For almost a year, nothing was heard from the MMORPG Riders of Icarus. Now the development continues – but the planned mobile version is reportedly to be discontinued.
After the launch of Riders of Icarus in the summer of 2017, the game suddenly went quiet. Until then, there were consistently news about the MMORPG, where players were supposed to be able to tame and ride everything.
But suddenly, there were no updates anymore and even bugs remained in the game. Consequently, there was a lot of criticism, among other things on Steam. From once over 6,000 concurrent players on Steam, only about 500 are left now.
A Year of Silence
Now the development team has returned. They do not provide reasons for the long silence, but explain that it was due to unforeseen circumstances that resulted in almost a year of not being able to work on the game. Now, however, things are supposed to continue, and there are already plans for updates:
Bugs are to be fixed
New McBain merchants will sell interesting goods only to players deemed worthy
The region Turimnan will be introduced in a revised version in the EU and US versions of the game
Ellora’s Spire will be expanded with a party mode
The tempering system will undergo a revision
What Will Happen to the Mobile Version?
However, there are not only good news regarding Riders of Icarus. The developer studio WeMade has requested to publisher NetMarble to be able to exit the contract that was signed regarding the mobile game. At that time, Icarus Mobile was actually already quite advanced. The MMO with Unreal Engine 4 was already in the QA phase. Stopping it now is a very strange step. A reason has not been mentioned so far.
Since NetMarble was also actively involved in the development, it is not easy for WeMade to exit the contract. Therefore, it is still uncertain whether the game will be discontinued. The situation could become legally very complicated. Therefore, an important meeting between NetMarble and WeMade is supposed to take place to clarify this situation.
In the lead-up to Star Wars Day, EA announced the Han Solo Season for the shooter Star Wars Battlefront 2. This is set to launch in May 2018. However, fans do not seem very excited. They want the Clone Wars.
What happened? In line with Star Wars Day, EA and DICE announced new free content for Battlefront 2 via Twitter. The Han Solo Season is expected to start this month. No specific release date or further details were provided. However, more information is said to be coming next week.
Given the upcoming release of the new Star Wars movie “Solo – A Star Wars Story” on May 24, this announcement was not surprising – unlike the reaction of some players.
The microtransaction nightmare haunts Battlefront II to this day
How are fans reacting? Usually, players are excited about fresh content.However, large parts of the fanbase are anything but pleased about this news.
A tweet from user Brandon Butanda represents the opinion of many fans. Under EA’s announcement of the Han Solo Season, he posted a GIF of Obi Wan with a simple message: “NOPE”. This comment has already received a lot of support in the form of likes and comments.
What are the reasons for this reaction? On one hand, the frustration regarding the microtransaction disaster from last year still seems to be unresolved. Many have lost trust in EA and suspect malicious intent behind every move the company makes.
For some time now, the community has also been wishing for Clone Wars content for the game. These hopes seem to remain unfulfilled once again.
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Another issue is the low flow of content in recent months. The developers at DICE had to spend a lot of time overhauling the progression system of Battlefront II. Because this system was originally heavily reliant on microtransactions. This additional effort has clearly come at the cost of urgently needed gameplay content.
A user in the Battlefront subreddit states that the announcement of the Solo Season would likely not have been received so negatively if players had a roadmap of upcoming content. This way, fans wouldn’t be surprised and would have something to look forward to.
What do you think about the Han Solo Season? Are you excited about the content coming to Battlefront 2 soon? Or would you have preferred Clone Wars content as well?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Fortnite (PC, PS4, Xbox One, iOS) there is a skin called Rust Lord, which has now become an insult. A student got in trouble for insulting a classmate this way.
What happened? The son of Reddit user Tr1angleChoke recently brought home a referral from school. However, the reason for the disciplinary action was not a fight or an overly daring prank.
Instead, the boy had insulted a classmate during recess to the point of bloodshed. And it was with the terribly awful insult “Rust Lord!”
What is so bad about “Rust Lord”?
A Rust Lord, as seen in the game.
The teacher seemed not to understand what a Rust Lord was. But it must have been clear that it was an insult, as the other student appeared extremely outraged. But what is it with the Rust Lord?
Info about Rust Lord: The Rust Lord actually refers to a skin from Fortnite’s Season 3 Battle Pass. The skin is roughly inspired by the Marvel hero “Star Lord” from Guardians of the Galaxy. Rust Lord was available relatively early at level 23 of the Battle Pass.
All the other skins in Season 3 came later in the Battle Pass. But almost everyone had the Rust Lord.
A symbol for noobs and beginners: Since the Rust Lord was available so early, it quickly became a symbol for newcomers and bad players. Because it was easy to obtain, and those who could not progress and unlock higher skins would be stuck with the Rust Lord for eternity. They had nothing else!
So anyone who calls another Fortnite player a Rust Lord clearly implies: “You can’t do anything and are a stupid noob. Also, you’re too poor to afford anything else and too bad to unlock something better.”
The incident shows how popular games quickly integrate into everyday language. A similar case once occurred in the context of Blizzard’s hero shooter Overwatch.
He doesn’t have it easy either: Archer Hanzo from Overwatch
There, a girl was warned by the teacher for insulting a classmate as a “Hanzo Main” at school. The archer Hanzo has a similarly bad reputation in Overwatch as the Rust Lord in Fortnite.
Royal Blood is an upcoming AAA mobile MMO from Korea that aims to make a significant impact in the West. According to an interview with us, the developers at Gamevil have made several adjustments to the game.
What is it actually about? Royal Blood aims to enhance mobile MMO features that are popular in PC MMORPGs to stand out among players against the competition. It offers engaging battles with minimal autopilot and a lot of group content.
There’s also a strong focus on Western players that Gamevil aims to reach with Royal Blood. They want to establish themselves as the first full-fledged mobile AAA MMORPG in Europe and the USA. You can learn more about how they plan to achieve this and the steps the developers have taken in our interview with Gamevil Europe’s head, David Mohr.
Developer Gamevil in Interview
Mein-MMO: Why was Royal Blood postponed and when can we expect a release?
