In the DLC of Final Fantasy 16, the battles were my highlight, I was especially pleased about one of them as a player of Final Fantasy 14

Jasmin Beverungen Jasmin Beverungen Reading time 3 minutes

The JRPG Final Fantasy 16 receives two additional DLCs, Echoes of the Fallen and The Rising Tide. So far, only the first of the two expansions is available, but especially fans of Final Fantasy 14 should take a closer look at the DLC.

What is the DLC about?

  • Suddenly, so-called Twilight Crystals appear, which do not last as long as normal crystals. They suddenly flood the black market as inferior goods.
  • Clive investigates the origin of the Twilight Crystals and ends up with a group that mines the crystals in a tower in Rosaria.
  • Together with Joshua and Jill, Clive enters the tower and realizes that a lot of enemies are waiting for him there. He tries to uncover the mystery of the tower and the Twilight Crystals.

What does the DLC offer? In Final Fantasy 16, a tower full of monsters suddenly appears, where you must fight your way from floor to floor. Clive is available to you with his entire Esper arsenal.

The tower contains various enemies that look different than in the main game. Some monsters were “recycled” and have their techniques, but they have been given a new appearance.

Final Fantasy 16 Angra Mainyu
Does the enemy look familiar to you?

Among all the enemies, the mid-bosses stand out particularly. One mid-boss especially pleased me as a player of Final Fantasy 14. In the second third of the game, Angra Mainyu awaits you. It is a flying eye that performs a kind of death roulette around it. Anyone standing in the wrong area takes damage.

This eye took me back to my time in Final Fantasy 14 when I often found myself at level 50 in the Crystal Tower. The Crystal Tower contains three different contents where several bosses must be defeated.

One of these bosses is also a flying eye that starts a roulette around it. Anyone who stays in the blinking area takes a lot of damage. The mid-boss from Final Fantasy 16 reminded me exactly of this enemy and, therefore, gave me a nice nostalgia flashback.

Below you can watch the trailer for the main game:

Start video
Final Fantasy XVI Launch Trailer

Warning, Spoilers: Here follows a description of the final boss of the DLC for Final Fantasy 16.

But the big highlight is a boss that players of Final Fantasy 14 should also know. At the end of the game, Omega awaits us. The boss provided such an exciting fight that I haven’t had in a long time.

The enemy is divided into two main phases. There are challenging mechanics where you have to dodge attacks. Accompanying this is an epic soundtrack, for which I turned my TV up loud.

The fight was intense until the last moment. In my battle, I actually used all healing potions and was barely able to defeat the boss. The spectacular fireworks and the upbeat soundtrack definitely left a lasting impression on me.

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How do I start the DLC? “Echoes of the Fallen” offers a new side story. You can only start the additional quest if you meet certain requirements. The game already gives you the hint that you need to complete two different missions beforehand. However, there are other quests that you must complete first for these two quests.

These include the following quests:

  • City of Madness (Main Quest)
  • The Phoenix’s Sorrow (Side Quest)
  • Where There’s a Will (Side Quest)
  • Concern for Jill (Side Quest)
  • Flowers for a Smile (Side Quest)

If you are not a diligent side quest lover, you will need to spend some time catching up on the side quests. Since I did not have this knowledge at the start of the DLC, searching around cost me a full 2 hours. And that for a DLC that lasts only 3 hours.

Pros
  • Action-packed battles with interesting mechanics
  • Fantastic final battle with great soundtrack and colorful fireworks
  • Jill and Joshua are also involved
Cons
  • Not all side quests are listed for starting the DLC
  • The story plays only a minor role

Who is the expansion worth it for? If you enjoyed the action-packed battles in Final Fantasy 16, you will definitely have fun with the expansion. There are new enemies that appear in different designs. Especially the mid-bosses are particularly fun, as they bring new mechanics that were not present in the main game.

If you are hoping for another exciting story for Final Fantasy 16, you will be disappointed with this DLC. A story is present, but it is not a big deal if you miss it, as it only minimally expands FF16. There are twists here and there, but they are not staged as dramatically as in the main game.

If you are interested in the MeinMMO review of the main game, you can check out the following article by our author Marie Friske: Final Fantasy 16 in Review: Like Game of Thrones, if it had a great finale

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

A secret Alan Rickman had to keep to portray his role in Harry Potter convincingly

Linda Baumgartl Linda Baumgartl Reading time 4 minutes

One of the most complex characters from Harry Potter is Severus Snape. We often see him as a nasty teacher – but in the end, he is on the right side. To play this convincingly, actor Alan Rickman even received secret insider information.

Who is Alan Rickman? The British actor and director made his breakthrough in the film industry with his first feature film Die Hard (1988) in the role of the terrorist Hans Gruber.

Before that, Rickman had already made a name for himself in the world of theater and in British TV productions.

In addition to Harry Potter, he is also seen in numerous other well-known films. These include, for example, Robin Hood – Prince of Thieves (1991), Love Actually (2003), The Last Show of Snow (2006), Perfume (2006), and Sweeney Todd (2007).

Alan Rickman passed away in 2016 at the age of 69 from his cancer.

In “Die Hard,” Alan Rickman had his cinematic breakthrough:

Start video
Die Hard – German trailer for the action movie with Bruce Willis
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Severus Snape – an ambivalent character

In the films, and especially in the books of Harry Potter, we usually see Severus Snape as an extremely biased teacher. He only cares for his own house – Slytherin. Students from the hated house Gryffindor, on the other hand, are sometimes practically bullied.

One might get the idea that Snape is a classic villain. However, in the last part, we learn more about his background, and it becomes clear: Snape is actually on the right side of the wizarding war.

For such a “revelation” to seem credible to the audience, the new understanding must fit with what has been shown so far. This can pose a significant challenge for the actors. If you don’t know a character’s background, you cannot portray it subtly.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - Alan Rickman
In the third part, Snape shows his good side when he wants to protect the golden trio from a werewolf attack.

What did the actors know? The first film – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – was released in 2001. Filming began in October 2000. At that time, only the first four books of the later seven-part series were on the market.

Therefore, most actors only had this knowledge available. However, since Snape’s background is only explored in detail in the seventh part, this was not known to most at the beginning of filming.

Keeper of the secret from day one

Alan Rickman was different. In order to embody his role as Snape as best as possible, he received a crucial piece of information from author J.K. Rowling even during the filming of the first movie.

However, he kept exactly what that information was secret until his death.

She [J.K. Rowling] gave me a tiny piece of information that I have always said I would never share with anyone, and I never did, and I never will.

– Alan Rickman (via independent)

Even in his diaries, which were published in 2023 under the title Madly, Deeply: My Diaries. 1993 to 2015, he describes his knowledge vaguely as “a few insights into Snape’s background”.

Was the secret ever revealed? The information Rickman had at his disposal will fortunately not remain an eternal secret. Shortly after the actor’s death in January 2016, J.K. Rowling decided to enlighten the fans:

“I told Alan what lies behind the word ‘always’.” (via Twitter)

Dying Potter fans know that this one word, better known in the original English as “always”, tells them everything they need to know.

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A word says more than a thousand words

What does “always” mean? The quote comes from a scene in the last part. There we learn that Snape still clings to Harry’s deceased mother, Lily Potter. For her, Snape tried for all those years to protect Harry. When Dumbledore asks, “After all this time?”, he only replies with “Always”.

This moment represents a decisive turning point in the perception of Snape. Here we discover that Snape’s main motive all those years was still his almost obsessive love for Lily.

How did this affect the films? It makes perfect sense that Rowling decided to share this particular piece of information with Alan Rickman. Looking back at the films, you can beautifully see how Rickman could subtly incorporate this knowledge into his acting.

