At Gamescom 2018, the new combat helicopters for War Thunder were showcased for the first time. With update 1.81 “The Valkyries,” the helicopters are now playable, although not for everyone.
The 4th weapon type in the game: With combat helicopters, War Thunder becomes even more complex. These flying platforms are particularly well-suited for wreaking havoc on ground targets. On the other hand, the helicopters are slower than planes and can therefore be effectively countered by tanks and especially anti-aircraft guns.
With the current update 1.81, the combat helicopters are finally playable. However, you must either put in some effort or pay money.
How to gain access to the helicopter beta
The helicopters are currently being tested in a closed beta until October 19, 2018. You can only try them out if you have access.
How do I get into the helicopter beta? There are two ways to get into the helicopter beta:
Purchase a bundle with a helicopter and goodies for 39.99. There is one for the American UH-1C-XM 30 or the Russian Mi-24D.
Complete 10 daily tasks in the game to obtain tester status for free.
What helicopters are available? Initially, there will be about a dozen helicopters from the USA and the USSR in the beta. These include the Bell UH-1 Huey, a symbol of the Vietnam War, as well as three other variants of the Bell AH-1 Cobra, the first mass-produced dedicated combat helicopter.
The Soviet Union will receive the multipurpose helicopter Mi-4AV as well as several variants of the famous “flying tank” Mi-24 “Crocodile” (NATO reporting name “Hind”) and its modern version Mi-35M.
What do you get in the beta? If you test the helicopters in the beta, you can earn “Tester Stars” for goodies:
A Tester Star is awarded for 5 victories if you control a USA or USSR vehicle of ranks V-VI in random battles with an activity of at least 60%.
You will receive a unique “Valkyrie” badge for 12 Tester Stars.
The daily tasks for “Tester Stars” are updated daily at 1:00 PM CEST.
You can earn only one “Tester Star” per day.
You must win a battle while controlling a vehicle of rank V or VI from the tech tree of the USA or USSR to guarantee the “Tester Star”. You should control one of these vehicles at the end of the battle.
The story of WoW: Battle for Azeroth is well received by players. But one crucial aspect is missing: the actual war. The patch 8.1 is supposed to deliver that.
For about a month now, World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth has been live, and even the more casual players have reached the maximum level of 120. In addition to much praise for the stories and the beauty of the individual areas, there are also criticisms. Some players miss the main point of the expansion: the war.
Most criticism seems to stem from the fact that the exciting cinematics (Siege of Undercity and the Saurfang cinematic) have little to do with the actual expansion. While the addon starts with the battle for Undercity, thereafter there is little mention of the war.
Starting content is practically without war
Instead, the expansion revolves around the following, as Reddit user deadcloudx puts it:
One solves some ghost problem in a forest
The thing with the spiny livers
Some people have tentacles on their boats
Turtle people
Some comments suggest that all of this is just the beginning to push the war between Horde and Alliance forward. There will surely be more content in upcoming patches that reflect more direct war actions.
The war campaign also receives criticism: Many players felt that the war campaign was too short. It felt like a series of disjointed attacks on enemy outposts. Although there was a rough storyline, it did not feel like actions that could decide a real war.
Players are particularly annoyed that the war campaigns play “past each other” and that the Horde’s actions have no impact on the Alliance and vice versa.
Here too, it seems that Patch 8.1 will offer redemption from the horizon. The war campaign will continue and presumably this story will lead to the siege of Zuldazar.
It seems that Patch 8.1 will quell many of the community’s concerns and fulfill wishes. One can only hope that the update can also deliver what it promises and finally bring the “war” to Warcraft.
How do you feel about all of this? Do you also miss the “war” in World of Warcraft? Or are war fronts and the campaign enough war story to justify the title of the expansion?
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds will expand its PC version with Update 22 to include a ranking system. Players can rise or fall in ranks and are expected to encounter more opponents of their own skill level.
The next update for PUBG will enhance the PC version of the battle royale shooter with some new features and improvements. Patch 22 will introduce, among other things, a rank system, a custom map selection, and a skin exchange system. The update is already on the test servers and is expected to be released in October.
In PUBG, you will soon be able to fight for the best ranks
What is the rank system? PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds will receive a rank system with Update 22, where players are classified based on their individual performance. To be sorted into the appropriate tier, ten placement matches will be played in advance, similar to Overwatch.
There will be eight ranks where players can rise or fall based on their total points. These include classifications in Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Elite, Master, and Grandmaster.
Further information about the rank system will be available shortly.
What additional features will the update bring? Patch 22 is expected to bring more features and improvements, in addition to bug fixes:
Server/region will be automatically determined based on the player’s local region. If two players from different regions team up, matchmaking will automatically decide the best region to play in.
Improvement of the leaderboard. Players can now view their progress and receive clearer information about KDA, rank, and average damage.
The custom map selection allows for individual maps to be selected or the quick connect option, which assigns the first available match.
A skin exchange system where multiple items of the same tier can be exchanged for one item of the next higher tier.
A quick access for healing items, throwable items, and emotes.
What does the community think? Players joke that with the upcoming rank system, they can finally play only with equally bad players.
Others point out that they thought they were already matched with players of similar skill levels through matchmaking. The rank system would merely visualize this. Some even go so far as to call it just a cosmetic change.
