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.
This week in World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth, you can grab a powerful weapon at a low cost. We reveal how to get it.
Without artifact weapons, obtaining a solid weapon is once again one of the main tasks in WoW: Battle for Azeroth. After all, the weapon is the piece of equipment that has the greatest impact on performance for most classes, especially for damage classes. This week (09/05 – 09/11), you can snag a strong weapon with an item level of 345. However, you’ll need to engage in a bit of PvP.
How do you get the weapon? To obtain the weapon with an item level of 345, you need to collect 500 Conquest Points with a character this week. Conquest Points can be earned through many PvP activities, such as battlegrounds, arena matches, or opening air drops. The weekly quest that you can accept at your faction’s PvP headquarters also grants 50 Conquest Points.
Once you have accumulated 500 Conquest Points, you will receive a quest and can choose your weapon as a reward.
Display error causes confusion: In the game, the weapon is currently advertised with an item level of 280. However, this is just a display error. Once you can select the weapon, it will have an item level of 345 and should be a solid upgrade for a variety of players.
Each week there is a different reward for reaching the weekly cap on Conquest Points. This way, players can acquire a complete PvP set over the weeks.
Are you going to get the corresponding weapon this week? Or do you have a dislike for PvP and will instead look for a weapon in other ways?
Today, Thursday, September 6th, the servers of Fortnite will go down on all platforms (PC / Mac, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android) to install Update 5.40. The patch introduces the new mode High Stakes and removes a weapon from the battle royale mode.
When does the server downtime start? The Fortnite servers will, as usual, disable matchmaking at 09:30 German time and will be completely offline by 10:00.
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When will the servers be back online? Unlike the last few weeks, we are expecting a larger update, so the downtime may take longer. However, the Fortnite servers are usually available again around lunchtime between 11:30 and 12:30.
According to Fortnite developer Epic, this Update 5.40 will include several significant changes. A critical controller bug was found that had to be addressed. Performance issues on the Nintendo Switch are also expected to be significantly reduced.
What’s included in Update 5.40 for the Battle Royale mode: Fans of competitive gaming will primarily have to say goodbye to one weapon.
The revolver will be removed from the game and will return to the workshop, where it will be reworked and maybe come back in a different form.
The highlight of this week is undoubtedly the new “High Stakes” event, a limited-time mode with its own challenges and rewards. Also new is the Grappler, which can take you to places that you can usually only reach with precious building resources.
What’s in the update for the “Save the World” players: This week, Epic mainly intends to address various issues in the “Save the World” mode. While there will also be new horde challenges, the focus will be on improving the performance when joining missions and general issues, especially on consoles.
Epic will soon publish a separate post with details.
What do you think of the update? Are you excited about the new mode in Fortnite: Battle Royale?
In Destiny 2 a new reward system is running: The Bungie Rewards. Those who achieve certain goals in Forsaken will receive rewards from the Bungie Store.
What are the Bungie Rewards? At the launch of Forsaken, community manager Cozmo introduced a new rewards program built around the new expansion and linked to the Bungie Store.
According to Cozmo, you will be able to earn real loot for your in-game triumphs with these “Bungie Rewards,” which you can then celebrate, remember, and show off.
Which Bungie reward can I get now – and how?
The first Bungie reward: To claim the first reward, you must complete the Forsaken campaign by the end of September 2018. This is the requirement that you must fulfill directly in the game. You have until September 30 at 4:59 PM to do this.
What else do I need to do? To receive the reward, you must first register for the rewards program and verify your email address there. You do this on the official Bungie page for Bungie Rewards (link opens new page). Log in to Bungie.net and agree to the notification terms – if you wish. If you have problems, you will also find help at the link above.
And what is the first reward? If you complete the campaign in time, you will receive a free original soundtrack of Destiny 2: Forsaken as well as two “Whispers of the Worm” bonus tracks as a digital download. The bonus tracks are only available through this Bungie reward. The soundtrack, which includes 110 minutes of music, costs $10 in the extended version (190 minutes) in the Bungie Store.
What other Bungie rewards will there be?
