Daybreak is currently working hard on the upcoming MMORPG Everquest Next and aims to develop the game together with the community.
From the very beginning, the developers made it clear that they would strive for an open development for Everquest Next. This means that they will talk a lot about the individual systems and involve the community in decision-making processes. Additionally, they want to incorporate interesting buildings and structures created by the players of the sandbox MMO Landmark into Everquest Next.
Create structures for Everquest Next
Now Daybreak has announced another competition. They are looking for buildings for the human race of the Halasians. This is a Viking-like people living far in the north of the country. Accordingly, their buildings are wooden huts filled with furs and trophies, or large halls where they toast their ancestors with mead. One can imagine this somewhat like the buildings in the role-playing game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Daybreak also published a Style Guide in the official forum that approximately illustrates how they envision the buildings in the settlement of Halas.
Now the community is called upon. In Landmark, buildings are to be created for the Halasians according to the Style Guide. The best of these will then be incorporated into the MMORPG Everquest Next. It is important to ensure that the culture of the Halasians is well reflected. If you are active in Landmark and enjoy building complex structures, then try your hand at creating a building for Halas. Who knows, maybe you will find your Halas house in the game upon the release of Everquest Next. This way, you will be directly involved in the creation process of the new MMORPG and can be proud to have contributed a part to its development.
https://youtu.be/570m1OLao-k
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the superhero MMO DC Universe Online (PC, PS3, PS4), Episode 15 is coming this week.
Paying members can dive into Episode 15 “The Bombshells Paradox”/”Corrupted Zamaron” in DC Universe Online starting this Wednesday, August 5th. Non-members will be able to access it one week later on August 12th, if they purchase Episode 15 from the shop. We have outlined the contents of Episode 15 in this article.
The current content update is a change in the rhythm of DC Universe Online. Instead of a large patch that comes once a quarter, there will now be smaller episodes that are released monthly. They will cost $4. At DC Universe Online, there is hope that players will buy all episodes to gain access to the complete gear sets and all story elements.
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.
In the MMO shooter Destiny the new ID starts on Tuesday, August 4th. Then the reset occurs. The weekly Nightfall strike will be redefined, the Prison of Elders will be reevaluated, Variks will receive new weapons and armor. Completed challenges will give rewards again.
There are still 41 days until the world of Destiny will be turned upside down: Then Oryx, the Taken, three new subclasses, a bunch of fresh weapons, armor, a 6-Guardian raid, new strikes, all that good stuff. This week should also be exciting: Gamescom is approaching, Bungie will be there, and reveals are expected. Festivities are ahead.
Today is just an ordinary Tuesday in the Tower, the Guardians got up this morning, the Titan polished his armor, the Hunter sharpened his knives, and the Warlock blew up the coffee machine with some space magic. They are waiting for 11:00 AM, when they will learn what challenges await in Destiny this week. At 11:00 AM, the August Iron Banner and the week in Trials of Osiris will also end.
The weekly Nightfall strike against Sepiks Prime
In the Nightfall, Guardians face Sepiks Prime or Sepiks Primus, if you prefer Latin. Modifiers are Angry, Switching Lights, and Brawler. So it’s a No-Burn or a Melee-Burn.
The weekly heroic strike brings a reunion with Taniks
In the heroic strike, there will be another reunion with Taniks, the DLC-2 strike boss. The modifier is Specialist. This means special weapons deal increased damage.
All about the Prison of Elders in Destiny in the week of August 4th
Meet Urrox and take him down
In the 32-tier version of the Prison of Elders, players will find Urrox and his hordes. He has mainly Hive and Cabal surrounding him. He himself will wait for the Guardians of Destiny in the fifth wave.
Hive/Trickle – Ability cooldowns are extended
Cabal/Small Arms – primary weapons deal more damage
Cabal/Exposure – Guardians’ shields are enhanced, but do not regenerate
Hive – Arc Burn
Hive – Solar Burn
Say hello to Qodron
The Vex boss Qodron earned a reputation as a villain during his first appearance in the DLC House of Wolves in Destiny. He was considered the meanest boss in the Prison of Elders, perhaps second only to Skolas. However, Bungie took some of his bite away with an early patch. We explained the strategy for Qodron in the Prison of Elders here.
