CS:GO players from the Netherlands are disappointed. Loot boxes violate gambling laws and Valve obeys: They can no longer be opened.
The discussion around loot boxes, treasure chests, or whatever you want to call the purchasable boxes with random rewards, is gaining momentum in many countries. There are recurring debates about whether loot boxes should be considered gambling. In the Netherlands, there has now been a first decision: The loot boxes are gambling.
Only opening is prohibited
Valve “does not understand the laws”: Valve, which operates Counter Strike: Global Offensive, stated that they “do not understand or agree with” the rules, but saw no other option than to temporarily disable the opening of loot boxes in the Netherlands. They have requested clarification from the relevant authority to find out the exact interpretation of the law.
The trading of already obtained items on the Steam market is still possible. The law apparently only deals with the opening of loot boxes.
Ultimatum expired in June. Already in April, it was noted in the Netherlands that loot boxes could lead “socially vulnerable groups” to slip into other forms of gambling. Therefore, the date of June 20 was set, by which developers should ensure that games comply with the laws. The problem here was, however, that it was never clearly stated which of the reviewed games were violating the laws. Valve felt compelled to act.
Also in Belgium, the topic was already discussed a few months ago, stating that games like CS:GO, Overwatch, and FIFA 18 would violate existing rules and regulations; however, no deadline was set for when developers should take action. At least in Belgium, Valve has also now disabled the opening of loot boxes for CS:GO.
Would you wish that such laws and regulations were also introduced in Germany and that loot boxes disappeared from games?
The Battle Pass of the new Season 5 in Fortnite: Battle Royale gives you the coveted skins Ragnarok and Drift. However, these can be significantly improved. So you will receive the necessary experience points!
The new Season 5 in Fortnite: Battle Royale has started: For many players, this means: hop into the golf cart and tackle the first weekly challenges. Buyers of the Battle Pass (950 V-Bucks, approx. 9.50 Euros) can pave their way to Level 100 to unlock the skins Drift and especially Ragnarok.
But acquiring the skins is not the end of the task: As already seen in Season 4 with Carbide and Omega, you can further improve Drift and Ragnarok and unlock additional clothing options. For this purpose, you only need to gain experience points this time.
The major change from previous seasons: You are no longer tied to a specific season to unlock all improvements. You can continue to upgrade Ragnarok and Drift – even if Season 5 has already ended.
The Drift skin is unlocked immediately upon obtaining the Battle Pass and can thus be improved immediately. The following upgrade levels will be unlocked during the season:
Sweater – 10,000 EXP
Vest – 25,000 EXP
Mask – 50,000 EXP
Jacket – 100,000 EXP
ElectrifyingEffect – 200,000 EXP
If you reach four of the five upgrade levels, you will also receive a unique pickaxe.
These are the upgrade levels of Ragnarok
The Ragnarok skin is not unlocked until Battle Pass Level 100, which already represents quite a bit of work. However, this is just the beginning: To unlock all upgrades for Ragnarok, you will need a lot of patience:
Level 1 – 35,000 EXP
Level 2 – 75,000 EXP
Level 3 – 125,000 EXP
Level 4 – 250,000 EXP
Level 5 – 500,000 EXP
For Ragnarok as well, you can earn your own pickaxe after four upgrade levels – the Permafrost.
Since Ragnarok requires significantly more experience points than Drift, you will definitely have fully upgraded Drift by the time you reach the fourth upgrade level. But how do you get so many experience points? And which season level corresponds to 500,000 EXP?
How to maximize your experience gain in Fortnite: Battle Royale!
To fully upgrade Carbide and Omega in Season 4, Season Level 65 or 80 was required. The numbers now specified for Drift (200,000 EXP) and Ragnarok (500,000 EXP) can also be transferred to the Season Level (if you want to complete both skins in Season 5).
The site Orcz.com has published an EXP chart that shows that 200,000 EXP was achieved at level 56 in Season 4. For 500,000 EXP, players had to fight their way up to level 79. While the chart applies to the completed Season 4, it should also be transferable to Season 5. But fundamentally, it doesn’t matter what Season Level you reach, as in the end, only the XP counts. However, it is a good guideline for how high you should level up.
What can I do to maximize experience gains? Average players will find it very difficult to reach the 500,000 EXP required for Ragnarok. Those who do not regularly secure victories or play in squads will have a hard time. Fortunately, however, you have almost unlimited time, as this challenge does not necessarily have to be mastered in Season 5.
You can also follow these tips:
Kill as many opponents as possible – Each defeated enemy gives you valuable experience points! Those who do not eliminate opponents will receive less EXP.
Get as far as possible – Those who regularly land in the top 10 will be rewarded with EXP. Make sure to prolong your survival as much as possible (and take out a few kills in between).
