeper Simulant and take out all yellow enemies until you gather the required 20 seeds
return to Ada-1. She will then send you to the Gofannon forge
master the activity “Forging the Chain” in the Gofannon forge. The mechanics remain the same as with the Volundr forge – just with Fallen enemies. The level requirements also remain unchanged
Once you have successfully mastered the new forge, you will receive the new sniper rifle from the Black Forge.
Here is a guide from FluxXx LP on unlocking the new sniper:
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Important: Do not enter the Volundr forge on Earth with the sniper rifle form. Due to a bug, you could lose this form if you have not completed it but participated in the first forge with it.
How to get the second key for the mysterious chest
This is the first exotic quest: In the first forge, Guardians found a mysterious chest. With this chest, the Guardians obtain the first exotic quest of the Black Armory. In this quest, they must find a total of four keys to open the chest at the end. The first key can be obtained in the Volundr forge.
How to get the second key: The second key is now available in the new Gofannon forge. The mechanics remain the same. Start the Gofannon forge on Nessus and master the first round.
This is the mysterious chest
Then, in the first 10 seconds of the second round, two bluish drones will appear that you need to take down. They are hard to miss. Once you have done that, a message saying Maximum Hardness will appear on the left side of the screen. Now you only need to survive the second round without dying.
At the end of the third round, there will be a Black Armory chest from which you get the second key for the mysterious chest. This will unlock the handlock on the small chest. The next key will presumably be found in the third forge.
In this video by Houndish, you can see how to take down the drones:
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The gaming publisher Electronic Arts plans to part ways with a high-ranking employee. The Senior Director of EA Ireland, Philipe Grenet, is set to leave. He is accused of making an inappropriate remark towards a female colleague. An injunction is now getting in the way of his dismissal.
Who was fired? Philippe Grenet (56) was dismissed. He is the Senior Director of Global Delivery Service for EA Ireland. In this role, he oversees 420 employees in Galway, Ireland, and 80 staff in Texas, USA. He earned €160,000 a year.
This is reported by Ireland’s largest daily newspaper, Irish Independent, on its online site in the section about current court cases.
Controversy over the wording “dick measuring contest”
What was he accused of? Grenet is alleged to have told a colleague in Texas: He would not, “pull out his dick and put it on the table to see who has the bigger one.”
Grenet denies having used these words. However, he admits that he told a colleague in a “one-on-one” video call: “I do not want to compare the length of my dick.”
Battlefield 5, one of EA’s current games
Grenet believes the colleague wants him out
This is what Grenet says: Grenet now admits that the remark was inelegant, clumsy, and not a good idea. He wanted to express that he did not want to challenge the other person in a work-related matter.
Grenet further states that the person in question, Tracy Simmons, has often behaved negatively towards him and has undermined his authority as her superior. Her statement now is marked by malicious intent.
The decision by Electronic Arts was a mistake and unfair because the incident was not properly investigated.
Grenet fears that the accusations will negatively affect his career and professional future. He has a long career in the gaming industry and has always behaved honestly and decently.
This is what Grenet’s lawyer says: Grenet’s lawyer argues that English is not his first language. Grenet is married and has a young son. He moved from France to Ireland in 2018.
The accusations have been taken out of context by someone who wants to remove Grenet. The investigation of the incident by EA was chaotic and biased.
FIFA 19 – another current game from EA.
Court prevents termination
This is the timeline: The incident in the video call is said to have occurred on November 9. Shortly after, Grenet was informed in a brief meeting that he was suspended. Grenet was then fired on November 14, just a few days after the complaint.
This is what has happened: The High Court of Ireland, the Supreme Civil and Criminal Court of the Republic, issued an injunction on Thursday, December 6, that Grenet cannot be fired. He may not be dismissed or transferred until further notice.
Why is Botogel fitting? Botogel is the Christmas Pokémon. It is dressed like Santa Claus but resembles a penguin much more. With its move “Gift,” it either deals damage or returns energy to its opponent. However, in Pokémon GO, the move can only deal damage.
