The tactical shooter Rainbow Six Siege is becoming more popular after two years. It has now set a new record in concurrent players and is among the most popular games on PC. The secret to its success lies in the many operator heroes.
Rainbow Six Siege is a tactical shooter by Ubisoft. In gripping and short 5vs5 skirmishes or co-op matches against AI, you can unleash in a destructible environment and achieve victory through careful, tactical action.
The game was released on December 1, 2015, and was initially not a big success. However, Ubisoft continued to refine the game and introduced a massive number of new heroes, called operators.
Then things suddenly started to improve.
27 million players across all platforms
Due to the hard work of the developers and the consistent continuation of the game, Rainbow Six Siege had 10 million players just 6 months after launch, and after one year, it was 20 million! The game now has 27 million registered players across all platforms. While this number also includes various test accounts, it is still impressive.
On PC via Steam, Rainbow Six Siege has now reached a new peak of concurrent players. In March 2018, after the last update “Operation Chimera”, there were 176,856 gamers playing at the same time. That is about 50,000 more than in February!
Additionally, there is an unknown number of fans playing on Ubisoft’s platform Uplay and the players on consoles PlayStation 4 and Xbox One!
Operator heroes as a secret
The secret of success seems to be the many heroes you can play in Rainbow Six Siege. Each update brings new characters into the game. Like in hero shooters such as Overwatch, the operators each have their own story and relationship with each other. Players love these heroes, and therefore, the developers want to bring as many as possible into the game.
In doing so, the developers at Ubisoft pay attention to a colorful mix of personalities and nationalities, which is often not so easy with the military setting of the game. Nevertheless, Ubisoft plans to continue the game for a long time and to offer around 100 operators in 10 years.
The perfect “Game as a Service”
Therefore, there will be no new Rainbow Six game in the foreseeable future. The title is a prime example of a thriving “Game as a Service”, a game that keeps its fans engaged over a long period with constant updates and innovations, rather than having to reinvent itself regularly in sequels.
Do you miss the days of Asheron’s Call and Everquest? Classic MMORPGs that impressed with straightforward group content? Then you might be interested in the early access phase of Project Gorgon.
The early access phase of Project Gorgon starts next week, aiming to provide you with a classic old-school MMORPG experience. You will feel transported back to the times of Everquest 1 and Asheron’s Call 1 – and not just in terms of gameplay, but also visually. Project: Gorgon aims to offer a true retro experience.
A Classic Gaming Experience
Project Gorgon goes against many current trends in MMORPGs but also offers interesting new ideas:
There are no predefined classes
You combine your skills as you wish
You improve through skills
Necromancy lets you summon the undead – even the corpses of fallen comrades
Tame animals and train them into powerful combat companions
Program golems, become a werewolf, or mutate into a powerful being
NPCs pursue their own goals
The story is told through live events
Players can create their own quests
Establish your own market stalls to sell your goods
Guild quests
Test the Retro Experience in the Early Access Version
If you want to know how Project Gorgon plays and whether such a retro experience is still fun for you today, you can check out the early access version, which starts next week.
The exact date will be announced later, as a series of bugs need to be fixed and the Steam launch must be prepared.
Trion Worlds is currently working on Defiance 2050, a reboot of the online shooter Defiance for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. The game is intended to be a new game rather than a replacement for the original.
Defiance 2050 will not only be a graphical update of the original. From a story standpoint, it is set four years later and will feature many quality-of-life improvements that modern online shooters are now accustomed to. In addition, even larger battles will be offered, and the class system will be revamped. Additionally, it will be possible to upgrade your items. The developers plan to present these and other innovations in more detail in the future.
Defiance 2050 does not replace the original
One might think that Trion Worlds wants to replace Defiance with the reboot. However, that is not the case. As the developers explain, both versions are intended to coexist side by side. So, if you prefer to play the original, you can continue to do so. The team will even continue to support the “old” version with updates that go beyond just maintenance mode. Events and a new reward system are planned.
This system, called “Valor,” allows you to carry over a portion of your progress from Defiance to the reboot. However, it will not be possible to transfer your character. Items and titles are also excluded from the transfer. This is because Defiance 2050 is essentially built as a new game.
What will remain the same is the gaming experience and also the entry point, which many players found very pleasant. You will also be able to easily jump into Defiance 2050.
Today, on March 8, there will be server maintenance in Fortnite . During this time, the game will be offline. How long will Fortnite be down on PS4, Xbox One, and PC? What’s included in update 3.2.0? One thing is clear: apart from the new 20-player team mode, the developers are keeping a big secret!
To prepare the servers for the new update, version 3.2.0, the Fortnite servers will be taken offline for an indefinite period of time.
At 10:00 AM German time, the Fortnite servers will be down.
Matchmaking for the Battle Royale mode will be disabled half an hour earlier – at 09:30 AM.
So far, it is still unknown how long the servers will be offline.
We will update this post for you when the servers come back online.
