Blizzard has literally patched the fun out of World of Warcraft. Many NPCs now remain silent.
When deploying update 7.3.5, not everything went smoothly. Numerous bugs sneaked into the current version of WoW, players are raging in the forums and on Reddit. There are reports of severe frame rate drops, certain aspects of transmogification were lost, and the health points of old raid bosses were initially bugged.
But even more bugs have crept in. One of them was discovered on Reddit by user Keydiam. Apparently, Blizzard has disabled the so-called “Poke-Lines” for many NPCs.
What are Poke-Lines in World of Warcraft?
At Blizzard, it has been a tradition since the early days of the first Warcraft games that players can repeatedly click on characters in the games. After a while, the phrases “Hello” and “What can I do for you?” become increasingly annoyed. The characters even insult the player or tell little jokes or funny anecdotes from the respective game world.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
With patch 7.3.5, many NPCs have lost their Poke-Lines. When you click on the NPCs repeatedly, they only repeat their “ordinary” phrases, such as friendly greetings. Even clicking a hundred times does not elicit any insulting or amusing words from them.
However, there are still some exceptions: The guards of Dalaran and certain vendors still react with irritation.
Although there is no statement from Blizzard yet, it will very likely be a bug. Because new phrases were recorded for patch 7.3. To deactivate these comprehensively now would be extremely strange.
Did you even know about these “Poke-Lines”? Or did you never notice them while playing?
Ubisoft is performing maintenance today, January 22nd. There may be server issues, disruptions, and connection drops for numerous games. How long will the maintenance last?
Last week, among others, the “The Division” developers announced that there would be a global Ubisoft maintenance taking place today. On January 22nd, there may be server disruptions for a variety of Ubisoft games.
If you are planning something important in your game and can’t afford a connection drop, then it’s better to wait until Ubisoft has completed the maintenance work.
Here are the important times:
The work began on January 22nd at 6 AM.
The work will end on January 22nd at 2 PM.
Which games are affected by the maintenance?
According to Ubisoft, the online functions of numerous games are affected by the maintenance. This list has been published:
Adrenaline Anno 1404 Anno 2070 Anno 2205 Anno Online Anno Build an Empire Assassin’s Creed 2 Assassin’s Creed 3 Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation Assassin’s Creed Initiates Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood Assassin’s Creed: Identity Assassin’s Creed Origins Assassin’s Creed: Revelations Assassin’s Creed: Rogue Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate Assassin’s Creed: Unity Beyond Good and Evil Black Eyed Peas Child of Light CSI: Hidden Crimes Driver: San Francisco Eagle Flight EndWar Face Up – The Selfie Game Far Cry 3 Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon Far Cry 4 Far Cry Primal Ghost Recon Future Soldier Ghost Recon Wildlands Heroes III Heroes of Might and Magic 6 Heroes of Might and Magic – Heroes 7 Just Dance 2014 Just Dance 2015 Just Dance 2016 Just Dance 2017 Just Dance 2018 Just Dance Now Just Dance: Disney Party 2 Michael Jackson: The Experience Might & Magic Heroes Online Might and Magic Showdown Might and Magic: X Legacy Prince of Persia Forgotten Sands R.U.S.E Rainbow Six Siege Rayman Legends Rayman Origins Rocksmith Rocksmith 2014 Splinter Cell Blacklist Steep South Park: Phone Destroyer Star Trek Bridge Crew The Crew The Settlers Online Toy Soldiers War Chest Tom Clancy’s The Division Trials Frontier Trials Fusion Trials: Blood Dragon Trivial Pursuit Uno Watch Dogs Watch Dogs 2 Zombi ZombiU
These games, such as The Division, can still be played online. However, in-game the message appears that the gameplay might be affected due to Ubisoft maintenance.
Additionally, online services on Ubisoft websites and in the Ubisoft forums are affected. Thank you for your patience while the infrastructure is being improved.
The final of the Hearthstone Championship between the Taiwanese Tom60229 and the American Fr0zen has just taken place. It looked good for the man from the USA at the beginning, even confetti was already raining down. However, the tide turned.
Both players laid the groundwork beforehand, especially regarding the Mage decks. These were hardly seen in this form before the event. Now, the Mage decks will surely be copied and seen in many Hearthstone games.
Analyst vs. Wild Card in the Hearthstone Final
The tactical understanding distinguishes both players, although Fr0zen and Tom60229 embody different player types:
Tom operated more on the classic track in the tournament. His moves were unremarkable, yet efficient. He only needed 18 games to reach the final, often winning with scores of 3:1 or even 3:0.
Fr0zen’s situation was different: he needed a total of 24 games. His playstyle is bolder, more surprising – but also more reliant on luck – as seen in the Water Elemental Madness.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Twitch that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
During the first two matches, Fortune was still benevolently behind Fr0zen. Already in the first game, he fortunately drew the perfect combo at the literally last moment: the “Arcanist Constructor” granted him the much-needed armor through the Flamestrike. Otherwise, he would have died on the next turn. However, he won this match.
After the second match won, everything behind the scenes seemed to be poised for victory: Early confetti showered the scene in celebratory sparkle. Joyfully, it rained down on Tom, who understandably could only look somewhat dismally at the confetti with the current score of 0:2.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Twitch that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Fortune also saw the happy ending coming and preferred to go to bed early. Unfortunately, too early for Fr0zen.
“It’s always Spider-Time”
While the audience and the accompanying chat cheerfully waved the USA flags and people were eagerly anticipating Fr0zen’s third victory, Tom simply drew the better cards while Fr0zen took daring steps. Although he knew that his opponent still had Leeroy Jenkins in hand, he did not protect himself with more armor. That ultimately dealt him the death blow.
With the score at 2:2, Tom also chose the Jade Druid – and was able to build his jade creatures faster than his opponent. With stoic calmness, he laid the cards on the table and pressed Fr0zen more and more. 2018 will probably be the year of Jade in Hearthstone!
“If I weren’t here on stage, I would be crying right now…”
In the end, the early confetti rain did indeed find the right man, and the Hearthstone world can look forward to a world champion with a slightly cumbersome name, but with much ambition and tactical skill.
Tom celebrated his victory appropriately with the trophy and admitted he would probably cry if he weren’t standing on stage.
