The upcoming online shooter Star Wars Battlefront 2 will offer microtransactions, which have now been presented in a bit more detail. Additionally, the first alpha keys are currently being sent out to testers.
Star Wars Battlefront 2 will not have a season pass, and the DLCs as well as the new characters will be offered for free. For this, the developers are introducing microtransactions.
This works as follows: You earn credits that you can use to open crates. In these crates are Star Cards and crafting materials. If you want to get credits faster, you can also buy them with real money.
Star Wars fans are to play together
The reason for this change is that the developers noticed with Battlefront 1 how difficult it is to let players play together when only some own the DLCs. By releasing these for free, it ensures that all players are always on the same level. To compensate for the revenue lost from the sale of DLCs, the above-mentioned microtransactions are being introduced. The first DLC with the theme “The Last Jedi” will be released in December, coinciding with the theatrical release of Star Wars Episode 8: The Last Jedi.
The first alpha keys have been sent out
Additionally, some fans of the online shooter are reporting via the NeoGAF forum that they have received emails from Dice containing alpha keys for Star Wars Battlefront 2. An alpha phase for the game has not yet been officially announced. However, it cannot be too far away if the keys are already being sent out now.
Gigantic (PC, Xbox One) is currently in open beta phase on the Arc platform, known from games like Neverwinter, along with Xbox One and Windows 10. Our guest author Dennis has taken a trip into the colorful world of Gigantic and has written a few lines about the game and its features.
In Gigantic, you enter a colorful world where gigantic creatures fiercely battle for victory. My hero, a robot armed with thick rocket launchers and a minigun, races through the wilderness of the game to take down some enemies. Just as I capture a point, our Guardian is attacked, and it’s time to defend.
In a flurry, I rush to our spawn point and unleash fire on the enemy minions until the attack on our giant creature is repelled. This was roughly how I experienced the first minutes in Gigantic, and I must say that this game stands out from other genre representatives like Paladins or Overwatch and fascinates with its unique elements.
However, in recent years, several games have been announced that were supposed to revolutionize the market as a mix of shooter and MOBA but have had little success. As a hardcore Overwatch player and MOBA fan, I checked out Gigantic’s open beta for a test and initially needed to find my way around. Because Gigantic does a lot of things differently than other genre representatives, which led to some initial confusion for me.
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My experiences in Gigantic are also available as a video that you can watch here.
The First Step Is Hard
Before it starts, the game needs to be downloaded first. There are now several options for that. The distribution platform Arc by Perfect World now offers the game for all Windows users, as previously the hero shooter was only available for Windows 10 and Xbox One owners. If you have played Gigantic before, you can start an account transfer so you don’t have to start all over again. The download is about 6 gigabytes.
Once you’re done, you can get started. Before facing real players, there’s a small tutorial that consists of four sections and guides you through the world. At the beginning, three heroes with different play styles are available to you.
Gigantic shows you how everything works with small animated and voiced cutscenes. Even though everything is well explained, it was personally too much for me at once, so by the end of the training, I still didn’t quite know what was going on.
After the tutorial, I would recommend trying a few games against the AI to refresh your understanding of the game. Once you’ve familiarized yourself with the surroundings, you can jump into real player battles.
Something for Everyone
Once you start a new match, you have the option to choose from currently 18 different heroes, each with different skills and roles. There are classic tanks that can take a lot of damage, assassins that attack you from behind and deal huge burst damage, or shooters who are heavy on ammunition.
What I find cool: Every hero can sprint with the Shift key and escape tricky situations. Once you eliminate enemies or capture points, Gigantic rewards you with experience points that you can spend on various upgrades. With each character, you continue to enhance your abilities and can choose between two options. Of course, there is also an ultimate alongside the regular skills, which can completely turn the game around at well-timed moments.
The robot “HK-206” plays like a classic shooter and pulverizes his enemies with a large railgun, a mortar, and rockets. By sprinting, he moves quite quickly and can escape from tricky situations. Besides his normal arsenal, he can transform into a small fortress through the skill “Fortifying” – comparable to the hero “Bastion” from Overwatch.
The intelligent robot has even more to offer. With his ultimate, he unleashes a swarm of rockets that can do damage to enemies when used at the right moment.
Gigantic Test – A Touch of MOBA
The maps and deployment areas consist of different points that you can capture and populate with a small selection of creatures that will then defend the areas. The goal is to obtain power by capturing points and eliminating enemies. Once you’ve collected 100 power, your Guardian attacks the enemy, and for a short time, the opposing Guardian is vulnerable.
Each of these large beasts has up to three lives, so ideally, there would be up to three successful attacks. Here, the game does many things differently than conventional MOBAs. It’s not just about simply beating down enemies, but the captured points and the collected power also influence the course of the game.
Gigantic plays fast and comfortably; however, it leans more towards MOBAs than Overwatch, as you need a bit of patience to eliminate an enemy hero. The focus here is on gathering power to deal damage to the guardians and thus decide the match in your favor. Since the 2.0 update for the open beta, PC players can also play cross-play with Xbox One gamers. Since the game was also designed for consoles, there’s also the option of playing via controller on your PC.
Free2Play, But Right!
Gigantic is currently in the open beta phase and is free to play for everyone. Since it is based on a Free2Play model, there will also be microtransactions here. In the game, there are two different currencies: earned crowns and jewels that can be purchased with real money.
For some items in the shop, you can pay with crowns and jewels. I believe that you cannot buy any advantages in the gameplay with real money. Only boosters that allow you to level up faster and cosmetic items can be purchased with jewels.
There is also the opportunity until July 20 to purchase a so-called founder pack that grants you various bonuses. However, you should first check out some gameplay or at least spend some time in the game to avoid buying the wrong thing and being disappointed.
Beautiful Graphics, But Sometimes Too Much of a Good Thing
First of all, it must be said that the graphics stand out from other representatives with its extreme comic style and simply look fantastic. Sometimes, however, the action can become a bit overloaded due to abilities and chaos, which slightly harms the overview. Some damage values against hit enemies sometimes get lost in all the chaos.
