The test server for Vessel of Hatred has started in Diablo 4 and you can test new features. If you have been paying attention, you have already seen the theme of Season 6.
Blizzard recently announced numerous new features coming to the game in October. They have not revealed the new season theme and mechanic yet, but on the PTR you will get a small insight if you pay attention. To do this, you need to create a new character and look at an option that you are not yet allowed to select.
The new campaign and the new class cannot be tested on the PTR. In the video, you can see what the Spiritborn has in store for you:
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Blizzard explains the Spiritborn, the new class in Diablo 4 and its spirits
“Hatred seeps from the jungle of Nahantu”
Where do I see the season theme? You see the season theme and a few features when you have created a new character and selected the gameplay options. In the last step, you choose whether to skip the campaign, play seasonally and/or hardcore.
Seasonally is grayed out, so you cannot select it. But when you hover over the field, you see a small pop-up window that reveals more about the upcoming season.
In addition to the season theme, the overview shows a few features coming in Season 6.
The Diablo expert wudijo is surprised in his livestream on Twitch and says: “I guess there will be a season theme, guys.” He then notes that it will probably “be quite small again.”
Helldivers 2 has been facing problems lately. Now the CEO has commented on the state of the game, explaining how things are going to proceed.
How is the crisis manifesting? The player numbers of Helldivers 2 on Steam have fallen from a peak of 458,208 in February 2024 to 65,585 in August 2024 – that was the highest number of logged-in players reached on Steam recently.
That is a loss of 86% in player numbers over 6 months.
Considering only the average player numbers, the losses are even higher: then 91% of the players on Steam have been lost.
What problems are we talking about? One of the biggest issues of Helldivers 2 is the balancing. Since its release, the game has repeatedly drawn attention with inconsistent balancing updates.
This has frequently led to frustration within the community, which was upset about weapon nerfs that were currently enjoyable.
The player numbers of Helldivers 2 have fallen from a peak of 458,208 in February 2024 to a maximum of 65,585 simultaneous active players on Steam in August 2024.
That is a loss of 86% in player numbers over 6 months.
The criticism has also reached the developers. The CEO of the developer studio “Arrowhead”, Shams Jorjani, has now commented on the current state of the game.
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Helldivers 2 shows in the new war bond ‘Flame of Freedom’ fiery democracy
“We are trying to follow our own guiding stars”
What does the boss say? On the official Discord server of Helldivers 2, Jorjani answered some questions from the community.
One player asked if they wanted to take inspiration from other coop games in future updates, especially regarding balancing. Jorjani replied:
The short answer is that we are trying to do a better job while following our own guiding stars. We have veered off course a few times during the summer.
To get back on track, they recently promised to fix the game in 60 days. However, this is not intended to happen all at once, but rather in regular patches. The updates will therefore not be the “biggest of all time”, but are meant to push the game in the “right direction”, as Jorjani explains.
Blizzard’s Hack’n Slay Diablo 4 is about to receive its first expansion, Vessel of Hatred. Some features are currently being tested on the PTR, the test server. The server is open from September 4 to September 11. The Community Lead warns testers, however: If you play this now, you will encounter even more bugs than usual.
This is what the Community Lead says about the test server for Diablo 4:
The Patch 2.0 will start now on the test server – the download has been active since Friday. The Community Lead Adam Fletcher says (via twitter):
Just a reminder: This is a PTR. Things will be broken. Some things may not work quite as intended. This is normal, as it is an early build.
We expect this on this PTR more than on previous ones, as we have made many more changes. However, the feedback we receive during these tests is important!
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Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred shows the new features and the new region Nahantu in the video
This is his request: The Community Lead is asking for feedback, and a large thread will be opened in the forums to collect the known bugs.
Expansion revises many systems and brings features back
Here’s what to expect on the PTR: Blizzard has summarized in a blog post what to expect on the PTR. The server will be open from September 4 to September 11 and will give you the opportunity to test the features of the new expansion before they go live for everyone.
Among other things, there is to be a new difficulty system, updates to the Paragon and the Glyph system, a revision of item quality, and new skills for each class.
However, on the PTR you will not find any content related to the campaign or the new class from the expansion. The runes will not be available until Friday, then you will get them from the “Boost NPC”.
In a series of articles about Vessel of Hatred, we have already extensively presented and classified the essential innovations for the 1st DLC of Diablo 4 on MeinMMO:
Perhaps even more importantly for some fans: It is emerging that the secret Cow Level will find its way into Diablo 4; here, at least, initial hints have surfaced. But Blizzard will surely save this for the release: Diablo 4: Fans find strange items related to cows
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The gaming developer Tomas Sala has changed the name of his game on Steam twice already. The first time, the players annoyed him so much that he didn’t want to keep explaining to them that his game is a sandbox and not an epic strategy game. Now he is bursting with pride and wants to share it with his fans.
Who is the developer?
Tomas Sala became known with a series of mods for The Elder Scrolls Skyrim. The series was called “Moonpath to Elseweyr”
In 2022, he released his game “The Falconeer” on Steam, where you sail through the air on the back of a majestic bird.
