The developers of the MMORPG Albion Online have now given a preview of what fans can expect in the future after the launch in summer.
The team sees what Albion Online currently is as just a good foundation. From here, the journey will continue, and about three to four major content updates are planned each year, which will continuously expand the MMORPG and introduce new content.
Albion Online is set to become even bigger
The foundation that the development team has come up with is set. This includes a player-driven economy, PvP with full loot, and guild wars. According to the team, all of this runs stably. But this is just the beginning. Albion Online is set to become much bigger, and they want to significantly improve the MMORPG.
First, the team wants to focus on an aspect that players frequently mention: single-player content. There is a great demand for activities that can be done alone because, according to the developers, no one plays an MMORPG constantly in a group. Occasionally, players also go out alone and want to have fun as well.
Therefore, solo content will be improved with an upcoming update. This includes activities like fishing, to allow players to contribute to the economy even when alone. Additionally, areas will be introduced where zerging is not possible. This is intended to give solo players a chance in PvP without being immediately overwhelmed by a horde of enemy players.
More exploration, better PvP
Additionally, they want to make the world more interesting. The exploration aspect will be emphasized, so it will be fun to explore the world. PvP battles in the Outlands should become even more intense and exciting. Guilds should gain even greater significance, so that everyone in a guild can participate in the wars. In general, players in a guild will receive more tools to better manage their organization.
These are just a few of the things that the developers of Albion Online are currently planning to lead the MMORPG into the future.
In the past, political tensions between Korea and China have caused waves in gaming. China has already announced that it would make it harder for games from South Korea to access the market. One can certainly trust the Chinese government to protect the Chinese market from “foreign companies” using protectionist measures. By making it harder for foreign competition to enter the market, the Chinese government strengthens domestic firms.
Too much blood and violence in PUBG (PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds)? China is considering a ban, although an IT giant may be interested in the game.
The battle royale shooter “PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds” has achieved several milestones since its release in March. PUBG has pushed top games on Steam like CS:GO and DOTA 2 aside. More than 1.3 million concurrent users on Steam show that the game has struck a chord with the gaming community.
However, for China, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is allegedly too bloody and violent. They are considering banning PUBG in China.
“Reminds of gladiatorial battles”
The Chinese government apparently disagrees with PUBG. The game has grown larger in recent months and is gaining momentum. Should a brake be applied in China now?
The video game department of the Chinese Audio-Video Copyright Association has published a statement on PUBG (Link to the statement in Chinese). In it, they explain that the game contains too much blood and violence. Therefore, it is unlikely that PUBG would receive a license in China to be officially released.
In the statement, the authors even go so far as to compare PUBG to the ancient arena fights of the Romans. This survival principle would violate the morals of China and have a negative influence on children and adolescents.
Additionally, they warn local companies. They should not develop or publish such games. No advertising for this game genre should run on eSports and livestream platforms.
Rumors: Tencent wanted to buy parts of PUBG
It seems that this ban is not being considered without context. For weeks, rumors have circulated that the Chinese IT and gaming giant “Tencent” wanted a deal for the Chinese PUBG servers.
Tencent already owns popular games for PC (League of Legends) and mobile (Clash of Clans). Additionally, Tencent launched a gaming platform to create competition for Steam in China. Currently, PUBG has no publisher in China.
Ironically, the committee that published the aforementioned statement includes a vice president of Tencent and other executives from well-known gaming companies like “Perfect World” and “ChangYou”.
Touchy political situation
So should PUBG be banned so that a homegrown battle royale shooter doesn’t have competition? This shouldn’t be a problem for the experienced gaming giants from China. A bit less blood and violence and they could bypass the proposed ban. Besides, there is no top dog without PUBG.
Neither Tencent nor PUBG developer Bluehole has commented on this possible ban so far. However, the story remains intriguing.
In the past, political tensions between Korea and China have caused waves in gaming. China has already announced that it would make it harder for games from South Korea to access the market. One can certainly trust the Chinese government to protect the Chinese market from “foreign companies” using protectionist measures. By making it harder for foreign competition to enter the market, the Chinese government strengthens domestic firms.
So far, it has been clear in the multiplayer horror game Friday the 13th who the murderer is. However, this might change with the game mode Paranoia.
A new game mode called Paranoia has been announced, but almost nothing is officially known about it yet. It is certain that the mode will be available for free to all owners of the game. When? That is still up in the air.
A murderer in the group
The first teaser trailer for Paranoia reveals nothing further about how the mode will operate. However, there are already some hints. These suggest that in Paranoia you do not know who the murderer is. This person is among the players and initially remains unrecognized. No one trusts each other, which leads to paranoia, the fear of being constantly hunted.
Is Paranoia inspired by the fifth part of the film series?
The murderer reveals himself when he eliminates one of the other players. It is quite possible that he remains undetected as he kills secretly. It is conceivable that the victim might warn the others if it manages to escape. Hints on various social media sites suggest that the new game mode could operate this way.
The fans of Friday the 13th believe that Paranoia is inspired by the fifth part of the film series. In this part, the killer was one from the group who wanted to imitate the murders of the insane Jason.
If Paranoia really operates as the fans of Friday the 13th suspect, then we can expect an intense game mode.
With a major update of the online shooter Escape from Tarkov, the path is being laid for the open beta.
The online shooter Escape from Tarkov is nearing the launch of the open beta. This is still planned for the end of the year, after the team has gathered a lot of feedback from testers during the ongoing closed beta and is continuously improving the game.
An absolute hardcore shooter
What is increasingly becoming clear from the beta: Escape from Tarkov is a hardcore game. Anyone wanting to play needs to have a high tolerance for frustration. Every hit can mean the end – not just a headshot. Because it is possible to bleed out from a gunshot wound if you can’t find bandages.
This heavy difficulty level divides the player base, as Escape from Tarkov is certainly not suitable for casual gamers. But you can see for yourself soon when the open beta takes place at the end of the year.
The shooter has already reached quite a good status. Most of the features are integrated, and generally the action game plays quite well. However, there are still some bugs to fix, and balancing also needs adjustments. If you want to get an insight into the current status of the game, you can watch videos from beta testers, like this one:
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Now, in preparation for the upcoming launch of the open beta, a comprehensive update has been released. This introduces, among other things, 70 new items. This includes the AKM, the Kalashnikov, in its civilian version. Also included is the DVL-10 M1 “Saboteur” sniper rifle. Furthermore, the last gestures and voice commands have also been implemented. New are also grenades, the armor and damage system, as well as the suppression fire game mechanics.