Many players on the PUBG subreddit, however, are looking forward to the upcoming changes. They hope that the automatic selection of servers and regions will resolve some problems with matchmaking.
What do you think of the upcoming features for PUBG on PC? What change do you like best or what do you still feel is missing?
Rockstar has taken horseback riding in Red Dead Redemption 2 to the next level. Players have more control, new whistles and can drift.
In the western adventure from Rockstar Games, horses are loyal companions. You use them to ride from A to B or to transport loot. The developers have clearly put a lot of thought into the capabilities of horses and even incorporated tricks.
Drift with Horses Like with Sports Cars
Early testers of Red Dead Redemption 2 can now share their experiences. As Gamespot explains, drifting with horses in Red Dead Redemption 2 is just like in the movie The Fast and The Furious.
How does drifting work? If you are fast enough, you can perform a maneuver that resembles a drift. This is suitable for quickly changing direction with the horse. It should even be possible to drift in a complete circle.
You can perform a few more tricks, such as making the horse rear up on its hind legs. There are also techniques related to dressage.
New Whistles: If you want to call your horse, you whistle. In Red Dead Redemption 2, there is not just one typical whistle, but several ways to whistle.
Can you whistle indefinitely? You can hold the whistle button down for a while, but eventually Arthur will run out of breath.
The Bond with Your Horse is Important: Rockstar has already emphasized that the bond between character and horse in Red Dead Redemption 2 is particularly important.
You should groom and pat your horse to keep it clean and happy. If your horse gets scared, it will be less effective in battles. The loss of your horse in Red Dead Redemption 2 is supposed to be painful.
Different Types of Horses: There are different types of horses in Red Dead Redemption 2. The “Tennessee Walker” is an all-rounder compared to the other horses. Each breed of horse is supposed to have its own advantages and disadvantages.
In some situations, you must lead your horse in Red Dead Redemption 2 and proceed on foot.
Can you kill your horse? Testers have fortunately already conducted this experiment for you. No, you cannot kill your horse in Red Dead Redemption 2. Unlike in Red Dead Redemption 1.
The first tests and reviews on Metacritic present a positive picture of FIFA 19.
Still unsure whether you want to get FIFA 19? The first tests and reviews that have recently gone online may help you with your purchasing decision.
Overview of Criticism: The Metacritic page summarizes the first impressions of the game: A total of 25 tests (PS4) contribute to the current Metascore for FIFA 19. As of September 20th, there are still no reviews for the PC version, and only 8 reviews are available for Xbox. Below, we give you an overview.
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Praise for graphics, game modes, and “The Journey”
Good results: The average Metascore of FIFA 19 currently stands at 84 points, which is considered very good. This is based on the 25 tests for PS4, which are partially excellent, good, or average – there are no really poor results.
For example, the site “God is a Geek” awarded a score of 95 and called FIFA 19 the “best football game of the year – perhaps even the best of all time”.
“Forbes” described the game as “visually stunning, fun, and deep”.
“PlayStation LifeStyle” (90) stated: “FIFA 19 is much more than just a pure graphic update.”
“Meristation” gave a score of 90 and especially praised the “superb gameplay and a wealth of high-quality modes”.
“GamesRadar” referred back to the newly licensed Champions League: Players now have even more opportunities to immerse themselves deeply into the world of football.
The German GameStar gives a preliminary positive conclusion: The presentation receives top scores, while the game design solely criticizes the behavior of the goalkeepers. “The Journey 3” is also described as very diverse, and the scope of the game is not to be criticized. The only major criticism points to the pack system in Ultimate Team mode, which gives paying players an unfair advantage.
The Computer Bild gives a school grade of 1.3 and praises the more authentic tackles and ball receptions. The staging is also first-class, but overall, the innovations are limited.
However, there was also criticism: “Game Revolution” (80) emphasized that all highs and lows of a football game come together in FIFA. There is still room for improvement.
“Gaming Nexus” (70) praised the fun of the game, but saw little change compared to the last edition. The neglect of “Pro Clubs” also caused discontent.
“Power Unlimited” (85) writes: “We give FIFA 19 the same rating as Diego Costa: clinical, sometimes a bit blunt with dirty play, but overall with the ability to draw you into the stadium.”
FIFA 19 ratings at a glance
Here are the ratings from numerous tests for FIFA 19 on PS4:
God is a Geek – 9.5
Forbes – 9.2
Areajugones – 9.2
JeuxActu – 92/100
Meristation – 9
Multiplayer.it – 9
Vandal – 9
Computer Bild – 1.3 (School grade)
HobbyConsolas – 88/100
Everyeye.it – 8.7
TheBleacherReport – 8.5
3djuegos – 8.5
TechAdvisor – 4.5/5
Twinfinite – 4.5/5
GamesRadar – 4.5
IGN – 8.2
GameStar – 80 to 85
PressStart – 8
Gamer.no – 8
MetroUK – 8
Eurogamer Italy – 80/100
GameRevolution – 4/5
COGconnected – 79/100
Jeuxvideo – 75/100
Gamer.nl – 7.5
GamingNexus – 7
DigitalTrends – 3.5/5
For Xbox One, the Metascore is also 84 – however, only 8 reviews are available.
