However, since Valve has not shared much information about the game yet, we will summarize what we know so far or what we do not know.
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The article aims to provide you with a long-term overview of all known information about Deadlock and will be continually updated.
Deadlock Release: Is there any information yet?
What we know about the release of Deadlock: Currently, no release date for Deadlock is known (as of September 3, 2024). However, we know that the game will be released on Steam.
However, the game is currently playable in an alpha test if you have been invited by Valve or a Steam friend to play.
Will Deadlock also be available for PS5 and Xbox Series? So far, nothing is known about a release of Deadlock on PS5 or Xbox Series X|S. The game is not playable with a controller in the alpha test and supports only mouse and keyboard controls.
Valve often releases new games only for PC on Steam, its in-house platform. Even Counter-Strike 2 and DOTA 2 are only playable on Steam on PC and not on console.
Deadlock Invite: How to get an invitation
How can you play Deadlock? Deadlock is currently only playable in an alpha test. To participate in this test, you must be invited.
How do you get an invitation? You must be invited either by Valve or by a friend who already has access to Deadlock.
If you want to invite a friend or be invited by a friend, there is an option for that in the game. To invite, follow these steps:
Start Deadlock via Steam
In the main menu of Deadlock, click on “Invite Friends” in the bottom right corner
Select the friends you want to invite to the Deadlock alpha test
However, you can only invite people you are friends with on Steam.
Here you can see the button for inviting friends in Deadlock. We have marked the button you need to press in red:
A screenshot of the button for inviting friends in Deadlock
Gameplay: What kind of game is this?
What do we know about the gameplay? Deadlock is a multiplayer game that is described by early players as a “MOBA shooter” and is played in third-person perspective.
Gameplay-wise, Deadlock mixes individual components of a MOBA with the gameplay of a shooter. Like in a MOBA, there are so-called lanes (there are 4 in Deadlock). On these lanes, players fight against enemy infantry, guardians, runners, and other players. They also level up their abilities there and try to get closer to and besiege the enemy base.
At the beginning of a match, each player chooses one of a total of 21 different heroes, all of whom have different abilities and weapons. The primary weapons are firearms, which is why Deadlock also offers some shooter gameplay.
Although there is no gameplay trailer yet, you can get an impression of the game in our video:
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This is Deadlock – The new MOBA shooter from Valve
In the game itself, you can choose from four different modes. There is the normal mode where you play 6v6 with and against other players, a demo mode to test heroes and abilities, a public match where you play with other players against bots, and a private bot match where only you and your friends compete against bots.
These characters are in Deadlock – All heroes
Which heroes are available? In Deadlock, there are currently a total of 21 different heroes in the alpha test:
Abrams*
Bebop*
Dynamo*
Grey Talon*
Haze*
Infernus*
Ivy
Kelvin*
Lady Ghost
Lash
McGinnis*
Mo & Krill
Paradox
Pocket
Seven*
Shiv
Vindicta*
Viscous
Warden
Wraith*
Yamato
All heroes of Deadlock in a table
The heroes marked with an asterisk (*) are particularly suitable for beginners, according to Valve.
In ARK: Survival Ascended, you will soon swing through a new map like Spider-Man by carrying a cute spider on your forearm.
On September 4, ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA) will get the DLC map Aberration. The map was originally released in ARK: Survival Evolved in 2017 and brought some new features to the game, including new creatures and devices. The great peculiarity of Aberration is that the map is entirely set underground, allowing you to venture deeper into the earth.
However, life underground also means that you cannot utilize the variety of different flying animals such as an Argentavis or a Wyvern on the map. Instead, there are creatures like the Rock Drake, which can climb and glide exceptionally well. Additionally, Aberration introduced new shoulder pets at that time, which sit on your shoulder and can serve as a light source.
With the release of Aberration in ARK: Survival Ascended, the game will receive another shoulder pet that will make movement underground easier for you.
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ARK: Survival Ascended is revealed for the first time in the trailer
There’s a spider sitting on your forearm
What kind of spider is that? With the ASA release, owners of the “Bob’s Tall Tales” bundle can meet Cosmo. This is a small cute spider with bulging eyes that can be used as a shoulder pet.
Not much is known about Cosmo yet. However, in a picture shared by the developers, it can be seen that the spider helps you to move underground. It sits on your forearm, clinging to it with its eight hairy legs, looking at you with its huge bulging eyes while shooting spider webs.
The picture also shows that you can use these threads to swing through the underground like Spider-Man, hopefully escaping the clutches of a Reaper.
In addition to the spider Cosmo and the Aberration map, ARK: Survival Ascended will get a new dino, the Yi Ling. This is a type of raptor that is very agile and can climb walls.
The developers are thus still working on new or enhanced old content for the survival game. They are supported by a strong mod community that also provides the game with new maps, creatures, structures, and more.
Professions play a significant role in World of Warcraft, especially in the new expansion The War Within. While you can practice most professions exclusively with new materials, alchemy is a special case here. For some recipes, you need a so-called “Philosopher’s Stone”. We will show you how to get this stone.
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WoW: The War Within – Forces Within
Crafting the Philosopher’s Stone in The War Within
What do you need a Philosopher’s Stone for? A Philosopher’s Stone is necessary for alchemy in World of Warcraft. You can create most potions, flasks, and vials without the stone, but it is essential for transmutations and thaumaturgy.
The problem: Crafting the “current” Philosopher’s Stone is quite expensive and consumes valuable materials that you cannot acquire quickly.
But there is a cost-effective alternative: A Philosopher’s Stone from an old addon.
How do you obtain a Philosopher’s Stone? Even though there are many versions of the Philosopher’s Stone, you get the cheapest variant by a long shot in the expansion “Mists of Pandaria”. Just travel to Pandaria, find an alchemy trainer, and learn the alchemy profession of that continent. It’s possible with the Klaxxi in the Dread Wastes at coordinates 53/31. Make sure to also learn the recipe “Meditative Alchemist Stone” (“Zen Alchemist Stone”).
The recipe only costs you 3 Golden Lotus. You can buy these at a very low price in the auction house.
