Airship Syndicate, the developer studio behind Wayfinder, confirmed the layoff of 12 employees. The salaries of the company’s president and CEO were also cut. This was necessary to keep the studio running.
The cooperative RPG Wayfinder from Airship Syndicate had a rocky launch. Server issues led to long wait times, along with login difficulties and problems with the base founder packages. You can read more about the release of Wayfinder here.
Later, the publisher Digital Extremes shut down its publishing department for external projects, allowing the developer studio Airship Syndicate to regain “full control” over Wayfinder. But now Airship Syndicate also has to make staffing cuts.
Here you can see a trailer for Wayfinder:
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Wayfinder – Summer Game Fest Trailer
80 people continue to work on Wayfinder
Airship Syndicate confirmed in a statement to PCGamer that the game studio had to lay off 12 employees.
The statement reasoned: “This decision was made to ensure that Airship Syndicate can continue to operate and provide great experiences.“
Furthermore, there would be salary cuts for the company’s president and CEO. They would make these adjustments while working on securing future plans.
The spokesperson for Airship Syndicate also stated to PCGamer that as of now, 80 people are still working full-time on Wayfinder.
However, it was not disclosed how much the salaries of Ryan Stefanelli, the company’s president, and CEO Joe Madureira were cut.
However, the spokesperson emphasized: “This is not the end for Wayfinder.” More information about the future of the cooperative RPG will be announced soon.
Recently, the event “Eventide” was running in Wayfinder, a winter festival that started on December 15, 2023, and ran until January 12, 2024. It provided players with new modes, quests, and rewards.
Baldur’s Gate 3 delighted not only with its story and good gameplay. The various romances also captivated players. But now they want even more options, and one of them doesn’t even have a face.
What possible romances are there in Baldur’s Gate 3? In the role-playing game, you can choose between 10 possible romantic relationships and one-night stands that you can start throughout the game. If you succeed, you can date all sorts of companions in the game.
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A useful feature can make your life in Baldur’s Gate 3 much easier
By now, many players have likely completed at least their first playthrough of the game and thus probably also experienced one of the possible romances. Maybe some players have already started the next playthrough to experience another romance.
With 10 different options, one might think that players have enough choice. But now they are expressing their wishes for more romance options.
Which romance do players want to experience? On reddit, the discussion has now begun about which romance options Larian should still include in the game. Many hope for the tiefling bard Alfira or the smith Dammon as options.
This discussion was initiated on reddit by the user “Megazupa” with his post:
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In his post, he calls on Larian to let him marry the imaginary woman in his head. And it is quite clear who the user wishes for as a possible romance: the narrator.
She accompanies you from the beginning of the game and comments on all your actions and events. Thus, the “faceless” one seems to have genuinely touched the hearts of many players.
Many agree with the reddit post and express in their answers that they too wish for a romance with the narrator and can quite easily imagine it:
SynnerSaint writes: “She can have authority over me anytime”
ChosenOfTheMoon_GR writes: “This narrator has one of the most beautiful and seductive voices I have ever heard”
Janixon1 writes: “Whenever she says ‘authority’, I feel the blood draining from my head”
It is clear that the narrator has been able to captivate players, especially with her voice and her way of emphasizing things.
User “XChrisUnknownX” also thought about what such a possible love scene could look like or in this case sound like and writes: “Your wish to marry me is rising. What is this feeling? It flows through your mind, gnaws at every one of your thoughts. You are staring straight ahead into the empty field. Do you want to marry me?”
Which character would you like to see as another romance option in Baldur’s Gate 3? Discuss in the comments.
The Thaumaturge is a new role-playing game on Steam, which aims to impress with a dark concept. In a new trailer, nearly 7 minutes of gameplay can now be seen, and this already convinces players to buy the game on the first day.
What kind of game is this? The Thaumaturge is a new role-playing game set to be released on February 20, 2024 on Steam. It is also expected to be available on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox. It is developed by 11 bit Studios, which is currently also working on Frostpunk 2.
The story takes place in 1905 in Warsaw and follows Wiktor Szulski, who returns to the vibrant city.
Wiktor is a Thaumaturge and can see, tame, and use Salutors (demons that feed on human weaknesses) in combat.
You can expect an isometric role-playing game where you have control over the course of the story and character development.
The latest trailer follows Wiktor on a quest and shows how he can use his abilities in exploration and combat:
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The Thaumaturge shows in 7 minutes how you fight through the dark Warsaw
What excites the trailer? The trailer showcases nearly 7 minutes of gameplay from one of the possible quests. You get to see, among other things, world exploration, dialogues with NPCs, and combat gameplay.
Players seem to be quite convinced by the overall gameplay on display. Many people write in their comments (via YouTube) similarly to “GodSpeed9289” that it will definitely be a day-one purchase.
User “ordinaryfiver4403” even goes further, stating that he will not only buy the game on the first day, but that it will also be among his favorite games. He already decided this after the beta.
Right at the beginning of the trailer, the combat system is shown, which plays out in rounds and relies on a unique, dark concept. In combat, you not only use your own attacks or weaken the focus of your opponents with special abilities, but also utilize the various demons that you can acquire throughout the game.
These have different abilities that you can use in battle. For example, the demon Bukavac becomes stronger as your opponents weaken and can thus perform increasingly brutal attacks.
When exploring the world, you utilize Wiktor’s abilities to find hidden things and read the emotions associated with them. This could become important for you during the quests.
With the interesting concept and the dark world created for the game, players have definitely been convinced at this point. For example, “xdmeister8406” writes in his comment: “Man, I wish 11 bit would develop every video game…”. And also “mxjokereh” expects a lot from the game, stating: “I believe the developers don’t know that this game will destroy everything else at release”.
As part of the annual preview for 2024, Netflix presented a short first glimpse of the 2nd season of the South Korean hit series Squid Game, which is finally continuing after 3 years.
Squid Game was an absolute hit series upon its release in September 2021. The South Korean drama and thriller series by Hwang Dong-hyuk captivated Netflix viewers with its deadly games.
Now Netflix has released a preview of the upcoming series and films of this year on YouTube – we also get a small glimpse of Squid Game here.
