Today is finally the day: The Prestige raid in Destiny 2 goes live!
This is the “ultimate PvE challenge” that you can face in Destiny 2. At least that’s what Bungie calls it, as the developers assume that not all guardians will be able to successfully complete this activity.
Today, our friend Nexxoss Gaming will make an initial attempt. He goes with his fireteam directly at the start of the Prestige raid to give Calus and Co. a run for their money at the new difficulty level.
It starts on October 18th at 7 PM.
Here is the Twitch livestream:
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Today at 7 PM, you will receive a new invitation from Calus, who wants to welcome you to the Prestige raid. The following information is known in advance:
The recommended power level is 300. For the normal raid, it is 270.
The enemies are stronger and smarter, and there will be new mechanics that require new strategies.
According to the community manager DeeJ, the changes to the mechanics are minimal, but they are there.
Originally, the Prestige raid was supposed to start last week, but it was postponed due to an exploit . This makes it possible to complete the fight against Calus without adds – which makes things significantly easier.
Since Bungie wants to crown the “World First Run” again, a solution had to be found for the exploit to allow for fair competition. A fix is still in the works – meaning the Prestige raid starts today despite the exploit – however, a way to identify exploit users has been found. If a team utilizes this exploit, Bungie can disqualify them from the race for the World First.
This way, a winner can be crowned with absolute certainty.
Halloween brings big changes for Hearthstone . It’s going to get even crazier in the Arena than before.
As of today (October 17, 2017), Patch 9.2 of Hearthstone is live and paves the way for the Hallow’s End. This Halloween event is going to be a bit spookier and crazier. Especially in the Arena, there will be quite a few changes!
The Hallow’s End in Hearthstone lasts for two weeks. It starts on October 24 and ends on November 6.
In Hearthstone’s Arena mode, things will be quite peculiar during this time. Players will not only choose one class but two! First, players select a class (like Mage) and then a hero power (for example, Warrior). Then they must create a deck of 30 cards, but cards from both classes will be suggested (Mage and Warrior). This results in many cool new synergies.
And because this all follows the Halloween costume theme, the heroes will look different during this time. They have dressed up, and anyone who wanted to see Valeera as a cute catgirl, Jaina as an evil witch, or Gul’dan with a halo will definitely get their fill during this event.
So that all players can benefit from this event, there is a free Arena run every week. If someone is still in a run at the start time, they will receive the rewards they have achieved (based on previous wins) and another free Arena access as compensation.
However, the patch has also brought a few other changes. The game rules for some mechanics have been changed. In addition, there are no more forced synergy cards in the Arena, and the Malevolent Hatchling can no longer appear when crafting the deck.
What do you think of this new Arena mode? A good thing to create a bit more variety? Or do you see the balance completely flying out of the window already?
In Destiny 2 , the Nightfall strike Exodus Crash is once again plagued by a bug. Here are tips on how to master it quickly.
Update: Today around 5 PM, the Nightfall was changed. Bungie is responding to the bug issues. Now it is The Pyramidion that is in focus. Modifiers are Torrent (abilities charge faster) and Armageddon (mission timer cannot be extended).
Original Article:
Exodus Crash is the Nightfall in Destiny 2 for the second time this week. It already went live for the first time on September 19 and caused frustration among Guardians: The prestige version of the Nightfall strike was buggy. Community Manager Cozmo announced investigations.
Now, nearly a month later, this annoying bug is still in the game.
It is currently ruining the strike for many Guardians, as sometimes in the prestige Nightfall, the Arc Pulses may not spawn in an area. These are blue light pillars that need to be analyzed by walking through them. If the Arc Pulses do not spawn, the section cannot be completed. You have to restart and hope to avoid the bug on the next run.
In the community, the bug is causing anger and disbelief. It cannot be that Bungie brings the same buggy Nightfall again, although the developers had weeks to fix the bug.
Since the problem only occurs in the prestige Nightfall, you can also earn the weekly loot through the normal mode. Here are some info and tips.
Modifiers and Challenges in Exodus Crash this Week
In Exodus Crash, you have to heat up some Fallen on Nessus. The final boss is called Thaviks.
These are the modifiers:
Prism: Attacks matching the displayed element deal increased damage. Other elemental damage is reduced. Incoming damage and kinetic damage are unaffected. The element changes.
Time Loop: Rings: Pass through Vex time gates to extend the mission timer. You start with 14 minutes or 8 minutes (prestige).
The challenges in the Nightfall:
Complete the Nightfall with at least 5 minutes remaining.
Complete the Nightfall with less than 3 deaths.
As a fireteam, defeat 9 Shanks with melee attacks before defeating Thaviks.
Tips for the Nightfall
There are several ways to deal with the Prism modifier. Some fireteams rely on a “primary element” and ensure that all members have at least one weapon of that element. When that element is up, everyone deals massive damage together.
However, you can also spread the elements so that two players can deal high damage while the third Guardian uses the kinetic weapon:
Player 1: Energy weapon with Void element, Power weapon with Arc element
Player 2: Energy weapon with Arc element, Power weapon with Solar element
Player 3: Energy weapon with Solar element, Power weapon with Void element
When using the “Time Loop: Rings” modifier, you should note that you only activate the first ring after you have cleared the enemies in the area. Once the first ring is passed through, a timer starts. Within a short time, you must then fly through the other rings, or they will disappear, and you will lose valuable time.
Nexxoss Gaming shows you the locations of numerous rings in the video. Especially from minute 15, you can see rings that can easily be missed:
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Bring a sword for the boss fight. This way, you can defeat Thaviks in just a few minutes. Be sure that the corresponding element is active.
