DICE and Electronic Arts have officially announced the online shooter Star Wars Battlefront 2.
Even before the release of Star Wars Battlefront 1, discussions were held at the developer studio DICE and with the publisher Electronic Arts about a sequel. Now it has happened: Star Wars Battlefront 2 is officially announced.
Especially the topic of a single-player campaign is important. This is the aspect that players definitely want. The studio remains silent on how exactly Star Wars Battlefront 2 will look and how a single-player campaign will be integrated into the game.
The online shooter will come this year
However, the online shooter has now been officially announced. Although it was already clear that the game was coming, with the official announcement everything now has its bureaucratic correctness.
As part of the announcement, it was also explained when to expect the first trailer. It will be shown at Star Wars Celebration in Orlando on April 15. Then DICE intends to reveal more about the online shooter. There should be a live stream for this event. The announcement also mentions a release of the game this year.
Scenarios from Star Wars Episode 8?
One can already be curious about which battles in Star Wars Battlefront 2 will serve as scenarios. Presumably, we will also see elements from the upcoming movie Star Wars Episode 8: The Last Jedi.
This kind of cross-promotion was already the case in the first part, as some scenarios were linked to the movie Star Wars Episode 7: The Force Awakens. It is estimated that Star Wars Battlefront 2 will be released this November, shortly before the film release of Star Wars Episode 8: The Last Jedi on December 14.
The shiny Pokémon first appeared at the Water Festival. Will they also remain in the game after the Pokémon GO event?
Until last night, trainers could find Water Pokémon in the wild with an increased chance in Pokémon GO. This was due to the Water Festival, which started on March 22. Additionally, shiny Pokémon appeared in the game for the first time during the event, taking the form of golden Magikarp and red Gyarados. Will the shinies be gone from Pokémon GO with the end of the event?
The shiny Pokémon remain
It was previously unclear whether the monsters in new colors would remain in the game or be deactivated again with the end of the event. Trainers had made special efforts and worked “overtime” to catch one of the coveted golden or red monsters during the event time. However, this only worked in a few cases because shiny Pokémon are particularly rare.
Now the Water Festival has ended. Will the shinies remain in the game and be catchable?
Some players already suspected that these Pokémon would remain in the game. However, there was no official response from Niantic during the Water Pokémon event.
After the water event concluded, the developers confirmed via Twitter that the shinies will continue to appear in the wild. Even though they will remain rare.
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For players who do not play near a water biome, the chances of finding these rare forms have significantly decreased, as only the shiny forms of Magikarp and Gyarados have been confirmed so far. When additional shiny Pokémon will be released is still unknown. They may come in connection with another Pokémon GO event in 2017.
The water event was received positively overall
Last week, with the increased chance of Water Pokémon, trainers received mostly positive feedback. Many users write on Reddit that they enjoyed the event. The frequently occurring Water Pokémon were a good idea to boost many players’ collections.
The additional surprise with the shiny monsters was particularly well done by the developer team.
How did you like the water event? Did you catch any special Pokémon or perhaps shinies?
There will be an announcement for Destiny 2 this evening. The story about “Destiny on PC – Yes or No” should now come to an end.
In the past, we have often reported that Destiny might come to PC. Today, “Destiny 2 on PC” is once again a major topic.
But some readers are already annoyed: It has been said for years that Destiny is coming to PC – this time again. They are skeptical.
So: Destiny on PC – What is the truth?
Destiny and the PC – A story full of misunderstandings
The story of Destiny and PC is convoluted. Because we know that Destiny 2 is supposed to be released for PC according to an old contract between publisher Activision and developer Bungie.
The problem is: Destiny 2 was still scheduled for September 2015 in this contract.
However, Destiny 2 was postponed twice:
The first time, Destiny 2 was postponed from September 2015 to September 2016, as the base game Destiny was delayed by 1 year from 2013 to 2014.
The question each time was: Did the contract allow Destiny to be brought to PC already, even though Destiny 2 had not yet been released?
One factor was certainly that Destiny served the first two years on the “last-gen” consoles PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. A port to PC, while Destiny still had to run on these consoles, would likely not have been satisfactory.
2 opportunities for bringing Destiny to PC were missed by Bungie
It would have been possible for Bungie to make the transition of Destiny to PC in September 2015 or 2016. But neither happened:
The expansion “The Taken King” released in September 2015 continued for all four console platforms.