Here you can see Netflix’s annual outlook for 2024 for yourself:
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NEXT ON NETFLIX 2024: The Series & Films Preview
What can be seen in the clip? In the short clip, you see Seong Gi-hun, the main character of the first season, at the airport, while the typical music from Squid Game plays in the background.
His phone rings. After he answers, he is threatened that he will regret his decision. Seong Gi-hun responds in anger: “I will find you. No matter the cost.“
When will Season 2 of Squid Game be released? So far, it is only known that we can look forward to the continuation of the South Korean series this year.
However, Netflix has not yet commented on the exact date. Additionally, nothing further is currently known about the plot of Season 2.
Getting his favorite player for Ultimate Team in EA FC 24 is sometimes not that easy, especially when he belongs to one of the rarest cards ever. A well-known streamer let this luxury cost him several million coins, but only seconds later, nothing was left of his very expensive purchase. He blamed it on his dog.
What is it about? The American streamer IshowSpeed has gained great fame and is even known in football circles for his enormous fan love for the Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
For the Team-of-the-Year event, he even received a really strong card with heavy upgrades. After ‘Speed’ couldn’t pull him through various pack openings, the streamer gathered his courage and decided to buy his idol on the transfer market.
To welcome his favorite in a proper manner, he had a special guest on board during a livestream along with his community, who was to be honored in a special way. His dog was supposed to open the pack, which he did with the help of his owner. After the purchase was completed and the initial cheer over the absolute favorite player had subsided, however, came the big disillusionment.
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What happened? When IShowSpeed finalized the purchase, he joyfully celebrated with his dog. Unfortunately, he seemingly completely ignored his controller. Under the scream of the streamer, it can be seen how he pushes TOTY Ronaldo into the Quick-Sell column and confirms this action. Even afterwards, wildly more windows open.
Instead of having his hero in his ranks, he unintentionally sold him for a fraction of the purchase price without realizing it. At that time, the streamer was not only without a TOTY Ronaldo but also 13 million coins poorer.
After he had calmed down somewhat, he initially searched in vain for a TOTY Ronaldo in his club. When he watched the replay of his own stream after unsuccessful attempts, he realized what HE had done.
Or, if one is to believe ‘Speed’s’ statements, one should actually say: … what HIS DOG had done. He stared at him with a serious face and accused him of selling his Ronaldo, repeatedly saying the name of the four-legged friend in a serious tone.
Not only was the poor little guy shaken up during the exuberant cheer and probably did not find his owner’s noise so great, but on top of that, he was also blamed for his owner’s recklessness.
Happy ending for all involved: Web app makes it possible
What happened next? Fortunately for ‘Speed’, there is an option through the web app or the companion app for EA FC 24 to recover a certain number of discarded players. After he collected his thoughts after the initial shock, the streamer took this chance and looked for his sorted-out superstar on the web app. In the end, he was able to make up for the mishap and add TOTY Ronaldo back to his club.
Thus, the brief scare moment still ended well for everyone involved. IShowSpeed might be a bit more thoughtful in the future, which should also be better received by his little companion.
What does thorns damage mean in Diablo 3? We will show you here what you can do with this attribute and which classes it is used on.
What does thorns damage mean? This type of damage in Diablo reflects onto attackers. If you are hit by an opponent and you have thorns damage yourself, then this thorns damage is automatically dealt to the opponent, without you having to hit them yourself.
You can think of it like your armor literally having thorns. Tiny sharp spikes. If an opponent hits, shoots, or kicks your armor, they damage themselves on the spikes of your armor. That’s how it works in Diablo 3. The exciting thing is that Crusader builds revolve completely around this type of damage.
How to use thorns damage – Builds
Thorns damage on rare items: On the regular blue and yellow items in Diablo 3, you can see thorns damage as an affix. But legendary items and set pieces also revolve around thorns damage.
Generally, thorns damage only really makes a noticeable impact when it is significantly amplified. Like with the Thorns set of the Crusader.
This is how Diablo 3 defines thorns damage
A popular build: Especially among Crusaders, thorns builds are popular. A set that fully utilizes this type of damage is the set “Thorns of the Invoker“.
You can already see from the set bonuses why these items are so strong.
2-piece bonus: Your thorns damage is dealt to all enemies within 15 meters. It is increased by 90% for 2 seconds when you hit an opponent with ‘Punish’ or ‘Slash’ or block an attack. This effect is stackable up to 10 times.
4-piece bonus: You take 50% less damage for 20 seconds after hitting an enemy with ‘Bombardment.’
6-piece bonus: Increases the attack speed of ‘Punish’ and ‘Slash’ by 100%. These skills deal 67,500% of your thorns damage to the first enemy hit.
Additionally, you wear items like the Belt of the Trove. It calls down a bombardment every few seconds, keeping your 4-piece bonus active. Other items provide more damage reduction in your build so that you can withstand as much as possible when engaging enemies.
There are also abilities that work well with the set.
Iron Skin with the Rune Reflective Skin
Reduces damage taken and increases thorns damage by 300%
Provocation with the Rune Hit Me
Taunt, gain wrath, and increase block chance by 50%
Command of Valor with the Rune Unstoppable Force
For more damage
Akarat’s Champion with the Rune Prophet
For more damage and reduced damage taken
Punish with the Rune Speed
For higher block chances and faster attacks
Cavalry with the Rune Endurance
For mobility and speed
With the passive skills Heavenly Strength, Iron Maiden, Fanaticism, and Splendor, you distribute more damage and increase your thorns damage even further
A current build for the Thorns of the Invoker set can be found here on Maxroll.gg.
From the MeinMMO community: Our reader NewClearPower recommends here in the comments of the article two more builds.
The first is “a mix of ranged and melee, with basically only thick elite enemies coming into melee range.” You can find the build here on icy-veins.com.
The second build that NewClearPower recommends focuses on timing. It is a bit more difficult to play, but can “also wipe out multiple elite enemies at high rift levels in a single blow.” You can find this build here on icy-veins.com.
In the comments, you will also find more details about the play styles of these sets. Thank you, NewClearPower!