In the strike, you will take Arc damage from many sources. So you might want to try the submachine gun Risky, which benefits from this.
If you have to defend the Ghost, deploy a (large) Titan shield for more protection. Also put Warlock rifts in the circle.
If you do not have the elemental damage type displayed, then shoot with the kinetic weapon. Because other elemental damages are weakened.
If Arc damage is active, you can shoot with the Fallen’s Mosquito Gliders. They deal Arc damage.
By the way: This evening, on October 18 at 7 PM, the prestige raid finally starts the prestige raid. Hopefully, it will not be as buggy. We will publish an article about it during the day.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Hyper Universe is a colorful side-scrolling action game. Currently, the game is only available for real money in Early Access. With our giveaway codes, you can play and try it for free on Steam.
MOBA and side-scrolling games don’t go together? Then you should check out Hyper Universe. In Nexon’s colorful action game, elements from both genres are combined. You fight in a 2D side view and smash towers, bosses, and other players with the help of your minions in true MOBA fashion.
You choose one of 24 playable heroes (Hypers), each with unique skills and tactics. In the game, you can further develop your hero and adapt them to your style.
Win 250 Steam Early Access Keys for Hyper Universe
All of this sounds like a fun game concept to you, but the 15.99 euros for the Early Access version on Steam deter you? Then participate in our giveaway and with a little luck, win a key for the Early Access version on Steam.
Perform three of the actions described above and you will receive a key for Hyper Universe on Steam. Keys are available while supplies last. We have a total of 250 codes for you. Good luck!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The TOTW 5 (Team of the Week 5) in FIFA 18 FUT is known! These players will receive Inform cards in Ultimate Team this week.
The Team of the Week 5 is here! EA Sports just revealed the fifth Team of the Week in FUT 18, rewarding the best players of the past days with upgraded special cards.
This time there is a card over 90: De Gea comes with a strong 91 overall rating. From a Bundesliga perspective, Thiago (89) and Kimmich (86) are interesting. Here is the entire TOTW 5:
TOTW 5 – Player card ratings in FUT 18
Starting XI:
GK – De Gea – Manchester United – 90>91 RB – Kimmich – Bayern Munich – 81>86 CB – Berezutskiy – CSKA Moscow – 77>82 LB – Fabra – Boca Juniors – 76>81 CM – Thiago – Bayern Munich – 88>89 CAM – Fekir – Olympique Lyonnais – 82>84 CAM – Belluschi – San Lorenzo de Almagro – 80>83 RF – Sterling – Manchester City – 82>84 ST – Icardi – Inter – 84>86 ST – Immobile – Lazio – 82>84 ST – Jesus – Manchester City – 81>84
Substitutes:
GK – Lecomte – Montpellier HSC – 79>83 CB – Elustondo – Real Sociedad – 77>82 RM – Alessandrini – Los Angeles Galaxy – 77>82 CAM – Pereiro – PSV – 76>81 ST – Zaha – Crystal Palace – 81>84 ST – Iago Aspas – Celta Vigo – 83>85 ST – Al Soma – Al Ahli – 78>82
GK – Strakosha – Lazio – 74>80 CM – Berry – Luton Town – 65>75 ST – Bothroyd – Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo – 68>76 ST – Ducksch – Holstein Kiel – 67>76 ST – Michel – SC Paderborn 07 – 67>76
The TOTW 5 is available from October 18 at 7 PM until October 25 at 7 PM in the packs.
These were the predictions for the Team of the Week 5 in FUT 18
TOTW predictions are forecasts of which players deserve a place in the upcoming Team of the Week. While these predictions never align 100% with the official TOTW, and it is therefore risky to act on the transfer market based on them, they still provide a good overview of which players could receive the coveted special cards.
These predictions come from the futhead site:
Starting XI – Predictions:
Benjamin Lecomte – GK
Aritz Elustondo – CB
Alexey Berezutskiy – CB
Naldo – CB
Goncalo Guedes – LM
Manolo Gabbiadini – CAM
Nabil Fekir – CAM
Raheem Sterling – RF
Gabriel Jesus – ST
Mauro Icardi – ST
Ciro Immobile – ST
Substitutes – Predictions:
Thomas Strakosha – GK
Nedeljko Malic – CB
Luke Berry – LM
Gaston Pereiro – CM
Wanderson – ST
Sven Michel – ST
Daniel Frahn – ST
Fernando Belluschi – CM
Romain Alessandrini – RM
Cyril Thereau – CAM
Marvin Ducksch – ST
Nemanja Nikolic – ST
What is the TOTW in FIFA 18 Ultimate Team?
Every Wednesday, EA Sports reveals the Team of the Week in their annual football simulation “Ultimate Team” mode. Just like in FIFA 18. The players who performed outstandingly in real football in the past week are rewarded with special cards that have improved attributes.
You can pull the TOTW cards within a week from the packs that may contain Rare (Gold) players. However, the chances are considered low. Additionally, you can purchase them on the transfer market if they are offered by other players. However, the prices are usually extremely high.
The WoW private server Elysium has a corruption problem. The affected are admitting now – but there are still many more issues than expected.
Just yesterday we reported that there was a major dispute at the private server Elysium from World of Warcraft. Part of the team has “spilled the beans” and revealed that the head of the team had misappropriated the PayPal donation account of the project and that gold sales on the server could even have been possible. Subsequently, they launched the new project “Lights Hope”, a new private server.
Now, the accused from Elysium have taken a stance and mainly state: Everything is true, at least roughly.
The harsh reality was that Elysium could not survive solely on donations. Therefore, “limited gold sales” were allowed.