When is Botogel coming in 2018?
How do you know Botogel is coming? In a statement in the Pokémon GO newsletter, Niantic wrote: “We have some important news! It seems that the gift Pokémon, Botogel, will return for Christmas this month. What kind of surprise will it bring? Stay tuned!”
When will Botogel come? Botogel will likely return for an event around Christmas. Last year, Niantic released Botogel on December 21, together with a Christmas event. Now newcomers who missed Botogel can complete their PokéDex.
Can you find Botogel outside of Christmas? After the Christmas event ended last year, Botogel disappeared as well. The Pokémon was only available to catch around the Christmas season.
Can we expect a Christmas event? So far, Niantic has held an event in Pokémon GO every Christmas. Last year, besides Botogel, Pikachu wearing a Santa hat was available to catch. Additionally, some third-generation Pokémon were released.
This year, dataminers have already found a hint in the code of Pokémon GO about an event. In a list of events, a Christmas event has now also been entered in the code. Furthermore, Niantic talks about surprises coming along with Botogel in their newsletter.
It remains to be seen whether Niantic is planning an event and what bonuses will be involved.
In Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Operation Absolute Zero starts next week – it is the 2nd season of the game. Players can look forward to numerous innovations and adjustments. We will show what the new operation brings.
What are operations in Black Ops 4? The so-called Supply Stream Progression is intended to regularly provide Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 with fresh content, similar to Fortnite’s seasons.
The seasons in Black Ops 4, however, come in the form of seasonal operations that run for a specific period. The first operation is now coming to an end, and the new one is already on the starting blocks.
What to Expect in Operation Absolute Zero of CoD: Black Ops 4
When does the new operation start? Operation Absolute Zero starts on December 11 at 7:00 PM our time on PS4. Xbox One and PC will likely follow a week later.
With the start of Absolute Zero, Operation First Strike, the first season of Black Ops 4, will simultaneously come to an end. Players have until then to continue progressing in ranks on the Black Market and secure corresponding seasonal rewards.
What Operation Absolute Zero Brings for Multiplayer
New Specialist: Operation Absolute Zero brings the first specialist after the launch of Black Ops 4. This is Zero, a skilled and deadly female hacker who will be available in multiplayer and Blackout mode.
In multiplayer, Zero can disrupt and distract opponents with her hacking tools and brings new countermeasures (presumably against scorestreaks and equipment).
You can unlock Zero by reaching rank 1 in the new seasonal operations stream on the Black Market.
New Weapons: Three new weapons are coming for multiplayer:
The Daemon 3XB submachine gun
SWAT RFT assault rifle
Secret Santa melee weapon
Additionally, new weapon skins and reticles will come. Players will be able to try out these weapons immediately next week – either in the featured playlist “Blackjack’s Gun Game” or through weapon drops in Blackout (at the firing range).
Holiday Event: A holiday event is scheduled to start on December 13 on PS4, which will bring new featured playlists and new seasonal rewards. You can unlock these on the Black Market.
What Operation Absolute Zero Brings for Blackout
Numerous Improvements: On December 10, there will be a series of changes for the in-house Battle Royale Mode Blackout. These include among others
the armor repair system
acoustic improvements
balance adjustments for some weapons such as the SDM or the Spitfire
seasonal changes across the map
New Map Extension: On December 11, the map of Blackout will be supplemented by a new location. The yacht from the famous and popular map Hijacked will enrich the waters in the northwest of the Blackout map.
New Vehicle: The armored vehicle ARAV will expand the vehicle fleet of Blackout. It is equipped with a turret machine gun and has space for 2 players.
