Valve introduces an optional subscription for the MOBA DotA 2 and replaces the Battle Pass.
So far, there have been two Battle Passes for DotA 2. One revolved around the Major Championships and one around The International tournament. While nothing changes with the International Pass, the Major Battle Pass is replaced by the subscription DotA Plus.
A subscription is coming
The DotA Plus subscription offers you:
Hero Leveling – Earn Shards during matches to unlock rewards
New Challenges – Show your skills in new challenges of various difficulty levels
Plus Assistant – Helps you make build decisions by providing real-time item and ability suggestions
New Analysis Tools and Graphics – You analyze your playstyle more effectively and see what you can improve in a match
Death Summary – You can see effects on your hero that led to your death second by second after the match
Lane Strategy – The team can suggest strategies for lanes
Return of the Battle Cup – Free access to the weekend tournaments
The DotA Plus subscription costs you $3.99 per month. If you sign up for a six-month or yearly membership right away, you will receive a discount. Further details and the registration can be found on the DotA Plus website.
With Ready Player One, director Steven Spielberg brings to cinemas a film that shows how gaming is embedded in society in the future and how this affects it. Numerous references to video games like Halo and Overwatch are not to be missed.
Ready Player One takes place in 2045. For many people, the virtual world of OASIS has become a better place than the dark and desolate reality.
Teenager Wade Watts (played by Tye Sheridan) spends most of his time as “Parzival” in this virtual world. When the inventor of OASIS dies, everyone tries to find an “Easter Egg” that he hid before his death. Whoever finds the Easter Egg inherits OASIS and the entire fortune of the inventor. Wade also sets out on the search…
The story is based on the novel of the same name by Ernest Cline.
The film premieres in this country on April 5. It contains plenty of references to current online games, such as the Spartan soldiers from the Halo series or Tracer from Overwatch. Members of the press have already had the chance to see the film and are starting to post initial reviews online. We provide you with an overview.
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The reviews of the film at a glance – Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes
The current reviews of Ready Player One present a mixed picture. Some critics consider the film at best average, while others think it is a groundbreaking visual spectacle:
We Got This Covered: 6/20
The Playlist: B
Flixist.com: 5/10
IGN Movies: 7.5/10
Den of Geek: 4/5
We Live Entertainment: 8.5/10
ScreenCrush: 3/10
Guardian: 2/5
Consequence of Sound: C-
Slashfilm: 7/10
IndieWire: B+
Austin American Statesman: A-
Dread Central: 1.5/5
On Metacritic, Ready Player One currently has a score of 65. The Tomatometer shows 76% on Rotten Tomatoes (March 13, 1:15 PM).
Some voices from the reviews
Indie Wire
“Ready Player One” is one of the cleverest excuses to play with wild special effects (…). It is an unconventional attempt to summarize the past 30 years of pop culture through one of its greatest architects in a film. Without seeing the film, it is hard to imagine anyone could make this endeavor a satisfying experience. In the end, it is clear that only Steven Spielberg can do this. After all, “Ready Player One” is exactly what makes it admirable: a major commercial entertainment that culminates in a unique blockbuster chaos.
“A heart beats in films like The Goonies, E.T., Raiders of the Lost Ark and others, but in Ready Player One, viewers find a shining, digital Easter Egg… for many, that will be enough.”
“When you watch Ready Player One, it almost feels like the director is sitting right next to you, laughing, excited, and eating his popcorn. And you definitely need popcorn for this film.”
“Although it is not particularly emotional, and I was disappointed with how many questions remained unanswered due to its superficial visits to the real world, it is still a lot of fun.”
Variety
“It is a complete and occasionally hypnotic film. Yet, it feels like one is more occupied with the film than being emotionally invested in it.”
There is little time left to earn double experience points in Pokémon GO or to catch Rayquaza.
In recent weeks, trainers in Pokémon GO had the opportunity to battle and catch the legendary Pokémon Rayquaza. In between, Groudon and Kyogre even returned to the game, completing the trio of prehistoric legendary Pokémon.
As part of the event, Niantic also unlocked double experience points, special eggs, and raid bosses. Now the final hours of the event have begun.
Rayquaza leaves on March 16th
Since February, trainers in Pokémon GO have been able to battle the powerful Rayquaza. But that will soon come to an end. Those who haven’t caught one yet should hurry, as the boss will only be in the game for a few more days.
Until Friday, March 16th, you can encounter and defeat Rayquaza in Pokémon GO as a legendary raid boss.
In our Rayquaza counters guide, we show you which attackers give you the best chance against this powerful boss.
These special windy Pokémon will only hatch more often from eggs or appear in raids until March 16th. They will return to normal frequency on the same day as Rayquaza.
