The holidays over Christmas are nice and all, but eventually, the time for contemplation comes to an end. Which MMOs rescue you from the holiday rut?
Christmas and the holidays are approaching, and for many of you, that means the full package of contemplation and family time. These are certainly nice things that I wouldn’t want to miss. But sooner or later, I need a change from the holiday routine, and that’s where online games come in handy.
Christmas time is gamer time
I always associate beautiful gaming experiences with the Christmas season. Back in the 90s, I got my first SNES, and that’s when my gamer “career” really started.
I remember spending all the remaining holidays and Christmas break playing Zelda and Super Mario World, and the holidays were over far too quickly.
MMOs under the Christmas tree
Later on, I would often receive games as Christmas gifts, and so the holidays were always clearly gamer time for me after the obligatory family events. Plus, I had time to play undisturbed since everyone else was just lazily lounging around.
When I later started earning my first money, I even treated myself to my first MMO for Christmas. It was Guild Wars 1, and I started playing it exactly on December 24th at noon. Hours later, I had stress with my family. I had completely forgotten that they wanted to celebrate Christmas with me today.
Since then, Guild Wars has always been the “Christmas MMO” for me, as the Christmas event was happening in the game at that time, and I found the capital city beautifully decorated first. To this day, I still somehow associate the game with Christmas.
What do you play at Christmas?
But enough about my anecdotes regarding Christmas gaming. What about you? Are you like me and use the quiet time to play games all day long? Or does family come first for you, and you hardly find time to play? Let us know in the comments.
I, Jürgen, will be casually playing Warframe, playing a few rounds of PUBG, and finally enjoying the massive graphics of Battlefront 2 on my new PC. What are you playing?
On December 22, the second PS4 beta of Monster Hunter World. You can find out when the beta starts, when it ends, and what else you need to know about the demo here. A PSN Plus account is not required this time.
This Christmas, there is a second beta of the action RPG Monster Hunter World. In the first round, only PSN Plus owners were invited to play the beta. This time, the demo version is available for all PS4 owners for free.
Duration of the second “Monster Hunter World” demo:
Start is today, December 22 (Friday), at 6:00 PM.
End is December 26 (Tuesday), at 5:59 PM.
The pre-download is already available, and the client size is5.47GB. If you still have the client from the first beta on your hard drive, you do NOT need to download it again.
For the first demo, we published a guide that explains what you can do during the beta in Monster Hunter World. Here you can find out which monsters you can hunt and where to find them:
The January Sale has started in the PlayStation Store. There are significant discounts on over 500 games, including a ton of top games for the PS4!
The PSN Store is ahead of its time: Even though it is only mid-December, the whistle blew today, on December 22nd, for a large-scale January Sale. In the coming weeks, you can purchase hundreds of PlayStation games at reduced prices.
So if your PS4 gets bored over the upcoming holidays, it’s worth browsing the Store.
Offers and Discounts in the January Sale
According to Sony, the January Sale is the largest PS Store sale of the year, where you can find blockbuster games for the PS4, PS3, PS Vita, and PSVR. It officially runs until January 19, 2018, but many game offers end a few days earlier. For some, January 13th is given as the end date. So make sure to check the Store soon if you don’t want to miss the offers.
Star Wars Battlefront 2 – 34.99 Euros (50% discount)
FIFA 18 – 34.99 Euros (50% discount)
Call of Duty WWII – 54.99 Euros (21% discount)
Fortnite Standard Founder’s Pack – 19.99 Euros (50% discount)
GTA 5 – 29.99 Euros (57% discount)
The Evil Within 2 – 24.99 Euros (64% discount with PS Plus)
Tekken 7 – 34.99 Euros (50% discount)
Rocket League – 11.99 Euros (40% discount)
Outlast 2 – 14.99 Euros (50% discount)
Currently, there is no dedicated January Sale area in the PlayStation Store. This is expected to be added to the offers during the course of today (December 22nd). However, you can already search for the games individually; they are already discounted.