Although an event bar appears that displays important information, it is not as prominent as, for example, in Paladins or Overwatch. When I set the graphics settings to low, oddly all colors disappear for me, and the heroes consist solely of gray and blue tones. However, it must be said that the system requirements are not too high and the game should run on many PCs.
Conclusion Gigantic in Review
Even with some initial difficulties, Gigantic is fun and especially stands out from other genre representatives due to its dynamics, such as capturing different points. Gigantic is a game that gains enjoyment from longer play sessions. You first have to navigate through a bit, but once you get the hang of it, nothing stands in the way of enjoyment.
In addition, the game is Free2Play and with its small download size of only 6 gigabytes invites many players to play together. Perhaps a bit should be adjusted in the effects so they don’t come off as overloaded. If you ever feel like playing something other than Overwatch or Paladins or are looking for something new and refreshing, you can sign up for the open beta phase and dive into the world of Gigantic. By the way, the release version is set to arrive on July 20, 2017.
The heart of the PvP MMORPG Crowfall is the campaign. This has not been playable yet, but an initial test is on the way.
In Crowfall, you repeatedly participate in what are called “campaigns“. You travel from your Eternal Kingdom as a Crow Soul to one of the Dying Worlds, create a hero there and start conquering the world with this hero to mine as many resources and earn as many points as possible before the Hunger consumes this world. Afterward, you travel back to the Eternal Kingdom, expand it with your collected achievements, and prepare for the next campaign.
Test the campaign
How this will play out is something the upcoming first campaign test is meant to show. The developers emphasize that this is only a test and not the first “real” campaign. All systems are to be thoroughly tested to determine whether everything works as it should. When you arrive in the campaign world, you initially choose one of the three factions Order, Balance, and Chaos, and you are bound to that choice. Afterward, you create your hero in the temple.
There is much to do
Now you begin to explore the world, fight against monsters (and other players), and mine resources. With these, you expand ruins of fortresses that you find in the landscape. You must defend these fortresses against other players and also venture out to conquer the enemy castles. Each faction has specific victory conditions. Chaos wins by finishing the game with as many fortresses as possible. The same applies to Order. Balance claims victory by ensuring that neither Order nor Chaos wins clearly.
Currently, it is not yet determined when the first campaign test of the MMORPG Crowfall will start. A date will be announced soon.
Anyone who needs arcane dust in Hearthstone can now buy it directly in China – as a “little bonus” card packs will then be included.
China is currently trying to massively restrict gambling and steer it into clear, government-desired paths. For many game operators, including MMOs, this has led to several restrictions. For example, Hearthstone, Overwatch, and Heroes of the Storm (among many others) had to disclose the exact probabilities of their loot boxes and card packs.
Another law ensures that game manufacturers can no longer offer such “loot boxes” directly for purchase. However, Hearthstone earns all its money directly through the sale of card packs. A solution was needed.
Blizzard is not foolish and is now earning money differently. In China, you can now only buy arcane dust in the Hearthstone shop, which is used to craft cards.
Blizzard circumvents anti-gambling law in Hearthstone
However, the prices are so absurdly high that no one would think of spending money on it. Because 78 arcane dust costs about as much as buying 60 card packs here!
But there’s a trick to it. Those who buy arcane dust in the shop get “gifted” the same amount of card packs in addition. Thus, the card packs are considered a bonus and do not fall under the corresponding law.
What do you think of this obvious circumvention of the law? A clever move by Blizzard and a clear loophole in the law? Or a shady step to continue selling packs?
Although in the live version of World of Warcraft the patch 7.2.5 and thus the Tomb of Sargeras has just been opened, Blizzard knows no break. On the public test server, the PTR, the next big update 7.3 is already in progress. As already known, this will take us directly to Argus – the homeworld of the Burning Legion.
As Argus is a no-fly zone, flying mounts unfortunately have to stay in the bag. However, this does not mean that travel on the surface of the planet will be slow. Players can utilize the Vindicaar, a ship that presumably belongs to the Draenei. Here there is a large network of portals that takes players to their desired locations, eliminating long walking routes (after initial unlocking).
Traveling with the Vindicaar is fast.
Overall, Argus will consist of three areas, two of which are likely “Mac’Aree” and “Stygian Wake”. The areas are expected to resemble the Timeless Isle, the Throne of Thunder, and the Molten Front in terms of replayability, while also offering plenty of story. Generally, however, Argus is “only” a new zone and does not aim to represent a complete planet (like Draenor).
Argus will be a place full of story
Generally, patch 7.3 is supposed to be a very story-driven update and regain trust that was lost with the 7.2 questline about the Legion judges. At least according to the effort Blizzard has made to create new species and models, this seems to be succeeding. Now the quests just need to deliver what the environment promises.
Finally, patch 7.3 also includes the promised improvements to the caster animations for Restoration Druids, Elemental and Restoration Shamans, Discipline and Holy Priests, and all three Mage specializations. The animations for Shadow Priests are not finished yet but will be added later (still in this patch).
The current version of patch 7.3 is still not complete. In future versions of the patch, more content is expected to follow, such as:
Additional chapters of the Argus questline with “many cinematic story moments”
New world quests
Updates for professions, including epic gems
The Netherlight Tiger, with which one can further customize the relics of artifact weapons
A new dungeon: the Seat of the Triumvirate
A new raid: Antorus, the Burning Throne
Invasion points – repeatable content where one can fight the Legion on various worlds
Further updates and improvements to existing features
In the coming hours and days, we will delve even deeper into individual details of the patch. The displayed screenshots are from mmo-champion (see sources).
Generally, game developers are silent about how often their game has been returned on Steam. The developers of the online survival game Rust are very open about it.
Garry Newman, the developer of Rust, explains that his game has been returned 329,970 times through the Steam return program so far. This amounts to refunds of 4,382,032 US dollars. However, it doesn’t seem to hurt the developer much. He also states that this is only about six percent of total sales.
Developer understands when Rust is not fun for players
The most common reason for the return is “Not fun.” Garry Newman can understand that, as Rust is not an easy game. It is hard to master, and any mistake can have severe consequences. For many, this simply leads to frustration, which is why they cannot get into Rust. While other developers view Steam’s refund system critically, Newman has a different opinion. He believes that the system has even led to more sales.
