The Early Access of the new WoW expansion begins in a few days. We want to know from you if you will put the money on the table – or avoid it.
This coming Friday, August 23, World of Warcraft: The War Within kicks off – at least for those who have secured access to the Early Access. The rest will have to wait a few more days and will start with a slight delay at the official release date on August 27.
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WoW: Trailer for the release date of The War Within
How do you get into the “Early Access”? The answer is simple: Money. To get into the Early Access, you must purchase the most expensive version of WoW: The War Within, namely the Epic Edition. It costs €90, which is a whopping €40 more than the Base Edition. In addition to Early Access, the Epic Edition also offers other goodies, such as pets, a mount, transmog rewards, or guaranteed beta access.
What can you do in Early Access? Many features are already available in Early Access. These include:
The intro scenario to The War Within.
All level areas from level 70 to 80.
The Hero talents.
Normal dungeons.
The major world events, heroic dungeons, and more will only begin with the official launch.
However, you can only gain a very slight advantage. Because you cannot properly prepare for the “endgame.” Many of the endgame features with the best gear will only start slightly delayed at the beginning of Season 1 on September 11.
The Early Access will have little impact on the “Race to World First,” namely the first First-Kill race in the new raid.
Survey: Are you playing the Early Access of WoW: The War Within?
But we want to know: Will you play the Early Access of World of Warcraft: The War Within? Or will you only join at the official release? Participate in our survey so that we can get a clearer picture.
If you have a little time now: Then feel free to write in the comments what you think about this practice of giving MMORPG expansions early access. Is it good to spread the “rush” over several days and give the Epic Edition even more value? Or is it all just negative and causes a split in the community and unfair advantages in WoW: The War Within?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The MMORPG Throne and Liberty was already released in December 2023 in South Korea, but players in the West still have to be patient. Now, the global release has been postponed again, this time by nearly 2 weeks.
When will Throne and Liberty be released? As announced in a post on the official website of Throne and Liberty on August 16, 2024, the MMORPG will not be released as planned on September 17, 2024. Instead, the global release is now set for October 1, with early access starting on September 26.
As the team explains, they need a bit more time to implement player feedback from the beta. They want to deliver the best possible experience at launch, they further state. Our MMORPG expert Karsten had already predicted a delay.
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Throne and Liberty: Trailer for the start of the open beta shows early access packages
Developers announce important changes for launch
Why is the release being postponed? The global launch of Throne and Liberty is expected to differ significantly from the original release in South Korea. According to the website, the MMORPG is to be completely rethought. Player feedback is said to be invaluable for this.
The team is said to have started working immediately after the open beta. However, to fully implement these changes and integrate new systems into the game, they simply need more time.
The combat system in the earlier part of the game is to be revised and adapted to the positively rated late game
Leveling and progression are also to be revised, as players felt overwhelmed by the number of systems introduced in quick succession during the early phase
Guilds are to receive more tagging options so that players can find a suitable guild more easily
Additionally, 3 new features are to be introduced that were not present in the Korean version: skill specializations, so-called “lifeskills” like cooking and fishing, and Amitoi expeditions, where you can send your Amitois on adventures and receive rewards
Community reacts with composure
How is the community reacting? Fans of the MMORPG are already used to disappointment, as Throne and Liberty was originally supposed to be released in early 2023. Accordingly, one of the top comments in a Reddit thread regarding the delay is also a reference to a well-known song: “Hello darkness my old friend,” writes a user, in German: “Hallo Dunkelheit, mein alter Freund.”
Some players find the delay puts them in a difficult position: one user laments the people who pre-ordered the MMORPG and took leave specifically to dive in fully. Another responds: “I’m retracting my leave.” (via Reddit)
Overall, the community seems to be reacting positively to the news. After all, the main complaints of the players are being taken into account and QoL features are being added. Although the wait is long, it’s great that they are trying to improve the launch experience for everyone, writes one user (via Reddit).
One player even goes so far as to say that they narrowly escaped a misfortune if Amazon’s original plan had included a release without skill specializations (via Reddit).
Another user writes that the developers should be left alone, as it gives them more time for Space Marine 2 (via Reddit).
The Pokémon World Championship 2024 is currently taking place in Honolulu, Hawaii. Alongside many exciting tournaments, there was also a surprising announcement regarding Pokémon UNITE.
What was the announcement? As part of the Pokémon World Championship 2024, an exciting new feature for UNITE, the Pokémon MOBA (Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS), was announced:
A totally new game mode called “500-Point Battle” will be launched soon.
The new mode was showcased in a roughly unanimous trailer. But that’s not all. Two teams of renowned Pokémon influencers were also present on site. They were thrown into the deep end and tried out the mode – without knowing about it in advance – on camera.
You can find the stream on YouTube, with the new mode starting at 10:31:50.
Here you can learn more about the big event in Hawaii:
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Pokémon World Championship 2024: Trailer for the Event in Hawaii
New Features Bring More Variety
What new features are there? The new game mode is primarily designed to add more variety to the game.
The game will continue until one team scores 500 points.
There is no time limit for this.
You can see how many points each team has throughout the game.
If a team reaches a certain score, each player can choose a bonus.
Especially the unlockable bonuses, known as “Aeos technology”, are meant to provide more strategic options in the game. You can choose a bonus when your team reaches 0, 50, 100, 200, and 350 points.
The selectable rewards can give you a crucial advantage. You can choose one from 3 randomly offered options each time. So, no round is the same, and a bit of luck is also necessary. Some of these possible bonuses are, for example:
Receive a large amount of experience instantly (reach level 4)
You gain a level as soon as an opposing Pokémon is knocked out by you (20 seconds cooldown)
You level up after successfully scoring points (60 seconds cooldown)
Points are scored 100% faster in scoring zones
The amount of carryable points is doubled
When will the new mode be available? The new game mode will be launched in China by the end of this year. Unfortunately, European players will have to wait a bit longer.