Update 12:40 PM; It looks like the maintenance works for Fortnite are taking a bit longer today. In recent weeks, the servers were back online around noon. This time, the servers are still offline at 12:40 PM. There are no statements from Epic regarding whether the maintenance will take longer or when Fortnite will be back online. We will update the article as soon as we know more.
Update 12:50 PM: Hardly written that it’s taking longer, the servers in Fortnite seem to be coming back online.
What does update 3.2.0 bring to Fortnite on PS4, Xbox One, and PC? New mode with 5 teams of 20 players!
The patch notes for 3.2.0 are expected to be released during maintenance. What exactly the update will bring is still unknown. Only the new team mode with 20 players each is confirmed.
As Epic has not made any major announcements, this update 3.2.0 will probably mainly focus on bug fixes. A larger topic in recent days has been the automatic rotation of building materials, which has frustrated some players.
Will Epic already present a solution here?
Patch 3.2.0 probably won’t bring jetpacks! But what about the new Halo skin?
Epic has not provided any details regarding the previously announced jetpack. Last week, design issues were identified that need to be addressed first.
Since the jetpack is likely also linked to a specific mode, we probably won’t see jetpacks this week!
By the end of February, players could experience the last expansion, Apocalypse, on the official servers of Battlefield 1. Our author Dennis took a closer look at Apocalypse in a preview test.
Oh Battlefield, I have been playing almost every title since 2010, starting with the second part of the series. Back then, I spent countless nights in front of my home PC, playing the map “Strike at Karkand” over and over. And the best part: It never got boring.
Of course, I am also involved in the current installment and play it as my main game. Now the last expansion “Apocalypse” was released, which, according to the developers, aims to show us the horrific side of war. I took a closer look at the weapons and maps and must say upfront: I expected a bit more from DICE.
5 new maps – Pure destruction
Let’s first take a look at the maps. A total of 5 new maps are added. The different areas feel coherent and consist partly of pure destruction.
Caporetto: On this front, the Italian army fights against Austria-Hungary. A key feature is the Livens projector, a new stationary weapon that can attack enemy areas with gas. In addition to infantry, there are also horses and light vehicles.
Passchendaele: According to the developers, the so-called “Battle of Flanders” raged in the Belgian city of Ypres, where the British and the German Empire faced each other. Debris and downed trees are scattered everywhere. Additionally, the dense smoke makes it difficult to spot enemies. You should best seek cover in the ruins.
Somme: Here, the British again fight against the German Empire. On this map, “Assault Mode” is played. The British army starts with a headquarters and must advance while the Germans hold all flags at the start. You can also find the Livens projector here.
The remaining two maps can only be played in the new mode “Air Assault“.
On the Edge: Here, air battles take place over icy mountains. You have fighter planes to choose from.
London Calls: Here, air battles take place over the British capital. You can choose any aircraft from the game, and airships are also involved. They either need to be defended or destroyed.
I particularly like the focus on infantry, which plays a significant role outside the two air maps. Unfortunately, I have a critique that I also mentioned in my last Battlefield 1 article: The maps are simply too open for my taste. One has to constantly expect to be shot from everywhere at any time. But that’s clearly a matter of taste. I’m more of a fan of tight maps like “Operation Metro” from Battlefield 3 or “Strike at Karkand” from the second part.
The new game mode – Start the planes
Two of the new maps can only be played in the new mode “Air Assault”. Ace pilots and daring aviators are at home here, as there is nothing but planes. In “On the Edge”, the team scores points through kills, similar to Team Deathmatch. The team that reaches the point limit first wins. In “London Calls”, the mode is a bit more complex. Here you must defend or destroy airships.
Air Assault is fast-paced. You can definitely have a few rounds of fun, but after a while, as an air combat fan, I prefer to switch to War Thunder or similar games.
The new weapons – Something for every class
In total, there are 6 new firearms in various versions.
The Assault Soldier gets the RSC MP, a new submachine gun. It has only a few rounds in the magazine but deals significant damage.
The Support gets the LMG 08/18, a heavy machine gun with a massive magazine. A few missed shots are tolerable.
The Medic can include the Howell in his loadout. I highly recommend unlocking the sniper version. The standard variant has the dumbest sight I have ever seen in Battlefield 1. However, this is subjective.
As a Sniper, you can try out two new weapons. One is the Ross MKE3, which resembles the SMLE, and the other is the 1917 Enfield in the infantry version.
There’s also a new revolver for all classes that, when used correctly, deals massive damage.
Unlike in previous DLCs, the weapons are relatively quick to unlock. For some calibers, you only need to make a few kills.
In addition to the new weapons, there are also various melee weapons and a new grenade. To defend against enemy aircraft, assault soldiers have access to the anti-aircraft gun. It looks like an anti-tank rifle and operates almost the same.
The new challenges – Who came up with this?
With the last DLC, several new specializations have been introduced, likely targeting professional players. With “Mortality”, you lose around 200 points after a respawn. “Paranoia” makes you wear the gas mask for the entire round.
I initially thought it was an April Fool’s joke, but it’s a bit too early for that. Some may enjoy these new challenges; however, I personally find them absolutely ridiculous. Quite honestly: The developers should have focused on other, more important features of the game instead of these specializations.
