The next hero for Heroes of the Storm is Mephisto. The German Twitter channel for Heroes of the Storm has revealed the character’s appearance instead of giving a small teaser.
At Gamescom, Blizzard traditionally presents some small details that will be implemented in their games soon. For Heroes of the Storm, this means the announcement of a new hero. This should have been teased a little in advance via Twitter and sparked speculation. However, this time it has failed because Blizzard revealed too much: The next hero will be Mephisto.
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Where did the leak come from? The source of the leak this time is the tweet from the German Twitter account for Heroes of the Storm. In the information of the small image, there was still the text “Teaser for Mephisto”, which pretty clearly confirmed who will enter the Nexus next. The tweet has since been deleted and re-uploaded without this information, but screenshots of it are still circulating online.
Who is Mephisto? In the universe of Diablo, Mephisto is one of the Prime Evils, the Lord of Hatred. His brothers are Baal and Diablo, who together continually represent adversaries in the games of the same name. Mephisto is also an important character in the backstory, entangled in many plots.
He is not only a powerful demon himself, but also the father of Lilith, who together with the Archangel Inarius is responsible for the birth of the Nephalem.
A surprise from Gamescom has already been ruined in advance. So far, however, it seems to not bother the fans, as they are looking forward to Mephisto.
Hope for more Diablo games. At the same time, the implementation of such an important Diablo hero leads to discussions about what else is planned for the Diablo franchise. After all, Blizzard only recently revealed that “several Diablo projects” are in the works. One of them is Diablo 3 for the Nintendo Switch. Other projects, such as a Diablo 4, are only being speculated about.
Are you already excited about Mephisto in Heroes of the Storm?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Every year before the release of a new FIFA title, EA Sports makes extensive changes to player ratings. The ratings generally determine how well a player performs on the field. In other words, the best players have the highest ratings.
Especially in the Ultimate Team mode, the player ratings at the release of FIFA 19 are crucial as the standard cards remain unchanged for months and set the tone for the upcoming FUT season.
New ratings for the BVB players: Therefore, many fans are already eagerly looking forward to the ratings of their favorite teams and players in FIFA 19. After all, they will spend a lot of time in the game with these players. The professional footballers from Borussia Dortmund will also receive new ratings – which we are now looking at predictions for.
Predictions for the player ratings of Borussia Dortmund in FIFA 19
The YouTuber IamTabak has already made predictions for some BVB players. Keep in mind that predictions are just that – there are no official ratings yet. We will present the predictions below the video:
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The Futwiz site created a poll asking what new player ratings the community would give to the professional players in FIFA 19. Many fans have already voted.
These are the fans’ desired ratings for Borussia Dortmund:
Bürki – 83 (84)
Hitz – 82 (79)
Oelschlägel – 66 (63)
Akanji – 79 (72)
Diallo – 78 (76)
Toprak – 82 (83)
Zagadou – 74 (68)
Guerreiro – 82 (81)
Schmelzer – 79 (80)
Hakimi – 75 (70)
Toljan – 78 (75)
Piszczek – 82 (83)
Weigl – 82 (81)
Sahin – 77 (79)
Burnic – 67 (65)
Delaney – 81 (78)
Dahoud – 80 (79)
Rode – 77 (78)
Wolf – 78 (73)
Götze – 82 (81)
Kagawa – 82 (83)
Reus – 87 (86)
Philipp – 81 (78)
Pulisic – 81 (78)
Larsen – 66 (62)
Isak – 72 (68)
Sancho – No Input
Axel Witsel – No Input
Gomez – No Input
Note: Keep in mind that all figures are not the “real” player ratings in FIFA 19. EA Sports reveals these shortly before release. FIFA 19 will be released on September 28, 2018, for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Switch, with early access three days earlier.
Predictions for the players from Schalke can be found here:
In Fortnite, the presumed challenges for Week 7 are already known. Dataminers have reportedly discovered that you need to visit many different locations.
To unveil the new challenges in advance, dataminers have dug deep into the code. There, they found hints about the seven challenges for Week 7 of Season 5.
The following information comes from the sources StormLeaks and ToxicWave3. The information is provided without guarantee.
Meanwhile, the official challenges for Week 7, Season 5 are known:
The Free Challenges Without Battle Pass in Season 5, Week 7
Visit the center of named locations in a match (4): This task might become tricky in regular play. However, it should be easier in the 50s mode if you visit the locations on your side.
Search supply drops (3): This task is also very easy to accomplish in the 50s mode. Supply drops tend to drop frequently towards the end of the round.
Eliminate opponents with submachine guns (3): Since SMGs are currently very strong, it should be no problem to secure three kills with them. Just don’t confuse submachine guns with light machine guns; that’s a different challenge!
For These 4 Tasks in Week 7 You Need the Battle Pass
Deal headshot damage to opponents (500): This task could be a placeholder. The headshot challenge has been available once before. It’s quite possible that Epic will bring something completely different at the last minute.
Search chests at Lucky Landing (7): The usual collection task for chests. There should be enough of them at Lucky Landing.
Follow the treasure map from Pleasant Park (1): A new treasure hunt with a treasure map is on its way. There should be more leaks in time, for which we will then write a guide.
Eliminate opponents in Lazy Links (3): Lazy Links is a golf course in the northern part of the map. The area is very spacious, ideal for snipers.
It is not yet known which tasks will be designated as difficult and thus worth 10 points in the Battle Pass. Most likely, it will be the treasure hunt and the kill task.
More Info on Thursday
Caution, placeholder: The information from the leaks should be treated with caution. At least one of the tasks is very likely a placeholder and will certainly be changed.
This may also apply to all other challenges for Week 7. We will know more on Thursday, August 23.
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Bonus Skin from Road Trip Will Be Revealed on Thursday
By the way, anyone who completes all tasks in Week 7 along with the previous six weeks can also grab the still secret bonus skin from the Road Trip Challenge starting Thursday. It’s going to be exciting!
Monster Hunter World was released on PC on August 9. Since then, a total of 10 million units of the action RPG have been sold when counting PS4, Xbox One, and Steam together. This applies to both digital and physical sales.
Monster Hunter World is the best-selling title in Capcom’s history. Six months ago, the action RPG celebrated its worldwide release on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Here, the title made a big splash and received much praise from both the press and the community.
Console sales remain strong: According to Capcom, the new milestone of 10 million copies sold was not only achieved through the recent release on Steam. While this has contributed to making Monster Hunter World accessible to a wider audience, the console version is still said to be selling “robustly.”
