This backfired: A nasty jab at Paragon from the SMITE developers was received by fans as “meh”.
Just a few days ago, the developers of Paragon, Epic Games, announced that the MOBA is being discontinued. They simply could not retain enough players, did not meet their own expectations, and even promised a full refund of all in-game purchases to customers.
Hi-Rez, the developers of SMITE and Paladins, however, mocked the downfall of Paragon in a video. The two community managers of SMITE, HiRezSt3alth and HiRezIsiah, invited “all players” to join SMITE in its fifth year in a short clip. They repeatedly threw in trigger words, zooming the camera in extra close.
Unfortunately, the “puns” cannot be meaningfully translated, so here are the original phrases that you can also see in the video below:
“If you don’t know Isaiah and myself, we’re just a ‘PARA’ community managers for SMITE”
“Sometimes you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s ‘GON'”
“Five years? That sounds like one ‘EPIC GAME.'”
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A clear mockery of Paragon and the manufacturer Epic Games.
There was not a significant outcry from the remaining Paragon community, but rather from the SMITE fans. They found this jab to be extremely silly and tasteless and believed that Hi-Rez perhaps should not be so loud when it comes to discontinued games, if looking back at Global Agenda or Tribes: Ascend.
SMITE recognized its mistake and apologized afterward. They only tried to welcome new players and wanted to achieve this with the typical “Hi-Rez humor,” but clearly missed the mark.
Todd Harris from Hi-Rez added:
“Our team planned the video as fun and not as disrespect. We have had to discontinue games ourselves and know exactly how devastating this can be for developers and the community. We apologize for this offense and will represent a more positive attitude in the future.”
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Cortyn says: I think “tasteless” sums it up best here. From my perspective, it wasn’t particularly funny and was disrespectful. Discontinuing a game that you have worked on for years is certainly not an easy step for the developers, who now see years of their work ending up in “nothing.” Making fun of it is probably not the smartest move. But we are all just human.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Playing in a big event like the Overwatch League is a dream for many gamers. One who made it is Hyung-seok “Bischu” Kim of the Los Angeles Gladiators. In an interview with Invenglobal, he describes how it happened—and how things were for him before. And the situation before didn’t look too promising.
With the Overwatch League, Blizzard has created a gigantic spectacle for eSports this year. With its own arena and players from around the world, the game studio offers entertainment for almost half a year.
To be able to play in the Overwatch League, players must be among the best. Each player is contracted by a team for one year—of course, the owners want to ensure quality.
One of the players in the league is Hyung-seok (“Aaron”) “Bischu” Kim, the Tank/Flex player of the Los Angeles Gladiators. In a detailed interview with Invenglobal, he talks about his past and how he finally made it to the league. We have summarized the most interesting points for you.
“Before I joined the LA Gladiators, I had 80$ in my bank account.”
Before Bischu started with Overwatch, he was a League-of-Legends streamer. During his high school time, he streamed in his free time but never really thought about playing in a team. Solo games and streams were more important to him.
However, the question nagged him whether he really wanted to earn money by streaming games and what his future would look like. He eventually decided that he preferred to play for his money. So, he didn’t go to college as his parents intended, but started playing Overwatch and probably moved to LA to join a pro team.
From the last dump to the league
With savings from his time as a LoL player, he struggled through Korea Town in Los Angeles. He was too proud to ask his parents for help and lived off his dwindling savings.
Bischu lived in the last dump, a hole, as he puts it. He was at the end of his nerves, surviving on “shitty meals” and waiting day by day for the call from a pro team. Just before he had to return to Korea due to lack of money, he finally received the relieving call from the LA Gladiators. At that time, he still had 80 dollars in his account.
For him, that was salvation: he didn’t have to go back to Korea, not return to college, and wouldn’t have to live with the question “What if…?”
“It’s humiliating when you lose. You disappoint your fans – that must not happen!”
With the contract in hand, things finally started looking up. Being a pro gamer also means work. A lot of work, in fact. Bischu: “If you don’t train hard, you won’t last long.” Nevertheless, Bischu knows that he now plays in the OWL because he deserves it. He has fulfilled that dream.
As a pro, however, a defeat must never be of no concern. Anyone who becomes complacent has already lost—and if you don’t care about losing, you lack the mindset that defines a pro.
Bischu doubts that a pro ever resigns. Pro players are beyond the point of an amateur who simply brushes off a loss. They play because they hate losing. Especially in the Overwatch League, much more is at stake—and more and more players are beginning to understand that.
“You are not good. You need to be better than the best.”
