There are characters in animes who just want to live their lives. But due to certain coincidences, they suddenly became the hero of the story. We list some characters who fate coincidentally hasn’t been kind to.
In many animes, the protagonists usually have to prove themselves as heroes through training or a journey. They have only good in mind and want to contribute to the welfare of humanity.
However, there are also characters who randomly became the heroes of their stories. Their path could have happened to anyone else, as they didn’t particularly strive for it. Therefore, they also pursue other goals than helping humanity.
MeinMMO shows you 5 heroes who actually have their own minds and became the hero of the story purely by a silly coincidence.
Start video
Kaiju No. 8 shows massive monster action in the trailer
Kafka Hibino
Anime: Kaiju No. 8
Who is he? Kafka is not a typical teenage hero, but rather 32 years old and is in the midst of life. He works at a cleanup squad as a cleaner, removing body parts of gigantic monsters known as Kaiju. After the radiant heroes have finished their work, Kafka basically cleans up after them.
Since childhood, he has dreamed of becoming part of the elite unit of the attack squad. However, he keeps failing the entrance exams and eventually gives up on his dream.
Kafka just wants to be close to his childhood friend.
What coincidence happened with him? Kafka has the luck of a parasite flying into his mouth. Through the strange Kaiju, the character suddenly becomes a Kaiju himself and can help the elite unit in eliminating the malevolent monsters.
If the parasite had never landed in him, Kafka would have continued doing his job as a cleaner. He has shown neither special talent nor strength to reach this position. His goal was never to help humanity, but to uphold a personal promise to his childhood friend.
Continue on page 2.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
One of the most well-known brands of Sony is Horizon from Guerrilla. In the video games, Aloy fights her way through a world full of machine creatures. Tencent, the owner of Riot Games, the developer of League of Legends, had a similar setting in mind for a game on Steam. But this had consequences.
What was the problem? Tencent, together with developer Polaris, introduced the new game Light of Motiram.
It was planned as an open-world survival game with crafting elements
There were supposed to be mechanical creatures living in nature
If some of these points sound familiar, it’s no surprise. The title resembles the Horizon series from Guerrilla in description and appearance. Therefore, accusations quickly emerged that Light of Motiram had no shame in copying from the Horizon series.
Sony has also taken notice of the game, which was originally set to launch on Steam and in the Epic Games Store. Now there is an agreement that turns out to be rather negative for the creators behind Light of Motiram.
Start video
Horizon Forbidden West – Gameplay Trailer
Sony and Tencent have reached an agreement regarding the Horizon clone
What are the consequences now? A recent court document reveals that there was a legal dispute over Light of Motiram. However, the case is now finally closed.
The document indicates that there was a confidential out-of-court settlement. Tencent must cease marketing for their video game. There will be no more advertising or public tests for the title.
The game has also been removed from Steam and the Epic Games Store. According to SteamDB, the game no longer exists. The document itself never mentions an official cancellation, but the confidential settlement and immediate removal from sales platforms suggest that Light of Motiram in its current form will never be released.
What does this mean? Although the court documents do not clarify how Light of Motiram will proceed, there are really only two options:
Light of Motiram will be modified behind closed doors to ensure it no longer resembles Horizon
The game will be completely canceled and abandoned
What exactly will happen remains to be seen. But players can look forward to another title from the Horizon universe, one way or another.
NCsoft is working on an MMO set in Horizon. Here players can experience the gameplay from the main games, but together with friends. However, the appearance of the characters makes many players hesitant, as the characters are simply “too pretty”. The new MMORPG in Horizon looks damn good, but the characters are horrendous
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Pokémon GO you will soon be able to catch a new crab monster. And it also brings many Shinies that you can catch.
What kind of event is this? From Tuesday, January 6, 2026, at 10:00 AM to Sunday, January 11, 2026, at 8:00 PM, “The Right Trick” will take place in Pokémon GO. This event will focus on crab monsters.
A crab will be making its way into the game for the first time. Additionally, there will be a shiny debut and a good chance for you to catch several Shinies at once.
Start video
Pokémon GO shows its new season in the trailer
What to expect in “The Right Trick”
Which monster is making its debut? Klibbe, the rock monster from Generation 9, will be available for the first time at the event. This monster has no evolutions, and you will receive it through field research and limited-time research that will take place during the event.
Which Shinies are there? With the start of the event, you can find Moruda as shiny for the first time. The monster is waiting for you in 3-star raids as well as in field research.
Additionally, there is an increased shiny chance for 3 monsters: Krebscorps, Lithomith, and Scampisto. You can receive all 3 Pokémon in the wild, in field research, and in limited-time research. The chances of encountering these Shinies are relatively high, as you have many opportunities to meet the monsters.
Furthermore, you can also obtain Galapaflos, Flapteryx, and Heerashai as shiny during the event. However, the chances for these are not additionally increased.
What bonuses are there? If you catch monsters during “The Right Trick”, you will receive double experience points for doing so. Additionally, there will be event-specific field research, as well as 3 limited-time research tasks that will be conducted sequentially during the event. The limited-time research will focus on catching monsters.
What monsters are there? The event brings you some monsters that you can receive. These are the following:
In the wild:
Krebscorps*
Lithomith*
Scampisto*
Galapaflos* (rare)
Flapteryx* (rare)
In 1-star raids:
Krebscorps*
Lithomith*
Scampisto*
In 3-star raids:
Moruda*
Heerashai*
In field research:
Krebscorps*
Lithomith*
Scampisto*
Moruda* (rare)
Klibbe
All monsters marked with an * can be caught as shiny.
