Throne and Liberty: Finding Honeypot Ants – How to Complete the Quest The Beginning of Misfortune

In Throne and Liberty you need to find and take down honeypot ants for an exploration mission. MeinMMO will reveal everything you need to know about the quest.

Finding Honeypot Ants: For the quest The Beginning of Misfortune, you first need to find a page and then the ants. They are located in the open-world dungeon Ant Nest. The tricky part is that the honeypot ants do not have a quest marker. This means you have to track them down yourself.

In the dungeon, there are several glowing yellow eggs. The honeypot ants will hatch from them when you take out the surrounding ants with area attacks.

However, don’t enter the dungeon recklessly. If there are two red swords above it, it means that PvP has been activated. This means that not only can the monsters obliterate you, but also the players. MeinMMO shows you the locations of the eggs and tells you what else you need to know about the mission.

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Join a guild with friends, then fighting will be even more fun:

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Throne and Liberty: Deshalb ist eine große und aktive Gilde so wichtig

The Page of Collection: Expedition Records – Finding the Ant Nest

Part One: At the beginning of the mission, you need to find a lost page. You will go to the open-world dungeon Ant Nest, which is located north of Rock Watch. Once you enter the cave, you need to follow the tunnel inside. As the vault splits into many passages, you will find the page on the left in an abyss near the food storage. You need to interact with the page to complete the first part of the mission.

Once you have done that, you need to traverse the dungeon to reach the honeypot ant eggs. Along the way, you will be noticed by many ants. This can be avoided by transforming into an insect. This way, the other ants will ignore you and you can pass through the dungeon undisturbed.

How to Find the Honeypot Ants

Part Two: Now it gets a bit more challenging, as you need to track down the honeypot ants. Normally, monsters always have a marker that shows you their exact location when you have marked the quest with a star. However, honeypot ants are considered an exception, so you have to find them on your own, and they are well-hidden.

Only the area with the egg will be displayed to you. What won’t be revealed is that the honeypot ants hatch from the glowing yellow eggs when you eliminate the surrounding ants around them.

For this, weapons with many area attacks, such as a staff, are particularly suitable. If your level or equipment is not high enough, you should try to attract only single or few ants at a time to defeat them gradually.

Here are some locations of the honeypot ants for you:

As soon as you defeat a honeypot ant, you have already completed the second part of the task.

Defeating the Giant Fire Ant

Part Three: In the last part of the mission, you need to defeat the giant fire ant, which is even shown as a mini-map boss on the map. There are several of them in the east of the cave, so it shouldn’t be a problem to find one of them. Once you have defeated it, the quest is finished and you can leave the cave.

Here you see the giant fire ant and the hatched honeypot ant
Here you see the giant fire ant and the hatched honeypot ant

If you are looking for more help with the new free MMORPG Throne and Liberty, then definitely check out our overview, where we have compiled all the important guides for the game: Throne and Liberty: All guides for getting started in the new MMORPG.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Amazon wants to know why everyone is quitting the MMORPG Lost Ark, pays 18 euros for tips

The MMORPG Lost Ark is not doing as well as it did at launch. The new starter aid servers from the developers apparently haven’t changed anything about the problem. Now Amazon needs your help and is happy to pay for it.

How is Lost Ark faring? The player count of Lost Ark has been slowly declining. In the current November, the MMORPG reached a peak of only 27,188 concurrent players. The month before, the number was still at 30,995 players (via SteamDB).

To make it easier for new players in the MMORPG, the developers are launching the so-called starter help servers. These were meant to quickly guide players with many advantages towards the endgame. However, this plan has been marred by exploits and a debate over bans regarding the exploitation of bugs.

Many players are angry about this and are contemplating the future of the Korean MMORPG. Amazon is likely doing the same and is now paying players 18 euros for their opinions.

You can see a boss from Lost Ark in this cinematic trailer:

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Lost Ark showcases its latest boss darkly and impressively in the cinematic trailer

Good hourly wage for your opinion

What kind of survey is this? The developers of Lost Ark have specifically reached out via email to former players of the MMORPG. In it, they invite players to participate in a survey about Lost Ark. In the survey, players are to answer various questions about the game and explain why they no longer play it.

Interestingly, Amazon promises a gift card worth $20 to everyone who fills out the survey validly. The fact that these roughly 18.70 € are not just raffled off but paid to everyone shows that Amazon is seriously investing money to find out where their former success is struggling.

The survey is quite extensive and, according to the email from Amazon, should take about 25 minutes. However, players on Reddit are also sharing for free what the problems of Lost Ark are.

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What problems do the active players of Lost Ark see? While the survey specifically targets the former players of the MMORPG, those who still play the game regularly are primarily sharing their feedback on Reddit. Trucida clearly points out on Reddit what the MMORPG lacks: “There is no casual content. 20 dollars please.”

Wiseude lists on Reddit three reasons that spoil the game: “[…] The performance of the game was too inconsistent. Random FPS drops in the middle of a raid. […]. I had enough of 20-minute raids with wipe mechanics at the end. […] I am tired of the hamster wheel. This game takes too much of your time […].”

Many players on Reddit also mention individual in-game mechanics like elixirs and transcendence that make the game worse for them.

The starter help servers that the developers have specifically introduced to bring new players into the game apparently have no impact on player numbers. They are the perfect place to join or rejoin the game: Throne and Liberty isn’t for you? Then now is the best time to dive into another MMORPG on Steam.

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Source(s):
  1. Reddit
  2. mmorpg.org.pl

Sony’s CEO claims that the PS5 Pro is already selling much better than the PS4 Pro and explains who is buying the expensive console

The PS5 Pro is very expensive, but supposedly the console is selling quite well. Sony now explains what they were thinking and why they are so successful.

The PS5 Pro is now officially available and is already in the living rooms (or gaming rooms) of many players. Despite the loud criticism, that the PS5 Pro is far too expensive at 799 euros, Sony has now stated that the PS5 Pro is selling well.

Who is speaking? Sony President Hiroki Totoki explained in an interview with the Nikkei media that the PS5 Pro is not a console for the masses, but a high-end product tailored to loyal customers. He explains:

This is a high-end product aimed at loyal customers, which is why we did not plan for large sales from the outset.

(…)

I have the impression that the product is performing slightly better than the pre-orders for the PS4 Pro in the same period, so I do not believe it will negatively impact the product’s sales plan.

The sales figures and pre-orders are clearly above the PS4 Pro, although it only costs half.

What does loyal customer mean? The simple answer is that this refers to users who have particularly high loyalty to a brand. This means: players who have been with the PlayStation family for years are more willing to buy an expensive console for 800 euros than someone who uses many different platforms and has not settled on one.

With the technical improvements, that the PS5 Pro offers compared to the regular PS5 Pro, they primarily wanted to cater to players who missed certain features on the PS5 at the time.