This includes the double experience points that trainers are currently enjoying in Pokémon GO. Especially players with low trainer levels appreciate this reward to finally close the gap with level 40 trainers. All these rewards are set to end on March 16th.
The subscription server Rift Prime has struck a chord with players of the MMORPG. Opinions are largely positive, although there is also some criticism.
The recently launched first Prime server of Rift aims to provide a classic experience. Those who want to experience it must subscribe and then can gradually experience the story, without being distracted by annoying free-to-play elements like loot boxes or an intrusive in-game shop.
Prime server delights fans
And this is largely well received by the fans. At launch, the server was full and there were queues of up to about 45 minutes. Fans enjoy the relaxed play. You can take your time playing the content.
The high player count allows for plenty of group content, guilds are very popular, and in general, Rift has the impression of a freshly launched MMORPG, just as it was back when subscription models were still the standard and the market was not yet flooded with MMOs.
However, there is also some criticism:
It is not the “Vanilla” version of Rift that many players had hoped for
Some innovations that have been developed over many years of operation are included, and many find this annoying
Some changes are intended for players above level 50, but the server’s level cap is set at 50, which makes many changes seem pointless
The server is only partially suitable for players outside the USA, as players from Europe, Asia, or Australia struggle with sometimes high ping values
In our comments, there was also criticism stating that the server has an expiration date. Trion Worlds guarantees this only for “at least a year.” Users had wished that it would be “endless.”
Further prime servers could follow
The developers have stated that this first Prime server of Rift is a kind of experiment. If there is enough interest, then more may follow, which could also be set up in Europe, for example, to provide better ping.
The overall sentiment towards the Prime server of Rift is that it offers a very positive player experience, which other MMORPG operators should adhere to.
For the next patch for Fortnite: Battle Royale on Thursday, new remote detonations are expected alongside llamas. They could replace the unpopular smoke grenades. The latter are being removed as no one seems to enjoy using them.
Players of Fortnite: Battle Royale are anticipating the next patch this Thursday. If the maintenance follows the pattern of recent weeks, the servers should go down at around 10:00 AM. If all goes smoothly, Fortnite will be back up along with the new patch 3.3 around noon on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Sticky Bombs are coming to Fortnite: Battle Royale
It is already known that llamas will be added to the game as a new loot opportunity spread across the island. Furthermore, the unpopular smoke grenades are set to disappear, as no one has used them.
An alternative to these smoke grenades could be a new type of weapon that Epic has just announced. These are “remote detonations,” which players will likely be able to place and then detonate remotely.
These remote detonations might also play an important role in the weekly challenges that Epic regularly devises.
New weapons are continually being added to Fortnite: Battle Royale. The latest were the hunting rifle and the crossbow. These remote detonations are likely to be the next additions.
Also interesting is the question: What will the new Limited Time Mode in Fortnite be? Epic is keeping this under wraps for now. It is possible that vehicles may play a role here.
Currently, there is a lot happening with Fortnite:
Many seem to be signing up for the mobile version. There were some issues yesterday. Invitations are expected to be sent out during the week.
Additionally, crossplay is a hot topic in the game. If it’s up to Epic, they want to be a pioneer in bringing all players together across all platforms.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The South Korean Overwatch pro Chan-hyung “Fissure” Baek was benched by his former team London Spitfire. The Los Angeles Gladiators then recruited him – and rolled over Spitfire at the next opportunity.
Chan-hyung “Fissure” Baek is a professional Overwatch player and tank for the Los Angeles Gladiators. Last Saturday, March 10th, was likely one of the happiest days of his career. He won against London Spitfire – the team he formerly played for.
London Spitfire was the strongest team in the first phase of the Overwatch League. On February 11th, they won the finals of the first section of the eSports event. Only 8 players from their roster played actively and regularly in the matches – Fissure mostly sat on the bench.
Fissure in his new team jersey – the shirt of the Los Angeles Gladiators.
Fissure wanted to step into the limelight – and switched
That Fissure was rarely used is understandable. He would have been the substitute for Gesture, who is undeniably one of the best tank players in the Overwatch League. Had he been replaced, many matches would likely not have gone in favor of London Spitfire.
It is equally understandable that Fissure wanted to step out of Gesture’s shadow to be successful himself. So he switched in the second phase when teams could buy and transfer new players to the relatively weak Los Angeles Gladiators.
With the Gladiators, he has since been among the six starters in every match. He is thus literally in the limelight much more frequently than before. And this also has its advantages for the Gladiators, who have been able to achieve more success in the second phase.
