Destiny 2: How the Nightfall Strike Changes – Modifier, Nightfall Buff

Tom Rothstein Tom Rothstein Reading time 4 minutes

In Destiny 2, the Nightfall Strike is being significantly changed. Modifiers, strike scoring, new rewards, and even a Nightfall buff are coming.

At the end of February, expected on February 27, Bungie will implement the update 1.1.3. This includes many new features, including strike scoring for the Nightfall, the Nightfall Strike.

In the latest blog post, the developers elaborate on the changes to the Nightfall Strike.

The objectives of the new Nightfall Strike

The Nightfall has been criticized since the launch of Destiny 2. Each Nightfall Strike has a time limit, which annoys many Guardians. It doesn’t contribute to the fun and leads to a stressful gaming experience. Players focus less on the actual fight and more on not running out of time. If the mission timer reaches zero, no rewards are given – the run was in vain.

Game Director Christopher Barrett explains what objectives are being pursued with the new Nightfall:

  • The previous mission timer is removed and replaced with strike scoring, making the Nightfall a challenging test.
  • Both organized fireteams and dedicated solo players should be able to complete the Nightfall and earn rewards.
  • Players can set their own challenge level – they can proceed slowly and cautiously through the strike, or quickly and recklessly.
  • Optional modifiers challenge hardcore veterans.
  • Additionally, each nasty enemy (likely the bosses) will drop a very rare, unique, and powerful item. Sounds like strike-specific loot!
  • With exclusive auras and emblems, you can showcase what you have achieved in the Nightfall.
    destiny-2-strike

Nightfall Scoring – All Info

Senior Design Lead Tyson Green then goes into detail about Nightfall Scoring.

The new scoring rules are intended to:

  • reward you for confronting enemies and defeating them, rather than running past them.
  • not place too much emphasis on specific mechanics, such as precision kills, as these highlight certain sandbox areas too much.
  • reward you for taking on bigger challenges and pushing the limits of your abilities.
  • additionally reward you if you accomplish all of this in a short time.

Here’s how scoring works:

  • The scoring is team-based and reflects the sum of your individual performances. You should work together to try to increase your total score and not get upset if someone steals your kill.
  • Scoring primarily relies on kills and secondarily on generating orbs of light. Furthermore, there will be point awards in the future when you earn medals.
  • Your score “bleeds” over time, meaning it slowly decreases. This score decay can be harsh; however, it will be rewarded if one team is faster than another.
  • After a certain period, scoring stops: After 15 minutes, you will earn only 50% of the points you did before. After 18 minutes, you earn no new points anymore. Then it’s important to finish the Nightfall as quickly as possible to secure the points.
    herausforderungskarte

Challenge Cards and Modifiers

In addition to the mechanics described above, you can increase the difficulty of the Prestige Nightfall strikes yourself. By completing a Nightfall, you receive a Challenge Card.

herausforderung

With this challenge card, you can increase the challenge for the next Prestige Nightfall, as it activates modifiers. As a reward, there are score multipliers – meaning, you can earn more points.

Once the strike scoring launches at the end of February, there will be these three optional modifiers:

  • Void, Solar, and Arcburn – offers a +25% increase in player and enemy damage with the respective element.
  • Wipe – If the entire fireteam falls, everyone returns to orbit (which Destiny 1 veterans may remember).
  • Power Modifier – Reduces your power.
abzeichen

In the future, more modifiers are expected to follow.

The Rewards

In every Nightfall strike, you can earn Nightfall emblems. These show your Nightfall scores. If the score is high enough, you unlock Nightfall auras. This requires the score to be above a global threshold. This threshold is initially set by Bungie but can later be increased based on community scores.

aura

If you achieve a score above the threshold, you will receive not only an aura but also a buff that applies to the entire fireteam and increases the Vanguard token rewards in this strike by 25%.

Additionally, there will be rare variants of Nightfall emblems that will only be awarded for extremely high scores. Bungie expects that not everyone will be able to earn these.

It is emphasized that strike scoring will be further expanded in the future. At the end of February, the first version will be rolled out, and then they want to respond to community feedback.

Three additional notes:

  • If you play solo and take quite a long time for the Nightfall, you may lose some points, but you will still receive rewards upon completion.
  • You can only add modifiers once you have the Challenge Card.
  • Modifiers can only be selected in the Prestige Raid.

What do you think of all these changes?

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

Controversial shooter Metal Gear Survive starts beta on PC, PS4, Xbox

Jürgen Horn Jürgen Horn Reading time 2 minutes

In Metal Gear Survive (PC, PS4, Xbox) you fight in a team against zombies in a parallel world. If you want to test it, you have the opportunity in the upcoming 2nd beta. For the first time even on PC.

Metal Gear Survive is an upcoming coop shooter from the Metal Gear series. In it, you rebuild your base and fight as a team with up to three players against strange zombies in a parallel world. The goal is to outmaneuver the zombies and hold them off with obstacles long enough.

Metal Gear Survive Zombies

The game will soon start its 2nd beta, this time also for the first time for PC via Steam.

Weekend Beta for PS4, PC and Xbox

This coming weekend from February 16th to 18th, you can play the second beta of Metal Gear Survive on Steam, PS4, and Xbox One. It includes 3 missions on 2 maps. In addition, there are special daily missions.

As a bonus, all beta participants will receive the following items:

  • FOXHOUND Nameplate
  • Metal Gear Rex Headgear
  • Bandana

All these items are cosmetic and can enhance your heroes in-game.

Good game or money grab? Metal Gear Survive still controversial

Metal Gear Survive Team

Metal Gear Survive is the first game in the Metal Gear series created without the legendary creator Hideo Kojima. Hence the strange plot of the game, where soldiers fight against incredibly stupid zombies in a parallel world.