Bischu therefore makes every effort not to disappoint the fans of the LA Gladiators. “Nothing compares to the feeling when I was on stage and the fans were chanting my name. I don’t think I will ever forget that moment.” Consequently, it is also tough when one cannot meet expectations.
For him, that is the motivation to keep going and the reason why he loves this job. He also advises aspiring players: “Never be complacent, always be critical, you are not good. You need to be better than the best.”
ST – Fabricio – Portimão – 67>76 LM – Roux – FC Metz – 73>79 LM – Sobota – FC St. Pauli – 71>78 ST – De Tomás – Rayo Vallecano – 72>79 ST – Kean – Hellas Verona – 64>74
These were the predictions for Team of the Week 20 in FUT 18
TOTW predictions are forecasts of which players would deserve a spot in the upcoming Team of the Week. Although these predictions never align 100% with the official TOTW, it is risky to act on the transfer market based on these. However, they provide a good overview of which players might receive the coveted special cards.
We provide an overview of forecasts from various FIFA sites.
What is the Team of the Week (TOTW) in FIFA 18 Ultimate Team?
Every Wednesday, EA Sports reveals the Team of the Week in the “Ultimate Team” mode of their annual football simulation. This is also the case in FIFA 18. Players who performed excellently in real football in the past week are rewarded with special cards that possess improved attributes.
You can pull the TOTW cards within a week from the sets that may contain Rare (Gold) players. However, the chance of this is considered low. Additionally, it is possible for you to buy these on the transfer market if they are offered by other gamers. However, the prices for them are usually extremely high.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the free round-based tactics game Atlas Reactor, Season 5 begins. It brings a new story, an additional hero, a Valentine’s Day event, and tanks with more punch.
In Atlas Reactor, you play as one of the now 30 quirky cyber heroes (Freelancers) and team up with other players to defeat an enemy team in a small area. However, the game does not run in real-time, but in rounds with a tight time limit. So, tactical foresight is essential.
Atlas Reactor continues its story in seasons and regularly brings new content. Therefore, with the start of Season 5, there is again new content!
New Cyber Ice Hero Vonn
A highlight of Season 5 is the new Freelancer “Vonn, The Scion of Ice”. This is a cyborg that uses supercooled water. With this, he initiates various ice attacks and inflicts an effect on opponents that explodes in the following rounds and causes area damage.
Additionally, there are the usual slowing effects that ice heroes have in almost every game. This makes Vonn a good control hero who disrupts and influences the enemy’s gameplay.
The general feedback from the community about Vonn is quite positive. The hero is considered well-balanced and not overpowered.
Frontline Freelancers Receive Damage Buff – Now Hit Hard!
Even more interesting than the new hero Vonn is a large-scale buff for the frontline freelancers. This refers to the tanks in Atlas Reactor. Such heroes are meant to absorb a lot of damage and protect their less sturdy teammates.
With the last patch, the developers gave these heavyweights a significant damage buff. The tanks hit much harder now. This is also well received by most players.
However, some heroes, like the mutant Rask, are said to be clearly overpowered according to some players and are expected to be on perma-ban in the upcoming ranked season.
Beatings for Valentine’s Day
Until February 20, 2018, the “Mad Love Event” celebrates Valentine’s Day in Atlas Reactor. During this time, you can acquire special loot boxes through daily missions and in the shop.
The boxes contain unique Valentine’s skins for the freelancers Celeste, Grey, Titus, Orion, and Quark. Perfect to host a festival of hits with your newly empowered tank heroes!
If you log into Monster Hunter World on PS4 or Xbox in the next few days, you will receive a free gift package. The package contains useful items that every hunter can use.
Update February 1: The article now also includes a list of the items you will receive in the package
You can find the package in the login bonus screen when you log into Monster Hunter World next time. The small login bonus screen will be displayed at the bottom right of your screen. All hunters on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One can pick up the gift.
What’s in the gift package?
In the package you will find:
50 x Mega-Potion
20 x Life Powder
10 x Demon Powder
10 x Hard Shell Powder
5 x Steelite
Celebration-Pack is distributed in waves
The package will be distributed over several rounds. So it may be that your package arrives later and you might receive it only in a few days. The items can be collected only once per account. The thank you gift can be collected until February 15, 2018 – You should receive it by then at the latest.
Are you new to the world of Monster Hunter World? We have some useful guides for you:
In FIFA 18 Ultimate Team, the Ones to Watch for the winter transfers are coming. All information about the new OTW player cards and an explanation of what the “Stars in Focus” are and how you can get them is available here.
Update: These are the Ones to Watch for winter:
As early as the end of September, “Ones to Watch” cards were available in packs. These are actually called “Stars in Focus” in German, but are mostly referred to as “Ones to Watch” or OTW here.
