The players of Fortnite: Battle Royale have been puzzled for weeks about the mystery of the Space Cube. But datamining and the final Road Trip title image suggest a terrible secret!
What is the deal with the Cube? The “Space Cube” has been rolling around since August 24, 2018 in the world of Fortnite. So far, it hasn’t done anything bad. Instead, it charges shields, creates low gravity zones, and just looks cool.
Only when you attack it does the Space Cube fight back and throw players around, which almost cost Pro Gamer Ninja his life.
So the Cube seems to be okay, right?
Spoiler Warning: We process hints from the upcoming Road Trip Challenges in the article.
Dataminers find clues about the corrupted Cube
The Cube’s goal: The dataminers from “Fortnite Leakage” have found further hints about the Cube’s future in the code of Update 5.4. On the one hand, they confirm that the Cube will indeed land in Loot Lake. This has been suspected for a while because this region has hardly changed.
The Cube will change at Loot Lake: Furthermore, the dataminers found another clue about the Cube’s goal. And it doesn’t sound positive at all. According to the data files from Update 5.4, the Cube will be corrupted, meaning negatively altered, at its destination.
Unsettling sounds have also been found, which can presumably be attributed to the Cube.
Are evil new characters coming from a parallel dimension in Season 6?
Title image shows evil twin of the Color Bomber: Another hint about the evil Space Cube is the final image from the Road Trip Challenge. Week 9 still showed how the crew around Drift is up to their harmless antics with the Cube.
But the last image in the series is dark and reveals a creepy secret. The usually cheerful Color Bomber touches the Cube and inside the purple cube is an evil-looking reflection of the beloved heroine.
Here you can see the “evil” Color Bomber.
Hint at Season 6? This could be a solid hint at the theme of Season 6. There may be further dimensional rifts and evil versions of known heroes from a parallel dimension coming into the game. Just like the evil mirror universe in Star Trek.
In Destiny 2, there is a quest to find and kill a Bloodsplicer. If you succeed, you will receive powerful gear. We explain how to find and kill the Bloodsplicer.
Who is the Bloodsplicer? The Bloodsplicer is the final boss of a weekly bounty called “Wanted: Bloodsplicer.” The Bloodsplicer has escaped from the Prison of Elders, and you can now hunt and eliminate him. You can find the bounty at Spider – the vendor of the Tangled Shore.
What reward do I receive? If you complete the bounty, you will receive “Powerful Gear.” This is random loot that drops items above the soft cap of Power Level 500. While almost all activities take you to Power Level 500, the sources for powerful gear are limited weekly.
The Bloodsplicer is the only bounty at Spider in the first week of Forsaken that drops powerful gear. You can use his other weekly bounties to reach Power Level 500.
Spider
Location and Mechanics of the Bloodsplicer in Destiny 2 Forsaken
How to find and defeat the Bloodsplicer:
Step 1: Go to Spider in the Tangled Shore and buy the bounty “Wanted: Bloodsplicer” with 5 Ghost Fragments. You must be at least Power Level 500 to accept the bounty. The recommended Power Level is even 540, but the Bloodsplicer can be eliminated with a lower level in a team. The bounty expires 7 days after purchase.
Step 2: Fly to Io and search for the Lost Sector “Grove of Ulan-Tan”. This is located in the Lost Oasis and is marked with an adventure symbol – because the Bloodsplicer quest leads you into an adventure activity:
Step 3: Accept the adventure and enter the Lost Sector. You will encounter strong enemies that likely have a higher level than you. So don’t rush in; proceed carefully. Fight your way through and continue normally until you see this passage: You can walk through this orange field. Inside the field, you will be “suppressed”, so continue until you can leave it again. On the other side, the Bloodsplicer awaits.
Step 4: Eliminate the Bloodsplicer. However, this proves to be difficult as he creates a dome around himself, in which you cannot shoot – and if you are inside, you cannot do anything against the Bloodsplicer as you will be suppressed and cannot shoot:
Help, the Bloodsplicer guy in Destiny 2 keeps beating me
How to defeat the final boss:
Run into this dome and destroy a kind of battery in the middle that maintains the field. You need to smash it with melee attacks.
Kabal dogs and Scorpius turrets will appear, which you should defeat alongside. A turret drops a Scorpius core that you must pick up and then slam into the destroyed battery.
Now the shield dome collapses, and you can deal damage to the Bloodsplicer.
At certain damage thresholds, the Bloodsplicer will rebuild his dome, and you must repeat the process until he is dead.
Warning: During the fight, the Bloodsplicer’s dog spawns – a Kabal hound that can take quite a beating. Also, kill the beast.
Note: If you die, you must start the fight over. The Bloodsplicer will have full health again.
Venero TV shows you the fight against the Bloodsplicer in this video:
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
A new video about the upcoming online game Fallout 76 demonstrates how to launch a nuclear missile. Teamwork is also important.
Nuclear bombs play a significant role in Fallout 76 – even in its story. But how do you get the launch codes and what exactly can you destroy?
Find the code and press the red button!