Vex/Catapult – Grenade cooldowns are reduced
Vex – Void Burn
Fallen/Brawler – Guardians deal more damage in melee
Vex/Small Arms – primary weapon damage is doubled
Vex/Trickle – Ability cooldowns increased
At 35 as every week: the Kell of Kells, the Sultan of Swings – Skolas
In the 35 Prison, Skolas is present as every week. Since the burns were removed from the rotation here, it has become a lengthy but fairer fight against him and his hordes. This week he has these two modifiers: Small Arms and Switching Lights.
The 5 waves to him remain the same.
Hive – Exposure/Brawler – Guardians’ shields are enhanced, but do not regenerate/melee damage of Guardians is increased
Vex – Ground/Airborne – Guardians deal increased damage in the air, but also take more damage there
Cabal – Catapult/Arc Burn – grenade cooldown is lowered, Arc damage significantly increased, even for enemies
Fallen – Specialist/Juggler – special weapons deal double damage, enemies do not drop ammo for the weapon they were defeated with
Fallen – Trickle/Small Arms – abilities have an increased cooldown, damage dealt with primary weapons is increased
What does Variks have?
Variks is selling the Pulse Rifle (chance to stun Fallen Captains) and leg armor for the three Guardians this week.
The shoes have:
for Hunters 142 DIS and are aimed at Fallen in the Prison of Elders
for Warlocks 140 INT, they are aimed at Cabal in the Prison of Elders
for Titans 78 DIS, 76 STR, they are also aimed at Cabal
Tips, Tricks, Guides – Do you have anything?
During the day, we will present videos of interesting runs right here. Usually, this leads to multiple Nightfall runs. The narrator oddly often has a Swiss accent.
Nexxoss takes on Sepiks Prime: Arc weapons on deck like Fatebringer, to get through the shields of the Captains. The Nightfall is explained step-by-step so that players can follow their thoughts.
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.
And here is a solo run without voice-over. The Warlock apologizes: Sorry that it takes so long and that I used the weapon that shall not be named so often, but without a burn it is really tough: We understand, Guardian!
The online shooter Star Wars Battlefront has released a teaser trailer for the new flight mode before Gamescom.
Who needs lightsabers?
Electronic Arts has now shown a short but spectacular teaser trailer for a new aerial combat mode. The new mode is reportedly called “Fighter Squadron”. The mode will be fully revealed at Gamescom in Cologne. But even what can be seen in the trailer already, well, it looks impressive. And those sirens – somehow everything is better with sirens!
The streamer Trick2g, known from League of Legends, ended an anniversary stream with a staged SWAT attack. Twitch has no understanding for such things.
SWAT teams are special intervention units of the American police. “Swatting” is an extremely unpleasant phenomenon where this unit is called under false pretenses to arrest a streamer live on camera. Since the police believe there is an armed hostage taker or another extremely dangerous person in the house they storm, each time a highly explosive situation arises, and it’s a traumatic experience for those involved.
The streamer Trick2g has now staged a “fake-Swat” on himself. At the end of an anniversary stream for 800,000 followers, he had two acquaintances “attack” him, shouting “Police!”, overwhelming him, and taking him away in handcuffs.
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.
The streaming service Twitch subsequently banned him for an indefinite period and did not want to comment to US media due to company policy.
Trick2g’s manager gave ample interviews and described the fake-swat as “entertainment” and “comedy.” The reaction from Twitch is a sign of all that is going wrong in the USA and why the country is doing so poorly. They fear addressing controversial issues. It is clearly recognizable that it was a joke, some might be too oversensitive.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Some new images have appeared for Heroes of the Storm, clearly indicating who the next hero will be: the Monk from Diablo 3.
