Ashes of Creation will be a subscription-based MMORPG that does not require purchase

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 4 minutes

The new MMORPG Ashes of Creation will adopt a subscription model. The special thing is: You will not have to buy the game at launch. This comes from an interview with Steven Sharif on the sidelines of Gamescom 2018.

Where does the information come from? We at Mein-MMO.de had the opportunity to talk to Steven Sharif, the head of Ashes of Creation, at Gamescom 2018. Lead designer Jeffrey Bard was also part of the conversation. The interview was conducted by Dawid Hallmann, the head of Mein-MMO.

The MMORPG announced a publishing deal with “My.com” the day before. My.com will distribute Ashes of Creation in Europe and Russia.

What will the payment model of Ashes of Creation be?

Ashes of Creation is planning an unusual payment model: The MMORPG will not be Free2Play, but it will deviate a bit from the traditional “Pay2Play” model:

  • Customers will not have to buy the game at launch
  • To play, however, you need an active subscription
  • The game will offer a cash shop. However, it will only contain “cosmetic” items
  • Players will have the opportunity to earn real money with the game through a “partner program”. If they refer other players through a registration link, they will receive 15% of the money the referred player spends as commission
  • During the early access phase, founder packs will be offered. However, players can wait and then join with the subscription at the release

My.com also confirmed the payment model to Mein-MMO.de.

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Anti Pay2Win model

Why does Ashes of Creation choose this model? According to Sharif, this model is the best for the western market. It is the model they prefer themselves, and it is also the model that customers want.

Western players wanted such an “Anti-Pay2Win” model. Everything in the direction of “Pay2Win” annoys the western MMO player. The eastern market and the mentality there are different, which is fine. There are different cultures. However, Ashes of Creation is a game with western roots.

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Self dissatisfied with the previous offer: As an MMO player themselves, they are dissatisfied with what products are offered by publishers and developers. They feel that many customers out there share this dissatisfaction.

That is why they considered early on: How can we bring about a change in a genre that we love?

Ashes of Creation Dawid Hallmann and Steven Sharif
Steven Sharif in conversation with Dawid Hallmann

Why My.com as a partner? It was difficult to find a publishing partner that would allow the team to take this path. They spoke with many publishers. But most did not want to commit to the path taken. With My.com, they can accelerate the release in Europe and implement Ashes of Creation with their vision.

Ashes of Creation is a passion project of the developers. Particularly the payment model is important to the developers. They did not want to make compromises. With My.com, it has been possible to adhere to the desired payment model.

What does “creative control” mean? In advance, they reacted to fans’ Pay2Win concerns after the publisher of Ashes of Creation was announced and stated that creative control lies completely with Intrepid Studios. Some fans suspected that this creative control would exclude the financial aspect.

Sharif has now clarified to Mein-MMO.de that the control also applies to the financial design of the game and that Pay2Win elements may not be introduced.

Ashes of Creation swamp screenshot

Referral deal happens everywhere – at Ashes it is just transparent

Why the partner program? Ashes of Creation financially involves anyone in the game’s revenue who refers others through referral links. This was already a contentious issue a few months ago.

According to Sharif, this is a deal that happens behind the scenes in many games anyway. This type of participation deal is normally only closed with influencers, i.e., with YouTubers or streamers.

With Ashes of Creation, they decided to be transparent about it and offer everyone the opportunity to participate.

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Statement from My.com to Mein-MMO.de

We have just received an official message from the publisher, stating:

We at my.com are fully committed to supporting the creative vision that Intrepid Studios has for Ashes of Creation. In our partnership we are looking forward to supporting them with the knowledge and experience of my.com in the publishing areas of Localization, Community Management, Server Infrastructure and more, while Intrepid will remain in full creative control of the game.

My.com has primarily published traditional Free-To-Play titles from predominantly eastern developers, and we are looking forward to this partnership with Intrepid, exactly because they have a vision that is different from the titles we already have in our portfolio. Their vision appeals to the desires of western MMORPG fans, and we are fully committed to bringing this non-Pay-to-Win vision to the European players.
We believe that Ashes of Creation is on its way to become one of the largest MMOs ever to be globally published, and we are excited to be a part of this journey, together with our friends at Intrepid Studios.

With this, My.com emphasizes what Sharif told us: They want to create a game for the western market and follow Intrepid Studios’ “Anti-Pay2Win” path. My.com’s previous games were primarily designed by eastern (i.e., Asian) developers for their markets.

My.com believes Ashes of Creation is on the way to becoming one of the largest MMOs ever released worldwide.

What is Ashes of Creation? The game is considered by many to be the most promising MMORPG of the future, with a AAA budget and a team of over 100 developers. The release is expected to take place before 2020. You can read more about it here:

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More articles about Ashes of Creation:

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This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Destiny 2: Cayde dies in Forsaken – And that’s a good thing

Micha Deckert Micha Deckert Reading time 4 minutes

As everyone should know by now, Cayde-6 meets his end in the upcoming expansion of Destiny 2. Micha thinks it’s good that there are finally consequences in Destiny and hopes that the Hunter really stays dead.

In the first story trailer, Bungie revealed that Cayde is in trouble in Forsaken. This sparked a wave of sympathy for the Exo in the community. However, I am looking forward to the promised changes and hope that Cayde will not be resurrected by some Space Magic.

Destiny finally with consequences?

Game is about Guardians, not about story: Before you show up at the office with pitchforks and torches, let me explain why I believe it is the right decision to let Cayde die.

Destiny 2 Forsaken Cayde X2

So far, Destiny has always revolved around what players experience in the world. If you were to ask the Guardians what is happening in Destiny, they would probably talk about which raids they have completed and what loot they have acquired.

The story has been rather secondary and mostly serves to portray us players as the heroes.

Story so far without consequences: Until now, Destiny has had a rather uneventful story. In Destiny 1, we clear the Black Garden, fight Oryx on his Dreadnaught, and visit Lord Saladin in his Iron Temple.

The only loss that Guardians had to witness in Destiny 1 was the death of the Awoken in the Battle of Saturn.

While the fate of Uldren Sov in Destiny 1 was explained with the help of dead ghosts and the Grimoire, Mara has remained missing and has no longer been relevant to the story.

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Destiny 2 began with the invasion of the Cabal, who took our powers and our Tower. However, we quickly regained both during the campaign. So far, nothing has happened in Destiny that has had a lasting impact on the players or the game world. And this despite the fact that we are continuously at war.

Not even the disappearance of the Speaker has had any real impact on the game, apart from a few comments from some NPCs.

destiny-2-sprecher

War without losses?

Other games do not shy away from death: Other games, such as World of Warcraft, from which Luke Smith was heavily inspired for The Taken King, have less trouble sacrificing important characters. Time and again, one of the leaders has to take their leave.

The Halo series, which was founded by Bungie, also did not shy away from sacrifices and losses. In Halo Reach, the last Halo title from Bungie, only one character from your Fireteam survived – caution, spoiler – even the player character died at the end of the campaign.

Losses make the game world authentic: These losses have been lacking in Destiny so far. While we have fought powerful enemies and defeated gods, for us Guardians, it never really seemed like there was something at stake.

Destiny 2 Kriegsgeist Nokris

The death of an important character for the players would be something new in the Destiny universe and would make the story darker and more threatening, yet also more authentic. The players would have a real reason to fight.

The fact that one of the most popular characters is hit is a bold decision by Bungie and should be something that will not only shake the players but also the game world.

It will be exciting to see how the other characters react to this change and which NPC will take Cayde’s place in the Vanguard.

Farewell, old friend, but please do not come back

Death with hoped-for changes: After Bungie announced so early that Cayde will meet his end in Forsaken, many players did not truly believe that the Exo would stay dead. However, I wish that this decision will not be reversed.

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After some players criticized the changes to Cayde’s character between Destiny 1 and 2, his impending death brought about a turnaround. Many players do not want to believe that the gunslinger will meet his end soon and are building shrines in his honor or taking screenshots with him.

If Bungie were to backtrack now and bring Cayde back through some Space Magic, many players would be relieved, but Destiny would fall back into an old pit: Announced risks, such as the “world without light,” would only be empty promises, and the world would continue to lack consequences.

D2_Forsaken_Cayde6_03

Will other NPCs take the spotlight? I will gladly remember Cayde. He always whispered to me that I was his favorite Hunter when I walked past him. He stole Eris Morn’s ship for me and, together with a chicken, freed the Last City of the Humans.