Now, in winter 2018, EA Sports is launching new OTW cards.
This time it is the winter edition of the Ones to Watch. A selection of 23 players who are among the most promising top transfers in winter will receive dynamic special cards.
Release of the Stars in Focus – Winter Edition in Ultimate Team
Update: It is now official, yes the OTW in winter will be released on February 2nd at 7 PM!
The fact that there will be winter OTWs in FUT 18 has been officially known since January 28th. This was revealed in a tweet from EA Sports.
The fifauteam site now assumes that the winter OTWs will likely be available in packs from February 2nd at 7 PM until February 9th at 7 PM.
As soon as there is official information, we will update the article.
Once the OTW cards are in packs, they will replace the standard cards of those players in the packs. After the OTW phase, you will no longer be able to pull them from packs, but can only purchase them on the transfer market.
Update: These are the Ones to Watch for winter:
Predictions for the OTW
In addition to Sanchez, Mkhitaryan, and Coutinho, 20 other players will receive OTW cards. Which ones those are, we will learn in the future. In the meantime, here are predictions from fifauteam – a forecast of which other footballers might get OTW cards:
Defenders
CB: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
CB: Lisandro López (Inter)
CB: Manuel Akanji (Borussia Dortmund)
LB: Terence Kongolo (Huddersfield Town)
LB: Nicolás Tagliafico (Ajax)
Midfielders
CDM: Yann M’Vila (AS Saint-Étienne)
CDM: Francis Coquelin (Valencia CF)
CDM: Soualiho Meïté (FC Girondins de Bordeaux)
CM: Vincent Koziello (1. FC Köln)
CM: João Mário (West Ham United)
CM: Rafinha (Inter)
CAM: Ross Barkley (Chelsea)
RM: Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Arsenal)
RM: Theo Walcott (Everton)
LM: Vitolo (Atlético Madrid)
LW: Alexis Sánchez (Manchester United)
LW: Coutinho (FC Barcelona)
LW: Marko Pjaca (FC Schalke 04)
Forwards
ST: Diego Costa (Atlético Madrid)
ST: Luciano Vietto (Valencia CF)
ST: Cenk Tosun (Everton)
ST: Jürgen Locadia (Brighton & Hove Albion)
What are the Ones to Watch in FUT 18? How do the upgrades work? OTW explanation
The special thing about the OTW cards: They are dynamic cards. Every time an OTW player receives a TOTW card or another special card (like MOTM, Hero, etc.), that player’s OTW card is automatically adjusted to that card and will consistently stay at the higher rating.
In other words: The better a player performs in real football (and thus receives a special card from EA Sports), the better your OTW card will become throughout the season. There is then a form boost that corresponds to the latest values.
Important: The OTW cards will not be upgraded by those special cards that grant extreme stat boosts, such as TOTY or TOTS.
The position on the OTW player card always remains the same, even if the position on a new TOTW card differs.
With Patch 4.2 came many new contents and along with them new cool rewards for the MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV (PC, PS4). In this guide, you will find an overview of the mounts (Mounts) and companions that are available starting from 4.2, and their locations.
Warning: The list may contain possible spoilers for the Omega Sigmametrie, as well as upcoming events. It will be updated with further findings and information as necessary.
How to find the new companions in FF XIV 4.2
Yotsuyu Doll – As a bonus code in the new artbook “Art of the Revolution: Western Memories”
The most digitally lucrative games in 2017 are not new releases, but old games. Only a few in the top 10 lists of 2017 regarding digital revenue were released that year. Thus, the 4-year-old Grand Theft Auto V beats the new Destiny 2 on PS4 and Xbox One.
In the news pages of the gaming industry, it’s about the daily occurrences. The current games are making headlines:
What troubles are there with Destiny 2?
What record has PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds broken this time?
What is EA doing with the loot boxes in Star Wars Battlefront 2?
However, the “naked numbers” paint a different picture of the gaming industry. The analysis firm SuperData has released a report on which games generated the most digital revenue in 2017.
The digital revenue from the platform providers’ shops or through in-game sales, the microtransactions, is becoming increasingly important for games, while physical sales have been declining for years.
What are Games-as-a-Service and why are they the big winners in gaming 2017?
In terms of digital revenue, the so-called “Games as-a-service.” dominate. These are games that, at first glance, have little in common and span across all genres and platforms.
According to SuperData, bonus revenues are rising much faster than revenues from product sales, which remain relatively stable. Source: Superdata
FIFA and Grand Theft Auto V, Hearthstone and LoL, Destiny 2 and Minecraft have, at first glance, no commonalities, but all belong to the Games-as-a-service.
