State of the Game aired on January 11. It was the first livestream of the developers in 2018.
The most important information upfront: Massive confirmed that The Division has “a future” this year. However, they did not reveal whether this will be Year 3 or a new The Division 2. They will discuss content for the new year at some point, but not yet. They ask for patience.
Before that, they want to bring the fourth global event to the stage and introduce the last secret gear sets that are still missing. Only after that will they focus on questions about the future.
Global Event 4 – Ambush
The Global Event 4 is called Ambush and starts on January 23 (Tuesday).
It ends a week later on January 30.
Ambush introduces the last missing secret gear sets, namely AlphaBridge, FireCrest, Hunter’s Faith and Tactician’s Authority.
The developers did not talk about the modifiers today. However, they will likely be the same as those that could already be tested on the PTS. Thus, it will be quite calm in Ambush, because you mainly have to do one thing: stay still.
Ambush – always active: Agents deal increased damage when they do not move.
These are optional modifiers:
Covert Ambush: The effect of Ambush and
when you move, your damage is reduced.
Additionally, you will receive extra damage if you move for too long. A white bar will be displayed over your health points. If you move, this will decrease, and if you stay still, it will fill up again. To avoid disadvantages, you should try to keep this bar as full as possible. If the bar is empty, you will receive damage over time.
Strategic Ambush: The effect of Covert Ambush + when you are too close to allies, you deal less damage.
Next week, there will be another State of the Game. The focus will be on community projects.
Currently, a video with a supposed Invincibility Glitch is circulating. However, this has not yet been reproducible. Massive is still keeping an eye on it.
There are currently no plans to Nerf weapons or gear sets. They will wait to see how the new secret gear sets are received in the meta.
The Xbox One X patch is still planned, but there is no release date for it yet.
Many fans of the MMORPG Neverwinter have been waiting for this: With the update Swords of Chult, the developers are finally addressing the long-neglected PvP mode – now also on PS4 and Xbox One.
The past updates and expansions have mainly expanded the story of Neverwinter. The story has now reached the jungles of Chult, where players want to uncover the origins of a new threat to the Forgotten Realms. However, the development team has also dedicated itself to the PvP mode with the update Swords of Chult.
PvP gets more attention
These newcomers await PvP players:
Toughness is no longer considered a PvP entry barrier
New PvP buff for all players
PvP items scale in PvP environments
An improved PvP solo queue
New PvP gear
The removal of toughness as an entry barrier in PvP battles is an important change, as toughness reduced control effects in battles. Those who had too little toughness on their gear essentially had no reason to enter PvP fights.
Instead of toughness, a general buff is now applied that all players receive upon entering a PvP zone. To ensure more fairness, your PvP items will also be adjusted to the appropriate level.
Elemental Evil continues to bring trouble to Neverwinter.
Many more improvements
Swords of Chult also brings these things:
An improved inventory management with a faster and easier refinement function
If your main character has completed a campaign, your other account characters will progress faster through the “Patron seals”
The new battle “The Foolishness of the Merchant Prince” will take you to three random destinations. You will face random enemies there.
With the flying carpet, you will travel on the first two-seater and flying “mount” in the game
All these new features, improvements, and optimizations are now also available to you on PS4 and Xbox One. The update Swords of Chult is now also available for the console version of Neverwinter.
In Guild Wars 2 (PC) there are now private garden plots where you can grow vegetables and other plants. However, the garden is quite expensive, only moderately useful, and therefore controversial among players.
In Guild Wars 2, you should always take a sharp sickle on your adventures because rare and valuable plants, such as truffles or flax, are highly sought after: either as resources for useful items or for sale at the trading post. However, even less rare crops can be quite useful.
And with the new garden plot, you no longer have to painstakingly search for plants in the adventure instances, but can comfortably grow them at home.
Your Own Garden Bed – An Expensive Luxury!
If you don’t feel like a long plant hunt, you can now create up to two garden plots in your home instance. Each plot offers space for 4 plants. You only need to buy the corresponding seeds from the gardener NPC nearby and plant them. Every day, a new plant will grow there that you can harvest. As long as you don’t want to plant something else, the crop keeps growing back.
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That sounds practical in itself, but unfortunately, one plot costs a hefty 1,000 gems, the real money currency of Guild Wars 2.This is about 12 euros, so both plots would cost around 25 euros. That’s too expensive for many players!
Many would have preferred the gardening feature as a normal update that is either automatically granted or unlocked through a quest.
Darn, Where is the Flax?
But the high costs would still be bearable. After all, in Guild Wars 2, you can also exchange real money currency for in-game currency, and certain plants can be sold for a high price.
However, the rarest and most useful plants are only available after you painstakingly unlock them in the game world. From those, you can craft special boosters that make your buff food last longer. This is quite practical and is well received by hardcore gamers.
What is annoying, however: The coveted truffles and flax plants cannot be grown in your own garden. You still have to go out into the wild for that. Many players are therefore upset and refuse to purchase the garden.
The upcoming DLC for The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) brings back an instance that was last found in the ancestor The Elder Scrolls: Arena 24 years ago. In the “Halls of Strife”, you will encounter necromancers and undead dragons!
Who still remembers The Elder Scrolls: Arena? The role-playing game is from 1994 and was the first game in the famous Elder Scrolls series! Back then, the goal was to free the emperor from the clutches of an evil sorcerer. To do this, your hero had to retrieve a staff from a dark ruin in one of the early quests: the Halls of Strife!