It is interesting to see what refunds developers are facing. Making comparisons with other games here would be very exciting, but most studios do not want to talk about it.
What is your opinion on Rust? Do you think the game is good? Did you perhaps buy it and also return it? Let us know in the comments.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A new survey is online for The Division: Massive wants your opinion on the Base of Operations and the Endgame.
After you complete the story missions and reach level 30, you enter the Endgame of The Division. Now it’s time to push the Gear Score to the maximum of 256 and optimize your gear and weapons.
To achieve this, you have several options, namely … what actually?
This is what Massive wants to know in a new survey: Does the Endgame confuse you? Do you know which activities you can play now? Does the Endgame motivate you or does it get boring quickly? And if you have already stopped playing: Why?
Survey on the Endgame and the Base of Operations
Apparently, Massive wants to improve things here in the future. In a multi-page survey, they ask various specific questions about your Endgame experience.
First, you will answer general questions about which platform you are playing on, how many hours you have invested in the game, whether you are playing solo or in a group, and what your favorite activities are.
Then come interesting questions regarding the Base of Operations. Do you find your way around in it? Do you want options to customize the base? Massive may plan for you to be able to design your base individually soon.
After questions about the Improvement Station and the Mega Map, the focus shifts to the Endgame. Does it motivate you? Does it confuse you – do you know all the activities within it, such as HVTs or Underground or incursions or Dark Zone? What are your favorite activities in the Endgame? How would you improve it? And if you are no longer playing The Division: Why did you stop? Finally, Massive also wants to know if you are hunting trophies/achievements.
What Massive will ultimately do with the results of the survey remains to be seen. In the past, there have already been several surveys, but nothing that was asked in them has been implemented so far.
So one should not expect imminent changes to the Base of Operations or the Endgame. Update 1.7 is certainly too early. Perhaps Update 1.8 can be aimed for. Or maybe the developers are collecting feedback for a future sequel…
Bungie is making the transition from Destiny to Destiny 2 as player-unfriendly as possible, believes our author Schuhmann. But hardly anyone is currently angry about that.
Politicians make the most unpopular decisions during the soccer World Cup. As the article “Distraction Maneuver” in Deutschlandfunk describes, during the summer fairytale of 2006, the VAT was raised from 16% to 19%. During the World Cup in South Africa in 2010, the contribution rate for health insurance was increased from 14.9% to 15.5%.
What would have sparked weeks of debates and angry protests in the country went unnoticed amidst the general football fever. We can be glad that the World Cup only takes place every four years.
In a similar way, Bungie. While players rejoice over reports about Destiny 2, Bungie disconnects the current game “Destiny” and makes one unpopular decision after another.
It’s as if there’s an internal competition running: What outrageous act can we commit without upsetting the players?
Here everything remains as it is!
Let’s start small, with a “mini-outrage” and then escalate to the biggest.
Many players are currently struggling with the “meta” in Destiny.
Again and again, you hear that the “current meta is the worst of all time.”
Players are dissatisfied with the balance in the Crucible. The current difficulties:
Politely put: The current meta does not suit everyone’s taste.
Previous metas were more popular, as players were only bothered over time that they became dull. But the current meta has few fans.
Players complain about balancing. Although this state is nothing new and there are always issues with balancing, the worst part of the current balance is: It will never change again.
Because Bungie has decided not to touch the balance in Destiny 1 anymore. This means Destiny 1 will continue with a balance that hardly anyone really likes.
Bungie informed the players casually in a This Week at Bungie: We are currently super focused on Destiny 2. We won’t do anything with Destiny 1 anymore.
Osiris is being discontinued – The end of Destiny 1 is thus sealed
However, the bad balancing isn’t that bad, because soon there will be no reason left to play Destiny 1.
In August, the Trials of Osiris and the Iron Banner will end. These PvP modes are the only reason many still play Destiny at all. They are now set to disappear.
Bungie doesn’t provide a real justification for this decision. It seems that they want to give the mode “a break” so that everyone looks forward to its return with Destiny 2, and that everyone buys the new game. No one should come up with the idea of continuing to play for free in the old game.
The decision means, that Destiny 1 will be massively devalued. It will not represent an alternative to Destiny 2. Those who want to play competitive PvP in Destiny must switch to Destiny 2. Destiny 1 is practically dead as a result.
Moreover, the future of Destiny 1 is not secure. It is only known that the servers are supposed to stay online “for the foreseeable future”. When one hears such news, it sounds as if the end is near.
The news of ending Osiris and Iron Banner in Destiny 1 came in the last “This Week at Bungie”, while players were still recovering from E3, and Bungie promised them “souvenirs from Destiny 1 in Destiny 2” with some emblems. This brings us to the biggest outrage that Bungie is inflicting on the first Destiny.
Cosmetic items will not be transferred, even though players paid for them
The hard reset was probably necessary and without alternative: Players lose their weapons and gear to enable a fresh start with Destiny 2. In the game, this is justified by a Cabal attack.
But why should I not be able to dance anymore? Do the Cabal also wipe my brain?
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In Destiny 1 players purchased gestures, including dances, via the Eververse, an in-game shop. Why are those gone with Destiny 2? Players did pay real money for them. The fact that the real money currency, Silver, will not be transferred to Destiny 2 is also an unnecessary decision that is disadvantageous for players. Why? Why do you push players away so unnecessarily?
The site Polygon indignantly addresses this in an article. The argument is: In WoW, players can access cosmetic items they received 12 years ago, and the game is doing wonderfully. And in Destiny, cosmetic items that could be purchased just half a year ago are gone?
It simply makes no sense. Bungie devalues the cash shop by imposing an expiration date on every item: You can buy something, but it will become worthless soon.
Especially the most expensive and valuable fans, who were willing to spend more money on fluff in Destiny 1, are punished by Bungie with this decision: Oh, you wanted to buy that dance for 5€? Yes, it will be gone in three months! That was only for Destiny 1 – Destiny 2 is something completely different!
Players will only realize all this later
The problem with the messages: Players do not notice them yet.
The meta is annoying now, but it used to be too – players do not yet realize that it will not change.