However, with the new game “Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles”, he is struggling with the title. The game was released on Steam in March 2024 and is causing Sala a lot of trouble.
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Trailer for the city-builder game Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles
Developer renames his game on Steam and curses the players
What was his problem? We reported on Sala and his game in May 2024. Essentially, he was endlessly annoyed by the Steam reviews for Bulwark.
Because people criticized the game, saying it was nice, but it simply lacked content and endgame for a big strategy game. The game was said to be aimless and rather experimental.
Sala was very upset about this criticism, as he did not intend to make such a strategy game with endgame and clear goals. He cursed:
“Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles, a fucking creative sandbox and not a fucking strategy game, build cool shit and expect no endgame, because it’s a sandbox”
Out of spite, he renamed his game to
“Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles, a bloody creative building sandbox” – so everyone knows what to expect, a fucking sandbox.
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After major update, the game gets a new name for the second time
What is he doing now? Meanwhile, a major update for Bulwark has been released. As Sala said, it is “the closest to a version 1.0”. It is a massive update with a new mode and a lot of new open-world content. In the new mode “Total Conquest”, you declare war on every faction in the game.
To celebrate the update, and because the whole “Bloody Sandbox” thing apparently wasn’t such a brilliant move in hindsight, he is now calling the game “Bulwark Evolution: Falconeer Chronicles”. Because in May, when he changed the name to “fucking sandbox”, Bulwark had lost about 59% of its players. So apparently, the new name wasn’t that clever after all.
Batman is known for many good movies, but there are also black sheep. Batman and Robin is considered one of the worst superhero films. Arnold Schwarzenegger has a legendary appearance as Mr. Freeze – and that seems to mean a lot to him, as he has kept an object from the set to this day.
What kind of movie is Batman and Robin? After Tim Burton was hired as director for two popular Batman films, Joel Schumacher was given the opportunity to direct films about the bat. In 1995, Batman Forever was released with Val Kilmer. In 1997, Batman and Robin followed, this time with George Clooney as the titular hero.
In Batman and Robin, the heroes fight against Poison Ivy and Mr. Freeze. Freeze is portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger. The film is considered one of the worst movies of all time – on Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has a critic score of 12% and a user score of 16%.
The film does not take itself seriously and treats the characters quite absurdly. There are countless bad puns and gadgets like the Bat credit card. At least Batman and Robin is suitable for a trash night, says MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes.
Despite the poor reception, Arnold Schwarzenegger seems to be attached to the role, as he secured an object from the set and continues to pay for it annually.
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Batman and Robin – Trailer for the superhero movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger
Forever Borrowed
What did Arnold Schwarzenegger take? In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter about Batman Forever, Peter MacGregor-Scott, the producer of the Schumacher Batman films, also spoke about the leftover items from the set.
He explains that parts of the set are left for a possible next film. The Bat Cave had to be rebuilt for the second film, for instance. He also explains that actors like to take and keep costumes – but one must be careful that not everything is taken. Arnold Schwarzenegger also wanted to keep his costume.
Arnold Schwarzenegger wanted a costume from Mr. Freeze. This even went up to the studio’s top management. He had to sign a contract, and I believe he pays 1 dollar per year to borrow the costume. The lights in these costumes last 9,000 hours. He doesn’t wear them all day long, but he turns them on quite often.
Peter MacGregor-Scott on Schwarzenegger and the Mr. Freeze costume
Legally, Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn’t own the costume; he just borrows it every year for one US dollar. Whether the costume will ever be needed again is questionable. Since Batman and Robin, there has only been one live-action appearance of Mr. Freeze, and that was in the series Gotham.
As a cameo, it is quite possible that we will see Arnie again in the villain’s costume. Nowadays, even stars appear as cameos who theoretically were supposed to play superheroes. He seems not to have forgotten the role to this day. This was also evident at the last Oscars: At the 2024 Oscars, Schwarzenegger and DeVito meet their arch-enemy
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In gaming, there is talk about the end of the hero shooter Concord (Steam, PS5), as if it had hit an iceberg and sunk. It is referred to as a “megaflop.” Supposedly, Sony paid 250 million US dollars for the game, and Concord failed because it wanted to be too “woke.” It focused on diverse and overweight game characters, and that was said to be the wrong path. What is there to it?
This is the story of Concord in brief:
Concord has been developed by “Firewalk” in Seattle since 2018. They belong to Probably Monsters. The company emerged in 2016 from a spin-off of Destiny: The lead designer of Concord is the former weapons expert from Destiny 1, Joe Weisnewski.
Under the umbrella of this company, employees are building several AAA multiplayer games in separate studios and selling these studios to interested buyers.
Sony bought Firewalk and their game Concord in April 2023 for an undisclosed sum. Concord was supposed to be part of an initiative, to develop twelve live-service games for PS5 by 2026. This initiative also led to Helldivers 2.
Concord: ‘The Stars Are Ours’ Cinematic Vignette Season 0: Episode 0
How many millions $ did Sony lose on the flop Concord?
Did Sony really pay 250 million $ for Concord?? No. We do not know how much money Sony paid to acquire Firewalk. We do not know the production costs of Concord.
The statement that the game cost 200 million $ is a somewhat malicious estimate that assumes that many well-paid employees have been working on the game since 2018 for 6 years.
The 250 million $ comes from another corner: The parent company behind Firewalk, Probably Monsters, raised that much money for all their projects in an investment round in April 2022 (via gamesindustry, at that time there were 3 AAA multiplayer projects.
But it is not possible to conclude from that number the production costs of Concord or the purchase price of Firewalk.
One can suspect that Sony lost many millions on Concord – but the exact amount is unknown. Conservative estimates amount to about 100 million $.
“Concord flopped – because it is too woke”
What do people say about why it died? On social media, the “ugly characters” were blamed for the flop of Concord. Again and again, images of overweight game characters were shown on Twitter and YouTube as evidence that such a game can only flop.
Here, the idea “Go woke, go broke” comes into play, which is often spread. It carries the notion that those who focus on diversity and equality waste their resources on areas that interest no one. Developers should rather focus on making a better game.
In fact, the characters may have been partly responsible for the failure, but other games – such as the successful Overwatch – also have a deliberately diverse cast and “strong characters”, yet those games were successful, or perhaps even because of that.
Even with Overwatch, one could have raised this argument in some form – but did not.
Analyst says: Concord met long-term goals – but missed short-term ones
What do experts say about why it failed? Analyst Daniel Ahmad has differentiated the reasons for Concord’s failure. He states that Concord did many things right that are often criticized in other hero shooters after a longer period (via twitter):
Concord had good gameplay, was polished and launched content complete
But it had no original ideas and felt trapped in the era of Overwatch 1
It gave fans of hero shooters no reason to switch to the game when they have strong and free alternatives like Valorant and Overwatch.
Although Concord was polished, launched with a rich story and many features, it missed everything else and focused on the wrong things, fulfilling long-term goals before addressing the short-term goals of giving players reasons to play the game initially.
The marketing campaign also completely failed, so that nobody saw a reason to pay 40 $ to test the game.
On top of that: The “hero shooter” genre is similar to MOBA.
Many developers believe there is a big hype around the genre and want a piece of the pie themselves, developing a successful hero shooter with interesting characters and new mechanics. But so far, only the two frontrunners Overwatch and Valorant have really succeeded – just like in MOBA, only LoL and DOTA 2 are successful.
All other hero shooters like Lawbreakers, Battleborn, Paragon, and Crucible by Amazon have failed and some have truly flopped terribly.
The problem is: Players invest a lot of time in a game like Valorant, learn the game, the characters, build up an account, love their skins, and enjoy their achievements.
To give all that up just to “learn a new game” where they start back at 0, players have to be offered a lot. In principle, a new game must look like the “next big thing” to even consider switching.
So far, it has only been Valorant that has succeeded in having people truly say: “Here is my future, I am committing to this game.” Including MeinMMO shooter expert Dariusz.
No one has really been waiting for all other hero shooters. New hero shooters offer something for which there is little demand. Those who like the genre play Valorant or Overwatch, have built up their accounts there over the years, learned the games, and invested a lot of money and time.
The attraction to switch to a new game that wants 40 $ and is already mocked everywhere on social media is low.
Another problem is the “Battleborn/Evolve” problem: A high-profile game comes out that evidently has a lot of work and heart put into it. The developer expects great success. But to players, it looks like a free-to-play title because it has established that titles in the genre are free-to-play. When players then see they have to pay money, it creates such a catastrophic flop that a high-quality game with high production costs becomes a financial disaster: I have never fully recovered from my trauma with the monster game “Evolve”
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
An expert panel has chosen the best television in the world. However, in first place is neither Samsung nor LG, which are among the most popular brands on the market. Instead, a Chinese product takes the top spot.But what makes this television so good that experts rate it so highly?
Who are these experts? The EISA or European Imaging and Sound Association is an association founded in 1989. It unites more than 50 European media organizations specializing in audiovisual media. Every year, the EISA creates a ranking of various products in categories related to sound, TV, and hi-fi.
This year, the experts voted again. And this year, the first place is not occupied by a brand like Samsung, LG, or Sony.
A television from China ranks 1st in the best TVs of 2024
What is the best television in the world? The allegedly best television in the world is said to come from the Chinese manufacturer TCL. TCL is one of the largest manufacturers in the world, with over 75,000 employees and a revenue of nearly 14 billion US dollars. Just a few months ago, the company introduced a new television that could pose strong competition for Samsung and LG.
This specifically refers to the model 115X955 Max. This is a television with 115 inches, making it a huge device. The model features 20,000 zones for local dimming and uses mini-LED technology.
With a 4K resolution of 3840×2160 pixels and Quantum Dot technology, the television is expected to offer lifelike colors and impressive detail depth. The HDR brightness of up to 5,000 nits and support for various HDR formats like Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, and HLG is also a plus.
Are there any downsides? Yes, because the device is not perfect. For example, testers from DigitalesFernsehen explain that the television sometimes has issues with local dimming: faces in dark scenes can sometimes be severely overexposed, but a software update is expected. The viewing angle stability is also a negative aspect: if you watch the television at an angle, the picture quickly deteriorates.
How much does the television cost? Here we come to the disadvantage of the television, as the 115X955 Max is not exactly cheap, even though TCL has long been considered a budget provider.
You can currently purchase the television at Euronics and Heimkinoraum. The price is currently at 24,999 euros. The provider “Heimkinoraum” also delivers the device only in the greater Munich area, but at least for free.
But televisions can get much more expensive: The manufacturer LG has introduced a series of new televisions, including an 8K television with 325 inches, which is about 3 times larger than the TCL model. However, at 1.7 million dollars (1.44 million euros), this television is also significantly more expensive: LG announces giant television with 325 inches – costs 1.4 million euros
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Next year, a live-action film based on Minecraft will be in theaters. Warner Bros. has now released a first teaser, in which you can see how real people would look in a blocky world.
What can we see in the trailer? The trailer for A Minecraft Movie shows four people who have landed in the world of Minecraft. They explore the mysterious world and learn about its peculiarities and inhabitants.
The world looks as one would imagine a Minecraft world in real life: We see flowers and blades of grass, but also blocky trees and other blocks that make up the world. Additionally, well-known mascots from Minecraft inhabit this world, such as a sheep or the Creepers.
You can watch the video here:
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A Minecraft Movie: 1. Teaser for the Live-Action Film in the Minecraft Universe
Jack Black and Jason Momoa meet
Which well-known actors are involved? The trailer for A Minecraft Movie shows four people who have landed in the world of Minecraft. Among them are Jason Momoa (Aqua Man), Emma Myers (Wednesday), and Danielle Brooks (Orange is the New Black).
When can we watch the movie? A Minecraft Movie is set to premiere in German theaters on April 3, 2025. So there are still a few months to go, during which more trailers for the film will likely be released. This way, you can decide before the release if the movie might be for you.
Currently, so many players on Steam are enjoying “Kingdom Come: Deliverance” as they have in a long time. But what is the reason for that?
What kind of game is this? “Kingdom Come: Deliverance” is an open-world RPG from the Czech developer Warhorse Studios. The game is set in medieval Bohemia and stands out particularly for its commitment to realism.
The protagonist of the game is Heinrich. He grows up as the son of a blacksmith in the quaint Skalitz until a traumatic event forces him to flee. This sparks a story of revenge and friendship, where players can decide what kind of hero they want to be.
“Kingdom Come: Deliverance” was released on February 13, 2018, and has received several story DLCs. The last of these expansions, “A Woman’s Lot,” was released on May 28, 2019.
You can watch the game’s launch trailer here:
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Kingdom Come: Deliverance presents itself in the launch trailer
Sales on Steam Drive Player Numbers Up
Although there have been no new contents for “Kingdom Come: Deliverance” since 2019, the game is experiencing a renaissance in 2024. On August 29, 2024, around 7,500 players were playing it simultaneously on Steam. By September 1, that number had grown to nearly 29,000. Both numbers are visible on SteamDB. This corresponds to an increase of nearly 300%.
So how has the game managed to quadruple its active player base in just a few days?
Where is the huge demand coming from? The answer is obvious: The game is currently being offered at a bargain price. For only 2.99 euros, you can currently get the standard edition of the game on Steam, and the “Royal Edition” with all DLCs is available for 3.99 euros. The sale continues until September 5 at 6 PM.
Another reason for the significant increase in players may be “Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2.” For a long time, there was complete silence on a possible sequel, but now fans can be sure that Heinrich’s story will continue. This could serve as an additional incentive for players to experience the predecessor.
By the way, “Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2” will be released on February 11, 2025, for PC on Steam and in the Epic Games Store, as well as for the consoles PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
A YouTuber wanted to see how he ages. For this reason, he took thousands of photos over 25 years.
The YouTuber JK Keller undertook a special project: He took a selfie of his face every day for 25 years. This resulted in a series of photographs consisting of several thousand images, which he regularly edits into a video.
As viewers, you can watch in time-lapse how the YouTuber ages a day with each picture. The result is very impressive.
He actually started at the age of 22, and his current picture was taken 25 years later when he was 47. In the current video, you can see how JK Keller ages over 25 years in just over five minutes. We have embedded the video for you here:
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The YouTuber’s face changes only slightly over 25 years
What stands out? The changes in his face are hardly noticeable. Over the 25 years, he hardly changed at all. His hairstyle changes repeatedly; sometimes he has longer hair, then again shorter hair, and he constantly wears a new model of glasses, but otherwise, his face hardly changes. Many viewers on Reddit also notice this and praise his patience with the many photos:
Wow! Just a little over 8,000 images. Great focus on the series. It takes a lot of patience for this. I estimate that most people would change more than he does.
However, some viewers report that his video ends just before the exciting changes begin. Therefore, they hope that YouTuber JK Keller will not stop his series now but will continue it. This cannot be said for sure, as JK Keller seems to upload a video only every two years on his YouTube channel. Since 2017 (launch of the channel), he has uploaded only twelve videos.
The change is not particularly dramatic; I hope he continues to take photos because he stopped exactly where aging becomes interesting.
Why could later images become exciting? As a study from Stanford University shows, humans age particularly significantly around the ages of 34, 60, and 78. These changes at a protein level are associated by researchers with considerable changes in the body overall. And the series of images stops several years before this process begins. By now, the YouTuber is 48 years old.
A bug in Escape from Tarkov causes your quest progress to be reset. The developers must respond quickly.
What is this error? It is a bug that resets your quest progress in Escape from Tarkov (EFT) and prevents you from completing missions – even if you fully complete the quest line.
Here you can see the trailer “On the Edge of Darkness”:
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Escape from Tarkov teases in the trailer ‘On the Edge of Darkness’ the new map Terminal
What is the cause of the bug? Escape from Tarkov has an arena mode that can be purchased and downloaded separately on the developer’s website. This mode has now caused the bug in normal Escape from Tarkov, as both modes synchronize with each other.
This synchronization now causes your mission progress in normal Escape from Tarkov to be reset repeatedly while you keep your rewards, but do not gain any quest progress.
What have the developers done? Initially, players could only avoid the bug by not starting the EFT Arena, so no synchronization took place. However, the developers have now announced via X that the synchronization has been temporarily halted to protect you from losing your progress.
You can continue to play active missions and make progress, which will then be saved. However, starting new missions and completing current ones is still not possible. It is also unclear whether the lost progress will be restored.
George Lucas created a gigantic universe with Star Wars in 1977, which still produces series and movies today. However, the director is convinced that there is another sci-fi film that is much better.
In the documentary “Standing On The Shoulders Of Kubrick: The Legacy Of 2001” (via Filmstarts), George Lucas revealed that 2001: A Space Odyssey is, in his eyes, even better than Star Wars:
Stanley Kubrick made the definitive science fiction film, and it will be very difficult for someone to come along and make a better film […] On a technical level, Star Wars can certainly hold its own, but personally, I consider 2001 to be much better.
In the following video, you can watch the trailer for the sci-fi classic:
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Trailer for the Sci-Fi classic 2001 – A Space Odyssey
2001: A Space Odyssey is considered one of the best sci-fi films
What kind of film is it?2001: A Space Odyssey was first shown in 1968. Stanley Kubrick was appointed as the director. The film features various encounters between humans and strange, black monoliths over several timelines.
The monoliths appear to influence human evolution. Dr. David Bowman, played by Keir Dullea, travels to Jupiter and encounters such an object. It sends him on a transcendent journey.
Why is it so good? Above all, the visual special effects during the transcendent journey are one of the highlights of the film. For George Lucas, the film is overall a pioneer of the sci-fi genre, as it was the first sci-fi film to be taken seriously.
Until then, sci-fi was mostly concerned with giant monsters and spiders. 2001: A Space Odyssey, on the other hand, deals with philosophical themes, such as the existence of higher beings and the depths of space.
In Pokémon GO the first parts of the Dynamax feature have been unlocked today. Accordingly, there is also a special research for you.
Which research is it about? Dynamax is a new feature being introduced as part of the new season in Pokémon GO. This involves a completely new area for battles, in which only corresponding Pokémon can participate.
While today the first features of Dynamax have been unlocked and you can already collect Dynamax particles, visit power sources, and receive your first Dynamax monsters, a corresponding special research has also been unlocked.
We have compiled what tasks you need to complete here and what rewards await you.
Update from September 9, 2024: We have updated the article for you and added the last step.
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Pokémon GO shows the new season ‘Dyna-Maximum’ in the trailer
Dynasty! 1/3
Task
Reward
Visit 3 power sources
30x Pokéball
Explore 5 km
20x Superball
Collect 500 Dyna particles
10x Hyperball
Stage reward: After completing these steps, you will receive Dynamax Wooly as your first Pokémon that can perform the Dynamaxing, as well as 8,000 experience points.
Dynasty! 2/3
Task
Reward
Collect Dyna particles from 10 power sources
100 Dyna particles
Collect 1,000 Dyna particles
2x Golden Himmihberry
Increase the level of a Dyna attack
5x Rare candy
Stage reward: Once all steps are completed, you will also receive an encounter with a Dynamax Rafflesia. In addition, you can collect another 8,000 experience points.
Stage reward: If you have completed all tasks of the last step of the research, you will also receive an additional 8,000 experience points, 4,000 Stardust, and the accessory Dynamax Band.