And it seems that this loyal customer base is now buying the console. Thus, Sony has achieved its goal.

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Sony releases the official reveal trailer for the PS5 Pro

The PS5 Pro is available and scaring off scalpers who wanted to profit

What does the current situation look like? To the delight of players, the PS5 Pro is available everywhere both at the start of pre-orders and at launch. This especially brings sad faces to scalpers and speculators who had hoped to have a new object of desire with the PS5 Pro.

Only the accessories look quite bleak at the moment: Drives and stands for the PS5 Pro are sold out everywhere and being sold for many hundreds of euros on eBay and other platforms: Scammers got rich with outrageous prices for the PS5, but they have misjudged the PS5 Pro

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Source(s):
  1. vidaextra.com

New Survival Game on Steam Sends You into the Post-Apocalypse Like DayZ, Replacing Zombies with Deadly Machines

A coming game on Steam is inspired by great survival classics like DayZ and can currently be tested in an Open Alpha.

Which game is it about? In 2024, several titles of the genre have already been released that have received a lot of attention, such as Palworld, Enshrouded, or Once Human. Ardem wants to be the next big survival game.

The game is being developed by a team of ambitious developers who have worked for many years as modders for Bethesda games in the past. They were particularly productive during the times of Oblivion and Skyrim before founding the studio Techtive Games.

The team is currently developing their new game Ardem, which, however, has nothing to do with the role-playing games of The Elder Scrolls. Rather, the gameplay already resembles well-known survival games like DayZ, which has recently received a frosty expansion.

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In Ardem, a misanthropic world and the struggle for survival await you – Trailer

A dangerous world full of AI machines

What does Ardem offer? It’s not easy to add something truly new to the genre. Ardem initially wants to offer its players the following:

  • A 64 square kilometer game world that can be freely explored, consisting of forests as well as urban environments.
  • A dynamic seasons system with constantly changing conditions.
  • The construction of a personal base complete with all essential furnishings, such as refrigerators, as well as defenses.
  • You can grow food, hunt animals, and fish.
  • Your base can be powered, with different elements like wind, water, or sun keeping the system running.
  • A variety of vehicles that can be repaired and used.

A special highlight is that the world of Ardem is set in a post-apocalypse. The battle between humans and artificial intelligence has escalated. Nature is slowly reclaiming its space and pushing out humans. Additionally, malicious AI robots, including mechs and drones, are wandering around. They are out for the surviving humans.

What modes are there? Not only robots are your enemies. Typical for the genre and models like DayZ, other players are also a potential danger. However, you can also ally with them. Ardem offers servers with PvE, PvP, and Roleplay modes. Up to 64 players can be on a server.

How can I test the game? You can currently try the open alpha on Steam. You just need to register on the shop page of the game.

Since it is an alpha, many elements are, of course, not yet fully developed and therefore unfinished. Keep this in mind while you play. The alpha runs until Saturday, November 16, 2024. Have you heard of the game and want to try it out? Feel free to let us know in the comments. For more survival tips, check this out: The 28 best survival games of 2024 for PS5, Steam, and Xbox

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Source(s):
  1. pcgamesn.com

WoW sells a mount for 240 € – But we will stay away from it for now

How much money can you spend on a mount in World of Warcraft? Apparently, there is no upper limit, as the spectral tiger costs quite a bit.

It is now known that in recent months, some rather questionable offerings have made their way into the game’s shop in World of Warcraft. The peak here was the mount for a whopping 80 euros, which provides direct access to the auction house and therefore gives a small but fine gameplay advantage.

But those who thought that such prices were already the end of the line should take a look at the Chinese version of WoW. There, you can spend around three times that amount for a much older mount.

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WoW celebrates its 20th anniversary – Here’s what you can earn

What kind of offer is that? In China, they are also capitalizing on the 20th anniversary of World of Warcraft and offering some exclusive deals that would leave many in this country quite astonished. Because if you want, you can buy the spectral tiger – in a flying variant – for a casual price of around 250 € (1888 CNY).

As a little bonus, there are also 3 old toys that thematically fit with the Hollow’s End – but they don’t really add much to the deal.

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Why is this special? The spectral tiger is one of the most prestigious mounts in World of Warcraft. For a very long time, it could only be obtained through the “World of Warcraft Trading Card Game” – a super rare loot card. For that, you can already spend over 4,000 euros on the open market.

In China, a bundle with the spectral tiger was already sold a while ago. Now, there is an additional flying variant available.

WoW China Spectral Tiger Offer
One month of food or rather a flying, transparent cat? Image source: wowhead

At least: Anyone who purchased the first bundle back then can buy the new package with the flying tiger for “only” around 80 €.

Will this come to Europe as well? Most likely not. Such offers are much more established in China and are directly related to NetEase, Blizzard’s Chinese partner. They are known for implementing relatively aggressive (and very expensive) “microtransactions” into the game.

So, it is rather unlikely that such offers will ever be available in World of Warcraft in the rest of the world. But hey, people probably thought the same about an 80-euro mount just a few weeks ago…

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. wowhead.com

Survey: What is the best GTA of all time?

Grand Theft Auto is now an integral part of the minds and game libraries of countless gamers. Just GTA 5 has delighted millions of players for more than 10 years now. But GTA 5 is not the only installment in the series that has attained legendary status among many players. So what is the best GTA that has been released so far?

What sort of survey is this? We asked ourselves what the best GTA of all time is. Since every player has their own favorite, this question is probably best answered with a survey.

You have the chance to vote for your favorite GTA here. However, we have limited the survey to the main games and the single-player experience. This means that neither the DLC for GTA IV nor GTA Online are separately represented in the survey. If you particularly like these, you will need to vote for the respective main game.

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The graphic comparison of GTA 6 and GTA 5 in the video

Please also feel free to share with us why you chose a specific GTA and what you still particularly enjoy about the game.

You also have the opportunity in the comments to nominate a second or third place or discuss how you feel about the online mode of GTA 5.

Summary of all GTA installments

If you’re not sure what each GTA installment was about, we will summarize the respective story of the games for you below.

The GTA games at a glance

Grand Theft Auto (1997): The first installment of the iconic series takes place in Liberty City, San Andreas, and Vice City. You are an unnamed criminal committing various crimes on behalf of criminal organizations. The first GTA employs a top-down perspective.

GTA 2 (1999): The setting of GTA 2 does not resemble a real-life location like New York City for Liberty City and instead takes place in a fictional city. You play as the protagonist Claude Speed, who works for various criminal gangs and commits crimes. GTA 2 also employed a top-down perspective.

GTA 3 (2001): In GTA 3, you again play the criminal Claude Speed, who works for different employers in Liberty City. He was once betrayed by his partner Catalina and ended up in prison. Now he is seeking revenge. The setting Liberty City is based on the American metropolis New York City. GTA 3 was the first GTA in third-person perspective.

