In Armored Warfare the big summer update 0.21 “Eye of the Storm” is approaching. It takes you to the Panama Canal and you will receive new tanks from Poland and the Czech Republic.
The tank combat game Armored Warfare is set in a grim, near future where civil wars rage and ruthless corporations relentlessly enforce their economic interests with armed force through their mercenary troops.
In the upcoming summer update 0.21, the fighting will also spread to the Panama Canal and threaten global trade.
Armored Warfare – New Maps, Tanks and Adjustments
To conquer the Panama Canal, the new PvP map Waterway is on the agenda. There, you can expect a 1300×1300 map with many different terrain features. Therefore, there is something for every player. Additionally, the familiar maps Roughneck and Narrows will be revised for performance and will receive versions for “Global Operations”.
A bunch of new tanks from Poland and the Czech Republic will also be included. The new vehicles range from Tier 6 to 10. The new tanks are the BVP Šakal, KTO Rosomak, KTO Rosomak M1M, WPB Anders, and Wilk XC-8. Many of these tanks feature high rate of fire.
Armored Warfare – Changes to Ammunition and Rewards
As additional content, Patch 0.21 will include changes to certain types of ammunition, such as HEAT grenades, as these were too strong at lower tiers and too weak at higher tiers. Additionally, there will be changes to the credit rewards after battles. The amount of the reward will depend, among other things, on the damage dealt in combat.
The summer update 0.21 does not have a specific release date yet, but as the name suggests, it should be released sometime in summer 2017.
Black Desert Online celebrates a big summer festival in a dreamlike bathing paradise. There you can experience special quests, mini-games, and events. Additionally, stylish marine costumes are available for purchase, and a patch reduces the required experience points up to level 61.
And then there are really big festivals, like the “Terrmian Festival”.
Black Desert Online – Terrmian Festival with many mini-games and lottery
The festival takes place in the namesake Terrmian Waterpark. It is a colorful bathing paradise on the coast northwest of Olvia. The ideal spot to relax after a tiring day filled with donkey rides and grinding. In the waterpark, you can complete quests
complete daily quests and earn Terrmian coins,
participate in six different mini-games like coconut cannon shooting or shell searching. By the way, you need Terrmian coins for that. As a reward for the mini-games, you get Terrmian seals
and cool prizes like Black Stones, crafting materials, and headgear. You need the seals from the mini-games for that.
You can also exchange the seals from the mini-games for a lottery ticket. This way, you can participate in a raffle on 09.08.2017 and have the chance to win real money prizes like a GeForce GTX 1080ti graphics card or in-game prizes like a rabbit or an advantage package.
Additionally, there are stylish sailor costumes available for purchase in the shop. With them, you can then stylishly take over the waterpark. By the way, the waterpark will remain open until 30 August, but the event ends on 09 August.
Black Desert – Patch reduces required experience points up to level 61
In addition to the summer festival event at the Terrmian Waterpark, there was also a patch for Black Desert Online. The highlight of the update: You now need fewer experience points to level up to level 61, allowing you to level up faster.
Additionally, the karma loss in PvP has been adjusted. Lost karma is now dependent on the AK+VK difference between characters, and you can lose a maximum of 120000 karma if a player with significantly lower AK+VK values is attacked.
What do you think of the event? Are you excited for the summer fun or do you find the bathing paradise and sailor theme silly? Let us know in the comments!
We present to you a Kayn build for LoL with masteries, runes, items, and counter-champions. With this, you are ready for the new League of Legends champion.
Kayn is the new champion in League of Legends and many players are wondering: How do you even play him? Since this champion is still quite new, various play styles and item builds need to be tested. However, there is already a rough build direction you can follow.
As a guideline, we present this Kayn guide for top lane and jungle. For reference, we used this guide from LoLKing and streams from Nightblue3 and other “prominent” junglers.
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As key masteries, Kayn offers “Thunderlords” and “Fervor“. You can adapt and choose these according to your play style. As a jungler, Thunderlords is a good choice. Generally, the mastery of Thunderlords is recommended because you can trigger it with Q, W and an auto-attack.
Kayn Top Masteries:
Kayn Jungle Masteries:
Kayn Runes
When it comes to rune selection, there are various focus options. Some players may prefer higher attack speed. We use attack damage runes that are noticeable when last hitting and against jungle camps in the early game. Armor and magic resistance are a good choice for both junglers and on the top lane. Armor is important for early game fighting against top laners or jungle camps.
Marks (Red): 9x 0.95 Attack Damage
Seals (Yellow): 9x 1 Armor
Glyphs (Blue): 9x 1.34 Magic Resistance
Quintessences: 3x 2.25 Attack Damage
Kayn Skill Build – Ability Priority
Kayn’s skill build depends heavily on your play style. As a priority, we take R>Q>W>E – When you skill E for example, depends on whether you need an escape in the top lane or want to gank early.