This is how you launch nuclear missiles: If other players get on your nerves during your adventures in the post-apocalyptic wasteland and you want to take revenge using nuclear strikes, you need to go on a hunt for the launch codes for the nuclear missiles.
To do this, you need to search the wilderness for parts of the code. These are usually guarded by nasty mutants, so it pays off to work as a team. You can also find codes randomly if you’re in the area exploring.
Once you’ve found all parts of the code, head to the missile silo. There, in the command center, you enter the code and prepare the missile for launch. Now you can select a target. It doesn’t always have to be the base of enemy players. You can also roast the wilderness in atomic fire. A nuclear strike reveals valuable and rare resources. To gather these, you must protect yourself from radiation.
Here is the video in the original English:
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
In ranked PvP of World of Warcraft, there are many rewards to obtain. We reveal what achievements you need to accomplish for it and what equipment is available.
In World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth, after some initial difficulties, the first ranked season has finally started. Many players are already working on earning their 345 weapon through conquest points, but there are additional sources for strong rewards: ranked PvP.
What is ranked PvP? Ranked matches in World of Warcraft take place in arena battles and in battlegrounds. Each mode requires its own group to join.
Usually, you can find a few groups for ranked battlegrounds in the group finder.
Partners for the arena are typically sought (in the traditional way) in the trade channel or by grabbing a few good friends, as arenas also require coordination.
What rewards are available? Depending on performance, the player receives a ranking that directly determines the rewards received. Depending on rank, you have a chance of receiving a reward at the end of the match upon completing a ranked activity (arena, battleground).
At the end of each week, when you have participated in ranked PvP activities, there is also a special box that you can pick up at the PvP camp in Boralus or Dazar’alor at the beginning of a new week.
You can find the item level of the received items in this table:
A small example: If you have a rating of 1750 (Challenger) after winning a ranked battleground, you might receive an item with item level 360 at the end of the match. In the reward box at the start of the next week, you are guaranteed to receive an item that is at least item level 370.
Keep in mind that the armor from the weekly box can also be upgraded and then is “warlord” quality, which further increases the item level. PvP is therefore a worthwhile alternative to PvE for all interested parties to obtain really good equipment.
Cosmetic Items for Strong Performance
If you’re not only interested in pure stats but also want to impress visually, you should also work on achieving a high rating, as this is the only way players can unlock the “Elite” appearance of the respective season. In the ranks, there are these additional cosmetic rewards:
Fighter: Elite appearance for bracers and belts
Challenger: Elite appearance for gloves, pants, and shoes.
Rival: Elite appearance for helmets, shoulders, and chest
Duelist: Elite appearance for cloaks and an exclusive weapon enchant (Transmog)
Gladiator: Elite appearance for the tabard and the Gladiator mount (after 50 wins)
Will you try PvP with Battle for Azeroth? Or do you prefer to dive into “Mythic+” dungeons and challenging raids?
PC players have received their first free update in Monster Hunter World. The Deviljho is now in the game. Find out here everything you need to know about the Deviljho.
From now on, hunters on PC can fight against a new monster. The Deviljho also comes with a complete set of new weapons and the Vangis α and β armor. You can only encounter the Deviljho if you have reached High Rank.
There is also a new special tool, the Dragon Protection Mantle, and a new outfit for the Wild Expert, the 3-star chef.
The quest “??? Rathian” in the main story must be completed
The version with the number 152771 must be loaded. This is visible in the top left corner.
The Deviljho brings new weapons and High Rank armor.
How to unlock the Deviljho
Start an expedition in High Rank
Open the world map and see in which area question marks appear next to the listed monsters
If no question marks appear despite meeting the basic requirements, repeat the process
Go on a free expedition to the area with the question marks
Look for Deviljho
Once you have found him, you can decide whether to fight Deviljho directly or return to Astera. There you will receive the quest for Deviljho. This is the special quest “The Lord of the Food Chain.”.
You can get a detailed guide to the quest and tips for the fight here:
The patch also brings bug fixes to Monster Hunter World on PC. Hunters should be pleased to hear that work has been done on the connection and on issues that slowed down the game.
It is stated on Steam:
The remaining connection issues that caused numerous error messages have been resolved.
If a host is disconnected from the session, they will be reconnected as long as at least one guest remains in the session.
If the connection to Steam is lost during a session, an attempt will be made to restore the connection. An error message will only be displayed if the process ultimately fails.
Issues that caused the game to slow down under certain conditions have been resolved:
When large amounts of thunder element effects were rendered.
In Fortnite: Battle Royale (PC, PS4, iOS, Android, Switch & Xbox One) the recent Update 5.4 hit the servers. Immediately, data miners dug into the codes and quickly found a hint about a new action of the cube. It is supposed to start today.
What did the data miners find?The purple cube (called Kevin), which has been rolling through the Fortnite world since August 24, 2018, has recently left runes and anti-gravity fields at various locations. According to the code, these are events named “Cube Activate”.
In the program codes of Update 5.4, however, a new cube event is now visible. The event is named “Sphere Spawn” and is apparently something different than the usual cube activation for the gravity fields and runes.
What happens with the cube?
What could the event in the code mean? “Sphere Spawn” roughly translates to “Sphere Creation.” Spheres are not cubes. Does that mean the cube will become a sphere? Or that it generates spheres?