And this dungeon classic is returning after almost 24 years to an Elder Scrolls game! In the upcoming DLC “Dragon Bones” for The Elder Scrolls Online, you can experience the dungeon again.
Necromancers in the Halls of Strife!
Already in Arena, the Halls of Strife were a forgotten place once built by the Dwemer. But then a dragon came, driving away the original inhabitants and nesting in the deep tunnels of the Halls of Strife. In Arena, however, the dragon was already gone, and instead, monsters and a nasty puzzle awaited the player.
At the time of The Elder Scrolls Online – that is, in the Elder Scrolls timeline before the events in Arena – the Halls of Strife were the refuge of the necromancer Orryn. Together with his disciples and all sorts of undead, the villain is trying to resurrect the dead dragon Thurvokun.
Get the Dragon Trophy!
Of course, it won’t just be an attempt, and the bone dragon will ultimately be the final boss. If you defeat him, there will be epic loot again, including the skull of the dragon creature that you can hang on your wall at home.
Additionally, there will be a new personality called “Worm Mage”. So, anyone who has always wanted to act like a nasty necromancer can now fulfill that wish. Furthermore, everyone who enters the dungeon will receive a free mask.
Dragon Hunting in February
The difficulty level of the dungeon is said to be about on par with the instance level from the last DLC “Horns of the Reach”. Dragon Bones is set to release in February and, as always, will be free to play for ESO Plus subscribers.
The new class Rahn in Black Desert Online (PC) receives its Awakening weapon. An epic action trailer shows how these two swords look in action!
In Black Desert Online, the new class Rahn (or Lahn, depending on the translation) is already available in Korea. This is an agile martial arts fighter. However, she does not fight with fists and kicks, but with a sword and a chain sickle.
But it doesn’t stop there. From level 56, Rahn receives a new weapon combination for Awakening.
You can see how amazing this looks in the game in a new video from Korea. There, a Rahn encounters a horde of dark enemies. Without the Awakening weapon, she initially appears weak, but then she gets her new weapon set and the slaughter begins!
With the Sightstone, supports ensured vision early in LoL (League of Legends). Now the item is being removed from the shop. The developers want to give supports a new way to place wards.
The developers plan significant changes to the playstyle of supports in League of Legends. Until now, it has been practically a must for support mains to purchase a “Sightstone”.
In an upcoming patch, the developers want to introduce a new system that removes the mandatory purchase.
The active ability of the Sightstones will be a quest reward
Buying a Sightstone took a toll on supports for a long time. When players have 800 gold, the Sightstone can be purchased in the base. The advantage of this item is that you always carry wards with you as long as you haven’t used up the three charges. If the charges are empty, they are refilled for free when visiting the vendor.
This item is essential for supports because it helps fend off junglers or other enemies in the early game.
After the planned change, it will still be a core task for supports to provide vision on the map. However, you will no longer need to buy the Sightstone for this in the future.
These are the planned changes to the Sightstone
In the forum, Riot developer ItsLowbo explains how the changes will impact League of Legends:
Sightstone and Ruby Sightstone will be removed from the shop
Support items will gain the active ability of the Sightstone as a quest reward
Tier-3 support items will be built from Tier-2 items and a Ruby Crystal, providing the same stats as the previous “Warding Totem, Oasis Totem, Sunfire Totem” items.
More details on the changes:
The quest reward for all three gold income items will grant the active ability of the Sightstone
You will still need to upgrade the item to Tier 2 to complete the quest
For the quest, you only need to earn 500 gold
Goals of the Sightstone changes
These changes are intended so that support players can focus more on their own builds – without having to reserve 800 gold for an item.
Last summer, the developers noticed in the many Ardent Censer builds that supports like to finish an item quickly that has an impact in the game. By removing the Sightstone, more paths should be open at the start.
Since the Sightstone ability becomes an active ability after a quest, active abilities from Frostqueen’s Claim, Face of the Mountain, and Talisman of Ascension will be removed.
The activation options for Frostqueen’s Claim and Talisman of Ascension will likely find their way back into the game soon in modified form. The Face of the Mountain, according to developers, is unlikely to return in the near future.
When will the Sightstone patch come to LoL?
Currently, it is expected that these changes will be activated with patch 8.2 in League of Legends. If problems arise, the integration of the changes may be postponed by a few patches. The details of the new support ability are still being refined.
It is still unclear whether you need to return to the shop for the first charge of wards.
How do you like the changes? Do you think Riot is heading in the right direction?
According to patents, Electronic Arts is currently experimenting with a new matchmaking system that relies less on fairness and aims to make players spend more money.
Matchmaking in online games should be as fair as possible, right? After all, you want to test your skills against players who are as good as you are. However, Electronic Arts is currently planning something different, according to several patents.
