WoW: Battle for Azeroth – Legendaries verschwinden, Titanforging bleibt

Benedict Grothaus Benedict Grothaus Reading time 3 minutes

World of Warcraft receives its next expansion with Battle for Azeroth – without random Legendaries, but with Titanforging. The legendary items are disappearing from WoW.

Battle for Azeroth was introduced as a new expansion for WoW at Blizzcon 2017. The preview of Kul Tiras and Zandalar is promising. At the same time, there are concerns among fans that some mistakes could be repeated.

However, Blizzard has learned from the past and listens to the community. Game Director Ion Hazzikostas announced that the Legendary system will NOT be carried over to Battle for Azeroth. Titanforging (translated: titanforged items) will remain part of the game – with restrictions.

World_of_Warcraft_Battle_for_Azeroth_Ion_Hazzikostas

No more random Legendaries!

Hardly any other topic is as controversially discussed in World of Warcraft: Legion as Legendaries. In the livestream from streamer Jesse Cox at Blizzcon, Ion Hazzikostas announced that they will disappear in this form in Battle for Azeroth:

“The system of about a hundred Legendaries that can be obtained through any activity will not be present in Battle for Azeroth. Some of the experiences we had with customization and interesting items will be transferred into the ‘Heart of Azeroth’ system, in which players can personalize certain armor pieces according to their preferences.

More details about Heart of Azeroth can be found in this article!
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It is not a system characterized by randomness, but by progress. We have learned a lot from it, so experiences from the Artifact and Legendary systems can be integrated into the “Heart of Azeroth”. We aim to give players goals to strive for. They should be able to customize their character to fit their play style.”

Titanforging – Not banned, but adjusted

Another major criticism of Legion has long been Titanforging. This means that items can randomly appear several item levels higher, thereby outclassing supposedly better items. The system will be retained – but it will not be applied to the Azerite pieces for the Heart of Azeroth.

“The Azerite pieces for armor cannot be warforged or titanforged. They are fixed, as they already have enough depth. They possess a personalizing character, which is why they should be relatively straightforward. I obtain a mythic item that replaces my heroic one – a clear improvement.

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For all other items, gloves, bracers, trinkets, and so on, we are very satisfied with the system. If anything, the factors need to be adjusted a bit, as it can quickly feel like only titanforged equipment provides an improvement.” 

What does this mean for Battle for Azeroth?

In the current version of World of Warcraft, the Artifact weapon and Legendaries primarily determine how strong a character is. These changes will bring a piece of freedom of expression and potential choice back.

The most important point is that, due to the absence of Legendaries, some armor slots will no longer be blocked by “Best in Slot” items, without which the character cannot fully realize its potential.

Also, the deep impact that Legendaries had on the character’s playstyle will disappear with them. The decisive items in Battle for Azeroth are therefore no longer the Legendaries, but the Azerite pieces.

WoW Heart of Azeroth Stronger Powers

That they cannot be titanforged removes the current problem of the relics from the Artifact weapons. If one has a relic with a better property but significantly different levels, it requires a lot of calculation to choose the better one – and a mistake will immediately weaken the character.

Titanforging of the remaining items is therefore just another way to be able to improve for as long as possible, without the character needing these items for its actual strength.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. wowhead

Destiny 2: All Weapons of the Trials of Nine – How Good Are They?

Tom Rothstein Tom Rothstein Reading time 9 minutes

In Destiny 2, we take a look at all the weapons from the Trials of the Nine. How powerful are they? What are the perks? And are they worth it?

Trials of the Nine takes place every week from Friday to Tuesday. Those who dare to enter this PvP event and achieve some victories can earn Trials-specific weapons, armor pieces, and shaders.

All weapons are designed in a simple, elegant style. The dominant colors are white and gray, with blue highlights in the form of circles on each weapon, representing the symbols of the Trials of the Nine:

Trials_of_the_Nine
The logo of the Trials of the Nine

But can these weapons be effective, or do they just look extravagant?

This question was examined by the weapon expert Mercules904, who amazed the community with competent and detailed “weapon breakdowns” back during Destiny 1. We summarize his findings in English and see how the Trials weapons perform in PvP.

Notes in advance regarding terms in this article:

  • The optimal time-to-kill, or TTK, is the time it takes to eliminate an opposing Guardian under optimal circumstances in PvP, assuming that the opposing Guardian has 200 health points.
  • The Aim Assist helps to make targets easier to hit (in simple terms, high Aim Assist enlarges the hitbox of the opponent)
All information about the Trials of the Nine and how you can get the following weapons can be found here.

prosecutor
Prosecutor – Auto Rifle from the Trials of the Nine

The Prosecutor is a legendary auto rifle in the energy slot. It has a rate of fire of 450 and a impact of 29. Therefore, the Prosecutor belongs to the same archetype as the Origin Story or Uriel’s Gift.

ankläger-stats

The range is very high, and the stability and reload speed are also above average compared to other representatives of this archetype. Downsides include low aim assist (44) and magazine size (32). Here are the stats:

These are the perks:

  • Compact Precision: The recoil pattern is more vertical.
  • Hip-Fire Grip: When firing from the hip, accuracy and stability are improved.

You have the choice between:

  • Whoosh!: When you slide, the magazine is partially loaded, and handling and stability are temporarily improved.
  • Just Tap: When pressing the trigger for the first time, stability and accuracy are increased for a short time.

Additionally, you can influence stability, recoil, range, and weapon readiness speed with the sights.

The Prosecutor is a top weapon in PvP, although it is overshadowed by the outstanding energy auto rifle Uriel’s Gift. However, for those who are unlucky and do not yet possess Uriel’s Gift, the Prosecutor is definitely a recommendation.

destiny-2-uriels-gift
The legendary auto rifle Uriel’s Gift

The optimal TTK is just 1.07 seconds, which is identical to the Origin Story and Uriel’s Gift. For that, 8 critical hits and one body hit are required.

The Prosecutor is strong not only at medium ranges but also thanks to the hip-fire grip at close range. When you take it into battle, you can’t go wrong!

On the following pages, we will introduce the other “Trials of the Nine” weapons. Next, we move on to the pulse rifle!

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. reddit
  2. destinytracker
Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

The exclusive Arena cards from Hearthstone are crazy!

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 3 minutes

In Hearthstone , there will soon be special cards only available in the Arena. We will show you what crazy cards are coming soon!

At BlizzCon 2017, many new things for Hearthstone were announced. The focus was on the reveal of the new expansion “Kobolds and Catacombs.” But there are also changes outside of the new add-on that will soon hit the Arena: exclusive Arena cards!

The Arena has always posed some balance problems for the Hearthstone developers. In the past, Blizzard had to repeatedly adjust and ban certain cards from the Arena, as they became too powerful.

Exclusive Cards Only for the Arena

Now the developers want to take the opposite step and implement cards that will be available only in the Arena. During BlizzCon, attendees were able to vote on which cards would be implemented into the Arena – one card per class.

Warlocks often face the problem that they rarely draw demons in the Arena, which eliminates many synergies. With Bottled Madness, all cards in hand are transformed into random demons!

Shamans weren’t good enough at clearing the board yet? That will change. For 0 mana comes Crackling Doom, which deals 12 damage to all minions on the battlefield. However, it comes at the cruel price of overload: 10. Thus, the next turn will be skipped.

For Paladins, there is the secret Hand of Salvation. This resurrects the second minion of the Paladin that died within a turn.

Please note that the balance of the cards is not final yet. The developers want to review them for balance, but the basic design of the mechanics should not change.

There is not yet a specific date for the release of the Arena cards. When it is time, we will report on it.

