How to farm wound secretion and make hardened bricks in Conan Exiles

Benedict Grothaus Benedict Grothaus Reading time 3 minutes

With hardened bricks, you can build nicer houses and the strongest bases with heat resistance in Conan Exiles. We will explain how to make the bricks and how to farm the required balm for it.

Update as of April 24, 2026: We have reviewed the post and optimized it structurally for you.

Hardened bricks are the basic building blocks for the strongest building parts made of “reinforced stone” from the “Stone Mason Master” talent (Tier 3). The building parts are heat-insulated and suitable for hot regions such as the desert or volcano. The buildings are also a step in the journey of Conan Exiles.

Conan Exiles Screenshot House made of hardened bricks
A fortress made of hardened bricks.

Making hardened bricks from hardened stone

To make hardened bricks, you need two things: bricks and the item “hardened stone.” The bricks are quite easy to obtain. Place 10 stones in a furnace and let it bake the stones into a brick.

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The hardened stone requires a bit more effort. You must first acquire the talent “Firebowl Cauldron” at level 15 for the recipe. Set up a cauldron, and you can then make the “hardened stone” through the recipes at the workstation.

5x hardened stone:

  • 2 plant fiber
  • 2 balm
Conan Exiles Screenshot hardened stone in the fire cauldron
Hardened stone is made in the firebowl cauldron.

You will get quite a few units of hardened stone from the materials you need for it. To now make hardened bricks, you just have to place the hardened stones with the bricks in a furnace and turn it on.

Hardened brick:

  • 1 brick
  • 1 hardened stone
Conan Exiles Screenshot hardened brick in the oven
Hardened bricks are baked in the oven.

Farming balm with fish

Balm is a bit tricky to obtain. You find it rather rarely on your journey unless you specifically search for it. You can obtain balm very well from spiders when you harvest their corpses with a pick or a skinning knife.

You can also get balm from other sources. Some items such as spoiled meat or poison glands can be pressed into balm in the fluid press. Some foods like unappetizing fish or shellfish produce balm when cooked.

Conan Exiles Screenshot fish traps and balm
You can place your campfire right next to the fish traps.

It is particularly effective to set up multiple fish and shellfish traps. Collect the unappetizing catches and cook them at a nearby campfire. Let the meat spoil, then press it out. This way, you can quickly and easily obtain balm whenever you return to your base.

The Conan Exiles patch 1.07 has fixed some issues on PS4 and Xbox One, but not all

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

The Division: Dealer reset on 19.5. – The best offers

Tarek Zehrer Tarek Zehrer Reading time 2 minutes

In The Division today, on May 19th, is the big vendor reset. We present to you items from the vendors that are particularly worthwhile.

The new global event, Onslaught, is coming and will start next Monday, May 21st. It lasts for one week. Players will have the opportunity to torpedo enemies with status effects and complete the secret sets of the Predator, the Restorer, Lone Hero, and FireCrest.

But before the farming in The Division starts again, you can check out the equipment vendors. Every week on the night from Friday to Saturday, the vendor reset takes place and the offers are randomly reshuffled. Here are our recommendations.

the division wp6

Recommended Weapons since May 19th

  • DZ03: SASG-12 K Tactical with Addendum, Receptive, and Gifted. Very high gear score and good talents for both PvE and PvP. Replace Gifted with talents like Malicious, Competent, Thieving, Destructive, or Resolute. You have free choice.

The Mods after the Vendor Reset

Vendors of the Dark Zone:

  • E 31st St: Stamina Mod (260) with Skill Rush.
  • W 53rd St: Performance Mod with Support Station Healing Speed (5%)
  • W 39th St: Weapon Mod (262) with Exotic Damage Reduction
  • W 31st St: Performance Mod with Ballistic Shield Damage Reduction (5%)

Vendors of the PvE Zone:

  • Terminal DZ Vendor: Performance Mod with Self-Healing First Aid (6%)
  • Advanced Weapons Vendor: Loud Muzzle Brake with Crit Damage (18%), Stability, Optimal Range, and Increased Threat
The-Division-agent

The Offer of the Special Blueprint Vendors

The vendor in the terminal brings blueprints for these items:

  • SASG-12 – Shotgun
  • M4-Light Version – Assault Rifle
  • Weapon Gloves
  • Stamina Vest
  • Extended Magazine 
  • 552 Holo Sight – with Crit Chance

The blueprints in Camp Clinton:

  • USC – Submachine Gun
  • Navy MP5 N – Submachine Gun
  • Weapon Mask
  • Electronics Backpack
  • Muzzle Brake – with Precision
  • Heavy Magazine Spring – with Fire Rate

You can find an overview of the complete offerings here at Rubenalamina.

Is there something for you? Do you have any further recommendations?

The Division 2: These E3 shows you shouldn’t miss for new information

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Blade & Soul will address tank shortage – Introduces new class

Irina Moritz Irina Moritz Reading time 2 minutes

Big changes are coming for players of Blade & Soul. A whole range of these will affect the classes of the Korean MMORPG, which will soon receive new additions. The new class “Warrior” is set to come to Blade & Soul in Europe and North America in 2018.

Chronic shortage of tanks is a classic problem in MMORPGs that use the “Holy Trinity” – system of tanks, DPS, and healers. Blade & Soul aims to address this in the near future with the implementation of the new class “Warrior.”

blade and soul warrior

Here comes the Warrior

Why are there so few tanks? NCSoft seems to see the origin of the problem in the complexity of the tank classes. Therefore, the developers’ aim with the Warrior is to make it as accessible to as many players as possible.

“The efficiency of the class should not be influenced by the skill of the players,” says NCSoft.

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How does the Warrior play? The Warrior will use a greatsword and have high attack and defense stats. In the Vision Preview Trailer, two “elements” are mentioned that influence the gameplay of the Warrior.