Here is the official list from PlayStation regarding the sale offers. Please note that not all offers may be available in Germany:
PS4 Games
STAR WARS™ Battlefront™ II
Borderlands: The Handsome Collection
Assassin’s Creed Origins
FIFA 18
Need for Speed™ Payback
Call of Duty: WWII
Fortnite – Standard Founder’s Pack
Battlefield™ 1 Revolution
The Evil Within 2
Grand Theft Auto V
GTA V & Great White Shark Card Bundle
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus™
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Mortal Kombat X
Mortal Kombat XL
TOM CLANCY’S RAINBOW SIX SIEGE
The Sims™ 4
TEKKEN 7
Crash Bandicoot™ N. Sane Trilogy
Persona 5
Overwatch: Game of the Year Edition
Nioh
Grim Fandango Remastered
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
UNCHARTED™ 4: A Thief’s End Digital Edition
Uncharted™: The Nathan Drake Collection
South Park™: The Fractured but Whole™
Metro Redux
Watch Dogs2
Mafia III
Mafia III Deluxe Edition
Dragons Dogma: Dark Arisen
RESIDENT EVIL 7 biohazard
EA SPORTS™ UFC 2
ARK: Scorched Earth
ARK: Survival Evolved – Founder’s Edition
ARK: Survival Evolved Season Pass
Complete Your ARK Season Pass
KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX
KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue
Bloodborne™
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR
DARK SOULS™ III
DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE 2
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 1 and 2 Bundle
FINAL FANTASY XII THE ZODIAC AGE
FINAL FANTASY XV
FINAL FANTASY IX Digital Edition
FINAL FANTASY XIV Online Complete Edition
FINAL FANTASY XIV Online Starter Edition
MONSTER OF THE DEEP: FINAL FANTASY XV
Friday the 13th: The Game
NBA 2K18
And More
Add-Ons
Battlefield™ 1 Premium Pass
Wolfenstein II: The Freedom Chronicles Season Pass
Fortnite – Various
GTA V: Megalodon Shark Cash Card
The Witcher 3 – Various
Diablo III: Rise of the Necromancer
Bloodborne™ The Old Hunters
TEKKEN 7 – Season Pass
Fallout 4 Season Pass Bundle
The Sims™ 4 City Living
The Sims™ 4 Vampires
The Sims™ 4 Vintage Glamour Stuff
RESIDENT EVIL 7 biohazard Season Pass
Banned Footage Vol.1
Banned Footage Vol.2
DARK SOULS™ III – Season Pass
DARK SOULS™ III : The Ringed City™
DARK SOULS™ III: Ashes of Ariandel™
Nioh Season Pass
Watch Dogs2 – Various
FINAL FANTASY XIV Online Complete Collector’s…
FINAL FANTASY XIV: Stormblood™ (Digital Collector’s Edition)
FINAL FANTASY XIV: Stormblood™ (Standard Edition)
Tom Clancy’s The Division™ Streets of New York Outfit Bundle
HITMAN™ – Game of the Year Edition Upgrade
HITMAN™ – GAME OF THE YEAR UPGRADE
The Elder Scrolls® Online – Various
Warframe®: PS4™ Obsidian Azura Collection
WWE 2K18 Season Pass
Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag Illustrious Pirates Pack
The Christmas event 2017 in Pokémon GO brings us more surprises. A new shiny form of a Gen-3 Pokémon can now be found in the wild.
On December 21, the Christmas event 2017 in Pokémon GO started. A few hours earlier, the developers revealed the special features that players can expect. Special offers and incubators, as well as extra Ice-type Pokémon, are among the event’s features.
Other special changes that the developers did not mention, also found their way into the game.
Shiny Schneppke
Schneppke is a Pokémon of the 3rd generation and evolves into Firmontor or Frosdedje (4th generation). It is one of the 20 new Pokémon released by Niantic for the Christmas event.
Apart from the standard form, you can also find Schneppke as a rare shiny.
Extended Lures
The many new Pokémon of the 3rd generation bring variety to the trainers’ collections. To allow you to catch as many as possible, Niantic extended the duration of the lures.
Lures can be activated at PokéStops and attract wild monsters to these locations.
Until January 4, 2018, the lures last six hours instead of just 30 minutes.
Extra Stardust from Botogel and Pikachu
Many trainers noticed that there is extra Stardust for catching Botogel or the special Santa Pikachus. If you catch them, you will receive 250 Stardust.
Botogel and Pikachu also have “Gift” as a quick attack. The extra Stardust can be seen as a Christmas gift from Niantic to the trainers.
Furthermore, the special Christmas Pichu are now hatching from 2km eggs.
Source: Reddit user fishman4488
Wailmer as Level 1 Raid
The whale Pokémon Wailmer can now be found as a level 1 raid (and in the wild) in Pokémon GO. We’ve already taken a closer look at the large monsters. Wailmer and Wailord – The whale Pokémon
To evolve Wailmer into Wailord, 400 candies are needed. As a buddy, the whale does quite well, as it shows its best smile in the preview:
The next hero for Heroes of the Storm is known. A popular unit from StarCraft is coming to the Nexus – the Firebat.
The year 2017 is almost over for Heroes of the Storm. But there was still a surprise that came just in time for Christmas. The next hero to enter the Nexus has been revealed!
Blaze Firebat comes from StarCraft, and veterans will recognize him not just by his name as a Firebat. Just like in the strategy game, he brings two flamethrowers that are perfect for making the Zerg swarms feel the heat.
A short trailer featuring Winter Jaina, who just wanted to build a snowman, announces Blaze:
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Blaze will enter as a Warrior, focusing on area damage, making large areas of the maps hard to access for opponents.
Firebat is expected to be released early in 2018 – likely in the first week of the new year.
