At the recent Investor Day 2016, Sony revealed some details about their PlayStation.
The PS4 has reached a new milestone: According to the “Investor Relations” report, Sony’s current console has sold over 40 million units. This figure represents sales to end customers.
Thus, the PS4 is increasingly competing with the PS2 to become the most successful Sony gaming console of all time. It is already the fastest-selling PlayStation.
Over 20 million users subscribe to the “PS Plus” service
Furthermore, it has been revealed that the online service PlayStation Plus boasts 20.8 million members across all Sony devices. Expanding this area is among the successes that the company has achieved in the fiscal year 2015.
This number is interesting: It shows that many PlayStation 4 players are opting out of the online service. PS Plus is required for online multiplayer gaming. The service costs about 50 euros per year.
The report, by the way, does not mention at all the upcoming PlayStation 4 Neo, the new “high-end PS4”. In the part of the report where the company’s future investments are presented, the new console is completely absent.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In The Division we introduce the process and mechanics of the new raid “Dragon’s Nest” of the Underground expansion.
The raid “Dragon’s Nest” is the new endgame challenge in Ubisoft’s MMO shooter. Compared to previous incursions, it is somewhat more complex and requires more teamwork from you.
If you start the Underground expansion with good gear, Dragon’s Nest should be doable in about 20 minutes on the Hard difficulty level. The YouTuber Arekkz Gaming shows you the raid in the following video:
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This raid features the Cleaners. They have powerful flamethrower types in their ranks and bring along some nice toys to literally heat things up for you.
However, the Cleaners do not have the nasty shotgun rushers that cause serious problems in other raids. Therefore, you should worry less about enemies overwhelming you in Dragon’s Nest. This gives you time to breathe, communicate, and reposition.
The Path to the “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse”
The raid begins by climbing the ladder, blowing up the doors, and eliminating a few flamethrowers and other enemies. There are few cover options here, so you should try to eliminate the enemies as quickly as possible. However, you have plenty of room to back up, allowing you to retreat from the flames.
In the next room, you just need to patiently deal with the enemies so you can reach the stairs and ascend to the roof of the building. Here, the raid truly begins.
The “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse”
The parking garage is divided into several areas. In each, you will encounter a “mini-boss” and additional Cleaners. Among them are also some technicians who will send explosive toy cars at you. These will ignite the surroundings, so you should destroy them before they reach you.
In hard mode, these vehicles are easy to control; however, at higher difficulty levels, they can easily wipe out an entire team if you are too close together.
Once all mobs are dealt with, four powerful Cleaners appear: The Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the bosses of this area. They spawn at four different locations and are accompanied by some adds – so watch out for the toy cars again. After defeating one of the horsemen named Death, Pestilence, War, or Famine, waves of enemies will appear. Take care of them before there are too many.
A good place to fight the Cleaners is here: just climb the stairs and take cover there. A boss will appear right below you, which you can shoot in the face. Once he is dead, the next boss will be in front of you, ready to be taken down. The other two bosses are also approaching you slowly.
Once the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are dead and you have cleaned up the rest of the adds, you can collect a lot of loot. Each boss has a loot drop chance, so you can quickly acquire high-quality loot here. It may be worthwhile to treat these Cleaners as an efficient farming method. However, how challenging they are in heroic mode remains to be seen.
The “Four Horsemen”
Firetruck – The Final Boss of Dragon’s Nest
Now you rappel down a lift shaft and fight your way through the rooms until you reach the final room. Activate the laptop and let’s go.
While an MTW is present in “Falcon Lost”, you are dealing with a Firetruck here. However, you not only have to fight through waves but also perform raid-like mechanics. Split up in the room and communicate with each other. Here’s how it works:
During the fight, adds will keep appearing to make your life difficult. However, the larger concern is the Firetruck, which regularly sets the ground on fire with its attacks. If you are standing in a red-marked zone, it’s best to run. The initial force of this Firetruck attack will not kill you with one shot – unlike the mortar fire of the MTWs. However, if you stay in it too long, the flames will chip away at your health. A high resistance to exotic damage is advisable. Keyword: Final Measure!The support station with the Mod Immunizer is also useful: it removes status effects and makes allies in the affected area immune.
During the fight, you need to activate a total of 8 switches in this room. They can be divided into four pairs, with each pair needing to be pressed simultaneously. So you need to communicate to press the button as synchronously as possible. With these switches, you will move a heavy water tank over the Firetruck. Start with the switches that are furthest away from the truck. Be careful not to get too close to the truck until the last switch pair. It has a very deadly melee attack.