Gamevil: After the launch in Korea, we wanted to ensure that the game is ready for a Western audience. We made a lot of changes to nearly every gameplay aspect. It took us a lot of time to fine-tune all these changes. Everything was tested in the first West beta. Soon we will know if anything needs to be changed. We hope to be able to announce a global release date soon.
Mein-MMO: You’ve certainly followed the progress of Lineage 2 Revolution in the West and have taken the player feedback into account. Did that influence Royal Blood’s strategy in the West? Did you make adjustments because of it, and if so, which ones?
Gamevil: Of course, we observe what happens in other games. But for Royal Blood, most of our insights came from our first experience in Korea. After various internal testing sessions in our global offices, we were then ready for the open beta for Western players. We hope to gain further insights into the final touches before release.
Mein-MMO: You said that you reward players who do not use auto-play. The cooldown management is more effective. Are you trying to distinguish yourself from other “MMO managers,” and what was the motivation?
Gamevil: It works through our skill set system, one of Royal Blood’s main characteristics. While you don’t need to consider this in autopilot, it makes a huge difference in challenging gameplay situations and when you are out with other players. Basically, you can choose two skill sets for your class, thus changing the role you take in the game.
Thus, for example, you can switch from a simple damage dealer to a more utility-focused role. Warriors can draw the attention of enemies while mages perform crowd control. This class-specific gameplay can only be effectively executed manually. If you want to earn more points through cooperation, play with manual control to receive better rewards!
Mein-MMO: Can you tell us more about the class system? How many classes are there and how can they be specialized?
Gamevil: There are four classes in the game that MMO players should be familiar with. The warrior can be focused on tanking or DPS. Both the female mage and the ranger can be played as AoE or direct damage dealers. The bard is a versatile support class. You can switch your skill set at any time and thus immediately change how you play your class.
Mein-MMO: How do dynamic events work? Is this similar to Guild Wars 2?
Gamevil: The core of the field events is the “Flash Event.” While players are questing in the field, they gather at a specific time at a specific location for various flash events. And yes, it is somewhat similar to the system from Guild Wars 2.
Mein-MMO: What is the goal of the 100vs100 battles? What strategic elements are there?
Gamevil: We decided to change these battles to 70vs70. This will make them more convenient and easier to organize for players. The goal is not just combat but to try to become the “Lord.” The Lord rank is awarded by accumulating all “Lord points” during two weeks of wild skirmishes between realms in siege battles.
Additionally, it is important to be successful not only in combat but also in strategies and politics. This way, we want to prevent the RvR battles from becoming a simple war between high-ranking users.
Mein-MMO: Can you already say what the focus of the item shop is? What advantages can be purchased?
Gamevil: Items from the shop are primarily about saving time. Various items from the shop can all be acquired in the game. There will be no item available only with real money. If you play the game long enough, you will reach the highest level of growth, regardless of how much money you spend.
In the trailer, places like Cornwall and Valentine, Van Horn and Annesburg are mentioned, all of which also appear on the leaked map.
Fans have combined world maps from Red Dead Redemption 1 and 2 to make a rough size comparison:
After over a year of development, it is possible that some aspects of the map have changed, but it is likely still largely correct.
How large will the map of Red Dead Redemption 2 be?
When asked how large the new map of Red Dead Redemption 2 is compared to its predecessor, Rob Nelson replied in an interview, “It is much bigger!”
For open-world games, according to Nelson, the principle “bigger is better” only applies to a certain extent.
While players always want larger world maps, developers must also consider how they will experience this world.
Size is not everything – the map should be lively, otherwise players will use fast travel
In a game like RDR2, where players move either on foot or on horseback, they would prefer fast travel options with a map that is too large.
However, this would lead to them not experiencing certain parts of the world properly, and this experience is important to RockStar.
The studio primarily wants to highlight the appeal and distraction of the game world.
The developers of Red Dead Redemption 2 have primarily tried to give the new size of the map a lot of depth.
According to Nelson, the world of RDR2 should “be believable down to the smallest detail” and include interiors that have never been implemented in a game before.
The new, much larger map is therefore also expected to have unprecedented depth.
We have thoroughly analyzed the new Red Dead Redemption 2 trailer for you:
Do you want to get the most out of your group in Bless Online in PvE and PvP? Then you can’t miss the group buffs. We will show you what buffs are available in the game and what requirements you need to meet in order to activate them.
Where did we get the information? The group buffs were implemented in the Japanese version of Bless Online last week, which we are also supposed to receive for our version.
Red and Green Buffs
What buffs are available in the game? There are red and green buffs in the game. Red buffs are combat buffs that provide advantages in battle. Green buffs, on the other hand, offer useful advantages outside of combat.
How many players do I need? The specifications for the group members always refer to the minimum number of players required for a buff. You can only activate one red or one green buff in your group. So choose wisely.
Certain buffs will not be available at release as they require classes that will be added later. These buffs are indicated in parentheses.
The Red Buffs: Group Buffs in Combat
The red buffs increase your damage with certain attacks, enhance your defense, or grant you bonuses in specific combat situations.
The red buffs can be divided into five categories:
1. Attack
Attack buffs ensure that you deal more damage in certain situations. Currently, the buff that grants +25% attack and spell power seems to be the strongest.
+3% Strength, Agility, Intelligence, Wisdom (2 group members)
+15%/25% Attack and Spell Power (3/5 group members)
+1.7% Crit Chance (3 group members)
+2.5% Crit Chance and +10% Crit Damage (5 group members)
+3% damage to other players (3 group members)
+3% damage to other players and 5% damage reduction from other players (5 group members)
There are also attack buffs that require specific class combinations. These are reserved for damage dealer classes.
Ranger/Mage:
When players move, they receive a buff every 3 seconds. Once the buff has stacked five times, players deal +45% damage with their next attack. (3 group members, at least one Mage and one Ranger)
The damage dealt increases by up to 20% the farther the players are from their target. Attack and spell power also increase by up to 10%. (5 group members, at least one Mage and one Ranger)
(Guardian/Berserker/Assassin):
Players gain a 4% increase in attack speed for attacks for 3 seconds. This buff can stack up to five times. (3 group members, at least one Guardian, one Berserker, and one Assassin)
When players deal damage six times, the next hit has a 100% crit chance. (5 group members, at least one Guardian, one Berserker, and one Assassin)
2. Defense
Defense buffs provide your group with a higher chance of survival. Are you getting wiped by a boss all the time? Then your group might want to focus less on damage and more on defense.