  • Madness for buffs on itself
  • Faith for a mid-range combat style

The two “elements” should feel fundamentally different in combat. Some of the new abilities will drain HP from the tank, reminiscent of Berserker skills or Dark Knight classes from other MMORPGs.

blade and soul new class warrior

However, the Warrior will also have skills in its toolkit that greatly reduce incoming damage or even reduce it to 0, like a real tank.

When will the class be playable? Further information will be released as the release of the class on the Korean servers on June 14 approaches.  In the West, the Warrior is expected to be released in 2018.

You can watch the second Vision Preview Trailer here:

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But how does Blade and Soul perform in 2018? Read our article about it:

How are the MMORPGs Guild Wars 2, Blade & Soul, and AION doing in 2018?

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Source(s):
  1. MMOculture
  2. Reddit

DC Universe Online celebrates 80 years of Superman with the death of Superman

Andreas Bertits Andreas Bertits Reading time 2 minutes

Indeed, the Man of Steel will meet his end in the MMORPG DC Universe Online, just as he did in the comics – and this is happening for the hero’s 80th anniversary!

The Death of Superman

Superman is dying! Doomsday has arrived in Metropolis, and only the Man of Steel can confront the seemingly invincible monster. Superman stands by you, completing daily new open-world missions and weekly bounty quests for heroes and villains. This is how you gain new skills, discover new collections, and find new gear.

DC Universe Online Superman

Once you reach level 10, you can take on the challenge by searching for “Doomed Metropolis (Part 1)” in the mission journal.

  • Daily and weekly missions in the new Daily Planet section of Metropolis!
  • Complete the pointer mission for “Doomed Metropolis (Part 1)” to receive a new artifact: the Omegahedron!
  • Minimum level: 10
  • New styles and more
  • Unlock a new style-only gear set inspired by Lobo, the interstellar bounty hunter
  • Look for the “Scourge” styles from the tribute vendor
  • Discover two new collections for a title and a new Doomsday Aura
  • Find new “Death of Superman” inspired base items

There are prizes to be won! The 80th anniversary of Superman is celebrated not only with his death in the MMORPG DC Universe Online, but also with a giveaway. You can win a pack of 10 cover variants of Action Comics #1000. To enter, you must take a screenshot on the official website between May 16, 2018, at 12:00 PM and May 23, 2018, at 12:00 PM, accompanied by a cool caption. Terms and conditions can be found on the DC Universe Online website.

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In Pokémon GO you can catch Ho-Oh again – Even as Shiny!

Patrick Freese Patrick Freese Reading time 2 minutes

As a surprise, Pokémon GO has now released Ho-Oh again. If you’re lucky, you might even catch it in its shiny form.

Trainers, as a surprise, the Pokémon GO developers at Niantic have now released a new legendary Pokémon. Ho-Oh was already active as a raid boss in the past and is now back since May 19. And this time it comes with a special feature. You have the chance to catch Ho-Oh as a shiny monster.

How long will Ho-Oh remain in Pokémon GO?

Ho-Oh is among the legendary raid bosses and is of the flying and fire type. In the announcement, Niantic explains that you can find this legendary boss in Pokémon GO from May 19 to June 7. Ho-Oh appears worldwide along with Latios and Latias, which remain split across their regions.

With a bit of luck, you might encounter a shiny Ho-Oh. And here’s the good news: According to initial reports, the shiny Ho-Oh has a catch rate of 100% – It cannot escape from you.

Pokémon GO HO-Oh Shiny

It is rare for Niantic to directly mention shiny monsters. Otherwise, it was rather a surprise after bosses rotated or new monsters became available to catch them as shiny. The community quickly spread the word and shared it with screenshots. There was an exception when the first shiny monsters, shiny Magikarp, were released. The developers announced them via tweet.

Perhaps Niantic will continue this type of announcements and explain more directly in the future when we can expect new shiny forms in the game.

Ho-Oh as Shiny – Screenshot

Initial trainers were able to catch their shiny Ho-Oh and share the pictures with the community.

Pokémon GO Shiny Ho-Oh

This catch is presented by trainer Kelven91:

Today, on May 19, the fifth Community Day in Pokémon GO begins. Everything you need to know about it has been compiled for you in a guide. Pokémon GO Community Day in May – All Information

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Beta for PS4, Xbox One and PC for Pre-Orderers

Patrick Freese Patrick Freese Reading time 3 minutes

Those who pre-order Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 can participate in a private beta. But when does it start and how long will the beta last?

In a livestream on May 17, Call of Duty was officially introduced and a private beta was announced. This is expected to last at least 3 days and is reportedly coming for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Fans are now speculating about the date when the beta will start.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Beta also on PC?

We know that a beta is taking place on PS4 and Xbox One. This is confirmed by the press release and also by Amazon.

Call of Duty Black Ops 4 Beta Guide Amazon

Additionally, Amazon shows an entry for beta participation for the PC version of the game. However, only Xbox One and PS4 players are addressed.

However, there is still an assumption of a PC beta because Amazon displays a cover for the private beta that clearly targets PC players. The beta for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 should therefore run on all three platforms. Additionally, you can select “Battle.net” as a platform on the Call of Duty Black Ops 4 beta website.

Amazon Call of Duty Black Ops 4 Private Beta PC

When does the Call of Duty Black Ops 4 Beta start?

So far, there is no fixed start date for the CoD Black Ops 4 beta. Fans are looking at the beta of the last installment in the series and are trying to deduce when the testing phase might start.

Call of Duty Black Ops 4 Zombies

The private beta for PS4 players of Call of Duty WWII took place at the end of August 2017. Xbox One players followed a week later.

However, Call of Duty Black Ops 4 will be released a few weeks earlier than usual for CoD. Therefore, the private beta could also start sooner. Fans are roughly aiming for mid-August 2018.