With each successful pair activation, a lot of adds will come at you. After you defeat them, the Firetruck will go a bit crazy and set the whole room on fire. It seems there is no safe spot, so you must somehow cope with this damage. Therefore, once again: increase your resistance to exotic damage and remember the support station with Immunizer. This sequence repeats until the last switch pair is activated. After that, the final boss is defeated, and you can mop up the remaining adds.
The raid “Dragon’s Nest” is completed. Grab the loot.
Here you can watch the guide from our friend Schorri TV. He also has some tips:
Zenimax Online has announced when the new DLC “Shadows of the Hist” as well as Update 11 of the MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online will be released.
Those playing The Elder Scrolls Online on PC can start as early as August 1, while Xbox One and Playstation 4 players will have to wait until August 16. Both the new DLC and Update 11 will be released simultaneously.
Contents of the DLC – Two New Dungeons in Black Marsh
“Shadows of the Hist” is available for free to anyone with an active ESO Plus membership, while all others must pay 1,500 crowns in the Crown Store if they want to experience the new content of the DLC. This includes two new dungeons for four players, which are set in Black Marsh and provide an insight into the culture of the Argonians.
In the “Womb of Shadows,” you will search together with a group of Argonian followers of the Dark Brotherhood for defectors who want to plunge Black Marsh into chaos. In the “Ruins of Mazzatun,” you will deal with slavers who have enslaved an Argonian tribe. In the “Riddle City” of the Argonian tribe of Xit-Xaht, you will fight for the freedom of the slaves. Both dungeons will provide you with interesting loot and can also be played in veteran mode.
Change Your Appearance
The style room will also be new. Through this, you will be able to completely change your hero’s appearance. Using marks available in the Crown Store, you can change hairstyle and hair color, embellishments, facial and body painting, facial features, eye color, age, voice, and the shape of the head and body. Additionally, you can give your hero a new name and add special hairstyles, embellishments, and paint. You can also dye costumes and hats by purchasing dye stamps and colors in the Crown Store.
Update 11 for the MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online, which launches alongside the DLC, includes among other changes:
Text chat for console versions
Improvements to the trials Aetherial Archive and The Citadel of Hel Ra including normal mode and veteran mode, revamped rewards, and level scaling
Improvements to the Dragonstar Arena including increased difficulty and revamped rewards
The ability to trade bound items in dungeons and trials with group members when picked up
The introduction of the Cyrodiil city invasion system
Increased maximum for champion points
Revising the balance of passive racial abilities
Improved Undaunted chests (Gold, Silver, and Bronze)
Improved crafting interface
Improved facial effects and animations
New achievements for each of the scaled trials
Ability tooltips that show the main task of certain abilities
Ongoing improvements to Cyrodiil performance
17 updated older gear sets that can now be looted at Champion 160
Six sets are available in the Aetherial Archive
Seven sets are available in the Citadel of Hel Ra
Four sets are available in the Dragonstar Arena
Four new crafting styles: Akatosh, Dark Brotherhood, dro-m’Athra, and Minotaurs
Riot Games has often tried to adapt the blue rune mage through updates to the game. Until now, the developers have probably not been satisfied with the changes to this champion, which is why they have developed another rework. With more options for spell combinations and an ultimate that takes his teammates on a journey, Ryze is set to establish himself again on the various maps of League of Legends.
The new abilities provide more combo potential than before – mindlessly “rolling your face on the keyboard, just make sure the ultimate is on” is no longer as successful as it was in previous patches with Ryze.
Passive – Arcane Mastery
Depending on his bonus mana, Ryze’s spells deal additional damage. Additionally, his maximum mana increases by a percentage of his ability power.
Q – Overload
Passive: All other spells, except “Overload”, reset the cooldown of “Overload” and charge a special rune. If you cast another spell while the rune is active, you can fully charge the rune. If you cast “Overload” instead of another spell, you break the rune charge.
Active: You shoot a rune projectile in a target direction, which deals damage to the first enemy it hits. If you have a fully charged rune when casting “Overload”, you gain a shield and bonus movement speed for a limited time.
W – Rune Prison
You hold a target in place and deal magic damage to the target.
Ryze’s Abilities Collage
E – Spell Cascade
The target takes magic damage and is marked with “Cascade”. The next spell that hits a target marked with “Cascade” has additional effects:
Overload jumps to nearby enemies marked with Cascade and deals additional damage.
Rune Prison now holds a target for twice as long.
Spell Cascade jumps to nearby enemies and marks them with the Cascade effect.
If you kill a target marked with Cascade, this mark jumps to nearby enemies.
R – Realm Warp
A portal opens under Ryze, teleporting allies within this portal to a target location chosen by Ryze after a few seconds. This target location cannot be directly under Ryze.