Overall conclusion positive
FIFA 19 pleases many: Overall, the tone is very favorable. However, it remains to be seen whether the majority of the community will feel the same when FIFA 19 officially releases on September 28.
Because by the release, you can make your own picture of FIFA 19. If you want to take a sneak peek: The FIFA 19 Web App is already live and provides initial impressions from the FUT mode. You can also try out many things in the FIFA 19 demo. In addition, you will find many other articles here with us!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A few days ago, Ion Hazzikostas, the Game Director of World of Warcraft, revealed many highlights of patch 8.1 Tides of Vengeance. One of the new features will be the Incursions, which will function similarly to the Legion invasions. We will explain what this entails.
Attack of the opposing faction: During an “Incursion,” the Alliance will launch a large-scale attack on a Horde area, or the Horde will launch a large-scale attack on an Alliance area. For example, it could happen that Drustvar is suddenly overrun by Alliance troops, creating significant problems for Horde characters playing there.
Incursions overwrite world quests. It has already been confirmed that the Incursions will completely seize an area, similar to what happened in Legion. Once an Incursion begins, all actually active world quests will be temporarily disabled.
Instead, there will be special quests that are important for the respective Incursion. For instance, you may need to eliminate particularly strong commanders or ravage a camp.
Much still uncertain: However, specific details about the feature are still not available. Open questions that Blizzard will likely address with the upcoming PTR for patch 8.1 include:
Will there be a small scenario at the end again?
Can you level up through the Incursions?
Are there worthwhile loots?
Are there additional rewards such as transmogs, toys, and the like?
More information about the feature will be available in the coming weeks when patch 8.1 Tides of Vengeance hits the PTR. However, there is no release date yet.
In League of Legends (LoL) there will be two new leagues for ranked games. These are intended for the best and worst players. This means that LoL players need to rethink: The old “Bronze 5” flame no longer works.
The ranked system in League of Legends ranks players based on their skill into different leagues. These previously ranged from Bronze to Challenger. With two additional leagues, the system is now supposed to improve. At the same time, the 5-divisions are being removed, and a nasty meme is being killed.
Iron and Grandmaster as new classes
In a developer diary, Riot Snapmagic, Gortok, and Mangothunder explain the changes to the ranked system in LoL.
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The problem with the ranks: For years, developers have been hearing voices from the community saying: We are improving, but we cannot see that in the rank.
Where were the problems evident? Developers noticed that some leagues work better than others.
If Bronze players improve, they do not rank up
From the Diamond league on, the skill levels at the upper and lower ends of this league feel completely different
In Gold, however, a small performance boost already means that you rank up one or more divisions
The solution: Because climbing in different leagues feels so different, they are now trying a middle ground. There are two new classes.
Iron – Below Bronze
Grandmaster – Between Master and Challenger
According to Riot, this should give Bronze players more recognition when their skill improves. In the higher ranks, the Grandmaster league will recalibrate the placements.
Will it be harder to rank up? No. Because the developers have simply reduced the divisions within leagues from 5 to 4. Divisions are subdivisions of the individual leagues. In the Gold league, there were divisions 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1. Division 1 is the highest rank, 5 was the lowest in a league.
And thus the meme dies: It is no longer possible to play in Bronze 5 due to the new system because this division no longer exists. The term “Bronze 5” became a meme that was always used whenever someone messed up an action in the game.
If someone shoots their ultimate in the wrong direction, a teammate is ready to ask “um, sorry but … are you playing in Bronze 5?” with the background that Bronze 5 was the worst rank you could be assigned in LoL.
Another meme goes away: For the same reason, the Diamond 5 meme also disappears. Because there were such strong skill differences between Diamond 5 and Diamond 1, this meme exists at all. Diamond 5 is one of the higher ranks in LoL. The developers say:
This meme exists mainly because there is indeed a level difference between the upper and lower parts of Diamond – and the same can be found within most other high classes. This difference diminishes the meaning of the entire class and diminishes the achievement of having reached it.
Now, Riot has simply abolished Division 5 in Bronze. In the future, bad actions will likely be termed as Iron 4.
The purple cube from Fortnite: Battle Royale (PC, PS4, Xbox One, iOS, Android, Switch) has reached its goal. In the lake at Loot Lake, the cube sank and transformed the entire region. But that may just be the beginning.
What happened to the cube and Loot Lake? On September 19, 2018, the cube, named “Kevin” by the Reddit community, rolled for the last time. It tipped over – as predicted in many theories – into the lake at Loot Lake. But what happened next was unforeseen, as none of the events speculated by fans occurred:
There was no volcanic eruption
No mirror dimension opened
No aliens appeared to build a bizarre high-tech city
“Bouncy Bayou” instead of “Lava Lake”: Instead, the entire lake is now covered with a purple substance that resembles the surface of the cube. It displays the same runes and makes strange noises.
Those who step on it will be bounced around like on a trampoline. It is virtually impossible to stand still on the lake. Players on Reddit have already renamed the place to “Bouncy Bayou”.
Lake becomes a bouncy castle: You can also shoot at the lake without consequence, there are no energy beams like from the cube. And if you want to complete your stunt points challenge with the golf cart or the shopping cart, you should definitely drive onto the lake.