What do you think of the new special research and the new feature? Are you looking forward to it? Feel free to write us your opinion in the comments and exchange ideas with other trainers. We also have an overview of the events in September 2024 in Pokémon GO for you.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
On YouTube, the format 7 vs. Wild is one of the most popular. Creator Fritz Meinecke has now presented the innovations of the fourth season, and they are significant. The season simulates a situation in which survivors of a plane crash must survive in the wilderness.
What are the new rules in 7 vs. Wild? To summarize briefly, these are the rules of the upcoming season:
new scenario: plane crash
participants start as a group
duration is 14 days
equipment items are predetermined for the group
In the previous season, the Twitch streamer Trymacs was one of the candidates. We introduce him to you in the video:
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Vom Pizza-Lieferant zu einem der größten deutschen Twitch-Streamer – Leben und Karriere von Trymacs in 2 Minuten
Disaster scenario plane crash and group dynamics
What changes in the fourth season? One of the biggest changes in the season in 2024 is the scenario of the plane crash. For this, the YouTube format has crashed a real plane.
The second major change is the arrangement of the participants. They will not be dropped off individually or in pairs, as was the case in previous seasons, but initially as a group. Whether they continue the competition as a group or whether participants prefer to survive alone in the wilderness is up to them.
The group dynamics will be particularly interesting when it comes to equipment. At the plane, there will be a kind of starting equipment intended for the entire group. So if someone wants to leave the group, the question arises as to who will keep which equipment.
Series founder Fritz Meinecke.
“This whole thing is once again a complete black box”
The creator of the survival format, Fritz Meinecke, explained the new concept by saying that a lot of different things have already been tried in previous seasons. Now something new is coming with the fourth season.
However, one commonality remains, as Fritz Meinecke himself says in the YouTube video: “This whole thing is once again a complete black box.” The format provides the framework, but what ultimately happens is a whole different story.
This aspect is particularly praised by the community. The comments under the video are filled with anticipation and good spirits. One user writes: “The fact that each season is fundamentally different from the others keeps the project alive.”
Another user jokes: “Season 4 is Fritz’s personal social experiment, with the question of when influencers become cannibals in the cold wilderness.”
The fourth season of the successful format 7 vs. Wild is eagerly awaited. In the previous three seasons, the inventor of the format, Fritz Meinecke, was also among the participants. However, in this season, it was initially unclear to what extent he is involved: Fritz Meinecke finally reveals if he will be part of season 4 of 7 vs. Wild
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Twitch streamer Asmongold has now commented on political matters in Germany, depicting a picture of Germany that does not reflect the truth. He suggests: In Germany, it is punishable to call overweight people “fat.” 5 years in prison are threatened. He is happy to live in the USA, where there is freedom of speech.
What is Asmongold talking about? In a YouTube clip “Fat Jokes are illegal now,” originating from his Twitch live stream, gaming streamer Asmongold tells his viewers:
The German police are investigating a case: Someone has called the Green politician Ricarda Lang “fat” online. The Federal Criminal Police Office wanted to find out the person’s data in order to bring them to justice and inquired with a US company for the personal data.
He then shows a statement from the US social network “Gab,” which claims that the German government is investigating a user of the platform because they called a German politician “fat.” Gab is supposed to release the user’s data – the user faces 5 years in prison.
In the video, they make extensive jokes about Ricarda Lang. And ask why it would be problematic to call a politician overweight when people openly joke about Donald Trump during carnival parades.
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Career and life of Asmongold in 3 minutes – What makes him special?
Asmongold thanks God that he lives in a country with freedom of speech and not in Germany
This is what Asmongold says: The streamer says:
If all they did was call her fat, then they should start an investigation in Germany as to why she is fat, what she eats, why this is happening. […] I think Americans don’t realize what a huge privilege it is to have the right to free speech in our country. I think so many of us take that for granted.
I say: Thank God I don’t have to live under the thumb of some guy who puts me in prison for something he finds offensive. The idea that ideas are dangerous is very frightening to me.
BKA investigates for “defamatory and sexualized depiction”; not because someone called Ricarda Lang fat
What is the error? Asmongold is falling for a false representation of events that is shared by the social network itself and picked up by some media.
If you read the request from the BKA to the platform Gab, you quickly realize: It is not about Ricarda Lang being called “fat,” but the user has sexualized and dehumanized her in a fake image – in a defamatory manner.
However, Asmongold completely disregards the “sexualization” and “dehumanizing depiction” in his account and turns it into: “Someone called her fat – and now the whole German state apparatus is preoccupied with clarification and wasting its resources on such nonsense.”
The head of the social network Gab shows the letter from the BKA:
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The post in question dates back to 12.02.2022 and shows a naked, overweight woman with the caption “Ricarda Lang is now personally processing asylum applications as well.”
So the prosecution is not about Ricarda Lang being depicted as overweight, but mainly about the sexualization and defamation.
The video shows the image concerning which the investigation is taking place. However, it is interpreted as “Someone called her fat.”
Simplifying such an image to “Someone called Ricarda Lang fat and should go to prison for 5 years” is simply not what is happening.