Using the Combinations of Ryze’s Spells
With the various deployment options – especially through Cascade – you should now pay more attention to which keys you need to press at which time. After you have held an opponent with your enhanced Rune Prison, you can then cut them off with well-placed ultimate. Particularly with Realm Warp, you can create surprise moments for the enemy team (and sometimes also for inattentive allies).
In Bungie’s MMO shooter Destiny, today, on June 29th, is Weapon Day on PS4, Xbox One, PS3, and Xbox 360. What can Banshee-44 offer Guardians this week?
For all those Guardians who want to grab the stylish items from Banshee-44 before “Rise of Iron”, today offers a new opportunity to get in the gunsmith’s good graces and acquire his weapons. Let’s take a look at what he has to offer us this week.
Here are the test weapons this week from Destiny
To earn reputation points, you need to complete the following field test weapons for Banshee-44:
A pulse rifle from Häkke wants to gather data. Complete this against Cabal.
An Omolon fusion rifle is aimed at Vex Minotaurs.
A Suros pulse rifle wants to target Hive enemies.
A Häkke shotgun seeks to spill Hive blood.
A Häkke sniper rifle craves double kills.
These 5 weapons can now be ordered
The gunsmith offers you five forging orders that you can purchase for 2500 Glimmer. Wait a week, and you will receive your selected weapons on the next Weapon Day.
From Omolon, you can place an order for the scout rifle Cocytus SR4. If this weapon comes with a strong roll, it is excellent.
Additionally, the hand cannon Häkke Judith-D is on offer. A very powerful hand cannon.
The gunsmith also has the Häkke pulse rifle Lyudmila-D in stock. High damage type, low fire rate.
And another pulse rifle: Suros PDX-45 – with lower damage, precisely: damage 7, fire rate 73.
Finally, there’s the rocket launcher Suros JLB-42. This one is not particularly sought after.
The 47 variant is the more sought-after of the two rocket launchers from Banshee-44
These weapons can be picked up this week with these rolls
You can pick up the automatic rifle Suros ARI-41. However, there is not a particularly good roll. You can choose one with Hand-Laid Stock and Hidden Hand.
The hand cannon Judith-D also comes with meager perks. The one with Crowd Control may be the best choice.
The hand cannon Uffern HC4 comes with Roulette, Braced Frame, maximizing stability, and Life Support.
The pulse rifle Lyudmila-D comes with Sights and Injection Mold.
The sniper rifle Uzume RR4 comes with Solar Damage and has the perks One-Man Army, Fluted Barrel, and Unyielding or Mulligan.
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Cortyn took advantage of the summer sale and bought Tales of Zestiria. However, the JRPG won’t be played for a while.
Happy Wednesday everyone! Yes, it’s summer, and what is the best thing about this season? No, not the sun. No, not even the barbecues. Correct, the Steam summer sale. As befits the demon of the internet world, I also took advantage and refreshed my collection of RPGs. That’s how I ended up getting “Tales of Zestiria“, begging my roommate for an Xbox controller, and finally sitting down at the computer. After all, Tales of Zestiria is a traditional JRPG, and that needs one thing above all: plenty of time and peace.
Cheerful characters, round big eyes – just Cortyn’s thing.
And what can I say? From the start, it was exactly what I expected. A slightly overdramatic story about a fantastic world, with a somewhat simple main character who is so kind-hearted that it’s surprising he doesn’t leave a trail of pure sugar behind him or has already been assassinated 7 times due to his naivety. In summary: Exactly what I love about a JRPG.
A spoiler in the game – is that possible? Yup!
However, after about 90 minutes of gameplay (I dawdled, yes), the game presents an anime-style video sequence. And from then on, I no longer felt like playing the game. Why?
The sequence, which you can watch in the video below, reveals a lot about the upcoming story. It shows the main characters and the antagonists as well as the “important” supporting characters and clearly indicates who is on which side – I assume.
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Why does this bother me? 90% of the characters haven’t appeared in the game yet. I already know who will be important in the plot, so I don’t even need to play it anymore. Sure, I don’t know the nuances and the exact flow of the story, but with so much information that the sequence provides, I have lost the desire to continue playing at all. The game spoiled itself for me. As crazy as that may sound.
Yes, I know. In an anime, such an opening would be “completely normal” (and the song is really catchy!), but it also serves a different purpose. It aims to captivate the viewer and spark curiosity about the future – after all, it’s about ratings. In a game that I have already bought, I don’t need spoilers for the future. I already own the game; you’ve already got me hooked! And so it comes that Tales of Zestiria now disappears back into oblivion for me.