The update further improves the AI of the computer opponents, fixes a number of bugs, and introduces additional optimizations to the engine. The improvements, optimizations, and the introduction of new features will continue until the release of the open beta. Additionally, translations of Escape from Tarkov into German, French, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese, Polish, Czech, Portuguese, Japanese, and Korean are planned.
Shooter makes progress
Just recently, the quest system was introduced, through which you can complete missions in the game world that earn you numerous rewards. Escape from Tarkov is making significant progress, which you will be able to see for yourself soon in the open beta – if you’re interested in a real hardcore shooter where even the smallest mistake could be the last.
Currently, there is a big premium vendor sale going on around Halloween in The Division. There are great discounts on outfits!
If you still have some premium credits in the depths of your agent backpack or are ready to spend real euros for your agent’s look, you should check the terminal these days. The premium vendor has several items on sale.
So you can dress up for Halloween just like your enemies!
Up to 75% off premium items
This Halloween sale is already running and lasts until November 2nd. Almost all premium items are discounted – from weapon skins to emotes and outfits. You can find all reduced items under “Special Offers” at the premium vendor.
While some skins and emotes are 50% off, you can get four outfits for a whopping 75% off:
Cleaners faction outfit – 350 premium credits
JTF faction outfit – 350 premium credits
LMB faction outfit – 350 premium credits
Rikers faction outfit – 350 premium credits
Each outfit consists of a helmet / hat, jacket, pants, scarf, shirt, and boots. Only the Rikers outfit lacks a scarf. This is what the cosmetic items look like:
By the way, there are many more outfits on sale, but only at a 20% discount. These still cost over 1000 premium credits.
For context: The premium items are microtransactions in The Division. You can buy 500 premium credits for 5 euros. There are also additional bundles at higher prices, which come with bonus premium credits. You buy premium items with premium credits.
While premium credits cost real money, the new content of update 1.8 is completely free. The testing phase for this update ends on October 31st. After that, it should not take too long before it hits the live servers.
The exotic sniper Borealis in Destiny 2 is PlayStation-exclusive and can change its element at the push of a button. How does the weapon perform in PvE as well as PvP?
As the weapon is PlayStation-exclusive, Xur will not have it available at least until Fall 2018. After all, his inventory is always the same across platforms.
What can Borealis do in Destiny 2? – The perks
Borealis is capable of dealing damage of any available element. You can switch between Solar, Arc, and Void.
Moreover, the sniper has a fire rate of 72 and a impact of 90. It falls into the same category as the legendary sniper “Noble Seeker”. The magazine size is 5 bullets.
The other stats of the weapon are rather average:
Range – 54
Stability – 52
Reload Speed – 68
Aim Assist – 65
These are the special perks of Borealis:
The Basics – Hold the reload button to change the element (rotation Solar -> Arc -> Void -> Solar)
Ionic Return – Destroying an enemy shield transfers a round from reserves into the magazine
Depending on the enemy shield type, you can align Borealis so that its element matches this shield type and fire away. For matching elements (shield-element matches the weapon’s element), there is the additional effect of an explosion occurring upon shield destruction, dealing damage to enemies and briefly incapacitating the shield bearer.
Additionally, if you manage to destroy an enemy shield with Borealis, you get a round back from reserves.
The streamer Mesa Sean has gameplay footage of Borealis for you in the following video:
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On paper, the element switch sounds quite interesting. It allows for variable gameplay, as you need to switch your weapons less frequently depending on the enemy. If you take down enemy shields with the weapon, you will also receive a bullet back from reserves, increasing your damage over time.
In practice, the sniper is especially worth using due to its high impact. The aim assist is decent, but the range is only mediocre.
If the Prism Modifier is active in Nightfall, this weapon can shine, as you can set the element depending on the increased elemental damage.
Conclusion: Borealis is a nice weapon based on its stats, but the element switch can only be described as a gimmick that only provides advantages in certain situations. If you have to switch your element for every enemy, a lot of flow in combat is lost.
Additionally, I often encountered the issue that opening chests triggered an element switch when not standing directly in front of it, thus initiating the “reload”.
In PvP, the choice of element is completely irrelevant – all elements provide the same advantages. Since sniper rifles are hardly used in PvP, you should consider using your exotic slot for something else. For those who enjoy playing with sniper rifles, a legendary sniper is a more than adequate substitute. You don’t need Borealis here.
Have you already found Borealis? How do you like it?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
War Thunder is celebrating its fifth anniversary, and the now roughly 20 million registered players will soon have company. The online game has now been announced for Xbox One and Xbox One X. Does this provide competition for the reigning champion World of Tanks?
On November 7, Microsoft will release its new 4K console, and those who want to experience the online game War Thunder in this high resolution on console will be able to do so soon. Because the developers have announced a version for the Xbox One X, appropriately coinciding with the fifth anniversary of the game.
A version for the regular Xbox One is also in the works.
Coming soon to Xbox
“For a long time, our fans have wished for a War Thunder version for Xbox One, and we have worked hard to make the cross-platform experience of War Thunder available to them. We are therefore pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement with Microsoft to bring War Thunder to Xbox One and Xbox One X,” says Anton Yudintsev, CEO of Gaijin Entertainment. “More than 20 million players have already played War Thunder on various platforms, and we can’t wait for Xbox One and Xbox One X players to join the battles.”
Release date for War Thunder on Xbox One not yet known
Currently, it is still unclear when the Xbox version of War Thunder will be released. When the time comes, you will also dive into battles on Microsoft’s consoles on land, at sea, and in the air, experiencing conflicts fought with vehicles ranging from the Spanish Civil War to the Cold War.
Season 6 of Overwatch is over. We reveal how Season 7 will continue here. Info on start date, end, and rewards.
Time relentlessly progresses for Blizzard’s hero shooter and nearly 18 months after the release, Season 6 has ended in Overwatch, and Season 7 is already on the starting blocks.