Osiris and Iron Banner will still run for a month, players will only notice their disappearance after a delay or in the worst case, when the mode in Destiny 2 is not fun and they want to return to Destiny 1 for a nostalgia trip.
And the current cosmetic items from the Eververse have only disappeared with Destiny 2.
Similarly, politicians did it during the soccer World Cup. The VAT increase only applied six months after its resolution. However, we still feel its effects today, ten years later.
Who will be the new hero in Heroes of the Storm? Blizzard recently teased contaminated Zerg biomass in a lab on Twitter. Therefore, many players now suspect the contaminated Admiral of the Terrans as a new character.
After the last appearance of the Angel of Death Malthael, a Diablo character in Heroes of the Storm, it is once again time for a hero from Starcraft. At least a teaser image on Twitter suggests something related to Zerg, as it shows a data pad from the “Moebius Foundation” along with various Zerg slime.
Initiate containment protocol 5-P0T immediately! …the Nexus has been contaminated… pic.twitter.com/Ccb0VVbq3o
Is this a hint towards the long-awaited Starcraft character Alexei Stukov or a completely different Zerg?
Heroes of the Storm – Stukov, Dr. Hanson or “Dronius”?
Stukov, a former Admiral of the Earth forces from Starcraft: Brood War, who later mutated into a Zerg and commands both the slime aliens and his contaminated comrades, was already expected by some fans in January 2017. Blizzard teased back then with Zerg eggs. But then the new hero a cute Protoss probe named “Probius”. Hence, players have become more cautious since then.
In a large thread on Reddit, discussions and speculation are lively about who else could be other than Stukov. Among them are some highlights, such as the scientist Dr. Hanson from Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty, who also had quite a connection with the Zerg.
Who wouldn’t want “Dronius”, the helpful Zerg drone, as a new hero in Starcraft?
Rather as a joke, the speculation that the new hero is supposed to be a Zerg drone named “Dronius” seems to be meant. “How is that supposed to work?” ask the players? “A kind of Murky that self-destructs and then becomes a building?”
So much for the speculations on Reddit. Who do you think will be the new hero in Heroes of the Storm? Stukov or someone completely different? And if it should be Stukov, what do you think his role in the game is and what skills could he have? Let us know in the comments!
Free Battlepacks in Battlefield 1 are available from today through a progress bar. Play and finish games to get the packs.
In Battlepacks, you can expect cool skins for weapons and vehicles as well as XP boosts in Battlefield 1. You can either buy these packs for real money or scrap items, or let the game gift them to you. Until now, the Battlepack gifts were only available for players who were lucky at the end of a round.
With the new progress bar, you can see when your guaranteed free Battlepack will be unlocked – without any luck.
Free Battlepacks – Update on Distribution
The developers apparently want to move away from the system of random distribution of Battlepacks. An announcement in the game has already introduced some players to the new system. Reddit user 0asis25 made a screenshot of it:
There, the developers explain that previously you had the chance to receive a Battlepack after a finished match. However, luck had to be on your side. This old system has now been overhauled.
On the end-of-round screen, you will now see a progress bar. Your progress towards the next free standard Battlepack will be displayed there. By playing and finishing multiplayer matches, you can fill this bar.
Furthermore, it is noted that you can fill the bar even fasterif you play “well”. The progress points are apparently dependent on the respective match and your kills/assists and other important stats. You will also earn more points for attacking and defending objectives in the game. Perhaps this is a reason for players to focus more on the objectives again.
The update is set to activate today, on June 29, during the day. If you don’t see the progress bar yet, restarting the game should help according to the developers. No server downtime has been announced so far.
The coop shooter Warframe received the long-awaited PC update “Chains of Harrow” yesterday, on June 28, featuring the graphics update for Earth and the new Warframe Harrow. Harrow is a ruthless priest who self-flagellates and loves headshots.
Warframe has been around for a few years now and it is high time for a proper graphics update. After a graphic overhaul of the maps on Earth was previously announced, it’s finally here. The graphics update arrived together with the new Warframe Harrow on June 28.
Warframe – Chains of Harrow makes Earth beautiful
The PC version of Warframe is made more beautiful with today’s update Chains of Harrow. At least, if you re-enter the good old Earth, as the now green planet has been thoroughly redesigned. Now the maps on Earth are significantly more magnificent and the foliage of the trees looks better. A video from the developers shows what it looks like before and after the update.
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But the more beautiful Earth is not all that “Chains of Harrow” offers for Warframe fans. The highlight of the update is the titular new Warframe Harrow, a futuristic priest and flagellant who self-flagellates and grants absolution to his enemies through headshots.
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You can find a detailed article about Harrow’s abilities and skills at the provided link. The developers have also created a nice video about Harrow, which we have embedded here for you. In addition to Harrow, the update also features a new quest, a new pistol called Knell, a scepter named Scourge, a stylish stole for Harrow, and a new enemy.
What do you think of Harrow and the new graphics on Earth? Do you wish for such updates for the other planets in the game as well, and if so, which ones? And will you get Harrow? Let us know in the comments!
If someone wants to vent their anger about a computer game, they usually write an intense forum post, an email, or a letter. A fan of EVE Online sent the developers penises.
EVE Online game designer Brenton “CCP Larrikin” Hooper was surprised when he received a letter from the Icelandic customs authority. A package had arrived for CCP Games, but without an invoice. And without an invoice, nothing can be delivered, because in Iceland, taxes are applied to shipments. Therefore, Hooper asked the customs officials to please open the package to see what was inside.
Rubber penises for the developers
The customs authority then wrote to him that the package contained two bags of candy, the contents of which were rubber penises. Additionally, there was penis-shaped confetti included. There was also a note that said “Eat a bag of dicks” – which means “Eat a bag of penises!” When Hooper posted this on Reddit, the person who had sent the penises actually came forward and posted the necessary invoice of $38. However, Hooper had already informed customs to dispose of the penises.
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This is not the first time something like this has happened. Last year, CCP Games received mail containing a huge cardboard penis. Community manager Paul “CCP Falcon” Elsy revealed that he had also received such mail before. However, he did not want to go into detail about what was in the package. He only said that liquids were involved.