New Customization Items: Players can look forward to the following, among other things:
new unlockable Blackout characters such as Zero
new epic specialist outfits
mixable war paints
more items
These Points are Coming in the Near Future:
Custom Games
Weapon Skins
Crate Interface Overhaul on Consoles
festive map decorations
throwable snowballs
new special events ranks
gameplay improvements
and more
What Operation Absolute Zero Brings for Zombies
In addition to numerous gameplay and stability improvements, Zombie players can expect three new features.
Daily Callings: The Callings represent a type of daily missions and offer new gameplay challenges that reward you with bonus XP and additional Nebulium Plasma.
Black Ops Authenticity Stamp: This system allows players to verify and share the results of their matches online with a personal code. On a corresponding page, a whole range of stats can be viewed, such as
number of kills, deaths, revives, headshots, and survived rounds
map choice, game type, number of players, difficulty level
special weapons, equipment
equipped perks and elixirs
match duration, final score
and more
Daily Rank Skip for Zombies: What is already active in multiplayer and Blackout will now also come to the zombie mode. Once you complete 15 rounds in a zombie game, you will receive a bonus rank on the Black Market – every day.
Special Event for Zombies: In addition to the three features mentioned, the zombie mode will receive a limited-time special event on December 13 on PS4 – Winter Calling. In this event, you can earn new cosmetic rewards on the Black Market.
What’s Coming for Zombies in 2019: Next year, several new features await zombie fans as well:
factions
new event callings
phase 2 of the Black Ops Authenticity Stamps
further gameplay improvements
What Changes with Operation Absolute Zero on the Black Market
As part of Operation Absolute Zero, the Black Market will be improved. The progress and rank-ups will now be easier and more rewarding. In addition, some sought-after features will be introduced. For example, it will be possible to mix war paints with different outfits.
New Smuggling Stream: The new stream, which is the seasonal content on the Black Market, will go live on December 11. Here’s what’s included:
100 ranks: The initial ranks of the stream have been reduced from 200 to 100. All rewards of the first 100 ranks can be viewed immediately.
New unlockable weapons: For the multiplayer modes of Black Ops 4, you can unlock the Daemon 3XB SMG, the SWAT RFT assault rifle, and the Secret Santa melee weapon.
New Specialists: Here you can unlock the specialist Zero for multiplayer and Blackout at rank 1.
New item categories and new content such as weapon skins, reticles, mixable war paints, new cosmetic mastercraft weapon variants, gestures, calling cards, and more
In Fortnite, players have discovered a new hidden cave. It seems that a man-eating yeti may have dwelled there. At least there’s good loot and a plane now. We will show you where the cave is and what awaits you there.
With Season 7, the southwestern part of Fortnite is covered in snow. And in the snow, on the new map of Fortnite, lies many secrets: such as a cave.
What kind of place is this? It is a cave that is not specifically marked on the Fortnite map. Inside the cave, there are all sorts of bones. You can find a port-a-john there and there’s plenty of loot.
It seems as if a pilot crashed with his plane and accidentally crashed into the cave of a man-eating yeti during the landing. What exactly happened there, we may never know.
Where is this cave? The cave is at the southwestern corner of the map between Happy Hamlet and Frosty Flight. We have marked the location here on a map.
There are two entrances to the cave:
One from above; from a distance, the entrance looks like a frozen lake. You can already see a chest from afar.
And one entrance is below inside the cave.
Loot, Plane, and Lots of Bones
What makes this spot so special? At the upper entrance of the cave, there is a chest waiting. Also, inside the cave itself, you can find a chest if you say hello to the wooden shed with the pickaxe. Additionally, you often find good loot on the ground.
As a special reward, you can break the plane free in the cave and secure a spectacular appearance when you fly out of the cave with it. The planes are one of the new highlights of Season 7.
Moreover, the location appears to have been designed with a wink and feels like a little Easter egg, with the developers having a good laugh.
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At the moment, this spot is still a hidden gem. But it won’t stay that way for long.
We’ve embedded a video for you to see how to get to the cave and what it looks like inside.