So far, only the reward for the first Bungie reward task is known. According to Cozmo, more will be released during the season and will include “collectible items”.
The requirements for further Bungie rewards are already visible:
By the way: If you buy anything in the Bungie Store, you will receive the “Dreams Realized” emblem until November 28.
What other Bungie rewards there will be will be shown in the coming months. What game content the coming months will bring can already be seen in the Year 2 roadmap for Destiny 2.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In FIFA 19, more new icons are revealed. We present the icons with ratings and cards. German icons like Ballack, Klose, and Lehmann are included. Stoichkov, Best, and Socrates are also featured.
As EA Sports announced on September 5, a new icon from FIFA 19 Ultimate Team will be released every hour. We list them here.
The first icon card was released at 9 AM and belongs to Sócrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de Oliveira, better known as “Dr. Sócrates“: Sócrates was the captain of the Brazilian national team in the 80s and played in central attacking midfield. He earned the nickname “Doctor” because he was also a pediatrician. As an icon card, he has excellent overall stats, especially in passing, dribbling, and shooting.
At 10 AM, the Italian Gennaro Gattuso:Gattuso plays in central defensive midfield and excels in defense and physicality. He is a World Champion and celebrated great successes, including twice in the Champions League with AC Milan.
At 11 AM, the Portuguese Luis Figo:Figo has outstanding stats for an attacking player. In 2001, he was named World Footballer of the Year and won many titles with Barcelona, Real Madrid, and at the end of his career with Inter Milan.
At noon, Michael Ballack was introduced:The former national team captain plays as CM in FUT 19 and has strong stats all around. His rating of 90 in shooting is exceptional for a CM.
Jens Lehmann is also included! Finally, a few new German icons are coming:Lehmann was named Best Goalkeeper in Europe twice. He is a German champion, English champion, and won several other titles.
Here is George Best:
Next up is Christian Vieri:
At 4 PM, the Bulgarian Stoichkov was revealed:
The next one is Ryan Giggs:
At 6 PM, Scholes came:
And here is Zola:
Emilio Butragueño:
Keane:
Nedved:
Van Nistelrooy:
Klose:
Baresi:
Fernando Hierro:
Lineker:
Moore:
Trezeguet:
Campbell:
Nakata:
Veron:
These are all the new icons.
By now it is officially known that there will be three versions of the icon cards in FUT 19, just like in its predecessor. These represent different stages in the careers of the icons.
It is the Italian Roberto Baggio. He has played for several Italian clubs during his career, with most of his titles won at Juventus Turin in the mid-nineties.
In FUT 19, you can play Baggio as CAM. He has solid stats all around, especially in passing and dribbling he excels.
Fabio Cannavaro:
Cannavaro, like Baggio, mainly played for clubs in Serie A, and he also had three successful years at Real Madrid.
With 80 pace, 95 defending, and 85 physical, the relatively small CB will still be a strong icon card.
Clarence Seedorf:
Seedorf is a former Dutch footballer who won the Champions League with Ajax, Real Madrid, and AC Milan – that is unique! In FUT 19, the CAM comes with good all-around stats, especially passing, shooting, and dribbling are strong.
Claude Makélélé:
Additionally, these new icons were shown:
And Raul:
Gerrard is also included:
What are icons in Ultimate Team?
With the icon cards, EA brings former star footballers back to the virtual pitch of FUT. They have shown outstanding performances in the past and left a lasting impression on the world stage. They are no longer active as professionals.
The icon cards exist only in Ultimate Team mode. They are extremely rare and strong – and correspondingly sought after.
The president of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach strictly excludes video games from the Olympic Games. eSports would have no place in the Olympics unless things change. However, the committee’s arguments are outdated and weak, believes our eSports expert Benedict.
In July, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) came together to debate whether eSports should be included in the Olympic Games. The outcome was the “Esports Liaison Group,” which is supposed to mediate between the Olympics and eSports. However, the IOC president is now initially excluding video games.
