Hardly any online game would miss the Christmas event. The following 9 MMOs have particularly beautiful and original ideas for the festival of love and gifts.
Every year, Christmas also comes to various online worlds. Usually, Christmas has a fixed place in the respective game lore. For example, in Guild Wars 2, an Asura gnome arrives with an airship and drops gifts. In WoW, the Winter Veil festival is celebrated, and in Secret World Legends, the creepy Krampus makes an appearance.
In the following 9 MMOs, you can experience particularly beautiful Christmas events this year.
Final Fantasy 14 – The Christmas Bear is Coming!
Square Enix’s online RPG Final Fantasy 14 celebrates Christmas in the form of the “Starlight Celebration“. Every year, something different takes place. This year, you need to complete a quest for the catgirl Amh Garanjy.
As a reward for your efforts, there is something very special: a Christmas bear! This is a bear mount with a red pom-pom hat. Additionally, the bear can fly and throws gifts. The presents then explode in a rain of glitter and snowflakes.
You can enjoy the Starlight Celebration in Final Fantasy 14 until December 31, 2017.
Guild Wars 2 – The Annual Toy Massacre!
In Guild Wars 2, Santa Claus is not a fat guy with a beard. Instead, the gift-bringer in Tyria is a cute Asura gnome named Tixx. He comes every year with a flying, golem-shaped toy factory and gifts the residents of the city of Divinity’s Reach.
However, Tixx seems to make the same mistakes every year, and his toys run amok in the factory on the airship. Your brave heroes must therefore defeat the rampaging toys to save the Winter Festival.
There are numerous events, including the notorious, sadistic jumping puzzle “Winter Wonderland” and the lighthearted snowball fight PvP event. The fun in Guild Wars 2 continues until January 2, 2018.
World of Warcraft – Get a New Hearthstone Board
World of Warcraft must not be missing when it comes to Christmas in MMOs. In Blizzard’s online RPG, the so-called “Winter Veil” is celebrated during Christmas time. It concerns the “Father Winter”. His breath manifests itself during this time as snowflakes. In celebration of the festival, the cities of Ironforge and Orgrimmar are festively decorated, and gifts await you under a large tree on December 25.
In 2017, there are plenty of beautiful toys, including the cool items from last year and new goodies. One of the best items is likely the “Hearthbox”, which is a “goblin-improved” – and probably life-threatening – Hearthstone board. In the Garrison, you can complete daily missions and secure a Yeti mount called “Minion of the Gumpus” in the process.
The Winter Veil festival in World of Warcraft lasts until January 2, 2018.
Which online game captivated you in 2017? Take part in our survey and choose the most popular MMO of 2017!
Although not many new MMOs and high-profile online games were released in 2017, there were still plenty of existing games to enjoy and have fun with. So, which game did you like the most?
Choose your favorite among MMOs and “Games-as-a-Service”
We have selected a variety of MMOs and online games that performed well for us this year. This is a colorful mix of all kinds of games with a “Games-as-a-Service” approach and large online communities. If you want to learn more about each game, take a look at our game database on Mein-MMO, where you can find information on each listed game.
Participate in our survey in the embedded window below and choose the game that impressed and delighted you the most this year. Choose wisely, as you only have one vote! The survey was restarted at 7 PM due to an error:
The survey runs until December 31, 2017. The results will remain confidential until then. From the results, we will crown the most popular MMO / online game of the Mein-MMO community at the beginning of next year and award it with a specially designed award! Enjoy the voting and may the best MMO / online game win!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
As early as December, it became clear that the release of Wild West Online could no longer take place in 2017 as previously intended. Now, the release date has been narrowed down and a roadmap has been published.
The decision to postpone the release was not made lightly by the development team. However, after careful consideration and reviewing player feedback, they concluded that they should add a few more months.
“We don’t want to deliver a half-finished product,” said the developers in a forum post, “and we try to remain as transparent as possible for you. Therefore, we are postponing the release to late winter 2018.”
Late Winter Catches the Worm – Release Date Wild West Online
“Late winter 2018” – it initially sounds like Christmas in a year. However, it actually refers to March 2018. That’s three months during which feedback can be implemented. In particular, the following aspects need to be revised.
The PvP battles need to be revised and better structured.
Diverse global events will be integrated.
Treasure hunts will become an important factor.
The crafting and skill systems need further revision.
Additionally, players should be able to buy land and houses, as well as decorate them as they wish.
Shortly after the release, localization, Steam support, and the development of factions will commence.
While some are happy that progress is being made and the developers are striving for a good, functional game, others are growing impatient. A forum post also suggests possible reasons why the mood on one side has soured.
The developers would “barely – if at all – communicate with the players, have had few updates and kept promises, would not relay information to the forum as promised, and would delete posts and replace them with new ones.” These and similar accusations seem to contribute to the fact that some have become quite impatient.
Now it remains to be seen what the future holds for Wild West Online and whether the roadmap can be adhered to.
Moira, the latest member of the hero roster from Overwatch, has also arrived in competitive mode for some time now. New heroes are usually not well-received there – but Moira is!
No one likes new heroes in ranked – but everyone loves Moira!