Close Combat Action with the Monk
The next hero, the Monk, will likely be announced at Gamescom.
The fact that the Monk will eventually come to Heroes of the Storm was known a while ago, but now there are concrete indications that this moment will be very soon. For a short time, the Korean trailer for the Monk was already seen, but it was quickly taken offline. A few screenshots have already been taken and are circulating on the internet, which we certainly do not want to withhold from you. The new hero is seen giving Diablo a proper kick and sending him back to the underworld. The Monk would be the fourth hero of the “Eternal Conflict” after Johanna, the Butcher, and Leoric. Thus, the Diablo3 event is likely coming to an end.
It is expected that new details about the Monk will be announced later this week, because what date would be better suited than Gamescom?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the MMO shooter Destiny, Bungie selects a video each week that they want to particularly honor. We add our own favorites.
Bungie’s Video of the Week has charm and evokes nostalgia: “This is how the first raid went,” it says. The costumes are creative and the jump sequence is obviously entertaining. The piece was submitted during the Year One contest. Here, Bungie aims to highlight not only the same 5 major content creators, streamers, and YouTubers but also to showcase other forms of fan art. Charming improvisation, well done.
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.
As a second video, Bungie features this 1-vs-3 in Trials of Osiris. It is apparently a very good player against three … not so good ones. Quite entertaining.
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.
One of our favorites is this video from a reader that reached us. A classic Crucible montage from one of you, of course, earns sympathy points with us:
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.
In Diablo 3, an exploit was found on the test server that nearly ruined the next season.
Exploits on test servers are a sensitive matter, and it hasn’t always turned out well for Diablo 3. As YouTuber Rhykker recounts, in earlier seasons, small groups of players discovered an exploit on the test server, kept it secret, and then used it at the start of the new season in Diablo 3 to gain a huge advantage in the rankings.
Just such an exploit was found this time again, but it was reported and then neutralized by Blizzard.
http://youtu.be/F6XvbnqgS2U
With the exploit, it was possible to complete a level 1 rift, but it was counted as if one had defeated the boss of a “Greater Rift” at the highest possible level. This worked by clicking the portals at the right time, tricking the game into thinking one was completing a high Greater Rift, while in reality, one was only in a smaller, normal rift. One beat on a weakling but was rewarded with a position on the leaderboard as if one had slain a titan.
On the test server, a guild of players exploited this bug extensively to draw Blizzard’s attention. This allowed the players of the guild to complete rifts that were well above level 100. However, it always only displayed “99”; apparently, the Diablo 3 system cannot represent three-digit rifts.
The bug underlying the exploit has been known as the “Double Rift Exploit” for some time. However, with the elimination of the Realm of Trials, the bug only gained this significance with Season 4 on the test server.
The YouTuber strongly advises against going exploit hunting on the live server, as that could lead to trouble and bans; however, the test server is made exactly for such purposes – if one reports it.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the free-to-play action MMORPG Neverwinter , there is extreme pride in the new expansion and they are raving about it.
The advertising machinery of Neverwinter has been running for weeks, constantly revealing new details about the “Strongholds,” the guild fortresses. They will find their way into the PC version of Neverwinter on August 11, and the developers just can’t stop talking about how great it will be.
There will be a kind of housing in Neverwinter – just with guilds and dragons
It is said to be three times larger than the largest zone so far, as they revealed to US sites on a press tour – and further expansion is planned.
In fact, this “expansion” seems to be the keyword. Numerous buildings exist, which can be upgraded to up to 20 rank levels, and then buffs can be selected. Players can gather resources, clear enemy camps around the fortress in Neverwinter and thus create living space, everything contributes to the fortress growing and thriving.
Everything is grounded in the Dungeons&Dragons lore, as Neverwinter ensures to pay attention to it; early rulebooks already contain hints about land ownership in the pen&paper world.