If you want to visit the cave yourself, we recommend you use Playground mode to take a good look at the yeti cave. Maybe you’ll soon start your adventures in Fortnite from this cave.
The developers of New World are currently giving us the first insights into the crafting system of the MMORPG. They present us with a profession each week. However, information about crafting in New World also comes from other sources.
Update December 8: Amazon has presented another profession in short screenshots on Twitter. The Alchemist combines natural and supernatural substances to create potions and tinctures.
With these, he is supposed to equip and support his fellow players.
Original post November 25:
What professions are there in New World? Currently, we know of three professions. Every Wednesday, a new profession is presented on the Twitter account of New World.
Last week was all about the Blacksmith, the game’s blacksmith. Then on Wednesday, the Builder was presented.
How is the crafting system structured in New World? Generally, all players can mine ore and fell trees with the right tools. This allows them to collect raw materials that are necessary for further processing. A specific profession does not need to be learned for this.
The same category could also include skinning and tanning, which are needed to skin wild animals. For this, and perhaps also for collecting raw materials, there is a skill level that can be improved.
It seems important to the developers that collecting resources feels realistic. This applies both to the available materials and the collected quantities.
With the obtained materials, players can then go to a crafting station and start processing them. A brief insight into the system can be gained from a screenshot. There, simple leather is converted into higher quality.
Even without a profession, players will depend on collecting wood and stones in order to, for example, set up a camp. At this camp, players will respawn if they have underestimated the dangers of the game and have died.
What can the Builder profession do? The Builder does not seem to be a classic profession of an MMORPG. In the official description, it states that he is urgently needed for guilds. His task is to expand fortifications.
He is also responsible for buildings and facilities for the defense of the outpost. We see a type of watchtower that might be made by a Builder in a screenshot of the announcement.
What can the Blacksmith profession do? According to a tweet, the Blacksmith is responsible for the strength of the army. At the same time, a strong army is needed to obtain the rarest raw materials for this.
His main task will definitely be to craft armor and weapons for players.
MMORPG with survival elements: Survival plays an important role in New World, especially since other players can loot the inventory of the opponent after a win. Nevertheless, the MMORPG feel is the focus of New World.
Patch 8.1 of World of Warcraft has not been released yet, but the update is already very unpopular among players.
In a few days, the first major content update of World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth will finally be released. The Patch 8.1 Tides of Vengeance brings many new features, such as a new warfront, changes to the war mode, the faction incursions, and in the new year, a fresh raid as well.
However, the community is already quite dissatisfied with the patch.
Shortly before the release of the patch, Blizzard released a “Patch 8.1 Survival Guide” video, as has become customary. It explains what players can expect and what they can look forward to.
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Negative reviews in abundance: However, this joy was limited, as more than 70% of the video ratings were negative. Few other videos about World of Warcraft have been rated as negatively as this one. The video also received a lot of disapproving comments. The community is dissatisfied and expresses that. Some comments say:
“The art team is brilliant. Everyone else should be fired.”
“How about Blizzard makes a survival guide on how to maintain subscriptions?”
“Guide didn’t work, I died of boredom.”
“How to survive Patch 8.1: Skip it.”
The few positive comments are also somewhat sarcastic:
“Hey, every new patch brings us one step closer to the next expansion.”
Fans create a parody: The video is so unpopular that the YouTuber SoulSoBreezy felt encouraged to release a parody version of the survival guide. In it, he mocks the various contents and comes up with cynical remarks like:
“We are looking forward to showing you what we’ve prepared in Patch 8.1. Because everyone else has already left.”
“First of all: No, this is not the patch that unlocks flying. Thanks for watching.”
“And now for all of you who bought the Horrific Visage [a mount for a 6-month subscription], let’s talk about the contents right away.”
You can watch the entire parody in English here:
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Where the dissatisfaction comes from: Many players are currently dissatisfied with Battle for Azeroth. The Azerite system is unpopular, warfronts and island expeditions are considered boring. The fact that many contents of Patch 8.1 are hidden behind “time-gating,” meaning they will only start early in 2019, makes players dissatisfied.