The title match was a worthy final with an exciting twist and a deserving winner! Did you watch the match as well? Are you now also considering a Jade Druid?
As soon as the Overwatch League started, the first critical voices were raised. It is not about the matches played so far or the players themselves, but rather about the system behind it. eSports legend Emil “HeatoN” Christensen now expresses his criticism in an online magazine.
Since Christensen founded the Counter-Strike clan “Ninjas in Pyjamas” in 1999 together with Tommy “Potti” Ingemarsson, he has been active in the eSports field. Over many years, he secured a spot in the top 3 with his respective teams and even reached the pinnacle of the shooter several times.
Over time, he witnessed the change within eSports. In mid-2007, he ended his active playing career and has been working as a team manager ever since.
Clear Criticism of the “Plastic” League
Christensen is critical of the now-emerging Overwatch League. His article “Overwatch League smells like plastic, American money” has now been published in the magazine Metro. There he highlights Blizzard’s high ambitions to establish a successful league but points out the disadvantages that the chosen approach might entail.
For this, he draws a comparison of Overwatch to eSports surrounding Counter-Strike. The teams formed there have grown organically over the years and were able to build an honest fanbase that is interested in them and the sport.
“The teams and stars have reached the top after many years of hard work and have thus become ambassadors and carriers of eSports. They have developed into a brand that cannot be bought with money,” Emil “HeatoN” Christensen
Blizzard, on the other hand, tries to do the exact opposite: wants to buy everything with money. Twelve organizations had to “forcefully” form their teams with an astonishing sum of 20 million dollars – and were not allowed to keep their original names.
Christensen sees in this preparation of the teams not only artificially produced plastic but also a danger for the future of eSports. For him, anyone should be able to reach the top, regardless of their background, thanks to training and strong will. Blizzard’s induced monopoly prevents this.
“I believe that this monopoly aims in the opposite direction of the inclusivity that our sport actually embodies. For me, what was appealing about Counter-Strike was that no one ever cared about where you come from,” Emil “HeatoN” Christensen
He expresses concern about the direction Blizzard has taken and believes that Overwatch will pay a high price for not allowing its players and the league to grow organically. After the rise, the fall will still come.
A fight in the middle then fully decided the game. While Team Liquid appeared concentrated and as a unit, TSM did not make a good impression at the start of the season.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Twitch that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
The victory was particularly sweet for Doublelift because the head of TSM, Reginald, had made a bet before the match. After his team’s defeat, TSM will now donate $15,000 to a charity chosen by Team Liquid.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Twitter that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
For Doublelift, this was the “cherry on the cake.”
Because Reginald is responsible for the departure of Doublelift. He brought in the new Euro combo because he felt there was a communication problem in the old team.
Ironically: The very communication problem became apparent in the match against Team Liquid and sent TSM down the path to defeat.
The LoL pro Doublelift takes terrible revenge on Team Solo Mid, which disgracefully replaced him. It looks like 2018 will also be an interesting year in League of Legends esports.
The US pro Peng Yiliang, known as Doublelift, is 24, which is relatively old for a pro in League of Legends. The average age is 21.3 years.
In recent seasons, one is actually asking: When will Doublelift stop pro gaming and become a full-time streamer?
What is actually unusual about Doublelift is that he has been around for so long.
Doublelift – Professional in League of Legends since 2011
Doublelift started playing for Counter Logic Gaming in 2011 and played for Team Solo Mid from 2015 to 2017, which was long considered the best LoL team in North America. Doublelift excels in the AD-Carry role and has built a legendary reputation over the years. He was considered the best AD-Carry in North America for years, and he is still among the best in the country.
But apparently, TSM decided that it was time for a change and released Doublelift. He only found out about it when he read it on Reddit.
His team let him go and brought in the Dane Zven and the Spaniard Mithy, a dynamic Euro duo. They hoped for better communication from them.
The head of TSM, Reginald, thought: His team consists of technically excellent people, but the communication among them was weak. And communication is crucial for success in LoL nowadays.
Learned about the release on Reddit
How the dismissal occurred highly annoyed LoL pro Doublelift, and so he swore revenge. His goal for 2018: He wanted to show his former team TSM what he could do.
And the opportunity came soon. Doublelift joined Team Liquid, and as fate would have it, the North America League Championship immediately started with a match between Team SoloMid and Team Liquid. Doublelift played with Tristana, and it was a massacre.
After an impressive attack on the bot lane, the game was almost decided after 13 minutes, with a score of 4-0 for Team Liquid.
A fight in the middle then fully decided the game. While Team Liquid appeared concentrated and as a unit, TSM did not make a good impression at the start of the season.
The victory was particularly sweet for Doublelift because the head of TSM, Reginald, had made a bet before the match. After his team’s defeat, TSM will now donate $15,000 to a charity chosen by Team Liquid.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Twitter that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
For Doublelift, this was the “cherry on the cake.”
Because Reginald is responsible for the departure of Doublelift. He brought in the new Euro combo because he felt there was a communication problem in the old team.
Ironically: The very communication problem became apparent in the match against Team Liquid and sent TSM down the path to defeat.
The upcoming fantasy MMORPG Ashes of Creation is at the beginning of its production. Regularly, the studio Intrepid gives a behind-the-scenes look at the development. Read here the main points from the latest live stream with Q&A!
Ashes of Creation is an open-world MMORPG set in a high-fantasy world. The game itself is literally what the players make of it. The world reacts to the players and evolves with them, allowing players on each server to experience their own story.
The indie game is currently in the early stages of development after its beginnings as a Kickstarter project. At the moment, the developers are working on the “Alpha Zero” phase, which is only accessible to invited testers.
Recently, there was a livestream where Lead Game Designer Jeffrey Bard and Creative Director Steven Sharif talked about the future of the game, showcased new content, and answered questions.
We have summarized the highlights of the new features and announcements for you:
A new stage of Alpha Zero will begin in a few days.
The development of the game is going remarkably well.
On Monday, January 22nd, the team will offer 10 new job positions.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
In addition, there was a brief insight into two new areas: an underground fortress of the Dunir and the “Underrealm”. The Underrealm is the area beneath the surface of the game world Verra. Players can explore it in many places, and it is important for the game and the story:
the Underrealm has its own ecosystem
The color of the realm indicates to the player what region they are in.
