Bei den Worlds in LoL dreht sich gerade alles um dieses eine Item

During the World Championships of League of Legends (LoL) we often see the same supporters focusing on a specific item. For this, even conventional builds are thrown overboard!

If there is an item that summarizes the LoL World Championship 2017, it is probably “Ardent Censer“. Entire matches revolve around which side finishes the Ardent Censer (in German “Glühender Rauchschwenker”) first and then gains a power boost.

In combination with Janna, Lulu, and a handful of other supporters, the item shows its true strength.

Ardent Censer in LoL – ADCs build support items

Even before the World Championships began, Ardent Censer was strong. The item is carried by supporters and greatly buffs a shielded or healed character. The tooltip tells us what makes the item so strong:

Ardent Censer
  • UNIQUE, Passive: +10 % healing and shield power
  • UNIQUE, Passive: +8 % movement speed
  • UNIQUE, Passive: Heals and shields cast on an allied champion grant them 25% attack speed and 25% lifesteal for 6 seconds on hit.

In the meantime, Ardent Censer has been reworked and no longer grants lifesteal. However, this year’s World Championships of League of Legends are played on patch 7.18. The tooltip shown above counts there.

Now, champions who can distribute heals or buff allies’ shields particularly benefit from it. For this reason, Janna and Lulu are particularly popular picks at the World Championship.

The hype around the item goes so far that ADCs buy the Relic Shield to funnel more gold to their supporters. Just so they can quickly finish the Ardent Censer.

Lulu-Drachenzaehmer

Frequently used – Ardent Censer bores the viewers

Until the first group stage of the World Championships, the item was built in 59 of the 63 matches. The item is so popular that it is already used as a meme among fans: “We have Ardent Censered them,” is often read on Reddit and Co.

Players complain about the Ardent Censer meta. “There are teams whose strategy consists of playing defensively until they have the Ardent Censer.” Instead of fighting early, many wait until the item is in their hands. This bores many viewers.

LoL Soraka Wallpaper

Is Ardent Censer OverPowered?

Some LCK teams try to counter or work around the meta: “For us, it’s like the lottery. It is pointless if our teams do not base around the Ardent Censer.

Even if we implement a strategy that would destroy such a combo, it is only a matter of time. It not only depends on our own time management. The time it takes our opponents to finish their builds is suddenly important for us as well.”

LoL Rework

From the EU teams, there is negative criticism regarding the item. “We find it a shame that the games revolve so much around a specific lane.” They would prefer more balance and for the entire team to matter.

The North American teams find Ardent Censer overpowered. “All you need to describe the World Championships 2017 is ‘Ardent Censer’.” This statement fits well with the following video.

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Now Riot Games wants more than just League of Legends: More games are to come

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Source(s):
  1. Invenglobal

Hearthstone players trick Blizzard – fake events for Nemsy

The Hearthstone community seems to have no interest in real people. They are creating numerous fake events to get to Nemsy Nimmertot.

Actually, Blizzard had envisioned the Hearthstone event around Nemsy Nimmertot, the new Warlock skin, to be much more fun. The community was supposed to host events in pubs and bars in the real world, so players could meet “in real life” and enjoy a few rounds together, maybe even make new friends.

This is additionally rewarded with the new skin for Warlock, Nemsy Nimmertot. It is only available if you actually participate in such a community event, a Fireside Gathering.

However, “actually participating” means that players have to leave their own four walls, which already caused a lot of displeasure beforehand. Many players complained that they had to travel dozens of kilometers “just for a skin” so that they no longer had to play Gul’dan.

Numerous Fireside Fake Events

And then what had to happen happened: Particularly “resourceful” players simply created a lot of fake events near them (link to the Fireside Gathering page). Gamestop events, pubs, or youth centers were declared as event locations.

Hearthstone Fen Creepe Nemsy

However, those who actually wanted to attend the events found themselves at a loss – no one was present on-site, and often the owners of the respective location knew nothing about it. Or on-site there was a single player who simply “simulated” a gathering with multiple devices.

Those who didn’t even want to do that simply coordinated with other players, created a fake event, and then falsely claimed through their GPS data to be at a completely different location.

But even actual events faced problems. Some events were deleted from the database even on the same day. So when dozens of players gathered in the evening, they had to be disappointed to find out that there was neither a Fireside Gathering nor Nemsy Nimmertot to be earned.