What do you think about it all? Does it not bother you to be presented with all the characters of the story right from the start? Or do you just have to accept that in an “anime game” an “anime opening” comes – spoilers and all?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The upcoming MMORPG shooter Escape from Tarkov is becoming more and more of an interesting online game.
Now the developers have released around 15 minutes of continuous gameplay material, showcasing a mission in the game. The hero is in a large factory hall, sneaking through the corridors. He searches every corner to find new items. For example, he discovers a pistol in a suitcase, which he immediately takes and modifies with a new grip and a silencer.
Tactics and skill instead of meaningless shooting
Because noises play an important role in Escape from Tarkov. A loud shot can betray your position, which can be quite dangerous. Other players are present in the factory, and firefights break out. These show that in the MMO, you shouldn’t act like in a conventional shooter and rush at enemies shooting wildly. Rather, tactics are required. You look for hiding spots and cover, trying to locate the opponent’s position. Well-aimed shots and the skillful use of grenades are much more effective than shooting aimlessly around.
The scenario ultimately ends when the player reaches the exit of the factory. Escape from Tarkov will initially be released in several “episodes” containing different scenarios. This way, you progress through the story. In the end, you will have unlocked a large, continuous world.
Soon you can take action yourself
If you are interested in the shooter MMORPG Escape from Tarkov and want to know how it plays, what the skills look like, and how the role-playing elements work with the shooter features, then keep August 4th free. Because on this day, the alpha will start. You can purchase founder packages on the official website, one version of which grants access to the alpha. You can watch the new gameplay video right here:
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Black Desert is rolling out the next big update. We will tell you what is included in the Valencia Update (Part 1).
Valencia expands Black Desert by 30%
Summer is really heating up, and the world of Black Desert is also getting hot. Today, on June 29, 2016, maintenance work is scheduled for Black Desert, lasting from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. A large patch will also be applied, which has been known to players for some time as “Valencia Update 1”. We have listed for you what awaits in the new zone.
For those who have already exhausted the vastness of Black Desert, fresh tasks are provided, as more than 500 new quests will be added to the game. Overall, the game world will grow by a whopping 30%.
Apart from that, there are also new features and improvements, such as guild houses, new mounts in the form of camels and elephants, as well as whale hunting. The enchantment system will be even more powerful and now offers bonuses of up to +20. As a new login reward for those who regularly check into the game, there is an adorable companion: the penguin. Those who have the waddling bird by their side will reduce the time required for AFK fishing to catch fish on land – and he will also help with looting. This companion will not be available for purchase in the shop; he is exclusively for all loyal fans. A first impression of the new features is provided by this trailer:
https://youtu.be/2oRRFDB-CHQ
For the Siege Warfare, a second test week will begin soon, after the errors from the first test have been fixed. If the second week is completed successfully and without major issues, this mode will soon become a permanent part of the game.
However, when Part 2 of the Valencia Update will be released is still unknown.
For more news, articles, and guides on the MMORPG, you can find them on our Black Desert game page.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The ranked game mode of Overwatch for PC players is here! We reveal everything you need to know about the latest feature of the hero shooter.
The ranked system is live – the first season begins
Last night at witching hour, it finally happened. Since today, June 29, 2016, Overwatch finally has a ranked game mode (at least on the PC version!). Without significant downtime of the servers, players could immediately jump into the new game mode after installing the patch. Those brave enough to prove themselves and how good they really are at Overwatch (and especially: how well they can work in a team) can now venture into the “Ranked System”. Console players, however, will have to wait until next week.
But how does it all work and what has changed since the beta?
To get started, you must have reached at least level 25. The first 10 games are now placement matches. Your starting rating will be determined based on your performance during these games – it will be somewhere between 1 and 100. Even during the placement matches, you can earn “Competitive Points” in the event of a victory, which can later be exchanged for golden weapons – a new form of character customization. Since these weapons are not available in loot boxes, they remain an exclusive reward for players of the ranked mode.
The placement matches determine your skill rating. Who can surpass Cortyn with 8 wins: 2 losses?
Otherwise, little has changed fundamentally in the game. On the “Capture” maps (Lijiang Tower, Nepal, and Ilios), a “Best of 5” is now played instead of a “Best of 3”, and on the other maps, there is a forward and backward round. The team with the best performance wins. The “performance” is determined by the progress on the individual maps. Capturing control points and escorting the payload is rewarded with victory points – the team with more points wins. In the event of a tie, there is a “Sudden Death”, meaning an extension on the respective map to determine the final winner.
A season in the ranked game mode lasts approximately 3 months. However, the first season is slightly shorter and ends after just 6 weeks – on August 18. Then, depending on the achieved rank, there will be a hefty amount of “Competitive Points” on top.