However, the servers will soon be online again and they are working hard to regain the lost trust.
Fun fact on the side: Banned gold buyers will also be unbanned, because “if the team deserves a second chance, so do you.”
Light’s Hope is also getting a slap, as they say: “Many servers have already been closed this year and we expect that the newest one, born of betrayal and theft, will be just like the others.”
Ex-team member from Elysium spills the beans
The colleagues from Buffed even want to have discovered even more details. A former member of the team around Elysium has contacted Buffed and revealed even more details. According to them:
The gold trading at Elysium is a “widespread problem” that has been accepted by the team
Botters and gold sellers were not permanently banned because “too many bans would eventually break the server”
PvP characters at rank 14 were farmed and sold on a large scale
But there were many inconsistencies within the team. The project manager suddenly assumed a new pseudonym and new team members were brought in, who were hardly known. Overall, thus a lot of questionable decisions.
Elysium was almost at its end
Moreover, the responsible parties have been lying for quite some time about the actual situation of Elysium. Not only was the fight against bots rather half-heartedly fought, but financially, the project was also in a bad state. Without gold trading, it would hardly have been possible to maintain operations at all.
Particularly interesting is probably the last accusation. According to this, the team that is now gathered around the new server Lights Hope planned the whole action for a long time. Otherwise, it would not be explainable that the new servers are already online. Such a database transfer would have always taken several days in the past.
How much of all the accusations is true can hardly be confirmed in retrospect. But it is clear: at Elysium, something has been amiss, and whether this will change with Lights Hope is questionable.
What do you think about this whole drama surrounding Elysium, Nostalrius, and Lights Hope? A scandal that finally had to be clarified? Or are you grabbing a bag of popcorn and waiting to see what happens?
In Destiny 2, cheaters in PvP, especially in Trials, are a real problem.
Recently, user MH2 complained in the Reddit forum: He became the victim of a DDoS attack by a cheating team in Trials. He checked the Destiny Trials Report and found that these Guardians had won the last 9 games without achieving a single kill. One of these players was even ranked in the Top 500 of Trials.
The term “DDoS” refers to a form of network manipulation. In fact, “DDoS” is often the incorrect term, but it is used broadly by large parts of the community as a generic term for such cheating. Methods are employed to kick other Guardians out of the match by attacking their network connections.
In short: These cheaters ensure that opposing Guardians are thrown out of the match. This gives them an automatic victory without having to fire a single shot. And like in this case, Flawless in the Trials of Nine (7 wins in a row without a loss) can be achieved without a single kill.
This is not only extremely unfair, but also a nuisance for all Guardians who earn their victories fairly and suffer defeat because of it. The post on Reddit has since received over 4000 upvotes and numerous comments reporting: Yes, we have also been victims of such cheaters.
What can be done about it?
The Reddit user has since updated his post. He has taken steps to report the cheaters. Screenshots and video evidence have been captured and sent to Bungie in the hope that they do not tolerate the cheaters.
And now a success report: He can confirm that one of the cheaters from his clan has been removed. Presumably, Bungie has issued a ban.
However, many Guardians also write that the cheaters they encountered and reported were not punished by Bungie. It is therefore recommended to report these manipulators to Sony and Microsoft as well.
There will probably never be a hundred percent protection against cheaters. Nevertheless, many players wish for better protective measures and harsher penalties. We do not have an official statement from Bungie on this topic.
We are giving away the legendary card Camazotz for Hand of the Gods: SMITE Tactics 1000 times for PS4 and Xbox One! The turn-based card collection game is now in beta on consoles.
Hand of the Gods: SMITE Tactics had its beta launch yesterday on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. In this free strategy game, you assemble your own card deck and play turn-based. The cards consist of mythological figures and gods you know from the action MOBA SMITE.
With your deck, you duel other players and fight your battle on a game board. You summon your cards and try to destroy your opponent’s summoner stone. In doing so, you command a leader god like Zeus or Ra, who brings their own skills.
Hand of the Gods is also described as a combination of Hearthstone and Xcom.
We are giving away the legendary god Camazotz 1000 times for PS4 and Xbox One
For the console beta launch of Hand of the Gods, we are giving away the legendary card Camazotz.
The god belongs to the Mayan pantheon, which fights with undead and zombies. The leader god of this pantheon is Ah Puch. He has the ability to place a zombie on the battlefield each round.
Camazotz is a melee fighter who deals 5 damage and has 5 health. With his special ability, Camazotz consumes all friendly zombies on the field and gains +1 damage / +1 health for each consumed zombie.
You will instantly receive a key when you meet the following requirements. Once all keys have been used, the giveaway is over.
Would you like to play the MMORPG Albion Online together with your friends? Then invite them through the new “Invite a Friend Program” – but it will cost you Gold!
You heard right, you have to pay in-game money to invite your friends. With the Gold you earn, you buy Trial Keys. Each key costs you 1,000 gold coins. You then pass this key to a friend who can play for free for seven days.
If the player stays, you get your paid Gold back
However, you will also receive rewards for recommending the game to a friend. If your buddy stays and buys a starter pack, you will not only get back the 1,000 gold coins, but also an additional 4,000 gold. In addition, there are many other rewards, which change regularly.
The more friends you give a trial key to, the more rewards you get, and the more of your friends buy a starter pack, the richer you will become in the game.
Player numbers are slowly stabilizing
The number of players in Albion Online is currently declining, as can be read in the official forum. This is not surprising. Like every online game, the number of players is very high at the beginning because many want to try the title. Afterwards, it decreases to stabilize at an average.