New heroes in Overwatch are generally quite popular with fanart and in most game modes. In ranked games, however, they are so unpopular that phrases like “Please switch…” are not uncommon.
This is partly because the heroes released since May 2016 came with mechanics that needed to be learned. They either didn’t fit completely into the meta or were only useful in certain situations.
However, this was not the case with Moira’s entry into ranked play, shortly after her release. The community welcomed her with open arms and chose her significantly more often (7% of games, in comparison: Doomfist had 0.6%).
Was (and still is) extremely unpopular in ranked: Doomfist
That’s why Moira is more playable
First of all: Moira is a support. Since the role is traditionally not favored, and only a few healers are truly strong, she has earned a bonus point simply through her class. She is also the second strongest healer after Mercy.
Her ability kit also contributes to her not being so hated. Moira is a character that does not need to be learned completely anew. She can be played intuitively. Her abilities are already known from existing heroes and thus stick better in memory.
Phase Shift: Corresponds roughly to Tracer’s blink
Biotic Grasp (Damage): Corresponds roughly to Symmetra’s photon projector
Her idea of combining damage and healing can also be found in Zenyatta in a somewhat different form.
Intuitive Gameplay: Strong and accessible, but neither “op” nor “low-skill”
Since Moira’s playstyle is made up of several heroes, most players have little trouble getting accustomed to her. Learning and mastering her is significantly faster for many veterans than with previously newly released heroes.
This is partly because, as a support, she has no “hidden requirement” to be accurate (like Ana and Zenyatta have). Her attacks are either bouncing orbs with seeking rays or a lock-on channeling. Her heals are large cones and also bouncing orbs with automatic targeting.
Although this sounds like Moira is too easy to play for her strength, this is not the case. Since she has to balance damage and healing effectively, despite the intuitive controls, she has a certain demand that makes her more balanced for players and opponents.
Benedict says: Moira fills a gap that Overwatch has needed for a long time: A healer who is strong in many situations without being too hard to play or overpowered. She complements the hero roster rather than disrupts it. Moira fits into Overwatch’s ranked play instead of changing it.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The housing expansion in Warframe came unexpectedly and leaves the community in disbelief. Story spoilers ahead!
Warframe probably wouldn’t be Warframe if the housing expansion simply added an extra room. It had to happen with an unannounced bang.
In the last dev stream, the developers talked about what the housing update would bring. In the players’ ship, the Orbiter, there was a mysterious door that had been eternally locked. With the update, players were finally able to open this door and set up their personal quarters there. It is also now possible to visit other players in their ship or welcome them as guests.
In the dev stream, the new room and visits were casually and cheerfully displayed. No one could have guessed what dark developments awaited players in their living space.
Caution: Spoilers for the story of Warframe follow!
The new room hides a secret that further advances the story
In the spaceship, there are segments that give the Orbiter various functions. There is a forge, the in-game market, the personal arsenal, or a breeding station.
Players who have completed the quest “The Inner War” receive the blueprint for the living area segment from Ordis. The great decoration party can begin!
Here you can see why the developers nicknamed the housing update Ikea-Frame. Behind the door awaits a spacious room where players can find built-in shelves, aquariums, or a music box. Of course, the update also brought a lot of new decorations available for purchase in the market for the premium currency Platinum.
You can even create a custom action figure from your frame’s loadout.Hello, Mini-Octavia:
For players who have also completed the quest “Chains of Harrow“, a surprise awaits in the living area. At the end of the room, there is a large window, and on the windowsill, there is a large, glowing energy ball.
As soon as the player touches the ball, they are instantly propelled into the next story section of Warframe!
“I want you to know … My last thoughts are with you.”
The glowing ball was an orb that teleports the user to the Earth’s moon Lua. Here is another orb that reveals a long light path upon touching.
Suddenly, the voice of the Lotus echoes: “Do something. Get me out of here.”
The Lotus refers to herself as the mother of the Tenno and guides the children, thus the players, through Warframe. She holds a special position, is strongly linked to the story of Warframe, and has always been there.
At some point in the story, players discover that they have always been a Tenno. The Warframes are merely empty machines controlled by the powerful Void force of the children.
The Lotus is a sentient, an ancient machine that was formed from the AI Natah. Natah was supposed to erase the orphaned Tenno in the great war long ago since they were a weapon of the Orokin. However, she resisted and became the Lotus, the mother and protector of the Tenno.
The machine Lotus absorbed the memories of all Tenno and gave herself the appearance of the woman Margulis. In the process, the Lotus destroyed everything that was once Natah.
Margulis was also a proponent of the Tenno and helped develop the war suits, or Warframes. She firmly believed that the children could control and harness their energy through the Warframe using the Void powers.
The Orokin people executed Margulis because they feared the children’s Void powers.
While following the light path, the Tenno is ejected from their Warframe and experiences Margulis’s last memories.
Ballas: “Honored Seven, we have gathered here today to execute the judgment in the case of Archimedian Margulis. You face the Jade Light, recant, and we will grant you a swift death.”
Margulis: “My daughters, my sons … I want you to know … My last thoughts are with you.”
The detachment happens ruthlessly and without warning
Ballas belonged to the Orokin, was Margulis’s lover and her executor. He wanted to convince Margulis to destroy the Tenno to save his own life. But Margulis would not be swayed from her path and remained until the end, the savior and mother of the Tenno.
