Unfortunately, we are still waiting quite a while for ARK 2 – But for those who are excited about it, a new game on Steam will make them happy

Ody Ody Reading time 2 minutes

ARK 2 has a new release date, but it’s much later than expected. A new survival game on Steam could be just right for you.

What game would that be? Echoes of Extinction is a new survival game from Burning Rock Studios. The game is still in development and is currently raising funds to finance the project. A corresponding Kickstarter campaign is currently ongoing.

In contrast to ARK 2, which now won’t be released until 2028, you can play Echoes of Extinction right now – although for now only in the form of a tech demo that is freely available on Steam.

Here you can see a trailer for the new demo of Echoes of Extinction:

Start video
Echoes of Extinction: Neues Survival-Spiel auf Steam mit Dinos beginnt Kickstarter-Kampagne

Two survival games in one

What kind of game is this? Echoes of Extinction strongly resembles the previous ARK games at first glance. You find yourself naked on a wild island where you gather resources, craft primitive tools, build a base, and fight for survival. This island is also home to prehistoric dinosaurs.

The first major difference becomes apparent with the dinosaurs. While in ARK they are all controlled by AI, in Echoes of Extinction you can also play as them.

So you get two survival games in one:

  • As a human, you experience a classic survival experience with gathering resources, crafting, and building bases – similar to ARK.
  • From the other perspective, the game plays more like The Isle: You start with a vulnerable juvenile and grow into a defensive dinosaur over time.

Some of the screenshots on the Steam page of the game show not only battles but also cooperation between humans and dinosaurs. So, like in ARK, you will be able to tame dinosaurs.

More on the topic
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ARK 2: Release, Trailer, Gameplay – What we know so far
von Dariusz Müller
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“The Jurassic Park game I always wanted as a child”: New Dino game on Steam lets you escape with friends from dinosaurs
von Jasmin Beverungen
More on the topic
von Ody

What does the current tech demo include? In the current demo, you can already try out the different gameplay of the “Tribals” (i.e., humans) and the dinosaurs. 

For the dinosaurs, the tech demo offers two rather unknown species: the herbivorous Ouranosaurus and the carnivorous Eocarcharia. In the wild, you will also encounter small, AI-controlled Dryosaurs that you can hunt.

Have you tried Echoes of Extinction yet? Feel free to let us know in the comments if you see potential in it. MeinMMO author Ody is currently totally into dinosaurs and has a special recommendation for anyone who likes park builders: A small building game on Steam is going up against my Game of the Year 2025 – a later update may have even won

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

Pokémon GO: All Spotlight Hours in January 2026 – Pokémon & Bonuses

Max Handwerk Max Handwerk Reading time 3 minutes

The Spotlight Hour returns in January 2026 to Pokémon GO. Which monsters will appear?

What is the Spotlight Hour? This event always takes place on Tuesday evenings in Pokémon GO.

  • It starts at 6:00 PM.
  • A specific Pokémon appears all over the wild.
  • On top of that, there’s a special bonus.
  • It ends again at 7:00 PM.

The event is always a great opportunity to catch a lot of candies and specimens of Pokémon that you might still be missing.

Which Pokémon will appear in January? The Spotlight Hours are scheduled as follows:

DateSpotlight Hour
January 6Schmerbe* & double catch XP
January 13Voltilamm* & double evolution XP
January 20Brimova* & double sent candies
January 27Tarnpignon* & double stardust bonus

Below we will show you in detail which dates are worth it and what content you can expect.

Start video
Pokémon GO shows its new season in the trailer

Spotlight Hour on January 6, 2026

Pokémon GO Schmerbe Spotlight Hour

Which Pokémon will appear? Schmerbe is the Pokémon of the Spotlight Hour.

Which bonus is active? You will receive double XP for every catch.

Is the event worth it? Schmerbe itself is not particularly useful. Its evolution Welsar had some chances in the PvP league, but it has been overtaken by other monsters. The bonus applies to all catches, so you can also receive more XP from raids, for example.

Is there Shiny Schmerbe? Yes, Schmerbe can also be caught shiny in Pokémon GO.

Spotlight Hour on January 13, 2026

Pokémon GO Voltilamm Spotlight Hour

Which Pokémon will appear? Voltilamm, the Electric Pokémon, is active.

Which bonus is active? You will receive double the amount of XP for each evolution.

Is the event worth it? Voltilamm, Waaty, and Ampharos are not particularly useful regarding PvP or raids. However, Mega-Ampharos is one of the best Electric attackers. So if you have one, you can collect candies here to upgrade it.

Is there Shiny Voltilamm? Yes, the sheep is also available as shiny in Pokémon GO.

Spotlight Hour on January 20, 2026

Pokémon GO Brimova Spotlight Hour

Which Pokémon will appear? Brimova is your Pokémon of the day.

Which bonus is active? Every sent Pokémon will earn you additional candies.

Is the event worth it? Brimova, Brimano, and Silembrim are not particularly helpful attackers. Gigantamax-Silembrim, however, offers a good option as a Dynamax monster. If you have that, you can collect candies for it today. You can of course use the bonus to get double candies for Pokémon in your collection.

Is there Shiny Brimova? Yes, you can also catch Brimova shiny.

Spotlight Hour on January 27, 2026

Pokémon GO Tarnpignon Spotlight Hour

Which Pokémon will appear? Tarnpignon is in the spotlight.

Which bonus is active? You will receive double catch stardust.

Is the event worth it? Neither Tarnpignon nor its evolution Hutsassa are particularly strong attackers. But there is double stardust, and that’s always a good bonus.

Is there Shiny? Yes, Tarnpignon can also be caught shiny.

More on the topic
Pokémon GO: Community Day with Forgita – How to make the most of the event
von Max Handwerk
“In my country, no one plays Pokémon GO”: Trainer plays completely alone but finds help in the community
von Max Handwerk
Tournament winner disqualified in Pokémon GO for celebrating incorrectly, fans could save him now
von Paul Kutzner

In addition to the Spotlight Hours, there are plenty of other dates this month that you should take advantage of. These include raid hours, but also various themed events that can bring you new Pokémon or bonuses. Which ones, we show you here: All events in January 2026 in Pokémon GO.

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

Steam starts in 2026 in the best way, already breaking a record after 4 days

Lydia Lydia Reading time 2 minutes

Steam started the new year with a new player record. 4 days after New Year’s Eve, the corks must have been popping at Valve again.

What has Steam achieved? On January 4, 2026, Valve’s platform broke its own record with 41,916,052 simultaneously logged-in users. This was accompanied by the highest recorded number of players actually in-game on SteamDB, with 13,399,958 gamers playing at the peak on Steam, about 32% of the logged-in users.

Those who weren’t gaming were probably busy snatching up last-minute bargains during the current winter sale. Currently, the game of the year on Steam is available for under 16 euros.

One of the games that significantly contributed to the player numbers on Steam over the holidays was ARC Raiders:

Start video
ARC Raiders zeigt im Launch-Trailer, wie der Kampf Mensch gegen Maschine aussieht

Steam has been growing steadily for years

What’s so exciting about it? During Christmas and New Year, many people had time off, so there was plenty of time to game and shop on Steam. Therefore, the new user record is probably not too surprising. However, the data from SteamDB shows that the platform’s success is not just a one-time exception.

Graph showing the growth of Steam over the years.
Source: SteamDB, as of 01/05/2025, 13:05

In fact, the number of simultaneous users on Steam has been steadily increasing since around 2008, and it is growing faster and faster. In March 2020, when the WHO declared the COVID-19 pandemic, the platform recorded a sudden increase, with 23.5 million users logged in simultaneously. In April, the number even climbed to 24.5 million.

To reach this point, the platform needed almost 17 years. However, in the past nearly 6 years, the peak number of simultaneous active users has almost doubled again. In March 2025, precisely 5 years after the COVID peak, Steam broke the 40 million threshold of simultaneous users for the first time.

This is remarkable, considering that gaming has actually been in a severe crisis for years.