Already when he looks at Harry for the first time, there is much more in his gaze than just hatred.

Rickman also refused to play scenes that would not have fit the character afterward. For example, producer David Hayman reported to the LA Times:

It was also quite amusing because there were moments when a director told Alan what to do in a scene, and he would respond with something like, “No, I can’t do that – I know what’s going to happen, and you don’t.”

All in all, it was probably a very good decision to entrust Alan Rickman with this little piece of information. The films benefited from it, and he kept the secret until the end.

Things went differently for “Game of Thrones” star Kit Harington. The actor who played the character Jon Snow once revealed a major series secret to avoid getting a parking ticket: Kit Harington revealed a major secret from Game of Thrones – Did not get a ticket for it

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. collider.com
  2. independent.co

Palworld: Catching Penking – You can find the Pal at these locations

Paul Kutzner Paul Kutzner Reading time 2 minutes

Penking is one of the many Pals in Palworld. We will show you how and where you can obtain it.

In the world of Palworld, there are countless monsters, known as Pals. You can use these as companions for fighting, for certain advantages like riding, or as workers for your base. You can catch, buy, or breed Pals.

One of these Pals is Penking, which has the water and ice types. You can use Penking together with Bushi to breed Anubis. This is one of the strongest Pals available in Palworld.

Start video
Palworld showcases the small monsters in massive action in the early access trailer

Catching, buying, or breeding Penking

Where can I catch Penking? If you want to add Penking to your team, you have several options to obtain it. The first option is to catch it. You can encounter it in the first wildlife sanctuary (No. 1 Wildlife Sanctuary). To get there, you need a Pal that allows you to fly or one that allows you to swim.

If you choose this method, be aware that entering a wildlife sanctuary is considered a criminal activity and will give you a wanted level.

You can also encounter Penking outside the wildlife sanctuary. North-east of the abandoned mines (Abandoned Mineshaft), you have the chance to come across an Alpha Penking. This one is Level 15 and waits inside a dungeon.

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Can I breed Penking? The second option you have to obtain Penking is breeding. You can get a Penking through the following breeding combinations:

  • Cinnamoth and Surfent
  • Eikthyrdeer and Cryolinx
  • Mozzarina and Cryolinx
  • Incineram and Sibelyx
  • Cinnamoth and Elphidran

Can I buy Penking? The last option to get Penking is to buy it. You have the opportunity to find it with black market traders and obtain it there.

What about you? Do you already have a Penking, or are you currently on the hunt for one? Do you want to add it to your collection to breed Anubis? Feel free to let us know in the comments. You can find an overview of guides for Palworld with us.

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

Palworld: Xbox update is live – Here’s what’s in the new update

Cedric Holmeier Cedric Holmeier Reading time 2 minutes

A new patch for Palworld on Xbox and Gamepass is live. We show you what’s included in the Xbox version 0.1.1.2.

Why are Xbox and Steam not patched at the same time? The Xbox and Gamepass version differs from the Steam version. Due to various verification processes, it generally takes a little longer for a patch to be available on Xbox. 

Even though crossplay, meaning playing on the same servers with Xbox, Gamepass, and Steam players, is supposed to be possible later, this patch does not yet bring the long-awaited feature. You can find out more about multiplayer and crossplay here.

Here you can see how to level quickly in Palworld.

Start video
Palworld: How you can level up quickly

What the new Xbox and Gamepass patch 0.1.1.2 brings

What features are new? Patch 0.1.1.2 brings solely bug fixes. Previously, there were some issues that negatively affected the stability of the game. These are now resolved. Furthermore, the developers want to prioritize fixing the important issues. 

Here you can read the original tweet announcing the patch:

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Link to the Twitter content

Is it known more precisely what has been fixed? Although the developers do not elaborate, the Steam version 0.1.30 was released on January 25, and with it, the Xbox patch for version 0.1.1.1 was announced.

Text errors were corrected, the date of the game world, which was displayed incorrectly, was repaired, and a bug was fixed where the landing screen would not finish when logging into the game world.

Additionally, players on the official Palworld servers suffered under cheaters and exploits, which were also addressed on January 25.

If the issues also occurred on Xbox, they should now be resolved. The game should run more stable after the patch, and there should be fewer crashes. 

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Initial feedback on the patch is positive

How is Palworld running after the patch? On X (formerly Twitter), there are already some voices from the community commenting on the new patch.

  • @oludarelordgod writes: “This is great news! The Xbox is now working perfectly.”
  • @HamzaJe981 writes: “Thank you for the notification about the new patch. It’s reassuring to see important bugs being fixed. We look forward to seeing the game evolve. #palworld”
  • @mrpyo1 writes: “Patch the game? Pokémon would never do that ?”

How is Palworld running for you after the patch? Have you experienced any issues with the Xbox or Gamepass version of the game so far? Palworld is not only a hit with teens, many adults are playing the game as well: Especially when parents and children play together, great moments happen in the game.

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

EA FC 24: Tonight you can get free packs again – Here’s how it works

Thomas Dummer Thomas Dummer Reading time 4 minutes

In EA FC 24, the last matchday of the group stage of the FC Pro Open takes place today. While the best players compete against each other, you can watch the spectacle and secure some free rewards. We will show you how.

This is the FC Pro Open: The FC Pro Open is a large international event for all EA FC 24 professionals. Here, the best pros compete against each other. Today, Monday, January 29, 2024, the final matches of the group stage will take place at 19:00.

As part of the qualifiers, EA Sports introduced the FC Pro Live Event, featuring dynamic cards in Ultimate Team, whose upgrades depend on the performances of their partnered professionals. This means that the event cards have the potential for upgrades on each match day. We have summarized all progress and upgrades for you in our Pro Live Tracker.

You can see all previous and upcoming dates of the Pro Open here:

All dates of the FC Pro Open at a glance

What do live match days bring you as a spectator? The live broadcast of the Pro Open gives you the opportunity to learn from the best of the best. As an additional incentive, EA Sports provides you with free packs for your role as a spectator.

Furthermore, EA has been releasing an Easter egg challenge for each match day for a few weeks now, where a specific country is sought each time. Once the new secret is revealed, you can read it here: This is how you easily solve the Easter egg from the FC PRO Open.

Earn rewards on Twitch or YouTube: Here’s how

How do I receive the free rewards? EA Sports has published a detailed guide on their information page outlining the individual steps to receive rewards via Twitch or YouTube. We present them to you.

How to receive rewards via Twitch

  1. Ensure that you already have an existing Ultimate Team account.
  2. Make sure to link the correct EA account with your Twitch account at https://ea.com/twitchlinking. Age restrictions apply. See the Twitch service terms for details.
  3. Watch the stream for the designated duration.
  4. Claim the reward on Twitch from the Drops Inventory page.
  5. Log back into your Ultimate Team club and claim your target before the target window expires. Rewards may take up to 24 hours to arrive.

How to receive rewards via YouTube

  1. Ensure that you already have an existing Ultimate Team account.
  2. Go to “Linked Apps” in the YouTube settings.
  3. Make sure to connect the correct EA account with your YouTube account by clicking “Connect with Electronic Arts”.
  4. You will be asked whether you wish to allow Electronic Arts to link accounts and view approved events and videos to receive in-game rewards. Click on Connect.
  5. Confirm your EA account. If it isn’t the correct account, click on “Not your account?” and switch to the correct account.
  6. Click on Next. If you have two-step verification enabled, you will be prompted to verify your identity.
  7. Click on Connect Accounts.
  8. Click on “Back to YouTube”.
  9. Watch the stream for the designated duration.
  10. Log back into your Ultimate Team club and claim your target before the target window expires. Rewards may take up to 24 hours to arrive.