At the end of the light path is a container where Lotus resides. She greets joyfully, prompting the child to rush towards their symbolic mother. But behind the child is the immortal Ballas, who apologizes to Lotus for being away so long.
Lotus tries to explain that she is not Margulis. Ballas wants to convince her otherwise and claims she is just a prisoner, just like Margulis was back then. With these words, the Orokin ignites a stream of energy that disconnects the cables from Lotus’s helmet. In that moment, the child touches their head and grimaces in pain. The connection between Lotus and the Tenno appears to be severed.
Lotus then removes her helmet, her face remains hidden. Hand in hand, Margulis/Lotus and Ballas walk out. They vanish into nothingness without looking back.
A frightened child remains & a shocked community
The Lotus has vanished, the connection is severed. She will no longer guide players through the game or stand by their side. The veterans were particularly shocked by this quest epilogue.
The final scene shows how the player’s character holds the Lotus’s helmet, anxiously and searchingly looking for their adoptive mother. It was she who saved all Tenno and put them into a long sleep to hide them. She was the one who revived her children. She is also the first voice the player hears in Warframe.
In Warframe’s popular community portals, there was an outcry, and players are now seriously worried about what will happen to Lotus.
After this quest prologue, players return to their living area in the spaceship. The decorating fun suddenly leaves a certain bitterness, as the severed helmet of the Lotus is there on a pedestal.
It is currently quite uncertain where the journey of the story will go and what will happen to Lotus.
This prologue served as a teaser for the next big story quest, which is set to start in Warframe in 2018. It is called “The Sacrifice” and suggests that someone must make a sacrifice to protect another life.
Until then, players will have to content themselves with decorating.
After the huge success of the chaotic 50vs50 game mode in Fortnite: Battle Royale, many players wished for a permanent return. That hasn’t worked out, but there is still an encore – even if only for a few days!
Players have clearly expressed in various forums and channels that they want a comeback of the chaotic 50vs50 variant of Fortnite: Battle Royale – preferably permanently. Due to its popularity, Epic has now decided to bring the game mode back for at least a few days over Christmas.
More specifically, the chaos started again on December 23 at 2 PM. In a team of up to 49 players, you go against the enemy squad. Including marauding gangs and swept clean cities.
In the test, the mode left us with mixed feelings – however, the majority had a blast. You can now play the mode throughout the entire holiday season. The exact action period starts on December 23 at 2:00 PM and ends on December 28, as Epic announced in a Twitter message:
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Once again, Epic demonstrates an understanding of the community’s wishes. It is not impossible that the mode will eventually be available permanently. Meanwhile, Epic is already working on an overhaul of the current weapon system, which is expected early in 2018.
What about the interesting science fiction sandbox MMORPG The Repopulation? There aren’t particularly good news currently.
After Idea Fabrik took over the development of the MMO The Repopulation from Above and Beyond in early 2017, things went a bit silent about the game. Of course, the new studio must first get accustomed and develop plans. However, this has been taking quite a long time, which is probably making fans nervous. Some have already lost hope.
Additionally, many fans didn’t react very “well” to the takeover; some still harbor a grudge and apparently view it as a hostile takeover.
Few players, a wipe and angry backers
Concerns about The Repopulation seem justified. This is shown by the fact that the developers had to take the European server offline. The reason is simple: there were too few players to maintain operations.
In the USA, things don’t look much better. A new update there led to a wipe. Players have to start completely from scratch. However, thanks to the update, they now get an auction house, improvements in crafting, and NPCs created by backers of the crowdfunding campaign.
Developers don’t want to sell a product they currently cannot support
However, backers are very upset because the development studio cannot fulfill some rewards from the crowdfunding campaign. The team apologizes for this and is currently considering how to compensate the players. It is no longer possible to purchase higher access tiers than the standard access “Silver” to the game because the team does not want to sell a product for which they currently simply cannot deliver content.
They also want nothing to do with refunds, as they are “old debts” of the former operating company. If one wants to get their money back, they must contact Above and Beyond – which can be reached through their new game “Fragmented”.
All of this paints a rather bleak picture of the future of the MMORPG The Repopulation. 2018 should show how things will proceed with the online game.
In Destiny 2, an alleged leak about the second DLC has emerged. This reveals the name, storyline, setting, and new enemies of the expansion.
A few days ago, Reddit user “DestinyPatriot” published a massive leak about the second DLC. Some Guardians glanced at the information and immediately claimed it was all fake, after which the post was removed.
However, DestinyPatriot remained persistent and posted his leak four more times in the reddit forum – but always in vain; they were deleted again, and the leak remained “small”.
Actually, it could have remained at that, but suddenly the leak also appeared in the Bungie forum. Now larger gaming sites and YouTubers became aware of it, so this topic has been blown up since yesterday (December 22nd). Even in the comments under our articles, the leak was posted, with some rating it as “credible” or “real”.
Therefore, let’s take a look: What does this ominous leak regarding the 2nd DLC entail?
Official concept for the 2nd DLC
This is the leak regarding the 2nd DLC
According to the leaker, the information comes from datamining. He has examined the new game files added with the onset and found all the information within. He emphasizes that his findings align perfectly with the in-game lore of Destiny 2.