Physical and magical defense increases by 4%/6.5% (3/5 group members)
Hit points increase by 3.3%/5.6% (3/5 group members)
Certain defense buffs require class combinations. Especially the group buff from Guardian and Paladin seems to be very strong.
Guardian/Paladin:
20% increased hit points, as well as 20% increased physical and magical defense (5 group members, at least one Guardian and one Paladin)
(Paladin/Guardian/Berserker/Assassin):
When a player takes damage, their physical and magical defense increases by 5%. This effect can stack up to 5 times. (3 group members. You can freely assemble the group as long as no class is repeated and your group consists only of the above classes.)
Guardian/Berserker:
Players reflect 3% of the damage they take back onto enemies (5 group members, at least one Guardian and one Berserker)
(Ranger/Assassin):
When players fall below 13% of their hit points, they gain +50% movement speed and 90% damage reduction for 5 seconds. (5 group members, at least one Ranger and one Assassin)
3. Utility
Buffs in this category can be useful in certain situations but do not provide players with direct advantages in attack or defense.
When players do nothing for 10 seconds, they regenerate 1.3% of their hit points per second (3 group members)
There are also buffs in the utility category that require specific class compositions. To activate them, you need the Assassin class, which will not be part of Bless Online at release. It will be added later.
(Ranger/Assassin):
When players kill an enemy, they gain +50% movement speed for 2 seconds. (3 group members, at least one Ranger and one Assassin)
(Guardian/Berserker/Ranger/Mage/Assassin):
Recovery skills are enhanced by 60% (5 group members, one of each class mentioned above and no duplicate classes). Good for groups that lack a healer.
4. Boss Buff
The boss buff can be a good choice against bosses. However, other buffs seem to be much stronger at first glance. An attack buff gives your team +25% more damage. The defense buff from Paladin and Guardian increases your damage reduction by +20%.
Players deal 5% more damage to the dungeon boss and take 15% less damage from him (5 group members)
5. Class Buffs
The buffs listed here require all 5 group members to belong to the same class. Especially the group buff of Mages seems to be strong.
Guardian: Players gain +20% increased hit points and +20% block chance
Berserker: If players take 13% or more of their maximum hit points as damage, they gain +50% damage reduction for 5 seconds. Additionally, players recover +10% of their hit points over 5 seconds when they kill something (this effect can only occur every 20 seconds).
Ranger: +16% cooldown reduction and +10% movement speed when players move backward.
mage: +40% spell power, +10% increased crit chance. When players deal critical damage, Mages regain their elemental resource.
Paladin (the translation here is very inaccurate): +23% more healing. When players heal other players, the effect is amplified by 30%. They also create a barrier (the points of the barrier are based on the player’s wisdom value)
(Assassin): +50% increased damage with attacks that hit enemies from behind and +10% movement speed.
The Green Buffs: Group Buffs Outside of Combat
Green buffs primarily provide groups with bonuses for actions that have nothing to do with fighting. Gathering includes picking herbs from the ground. Mining includes extracting ores and stones. Some green buffs require players to play a specific race to unlock them.
They can be divided into three categories:
1. Gathering
The gathering buffs have a very high range. You can also scour your farming spots from far away and still benefit from the advantages.
+11% increased resources/experience points (inaccurate translation) gained by players through mining and gathering. (2 group members)
+15% increased mining and gathering speed (2 group members)
+20% increased resources/experience points (inaccurate translation) gained by players through mining and gathering. (2 group members, at least one player must belong to the Mascu race)
+25% increased mining and gathering speed (3 group members)
+25% increased resources/experience points (inaccurate translation) gained by players through mining and gathering. (3 group members, at least one player must belong to the Mascu race and one player from the Aqua Elf/Sylvan Elf race)
+50% increased resources/experience points (inaccurate translation) gained by players through mining and gathering. (4 group members. Each race of a faction must be represented once.)
2. Life
Life buffs grant you additional experience points or greatly boost your swimming speed. Depending on your chosen race, it may be easier or harder to access certain buffs. The lack of race buffs is compensated by life buffs.
+3% increased experience points when players kill monsters (2 group members)
+8% increased guild experience points (2 group members)
+3% more gold (2 group members)
+4% more honor points (earned in PvP) (2 group members)
+4% more adventure points (earned through dungeons and can be exchanged for PvE gear) (2 group members)
+100% increased swimming speed (2 group members)
+5% more experience points when players kill monsters or other players (1 group member. At least one player must belong to the Hawk/Amistad race)
+8% more experience points when players kill monsters or other players (2 group members. At least one player must belong to the Hawk/Amistad race and one player from the Aqua Elf/Sylvan Elf race)
+20% reduced costs at vendors and 14% reduced repair costs (4 group members. Each race of a faction must be represented once.)
+8% increased honor and adventure points. +13% increased experience points when players kill monsters or other players. (4 group members. Each race of a faction must be represented once.)
3. Travel
Travel buffs give your mount certain abilities and help you gallop faster through the world. As long as you use your mount, it consumes its stamina. Once this drops to zero, you can no longer use it for a certain time and must use another mount.
Reduces the stamina your mount consumes by 15% (2 group members)
Reduces the stamina your mount consumes by 30% (1 group member. At least one player must belong to the Pantera/Lupus race)
Reduces the stamina your mount consumes by 50% (2 group members. At least one player must belong to the Pantera/Lupus and Aqua Elf/Sylvan Elf races)
Changes may still occur before the release of Bless Online with us.
Shortly before the release of the Warmind expansion on May 8, 2018, there is an attractive offer for Destiny 2. Currently, the digital PC version of the MMO shooter can be snagged for $12 in the Humble Bundle.
What is it about? The digital platform Humble Bundle is currently offering an attractive deal. From now on, you can purchase the PC version of Destiny 2 for $12.
PC version of Destiny 2 for $12
Who is this offer interesting for? The Warmind DLC is approaching rapidly. The new expansion is attracting many fans back to their screens. However, there are also new interested parties who want to venture into the Destiny universe with DLC II.