Matchmaking with the goal of retaining players
The matchmaking that EA has in mind has little to do with fairness. This is about long-term player retention. Because those who stay attached to a game for a long time are also more likely to spend additional money in an item shop. EA’s patent, called “Engagement Optimized Matchmaking Framework (EOMM),” is supposed to work as follows:
A player who frequently loses matches becomes frustrated and is close to quitting the game
The dynamic matchmaking recognizes this and assigns easier opponents to the player (EA assumes that three lost matches is a reason to be frustrated)
The player enjoys their victories and is motivated to continue playing
The system then assigns them harder-to-beat opponents again (after all, three wins in a row are not optimal for player retention)
If the player loses interest again by losing matches, they are matched against weaker opponents to regain fun in the game through victory
Players are to be enticed to buy items
The system goes even further, as it can be adjusted in many areas. For example, regarding in-game items, the idea is:
A player is matched with an opponent or, in a co-op game, with a teammate who owns cool items
You feel tempted to own these items as well
After the match, the player visits the in-game shop and buys the items
It is therefore a kind of psychological manipulation. It is no longer about creating a fair match between two players, but rather ensuring that gamers remain loyal to the title for as long as possible and are always tempted to buy something in the cash shop.
So far, this is still theory
Whether such a system will actually come one day is not yet confirmed. Electronic Arts has only registered the patents for this and is apparently conducting some internal tests and experiments. Such a system could be possible in almost all online games, such as Star Wars Battlefront 2, FIFA, or Battlefield 1.
Similar adjustments are also possible in single-player games through the Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment system (DDA). Here, the difficulty level is dynamically adjusted depending on whether the player is struggling or finding everything too easy.
After the two patents became public, there has been great excitement among players. Matchmaking should be fair and not manipulative. A statement from EA is still pending.
In Hearthstone “the worm is inside” – the Dungeon Crawlers cause great problems with balance.
Since the release of the latest Hearthstone expansion Dungarees and Catacombs, there have been some issues in Blizzard’s card game. The balance of some cards has completely gone off the rails. Many players hope that there will soon be a saving balance patch.
Ben Brode from the Hearthstone team has already announced on Twitter that there will be a patch next month. If balance changes are to be made, this would be the time.
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On the direct hit list of many players is the Dungeon Crawler. When it was revealed last year, it was rated by many professionals as “so-so” and did not attract much attention.
But as soon as it was in play, the Dungeon Crawler became one of the most effective cards Hearthstone has ever seen.
The Dungeon Crawler is actually a 5/5 minion for 7 mana cost – anything but effective. But as long as the Dungeon Crawler is in the player’s hand, its mana cost is reduced by 1 each time a minion dies on the field.
Since many minions lose their lives particularly in the early turns of the game, the Dungeon Crawler can already shine here. Generally, it can be played entirely for free starting from turn 4 or 5 if it has been in the players’ hands since the beginning of the game.
Moreover, the Dungeon Crawler is able to be played together with a complete board clear. If a Flamestrike, for example, takes out 7 enemy minions, the Dungeon Crawler can then directly be played “for free”.
There are many possibilities for saving nerfs. For example, the mana cost could be raised to 9 or even 10, or it could be ensured that the Dungeon Crawler only benefits when its own minions die.
Which cards do you find too powerful? Where should Blizzard tighten the balance screws?
In Destiny 2, the Twin Joker is better in some situations than you think. With this Hunter build, you can get the most out of it.
If you’re currently desperately searching for variety in Destiny 2, you can grab your Hunter and build a setup around the exotic “Twin Joker.” This allows for some enjoyable hours in PvE and even in PvP, as it enables an interesting playstyle.
What is the Twin Joker in Destiny 2? – Location, Perk
The Twin Joker was introduced with the “Curse of Osiris” DLC and comes with this exotic perk:
Disorientation:Dodging disorients nearby enemies and temporarily removes their radar.
This means: When you perform a dodge movement (the class ability) with the Hunter, nearby enemies
in PvP are blinded and their radar disappears temporarily
and in PvE enemies cover their faces for a few seconds, preventing them from attacking during that time
Is it good in PvE and PvP?
Many Guardians report being surprised at how fun this exotic leg armor is in practice. You should definitely try it out once you get it.
However, the Twin Joker only works with a specific playstyle: With offensive melee combat. You need to get quite close to your enemies for the dodge movement to disorient them. If you only want to shoot at pesky aliens from a safe distance, the Twin Joker is not for you.
In PvE it is especially useful when you are surrounded by many enemies, such as in a strike or public event. With a quick dodge, you can save your life, as nearby enemies will cease fire.
In PvP the Twin Joker can perform excellently in certain situations: If an enemy rounds the corner and you blind him with the dodge move, he loses orientation and in most cases will try to flee. After all, he can’t even see you on the radar. Even when you encounter a group of enemies, you can, with a bit of luck, blind all of them at once and eliminate the helpless foes.
Therefore, bring strong melee weapons, a shotgun or a sword should be practical.
However, it holds true: The Twin Joker is only situationally useful. If enemies are too far away, it offers no advantage in battle. As a top-tier armor piece, it cannot be classified, but it is definitely a cool exotic that is good for many surprise moments.
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This build comes from JumpinProductions, who wanted to create an extremely offensive Hunter build. You will need:
Arcstrider Focus with Way of the Warrior (the upper skill tree). Important here is Combat Flow, which reloads the dodge ability on melee kills.
Risky Dodge, which reloads the melee ability when you dodge
Twin Joker
The idea behind it is that you perform a dodge move, blinding the enemies and charging your melee. You can then defeat the enemy in melee, reloading the dodge immediately. You can repeat this as often as you wish (especially in PvE).