The time between Season 6 and Season 7 is very short this time. Instead of taking a break of several weeks, the “Off Season” lasts only a few days.
This means that Season 7 of Overwatch will begin on November 1 at 2:00 AM.
Rewards for Overwatch Season 7
Since there were no major announcements about changes to the existing systems beforehand this time, it can be assumed that Season 7 will take place just like its predecessor.
This means that players will need to complete 10 placement matches starting November 1, which will determine their initial skill rating. The skill rating serves as an indicator for your rank, but it also forms the basis for matchmaking.
For participating in the ranked game mode, players earn Competitive Points, which can then be used to purchase golden weapons. These serve purely aesthetic purposes.
The distribution of Competitive Points (ranking points) at the end of Season 7 is as follows:
1-1499 Skillrating: 65 CP
1500-1999 Skillrating: 125 CP
2000-2499 Skillrating: 250 CP
2500-2999 Skillrating: 500 CP
3000-3499 Skillrating: 750 CP
3500-3999 Skillrating: 1250 CP
4000-5000 Skillrating: 1750 CP
Keep in mind that the Competitive Points you earn depend on your highest rating of the season and not on the skill rating at the end of the season.
As usual, there will likely be additional rewards for participating in Season 7, such as a display image and a spray logo. Once Blizzard presents the new designs, we will supplement them in this article.
If Blizzard does not make any further changes during the season, then Season 7 of Overwatch will likely last until the end of the year – exactly 2 months.
Studio Wildcard promised that there would never be microtransactions in ARK Survival Evolved an now suddenly dinosaur skins popped up in the Xbox Marketplace and PlayStation Store that players can purchase.
In 2015, Studio Wildcard announced that there would never be microtransactions in ARK Survival Evolved – not even for cosmetics. Head developer Jeremy Stieglitz himself wrote a forum post on Steam regarding this.
Stieglitz assured: “We, as Studio Wildcard, are against any form of in-game monetization. We have seen too often how otherwise good games have been distorted by this.”
On Reddit, user silverbullet1989 noted that there are recently 6 dinosaur skins available for purchase. The cosmetics are available in the Xbox Marketplace and PlayStation Store. The skins have a single price of £0.79 in the respective shops, while all together cost £5. Originally, these skins were part of a preorder deal for the retail release of ARK in August.
Those who pre-ordered ARK Survival Evolved received these unique bionic skins as a bonus:
The “ARK: Survival Evolved Bionic Raptor Skin” can also be found in the German Xbox Store for €0.99.
The “Bionic Quetzal Skin” can be purchased in the German PlayStation Store for €1.19.
The community is disappointed – complaining about further problems
In his post on Reddit, silverbullet1989 describes the current problems of the survival MMO:
ARK was released with too few servers. Due to too many players on too few servers, the performance suffers significantly – making ARK completely unplayable for some.
Characters are regularly deleted due to a bug
ARK has bugs and glitches that players can exploit for their advantage. There are “holes” in the maps, through which players can slip under the map and kill other players hidden from view.
The user notes that Wildcard is now demanding a full triple-A game price for ARK, offering a season pass and has a collector’s edition. Thus, ARK Survival Evolved markets itself as a full-fledged triple-A game, but still struggles with the aforementioned issues.
Now, in addition to the massive problems, there is the broken promise of microtransactions. Wildcard is being labeled an untrustworthy studio in the comments to the post.
Some players have lost faith in the developers and are disappointed. Even if the 6 skins could be seen as a minor issue, players now fear for the future of the game. After all, a game like ARK has too many mechanics where microtransactions could be implemented.
Wildcard justifies the microtransactions with retail sales
ARK’s community manager Jat commented on Reddit about the introduced microtransactions. The bionic skins were part of a preorder deal for retail.
According to Jat, it was absolutely necessary for Wildcard to offer such a deal to gain support for the retail launch. In the United States, there are only a few retailers left that primarily work with large publishers. For indie studios like Wildcard, it is extremely difficult to get into retail. Wildcard had to finalize some deals for retail that the developers were not happy with.
When the exclusive period of the retail deal expired, Wildcard was obliged to bring the 6 bionic dinosaur skins as DLC to Xbox and PS4. It was also not allowed to offer these as free DLC.
These are legal obligations that Wildcard had to fulfill as part of the release. However, they tried to keep the price as low as possible. Wildcard has no plans to introduce more microtransactions in ARK. More cosmetics are set to be released that will be available for free through
events
the achievement system
or they will be tied to the season pass.
Jat promised that there will never be microtransactions in ARK again and that the bionic skins are the exception.
In the community, an explanation had been desired earlier. The microtransactions came out of nowhere for the players and caused anger and disappointment.
Regarding the other mentioned problems, Wildcard remains silent.
In Destiny 2, at least two updates will be deployed this week. It starts today, on October 30th, with a PC patch.
In the Halloween week, which we are in today, since October 30th, it won’t be spooky in Destiny 2, but rather bug-free. The developers announced two updates for this week that aim to fix issues and make some adjustments.
It starts today with the PC version. The PC-specific hotfix 1.0.5.1 is on the way:
The patch 1.0.5.1 will arrive on October 30th at 6 PM on PC.
Once it is available, PC players will be brought back to the login screen. But only after you have completed your activity.
You may need to close and restart Destiny 2 to start the hotfix.
If you attempt to form a fireteam with a player who has not yet downloaded the update after installation, the error code “Sheep” will occur.
Bungie emphasizes once again: This patch will not be available on PS4 and Xbox One.
What does update 1.0.5.1 bring?
According to Bungie, this patch has only one purpose: To remove the requirement of an SSSE3 processor to play Destiny 2.
Currently, Destiny 2 only runs with processors that have Supplemental Streaming SIMD Extensions 3 (SSSE3). This requirement will now be eliminated.
Complete patch notes are not yet known. If 1.0.5.1 changes more, we will update this article.
Update 1.0.6 is also upcoming
This week, not only the PC is receiving an update, but also the consoles. Bungie already announced update 1.0.6 last week, which will bring three important changes:
This update does not have a specific release date yet. It is set to go live sometime this week. Whether maintenance work will be required is not yet known.
A bug in Overwatch is taking away Junkrat’s explosive power. Without effect, many ultimates fizzle out.