Level up the Battle Pass – You should quickly unlock the bonus EXP nodes in the Battle Pass that significantly increase your experience gain.
Play with friends – Those who play with friends who also have the Battle Pass can reap double experience bonuses.
Secure epic victories – Epic victories, meaning match wins, bring by far the most experience (but are also the hardest to achieve).
Complete challenges – Regardless of whether daily or weekly challenges – they all yield a certain amount of experience points.
The summary: Form a squad of four people, level up the Battle Pass together, and secure as many victories as possible. This way, you will fill your experience points account the fastest.
Are you planning to complete Ragnarok? Or do you think you have no chance of ever reaching 500,000 XP?
Blizzard has released some numbers that clearly show how much endorsements and LFG have helped the game Overwatch. The results are impressive.
A few weeks ago, Blizzard took a new direction with the latest patch for Overwatch. Toxic and disruptive members of the community would not only be punished but positive and friendly players would be rewarded. The endorsement system allows players to commend each other when they have behaved exemplary. Game Director Jeff Kaplan now reveals how this is reflected in some figures.
What have endorsements achieved? In the official forum, Jeff Kaplan explained by what percentage player behavior has improved in individual matches.
According to him, on the American servers there is:
26.4% fewer matches with abusive chat in ranked mode
28.8% fewer players who behave abusively
Numbers have also been released for the Korean region, which are:
16.4% fewer matches with abusive chat in ranked mode
21.6% fewer players who behave abusively
It is obvious that the incentive of endorsements leads to more positive behavior among players – just as expected. However, there haven’t been any specific figures on the impact in Europe yet.
Cortyn says: I’m quite surprised by the numbers and would have expected them to be higher. Since the introduction of endorsements, toxic players have become rare in my matches. I hardly encounter them anymore. So it would be interesting to see the figures for Europe in the future. I could imagine that the effect is even greater here.
After the community loudly complained about the functionality of some Heroic Modifiers, Bungie has now revised the problematic modifiers based on player feedback. The revised versions are set to be introduced with the July update in Destiny 2.
Initially, many players complained that Destiny 2 was too easy. Bungie responded by introducing some brutally difficult modifiers in Heroic Strikes with the Warmind expansion. However, according to a large part of the player base, Bungie has gone too far with the changes. Therefore, the studio is now making adjustments. The changes will come with the July update.
Problematic modifiers will be revised with the July update
With the Warmind expansion, Bungie introduced special modifiers that activate advantages and disadvantages in Heroic Strikes, aiming to create more variety and additional challenges. However, in terms of difficulty, Bungie has gone too far, according to many fans.
The following three modifiers were the focus of criticism:
Glass – Health and shields are halved but recharge twice as quickly
Blackout – The radar is disabled and enemies deal significantly more melee damage
Grounded – Players take five times the damage while in the air
Each of these modifications already significantly increases the difficulty level. In combination with the additional burning modifiers, many Guardians are already knocked out after just one enemy hit.
These three modifiers have now been revised by Bungie: As Bungie announced in the current “This Week at Bungie” blog on July 12, these three problematic modifiers have been revised following evaluations of fan feedback. The studio has also recognized that it has probably gone too far with the three hardest modifiers.
Here’s how the three hardest Heroic Modifiers will change:
Blackout: This modifier will continue to significantly increase the enemy melee damage, but it will no longer necessarily result in Guardians being killed by most enemies with a single melee attack. However, if you do not meet the recommended power requirement for the Heroic Strikes, enemies will naturally be much stronger and will take you down much faster.
Grounded: Currently, players are often registered by the game as being in the “air” even when they are not actually jumping. To avoid punishing players for something they are not doing, the damage threshold of this modifier will be reduced. This is to prevent players from dying when they fall from two meters and land on a rock or another small object.
Glass: This modifier lowers the shields and health of the guardians while increasing their regeneration. The effect of this modifier will be somewhat reduced with the upcoming update.
Some players absorb every little detail about upcoming games or addons before the release, while others are annoyed by too much information before launch. How much do you want to know about upcoming games before you can play them yourself?
Are you the type of person who can never know enough about upcoming games before their release and turn the internet upside down in search of new details? Or do you belong to the kind of gamers who prefer not to hear or see anything at all before the release? How much information before the release of games or new addons is too much for you?
We want to know from you today: How much do you want to know about games and addons before their release?
MMOs reveal details before the release
Online games can hardly hide anything: With online games, it is usually difficult to keep new features and details of upcoming updates or addons a secret. New areas and features are often extensively tested on test servers or during beta phases.
For example, in World of Warcraft, it is common for many players to be invited to long beta tests before the release of new addons, allowing them to take a close look at the new details. This also applies to the upcoming Battle for Azeroth, where numerous features and a few story bits are already known.
Please Bungie, no more details!