The Pokémon World Championship is interesting not only for UNITE fans. All categories are represented, including Pokémon GO, the trading card game, and the video game. If you tune in to the upcoming streams of the World Championship, you can look forward to free codes in Pokémon GO. Learn how to get these codes at MeinMMO: Pokémon GO Distributes Gifts Through Codes for the World Championship – Here’s How to Get Them
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Borderlands started as a film in theaters but did not do particularly well. Therefore, we look at the games: MeinMMO author Max Handwerk ranks six games from the series.
How was this list created? This list of the best Borderlands games is based on the author’s personal opinion and experiences with the games. Critics’ scores and similar factors do not play a role here at first.
If your ranking looks different: Let us know in the comments!
Which games are missing? Two games from the Borderlands series are missing from this list because the author has not played them yet.
Borderlands: Legends, the iOS game from 2012
New Tales from the Borderlands, the Tales sequel from 2022
English trailer for the video game adaptation Borderlands
[toc]
6. Tales from the Borderlands
Release: 2014
That a strong game like Tales from the Borderlands lands in last place in the ranking shows how strong the game series is overall. The spin-off from Telltale Games impressed with an entertainingly told story – a point that not every Borderlands installment has fulfilled as well.
The gameplay is also fun, but it is far from the actual Borderlands DNA. Instead of plowing through hordes of enemies with skills and weapons, “Tales” relies on many cutscenes, player decisions, and a kind of point-and-click system.
This is really enjoyable, but it mainly serves to guide you through the story. Personally, I play Borderlands mainly for the action-packed combat system in conjunction with looting and leveling. Therefore, there is only room for “Tales” in the last place.
5. Borderlands
Release: 2009
This game started it all – correspondingly, it is quite old by now. When the first Borderlands was released in 2009, I wasn’t allowed to play it at my then 15 years old.
Accordingly, it took a little while before I tried it for the first time. Nevertheless, I was completely thrilled by the vault hunting on Pandora. I played the game with Mordecai and his hawk, and was immediately thrilled by the wild fights and even more by the split-screen mode.
No other shooter series can be played as well on one screen as Borderlands. That is also what originally drew me into the game.
Borderlands was a perfect entry point that I do not want to miss. However, both in terms of story and gameplay, it has simply been surpassed later – which is actually a good thing for a foundation for a game series.
4. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel
Release: 2014
A perhaps underrated part, simply for the reason that there is no large number behind the name “Borderlands”. The spin-off does not fall short of the main games at all. On the contrary: It brings a very cool set of vault hunters and has its own ideas in tow, like low gravity. Thus, the Pre-Sequel stands out a bit from the other games in terms of gameplay speed.
The story is really worth playing, as you can almost follow live how Handsome Jack becomes the grand villain that he was supposed to be in Borderlands 2. Additionally, a Claptrap model is playable, whose action skill can randomly trigger various effects – sometimes better, sometimes worse. To this day, one of my favorite vault hunters.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
On Gamescom Friday, the Bisalina Speedrun Event starts at 12 PM. Donations are being collected for a total of four organizations.
Speedruns and charity events are now firmly linked in the gaming scene. Annual events like Awesome Games Done Quick raise thousands in donations by allowing us to watch extremely talented players complete games in record time.
However, these events are not only held in America, but also in Germany. For several years, Bisalina has been organizing speedrunning events for a good cause here as well. Among other things, at Gamescom 2024. We have gathered all the facts about the event for you.
All important information and dates
When? Friday, August 23, 2024, starting at 12 PM
Where? Live at Gamescom in Hall 11.3 or comfortably at home on Twitch
What? Plenty of speedruns!
Also participating are well-known figures like Leon from Bonjwa, media lawyer Christian Solmecke, and our dear colleague Andreas Sperling.
You can find the preliminary program here:
12 PM – Opening of the stage program
12:10 PM: Speedrun Masterclass: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
1:10 PM: Ultra by Games Academy
1:45 PM: Speedrun Masterclass: Super Mario World
2:50 PM: Resident Evil 2 Race – Germany vs. USA with Andreas Sperling and JJ from Residence of Evil
4:05 PM: Charity Game League of Legends
4:50 PM: Speedrundale LIVE: Elden Ring Boss Rush Race
5:40 PM: Thank You / Conclusion
Bisalina was also a guest in our Gamescom stream last year:
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140,000 euros for less than part-time. Sounds like a dream, but for an engineer at Google, it’s everyday life – and he’s not the only one.
The title image is a symbolic image, not of the software engineer.
What kind of job is this? The magazine Fortune spoke with a software engineer in his twenties. Fortune refers to him anonymously as Devon. He has been working at Google for some time now and is programming code – completely from his home office.
For his work, he is paid around 140,000 euros per year. However, he does not fulfill his approximately 40 hours that are stated in the employment contract in any week. According to his own statement, Devon manages at most one hour per day.
Start video
In Germany, there are over 400 USB sticks protruding from walls – What is the ‘Dead Drops’ project?
No full-time, but full pay
Doesn’t anyone notice? No, apparently not, because “Devon” has allegedly been doing this for some time. The programmer says he completes most of his work at the beginning of the week but holds it back. In small packages, he checks off what is expected of him over the coming days. He has no issues with his boss, as he narrates.
After his brief online visit to the Google office, he then devotes the rest of his day to building a tech start-up, which he is currently preparing to establish together with a friend.
How does this work? We do not know what he delivers, how quickly and to what quality. It is entirely possible that “Devon” simply gets too little work assigned. However, this is not surprising, as Professor Vijay Govindarajan explains to the Wall Street Journal. This practice is called Penning and has been pursued by several corporations for several years.
What exactly is ‘Penning’? Penning refers to the behavior of tech companies that hire highly qualified staff, mainly programmers and engineers, even though they don’t technically have any work for them. However, it makes sense as long as the following applies:
It is expected that there will be strong growth in the near future, as was the case during the waning pandemic, and
Staff is virtually retained and parked to keep it away from competitors. As much as possible, they will receive sufficient work soon.