How strong is it? The thorns builds have various variants, as you can see on the Maxroll.gg website. Some of them are really strong. In our Tier List for Season 22 in Diablo 3, a thorns build lands in Tier A. So this is more than just “goofing around” and can become quite competitive.
This is how it’s played: Ultimately, you run through the hordes of enemies with the build (on the horse) and let them hit you. The reflected thorns damage ensures that opponents die. With the other skills, you temporarily increase your damage and ensure that you take less damage. The build is based on surviving as long as possible so that you can deal your thorns damage for a longer time and survive against elite enemies.
Your target, however, are the elite groups. With your buffed thorns damage and the 6-piece bonus that deals 67,500% thorns damage to enemies, you quickly take them out. You effectively run through the non-elite enemies and occasionally reflect damage while focusing on the elite packs with your skills.
You can see what this looks like in this YouTube video from Diablo expert Wudijo:
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What are your experiences with thorns builds in Diablo 3? Have you tried any or is it a play style that you prefer to avoid? Share your opinions here on MeinMMO in the comments and discuss with other players.
Starfield has received a large update with many improvements, but can the patch improve players’ mood?
What was the mood of Starfield players before the update? Not good. In January 2024, Starfield received a total of 4,091 player reviews on Steam, of which 69% were negative. This continues the trend from previous months.
The last time Starfield received more positive than negative reviews was on November 22. Since then, it has been steadily declining. Overall, Starfield is now only 62% positive on Steam and has thus fallen by 10% since its release in September.
Overall, the picture emerges of players who had high expectations for Starfield and were disappointed by the finished product.
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Starfield – Official Gameplay Trailer
Patch brings a huge mountain of bug fixes and improvements
What kind of update was it? Bethesda released the large update 1.9.51 for Starfield on January 30. The patch is over 11 GB in size on Steam and brought numerous improvements to the sci-fi role-playing game.
For example, an issue with the PC version that could lead to a crash when switching from full-screen to windowed mode was fixed. Bethesda also addressed numerous bugs, such as incorrectly invisible creatures on some planets and the occurrence of corrupted save files.
One of the highlights of the patch is likely the improvements to the graphics of the role-playing game. For instance, the lighting of the game world was improved in 73 locations and reflections on water surfaces were also enhanced.
You can find the complete patch notes for update 1.9.51 on the official website of the developers atbethesda.net.
How do players rate the update? Not really well. On X.com (formerly Twitter), the mood is somewhat positive, and players appreciate the developers’ efforts, but some fans are also demanding new features and further improvements.
On Reddit, it looks similar—but even more negative. Many players simply ask, “Was bug x also fixed?” (via Reddit), while others continue to voice criticism and conclude that the update does not make them want to return:
No-Internet-4630 via Reddit: “It feels like I’ve been battling glitches for weeks and getting nowhere. The latest update that came out yesterday fixed exactly 0 of the problems I’ve encountered. […] It’s also pretty sad because I really enjoyed this game and wished I could continue playing. But it’s just more frustrating than fun right now.”
thefluffyburrito via Reddit: “I think there are just too many issues with the game right now for me to ever want to play it the same way I did Skyrim. Even if the game were completely bug-free, I could talk for hours about a range of issues that either don’t exist in other Bethesda titles or are highly exaggerated in this game.”
Metalocachick via Reddit: “I just think the game is fundamentally flawed. I tried to enjoy it, I really did, because Bethesda is one of the reasons I love video games today… But after spending the last few months figuring out why I have zero to no desire to play this game again, I believe it’s because the design decisions are just bad.”
Can the update improve players’ mood? Partially. Despite all the criticism, there are positive posts about the game every day in the Starfield subreddit. There are indeed still players who continue to play and enjoy the game. Some even report having 700 to 800 hours in Starfield. Among the players, there are thus two camps:
In negative threads, mainly players who want to post their criticism gather.
In positive or neutral threads, mostly players who still like Starfield.
Positive-minded players do not really express themselves actively in the posts where criticism is gathered.
Those who already like Starfield appreciate the bug fixes. For those who are critical of the game, this is not enough. The update hasn’t really improved the mood except for players who were already somewhat positive. What will likely be more important in this regard is the release of the first expansion “Shattered Space”.
The South Korean MMORPG company Nexon is known for video games like The Finals or MapleStory. In December 2023, it was hit with a record fine: The company had deceived players of an MMORPG about the chances of loot boxes for 10 years, decided a trade commission, imposing a fine of 8.1 million euros. Now, more than 1000 people are launching a class action lawsuit.
What is the scandal about?
Nexon was accused of lying about the probabilities with which certain items drop from the loot boxes of the MMORPG MapleStory.
At the launch in March 2010, all items had the same drop probability. This was changed in September 2010.
The South Korean trade commission found: Particularly sought-after items had not come out of the cubes at all for over 10 years, between August 2011 and March 2021. However, Nexon denied having changed the probabilities.
The company sold the cubes for €1.40, generated almost €383.5 million in revenue over the 10 years, and was imposed a fine of €8.1 million. Nexon stated that it accepts the fine but reserves the right to contest the decision.
Start video
MapleStory introduces Arteria, the Moving Fortress
Players file class action lawsuit against Nexon over MapleStory
This is now the consequence: The fine against Nexon came through the trade oversight in South Korea. According to reports from South Korea, players of MapleStory have now filed a class action lawsuit against Nexon, seeking a refund of their expenditures and damages.
As of January 26, over 1000 people had joined this class action lawsuit, as reported by the site YTN.
The logic behind the lawsuit is: Had the buyers known the actual drop probabilities of the loot boxes, they would never have purchased them. They could not have guessed that the winning chances had been so manipulated.
The plaintiffs apparently calculate good chances for their lawsuit, as the investigation by the trade commission has already brought the facts to light.
From South Korea, it is said: The implication of the lawsuit could have effects on other online games and how they handle the probabilities of comparable loot boxes.
In Diablo 3 Season 28, the “Archaic Ash” returned. We will explain in the guide how you can obtain the ash and what you can use it for.