A cheaper entry is currently hardly possible on PC. If you are currently considering a Guardian career on the computer, you should take a closer look at this offer.
This is how you get the cheap offer: To snag Destiny 2 for such a low price, you must subscribe to the Humble Monthly package on the digital platform Humble Bundle. This subscription costs you a one-time $12. You have until the end of May to do so. We have linked the offer for you.
Destiny 2 comes with a digital key immediately on top. You can redeem the code on Blizzard’s Battle.net site. This way, you will get your digital copy of Destiny 2.
What is included in the subscription? In return, you will receive a bundle of various DRM-free PC games and Steam keys worth over $100 on the first Friday in June.
The games come in a kind of digital surprise box. The content is not known in advance. However, there are always AAA titles included. For example, subscribers received Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Mafia 3, and Laser League in April. In April, there were Dead Rising 4 and Kerbal Space Program.
The subscription at Humble Bundle can be canceled at any time. All the games you received as part of the subscription can be kept after cancellation.
What is Humble Bundle? Humble Bundle is a distribution platform. It specializes in the distribution of digital content, including games, e-books, and software. The special feature: a portion of the proceeds is donated to charitable causes.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Ubisoft has announced Season 6 of the battle epic For Honor. Fans can look forward to a new map, revisions of the heroes, and new appearance variations. A free weekend is also taking place. Until May 6, you can play For Honor for free on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
On May 17, Ubisoft will release the major update “Hero’s March,” which marks the beginning of the sixth season in the online action game For Honor. The free update brings a series of new features.
The new map Bridgehead – The map is available in all multiplayer modes except Tribute. The picturesque fortress in a Japanese style attracts any army hoping to improve their chances of victory through conquest.
Revision of the heroes – The developers are further improving the current hero roster based on fan feedback. The two heroes Orochi and Peacekeeper will also receive important gameplay updates in Season 6. More heroes will be revised later.
New appearance variations – A new feature allows you to track all obtained equipment graphics and apply them to any equipment in a separate game menu. You no longer need to hoard every equipment but can simply access their graphics. This gives you more space in your inventory.
“We are pleased that players are responding positively to our recent For Honor updates, which include the introduction of dedicated servers and extensive changes to hero customization as well as new onboarding features,” said Roman Campos-Oriola, Creative Director of For Honor. “In addition to improving the player experience, we are also working on new content, including brand new heroes. During E3 2018, we will provide more details!”
Play For Honor for free – Download and information about the free weekend
Just before the start of Season 6, a free weekend is taking place now until May 6, during which you can try out the latest changes to For Honor, such as the recently introduced dedicated servers. Next, the team aims to improve the stability of the game and make it more accessible and interesting overall.
In The Division today, on May 5th, is the big vendor reset. We present to you items from the vendors that are particularly worthwhile.
A new month has begun, and season pass holders can pick up their supply deliveries that have been significantly upgraded by Patch 1.8.1. 100 Div-Tech can be obtained with each character, and there is also a 10% chance of secret set pieces.
As a reminder: Blackout is only active for 2 more days! So hurry up if you are missing parts of the Striker, Tactician, D3 FNC, or DeadEye.
You can also take a look at the new offers from the vendors, which change every week on the night from Friday to Saturday. Here are our recommendations.
Recommended Weapons since May 5th
Advanced Weapon Vendor: PP-19 with Sustained, Talented, and Accelerated. Strong submachine gun in PvE with a high gear score (276). Instead of Talented, you should use Destructive, Deceptive, or Deadly.
Advanced Weapon Vendor: M4 Lightweight with Skilled, Responsive, and Malevolent. A very good choice with a gear score of 269. Due to Malevolent (damage against elites), this weapon is ideal for PvE activities. Replace Skilled with Destructive, and you have a very good option for many possible builds.
E 34th St: M44 Special with Destructive, Precision, and Demanding. Comes with a gear score of 276 and has useful talents for a precision rifle. Roll Demand on the 3rd talent slot, you have free choice. Consider talents like Malevolent or Prepared.
The Mods after the Vendor Reset
Dark Zone Vendors:
W 46th St: Stamina Mod (267) with Skill Haste
E 46th St: Vertical Grip with optimal range (45%), reload speed (5%), and crit damage (4%) – Good for D3 FNC builds
W 42nd St: Stamina Mod (260) with Exotic Damage Resistance
DZ09: Ti-RANT Suppressor with Crit Chance (7%), Crit Damage (4%), and Headshot Damage (6%)
PvE Zone Vendors:
Camp Clinton: Magazine Extension (120%) with Crit Damage (4%) and Reload Speed (4.5%)
The Firewall: Performance Mod with Damage Resistance for the ballistic shield
Southpaw: Performance Mod with Sticky Grenade Damage
Kerman Station: C79 Scope (3.4x) with Crit Damage (18%), Headshot Damage (5.5%), and Stability – Suitable for DeadEye sets
Autumn’s Hope: Electronics Mod (266) with Skill Power (3176)
The Cavern: Electronics Mod (258) with Exotic Damage Resistance
The Ward: Purple Stamina Mod (204) with Damage against Elites (3%)
The Cavern: Purple Firearms Mod (191) with Damage against Elites (3%)
The Offer of the Special Blueprint Vendors
The vendor in the terminal brings blueprints of these items:
Just before the release of the 2nd DLC for Destiny 2, Activision Blizzard announces that the shooter was a major financial success. They point out that Destiny 2 was the second highest-grossing console game of 2017 and also achieved the biggest PC launch in Activision’s history. However, in the current financial report, Destiny 2 was hardly mentioned.
Even though Destiny 2 currently has a tough stance with its community – financially, the shooter has managed to impress. At least that’s what the publisher Activision Blizzard stated in a recent announcement to its shareholders regarding the results of 2017.
Although such shareholder announcements usually cover multiple discussion points, Destiny 2 was mentioned as one of the highlights of the year. However, in the subsequent financial report, Activision Blizzard was more reserved regarding Destiny 2.
Destiny 2 impresses financially on all platforms
How successful was Destiny 2? According to the shareholder announcement, Destiny 2 was a complete success on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 and was the second highest-grossing console game in 2017. It was only surpassed by Call of Duty: WW2, which also comes from Activision.