How long does the CoD Black Ops 4 Beta last?

We don’t yet know the exact duration of the testing phase, but Amazon reveals that there is a minimum duration:

*Availability and start date(s) on the respective platforms may change. You can find more details at www.callofduty.com/beta. Minimum duration of the beta: 3 days. Only for a limited time, while beta codes are available, and at participating retailers. Internet connection required.

The Call of Duty Black Ops 4 Beta will be active for at least 3 days. Presumably, the beta will last longer in total.

How can I participate in the Beta for Black Ops 4?

To secure access to the beta, you must pre-order Black Ops 4.

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What can you expect in Black Ops 4?

During the reveal, the developers talked about three different game modes of Black Ops 4: Multiplayer, Zombies, Blackout. For the first time in the history of Call of Duty, a part of the series will be available on the Battle.Net client.

Call of Duty Black Ops 4 Rocket Launcher

Multiplayer: In multiplayer, you can expect tactical battles with specialists. They all have their own equipment and unique gameplay that you can choose to match your playstyle.

Zombies: The zombie mode in Black Ops 4 brings new stories with new characters. The battles take place on the Titanic, in a coliseum, and in Alcatraz.

Blackout is the battle royale mode “Call of Duty-style”. Here you play with familiar characters from the CoD series and recognize some locations on the map.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will be released worldwide on Friday, October 12, 2018.

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FIFA 18 TOTS: The Bundesliga Team of the Season with Goretzka

Philipp Junge Philipp Junge Reading time 3 minutes

In FIFA 18 Ultimate Team, the “Team of the Season” of the Bundesliga will be released on May 18.

After the highlights of the Premier League TOTS and the LaLiga TOTS, we will receive the Bundesliga TOTS in sets starting Friday, May 18 at 7 PM.

Who made it into the Bundesliga “Team of the Season” can be seen below. The BL-TOTS also includes “Gullit Gang Member” Leon Goretzka, who has three attributes over 90 and a lowest attribute of 87 – His card will be sought after.

fifa-18-tots-bundesliga-ea

This is the Bundesliga Team of the Season

The 11 field players were determined this year through a fan voting. Voters had three players to choose from for each position. The bench and reserve players will likely be determined by EA.

Therefore, some choices may come as a surprise, as fans typically opt for strong FIFA cards rather than actual performances.

Starting XI

fifa-18-bl-tots-futhead-klein
  • GK: Lukáš Hrádecky 93 – Eintracht Frankfurt
  • CB: Mats Hummels 95 – Bayern Munich
  • CB: Naldo 93 – FC Schalke 04
  • RB: Joshua Kimmich 95 – Bayern Munich
  • LB: Wendell 91 – Bayer 04 Leverkusen
  • CAM: James Rodríguez 94 – Bayern Munich
  • CM: Leon Goretzka 93 – FC Schalke 04
  • LM: Leon Bailey 93 – Bayer 04 Leverkusen
  • ST: Robert Lewandowski 97 – Bayern Munich
  • RF: Thomas Müller 95 – Bayern Munich
  • ST: Michy Batshuayi 94 – Borussia Dortmund

Substitutes and Reserves

fifa-18-bl-tots-futhead-bank
  • GK: Jirí Pavlenka 91 – Werder Bremen
  • CB: Salif Sané 91 – Hannover 96
  • LB: Philipp Max 90 – FC Augsburg
  • CM: Naby Keita 93 – RB Leipzig
  • CAM: Michael Gregoritsch 89 – FC Augsburg
  • ST: Timo Werner 95 – RB Leipzig
  • ST: Mark Uth 93 – TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
  • RB: Daniel Caligini 90 – FC Schalke 04
  • CAM: Marco Reus 96 – Borussia Dortmund
  • LM: Thorgan Hazard 91 – Borussia M’gladbach
  • ST: Serge Gnabry 90 – TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
  • ST: Nils Petersen 94 – SC Freiburg

“Daily Knockout Tournament” Players and Guaranteed SBCs

Kevin Volland is the 24th player from the BL-TDS. He will be available through the DKT starting Monday, May 21. He will not be available on the market or in sets.

Additionally, we will also have guaranteed TDS SBCs for the Bundesliga TOTS. On Sunday and Tuesday, a Squad Building Challenge will be released at 7 PM each day, where you can exchange a TOTS and a team with a rating likely of 82 or 83. In return, you will receive a guaranteed player from the “Team of the Season” of the Bundesliga.

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What is the “Team of the Season” actually?

The “Team of the Season” (TDS) – better known as the “Team of the Season” (TOTS) – is for most FIFA gamers the biggest event in Ultimate Team. During this time, many players receive a significantly upgraded blue special card.

Over 200 player cards will likely receive a TOTS version in FUT 18. The reason is that many teams will be released, all of which will contain 23 players. In contrast, the “Team of the Year” (TOTY) consists of just a single 11-man selection.

fifa-18-pogba

The players’ ratings usually increase by 5 to 9 points. For the top stars of the major leagues, ratings can thus reach the high 90s. The basis for the selection is the performance in the 2017/2018 season – in contrast, the TOTY used the entire calendar year 2017 for evaluation.

Otherwise, TOTS cards behave like informs: If you do not want to wait until you pull a card from sets, you can purchase them on the transfer market. The normal gold versions of the players are not available to pull during this time.

Alongside the LaLiga TDS, at 7 PM, 10 additional “Rest of the World” players will also be released – however, these cannot be pulled from sets!

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

Destiny 2: Xur today – location and offer on May 18th

Sven Galitzki Sven Galitzki Reading time 3 minutes

As every Friday in Destiny 2, Xur is back today. Where is the Agent of the Nine and what items does he have on offer? Here are the location and inventory for May 18th.