I hope that players will remember him as well.

Perhaps through his death in Forsaken, other characters will finally step into the limelight. Besides Cayde, the other NPCs always seemed too pale to me.

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Do you think it’s good that Cayde dies, and do you hope that he stays dead? Or do you have a completely different opinion and wish to see the Hunter resurrected in Forsaken in some way?

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Has SWTOR failed because EA wanted a WoW killer?

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 3 minutes

A former developer of Star Wars: The Old Republic spills the beans. He reveals what went wrong with SWTOR and what goals were pursued.

Did SWTOR fail? Although BioWare’s MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic has held up solidly over the years, the game had to switch to Free2Play early on. Many goals and wishes of the developers were not achieved, and now the MMORPG more or less leads a shadowy existence with only small updates.

The former lead developer Daniel Erickson has spoken out on Reddit and revealed plenty of details about what went wrong during the development of SWTOR.

How SWTOR was originally supposed to be

The original plan was “more BioWare”: Even when BioWare was working on the game Dragon Age: Origins, there were initial plans for an MMO. However, the first visions for a game were “much more BioWare than MMO.” The idea was to create a large, ever-expanding game with a rich storyline.

Multiplayer aspects would then be limited to marketplaces, “social interactions,” and PvP.

swtor-kotet-vaylin-senya-battle

The thought was that it would be “like Netflix; it’s not so bad if you don’t have a subscription for a while. When you return, there is a lot of new content.”

The pressure for a mega hit was high: However, these plans for Star Wars The Old Republic apparently changed after BioWare was sold twice and ultimately ended up at Electronic Arts. The pressure to make SWTOR a mega hit was high. Then all fingers pointed to WoW.

Erickson says: “When you are in a situation where you have to say `Okay, first we copy the most successful MMO of all time, and then we do …` you have already set the course for failure.”

EA wanted a better WoW clone: According to Erickson, SWTOR fell short of Electronic Arts’ expectations mainly because they wanted to beat World of Warcraft at its own game.

In summary, a lot went wrong with SWTOR because the standards were too high and the goal was wrongly chosen. At least that is what former employee Erickson claims.

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What’s your impression of SWTOR? Do you agree with this opinion? Or do you enjoy the game as it has become?

They wanted to defeat “the king” of the genre with a similar game rather than with the things that BioWare did really well. That would have been a more intense story and less “forced MMO.”

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Swtor kotfe valkorion


The Collector’s Edition was a loss: It’s a bit bizarre that the Collector’s Edition of SWTOR was a loss for BioWare. The reason for this was that they never properly determined the price for the statue of Darth Malgus included in the Collector’s Edition. Those who purchased the CE indirectly harmed BioWare.

Action combat was discussed for SWTOR: It is also interesting that BioWare seemingly toyed with the idea of giving SWTOR an action combat system.

The lightsaber duels were said to be great, but only as long as it remained a duel. Once a third party joined, the game no longer functioned. There were simply too many fights, so they moved away from action combat to a safe tab-target combat system.

In summary, a lot went wrong with SWTOR because the standards were too high and the goal was wrongly chosen. At least that is what former employee Erickson claims.

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What’s your impression of SWTOR? Do you agree with this opinion? Or do you enjoy the game as it has become?

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. massivelyop.com
  2. reddit.com/r/swtor/

This is how Remnant, the new coop shooter with killer plants plays out

Jürgen Horn Jürgen Horn Reading time 3 minutes

Remnant: From the Ashes is an upcoming coop shooter from Perfect World. At Gamescom 2018, our author Jürgen was able to play the game for the first time. 

Remnant is an upcoming grim coop shooter from publisher Perfect World, which is particularly known for the MMORPGs Star Trek Online and Neverwinter. 

What is Remnant about? Humanity has been attacked and nearly wiped out by monsters from another world. These creatures resemble bizarre formations made of roots and rampage through the devastated lands.

Remnant Artwork

Only a small remnant of humanity is left. 

The gameplay of Remnant

Shooter with character classes: However, this pitiful remnant of humanity is fed up with the dictatorship of the thicket and strikes back from the underground. As in a role-playing game, you choose a character class with unique skills. At Gamescom 2018, they were: 

  • Hunter: This rugged guy is a ranged combat expert who fights with a rifle at a distance and delivers in close combat with a revolver and sword. Additionally, he can go stealth. 
  • Ex-Cultist: This heroine was once part of a cult that viewed the monsters as a welcome divine punishment for humanity’s sins. Therefore, she can still summon and control monsters. 

I chose the Hunter. As soon as the game started, I found myself in an overgrown sewer.

Shooting and Brawling 

This is how the controls work: Just around the next corner, the first enemies appeared: Ominous root beings that look like demons. To make matters worse, these creatures also throw thorns. Since you control Remnant from the 3rd-person perspective, I was able to dodge the attacks well with a roll.

Remnant From the Ashes Screenshot 2

Time to strike back: Thanks to the intuitive controls, this is easy: 

  • With the left mouse button, I can immediately strike with the sword. A too-close vine thug goes down 
  • With the right button, I draw the currently selected ranged weapon and aim. Choices include a pistol and a rifle
  • The revolver fires quickly. With it, I take out another plant in true cowboy style
  • The rifle has more punch and is more accurate. A well-aimed shot and the third weed monster is already lying in the dust. However, reloading takes forever
  • There are also skills like stealth and a healing item with limited uses

Whenever a killer tree goes down, it leaves resources, items, and ammunition. If you die, respawns are possible. The environment is, by the way, procedurally generated. 

Epic Boss Fights

After some tussles with the plant beasts in the subway tunnels, I finally return to the surface. But there, the highlight of the Gamescom session of Remnant is already waiting.

Remnant From the Ashes Screenshot 1

The showdown with the plant dragon: Amidst a ruin, a massive beast suddenly lunges at me. The monster looks like a dragon made of vines. I hit the beast a few times with my gun, but the health bar of the monster barely decreases. 

However, the creature breathes fire, and I just barely dodge with a roll. The active dodge skill is crucial at this point.

Remnant From the Ashes Screenshot 3

Cover is running out: During the battle, the creature gradually destroys every cover, and dodging becomes more challenging due to the burning areas. And then the boss monster summons additional enemies. By the way, they are burning now, which makes them extremely nasty in close combat. 

I dash from cover to cover like a madman, consume healing items in panic, and seize every opportunity to get a few bullets into the monster. Reloading becomes a torture every time, as I cannot dash or run during it. 

With my last ounce of strength, I manage to take down the boss in the end, which my character rewards with a cool one-liner. 

Jürgen’s first impression of Remnant

When the boss monster collapsed, I was really relieved. The fight was extremely thrilling and cinematic. If all boss fights are like this, then Remnant will surely be a blast, which I’m already looking forward to. However, the game is set to release only in 2019 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

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What about coop? Unfortunately, I could not test the coop mode. However, later, coop sessions with up to four players are expected to be possible.

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This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Fortnite: Players using a mouse on PS4 and Xbox One will soon face PC opponents

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

Who plays Fortnite on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One and uses mouse and keyboard will soon face opponents who are on PC.

Epic is serious about the announcement from early August: In the future, player matchmaking in Fortnite will be based on the input device. This was announced via a developer blog.

What is changing? Epic wants to make player matchmaking in Fortnite fairer. Soon players with the same input devices will face each other.

  • Players with controllers will play against each other
  • Players with mouse and keyboard will also compete against each other

The system works across groups: If a player in a group of console players uses a mouse and keyboard, the whole group will be treated as if they were playing with a mouse and keyboard. They will face PC players or other console players who are also using mouse and keyboard.

hori_tac_pro

This only works in one direction: Those playing on PC with a controller will continue to contend against other PC players, regardless of which input devices they use.

When is it coming? It is not yet clear when this change will come to Fortnite. Epic mentions “one of the upcoming updates.”

Free controller customization coming to Fortnite

Free controller mapping: Additionally, they want to give players the option to completely customize the button layout on the controller. This is supposed to happen in 2018.

Fortnite-Aerobic

Fairness is to be ensured

Why is Epic implementing this new matchmaking? Those who use mouse and keyboard on PS4 or Xbox One have an advantage over players using the controller. They want to balance this out to ensure fairness in eSports.

Some believe it is easier to dominate against “normal players” on consoles by taking advantage of that input advantage.