Although Blizzard has been releasing new updates and patches for Overwatch over the weeks and months, small errors keep managing to sneak into the hero shooter. The latest issue is quite serious and affects a hero who is currently very popular among players: Junkrat.
Since his buffs a few weeks ago, Junkrat has been present in nearly all matches and is more fun to play than before. Particularly, his 2 charges for the Concussion Mine have given him a big boost in popularity. But now a new bug has come to light.
Junkrat’s tire fizzles away into nothing when jumping
Players have repeatedly complained that Junkrat’s ultimate, the RIP-Tire, simply fizzles out into nothing. It wasn’t shot down by other players; it didn’t appear at all.
Now players have been able to analyze the error: When activating the ultimate while Junkrat is jumping, there is a high chance that the ultimate will be used without effect. On Reddit, user Lamatho created a short clip demonstrating the issue:
https://gfycat.com/KnobbyShallowKoi
This is also true when Junkrat “jumps” through enemy explosions or pushes. Activating the RIP-Tire at the wrong time causes the percentage indicator to drop to 0, and you have to recharge the ultimate all over again.
Many players are already joking that this is the requested nerf for Junkrat, suggesting he should be renamed to “Jumprat“.
There has not yet been a statement from Blizzard regarding this. However, since the related thread on Reddit has already received over 20,000 upvotes, it is likely that a bug fix will make it into the next major patch.
Have you experienced this bug, or have you been spared so far?
Join our quiz about Destiny 2 and find out if you’re true Destiny experts! How much do you know about the Destiny universe?
Every one of you has that one person on their friends list who thinks they know everything about Destiny 2. Now this person gets the chance to prove it once and for all: Because here is our first quiz on Destiny 2 that will show you if you are Destiny noobs or Destiny experts!
Diligent Mein-MMO readers, who are already the greatest Destiny specialists, should be able to solve most of the questions without any problems. Have fun with it:
Help, how does this quiz work?
You start the quiz by clicking on the upper window. A total of 15 questions will then wait for you, with each question having four answer choices. Choose an answer, and you’ll receive immediate feedback on whether you are correct. If you are wrong, the correct answer will be highlighted in green.
The first two questions are for warm-up, then it gets trickier. The last 5 questions are really tough nuts that lie far outside of everyday knowledge.
Whether you use Google to answer the questions is ultimately up to you. After all, you would only distort your own result – and cheat yourself.
Feel free to tell us in the comments after the quiz how many questions you were able to answer correctly!
Note: Our chief editor Schuhmann and our author Robert were both able to answer 14 questions correctly each. Can you do better? 😉
Also give us feedback on this quiz. Should we do this kind of thing more often in the future? Or do you not have time for such fun in your Guardian everyday life?
On November 8, it will happen: The currently 17 servers of Star Wars: The Old Republic will be consolidated under the name “United Forces” into just 5 servers. This is meant to enhance server stability and simplify the multiplayer experience. But what will happen to the characters? And what does the transition mean for the individual? We answer the most important questions around the server merge.
The simplest news first: The maximum number of characters per server has been increased from 52 to 100.
However, due to the United Forces it may happen that you suddenly have far more than the allowed number of characters on one server. However, this is not meant to be a problem, the developers promise.
The new rules
For premium players:
The slots that have existed from the beginning will be increased to 24 characters.
The excess characters after the merge will not simply be deleted randomly, but can also exist on the server beyond the maximum number. However, if you create a new avatar, you must delete excess characters until there is enough space for the newcomer.
For preferred players:
The slots that have existed from the beginning have been doubled from 6 to 12.
For free players:
The slots will be increased to 4 characters.
If there are more characters than allowed after the merge, all characters will be deactivated. On the next login, you can choose which characters to reactivate and which to delete.
Additionally purchased character slots will be treated separately!
If you purchased 10 additional slots as a subscriber, you will have 34 slots after the consolidation: 24 default + 10 purchased.
So take a deep breath: The system does not randomly delete characters or let them vanish into oblivion.
Will my characters be renamed?!
For some, just finding a name is already a sweaty affair. No wonder they would like to keep the painstakingly thought-out name!
However, it may be that you have to give up your name if after the merge there is more than one player with the same name. The decision will not be made by lot, but according to the following scheme:
The rules
Premium players always have priority.
The character with the higher playtime draws the larger lot.
Additionally, players who have not logged in for more than 90 days and whose respective characters have not yet reached level ten will be asked to rename.
The potential name changes may also affect your friends’ and ignore lists. However, there is no need to panic: The lists will be automatically updated and adjusted to the new names.
As for the guilds a simple solution has been found: If there are multiple guilds with the same name after the update, the original server will be listed behind the guild name. Thus, “The Unicorn Jedi” would become: “The Unicorn Jedi – Vanjervalis Chain”.
Does no one think of the legacies?!
No, no worries. Even here it will be organized. The legacies will not be lost after the update. In a consolidation, the name and level of the higher legacy will be retained. Legacy-wide currencies, contents of the legacy bank, any completed achievements, and active strongholds will be preserved.
Guddy says:
I assume that SWTOR will not randomly delete characters here and that SWTOR will responsibly handle accounts and characters. Fear of thoughtless character loss is unfounded, especially since you can calmly choose which characters you want to keep and which you do not.
The Xbox One S 500 GB bundle with Forza Horizon 3 and a second controller is available today in the Super Sunday deals from Saturn.
Saturn is offering you some bargains again today. First up, you can get the Xbox One S with Forza Horizon 3 and the Special Winter Forces Edition of the second controller. The bundle costs only 229 Euros. As known, the Xbox One S is a fully-fledged 4K Blu-ray player and significantly slimmer than the Xbox One. The controller has also been improved over the first version.
Additionally, you can currently pre-order the new Huawei Mate 10 Pro Smartphone and secure a bonus. The new Huawei flagship is set to be released on November 17, and as a pre-order customer, you will receive the Moleskine Smart Writing Set including a case for free. According to the manufacturer, the set is valued at 299 Euros. You can find out how to get the set as a pre-order customer on the official page.
The hero roster in Overwatch is diverse. It can happen that one loses overview or that individual heroes cannot be classified at the moment. This guide is meant to help understand the fight against defensive heroes like Bastion, Hanzo, or Junkrat better.