It feels different from the “Overworld” and is also meant to be seen as a distinct part of the world.
It is the birthplace and refuge of the “Tulnar” race.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
In addition to these new features, Sharif also discussed plans for 2018, which will focus on the community: There will be larger testing phases for Ashes of Creation, bigger announcements, and community meetups, including at PAX East in April.
The Q&A: Community Questions
After the announcements, questions from the community that interested parties could submit beforehand were answered. We have compiled the most interesting answers for you:
World, Buildings, and “Nodes”
For each node in the world, there is a limited number of building slots for taverns and others
The area where a building is located determines the availability of its resources
Taverns can only offer dishes made from local ingredients. Different dishes provide different benefits.
It may eventually be possible to climb in certain areas.
Player buildings are instanced – owners are safe from the gaze and interactions of other players inside.
Classes and Combat System
The siege system, one of the most important features, will be tested in the alpha and beta phases
various siege weapons can be crafted and purchased.
It is likely that there will be tameable companions for combat.
Weapons are not class-bound. Weapon types can be used by multiple classes.
The quick-time event for the focus system will be revised.
In response to the question about what some rather vague classes have:
Summoners: Flex classes that complete any group by filling in any role.
Bards: Pure team players that make the group as a whole stronger.
The entire live stream lasts about an hour and addressed additional questions regarding balance and implementations that remain an ever-present topic for development.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Twitch that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Are you interested in Ashes of Creation? Will you participate in the game tests to help with development? Or will you dive into the game only at release?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The perhaps most famous merchant in video game history, Xur, hardly plays a role in Destiny 2 anymore. Now, the most popular YouTuber of the game announces that he will ignore him in the future.
At the beginning of Destiny, Xûr was the most important NPC in the game, and his importance extended beyond the boundaries of the game: an NPC who was only in the game for hours and sold randomly selected, special items when you had the right currency.
It was somewhat like the Yeti.
Xur became a cult
Soon, rituals and legends surrounded the merchant:
There were websites and Facebook accounts that exclusively reported about Xur.
National and international gaming magazines published regular reports about his inventory.
In the early days at Mein-MMO, the servers crashed every Friday under the weight of curious fans until we scraped together money for new servers with a donation campaign
Guardians discussed for hours what he might have next Friday.
As with any religion, there was even a prophet who could predict what Xur would bring.
And other games like The Elder Scrolls Online integrated their own version of Xur into their games.
There was even a reference to him in WoW:
A reason to log into Destiny every week
For Bungie, Xur was a great catch: It became a weekly ritual for players to check what the tentacle-faced character had on offer this time and whether it might be one of the few exotic items they still needed.
Players logged in or checked Xur’s offerings even if they hadn’t played Destiny that week.
Guardians waited for months for certain items like the Thunderlord, the Transversive Steps, or the Gjallarhorn. Xur was also the opportunity for casual players to get their hands on some of the rarest and most sought-after items, items that made players powerful.
The voice actor of Xur.
In Destiny 2, however, Xur seems to be becoming a thing of the past. After last Friday, the Destiny YouTuber Datto announced: He would stop making videos about Xur for a while.
Datto had, like many others, reported on Xur’s location and inventory since his first appearance. It was a cornerstone of his channel. But in Destiny 2, hardly anyone seems to care about what Datto has to say about Xur anymore.
From 312,000 viewers to 70,000 in 4 months
The view counts for Datto’s Xur videos have plummeted. The first one had 312,000 views, but the numbers normalized within a month to 200,000 views.
But they didn’t hold, rather they fell over the next two months to a plateau of around 140,000. Since 2018, the numbers have dropped further, falling below the 100,000 mark. The last videos only reached 70,000 viewers.
Why is Xûr not as important anymore?
There are several reasons why people are no longer as interested in videos about Xur:
Overall, interest in Destiny is declining – this is partly due to time and a normal decline in interest, and partly due to specific problems of the game: some of the people who announce they are quitting really do quit.
Then Bungie now shows in the game where to find Xur. Xur is also around much longer than in Destiny 1 – the event character is gradually fading: the urgency is missing.
Exotics are not as important as they were during the times of Destiny 1. There are hardly any iconic items that players absolutely want. If there is one, like the Prometheus Lens, it gets nerfed two minutes later.
And a special engram from Xur, the Fateful Engram, which he always has, guarantees players to find missing Exotics. This eliminates the luck factor and Exotics have become more frequent. After that, no one asked: Bungie provided the Fateful Engram along with the Three of Coins as a little extra.
Xûr in free fall since September 2015
Mein MMO believes: Overall, it seems that Bungie has changed things with the Exotics and Xur that no one asked for. And until a change comes, Xur will likely continue to quietly fade away in Destiny 2.
It is all the more surprising because Bungie has repeatedly emphasized during Destiny 1 how important “weekly rituals” like Xur are for player retention. Even under the shine of special exotic weapons like Icebreaker, Thunderlord, or Gjallarhorn, one still basked in Destiny 1.
Back in 2014, it seemed like Bungie had stumbled upon a goldmine and had accidentally found a super-formula for “player retention”: weekly and monthly rituals, along with powerful items that everyone wanted and everyone talked about.
Clearly, the powerful role of the Exotics has been sacrificed on the altar of balance, taking Xur down with it. A direction Bungie already took with TTK. Since September 2015, the importance of Xûr has been gradually diminishing. Apparently, it reached a low point in January 2018.
You always land last in the cities of Fortnite: Battle Royale? While the other players are already armed to the teeth, you’re still out with your pathetic pickaxe? We give you tips to help you land faster in the hot spots.
Often, games in Fortnite: Battle Royale can be decided right at the start. Whoever leaves a big city as the winner will often be armed to the teeth with the best gear. However, in order for you to even have a chance of competing with opponents in a larger city, you need to quickly have adequate weapons.
This speed advantage should not be underestimated, especially when you notice during your approach that an opponent is targeting the same house as you. Whoever finds a weapon there first can quickly and easily take out the other.
Even though the options to speed up the landing process are limited, we give you a few tips on how to get to the ground faster – and thus go hunting for loot before the others.