Monster Hunter has now sold 50 million copies as a series
The first Monster Hunter was released 14 years ago: Monster Hunter World is the fifth main installment in the series. The first title was released in 2004. Since then, the franchise has especially seen success in Japan, as it was mainly released on handheld consoles. Nevertheless, Monster Hunter has been able to gain a loyal fan base worldwide.
50 million sales for the entire series: Along with the 10 million sales of Monster Hunter World, the entire series has now reached a total of 50 million units sold as of August 20, 2018.
Capcom speaks of a multi-platform strategy: Monster Hunter World managed to establish the series in the West, which can also be attributed to its sales on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Capcom itself refers to this as a multi-platform strategy that should strengthen Monster Hunter as a global brand. They want to continue to address the needs of players worldwide.
It certainly also includes that Capcom made some adjustments for Monster Hunter World to establish the title in the West.
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate is coming to Switch in August
Will the success of World impact Monster Hunter on Switch? On August 28, 2018, Monster Hunter will be released for the Switch. Monster Hunter Generations is part of the fourth generation of the series. The Ultimate version is an expansion that brings the more challenging G-Rank to the game. This is released exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. It will be interesting to see to what extent the success of Monster Hunter World will affect sales here.
Cortyn draws a first conclusion about the story of World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth. And here, the Alliance wins clearly.
Battle for Azeroth has been released for a few days and has drawn many World of Warcraft players back. I too played through the story quite quickly and can now compare both sides, the Horde and the Alliance. And as hard as it is for me to say, I must say: The Alliance performs simply better in terms of story.
Spoiler warning:As this is about the story of both factions, there are certainly some small spoilers. You have been warned.
Two different conflicts
Two stories for the factions: In Battle for Azeroth, for the first time in a long time, not one but two stories are told – one for the Alliance and one for the Horde. Both factions try to gain the trust of a new party. The Horde wants the support of the Zandalari, and the Alliance wants Kul Tiras back in their ranks.
This looks cool and equal at first glance – but it is not. The story around Jaina Proudmoore with the emotional finale is narratively on a completely different level than everything the Horde has seen so far.
No bond for the Horde: Bwonsamdi, Talanji, and Rastakhan on the Horde side are all pretty cool characters that definitely have their right to exist. But it lacks the emotional bond and the many years of character development that, for example, a Jaina already has. As a result, the entire story of the Horde feels more like an action movie that relies only on spectacular special effects.
Little development with the Zandalari: It is cool and exciting to observe, but it leaves one unfulfilled. I am always happy to hear a voice line from Bwonsamdi, but all the characters seem to me like “the cool sidekick” of a main character who somehow is missing. The Horde simply lacks a character in the Zandalar campaign that has a similar significance as Jaina. There are simply no sympathetic figures with whom one can empathize.
Jaina, on the other hand, has 20 years of Warcraft lore behind her, is a character I have known for a long time and whose development I look forward to. A worthy counterpart here would have been Sylvanas, who has a similar popularity – but she would not fit into a dramatic “mother-daughter story”.
In the cinematic where Jaina and her mother play a major role, there is more emotion than in all the Horde quests combined. This does not make the Horde’s story “bad”, but simply not as significant as that of the Alliance, as it does not evoke feelings in the player.
The Alliance wins the story trophy – for now
Unknown story developments possible: However, one must keep in mind that some quest lines have not yet been unlocked. A few missions are tied to reputation requirements, such as in the War Campaign. It is quite possible that Blizzard will still pull a few secrets out of the hat.
However, this will probably not change my fundamental opinion about the majority of the “level content”. Here, the Alliance simply has the more emotional, better story. The Horde may have won the first steps of the war with the destruction of Teldrassil and the end of the Battle for Undercity, but in terms of story, it lags significantly behind.
Generally, I must say that I like the principle of a different story. It is a nice experience to experience a different plot on the side of the Horde than on the side of the Alliance – even if they operate on different emotional levels.
The Gamescom is starting and we from Mein-MMO and Webedia are on site, and this year we have something special in store for you. We want to bring the fair to your home – with the longest livestreaming program we have offered you so far.
On MAX – Monsters and Explosions (the joint Twitch channel of our editorial offerings GameStar, GamePro, Mein-MMO and IGN) we will broadcast from Tuesday, August 21 to Saturday, August 25, under the motto #GCMAX, daily for over nine hours of live programming in various slots.
When: August 21 to 25, each day starting at 3 PM What: #GCMAX Livestream from Gamescom With: Ann-Kathrin, Daniel, Fritz, Michi, Natascha, and great guests
The plan for #GCMAX
For the live streams during Gamescom, there are two teams:
In Cologne, the GameStar editors Michi, Natascha, and Daniel will stream from the Gamescom Camp on the banks of the Rhine. If you stay in the Gamescom Camp, you can celebrate and chat with us until the stream ends at midnight.
In the studio in Munich, the info team led by Maurice, Ann-Kathrin, and Fritz will bring you the games and demos from the fair with detailed analyses directly via stream to your home. While you can’t play yourself, you also don’t have to stand in line for hours like the fans in Cologne.
This is the schedule
Starting at 3:00 PM: Every day kicks off at 3 PM with a relaxed warm-up from the camp in Cologne. The hosts Michi, Natascha, and Daniel will show you what to expect in the stream for the rest of the day, present funny challenges to the Twitch chat, and casually set the stage for the follow-up program.
4:00 PM: From here we switch to our team in the Munich MAX studio. There, Fritz, Maurice, and Ann-Kathrin will introduce you to the games of the fair. Many demos that fair visitors can play in Cologne are already available to us.
We will showcase them in detail in the livestream and discuss what’s new for the gaming side in 2018. You can see the hits coming your way in the schedule below this text.
6:00 PM: Here we will switch back to the Gamescom Camp. From there, we will broadcast a three-hour entertainment show daily with illustrious guests, games, music, and plenty of festival atmosphere from the camp.
In our small tiki bar by the riverside, our editor Leya will also talk with Bethesda’s PR chief Pete Hines about Fallout 76 and Jürgen has an appointment with a Fortnite streamer.
Want more programming?
In addition, you will see the opening of Gamescom, the Gamescom Awards ceremony, interesting keynotes on exciting gaming topics, and the “Debatt(l)e Royale” on MAX. There, the PietSmiet team confronts politicians from all factions with gamers’ questions.