However, this growth expectation does not always materialize, which is why in January according to Fortune, more than 10,000 employees from Google were laid off. However, if we are to believe “Devon”, highly qualified staff with work experience continues to be underemployed, counting their hours – or using them in alternative ways.
What does the software engineer plan? Should the eventual founding of the start-up ultimately fail, he plans unabashedly to just keep going. Google, in his experience, is “great at” re-hiring former staff.
He seems to have been around long enough to judge that. Because before his current job, Devon successfully completed an internship at the search engine giant – of course with the same work ethic as currently.
Whether SpaceX, Twitter, or Tesla also practice Penning is unclear, but it is undeniable that Elon Musk, the head of these companies, is critical of home office. He once spoke angrily in an interview about the modern form of working for many professions that it is almost surprising: Elon Musk considers home office not only unproductive but also “morally reprehensible”.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Counter-Strike 2 is not only a popular game but also a popular category on Twitch. An investigation found that almost half of all top streamers in the CS2 category are sponsored by skin gambling sites. This is actually prohibited in Twitch’s guidelines.
What is skin gambling? In Counter-Strike, it is possible to acquire different skins for weapons. They are mostly hidden in loot boxes that can be purchased for real money. The rarity of the skin determines the value at which the skin can be resold.
Some websites act like online casinos where these skins are used as currency and can also be won. On third-party sites, these skins can then be converted into real money sales. Since only skins and not real money can be won at online casinos, they operate in a legal gray area.
Attention: At MeinMMO, our expertise is in video games and entertainment; we are not lawyers. We can only provide assessments or base our statements on other sources.
When Counter-Strike: Global Offensive was updated to Counter-Strike 2, there were some changes. We present them to you in the video:
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Counter-Strike 2 heralds a new era – The most important changes in the video
Skin Gambling on Twitch
What was the investigation about? The magazine Barron’s closely examined these online casinos related to CS2 and the extent to which they ran ads on Google. By placing ads on Google, a total of 56 million page views were generated.
What is the situation with skin gambling on Twitch? As part of this research, Barron’s also looked at Twitch streamers in the CS2 area. The investigation found that a total of 120 of the 300 top streamers in the CS2 sector are sponsored by such a gambling site. That’s 40%.
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This poses a danger, especially for a younger audience, as children are exposed to the topic of gambling far too early. At the same time, it is presented to them as something harmless, and they can develop a gambling addiction from it.
What is Twitch doing about it? It is stated in the Twitch guidelines that the promotion and sponsorship of skin gambling is prohibited. Twitch does not officially comment on the conditions on their platform. However, users of the platform can report relevant streams.
When it comes to new, ambitious online shooters, our colleague Phil Elsner from GameStar is always critical. However, Exoborne has the potential to be really good: Phil has already been able to play the game at the developers and is more convinced than he has been in a long time. He explains this in an 18-minute video as part of “Find Your Next Game: Premiere”.
Find Your Next Game: Premiere is our format for exclusives, and in this issue exclusive gameplay footage from Exoborne was shown for the first time. “This series ‘FYNG Premiere’ offers our interested players the chance to get a first look at new games that are soon to hit the market.
Exoborne is an extraction shooter based on Unreal Engine 5 and aims to bring the genre into the mainstream. How exactly they plan to do this, aside from in-game tornadoes, you can see in our Find-Your-Next-Game video :
Start video
Exoborne learns from The Division and blows us away during gameplay
Who is behind Exoborne
The Swedish studio Sharkmob was founded in 2017 in Malmö by the leading minds behind The Division, Martin Hultberg and Petter Mannerfelt. Since then, the studio has grown to over 400 employees and has opened a branch in London, where a third title is being worked on. After the battle royale shooter Vampire: Bloodhunt, Sharkmob continues its ambitious projects.
Exciting gameplay in small doses
What makes the game special? Exoborne aims to make the appeal of hardcore shooters like Escape from Tarkov accessible to a broader audience without adopting the frustrating aspects of these games. The focus is therefore on shorter but engaging rounds lasting 20 to 30 minutes, which should not deter newcomers from jumping into the next match.
At the center of the game are powerful exoskeleton combat suits, known as Exo Rigs, and an apocalyptic world that is plagued by extreme weather phenomena. Players parachute onto a map with their squad and fight against both AI opponents and other teams for valuable loot, which they must try to escape with alive.
According to Phil, Exoborne is characterized by its dynamic gameplay, where weather effects and strategic teamwork play a central role. The successful interplay between Exo Rig abilities and tactical maneuvers can make the difference between victory and defeat.
Despite the intense action, the game’s pace remains pleasantly grounded and tactical, without drifting into frantic arena shooter mechanics. Graphically, Exoborne impresses with Unreal Engine 5 and a richly detailed, dystopian game world.
While there are still some challenges to overcome, such as balancing and long-term live service, the early version of the game already shows great potential. So Exoborne could indeed bring fresh winds to the shooter genre.
The Morph Axe is one of two weapon types in Monster Hunter Wilds, which combines two opposites. How this is supposed to look in the finished game for Steam and PS5 is shown by Capcom in a trailer.
Which game is this about? Monster Hunter Wilds is the latest installment in the popular Monster Hunter series. It is an action RPG where you can hunt monsters alone or in co-op while continuously improving your equipment.
In 2025, Monster Hunter Wilds is set to be released on Steam for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. In several trailers already released by the developer Capcom, they showcase the different weapons you can utilize in the game.
You can take a first look at the Morph Axe here:
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Monster Hunter Wilds: Here is the trailer for the Morph Axe
What can the Morph Axe do? As the name suggests, this weapon type can switch between two different modes. In axe mode, you can hit monsters from a greater distance, while the sword mode is suitable for quick attacks.