If you don’t yet feel fit for the ranked game mode, check out our numerous guides on the different heroes and learn some tricks and tips:
In Destiny, the June Iron Banner is running. We are looking at the rolls of Lord Saladin’s weapons.
Last night, Lord Saladin kicked off the Iron Banner for June. However, this came with a double delay: first, it was postponed by a whole week because Update 2.3.0 brought some issues, then it had to be pushed back a few hours because Bungie wanted to carry out maintenance first.
Meanwhile, the servers are back up. Guardians have been diligently flocking to the Crucible since last night to rank up in the Iron Banner and to acquire the tasty event rewards from Lord Saladin. But is it worth it?
Beforehand: The following weapons can be acquired with fixed perks directly from the “Rise of Iron” star. The weapons dropped in the Crucible may have different properties.
Bretomart’s Defense – A machine gun with a solid roll
Once you reach Iron Banner rank 4, Lord Saladin will grant you Bretomart’s Defense machine gun for 90 Legendary Marks. The machine gun comes with Solar damage.
The perks are:
Spray and Play: When the magazine is empty, reload speed is increased.
Control of the Masses: Kills grant temporary bonus damage.
You have the choice between:
Adaptive Frame: Increases weapon stability.
Hand-Laid Stock: Increased stability (more than Adaptive Frame), but reduced range.
Reinforced Barrel: Increased range, but reduced stability.
For machine guns, both range and stability are useful. Here you will have to try out for yourself which perk works best for you.
Furthermore, you have the choice between Improved Ballistics, Drop Mag, and Field Choke, which can influence range, impact, and recoil.
If you don’t own Bretomart’s Defense yet, you can grab it here without hesitation. The rolls are solid.
Colovance’s Duty – A strong scout rifle for the Iron Banner
With rank 5 and 90 Legendary Marks, the scout rifle Colovance’s Duty is yours. This is worth it.It comes with these perks:
Control of the Masses: Kills grant temporary bonus damage.
Hidden Hand: The weapon improves target acquisition – especially useful for the Crucible and the Iron Banner.
Additionally, you have the choice between:
Perfect Balance: Recoil is extremely low.
Reinforced Frame: Increased stability but reduced magazine size.
Custom Optics: Precision lens for better zoom.
Here you want either Perfect Balance or Reinforced Frame. If you can manage with less ammo, the Reinforced Frame provides excellent stability.
Furthermore, you have the choice between Red Dot OAS, Long Range Lens LLS3, and True Sight OV. Tip: Red Dot OAS.
Colovance’s Duty with this roll is a very strong scout rifle. If you reach rank 5, don’t miss out on this gem.
To rank up efficiently, don’t forget the bounties from Lord Saladin. Also equip shaders and emblems. And then head into the conflict.
In the following video, you can see these two weapons as well as the class-specific armor pieces from this Iron Banner:
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In Asia, MMORPGs are celebrated differently than in this country.
One can see this, for example, with the upcoming MMORPG Revelation Online. For this online role-playing game, two TV series will be launched. The story of the MMO was written by Jiang Nan, a bestselling author known in China, who was voted the best fantasy author of the year 2015 in China. So there is a lot of story in the game, which is also reflected in the fact that quests and events will be presented via cutscenes.
Focus on Story
The developers want players to be drawn into the story from the very first minute. The story is told through several chapters that offer around 100 hours of story material.
The MMORPG Revelation Online also aims to impress through the presentation of an exciting story, and it seems to be so well received that it has been packaged into two TV series. Allegedly, not only the MMO will be released in the West, but also the series. However, not much is known about this yet, except that the first one will be available starting in 2018. Moreover, only one of the two will be an animated series.
Take to the skies!
You can take a look at the online game even earlier. Because a beta is set to start in the fall of this year.You can register for this on the official website. Revelation Online will focus on flying. You can either move through the air as a kind of angelic being or use a winged mount. This way, you can reach places you would never get to on foot. There will also be battles above the clouds. Soon we will also present an interview we conducted with the developers.
You can watch a trailer for the story of Revelation Online right here:
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Ben Brode reveals why there are no test realms for Hearthstone and what has happened to the Warlock’s demons.
A PTR would take the excitement out of the cards
On Reddit, some players wondered why the developers of Hearthstone are so silent while their colleagues from Overwatch are actively engaging with fans. Ben Brode could not let that go and explained that he tries to connect with players as often as possible through Twitter, Reddit, or his streams on Twitch. He proved this by answering several community questions in the last few days.
Why no new demons for Warlocks?