If you haven’t linked your account with EA Sports yet, today is a great opportunity. Linking your accounts is very easy and only takes a few minutes. Once you’re connected, you can sit back, turn on the stream, and casually secure some extra rewards.

Speaking of extra rewards: You can also secure them with the new rewards in the Weekend League.

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FC Pro Season 4: All tasks, rewards, and time limits

Group TasksMatch Day TasksRewards (non-exchangeable)Instructions/Time Limit
FC PRO Season 4Complete all Objectives of FC Pro Live Season 4Jumbo Rare Players PackMust be earned by February 3, 2024
Match Day 5
Viewer Bonus 1: Watch the FC Pro Open on January 8 for at least 15 minutes		Two Rare Gold Players PackMust be earned by watching the 5th Match Day of the FC Pro Open on January 8, 2024
Match Day 5
Viewer Bonus 2: Watch the FC Pro Open on January 8 for at least 60 minutes		Jumbo Premium Gold PackMust be earned by watching the 5th Match Day of the FC Pro Open on January 8, 2024
Match Day 6
Viewer Bonus 1: Watch the FC Pro Open on January 15 for at least 15 minutes		Two Rare Gold Players PackMust be earned by watching the 6th Match Day of the FC Pro Open on January 15, 2024
Match Day 6
Viewer Bonus 2: Watch the FC Pro Open on January 15 for at least 60 minutes		Jumbo Premium Gold PackMust be earned by watching the 6th Match Day of the FC Pro Open on January 15, 2024
Match Day 7
Viewer Bonus 1: Watch the FC Pro Open on January 22 for at least 15 minutes		Two Rare Gold Players PackMust be earned by watching the 7th Match Day of the FC Pro Open on January 22, 2024
Match Day 7
Viewer Bonus 2: Watch the FC Pro Open on January 22 for at least 60 minutes		Gold Players PackMust be earned by watching the 7th Match Day of the FC Pro Open on January 22, 2024
Match Day 8
Viewer Bonus 1: Watch the FC Pro Open on January 29 for at least 15 minutes		Two Rare Gold Players PackMust be earned by watching the 8th Match Day of the FC Pro Open on January 29, 2024
Match Day 8
Viewer Bonus 2: Watch the FC Pro Open on January 29 for at least 60 minutes		Gold Players PackMust be earned by watching the 8th Match Day of the FC Pro Open on January 29, 2024
Win like a pro! Rare Gold Player 83+Win 8 matches in Rivals or Champs
FC PRO Season 5 – FINALSComplete all objectives of FC PRO Season 5 – FINALSFC Pro Open Diogo Jota (88)Watch the finals on February 3 to achieve all objectives.
FC PRO Open Finals
Viewer Bonus 1: Watch the FC Pro Open Finals on February 3 for at least 15 minutes		Loan Player TOTY De BruyneMust be earned by watching the FC Pro Open Finals on February 3, 2024
FC PRO Open Finals
Viewer Bonus 2: Watch the FC Pro Open Finals on February 3 for at least 60 minutes		5x 83+ Player PackMust be earned by watching the FC Pro Open Finals on February 3, 2024
FC PRO Open: Diogo Jota
Score 5 goals with 86-rated FC PRO Open Diogo Jota in any game mode		FC Pro Open Diogo Jota (87)Must be earned by February 10
Link your account with TwitchLink your account with TwitchDraft TokenMust be earned by September 1, 2024
 Link your account with TwitchMega PackMust be earned by September 1, 2024

For those looking to secure even more additional rewards, we have something for you. The new Prime Gaming Pack featuring Kylian Mbappé as a loan player and other contents is now available.

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

„One must stop looking back“ – Player returns to WoW after 12 years, experiencing all possible emotions

Benedict Grothaus Benedict Grothaus Reading time 3 minutes

A player has recently spent a lot of time in World of Warcraft during Mists of Pandaria. Now he has decided to give the game another chance. Seeing how little of what he used to know is left pains him. But he resolves not to dwell too much in the past – WoW offers too much new content.

Who is the player?

  • The user rikndikndakn123 on Reddit claims to have primarily played WoW as a teenager and young adult.
  • He last actively played during Mists of Pandaria, the 4th expansion of World of Warcraft, which was released in 2012. When he was actively playing, he was in his early 20s.
  • In 2019, he played again for a month in Battle for Azeroth, but he did not find a connection and quickly stopped again. Now he is looking back into the MMORPG.

This is his journey: rikndikndakn recounts that he has no idea what is happening in WoW right now. Not even what the current expansion is. What he does see is that “A LOT” has changed since he was last in the game.

Now he is at level 50, where he was last somewhere in the 100s. The level squish back then was a big deal. He doesn’t even really know where he is now, what has happened in his absence. Whether the people he used to play with still play, or if they are even still alive. Everything feels somewhat deserted:

My friend list is empty. Stormwind is a ghost town full of echoes from the past. My mailbox is filled with mementos of festivities I used to celebrate with my friends. A reminder of a past life.

The king is no longer in the castle. I have no idea what happened to him. I no longer know where the paladin teacher is. But he is no longer in the cathedral. For a brief moment, as I enter the cathedral, I hear a choir that makes me feel like I am that child again who started playing WoW so many years ago.

rikndikndakn then looked for his old mounts and tabards. Memories of achievements that no longer count today. He made his way to Elwynn, to Redridge Mountains, and then back.

An important station for rikndikndakn and thousands of other players was Northrend. It even led to overcrowded ships during the re-launch in Classic:

Start video
At the release of WotLK Classic, hundreds of players are squeezing onto a boat and I am right in the middle

“Grief is okay. But at some point, one has to stop looking back”

On his way to Northrend, rikndikndakn met another player on the ship heading there. However, he seemed little interested in conversation: as soon as they arrived, he bolted, “probably to his next quest.”

In Northrend, the player visited the Grizzly Hills – where he suspects he discovered his love for forests and fjords. Ultimately, he defeated the Lich King in Icecrown Citadel. Memories of his spells and abilities from the past are returning.

Only the victory somehow feels hollow. No one to share the achievement and loot with. A brief fight with loot that means nothing anymore. He even started with WoW Classic in an attempt to relive the feelings of those days, but to no avail. rikndikndakn yearns for the memories but realizes that it’s not everything:

I decide not to dwell in the past any longer. I want to look forward. I want to experience Draenor and the Shadowlands. Not as checkpoints to a new expansion, but as a goal that gives me the adrenaline just like Cataclysm and Wrath of the Lich King did back then. […] I hope to find someone there. Someone on the same journey as me. And if not? Then I will just fly around a bit longer. Just a little bit longer.

A little nostalgia that has accompanied players since Classic: the Murloc gurgle. It still causes flashbacks today:

Start video
WoW: Where does the Murloc gurgle come from?

“With Dragonflight, there is a new lease on life”

The post on Reddit clearly resonated with the feelings of many players who understand what nostalgia in WoW is so important. It simply connects many fans. However, they also clearly state: Dragonflight offers so much more, one does not have to live in the past.

Sure, Stormwind and Orgrimmar are relatively dead. However, Valdrakken is just full of life – so much that players’ FPS regularly drops there. The people are not gone, they are just in the new social hub now.

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One can “visit nostalgia, but not live in it.” When you are there, you should smile and laugh, but not mourn the memories of happiness. Otherwise, you feel miserable in the now.

The players suggest that rikndikndakn should visit Retail and Dragonflight. It is worth it. They even invite him to reach out. Then they could raid, quest together… just do something together.

Dragonflight itself is currently one of the most successful expansions ever. Never since the release in 2004 has there been so much content, innovations, and small details that still bring a lot of joy. MeinMMO demon Cortyn explains further: World of Warcraft had its best year, even if you might believe that later

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

The most powerful computer in the world is to be built in Germany and is to be ready for use in just one year

Benedikt Schlotmann Benedikt Schlotmann Reading time 2 minutes

A new supercomputer is being built in Jülich. It is expected to be faster than any other systems. In the future, it will mainly be used for AI training.