Probably everyone has had an experience with an annoying Bastion, a “too good” Widowmaker, or a frustrating Junkrat. Often, one switches to “stubborn” mode to deal with the opponent with brute force rather than with strategy.
Defensive heroes in Overwatch can cover and control areas well. Unprepared opponents are often caught off guard when they walk into such an area. If one finds themselves in such a situation, it is important to have the appropriate countermeasure at hand.
The colleagues from Invenglobal have written a detailed guide on how to counter every defensive hero in Overwatch – and we present it to you with some adaptations in German.
Counters for Bastion
Fights against Bastion can quickly become exhausting. He seems to mow down his opponents effortlessly just by mindlessly pressing the left mouse button, without himself being in danger. Especially for new players or during unexpected encounters, Bastion is frustrating.
In fact, Bastion is one of the characters that can be easily eliminated if you know his weaknesses. He becomes no longer a problem, can be quickly removed, leading to a numerical disadvantage for his team. The following heroes have particularly good chances against him:
Hanzo: Possibly the best counter to Bastion. Hanzo’s Scatter Arrow can kill a Bastion instantly if every arrow hits – and it doesn’t even have to hit his critical hit zone. Especially Bastions that do not reposition but stay constantly in one spot have bad odds against the archer.
Junkrat: The crazy Australian takes advantage of Bastion’s weak mobility. As he can fire from positions that no other hero uses, he can become a nightmare for the Omnic from a great distance, even over obstacles. Proper positioning and the right moment are key here.
Roadhog: Roadhog cannot kill Bastion immediately, but his hook can pull him out of the configuration: Sentry and force him into the configuration: Recon. In this configuration, Bastion poses no significant threat and quickly meets his demise.
Genji: Genji’s projectile deflection is useful against Bastion’s rapid fire. This only applies if the Bastion player has a slightly slower reaction time. Better players are rarely tricked. With the right timing, the deflection of the Gatling can also be used to get kills on the Omnic’s teammates.
D.Va: D.Va herself cannot do much against Bastion, especially since the nerf of her Defense Matrix makes her somewhat weaker against him. Still, the damage negation is enough to give the rest of the team a chance to take out the Omnic. Here teamwork is essential!
Counters for Hanzo
Hanzo is an all-rounder among the heroes. He can deal well, has a lot of mobility, and brings strong synergies and useful tools. With his Sonic Arrow, he can locate opponents to surprise them with targeted arrows.
All this makes him a difficult character to play. However, now and then, one faces a strong Hanzo player. But there are solutions and strategies for that as well:
Genji: Due to the extreme mobility of the cyborg ninja, it is difficult for Hanzo to hit him. Especially, his ability to move vertically is beneficial, as Hanzo’s projectiles are subject to physics (not “hitscan”). If Genji takes advantage of his strong vertical mobility, he can take Hanzo out with precision using shurikens and deflections.
Reinhardt/Zarya: In their role as support tanks, Reinhardt and Zarya are not meant to take on Hanzo in a 1v1 and kill him. However, they bring good abilities that can protect their team from the sniper or force him to unwanted movement.
Winston: With his combination of jumps, attacks, and shields, Winston is the ideal counter to Hanzo. It is nearly impossible for the archer to kill the gorilla before he lands. Once the colossal Winston gets close, he can attack Hanzo with his Tesla Cannon and dome to win the fight.
Counters for Junkrat
Junkrat has recently become truly playable again without bringing a disadvantage to his own team. With his second mine, he has become more mobile and stronger – strong enough to become a threat even in competitive Overwatch.
Especially, his ability to cover larger areas with damage and make routes impassable for flankers with traps and suppressive fire makes him strong. However, Junkrat’s significant disadvantage is his lack of range. This can be exploited to take him out:
Pharah: Pharah is an obvious counter. It is difficult, even impossible, for Junkrat to hit a Pharah in flight (because she can simply fly higher than his projectiles). At the same time, her range makes her an opponent that Junkrat cannot counter.
Widowmaker: Widowmaker can also score with her long range. As Junkrat usually has to stay in relatively obvious positions to do his job, he quickly becomes an easy target for a sniper rifle. Widowmaker can reliably take him out while staying safe herself.
Zarya: The weightlifter Russian has two particularly significant advantages in the fight against Junkrat: her shields and her weapon. As the demolitionist cannot prevent his attacks from causing area damage, it is easy for Zarya to charge her cannon through her shields. Even if she cannot kill Junkrat directly with it, she will still be extremely annoying for the rest of the team.
Soldier 76: The Overwatch veteran can deal significant damage to Junkrat from a distance. His accuracy at medium to long range combined with his Helix Rockets can quickly take Junkrat out of the game. Should Soldier:76 find himself too close to the grenades, his biotic field helps against incoming damage.
Mei
As frustrating as it can be to play against Mei, it is also quite unlikely at the moment. Mei is one of the least played heroes. Her abilities bring a lot of control but she is quite vulnerable if one plays a bit around her:
Reaper: In a direct confrontation, Reaper has the best chance to kill Mei. If he hits well, 2-4 shots are enough to incapacitate Mei. If that is not enough, he can still assume a wraith form to shake off the frost effect and start anew.
Pharah: For Mei, it is difficult to reliably hit a flying Pharah. The high damage and range of the Egyptian make her a deadly threat to Mei. Mei has significant problems against Pharah’s concussive blast: due to her low mobility, she can only slowly get back into position.
Widowmaker: Like for almost any target without much mobility, Widowmaker is also a strong counter for Mei. With a well-placed headshot, she can quickly extinguish the lights on the researcher. Especially when she has retreated into the ice block, aiming becomes easier and only the timing needs to be right for a secure hit.
Torbjörn
The Swedish engineer Torbjörn is not really a threat on his own. Through his turret, he can cover and control an area from two sides, but he is not a significant danger alone. Therefore, he is usually protected by his team, making it somewhat harder to deal with him:
Junkrat: The strongest counter to Torbjörn is likely Junkrat. Not only can Junkrat’s grenades quickly blow up Torbjörn’s turret or even him. Due to their physics, the grenades can bypass shields and obstacles.