New toy for the Morph Axe
The trailer doesn’t directly reveal whether the sword form will consume energy like in Monster Hunter: World and therefore be time-limited. In that game, staying too long in sword mode meant that you had to manually reload the weapon or wait for a while before you could switch back into it.
Additionally, besides the Focus Mode developed for Monster Hunter Wilds, the trailer also shows another new feature: The Morph Axe can now execute counter-attacks. While these require good timing, they are a welcome tool for defense alongside dodging. With this weapon type, you still cannot block.
In Monster Hunter Rise, there was already a counter, the Elemental Burst Counter, with the Morph Axe, but only as a special Wirebug move. As it stands now, Wirebugs are not returning.
How is the weapon being received? In the comments on YouTube, there is mostly praise and anticipation.
For example, randizer writes: “We are so back Morph Axe gang.”
BananaHoardX is excited about the constantly changing moveset of the weapon: “The movements of the Morph Axe change with every installment; the day never gets boring with a Morph Axe.”
The Morph Axe is just one of 14 weapon types to master in Monster Hunter Wilds. For a complete overview of all weapon types – whether ranged or melee, defensive or offensive – you can check out this article: All 14 weapon types from Monster Hunter Wilds at a glance
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
This gaming chair for virtual reality aims to solve everyday problems of playing in VR and deepen the immersion.
What should I imagine the Roto VR Explorer to be? It is a compact gaming chair without armrests, which is mounted on a round platform. On this platform, the chair rotates in response to commands from a tracker that is attached to your head. The VR headset continues to serve as a visual display, while the chair simply enhances the experience.
Start video
The “Deep Dive” is supposed to immerse us into MMORPGs deeper than ever before – What is it actually?
Rotation follows virtual reality
What does the Roto VR Explorer aim to achieve? First and foremost, it aims to increase immersion, as apart from the independent rotation that reacts to the player’s movements in the respective game, the chair also features a rumble function. This shakes the seat to accompany various events in the game or to simulate surfaces. It receives commands wirelessly from the headset to which a dongle is attached.
Does this help with nausea? VR still causes dizziness and nausea in many people today, despite all improvements in technology. The reasons for this can be simplified to a confusion of our balance organ, as our body sees something different than it perceives through movement. The field of vision changes, but otherwise, nothing changes.
Here, this gaming chair could help, as it at least simulates movement in the horizontal direction, which theoretically should help the brain feel more comfortable.
Does the Roto VR Explorer work only with Meta Quest? No, according to the developers, it also supports Vive XR Elite, Pico Neo 3, and soon Apple Vision Pro. However, support is primarily geared towards the Meta Quest product line. Not supported are: PSVR 1&2, Varjo, Pimax (PC version), Oculus-S, and Reverb G2.
Which games are supported? In general, the Roto VR Explorer should work with all VR titles from yesterday, today, and tomorrow that are not explicitly designed for use while standing. The developers highlight some titles as their favorites at launch:
Asgard’s Wrath 2
Assassin’s Creed
Population One
Iron Man
Rec Room
Luckey’s Tale 2
Epic Roller Coasters
Job Simulator
The Climb
Among Us
Dig VR
Can I already buy the VR chair? The Roto VR Explorer has not been released yet, but it can be pre-ordered on the official site. It is supposed to be delivered in October. However, you will have to dig quite deep into your pockets. It will cost around £799, which, including shipping, is sure to be more than €850. You can find all the information on the official homepage.
The wrestler Randy Orton (44) has been a worldwide star in WWE for over 20 years. But he also loves gaming. As it has now become known, he dedicated himself to the game Elden Ring during a long injury phase in 2023.
This was already known about his passion for Elden Ring: In October 2023, we wrote an embarrassing gaming news piece about Randy Orton on MeinMMO:
He had stated in April 2022 that he was really into Elden Ring.
But it became known that he did not level up himself, but supposedly paid someone $1,000 to get him “Infinity Runes” and thus a max character.
Randy Orton is said to have said: He loves Elden Ring, but it is too hard for him. Instead of “grinding through the crap,” he preferred to pay $1,000. A stain on his gaming honor.
Elden Ring is considered one of the best games of recent years:
Start video
Elden Ring: All weapons and spells from the echoes of the DLC bosses
During long injury break, Randy Orton played 600 hours of Elden Ring
This has now become known: Between May 2022 and November 2023, Randy Orton was injured for a year and a half.
As he now recounts in a video, he spent a large part of the time playing Elden Ring:
I love Elden Ring damn it. Let me preface this next statement by saying that I was out of commission due to spinal fusion surgery, so I had a lot of time on my hands. I spent about 600 hours with the game … I love this game. The DLC just came out.
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In a conversation with the current WWE champion Cody Rhodes, Orton says he would also like to play Elden Ring with Rhodes, but he understands that as the face of WWE, he is currently short on time:
“I wish you were one of the tarnished, but you are not.”
The old Tentacle Face from Destiny 2 is known for its exotic and curious goods, but before its rework, it was considered almost useless. Now, another change is coming that will especially please the god-roll hunters among you.
What does Bungie have planned? On August 20, 2024, Bungie plans to roll out a new update. Patch 8.5.0.2 will refresh Xur’s inventory, the black market trader. The reason for this is the exotic class items, which players can currently farm with difficulty from the Bleached Heart of the Traveler. With the update, Xur will now be able to sell these items for just 41 Strange Coins. (via bungie.net)
Bungie shows the future of Destiny 2 after The Final Shape in the new trailer
Xur will soon be the best trader
Why is Xur worth it now? Previously, Xur only offered some armor, weapons, and exotics that players could buy with legendary shards. After his major rework, players can now farm the iconic currency “Strange Coins” and spend them with him.
With the coins, players can still acquire weapons, exotics, and armor. Additionally, the trader now has a progression system to reward players who spend many coins. On top of that, two random catalysts for exotic weapons will be added to the inventory, so you no longer have to rely on RNG, which is often unfair.