What is Archaic Ash? This is a new feature that was introduced with Season 28 and Patch 2.7.5 in Diablo 3. It is meant to help you obtain the coveted Archaic items.
In this brief overview, we will show you everything you need to know about the new ash.
How do you get Archaic Ash?
What you need to do: If you have obtained an Archaic item, you can visit your blacksmith with it. Use the recycling function with them and then select the item for which you want to receive the ashes. You will receive 55 Archaic ashes for each recycled Archaic item.
Currently, there are no other ways to obtain the resource.
What can you do with it? With the material, you can upgrade other items. If you have unlocked Kanai’s Cube, you will find a new recipe there starting from Season 28. With this recipe, you can upgrade a Legendary item that you have not crafted into an Archaic item.
Here’s the limitation: You can’t simply upgrade your entire equipment with the recipes. There is a limit to this.
Only one upgraded Archaic item can be worn at a time. You cannot equip more than one at the same time.
Blizzard further explains (via diablo3.com): “[…] upgraded archaic items do not retain the attributes of the legendary item used. New affixes will be rolled for all upgraded archaic items.”
With this method, you obtain the new ashes and can further process them in your build. However, you first need to unlock the special items and then acquire them as well.
The strategy game Humankind was met with disappointment at its release in 2021 by many strategy fans: A fantastic graphic attracted many, but problems in the game concept quickly frightened off genre enthusiasts. MeinMMO author Schuhmann has spent 150 hours in Humankind on Steam and says: This is a good, shorter alternative to Civilization VI.
What is Humankind?
Humankind is a classic turn-based strategy game like Civilization in the 4X niche: You lead a part of humanity through the millennia, from the first settlements to the Mars colony.
The game was released in 2021 for Windows and came out in 2023 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X. The game has since received expansions and regular updates, the latest just a few weeks ago.
Humankind currently costs €50 – you need to show some patience here, as it was available for €10 in a sale in January. This will surely happen again.
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HUMANKIND – Official Launch Trailer
Humankind was criticized as “great presentation, weak gameplay”
What was the problem at release? Humankind had a tough time with strategy gamers at release. It was quickly labeled as a graphical tease: It looks great, but lacks depth and a solid gaming system.
Especially some systems surrounding declarations of war, demands, and religion are still highly controversial. For example, diplomacy in the game can play a trick on you when you are forced by the “Congress of Humanity” to change a religion, or when you diplomatically lose a war, even though you feel like you didn’t even fight it.
Moreover, there were genius blunders, such as a 7-day exclusive beta for the doomed console Google Stadia, and somehow a picture of the unfortunate game set in:
On Metacritic, Humankind only received 77 out of 100 points – the eternal rival Civilization VI, from 2016, stands at 88 out of 100 points.
On Steam, Humankind fares even worse: Here, only 66% of the reviews are positive, while Civ VI enjoys 86%.
You can read the review of Humankind by our colleagues at GameStar .
What makes Humankind appealing? I have now spent 150 hours in Humankind on Steam, and it was love at second sight. At release, I had already played the game for 30 days on Xbox Game Pass and hadn’t really warmed up to it.
Humankind not only has fantastic graphics, presentation, and is generally easy to read, but it also offers players some quirks and challenges that one must indeed get used to. Particularly, the expansion at the beginning of the game is important, and you can expand any city into new zones as you like, but you always have to be careful not to overdo it:
If you build too large cities, stability decreases and you have a problem.
If you found too many small cities, you exceed the city cap and the important resource “influence” dwindles.
A problem is also the map size, because in a “huge map” Humankind tends to meander and remains bland for a long time.
I only really warmed up to Humankind when I limited the map size to normal but started with 10 players. This way, you already have contact and war with opponents in the first years, can expand, and have constant action.
The appeal of change and the new
This is the main difference from Civilization VI: What Humankind offers, which Civ VI lacks: With each epoch, you can choose a new civilization and thereby gain special abilities. Finding the ideal combination of civilizations in succession to build the best special buildings in each epoch is the unique charm of Humankind. Here players can let their preferences run free:
I start with the nomadic people “Harapans”, who have particularly strong scouts to raid opponents early, and choose a food bonus.
Then I switch to the Mayans to build industry, followed by the Aztecs, who ensure faith gains and urgently needed stability with their eternal “sacrifices”.
In modern times, I switch to “Joseon”, practically Korea for a research boost, then I transition to Italy to increase influence before finishing the game as Japan (strong industry).
But surely everyone finds a different combination of civilizations for their own playstyle, whether it is aggressive, cultural, or economically focused.
I can recommend Humankind as a “faster alternative” to Civilization 6 for anyone who has gotten tired of the classic, and who is not discouraged by the negative reviews.
The Star Wars sequel trilogy did not please all fans. On the contrary, many were upset about the decisions that particularly affected the main character Rey. The actress who plays her recently spoke about the controversy.
What did disappointed fans criticize? The newer episodes of Star Wars, namely episodes 7 to 9, were not well received by many fans of the beloved film series. Especially the plot, which in the case of episode 7 is reminiscent of the fourth (and at that time the first) film, “A New Hope,” was the focus of criticism.
What happened to the characters also did not please everyone. Or in other words: Where they came from.
Especially the origin of the protagonist Rey disturbs many. The actress of Rey, Daisy Ridley, felt the controversy surrounding her character strongly. How she dealt with it, she shared in a recent podcast.
English trailer for Star Wars 9: The Rise of Skywalker
Fans were dissatisfied with the character
What was the fans’ problem? In an interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the actress recalls that time. The mood of the fans changed significantly, especially between episode 8 (The Last Jedi) and 9 (The Rise of Skywalker).
At the center of the anger was Rey’s lineage. In episode 8, it is stated that Rey is the daughter of a “nobody.” However, in the next film, a major twist was revealed. Many fans found this unbelievable and an forced twist in the story.
Some fans also felt that the kiss between Rey and another character was undeserved, according to Ridley. Ironically, this scene was very emotional for the actress. Not only did Rey bid farewell to her mentioned kissing partner, but Daisy Ridley herself said: “I felt like I was also saying goodbye to that job.”