Or is it just the next anti-gravity field that is spherical as well? Epic may have simply changed the file names to confuse data miners.
When is the event supposed to start? If we are to believe the data miners, then the whole thing is going to start soon! According to the code, the start of the Sphere Spawn would be on September 6, 2018, at 6 AM US-Eastern Time. That would be 3 PM here. So anyone who wants to know what exactly the cube is doing should check the cube’s location around that time.
Where is the cube right now? Currently, “Kevin” is located south of the crater at Dusty Divot. You can find the exact location from September 9, 2018, on this map.
Attention, data mining: However, keep in mind that the information about the cube event is based solely on data mining. Therefore, in the end, nothing may happen.
But no matter what the cube does today or not: Its goal seems to have already been established, thanks to the efforts of many players.
In PUBG (PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds) they are currently testing a new reward system. This rewards you with items, but not all of them will remain permanent.
So far, the battle royale shooter PUBG already had a reward system that provided you with in-game currency. If you perform better in games, you earn more points.
The new system: They are now testing another feature: the new supply system. You collect experience points through missions. It serves as a supplement to the normal BP system. For each level-up, you receive rewards. However, some of them are only temporary. Players see this as advertising to spend money.
This is how “Supply” works in PUBG
In the new PC update #21 for PUBG, the developers are introducing a training mode, changes to BP rewards, a new weapon, and the supply system.
Complete missions: The supply system brings new daily and weekly missions. If you complete these, you fill your experience points bar. You have a special survivor level that you can increase with these experience points.
Regular rewards: Each level-up grants you rewards.
The catch of the new supply system
On PUBG’s test server, players have already tried the new supply system and reported that some rewards are only temporary. They last only one week.
Only try, not keep: In a screenshot, you see the title “Test this item”. The accompanying polka dot T-shirt has a timer of 7 days.
Every 10 days a fixed item: Additionally, the screenshot shows that every 10 levels there will be a “reward”. This will likely be an item that you can also keep.
Temptation to the marketplace: Players’ criticism is that PUBG wants to lure players to the marketplace with these cosmetic rentals, where they are supposed to buy these items. A user writes “So is the reward system advertising for the Steam marketplace? Nice.”
Should provide variety: So far, the supply system is on the test servers. The idea behind it is probably to give players more incentive to play. Missions like “Revive 3 team members” or “Get 5 kills with the shotgun” encourage players to try something new. After all, there are rewards for it.
Further changes from update 21
Test area: PUBG finally brings the test area into the game, where players can practice driving, swimming, shooting, parkour, and more. The map is 2×2 KM big – you can simply choose matchmaking for playing in the test area.
New weapon MK47 Mutant: The new AR weapon MK47 Mutant is here. You can find it on Erangel, Sanhok, and Miramar as a world drop. It uses 7.62mm ammunition. The special thing about this weapon is that it has only 2 firing modes: single shot and burst fire with 2 bullets.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
For The Elder Scrolls Online, the Austrian artist Aronja has immortalized the area of Summerset in two paintings. Amazing artworks have been created that highlight the beauty of the elven island.
Video accompanies the creation process. Alongside the two paintings, Zenimax Online has produced a video in which Aronja talks about her relationship with art and video games. She discusses what makes an artist in her eyes and why she loves to paint fantasy images.
In the video, you can watch Aronja at work and observe how a painting comes to life.
You can view the resulting images in the image gallery.
After the big Forsaken expansion, Destiny 2 players can purchase an Annual Pass, which according to Bungie is supposed to be purely optional. Will the activities in the Annual Pass bring new power levels? What impact would this have on the remaining players?
The era of classic DLCs is over: Unlike Destiny 1 and the first year of Destiny 2, Bungie will no longer release classic DLCs. Many activities are intended to be open to all players. Those wanting bonus content will have to opt for the Annual Pass, which will cost 35 euros and provide the following content:
New story and raid content
New exotic and legendary gear
Triumphs and bonus rewards
No information about power level yet: Whether the story content and raid sections available in the Annual Pass will exceed the global Forsaken power level of 600 has not been communicated by Bungie so far. This question is quite relevant and carries several consequences.
In the past, all expansions have always brought an increase in power or light level. At least regarding Forsaken, there is clarity: Those who do not buy the expansion will not be able to keep up in competitive modes (Iron Banner, Trials of Osiris) in the future.
Option 1: The power level increases for Annual Pass buyers
Players without the Annual Pass are left behind: Freely available content for everyone, such as Iron Banner, Nightfall strikes, and Trials of Osiris will still be playable for all after a level cap increase, but Guardians without the Annual Pass will experience significant disadvantages.
Because the level advantages for Iron Banner and Trials of Osiris will be reactivated with the Forsaken expansion. Even though the content is officially available to all, players with a low power level will essentially be excluded. Thus, the free content could be seen as a “false promise.”
At least the issue of the Nightfall strike could be circumvented with a separate variant at the power level of 600. How significantly the power level advantages would be felt in practice remains to be seen.