This does not sit well with many players and fans of the series. They fear that now, since Kojima can no longer hold back the publisher, Metal Gear Survive will become a soulless cash grab by Konami. The good name of the Metal Gear series will be tarnished to market a silly zombie shooter.

Here you can find more information about Metal Gear Survive

Whether this is really the case or whether Metal Gear Survive turns out to be a good game in the end, you can check for yourself in the beta on February 16.

These promising online games will be released in 2018

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

3.4 million concurrent players were too much for Fortnite

Robert Albrecht Robert Albrecht Reading time 2 minutes

As Epic announced, a new high was reached on Sunday – 3.4 million players were logged in to Fortnite (PS4, XBoxOne, PC) at the same time. This caused issues that Epic has now addressed in a separate blog post!

Epic’s quirky shooter Fortnite is becoming increasingly popular. According to Epic, 3.4 million players logged into Fortnite at the same time on Sunday – a new record. Although Epic does not provide exact figures on what percentage of players are playing the paid PvE mode – it is highly likely that most players played the free Battle Royale mode.

Epic is naturally pleased with the new record, but acknowledges that the surge on Sunday caused the servers to become temporarily overloaded, resulting in a half dozen different problems.

fortnite-map-update-1

These issues caused matchmaking errors, database crashes, and disconnections of various players. What exactly caused the issues has now been described by Epic in a detailed blog post aptly titled “Postmortem” (“after the death”).

Blog post “Postmortem” and a cry for help

Those familiar with databases, network architecture, and similar topics will definitely appreciate Epic’s blog post. The developer goes into great detail about the causes and effects of the problem from Sunday.

Solutions and next steps are also presented, which have no impact on gameplay or mechanics, but merely promise a more stable player experience. You can find the details in Epic’s blog post (allocate some time).

fortnite-hinterhalt

Interesting: Both at the beginning of the post and at the end, Epic has placed paragraphs seeking capable developers to strengthen Epic’s team. This aims to ensure that in the future, all players can always enjoy the best possible gaming experience – regardless of how many players are logged in at the same time.

What do you think about this? Let us know in the comments!

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Source(s):
  1. Epic Games

Win early access packages and play Armored Warfare on PS4

Jürgen Horn Jürgen Horn Reading time < 1 minutes

For the tank game Armored Warfare, we are offering a bunch of Early Access keys for Playstation 4. This allows you to play the game 2 weeks before its release.

Armored Warfare, the tank MMO with modern tanks, will be released on February 20, 2018, for Playstation 4. However, if you want to play in Early Access right now, you can get a founder package and start right away.

armored-warfare-global-operations01

You can win such packages here with us!

30 Legionnaire Packages worth 600 Euros!

To get started with the tank fun on Playstation 4, we are offering you 30 so-called “Legionnaire Packages” for Armored Warfare. In addition to Early Access access, they also include a few other goodies:

  • 2,000,000 Credits
  • 2,000 Gold (premium currency)
  • 7 days of premium playtime
  • Tier-3 premium tank Object 430 ICE
  • Tier-4 premium tank OF-40 ICE
  • Founder package avatar
  • 2 founder package emblems

If you want to win a code, you only need to perform at least three of the actions from the embedded window below. Then you will receive your code here, while supplies last. Good luck! The legal process is excluded!

Giveaway Early Access Keys for Armored Warfare (SP4)

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Destiny 2 will receive a major expansion in 2018

Tom Rothstein Tom Rothstein Reading time 2 minutes

Activision confirms that a major Destiny 2 expansion is coming later in 2018.

In mid-January, Bungie presented a roadmap for 2018. In it, the developers indicated when players can expect which endgame updates in the future.

Notably, this roadmap ended in the fall. Bungie did not reveal why there were no details provided for the time after fall, but it was clear to most Guardians: A major expansion is coming that will usher in “Year 2” for Destiny 2. This is similar to what happened with Destiny 1 and “The Taken King.”

destiny-2-hüter-concept-2

Activision has now confirmed what most assumed: A major expansion for the MMO shooter is coming towards the end of the year.

The release of the first major expansion is planned for later in 2018

In the financial report for the fourth quarter and the annual results for 2017, Activision discussed its successful year 2017.

While Call of Duty WW2 generated the highest revenues as a console game in 2017 worldwide, Destiny 2 ranked second in this category in North America. Additionally, Destiny 2 recorded the largest PC launch in Activision’s history – based on units sold.

The company then went into detail about Destiny 2:

Furthermore, Activision reiterated to investors that there are plans to improve Destiny 2’s endgame. The game is intended to progress based on player feedback.

destiny-2-concepts

Activision’s Eric Hirshberg stated that Destiny 2 should be less of a grind game but should provide direct paths to rewards. Unfortunately, Hirshberg mentioned that core players reached the endgame faster than planned, but the right plans have been developed to address concerns regarding content.

What’s included in the first major expansion?

While “Curse of Osiris” and the upcoming second DLC can be seen as smaller expansions, the first major expansion is slated for release towards the end of the year.

Nothing is known about it so far – neither the setting nor new content. We only know that Bungie plans some endgame adjustments in the fall, such as weapon slot and weapon archetype improvements, additional Crucible playlists, or innovations in Trials of the Nine. Whether these changes will be released along with the expansion or in the weeks before or after remains to be seen.

Note: In the original form of this article, we reported that the expansion was set for September. We were referring to the source vg247. However, this was merely an interpretation, while the official statement mentions “later in the year” and “end of the year” as the release period. 