Lastly, you can purchase random engrams from him to potentially acquire materials or cheap blue items with a bit of luck.
The armor and weapon rolls may still not be the best, but the fact that the exotic trader now offers much more for sale than before his rework makes a visit much more worthwhile.
You should also know: For those who don’t know yet and want to complete their blueprint collection – if you have enough Strange Coins ready, buy engrams from Xur that equip you with weapons. With a bit of luck, they may drop old seasonal weapons and even with a red frame. This way, you don’t have to force yourself into activities that are part of the current rotation.
The Embracer Group has gone through turbulent years. After extensive layoffs, studio closures, project cancellations, and a restructuring of the entire group, there may finally be a light at the end of the tunnel.
What is fueling the optimism? Initially, not the figures in the freshly published business report for the first quarter of the financial year 2024 (via embracer.com). While the results are within expectations, the targeted revenue forecasts have not been met.
The main reason: Between April and June 2024, there were hardly any releases, whereas in the comparative quarter of 2023, there was a hit with Dead Island 2. CEO Lars Wingefors, however, is optimistic that the situation will significantly improve when hopeful titles like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed, Titan Quest 2, and the Gothic 1 Remake are released.
Fans of medieval RPGs should keep an eye on Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 – here is the trailer:
Start video
Trailer of the open-world action RPG Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Saints and Sinners on Steam
Strong focus on Middle-earth
What measures are planned? In the financial report, the Embracer executives announce a stronger focus on the licenses of “Middle Earth Enterprises”, primarily “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit”. Current projects like the MMORPG from Amazon Games or the animated film “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” are intended to be just the beginning.
Furthermore, the expansion of the franchise is ensured by a long-term partnership with Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema for additional film projects. Additionally, several game concepts and prototypes are currently undergoing a greenlight process to identify more exciting game projects for the Lord of the Rings franchise.
Moreover, Embracer is still undergoing consolidation in the form of splitting the group into three independent, publicly traded entities:
Asmodee Group (board games, collectible cards, tabletop)
Coffe Stain & Friends (PC, mobile, and console games with small to medium (double-A) budgets) – this unit includes THQ Nordic, Black Forest Games, HandyGames, and the remnants of Piranha Bytes
Middle-Earth Enterprises & Friends (this unit contains the key brands for blockbuster productions: Lord of the Rings, Tomb Raider, Metro, Dead Island, or Kingdom Come: Deliverance) – this unit includes Plaion, Crystal Dynamics, Eidos Montreal, and Fishlabs
Julien Bam is one of the biggest YouTubers on the platform, known especially for his elaborately produced videos. This era of YouTube videos is now set to end, as he announces in his latest video.
What are Julien Bam’s main videos? Julien Bam has been regularly uploading content for eleven years, but his most popular videos were always the short films on the JuBaFilms channel, which he created together with his friend Gong Bao.
Nine years ago, the channel was shut down, and Julien Bam began to publish elaborate productions in the form of short films on his own channel. This led to two main video series, which achieved the greatest success on his channel: The “Man on the Moon” and “Songs from the Bean” series. His videos were a huge success. Partially, he received 700,000 views in five hours.
In 2022, the YouTuber announced that he would release the last three main videos and take his leave from his channel. Along with these three videos, there were also two planned spin-offs, three additional main videos, and the plan to produce five more main videos. Now, the last five main videos are set to be released.
There are some big personalities on YouTube. Max “HandofBlood” Knabe is one of them. We introduce him to you in the video:
Start video
HandOfBlood: The most important thing about the YouTuber and Twitch streamer in under a minute
In his latest video, Julien Bam provides all the necessary information about his last main videos.
When are the videos coming? The release dates on Freevee and YouTube are as follows:
The Secret of the Tooth Fairy: 17.08. Freevee / 31.08. YouTube
Act 4: 07.09. Freevee / 21.09. YouTube
Act 5: 5.10. Freevee / 19.10. YouTube
Sandman Spin-Off: 02.11. Freevee / 16.11. YouTube
Act 6: 30.11. Freevee / 14.12. YouTube
This is what Julien Bam says about his videos: In his YouTube video, Julien Bam hinted at how excited he is about the upcoming releases: “I am just so incredibly excited.”
Julien Bam emphasized that it is perfectly fine for YouTubers and/or streamers to react to his main videos. However, only once the corresponding video has been uploaded to YouTube. Reacting to the content from Freevee is not allowed.
The effort behind this video series is enormous. There are constantly special guests from the YouTube world, new filming locations, and entire sets that need to be built. In one video, Julien Bam discussed the exact costs of his videos and noted: “Every minute as expensive as a small car”
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The server down for Fortnite: Chapter 5 Season 4 is over. You can find out about the server status, the update, and leaks here in our overview.
Friday, August 16, 2024
14:24
We are gradually closing our live ticker and saying goodbye. If complications arise, we will revive the live ticker. Until then, we wish you a nice weekend and have fun in Absolute Doom.
The servers seem to be running stable, but so far there are no official patch notes from Fortnite. Interestingly, the leaked tasks for mobile devices are already in the quests menu. There is also talk of an Epic Games Store app that can also be obtained via iOS. However, we could not download or find this app on our iPhones so far. It is likely to be released during the day.
10:00
The servers are back online! Epic Games should soon publish its patch notes. If that happens, we will summarize them for you. Until then, we wish you a lot of fun in Chapter 5 Season 4!
09:50
For all car fans among you. You can look forward to it soon, as a collaboration with BMW has been found in the data. Here’s what it looks like:
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In the midst of Chapter 5 Season 4, players will have the chance to choose a side. The heroes or villains. What impact this could have on the story and map changes is unknown, but it strongly reminds of Chapter 2 Season 2 with its agents.
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When will the Fortnite servers be back online? According to Epic Status, the maintenance will last until 10:00 AM German time. Whether this will be extended is unknown, but likely, as larger maintenance often causes complications. We will stay tuned and keep you updated on the current server status.