Option 2: The power level for Annual Pass buyers does not increase
Power level will stagnate for at least a year: Buyers of the Annual Pass will be able to play new story and raid content. However, the gear found there will remain at the maximum Forsaken power level of 600.
Therefore, there will not be any vertical progression in year 2. Since Annual Pass buyers will have access to new exotic and legendary gear, this could shift the balance in the Crucible.
Weapons like the Wings of the Vigilance or the Graviton Lance have disrupted the Crucible meta. It is not excluded that new exotic weapons from the Annual Pass could do the same (which become unattainable for non-purchasers).
Option 3: The power level increases for everyone!
Theoretically, it would also be possible that all players can increase their power level, meaning existing activities would also rise in power level. Buyers of the Annual Pass could thus choose through which activities they will level up.
Those who do not purchase the Annual Pass can then reach a new level cap through the existing activities.
Regardless – Bungie has to perform a balancing act: If only buyers of the premium content receive level advantages, the player base will be divided. Generally, in all open activities, non-buyers would experience a significant disadvantage.
If there are no level advantages, many players might quickly miss their “carrot” – the incentive that keeps players engaged for months or even years.
What’s next after year 2? Presumably, there will be another Annual Pass. But what will it look like? Will there be a “transition phase” with a new power level? Or will we still be dealing with a power level of 600 at the end of year 3?
Even if this is unlikely: The manner of implementation and players’ access to activities will determine whether Bungie will be successful in the long run.
By the way: We have requested a statement from Bungie regarding the level cap within the framework of the Annual Pass. However, we have not yet received a response.
What do you think? How would you like the progression system after Forsaken?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Fortnite, patch 5.4 has once again brought numerous skins, outfits, and other cosmetics into the game code that we will soon see in the shop. We are showing you the leaked skins of Fortnite today.
With each new patch, a collection of new items enters the code of Fortnite. These items will then be gradually introduced into the game over the coming weeks. However, data miners are already diving into the skins as soon as the patch goes live, revealing what Epic has planned for the upcoming weeks.
8 new skins in the data: Data miners have found eight new skins. The highlight is definitely the “High-Stakes” outfit: The killer in a playing cards look. The skin will be customizable. The mask can be decorated with all four colors of playing cards: hearts, spades, clubs, and diamonds.
4 gliders found: Four new gliders have been discovered in the game’s data, corresponding to the skins. It’s clear that various sets are included again. The vault theme belongs to the new “High-Stakes” event.
5 fresh pickaxes: The medic pickaxe is the highlight among the new harvesting tools. The axe is equipped with an infusion drip and a bone saw. Also very nice: the crowbar for a quick bank heist.
6 back blings: With the “Back Blings”, the musician theme can clearly be seen in some of the wild and colorful skins. If you’re excited to jump into Fortnite’s battle royale with a drum set or a keyboard on your back, you can look forward to it. Otherwise, there are also military looks and some for medics.
It is clear, however: these are purely cosmetic items, no one will suddenly be able to heal others just because they are carrying a “first-aid kit” on their back.
5 emotes: Thanks to the data miners “TwoEpicBuddies”, we know the names of the emotes. From this, we can infer how they might look in Fortnite.
We have a “Pioneer” emote. And someone will probably unleash a battle cry through a Viking horn. With the other gestures, one might be able to celebrate oneself: A hot dance might also be included.
When will the new items be in the shop? We do not yet know when the individual skins, cosmetics, and dances will actually be available in the Fortnite shop. Epic will decide then: At some point in the next two weeks, we should all see them.
Through the magic of data mining, you can already view the new cosmetic items in Fortnite right now.
What is already live in Fortnite the next time you log in are the changes from patch 5.4:
SCUM has become a big hit. The player counts look fantastic, just like the sales figures. And the community even forgives the developers for a server wipe.
If one thinks that the online shooter market is saturated, then SCUM proves otherwise. The mix of shooter and survival is currently very well received by players.
SCUM is a big success
SCUM has sold remarkably: As the developers announced on Twitter, 700,000 copies of the game have been sold in just one week. This is a huge success for the team. The player statistics on Steamcharts also show that SCUM is performing excellently. The developers have managed the combination of survival game and online shooter very well, and the grim scenario of prisoners fighting for their survival and freedom arouses players’ interest.
How are players reacting to the server wipe? Due to a savegame bug in the single-player part, a patch had to be deployed, which also brought additional bug fixes and server optimizations. Unfortunately, the patch necessitates the deletion of all characters. However, the server wipe was met with much understanding from the players, even though it was understandably frustrating.
“Excellent work, guys!” – “I appreciate that and look forward to seeing how the game evolves.” – “Daily patches? You are the best development team in the world!” These are just a few comments from players on Steam about the patch.
Fans are hardly bothered by the wipe. On the one hand, most understand that SCUM is still in the early access phase, which can lead to wipes, and on the other hand, most players are happy that the developers maintain and improve SCUM so regularly.
As one can see, a community can be kept engaged through continuous updates and reactions to feedback, even when there are bad news such as a wipe.
In Fortnite: Battle Royale (PC, PS4, iOS, Android, Switch & Xbox One) comes today, on September 6, 2018, finally the new game mode “Getaway”. But how does the mode work and what are the rules?