Destiny 2 finally celebrates an event without microtransactions

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Source(s):
  1. vg247

„Year of the Dog“ in Overwatch ist live – das sind die neuen Skins

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

The “Year of the Dog” event in Overwatch has started! We show you the coolest new skins.

The latest event in Overwatch is now live. The “Year of the Dog” celebrates the Chinese New Year and brings some new features to Blizzard’s hero shooter. The biggest highlight of the “Lunar New Year” or “Year of the Dog” event are the new legendary skins. We showcase the new appearance variants that you can unlock during the event.

6 new legendary skins in the Year of the Dog

In total, there are six new legendary skins for the Lunar New Year, which Blizzard has really gone all out on this time. New appearance variants are available for the following heroes.

  • Baihu Genji
  • Magistrate McCree
  • Zhuque Mercy
  • Qinglong Pharah
  • Black Lily Widowmaker
  • Xuanwu Zarya

Click on the images to enlarge them.

The new skins and other cosmetic items can be contained in special event loot boxes. These are available for the duration of the event and can either be earned or purchased with real money. Anyone who wants to and has the necessary credits can also buy coveted items directly.

Apart from the new skins, there is also the “Capture the Flag” mode with a brand new map. However, some rules for this mode have changed significantly. We have presented the new rules for Capture the Flag here.

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Unlike other events in Overwatch, the celebrations for the Year of the Rooster will be held for a full 4 weeks. Thus, the event ends exactly in one month – on March 5, 2018.

Please keep in mind that there may be long wait times in the first hours, as many players are trying to log into Overwatch at the same time. By tomorrow at the latest, logging in should be possible again without delay.

What do you think of the new skins? Will you be actively playing Capture the Flag?

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The Elder Scrolls Online changes the combat system and the fans love it!

Jürgen Horn Jürgen Horn Reading time 2 minutes

The Elder Scrolls Online (PC, PS4, Xbox One) will receive some changes to the combat system in Update 17. There will be more emphasis on teamwork, synergy, and coordination. The reactions from the fans are quite positive.

In The Elder Scrolls Online, some features of the combat system have not worked as the developers would like. In PvP, players were always in a crowd, synergy effects from skills were cumbersome, blocking was only interesting for professionals, and heavy attacks on bosses were often counterproductive.

ESO-Falkenring10

All of this is set to change with Update 17 soon! For PC, it will be next week. For PS4 and Xbox, at least still this month.

More Tactics and Teamwork

With the next  Update 17 of The Elder Scrolls online, not only two new dungeons and the mount system will come. You will also experience some significant changes to the combat system in PvP and PvE:

  • Synergy Effects: Often, in the chaos, players realized too late that a teammate had just used a synergy skill. The opportunity was wasted. In the new system, a synergy effect will be graphically displayed and is hard to miss. Additionally, synergy effects will trigger regardless of what you are doing.
  • AoE Damage: Area damage previously had a limit on how many targets could be hit. That is removed, and AoE effects will hit every enemy in range, whether it’s 2 or 20. Thus, players should keep their distance in PvP.
  • Blocking: Blocking attacks was usually only sensible for specific block builds by professionals. With Update 17, blocking costs less, and the blocking chance buffs are less effective. This makes blocking worthwhile for characters that aren’t optimized for it, and pure block builds are not as effective anymore.
  • Casting in PvP: If a player executes a skill with cast time in PvP, they will be faster now. Additionally, a red marking will indicate when a skill can be interrupted. The victim cannot cast the skill again for a certain cooldown period. The second cast after interruption will then be uninterruptible.
  • Heavy Attacks: When attacking bosses in PvE with a heavy attack, any existing “off-balance debuff” will no longer be removed. This allows you to safely use these attacks without stealing tactical options from the team. However, bosses will be immune to off-balance for some time afterward. Additionally, heavy attacks will grant double resources back.
ESO_SoloGuide

The changes to the combat system are well-received by the community. Most players welcome them and look forward to Update 17.

Release in February

Update 17 with the combat changes will be released for PC on February 12, 2018. Players on Playstation 4 or Xbox One will have to wait a bit longer and will receive the Dragon Bones DLC and Update 17 only on February 27, 2018.

Update 17 of ESO will also enhance level-ups.

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

Paladins will set itself apart with chickens from PUBG and Fortnite

Jürgen Horn Jürgen Horn Reading time 2 minutes

Paladins: Battlegrounds is set to be a battle royale shooter like PUBG or Fortnite. But what are the differences? In the chickens!

Those who win a round in the battle royale giant PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds are rewarded with the words “Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner” and crowned the victor. Chicken Dinner serves as a synonym for an epic victory in PUBG.

The upcoming battle royale shooter Paladins: Battlegrounds, however, has its own interpretation of “Chicken Dinner”.

Who dies becomes the chicken

Paladins Battlegrounds Release PC PS4 Xbox

In PUBG or Fortnite, those who are eliminated in team mode are not out yet. Instead, they crawl helplessly and bleeding around. If there is still a teammate left, they can revive the victim before it bleeds out completely. If the revival is successful, the downed player gets another chance.

In Paladins: Battlegrounds, however, it works a bit differently. Those who lose their last hit point here do not fall heavily injured: They become a chicken! The chick form resembles the transformation effect when the hero Pip turns enemies into chickens with his ultimate.

The chicken’s revenge!

Pip-Paladins

You will become a chicken that runs around quite quickly, but has little health and cannot attack. If a team member who is not a chicken finds you in chicken form, they can transform you back into your true form. Only if you die as a chicken are you permanently out of Paladins: Battlegrounds.

Also interesting: The chicken does not die on its own. You can hide from your enemies for as long as you want. Since the chicken is small, it works quite well.