This week brought some interesting developments surrounding Destiny 2:

  • Just in time for the weekly reset, Bungie released the long-awaited hotfix 1.2.0.2. This update was supposed to fix a lot of bugs that players have been plagued with since the release of the Warmind expansion. However, not all issues were resolved. For instance, numerous Guardians are still being haunted by the nasty Heroic Strike bug. The Clan XP Engram and the WarSat event on Mars are still malfunctioning.
  • Furthermore, just a week after the release of the Warmind expansion, the first player reached the highest competitive rank in PvP.
  • Additionally, Bungie presented an updated summer roadmap and showed players what to expect in Destiny 2 until fall 2018. It seems that the studio has quite a lot planned for the summer. If the developers stick to the schedule, it might actually be the first summer in Destiny’s history where Guardians would have something to do.

Next week also promises to be exciting. On May 22nd, Lord Saladin will pay another visit to the Tower. Then the first Iron Banner of Season 3 begins. In addition to 6v6 matches in the Crucible, new weapons and ornaments will await the players.

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Destiny 2 new Tower

However, today, on May 18th, the mysterious Agent of the Nine appears again in the Destiny universe. Let’s welcome Xur together. Maybe he has some new Exotics for you.

All Info about Xur in Destiny 2 on May 18th on PS4, Xbox One and PC

When does Xur arrive?

Xur visits us every Friday at 7 PM. He chooses a quiet spot on a planet or moon of his choice, from where he can unobtrusively bring his wares to the Guardians. You have until the next weekly reset on Tuesday to browse his inventory – then he disappears without a trace.

Where is Xur? You can find him at this location today

Xur has specific positions where he likes to set up for the weekend. This time he is in the Tower hangar on Earth.

Offer and inventory of Xur

  • Weapon: SUROS Regime – Auto rifle for 29 Legendary Shards
  • Hunter: Twin Tails – Leg armor for 23 Legendary Shards
  • Titan: Mark of Alpha Lupi – Chest armor for 23 Legendary Shards
  • Warlock: Claws of Ahamkara – Gauntlets for 23 Legendary Shards
  • Fate Engram: 97 Legendary Shards
  • Three of Coins: 31 Legendary Shards
Destiny 2 FDS

Xur also has the challenge card “Five of Swords” with him. This card is free. It upgrades your rare Nightfall challenge card to a legendary challenge card. You can then activate a Searing modifier, one advantage/disadvantage, and two additional disadvantages.

More about it: Heroic modifiers and Xur enhance the strike experience

TotN Destiny 2

Trials of the Nine on May 18th

The weekly PvP event Trials of the Nine starts on Friday evening at 7 PM. The Trials end with the weekly reset on the following Tuesday evening at 7 PM.

  • Map: Meltdown
  • Mode: Countdown
Destiny 2 Kriegsgeist Trials gear 1

After the release of the Warmind expansion, new rewards can be earned in the Trials of the Nine.

There are three new weapons:

  • The kinetic submachine gun “Injunction”
  • The energy scout rifle “Compulsion”
  • The shotgun “Objection”
Destiny 2 Kriegsgeist trials gear 2

There is also a new ghost shell, a new sparrow, a new ship, and a new shader. However, in Season 3, there will be no new armor ornaments for the Trials sets.

Do you want to raid this weekend? Then take a look at our raid guide:

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Blade and Soul is reinventing everything – After the engine, now the classes!

Irina Moritz Irina Moritz Reading time 2 minutes

As part of the major content updates, the Korean MMORPG Blade & Soul will receive significant changes to the skill trees of existing classes. Following the announcement of the engine upgrade, this is the next vision.

In the second Vision Preview trailer, the developers discuss the changes that the classes of Blade & Soul will experience in the future. In addition to new abilities, the already existing ones will receive new mechanics to enable additional interactions and synergies between various skills.

More abilities for the Warlock

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What does such a specialization look like? As an example for the new specializations, the class Warlock has been chosen.

The abilities of the class depend on the respective focus of the Warlock. There are:

  • Distortion Focus: Allows players to quickly move through space and time by creating rifts in matter. The Distortion Warlock will also be able to control gravity and space to prevent enemy attacks.
  • Thrall Focus: Allows control over darkness and undead minions that assist the Warlock in battle.
  • Curse Focus: The name says it all, the Warlock fights his opponents using various curse spells.

The new artworks for the class suggest that the various specializations will have specific elements assigned to them.

Blade-Soul-class-advancement-artwork-2

For example, the focus of the Distortion Warlock could be the element of lightning. Similar changes will be made to other classes in Blade and Soul.

You can watch the second Vision Preview trailer here:

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Why is all this happening? Blade and Soul is still doing well in South Korea. Apparently, NCSoft has decided to continue investing in the MMORPG and its future.

You can read about what the first part of the Vision Preview trailer was about in our article on it:

Blade and Soul: MMORPG switches to Unreal Engine 4 – gives a preview

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Source(s):
  1. MMOculture
  2. Reddit

Overwatch is getting more nerfs, but good ones: Nerf guns are coming!

Micha Deckert Micha Deckert Reading time < 1 minutes

Blizzard has recently announced a collaboration with Hasbro. The Nerf Rival toy line is set to be expanded in 2019 with Overwatch-themed blasters.

Blizzard has achieved great success with Overwatch and is also exploiting the brand through merchandise. What has been missing so far are the weapons of the heroes. Therefore, Hasbro will take care of this starting in 2019 by adding Overwatch-themed blasters to its “Nerf Rival” product line.

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Will the weapons of Tracer, Reaper, and others come?

What is Nerf Rivals? The Rival products from Nerf are considered “high-performance toy weapons.” With this, Hasbro aims to provide an alternative to paintball for teenagers. Instead of hard paintballs, Rival uses foam balls. Traditionally, players are divided into the teams Red and Blue, which is also reflected in the weapons.