According to the developers, there are currently around 2,000 players active at the same time, a number that the team is satisfied with, but which also has room for improvement. Perhaps the “Invite a Friend Program” will bring more players to the fantasy world.
Bungie has completely revamped the Crucible of Destiny 2 compared to its predecessor. In an interview, four top streamers share insights about the advantages and disadvantages of the new system.
Destiny 2 does some things differently in terms of the Crucible compared to its predecessor. Only four players now fight in a team, while in Destiny 1, six players could join the battle together. At the same time, your opponents no longer go down as quickly as they did in the predecessor, leading to a more team-oriented style of play.
The weapon system has also undergone extensive changes. There is no longer a single “God-Roll”; all weapons come with the same perks. Furthermore, Bungie has changed how weapons can be equipped. Ammunition for weapons with “One Hit Kill” potential, such as sniper rifles and shotguns, is no longer unlimited but heavily limited during a match.
The US website Kotaku took the changes in the Crucible as an opportunity to invite four prominent streamers to inquire about their experiences in the PvP mode.
Specifically, Kotaku asked the following streamers for a casual chat:
Stefan “Datto” Jonke, primarily a PvE player who also finds his way in the Crucible,
Ari “TripleWreck” Smith, a streamer focused on PvP content,
“SirDimetrious“, an experienced PvP player focused on weapon, equipment, and subclass reviews, and
Christian “Mr. Fruit” Miller, who is not afraid to try a weak weapon combination in the Crucible.
Focus on Primary Weapons and 4vs4 Leads to More Balance
Concerning the weapon system and the focus on the kinetic and energy slot, TripleWreck and Mr. Fruit agree: It results in better balance in the Crucible and smoother gameplay.
The reduction of teams is uniformly seen as a largely positive change. According to Datto, no one in Destiny 2 plays as a Lone Wolf anymore, but as a team. Team-based play is significantly more focused and goal-oriented than when everyone runs around the map alone.
YouTuber Stefan “Datto” Jonke
Due to the increased TTK and the reduced focus on abilities (which deal significantly less damage), Destiny 2 embraces its strengths as a shooter, it’s a more “down-to-earth game”, as Mr. Fruit adds.
According to SirDimetrious, a team-based 4vs4 encourages a more competitive game; casual players who just want to have fun find it disproportionately harder.
“4vs4 is fun! But I hope Bungie adds new modes like 6vs6, just to have an alternative to the current game” – TripleWreck
Less Room for Heroes
Due to the increased TTK and weaker abilities, it has become harder to shine as an individual in Destiny 2. 1vs3 situations are significantly tougher, and being outnumbered in Trials of the Nine is especially challenging to compensate for.
Streamer Ari “TripleWreck” Smith
This can, according to TripleWreck, lead to a one-dimensional game, “where a set strategy (acting as a team) almost always leads to success, and the individual influence of a player to decide a match is negated.”
The Two Shooter Extremes and Where Destiny 2 Fits In
Generally, shooters can be divided into two categories: those with low TTK and those with high TTK. As an example of a shooter with low TTK, TripleWreck mentions Call of Duty, while games like Halo could be categorized as having a higher TTK.
Neither is bad, but extreme swings can be detrimental to the game. If it only takes one shot to kill an opponent, it’s simply about who sees whom first. If it takes 100 shots, coordinated team play is an absolute necessity to increase the chances of victory.
“If the spectrum of TTK represents Destiny 1 and Destiny 2, then I wish for a game in the golden middle” – TripleWreck
According to TripleWreck, Bungie has gone too far towards high TTK with Destiny 2, 1v1s are rare and opportunities to shine as a solo player are limited to the super ability and power ammunition. If the spectrum of TTK represents Destiny 1 and Destiny 2, then TripleWreck wishes for a game in the golden middle.
Brand New Meta, Same Old MIDA
Every competitive multiplayer game has a “meta” that refers to the specific weapons, classes, and abilities. The meta is commonly regarded as the most effective load-out in multiplayer mode.
Christian “Mr. Fruit” Miller
Destiny 1 had several of these “meta” combinations over the years. Starting with automatic rifles, to shotguns, pulse rifles as well as the glorious times of the hand cannons Thorn and the Last Word.
According to SirDimetrious, the current meta in Destiny 2 consists of a combination of scout rifles, automatic rifles, and submachine guns. The hand cannons with fire salvos also have a very low TTK.
“It’s significantly harder to name a definitive meta in Destiny 2 – the weapons and abilities are too well balanced” – SirDimetrious
TripleWreck describes the meta similarly but sees a need for improvement with hand cannons and pulse rifles: “Specifically, hand cannons should reward a steady hand but often lose against automatic rifles in this range class.”
Datto emphasizes that “good weapon balancing shifts the focus on one’s positioning on the maps. Knowing the maps well and being able to position strategically provides an advantage.”
The MIDA Multi-Tool
And yet one weapon overshadows all others. The MIDA Multi-Tool was used by at least one player in 98% of all matches during the first weekend of the Trials of the Nine. Even in the weeks that followed, the weapon lost little of its popularity.
For Kotaku, this is reason enough to ask the streamers for their opinion regarding the MIDA. All agree that it would be wrong to call the MIDA Multi-Tool overpowered. At the same time, the four express frustration when they are defeated by the MIDA.
“There’s a fine line between annoying and overpowered – and the MIDA walks that line” – SirDimetrious
The reason for this is the high-caliber rounds. The MIDA Multi-Tool compensates for many weaknesses: Increased sprint speed is a great bonus for the mobility of Guardians, the permanent radar is useful – but only high-caliber rounds have a severe impact. These are the real “problem” of the weapon.