Currently, many build attempts for Kayn are circulating, all of which still need to be tested for strengths and weaknesses. As mentioned earlier, the champion has only been available for a short time. It will probably take a few days until “the perfect build” exists. We offer you two orientation options:
Top Lane Build:
Ninja Tabi, Guardian Angel, Youmuu’s Ghostblade, Maw of Malmortius, Randuin’s Omen, Black Cleaver
Jungle Build:
Jungle: Enchantment Warrior, Ninja Tabi, Guardian Angel, Black Cleaver, Maw of Malmortius, Randuin’s Omen
More Damage: If things are going particularly well for you and you are looking for “more damage”, then Bloodthirster, Sterak’s Gage, or Titanic Hydra are a good choice.
More Defense: If you are having problems in the game and taking too much damage, Iceborn Gauntlet, Frozen Heart, or Gargoyle Stoneplate would be a good defense for Kayn.
Kayn Counters – Who Wins Against Kayn?
Particularly tough matchups you have against Quinn or Teemo. Also, Pantheon and Darius are foes that Kayn cannot easily defeat.
Good Against Kayn Are:
Quinn
Teemo
Gnar
Jayce
Kayle
Pantheon
Kennen
Kayn Has An Advantage Over:
Illaoi
Aatrox
Dr. Mundo
Garen
Shen
Yorick
Wukong
Trundle
Have you had experience with the new champion? Feel free to share your builds with us in the comments.
In Guild Wars 2, the third season of the Living Story is coming to an end soon. The final episode will be released at the end of July, and shortly after Season 3, the next expansion will already be here.
However, not much is known aside from the release date.
Guild Wars 2 – Orr as a setting for the final episode?
The last episode of the third season of the Living Story in Guild Wars 2 begins on July 25, 2017. More than this date and a moody picture of an Asian-looking ship amid sunken ruins in the jungle are not known from official sources. So where will the final episode lead?
According to many fans, it is clearly heading to the fallen kingdom of Orr. This region was already devastated by a magical disaster before the first Guild Wars started and was an important part of the background story even then. In the second part, the undead dragon Zhaitan awoke in Orr, and some of the northern regions of the sunken peninsula could even be explored.
Guild Wars 2 – Second addon coming soon after season end
Furthermore, Orr is located just west of the Crystal Desert. This wasteland, in turn, is most likely part of the next big addon for Guild Wars 2, which features not only the desert but also other regions of northern Elona, such as the principalities of Vabbi, as a setting. And since the addon is supposed to follow shortly after the end of Season 3, the chances of Orr being a setting for the season finale are truly not bad.
What do you think about the speculation surrounding the location of the finale? Is it clear to you that it is Orr or a completely new region that has not been known before? Let us know in the comments!
Today, on July 13, maintenance work is being carried out for the MMO shooter Destiny. The servers are down. There are server issues on PS4.
Bungie spontaneously announced maintenance for today, Thursday. Due to the time difference, this will take place at an inconvenient time for German Guardians: Right after work.
Preparations for maintenance will start at 5 PM. You will not be able to log in.
At 5:30 PM, the servers will go offline. All players who are still in the game will be kicked from their activities. So make sure you finish before that.
The maintenance is expected to last until 7 PM.
The server downtime affects all consoles. No new content or gameplay innovations will be deployed.
Server Issues on PS4
Last night, there were server problems on the PlayStation 4. Guardians received error messages regarding the connection to the Destiny servers. Bungie stated that they are investigating this issue.
Normally, Bungie would also inform whether a problem has been resolved. However, this information is currently pending. Instead, they announced today’s maintenance. Presumably, this will be used to fix the server issues.
Update: Bungie announced prematurely that these issues have been resolved.
A major stress test for the Bungie servers is approaching: Next week, the beta of Destiny 2 starts. Bungie has already stated that they will use this to thoroughly test the server infrastructure. The demand will certainly be enormous, so you can expect queues and server issues.
This is also the reason why the launch of Destiny 2 was pushed forward by a few days: If the release were to take place at the beginning of the weekend – when there is the most traffic – it would pose an unnecessary risk for the servers. And they definitely want to avoid the servers crashing at launch.
Players on Xbox One will soon be able to enjoy Friday the 13th. They and everyone else are also eagerly waiting for the singleplayer mode.
If you are into gruesome horror murders or cooperative escapes from an overpowering killer, you cannot miss Friday the 13th: The Game. Seven camp residents face off in an unequal battle against the killer Jason, who wants to kill them cold-bloodedly – in an extremely brutal manner. Only those who stick together and outsmart the killer through tactics and planning can escape from the map.
Since Friday the 13th was released, there have been numerous problems. First, the servers could not handle the player masses, then bugs plagued the game, and lastly, even a memory leak on Xbox One caused Jason and his victims to completely stop functioning after a while.
Xbox One Memory Leak is Expected to be Fixed Soon
However, according to the publisher Gun Media, they are working on a fix for the memory leak on Xbox One and have made significant progress. The developers are confident that they have contained the problem and that the memory leak will soon be a thing of the past.
But there’s more good news: The singleplayer mode that was promised to players during the development phase is also developing magnificently – and will remain free of charge.
“Thanks to the great support from our fans, we have been able to expand our work on upcoming content, so that we can stick to our schedules while still fixing issues. We look forward to sharing more about this, including the upcoming single-player mode that will be available for free.”
No specific date has yet been provided for the saving patch – but at least there is certainty that the developers are making progress.