Here are the details from the leak:
The second expansion is called “Heralds of Nezarec.”
The new setting is Enceladus – one of Saturn’s largest moons.
There will be 10 story missions and three new strikes named Sanctum of Darkness, Bal’zoth’s March, and Rasputin’s Defense
The story begins with a gigantic ship crashing on Enceladus, and a “dark power” appearing on the moon
The Guardians must work with Ana Bray to find the source of the dark threat
The Warmind Rasputin also plays an important role. He fights against the dark threat.
Two new enemy races are coming: the Frames and the Heralds.
The main enemy is Nezarec.
The Guardians will fight on Enceladus in the “Frigid Wastes,” but also in “The Anomaly” – that is the ship of the Heralds.
A second raid encounter called “Prison of Nightmares” is coming. This encounter takes place completely in the dimension of Calus, which you know from the fight against Calus:
In it, you will fight against Psions and Fallen, and against the final boss “Otzot.”
The story is supposed to lead to the next major expansion, which will revolve around darkness.
Can this leak be true?
Many details from this leak match information and speculations that have existed for quite some time about the 2nd DLC:
Yes, there will definitely be a second raid encounter in the 2nd DLC. This was officially confirmed by community manager DeeJ.
Yes, the DLC will definitely revolve around Rasputin. On this logo for the 2nd DLC, its symbol is clearly visible:
Yes, very likely we will meet Ana Bray. In this concept for the 2nd DLC, a woman is depicted with a wolf head symbol on her shoulder:
In Destiny 1, there was a Hunter cloak with exactly this wolf head. And according to the item description, this symbol was worn in battle by only one person: The legendary hunter Ana Bray. Since this woman has this symbol on her shoulder in the DLC graphic, it is reasonable to assume that it is Ana Bray.We have already dealt with this topic in detail here.
And it is indeed possible that we will eventually land on Enceladus. This is an icy moon of Saturn. In the upper DLC graphic, it looks quite “icy” and cold. Additionally, this official concept art of a location that does (not) exist in Destiny 2 at the moment is available: It clearly depicts an icy moon of Saturn.
Therefore, this must be a fake leak
All this information sounds quite exciting – and some of it plausible as well. However, there is much to suggest that someone has woven previous information into a fully-grown leak:
It is already strange that the user claims to have obtained all this information from datamining. Other dataminers did not find this information. In other words, the information has appeared out of nowhere.
Bungie would never present detailed information about the next raid content, such as the name of the final boss, in the game files in advance. Raid contents are the most closely guarded secrets at Bungie. It is very unlikely that they would present the information openly in the files at this stage.
And: It is hard to imagine that a DLC would actually introduce two new enemy races after not having introduced a single new enemy race in the last three years (except for the Taken, the Splicers, and the Red Legion, which are, however, just existing enemies with a new coat of paint)
Moreover, it is simply way too much content included in this leak. One can assume that the 2nd DLC will be approximately as extensive as the 1st DLC. The first was centered around Osiris, but the story didn’t even manage to adequately introduce that one character.
That the 2nd DLC is supposed to tell the entire story around Ana Bray, the Warminds, a new planet, two new enemy races, and also Nezarec, is way too much. This would be more complex than the main story of Destiny 2 surrounding the Red Legion. To pack all of this into a DLC, which would need to fit within the 10 story missions mentioned, would not work.
Moreover, a lot of evidence suggests that in the second DLC, we will visit Mars and not a moon of Saturn. On the one hand, because of Ana Bray: The Bray family built the Dust Palace on Mars and was responsible for groundbreaking technologies, such as the Engram technology, the Exos, SIVA, and the Warminds. On the other hand, because of the Warmind Charlemagne, who is stationed on Mars and could play a role in the DLC. More information about the Mars theme can be found here.
In summary, it remains that this leak probably contains not true information, but rather wishful thinking. One cannot say this with 100% certainty, as there have been leaks in the past that were not believed and turned out to be completely correct. But I classify this leak as fake.
What do you think? Are the information plausible or fan-fiction?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Capcom released a video guide explaining the multiplayer of Monster Hunter World . Here you can learn more about the new global servers, the drop-in system, or how to find other players.
Monster Hunter World can be played solo, but it is particularly fun in a group. The multiplayer mode works a bit differently in World than in previous titles.
Previously, there was a strict separation between single-player quests and multiplayer quests. The single-player content guided players through the campaign of the respective title. This separation is lifted in Monster Hunter World: All missions can be completed online in multiplayer mode with a group of up to 4 hunters.
In this video from Capcom, the multiplayer in Monster Hunter World is highlighted.
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All quests can be completed together with up to 4 players
There is a player search function
New global servers ensure that players can play together worldwide. Here in Germany, for example, one can hunt together with players from Japan. This has never happened in Monster Hunter.
There is a language filter in the search function. When using the filter, you will only encounter players speaking the chosen language.
With a new online drop-in mode, players can join an ongoing quest at any time. If someone starts a quest in single-player mode, they can send out a call for help. Other players can then join the quest without loading times.