According to the publisher, Destiny 2 also had a successful launch on PC. The announcement states that the shooter had the “biggest PC launch in Activision’s history based on units sold.” Destiny 2 is the first game in the series to also be released for PC. Destiny 1 was only available on consoles at that time.
The sales of the Destiny 2 Season Pass are also said to have contributed to the record revenues of $1 billion in 2017.
Destiny 2 is not mentioned in the financial report
Is Destiny 2 financially not so successful after all? Shortly after the announcement for shareholders, Activision Blizzard also released its financial report for the first quarter of 2018. In this report, the performance of individual games of the publisher is discussed, such as the Call of Duty series and even Candy Crush. However, Destiny 2 is only mentioned in a footnote.
Investor asks: How do you plan to fix Destiny 2 and bring back users?
The “Earnings Call,” the conference that coincides with the financial report, did not look better either. An investor asked how Activision plans to get Destiny 2 back on track and bring players back.
Here, Activision COO Coddy Johnson did not disagree with the assertion that Destiny has gone off track. Instead, he explained the direction in which the shooter should develop in the future.
“The three things we know we will do and that the community aims for are: Make the player more powerful, reward them, and make the endgame more meaningful,” said Johnson, pointing to the upcoming release of the new DLC.
DLC II is on the horizon
What Destiny 2 players can expect next: On May 8, the second DLC for Destiny 2 will be released. In “Warmind,” it takes the Guardians to Mars. There they will meet Ana Bray, who will help uncover numerous secrets about the Warmind Rasputin and Mars.
New weapons and gear will also come along with the new endgame activity, Hive Escalation.
To buy the stylish skins in the item shop of Fortnite: Battle Royale on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, you will need V-Bucks. However, you don’t necessarily have to spend money to get the in-game currency. We show you how to get V-Bucks for the Battle Royale mode for free!
What are V-Bucks? V-Bucks are the real money currency in Fortnite. In the PvE mode, you can use them to buy Llamas that contain various items to help you progress in the game. In the Battle Royale mode, V-Bucks are required to purchase cosmetic items.
As a pure Battle Royale player, it’s not easy. V-Bucks can hardly be earned through normal play. While the Battle Pass yields some V-Bucks, if you don’t pay for the pass, the amount is minimal.
Fortnite: Prices to buy V-Bucks in the shop for PC, PS4, Xbox One
You can buy skins, gliders, and harvesting tools with real money, but in many cases, it can be quite expensive. A legendary skin costs 2,000 V-Bucks or, converted, 20 euros, making a considerable hole in your wallet if you buy V-Bucks with real money.
The prices are:
1000 V-Bucks (10 euros)
2800 V-Bucks (25 euros)
7500 V-Bucks (60 euros)
13500 V-Bucks (100 euros)
However, you can also earn V-Bucks for free through playing in the Battle Royale mode – but only indirectly.
Get V-Bucks for Battle Royale for free through the PvE mode of Fortnite
The PvE mode costs (still) money but offers a lot of free V-Bucks!
To earn V-Bucks that can be spent in the Battle Royale mode, you need to play the PvE mode “Save the World.” It is currently still paid, but Epic will make the PvE content available for free over the course of 2018.
Unlike V-Buck sources that eventually run out, the following methods are reliable and will remain until Epic changes or removes them with a patch.
Method 1 – Earn V-Bucks through Daily Quests
What’s it about? The easiest way to get Bucks is through your daily missions. Each Daily gives you 50 V-Bucks. Additionally, there are certain bonuses if you complete multiple missions in a specific area:
3 Plankerton missions: 60 V-Bucks
3 Bru-Tal missions: 75 V-Bucks
3 Twine-Peaks missions: 100 V-Bucks!
Simply farm the dailies every day, you can’t go wrong.
This is how it works: Ideally, you should complete your dailies every day. If you don’t have much time, it’s enough to play for a good hour every three days and ensure you complete three missions. The “Daily Scouting” mission should be reshuffled if possible, as it takes a long time and costs you valuable time.
So, if you play “Save the World” only to earn Bucks for Battle Royale, you have the best yield here.
This is the yield: If you effectively complete your dailies, you can average 50 V-Bucks an hour. This means up to 1,500 V-Bucks a month is possible.
Method 2 – Farm Events
What’s it about? In Fortnite: Save the World, besides the regular quests, there are events. You can select these on the main screen. There you will find a quest line along with a story that gives you rewards per milestone. These include V-Bucks.
Events take a bit of time but also provide some extra Bucks.
This is how it works: You simply work through the event quests and collect the Bucks when they come. However, each event quest takes about 2 to 3 missions, which takes a long time. Thus, event questing is only worthwhile for people who enjoy the PvE mode a bit or who are interested in the Fortnite story.
This is the yield: A complete event offers you about 300 V-Bucks.
Method 3 – Complete Limited Missions
What’s it about? Every 6 hours (4 times a day), special, time-limited missions appear on the map. Along with valuable resources, you can occasionally earn 30 V-Bucks as a reward.
In the special limited missions, you can earn Bucks three times a day.
This is how it works: Choose the missions that give V-Bucks and try to complete them as quickly and effectively as possible. Ideally with friends or teammates, then it’s faster and you can complete the mission more easily.
This is the yield: You can only collect rewards for 3 such missions a day. Therefore, the maximum yield is 90 V-Bucks a day. You can earn up to 2,700 Bucks a month if you do it consistently.
Method 4 – Claim Daily Login Rewards
What’s it about? Every day you receive a reward when you log in. This can also include V-Bucks.
Funny Llamas to smash are included too!
This is how it works: Log in and collect the following V-Buck amounts after the first 70 days:
Every 7 days: 150 V-Bucks
Every 28th day: 300 V-Bucks
Every 112th day: 800 V-Bucks
This is the yield: By persistently logging in, you can earn 3,500 V-Bucks in 112 days. It’s slow but fruitful.
This way you can at least earn some V-Bucks limited
With the following methods, you can also farm V-Bucks in the PvE mode, but unfortunately, they are not unlimited. Eventually, these sources of Bucks will run out.