Are you also negative towards Patch 8.1? Or are you waiting to see? Are you even looking forward to the contents of the upcoming patch?
The digital card game Artifact is the first game from hit factory Valve in five years. But it has problems gaining a foothold on Steam. The rival of Hearthstone stumbles at launch.
Artifact is the first game from Valve in 5 years. In 2013, the studio behind the PC platform Steam released a MOBA with DOTA 2. In 2018, Artifact was launched.
But those expecting a hit like CS: GO, Portal, or Half-Life will likely be disappointed at least at launch.
This is Artifact: Artifact is a digital card game similar to Hearthstone or Magic. However, it is played on multiple lanes, making it seem quite complicated.
How Artifact is performing so far: Artifact had about 60,000 peak players on Steam on launch day, November 28. But since then, the numbers have significantly declined. On December 6, only about 25,000 players were active from their Steam library.
The trend shows a downward trajectory, as Steamcharts reveals. The 24-hour peak now stands at 20,000. That means two-thirds of the players are gone.
Artifact has a high entry barrier – The game costs $20 on Steam. Most competing games are free. However, Artifact advertises a “better” model for earning cards.
Additionally, Artifact is relatively complicated – Since it is played on three lanes, it is hard to read. One needs to engage with it to understand what is happening.
The market could be saturated – Furthermore, the market for card games is well-stocked with Hearthstone, the new Magic, Elder Scrolls Legends, and Gwent. Perhaps only a few were waiting for a new card game.
Release hype is dying down – Also, the normal cycle of game releases could be playing a role. It is normal for a game to lose players after launch. It is important to see what level the player base settles at.
Artifact seems to be missing that certain something
This is what players say: On reddit, the news of the dwindling player base is discussed with interest.
It is said in the comments:
While Artifact is fun, it is not as addictive as other games. It feels like a single-player game.
Another adds that Artifact is deep but lacks a moment of “satisfaction” in the game.
Yet another blames the extremely crowded market for Artifact’s difficulties. Between Halloween and Christmas, there are numerous sales, releases, bundles, and other promotions.
Now it remains to be seen at what level the player settles in Artifact. For the moment, it seems that Cortyn is right with his prognosis:
For many fans, it feels like Bungie secretly tweaked the drop rate of exotics in Destiny 2 with the release of the Black Armory. Our author Sven shares this opinion. What are your experiences?
Since the first premium DLC “The Black Armory” was released on December 4, 2018, reports from fans have increased that Destiny 2 has become significantly more generous with its most valuable loot, the exotic gear. What’s the truth?
It looks like Bungie has increased the drop rate of Forsaken exotics
When the Forsaken expansion was released, my guardians entered the big autumn expansion well-equipped. With one exception, I had all exotics available up to that point. However, since Forsaken, Destiny 2 has been anything but generous to me. Generally, you were rarely rewarded with exotics.
My experiences before the Black Armory: I spent quite a bit of time in the expansion and played all three characters. The game rewarded me from September 4 to December 4 with a grand total of just one single exotic Forsaken drop.
While I was able to earn some Forsaken exotics like the Pikass or the Chaperon through relevant quests, I actually only got one new exo drop – the auto rifle Cerberus+1.
My experiences after the Black Armory release: However, with the launch of the “Black Armory”, the situation has noticeably changed for me. Since December 4, I’ve put in a maximum of 2-3 hours into the game up until this moment. Yet in this short time, I have already been rewarded with three exotic items, two of them from Forsaken.
Many other guardians seem to feel the same way. Some members of my clan, as well as comments on Reddit, other forums, and even here on MeinMMO, speak of similar experiences.
While there are certainly guardians who have noticed little or no change, reports of a noticeable increase in Forsaken exotic drops are becoming more common.