Now craft the “Meditative Alchemist Stone” – and keep it in your inventory. You can use it for all future transmutations, including the new ones from “The War Within”!
What else should you consider? Some players report that the transmutation in The War Within has several bugs. New recipes are rarely learned – or in some cases never – in this way. If this is also the case for you, it’s better to be patient rather than sacrificing hundreds or thousands of items in transmutation. A fix for the bug or clarification about the feature will surely come from Blizzard in the next few days. If you’re a newcomer or returning player, you should take a closer look at these 3 classes.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Blizzard has announced a PTR 2.0 for testing Season 6 in Diablo 4. There, you can play the new content in advance and provide feedback that the developers can then take into consideration. MeinMMO delivers all the important information.
When does the PTR start? Starting September 4th, you can play on the PTR again. A specific time is still unknown. You can already start the preload now.
How long does the PTR run? You can test the new changes until September 11th.
How do I play on the PTR? You must own Diablo 4 on PC. Navigate in the Battle.net client to Diablo 4 and select the Public Test Realm (PTR) from the drop-down menu above the “Play” button.
Here, you can create a test character or play with one of your existing characters. They will simply be copied. You will carry over from your account:
Campaign completion
Mounts and skill points
Fog of War
Value bonuses from Lilith’s altars
From September 6th, an NPC will be available to bring your character to maximum level and complete the map for you. He will also grant you the class mechanics, upgraded potions, all aspects and glyphs, and anything else you need for testing.
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Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred shows the new features and the new region Nahantu in the video
Season 6 content – What you can look forward to
With the PTR, Blizzard is preparing for both Season 6 and the expansion Vessel of Hatred. The changes are correspondingly extensive; some players believe: Diablo 4 will become an entirely new game.
On the PTR, you can test the following content:
New level system: Characters now level up to level 60, gained Paragon points thereafter apply to all characters in the realm (seasonal, eternal, hardcore).
Each class will receive an additional ability and 5 passive skills with the new levels.
Additionally, Blizzard is once again overhauling the item system. Ancestral items will always have the new maximum power of 800 and at least one large affix; sacred items will be completely removed. Season 6 will also bring new uniques, although we still do not know if these are available to test in the PTR.
Data miners have already found new items in the game files, that are apparently necessary for the cow level. However, you probably won’t find them or be able to use them meaningfully yet. The search for the level will only truly continue with Vessel of Hatred.
MeinMMO demon Cortyn has played the new horror game in the universe of Dead by Daylight. But does “The Casting of Frank Stone” actually live up to the hype?
Anyone who follows me and my articles a bit knows that a good story is important to me – even in games that are actually able to do without a story. Dead by Daylight is such a game where the story is completely pushed into the background for many players. All the more I was excited when it was announced a few months ago that this would change with its own story spin-off.
“The Casting of Frank Stone” is one such game that is being released on Steam today. It was developed by Supermassive Games, who gained fame with “The Quarry” and “Man of Medan”.
I had the opportunity to play through The Casting of Frank Stone last weekend. I want to avoid major story spoilers here, but at least a brief explanation of some incidents is necessary.
For transparency’s sake, I should mention that the game was provided to me in advance as a review copy. This means on one hand that I did not have to pay for the game, but also that I have not yet experienced a potential first patch.
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The Casting of Frank Stone: The Horror Video “Murder Mill”
The story of The Casting of Frank Stone
The plot begins in the past. In a small town, a baby is kidnapped, and the trail leads a brave police officer to an old steel mill. Frank Stone, one of the steelworkers, wanted to sacrifice the child in a ritual and ultimately meets his own end in the process. A horror story that is still told in the small town of Cedar Hills even years later.
Years later, in 1980, the steel mill is abandoned and a group of teenagers visits the site to shoot their own horror film: “Murder Mill”. However, strange incidents accumulate during the filming, and it seems that the mysterious Frank Stone has not completely left the steel mill even years after his death…
In parallel, the plot takes place in the present, in 2024. “Murder Mill” is considered a hidden gem of the horror genre, and there are even rumors surrounding the film. When it is screened, viewers are said to fall into murderous frenzy. There seems to be something in the footage of this amateur film that exerts influence even many decades later and regularly gives some people nightmares. A mystery that is only unveiled piece by piece.
The storyline constantly jumps between these two narratives. In the present, one tries to decipher what happened in the past to play through these events and experience how it truly unfolded.
Armed with the camera – first, a film is shot, then it becomes a matter of survival.
The gameplay – Functional and typical
As is common for most games from Supermassive Games – or many horror games in general – the gameplay primarily consists of exploring different areas. The eerie steel mill, the architecture of an old villa, or a walk through the woods. There are almost always small puzzles to discover or items to find. Some are solely for collectors (those into achievements), but almost always there are also story objects that provide more background information or even unlock new dialogue options.
The biggest impact on the story is made through decisions. In dialogues, you can take your time:
Do you show compassion or accusation?
Do you take the safe route to the steel mill, which is close to the police?
Do you take the more dangerous path through the woods, which remains unnoticed?
You have significantly less time when action is on the agenda. Here you have to make a decision within a few seconds, which often determines the fate of one or more characters:
Do you try to save your girlfriend and confront the killer, or do you flee?
Do you lock a door immediately, or do you wait for stragglers?
Especially when things get ‘magical’, your decisions become important – and consequences are inevitable.
Consequences often come immediately, and a single decision can lead to the instant death of a protagonist. The story then continues and adapts. This is combined with few quick-time events in which you must prove the character’s skills – you can also choose to fail intentionally if you wish.
This creates a vast web of possibilities and different scenes that you can experience.
Horror without jumpscares
When thinking of “modern horror,” some roll their eyes in annoyance. Especially in movies and series, but also in video games over the past years, jumpscares are often relied upon – that is, quiet, eerie scenes in which suddenly (and usually very loudly) something appears and startles you. This is rightly perceived by many as “cheap”.