New Stealth Mode with Tactics
In the past few weeks, there have been significant changes in Heroes of the Storm. The major winter gameplay update is live and has altered several mechanics in the game. The biggest changes are:
Stealth is now clearly noticeable as an outline. Stealthed heroes can still not be targeted and must be hit with an area attack first. When stealthed heroes are motionless, they become completely invisible, without a visual cue for the opponent.
A tower has been removed from every fortress. The health and power of the tower have been integrated into the fortress.
Fortresses can now reveal stealth.
Fortresses and towers no longer have ammunition – they fire indefinitely.
Regeneration orbs are only available for a brief time for your team, after which they become neutral and can be picked up by both teams.
The first map objective (chests, tributes, temples, etc.) now always spawns after a fixed time interval. Either after 90 or 180 seconds, depending on the map.
Cortyn says: I generally like the new stealth mode, but it seems that a hero was overlooked in the revisions – Tyrande. She can have stealth as her heroic ability, but she hasn’t been improved. This makes her stealth mode weaker and makes the High Priestess of Elune a bit boring to play. I hope there will be improvements here!
What do you think of the changes to Heroes of the Storm? Are you looking forward to Firebat?
Guardians are throwing infinite Nova Bombs in the Destiny 2 Witch’s Cauldron. Bungie is aware of the issue but cannot fix it in time.
The Dawning event in Destiny 2 has been running for a few days now, celebrating the awakening of the Traveler and the return of your Light. Therefore, along with “The Dawning”, the PvP mode Witch’s Cauldron was introduced, where your abilities recharge much faster, allowing you to cause chaos with your Super attacks and celebrate the Light appropriately.
However, one Guardian class is currently overdoing it with this celebration of Light: A glitch has been discovered with the Voidwalker Warlock that allows for infinite Nova Bombs. This means the Witch’s Cauldron is currently exploding with Void energy.
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Community manager dmg04 and the official Bungie Twitter account have spoken out multiple times in recent hours to address this glitch. It is spreading like wildfire on social media. In just a few hours, “big” Destiny YouTubers have also reported on it and provided step-by-step guides.
At this point, we will refrain from providing a guide. The glitch cannot occur “accidentally” as you must change the default Destiny controls on your console to do so. The glitch allows you to throw one Nova Bomb after another at enemies. There is no cooldown.
Bungie now confirms that this glitch occurs exclusively in the Witch’s Cauldron. Furthermore, they will not be able to fix it before The Dawning ends in early 2018.
Dmg04 shared on reddit that the Witch’s Cauldron mode will meet its end along with the Dawning. This means that the glitch will remain in the game until the Witch’s Cauldron is finished anyway. So continue to watch out for Voidwalkers.
Additionally, dmg04 tweeted that Guardians who exploit this glitch do not have to fear penalties. They will not be banned. The blame lies with Bungie. They will address the issue as soon as possible. But not during the Dawning.
Have you already fallen victim to a nasty Voidwalker glitcher?
A change in regulations by Apple means that many mobile games must now lay all the cards on the table. The odds of loot boxes in iOS will be disclosed!
Loot boxes have come under criticism in recent months. The outcry has grown louder, claiming that the loot crates available for real money are indeed gambling, which drains money from players’ pockets. Now, it is Apple that is taking the first step towards greater transparency.
Anyone wishing to offer an app in the Apple Store that includes loot boxes or “other mechanics that contain random virtual items” must disclose the exact odds for each type of item.
One might naturally ask: “What do we PC and console gamers care about this?” and would be right at first glance. However, it’s important to remember that the mobile market is playing an increasingly significant role in gaming, and the Apple Store is one of the largest platforms for potential players.
Game manufacturers likely have an interest in having the “loot box issue” regulated by the gaming market to quiet the outcry from customers and concerned players. If politics takes up this issue, then loot boxes could quickly be officially classified as gambling.
This, in turn, would mean that games with loot boxes could only be released for those aged 18 or even 21 in many countries.
By the way: In China, there is already a corresponding law. Providers of loot boxes must disclose the odds with which players can obtain items of different rarity levels.
What do you think of this step by Apple? Is it a good step in the right direction, and should other game providers (such as Steam) urgently follow suit? Or should we wait until politics officially regulates this?
On Steam, they attract customers with particularly low prices for Christmas. Those who take advantage of the Steam Winter Sale 2017 will save on these top games!
The large gaming platform Steam once again tempts with special offers. Just in time for Christmas, prices are falling, and those who pay attention can grab some bargains.
The “Winter Sale” from Steam has some cool offers ready. We’ve picked a few highlights of the Holiday Sale for you, with which you can’t go wrong!
Highlights of the Steam Christmas Sale 2017
Those who enjoy story-driven games and have played the predecessor should also consider Life is Strange: Before the Storm. The last episode was released only recently, and the game is tempting with a 30% discount – instead of €16.99, it now costs only €11.89.