London Spitfire was crushed and Fissure is happy about it
Last Saturday, the Los Angeles Gladiators finally got to face London Spitfire. The Spitfires had until that point 11 map wins in a row, the longest winning streak in the Overwatch League so far.
Led by Fissure with aggressive strategies, the Gladiators literally crushed their opponents. With an outstanding 3 to 1, the underdogs snatched the victory and even left the analysts astonished.
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Fissure himself is pleased with the victory and especially that he could show how good he really is. There was no bad blood. He gave each of his former teammates a hug after his victory, and they returned it with a laugh. Sportsmanship as one wishes for!
The Korean studio Netmarble is behind games like Lineage 2 Revolution. In the past, developers died from overwork. Now, measures are being announced to prevent this.
We have reported in the past about Netmarble and the deaths there. A young developer in his 20s reportedly died after regular work weeks comprising 89 hours. He had been forced to work irregular night shifts and overtime. Even on the day of his death, a Sunday, he was supposed to return to work, according to reports at the time.
The employee had been healthy before the medical checks; after the killer shifts, he died of a heart disease. The brutal working hours were associated with the mobile hit “Lineage 2 Revolution”. The game then became a massive success in Korea.
The death occurred at Netmarble Neo, a subsidiary of Netmarble.
Other deaths among the staff at Netmarble have also been suspected to be related to overwork.
The pressure from the public and the government on Netmarble grew, and the company has initiated measures to ensure a “healthy lifestyle” and a “reasonable work-life balance” for its employees. Now, “family” is the focus of the work philosophy, reports the Asia-focused site MMO Culture.
Flexible hours and night work ban
In the future:
The core working hours are between 10 AM and 4 PM, with a one-hour lunch break. Those who start at 8 AM can go home at 4 PM. Those who start at 10 AM can leave at 6 PM.
Employees are prohibited from working between 10 PM and 8 AM unless they have been granted special permission in advance.
Pregnant employees only need to work 30 hours a week.
In Asia, there are specific words for “death by work stress”
The gaming industry is famous for its “crunch time”: the killer overtime when a game needs to be finished. In Asia, this coincides with a culture of workaholics. In Japan, there is even a specific word for people who work themselves to death: Karōshi. This describes deaths caused by heart attacks or strokes resulting from work-related stress. In South Korea, it is also known as: kwarosa.
More about the tragic death we reported on at the time:
The upcoming update milestone 1.1.4 will reorganize many things in Destiny 2 – including some Guardian classes that won’t escape adjustments. The Nightstalker focus of the Hunter will change with the March update.
While the Titan remains almost unchanged in the course of these changes and the Shadebinder focus of the Warlock receives a massive buff, the Nightstalker Hunter will be weakened in some areas.
But are the adjustments to the Nightstalker a harsh nerf or necessary fine-tuning?
This is how the Nightstalker changes
The Nightstalker focus of the Hunter will have to endure some weakening changes with the upcoming March update. The other two focuses, Arcstrider and Gunslinger, will, however, be spared from negative interventions.
Changes in PvE
In PvE, hardly anything changes for the Nightstalker. Only the invisibility will be extended by one second within the framework of the March update.
Changes in PvP
Most changes therefore affect PvP. The Nightstalker is currently very popular here and causes great frustration among enemy ranks with its invisibility and evade moves combined with Exotics like the Twin-Tails.
As soon as a Nightstalker evades or uses smoke grenades, its evade movement and invisibility disable aim assist and projectile tracking on the opponent’s side. And this is where the Nightstalker is now facing adjustments.
Currently, the following happens: If you evade, the evade movement temporarily disables the aim assist and projectile tracking of the opponent. Then, the invisibility effect kicks in. Meanwhile, aim assist and projectile tracking remain inactive. Only after the end of the evade move AND the end of invisibility will aim assist and projectile tracking become active again.
If you throw a smoke bomb, the smoke immediately triggers the invisibility effect. Aim assist and projectile tracking are deactivated for the duration of invisibility. Only after the invisibility ends do both effects reactivate.
After the March update, it will work differently: Then the disabling of aim assist and projectile tracking will end with the completion of the evade move. Neither the invisibility after the end of the evade move nor the invisibility effect of the grenades will now disable the aim assist and projectile tracking of the opponent. They will only be visual in nature – thus able to deceive the eyes of your counterpart, but no longer affect the aim assist and the projectiles of his weapons.
Additionally, just like in PvE, the duration of invisibility when evading and deploying smoke bombs will also be extended by one second.
Nerf or fine-tuning?
Given the fact that the invisibility of your favorite class is being weakened in PvP, Nightstalker fans will likely not burst into tears of joy – especially considering that it is the only focus among all three Guardian classes that needs to cope with a nerf.