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It tastes best when reheated: The debate about violent video games
The president of the committee Thomas Bach now speaks in an interview about eSports, video games, and the Olympic Games. He makes it clear that video games do not fit into the Olympics; they contradict its values.
In the lines presented from pcgamer and apnews, Bach only refers to “violent video games.” Sure, Counter Strike and Overwatch are major eSports titles, the Battle Royale genre is on the rise, and weapons are a main component in all of them.
“Shooting games” are simply more action-packed and popular to watch than many other games. But gaming and eSports are much more than mindless slaughter.
The most successful games are actually MOBAs and strategy games. The top 5 games where players earn the most are according to esportsearnings Dota2, CS:GO, League of Legends, StarCraft II, and Heroes of the Storm. (As of September 5, 2018, 1:15 PM)
Directly behind, at number 6, lies Hearthstone. And to be honest, in all these games it is about hitting an opponent – with spells, cards, or something else. But violence is certainly not the focus.
Apart from Counter Strike, there is not a single shooting game on the list. Anyone talking about “violent games” here simply has no idea about the subject and is leading an outdated, obsolete discussion.
The viewer numbers speak for themselves. According to data from sullygnome (As of September 5, 2018, 1:15 PM), the most viewed games on Twitch in the last 365 days worldwide across all languages are:
1st place: Fortnite
2nd place: League of Legends
3rd place: PUBG
4th place: Dota 2
5th place: IRL
6th place: Hearthstone
In only one third of these games are weapons the focus of the game …
Discrimination and violence in games
Bach states directly: “We cannot have a game in the Olympic Program that promotes violence and discrimination. So-called violent games. These, from our perspective, contradict the Olympic values and therefore cannot be accepted.”
It is the committee’s responsibility to exclude disciplines where something is killed, even if only virtually. This is a matter of ethics. However, it is not entirely clear whether Bach is referring to the act of killing in a game, or to the focus on combat and weapons.
What is the problem: weapons or killing? If killing is a problem, there are many games where no virtual people are killed: Hearthstone, Splatoon, even Fortnite, where players are just knocked out. In the case of a focus on weapons, there are also games that do not have that, like Dota 2, FIFA, or Hearthstone.
For some disciplines that are already Olympic, however, Bach’s criticism apparently does not apply. Archery and sports shooting are already sports that involve the use of weapons, and Olympic fencing simulates a deadly hit to determine the winner.
And whether a mouse click or a fist punch promotes more “violence” can be debated.
Games include, they do not discriminate: What Bach means by promoting discrimination is also unclear to me. I myself have been a gamer for over 15 years, and I don’t care if my fellow players are women, have a different skin color, or disabilities. What matters to me is how well they play.
Video games themselves do not differentiate who plays. They simply react to the input and are therefore even more open to more players than traditional sports could be.
Especially for players with disabilities, there are opportunities. There are controllers for players with disabilities to also be able to play. Video games even allow people who are paralyzed to participate.
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Bach takes it a step further. After all, he admits that some Olympic sports are actually fights in themselves. Boxing, wrestling, judo, and hockey are such examples.
Martial arts are civilized: Bach says about these: “Of course, every martial art has its origins in real combat between humans. But sport is the civilized expression of that. If we have e-games in which killing is involved, that cannot be reconciled with the Olympic values.”
This sounds as if Bach is suggesting that sports, in general, are civilized, but gaming, or violent games in particular, are not. Why else would he specifically state that video games contradict Olympic values, but martial arts do not?
eSports and games also represent values: Video games also embody a unique ethics that affects players even more than traditional sports:
Team spirit: Team spirit is one of the most important aspects for many eSports disciplines. Teams train for months in their own training houses and have to rely on each other to win.
Fairness: One of the biggest moral aspects that gaming teaches is fairness. Anyone who cheats in a video game finds it hard to regain friends there. “Cheaters” are not liked by anyone.
Sportsmanship: If you look at the Overwatch League alone, it is already clear that professional gamers possess a strong sense of sportsmanship. After each match, hands are shaken, former team members are even hugged when they are defeated. Absolute “shit-talk” is rather an exception and often just not serious fun.