Learn when you need to jump
The battle bus is faster than a player in the air. For this reason, you should always jump out of the bus at the right time. Proper planning is important, especially if your target is far away.
In fact, you can determine the perfect jump point yourself. Mark the place on the map where you want to land. Now align your view so that the battle bus takes up most of the screen. Make sure that both sides of the bus have the same distance to the bottom of the screen. It should look something like this:
Both axes of the bus should have the same distance to the bottom of the screen. – Image source: YouTube Debitor
Now jump exactly at the moment when the marker on the compass display is exactly in the middle. This guarantees you that you will always have the shortest route to your target.
This is how it should look (example landing spot Retail Row):
The higher the landing point, the faster you get there
This is self-explanatory, but not so easy to accomplish. On the map of Fortnite, there are many elevated points that have a decisive disadvantage: they simply offer too little loot.
If no one lands on the elevated point because there is no good loot to be had, you have no reason to visit such places.
However, you can also look for elevated points in cities that offer a strategic advantage. Rooftops are perfect for gaining a height advantage. If you also know which rooftops hide chests, you can get a weapon faster than opponents who have to reach the ground first and run into houses.
The terrain beneath you determines when your parachute opens
Depending on the terrain beneath you, your parachute will open sooner or later. Are you right above a mountain? That’s bad; the parachute will open earlier, you’ll take longer to get to the bottom, and you’ll have a massive disadvantage.
Try to time it so that you have flat terrain under you; then you’ll come down faster than other players who might still be hovering over a mountain.
Never jump directly over your target
At first glance, it seems tempting to jump directly over your target. After all, sometimes you’re lucky, and the bus flies directly over it. Don’t do that! You can fly straight down without having to maneuver much.
The big disadvantage, however, is that after opening your glider, you simply sink down. This takes longer than if you glide towards your target. For this reason, do not jump directly over your target, but slightly offset. A good guideline is 4-5 centimeters next to your target on the mini-map.
Do you have more tips for landing faster? Let us know in the comments!
Today, Hearthstone will find its world champion at the finals of the HCT World Championship. During the tournament, one match particularly stood out, which initially seemed like a clear case. It was an unexpected mirror universe of hungry water elementals!
In the quarter-finals of the HCT World Championships, American Fr0zen faced off against German Sintolol. A match in which Fr0zen entered with some pessimism. In the preceding press conference, he admitted he didn’t give himself much of a chance.
His decks were too geared towards aggro decks, which Sintolol does not cater to. Fr0zen did not expect to win even one of the games – and yet, Fr0zen made it to the fifth and decisive match against his opponent. It was all or nothing.
Check out one of the craziest Hearthstone matches of all time
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Twitch that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
The Clear – Wrath of the Dragon as RNG Board Clear
Sintolol’s “Dragon Combo Priest” and Fr0zen’s “Control Mage” faced each other. As expected, Sintolol was able to deploy his creatures and continuously strengthen them.
It could have indeed been a clear case – if Fr0zen hadn’t been able to cast two high-value spells from his deck precisely thanks to “Wrath of the Dragon”. That’s the kind of “high-mana” spells that Wrath of the Dragon needs to show effect. And he hit the 7-mana spell “Portal to the Firelands”.
This allowed him to deal significant damage to the servants and clear opponents from the field. Twice, mind you.
Admittedly, Fr0zen had already played most of the smaller spells or had them in hand, but if he had drawn just one of his 3-point spells instead of “Portal: Firelands”, the game would have looked quite different, and Sintolol could have strengthened and, above all, retained his servants.
“Who is the Mage now?!” – Jaina vs. Jaina
The real madness began later. With the “Draconid Agent”, Sintolol copied a “Frost Lich Jaina” from Fr0zen’s deck. She turns her own hero into the Death Knight Mage Frost Lich Jaina. With her, an army of water elementals with lifesteal can be summoned.
Suddenly, Sintolol, originally started as a priest, tried to become an undead mage in the creation of a mini army of water elementals to regain control over the opponent’s threat. However, Fr0zen drew his Jaina just two rounds later – and the icy duel could begin!
Neither side gave anything in the true sense of the word. Both had to be careful to use the destructive spells skillfully so that not a single servant with just one health point was left behind – the danger of a new water elemental was too great. Because Frost Lich Jaina can deal one damage point with her hero power and thus create a new water elemental with lifesteal if the servant dies from that damage point.
Sintos problem: At that time he already had fewer cards than Fr0zen and hardly any servants left. It became a race against time, a game that could ultimately only be decided by the elementals – and only through that one copied Jaina. In the end, he went “all in”.
The elemental battle was eventually won by Fr0zen, thanks to “Portal: Firelands”, which had already helped him twice in the game. It not only dealt reliable damage but also summoned a 4/4 elemental. This finally eliminated Sintolol in the fun game of the lifestealing elementals.
It was certainly one of the most unusual games in HTC history and definitely the most challenging game of Fr0zen’s career so far, as he recounts in the thrill of victory after the match. While Sintolol now goes home with $50,000, Fr0zen is allowed to continue fighting.
Today at 16:00 he will face JasonZhou in the semifinals. The water elementals are surely already at the starting line.
Anyone can experience reality. Many can experience digital. Why not mix the two? With these AR games, you can have fun in 2018. We show you the best augmented reality games for Android and iOS. Here you’ll find free AR games like Pokémon GO, as well as games that let you improve your fitness while playing.
Augmented Reality (AR) may still sound like science fiction to some. However, there are already many games in the download stores that successfully utilize this technology and captivate millions of players.
What is Augmented Reality?
AR means that digital (and also acoustic) elements are “laid over” reality or connected to it, effectively merging the two. Instead of seeing monsters in a generated cave in the game, they appear on your desk or in front of you on the sidewalk.
The variety of AR games for smartphones is enormous. From catching monsters to stacking blocks and escaping from zombies, there’s something for everyone.
In our overview, we want to show you our selection of the best AR games for 2018. If you have any AR gems that excite you in 2018, we look forward to your comments on that.