Information as a PR stunt: It seems quite different at Bungie and Destiny 2. There, all information about the upcoming expansion Forsaken is currently being revealed.
It is already known that our favorite Vanguard Hunter Cayde-6 has to meet his end and that the Prince of the Reef, Uldren Sov, is responsible for it. Additionally, there are plenty of information about new areas, new enemies, and the upcoming abilities that the Guardians can choose from with the expansion.
We have already delved into the question of why Bungie can’t stop revealing details from Forsaken:
First look, then touch? Then there is a group of players who want to see new games first before they start playing themselves. Let’s Plays or streaming sites like Twitch allow you to watch the desired game for a while and then decide if you want to play it yourself. The fact that a lot is revealed in the process, especially in story-driven games, seems to be just a side issue.
Now it’s your turn: What type of player are you? Do you want to know everything about the game beforehand? Do you try to block out all information about upcoming releases? Or do you perhaps check out new games on Twitch or YouTube first? How much do you want to know about games and addons before their release?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Niantic has released an image that finally shows Generation 4 in Pokémon GO. The image features, among others, the starters from Sinnoh: Turtwig, Chimchar, Piplup.
When will Generation IV come to Pokémon GO? This is still unknown. Niantic has only published an image showing the three starters of the fourth generation. The image was released on the occasion of Pokémon GO’s second birthday. The journey for Mobile Trainers began in summer 2016.
What is visible in the image?
The characters: There are two Trainers in the image who are trading a Treecko and a Pikachu wearing Ash’s cap. Additionally, we see the three Team Leaders Candela, Spark, and Blanche. Spark and Candela are currently trading a normal and an Alolan Vulpix, while Blanche is looking at an Alolan Egg. Professor Willow is deeply absorbed in research.
the three legendary dogs/cats Suicune, Raikou, and Entei
the three legendary birds Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres
Latias and Latios, the legendary siblings
Absol and Honchkrow, which are usually only found in raids
The three starters of Generation 4:
Turtwig – bottom right in the image, with Croconaw and Torchic
Chimchar – climbing on the pole of the umbrella
Piplup – snuggling up to Absol in the bottom left
Mega Evolution hinted? Many of the shown Pokémon receive a Mega Evolution in the RPG titles. Mega Evolution was introduced in Generation X/Y. For the duration of a battle, Pokémon can change their appearance, gain new powers, abilities, and sometimes even a new type.
The starters of Generation 4: Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup (from left to right)
Niantic promised an Ultra Bonus for the GO Fest: Is this Gen 4?
Could Generation 4 appear at the GO Fest? Currently, there are no indications of a fourth generation in the code of Pokémon GO. The GO Fest is already taking place on the weekend of July 14th – 15th.
What about the Ultra Bonus? It could still be that the fourth generation will at least be partially released at the GO Fest. Niantic promised a mysterious Ultra Bonus after the summer events.
Update July 18, 11:30 AM: The GO Fest ended on July 15. So far, Niantic has not commented on the fourth generation again. We will have to be a little more patient.
Some new Pokémon have already been leaked. However, these still originate from the previously existing generations two and three:
After publisher Travian Games announced that it is shutting down the website of the MMORPG Shroud of the Avatar (SotA), it is now said that the cooperation between Travian and Portalarium remains in place.
Travian Games sticks to its position
What happened? Many fans of the MMORPG Shroud of the Avatar feared the end of the partnership between publisher Travian Games and developer Portalarium. This is because Travian recently announced that it will shut down its own website shroudoftheavatar.game and also delete the player data that has already been transferred. Since SotA is currently not performing well and surrounded by negativity, it would not have been surprising if Travian Games had withdrawn from the cooperation.
Travian stands firm. However, as has now been affirmed in the official SotA forum, the publisher and Portalarium continue to work together. The cooperation remains intact.
Portalarium needs more money. The announcement of a second telethon also caused quite a stir within the community. During the first livestream, only around 54,000 dollars were raised – and that only because the developers continued to accept fans’ money for a while after the livestream. Otherwise, the total would have remained at around 43,000 dollars. Now a continuation has been announced for July 20. They will discuss further innovations and the upcoming Episode 2, while fans can donate money again.
Last month, a similar situation occurred. At that time, only about 42,000 dollars could be raised, which led to another telethon. The reason at that time was that the telethon took place on a Monday and not, as usual, on Fridays. However, this time, the livestream was held regularly on a Friday. The earnings were still not particularly good.
The continuation of the telethon on July 20 is not exactly causing leaps of joy within the community. Some fans are even upset and believe that there is only another livestream now because the first one did not raise enough money, and Portalarium urgently needs the funds now. After all, just recently about half of the staff was laid off for financial reasons. This new “fundraising action” is not particularly well received by fans at the moment.
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MMORPGs have many facets, many subgenres, including Survival games like Conan Exiles. Does this sub-genre perhaps even show the future of modern MMORPGs?