It is questionable from which values Bach is speaking when he invokes the “Olympic values.” There are hardly any moral or ethical values found in traditional sports or in Olympic disciplines in particular that gaming does not also cover.
Olympics misses an opportunity
eSports is a growing industry, and interest in video games is steadily increasing among the younger generation. In popular games like Fortnite even 13-year-olds are becoming professionals.
The head of Logitech already stated in an interview with Business Insider: “eSports will be the largest sport in the world – bigger than soccer.” This may take a while, but the trend is definitely recognizable. Events like the Overwatch League are already being broadcast on television.
Currently, it is still early enough to get involved in eSports and become one of the go-to places for the future. The IOC might miss this opportunity with their president’s decision.
Bach demands that the games adapt to Olympic values. Whether and when that will happen, or whether video games even need that, time will tell.
I claim: eSports will be successful even without the Olympics.
It is exhausting
I have been working as an author and journalist for video games and eSports in particular for some time now. The reasons for rejecting eSports as “real sports” have since remained the same, with minor alternations in wording here and there.
It shows that those responsible for larger events, like here in the Olympic Games, have no idea what they are actually criticizing. It also shows that they have no interest in dealing with eSports.
An Overwatch fan. The Olympics wants nothing to do with this enthusiasm.
I am slowly losing interest in having “my sport” aligned with traditional sports. I am tired of the discussions from people who come with the same arguments over and over again and showing their ignorance, even managing to take a jab at gamers themselves here.
No one likes female dwarves and night elf druids are the latest trend. We reveal which combinations in World of Warcraft are particularly popular.
In World of Warcraft, players may not have the largest selection when it comes to customizing their characters, but there are still numerous different combinations of class, race, and gender. A total of 236 different combinations are possible if you do not consider the allied races.
The Reddit user TwentyOne13 took several hours to analyze the data from the RealmPop website, which deals with the population on WoW servers.
Night elf druids are the most popular combination
Considering that night elf druids are actually still a novelty in the culture of the Kal’dorei, it might be surprising that female night elf druids top the list. 912,285 characters exist.
They are closely followed by human male paladins, represented by a total of 899,446 characters
Tauren are also significantly more popular than their appearance would suggest. In third place, we already have male tauren druids with 864,804 characters
The first female blood elf is actually in seventh place. 643,488 players have created a blood elf paladin and are spreading the light in Azeroth
Female draenei come in even later. In ninth place are the “space goats” with their female shamans. Still, there are 552,122 characters
Humans are generally extremely popular. All possible combinations of humans can be found in the first 100 positions.
On the other hand, dwarves are different. Especially female dwarves are extremely unpopular and take the last place. The places 234 – 236 go respectively to female dwarves as death knights, mages, and monks. There are only 14,053 characters as female dwarf monks.
So if you want to be particularly “exclusive,” you should consider a female dwarf.
Please note that these data is for the US servers of World of Warcraft. Also not included are the new allied races that have not yet been recorded by RealmPop.
In Destiny 2 Forsaken, there is a new public event called Aether Ritual. Here you will learn how to activate the heroic event.
The Scourge is a new area located at the far edge of the Reef and is home to all sorts of nasty enemies. As in every destination in Destiny 2, public events also take place in the Scourge, which you can complete alone, with friends, or with random other guardians to earn loot.
One of the new events in the Scourge is the Aether Ritual. This can start in the “Fourhorn Gulch” area – also in the Dreaming City. You will fight against the Scorn, the new enemies in Forsaken.
Triggering the heroic public event Aether Ritual
This is how the event works: In the center of the arena, there is a chained Servitor that has become the victim of a vile Scorn ritual. Three Dredge Chieftains will now appear one after the other that you must defeat. Dredge Chieftains are strong representatives of the Scorn who can take a lot of damage:
Dredge Chieftain
Every time you defeat a Dredge Chieftain, “concentrated Aether” is released. This Aether appears in the form of white-blue mist clouds and makes its way to the Servitor in the center:
Here’s how to start the heroic event: This concentrated, floating Aether is essential for the heroic event. You must shoot it down before it reaches the Servitor in the middle. As a solo Guardian, this is quite difficult, as several Aether clouds are released with each boss. So shoot together at the flying Aether stuff.