Paid research: In addition to the 3 free limited-time research tasks, you can purchase a paid research task during the event for $1.99 (approximately €2.50). In this, you will receive among other things, 2 Premium Battle Passes and encounters with Krebscorps, Lithomith, Scampisto, Moruda, and Klibbe.
In addition to this event, several other contents of the upcoming year are already known. These include 2 Community Days and the New Year event, which not only brings you the chance for a rare shiny but also a permanent change through which you can receive more guaranteed lucky monsters.
In 3-star raids:
Moruda*
Heerashai*
In field research:
Krebscorps*
Lithomith*
Scampisto*
Moruda* (rare)
Klibbe
All monsters marked with an * can be caught as shiny.
Paid research: In addition to the 3 free limited-time research tasks, you can purchase a paid research task during the event for $1.99 (approximately €2.50). In this, you will receive among other things, 2 Premium Battle Passes and encounters with Krebscorps, Lithomith, Scampisto, Moruda, and Klibbe.
In addition to this event, several other contents of the upcoming year are already known. These include 2 Community Days and the New Year event, which not only brings you the chance for a rare shiny but also a permanent change through which you can receive more guaranteed lucky monsters.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A tech CEO wants to make humanity immortal by 2039. He sees the rapid technological advancements of recent years, particularly through artificial intelligence, as a reason why this could actually succeed.
Who is he talking about? Bryan Johnson is a 47-year-old biotech entrepreneur who has been investing his money in various technology companies for many years.
However, Johnson gained the most notoriety for his active pursuit of eternal life. Starting in 2021, he began investing large sums of money into his “Project Blueprint.” For several years, he has been trying to slow down or even reverse his aging process. According to Business Insider, he reportedly spends around $2 million a year and takes 100 pills a day.
Select a MMO video…
Immortal by 2039, but how, Johnson doesn’t know exactly yet
What does he say about immortality? In a discussion that the English-speaking magazine Fortune quotes, Johnson now has a new goal in mind: He wants to make humans immortal by 2039. However, he still needs to address some errors, as current therapies are erroneously causing cancer. He writes about this in an extensive post on X.com:
I will try to achieve immortality by 2039. A year passes, and I remain biologically unchanged.
We do not currently know how immortality will be achieved by 2039. There are new, promising therapies that can potentially turn back the clock by decades, but they are flawed. Sometimes they erroneously cause cancer. We need to fix that.
But we know that immortality is possible because nature has already solved this problem. This is not a physical problem like trying to travel faster than light, but a biological engineering problem that evolution has already solved multiple times.
In his post, he also describes why he believes that this goal is realistic for the first time in history:
Thanks to the rapid technological advancements, particularly through artificial intelligence, it is for the first time possible to specifically combat aging.
AI is transforming from an assistant to a scientist, enabling much faster research through data analysis, process automation, and more precise measurement of biological markers.
The author argues that immortality is fundamentally biologically possible, as some organisms in nature have practically achieved this state.
Aging is not an insurmountable physical problem but a biological problem that has been solved evolutionarily multiple times.
He reports on his own experiments over the past six years: At 48 years old, his body is now at the level of an “elite fit 18-year-old,” if one overlooks his hearing loss in one ear.
A Japanese organization regularly hosts an esports tournament for seniors. Now the winner is determined, and she is a whole 18 years older than the 74-year-old finalist.
What kind of tournament is it? The Care Esports Association from Japan organizes gaming events in senior homes. At the end of November 2025, the 12th tournament for older gamers took place, where participants eagerly fought in the fighting game Tekken 8.
Who faced each other in the final? The finalists were 74-year-old Goro Sugiyama, who played Armor King, and his opponent Hisako Sakai, who is a proud 92 years old.
In the end, the 92-year-old grandma won by playing the character Claudio and pressing as many buttons as quickly as possible, as can be seen in the recording on YouTube.
Start video
Tekken 8 shows roadmap and upcoming content in trailer
A real tournament with casters and livestream for seniors
The Care Esports Association not only organizes the tournament but also provides real casters who commentate on every game of the seniors and create a great atmosphere. In addition to the casters, there is also a livestream of the event on the YouTube channel.
What are the reactions of the viewers?On Reddit, the victory of Hisako Sakai was celebrated, and some viewers commented on the post.
The Reddit user peakzorro writes that it is impressive how the winner has no pain in her hands and wrists. According to him, fighting games like Tekken are particularly tough on these body parts.
Another user writes on Reddit simply: “The GOAT.” The term “GOAT” is often used for exceptionally talented players and stands for “Greatest Of All Time.” In that context, it would mean in German approximately: the greatest player of all time.
There are many dark details in World of Warcraft. However, one dark detail has been overlooked for years, even though it is so obvious.
World of Warcraft has grown extremely large over more than 20 years. Knowing every single detail of the game is almost impossible for both developers and fans. Often, dark details can be discovered in seemingly harmless areas, which one only truly understands upon a second or third glance.
One example of this is currently circulating in the WoW subreddit and sparking a discussion about “hidden cruelties” in the game world.