At least some of those who criticize EVE Online are quite creative …
Most classes in World of Warcraft are receiving a hotfix today. Almost all classes are being heavily adjusted.
The aftermath of Patch 7.2.5 of World of Warcraft is still being felt. Especially in PvP skirmishes, the balance is far from being even. For this reason, Blizzard will release a hotfix today (06/29/2017) that slightly adjusts almost all classes in PvP. We have listed and translated the complete changes for you:
Death Knight
Unholy
The damage of Crypt Fever has been reduced by 33%.
The strength of the PvP template has been increased by 5%.
Demon Hunter
Destruction
Chaos Strike deals 5% less damage in PvP situations (previously 15% less damage).
Oblivion deals 5% less damage in PvP situations (previously 15% less damage).
The versatility of the PvP template has been increased by 5%.
The agility of the PvP template has been increased by 3%.
Druid
Restoration
The intelligence of the PvP template has been increased by 5%.
Damage done in PvP has been reduced by 5%.
Swift Heal now heals 40% more in PvP situations.
Monk
Brewmaster
The versatility of the PvP template has been increased by 30%.
The haste of the PvP template has been increased by 25%.
Windwalker
Soothing Mist heals now 20% less in PvP situations.
Soothing Mist, cast by the Statue of the Jade Serpent, now heals 20% less in PvP situations.
Way of the Crane now heals for 175% of damage dealt (previously 200%).
The intelligence of the PvP template has been increased by 3%.
Damage done in PvP has been reduced by 5%.
Mage
Frost
Blackout Strike deals 10% less damage in PvP situations.
Hail deals 5% less damage in PvP situations.
Glacial Spike deals 10% less damage in PvP situations.
The intelligence of the PvP template has been increased by 3%.
Paladin
Flash of Light heals 15% more in PvP situations.
Holy
The intelligence of the PvP template has been increased by 5%.
Damage done in PvP has been reduced by 5%.
Holy Light now heals 10% more in PvP situations.
Holy Shock now heals 10% more in PvP situations.
Protection
Holy Duty reduces the cooldown of Blessing of Protection and Blessing of Sacrifice by 33% (previously 50%).
Retribution
The versatility of the PvP template has been increased by 50%.
The haste of the PvP template has been reduced by 10%.
The critical strike rating of the PvP template has been reduced by 20%.
Priest
Discipline
Damage done in PvP has been reduced by 3%.
The intelligence of the PvP template has been increased by 5%.
Holy
Damage done in PvP has been reduced by 5%.
The intelligence of the PvP template has been increased by 3%.
Shadow
The intelligence of the PvP template has been increased by 3%.
The versatility of the PvP template has been increased by 10%.
Shadow Mania now grants 4 Insanity every 2 seconds (previously 3 Insanity).
Mind Trauma now steals 3% haste (previously 1%).
The maximum haste that can be stolen by Mind Trauma has been increased to 12% per target, totaling 24%.
Rogue
Assassination
Poison Bomb now deals 40% less damage in PvP situations (previously 30% less).
Subtlety
Vanish triggered by Deceptive Maneuver now breaks when the target begins casting a spell.
The agility of the PvP template has been reduced by 5%.
Shaman
Enhancement
The agility of the PvP template has been reduced by 5%.
The damage of Stormstrike, Stormstrike off-hand attacks, Windstrike, and Windstrike off-hand attacks has been reduced by 5% in PvP situations.
Warlock
Affliction
Corruption deals 15% less damage in PvP situations.
Agony deals 15% less damage in PvP situations.
Absolute Corruption now increases the duration of Corruption to 24 seconds in PvP (previously 40 seconds).
Unstable Affliction now deals 10% more damage in PvP situations.
Drain Soul now deals 15% more damage in PvP situations.
Mastery of Demons now allows players to use the Demonic Gateway 15 seconds more frequently (was 30 seconds).
Warrior
Arms
Defensive Stance now reduces the damage dealt by the warrior by 20% in PvP situations (previously 10%).
The strength of the PvP template has been reduced by 4%.
The versatility of the PvP template has been reduced by 3%.
Destiny 2 is celebrating a title: It was chosen as the best PC game of E3.
For almost three years, the MMO shooter Destiny has only been available on consoles. With Destiny 2, the franchise takes the leap to PC – and it does so with a bang!
The PC version of Destiny 2 was extremely well received at early play events. “Oh my God, this runs so smoothly,” judged several Destiny experts who previously only played on console. Because Destiny 2 has no upper limit regarding FPS on PC.
The controls and various gameplay mechanics had to be adapted for mouse and keyboard, which was the responsibility of Activision’s studio Vicarious Visions in collaboration with Bungie. Apparently, the adjustment was successful. The opinions are unanimous – Destiny 2 looks great on PC and plays great.
Thus, it was awarded the best PC game of E3 2017.
Game Critics Awards – Destiny 2 as best PC game
The winners of the Game Critics Awards: Best of E3 2017 have been announced. Destiny 2 took the title as best PC game – which may come as a surprise to some hardcore Guardians. After all, it is the sequel to a game that was console-exclusive.
The big winner of the Game Critics Awards is Nintendo’s Super Mario Odyssey for the Switch. This game managed to win awards for best show, best console game, and best action/adventure game.
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The rogue in Hearthstone is in trouble. His quest from Un’Goro is being nerfed!
The developers of Hearthstone are more than satisfied with the current expansion “The Journey to Un’Goro”. According to statements from Blizzard, there has never been a greater number of different decks being played and having success in the history of the card game. Even once disadvantaged classes, such as the Priest, have flourished again with the latest expansion.
However, not everything is perfect. The new quest cards provide excitement and variety – but not for the rogue. The quest “Descent into Madness” requires the rogue to play 4 minions of the same name. As a reward, the card “Crystal Core” is granted, which gives all the rogue’s minions 5/5 stats from then on. Yes, even the little Charge Pig with 1/1.
Descent into Madness – now 25% harder!
Many decks have hardly any counterplay options, which is why the Quest Rogue is the secret star. Blizzard is aware of this and plans to change the legendary card, which should take effect early in the next season (July).
The rogue will now have to play 5 minions of the same name to complete the quest instead of 4!