What do players say? Players have concerns about whether Epic’s plan will work in this form. After all, there are emulators on consoles that make “mouse and keyboard” pretend to be controllers. We will see if Epic can resolve the issue in practice.

The background to this topic has been explained here:

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This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Epic

The Elder Scrolls: Blades sieht super aus, aber die Demo war sehr kurz

Jürgen Horn Jürgen Horn Reading time 3 minutes

The Elder Scrolls Blades is a beautiful mobile RPG. At Gamescom 2018, we were able to briefly play the glossy game from Bethesda for the first time in short play. 

Mobile games have become increasingly better. Thanks to powerful new smartphones, graphic gems for on the go are possible. The latest prime example of impressive mobile graphics is The Elder Scrolls: Blades from Bethesda.

Here you set out as a member of the Emperor’s legendary elite troop to explore and loot dungeons. At Gamescom 2018, we were able to play Blades on an iPhone X for the first time. But does the game deliver what the graphics promise?

bild2
Braid Viking Jürgen holds Elder Scrolls Blades in his mighty paws.

Glossy graphics on the smartphone 

One of the most beautiful mobile games: When I started Blades for the first time, I was immediately impressed by the magnificent graphics. Whether in the forest or dungeon: The Elder Scrolls: Blades simply looks good. 

  • In the forest, light flickers through the trees, everything is green and alive. Goblins and spiders lurk in between. 
  • In the dungeon, it is dark, but light effects create a great atmosphere. Undead monsters look creepy. 
Elder-Scrolls-Blades-07

What hardware was used? The powerful graphics of Blades are not a problem on modern smartphones. Our demo ran on an iPhone X without any issues.

With some limitations and lower details, the game should also work on older devices. 

How does The Elder Scrolls Blades play? 

How does the control work? You control The Elder Scrolls: Blades by moving your hero on the left side of the screen. With your right hand, you look around and determine your direction of movement. 

This works pleasantly intuitively, after a short time you will confidently run around and explore vaults and forests. 

Elder-Scrolls-Blades-01

How do the fights go? When you encounter a monster, the game centers the view on you and the opponent you are facing. You then exchange blows with the enemy. However, it seems you cannot dance around the enemy too much 

Attacks and Defense: If you want to strike, you must tap briefly on the right side and hold your finger there. Once your hit is charged, you can release it at the targeted spot on the opponent.

Whether it matters if you hit selected body parts, however, we could not determine in the demo. 

Elder-Scrolls-Blades-08

With the left side, you can raise your shield to block or trigger magic. Alternatively to blocking, you can perform a shield bash and thus start a powerful combo attack. This way, you can quickly take down strong enemies. 

Not Skyrim’s combat system: Overall, the combat control is somewhat static and takes getting used to. Those who expected the dynamic movement from games like Skyrim or Oblivion might be disappointed.

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More content at launch 

What was our conclusion? At Gamescom, I could only play two short scenarios. They only featured battles against simple enemies. Therefore, we still have many unanswered questions: 

  • What does the progression look like? Mobile games thrive on keeping players entertained with constant rewards. In the beta, we found plenty of gold and gems. However, it was unclear what you would do with them later. 
  • What about the own city? According to Bethesda, you should be able to build your own city in Blades. This was not seen in the demo either. 
  • How can I create and develop my hero? We could see nothing from the character creation. Likewise, we couldn’t see how the inventory or skill selection looks. 

Blades has not yet answered any of these questions.

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The first impression at the moment is: If Bethesda implements a fair reward system without an overly aggressive real-money shop and brings enough variety to the gameplay, then The Elder Scrolls: Blades could become a pleasant and motivating mobile game. 

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This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Pokémon GO: Celebi is here – These quests you must complete

Patrick Freese Patrick Freese Reading time < 1 minutes

In Pokémon GO the special research started with Celebi. There are again 8 chapters with various tasks that we will show you here.

Celebi as a reward: The new special research started on August 20 at 10:00 PM. If trainers complete the tasks, a meeting with Celebi awaits at the end.

Catching Celebi – These quests you need to complete

We will update this section with new information – Last update on August 27 at 09:00 AM – Chapter 8

A Jump in Time – Chapter 1

  • Use 5 Power-Ups on Pokémon
    • Reward: 1000 XP
  • Battle 2 times in a gym
    • Reward: 1000 XP
  • Battle in a raid
    • Reward: 1000 XP

Reward for completing this chapter: 10 Poké Balls, 1 Fast TM, 1 Super Incubator

Tip: “Power-Ups” means that you are strengthening a Pokémon. Choose a monster from your Pokémon overview. There you will see “Power-Up” in the middle of the screen. This feature boosts the Pokémon but consumes species candies and stardust.

A Jump in Time – Chapter 2

  • Make 3 new friendships
    • Reward: 1500 XP
  • Evolve a plant-type Pokémon
    • Reward: 1500 XP
  • Catch a Pokémon 3 days in a row
    • Reward: 1500 XP

Reward for completing this chapter: 1500 Stardust, 1 Sun Stone, 1 Premium Raid Pass

Tips: Evolving a plant-type Pokémon means that you evolve a Bulbasaur into a Venusaur. For finding friends, we have photo albums for friend searches in our Facebook group – Please use the photo albums there. Individual posts with friend codes will not be approved.

A Jump in Time – Chapter 3

  • Reach Level 25
    • Reward: 2000 XP
  • Use a Sun Stone to evolve Gloom or Sunkern
    • Reward: 2000 XP
  • Reward: 2000 XP

Reward for completing this chapter: A Pokémon encounter with Eevee, 1 King’s Rock, 1 Premium Raid Pass

A Jump in Time – Chapter 4

  • Walk 10 kilometers with Eevee as your buddy to earn candies
    • Reward: 2500 XP
  • Evolve Eevee during the day into Espeon
    • Reward: 2500 XP
  • Send 20 gifts to your friends
    • Reward: 2500 XP

Reward for completing this chapter: A Pokémon encounter with Eevee, 2500 Stardust, 1 Metal Coat

Tip: Evolving Eevee 

A Jump in Time – Chapter 5

  • Walk 10 kilometers with Eevee as your buddy to earn candies
    • Reward: 3000 XP
  • Evolve Eevee at night into Umbreon
    • Reward: 3000 XP
  • Trade a Pokémon
    • Reward: 3000 XP

Reward for completing this chapter: 1 Star Piece, 15 Razz Berries, 1 Up-Grade

Tip: Evolving Eevee 

A Jump in Time – Chapter 6

  • Visit PokéStops 7 days in a row
    • Reward: 3500 XP
  • Use 25 Razz Berries when catching Pokémon
    • Reward: 3500 XP
  • Use items to evolve 2 Pokémon
    • Reward: 3500 XP

Reward for completing this chapter: 5 Silver Razz Berries, 1 Dragon Scale, 3500 Stardust

Tip: With “Use items” it means that you use Sun Stones, Dragon Scales, Metal Coats, or similar evolution items to evolve 2 Pokémon.

A Jump in Time – Chapter 7

  • Catch 40 Grass-type or Psychic-type Pokémon
    • Reward: 4000 XP
  • Earn the golden Johto medal
    • Reward: 4000 XP
  • Throw a great curveball
    • Reward: 4000 XP

Reward for completing this chapter: A Pokémon encounter with Celebi, 1 Charge TM, 10 silver Razz Berries

A Jump in Time – Chapter 8

  • Automatically completed
    • Reward: 4500 XP
  • Automatically completed
    • Reward: 4500 XP
  • Automatically completed
    • Reward: 4500 XP

Reward for completing this chapter: 20 Celebi candies, 1 Super Incubator, 5500 Stardust

How do you like the new tasks?

Along with the Johto event, there are new field researches and new Shinys in Pokémon GO

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

In EVE Online, bots were massacred for the amusement of the masses

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

In the SF MMORPG EVE Online, developer CCP has come up with something special to curb the bot problem: Players are allowed to specifically massacre bots. While this doesn’t achieve much, it boosts morale.

The fight against bots mostly takes place behind the scenes of MMORPGs through bans. However, in EVE Online, bot populations are now decimated publicly through executions.

GM Week at EVE: Last week, EVE held “GM Week”. During this event, the Game Masters of EVE host a series of in-game and social media events. According to PCGamesN, one GM has something special planned for the week.

Bots open for hunting: CCP teleported botters to the Yula High-Sec area and marked them as “Suspects”. This means they are fair game, and anyone can take them down. NPCs attacked the botters, and of course, players did as well. It was said to be a massive massacre.

Here in the video, you can see and hear how a pilot is just realizing what’s happening and is pleased about it:

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Reddit applauds: In the corresponding thread on reddit, “CCP_Falcon” dryly comments with “Ah, fun times.”

Most fans are pleased with the action. They consider it one of the better events during GM Week.

One player even says: “You could actually do this every Monday. I would never get bored of it.”

EVE Online Frostline

Why is EVE doing this? EVE has had a bot problem for some time now. This is particularly critical in EVE because the economy is so important. Honest players felt like fools when others were visibly cheating and profiting from it. This significantly lowered motivation.

In recent months, CCP has promised to take a tougher stance against bots. While simple bans of the botters would suffice, they are not as visually impactful. The public execution and hands-on massacring serve as a frustration vent for players and a source of general amusement.

After the kill, came the ban: The bots were also banned after the massacre, by the way. CCP_Falcon (via reddit) commented a day later: “In our excitement, we forgot to ban the bots we killed yesterday. Sometimes we can be a bit foolish.” But they have now taken care of that.

More on the topic
EVE Online has a botting problem, but soon it will catch up to them
von Andreas Bertits
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Unsere Leser mögen WoW: Battle for Azeroth, die Allianz aber deutlich mehr

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

We evaluated our WoW surveys where you could express your opinion. The results are in – and they are quite clear.

WoW Battle for Azeroth blood elf question title

A few days ago, we asked you some questions about Battle for Azeroth . Now we will review the surveys and arrive at the conclusion: The latest expansion of World of Warcraft is well received by our readers. The Alliance, however, is a bit more satisfied than the Horde.

Only 5% are disappointed with Battle for Azeroth

The survey on satisfaction with Battle for Azeroth has provided some interesting numbers – over 3000 people participated.

  • With 55%, more than half of our readers like Battle for Azeroth
  • More than 1/5 of the readers (22%) still find it too early to form an opinion. They want to let the upcoming weeks unfold and experience further features, such as raids and warfronts, before they have a clear picture
  • Nearly 18% of our readers are of mixed opinion. They see many positive aspects in the game but also some negatives. Especially the “Artifact Power grind” is frequently mentioned as a downside
  • In contrast: Only 5% find no enjoyment in Battle for Azeroth and are therefore somewhat disappointed
WoW Battle for Azeroth Night Elf Blood Elf happy title

Kul Tiras is the more popular continent

Since there are two completely different leveling and story experiences in Battle for Azeroth, we also asked the question about the favorite continent. Here too, the response was relatively clear, in favor of the Alliance.

  • 52% of our readers consider the continent of Kul Tiras to be better done. No wonder, the exciting story around Jaina and the beautiful landscapes of Tiragardesund and Drustvar create an atmosphere that you can only find in “The Witcher” otherwise
  • But Zandalar also has fans. 30% of our readers enjoy wandering through the dense jungle of Zuldazar or roaming through the endless expanses of the desert of Vol’dun
  • In total, 18% consider both continents equally well done and apparently can enjoy all six areas
wow battle for azeroth kul tiras titel

Does this result correspond to what you expected? Or would you have thought that more people are disappointed with Battle for Azeroth? Does the result reflect the opinion in your circle of friends?

More on the topic
Finally Level 120 – Here’s what’s in the endgame of WoW: Battle for Azeroth
von Benedict Grothaus
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Torchlight Frontiers: MMO offers housing and you can play as a robot

Sven Galitzki Sven Galitzki Reading time 5 minutes

In an interview at Gamescom 2018, the head of Torchlight Frontiers revealed numerous new details about the upcoming MMO-ARPG. We summarize the information for you.

Torchlight Screenshot Beetle

Who is speaking? Max Schaefer is the co-founder of Blizzard North and Runic Games. With his new studio Echtra Games, Schaefer is responsible for Torchlight Frontiers, which is now becoming an MMO and is set to be released for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. The interview was conducted with the site mmorpg.com.

What to expect in Torchlight Frontiers

Looks like Torchlight, feels like Torchlight: The controls remain the same, the combat remains the same. Torchlight Frontiers is supposed to feel exactly like Torchlight 1 and 2. Additionally, the PC version will feature gamepad support.

This is how Torchlight Frontiers is structured: The world of Torchlight Frontiers is a mix of public areas – so-called Shared Open Spaces – and private instances for solo players and groups.

The public areas are basically the path to your quest that you are on. They will be randomly generated, but not to the extent of the actual quest areas – i.e., dungeons or caves.

There will be public cities and hubs. However, these will not be randomly generated, as players should always be able to find their way there and not encounter a new environment every time they enter the city.

Torchlight Screenshot Zombies

The expansive public areas will resemble, for example, the world in Marvel Heroes, where you can randomly run into other players. Dungeons and similar areas will be designed to be more compact and are intended for solo players or groups. Most of the quests and the story will take place there.

Day-night cycle: Torchlight Frontiers will feature a day-night cycle. Currently, each phase lasts about 20 minutes. Monsters and items change with the respective cycles.

New class “The Forge” is a conscious robot

The classes: Some classes in Torchlight Frontiers may seem familiar to you. However, there is a completely new class called “The Forge”.

The associated lore is still being finalized, but in principle, it is a robot with its own consciousness that looks like a metal oven on spider legs. By shooting with its weapon, it builds heat as a resource and then discharges it in a close-range AOE attack.

So, while honoring the classics, the world of Torchlight is also being expanded. There will be four or five classes available at launch.

Pet system: The pets are getting a major update with Frontiers. In Torchlight 1 and 2, players had pets that could carry items and sell useless stuff for you in the city. They also helped you in combat.

All this will also be available in Frontiers. But now you will collect tons of pets and be able to store them in a dedicated hut in your fort. The pets are available across all your characters.

Torchlight Screenshot Goblins

This is how housing works through forts

Torchlight Frontiers features housing: Torchlight Frontiers will have a housing system. The developers call it forts. Numerous things in the forts will be available for all your characters. They want to encourage players to create multiple characters and will provide corresponding good reasons for it.

Torchlight Trailer Screenshot Heroes of Torchlight

Different characters benefit from each other: For example, pets can be used across characters. But that’s not all. Things you do there will grant your characters various skills or improve them in some way.

Your fort is also useful for other players: One example is the enchanting bank in your fort. This can be leveled up. Additionally, you can assign one of your characters as an enchanting merchant to it. Afterwards, your fort can be made visible to random players. They can then visit it and use your merchant just like a merchant in the city. The potential proceeds will go to you – after all, it’s your fort.

TLF X4

The developers want to provide enough incentives for players to create a cool fort with numerous useful things. Not just for themselves, but also for other players.

Torchlight Frontiers promises regular new content

Plenty to do: As Schaefer has assured, there will be extensive content, plenty to hunt and sufficient replay value – even for multiple characters. The developers even want you to level up multiple characters, even from the same class. Because you will have the ability to specialize your characters and customize them in numerous ways.

Character level not decisive: The developers at Echtra want to focus on progress in specific areas and regions of the game rather than on the player level.

Regularly new locations with fresh content and new features will be added. And all this content should be relevant for both high-level players and newcomers – right at release. They want to distance themselves from the idea that a level cap or gear score excludes players from new content.

Torchlight Trailer Screenshot Fire Pig

Monetization system: This system is to be shaped through internal testing and with the help of the beta, based on player feedback. Some examples for item store ideas included purchasable cards that come with bonuses such as increased gold drops or increased magic find. When a player in the party uses such a card, every party member benefits from this bonus. However, it will also be possible to earn such cards in-game without spending money.

Is Torchlight Frontiers an MMO?

This is what the developers say: The developers themselves prefer to refer to the game as a Shared Online ARPG. According to Schaefer, it is definitely an MMO. But when you say that, people have specific expectations associated with that term. When Echtra says MMO, they mean it in a broad sense.

They want to emphasize that it is a Shared Online ARPG so that people know: It is Torchlight, just with the additional benefits of an online community. The goal is a long-term game designed for years.

Can you play Torchlight Frontiers solo? You can play it solo, but other people will always be around you. However, you can choose not to play with them.

More on the topic
Torchlight Frontiers: See the first gameplay from Gamescom
von Micha Deckert
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. MMORPG.com

Call of Duty Black Ops 4: Possible details about Blackout & other modes leaked

Sven Galitzki Sven Galitzki Reading time 4 minutes

Recently, new alleged information about Blackout and other modes of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 has come to light. Additionally, there were some new details about weapons and possible events. 

Call of Duty Black Ops 4 specialists 1

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will be released without a single-player campaign. However, in the missions of the Specialists Story Mode, the backgrounds of each Specialist will be explored through solo missions.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 – Specialists Story Mode

Leak with alleged info: These new suspected details about Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 are not officially confirmed and should therefore be viewed with a degree of skepticism. However, just recently, The Wew Lads accurately predicted the details for the upcoming DLC4 for Call of Duty: WWII. We have summarized the contents of the leak for you.

The following information is small excerpts from larger missions that are expected to offer much more:

COD Black Ops 4 1

The mission of the Specialist Ruin takes place in a Grapple Range: His mission is directed against himself. He disobeys orders. This mission also features the female Specialist Battery. She has an overarching love story with a new character.

In Recons Specialist mission, you play as Battery: The mission revolves around a plot by the Specialist Organization. Recon will have to make a tough decision – it seems to involve killing a child. He makes this sacrifice and is then recruited by the Specialist Organization.

The Specialist Crash has to settle old debts: Crash owes someone money and finds a solution to this debt problem during his mission.

COD Black Ops 4 2

Cutscenes reveal more about Seraph and Firebreak:

  • The cutscene with Firebreak revolves around what he described in Black Ops 3 – he is attempting to kill his father.
  • The cutscene of the female Specialist Seraph shows the events she spoke about in Black Ops 3 – how she got her cybernetic arm and her Specialist weapon “Annihilator”.

By the way: The Specialists are brought together by a woman who embodies a typical occult character.

Call of Duty Black Ops 4 beta 2

More Specialists are expected: In addition to the known Specialists from the beta, the characters Spectre and the combat robot Reaper from Black Ops 3 are being developed for the fourth Black Ops installment. Spectre will receive a completely new model. There are also indications of Reaper’s minigun, but this could also be remnants from Black Ops 3.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 – Battle Royale Mode Blackout

There are also new potential details about the Blackout mode:

Features of the Blackout Map: After initially gliding down with a wingsuit, you finally land on the map via parachute.

The maps Cracked and Array from previous Black Ops installments have been reworked into sections of the Blackout map. There are doors that can be opened and closed – just like in Fortnite and PUBG.

Additionally, it is planned that there will be Zombies in some areas of the map. However, this feature might not make it into the Blackout beta.

Call of Duty Black Ops 4 multiplayer Firebreak 01-WM

Additional mechanics? There will be collectible items similar to those in the Heist mode. In Heist, you try to collect a bag of cash and bring it to a random pickup point. From the looted money, you can buy new gear.

100 players in Blackout? During tests of Blackout, up to 100 players were reportedly able to compete against each other. At least that many slots were used during testing. It does not mean that the final version of the mode will support that many players.

More on the topic
Call of Duty Blackout – Everything about the battle royale mode of Black Ops 4
von Robert Albrecht
Black-Ops-4

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 – New Mode “Outboarding”

The source states that Outboarding may have been replaced by the Specialists story modes. However, the author is not sure.

  • It is supposed to be a training or tutorial mode.
  • Included are Sgt. Frank Woods from various Black Ops installments and Renzov, who also plays a significant role in the Black Ops series. Woods apparently wakes up after some sort of simulation.
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 scheint 2018 weit vor Battlefield V zu liegen
von Sven Galitzki

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 – Events

There are efforts underway to develop specific weapon and Specialist variants, suggesting that there will be special events.

Cod Black Ops 4 themed specialists
  • Themes include “Day of the Dead” and “Halloween”. There will likely also be Halloween-inspired supply drops. However, these features are still subject to change as Activision and Treyarch are still working on how the microtransactions in the game will look.
  • A “Day of the Dead” variant of the VAPR-XKG has already been seen.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 – New Weapons

Two new weapons have been developed that were not included in the beta:

  • A small rocket launcher – similar to the BlackCell from Black Ops 3.
  • A new assault rifle.
More on the topic
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Blackout Beta – Start date for PC and Xbox One
von Sven Galitzki
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Reddit
  2. Dexerto
  3. YouTube

FIFA 19: Alle neuen Jubel sind bekannt – So könnt Ihr Eure Tore feiern

Tom Rothstein Tom Rothstein Reading time 3 minutes

All new celebrations from FIFA 19 can be found here in the list. We provide the key combinations and show the celebrations in video. 

Update: We show you the new celebrations in FIFA 20 here.

So that you can celebrate your goals properly on the virtual pitch, FIFA 19 offers a ton of celebration animations. Compared to FIFA 18, 11 new goal celebrations have been added, which are now known.

New celebrations from Ronaldo, Mbappe, Griezmann and others.

The new animations are intended to reflect the famous celebrations of world stars like Ronaldo, Mbappe, or Griezmann. Because they occasionally show these dances and poses in real football as well.

These are all new celebrations – with key combinations and screenshots:

  • Little Brother – Hold L2 and press Circle twice (Hold LT, press B twice):
    fifa-19-jubel-mbappe
  • Giddy Up – Hold L1 and press R3 (Hold LB, press right stick):
    fifa-19-jubel-pogba
  • Phone It In – Hold L1 and push the right stick up (Hold LB, push right stick up):
    fifa-19-telefon-manchester-city
  • Double Siii (Ronaldo celebration) – Press X when a teammate is nearby (Press A):
    fifa-19-ronaldo-dybala-jubel
  • Hang Loose – Hold L1 and push the right stick once up and once down (Hold LB, push right stick once up and down):
    fifa-19-jubel-neymar
  • Neighbourhood – Hold L2 and move the right stick down twice (Hold LT, move right stick down twice):
    fifa-19-jubel-neighbourhood
  • Kiss the Ground – Hold R2 and push the right stick to the right (Hold LT, push right stick right):
    boden-jubel
  • Matador – Hold R2 and press the right stick once down and once up (Hold RT, press right stick once down and up):
    fifa-19-jubel-matador
  • Milly Rock (Lingard celebration) – Press X (Press A):
    fifa-19-milly-rock
  • Number One (Ronaldo celebration) – Press X when the victory is secured (Press A):
    fifa-19-ronaldo-1
    fifa-19-ronaldo-jubel
  • Crocodile (Griezmann celebration) – Press X (Press A):
    fifa-19-griezmann-jubel

Note: The button combinations for PS4 and Xbox One are indicated in parentheses. Some of the new celebrations can only be performed with specific players.

Update: Here is the complete celebration list of FIFA 19 – all celebrations, including the new ones, with key combinations.

More on the topic
FIFA 19 Info: All news about innovations, gameplay, and licenses
von Philipp Junge

All new goal celebrations in video

In this video, you can see the new goal celebration animations from FIFA 19:

Recommended editorial content

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What kind of video is this? The video comes from Youtuber Kazooie94, who was allowed to publish it as part of the “EA Game Changers Network”. The “Game Changers” is a partnership between EA and community representatives such as Youtubers or streamers. The selected FIFA Youtubers can test FIFA 19 early, must provide extensive feedback to EA, and are allowed to publish early gameplay material – like these new celebrations.

By the way: The famous “Take the L” dance from Fortnite, which Griezmann likes to show in the World Cup final, is not included in this list.

How do you celebrate in FIFA 19?

With which teams and in which stadiums you can celebrate in FIFA 19, you can find out in the links.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

This is how the open world is supposed to become a main character in The Division 2

Tarek Zehrer Tarek Zehrer Reading time 5 minutes

The online shooter The Division 2 aims to impress not only with its gameplay. Washington D.C. is supposed to be gigantic and diverse. At Gamescom, our author Tarek was able to get an impression of it himself.

Already in The Division 1, the setting was one of the most important components of the game. Massive placed great emphasis on the credible representation of Manhattan, New York. For part 2, they have set their sights even higher.

At Gamescom 2018, I visited Ubisoft and Massive. There I got an insight into the creation of the game world and which factors are particularly important for the developers.

The Division 2 artwork

Setting as a main character of The Division 2?

Where does The Division 2 take place? The storyline of The Division 2 will take place in the capital of the USA, Washington D.C. Seven months after the events of The Division 1, the peak summer has hit D.C.

The situation in the city has spiraled out of control since the outbreak of the green poison, with various factions fighting for dominance.

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Washington D.C. was not the only consideration. New Orleans was also an option for Massive, but they decided against it.

The Division 2 as a main character? Massive wants to make Washington D.C. a main character of the game through a much larger, more vibrant, and diverse world.

To achieve this, they put in a lot of effort into research and realistically replicating the US capital. Can this work?

the division 2 plane

On-site research aims to ensure maximum realism

How does the population react in the event of an outbreak? To find out how Washington D.C. would react to a catastrophe like the green poison, Massive was able to utilize the resources of publisher Ubisoft. On-site, extensive research and recordings took place for 10 days.

Local residents, police officers, firefighters, survival experts, and disaster management were asked what situations could be expected if such a catastrophe were to occur.

the division 2 forest

How would the government and individual institutions act to protect the civilian population and maintain order?

How geography influences level design: A concrete example of the orientation towards geographical data was provided to us with the subway. This is partially flooded in The Division 2 because D.C. was built on a swamp and is subjected to heavy rainfall every year.

the division 2 heli

As society collapsed, no one maintained the subway tunnels and stations anymore. Consequently, some areas filled up with water.

The 6 different areas of Washington D.C.

A crucial factor for the US capital as a setting is the diversity of different neighborhoods. Massive has divided Washington into six areas that differ in various aspects such as architecture, infrastructure, and utility:

  • The suburbs of Georgetown: The houses of the upper class are supposed to particularly demonstrate how civilians had to leave their belongings behind when the disaster started.
  • Business districts: These were particularly hard hit by looters.
  • The Mall: Here lie important historical sites like the Lincoln Memorial, the Air and Space Museum, and the Washington Monument.
  • Government district: Among many other well-known locations, the White House is located here.
  • Residential areas: These are most similar to Manhattan. Civilians tried to hunker down in their apartments and survive.
  • The surrounding forests: The overgrown areas of D.C. were a particular challenge, as they wanted to transfer the familiar gameplay from The Division 1 into the novel areas.

Washington D.C. is not strictly divided, so you will frequently stumble from one area to another. This is meant to make the game world feel organic and diverse.

the division 2 map

First info on well-known landmarks

Massive provided initial insights into the more famous locations of D.C. and what condition they are in The Division 2.

The White House: The former seat of government has been completely recreated, and all (known) rooms will be included. Even those that are not accessible to the public.

There had previously been a leak referring to the White House as the operations base of The Division 2. However, upon inquiry, they would not confirm this.

the division 2 white house

The Lincoln Memorial: The memorial honoring Abraham Lincoln served as a checkpoint and reception center for civilians after the virus broke out. Directly behind it is the Arlington Memorial Bridge, one of the main access points to the city.

Roosevelt Island: The island was primarily a park in the past. Now it is isolated and overgrown. The island has become a quarantine zone.

The National Air and Space Museum: In reality, it is one of the most visited museums in the world. In The Division 2, the Air and Space Museum becomes one of the largest refugee camps. The exhibits served the government for a time as a source of equipment that suddenly finds new purpose.

The Division 2 Washington

All these buildings and landmarks will be recreated in original scale and accessible to players.

Game world as a main character? It could work

This is how I perceived the presentation: After The Division 1, I was already optimistic. Manhattan had been brilliantly designed and created with a lot of attention to detail.

Having now gotten a direct insight, I am now completely sure: The Division 2 will have a fantastic game world.

Massive’s attention to detail is incredible. They even dealt with the decay of trash to credibly depict the waste lying in the streets.

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von Tarek Zehrer
The Division 2 Release and Info

The developers are working meticulously on every conceivable detail. I am really looking forward to exploring Washington D.C.

By the way, the sound in The Division 2 is also said to be top-notch:

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This is how The Division 2 will bring you the best sound effects
von Tarek Zehrer
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

The seasons for Mythic+ are starting soon in WoW – here’s what to expect

Benedict Grothaus Benedict Grothaus Reading time 3 minutes

Battle for Azeroth will soon receive new features. In a statement, the creators of World of Warcraft discuss upcoming content and the first Mythic+ season.

Shortly after the launch of Battle for Azeroth, Blizzard published a “small roadmap” announcing the upcoming features. In the coming weeks, WoW fans can expect a raid, warfronts, and seasons for PvP and PvE.

World-Of-Warcraft-WoW-Anduin

Mythic+ dungeons are getting a season

Battle for Azeroth is the fastest-selling expansion of all time, and Blizzard will soon feed the game with new content. On September 4, the first season for PvP in Battle for Azeroth and for Mythic Keystone dungeons will open.

More on the topic
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von Gastbeitrag

Mythic+ seasons are coming: A special innovation in Battle for Azeroth will be seasons for Mythic Keystone dungeons. In “Mythic+” instances, players can face increasingly difficult challenges and compare themselves on official leaderboards.

With an upcoming patch, there will be “seasonal affixes” which are enhancements for the enemies in dungeons that will apparently change with each season. The first seasonal affix will be “Infested,” based on the corrupted dwellers of the raid Uldir.

Participation in the seasons will also yield seasonal achievements, the keymaster, and the key conqueror of Battle for Azeroth: Season 1.

WoW Mythic Dungeon Invitational
There is even an eSports for Mythic+ dungeons.

The PvP season begins: With the upcoming PvP season, players can collect “conquest points,” which will allow them to open a weekly reward chest in their PvP headquarters in Boralus or Atal’Dazar.

Even though there was some criticism, the new PvP system with the war mode has drawn many players into PvP for the first time. Blizzard continues to work on this system by making adjustments to the balance.

WoW PvP Arenabattle

More new content is coming soon

In the statement, Blizzard also discusses some of the already known features that have been announced for Battle for Azeroth but have not yet been implemented.

WoW_BattleForAzeroth_Warfront_Stromgarde_3840x2160

Warfronts are likely coming “soon”: In the warfronts, players from the Horde and Alliance fight for strategically important points in Azeroth. They capture them for their faction and unlock special features, such as world bosses in the respective area for a few days.

The first warfront will be Stromgarde, a PvE event for 20 players in Arathi Highlands. The Alliance will control Stromgarde first, while the Horde will attack. Warfronts are expected to be made accessible “in the coming weeks.”

More on the topic
WoW: Players find hint – the Barrens will be a warfront!
von Cortyn

Uldir is coming on September 5: On September 4 (for Europe likely Wednesday, September 5), the first raid of Battle for Azeroth will be available: Uldir.

Uldir is an ancient facility of the Titans, housing the failed experiments of the Old Gods. You will encounter eight bosses in Uldir, including Zul and the gruesome abomination G’huun.

WoW Ghuun Blood God title
The monster G’huun.

Additional updates are in progress: In the future, further allied races such as the Zandalari trolls and the Kul Tiran humans will also be available. More details regarding these and yet-to-be-announced content will come at a later time.

Are you already excited about the upcoming changes? What are you most looking forward to? Or is there still a particular feature you’re missing? Let us know in the comments!

Let’s see how you perform in Battle for Azeroth: In Legion, the bosses were more successful than the players.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Fortnite: Player uses cosmic cube for unbelievably cool kill

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

A new giant cube has appeared in Fortnite. A player has abused it as a trampoline and achieved a crazy kill.

Since yesterday, there is a new highlight in Fortnite: a cosmic cube. A player has showcased it perfectly on reddit. This has garnered him almost 40,000 upvotes and the recognition of the Fortnite community.

Note: We have embedded the video above. If you can’t see it, try it here.

Fortnite-Kubus

How to use the cube as a trampoline: In a video on reddit, a player demonstrates how the recoil from the cube works. He lands on the cube with a glider and then bounces around on the cosmic cube.

A unique feature of the cube is that damage to the cube catapults the damage dealer away. Since the player landed directly on the cube, the cosmic cube turns into a trampoline. “Double jumps” with incredible height are possible.

The highlight of the action is a no-scope kill with the sniper rifle in mid-air, after someone from the bushes opened fire on the jumper.

fortnite-schwere-sniper

How the internet reacts to the action: The video of the kill was posted online at 1 AM our time on the night from Friday to Saturday. It has almost 40k upvotes on reddit now. That’s a lot even for Fortnite.

Most didn’t even know the cube and its function at the time the video was released, as a player already performed this crazy kill.

Players are excited about the clip. The top comment says: “I thought the video was just going to show the double jump, but then a no-scope kill too. Damn.”

fortnite-solo-showdown

What is the deal with the cube? Currently, it’s still unknown. The cube is located in the Paradise Palms area, which is in the southeast of the Fortnite Battle Royale map. Apparently, the cube is part of the “season finale” of Season 5 in Fortnite. Epic always comes up with something special.

The cube emits a strange humming sound – maybe that’s a clue. We will continue to follow developments in Fortnite here on Mein MMO in the coming days.

If you don’t want to miss any news about the online shooter, it’s best to follow our special Facebook page, where you’ll only get the news about Fortnite.

More about the cube:

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Rift in Fortnite spat out a huge cube – Season 5 finale?
von Schuhmann
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Old Gods attack Azeroth: N’zoth Servant appears in WoW quest

Benedict Grothaus Benedict Grothaus Reading time 2 minutes

The Old Gods apparently now play a role in Battle for Azeroth. In a quest for the Champions of Azeroth, a servant of the old god N’zoth appears in World of Warcraft.

“He rises!” When you gain reputation with the Champions of Azeroth, you can upgrade your Heart of Azeroth by several item levels with every new reputation level. To do this, you need to complete a quest. At the “Respectful” status, this quest is somewhat longer.

Magni will once again lead you into the Heart Chamber of Azeroth, where you are to empower Azeroth. However, you will be interrupted by a servant of N’zoth, who appears from the void and demands the heart to nourish his master. You repel the servant, and his last words are “He rises!”

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N’zoth Revealed

Since the Warbringer video about Azshara, it has been known that the former elven queen Azshara is now the queen of the old god N’zoth. However, the appearance of the Faceless One is the first concrete sign in the game.

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von Cortyn

There were already signs: Azshara can already be briefly seen in the Shrine of Storms. Her appearance makes it clear early in the game that Azshara will play a role in Battle for Azeroth.

In the area of the shrine and in the open world of Stormsong Valley, there were already further signs. In the instance and around it, there are frequently aberrations that strongly resemble the Faceless Ones, servants of the old gods. Some frescoes on the ground also depict a creature that strongly resembles N’zoth.

WoW Screenshot Nzoth in Stormsong Valley

Will there be more Old Gods? So far, there are no concrete signs of another Old God. However, there is a fan theory that suggests Yogg-Saron also has a hand in this and that Anduin serves the Old Gods.

Yogg-Saron is apparently not really dead, and he is, after all, the “God of Death.” Even in the pre-event for Legion, players encountered his servants. In Battle for Azeroth, Sylvanas uses chants that sound suspiciously similar and strongly reminiscent of Yogg-Saron.

More on the topic
WoW Theory: Is Battle for Azeroth just the battle between two Ancient Gods?
von Cortyn
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Vanion

In Destiny 2, Xur is finally back to being the old, mysterious vendor

Tom Rothstein Tom Rothstein Reading time 5 minutes

In Destiny 2 Forsaken, Xur finally returns to his old self – at least almost. This is how the Exotic dealer changes in Year 2.

When Xur appeared in the first weeks of Destiny 2, he turned out to be a huge disappointment. The once mysterious vendor that countless Guardians eagerly awaited week after week in Destiny 1, only to curse him later, has long lost his mysterious status.

interest

Looking at the Google interest in Xur over time, you can see his sad decline into irrelevance:

  • Nearly the entire Year 1 of Destiny 1, Xur’s weekly appearance was a major event that the Guardians followed with curiosity – the interest was consistently high. This was certainly also due to the Gjallarhorn hype.
  • In the months following the “The Taken King” expansion in the fall of 2015, interest in Xur steadily declined. After TTK, there followed months of content drought, which also affected Xur.
  • The rise in the fall of 2016 marks the release of the “Rise of Iron” expansion, which lured some Guardians back to the game – and to Xur. However, interest in Destiny and Xur in Year 2 and Year 3 was no longer as high as in Year 1.
  • At the launch of Destiny 2, interest skyrocketed again – the entire Guardian community wanted to know what the Agent of the Nine would bring in the sequel. But the Guardians were disappointed. The massive hype plummeted rapidly within the first weeks post-launch.
  • Soon after, only a few players were interested in Xur’s weekly offerings.
destiny-xur
Xur in Destiny 1

Why is hardly anyone interested in Xur since Destiny 2?

Mystery Xur: In Destiny 1, the Agent of the Nine, with his extravagant appearance, was an exciting mystery.

This is what made Xur special in Destiny 1:

  • Xur appeared somewhere in the Tower every Friday (later also in the Reef). No one knew exactly where. His location was not displayed on the map. Every Friday marked the start of the big Xur hunt. Those who found him first hastily wrote about it in the relevant forums.
  • Xur had exciting items for sale. From powerful exotic weapons like the Gjallarhorn to exotic armor pieces with various stat rolls, to the Three of Coins – there was always talk about Xur’s offerings and which items were particularly worth it that week.
destiny-xur
Xur on the balcony near the Speaker
  • People knew – and still know – almost nothing about Xur. Tentacles grow out of his face and he is an Agent of the Nine. But why he sells Exotics to the Guardians, where he disappears to when he leaves, and what he does with all those Strange Coins from Destiny 1 is unclear. He is one of the most mysterious characters in Destiny.
  • Bungie repeatedly claimed that even the developers do not know what Xur brings and where he appears. They fueled the mystery around Xur.

    • All of this led to Xur attaining cult status in the community. Websites, Facebook accounts, and even prophets specializing in Xur sprang up. Weekly discussions about Xur occurred and players logged in regularly to visit the old tentacle-faced vendor.

    destiny 2 xur
    In Destiny 2, Xur is often alone

    Imagine it’s Xur, and no one shows up

    This changed in Destiny 2:

    • In the first months after the launch of Destiny 2, Exotics were thrown at players. Many were no longer interested in Xur’s inventory, as they already had everything he could offer.
    • Xur’s arrival is tied to the Flashpoints. So you know days in advance where the Agent of the Nine will appear this time. He is also indicated on the map with a symbol.
    • The mystery of Xur thus evaporated. The noodle-faced vendor became more casual. He also remains a few days longer per week than in Destiny 1. The mysterious vendor turned into a boring permanent guest.
    • Interest in Destiny 2 and the Exotics generally declined, which further harmed Xur’s standing.

    Throughout the first year of Destiny 2, Xur’s offerings were adjusted multiple times – he received a Fated Engram, the Three of Coins, and a challenge card for the Nightfall – but this could not stop the negative trend.

    destiny-2-xur

    Xur became an obsolete model.

    This is how Xur changes in Destiny 2: Forsaken

    With Year 2 and the Forsaken expansion, Xur is supposed to become the “old Xur” again: a mysterious vendor who brings cool stuff.

    When does Xur change? According to Bungie, the changes will come as early as August 28 with the preparation update for Forsaken.

    How does Xur change?

    • Xur will no longer be displayed on the map with a symbol. He will play hide and seek with the Guardians again.
    • Xur will no longer be tied to the Flashpoints. He can appear anywhere in Forsaken. So it will take a while to find the Agent of the Nine again.
    • The Fated Engrams will only yield Exotics from Year 1. The new Forsaken Exotics cannot be contained in these Engrams.
    Destiny-2-Xur
    Fated Engram – contains an Exotic you are still missing

    What else changes? Bungie emphasizes that Xur follows a clear goal, but he himself cannot explain it. After all, his will is not his own. In other words, Bungie wants to wrap him again in a mysterious cloak.

    A Twitter user posed several questions about the “new Xur”: whether he would have completely new locations in the worlds, whether he would appear in the first week of Forsaken, and whether he would still come at the same times. Community Manager dmg04 replied that from now on there would be no more information about Xur from Bungie – unless problems arise.

    In short: Xur will finally become more mysterious in Destiny 2 Forsaken. And since the Exotics are now significantly rarer and better than at launch, a visit to Xur should soon be worthwhile again.

    What do you think of these changes?

    More on the topic
    Destiny 2 – 6 Tips on How You Should Prepare for Forsaken Now
    von Tom Rothstein
    This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
    Source(s):
    1. Bungie
    2. gamerant

    Was wird aus dem alten Bless, wenn das neue Bless Unleashed kommt?

    Lucas Kaczynski Lucas Kaczynski Reading time 3 minutes

    Neowiz announced the MMO Bless Unleashed during Gamescom. The MMO is being developed in collaboration with Bandai Namco and is set to release in 2019 for Xbox One. Players of Bless Online have questions.

    The Bless series is getting a new installment: Bless Unleashed will take place in the world of Bless, but offer a completely new experience for console players. Of course, the announcement raises questions among fans. What does the future hold for Bless if Bless Unleashed releases in 2019?

    In a Steam post, Bless developer Neowiz addresses some questions from players.

    2 separate teams are working on 2 independent games

    Focus is on PC version: According to Neowiz, the newly formed developer team Round Studio 8 would be working on Bless Unleashed, while another team continues to provide content for the PC version of Bless Online. The team behind Bless Online will still focus on content for the PC title, while Round Studio 8 will take care of Bless Unleashed.

    _BLESS_UNLEASHED_KEYART

    The PC version would be published by Neowiz itself. Bandai Namco will handle the publishing of Bless Unleashed. For the team behind Bless Online, the PC version has priority. Since the two projects existed independently, Neowiz could maintain 2 games simultaneously.

    Bless Unleashed has no impact on Bless Online

    Bless Online is set to release in 2018: According to Neowiz, the release of Bless Online for 2018 is still planned. Bless Unleashed would only release as a full game in 2019.

    The Early Access of Bless Online has given the team the opportunity to receive direct feedback from players and improve Bless Online before it releases as a full game.

    Bless Online Tame the World

    Player feedback should benefit Bless Unleashed: Neowiz would take the insights gained from the Early Access phase of Bless Online and share them with the team behind Bless Unleashed, so that the action MMO releases in the best possible state in 2019.

    The decision to develop Bless Unleashed was made independently of the release of Bless Online on Steam.

    More on the topic
    Neowiz: New MMORPG Bless Unleashed is not an Xbox port of Bless Online
    von Andreas Bertits

    This is how players react to the announcement of Bless Unleashed

    Players express their opinion: Under the Q&A post on Steam, on Reddit, and in the Bless Discord channel, players are commenting on the announcement of Bless Unleashed.

    • For some players, it is completely clear that Neowiz has only released Bless Online on PC to gather funds for Bless Unleashed. This role has now been filled by Bless Online.
    • Other players are astonished that Neowiz intends to release Bless Online this year. The team behind Bless Online still has a lot of optimization work to do before they believe it is ready for release.
    Bless-Online-Art
    • Some players do not want to believe the announcement. The most ironic thing in their eyes is that the console version will likely be better optimized than the Steam version.
    • Some players wish for an upgrade of Bless Online to Unreal Engine 4. Then Bless Online and Bless Unleashed would run on the same engine. They also expect a performance boost from the switch.
    More on the topic
    Bless Unleashed – Neues MMORPG für Xbox One angekündigt
    von Schuhmann
    This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
    Source(s):
    1. Steam
    2. Reddit
    3. Reddit

    World of Warcraft: How to Unlock the Dark Iron Dwarves Now

    Benedict Grothaus Benedict Grothaus Reading time 3 minutes

    Dark Iron Dwarves are one of the new allied races in World of Warcraft. Shortly after the launch of Battle for Azeroth, some players met the requirements to unlock them. You can now unlock the Dark Iron Dwarves in WoW.

    The first steps: You can unlock the Dark Iron Dwarves by speaking with Moira Thaurissan in Stormwind. You must meet the following requirements.

    You have:

    • an Alliance character at level 120
    • completed the Alliance War Campaign (with the achievement “Ready for War”)
    • an exalted reputation with the 7th Legion

    Moira will then give you a quest in which you must complete a short scenario. Here you will see the walkthrough in English.

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    Dark Iron Dwarves are now playable – The Scenario

    You will be sent to the Blackrock Depths to unlock Moira, the home of the Dark Iron Dwarves. There, Azerite is being researched to solidify the alliance, and you should check out one of the achievements. The scenario has 6 sections.

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    WoW: Dark Iron Dwarves – All information about the new Alliance race
    von Benedict Grothaus

    Part 1 – The Blackrock Depths: In the Blackrock Depths, you’ll be guided around to see the work that the Dark Iron Dwarves are currently doing to help. You will be shown the Dark Forge, the centerpiece of the Dark Iron Dwarves’ forge.

    There, you should help process Azerite. During the processing, however, the Blackrock is attacked by Goblins from the Venture Co., whom you should drive away. However, the Dark Forge is destroyed, and the holy forge hammer, Ironreaver, is stolen.

    Part 2 – The RIESENFLÖZ!!: Moira tells you that the attacker is Mogul Ratzunk, the last boss in the dungeon “The RIESENFLÖZ!!”. He has stolen Ironreaver, and she is sending you to get it back.

    You must complete the dungeon normally and loot Ironreaver from Mogul. The difficulty on which you do this seems to not matter.

    WOW The Motherlode Screenshot
    The RIESENFLÖZ!!

    Part 3 – The Molten Core: Return with the hammer to Stormwind, where Moira tells you that a piece of the Molten Core is needed to repair the forge. Speak with her, and she will send you to an instanced version of the raid.

    In the core, a tank awaits you, with which you eliminate enemies and advance to the end of the raid. There, Grezzrok awaits you, whom you must defeat to then take the fragment of the core.

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    Part 4 – The Firelands: Return to Moira again and give her the fragment. She then tells you that the essence of Ragnaros is still needed and sends you to the Firelands. However, a cult of Dark Iron Dwarves has gathered in the Firelands, wanting to bring back Ragnaros.

    Eliminate the dwarves and ultimately their leader, High Judge Grimstone, to charge the fragment of the core in Ragnaros’ chamber.

    Hearthstone Firelands Portal art small

    Part 5 – The Blackrock Depths: A mole machine brings you back to the embassy, where you speak with Moira once again. She then sends you back to the Blackrock Depths.

    Speak with Moira to go directly to the Dark Forge in the Blackrock Depths, where the forge is currently being repaired. The final step of the repair is left to your honor.

    Part 6 – The Embassy: Back at the embassy, you can turn in the quest and receive the reward of access to Dark Iron Dwarves as an allied race, as well as the Dark Iron Core Hound as a mount.

    WoW Dark Iron Core Hound

    Are the Mag’har also playable?

    Yes, the Horde can also unlock the Mag’har for the respective requirements. However, the Alliance was finished with its requirements a little earlier, as humans receive a reputation bonus of 10% and the 7th Legion could thus reach Exalted faster.

    Learn more about the Dark Iron Dwarves:

    More on the topic
    These classes can Dark Iron Dwarves choose in WoW
    von Cortyn
    This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
    Source(s):
    1. wowhead

    You can now play Star Citizen for free for a short time

    Benedict Grothaus Benedict Grothaus Reading time 2 minutes

    If you’re interested in Star Citizen (PC) but haven’t decided to financially support the game yet, now you have a chance to try it out for free. For a limited time, Star Citizen is available to play for free. We’ll explain how you can download and test the space MMO.

    Coinciding with Gamescom, Cloud Imperium Games, the company behind Star Citizen, has decided to make Star Citizen available for free to players for a limited time. However, the offer is only valid until August 28, 2018, at 9 AM.

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    How to Play Star Citizen for Free

    The Star Citizen project is running under the name “Gamescom Free-Fly” and offers new players the chance to explore Star Citizen. During this time, players do not have access to the full scope of the game.

    How can I play? For the promotional campaign, Cloud Imperium Games has launched an official website. On the site, you can create an account directly or log in.

    Simply enter the coupon code “GETINTOTHEVERSE,” which you can also copy directly from the site, and download the game.

    star_citizen_außenposten

    What can I play? Supporters of Star Citizen usually receive ships that they can fly. Players who are testing Star Citizen will have access to four special vehicles:

    • MISC Prospector, a mining ship.
    • Drake Cutlass Black, a combat ship with a lot of firepower and the most popular ship for new and returning players.
    • Aegis Avenger Titan, a light freighter.
    • Drake Dragonfly, a two-seat hoverbike for surface exploration.

    The code also gives you access to some “modules” like the Arena Commander, a space battle, and Star Marine, a ground shooter. You can also simply explore the “Verse” with your ships.

    Star-Citizen-Shooter

    The game is in Alpha: Star Citizen is currently in Alpha 3.2. The game is not yet complete and fully refined during the alpha phase. Therefore, expect that bugs and errors may occur and some content may not work fully.

    More on the topic
    Should you play Star Citizen in 2018 or wait?
    von Benjamin Danneberg
    This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.