Challenge missions also bring 50 V-Bucks, but these rewards are only available until level 10
For the milestones in your collection book, you can really cash in. You can earn 500 V-Bucks here. Just enter everything you have duplicates of or don’t need. Besides the V-Bucks, you will also receive Llamas, schematics, and resources
In larger story quests, you can even earn 100 V-Bucks – these are the Storm Shield Defenses
With the various methods, you can quickly accumulate a decent amount of V-Bucks, which you can exchange for cosmetic items in the Battle Royale mode – without spending a cent (except, of course, for the game)!
Patch 1.23 was deployed to the live servers of Overwatch a few days ago. However, Blizzard is already working on the next patch, which is being prepared on the PTR and will nerf Brigitte. Brigitte has just been made playable in the ranked mode of Overwatch. We have the PTR patch notes.
Since the start of Season 10 of Overwatch, Brigitte can also be played in ranked mode. Since then, she has been a constant presence in almost every round and regularly frustrates Tracer players.
Blizzard has responded unusually quickly to this. Work is already underway on Patch 1.24, which is being prepared on the PTR. It mainly includes two minor changes to Ana and Brigitte, which could significantly impact gameplay with the healers.
Preliminary Patch Notes for Overwatch PTR Update 1.24
Hero Updates
Ana
Biotic Rifle
No longer hits heroes with full health
Magazine size increased from 10 to 14
Developer Comment: These changes are intended to help Ana maintain her healing and allow her to determine more precisely when she needs to reload instead of just healing until reload is forced.
These changes help Ana to heal more effectively and make Brigitte no longer an absolute threat to flanking heroes. The higher cooldown may seem slight, but it is enough for a Tracer to empty another magazine into Brigitte or to retreat.
In addition to the changes to the heroes, there are also small adjustments to custom games and bug fixes. Ana should also now be able to self-apply the nanoboost in a deathmatch.
When the patch will be released is not yet known. Based on previous experience with the PTR development cycles, May 15th or 22nd are likely release dates.
In FIFA 18 Ultimate Team, the “Team of the Season” of the Premier League is well known. These PL players receive TDS cards.
After the Community and EFL-TOTS, the most coveted “Team of the Season” is now up next: The Premier League TDS.
The players who showed the best performances in the English top league during the 2017/2018 season will receive a significantly upgraded blue special card.
You can draw the EPL-TOTS starting from Friday, May 4th at 7 PM, for one week from packs.
FUT 18 Team of the Season: Premier League TDS
This is the 23-player selection from the English Premier League. It consists almost entirely of real stars, no player has a rating lower than 90.
Additionally, starting from May 7th, you can win Ben Davies (LV, 86) from Tottenham Hotspur through the Daily Knockout Tournament.
Starting XI:
David De Gea – Manchester United – 97
Kyle Walker – Manchester City – 92
Nicolas Otamendi – Manchester City – 93
Jan Vertonghen – Tottenham Hotspur – 92
David Silva – Manchester City – 95
Kevin de Bruyne – Manchester City – 96
Christian Eriksen – Tottenham Hotspur – 95
Fernandinho – Manchester City – 93
Mohamed Salah – Liverpool FC – 98
Harry Kane – Tottenham Hotspur – 95
Sergio Agüero – Manchester City – 97
Substitutes:
Nick Pope – Burnley FC – 87
Cesar Azpilicueta – Chelsea FC – 92
Nemanja Matic – Manchester United – 92
Romelu Lukaku – Manchester United – 94
Leroy Sane – Manchester City – 93
Raheem Sterling – Manchester City – 93
Roberto Firmino – Liverpool FC – 93
Reserves:
Ashley Young – Manchester United – 90
Riyad Mahrez – Leicester City – 91
Dele Alli – Tottenham Hotspur – 92
Heung-Min Son – Tottenham Hotspur – 92
Sadio Mane – Liverpool FC – 90
You can draw these 23 players from packs until May 11th. Additionally, there will be a guaranteed PL-TOTS SBC on Sunday and Tuesday.
TOTSwatch: EA held a treasure hunt for the PL-TOTS
For the EPL-TOTS, EA has come up with something special. Under the slogan #TOTSWATCH, players from the Premier League TDS can be found by gamers in real life.
The players are spread across Great Britain. The “treasure hunt” for the TOTS cards resembles the “Pokemon Go” principle somewhat. The first “Totswatch” hint leads FIFA fans to the center of Manchester.
The entire team will be announced at the latest by 7 PM, when it becomes available in packs.
What exactly is the “Team of the Season”?
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. Many players receive a significantly upgraded blue special card during this time.
Over 200 player cards will likely receive a TOTS version in FUT 18. The reason for this is that many teams are released, each containing 23 players. In contrast, the “Team of the Year” (TOTY) consists of just a single 11-man selection.
The ratings of the players usually increase by 5 to 9 points. For the top stars of the major leagues, it is therefore possible to have ratings in the high 90s. The basis for the selection is the performance in the 2017/2018 season – while for the TOTY, the entire calendar year of 2017 was used for evaluation.
Otherwise, the TOTS cards behave like informs: If you do not want to wait until you draw a card from packs, you can purchase them on the transfer market. The normal gold versions of the players are not available to draw during this time.
Alongside the Premier League TDS, at 7 PM, 10 additional “rest of the world” players will also be released – however, these cannot be drawn from packs!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Imagine now a monetization designer for The Division 2, but give him friendly goals.
Monetization Designer Wanted – Player-First
This is what the specialist for The Division 2 should be able to do: Ubisoft is looking in a job listing for a “Monetization Designer” with the goal of developing a “sleek, fair and non-intrusive” system. Among other things, the responsibilities include close collaboration with the departments around The Division 2 to achieve set project goals.
The requirement is to be a “champion” in developing a monetization system that is “fair and modern”; “player-first” is the motto. At the same time, one should be in close exchange with business managers to ensure that business needs are taken into account in the design.
What it’s like in The Division 1
This is how it is in The Division 1: Monetization of game content (microtransactions) has been a common element in video games for several years. Since 1.6, The Division has a premium vendor where you can buy cosmetic items and gestures for real money.
Here you can open containers using cipher keys, for which you need to collect fragments, which then randomly provide certain items such as gestures, skins, and clothes for the agents. They are loot boxes.