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Umamusume: Pretty Derby – All active codes in April 2026 and how to redeem them
von Alexander Mehrwald
Cheater plays undetected over 17,000 matches in a game on Steam, wants to show off, reveals himself
von Nico Scheibel
Co-op game on Steam has been free since release – unfortunately, a price tag is now attached
von Ody

How successful Steam is compared to other platforms is hard to say, as comparable stores do not have such data available. The closest contender is actually Roblox, which, with a peak of 47.3 million simultaneous players, even surpasses Steam. The platform is extremely popular among children, but also controversial: Russian children want to leave their country because they are no longer allowed to play Roblox

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. 3D Juegos

The secret number 1 on Twitch can’t believe that he is overtaken by an anime girl

Johanna Johanna Reading time 2 minutes

On Twitch, the biggest streamers take turns to see who has the most subscribed channel. For a long time, it was Nicholas “Jynxzi” Stewart, who has now been replaced in the new year 2026. The new, secret number 1 is an AI-powered anime girl.

Who is the secret number 1? On Twitch, you can not only follow a streamer but also support him or her with a subscription. Until now, the streamer Jynxzi had the most paid subscriptions on the platform, with approximately 76,000, leading the corresponding statistics on Twitchtracker.com.

In Jynxzi’s streams, you can find a diverse range of gaming content. In the last 30 days, the streamer mainly played Tom Clancy’s Six Siege X, Clash Royale, and Geometry Dash (source: SullyGnome.com).

Who has overtaken Jynxzi? Since January 2, 2026, the tide has turned. The most subscribed Twitch channel is called Vedal987. As of now, she has over 167,000 active subscriptions on Twitch (source: Twitchtracker.com).

In the stream, you see an anime girl speaking in a sweet voice. The appearance is initially nothing surprising, as she is a VTuber. So, an anime character behind which a real person is hiding. The Twitch streamer Ironmouse is, for example, a VTuber.

But behind Vedal987 is not a human, but an artificial intelligence capable of entertaining an entire Twitch stream by itself. In the last 30 days, Vedal987 had an average of 10,143 viewers in her streams and generated a watch time of 4,699,065 hours (source: SullyGnome.com). The three games she played the most are Minecraft, Cyberpunk 2077, and Pokémon Platinum.

Start video
VTubers – what are they & where do they come from?

“This is the future of streaming”

How does Jynxzi react to the competition? In one of his streams, Jynxzi reacted to the new number 1 on Twitch. He seemed incredulous and said: “What!? I’ve never heard of that. Chat, this is the future of streaming. […] I’m totally confused. […] I don’t know if anyone will ever overtake this without a Subathon.”

What is behind Vedal987? The AI Twitch streamer was created by a programmer named Vedal and named Neuro-sama. Neuro-sama has been developed since 2019 and has been around on Twitch for a while. She can sing, play games, react to videos, and talk to the Twitch chat in real-time.

In the past, Neuro-sama has already caused a stir:

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“I shouldn’t have opened my mouth” – Twitch streamer dared to criticize her colleagues, now says what consequences it has for her
von Johanna
2 years ago, 2.50 € plunged German Twitch into chaos, now the chairs are flying
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After Sauercrowd, Twitch streamers play for a good cause, raising over 170,000 euros
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The number of most subscriptions on Twitch is not the only number the AI anime girl can boast. Exactly one year ago, in January 2025, Neuro-sama broke the record for the largest hype train on the platform: Viewers donate cheeky AI on Twitch over €215,000, breaking the record for the largest hype train

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

5 MMORPGs that you can play in 2026 even if you have little time

Karsten Scholz Karsten Scholz Reading time 6 minutes

Actually, online role-playing games are a time-consuming hobby, especially if you want to be among the best of the best. However, if you are satisfied with smaller goals, you will now find many modern MMORPGs that casual players can enjoy a lot.

When I discovered my love for MMORPGs with World of Warcraft in 2005, my daily routine changed for years. Suddenly, I wanted to spend almost every free minute in Azeroth. So I turned on the PC as soon as I got home from training and regularly scheduled WoW for whole weekends.

I did this voluntarily, but in a way, it was also a requirement for me to be an important part of a successful PvP core group and an ambitious raid guild. We often spent 5 nights a week in the current raid instances. I could achieve PvP rank 11 only through frequent and regular visits to the battlegrounds.

Who is writing here? Karsten Scholz is the MMORPG expert at MeinMMO. He has been dealing with the best genre in the world almost daily for 16 years. The private first contact was in 2005. Since then, he has accumulated several years of playtime in various online role-playing games and has played almost every relevant genre representative of the past nearly two decades at least for a while.

Update from January 5, 2026: We have updated the article for the new year.
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Today, with family and a job, all of this wouldn’t be possible. However, not only has my life changed over the years, but also the lives of many other genre fans – and thus the direction of modern MMORPGs that still want to appeal to this target group.

In this list, I will introduce you to my top 5 best online role-playing games that can be a lot of fun even if you don’t have much time. The following factors are especially important to me:

  • How much focus is there on mandatory cooperation in the content, and how many contents can be approached solo or without a fixed group?
  • How long does it take for newcomers to reach the current content? Can this be done in a relatively short time frame, even if you can’t play every day?
  • How many contents are completely inaccessible to casual players? Do the developers offer different difficulty levels, so that one can experience as much content as possible even with relatively little time?

If you have further recommendations that are very casual-player friendly concerning these factors, feel free to share them in the comments!

Guild Wars 2

Developer: ArenaNet | Platform: PC | Release Date: August 28, 2012 | Payment Model: Free2Play

Guild Wars 2 is not only one of the currently most popular MMORPGs that you can still play today, it has also earned the reputation of being the perfect game for casual players, MMORPG enthusiasts with little time, solo players, and collectors.

The next expansion of Guild Wars 2 is already on the way:

Start video
Guild Wars 2 sets sail for a new adventure in the announcement trailer for ‘Visions of Eternity’

While many other MMORPGs primarily focus on increasing character strength through progression systems and better gear (vertical progression), Guild Wars 2 has taken a different, horizontal path from day one.

As many contents as possible should be accessible to as many players as possible – and this applies to every expansion and all updates. The focus is on experiencing the story, exploring the game world of Tyria, and collecting achievements.

Many group contents, such as major world bosses or events in the open world, can be done spontaneously with the players you meet on-site. The dungeon and raid area is rather optional but can also be completed quite unorganized if desired.

More about Guild Wars 2:
Which free MMORPGs are still really fun in 2026? MeinMMO reveals it to you in the video
von Nico Scheibel
“This real or April Fools’? – Yes”: MMORPG classic looks 20 years older thanks to new update, fans love it
von Ody

Due to the fair Free2Play model, you also don’t have any financial pressure to play a lot to justify any investments. If you want to give it a try, check it out here: Guild Wars 2 Beginner’s Guide

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Pages: 1 2 3 4 5

New MMOs and Multiplayer Games 2025: This has been published

Karsten Scholz Karsten Scholz Reading time 3 minutes

MeinMMO provides you with an overview of all online games released in 2025 that are relevant to us. These include co-op titles, competitive multiplayer games, MMOs, and MMORPGs. It doesn’t matter whether these games were released for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, or Switch.

What games can be found in the list? The list includes only MMOs and multiplayer games that are actually scheduled to be released in a final or at least an early access version in 2025. We have also included major expansions that are particularly relevant for MMORPGs.

Update from January 5, 2026: At the turn of the year, we take stock – which MMOs and multiplayer games were actually released last year?
SpielGenreReleasePlattform
The QuinfallMMORPG24. January 2025 (Early Access)PC (Steam)
Orcs must Die! DeathtrapCoop-Action28. January 2025PC (Steam), Xbox
Cid Meier’s Civilization VII4X-Strategie11. February 2025PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch
Monster Hunter WildsCoop-Action28. February 2025PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series
Undercover FoolsCoop-Action5. March 2025PC (Steam)
FragPunkPvP-Shooter6. March 2025PC (Steam), PlayStation, Xbox
Split FictionCoop-Action6. March2025PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series
WWE 2K25Sport14. March 2025PC, Xbox, PlayStation
33 ImmortalsCoop-Action18. March 2025PC (Epic Games), Xbox Series
Steel HuntersPvPvE-Shooter2. April 2025 (Early Access)PC (Steam)
Cursed DawnSurvival-Shooter with Online-Koop7. April 2025PC (Steam)
DefianceMMORPG18. April 2025 (Open-Beta)PC
Tempest RisingReal-Time-Strategy24. April 2025PC (Steam)
ODIN: Valhalla RisingMMORPG29. April 2025PC, Mobile
Embers AdriftPvE-MMO29. April 2025PC (Steam)
Project: MistCoop-Horror3. Quarter2025PC (Steam)
Splitgate 2Online-Shooter22. Mai 2025PC (Steam), PlayStation, Xbox
Crystal of AtlanAction-MMO28. Mai 2025Mobile, PC
Elden Ring: NightReignOnline-Soulslike30. Mai 2025PC (Steam), PlayStation, Xbox
Dune: AwakeningSurvival-MMO5. June 2025PC (Steam)
Mario Kart WorldFun-Racer5. June 2025Nintendo Switch 2
FBC: FirebreakCoop-Shooter17. June 2025PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series
REMATCHOnline-Sports-Game19. June 2025PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam) 
BitCraft OnlineMMORPG21. June 2025 (Early Access)PC (Steam)
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4Online-Sports-Game11. July 2025PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, Switch 2, PC (Steam)
Killing Floor 3Coop-Shooter24. July 2025PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series
Super Mario Party Jamboree + Jamboree TVParty-Spiel24. July 2025Nintendo Switch 2
Grounded 2Survival-Game with Coop29. July 2025Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam)
Grim PasturesParty-Spiel1. August 2025PC (Steam)
Fate WarOnline-Strategy with PvP5. August 2025PC (Steam)
Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles 23D-Fighter with Online-PvP5. August 2025PC (Steam), PS5, PS4
GUNTOUCHABLESOnline-Coop-Roguelite7. August 2025PC (Steam)
Stretcher TogetherCoop-Plattformer7. August 2025PC (Steam)
AbyssusOnline-Shooter12. August 2025PC (Steam)
Madden NFL 26Sport-Simulation14. August 2025PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, PC
Monster Mop UpOnline-Coop-Simulation14. August 2025PC (Steam)
Lost Twins 2Puzzle-Plattformer with Coop14. August 2025PC (Steam), PlayStation, Xbox
Dying Light: The BeastCoop-Action22. August 2025PC (Steam), PlayStation, Xbox
Gears of War: ReloadedThird-Person-Shooter with Multiplayer26. Aug. 2025PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam)
Destiny: RisingOnline-Shooter28. Aug. 2025iOS, Android
NBA 2K26Sport-Simulation5. September 2025PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, Switch 2, PC
Borderlands 4Coop-Shooter12. September 2025PC (Steam), PlayStation, Xbox – Switch 2: 3. October
NHL 26Sport-Simulation12. September 2025PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
LEGO VoyagersCoop-Adventure15. September 2025PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam)
SkateOnline-Fun-Sports-Game16. September 2025 (Early Access)PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC
Arena Breakout: InfiniteExtraction-Shooter16. September 2025PC (Steam)
Wobbly LifeMultiplayer-Simulation18. September 2025 (leaves Early Access)PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC (Steam)
Jump SpaceCoop-PvE-FPS19. September 2025PC (Steam)
Warborne Above AshesPvP-MMO19. September 2025PC (Steam)
Ship of HeroesSuperheroes-MMORPG22. September 2025PC (Steam)
Sonic Racing: CrossWorldsFun-Racer25. September 2025PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, PC (Steam)
EA Sports FC 26Sport-Simulation26. September 2025PlayStation5, PlayStation4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2 und PC
Lego PartyParty-Spiel30. September 2025PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, PC (Steam)
Battlefield 6Ego-Shooter with Fokus on Multiplayer10. October 2025PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Little Nightmares IIIHorror-Adventure with 2-Player-Coop10. October 2025PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch 1 + 2, PC
Pax DeiMMORPG16. October 2025 (EA, final Launch)PC (Steam)
FellowshipMultiplayer-Dungeon-Adventure16. Oktober 2025 (Early Access)PC (Steam)
WASTED BloodlineOnline-Shooter with PvP and Coop29. October 2025 (Early Access)PC (Steam)
Arc RaidersExtraction-Shooter30. October 2025PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series
Call of Duty – Black Ops 7Shooter14. November 2025PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC (Battle.net, Steam), Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass
Where Winds MeetAction-RPG14. November 2025PC (Steam), PS5
Escape from TarkovExtraction-Shooter15. November 2025PC (Steam)
Kirby Air RidersRacer20. November 2025Nintendo Switch 2
Reign of GuildsMMORPG26. November 2025PC (Steam)
Ashes of CreationMMORPG11. Dezember 2025 (nur Early Access)PC (Steam)
Aion 2MMORPG19. November 2025 (just in Asia, global Launch in 2026)PC, Mobile
PionerMMO-ShooterDezember 2025PC (Steam), PlayStation, Xbox

How did you like the past gaming year? Which games were your highlights? Which titles disappointed you? Here are two assessments from MeinMMO editor Karsten Scholz on MMORPGs and role-playing games in 2025:

More on the topic
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The best MMORPGs of all time for PC and consoles: The MeinMMO community has voted
von Karsten Scholz
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Which MMOs rock in 2025? I particularly look forward to 6 games
von Karsten Scholz

Which new release from the coming year excites you the most? Which already announced MMO or multiplayer game are you looking forward to? Or do you prefer single-player games? Let us know in the comments! Below, for your interest, you can find the list of MMOs and multiplayer games that were released in 2024.

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

Streamer from Sauercrowd meets one of the deadliest bosses in WoW history – “The Outcry, then the Silence…”

Karsten Scholz Karsten Scholz Reading time 2 minutes

Those who start in WoW Classic today often go through the same lessons as many veterans who have roamed Azeroth for more than 20 years. However, with hardcore rules, it hurts much more, as streamer LostKittn can surely confirm.

What happened to LostKittn? The streamer is part of the German content guild Sauercrowd, which is currently exploring the hardcore version of WoW Classic while bringing together Azeroth veterans and MMO newcomers.

On January 4, 2026, LostKittn was in the dungeon Gnomeregan as part of a 5-player guild group. With her was her level-29 warlock. At 19:54, she was distracted by a confused leper whom she had pulled aggro from. The rest of the group didn’t notice and had already boarded the nearby elevator platform.

LostKittn realized this and wanted to catch the elevator as well. The “Stay up!” from a team member came too late. Just before the warlock’s fluff reached the platform, the elevator had already sunk into the depths. LostKittn was just a moment too slow, but that was enough. The aspiring WoW hero fell into the abyss. The fall damage was fatal.

In hardcore mode, that means: That’s it. Start over. LostKittn’s reaction on Twitch speaks volumes. After some cursing, she had to step away from the PC. The stunned faces of her crew emphasize the pain, as the clip on the Instagram channel of JenNyan shows.

Start video
WoW Classic: The Hardcore Servers Are Here!

“Ohh yes, the elevator boss has taken quite a few lives”

What reactions are there? Already in the Vanilla and TBC era, some of the elevators in Azeroth were infamous for their deadliness. Some later Lich King slayers lost their lives entirely without enemy contact in Undercity, in the Serpent Shrine, or – like LostKittn – in Gnomeregan. Back then, it didn’t hurt as much as it does today, with hardcore rules.

Diverse comments from the community reflect this.

  • WoW commentator N_Tys writes on X: “The Germans are learning that in Hardcore Classic, you should always take the lift when you can.”
  • i_breath3_metal explains on Instagram: “Ohh yes, the elevator boss has taken quite a few lives. My deepest condolences.”
  • kaleo609 empathizes on Instagram: “Truly a tough moment, you empathize as a gamer… The outcry, then the silence… Truly painful. But she’ll make it and reach 60.”
  • jen.nyan encourages LostKittn on Instagram: “And another WoW HC death on our part. But we’ll quickly get back on the same level, Sauerbrides ftw.”
  • teufelsbraten_78 expresses frustration on Instagram about Blizzard: “It’s shameful that the developers haven’t fixed such spots even after 21 years. That was really bitter!”
More about WoW:
WoW player creates addon that every story fan needs, community cheers: “This is so cool”
von Karsten Scholz
Counter Strike 2 has made it with a map in WoW – Because a player is putting in a lot of effort
von Sophia Weiss

Have you experienced the elevator death in WoW as well? Another tough lesson was learned by Twitch streamer JenNyan a few days earlier: Never go AFK. After a coffee, her level-20 priest stood at the spirit healer. You can read the entire story here: “Worse than any breakup” – Twitch streamer tragically loses hardcore character in WoW

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

The highly anticipated vampire RPG on Steam shows a new trailer and a soundtrack worthy of Witcher 3

Ody Ody Reading time 2 minutes

The vampire RPG The Blood of Dawnwalker on Steam has a special New Years greeting for fans: In addition to a new trailer, the developers also present more of the soundtrack, which can stand up to that of The Witcher 3.

What kind of game is this? The Blood of Dawnwalker is a new action role-playing game set to be released in 2026. It is being developed by Rebel Wolves – a new studio founded by former developers at CD Projekt Red. Game Director is Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, who held the same role in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. 

In The Blood of Dawnwalker, you play as the young Coen. He has become a so-called “Dawnwalker” after being bitten by a vampire: During the day he is a human, but at night he turns into a vampire. Accordingly, the protagonist is expected to play differently depending on the time of day.

The developers released a “Launch Year Special” for the game on Saturday, January 3, 2026 (you can see it here on YouTube). In the approximately seven-minute video, there are some exciting new details and a taste of the soundtrack.

You can also watch the “Launch Year Special” for The Blood of Dawnwalker here:

Start video
Vampire RPG The Blood of Dawnwalker greets the new year, with part of the soundtrack and a new trailer

Blood of Dawnwalker reveals new characters and locations

This is what the developers say in the video: Game Director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz thanks for the feedback that has already been received from fans. He explains: “We cannot promise to implement all your suggestions, but we appreciate them and always look into what can be done.”

“The Blood of Dawnwalker is launching this year,” confirms Global Community Lead Dominika Burza. There is still no exact date. At least the developers seem to be confident that they will finish the game in 2026.

According to the developers, they still have a few surprises up their sleeves until the release. There are supposed to be more gameplay features, locations, characters, and even creatures that have not yet been shown to fans. Some of this has even made it into the video, as there is a new trailer at the very end:

  • The trailer shows two characters that we haven’t seen yet – one of them is a vampire, and we don’t know what the other one is about. However, she seems to know about Coen’s “condition”.
  • Additionally, there are first scenes of new, darker locations such as a landscape drenched in red with strange vegetation.

A soundtrack that gives goosebumps

Especially the music captivates: The music is generating the most buzz in the comments on YouTube. The developers showcase a live performance of the main theme, which is already reminiscent of the soundtrack from The Witcher 3. Accordingly, the music is well received by the fans:

  •  “This music gave me goosebumps,” writes wodao88 in a comment.
  • Mr_BB_man says: “My God, the music is incredible.” For him, the music was one of the best parts of The Witcher 3 and “absolutely crucial to the game’s success”.
  • WolfheartFPS is simply happy to be able to listen to the music already: “I like this trend of studios releasing the main theme songs before the games come out! It really helps generate excitement.”
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In November 2025, the developers last showed unedited gameplay from The Blood of Dawnwalker. It showcased a familiar quest but with a new twist. You can read more about it in this article: New vampire RPG on Steam shows its great strength for 30 minutes and proves what the developers learned from Witcher 3

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

One of the best scenes of the first Pokémon movie was never seen in Germany, completely changing how you know Mewtwo

Jasmin Beverungen Jasmin Beverungen Reading time 2 minutes

Many of you probably still remember the very first Pokémon movie, released in theaters in 1996. However, in the Japanese original of the anime, there is another scene that was cut from the version shown in Germany and English-speaking countries.

What kind of scene is it? The story “The Birth of Mewtwo” was not included in the German film. In it, researchers search for Mew, wanting to obtain its DNA for eternal life. In fact, they manage to obtain a sample of the DNA and create a copy of Mew, which they name Mewtwo.

You can watch a short version of the scene without synchronization on YouTube:

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Through telepathy, Mewtwo, who is still in his tank, encounters a human girl named Aitwo. She is the copy of the deceased daughter of one of the lab’s doctors, just like the clones of Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. Mewtwo grows up over time and learns concepts such as the world, language, and the firmament from Aitwo.

However, Aitwo’s body suddenly begins to decay before Mewtwo’s eyes, just like the bodies of the other Pokémon moments before. As a result, his brain waves become chaotic, and the doctors must sedate him into a deep sleep with a tranquilizer. This causes Mewtwo to lose his memories of Aitwo. From here, the German version resumes, showing the events and awakening surrounding Mewtwo.

Start video
Why can Mauzi actually speak in the Pokémon series?

Mewtwo is a completely different villain

What are the implications? Since this scene is not present in the German version, Mewtwo appears to have an groundless hatred for humanity. He is depicted as a one-dimensional villain without a clear motive to annihilate humankind.

However, in the original Japanese version, Mewtwo suffers from the emotional loss of Aitwo. This gives his character a deeper and tragic motivation. The Pokémon cannot precisely remember that Aitwo has died. Yet, it feels that something important is missing, desperately searching for a sense of its existence.

Why was it cut? The American company 4Kids Entertainment, from which the German version was derived, was responsible for the localization of Pokémon. The company removes many contents that are related to violence, sexuality, or racism. Unfortunately, there is no official statement as to why exactly this scene was cut from the film.

Presumably, Mewtwo’s past was too heavy and traumatic for the western audience. Moreover, existential questions surrounding cloning might have been too complex for children, according to 4Kids Entertainment.

In Germany, the scene was released as bonus material on the DVD of Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back. However, the scene was not synchronized, but only available in English with German subtitles.

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Where can you watch the movie? If you want to watch the Pokémon movie in German, you can do so for free on TOGGO. Unfortunately, this scene is also missing here. Otherwise, your only option is to purchase the DVD.

Anime films have been in German cinemas for many decades. However, especially in recent years, the box office results continue to exceed expectations. Recently, the new film of Demon Slayer achieved a major milestone: Demon Slayer surpasses itself, now the best anime film of all time, while fans are bothered by a weakness that many animes have

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. CBR
  2. Dogasu Bulbagarden

When the Hulk became too dangerous for the Avengers, they simply shot him into space

Niko Hernes Niko Hernes Reading time 4 minutes

The Hulk is one of the strongest, but also one of the most dangerous heroes in the Marvel universe. Instead of properly thanking him or helping him, his friends sent him into space, almost plunging the entire Earth into doom.

The Hulk, due to his immense strength and resilience, is one of the mightiest heroes in the Marvel universe. However, he is also quite dangerous. Every one of his battles causes enormous collateral damage.

Instead of properly taking care of their friend, they decided to simply send him to a distant planet without other living beings he could hurt. However, that did not go as planned and ultimately caused a destructive war.

The Hulk’s rampage can be seen in The Incredible Hulk:

Start video
The Incredible Hulk – Trailer for the Forgotten MCU Movie from 2008

The solution to the Hulk problem: Just move him somewhere else

What exactly happened to the Hulk? After Hulk was hit by a gamma bomb during a mission for S.H.I.E.L.D. and caused a lot of destruction in Las Vegas due to a massive outburst of rage, he could only be stopped by the Fantastic Four (seen in Fantastic Four No. 535 (2006)).

At the end of the comic, The Thing talks to Johnny Storm and says he told Mr. Fantastic that there probably isn’t anything that could kill the Hulk. He then explains that he was joking: Just shoot him into space so that he becomes someone else’s problem. Reed didn’t find that funny.

As seen in the comic Hulk No. 92 (2006), that’s exactly what happened. Dr. Strange, Mr. Fantastic, Iron Man, who has done many terrible things, and Black Bolt decided to trick the Hulk and send him to a distant planet. The heroes made this decision in one of their Illuminati meetings, a secret organization dedicated to solving difficult problems. Mr. Fantastic says the following in a video about the Hulk:

Your rage and your power have threatened the entire planet time and again. […] I have always considered us friends, Bruce. So, I am truly sorry. But for your own good and for our own good, we’re sending you away. That’s the only way we can be sure. I know you must hate us, Bruce, but I believe with all my heart that this could be the greatest opportunity of your life.

He was supposed to be sent to a planet without intelligent life so he could finally be left alone. But things went wrong. He lands in a wormhole and suddenly finds himself on the dangerous planet Sakaar.

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The Great Betrayal

What happened on Sakaar? On the new planet, there is anything but peace for the green hero. He is enslaved and made a gladiator by a brutal dictator. Yet he fights his way out, finds a woman, becomes king, and unites the entire planet.

While everything seems so beautiful, the ship he arrived on explodes, killing billions of beings, including his pregnant wife. The life Hulk wanted to live in peace was destroyed, apparently once again because of his friends. Although they were not the ones, Hulk doesn’t know this and sets off to Earth to kill his former friends. This leads to the comic event World War Hulk, which almost killed many heroes and caused significant destruction in New York.

Doesn’t this show that they should have sent the Hulk away? The Hulk’s danger is ever-present, which is why one can understand the Illuminati’s decision at first glance. However, as revealed in the comic World War Hulk Prologue: World Breaker No. 1 (2007), the heroes often assume that he would just destroy everything because of the Hulk’s nature. They do not listen to him, do not leave him in peace.

This is also shown by the characters She-Hulk and Amadeus Cho in World War Hulk. They attempt to prove that the Hulk is mostly made into a monster, even though he is not responsible for it. This is also seen in the battle in Las Vegas. He was provoked into a rage by a bomb from S.H.I.E.L.D. during a mission.

Fighting against brutal villains is tough, but being betrayed by his own friends is worse. Especially since Hulk has always been good when it came to defeating powerful enemies. Ironically, Planet Hulk happened not long after the Civil War event, in which Reed Richards and Tony Stark had already shown that sometimes their control matters more than helping old friends.

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Two Comic Events and a Movie

How can I read/watch Planet Hulk and World War Hulk? The event Planet Hulk and World War Hulk are available as a complete edition in German in the Panini series Marvel Must Have. However, some are already out of print, so you would probably have to rely on used editions. If you are just interested in reading, there is also a pocket version of Planet Hulk in a smaller format.

If you want to collect individual issues for the event, you will have to resort to English versions, which you will likely need to import.

In 2010, an animated movie titled Planet Hulk was released. However, it is not available on Disney+, so you would have to rent or purchase it on Prime Video or in the YouTube store. However, the film is more of an alternative version of the story.

The MCU movie Thor: Ragnarok is loosely based on events from Planet Hulk, but the actual story is not told. If you want to experience the comic story, the movie is not recommended. There are also heroes in the DC universe who are not exactly the best of friends: Batman is more brutal than most villains when it comes to defeating his own friends

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Marvel
  2. Titelbildquelle: Marvel Entertainment auf YouTube

Player buys gaming PC for 3,000 euros, but they cancel his order and simply raise the price

jan hartmayer jan hartmayer Reading time 2 minutes

A buyer tries his luck at the end of the year and orders a high-end gaming PC at a promotional price. However, the joy is short-lived, as shortly afterwards his order is canceled and the PC is no longer available.

What happened to the user? The player Senior_Ball_9068 reports in his post on Reddit from 01/02/2026, that he ordered a gaming PC on the Corsair website on 12/31/2025. A few days later, he supposedly received an email in which the company canceled the order without providing a reason.

The offer is for the Vengeance a5100 Gaming PC at a promotional price of $3,499 or about €3,000. According to the Reddit user, reordering was no longer possible for him, as the price of the PC had increased by $800, approximately €684 (as of 01/05/2026).

In his post, he speculates that Corsair intentionally cancels orders to raise prices. But then a community manager from Corsair comes to his aid.

If you are also looking for a gaming PC or a console, you should take a look at the upcoming Steam Machine. In the trailer, you can see how it combines features from both:

Start video
Valve presents the Steam Machine in the new trailer

Unexpected help on Reddit saves the day

How could his post help him? After Senior_Ball_9086 made his post, the user CorsairLucky commented on the same day. He expressed his sympathy for his situation and offered help.

The helpful Reddit user is, according to his own profile, a community manager in the Corsair subreddit. 

In two follow-up comments to his original comment, he supposedly contacted the buyer and identified the problem. An automatic fraud detection system was said to have canceled the order.

He explains that Corsair has sent the buyer a coupon so that he could purchase the PC again at the promotional price. Both users are also supposed to stay in contact to ensure a smooth ordering process. However, caution is also advised in the transport of hardware, as another user had to find out that the contents of his package were replaced during delivery.

Users are annoyed and discuss PC prices

How does the community react? The player is not alone with his canceled order, as other comments tell similar experiences:

  • what_it_dooo reports (via Reddit): “I ordered 64 Gigabytes of RAM. A week later, I called Corsair’s customer support and my order had been paused due to unforeseen circumstances. After calling for another four days, I finally got my order.”
  • BriGuy550 comments (via Reddit): “That’s really bad from them, but you could have built a similar PC for less than $3500.”
  • Due_Assist_7159 writes (via Reddit): “I would shop elsewhere now.”
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The player was able to find help through his post in the form of a community manager. Therefore, we advise: Stay persistent and don’t give up if support brushes you off the first time, as stories about canceled orders have been around for quite a while. They go back to the release of the current console generation: Awakening for many who could pre-order the PS5 – Major retailer cancels

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

The new crab in Pokémon GO wants to grab you from above

Max Handwerk Max Handwerk Reading time 2 minutes

In Pokémon GO the event “The Right Twist” is starting. This brings a new Pokémon: Klibbe. How to catch it, you can read here.

When does the event start? “The Right Twist” starts on January 6, 2026, at 10:00 AM. You have time until January 11 at 8:00 PM to take advantage of the event bonuses.

What is the highlight? The new Pokémon Klibbe appears for the first time in Pokémon GO. It is a Rock-type Pokémon from the games Scarlet and Violet. Some of you may still know it as one of the Ruler Pokémon from these games that function as giant bosses.

Klibbe is also known in the Pokédex for enjoying hanging on ceilings and waiting upside down for its prey. That’s why it is also known as the “Stalker” Pokémon. However, it can’t do that for too long, as the blood rushes to its head.

The motto is: Keep your eyes open when hunting for Klibbe during the event! How to catch it and its crab buddies, you can find out here in the article.

Start video
Pokémon GO shows its new season in the trailer

Klibbe and Crab Pokémon are out there – How to catch them?

How do I catch Klibbe? As of now, you can only obtain Klibbe from field research and limited-time research during the event. So, you will not encounter it in the wild or in raids.

Therefore, the plan is to visit as many PokéStops as possible, collect and complete research to find Klibbe.

Which Pokémon should I catch? Several crab Pokémon are out during the event that you should catch. Because: They come with an increased shiny rate.

  • Krebscorps
  • Lithomith
  • Scampisto

All three can be encountered in the wild. You can also obtain them from research.

Additionally, you will encounter a Pokémon for the first time as shiny:

  • Moruda

You can find it in 3-star raids or in research.

What bonuses apply? During the event, you will receive double catch XP. Additionally, three limited-time research tasks are active during the event that take place sequentially.

All Pokémon of the event

Here we show you all event Pokémon and where to find them. Possible shinies are marked with an asterisk* for you.

Wild:

  • Krebscorps*
  • Lithomith*
  • Scampisto*
  • Galapaflos*
  • Flapteryx*

Raids:

  • Krebscorps*
  • Lithomith*
  • Scampisto*
  • Moruda*
  • Heerashai*

Field Research:

  • Krebscorps*
  • Lithomith*
  • Scampisto*
  • Moruda*
  • Klibbe
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Outside the crab event, the new year in Pokémon GO has begun. This means: New Spotlight Hours, Raid Hours, events, and Pokémon you can encounter. What they are? We will show you as always in our overview. You can find all the information here: Pokémon GO in January 2026 – All dates and events in the list.

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

Many players could not log into LoL because it “has expired”, the last time this happened was 10 years ago

Niko Hernes Niko Hernes Reading time 2 minutes

Players who wanted to log into League of Legends on the evening of January 4, 2026, noticed: This does not work at all. This was due to a problem that occurred last 10 years ago.

What was the problem? As can be seen in a Reddit thread from January 4, 2026, some players were temporarily unable to log into LoL. The creator of the thread reported that the game had an endless loading screen after logging in.

As it turns out, a client certificate expired, preventing the correct login. However, there was a simple but absurd way to still play.

Start video
Neuling spielt eine Runde LoL – Deinstalliert direkt wegen seinen Freunden

One tricks, like in Animal Crossing

How could the problem be circumvented? Vandiril, who regularly deals with bugs and errors in LoL on his channel, published a short YouTube video on the subject. There he also showed that the loading screen with the title League of Legends was loading indefinitely without starting the client properly.

In the video, he also shows the client certificate, which was created on January 7, 2026, and expired on January 4, 2026, at 21:03. The certificate has therefore expired after 10 years, but apparently no one remembered.

If you wanted to play during this time, you could simply change the date manually in Windows. As Vandiril shows in his video, this way the problem can be easily bypassed. This is reminiscent of games like Animal Crossing, where you change the time to reset certain events. Unlike that, you probably won’t be reprimanded by a grumpy mole here.

The same thing probably happened 10 years ago. In the current Reddit thread about the Vandiril video, a user found out that the problem apparently existed 10 years ago. In an old thread, a player reported that he suddenly could not log in anymore. He asked back then if the certificate had expired.

At that time, an employee from Riot (RiotBrentmeister) replied to the user’s question and explained that the certificate had expired, although it should have been automatically renewed.

As a user on x.com shows, the current certificate seems to be valid until 2125.

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What is the situation now? At the time of writing the article, we were able to log in normally to League of Legends after a short update, so the issue seems to be resolved. In 2027, League of Legends is expected to receive its biggest update. Everything that is known about it so far can be found here: Riot announces one of the largest updates in LoL history, plans a comprehensive overhaul of the entire game

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

After 7 years, players have discovered a new Easter egg in Red Dead Redemption 2: ‘This is more exciting than Stranger Things.’

Sophia Weiss Sophia Weiss Reading time 3 minutes

Red Dead Redemption 2 was released in October 2018 and just a few days ago a completely new Easter Egg was discovered that now poses riddles for players.

What is this Easter Egg? The newly discovered Easter Egg from Red Dead Redemption 2 revolves around the cobwebs found on 8 different telegraph poles in the game. Following all the clues leads you to Fort Wallace, where you count guitars.

The Easter Egg has been circulating since around mid-December in the reddeadmysteries sub-forum on Reddit. The original post now has over 2000 upvotes and 241 speculative comments. Despite further discoveries, X.com posts, and YouTube videos, the riddle remains unsolved.

Interestingly, the Easter Egg has apparently been in the game since the release in 2018 and has not been patched in later with an update. Players are now diligently searching for the solution.

Start video
Red Dead Online receives a new update after 4 years, the trailer shows the fight against tin cans

7 Years Undiscovered – Spiders, Telegraphs, and Guitars

What are the steps of the Easter Egg known so far? To get from the cobwebs to Fort Wallace, several steps are needed. Here’s what you have to do:

  1. A total of 8 different telegraph poles, where cobwebs with a feather appear at night at various times.
  2. Next to the pole near Cornwall, kerosene and tar are engraved with a spider. If you overlay this on the map and mark the cobweb poles, you will see that they are positioned at the ends of the spider’s legs.
  3. In the middle of the spider or halfway between the web poles, a large cobweb can be found in a tree. The letter N is marked within it.
  4. If you go north, you’ll find another telegraph pole. If you shoot this, an inscription is revealed: W with five crosses.
  5. Five telegraph poles to the west stands another that can be shot. If you do this, the new inscription sends you to NW and shows a guitar.
  6. Northwest of the pole is Fort Wallace, where several guitars can be found.

User GoldenPegasus5 posted a snippet of the map with the spider symbol and directional information in the reddead Fandom Wiki:

RDR2 Spider Web Easter Egg Map
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What are players saying? In the reddeadmysteries Reddit, there have been enthusiastic discussions since mid-December about what the newly discovered Easter Egg could mean. There are also lively theories on X.com and YouTube. But one thing all commentators have in common – they are excited.

Here are a few voices:

  • joegrower420 via X.com: This is more exciting than Stranger Things
  • joe2352 via Reddit: I find this really fascinating. To be honest, I thought we had run out of real secrets after all these years.
  • tritittythunder via Reddit: I’m sitting here. Let’s go, new mysteries.
  • VeraShtrobl-zy2xk via YouTube: If it turns out to be like Mount Chilliad, where we’re pulling our hair out over something that turns out to be a hint for a riddle we’ve already solved, I’ll freak out.

The solution to the riddle has not yet been found. Whether and how things will continue remains open for now. But one thing is certain, the community of Red Dead Redemption 2 will stay on it. If you want to join in the search for the solution, you can currently do so at a discount. Until January 8, 2026, the game is available for PlayStation and via Steam at a lower price: One of the greatest games of all time is now available on Steam and PS5 for under 15 Euros

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

The big game about Avatar is finally playable, it is larger on Steam than ever before

Jasmin Beverungen Jasmin Beverungen Reading time 2 minutes

Players of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora have every reason to return to the game or to enter the world of Pandora digitally for the first time. This is also reflected in the player numbers on Steam.

How did Avatar start on Steam? Upon release, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora fell short of Ubisoft’s expectations. Compared to the two parts of The Division, Avatar lagged behind in revenues.

The title appeared on Steam only 7 months after its release. By that time, the hype was already over and there were many performance issues. Therefore, the title never reached 3,000 simultaneous active players on Steam (as seen on SteamDB).

Start video
Avatar: Fire and Ash – The trailer for the third part of the Na’vi story

New content brings a flood of players to Avatar

How has Avatar changed? However, there are 2 major points that make many players return to Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora or check it out for the first time:

  • In December 2025, the third part of the Avatar series was released in theaters. The story of Fire and Ash revolves around a new people and the well-known problems of the Na’vi. According to 2 well-known YouTubers, the film feels like a WoW addon. Accordingly, there is a new DLC for the video game adaptation.
  • At the same time as the DLC, a major update was released on Steam for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. This update introduced the desired third-person view by players and fixed many bugs that could lead to game crashes.

This led to an explosion of player numbers on Steam. Currently, there is a new all-time high every week. At the moment, the counter stands at 15,283 simultaneous active players within the last 24 hours on Steam, reached about 11 hours ago (as of January 5, 2026, at 8:30 AM).

How has this affected the ratings? On Steam, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora has over 8,000 ratings with currently 72% positive ratings. In the last 30 days, there have been a total of 2,188 reviews that give the game a positive rating of 76%. A quarter of the positive reviews, therefore, came only in the last 30 days, coinciding with the update.

Several users write that Avatar is “finally playable.” At release, the title was unplayable due to numerous bugs. User Sarluna also expresses how much he appreciates the third-person view. The user suffers from motion sickness, and this perspective minimizes the problem.

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If there is still criticism, it usually refers to technical issues – such as on laptops or due to missing sound effects.

In contrast, Ubisoft is facing bigger problems with another game. Here, hackers have taken control of the game. The problem is so severe that the servers had to be taken offline: Ubisoft shuts down the servers of its most successful game: Hackers take control, give away premium currency and ban players

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

Ashes of Creation bans 80 accounts that attempted to convert gold into money via exploits

Karsten Scholz Karsten Scholz Reading time 3 minutes

The developers of Ashes of Creation have taken significant action against a group of professional gold farmers. The head of the MMORPG makes it clear: Those who buy or sell gold for money risk their accounts.

What happened? On the official Discord channel, head developer Steven Sharif addressed the community last night (January 5, 2026) to report on a strike against a coordinated group of professional gold farmers.

The group comprised around 80 accounts and nearly 210 characters. It is believed that the gold farmers exploited a security vulnerability to generate gold and duplicate materials (a so-called dupe exploit). Such activities can have an extremely negative impact on a game’s economy and encourage real-money trading (the sale of gold for euros or dollars, also known as RMT).

Start video
Ashes of Creation: Early Access Guide stimmt euch auf den Start auf Steam ein

How are the developers responding? According to Sharif, the recent maintenance work has already brought a fix for the security vulnerability to the servers. They are now in the process of identifying the duplicated items and tracking the gold transactions in the economy. The items generated through the exploit must be removed from the database.

Furthermore, the studio head of Intrepid explains how they intend to deal with the caught accounts and characters:

I want to make it clear: We have a zero-tolerance policy towards RMT. Participation in RMT, no matter which side of the transaction, will result in a permanent ban. It’s not worth risking your account, and it undermines the significance of your achievements. If you or someone you know is considering RMT, just say no!

Steven Sharif on Discord

A list of the banned characters will be published soon.

“A rare victory for Ashes”

How does the community react to the news? Many players are pleased with the bans imposed on the gold farmers and exploit users. Others complain that the bot problem in the MMORPG’s alpha is already said to be much more widespread.

  • McBeefyBare writes on Reddit: “There are so many caravan and fishing bots everywhere …”
  • NsRhea adds under McBeefyBare’s post: “Yesterday I killed a mining bot. It dropped over 400 stones. You can see them moving from one place to another trying to mine something that isn’t there, then quickly turn around and try again at another spot.”
  • BlamaeuxPrivateEye praises the MMORPG’s team on Reddit, but also makes it clear that he has been dissatisfied with other issues in the past: “I’m actually a hater, but I love seeing bans for RMT. A rare victory for Ashes.”
  • Anykeysttv writes on Reddit: “Imagine real-money trading in a yet-to-be-released game. I increasingly doubt that the game will even be released, as I keep reading about how the community is ruining the game already.”

Do such bans even make a difference? Many other MMORPGs like Lost Ark have had enormous problems with farming bots and real-money trading for years.

Particularly attractive to gold farmers are online role-playing games where a) it is very difficult to earn gold without spending money, but gold significantly eases virtual life, and/or b) the economy of a game (such as an auction house) is directly linked with a premium or real-money currency.

If there is also a free-to-play model, through which gold farmers can easily create new accounts for free, it becomes nearly impossible to sustainably win the fight against bots.

In Ashes of Creation, point a applies, but not point b. Additionally, currently, one has to pay to access the early-access version. While the purchase price may be eliminated with the release version, a monthly subscription will then take effect, which one must subscribe to in order to play Ashes of Creation.

More about Ashes of Creation:
One of the biggest YouTubers for MMORPGs falls into a hole after the end of Ashes of Creation: “I have invested thousands of dollars”
von Karsten Scholz
The MMORPG for League of Legends is said to continue the visual style of Arcane: “This is very difficult, but hopefully they can do it”
von Karsten Scholz

If the developers can successfully identify and ban bot and RMT accounts early enough, they have a chance to mitigate the issue. Ultimately, how attractive Ashes of Creation will be for gold farmers in the long run also depends on how many players are willing to buy gold for money. Unfortunately, history shows that some gamers are quite loose with their wallets: The 8 most expensive items in MMOs sold for real money

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

“It is 2026 and WoW is still the number 1 MMORPG in the world?” – Fans name several reasons for this

Karsten Scholz Karsten Scholz Reading time 3 minutes

A fan of Final Fantasy XI wonders why World of Warcraft still outshines the entire MMORPG competition 21 years after its release. The community provides several reasons.

How is WoW doing in early 2026? Unfortunately, there are no official player and revenue numbers. However, there are several signs that World of Warcraft is still doing really well after 21 years:

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“It is simply suitable for all types of players”

What are the reasons for the continued success? This question is exactly what MonsutaMan asks on Reddit. The non-WoW player has played Final Fantasy XI for many, many years and has to grudgingly acknowledge how well Blizzard’s MMORPG has fared to this day.

WoW casts a shadow over newer MMOs and has left pretty much every other MMO from the early 2000s far behind. EQ, GW, etc…

It’s pretty crazy. Not only that it has lasted so long, but that it is also thriving as number one. Many MMOs from the early 2000s are still online, but not many are genuinely “successful”.

Don’t players get tired of WoW? Final Fantasy XI was my personal favorite MMO. However, many hardcore XI players like me have outgrown the game. As a result, active player numbers have stagnated. It was noticeable that it was no longer a popular MMO… (I took a bit longer to let go, in 2025).

WoW had its heyday and difficult phases but now seems to have returned to the top? What do you think made this success possible? Was it pure coincidence? The right place at the right time?

Under the post, numerous players gather in over 600 comments to name reasons for WoW’s enduring success.

  • Frog-Eater writes on Reddit: “It is simply suitable for all types of players. Role players, people who enjoy PvP, those who like leveling or just farming and hanging out, challenging dungeons, raids with the guild. Now there is even housing. It may not be the best in all areas, but it’s fun, looks good and everyone can find something they enjoy about it.”
  • _NauticalPhoenix_ sees another reason for the recent success on Reddit: “A few years ago, during Shadowlands, it entered a difficult phase. […] Preach, Bellular, and many WoW content creators spoke out loud about it. […] Since then, Blizzard has made a course correction starting with Dragonflight and has since achieved much better player engagement.”
  • Sea_Advantage_2577 praises on Reddit: “It has some of the best combat in MMO history, which I think is often overlooked. You can be in a chaotic situation like PvP or M+ and never feel like you’re not doing what you want. Azeroth is also a fascinating world to explore and has some impressive areas to offer. The music and graphics are great.”
  • vasDcrakGaming points out a painful flaw in the genre on Reddit: “The bar is set pretty low when you look at all the other MMOs.” To this fits: 2025 will go down in history as one of the worst years for MMORPG fans.
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Is WoW actually the “number 1 MMORPG in the world”? This cannot be answered with one hundred percent certainty:

  • Not only does Blizzard refrain from announcing official numbers, most other MMORPG providers do the same.
  • The player numbers are difficult to compare due to the different payment models (Free2Play vs. subscription, for example) and other factors. Many updates from MMORPG developers include players who only checked out the free trial version, for example.
  • Moreover, WoW is still only available on PC after all these years, while many other MMORPGs have also been released on consoles or mobile.

The signs mentioned at the beginning suggest that World of Warcraft is doing very well in 2026, and that the responsible parties will continue to support the MMORPG for a long time to come.

By the way, the last time Blizzard released an overview of the total player numbers of WoW was more than 12 years ago. At that time, there were 100 million players. Today, that number is likely significantly higher. Whether it is enough for the top spot of MMORPGs according to official developer numbers is unclear.

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

Stranger Things does it better than Game of Thrones, delighting its fans with a heartwarming finale

Alexander Mehrwald Alexander Mehrwald Reading time 3 minutes

After 5 seasons, the successful series Stranger Things ended on December 31, 2025. Despite a rather mixed reception to the previous season, the finale managed to convince fans and left hardly a dry eye.

This article is kept as spoiler-free as possible and mainly reflects the mood of the community. So if you haven’t seen the finale yet, you don’t need to worry about encountering significant spoilers.

How has Season 5 been received so far? While critics rated the season mostly positively, the community’s rating was much more muted (see e.g. Rotten Tomatoes). Many fans found the season overloaded and simultaneously stretched too thin in terms of content. A common criticism was the pacing, the narrative tempo, which was perceived as unbalanced due to the splitting of the season and very long episode runtimes.

Additionally, there was controversy surrounding specific plot lines, particularly concerning Will Byers. His character development and the explicit discussion of his sexuality in Episode 7 led to heated debates and a wave of negative reviews.

On December 31, 2025, it was finally time, and the series concluded with Episode 8. This finale was received much better by the community than the previous episodes and resonated deeply with many viewers.

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With Stranger Things Season 5, the popular hit series from Netflix comes to an end

“It felt like the last day of school when your friends leave you forever.”

What does the community say about the series finale? On social media platforms like Reddit or YouTube, viewers exchange thoughts on the last episode of the series. Overall, the ending is well-received, even though there are some open questions that the finale couldn’t address.

For instance, Reddit user LeoDiCristio opens his thread with a meme stating that Stranger Things offered a much better finale than Game of Thrones did at the time. Over 31,000 likes and more than 6,800 comments overwhelmingly agree with him, and even among the critiques of the episode by film YouTuber Robert Hoffmann, many enthusiastic voices are found, although some perceive the ending as too “safe”:

  • Privateinvestigat0r describes in a comment below the ending with a school metaphor that touches the heart: “It felt like the last day of school when friends leave forever. I watched the last episode hours ago, but I still don’t know why I feel so down and sad. It touches me personally.”
  • @Jaskiir comments under the video: “The whole epilogue, with all its real emotions, a farewell from the characters and the series, for us as well as for the actors, was so convincing and beautiful. For me, it’s full circle and a peak ending for Stranger Things. In the end, everyone put down their player book, I had to cry just as truly as the actors. Outstanding!”
  • @dirkschulz7282 particularly enjoys a recurring element: “Well, all those who didn’t like it, I really feel sorry for them. The final battle was grand because it was again about solidarity and friendship; we don’t need 30 minutes of gore-splatter for that. People who were emotionally touched enjoyed this finale and cried tears. It ended like it began: friendship and team spirit, which reflects again in Dungeons & Dragons (aka the ‘party’) as the characters complete their circle. Perfect. (FOR EDDY!)”
  • Sephonik writes on Reddit: “My criticisms are that it was too safe and predictable, too fast-paced to really settle into a moment, and very explanatory. Still: They successfully landed the ship, and I enjoyed it nonetheless!”

However, even though there are some mild criticisms regarding the “safety” of the ending and some open questions, the majority of viewers seem to have enjoyed the last episode. Many commentators compare the ending to other series like Game of Thrones, Lucifer, and The Umbrella Academy, ultimately concluding each time that Stranger Things delivered a significantly better finale.

However, the open questions could be addressed in the announced spinoff titled Tales from ’85, which is set to be released in 2026 – although there is no specific date yet (see Moviepilot).

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Anyone looking back nostalgically at the past 5 seasons of Stranger Things will likely soon be on the prowl for new soul food. Therefore, we have gathered some series that have a similar vibe and you shouldn’t miss if you enjoyed Stranger Things: 9 series like Stranger Things

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

The WoW legend behind “Allimania” is back big on Twitch thanks to Sauercrowd

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

Sauercrowd also helps smaller streamers achieve more success on Twitch. Even a few veterans from World of Warcraft are back in the spotlight.

The currently biggest phenomenon in gaming with the most attention on Twitch is the German guild “Sauercrowd”, which is taking off after the American model of “OnlyFangs” in World of Warcraft Classic. Although at first glance everything revolves around the bigger streamers like Papaplatte or HandOfBlood – a few smaller streamers are also getting their moments in the spotlight.

This ensures that some people receive a lot of attention who would otherwise be overlooked at such events – like the WoW legend Stevinho.

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WoW Classic: The Hardcore Servers Are Here!

Allimania creators suddenly back in a big way on Twitch

Who is Stevinho? Especially veterans of WoW are likely to remember Steve “Stevinho” Krömer, as he is the creative mind behind the audio play Allimania, which was released during the time of “Vanilla” WoW and mercilessly parodied the whole game. There was also a small Allimania remake. He himself lent his voice to the somewhat clumsy warrior Horst. In addition, he hosted the online radio show “WoW Night” at that time, which became a weekly ritual for many fans of the first WoW generation.

Why was there attention? At the “Sauercrowd” event, the big streamers occasionally draw some attention to people with lower viewer counts. HandOfBlood sent some of his friends together with Stevinho into the Deadmines and helped spread his stream – which temporarily brought Stevinho well over 10,000 viewers, over 2,000 new followers, and 400 new subscribers. There was a lot of nostalgia, old anecdotes from the Allimania era, and also a lot of reflection on humor and how it has changed over the years.

You can watch the entire stream of the evening here, the dungeon run starts around 9:00:00 in the video:

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How did the dungeon visit go? The visit to the Deadmines went relatively smoothly and the entire stream was full of old anecdotes and details from the past – both from Allimania and World of Warcraft itself.

However, one can clearly see during the visit to the Deadmines that multiple generations are coming together. While HandOfBlood’s friends often shout rather loudly, Stevinho’s (now rather calmer) style hardly shines through in some conversations – but he is probably used to such behavior from his time as a teacher.

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In summary, it can be said that especially this “bringing into the spotlight” of smaller streamers and old legends (like Jan Hegenberg with his new song) is one of the great strengths of events like Sauercrowd. It is also easy to overlook that the entire event is a bit more chaotic than originally intended.

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

If you shoot in ARC Raiders without warning, you can be sure that it will happen to you too

Alexander Mehrwald Alexander Mehrwald Reading time 2 minutes

ARC Raiders is known for allowing players to choose their focus on PvE, PvP, or a healthy mix, despite playing together. Players have suspected for a while a form of “Aggression-based Matchmaking” – and an interview with the developers confirms: You are right.

How does matchmaking work in ARC Raiders? In an interview with GamesBeat via YouTube, Embark CEO Patrick Söderlund explained during a session about ARC Raiders what makes the game’s matchmaking special. Just like in most multiplayer games, there is a skill-based matchmaking system that groups you with players in lobbies that are on a similar level as you.

Additionally, there is a type of “Aggression-based Matchmaking” that takes into account how aggressively you play. You should be grouped with players who exhibit similar gameplay behavior. So if you often shoot at your teammates without warning, you can expect to encounter more such Raiders.

It is important to maintain a balance between both variants and to continue experimenting to see what works and what doesn’t. The current matchmaking is therefore not set in stone, and particularly the “Aggression-based Matchmaking” has only been implemented for about a week. The goal is to give both camps their space while still having a “gray area” that supports hybrid forms and maintains tension.

This confirms a suspicion players have had for a while. So far, it has only been explained, that your behavior also affects matchmaking, but it hasn’t been elaborated upon. The community is responding positively to this confirmation, although there are also some criticisms.

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ARC Raiders soll laut der Community die chilligsten Lobbys haben

“Best mechanics choice. Let the PvP players play PvP and the PvE players play PvE.”

What does the community say about the current matchmaking? On Reddit, players are discussing the statements regarding matchmaking. Most celebrate the approach and believe that this type of matchmaking has a significant impact on the game’s success. Radthereptile even calls this decision the best mechanics choice (see Reddit).

However, some argue that it can be difficult to be classified into PvE lobbies, as there is a feeling that the game perceives one as aggressive, even when merely defending against incoming shots (see Reddit). Others advise that in such cases, it is best to play as passively as possible. This way, one would end up in “friendly lobbies” after just a few matches (see Reddit).

tinselsnips points out that it is difficult to satisfy all camps and that this type of experimental matchmaking is a good way to give as many as possible their space for a good gaming experience (see Reddit).

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Even before this confirmation by Embark CEO Patrick Söderlund, players suspected that they themselves were responsible for the type of lobbies they are placed in. They were already convinced that they knew what to do to achieve the chillest matches: “Welcome to the Oasis” – The ARC Raiders community is convinced: There is a way to get into lobbies with friendly players

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