The MMORPG Black Desert Online is expected by the developers at Pearl Abyss to last for another 20 to 30 years. They aim to keep the game up to date and improve it during this time. Furthermore, a date for the Awakening of the new class Mystique has already been set.
Pearl Abyss, the developers of the sandbox MMO RPG Black Desert Online, are full of confidence. They previously mentioned that online role-playing games have extremely long life cycles. 10 to 11 years are not uncommon.
However, Black Desert Online is expected to have a life span of about three times that!
A game that remains modern
According to Pearl Abyss, they plan a life cycle of 20 to 30 years for Black Desert Online! The game is very important to the developers. Moreover, they are becoming increasingly experienced in development and will continuously carry on and improve the game.
Furthermore, there will be graphic updates. The first major enhancement of the already beautiful game is expected to take place in 2018. This is just one of many planned steps intended to improve the game.
Among other things, they want to buff the classes Musa and Ranger and make the militia system more user-friendly. Previously, only buffs were applied, leading to a constant “power creep.” In the future, they intend to adjust and buff or nerf classes dynamically depending on what is needed at the time.
So much new content came in 2017
At least in 2017, there was a ton of new content for Black Desert Online. Among other things, the new classes of the Warrior and the Mystique were added to the game. Additionally, there were parts of the huge new area Kamasylvia. All of this was garnished with a new PvP arena, the militia system, and numerous events.
Mystique gets Awakening in January
In 2018, things will continue quickly, as the new Mystique is set to receive her Awakening weapon on January 3rd. However, this will only happen starting at level 56. Then you can summon a dragon with the Kung-Fu fighter and utilize its power. Furthermore, the creature will physically appear during special moves of the Mystique and crush opponents with its serpentine body.
https://youtu.be/D6CM6yPzxAw
2018 also includes a port to the Xbox One. A port of Black Desert for the PlayStation 4 has also been planned by Pearl Abyss.
Which upcoming online game is your highlight of 2018? Which MMO are you most looking forward to next year? Participate in our User Award and choose the winner!
In 2018, several promising online games and MMOs are in the pipeline. But which game are you most excited about? Which game are you looking forward to the most?
Select your favorite MMO or “Game-as-a-Service” that you are waiting for next year
We have selected some MMOs and online games for you that have gained some popularity in comments and views over the last few months. A release or at least the prospect of a playable Early Access or beta version in 2018 was a prerequisite. Included are games from all genres, from MMORPGs, MMOs, and games with a “Games-as-a-Service” approach and large online communities.
Take part in our survey in the embedded window below and choose the game you are most looking forward to in 2018. But choose wisely, as you only have one vote!
The survey will run until December 31, 2017. Until then, the results will remain secret. From the results, the most eagerly anticipated new MMO of 2018 will be crowned at the beginning of next year and will receive a specially designed award! Enjoy voting!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The developers of the Western MMO Wild West Online have introduced character customization options in a new update regarding the game’s status.
So far, in the alpha version of the online game, you could only choose your hero from a few basic characters. This made the characters look quite similar to each other. However, this is set to change. With the next patch, you will gain the ability to customize your character’s appearance more distinctly.
Character Customizations and Renaming
The developers aim to achieve greater diversity in character models through a larger selection of base models and the option to adjust skin and hair color. However, this alone may still not be sufficient, so it can be expected that you will receive additional customization options later on.
In addition, you can now also rename or delete a character. However, the character must have “existed” for at least 48 hours before you can delete it. The renaming will cost you a certain, yet unspecified amount of in-game currency.
Choose Your Faction
Also new is the ability to choose a faction that you want to belong to. However, the developers want to talk more specifically about the factions at a later date, so it is not yet clear what they are and what benefits they bring you.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Bungie’s game director announced a variety of new things just before Christmas that we can expect early in 2018 in Destiny 2.
Actually, Bungie is already in hibernation mode. It was announced last week that new blog posts will not appear until 2018, and last Tuesday, community manager DeeJ tweeted that this would be his last working day in 2017.
An important figure from Bungie spoke out again just before Christmas: game director Christopher Barrett. He wishes all Guardians happy holidays and hopes that you enjoy the dawning or at least the chaos in the Cauldron. Furthermore, he would like to mention a few things before the year 2017 ends.
Updates to Iron Banner, the Raid, Faction Rally, Eververse, and the Vault
Barrett addresses several aspects of the game that have repeatedly sparked heated discussions in recent weeks and months:
Iron Banner and Faction Rally: These two events will return in January. In addition to new armor ornaments from Season 2, the events will include Sparrows, Ghost Shells, ships, and shaders in the loot pool.
Raid: Early in 2018, the raid items are set to be revised. The hardest activities should also be the most rewarding.
Eververse: All feedback regarding Eververse is being taken into account. They want players to feel respected, but they also want to deliver great content regularly. We can expect many discussions about Eververse with the developers. In the new year, there will be an update on the future direction.
Vault: To store all your items, they are working on short-term and long-term solutions for vault space.
There are no concrete dates or further information regarding these updates yet. But many Guardians are already satisfied that Barrett is at least somewhat transparent and listing what Bungie is working on and what players can look forward to in the near future.