Now comes the less appetizing part of the article. I have been playing Battlefield 1 for about 600 hours and have witnessed many things. Unfortunately, some issues remain just as bad as before. For one, the server balance, which still isn’t functioning properly 1.5 years after release. How often do I join servers where there are up to five players missing on one team? In the large modes, this might not stand out, but in smaller modes, every soldier is worth their weight in gold.
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I would also appreciate a sniper limit. There are simply too many snipers running around. Since sniping has been significantly simplified compared to previous installments, almost everyone plays this class. This can make some conquest rounds relatively dull and end in pure frustration. It’s annoying to constantly get picked off by camping snipers.
Conclusion: Is “Apocalypse” worth it?
Well, I personally expected more from the last expansion. The Russia DLC was the best expansion for me because there was a lot of content compared to other DLCs. I feel that Apocalypse could have included more weapons, but that’s just my opinion. Overall, it’s a solid expansion for 15 euros. A bit more content at the end wouldn’t have been a bad thing.
I will definitely continue playing until the next Battlefield installment, maybe we’ll meet on the battlefield.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Half a year Destiny 2 – what remains in memory? What lies ahead for Bungie’s latest title? Do fans still remain loyal to the game?
Destiny 2 has closed its first 6 months. This half year has been quite turbulent for the newest installment of the series.
What remains in memory?
After a sensational start, the initially acclaimed title mainly drew attention due to negative headlines. Players quickly became disillusioned over the meager content, the lack of depth, many questionable design decisions, and the overall direction of the game. The first DLC “Curse of Osiris” fell short of expectations and could not placate the community. The initial disillusionment soon escalated into dissatisfaction and disappointment.
Bungie fell into a nightmarish cycle with Destiny 2. One blunder followed another, with numerous shitstorms arising. Countless apologies and reassurances came from the developers, overshadowed by further serious blunders. The studio presented a poor image and squandered its reputation and trust. Fans began to leave en masse. Since then, the game has been in crisis and is struggling with constantly declining player numbers. Bungie had to react.
The developers presented a plan to break this nightmare cycle and reshape the game in Spring 2018 with a wide range of changes, as per the community’s desires. Since then, they have been desperately trying to save the game through ongoing updates.
Quo vadis, Destiny?
It requires no deep detective work to see that Destiny 2 is currently in serious trouble. While Bungie is trying hard to save their latest Destiny installment, will it suffice?
The list of changes is long. Some of the most important adjustments will take a lot of time to implement. For many fans, the two updates planned for the end of March and May 2018 represent Bungie’s last chance to save the game. Although a major expansion is expected by the end of the year, which could bring about profound changes, it may be too late for many Guardians if the two upcoming updates fail. Players are already longing for alternatives.
And the competition is not sleeping. While Destiny 2 had been pretty much alone in its genre so far, this status quo is likely to change within the next year. With The Division 2, Borderlands 3, and Anthem, three promising competitors are aiming for a release by March 2019. The pressure on Bungie is increasing. The studio is backed into a corner and must deliver promptly.
We can only hope that the developers can actually manage to turn things around and get Destiny 2 back on course. The coming months will play a crucial role in this.
Will you remain loyal to Destiny 2?
In this context, we have prepared a survey here. Each of you can select only one option:
How do you view the first 6 months of Destiny 2? What stands out to you in particular? Do you remain loyal to the game despite the crisis?
Wobble Worms – They are currently seen everywhere in Monster Hunter World ! These special helmets are super popular among players and it is understandable. Every movie scene and dance party with the squad just gets better with the wobbly puppet helmets.
In Monster Hunter World there is a special event quest through which hunters can unlock the peculiar, but super funny Wobble Worm helmets. They simply blew away the players!
Screenshots and funny clips of cut scenes appear everywhere, featuring the Wobble Worms in all colors. There are even dance parties with the squad in wobble style.
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Wobble Worm Helmets are Strange, Wobbly, and Funny
Especially streamers love to show off the Wobble Worms. The helmets resemble giant puppets that are placed over the head and wobble along with the movements of the characters.
Besides streamers and YouTubers, even the “regular” hunters are excited about the helmets and share their adventures as Wobble Worms.
“When you think about your life as a Wobble Worm and it makes no sense.”
It is particularly special when hunters walk through the mostly dramatically staged movie scenes in Monster Hunter World wearing the Wobble Worm helmet. The wobbly head with the serious expression looks so strange with every movement that it is simply funny.
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Those Who Want to Join the Wobble Club Need to Hurry!
If you also want the Wobble Worm helmet, you need to act quickly. Only today, on March 8th, the event quest “Let it Wobble!” is available. At some point, this quest will probably reappear in a rotation. However, when that will be is unknown.
The pre-alpha of the MMO Dual Universe was previously only accessible to backers. Access has not been sold for a certain period of time. But now the gates to the massive game world are open for more players.
