In the MMO shooter Destiny, the Trials of Osiris begin today, on February 3rd. On which map do the trials take place?
Today is the second to last time that the Trials of Osiris will be played with the current weapon balance. The special weapon and shotgun meta has been dominant for too long. Many Guardians are hardly excited about PvP anymore, and player numbers in the Trials are steadily declining – fresh wind is needed!
On February 14th, it is supposed to happen: Bungie will deploy balance patch 2.5.0.2, which is expected to revise the weapons and character classes. Which weapons will come to the forefront remains to be seen.
Until then, you can pass the time in the Trials. The Trials of Osiris begin today, on February 3rd, at 6 PM. They end next Tuesday during the weekly reset. Matches will be played on the map Pantheon.
What are the Trials of Osiris?
In the Trials, you engage in PvP battles in the “Elimination” mode. You compete in teams of three against each other, trying to fill your scorecard with victories. If the opposing team is completely defeated, you win a round. Fallen teammates can be revived. Strong gear is not only important but also communication among the Guardians. A strong knowledge of the map is advantageous.
At 5 and 7 wins, there are random rewards from Osiris’s loot pool. Also, keep an eye on Brother Vance’s bounties for extra prizes. If you are in top form, you can reach Mercury with a “Flawless” ticket and loot the chest with the fine gear there.
The survival MMO Conan Exiles has parted ways with its server partner. The official servers are thus down and dead.
Funcom reports with new numbers and bad news for Conan Exiles. Currently, there are 7700 servers active. 7500 of them are private, and 200 are hosted officially.
The influx is so massive that Funcom’s partner for the official servers, “PingPerfect”, cannot achieve the quality that Funcom is aiming for. Therefore, Funcom is parting ways with PingPerfect by mutual agreement. The official servers are thus dead.
Funcom wants you to play Conan Exiles on unofficial servers
Funcom encourages players to play on unofficial servers.
Funcom must also withdraw the 25% lifetime discount on the Barbarian Edition (this is the Collector’s Edition). Anyone who has already purchased it will retain the discount. However, future buyers cannot be granted this anymore. The stock is exhausted.
They are now looking for a new partner. However, this is not easy, as the influx is so large that hardly any potential partner has the necessary hardware available.
The database of the official servers will be preserved. The plan is to upload it to new servers so that the progress players have made on the official servers will be retained. But new servers will only come when they are ready. Funcom does not provide a timeline for when new official servers will launch. The only hint Funcom gives is “It may take a few days.”
Funcom says that this is a problem that has arisen due to the high demand for Conan Exiles. They would rather face the problem now than later.
This is how it works with unofficial servers
Read more about unofficial servers and how you are doing in Conan Exiles here:
Blizzard bans several tens of thousands of accounts from Overwatch in Korea. However, the fans there are not really happy about it.
The fight against hackers and cheaters in Overwatch is an endless back and forth. Blizzard has now announced that they have banned 22,000 hackers in the Korean region once again (22,865 to be exact). However, the honest Korean players are only moderately pleased about this and point out that Blizzard is not solving the hacking issue at all.
Hacking is especially a problem in Korea because players there do not have to pay €40 – like the rest of the world – for a copy of Overwatch that is tied to their Battle.net account. Instead, players in Korea simply pay an hourly fee in internet cafés, known as PC Bangs, and do not have to cover the cost for a version of the game. In return, Blizzard receives a monthly fee from the operators of the Bangs.
For hackers, it’s a piece of cake to simply use a VPN client to create an American Battle.net account with which they can continue to play. If the corresponding account gets banned, it only takes a few seconds before they can start cheating again.
In the Korean competitive scene, a remarkable sense of fairness has developed. Whenever one of the two teams has a hacker, the honest players try to end the match in a “draw”.
Hopefully, Blizzard and the operators of the PC Bangs will soon find a solution that no longer forces honest players in Korea to switch to American and European servers – as currently nobody likes that.
As Kotaku writes so nicely, the news of today’s ban wave can also be read as: “22,885 accounts were banned – and 22,865 accounts were newly created”.
In Ghost Recon Wildlands you can change your weapons in the GunSmith with over 10,000 combinations.
In Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands, many weapons are available to you, which you can customize with equipment such as silencers, magazines, or sights. The GunSmith helps you with weapon customization.
GunSmith in Wildlands
The setting of Ghost Recon Wildlands is Bolivia. Wildlands takes place a few years in the future. The development team collected real-world data on what weapons are available to the local military or police and which weapons are used by the Mexican drug cartels. This aims to ensure that the weapon selection in the game feels authentic.
You can modify these weapons in the game with parts that are available on the real market. This allows various pistols and rifles to be adapted to your preferred play style.
In Ghost Recon Wildlands, there are over 50 customizable weapons to choose from. As you progress through the game, you can unlock new weapons and special accessories. In addition, weapons can be looted from enemies.
An overview of your arsenal is provided by the GunSmith, which can be accessed at any time in the game menu. There, you can compare weapons or take a close look at the stats damage, precision, handling, range, rate of fire, suppression, and penetration.
Weapon customization:
Ghosts are equipped with two primary weapons and one secondary weapon. To allow you to choose the right weapon in various situations, the arsenal includes among others:
Assault Rifles
Shotguns
Submachine Guns
Handguns
Light Machine Guns
Sniper Rifles
Exotic Weapons
After you have chosen a weapon, you can select a skin. This paints the entire weapon or just a specific part in colors and patterns of your choice. For example, camouflage patterns are available as a paint option.
Weapon Skins in Wildlands
Through operations in various environments and regions, your weapons suffer from dust, grease, and scratches. If you prefer a neat appearance, you can clean or repaint them in the menu.
In the GunSmith there is a large selection of attachments that you can use to modify the weapons. Over 100 attachments such as sights, magazines, grips, or barrels are available in Ghost Recon Wildlands for optimizing your weapons. There are over 10,000 combinations available! So you can change the precision sight on the go, adjust the fire mode, or even activate the grenade launcher on the assault rifle.
With the GunSmith, you have many customization options to modify your weapons specifically according to the mission and play style. How you can visually change your Ghost with the CharacterSmith is explained here.
Sony has just announced the most important updates and features of the system software update 4.50 for the PS4. External HDD support is coming!
The beta program for the 4.50 update for PS4 is here. Sony is now sending invitations to selected users who have signed up for the beta. In the email, you will find instructions on how to start the download of the update and how to install it.
To ensure that all PS4 fans get an impression of the upcoming system software update – not just the beta testers – the key features have just been released. And there are updates that many fans have been wishing for a long time!
The contents of the 4.50 update for PS4
With the 4.50 update, you will receive the following updates:
External HDD Support: You can now store your content on an external storage device. Simply connect a “USB 3.0” HDD and you will have more storage space on the console. HDDs up to 8TB are compatible. You can download and install applications directly to the external device. In the menu, you can manage the stored content.
Custom Wallpapers: With the update, it will be possible to use any screenshot as a background image (see our title image). Text and icons will be shadowed, so you can see everything clearly, even if the background image is extremely bright. You can edit the screenshots in the Photo Mode of Sharefactory beforehand.
Quick Menu: The quick menu is being revamped. It will take up less space on the screen and navigate you faster to important features. The goal is that you play more and have to struggle less through menus.
Notifications are simplified. All previous tabs (downloads, uploads, etc.) will now be visible in a list.
3D Blu-rays on PlayStation VR: You will now be able to watch 3D videos in stereoscopic 3D with the VR headset.
Activities Feed: You can directly post things like text, screenshots, or gifs there. Also tag games or friends so they don’t miss a post from you. This way, you can better showcase your triumph moments.
Additionally, several other features are expected to come with 4.50, which will be discussed later. There is no launch date for the update yet. We will learn more in the coming weeks.
In Destiny, Xur has the Dreg’s Promise available. Is it worth buying the exotic shotgun?
When Ikora Rey was going through her rebellious phase, the Dreg’s Promise was her weapon of choice. But those times are over, and we ask: Is the Dreg’s Promise now the first choice of the Guardians?
In the first year of Destiny, the Dreg’s Promise was a solid weapon, even though it couldn’t compete with the feared Year 1 shotguns like the Felwinter’s Lie. In Year 2, it convinced some Guardians to take it into the Trials. How does it stand now?
Locations of the Dreg’s Promise
In the first year, the Dreg’s Promise was available through an exotic quest. In Year 3, you can obtain the shotgun through the following ways:
The Dreg’s Promise comes with a low impact of 46 and a rate of fire of 30. The base range is strong, and stability is solid as well. The shotgun deals Solar damage. Here are the specific stats:
These are the perks:
Dreg’s Promise: The weapon regenerates ammo over time
Fully Automatic
Last Round: The last round in each magazine deals bonus precision damage.
You have the choice between:
Sentinel: Increased range and precision, harder to handle, reduced ammo capacity.
Quickdraw: The weapon can be drawn faster.
Adjusted Stock: Increases weapon stability
Additionally, you can influence range, impact, and recoil with Field Choke, Improved Ballistics, and Linear Compensator.
The idea with the Dreg’s Promise is that you sneak close to enemies and then pump them full with Fully Automatic and “Last Round.” An aggressive, agile close-combat style is required here. The perk that regenerates ammo is a useful extra. Because of the high rate of fire and fully automatic, the shotgun quickly runs out of ammo.
How does the Dreg’s Promise fit into the current meta?
Dreg’s Promise: This perk reloads the ammo itself, so you won’t run out of shotgun ammo.
However, the “Invective” comes with two significant disadvantages:
The impact is low. The top shotguns currently have high range and high impact.
The Dreg’s Promise is exotic and takes up the exotic slot.
In short: The Dreg’s Promise is still a solid weapon that provides good advantages. However, it is not considered a top-tier weapon and gives few arguments as to why one should prefer it over a Matador 64. Because you also have an exotic slot free …
The same problem exists with the Dreg’s Promise in PvE: For close combat and Solar damage, it is a good option, but there are many strong alternatives for the exotic slot.
This exotic is not a “Must Have” weapon. If you don’t own it yet, you can now buy it from Xur for your collection or for a few nice kills. Perhaps you will be convinced by the cool ornaments that the Dreg’s Promise has:
This Friday, we want to know what games you are playing over the weekend.
The weekend means that many players have time to game. Some dedicate themselves to their favorite games and enjoy the gameplay in their usual virtual environment. Others use the next few days to test new games they might have recently bought in a sale. The exchange within the community is always interesting to get hidden gems or recommendations for new games or classics.
What is the editorial team playing?
In our editorial team, we are playing a wide range of games this weekend:
I will focus on the closed beta of Ghost Recon: Wildlands this weekend, which started today. The gameplay videos of the game have really piqued my interest with the various weapons and customizations. I am excited about the implementation and the atmosphere in the game. Finally, as a Ghost, you belong to an elite unit that fights against the Santa Blanca drug cartel.
With the upcoming upgrade “Wings of the Raven”, there will also be a simplification of the complex upgrade system for weapons. Additionally, you will be allowed to switch servers within your player region.
In Blade & Soul, you do not collect new weapons, but you continuously upgrade our first weapon. However, this often cost extremely many resources and forced you into tedious grinding for upgrade materials during the level phase. That will soon be over!
Upgrades only in the endgame
On February 8, when the new upgrade “Wings of the Raven” is released, the upgrade system will also be revised. During the level phase, you will receive new weapons at regular intervals when leveling up, ensuring you are always appropriately equipped. Only when you have arrived in the Silverfrost Mountains region and received a “Weapon of the Ivory Moon” in Act 4, Chapter 1, can you upgrade it as usual, but at reduced costs.
In addition to the weapon upgrade easements, you can also switch servers at will in Blade & Soul. However, they must not be in a different region (so not from Europe to America), and the server group must not be the same. The transfer costs 1999 Ncoins, which is approximately 20 Euros.
The numbers in Overwatch are changing. Team compositions are finally becoming more diverse.
The recent changes to the balancing seem to be bearing fruit. The meta of Overwatch has been considered stagnant for several weeks, with the 3/2/1 meta appearing in almost all major tournaments. Slowly but surely, a change is taking place, as more and more clans are adopting a new composition in tournaments – 2/2/2 is becoming more and more established.
Before the last patch of Overwatch, many similar compositions were seen, especially in professional matches. Almost every team had a combination of 3 tanks – whether in attack or defense. This was almost always supported by a healing Ana and another healer, such as Lúcio.
Many teams now swear by Tracer – even in defense!
Especially the changes to D.Va (less armor) and to Ana (less healing bonus from the grenade) led to a shift in the professional scene. It’s no surprise that 2/2/2 (2 tanks, 2 healers, 2 DPS) is becoming increasingly established. Even heroes like Tracer and McCree are now seen more frequently in defense, where they can actually make a significant impact due to the reduced number of tanks.
The adjustments to Roadhog’s hook, which now pulls in targets less frequently but is significantly more precise, are seen by many as a buff. Essentially, the big guy with the scrap gun is even deadlier and a welcome hero on the battlefield.
As usual, the new – significantly more flexible – meta is now also spilling over into the ranked game mode, and there are again more diverse teams in Quick Play.
In summary, it can be said – at least based on the current state – that the recent patches have provided Overwatch with more variety and excitement.
The Division will receive a new incursion with the “Last Stand” DLC. This incursion will be called “Lost Signal” and feature raid-like mechanics.
The agents are still eagerly awaiting the first raid in The Division, which means a large-scale group activity with big bosses, tricky puzzles, and complicated mechanics. The “Last Stand” DLC will not bring a raid. Instead, there will be an incursion that is closest to a “raid” in The Division so far.
This incursion is officially named “Lost Signal”, but is currently displayed on the PTS as “Stolen Signal”. It takes place in a TV Broadcast Center that has been taken over by the Rikers. You must infiltrate three building wings where you will encounter various combat scenarios. Each wing has its own challenges and rewards. If you succeed in all three, you’ll face the final boss.
Since this incursion has been tested for days, there is already gameplay material available online. The YouTuber LiKe BuTTer has completed “Stolen Signal” on heroic. In the video, he shows the entire run. He considers “Stolen Signal” to be the best incursion to date – with the best mechanics in the game. If anything in The Division reminds you of a raid, it’s this.
Note: Spoilers ahead! If you want to explore the incursion yourself, do not watch the video. At the end of the video, we summarize how the incursion proceeds.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
You start the incursion outside the Broadcast Center, so the first task is to reach it. Along the way, the Rikers will try to stop you. Defeat them, gain access, and secure the lobby of the center.
In the center, it is now your task to free three hostages:
On your way to the first hostage, there is a mechanic that resembles the circuits in “Clear Sky”. You need to pick up an object and escort it through a hallway where Rikers are barricaded. The other three agents must protect the bearer. Since the Rikers are deploying heavy weaponry, the ballistic shield is definitely helpful to protect the bearer from deadly bullets.
Then, you arrive in the room with the first hostage. You have few cover options, but enemies are coming at you from all sides. The boss in this room is called “Checkers”. You must defeat him. The problem is: Rushers spawn at short intervals, which you must defeat within a given time. These cannot be overlooked.
Once the boss is defeated, this section is complete. Run back to the lobby and head to the second hostage. The scenario here looks like this: The floor of the room is covered with a few centimeters of water. Occasionally, electric shocks are sent through the water. You need to defeat a boss named Curveball. Heavy elite enemies will appear repeatedly and must be defeated within a certain time. The timer counts down.
Once Curveball is defeated, run back to the lobby and off to the third hostage. Here you need to defuse explosives and defeat the boss “Pigstick”. But be careful: some Rikers want to reactivate the explosives. Stop them.
Once Pigstick is defeated and the hostage is freed, you make your way to the final boss. There you are in an area with a heavy gun that is shooting at you. You need to protect three more hostages. After a while, a timer will count down and one hostage will be marked. After the timer runs out, the gun shoots at the hostage. You must position yourself in front of them in time (preferably with a shield) to deflect the bullets. After that, you need to activate pyro and defeat a named boss.
This mechanic now repeats twice: the second time, the gun shoots at two hostages and the third time at all three hostages. Coordinate who protects which hostage. Defeat the named bosses, clear out the adds at the end, and that’s it.
The hostages will be freed and you will receive the rewards.
In short: In this incursion, you not only have to deal with bosses and the adds, but also with enemies that must be defeated within a certain time. Especially at high difficulty levels, communication among team members becomes important.
What do you think of this incursion?
In addition to the incursion, the paid “Last Stand” DLC also includes the PvP mode “Last Stand” . More information in the provided link.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
We are asking you today: What do you think of Early Access?
With Early Access, players can gain access to a game early on. The games are often still in a pre-alpha phase. The developers explicitly point out: This is not for everyone. The game is still raw. If you buy this, you must know what you are getting into.
For some players, this process is exciting. You have access to a game that is early in development. You can give feedback to the developers and help steer the game in the direction you prefer.
Is Early Access the plague in gaming?
For others, Early Access is the plague in gaming. Developers collect money early on and then have no motivation to finish the game when they are already raking in money for unfinished nonsense, they claim. Games like DayZ or the zombie shooter H1Z1 are cited as cautionary examples of Early Access titles that may never be released.
ARK Survival Evolved as an example of how to do Early Access right
One of the most successful Early Access games is ARK Survival Evolved. It came into Early Access in the summer of 2015 relatively complete, but still suffered from severe performance issues. Since then, ARK has improved considerably and aims to “fully release” after 2 years – in the summer of 2017.
However, even the highly praised ARK has its drawbacks with Early Access. Many took issue with the game developing a paid expansion while still in Early Access instead of doing everything possible to finally fully release it.
Established studios also seek the path into Early Access
These days, more and more developers are seeking a way into Early Access. In addition to small indie games like Project Genom, for which Early Access is essential for survival to earn money at all, even previously established studios like Funcom are exploring new paths with Early Access.
This way, the studio already has revenues in a phase that they otherwise would not have until years later – until the “Full Release.” For Funcom, who were on the brink of bankruptcy in 2015, this is certainly an important factor.
Schuhmann says: I see mainly psychological problems with Early Access. Do players really know what they are getting into? Or is money being made from their enthusiasm in an unscrupulous manner?
The studios know very well that fans are eager to play a game. People ignore all warnings and concerns when they want something. People smoke even though the packages say “This can kill you” because they simply want to smoke.
And players want to play a game because in their imagination it already seems great and fantastic.
In the phase before Early Access, all the developers’ plans are already known, live streams have been watched, and they have listened to them rave about their ideas and plans. This enthusiasm is contagious.
The actual game, however, is still far from that. And you only realize how raw it still is after you have already spent the money for Early Access. The curiosity of the players and the fact that many simply cannot restrain themselves are exploited to make good money.
When I think of Early Access, I first think of H1Z1 and that is a negative example.
A game like H1Z1 would normally not have made any money yet. The studio would do everything possible to finally finish the game and bring it to stores. Instead, it languishes in a strange in-between stage. Meanwhile, it has drifted far from the idea it started with because the developers realized that they could make more money and attract more attention on Twitch with a raw, half-finished shooter than with a survival MMO it was originally meant to be.
What do you think of the phenomenon? Are you clear on what you are getting into when a game goes into Early Access? Or have you been surprised negatively before?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
With Diablo 3 patch 2.5.0, the developers are testing the new Primal Items on the PTR server. They are even rarer than Ancient Items.
On the test servers of Diablo 3, you can currently test the new patch 2.5.0, which brings some changes to Blizzard’s hack and slash game. Especially noteworthy in this update are the new Primal Ancients. In the game, they are recognized by a red border around the item window. The Primal Items are rarer than Ancient Items and can have higher values. But how strong are they really?
Primal Ancients in Patch 2.5.0 for Diablo 3
When Blizzard introduced the Ancient Items, some players already wondered how long it would take until there would be Ancient Ancient Items. So even rarer items that can potentially have better values. Apparently, we have now reached that point in Diablo 3.
Ancient Items are up to 30% stronger than “normal” legendary items. Primal Items are another 30% stronger than Ancient Items. Due to these better values, these items will be harder to find. The chances of getting an Ancient Item are about 10%. Current calculations suggest that the chance of a Primal Item is 1%.
In terms of power, this means that primary attributes (Intelligence, Dexterity, Strength) on equipment can now reach up to 1300 points on Primal Items instead of the previous maximum of 1000. Percentage values cannot be higher on Primal Ancients than on Ancient Items.
Source: PTR forums
Are Primal Items a good change?
For players who love grinding combined with the random factor, this change is probably a dream come true. Now there are even rarer items that they need to farm longer to make their character even stronger. This could well be a step in the right direction to fulfill the community’s wishes. Because currently, many players complain about the dull farming of Paragon Levels, which have so much influence on success in Greater Nephalem Rifts. This shifts the focus more on the new items and not (only) on farming experience points.
Source: PTR forums
Another perspective on the changes relates to the strong random principle. To clarify: Players currently farm the high torment levels in Nephalem Rifts to get items needed for their build. One has to be lucky for the right item (correct slot, good stats) to drop. If you get even luckier, you might get an Ancient Item. If you are even luckier, you will get a Primal Item.
And what happens if you invest a lot of time and collect several Primal Ancients to further strengthen your character? Exactly, the game will need new torment levels again because players with this “over-equipment” might find that the current torment levels are no longer sufficient and too easy. In Diablo 3, it’s already up to torment level 13! Will Blizzard continue this trend and introduce more difficulty levels in the game?
The action brawler For Honor (PC, PS4, Xbox One) was on TV with Clueless Gamer right before the Super Bowl.
For Honor will be released in a few weeks. Like some blockbusters before it, the title received the dubious honor of appearing in “Clueless Gamer.” This is a segment of the US entertainer Conan O’Brien – a sort of US version of Jan Böhmermann. O’Brien has little knowledge of video games, plays them on camera, makes jokes, flirts with female NPCs, and has fun with it.
Star quarterback plays before the Super Bowl, if only the coach knew …
The games are rarely the focus. However, publishers have realized the popularity boost it gives their games in a lucrative target audience when they appear there. Thus, the “clueless gamer” Conan has the opportunity to extensively play many blockbusters before release.
For Honor is set to launch in mid-February and is now supposed to be promoted at the beginning of the release month to increase the hype. Coincidentally, the Super Bowl is taking place now, the most important sporting event in the USA. On February 5, the New England Patriots will face the Atlanta Falcons.
And the top stars of the NFL have nothing better to do than to play a round of “For Honor.” If only their coaches knew …
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
So now the biggest stars of American football like quarterback Tom Brady, his tight end Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski, Atlanta’s defensive end Dwight Freeney, or Marshawn Lynch played the action brawler “For Honor” together with Conan O’Brien. And they had a lot of fun, as seen in the video.
For example, when Marshawn Lynch looks for a character of his skin color and then chooses a heavily armored knight. Maybe he is black under the armor. Despite all the fun, you can also see why Tom Brady is considered one of the greatest players of all time. He is incredibly ambitious and doesn’t shy away from dirty tricks.
The alpha of the online shooter Escape from Tarkov is receiving an update that focuses on the large map “Customs”.
Battlestate announced the content of the next smaller update for Escape from Tarkov.
Customs is a large raid map. With one of the upcoming updates, this will now be expanded, providing participants in the alpha of Escape from Tarkov with more opportunities. Secret passages will be introduced, creating more tactical options for navigating the map.
However, in these very passages, other players may also be lurking.
A challenging map
Additionally, there will be new valuable loot to find, making the map particularly lucrative. However, it will also become significantly more dangerous and will offer more challenges.
For this reason, there will be new spawn points for players. The raid zone will be designed to be more diverse and exciting. The announcement already shows what the developers of the online game plan for the rest of the game.
A mix of shooter and RPG
Escape from Tarkov is an online shooter with many RPG elements, including a sophisticated and complex skill system. You can interact with many objects in the game world and must search everywhere for loot, even in the trunks of old cars. In action-packed combat, your skill also matters, not just your character’s skills. Realistic physics systems and movements, as well as modifiable weapons, round out the shooter experience.
Escape from Tarkov is currently in an alpha phase, but the beta phase is expected to start soon. On the official website, you can register for a chance to get a spot in the testing phase. Or you can gain guaranteed access by purchasing one of the founder packages.
Blizzard does not think much of Trump’s new decrees – no wonder when its own employees are now “foreign in their own land”.
Since the appointment of American President Donald Trump, a number of presidential orders have been issued in the states, with which Trump implements and interprets existing laws.
One of the latest “Executive Orders” has resulted in individuals with citizenship from certain Muslim-majority countries being banned from entering America.
Mike Morhaime, the CEO of Blizzard, reached out to all his employees in a letter. The letter was not actually intended for the public. However, it has been confirmed by several sources that it was circulated within the company.
“Some of you have approached me regarding the recent legal regulation that bars refugees and prohibits citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen from entering for 90 days. I share your concern that many of you and even more in our industry have expressed.
The legal regulation from Friday directly affects a small number of our employees and their families, and supporting them is our priority. Our Human Resources department and our legal department are in contact with those affected and are providing legal assistance and further advice as needed. If you want to talk to someone about the impact of this regulation, please contact our Human Resources department. We are monitoring this and other situations and their further development so that we can provide resources and support.
The regulation stands in stark contrast to our values on which this company is built. We are a company that strives for inclusion, promotes diversity, and treats each other with respect. This is the foundation that makes not only our company – but America – great, which is why I am so concerned about this action. No matter where you come from or what your religious beliefs are, our strength lies in diversity.
As always, if you have questions, feel free to reach out to me directly. – Mike”
It is known that Blizzard advocates for its employees. It is regarded as one of the outstanding employers in the USA.
In Hearthstone, pirate decks continue to be the focus. A nerf could occur at the end of February.
Ben Brode can not only laugh so loudly that even dormice wake from their hibernation, but he is also the explainer bear of Hearthstone. Currently, the big topic is: Pirate-Warrior, Pirate-Rogue, and Pirate-Shaman.
Through new cards that came with Gadgetzan, cheap pirates have good chances. They use synergy effects with each other and with weapons to overwhelm opponents early on. They threaten to overwhelm the “meta” in Hearthstone.
Some are calling for a nerf. Too many pirates, too many similar decks.
Brode explains in a longer post where the problem lies. It is not that the decks are really too strong, but that they are so popular.
Currently, 30% of all players in the Legend rank are Shamans. Outside of Legend, across the entire population, 17% of players are Shamans. In the worst balancing phase, during the Grave Digger Hunter times, 35% were Hunters.
Pirates are overpopular, not overpowered
The pirates with the Small Buccaneer and Captain Glubschauge appeared in 50% of all decks from rank 5 or higher. But – their win rate is not that high. The strongest deck at the moment has a win rate of only 53%. Never has “the best deck” been so weak. The Hunter with the Grave Digger had a win rate of 60% during its time.
One of the strongest decks is currently the Aggro Shaman. However, it only wins 35% of all games against the Control Warrior. It also performs poorly against Reno Locks. The balancing is working.
Blizzard now seems to want to wait and see how everything develops, whether counter decks are found, whether the meta changes, and how Hearthstone evolves. They do not want to nerf cards too often and interfere with the game. Strong players should have the opportunity to change the meta themselves.
If a nerf comes, it will be at the end of February
The meta should neither stagnate nor should decks dominate that do not make winning or losing fun.
The next patch is expected to happen at the end of February. Players can expect a decision from Blizzard the week before. Will they nerf the pirates or not? Brode seems to just not know yet.
Not only the cheap 1-mana pirates could be hit by the nerf hammer, but also big friends are threatened:
In Destiny, the Agent of the Nine is coming today, on the 3rd of February. Where is Xur, what are the location and offers? What items does he have in his inventory?
Just five more sleeps, then Bungie will finally let the cat out of the bag. Next Wednesday, there will be a livestream with sandbox designers who will talk about the upcoming weapon balancing. Guardians have been impatient for weeks now and want to know what changes are coming to weapons and characters, and in which direction the meta will shift.
Now let’s take a look at the exotic vendor Xur. He is waiting for you this weekend with a fresh inventory. Let’s welcome him.
All information about Xur in Destiny on February 3rd, 4th, and 5th on PS4 and Xbox One
When does Xur arrive? When does Xur leave? – The times
Xur arrives every Friday at 10 AM. He spends a few nice hours with the Guardians and presents them with his offers. On Sunday, February 5th, he packs his things at 10 AM and disappears again.
Where is Xur? Location
Where Xur appears remains a mystery until his arrival. He has his positions in the Tower and in the Reef, where he likes to spend the weekend. He is in the Tower with the Speaker on the balcony.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
TERA is now available on Steam. To celebrate, players can enjoy double experience points and discounts.
TERA is one of the more long-lasting MMORPGs of recent years. After the American publisher En Masse switched to the Steam platform in 2015, European provider Gameforge now follows suit.
From now on, TERA can be accessed through the Steam platform.
Spring 2015 saw TERA on Steam and extremely successful
Interestingly: The US version of TERA experienced a boom after launching on Steam in May 2015, even declaring itself the most played MMORPG on Steam. At that time, the US version of TERA was also playable in Europe and the rest of the world via Steam. Until Gameforge and the Russian publisher Destiny Development put a stop to that.
In addition to this event, TERA also celebrates its 4th anniversary after transitioning to a Free-2-Play model – which will be on Sunday, February 5th.
On Steam, there are several special packages for newcomers and long-time fans that allow significant discounts on various shop offers. In the future, “the usual” Steam features, such as trading cards and associated backgrounds, emoticons, and badges for the profile page, will also be included.
Aside from that, there are also some in-game bonuses designed to reward players for logging in and actively playing.
Every 24 hours, players can open a free gift in the TERA shop.
For each active hour in the game, players will receive fashion vouchers or powerful dishes (up to 5 times a day).
From today (Friday, February 3rd) until February 12th, there is 100% additional experience points for defeating enemies in the open world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRYGLWfpU1U
In the coming weekends, more events are planned, but details will only be revealed as the events approach.
Finally, we have a concrete date: Bungie announced when the balance patch 2.5.0.2 for Destiny will be released.
Information about the next weapon balancing is trickling in week by week and becoming increasingly concrete. While details about the changes are still missing, at least we now have a release date. Last week it was said that the patch would be released in mid-February, and now we know: On February 14th, it will happen. Then the developers will deploy hotfix 2.5.0.2 to the consoles.
There should be more alternatives and countermeasures to shotguns. Matador 64 will face competition.
The power of primary weapons will be adjusted with “surgical changes.” Their effectiveness will be tweaked. Currently, special weapons dominate.
Problems with each class will be addressed.
Also, exotics will be adjusted.
Special ammo will also be revised.
However, in less than a week we will be flooded with details: On February 8th at 7 PM, Bungie will hold a live stream in which they will talk extensively about the sandbox update. The sandbox designers Josh Hamrick and Greg Peng will be present and answer all important questions from the community. At least, that’s the plan.
More info:
Yesterday’s maintenance brought no changes that should affect the Destiny experience for players.
The community manager DeeJ points out that so far only the hotfix 2.5.0.2 has been mentioned. Guardians should not forget that the latest from the live team is also coming up. But before they present you with new things to shoot at, the weapons must be revised first.
In short: The update comes on February 14th; the information will come on February 8th. We will watch the livestream and provide the information to you in English.
The Closed Beta of Ghost Recon Wildlands takes place in a special region meant to prepare you for the game.
Only a few hours are left until the closed beta of Ghost Recon Wildlands begins. Tomorrow (Friday) at 12:00 PM, the gates of the tactical shooter will open, giving many players the chance to get an impression of weapons, appearance, gameplay, missions, and environments.
Beta Content of Wildlands
While the first players have already started the pre-download, others have so far had no luck and have not received any beta keys. By the time the servers start tomorrow, hopefully, the codes will be distributed, and you can dive into the testing phase.
The military shooter features a total of 21 regions in a vast open world. A few of these regions and areas, such as jungle or highlands have already been showcased in a video. In the closed beta of Wildlands, you can explore the province of Itacua.
You can fully explore this region and complete the corresponding story missions. There are also side activities that you can participate in alone, with your friends, or with AI teammates. Additionally, the complete functionality of the game is available to you. This includes character customization with CharacterSmith and GunSmith.
Test the various approaches to missions and objectives during the beta. For more variety, you should try out different tactics with your friends to solve missions.