What is the Getaway mode about? In the new Getaway mode for the High Stakes event week the rules in Battle Royale change significantly. You no longer need to eliminate all opponents and survive as long as possible. Instead, you are always on the move to retrieve a llama sculpture and take it to a getaway vehicle.
That’s the only way you can win. But to get there, there are a few special features to consider.
The special features of the Getaway game mode
In the following paragraphs, we have compiled all the information about the Getaway game mode for you.
What you need to know about the jewels in Getaway
Where can I find the llama jewel? The jewel is essential for winning. At any given time, there are four such jewels on the map. But the gem is hidden in a safe. They are delivered as supply drops at the beginning of the first storm phase.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
If a player team escapes with a jewel or if a jewel becomes unreachable due to the storm, a new safe will be dropped somewhere in the safe zone. The safes are visible on the map at all times.
Attention: The safes take a long time to open. So secure the area.
What do I do with the jewel? When you have a jewel, you move 10 percent slower. However, the jewel regenerates your health and shields.
Warning! Whoever picks up a jewel will be visible to all other players on the map for 30 seconds. Get ready for a wild fight.
All about getaway vehicles
Where are the getaway vehicles? There are only four getaway vehicles total(!). Three of them appear early in the round. The last vehicle arrives just before the end. This final vehicle is expected to be especially hotly contested. Getaway vehicles are always visible on the map, so watch out for campers!
How do I reach the getaway vehicle? The getaway vehicle hovers several meters above the battlefield and lifts off when a jewel bearer boards. Therefore, you need to build your way up with ramps. So make sure to collect enough materials on your escape!
The special rules of the getaway mode
Are there special weapon and loot rules? Indeed, in getaway mode the developers have implemented some special rules:
You gather 50 percent more resources
At the beginning of the game, 12 special supply drops land. They contain long-range weapons as well as the new “Grappler”. You can only get this item from these special drops in getaway mode
There are at least rare or better weapons
Besides the Grappler and vehicles, there are no items that improve your mobility. Rifts, pocket rifts, and launch pads are not available here
In getaway mode, your wins, kills, and losses are counted. Epic wins, however, do not count towards earning umbrellas
What is the deal with the skins and challenges?
How to get the Wildcard skins: While the “High Stakes” event is running, you can sporadically buy the cool Wildcard skin in the shop. It has four interchangeable heads and a handcuff briefcase as a back accessory.
How much does the skin cost? The Wildcard outfit is legendary and costs 2,000 V-Bucks (about 20 Euros).
How do the special challenges work? While the “High Stakes” event is running, you have special challenges. Contrary to initial expectations, you do NOT need to buy the Wildcard skin to unlock the challenges. They are available to every player. As a reward for the tasks, you will receive a spray logo, a falling animation, and ultimately a crowbar as a harvesting tool.
All info about the new challenges can be found here:
When does the new mode come out and how long will the event last? The Getaway mode is expected to go live today after the maintenance work. The “High Stakes” event is unfortunately time-limited but should run for at least a week. It might even go until the end of Season 5, which should be around September 25.
Finally, the developers reveal how Star Wars: The Old Republic will progress in 2018. We take a look at the roadmap for autumn.
Just yesterday, we reported that the mood in SWTOR is currently quite tense. Fans are longing for answers from the developers, and many players complain that there are currently hardly any fresh contents. Now BioWare has delivered and published the “Roadmap Autumn 2018”. The roadmap covers the rest of the year and explains what content is still to come.
Especially PvP players will be excited, as they are the focus of the September update. At the end of this month, update 5.9.3 “Fame and Fortune” will be released. There is a new Huttball warzone where 16 players (8 vs. 8) can gather to entertain the Hutts once again and score a lot of points.
Story Update Patch 5.10
Later in autumn, update 5.10 will follow, titled “Siege of the Jedi”. This update will advance the story of SWTOR. Here, there will be:
An ancient, devastated Jedi world
A new area with daily missions
Many popular characters will return
Empire and Republic will have different storylines
Fans of the old companions can also rejoice, as some of them will return:
Jedi Knights can reunite with Doc
Jedi Diplomats will find Nadia again, their former Padawan
Sith Warriors can find Jaesa again – but only if they chose her dark side back then
Additionally, there are many quality-of-life improvements that focus mainly on guilds this time:
A new progress system for guilds
More guild ranks will be possible
Players can send letters directly to the whole guild
A comprehensive guild log that records player activities
Disruptive players can be completely removed with a “Legacy Ban” – they will then have no option to join the guild again
Lastly, there is also the “Master” mode for the operation “Gods from the Machine”.
A Look at 2019
However, SWTOR is not coming to an end anytime soon. Even though the developers do not share concrete details, the conflict between the Sith Empire and the Galactic Republic is supposed to escalate into “a massive war” with new planets and many new, as well as returning characters. While this all sounds like a new expansion, it is not explicitly named.
Are you hoping for a new expansion in 2019? Or do you think that there will be “only” a series of smaller content patches?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Korean gaming studio Pearl Abyss has announced the acquisition of CCP. Thus, the company behind the sandbox MMORPG Black Desert is swallowing the creators of the space MMORPG EVE Online.