However, the video remains unchallenged on the internet, provokes intense comments, and people seem to seriously believe that freedom of speech does not exist in Germany. The video has received 410,000 views in just 9 hours.
Hong Kong releases a guide to prevent premarital intimacy. The authorities are becoming a global laughingstock – but are also creating a new way to flirt.
Who gives such advice to young people? The Education and Youth Affairs Bureau of Hong Kong has published a 70-page guide on dealing with premarital intimacy. An English version is available for download on the official website. The focus is clearly on guiding young people to prevent unwanted pregnancies, for example. While this approach may not be inherently unusual for a government agency, details from the booklet are raising eyebrows – and creating a completely new way to flirt.
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Esports is in a crisis in 2023, but that’s completely normal
Recommendations Cause Amusement
What does the bureau recommend? Really badminton, instead of…? Yes, really. In a chapter featuring case studies to present young people with certain situations where they might be tempted to give in to each other and make out, they offer a sporty tip: Play badminton instead to distract yourselves from desire.
This has led to much amusement, but also head-shaking. For example, there is a post on Facebook that humorously juxtaposes the implicit flirting of “Netflix and chill?” with the new Chinese equivalent: “Shall we play badminton together?” The authorities dismiss the criticism that they are out of touch with the youth as unfounded, as BBC reports: “We want to protect young people,” insists Christine Choi, Hong Kong’s Secretary for Education.
Does Hong Kong have any other interesting advice for its youth? Yes, indeed. The guide also includes a fillable form where young people commit to chastity and moral behavior. Furthermore, the bureau advises dressing decently to avoid stimulating anyone around them with visual cues.
How does the public react in Hong Kong? There is no representative survey available, but the subjective impressions of the media from an outside perspective, as well as comments from citizens of the metropolis, paint a clear picture: The advice is perceived as bizarre and unrealistic. BBC features a father of a daughter (13) and a son (10):
The Hong Kong government is clueless; they are making a fool of themselves. My wife and I will handle the education ourselves; it is not the job of the school or the state.
Is Hong Kong acting independently here? After all, it belongs to China, right? In the case of Hong Kong, questions about independent actions and decisions are difficult to answer because, on paper, the metropolis retains its autonomy as a Special Administrative Region even after its return to China. In practice, however, this is much less clear. The Chinese influence is significant, but the guide applies only to Hong Kong. It does not pertain to mainland China.
In a trailer, the developers of War Thunder present the next big update: “Dance of Dragons”.
What kind of game is this? War Thunder is a military MMO that allows players to engage in large PvP battles against each other. Players can take control of various historical and modern tanks, planes, helicopters, and ships.
War Thunder was released in 2012 and has since been continuously updated with new content by developer Gaijin Entertainment. The next big update is named “Dance of Dragons”.
You can watch the trailer for the new update here:
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War Thunder: The trailer for the new update ‘Dance of Dragons’
What does the trailer reveal? It becomes clear in the first few seconds: The focus is on the two new Chinese fighter jets. According to colleagues at MMORPG, these are the J-10A and the JF-17. The latter was developed in China for the Pakistani Air Force.
In a blog post on warthunder.com, the developers have already introduced the J-10A. The aircraft is said to excel with a maximum speed of Mach 2 (about 2,390 km/h), excellent maneuverability, and a focus on aerial combat.
More new aircraft and a beta test
However, this does not mean that other countries will miss out on this update. An attentive commentator on YouTube has compiled a list of the equipment presented in the trailer. This includes:
The A10C, a modern variant of the US A10 – also known as Warthog
The French coastal fleet, which, according to a forum post on warthunder.com, is to be tested in a closed beta
The F-111C bomber developed for the Royal Australian Air Force
The FFA P-16, a ground attack aircraft from Switzerland
Is there already a release date? No, the developers have not yet revealed when the update is set to be released.
War Thunder is likely known to many, at least by name, even if they do not play the military MMO themselves. Particularly dedicated players often make headlines when they “leak” (allegedly) military secrets in online forums.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Bungie is actively fighting against cheat makers and dragging them to court if necessary. One of the largest providers, “AimJunkies,” sought to challenge the ruling, but their appeal was denied. Destiny 2 is once again free of cheats.
For quite some time, the loot shooter has been struggling with cheaters on PC, and consoles are also affected by hardware cheats. Bungie wants to create a safe environment where honestly playing guardians are not disturbed by cheaters.
The proceedings looked good for Bungie; they managed to win the favor of the jury, but the cheat provider filed an appeal. The company wanted to contest the ruling, but they had no chance.
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Destiny 2: Echos shows its new weapons in Act 3 in the trailer
Over 3 million euros in fines – Appeal denied
How did Bungie win? The judgment with a fine of 4.4 million dollars was already established. Bungie had won, but AimJunkies disagreed with the ruling. They filed an appeal.
The reasoning: Bungie could not prove that AimJunkies had violated copyright. The jury supposedly made an incorrect decision, and thus the cheat provider insisted on a new trial or a different penalty.