Have you read about Kobolds and Catacombs? The expansion has 48 different bosses!

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The Worlds in LoL brought dragons and a god to cry

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 4 minutes

The gigantic finals in League of Legends (LoL) are over. A drama unfolded and there were dragons.

The eSports in League of Legends essentially follow the same rules as any professional sport. There are top teams and stars. What LeBron James is in basketball and Lionel Messi is in soccer, is a slender Korean boy known as “Faker” in League of Legends. His fans also call him the “immortal demon king” or simply “God”.

Faker – the Lionel Messi of LoL

Faker is considered a superstar who has elevated the LoL game to a new level. From his position as a “mid-laner”, he has dominated matches for years, regarded as incredibly versatile, with 30 champions in his repertoire, which he masters outstandingly. However, Faker does not indulge in star airs; he is a shy-looking, slender young man who appears humble and modest.

His reputation is legendary. However, the player Faker is always in the foreground, about whom little is known.

Faker serves as the ascetic role model for a generation of LoL players. When the Korean magazine Inven recently asked the US player Maxlore of Misfits if he had a girlfriend, he replied: “As long as Faker doesn’t have a girlfriend, I don’t have one either.”

League of Legends: LoL God starts stream on Twitch, breaks viewer records

Faker plays for the team SKT T1 – and they are somewhat the “Real Madrid” of LoL. They have won the club world championships for the last two years. However, there are also problems in LoL Wonderland Korea.

Star player resists the temptation of Chinese millions

In fact, Korea has been producing the best LoL players for years – however, the big money is made in China. A Chinese team is said to have offered Faker a million US dollars in 2014 if he played for them. In the years that followed, there were rumors that teams had offered him up to 4 million US dollars. However, Faker repeatedly declined. He stayed with his team, SKT T1.

However, some of his teammates left SKT T1 over the years.

The 2017 League of Legends World Championship was held in China. 24 teams battled for the trophy. The clear favorite was the team SKT T1 led by Faker, which had won the last 2 years.

LoL Faker PC

Ardent Censer Meta strengthens AD Carry

However, the legend of SKT T1 took early dents this year. The LoL Worlds were played with a patch in which a single item dominated LoL. “Ardent Censer” makes the bot lane in an LoL team the decisive factor.

At the Worlds in LoL, everything is currently revolving around this one item

From the beginning of the tournament, it became clear that SKT T1 with “Bang” and “Wolf” would not be first-class. Especially the experienced Bang faced heavy criticism for his performances throughout the tournament. Observers agreed: “This is the weakest SKT T1 in years. Never have they been so beatable.” But at least they had God on their side, and he turned up.

Blitzcrank

Faker carries SKT T1 to the finals

Already in the quarterfinals, it took a miraculous performance from Faker for SKT T1 to prevail against the European team Misfits. By the way, a German player named PowerofEvil plays for Misfits, who narrowly missed the sensation.

Misfits surprised the Koreans with unusual picks like Blitzcrank and Leona. SKT T1 was already against the wall but made a comeback with a 3:2 victory. A dragon steal by Blank is regarded as the decisive moment of the series.

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In the semifinals against the Chinese team “Royal Never Give Up”, Faker played the champion “Galio” in all 5 matches, which is actually an unusual pick for him. SKT T1 narrowly won 3:2. For observers, this was evidence of Faker’s versatility, as he bolstered his struggling bot lane as Galio.

In both series, Faker was named the “MVP” of the matches. Everything seemed to point towards a hero story: Against all odds and an unfavorable meta, the immortal demon king prevails and leads SKT T1 to their third world championship in a row. Everything much harder, much bigger, much more significant than the years before. Worthy of a God.

Final with Dragons

For the huge final, organizer Riot Games had something special planned and allowed a virtual dragon to circle above the battlefield.

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SKT T1 faced Samsung Galaxy here. A rematch from last year. Samsung Galaxy is regarded as a disciplined and clever team that plays rather “boringly”, wearing down their opponents.

Not Faker wins the final, the AD Carry loses it

SKT T1 had problems from the outset. The AD Carry of SKT T1, Bang, made several mistakes that seemed inexplicable. The player was particularly criticized for his behavior in team fights. He had saved the opposing carry, Ruler, multiple times with his own ultimates. It’s puzzling, after all, Bang is a two-time world champion and was long considered an outstanding player.

There are two explanations:

  • Some suspect that Bang simply didn’t play enough LoL in the weeks and months leading up to the Worlds and was burned out.
  • Others think that the heavy criticism during the tournament could have further unsettled Bang after a weak start, leading to a complete failure in performance.

Especially the fans on the Korean gaming site Inven were mercilessly critical of Bang during the tournament. Some believe this could have broken him to the point where he made glaring errors in the final, such as this unnecessary flash that isolated him in a team fight and led his team down the path to defeat.

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In any case, SKT T1 was hopelessly defeated 0:3 against the rivals Samsung Galaxy. They are thus the 2017 champions of League of Legends. AD Carry Ruler was named the MVP of the finals. Like his support CoreJJ, Ruler had impressive statistics throughout the knockout phase.

Ultimately, it was not the hero story of Faker, but the tragedy of Bang that shaped the final.

After the tournament, during the handshake, Faker was seen in tears. Despite an outstanding tournament performance, he was unable to lead his team to a third consecutive victory. Even gods can weep.

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The western star ensemble “Team Solo Mid” failed incidentally already in the group stage. They had already made no friends in Korea before the world championships:

LoL: “Drive straight to China” – TSM not welcome in South Korea

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. kotaku

Pokémon GO: Three “new” Shinys in the code and less time for raids

Patrick Freese Patrick Freese Reading time 2 minutes

Have the shiny forms of these monsters been forgotten in Pokémon GO ? They certainly didn’t appear during the event. However, trainers have noticed shorter raid times. What is Niantic planning this time?

In the past hours, a lot has been happening in Pokémon GO. Raid times have been shortened, new raid bosses can be found in the wild, and now even more shiny forms have been discovered.

Nebulak, Alpollo, and Gengar as Shiny – Why not at the event?

Surprising finds were made by data miner “Chrales” from the PoGODev team. Just a few days ago, he discovered through a trick that the 3D models of Celebi and Ho-Oh are in the code of Pokémon GO. Now he explains that there are also shiny forms for three ghosts in the game.

The shiny designs for Nebulak and its evolutions Alpollo and Gengar were found by Chrales while examining the game code. However, the data miner is unsure how long the models for the three ghost monsters have been in the game. It’s strange that Niantic didn’t capitalize on the opportunity and send them into the wild during the spooky Halloween event.

Like with Celebi and Ho-Oh, the 2D models are still missing. Only when the 2D images are in the game are the shinies ready for their debut in the game. However, you can already take a look at the three:

Pokémon GO Ghost Shiny Title

In addition to the monsters, the raid mechanics have also changed.

Raids now only last 45 minutes

Once again, Niantic has tinkered with the raids. In Pokémon GO, you can now find many new raid bosses, which are categorized into difficulty levels 1-4. These include Geowaz, Porygon, and Safcon.

Here you will find an overview of all new and old raid bosses in Pokémon GO

Due to a change in Pokémon GO, you now have only 45 minutes instead of an hour to defeat a hatched raid boss. The display duration of the eggs remains at one hour.

Pokémon GO Raids

Particularly players in rural areas are struggling with this change. Now there is even less time to find other players to successfully complete the raids together. Additionally, many players in rural areas have to make long journeys to reach gyms.

This could only be a temporary change that Niantic will modify again soon. We don’t know exactly what the developers aim to achieve with these changes. Players hope there will be an official explanation soon.