08:54
Fortnite x Apple – Is it starting soon?
Apple and Fortnite parted ways when Epic Games wanted to implement its own payment method in their mobile Fortnite variant. Since then, it went to court. Epic lost the case against Apple but insiders say they found a loophole to bring the “Battle Royale” shooter back, at least in Europe. With the new free skin that the leakers revealed (via x.com), a release could be imminent, but unfortunately, nothing is set in stone yet.
08:24
What you missed during the server downtime
The update is approximately 30 GB on PS5 and up to 17 GB on PS4
The server downtime lasts up to 5 hours, according to leakers
In the data, there is already an event found for Chapter 5 Season: OG with the codename “Quail”. This event is supposed to herald Chapter 6. What is in this event is still unknown at this time.
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Epic Games is also working on a new mode for “Reload”. In this mode, you can even join a match solo. Fans say it could work like the CoD mode “Resurgence”.
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According to the data, Epic Games wants to bring a new LTM to Fortnite, “Metal Moshpit.” In this mode, only melee weapons can be used – so it’s aggressive and chaotic, as the name suggests.
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Leakers have been able to find the icons of the old mythic superhero powers from Chapter 2 in the data. Perhaps they will appear back in the game on the map or in an LTM:
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In Diablo 4, you need Stygian Stones to summon the toughest enemies in the game. How you can farm and use the stones for the “Tormented” bosses is explained here on MeinMMO.
To summon the bosses, you not only need to farm the “normal” boss materials but also Stygian Stones. There are two sources for this, with one providing them once in the season.
Elixirs can be very helpful in boss fights – they also speed up leveling. If you forget to equip them, we have a tip here:
Start video
Diablo 4: Do you forget to use your elixirs? This trick helps you.
Farming Stygian Stones in the Pit
What is the Pit?The Pit is an endgame activity that was introduced in Season 4. It is a new dungeon that roughly works like a Greater Rift from Diablo 3. You open a portal in Cerrigar, go to random areas with random enemies, and need to kill enough monsters to summon a boss.
How do I farm in the Pit? In the Pit, you can open a reward chest after the boss fight. Besides loot, it contains materials for “Masterworking” in Diablo 4. With the crafting system, you improve your gear with materials of various rarity levels. Additionally, Stygian Stones can drop in the Pit, and the chance depends on the level of the Pit.
What are the Hell Hordes? With Season 5, another option was introduced in Diablo 4 to farm Stygian Stones: the Hell Hordes. This is an endgame activity where you fight against waves of monsters. Finally, you face 3 bosses from the “Cruel Council” – if you defeat them, you can choose between reward chests: loot, gold, or materials.
How do I farm in the Hell Hordes? As you fight against monster waves and bosses, you collect “Burning Aether”, which you can use to open chests at the end. The chests “cost” 20 Aether; the big reward chest with items can be opened with 60 Aether. Additionally, there is a chest where you can exchange your remaining Aether for gold. One player invested all his Aether and earned almost 150 million gold.
Depending on the level of the Hell Hordes, you will receive rarer crafting materials for masterworking, as well as Stygian Stones. To farm the stones, you need a compass that allows you to play the activity (at least) at level 7. In the end, try to select as many materials chests as possible.
A player got a total of 7 stones in a run at level 7 with about 827 Aether (via Reddit).
Monster level: 180
At level 8, someone received a total of 12 Stygian Stones with about 1,360 according to Reddit.
Completing the Season Journey for Stygian Stones and Boss Materials
Where else can I get Stygian Stones? The stones can drop with a low chance from world bosses at world tier 4. Another way to obtain Stygian Stones is through the season journey. It has a total of 7 stages, each consisting of different objectives. If you complete a certain number of objectives for a stage, you receive rewards – among them, Stygian Stones.
However, you can only complete the season journey once per season to farm the loot, so the stones from this source are limited. In addition to items, emblems, materials, and stones, you also have the chance for a secret player title with the season journey. More on this can be found here: Diablo 4: This is the secret title in Season 5 and how to get it.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The launch of FC 25 is slowly but surely approaching. Many fans are wondering which cards will belong to the strongest in Ultimate Team. We dare to predict the 10 best players in the new EA FC.
There is still no official information about the ratings in FC 25. Based on various indicators, we at MeinMMO have nonetheless tried to make a prediction for the top ten best players in the new successor.
How do our predictions come about? Our predictions are essentially based on two factors:
the ratings of FC 24
the statistics of the real performances of the professionals (especially the championship and Champions League) in the 23/24 season
EA FC 25 trailer shows new features for Ultimate Team
FC 25: Our predictions for the 10 best players in UT
In the following list, you will see the ranking, the player, their rating (the upgrade compared to FC 24), as well as their current club in EA Sports FC 25.
For our assessments regarding goals and assists, we used the database from Sofascore. Additionally, Sofascore provides an overview of all individual performances of the professionals in various competitions and calculates an overall rating for the entire season.
You will not find goalkeepers in our list. However, there will soon be a separate list on MeinMMO.
Forecast for the top ten in FC 25: All players at a glance
Position 10:Salah89 (+-0) – FC Liverpool
For a long time, it looked like Liverpool might once again clinch the championship under successful coach Klopp last season. This was also due to Mohamed Salah having a really good season. 28 goal involvements in 28 starting XI appearances in the league speak for the efficiency of the Egyptian.
Salah has had stronger seasons, yet there is not much to suggest why he should receive a downgrade in FC 25. Thus, Salah would remain one of the best wingers in EA FC.
Position 9: Lewandowski 89 (-1) – FC Barcelona
One cannot shake the feeling that the world-class striker Lewandowski has not yet fully unleashed his potential at FC Barcelona. However, his importance for the Catalans cannot be disputed: after a good first season with a total of 35 goals in the championship and Champions League, he still had 31 direct goal involvements this season.