Theoretically, entire colonies of lost chickens can form during a battle in Paladins: Battlegrounds, hoping for rescue in remote corners and angles.

Everyone loves the chick!

Besides the map-configurable heroes with their own skills and the mounts, the “chicken mechanic” is one of the major unique features of Paladins compared to PUBG or Fortnite, according to the developers. You can see what a chicken kill looks like here in the video.

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The crazy rez mechanic fits perfectly with the sillier comic flair of Paladins. During a preview event in Atlanta, the chicken received a lot of praise. Many testers wish there were skins just for the chicken.

Here you can find all the info about Paladins: Battlegrounds

In addition, epic achievements like “Win a game as a chicken” are possible.

Here you can find even more promising battle royale games that will be released in 2018.

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

Magic: The Gathering is coming to smartphones, but as a MOBA?!

Jürgen Horn Jürgen Horn Reading time 2 minutes

The new Magic game “Project M” by Netmarble for mobile devices is not just another trading card game. Rather, it seems to be some kind of action game or even a MOBA!

2018 looks to be the year of Magic: The Gathering. Because in addition to the already playable and controversially received Magic The Gathering: Arena, the mobile giant Netmarble is also working on a magic game for mobile devices such as smartphones.

Project-M-02

Netmarble is a Korean company that has been behind several extremely successful mobile games. Among others, Lineage 2 Revolution, Marvel Future Fight, and Star Wars: Force Arena come from Netmarble. The company’s CEO is even regarded as the “Korean Steve Jobs“.

Netmarble thus knows its way around action games for mobiles. Therefore, the new Magic is also not a trading card game!

Action instead of Card-Playing?

If you are looking forward to a cozy card game, then you might not have much joy with Netmarble’s new Magic game. Because the game, known for now under the title “Project M”, is according to the developers a “multiplayer fighting game where avatars dash across the battlefield animatedly to defeat opponents.”

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This statement and the already shown video material suggest a MOBA game or at least a fast-paced real-time action game. We have embedded the video here for you.

What does this have to do with Magic?

Project-M-01

The connection to Magic lies partly in the playable heroes, which are modeled after the well-known Planeswalkers. Additionally, spells, abilities, and creatures from various Magic expansions are present in the game. The background is thus firmly rooted in the worlds of the Magic multiverse and should be recognizable to all connoisseurs and fans.

Further information about Netmarble’s Magic game is expected to come when the game nears completion. The game is set to be released in 2018.

Amazingly: There is also an MMORPG in development, also with the Magic license, but probably without cards.

Are you looking for more promising mobile games? Here are 6 promising mobile games set to release in 2018.

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

Pokémon GO is getting more monsters from Generation 3, including Rayquaza

Patrick Freese Patrick Freese Reading time 2 minutes

More monsters from the Hoenn region are on their way to Pokémon GO. This includes a new legendary raid boss.

Starting tomorrow, February 9, 2018, more monsters from Generation 3 will flood into the Pokémon GO app. As the developers reveal, you can expect some flying and dragon monsters making their first appearance in the game. Additionally, there will be a new legendary raid boss to defeat.

First only Generation 3 Pokémon in the wild

In addition to the new dragon and flying Pokémon, Rayquaza will be available as a raid boss starting February 9. You only have until February 14 to catch the legendary water Pokémon Kyogre, which will disappear in a few days.

To fully enjoy the arrival of the new monsters in Pokémon GO, only Generation 3 Pokémon will appear in the wild until February 13, 2018. This event is likely to start when the new monsters can be found in the game, around February 9 at 21:00 or 22:00. Additionally, Niantic will activate some bonuses for you in the game.

New egg contents and raid bosses

More variety awaits trainers with raid bosses, as new bosses are expected in the gyms. Furthermore, other Pokémon are expected to hatch from eggs. However, the developers did not disclose exact details. In the coming days, trainers will need to walk many kilometers to analyze the changes in egg contents.

Pokémon GO Kyogre Title 1

Special bonuses and boxes in the shop

In the Pokémon GO shop, you can buy new special boxes from February 9 to February 23. These contain raid passes, egg incubators, and star pieces. Lures last until February 23 for 6 hours.

Summary:

  • You can find Rayquaza as a raid boss in Pokémon GO from February 9 to March 16.
  • With the release of the new Generation 3 monsters until February 13, you will find only Generation 3 Pokémon in the wild.
  • Lures last until February 23 for 6 hours.
  • There are special offer boxes in the shop until February 23.

Keep in mind that you can only find the new Pokémon starting February 9.

A bug in Pokémon GO caused incorrect EX raid invitations to be distributed. Niantic apologizes for this.

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In Crossout you can now join a sect that burns cars

Jürgen Horn Jürgen Horn Reading time 2 minutes

In the post-apocalyptic action MMO Crossout, there will soon be a new faction. The Firestarters are crazy pyromaniacs, and in an event, you can already farm their equipment.

Crossout is a fast-paced action MMO where you shoot other players with wildly assembled junk cars in the post-apocalypse. As you progress, you earn better components from various factions in the game.

So far, in addition to the usual scrap collectors and psycho punks, there are also martial mercenaries and insane scientists with Tesla cannons and hovercrafts.

Crossout_fire_fights_2-1

All that’s missing is a crazy cult that worships fire and simply wants to see the world burn!

Get the Firestarters gear now!

The new faction consists of crazy pyromaniacs and aptly calls themselves “Firestarters”. Their shamans worship fire and claim it gives them mystical powers. However, in battle, they use brute weapons to annihilate their opponents.