Start video
3 absurde Bugs, die in WoW passiert sind
What has been rediscovered? The player Snackolotl has noticed a tent of the Razortusk while wandering through Durotar. The tent is made of leather and appears to be constructed from various patches. However, upon closer inspection, one can see a gruesome detail in one of the patches: a face. It seems that an ogre has been processed here and incorporated into the tent.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Reddit that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
The discovery has led the community to talk about how they first encountered World of Warcraft and how some details have burned into their memory. For instance, Cakalacky describes under the post:
Funny story, I was still a child when Vanilla came out (about 10 or 11) and I remember my father coming into the living room and watching me level my first character. Vanilla was very brutal, and I still vividly remember seeing some body parts, skin tents, and such. My father then leaned over to me and quietly said, “Don’t tell your mother,” while patting me on the shoulder and then walking away.
WoW is full of evil, dark details
Are there more of these? Yes. World of Warcraft has many dark details that are not perceived as such at first glance until one thinks a little longer about them. A quite similar object can also be found with the gnomes, who have also set up their tents – for example, in the Elwynn Forest, Westfall, or Feralas. Looking at their tents, which are also made of leather, one can see here too that the skin of humanoids has been used – for example, a human (as seen in the title image).
Is this still the case in WoW today? Yes, but just like back then, one must keep an eye open and question environments or read quests carefully. Especially the expansion Legion, which is currently being revived through “Legion Remix,” had many dark details, such as melted dryads in blobs of flesh, the killing of innocents, or the sacrificing of defenseless refugees for the sake of one’s own power.
In the latest expansions, this cruel portrayal seems to have diminished somewhat, and the cruelty is mostly only implied in the quest texts.
In 2023, Unrecord made waves with its hyper-realistic graphics, and now the developer of the shooter has a big announcement: thanks to investor funding, including from a mega-corporation in gaming, they can now fully commence production of the game.
What kind of game is it? Unrecord is a first-person shooter, modeled after the camera perspective of a bodycam – much like those worn by American police officers. Combined with the mostly photorealistic graphics in Unreal Engine 5, the game has garnered significant attention.
For a long time, there was relatively little news about the project, until the developer of Unrecord resurfaced in 2025. Now there’s more big news, as the game is now – thanks to some strong financial partners – in full production.
Here you can see an official gameplay trailer for the shooter:
Start video
Unrecord – Official Early Gameplay Trailer
Bodycam shooter starts production, receives funding from Tencent
The current status of Unrecord: The developer studio DRAMA announced in a X post that they finally have the budget to fully focus on the production of the game.
Today we are proud to announce that we finally have the budget to realize UNRECORD and develop the best possible game. […] We are now fully focused on production and are avoiding showing unfinished content in order to raise the bar even higher.
Developer studio DRAMA in a post on X
The team also thanks its investors in this post, who apparently have already had the chance to play the game. A look at the LinkedIn profile of Alexandre Spindler, co-founder of the studio and creative director of Unrecord, reveals: one of these investors is Tencent.
The mega-corporation from China has been heavily investing in gaming for years. Tencent owns Riot Games, the developers of League of Legends, as well as stakes in studios like Epic Games, Blizzard, and Ubisoft.
Now that funding is secured, they plan to share updates in 2026 that “reflect the actual final vision.” When exactly, the developers have not yet shared – nor have they indicated when to expect a release. However, it sounds like 2026 might be too early for that.
The geese from Where Winds Meet are seen by some as the ultimate evil and by others as a funny meme, which even reflects the strength of all characters. Part of the community will soon be able to transform into a goose to drive other players into sheer madness.
What kind of mode is this? To celebrate the 1st anniversary, the Chinese version of Where Winds Meet will soon receive a new limited-time mode called “The Phantom Thief Goose.” In this mode, the goal is to quack and peck like a goose to instill pure fear in all who cross your path while stealing various possessions.
Imagine an adult version of “Untitled Goose Game” (which you can find on Steam, it’s a lot of fun in co-op with the kids). Anyone who has ever angered a goose in Where Winds Meet knows what can happen when players control a kind of quacking death demon.
Something big is coming to Where Winds Meet at the end of 2026:
Start video
Where Winds Meet shows the first scenes of the new expansion “The Imperial Palace” in the trailer
“They are letting you transform into one of those demons!?”
When is the mode coming to us? Where Winds Meet is celebrating its 1st anniversary in the West around November 14, 2026. You can expect a similar event then. What is already specifically planned for the local version of the role-playing game can be found here: Where Winds Meet roadmap and upcoming content.
How is the community reacting to the event? The geese from Where Winds Meet have become a popular meme. They are not only tough opponents but also striking mounts, reliable companions, or linked to a useful martial arts skill. Accordingly, the comments are quite humorous.
Krystal Farr writes on X: “They are letting you transform into one of those demons!?”
iron wings draws the same comparison we do on X: “Welcome back, Untitled Goose Game.”
kitty_paw_punch writes on threads.com: “Okay, I need to play that.”
How do you know the player numbers? On December 14, 2025, there was an update from the developers on X. In one month, 15 million players are expected to have tried Where Winds Meet. According to steamdb.info, more than 115,000 players are still roaming in the world of Where Winds Meet during prime time.
The year 2025 was anything but a bad year for gamers. However, the year-in-review from Steam reveals: Players mainly played older games again this year.
How do we know this? This information comes from the Steam year-in-review 2025. It is personalized – each account on Steam gets a very personal year-in-review. However, there are also some exciting statistics that provide insights into the gaming behavior of other gamers on Steam.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is for many the game of the year 2025 and is so good that it leaves them with a feeling of emptiness:
Start video
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 hinterlässt bei den Spielern eine Leere
Despite new hits, old games dominate
This is shown by the Steam year-in-review 2025:
Most of the time (44%) Steam users spent in games released in the last 1 to 7 years
Almost as much time (40%) players invested in games that were released 8 or more years ago
New releases – meaning games released in 2025 – make up only 14% of Steam users’ playtime
This means, in short, that the Steam community also played primarily older games in 2025.