This is why I am even more pleased that The Casting of Frank Stone does not need that at all. There are many creepy, tense moments, and sometimes it even becomes downright panicky – but I experienced virtually no clumsy jumpscares during my first playthrough. The horror approached – slowly and inexorably. That was much creepier than any jumpscare could have been.
It’s classic horror that unfolds its effect slowly and sustainably.
The cosmic horror of the entity – the end of the game or just the beginning?
References to Dead by Daylight, without feeling silly
The fact that “The Casting of Frank Stone” is a game in the world of Dead by Daylight is not only made clear by the story surrounding killers, survivors, and the entity. There are repeatedly small allusions – sometimes more subtle, sometimes quite direct.
Thus, The Casting of Frank Stone also occasionally has “skill checks” that use exactly the same sounds as in Dead by Daylight. Often, a generator needs to be repaired, and when the killer is nearby, the heartbeat pulses audibly.
Of course, survivors find generators. Did you expect anything else?
Additionally, there are several collectible items – dolls of well-known killers like the Trapper, Doctor, or Nurse. At first, when I saw the doll, I thought: “Uff, that doesn’t really fit in here and pulls me out of the world” – but I was wrong. The further the story progressed, the more I realized how unbelievably well these elements fit into the story.
A feature every game needs
A small but very impressive detail I want to highlight separately. Story fans are certainly familiar with the problem from many other games: The characters talk while gameplay is happening. You search a room while the characters chat or move on. If you get too far away from the group or trigger something, the dialogue is interrupted, and you miss story. This is incredibly annoying and often makes me roll my eyes at many games.
The Casting of Frank Stone surprised me here. Because when dialogues were prematurely interrupted here – for example, because you briefly loot something or trigger something – the dialogue is not lost. Instead, the character brings it up again at the next opportunity, saying something like: “Where was I just? Oh right …” Then they pick up the previous conversation and continue it.
This is such a simple thing, but I noticed it here for the first time, and it greatly contributed to the already good atmosphere. I would wish for this in absolutely every game with dialogues from now on.
Even the “collectibles” are creepy. And as you can see, the game is available in complete German.
Game time, technical issues, and replay value
How long is the playtime? The playtime will likely vary depending on the decisions made. My first playthrough took about 6 hours, allowing me to complete the game over the course of one (rather long) night. However, I never reloaded or replayed sections, but accepted the consequences each time, even if a decision was disadvantageous.
In doing so, I neither took particularly long searching nor did I “rush through”. I listened to the dialogues, and only when the story made it clear that time pressure was prevailing, did I become a bit hasty.
These technical issues arose: I would like to criticize a few technical shortcomings. They are not overly significant, but they did stand out to me:
Although my computer is quite good, the game had stutters several times, mostly at the beginning of a new scene. It often felt like the game had not fully loaded the environment before the scene began. After a few seconds, the stutters disappeared, but it happened in roughly half of all scenes.
A “V-Sync” function would have been desirable – at least, I couldn’t find it. Especially with fast camera movements, I occasionally experienced annoying visual errors with screen tearing.
Characters sometimes appear a bit static and occasionally seem “spontaneously placed in a scene” when the camera pans to them. The characters stand still for a fraction of a second and then start running – in a scene where they should have already been in motion for a while. This was very rare, but when it happened, it felt rather unintentionally funny.
But these are just small things, and I assume that especially the technical issues will be fixed promptly with patches.
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The Casting of Frank Stone – Gameplay trailer shows the story
Will you play this more than once? With a high degree of certainty, even if I let a few weeks pass. If you want, you can display a kind of “net” at the end of the game that shows all scenes and decisions made. It becomes evident that I have only seen a fraction of all scenes and experiences so far, and the course of the story will likely change drastically if I make different decisions.
My goal for the next time: At least one character must survive. Let’s see if I can manage that.
My own story: I’m not as good at horror games as I thought
I don’t consider myself the greatest gamer genius under the sun. But I do have a certain ego and believe that in horror games with decisions, you can hardly go wrong if you follow three simple rules:
The group does not separate.
No one plays the hero.
Stick together and trust each other.
Three very simple rules that are disregarded by almost every horror movie featuring screaming teenagers, who usually meet their screen deaths in creatively gory ways.
I would never let that happen while playing.
That’s what I thought for a long time. But my beautiful house of cards collapsed more and more during the last hour of gameplay. I lost one character due to a wrong decision – I just wanted to play the hero for once. A second character died because I thought: “Nothing is going to happen during a dialogue, so I’ll just grab a few pretzels” – Bam, the skill check came, and the next protagonist was already split in two on the floor.
In the editing room, you can rewind previous scenes – and change the story’s course.
Especially the last half hour was a series of quiet, horrified “No, oh no …” whimpers in front of the screen. Because completely unnoticed, I had set everything in motion so that one calamity followed the other.
Especially, the game is also ruthlessly good at showing you through various signals why a consequence happened now. Who would have thought that the little mirror I tucked away at the very beginning of the game could play an important role at the end – and that I made the wrong choice again.
The bottom line: Absolutely all characters died. Every single one. No one survived. As a consolation prize, I received the achievement “Merciless Killer” – Merciless Killer.
I thought I would be among the survivors in a horror film scenario. Don’t ask me for tips.
Conclusion: A powerful story that Dead by Daylight has been missing
The Casting of Frank Stone has convinced me. The atmosphere is spot on, the characters are interesting and multifaceted, the horror is classic yet gripping, and the story is unexpectedly complex. It is the first game in the Dead by Daylight universe that story fans should be quite satisfied with, finally feeling that: Yes, this universe is vast and well thought out. It is more than a lobby game; it has extensive lore and is extraordinarily versatile.
The only downside is the price of around €40 on Steam, which is quite high if you only want to play the game once. Because if you only spend 5-6 hours with the game, you have to dig quite deep into your pockets. However, if you want to experience the story multiple times, achieve different outcomes, and see new scenes, you will get your money’s worth. In doubt, you can always wait for the first price reduction.
Frank Stone is really not a nice guy. Even if he is almost bearable in this form…
I played with English voice acting, which I found very good. The entire game is also equipped with German voice acting if you value that.
From my side, I can give a clear recommendation for The Casting of Frank Stone. It finally provides Dead by Daylight with the playable story that the universe has deserved for a long time. I hope that the game will be a success – because I want more of it, and I believe that you will too, once you see how this story ends. And if this story is too scary for you, you can still invite the killers of Dead by Daylight on a date.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Is Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 good or bad? The community is divided. Some love the game, while others express significant criticism.
The Beta of CoD Black Ops 6 has started, and the first players have already formed opinions about the latest installment of the popular shooter series and the work of Treyarch.
However, the community is still very split. While some are full of praise for Black Ops 6 and Treyarch, others express clear criticism.
We are collecting some of the first opinions on the beta.
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 shows its new multiplayer in the trailer
A lot of praise, but also criticism
What do players think of the BO6 beta? It completely depends on who you ask. One player writes, for example, on Reddit: “This is the best COD I’ve played since BO3. […] The guns feel good, the controls are not too fast and not too slow, little details like classic prestige, persistent lobbies, great music, the winner’s circle, etc. It looks promising for a beta.”
However, there is significant criticism for technical problems. For some players, the beta does not start on PS5. Others are annoyed because the game has to be restarted repeatedly after an update (via Reddit).
One of the most praised things about the beta is the new Omni-Movement. Many like it: “I’m more of a casual player, so I don’t play for hours. Maybe that’s why I don’t notice some things […]. The movement is damn good, a subtle change can really make the difference.” (via Reddit) The same user also writes that he enjoys the game and does not understand the hate.
One of the biggest points of criticism is the visibility of enemies, especially when they are lying on the ground: “I don’t know if it’s just me, but it is incredibly difficult to see people in this game.” The user explains the poor visibility with the many particle effects (dust and dirt) and the dark areas of the maps with little color (via Reddit).
Alongside the recurring discussion about SBMM, there is also a discussion on Reddit about a specific submachine gun: the Jackal PDW. This is currently the most popular and probably the best weapon in the beta.
Some players complain that it is boring that everyone is playing the same weapon. Others go a step further, saying the MP has ruined the beta. If you want to help ruin the beta, we have picked out a loadout with which a CoD world champion plays the weapon: Black Ops 6 Beta: Best weapon – Meta MP with setup from the CoD world champion
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The developer Joe Wintergreen wanted to release a remake of his game on Steam, but the platform initially did not allow it. The reason: the game is too similar to its predecessor.
What kind of game is this? This is about InFlux and its remake InFlux Redux. A puzzle game in which a ball must be guided through various puzzles.
The original was released in 2013, and the HD remake is expected to come out this year. You can first add it to your wishlist on Steam.
InFlux Redux is a puzzle game, just like “A Little to the Left.” We present the game in the video:
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A Little to the Left – Presentation of the Puzzle Game in the Official Release Date Trailer (English)
“Seems identical to the game from eleven years ago”
Why did Steam block the upload of the game? Steam blocked the upload of the remake with the alleged justification that the game “seems identical to the game from eleven years ago” and that developer Joe Wintergreen should “explain why this should be its own game.” This is how the developer described it in a post on his X account.
Joe Wintergreen commented on Steam’s justification with “I expected a Steam review, not a Steam review.” He also posted images comparing the original and the remake to show that it is not “identical.”
In a further post on X, Joe Wintergreen explained that Steam does not want to prevent the release of the game, but is just dealing with a funny anecdote. Moreover, the additional release of a remake is also a normal procedure, which the developer confirmed in a further post on X.
Electrical devices cause one third of all apartment fires. A device in the kitchen is considered particularly at risk. We explain what you should do when you are not in the kitchen.
Most apartment and kitchen fires are caused by carelessness. However, many fires can be prevented if you follow a few simple tips. Especially a device in the kitchen has particular risk potential, report our colleagues at tudogostoso.com.
To minimize the fire risk in the kitchen, a few small things can make a big difference.
Always unplug the toaster
Why the toaster? You should unplug the toaster directly from the power supply when you no longer need it. Among the devices that can cause fires in the kitchen, the toaster stands out. This is also because the toaster is found in almost every kitchen.
When it is in operation, the heating elements inside the device heat up. Accumulated debris, such as bread crumbs, can increase the fire hazard.
If you unplug the toaster, the risk of an accidental fire decreases. In the event of a short circuit or electrical disturbance, the toaster is not connected to the power supply, minimizing the danger of flames. Then, no crumbs or other dirt can ignite either.
What else can you do? Another tip is to remove the crumbs to prevent residue from accumulating. Additionally, unplugging the toaster saves energy, preserves the device, and prevents accidents.
What is fundamentally true?The R+V Group explains that with some tips, fires can be significantly minimized.
Aside from the refrigerator, you should never leave electric devices switched on unattended.
Additionally, you should unplug all devices that you are not using.
Do not store flammable materials near electric devices that can easily heat up. Pay attention to minimum distances specified in manuals. Usually, that is 20 centimeters in all directions.
Avoid power strips and extension cords in the kitchen. In the worst case, they cause smoldering fires if overloaded.
Additionally important: Regularly clean your kitchen appliances: This includes the toaster, microwave, and stovetops.
Another tip that many mention: Do not place anything on the stovetop, whether the stove is turned on or off.
Many users have their gaming PC connected to a power strip. Because often you have a monitor or other devices alongside the PC and one socket on the wall is not enough for all devices at the same time: Can it damage if I turn off the power strip at the PC?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, shared many insights about the gaming industry and his gaming preferences in an interview at PAX. This included his opinion on Destiny and whether he regrets that Xbox did not develop Destiny.
What kind of interview was it? This is an interview with Phil Spencer at PAX. PAX is a series of conventions for gaming enthusiasts in America and Australia. Here, there are various booths from developers, and also leaders like Phil Spencer meet to see what is happening in the gaming industry.
He was invited to an interview where various games were discussed – including Destiny. He was asked about his stance on the loot shooter, how the development team at Bungie has shaped him, and whether he regrets that Destiny was raised with Activision.