Cortyn says: While I think the idea of real-life meetings is good to promote social contacts among players, the implementation here has simply failed. However, it is also difficult for Blizzard to verify the authenticity of every single event. That there would be chaos was apparent from the outset. One can only hope that they learn from these mistakes and establish stricter rules for Fireside Gatherings in the future – or completely relax the rules.

Are you planning to visit one of the Fireside Gatherings? And what do you think of this idea in general?


By the way, Hearthstone is getting really crazy arenas for the Schlotternächte – you have to play 2 classes right away!

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Source(s):
  1. pcgamesn.com

PC accessories in “Destiny 2” style – Here you can find headset, mouse and keyboard!

Razer brings PC accessories in the “Destiny 2” style to market. Here you can take a look at it and purchase.

In May 2017, Activision announced that it would enter into new partnerships with various companies for Destiny 2. There will be plenty of officially licensed merchandise items that will allow you to bring the Destiny universe into your living room.

Since the Destiny franchise is coming to PC for the first time with Destiny 2, Activision and Bungie want to take the opportunity to also release PC accessories in the “Destiny 2” style. For this, there is a partnership with Razer, which will now release a headset, a keyboard, a mouse, and a mouse pad.

Here you can see the PC accessories in the unboxing video in great detail:

https://youtu.be/s_1UKiZYkg4

A mouse pad in “Destiny 2” design

destiny-2-mauspad

The cheapest item is the mouse pad for 24.99 Euro. It is the Destiny 2 Edition of the Razer Goliathus:

The mat is made of a smooth fabric and has a non-slip rubber base. The front features the Destiny 2 logo. All product information can be found in the link. You can also pre-order the mouse pad there:

A mouse in “Destiny 2” design
destiny-2-maus

The mouse costs 89.99 Euro and comes in a simple and elegant design with the Destiny logo on it. The “Razer DeathAdder Elite” is a backlit gaming mouse with 16,000 DPI and 450 IPS. All product information in the link:

A headset in “Destiny 2” design
destiny-2-headset

The headset in “Destiny 2” design is a Razer Man O’War Tournament Edition for 129.99 Euro. It is an analog, over-ear gaming headset. However, the standard editions have received an overall rating of only 3 stars on Amazon, as the headset cushion could break according to several customers. The microphone is retractable. All product information in the link:

A keyboard in “Destiny 2” design
destiny-2-tastatur

The keyboard with the exclusively licensed Destiny 2 look is the Razer Ornata Chroma. The keyboard with “Mecha-Membrane keys” costs 129.99 Euro, with an ergonomic wrist rest included.

Additionally, you can customize the Chroma backlighting as desired. In the embedded video above, the lighting can be seen from about minute 5:40. All product information in the link:

Here is the complete PC accessories list in “Destiny 2” style:

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Is this PC accessory coming to your home?

This article was originally published in August and updated on October 19.


Everything you need to know about the PC version of Destiny 2:

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Pokémon GO Halloween: Ghosts from Gen 3 and Trainer hat discovered!

Big news for the Pokémon GO Halloween event 2017: Various ghost Pokémon from Generation 3 have been discovered. Also, there’s a special Trainer hat!

Although there hasn’t been an official announcement from Niantic regarding the Pokémon GO Halloween event 2017, the anticipation for the event is growing. The reason for this is the hints that have appeared in recent days. Forms, sounds, event music, and a Halloween wallpaper have already been found.

Now, Generation 3 is getting closer in Pokémon GO. The app is already downloading images of the ghosts from Generation 3 and a witch hat Pikachu in the background. In the game, we also find the new medal for the Hoenn region.

Update: It is now official: Start time and bonuses for the Halloween event are known

Gen 3 Ghosts: Shuppett, Banette, and Sableye

Recently, Pokémon GO trainers speculated whether all the monsters from the third generation would be introduced into the game at once or if only a few ghosts would make it into the game for Halloween.

Pokémon GO Shiny Gen 3

There isn’t a reliable answer yet, as Niantic is still quiet about the event. However, Pokémon GO is now downloading icons for various ghost Pokémon from the third generation in the background.

This includes all the monsters that were already found on the leaked loading screen. Additionally, the game is also downloading their Shiny variants. So, we may also find them in the game soon. The Pokémon are called:

  • Shuppett,
  • Banette,
  • and Sableye

Witch Hat Pikachu and Special Trainer Hat

In addition to the Gen 3 ghosts, special forms of Pichu, Pikachu, and Raichu wearing a witch hat are being downloaded, which you can see in the upper image. This way, you can expand your collection of special Pikachu with a Halloween variant.