Christopher Barrett is currently regarded as something of a “messiah”. He works with the live team and is tasked with implementing the feedback and wishes of the community as much as possible. He was also the one who spoke out at the end of October and announced endgame updates. By the way, he also wrote that we should expect private matches in the Crucible early 2018.
What do you think of these announcements? Are you glad that there are at least some updates, or would you rather wait for concrete information before getting excited?
Now it’s time for Star Citizen, the long-awaited update 3.0 goes live. With it, the mammoth project reaches a point where other games start in early access.
Actually, it’s just patch 2.7 or so, but because it represents such a milestone, they call it 3.0 in Star Citizen.
2017 was the year of Star Citizen 3.0
This patch was the focus of nearly all of 2017 in Star Citizen. 2.6 was released around Christmas 2016 – this year, the community was waiting for Alpha 3.0. The questions were:
What is included in the patch?
How many bugs still need to be fixed before the patch goes live for the chosen ones?
When will the patch finally go live for everyone?
Fans have been waiting for this patch for a long time. Actually, Alpha 3.0 was supposed to go live for the first ones in June, but it was postponed several times. But now it’s finally here, and 3.0 will be available to all backers – for the last few weeks, only a select group could play it.
Star Citizen now at the stage where other games start in early access
As Star Citizen announces in a press release, 3.0 will go live on December 23. The game will then be in Alpha 3.0. Prior to this, patch 3.0 has been referred to as the point at which other games enter early access. The patch connects all modules, all components of Star Citizen, into a cohesive game for the first time. With 3.0, it will be possible to enter the planet’s surface.
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From the letter, it can be inferred that 3.0 is of course not yet flawless and polished, but they want to open it up to as many players as possible, so that the build can be tested and bugs come to light that they want to squash in 2018.
The team announces that they have now finished the “heavy lifting,” and will focus on fine-tuning, optimization, and polishing.
They thank all backers for 2017, point out a new vehicle, Tumbril Nova, on sale, and say goodbye for the Christmas break.
Star Citizen made headlines recently when a backer requested a very large refund and encountered difficulties:
The sandbox MMORPG Albion Online will welcome the new year with the Winter Chill event. In addition to snow and icy temperatures, players can look forward to exclusive rewards and new activities starting January 10!
On January 10, there will be an event-related quest line, a new PvP battlefield, special rewards, and more. The rewards and activities will be available throughout the duration of the Winter Chill event.
The snowballs that can be exchanged for rewards during the event can be obtained after arena battles or from gift chests in the open world.
Good deeds will be rewarded
Cold brings people together and seeks warmth in humanity. And so, it is good deeds that you must perform in the namesake quest line. It guides you through the Royal Continent, where you will pause in various cities to do good.
One may not only hunt and catch a thief, carry citizens’ groceries, and play pest control, but also follow the white rabbit. In the end, not only great gratitude awaits, but also an exclusive winter mount.
More than just a snowball fight
Through four portal stones in Caerleon, one can enter the new PvP battlefield with the wintry name “The Icy Battlefield.” From the chests, one can fish for exclusive rewards – if the opponents don’t get to them first!
The cold battlefield follows the unrestricted rules of yellow battlefields. However, particularly bold players can also enter the battlefield with the red rules, where higher value rewards and a better chance for the Yule stag await.
Ice and Fire
The “Three Sisters” expedition receives a new version that is only accessible during the event. The goal is to overcome wintry weather conditions and new enemies and prove your skills once again.
Freezing cold and blazing heat alternate, and one must apply skill and tactics while fireballs rain down on them. In the end, wintery rewards await anyone who masters these challenges.
During the Winter Chill event, maps can be found in the open world or obtained from the Prestige Merchant in exchange for snowballs.
Prestige merchants have something special in stock
Snowballs are the currency during the event at the Prestige Merchants and can be exchanged for exclusive rewards, including: two prestige armor sets, conifer trees, and new furniture pieces.
These rewards are also tailored to the event and have a quite festive appearance. And if none of that appeals to you, you can still use the snowballs during a snowball fight and throw them in your fellow player’s face!
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In this limited-time quest, you help Father Frost convince his wife to leave the Icy Castle with him. If the couple stays there, winter will never end, and spring will be forever buried under a thick layer of ice.
However, to speak with the queen, you first have to fight your way through her palace! Filled with traps and her artillery, this is no easy task…
The mostly livestreamed and time-limited event is accompanied by Yule stag raffles. Other community events will round off the Winter Chill period.
In The Division, today, on December 23rd, is the big vendor reset (Vendor Reset). Which items are particularly worthwhile?
In the shared-world shooter The Division, Christmas is celebrated on a small scale. Since yesterday (December 22nd), you can earn a few new festive cosmetics, and next week a short event will start, where you will receive double deployment performance containers.
If you want to treat yourself to new items, grab your in-game currencies now and run to the vendors. We will present the best items they will bring over the holidays.