Steam users spent only 14% of their playtime on new games.
There was no shortage of good games in 2025. So what is the reason that old games still take up so much space? In a Reddit post, these results are already being discussed, but one isn’t surprised:
“Kinda expected when most consistently top played steam games is the like of CS2, DOTA2 or PUBG,” says user rickreckt on Reddit.
“Well yeah, there’s a lot more old games than new games,” points out another Reddit user, another adds: “And older games are constantly on sale/available for cheaper than new releases.” (on Reddit)
If you haven’t seen your personal Steam year-in-review 2025 yet: You can find it in the Steam store. At the top, there’s a banner that will take you directly to your year-in-review. Alternatively, you can also find it through your profile.
According to Korean media, publisher NCsoft is taking strict action against a YouTuber who allegedly spread false information about the new MMORPG Aion 2.
What happened? According to the Korean news website zdnet.co.kr, the publisher and developer NCsoft has sued the YouTuber “Game Chang-hyun” for spreading false information about Aion 2. The report states:
We have filed a report at the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul against the operator of the YouTube channel ‘Game Chang-hyun’ for spreading false information, etc. At the same time, we have submitted a claim for damages for defamation, insult, and business obstruction due to the spreading of false information to the Seoul District Court.
The launch trailer for Aion 2 for the start in Asia; the MMORPG is set to be released in the West in 2026:
Start video
Aion 2: New trailer prepares for the Korean launch of the MMORPG
“Psychological damage to affected developer”
What did the YouTuber do? NCsoft explains that the lawsuit is not about suppressing normal criticism. However, “Game Chang-hyun” has made false or insulting claims about Aion 2.
The YouTuber claimed that NCsoft only affected customers who do not invest money, that they use macros for in-game sales, or that a certain NCsoft employee is the CEO of the company.
The intentional and repeated actions of ‘Game Chang-Hyeon’ not only had negative impacts on our service but also caused psychological harm to the individual developer. […] However, the greatest damage is the harm caused to the users due to the false information.
They intend to continue this approach in the future and take action against repeatedly false and defamatory posts. Additionally, they want to consider countermeasures against posts that aim to attract attention with sensational titles and images that are not related to the content of the respective announcement.
And what happens now? What punishment awaits the YouTuber? And to what extent have the claims in the videos negatively affected the psyche of an employee? Unfortunately, the report from Korea leaves many questions unanswered. However, it is clear that the pressure on NCsoft is high. 2025 was a difficult year for the company. They have great hopes for Aion 2.
Fans of MMO shooters are getting a new one with Pionernow available on Steam. However, the game, reminiscent of The Division with zombies, is being received quite poorly by players.
What kind of game is this? Pioner is a first-person MMO shooter where you fight for survival on a post-apocalyptic island. The mix of RPG, MMO shooter, and survival is somewhat reminiscent of The Division, but with zombies.
The game from the Russian indie developer GFA Games launched in Early Access on December 16, 2025, on Steam – and this, although it was supposed to be released in 2021 or 2022.
Here you can see the launch trailer for Pioner:
Start video
The MMO shooter Pioner will start in early access in 2025, showcasing its dark world in the launch trailer
Server issues and bugs hinder gaming enjoyment
How is the game performing at release? The reviews from the first players are likely to be rather disappointing for the developers – especially after such a long development period. Only 47% of the total 340 reviews on Steam (as of December 17, 1:22 PM) are positive.
The gameplay is fun, the graphics are decent, and the story is interesting, but when your servers can’t support 1k players and you are advertising this as an mmo… thats not good. The majority of players cannot recommend Pioner, at least not yet. There are several reasons for this: Skeeb0 points to server issues right at release, and this with not even 1,000 concurrent players at peak on Steam (according to steamdb.info). However, the game is fun and looks good, he writes in his Steam review.
The gameplay is fun, the graphics are decent, and the story is interesting, but if your servers can’t even handle 1,000 players and you advertise it as an MMO… then that’s not good.
Skeeb0 in his Steam review of Pioner
ZombieZZ is outraged by the technical state of the game. Within 35 minutes, the game crashed four times, with any progress lost each time. Despite several delays, the game appears ” in such a sorry ass state,” he complains in his Steam review.
“At the moment, I cannot recommend this game,” writes Wintergewitter in his Steam review. The concept and storyline of the game seem innovative and interesting, but within less than an hour of gameplay, he already encountered a serious bug.
What do the positive reviews say? There are already some players having fun with the game and asking not to be fooled by the many negative reviews.
As stated in a Steam review: “I get that many games have a rough start, but in my opinion this one has a lot of potential.” This player is already having fun and does not regret the purchase, he says. According to other reviews, the developers have also managed to address the server issues.
Pioner started with some difficulties in Early Access. While the reviews show a lot of negative sentiment, there are also players who consider these reactions exaggerated. The game is still in Early Access, so one cannot expect everything to go smoothly right away.
With Season 11, Blizzard has surprisingly introduced the Paladin in Diablo 4. The new class not only brings really strong builds but also playstyles that feel almost like a cozy “weekend simulator” for gamer dads.