What kind of supercomputer will this be? The supercomputer JUPITER (Joint Undertaking Pioneer for Innovative and Transformative Exascale Research) was commissioned by the European supercomputer consortium EuroHPC JU in October 2023.

A total of three supercomputers are planned. The first of the three planned computers will be built in Germany and is expected to be operational within a year. This was reported by our colleagues from PCGamer.

Who is behind it? The Jülich Supercomputing Center and the French computer company Eviden have now made an agreement for the construction of the supercomputer. This is about an exascale-class computer that is supposed to be capable of processing vast amounts of data at once.

Nvidia chips power large supercomputer

What hardware is in the system? JUPITER is expected to be powered by several Nvidia GH200 Grace Hopper superchips and is primarily intended for AI training. The computer is set to become the world’s most powerful AI system, achieving a performance of 90 exaFLOPs in training AI models. One exaflop represents 1 quintillion floating-point operations per second, which corresponds to an exaFLOPS performance in the HPC (High Performance Computing) field.

As a comparison: In the gaming sector, we typically measure performance in teraflops, and this number is significantly smaller. What teraflops are and what they actually bring can be read on MeinMMO.

The special thing about this supercomputer is its modular design. And this is supposed to have several advantages:

  • Thanks to its modular construction, the system can be set up especially quickly. It is therefore expected to be operational within a year.
  • Moreover, upgrades are much easier to manage, as new modules can simply be added.
  • Additionally, costs are expected to decrease significantly due to the modular design.

A total of 45 modules are to be used: 20 IT units, 15 energy, and 10 logistics modules.

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One of the largest AI companies worldwide is looking for weapon experts to prevent “abuse of the models”
von Claudio Niggenkemper

Where is the fastest supercomputer located? The Frontier, based at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been at the top of the fastest supercomputers since June 2022. You can also find the “Frontier” in our cover image.

The system has an HPL benchmark score (High Performance Linpack) of 1.194 exaflops. Furthermore, “Frontier” is quite impressive:

A new computer weighs more than 2 cars and needs thousands of liters of water per minute

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

Pokémon GO: A Rocket Boss has one of the best Dragon attackers with him and will become the player’s “best friend”

Paul Kutzner Paul Kutzner Reading time 2 minutes

The Rocket bosses have new Shadow Pokémon for you in the current event in Pokémon GO. One of them is particularly good.

What is this event about? The new Rocket event Stolen Treasures is currently running in Pokémon GO. In addition to the return of Giovanni, who has a Shadow Kyogre, the Rocket bosses also have other Shadow Pokémon with them.

Currently, you can catch Shadow Tentacha from Sierra, Cliff has a Shadow Zubat for you, and Arlo has a Shadow Kindwurm that you can add to your team. Trainers on Reddit have a clear favorite regarding which boss is particularly worth it.

Start video
Pokémon GO shows the new season “Timeless Travels” in the trailer

Arlo and his Shadow Kindwurm are a clear favorite among trainers

Why is Arlo so popular? The Shadow Kindwurm you can catch from Arlo can evolve into Shadow Brutalanda. This Pokémon is one of the strongest Dragon attackers in Pokémon GO. Additionally, it can appear as Shiny, which makes it even more interesting for many trainers.

What does the community say about it? The community is excited about the opportunity to catch Shadow Kindwurm:

  • One trainer says: Nice that Arlo is relevant again!
  • Another trainer says: So, Arlo is the one that needs to be grinded now… Good to know.
  • Some trainers are even starting to rethink their friendships. Friendship with Cliff ended, Arlo is the new best friend, writes a trainer.
  • The fact that Shadow Kindwurm is available as Shiny is also mentioned, as in this comment: Kindwurm is such an elite Shiny Crypto.
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Mimikyu in Pokémon GO would be brutally strong but is not allowed to fight: What does Niantic say about it?
von Max Handwerk
I am already preparing for an important event in Pokémon GO, and you must do so too
von Paul Kutzner
Pokémon GO Guide: Best counters against Regieleki – Use these attackers
von Patrick Freese

What about Sierra and Cliff? The Pokémon of the other two Rocket bosses are also interesting and have their justification:

  • Shadow Tentacha from Sierra can be used as Shadow Tentoxa in the Ultra League.
  • Shadow Zubat can score in its evolution as Shadow Golbat in the Great League.

Which other Shadow Pokémon from the Rockets are particularly worth it, you can also find out from us.

What do you think about the current Shadow Pokémon of the Rocket bosses? Do you agree with the community and find especially the Shadow Kindwurm particularly interesting? Are you maybe already actively farming Arlo? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments. Also, feel free to check which events are still coming up in January 2024 in Pokémon GO.

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

The new role-playing game on Steam is like Baldur’s Gate 3 – But you can ride magical cowboys on dinosaurs

Sophia Weiss Sophia Weiss Reading time 2 minutes

A new C-RPG like Baldur’s Gate 3 has launched in Early Access on Steam: In Unforetold: Witchstone, you will experience adventures in a Dungeons & Dragons inspired steampunk world and can even ride as magical cowboys on dinosaurs through the world.

What kind of game is this? Unforetold: Witchstone is a C-RPG with a top-down perspective and turn-based combat system. You create a character with which you experience adventures in the magical world of Kalsundia and can influence your surroundings.

The game is developed and published by Spearhead Games from Canada. Their previous games include Omensight, an action crime thriller, and Stories: The Path of Destinies, also an RPG.

As in Baldur’s Gate 3, you create a character that can influence the fate of the steampunk world. You can personalize your character with a character creator inspired by tabletop RPGs and choose from several classes – including one that shoots magical pistols.

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Steampunk Trains and Dinosaur Mounts: Like Baldur’s Gate 3 but Distinct

What is the game about? The story of Unforetold: Witchstone revolves around the consequences of a war between two kingdoms. Many victims and displaced people from the conflict sought refuge in the largely unexplored areas of the land of Kalsundia.

Both kingdoms repeatedly try to conquer Kalsundia for themselves. Now, its factions have come together for the first time to jointly resist the potential conquerors.

As a player, you can significantly influence the outcome of the conflict with your actions and decisions. You can ride dinosaurs as mounts through the world or travel from point A to B with one of the magical steampunk trains.

The setting was worked on, among others, by fantasy author Ed Greenwood. He has been writing fantasy novels since the 1980s, many of which are part of the official canon of the tabletop RPG Dungeons & Dragons by Wizards of the Coast. Many of his books revolve around the life of the wizard Elminster, whom Baldur’s Gate 3 players know as the mentor of the companion Gale.

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What makes it like Baldur’s Gate 3? Unforetold: Witchstone is a C-RPG like Baldur’s Gate 3 and therefore has quite a few gameplay similarities:

  • Top-down perspective
  • Tabletop-inspired character creation and class selection
  • Turn-based combat
  • Non-linear quests
  • Recruitable NPCs for your party

Since the lore and story of Unforetold: Witchstone are significantly shaped by an author from the Dungeons & Dragons lore, Baldur’s Gate 3 players should also find their way well in the world.

What about the release? Unforetold: Witchstone launched in Early Access on January 25, 2024. A release of the full version has not yet been announced. On Steam, the game costs €34.99. Until February 5, however, you can purchase it for a 10% discount, which is €31.49.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Steam
  2. Spearhead Games

New MMORPG aims to be an alternative to WoW, facing heavy criticism for PvP – now explains what is changing

Cedric Holmeier Cedric Holmeier Reading time 2 minutes

In Tarisland, players in the last beta complained a lot about the PvP gameplay of the new MMORPG. Now, the developers have detailed what changes are to be made.