What does this mean exactly? Pearl Abyss announces that CCP will remain independent. They will continue to operate their studios in Reykjavik, London, and Shanghai. Pearl Abyss wants to leverage CCP’s experience in publishing and development now additionally for their own projects.
Salubrious words: The parties involved have friendly words for each other. At Pearl Abyss, they are “excited that CCP is joining the team.”
At CCP, they say they are extremely impressed by what Pearl Abyss has accomplished.
Signs of a crisis at EVE Online
What is behind this? The development comes as a surprise now. There were no major leaks beforehand that anything like this was on the table. But upon closer inspection, the acquisition is something that has been on the horizon for a long time. While Pearl Abyss is doing great, CCP has been facing problems for years.
CCP in crisis: For years, rumors have circulated at CCP that things have not been going well:
The projects that CCP pursued alongside EVE Online all flopped quite brutally and cost millions. They had ideas for virtual reality projects or wanted to do something with the “White-Wolf” brand, World of Darkness. However, all that failed: there were some gruesome stories about how millions were lost. The branch in Atlanta, USA, is said to have been a money pit.
EVE Online itself is probably also not getting any younger.
Money from Pearl Abyss is probably coming from mobile games and Asia
Why is Pearl Abyss doing so well? At Pearl Abyss, however, “Black Desert” is doing well. Although the PC MMORPG has somewhat stagnated in Europe and America, they have achieved great success with the mobile version of Black Desert in Asia.
What happens next? The question is, what does Pearl Abyss expect from CCP? The deal will hardly be about EVE Online. Rather, it’s about CCP’s expertise.
The players of EVE Online will certainly have very different questions in the coming days, especially about how their game, in which they have invested so many hours, will continue.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Square Enix has released a new trailer for Content Patch 4.4 “Prelude in Violet” of Final Fantasy XIV.
The epic video for the upcoming Content Patch shows the continuation of the main story of FFXIV. After the big cliffhanger at the end of Patch 4.3, players will find out what happens next to their favorite characters.
Additionally, the trailer showcases two new bosses from the Omega raid: Alphametrie, which will be available again in both normal and epic modes. The new primal of the patch is the fire deity Suzaku, which will also have two different difficulty levels.
The new Content Patch “Prelude in Violet” will be available from September 18.
Here you can check out what else is coming in Patch 4.4:
In advance of the Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Blackout Beta, Treyarch has now released the map for the Battle Royale mode. Fans of the series may recognize many locations on the map.
Shortly, the Blackout Beta will begin – a test for the in-house Battle Royale mode of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. In advance of this, Treyarch has now granted a first look at the map of the game world.
The Blackout Map – Where will you jump first?
Secret revealed: The map of the Blackout mode has so far been a well-kept secret. It was only known that several popular locations from the Black Ops series should appear in some form on the large map. Now the developers have granted a first look at the map on Twitter.
What the map offers: This is said to be the largest map in the history of Call of Duty. It features a mix of forests, urban areas, and expansive open spaces. However, the map still doesn’t have a name.
While the number may change by launch, during the Blackout Beta, up to 80 players can join in the fun. Players will also be able to use vehicles. Moreover, there should be zombies on parts of the map to cause additional chaos.
Familiar places: Many iconic names such as Nuketown Island, Firing Range, or Array should be familiar to fans of the Black Ops series.
Elements from other areas remind of other Black Ops maps. For example, it looks like the Fracking Tower area contains parts of the popular Summit map.
Fans are excited: The fans’ reactions are currently mostly positive. There are heated discussions about which part of the map to jump into first. Many players jokingly note that they will likely spend the first moments exploring the map rather than fighting for survival.
By the way: In parallel to the map reveal, some new details about the Blackout mode have been announced:
More maps are possible in the future
Players can transport loot in the Cargo Truck
You can carry two primary weapons simultaneously
More AI-controlled opponents may be added alongside the zombies later
No third-person view
20-22 characters in the beta and at launch. Dozens more are planned to follow after launch
Emotes are planned – but not for the beta
Beta starts soon: Pre-order customers who want to see the Blackout map live will soon have the chance. The Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Private Blackout Beta starts on PS4 on September 10, 2018. Xbox One and PC will follow on September 14. An open beta is also set to take place starting September 15 – but only on PC.
In Pokémon GO there are now 100% chances of Lucky Pokémon if you have had little until now. Furthermore, these are now stronger than before.
Niantic continues to entice trainers with the trading feature and rewards them with Lucky Pokémon. These are monsters with special traits that can be activated when trading a Pokémon.
What’s new? Now there is a 100% chance of getting such a monster for trainers who have received little Lucky Pokémon until now.
100% Lucky Pokémon – Better IV?
Here’s how to get the guaranteed chance: A Pokémon that has been in your collection since July or August 2016 will be guaranteed to turn into a Lucky Pokémon when traded. But only if you have discovered less than 10 Lucky Pokémon so far. This applies to both trading partners. Both must have received less than 10 Lucky Pokémon.