As a precedent, the defense of AimJunkies used the case of Galoob Toys and Nintendo. There, the software acted as a supporting means to manipulate game files – like a kind of tool.
According to statements from the court, however, the software from AimJunkies was not “dumb and worked more than just a window in the programming of Destiny 2.” With it, players were able to modify the code of Destiny 2 and adjust values, thus gaining unfair advantages.
The result: The appeal was denied, and claims that the court had disregarded crucial evidence in the process were dismissed. If one now calculates the fine that AimJunkies would have to pay Bungie, and takes into account the price of The Final Shape (since Destiny 2 is free), Bungie would have sold DLC equivalent to 79,621 times. More about Destiny 2 can be found here: Destiny 2 wins 4 million euros in lawsuit against cheat provider – Sues the next one directly
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Fortnite today, Wednesday, September 4th, the servers were taken down for maintenance. New content will await you in the Marvel season. What you need to know about the downtime can be found here.
Wednesday, 04.09.2024
12:06 PM
We are ending the live ticker here for the moment and will wait to see if Epic Games releases its patch notes. In the meantime, you can check the timeline for the leaks that have been revealed.
11:46 AM
The servers are back online. We will keep an eye out for the patch notes and update you here. So stay tuned.
11:16 AM
The two hidden skins from the latest update are as follows:
Black Cat
Sabretooth Meowscles
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The glove of Thanos has been reintroduced into the data. It is likely that players will soon be able to transform with their superpowers from the glove to create chaos.
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The player search has now been disabled. You have 30 minutes left until the servers are turned off. Get ready.
09:13 AM
Good morning! The servers will be taken down soon at 10:00 AM German time, and matchmaking will be disabled at 9:30 AM.
According to leaks, the downtime is expected to last 5 hours. We will accompany you during the downtime and post the most important leaks here about the servers being down.
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What happens with Patch 31.10? Today, Epic Games is taking down the servers for maintenance. You will not be able to play Fortnite during the downtime, so be prepared.
According to teasers and leaks, the super styles for your skins in the battle pass will be released. Additionally, more superheroes from the Marvel universe may appear in the shop. You will find out all this and more with us.
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Fortnite Battle Royale Chapter 5 Season 4 – Official Trailer to Absolute Doom
Fortnite: Start and Duration of the Server Down
Server Down in the morning – What you need to know: Epic Games has announced its server down for Fortnite and set it for 10:00 AM German time. The matchmaking will be disabled 30 minutes before the servers shut down – so you won’t be able to start any new rounds during this time.
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When will the servers be back online? This depends on the size and scope of the update. If there are no complications, you can expect a two-hour downtime. However, it could also be that the server down is resolved around 1:00 PM or 2:00 PM. We will keep you updated in that case.
When will the patch notes come? Epic Games is currently only sporadically releasing its patch notes for the “Battle Royale” mode. If they are available, they will only be released after the downtime. We will list the patch notes for you as soon as Epic Games makes them available.
Some information about new collaborations has already leaked, and it is known that Fall Guys will appear in Fortnite. However, what exactly you can expect has been listed here (via X.com):
Concord had a catastrophic launch and had to be taken down after just two weeks. The developers had to endure a lot of mockery and scorn on the internet, but still found kind words for their fans in the end.
What happened to Concord? The game Concord was developed by Firewalk Studios and was released on August 23, 2024. However, player numbers were very low from the beginning and players experienced massive matchmaking issues. There was much criticism for the shooter and the game flopped.
Concord: ‘The Stars Are Ours’ Cinematic Vignette Season 0: Episode 0
Developer thanks loyal fans
What did the developer say to the fans? Developer Josh Hamrik posted on X a short thank you: “For everyone who approached us with love, you are the reason why we make games.” He was responding to the game’s fans who showed their empathy regarding the flop.
What did the developers have to endure on the internet? Concord was torn apart online. Players commented, among other things, that the game was too “woke” because it featured playable female characters and plus-sized characters. The game was accused of having an agenda.
The fundamental concept of Concord was also criticized. It was often said that the shooter had no soul, no identity of its own. Technically, the game had problems but demanded 40 € as a purchase price in a genre where competitors are often free-to-play. Many users jumped on these criticisms on social media.
That the game flopped was thus a field day for the players, and they concluded that “woke” content in games does not work. It seemed to hinge only on a lack of interesting gameplay. After all, a hero shooter is nothing new in the gaming world.
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But kind words also reached the developers: Josh Scherr, writer of The Last of Us and Uncharted, wrote on X: “I don’t want to retweet clickbait or attract trolls, so I’ll just say my heart goes out to everyone at Firewalk Studios regarding today’s news. Sucks.”
Daryl Nelsen, a former producer at Blizzard, posted on X: “Firewalk didn’t deserve this, and I hope the team can recover and regroup from it.”
What happens next? This is a question many are asking since a lot of effort went into eight years of development. Firewalk Studios stated in their PlayStation.Blog post that they would be “reviewing options” and evaluating the best path for the future. There don’t seem to be any concrete plans yet.