Our program will truly come alive only with you. So watch our livestreams and get involved in the chat and under the hashtag #GCMAX on Twitter and Instagram live. Your posts will land on our social wall (http://walls.io/gcmax/). There you can immortalize yourself at any time.
With Forsaken, legendary weapons and armor in Destiny 2 will regain Random Rolls. This is likely to make most of your current gear useless with the expansion.
Forsaken brings back a feature that Destiny 1 players missed: In Year 2, legendary weapons will have random rolls again. Armor will also receive various perks, likely randomly. Additionally, there will be slots for the new mods. This is expected to make your current gear quickly lose its usefulness in the upcoming expansion.
Popular Year 1 items and the reworked Exotics will still have their place in the inventories of Guardians with Forsaken, but a large portion of the accumulated weapons and armor will be useless come September.
Many weapons and armor from Year 1 will not receive any new perks based on the current information. They will still drop and can also be obtained from the upcoming collections, but will retain their Year 1 status.
Especially a shame for the Solstice armor: Players are currently particularly concerned about their hard-earned Solstice armor. This can be upgraded from a green set to a Masterwork armor through a long quest line during the “Solstice of Heroes” event.
However, there is currently no information from Bungie on how the armor will be handled in Forsaken. Guardians assume that the Solstice armor will also become obsolete with the expansion.
Players don’t want to give up their gear
Guardians are making suggestions: In the Destiny subreddit, players are already discussing ideas on how at least the appearance of the old armor sets could still find a place in Forsaken. Suggestions range from ornaments and cosmetic item slots to a transmog system.
Transmogrifications are known from World of Warcraft or Diablo 3, among others. This allows the appearance of one item to be transferred to another. This way, players could enjoy the new items with their random rolls, but still not have to give up their familiar appearance.
Fortnite (PC, PS4, iOS, Android, Switch & Xbox One) will be present at Gamescom 2018. And those who visit Epic’s booth will likely receive a code for an exclusive spray logo. The design has been leaked.
As at E3 2018, Epic Games will also be at Gamescom in Cologne with Fortnite. Those who suspected that there would be a special spray paint for visitors will not be disappointed. The Gamescom logo has now been leaked and looks pretty cool.
Bling-Bling-Llama from Cologne
What does the Gamescom logo look like? According to a leak from StormLeaks, the Gamescom spray logo is a real eye-catcher. It features the typical Fortnite llama peeking out from a purple triangle.
The cool animal also sports a stylish pixelated pair of sunglasses and is wearing a chic gold chain.
Is there more? At E3, the code for the logo came along with a voucher for V-Bucks and a special pin. It’s quite possible that Epic will also have something special for Gamescom.
How do I get the Gamescom logo? No specifics are known, since the logo itself originated from a leak and may not be authentic at all.
However, if there is a logo, you will most likely be able to pick it up at Epic Games’ booth in Hall 8. There will be activities taking place all day.
The developers of the highly anticipated PvE MMORPG Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen also discussed the release during a live stream. However, there is still no release date.
Where does Pantheon stand right now? The MMO is currently in the third pre-alpha phase. A fourth is already planned.
Of course, many are wondering when the online role-playing game will be released, which is considered a spiritual successor to Everquest.
There is still no release date for Pantheon
There is still no release date. During the live stream, the developers explained that no release date is currently set. And they do not want to commit to one. For now, it is said that Pantheon will come when it is ready.
The developers want to get it right. The team states that you only have one chance to release a game. Then players form their opinions, reviews are written, and the title is stamped. Recovering from a bad impression is something very few games can do.
Especially with an indie title with a low budget, a bad first impression can mean the end. For this reason, Pantheon will only be released when the team is satisfied with the game’s status and the testers have also provided corresponding feedback.
Alpha starts by the end of the year – Beta in 2019
What’s next? After the fourth pre-alpha phase, which is set to start in 2018, the team is considering whether further pre-alphas may be needed based on feedback.
Afterward, Pantheon will transition into Alpha. It is planned for this to happen by the end of this year. And then at some point in 2019, the Beta will take place. It is unclear if a release can be expected in 2019. Feedback from the testing phases will showcase that.
The team can hardly wait to let MMO fans play. For the team, it’s not easy to see so many players eager to play Pantheon, but they are taking the development slowly to get everything right.
So everyone is already looking forward to when it finally happens, and the MMORPG is in a very good condition where they can present it to players in its “final” state and let everyone play.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
XLGames, the development studio behind the MMORPG ArcheAge, is reportedly working on new, yet-to-be-announced online games – including one for PC. Could there be a “real” MMORPG among them?
ArcheAge developers are working on new online games – Is an MMORPG included?
What is XLGames developing? It is known that the team behind ArcheAge is currently working on a mobile game. Moonlight Sculptor is based on a Korean novel series called “The Legendary Moonlight Sculptor.” The story revolves around teenagers trying to get rich in the VR video game Royal Road. There is not much more known about Moonlight Sculptor at the moment.
But XLGames is working on other games as well.
High investment: Kakao Games, publisher of Black Desert Online, is investing. WeMade Entertainment is also contributing funds. Both companies are said to have invested nearly 9 million dollars each in XLGames.
PC games are a rarity today, but they have one: WeMade hints that XLGames is also working on a PC online game.
This is already news nowadays, as the market in South Korea is heavily leaning towards mobile.
There could be an MMORPG among the projects. XLGames has gained a lot of experience in the MMORPGs domain through ArcheAge. Therefore, it is quite possible that a new MMORPG is among the upcoming projects.
However, the company likely does not want to create competition for ArcheAge, which is why a new online RPG would probably take a slightly different direction.
It could be a game with a science fiction or post-apocalyptic scenario, leaving the fantasy genre to ArcheAge
It’s conceivable that a new MMORPG would lean more towards the theme park model and offer many quests, as ArcheAge caters to the sandbox market
As there are currently no indications of what kinds of games XLGames is developing – apart from the fact that it’s several online games – we have to wait until something is officially announced here to learn more.
https://youtu.be/Sqj-n5QAQT8
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The weekly challenges have certainly brought a breath of fresh air to Fortnite: Battle Royale. However, with the time trials in the sixth week of Season 5, Epic has gone one step too far, our author Robert believes.
That’s why challenges are important in Fortnite: The challenges provide players with opportunities to make progress in a battle royale game and unlock items – the famous carrot that must not be missing in long-lasting games.