Anyone interested in the online game Dual Universe and would like to join now, in this early development phase, can purchase one of the supporter packs. This way, you not only support the further development of the game but also get to play and give your feedback.
Secure advantages, but consider the disadvantages of early access
As a supporter, you receive certain advantages:
You test features before they are publicly announced
You actively support development with your feedback
You participate in pre-alpha tests
You receive beta codes that you may distribute
You will receive cosmetic items
You will get Dual Access Coupons that grant you up to one year of free access to the game after release. Normally, you need to subscribe to play.
With €60 for the smallest package, entering the world of Dual Universe is more expensive. You should only do this if you are aware of the disadvantages of such an early access: It is not a finished game, it is not yet running smoothly, and there is no guarantee that development will proceed smoothly and quickly as you imagine.
Test the massive game world
If you decide to invest in Dual Universe, you will participate in the pre-alpha tests and experience the massive game world that is stored on a single server.
This means you interact with thousands of players in the same universe, where there are no loading times. You start from a planet, fly into space to another world without loading screens, and land there also without loading times. Furthermore, you create buildings, space stations, ships, and entire cities according to your ideas. This allows you to enjoy enormous freedom in the game.
For the StarCraft anniversary, you are given this spaceship for Diablo 3. Unlock it quickly!
The companions in Diablo 3 are helpful when they collect nearby gold from slain monsters for you. They also look cool! They come in all sorts of colors and shapes. From spotted cows to shimmering skulls, there are companions for everyone.
The selection is now increased by a battlecruiser that you can unlock for free and effortlessly in D3.
Battle Cruiser Pet in Diablo 3 – Battle Cruiser
For the 20th anniversary of the StarCraft franchise, Blizzard is giving away some gifts that are distributed across the other games of the studio.
In Diablo 3, there is now the companion named “The League’s Revenge”. This is a battlecruiser from StarCraft, which is called Battle Cruiser there. In the game, it has a cool look in black, red, and gold.
To unlock the companion, you just need to log into Diablo 3 now. When you access your companion overview, the battlecruiser will automatically be in your collection.
It is unclear how long you can unlock the pet, so you should do it right away before the event ends.
StarCraft 2 Gifts in Overwatch, Hearthstone, HotS, and WoW
With the new in-game rewards, Blizzard is celebrating StarCraft’s 20th birthday, which is coming up on March 31. The loot expands to other Blizzard franchises:
StarCraft 2 players get UI skins and portraits – this is valid until April 3
In Hearthstone, there’s a special Tavern Brawl with card rewards – it takes place from March 21 to March 25
Heroes of the Storm brings cool portraits in StarCraft style – For the Protoss, Terran, and Zerg portraits, you should log into the game between March 27 and April 7
Anyone who executes the command “/Salute” on the pets “Zergling, Gurgli, Berstling, or Zeradar” in World of Warcraft between March 31 and April 6, will receive the achievement “A Salute for StarCraft”.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The new patch for Fortnite is coming today. It will bring a new mode and fresh skins. The hoverboards in PvE are also getting some love. We will show you the patch notes and discuss the highlights of the new update.
Today, during maintenance, the next patch for Fortnite will be deployed. It is a rather small patch with bug fixes and quality-of-life changes. But it also brings a new mode for Battle Royale and more options to build huge hoverboard tracks in “Save the World”.
On PC, there’s now another anti-cheat program with Easy Anti-Cheat. It alternates with BattlEye.
Battle Royale
In Battle Royale, there is the announced 20-player team mode. Here, five teams of 20 players each will fight against each other. Each team consists of five squads of four players. In this mode, there are more treasure chests and ammo crates than usual. Only the position of the first storm is random; afterwards, the eye of the storm remains in the center.
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The hunting rifle will function similarly to a sniper rifle. When aiming and not moving, it achieves perfect accuracy.
As a new skin, there’s Bull in Fortnite: Battle Royale.
Save the World
In Save the World, there will be a hoverboard turbo pad. This will make it even more like Mario Kart. The turbo pad accelerates the hoverboard towards the marked point. The sketch is a quest reward for “Do you want to build a hoverboard?”
Additionally, the Wukong skin is now also available in PvE. He is the mythical version of the Berserker soldier from the Lunar New Year event and is available in the event shop.
In PvE, there are also numerous changes to weapon advantages and group missions.
In Monster Hunter World there are a number of optional quests that you can complete. Here is a list of the optional quests and where you can get them, as well as which items and rewards they unlock.
Optional quests are side missions that you do not need to complete in order to progress in the story and reach the endgame. However, there are still benefits to completing optional quests, as you can earn Zenny and additional rewards.
You unlock optional quests through these actions:
Find a monster – Low rank and high rank are separated
Catch a monster – Low rank and high rank are separated
Talk to residents – Characters with a yellow exclamation mark above their head have a quest
Complete previous optional quests
Random rare encounters – These appear randomly after a quest or investigation is completed. These quests can only be completed 2 times and then disappear. After that, they will reappear randomly. This includes leading the Zorah Magdaros.