If you were able to fend off the concentrated Aether of all three Dredge Chieftains, the heroic event will start immediately. If only one Aether cloud reaches the Servitor, no heroic event will be triggered.
Tips:
Choose weapons against the Aether clouds that allow you to shoot continuously for a long time, such as an auto rifle. Hand cannons are not suitable.
To hit all Aether clouds, you can equip an auto rifle as a Titan and set up a barricade. This way, you can create a continuous fire without reloading.
It is strongly advised to shoot at the clouds as a team so that you don’t miss any.
Sometimes, devices appear that make enemies immune to your damage. Quickly find and eliminate them by shooting:
This is how the heroic event ends: The reanimated machinist will appear, a Baron that you can shoot down. Once that’s done, the event is over.
You can watch the event here in the video by Nexxoss Gaming:
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In the upcoming online shooter Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, you will not only face other players in the Battle Royale mode Blackout. Zombies are also involved.
Traditionally, Battle Royale focuses on the fight between players. However, more and more shooters are incorporating PvE elements into the battles, such as Fear the Wolves. This is also the case in the Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Battle Royale mode.
The undead are coming!
Will the zombie mode be mixed with Blackout? Not much is currently known about how the undead will fit into the Battle Royale mode Blackout of CoD: Black Ops 4.
The fact is: you will not only be fighting against other players on the large map. Zombies will also get in your way. However, you should not expect waves of undead to defend against. What is traditionally known from the zombie mode of a Call of Duty will be adapted for Blackout. More details are to come.
That’s why Black Ops 4 Blackout also has zombies: Battle Royale shooters generally play similarly. Therefore, players constantly ask themselves why they should switch to another BR shooter when it offers hardly anything new.
For this reason, developers must come up with something unique for their own Battle Royale games. Treyarch is adding zombies now. These are intended to create more chaos in the large battles on the map. Players will need to adjust their tactics and always prepare for unforeseen situations.
Zombies are there to make your life difficult. You can also use them to lure enemies into a trap. This should make the gameplay of Blackout more varied.
How are fans reacting to the PvE component?As discussions on Reddit show, fans are somewhat divided about this announcement.
Most find it good that zombies provide variety and chaos. Thus, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Blackout does not play like every other Battle Royale shooter.
Some fear that this could negatively impact performance. Others hope that zombies can also be disabled to experience “traditional” Battle Royale gameplay.
The sandbox MMORPG Black Desert Online will receive the new mountainous region of Drieghan later this year. You can see how beautiful and magnificent the area will be in the new trailer.
What is Drieghan? The new region is a mountainous, romantically wild area. There are enormous dragons living there, and the race of dwarves also comes from there. Drieghan is a vast mountain area in Black Desert Online that offers new story content, quests, and challenges.
New Region Drieghan – Content, Release, and First Opportunities to Play
What is the content of Drieghan? Your heroes can embark on a journey to Duvencrune, the capital of Drieghan, whose surroundings resemble the alpine regions.
New monsters await in “Sherekhans Barrow,” the “Bloodwolf City,” and the “Tshira Ruins.” As a new world boss, the Bloodred Dragon Garmoth finds its way into the game, just like the new weapon “Dragon Slayer.”
When will Drieghan be released? The official launch of the new region is in the 4th quarter of 2018. So earliest in October 2018.
Can you play Drieghan early? From September 20 to 23, 2018, the EGX 2018 event will take place in Birmingham (England). Black Desert Online will be there with 40 PCs. On-site, you can try out Drieghan, challenge the world boss, and participate in a PvP tournament.
What does Drieghan cost? Nothing, the new area is a free expansion for Black Desert Online.
How does the recently launched Forsaken expansion perform? Does the autumn add-on manage to achieve the hoped-for breakthrough for Destiny 2? First impressions from Nexxoss and Sven will be shared tonight in the MAX stream on MeinMMO.