Many players wondered why “Whispers of the Old Gods” did not add any new demons for Warlocks and feared that this concept might simply be abandoned. Brode reassured here that demons are a “core aspect” of the Warlock and the decision not to add demons in the latest expansion may have been a mistake. In the future, there will be more demons.
No test realms for Hearthstone
The reason there are no public test realms for Hearthstone is quite simple. It would mean that the cards would have to be made available to players beforehand. In previous years, both the developers and the community would have enjoyed seeing new cards “piece by piece” revealed over several weeks before an expansion. They want to continue this tradition.
Priest – too weak or undiscovered?
Another problem players see with the Priest in its current form. Many pros consider it “unplayable” and the “casual” playerbase is also having little fun with the Priest right now. Brode reveals that the team is currently considering how to improve the Priest, but also suggests that the “really strong” Priest decks have simply not been found yet. This was often the case in previous expansions, as with the Mech-Warrior, which only had its heyday much later.
For more news and articles about Blizzard’s card game, visit our Hearthstone game page.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Pull out your wallet – Day 6 of the Steam Summer Sale is already waiting for you!
Whether you’re an action fan or a dedicated player of survival games – the Steam Summer Sale 2016 has over 12,500 discounted games on offer for every gamer. Also today, you can choose from timeless classics and modern games you can immerse yourself in. Our highlights from the past days can be found here: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, and Day 5.
Our 5 Highlights of the Steam Summer Sale from 28.06
Patrick’s personal recommendation from 28.06: Rise of the Tomb Raider
In the Tomb Raider series, you can talk about both “classic” and “modern game”. Rise of the Tomb Raider is the latest installment in the series, released at the beginning of this year and set in Siberia. Cold battles with nasty enemies, thrilling action moments, and environments designed with great attention to detail can be experienced in this game along with Lara. However, you should also watch out in the tombs – deadly traps are waiting for you there that can quickly ruin your plans.
Die-hard Tomb Raider fans should also check out the Tomb Raider Collection. If you want to complete your collection of the Tomb Raider series, you have the chance to save a lot of money with this offer – however, Rise of the Tomb Raider is not included in this package.
Last weekend there was a major alpha test for NCSoft’s MOBA Master X Master and I was also assigned a key. However, I really wasn’t in the mood to play a game over the weekend that had not interested me much previously. It reminded me too much of other MOBAs, and even though I had a very brief chance to play it during an exclusive developer session a few months ago, that experience was too short and compact to leave a lasting impression.
Alright, I’ll play it!
But then curiosity won out and I installed Master X Master. Right from the first tutorial mission, I was completely hooked! Master X Master plays very intuitively thanks to its responsive WASD action controls. This alone already sets the game apart from many other MOBAs and makes it feel more like a top-down shooter.
It’s simply fun to shoot and slice through hordes of enemies with the special tag-team of two heroes, and the coop mode with friends makes all the action even more enjoyable! I love coop games, and the PvE multiplayer mode of Master X Master is therefore exactly my thing!
Welcome to the multiverse
After the first PvE mission, the game goes to great lengths to explain every detail of the complex gameplay. MXM offers countless customization options for my heroes and ranks right up there with established MMORPGs. Additionally, there’s a wacky story where humanity wants to reclaim Earth from machine beings and has picked up all sorts of curious creatures on their long journey from exile.
Among them are characters from other NCSoft titles, such as the insane psycho-hamster Mono Zax from WildStar, who was abruptly pulled into a parallel dimension while studying an ancient Eldan artifact. Similarly, the villain Jinsoyun and raid boss Poharan from Blade and Soul made it into the game. With these well-known heroes, the game is even more fun, and they fit perfectly into the wacky story.
No second Heroes of the Storm
The recycling of known heroes from other NCSoft franchises strongly reminds one of Blizzard’s MOBA Heroes of the Storm, and the idea of a shared parallel universe is not new. However, apart from that, Master X Master and Heroes of the Storm don’t have much in common in the MOBA mode. The action-packed controls allow for entirely different tactics, and since we are allowed to choose two heroes each, the team combinations are twice as complex as in any other games in the genre.
Thus, MXM is already a new challenge for MOBA fans, and for fans of coop shooting, the game is unique. Especially at the higher difficulty levels, teamwork is essential, and here too, one only wins if they adapt their hero selection to the team.
In hindsight, I do not regret my foray into MXM over the weekend at all and look forward to the upcoming test phases. Were you also there over the weekend? Do you share my opinion, or did you find Master X Master less appealing? Write it in the comments! You can find a detailed report on the game’s features from the alpha test weekend under the given link: Master X Master Preview: More than just another MOBA.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Kickstarter campaign for the MMORPG Chronicles of Elyria was successful and production is continuing. Even before release, you will be able to play several prologues.