The games are characterized by the following features:
They are multiplayer games
They have a strong online component
They rely on microtransactions
And they are usually supplied with content for years.
This leads to strange blooms. In the past, games only made money at release and perhaps with expansions and sequels later. But today, the “revenue curve” for Games-as-a-Service looks different. A popular example here is FIFA 17, which generates almost consistently high revenue over a full year until the successor is released.
The winners of 2017 on consoles: Oldies beat newcomers
This trend means that the strongest game in 2017 in digital revenue on PS4 and Xbox One is the 4-year-old “Grand Theft Auto V” (2013).
Also, FIFA 17 (2016) made more money in 2017 than almost all other games that were released this year. Only Call of Duty: WW2 ranks higher.
Even older games like Call of Duty: Black Ops III (2015), Rainbow Six Siege (2015), or Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (2016) have generated enough digital revenue to make it into the top 10.
The level of the figures shows that microtransactions and digital revenue on PS4 and Xbox One are not yet as widespread as on PC or mobile, but they are coming.
The winners of 2017 in premium games on PC: Fresh wind
On PC, there is indeed something like fresh wind in paid games: With PUBG, there is a current game in 1st place, which has generated almost twice as much as the second-placed Overwatch from 2016.
But in 3rd place, there’s an oldie: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is from 2012, making it older than GTA V, which appears at 5 on PC. However, on PC, Destiny 2 beats GTA V significantly despite the very late PC release.
With “Divinity: Original Sin 2,” the only single-player game that has shone in digital revenue can be found here.
Surprisingly: Guild Wars 2 ranks 8th, being the only paid MMORPG in the top 10. Here, a problem of SuperData shows: It seems they cannot access all the numbers from MMORPGs for this statistic – perhaps games like WoW, Final Fantasy XIV, or The Elder Scrolls Online would actually rank higher on the list, but their numbers are likely not publicly accessible.
The winners in Free2Play games on PC: LoL and games that no one here knows
With League of Legends, a two-billion title stands at the top of digital revenue among Free2Play games on PC. LoL has been running its rounds alone for years. It is from 2009.
LoL is already old, but still considerably younger than the most popular games from Asia like Dungeon Fighter Online (2005) and CrossFire (2007).
In the top 10 table, several games appear that probably say nothing to westerners, or are “very niche” like Roblox.PC gaming, especially in the Free2Play area, is often a regional affair. Only a few games work worldwide like League of Legends.
Mobile games have the most billion-dollar titles in 2017: 5 billion-games
There are as many as 5 billion-dollar titles among mobile games. Mobile games rely heavily on microtransactions, as they almost exclusively offer Free2Play.
Here, the unofficial mobile version of League of Legends, Arena of Valor (in China: Honour of Kings), ranks high with almost 2 billion dollars in digital revenue. The MOBA breaks record after record in Asia and has now also been released in Europe and North America. Allegedly, 108 million women play this alone.
Pokemon GO also holds its ground well in the charts at 9. The fresh “Lineage 2 Revolution”, a mobile game with MMORPG elements, ranks at 7.
These were the digital revenues of 2017. Many games are included that are not often talked about but still make their rounds. How 2018 could develop, we will shed light on in this article:
A new leak has surfaced regarding Destiny 2. The new threat in the second DLC called “Gods of Mars” is said to be the Warmind Rasputin.
Official information about the 2nd DLC is currently in short supply. Bungie has only released a DLC graphic that names Spring 2018 as the release date. The graphic also features a Warmind and a woman who is likely Ana Bray:
However, Bungie has yet to confirm the name of the DLC or its content. However, shortly after Christmas, several leaks surfaced suggesting that the expansion will be called “Gods of Mars” and that it will take Guardians to Mars.
A few hours ago, a new leak about the 2nd DLC appeared in the reddit forum, confirming the name “Gods of Mars” and revealing some new features. Keep in mind that the following information has not been officially confirmed and could be a fake. If you want to read further, please enjoy the information with a healthy dose of caution.
According to the leak, Guardians must follow a mysterious signal originating from Mars in “Gods of Mars.” A previous leak in December was more specific, mentioning the Ice Caps in the North of Mars as a new location, specifically a “Frigid Vale” that we will be able to explore. In the end cinematic of the story campaign, when the Traveler sends its light into the universe, Mars is briefly visible – and it shows those areas covered in ice: The leak continues, stating that Rasputin, the last of the old Warminds, was alerted due to a dark threat beyond the solar system. He – Rasputin – would now deceive humanity and plan to construct a powerful weapon to launch the Traveler into the air.