MMORPGs out, Survival-MMOs in? Survival-MMOs like Conan Exiles or the upcoming Rend are currently very popular among developers. Players are also enjoying the genre. Meanwhile, traditional MMORPGs seem to be stagnating. Few large MMORPGs are being announced. The last hopefuls are either indie games like Ashes of Creation and Pantheon or Asian imports like Lost Ark.
Western MMORPGs like WildStar turned out to be flops. Instead, Conan Exiles was a success and has some imitators: Do we see the “modern version” of MMORPGs with Survival MMOs?
Is classic also just as good?
The problems of classic MMORPGs: Online role-playing games are fascinating because they bring a social component. However, an MMORPG also has to deal with disadvantages. These disadvantages include:
All players are heroes in the game world. It is no longer special to be a hero
Every player does the same quests – regardless of whether another player has already rescued the princess
There are no consequences for actions. The defeated dragon from a quest always comes back and terrorizes the village again
The game world changes little or only very slowly. Players’ actions have no impact on the world
You also often deal with other players that ruin your fun
The unique magical sword is not actually unique because anyone can find it
The story and the relationships in the world change little
NPCs cannot die
The gameplay often proceeds the same way: Talk to NPCs, receive quests, kill monsters, collect rewards, improve character
You usually have to invest a lot of time into an MMORPG. Some raids last several hours
Solo players often face boring grind and do not get a really appealing solo experience
Developers often offer an in-game shop despite the purchase price, which annoys many players
An MMORPG needs to be operated over a long time and kept current and enjoyable, while in other genres sequels can appear that bring many fundamental changes and innovations
There are often too many players in an MMORPG. Most of them are ignored
Survival-MMOs take a different approach. Games like Conan Exiles take the genre and turn it on its head. They simply leave out the problematic features and focus on a sandbox:
There are hardly any “real” quests
The game world changes as players build buildings and cities themselves
Powerful items are crafted by the players
There is often no story, just an overarching background story
The player and their survival are in focus
The number of players is usually tightly limited, which promotes interaction among them
It is possible to enjoy the game alone on private servers
Adventures and challenges arise from situations and are not predefined scripted quests
The mix makes it – What can MMORPGs learn from Survival games?
A combination of classic MMORPGs and Survival MMOs could be the future. More does not always mean better. The MMORPG genre may evolve if it aligns more with Survival games:
A reduction in the number of players. Heroes would again be something special in the game world and you would not feel like ignoring 90 percent of the players because it would be interesting to encounter another player
You get a sense of achievement even if you only play briefly. Even if you only have 15 minutes to play, you should feel like you’ve achieved something
There are no more “unique items that everyone still has.” Either players craft such items or they are truly unique
The MMORPG would need to be designed so that you can have fun alone, without constantly grinding or doing meaningless MMO quests
The story could unfold without linear, scripted quests based on an evolving background story
MMORPGs must change and evolve to be successful again
What do MMORPG players want? The MMORPG genre is a complex field with many different opinions from players:
Veterans who have been around since the beginning want hardcore experiences again,
Progress is important: Yet with all the differing opinions, the genre is stagnating. It needs to evolve again to be as successful as it was during the heyday of WoW. Perhaps survival MMOs can help achieve this goal.
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World of Warcraft receives new social features. We tell you everything you need to know about “Communities”.
With Battle for Azeroth, World of Warcraft gets many new features. Not only in PvP will a lot change, but also the social features of WoW will be improved. The new “Communities” system will be introduced. We will tell you all the details about the new feature and what benefits it will provide.
What are Communities? Communities in World of Warcraft are new social groups. They are linked to your character and not to your Battle.net account. So “Character A” can be in different Communities than “Character B”. Do you have a farming alt who likes to share and discuss the best farming spots with other players? Create a separate community for that! Do you want to build an auction house empire with like-minded individuals? Use a community!
Calendar features for quick group finding. With Communities, it is possible to create events directly in the calendar, similar to guilds. This way, you can also plan cross-server events and quickly assist other members of your community with a task.
Communities are separate from guilds. To be a member of a community, you do not have to leave your guild. You can be in a guild and in multiple communities at the same time. This gives you access to more “social groups” and allows you to be better organized than in regular chat channels.
Voice chat, chat log, and more: The community feature will support a chat log. This way, messages from the past can also be read when you are not online. Apparently, it is also possible to delete messages afterwards if you accidentally posted TeamSpeak data in the wrong channel. At the same time, you can also create multiple chat channels – both for written words and for voice chat.
Who are Communities suitable for? Communities are particularly helpful for those who move in multiple social circles. So, if you are in a role-playing group and at the same time hanging out with a mythic raid group while being in a “fun guild”, communities are just right for you. Everyone else can at least bring their friends together, even if they are not in the same guild.