But is this really a harsh, unjustified nerf? Or is fine-tuning steering a capability in a direction that fits better with the game balance while still retaining its character?
Passively, the Nightstalker focus of the Hunter certainly suffers the most from the upcoming changes of the March update among all three Guardian classes – that much is certain. Some popular Exotics like the Twin-Tails or the Weakhead Radar will completely lose significance in competitive modes. The Tripmine Grenade can also no longer confuse the opponent’s radar in corresponding modes, as there is no radar there anymore.
However, the change to invisibility makes sense and is logical. The ability to dissolve in smoke, ninja-style, to evade any fire – and sometimes for a remarkable amount of time – will now be adjusted so that it no longer seems excessive.
In the hands of a practiced Nightstalker player, it remains a powerful tool in the fight against other Guardians – especially as the invisibility effect is extended by one second. The Nightstalker will not become less competitive or weak due to this small, subtle adjustment.
To speak of a harsh nerf of the Hunter would therefore be exaggerated. It is more a sensible, well-measured fine-tuning that benefits PvP overall without decisively weakening the Nightstalker or taking away its character.
The PvE is not affected by this change. There, the Nightstalker focus will still enjoy its usual strength.
What do you think about the changes to the Nightstalker? Was it nerfed too harshly or adjusted appropriately?
Fans of Fortnite: Battle Royale (PC, PS4 & Xbox One) have created two cool new skins on Reddit. The outfits are inspired by the movies “The Big Lebowski” and “V for Vendetta”.
Fortnite: Battle Royale is known for its wacky skins. But besides fictional outfits like a shabby love teddy or a nutcracker, there was a skin in Season 3 of the Battle Pass that looks like John Wick.
Of course, the skin is not called “John Wick” but “Grim Reaper”, as Epic does not have the rights to the film. But the resemblance to Wick is still striking. So why not copy other famous film characters as skins?
The “Duder Looter” and the “Masked Martyr”
The Reddit user SneakyParagon from the team “TheSneakyBro’s” has posted some of his own skin designs for Fortnite: Battle Royale. The two skins are clearly inspired by the works “The Big Lebowski” and “V for Vendetta”, but have different names to avoid copyright issues.
The Fortnite fan versions are:
Masked Martyr: This skin looks extremely similar to V, the main character from V for Vendetta. He wears his Guy Fawkes mask and the corresponding coat, as well as an old-fashioned hat.
As a pickaxe, the Martyr naturally uses a dagger adorned with a rose attached to a pickaxe. The thing is called “V for Victory Royale”!
Duder Looter: This skin is meant to represent the “Dude”, the anti-hero from the classic film “The Big Lebowski”. Like his alter ego on the screen, the Dude always wears his shabby bathrobe, slippers, sunglasses, and has long hair with a beard.
As a harvesting tool, he has the “Big Le-BOWL-ski”, a bowling ball on a stick, to which two bowling pins are attached. All he needs is a White Russian as a drink! Or the beloved carpet of the Dude as a glider!
Unfortunately (yet) not official
The two new skins along with their pickaxes are extremely cool and would be a perfect addition to the game. Just imagine being hunted by a version of V through Tilted Towers. Or meeting the laid-back Dude with a shotgun in his hand in the yard of Snobby Shores.
And then just imagine how these quirky characters would look with all the emotes in the game. Unfortunately, the two skins are just fan creations. But who knows, maybe the developers at Epic will get inspired and eventually really bring the Dude or V into the game.
Or perhaps all sorts of other characters from pop culture. What do you think? Is there a character you would like to see as a skin in Fortnite?
Anyone looking to collect figures for Monster Hunter World can now find some like Rathalos, Zorah Magdaros, and Anjanath on Amazon.
In Monster Hunter World, it’s all about hunting various beasts. A few of the monsters are now available for purchase on Amazon. However, a note upfront that the figures are mostly shipped from abroad.
Great Jagras
The Great Jagras figure is 11 cm tall and comes with a box, base, and bonus part. You can get it for €24.98 including shipping costs.
Great Jagras resemble iguanas and can even swallow large monsters in one gulp. They use the weight gained to scare off enemies.
The Zorah Magdaros figure is also 11 cm tall and comes with a base, box, and a bonus part for another figure. This figure costs €26.98 including shipping costs. The Zorah Magdaros is a gigantic Elder Dragon that resembles a volcano. It is so massive that hunters must attack it with specialized weapons like cannons and ballistae.
The Anjanath figure is 12 cm tall and, like the others, offers a base, box, and a bonus part for another figure. This one is priced at €24.98 including shipping costs. You can find everything about this monster in our Anjanath Guide.