Now, Guardians must work together with Ana Bray, who has been missing for years, to destroy Rasputin before he can put his plans into action.
So much for the setting, here are the mentioned features:
Explore Mars and unveil Rasputin’s secrets
New story missions and adventures
New themed weapons, armor, and gear
New cooperative activities
New competitive multiplayer arenas
New cooperative raid-like activity
New enemy factions: “Crow Splicer” and “Construct”
And more …
In the Guardian community, there is now speculation about how credible this leak is. At least, it somewhat matches the information that surfaced in December. However, back then it was mentioned that the Warmind Charlemagne would awaken on Mars, imprison Rasputin, and we would have to stop Charlemagne.
Some Guardians believe that the new setting of the new leak indeed makes sense. Perhaps Rasputin has noticed that the awakening of the Traveler attracts a great danger beyond the solar system. Therefore, he decides to destroy the Traveler to avert the great threat.
However, a few users doubt the authenticity of the leak. The description text sounds strange, additionally, there is a scrollbar visible on one screenshot next to the description text and not on another:
If this leak turns out to be true, the question remains: What are these new factions?
The Crow Splicer could be interesting. They might be Fallen Splicers led by Uldren Sov. Uldren is the brother of Mara Sov, he is the Prince of the Reef. And according to a Grimoire card from Destiny 1, Uldren crashed on Mars during the war against Oryx.
He is regarded as the “Master of Crows.” In an early phase of Destiny’s development, he was not called Uldren, but Crow. Perhaps we will see him again in the 2nd DLC:
As for the Construct faction, little can be speculated. The previous leak mentioned a “Frame & Nanite” faction. We speculated whether it could be an army of SIVA-enhanced Frames. In Destiny, Frames are the robots that work in social spaces. For example, Darbi 55-30 on the Farm or Benedict 99-40 in the Tower.
What do you think of this leak and the information?
The MMO Dragonball Online actually existed – unfortunately not here in the West. Now fans have taken it up and want to revive it on a global scale. The beta will start soon: Are you in?
Released in 2010 in South Korea, Dragonball Online’s roots only extend to Taiwan and China. Although a release was also planned here in the West, it remained just a plan. Dragonball Online was completely shut down in 2013.
The MMO Necromancy
Dragon Ball Online was dead. All of Dragon Ball Online? No! A defiant spark of life remained in the virtual heart!
Not only was there corpse looting and some assets from Dragon Ball Online were reused for the role-playing game Dragon Ball Xenoverse, but behind the scenes there was also a lot of activity.
Attempts were made to revive the game on private servers. And the effort seems to be paying off: Thanks to the work of fans, it was recently announced that “Dragon Ball Online Global,” as it is now called, will enter Open Beta on March 1, 2018.
Dragon Ball Online Global takes place on an alternate Earth. The world is threatened by vile creatures, whose leader Mira is also experimenting with time travel. The player takes on the role of an involuntary time traveler.
The graphics still come from old times, although a few contents have been added for it.
In total, there are currently 599,171 accounts registered. Will you be a part of it soon? Or does it leave you completely cold?
A terminally ill player from Elite Dangerous wants to see the edge of the Galaxy at least once. But a handful of trolls and griefers have sabotaged the final fuel depot to deny him his last wish.
Elite Dangerous offers a huge space sandbox where you can explore the entire galaxy. To reach remote systems, it often takes days. Many players therefore never venture out of the civilized area of the Milky Way.
But a terminally ill player wants to visit the edge of the known galaxy at least once before he dies. However, a bunch of trolls wants to deny him this last wish!
The Last Journey of Commander DoveEnigma13
The player Brandon Keith aka “Commander DoveEnigma13” has been suffering from cancer for three years and will probably soon lose the battle against this insidious disease. However, before his death, he and his 5-year-old daughter want to reach the remote star system Colonia. It is 22,000 light-years away from the civilized center of the galaxy.
Hardcore pilots can achieve this with difficulty within a day of real-time, but due to Keith’s condition, it takes much longer. The player now has a convoy of over 560 supporters accompanying him on his final journey. They started on January 12 and plan to arrive in Colonia on February 4.
Last Waypoint Before Destination Sabotaged
To support Keith’s mission, the developers stationed a megaship at the last waypoint in Colonia, where the fleet can refuel and make repairs. The ship has even been named DoveEnigma in honor of Keith.
However, not every player shows solidarity with the action. Instead, it seems they have stirred the hatred of a band of trolls. In a recent status report about the condition of waypoints, the DoveEnigma was reported as damaged.