Jagex is known for the MMORPG Runescape, which has now been around for 16 years but still delights fans. Now, another title is set to be added.
Previously, Jagex attempted to expand its portfolio. Stellar Dawn was supposed to lead into space, but the game was canceled before it was released. The MOBA Transformers Universe was a flop and was shut down shortly after release. However, these setbacks do not deter the development team.
An innovative Free2Play MMO
The studio is currently looking for new staff for an unannounced new MMO project. Specifically, a Senior Game Designer and a Gameplay Programmer are being sought.
Much is not yet revealed, except that it is a Free2Play project. It is also intended to be an innovative online game, and the staff will be involved from conception to implementation.
During a Twitch presentation, which some believe was a “planned leak”, a developer accidentally shared this image a few weeks ago:
MMORPG? Shared World? MOBA?
Now speculation can run wild about what Jagex is working on. A classic MMORPG? That wouldn’t be particularly innovative. One of the currently popular Shared-World games? Here too, innovation is not as far-fetched as more and more studios are jumping on this bandwagon.
The team has not had good experiences with a MOBA. Therefore, all fans can look forward to what Jagex is cooking up here.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds finally gets a settings option for the field of view in the July patch. Additionally, a standalone first-person mode for the battle royale game is being introduced. The weekly patch also fixes some annoying bugs.
Update: Brendan “PlayerUnknown” Greene has just announced via Twitter that they are now introducing a first-person-only server for Europe and North America with the July update. More regions will follow later. Moreover, this applies only to solo and duo matches.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds receives a smaller update every week and a larger update every month with many changes and innovations. This month, a field of view adjustment is coming, among other things. However, you will have to wait a bit longer for a real first-person mode, where you play ONLY from the first-person perspective.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds – Finally adjust field of view
Adjusting the field of view may not be a big deal for many players, but those suffering from motion sickness, the so-called “travel or motion sickness”, may be able to play with an adjusted field of view without symptoms, whereas previously they struggled with nausea and dizziness.
To ensure that as many players as possible can enjoy PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, a slider for field of view adjustment will be included in the July update at the end of the month.
What unfortunately will not be included in the July update is a true first-person mode that does not allow switching back to the previous third-person view. Such a view is, according to chief developer Brendan Greene, not easily doable “at the push of a button”. Instead, all development teams must work together on this feature, and there are currently more pressing matters to attend to. So an official FP mode will take a little longer to arrive.
The aforementioned changes will not come until the end of July in the monthly patch. However, what is already here today is the current weekly patch. This one is a bit bigger than usual and fixes a few particularly annoying issues:
The airplane no longer sometimes just stays in the air at the beginning of a match
You can no longer shoot from a vehicle underwater
If you are killed in zoom mode, you should no longer be stuck in zoom forever when being revived
Doors no longer remain as invisible obstacles when destroyed.
In the latest Overwatch patch, Reaper finally learns to be silent. But Reinhardt, Zarya, and McCree are also getting improvements!
Although the main attraction of the current PTR for Patch 2.13 is the new hero Doomfist, there are also a number of adjustments to the existing characters. The latest version of the patch not only brought Doomfist’s skins, but also significantly tweaks the balance of many heroes. We have the latest changes for you.
First, a few changes to Doomfist. The maximum range of Rocket Punch has been reduced by 20%. Seismic Slam now clearly indicates how much damage was dealt but can only be aimed at areas lower than Doomfist’s current position.
McCree is getting a slight buff. His Flashbang not only stuns the affected opponent but also significantly slows them down instantly. This should make it harder for enemies to “slide around the corner” during the stun.
Reaper learns to whisper
Reaper, on the other hand, has finally learned to be quieter! When using his Shadow Step, the sound effect of the ability and his voiceover are played much quieter. This allows him to sneak up more stealthily.
Reinhardt is also receiving a few buffs. His hammer swings about 10% faster now, and the developers have changed “many small details,” so hitting enemies should feel better now. Additionally, two charging heroes (Reinhardt and Doomfist) no longer deal damage to each other. However, both will still be knocked down.
A big winner is Zarya, as her Ultimate now prevents affected enemies from using mobility abilities! Once caught in the vortex, they will remain trapped until it ends.
Please note that these patch notes are not final. Everything is temporary until the release of the update.
Furthermore, the developers are still considering changes to Roadhog. However, there are currently no implemented plans in this version of the PTR.
A forecast certifies Destiny 2 now excellent prospects of becoming a hit, even on PC. It has the potential to be the biggest launch since Overwatch on PC.
SuperData analyzes video games and their chances in the market. They evaluate data and then say: This is how many units the game will sell digitally. That is our forecast.
Now the company has dealt with Destiny 2 and has run thousands of simulations on the sales expectations for Destiny 2.
They believe:
Destiny 2 will sell digitally 3 to 5 million times on PC, PS4, and Xbox One in the first three months.
The data and simulations say: Destiny 2 should become the best-selling premium PC game digitally since Overwatch. Overwatch was released in May 2016.
According to SuperData, they conducted thousands of simulations and calculated probabilities for success.
The sales distribution with the highest probability looks like this: Destiny 2 will sell about 1.5-2 million units digitally on PC in the first 3 months and 2.5-3 million units on PS4 and Xbox One.
That would mean, that the PC platform will be a good place to play Destiny 2. One won’t complain about empty servers or lack of players.
The Battle.net Effect
An important role for this analysis is that Destiny 2 is distributed via Battle.net. This is Blizzard’s own launcher, on which WoW, Overwatch, Hearthstone, and other games run. The expected additional sales through this distribution channel have been included by Superdata in their calculations. They call this the “Battle.net” effect.
On PS4 and Xbox One, Destiny 1 was already a big hit, but only now does the franchise make its debut on PC, albeit with additional delays. The launch date in September is also taken into account. The PC version will be released a few weeks after that for PS4 and Xbox One.
SuperData says the simulations are the result of quantitative analyses of the past from over 500 titles.
We discuss the difficulties of the PC port of Destiny 2 here:
For The Division , the long wait for console agents is over. The PTS will be available tomorrow on PS4 and Xbox One. Here’s what you need to know.
Update: Since around 12 PM today, on July 13th, the PTS are live on consoles. The Global Event is not yet active. Massive is working on it.
Original notification:
Yesterday, on July 11th, the time finally came. In the late afternoon, many agents – including many of our readers – received an invitation email from Massive, allowing them to participate in the upcoming console PTS phase.
The PTS are the public test servers where the upcoming innovations of Update 1.7 will be rigorously tested.
Yesterday, the emails were sent to agents in Europe and Asia. Today, players from North and South America are next. If you haven’t received any emails so far, the chances are slim that you will receive an invitation.
This email contains important information that Massive has not yet disclosed through public channels: The console PTS starts tomorrow, on July 13th. A specific time is not provided.
PTS Preload is ongoing
If you received an email, you must first confirm your participation. To do this, click the link in the email, which will take you to a page where you can obtain the code for your platform. Some agents are currently complaining that this link does not work. The page does not load. Massive responded that this could be due to traffic if too many agents try to confirm participation at the same time. You should try again later. If it still doesn’t work, you can notify support.
For most agents, the activation works perfectly. You now enter the code in your console store and start the preload. This means you can download the required game data in advance. Since the PTS is a completely separate build, you will need to download a hefty 45 GB.
Information about the PTS:
You can share your code with a friend. It is not account-bound. A thank you to our reader Tokyo ghoul Eto, who provided us with his code.
The PTS is only available in English.
You can stream the PTS and post gameplay online. There is no non-disclosure agreement (NDA).
On the PTS, you should expect many issues, bugs, and crashes (more than usual). It may happen that you lose all your progress on the PTS. The PTS are not intended for “fun”, but for testing purposes.
You do not need to create a new character on the PTS. Your agent from the live game will be transferred. For testing, it may happen that you are asked to create a new agent.
All progress you make on the PTS will not carry over to the live game.
The PTS will be available until Massive has enough feedback. There is currently no end date.
By the way: There seem to be inconsistencies with the email invitations. There are many complaints in the forums. Some say they received an email even though they hadn’t been active for months. Others complain that they have been very active and can show many hours of play, but did not receive an email.
A total of 10,000 invitations per console are set to be sent out. To have a chance for an email, you need to have been online in the last month and have as many playing hours as possible, according to Massive.
The next hero of Overwatch will be the villain Doomfist. We will show you his skins!
Several days ago, we reported that Blizzard has finally officially announced the next hero for Overwatch. Doomfist will be the next one to “enter the ring” and give his enemies a proper pounding. Just recently, he broke out of prison with Reaper’s help and has rejoined the Talon organization.
But like every hero and villain in Overwatch, Doomfist also has a number of exclusive cosmetic items – the most exciting ones are, of course, the skins. We have listed all skins that the muscle man will have at his release.
All Doomfist Skins at Release
The rare skins of Doomfist are – as usual – rather unremarkable, as they only change the color of the clothing. However, anyone looking for just the right touch for this strong hero should be happy with them. Click the images to enlarge!
More exciting are Doomfist’s epic skins, where he either adopts the camouflage pattern of a cheetah or even applies a complete painting!
Finally, we come to the legendary skins. These are particularly elaborate and show Doomfist significantly transformed. He has either completely turned into an omnic or taken on the avatar of a deity.
There is no specific release date for Doomfist yet. Theories and speculations suggest that he will join Overwatch on July 25 and the Summer Games 2017 will begin a week later, on August 1. We will report as soon as there are binding dates.
And one last detail: Data miners have already extracted from the game data that Doomfist will also receive a special skin for the Summer Games, as well as 3 other cosmetic items (likely sprays and voicelines). This gives Doomfist a total of 71 different cosmetic items at release.
What do you think of Doomfist’s skins? Do you like them or are they too boring? Let us know in the comments!
More about Doomfist can be found in these articles:
First legendary Pokémon for Pokémon GO are now being displayed as banner ads in the Indian iOS store. A release of these special Pokémon may be closer than many trainers thought.
Currently, Pokémon GO experts and players are dealing with a possible leak. There is a banner ad in the Indian iOS app store that points to the legendary Pokémon. These are mentioned in the same sentence as the special Pikachu with a hat that is currently catchable.
Are these two events connected?
Legendary Pokémon in the Indian App Store
The hype train of the PoGO community is picking up speed again! This train started when the developers announced that summer 2017 is going to be legendary. After the first screenshots of legendary raid battles made the rounds, there are now further hints about legendary Pokémon in Pokémon GO.
On Reddit, user lightninglemons22 shows that a banner ad in the Indian iOS app store mentions the legendary monsters. These are mentioned in the same sentence as the special Pikachu that is currently available to catch in the wild.
“Special Pikachu with a hat and first legendary Pokémon (possibly: “first legendary Pokémon”).
It is unclear how long this ad has been active in the Indian app store. Perhaps it is a leak and this ad was supposed to be activated in a few days. However, we might also find this message soon in our app stores.
It is also claimed on Reddit that this ad was visible in the app store for users from Singapore. In the meantime, the “Great new updates” category, where the ad was found, has disappeared again.
Legendary Pokémon and the Chicago Fest – Speculation
On July 22, the Pokémon GO Fest will take place in Chicago. Yesterday, Niantic disclosed some details, such as a mysterious riddle, that is supposed to offer trainers around the world a special bonus if solved.
It is likely that this could involve the legendary Pokémon. However, nothing has been officially confirmed yet.
Are you already waiting for these special Pokémon, or do you not care about the release?
In preparation for the PC version of Destiny 2, players can now link their Bungie account with their Blizzard account.
For PC players, Destiny 2 launches in October and will be available through the Blizzard network in the “Blizzard App” software. From now on, you can prepare for the release by linking your Blizzard and Bungie accounts.
This allows you to use your Bungie.net profiles while logged into the Blizzard account. The linking process is completed in just a few steps.
Linking Bungie and Blizzard Accounts
Players have already been able to authenticate their Bungie.net accounts using their PlayStation Network IDs or Xbox Live Gamertags. Many players used this method to log in on the Bungie.net site. This allowed the Bungie service to display their character data and stats on the website and provide an overview of all characters.
From now on, you can also use your Blizzard account as an authentication method.
If you already have a Bungie.net account, you can link your Blizzard account in the same way as adding a console account.
But caution:Make sure that you do not create a new account, but add Blizzard to your existing account.
On Reddit, user Aerogizz writes that he accidentally created a new account and linked it again with his old Bungie account’s Gamertag. This leads to losing access to the “old” account! In Bungie’s FAQ, it states: “Players lose their Bungie.net access if they remove their PSN ID, Xbox Live Gamertag, or Blizzard Battle Tag from their profile.”
To connect existing accounts with Blizzard, go to the Bungie.net website settings and select the “Accounts & Linking” section.
Anyone who has not yet had an account on the Bungie website can register there with their Blizzard account:
Then a pop-up window will open for your account creation. Click on the corresponding network (PlayStation, Xbox, or Blizzard) with which you want to link the account.
Now you will be prompted to log in to the selected network. Then confirm the account by clicking “Continue”.
With your username and email, you will now create your Bungie account.
If you want, you can also add and link additional accounts.
Your profile is now created and you can take advantage of your Bungie account benefits.
It’s best to confirm your email address right away to complete the verification.
Now you are well prepared for the launch of Destiny 2!
The benefits of this account linking are important for you. Destiny 2 beta codes and other rewards will be redeemed via the Bungie.net website. A linked account is therefore a prerequisite for that. Additionally, you can join clans on the website that will play a important role in Destiny 2.
Destiny 2 Beta and Release for PC – When?
Before the release of Destiny 2, you have the opportunity to test the game during beta phases. However, PC players will have to wait until the end of August to participate in the coveted testing phase. PS4 and Xbox One players can test from July 21 to July 23. Pre-orderers will get early access and can play even sooner.
Mordor opens its gates! The release date of the latest expansion for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online is finally set.
The release of the addon, which officially bears the title “Mordor”, is planned for July 31. However, the developers keep a little backdoor open. They state that in case the launch is delayed, players will be able to enjoy the new content by August 31 at the latest.
Anyone interested in HDRO and the new expansion can now pre-order it (link opens a new page). It is available in three versions, each offering different content:
Standard Edition
Mordor expansion
300+ New Quests
Hundreds of new achievements
New loyalty system
New instance clusters with raids and more
Valar’s Aria – A level boost for Mordor
Price: $39.99
Collector’s Edition
Includes, in addition to the content of the Standard Edition:
Highborn Race
Character Slot
Exclusive cosmetic alliance items
Exclusive armor, cloak
Exclusive alliance mount
and
Two exclusive titles:
“Walked Into Mordor”
“The Ultimate”
Price: $79.99
Ultimate Fan Pack
Includes, in addition to the content of the Standard and Collector’s Editions:
Exclusive cosmetic Mordor items
Exclusive Mordor mount
Equipable XP boost for all characters
Exclusive housing teleporter for all characters
Three relics for all characters
Two “Essence Reclamation Scrolls”!
Ten additional, shareable inventory slots
One month VIP access
Price: $129.99
This way, you can already gear up for the upcoming adventures of the Mordor expansion for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online.
The online shooter Destiny 2 (PC, PS4, Xbox One) will hold a beta. Here is what we know about the beta and open beta for Destiny 2. All information about the beta launch and beta registration.
Destiny 2 will be released on September 6, 2017, for PS4 and Xbox One. The PC release is on October 24. But ahead of that, players will have the opportunity to get their hands on the shooter: a beta has already been announced.
We summarize what is currently known about the Destiny 2 beta.
Pre-order Beta and Open Beta Coming
Two beta phases have been announced – a “Closed Beta” phase, which transitions into an Open Beta.
First, a “Closed Beta” will take place. Access will be granted to players who pre-order. It is likely that “beta invitations” will also be sent out or raffled off as gateways by YouTubers, streamers, gaming sites, or shops. Pre-orders for Destiny came with beta guarantee. Initial giveaways have also been announced, promising beta keys.
There will also be the opportunity to test Destiny 2 in an Open Beta. All Guardians are expected to have the chance to provide feedback, as officially stated.
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PC: The beta starts for pre-orders on August 28. The Open Beta for everyone starts on August 29. The Destiny 2 PC beta ends on August 31.
Preload for the Beta – Download in Advance
The Destiny 2 Beta preload starts on July 13 at 7 PM on PS4 and Xbox One. You will need a beta code for this.
Destiny 2 Beta Registration: How to gain access?
Everyone will have access to the open beta. For the pre-order beta, there’s an FAQ from Bungie on how to gain access. The most important points:
Players who pre-ordered from the PlayStation or Xbox store will automatically receive beta access with the account they used to pre-order.
If you pre-ordered from a retailer and received a code, you can redeem it on this page from Bungie. Later, Bungie will contact players and distribute the Destiny 2 beta download code.
Amazon has assured that it will send the beta code “in time before the start of the official beta testing phase.”
The developers of Overwatch are not satisfied with Roadhog. Soon, the big guy should be able to perform better as a tank.
The current state of the Overwatch hero Roadhog divides the player base into two camps. One group celebrates the “new” Roadhog, primarily from the perspective of a victim: Finally, Roadhog can no longer perform “one-shot combos” and is not as frustrating as an opponent. The other group feels that Roadhog is now far too weak, as he can neither easily take down individual targets nor truly fulfill his role as a tank.
This has now also been confirmed by one of the lead developers, Geoff Goodman. In the official forum of the game, he commented on Roadhog:
“We are trying out some things internally with Roadhog. The focus of the changes we are testing is on his defense and not on an increase in his offensive capabilities. Although the hook combo is now weaker, he can still deal a lot of damage. If his survivability were a bit better, he would be in a good position.”
So we will still have to wait for specific changes. Whether they will make it into the “Doomfist” patch, which is supposed to hit the live servers in the coming weeks, is questionable.
What change would you give Roadhog to make him stand out better again? Are you still doing well with him currently?
Black Desert Online has announced a flat 50 percent increase in the in-game currency prices for all real-money items in the auction house. This sparked a massive backlash from the community, while other players find it quite fair.
In Black Desert Online, you can buy cool outfits, costumes, pets, and even underwear for real money in the cash shop. The prices are quite high, and many of the outfits normally obtainable in the game look pretty mediocre.
All the better if players offered their real-money purchased items for in-game currency on the auction market. This way, even those refusing to spend real money could get cool outfits.
But now Kakao Games has announced a flat 50 percent increase in the in-game currency prices in the auction house.
Black Desert Online – Price Increase – Players Furious, Developer Closes Forum Thread
The in-game currency prices for the real-money items from the auction house have reportedly been too low according to the developers. There have indeed been numerous new methods to quickly earn money since the release. Therefore, the in-game currency prices are no longer appropriate and will be raised by a flat 50 percent starting July 19.
As soon as this news broke in the official Black Desert Online forum, numerous fans exploded in wild rage! “This is pay-to-win! Real money whales won’t get any fatter, Kakao is farming even more money from them, and we poor players are the ones paying the price!”
According to the dissatisfied, one must now spend real money to get items. The in-game currency prices would soon be unaffordable. Those who do not want to spend real money will have to run around in the standard rags forever.
The backlash continued to escalate until the developers probably had enough and deleted the thread in the forum without comment. It is now unclear whether Black Desert will go through with this price increase.
Black Desert Online – Price Increase – Is There a Silver Lining?
Since then, the discussion has continued vigorously in another unofficial thread in the forum, as well as on Reddit and in the comment section of the site MassivelyOP, which originally reported on the price increase. Interestingly, there are quite a few players on MassivelyOP who do not see the price increase as that bad.
On the contrary. According to the supporters of the price increase, this measure should lead to more people offering real-money items for in-game currency. The prices have been almost ridiculously low. With rising prices, better offerings of cool real-money items will be possible.
Additionally, according to many players, the camping at the auction house is much worse since often countless players are bidding like crazy for an item, and it is pure luck to actually win an item.
What do you think about the price increases in the auction house? Are you on the side of the outraged players, or do you see it more like the supporters? Or do you not care at all because you do not use the auction house and do not spend real money? Let us know in the comments!
First Fire, then Frost! In Hearthstone there is no pause – but free cards from the next expansion “Knights of the Frozen Throne”.
Currently, the Fire Lord Ragnaros is hosting the solstice festival in Hearthstone. Here, players earn double gold for completed quests, so all players should take advantage of this event to gather plenty of in-game currency for the release of the next expansion.
But obviously, there is still an event waiting for us before the release of “Knights of the Frozen Throne” at the beginning of August! Data miners have been busy and discovered another event in the game data of patch 8.4. The “Frost Festival” is expected to last for 3 weeks and will be held by the small “opponent” of Ragnaros – the Frost Lord Ahune!
Although the exact dates of the event are still uncertain, some key details have already been uncovered.
Each week there will be a free arena run. In these arena runs, players start with a win – so there are bigger rewards at the end!
One quest requires players to complete 3 games in the arena. As a reward, there are card packs for “Knights of the Frozen Throne”.
A new card chaos, which is of course “much cooler” than Ragnaros’s, will also be available.
Since the event is supposed to last for three weeks, it is possible that it will take place immediately after the solstice festival and continue until the release of “Knights of the Frozen Throne”. But that is just speculation so far.
Please note that these are still unconfirmed contents. It is possible that the Frost Festival will change or not take place at all before the release.
Leya took the test and got a total noob Jumping-Potions for Final Fantasy XIV. With the potion boost, you can skip the main story, and the hero is set to a high level. This allows you to start your adventure directly in the new expansion Stormblood. What happens when you use the skip items and how our author felt in the end content, you can find out here.
Final Fantasy XIV is a master at bringing its world to life with an impressive story. It seems that all the inhabitants of Eorzea have an exciting story to tell. Everything is brilliantly interconnected. This makes the story of Final Fantasy XIV one of the best of all MMORPGs. The races, the landscape, the organizations – everything is crafted with great attention to detail and flows together.
At least that’s what I’ve heard. Because I skipped all of that.
I do not know what the base game and the first major expansion Heavensward have to tell. I used the new Jumping Potions to catapult myself directly into the new expansion Stormblood. My Final Fantasy story starts here.
May I introduce?
The cat lady in the picture below is named Auryn Ende – a moon wanderer who has just arrived in Eorzea. She’s still small and weak, but that will change within minutes.
Before I start the test report, let me briefly explain what the Jumping Potions actually are.
Final Fantasy XIV – Jumping Potions – Allow Story Skip & Level Boost
Final Fantasy 14 has a story lock. You actually have to quest through the entire story to reach advanced areas. If you haven’t completed the base game, you cannot enter Heavensward and if you haven’t finished Heavensward, you also cannot proceed to Stormblood.
Job Level Boost: With the Job Level Boost, a job is set directly to Level 60 once and the character is ready for the end area. The boost can be used only once per account. This boost costs 21.75 Euros
Scenario Shortcut: This boost skips game content and the story. If you only want to skip the base game, it costs 15.75 Euros. If you want to add the Heavensward expansion on top of that, skipping the base game and the expansion costs 21.75 Euros.
If you get the job boost and the large scenario shortcut, you pay a total price of 43.50 Euros. That’s the price of a new game. If you don’t already own Final Fantasy XIV, you also pay for the game itself, plus monthly subscription fees.
I got both potions.
The Dilemma of Choice – Which Job Should I Boost?
The Job Level Boost can only be used once per account. I should have really thought about which job I wanted to have at Level 60. But I didn’t.
Final Fantasy XIV offers a total of 15 jobs, including: White Mage, Ninja, Bard, Warrior, or Dragoon. For the new jobs Samurai and Red Mage, you cannot buy a job boost. I was eager to get started quickly and didn’t really know which jobs were suitable for beginners. I decided to simply take a job that I thought I would enjoy – without researching too much.
I chose the Summoner job.
The Summoner is a Ranged DPS that deals magical damage. It belongs to the class of the Thaumaturge and prefers black magic. The Summoner has familiars at its side. These are soul beings that fight for the mage and protect them. The handling of familiars is a big part of the Summoner’s gameplay.
The Summoner can summon a familiar that fights and defends it. In keeping with the black magic theme, the familiar takes the form of a demon.
First, I Played Through the Early Tutorial – At Least Briefly
After I decided which job I wanted to have at Level 60, the adventure began. Before I used the Jumping Potions, I completed the short game introduction first. I was concerned that I would feel completely lost if I jumped into the end content without basic knowledge.
I learned, among other things, what aether crystals are and how to use them. They transport me from place to place, and I can set a home aether crystal. I was informed about how the market and trade work. The quest markers in Final Fantasy XIV were also explained.
My impatience said: That’s enough, it’s time for the boost items!
Curious, I set off with my character Auryn to explore the world of Final Fantasy.
Job Level Boost: I Went Through the Magic Sphere and Got a Cool Hat
I started with the Job Level Boost. I had an item in my inventory that was supposed to teach me the secrets of the Summoner. I selected it, and my game restarted. When I returned to the character selection screen, a Level 60 Summoner was looking back at me. Along with the job boost, I also directly received equipment adjusted to the new high level.
As soon as I “woke up” in Final Fantasy, I got the notice that I could follow a tutorial for my new class. A big plus! I would not be completely left in the rain with my job. I dived into the tutorial.
For the tutorial, my level was adjusted, and I could only use the initial skills of the Summoner. There were several tutorials that taught me all the basics of fighting.
However, I was only shown the fundamentals of my class. I learned what my job as a Ranged DPS is and what I need to pay attention to. I was explained, for example, that I must always protect the healer in the group or how to avoid area attacks.
How exactly I apply my skills remained hidden for now.
It is worth noting that thought went into the job boost. The first thing I was shown was the opportunity to complete a tutorial for my new job. At least I know how the basics work and know my tasks in combat.
Scenario Shortcut: I Can See the Entire Story, but …
The job boost was completed. Now came the next potion – The Scenario Shortcut. With this item, I skipped exactly what fans appreciate about Final Fantasy XIV, the entire story.
When I used the item, I had to log in again. I had jumped to the end area, and the first quest for the main story of Stormblood, “Above the Wall,” was already displayed to me.
This time I woke up in a hotel room and directly found a travel journal right in front of me. In the journal was the complete story of Final Fantasy XIV up to the point of Stormblood, to flip through. Additionally, I found all important story scenes in animated form within the journal.
However, I quickly realized that it was absolutely not interesting for me to just read through the entire story. That would take hours. I turned to the first cutscene that was in the booklet.
No great success.
Because I quickly realized that I could not connect with the characters that appeared. I did not know who they were or why I was with them. I didn’t experience the story and couldn’t create a connection.
It felt weird to be part of the conversation between the characters. I felt completely out of place and like a stranger. Which I actually was.
I closed the booklet again and accepted that Stormblood would have to be the beginning of my story.
Stormblood: I Came, I Saw, I Was Amazed – And Then I Died
It was time to set out for Stormblood and pursue the first quest. For the first time, I became aware of the enchanted surroundings.
This is where the real playing began for me. I looked more closely at the mystical environment and realized how much love for detail is in Final Fantasy XIV. I discovered many imaginative creatures and wandered a bit, just to absorb everything around me.
The meadows, the beings, the world – Everything feels like a dream.
Enough with roaming around, actions await! I went to the first quest of Stormblood and had to speak to Lyse “On Safe Paths”. The paths were not so safe. I was attacked and did not survive my first fight with a random creature.
I had learned the basics of fighting in the beginner tutorial, but I still really didn’t know what to do as a Summoner. I tried to read my skills and understand them. However, the right sequence and good timing were elusive to me.
It came as no surprise to me that I quickly met with disaster. After all, I jumped directly into the end fray without prior knowledge and couldn’t wait to be a big pro.
I tried again and again and again. Slowly, I began to get the hang of what damage the familiar does, how to keep myself alive, and what other creatures do.
Convenient: Every time something new happens to me, a pop-up appears explaining what actually happened.
Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way – Even for Blind Chickens
So far, I have spent about 30 hours in Final Fantasy XIV with my cat lady Auryn as a Level 60 Summoner. Most of that time in Stormblood. I still feel like a blind chicken pecking at a grain of success here and there.
I don’t find that bad, and I’m having fun digging into it. However, I am now at a point where I couldn’t manage without additional guides and tutorials. Still, I have the impression that even as a total noob, it’s possible to keep up in the end game.
Yes, you need to put in the effort to fully immerse yourself in Final Fantasy XIV. It remains a complex game, and the streamlining that came with Stormblood, has not made the skills much more accessible for beginners. However, I cannot judge how it was before and whether it would have been significantly more difficult for me to jump in.
But anyone who is willing to jump directly into Stormblood and learn everything could surely manage that with the help of Google and YouTube. Or with a nice veteran friend.
Jumping Potions Have a Right to Exist and Serve Good Purposes
I would still need to struggle for a while to fully immerse myself in Stormblood. If I had friends with whom I wanted to play in the end areas, it would be worth the effort and money.
That’s actually the purpose behind the potions: Not to be stuck as a “noob” alone in the endgame, but to catch up with friends who can take you by the hand and accompany you into the world of Final Fantasy XIV.
It’s definitely a shame that the story of the base game and Heavensward is hard to enjoy with the Scenario Shortcut. While it’s nice that the travel journal shows the story, the right feeling did not come to me. Spending hours poring over the booklet was not an option for me, but maybe others find that great and can settle in this way.
Anyone who wants to jump directly into Stormblood and experience the story of the past could later catch up on the base game and Heavensward with a second character. In Final Fantasy XIV, you can play multiple characters.
The Job Level Boost was well thought out and well executed. I knew enough after the tutorials to find my way at the beginning. The rest, you have to work out yourself.
Jump Potions: Sensible for Especially Two Types of Players
The potions are likely to be most practical for those who want to quickly level up a second character. But noobs wanting to play in the end content can also benefit from the potions. It depends on the beginner themselves and how willing they are to learn, even through independent research. It certainly helps if the “jumpers” already have friends who are in the endgame and with whom they want to play.
However, anyone who wants to experience Final Fantasy XIV in its imaginative entirety can simply start from the beginning.
I certainly enjoyed my little experiment and will definitely visit Eorzea again occasionally.