Dragons’ Greed – new PvE event
As an example of the new type of gameplay, they mention the 40-player PvE event “Dragons’ Greed.” Here, several dragons have settled in the area and must be defeated. However, it does not go as simply as the guild moving from dragon to dragon and happily slaughtering them, because as soon as the dragon brood gets wind that one of their comrades has been killed in unfair combat, the rest will quickly disappear.
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.
The guild must therefore split up and attack several dragons simultaneously if they want to secure some of the best rewards in the game.
Guild Wars must take place amicably – the PvP
Many players associate fortress battles between guilds with surprise night attacks. The opponent attacks when no one is there to defend. Such a thing will not happen in Neverwinter: Here, guilds must agree to fight each other.
In the fantasy MMORPG Lord of the Rings Online, the list of servers that will continue to operate has been announced today. The remaining servers will be closed as part of a server consolidation. No new characters can be created on these servers.
Germany retains 2 servers in Lord of the Rings Online
This is probably quite good news for German players: Gwaihir was marked as a DE server. Belegar as a DE-RP server, Sirannon is a French server, Laurelin is intended for English-speaking roleplayers, and Evernight is a standard EN server. So, it affects the French roleplayers, not the German speakers. The other Europeans are a bit surprised that only one single English-speaking “normal” server remains. However, whether the two RP-marked servers in Europe will keep their designation is still uncertain.
The five “surviving” US servers will be Arkenstone, Crikkenhollow, Landroval, Gladden, and Brandywine.
German HdRO servers Maiar, Morthind, Vanyar, and Anduin close their doors in 2016
No new characters can be created on the remaining servers immediately. These include the 4 German servers: Maiar, Morthond, Vanyar, and Anduin. They will be closed.
If you are playing on one of the 4 servers: No reason to panic, the entire process will take several months. A server transfer will only be necessary starting in 2016, then the old worlds will no longer be accessible.
Being a good player in Heroes of the Storm is not so easy. It is helpful when a professional explains the crucial gameplay scenes and points out mistakes.
Easy to learn, hard to master
Recognizing mistakes is often not so easy – learning from them is even harder.
As with almost all games from Blizzard, the beginner-friendly principle also applies to Heroes of the Storm: Easy to learn, hard to master. However, making the transition from an “acceptable” to a “good” player is not so easy without external help. It is very useful that some top players take the time to analyze professional games and show us mere mortals what the crucial plays, positioning, and decision-making errors of a match were. One of these players runs the Youtube account Fan Heroes of the Storm and analyzes a final match between the teams Cloud9 and TempoStorm, where he himself participates as Abathur.
He goes very detailed into the decisive 4 minutes of gameplay in his 20-minute analysis and shows even for newcomers how important the right positioning and the lightning-fast reaction to team commands are. At a high level, it can be recognized that not only kills count, but also the usage of ultimates. And how important it is to create minion waves to split the opponents’ attention.
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.
Anyone who has previously denied the tactical depth of Heroes of the Storm may have been enlightened by this video or at least received some suggestions for their own maneuvers to perform better in the Nexus.
If you have no idea about Blizzard’s MOBA yet, you should also take a look at our beginner’s guide.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
This gliding panda is an example of the Chinese version of ArcheAge; it is slowly moving into a phase without wipes and is supposed to be “faster” than the original Korean version of the game.
As Chinese players are even hungrier content locusts than elsewhere, XLGames wants to ensure that new content is provided quickly as well. On August 6, the phase without wipes begins. Here is a trailer that kicks off the pre-open beta phase.
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.
Has World of Warcraft not only shaped the MMO genre but also destroyed it? Is the MMO market essentially not an MMO market at all, but just a market for World of Warcraft, just as the MOBA market essentially belongs only to League of Legends?
Rob Pardo, former Chief Creative Officer at Blizzard, stated during the Games-First event in Helsinki, Finland, that more and more developers were avoiding the term “MMO” and there is a specific reason for that: they shun the comparison with WoW.
Rob Pardo worked at Blizzard until 2014, leading the “Game Design” department.