Will there be replicas of the Overwatch weapons? How the collaboration between Blizzard and Hasbro will look like is still unknown. It is also unclear whether there will be detailed replicas of the weapons from the game or whether the Nerf weapons will just be in the colors of the respective heroes.

Hasbro has recently released some weapons themed around Deadpool. However, these were blasters from the normal Rival assortment that were just specially printed.

A joy for cosplayers? Nerf guns have been used by cosplayers for quite some time. With a lot of patience, fans take apart the toy guns, paint them, and assemble them according to their wishes.

It is still unclear how the deal between Blizzard and Hasbro will actually look. However, if the weapons are indeed replicas from the game, it would surely make the target audience of crafters and cosplayers very happy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCKTiglWfyU
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Source(s):
  1. GameRevolution

Fortnite: Release in Summer on Android Phones! Smaller and Better

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

Finally, there is more accurate information about the release of Fortnite Mobile for Android. The game is set to release for phones running Android this summer. Additionally, numerous improvements are planned. Fortnite aims to be smaller, better, and more stable on mobile devices.

This summer it is finally happening: For months, players have been asking: “When is Fortnite coming to Android phones?” As Epic Games announces via a blog post, they are planning to release Fortnite for Android this summer. However, Epic has not provided a specific release date yet. Fortnite Battle Royale has been playable on iOS devices for some time. It is dominating the revenue charts in the App Store.

Improvements Planned for Fortnite Mobile

Interface now customizable: Epic has responded to fan requests and made the interface customizable. This will be active as of this week.

Fortnite-Hud

Voice chat planned: Currently, Epic is working on activating voice chat for mobile. Players will be able to chat on their phones. Players should also be able to mute others and themselves. This should happen via a button on the screen.

Gameplay further improved: Epic is also working on improving gameplay, especially running and shooting. This will be optional, allowing players to try out and use what they prefer. Controls are set to improve – some have described them as unfamiliar.

Fortnite-Week-4-Stern

Fortnite is set to be smaller: Fortnite on mobile is expected to be smaller overall. They are aware of the enormous installation size and are working to reduce it. The size should be compressed with further updates.

Battery Saver Mode Coming

Fortnite Mobile will be more stable and run better: Another promise from Epic: They are continuing to work on performance, aiming to improve graphics quality. They also plan to introduce a battery saver mode, which will reduce graphic quality but improve performance and conserve battery life. Additionally, Fortnite Mobile is set to run more stably, as they aim to reduce crashes and issues further.

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GTA 5 Online has a death curve that hardly any NPC can handle

Patrick Freese Patrick Freese Reading time 2 minutes

In this particular curve, cars regularly flip over or go off the road. What’s going on with the AI in GTA 5 Online?

The world of GTA 5 is large and vibrant. When you race your sports car through the streets of Los Santos, you regularly encounter NPC cars cruising alongside you on the asphalt. Car accidents are part of everyday life and are actually rarely something special.

As players have now discovered, crashes happen particularly often in a specific curve. Regularly, drivers fly out of the curve, flip over, or race into oncoming traffic.

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Why is this curve so difficult for NPCs? Players have been observing this curve for several days now. After Reddit user DingleBoone pointed out these accidents, the GTA 5 community investigated the cause. Perhaps they go too fast because the road is downhill. They may be exceeding the speed limit for AI vehicles at this point and are not programmed to handle that kind of speed.

The fact is: You are well entertained as a spectator!

Visit the place yourself and get entertained

As we know from real life, observers of car accidents are magically attracted – it’s like the gawker magic.

GTA 5 Online Map Crash Curve

In many online sessions, you now see players driving to the vineyards, standing in the aforementioned curve, and watching the crazy maneuvers of the AI. Give it a try yourself – online, you can gawk with a clear conscience.

Drive north of Los Santos, near Marlowe’s Vineyard. Get comfortable in the Tongva Hills and observe the curve.

This spot in GTA 5 Online has also been observed by the colleagues at Kotaku, who documented their findings in the video.

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Can you intervene and force the NPCs to drive “normally”?

If you want to get involved yourself, drive behind the AI into this curve and honk like crazy. Some drivers will then get out and try to beat you up – you have to expect that. Many will then give it extra gas and spectacularly fly out of the curve.

GTA 5 Online Curve Gawking

If you want to defuse the situation and care about the virtual suffering of the artificial intelligence, steal a police car. Sirens and flashing lights also prompt drivers in GTA 5 to slow down. This way, much fewer NPCs crash into oncoming traffic or flip over.

The NPCs in GTA 5 can often provide entertainment. Here is a glimpse into the sad life of the artificial intelligence in GTA 5

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

Are fans soon crafting the future of Destiny 2 in Crucible Labs?

Sven Galitzki Sven Galitzki Reading time 3 minutes

With the Crucible Labs, Bungie announced a new feature for Destiny 2 that will soon give fans access to experimental PvP content. There, they can provide valuable feedback on future content and thus influence the design decisions for the Crucible. 

destiny-2-pvp

In a short developer blog, Bungie announced this week as part of the summer roadmap update a new and unexpected feature – the Crucible Labs.

What are the Crucible Labs? According to the description, the Crucible Labs seem to be a kind of PTR environment for Destiny 2. Such test environments, which are mostly decoupled from the live game, are often used by developers to optimize the balance of certain game elements with the help of players and then integrate them into the live game.

No further details about the Crucible Labs have been revealed yet. However, this new in-game feature is said to give Guardians, according to Bungie’s words, a glimpse behind the scenes and provide them with a louder voice in the creative process.

destiny-hüter-pvp

Because in these labs, Guardians gain access to experimental PvP content and can contribute their feedback to future developer decisions. The community will thus soon be able to actively help shape the future of Destiny 2.

Are the PvP Labs coming to all platforms? There were no further details on this, but if the feature were PC-exclusive, Bungie would likely have communicated that clearly shortly before release. Moreover, a large part of the player base comes from consoles.