Perks like high-caliber rounds or explosive rounds cause “flinch” to the opponent, meaning the vision is thrown off under fire. This makes it significantly harder to win a fight when the opponent has the advantage of the first shot.
“I hate it! It robs me of the fun in the game.” – Mr. Fruit on the topic of randomness with high-caliber rounds
The streamers primarily resent the randomness that comes into play with high-caliber rounds. Because the rounds do not always cause flinch to the opponent but do so randomly, it makes it impossible to react to opponents with such weapons. Even if both parties use the same skill and the same weapon, whoever has the luck and the high-caliber rounds on their side emerges victorious from this fight.
Particularly frustrating is the fact that high-caliber rounds were already a dominant issue in Destiny 1. Bungie removed these from the MIDA Multi-Tool. Why they make a comeback in Destiny 2 is unclear to all streamers.
However, there is consensus that the removal or reduction of the effects of high-caliber rounds on all weapons would significantly ease the situation regarding the MIDA Multi-Tool.
For a Handful of Weapons
While the removal of random rolls on weapons can generally be seen positively, according to TripleWreck, it is disappointing how little customization potential there is with weapons in Destiny 2.
“It’s not the fixed rolls on the weapons that are the problem but the low number of available weapons.” – TripleWreck
Bungie could solve this problem by
A) Tons of new weapons or
B) a fundamental overhaul of the mod system
Is Destiny 2 Fit for eSports?
Bungie’s ultimate roadmap for the Crucible of Destiny 2 remains shrouded in darkness; however, the changes made regarding team size and a focus on team-oriented gameplay at least suggest ambitions for a future approach to eSports.
“Never has a game developer confused me regarding its decisions about eSports as much as Bungie” – SirDimetrious
Streamer SirDimetrious takes a negative stance on the topic. Bungie has removed “one of the core elements from the Crucible of Destiny 1: Overpowered weapons and abilities that created grand moments in the predecessor now must adhere to strict balancing.“
Yet Bungie seems to have given up halfway. There are no custom games nor a ranking in competitive mode. Fixed loadouts are also not a topic.
“It’s strange that aside from the changes to PvP and the competitive playlist, there are no signs that Destiny 2 actually wants to develop towards eSports,” adds Mr. Fruit.
This also affects long-term motivation. TripleWreck adds that it is a shame that Bungie does not provide players with incentives to spend time in the Crucible of Destiny 2. There are no tournaments, no private matches. Nothing to keep the players engaged long-term.
“Rankings, private matches, map voting – Please Bungie, we’re all in for this!” – SirDimetrious
The Future of Destiny 2 Lies on the PC – Or?
Many of the desired features could be added by Bungie in the coming weeks and months; Luke Smith has already hinted that changes will come. In the meantime, Destiny 2 is also being released on the PC.
The beta already provided a first glimpse of what PC gamers can look forward to. An unlimited frame rate and precise aiming with mouse and keyboard promote a significantly more aggressive playstyle on PC.
“Destiny 2 on PC is the ultimate experience” – TripleWreck
For TripleWreck, Destiny 2 on PC feels like a completely different game. The control with mouse and keyboard, as well as the unlimited frame rate, significantly accelerate the PvP mode. For a future-focused approach to eSports, Destiny 2 on PC will be the “tip of the spear.”
Mr. Fruit even goes so far as to say that he feels no motivation to play Destiny 2 on a console due to the upcoming PC launch. Many players who dismissed the beta on console fell in love with the precise gunplay on PC.
Will pulse rifles like the Worn Tip be the new meta on PC?
It will be interesting to observe the development of the meta on PC, which could develop quite differently than on consoles.
In the meantime, it remains to be seen how Bungie will handle the great potential that Destiny 2 offers and what solutions will be offered in the near future to keep players engaged.
What do you think? Do you agree with the streamers’ statements? Let us know in the comments!
Halloween is coming soon and the spooky festival is celebrated in games as eagerly as in real life. We present to you a series of online games and MMOs that offer particularly cool Halloween events!
On October 31st, Halloween will be celebrated again. The festival originally comes from Ireland, but it only became popular in the USA and now all over the world, where people dress up frightfully, throw parties, and hilariously trick-or-treat.
Like many festivals, Halloween fits perfectly into online games. The following MMOs and MMORPGs celebrate the spooky event in particularly cool ways.
World of Warcraft – The Spooky Hallow’s End
World of Warcraft doesn’t just celebrate Halloween. In Blizzard’s MMORPG, the spooky festival is firmly integrated into the lore as “Hallow’s End.” In WoW, the forsaken Undead remember how they freed themselves from the Scourge. The festival offers special tasks, costumes, candy, and the burning of effigies.
This honorable task is appropriately undertaken by the great NPCs Genn Greymane and Sylvanas Windrunner. They are ideally suited for the job as a werewolf and undead elf! The tasks for the Halloween event are the same as every year:
You can get candies and goodies at inns
You can decorate your garrison and obtain new pets. Additionally, there are special quests in the garrison
In Stormwind or Orgrimmar, you can pick up the quest “A Friend in Need” to earn yourself a pet
You can take care of orphaned children and give them candies for rewards
The event boss, the Headless Horseman, awaits you again. Anyone wanting to defeat him should show up with 4 other allies.
In addition, there are other daily quests, new toys, costumes, and buffs.
The release of Generation 3 in Pokémon GO is not far away. Niantic has now implemented important preparations in the game that are necessary for the release.
Players of Pokémon GO around the world are eagerly waiting for new monsters in the game. Various sources such as advertisements in app stores or sounds in the code of Pokémon GO suggest that we can expect monsters from the third generation at the Halloween event 2017.