Have researched monsters to the maximum – All 4 levels are filled in the monster encyclopedia
The current progress level for main quests
*Special arena – These quests are unlocked when a specific monster is caught for the first time. The arena quests appear randomly on the quest board and are distinguished into low rank and high rank.
List of all optional quests in low rank
Here is a list of all optional quests that you can undertake in low rank. These quests are marked with a “star level” of 1-5. Special rewards that you can unlock are highlighted in bold.
Requirement: JR 8 or higher, all LR catching quests completed
Reward: Unlocks Thunder Mantle
Those Who Itches
Task: Hunt an Odogaron
Requirement: JR 8 or higher
The Best Monster of Man (Clever Biologist)
Task: Catch an Odogaron
Requirement: JR 8 or higher
Meat Business (Cook)
Task: Deliver 2 Meat Chunks
Requirement: JR 8 or higher
Special Arena:
Diablos
Odogaron
Legiana
Rathalos
List of all optional quests in high rank
Here is a list of all optional quests that you can undertake in high rank. These quests are marked with a “star level” of 6-9. Special rewards that you can unlock are highlighted in bold.
6*-star quests
Difficult to Digest
Task: Hunt a Great Jagras
Requirement: JR 11 or higher
Bulging Eyed Green Monster
Task: Hunt a Pukei-Pukei
Requirement: JR 11 or higher
A Hair-Raising Experience
Task: Hunt a Tobi-Kadachi
Requirement: JR 11 or higher
Don’t Move
Task: Hunt an Anjanath
Requirement: JR 11 or higher
The Sleeping Forest Queen
Task: Hunt a Rathian
Requirement: JR 11 or higher
Habituation Animals (Research Base)
Task: Catch a Tobi-Kadachi
Requirement: JR 11 or higher
Reward: Unlocks Canteen Ingredient
Out with the Fins
Task: Hunt a Kulu-Ya-Ku
Requirement: JR 11 or higher
A Crown of Mud and Rage
Task: Hunt a Barroth
Requirement: JR 11 or higher
The Pukei-Pukei Ambush
Task: Hunt a Pukei-Pukei
Requirement: JR 11 or higher
Knee Deep in the Wasteland
Task: Hunt a Jyuratodus
Requirement: JR 11 or higher
Brown Desert, Green Queen
Task: Hunt a Rathian
Requirement: JR 11 or higher
Intrusive Troublemaker
Task: Hunt an Anjanath
Requirement: JR 11 or higher
Say Cheese:
Task: Hunt a Tzitzi-Ya-Ku
Requirement: JR 11 or higher
Catch the Paolumu
Task: Hunt a Paolumu
Requirement: JR 11 or higher
A Sparkling Taste
Task: Hunt a Great Girros
Requirement: JR 11 or higher
Reward: Unlocks Follow-Up Mission for Affinity Booster
The allied race of Dark Iron Dwarves in WoW will also be playable as shamans. The cool totems have been discovered in the files.
With the upcoming expansion for World of Warcraft, there are some new races that will join the Horde and Alliance. These “Allied Races” are a core feature of Battle for Azeroth. While most races have already revealed their details, information about the Dark Iron Dwarves is still missing. They will join the Alliance and are expected to be unlocked during the campaign in Kul Tiras.
Which classes the Dark Iron Dwarves will be able to choose is still unclear. Initial hints suggested that shamans were not included – but that has now changed!
The reason for this assumption is information from the latest Alpha patch of Battle for Azeroth. Data miners from wowhead and mmo-champion immediately delved into the new game data and brought a lot of new information to light.
A series of totems have been read that are visually clearly associated with the dwarves. Instead of having a typical wooden shape, the totems apparently consist of metal and resemble an anvil of the Shadow Forge. Additionally, they have the typical drill bits of the Dark Iron Dwarves on the bottom. A small preview video by YouTuber LeystTV shows the totems.
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Mercy will soon be shouting loudly over the battlefields of Overwatch. Because heroes never die – even if they are not resurrected.
In Overwatch, there are a number of memorable voicelines that players remember and that immediately trigger an association even for non-players of the shooter. Everyone knows Tracer’s “Cheers, love. The cavalry is here!” or McCree’s “The hour has come…”.
However, hardly any voiceline comes close to Mercy’s “Heroes never die!” or “Helden sterben nicht!”. That is practically the one sentence that all players instantly associate with Mercy.
Since Mercy’s rework, the line is rarely used, only occasionally when she resurrects a single player. As a result, the voiceline loses its power and significance. You only hear it when your character is right next to Mercy.
Mercy’s most popular voiceline will be part of the Ultimate again
Players miss this voiceline very much, as in the forums it is often demanded that Mercy should shout “Heroes never die!” loudly over the battlefield again.
In the official forum, Michael Chu, the lead writer of Overwatch, has now announced that they want to meet the fans’ wishes.
In the future, when activating Valkyrie, Mercy will again shout “Heroes never die!” in addition to the slight variations that appear with different skins (for instance, with the Halloween witch, it will be “My servants never die!”).