Here’s what it means for the “gamer dads”: Diablo 4 has quickly earned a reputation for being the optimal game for fathers with little time. Those who have to juggle family, work, and other responsibilities find here an ARPG that is fun even in short sessions.
On Reddit, a player presents a Paladin build that is perfect for the audience who just wants to casually slice through monsters. With the build that the player names “The Weedwhacker,” you zoom across the map like a lawnmower and cut down monsters without much effort.
What kind of build is this? On December 12, the Paladin unexpectedly appeared in Diablo 4 and is playable for everyone who pre-orders the new expansion Lord of Hatred. The class brings various playstyles, some of which fans might recognize from previous Diablo titles. One of them focuses on a two-handed sword and on destroying everything around you without much interruption and at high speed.
The “Zeal Build” builds on the Fanaticism Oath. You can see more about the Paladin and his oaths in the trailer:
Start video
Diablo 4 shows the Paladin and his oaths in the gameplay trailer
More Life = More Attacks
This is what makes the build so strong: The Zeal Build revolves around the skill “Zeal,” which allows you to attack enemies in a 360-degree radius around you at extremely high speed. Unlike many other Paladin builds, you won’t use a shield here. Instead, you rely on the two-handed sword “Red Sermon” to significantly increase the damage of Zeal. You can find an overview of all Uniques in Diablo 4 here.
The build is designed for high attack speed and high cooldown reduction. You deal constant damage, heal yourself in the process, and can easily handle practically all game content. At the same time, the Zeal Build is very beginner-friendly and enjoyable to play.
Key points of the build are:
As a resource, you use life instead of faith. As long as you have enough life – or more precisely, can sacrifice – you attack.
“Falling Star” serves as a mobility skill that allows you to quickly move between enemy groups. “Aura of Fanaticism” additionally increases your attack speed and critical hit chance.
The defensive skill “Consecration” heals you and deals damage per second to enemies. “Aura of Resilience” also provides healing, enhances your armor, and makes you unstoppable. The Ultimate “Fortress” grants you immunity – especially helpful in boss fights.
With the unique sword “Red Sermon,” Zeal deals more damage and has a chance to inflict double damage. Until you obtain the sword, you use “Legacy of the Fanatic” as an upgrade for Zeal. This expands the attack, seeks random enemies, and hits four more times.
This is how the build plays out: You spam Zeal to deal constant damage and tear through enemy groups. In the process, you accumulate fervor, which strengthens you further. You use your defensive skills, Aura of Resilience, Consecration, and Fortress, as often as possible. “Fortress” is especially useful in tougher encounters. To ensure your auras are always available and that you benefit from buffs continuously, it’s especially crucial to stack cooldown reduction.
You can find an extensive build guide with experts and theorycrafters from maxroll.gg. There is also an overview of the strongest builds in our Tier List for Diablo 4 Season 11.
To get even more out of your builds, you can also rely on the new seasonal crafting feature Sanctification. This allows your items to gain random effects that can make them even stronger. However, Sanctification is not available at all times and comes with a few important rules. You can find out exactly how Sanctification works and what to watch out for here: Diablo 4: Sanctification is the final improvement of your items – here’s how it works
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The first part of the Winter Holidays starts in Pokémon GO. MeinMMO has looked into what you can expect at the event.
When does the event take place? The Christmas season is celebrated in Pokémon GO with an event that consists of 2 parts. The first part of the Winter Holidays starts on Thursday, December 18, 2025, at 10:00 AM and runs until Wednesday, December 24, 2025, at 10:00 AM. Right after the end of Part 1, the 2nd part of the Winter Holidays continues.
In the 1st part of the event, there is a dedicated GO Pass, new costumed Pokémon, and an increased chance of 2 rare Shinies. We have summarized what specific content you can expect in the coming days.
Start video
Pokémon GO shows its new season in the trailer
All Content of Winter Holidays: Part 1 in Pokémon GO
What new costumed monsters are there? Within the event, you can obtain 3 costumed monsters for the first time in Pokémon GO. They are Mogelbaum, Akkup, and Donarion – each in holiday clothing. All 3 monsters can also be obtained as Shiny with some luck.
While you can find Mogelbaum and Akkup in the wild and in raids, you will only receive Donarion if you evolve Akkup at a PokéStop with an activated Magnetic Lure Module.
What bonuses are there? If you hatch Pichu with a holiday hat or Petznief with a holiday ribbon from 7-km eggs during the first part of the Winter Holidays, both monsters have an increased chance of being obtained as Shiny.
Additionally, event field research will be active, where you can earn Stardust and encounters with event Pokémon.
What rewards are in the GO Pass? A separate GO Pass is also part of the event. This will continue to be active in the 2nd part of the Winter Holidays. As usual, there is a free and a paid version of the pass. The GO Pass Deluxe contains all the content of the free GO Pass.
In the table below, you can see what rewards are known so far:
GO Pass
GO Pass Deluxe
Rewards
• Encounter with Snomnom* • Encounters with event monsters • Stardust • Experience points • Poké Balls • Candies
• Snomnom Hat • even more encounters with event monsters • Premium Battle Passes • Special Candies XL • Candies XL
Rank 1
double experience points for sent gifts
double amount of Stardust for opened gifts
Rank 2
you can receive more items from opened gifts
halved hatch distance for eggs placed in incubators
Rank 3
50% additional experience points for raid battles
double amount of catch experience points
What monsters are there? You can find special monsters in the event both in the wild, in eggs, and in raids. These include the following:
In the wild:
Quiekel*
Schneppke*
Seemops*
Mogelbaum with holiday clothing* (rare)
Akkup with holiday clothing* (rare)
In 7-km eggs:
Pichu with holiday hat*
Kussilla*
Petznief with holiday ribbon*
Frigometri*
Snomnom
In 3-star raids:
Mogelbaum with holiday clothing*
Hisui-Arktilas*
Akkup with holiday clothing*
All Pokémon marked with an * can also be found as Shiny.