Blizzard hopes that this will give opponents a bit more time to react to the rogue and possibly turn the match around.
What do you think of this balance change? Did Hearthstone need exactly that? Or should the rogue quest have been left alone, and now is it “unplayable”? Let us know in the comments what you think!
Cortyn says: Honestly, “Descent into Madness” was the only card that really bothered me about Hearthstone because the rogue simply plays “his own game” and doesn’t react to anything that you do. With the extra time, most players will probably be forced to deal with the opponent’s board now if they don’t want to be overwhelmed by the Crystal Core.
WhatsApp is illegal, so suggest some headlines currently. What is the court ruling about this Facebook messenger, is one really committing an offense by using it and could a warning wave be coming our way?
Messaging apps are gaining more and more importance, even in MMOs. After all, this way you can continue to participate in guild life even when you are not online. And even WhatsApp groups are common nowadays for multiplayer games and guild activities. For a spontaneous action, a message via WhatsApp is enough, and the first ones come online, even though they were not in the game before. For cancellations, for example for planned raids, the service is also suitable.
If everyone in the group uses this program, one will probably just install it unless privacy is a concern. That one could be committing an offense by downloading and using it is something one really does not expect. Should we all quickly uninstall the messenger to avoid a warning wave, like the one known from file sharing?
Situation regarding the court ruling: A dispute between parents
How did this ruling actually come about? It was about a custody dispute, or specifically about visitation rights. The father accused the mother of failing to supervise the smartphone use. The son himself used WhatsApp and thus agreed to the following terms of service clause :
You regularly provide us with the phone numbers of WhatsApp users and your other contacts in your mobile phone address book. You confirm that you are authorized to provide us with such phone numbers so that we can provide our services.
Since the child has 20 contacts in the WhatsApp address book, he thus forwarded the phone numbers of 20 people to Facebook. The father believed this to be illegal, as the son never obtained permission from those individuals. And the mother allowed her common child to act unlawfully. For children under 13, parents or guardians must agree to the terms of WhatsApp. Based on this, the man sought visitation rights.
The district court supported this argument. In addition to several other requirements for the mother, it demanded the submission of written consent from all of the son’s contacts to share their phone numbers. The ruling states:
Anyone who allows this ongoing data transfer through their use of “WhatsApp” without having previously obtained permission from each of their contacts in their own phone address book commits a tort against these persons and risks being warned by the affected individuals.
This shifts WhatsApp’s responsibility onto the user. And who has the authorization of their phone book contacts to share their data? If one does not have it, but confirms this terms of service clause, they are acting unlawfully.
Is a warning wave imminent?
According to the ruling, it is indeed possible. Nevertheless, it is unlikely that users of this app will receive a letter from a lawyer. After all, it is their own contacts and thus friends who would have to take this route. There may be isolated cases, but not to the same extent as with file sharing. Much more likely is that WhatsApp will receive warning letters from data protectors.
Antares says: We have here a ruling that perhaps not everyone may feel is fair. After all, it is not the corporation that caused this that is being punished, but a mother whose son certainly did not intend to break the law. Can it really be that the consumer is punished and the company gets off scot-free? That would certainly be an incentive for other companies to do likewise.
The ruling is not binding.
Initially, a ruling against the mother does not mean one against WhatsApp. After all, the ruling was about visitation rights, and the court’s interest lay more with the child and monitoring their smartphone usage by the mother. For other courts, this decision is not binding. This could lead to the clause being declared invalid sooner or later, thus requiring the company to obtain permission from the contacts in the address book.
And until that happens? Well, then one must live with it, or be the first to sue. However, claiming that one did not know about this terms of service does not suffice. Or would someone who is stopped for speeding say: “I generally do not pay attention to traffic signs and signals, so they do not apply to me?” No, so one cannot say, “I generally do not read terms of service, so they do not apply to me.”
WhatsApp itself is of course legal.
However, it would be possible to refer to § 305c BGB. According to this, provisions that are so unusual that one cannot expect them – so-called surprise clauses – are ineffective. But that is something for the lawyers who may soon deal with it in a lawsuit.
In any case, the ruling changed nothing. Warnings could have been issued earlier. Now, this business practice has received renewed media attention. And concerning the legality: WhatsApp itself is not illegal. Only agreeing to this terms of service is probably not allowed without proper authorization. And that can be resolved, either through an empty address book or by asking for the aforementioned consent. If everyone in the address book uses this messenger, that should be feasible.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Marvel Heroes there will soon be a few fewer heroes and costumes. Due to licensing issues, the Fantastic Four will be removed from the in-game shop and will soon no longer be available for purchase.
Anyone familiar with Marvel’s licensing policy knows that by no means all rights to the company’s superheroes still belong to Marvel. Rather, some heroes belong to other companies, such as Fox, which owns the rights to the Fantastic Four.
Therefore, these heroes will soon no longer be available for purchase in Marvel Heroes.
Marvel Heroes – No more Fantastic Four, but Dr. Doom remains
Since Gazillion Enterprises, the developers of Marvel Heroes, no longer have rights to the Fantastic Four according to the latest licensing agreements, they are not allowed to sell them anymore. This means in clear terms:
You can only purchase the heroes Mr. Fantastic, Human Torch, Invisible Woman, The Thing, and Silver Surfer until July 1 with Gs.
If you want to buy the aforementioned heroes with Infinity-Shards, you only have until today, June at 11:00 PM to do so.
In addition to the heroes themselves, a number of costumes will be removed from the shop and bundles. This mainly affects the costumes for the Fantastic Four themselves, but also a few outfits for Spider Man, Ghost Rider, and Dr. Doom.
Dr. Doom, however, remains regularly available, even though he also comes from the Fantastic Four universe.
Rewards promised by H.E.R.B.I.E. will be replaced by something else (reportedly Groot)
Marvel Heroes – Fantastic Four – Play yes, buy no
Important: You can still play the banned heroes if you have already purchased them, and support (e.g., Omega-items and bug fixes) will continue to be provided for them. You just can’t buy them in the shop or exchange them for shards anymore.
The information comes from an official forum post by Gazillion, which has since been removed. However, the colleagues from MassivelyOP preserved the post, and we have included it here for you as well.