The Way of the Warrior also ensures that melee kills trigger health regeneration, allowing you to stay on your feet longer.
For weapons, choose ones that are strong at short range. In this build, the shotgun Perfect Paradox and the SMG Sol-Paria 6 are used. Both are forge weapons. For armor pieces, you should focus on recovery.
In PvP, a build around the Nightstalker is recommended, which brings a perk in the Way of the Trapper that makes you invisible for a short time when dodging.
Have you already played with the Twin Joker? What do you think of the exotic?
Star Wars: Battlefront 2 had to endure quite a bit of criticism, not least because of the loot box issue. Nevertheless, it is a successful game – and the downloads back that up.
Sony’s data shows a strong December for EA’s title with high download numbers specifically in Europe. At the same time, Battlefront 2 was on sale, and the film The Last Jedi was released in theaters. All of this may have contributed to making Battlefront 2 the most successful download title in the EU for December on the PlayStation 4.
In Germany alone, Star Wars Battlefront II was sold 200,000 times on the PlayStation 4 and thus receives the BIU Sales Award in Platinum from the German gaming industry.
The Top 5 in the EU and the USA
Download chart for the PS4 in Europe
Star Wars Battlefront 2
FIFA 18
Call of Duty: WWII
GTA 5
Need For Speed: Payback
Download chart for the PS4 in the USA
Call of Duty: WWII
Gang Beasts
Star Wars Battlefront II
Grand Theft Auto V
Madden NFL 18
Has your download affected the statistics and have you already downloaded Battlefront 2?
With the Overwatch League, Blizzard’s gigantic eSports event has started. The first three matches of the first day have been played, and it seems the viewers are enjoying it – at least that’s what the numbers on Twitch say.
The Overwatch League is an event that Blizzard has been planning and preparing for a long time. In the specially built Blizzard Arena, 12 teams from the USA, China, South Korea, and the United Kingdom compete against each other.
In addition to fixed contracts, a prize pool of one million dollars awaits at the end of the League. A good reason for the players to give their all, which seems to please the viewers as well. The numbers on Twitch certainly support this.
The crowd in front of the Blizzard Arena is large. The first match day was sold out.
Over 400,000 concurrent viewers on Twitch
The Overwatch League starts with high potential. Already on the first day of the event (January 11), over 400,000 viewers gathered concurrently, spread across the Twitch channel overwatchleague and the partner channels overwatchleague_kr and overwatchleague_fr.
On the main channel alone, up to 370,000 viewers were present at peak times. The number largely held steady, only dropping to about 270,000 viewers during the second match, Shanghai Dragons vs. Los Angeles Gladiators.
However, the last match of the round, Seoul Dynasty vs. Dallas Fuel, attracted a massive amount of fans again. At this time, over 64,000 viewers were simultaneously watching on the Korean channel.
The various encounters of the first match day found varying degrees of acceptance across the channels. However, since the viewers of each language come from different time zones, this likely plays into the statistics (average viewer numbers):
San Francisco Shock vs. Los Angeles Valiant
English stream: ~360,000 viewers
Korean stream: ~18,000 viewers
French stream: ~8,000 viewers
Shanghai Dragons vs. Los Angeles Gladiators
English stream: ~275,000 viewers
Korean stream: ~35,000 viewers
French stream: ~3,500 viewers
Seoul Dynasty vs. Dallas Fuel
English stream: ~350,000 viewers
Korean stream: ~56,000 viewers
French stream: ~3,800 viewers
While the numbers steadily grew on the Korean channel, they shrank on the French channel. In Korea, the games took place from morning until noon, while in France, they were held from 1 a.m. until early morning hours. There, the highest number of concurrent viewers was even recorded half an hour before the actual matches began. On the English stream, the views only dipped slightly during the second match.
The Fans’ Reaction to the Overwatch League
The Overwatch League not only encourages fans to watch, but also to discuss. This particularly affects North American players, where significantly more topics can be found in their forums than in the European ones.
The hero selection is particularly hotly debated. Besides mentions that Symmetra was the only hero not played, the current meta is a hot topic. Although many teams played a wide selection of heroes, the dive composition was among the most frequently played.
This is therefore mentioned several times in the forums. Many players advocate for a hero that can counter this meta, as well as for core heroes like Tracer and Genji to be weakened. Counterarguments are rare.
The remaining, rather sparse discussion is limited to the skins of the teams, their appearance and effects in the League, rewards for watching, and technical issues such as the monitors being used. There are hardly any contributions in the European forums. The few that exist question the costs of the skins in the game or ask about the favorite teams.
If you’ve played missions on Warframe, you may have noticed the cryptic lines from a pop song. What’s it all about?
Warframe takes place in a distant future where defective clones, greedy corporations, megalomaniac superhumans, and disgusting mutants have spread across the solar system. Nonetheless, the game is filled with Easter eggs and humorous pop culture references!
One of them is particularly striking, as it contains lyrics from a Taylor Swift song. But how did the lyrics make their way into the game and what is the reason for that?
Taylor Swift on Mars?
If you want to play a mission on Mars in Warframe and select the region “Kadesh” on the star map, you will see this text alongside the usual description:
“Cause the players gonna play, play, play. And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate. Baby I’m just gonna shake, shake, shake. Shake it off.”
These lines are from the song “Shake It Off” by pop singer Taylor Swift from the year 2014. How did they make it into the distant future of Warframe?