Zenyatta: Zenyatta is a bit more complicated to play against Torbjörn. With a fully charged right-click and some normal attacks, he can reliably take out the turret without taking too much damage himself. What does hit is usually absorbed by his orb. His ultimate also counters Torbjörn’s, and with the Orb of Discord, he can turn protecting tanks into easy targets.
Hanzo: Hanzo’s ability to utilize the environment to redirect his damage makes him a particularly effective counter. The physics of his projectiles and the high damage allow him to quickly disable the turret and also Torbjörn.
Widowmaker
Widowmaker is one of the heroes that are often played but not really effective. The sniper can reliably take out targets from extreme distances. However, in the wrong hands, she is hardly a noteworthy threat.
If you encounter a Widowmaker who knows her craft, the following heroes can help:
Winston: The highly intelligent gorilla is every sniper’s nightmare: mobile, robust, and strong. Widowmaker can have a hard time killing him on his way to her, and once he reaches her, the fight is practically decided. Only if Widowmaker perfectly escapes his attacks and quickly repositions, does she have a chance.
Genji: Genji’s agility and ability to reflect shots make him a good choice. With well-timed deflections, shurikens, and dash attacks, he can deal significant damage to the sniper and wins the encounter in most cases.
Benedict says: In my opinion, defensive heroes are the most annoying in the game. They can quickly become frustrating and lead to “tilt”. Therefore, it is all the more important to know the counters – and the heroes themselves.
On live camera, the LoL pro “Vasilii” freaks out and doesn’t consider his girlfriend. Riot has therefore banned him from League of Legends.
Li “Vasilii” Wei Jun is a professional League of Legends player whose career is now on forced pause. Riot Games has banned him from professional matches due to his arrest for domestic violence. Additionally, he has been kicked from his team “Newbee”.
Vasilii freaks out – How did it happen?
On the evening of October 26, Vasilii was playing League of Legends and broadcasting the matches on his live stream channel. Due to another player, Vasilii was in a bad mood and was complaining in his stream. In the stream, his girlfriend could also be heard criticizing him for his bad mood. According to translation, she said: “You are the main problem, you know? And you always blame other players or your fans.”
Vasilii replied that another player had provoked him and laughed at him.
In response, his girlfriend said that he should just ignore the player next time instead of letting himself be provoked. “He is also a streamer and you look really stupid now,” she said.
After this comment from his girlfriend, Vasilii overturned his table. The stream continued running and recorded what happened next in the apartment.
His webcam was no longer in position to film the scene. However, the microphone remained active. You can hear Vasilii getting aggressive and shouting at his girlfriend. Objects were thrown. It is suspected that he may have even hit her. According to translations, he yelled: “I will kill you!”
After a few minutes, he returned to his computer and set up his equipment again, which he had just knocked over. Shortly thereafter, the police, alerted by his girlfriend, arrived and arrested the streamer.
We are embedding the video of the stream here for you. However, be warned: This is extreme material and not for the faint-hearted. It is also very loud – turn down the speakers or headphones beforehand.
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On the morning of October 27, shortly after the incident, there was an official statement from LoLEsports: “Due to reports of ‘Domestic Violence’ by Li “Vasilii” Wei Jun, this player is now under investigation and is banned from all professional, semi-professional, and competitive games. The full duration of the ban will be determined once the investigation is complete.
There is no place for physical violence in the League of Legends community. We will not hesitate to exclude violent players from our game and our sport.”
Vasilii
Girlfriend says he did not hit her
Meanwhile, Vasilii’s (ex-)girlfriend commented on the incident. On her Weiboo account she explains that Vasilii should not have hit her. She wouldn’t say this to protect him. After all, they are no longer a couple and therefore she does not need to defend him.
Venezuela is experiencing an economic crisis, causing a large part of the population to suffer from hunger. To avoid starvation, some residents specifically farm gold in Oldschool-Runescape. Other players see this as a problem and wish death upon the gold farmers.
With an inflation rate of over 700 percent, Venezuela is currently undergoing the worst economic crisis it has ever seen. Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world and was once able to become the richest area in Latin America through oil production.
However, Venezuela’s economy went downhill when oil prices collapsed on the global market. Almost 96 percent of the country’s state revenues come from oil production. Now, hunger and economic crisis prevail in Venezuela. Almost 75 percent of the population lost an average of 8.7 kilos in body weight last year.
An MMORPG, which is already 16 years old, is helping some residents of the crisis area avoid hunger. With the economic crisis, the crime rate in Venezuela has risen, leading to increased robberies and murders. Players do not have to leave their homes to farm gold and can thus earn money in a safe environment.
Copyright: Angelica Alzona
Gold farming in Oldschool-Runescape puts food on the table for families
In 2001, the British studio Jagex released the fantasy classic Runescape as a browser game. This old and pixelated game is still played worldwide today under the name Oldschool-Runescape.
One does not need a modern PC to play Oldschool-Runescape fluidly. Additionally, the base game is free. Itis financed through microtransactions and paid memberships. Thus, Oldschool-Runescape is accessible to the impoverished residents of Venezuela, even with extremely tight budgets.
As the US site Kotaku reported in a report: Some of these players have become “professional” gold farmers in Oldschool-Runescape.
A gold farmer is a player who specifically generates large amounts of in-game currency or items – the in-game currency is then sold to other players for a low price in exchange for real money.
Gold farming in Runescape is officially banned and harms the game economy
The gold farmers are putting Oldschool-Runescape and Jagex in a tricky situation. Officially, the targeted farming of gold is prohibited. However, farming the in-game currency itself is not problematic and is allowed. The issue arises from selling for real money. This harms the game’s economy.
Through the cheap sale of in-game currency or items, buyers can afford items in Oldschool-Runescape more quickly and disrupt the game’s balance.
According to Jagex, it is difficult to determine the exact impact of Venezuelan gold farmers. However, since the crisis in South America, changes in the prices of items targeted by the farmers have been noticed.
In Oldschool-Runescape, there is an item called “Wine of Zamorak,” which allows players to gain experience points faster.
The average price fell from almost 3,000 gold to 1,500 gold last year. The Wine of Zamorak has suddenly become much more accessible, making the game significantly easier. This is a problem for Jagex: Oldschool-Runescape is meant to be challenging. The gold farmers disrupt the balance.