However, there is still no exact timeframe for when this will be implemented. Whether this change will make it into the next patch, which also includes the new hero Brigitte, is uncertain.
Have you missed the voicelines? Or do you think they no longer fit Mercy’s new ultimate and she should get different ones?
You have never gotten the Nintendo Switch cheaper. However, the offer is only valid for a few more hours. Additionally, the Huawei Mate 10 Pro is discounted.
Update March 8: While the promotion at MediaMarkt has ended, you can still buy the Nintendo Switch at Amazon for the best price of 288 Euros. How long this offer lasts is unknown.
Original message: Today only, you can get the Nintendo Switch for just 288 Euros. The “Deal of the Day” offer is valid until 11:59 PM CET and for both color variants of the popular Nintendo console. According to the Idealo price comparison, this is the lowest price the console has ever reached.
Definitely, it is by far the current best price and thus a good opportunity to secure outstanding games like Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Both were among the best games of last year.
Other Offers
The Deal of the Day offers you not only the Switch at a particularly low price. You also get the Huawei Mate 10 Pro for just 499 Euros. The smartphone offers you 128 GB of storage, Android 8.0, a 20-megapixel camera, 6 GB of RAM, and a screen diagonal of 6 inches.
The offers displayed here contain what are known as 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 patch 8.5 of League of Legends (LoL) brings a new ADC and changes existing champions. We show you what’s happening.
With the new update 8.5, the developers bring a few minor changes to League of Legends. This update could entice some champions that have been gathering dust. We show you why downloading patch 8.5 is worth it in this overview that consists of exactly 6.5 points.
1. Kai’Sa, the daughter of the Void joins League of Legends
Patch 8.5 introduces the ADC “Kai’Sa” as the first new champion in 2018. If you had to compare Kai’Sa with an existing LoL champion, it would probably be Vayne. She uses stackable attacks with a trigger that deals percentage health damage. This works similarly to Vayne’s Silverbolts. Kai’Sa can also briefly become invisible to reposition herself.
The option for open groups will be activated during patch 8.5. Once activated, open groups will be enabled by default.
The advantage of these open groups is that friends on your friends list can see your group right away. There will also be information on which queue you are in and how large your current group is. With one click, friends can then join you – it works completely without an invitation.
So if you like playing with people from your friends list, use the open groups as a general invitation to anyone.
3. Command Banner no longer brings Super Mutants
The command banner worked well with the Baron buff. And by that, we mean: it was quite OP! Especially in high-ranked games, you saw the interaction between the command banner buff and the Baron buff. The additional damage that cannon minions dealt to towers was cumulative and led to the absolute destroyer minions.
Unfortunately, with patch 8.5, that is over. The banner buff no longer accumulates with the same effect as the Hand of the Baron on siege minions.
4. A new skin for Illaoi – WOOHOO!
It was about time. Since release, Illaoi has had only two skins (Standard + Void Bringer) available. After two years, this will change with patch 8.5. Riot let the community vote on which Illaoi should come. The majority chose “Resistance Illaoi,” which is now making its way to League of Legends.
Swain received his long-awaited rework this year. A few adjustments have also been made to Rengar. However, the popularity of both champions has not been very good lately. Therefore, the developers have stepped in and made further tweaks to both.
Rengar’s ferocity now decays after eight instead of just six seconds. His ultimate ability “Hunting Fever” has also received a minor adjustment. The absolute vision on a target now lasts until Rengar lands his jump. Previously, the vision expired when Rengar started the jump. His Q ability “Brutality” also deals more base damage and now scales better.
Swain is boosted with a few buffs. The cooldown on his Q ability “Death’s Grasp” is reduced at the first levels. With his General’s Insight (W), you can now hit targets more easily as the radius has been increased. His E ability “Nevermore” also receives a higher radius.
With her one-shot debut in League of Legends, she didn’t make it easy for the community. Riot addressed her “overwhelming” strengths in a later patch. However, in certain situations, she is supposed to have more power again. The coupling of Q “Star Surge” and her passive ability will be separated. As a result, Q no longer deals the Spark damage on the first target hit. Q also deals less AOE damage but now has increased base damage.
Additionally, the range of her normal attacks and her W ability “Spell Thief” has been increased.
Let’s briefly remember Zoe’s beginnings:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oFC0b0gxw8
6.5. Increased tower damage, Hooray!
Towers now deal more damage to minions. After Riot removed the additional damage from champions to minions in patch 8.4, some champions had issues with last hitting under the tower. With patch 8.5, towers deal 45% of the maximum health of a melee minion instead of 43% of the maximum health of a melee minion when attacking.
In doing so, they also “fixed” a bug. Towers had previously indicated that they dealt 45% damage to minions, although the value was 43%. Now the number is correct again.
The new battle royale game Europa: Rings of Elysium is now in closed beta. At least in Indonesia. But apparently, you can also play from here if you use an Asian gaming service. Europa is like a “PUBG with underwater.”
The hype around PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds has inspired a multitude of similar projects: Some of them are now playable.