For me personally, a significant change is definitely noticeable. During my entire Forsaken time, I only had 4 or 5 exotic drops, now three in just a few hours. And the fact that other players share this feeling leads me to suspect that Bungie has indeed made some tweaks.
What does Bungie say? There has been no statement from Bungie on this issue. The official patch notes from the last two major updates do not mention such a change. So, these are individual experiences from some guardians.
If it really turns out to be more than just a coincidentally well-calibrated RNG with generosity, then the studio must have made this adjustment secretly. In this case, I would appreciate a bit more communication and clarity from Bungie. The fans would certainly thank them for it.
Survey: What are your current experiences with the drop rate of Forsaken exotics?
In this context, we have prepared a survey for you. We want to know how you perceive the current drop rate of Forsaken exotics. Do you feel a significant increase? Has nothing changed for you? Or are you getting even less than before?
Keep in mind, you have only one answer option. Thank you for your time and participation.
The video platform YouTube summarizes the major events in the Best-of-Video Rewind every year. In 2018, people apparently hated “Rewind” – it has received 4 million thumbs down so far. This makes it the second most hated video on the platform. Rewind 2018 apparently featured too much Fortnite.
Here’s what Rewind is about: The video “Rewind” is a kind of “Best-off” video from YouTube every year. Since 2010, the platform has summarized the highlights of a year in a clip.
Various content creators appear, celebrating what made them famous that year: Typical YouTube phenomena like the “Ice Bucket Challenge” or the dance “Gangnam Style” can be found in the Rewinds of each respective year.
The top 5 of the most hated videos on YouTube. Source: Wikipedia
Here’s why people hate the video: The problem seems to be that YouTube users feel they are not represented by the video.
Below the video, there are comments saying: “If YouTube were like this, I would never watch it.”
Another much-noticed comment says: “The video shows that YouTube is drifting away more from its content creators every year.”
How much Fortnite appears in the video? Fortnite is heavily featured in the video. The opening sequence includes various YouTubers jumping out of a Battle Bus. Top streamer Ninja is the bus driver, asking for silence and complaining, that no one ever thanks him.
YouTube sweeps controversial streamers under the rug
This is what lies behind the many negative reactions: The video mainly showcases the “advertiser-friendly faces” of YouTube and ignores the many controversial streamers and figures that also characterize YouTube.
These controversial streamers, however, have the most fans, generate the most views, and make the most headlines.
So there is a lot of Fortnite in the video and many other YouTubers who avoid controversies.
Additionally, celebrities are shown who are known from other contexts and who are not “homegrown” from YouTube like Hollywood star Will Smith or comedian John Oliver.
But many controversial YouTubers like PewDiePie, Logan Paul, and the many controversies and scandals surrounding these types of YouTubers are missing. Even if they may seem silly, like the race between PewDiePie and T-Series for the channel with the most subscribers – they are, for many fans, the real core of YouTube.
A Black Desert version of PewDiePie
As the US site “The Verge” notes, the Rewind video is probably made more for the advertising industry and presents the friendly side of YouTube, where advertisers like to place their ads.
The video, however, ignores things that actually define YouTube, such as a boxing fight that millions tune into. This controversial side is what YouTube tries to sweep under the rug in Rewind.
In the online mode of Red Dead Redemption 2, you can walk around with two holsters and thus two revolvers. However, you need to level up significantly in Red Dead Online to be able to adorn yourself with a second holster.
In the single-player mode of Red Dead Redemption 2, you could unlock a second holster through a special quest. This allows you to carry two revolvers and shoot ambidextrously in battles.
In Red Dead Online, you can also wear a second holster, but you must gather quite a bit of experience points for this.
Second Holster for Real Outlaws
These are the requirements: Instead of battling for the second holster in one of the online missions, you need to reach the appropriate rank. For the basic second holster, that is rank 25.