GTA Vice City: In GTA Vice City, you build a criminal empire as Tommy Vercetti in the city named “Vice City” after you were ambushed during a deal for the Forelli Mafia family. The city Vice City is based on Miami.

GTA San Andreas (2004): GTA San Andreas takes place in the fictional state of the same name and lets you travel through the cities of Los Santos (Los Angeles), San Fierro (San Francisco), and Las Venturas (Las Vegas). You take on the role of Carl Johnson (CJ), who returns to his hometown Los Santos after the death of his mother.

GTA Liberty City Stories (2005): In Liberty City Stories, you play as Toni Cipriani in the metropolis based on New York City. You are a mafioso working for the Leone Family and are confronted with internal power struggles and gang wars.

GTA Vice City Stories (2006): In Vice City Stories, you return to the fictional version of the sunny metropolis Miami. You play as Victor “Vic” Vance, who rises in the criminal underworld of the city through the establishment of various businesses and fighting against rival gangs. Vic also battles corrupt officials and former allies.

GTA IV (2008): In GTA IV, you are once again in Liberty City (New York City), this time playing as the immigrant Niko Bellic. He wants to build a life in the USA after losing his unit in the war due to the betrayal of a comrade. However, Niko encounters difficulties and soon works for the Russian Mafia as well as being a hired killer for various employers.

  • For GTA IV, the DLCs “The Lost and Damned” and “The Ballad of Gay Tony” were also released, each featuring a new protagonist and storyline.

GTA Chinatown Wars: In Chinatown Wars, released for the Nintendo DS and PSP, you fight as Huang Lee for your family’s honor. You are the son of a murdered gang leader and face betrayal within the Triads. Chinatown Wars also takes place in Liberty City and uses a top-down perspective.

GTA V: In the currently most recent installment of the series, you embody three protagonists: Franklin, Michael, and Trevor, who you can switch between even within a mission. Together, the three commit various heists and must deal with powerful criminals and authorities. GTA V also takes place in Los Santos (Los Angeles).

Currently, all fans of the GTA series are likely waiting for the release of Grand Theft Auto 6. Since the release of the first trailer, however, it has been very quiet around the highly anticipated game – despite daily rumors. However, a former developer has now shared his assessment of the game’s development status: Former developer of GTA 6 explains what phase the game is currently in

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

The Creator of One Piece Reveals That Luffy Has a Secret Ally

Ruffy not only moves the hearts of his allies, but also those of his enemies. In One Piece, he unexpectedly received help from an opponent, as creator Eiichiro Oda now reveals.

Where did he get help? In chapter 1103 of the manga, Ruffy was so starving that he could no longer move. However, in chapter 1106, an unknown person provided him with so much food that he regained his strength and could face his enemies.

A reader wanted to know in the 110th issue of SBS, a Q&A with Eiichiro Oda, who helped Ruffy. There were 4 characters to choose from:

  • Sanji
  • Franky
  • Kizaru
  • Sentoumaru

Who is the secret ally? It was never revealed in the manga who supplied Ruffy with food. Oda believes that the acquisition of food must have happened at light speed. He emphasizes the term light speed again, providing a clear hint that Kizaru must have helped Ruffy.

Kizaru (or Borsalino) is a Marine admiral who has eaten the Glitter Fruit. In terms of rank, he is higher than the vice admirals and is a high-ranking official of the Marines. He can transform into light through the Devil Fruit and move just as quickly. There is no doubt that it was Kizaru who fed Ruffy.

Kizaru also appears in One Piece Fan Letter:

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First Impressions of the Anime Special One Piece FAN LETTER in the Trailer

Kizaru is a Marine soldier, but has good reasons

Why did he help him? As a Marine soldier, Kizaru is actually an enemy of Ruffy. His goal should be to eradicate piracy. However, it is understandable why the Marine admiral helped the Straw Hat.

Kizaru was tasked by the World Government to kill his old colleague Dr. Vegapunk. The two have known each other since they were cadets in the Marines and developed a friendship during that time. 

Although Kizaru struggled with himself, he wanted to carry out the mission. His helping Ruffy could be an expression that he disagreed with the plans of the World Government. At that moment, he placed his personal feelings above his mission objective.

However, it may be that the assistance was only a one-time occasion. Whether the Marine admiral will support the Straw Hat Pirates in the future remains questionable.

Kizaru’s superior, on the other hand, shows no scruples and is incredibly strong. Even in the One Piece card game, he is so overpowering that fans understand why he manages the operations from the office: An admiral in One Piece is so strong that he was banned in the card game – “Even in the manga, he was barred from the office”

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Reddit

Viewers are concerned about StableRonaldo (21), who complains about health issues on Twitch but reacts totally inappropriately

The Twitch streamer Rani “StableRonaldo” Netz (21) is one of the biggest streamers for the online shooter Fortnite on Twitch. In a stream on Twitch on November 7, he complained about serious-sounding health problems. The chat urged him to see a doctor. But StableRonaldo called his mom instead.

Why are his fans worried about StableRonaldo? The 21-year-old started his 6-hour stream on Twitch on Thursday with a self-diagnosis:

  • He wakes up early and feels fine. But as soon as he gets up, he has headaches, feels confused, and doesn’t even know where he is. His vision is also blurry.
  • He asks his chat: Do you think I’m dying? Should I be worried?
  • This is not a joke.

StableRonaldo is a good friend of Clix and like his buddy, he’s into Lambos:

Start video
18-year-old Fortnite streamer buys a Lamborghini for 193,000 € – When he wants to show off, everything goes wrong

Twitch streamer first consults Dr. Google

This is what the chat suspects: The Twitch chat almost immediately yells: “Go to a doctor” or “Go to the hospital.”

Then they start speculating that the streamer might have diabetes or a brain tumor.

This is how the streamer reacts: The streamer listens intently to his chat, ignores the diabetes, jumps on the brain tumor comment, and exclaims: “Did my chat just diagnose me?”

Then he does exactly what everyone would advise against: he first googles “brain tumor” and goes through the checklist of symptoms:

The more symptoms he checks, the louder the chat yells “Go to the doctor” and the more worried StableRonaldo seems to get himself.

Ultimately, he calls his mother. She diagnoses: He is fine; he probably just misses his mom. However, the 21-year-old eventually says he means it seriously and will get checked out. He even asked his mother how much a brain scan might cost. His mother says he should make an appointment, and she will accompany him to the doctor.

StableRonaldo eventually muses about how many clicks he would likely get if he died live on stream. Then he continues to be live for 6 more hours without addressing the topic further, driving around in a sports car and entertaining his fans.

Twitter mocks: Diagnosis 18 Red Bulls a day

How is this being discussed? The Twitch chat shows a lot of sympathy and initially takes the issue seriously. Outside of that, however, people mostly shake their heads at StableRonaldo and his handling of the situation.

On X, formerly Twitter, people ridicule: The boy probably drinks 18 Red Bulls a day; the complaints stem from that.

We at MeinMMO cannot provide medical advice. If you want to live healthier, it is best to consult your trusted doctor or check with your health insurance for offers.

If you are suffering from such symptoms, you should urgently see a doctor and not leave the diagnosis to the Twitch chat or Dr. Google. How serious such problems can be was recently experienced by a German Twitch streamer: A German streamer (44) suddenly cannot speak properly live on Twitch: now wants to change his life

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Leonardo DiCaprio mourns even after 30 years for his deceased idol, whom he has honored as the greatest actor of his generation

Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the greatest actors of our time. Many of his movies are among the best of all time, and DiCaprio impresses in them time and again with his performance. However, he had an idol as well. This idol passed away 30 years ago, and DiCaprio still mourns.

The actor Leonardo DiCaprio started as a child in the monster movie Critters 3, but he quickly became a top performer. Films like Romeo and Juliet, Gangs of New York, and ultimately Titanic catapulted him to the elite.

He is known not just for one or two roles. Among his best films are:

For the film The Revenant – The Revenant, he even received the Oscar that many fans believed was long overdue. He is probably the idol of many young actors, but DiCaprio has an idol, who unfortunately passed away 30 years ago, as Filmstarts reports.

One of DiCaprio’s most famous films is Inception:

Start video
Deutscher Trailer zum Sci-Fi-Blockbuster „Inception“

A young actor had a big influence on DiCaprio

Who is DiCaprio’s idol? In 2019, during the course of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, DiCaprio spoke with the website Esquire. Together with Brad Pitt and Quentin Tarantino, they talked about the then new film, Charles Manson, and also about Leonardo DiCaprio’s idol.

Leonardo DiCaprio names River Phoenix as his great idol. He admired the actor in his youth. He calls him the best actor of [his] generation and one of his biggest dreams was to shake his hand.

And one evening, at a party in Silver Lake, I saw him go up a staircase. It was almost like in Vertigo, because I saw something in his face, and I had never met him – I always wanted to meet him, always wanted to have an encounter with him – and he walked towards me and I somehow froze. And then the crowd came in my way, and I looked back, and he was gone.

Leonardo DiCaprio on River Phoenix

On October 31, 1993, the then 23-year-old actor passed away. DiCaprio explains in the interview how the death affected him, because the person who had a big influence on him and his friends was suddenly gone.

Where is River Phoenix known from? The best-known films with River Phoenix are Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Stand by Me. For the film The Runaway into the Unknown, he was even nominated for the Oscar as the best supporting actor. He was considered a promising young actor, even though few of his films, apart from Indiana Jones and Stand by Me, are still known today.

His younger brother, Joaquin Phoenix, is also an actor and successful. He made a big name for himself with the role of Joker, which, after Heath Ledger, delivered one of the best performances of the villain: The 8 best actors of the Joker in the ranking – Who is the most impressive villain of Batman?

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Jeuxvideo

The 2nd season of Arcane on Netflix delights critics and fans – Receives better reception than The Boys and House of the Dragon

Arcane was a surprise hit on Netflix in 2021. The series, based on the game League of Legends, captivated critics and fans who had never even played the MOBA. Especially the animation and the adult story were convincing. Season 2 seems to continue the high quality, at least the viewers are raving about Season 2.

What is Arcane? The animated series Arcane premiered on Netflix in November 2021 and was a major hit. The series is loosely based on characters from the video game League of Legends. However, the series excited not only fans of the game but also many critics and viewers who don’t even know the game.

Particularly the adult story and the impressive animation received praise. Even MeinMMO editor-in-chief Leya Jankowski was thrilled by the series. Many fans were waiting for the second season, which has finally started after 3 years, and it seems the series hasn’t lost any quality.

You can find a trailer for Season 2 here:

Start video
Arcane Season 2 Trailer – Nothing to Lose

One of the best series of 2024

What do critics say about Arcane Season 2? On November 9, 2024, Season 2 of Arcane started with Act 1. These are the first 3 episodes. On Rotten Tomatoes, the series is currently receiving very good reviews from critics. With 15 reviews so far, the series has a perfect score of 100%. This is better than, for example, The Boys Season 4 or House of The Dragon Season 2 from the same year.

Particularly praised are the world, the characters, and of course the animation, which is said to provide an emotional season. Elena Schulz from GameStar even describes it as the best she has ever seen.

Users are also responding enthusiastically on Rotten Tomatoes. With over 250 user reviews, the score is 97%. Similar aspects to those praised by critics are highlighted here.

  • Hallie / i: I can hardly contain my immortal, obsessive love for this series. It may be the best series I’ve ever seen, and I dare say, perhaps the best that has ever been made.
  • San S: Absolutely perfect…..love everything about [the series].
  • Nathan A: It’s phenomenal! Somehow an improvement over the animation in the first season while retaining the great story and characters.

Even in the Arcane Subreddit, the great enthusiasm is noticeable. Users are sharing memes and discussing the events of the current episodes. But be warned, you can expect spoilers.

The opinion of the users is currently based only on the first 3 episodes, but if it continues like this, the series will likely be one of the big hits of 2024.

What does MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes say about Season 2? I have only been able to see the first 3 episodes so far and can only echo the great praise. At times, the series is too much like a music video, but the beautiful images, the fantastic animation, the great soundtrack, and the multifaceted characters ensure that the series is already one of the highlights of 2024. I can hardly wait for the next episodes. Especially since Season 2 will also be the finale of the series: The showrunner of Arcane explains why the series must end with Season 2

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

A new puzzle in WoW is so difficult that Blizzard has to explain the rules again

In World of Warcraft, the community is desperate. A new puzzle is so difficult that some want to cheat – and Blizzard gently warns.

Currently, Patch 11.0.5 is active in World of Warcraft, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the MMORPG. However, there are also a lot of hidden puzzles. Some are more “obvious” and part of a questline, while others are much more hidden.

But especially the hidden puzzles are something else: extremely difficult. So complicated that Blizzard even has to clarify the rules again.

Start video
WoW celebrates its 20th anniversary – Here’s what you can earn

What kind of puzzle is this? What exactly awaits at the end of the puzzle is not yet completely clear. However, it is known that it has many individual steps and – at least many hope – leads to a new mount at the end.

What has Blizzard said about it? Blizzard has clarified in the official WoW forum what is necessary to solve the puzzle – and what is not. There were quite clear announcements:

  • There are no class restrictions – any character can solve the puzzle.
  • Addons are not necessary – all puzzles can be solved without the use of addons.
  • There is no time limit – once a puzzle has been published, it will remain available (except for the quests from Alyx that are part of the anniversary event).
  • Purchases are not necessary – none of the secrets require items from the shop or account services.
  • Ban-worthy behavior is not necessary (or allowed!) – anything that could result in account penalties, like hacks or glitches, is not required and cheaters will face the appropriate penalties.
  • Puzzles are difficult but fair – everything you need to solve the secrets of Azeroth is available to you.

In conclusion, they stated: “Please solve the puzzles at your own pace. Some puzzles are extremely challenging compared to other content. Please take your time and have fun with it!”

Why did Blizzard say this? The puzzle poses some problems in solving it, as even the pros are slowly finding new clues – at times not at all. The more desperate the puzzle experts become, the more likely people are to try to solve the puzzle using cheats (like exploiting glitches). Usually under the assumption that the puzzle must be “bugged” and that one is just circumventing the bug.

Blizzard has now clarified that this is definitely not the case. Anyone who wants to solve one of the major puzzles in the game can find all the necessary details in the game – even if it sometimes requires a lot, a lot of time and brainpower. If you want to replay already solved puzzles, we have here the 10 biggest puzzles of World of Warcraft and how to solve them.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Throne and Liberty: 5 bosses that are so much fun

In Throne and Liberty there are many different bosses. All bosses have different abilities and mechanics to consider. However, five bosses are just really fun.

What kind of list is this? In Throne and Liberty there are many different bosses, and they all bring their own techniques and abilities that players need to pay attention to when fighting the big adversaries. After we have already looked at 5 bosses that are really annoying, here comes a list of five bosses whose fights are truly enjoyable.

Not every boss fight in Throne and Liberty is fun. However, the five on our list stand out with creative mechanics, interesting attacks, and a great fight.

This list is based on the author’s opinion and only includes field and guild bosses. Overlords from the dungeons have not been included in the consideration. The bosses on the list are not arranged in any specific order.

Start video
Throne and Liberty: Deshalb ist eine große und aktive Gilde so wichtig

Aridus

Aridus is probably one of the most challenging field bosses in Throne and Liberty. He waits for you on the 5th lower level of the Abyss of Syleus. The lich would love to make you sleep forever and brings an interesting mechanic with him.

For many, Aridus may be a book with seven seals, but his mechanics can be managed well as a group, and once understood, they are also really fun.

During the boss fight, wasps spawn that chase the players. If the boss puts all players to sleep, these wasps deal damage to wake the players up again. Anyone who has a wasp must wake their allies to prevent them from dying.

Especially players on the outer ring of the boss arena are in danger; they should be woken up by the team first, as the damage from the mechanic is higher on the outside than in the inner circle.

However, during the fight, Aridus also releases a green gas that deals a lot of damage to the players. Players should distance themselves from it as quickly as possible and need to be healed.

In practice, fighting field boss Aridus is very interesting, especially once the group masters the mechanic around sleeping. Visually, the green abilities in the dark area provide a nice change, but otherwise, the fight does not stand out graphically.

Next up on the next page.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. maxroll.gg

Scammers got rich with outrageous prices for the PS5, but now they have overplayed their hand

For the English word “Scalper”, there are only unpleasant translations in German like Wucherer, Absahner, or Abzocker. In any case, this is not a group of people that evokes much sympathy. After the Wucherer made high profits with the PS5 and made a killing, they have now lost out with the PS5 Pro and have to take losses.

What are scalpers? Scalpers are speculators, especially in the context of consoles, classic editions, or collectibles.

They buy a product at its release date, where they anticipate scarcity and an increase in value. Then they withdraw it from the market, hoard the product, and contribute to a shortage.

Finally, they sell the product at a hefty markup and for a high profit when they believe that the scarcity has peaked.

Start video
Sony releases the official reveal trailer for the PS5 Pro

Wucherer became rich with the PS5

How was it with the PS5? With Sony’s PlayStation 5, there was a much higher demand than could be supplied. Especially because production was delayed due to supply chain issues.

As a result, there were few PS5s on the market overall, and scalpers who had hoarded consoles in bulk at an early stage caused an additional artificial shortage. Therefore, scalpers who bought new PS5s as soon as they became available made a killing by selling their consoles at a substantial markup to desperate buyers.

According to reports from 2022, the PS5 was so profitable for scalpers that they could live off it and finance a better life for their families.

Only those who missed the timing to sell their PS5 in time were left with their hoarded stocks and had to suffer the consequences.

With the PS5 Pro, Absahner are stuck with their stocks

This is how it is now with the PS5 Pro: Scalpers also seemed to speculate on a shortage of consoles with the PS5 Pro and stocked up on supplies. However, this shortage is now absent. Essentially, the PS5 Pro can be purchased freely in stores – probably because the console is expensive (around 800 €) and offers only a relatively small update compared to the standard PS5.

As a result, scalpers are now forced to offer their PS5 Pro at significantly reduced prices on sites like eBay. On German eBay, the cheapest PS5 Pro is currently priced at 580 €. A similar situation is also emerging in Spain, as 3DJuegos reports, where scalpers are facing a loss of 30 to 50 € per console.

ps5pro

However, this time again, Wucherer can make a good deal if they speculated on the CD drive. Because it only costs 120 €, is sold out everywhere, and is being traded at significantly higher prices on eBay. We have already warned about this phenomenon on MeinMMO back in September 2024. Anyone wanting to buy a complete PS5 Pro will soon have to pay more than 1,000 euros.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

His 1st MMORPG was a worldwide hit, his new one only runs moderately on Steam because he is changing something crucial

Andrew Gower developed the MMORPG RuneScape in 2001, one of the most successful online role-playing games of all time. Now, in 2024, his new MMORPG Brighter Shores is launching, and it’s only performing moderately well on Steam. Gower explains the issues, saying players just need to get used to the new system.

Who is Andrew Gower? Andrew Gower and his two brothers, Paul and Ian, began programming games in the 90s. For two of the brothers, it became increasingly serious over time.

In 1999, Andrew and Paul Gower founded the gaming studio Jagex while studying in Cambridge.

In 2001, their MMORPG RuneScape was released, which has become one of the largest online role-playing games in the world over the last 23 years. Players spend an insane amount of time leveling up their skills in the MMORPG to the max level, which has reached absurd proportions.

But Andrew Gower stepped back from RuneScape in November 2011 and developed a new MMORPG Brighter Shores.

RuneScape is a massive success for Andrew Gower:

Start video
Old School RuneScape – Trailer for the Steam Release

New MMORPG starts moderately on Steam

This is how it is going for Brighter Shores now: His new MMORPG Brighter Shores was released on Steam on November 6. It currently stands at 70% positive reviews, narrowly escaping the dreaded yellow area of “Mixed” reviews.

The new MMORPG had a maximum of 15,920 concurrent players on Steam so far; for a free-to-play MMORPG from such a successful developer, these are rather disappointing numbers.

Many players find the profession and skill system of Brighter Shores problematic: As Gamesradar writes, players felt like they lost the progress they had made every time they started a new episode.

This is completely contrary to the gaming experience of MMORPG players.

“Please give the game a chance”

This was his announcement: When his MMORPG had 67% positive reviews on Steam, Gower addressed the players in a blog post and asked: “Please, give it a chance.”

Gower assured the players: No progress would be lost. With the start of Episode 2, 4 new professions would be unlocked – but the professions from Episode 1 would remain intact and useful. You could always return to Hopeport, that is, to Episode 1, and continue to use the old skills.

The sense of irritation among MMORPG players seems to be due to the fact that the respective skills are relevant for a specific area and do not apply universally as in RuneScape.

Brighter Shores breaks with the traditional way skills work in an MMORPG

This is the idea behind it: Gower says that when you start a new episode, it could be equally fun for everyone as long as everyone starts at the same level, that is, with new skills.

However, if you introduced a single combat value for the entire game, experienced players would have a big advantage when starting a new episode.

With the system of constant restarts, you avoid dead content. However, it is by no means the idea that you complete Episode 1, switch to Episode 2, and never return to Episode 1.

Gower says: Tests have shown that players find the new system good once they get used to it. But it seems necessary to better communicate this system now.

Skills and progress are part of the core DNA of MMORPGs

Here is the background: If an MMORPG so clearly breaks with the conventions of the genre, it is a bold experiment. With Gower, it is particularly ironic because he helped establish the intensive farming of skills in RuneScape, which he now identifies as a problem with his new MMORPG.

In RuneScape, skills are everything and define the character. Players spend months and years leveling individual skills, tackling specific lists, and enduring hardcore grinding.

To some extent, the negative feedback on the skill system of Brighter Shores is therefore not a communication problem, but a very real one: Many MMORPG players love progress in a game and want to become increasingly competent and powerful over time. The idea of starting fresh with each episode and providing everyone with the same starting conditions simply won’t appeal to everyone: The developer is so rich that his new MMORPG should make players happy on Steam

Our title image shows Andrew Gower at a RuneScape event in 2011. He rarely appears in public.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

The Cloudstriders are considered the biggest waste in Destiny 2, but originally they could have been much cooler

Bungie has been rather sparse with the introduction of new races in Destiny 1 & 2. With Lightfall, it was the Cloudstriders, who had never been seen before, but they were considered the biggest waste. This race looked very different before the release, but Bungie decided to change direction.

Who are the Cloudstriders? The Cloudstriders were first introduced with the expansion “Destiny 2: Lightfall.” They are huge, muscular humans who have transformed into cyborgs with technology. They are the protectors of Neomuna, a city on Neptune.

In this role, they safeguard the city’s inhabitants and the Traveler’s veil against enemies and the darkness. The only representatives of their kind at the moment are Nimbus and Rohan, whom players will meet during the story of Lightfall.

Although they have a bulky and modern appearance, many fans were unable to warm up to the Cloudstriders. Additionally, Nimbus’ character annoyed many people. He never gave off the feeling that he knew what was at stake. Instead, he wanted to distribute fist bumps.

However, fans have now stumbled upon old concepts of the Cloudstriders and wonder if this design would have brought the race the popularity they deserve.

Start video
Destiny 2: Lightfall – Launch Trailer

Knights, monks, and Terminators mixed into a war machine

What did the Cloudstriders look like before? Reddit user SwirlyManager-11 has published some concepts of the Cloudstriders, showing which ideas Bungie discarded. These are dark beings that possess a humanoid body structure but appear anything but human; see for yourself:

Destiny-2-Wolkenläufer-altes-Design-Reddit
This is what the Cloudstriders looked like before the release (via reddit.com)

The concepts show three colored Cloudstriders as they pose. The first specimen even has metallic wings, a bandolier across the chest, and crystals around the shoulders and below the belt. The faces appear expressionless, with only serious glowing eyes visible.

The second specimen looks like a monk with green skin. The clothing is lighter and even features accents of plants that may originate from Neomuna. Additionally, the monk’s robe is tattered near the feet.

The last specimen is a massive warrior in thick black armor. The armor is partially noble, covered with a red cloth. Additionally, the Cloudstrider holds a staff with several spikes. The knight also has a style with an unusual helmet that makes him seem even more impenetrable.

When comparing these concepts with the final Cloudstriders, it quickly becomes apparent that Bungie has done a lot to ensure they hardly resemble each other.

What do fans say about the original design? On Reddit, people discuss the general idea behind the Cloudstriders. They feel it is a shame that Bungie created such a cool faction from scratch, only to package them into a DLC and then forget about them. The following can be heard:

  • “Encountering a group of secret anti-guardians is such a great idea, and I still can’t believe they [Bungie] messed it up so badly.” – owen3820
  • “I have no idea why they did the whole two-people rule. I would have liked to meet other Cloudstriders, and maybe Nimbus’ younger, arrogant attitude would have worked as a second-in-command.” – ReadStraight8255
  • “I don’t think it was the aesthetic that put people off (I actually quite like it), but just the lousy writing. ‘Cow pat’ is not an appropriate reaction to someone watching their father calcify right in front of their eyes.” – 420Frederik
  • “I’m not sure what many people are talking about here because the current Cloudstrider aesthetic is definitely a turn-off for me, lol. Nimbus’ reflective bikini top is ugly, they have creepy facial features, and their neck looks really disgusting (not in a good way). Not to mention the weird bulging pants they are wearing? What’s up with that?” – xWinterPR

What do you think about the design of the Cloudstriders? Were you able to tolerate the Cloudstriders, or were you just glad when the story of Neomuna and Nimbus was over? Let us know your opinions in the comments. More about Destiny 2 can be found here: Former Destiny director wanted to make great games with new company – But his first game was Concord, and now he is in a crisis like Bungie

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Aeternum should bring tremendous momentum for the MMORPG New World, but Amazon Games made a foreseen mistake

The new Aeternum version of New World cannot be considered a breakthrough success for Amazon Games, according to MeinMMO editor Karsten Scholz. This was a disappointment due to the release timing.

As early as July 2024, I feared it could be a major mistake by Amazon Games to release Throne and Liberty and New World Aeternum within a few weeks. After all, both MMORPGs are being released for PC and console at the same time. And this is shortly after the launch of WoW: The War Within.

In the meantime, Lost Ark, also published by Amazon Games, was gearing up for perhaps the most important updates in months – with fresh starter servers that will only be available for a limited time, and a new endgame level.

Who is writing here? Karsten Scholz is the MMORPG expert at MeinMMO. He has been dealing with the best genre in the world daily for 15 years. He made his first private contact in 2005. Since then, he has accumulated several years of playtime in various online role-playing games and has played almost every relevant genre representative of the last 20 years for at least a while.

In addition, with Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred, Silent Hill 2, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the last four major, well-known releases of the year are also in October.

The launch trailer of New World Aeternum:

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New World Aeternum: Well-Staged Gameplay Trailer for Launch

Collision with Purpose

While Throne and Liberty exudes the allure of the new and promises an – at least from today’s perspective – unusual focus on the massively, the fundamental player experience of New World has been known for more than three years. The numerous adjustments of the Aeternum version do not change that.

I therefore had early concerns that New World Aeternum could get crushed among all the October releases. In an interview with Roxanne Sabo (Community Lead for Lost Ark at Amazon Games), I brought up the topic. Her response:

Each of our live games is diverse and differs in many ways, including playstyles, business models, and settings. Lost Ark offers players a unique adventure and challenge, just like New World Aeternum and Throne and Liberty. We believe that each game offers a different experience and will find its own audience, with room for players who engage with multiple.

But is that true? In my personal case, the math hasn’t worked out. I am a big MMORPG fan and equally excited about the revamped Aeternum, the new patch of Lost Ark, and the new Throne and Liberty.

As a father of two kids and with a full-time job, however, I cannot pursue all these interests. I had to prioritize in October, and Throne and Liberty usually won out (and Dragon Age: The Veilguard).

My newly created character for New World Aeternum, on the other hand, is only level 33. There has been no time for Lost Ark in the past weeks. Many other MMORPG fans have likely experienced something similar. Too bad, marmalade – that’s what my 3-year-old son would say.

There are indeed good reasons to play New World Aeternum:

Start video
4 Reasons Why You Should Play New World: Aeternum

How “successful” is New World Aeternum?

Due to the lack of concrete numbers from Amazon Games, this cannot be stated with one hundred percent accuracy. However, there are various indicators:

  • On October 20, 2024, New World Aeternum reached 61,437 concurrent players on Steam. This is the highest value since October 2023, but still slightly below the peak at the launch of the Rise of the Angry Earth expansion (77,642) and significantly behind the all-time high from the launch in September 2021 (913,634).
  • The daily peak is now slightly over 30,000 concurrent players (via steamdb.info). The trend is downward.
  • It is unclear how many players have joined via consoles. However, one thing is clear: Amazon Games had to significantly increase the number of cross-play servers across all regions, but each region only needs one pure PlayStation and Xbox server.
  • Throne and Liberty has been a hot topic throughout October, which we can clearly see from Google Trends and the view counts of our articles. The launch of New World Aeternum was just a mild breeze in comparison. Within the console communities, we observed something like a mini hype. In the PC camp, however, complaints were more common.
  • While Amazon Games celebrates 4.5 million players in the first month for Throne and Liberty, a post on amazongames.com regarding the launch of New World Aeternum states:

We are very pleased and encouraged by the enthusiastic response from players and critics alike, and it was exciting to welcome even more adventurers to the supernatural island of Aeternum.

If developers and publishers release such a post without concrete player numbers, these are usually not very positive.

What will happen to New World?

While a The Elder Scrolls Online received a tremendous boost in player numbers through the delayed console release in June 2015, the launch of Aeternum has, in my opinion, almost faded away without effect.

If I am correct, this could be fatal for the long-term plans that Amazon Games has for New World. After all, developing an expansion like Rise of the Angry Earth is expensive. Content updates have been almost non-existent between the addon and Aeternum. Are fans of the game heading towards the next drought?

The chances for that, in my opinion, are high. After all, there are currently eight new games in development at Amazon Games. The known titles are:

  • Publisher for the hack-and-slash co-op game King of Meat
  • Publisher for a story-based open-world racing game from Maverick Games
  • Publisher for the new Tomb Raider game from Crystal Dynamics
  • Developer of the new MMORPG for the Lord of the Rings universe

Once Amazon Games finds the final direction for the Lord of the Rings MMORPG and fully enters development, the responsible parties are likely to throw as many creative minds as possible at the prestige project – and this will almost certainly include the experienced veterans from the New World team. Do you see it that way as well? More on this: There is a sign of life from the new MMORPG for Lord of the Rings by Amazon Games

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

LoL reaches a new level in eSports: A video even makes tough guys soft

For years, Riot Games has faced a challenging task with League of Legends: How do you turn introverted gamers into real stars that millions of fans care about? With a video ahead of the LoL Worlds 2024, they are taking a new approach and boldly embracing emotion – with great success.

This has always been Riot Games’ problem:

League of Legends has always marketed itself through its players, the stars and heroes of e-sports. The actual game can only be truly followed in depth by experts.

However, only a few e-sports athletes qualify to be typical stars. Only a few have extroverted personalities, enjoy appearing in videos, or give memorable interviews. These are more likely people from Europe and North America like trash-talking master Doublelift, who play a minor role internationally.

The true stars of LoL are South Koreans and Chinese. Players like Faker, Chovy, or knight. However, these are often very introverted, quiet individuals who show little emotion and are rather reserved in interviews.

Start video
LoL – Hall of Legends: Faker Trailer

Riot Games stages top players as silent heroes

This has been the solution for years: In the past, Riot Games often didn’t let players like Faker speak for themselves, but rather had others rave about them and showed the influence Faker has on others.

He was epic and silently staged as a superhuman hero, whose gameplay in the game speaks for him.

The most important marketing tool of Riot Games is the trailers for the anthems of the Worlds, in which players do not speak at all but are shown as stylized superheroes engaged in battle.

lol-faker
Faker prefers to stay silent.

Riot Games shamelessly embraces emotions

What has Riot Games done differently this year? Just before the Worlds final on November 2, LoL released the video “Make them believe: T1 vs. BLG“. This 7-minute production showcases the rivalry between the two finalist teams.

In the main part of the video, each player sits in an empty cinema and listens to an emotional message from relatives back home, wishing them well.

For example, supporter Keria is enthusiastically greeted as “Uncle” by two children, while Faker listens with emotion as his father speaks to him.

An emotional sound, the World theme in a piano version, further enhances the impact of these moments.

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What impact does the video have? The effects of the trailer can be seen in the German caster for LoL, Tolkin. Even a tough top-laner with nerves of steel.

He says the trailer moves him like no other, as it humanizes players like Faker, whom he has admired since he was 14. Even after watching the trailer multiple times, it still catches him emotionally every time.

What hits him the most is when the father speaks to Faker, showing in every interview how much he cares about his son.

Even in the comments on YouTube, you can see the fans are fully affected:

  • Hey, this was supposed to be a hype trailer, why are you making me cry?
  • I came here ready for war, but no armor can protect me from the emotional damage.
  • Wow, is it just me or is the teaser much more human than last year? […] The trailer with the families makes the players feel more like competitors and humans rather than characters in a game. In the end, you still give us hype.