How did the actress deal with the controversy? Although four years have passed since the 9th and so far last film with Daisy Ridley in the lead role, the controversy still occupies the actress.
“It still bothers me,” she says. The reason for this: “You don’t want people to feel that you are not doing justice to the thing that they are a fan of.”
Ridley then downplays the responsibility. She is just an actress. The decisions about the plot and characters do not lie with her: “I say the words, I do the things.” Regarding the development of her character, she says: “I love the version of: You can be anyone you want to be. But I also love the version where you can correct mistakes and have no control over what you are born into.”
The developer of Palworld Pocket Pair has released the new update 0.1.4.0 on Steam. In it, they fix one of the biggest problems that users have faced so far: Other players can no longer steal your Pals!
What is the most important update from the patch? Patch 0.1.4.0 includes three major bug fixes for Palworld. The most important is the following: A problem was fixed where another player’s pal could be captured using a pal sphere if it had 30 % or less HP.
This means that other players can no longer sneakily steal the Pals you have captured. This shouldn’t actually have been possible in the current version of Palworld. Cheaters and hackers found ways to brazenly take other people’s Pals.
Start video
Palworld: Here you will find a super fast ground mount
Why could players previously steal other players’ Pals? As mentioned, some players with malicious intentions gained unfair advantages through hacks and cheating, including by spawning an item that is not yet in the game: The Radar Sphere.
Radar spheres are Pal spheres that allow you to steal other players’ Pals. Until now, this item was only known because data miners found it. It is not yet craftable or findable in the official Alpha version of Palworld.
However, the patch notes also suggest that it may have already been possible to capture foreign Pals with less than 30% health using normal Pal spheres. It is likely that Pocket Pal has fixed both methods equally.
Read more about the current exploits and cheats in Palworld here:
What do the patch notes include? But of course, the anti-cheat measures are not the only important updates. Here you can read the full patch notes.
Currently, the patch is live only on Steam. The Xbox and Windows Store versions will be released with patch 0.1.1.3 according to the official X.com account of Palworld as soon as they are ready.
The complete patch notes 0.1.4.0
Major Fixes
Fixed an issue where the game would crash under certain conditions
Fixed an issue where if another player’s pal/base pal had HP 30% or less, it could be captured by using a sphere.
Fixed an issue where enemy pals would get stuck in walls due to charge attacks.
Implemented the first fix for an issue where the game would always crash and save data would be corrupted when the guild’s total number of pals captured reached around 7000. *The game no longer crashes even if the total number of captured objects exceeds 7000. However, save data that has already been in this state (in the case of a server, the server’s world data) prior to this update will still be unable to load. We are continuing to work on fixing this issue permanently.
Key Configuration
Added support for mouse side keys and numeric keypad in keyboard key configuration. *Further improvements are currently planned, such as support for interact key configuration.
Player Issues
Fixed an issue where players on dedicated servers and co-op (online) were receiving damage twice.
Specifications have been changed so that you can move at extremely low speed even when you have exceeded the weight limit.
Players will no longer pass through walls when dismounting.
Fixed an issue where capture power strengthened by Lifmunk Effigies was reset when using memory reset drugs.
Fixed an issue where armor could be equipped in the wrong slot.
Adjusted camera positions of several Pals to make it easier to see when mounted.
Base Issues
Specifications have been changed so that Pals who are manually assigned to a breeding farm will not become hungry and their manual assignments will not be removed.
The key to lift Pals has been changed from F → V (Pad: X → Y) in order to prevent accidents.
Reduced the speed and range of fire spreading on wooden buildings.
Fixed an issue where manual work assignments could not be set at all under certain circumstances.
Fixed an issue where extremely high-level Relaxaurus would attack the base during raids.
Added several measures to prevent base Pals from getting stuck.
Fixed an issue where Pals would get stuck while transporting items and would drop them on the spot.
Fixed an issue where Pals at the base would continue to cut down trees that were already cut.
Fixed an issue where Pals at the base were on the verge of death due to unexplained falling damage.
Fixed an issue where Pals at the base would float under some conditions.
Fixed an issue where if a farm was built on the second floor or above, work pals would be unable to move on the floors below.
Other
Corrected incorrect text
Measures have been added to prevent cheating and stealing other players’ Pals.
Many other minor fixes such as the addition of a UI key guide.
What does the community say? On reddit, the community is excited about the patch. Especially the quality-of-life adjustments are being welcomed:
quog38:The change of the [Pal lift function] from the F-key to the V-key, oh god, that is the best change.
cunabula: Also the support of side buttons on mice! I will never waste my legendary Pal spheres again.
Other players joke, for example, the developers are working like the Pals in my base, because the patches come so quickly and are so full of features.
There is also much praise, including from user Savagestar1: Patch 1.3 was meant to combat some bad players in the community who had already started duping items, if I remember correctly. The fact that they were able to achieve this and still push out this patch blew me away.
What is the best adjustment in the patch for you? Have you also lost Pals to other players? We look forward to your comments!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Skipping an entire area is the dream of many speedrunners from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. One player spent over 6 months to skip the game’s tutorial and ultimately succeeded.
What kind of tutorial is this? In The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, you learn almost all the important skills you need for your entire adventure right at the beginning of the game. For this, you land on the tutorial island, which you can only leave once you have completed the introduction.
For speedrunners, this situation is a nuisance, as the tutorial takes a lot of time and cannot be skipped. Any attempt to leave the area before completing the tutorial ends with a teleport back to the island.
Here you can watch the trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Start video
Trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom shows what to expect in the game
One player takes 6 months to skip the tutorial
How did he do it? In a roughly 50-minute video, YouTuber Timber summarizes how he managed to skip the tutorial. This required all sorts of glitches and bugs, including moving outside the area and transporting items across different save files using save manipulation.
Skipping the area requires a very complex process that we cannot present in detail here. For that, it’s best to watch Timber’s video. However, even in the video, he only briefly covers individual glitches; there are sometimes separate videos on how to execute the skips.
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Did he do it all by himself? No, a large team from the speedrunning community of the game joined his endeavor. Together with many others who are also mentioned in the video, Timber worked on the method to leave the tutorial island without having completed the introduction.