But there are many more highlights; here is a small excerpt:
Elite Dangerous – 75% discount, instead of €24.99 only €6.24
Blackwake – 30% discount, instead of €19.99 only €13.99
All games are reduced until January 4, 2018. So if you are not sure yet or want to wait for the family Christmas money, you are on the safe side.
Apart from the Christmas sale, you can also nominate games for various awards on Steam. However, the really “cool kids” vote on this article, as it much better reflects the opinion of our community, doesn’t it?
Our author Leya has played the full version of Monster Hunter World and can tell you that this title offers more action than its predecessors. Additionally, Monster Hunter World is designed to be much more accessible than its predecessors, without losing any challenges.
After playing the beta of Monster Hunter World, I was already sure that something good was coming our way. Shortly after, I got the opportunity from Capcom to play the full version of Monster Hunter World for 3 hours. To summarize: This gaming experience further reinforced my positive impression from the beta!
Because a lot was still missing in the demo version of the beta that the full version of Monster Hunter World will offer. If you found the beta too easy and too shallow, I can assure you: The full version of Monster Hunter World has much more to offer.
Character editor allows slim ladies with full beards
At first, I could have spent many hours just creating my hunter. The character editor allows for a wide variety of creations.
It is possible to create a slim huntress and still give her a full beard. The male hunter can also wear all female hairstyles and makeup.
The skin color, eyes, or hair can be customized in the smallest detail. This also applies to physique and body shape. There are base colors where you can use a slider to determine the exact shade.
The design of the Palicos is less detailed. I would have thought that creating the cat companion would be as extensive as that of the player avatar. However, here there are only a few predefined body parts available.
For example, there are specific ear or tail shapes that you can give your cat. However, there is a lot of room for play in fur color and patterns. The predefined body parts are also so diverse that there should be something for everyone.
The fast start makes the tutorial run in the background
Unlike in previous parts, you are thrown directly into a fast-paced story at the beginning.
Monster Hunter World takes a slightly different approach than its predecessors. The tutorial is fully integrated into the gameplay and you learn the movement or the use of weapons incidentally. Players receive an interactive introduction to Monster Hunter World, making the start feel dynamic.
An important support is provided by the language. Veterans know that NPCs in Monster Hunter had no real language in older parts, but only babbled in a fantasy language. You had to read every single explanation in the game.
In Monster Hunter World, NPCs are synchronized for the first time and provide hints and instructions. I could look around everywhere and constantly stay in motion while the characters in the game explained everything to me incidentally. The spoken words are also displayed as text on the side.
When I set out on my first hunt, an NPC shouted from the background about the properties of my weapon and what I needed to pay attention to. In the meantime, I was happily hacking away.
You simply don’t notice that the game is guiding you through the tutorial, as it is closely tied to the story and gameplay.
Monster Hunter World offers more than the demo suggests
After the first beta ended, I saw criticism on Mein-MMO.de that the demo was much too easy.
I can guarantee you that this demo only showed a glimpse of what awaits us in the full version. During my test, I managed to hunt and slay the Great Jagras. It was also the first major monster encountered in the beta.
The Great Jagras alone has more mechanics up its sleeve than it shows in the beta. Additionally, the world in the full version is even richer than in the beta. There are many small monsters and creatures that can interfere with your hunt.
The scout flies lead the hunter to the target and even provide hints about which items can be collected and are valuable on the maps. However, this does not make the hunt and the game easier.
There are other mechanics that made me sweat quite a bit. In the past, each area of the map was separated by a loading screen, which is different in Monster Hunter World now.
The transitions between areas are seamless, and you can’t just escape from monsters through a loading screen when the hunter is injured. With my weak beginner equipment, I was sometimes heavily injured and had to desperately look for a safe place to take a health potion.
I can imagine that there are other mechanics waiting in later areas that present a new challenge.
The full version of Monster Hunter World positively surprised me
Much of what you couldn’t see in the demo came as a pleasant surprise to me. The full version of Monster Hunter World still had a lot in store that had not yet been revealed in trailers or interviews. I have only seen a fraction of the beginner area.
I cannot judge how compelling Monster Hunter World will be in the long run. From earlier parts, I know that the franchise tends to become a grind fest in the later stages. You have to enjoy defeating the same monster over and over again to obtain the desired gear.
But for now, I assume that Monster Hunter World is suitable for players who do not enjoy grinding. Even those who only follow the quests of the story campaign and see all the maps and monsters once should find it enjoyable.
The Pokémon GO Plus gadget helps trainers catch monsters. The new Pokémon update has now fixed an annoying bug.
To help trainers catch Pokémon and spin PokéStops, the Pokémon GO Plus gadget was developed and was introduced shortly after the release of Pokémon GO in the summer of 2016.
The small, teardrop-shaped gadget has exactly one button and has still caused a lot of frustration among trainers in recent months. This is because it no longer simplified catches as players were used to.