From his last seasons at Bayern, we were simply used to expecting more from the Pole. Moreover, Lewandowski will celebrate his 36th birthday in August. Given that he is slowing down a bit and not getting any younger, we consider a small downgrade in FC 25 to be likely.
Position 8: Virgil van Dijk 89 (+-0) – FC Liverpool
The Dutchman is reliability personified. The defensive leader has been playing at a consistently high level for many years. He is characterized in defense by enormous dueling strength and outstanding positioning. Additionally, van Dijk is hardly beatable in the air.
In FC 24, his gold card was among the strongest center-backs in Ultimate Team until the very end. His broad body type and enormous height also make him an almost insurmountable obstacle in the game. There is no real reason to change his strong rating of 89.
Position 7: Jude Bellingham 89 (+3) – Real Madrid
The ranking for Bellingham is our “hot take” and would, according to our predictions, lead to two surprises. Firstly, with Bellingham, a star would adorn the new cover of FC 25, who would not make it into the top 5 best players.
The second surprise is his rating. With a +3 upgrade compared to FC 24, the Englishman would make a truly significant jump for a card over 86.
A sensational season with many strong performances and important goals and assists for Real Madrid should justify such an upgrade. Sofascore rated his performances in LaLiga with the best average rating in the European top leagues, with an 8.05. From our predictions, only the following position 6 has an average over 8.0.
Position 6: Rodri 90 (+1) – Manchester City
The Spaniard crowned his outstanding season with winning the European Championship. Rodri is currently the best that football has to offer in his position as a defensive midfielder. His average rating of 8.01 in the Premier League shows that.
What makes the Spaniard indispensable, in addition to his defensive skills, are his important goals and assists at crucial moments. An impressive 17 goal involvements in 34 games can Rodri offer, even though his core business is more about preventing opponent goals.
Rodri will likely be competing with Bellingham this year for the title of World Footballer. A +1 upgrade to 90 in FC 25 is almost a must after this strong season.
Position 5:Harry Kane 91 (+1) – FC Bayern
Harry Kane did not need a long adjustment period since his move from England. On the contrary: although the Englishman did not win a title last season, he delivered incredible individual numbers. 12 goal involvements in 12 matches in the Champions League and 44 scoring points in 32 matches in the Bundesliga look fantastic.
Even in the European Championship, where Kane could not really convince, he still contributed 3 goals on the way to the final. One can hardly expect more from a center-forward. A +1 upgrade to 91 should theoretically be within the realm of possibility.
Position 4: Aitana Bonmati 91 (+1) – FC Barcelona
The reigning world footballer had another outstanding season with the women of FC Barcelona. The Spaniard excelled in the league and in the Champions League, contributing 30 goals and assists in both competitions in 35 matches, all as a midfielder.
Her high rating of 90 in FC 24 could be surpassed by her strong performances and receive the best gold card of all women in FC 25. This would push her ahead of her club and national teammate Alexia Putellas, who was still the strongest woman in FC 24.
Position 3: Kevin De Bruyne 91 (+-0) – Manchester City
The Belgian is among the best midfielders and could be perceived as even better by many if it weren’t for his recurring injuries. One such injury sidelined De Bruyne for almost the entire first half of the season.
It is all the more remarkable how the Belgian keeps returning from injuries. As if he had never been away, he helped Man City with strong performances (14 goal involvements in 18 games) to win the next championship. He even managed to collect 3 scoring points in his two matches in the Champions League.
When De Bruyne plays, he delivers. That’s why we think he should retain his rating despite reduced playing time.
Position 2: Erling Haaland 91 (+-0) – Manchester City
As perhaps with no other professional among the top 5, Haaland bears the curse of the good deed. His mega-season of 22/23, with 44 goal involvements in 35 matches, could not quite be confirmed last season, but this was also due to a persistent injury.
32 goal involvements in 31 league matches and 7 goals in the Champions League in 9 matches are still outstanding. In the new season, the Norwegian will be back to challenge for new records. For FC 25, he should have cemented his rating.
Position 1: Kylian Mbappe 91 (+-0) – Real Madrid
The undoubtedly spectacular transfer of the summer goes to Real Madrid, who managed to sign one of the best strikers of the past years. Mbappe bid farewell in his last season for Paris Saint-Germain with the championship title, to which he contributed 27 goals and 7 assists.
His statistics in the Champions League also look impressive. 8 goals in 12 matches are very good. This should be enough to solidify his strong rating of 91 in FC 25.
Thus, according to our prediction, 5 players share the first place.
With Lionel Messi, the reigning world footballer of 2023 is not among the 10 best players. Although Messi is the absolute superstar in the American Major Soccer League, the level in the USA cannot be compared to that in Europe.
Additionally, the Argentine is now 37 years old. We anticipate a downgrade of -2 points for him. Thus, Messi would still have a strong overall rating of 88 in FC 25.
We limited ourselves to 10 field players. Other strong candidates for the top 10 would also include:
Vinícius Junior
Kerr
Graham Hansen
Putellas
Rúben Dias
What do you think of our predictions? Would you have made a similar ranking? Did we forget someone? Or did we overestimate a player? Feel free to share in the comments. We looked at the announcements of ratings from previous years and made a prediction for FC 25. You can see our result here: FC 25 Ratings: When will they finally come? Our prediction
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
MMORPGs and poker actually have not much in common. However, for poker star Justin Bonomo, it looks different as he owes a part of his career to the MMORPG Everquest.
Who is it about? The poker millionaire Justin Bonomo has earned approximately 58 million euros from poker throughout his career. However, as a teenager, he was an enthusiastic player of the MMORPG Everquest.
He started to have success at various tournaments in the trading card game “Magic: The Gathering” early on. He also won his first prize money there. At one of the tournaments, friends told him about the then-new Everquest.
The game thrilled him, and he spent his two hours online each day playing Everquest. He wasn’t allowed to play longer because the internet and telephone ran on the same line, and Everquest prevented others in the household from being able to make calls.