In Pokémon GO, Mega Latias and Mega Latios are currently dominating the level-6 raids. The two are extremely difficult to defeat and catch. How can you do it?
What are the problems? Currently, there are basically two problems that players are facing. There are numerous posts in the Pokémon GO community on reddit revolving around this.
Point 1: Mega Latias and Mega Latios have a CP of 84,000, meaning they can really take a lot of damage. This makes the raid very challenging: Typically, it takes around six players with strong counters to defeat them.
While it is possible with fewer players, exceptionally good counters must be brought in, and the right conditions must be met. And if some participants do not bring the right counters, it could even require seven to eight players.
This complicates the raid because you must find and coordinate so many people on site. If you want to use remote raids, you can use apps like Pokégenie or Campfire. There, you are likely to find the necessary number of players, but again, you have no control over which counters the others will bring.
And then there’s Point 2: Some trainers report problems with catching after the raid. The two seem to be very difficult to catch once they have been defeated. This is compounded by the high flee rate of Latias and Latios, as well as the reduced number of balls you receive during a long raid duration.
In short: It is not easy to defeat the two, let alone catch them. How can you increase your chances?
Start video
Pokémon GO shows the new season “Timeless Travels” in the trailer
How to have a chance in the level-6 raid with Mega Latias and Mega Latios
How to defeat Mega Latias and Mega Latios? Here, it is clear: You should not simply use the suggested team in the raid, but instead, use appropriate counters against the two.
Both monsters are weak against the types Bug, Ghost, Ice, Dragon, Dark, and Fairy. So focus on the best attackers of these types and corresponding moves. Top monsters like Mega Rayquaza, Mega Garchomp, or Mega Tyranitar greatly enhance your chances.
Definitely bring a Mega Evolution that boosts the attacks of your team’s Pokémon. You can find suitable options in the counter guides above.
If you are battling on site: Use the team-play option. If you connect in a group of up to four players in a team, you can utilize “team power.” This further boosts your charge attacks when you face the raid together. How this works is explained in the overview of team play in Pokémon GO.
And both remotely and on-site: Do not attempt it with too small groups of players. Especially if you are using one of the remote raid apps, try to enter a lobby with enough players – preferably too many. This way, you have a chance to compensate for weaker counters.
How to catch Mega Latias and Mega Latios? There is no guarantee, but you can increase your chances with the following points:
Bring a buddy Pokémon at a level that supports your throws. Then, you get another chance on blocked balls.
Use golden razz berries. It is best to not take a single throw without one.
Aim for the excellent throw. Reduce the circle to the appropriate size by holding your thumb on the screen, and wait for the attack from Latias or Latios. Just before the end of the animation, you throw. But this requires practice.
If you cannot reliably hit excellent throws, aim for great throws instead to avoid throws without a bonus.
Use curveball throws for a slightly increased catch chance.
If you encounter specimens with particularly high stats that simply do not want to stay in the ball, you also have the option to throw your master ball. That would ensure a catch, but the master ball will be gone afterward. You should carefully consider whether Latias or Latios are worth this investment. You can find monsters that are worth using the master ball on here.
What is the exception? Your best chance of catching them is if Latias or Latios appears in their shiny variant. Then, you just need to hit, and the catch is guaranteed. In such cases, you can also throw silver raspberries to increase the number of candies during the catch.
By the way, this is not the first time that Latias and Latios have caused trainers problems with catching them. Even during the Hoenn Tour 2023, they frustrated players with high flee rates. And there they were simply wandering in the wild.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
What are essential things in GTA Online? MeinMMO editor Patrick Freese shares his most important purchases that he can recommend to everyone.
What is it about? GTA Online offers a wide variety of things to spend a lot of money on with its content. Among them, there are certain items that are ultimately less “valuable” than others. You might regret some purchases after just a few hours.
Here I will show you my top 5 purchases that I made early in GTA Online and do not regret. They have helped me earn money for a long time and will likely continue to do so in the future.
The order is arbitrary and plays no role.
CEO Business
What is it? By purchasing a CEO office, you unlock the ability to log in as a CEO during a game session. You can hire other players as employees and unlock multiple ways to earn money.
Why is it so good? The CEO office is one of the most important buildings I ever bought in GTA Online. This purchase gives players the opportunity to permanently log in as a CEO during a session. This allows for many other possibilities, such as calling CEO vehicles or completing CEO missions.
Additionally, the office provides access to the Securo-Serv computer. There, there are missions to fill the warehouse with valuable goods or to steal expensive luxury cars, tune them up, and then sell them for profit.
While filling warehouses requires a significant time investment and is more of a dull “grind,” when Rockstar Games activates double warehouse sale value during bonus weeks, you’ll become rich quickly. And everyone needs money in GTA Online.
As a CEO, you can also operate hangars, bunkers, and nightclubs. These are foundations for earning even more money. Without the CEO office, I would be lost when it comes to making money.
Conclusion:
Important foundation for making a lot of money
CEO vehicles enable fast travel
You can hire friends as employees to help with missions
During Christmas, the CEO office is beautifully decorated
Biker Business
What is it? The biker DLC introduced new ways to earn passive money through the biker business. And it’s worth it.
Why is it so good? When you log in as an MC President in the game, you can earn money similar to being a CEO. However, with businesses like cannabis farms or cocaine labs, you earn the money passively. This means you buy or steal raw materials, which your employees process into products. For me, this means: As long as my NPC employees have raw materials, they turn them into valuable loot for me, which I just need to deliver to the buyer.
Regularly, Rockstar Games increases the value of sales. During bonus weeks, the money can quickly double. And then it’s a nice sum hitting your bank account.
Additionally, the ability to make your vehicle disappear from the map right where you are as an MC President is enticing. And if needed, spawn a new motorcycle right next to you. This is handy if you need a bike during races.
I utilize my status as an MC President in nearly every online session. Even if it’s just to call for the motorcycle. The large amount of money I’ve earned from warehouse sales also clearly shows me how worthwhile the investment has been.