Avatar Accessories: With the start of the Winter Holidays, you can permanently acquire 2 new items for your avatar in the in-game shop. These are the Akkup bag and the Mogelbaum sweater.
An expert trains rats to be gamers. After 4 years, the rats can shoot at enemies in Doom for the first time.In 2021, a neuroengineer and his team began training rats in gaming. Now, the project has received a major update.
A team led by neuroengineer Viktor Tóth has been trying to train rats to be gamers since 2021. In 2021, PCGamer first reported on this. Specifically, he and his team are teaching the rodents the shooter Doom. This includes movements, performing actions, and using weapons to defend themselves against demons.
By the end of 2025, the project has now received a significant update. The trained rodents can now shoot and defend themselves against enemies. This is reported by the English-language magazine TomsHardware.com. You can follow the entire project of the rats on the project’s own website.
Start video
Students spy on passersby with hidden cameras and AI, find name and address in seconds
Rats are to become gamers; their gaming setup has now received an upgrade
How did the experiment start? At the beginning, the rats stood in a harness over a freely spinning ball, where forward movement was assigned to a simplified Doom II corridor. As a reward, they were given sweetened water when they performed the desired action. Further interactions with Doom were not possible at that time.
What changed in 2025? The team of Viktor Tóth has now presented a major update: he has extensively upgraded the gaming setup for his rats: the new system still maps the movements of the rats but now also supports more complex inputs. Additionally, he has incorporated a small, curved AMOLED display into the setup, providing the training rats with significantly more spatial feedback than before. The researchers state in their own blog:
The rats successfully learned to navigate the virtual environment and trigger the shooting mechanism. The adaptation took about two weeks per rat. Due to time constraints, advanced training could not be completed, but initial data showed promising interaction with the system.
Moreover, the rats can finally defend themselves in Doom against enemies: via a physical trigger mechanism, the animals can activate the fire function of Doom. Technically, they can now shoot enemies, but practically, this works with varying degrees of precision. A shooting god like Shroud is likely still far from the rats when it comes to precision.
After Doom Eternal, a new installment in the series, The Dark Ages, was released, which aimed to break the fast gameplay style a little. Bethesda invited MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus to check out Doom: The Dark Ages and play selected missions. The shooter is solid and extremely difficult; however, the unique selling point doesn’t quite stand out. More about this can be read directly on MeinMMO: The new Doom plays like a really hard shooter, but something is missing
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Streamers on Twitch come up with crazy challenges time and again. One of them wanted to chop 150 kg of onions while waiting for the next update for one of the largest games on Steam, Dota 2.
Which Twitch streamer is it? The streamer TeaGuvnor mainly plays Dota 2 on his Twitch channel. In the past, he has initiated crazy challenges to make the wait for the next patch for the largest MOBA on Steam more enjoyable.
After counting the individual grains of rice from 20 kg of rice for an earlier patch, he decided to chop 150 kg of onions this time. You can watch the event on Twitch.
How many onions did he manage? After eight hours, the Twitch streamer was relieved by Valve when the patch notes for update 7.40 (dota2.com) were released. He managed to chop a total of 211 onions, which according to him weighs 21.31 kg.
He will store the chopped onions in his empty freezer, and he will donate all the remaining onions to local restaurants.
Start video
The new hero in Dota 2 is a frog with a guitar
The Twitch streamer will be rewarded with a frog that plays Guitar Hero
What kind of frog is this? The Dota community was already concerned that 2025 would be the first year with no new heroes.
As an early Christmas gift, Valve has now released the bard frog Largo. With his tongue, he pulls in enemies or allies and can support his team with various melodies.
The melodies must be played with the correct beat on the keys and is his ultimate ability. The community was immediately reminded of Guitar Hero, a game where a guitar controller is used to play well-known songs (reddit.com).
The Reddit user ccmdmc has apparently already found a way to play the new hero with the Guitar Hero controller.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Reddit that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
What else is new in patch 7.40? In addition to the new hero Largo, there are a lot of changes to Dota 2. Since every piece of news would exceed the scope of an article, we have summarized the most important points for you:
The new hero Largo is now playable
The heroes Slark, Lone Druid, and Treant Protector have been reworked
Several adjustments have been made to the terrain
Three items have been removed
Many items have been buffed or nerfed
Most heroes have received adjustments
On the patch page for 7.40, you can find all the changes that have been made to Dota 2 in detail.
In spring 2025, Dota 2 received one of the biggest updates ever. The map has been considerably enlarged, and a new mechanic for the strong neutral items from the jungle has been introduced.
Just in time for the holidays, Palworld is releasing Update 0.7 and aims to shine with quality of life adjustments: There are improved melee combats, new content for the building mode, and modding is supposed to get easier.
What are the highlights of Update 0.7? Patch 0.7 for Palworld comes with longer patch notes. Included are a whole lot of adjustments for the building mode. Certain building parts are now supposed to be paintable. Furthermore, there should now be much more freedom in design. For this, the team has implemented triangular components.