How to level up most comfortably, we have compiled in this article. Owners of the Ultimate Edition of Red Dead Redemption 2 can be pleased because they level up to rank 25 faster than anyone else.
There are many different holsters, each with different rank requirements. They also vary in cost. While you have to pay about 7 to 8 dollars for a basic second holster, you can spend around 25 dollars for a higher-level holster. How nice that you are currently being gifted money and gold bars in RDO.
Here’s where you can get second holsters: To acquire a second holster, you need to visit a gunsmith. You can also find gunsmiths in Red Dead Online in the towns of Valentine, Tumbleweed, Annesburg, Rhodes, and Saint Denis.
Just be aware that a second holster means you have an additional inventory slot that needs to be filled. Many players have already complained that everything in Red Dead Online is much more expensive than in single-player, including weapons.
Anthem is set to be released in spring, with two demos running beforehand. The release dates for these demos are now known. It starts in January and February.
On February 22, the shared-world shooter Anthem will be released. The first alpha test starts today, December 8. However, this is not open to everyone; participants were drawn by lot. Those who didn’t get a spot can still feel reassured.
Anthem is planning two demo versions for spring. There is now also a release date for these demos. While the VIP demo for pre-order customers starts in January, a demo for everyone will be available in early February.
When does it start for whom?
The VIP demo starts on this day: On January 25, the first demo for Anthem will kick off. The VIP demo has its name for a reason and will be accessible only to pre-order customers. It runs until January 27.
Is pre-ordering the only way? Apparently, EA also wants to send keys for the VIP demo to subscribers of the Anthem newsletter.
On these days, everyone can play: The open demo will be available from February 1 to February 3.
What is included in the demos? So far, there is no information available. The scope may correspond to the alpha version that is being made available to players today. However, it can be assumed that a part of the world of Anthem can be explored with friends.
Developer Bioware has emphasized beforehand: It is a demo, not a beta. Therefore, it is not meant for bug fixing, but only to give an impression of the game.
We are particularly looking forward to these five innovations in World of Warcraft Patch 8.1.
Next week it’s finally happening. The first major content patch for World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth is launching. Although we have already listed a large part of the changes and innovations in our Overview of Patch 8.1 Tides of Vengeance, we want to focus on five things that will benefit all players.
1. Improvements to the Reputation System
Reputation is important for all characters as it often determines what players can buy, wear, and use. This is especially important in Battle for Azeroth because a high reputation with the “Champions of Azeroth” decides what item level the necklace “Heart of Azeroth” has. For this reason, unlocking with the Champions of Azeroth will be account-wide.
So if a character is already “respectful” with the Champions, they can go directly to Magni Bronzebeard with their alt characters and collect the upgrades. Long, repetitive farming is therefore eliminated.
But even more is changing: If you have unlocked transmog items of a reputation faction, you can now use them on other characters – regardless of whether that alt character has the actual reputation for it.
2. Unlock Allied Races in Turbo
Anyone who has not yet been able to commit to unlocking the various Allied Races will also be relieved with Patch 8.1. Blizzard is doubling the reputation gain with all factions required to unlock the “old” Allied Races (Nightborne, Highmountain Tauren, Army of the Light, Argus Assault). This should make unlocking possible in just a few days.
But the unlocking of Dark Iron Dwarves and Mag’har will also be accelerated. Because the individual steps of the War Campaign now provide a large amount of reputation each time, allowing the campaign to be completed quickly and the two races to be unlocked. Combined with the next point, this should be a new incentive for many players…
3. The Faster Leveling Phase
Leveling alt characters in the current version of World of Warcraft is a pain. Due to the lack of noticeable improvements per level (such as talent points), leveling feels particularly sluggish and gives little pleasure. Therefore, with Patch 8.1, the experience needed for level-ups between levels 20 and 110 is drastically reduced! In some areas, up to 40% fewer experience points are required than before.
This should make leveling go faster and allow the desired character to reach the endgame much quicker.