When World of Warcraft was released in 2004 and its immense success was evident, many other studios wanted to ride that wave. However, no other MMORPG could truly match the success of WoW. While some were successful in their own right, most were not.
Over time, developers realized that it was not such a good idea to design a game that is very similar to WoW. Therefore, this type of game is currently evolving. However, the term “MMO” has become associated with World of Warcraft and has been shaped by the game, so they are distancing themselves more and more from it.
Publishers shunned the comparison with WoW and the expectations that come with it when announcing they were developing an MMO. Even the WoW of 10 years ago would be outmatched by today’s WoW, because it has so much more content. Today, anyone claiming to be an MMO is not only competing with the WoW of 2005 and 5 years of development time, but they are competing with the WoW of 2015 and 15 years of development time.
MMOs that no longer want to be called that
According to Pardo, many studios are developing online games where players interact in a persistent game world, but they shun the term MMO. Pardo cites Destiny as an example. It is obviously an MMO, although with gameplay that is quite different from WoW. However, the developers avoided the MMO term. This can serve as a good example of how today, while creating online games with persistent worlds, they are slowly working to eliminate the term “MMO” to distance themselves from it.
Destiny is packed with MMO elements. Nevertheless, the developers call it a “Shared-World Shooter.”
This is the only way to avoid comparisons with World of Warcraft, and publishers have recognized this as well. Examples of games that had trouble attracting enough players due to the term “MMO” include Star Wars: The Old Republic and WildStar.
It has simply become extremely difficult to establish oneself in a genre when a single game defines the genre. This is the case in the MOBA genre, for example. Even software giant Valve finds it challenging to compete with League of Legends. A new, attractive genre is often seen as a “new market.” However, the game that establishes and legitimizes this genre makes it difficult for newcomers to compete.
At Blizzard, however, they still believe in the MMO market. They did not cancel the mammoth project Titan because they lost faith in the genre, but because they were surprised at how long-term the success of WoW would be. No one had anticipated that even 10 years after release, WoW would still have so many subscribers.
They thought they could slowly pull developers away from WoW to work on Titan. But that was not the case.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the today’s reveal of new Hearthstone content, there are 4 fresh class cards to check out that are coming with “The Grand Tournament“.
The Big Class Reunion
Mages receive a new spell called Flame Lance. For 5 Mana, it deals 8 damage to a minion. At first glance, this card seems significantly worse than a Fireball, but it could prove useful as a counter for certain decks, such as Handlock decks.
Druids get a new minion, the Darnassus Aspirant. For 2 Mana, the night elf lady has solid stats of 2/3, but her card text is especially important. The Battlecry states: “Gain a vacant Mana Crystal.” Her Deathrattle negates this effect: “Destroy one of your Mana Crystals”. This card becomes really strong when you manage to apply Silence to it in time – something that can be done in the next turn with a Druid of the Claw.
For Warlocks, the demon selection expands with the new Wrathguard. It costs only 2 Mana and has massive stats of 4/3, but the card text reads: “Whenever this minion takes damage, your hero also takes that much damage.” In rush decks, this card could pay off, otherwise, it presents a considerable risk – especially strong spells against minions could take effect here.
The Shado-Pan Cavalry is a new rogue minion, with acceptable stats of 3/7 for 5 Mana, but it becomes really strong when its “Combo” text comes into play, then it gains +3 Attack and turns into a true 6/7 monster.
What do you think of the new cards? Are they just niche fillers or must-have cards in every deck?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the MMO shooter Destiny , clever fans have discovered hints of a new exotic weapon, the Sleeper Simulant.
Destiny is accompanied by so many YouTubers and fans that someone always finds even the smallest hidden message. During the presentation of the Collector’s Edition for “The Taken King” the blueprint of a weapon could be seen in the background for eagle-eyed viewers: The weapon is disassembled into its many individual parts. There, one can also see the name “Sleeper Simulant” and a symbol associated with the Warminds.
Would you have recognized that an exotic weapon could be hidden here?
YouTubers like “My name is byf” have analyzed this in detail and are convinced that an exotic weapon from “The Taken King” can be seen here. The weapon has, as can be seen from the blueprint, a very unique look (typical for exotic weapons) and it is also likely that such an exposed spot would have an exotic weapon placed there and not just an ordinary one.
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.
Sleeper Simulant could perhaps become a sniper rifle or a scout rifle, at least the appearance of the weapon suggests so. The Warminds’ symbol invites ideas; the weapon resembles the “Infinity”, powered by Vex energy. Some speculate that it would not be a “sniper rifle” in that sense, but rather a heavy weapon, perhaps a kind of rail gun. The name could suggest a paralysis effect, believes the YouTuber, slowing enemies down or taking them out of action for a few moments.
But all of this is currently pure speculation. Just like the idea that the weapon could fit into the existing Exotic cosmos of Destiny as a “rapid-firing Void sniper rifle”. We know no more than the image, the name, and that both are visible in an exposed location.
An exotic weapon that is definitely coming with “The Taken King” is already known: The scout rifle Jade Rabbit. It will only be available to PlayStation players, at least until autumn 2016.
Maybe we’ll learn more this week at Gamescom. The Bungie delegation left for Cologne last night.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the multiplayer shooter Star Wars Battlefront, the developers at DICE hinted at another mode: this time it seems to be going into the skies.
“Star Wars without Star Wars,” many complained when it became clear that while spaceships would be in the game, there would be no battles taking place in space. Instead, the iconic starships from the Star Wars universe will fly over the battlefields and fight each other with their color-coded lasers.
Currently, DICE and Electronic Arts are actively announcing new game modes, just last week they revealed the 10-on-10 mode “Blast”, and now there seems to be another mode coming soon. A new mode is coming, they posted on Facebook, along with this image “Prepare for takeoff:
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Summoner is a classic mage. She not only deals damage but also shifts and manipulates enemies so that they are in exactly the right spot, right where area spells with impact land. These will be her three skill lines:
Control: Disable your enemies. Push them in the path of an oncoming storm. With coordination and the right sense of timing, this skill tree allows you to restructure entire battlefields.
Storm Attack: Inflict elemental damage on your enemies with powerful attacks. This tree offers a wide range of instant-cast spells, where you must keep an eye on your mana and react quickly.
Salvo: Abilities in this tree trigger chain reactions that deal damage to multiple enemies simultaneously. Entire armies fall to the power of these spells.
In the Devil Form , she can teleport short distances, relying on ice spells and explosions. Overall, her “crowd control abilities” are well-developed, with numerous snare effects ensuring that she can keep enemies at bay.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the Korean MMORPG Black Desert, a new desert zone called Valencia has gone live, which also presents players with climatic challenges.
Asia-MMO specialist Steparus’s love for Black Desert has noticeably cooled, but he has taken on the new region of Valencia in some videos. There is an interesting weather phenomenon here: In the heat of the scorching sun, players must consume filtered water to avoid heatstroke. At night, they need a special tea to prevent frostbite. Both liquids can be crafted if players have gathered resources.
While Steparu praises the beautiful landscape in the new zone, the patch has offered little to keep him entertained. Steparu, the main source of information in the West for what is happening in distant South Korea, has been complaining for months about a lack of group content in Black Desert.
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.
In the MOBA League of Legends, the champ Gangplank is indeed alive, albeit not entirely whole.
That was at least a mild shock last week when a short story was published by Riot, in which Gangplank kissed the planks of eternity, so to speak, lowering his sails. Miss Fortune had taken care of him.
Now an epilogue to the story has been released on the Riot homepage and it turns out [Spoiler]: Gangplank barely survived, but only with one arm. This means: He is coming back, but with a new standard look. Those who complete a matchmaking game with Gangplank by August 10 at 11:00 AM German time will also receive a free skin Captain Gangplank. This is meant to be remembered in League of Legends as a reminder of simpler, carefree times in Gangplank’s life.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
On Wednesday, a new SMITE patch will be released. There will be a crawling god and plenty of new skins, as well as some balancing changes.