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The Firestarters faction will enter the game with the current update 0.9.0. On January 23, 2018, the event “Hot Spot” starts. In this, you can already earn a temporary resource and unlock decorative elements, components, and weapons of the Firestarters. The update with the Firestarters has now been released. So you can now happily make the already broken world of Crossout even more broken!

New cars, super shotguns, and harpoons

The Firestarters’ gear includes flamethrowers and incendiary projectiles. However, there are also a bunch of original weapons and components. These include:

  • The Harpoon Turret: With this harpoon, you can impale other vehicles and drag them around. This allows for plenty of mischief. You can pull opponents in and tear them apart in close combat. Or you can rescue your allies and haul them away.
  • The “Shiv” vehicle: This is a thorn-covered vehicle that is particularly strong in close combat.
  • The “Bat” cockpit: This cockpit fits the new Firestarter weapons particularly well.
  • The “Junkbow”: This massive cannon is the new best shotgun in the game!
  • The “Incinerator”, a catapult that fires gasoline barrels.
  • The “Meat Grinder”, a kind of moving meat grinder!

Is Crossout for you?

The Firestarter equipment will likely fetch good prices in the market shortly after its release. Farming is worth it!

The game keeps getting better. Recently, the notorious dumb AI in Crossout became significantly smarter.

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“Schlimmster Overwatch-Spieler aller Zeiten” endlich gebannt!

Guddy Hoffmann-Schoenborn Guddy Hoffmann-Schoenborn Reading time 2 minutes

Overwatch takes a hard stance against allegations from popular streamer TimTheTatman, banning a so-called griefer for life. The accusation: stream sniping. What is behind it?

Griefers – these are not necessarily the toxic players, those who throw insults and threats, but those who ruin the game for others. In this case, “stream sniping” was done. And it affected several players across multiple accounts.

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A popular streamer sparked the issue

“I no longer want to stream, as I fall victim to stream sniping every single day!” recently complained the popular streamer TimTheTatman, hinting that he will wait to see if and when Blizzard will address the problem. He can no longer tolerate griefers this way.

Allegations against the griefer:

  • He is a “one trick”: A player who only plays one character. Even if a different hero would perform better for the group. This is often accompanied by a specialization in a single playstyle and childish behavior when asked to play another character. This term is often considered an insult.
  • He is a “stream sniper”: A player who gains advantages through simultaneously watching another’s stream and/or can harass them more effectively. For example, he can see where the respective streamer is located.

Because of TimTheTatman, Blizzard was now forced to investigate the allegations – with surprising results.

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“He is one of the most toxic players we have ever encountered”

Hardly examined, Blizzard fell into a deep hole of seemingly endless tickets.

The griefer had not only chosen TimTheTatman as a victim over time but had also harassed others. For this, he had created several accounts that had also been repeatedly banned. In total, he has ruined thousands of players’ matches in Overwatch.

Anyway, he has now been caught – and rigorously banned. Along with all his other and also future accounts, of course. Blizzard emphasizes that they did not ban him just for playing only one character but because he systematically disturbed thousands of games through stream sniping.

Overwatch So many Reaper

Blizzard admits mistakes

Griefers like this are “extremely rare”, but here the reporting system seems to have simply failed. Blizzard acknowledges this.

“We admit that it was an unfortunate mistake of our report system not to have identified this player earlier. However, we are already working on being able to avoid outliers like this in the future.”

At the same time, players are encouraged to continue reporting toxic and damaging players, whether via tickets or social channels. “Let’s work together to make the community better!” With this, Blizzard concludes its statement.

Things are a bit more positive with this glitch!

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Source(s):
  1. Blizzard

SMITE relies on anime adventures featuring a cute fox lady

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

The MOBA SMITE now features cute anime girls. They must be protected from waves of enemies in the latest patch 5.2.

There are only two things in the world that can fundamentally improve everything: cheese and anime. However, since cheese is hard to deliver in physical form in an online game, SMITE is trying to achieve this through an anime adventure.

Smite Ratatoskrskins

With the upcoming Patch 5.2, SMITE introduces the mode “Legend of the Foxes”, which transports players into an anime world where they must protect fox spirits (in the form of Da Ji and Ratatoskr) from waves of enemies. At the end of the enemy hordes, there is a boss fight against one of several random adversaries. This PvE mode mainly attracts players with cool skins as rewards and a small story element.

The mode will only be available from Patch 5.2 to Update 5.4. Those who manage to obtain all 3 skins for Ratatoskr (which makes him look like a fox) will receive a fourth, special skin that has not yet been revealed.

Of course, an appropriate trailer is also necessary to kick off the whole spectacle:

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New Look in Asian Anime Style

However, the new game mode is more than just a collection of many enemies, as the game’s visuals have also been adjusted. A cel-shading technology is used to convey a typical “Asian” flair. As a result, all characters look as if they have stepped out of a comic.

Smite Visual Novel Dialogue

It is naturally enhanced by dialogues in the “visual novel” style, which have been fully voiced. For the voice actress, Christina Vee, known for voicing Velvet Crowe in Tales of Berseria, has been secured.

Are you going to check out this anime horde mode in SMITE? Or is SMITE just a competitive MOBA for you, and such “big-eyed nonsense” has no place there?

Recently, SMITE has leaned a bit too far out of the window:

SMITE mocks the downfall of Paragon, shame on them

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. smitegame.com
  2. gameinformer.com

“Mobile-WoW” Crusaders of Light has release date for PC, allows crossplay

Dawid Hallmann Dawid Hallmann Reading time 4 minutes

Crusaders of Light is a mobile MMORPG that is very reminiscent of World of Warcraft in terms of gameplay and graphic style, but is optimized for smartphones. The amazing thing is: The mobile MMO is taking an unusual path, as it will soon be released on PC and enable cross-platform play with mobile devices.

It is constantly heard that mobile is the new trend, and that many major developers are shifting their focus to gaming on smartphones in the future. Therefore, it is unusual when the news comes: We are bringing our mobile MMO to PC as well.

Crusaders of Light from gaming giant NetEase will be released on Steam on March 3rd and aims to allow seamless crossplay between PC and mobile. You can play on the go on your phone and switch to your PC at home. The transition is supposed to be seamless at launch.

Crusaders of Light Raid
Crusaders of Light offers raids for up to 40 players

MMOs on Mobile and PC – A Compromise for the West?

In the West, smartphone games are also successful, but still nowhere near as much as in Asia. In the Far East, there are regularly record revenues that leave pure PC companies astonished.  A game like Arena of Valor is said to have earned almost 2 billion dollars in 2017. For comparison: AAA games like Battlefield 1, Minecraft, Guild Wars 2, or GTA 5 are each around 100 million, according to market research firm SuperData.

In Asia, mobile MMOs like Lineage 2 Revolution or Lineage M are making a lot of noise. The mobile market for MMOs is booming in Asia. In comments on German sites regarding sensational news about mobile games, a different picture emerges:  Many players here are skeptical.

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They often argue that the West has better PCs and hope that PC developers will not be dazzled by the numbers in other markets. There are still plenty of potential customers for PC and console. And in any case: mobile MMOs cannot keep up with PC MMOs.

In NCSoft’s last quarter, the mobile sector was once again the engine. Guild Wars 2 and Blade & Soul managed to report good numbers by their standards. The PC market for MMOs is far from dead.

Guild Wars 2 and Blade & Soul are doing well, but is NCSoft’s future mobile?

Trend Mobile-MMO
A common sight on gaming sites in Germany. Players are skeptical of mobile MMOs.

The path of marrying mobile and PC through cross-platform could, however, represent a compromise if done correctly and without neglecting the strengths of each platform too much. For instance, better textures on PC or a more intuitive control on smartphones.

With Albion Online and RuneScape Mobile, there are initial attempts, but finding official, mature mobile versions of the PC version is still a challenge. And the mammoth project Lineage Eternal, which was originally supposed to work on both smartphones and PCs, was recently halted by NCSoft and shifted course. Lineage Eternal is becoming Project TL (Lineage 3), which will only be released for PC.

Crusaders of Light will now tackle this as well, but in reverse. From mobile to PC. Whether they succeed better, you can test for yourself soon in March.  Upon launch, a new server called “Ferroc Camp” will be available to ease the new player entry. If you register in advance here on the official Crusaders of Light site, you will receive a starter pack worth 50 dollars as a gift.

Crusaders of Light Kampf
A DPS meter is of course also a must-have.

What is Crusaders of Light?  Mobile MMORPG in WoW style

In Crusaders of Light you get a complete online role-playing game that is often referred to as “WoW for mobile.” With several million downloads and largely positive ratings in the AppStore, it is one of the most popular mobile MMORPGs.

You create a hero from a selection of four classes. There are Warriors, Paladins, Rangers, and Mystics. Each of these classes can later develop into one of three specializations. For instance, the Mystic can specialize in the usual DPS mage, CC effects, or healing. According to the developer, you have content for over 300 hours in Crus:

  • Level phase up to 55 with story focus
  • Auto-play feature for regular quests
  • Raids for up to 40 players and many dungeons
  • Integrated chat system, optionally also with voice chat
  • Mount system with over 50 companions
  • Each character can integrate up to 10 skills into their rotation
  • Battle Royale mode
  • PvP modes for 1vs1, 3vs3, 5vs5, and 25vs25

In December 2017, the largest update for the MMORPG so far, Shaodows of Sardar, was released, making Crusaders of Light 33% larger. The following video shows you in 2 minutes what game to expect:

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Source(s):
  1. massivelyop.com

Pokémon GO: Bug causes incorrect EX-raid invitations, Niantic responds

Tom Rothstein Tom Rothstein Reading time 2 minutes

In Pokémon GO, false EX Raid invitations were sent out. Trainers received invitations to gyms they haven’t visited in months. Niantic is now changing the system.

EX Raids have not had a good reputation among many trainers. They were supposed to be a cool feature that allows players to catch special Pokémon, but the system is opaque and often seems unfair.

Who receives an invitation to an EX Raid and who misses out is not transparently communicated by Niantic. While the community has already conducted statistical analyses on which trainer types are invited to EX Raids, satisfactory answers are still lacking.

One condition is certain: You must have recently participated in a raid battle at a gym to be invited to an EX Raid at that gym.

However, doubts about this condition have arisen in recent days: Several trainers report that they received EX Raid invites despite never having been to the corresponding gym – or not having been there for months.

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What’s going on?

Bug has been fixed, EX Raid changes have been made

The Pokémon GO team has now commented on this issue.

With the last batch of EX Raid invitations, some changes were made to improve the selection of trainers and gyms. However, a bug was introduced that led to this invitation chaos. Yes, trainers were therefore incorrectly invited to EX Raids at gyms they had not visited for months.

This bug has since been fixed, and everything should function properly in the next invitations. The most important criterion remains: trainers only receive an invitation if they have recently participated in a raid battle at the corresponding gym.

Additionally, the following changes have been made to how gym invitations are selected:

  • EX Raids will continue to take place in parks and at sponsored locations, but the number of gyms meeting the necessary criteria is increasing.
  • Furthermore, the average number of trainers invited to a gym is increasing.
pokemon-mewtu

This is supposed to lead to: More trainers will have the opportunity to participate in the EX Raid feature in the future.

Two more changes:

  • Trainers with a higher level gym badge now have greater chances of receiving invitations.
  • Trainers who participate in multiple raid battles in the week leading up to the EX Raid invitations have a higher chance of being selected.

The team thanks the community for all the feedback and apologizes for the trouble caused by the bug.

Interesting: EX Raid disappears right before the eyes of Pokémon GO players

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Source(s):
  1. pokemongolive

Players choose the best weapon in Monster Hunter World for solo and group

Irina Moritz Irina Moritz Reading time 2 minutes

The selection of weapons in Monster Hunter World is definitely impressive. But which of the 14 weapons are the best and most popular? A survey among Japanese players provides a sort of tier list of the best weapons for single-player or group play in Monster Hunter World.

The Japanese MHW Wiki alterma.jp found through a survey of their community which weapons are considered the best and most popular among players of Monster Hunter World.

monster_hunter_world_weapons_icons

Light Bowgun at the Top

The title for the best weapon in Monster Hunter World goes to the light bowgun, with dual blades in second place and the energy blade in third. Together with the great sword, these three weapons have received the SS rank from the community.

LightBowgun-720×405

The light bowgun has earned its place thanks to its rapid-fire and high mobility. This distinguishes it from the heavy bowgun, which, although it can deal high damage with bombs, only landed in sixth place.

The light bowgun is preferred by players both in solo play and in groups, even though it can also harm its own team with friendly fire.

monster_hunter_world_rathalos

The sword and shield performed the worst in the vote. Players gave this weapon the lowest rank of C in both single-player and multiplayer modes.

Just behind it was the hunting horn, which received rank B in multiplayer mode, just barely surpassing sword and shield with only a few votes.

Best Weapons in Single Player of Monster Hunter World

  • SS: Light Bowgun, Great Sword, Dual Blades, and Energy Blade
  • S: Morphing Axe, Long Sword, and Bow
  • A: Hammer, Lance, and Insect Glaive
  • B: Gunlance and Heavy Bowgun
  • C: Sword and Shield, Hunting Horn

Best Weapons in Multiplayer of Monster Hunter World

  • SS: Light Bowgun, Bow, and Dual Blades
  • S: Insect Glaive, Heavy Bowgun, Hammer, and Energy Blade
  • A: Gunlance, Great Sword, Morphing Axe, and Lance
  • B: Long Sword and Hunting Horn
  • C: Sword and Shield

Best Weapons in Monster Hunter World Overall

  1. Light Bowgun
  2. Dual Blades
  3. Energy Blade
  4. Bow
  5. Gunlance
  6. Heavy Bowgun
  7. Morphing Axe
  8. Hammer
  9. Long Sword
  10. Insect Glaive
  11. Lance
  12. Great Sword
  13. Hunting Horn
  14. Sword and Shield

Do you agree with the community’s assessment or are you slicing through the toughest monsters in Monster Hunter World with sword and shield?

For more information on the weapons in Monster Hunter, you can find our guide on it:

Monster Hunter World: Weapon Guide – What the 14 Classes Can Do

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Source(s):
  1. Invenglobal

Geleakte Overwatch-Patchnotes – Skins wechseln zu Match-Beginn!

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

The patch notes for Overwatch have been leaked. There are cool new features and new skins, but also an adjustment to Doomfist …

Tonight (08.02.2018) the latest patch for Overwatch is expected, which will kick off the Year of the Dog event. The update will definitely include the new map for Capture the Flag, but also the new cosmetic items that can only be obtained during the Year of the Dog.

In advance, Blizzard had already announced a new feature that fans of Overwatch will surely appreciate. Players can now change their hero’s skin in the lobby! This allows for team appearances to be matched and appear in a unified look.

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Overwatch Patch Notes Leak from 08.02.2018

Furthermore, it has already been leaked on Reddit how the patch notes will look. Here are the highlights that are coming your way:

New legendary skins during the event

  • Red Phoenix Mercy
  • Black Turtle Zarya
  • White Tiger Genji
  • Black Lily Widowmaker

Doomfist is getting some changes to balance him better. The number of his fired bullets will be increased, while the damage is reduced. The basic damage of a shot remains unchanged.

Doomfist

  • Hand Cannon
    • The damage has been reduced from 11 to 6
    • The number of bullets has been increased from 6 to 11
    • The weapon’s spread is now more consistent
Overwatch Doomfist Comic Punch

There are also numerous improvements to the user interface that should especially eliminate “surprising” ranked games.

General

  • The matchmaking interface now shows which game mode you have queued for.
  • Leaving a ranked game now leaves a chat message.
  • The hero selection screen now displays the game mode and map type

Heroes

  • Zenyatta’s Orb of Harmony and Orb of Discord now display the hero name of the target hit.
Overwatch Zenyatta YinYang

Last but not least, there are plenty of bug fixes related to small issues. Especially users of Discord (or other voice programs) with an “overlay” feature will be pleased, as this should no longer affect mouse focus.

The complete leaked patch notes can be found in the original English version in our sources. Please keep in mind that the leak may also contain incomplete or incorrect patch notes.

Are you excited about the new features, such as skin changing at the start of the match? Or are you looking forward to the Year of the Dog?

Have you seen which team the first woman in the Overwatch League has landed at?

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

Hardly any weapon in Warframe will be the same after the update!

Jürgen Horn Jürgen Horn Reading time 2 minutes

Warframe (PC, PS4, Xbox One) is getting a comprehensive weapon update soon, affecting nearly every firearm. Stats, crafting costs, and minimum requirements will all be adjusted.

Alongside your Warframe suits, the many weapons in Warframe are the main stars. Depending on whether you’re using a lethal Tigris shotgun, a bullet-spewing Grakata, or the glass cannon Astilla, the gameplay experience changes dramatically.

However, it has been a long time since there has been any change to weapons. Therefore, the developers have prepared a massive balance update for nearly all guns.

Why are the weapons being changed?

Warframe group

As part of the upgrade, all weapons have been uniformly categorized into mastery ranks. Mastery ranks are somewhat like belts in martial arts. If a weapon is bound to a certain rank, you can only use it if you’ve reached that rank.

To reach higher ranks, you need to complete specific challenges in the game. To qualify, you have to grind a lot of experience points. The previous categorization of weapons into mastery ranks was, however, quite arbitrary.

For example, you only needed rank 7 for the powerful Astilla, and the also strong Grakata didn’t even require any rank!

Weapons have been categorized into new mastery groups

Warframe-Corinth

According to the new guidelines, the weapons are now sorted by damage and crit values and categorized into the appropriate mastery ranks. However, other factors like reload speed and fire rate have also been taken into account.

As a result, some strong weapons are not ranked as high due to long reload times as one might expect from their damage output. Many weapons have also been buffed and partially nerfed to solidly fit into their respective categories.

  • You can find the complete list of all weapons and changes in the Warframe forum.
  • The update does not apply to beam weapons, melee weapons, and Conclave weapons.

What is yours remains yours

warframe-mirage-prime-02

With the update, many weapons will be categorized into new and usually higher mastery areas. Does this mean that you may no longer be able to use your beloved weapon because it suddenly jumped from rank 4 to rank 10 and you have not yet reached that level?

The developers quickly reassure you. Your previously used weapons can still be used. The new categorizations only apply when you do not already own the weapon and are buying or building it anew.

Also good to know: The crafting resources will be partially changed and will now more often include materials from the open-world map Plains of Eidolon.

In addition to weapons, 9 Warframes are also set to be changed. This divides the community!

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Source(s):
  1. Warframe
  2. MassivelyOP

Bug robs players of their gift package in Monster Hunter World

Irina Moritz Irina Moritz Reading time 2 minutes

Over 5 million copies of Monster Hunter World have already been delivered by Capcom. To celebrate the success, the company has put together a free Celebration Package with in-game items for the fans. But not everyone has received their gift, the 5 million item package.

The gift packages in Monster Hunter World were supposed to be sent out in waves. However, many players still haven’t received their items. And we now know why.

A bug is to blame for the missing 5 million item package

monster_hunter_world-big_guy

On the official Monster Hunter World site, Capcom announced that the package could not be delivered properly due to a bug.

We sincerely apologize for an error that has prevented some customers from receiving the “5 million item package” that was recently added with an update. As soon as the item package is available again, we will inform you – until then, we ask for a little patience while we address the issue.

The thank-you gift includes the following items:

  • 50 x Mega Potion
  • 20 x Life Powder
  • 10 x Demon Powder
  • 10 x Hard Shell Powder
  • 5 x Steel

Capcom initially announced that the package would be available until February 15. It is not known whether this deadline will be extended due to the bug.

monster-hunter-world-palico

Keep in mind that you can only receive the package once. So if you have already picked up yours, you were not affected by the bug.

For a smooth start in Monster Hunter World, we have prepared a beginner’s guide for you:

Beginner’s Guide to Monster Hunter World: Tips to Get Started!

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Source(s):
  1. Monster Hunter World-Seite

Warframe gets new Eidolon world bosses and vehicles!

Jürgen Horn Jürgen Horn Reading time 2 minutes

In Warframe introduced two new giant monsters with the “Shrines of Eidolon” update. The two new “Eidolons” and the controllable flying vehicles “Dargyn” bring new content to the Plains.

In Warframe, you could previously hunt the massive Eidolon Teralyst at night in the Plains of Eidolon, the open-world map. This gigantic beast was a worthy opponent for groups of Tenno with the right gear.

However, the Teralyst is no longer special, and players yearn for variety: the change now comes in the form of two new Eidolons for Warframe.

Warframe-Hydrolyst
The poisonous Hydrolyst.

Shrine of the Eidolon – Update introduces Gantulyst and Hydrolyst

The Teralyst is by far not the only Eidolon beast found in the plains. When a massive “Sentient” was destroyed over the plains during the “Old War,” other Eidolons emerged from its fragments alongside the Teralyst. They remained inactive for a long time, but now they awaken!

Warframe-Gantulyst
The gigantic Gantulyst.

These two new giant opponents are coming your way soon!

  • The first new Eidolon is the Gantulyst. This monster has a massive rock for an arm. It also has powerful energy beams that it fires. Despite all its power, the Gantulyst is worshipped. The Ostron have even built a shrine to gain its favor.
  • The disgusting Hydrolyst is a poisonous beast. It glows green and is said to smell horrible like decay and rot. The Hydrolyst relies on poison and acid. It is not revered but considered a harbinger of natural disasters. As if a towering poison monster isn’t already a disaster!
Warframe-Gruppe

As loot, the new Eidolons drop new “Riven Transmuters.” Four of these rare upgrades can be combined to create a brand new Riven mod.

Hijack a Dargyn and fly in the Plains of Eidolon!

Normally, you have to explore the Plains of Eidolon on foot, or you can build a one-time jetpack called Archwing for valuable resources. However, with the “Shrines of the Eidolon” update, you can also hijack the Dargyn flying machines of the Grineer and zoom through the air.

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In 2018, 9 Warframes are set to be changed. This is being discussed a lot.

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