Pokémon GO after Halloween – What stays in the game? Special packages will soon be gone

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Reddit
  2. Reddit

Destiny 2: Was könnte mit alten Cash-Shop-Items in Season 2 geschehen?

Robert Albrecht Robert Albrecht Reading time 3 minutes

In Season 2, new cash shop items will arrive in Destiny 2, which you can purchase in the Eververse. But what will happen to the old stuff? We’re exploring the possibilities!

At TwitchCon, Bungie finally provided information about the “Seasons” in Destiny 2. These are intended to change certain fundamental aspects of the game, tweak the balance, and adjust events. Additionally, the clan ranks will be reset to Level 1, and rank-ups will grant you new bonuses.

In addition to new loot for you to hunt, the real-money store Eververse will be stocked with new inventory. The contents of the reward packages, the “Shiny Engrams,” will be updated. In Season 2, you will find new emotes, new ships, new sparrows, and much more. These cosmetic items are season-specific. A cool ship that you receive in Season 2 cannot be obtained through the shiny engraves in Season 3.

One exception is the shaders: These can always be obtained. New shaders are added each season, but none are removed.

But what happens to the junk that will no longer be available in the Eververse after Season 2? Is there a rush to get the last items before Season 2 starts on December 5?

To put it bluntly: There has been no official statement from Bungie. Therefore, we present three theories on how Bungie might handle the gestures, ships, and ghosts that will no longer be available.

See here what the upcoming faction rally has to offer!

Theory 1: Cosmetic items as rewards from activities

Eververse existed in Destiny 1 as well. Here, Bungie rotated the available cosmetic items at regular intervals. To prevent these items from completely disappearing, Sparrow packages and gestures could be earned in the weekly Nightfall strike.

destiny-everversum
The Eververse in Destiny 1

This was not well received by players. A gesture as a reward for completing a challenging endgame activity? Players wanted real loot – not gestures or horns.

Earning cosmetic items in the Nightfall strike was unpopular, so Bungie will likely not introduce this option in Destiny 2. The direction of only selling cosmetic items through the Eververse is clearly recognizable.

destiny 2 nothing gold
A legendary ship in Destiny 2

Theory 2: “Legacy Engrams” make a comeback

In Destiny 1, a mechanism was introduced after the first year to separate older exotic items from new ones: The legacy engrams. If a certain old exotic weapon was not yet owned, players had the chance to complete their collection with legacy engrams from Xur.

legacy-engram

The legacy engravings worked based on the smart loot system: The chance of obtaining missing weapons was high.

For Bungie, a new form of legacy engravings in Destiny 2 could represent another way to introduce paid Eververse items. These could be offered cheaper than the regular shiny engravings to increase the incentive to purchase missing gestures and ships. Or these “Legacy Engrams for old cash shop items” could be offered directly for shimmering dust.

In my opinion, legacy engravings represent a likely option. If these function according to the smart loot system, players would have clear incentives to invest in old ships, gestures, and ornaments.

Have you read? Guardians spend more time in Destiny 2 than in the predecessor!

Theory 3: Old cosmetic items disappear

If Bungie removes every opportunity to acquire items that have dropped out of rotation, guardians would need to act now. But Bungie should have explicitly announced this so that players can invest now to obtain everything.

Bungie has not done this. If the items are to be completely removed, it would only be for an indefinite period. Bungie plans to hold four seasons per year. Therefore, the currently available items might return in Season 5 (or Season 1 in Year 2).

destiny-2-everversum

However Bungie decides – there will be changes in the Eververse. At the latest on December 5, we will have certainty.

What do you think, how will Bungie deal with the then outdated cosmetic items?

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Check out the Jetpack Cat and other crazy Overwatch heroes

Benedict Grothaus Benedict Grothaus Reading time 3 minutes

Crazy hero concepts in Overwatch are nothing unusual. During the “Overwatch Archives” panel at Blizzcon 2017, Jeff Kaplan and Arnold Tsang also talked about concepts that were too wild even for the hero shooter, such as the legendary Jetpack Cat.

There is no secret that Overwatch has adopted many concepts from the former Project Titan. In particular, many of the original heroes were once classes from the MMORPG. However, after Titan was canceled, existing concepts had to be completely revised.

Overwatch Blizzcon Jeff Kaplan Arnold Tsang

The heroes and their characters are a core element for Overwatch. Their features make the game so special and give it a high recognition value. However, during the development of the game, there were also some ideas that were too crazy even for those who say to a talking gorilla scientist: “Welcome to the team, Winston! Here is your jetpack.”

One hero that actually made it is the new healer Moira! Read all details about the Irish scientist here.

Jetpack Cat – the never born meme

A particularly wild early concept is the “Jetpack Cat.” The flying cat originated during the time between Titan and Overwatch, when as many new impressions were to be gathered as possible.

Overwatch Concept Blizzcon Jetpack Cat

Two versions prevailed in their idea: A heroic comic cat that actively uses its jetpack, and a perhaps somewhat more realistic one that relaxes in its jetpack chair and attacks from above out of boredom.

Although the Jetpack Cat was very popular with the team at the time, it was deemed “too ridiculous” for Overwatch. Its concept felt as if they would “glide out of the universe.” Interestingly, it was not the only flying animal…

Gargoyles, monkeys… alligators?

While Winston had relatively early on found his place as a character in Overwatch, flying animals were not entirely off the list yet. The crew’s minds were filled with (robot) monkeys, gargoyles, alligators, or creepy guys with goatees and flaming hair.

Overwatch Concept Blizzcon free flying animals

The idea behind the characters was heroes that could move freely in the air (similar to Mercy today). They were supposed to distinguish themselves from Winston’s jump module and Pharah’s (then still “Rocketdude”) rocket pack. In the end, however, the team decided that the ideas were certainly great, but better suited for another game, not Overwatch.

From hockey players to permanent concepts

Overwatch Concept Blizzcon Early Concepts

In addition to animals, other non- (or only limited) human characters were shown as early ideas. A strange alien and a giant robot, whose control status is ambiguous, are just two of them. The latter idea may have found its way into the game in the form of D.Va.

Kaplan’s favorite among the never-released heroes is Hockey Hero. There is no exact concept behind the hero, but he still likes the idea very much today – probably the reason for Lúcio’s legendary skin.

Blizzard has now announced more great skins for the loot boxes. Perhaps more concepts will also make it as skins into the game?
 

Right after the end of Titan and the start of Overwatch (then operated under the name Prometheus), there was a concept board with 50 heroes – some of which made it into the game one way or another. So it is not unlikely that some of the earliest ideas will be revisited at a later point!

Overwatch Titan Early Hero Board
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Source(s):
  1. polygon

WoW: Heart of Azeroth – Artifact Necklace instead of Artifact Weapon

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 4 minutes

The Heart of Azeroth is the “new” artifact weapon from WoW: Battle for Azeroth. We reveal what this piece of jewelry can do.

The artifact weapons from the Legion expansion of World of Warcraft will soon belong to the past. As Ion Hazzikostas revealed at BlizzCon, there will be a small closing event where the artifact weapons will be “put to rest” – whatever that means.

In the next expansion “Battle for Azeroth”, the artifact weapons will no longer play a role!

This is how we lose our artifact weapons in WoW
WoW Heart of Azeroth Magni

Nevertheless, Blizzard is not completely saying goodbye to the concept of upgradable, permanent armor.

Heart of Azeroth as “new” artifact weapon?