What bothered the fans? Fans criticized various aspects of PvP in Tarisland. Especially the balancing was a concern for players, as some classes were much stronger in PvP than others. Players were also likely annoyed that PvP could only be played at certain times and that the time to find a match was reportedly quite high at times. 

The developers have now taken the feedback collected through an in-game survey as well as in a separate channel on Discord as a reason to announce the changes to PvP. 

Here you can watch the trailer for Tarisland.

Start video
Tarisland: Chinese alternative to WoW shows beautiful areas and exciting battles in the new trailer

Goodbye PvP Gear, Hello Badges

What is the most important change? The most important change to the PvP system of Tarisland concerns balancing. Not only will adjustments be made to the classes after the beta, but Tarisland is also removing the entire PvP gear from the game. The gear is to be replaced by a new system. 

This is how the PvP gear will be replaced: The so-called badge system will replace the PvP gear. It allows you to choose from a total of 16 badges. The badges are divided into 8 for “Ultimate Skills” and 8 for passive effects. In addition, badges will also provide additional attributes. You can choose 3 badges with abilities and 3 badges with passive effects each. 

The developers have already shown some examples of the badges that could exist.

  • Immobility effects last x seconds longer
  • Restores x% of health for yourself for each player you hit
  • Adds stun for x seconds
  • Removes all control effects and grants 10% damage immunity for x seconds
  • After taking lethal damage, you restore x% of health instead of dying (can only be triggered once)

The developers caution that these are only examples and may not appear as is in the final game. The badges should be upgradable, and even though the PvE gear has an impact on PvP, PvP players should be able to focus entirely on the badges.

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Fair Arena and New Game Modes

What happens to the Arena mode? The Arena mode is set to become fairer. The developers of Tarisland want the arena to function independently of stats. All players are to have characters with equally strong attributes. Victory should depend solely on skill, the developers write in their post (via Discord).

What about new game modes? The developers state in their post on Discord that they want to continue to develop new game modes and work on a better PvP experience. They have noted that “Guild vs. Guild” PvP and “Open World” PvP is desired by many players and are considering it.

Additionally, the developers are also reviewing the arena opening hours. In the comments under the Discord post, the community manager also answered some player questions. Recently, the developers have also announced important changes for the PvE of the game.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Discord-Beitrag der Entwickler

Dark and Darker was banned from Steam due to serious allegations – Now the developers celebrate their first success in the dispute

Dariusz Müller Dariusz Müller Reading time 2 minutes

Dark and Darker was a real surprise hit on Steam when serious allegations from a competitor led to its removal from the platform. Now there is a first victory for the dungeon crawler.

What is Dark and Darker?

  • Dark and Darker is a dungeon crawler with a PvP focus set in a medieval fantasy setting. In addition to magic and sorcery, you can use swords and shields as well as ranged weapons like a crossbow.
  • The gameplay of Dark and Darker is reminiscent of extraction shooters like Escape from Tarkov – but without the shooting. Within a match, you fight in teams of three for loot. If you die in an ongoing round, you lose your loot.
  • The dungeon crawler had already conducted some playtests on Steam that excited thousands of players.
  • On August 7, 2023, Dark and Darker started early access, but not on Steam. It is still absent due to serious allegations from Nexon.
Start video
Dark and Darker: Gameplay Teaser

Dark and Darker celebrates a small success in the dispute with Nexon

What are the allegations? On March 25, 2023, Ironmace, the developer studio behind Dark and Darker, announced on the game’s Discord server that they are battling a cease and desist and a DMCA notice from the South Korean developer studio and publisher Nexon.

Nexon accuses Ironmace of stealing the idea and using parts of the code and assets that belong to Nexon. In early March, a police raid occurred at Ironmace’s office.

What success have the developers celebrated now? On the game’s Discord server, the developer “sdf” provided a brief update on the legal dispute in Korean. He writes that the “preliminary injunction for violation of trade secrets and copyrights” submitted by Nexon was dismissed by the court.

Furthermore, the court decided according to the developer that Dark and Darker should not be shut down based on the evidence provided by Nexon:

Dear players,

yesterday the preliminary injunction from Nexon against Ironmace for violation of trade secrets and copyrights was dismissed.

The court decided that ‘the game by Ironmace cannot be considered a violation of Nexon’s copyright or trade secrets’ and thus dismissed the claims and suspicion that Dark & Darker was developed using Nexon’s trade secrets and in violation of copyright. That was not the case. Moreover, the court decided that the service of Dark & Darker should not be shut down solely based on Nexon’s claims and evidence.

Ironmace developer “sdf” via Discord

What happens next? That is unclear, as there are not only good news for Dark and Darker in the announcement on Discord. The Ironmace developer also speaks about an unspecified “court decision regarding unfair competition”.

It is also not known when and if Dark and Darker will be available on Steam again. We will just have to wait until we receive more precise information on this matter.

For Ironmace, it would certainly be good if the dungeon crawler could soon be back on Steam, as more and more games want to fill the empty space left by Dark and Darker on the platform: New game on Steam could take the place of the banned Dark & Darker – not only criticism for similarity

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

The new DC game launches in a few days, getting an unpopular feature: „This ensures that PC players do not purchase it“

Niko Hernes Niko Hernes Reading time 2 minutes

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is releasing this week, there is not much anticipation among players. The new discovery that the Denuvo DRM copy protection has been added to Steam has caused even more anger among many players.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is the upcoming game from the Batman: Arkham studio Rocksteady Studios. Despite the popular Batman series, players have been skeptical since the reveal of Suicide Squad. Not only did the gameplay make players fearful, but also aspects like battle passes or loot have left a negative impression on players.

Now, a few days before release, Denuvo DRM has been found in the game. The copy protection is hated by players as it is allegedly responsible for performance drops and is said to bring other disadvantages as well. The game is now being heavily criticized on Reddit.

Start video
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Official Coop Gameplay

Why does a live service game need Denuvo?

Originally, no copy protection software was announced for the game, but as PCGamesN reports, the Steam backend allegedly showed that Denuvo was added on January 20. The Steam page also now lists Third-party DRM: Denuvo Anti-Tamper.

Similar to what happened with Dying Light 2 and DRM, this news is also sparking a heated discussion on a Reddit post. Players largely agree and criticize Denuvo.

In response to the question: Why does a live service game need Denuvo? from user taisui, ObscuraArt sarcastically replies with: Don’t ask questions. Just consume and look forward to the next product. The point that an online game gets DRM is simply incomprehensible to most users.

The future and success of the game are also questioned in the process. TotallyRedditLeftist sums up the controversies and mentions the review embargo, the live service aspect, and Denuvo. He only comments: So you want this game to fail, huh?

Lopsided_Taro4808 summarizes the opinion of users quite well: This ensures that PC players don’t buy it

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What do you think of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League? Do you want to play it or have the many news about the game put you off? Let us know in the comments. This year, a major Japanese publisher also faced criticism for its subsequent DRM update: One of the most popular games on Steam is now getting bad reviews because Capcom is changing something

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

Disney paid Johnny Depp 68 million dollars for a seven-minute appearance

Marie Friske Marie Friske Reading time < 1 minutes

It is no secret that Hollywood actors receive fees of several million dollars. For instance, the Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp received 68 million dollars from Disney for just 7 minutes of screentime.

Through his eccentric roles as Captain Jack Sparrow in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” films or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Johnny Depp became a sought-after Hollywood star, for whose fee some film studios were willing to dig deep into their pockets.

In the past, Johnny Depp received an eight-figure fee from Disney for just a few minutes of screentime.

Here you can see a German trailer for Alice in Wonderland:

Start video
German trailer for Alice in Wonderland

According to The Telegraph, Johnny Depp was reportedly paid a whopping 68 million US dollars for his role in the 2010 Disney film Alice in Wonderland.

In the adventure and fantasy film directed by Tim Burton, he played the Mad Hatter. While this is a well-known character from the famous literary classic by Lewis Carroll, he is not seen too often in the Disney film.

Johnny Depp only has seven minutes of screentime in his role. Thus, he earned 9.7 million dollars for every minute he is seen in Alice in Wonderland.

Director Tim Burton and Johnny Depp share a long-standing friendship. You can read more about it here from our colleagues at Filmstarts: “I would even sleep with an aardvark”: For this director, Johnny Depp would be willing to do anything

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But not only in Alice in Wonderland did Johnny Depp earn a fortune for a few scenes. He also received a hefty fee for another major film project in the wizarding universe of Harry Potter – even though the scene ended up being unusable: 16 million dollars for a single scene with Johnny Depp: It doesn’t even appear in the film

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

More than 100,000 people watch on Twitch as a German streamer seemingly falls into an ice lake

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

The Twitch streamer Kevin “Papaplatte” Teller (27) has been on a “snow trip” in Switzerland with colleagues like Rumathra and Renzmann in recent days. After surviving the wilderness of Canada in 7 vs. Wild, he is now worrying his fans. In a clip, it looks like he is falling into a frozen lake: In reality, he just fell “on” the lake. It still looked dangerous.

What is Papaplatte up to?

  • The Berlin streamer is currently, together with EliasN97, the leading German Twitch streamer. He is clearly the winner of the last 90 days, currently sitting at number 1. Thanks to him, a viewer of a TV show became a millionaire in November.
  • In his podcast, the “Edeltalk,” he talks with different guests – which doesn’t always go as planned
  • Recently, Papaplatte has mainly been doing events and actions with other streamers. He broadcasts the events in IRL streams. After his time at 7 vs. Wild, he was recently on a snow trip with his “7 vs. Wild” colleagues Renzmann and Rumathra.  
  • However, there was an incident that is also making headlines internationally (via sportskeeda).

Papaplatte is often referred to as the German xQC:

Start video
From Overwatch professional to number 1 on Twitch to 100 million $ – Who is xQc?

Clip of Papaplatte scares viewers, goes viral

This clip is concerning people: The Twitch clip is from Saturday, January 27: Papaplatte is riding a bicycle close to a frozen lake. You can see the lake from Papaplatte’s first-person perspective.

He even says, completely without Anglicisms: “Take it slow. Look, Wieland fell in here. You can’t walk on that. Okay, slow, slow, slow. My back wheel?”

Then the 27-year-old loses control of his bike and falls out of the frame to the right, screaming in horror.

In the clip, it looks like he fell into the lake, maybe breaking through the ice and now underwater. The fact that a recorded clip with the message Connection briefly lost is played makes the situation look even more dramatic.

The clip has 105,000 views and could indeed disturb some viewers.

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How does it look from another perspective? The streamer Rumathra, who is referred to as “Wieland” in the clip, also films the scene. You can see him nudging Papaplatte to free his back wheel.

From this perspective, there is reassurance: The ice layer of the lake, which supposedly cannot be walked on, held, and the fall was probably quite mild.

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Papaplatte also reports from Switzerland via Twitter: The trip was wonderful but stressful.

How is the clip being discussed? On Livestreamfails, Papaplatte is not as well-known as he is in Germany, so people are surprised by the action:

  • Why did he think that would work? Why didn’t he just ride one meter further left?
  • Looked much worse from Papaplatte’s perspective, but it was actually nothing
  • Falling into ice-cold water could have been really dangerous
  • The other streamer pushed him because his back wheel was stuck in something, that’s why he fell

However, this is not the first accident of Papaplatte that has garnered international attention for the streamer.

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

One of the best builds in Diablo 4 Season 3 is currently irritating almost all players – Even those who play the build themselves

Benedict Grothaus Benedict Grothaus Reading time 2 minutes

Season 3 has nerfed many builds in Diablo 4 and buffed others. The two strongest builds in the game currently are the Meteor Sorceress and the Charge Barbarian. Both builds are top-tier for their class. However, they do not work well together – at least not for Sorceresses.

What kind of build is this?

This is why they don’t work well together: The playstyle of the Charge build negates many others – like the Meteor Sorceress, for example. Meteor Sorceresses rely on enemies moving as little as possible. Once they summon a meteor, it only hits a few moments later.

Charge Barbarians push enemies around with their ability. Even bosses. Whatever they charge at does not stay in place, unless it is unstoppable.

Especially frustrating for Sorceresses because: At the best farming spots in Season 3, there are usually many players together. Meteor Sorceresses then have no chance to participate properly.

Start video
Diablo 4: The gameplay trailer for Season 3

“Barbarian is the new meta”

The problem between the two classes has been frequently mentioned on Reddit and has also been noticed by us. It goes something like this: “I hate every single Charge Barbarian. Every time I place meteors, the Barbarian has already pushed the mobs three screens away before they fall.”

This situation apparently does not only affect Sorceresses and Barbarians, but even Barbarians against other Barbarians. If other Barbarians are faster with Charge, then one has no chance to hit the enemies at all.

I personally mainly play Sorceresses in Diablo 4 and initially tried a Meteor build. On one hand due to the poor damage against bosses, on the other hand, because of Barbarians, I switched to a Spark build instead.

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Some other classes are also speaking up. Storm Druids, possibly the strongest build in Season 3, have only limited issues, but that’s only because they can hit enemies even outside of the screen. However, some Druids feel obligated to play a different build.

Necromancers seem to be the only ones not complaining. This is mainly because they can pull enemies back to their place with Corpse Tendrils, which in turn is likely to annoy the Barbarians.

Season 3 is already jokingly referred to as the season of Barbarians, just like Season 2 before it. The class is considered the best in the game and in the tier list is ranked with the most builds in S-tier. Experts like Raxxanterax say: Where in Season 2 everyone was running around as Spark Sorceress, today everyone is playing as Charge Barbarian.

The build seems to be strong enough to become the best in Season 2. Whether this will prove true remains to be seen – no one has the absolute best gear and can play any build to perfection yet. In Season 3, however, it only helps you to a limited extent: You don’t get particularly good loot just by playing an OP build.

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

Pokémon GO gets 3 useful new features – one of them is the button everyone wants

Max Handwerk Max Handwerk Reading time 2 minutes

In Pokémon GO, helpful new features are apparently being introduced. First trainers report testing.

What’s happening in Pokémon GO? It seems several new features are coming to Pokémon GO. Just recently, new graphic updates for the catch screens were announced, which some players can already test.

But apparently, that’s not all: Three new features seem to have been unlocked for some trainers over the weekend, showing how this could look. We summarize them here for you.

What you need to note: Just like the graphic features, the new functions have apparently not yet been unlocked for everyone. When they will be available to all players is currently unknown.

Feature 1: The “Ready” Button for Solo Raids

What is this feature? The “Ready” button was already introduced in summer 2023. It allows trainer groups to shorten the preparation timer in the raid lobby to 10 seconds. Even back then, this was a long-desired feature, as waiting for the long raid timer only to finish the raid itself in seconds annoyed some.

However, there was a restriction: You had to be at least two people to use the “Ready” button. Solo players, on the other hand, did not receive this feature and still had to wait the full 120 seconds. This was also not very useful for simple raids, which is why many players continued to hope for a change.