From the reactions in the video, it’s clear that the trailer hits hard because it completely disregards coolness and epic staging, shamelessly playing with the sentimentality and nostalgia that LoL has now triggered: Faker becomes a world champion in LoL for the 5th time, winning the final with a powerful ultimate

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

A new strategy game on Steam can shorten the wait time for Civilization 7 – Has 91% positive reviews

Strategy fans are longing for the 7th installment of the Civilization series. However, Civ VII must be awaited for a few more months. If you’re looking for a new 4X game in the meantime, you can check out a new strategy game on Steam. The unique aspect of Zephon: post-apocalypse and cosmic horror.

What game is it about? On November 8, 2024, the strategy game Zephon was released on Steam. The game, reminiscent as a 4X title, draws from well-known games such as Civilization 6 or Age of Wonders 4. But instead of turn-based strategy in a historical context, Zephon presents you with a post-apocalypse setting.

Humanity returns to a destroyed Earth, filled with robots and alien enemies. The game mixes elements of a technological apocalypse with cosmic horror, reminiscent of Lovecraft’s stories about Cthulhu.

The game aims to offer the following:

  • The game is expected to focus on survival strategy, which might appeal to fans of Frostpunk.
  • You can play Zephon in single and multiplayer modes.
  • Over 150 technologies.
  • There are cyberpunk abilities, but also magic.
  • In addition to combat, there is also economy and diplomacy.

The game comes from Proxy Studios, who previously developed a 4X strategy game with Warhammer 40,000: Gladius – Relics of War.

You can see a trailer for the game here:

Start video
Zephon – Trailer for the Post-Apocalyptic Strategy Game on Steam

Excellent studio. Excellent game

How is the game received? On Steam, the game is currently doing quite well. With 206 reviews, the game stands at “Very Positive” with 91% positive ratings. It is praised mainly for feeling like an evolution of the developer’s previous game and for having improved on many elements from its predecessor.

  • Shroud: The love child of Civilization: Beyond Earth and Warhammer Gladius. Two fantastic games…
  • Andrew: Excellent studio. Excellent game. Thank you for Gladius and for Zephon. The new 4X diplomacy and the story elements are fun and refreshing. The trading and allying with enemies is great, as this was not possible in Gladius.
  • Miloch: If you liked Gladius, you should also like this game. It’s by the same people. It has many of the same elements, but is set in a completely different setting.

However, there are also a few negative voices, such as that of the user Runny Legs, who dislikes the similarity to Gladius. He also criticizes the UI but praises the diplomacy. He admits that it is not a bad game, but he finds the price too high.

So if you are fans of Warhammer 40,000 Gladius or simply friends of a post-apocalyptic setting and cosmic horror, then Zephon might be for you. The game currently costs 39.99 € on Steam. If you would rather immerse yourself in a Chinese setting with countless characters, then this game is for you: A new game is conquering Steam and the PS5 – it spans 80 years and features 1,000 playable heroes

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. PCGamesN

Amazon responds to increasing player frustration with their new MMORPG on Steam, PS5, Xbox

The MMORPG Throne and Liberty was released on Steam: PS5 and Xbox over a month ago. Players have been complaining about how the dungeons are functioning. Amazon explains how they intend to solve the problem, or rather, how they will not solve it.

What bothers players about the dungeons? The problem is that the queues often drop out because some players do not accept the invite to the dungeon.

The player Darkness explains the issue on a Polish MMORPG site: People sign up for the “Random” dungeon search in Throne and Liberty because there are bonus rewards: However, they do not want to play a random dungeon, only certain ones. So they decline the dungeons that do not suit them – which frustrates everyone else.

An additional problem is that players can only play a limited number of dungeons per day – this highlights the “Pay2Win” oriented MMORPG design, as is common in South Korea.

Start video
Throne and Liberty: Claim the Throne – Launch Trailer of the MMORPG

Amazon announces penalties for leavers

This is how Amazon intends to solve the problem: Amazon announces that they understand the issues with the queue. To address the problem, they will introduce a “rejoin” timer and impose penalties on players who frequently decline such invites.

Amazon understands what you want – but you won’t get it

Should dungeons be more generous? That is not currently planned. While they understand that players want more Salvation Essence as rewards from dungeons, they must be cautious and pay attention to balance. The tokens should be rare and valuable.

Will more dungeons be available soon? Here, too, Amazon responds with a no. There are no plans for that. However, they plan to introduce a dungeon that offers higher replay value.

amazon-tl
Amazon’s announcement. Source: mmmorpg.org.pl

Free2Play design reveals its ugly head

What is behind this: These are the problems that South Korean MMORPGs are despised for. A deliberate scarcity of what can be achieved in a week, making the game grindier, more frustrating for players, and also more profitable for developers.

When Amazon then says, “Yes, it should feel rare and valuable,” it sounds somewhat cynical.

In such a system, it is clear that players will seek their personal maximum advantage and will not go into every random dungeon when they have only a few opportunities per day, while wanting to optimize their rewards: The 12 best free-to-play MMORPGs 2024 in comparison


This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Suspected Corruption at the Studio Behind Destiny and Diablo Games – 2 Top Executives Arrested

For Blizzard and Bungie, the Chinese gaming company NetEase has been an important partner. Both studios have released mobile variations of their major game series Diablo and Destiny in collaboration with NetEase. Among the gaming giant’s own games that have also been successful in the West is Once Human (Steam, Mobile). However, 9 employees of the corporation have now been arrested, including two top executives.

For which games is NetEase known?

Here in the West, we primarily know one game from NetEase: the survival game Once Human. Revelation Online, an MMORPG, was also theirs.

NetEase was Blizzard’s partner in China for many years and distributed their games there. In close collaboration with Blizzard, they developed Diablo Immortal.

Bungie has also made a deal with NetEase – from the partnership established 6 years ago, Destiny: Rising eventually emerged.

NetEase is the second largest gaming corporation in China after Tencent:

Start video
Once Human – Gameplay Trailer for the Major Update The Way of Winter

2 Top Managers from NetEase Are Arrested and Then Fired

This is what is happening at NetEase: According to reports, 9 employees have been arrested at NetEase, accused of money laundering and corruption. Among the 9 suspects are said to be two from the upper management, Xiang Lang (Head of Esports) and Yin Cuchen (responsible for long-standing game series like Westward Journey Online).

According to a memo, NetEase has fired the 9 employees for bribery.

As Eurogamer reports, the 9 suspects were excluded from NetEase’s internal systems shortly after the first arrests occurred. Allegedly, the case involves 28 suppliers and around 130 million euros.

NetEase’s management is now also warning other employees to play by the rules. Their usual screensavers have been replaced with a text reminding employees of NetEase’s conduct guidelines and compliance rules.

This is what NetEase says: As Eurogamer reports, a spokesperson for NetEase stated that they are investigating the allegations of corruption but will not disclose any details at the moment.

The last time we reported directly about NetEase on MeinMMO was when they destroyed their own orc statue out of anger with Blizzard:

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Bloomberg Law