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Destiny 2: Echos shows its new weapons in Act 3 in the trailer
“I made some of the worst decisions in game selection”
What does Phil Spencer say? In the interview, Phil was asked how Destiny has come into the journey of the Xbox head. According to him, he has mixed feelings about the loot shooter. Bungie was already part of Microsoft before he started at Xbox. He shared the same floor with the developers of Halo, and so he was able to learn various things from them, including how to create games.
When Microsoft then received Bungie’s pitch for Destiny, one of the most successful loot shooters on the gaming market, the computer company declined. He thought that Destiny would not work. Instead, Bungie then went to Activision. Phil Spencer himself confirmed that he had the opportunity to play a pre-build before the release of Destiny 1 and he himself was not impressed.
You can find the full Destiny interview here on YouTube starting at minute 42:55:
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The game felt much too PvP to him. He was worried that Destiny threw him into a PvP world, and he himself is not a PvP player – but he was mistaken.
Then Phil was asked if he regrets that Bungie did not stay at Microsoft. Phil sees himself as someone who regrets and mourns few things. However, he admits that he made some bad decisions in game selection for Xbox. As an example, he cites Guitar Hero.
Regarding Destiny, Phil does not regret it. He thinks it is great what Bungie has accomplished with Destiny 1 & 2 and celebrates it. Additionally, he praises the loot shooter for its talent in connecting people, allowing friendships to form.
How is Bungie doing at the moment? No one knows for sure. After Bungie has undergone a second major round of layoffs, many developers who worked on Destiny are gone.
Additionally, the studio was split, and capacities were shifted to other projects of Sony. A large part of the workforce is now working on Destiny 2 and Marathon, the extraction shooter. When this game will see the light of day is still uncertain. Some insiders believe that due to the endured consequences, Destiny 2 must endure many cuts. You can find out more about it here: Destiny 2: Insider report shows how Bungie lost its magic
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In a dangerous land, a young alchemist seeks answers: about her family, the nature of alchemy, and an empire long lost. Starting in the spring of 2025, you can join her on her journey on Steam and PS5.
What game is it about? “Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories and the Dreamed Land” is the latest installment of the well-known RPG series “Atelier”, but it tells a standalone story. The game is developed by Koei Tecmo.
“Atelier Yumia” is set to release on March 21, 2025, on Steam and for the Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS4/PS5, and the Nintendo Switch.
You can watch the official trailer for the game here:
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“Atelier Yumia”: The First Trailer for the New JRPG on Steam
What does the trailer reveal about the story? The art of alchemy has a bad reputation in this world. Those who practice it do so in secret: just like Yumia’s mother, who died in an accident three years before the main storyline began.
After her mother’s death, Yumia learned about her family history and set out in search of answers: Why did alchemy become a taboo? Is alchemy truly as evil and destructive as everyone thinks?
In search of answers, Yumia travels to the former empire of Aladiss. Once, alchemy brought it greatness, but a mysterious catastrophe led to its downfall. Today, the land is inhabited only by hostile monsters that Yumia and her companions must face.
An adventure for long-time fans and newcomers
How is the trailer received? Unlike many of the previous games, the characters are no longer teenagers, and the story appears darker at first glance. Many fans of the series are excited about this direction change, as evidenced by the YouTube comments under another trailer for the game.
jessieolivarez7504: “Holy shit! This looks amazing! An older cast, badass looking fights, and a real story? A dark story? Yeah, I’m getting it on day one.”
anasorto9287: “Thank you for taking Atelier in a new direction. Since Ryza, the team has been trying to improve the RPG aspects of this cute alchemist game. I love the adult protagonists, can’t wait to play it.”
In this approximately 10-minute video, the developers have already showcased some new features. These include the revamped synthesis, which means crafting in the game, and the new building mode.
Since Yumia’s story stands on its own, you don’t have to have played any of the previous titles. So, as another YouTube comment shows, you can also dive into the world of Atelier as a complete newcomer. anmoldembla4743 writes: “This will be my first Atelier game, I’m already looking forward to it.”
Chopper is the first member to join the Straw Hat Pirates in the Grand Line. Over the course of One Piece, his design has changed significantly. The reindeer has become a cute mascot, even though Oda originally did not intend that.
How has Chopper changed? While Chopper has always been a reindeer, over time his appearance has become increasingly childish. Especially the time skip of 2 years has made Chopper not older, but rather younger:
His big eyes became even larger and developed eyelashes
His upper body has shrunk even more, making his head look larger
To make his head appear even larger, he swapped his top hat for a round hat
He no longer has such a big snout, but rather a small, delicate mouth
X-User DrapplePiece compares the two Chopper forms. On the left, you can see the old design, and on the right, the new design:
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In between the two images, Chopper had several intermediate stages. For instance, he was a bit rounder even in Water Seven. In an interview with Gosho Aoyama, the manga artist of Detective Conan, from Weekly Shonen Jump magazine number 34, Oda revealed why his appearance changed (via X).
You can see Chopper’s old appearance in the following One Piece film:
Start video
One Piece: Chopper and the Miracle of the Winter Cherry Blossom – Trailer for the 9th Anime Film
Chopper’s appearance was changed because of the voice actress
Why did the author change the design? According to Eiichiro Oda, the manga artist of One Piece, Chopper’s drastic appearance change is not due to the time skip.
Rather, he changed the appearance because the voice of Chopper’s Japanese voice actress in the anime is so cute. In the original Japanese, Chopper is voiced by a woman named Ikue Otani.
She has experience with cute mascots, as she has also voiced Pikachu from Pokémon and Morgana the cat from Persona 5. Oda liked her squeaky voice so much that he changed Chopper’s appearance specifically for her.
What do fans say about it? Some fans found Chopper’s old design to be much better. Under the X post, user BraggingPagan writes that Chopper has become just an unserious mascot to boost merchandise sales.
For many, a different form would be much more appropriate. The Horn Point after the time skip, with smaller horns, is an excellent form for Chopper. However, keep in mind that this only reflects a part of the community’s opinion.
All the more interesting is the question of which representation the creators of the Netflix series will choose. One Piece has a live-action series that will soon start its second season. In it, Chopper will be seen for the first time, presumably as a real human. We already know what one of his forms looks like: One Piece: The cast for Chopper in the Netflix series is settled – at least part of it
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In World of Warcraft: The War Within, the auction house was unusable for about a week. However, contrary to assumptions, the problem was with the game itself and not with bots.
What is the problem? The trading in World of Warcraft: The War Within was disrupted for about a week. Anyone trying to shop in the auction house was met with a red error message stating that the sought-after items could not be found.
Players speculated widely about who might be responsible for the broken auction house. Many players thought of bots trying to earn gold or quickly buying up cheap items. Others believed that many players were trying to buy items cheaply and then resell them for a higher price at the same time. But the reason was different.
Start video
WoW: The War Within – Forces Within
Blizzard is to Blame
Where did the problem come from? The problem with the auction house came from Blizzard itself. “Senior Game Producer” Tom Ellis explained on X.com where the issue truly originated. Instead of bots, a simple design change in the game’s code caused the issue.
He explains there that a database that usually had 20,000 to 60,000 lines now has several tens of millions of lines due to the change. This significantly increases the demands on the hardware.
So what is happening with the auction house is an interesting technical problem. A well-intentioned and simple design change has led to a DB table that previously contained 20-60k lines now containing dozens of millions. That in itself is not a problem, but we need to make some code changes to support this new world we live in. We will address the problem with more hardware and maintenance while people who are much smarter than I work on actual solutions.
How was the problem solved? As a temporary solution, the developers, according to Tom Ellis on X.com, added more hardware so that the search could function. However, this is not a real solution. Over the weekend, a team continued working to get the auction house back on track.
Some developers, who likely sacrificed their weekend for this, were ultimately able to improve the performance of the auction house so that the issues should now be resolved for most players.
In the comments under the post, players express their happiness about the good news and also thank the developers who sacrificed their weekend to get the auction house back in operation. However, other problems have arisen with their villains: The chief of WoW admits that they burned through villains too quickly
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
League of Legends is a major game that is also played by many streamers and YouTubers as a main focus. Many players play with smurf accounts to make their videos and streams more exciting. The German streamer NoWay4u explains in a video why this is the case.
A smurf account is a low-ranked account played by a significantly better player. Many players see this as a bad thing because it renders ranks obsolete. You lose because a significantly better player suddenly appears in the lower ranks.
NoWay, on the other hand, does not see this fundamentally negatively, because for content creators it sometimes just can’t be helped.
Start video
LoL: Video shows the relationship between rank placement, MMR and league points
The viewers don’t want High Elo
What does NoWay say about it? In one of his recent streams, NoWay talked about LoL as content (via YouTube). He starts by explaining that it is easy for stream snipers to find matches of streamers in High Elo. This allows the sniper to see the streamer’s map and gain advantages. Or he trolls in the game to annoy the streamer.
High Elo simply has significantly fewer players, which makes it easy to find streamers. He then talks about the player AloisNL, a Riven player who used to play High Elo. He no longer does that because, according to NoWay, he realized that it brings fewer viewers.
NoWay explains that AloisNL noticed that his viewers prefer low-Elo content. By creating content where he takes down players in lower ranks, his numbers have indeed grown. Another reason mentioned is coaching. It is better advertising to completely dominate your opponents than to show a close match in High Elo. You can “sell it better”.
But maintaining High Elo is hard, exhausting, and can sometimes be bad for the viewers because the games are very close and frustrating.
NoWay also mentions that it is more relaxing for the streamer since one is less frustrated by close matches.
However, there are also disadvantages. Despite the relaxed playing and constant winning, there are disadvantages, as NoWay explains.
It’s just a constant high. But the problem is, if you do that for too long […] you’ll get worse and sooner or later you won’t be able to play High Elo anymore, because every now and then you still have to play High Elo, and that’s where the problem slowly starts to come.
NoWay about High Elo streamers who smurf (source: YouTube)
He explains that you simply get worse and sooner or later have to smurf at lower ranks. However, it may be that the community eventually wants to see you play High Elo again.
Even for him, the community prefers to see other projects rather than High Elo. As a good example, he mentions coaching other content creators, where he had many viewers.
He is also addressed about his own clickbait for the videos. He tried it for a while without clickbait, but the account lost over half of its clicks. NoWay explains that one must “gently clickbait”. Otherwise, according to him, the account would simply die. However, the streamer has been dissatisfied with League of Legends for some time: “If nothing changes, I’m gone” – will NoWay quit LoL soon?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Today, on September 3rd, 2024, the new game based on Harry Potter, Quidditch Champions, is being released. Especially fans of Hogwarts Legacy can be excited. Because they will get to meet an old friend again, and this time even play as them.
What kind of game is it? “Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions” is the latest game in the popular franchise surrounding Harry Potter.
It is being released today, on September 3rd, 2024.
Available platforms include PC (Steam or Epic Games), PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One.
A release for the Nintendo Switch is planned for the holidays of 2024.
Recently, we were able to explore the wizarding school and its surroundings in Hogwarts Legacy. This time, however, everything revolves, as the name suggests, around the popular wizard sport Quidditch.
Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions – The official gameplay trailer just before launch
Free bonuses in the Legacy package
All players of Hogwarts Legacy can be happy. They have the opportunity to receive a free package with bonus content in “Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions.”
The special highlight is a hero skin.
Which character can you get? The hero skin features none other than Sebastian Sallow.
The Slytherin with the tragic family history and a certain affinity for the Dark Arts was one of the best and most popular characters in Hogwarts Legacy.
“And as if by magic, Sebastian Sallow from Hogwarts Legacy steps onto the field on September 3rd!” it says on X.
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Others are also using this connection to Hogwarts Legacy as an opportunity for criticism. In their opinion, Quidditch should have already been part of Hogwarts Legacy, and not a separate game.
“…this could all have been in one game.” (DrengrDevvia X)
“Cool, but we want Hogwarts Legacy DLC!!!” (milesmoralesftw via X)
The zombie survival shooter Once Human captivates many players on Steam. Now the developers are commenting on how the journey for their game should proceed.