Tetroids, a Tetris AR Game for iPad and iPhone
The patience game with falling blocks is something we’ve all seen somewhere. Some may remember Tetris from “back in the day” when it was one of their first video games. Others might be regularly playing variations of Tetris in their browsers. And most of you are probably humming the theme tune: *ding-dingdingding-dingdingding …*
With Tetroids, you play Tetris in multiple dimensions. The position of the blocks can be moved 360°, and there’s a square on the ground that you need to fill with the blocks. It sounds complicated at first, but after a few minutes of stacking, you get the hang of it.
Depending on how you and your iPhone/iPad move, you can change the view of the tower.
With AR gameplay, you stack the towers wherever you want. On the kitchen table or on stairs – anywhere there’s a flat surface, you can start Tetroids.
The gameplay consists of swiping, rotating, and closing gaps. With combos, you collect extra points.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Zombies, RUN! Also Keeps Gamers Physically Fit (Android & iOS)
Augmented reality games on smartphones can help you become or stay physically fit. In “Zombies, RUN!” you run away from a disgusting horde of the undead while exercising.
The spectacle occurs mainly acoustically and in your head. Through your headphones, you hear both your own music and the spooky zombie story (in English). Tip: Running at dusk adds an extra sense of feeling.
While you run, you hear the sobbing noises and loud footsteps of the zombies chasing you. What helps you avoid getting caught? Exactly: running faster! This way, you can outpace the disgusting undead and sprint with an extra boost of motivation.
If the zombies catch you, you lose the items you collected during your adventure. You need these to upgrade the settlement that the story revolves around. Collecting these items triggers a certain motivation factor that makes you eager for the next mission.
Over 200 missions lead you through the zombie story, in which you save a city. The “Zombies, RUN” app combines fitness tracking and gaming. Perhaps this app is the decisive step to motivate yourself to exercise more.
The Walk – Stay Fit without Running (Android & iOS)
The game “The Walk” comes from the same developers who are behind “Zombies, RUN!” As the name suggests, this game takes a more relaxed approach.
Instead of running away from a horde of wild zombies and collecting items, The Walk motivates you with a different way to save the world. A story (again in English) is told to you, and you are given a goal. A bomb explodes in a subway station, and you have a package with you that can save the world.
However, you need to cover a certain distance and take steps. Here, the story also unfolds acoustically and develops as you get closer to the assigned goal. Players report that it takes about three months to complete the mission.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Pokémon GO – Become the Best Pokémon Trainer (Android & iOS)
Pikachu and his friends have already been seen in the anime series or Gameboy games many years ago. In summer 2016, the big Pokémon hype broke out when Pokémon GO was released by developers at Niantic.
With your phone or tablet, you can discover Pokémon outside that are hiding in random places in the wild or at PokéStops. The game is oriented towards streets and landmarks that exist in the real world around you. Through actions in the game like catching monsters or spinning PokéStops, you collect experience points that slowly increase your trainer level.
Your phone’s camera makes it possible for you to find wild Pokémon in your environment.
On your adventures, you try to complete the PokéDex, take over gyms, and defeat raid bosses together with other players. For that, it’s essential that you move to different places. If you want to play at home on your couch, you won’t get far.
Pokémon GO offers adventures for both young and old, and it’s also a great way to socialize. Trainers often meet at gyms or special locations to play together.
Ingress, the Pokémon GO for Hackers (Android & iOS)
Ingress is essentially the predecessor of Pokémon GO, as it is the first AR game from Niantic. Ingress also uses real locations, landmarks, and maps that influence the gameplay.
Visit various locations and create or hack portals there to progress in the game. There are missions and events organized by Niantic that always aim to provide fresh experiences.
Even though the gameplay structure is quite similar to Pokémon GO, the differences are significant. You won’t see legendary monsters here; instead, there are exotic matter. It’s more about data and hacking. Your goal is to control areas – the larger the area, the better.
Instead of experience points, you collect action points, which gradually increase your player level.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Genesis Augmented Reality shows what AR can do. Combined with game cards that players print themselves, monsters come to life before your eyes.
By pointing your smartphone’s camera at a card, the monsters find their place on kitchen tables or other playing areas. Each character has a unique gameplay style, some with brutal attacks, others with mystical spells. You control the characters in real-time with a joystick and attack buttons on your smartphone.
The game was funded through a Kickstarter campaign and is apparently still in development. The last post on Genesis AR’s Facebook page is from June 2, 2017, showing new gameplay.
They mention a release in the third quarter of 2017. Unfortunately, there haven’t been any new posts on the developers’ platforms, but the game is already available in app stores. It seems that Genesis AR is still in a beta phase. You can still register for the beta program on the game’s official website.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite – The Magical AR World (Planned for 2018)
After Ingress and Pokémon GO, it’s not over for Niantic. They have teamed up with Warner Bros to plan the release of Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, an AR game set in the Harry Potter universe.
The developers believe that the game has the potential to appeal to many generations. Moreover, the magical Muggle world fits well into the augmented reality environment where the spells could be displayed.
In the game, you learn various spells and then use them in battles against legendary beasts. You can fight especially strong foes by teaming up with other players.
Unfortunately, no further information about Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is known yet. According to Niantic, the AR game is set to be released in the second half of 2018.
That was our selection of the best AR games for Android and iOS. Did we forget a game? Please write it in the comments – we’re always open to suggestions.
The loot boxes in Overwatch will soon receive new content! Dozens of new items can be obtained, including new legendary skins that allow Hanzo and Lúcio to embody the traditions of their home countries!
Hardworking players in Overwatch can expect new content in the loot boxes starting next Wednesday, January 24. The new content will be included in the “old standard boxes” of Overwatch.
New skins, sprays, and logos can be obtained at any time through boxes, arcade modes, and level-ups – or purchased with credits. There are no event boxes for the new items, so they will remain in the loot pool continuously.
The universally popular DJ and support from Brazil receives a skin in the Capoeira style. More wood-like in appearance, with a new tattoo on his shoulder and fewer neon colors, Capoeira Lúcio looks less futuristic and more classic.
Capoeira is a traditional martial dance from Brazil, showcasing Lúcio’s connection to his homeland – especially since he occasionally speaks in his native language, Portuguese.
Only 3 more days until our cosmetics update arrives in Overwatch! Join us as we count down to their release with new item reveals every day.