All players will receive a medallion (a necklace) from Magni Bronzebeard called “Heart of Azeroth”. The medallion starts at level 1 and is upgraded through a new resource called “Azerite”.

Azerite is the lifeblood of Azeroth, manifesting through the wounds in various places in the world.

WoW Heart of Azeroth Choices

In essence, Azerite works like artifact power – however, there are no consumables and no different weapons. Various activities simply grant a certain amount of Azerite. This includes PvP, dungeons, raids, island expeditions, and more.

New abilities in existing equipment

The Heart of Azeroth continuously levels up throughout the “Battle for Azeroth” expansion. But what does that actually bring?

The jewelry unlocks new abilities in your equipment! There are additional bonuses for individual equipment slots and it also gains further abilities.

  • Some equipment slots (3 are currently planned – chest, shoulder, helmet) can be upgraded through the Heart of Azeroth.
  • The artifact itself has abilities that are unlocked gradually.
  • The equipment items, in turn, have a selection of 3 “rings”, which contain various talents or properties.
  • One last unlock per item, the innermost “ring” is a fixed bonus (no choice)
  • Only one property can be chosen per ring (like in “talent trees”)
  • Each ring has a different level requirement for unlocking.
WoW Heart of Azeroth Commonalities

The idea is that you collect Azerite and thus level up your Heart of Azeroth. This in turn allows you to unlock additional abilities in the equipment slots “head”, “shoulders”, and “chest”.

While you can unlock a talent in the outer ring of an item with a Heart of Azeroth level 5, the middle ring remains locked until level 15 and the inner one even until level 25. The mentioned numbers are just examples.

Unlike the hated Netherlight Crucible, the selection of abilities on items is not randomly assigned. The selection for each item is handpicked. This means that every “Helmet of the Twisted Loa” at the same class gets the identical selection of possible abilities. However, it may happen that the effects of a helmet from the “mythic” difficulty are stronger than the effects of a helmet from “heroic” or “normal”.

WoW Heart of Azeroth Stronger Powers

As soon as the Heart of Azeroth reaches a new level, corresponding bonuses can be unlocked in the items. This can also be done “on the fly” – you do not have to return to an artifact forge or anything like that.

What abilities are there?

The developers place great importance on the options within a ring being “on par”. To put it somewhat exaggeratedly, they want to avoid players having to choose between “+20% damage on Chain Lightning” or “+15 to fishing”. Because everyone would know that fishing would be completely overpowered in the fight against Azshara.

Instead, you should rather choose between different “similar” things. An example was chosen for the shaman. Would you prefer an upgrade of the Spirit Wolf, making you move faster when you take damage? Or would you rather enhance the Astral Shift, allowing you to withstand harmful effects a bit longer?

WoW Heart of Azeroth Azerite Armory

But it will probably just be a matter of time until the theorycrafters have also discovered the optimal combinations here.

Is there “artifact knowledge” with the Heart of Azeroth? This is how it should work!

Summary of all facts about the Heart of Azeroth

  • The Heart of Azeroth is a necklace that every player receives
  • The Heart of Azeroth levels up through Azerite, which is available for almost all activities (dungeons, quests, PvP, etc.)
  • Through new levels of the heart, players can unlock additional abilities in their equipment
  • Only chest, shoulder, and helmet equipment have unlockable abilities
  • The higher the item level of the equipment, the stronger the abilities are

How do you like the concept of the Heart of Azeroth? A good, simplified alternative to the artifact weapons? Or completely unnecessary and already tedious grinding?

Do you want to sign up for the Battle for Azeroth beta? We reveal how it works!

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

WoW im Twink-Rausch – Battle for Azeroth bringt mehr Charakterslots

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

With Battle for Azeroth, the developers increase the maximum number of characters per server in WoW. We have all the details for you.

During the second day of BlizzCon 2017, there were few major revelations – but a lot of details. In the “Developer Q&A”, the developers answered questions about the new expansion of World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth.

WoW Ion Hazzikostas QA

A question that arises every year is the desire for additional character slots. This question was raised again in 2017. To the surprise of most, there was a positive answer!

WoW: Battle for Azeroth brings 6 additional character slots per server

With the release of “Battle for Azeroth”, all accounts will have the opportunity to create additional characters per server. Each player gets 6 new character slots per server. This increases the maximum number of characters per server from 12 to 18!

The general maximum of 50 characters distributed across all servers is not affected by this.

The reason for the change is the implementation of 6 new species. With 6 new “allied races”, every player should at least have the opportunity to create a character with each race. They do not want players to be forced to delete beloved characters or necessarily have to buy a race change.

WoW Battle for Azeroth Nightborne
Thanks to the new “allied races”, there are 6 new character slots!

The new “allied races” cannot, however, be created immediately at the launch of Battle for Azeroth. They must first be unlocked during the storyline. Players will experience firsthand why the Nightborne join the Horde or how the Void Elves find their way into the Alliance.

The additional character slots do not have to necessarily be filled with characters from the new races. Those who simply want to own 6 more Draenei can also be happy with that.

Are you excited about the additional character slots? Or will this only plunge the Twink madness into even more stress?

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

PUBG-Entwickler entschuldigt sich für Cheater, gelobt Besserung

Patrick Freese Patrick Freese Reading time 2 minutes

With two new updates, the PUBG (PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds) developers aim to take stronger action against cheaters.

In the popular battle royale shooter “PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds”, up to 42,000 cheaters are banned daily. However, that is not enough, as the community continues to criticize the high number of cheaters.

The PUBG developers now plan to clamp down even harder and catch cheaters earlier.

Additional Anti-Cheat Measures Coming

In a letter to the community, the developers sincerely want to apologize for the cheating issues in PUBG. They regret that you could not play the game in a fair environment.

Now they want to detect cheaters earlier and better, and remove them from the game.

As we have already announced, we are currently in the process of implementing new tools in the game. These are meant to identify players with unusual gameplay behavior.

On November 3, there was already an update with new anti-cheat measures. Cheaters are to be permanently banned from the game. “If unusual gameplay behavior is detected, the corresponding account will be temporarily penalized and then investigated more closely.”.

PUBG Update

Next week, there should be another update that will improve cheater detection. “We will continue to work on improving our cheat detection system. The measures to detect and ban cheaters will be tightened. At the same time, we ensure that fair players do not receive wrongful punishments.”

However, these changes will not make all cheaters disappear “overnight”. It is an ongoing process that (hopefully) continues to improve in the future.

Tests for the 1.0 version of PUBG are likely being delayed – The community reacts in its own way

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. PCGamer

Get Darth Hexid and celebrate the server merge with SWTOR!

Guddy Hoffmann-Schoenborn Guddy Hoffmann-Schoenborn Reading time 2 minutes

The server merge next week celebrates Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR) with gifts. This is cleverly orchestrated, as you must log in to receive the two rewards and can witness the server chaos live! But follow me and let’s take a closer look at the two presents!

mini mogul pet

Mini Mogul NM-1 Mini Pet

First we have the Mini Mogul NM-1 Mini Pet, which charms us with its five little legs and looks almost like it is wearing a funny pink hat. It is modeled after the much more dangerous walker of the Hutt Karagga the Unyielding, who proves to be a sometimes tough opponent.

The facts about the “pet”

  • Received when logging in between November 8 and 27.
  • On the 28th, you can then fish it out of the mail and show it off.
darth hexid

The companion Darth Hexid

Darth Hexid is feared, battle-tested, and currently seemingly primarily one thing: In search of a long-term combat partner. If you regularly give her exercise (including battles for the dark side!) and occasionally feed her hate, she is a very low-maintenance companion.

The facts about Darth Hexid

  • To win her as a companion, you must complete three PvE or three PvP missions through the group finder between November 8 and 27.
  • From November 28, you can either free her from the mail immediately or recruit her. To take the more difficult route, you must:
    • complete a specific mission on the planet Odessen and
    • finish the story from the Knights of the Eternal Throne expansion.
All information about the server merge

Why this should please many

Probably you still remember the Dark vs. Light event that disrupted the balance of power for an entire summer and culminated at the end of last year. With newly generated characters, players had to make decisions for the dark or light side of the Force while leveling and let actions speak for one of the two sides.

In the end, it was determined which side had the supremacy. With 52%, the light side narrowly won back then. The rewards were manifold: Among other things, the light side of the Force received the companion Ranos. However, players of the dark side were left empty-handed: Darth Hexid, who would have been a reward in the event of the dark side’s victory, remained unplayable.

After Hexid fans had to starve for a year and surely wept bitter tears, they can now rejoice! Darth Hexid is just waiting to side with you to fight against the Jedi!

More gifts regarding SWTOR? Certainly! Please head this way.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. swtor.com

Whoever falls for this trick of the LoL trolls will be banned for 14 days

Patrick Freese Patrick Freese Reading time 3 minutes

With a new tactic, trolls are attacking unsuspecting players in League of Legends and giving them a timeout. Don’t fall for it, or you will get banned in LoL!

Now the trolls in League of Legends no longer just want to ruin your games, but want to give innocent players hefty penalties.

They do this with a trick that is supposed to get you at least a 14-day ban. Repeat offenses can lead to even harsher penalties, up to a permanent ban.

Trolls Want Your Curse Words!

It may sound a bit absurd when we tell you “Watch out! They want you to use curse words.” But that is exactly the new scheme of the trolls in LoL.

On Reddit and in the LoL forums, many players report that they were suddenly hit by the ban hammer. The reason for this was other players who tricked them. They wanted to hear curse words.

LoL Trundle Wallpaper

The trolls exploit the ban tool of League of Legends to their advantage. They tell other players that they should either say a certain word or the trolls will sabotage the game.

The penalty for “hate speech” in LoL is a ban of at least 14 days. More frequent offenses can also lead to a permanent exclusion.

How do they “trick” you?

On Reddit, user “Eedat” warns about how the trolls operate. He writes that the tactics range from “what’s that English curse word you say against gays?” to threats like “If you don’t say that word, I will feed.”.

If players then use one of the “forbidden words” that are on Riot’s blacklist, they are reported by the troll after the game. Through the instant review system, League of Legends then recognizes what you wrote in the lobby chat and in the game, and sees that you violated the rules. And just like that, there’s a timeout.

League of Legends Teemo Skin Halloween

Example from the Forum – “Neck yourself”

In the LoL forum, a player describes how he fell for this trick. He was playing a ranked match, and a teammate explained, “My name is Neck Yourself. If you say my name four times during a game, I promise I won’t feed.”.

Of course, the player didn’t want a feeder on his team but wanted to win his ranked game. So he wrote “neck yourself” four times (which means something like “hang yourself”) and received a 14-day ban after the game. He apparently did not know that “neck yourself” is among the forbidden words or said it anyway, not wanting to lose.

LoL Troll Ban Neck

In the forum, Riot employee Tantram reviewed the case and unbanned the player. He says he now spends his weekend holding the trolls accountable for it. Anyone who has already fallen for this trick should contact Riot Games’ support with a ticket. They are apparently aware of the problem.

Domestic Violence on Stream – This Pro Totally Lost It

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Reddit

Destiny 2: Welche Klasse hat die besten Granaten im Spiel?

Robert Albrecht Robert Albrecht Reading time 3 minutes

Guardian scientists have sat at the console in Destiny 2 and recorded the damage of each grenade. The result is a ranking of all 27 grenades in the game.

When choosing the right grenade, many factors need to be considered. Should they serve as traps, suppress opponents’ abilities, or deal as much damage as possible?

At least the answer to the damage question has now been found. Redditor DrFace007 reviewed the damage output of each grenade and compiled the results into a ranking.

The Leviathan Raid as a Testing Ground

The Leviathan Raid is a great place to test grenade damage on stationary targets. The dogs in the “Garden of Desire” phase always stand in the same spot as soon as they detect the Guardians, and that lasts for 30 seconds. Enough time to thoroughly test each grenade.

destiny-2-raid-relikt
Have you seen this? This is how you can optimize your key bindings for Destiny 2 on PC!

The Hunter Makes the Difference – Or?

The result is a table that depicts grenade damage by class in descending order:

Oops, unfortunately this table is no longer available.

When considering the damage numbers specified in the table, there are a few things to note:

  • There are slight differences in damage numbers caused by the positioning of grenades. The behavior of jumping grenades cannot always be predicted.
  • If Titans are using the Seismic Strike code, they have access to two grenades and can double their damage output.
  • Nighthawk grenade damage is given under the premise that the Path Finder is selected, which doubles the effects of grenades and smoke.
  • Not all grenades are meant to primarily deal damage. Both the Flashbang and Suppressor grenades of the Titan have entirely different objectives.
  • The damage numbers for the Voidwalker Warlock were achieved under the premise that the grenade was overcharged with Super energy.
  • The damage was achieved against a stationary target. Specifically, the grenades with the highest damage depend on whether the target remains in the effective range for a long time.

The Nightstalker certainly has the best grenades (measured by damage output). Considering the second impulse grenade of the Titan, this combination is the deadliest.

Destiny-nachtpirscher-schuss

Robert says: Nightstalker grenades deal the most damage under very specific conditions. However, the table also shows that the other Hunter subclasses and the Dawnblade of the Warlock possess some of the worst grenades. Why Bungie equips the Nightstalker with three really strong grenades while the Arcstrider only has grenades that are useless, we may never understand.

The table also reveals that Magnet and Fusion grenades are just a shadow of their former selves. Precise aiming with these grenades should be rewarded and reflected in the damage numbers.

The exciting question will be how Bungie will handle grenades in the future. Will the double-impulse grenades be nerfed? Or will Bungie adjust the damage of other grenades contrary to the “normal” course? The future will tell.

What do you think of this list? Did you expect it to be this way?

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Reddit

Pokémon GO: Raid Boss Level – Difficulty Levels of the New Bosses [Update]

Patrick Freese Patrick Freese Reading time 4 minutes

In Pokémon GO there are raids where you must defeat various raid bosses to catch them later. In this overview, we show you all the bosses.

The raids are a new co-op feature in Pokémon GO, where you must defeat a strong raid boss with groups of up to 20 players. The bosses are Pokémon with particularly high CP and are divided into different difficulty levels.

Some of them, you can defeat alone (for example, Magikarp). Others, like Tyranitar, are too strong for one player.

Update from November 5, 2017

Last night, some new raid bosses were added. We have updated our list with the new bosses. According to initial reports, a few of the old bosses are also appearing. We will keep this list updated for you.

Pokémon GO Raids Title

Raid Boss Difficulty Levels – What Can Be Done Alone?

Currently, the raid bosses in Pokémon GO are classified into four difficulty levels. The higher the number, the more difficult the boss fight becomes. You can defeat a level 1 raid boss alone. For level 4, you should bring friends and other trainers for help. The fifth level is for legendary Pokémon that appear in raids.

A raid boss in Pokémon GO is a Pokémon from the game that has particularly high combat points (CP). After you defeat the boss, its combat points drop, and you can try to catch the boss with special Poké Balls.

In this overview, we show you the difficulty levels, the CP as a boss (and after capture at 100% IV values). How many trainers you ultimately need to defeat a Pokémon also depends on how good your Pokémon are.

Difficulty Level 1 – Raid Tier 1

Pokemon GO Shiny Title
  • Metapod (Metapod) – Type: Bug – Boss CP: 1534, Maximum CP after capture: 239
  • Wartortle (Wartortle) – Type: Water – Boss CP: 4503, Maximum CP after capture: 756
  • Charmeleon (Charmeleon) – Type: Fire – Boss CP: 5085, Maximum CP after capture: 847
  • Ivysaur (Ivysaur) – Type: Grass and Poison – Boss CP: 5238, Maximum CP after capture: 886
  • (Back) Magikarp – Boss CP: 1165, CP after capture: 125 maximum
  • (old) Croconaw – Boss CP: 5207, CP after capture: 913 maximum
  • (old) Lurantis – Boss CP: 4375, CP after capture: 740 maximum
  • (old) Quilava – Boss CP: 5085, CP after capture: 847 maximum

Difficulty Level 2 – Raid Tier 2

Pokémon GO Lurantis
  • Sableye (Sableye) – Type: Dark and Ghost – Boss CP: 8266, Maximum CP after capture: 745
  • Marowak (Marowak) – Type: Ground – Boss CP: 9891, Maximum CP after capture: 966
  • Tentacruel (Tentacruel) – Type: Water and Poison – Boss CP: 12190, Maximum CP after capture: 1356
  • Sandslash (Sandslash) – Type: Ground – Boss CP: 12312, Maximum CP after capture: 1330
  • Magneton – Type: Electric and Steel – Boss CP: 14172, Maximum CP after capture: 1278
  • Cloyster – Type: Water and Ice – Boss CP: 15678, Maximum CP after capture: 1414
  • (old) Electabuzz – Boss CP: 11311, CP after capture: 1255 maximum
  • (old) Lurantis – Boss CP: 12633, CP after capture: 1666 maximum
  • (old) Magmar – Boss CP: 11610, CP after capture: 1288 maximum
  • (old) Muk – Boss CP: 11200, CP after capture: 1548 maximum
  • (old) Weezing – Boss CP: 11245, CP after capture: 1247 maximum

Difficulty Level 3 – Raid Tier 3

Pokémon GO Gengar Raid Boss
  • Porygon – Type: Normal – Boss CP: 11419, Maximum CP after capture: 895
  • Ninetales (Ninetales) – Type: Fire – Boss CP: 14914, Maximum CP after capture: 1233
  • Scyther (Scyther) – Type: Bug and Flying – Boss CP: 17358, Maximum CP after capture: 1408
  • Omastar (Omastar) – Type: Rock and Water – Boss CP: 18915, Maximum CP after capture: 1534
    • Old raid bosses that still appear according to initial reports: Alakazam, Gengar, Machoke
  • (old) Vaporeon – Boss CP: 16696, CP after capture: 1804 maximum
  • (old) Arcanine – Boss CP: 17832, CP after capture: 1622 maximum
  • (old) Machoke – Boss CP: 18144, CP after capture: 1650 maximum
  • (old) Jolteon – Boss CP: 19883, CP after capture: 1560 maximum
  • (old) Gengar – Boss CP: 19768, CP after capture: 1496 maximum
  • (old) Flareon – Boss CP: 21155, CP after capture: 1659 maximum
  • (old) Alakazam – Boss CP: 22646, CP after capture: 1649 maximum

Difficulty Level 4 – Raid Tier 4

Pokémon GO 1 Year
  • Nidoqueen – Type: Poison and Ground – Boss CP: 23216, Maximum CP after capture: 1336
  • Victreebel – Type: Grass and Poison – Boss CP: 23780, Maximum CP after capture: 1296
  • Poliwrath (Poliwrath) – Type: Water and Fighting – Boss CP: 24247, Maximum CP after capture: 1395
  • Nidoking – Type: Poison and Ground – Boss CP: 24873, Maximum CP after capture: 1363
  • Golem (Golem) – Type: Rock and Ground – Boss CP: 30572, Maximum CP after capture: 1666
    • Old raid bosses that still appear according to initial reports: Tyranitar, Lapras, Snorlax
  • (old) Lapras – Boss CP: 21768, CP after capture: 1487 maximum
  • (old) Blastoise – Boss CP: 24162, CP after capture: 1309 maximum
  • (old) Venusaur – Boss CP 26921, CP after capture 1467 maximum
  • (old) Charizard – Boss CP 28485, CP after capture 1535 maximum
  • (old) Snorlax – Boss CP 25419, CP after capture 1917 maximum
  • (old) Rhydon – Boss CP: 30512, CP after capture: 1886 maximum
  • (old) Tyranitar – Boss CP 34707, CP after capture 2097 maximum

Known issues in Pokémon GO: These disruptions are being monitored by the developers

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Chronicles of Elyria will unbequem sein, Spieler aus der Komfortzone holen

Andreas Bertits Andreas Bertits Reading time 2 minutes

With Chronicles of Elyria, we can expect an ambitious but also highly interesting MMORPG that aims to offer a different gaming experience.

In Chronicles of Elyria, your hero will age and die. Additionally, he can become obese due to little movement and poor diet. In a new video showcasing the current status of the MMORPG, the developers also discuss how such elements contribute to good storytelling.

Chronicles of Elyria Screen neu 2

Players grow beyond themselves

According to the developers, a good story that stays memorable for players is one that takes them out of their comfort zone. They want to intentionally put players in situations that make them uncomfortable, as that leaves an impression. Only then can someone grow beyond themselves.

They face the uncomfortable situation and try to overcome their fears and expand their own limits. This would set Chronicles of Elyria apart from other MMORPGs.

Chronicles of Elyria Wirtschaft Handel

Make the most of your hero’s limited lifespan

You simply have to deal with situations that you won’t find in other MMORPGs. Usually, you play your hero until you’re no longer interested. In Chronicles of Elyria, he will inevitably die at some point. This is a concept that many need to come to terms with because, generally, you invest a lot – including emotions – in a character. Forcing you to lose them eventually is something that not everyone likes. However, this can lead to great stories because everyone wants to make the most of the limited time they have.

How the MMORPG differs from other genre representatives can be seen in the video.

Chronicles of Elyria will enter Alpha next year. You can find this and more in the developers’ current “roadmap,” which showcases all upcoming stages of the game.

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This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. MassivelyOP
  2. MMORPG.com

These new Overwatch skins are inspired by WoW, Diablo, Starcraft

Benedict Grothaus Benedict Grothaus Reading time 3 minutes

Warcraft, Starcraft and Diablo make their way to Overwatch – through skins! At Blizzcon 2017, Blizzard announced the new content of the loot boxes. We can expect costumes from all Blizzard universes in the standard loot!

Fresh meat! The new skins bring the Blizzard universes to Overwatch!

Overwatch takes place in the future of our world – so of course there was also Blizzard and all the universes they designed! Apparently, among the Overwatch heroes, there are also some fans of the franchises. In an upcoming major update, the Overwatch team will bring skins into the game that look like really good cosplays from Warcraft, Starcraft and Diablo!

The heroes (and villains) from Overwatch will soon be able to adorn themselves with the look of some celebrities from Azeroth, Sanctuary or the Korvax Sector. Overwatch origin skins will also find their way into the game. Here is the complete list of announced skins:

  • Immortal Orisa
  • Magni Bronzebeard Torbjörn
  • Nova Widowmaker
  • Blackhand Doomfist
  • Barbarian Zarya
  • Butcher Roadhog
  • Crusader Reinhardt
  • Ecopoint Mei

Some of these skins play very cleverly with their origins. For example, Zarya’s weapon charge in this skin is the rage bar of the Barbarian from Diablo, and her weapon has a socket for gems, and the Butcher Roadhog takes a health potion during his breather.

The Warcraft skins also look very convincing. They stimulate the imagination of whether more crossovers could be possible (Blademaster Genji or War Machine Bastion).

In our gallery, you can take a look at all the skins individually and at your leisure.

Another tribute to Blizzard is paid by the team with the new map BlizzardWorld!

No event skins, but standard loot!

Whether in events, in the arcade through level-ups or through real money – there are Overwatch loot boxes everywhere. However, many players have already completed a large part of the collection and only receive duplicates. The new skins are therefore not available in event boxes, but will be added to the content of the standard loot boxes!

According to Kaplan, these skins are just a small preview of what is to come. He promises a big update to the loot boxes that will be rolled out early next year!

By the way, it will not be worth it to accumulate the loot boxes. Since the content of the boxes is set as soon as they are generated, standard loot boxes will only contain the loot they could give now at a later time. It is unlikely that Blizzard will change that.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Blizzard
  2. Kotaku

WoW: How to sign up for the beta of “Battle for Azeroth”

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

We will tell you how you can have a chance to secure a spot in the closed beta of the WoW expansion “Battle for Azeroth”. Everything about the sign-up and the release of the beta for the next chapter of World of Warcraft.

At BlizzCon 2017, the latest expansion of World of Warcraft was revealed yesterday. In “WoW: Battle for Azeroth” it does not concern the great enemies in the background, such as Old Gods or the Void Lords. Instead, WoW focuses on the primal conflict that has always raged in Azeroth: Alliance versus Horde!

WoW Battle for Azeroth Jaina

With the announcement yesterday, it also became clear that we probably won’t have to wait as long for the next chapter of the story of Azeroth as originally feared. In fact, all interested parties can already sign up for the beta test of World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth.

Beta Registration for Battle for Azeroth

Registering for the beta of Battle for Azeroth is easy.

  • You only need to access the Account Management from battle.net and check the beta profile settings for which of the Blizzard universes you are interested in.
  • Check the box for “Warcraft”.
  • Then click on “Update Preferences” – and you’re registered for the beta!

Here is the direct link to the beta registration for Battle for Azeroth: Link to Battle.net Account Management and Beta Registration

Traditionally, there is an internal “Friends&Family” alpha before the closed beta test, where Blizzard employees and their families and friends can already take a look at the game. Only afterward are the beta servers opened to selected players.

WoW Battle for Azeroth Sylvanas

If you want a chance to dive into the new expansion as early as possible, you should sign up for the beta now!

However, there is still no specific date for the start of the closed beta. Speculation suggests that the first invitations could go out as early as March or April.

Do you want to check out “Battle for Azeroth” in the beta at all? Or would you rather wait for the finished product?

Have you seen that soon all of Azeroth will scale with the players’ level?

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Trefft die Palicos! Die heimlichen Stars in Monster Hunter World

Leya Jankowski Leya Jankowski Reading time 2 minutes

In Monster Hunter World there will be many dangerous beasts you must take down! They often have huge claws, sharp teeth, and spit fire or poison. And then there are the Palicos.

Monster Hunter World features some creatures that could be considered quirky. From loud chameleons to fluffy bat balloons and creepy elder dragons, there’s everything.

This list shows all creatures coming new to Monster Hunter World.

However, the secret stars are small, clever beings on velvet paws: The Palicos. They are loyal companions that roam around the city and carry out their own tasks.

monster hunter world cat chef

Palicos are cute and useful! As chefs, they give buffs & help in the hunt

Palicos look simply adorable and add a special charm to Monster Hunter World – they bring good vibes and smile to many players’ faces. In addition, Palicos are helpful companions.

The cats are out there with you as full-fledged monster hunters!

In Monster Hunter World, you have a personal Palico that actively supports you in the hunt. You can equip your cat with armor and assign them different tasks during the hunt. The Palicos can gather useful items for you, heal you during battles, or weaken monsters. 

Sometimes, Palicos even befriend wild cats on your adventure. They will accompany you for a while and assist you wherever they can.

Palico 1

Palicos are passionate chefs!

The cats have discovered a great passion for cooking. With them, you can really fill your belly. With the special recipes of the Palicos, you will even receive buffs during the hunt. 

Sometimes, you have to expose yourself to harsh weather conditions as a monster hunter. The meals of the Palicos can protect you from cold or heat.

When you’re hunting monsters that cause elemental damage like electricity or paralysis, the Palicos have something useful in their cooking pot for you as well.

cats chef

Palico Creator: Design your cat companion to your liking

The Palicos have always been loyal and important companions throughout the entire franchise. Although the cats have never been the center of attention – a Monster Hunter without the gentle companions would be unthinkable.

In Monster Hunter World, the Palicos get a bit more attention. Your personal cat companion receives its own character creator. Decide on things like face, tip of the ears, fur color and pattern, or expression.

The same goes for your character! The character creator in Monster Hunter World will be more diverse than ever.
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Are you excited about the cat companions or do the Palicos leave you cold?

Learn more in our overview: What is Monster Hunter World? Info for beginners

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Wow, Overwatch, Hearthstone: All important dates of BlizzCon on Saturday

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 3 minutes

The second day of BlizzCon has begun. Our schedule tells you when to tune in to find out the exciting details about WoW, Overwatch, and more!

Although all the big revelations at BlizzCon 2017 were revealed yesterday, the night from Saturday to Sunday will also be interesting. Because this is mainly about the nerdy details that often give fans headaches.

Those who want to experience the various streams live need to buy a Virtual Ticket for €30. This grants access to all streams as well as replays of already missed presentations.

In addition, there are cool in-game goodies in all Blizzard games.

Overwatch Reinhardt Young Beer
BlizzCon schedule for Saturday night (November 4)

We have listed the highlights you definitely shouldn’t miss in this schedule:

  • 18:00 – 19:00 – CodeCraft – Under the Hood with Blizzard Engineering: For everything to run smoothly in Blizzard’s games, many invisible mechanics must function. What players never get to see is revealed by the developers here. On the “Heroic” stage.
  • 19:30 – 20:30 – Behind Blizzard’s Worlds: The creative minds at Blizzard discuss how they create rich game worlds with iconic characters and what is necessary for it. On the “Mythic” stage.
  • 20:45 – 21:45 – The Art of World of Warcraft: Before there are finished landscapes in WoW, everything starts as a concept drawing. The designers present a large part of their artistic work and show what the (current) final product looks like. On the “Legendary” stage.
  • 22:30 – 23:30 – Hearthstone – Live Q&A: The developers of Hearthstone answer many questions from the community. Additionally, players can vote on which cards from the new expansion should be made available early in the arena. On the “Mythic” stage.
  • 00:00 – 01:00 – World of Warcraft – Battle for Azeroth Q&A: The developers will spend an hour answering all questions related to the new WoW expansion “Battle for Azeroth”. There will surely be many lore details and insights into the game mechanics. And definitely the Red Shirt Guy will return. On the “Mythic” stage.
  • 02:30 – 05:30 – Closing Ceremony: The conclusion of BlizzCon is always a relatively “cozy highlight”, and this time, the British rock band Muse has been secured for it. There will surely be some nerdy puns again. On the “Mythic” stage.

WoW Battle for Azeroth Anduin Crybaby
Minor highlights on Saturday

A glance at these gems might also be worthwhile. In any case, worthwhile alternatives if none of the highlights appeal to you.

  • 18:00 – 19:00 – Overwatch – Archive: Jeff Kaplan and Arnold Tsang talk about the highlights in the development of Overwatch. There are certainly some funny anecdotes to hear. On the “Mythic” stage.
  • 19:30 – 20:30 – DesignCraft – Building Blocks of Level Design: The developers reveal what to consider when creating fun levels and maps. On the “Heroic” stage.
  • 21:00 – 22:00 – Heroes of the Storm – Hero Deep Dive: The developers of HotS go into detail about the new heroes Alexstrasza and Hanzo and reveal how stealth characters are changing. On the “Mythic” stage.
  • 21:00 – 22:00 – Stay Awhile and Listen – True Stories Live: Jeff Kaplan, Ben Brode, and Micah Chatterton share funny stories from a developer’s life. On the “Heroic” stage.
  • 22:30 – 23:30 – SoundCraft – An Interactive Blizzard Sound Demonstration: Creating good sound in the game requires a lot of work. Zerglings got their sounds from pigs – and Murlocs from yogurt! On the “Heroic” stage.
  • 01:15 – 2:15 – World of Warcraft Boss Design Workshop: WoW’s encounter team creates a fresh raid boss in one hour. The community will surely help with that. On the “Legendary” stage.
WoW Battle for Azeroth

Aside from that, Mein-MMO will also be reporting continuously about BlizzCon that night. If you want all the info on the latest announcements from Blizzard, keep an eye on our site that night.

Which panels at BlizzCon do you absolutely not want to miss?

Do you want to not miss any important announcements and stay up to date? Then mark these two pages with a “Like” on Facebook and be directly informed about the most important news:

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

New Heroes in Heroes of the Storm: Alexstrasza and Hanzo in Detail

Benedict Grothaus Benedict Grothaus Reading time 5 minutes

Heroes of the Storm welcomes two new heroes to the hero roster! At Blizzcon 2017, Alexstrasza and Hanzo were introduced in a cinematic. Here you can read the exact details about the archer from Overwatch and the Dragon Queen from WoW!

After a leak some time ago, as well as a technical glitch just before Blizzcon, Hanzo and Alexstrasza were already known as new heroes before the actual Blizzcon. During the opening ceremony, Blizzard officially announced them as new additions to HotS in a cinematic.

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After the announcement, the skill sets of the assassin and the support are now also known! Below you will find all the information currently available about Hanzo and Alexstrasza.

All information about the last hero, Junkrat, can be found in our article.

Hanzo – The Fallen Shimada

Hanzo was the heir of the Shimada clan – until the point where he allegedly killed his brother Genji. Since then, the archer has been pursuing skill and perfection as a warrior in the name of the dragon. The Nexus serves as the ideal training ground.

In Heroes of the Storm, Hanzo is an extremely agile ranged assassin who can track and hunt enemies with Storm and Sonic arrows.

Heroes of the Storm Blizzcon Hanzo Character

Hanzo’s abilities:

  • Innate Agility (Passive): When targeting impassable terrain or a building, Hanzo jumps to the other side.
  • Storm Bow: Activate to charge an arrow. The first enemy hit takes 270 damage. The longer the arrow is charged, the stronger it becomes. Activate again to fire.
  • Scatter Arrow: Fires an arrow that splits into 5 projectiles upon colliding with terrain or buildings, which can bounce up to 4 additional times. Each hit deals 85 damage to the first hero hit.
  • Sonic Arrow: Fires a Sonic arrow that reveals a large area for 8 seconds. Enemies in the revealed area are revealed for 1 second. If the arrow hits a hero, it deals 150 damage and moves with them.
    Heroes of the Storm Blizzcon Hanzo
  • Dragon Strike (Heroic Ability): Channels for 1.5 seconds to summon two dragon spirits that fly forward and deal 52 damage to enemy heroes every 0.25 seconds. The damage in the center is 150%.
  • Dragon Arrow (alternate heroic ability): Fires an arrow across the battlefield that explodes upon colliding with an enemy hero. All nearby enemies take 100 damage and are stunned for 0.5 seconds. If the arrow travels a medium distance, the damage increases to 200 and the stun duration to 1.25 seconds. At long range, the damage increases to 350 and the stun duration to 3 seconds.

Hanzo will be available with his normal appearance as well as the “Wanderer” skin upon release.

Heroes of the Stom Wanderer Hanzo
Hanzo’s Skin “Wanderer”

Here you can find Hanzo’s official hero page.

Alexstrasza – The Lifebinder

The red dragon queen and former aspect of life, Alexstrasza, has given up her power granted by the Titans as the last sacrifice for the help of Azeroth. Now she seeks new tasks in the Nexus to protect life there.

In Heroes of the Storm, Alexstrasza is a ranged support who heals her allies by sacrificing her own life or controlling the battlefield as a dragon.

Heroes of the Storm Blizzcon Alexstrasza Character

Alexstrasza’s abilities:

  • Dragon Queen (Passive): After 1.25 seconds of channeling, Alexstrasza transforms into a dragon for 15 seconds and gains 500 health. During this time, automatic attacks deal 143 damage to enemies in a cone-shaped area in front of her and heal allies for 43 health points. The duration of stuns, movement impairing effects, and blinds is reduced by 50% while in dragon form.
  • Gift of Life: Sacrifices 15% of current health to heal an ally for 150% of that amount.
    • Breath of Life (Dragon Form): The cooldown is greatly reduced and the spell costs no health.
  • Abundance: Plants a healing seed that heals all allies in the area for 20% of their maximum health after 3 seconds.
    • Maintenance (Dragon Form): Significantly increases the radius and amount healed.
      Heroes of the Storm Blizzcon Alexstrasza Dragon
  • Flame Burst: Shoots a fireball that deals 75 damage to enemies hit within 5.5 seconds. If already burning enemies are hit, they receive 125% bonus damage, are slowed by 40%, and Alexstrasza is refunded the mana cost. The slow effect decreases over 2 seconds.
    • Wing Strike (Dragon Form): Alexstrasza deals damage to enemies in a cone-shaped area in front of her and knocks them back.
  • Lifebinder (Heroic Ability): Binds Alexstrasza’s life force to that of an allied hero. After 2 seconds, the health of the more injured hero is increased to the percentage of the other.
  • Purifying Flames (alternate heroic ability): After 1.25 seconds, Alexstrasza takes to the skies and rains down 5 fireballs on the mouse cursor’s position over 6 seconds. Each fireball heals allies for 300 health and deals 150 damage to enemies. Alexstrasza lands 2 seconds after the last fireball at the cursor’s position.

Alexstrasza will be available at her release in her normal appearance, as well as with the “Dragon Aspect Alexstrasza” and “Dark Queen Alexstrasza” skins.

Heroes of the Stom Dark Queen Alexstrasza
Alexstrasza’s Skin “Dark Queen”

Here you can find Alexstrasza’s official hero page.

Release of Hanzo and Alexstrasza in Heroes of the Storm – When will they arrive?

Hanzo and Alexstrasza are both set to enter the Nexus during November and December, likely even earlier on the PTR. So it won’t be long before the two dragons are playable!

Benedict says: I’m not really interested in Hanzo. However, since I really enjoy playing supports, I’m very excited about Alexstrasza. I especially like the more unconventional supports like Stukov and Auriel. The playstyles of these supporters are very different from the others and are much more fun for me. I think Alexstrasza could shake the game up and immediately climb into the upper tiers of the tier list!

Heroes of the Storm: Tier List – The ranking of heroes!

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Blizzard
  2. Blizzcon
  3. blizzard