A relic from the old days of war
The answer to this question is hidden in the past of Warframe. In April 2014, a major update was released. It contained a new PvP mechanic. Player clans could conquer selected regions called “Dark Sectors” on the map by completing more challenges there than other clans within a certain time.
The winners could then control the sector for a certain time and demand a sort of tax from every player wanting to participate in the often highly lucrative missions there. Another privilege of the sector owners: They could display their clan emblem there and submit a sort of motto.
Will the lyrics remain in the game forever?
The last clan that left its mark on the Kadesh sector was likely a big fan of Taylor Swift and inscribed the famous song lyrics. And probably the song would soon have fallen victim to the conflict and the next clan would have deleted it.
The dark sector conquest system didn’t work optimally. Due to “win trading” and other exploits, it was extremely abused. Therefore, the developers shut down the entire system with update 16 in 2016.
However, the previous states were retained, and therefore the song lyrics still proudly adorn the mission page of Kadesh in Warframe. And they will probably stay there for a long time unless the developers revive the conflict over the dark sectors at some point.
But who knows, maybe the song will remain in the game out of nostalgia reasons. It has become a cult classic and is “just a part of it.”
Overwatch wanted to put characters in loot boxes – at least according to the “business people.”
Overwatch is now considered the prime example of a full-priced title that is still allowed to offer loot boxes and is widely accepted by players. The reason is that the loot boxes in Overwatch only contain cosmetic items. Additionally, there is a loot box every few matches without the use of real money. Thus, the balance between gameplay effort and loot boxes as rewards is acceptable in the eyes of many players.
However, it seems that this was not always the plan. TotalBiscuit, a YouTuber known for his videos on various games and his tough analyses, has been in contact with some developers. Although he does not want to reveal his source, he states that “someone from Blizzard” told him that they were considering putting characters in loot boxes back then.
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According to TotalBiscuit, the developers even had to stand up against the “business people” from Blizzard to prevent this scenario.
Supposedly, Blizzard was worried that Overwatch “would run out of money” and therefore needed to make the loot boxes more attractive – putting characters in loot boxes would have been a solid option.
Fortunately, this never happened, as the developers were able to prevail. The possibility of not being able to switch to any character at any time would have certainly made Overwatch a completely different game – one where eSports would not have seemed possible.
Moira in a loot box? That could have been possible!
Would you have played Overwatch if characters could be obtained in loot boxes? Or would that have been a clear deal-breaker for you?
Square Enix has updated the official promotion page for patch 4.2 of Final Fantasy XIV with new information. The release of the patch is scheduled for the end of January.
The Projection Wardrobe Creates Space in Inventory
The projection system of FFXIV will be revamped in the upcoming patch. There will be a projection wardrobe in the inns of the major cities starting with 4.2, which will help players manage their stylish outfits.
Players will first convert the desired equipment items into projections in the wardrobe. These will then be stored in the wardrobe and can be transferred to projection plates. This way, entire projection sets can be created, which can then be applied to the entire equipment and switched between.
The system is primarily designed to help players save a lot of space in their inventory, as the projection wardrobe can hold up to 200 different equipment pieces.
PvP: New Rules, Team Ranking, and Arena for FEAST
Friends of PvP will not be neglected in patch 4.2. In addition to the new dyeable equipment, FEAST will have a new arena: the Crystal Tower.
In addition, the development team has made some changes to the rules of FEAST. For example, the maximum duration of battles has been reduced from eight to six minutes, and the times for the deposits have been adjusted accordingly.
The medals will be role-specific starting with 4.2, meaning tanks will only be able to collect tank medals, etc.
The maximum amount a player can have is limited:
Tanks: 200 medals
Melee: 175 medals
Ranged: 150 medals
Healers: 125 medals.
New Team System and Group Ranking in Final Fantasy XIV
To promote the formation of fixed teams in PvP, the developers have prepared a new team system for patch 4.2. It allows players to form groups of four to six people and collectively climb the ranking table.
Players will be able to choose their own emblem for their group and will have access to a separate team chat during matches. The most successful teams will receive special awards in the future and be invited to PvP tournaments.
Quests of the Ananta Tribe
The quests of the beast tribes have become a tradition in FFXIV, and after the Kojin tribe, the tasks of the Ananta are now coming. The quests tell the story of Alpa, the daughter of the friendly tribe leader Vira. The young Ananta wants to do her best to help as many people in Gyr Abania as possible.
The tasks are apparently aimed at the collectors and craftsmen among the players and will, as usual, have a new mount and likely a companion as a reward.
Submarines for Free Companies
In addition to airships, the free companies that have their own house will be able to build submarines starting with patch 4.2. These will then be sent on exploration trips in the waters of FFXIV to explore new areas and retrieve treasures.
More detailed information about the functioning of the system is not yet known, but it is likely to be similar to that of the airship explorations.
When Will All This Come to Final Fantasy XIV?
With the release of 4.2, players of Final Fantasy XIV can expect it at the end of January. A producer letter on January 19 will further elaborate on patch 4.2.
Here is an overview of what is happening in Final Fantasy XIV in 2018:
Before long, the exciting MMORPG A:IR – Ascent: Infinite Realm will begin its Closed Beta in Korea. However, the developer studio advises all European and North American players against signing up for this testing phase.