In simpler terms, you could say: World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth gets an internal Discord.
With Forsaken, each of the three classes in Destiny 2 receives three new paths for their subclasses. In a new video from Game Informer, you can preview the new abilities before release.
The first major expansion for Destiny 2, Forsaken, is intended to give Guardians more options in how they shape their class. Players will then be able to choose a new path for each of their three classes among the subclasses. This introduces nine new paths into the game, which are referred to by the developers as completely new Supers.
In a new video from Game Informer, Bungie’s Senior Sandbox Designer for Forsaken, Claude Jerome, discusses these new paths. He explains why the developers chose these new abilities and what they mean for players.
We have already compiled detailed descriptions of each new path for every class for you here:
The relaunch of Trion Worlds online shooter Defiance in the new version Defiance 2050 did not go smoothly. In addition to poor server performance, there was an even bigger problem: the PS4 version did not appear at all in the German PSN store.
No Defiance 2050 for German PS4 owners yet
Defiance 2050 is launching, just not for PS4 in Germany. On July 10, the online shooter Defiance 2050 was supposed to launch worldwide on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Worldwide? No, because in Germany and New Zealand, players are still waiting to download the shooter for their PS4 from the PSN store.
Players are angry. In the official Defiance forum, discussions are already heated. Why are all others allowed to play on PS4, but German customers are not? A server hotfix has already been applied for other players from the EU, as the performance at launch left much to be desired. This is making some players angry. Other players have already received a patch, and in Germany, you can’t even play.
Trion Worlds responds. In the meantime, Trion Worlds has commented on the situation. The German version of Defiance 2050 is supposedly still stuck in Sony’s certification process and can only go online once Sony gives the okay. Currently, it is not clear how long it will take until Defiance 2050 is available in the German PSN store. Trion Worlds wants to keep players updated.
Not a good start for Defiance 2050. The relaunch of the online shooter has not had a good start. In addition to the missing version for PS4 in Germany, there were severe lags and many disconnections at launch. For this reason, the rating of the game on Steam has also slipped to “mostly negative.” Additionally, it is criticized that Defiance 2050, despite modernization, does not seem particularly up to date.
https://youtu.be/-7OQk2Kdd3U
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
To Fortnite: Battle Royale’s popular weekly challenges are back in Season 5. This time, a few things are different. Find out how to complete the seven weekly tasks of Week 1 in Season 5!
The tasks of Week 1 from Season 5 are here: This time, no one knew what to expect. Now, with the official start of Season 5, the weekly tasks are finally known.
Basics of Season 5
Basically, it works as usual: You complete seven challenges and earn experience points and stars for the Battle Pass. This allows you to advance in the Pass and receive skins and goodies.
Fewer challenges without a pass: However, if you do not buy a Battle Pass, you can only complete three of the seven challenges. Two easy and one hard challenge are available for free. The remaining three easy and two hard tasks are only available to paying customers.
The new Road Trip Challenge: As in Season 4, there is a continuous challenge in Season 5 again. With each fully completed week, you progress one level in the new “Roadtrip” challenge. There are again title images with story and after seven levels (so at the latest from Week 7 of the Season) there is again a special skin.
All Challenges of Week 1 in Season 5
What you still need to do: We have researched the current weekly challenges from Week 1 of Season 5 and compiled them into a table here.
The free challenges
Number
Reward
Deal damage to opponents with submachine guns
500
5 stars/500 XP
Search a supply llama
1
5 stars/500 XP
Eliminate opponents with sticky grenades, stink bombs, or regular grenades (hard)
3
10 stars/1,000 XP
Here are the tasks for which you need to buy a Battle Pass:
The paid challenges
Number
Reward
Search chests at Snobby Shores
7
5 stars/500 XP
Look for floating lightning bolts
7
5 stars/500 XP
Follow the treasure map from Risky Reels (hard)
1
10 stars/1,000 XP
Eliminate opponents at Retail Row (hard)
3
10 stars/1,000 XP
How to complete the challenges of Week 1 – Season 5
Here you will find out how to ideally complete the challenges. For some challenges, we have even linked extensive guides.
Challenge 1 – Deal damage to opponents with submachine guns
Fortunately, there was a buff! Since SMGs have been significantly buffed lately and are now more accurate and lethal, it shouldn’t be hard to deal 500 damage with them. This task is a gift! This task can also be completed without a Battle Pass.
Challenge 2 – Search a supply llama
Tricky: Unfortunately, supply llamas are extremely rare and not easily found. Moreover, it takes a long time to search them. Breaking them apart is probably not an option. So be careful not to run blindly and then get shot. This task is free and can also be completed without a Battle Pass. A guide with tips about loot llamas can be found here.