What do you think about the fate of the Fantastic Four in Marvel Heroes? And will you still quickly buy Silver Surfer or The Thing? Let us know in the comments!
The best counters for the raid bosses in Pokémon GO are shown here. This is how you counter the raid Pokémon of difficulty levels 2, 3, and 4.
Raid battles in Pokémon GO have become an important topic in the trainer community in recent days. The battles vary in difficulty depending on the boss, and some require many trainers to be defeated.
To make the battles easier for you, we’ll show you which monsters you can use to counter the raid bosses. This way, you can inflict more damage or take less in order to defeat them faster and more easily.
Pokémon GO Raid Battles – How to counter the strong bosses
With the raids, Niantic has introduced a new gameplay feature that can remain relevant for a long time. Due to the wide selection of raid bosses that can theoretically still be added to the game, there is variety to come in the future.
In this article, we want to show you which Pokémon are suitable for combating various raid bosses and which are the best counters. Experts have analyzed and evaluated the raid battles closely.
An overview from Pokebattler shows the raid bosses and three of their counter Pokémon. Below the image, we discuss the individual bosses and explain which counter Pokémon you can use to win against them. We also show you which attacks are effective against them.
Keep in mind that the following list of counters does not fully match the overview from Pokebattler.com. The reason for this is the versatile options available to you as a trainer in battle.
We show you good and very good counters for the raid bosses, including the preferred fast attacks and charged attacks.
Raid Boss Level 2 – Counters for Sleimok, Kokowei, and Co.
Sleimok counter: Especially good are Rizeros with Mud Shot + Earthquake; Geowaz with Mud Shot or Mud Slap + Earthquake.
Another good counter is Dragoran with Dragon Tail or Fire Breath + Outrage, Hurricane, or Dragon Claw.
Kokowei counter: Especially good is Scherox with Fury Cutter + Bug Bite.
Good counters also include Pinsir with Fury Cutter or Bug Bite + Bug Buzz; Flamara with Fire Spin + Flamethrower or Overheat.
Smogmog counter: Especially good are Rizeros with Mud Shot + Earthquake; Geowaz with Mud Shot or Mud Slap + Earthquake.
Other good counters are Dragoran with Dragon Tail or Fire Breath + Outrage, Hurricane, or Dragon Claw; Despotar with Bite and Stone Edge.
Elektek counter: Especially good are Rizeros with Mud Shot + Earthquake; Geowaz with Mud Shot or Mud Slap + Earthquake.
Other good counters are Dragoran with Dragon Tail or Fire Breath + Outrage, Hurricane, or Dragon Claw; Despotar with Bite + Stone Edge.
Magmar counter: Especially good are Rizeros with Mud Shot + Earthquake; Geowaz with Mud Shot or Mud Slap + Earthquake.
Other good counters are Dragoran with Dragon Tail or Fire Breath + Outrage, Hurricane, or Dragon Claw; Despotar with Bite + Stone Edge.
As you can see, several Pokémon are often used as counters at this difficulty level. Pokémon of different species with the same attacks can also be effective here. For example, instead of Flamara against Kokowei, you can also use Glurak or Tornupto.
Raid Boss Level 3 – Counters for Arkani, Gengar, and Co.
Arkani counter: Especially good are Rizeros with Mud Shot + Earthquake or Stone Edge; Geowaz with Mud Shot, Stone Throw, or Mud Slap + Earthquake or Stone Edge.
Other good counters are Aquana with Water Gun + Hydro Pump or Water Pulse; Sandamer with Mud Slap + Earthquake.
The reason why Ground Pokémon are particularly listed as counters is: Arkani “can” learn Thunder Shock as an attack. If Arkani uses Thunder Shock on a Water Pokémon as a raid boss, things can go south fast.
Simsala counter: Especially good is Despotar with Bite + Stone Edge or Crunch.
Other good counters include Scherox with Fury Cutter + Bug Bite; Hundemon with Standpauke + Foul Play.
Machomei counter: Especially good are Simsala with Confusion or Psyshock + Seer; Psiana with Confusion or Zen Headbutt + Seer.
Other good counters include: Dragoran with Dragon Tail or Fire Breath + Hurricane; Kokowei with Confusion, Zen Headbutt, or Special Sensor + Psychic or Solar Beam.
Gengar counter: Especially good is Despotar with Bite + Stone Edge or Crunch.
Other good counters are Hundemon with Standpauke + Foul Play; Dragoran with Dragon Tail + Outrage.
Aquana counter: Especially good is Kokowei with Bullet Seed + Solar Beam or Seed Bombs; Bisaflor with Razor Leaf or Vine Whip + Solar Beam or Petal Blizzard; Giflor with Razor Leaf + Solar Beam or Petal Blizzard.
Other good counters include Tangela with Vine Whip + Solar Beam or Strangle; Blitza with Spark + Thunderbolt.
Blitza counter: Especially good are Rizeros with Mud Shot + Earthquake; Geowaz with Mud Shot or Mud Slap + Earthquake.
Other good counters are Donphan with Counter + Earthquake; Sandamer with Mud Slap + Earthquake.
Flamara counter: Especially good are Rizeros with Mud Shot + Earthquake or Stone Edge; Geowaz with Mud Shot, Stone Throw, or Mud Slap + Earthquake or Stone Edge.
As tank counters, Aquana with Water Gun + Hydro Pump or Water Pulse; Amoroso with Water Gun or Stone Throw + Hydro Pump or Rock Slide.
Raid Boss Level 4 – Counters for Relaxo, Lapras, and Co.
Bisaflor counter: Especially good are Flamara with Fire Spin + Flamethrower or Overheat; Glurak with Fire Spin or Air Slash + Overheat or Flamethrower.
Other good counters include Arkani with Fire Fang + Flamethrower; Dragoran with Dragon Tail or Fire Breath + Overheat, Hurricane, or Dragon Claw.
Glurak counter: Especially good are Geowaz with Mud Shot, Stone Throw, or Mud Slap + Rock Throw or Stone Edge; Amoroso with Stone Throw or Water Gun + Rock Slide, Hydro Pump, or Rock Throw.