Do you want to know where you can level the best? Here are our top leveling areas:
The Warfront has been viewed rather skeptically in World of Warcraft so far. This is mainly because it is time-limited and only one side can have “fun” while the other side gathers resources or manages to defeat rare enemies in Arathi once.
Since Patch 8.1 adds a second Warfront (Darkshore), this issue should be resolved. Both Warfronts gather resources independently and run in parallel. For example, the Alliance could play the Warfront of Arathi while the Horde fights over Darkshore. This should ensure that there is always something to do. Especially for alt characters, Warfronts remain a great opportunity to quickly obtain solid gear and then tackle other game content, such as Mythic+ dungeons.
5. The Improved War Mode
The War Mode is also getting an overhaul, although this is mainly done “passively” through other features. So far, there have been few incentives to truly participate in War Mode and engage in PvP. Sometimes there was a dispute over a boss during a quest, but mostly the Alliance and Horde are rather scattered and encounter each other rarely.
With the new “Incursions”, where Horde and Alliance attack the enemy’s respective continent, there are numerous quests for both sides encouraging them to stay in the same environment. This promises plenty of skirmishes that should excite fans of world PvP.
In addition, a change is coming that the faction with fewer players in War Mode receives a greater incentive and can gain up to 30% more XP while leveling. This should motivate other players (mainly Alliance players) to dive into War Mode as well.
Fallout 76 recently released some player data. Now Bethesda has commented on the matter.
What happened? Bethesda, the company behind Fallout 76, made an error in their customer support. Players had a brief glimpse into tickets from other players who had contacted support.
Now Bethesda has stated in a press release what customer data was published and for what period.
No credit card numbers were visible
What was the error? If someone wants to send a message to customer support, they submit a ticket. In this ticket, they can outline any issues in the game but also relay credit card numbers or other details. These tickets could be viewed for a short period by any other player who also submitted a ticket to support.
What does Bethesda say? Bethesda confirmed this error. From December 5th, it was possible for about 45 minutes to access the tickets of other players. However, this only applied to players who submitted a ticket within that timeframe.
How many customers were affected? During the period when the error occurred, 123 tickets were sent to customer support. These could be partially or fully viewed by other users. 65 tickets contained personal data that could also be viewed.
The following data could be viewed: Bethesda asserts that no passwords and entire credit card numbers could be viewed. Affected were names, usernames, or contact information. These items were viewable for a short period.
Am I also affected? Every player affected by this error is already being informed by Bethesda.
Is the problem fixed now? The errors have been corrected, and customer support is functioning properly again. However, Bethesda is now facing even more criticism after they previously provided players with wrong bags in the Collector’s Edition.
The error ultimately was not as significant as many feared. In the end, no credit card numbers or passwords were viewed. Such an error should not happen again for Bethesda.
What do you think of the error? Can something like this happen?
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds has received a cool short film. Hollywood director Jordan Vogt-Roberts has honored the battle royale shooter with an engaging film.
This is what it is about the PUBG movie: Jordan Vogt-Roberts is the director behind the blockbuster Kong: Skull Island. He is also currently working on a film adaptation of Metal Gear Solid. The man is also a true game fan and recently dedicated a short film to PUBG.
This is what you see in the PUBG film: In the short, well-made film, you experience a typical PUBG match in fast forward. It starts with the panicked search for weapons, the obligatory frying pan, wild fights, and even unexpected twists.
Anyone familiar with the game will spot typical game items everywhere, including the usual weapons, armor items, and of course the frying pan, which serves as a sort of super multi-purpose weapon in the video.
How fans are reacting: Reactions to the video are somewhat mixed. Some praise the action and choreography. Others, however, criticize that PUBG does not actually allow all these cool actions. The video is full of action and portrays the image of an engaging, dynamic game.
However, that is not PUBG. Rather, PUBG plays out more tactically, and wild action like in the video is rather the exception. And the frying pan is by no means as overpowered as in the film.