Players are holding a witch hunt against the gold farmers from Venezuela – wishing them death
This very conflict is currently leading to a morbid and bizarre situation. In public Runescape forums like on Reddit, some players are calling for tracking down the gold farmers from Venezuela and ruining their farming.
Because more and more Venezuelans are discovering gold farming for themselves, which leads to frustration among other players. Runescape players are increasingly reporting how they observe dozens of farmers clogging important key areas like the “Blast Mine” – a mini-game that is well-suited for farming.
This creates tension among players; they feel annoyed by the gold farmers. They demand that Jagex ban the gold farmers and suspend their accounts.
The reactions to this guide were primarily divided into three camps:
Sympathy for the gold farmers from Venezuela: This part of the community cannot understand how someone could come up with the idea to write and publish such a guide. They do not understand how one can kill the gold farmers and even insult them in their own language while they stand on the brink of starvation. That would be “asshole behavior.”
The gold farmers deserve the witch hunt: Others believed that the gold farmers break the rules of the game and therefore deserve their fate. This would destroy the game’s economy. They understand that the situation in Venezuela is currently terrible, but there are better alternatives than farming gold in a game. Things like learning something new to somehow help the country. There was little sympathy for the gold farmers from this faction.
Players who followed the guide: Then there were players reporting that they followed the guide. They took pleasure in repeatedly killing the gold farmers and insulting them in Spanish. They claimed to have done this for a few hours – free loot and fun.
“When you have no perspective, you no longer care about others’ opinions”
The English online magazine Kotaku contacted some of the Venezuelan Runescape gold farmers and asked for insights into their situation.
Most players are aware that they have taken on a sensitive job with gold farming. However, they would never work with bots or large corporations that specialize in gold farming.
They farm manually in Runescape and put in work like on an assembly line. They do not blame Jagex if they get banned for their “work” as gold farmers. They know that the studio must act in the interest of its game.
The player Yassar was a Venezuelan gold farmer but now lives in the United States. His reaction to the community’s witch hunt:
“I would have expected others to show more understanding and realize that games can change a life. All of this just makes me so angry. Not the normal anger one feels in a political debate, but a very personal anger.
Especially since my family still lives in Venezuela and I know what it feels like to starve. Seeing people who were fortunate enough to be born on the right ground dehumanize Venezuelans, man, that has destroyed me.”
Gold farmer Fhynal also gave a statement about his situation:
“I know I am wronging the people at Jagex who work hard for their game. But when you don’t know what the future holds for you and you have to fear for your life and your loved ones’ lives, you simply stop caring about the opinions of others.”
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Ingenuity and determination – this is how deaf players mastered the Leviathan raid in Destiny 2. Impressive!
The raid in Destiny 2 is the toughest PvE challenge, where one thing matters above all: Good communication. In several phases, the Guardians must be able to communicate quickly and precisely, otherwise, a wipe threatens. If the Guardians do not talk to each other, the raid cannot be completed – or can it?
But it can!
Recently, a post in the reddit forum caused a huge stir. This post is about a clan of 11 members called “DestinyErrorAlwaysFamous”. The unique aspect of this clan is: All members are deaf. They cannot communicate using spoken words when playing Destiny 2 together. The abbreviation for “DestinyErrorAlwaysFamous” is [DEAF] – English for “deaf”.
With Ingame Signals and a Chat App to Raid Victory
The post on reddit, which received 11,000 upvotes, comes from trojanguy. He writes that one of these deaf players was once in his clan before switching to the DEAF clan. They still play together occasionally and chat regularly on Discord.
This clan of deaf players not only plays activities that require little to no communication, such as public events or strikes. No, they also raid together. And recently, they succeeded for the first time in defeating Calus!
With Calus, communication is absolutely essential. Three Guardians must announce three symbols that only they can see. The other Guardians then need to defeat a council member with the symbol that was not announced. How do you manage that if you are deaf?
The answer lies in a chat app, in this case “Glide”. The announcers quickly type letters into the chat during the fight, and the Guardians in the throne room must not only deal with the enemies but also pay attention to the chat history. The Guardians used an A for Axe, an S for Sun, a D for Dog, and a C for Chalice. So when the players in the throne room read a C, an A, and a D, they know that the council member with the Sun needs to be eliminated.
trojanguy concludes his post by stating that this truly is a hardcore Destiny group and that he is impressed by how they can enjoy Destiny content despite their deafness. This clan and these players are an inspiration.
Hundreds of Reddit users reacted to this post. Redditor Broshambo admits that this method at Calus is likely more efficient than announcing the symbols with words. He has often experienced the Guardians calling their symbols at the same time or having microphone issues, making it hard to understand which symbol is next. The letter method is brilliant.
But members of the DEAF clan also chimed in, like the admin Ic3bear76. He explains that the Circus phase was also difficult to master: in it, runners have to pass through barriers in a tunnel that only open when the Guardians outside shoot the correct arrows. The runners need to provide the right instructions.
They mastered this phase using ingame signals. A jump from the runner means upper arrow, the wave emote means middle arrow, and when the runner crouches briefly, that means lower arrow. So when the runner waves, the other Guardians know: We need to shoot the arrows above and below.
It has been quiet for a long time about the crazy sci-fi MMORPG WildStar. Now, publisher Carbine shakes the community awake with two news: tougher raid and free level 50 boost!
Do you remember WildStar? This crazy space game with exaggerated comic characters and the difficult gameplay? It is not dead yet! The new signs of life even suggest fresh wind.
WildStar Update 1.7.4: Tougher Raids, Better Loot
The upcoming update 1.7.4 for WildStar brings changes to items, veteran dungeons, and a tougher raid:
The maximum veteran level for dungeons has been raised to 15.
The base item level at veteran level 15 is 145 for dungeons and 130 for expeditions.
The Genetic Archives Prime Level 1 is now available
The base item level for dropped items is 155.
The global cap for item levels has been raised to 170.
Rewards from existing Genetic Archives lockboxes now scale with the veteran level.
Raids in WildStar are indeed crazier than in other games. With the possibility to play them now at veteran level (“Prime”), Carbine takes a step further. The devs thus adopt a mechanic that has been requested in WoW for some time now with “Mythic Raids+”.
But that’s not the only new feature. When the patch goes live on November 1st, there will be an event for every player. Anyone logging in between November 1st and 5th will receive a free level 50 boost for a new character – with a ton of extras:
A full set of DPS gear (already equipped).