Europa is a battle royale game from the Chinese software giant Tencent. The game is also known under the title Ring of Elysium. As is common in battle royale games, you will be dropped along with 99 other players onto an ever-shrinking area and must kill all other players. Only then can you win.
Destructible Environment and Water as Unique Features
Fun Fact: Developer Tencent also distributes the competing PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds in China!
Closed Beta Only in Indonesia – Registration Probably Possible
The closed beta of Europa: Ring of Elysium is set to start on March 7, 2018. To participate, you need to create a free account on the large Asian gaming platform Garena. Then download the Garena launcher and set the region to Indonesia in the settings (gear icon).
Then wait for the banner for Europa: Ring of Elysium to appear and click on it. You will then be directed to a page where you can register for the closed beta for Europa. According to comments online, you might then be activated for the beta with some luck.
Register at Your Own Risk
But be careful! In addition to your name and email address, they also want your phone number (NO HP). So think carefully about whether you provide that. And keep in mind that your ping from Europa to Indonesia will probably not be the best.
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A journalist reports on homophobic remarks in the Overwatch League. He apparently forgot that the nasty words used to be part of his own vocabulary.
In the Overwatch League, a bunch of twenty-somethings play. It shouldn’t be that way, but time and again, words are used that are politically incorrect. One of these words is “faggot.” That is a derogatory term for homosexuals in English. In German, you might translate that as “Schwuchtel.”
Player curses, says: “It wasn’t meant to be that toxic”
Especially a player from Dallas Fuel, xQC, has already stood out as someone who often loses his temper and uses inappropriate language in his stream during the first weeks. The Overwatch League, concerned about its image, punished him with suspensions, and even his own team took action against the player.
Taimou
But this time it wasn’t about him, but about his teammate “Taimou.” He cursed in a Twitch stream on January 23, saying “Fucking faggot kid.” This was reported through the support system, but there was no response from Blizzard.
Taimou himself said later in the stream that he was “accidentally toxic.”
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Nonetheless, the incident caught the attention of journalist Jacob Wolf from ESPN, who reported on it. ESPN is a massive sports platform in the USA. In his article, the author criticizes that “anti-homosexual” language had been used and that the Overwatch League had not responded, even after being pointed out.
There were a few statements, and actually, that should have been the end of it.
But as Kotaku reports, something unfortunate happened for the author of the article. Users scoured his own Twitter biography and found numerous tweets from 2014 and earlier, in which the author himself regularly used words like “faggot.”
According to Kotaku, the author even tried to delete these tweets, but screenshots were already circulating.
There’s apparently no statement from ESPN on this yet.
In eSports, young journalists can quickly build a career
Mein MMO says: The ESPN author Jacob Wolf is himself a gamer who became a journalist and is involved in eSports. He has had a steep career in eSports so far, is closely linked to the subject, and therefore has great career opportunities in the booming business of “eSports.”
As far as this can be traced through interviews, Wolf apparently started at the eSports site Daily Dot as a teenager and quickly moved from there to the giant ESPN. He is said to have started there at the age of 19.
The author is now only in his early 20s. The tweets with the homophobic terms he made when he was around 14, 15, 16.
The incident shows that most people in this eSports business are young but are already fully in the public eye. This leads to problems: Many words and terms that are part of everyday youth language are, when looked at soberly, hurtful and absolutely not okay. From professionals, one expects that they are aware of being in the public eye and maintain complete control. Now it shows: This also applies to journalists, and retroactively.
There is a huge hype around eSports. Companies like ESPN want to get in there aggressively. Young authors have the opportunity to rise quickly. Perhaps, on their way up, they should take the time to review their Twitter accounts.
The internet doesn’t just see and hear everything – it also forgets nothing.
Journalist apologizes
In a tweet, Jacob Wolf now apologizes. He stated that he made the tweets at the age of 13 to 17. He regrets these words and asks for forgiveness. Since then he has become more mature and no longer uses these words. Wolf continues to strive to learn from his mistakes and become a better person and journalist.
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Fortnite is a phenomenon. The game is so big that even non-gamers are getting involved. For instance, the US morning talk show asks in the name of concerned parents: “How many hours can my child play Fortnite?”
Just like Pokemon GO in the summer of 2016, Fortnite has become so huge that it reaches people who are not into gaming. While in 2016 you couldn’t overlook how many people were running around with their smartphones hunting virtual monsters, in 2018 it is impossible to miss that Fortnite is being played everywhere.
Good Morning America discusses Fortnite
Fortnite: Battle Royale is free, playable on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and has a low age rating of USK 12. Ideal conditions to become a mega-hit that transcends the boundaries of gaming.
Even the US morning show, “Good Morning, America” has addressed Fortnite.
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They let experts and specialists speak who are addressing the concerns of parents “My child plays way too much Fortnite.” Children are disappearing into their rooms and playing the game for hours on end. When they are called for dinner, it’s always: “Just 10 more minutes, Mom,” while the food is getting cold. But the little rascals would rather starve than miss even a minute of Fortnite.
The parents seem mainly worried about appearing as “the bad guys” if they impose a ban, but they are also concerned that homework might fall by the wayside.