Other good counters are Rizeros with Mud Shot and Stone Edge; Despotar with Bite + Stone Edge; Aquana with Water Gun + Hydro Pump or Water Pulse; Mogelbaum with Stone Throw + Stone Edge or Rock Slide.
Turtok counter: Especially good are Blitza with Spark + Thunderbolt; Bisaflor with Razor Leaf or Vine Whip + Solar Beam or Petal Blizzard.
Other good counters include Magneton with Charge Beam, Charge Beam, or Spark + Thunderbolt; Giflor with Razor Leaf + Solar Beam or Petal Blizzard; Sarzenia with Razor Leaf + Solar Beam.
Rizeros counter: Especially effective is Aquana with Water Gun + Hydro Pump or Water Pulse.
Other good counters are Kokowei with Bullet Seed + Solar Beam or Seed Bombs; Bisaflor with Razor Leaf or Vine Whip + Solar Beam or Petal Blizzard; Giflor with Razor Leaf + Solar Beam or Petal Blizzard; Sarzenia with Razor Leaf + Solar Beam; Tangela with Vine Whip + Solar Beam or Strangle; Impergator with Water Gun + Hydro Pump.
Lapras counter: With Machomei, you have especially good chances if it knows Counter or Karate Chop + Close Combat, Cross Chop, or Dynamic Punch.
Other good counters are Skaraborn with Counter + Close Combat; Blitza with Spark + Thunderbolt; Magneton with Charge Beam, Charge Beam + Thunderbolt.
Relaxo counter: Especially effective is Machomei with Counter or Karate Chop + Close Combat, Cross Chop, or Dynamic Punch.
Other good counters are Skaraborn with Counter + Close Combat; Dragoran with Dragon Tail or Fire Breath + Outrage, Hurricane, or Dragon Claw; Ursaring with Counter + Close Combat; Simsala with Confusion or Psyshock + Focus Blast.
Despotar counter: Especially effective is here an Aquana with Water Gun + Hydro Pump or Water Pulse; a Machomei with Counter or Karate Chop + Cross Chop, Close Combat, or Dynamic Punch.
Other good counters are Bisaflor with Razor Leaf or Vine Whip + Solar Beam or Petal Blizzard; Skaraborn with Counter + Close Combat; Impergator with Water Gun + Hydro Pump; Quappo with Body Slam or Bubble + Close Combat.
If you know any other good counters for the various raid bosses, please let us know in the comments and share them with our community on Mein-MMO.de
Co-op fun, weapon violence, and party games can be found in our today’s “Top 5” offers from the Steam Summer Sale 2017.
Today we have gathered an interesting selection of top offers from the Steam Summer Sale 2017 for you. During the summer discount sale, we show you our “Top 5” offers from the daily overview on Steam every day. From classics to niche titles, you can discover cool games that might also end up in your Steam library.
Steam has temporarily said goodbye to time-limited offers. This means you can also purchase interesting games on the last day of the sale. You can find our recommendations from the last few days here: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5
The Mein-MMO Top 5 of the Steam Summer Sale 2017 – Day 6 (28.06.)
Today, our “Top 5” highlights are very co-op heavy and may test your friendships. Gang Beasts and Overcooked are two great games that suit a cozy evening with friends. Equipped with enough controllers, you can start local co-op and find out who the better team is. Fun and frustration are guaranteed with these games. Whether you throw each other off buildings or serve the right food faster is up to your choices.
Portal 2 is my recommendation when someone asks me for a good co-op title. I came across this adventure through a Let’s Play and was totally fascinated even while just watching. When I was able to play it with friends afterward, we couldn’t stop laughing.
Funny texts and deadly traps provide ongoing Schadenfreude during the various levels of the puzzle adventure. And there are many of these levels!
Your goal is to create two portals using a portal gun and thereby overcome obstacles. Your partner also has such a gun, so there are already four portals. By combining these teleportation options, not only do you create knots in the brain, but also solutions that bring you to the goal of each level. To make the adventure even harder, small robots equipped with deadly weapons will surprise you from time to time.
With control over your portals, you can determine where you go and into which abyss you send your co-op partners when they go through the gates. You will probably hear an “Oops” or “Whoops” often after your robot is destroyed in the water. This can put both patience and friendship to a special test.
Portal 2 has a single-player campaign and a co-op mode. These two game modes are separate from each other and consist of different levels and “stories”.
If you are looking for a puzzle/co-op adventure, you should take a closer look at Portal 2. While you can’t go wrong at a price of €1.99, if you are still hesitant, the trailer might convince you.
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For PS Plus (PlayStation Plus) in July 2017, the free games are known. You can get these free games for PS4, PS3, and PS Vita.
For PlayStation 4, there are these two games:
Until Dawn: A horror game from Supermassive Games. It tells the story of 8 high school teenagers, where your decisions influence how many will survive the horror.
Game of Thrones – A Telltale Series: It’s going to Westeros, in the world of “Game of Thrones”. It is also a game where your decisions determine the course of the plot. The story does not coincide with the series; instead, it revolves around House Forrester. Familiar faces like Jon Snow and Tyrion Lannister do appear, however.
List of Free Games for PlayStation Plus – July 2017
Here is the complete game lineup:
Until Dawn – PS4
Game of Thrones: A Telltale Series – PS4
That’s You – PS4
Tokyo Jungle – PS3
Darkstalkers Resurrection – PS3
Don’t Die Mr Robot – PS Vita (cross-buy with PS4)
Element4l – PS Vita
These games can be downloaded and installed starting July 4th. Until then, the games from June 2017 are still available for download.
What are the free games for PS Plus?
Once a month, “PS Plus” members receive a delivery of free games that they can download from the PlayStation Store and add to their library. This game lineup is included in the subscription of the online service. PlayStation Plus costs just under 50 euros per year.
Every month, online gamers on PS4, PS3, and PS Vita eagerly look forward to what games they will receive from Sony this time. However, the games are often very controversial in the community, as they can never meet everyone’s taste.
What do you think of these games?
Currently, it is especially worthwhile to be a “PS Plus” member. Because there is currently a sale in the PlayStation Store, from which “PS Plus” members particularly benefit:
