Palworld is a new survival shooter on Steam that has garnered attention primarily due to its small monsters reminiscent of Pokémon. However, what Palworld truly has to offer can soon be discovered in Early Access.
What kind of game is this?
Palworld is a new survival game with an open world, shooter elements, and multiplayer on Steam.
You collect unusual monsters, called “Pals”, which not only assist you in combat but also serve as mounts or workers in your base.
In the fight for survival, you use not only your Pals but also firearms. Even the cute monsters are partially equipped with firearms or similar gear.
The open world harbors many dangers, from wild monsters to hunger, weather conditions, and poachers.
The latest trailer now announces Early Access and teases a bit more about what this “Pokémon shooter” will have to offer:
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Palworld showcases the small monsters in massive action in the early access trailer
When does Early Access start? On January 19, 2024, Palworld officially launches on Steam in Early Access. According to the developers, new Pals and areas will also be added during Early Access.
What does the trailer show? The trailer gives you a good impression of what to expect from Palworld. It particularly showcases the combat gameplay and how action-packed the battles with firearms and Pals can be.
Players are excited about the “dark” Pokémon shooter
What are the reactions? As user “dalienmarrero8992” states in his comment (via YouTube), Palworld is a game he wouldn’t have expected. In his opinion, many mechanics are mixed here that he never thought would work together – but he really wants to try the game.
Especially the concept of fighting cute monsters with guns, having them work for you, or even cooking them draws interest. For instance, “Lumeonfire” writes: “This is so dark on so many levels … I love it.”
Similarly, user “barry-allenthe-flash8396” writes: “I can’t believe this exists; I’m so happy someone made ‘Pokémon with guns’, lol”.
Alongside the combat gameplay, which has already been shown in earlier trailers, the Early Access trailer also introduces a few trainers that you will encounter in Palworld. However, how the battles against these other trainers will look is not shown in the trailer yet.
Fans of One Piece should not miss this episode. In a few weeks, Monsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation (original title: Monsters: Ippyakusanjo Hiryu Jigoku) will be released on Netflix. You don’t have to prepare for long binge-watching nights, as the “series” consists of only one episode.
When does the episode start? Monsters will be available exclusively on Netflix starting January 21, 2024 (via Twitter). There will only be one episode, which is supposed to be 25 minutes long.
The German Netflix account does not yet show the date, but in other countries the date is already visible on the platform. We assume that in a worldwide release, the date will also apply to Germany.
The story is based on a manga from 1994 by Eiichiro Oda, who is also the creator of One Piece. Both animes are related in terms of story. The Monsters protagonist Ryuma Shimotsuki is likely known to many fans in One Piece as the zombie general on Thriller Bark.
In a short teaser trailer, we see what monster Ryuma has to face:
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Monsters shows the first teaser trailer
Monsters takes place many years before One Piece
What is Monsters about?
Eiichiro Oda published the manga in 1994 as a short story; three years later, he released One Piece.
It is about the samurai Ryuma Shimotsuki, who uncovers a criminal organization that has stolen a valuable dragon horn, which can summon the flying beings.
Throughout the story, he faces a real dragon. The dragon threatens to destroy an entire village, and Ryuma tries to prevent the powerful being from doing so.
The manga is part of the One Piece story, as Oda revealed in SBS issue 47. The protagonist has a cameo with the Straw Hat Pirates.
The animations for the episode are produced by the studio E&H production. The director will be Sunghoo Park, who has previously worked on the action-packed scenes in Jujutsu Kaisen.
Why shouldn’t fans miss the anime? Monsters is part of the official One Piece story. Protagonist Ryuma Shimotsuki is an ancestor of Lorenor Zorro, as Oda reveals in the 105th issue of SBS. Since Ryuma also appears in the One Piece anime and manga, the two stories are directly connected.
The two creators of the hit series Game of Thrones, David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, could have earned money from the spin-off “House of the Dragon.” As they recounted, however, they rejected the payment – for a very simple reason.
In this context, they mentioned that they actually could have earned from the prequel series House of the Dragon, which tells the events prior to “Game of Thrones,” but they declined the offer.
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House of the Dragon – English trailer for the prequel series to „Game of Thrones“
House of the Dragon Was Not Worth the Burden
Benioff and Weiss have a contractual right to be listed as producers in all “Game of Thrones” spin-offs. It doesn’t matter whether they are actually involved in the project or not.
This means that being credited translates to easy money for them, which they wouldn’t even have to do anything for.
Nevertheless, they declined the offer and did not want to be credited in the spin-off House of the Dragon, a project they were not involved in.
“HBO was a bit confused,” Benioff explained to The Hollywood Reporter. Even the network’s lawyer wanted them to accept the money: “I remember your lawyer saying, ‘But it’s just money, we’ll just pay you.’ “
Weiss then explained why the creators of “Game of Thrones” decided against the enticing offer:
I don’t believe that there is such a thing as money without effort.
If our name is on it, especially when we are completely detached and uninvolved, the burden that would come with this uninvolved approach – whether it leads to success or failure or anything in between – did not seem worth it to us.
Benioff and Weiss not only wanted to be omitted from the credits of the spin-off, but have also not watched House of the Dragon to this day. Weiss recently watched Game of Thrones with his family, while Benioff hasn’t seen a single episode of his series since the finale.
If you are fans of Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, you might be interested in this list: 11 Series Like Game of Thrones
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Good news for zombie fans: A modern classic of the genre is likely to continue. Joining are the director and the screenwriter of the original film. Thanks to them, the undead can no longer just shuffle, but can run frighteningly fast.
Which film is it about? “28 Days Later” by British director Danny Boyle was released in 2002. It is now considered a classic of the genre. The story tells of a contagious zombie virus that spreads rapidly in London and across England. And the actual undead are also racing through the streets of London uncontrollably.
Unlike classic zombies, which usually shuffle very slowly, those in the film could run. This increased the tension – and the danger for the protagonists surrounding the main actor Cillian Murphy. Most probably know him from the “Dark Knight” trilogy, “Peaky Blinders”, or his recent role as J. Robert Oppenheimer.
Over 20 years after the release of the first part, a sequel is reportedly in development.
In one of the first zombie movies, the undead are still quite slow. Here you can see the trailer for “Night of the Living Dead” from 1968.
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The Night of the Living Dead – Trailer for the zombie movie from 1968
Director and screenwriter of the first part are back
Who is behind the sequel? While director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland were only involved as executive producers in the official second installment of the series, “28 Weeks Later” (2007), they are now taking the creative reins again. According to ign.com, they are currently in talks with various film studios and streaming services.
Danny Boyle, who is also responsible for films like “Trainspotting” or “Sunshine”, will direct again. His writer Alex Garland has also made a name for himself as a director in recent years. The sci-fi recommendations “Ex Machina” and “Annihilation” bear his name.
The new film is set to be titled “28 Years Later”. For their renewed collaboration, Boyle and Garland drew inspiration from the successful revival of the Mad Max series.
Its director George Miller successfully brought his presumed dead action film series back to theaters in 2015. “Mad Max: Fury Road” currently ranks 198 in the IMDb Top 250 movies, and is set to receive a sequel titled “Furiosa” later this year.
The year 2024 marks a crucial turning point for Destiny 2, as the sci-fi MMO attempts to regain lost trust from its veterans and attract new players. The current monetization of the game has faced significant criticism. However, players agree that clearing this hurdle would demonstrate a genuine commitment.
This is what players criticize about Destiny 2: Last year, Bungie’s loot shooter faced not only dissatisfaction with the overall situation but also growing concerns regarding its monetization policy.
Old expansions like Forsaken, which are no longer in the game, are still offered as “legacy”. Players only pay for Exo weapons. There is no content.
These criticisms have not only led to significant discomfort within the community but also sowed doubts about the direction of the game. The current monetization policy of Destiny 2 presents a major hurdle for newcomers.
Therefore, a recent decision by the developer was met with enthusiasm, as it is seen by the Guardians as exactly what the shooter needs right now.
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Destiny 2: Lightfall – Gather all Guardians trailer
Destiny 2 needs an “all-inclusive” package
Players appreciated this: On December 13, Bungie surprised with a free offer through Epic Games. Gamers could secure the so-called “Legacy Package” of Destiny 2, which includes a total of three expansions: “The Witch Queen”, “Beyond Light”, and “Season of Shadows”.
The offer apparently resulted in a solid influx of interested players. Although the increase in players cannot be entirely attributed to the free offer, it may have contributed to it. The numbers (via SteamCharts) certainly suggest so.
In December 2023, there was an increase of 47.68%, which corresponded to 103,607 players.
In the previous month, November 2023, the peak was 94,423 players.
In October 2023, Destiny 2 had a peak of 68,148 simultaneous players.
Overall, the free campaign was met with positive feedback and support within the community. Players especially praised that this step by Bungie not only signals generosity but also shows an awareness of player concerns. And this, despite the fact that two of these expansions are regarded by the majority of players as “inferior”.
2024 will be a decisive year for Destiny 2.
Experienced players express a clear desire for an overall package that includes all previous DLCs at an attractive price or even for free. Guardian Godavari shares this view, stating:
Monetization is the biggest barrier to getting into Destiny 2, and I wish Bungie would just sell something like a single “all-inclusive” package (maybe all old expansions with the purchase of the current one) or switch to a subscription model. […] I really want all these barriers removed so that we can attract new players and keep the player base healthy.
This is what the MeinMMO Destiny editorial team says: Our author Britta is also convinced that Bungie urgently needs to clarify the offer jungle before the launch of the new DLC “The Final Form”. This would send a clear signal that the developer is willing to make the game more accessible to everyone.
Whether Bungie will embrace the community’s hopes remains to be seen. However, the path to “The Final Form” is no longer just a content-related process for the developer but also a trust-building one that will determine the future of Destiny 2.
What do you personally think about the free offer and the challenges concerning the monetization of Destiny 2? Do you also believe that an “all-inclusive” package, a permanent free package, or even a subscription model would be the right decision now? You are warmly invited to share your opinion in the comments. Or do you hope that “The Final Form” will not only mark the end of the saga but also of Destiny 2? We certainly don’t: I wanted to know how the story of Destiny 2 ends – but now that the moment is here, I no longer do.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Jens “Knossi” Knossalla (37) is not only one of the biggest German Twitch streamers, but he has also released several songs. With a schlager star by his side, he now wants to achieve great success.
Who is the schlager legend? The schlager legend is none other than Mickie Krause (53). The German party singer is among the most successful musicians on the Ballermann and has already won various awards.
Among them is an award for “Most Successful German Party Schlager and Mood Singer + Most Successful Megapark Artist of All Time” at smago!.
In a video on Instagram, Mickie Krause appears alongside Knossi and Michael Roetgens, a German label operator, announcing their new song.
From the Witness Stand with Barbara Salesch to the King of Twitch – Career and Life of Knossi
Mickie Krause: “This is the way to the next gold CD!”
What will make the song so successful? The musicians do not reveal that, but it seems they are relying on their combined star power. According to his own statements, Mickie Krause already has 6 gold CDs. With Knossi’s help, the new song is supposed to bring him the 7th.
Krause says in the video: “This is the way to the next gold CD!” For Knossi, it would be, according to his own statement, the first gold CD, and thus his most successful song if the plan works out.
So far, Knossi’s most successful song is “Alge,” which landed at number 50 on the German charts and managed to stay there for 2 weeks (via Official German Charts).
What kind of song will it be? While the two do not go into the exact content of the songs, all signs point to it being a schlager song.
Mickie Krause is known for his schlager, and the video has appeared on the Instagram account of “xtremesound_cologne“.
The music label is known for schlager hits.
Furthermore, label operator Michael Rötgens is in the video, who is also known for schlager hits.
Does the song already have a name? Yes, in the video, the song is called “Schoko-Krossi.” The name refers to a popular snack. Whether the song is about sweets is still unknown.
Label operator Michael Roetgens announced that the two have founded the new “Act” Krossi. He also said: “First, we are recording the song Schoko-Krossi. […]” which suggests that several songs with the duo could be released soon.
Call of Duty Warzone makes a drastic change to the gameplay of the Battle Royale with Season 1 Reloaded, allowing you to end a match even when many teams are still alive.
What kind of change is this? With Season 1 Reloaded, Call of Duty: Warzone introduces the so-called “Covert Exfil”. This is a new feature that allows you to end an ongoing Warzone match before all other teams are dead.
You can buy a Covert Exfil during the round at a Buy Station if you have collected enough money through contracts, for example. However, the Covert Exfil is only available to 5 teams in total in a match.
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Trailer for Call of Duty MW 3 shows a lobby in real life
Covert Exfil does not guarantee a victory, but possibly the weapon case
What does the Covert Exfil bring? In addition to the Covert Exfil, a weapon case was also introduced in Battle Royale with Season 1 Reloaded, which you may already know from the DMZ mode. There is only one weapon case on the entire map during an ongoing match. The team that finishes a round with the weapon case will receive various rewards, including a free operator skin and a weapon blueprint.
The Covert Exfil allows you to extract this weapon case much more easily. Instead of fighting against all other players for victory in the Battle Royale, you can escape the map early and take the weapon case with you.
However, if you do not have the weapon case in your possession, the Covert Exfil does not offer much – unless you want to end the match prematurely for some reason without quitting or dying. A Covert Exfil does not count as a normal victory, provides no progress for the Champion’s Quest, and is recorded in a separate statistic (Raven Software via X.com).
Players hope the Covert Exfil is not in the regular Battle Royale
What does the community say about the Covert Exfil? Many players view the new feature with skepticism. Some even believe it goes against the core idea of a Battle Royale.
LoochyTV via X.com: “This completely misses the point of a Battle Royale.”
MuTex via X.com: “It’s great that you’re coming up with new ideas, but I personally think all these new ideas should only be tested on a separate LTM game list. Don’t force the players who currently love the game as it is to play with it.”
Rad_702 via X.com: “This is definitely not it! Unless it’s a separate mode, but even then it misses the point of a Battle Royale.”
However, some users are also writing on X.com that they don’t find it so bad at all. The user Driskal says, for example: “I don’t understand what’s so bad about it. It’s not game-changing. There are only a total of 5 in a round and it’s probably going to cost a lot of money. Who cares if 5 teams exfiltrate?”
One of the coolest features in Baldur’s Gate 3 are the romances you can cultivate with individual characters. However, there are 10 possible companions, of which 8 are romantic partners and several one-night stands. This raises the question: Can you have multiple romances at the same time in the game?
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With so many great companions, the question is whether you can flirt with all of them at the same time – or at least only with the specific chosen ones for the run. The answer is Yes and No:
Some companions are strictly monogamous. Others are not averse to sharing – under certain conditions.
In principle, you can at least try to gain the consent of all companions and flirt with them. However, after certain cutscenes, you will be the official boyfriend or girlfriend of one of the characters. This means you will have to end your romances with your other flirts.
But there are exceptions, which we will introduce you to here.
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Baldur’s Gate 3 is coming to PS5 – Trailer prepares for console release
Multiple romances at the same time? It works with these companions!
Halsin, the Druid
Halsin is the skeleton key among the romances in Baldur’s Gate 3. He can only join your group in a good run in Act 2. Accordingly, you need to have some patience. He is also the only character who is completely okay with your previous romantic decisions:
When Halsin reveals his feelings to you, you can respond to them. However, if you’re already in a committed relationship before, he will insist on having your partner’s consent – before you become intimate with each other. The following combinations will work.
Halsin and Astarion: The pale elf will be confused for a moment but will then give you his blessing for a hot night with Halsin. For this to work, you need to be in a committed relationship with Astarion and have as high a level of approval as possible. How to achieve this can be read in our Romance Guide for Astarion.
When you visit the brothel with the two dark elf twins in Act 3 after the potential bear sex with Halsin and the twins offer you sex, you can actually take both Halsin and Astarion with you.
Halsin and Shadowheart: The cleric will also give you her blessing for the rendezvous with Halsin. She also openly admits that she has no issues with him. However, you must also be in a committed relationship with her first before you can obtain her blessing.
Warning: Astarion and Shadowheart only agree to poly relationships with Halsin. All other companions are off-limits.
Halsin has experienced many romantic partners over 200 years. Consent is particularly important.
Minthara, the Drow
If you are on an evil run, you will not get Halsin and lose most of your other companions. Instead, you can romance Minthara.
She has no problem with poly relationships, but no other companion wants to become intimate with her. However, once you choose her, you can easily pursue possible one-night stands like with Mizora.
For the romance with the Emperor, there is even the achievement Mind Blown. In fact, your interactions with him have no impact on your other relationships. So feel free to flirt from Act 1 onwards and, if desired, give in to his temptations.
After the hot scene in the Astral Sea, a few random companions will show up and give you disgusted looks. However, no one will confront you about it, and there are currently no identifiable negative influences on your other ongoing romances.
Although they are all slightly disgusted, they won’t hold it against you in a wakeful state.
One Night Stands
If you are in poly relationships, you can also theoretically take the currently known two one-night stands. Both occur in Act 3:
Demoness Mizora, Wyll’s pact mistress, develops an interest in you. If you advance Wyll’s companion story, she may invite you for a hellishly hot night. But beware: Your companions usually react unhappily to this bed story.
You can also indulge with the incubus Harleep. He is part of the quests before the House of Hope. To meet him, you must attempt to break into Devil Raphael. In exchange for information, Harleep will first ask you to undress and then to sleep with him.
Harleep’s sex scene has far-reaching consequences: on the one hand, the incubus can later take on your form, and your character will notice it when they become intimate. On the other hand, this action lowers approval with some of your companions.
Sharing you? Never! These characters do not engage in poly relationships
Of course, there are also characters for whom a relationship with other companions is generally taboo. They also do not tolerate one-night stands. If you are wondering how to win them over, you can read about it here:
Wizard Gale is still recovering in Act 1 from his last relationship and isn’t interested in a real romance until Act 2. You can read all about it in our Gale Romance Guide. You are only in a committed relationship with him after his sex scene in Act 2.
However, if he has already taken a liking to you, i.e., his approval for you is high enough, he will immediately confront you if you get too close to another companion. My-MMO editor Sophia has experienced this firsthand.
At least in Act 1, you can still flirt with other companions. He has no issues with a rendezvous with Astarion at the Tiefling/Goblin party.
If you get serious with a companion, you will have to end your other flirts.
Karlach
Karlach’s romance also really takes off in Act 2. Before that, she is okay if you indulge with Astarion, for example. If her approval is high enough, she will even encourage you to seek other engagements.
However, as soon as her quest progresses far enough in Act 2, you will be in a monogamous relationship with her.
The Githyanki is one of the few companions whose romance can start in Act 1. Once she has taken you to bed once, she won’t let you go easily. She is absolutely opposed to poly relationships. You belong to her, and she belongs to you. That’s not up for discussion.
Wyll, the Blade of Frontiers
Wyll is probably the most sincere companion who can stand by your side. Although you can win him over in Act 1, his romance also really begins in Act 2. Once he invites you to dance, he wants to seduce you in a traditional way – as befits a hero.
Accordingly traditional is his idea of relationships: If he is in a relationship, then only with that person, and he expects the corresponding commitment to each other – and only to each other – from his partner as well.
Have you already played your desired romance? Feel free to tell us about it in the comments!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
League of Legends kicks off the 2024 season with a new cinematic trailer, once again proving how impressive and emotional video game trailers can be.
LoL starts the new season with an emotional trailer: Just in time for the start of the new 2024 season, fans and players can look forward to a new cinematic trailer for League of Legends.
Like every year, it showcases some popular champions in action, marking the beginning of a new season. This year, the trailer is titled “Unbroken,” which is clearly reflected in the animated scenes:
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League of Legends opens the 2024 season with an emotional trailer
Not just the fans are excited: With this trailer, the team behind the animated videos for League of Legends once again shows their skills. And they excite not only the true LoL fans, as can be seen in the comments (via YouTube).
For instance, user amnotgenjimain6027 writes: “I don’t play League, but I come back every time to watch their music videos.” Even if you don’t know much about the lore behind the characters and like this user, don’t even play the game, the cinematic trailers somehow manage to capture you.
LoL trailer touches especially with a tearful reunion
This could be primarily due to the fact that the trailers, like this one, are always very well made technically, are backed by atmospheric music or simply hit you with overwhelming emotions every time.
User user-bz5zz3kg6k simply asks if anyone else was close to tears. Especially the moment when Tryndamere looks into his wife’s eyes is a very emotional moment for many players. And that many are truly on the verge of tears due to the trailer is shown by a few more comments:
kfk4441 writes: “The way this man looks at his wife after she rescued him made me shed a tear”
franckfbf1929 writes: “I felt so many emotions in such a short time”
kennethvalle1180 writes: “To be honest, I would have the same reaction as Trynda when Ashe appears, so beautiful”
What do you think of the trailer for the new season? What are you hoping for in the 2024 season? Feel free to write in the comments. What you can expect in the new season, we have already compiled for you: LoL: The new season starts tomorrow – What’s in it?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A gamer wanted to stock up on supplies and ordered new RAM. Instead, he accidentally received an entire box of 50 pieces. However, he reported the mistake to the seller. How did it end?
What kind of user is this? We recently reported on MeinMMO about the user who accidentally received a box of RAM. This caused quite a stir, as opposed to other people who might keep such items quietly, this user contacted the seller on Amazon.
The user had posted two pictures on reddit at that time. He explained that he sells starter systems in his shop and also offers practice systems for students who are building a PC system for the first time. Now he wanted to reorder RAM for that purpose. But instead of the ordered goods, he received an entire box of it.
Many users expressed their disbelief at that time as to why someone would report such a “lucky hit” to the seller. Others also stated that such honesty at least deserves respect.
User writes that he can keep the items
How did the seller react? In a later comment, someone from the community asked what had become of the whole action.
The buyer first explained that the seller had not contacted him at first. But eventually, there was a response. He explained on reddit that he could keep the excess RAM, that is, the entire box. He wrote:
Yes, they said we could basically keep it, we can incorporate it into our future starter builds.
Here, it seems that the honesty of the “finder” was rewarded. Nevertheless, this outcome is likely surprising, as it concerns goods worth several hundred euros that the seller must now write off.
Honesty deserves respect, but the action cannot really be verified
Can this be verified? No, we have to trust the user’s statement that the seller transferred the RAM to him at no extra cost. There is also no picture of the email exchange or the name of the seller.
It remains unclear whether he might have just made up the entire situation with the call to the seller. In the case of another user who also received way too much RAM, many suspected that the user might have worked in a warehouse.
Such actions, where people receive too many items, happen repeatedly, by the way. But legally, the issue is significantly more complicated. Especially if someone wants to keep the items quietly. You can find more about this in the following article on MeinMMO:
The still relatively fresh “Minecraft Legends” is halting its development. The game lasted less than a year before the lights go out.
Minecraft is one of the most successful games of all time. Over 300 million versions of Minecraft have been sold – an almost absurd success. However, attempts to make additional Minecraft spin-offs successful have repeatedly failed in recent years.
The AR game “Minecraft Earth” died back in 2021. Most recently, the development of “Minecraft Dungeons” was stopped in September 2023 – now it’s the next game’s turn.
“Minecraft Legends” will no longer receive any updates; the development has ended here as well.
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Minecraft Legends neuer Trailer von der gamescom 2022
What kind of game is this? Minecraft Legends can best be described as an “action-strategy” game. In the colorful “overworld” of Minecraft, you control the hero and unite various creatures – such as Creepers, Zombies, and Skeletons – to fight against the invading Piglin hordes. The hero serves as a pivot for several dozen troops that you send into battle while you advance with the sword.
Depending on the mission, it involves capturing enemy outposts or protecting the nearly defenseless villagers from enemy attacks.
In PvP, on the other hand, you have the opportunity to battle against other players and prove who is the better troop commander.
What do the developers say? In an official blog post from the developers, they discuss the last major update of the game. The many small innovations are highlighted, followed by a look back at what has happened in the months since the launch. Only in the second part, the “development update,” do they address it and explain:
Since the launch, we have listened to community feedback and implemented a number of changes to improve the game. Now that this is complete, we will withdraw from development. Although we will not be releasing new content for Minecraft Legends (such as updates, Lost Legends, or marketplace DLC), the fun doesn’t stop here. We will continue to have a lot of fun playing the game alongside our community, as those nasty Piglins show no signs of stopping anytime soon.
Why is development being halted? Even though the developers do not state this clearly in their blog post, there are many indications that Minecraft Legends did not achieve the success that was once hoped for from the game.
In particular, the player numbers are quite telling. Looking at the figures on Steam, only an average of 34 players were playing the game simultaneously over the last 30 days – the daily peak was 100 players (via steamcharts.com).
For comparison: At launch in April 2023, Minecraft Legends had just over 1,000 players simultaneously, peaking at 5,000.
However, the reviews are also rather mixed, standing at “mixed.” 61% of the reviews are positive, but many are also negative.
The most common criticism: The game is simply boring and cannot hold interest for long. The campaign feels monotonous and, although it is quite short, it seems rather lengthy. The PvP, on the other hand, receives more praise, which seems to appeal to a hardcore player base.
Can you still play Minecraft Legends? Yes, the servers will remain active for the time being. All in-game content, such as the campaign, PvP, or special challenges, can still be played and completed. However, there will be no new content, so the game will remain in its current state going forward.
Have you played Minecraft Legends? Or has the game completely passed you by?
In Season 30 of Diablo 3, you can farm Soul Shards of the Greater Evils and Lesser Evils. We will show you all Soul Shards along with their base bonuses and additional properties. Find out what you can do with the “Sparks of the Hellforge.”
What are these shards? The seasonal theme of Season 30 in Diablo 3 is titled “The Rulers of Hell.” This was already the case in Season 25. It’s all about the Soul Shards. Each character can carry two at the same time. They drop in their basic form and can then be upgraded by you.
In this overview, we show you all Soul Shards and their bonuses from Season 30. This way you know which ones are suitable for your class and playstyle and are worth upgrading.
Note: We have updated the article from Season 25 and adapted it for Season 30.
Season theme of Season 30 – Soul Shards and Sparks of the Hellforge
How does the theme work? You can carry two shards at the same time, one socketed in the head and one in the weapon. They work like gems but are much more powerful than any gems you’ve known before. Because they combine effects.
There are three Soul Shards of the Greater Evils that fit in your helm sockets
And four Soul Shards of the Lesser Evils that fit in your weapon sockets
You can upgrade each Soul Shard three times, using exclusive seasonal items “Sparks of the Hellforge” – these are consumables
By upgrading, you unlock the additional properties
Where can you find the Soul Shards? The new Soul Shards and the Sparks of the Hellforge can drop anywhere. The chance of obtaining Soul Shards is higher from bosses. You cannot trade the shards with other players but you can recycle them with the Blacksmith or use them in Caldesann’s Despair.
After the end of the season, you cannot take either the Soul Shards or the Sparks of the Hellforge into non-seasonal play.
All Soul Shards and their Bonuses in Season 30
Below, we show you all shards with their base bonuses and additional properties.
You unlock the additional properties gradually as you upgrade the Soul Shards with the Sparks of the Hellforge.
These are the Soul Shards from Season 25
Shard of Terror (Greater Evil)
Base bonus: Your cooldowns are increased by 25%. For each skill on cooldown, your damage taken is reduced by 12.5% and your damage dealt is increased by 12.5%.
Additional properties:
For each skill on cooldown, your attack speed and critical hit chance are increased by 5%.
Upon killing 100 enemies, you cast a Flame Ring.
If at least three skills are on cooldown, the damage of your lightning and fire skills is increased by 50%.
Shard of Hatred (Greater Evil)
Base bonus: Your damage is reduced by 15% when three or fewer enemies are within 25 meters of you. If there are more than three enemies, your damage per enemy is increased by 5% – up to a maximum of 50%.
Additional properties:
When you kill an elite enemy, all enemies within 40 meters are pulled to the death location of the elite enemy.
Increases your movement speed by 50%. For each enemy within 25 meters, your movement speed is reduced by 10% – up to a maximum of 70%.
You now deal 15% more damage per enemy instead of 5% – up to a maximum of 100%.
Fragment of Destruction (Greater Evil)
Base bonus: You can move unhindered through enemies and mark them with the Mark of Destruction for seven seconds. If an enemy bearing the mark dies, it reduces the cooldown of one of your skills by one second. If the mark expires without the enemy dying, you take damage equal to 2% of your maximum health for each marked enemy. At less than 35% health of your character, no mark is applied.
Additional properties:
There is a 25% chance that a killed enemy bearing the Mark of Destruction restores 5% of your health
For each enemy marked with the Mark of Destruction, you increase your movement speed for seven seconds by 5% – a maximum of 10 stacks is possible
You leave a trail of flames. Enemies affected by the Mark of Destruction with less than 10% health are immediately killed.
Screenshot from the PTR: How cool the souls fly around when the Soul Shards drop
Mark of Sin (Lesser Evil)
Base bonus: You deal 25% less damage. When you kill 50 enemies, you create a pool of blood that increases the damage taken by elite enemies by 150% and lasts for 15 seconds.
Additional properties:
The pool of blood now negates the affixes of elite enemies within its area of effect
When you kill a group of elite enemies, you gain an additional progress orb for portals
The pool of blood now collects the portal progress orbs for you
Sediment of Lies (Lesser Evil)
Base bonus: You deal 25% less damage yourself. Your companions and minions deal 25% less damage.
Additional properties:
When you kill an elite enemy, your active cooldowns are reduced by five seconds
If you take damage that would kill you, you summon a shadow. This prevents your death and restores 35% of your maximum health. Additionally, the shadow grants all group members +225 resistance to all damage types while the shadow is active. It lasts for 15 seconds
Your damage increases by 0.5% each time one of your minions or companions hits. This is stackable up to 100 times, granting you a maximum of 50% more damage. Once you reach 100 stacks, the stacks reset to 0 over a short period
Rudiment of Pain (Lesser Evil)
Base bonus: Your critical hit chance is reduced by 15%. However, you always critically strike incapacitated enemies.
Additional properties:
When you hit enemies with cold damage, there is a 50% chance that you freeze the enemy. Frozen targets take an additional 20% damage from cold skills
If you have more than +50% increased movement speed, you can move through enemies, pushing them back, making them stunned for two seconds
When you critically hit enemies, the attack speed of all players in your group is increased by 5% for five seconds – stackable up to ten times
Base bonus: Each time you deal damage with poison skills, your cooldown reduction and movement speed are increased by 2.5% for ten seconds, and your damage taken is increased by 5%. This is stackable up to ten times.
Additional properties:
Your poison damage can increase your movement speed and cooldown reduction up to 15 times.
If you deal poison damage to an enemy, they take 50% more poison damage from all sources for ten seconds
If you kill an enemy, the damage of the killing blow is added to all enemies within 25 meters
How do you like the bonuses of the Soul Shards from Season 30 in Diablo 3? Do you think they are strong enough, and have you perhaps already found a favorite? Let us know which shards you will incorporate into your builds and share with the community.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The primal forms of Palkia and Dialga in Pokémon GO have been revealed. They will appear during the Sinnoh Tour and bring special moves that trigger bonuses.
What kind of Pokémon are they? The primal forms of Palkia and Dialga were released with the game “Legends: Arceus.” They are variants of the two well-known legendary Pokémon from the Sinnoh region. After their appearance was leaked a few months ago, they are now officially confirmed.
When do Primal Palkia and Primal Dialga appear? There are two dates for the two monsters.
They will first be released at the Sinnoh Tour Los Angeles in raids, which takes place on February 17 and 18, 2024. However, you need a ticket for this event to have a chance at the shiny versions and the new special moves. Those without a ticket can participate in the raids but have no chance of getting shiny or special moves.
Globally, they will come a week later, on February 24 and 25, during the global Sinnoh Tour. Here, you can also encounter them in various time windows in raids and obtain the special moves and shinies.
But what exactly are the special moves about?
Start video
Pokémon GO shows the new season “Timeless Travels” in the trailer
New feature: “Adventure Effect” when using special moves in Pokémon GO
This is the Adventure Effect: Primal Palkia and Primal Dialga each have their own special move:
Primal Dialga can master “Temporal Roar”
Primal Palkia’s special move is “Spatial Rend”
The special thing: Both moves can also be used outside of battles to trigger a bonus.
Temporal Roar Adventure Effect: You can activate the effect for Primal Dialga for 5,000 Stardust and five Dialga candies. If you do this, the timer for four items is paused for six minutes: Incense, Daily Adventure Incense, Lucky Eggs, and Star Pieces.
This effect can be stacked by using more Stardust and candies. Up to 24 hours are possible. But of course, you have to consider that this will require a lot of Stardust and candies.
Spatial Rend Adventure Effect: You can trigger Primal Palkia’s Adventure Effect for 5,000 Stardust and five Palkia candies. By doing this, your encounter radius with Pokémon will be increased for ten minutes. This effect can also be extended for more candies and Stardust.
Aside from that, you can also use the moves in battles.
Temporal Roar deals 150 damage in Trainer battles, 160 damage in raids
Spatial Rend deals 95 damage in Trainer battles and 160 damage in raids and gyms
Especially the effect of the two moves is interesting, as Pokémon GO introduces a completely new feature with it. What do you think? Is the bonus useful, or too expensive when you look at Stardust and candies? Tell us in the comments. And if you want to know what’s going on in the game: Here are all the events in January 2024 for Pokémon GO.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The developers of Dead by Daylight announce a lot. Alan Wake is coming as a new survivor – and killers will need new strategies.
Dead by Daylight seems to be collecting one major license after another. After securing “Chucky the Killer Doll” in the last patch, a video game legend is following – namely Alan Wake. The protagonist known from the psychological thriller of the same name will enter the fog and thus the world of Dead by Daylight on January 30.
However, patch 7.5.0 brings even more – there will also be some changes for killers, as the probably most popular current strategy can no longer be played.
Start video
Dead by Daylight: Alan Wake comes into the fog
Alan Wake – what the new survivor can do
Like all survivors, Alan Wake comes with three unique perks. At the beginning, only he can use these perks, but they can also be unlocked for all other survivors through the blood web. His three perks are:
Champion of Light: If you are carrying a flashlight, this perk activates. As long as you are shining with a flashlight, you benefit from 50% additional speed. If you successfully blind a killer, they will be additionally slowed by 20% for 6 seconds. This effect does not stack with itself. After activation, the perk has a cooldown of 80 / 70 / 60 seconds.
Boon: Illumination: Press and hold the “Ability 1” key to turn a dull totem into a blessing totem. The aura of the totem has a radius of 24 meters. Survivors within the radius can see the aura of all chests and all generators on the entire map in blue. As long as you own a blessing totem, you cleanse and bless totems 6% / 8% / 10% faster.
Deadline: This perk activates as soon as you are injured. Skill checks appear with a 6% / 8% / 10% increased chance while you are repairing or healing and they appear in random locations on the screen. The penalty for missed skill checks is reduced by 50%.
A popular approach by killers is the so-called “3 Gen Strategy.” In this approach, the killer intentionally gives up most generators to only protect the last three that are close together. Especially killers with fast movement or traps were able to extend the game almost infinitely until all survivors ultimately died.
For the survivors, it was barely possible to win – because the killer appeared at the generator every few seconds to undo the progress.
This time is over with the next patch. Because the developers are bringing some drastic changes in how killers can interact with generators. In short: Each generator can only be damaged a few times before the generator becomes “immune” to it.
Some killers love the 3-Gen strategy.
The planned changes in detail are:
Each generator can only be affected by a maximum of 8 regression events.
Once the maximum is reached, the killer can no longer damage the corresponding generator (this includes perks and addons).
The number of damages to a generator will be visually represented for the killer.
Survivors who fail a skill check will still cause the corresponding regression of the generator.
When the killer kicks a generator, progress is set back by 5% (previously 2.5%).
Survivors can no longer disable a generator’s regression using “Gen-Tapping.” Instead, they must repair 5% of the generator for the regression to end.
Even if that sounds like relatively minor changes, it is likely to usher in a new era of strategies and tactics. Because in recent years, the “3 Gen Strategy” has been extremely popular and has even become the standard for many killers.
Whether all killers will cope with the adjustment or if adjustments to perks, abilities, or addons will be necessary remains to be seen on the test server.
What do you think of Alan Wake and the changes to the generators?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
I use a trick in Pokémon GO every day to quickly sort good from bad Pokémon. You can find out what it is here.
What’s it about? A while ago, I created two filters in Pokémon GO that help me quickly sort Pokémon every day. Most people know how to use filters in Pokémon GO. With the help of filters, Pokémon can be sorted based on various criteria. You can also save these filters as favorites to use them quickly at any time.
How are filters saved? After using a filter in the search and going to the search field in your Pokémon box, you can click on Show more. Then, your recently used search entries will be displayed. If you tap and hold one of the filters used here with your finger for a short time, the filter will be saved under Favorite.
If you hold a filter saved under favorites for a short time again, you can give it a name or remove it.
Trailer for the current season Timeless Journeys.
Start video
Pokémon GO shows the new season “Timeless Travels” in the trailer
2 filters to quickly find Pokémon for raids and the battle league
For Super League and Hyper League Pokémon: 0-1attack-value&3-4defense-value&3-4hp
How do the filters work? Since you want the maximum IV values for raid Pokémon, the filter only looks for Pokémon that have 3* or 4*. This way, only Pokémon with very high IV values are shown, making them suitable for raids.
In contrast, the filter for the Super and Hyper League looks for Pokémon whose IV in attack is between 0 and 5 points and whose defense and HP IV are between 10 and 15 points. This way, Pokémon are displayed that are more suitable for use in the respective leagues.
How can I alternatively adjust the filters? You can also adjust the filter for the Super and Hyper League so that only Pokémon with 0 points in the attack value are displayed. To do this, simply replace the part 0-1attack-value at the beginning of the filter with 0attack-value.
What advantage do the filters bring? Since I have saved these two filters as favorites, I can quickly access them. When my Pokémon box is full, I sort the Pokémon by the most recently caught first and use the two filters one after the other. All Pokémon that match the filters are now marked as favorite Pokémon, and I send the others away.
This way, I can quickly send Pokémon on the go without the risk of accidentally sending good Pokémon.
Baldur’s Gate 3 limits the size of your party to a maximum of four characters – including your own. On reddit, players are currently discussing who among the many companions is a permanent camper with them. However, there is a new mod that solves the problem for you.
What is the party limit in Baldur’s Gate 3? In a regular run in Baldur’s Gate 3, you can have a maximum of four different party members at the same time. In a single-player run, this is your character, either a Tav or one of the origin characters, plus three companions.
In a multi-player run, you can also travel with a maximum of four players. If your group is full of players, you cannot take companions like Lae’zel, Shadowheart, and Astarion on the big adventure trip.
Start video
5 helpful tips for Baldur’s Gate 3
How many companions are there? In total, you can unlock ten different companions during the game. In Act 1, you will meet six of them, all of whom traveled with you on the Nautiloid: Lae’zel, Shadowheart, Gale, Wyll, Astarion, and Karlach.
You can recruit the companions Halsin and Minthara in Act 2, depending on whether you are playing a good or evil run. Since a patch, it should now also be possible to recruit Minthara if you are playing a good run.
The last two companions are Jaheira and Minsc, two characters from the first game of the Baldur’s Gate series. Jaheira can join you at the end of Act 2. Minsc, on the other hand, is only found in Act 3.
Where and how you recruit all companions can be read here:
Unfortunately, only 4 characters fit in the party – but players are creative
Who do the reddit users leave at home? In a reddit thread, players discuss who they always have to leave at the camp due to space constraints. Leading the list is Wyll, the game’s warlock, as well as the later-joining Halsin, Jaheira, and Minsc.
Each player has their own reasons:
LJMLogan: You get Minsc way too late in the game. The same applies to Jaheira, although I did take her once.
Old-Ordinary-6194: For me, it’s Halsin. I prefer Jaheira.
maleficent0: Wyll is just hanging around, I assume he drinks himself into a coma. Usually Karlach is also there, which makes me feel bad, but I like Lae’zel more. Gale and Astarion never take a break.
Api_Biru: Minsc, to be honest. By the time he joins, every companion including Tav has a specific role in the team that I’m already familiar with.
Overfailer: Astarion, actually. An unpopular opinion, but I just don’t understand the guy.
Many players are sad that they cannot have all characters in the team at once. Or at least a few more. In fact, there is now a mod specifically for this purpose.
What mod can bypass the problem? Most mods for Baldur’s Gate 3 are cosmetic. This includes Man-Bun-Gale or mods that give you early access to the rare camp outfits from Act 3.
With Party Limit Begone on Nexusmod, you can bypass the base game’s party limit. The mod increases the party limit from four to a maximum of 16. That’s more than enough slots for all 10 possible companions and five additional players.
This allows you to hear all the different dialogues between the characters. Additionally, you can advance all companion storylines without having to swap out your team.
The downside is that the game’s balancing becomes completely useless. All fights in all difficulty levels are designed for you to tackle them with a maximum of four party members – possibly with the help of summons.
But if 16 characters at level 12 show up at the final boss in Act 3, it will probably be a rather short pleasure.
An item that no one else owns in World of Warcraft and is completely overpowered. Of all things, it was a shirt – and it caused a lot of chaos in WoW.
In World of Warcraft, there are many powerful items that heroes long for. However, one item in the history of Blizzard’s MMORPG was so powerful that it could literally kill everything. Only one player got to enjoy this item, and it brought him and his guild many “World First” kills.
But here’s the catch: He should never have received this item.
The story begins in 2008 with the character Leroyspeltz. That was during the time of Wrath of the Lich King. Leroyspeltz was an active raid player in his guild, and it was a typical raid night – when suddenly there was a disconnect.
Back then, disconnects in World of Warcraft were relatively common. Sometimes the server had a brief hiccup or the router reconnected. Leroyspeltz tried to log in again – but it didn’t work. After checking his password multiple times, it dawned on him: His account had been hacked.
After Leroyspeltz requested a password reset, he found out that his entire account had been emptied – all items on all characters had been sold off and the gold had been taken away. At that time, this was a typical incident after a hack. The gold was then sold back to other players by the fraudsters.
Blizzard could help in such cases. After a hack, the Game Masters are able, with a little processing time, to restore the account and essentially load a previous state. That’s exactly what Leroyspeltz hoped for – but nothing happened for several weeks.
The release of Ulduar was the hour of the item Martin Fury.
One patch later, shortly after the Ulduar raid was released, he then found that all his characters now had lots of mail in their inbox. All the items he had lost in the hack had been sent back to him in the form of letters. That’s how Blizzard usually does it – items end up in the mailbox first and can then be sorted back into the inventory or directly to the character.
However, a small Warlock twink of Leroyspeltz received an item that he had never owned. And that was the most powerful item that has ever existed in World of Warcraft.
What kind of item is it? The item is called “Martin Fury”. A shirt that is quite peculiar. For it belonged to the category “plate armor”, had the rarity “artifact”, and granted the wearer an additional 34 mana and simultaneously 34 strength – thus, an item that was conceptually meant for paladins.
However, “Martin Fury” could do even more. The shirt had 100 charges for a use effect:
“Kills all enemies within a 30-meter radius. Cheaters.”
“All enemies” really means all enemies in this case. Even the strongest raid bosses.
Why did such an item even exist? The shirt had been part of the game data since patch 1.12 – that is, from the “vanilla” era of World of Warcraft. Back then, it happened that some developers created their own items, and there were also some items that were never intended for players. These were used for testing purposes or were simply a joke among the developers.
It is likely that “Martin Fury” was used for just such internal testing purposes.
World First Kills – and the ban of a whole guild
Since the item came directly from Blizzard’s mailbox, Leroyspeltz thought it must be intentional – like a small “apology” for the long restoration process. The shirt also had limited charges, so it would be a temporary “bonus” – and thus Leroyspeltz and his guild leader decided to use the shirt. He sent it to his raid character, and the guild stormed Ulduar on the highest difficulty.
The shirt was used a total of 14 times to kill bosses in the blink of an eye, achieving several “World First” kills on the highest difficulty in Ulduar as well as overpowering some older bosses in the Eye of Eternity and the Obsidian Sanctum.
Even Yogg-Saron fell very quickly – with a single click.
How exactly Blizzard ultimately became aware of this is not entirely clear. It could be that an internal tool triggered, simply noticing that bosses fell down far too quickly and a guild made progress faster than humanly possible. On the other hand, it may be that Leroyspeltz or his guild leader were simply “snitched on” – because allegedly not all participants in the raid knew that this item was in use.
Some were quite astonished that the bosses just fell over and first thought it was a bug.
Blizzard’s reaction came swiftly and hard. The entire guild was banned for 24 hours – regardless of whether individual characters participated in the raids or not. “Martin Fury” was removed from the inventory, and the account of the raid leader was permanently banned.
Is “Martin Fury” still in the game today? Yes and no. The item still exists as part of the game files and could thus end up in the hands of a character again as part of a bug or exploit. However, Blizzard has since adjusted the item. The shirt is no longer at artifact level, but is now just gray. And the effect of the “use” effect is now completely different:
“The caster commits suicide and dies immediately.”
Even if the item were to come back into the possession of a character, only one single creature would die from the effect – the wielder themselves.
This is just one of many curious stories that have occurred over the years in World of Warcraft – but it is unique, for since then, no one has seen the “most powerful item in WoW” again.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
No more DLCs are expected for Cyberpunk 2077, but a sequel is planned. A developer expresses his anticipation and describes Cyberpunk 2077 as a kind of warm-up. And fans hope they can still witness it.
On X (formerly Twitter), Igor Sarzyński, the Narrative Director of Cyberpunk 2077, reports on January 8 with news about “Orion” and says he is confident that the team can make it special. Fans pick up his post on Reddit and hope they live long enough to experience the sequel.
With update 2.1, new features in Cyberpunk 2077 were introduced in December 2023, including car racing and a subway:
Start video
Update 2.1 in Cyberpunk 2077 shows subway and car racing in the trailer
“Now the wait of 5-10 years begins”
What does the developer say about “Orion”? The developer team around Cyberpunk has evidently resumed its work. On X, Igor Sarzyński writes on January 8 that he is excited about the new project “Orion”:
First day at the Boston office! It feels so good to meet old friends and officially start our Orion journey. I couldn’t be more excited about this project and I’m sure we can make it special. 2077 was just a warm-up 🔥.
And Paweł Sasko, the Quest Director of Cyberpunk 2077, also comments on the new project. On January 9, he writes in his post on X: “The core team had exciting discussions about the next #Cyberpunk2077 game. I love this team and our dystopian IP!”
How do the fans react? Both posts are picked up in the Cyberpunk 2077 subreddit on Reddit. The comment with the most upvotes comes from the user “BeaveVillage”: “Cool! Now the official wait of 5-10 years begins. Just imagine the hardware we will be playing on. Get ready, Choombas!”
“SkMM_KaPa” writes: “I believe that Project Orion could appear much faster thanks to the use of the Unreal Engine, which will eliminate most problems with the Red Engine.” And “maevealleine” comments: “I hope I live that long…”
The user “Ok-Judge9877” writes: “”2077 was just a warm-up” already got me hyped.” And “Pirdman” notes: “Take it easy. Hopefully, they learned something from the disastrous launch of 2077. Hopefully, they will do it better next time.”
Although Cyberpunk 2077 did not meet expectations at its release, CD Projekt Red has been actively engaged for the past two years. They were able to address most criticisms, fix numerous bugs, and deliver missing content.
MeinMMO author Marie Friske is a big fan of the “John Wick” series. Now she has watched the latest revenge film, “The Beekeeper,” starring Jason Statham in the cinema. This is her (spoiler-free) conclusion about the special beekeeper.
As a huge fan of the “John Wick” movies, I was immediately captivated by the trailer for The Beekeeper and I eagerly made my way to the cinema. I was ready to see Jason Statham as the next Baba Yaga – or at least as a worthy competitor.
And indeed there are significant parallels between the two stories. However, in the end, Jason Statham’s character cannot quite keep up with Keanu Reeves’ hitman, no matter how hard the film tries.
Where The Beekeeper falters and why I still felt entertained in the end, you can read here.
Here you can see a trailer for The Beekeeper:
Start video
German trailer for The Beekeeper with Jason Statham
This is what The Beekeeper is about: The premise of the film is quickly summarized: Jason Statham plays Mr. Clay, who enjoys his retirement as a beekeeper.
But the idyll is short-lived, and the former special agent of the secret organization known as the “Beekeeper” is shaken by an event so much that he embarks on a brutal quest for revenge – one that even takes on national dimensions.
Now I understand why the film is called The Beekeeper
Get ready for some bee footage and even more metaphors surrounding the little creatures. And I’m talking about really, really many bee metaphors.
It even gets to the point where it plays such an important role in characterizing the main character that I can’t take it seriously as a viewer anymore.
With The Beekeeper, I feel that the solid hook at the beginning of the film increasingly loses significance while the hero’s motivation appears more and more shallow.
As the film progresses, I eventually become indifferent to whether Clay achieves his ultimate goal or not, simply because I am no longer emotionally invested in his quest for revenge after the halfway mark.
Nevertheless, the story itself provides an exciting foundation, repeatedly delving into different interesting themes such as cyber fraud or top-secret organizations, where I was really eager for more. At times, I also feel that they genuinely tried to bring a message or emotional moments between the characters.
Unfortunately, they all get lost quite a bit amid all the bee metaphors, which the film seems to cling to almost desperately. It seems that any situation or action must be immediately explained through bee behavior – no matter how absurd the dialogues may sometimes sound.
For instance, a villain explains to his henchmen in a deadly serious briefing about dangerous mercenaries using bee behavior to illustrate what the Beekeeper actually wants to achieve. And even in an emotional conversation, the protagonist simply can’t resist bringing his bees into the discussion.
And all the exciting aspects hinted at in the film, such as the secret organization of the Beekeepers, are only superficially addressed.
Solid action, but it lacks that certain something
What John Wick displays in elegance, Jason Statham’s character compensates for with brutality. The film is rated 18+. Along with the displayed violence, there are at least as many curse words as there are gunshots in the action film.
Especially among the antagonists, some characters can hardly string a coherent sentence together without garnishing it with numerous curses.
Similar to how a simple pencil turns into a weapon in the hands of John Wick, Clay also gets creative with the everyday tools at his disposal.
The action scenes are quite solid, and you can really tell that Jason Statham knows exactly what he’s doing when he stoically knocks out his opponents.
However, as the film progresses, I miss the escalation of intensity – or at least the absurdity of the action sequences. Especially the big finale feels just like the first fight, and apart from one scene, nothing really sticks in my memory.
Moreover, there is no antagonist who could even remotely be considered a worthy opponent for the protagonist. The film also tries to give the soulless characters at least a bit of backstory – but I didn’t care about them in the slightest. And I certainly didn’t see them as a serious threat to the super beekeeper.
Don’t expect a John Wick 2.0, but you’ll still get a lot of action
If The Beekeeper is not a “John Wick” sequel, what is it then? I would say it’s a run-of-the-mill action film where the story is secondary and the most fun comes from enjoying the cool shots and moves of action icon Jason Statham.
Because if there’s one thing the actor can do, it’s to thoroughly beat up his film opponents. And in the end, I still sit back relaxed in my cinema seat and watch him take down another bad boy. I felt entertained, but nothing more.
However, I must say that I could have easily watched The Beekeeper at home on my sofa. The film’s music is quite nice at times, and the compositions are also okay. But here too, I would classify the film as solidly average. So you’re not missing anything special if you wait for the home video release.
So if you place a high value on brutal action and a tough hero, but can overlook a superficial story and flat dialogues, then The Beekeeper might please you.
However, don’t expect a second John Wick.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Riot Games ended its collaboration with Summoners’s Inn for the League of Legends European Championships at the end of November. Since then, it has been unclear where the broadcasting rights for the LEC would land in the German-speaking region. It is now known that the streamer and LoL caster Tolkin will cast the 2024 LEC Winter Splits.
What has happened recently regarding the LEC?
The German-speaking broadcasting rights for the LEC, the League of Legends European Championship for the Riot Games game League of Legends, were held by Summoner’s Inn for many years.
Summoner’s Inn was a German news website focused on e-sports, which held the rights even exclusively for a time and helped many well-known LoL casters rise to fame.
Summoner’s Inn closed its doors in November 2023, and Riot Games has remained tight-lipped about who would receive the broadcasting rights for the German market.
You can read everything about the end of Summoner’s Inn in our news on the topic:
The 2024 LEC Winter Splits will be cast by a familiar face
What are the 2024 LEC Winter Splits? In 2024, the 12th season of League of Legends e-sports will take place. Kicking off are the 2024 Winter Splits. Here, 10 European teams will compete for a prize pool of €80,000. The LEC Winter Splits will start this year on January 13.
The following teams will participate:
Fnatic
G2 Esports
GIANTX
Karmine Corp
MAD Lions
Rogue
SK Gaming
Team BDS
Team Heretics
Team Vitality
More about LoL
Who is Tolkin? The Twitch streamer Niklot Tolkin Stüber (25) played League of Legends at a high level for a long time. In 2020, he ended his professional career and worked for about two years at Freaks4You, the company behind Summoner’s Inn, as a caster for LoL. In 2022, he left as he was able to suddenly play for promotion to the 1st LoL league with his hobby team NNO .
At the beginning of November 2023, Tolkin received the right from Riot Games to cast the League of Legends World Championship on his own Twitch channel. This step came as a surprise, as the broadcasting rights had previously been exclusively held by Tolkin’s former colleagues from Summoner’s Inn.
Does Tolkin have exclusive broadcasting rights? In a statement on lolesports.com, Riot Games introduces a total of three new main casters. Among them is Tolkin for the German broadcast as well as the streamers Naru and LynxCerez for the Turkish language streaming.
Additionally, Riot Games aims to give the teams participating in the 2024 LEC Winter Splits the opportunity to broadcast all their crucial games for progress in the league, as well as all playoffs and the final. For this, two dedicated co-streaming booths will be available in the Riot Games Arena.
In Germany, you will also be able to follow the games on the Twitch channels of German teams. This means you can watch the Winter Splits with German commentary, either on Tolkin’s main stream or possibly also on the Twitch channels of G2 Esports and SK Gaming. However, it is still unclear whether these two teams will broadcast. It’s best to keep an eye on the respective Twitch and X.com accounts.
While all ten teams prepare for the start of the 2024 LEC Winter Splits on January 13, a former e-sport player from TSM talks about his old employer. The well-known LoL pro says, his team never paid him.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