Now it seems it is finally coming for solo players as well. The button can apparently be activated after 30 seconds of waiting time, as user “Merlion4ek” shows in the subreddit “TheSilphRoad” for Pokémon GO:

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Feature 2: Attack Tips in Raids

What is this feature? This is also likely to be practical for raids: Some trainers show that their attack effectiveness against the respective raid boss is now displayed when they select the Pokémon they want to use.

This means: You can check much faster and more conveniently which of your attackers in Pokémon GO are truly worthwhile against the raid boss. User “Fillain” shows this on reddit:

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Feature 3: Heal or Revive All Pokémon

What is this feature? If you currently use potions or revives in Pokémon GO, you have to tap each Pokémon individually to restore its hit points. Especially after an extensive raid, this can be a significant number of Pokémon.

Here, too, a shortcut seems to be on the way: As user “cpgxrcia” shows on reddit, a “Heal All” button will also be introduced, allowing you to heal all affected Pokémon at once.

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Other users also report of another corresponding button when using revives, allowing you to bring back all defeated Pokémon at once. You will still need the corresponding number of healing items for that.

Start video
Pokémon GO: Finding Rocket Bosses – How to Collect the Rocket Radar and Track Them Down

What else is happening in Pokémon GO? Basically, January is coming to an end and February is approaching. With the new month come some exciting events, such as the Community Day with Chansey, the “Path to Sinnoh”, and also the big Sinnoh Tour.

Currently, however, the “Final Event” of January is still running: The big Rocket takeover, which brought Crypto Kyogre for Giovanni and new Pokémon for Rocket leaders Arlo, Sierra, and Cliff, as well as the Rocket grunts. Additionally, you can currently unlearn the useless move “Frustration”. This event will continue until early February. If you want all the information at a glance: Here you can find an overview of the Rocket Event “Stolen Treasures”.

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

Diablo 4: For particularly good loot in Season 3, even oneshot builds won’t help you anymore

Nicole Wakulczyk Nicole Wakulczyk Reading time 4 minutes

The new Season 3 has brought the Vaults in Diablo 4, and different strategies are needed there than just particularly strong meta builds. For this, you can expect some really good loot at the end.

Why don’t Oneshot builds help here? In the Vaults, you will encounter many monster mobs, but no strong end boss. Additionally, you will find traps in many rooms, corners, and chests that you must dodge in order to actually collect the loot at the end.

In some other activities, it often revolves around defeating strong bosses. An expert defeated one of the toughest bosses in one hit, because he was wearing the right pants. However, a strong Oneshot build won’t help you in the Vaults, as this requires rather attention and preparation. Being able to defeat strong enemies particularly quickly won’t necessarily lead you to your goal here.

Start video
Diablo 4: The gameplay trailer for Season 3

More protection stacks = more loot at the end of the Vault

How do I prepare? In the Vaults, you can exchange so-called protection pearls for protection stacks. You get the pearls from the “Herald of Malphas”, which you summon during the Arcane Tremors and for completing a Vault. When you exchange them, you receive protection stacks that you lose once you are hit by a trap.

This doesn’t sound so bad at first, however, at the end of the Vault, there are chests that you can only open if you have enough protection stacks left. You will also receive a chest for completing the trap room and one for completing the Vault, but the chests you get for the protection stacks contain better loot.

The following chests await you at World Tier 4 at the end:

  • “free” chest for completing the last trap room
  • “free” chest for completing the Vault
  • small chest for 1 protection stack
  • medium chest for 4 protection stacks from World Tier 3
  • large chest (far left in the image) for 10 protection stacks from World Tier 4
  • so you need a total of 15 protection stacks at the end of the Vault to open all chests

Regarding the loot, you will receive gold, equipment items, nightmare sigils, protection pearls, crafting materials, and stones for your Seneschal companion. In the screenshots, you can see examples from the “Vault of Ink” in the nightmare version (level 21):

This is the loot from the normal Vault chest
For comparison: the loot from all chests for 15 protection stacks at WT4

Better to accept a death than lose protection

How do the Vaults work? At the beginning, you run through a small dungeon area where you only encounter enemies, but no traps yet. At the end, you enter the Vault through a portal. Once there, you will find a pillar where you can exchange your pearls. Since Patch 1.3.0a, you receive 10 protection stacks per pearl.

In the Vault, you will encounter many traps. If you are after a lot of loot: it’s better to accept a death than to get hit by the traps too often – especially when you encounter the Butcher, who tries to push you into the traps. This can quickly lead to a lack of protection for the large chests. This only applies if you are not playing Hardcore, of course.

In some Vaults, you need to collect an item to open doors. If you have fought your way through the Vault, you will finally enter a large room full of traps. An event will be triggered there where mobs will continuously spawn. You need to eliminate these while also paying attention to the traps. Upon completion of the event, a chest will spawn in the room.

After that, the run is complete and depending on how many protection stacks you have left, you can open either just one or several chests in the adjacent room. Note that the stacks expire once you leave the Vault. So teleport to the city first, around to empty your inventory, once the chests are opened.

Behind some chests in Vaults, you may find a small fortune, while behind others a nasty surprise:

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Nightmare Vaults are even more rewarding

How do I get to the Vault? You can simply enter the Vaults through the archway or the map when you go to the entrance. However, it is more rewarding if you turn them into Nightmare Vaults, as this allows you to level your glyphs.

For this, you need sigils, which you craft beforehand with sigil powder, shattered stone, and gold, find in Vaults, or receive from the Whispering Tree. Then you can teleport directly there, as you would normally do with the Nightmare Dungeons.

The Vaults could thus particularly appeal to players who want to try out different builds without focusing on the meta. Also, for those who are looking for a change from the regular (Nightmare) dungeons, the Vaults could be an option.

MyMMO editor Benedict Grothaus believes the new Vaults are really good content and says he hasn’t had this much fun in a long time. You can read more about it here: Diablo 4: The feature that annoys everyone in Season 3 makes me really happy

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

Steam: The new game by the Palworld creators is coming soon, reminiscent of Hollow Knight – But with coop

Niko Hernes Niko Hernes Reading time 2 minutes

Currently, Pocketpair is celebrating tremendous success with the survival hit. However, their next game is set to be released soon on Steam, which is this time inspired by a major indie star. Never Grave: The Witch and The Curse looks reminiscent of Hollow Knight at first glance, but has a few different twists, including coop.

What is Never Grave: The Witch and The Curse?

  • Never Grave is a Metroidvania mixed with roguelite elements
  • The animated 2D look is very similar to Hollow Knight
  • You can take over enemies with your hat and use their abilities
  • You don’t have to do this alone, the game is set to support coop for up to 4 players
  • Besides the runs, there’s also base building, which prepares you for future runs

When watching the trailer, you can see many similarities to Hollow Knight, but thanks to the small mechanics and elements, the game still has a lot of its own.

Start video
Never Grave: The Witch and The Curse – Trailer for the 2D Adventure by the Creators of Palworld

A coop Metroidvania sounds like a great time.

At first glance, the game looks like Hollow Knight. However, it aims to stand out through several mechanics. Never Grave is a Metroidvania with roguelite mechanics. In various runs, you explore a newly generated world every time, instead of exploring a fixed map. This in turn reminds of Dead Cells.

In addition to this feature, base building is also important. Within the base, you can build various structures and utilize resources that strengthen you for the next run. You can take over enemies by putting your hat on them – like in Super Mario Odyssey. Compared to other Metroidvanias, these are interesting mechanics.

The biggest difference to the giants of the genre is probably the local coop, which also receives much praise under the YouTube trailer.