The final phase has begun: According to the internal timer (which may still change), Season 5 will last until September 24, 2018. That’s not long now. Unlike the end of Season 4 and the augmented reality game from back then, where suddenly burgers and llamas appeared in the real world, not much has happened so far.
Epic needs to deliver: Therefore, it can be assumed that Epic will drop a big bomb soon. After all, the developers constantly have to deliver new content and keep players engaged with increasingly wild PR stunts.
But Epic would not be Epic if they didn’t have something crazy up their sleeve. Thus, many players are already eagerly watching the lake, expecting something new to happen on the map tonight, 24 hours after the cube’s demise.
But what happens at the end of Season 5? Here are a few theories from the community:
The lava is still coming: The volcano under the lake is still active and will erupt!
Dark dimensions: The lake explodes and reverses the entire map on Halloween. Also, the “evil” skins that we know from the final cover of the road trip challenge will be available.
The Vikings are coming! After all, the Norse people are an integral part of Season 5, without much having happened with them so far. Perhaps the purple water will continue across the river to the lake up to the Viking ship on the mountain, which will then take off or release a dragon. And just today, the frost dragon glider for Ragnarök, the final outfit of Season 5, appeared in the shop …
Fun Fact: Ragnarök is in Norse mythology the end of the known world and its recreation from the ruins. Is it possible that the entire map will be wiped out and reborn? Many fans would greatly welcome that!
Tentacles from the deep: A spectrograph analysis of the sounds the lake makes has revealed strange snake-like shapes. Are they tentacles that will emerge from the depths?
This is what the spectrogram of the lake sounds like. Do you see tentacles here? Source: Imgur
Did the cube fly away? A video that a player claims to have recorded caused quite a stir. It shows the cube suddenly rising from the lake and simply flying away. Whether the video is fake or shows a bug is unknown.
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With the upcoming addon “The Heart of Fire”, the crafting system of the MMORPG Neverwinter will be revamped. You will become the boss of your own workshop.
Cryptic Studios will overhaul the crafting system of Neverwinter. This will make item creation more challenging and exciting.
Crafting had to become more exciting
How was crafting so far? Until now, the crafting system of Neverwinter was quite simple. It was used, but hardly anyone found it particularly exciting. Crafting was not a real focus for the developers, who mainly focused on new stories with modules such as Ravenloft. This is now changing.
You need to acquire workforce, tools, and materials
Artisans are basically just icons and a component in crafting
You assign artisans tasks that they will produce within a certain time using the tools and materials
Workforce levels up over time and can produce better items, including ones of epic quality
This is how crafting will work after the update: With the upcoming addon, you will get your own workshop, which also makes crafting a bit more “tangible”.
If you receive your workshop during the quests of “The Heart of Fire”, you will become the boss of a company
You will review applications from artisans and can hire them
The workforce will then actually be visible in your workshop as they work
You will continue to assign tasks to artisans at a task board, and the workers will also improve over time
At this task board, you will also assign adventurers to gather raw materials and refining stones. You will then regularly receive a delivery
At the workbench, you will place orders for recipes
A few times a day, it is possible to complete orders immediately
More of these “accelerations” can be purchased with astral diamonds
The workshop can be upgraded over time to work more efficiently
There are still some things to clarify
Fans are reacting somewhat reserved: Overall, these new features are well received by the players of Neverwinter. Finally, the developers are making crafting more interesting, so that it no longer runs “faceless” in the background. Instead, you really have to take care of it. However, many questions remain open, as can be seen in the official forum.
How will the master professions fit into the system?
Can the developers gradually establish balancing between items and maintain the purchase of accelerations?
How will the new system affect players who have previously placed a lot of importance on professions and have invested a lot here?
The developers have stated that they will soon reveal more details about the new crafting system of Neverwinter. Hopefully, the most urgent questions will then be answered.
In Destiny 2, you can now download a new PS4 design for your console. It comes from an artist in the Destiny community and is free for everyone.
Free PS4 design for you: As of today, September 20th, you can download a new PS4 design in the Destiny style to adorn the background of your PS4 menu. However, this design does not come from professional design artists at Activision or Bungie – but directly from the community.
Community Graphic Design: As PlayStation announces, they collaborated with artist Brian Moncus to create a “stunning PS4 design” to celebrate the Destiny community.
Moncus himself has been drawing since he can remember and has been playing video games for almost as long, shares PlayStation. Additionally, he is a huge Destiny fan.
Additionally, the Destiny 2 Forsaken music plays when you’re in the menu. However, the design is not “dynamic” – nothing moves in the background.
This is how to download it for free: Go to the settings on your PS4 menu, scroll down a bit, and press “Design.” Then select “Choose Design” and go all the way down to “Find in PlayStation Store.” There, the Destiny design will be displayed first.
You can download it directly. It is 12.6 MB in size.
What do the Guardians say about it? Moncus is receiving tons of praise from the community for this design. It’s fantastic, it’s great, it’s epic – as read in the comments under the PlayStation tweet. They thank the artist – also for making it available for free download.
With Magic: The Gathering Arena, Wizards of the Coast is working on an adaptation of the popular card game that aims to stay as true as possible to the original. The open beta is starting soon. But is the game only suitable for hardcore fans?