Another important step has now been taken, which is crucial for the release of Generation 3.
Gender ratios found in the code
The new Pokémon GO update 0.79.3 / 1.49.3 is now available for iOS users. Players have now discovered that there are further changes in the update that indicate a soon release of Gen 3 in Pokémon GO.
On Reddit, user Chrales shared his findings. In the GAME_MASTER file, there were changes regarding the gender distribution of the monsters from Generation 3. This information is needed before new Pokémon are released.
This determines how frequently certain species appear as male or female monsters.
As a comparison: The gender ratios of Generation 2 were added to the game a day before the release of the monsters. Theoretically, it would now be possible to send the new Pokémon into the wild and onto the trainers’ devices. However, the new attacks are still missing in the game.
If Niantic wanted, they could release Generation 3 and assign them the attacks of Generation 1 and 2. However, this would take away much potential from the release, as fans are already looking forward to the new attacks they can use in battles.
We also assume that there will be another update before the release of Generation 3, in which new attacks will be added.
Full release or just a few monsters?
For a few days now, we have been on the “hype train” towards Gen 3. However, Niantic is still missing important official statements. The Halloween event 2017 has not been announced yet, but the facts of the third generation speak for themselves:
Before the official announcement, trainers speculate about what Niantic is planning. Are they bringing a majority of Generation 3 to the game for Halloween, or will it just be a few spooky Pokémon? What do you think?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Electronic Arts is closing the development studio Visceral Games, which is currently working on a Star Wars project. This game is still in development, but it is set to be completely changed. Apparently, it is moving towards “Games as a service” – like Destiny 2.
Visceral’s Star Wars game was originally conceived as an Uncharted-like, linear action-adventure. However, in its current form, the game will never see the light of day.
According to Electronic Arts, recent tests and feedback from testers have shown that players and the market want something different.
The design of the Star Wars game therefore needs to be revised. The graphics, the authenticity of the Star Wars universe, and the approach to telling an exciting Star Wars story will remain intact. Everything else will be redone by EA.
Will an action-adventure become a multiplayer game?
Patrick Söderlund, head of EA Worldwide Studios, explains the situation: “The Visceral studio was developing an action-adventure set in the Star Wars universe. In its current form, it was intended to be a story-based, linear adventure game. Throughout the development process, we tested the game concept with players and listened to the feedback they provided on what and how they want to play. We have also noticed fundamental changes in the market.”
Söderlund further states: “It has become clear that we need to change the design in order to deliver a player experience that players will return to and enjoy for a long time. We will keep the impressive graphics and credibility of the Star Wars universe while focusing on bringing a Star Wars story to life. Much more importantly, we will transform the game into a broader experience that offers more variety and activities for players, leveraging the capabilities of our Frostbite engine.”
This strongly indicates a pronounced multiplayer component and sounds like Destiny.
The market is changing – Destiny instead of Uncharted
Andreas says: Visceral’s Star Wars game was supposed to be a kind of Uncharted in space. To this end, the studio specifically hired developer Amy Hennig, who was responsible for the story of the Uncharted games at Naughty Dog. The market has changed, and games offering a long-term player experience have become more popular than single-player action adventures. Not only among players, but also among developers.
It’s easier to focus on the continuous evolution of a game than to create something entirely new every few years. This shift towards a “game as a service” model is now also a direction EA wants to commit to, as seen with Anthem.
With the new Star Wars game, the company apparently now follows a similar approach. Just as they left Mass Effect behind to push Anthem forward, they are now gearing Star Wars more towards Destiny than Uncharted.
Star Wars: Destiny?
It seems that we are about to see some kind of new Destiny in the Star Wars universe. A game with a continuous service that encourages players to stay engaged instead of looking for a new title after finishing the story. Through constant updates, expansions, a loot loop, and microtransactions, such a game will be endlessly extended.
How exactly this will look is something no one can say for now. Especially since the project has been postponed indefinitely due to the overhaul.
The original developer studio Visceral Games has been dissolved, and apparently a new team is now taking over the project. This team is now taking the time to completely overhaul the concept of the Star Wars project and implement the feedback from testers for a long-term player experience. Therefore, it will likely be a while before we learn more about the new design of the game.
Perhaps we will eventually see the new Star Wars in this list:
The company Activision Blizzard (WoW, Destiny 2, Overwatch) has filed a patent that is causing controversy. They don’t intend it to be perceived this way.
Activision Blizzard has created a matchmaking system that checks various variables to find the suitable players for a match. The patent was filed back in 2015, but only now has it been approved.
This is not a problem in itself, but the patent application includes examples that raise concerns. Because they link matchmaking to microtransactions.
Manipulated matchmaking is supposed to boost in-game sales
A variant of the system is intended to encourage players to spend more money in the cash shop.
The idea behind this variant of the system is that fresh players are matched with experienced players and then see: “Wow, what great stuff does that other guy have? I want that too!”
The system is supposed to entice younger players to buy items in the cash shop. It aims to boost microtransactions.
Examples in the patent application refer to first-person shooters
The system can also directly reward players for purchasing items. Thus, the system can place players who have bought a specific weapon into a match where that weapon is extremely effective.
The examples mentioned in the patent application relate to a first-person shooter but are also transferable to other game genres.
The gaming department Glixel of Rolling Stone, which first reported on this patent, drew the obvious conclusion and referred this patent to the current Activision shooter Destiny 2 – thus focusing the story, which was general, on Destiny 2.
System is not applied in Destiny 2 – it is just research result
However: Bungie has already responded and stated that the patent has no application in Destiny 2.