Many are already very excited to find out how Chronicles of Elyria will play and whether the bold promises of the developers will be kept. However, it will still be a while before the MMO goes live. The earliest this is expected to happen is at the end of 2017. However, they want to give fans several opportunities to check out the MMO and get a feel for it before that.
First, an offline game should be released before the alpha. Prologue: The Awakening will show at least 22 areas of the game and is intended to introduce fans to the world and the story. In addition, the prologue serves as a feature test to try out the UI, interaction with NPCs, the combat system, skills, crafting, and more, and then provide feedback to the developers.
Browser Wars and a MUD
In addition, they are currently working on a new website. Through this, you will be able to play the “Dance of Dynasties,” which takes place about 90 years before the events of the MMORPG. You will be able to form alliances, declare wars, fight for resources, and invest in research. Lastly, you can expect the EylriaMUD, a text-based RPG where you can already experience adventures with other players.
“Dance of Dynasties” and the ElyriaMUD are supposed to affect each other. For example, if you kill a noble in the MUD, it will impact the wars in “Dance of Dynasties.” If an empire falls in “Dance of Dynasties,” it will have consequences for the adventures in the MUD. Exact dates for the release of these games are not yet set.
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In Destiny, Bungie explains why the Hunter class has been nerfed.
The June update 2.3.0 caused double groans for Hunters: not only did the PvP events flop, but even their favorite class in Destiny was weakened. The Titans had already been addressed after “The Taken King”, and the Warlock adjustments were part of the April update. And now it was the Hunters’ turn. As Bungie shows, this intervention was urgently needed.
Hunters stood out too much in the Crucible
While the cloak-wearing Guardians slowly get used to the new sandbox, Bungie presents a graphic that illustrates the urgency of the Hunter changes:
The average “kill-death ratio” in PvP over the past weeks can be seen – in 6v6 game modes. The top two lines represent the Blade Dancer and the Gunslinger, which were evidently significantly superior to the other classes.
Sandbox designer Grant Mackay commented:
If a class becomes the default choice for anyone wanting to succeed in the Crucible, then we see that as a problem.
Therefore, Bungie’s goal was to remove this dominance from the Hunters. Every class and every Guardian should have a fair chance to perform well in the Crucible.
A suggestion from the community that reached Bungie was to simply make the other classes stronger. However, the developers were concerned that this could make the game too “deadly and chaotic”.
Of course, Bungie wants players to feel powerful while playing Destiny. Still, it should also be possible to react to enemy attacks and make tactical decisions.
Whether the Hunter nerf was successful will be shown only in the future. Bungie points out that every shot you fire is recorded by Bungie User Research. Because the work of the Sandbox Design team is never finished.
If the goal is truly to bring all subclasses to a similar level, the Defender Titans still need a buff or two, according to the graphic above.
Due to player feedback, there are some changes to the ranked game mode of Overwatch – and that even before the release of the mode.
Currently, all Overwatch players can try the ranked game mode on the official test server of the hero shooter. Many players have also taken this opportunity to taste a bit of “Ranked” air. Most of them have then dragged themselves to the forum to provide their feedback there or on Reddit, which has been diligently absorbed by the developers. Jeff Kaplan, the Game Director of Overwatch, took the opportunity to write a long post himself again and explain what has been learned from the feedback and what consequences will be drawn.
What players like about Ranked – and what they don’t
Kaplan began by simply listing what players liked about the new Ranked system.
You can see your own skill rating
A high penalty for deserters
The changes to the Assault maps
Group players can now be recognized in the interface
However, two things have been a thorn in the players’ side:
The coin toss
Sudden Death
A brief explanation: “Sudden Death” occurs whenever both teams have the same score at the end of a round – a “final battle” to determine the winner. The “coin toss” decides which team is the attacker or defender in Sudden Death.
Kaplan believes that while it would be easy to balance the coin toss and Sudden Death, it is difficult to change player perception. Therefore, both mechanics will likely be eliminated in the long run – but not at the start of the system.
Short-term and long-term changes
Based on the data and feedback that has been collected, there are already two changes upon the release of the competitive game mode that should ensure that matches are completed faster and thus more games can be played.
The starting time on Assault, Escort, and Hybrid maps is reduced from 5 to 4 minutes
The time in Sudden Death is reduced from 2 minutes to 1:45
For the future (autumn/winter), they are considering expanding the “Time Bank” principle of Assault maps to Escort and Hybrid maps as well. If both teams manage to bring the payload to its destination, then a second match starts. Here, the teams only have as much time as they had left at the end of the first round – whoever took longer is clearly at a disadvantage. This would be a solution that most players would probably be satisfied with.