This important group cannot be excluded and thus further upset the fans, which Bungie can no longer afford. Therefore, it is not unlikely that the labs will actually be available for all three platforms.

However, if the feature does indeed come to consoles, it will be interesting to see how issues such as balancing different platforms (PC and consoles) or the certification process on consoles will be managed.

More on the topic
Destiny 2: New roadmap shows Bungie’s plans against a dull summer
von Sven Galitzki
destiny-2-kampf-hüter-pvp

Further information was promised before the launch of the feature on May 29.
How could the fans be involved? Players will likely mostly test the balance of new armor pieces and weapons. The design of new PvP maps could also be considered. Later, testing completely new modes or formats, such as for the upcoming autumn expansion, and beyond, is conceivable.

What does the community think? Initial reactions suggest that the overwhelming majority of fans have received this announcement very positively.

Many are excited about it and see it as an important step in the right direction that will hopefully lead to a better overall result.

However, some ask why Bungie did not implement such a feature earlier. It is well known by now that optimizing the Destiny series is no easy task, as evidenced by countless examples.

Yet, the majority of the community agrees: Such a feature can only benefit the game in the long run.

More on the topic
After criticism: This is how Destiny 2 wants to optimize the progression system
von Sven Galitzki

What do you think of the Crucible Labs? Do you believe that this can help avoid major design flaws by Bungie in the future?

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. GameRant
  2. Reddit
  3. ResetEra

The Division 2: Don’t miss these E3 shows for new information!

Tarek Zehrer Tarek Zehrer Reading time 2 minutes

More than two months ago, The Division 2 was announced. Now, agents are eagerly waiting for E3, for a release date, new info, gameplay, and the first trailers. Here are the most important dates for you if you are waiting for new information about The Division 2.

The Division 2 has reportedly been in development for two years, with supposedly over 1000 people involved in the project. There was no additional info at the time of the announcement.

Ubisoft is keeping quiet and initially wanted to reveal no information about The Division 2 before E3. However, as we now know, The Division 2 is expected to release no later than March 31, 2019! Assuming there are no delays.

Possible trailers or even gameplay will likely be presented at Ubisoft’s press conference at E3 2018. The publisher recently announced the date for this conference .

the division dz6

The Division 2 at E3

Which press conferences are relevant for Division fans? The Ubisoft press conference should be at the top of your list. After all, Ubisoft, as the publisher of The Division 2, will certainly present one of its most successful games during a major show.

Microsoft on board? There’s also a possibility that Microsoft will join in. A rumor suggests that Microsoft has secured exclusive rights for The Division 2. Something similar occurred with its predecessor: At E3 2015, The Division was featured at both conferences. Whether deals for timed exclusivity of DLCs are also in discussion remains to be seen.

Let’s hope we’re spared from such agreements. While the first 2 expansions of The Division were released for all platforms, PS4 players had to wait a month longer.

When do the shows run? The Ubisoft press conference will take place on Monday, June 11 at 10 PM German time. Be sure to mark this in your calendar.

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The Microsoft conference will take place one day earlier, on June 10 at 10 PM.

Where can you watch the streams? You can watch the Ubisoft conference through the Twitch and YouTube channels of the publisher. Microsoft’s presentation will be streamed via the Xbox Mixer channel and through the Xbox One Mixer app, as well as the Twitch channel.

Are you going to watch E3 live? Do you hope for gameplay?

More on the topic
E3 2018 Schedule: Dates for Press Conferences Overview
von Patrick Freese
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Top PS4 titles up to 50% cheaper in the PS Store weekend offer

Sven Galitzki Sven Galitzki Reading time < 1 minutes

The next weekend deal has launched in the PlayStation Store, offering some top titles for the PS4 at up to 50 percent off.

Today, Friday, May 18, the next weekend deal goes live in the PS Store.

call-of-duty-ww2-01

Haven’t found what you’re looking for in the recent deals and discounts? Then it might be worth checking out the current offer. Right now, there are up to 50% off on games like Horizon Zero Dawn, GTA 5, and Call of Duty WW2.

Weekend Offer in the PS Store

The digital sale is already running and will remain active throughout the weekend.

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The following titles are part of the promotion:

You can find the entire discounted game offering in the PlayStation Store on your console by opening the Store and selecting the “Offers” tab on the left side.

There is no additional discount for PS Plus members.

More on the topic
PS Plus May 2018 – The free games in May are now known
von Sven Galitzki
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

WoW: Was wurde eigentlich aus Leeroy Jenkins?

Guddy Hoffmann-Schoenborn Guddy Hoffmann-Schoenborn Reading time 3 minutes

The exclamation “Leeeeeroy Jenkins!” is not only known to players of World of Warcraft. It has long since arrived in pop culture and enjoys eternal life there. Its origins are now 12 years old! But what actually happened to the player – and does he still have anything to do with WoW?

MMOs have produced a few more well-known players and characters. Aside from negatively perceived individuals like the ganker Angwe or creative minds like Oxhorn, who was once particularly known for his parody videos, it is mainly Leeroy Jenkins who has remained in memory from the early days of World of Warcraft.

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The Origins of Leeroy Jenkins

We are in the year 2005. The guild <PALS FOR LIFE> has made its way to the Upper Blackrock Spire. Now they stand before the Crow’s Nest and discuss the situation diligently. Everyone listens quietly – except for the paladin Leeroy Jenkins, who is sitting on the ground with a peaceful “AFK” over his head. The rest is history.

Leeroy Jenkins returns to his PC in the middle of the meeting, jumps up, exclaims “Okay guys, time’s up! Let’s go!” and rushes blindly into the Crow’s Nest with a loud “LEEEROY JEEENKINS!” and thus into certain wipe. The raid group is left dumbfounded, the video lands on YouTube, and the battle cry becomes a symbol of reckless action.