Apparently, the trolls have gone to great lengths and flown ahead of Keith’s fleet to Colonia to sabotage the megaship. They may have even flown multiple times to the edge of the galaxy to ruin the last wish of a terminally ill player.
Allies Don’t Give Up, Want to Repair Last Station
Of course, the megaship alone is not essential for the success of Keith’s final journey. One could also refuel at other stations nearby.
But that the ship named after the dying player was intentionally damaged and sabotaged by trolls leaves participants with anger and rage! You must be a tremendous jerk to do something like that.
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Therefore, one wants to get the DoveEnigma back in working order as quickly as possible, before the convoy arrives on February 4. Many volunteer players are already on their way to Colonia to deliver the meta-alloys needed for repairs.
Let’s hope that they manage to do it in time to bring the action to a proper conclusion and show the trolls.
The horror action game Friday the 13th is continuing through the film series and now introduces the villain from the fifth film.
The current update brings the events of the fifth installment of the film series Friday the 13th: A New Beginning into the game. This means you will be hunted by a new Jason in a new play area. “Jason V”, as the villain is named, not only looks different, but also has interesting new methods to eliminate other players.
The new attacks from Jason V include:
Hedge Trimmer
Last Breath
You’re So Vein
Try to survive Pinehurst
Additionally, the update brings a new map with Pinehurst. This is a youth rehabilitation center where hero Tommy Jarvis stays after previously killing Jason. But as is the case with the “Friday the 13th” films, Jason always returns to seek revenge. In the game, you will now also experience Pinehurst and must try to escape from there. You will need to familiarize yourself with the new area to see how it is structured.
Adjustments to Balancing
Furthermore, the update also includes the attack Rugby Player, which you unlock at level 108 for 2500 CP. In addition, several bug fixes and balancing adjustments are part of the update. This includes that fewer pocket knives and healing sprays spawn, but Jason starts with more throwing knives and his range has been increased regarding the grabbing of teammates. This should make the matches even more exciting and dangerous.
EX Raid invitations for Pokémon GO were distributed on January 29th. What medals and levels do the selected trainers have?
A new wave of EX Raid invitations reached Pokémon GO trainers a few hours ago. The community is already discussing who received one of the coveted invitations and thus gets the chance to battle the rare Pokémon Mewtwo.
The website PokémonGOHub conducted an analysis of this wave of invitations and shows which trainers were selected for the current invitations.
Preferred Bronze and Silver Medals?
In their analysis, the experts from GOHub evaluated about 2200 reports from trainers who provided feedback on current EX Raid invitations. Of these 2200 trainers, 51% were invited – 49% went away empty-handed.
82% of the trainers who received an EX Raid invitation raided on the weekend before the passes were distributed.
Medals – who was awarded? The following overview shows which gym medals the trainers had who were invited to the EX Raids.
Gym Medals
Bronze: 25.67%
Silver: 40.93%
Gold: 27.32%
Legendary Medal
Bronze: 36.11%
Silver: 56.59%
Gold: 2.13%
Normal Raid Medal
Bronze: 59.24%
Silver: 31.93%
Gold: 3.11%
What level did the trainers who received an EX Raid invitation have?
In an overview, the team shows that mostly trainers with a minimum level of 30 were invited to the EX Raids. The collected data will be analyzed more thoroughly in the coming days.
Which gyms were selected?
As GOHub states, two features stood out in the distribution of gyms:
They continue to use old OpenStreetMap data
Despite the last in-game update of the maps, Niantic apparently still relies on OSM data from July to August 2016 to select gyms.
Level 20 cells are used for determination
Niantic no longer simply uses Level 20 S2 cells for determining EX Raid gyms, according to recent findings. For a gym to qualify, the center of the respective Level 20 S2 cell must be located in a park.
Players who engage with the topic must therefore check whether a potential gym is located in an S2 cell, the cell center of which is in a park. Reddit user Tntnnbltn discovered this and illustrated his findings with this graphic:
In this example, gyms A and B qualify for EX Raids, gym C and D do not qualify. (Even if gym D is very close)
In the Pokémon GO community, there is still disagreement about whether EX Raids are a meaningful addition to the game. Did you receive an invitation this time?
The Battlefield series will get a new installment in autumn 2018. EA now confirms this.
Shooter fans can look forward to a new title in October 2018, where they can showcase their shooting skills. As announced by EA to the Wall Street Journal, a new installment in the Battlefield series will be released this October.
However, details about which part it is, what theme will be addressed, or in which year the shooter takes place, have not yet been disclosed.
Some fans think it’s too fast
The Battlefield community is reacting to the announcement with mixed feelings. Some are excited about a new installment in the series and are already speculating about themes such as World War II.