You cannot obtain any weapons or equipment for real money, which is an important aspect since you cannot buy advantages over other players.
You also don’t have to put effort into obtaining the keys, as the fragments can normally be obtained from elite bosses.
As every Friday in Destiny 2, Xur returns today.Where is the Agent of the Nine and what items does he have for sale? Here are the location and inventory for May 4th.
Only a few days left – then on May 8, 2018, the Warmind expansion for Destiny 2 will be released. Accordingly, this week was completely focused on the 2nd DLC.
What was new this week? Among other things, there were new details about the launch of the 2nd raid wing. The new raid passage will be available to players shortly after the release of the Warmind expansion.
Furthermore, the new Crucible maps from DLC 2 were introduced. These maps will be made available to all players upon the release of the 2nd expansion – regardless of whether they purchase the Warmind expansion or not.
Do you need more info? If you want to learn more about the features of the upcoming Warmind expansion, you should check out this overview.
But already today, on May 4th, the mysterious Agent of the Nine returns to the Destiny universe. Let’s welcome Xur together.
All info about Xur in Destiny 2 on May 4th on PS4, Xbox One, and PC
When is Xur coming?
Xur visits us every Friday at 7 PM. He picks a quiet spot on a planet or moon of his choosing from where he can sell his wares to the Guardians without being disturbed. 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 settle down over the weekend. This time he has set up his stand in the Tower Hangar on Earth .
Offer and inventory of Xur
Weapon: The Colony – Grenade Launcher for 29 Legendary Shards
Hunter: Shinobu’s Vow – Gauntlets for 23 Legendary Shards
In Fortnite: Battle Royale Season 4 has begun. In the first week of the new Battle Pass, there are challenges again. Especially the task “Follow the treasure map from Tomato Town” and the challenge “Search the letters” (Search the letters) are puzzling many players. We will show you where all the Fortnite letters are with a map, and we will follow the treasure map.
This is what happened: Week 1 of Season 4 in Fortnite: Battle Royale has started. And besides special challenges for cosmetics, there are again the weekly challenges known from Season 3. This time it’s about a treasure map in Town Tome and finding special letters.
How that works and what the other challenges are, and how they can ideally be completed, we will tell you here!
Season 4, Week 1 – Here are the 7 Challenges!
Here’s what it’s about: In total, you need to complete 7 challenges again. They are as follows:
Deal damage with sniper rifles (500)
Open chests in Haunted Hills (7)
Use a bounce pad (1)
Find F-O-R-T-N-I-T-E letters (10)
Follow the treasure map from Tomato Town (1)
Eliminate 3 players with a pistol (3)
Eliminate opponents at Flush Factory (3)
This is how you complete the challenges: Most of these tasks are easy to fulfill. You should collect the chests gradually, just land there more often. For the bounce pad and sniper skills, you can wait until a game mode comes where such items appear more often.
You ideally complete the last two challenges together by jumping at Flush Factory, grabbing a pistol, and taking out opponents before anyone has fully equipped themselves.
Follow the treasure map from Tomato Town
To complete this challenge, it’s enough if you go straight to the target location. You don’t have to search for the treasure map in Tomato Town first. The treasure is actually easily accessible on the western sunken boat in Loot Lake.
In this image, you see the treasure, and here is another video with the exact location of the find. Have fun! But keep in mind that you must finish the round somehow for the treasure find to count. Simply quitting the match is not enough.
https://youtu.be/l-O-gzqUM1M
Search the F-O-R-T-N-I-T-E Letters
This challenge is a bit trickier to solve. You need to find 8 letters that are located at various places all over the map. You can recognize them by the blue glow that emanates from them. Among other things, you will find them in the following locations:
Anarchy Acres: On the weather vane on the red barn
Dusty Divot: On the blue power line east of the crater
Tilted Towers: On the bell tower
Haunted Hills: On the grave with the eagle next to the chest
Risky Reels: On the movie projector
Pleasant Park: On the roof in the middle
Container Yard: On top of the large container near Tomato Town
Salty Springs: On top of the tower
Greasy Grove: At the playground
Moisty Mire: At the helicopter and the large green screen
Lonely Lodge: On the roof of the residential house in the south
Here you will also find a video in which the letters are collected.
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The Adventure Week is an event focused on Rock types. This event in May is returning to Pokémon GO, as the team confirmed via newsletter.
In a newsletter from Pokémon GO, the team at Niantic announces that one of the most popular events is coming back. It is stated that the Adventure Week will be activated later in May. Do you remember the event from last year?
Adventure Week in Pokémon GO – the return?
At first, only a report from an Italian newsletter hinted that the Adventure Week in Pokémon GO would be happening in May. This has now also been confirmed in the German version.
Newsletter announces event: Reddit user Biansci published a screenshot of his Pokémon GO newsletter that he received via email. It states:
“One of the most successful events of last year is returning this month: the Adventure Week! Get ready for exciting new rewards and special activities that will spark your sense of adventure. Remember to read the monthly newsletter to keep track of the upcoming events. It might be worth your while …”
What did the Adventure Week look like last year? In 2017, the Adventure Week started on May 18 and was active for about a week. During that time, players received more items from PokéStops and a 50% discount on Poké Balls in the in-game shop. Additionally, buddy Pokémon earned candy four times faster. Rock-type Pokémon like Omanyte, Kabuto, and Aerodactyl were found more frequently.
German version confirmed. Hours after the release of the Italian newsletter, the German version was also published, confirming the event. However, there is no exact date yet.
Event fits the picture, as in the last update 0.101.0, data miners already found the new catapult attack, which is a Rock type. So this would indeed correspond with an upcoming Rock event or the Adventure Week. What bonuses will be unlocked this year remains to be seen.
Until May 14, the battle event is still running in Pokémon GO and brings these new raid bosses.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
With the March update, exclusive Nightfall strike rewards made their way into Destiny 2. This week, the third Nightfall weapon can now be obtained – the legendary auto rifle “Obligation”. Is the grind worth it?
For some time now, guardians have been able to hunt for Nightfall-exclusive rewards. These rewards can only be obtained after successfully completing the Nightfall strike.
Each boss in a Nightfall strike has a rare item in its loot pool that is thematically linked to it. Upon its defeat, this equipment can drop with a bit of luck at any difficulty level of the Nightfalls.