At least Leeroy Jenkins still has chicken.

10 Years Later It Was Revealed: The Video Was Reenacted

We now know that the video was, in a way, a fake.  According to the guild PALS FOR LIFE, the dragon incident with Leeroy was a fact. The incident is said to have actually happened, but since no one recorded the kamikaze act at the time, the guild members decided to reenact the whole thing. You can read more about the clarification here: WoW: Leeroy Jenkins – Was it all a lie?

Hearthstone LoE Leeroy Header

The Fruits

Back then, with Patch 3.0.2, you could still earn the in-game achievement “Leeeeeeeeeeeeeroy!” by killing 50 whelps within 15 seconds. The paladin also received further appearances:

Blizzard has definitely taken a liking to Jenkins, recognizing his significance in the WoW community. The man behind the pixel character was even offered a job – however, it wasn’t Blizzard, but EA. But “Jenkins” did not accept it.

Leeroy Jenkins Ben

The Face Behind Leeroy Jenkins

Leeroy Jenkins’ real name is Ben Schulz, he is from Colorado and is an industrial lighting repair technician. After the viral success of the video, he founded the company “Leeroy Jenkins Entertainment”, which is no longer in existence. He also secured the rights to the recordings.

However, he apparently did not want to financially exploit the phenomenon “Leeroy Jenkins”: Although he was offered a few advertising deals, he turned them down and focused on his education. Later, he at least lent his voice to the “recreated” character in the games.

He is now quite bearded, still a gamer (although he has given up WoW) and screamed alongside Jamie Lee Curtis at the movie premiere.

Ben Schulz himself leaves it open whether the video was faked or not. That should be left up to the viewer’s imagination. And seriously: Is it really that important?

It’s much nicer to see that even from such frustrating moments like a wipe, something entertaining can come out! Have you had similar hasty guild members in a raid that drove you to despair? 

You can find out more about the history of MMOs here.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Wow.Gamepedia.com
  2. esport.kicker.de

How to mine your star metal in Conan Exiles and craft bars

Benedict Grothaus Benedict Grothaus Reading time 3 minutes

Star metal is one of the strongest materials in Conan Exiles. However, acquiring and processing it is a bit complicated and tricky. How to get your hands on this sought-after metal and how to process it, you will learn here.

Star metal is the second strongest metal in Conan Exiles after obsidian. Only legendary equipment, some Acheronian items, and weapons made of obsidian surpass this metal.

Conan Exiles Screenshot Endgame armor with star metal greatsword
A warrior with a greatsword made of star metal.

Star metal can be found in the northwest of the map

You can find star metal in meteorites that have fallen to the earth. You will find these “fallen stars” in the northwest of the map. However, the metal is very rare. You first have to wait for a meteor shower and then search for the locations where the meteorites have struck.

Star metal can also appear in very inaccessible places, such as directly on mountain slopes or cliffs. These locations are often hard to spot and even harder to reach.

Conan Exiles meteor shower screenshot
You can find star metal in meteorites that hit the earth.

Extracting star metal from meteorites

The metal itself is surrounded by a thick layer of meteorite stone that you must first remove before you can access the actual metal. To break the stone, you need explosives.

To do this, craft an explosive jar from a clay jar, tar, and dragon powder. For the dragon powder, you need steel fire, sulfur, crystals, and demon blood. Mix the raw materials in a fire bowl cauldron into powder.

You create a clay jar at the carpenter’s workbench from stones. From the jar, tar, and dragon powder, you can then craft an explosive jar directly in your inventory. With this, you break the meteorite by simply placing it right next to it and igniting it (using).

Conan Exiles blowing up star metal

Warning! The blast radius is very large, so keep a good distance and take cover!

You can also work on the outer shell with tar and fireballs, but this method takes much longer.

Once you have blasted the stone, you can simply mine the metal with a pickaxe. The deposits are much more abundant than iron or stones, so make sure to clear enough space beforehand!

Conan Exiles screenshot of star metal mining on a slope
Star metal is very difficult to mine on a slope.

Producing ingots from star metal

After you have mined the raw metal, you can smelt it into ingots in an oven just like any other metal. In addition to the ore, you will need sulfur and black ice.

You can obtain one star metal ingot from:

  • 2 star metal ore
  • 1 sulfur
  • 1 black ice

You can then further process the metal into swords or tools.

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

Tencent reveals: How many players Fortnite has on PC, PS4, and Xbox One

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 3 minutes

The Chinese giant Tencent has revealed how many players Fortnite has had per month on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. There are 40 million in Q1 2018. Thus, the number of Fortnite players is about the same as the combined total of WoW, Hearthstone, and Overwatch.

So how many players does Fortnite really have? According to the Chinese giant Tencent, Fortnite had over 40 million active users monthly on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. This is the “MAU” (Monthly Active Users) figure that other companies like Activision also use. Players on Fortnite Mobile for iOS are not yet included here. This refers to Q1 2018. Fortnite Mobile was released afterwards.

Overwatch Retribution Genji Cinematic

About as many Fortnite players as Overwatch, WoW, and Hearthstone combined

Fortnite thus larger than Overwatch: In the latest financial report, Activision states that the player count for Overwatch is 30 million globally. In total, all Blizzard games have an MAU of 41 million – meaning Overwatch, Hearthstone, WoW, Diablo 3, Starcraft 2, and Heroes of the Storm. Activision has 48 million MAU with all Call of Duty and Destiny titles.

How does Tencent know this? Tencent grabbed 40% of the shares in Epic Games a few years ago. They develop Fortnite. The “Loot Llama” model for Fortnite “Save the World” is probably based on Tencent’s ideas. They are strong in the mobile games sector in China and are involved everywhere. The figures for Fortnite come from the current financial report from Tencent. By the way, they made 11.6 billion US dollars in revenue in the quarter.