Here comes a difficulty: Parents do not want to ban technical devices from their children anymore because they then say: “I need this for my homework.”
Experts praise the social aspect of Fortnite, but call for moderation
The experts explain that Fortnite has several advantages compared to earlier games:
It is interactive and communicative.
Games are no longer “solo affairs” but group activities.
Especially children who are not involved in sports teams can find an environment here.
The interviewed experts took a relatively friendly approach to Fortnite. The game should be enjoyed in moderation. Time recommendations for how many hours of gaming are acceptable could only be given by psychologist Dr. Jonathan Fader to a limited extent.
For children aged two to five, he recommends: “Less than one hour.”
For teenagers, it is about the context: “How does playing affect their daily life? Does it prevent them from doing homework? Does it keep them from participating in other social activities?”
The psychologist says: “I solve this by playing with my children.”
One should not forbid children to play, but rather show them alternatives to what they could do instead.
In May of last year, the Swedish eSports reality show “Gamerz” awarded a six-month professional contract to five up-and-coming players of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. However, the winners were left hanging after just three months. This week, the second season of the unconventional casting show has started. The production team promises improvement.
Last May, a TV show in the style of “Big Brother” was set up in Sweden by Gamingzone Entertainment, in which twelve candidates lived together in a house for three weeks and were supposed to face challenges.
In the end, the candidates were not awarded any material or cash prize, but a pro-gaming contract for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
The catch: The winners of the first show did not become a super team, but the dream quickly shattered.
Pro-Gamer through Casting Show
After the last broadcast of the show, the five winners began training online together under the guidance of Oskar Holm, one of the coaches of the “Gamerz” show.
In June, the first competition came up, and although the team performed well at the BYOC event of Dreamhack Summer 2017, the promised casting career of the guys went downhill from there.
One of the five winners, Dylan “DH” Hamrini, had to withdraw from the tournament due to his graduation. According to him, the team did not want to train with him anymore afterwards. One of the other participants of the show, Fredrik “Elo” Annerström, filled in for Hamrini. The Gamerz team finished in second place at the BYOC event.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSOsOCoNmR0
Management Issues
On July 27, 2017, player Jonas “Queenix” Dideriksen reported in an interview about the many problems of the team: After Hamrini missed Dreamhack, the team would have fallen apart. Instead of finding replacements or providing the remaining players with a structure, the management of Gamingzone Entertainment is said to have largely ignored the team from that point on.
Dideriksen stated, for example, that he had not received a single paycheck. Furthermore, the team had not worked together since Dreamhack, and their coach had “no time” left to talk to them. The day after the interview, Dideriksen tweeted that Gamerz had finally paid him.
In the end, Gamingzone Entertainment never paid the winners of the Gamerz show the promised six months’ salaries, but instead settled the team with pay for about three months. The players themselves claim that they offered hardly any objections to the halving of their salaries, as the team barely existed at that point anyway, and some of them had moved to other Counter-Strike organizations.
Gamerz’ first attempt to establish an eSports team, therefore, went only moderately well.
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The production company Gamingzone Entertainment admitted in a conversation that they could not keep the glamorous promises they made to the winners of the first season of the show. As Robert Jönsson from “Gamerz” explained, they “underestimated” the challenges of establishing good management for a professional team.
This week, the second season of “Gamerz” started, in which the responsible parties will work with the eSports veterans from Fnatic. The winners are to join the Fnatic Academy and be mentored by the organization.
The grand career is no longer promised to the winners: in CS: GO, academy teams are only secondary players who cannot participate in an event when their owner’s main team is already registered. However, in August 2017, two academy players were promoted to Fnatic’s main team.
Finally, it’s time for a back surgery for the Orcs in WoW. We will show you how the green and brown skins look upright.
At BlizzCon 2017, there were numerous announcements regarding World of Warcraft and the upcoming expansion Battle for Azeroth. In addition to the announcements of the Allied Races, which are now largely playable, there was also the revelation that existing races would receive new customization options.
One of these options is that Orcs can walk upright in the new addon. Previously, Orcs have always been hunched over and had a strong hunchback. However, some exceptions, such as Garrosh Hellscream, were able to walk upright. Players have long wished for their Orc to finally have a better posture.
With the latest Alpha patch of Battle for Azeroth, this dream is finally coming true. The models and animations of the upright Orcs have been found in the game data! The colleagues at mmo-champion have already created a small video that provides a first impression of the animations and movements of the upright Orcs.
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The adjustment for a straight back for Orcs is likely to come with the pre-patch for Battle for Azeroth, that is, with Patch 8.0, which will be released a few weeks before the official launch – sometime in early summer this year.
If Blizzard adheres to the original plan, then the option for the “Upright” Orcs will simply be added at the barber. Better not ask us why a Goblin barber suddenly has the capability to perform operations on the spine – but at least there will be no costly character customization required.
What do you think of the upright Orcs? Will you have your Orc straighten his back? Or is it part of the Orc experience that they walk hunched?