Humans are creatures of habit, even in video games. Many land in Fortnite: Battle Royale at the same spot every time, prefer the same weapon, and follow the same tactics.
To improve, players must be encouraged to take different paths to succeed. The weekly challenges provide just that kind of motivation.
So far, so good. However, with the time trials, Epic has indeed gone one step too far.
Time Trials in Fortnite – The Four Fronts War
What is the objective of the time trials? At various locations on the Fortnite map, clocks are placed. When these clocks are activated, it is necessary to complete a course within a specified time (extremely annoying music included).
Those who successfully complete five of these trials have completed the weekly challenge.
What sounds easy in theory turned out to be almost an insurmountable task for me. Instead of stumbling blocks, I was faced with whole rock formations:
The best time to tackle the course is at the beginning of a match. Unfortunately, building materials are almost always needed to equalize height differences, which of course must first be identified.
Some of the tasks are virtually impossible without the golf cart. Before one can even attempt the trial, a golf cart must first be found.
Other players generally do not agree with other players wanting to complete this challenge and will mercilessly destroy the golf carts. Anyone who has landed at such a trial at the very beginning of a match will also be unarmed.
Those who take longer will likely face bad luck. The storm will mercilessly roll over you.
In the following video, the opponent was even so kind as to wait for the successful completion of the challenge:
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This is why this challenge is terrible: By the way, anyone wanting to complete these challenges in the 50vs50 mode needed particularly thick skin. For it was not the opponents who blocked the course, but the own teammates. Built structures are destroyed or the golf cart is stolen while one activates the trial.
Should I visit other towns and get kills there? Fine! Epic forces me to use another weapon to master the entire arsenal? Yes, please! A challenge will only be successfully completed if critical hits are landed? Perfect!
Source: VG24/7
However, when players are forced to jump around completely exposed in the landscape for minutes or drive around with loud golf carts, I no longer see the point.
Time Trials contradict the Battle Royale principle: The Battle Royale principle rewards players who survive the longest, no more and no less. With cleverness and good building skills, deficits in aiming with weapons can thus be compensated. However, if I am forced to jump on rooftops in the middle of the city, the Battle Royale principle is turned on its head.
We have already had to overcome bizarre challenges in the past. However, there is a difference between collecting a garden gnome behind the counter of a gas station or swinging through the wild like Tarzan.
Especially the lovers of a stealthy playstyle will have serious problems with the time trials, at least for a short time. In a few days, the locations of the trials shouldn’t be so crowded anymore.
I gladly continue to collect garden gnomes and rubber ducks as this can be done on the side. However, the time trials require a non-negligible time investment, which represents an anachronism in such a fast-paced battle royale shooter.
What do you think of the time trials? Annoying? Or did you have fun with them?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A new quest line is causing excitement among the Horde in World of Warcraft. There’s more story to Vol’jin!
After the release of Battle for Azeroth, players are gradually unlocking more and more content. After Alliance players recently experienced the dramatic finale of the Jaina quest line, Horde players are now following suit. A new quest line revolving around the deceased Vol’jin is generating anticipation for what may come next.
Here’s how to unlock the Vol’jin quest: The quest line is logically only available to players of the Horde. You must have achieved the “The Last Seal” achievement. This means you need to have completed all three areas and the final scenario. Afterwards, you gather reputation with the Zandalari Empire through world quests until you reach the respectful level.
Who Vol’jin was: Vol’jin was the last warchief of the Horde and was mortally wounded during the Legion’s attack. In his dying moments, he mentioned that the spirits had granted him clarity, which, in turn, led him to make Sylvanas the warchief.
What happens in the quest line? So far, players have only seen the first step of the quest line. Here, the hero collects Vol’jin’s ashes and takes them to Zandalar so that Vol’jin’s spirit can rest among other honorable Zandalari. However, the Loa of Death, Bwonsamdi, has other plans and accepts the urn – only to realize that Vol’jin’s spirit has escaped. The destination of his disappearance is unclear.
On wowhead, a small video about the quest line has already been released:
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Fans love Vol’jin: Many players are looking forward to finally hearing something from Vol’jin again. A large part of the Horde was very disappointed when the troll died in Legion. This was mainly because he didn’t do anything notable in the game after being appointed as warchief before he died again.
How Vol’jin’s story continues will surely be revealed in the coming days. As players continue to increase their reputation with the Zandalari Empire, they will gradually unlock more quests.
Gamescom 2018 starts on Tuesday, August 21. The fair serves as a hub for gamers with plenty of shows, announcements, and gameplay. We have selected 7 highlights that are particularly interesting for fans of online games.
Our focus at Mein-MMO is on multiplayer online games. That will be no different at Gamescom 2018.
We have taken a close look at our biggest games and seen how they will be represented at this year’s gaming fair. In doing so, we found 7 highlights that online gamers should check out.
[toc]
Fortnite – Comes with a big stage show and its own village
What will be at Fortnite? At the Fortnite booth, you can participate in various activities that are still secret.
It is already known that Epic will set up a large stage where community entertainment will be provided. You will encounter well-known streamers and YouTubers.
What’s special about it? Epic Games has just released Fortnite: Battle Royale, one of the most successful games in the world. You can expect Epic to go all out here.
Last year, there were already many events with cosplayers or a flashy llama rodeo. In the coming days, Epic may reveal more details about the village. However, we expect it to be huge and worth a visit.
Where will Epic be with Fortnite and its village? Hall 8.1, probably hard to miss.
Can we expect new info about Fortnite? Probably not. Epic will mainly be present in the visitor area and has not announced any press conferences or similar events. However, our Fortnite expert Jürgen predicts something big for next week:
Blizzard – WoW and Overwatch in Augmented Reality thanks to an app
What will Blizzard offer? On Blizzard’s main stage, there will be a show on Wednesday (August 22) covering all games. World of Warcraft and Overwatch will be represented. Blizzard will also stream all shows from Wednesday to Sunday via Twitch live. Here you can expect cosplay, concerts, and announcements.
What’s special about it? This year, Blizzard has a companion app that allows you to scan certain things in the Blizzard area. This way, something like an “Overwatch Pachimari Machine” can appear on your smartphone. The app can also be used as a planner.
Can we expect new info about Blizzard’s games? Yes. It has already been announced that new content for Overwatch will be presented. There are also rumors that a new cinematic for WoW will be released. All Blizzard events are on the main stage on Wednesday, August 22 from 10:30 AM to 3:45 PM.