The expansion “Rise of Iron” released in September 2016 dropped PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 but still did not come to PC, even though the time would have certainly been ripe for it.
In hindsight, it can be assumed that Bungie wanted a “clean restart” to bring PC players on board. They should not start “in the middle” or “at the end” of Destiny 1.
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But now Destiny 2 is truly on the way. A restart is also confirmed. This clears all obstacles out of the way. Tonight at 7 PM, we should finally officially find out in the “reveal trailer” whether Destiny 2 is finally coming to PC or not.
Finally, Paladins also have their quest in Hearthstone. Everything revolves around “Mutating.” But in Un’goro, there are also new RNG turtles that are at least cute.
If the rumors and signs are to be believed, the next expansion for Hearthstone “Journey to Un’goro” will be released as early as next week. Blizzard continues to gradually reveal more cards and sprinkle in small highlights to keep fans engaged. In the current reveals, there is the quest for Paladins and some strange spell turtles.
The neutral elemental Blazecaller has rather poor stats of 6/6 for 7 mana, but its Battlecry deals 5 damage if an elemental was played in the previous turn.
Waiting for Warriors is the Cornered Sentry. A cheap 2-mana minion with Taunt and stats of 2/6. However, the opponent receives three 1/1 Raptors via Battlecry – so it requires tactics to use this card correctly.
Druids receive a new spell. For 4 mana, Evolving Spores gives all of the Druid’s minions “Adapt.”
Warlocks remain faithful to their line of “destroying their own cards.” The Ravenous Pterrordax, a 4/4 beast for 4 mana, destroys a friendly minion via Battlecry. As a reward, it grants 2 times Adapt to itself.
The neutral elemental Servant of Kalimos costs 5 mana for 4/5 in stats. If an elemental was played in the previous turn, the player discovers another elemental via Battlecry.
Hearthstone: The Paladin Quest “The Last Kaleidosaur” and Galvadon
The quest for Paladins is The Last Kaleidosaur and requires the Paladin to cast a total of 6 spells on their own minions. As a reward, Galvadon, a 5/5 beast for 5 mana, is offered. As a Battlecry, it gives itself Adapt (Mutating) – a total of 5 times!
Also for Paladins is the buff Spikeridged Steed, a spell for 6 mana. A minion is equipped with a Stegodon, granting it +2/+6 and Taunt. When the affected minion dies, it summons a 2/6 Stegodon instead.
Shamans have received the new Hate card. For 3 mana, they can use Spirit Echo to lift the Deathrattle effect from all friendly minions, returning the affected minion to the player’s hand.
In conclusion, the winner for the cutest artwork of the expansion (so far) is the Tortollan Primalist, which costs 8 mana for 5/4 and has an interesting Battlecry: Discover a spell and then cast it with random targets.
What do you think of the new cards? Cool things in there or just trash this time?
A hotfix for World of Warcraft has mitigated the dramatic scaling of mobs. However, Blizzard does not want to completely disable it.
Shortly after the release of Patch 7.2 “Tomb of Sargeras”, there were numerous complaints from players in World of Warcraft. Once harmless enemies on the Broken Isles pounded even experienced heroes into the ground. Those who pulled three enemies at once, where they used to pull seven or even eight mobs, found themselves in the dirt faster than they could slam “wtf blizz” into the general chat.
This is due to a new system where enemies at level 110 scale with the player’s item level. These values, however, are drastically higher than intended, which is why a hotfix has now been implemented. This brought with it primarily two major changes that Community Manager Ornyx presented in the official forum:
Scaling enemies no longer deal damage. The goal was to increase the duration of battles and not to make enemies more threatening.
The rate at which the health points of enemies scale with the player’s item level has been drastically reduced. The sole aim here is to extend the fights so that monsters are not dead before players can respond – for example, when multiple players are waiting for a quest mob.
Thanks to scaling enemies, it often ended up in the dirt.
Later on, a bug will also be fixed that currently causes the removal of gear to drastically weaken enemies. As of this morning, it was beneficial to remove a ring since enemies then lost up to 30% of their health points. “This change will ensure that it is never the right decision to remove equipment,” Ornyx said.
In Mass Effect Andromeda, developer BioWare has published a statement regarding the criticism of the game. In a few days, there will be concrete information on how BioWare intends to improve Mass Effect: Andromeda.
Last night, BioWare published a statement about Mass Effect: Andromeda.