Pokémon GO Hat Halloween

There is also a special hat for Trainers at the event. If you are still wearing your Magikarp hat now, you may soon replace it with a crazy Mimikyu hat.

Hoenn Region Medal

Trainers have also noticed that there are new medals to be found in the game. These are for the Hoenn region, which can be explored in the 3rd generation of Pokémon, for example. Combining the recently found hints and this new medal, one can assume that Generation 3 is now not far away.

Pokémon GO Hoenn Medal

We hope that Niantic will soon release the official event announcement and finally list everything that awaits us at the Halloween event. Here you can listen to the discovered event music for Halloween.

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Source(s):
  1. PokémonGOHub

Destiny 2: Prestige-Raid – Das sind die Änderungen – mit Lösungen

The prestige raid in Destiny 2 has opened its gates. The details of the changes to the normal mode are now known. Here is our prestige mode guide!

Bungie has released the hard version of the Leviathan raid. This takes place entirely at power level 300. Upon successful completion, an emblem as well as differently colored armor pieces await. The maximum power level is not increased, it remains at 305.

See here what additional pitfalls the prestige raid has to offer compared to the normal mode.

Before we delve into the individual phases, there’s a general change in the prestige mode. If you die, you may be revived, however, in prestige mode, not only the reviver loses their ability to bring another player back, but so does the deceased.

This is equivalent to halving your available lives per run.

Note: In this guide, we only list the changes to the normal mode. If you are not familiar with the basic mechanics of the raid, then first read our Leviathan raid guide here.

The circus in prestige mode – Everyone gets a turn!

The circus phase has noticeably changed compared to the normal mode. Now you must rotate your runners after each run. Because each runner now receives the debuff “Proven Worthy” after one run, indicating that another player must run.

Furthermore, when passing the boundaries, not only a Psion spawns that must be dealt with in melee, but additionally a Psion projection that also needs to be defeated. The second Psion spawns at a random location around the platform.

Lastly, in the final phase (where everyone runs), you may only pick up 3 orbs per wall – instead of four. See the successful phase again in the video:

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The pleasure gardens in prestige mode – Family expansion!

The changes in the pleasure gardens are considerably more manageable than in the circus. Instead of dealing with six, you now have to manage eight dogs. Moreover, these have new paths that they follow.

The two new dogs are located on the left side in the middle and on the right side in the cave. You must memorize the different paths again so that you are not discovered.

The addition of the two dogs is not surprising. There have always been eight plants in the pleasure gardens; many wondered why they were only guarded by six dogs. See the details of the battle in the video:

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The baths in prestige mode – no time for relaxation!

The biggest difficulty in the baths is the enemies. These are significantly more numerous, harder to break, and deal serious damage in the prestige version. The thick bathkeepers, the Tellaks, additionally leave behind a spot upon their demise, which you should avoid stepping in.

Because this spot reduces your psionic buff. The faster it runs out, the sooner you take damage in the puddle you are standing in.

If more than one phase is needed to destroy the lamps in the baths, you need to prepare for another change. Four players automatically receive a debuff “Burden of Worthiness,” the neglect of which inevitably leads to death.

These four players must look at the platform in the middle of the room. Depending on the displayed symbol, they must stand on a different platform to regain the psionic buff. If you do not remove the debuff, you will die.

If you want to experience all of this audiovisually again, here’s the following video:

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Calus in prestige mode and the chaos

The final battle against Calus basically only has a small change to offer, but it causes a lot of chaos. Every time a Psion with a shield (on the platforms) is killed in the throne room, the one is directly teleported to the shadow world, and a random player from the shadow world is beamed into the throne room.

For well-coordinated groups, this change should be quickly understood. However, it creates significant chaos because you must always directly check which place you need to take when you are teleported.

Furthermore, the enemies, like in the baths, are significantly tougher and deal heavier damage. Calus also has more health, which has however not been deemed significant. Kills in just one phase are still possible. The boss fight can also be seen again in the video:

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Have you dared to take on the prestige raid? Or even succeeded?

If you want to see it all in moving pictures in German, Venero TV shows you the prestige raid:

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What rewards are available in the prestige raid? See the prestige raid gear here!

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Source(s):
  1. Reddit

WoW: Beta servers receive patch 8.0.0 – next addon so early?

And once again, a small mistake at Blizzard has caused us all to be a little wiser about the future of World of Warcraft.

Just a few days ago, the public test realm was updated to the latest version with Patch 7.3.2. This was marked as a “Release Candidate”, which basically means that all data is now present in the patch and only remaining bugs and fine-tuning may still be made.

But today in the early morning hours (October 19, 2017) there was another update. On the site Blizztracker.com, which logs current events in various Blizzard games, a new game version of World of Warcraft suddenly appeared: Patch 8.0.0 was available on the beta servers!

WoW Beta 800 Server list

The mistake was quickly noticed and reversed by Blizzard, but a few users had already taken a screenshot of it, like this image here from Reddit user tiwuno.

New Addon Beta already after BlizzCon?

The fact that the test servers are already being prepared for Patch 8.0.0 can mean several things:

  • At BlizzCon 2017, the next addon for WoW will probably be presented
  • At BlizzCon 2017, a part of the next WoW addon will already be playable
  • Shortly after BlizzCon 2017, the closed beta will already start
  • Patch 7.3.2 is the last patch of Legion – there will be no Patch 7.3.5
WoW Draenei Embracing the Fel

So far, these are mostly speculations. However, Blizzard had already announced before Legion that they want to significantly accelerate the release of new patches and addons. At least with the patches, they were right, as fresh content appeared roughly every 12 weeks. Now the developers just have to prove that they do not need a whole year for the next WoW expansion.

Slowly but surely, the hype train for anticipation is gaining speed …


Patch 7.3.2 also brings powerful changes to Silithus – the area will be permanently altered!

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Destiny 2: Servers down today – Maintenance and Update 1.08

Maintenance is currently taking place in Destiny 2 . The servers are down and will not be available for several hours. Update 1.08 is coming.

Update 6:45 PM: The servers are back online. Here are the patch notes for 1.08!

Update 5:15 PM: The update is now live. It carries version number 1.08 and is around 432 MB in size.

If you want to participate in the prestige raid or another activity of Destiny 2 during today’s evening, you will have to wait. Bungie is conducting a multi-hour maintenance, and the servers are going offline.

Here are the important times:

  • On October 19 at 5 PM preparations for maintenance will begin. After that, you will no longer be able to log in to Destiny 2.
  • At 6 PM the servers will go offline. Maintenance will start. If you are still in the game at that time, you will be roughly kicked out.
  • At 9 PM the servers should come back online.
destiny-2-jäger

Bungie never provides exact time estimates for the end of maintenance. It may happen that the servers come back online significantly earlier – or are extended.

What changes with the maintenance? – Update 1.08

During maintenance, the update 1.0.3.5 will be rolled out. You must download and install this in order to play Destiny 2 again.

Bungie will release the full patch notes as soon as the update is available for download. We will report on it promptly.

So far, the developers have not provided any information about what will change with the update. However, the list of known issues is long. For example, it is time for a permanent solution for the raid exploit. This exploit makes the Calus encounter significantly easier, as it prevents annoying adds from spawning. Bungie announced a fix for this – whether it will come today, we will see.

Additionally, the bug in the prestige nightfall strike of Exodus Crash should be fixed soon. This has caused frustration in the community over the past days and led to Bungie having to change the nightfall this week.


Are you interested in the PC version of Destiny 2? Here is everything you need to know:

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  1. Bungie

Destiny 2: PC preload has started – This is the size of the pre-download

When can the preload for the PC version of Destiny 2 begin? The date for the early download is now known.

Bungie has now announced whether and when there will be a preload for Destiny 2 on PC.

  • Yes, you can use the preload feature. The early download will be available from October 18, 2017. That is next Wednesday.
destiny-2-hunter-vex-strike

A specific start time is not provided. Nevertheless, you definitely have plenty of time to download the game data in advance on your computer. The official PC launch date is October 24 at 7 PM. Then the Guardian adventures can begin on the PC.

What is a preload and how do I download Destiny 2?

With the preload, you download the necessary game data for Destiny 2 before the official launch. This ensures that you can start as soon as the servers go online.

According to an infographic, you need to free up around 68GB of storage space on your PC to install Destiny 2. If this amount of data could only be downloaded at the PC launch on October 24, some Guardians with slow internet connections might start many hours, if not days, later.

destiny-2-3-guardians

Important: Destiny 2 will be launched via Blizzard’s battle.net. If you purchase the MMO shooter digitally, you can only download and install the game data via this launcher.

On October 24, the servers will go online simultaneously worldwide. This means that buyers of a disc version should not have an advantage over digital version buyers.

The console launch of Destiny 2 was a “rolling midnight launch”. In other words, Destiny 2 went live gradually in different parts of the world. Those with a disc version here could start as soon as the servers for New Zealand went live. All digital version buyers had to wait until midnight.

Early download of Destiny 2 weighs 36 GB

Update 19.10 1:10 AM: According to reports from multiple sites, the download of Destiny 2 has now started. The download size is 36 GB, while approximately 68 GB of hard drive space is needed.

Everything you need to know about the PC version of Destiny 2 – from system requirements to key mapping – can be found here!

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Borderlands 3 might have a heart for single-player, even run offline

Fans are eagerly awaiting Borderlands 3. And it could be more inclined towards its predecessor Borderlands 2 than previously thought.

If you enjoy shooting action, appreciate offbeat dark humor, and find crazy characters “to shoot”, then the Borderlands series is likely on the eternal best list of the greatest PC games of all time.

To be honest, I was really worried about Borderlands 3. In the internal discussions in our editorial team, Schuhmann and Stöffel were already hopping around like Rumpelstiltskin by the fire, predicting that Borderlands 3 would rather be an “MMO-Shooter”. Surely Gearbox wants a piece of the Destiny/Division pie.

But now there are clear indications that Borderlands 3 is orienting itself towards its predecessors. The CEO of Gearbox, Randy Pitchford, has been quite active on Twitter in recent days.

Although Pitchford never explicitly mentions Borderlands 3, he remains general – but it’s pretty clear which Gearbox project is currently being discussed.

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He especially pointed out that they also want to offer something for solo and offline players – that sounds suspiciously like Borderlands. There, too, the campaign and (almost) all game content could be tackled solo. The enemies dynamically adjusted to the number of players. Only the particularly tough raid bosses required multiple players, but they often dropped legendary weapons.

Since they created this “raids and co-op shooting” quite early, Randy Pitchford finds it quite cheeky when people describe Borderlands as “like Destiny” – after all, Borderlands was there much earlier.

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Also interesting are the job postings at Gearbox. They are looking for game designers, level designers, and writers, among others. It might be possible that these positions have nothing to do with Borderlands – but the sought profile fits perfectly several times.

  • The writer must have “a love for comedy that still respects the underlying serious story”. The fact that this is about a “unannounced FPS/RPG hybrid” fits like a glove.
  • The level designer is supposed to create levels suitable for both single-player and co-op play. The levels should be built with the Unreal Engine 4.
  • The game designer should, however, be familiar with the development of a “competitive online first-person shooter”.

Currently, there are many indications that Gearbox is working hard on a Borderlands 3.

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In summary, the profile of the sought developers now looks like Borderlands 3 is strongly oriented towards Borderlands 2 and the Pre-Sequel in terms of gameplay. That really makes me happy. Because if there is a game that doesn’t need a major overhaul and, after years, still makes a lot of fun without me being able to suggest any major improvements, then it’s Borderlands 2.

So far, most of it is just speculation and Borderlands 3 hasn’t even been officially announced.

Let’s pray to the holy Claptrap that Borderlands 3 can also excite us.


Fans are hoping for a Borderlands 3 – especially after Battleborn flopped and is now even dead.

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Warum lieben die Fans Warframe so sehr?

 

Fans love Warframe for these reasons:

  • Warframe has largely grown over the years mainly through positive word of mouth. Digital Extremes is focused on constant development and community closeness. This is positively received by the players and contributes to the generally good atmosphere in Warframe.
  • The Free2Play model is considered fair, as there are systems like purchase blockers for low levels. All gameplay items can be earned; only cosmetic items must be paid for with real money.
  • It is not easy to delve into the complex Warframe. However, veteran players are helpful and form a large league of Tenno that protects their virtual universe together. The pronounced PvE probably contributes to this.
  • Players feel like extremely strong Space Ninjas through the overpowering gameplay and become superheroes.
All of this together ensures that Warframe has been able to build a good reputation among players over the years and is slowly but surely reaping the rewards:
 
Warframe explodes on Steam, now belongs to the big leagues
 
Warframe Lotus
 

Fans love Warframe for these reasons:

  • Warframe has largely grown over the years mainly through positive word of mouth. Digital Extremes is focused on constant development and community closeness. This is positively received by the players and contributes to the generally good atmosphere in Warframe.
  • The Free2Play model is considered fair, as there are systems like purchase blockers for low levels. All gameplay items can be earned; only cosmetic items must be paid for with real money.
  • It is not easy to delve into the complex Warframe. However, veteran players are helpful and form a large league of Tenno that protects their virtual universe together. The pronounced PvE probably contributes to this.
  • Players feel like extremely strong Space Ninjas through the overpowering gameplay and become superheroes.
All of this together ensures that Warframe has been able to build a good reputation among players over the years and is slowly but surely reaping the rewards:
 
Warframe explodes on Steam, now belongs to the big leagues

Warframe (PS4, Xbox, PC) has a loyal and passionate player base, from which you rarely hear anything bad about their favorite game. We wondered what makes the online shooter so popular among players and found a few answers. 

Warframe has been exciting its fans for four years now and has continued to grow since its release in 2013. On Steam, the online shooter receives a rating of “very good” from more than 90% of users.

This is something special for a game that has reached a size like Warframe: There’s usually something players complain about, sometimes quite rightly. However, if you look around in fan forums or in the reviews on Steam, the mood for Warframe is almost exclusively positive.

We wondered why Warframe is so popular and identified four reasons.
 
Warframe

If everyone is ridiculously strong, no one is – Overpowering cool gameplay for everyone!

In Warframe, you play as one of the Tenno, a long-forgotten warrior faction that once protected the universe. Each player possesses a suit called Warframe. The suit grants its wearer superhuman powers.

Even an inexperienced Tenno can fight their way through a crowd of soldiers and war machines alone. 

Warframe players like to call themselves Space Ninjas, and the gameplay feels just like that. Everyone is a super ninja wielding overwhelming weapons.

Right from the first minute of gameplay, the Tenno whirls through the air, makes double jumps, runs along walls, and uses weapons that ordinary people can only dream of. There are electric whips like the Lecta that unleash deadly shockwaves.

The Boltor rifle generates recoil that slams opponents against the nearest wall. Tennos are also dangerous in close combat, slicing through enemies while spinning and flipping.

As a player, you are offered gameplay that feels extremely powerful and just ridiculously cool.  Everyone can fulfill a certain superhero or power fantasy in Warframe and live it out with other overpowering players.

Warframe-Kiono

The League of Space Ninjas – Helpful community is strong together

In Warframe, PvE is much more pronounced than PvP. While there are game modes where you can compete against other clans or players, these take a back seat.

Pure PvP games often trigger strong competition behavior, which in the case of games like League of Legends or Overwatch quickly leads to toxic behavior: players won’t even let each other have a tiny advantage.

In Warframe, players face their environment and protect the universe together as a league of overpowering Space Ninjas. There is hardly any jealousy in the community, as anyone can be an overpowering Tenno, and they help each other to unleash their full potential.

Warframe is known for welcoming new players. It is not a walk in the park to learn the complex online shooter. There are numerous components to consider when looting, leveling, and crafting. Because Warframe is considerably more complex in its loot grind than genre counterparts like Destiny or Diablo.

 
There are speculations that Space Ninja veterans still remember well their first, arduous steps in Warframe and are thus willing to help any newcomer. This, combined with the community feeling of PvE, could be the reason for the predominantly friendly community.
 
Warframe Mission

Community finds, Warframe is a Free2Play game with a fair system

Warframe is free to download; the game’s revenues primarily come from microtransactions in the in-game shop. The term Free2Play raises alarms for some, as fear of pay-to-win often arises.

Pay2Win means that users can purchase gameplay advantages and quickly be better off than others. This is especially problematic in PvP games. In Warframe, almost everything can be earned through gameplay and grinding. The only thing that requires real money in Warframe are cosmetics. 

It is possible to buy weapons and similar items in the shop with the premium currency Platinum. However, these items have a level lock – someone with account level 3 cannot buy and use a weapon that requires account level 8.

Such blockers make the payment system perceived as fair and balanced by the community.

Warframe Trinity

Warframe is constantly evolving – Provides long-term motivation

The developers at Digital Extremes have worked hard on Warframe since its release in 2013 and have consistently developed and improved the online shooter.

For example, a graphic update came out in 2016 that made Warframe visually much more appealing. There are also regular content updates such as Octavia’s Anthem in March 2017. Recently, the developers added a new open-world map to Warframe: Plains of Eidolon.

These regular updates and smaller events keep players returning to Warframe. Players praise the developers and appreciate the closeness to the community. You feel heard in your wishes.

 
The grind is slow and tedious in Warframe, but that is exactly what players enjoy. Earning new loot feels significant. For example, every small modification for a weapon can make a difference.
 
Warframe Lotus
 

Fans love Warframe for these reasons:

  • Warframe has largely grown over the years mainly through positive word of mouth. Digital Extremes is focused on constant development and community closeness. This is positively received by the players and contributes to the generally good atmosphere in Warframe.
  • The Free2Play model is considered fair, as there are systems like purchase blockers for low levels. All gameplay items can be earned; only cosmetic items must be paid for with real money.
  • It is not easy to delve into the complex Warframe. However, veteran players are helpful and form a large league of Tenno that protects their virtual universe together. The pronounced PvE probably contributes to this.
  • Players feel like extremely strong Space Ninjas through the overpowering gameplay and become superheroes.
All of this together ensures that Warframe has been able to build a good reputation among players over the years and is slowly but surely reaping the rewards:
 
Warframe explodes on Steam, now belongs to the big leagues
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Reddit
  2. Reddit
  3. Reddit

Destiny 2: Prestige raid starts today, join us for the livestream!

In Destiny 2 the Prestige mode of the Leviathan raid starts today. Join the livestream live here!

Update: The Prestige raid is live! In the guide, we show you how it works.

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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What do I need to know about the Prestige raid?

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:

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.


If you want to know in advance what rewards await you in the Prestige raid: Destiny 2: Prestige Gear – This is the new loot in the Prestige raid

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Hearthstone bekommt Arenen mit Doppelklassen

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.

Hearthstone Halloween Picks

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?


Have you already gotten the new Warlock skin Nemsy Nimmertot?

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

Destiny 2: The Nightfall is buggy again, Bungie changes it!

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.

destiny-2-nessus

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.
    destiny-2-hüter-waffen

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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More tips:

  • 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.
Source(s):
  1. reddit
  2. reddit

Win early access keys for the sidescroller action game Hyper Universe!

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.

Giveaway for Early Access Keys for Steam for Hyper Universe

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!

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FIFA 18 TOTW 5 – Das Team der Woche 5 im Ultimate Team!

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.

totw-5

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

totw 5 start

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

totw 5 bank

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
    fifa17-ronaldo

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.


Interesting: FIFA 18 – Fastest players in the Bundesliga, Premier League, La Liga

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

WoW: „At Elysium, most are corrupt“ – Insider reveals

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.”

WoW Classic Header

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
World of Warcraft: The most famous representative among the P2P games

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.

WoW Goblin Gold

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 the “real” World of Warcraft, Silithus is currently being revamped – because something terrible is about to happen there!

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

Destiny 2: Makellos ohne einen einzigen Kill – Die Trials haben ein arges Problem

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.

destiny 2_pvp_heroic_02

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.

The names of the cheaters are not mentioned, as public harassment against individuals is not allowed in the Reddit forum. Info about reporting cheaters can be found on the Bungie website.

destiny-2_pvp_action_01

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.

Have you been a victim of such attacks as well?


Another annoying topic in the Crucible: Guardians in Destiny 2 demand: Quitters in PvP should finally be punished!

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

Giveaway PS4 & Xbox: Wir haben 1000 legendäre Karten für Hand of the Gods!

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.

HOTG game board

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.

Hand of the Gods – “Legendary Card Camazotz” for PS4 & Xbox One

You can sign up for Hand of the Gods for free on the official website for the beta.

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

Albion Online lässt Eure Freunde kostenlos mitspielen – sofern Ihr Gold für sie zahlt!

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.

Albion Online_Rewards Saber

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.

Albion Online battle

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.

At least at the launch of Albion Online, the servers struggled under the surge. This has since improved.

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

This is how 4 top streamers see the new PvP in Destiny 2

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.

destiny-2-pvp-hüter

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.

datto-destiny-2
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.

triplewreck-destiny-2
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.

fruit-destiny-2
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.

destiny-2-mida multi weapon
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.

destiny 2_pvp_action_07

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.

destiny-2-pvp-arcstrider

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.

destiny-2_pvp_action_01

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.

worn tip
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!


Already seen? All information about the PC launch of Destiny 2!

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