The Japanese archer Hanzo also receives a skin that anchors him in the tradition of his country. Painted in ghostly pale makeup, the Kumadori, and featuring subtle red and black accents, Hanzo embodies an actor from traditional Japanese theater with the new skin.
Kabuki is the Japanese art form of theater. Singing, dancing, and mime make the performances demanding. The strong, white makeup is one of its core features. While Hanzo still lacks the traditional Kyūdō bow for the full Japanese experience, that can still be added later.
Only 3 more days until our cosmetics update arrives in Overwatch! Join us as we count down to their release with new item reveals every day.
The developer studio Neowiz Games is currently planning to launch the early access version of the MMORPG Bless as soon as possible. The Game Director has some words about the development of the game.
Fans had to wait a long time for the MMORPG Bless, which was considered one of the most interesting representatives of the genre. Then, suddenly, there were talks of problems and Bless had to be restructured. However, the developers believe they have now reached a stage that shows a good product and therefore want to start the early access phase via Steam as soon as possible.
There is still much to do
The new Game Director of Bless, Jae-hoon Jeon, explains that thanks to feedback from fans in the USA and Europe, many weaknesses in the game were discovered and addressed.
Additionally, he talks about what the team is currently still working on before we can start playing via Steam:
Player Progress: Systems are being worked on that allow players to progress through quests rather than simple level-ups in the game
Performance Optimization: Bless is intended to provide a smooth and enjoyable gaming experience
Combat: The combat system of Bless should not feel repetitive, but should be fun and offer variety
UI Optimizations: Bless is set to have a user-friendly and intuitive interface that is also clear
Skill System: The skill system will be modified so that the skills adapt to the player based on the path they follow in the game
There is still no launch date
The team is currently working on providing better explanations for the player and optimizing the UI. After that, the combat system will be addressed, which has already been worked on intensively before. Subsequently, the focus will shift to the skill system. How long all this will take and when we can expect the early access version of Bless is not known.
In Monster Hunter World (PC, PS4, Xbox) as a hunter, you have no magical abilities or assigned role. You must think like a normal human to succeed in the hunt. Skillfully use the tools at your disposal and be resourceful.
From role-playing games like Final Fantasy or World of Warcraft, we are used to magical races: Wizards, Summoners, and Elves often heat things up for their opponents with enchantments. Even in online shooters like Destiny, players possess the power of light and can summon special powers.
In the action RPG Monster Hunter World, the situation is different. The only race available for you to play is human. You will not have special and magical abilities. Typical roles like tank and healer are also absent.
As a player in Monster Hunter World, you are human. Only knowledge and handling of equipment make you successful hunters.
Although Monster Hunter World consists of a surreal fantasy universe, the developers want to create as realistic a feeling as possible for monster hunting. There should be no special skills that only require pressing one button to make the whole area explode.
For things like explosions, there are items and weapons that hunters craft and build in the forge. If you want to poison a behemoth, you can grab a light crossbow and use poison ammunition.
A crucial core of the gameplay is to think about the best equipment to take down certain monsters. Then you must also learn how to handle that equipment. The weapons are so huge that they are unwieldy to use. But that makes sense, as the monsters are often armored with thick scales or spikes. A tiny dagger would likely do nothing.
Imagine that someone takes you and drops you into the world of Monster Hunter World. You are the hunter fighting against huge beasts that see you as prey. What would you need to turn the tables?
Learn the behavior of monsters and know your equipment
Since you have no magical powers as humans, there is only one thing left for you: Learn the behavior of the monsters, know their weak points, and be aware of what your equipment can do.
There are 14 weapon classes that can all be turned into different weapons with new properties. The same goes for armors. If you have collected enough monster bones, you will soon be able to craft a bone weapon and bone armor. They provide additional protection against elements like fire or electricity. Monsters are often aligned to different elements, which can be strong or weak against others.
You must consider how to balance these strengths and weaknesses with your equipment and what resistances you need.
Additionally,every monster behaves like an MMORPG boss. The animals have attack patterns that you must carefully observe and learn. For instance, the Anjanath is particularly aggressive and dangerous when it flares its nostrils. The Barroth charges at you with a massive bone plate on its head, but you can tell when it is about to charge based on its movements.
Each monster also has body parts that are sensitive. For some, it’s the tail; for others, it could be the wings or even the belly. Here you need to “tap” the whole monster and learn where you deal the most damage.
You always need to strategize and plan.
As humans, you must be hunters, gatherers, and inventors
There will always be that one monster you simply can’t conquer. That is part of the learning process.
But that is also the point at which you need to start developing strategies. Ask yourselves questions like:
Should the monster be lured away first?
Would stun arrows help, or does the monster have a resistance to them?
Do I need to farm a specific equipment set first to take down the monster?
Humans mastered the development of weapons like spears and the art of ambushing long ago. Likewise, you must become inventors in Monster Hunter World. Gather the necessary resources and refine your equipment. Meanwhile, you will learn how to handle your weapon.
In an interview with Metro the producer of Monster Hunter World described this process.
Ryozo Tsujimoto: “This is not a game where your character collects XP.You are the one who becomes better. […] So when you progress in the game and master the various challenges, one day you will look at your character with that cool equipment. Then you will realize that you have earned the right to own all that stuff. Because YOU have become so good at the game that you are now this damn strong hunter!”
Sandbox Interactive, the German development studio behind the MMORPG Albion Online, has announced some layoffs. They want to return to the team size they had before the beta, which means almost halving the studio.
The team at Albion Online wants to return to the number of employees they had before the beta. During the testing phase and especially at launch, new employees were hired to ensure everything ran as smoothly as possible. Now, these employees are no longer needed.
Fewer employees needed
The developers explain: “Albion Online was successfully launched in 2017. To be ready for the release and during the beta tests, we almost doubled the team to more than 50 people. Now that we have completed the release, we are reducing the team size again to reach about the level we had before the beta. 31 employees are now supported by talented freelancers and are working to regularly improve and expand the game.”
Albion Online is still being developed
Furthermore, it says: “This goes hand in hand with our vision to focus on the core vision of the game: With the release of the Kay update last December, we were able to stabilize our player base at a high level, and it is steadily growing. The next update, Lancelot, will continue this path and is expected to be released in March. Further updates are already in planning.”