Pokémon GO Plus iOS 11 – Bug fixed?
Since the release of iOS version 11, many trainers have reported issues with the GO Plus. Players who installed the new iOS noticed a significant delay when catching. They had to wait for three vibrations from the gadget before pressing the button (to catch a Pokémon or spin a Stop) was accepted.
Since December 19, trainers have had access to the Pokémon GO update 0.87.5, which has apparently addressed the issues with the GO Plus. On Reddit, several trainers report that they can now press the button to catch Pokémon even before the three vibrations of the gadget. Here is the corresponding thread on Reddit.
In our self-experiment, we went after the issue and can confirm that no significant delays occur on our test phone (iPhone 6s, iOS 11.2.1) anymore. Already during the first vibration of the gadget, we can press the button, which is then registered in Pokémon GO. The delay bug has been fixed on many devices with the new update.
However, Android users complain that the GO Plus still works with delays for them.
If you were affected by the bug and set the GO Plus aside because of it, you should give the helper another chance now. Maybe you can confirm the discovery.
Christmas festivities in The Division start tomorrow, on December 22.
Basically, it’s always Christmas in The Division, as the setting is a few weeks after Black Friday – meaning it’s always holiday season. Nevertheless, there are a few new things awaiting you in the post-apocalypse in the coming days.
Just now, the State of the Game on December 21 aired, where the community developers Hamish Bode and Yannick Banchereau talked about the upcoming events. We summarize the key information.
What to expect around Christmas in The Division
Starting tomorrow, on December 22, there will be new encrypted containers at the premium vendor. These containers have a “Christmas” theme and contain festive outfits. Last year there were bobble hats, this year there are supposed to be new Christmas items (which are not known yet). To open the encrypted Christmas containers, you need cipher keys, as usual. You can buy these for real money or craft them with key fragments that you randomly find from named bosses.
These special containers will be in the game until January 11, 2018. Tomorrow you will receive 5 free keys to start collecting some of the items right away.
Additionally, a “special event” starts on December 26. It is a “double rewards” event, where you earn double performance containers. It ends on December 28 at 1 AM.
More information from the State of the Game:
Tomorrow, on December 22, maintenance work will take place. From 9:30 AM to approximately 11:30 AM. A bug in the treasure map mission will be fixed.
The 4th global event is planned for the end of January. A specific date is still pending.
The Xbox One X upgrade is definitely still coming. However, there is no date for it yet.
Currently, there are no immediate plans to adjust the secret gear sets and change the balance. They will wait a while and observe the data.
There will be no more State of the Game next week. When the next one will be held will be announced later.
Yannick Banchereau and Hamish Bode will still be around in 2018. So The Division is far from over.
A few stats about Global Event 3, which ended this week:
The Lexington mission was completed 10,869,470 times during the event. That’s 10% of all Lexington completions in the last almost 2 years!
During the event, a total of 15,799,810,754 GE Credits were earned.
All GE commendations could be mastered by 1,385 players.
10,284,302 Superior Assault Containers were opened.
Closers Online (PC) is an action MMO in anime style. In it, you play as one of 5 heroes and fight an alien invasion.
Closers is a colorful action MMO from Korea. The game is published here by En Masse Entertainment (US version of TERA, Kritika Online). In Closers, you play as an agent of the organization UNION from the “Black Lambs” team. Your task: To fend off an alien invasion on the city of New Seoul.
5 teenagers against the alien invasion
Each of the five pre-made characters has its own personality and special powers and abilities. The options are:
Misteltein, the wonder boy with excellent support skills
J, the mysterious veteran
Each hero is its own class and appeals to a different gameplay style. In addition, the story in Closers is told in episodes. Depending on the decisions you make in the game, the story continues differently. Between quests, you can upgrade your skills and equipment.
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Closers is available for free via Steam or the official website of En Masse Entertainment. However, you can spend real money in the game through the cash shop for costumes, items, pets, and in-game currency.
For the D&D action MMO Neverwinter, we have acquired a cool mount that we want to raffle off to you. In keeping with Christmas, there is a fluffy white owlbear as a mount. Additionally, we are offering you 30 days of VIP gameplay time.
The world of Dungeons and Dragons is full of curious and bizarre creatures. And some of them you can even ride in the D&D MMORPG Neverwinter. Among them are painted lions, massive gorgons, unicorns, and now the strange owlbears!
4 white owlbears and 1 x VIP gameplay time for PC to win
The owlbear is a strange beast, half owl, half bear. Only a few brave heroes have ever dared to tame these bizarre Feywild predators. This mount of epic quality (Purple) is extremely rare and cannot be obtained in other ways within the game.
It increases the movement rate by 110% and has a special bonus of +2,000 recovery. Additionally, we are offering you a VIP package that provides bonuses and discounts in the game for 30 days.