What if you already have more than 10 Lucky Pokémon? The chance of new Lucky Pokémon still exists. However, it is no longer guaranteed for Pokémon from July or August 2016.
Why is Niantic offering this guarantee? Many trainers have already received 10 or more Lucky Pokémon since this feature was activated. Therefore, this guarantee no longer works for them. For frequent traders, this guarantee doesn’t mean much.
Apparently, the developers are trying to bring players back to Pokémon GO who stopped playing after the hype summer of 2016. With the guarantee, they or even new players have an incentive to (re)start with Pokémon GO.
Lucky Pokémon are even stronger: Niantic also explains that Lucky Pokémon are now even stronger.
How strong are the new Lucky Pokémon?
Lucky Pokémon have a special property of a minimum value of their battle statistics. This is to ensure that your Lucky Pokémon are not “bad”.
That these special monsters are now supposed to be even stronger sparked the community’s interest for research.
Results of the first researches: The trainers from TheSilphRoad have been brainstorming since the new announcement to find out how high the new minimum IV values are. They are now probably at 12/12/12 – previously they were at 10/10/10. However, these are just initial observations. Niantic may adjust these values again.
This should result in even higher IV values for Lucky Pokémon when you receive them in a trade now.
What are Lucky Pokémon anyway? If you trade monsters with friends in Pokémon GO, they can become Lucky Pokémon after a trade. The chances increase the longer a Pokémon has been in a trainer’s collection. Lucky Pokémon require less stardust to upgrade.
Today, the big update 5.40 goes live for Fortnite, which players have been waiting for a long time. We show you in the patch notes in English what the update contains.
This time, the focus of the patch is once again on Battle Royale. With the “High Stakes” event and the new weapon “Grappler”, Battle Royale is set to receive a fresh boost. In PvE “Save the World”, there are compensations and new Mega Alarms.
The Highlights of Patch 5.4 for “Fortnite: Battle Royale”
New Mode “The Getaway.” This is the Getaway mode that has been talked about so much
There are 4 getaway vehicles on the island. Three come in early in the match, and the last one comes late.
Getaway vehicles float in the air, and jewel thieves must build their way up.
At the beginning of the match, two “Chase” supply drops land with the Grappler and good items.
Players gather 50% more resources. Only items of “rare” quality or higher drop. Rifts, Port-a-Forts, or launch pads are not in the new mode “The Getaway”.
New Item “The Grappler” – This is the new weapon “The Grappler” coming to Fortnite. With the weapon, you shoot at an object and can then pull yourself up to it. The item can be used multiple times in a row. It has 15 charges and is destroyed when empty. The item is found in chests, llamas, supply drops, and vending machines. It is rare.
Weapon Balance in Fortnite is Changing
Revolver is removed: The weapon “Revolver” is being removed.
Storm Rampages: The storm destroys player buildings at its edge. When the storm moves and reaches its target, it triggers an energy pulse.
Change in Rarity Levels: There are numerous changes to the individual weapon classes. The weapon balance is being shaken up. It should now be clear: “If a weapon is epic or legendary, then it is also good and not just rare”:
For instance, there are no blue rocket launchers anymore, only epic (purple) and legendary (orange).
The semi-automatic sniper rifles are only available in green and blue (previously purple and orange).
Port-a-Forts are now blue instead of purple.
Remote explosives are now also available in purple (previously only blue).
Changes to Burst Assault Rifles: Here the mechanics are changed. Epic likely wants Burst Assault Rifles to fire more accurately. When you hold down the trigger, the first two shots are more accurate. The spread will be less when aiming and crouching. Burst Assault Rifles will also be more accurate while sprinting and jumping.
The Highlights of the Changes in “Fortnite: Save the World”
A new horde challenge is coming – Players will likely need to focus more on forts to earn 1500 gold in the latest challenge.
Group Alarms – For group missions, there are now “Mega Alarms” for more XP and resources. The amount of rewards is said to be significantly higher.
Compensation: Due to the many problems with rewards recently (there were simply none), Epic is now providing compensations: various llamas, resources, and more. Compensation is partly based on player progress.
We reported on the problems in “Save the World” here.
In November, the exploration of the post-apocalyptic wasteland of the Fallout series returns. However, in Fallout 76, you are not the lone wanderer but share the post-apocalyptic areas with other players. Our author Andreas has his own opinion on this game principle.
Fallout and multiplayer? Can that work? And then also with open PvP? That surely won’t end well! What are they doing to my beloved Fallout series? Fans of the RPG series have been complaining like this since the announcement. Yet, not everything has to be bad.
Fallout Online – Can that go well?
Multiplayer desired in TES, but not in Fallout: One would think that the player groups of The Elder Scrolls and Fallout greatly overlap. After all, both series fundamentally offer very similar gameplay. However, while TES fans have been calling for a multiplayer mode since Morrowind, this is categorically rejected in Fallout. Why?
Fallout thrives on the atmosphere, where you, as the sole resident of the bunker, come into the wasteland and have to find your way in this post-apocalyptic world. The inhabitants react accordingly to this outsider who does not fit into the society that formed after the atomic war. You are the lone wolf who must survive alone. This would not be the case in a multiplayer mode, which makes it fundamentally problematic to include a multiplayer component in Fallout.