Anjanath are ruthless hunters who do not let their prey escape easily. They are highly aggressive and attack anything that comes within their claws.
The Kulu-Ya-Ku figure is somewhat smaller. It measures 9 cm and comes with a base, box, and a bonus part. The size also affects the price, making it only €22.98 including shipping costs.
Kulu-Ya-Ku resemble Dodos and throw stones at their enemies, using them as shields to defend themselves.
Even cheaper is the Pukei-Pukei figure. It is 11 cm tall but costs only €21.98 including shipping costs. Here you also get the base, the box, and a bonus part.
Pukei-Pukei store part of their food in their mouth and tail. They combine this food with their poison, allowing them to spray poison from their mouth and tail.
While the other figures aim to be as close to the original as possible, the Funko Pops are, of course, different in design. The Funko of Rathalos is 10 cm tall. Unfortunately, it is currently sold out.
A particularly high-quality figure is the Rusted Kushala Daora. It weighs 1.94 kg. Unfortunately, there are no details about its size. However, the figure is very detailed. The price here is €230.28 including shipping costs.
The Kushala Daora has wings covered in metal. The dragon influences the wind and can create a strong wind barrier that pushes hunters back.
The most expensive figure is Rathalos. It stands 22 cm tall and is an import from Japan. The price is a very high €756.05 including shipping costs. The figure weighs around one kilogram. The reviews on Amazon, however, are overwhelmingly positive, granting it 4.5 stars.
Rathalos is highly aggressive and spews deadly flames from its mouth that pierce its enemies like projectiles. The claws on its feet are highly poisonous, and Rathalos dives from the sky to pierce them into the flesh of its foes.
Rathalos Figure The offers presented here are equipped with so-called affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, we receive a small commission from the respective provider. This does not affect the price.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The new Easter egg in Battlefield 1 was originally the idea of a fan. The developers found the idea so good that it is now in the game.
In the shooter Battlefield 1, you would normally expect Easter eggs to be powerful surprises like sharks jumping out of a pond. However, the new Easter egg is not that dangerous and frightening. It’s actually quite reassuring when suddenly during the reloading of a heavy weapon this familiar music plays.
Pop goes the Weasel in Battlefield 1
When you reload the machine guns in Battlefield 1, metallic sounds are normally produced. As the community recently found out, there are different sound effects for the LMG 08. These are hidden and only occur in the game, when you reload the LMG 08 while there are exactly 13 shots left in the magazine. Then there is a chance that rotating the magazine triggers the popular “Pop goes the Weasel” music.
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The story behind it shows the developers at DICE’s closeness to the community. Originally, YouTuber Flakfire made a video with this reloading music as a joke. The cranking probably reminded him of winding a jack-in-the-box and suggested the idea.
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The DICE team liked this joke and quickly implemented it into the game. At least that’s how DICE’s animation lead Ryan Duffin confirmed it on Twitter. “At first it was fake, then it was not. Sometimes dreams come true.”
The LMG 08/18 is one of the newer weapons in Battlefield 1. It came with the Apocalypse DLC – the last expansion for Battlefield 1. You unlock the LMG 08/18 by achieving 50 kills with the Support class.
It is advisable to fire the magazine completely before reloading the weapon. Otherwise, the reloading animation will be significantly prolonged. However, if you want to see the Easter egg, reload at 13 shots.
The Chinese developers from NetEase are quick on the uptake. They are inspired by the current megahit Fortnite and present the new mobile game “FortCraft”, a clear alternative to Fortnite. The game is already playable on iOS and Android – in a beta version. The mobile version of Fortnite is still a while away.
NetEase is incredibly fast at getting “inspired” by successful game concepts. With mobile variants of PUBG like “Rules of Survival” or “Knives Out” they are doing remarkably well.
Now the Chinese developers have announced the beta phase of their latest mobile game “FortCraft”. The name is a combination of the two popular titles “Fortnite” and “Minecraft”, but well, see for yourself.
The look and gameplay of Fortcrafter look a lot like Fortnite
The look and gameplay clearly resemble Fortnite, some are calling it a blatant copy.
Players will compete on a 4×4 km large map and can build anything that helps them survive. They can mine resources directly in the world. Items can also be destroyed.
That all sounds very much like Fortnite: players also have the option to prepare buildings that they can then build into the world at the push of a button to strengthen their defense. Defense will be necessary, as they will compete against 99 other players. Oh, and you will be able to build traps.
Players should be able to choose from a wide selection of weapons, from assault rifles to rocket launchers. The visuals are said to be “colorful and fun”.