To win, you only have to complete three actions from the embedded windows here. The winners and the prizes will be drawn randomly. The giveaway ends on January 8, 2018. The winners will then be contacted via email. Legal recourse is excluded. Good luck!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
With the Curse of Osiris in Destiny 2 new exotic items have been added, including the Aeon Gloves. Each class has been equipped with these. How do you get Aeon Swift, Aeon Safe, and Aeon Soul? And why does the lore of Destiny play a role in the gloves?
Aeon Swift, Aeon Safe, and Aeon Soul – these are the easy-to-remember names of the new exotic gloves that you can earn since the release of the Curse of Osiris. But what do the gloves actually do?
Is it worth it if multiple players of a fireteam have these equipped? And what does the lore of Destiny actually have to do with these gloves?
Aeon Swift, Aeon Safe, and Aeon Soul – how to get the exotic gloves
As with many exotic armor pieces and weapons in Destiny 2, you are reliant on luck. The following sources can drop the gloves as rewards:
Public Events (preferably heroic)
Weekly milestones
The Nightfall strike
The Trials of the Nine
The Leviathan raid including the new raid encounter
Xur sells the gloves
You can increase your chances with a Fireteam Medallion or the new item “Three of Coins,” which increases the drop rate of an exotic engram by 50%.
The Titan Gloves Aeon Safe
You should ensure that all members of your fireteam are wearing the gloves corresponding to their class – because it’s worth it!
The great advantage of the gloves is the special exotic perk, which perfectly synergizes with members of your fireteam who also have the gloves equipped. Depending on the class, using certain abilities rewards:
Hunters with Aeon Swift – Dodging grants Aeon Cult allies the following: grenade energy for Warlocks, barrier energy for Titans, and dodge energy for Hunters
Titans with Aeon Safe – Building a barrier grants Aeon Cult allies the following: grenade energy for Warlocks, barrier energy for Titans, and dodge energy for Hunters
Warlocks with Aeon Soul – Throwing grenades grants Aeon Cult allies the following: grenade energy for Warlocks, barrier energy for Titans, and dodge energy for Hunters
This combination of gloves among several players ensures that Hunters dodge more frequently, Titans deploy more barriers, and Warlocks throw more grenades!
The Warlock Gloves Aeon Soul
A visual effect is also noticeable – when a allied Guardian is nearby, spikes emerge from the gloves.
Bungie wouldn’t be Bungie if they hadn’t linked the gloves in some way to the lore of Destiny. In fact, the texts of the respective gloves can be connected to tell a coherent story, as Redditor HeroicV has discovered.
At first glance, the descriptions of the gloves make little sense:
Description of Aeon Swift – [(We followed the [path) it fell under (our feet] we could not [trust) we (only a spirit] is owed [the truth) is that Osiris (knows nothing] one knows more together than [alone) is one not (safe] is only [the future) is (predestined] one can find no [answers) one can only (in secret] we share our [dreams) reveal (your nature] is the [destruction)
The Hunter Gloves Aeon Swift
Description of Aeon Safe – your (self]-preservation fills leaders with [sentimentalities) are no part of (me] are loneliness, insecurity, and life [no concept) can describe what my six (eyes see] you beyond [the heliosphere) one cannot trust as a barrier against the last act (can] you can only the decision to blend with your kind [means) (omniscience] you can only [achieve) together you will reach the ultimate goal as (unity]
Description of Aeon Soul – cannot be achieved with your heroes [can] the heroism of anyone (nowadays] the change moves ever [closer] to look at the forbidden can only (be helpful] to receive help [must] you will achieve nothing without breaking [taboos] one must deal with what [now is] even no fallen leader (against) you now surely have nothing more to [object] we now turn to ourselves] ]
From gibberish to a story
If you remove the brackets by doubling the words within them and adding sensible punctuation, a story emerges:
We followed the path. The path fell under our feet. We could not trust our feet. Do we trust only one spirit? One spirit is owed the truth. The truth is that Osiris knows nothing. Does one know more together than alone? Alone one is not safe. Safe is only the future. The future is predestined. Predestined one can find no answers. One can only find answers in secret. In secret we share our dreams. Dreams reveal your nature. Your nature is destruction.
The destruction of your self-preservation. Self-preservation fills leaders with sentimentalities. Sentimentalities are no part of me. Me are loneliness, insecurity, and life no concept. No concept can describe what my six eyes see. They see you beyond the heliosphere. The heliosphere one cannot trust as a barrier against the last act. You can only trust the decision to blend with your kind. Blending means omniscience. Omniscience you can only achieve together. Together you will reach the ultimate goal as unity.
Unity cannot be achieved with your heroes. The heroism of anyone can be achieved nowadays. Nowadays, the change moves ever closer. Closer to look at the forbidden can only be helpful. To receive help you must break taboos. One must deal with what now is. Now is even no fallen leader against. Against you now surely have nothing more to object. Let us now turn to ourselves.