Many are already eager to find out how A:IR plays. After all, players will engage in battle with massive airships and must coordinate crews while fighting against mechs that shoot at you from the ground. Therefore, many fans are eagerly waiting for the start of the beta.
Please do not participate in the Korean beta
And in Korea, it will also be happening soon. As with many other MMOs, players will surely find ways to sign up for this testing phase outside of Korea. However, Kakao Games and Bluehole do not want Western players to participate.
They write in the official game’s forum that this beta is aimed at the Korean region and is specifically designed for it, and feedback from these players is particularly welcome. The team can certainly understand how frustrating it can be when one region gets to play earlier, but they ask for understanding in this matter.
Closed Beta in Europe and North America for A:IR – coming in Q1/2018
The team further states that they will not tolerate any tips that help gain access to the Korean beta. They will provide all players with plenty of information from the testing phase, allowing for discussions about it. And the first Closed Beta for Europe and North America should also start this quarter. Until then, Western players will have to be patient. You can already register on the official website for this beta.
To shorten the waiting time a bit, a new video for A:IR has been released. It shows the game’s intro, which even has English voiceover.
In Destiny 2, collectors and explorers among you have something to do. Bungie is planning something.
Bungie’s Game Director Christopher Barrett proves that sometimes it doesn’t take many words to excite a community positively.
On Twitter, a user asked whether Bungie will introduce collectible items like dead ghosts in Destiny 2 again. And Barrett replied shortly and concisely: Yes.
This “Yes” led to different reactions: Many Guardians cheered that the dead ghosts will finally return. That there will finally be something to discover and collect when exploring the worlds of Destiny 2 off the beaten paths. In Destiny 1, the dead ghosts were sometimes well-hidden items that helped complete the Grimoire.
However, there was also a reaction from Community Manager Cozmo, who dampened the enthusiasm a bit:
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Cozmo responded to Barrett’s “Yes” that it might not mean “exactly dead ghosts”. But definitely something for collectors.
Then Barrett spoke up again: He wants to clarify that future expansions will add more collectibles and hidden secrets to the game.
As Barrett speaks of “expansions,” a user quipped that it is typical for Bungie that Guardians will surely have to pay for it. Barrett replied again shortly and concisely: No.
In conclusion, there is currently a Game Director creating confusion with very brief statements and a Community Manager meandering with his tweets. But one thing seems certain: In the future, there will be new collectibles and more hidden secrets in Destiny 2.
What about the blog post about the future of Destiny 2?
Today, Thursday, January 11th, a detailed blog post is set to be published, in which the developers will discuss the direction Destiny 2 will take in 2018. They want to address all the feedback and criticism from the past months.
Due to the time difference, this post will probably not appear in this country until the night from Thursday to Friday; we will report on it promptly.
Today around 9 AM, Barrett tweeted that he is finishing up the blog post. Afterward, he answered a few questions:
With a devious method, multiboxers in WoW ruin others’ day.
Multiboxers are a plague for many players. When a player plays multiple accounts in World of Warcraft at the same time and controls the characters through additional hardware and software, the balance is gone. Especially in PvP, you have hardly any chance against 10 or even 20 characters that all use the same spell at the push of a button, thereby sending your avatar directly to the next graveyard.
But multiboxers can exploit their power in various other ways, as Reddit user stickywickybob has now learned.
On his home server Emerald Dream, he observed 20 druids with similar names, who were apparently all controlled by the same person. The multiboxer waited at flight points and ambushed players who had just landed, killing them instantly.
What stickywickybob observed, logged onto his rogue, and made short work of the supposed superior force thanks to plenty of area damage with Knife Throw and Shuriken Storm.
20 Reports Lead to Name Loss
However, he could not enjoy his victory for long. Shortly afterwards, the connection to World of Warcraft was terminated, and he was forced to give his character a new name!
What happened?
The multiboxer apparently got so upset about his defeat against a single player that he reported the player for an “inappropriate name” with all 20 characters at the same time. This led to a renaming being necessary.
After that, the multiboxer “took away” the player’s name and simply created a character with that name himself.
Multiboxers in the battleground – always a “great” experience.
Stickywickybob reported the situation to a GM, who first had to placate him. In the meantime, stickywickybob has regained his original name. However, we do not know what has become of the multiboxer who exploited this system.
Exploiting the reporting function like this is banned and will likely result in account penalties for the multiboxer or imitators. At the same time, such behavior will further decrease the favor of players for multiboxers – because these players really do not need more power.
Today, on January 11, the servers are down for The Division. Additionally, the first State of the Game in 2018 is taking place!
On this Thursday, Massive is conducting the “weekly rituals” for the first time in 2018: After regular maintenance and the “State of the Game” were canceled in recent weeks, operations are now resuming.
Information about the maintenance:
The maintenance on January 11 starts at 9:30 AM our time on all platforms – PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
The estimated server downtime is about 2 hours, so you can play again around 11:30 AM.
A changelog will be provided, and during the maintenance, a fix will be deployed: A problem will be fixed where agents without DLC were excluded from skirmish activities. Skirmish is the new PvP mode introduced in Update 1.8 and should actually be free for everyone. The problem occurred when agents had items in their “expansion stash.”
The State of the Game takes place today
The State of the Game is the weekly status report from the Division developers. In a livestream, they usually talk about the current issues the game has, what changes are pending, and what is coming up for The Division.