This is what FortCraft looks like on mobile – Gameplay
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It is said that FortCraft should be made as accessible as possible and should also work on many older smartphones. It should also be possible to play in teams with friends.
FortCraft is now already playable in a beta phase. Users from Germany report, however, that there are problems with logging in. Progress is not being carried over to the release.
The RNG is always a point of contention in WoW. The loot you receive depends heavily on it – but how could the loot system in World of Warcraft be improved?
With World of Warcraft: Legion, the developers at Blizzard have come under criticism primarily for one aspect of the game: the RNG or the randomness factor. In the opinion of some fans, there are too many rewards in the game that are solely dependent on chance, with players having too little influence over them.
The shining negative example is the Legendary system. Every few weeks, characters receive a legendary item if they regularly participate in activities such as dungeons, world quests, or raids.
Since each class can possess a variety of legendary items and the acquisition is entirely determined by chance, it can take weeks, months, or more than a year to obtain the coveted “Best in Slot” items. In the meantime, many “junk legendaries” could have been obtained. This is particularly frustrating for professional raiders who rely on every little percentage of performance – for “casual players”, the impact is not as severe.
A similar drama now exists in Antorus, the Burning Throne. The epic “Pantheon” trinkets are also awarded randomly – as has been the rule for boss loot since forever.
Loot system has been successful for 20 years
Blizzard argues that the loot distribution system with a clear randomness factor has been functioning solidly for 13 years. In the gaming industry, it has even been longer, nearly 20 years.
In the forums, Blizzard now has to withstand some insults, as some users believe that “any 5-year-old could design a better loot system by now” – however, concrete, well-thought-out examples are lacking.
In conclusion, the question arises: What kind of loot system should World of Warcraft have?
Is the current model with the randomness factor and a certain probability per boss and item already perfect?
Should there be more foreseeable “progress bars” with clear rewards (example: reputation factions)?
Or even a completely different system?
What do you think the “perfect” loot distribution would look like?
Fortnite(PC, PS4 & Xbox One) will be played by as many players as possible. Therefore, the developers are planning extensive crossplay features between PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, iOS, and Android, as well as Mac. In principle, everyone should be able to play with everyone, but the barrier between PS4 and Xbox One seems insurmountable.
Epic Games, the developers of Fortnite, love crossplay. This means a feature that allows you to play together with players on other platforms. So, among others, PC players with Xbox users. So far, there is no official crossplay in Fortnite.
PC, consoles, and mobile devices should be able to play together
With the launch of Fortnite on iOS mobile devices (Android is expected to follow), Epic Games also introduced the new crossplay concept. The mobile version will not be a separate, scaled-down mobile version. Instead, you should be able to play the same game as everyone else.
Additionally, soon you should be able to play with (almost) all other Fortnite fans. In the future, there will be two options for this:
Crossplay between PlayStation 4, PC, Mac, iOS, and later Android
Crossplay between Xbox One, PC, Mac, iOS, and later Android
In addition to crossplay, there will also be cross-progress. This means that your game progress is platform-independent. Furthermore, your real-money spending will count across all platforms.
Still no crossplay between Xbox and PS4
The only thing that will still not be possible is crossplay between the consoles Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Technically, it would likely be so easy that Epic Games has accidentally activated it at least twice.
Many gamers welcome crossplay and the large player pool that comes with it. Furthermore, many fans are happy that they can finally play together with friends on other platforms.
However, some gamers are concerned. After all, on the console, you are at a disadvantage with a gamepad compared to mouse virtuosos on PC. It may be worse for mobile gamers with touchscreens. Gamepads are not supported at all in mobile Fortnite.
The player banned by his Overwatch team, xQc, wishes that someone had helped him. He would have practically been raised by Twitch.
In the Overwatch League, things have been turbulent in recent days, even outside the actual matches. Several penalties have been imposed on players who made inappropriate comments. The player Felix “xQc” Lengyel has been sanctioned multiple times for both racism and homophobic remarks. This ultimately led to his team, Dallas Fuel, parting ways with him.
xQc continues to stream, though. In a recent stream, he appeared contrite and explained that he wished someone had stopped him before the whole situation escalated.
“This ending could have been prevented. I wish someone had told me in the past: ‘Hey, buddy, those tryhard emotes you keep posting in chat need to stop. I just wish someone had said something. I was practically born and raised by Twitch.’
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Cortyn thinks: Anyone who spends a large part of their day hanging out in Twitch chat probably eventually accepts the toxic behavior there and gradually adjusts to that environment. Although I have a bit of understanding for xQc seeing himself as a ‘victim of circumstances,’ that does not absolve him of his mistakes. I consider his dismissal to be justified. Perhaps he will take a chance again someday and learn from this situation.