The ability to call your motorcycle quickly and anywhere
Simple missions that earn money
Price: Businesses like cannabis farms start at prices of 650,000 GTA dollars. Additionally, there’s the purchase of a club house, which costs at least 365,000 GTA dollars.
Bunker Business
What is it? With the Gunrunning DLC, bunkers were introduced to the game. You can purchase these underground spaces and have products manufactured there or use your team for research to create improved “MK2” weapons.
Why is it so good? Like with the biker business, I earn money passively with bunkers. I provide my team with raw materials, which they process into products that I then sell. The difference lies in research: You can upgrade weapons to stronger MK2 versions, with the help of the mobile command center. This includes pistols, sniper rifles, submachine guns, assault rifles, and more.
With research in the bunker, you can develop and unlock certain attachments or ammunition. Also, weapon upgrades for vehicles like the Technical Custom or the rocket launcher for the Oppressor motorcycle.
Just because of these stronger weapons, I will never regret the purchase of the bunker. Together with the biker business, there are also regular large sums of money generated here.
Conclusion:
Passive income with minimal effort
Stronger weapons (+ attachments) through team research
Discounts on armed or other special vehicles
Price: Bunkers cost between 1,165,000 and 2,375,000 GTA dollars
Research in the bunker unlocks cool items!
Buzzard Attack Helicopter
What is it? The Buzzard attack helicopter is equipped with powerful weapons like machine guns and rockets. It accommodates 4 people, with the co-pilot able to operate the rockets.
Why is it so good? The Buzzard is a great all-rounder that I use daily in GTA Online. It is easy to control and even friendly to clumsy players at the controls. Those who delve deeper into it benefit from demonstrating their fine motor skills while flying between dense skyscrapers.
Another pro point relates to the CEO business. The Buzzard is one of the CEO vehicles and can be instantly called via SecuroServ in the interaction menu, spawning at the nearest corner.
Its agility, speed, and the uncomplicated way of calling it make the Buzzard my first choice when I need to get from A to B quickly without driving a car. With its rockets, I can complete CEO missions like bounty hunting or quickly fly around the city to earn a few thousand bucks in minutes.
Good all-rounder with strong weapons and high speed
Quickly available in combination as CEO
Also great for groups with 4 seats
Price: The price is 1,750,000 GTA dollars
Shotaro Bike
What is it? The Nagasaki Shotaro is a long motorcycle also known as the “Tron Bike.” For fans of the Tron movies, the bike’s futuristic design is a must-have. But it offers even more qualities beyond its looks.
Why is it so good? I initially bought the so-called Tron Bike purely for aesthetic reasons. With its bright colors, you stand out on the colorful streets of the online world. I really like its futuristic look. The bike was introduced in 2016 in GTA Online and is part of the biker DLC.
While it doesn’t have the best top speed among motorcycles, it is unbeatable in races. The combination of good handling and high speed makes it a favorite choice for me in races.
Another important use is time trials in GTA Online. Here you can easily earn 100,000 GTA dollars or more in a regular week in just 1-2 minutes. In the Elysian Island II time trial or at the Observatory, I easily win races with the Shotaro, stuffing my pockets with cash. Although the bike was expensive, it pays off with each additional won time trial.
Conclusion:
An absolute eye-catcher on the streets of GTA Online
Strong racing performance with high speed and good handling
Super suitable for various time trials that reward with lots of money
Price: 2,225,000 GTA dollars
The Shotaro comes in various neon colors and matching suits for the rider
Now you have a good impression of which purchases are truly worthwhile in GTA Online. If you still lack the necessary money to buy a business or vehicle, take a look at these 13 ways to quickly earn a lot of money in GTA Online. This way, you’ll quickly fill your account to afford these expenses.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Chinese gaming giant Tencent is seen by many experts as the most powerful gaming company in the world. They own League of Legends (LoL), dominate the mobile market in China, own a super app with WeChat, are involved in many Western gaming companies, including Larian Studios (Baldur’s Gate 3). However, they are currently stumbling. Hits like “Genshin Impact” have eluded them. Now there are rumors that Tencent would take over the license for “Dungeons and Dragons” from Hasbro.
Who is Tencent and why are they so powerful?
Tencent is a huge Chinese company focused on video games, social networks, online media, and other digital offerings.
Domestic companies enjoy special competitive advantages in China because market access is regulated by the communist party and “foreign” companies need a license to participate in the market in China: Thus, there are “Chinese variants of Western services”. The Tencent app “WeChat” is a super app, a mix of WhatsApp, Facebook, and Paypal.
Tencent has used its strength in China to invest in Western companies: They bought Riot Games (LoL) and have stakes in many other successful gaming companies, or they fully own them: They hold 48% of “Epic Games” (Fortnite), 30% of Larian Games (Baldur’s Gate 3), and 100% of Funcom (Dune).
Tencent teases story of Tarisland in new worldview trailer.
Tencent is envious of gaming hits like Genshin Impact
This is what Tencent says: The boss of Tencent, Pony Ma, said, according to reports (via reuters), at an annual meeting in a stadium in Shenzhen on Monday, January 29, that they had rested too long on their laurels and other companies now also have gaming hits.
Ma is quoted saying: “Gaming is our flagship path. But in 2023 we faced significant challenges.”
It is said that the competition has developed new products and Tencent itself now feels “that they have achieved nothing.”
Tencent’s new games have not performed as well as planned. Titles like Genshin Impact (miHoYO) and “Eggy Party” (NetEase) have performed better than their own.
Allegedly, Hasbro wanted to sell to the creators of Baldur’s Gate 3, but the penguin stepped in
This is the latest rumor: Now, a report has emerged that clearly indicates how Tencent might counter.
Allegedly, Tencent plans to take over the video game rights to the extremely popular fantasy series “Dungeons and Dragons” from Hasbro (via comicbook).
Actually, Hasbro apparently wanted Larian (Baldur’s Gate 3) to develop games for Dungeons and Dragons, but they lacked the money. Now Tencent has reportedly stepped in, owning 30% of Larian, as it is said.
It is currently unclear whether Tencent wants to buy the entire “Dungeons and Dragons” license or just the video game rights.