Melee combats are now also supposed to run better, which is good: with Patch 0.7 there is a new raid boss. The boss enemies can now also be taken to dedicated raid arenas. Previously, they had to be summoned in your own base and then defeated there.
In addition, there are also updates for modders, an experimental PvP mode, and a new collaboration with the early access shooter Ultrakill.
Start video
Palworlds Update 0.7 brings many changes for the Quality of Life and a collaboration with a shooter
Easier modding and new collab outfits
What’s also included? In addition to updates for the building mode, combat adjustments, and the raid boss, there are a few more new features. Among them is the unlocking of the Steam Workshop. This should make sharing and using mods easier.
On top comes a new collaboration with the early access shooter Ultrakill: 0.7 implements weapons and armors from the game as well as a coin toss emote.
For PvP players, there are now also experimental new features. Fully integrating PvP into Palworld is claimed by the developers to be difficult in the patch notes. However, they have now implemented all the necessary tools for players to set their own PvP rules. They warn of balancing issues.
When will Palworld finally be released? Currently, it is not yet known exactly when Palworld will be released in its final 1.0 version. Recently, the developers stated, that they are aiming for 2026. Version 0.7 is also said by the developers to lay the groundwork for it.
In addition, there is also the ongoing lawsuit with Nintendo over allegedly violated patents by Palworld. Although this is currently taking place in Japan, there have been recent developments in the United States. There, Nintendo is currently trying to secure new patents. An originally newly approved patent has now been re-evaluated.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The perhaps best modern alternative to Skyrim currently comes from Poland and is called Tainted Grail: Fall of Avalon. While fans are still waiting for news on The Elder Scrolls 6, this dark RPG is receiving a new story DLC on Steam– and it’s getting great reception.
What kind of game is this? Tainted Grail: Fall of Avalon is an open-world RPG developed by Questline, an indie studio from Poland. The RPG offers a dark reinterpretation of the Arthurian legend. Overall, the game feels very much like Skyrim, just more modern:
The game allows you to switch between first-person and third-person perspective like Skyrim did. Particularly in first-person, the combats feel very reminiscent of Bethesda’s model.
The game world evokes its dark, melancholic atmosphere, reminiscent of Skyrim’s setting of Tamriel.
Many players on Steam also believe that Tainted Grail: Fall of Avalon feels like the “spiritual successor to Skyrim” (as mentioned in this Steam review).
The game was released on May 25, 2025, for PC on Steam, Epic Games, and GOG. The title is also available on the consoles PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. On December 15, 2025, the first story DLC, Sanctuary of Sarras, was released. This sends you to a mysterious underwater world.
Here you can see the trailer for the new story expansion:
Start video
Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon schickt euch im neuen Story-DLC in eine gefährliche Unterwasserwelt
New adventure in an underwater world
What does the new DLC deliver? In Sanctuary of Sarras, you follow the trails of Nimue and the deserters who once stood against King Arthur. Throughout the story, you will also explore why the namesake sanctuary sank into the sea.
The DLC provides a brand-new area where fresh dungeons, enemies (including bosses), and equipment await you. Additionally, the DLC introduces a new progression system.
By activating sacred shrines in Sarras, you weaken enemies (who will now scale with your level, meaning they become stronger). Furthermore, these shrines grant you points that you can invest in three new talent trees.
How long will I be occupied with the DLC? The developers mention around 15 hours of gameplay on Steam. However, some players have stated that they completed it much faster:
Shepherd of Elo gives a thumbs up in his Steam review, but recommends playing the DLC with a new character or only on New Game +: “It only took me 7-8 hours with an Act 3 completed character on NG.”
Steam user andy is also enthusiastic and writes in his Steam review: “I really liked this expansion […] in fact it was so good that i played through this in one sitting”. However, he does not disclose how long that session was.
Overall, the reviews for the DLC on Steam are 90% positive, although there are currently only 54 of them. This value is likely to change as more players share their opinions.
On Steam, you can currently get Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon for €30.79 instead of €43.99. This offer is valid until December 19, 2025. A demo is also available on Steam. On GOG, the game costs €35.19, and this includes a DRM-free version, with a discount valid until January 3, 2026.
For Free2Play players, Destiny: Rising can currently feel very frustrating and tedious. The developers want to change that in the coming year.
What do the developers plan? A major update for Destiny: Rising is set to be released in January 2026. This is to include content for the main story, fresh activities, a tower defense mode, and a new pinnacle energy system.
In the announcement on playdestinyrising.com, the developers also address current criticism from the community that farming for resources and upgrade materials is too laborious and lengthy if you don’t invest money in the mobile version of Destiny.
Start video
Destiny: Rising shows first gameplay in the trailer
More Free2Play fun starting 2026
What will change? For the upcoming Season 3, the developers plan a free pinnacle energy drop event. This event is to be active throughout the entire season and grant players free energy every day.
Furthermore, they want to significantly improve the rewards for Free2Play players and reduce the currently too strong restrictions on accessing content. Especially modes like “Calamity Ops” and “Bounties” currently do not offer enough rewards.
The goal of the changes in January: Those who do not invest money in Destiny: Rising should still have the opportunity to keep up with the new releases.
We firmly believe that active players are the foundation of a healthy gaming ecosystem, and we do not want monetization to become a barrier that prevents players from experiencing the game’s content.