Others say: “Stop, this is way too early. The fire from Battlefield 1 is still burning and should now just be extinguished by a new title?”
Thanks to a lot of DLC content, Battlefield 1 has managed to maintain stability over the last months and is still fun for many players.
Speculations about “World War II” title
Rumors about a new Battlefield title have been circulating for a long time and have repeatedly referred to a WW2 title in recent weeks. Allegedly, the developer studio DICE Sweden is working on the implementation of such a Battlefield game – the same team that is responsible for Battlefield 1. At least, that’s what YouTuber AlmightyDaq claims, who says to have insider information.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRYFHnJnMK8
Bad Company 3 Release – Speculation
In December, YouTuber AlmightyDaq already presented a leak with alleged insider information about Battlefield Bad Company 3. This YouTuber predicted many features of Battlefield 1 before the game was announced. Therefore, many fans trust him.
In the Eververse, you can get the Bunched Gesture and the “Teasing Dance” gesture for Glimmer. As Exotics, the “SV-112 Scavenger” Sparrow, the Speed Demon Ghost shell, as well as ornaments for the Tractor Cannon and Telesto are available for purchase.
Ikora Rey has meditations for the missions Cycle, Utopia, and The Entrance. Additionally, with yesterday’s update, the faulty waypoint over Ikora that has been annoying for months has finally been removed.
Lord Saladin is located on the building above the Gunsmith. He sells five armor pieces as well as the weapons Crimils Dagger, Frostmire’s Curse, and Gunnora’s Axe.
Sales of Battlefront 2 are overall below the developers’ expectations. EA cites the controversy surrounding microtransactions as the reason. Strangely enough, these are supposed to return in the coming months.
“We want to listen to the players” is regularly heard from EA’s corner. But are loot boxes really what players want? “If done right, they certainly can be,” says EA.
After much back and forth, a decision regarding the loot boxes has now been made and communicated in a conference call.
Poor Numbers
Previously, CFO Blake Jorgensen had already announced that the shipments of Battlefront 2 had fallen short of expectations. Only 7 million copies were shipped instead of 8 million. At least: In terms of downloads, Battlefront 2 made a mark and recorded 5% more than its predecessor.
However, one has learned a lot from the controversy surrounding loot boxes and has been able to draw a lot for the future.
“Microtransactions are great if done right”
Initially, things didn’t go smoothly with microtransactions. Though implemented in the beta, they were significantly dialed back at the beginning of November. Rumor has it that Disney pushed for the loot boxes, causing strife in development. However, Jorgensen distanced himself from this notion.
“One should not believe everything you read in the press. We have a great relationship with Disney and have developed great games together. And if we find the right model for the players and community, I have no doubt that Disney will support us,” Blake Jorgensen
Early on, EA and DICE were confident that microtransactions would return as soon as a satisfactory and fair solution was found for everyone. Apparently, this is now the case. Jorgensen has now confirmed the return of loot boxes “within the next few months.”
He believes that loot box systems can help improve the overall gaming experience – if they are “done right.” They introduce the element of choice, which is an important component.
A Nod to the Players
They continue to work closely with the players to develop the best possible loot box system and are glad to have such passionate fans who tell them exactly when they are right and when they are wrong.
Although the game has not sold as well as expected, they are happy about the players gained. These spend twice as much time in Battlefront 2 compared to the same period in the predecessor. Moreover, 70% of players tackled the campaign, which is a proud number.
It will be exciting to see what the upcoming microtransaction system will look like. What are your expectations for it?
The latest Mercy nerf from Overwatch is live. We reveal what has been done to the healer from Switzerland this time.
Yesterday evening, on 30.01.2018, Blizzard installed a mini-patch for Overwatch. It contained exactly what the fans of Mercy feared: a major nerf to their favorite character.
Since Mercy’s comprehensive rework last year, the developers have not succeeded in creating a reasonable balance. Although there have been numerous adjustments and nerfs, it was still not enough. With the current patch, her Valkyrie is primarily targeted, meaning her ultimate. It loses a significant part of its special features, such as the additional charge for resurrection or the spontaneous resurrection.
But Junkrat also feels a nerf. His remote-detonated mine is now less effective, as it only deals full damage at the center of the explosion.
Here are the patch notes in detail:
General Updates
[Xbox One] 4K support has been added for the Xbox One X.
Hero Updates
Junkrat
Remote-detonated Mine
The mine now deals less damage to targets that are further away from the center of the explosion.
Mercy
Valkyrie
Resurrection is no longer spontaneous.
Does not grant any additional charge for resurrection anymore.
The speed bonus from Guardian Angel during active Valkyrie has been reduced by 50%.