Challenge 3 – Eliminate opponents with sticky grenades, stink bombs, or regular grenades (hard)
A tough task! Killing someone with grenades is not easy. Sticky grenades are a bit easier, but you need to hit well. There is a tip on how to make this task easier: Play in a mode with teams, where defeated opponents go down for the first time.
Pro-tip: Stick a sticky grenade to the helpless enemy or blow them up with regular grenades. Then you will also get a kill. Just make sure your teammates know this and let you have the kill. This task can also be completed without a Battle Pass.
Finally something new: We have found out how to quickly and easily collect the lightning bolts in the world in our own guide to the lightning bolts.
Challenge 6 – Follow the treasure map from Risky Reels (Battle Pass only)
Treasure hunting as usual: This task is similar to its counterparts from past weeks. Go to Risky Reels, check out the map there, and try to figure out where the treasure is. We have here a guide to the treasure from Risky Reels for you.
The 08-15 kill job: Nothing has changed here in Season 5 either. Just go to Retail Row and let it rip! The place is luckily quite spacious and full of loot. It should be easy to score kills there.
On July 17, 2018, the update 1.2.3 brings Bounties to Destiny 2. Guardians now have daily tasks to engage in. However, the Bounties have some new features compared to Destiny 1. We have the details.
In Destiny 1, Bounties offered players daily tasks to increase their clan reputation or earn XP points to level up their gear.
However, this feature was removed in Destiny 2. Players were supposed to have fewer “obligations”. No one should feel pressured to accomplish something every day.
However, the studio later realized that it was not a good decision and is now bringing back optional daily tasks with the July update 1.2.3 on Tuesday, July 17, 2018 – with some changes.
Bounties Return – With Two New Mechanics
Bounties will soon be making a return. Bounties in Destiny 2 retain a large portion of the characteristics that the Bounties had during the “Taken King” era.
This is what makes Bounties in Destiny 2 special:
They can be collected from various vendors
They usually provide XP and clan reputation
Some Bounties offer better rewards
Bounties can be redeemed in the field, allowing immediate rewards without going back to the Tower or vendor
Some Bounties may drop in the wild (in Forsaken)
There are two new mechanics: If Bounties are left incomplete, they will expire. However, if you wish to play them later, it will cost you some Glimmer. This is to prevent players from hoarding every Bounty until their inventory is full and then sorting them out later – without restricting Guardians with a very limited Bounty capacity.
The Rewards: In Forsaken, more vendors will offer Bounties. Some Bounties will lure players with legendary or even better rewards for successful completions.
More details should be found by the fans themselves: As to how the individual Bounties work and where to find them, Guardians should discover that for themselves, according to Bungie. And next week you will already have the chance to do so.
Finally, Blizzard has revealed a release date for Patch 8.0 of WoW. We explain when it starts – and what changes.
Fans have long been wondering when the big Pre-Patch 8.0 for World of Warcraft will be released, marking the dawn of the Battle for Azeroth era. Now Blizzard has spoken out and confirmed the fans’ suspicions.
Pre-Patch 8.0 will be released in Europe on July 18, 2018!
What does this mean? With the release of the pre-patch, many changes to the mechanics of World of Warcraft will already be active. For example, the Artifact weapons will be deactivated and you will not be able to unlock any more traits. Additionally, there will be a “Stat Squish”, during which the values of all characters will be reduced to bring the numbers back to a more manageable level.
Last chance for special rewards. With the launch of Patch 8.0, some things will also permanently disappear from the game and will no longer be available. Thus, it will no longer be possible to complete the Mage Tower challenges! This means that the special artifact weapon skins that could be earned here will also be lost. However, those who unlock them before the launch can still use them afterward.
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Abolition of PvP servers. It is particularly important that PvP servers will be abolished with Patch 8.0. There will only be “normal” and RP servers from now on. However, PvP in the open world will still exist, as you will be using the new War Mode for that. How it works has already been explained in this article about War Mode.
Are you looking forward to Patch 8.0? Have you achieved everything you set out to do for Legion? Or are you gritting your teeth and tackling particularly tough challenges this week?
Niantic has officially confirmed the date for the Zapdos Day in Pokémon GO. You have the chance to catch the legendary bird in raids, just like its shiny variant.
What is the Zapdos Day? On Zapdos Day, you can encounter the legendary Pokémon exclusively in raids for three hours. During this time, Zapdos will be the only raid boss you encounter in gyms.
When is the Zapdos Day? Zapdos Day will take place on July 21. That is a weekend after the big GO Fest, which is this weekend from July 14 to 15. Trainers completed the special research at the GO Fest, which is why Zapdos was unlocked as a reward.
Chance for Shiny: You will encounter and be able to catch Zapdos as shiny
Thunder Shock: This Zapdos will have Thunder Shock as a quick move, instead of Charge Beam. Thunder Shock is a stronger attack than Charge Beam, has more attack power, and is faster.