Thank you for your feedback, more information on April 4th
They write: It has now been a week since we globally launched Mass Effect: Andromeda. We could not be more excited that our fans can finally experience what we have worked so hard on for so long.
We have received a lot of feedback, some positive, some critical. This feedback is important. We want to continuously support Mass Effect: Andromeda. We can hardly wait, to share our immediate plans with you on April 4th.
In the meantime: Keep giving us feedback. Our team is listening to you around the clock to collect information and suggestions that help improve and expand Mass Effect: Andromeda.
Thank you for your continued support and for accompanying us on this journey.
Mass Effect: Andromeda is being discussed ambivalently. While the animations, the first hours of the game, and some other aspects have received criticism, other aspects of the RPG have been praised by fans and critics, such as the combat system, the story, and the charm and wit in the dialogues.
Metacritic: Mixed Metascore, weak User Score
On Metacritic, the Metascore of Mass Effect: Andromeda currently stands at:
76% on PC. Users have rated it only 4.6 based on 1947 ratings.
In the open world, enemies at the maximum level of 110 no longer scaled with the player’s level, but with their average item level. This led to many players experiencing the unpleasant situation yesterday where they could engage significantly fewer enemies at once than before the update.
With weaker equipment, enemies died faster
However, the scaling values seemed to be calculated quite strangely and had some bugs, as Ion Hazzikostas, the Game Director of WoW, admitted in the official forum.
With “normal” opponents, removing a single piece of armor – preferably a ring – could cause enemies to lose between 20% and 30% of their health!
With more powerful elite opponents, the difference was even more pronounced. If a creature previously had an intimidating 18 million health, it shrank to 12-13 million health after removing a ring and dealt significantly less damage as well.
In Tom Clancy’s The Division, the servers are down this morning, March 30th, on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Changes are coming.
Today, the weekly maintenance is taking place in The Division. The developers are taking the servers offline and making adjustments in the background. Especially in the first weeks after an update, patches are deployed during these maintenance periods to fix new bugs. Since update 1.6 and Last Stand, Massive has been working every week on the PvP mode “Last Stand”. This is also the case today.
From 9:30 AM, the servers will be offline. The expected downtime is three hours, so you can play again around 12:30 PM.
What is changing today, March 30th?
Last week, it was announced that Massive wants to upgrade the medkits, the first aid kits. During today’s maintenance, they are slightly increasing the amount of healing these medkits provide. The other changes are bug fixes.
Fixed an issue where agents would be credited for getting an explosive kill for an assignment, as long as they didn’t kill the target with physical damage.
Fixed an issue in Last Stand where agents received two different marks for killing an agent while in the downed state.
Fixed an issue where the Shock Turret damage indicator would last a long time even though the turret wasn’t doing any damage
What is the new Invisible Glitch about?
Yesterday, we reported that the invisible glitch had returned. Agents have found a new way to become invisible and haunt the PvP modes. Massive stated that they are aware of the problem and will investigate it. Apparently, they have not been able to resolve this issue by today.
By the way: The “State of the Game” livestream starts today at around 5 PM. There might be new information then. We will report on that shortly.
The price increases by Blizzard in World of Warcraft and Hearthstone annoy many players. Including our house demon.
Once again, we have gathered here to vent a bit about Blizzard. Well, actually that’s just me doing it and you have to deal with what I present to you here – but you get the idea.
In recent weeks, Blizzard announced that the prices for additional character services, mounts, and pets in World of Warcraft as well as the prices for card packs and arena rounds in Hearthstone will be increased. The increases range between 4% and 25%, depending on the service offered.
While in World of Warcraft you can still console yourself that these are merely optional services, that’s a whole different matter for Hearthstone.
Of course – strictly speaking, purchases in Hearthstone are also optional – but for a large portion of the player base, they are not. Many of my acquaintances choose to throw down 40€ or 50€ at the launch of an expansion to treat themselves to a big stack of card packs. For those who don’t have the time to complete their quests every three days or only check out the game at the start of an expansion, Hearthstone is now significantly more expensive.
Especially the justification I find flimsy. If Blizzard really “regularly looks at the local and regional markets and makes price adjustments,” I wonder what rhythm this happens in – every 10 years? Or why didn’t they do this when the Euro was a bit stronger? No, don’t tell me – the answer is obvious without words.