Massive recently confirmed that there will be a livestream this Thursday. It starts at 5 PM. You can watch it here, and afterwards a summary of the key information will be published on Mein-MMO.de:
https://www.twitch.tv/thedivisiongame
Many agents hope that there will finally be information today on which direction The Division will take in 2018. Will there be a Year 3? Is a “The Division 2” coming? Will there be no more new content? What plans do Ubisoft and Massive have for the shared-world shooter?
So far, there have been no official announcements regarding what agents can expect in 2018. Only vague hints …
As far as we can tell, Massive will likely not share any information today regarding the mid-term future of The Division. There may only be an announcement for a stream about when they plan to discuss it.
Today, it probably only concerns the near future. When does the 4th global event start? Are fixes or balance adjustments planned?
With the Overwatch League, Blizzard aims to solidify its position in eSports. The event is unique and large enough to quickly lose track of things. We have summarized the most important points for you.
It was already discussed before its release that the hero shooter Overwatch is meant to establish itself in the competitive scene. It was evident from the very beginning that Blizzard’s plan was to make a name for itself in eSports with Overwatch.
Only half a year after the release of Overwatch, at Blizzcon 2016, the big announcement was made: The Overwatch League will come. An event that aims to elevate not only Overwatch but eSports to a new level.
The Overwatch League is an eSports event of the Major League, organized and planned by Blizzard. The corporation has built a stadium in Los Angeles, the “Blizzard Arena”, where all matches should take place this year.
The League is significantly different from traditional tournaments. The teams participating here are not well-known pro teams whose names have been circulating in the eSports scene for a long time. Teams could not simply register freely.
Instead, sponsors registered their teams for the Overwatch League in advance. They represent a specific city, not just a team name. Most of the cities come from the USA, but China and the UK are also represented.
The management and organization of the teams differ from traditional tournaments. Owners or their managers buy players they want in their team, similar to football. Alongside well-known figures like Seagull or sinatraa, lesser-known but strong players who have been signed also get their chance.
London Team for US Company with Players from South Korea
This system structure allows for some strange circumstances. The team “London Spitfire” is under the flag of the California eSports company Cloud9, plays for London, and consists exclusively of South Korean players.
For the future, the principle of cities competing for the title is intended to prevail. Like in the Bundesliga, matches with home and away teams are also planned.
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Structure and Flow of the Overwatch League – the Schedule
To make the Overwatch League a promising spectacle, starting from January 11, 2018, three games per day will take place in the Blizzard Arena every Wednesday to Saturday. The first season will run until June 17.
The League is divided into four stages, each lasting 6 weeks:
Stage 1: January 11 to February 11, 2018
Stage 2: February 22 to March 25, 2018
Stage 3: April 5 to May 6, 2018
Stage 4: May 17 to June 17, 2018
The teams play in two groups: the Atlantic Division and the Pacific Division. They do not play independently of each other, but they have significant importance for the League’s finals.
At the end of each stage, there is a final match where a prize pool can already be won. In the stages, teams also collect points, which determine their placement in a table at the end of the season.
The table standings are crucial for the post-season, which will be the actual highlight of the Overwatch League. The top teams from each division will compete here from July 11 to 22 for the title from July 26 to 28.
Even after that, Blizzard ensures further entertainment. During the All-Star Weekend from August 10-12, 2018, the most popular players will compete against each other in “unexpected challenges”. What exactly that means will still be revealed.
What is being played? Prize Money and Contracts
Primarily, every player is entitled to a contract that promises at least $50,000. Additionally, health insurance, retirement plans, accommodation, and training facilities are provided. The contract also lasts for at least one year. For the fame, recognition, and status as a “pro gamer”, it is worthwhile for players to participate.
But also the prize money with a pool of $3.5 million is likely a significant incentive to give their best. The money is distributed as follows:
Tournament winner / Champion of the Overwatch League: $1,000,000
Second place: $400,000
Third and fourth place: $100,000
Fifth and sixth place: $50,000
Team with the most leaderboard points: $300,000
Stage winners: $100,000
The remaining prize money is divided among other places and comes in addition to the contract for each player.
The prize money is primarily generated through entry tickets, franchises, and skins in the game. Blizzard also looks to “real” sporting events for inspiration and utilizes the support of fans.
The winner of the Overwatch League is not only rewarded with the title but also a nice trophy!
The Teams of the First Season of the Overwatch League
In the first season of the Overwatch League, a total of 12 teams from North America, Europe, and Asia will compete against each other. 9 teams come from the USA, making up the largest share, even though most players are from South Korea.
Atlantic Division
Boston Uprising
Owner: Robert Kraft (USA, owner of the football team “New England Patriots” and CEO of Kraft Group)
First match: January 12, 3:00 AM against New York Excelsior
Special features: The team has many newcomers and support players.
Logo and roster:
Florida Mayhem
Owner: Misfits Gaming (UK)
First match: January 11, 11:00 PM against London Spitfire
Special features: Florida’s team is led by British management and has mostly Swedish players.
Logo and roster:
Houston Outlaws
Owner: OpTic Gaming (USA)
First match: January 12, 1:00 AM against Philadelphia Fusion
Special features: A mostly American team, with few exceptions, that struggled in the preliminary rounds. Three of the players played in the American national team in the 2017 World Cup.