League of Legends Title Art

Is Fortnite the largest game in the world? No, the honor still belongs to League of Legends according to these numbers. They had over 100 million active users in 2016. In 2017, they were supposed to have approximately 81 million users. Data on player counts is often tricky. In any case, League of Legends is still significantly larger than Fortnite. But League of Legends is also active in China – that greatly boosts the numbers.

Fortnite – the biggest game in the West: Already in January, Fortnite claimed to be possibly the largest game in the West. This is because games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds or League of Legends are incredibly popular in China. Fortnite is not there yet.

fortnite-cod-crossover

With China and Android, Fortnite will continue to grow

What does the future hold for Fortnite? If the iOS numbers are included, Fortnite could already have significantly more than 40 million active users per month. Events like the start of Season 4 with the comet impact caused huge waves.

There are two huge growth areas for the future:

Both are already sure and planned. There are no concrete dates yet.

tencent

Tencent has its hands everywhere: No matter how it turns out, Tencent is the big winner. They own Riot Games, the studio behind League of Legends. They have a partnership with PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and distribute the game in China. And Tencent owns 40% of the shares in Epic Games and thus in Fortnite. They also manage the China port of the shooter.

They have probably backed all the right horses.

More on the topic
We asked Google: Why is Fortnite: Battle Royale a hit?
von Schuhmann
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. MMOs

Die Geysire in ESO Summerset sind der neue, alte Horde-Modus

Lucas Kaczynski Lucas Kaczynski Reading time 2 minutes

Zenimax brings back a familiar game principle with a new twist with the geysers in Elder Scrolls Online Summerset. Basically dark anchors, but better.

Anchors, a cool feature from the past: The dark anchors from Coldharbour in the base game of The Elder Scrolls Online offer players the opportunity to spontaneously join a group and defeat waves of enemies. At the end, there is a small reward and everyone goes their own way.

Already known, but in a new guise

However, in the expansions, there are no signs of these dark anchors. Thus, a horde mode outside of the base game areas in the open world is missing – until now. With Summerset, Zenimax introduces the geysers.

Zenimax takes a familiar game principle and gives it a new twist: The geysers are the replacement for the dark anchors.

ESO Sommersend Summerset

Here’s how the geysers work: These geysers are summoning locations where dreadful monsters try to gain a foothold on the island of Summerset. A total of six different geysers are spread across the island of Summerset and await your visit.

There you will then face 10 different bosses, each with their own mechanics. Players see the potential to give the new chapter a certain replay value:

  • For successfully completing a geyser, players are rewarded with jewelry from the surface sets. Good for the new jewelry crafting.
  • The geysers scale, because the faster you cut through the weak enemies, the stronger the final boss becomes. This addresses the criticism that the dark anchors are too easy for large groups.
ESO Summerset Geysir

About how the geysers work is known:

  • Weak enemies spawn near the geyser that you must eliminate.
  • Then, a particularly strong enemy appears.
  • When he falls, a “bottomless pearl” appears. Destroy it and you will receive a chest full of loot.

Old, but still sexy

New twist on a popular system: With the geysers, Zenimax is not reinventing the wheel. In the end, it takes a game principle that has been known since the release of The Elder Scrolls Online in 2014 and refines it. Basically, it’s the improved version of the anchors.

This new version gives players the opportunity to spontaneously form groups on Summerset and tackle strong enemies together.

More on the topic
ESO: Summerset – Everything you need to know about the new chapter
von Patrick Freese
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Forum Elder Scrolls Online
  2. Elder Scrolls Online Webseite

Watch our unboxing of the ESO: Summerset Collector’s Edition and win it!

Jürgen Horn Jürgen Horn Reading time 2 minutes

We have a magnificent Collector‘s Edition of The Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset. In an exclusive Unboxing video, we take a look inside the box and show you what to expect. Additionally, we want to raffle the Collector’s Edition to one lucky winner among you. 

Summerset is the second major addon chapter of The Elder Scrolls Online. It will be released on May 21, 2018, for PC. The versions for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One will arrive on June 5. In addition to the standard version and the digital Collector’s Edition, there will also be an extra magnificent physical Collector’s Edition with stuff to unpack and touch!

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What is included in the Collector’s Edition? 

The Collector’s Edition of Summerset includes the base game and the Summerset addon along with a lot of cool things. 

The physical goodies: 

  • Mephala statue
  • Razum-dar’s diary
  • Map of Summerset
  • Exclusive steelbook case
ESO-Summerset-Collectors-edition-02
The Collector’s Edition in all its glory!

Additionally, these digital items are included: 

  • Bloodshadow steed as a mount
  • Outfit style “Divine Retribution”
  • Griffon hatchling as a pet
  • Psijic Talisman of Prophecy
  • Action pack “House of Dreams”
ESO-Summerset-Collectors-edition-01
Digital items are also included!

If you want to see exactly what is inside and what it looks like, check out our exclusive unboxing video. In it, Dawid and Jürgen unpack the Collector’s Edition and show you its contents. 

Win the Collector’s Edition! 

This is amazing! I want a Collector’s Edition! If you want the Collector’s Edition (PC), participate in our giveaway. We are raffling off the version shown in the video to one lucky winner. All you need to do is complete the actions in the embedded box below.

ESO: Summerset Collector’s Edition Giveaway

How do I get my prize? The more actions you complete, the higher your chance. The winner will be randomly selected on May 20 at 10 PM and then contacted by us immediately. You will receive the installation code for the addon and the digital goodies right away via email. The physical box will then arrive later by post. Good luck! 

Is there more? Indeed! Bethesda has also sent us an ESO art book, pin-ups, and a T-shirt. We will raffle these among all remaining participants after the main prize. 

More on the topic
ESO: Summerset – Everything you need to know about the new chapter
von Patrick Freese
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.