Where was this mentioned? At gamescom 2024, the website VG247.com conducted an interview with the Head of Operations, Derek Qui, from the developer studio “Starry Studio”. The developer spoke about the success of the game and what the next steps would look like.
For the developers, it is already clear that their game should be operated for decades, also on new platforms.
Here you can find out if it is still worth starting with Once Human when the reset comes soon:
Start video
Is it worth starting with Once Human when the reset is coming soon?
Once Human coming soon to more platforms
What is the developers’ plan? While Derek Qui did not reveal a specific timeline for the further development of Once Human, he already shared some details in the interview. Alongside many planned new contents, the survival game will also be available on more platforms.
To allow more players to play Once Human, the developers are bringing the game to mobile devices and consoles. The save files are supposed to be shared across all platforms. So you can continue building your base during your lunch break, for example.
Once Human also continuously introduces new skins, like these beach costumes.
What content do players expect? The developer mentions in the interview that new content for open-world games is always challenging. New content is quickly consumed by players, and there are also rapid complaints that there’s nothing to do.
The developers are aware of this issue and are creating new game contents and entirely new systems to ensure that the world is filled with content. “So we are trying to meet this with new contents and new gameplay features that we can implement into the open world,” says Derek Qui in the interview with VG247.com.
However, a new mode is supposed to be coming to the game soon. The developers of Once Human like to add a level of difficulty and have reportedly decided to make their game a bit easier only after many discussions. A hardcore mode has already been confirmed and will complement the game.
What is the long-term goal? The developers of Once Human have a grand vision. “The long-term goal is that our game can be operated for decades,” reveals Derek Qui in the interview. The game is intended to remain free for everyone and without pay2win elements.
While the developers themselves say that they couldn’t generate much revenue with the free-to-play model at the beginning, the game is now apparently running very well due to the many players. Instead of pay2win, Once Human also offers loot boxes, which players are not fond of: “Please stop” – Survival hit Once Human does exactly what players feared at release
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Platforms like YouTube or Twitch often have little patience when it comes to copyright issues. Anyone who shows too lengthy a clip from a movie or series – or even full works, risks a ban. It seems even more curious that the current film of Borderlands has been completely available on YouTube for over 24 hours now.
Update September 4: The film has since been set to private and is no longer accessible.
What exactly can you see on YouTube? On September 2, 2024, a user uploaded the current Borderlands movie to YouTube. This is not a secretly recorded copy from a cinema, but actually the full movie in the original English audio and in Full HD.
The video has now been online for over 24 hours and has received nearly 1.4 million views during this time. It is curious that apparently no one has taken action against the upload of the film yet.
We have deliberately decided not to provide the link to the film. However, you can view the official trailer here:
Start video
English trailer for the video game adaptation Borderlands
Film upload clearly violates YouTube’s rules
Why is this so unusual? YouTube actually has very clear rules regarding copyright. Under “Rules and Guidelines” on YouTube, it states:
Creators should only upload videos they have created themselves or for which they have all the necessary rights to use. This means: Without explicit permission, they should not upload videos that they did not create themselves, and should not use any material in the videos whose copyrights belong to another person – e.g., music tracks, clips from copyrighted programs, or videos created by other users.
There is an exception in the USA for so-called “Fair Use”, which allows reporting, analyzing, or criticizing copyrighted works.
There are various factors that determine whether the use of such material constitutes “Fair Use” – but the full upload to YouTube without any supplementary commentary almost certainly does not count as such.
The channel on which the film was uploaded states its location as being in the USA and should therefore be subject to its laws.
Malicious comments shoot against the film under the video
Why is nothing being done about it? Only the responsible parties can answer that. MeinMMO has already requested a statement. We will add it here as soon as we receive a response.
However, there are already some quite malicious speculations on YouTube about why apparently no one is taking action against the video: The distributors are simply glad that someone is even watching their film this way. Comments under the film state:
“They uploaded the whole movie to YouTube! Quick, take it down – Lionsgate: Wait… They are watching it. They are watching it!”
“It’s so bad that Hollywood doesn’t even bother to copyright strike it.”
“In the past, you could recognize a bad movie by the fact that it was released directly to video. Now they go straight to YouTube.”
The release of Star Wars Outlaws was rocky and opinions divide. Some are satisfied with the game, while others are not. A hater has now targeted a player via PS5.
Why is Star Wars Outlaws under criticism? Star Wars Outlaws was developed and published by Ubisoft and Lucasfilm Games. That alone is already a red flag for some players. Many gamers have had bad experiences with Ubisoft lately, especially around the game ‘The Crew’.
To get your own little impression of Star Wars Outlaws, check out our video:
Start video
Star Wars Outlaws introduces the underworld of the galaxy
“I was just playing and got this random message from this guy”
What message did the player receive? “I was just playing and got this random message from this guy,” titles the post by u/Tomrodders in the Star Wars Outlaws subreddit. The message itself was: “How does it feel to waste your money on a broken game?”
The user clearly meant the game Star Wars Outlaws, which Tomrodders was currently playing.
He stated that he had never spoken to this guy before and did not even know who he was, Tomrodders writes on reddit.
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Hater messages are not unusual. When you express your opinion online, it always attracts other people who feel the need to negate that opinion.
However, for someone to go so far in their frustration over a game as to contact a completely stranger via the messaging function of the PS5 is new. There must be a particular animosity against Star Wars Outlaws for such extreme cases to arise.
Discussion about Star Wars Outlaws has little to do with the game itself
Why is the aversion to Star Wars Outlaws so strong? On one hand, the game is criticized because it is from Ubisoft. Some people cannot overlook which publisher is behind the game and do not give Star Wars Outlaws a chance to show what it can do.
Furthermore, the model of the protagonist Kay Vess is condemned for allegedly not being pretty enough. It is a similar debate as it was back then about Aloy in Horizon Forbidden West.
Overall, it seems that valid criticism quickly combines with senseless hate, preventing Star Wars Outlaws from being given the chance to actually prove itself or be judged outside of its circumstances.