A suspicion proves true: For years I suspected that Bethesda was working on a multiplayer Fallout. However, as a fan of the series, I was clear that this wouldn’t be an MMORPG. Surrounded by hundreds or thousands of players, I believe Fallout could not work.
The entire background of a sparsely populated landscape, where the few survivors have to find a way to get by, would be destroyed by the “massively” aspect of an online game. There would be too many players, and it would no longer be Fallout.
But how could a multiplayer game in the series look? For me, it was clear that it would lean more towards survival with smaller player numbers. The construction aspect of Fallout 4 made me suspect that this could play a role in an online Fallout.
A little skepticism remains: Just because I apparently foresaw this through my long apparently unnoticed clairvoyant superpowers, doesn’t mean that I was excited when Fallout 76 was announced. I admit, I was also skeptical. Not because of the multiplayer aspect itself, but rather because of the PvP.
On one hand, I am not a big fan of open PvP. If I want to compete with other players, I want fair conditions, whenever and wherever I prefer. Moreover, many online games with open PvP have shown that this leads to problems. For example, Ultima Online nearly had to shut down in the late 1990s due to open PvP.
New possibilities: However, I see the situation not as grim as some other Fallout fans who believe the series is rushing towards the abyss. In my opinion, Fallout 76 could bring many new possibilities into the game.
Looking at it rationally: Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, and Fallout 4 all play out very similarly. Already with Fallout 4, I had to force myself to continue playing at a certain point. I don’t know if I would have wanted to experience the same thing in green again with Fallout 76.
Video game series thrive on evolving. That with each additional title something new is offered. I remember the Ultima series. The leap from Ultima 5 to Ultima 6 and then to parts 7 and 8 consistently brought a new gameplay experience.
You could literally see how the series evolved. And that is exactly what is needed in Fallout. Now one might argue about the direction in which the games should develop, but what is a fact is: Fallout 76 is definitely an evolution of the series.
Fallout in multiplayer could be fun: I can well imagine that Fallout 76 is a lot of fun:
You initially explore the wasteland alone and notice another player
Is he friendly or will he attack me?
With friends, you explore ancient ruins, fight mutants together, and collect loot
You meet more players and form a group. Together you gather resources to build a fortress
Eventually, raids occur and you defend the fortress – whether against monsters or other players
In between, you set out alone and experience Fallout again as a lone wolf, just traditionally
The release will show if Fallout 76 was a good idea
Will this work? Of course, I can paint a pretty picture of Fallout 76 and make plans on how I proceed with friends. Ultimately, we will see at release – or during the beta – how the game plays.
Are there many gankers who annoy others?
How often do you encounter other players?
Is it also fun to explore the game world alone?
How do quests play out?
These are questions that can only be answered once you play Fallout 76. But until then, I remain optimistic. Yes, I also retain a bit of skepticism – especially concerning the PvP – but I am also excited. Experiencing Fallout together with others could be really fun. Let’s see how it will ultimately be implemented.
The upcoming post-apocalyptic online game Fallout 76 also has a main quest line, the conclusion of which Bethesda has surprisingly spoiled. Even though it’s just a gameplay detail.
What story will you experience in Fallout 76? It is clear that you will follow quests and there is also a main mission that leads you through the story. What happens at the end of it has now been revealed by the developers.
Fallout 76 definitely has a story
An online game with a story: Even though Bethesda has mentioned it multiple times, it seems not to have sunk in with all players; Fallout 76 definitely has a story!
It is not a survival game without a story and not just a PvP shooter. Even though these elements play a role, Fallout 76 is meant to be a classic Fallout. And that includes quests and a story. Todd Howard from Bethesda confirms this once again, even spoiling part of the ending.
A big spoiler!
This is what happens at the end of Fallout 76: After you crawl out of the vault 76 bunker, the first task is to explore the post-nuclear wasteland and rebuild it together with other survivors. Along the way, you will encounter not only mutants and players who want to attack you but also robots. These robots offer you quests that guide you through the story.
At the end of this story, it is your task to launch the atomic missiles. According to Bethesda’s Todd Howard, the bombs are not only important for gameplay but also for the story. This literally ends Fallout 76 with an explosion.
What happens after the story? The fact that you launched the atomic bomb at the end of the main quest of Fallout 76 raises some questions:
Can you continue playing?
What effects will the explosion have?
What if you detonate the bomb in PvP beforehand?
Atomic bombs in PvP versus atomic bombs in the story: It was previously mentioned that you need to reach various bunkers to search for codes for nuclear warheads. You can then use them to blow up other players’ bases.
This actually means that atomic bombs are a common gameplay element in PvP and that there are several of them. However, this somehow does not quite fit with the idea that you launch nuclear rockets at the end of the story.
Will you perhaps only get the chance to use atomic bombs at the end of the main quest?
This would obviously raise the question of how long the main quest takes. No player will want to play for 40 hours or more before they can use bombs on other players in PvP. Hopefully, this does not mean that the main quest of Fallout 76 will be short. We will learn more during the Fallout 76 beta and of course at the release of the online game.