Additionally, there is frequent mention of an Aeon cult in the item texts. Multiple Guardians wearing the gloves thus form their own small cult. This is also illustrated by the text that accompanies each of the exotic gloves:
“We are unique outpourings of the same light that we share.” —Cult of the Aeons
What do you think of the gloves? Do you notice a significant effect?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Pokémon GO Christmas event 2017 has been officially announced. You can expect offers and new Pokémon.
Trainers have been eagerly waiting for the announcement of the Christmas event in Pokémon GO over the last few days. We’ve already received leaks of possible new Pokémon and shop offers.
Now it is official, and the developers explain what to expect in the game in the coming days.
Christmas Event Start and End
Today, on December 21, 2017, the Christmas event in Pokémon GO begins. At 10:00 PM, the event will kick off, drawing many trainers out onto the streets and to the PokéStops, where there will be special loot to collect.
As Niantic explains, the festive Pikachu is returning to the world of Pokémon GO and is bringing many new friends along. These are Ice and Water-type Pokémon that were first found in the Hoenn region. So, another wave of Gen 3 Pokémon.
In general, more Ice Pokémon will appear than usual.
PokéStop Bonus: Additionally, during the event (starting December 22 at around 10:00 PM), you will receive a one-time use incubator from the first PokéStop spin of the day. This is only valid until December 25 at around 10:00 PM.
Special Offer Boxes for Christmas
The developers mention that there will be special packages for the event. Some of them are expected to be the best deals of the year.
From December 21 to December 25 at 10:00 PM, there will be packages with Super Incubators, Lure Modules, and the new Star Pieces. (Star Pieces give you additional Stardust for in-game actions for 30 minutes after activation)
After that, from December 25 to January 4, there will be new offers. These include items such as Premium Raid Passes, Super Incubators, and Star Pieces.
Three free packs are waiting this week in Hearthstone, but they are hard-fought in “Softly Drips the Wax”. Here’s how you can get them!
In Hearthstone, the Christmas spirit has broken out and Blizzard is gifting players with a lot of free packs – at least if they earn them. In the current card chaos “Softly Drips the Wax,” a proud 3 card packs from “Knights of the Frozen Throne” await the first victory of the week.
Softly Drips the Wax – the card chaos in Hearthstone
The card chaos revolves around gifts. At the start of the game, there are four 0/4 gifts with Deathrattle on both sides, which upon destruction “Gives the opponent a random legendary minion to their hand. This costs 3 less mana.”
Since players must create their own deck, skill determines victory and not just pure luck. The best deck is one that turns the already existing minions into threats while simultaneously denying the opponents the gifts.
Denying the opponent the gifts – this deck will do it
A solid deck for quick success is “EZ 3 Packs” by the user Clanslayer98 on Hearthpwn. Cards like the Sea Giant only cost about 2 mana at the beginning, as there are already 8 minions on the battlefield. With the Wailing Soul, you can silence your own gifts, and the popular “Equality+Consecration” combo ensures a quick rain of legendary minions to your hand.
Just copy the deck formula below into the game when building the card chaos deck, and it will be adopted.
If you have no success with this deck, you can also try a priest who silences all the opponent’s gifts. A shaman can also be a good option, transforming his own gift package into something else with Evolution and thus denying the opponent the legendary minions.
Finally, you can go dinosaur hunting in ARK: Survival Evolved (PC, PS4, and Xbox One) as a PC gamer along with your friends from Xbox One. The survival MMO is finally getting the long-awaited crossplay and the handy “Play Anywhere” feature.
Cross-platform play is a popular and unfortunately still far too rare feature in online games. The term means that you can not only play with people on your preferred platform. Rather, you meet players from other consoles and operating systems in crossplay games. So PC with Xbox One or Android together with iOS mobile games.
Already at E3 2017, crossplay between PC and Xbox One for the survival game ARK was announced. Now it is time.
Players on Windows 10 and Xbox One go dinosaur hunting together
Anyone who bought ARK on PC via the Microsoft Store in Windows 10 can now dive into the wild world of dinosaurs together with gamers on Xbox One. This should significantly increase the player pool of ARK.
Even better: Thanks to Microsoft’s “Play Anywhere” program, you only need to buy Ark on one platform. You will then receive the other version for free. Additionally, game saves, DLCs, achievements, and your gamerscore are synchronized across the versions. So you can play at will on one platform or the other without losing any progress.
Steam and PS4 players are out of luck
The crossplay and “Play Anywhere” feature, however, only truly apply between Xbox One and an Ark version purchased from the Windows 10 Microsoft Store.
If you own ARK: Survival Evolved “only” via Steam on PC, you cannot play it in crossplay. Not even if you have Windows 10 as your operating system. For crossplay with Xbox, only the version from the Microsoft Store counts. The same applies to players on PlayStation 4. Sony unfortunately still resists crossplay with PC or even Xbox One, citing “youth protection” among other reasons.
The developers of the promising MMORPG Chronicles of Elyria have been somewhat reserved lately. However, some players are already allowed to test the MMO.
Chronicles of Elyria is certainly one of the most ambitious MMORPGs set to be released in the near future. The very fact that the character will age and die opens up new possibilities, as you will have to ensure successors for your economic empire. A game this large takes time, which is why the alpha of Chronicles of Elyria will not launch until next year, 2018.
It is already being played
Nevertheless, some select family members and friends of the development team are already playing the MMO. A so-called “Family and Friends Closed Alpha” has recently started.
This involves only a few testers to provide the team with initial insights into the title’s performance. This way, optimizations and adjustments can be made before the first “real” alpha begins in early 2018. A date for this test version has not yet been established. The team is also currently working on the character development tool and starting areas for the individual tribes.
The game is progressing
It is good to know that the developers already have something playable, even if this is still taking place behind closed doors. This is an important milestone for the MMORPG and shows that despite all the ambitions and the enormous size of the project, the team is steadily making progress. This makes us look forward positively to the new year, in which we will certainly learn much more about Chronicles of Elyria and also be able to participate ourselves during the alphas and betas.
In Destiny 2 we present the 4 best Osiris-Vex weapons that you can forge in the Lighthouse.
Since the “Curse of Osiris” DLC, you can access 11 new weapons in the Osiris-Vex style. To do this, you need to visit Brother Vance in the Lighthouse, fulfill his prophecies, and then run to the weapon forge. There, the Osiris weapons, each tied to one of the prophecies, can be forged.
If you don’t want to go through the extensive grind for this but only desire the best weapons from the forge, you should pursue the following weapon prophecies. The Destiny expert Mercules904, who has previously impressed the community with detailed breakdowns of Destiny weapons, has spoken up again. He presents the four best Osiris weapons.
Judgment of the Traveler 5 – Hand Cannon
Let’s start with the Judgment of the Traveler 5. This is a hand cannon that you receive when you complete the prophecy verse 5.
The Judgment of the Traveler fires a volley of 3 shots with each pull of the trigger. These shots deal elemental damage.
The hand cannon has strong stability, range, and magazine size. Also, aim assist (70), handling, and reload speed are above average.
The stats show no major weaknesses:
The Perks:
Headseeker: Body shots with this weapon temporarily increase precision damage.
You can choose between:
Armor-Piercing Rounds:Rounds deal additional damage to enemy shields and penetrate targets above average. They slightly increase range
Stable Rounds: Significantly increases stability, slightly decreases range
Enhanced Rounds: Increased range
The sights are Tactical PV, Target PV and FarPoint PV.
In PvP, the time-to-kill (the time to defeat a Guardian with 200 hit points under optimal conditions) is 0.8 seconds. This requires 7 critical hits and 1 body shot. That corresponds to 2.6 volleys.
Stat-wise, the Judgment of the Traveler holds its own against powerful hand cannons such as The Last Hope. Stability and range are even better. The perks are also impressive.
The Judgment of the Traveler 5 is an outstanding hand cannon in Destiny 2. Probably the “must-have weapon” on this list that is especially recommended.
The games Destiny 2 and Call of Duty: WWII (both PC, PS4 & Xbox One) from publisher Activision were huge successes in 2017 and the bestsellers of the year in North America. Both top games sold so well that they brought the company more than one billion US dollars in revenue!
With the two online shooters Call of Duty: WWII and Destiny 2, publisher Activision has two heavyweight contenders in the race. Both games were the bestsellers of the year 2017 in North America in terms of revenue, as Activision reports. They generated significant revenue and surpassed their respective predecessors.
Call of Duty has been on top since 2008 – Destiny 2 outperforms the first part!
Especially Call of Duty: WWII can celebrate itself multiple times. The World War shooter has been the top seller among North America’s console games since 2008. In 2017, the game generated over one billion US dollars in revenue worldwide. Only the actual copies sold to customers were counted, not the game boxes that are still waiting for customers in stores.
Activision did not provide any specific revenue figures for Destiny 2. However, the game is said to have already surpassed the predecessor in terms of units sold. And Destiny 1 launched on four consoles (PS4, PS3, Xbox One, and Xbox 360) at that time. The PC launch of Destiny 2 is said to have been the largest PC launch of an Activision title to date.
Call of Duty also extremely successful in Germany
By the way: In Germany, CoD: WW2 received the BIU Sales Award in Gold in November for more than 100,000 sales on Xbox One. And a BIU Special Award for more than 500,000 sold copies on PlayStation 4.
Better than the predecessors
The first Destiny achieved sales revenue of 325 million US dollars in the first 5 days after release in 2014.
For Call of Duty: WWII, the sold copies shortly after launch were reportedly double that of the unpopular predecessor Infinite Warfare from 2016.