Free Raid Passes: If all goals are achieved, you will receive five free raid passes. To do this, you must spin the photo disk on Zapdos Day with the legendary Pokémon.
Want to prepare for Zapdos already? Then check out our counter guide for Zapdos:
In Fortnite: Battle Royale (PC, PS4, iOS, Switch & Xbox One) the 5th Season has started. The map has not been completely replaced but has been significantly revamped. Find out here what is new and different in the Fortnite map of Season 5.
But no new map in Fortnite: Unlike what many fans assumed, the old Fortnite map has not been completely replaced by a new one. There is also (still) no second map. However, the old map is hardly recognizable. There is no swamp anymore, Anarchy Acres has been gentrified, and Vikings are now perched on mountain tops.
What is different in Season 5?
In the following paragraphs, you will learn everything about the new and changed locations on the Fortnite map. Additionally, there are now new “Rifts”.
What are rifts and what do they do? The new rifts should not be confused with the old rifts that sucked in landmarks or spit out new objects. They look similar, though. When you see one of the new rifts, you can simply run or drive through it. Afterwards, you will be beamed back to the sky of the map and fall down again as at the beginning of the game.
Beware! Your glider will not open automatically. So be careful not to fall to your death.
How cool is that? If you drive into a rift with the new all-terrain vehicle, the vehicle will be beamed up with you. And during the fall, you will all be safe, but you might tumble like crazy through the foliage!
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Why should I do that? Such a rift is an excellent opportunity to reorient yourself on the map and visit a place where the action is happening or to retreat when things get too intense. Additionally, rifts are a good way to escape the storm. Thus, the rifts should invigorate the gameplay significantly.
Bye, bye Moisty Mire – Hello Paradise Palms!
The swamp that nobody liked: The large swamp Moisty Mire in the southeast of the map had a cool name, but unless necessary, nobody liked to go there. The swampy areas slowed you down, the area was ugly, and there wasn’t much to loot. Only the film set was interesting.
The prison is gone too: The area that is now called Paradise Palms also includes the zone where the prison used to stand. There is now a town named Paradise Palms there. Also, there are dinosaurs present.
Lazy Links: Golf course instead of farm!
Why have the same farm twice? Anarchy Acres was another farm with fields on the old map. Something similar already existed to the south at Fatal Fields. So why have the same theme twice, which was never really popular? Therefore, Anarchy Acres is now gone!
Gentrification! Instead of a shabby farm, there is now a fancy golf course called Lazy Links in place of Anarchy Acres. Here you have a larger building and vast meadows with golf courses. In between, you can drive around with the new all-terrain vehicles.
The best thing about the new golf facility: You can actually play golf here using the new toy ball emotes. If you sink a putt, you even get points!
The forest at Dusty Divot
The green hell: Anyone who paid attention during Season 4 knows that the crater from the comet impact has been increasingly filled with trees. By now, a dense forest has emerged in the impact crater. There is hardly anything left of the research base that was previously established there.
Is there more to come? But why have the trees grown so quickly there? Does it have to do with the hop rocks? By the way, the jump rocks are missing in the forest. Instead, many mushrooms are growing that boost your shields. It’s best to keep an eye on this area; who knows what else will happen here throughout Season 5.
The Vikings on the mountain near Greasy Grove
Stranded Vikings: Do you remember the 6th rift in Season 4? There, an anchor suddenly appeared on the hillside between Greasy Grove and Snobby Shores. That belongs to a Viking ship that has suddenly appeared on the mountain top there. The ship is now there, along with some longhouses and a waterfall. And there is a llama at the bow!
The burger is back! The Durrr Burger disappeared at the end of Season 4 and then suddenly appeared in our world in California. In the cinematic video of Season 5, it popped back into Fortnite along with the graffiti artist Drift.
Where is the burger now? The Durrr Burger is now located elsewhere. Instead of being at the fast-food joint in Greasy Grove, you will find it on a green hill northwest of Pleasant Park. Additionally, the cat-fox spray tag from Drift is now on it.
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Unfortunately, the tomato head is still gone. He may never return, as in his place in Tomato Town there is currently a sign reading “Goodbye”. But who knows, maybe this Fortnite classic will come back over the course of the season. Don’t lose hope!
Where has the soccer stadium gone?
Easter Island heads instead of soccer: As quickly as the soccer stadium north of Pleasant Park was built, it is now gone again. Instead, a laid-back stone head from Easter Island now stands there.
Is there more? So much for the changes we know so far in Season 5. If we notice more changes, we will update this article. Have fun exploring the new locations!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
H1Z1: Battle Royale overtakes Fortnite Battle Royale in the PS4 download charts for June. Neither H1Z1 nor Fortnite is found in the top 10 of all downloaded games.