Apparently, the developers of Albion Online are satisfied with the current state of the game.
In collaboration with Studio Hi-Rez, we are giving away a Sennheiser headset and high-quality prizes for the hero shooter Paladins and the action MOBA SMITE. These include founder packages that unlock all champions and gods and special skins.
The giveaway was well received by you and your interest in Paladins: Battlegrounds was great. Therefore, we decided to hold another giveaway. Here you can win high-quality prizes for the games Paladins, SMITE, and SMITE Tactics: Hand of the Gods. Additionally, we are giving away aheadset worth 140 euros:The Sennheiser GSP-350
These are the prizes you can win
You can grab the following physical and digital prizes by participating in the giveaway.
Paladins Founder Package: Includes all current and future champions, 10 radiant chests, all standard champion voice packs, an exclusive beta skin and an exclusive mount skin
Paladins Convention Skin
SMITE Ultimate God Package: Unlocks all current and future gods in SMITE.
SMITE Convention Skin
“Hand of the Gods” Founder Package: Includes a massive stack of cards, the limited founder avatar, a limited card back, and exclusive “Hand of the Gods” bonus items for SMITE
Hand of the Gods Convention Skin
SMITE Mini-Figures Set: The figures come in a set of three, including Anubis, Ymir, and Neith.
lightning-fast muting by raising the microphone arm
an intuitive volume control on the right ear cup
To participate in this giveaway, you only need to perform one of the actions specified in the window. Those who perform multiple actions increase their chances. However, only one prize can be drawn per participant. The winners will be randomly selected after the submission deadline and will be contacted via the provided email within a few days to send the prizes. The submission deadline is on Monday, January 22, 2018, at 09:00 AM.
Paladins is a hero shooter in which you compete in teams of 5 players against each other. In various game modes, you must seize control of the battlefield. Each champion has four skills to fight with. The special feature of Paladins is a card system that allows the skills of the champs to be customized individually. This gives the hero shooter strong MOBA elements. What is Paladins? Here you will find information for new players.
SMITEis an action MOBA in which you compete against each other with different gods and mythological figures. The game is played in third-person, making SMITE much more dynamic than other MOBAs like LoL or Dota. The test of Smite is here.
Hand of the Gods is a turn-based and strategic card game in which you take on the role of a SMITE god. As the god of a particular pantheon, you command your subordinate gods and summon them onto a chessboard. This adds a deeper, strategic level to the card game, as the positioning of the gods also determines victory and defeat. Here you can find a play report on the beta of Hand of the Gods.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
At the end of January, five important updates and adjustments will be rolled out in Destiny 2. Here is an overview of them.
About a week ago, game director Christopher Barrett presented a roadmap for 2018. In it, he mentioned some updates and endgame adjustments and provided approximate timelines for when players can expect them.
The first delivery of new content has already received a specific release date: January 30th. – that is a Tuesday. More detailed information is now available about what Guardians can expect on that day.
These updates and adjustments are coming on January 30th.
Masterwork Armor
The masterworks will be expanded to armor.
“Masterworks” were introduced in December with the legendary weapons. They represent better and rarer variants that grant additional bonuses. Those who want to optimize their Guardian in the endgame can grind for them. The masterworks have been well received in the community so far.
The new masterwork armor pieces provide additional damage reduction when you have a super active. This means you can withstand more damage. Additionally, you can reroll the armor stat type. Existing armor pieces can be upgraded to masterworks with masterwork cores.
Later, in the fall of 2018, masterwork exotics are also expected to arrive.
Rework of Raid Rewards
The raid rewards are set to become unique and interesting starting January 30th. Therefore, they will receive new mods with raid-specific perks. What these will look like is not yet known.
Additionally, raid items are expected to drop during every major encounter in the raid, and the raid vendor in the Tower (Benedict) will sell raid weapons and raid armor pieces from the standard raid and the world-eater raid directly. You will need raid tokens and legendary shards for this.
Additionally, there will be a chance with the final bosses (Calus and Argos) to drop a new ghost with raid-specific perks.
It is expected that the prestige version of the world-eater raid will only go live after the raid rewards have been reworked. Many Guardians have been wondering for weeks what has been happening with the prestige raid. Bungie remains silent on this matter.
The waypoint at Ikora will be fixed
For weeks, it has been indicated in the Tower that Ikora Rey has a quest for you. However, this is not the case, yet a waypoint is constantly blinking over her incorrectly. This is annoying and has been criticized by players countless times.
The annoying waypoint is expected to be fixed on January 30th.
The Prometheus Lens will be adjusted
With the launch of Curse of Osiris, the Prometheus Lens caused a stir: this fusion rifle was completely overpowered in PvP. Bungie was only able to apply a fix a week later – Guardians were able to enjoy the OP weapon for several days. The fitting capstone was that Xur brought the Prometheus Lens that weekend, allowing every Guardian to purchase the weapon. For a few days, the Crucible was a pure laser spectacle.
Then Bungie delivered an emergency fix that weakened the Prometheus Lens too much. They promised that a patch would come in January to bring the lens back into balance.
Recently, community manager Cozmo confirmed in the reddit forum: Bungie has not forgotten the Prometheus Lens. An adjustment is expected to be rolled out on January 30th.
Shaders with Gunsmith Engrams
Furthermore, a fix for an issue with the Gunsmith Engrams will arrive on January 30th. Currently, the engrams do not drop shaders. Bungie has now announced that they will fix the issue on January 30th as well:
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Twitter that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
It is no secret that Final Fantasy XIV is a huge toy box for fans of the Final Fantasy series. The new Omega: Sigmascape raid from patch 4.2 “Rise of a New Sun” is a love letter to Final Fantasy VI with its boss fights. Fans are particularly excited about the villain Kefka.
The development team has also responded to the criticism from the raiding community regarding the difficulty of the epic raids.
Here is the new trailer for Final Fantasy XIV 4.2 in German
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
For a long time, Square Enix kept all information about Sigmascape under wraps, resulting in the producer’s letter stream chat exploding as soon as the first sounds of the trailer played.
The fans of the series immediately knew that it was music from Final Fantasy VI.