Activision goes even further and says that the patent was filed by the research department in 2015. The team is independent from the game studios. And the system has not been applied in any game.
Bad timing
Mein MMO believes: The approval of the patent comes at the worst possible time for Activision Blizzard. Stricter microtransactions in current titles such as Shadow of War, Star Wars Battlefront 2, or also Destiny 2 have heightened tensions. Players are currently more sensitive on the topic of “microtransactions” than ever before.
And the patent sounds like exactly the kind of psychological manipulation that really annoys players.
The latest update for Heroes of the Storm is live. The Overwatch hero Junkrat is now dropping his bombs in the Nexus!
As the days grow shorter, the time of spookiness also begins in Heroes of the Storm. The Halloween event “Schlotternächte” has started and not only brings cool skins and other cosmetic items, but also the explosive hero Junkrat.
Junkrat is a bit crazier in Heroes of the Storm than in Overwatch. There he has the ability Ritt auf der Rakete, where he – as the name suggests – sits on a rocket and strikes the target location. The fact that this results in his own death is good because it rains down additional grenades. As a “compensation” for this suicide, Junkrat can then ride the rocket from spawn to the battlefield to be ready for action again.
Let’s take a quick look at Junkrat’s abilities.
Junkrat’s passive ability is Sprengteufel and works just like in Overwatch. When Junkrat dies, he leaves some grenades in the immediate vicinity that explode after a few moments and deal high damage.
Grenade Launcher fires a grenade to a target location that then bounces further in the direction of fire. When the grenades hit obstacles, they bounce off and continue rolling. The ability has 4 charges, and the cooldown of all charges ends simultaneously.
The Remote Mine also works like in Overwatch. Junkrat places a mine at the target location that he can detonate by activating his passive ability (D). Enemies hit by the explosion take damage and are hurled away in the corresponding direction. Junkrat is also thrown away by the mine but takes no damage. There can only be one mine active at a time.
The Steel Trap places a trap at the target position that is ready for use after a few seconds. If an enemy steps into the trap, they take low damage and are immobilized for a few seconds. There can only be one Steel Trap active at a time.
The first heroic ability is the Kamikazereifen. Junkrat becomes immobile, and the player takes control of the tire, which moves quickly and can bounce over obstacles. At the press of a button, the tire detonates and deals higher damage at the center of the explosion. The tire can be destroyed by enemies in advance.
Junkrat’s second heroic ability is the Ritt auf der Rakete. Junkrat activates a huge rocket over several seconds, after which he takes off. While in the air, he can redefine his impact area until time runs out. Then, Junkrat strikes the target, deals damage, and activates his ability Sprengteufel. Shortly thereafter, Junkrat reappears at the base (as if he had died) and can quickly rush back to the battlefield using a temporary rocket mount.
Schlotternächte 2017 in Heroes of the Storm
The Schlotternächte in Heroes of the Storm last nearly 4 weeks. They begin today, on October 18th, and end on November 14th.
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During the festivities, all newly obtained loot chests will become “Schlotternacht” chests that contain at least one event item. Especially the skins will be highly sought after, such as Doctor Frankenwolf (Greymane) or the adorable Skull Chromie. Of course, new mounts must not be missing, which come in several variations.
A three-part quest rounds off the event. Completing games unlocks three cosmetic items that can be unlocked during the Halloween event.
Complete 2 games: Spray – Headless Rider
Complete 8 games: War Banner of the Schlotternächte
Complete 15 games: Portrait – Headless Rider
Will you check out Heroes of the Storm again for Halloween? Or has the boat already left for you?
The latest patch of Overwatch is live. While Mercy has to take a hit, Lúcio is regaining old strength. We have the patch notes for you.
Last night (October 17, 2017), the latest patch for Overwatch went live. The small update to the existing patch 1.16 / 2.19 brings only a few changes to the balancing, especially affecting Mercy and Lúcio.
Mercy receives another adjustment to her ultimate and resurrection, which we have already discussed in more detail in this post. She is now capable of resurrecting two players in direct succession at will, but loses the cooldown reduction bonus for resurrection – which ultimately leads to fewer resurrects per round.
Although Lúcio is a buff, strictly speaking it is just a bugfix, since he unintentionally lost speed due to a developer oversight.
The complete patch notes for the update for patch 1.16 (PC) or 2.19 (PS4, Xbox One) are as follows:
General Changes
Social
[PC only] Players can now set their current status to Online, Away, Busy, or Invisible (friends can still see them if they are in the same match).
Hero Changes
General
Lúcio
Wall Ride
The speed boost that Lúcio receives at the end of a wall ride has been increased by 65%.
Mercy
Guardian Angel
Players can now glide over their target when they press the jump button.
The cooldown is no longer reset when a resurrection is performed.
Valkyrie
No longer resets the cooldown of resurrection.
Now grants players an additional charge of resurrection.
Zenyatta
A number of additional voicelines for the cultist skin have been added.
Bug Fixes
Heroes
A bug was fixed that prevented Mercy’s momentum from correctly decreasing when Guardian Angel was cancelled.
A bug was fixed that prevented the visual effects of Sombra’s pumpkin victory pose from displaying correctly.
In The Division, the PTS for Update 1.8 is entering Phase 3 today.
The new features of Update 1.8 have already been available for testing on public test servers for weeks. At least on PC. The console PTS, on the other hand, has only been live for a week.
As the developers have now announced, the test servers will likely remain live for a while. Because today, on October 18, 2017, a new PTS phase begins that will also be tested for a while.