A bag with support gear (tank or healer depending on class).
A bag with rewards for the selected path.
A mount.
A Protostar housing teleportation unit that brings the character to their housing plot.
City Transmat coordinates that add another recall button to bring the player to the respective capital.
So anyone who wants to give Wildstar another chance now has the opportunity to do so with a fully equipped, new character to rock the raid!
However, it should be noted that the boost can only be used once per account. So if someone has already boosted a character in the last event, they will not receive a second opportunity this time!
What do you think? Will the update help to breathe new life into WildStar? Let us know your comment!
In the Open World map Plains of Eidolon of Warframe, the “Eidolon Teralysts” are the most powerful monsters and seemingly unbeatable. Learn here how you can still kill them!
With Plains of Eidolon, the faction of the Sentients also receives new allies, the EIDOLON TERALYST. A gigantic fearsome creature that aimlessly roams the plains of Eidolon at night, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake.
But a true Tenno knows no fear and faces the fight against these powerful creatures. Victors of this battle are rewarded with special loot and can increase their standing with the Quills faction. But how can one defeat them?
Warning: This article may contain spoilers!
Lotus guide Vanthenos has created this guide for you.
Prepare yourselves and find the Quills
Before venturing into battle against an Eidolon Teralyst, it is advisable to have successfully completed the quests “The Second Dream”, “The War Within”, and “Saya’s Vigil”. Of course, you can dive straight into the battle, but does it make sense to throw pebbles at a dinosaur?
So let’s go and first acquire better equipment.
Your first stop will take you to the Quills in the town of Cetus. Once there, go to Quill Onkko (ESC – Fast Travel – Quill Onkko) and you will stand before a locked gate. Here the question arises:
How do you get in there?
Anyone who has completed the quest “The War Within” should know this. Transfer to your Operator and the door will open.
If you successfully open the gate, you can buy from Quill Onkko:
Arcane enhancements (Magus and Virtuous), components for amplifiers and optical upgrades for the Operator/Tenno
Build better amplifiers
Exchange Sentient cores for standing with the Quills
Refine amplifiers (possible from rank “Follower”)
and … Onkko?
Additionally, you will receive your first amplifier from Quill Onkko (an enhancement of your Operator abilities). These could be useful in the fight against the Eidolon Teralyst, so think carefully about whether to skip this step.
The choice of weapons and Warframes
Next, you should consider which equipment you will take into battle:
Rhino and Frost are very good “tanks” that can keep the pesky little Vomvalysts off your back, but Octavia is also quite suitable for this.
Trinity is useful with her abilities to restore health and energy.
Gara offers, thanks to her abilities, a damage reduction of up to 90%.
However, currently Chroma (Elemental Cold) is the game-changer. Not only does he reduce and reflect damage, but through his Vex Armor, nearby allies benefit from the same effects.
Damage types are essential!
But no matter which Warframe you choose, make sure you have chosen the right damage type. An Eidolon Teralyst is primarily composed of alloy and robotic components. This means that your weapons with radiation and puncture are the most effective against him.
Weapons with high range and high damage per shot (e.g., sniper rifles) are recommended. Personally, I prefer the Opticor.
The terror creeps through the darkness, the hunt begins at night.
Do you dare to go out into the darkness? Are you ready for the fight at night? Then prepare to seek out the Eidolon Teralyst in the dark! For it only appears at night. In these 50 minutes, you have the opportunity to find, hunt, and take it down.
As soon as you enter the Plains of Eidolon at night, the position of the Eidolon Teralyst will be indicated to you by a blue beam of light shining into the sky.
Useful tools – Eidolon Lures
First of all, it must be said that the lures are not strictly necessary. However, they ensure that you:
receive better rewards
do not have to run around the entire plains
Eidolon lures can be found at the Grineer outposts in the plains of Eidolon. They are used by the Grineer to protect against the attacks of Eidolon Vomvalysts. Get the lures to assist you!
Deal damage to them
Hack the lure
Make it follow you
Charge them up
How to charge lures?
Find an outlet, uh… find Eidolon Vomvalysts (I call these things Wombats) and destroy their outer shell. In this ghostly state, they will be absorbed by the Eidolon lures when they are nearby. Once fully charged (3x glowing Wombats), the lures will begin to glow.
A charged lure ensures that the Eidolon Teralyst stays in place.
Two charged lures are needed to receive better rewards (Shining Eidolon Shard, Flawless Sentient Core) at the end of the fight.
Beware!
In their ghostly state, the Wombats can be destroyed by the Operator’s abilities, and the lures will no longer be able to “absorb” them. Which would not be a big deal, since you would at least receive “intact Sentient cores” from that.
Eidolon Teralyst – How to kill the giant beast!
Eidolon Teralysts are immune to all damage as long as their shield has not been destroyed. Conventional weapons and abilities cannot harm him, but wait – we are Tennos, we are the Operator, we are strong. With the abilities as an Operator (Available from the quest “The War Within”), we can weaken the shield. Our Void beam will slowly destroy his shields.
So use your Operator abilities to completely remove his shields (he will glow red for a short time). After that, his weak points, on his arms and knees, can be attacked with conventional weapons.
Bring the charged Eidolon lures close to him. They will keep him in place.
Lures are valuable!
Be very attentive to the lures (for example, with healing from Trinity). Focus on one of the weak points and destroy it. If there are no Eidolon lures nearby, he will disappear and reappear at another location in the plains. Repeat this phase until all four weak points are destroyed.
But be warned, the Teralyst will not make it easy for you. Constant attacks and assaults from him will make your attack difficult. Always remember: As an Operator, you are strong; nothing can happen to you as an Operator. Become invisible (CTRL + SHIFT) and survive the Teralyst’s attacks unscathed.
Don’t forget the body!
Now you are almost done, and you will proudly walk away with your head held high in victory. Only the body of the Eidolon monster still needs to be destroyed. Concentrate your firepower of your conventional weapons on him and take him down together.
Pay particular attention in the final phase to ensure that charged Eidolon lures are nearby (they provide better rewards).
Return home and proudly recount your success and revel in the hefty loot. Improve your abilities and equipment to face him even more fearlessly at the next encounter.