Recommended Weapons after the Vendor Reset
Special Equipment Vendor Camp Clinton: Cassidy with Responsive and Vicious
DZ Vendor at the Base: M870 MCS with Responsive, Thuggish, Destroyer
Wolves Den Safehouse: M4 Light Version with Determined, Destroyer, and Vicious – you can also find an M4 with other talents on E 46th St
Park Ave: M870 Military Version with Responsive, Determined, and Competent
Park Ave: M60 Classic with Thuggish, Vicious, and Competent
Strong Mods as of December 23rd
Special Equipment Vendor: Mod with bonus for Turret Damage
The Cavern Safehouse: Electronics Mod with Skill Power
DZ Vendor at the Base: Stamina Mod with Health Points
Madison’s Stand Safehouse: Stamina Mod with Crit Chance
E 53rd St: Weapon Mod with Skill Haste
E 42nd St: Mod with bonus for Ballistic Shield Damage
E 42nd St: Extended Magazine with Crit Chance and Rate of Fire
5th Ave: Loud Muzzle Brake with Crit Damage, Crit Chance, and Precision
W 42nd St: Electronics Mod with Skill Haste
W 42nd St: Vertical Grip – Wolf Gray with Optimal Range, Reload Speed, and Crit Damage
W 53rd St: Mod with Ballistic Shield Damage Reduction
DZ09: Sniper Suppressor Omega with Headshot Damage, Crit Damage, and Crit Chance
The Offers of Special Blueprint Vendors
Since update 1.8, there are two special blueprint vendors. The guy at the terminal has these blueprints:
Model 700 – Sniper Rifle
M9 – Military Version – Handgun
Weapon Vest
Weapon Gloves
PRO Laser Sight with Crit Damage and two other bonuses
Vertical Grip – Leaf Green with Optimal Range and two other bonuses
Electronics Equipment Mod
Weapon Equipment Mod
The offer of the blueprint vendor at Camp Clinton:
USC Converted – Submachine Gun
M44 Carbine Classic – Sniper Rifle
Weapon Knee Pads
Electronics Mask
Vertical Grip – Leaf Green with Optimal Range and two other bonuses
On Steam, the community rated the games that are the “best” of 2017. We’ll tell you what you should buy during the Winter Sale!
Hold on to your wallets, because Steam is once again trying to entice you with the Winter Sale 2017 featuring bargains and great games that will end up on the “Pile of Shame” and won’t be played for many months.
Over the next few days, we want to present you some highlights from the Steam Winter Sale. Every day, we will choose a different theme, so there should be something for everyone.
The most popular Steam games of 2017 (based on user rating)
We start with the “best games of 2017” – but what are the objectively best games? Who can really answer that?
The solution is simple: The users! Here we present the most popular games of 2017, rated particularly positively by players on Steam.
planetarian HD
If you like visual novels in anime style, you won’t be able to miss planetarian HD. With 99% positive ratings, the game stands out from the crowd of rather mediocre VNs. Instead of €9.99, you currently only pay €5.99 – that’s a 40% discount. Unlike many other visual novels, planetarian HD is also available with German subtitles.
A Hat in Time
Jump & Runs and classic 3D platformers are out of fashion? A Hat in Time seems to have missed that memo. With 98% positive reviews and several awards as “masterpiece” guarantee that A Hat in Time delivers on its promises. Cute graphics, exciting levels, and a lot of humor provide a player experience that should not be missed by any gamer in 2017. The only downside fans mention is that the game has an ending. With a 20% discount, A Hat in Time currently costs €22.39 instead of the usual €27.99.
Hidden Folks
If you always enjoyed searching for Waldo, you might find happiness in Hidden Folks. In this small game for casual play, players have to find hidden people who are somewhere in the picture. Since every image is interactive, the search might take a while. The fact that more than 1400 sound effects in the game were all recorded with the mouth makes it even funnier. Hidden Folks is currently 30% off and costs only €5.59 instead of the usual €7.99. 98% positive ratings cannot be wrong.
Finding Paradise
Finding Paradise is the direct sequel to “To the Moon” and a classic adventure game in RPG Maker’s graphics. Once again, Dr. Rosalene and Dr. Watts try to give a person’s life a second chance by sending their memories back in time and uncovering dramatic and sad events. With 98% positive ratings, the story and presentation of the game are convincing. Thanks to a 10% discount, Finding Paradise currently costs only €8.99 instead of the usual €9.99.
Superflight
Games don’t always have to be stressful. Sometimes you want to simply relax in front of the computer. That’s possible with Superflight. In this game, there’s only one goal: fly through randomly generated maps while avoiding collisions with the walls. If you want to unwind for 5-10 minutes between intense games, you can’t go wrong with €1.49 for Superflight, instead of the usual €2.99.
The featured offers are valid until January 4, 2017, after which this year’s Winter Sale will end.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The new year kicks off with four exciting titles for Xbox players. The Games with Gold for January 2018 offer a lot of variety from shooters to horror. These free games await you in January for Xbox One and Xbox 360.
In January, members of the Xbox Games with Gold service can download four free games. From third-person shooters to puzzles and zombie hordes to hack ‘n’ slash RPGs, there’s something for everyone this time. Two of the four games are available for Xbox One and two on Xbox 360. Thanks to backward compatibility, the Xbox 360 games can also be played on Xbox One.