Logo and roster:
London Spitfire
Owner: Cloud9 (USA)
First match: January 11, 11:00 PM against Florida Mayhem
Special features: A British team under American leadership with an entirely South Korean roster.
Logo and roster:
New York Excelsior
Owner: Jeff Wilpon and SterlingVC (USA, owner of the baseball team New York Mets)
First match: January 12, 3:00 AM against Boston Uprising
Special features: Consists only of South Korean players, many of whom played previously for LW Blue. One of the players will not be old enough to play until May.
Logo and roster:
Philadelphia Fusion
Owner: Comcast Spectacor (USA, also owner of the NHL team Philadelphia Flyers)
First match: January 12, 1:00 AM against Houston Outlaws
Special features: Had to forgo the pre-season, presumably due to visa issues.
Logo and roster:
Pacific Division
Dallas Fuel
Owner: Team Envy (USA)
First match: January 11, 5:00 AM against Seoul Dynasty
Special features: The name “Fuel” comes from investments from the oil and energy sectors. The team has many well-known streamers and pro gamers in its roster.
Logo and roster:
Los Angeles Gladiators
Owner: Stan and Josh Kroenke (USA, owners of various sports teams)
First match: January 11, 3:00 AM against Shanghai Dragons
Special features: The team has alongside well-known names also a League of Legends pro in its roster. It is one of two teams from LA.
Logo and roster:
Los Angeles Valiant
Owner: Immortals (USA)
First match: January 11, 1:00 AM against San Francisco Shock
Special features: The CEO of Immortals is only 22 years old. The band Linkin Park is an indirect co-owner of the organization.
Logo and roster:
San Francisco Shock
Owner: Andy Miller (USA, Chairman of NRG esports)
First match: January 11, 1:00 AM against Los Angeles Valiant
Special features: Pro gamer sinatraa plays in the team and negotiated three times the standard contract, even though he can only play from March. He is still 17.
First match: January 11, 5:00 AM against Dallas Fuel
Special features: Consists of players from the pro team Lunatic-Hai, considered the best in the world. Three of the players won the World Cup last year with this team.
Logo and roster:
Shanghai Dragons
Owner: NetEase (China)
First match: January 11, 3:00 AM against Los Angeles Gladiators
Special features: The only Chinese team with promising players who were partly in the top 8 of the World Cup last year. However, the Dragons struggled during the pre-season.
Logo and roster:
The Overwatch League on Twitch
Twitch has the broadcasting rights for the Overwatch League – but only in English, French, and Korean. Allegedly, the deal is worth $90 million. On the Twitch channel www.twitch.tv/overwatchleague, you can watch all the matches. The broadcast will initially not be offered in German.
In addition to the official stream on Twitch, you can also use the following services:
In addition to the Overwatch League, Blizzard has recently released an app in the App Store and Play Store. The app “OW League” offers you the opportunity to follow all current information and ongoing matches on the go.
With the app, you can quickly get an overview of the schedule, results, upcoming matches, and push notifications for news. If you log in with your Battle.net account, you can follow your favorite team(s) and be reminded of each upcoming match in time.
The Overwatch League Skins and League Tokens
Lastly, the Overwatch League brings joy not only to viewers of eSports and Overwatch. In addition to the streams and merchandise in the shop, such as shirts or caps, you can also now buy skins in Overwatch for every hero.
The skins are designed in the colors of the teams. Each team has a skin for every hero. So you can show your allegiance by playing your favorite heroes in each match!
The skins cannot be included in loot boxes. You have to buy what are called “League Tokens”, with which you can directly unlock the skins. One hero costs 100 tokens, and 100 tokens are $4.99. Anyone who logs in by February 13 will receive 100 tokens for free – grab your free skin!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
There is a new sign of life from Cyberpunk 2077 on Twitter. For the fans, it’s clear: The hot phase is about to begin!
CD Projekt RED is one of the few game developers whose titles fans worldwide look forward to (almost) unreservedly.
Back in 2013, the developer CD Projekt RED announced that they would not only work on The Witcher, but also on a Cyberpunk game set in the future aptly named Cyberpunk 2077. A small teaser trailer was also released in 2013, showing a cyborg woman who apparently has just committed some murders and is now being taken down by the police forces – at least it seems so.
However, it became very quiet about Cyberpunk 2077 afterwards – very quiet. Here and there, individual developers or leaders from CD Projekt RED made statements about the game, such as that it will fundamentally be an RPG but will also have online aspects.
Cyberpunk 2077 returns on Twitter
It was also suspicious that the Twitter account of Cyberpunk 2077 hadn’t said a word since the teaser trailer – until today!
Despite the ambiguous-non-committal statement “*beep*”, the corresponding tweet has already received more than 13,000 likes and nearly 6,000 retweets. In addition, there are hundreds of comments with all sorts of memes – there is joy and excitement.
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For the fans, it’s clear: The hot phase of Cyberpunk 2077 is approaching. Alpha or even beta tests may start soon or a new trailer may be released.
However, until there is official information from CD Projekt RED about the game’s progress, these hopes remain wishful thinking.
Ironically, the teaser trailer also said almost 4 years ago that the game would be released “when it’s ready” – that there would be 48 months of silence afterward was probably not anticipated by either the developers or the fans.
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