After the Hand Cannon T.V.O. from the Nightfall strike “Tree of Probabilities”, players can now hunt for the last of the three exclusive Nightfall weapons – the auto rifle “Obligation”. How does the weapon perform in practice?
Obligation
Obligation is a legendary auto rifle from the loot pool of special Nightfall rewards. It can be obtained in the Nightfall version of the strike “Savathûn’s Song”. With an increasing strike score, your chances of getting this special auto rifle increase.
This is what makes Obligation special
Obligation is an auto rifle with an Adaptive Frame and a fire rate of 600. It belongs to the same archetype as Scathelocke, The Forward Path, or Ghost Primus. However, this archetype is currently not necessarily the first choice for auto rifles – neither in PvE nor in PvP.
The weapon has only average base stats and does not stand out significantly in any category. However, as the only legendary auto rifle with a 600 fire rate, Obligation does have the perk “Overflow”.
It can be used in both PvE and PvP, although it can make a stronger impact in PvE.
In PvE activities, the auto rifle performs quite well with a combination of “Quickdraw”, “Enhanced Rounds”, and “Overflow”. Especially in larger groups of enemies, the buffed perk “Overflow” comes into play noticeably.
In PvP, a setup with “Quickdraw”, “Enhanced Rounds”, and “Zen Moment” is recommended. This makes the weapon (on consoles) significantly more stable.
The strong recoil of the weapon (on consoles) can then be better controlled. However, it takes a moment for the perk “Zen Moment” to take effect.
For experienced PC players, the perk “Overflow” can also prove useful in guardian duels. However, as a console player, one should not forego “Zen Moment” in PvP with Obligation. Especially in the Crucible, the strong recoil of the weapon would otherwise not be effectively compensated.
Who is this auto rifle suited for?
In PvE content, the weapon plays quite satisfactorily. However, even though Obligation is among the best 600 auto rifles: it hardly shines and belongs to the absolute average in weapon choice.
Due to the generally weak archetype, Obligation cannot compete against competition like “Origin Story”. There are stronger alternatives among both auto rifles and other weapon classes.
In PvP , the weapon also doesn’t really convince. Against 450 auto rifles, “The Vigilance Wing”, and other pulse rifles, Obligation struggles unnecessarily in the Crucible. The weapon performs slightly better on PC, but does not rank among the best choices there either due to its archetype.
Overall, Obligation cannot compete with the other two Nightfall-exclusive weapons. For collectors, the grind for the visually unique weapon can certainly be worthwhile. For everyone else, it currently does not represent an absolute must-have.
What do you think of Obligation? Is the grind worth it in your opinion?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A pro of League of Legends (LoL) ends his career. He feels that his Japanese team blackmailed him with the residence permit and basically kidnapped him. The team was punished, but the penalty is far too mild for the player.
What happened? The South Korean LoL pro Jeon “Dara” Jeong-hoon announced that he will end his career as a professional player. He cites events that occurred during his time in Japan as the reason. They have deeply disturbed him. The 22-year-old South Korean is currently a support player for the team SCARZ Burning Core. However, he was with the Japanese team Rampage from May 2015 to November 2017.
What’s going on in Japan? As Kotaku reports, foreigners in Japan must carry their “Resident Card” at all times. This is a kind of residence permit. They must be able to present it if requested by the authorities at any time. If they cannot do this or refuse, they face fines or even imprisonment.
Team says: “A misunderstanding”
What happened to Dara? The team for which Dara played at that time is said to have withheld these “Resident Cards” to blackmail and pressure foreign players. Dara accuses the team Rampage of having withheld these cards and using them as leverage against him. Allegedly, the team leader said, “This card belongs to the team.” The team also made efforts for Dara to join another team.
This is what happened to the team: The team “Rampage” was punished by the Japanese League of Legends League (LJL): now under the new name “Pentagram.” The executives were banned for 3 months. In addition, their games were counted as losses.
What does the team say about it? The team says it was a misunderstanding in communication. They only withheld the card while waiting for confirmation from the immigration authority. They find the penalty very harsh, accept it, but want to prevent such incidents from happening again.
LoL pro says: “My spirit is broken”
What does Dara say? He says: He was yelled at and threatened there. He felt powerless in the foreign country Japan. He had hoped for a formal apology, but none came. Therefore, he now feels sad and foolish for having hoped at all. He is disappointed that he lives in a world where such behavior only led to a 3-month penalty.
His spirit is broken. He has headaches and takes medication. He can no longer play and is returning to South Korea.
Blizzard talks about the success of Overwatch. Especially the last event overshadowed all others – Retribution was a complete success two years after the release.
Activision Blizzard held the quarterly “Earnings Call”. There, they revealed to investors the status of various games from the studio. As expected, they also spoke about Overwatch and painted a pretty positive picture of Blizzard’s hero shooter.
Accordingly, the Retribution event was as successful as no other event in Overwatch before. It had the largest player numbers of all past events in Overwatch.
This shows that Overwatch can still reach new heights two years after the release. The event took place from April 10 to April 30, 2018. Overwatch was released on May 24, 2016.
Why was “Retribution” so successful? Overwatch is a pure PvP game, but during the Retribution event, there was a PvE map to play. Players enjoyed this the previous year and it was a breath of fresh air for the hero shooter. Thanks to challenging difficulty levels and great skins for many heroes, the event was able to attract many players again in 2018 – more than ever before.
However, there is a bit of trickery with the statement that the “combined time spent playing and watching the Overwatch League” has increased. This could be a euphemism for the fact that pure playtime has dropped, but was compensated for by watching the Overwatch League. In any case: People are still engaging more in their free time with Overwatch.
Parts of the community see “the downfall” of Overwatch
At least on Reddit and in the forums, “doomsayers” have increasingly appeared in recent months, predicting the end of Overwatch. There are several reasons for this: toxicity, the constant changes to heroes, and “apparently overpowered” heroes like Brigitte are said to be responsible for the downfall.
However, participation in the Retribution event tells a different story, as Overwatch is doing excellently.
It will be exciting to see if the event for Overwatch’s second anniversary, the “Anniversary Event”, can break this record again.