Games with Gold January 2018 – Free Games for Xbox One and Xbox 360
On Xbox One, the following two games are available in January 2018:
The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing III – From January 1 to January 31: In this hack ‘n’ slash RPG, you can play the story (up to four players) or the PvP mode (up to 8 players) with friends. The civil war in Borgovia is over, but the future doesn’t look bright. You have access to six different classes to fight your way through the dark story of the game. In doing so, you will battle hordes of bloodthirsty enemies that will teach you to fear.
ZOMBI – From January 16 to February 15: This zombie survival game is set in the streets of London. You need to manage your resources well to fend off the many waves of enemies. Those who die become infected and join the horde of the undead. In this single-player game, you will discover bloody stories and exciting secrets about the London depicted there.
On Xbox 360 (and Xbox One), the following two games are available in January 2018:
Tomb Raider: Underworld – From January 1 to January 15: Underworld is the ninth installment of the action-puzzle series Tomb Raider. This time, it’s all about Mjölnir, the hammer of the thunder god Thor. Lara needs this hammer to learn more about her mother’s fate. As usual in Tomb Raider, your climbing skills and your wits are needed in this single-player game. Will you solve the puzzles and find the hammer?
Army of Two – From January 16 to January 31: In this third-person shooter, there is room for two players in co-op. Together, you will fight against the ruthless Mexican drug cartel. The game places great emphasis on combat: While you brawl, your Overkill meter fills up. Trigger the Overkill, and expect massive destruction.
A Kingdom for Keflings – Instead of Army of Two, Germany has A Kingdom for Keflings in the Games with Gold. As a giant, you help the Keflings expand their settlement. Immerse yourself in a medieval world and unlock new buildings and tasks. A Kingdom for Keflings is available from January 16 to 31 on Xbox One and Xbox 360.
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With the Carnivorous Cube, you can have a lot of fun in Hearthstone. There are plenty of “One Turn Kill” combos waiting!
With Kobolds and Catacombs, Hearthstone has received a total of 135 new cards, most of which have a significant impact on the game. This time, there are only a few “Vanilla” cards without effects. Many of the new cards even have entirely new effects that allow for exciting combinations.
Especially funny is the epic minion Carnivorous Cube. For 5 Mana, it has solid stats of 4/6 and the Battlecry to destroy a friendly minion. What sounds illogical at first unfolds its cruel effect with the Deathrattle. When the Carnivorous Cube dies, it summons two copies of the destroyed minion.
This allows for not only legendary minions to be cloned nearly indefinitely but also devastating OTK combos, such as with the Warlock and his Voidwalker. It’s hard to find a fitting counter against up to 30 damage in the rush.
Multiple Deathrattles for Victory
Even in combination with other cards that trigger a Deathrattle effect upon summoning (Spirit Singer Umbral) devastating effects can be achieved. The coolest “plays” with this card have been documented by the YouTube channel Hearthstone Plays. Take a look at the moves and try not to get a wide grin on your face:
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Especially in the “Wild” game mode, where all cards from Hearthstone are allowed, you can pull off absolute killer combinations with the Carnivorous Cube. If done skillfully, you can have up to 6 Ragnaros (or is it Ragnarosess?) on the battlefield at the same time, which allows fireballs to rain down on the opponent dealing 48 damage.
Have you enjoyed the Carnivorous Cube yet? Or would such combinations as in the video never have crossed your mind?
The MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online (PS4, Xbox One, PC) will receive three DLCs and a major expansion, a new Chapter, in 2018. This means ESO will maintain its pace from the previous years in 2018 as well. The first DLC will focus on Skyrim.
In a blog post, ESO’s head Matt Firor reflected on the year 2017 and provided a brief outlook for 2018. The message is clear: “We will definitely not slow down.”
In 2018, fans can expect three DLCs and a new chapter. Firor briefly mentioned the first DLC.
DLC Dragon Bones for ESO announced – “Dungeon DLC with Skyrim flair?”
Firor has already revealed some sparse details about the first DLC “The Elder Scrolls Online: Dragon Bones”. It focuses on the Nords – so parallels to Skyrim are likely.
Dragon Bones will be a dungeon DLC with two dungeons. They are intended to expand the lore of the Nords’ homeland.
In addition to the DLC, an update with improvements and additions will be released. According to Firor, there is one feature that is important for anyone concerned about their character’s appearance. Additionally, the promised storage spaces in homes will come.
This first DLC “Dragon Bones” is planned to be launched on the test server in early 2018. Firor did not want to reveal more at this point.
Will the first DLC bring a transmog system to ESO?
Fans assume that the cosmetic feature that will come with the DLC refers to some kind of transmog system. With this, players could freely customize the appearance of their armor and shape their characters even more to their preferences.
2018 will see another expansion
The announcement indicates that ESO will continue at the same pace as in 2017. Fans are surely eagerly awaiting what the next “Chapter” will be and where it will take place.
Chapters in ESO are larger expansions that are supposed to deliver around 30 to 50 hours of content and will also be sold as boxes in stores. These chapters exist outside of ESO’s Crown/subscription ecosystem and must be purchased separately.
In 2017, Morrowind returned players to a beloved chapter of the “The Elder Scrolls” series. In 2017, this was the second content drop, released in June 2017.
A chapter for 2018 is also planned – even though no details are known yet. It is quite conceivable that the big announcement for The Elder Scrolls Online will also happen in June 2018.