What do you think about xQc’s dismissal and his view that he is ‘a child of Twitch’? Is this a reasonable position? Or is this just the easiest justification?
Data miners have discovered in the code of the PC version of Final Fantasy XV an outfit for the main character Noctis, which comes from Final Fantasy XIV. This could mean that the long-announced collaboration between Final Fantasy XIV and XV is about to start.
Collaborations with other IPs and companies are not uncommon in FFXIV. Outfits from Lightning Returns: FFXIII are popular among players, and the companions from Yo-Kai Watch have driven some players crazy.
Now there are signs of a crossover event that the community has been waiting for a long time.
FFXIV x FFXV = Fun?
The rumors about a possible collaboration between the two games surfaced shortly before the release of FFXV in November 2016. These were shortly thereafter confirmed in an interview with Naoki Yoshida at 4Gamer.
However, the development team wants to make it a truly big event that requires a lot of time and effort. According to Yoshida, it should involve more than just a few new costumes.
In an interview with the US site Kotaku, he stated that the content of the event “will be quite extensive.”
Accordingly, it was decided to initially focus on the Stormblood expansion, which was then in its final development phase.
Afterward, there was a silence on the topic for almost a year, leading fans to wonder if the developers still intended to carry out the collaboration between Final Fantasy XIV and XV.
However, in mid-January 2018, it was stated in one of Yoshida’s interviews with Nova Crystallis that the event is still on the developers’ “to-do” list.
A leak in the PC version of FFXV?
A data miner discovered something interesting in Noctis’s character folder, the protagonist of FFXV, on Tumblr.
It is a model of an outfit that closely resembles the race-specific level 1 armor of the male Miqo’te from FFXIV.
There are no indications that this could be a mod. Also interesting is the fact that this discovery was made a few days after the release of the last FFXV patch 1.23 on March 5.
If this discovery is real, it suggests that the crossover event is likely higher on the priority list and will take place in both FFXIV and FFXV.
That wouldn’t be surprising, as FFXV is now infamous for its collaborations with other companies and IPs, and players have already received outfits from Assassin’s Creed Origins, Half-Life, and even The Sims.
However, there is still no official statement regarding this.
In FFXIV, the next content patch will be going live soon. What it will bring, you can find out here:
The departure of the story writers at Anthem worries the fan community. Have the authors given up on the game? BioWare reassures.
Even the die-hard BioWare fans have been concerned in recent days about the upcoming game Anthem. The multiplayer shooter is regarded as a great hope for the year 2019 and could appeal to those who have already completed Destiny and The Division and who are not happy with Destiny 2.
Karpyshyn is considered one of the most talented writers in the video game industry and was responsible for a large part of the story of Mass Effect 1, Mass Effect 2, and also Jade Empire.
Anthem places great emphasis on story
More and more fans demanded a statement on Reddit and Twitter, as they were confused: Has the story of Anthem simply been abandoned? Does Anthem not place great importance on the story, so that the plot is already finished a year before release?
The General Manager of BioWare, Casey Hudson, tried to reassure the fans. According to him, “Story has always played an important role in BioWare games. Drew has completed his work on the project, but the lead writers and their teams continue to work on it and are doing fantastic work developing the world, plot, and characters.”
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According to the YouTubers from Laymen Gaming, the lead writer Hall Hood has also left and is no longer part of the Anthem team. However, this is currently unconfirmed rumor, as the YouTubers are referring to anonymous internal sources.
Do you trust the situation and think Anthem can succeed? Or do you believe that Anthem is doomed to fail and some people are now leaving “the sinking ship”?
Saturn is hosting a laptop night today, and you can get the Acer Swift 7 and the ASUS Zenbook 3 at the best prices.
At Saturn, you can secure particularly light laptops today. Of course, these do not offer the graphics performance of a gaming laptop, but they are sufficient for working on the go or logging into World of Warcraft to complete some daily quests.
The Acer Swift 7 is an ultrathin laptop with a 13.3-inch display. It features an Intel Core i5 processor with 8 GB of RAM. Additionally, the Swift 7 has a 256 GB SSD. Weighing just 1.1 kg, it is also extremely light.
With the ASUS Zenbook 3 UX3410UQ-GV132T, you will also receive a very thin laptop. It has a 14-inch display and features an Intel Core i7. Furthermore, it includes a 512 GB SSD and 8 GB of RAM. In terms of graphics performance, it offers slightly more power than the Swift 7 with the GeForce 940MX. The weight is 1.4 kg.
Offers are valid until Tuesday at 9 AM CET or while stocks last.