In an interview with PCGamer, he said: “I loved the game, I was downright obsessed with it”.
Those who are now eager for poker might find happiness with Balatro:
Start video
Trailer for the roguelike poker game Balatro by LocalThunk
From Everquest to Poker Star
What happened next in his story? Everquest completely captivated the teenager at that time.
“It was the first time I played such an engaging game. You were in this world, could explore it, and do so many crazy things. I remember explaining to people that a single area is as large as an entire kilometer, and you could travel through the world for hours without seeing the same place twice. Back then, that was a very unusual thing.”
After his early days, he also joined one of the top guilds on his server and began tackling the game’s most challenging challenges.
Gradually, however, his friends switched from Magic: The Gathering to poker. This was a trend among professional players at that time. The young Justin Bonomo also started playing poker.
What does Everquest have to do with poker? Justin was likely playing Everquest less and dedicating more time to his other hobbies. One day he decided to sell his Everquest account.
“I don’t even know how I met the guy, but it was over AOL Instant Messenger, and he offered me $500 if I sold my character.” Bonomo did just that and parked the $500 in his Paypal account.
Once the foundations of poker were laid for him, he started playing poker for money. To finance this, he used the $500 he still had on Paypal and invested it in his poker account.
Thanks to the money he received from selling his Everquest account, he could start playing poker for real money.
Today, Justin Bonomo is the player who has earned the second most money worldwide in his life. Those who now feel like playing poker but find the classic version too boring will likely find happiness with Balatro. The game mixes classic elements with those of a roguelike: The new indie hit is like poker, but much better – costs only €14
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Baldur’s Gate 3 there are many cool animations. The coolest ones are probably thanks to a man with a stick who imitates a samurai.
What kind of animations are these? In order for the battles in Baldur’s Gate 3 to look as good as possible, the studio collaborated with so-called “Motion Capture” choreographers during the development of the game. These choreographers then choreograph the characters and their movements, which can then get into the game through technology.
In a new video from the developers of Baldur’s Gate 3, they present the choreographer behind some of the coolest combat animations.
Here you can watch the video:
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Who is behind the coolest animations? Mustapha El Bachiri is the choreographer responsible for many of the coolest animations in Baldur’s Gate 3. Equipped with a stick as a sword, he reenacts the most important and refined attacks from Baldur’s Gate 3.
He invented many of the attacks of the Githyanki. The attacks of this race have an “oriental martial arts samurai background”.
A well-known attack, in which the sword is placed on the inside and the attack is executed at lightning speed, for example, originates from a samurai who had to defeat a superior opponent in a dream and invented this attack while doing so.
The choreographer also talks about how the animations are designed at all. He invents many different combat moves, records them with his phone, and sends them to the developers. The finished movement and, ultimately, the animation are then built upon the suggestions.
Start video
Baldur’s Gate 3 is 1 year old and to celebrate the creators share your dirty secrets
How is the man with the stick received by the fans? The fans are excited about the insights behind the scenes of the development of Baldur’s Gate 3. @TheGamingPop writes on X.com: The guy is part of the reason why it feels so damn satisfying to use Divine Smite.
Also, @Liamhodsii expresses excitement on YouTube: “One of the best things about the success of BG3 is that it truly celebrates some of the lesser-known people and roles in game development, something that seems to be very rare in game development. It’s nice to see often overlooked but incredibly important roles being recognized with videos like this!”
@SirAron also praises the choreographer’s work on YouTube: “Combat animations don’t have to run in real-time to be beautiful. The turn-based style allowed each animation to be felt and heard so perfectly that it’s amazing.”
After One Piece, Dragon Ball, and Bleach, Naruto is also supposed to get a live-action adaptation. However, things do not look very promising. Initial reports describe it as a disaster and memories of Dragon Ball Evolution resurface.
What information is there about the Naruto movie? The author and director of the live-action film for Lionsgate is Destin Daniel Cretton. He has directed and written nearly all of his productions, and his last two projects were Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in 2021 and Just Mercy in 2019.
Kishimoto has also commented on Cretton, according to The Hollywood Reporter, and it was quite positive.
When I heard about Destin’s hiring, I was watching one of his action movies, and I thought he would be the perfect director for Naruto.
Overall, this all sounds pretty positive, especially since Just Mercy and Shang-Chi were not catastrophic films either. Especially Shang-Chi had some cool fight scenes in the first half. However, behind the scenes, things seem to be going poorly, as a journalist reportedly learned at Comic-Con.
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 – Opening Trailer
Allegedly, the responsible parties don’t even know the source material
What do insiders say? Journalist Matt McGloin from Cosmic Book News is said to have received information about the Naruto movie from insiders at Comic-Con. It is said to be a complete disaster, as he was told.
The current state of the film is said to be on par with the notorious Dragonball Evolution from 2009. Apparently, the creators behind the series also do not have much knowledge about the manga and anime source material. Allegedly, they don’t even know who the villains are.
Can we trust the insiders? That is hard to say. Such reports must always be taken with a grain of caution, but other facts indicate a difficult situation for the film, which can certainly be described as a disaster.
Work on the Naruto movie has been ongoing since 2015, as reported by Collider. Originally, Michael Gracey was supposed to work on it. As a director, he has made only three films, the most famous of which is The Greatest Showman from 2017.
However, he distanced himself from the project in 2018, as he was not convinced by the script and implied that Kishimoto was also not involved. It was not until 2024 that Destin Daniel Cretton was officially hired.
When and how the Naruto movie will be released is still unclear. So far, there is little information about the film. Only the studio and the director are known. Cretton himself is also still working on Shang-Chi 2. With American Born Chinese, he has now also directed a series on Disney+. Anime adaptations are a tricky business. At least the Netflix series of One Piece has been convincing and secured another season: One Piece on Netflix gets season 2 and a new character is joining
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