Finally, Kaplan emphasized that they will hold the first season as planned in the summer and want to learn a lot from it. The “Ranked System” is not yet perfect, but they want to give players the opportunity to earn the golden weapons and provide feedback themselves.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the last few hours, the forums exploded with reports from some agents complaining about annoying bugs and issues. We summarize them.
Map Bug and Other Issues in The Division
Right after the servers were back online, many players wondered where the Underground expansion was. If you can’t find the DLC either, the following info from Massive may help:
PC: If you don’t have access to the Underground content – but own the expansion, you should restart the Uplay client. Afterwards, the content should be available.
Xbox: You need to unlock the DLC in the in-game store. When you click “Buy”, the game recognizes that you already own the Season Pass.
If the Underground is displayed as “offline” in-game, you need to complete the new side mission “Secure Quarantine Center” first. It will be shown on your map.
Additionally, there is a problem on PC where the Season Pass is not displayed as “owned” – even though you have purchased it. Massive has already resolved this issue. Restarting the game should fix it.
And yet another issue: There are increasing connection issues with error code Delta 20001082. This is currently being investigated. Agents are being prevented from leaving the Underground again.
Additionally, persistent queues are being investigated. Players are stuck in them and cannot proceed.
Update 5:40 PM: The problem with the queues has been resolved according to Massive. Work is still ongoing on the Delta error.
Update: Delta error -> Fixed.
That’s it for the problems that Massive has confirmed via Twitter and is working on. However, the community has already discovered more. The “map bug” occurs particularly frequently. This seems to be the biggest annoyance at the moment:
The “map bug” leads to the following problem: When opening the map to fast travel, you automatically return to your character. The map cannot be used, so to speak. If you press the button again to access the map, nothing happens.
There is already a message from the community developer Yannick Banchereau on Reddit: Massive is aware of this issue. It is under investigation.
Additionally, there is said to be a minor issue with mods in the inventory. Allegedly, it is not possible to scroll down to view them.
What bugs and issues have you noticed so far?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
With chat emotes, you will soon be able to tip your favorite streamers.
In a Twitch stream, there have only been a few ways to tip the streamer or make donations. The 2 most popular ways are the subscription feature or sending a donation via PayPal or other payment methods. With the new cheering function, you will soon be able to tip streamers through chat emotes and support them.
This is how cheering works on Twitch.TV
A so-called cheer is a chat message that requires “bits” and is displayed as an animated emote in the chat of the Twitch channel. You can either spend the purchasable bits individually, all at once, or any amount in between. Spending many bits at once creates a different emote than when you spend a few. You can insert these bits anywhere in a chat message by typing “cheer” followed by the number of bits you want to donate. Example: “cheer42” or “cheer9999”. To show over time how much you have supported a Twitch channel with cheers, you receive a badge next to your name in chat – similar to what is already known from TwitchTurbo or subscribers.
Update: Prices of Bits
100 Bits = 1.40$
500 Bits = 7.00$
1500 Bits = 19.95$
5000 Bits = 64.40$
10000 Bits = 126.00$
25000 Bits = 308.00$
Cheering beta has now started
The test phase of the new tipping option has already started on some channels of major Twitch partners. These include channels such as Trick2G, Lirik, Ellohime, Nightblue3 or MANvsGAME. To try out the feature, you must first top up your bits. You can do this on the bits icon in the chat area next to the emotes and buy your bits using Amazon Payments. Amazon Payments is currently the only payment option for the new bits – more payment methods and support for additional currencies are already in planning. You can find more information about cheering on the official blog page of Twitch.TV.
In the MMO shooter Destiny, maintenance is taking place today, June 28, on PS4, PS3, Xbox One, and Xbox 360. The servers are down. The Iron Banner is delayed.
After the issues brought by update 2.3.0, Bungie already rolled out a hotfix last week, which allowed the Trials of Osiris to take place. Before the Iron Banner, the monthly PvP event begins, Bungie wants to address this again: Maintenance is taking place today.
At 5 PM our time, preparations will begin. Guardians will no longer be able to log in.
At 6 PM, the servers will be taken offline. All players will be kicked from their activities – so make sure to finish them beforehand and do not start any new ones.
The server downtime will last several hours – approximately five! You will be able to play Destiny again around 11 PM.
When does the June Iron Banner begin?
Usually, the Iron Banner starts at 7 PM. Since maintenance is scheduled for this time today, the date will be postponed. According to Bungie, the Iron Banner will wait for us. When the servers are back online, it will likely be ready.