The duration has been reduced from 20 seconds to 15 seconds.
Bug Fixes
A bug has been fixed that caused D.Va’s face textures not to load when using the “Black Cat” skin.
It remains to be seen whether the developers and players will be satisfied with Mercy this time. Then the long cycle of buffing and nerfing might finally come to an end – at least temporarily.
What do you think of the latest changes to Mercy? Are they good and necessary? Or has Blizzard gone too far?
The new character slots in World of Warcraft are missed. When will the additional slots be available?
Since last night (30.01.2018), players of World of Warcraft can pre-order the next expansion. Those who buy Battle for Azeroth in advance can take advantage of a character boost and already play the questlines of the allied races. Afterwards, the thought naturally arises to create one of the new characters and level up fresh from level 20 to experience the scaling world from Patch 7.3.5.
However, some players might already be at their limit regarding character slots. After all, only 12 characters can be created per account per server.
In the “Developer Q&A” livestream, Ion Hazzikostas, the Game Director of World of Warcraft, already revealed that fans do not have to wait until the release of the expansion in the summer.
In the coming days, they plan to update the servers and the game so that all players will receive 4 additional character slots per server!
The 4 additional character slots are available regardless of whether Battle for Azeroth has been pre-ordered or not – they will be unlocked for all players.
Hazzikostas did not mention a specific date, but it should happen “in the next few days.” With a bit of luck, leveling new characters can already begin on the weekend.
Whether there will be 2 more slots with the release of Patch 8.0 and the start of Battle for Azeroth remains to be seen.
Are you already looking forward to the allied races and the new char slots? Or do you not have that many characters and don’t need the slots?
So it is! The release of Anthem (PS4, Xbox One, PC) has been postponed to 2019. Fans will have to wait even longer for the MMO shooter.
According to a Mein-MMO survey, Anthem claims the top spot in the 10 most anticipated MMOs and online games in 2018. It is a shared-world shooter from EA that is in development at BioWare and was officially unveiled for the first time at E3 2017. The release period is set for fall 2018.
However, as Blake Jorgensen, CFO of EA, confirms to the Wall Street Journal, it will not just be released in 2018. Instead, the release is expected in the first quarter of 2019.
Anthem is expected to receive significant attention
Jorgensen also mentions a reason for the postponement: A new Battlefield from EA is already set to release in October 2018. And if Anthem releases in a quieter quarter, it would receive more attention.
EA likely wants to avoid another “Titanfall 2” situation. This highly praised first-person shooter by critics and fans was overshadowed by the releases of Battlefield and CoD and fell short of expectations.
A delay in the development of Anthem is not the reason for the postponement, according to Jorgensen.
Almost a week ago, an insider report surfaced, stating that there were difficulties in the development of Anthem. A 2018 release was never realistic, but EA is pushing for Anthem to be finished by March 2019 to satisfy investors, it was said. This report was denied by Jorgensen.
What is Anthem, anyway?
Anthem is a shared-world shooter in the same vein as Destiny or The Division: You can explore a foreign world with friends, face dangers together, and upgrade your character with loot.
You play as a “Freelancer” – a character equipped with a combat suit that can fly, jump, climb, and dive through the world. And cool weapons and special abilities can also be integrated into this suit. The game is played in third-person perspective.
The developers plan for Anthem to be expanded over months and years with updates and DLCs. There is talk of a 10-year journey.
The next WoW expansion “Battle for Azeroth” has a vague release date. It will be released in summer 2018!
The latest patch of World of Warcraft: Legion, Patch 7.3.5, has only been active for a few weeks, yet fans have pressing questions about the future. Battle for Azeroth is on everyone’s lips and pre-orders have already begun. Those who want can pre-order Battle for Azeroth in the in-game shop and benefit from the bonuses already now.
But the fans’ most pressing question is: When will Battle for Azeroth be playable? When is the release date of the next expansion?
Battle for Azeroth Release Date in Summer 2018
The shop already gives a clear hint, as the description in the pre-order states that Battle for Azeroth is supposed to be released no later than September 21 (or earlier). This would allow Blizzard to manage the release of the expansion in summer 2018.
The alpha version of Battle for Azeroth just started a few weeks ago. So far, only a very small, selected group of players has access to the game. In the coming weeks and months, “normal mortals” will also be invited to test the new expansion thoroughly.
Additionally, purchasing the Collector’s Edition for €60 comes with extra bonuses:
One mount each for Alliance and Horde
The pet Tottle
What do you think of this release date for Battle for Azeroth? Is the game coming at a suitable time? Or is it still far too far away and thus is coming too late?