Whether Star Wars Outlaws is for you is something only you can know, as the discussion about the game no longer really revolves around the game itself. Anyone who is an avid Star Wars fan or has no high expectations for a game will also have fun with this game. Star Wars Outlaws definitely offers you a long playtime.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The games for PS Plus Essential in September 2024 for PS5 and PS4 have been officially announced. We briefly introduce you to the games. The games will be available starting September 3, 2024.
Update, September 3, 2024, 14:55: Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is now available and can be added to your library.
Update, September 3, 2024: The first two games, MLB and Little Nightmares II, have been available with PS Plus since 12 PM. Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is not yet included.
According to the developers, the game will officially be released on September 3, 2024, at 8 AM CT. In Germany, that will be 3 PM. The game should be available via PS Plus around 3 PM.
Which PS Plus games are available in September 2024? In September 2024, there are again three games that you can get with the PS Plus subscription:
Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions (PS4/PS5)
MLB: The Show 24 (PS4/PS5)
Little Nightmares II (PS4/PS5)
When will the games be available? The “PS Plus” games are always available starting on the first Tuesday of a month:
PS Plus games available: September 3, 2024, around 12:00 PM.
Everything Important about PS Plus Essential in September 2024
Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions: The game celebrates its release on September 3, 2024, right on schedule with the PS Plus release for September 2024. The game is based on the popular sport from Harry Potter. This time, however, you don’t just watch, but take on various roles yourself.
MLB: The Show 24: This is a sports game that plays in Major League Baseball. You train your team and compete against other teams for victory.
Little Nightmares II: In this horror game, you take on the role of a small boy named Mono: He is trapped in a dark and malevolent world and tries to escape from it.
If you want to get the games, you definitely need the paid “PS Plus” subscription for your PS4 or PS5. Sony significantly increased the price for PS Plus at the end of 2023. If your subscription is still active, you are not affected by this yet. For the three free games, the basic Essential subscription is sufficient; you don’t need Extra or Premium for that.
If you exclude the remakes, collections, and spin-offs, the video game series The Legend of Zelda currently includes 20 titles. In a picture from Nintendo Live 2024 in Sydney, Nintendo lists all the games on a timeline – but the two newest titles are not included at all.
What does the timeline look like? Initially, the beginning of the story for all Zelda video games is the same. However, after The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the story splits into three different paths:
The hero was defeated
The hero triumphed (Child Era)
The hero triumphed (Adult Era)
The first category mainly includes the older titles in the Zelda series, such as A Link to the Past and Link’s Awakening. The very first Zelda games released on the Famicom and the NES can also be found here.
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The Child Era is characterized by the darkest parts of the Zelda series. Here you’ll find Majora’s Mask, where Link can even kill an NPC, and Twilight Princess, where Link doesn’t cope with his traumas. The Adult Era mainly includes games like The Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass, where Nintendo chose the cel-shading look.
However, there are two games that do not fit with the rest of the series and cannot be placed in the timeline. These are the two newest titles in the series.
You can see the very latest title, Tears of the Kingdom, here in the trailer:
Start video
Trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom shows what to expect in the game
Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom as standalone games
What are the implications of this classification? All the events taking place in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom have nothing to do with previous experiences.
This minimizes the chance that we will encounter NPCs, locations, or references from the previous titles. There will only be a few exceptions in the future, such as the merchant Terri, who appeared in both The Wind Waker and Skyward Sword as well as in BotW.
It could also indicate that Nintendo will not adhere to the official timeline in the future. With the release of the upcoming Echoes of Wisdom, where we will play as Zelda for the first time, we will see how Nintendo has decided.
Are BotW and TotK connected? Although the two games in the picture are not connected, they do belong together. The creator of the series confirmed in an interview (via zelda.nintendo.com) that TotK takes place shortly after the events of BotW.
Some fans of Borderlands have taken on a complicated puzzle outside of the game, and the solution brings a lot of loot to you all.
What is a SHiFT code?
In Borderlands, there are SHiFT codes.
You can redeem these codes in the games in the series to get cosmetic items or keys for loot chests.
For example, you can get a golden key from a SHiFT code, which you can redeem in Borderlands 3 at the golden chest on Sanctuary 3.
The golden chest on Sanctuary 3 gives you powerful equipment.
Borderlands 4 was announced with a first teaser trailer at gamescom 2024:
Start video
Teaser trailer announces Borderlands 4
A map poses a puzzle, but brings plenty of loot
What is the valuable code about? At the gaming convention PAX West, Gearbox Software, the developer studio behind the Borderlands series, distributed dice cards. These cards featured a pattern of triangles and the numbers 29 and 08.
Gearbox founder Randy Pitchford revealed afterward on X.com that the developers had hidden a secret code on this card. The Borderlands fans immediately started to puzzle.
In this post on X.com, you can see what the cards look like:
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Some fans of the series believed that the release date of Borderlands 4 might be hidden on the cards (via X.com). However, that turned out to be false.
Ultimately, the wife of the X user “40_BaySt” stumbled upon the solution to the puzzle (via X.com):
The upward-facing triangles are 1 and the downward-facing triangles are 0. There are 29 sequences, and each sequence consists of eight digits. From this, the puzzle-loving Borderlands fans derived a binary code, which they then had to convert into decimal numbers and then into ASCII.
After the fans had fully converted the code, they received a string. This string was subsequently confirmed by Gearbox founder Randy Pitchford as the correct solution, as well as the most valuable SHiFT code in the Borderlands series to date (via X.com).
What is the SHiFT code? To secure the valuable SHiFT code, we will record it here for you:
SXFBT-39953-J33TT-3T333-KSHW6
With this code, you will receive 50 golden keys in various Gearbox games and 10 diamond keys in Borderlands 3.
However, to redeem a code, you need a SHiFT account. You can also quickly create one on the SHiFT site.
The Borderlands series has gained many fans over the years and thrilled numerous players. One of those players is MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes. He loves Borderlands 2 and one DLC of the loot shooter has particularly stayed in his memory: Why a DLC for a 12-year-old loot shooter is the best I’ve ever played
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