  • @clutsetathecommenter2625: Normally I wouldn’t like this type of games, but then the coop mode and the takeover of monsters were shown and now I have to try it.
  • @Hangishta: A coop Metroidvania sounds like a great time.
  • @KK-vx7st: I swear, the first clips looked like a bad Hollow Knight copy, but all the extra mechanics seem really fun
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According to the Steam page, the game is set to be released in the first quarter of this year. However, if you’re already eager to try out the game, you can access the Steam demo. What do you think of the game? Has it piqued your interest or are you generally not fond of the genre? Let us know your opinion in the comments. If you are into the genre, you might also like this game: In a new game on Steam, you have to save your company as Death – reminiscent of Hades and Hollow Knight

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Steam
  2. PCGamer
  3. YouTube

Pokémon GO: All Spotlight Hours in January 2024 and their Bonuses

Paul Kutzner Paul Kutzner Reading time 4 minutes

In this overview, we show you which Spotlight Hours await you in Pokémon GO in January 2024. We list all important information about the Pokémon, the dates, and the bonuses.

What kind of events are these? Every Tuesday, there is a so-called Spotlight Hour in Pokémon GO. During this hour, a specific Pokémon is highlighted and appears very frequently in the wild.

Additionally, there is always a bonus that is active during the Spotlight Hours. We have listed here which bonus is active with which Pokémon and when.

All Spotlight Hours in January 2024

When do the Spotlight Hours take place? The Spotlight Hours are active every Tuesday from 18:00 to 19:00. Here are the Spotlight Hours in January 2024:

DatePokémon & Bonus
January 2Formeo and 2x Catch XP
Here is the guide for the Spotlight Hour with Formeo
January 9Evoli and 2x Catch Candy
January 16Trasla and 2x Transfer Candy
January 23Schmerbe and 2x Evolution XP
January 30Tarnpignon and 2x Catch Stardust

Spotlight Hour on January 2

Which Pokémon is in the spotlight? On January 2, the Spotlight Hour will focus on Formeo. It is a Normal-type Pokémon from Generation 3 that has no evolutions. However, it can take on different forms, each belonging to a different type.

What bonuses are active? In this Spotlight Hour, the 2x Catch XP bonus will be active. This means you will be rewarded with double experience points for catching Pokémon. This bonus is active not only for catching Formeo but for all Pokémon.

Is the event worth it? Unfortunately, Formeo does not play a significant role in raids or the battle league. However, if you are actively leveling up, the experience bonus could be interesting for you.

Can you catch Shiny Formeo? Yes, Formeo will also be available in its Shiny form during the Spotlight Hour.

Spotlight Hour on January 9

Which Pokémon is in the spotlight? On January 9, you will encounter Evoli during the Spotlight Hour. This Normal-type Pokémon is from Generation 1. The uniqueness of Evoli is its evolutions. It has 8 different evolution forms, each belonging to a different type. You can find out with which tricks you can evolve Evoli with us.

Pokémon-GO-Evoli-Rampenlicht-Titel

What bonuses are active? During Evoli’s Spotlight Hour, you will receive double candy for catching Pokémon.

Is the event worth it? Evoli’s evolutions still play a role in Pokémon GO. Nachtara is, for example, a solid Pokémon in the Super League, and Feelinara is a good Pokémon for your fairy attackers in raids.

Can you catch Shiny Evoli? Yes, you can also find Evoli in its Shiny form during the Spotlight Hour.

Spotlight Hour on January 16

Which Pokémon is in the spotlight? On January 16, you will primarily find Trasla during the Spotlight Hour. This Pokémon is from Generation 3 and has the types Psychic and Fairy. It can evolve into Kirlia, which can further evolve into Guardevoir or Galagladi, depending on the gender of your Kirlia.

Guardevoir also has a Mega Evolution.

Pokémon-GO-Trasla-Rampenlicht-Stunde-Titel

What bonuses are active? During Trasla’s Spotlight Hour, you will receive double candy for transferring Pokémon.

Is the event worth it? If you are looking for reinforcement for your raid teams of the types Psychic or Fairy, you should take advantage of this event. Guardevoir is a good attacker in the Psychic category and, in its Mega Evolution, a very good attacker. When played as a fairy attacker, Guardevoir is also among the best Pokémon. In its Mega Evolution, it even dominates the list of fairy attackers.

Can you catch Shiny Trasla? Yes, you can catch Shiny Trasla during the Spotlight Hour.

Spotlight Hour on January 23

Which Pokémon is in the spotlight? Schmerbe will be the focus of the Spotlight Hour on January 23. It has the types Water and Ground and can evolve into Welsar. Schmerbe has existed since Generation 3.

What bonuses are active? During this event, you will receive double experience points when you evolve Pokémon.

Is the event worth it? While Welsar does not play a role in raids, it is a very strong Pokémon in the Super League. If you still need Pokémon for this, you should not ignore this Spotlight Hour.

Can you catch Shiny Schmerbe? Yes, Schmerbe will be available in its Shiny variant during the Spotlight Hour.

Spotlight Hour on January 30

Which Pokémon is in the spotlight? Tarnpignon, the Grass Poison Pokémon from Generation 5, will appear more frequently during the Spotlight Hour on January 30. It can evolve into Hutsassa.

What bonuses are active? You will receive double Stardust for catching Pokémon when you are out and about during this Spotlight Hour.

Is the event worth it? Neither Tarnpignon nor its evolution Hutsassa plays a role in raids or the battle league. However, during this Spotlight Hour, the bonus might be interesting for you if you want to accumulate some Stardust.

Can you catch Shiny Tarnpignon? Yes, Shiny Tarnpignon will be available during the Spotlight Hour.

If you are still active in Pokémon GO for the rest of the year, check out which events are waiting for you in December in Pokémon GO.

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

New World: MMORPG by Amazon on Steam cheats on loot, so you feel better

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

In the MMORPG New World (Steam), Amazon intentionally adjusts the loot and drop rates so that players are more likely to get the equipment they still need. This system is called “Loot Biasing” and is now introduced in a blog post.

How is New World doing on Steam?

  • At release in October 2021, New World had a huge impact on Steam with a peak of 913,000 players.
  • Afterwards, it went down for a long time until the MMORPG recovered in November 2022, reaching a peak of 137,000 players.
  • The highlight last year was in October 2023 with a peak of 77,642 players. Currently, the game is again in a quieter phase. We have presented you the plans for New World for 2024.

The last highlight of New World:

Start video
New World: Rise of the Angry Earth – Trailer for the Expansion

Amazon wants to reduce frustration moments in New World

What is Amazon doing with the loot? In a blog post, two designers present “Loot Biasing”: The system ensures that players receive items according to their current equipment. It pays attention to:

  • Attribute Properties
  • Item Type

The aim of the system is to reduce players’ negative feelings about loot. Someone who only uses an ice glove shouldn’t constantly find axes. It does not feel good when you are melee and then find items for wizards or vice versa:

“We found that our item system was great at giving people a ton of stuff but not so good at distributing the items that players really wanted.”

This is how it works in practice: In practice, the system removes certain items from the loot table if they do not correspond to what a player is wearing.

If a player is wearing a large axe and a warhammer, the loot list is weighted in that direction, so that more large axes and warhammers drop.

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What’s the problem? Farming “Named Items” caused difficulties because there were only a few of them.

Due to the weighting in the loot, items that players wanted to farm would have disappeared from the list: This was something to avoid, so they completely excluded Named Items and artifacts from the system.

They also considered the following:

  • At low levels, players are allowed to find different types of weapons because it is assumed they may want to experiment with which weapons they use.
  • At high levels, it is assumed that players have found their favorite weapon and are given more of that type.

Despite all the difficulties, they believe that “Loot Biasing” has had a positive effect so far.

In the future, they would like players to be able to specify exactly which items they are looking for – regardless of which items they currently have equipped. However, they currently have no concrete plans to communicate regarding this.

More about New World: The MMORPG New World still has nearly 20,000 players on Steam: Announcing something big for 2024

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