All offers at Saturn The offers displayed here are equipped with so-called affiliate links. When you purchase through one of these links, we receive a small commission from the respective provider. This does not affect the price.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
While Fortnite: Battle Royale is teetering from one high to the next, the situation in PvE “Save the World” looks different at the moment. A change has just driven the most paying and diligent players to the barricades. Epic has fiddled with the players’ God-Rolls: The dragon weapons have been forcibly rerolled. But there is hope.
The rules and game mechanics of Fortnite: Battle Royale are quickly explained. All 100 players start each round with the same opportunities. Besides cosmetic skins, there is nothing to earn that you can take into the next round.
In the PvE part of the game “Save the World”, it’s different. There are tons of heroes, survivors, defenders, traps, and weapons that have different rarity levels and tiers. Fortnite is modeled here on mobile RPGs from Asia: You can grind for hours and days to perfect your “loadout” and equipment.
And: There are random rolls that unlock on items at certain levels. A weapon of the same type and tier can have different stats: One roll on an item increases critical damage, the next increases “base damage”, and the next may only increase damage in certain situations.
Players hunt for the perfect weapons in Fortnite: Save the World
Just like in Destiny 1, hardcore players are specifically farming “God-Rolls”, meaning weapons with the perfect perk combination. Recently, the “dragon weapons” have been highly sought after. These are special weapons for the spring event that look like they come from China.
They were farmed, and players were keen on rolls like “Critical Chance.” Players have invested hundreds of hours into the items they wanted to farm. Often, these players spend significant money in the game’s cash shop as well. Such players are referred to as “whales” in free-to-play games.
Patch 3.2 has rerolled the dragon weapons
However, with one of the latest patches, 3.2, Epic changed the rules and “rerolled” all dragon weapons. Epic meant well: they wanted to exclude really bad perk combinations, but it went horribly wrong.
Now there are new rules, but to implement them, all existing weapons have been completely rerolled, including the beloved God-Rolls with perfect stats.
These weapons theoretically now have higher-tier perks, but in practice, the weapons are significantly worse.
The PvE players who had such superweapons are outraged. They describe how much money and time they have invested in Fortnite so far and are calling for refunds.
One player complains on reddit: I want my $800 back. I log in and see everything ruined. My mythic items are not even as good as legendary ones anymore.
Epic says: “We made a mistake”
Epic probably knows this and said: “We made a mistake. In the future, we want to approach this differently”, but over the weekend, it seemed like a gigantic disaster had occurred.
Compensation and changes
On Monday evening, the compensations and changes were announced:
Epic will return players’ old dragon weapons to the state they were in before 3.2. The new versions of the weapons can also be kept by players – this should happen during the week.
The stat cap is being addressed by Epic with Patch 3.3 this week.
Additionally, they are reverting the changes to the crit chance perk.
Fans are reacting to this announcement quite relieved.
A new update for the battle royale shooter PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is on its way to you. In the patch notes, the developers explain that twelve emotes and over 30 achievements will be unlocked. What else is changing, we will show you in this overview.
PUBG March Update for PC (Number 7) – Performance
With the new patch, the performance of PUBG is reportedly improved. As the developers explain, they have worked hard on lag and stuttering issues. These often occurred when many players were in one spot or during larger firefights. Everything should now run much smoother.
The new vehicle penetration, which was actually supposed to be activated with this patch, is delayed due to issues and will be added to the game later.
The new patch will be released by the developers on the night of March 13 (around 03:00 CET). Servers will be offline from 03:00 for about three hours.
Patch Notes
Here we want to give you a rough overview of the patch notes for update 7 of PUBG. You can read the complete English patch notes here on the Steam community page.
Client Optimization
Delayed input lag (reduced input delay)
Reduced frame drop issues caused by map construction
Lowered GPU load by adjusting Erangel buildings
Improved start and end of effects
Improved vehicle physics when driving at certain speeds
Lobby
PUBG friends list added
Up to 50 players can become your friends there
Players with PUBG accounts can add each other regardless of the platform they use (Steam, Mail.ru, DMM)
The friends list operates one-sided without requests – you can simply follow other players
The PUBG friends list is independent of your Steam friends list
Voice chat is now also available in the main menu
Gameplay
37 new achievements added on Steam
Emote system activated
12 basic emotes are now available – more will follow in the future
If you hold down the hotkey for the emote menu (default is ~), simply click on a desired emote.
The blue blood is now no longer more visible than the red blood
Bug Fixes
The bug fixes are part of every update and remove annoying problems from the game. This time, the developers removed a bug where players suddenly died when climbing or diving. UI errors have also been fixed, and the sounds of footsteps in FPP mode adjusted.