The strongest reactions came in the final seconds of the trailer when a face emerged from the darkness.
This is Kefka, the final boss of the cult RPG Final Fantasy VI and one of the series’ most popular villains.
The producer Naoki Yoshida did not provide further details regarding Kefka’s exact role in the Omega raid, but promised that the final fight of Sigmascape will be “something truly special.”
According to Yoshida, the development team listened to feedback from the Western community, which had been hoping for Final Fantasy VI.
Blast from the past
The Phantom Train will be the first of the four different bosses of the raid. During the stream demonstration, Yoshida stated that the railings in the open combat arena of the Phantom Train will behave exactly like in the fight against Leviathan:
In the normal mode of Sigmascape, the railings remain and protect players from falling.
In the epic version, however, they are destroyed, and players must be careful not to fall off the platform.
The second fight of Sigmascape is already known. In the trailer, one can see a woman wrapped in fog emerging from a painting. This is the boss “Chadarnook” from FFVI.
The special feature of this boss is that players will receive a special ability called “Chocobo Paintbrush: Black” during the fight.
The producer did not reveal exactly what its function is, but during the demonstration, one could see a large inkblot forming around his character for a short time.
Information on the difficulty and the launch of Omega
Despite requests from the raiding community, the development team decided to launch both modes of Sigmascape directly on patch day. The reason for this, according to Yoshida, is that players should tackle the epic mode without the additional boost from the new gear.
The balance of the raid is based on the values of the old gear and would thus be distorted if players had two weeks to gear up. The synthesis and melding of the new items with materia would have made players too powerful.
To unlock the epic mode of Sigma, this time neither must players complete the main story quests nor master the normal version of the raid. It’s enough to have completed the previous raid Delta (normal) to enter Sigma (epic).
With such hype, expectations from the community are accordingly high, and the race for the world-first kill will begin as soon as the servers go online.
Yoshida emphasized that there will be no early start, even if server maintenance is completed before the scheduled time.
The raid is expected to go live with patch 4.2 on January 30th at 10 AM.
Square Enix also plans to put an end to the housing issue of Final Fantasy XIV with patch 4.2. Read more about it in our article:
A new cheating behavior has caught the developers’ attention. Now there are bans and countermeasures to make PUBG (PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds) fairer.
Cheaters are a problem in many competitive online games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. We regularly read in our articles about players complaining about cheaters.
The developers are aware of the issues with cheaters. While checking player data, they have recently encountered a new cheating pattern – and they are kicking all affected users out.
Undetected? Not anymore!
The new cheating pattern was noticed by the developers only recently. Afterward, gameplay data from over 10 million players was checked. Successfully!
During this process, they came across over 100,000 individual cases where these cheats were used. All cheaters will now be kicked out of the game at once.
According to the developers, this is just one of the additional measures running alongside the base detection system. Such gameplay checks will now be conducted more frequently. “Even if it means our anti-cheat team has to manually sift through hundreds of billions of data logs.”
A new method will also be introduced soon that aims to detect and ban even more cheaters.
Killcam unintentionally turns into Cheat-Cam
In their recent statements regarding PUBG cheaters, the developers advised using the killcam to identify the cheaters. After all, it shows who is cheating. However, the plan didn’t quite work out.
Due to a bug in the replay and killcam system, the actions of other players in the replay appear as if they are cheating. However, they often are not.
A popular PUBG cheat disables recoil and spread on weapons. With the Adventure Full-Auto, you can thus continuously fire at the same spot. The bug in the replay system makes it look exactly like this cheat for other players. This further adds to the confusion, as cheaters are difficult to distinguish from “normal” players. The developers are already working on a solution to this problem.
The developers of the online action RPG Dauntless have spoken about what is planned next for the game after the PAX South gaming convention.
With Monster Hunter World, Dauntless faces a strong competitor that is currently attracting more attention. However, the developers of Dauntless are not impressed by this and are planning for the current year 2018. This will, for example, see the launch of the open beta of Dauntless.
This is how development continues
Based on the feedback from previous testers and what was learned from the presentation at PAX South, the team is currently working on the following things:
Ways to gain more influence over the game world and the story
More exciting events that are more integrated into the game’s lore
Beards for the characters
Crafting should allow for more effective and a greater number of items in a shorter time
The tutorial should be further improved to provide a good entry point for newcomers
Even more activities for players that make exploring the islands and hunting monsters more exciting
Optimizations to the War Pike
More cells and more options to use them, as well as more flexibility in using cells for weapons
Easier ways to find groups and hunt together with friends
Improvements to the chat and the general user interface
Hunting multiple Behemoths simultaneously
Optimizations to bleeding damage to make the combat more interesting
Open Beta coming
The developers of the online action RPG Dauntless have quite a bit planned for the near future. They also state that the open beta is still planned for 2018.
A Guild Wars fan lost his house and belongings in a fire. By chance, the developer of Guild Wars 2, ArenaNet, caught wind of it and helped with a generous donation.
Just before Christmas 2017, a serious accident occurred in the home of a Guild Wars player. A defective dryer caused a fire in which the player’s house and that of her parents was quickly consumed by flames.
The family lost almost everything. Even the pets perished in the fire.
After the firefighting operations, the player searched the rubble of her home for usable items. There she found a game from her collection that had emerged unscathed from the inferno: The Collector’s Edition of Nightfall, an expansion for Guild Wars 1.
Developers see post and help
A video of the intact Nightfall edition finding was posted by the player on Twitter, where the developers at ArenaNet became aware of it. They decided to help the player and asked her for an address to send her “a t-shirt”.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Imgur that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
A package arrived with all parts of Guild Wars, all expansions in special editions, and a lot of other Guild Wars swag. Most of the items were signed by all the employees of the studio.
Money is coming too…
Well, a bunch of gaming stuff is surely comforting after such a disaster, but the family had of course other concerns. They needed to quickly find shelter and advance rent.
But ArenaNet was there as well: By now, there was a call for donations on the internet to raise $5,000 for the victims of the fire disaster.
ArenaNet contributed the lion’s share of over $3,500 as well. The player and her family were extremely happy about this. She wants to keep the new Guild Wars editions forever. However, in a fireproof container, as she notes on Reddit.