Currently, this is a rumor and has not been confirmed.
What Tencent means by the “challenges of 2023,” you can read here:
Ian McKellen revealed in an interview that he was not the first choice for his major role as Gandalf in the “The Lord of the Rings” films. Two other actors were offered the chance to play the powerful wizard before him.
As Sir Ian McKellen revealed in an interview with Variety on September 7, 2023, he was not the first choice for his iconic role as the wise wizard in the “The Lord of the Rings” films.
We could have seen two other major Hollywood stars as Gandalf instead of him – but both declined the offer.
Here you can see a German trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King:
Start video
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – Trailer (German)
“Just didn’t feel it”
“I don’t think you are ever the first choice,” said Sir Ian McKellen in the interview. He then elaborated on how two other actors had been offered the role of Gandalf before he was approached.
Anthony Hopkins, known for his role as Dr. Hannibal Lecter, was one of the candidates who were contacted before him. The reason why the actor declined the role in The Lord of the Rings is not known.
But James Bond actor Sean Connery could also have become Gandalf. However, he also turned it down. As Mark Ordensky, the executive of New Line Cinema explained, he just felt no connection to the role:
“We made Connery an offer, but he declined. We only got a response years later, but apparently, he read the material and just didn’t feel it.” (via independent.co.uk)
Sir Ian McKellen concluded on the subject in the interview simply: “Tony Hopkins turned it down. Sean Connery definitely did as well. Now they are all coming out of the woodwork, and I hope they feel stupid.”
As Collider reported, there were other well-known actors considered for the major “The Lord of the Rings” role.
For instance, singer David Bowie or Christopher Plummer (Knives Out) were also in the running. Additionally, Sam Neill, who played Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park, was also in consideration.
But a good friend and colleague of Sir Ian McKellen, Star Trek captain Sir Patrick Stewart, also had a chance to become Gandalf.
The developers of the German Steam hit Enshrouded react after players discovered the house of “Dragonlord” Rainer Winkler in the survival game.
What is the story behind the house? The survival game Enshrouded from the German studio Keen Games has been in Early Access since January 24, 2024, and has made a strong start on Steam: It peaked at 160,000 simultaneous players with 85% positive reviews.
House of the “Dragonlord” in Enshrouded (frontal)House of the “Dragonlord” in Enshrouded (side view)
While members of the “Haider” community, which has been stalking Winkler for years, found it hilariously funny, others were appalled: This would only fuel the bullying of the Dragonlord further, and really, no one deserves that, wrote one user on Steam.
The developers have now responded and announced measures.
Start video
Enshrouded: The Early Access trailer for the new survival hit on Steam
“Dragon’s Base” is to be removed from the game
What do the developers say? In a statement provided to MeinMMO for reporting, studio head Jan Jöckel explains that the “Dragon’s Base” was not intentionally integrated into the game.
Keen Games expressly distances itself from the incident and announces the removal of the building. Additionally, they plan to take further measures to ensure that similar incidents cannot occur in the future.
We have been made aware that there is a building in the game that resembles a real building associated with real events. It was not intended to have this building in the game. We are currently working on removing this building from the game. Our team will need a few hours until the update is available for everyone. We will take appropriate measures to ensure that this does not happen again. We apologize for this incident and expressly distance ourselves from it.
Jan Jöckel, CEO, Keen Games
How the building was able to get into the game is still unclear at this time.
We at MeinMMO also clearly distance ourselves from hate and incitement. You can find out how we contribute in our statement against hate.
Update 1.2.2024, 12:00 PM: According to information available to MeinMMO, the house was removed from Enshrouded on Wednesday evening.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the casino of GTA Online, there is a secret mission. We will show you how to unlock it. For that, you need a lot of alcohol.
What’s going on in GTA Online? At the release of the casino DLC in GTA Online, the game celebrated its highest player numbers since launch in 2019. There is a lot to experience in the casino: A wheel of fortune, poker, Blackjack, roulette, and even digital horse racing.
Behind the shiny facade of the Diamond Casino, one finds a secret mission. You only unlock it if you really drink a lot. Note: This article originally appeared in August 2019.
What kind of mission is this? If you drink a few glasses of alcohol in the GTA Online casino, at some point you will experience a blackout. With a bit of “luck,” you will then wake up at the secret mission, with ambulances around you. The casino manager calls you and explains what you have done.
You have stolen one of the casino’s delivery trucks for your drunken tour through the city. If you return the delivery truck, everything will be okay again, she says.
In a hungover state, the mission then starts. You have a limited time, just over 7 minutes, to return the delivery truck.
How to unlock the secret casino mission while drunk
The preparation: In order to play this mission, you need a penthouse in the Diamond Casino & Resort. The penthouse unlocks the casino’s story missions. Play through these missions and complete the “Loose Cheng” mission. This will unlock all casino story missions – including the secret mission.
Mr. Cheng
The start: Once you have met the mentioned requirements and unlocked the missions, you need to drink. For this, visit the bar in the casino.
When you arrive there, you need to order shots of Macbeth whiskey. If you drink one of them, the lights will go out for you.
After the blackout, you will wake up at one of many random positions. This can be in the penthouse or somewhere on the map of GTA Online. One of these random positions is the start of the secret mission. It may take you several unconscious drinking sessions to trigger the mission for you.
Once you have triggered the mission, the phone will ring after waking up with a call from Ms. Baker. She explains to you that you are quite disgusting when you have been drinking.
The casino job is displayed on the screen – the mission starts and is self-explanatory. Drive the delivery truck to the displayed position.
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What is the reward for the mission? The mission does not give you a crazy Easter egg, but pays you the usual amount for a completed mission. You can earn more money here:
How long does it take? How long it takes to start the secret mission seems to depend heavily on randomness, according to initial findings from the community. One player writes on Reddit that he had to drink 50 shots to start the mission.
Another player writes on Reddit that even after 167 shots, he had no luck and had not yet seen the missions.
Will you try to unlock the secret mission? Or is this just a nice gimmick for you, an element that is accidentally “activated” and not something you will pursue? Write us your opinion about this in the comments here on MeinMMO.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