Yesterday, on September 5th, it happened – the Forsaken expansion for Destiny 2 has been launched. Alongside Bungie, many fans are placing great hopes in the autumn add-on. Forsaken is supposed to finally bring the turnaround for the heavily criticized Destiny 2. Bungie has done a lot to make it happen. But is it enough?
Nexxoss Gaming and Sven from MeinMMO in live talk about Forsaken
The Destiny experts Nexxoss Gaming and Sven from MeinMMO will share their first impressions of Forsaken tonight in a live stream on MAX. They will discuss the many new features and delve into whether Forsaken can save Destiny 2.
Do you want to be there? Here’s what you need to know:
When does it start? The stream starts at 6 PM. The planned end time is 8 PM – with a possible extension.
Where can I watch the stream? You can watch the MAX stream here on MeinMMO. We have linked the corresponding Twitch channel for you.
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What is MAX? MAX stands for Monsters & Explosions and is a collaborative project of our live streaming channel from GameStar, GamePro, IGN/Nerdkultur and MeinMMO.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Fortnite: Battle Royale (PC, PS4, iOS, Android, Switch & Xbox One), a massive purple cube has been moving around since the end of August. But where is it headed and what will happen then? Mobile users seem to have found the final destination.
The Reddit user DatCringeyGuy took a closer look and found that the runes can be seen on certain grass areas. This grass can be precisely seen in the lowest graphics settings on mobile versions of Fortnite.
The current path of the cube up to September 4.
Grass areas as placeholders: The grass areas are apparently places where the cube activates and leaves runes and anti-gravity fields. Dataminers have already found that there should be a total of 8 runes.
So after the two already known runes, there should be six more grass points in the game world where the cube will make its next stops. If these locations are found, the path of “Kevin” could be predicted.
Community goes on grass safari: In response to a call on reddit, numerous mobile players set out to search the map on low graphic settings for conspicuous grass areas.
This is what the grass areas look like on the mobile version.
They actually found 6 more grass areas, and thus DatCringeyGuy was able to create a map showing the cube’s path.
Is the cube falling into Loot Lake? As some players have already suspected, the final location of the cube will likely be on the southwest shore of Loot Lake. This region has hardly been updated so far.
It is quite possible that Kevin will completely remodel the lake and perhaps establish the mysterious castle “Crazy Castle” there.
But what exactly Kevin is doing and whether he is really rolling to Loot Lake, we will likely only know at the finale of Season 5 and the start of Season 6 at the end of September.
The recently released expansion Forsaken has brought a grim story to Destiny 2. Luckily, the developers also thought of funny moments, such as a Fallen nightclub.
The Tangled Shore is a new location in Destiny 2 where much of the Forsaken story unfolds. Various riffraff gathers there, making life difficult for us Guardians, but they also want to unwind after a hard day. You can now experience how the Fallen spend their leisure time in a Lost Sector.
Sector “The Empty Tank” gets the Fallen dancing
Where can you find the sector? The Lost Sector The Empty Tank is located in the Tangled Shore right at the landing site Thieves’ Landing. After landing, head directly northwest, past some Fallen buildings. In the corner of the map, where you also see the symbols for Petra and Spider, you will stumble upon the sector.
Forsaken with a special sector: This Lost Sector is different from all previous ones and brings a bit of humor into the barren area. If you follow the stairs and corridors, you will soon reach a corner where the music changes.
Either you will hear some bluegrass tunes or the song “Hope for the Future”, which Paul McCartney wrote for Destiny 1. If you continue further, you can look through a glass wall into the room below you. You won’t regret it.
Even Fallen need to celebrate: Apparently, a party is taking place in the main room of the Lost Sector. A Fallen DJ is spinning hot beats while two particularly nasty characters are engaging in a fistfight. A Servitor provides the appropriate party lighting, and Shanks are serving drinks to the guests.
However, beware of the “bouncer”: If you want to enter the party room, an enemy will block your way, for which a power level of 480 is recommended.
You can check out what’s happening in the Lost Sector in the following video:
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