On October 18 at 10 AM our time, the PC PTS will be shut down. Maintenance will take place, which is expected to last 30 minutes. Once the servers are back online around 10:30 AM, Phase 3 of the PTS for Update 1.8 will be available.
Important: Phase 3 is only coming to PC today. Updates for consoles must first undergo a certification process. When – and if – PTS 3 will come to PS4 and Xbox One will be seen in the future.
PTS 3 for Update 1.8 – Patch Notes
The official patch notes are still pending. Massive states that these will be published as soon as possible. They are expected to arrive during the course of today. We will update this article then.
It can be assumed that there will be some bug fixes and balance adjustments. That’s what the PTS is there for: to fix bugs early and to make fine-tunings.
There is still no concrete release date for Update 1.8 on the live servers. So far, Massive and Ubisoft have mentioned “Autumn 2017.” Assuming that the PTS Phase 3 lasts another week and then the PTS will be shut down, a release date could be aimed for mid-November. Because after the PTS, Massive still has some preparations for the launch to make, which in the past took about two weeks.
An overview of the main changes that Update 1.8 brings can be seen here:
In Destiny 2, a new exclusive offer is running in the Eververse. This comes at the wrong time, our author Robert finds.
The mood in the Destiny 2 community is currently divided. Many fans are in a bad mood. Especially hardcore players express their displeasure in various forums about
At the peak of frustration, a special bundle appears in Bungie’s real money shop, the Eververse.
20 Euros for a ship and a few shaders
The bundle is called “Golden Sevens Bundle” in English and includes 7 Glimmer Engrams and 7 versions of the shader Goldtrace as well as an exclusive ship. Additionally, there are 500 Glimmer. The bundle costs 2000 Silver. That’s about €20 – for this price you get 2000 Silver and 300 bonus Silver.
The “exclusive” ship is “Nothing but Gold”, and can also be obtained in other ways in the Eververse. Only the skin of the ship is exclusive. The shader Goldtrace is already in the game and can be obtained by alternative means.
No matter how one feels about such offers, the timing for this action is surprising. Offering such a package at the peak of player frustration seems at least unwise.
The price also raises eyebrows. 5 Glimmer Engrams are already available for 800 Silver. The shader can also be purchased in the game. Only the skin of the ship is exclusive.
A Titan with the Goldtrace shader
The pricing and timing of the release are currently inciting players on Reddit to protest. However, it is unlikely that Bungie will comment on this in any way.
What do you think of the bundle? Are you buying it? Or do you consider it a bad joke?
Bundle removed again?
Update: Apparently, the bundle came into the game with today’s weekly reset. However, it was quickly removed again – since around 3 PM our time, reports from Guardians have been increasing that they can no longer find the bundle in the Eververse. Perhaps Bungie itself has realized that now is not the right time for such an offer. In addition to the “Golden Sevens Bundle”, there is also a “Sub-Zero” bundle in Destiny 2, which is similarly structured.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
At an Overwatch tournament in South Korea, only real soldiers were allowed to participate. However, they could also play for a nice prize for their division …
“Overwatch is just a war game!” you can hear from older critics who don’t understand video games. Now they are even right about that – at least a little.
A few days ago, the Overwatch Soldier: 76 tournament took place in South Korea. The special thing about it: Only active soldiers of the South Korean Army were allowed to participate!
In South Korea, similar to a few years ago in Germany, there is conscription. All men between 18 and 35 years must serve 21 months in the army. Currently, this amounts to about 500,000 young soldiers. Given this age average, it’s not surprising that there is great interest in video games and subsequently Overwatch.
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“Winning Division” received 15 extra vacation days
180 soldiers qualified for the finals, which were also streamed. Even among soldiers who had no great interest in video games, the tournament was popular – because there was an important prize at stake. The division of the winners (“Division 12”) could look forward to a special leave of 15 days.
Especially funny: Just last year, there were some problems in the Korean army regarding Overwatch. The military had forbidden its soldiers from watching two larger eSports tournaments. Obviously, this rule has now been relaxed, as the Soldier. 76 tournament was a military-wide success.
We always knew that wars in the 21st century are decided on the PC – and as long as it only happens in Overwatch, that’s just fine.
What do you think of this “soldiers only” tournament? A cool thing that other countries should take a page from? Or is Overwatch being misused for ugly military propaganda?
Hand of the Gods: SMITE Tactics launches today on PS4 and Xbox One into closed beta. The turn-based collectible card game is free to play and builds upon the mythological universe of the god-MOBA SMITE. Through an additional game board, Hand of the Gods gains a special strategic depth.
Console players who enjoy strategic games can rejoice. Hand of the Gods: SMITE Tactics starts its closed beta today on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One and is free to play.
Hand of the Gods is a turn-based strategy game where you duel with cards.
In this game, you assemble your own decks and fight with the mythological characters and gods known from the action-MOBA SMITE. Hand of the Gods is developed by Hi-Rez Studios.
Hand of the Gods is a mix of Hearthstone and Xcom
Each pantheon has a ruler like Anubis or Zeus, who possesses special abilities and cards. These can be combined with neutral cards, allowing for various play styles and tactics.
The unique aspect of Hand of the Gods is that it features a game board in addition to the card deck. With the cards, you summon your units directly onto the chessboard battlefield and command them.
You need to carefully consider the positioning of your units. The goal is to destroy your opponent’s summoner stone using your units and god powers.
PlayStation Plus & Xbox Live members automatically receive beta access, no code needed
If you own a PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live account, you automatically receive access to the closed beta. Additionally, members will receive a free starter pack. The pack includes:
a leader skin
an exclusive card back
an avatar icon
All new players receive five basic packs as starter help for building their decks.
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