A patch is already addressing the wound inflicted by the “The Dawning” event taking place in December. Through the associated activities, you can earn additional pinnacle energy and upgrade materials before the January update. By the way, what our Destiny expert Christos Tsogos thinks of the mobile version can be found here: I can hardly believe it myself, but Destiny: Rising is better than feared
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Patch 7.4 has entered Final Fantasy XIV and brought some exciting new features. And one new content is so good that MeinMMO editor Alex simply can’t get enough.
What content are we talking about? With Patch 7.4, the raid series of Dawntrail around the Arkadion came to an end in Solution Nine. The last 4 new raids were introduced and are definitely impressive. As a long-time extreme raider, I naturally had to jump in on patch day to see what awaits us in January when the hard modes become available.
So: Grabbed the raid group and off we went! And we were anything but disappointed. Because what unfolded before us in the next 2 hours was a pure fireworks display of emotions and fun. So much so that after our first run, we had to jump in again, even though we had already collected the weekly rewards, and we realized: These raids definitely rank among the best in the MMORPG.
Who is writing here? MeinMMO editor Alexander Mehrwald has been active as a Dark Knight in Eorzea since the beginning of the Heavensward expansion in 2015 and does not shy away from tough content. For the new raid tier, he is switching from tank to healer after 10 years and is looking forward to the Savage variants on January 6, 2026, which he will tackle with his long-time raid crew.
You can also get a brief impression of the raids in the trailer:
Start video
Final Fantasy XIV: Rocking trailer for “Into the Mist” sets the stage for patch 7.4
A successful finale for the Arkadion
What was our experience? Already in the first of the four new raids, we noticed the rocking and captivating new soundtrack. Raids in FF14 often have really good music, but the new tracks resonated with us even more than the previous ones. They represent one of the great strengths of this raid tier.
This impression continued in Raids 2 – 4 and culminated in a song that is currently stuck in my head and plays on loop alongside my work. Because in Raid 4 you can listen to the song ‘Everything Burns’, which was created in collaboration with Tom Morello, the guitarist of the band ‘Rage Against the Machine’.
You can listen to the song here:
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
The drive generated by the music also continues in the fight design and mechanics. The fights are fast, chaotic, snappy, and yes, they forgive little mistakes. Casual players may encounter some difficulties here, but nothing that can’t be mastered with a little patience and brainstorming.
Familiar formulas cleverly wrapped
The mechanics are, as always, based on the well-trodden, typical FF14 formula – however, they are wrapped and combined so cleverly that they feel fresh and new. Every fight had so many moments where we simply had to laugh, felt overwhelmed, and yes – even had to literally tank the floor collectively to restart the whole thing multiple times. A situation that hasn’t happened to us in several years.
The previous raids in the Arkadion were good and fun, but not more or less than, for example, the Eden series from Shadowbringers or the Pandaemonium from Endwalker. From our perspective, they were simply solid, with a slightly higher level of difficulty than before.
However, these last four raids of Dawntrail surprised us so positively that they have brought back the motivation and passion for the game that had somewhat faded during the expansion.
Just this achievement leads us to almost call the new raids the best in the game. Added to this are the really well-executed and fun concept, the very different arenas and designs, and the rocking soundtrack.
But the patch also brought some new features that are slowly but surely bringing back the fun of the game. For example, it is now possible to combine the armor pieces of all classes and glamor them over the equipped gear, so it feels like there are endlessly new possibilities for cool outfits.
Additionally, a strategy board for groups was introduced to facilitate planning for challenging content. Whether we will use it for our savage raids in the future remains to be seen. Yesterday, we primarily used it during waiting times to play chess or Tic-Tac-Toe in giant format. Apparently, we were not alone in this, as some posts on x.com show.
The new Anime season starts directly in January 2026. There are so many hits in winter that fans don’t even know when to watch it all.
What hits are coming? Right at the beginning of the year, several sequels of popular animes are available that fans can look forward to. Even though the rest of the year has more hits in store, some good series start right in January. These include:
But Oshi no Ko, Pokémon Horizons, and Fire Force are also part of the sequels. In addition, there are numerous new animes like Sentenced to Be a Hero, which will start in the Winter Season 2026. Fans reasonably ask themselves: When should we watch all of this?
Start video
Hell’s Paradise: Trailer for Season 2 shows the creepy flower island
Tight schedule in January for anime viewers
What do fans say about this? Since so many good series are starting simultaneously, many users on Reddit think that the season from January will be very packed. According to them, the current season was “starving”, while the upcoming season would lead to “forced feeding”.
This means, the users feel that after a long drought, suddenly too many good series are appearing. For example, One-Punch Man was one of the highlights in autumn, but disappointed with its animations.
By the way, some users don’t find the drought in the current period bad at all: They were able to catch up on rewatches of past seasons to prepare for Winter 2026.
The fact that the next season seems so full is also because it caters to every fan genre-wise. In the comments, there are all sorts of animes that users are looking forward to. There is no clear favorite.
User Cipher-IX receives a lot of support: “Frieren, JJK, and Hell’s Paradise. I’m in heaven.”
User Lodju replies to his post: “For me, there’s much more, Oshi no Ko, Golden Kamuy, and Tis Time for Torture Princess, to name a few. And I will watch all the new non-sequels that have piqued my interest.”
User xenon2456 keeps it short with his favorite: “My Hero Academia: Vigilantes.”
Therefore, a tight schedule is needed to largely cover all your interests in the upcoming season. Do you have a method for efficiently binge-watching many animes? Or are you perhaps not interested in many animes in Winter 2026? Feel free to let us know in the comments!