H1Z1 ahead of Fortnite: Sony has published the charts for downloads on the PS4. Various games are ranked in several tables based on their download numbers. In June, H1Z1 was the most downloaded Free-to-Play title on the PS4.
Thus, it is currently ahead of Fortnite on the PS4 and is the most downloaded Battle Royale game.
The most popular games on PS4 by downloads
Sony has not released specific download numbers, only a ranking list. Therefore, it’s not possible to say exactly how many downloads H1Z1 has compared to Fortnite or the games in other categories.
Recently, H1Z1 had over 4.5 million players on PS4 after the open beta was made available for free since May 22, 2018.GTA is the most popular: Grand Theft Auto V occupies the top spot among all downloaded games in June. However, neither H1Z1 nor Fortnite is found in the top 10 of all downloaded games:
1. Grand Theft Auto V
2. FIFA 18
3. God of War
4. The Last Of Us Remastered
5. Detroit: Become Human
6. Mortal Kombat XL
7. Jurassic World Evolution
8. Horizon Zero Dawn: Complete Edition
9. Minecraft: PlayStation 4 Edition
10. Gran Turismo Sport
Free-to-Play dominated by Battle Royale: In the Free-to-Play category, H1Z1 and Fortnite occupy the top two spots. However, there are also rather unusual outliers and rising games like Fallout Shelter, Warframe, and Paladins in the list.
VR players like work: Sony has also published top lists for PS4 themes, PS VR games, PS Vita games, and PS classics. The classics are also led by a GTA title: San Andreas.
PS4 VR players seem to like work. The most downloaded VR title in June was “Job Simulator”.
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The community of Overwatch speaks a clear language. Blizzard needs to optimize the game, as the performance is getting worse.
The developers of Overwatch are making a lot of effort to keep players engaged with regular updates in the form of new heroes, maps, game modes, and numerous cosmetics. However, a growing group of players is demanding something entirely different: a patch to optimize Overwatch.
What is wrong with Overwatch? Many players criticize that Overwatch on PC has not run as smoothly for a long time as it did at release. With each patch, new things are added to the game, but the performance keeps decreasing every time. Many players report that they used to have proud 150-200 frames and now often only reach 50 or 60 frames – and that despite current drivers.
TAB for 30 frames. Particularly, one error is repeatedly mentioned by players. For some fans, pressing the TAB key causes Overwatch to automatically lock to 30 frames per second. Only restarting the game allows the framerate to climb back to acceptable values.
A game for potato PCs. Overwatch was praised by players back then for being playable on older systems. However, that has changed, and older systems that could run the shooter flawlessly are now barely able to display it properly. Players are struggling with many stutters and drops in framerate. The fans’ demand is clear: Blizzard should soon focus on a performance patch that optimizes Overwatch. Only after that should they address new content. A corresponding post on Reddit received much support – it now has over 7,500 upvotes.
What is your opinion on this topic? Has the performance of Overwatch on your computer also deteriorated over the months? Or is everything running smoothly for you like on the first day?
The new trailer for the collaboration between Monster Hunter: World and Final Fantasy XIV shows the Dragoon armor. This will be available in MHW as part of an event.
The new trailer showcases the artifact armor of the “Dragoon” job from Final Fantasy XIV, as well as its relic weapon, the spear “Gae Bolg”. These belong to the oldest classes in the Final Fantasy series and can perform very high jumps as their special ability.
Easter Eggs for Final Fantasy Fans
This ability will likely allow players to use it in Monster Hunter: World to jump on enemies and deal significant damage from their backs. Additionally, there will be plenty of Final Fantasy Easter eggs like Cactuars, Moogles, and a baby Behemoth skin for the Poogie.
The crossover event is set to happen in August, according to the statement from the producer of MHW in August.
Do you know the new monster in the trailer? Here are all the details:
The next phase of the Pre-Alpha of Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen is coming. As of now, you can already create a hero.
The Pre-Alpha moves to the next round
Classic character creation. The MMORPG Pantheon wants to offer you a classic gaming experience, drawing inspiration from Everquest. Accordingly, you will also create your hero in detail at the beginning of the game. This character creation system is now being tested in a new version just before the launch of the next Pre-Alpha version. So, those participating in this Pre-Alpha can already create their character.
Community feedback is important. The development team is very curious about how players will react to character creation and subsequently to the new Pre-Alpha. The team calls on all testers to provide as much feedback as possible. Only then can the systems be improved.
The MMORPG is progressing well. The developers also explain in the newsletter that work on Pantheon is progressing well. Currently, work is being done on the following:
Further abilities of the individual classes to enhance the function of these classes
A new dialogue editor is being created, which will allow quest designers to create NPCs for the game more easily
With the Giganaa, players can expect a race of gigantic giants that will present a particular challenge in battles
The team is continuing work on the healer classes Cleric, Druid, and Shaman