Of course, prices for digital goods are always a tricky matter, and finding a healthy middle ground that satisfies all players is probably simply impossible. Just making everything more expensive across the board does not strike me as the right way to make anyone – except Blizzard – happy.
Ultimately, I still believe that Blizzard will make larger profits from it. The dissatisfaction about the price increase will probably stay in the players’ memories for a month or two, before they are overwhelmed by the cuteness of the next shop pet. The problem with this? I still love both games way too much to give them up. Grrr.
What do you think about the price increases? Justified and perfectly normal or unjustified and just a “cash grab”?
A curious glitch occurred in GTA 5 Online, where police cars became so “break-in resistant” that even the police could not get in.
Just a few days ago, police officers in GTA Online were forced to stop using their service vehicles because the game did not allow them to get in. This led to funny scenes in the online world of GTA 5.
Police Car as Personal Vehicle
When the glitch first occurred a few days ago, players were quite surprised. They could no longer get into police cars and drive around in them. The cars were classified as “Personal Vehicle,” which no one except the owner is allowed to drive. Normally, this categorization applies to player cars that have the option disabled, allowing other players on the server to drive their vehicle. This prevents others from stealing your vehicles.
This setting did not work as planned, as players could not steal police cars in GTA 5 Online, which was normally possible. But not only the players faced this issue. It got funny when even the police had no access to their vehicles and were visibly overwhelmed by the situation:
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In the video, you can see how a cop desperately tries to get into his car. But the door simply won’t open. Ironically, the passenger door is wide open, but that would have only granted him access to the car for a short time.
Youtuber HoestOnline Gaming made a video on this topic, demonstrating that although one can sit briefly at the wheel, one is thrown out of the car afterward.
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In the meantime, the glitch in GTA 5 Online has been fixed, and the police can drive their cruisers again. Players from the GTA community suspect that this glitch occurred when the developers were trying to fix an exploit involving duplicated vehicles.
In World of Tanks, players could purchase packages with goodies to support the charity organization “War Child”. This organization works to assist children in and from war zones. The campaign was a resounding success.
Wargaming, the creators of World of Tanks and World of Warships, make a lot of money from in-game purchases, a portion of which has been donated to the charity organization War Child. War Child helps children from war-torn areas, such as Syria, Afghanistan, and Central Africa. The organization protects affected children and ensures they receive further support, such as reintegration into society or training opportunities.
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To raise money for War Child, players of World of Tanks could purchase item packs and emblems in the shop. The proceeds from these purchases went 100 percent into the pool for the donation to the “Armistice Campaign” of War Child UK. The campaign was a complete success, as a total of $84,800 in donations came solely from Wargaming, allowing War Child to finance its further projects.
Furthermore, according to Wayne Emanuel, the Gaming Director at War Child, they are very satisfied: “We at War Child are overwhelmed by the generosity of the studios that participated in the campaign. We would like to thank all the individual players who supported us. War Child relies on the support of partners to continue our important work. We are already looking forward to the next campaign and hope to build on the good results and even be able to raise more donations.“
In the coming days, there will be cool new content for the players of Battlefield 1 at the Battlefest. We will show you what rewards and events await you.
Just a few days ago, the Battlefest in Battlefield 1 was announced, which will take place in celebration of DICE’s 25th anniversary. The Battlefest will be celebrated for two weeks and is intended to give players some reasons to rejoice. Although the festival starts tomorrow, the first bonus begins today to help with leveling up. The following bonuses will be available in the coming days:
Battlefest March 29
Starting today, you will receive double experience points. This Double-EXP boost applies to all players in Battlefield 1, Battlefield 4, and Battlefield Hardline. Until March 31, you will earn double XP in the mentioned games.
Battlefest March 30 – Premium Friends
On March 30, a special feature in the game will be activated. It’s called “Premium Friends” and allows players with a Premium Pass to invite their friends to play on the new maps without a Premium Pass. There are no costs involved. Soon, the developers will provide more information about the Premium Friends feature.
Daily Scrap Reward: The developers offer you a new method to obtain scrap in Battlefield 1. You can win up to 100 scrap points daily by winning in multiplayer and appearing in the highlights.
Dog Tag for the 25th Anniversary: To celebrate the 25th anniversary of DICE with the fans, there is a special dog tag for you.
Stream: Starting at 8:00 PM CEST, there will be a stream on Twitch.TV/Battlefield featuring Battlefield 1 gameplay and giveaways.