Fans of the card game Magic: The Gathering are already excited, as the open beta of the digital version “Arena” will start shortly. This version is expected to be closer to the original than ever before.
The perfect Magic adaptation?
What is Magic: The Gathering? The collectible card game was launched in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast and is the pioneer of this genre of card games. Magic established a genre that is now extremely popular even in digital form: e.g., through Blizzard’s Hearthstone or Gwent from CD Project Red.
All these games are derived from Magic but offer their own rules, modifications, and game modes.
Beta starts on September 27 – Here’s how you can participate
When does it start? With Magic: The Gathering Arena, a new variant for PC is in the works, which will enter open beta on September 27.
On the official website, you can register for the beta. The online game uses the free-to-play model, where you can purchase new card decks or earn them by using rare wildcards.
Why are fans excited about “Arena”? While there were earlier digital versions of Magic, they always had some variations of the rules. However, Magic fans want an online game that sticks as closely as possible to the original. And that is exactly what “Arena” aims to provide.
Therefore, it is not an external team developing the game but rather its publisher Wizards of the Coast. Fans have high hopes for the title, which could finally be exactly the game they have long wished for.
Closed Beta was well received: So far, selected fans have been able to participate in a Closed Beta of Magic: The Gathering Arena. Interestingly, it even attracted players who typically have no interest in online games at all. For instance, in the Reddit group, people are asking what a wipe is. Generally, there is a lot of discussion about individual cards, their strengths, and which game variants should be introduced.
The fans are already very pleased with the beta. While there are still areas that need work – such as the deck-building tool, social features, and the UI – the game is generally well-received.
With the open beta on September 27, it will be seen how the card game is received when a broader audience gets to try it. This includes players who love Hearthstone, for example. Because Magic: The Gathering Arena certainly does not want to appeal only to Magic fans, but aims to establish itself in the online card game market in general.
Our author Leya has discovered six pets and mounts in MMOs that all have cool stories. Read here about dead ghost girls, legendary lucky pigs, and space herpes.
Maybe you are, just like me, excited about animal companions in games. The crazier the pets and mounts are, the better! Often they are just quirky beings, but sometimes there are also exciting stories behind them.
Here come six cool animal stories that I would like to share with you.
[toc]
A dead child as a pet
In the World of Warcraft you can actually have a dead girl as a pet. The little Uuna disappeared without a trace after the great battle for Argus, like many children, and presumably died here.
Uuna’s soul is frightened and finds no peace.
Uuna’s soul is stuck in a dog made from corpses: Now the soul of the Draenei girl cannot find peace, as she is doomed to lead her lifeless existence in a deformed dog creature named Ur’zul. The Ur’zul are demons made from the bodies and souls of tortured Draenei.
Apparently, it was not macabre enough to make a pet out of a dead child. It also had to be stuffed into a dog made of corrupted and fused corpses.
The Ur’zul consists of the remains of tortured Draenei, including the little Uuna who was integrated into such a demon. This meatball is also available as a mount.
Uuna’s soul can be freed: Behind the dead girl is a puzzle and those who solve it free the little soul from her fear and torment.
As a reward, players then receive a grateful and happy ghost girl. From now on, the liberators of her soul will be able to hug Uuna. A hauntingly beautiful story.
EX-Raid invitations in Pokémon GO have frequently drawn criticism. With this change, Niantic aims to make the feature more attractive.
Share invitations to EX-Raids now: In the future, those who receive invitations to EX-Raids in Pokémon GO can bring a friend along. With your help, they can now participate in the raid without their own invitation.
A system that fans are already praising before they can test it. In the past, EX-Raids often caused frustration.
These problems were seen in past EX-Raids
What is an EX-Raid? These are special raids where players could previously battle Mewtwo. Mewtwo was not available in regular raids, the wild, or eggs. Trainers could only battle and catch it in EX-Raids – a special incentive. However, one must be invited by Pokémon GO to participate in these EX-Raids.
How do you get invited? Those who successfully complete a raid at an EX-Raid arena have a chance of being invited to an EX-Raid. Not every trainer who successfully conducts a raid at the arena will be invited.
Luck and the element of chance play a significant role in the invitation process.
The problem is: Many trainers reported in the past that they participated in raids together with friends but not everyone was invited to an EX-Raid. In a group of friends, being the only participant without an EX-Raid invitation quickly gave the feeling of being excluded.
Often, players in rural areas had the problem of being invited to an EX-Raid only to fail due to a lack of players during the battle.
If only one person from a duo of players was invited, the motivation of both players declined. One person was disappointed not to have been invited, while the other was unhappy because they had to battle without their raid partner.
Sharing helps trainers: Now friends who play Pokémon GO together can help each other out. If you are out as a duo and only one receives an invitation, simply share it with the partner. When people are invited in larger raid groups, they can share it with other players.
It is a great addition to a rather flawed system. The ability to invite your partner, family members, or raid buddies resolves many of the worst scenarios we know from EX-Raids.
New potential through EX-Raid invitations
By sharing invitations for EX-Raids, these battles could become much more popular.
This is how sharing strengthens the community: Often, you meet other Pokémon players at raids who are there alone or with another group. By sharing EX-Raid passes, they are all potential players who could invite you to EX-Raids. Conversely, you could invite them if you have an invitation left. This way, friendships and communities can form among players with common interests.
Therefore, one should ideally make friends with the trainers you often see at raids. As Great or Best Friends, you can be of great help to each other.
The streamer Ninja is one of the best players in Fortnite: Battle Royale. But how did the skinny boy with colorful hair become so good? The answer is not particularly glamorous.
Who is this Ninja, anyway? Tyler “Ninja” Blevins is the most successful streamer in the world. The lanky young man with colorful hair has over 11 million followers on Twitch and earns several thousand dollars each month through their donations and subscription fees . On social media, he is regarded as the most influential athlete ahead of footballers Neymar and Ronaldo.
Moreover, Ninja is simply a damn good Fortnite player.
That actually sounds like a chill life: Gaming all day and becoming filthy rich doing it. But the truth is less glamorous, as Ninja explains in conversation with the sports magazine ESPN.
Maximal Combat Spirit
Ninja is an extreme competitor: To understand Ninja’s gameplay, one must first take a closer look at the person Tyler Blevins. The pale boy with dyed hair may outwardly appear as a laid-back jokester, but at his core, he is a tough, tenacious winner.
He approaches every game he plays with maximum commitment, according to his brother, this has been the case since childhood.
Unbeatable even as a child: Tyler would always win back then, no matter what was played. Even when his brother frustratedly punched him in the arm to make Tyler drop the controller, the young Ninja would still achieve victory.
Ninja simply does not want to lose. When he plays, he follows through relentlessly. Be it in Halo, where he made his mark as an eSports player, or now in Fortnite.
Ninja’s way of playing Fortnite has nothing to do with fun anymore
Talent is good, but it’s not enough: Ninja’s success definitely indicates that he has a talent for games. That might be an initial advantage, but if you want to reach the top, you have to train hard. And much harder than most of us can imagine.
At least one victory every day: To stay this good, Ninja must constantly practice and rethink his strategy. He plays about 50 matches a day. Out of those, he has to win at least one. Usually, it’s around 15 victories; once, it was even 29.
Every loss is a failure: Whenever Ninja does not win, it’s a big deal for him. It really frustrates him because at his level of professionalism, there are no excuses for “failure”. As a consequence, he rethinks his strategy and analyzes the past game to learn from his mistakes.
This is no longer fun: Ninja is therefore incredibly driven and competitive when playing Fortnite. This has little to do with what most players understand by “fun”.
This stands in stark contrast to Ninja’s public image, where he always presents himself in a good mood and witty to his fans.
But essentially, Ninja is not about “fun”; he’s about business. If he streams less or performs poorly, his record earnings would quickly vanish.
Training is good, but it depends on how you train: Moreover, it is not enough just to practice. If you want to be as good as Ninja, you must use your training effectively and not let up even when you are at the top.
When you reach the “goal,” the work only just begins: Especially when you are at the top, Ninja says, you must work even harder to stay there. Many players would slack off at this critical moment and then fall back down. The fact that Ninja has held the top spot on Twitch for months is a testament to his ambition and commitment.
Vacation or Streaming?
Vacations and events cost thousands of dollars: Therefore, Ninja has hardly any leisure time that he can spend quietly with his wife and dogs. If he wants to continue existing as a top streamer, he must basically always be online and cannot ease up.
When he finally had a two-day break, it cost him around 100,000 dollars. Even appearances at eSports events, such as the Pro-Am Tournament at E3 2018, cost Ninja money as he could not stream during that time.
He must weigh whether the increased publicity from such events and appearance fees offset the concrete value loss of his Twitch channel.
Honeymoon still happens: Therefore, his honeymoon was also his only vacation in 8 years. Ninja had already played Pro-Gamer Halo and other games before Fortnite and was similarly engaged in it.
For his vacation, he at least produced various videos in advance and released them at staggered times during his absence. Otherwise, the loss of viewers would have been too extreme.
And even if he takes time off and leaves his house in a walled neighborhood, he is besieged by hordes of fans and has hardly any peace.
The price of success: So if you want to become as good as Ninja, you probably have to invest massive time and energy in endless practice and sustain this for a long time. And very few can manage that without burning out first.
Wife manages everything else: Ninja likely achieves this only through his iron will and the support of his wife, who bears it all and even acts as his manager.
She also ensures that her husband gets enough food and drinks during his stressful streaming routine.
What comes after Fortnite? Currently, Ninja is maximally associated with Fortnite, and his fans love him for it. But Ninja says of himself that he could master virtually any competitive online game in a short time.
So if Fortnite ever goes downhill, Ninja would likely get involved elsewhere after a brief adjustment and would soon be back at the top.
How long will this continue? Currently, Ninja does not want to stop and rest on his earned millions. He plans to keep going until he can provide a comfortable life for his family and grandchildren. Then it would be time to slow down.
Fun fact: Ninja once quit his job at a noodle company when he could comfortably live off his Halo streaming. By that, he meant an annual income between $80,000 and $90,000!
Ninja’s hard work has now brought him to the cover of a recognized US sports magazine. This could also bring gaming itself closer to the mainstream:
The legendary weapon Rand-Transit drops so incredibly frequently that it has become a running gag in the community of Destiny 2. However, behind the funny meme lies actual dissatisfaction.
What is Rand-Transit? Rand-Transit is one of the five legendary grenade launchers that were implemented with the Forsaken DLC in Destiny 2. Just a few days after the launch of the DLC, many guardians noticed that Rand-Transit has a very high drop rate and is significantly more common than other weapons in the power slot.
Especially rocket launchers seem to be very rare according to reports since Forsaken, and since the nerf of the drop rate of exotic engrams it can be quite hard to get various heavy weapons.
The community reacts with humor: After several large threads on Reddit were opened on the topic, players started to make jokes about the drop rate. The Kotaku author Jason Schreier lists in his top 5 best weapons in Destiny 2 exclusively Rand-Transits.
But on Reddit and in the Bungie forums, some funny gameplay suggestions for Rand-Transit have also come together:
To create an emote where the guardian pulls one Rand-Transit after another out of their pocket and throws them in a pile
A special “Rand-Transit-Launcher” weapon that has Rand-Transit grenade launchers as ammunition
New unlockable Rand-Transit subclass for the guardians, for which you need Seed of Light
Proposal that you have to defeat the final boss of the new raid using only Rand-Transits to unlock the ultimate secret of Forsaken
Various petitions for sparrows and spaceships shaped like Rand-Transit.
Change the reload animation of Rand-Transit: After the magazine is empty, the guardian should simply throw the weapon away and pull a new one out of their pocket, like Reaper in Overwatch
The players are taking the exaggeratedly high drop rate with humor, anyway.
Problem behind the funny meme
Does Forsaken have too few new weapons and armor? However, behind the funny situation lies a more serious problem of Destiny 2: Forsaken. The amount of weapons and armor that has been added with the last DLC is relatively low upon closer inspection. This issue is balanced out well by the random perk rolls, but in cases like Rand-Transit, it still seeps through.
One of the reasons for this is the fact that a large part of the gear from the first year of Destiny 2 is practically useless because it does not have the random perks from Forsaken. This topic has also been thoroughly discussed in the official forums and on Reddit.
And until the guardians are delivered more new gear in the future, we will all still see a lot of Rand-Transits.
Do you want to see which exotic armors are available in Destiny 2? Then here:
Quietly and secretly, World of Warcraft has fixed a bug with achievements and wanted to help players. However, many are now really angry.
What happened? With a hotfix, Blizzard apparently wanted to help players and made the achievements for island expeditions account-wide. So if multiple characters collect pets, they now count together toward the achievement.
This is how Blizzard actually wanted to help players complete the achievements, especially when leveling twinks through island expeditions.
An achievement is reset: What is annoying, however, is that the achievement “Azeritadmiral” (Azerite Admiral) has been completely reset! For this achievement, players had to collect a total of one million Azerite, which corresponds to well over 100 island expeditions.
Many players were already far along with this achievement and are now furious that all their hard work was for nothing.
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Island expeditions divide the player base. While some players are having a lot of fun with the island expeditions and the various rewards that can be obtained, not everyone sees it that way. The drop chance for rewards has been drastically increased!
The other half of the players find island expeditions boring and are already annoyed by the weekly cap, for which they have to complete around 5 expeditions (approximately on heroic).
So it’s not surprising that these players are quite angry that they have to start over again for the “Azeritadmiral”.
Meta achievement for title: The Azeritadmiral is, by the way, part of the meta achievement “Expeditionsleiter”, which grants the corresponding title. Those who want to call themselves expedition leaders should prepare for a lot of work.
There has not been a statement from Blizzard about this so far. Whether the progress of the achievement can be restored is questionable.
What is your opinion on this bug? Are you affected as well? Or does it not make any difference to you because you will be doing well over 100 expeditions anyway?
After the Web App comes the Companion App: Yesterday, on September 19th, the Web App went live just before 11 PM, which thousands of fans were waiting for. With it, FIFA veterans can create their Ultimate Team in FUT 19 before the official FIFA 19 release, claim daily gifts, and browse the transfer market.
Today, on September 20th, the Companion App is expected to follow. While the Web App functions without download and is primarily intended for desktop use, you can download and install the Companion App on your iOS or Android smartphones or tablets.
When does the Companion App launch? In previous years, the Companion App has usually been available for download one day after the Web App. According to information from the EA Help page, it has been officially confirmed that the Companion App for FUT 19 will launch on September 20th.
Update 8 PM: The app is now live. Here is the official EA page, where you can find the download links for the FUT app for iOS and Android below. Currently (8 PM), it still says “FUT 18,” but the new FUT-19 apps are already waiting in the stores.
Requirements to Start the EA Sports Companion App Today
These are the requirements for early access:
You must have established a FUT club in FIFA 18 before August 1st.
This FUT-18 club must be valid until the launch of the FUT 19 Companion App.
Your account must also have a “good reputation.” This means if you have been banned or otherwise have a negative history, you may not receive early access.
When will players without early access start? If you are not a FUT-18 veteran, you will only gain access to the Companion App once you log in to FIFA 19, create your club in FUT 19, and answer a security question there. You will have to wait until the release of FIFA 19 on September 28th, or on September 25th with early access.
The early access lasts until October 10th. By then, you must purchase FIFA 19 and log in to your platform in FUT 19 to continue using the Companion App in full.
Download the Companion App
The size of the app for iOS and Android is unknown. Expected to be around 40MB. Other requirements and download prerequisites will be revealed soon.
As soon as the app is live, you will find all download information on this EA page.
More Information:
The Companion App is free
You need an EA account to log in, including email address, password, and security question
The MMORPG Bless Online did not succeed in Korea, which is why the servers will now be shut down. The development studio now wants to focus on the Western version.
The MMORPG Bless Online has failed in Korea. The servers are being shut down. Fans are now wondering what this means for the version in Europe and the USA.
A Failed MMORPG Closes Its Gates
What happened? After the MMORPG Bless Online was plagued by problems for a long time and simply could not reach enough players in Korea, the development studio Neowiz will shut down the servers on November 19. Last year, the Russian version was also taken offline. Even in this country, the MMORPG is struggling with criticism and poor reviews.
How are the players reacting? The shutdown of the Korean version naturally raises questions. Neowiz is a Korean development studio that primarily took care of the Korean version. Therefore, players are now wondering what will happen to Bless in Europe and the USA. The MMORPG has also not been well received here.
This is what the developers say: Neowiz states in a statement that the shutdown of the servers in Korea will not affect the development of the Western version of the MMO. Neowiz will now focus on this version and continues to work on getting the online game out of early access by the end of the year. The Steam version of Bless Online is now the studio’s top priority.
Doubtful Future of Bless Online
What are the future prospects? According to Steamcharts, about 840 players are currently playing Bless Online concurrently. The reviews on Steam are currently at 46% and thus barely at “mixed”. However, the reviews from the last 30 days are “extremely negative”. This does not paint a rosy picture for a bright future for Bless Online.
The controversial Twitch streamer DrDisrespect rose to fame with battle royale games like PUBG. But he doesn’t like that anymore. He also criticizes Fortnite. His new favorite is Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.
Who is that? Behind the nickname “DrDisrespect” is Guy Beahm, a former developer and community manager for Call of Duty.
2017 was his year on Twitch. With the rise of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds on Steam, the star of “DrDisrespect” also rose on Twitch. The Doctor is a character with a wig, sunglasses, and a gigantic ego.
What does he have against Fortnite? The Doctor has never really warmed up to Fortnite. In a new clip, he calls Fortnite “cheesy” and the biggest “sellout game” in the history of video games.
DrDisrespect says he has never liked Fortnite. He can’t stand it.
He tried it and put on his “good mood” face, but in reality, he grew up playing much better video games and has played them all his life.
What does he mean by “sellout”? This probably refers to a “commercialized game that one would only like to make money from.”
PUBG – feels artificial and wrong
What does he suddenly have against PUBG? That the Doctor has a problem with Fortnite is nothing new. But he also has harsh words for the game that made him famous, PUBG.
In a new clip, he says that in PUBG it feels like a “sudden blow” when you die. It’s a weird feeling to die in PUBG. It feels “not real.” In the new Call of Duty, he never minded dying because there it felt like a battle that one has lost.
In PUBG, however, it’s “indirect” and “artificial” when the opponent kills you. Apparently, Call of Duty has spoiled him a bit for PUBG.
Much love for Blackout from Call of Duty
Love for Call of Duty discovered: The Doctor has little good to say about Fortnite, and he probably doesn’t like PUBG as much as he used to, since he has participated in the beta phase of Call of Duty Black Ops 4. Apparently, he was quite taken by the “Blackout” mode there.
In the first clips of the game, he says he can’t believe that such a thing even exists. He seems extremely satisfied with the new game.
Zenimax, the developer of The Elder Scrolls Online (PC, Mac, PS4, Xbox One) is said to have a problem with sexual harassment. At least that was claimed by a sensational tweet from the community manager. However, all of this seemed to be the work of a hacker.
What is the sex scandal at Zenimax about? Last night at 1:40 AM, a tweet caused an uproar among ESO fans. It came from Gina Bruno, the popular community manager of The Elder Scrolls Online. Bruno has been known among fans for years as she regularly appears in dev streams.
In the tweet, however, she announced her departure from Zenimax. The reason: She claimed to have been massively sexually harassed. And by someone from “the very top”. She did not want to name names, but it would have legal consequences.
The truth behind the allegations
What happened next? The story about the alleged sex scandal at Zenimax spread like wildfire and was circulated in forums and on the MMORPG.com site, among others. But soon it was revealed that it was all a huge hoax.
Hacker takes over account and spreads lies: Rather, a hacker had taken over Gina Bruno’s Twitter account and spread these rumors in her name. As a little extra, the hacker also posted racist and sexist comments under Bruno’s name.
Community manager will be back soon: Gina Bruno herself soon announced via a colleague on Twitter that she had been hacked and is actively working on restoring her account. Until then, she asked everyone to please ignore anything she posts on Twitter.
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The power of rumor: The case of Gina Bruno’s account hack was quickly clarified, but the initial reactions on Twitter and in the ESO forum show that many people immediately fell for the lie and believed it without verification.