Khepri the Dawnbringer
The Battleground of the Gods is expanding: Khepri the Dawnbringer will make his gaming debut starting August 5 with the patch “Rising Dawn”. In Egyptian mythology, he is an important part of daily life, as he is the one who guides the sun god Ra across the sky. Just as scarabs shape perfect balls from dung and earth to cradle their young, Khepri is also a god of rebirth: With the dawn of morning, he rolls Ra across the sky and through the underworld at night – until the sun rises again the next day.
In SMITE, Khepri is a guardian, but he differs greatly from his colleagues. Instead of fighting on the front lines, he maintains some distance with these abilities:
Through Fortitude (Passive), Khepri grants all allies around him a shield equal to 3% of their maximum health. The shield regenerates every 5 seconds (every 10 seconds in combat) and stacks up to a maximum of 15%.
With Abduct, the beetle god charges forward – if he touches an enemy god during this time, he slowly drags them back to his starting position, while the target is considered crippled for the duration of the pull.
Rising Dawn allows him to hurl a projectile in a straight line forward. Hit enemies take low damage for 3 seconds and lose a portion of their physical protection for the duration. Hit allies take 30-50% less damage for 3 seconds, depending on the skill level.
Solar Flare is a circular area spell that can be cast at long range. Hit enemies take damage and are briefly rooted.
His ultimate ability Scarab’s Blessing blesses an allied god. It removes all control effects, makes him immune to slow effects for a short time, increases his movement speed, and grants him additional power. If the allied god dies during the blessing period, he will instead be reborn at Khepri’s position with a portion of his health points.
The mechanic of rebirth definitely sounds exciting and offers new possibilities for how to play a guardian. Whether the concept works, everyone should try for themselves.
New Premium Skins: Cyber-Awilix and Musketeer-Freya
The Mayan goddess Awilix is receiving her first premium skin. Fans of the lively (and somewhat naive) goddess will soon be able to hop around the arena on a cyber panther. The look of Renegade Awilix seems to be inspired by worlds like Shadowrun.
With All For One!-Freya, the Nordic melee mage gets a somewhat medieval look in the style of the Three Musketeers. The crown of the Valkyries’ queen is replaced with a stylish feather hat and the icy blade is swapped for a rapier.
Cabrakan has probably stayed too close to a nuclear reactor, as his Gamma Slam skin makes him look more like Hulk rather than a mighty mountain. At most, a mountain of flesh.
All three of the above-mentioned skins come with their own voice pack, which will likely raise their price a bit.
Anubis will soon shine in the grandeur of his first Tier 2 skin, especially his headpiece has been upgraded with Afterlife Anubis. Khepri will receive his first recolor Imperator at launch and Medusa finally has the Gold/Legend/Diamond Skins completed.
Buffs and Nerfs: Ravana is happy; Bellona, Ratatoskr, and Ah Puch are not
This time, the balance screws are being adjusted again to achieve a more balanced gameplay experience.
The big winner of these adjustments is Ravana: His Overhead Kick has a 2-second shorter cooldown at all ranks and deals 15 base damage more than before. The 10-Hand-Shadow-Fist now grants 5 more healing at each rank and has increased base damage by nearly 10%.
Ah Puch will once again feel the nerf hammer: His Ultimate Empty the Crypts will be further weakened. Hit enemies will no longer be slowed.
The Roman war goddess Bellona also has to swallow hard: The cooldown of Eagle’s Rally will be raised to 75 seconds at all ranks and the slow from Shield Bash will be significantly reduced at the lower ranks.
The squirrel of discord Ratatoskr has lost some of his mobility: Dart can now only be triggered a maximum of 3 times in a row and Through the Cosmos has a delay of 1.5 seconds (instead of the previous 1.0).
In addition to the discussed changes to the gods, there are also some item adjustments and minor bug fixes scattered throughout the game.