Battlefest March 31 – Free Battlepack
On March 31, a new Battlepack version awaits you. This new version is called Battlefest version and contains numerous weapon and vehicle skins.
Melee Weapons: Additionally, there are three new melee weapons for which you can collect puzzle pieces.
Free Battlepack: If you log in between March 31 and April 1, you will receive a free battlepack of the mentioned Battlefest version.
In a few days, the developers will present us with more bonuses that await us during the Battlefest.
For PS Plus (PlayStation Plus), the free games for April 2017 have been revealed. Here are the free games for PS4, PS3, and PS Vita.
In April, Drawn to Death is coming to PS4. In this arena shooter, you dive into the notebook of a teenager and plunge into bloody battles. Multiplayer and online experience are said to be the focus. In Drawn to Death, you will find “special” doodle character designs and exaggerated weapons and environments.
Additionally, Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is coming. This is a co-op space exploration shooter. Together with a friend, you zoom through procedurally generated galaxies. Teamwork is said to be important.
Thanks to cross-buy titles, you can download and play several more games for free on PS4. A video giving you a first impression of the featured games can be found here:
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List of Free Games for PlayStation Plus – April 2017
Here is the complete game lineup:
Drawn to Death (PS4)
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime (PS4)
10 Second Ninja X (PS Vita, Cross Buy with PS4)
Curses ‘n Chaos (PS Vita, Cross Buy with PS4)
Invizimals: The Lost Kingdom (PS3)
Alien Rage (PS3)
These games will be available for download and installation starting April 4. Until then, the games from March 2017 are 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 nearly 50 euros per year.
Every month, online gamers on PS4, PS3, and PS Vita eagerly await which games they will receive from Sony this time. However, the games are often highly debated in the community as they can never meet the tastes of all players.
Are you satisfied with the “PS Plus” games for April 2017?
In Destiny, new Dead Ghosts have been found since Age of Triumph. We show you the locations of all Ghost Fragments.
“You can never have enough Grimoire,” experienced Guardians know in Bungie’s MMO shooter. And with update 2.6.0 and the start of the Age of Triumph, new Grimoire cards in the form of Dead Ghosts came into play. When you awaken them, you gain Grimoire.
For the new Seal for Age of Triumph, you need a certain amount of Grimoire and must find enough Ghosts to unlock milestones. So it is worth going on a ghost hunt.
Finding Ghost Fragments – Here are the Ghosts hidden
In total, ten new Dead Ghosts are now available, eight of which can be found on Crucible maps, and one Ghost Fragment is PS4-exclusive. This video shows the locations of all ten Dead Ghosts. The timestamps are listed below the video:
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00:25 – Legend: Rezyl Azzir – The Triumphant Return
00:50 – Ghost Fragment: Cayde-6
01:10 – Ghost Fragment: Eris Morn
01:34 – Ghost Fragment: Lord Shaxx 2
02:03 – Ghost Fragment: The Last Word 5
02:28 – Ghost Fragment: The Reef 4
02:51 – Ghost Fragment: Thorn 5
03:12 – Shadows of Yor
03:35 – Ghost Fragment: Fallen 6
Info about the Dead Ghosts
Ghost Fragment: Lord Shaxx: This Ghost is in the Tower. Climb the tree in front of the gunsmith, where you will find it.
Ghost Fragment: Rezyl Azzir – The Triumphant Fall: Start the Crota raid at 390 for this. Right at the beginning, before you dive into the abyss, you will find the Ghost on the left side.
Heroes of the Storm not only receives a thoroughly revamped progression and loot system. The Amazon Cassia from Diablo 2 enriches the hero selection with an assassin with tank qualities.
Anyone who played Diablo 2 back then should still remember the so-called “Javazons.” These were Amazon heroes who specialized in lightning magic and javelin throwing spears. Javazons could deal extremely high damage while still being quite robust for damage dealer builds.
The Javazon is now coming to Heroes of the Storm.
Heroes of the Storm – Skills – Tanky Damage Dealer
Cassia appears as a new heroine in Heroes of the Storm in early April. True to her gameplay from Diablo 2, she is a ranged fighter who operates with throwing spears and lightning magic. Thanks to her shield, Cassia is also tough and takes less damage from attacks.
We had the chance to try out the tough Amazon live at Blizzard in Paris and tested all her skills. These are:
Trait – Avoidance: Due to her shield, Cassia takes reduced damage from direct basic attacks as long as she is not mounted.
Q – Lightning Fury: A direct skill shot lightning attack. When the skill hits, the lightning spreads out and can damage additional targets.
W – Blinding Light: A circular area attack that blinds all enemies. Blinded enemies take additional damage from Cassia.
E – Fend: The famous multi-attack from Diablo 2 is also a very powerful attack in HotS. Cassia channels a lot of damage in a cone in front of her.
R1 – Ball Lightning: A truly nasty attack that creates a ball lightning and causes it to bounce back and forth between targets, dealing damage each time. Via talent at maximum level, the ball lightning can even bounce indefinitely!
R2 – Valkyrie: Cassia summons a Valkyrie that comes from the opposite direction of the skill shot and damages all enemies in the way, pushing them towards Cassia. Ideal for preventing enemies from escaping.
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In Paris, we also had the opportunity to play Cassia at the announcement of the HotS 2.0 system. The best thing up front: Cassia is really easy to play and a lot of fun! She is not very mobile for an assassin and lacks control abilities, but she can deal a lot of damage. Lightning Fury and especially Fend quickly turn most enemies into minced meat.
Thanks to her passive ability, Cassia is surprisingly robust. More than once, a daring assassin wanted to take us down, only to realize that they could hardly deal any damage to us. Various Tracers, who rely on basic attacks, were mercilessly countered by Cassia. Since Cassia deals more damage to blinded enemies, she harmonizes well with heroes who also inflict blindness, especially Diablo’s colleague Johanna!
If you want to play Cassia yourself, you still have to wait a little; the Amazon will only join the game in early April!
Heroes of the Storm will soon become more accessible and rewarding. With the “HotS 2.0” project, the progression system and rewards are to be much more aligned with Overwatch.
Until now, there wasn’t much to gain in Blizzard’s MOBA Heroes of the Storm. You earned gold for victories and certain level-ups, which you could eventually use to buy heroes, a mount, or some skins, for which you had to reach a certain hero level. All other skins and mounts could only be purchased with real money.
Now Blizzard takes a cue from Overwatch and completely revamps the reward system in HotS 2.0.
Heroes of the Storm 2.0 – Loot Boxes for Everyone!
The somewhat grandiosely named new project, Heroes of the Storm 2.0, may not overhaul the entire game, but it does revise the aspects of progression and reward. It drew heavily from Blizzard’s hero shooter Overwatch.
In Overwatch, you receive loot boxes for every level-up. Soon these will also be available for HotS – and the boxes will pack a punch.
You can pull just about anything from a box that you can also buy with real money. Even elite skins and heroes! Certain skins will only be found in the loot boxes – like the new Diablo Prime Evil skin (the look of the Lord of Terror from Diablo 3) –
HotS 2.0 – Loot Box Dumb? Just Reroll!
Loot boxes normally contain at least one item of the “Rare” tier. When reaching certain levels, the box even contains a guaranteed item of the “Epic” or even “Legendary” rarity.
In Heroes of the Storm 2.0, a distinction is made between player level and hero level.
For gold, you can reroll the contents of the box, especially useful for the epic and legendary boxes. Additionally, there will also be boxes for individual heroes at certain levels.
No More Level Cap – Level Up to Infinity!
With the new update, the progression curve in Heroes of the Storm will become much smoother. On one hand, the level cap will be abolished, and on the other, starting from level 12, you will always need the same amount of experience to level up. So, you won’t hit a wall while leveling anymore. You still level up your heroes, and the total number of levels will correspond to your player level.
HotS 2.0 – New Payment Methods: Gold, Shards, and Gems!
Gold as a reward for matches remains in the game. You still buy heroes with it and use it for rerolls of the loot boxes. If you pull items from the boxes that you already have, you will receive “Shards” for that, which can be used to craft cosmetic content.
What will be missing, however: real money! With Heroes of the Storm 2.0, real money transactions will be handled via a new exchange currency called “Gems”.
You will purchase a package of Gems in the shop for real money and then use that to acquire paid content. The costs for the packages have not yet been finalized by Blizzard, but they are said to be overall cheaper than the old real money prices due to discount promotions.
As a reason for the switch, Blizzard mentioned that this method allows them to offer players real money prices without immediately throwing real money around. There will also be free Gems at level 5 and at certain other milestones in progress.
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Heroes of the Storm 2.0 – Emojis, Spray Logos, and Announcers
In HotS 2.0, you will receive completely new content from the loot boxes:
Emoji Packs for Every Hero: If you prefer a grinning Zarya or a crying Diablo instead of the usual smileys in the chat, you will be pleased with these emoji packs.
Spray Logos: Like in Overwatch, you can spray a previously selected spray logo on the ground at any time. However, the logo will disappear after a few seconds for performance reasons.
Banners: You choose a banner before the game. Whenever you destroy an enemy’s fort, your banner will be permanently placed there, and everyone will know “You did that!”
Announcer Voices: Are you tired of the same old Nexus announcer commenting on your kills and losses? Then get another voice for the announcer and let Diablo, Illidan, or Abathur speak the texts for you. Especially cool: Murky as the announcer!
All your skins, announcers, emojis, mounts, banners, and spray paints can be conveniently managed in HotS 2.0 through the new collections menu. You can even save up to three pre-made loadouts and won’t have to set everything up again before each match.
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All the changes from HotS 2.0 are set to be released in early April 2017. Additionally, there will be a new heroine from Diablo 2, which we will introduce in more detail in another article.
What do you think about the planned changes in Heroes of the Storm? Are you excited about the new progression system and loot boxes? Or is it all too much and was the old system better? Let us know in the comments!
The Hunter – Call of the Wild was released in 2016 for PC. Now the glossy hunting simulator with Coop mode is also coming to the consoles PS4 and Xbox One.
In 2016, The Hunter: Call of the Wild was released for PC. The complex hunting simulation features a gigantic open-world full of animals. Among the native fauna are deer, elk, bison, wild boars, moose, and even powerful black bears. With various weapons such as rifles and bows, you hunt the animals. The gameplay mechanics support complex ballistics, wind, weather, and time of day. The use of bait and calls is also possible.
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The Hunter: Call of the Wild – Hunter’s Greeting on Console
In The Hunter: Call of the Wild, you can go hunting alone, but the game also supports a complex multiplayer mode. Up to eight players can jointly pursue wildlife, coordinating tasks such as tracking and spotting animals more effectively. In addition to the Coop mode, competitive game modes are also planned. An example of the latter includes first kills and trophies of certain difficult-to-find animals that you are to bag before your competitors.
The Hunter: Call of the Wild was released on PC as a budget base version for 29.99 euros, which can then be improved further with paid DLCs. A similar system is expected to be applied on PS4 and Xbox One as well. The Hunter: Call of the Wild will be released in 2017, although the developers at Avalanche Studios (Just Cause) have not yet announced an exact date.
The mystery horror MMORPG The Secret World is getting a relaunch. It holds more than just a re-release of the game. The Secret World Legends is set to become a new game in many aspects. And there’s already a closed beta!
The Secret World has always been a hidden gem for fans of creepy mystery, but as an online role-playing game, the title from Funcom never worked particularly well. For example, the combat system was too cumbersome and uncomfortable. Player progression was complex and confusing for many. As a result, Funcom never achieved significant success despite the buy-to-play model, and TSW languished in the shadows as “the best MMO you never played!“
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Developer Funcom announced a relaunch of TSW a month ago, at the end of February and now there is concrete information available. Those who expected merely a restart with a free-to-play game model might be surprised, as under the new name The Secret World Legends lies a game that has been transformed so fundamentally that it is practically a new title.
The cumbersome combat system, the major issue of the original, has likely been thoroughly revised to meet the requirements of a modern action RPG. However, the graphics and quest flow are also said to be improved.
Funcom no longer refers to the game as an MMORPG. Instead, the term “Shared World RPG” is used.
You should be able to tackle the exciting and creepy stories and quests either alone or with other players. Additionally, the onboarding process is expected to be easier and better, and the progression system and player advancement have also been fundamentally revised.
How exactly all these innovations will turn out and how relevant group play still is, Funcom has not yet revealed.
The Secret World Legends: Play for free, but with a new character!
Since the gameplay has been so significantly changed, Legends is no longer compatible with the original TSW. You will need to create a completely new character in TSWL, but you can transfer your costumes and vanity items from the old game. Only bonus points will remain in the original. Lifetime subscriptions can, however, be transferred to “the new game”.
But don’t worry, the old TSW will continue to live on its own servers.
Your old character will still exist and you can continue playing the old game if you do not like Legends. Legends will initially be playable exclusively on Steam, while the old TSW will no longer be available; you will now need the Funcom launcher again.
In contrast to TSW, The Secret World Legends will be a free-to-play game that you can play without limitations for free. However, you will need the premium currency Aurum to purchase additional character slots (there is only one otherwise), costumes, additional weapon slots, more inventory space, and other cosmetic or comfort items. All updates and game content will be free. Funcom Points from the old TSW can be exchanged for Aurum, and trading with other players via in-game currency is also possible. You can therefore buy Aurum without spending real money.
Patron instead of subscription
There is no longer a premium subscription, but you can become a patron via a loyalty points system and enjoy various (currently not yet specified) advantages and items for real money for 30 days.
Every time you spend Aurum or extend your patron status, you receive new patron rewards. However, these only apply for as long as you maintain that status. Your progress will remain intact if you want to become a patron again later. By the way, those who are Grand Master in TSW receive lifetime patron status.
The Secret World Legends: Release and beta access
A release date for The Secret World Legends is not yet known. Funcom only states “end of spring 2017”. However, you can already sign up for the Beta of The Secret World Legends via the link provided on Funcom’s official homepage.
TSWL will also be released in a German version.
What do you think of the idea of the TSW relaunch as a quasi-new game? A good idea or do you fear that TSWL will become a mindless grinder that lacks the soul of the old game? Let us know in the comments!
In FIFA 17 FUT, the TOTW 28 (Team of the Week 28) is known. These players receive IF cards in Ultimate Team.
Great! Team of the Week 28 features some big names, such as Cristiano Ronaldo with an overall rating of 97 and Neymar with 96. Also, Bayern’s Thiago and PSG’s Verratti both have 89 and are doing well. Interesting: Lukas Podolski has received a Hero card:
Player ratings and overall ratings of the Team of the Week – Week 28
Starting XI:
GK: Danijel Subašić – AS Monaco (France) – Croatia
ST: Brendon Santalab – Western Sydney Wanderers (Australia) – Australia
These were the predictions for TOTW 28 in FUT
These predictions come from the futhead site:
Starting XI:
Danijel Subasic – GK
Jonas Hector – LB
Lukasz Pisczek – RB
Theodor Gebre Selassie – RB
Andre Schürrle – RM
Dusan Tadic – CAM
Thiago – CAM
Neymar – LF
Carlos Vela – RF
Cristiano Ronaldo – LF
Olivier Giroud – ST
Substitutes:
Stefanos Kapino – GK
Emil Forsberg – LM
Vladimir Darida – CM
Christian Pulisic – CM
Vedad Ibisevic – ST
Clint Dempsey – ST
Cenk Tosun – ST
Juan Carlos – GK
Gonzalo Martinez – CDM
Ilja Nestorovski – ST
Spas Delev – ST
Brendon Santalab – ST
What is TOTW in FIFA 17?
Every Wednesday, EA Sports reveals the Team of the Week in the “Ultimate Team” mode of their annual football simulation. This is also the case in FIFA 17. In this mode, players who performed outstandingly in real football the previous week are rewarded with special cards that have improved attributes.
You can pull TOTW cards within a week from sets that may contain Rare (Gold) players. However, the chance of doing so is considered low. Additionally, you can buy them on the transfer market if offered by other players. However, the prices are usually extremely high.
Who has not always wanted to own a Widowmaker? Blizzard is making this dream come true – with a stylish but expensive figure.
Among all the characters from Overwatch , none has as much sex appeal as Amélie Lacroix, who is better known as Widowmaker since her brainwashing and bluish tint. The French sniper in a skin-tight suit with a deep neckline is not without reason the main character of many fan stories that rarely remain suitable for younger audiences.
For those who have developed a special affection for this lady, they should now take a look at the Blizzard Gearstore, as the “Overwatch Widowmaker Statue” can now be pre-ordered there.
At a height of almost 35cm and the fact that each figure has been hand-painted, each individual Widowmaker is indeed a unique piece.
In 30 screenshots, you can inspect the statue from all sides in the shop and get a good impression of the manufacturer’s attention to detail. From her tattoos to the closures on the leg pocket, all details from the game have been incorporated and reach a quality that is hard to match.
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However, there is a pretty big catch: the personal Widowmakers for the bedroom, office, or display case cost a whopping 150$ and are expected to be delivered in the 3rd quarter of 2017. However, those who have the necessary cash left over to place this figure in their room should strike soon. Since the figures are hand-painted, the supply is likely to be limited.