Destiny 2 – The new PvEvP mode Gambit from Forsaken can be played
What will be at Destiny 2? At Activision, you can try the new hybrid mode “Gambit” on PS4 and PC. This consists of cooperative PvE battles and PvP elements. Two teams of four players each compete against each other in an arena. The goal is to fight enemies and summon a final boss. The first team to defeat the Prime Evil can win one of three match rounds.
What’s special about it? Gambit is part of the largest expansion so far Forsaken, which will be released on September 4. You can get a taste of it well before release. Destiny 2 has gone through a difficult phase and has faced much criticism from the community. Players hope that Destiny 2 will turn things around with this expansion.
Where will Gambit be playable? Hall 7.1, ASUS Stand B2C
Can we expect new info about Destiny 2? Highly likely. Activision announced that there will be some news, and they will share updates on their social media channels throughout Gamescom.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 – Multiplayer will be playable with a new map
What will be at Call of Duty: Black Ops 4? You’ll have the chance to test multiplayer on PC at Activision. Beta testers will have more time and can play on a new map.
What’s special about it? This time, the shooter will have three modes. There will be multiplayer, zombies, and a separate battle royale mode called Blackout.
Where will Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 be playable? Hall 7.1, ASUS Stand B2C
Can we expect new info about Call of Duty: Black Ops 4? Highly likely, as there will also be a big stage show.
Fallout 76 – A giant Vault Boy stands at the entrance of Gamescom
What will be at Fallout 76? Bethesda will focus more on community events. Visitors will find a “Fallout” booth, where they will primarily meet other fans.
What’s special about it? Bethesda has set up a huge Vault Boy that will be worth at least a snapshot. He is located directly at a gas station at Messekreisel 1.
Where will the Fallout booth be located? Between Hall 7 and 8. On Friday (August 24) there will be a large community meeting there at 4 PM.
Can we expect new info about Fallout 76? Probably only sparse information through interviews with media and press.
At the East entrance, the giant Vault Boy can be seen. (Photo: Lars Vormann / Head of Gamescom)
Fifa 19 – Can be played at over 300 stations and on Switch
What will be at Fifa 19? EA will reveal a lot of new information and details at Gamescom 2018. There will also be a press conference on August 20 at around 6:30 PM, where a new trailer may be unveiled.
What’s special about it? Fans are probably most excited that Fifa 19 will offer new licenses. All stadiums in FIFA 19 and all leagues in FIFA 19, which we know so far, can be found in the links.
Where will Fifa 19 be playable?
Hall 6, EA stand – At over 300 stations
Hall 9, Nintendo – Here Fifa 19 can be tested on Switch
Can we expect new info about Fifa 19? Yes. Currently, we expect to learn more about career mode, pro clubs, The Journey 3, and licenses. There will likely also be a livestream.
The Division 2 – The sequel can be played for the first time as a demo
What will be at Division 2? Visitors and media will have the opportunity to play Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 for the first time.
What’s special about it? The Division 2 continues the story of the online shooter. The Division 2 takes place in Washington, DC, 6 months after the events of its predecessor. It is finally summer, and a civil war is looming. There will be new heroes, factions, and a dynamic open world.
Where will The Division be playable? Hall 6.1, Ubisoft stand B020
Can we expect new info about The Division 2? Specifically for Division 2, Ubisoft only mentioned the playable demo.
We at Mein-MMO will also be present at Gamescom this year and will surely return with some play reports, interviews, and impressions. Our “home” team will keep an eye on the event streams and Gamescom news for you.
Join us on MAX or in the Gamescom Camp
On MAX – Monsters and Explosions (the joint Twitch channel of our editorial offerings GameStar, GamePro, Mein-MMO, and IGN), we will broadcast daily over nine hours of live programming in various slots from Tuesday, August 21 to Saturday, August 25 under the motto #GCMAX. On Wednesday, among others, Jürgen will appear in the GCMAX show.
For this, we have divided our livestreaming and editorial team. In Cologne, we are again in the Gamescom Camp at the banks of the Rhine; from the studio in Munich, our information team will bring you the games and demos from the fair with detailed analyses directly via stream to your home.
We already know: On Wednesday, Jürgen will appear in the GCMAX show.
Is there a highlight for you?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The next phase of the alpha for Ashes of Creation is starting soon. In a livestream, the developers showcased the first gameplay from Alpha 1.
Active combat in Ashes of Creation: Alpha 1 is primarily intended to test the combat of Ashes of Creation. In the previous Alpha 0, the combat system consisted of classic tab-targeting. An action system is planned for Alpha 1.
The current testing phases of Ashes of Creation focus on all combat elements present in the game. During the first phase “Alpha 1”, battlegrounds in the open world, sieges, and town defenses will be available.
The second phase will deliver a hybrid combat system and talent trees. Additionally, players will progress to level 20, with 4 races, 8 classes, and many further features. Alpha 1 is set to launch in September.
The entire livestream from the developers on August 17, 2018, lasted over an hour, where some new concept arts were also shown, and further content was discussed.
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In Battlefield 5 , a traditional setting is chosen for the Gamescom trailer. This cools heated emotions to room temperature. It also shows how delicate it is to make creative decisions, especially regarding politics, believes our author Schuhmann.
The first trailer: On May 23, the first reveal trailer for Battlefield V was released. The star of the trailer was a woman with a metal arm prosthesis.
It was an unusual trailer largely without music, presenting the gameplay elements and innovations of Battlefield V in a series of rapid, interconnected action sequences.
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The look was realistic and cinematic, trimmed to be “gritty” – like a war film from recent years.
The chaos of battle was supposed to be represented through weapon switches, explosions, and rapid sequences of highlights.
What did the trailer want to convey? Battlefield V, in this representation, was not an epic battle, but it had an intentionally artistic and cramped feel.
More dislikes than likes and heavy controversy
How was the trailer received? The first trailer was discussed controversially. Many focused especially on the prominently featured woman. The creators were accused of trying to push a “liberal agenda.” They were said to be placing women in a position that they historically did not hold.
There was significant resistance against the trailer. It “triggered” many, as they say. The official reveal trailer for Battlefield V garnered many mocking, sharp comments accusing it of excessive political correctness.
There were also several complaints about how Battlefield V was presented here. Many didn’t like it, deviating too much from expectations. The trailer has had a lot of views so far (almost 12 million), but more dislikes than likes on YouTube.
Better safe than sorry
The second trailer: A new trailer was released on August 16 for Gamescom.
It is so traditional and conservative that some compare it to “Saving Private Ryan.” Over the action, a classic soundtrack with “House of the Rising Sun” plays. Many shooters have layered well-known songs over dramatic action scenes. This is generally customary, a gaming convention.
The new trailer seems to tick off all the boxes from the textbook for “This is how a shooter trailer should look.”
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The Gamescom trailer does not tell a coherent sequence of scenes, but rather jumps from scene to scene, as matches the viewing habits of players. The machinery and destruction of war take center stage.
While women also appear, they are not so central that the developers could be criticized for it.
What does the second trailer want? The presentation of the new “Battlefield V” trailer is cinematic-dramatic. Here too, much is broken, yet it has something majestic. The camera work and scene design resemble classic war epics like “Saving Private Ryan” more than the chaotic look that the first trailer aimed for.
The statement here: This will be the Battlefield that fans of the series have been wishing for.
How is the second trailer received? It did not trigger any controversy. The likes are 10 times higher than for the first trailer.
Big game franchises move in a narrow corridor
What does this show?
The comparison of both trailers clearly shows how dangerous it can be for developers to deviate from the “established norm” and to break with the viewing habits and expectations of players.
Especially statements and decisions that could somehow be interpreted as “political” are highly risky in such blockbuster productions as Battlefield V.
One recognizes the power the Internet and the pressure from social media has. In the echo chambers of the net, such negative sentiments amplify and then confront strongly. The backlash was sharp and seemingly forced Dice to react for the second trailer.
Narrow corridor: Comparing the two trailers, it also becomes clear why large game series are often accused of repeating themselves year after year. The corridor in which these series operate is narrow. Fans have a clear idea of how a “Battlefield” should be. Deviating from this is risky.
What may have prompted developers to rethink this:
Patch 1.8.3 for The Division is coming next week on August 23rd and primarily brings balance changes. The secret Striker is particularly in focus. Massive is using this patch as an experiment that could be especially significant for The Division 2.
What’s the problem? Many players demanded a nerf for the Striker as it was overpowered. Now Massive has responded to this demand and will revise the set with patch 1.8.3.
However, these changes are not just a nerf. Massive is also introducing a new feature that many fans have been requesting for a long time.
This is the crux of the change: The secret Striker will now differentiate between PvE and PvP. Why this could be important for The Division 2 and how Massive uses patch 1.8.3 as a test balloon, you can find out with us.
The secret Striker is the strongest set in 1.8.2
What can the Striker set currently do? The Striker was one of the first gear sets introduced in The Division. It has always been a strong DPS set, which was further enhanced with the secret version.
These are the bonuses of the normal Striker set:
2-set bonus: 20% Stability
3-set bonus: 10% Damage to armor
4-set bonus: Each subsequent hit deals 1% more damage. The bonus can reach up to 100%. Missed shots reduce it by 2%. The bonus can be interrupted by EMP and is lost when leaving combat.
You unlock these bonuses when you equip 5-6 parts of the secret Striker:
5-set bonus: 10% Stability, 5% Damage to armor
6-set bonus: Each hit grants a self-healing bonus of 0.02% of the maximum health per second. This bonus increases by 0.05% for every 3000 stamina. The effect can stack up to 100 hits. Missed shots reduce the bonus by 1 stack and the bonus is reduced by 2 stacks each second.
This is what makes the secret Striker so strong: The set is not only ideal for dealing high damage, it also allows you to continuously regenerate health points, making you a DPS tank with the right build.
Classified Striker should no longer dominate – Massive is revising the set
What is changing with the Classified Striker? Instead of 0.02% per second, you will heal 0.01% per second in the future.
Furthermore, your stacks will now decrease when you are under an EMP effect. Previously, the Striker buff was only paused while the effect was active. The damage stacks will also be reduced from 2 to 1 per hit.
Additionally, shotgun projectile hits will no longer count double. Previously, a headshot increased your stacks by 16; after patch 1.8.3, it will be “only” 8.
It’s not the change that is decisive here, but rather the way it is implemented. Because now the Classified Striker separates between PvP and PvE.
Massive uses this patch as an experiment for The Division 2
In the State of the Game, Massive confirmed that the changes to the secret Striker could indeed affect The Division 2.
How this could influence The Division 2: This new way of balancing serves as a test and aims to explore possible options for balancing in The Division 2. If gear bonuses now differentiate between PvP and PvE, it could become easier to design equipment that is balanced for respective areas.
Are there gear sets in The Division 2? Yes, gear sets are making a return in The Division 2. This time, the system will look even more complex. Because not only are gear sets making a comeback, but there will also be new Brand sets that bring additional properties.
What only concerns the Striker now could therefore be applied to other sets or perhaps even all in the future.
What could this mean? If Massive turns the right screws, it could create a more balanced relationship between gear sets in this way. If different rules apply for PvP and PvE, it could allow for separate balancing.
In the ideal scenario, one could thus make equipment more balanced for PvE and PvP.
Players react positively – Criticism focuses on the Striker
This is the community’s reaction: Division fans discuss on platforms like reddit about the patch. Most welcome the distinction between PvE and PvP. After all, this demand has been around for a long time.
However, many are not completely satisfied with the changes to the Striker. These criticisms are mentioned:
Massive wants to increase build diversity with changes to the Striker but ignores the fact that the secret Striker is just as prevalent in PvE as in PvP.
Previously, players could create a set and switch seamlessly between Dark Zone and PvE zone. This no longer applies to users of the secret Striker.
Some feel that these changes do not go far enough and that specific sets for PvP and PvE should be created.
Not all fans see this as problematic. Most are relieved that they can continue to use their Striker set in PvE without issues. PvE players in the Dark Zone should still have no problems farming landmarks since these are not particularly challenging.
Most welcome the fact that Massive is undertaking this test and are curious how it will impact The Division 2.
What do you think? Do you support a different treatment of PvP and PvE?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Since August 14, many players have returned to World of Warcraft to play the seventh expansion of Blizzard’s MMORPG. With Battle for Azeroth, the war between Horde and Alliance has flared up again, leading to many battles and conflicts. But before things get serious, the factions first need to earn the trust of their new allies.
All players had a few days to explore the new expansion. We take this moment to pause briefly and discuss with our readers. How did Battle for Azeroth come across to you?
If you can’t see the survey, please check if you have an ad blocker enabled. It would be nice to turn it off on our site anyway.
Don’t hesitate to share your opinion in the comments.
What do you particularly like about Battle for Azeroth so far?
What has exceeded your expectations?
What do you dislike?
What has disappointed you?
Engage in the discussion and let us know what you think of the latest WoW expansion!
Of course, we also want to share our editorial team’s opinions with you.
Benedict: I am having a lot of fun in the new expansion, and I am particularly excited about the dungeons and new features like allied races. The only thing that bothers me is that a clear wall is put up for progress players, which doesn’t necessarily reward them for playing a lot.
Cortyn: Aside from minor cosmetic flaws that have been present at the launch of every expansion, I am incredibly thrilled so far. Especially the story from the Alliance’s perspective is fantastic. WoW will undoubtedly keep me busy for many weeks and will force me to farm reputation. But I enjoy that!
Dawid: With Battle for Azeroth, I thought: Now or never. If WoW doesn’t appeal to me again, then that’s it. The best decision was to boost my character. The game is significantly better in the new areas. And the atmosphere is truly captivating. I especially love Nazmir. Am I missing the story that I have missed all these years? Nope.
“Holy Shit” wrote the gaming media about three years ago regarding Destiny. Because it was Gjallarhorn-Day!
What do you think of when you recall Year 1 of Destiny 1? The Glass Chamber? For sure! An incredibly bad story? Of course! Legendary weapons like the Fatebringer and the Black Spindle? Probably that too.
If you are like me, a few Exotics surely come to mind. My personal favorite Exotics were the Hawkmoon and the Thorn – two hand cannons I spent countless hours in the Destiny universe with.
And then there was an Exotic in Year 1 that was forever burned into the minds of all Year-1 Guardians: The G-Horn, the little horn, the golden crowbar, the one and only rocket launcher: the Gjallarhorn.
Everyone wanted Gjallarhorn!
The Gjallarhorn was the best weapon in the game
What was special about the Gjallarhorn? The entire Guardian community was in Gjallarhorn fever for a year. Because the exotic rocket launcher was so powerful in Year 1 that it was the best choice for nearly every challenge.
Who needed tactics when you just had to place a Titan bubble and then chase the Gjallarhorn’s pack missiles at the enemy with full power? Upon impact, the weapon’s projectiles would split into homing rockets that dealt such devastating damage that the Gjallarhorn was the solution to all problems.
Whoever had the Gjallarhorn was the happiest Guardian. On social media and in LFG groups, this rocket launcher quickly became a prerequisite to even be allowed to play. Players without Gjallarhorn were basically considered second-class Guardians.
However, there was a problem. The Gjallarhorn was a rare random drop that many Guardians waited months for in vain.
Gjallarhorn Day in the Destiny Community
Those without a Gjallarhorn hoped for Xur: Therefore, many players placed their hopes on Xur, who could randomly bring the weapon. After all, he did this in the second week after the release. However, hardly anyone bought the Gjallarhorn back then, as they did not yet know that the weapon would become THE dominant gun in Year 1.
A mistake – because from then on, Xur was stingy with the Gjallarhorn. Once the hype gained momentum, Guardians eagerly checked every week to see if he would bring it this time. However, the noodle-faced vendor mercilessly disappointed the Guardians. For months, Xur had everything in stock – except for what the Guardians so eagerly awaited.
But on August 14, 2015, it finally happened. Xur liberated the Guardians. In the forums, all dams broke. The Gjallarhorn Day was born.
Holy shit, Xur sells Gjallarhorn!
Gjallarhorn Day as a media spectacle: Not only the reddit forum was in chaos that day, but also large gaming sites like Kotaku headlined the unusual incident with “Holy shit, Xur sells Gjallarhorn!”
The Guardians joyfully stormed to Xur and threw Strange Coins at him. I was among those Guardians. Having never had the luck to own Gjallarhorn before, I bought three of this Exotic right away. I had enough Strange Coins. Thus, Gjallarhorn Day was one of the happiest days in the Guardian careers of many players.
Since then, Gjallarhorn Day has been celebrated anew every year in the community. This weekend, on August 17, it marked its third anniversary.
Guardians wish each other a happy Gjallarhorn Day.
In the reddit forum, some forum rules are temporarily lifted – which the users happily exploit. So this year, there were again countless posts along the lines of: “With so many upvotes, I will do something crazy.” For example, if there are 7777 upvotes, one deletes all their characters.
At least once, you listen to this Gjallarhorn song from the community that nicely summarizes the hype:
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Was it actually a coincidence that Xur only brought back the Gjallarhorn so late in Year 1? Bungie repeatedly emphasized that Xur’s inventory was random. He was a mystery, and Bungie had no idea what he was selling.
This story was, of course, not believed by many Guardians. Because back then, the “Taken King” expansion was approaching, and it was suspected that Bungie wanted to draw attention back to Destiny with Gjallarhorn Day. Furthermore, the weapon lost its value in Year 2, which is why Xur probably could only bring it shortly before the end of Year 1.
What happened to the Gjallarhorn? In Year 2, the Gjallarhorn was left behind; it could not be brought up to the new max level. In Year 3, however, it returned, and there was even a special Iron Gjallarhorn. But it could never reach the power of Year 1.
The Chinese company Tencent, the firm behind League of Legends (LoL), generated 11 billion US dollars in revenue in the last quarter. Tencent is thus 7 times larger than the western gaming publisher Activision Blizzard (WoW, Overwatch, Call of Duty, Destiny). How does the company manage this?
What are these numbers? The Chinese tech giant Tencent has disclosed its numbers for Q2 2018. The figures are impressive:
The revenue amounts to 11.135 billion US dollars, an increase of 30% compared to Q2 2017.
The profit stands at 2.808 billion dollars.
It has also managed to further increase user engagement, according to a statement.
For comparison: Activision Blizzard is one of the largest western gaming companies. They published games like Overwatch, World of Warcraft, Call of Duty, or Destiny 2.
Activision Blizzard achieved a revenue of 1.64 billion US dollars during the same period. Therefore, Tencent is 7 times larger than Activision Blizzard in terms of revenue.
Tencent was once “China’s answer to AOL”
How does Tencent do this? Tencent is known for utilizing “western concepts” and offering them in the closed Chinese market, where there is little competition.
The founder of Tencent, Huateng “Pony Ma” Ma, is considered to be the “King of Copycats.”
He has early on offered successful services from western companies in a Chinese version. Tencent became known as “China’s answer to AOL.” This concept has driven Tencent to new heights in recent years.
Everything is connected, no escape
Currently, Tencent’s offerings have become a microcosm of individual services that interconnect. From a western perspective, it’s as if Google, Facebook, Steam, Twitch, PayPal, and Activision are working together:
Tencent has social platforms like WeChat, Qzone, or Weixin
also its own version of the streaming service Twitch
financial services similar to PayPal
and an online advertising business as well
Since the Chinese market is vast, many of these services have large user numbers.
Mobile and apps are king
Closed system: All this leads to a kind of closed system into which Tencent integrates its own games.
Through its social media channels, Tencent can push its games. Honor of Kings is for example integrated into the popular Messenger app “We Chat.” Users can see when someone nearby is playing and can start a new match.
On the platforms, they also display ads from other companies through their own advertising business and players pay through their own payment app.
The concept works so well because so many Chinese people today own a smartphone. In 2016, China had 503 million mobile gamers, and by 2021 that number is expected to rise to 699 million. 95% of internet usage in China is mobile (via NPR).
Also, due to Tencent’s strong penetration of Chinese society through social media (via npr), they have large user numbers that continue to grow. And they spend their money from the Chinese market wisely.
Arena of Valor/Honor of Kings
What games are popular in China? The most popular mobile game in China and the most lucrative mobile game in the world is Honor of Kings. This has even made anti-addiction measures by the Chinese government necessary. The Communist Party believed that the youth of the country had become too addicted to the game.
Tencent developed this “mobile LoL” after Riot itself refused to release a mobile version of LoL.
Other popular mobile games include QQ Speed and PUBG Mobile. But PC games like League of Legends are still popular in China.
Western publishers seek proximity: Companies like Ubisoft, wishing to enter the Chinese market, are also striving for a partnership with Tencent. To them, Tencent is important for accessing the Chinese market. Furthermore, Tencent is known for granting a lot of freedom to the companies they acquire.
When Ubisoft faced a potential takeover by the French conglomerate Vivendi in March 2018, Tencent stepped in and bought shares (via Bloomberg).
PUBG Mobile is an important title for Tencent
Difficult situation: Without political contacts in China, it can be challenging for foreign companies to do business there. When the South Koreans from Bluehole wanted to bring their hit game PUBG to China, it suddenly came from government circles that battle royale did not match socialist values.
And this is despite the fact that some Chinese companies are already developing battle royale games.
When Bluehole entered a distribution partnership with Tencent, these concerns disappeared. Tencent is said to have excellent political contacts.
Plans for the future: Stronger in the West
What is Tencent’s focus for the future?
Tencent wants to further develop the “Mini Programs,” special apps, to offer even more functions. This sounds like they want to strengthen their own microcosm.
Tencent aims to bind customers even more tightly to their social networks and to increase the time consumers spend with their services.
The company also intends to invest more in streaming, as well as in payment and cloud services. They see opportunities for large profits here and want to invest “aggressively.”
And Tencent plans to bring some of the popular mobile games more strongly to the West, mainly thinking of PUBG Mobile, Arena of Valor, and mobile RPGs.
The Island Expeditions are one of the new features of Battle for Azeroth. They take us to new, uncharted areas of World of Warcraft – and are quite annoying.
In the Island Expeditions of Battle for Azeroth, Horde and Alliance explore islands in certain areas to search for the new resource Azerite. They fight against each other – the one who has the required amount first wins.
The Expeditions come in different difficulty levels, which have different requirements:
Normal: The goal is 6000 Azerite.
Heroic: The goal is 9000 Azerite, you receive 50% more Azerite, the damage and health of the opponents is increased by up to 100%, requirement is item level 305.
Mythic: The goal is 12000 Azerite, you receive 100% more Azerite, the damage and health of the opponents is increased by up to 200%, requirement is item level 315 and you must register in a group of three.
PvP: The goal is 9000 Azerite, you receive 100% more Azerite, the damage and health of the opponents is increased by up to 100%, requirement is item level 295 and you must register in a group of three. You play against real players and have access to PvP talents.
Everything is different yet always the same
The Island Expeditions were supposed to provide a different experience every time. In the announcement at Blizzcon, it was said that the islands change as you explore them and are randomly generated.
It reminded me of Diablo, where I also enjoyed running through randomly created maps and defeating enemies. Although it was simple, I could spend hours doing that.
In the Island Expeditions, it is different. Each week there are three different islands, but they hardly differ from each other. The enemies look different, and there are some differences, yes. But in the end, I grind through a small area and occasionally take down horde players.
The biggest criticism here is that everything feels the same. Even though it looks different – the fights usually unfold the same way, the island is captured in the same manner. It lacks variety.
A possible NPC group that you may encounter.
The design is beautiful, but the development is lacking
Traveling between the islands is definitely nice. They offer a great environment that I can easily imagine as a kind of holiday resort with exciting resort quests from animator NPCs. Here Blizzard really put effort into the design.
However, the “development” is missing – at least that was the case for me. In an earlier video, it was said that suddenly the whole island could shake and be filled with fire elementals and flames.
The changes I noticed are moving rocks with Azerite pickaxes that chase my group as we approach. They remind me too much of random, stronger enemies that I can encounter around every corner while questing.
Rocks become… even bigger rocks.
The rewards are not enticing
I undertake the entire expedition for a handful of Azerite that hardly moves the artifact power bar for my necklace. The reward for gathering over 10,000 units of Azerite for up to half an hour is too low.
In the open world, I find world quests that offer a similar reward, and here even in war mode, there are rarely opponents who knock me out at the first opportunity. And if they do, I can still do the world quest afterward without the chance of losing it.
The rewards for the Island Expeditions are too low to provide the incentive to visit them more often.
This Azerite armor is only completed at level 26 on the Heart of Azeroth.
All this causes frustration
Collecting such a large amount of Azerite while leaving personal progress far behind just feels bad. It is frustrating. The weekly bonus of several thousand units of artifact power does not help much.
Sure, the number of people who really want to progress quickly is low. But there are indeed players who play for progress, and I am one of them. Therefore, I also want to be rewarded when I decide to invest time.
In the Island Expeditions, that is definitely not the case. I understand that the aim is to prevent players from finishing endgame content too early. But letting them run into a wall is not the solution.
If a player wants to finish faster, that is their decision. If they then have nothing left to do, that is their fault, not Blizzard’s. There is plenty to do at level 120 – but much of it is currently not enticing with rewards.
What do you think? Do you find the Island Expeditions frustrating as well, or do you enjoy them? Leave us a comment!
