ARC Raiders is not the first successful shooter from the developers of Embark. Now, they talk about their decision to not go with Free2Play again, and explain what has changed.
What was the first shooter? The developers of ARC Raiders achieved great success in 2025, but it is not the first shooter they have released. Almost exactly two years ago, the developers of Embark launched the arena shooter The Finals.
In a futuristic arena, players could control candidates who eliminated each other in a kind of e-sports competition while trying to earn as much money as possible. Unlike ARC Raiders, the shooter is free-to-play and can be downloaded anytime from Steam.
However, for ARC Raiders, the developers consciously decided against the free model, which also changed the contents of the title.
Here you can see more about Embark’s first shooter:
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The Finals showcases the Battle Pass of Season 6 with its new trailer
Gameplay Changes Due to Pricing
What has changed due to the pricing? In a new episode of their behind-the-scenes video project on YouTube, the developers discussed their decision. They also explain which elements have changed as a result.
The developers explain that due to the pricing, it has become “dramatically easier” to develop the game. According to their explanation, for a free title, you first have to win over players. They must be “invested” in the title for them to later afford microtransactions.
For this, some mechanics would require more grind. However, they did not want this in ARC Raiders, which is why the pricing allowed them to respect the players’ time.
Which areas does this affect? Design Director Virgil Watkins explains:
In crafting, there are no more timers to wait for, and the amounts of items we ask you to gather are a bit more reasonable; effort and reward fit together a bit better. This has helped greatly, but on the other hand, because we brought the game to market with a certain price, we still need monetization options that do not feel exploitative. That is also an interesting challenge.
Without the pricing, players would likely have to gather more items for their quests, and crafting would take a certain amount of time or be otherwise limited to keep players engaged longer.
The Twitch streamer AverageJonas became huge with Valorant. His switch to Valve’s MOBA shooter Deadlock cost him a large part of his audience, but he is now happier than ever.
What kind of streamer is he? AverageJonas is a Norwegian Twitch streamer who gained popularity during the Corona pandemic with the then-new Valorant. In May 2020, he started with an average of 5 viewers, but with the release of the tactical shooter, he was already averaging 1,800 viewers by September.
AverageJonas made a name for himself with his pleasant demeanor and eye for builds, secured lucrative advertising deals, and was even featured in Times Square. In 2024, however, the streamer unexpectedly said goodbye to Valorant. 500 days later, he reflects on his “downfall”.
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Valorant rewards its players with a music video for the 5th anniversary of the shooter
“I wish I had crashed earlier”
How is he doing now? In a YouTube video, AverageJonas spoke for about a quarter of an hour about the reasons for his decision back then and how he feels about it today.
The streamer says that at his peak in Valorant, he felt like he was in seventh heaven. But over time, his popularity declined, the shooter lacked content, and his preferred agent Sova was plagued by nerfs. Additionally, he struggled with health issues and even lost his voice for several months.
During that time, he increasingly tried out different types of games, initially Palworld and later Dota, until he finally fell for Valve’s MOBA shooter Deadlock. The game offered him everything that had once intrigued him about Valorant: a lot of depth, items, and the ability to create informative content and theorycraft.
Today, AverageJonas streams in front of only a few hundred viewers on average. He points out that this is still what many streamers dream of. And even though his popularity has declined significantly, he is overall happier and healthier. You can watch the entire video here:
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In Deadlock, according to the streamer, viewer counts fluctuate more, and so do the earnings. However, fans need not worry about his finances: According to AverageJonas, most people are not even aware of how huge the deals were during the pandemic. He made millions back then.
The streamer invested the money in real estate in Norway and cryptocurrency, which still provides him with passive income – entirely independent of his viewers on Twitch.
For those who talk about his reduced numbers, AverageJonas has clear words: “If this is a crash, then it’s actually pretty cool. I wish I had crashed earlier.”
Video games in Japanese will soon become more expensive in their development and will likely change as well. The reason for this is a licensing change.
What is this rule? While we in the West can choose from a variety of beautiful and not so beautiful fonts, developers from other countries face greater challenges. Languages like Japanese, which use a script system of syllables and Kanji instead of letters, require a font that includes as many of the characters they want to use as possible.
Developers in Japan are also affected, who until now have relied on the affordable service “Fontworks LETS” for their games and apps. For 60,000 yen per year (approximately 330 euros), developers could use high-quality fonts.
However, the company behind the service has been acquired, and the new parent company “Monotype” has significantly increased the prices and agreements for the service. A license will now cost about 50 times as much, namely 20,500 US dollars, or about 17,600 euros. But another limit poses problems for developers.
You can see an affected title here in the trailer:
Start video
Fate/Grand Order: The trailer for the mobile game with historical figures
A rule that renders the service unusable
What is this limit? With the new license comes a limit that according to gamespark.jp ensures that only 25,000 users per application can see the fonts used. Unimaginable for developers who want to make their games available to millions of players simultaneously.
However, switching to another font is not easy. Developers need a similarly high-quality font that contains all the characters used in their game and also must acquire a license for that. This will likely be more expensive than the previous LETS plan, which was used as a good-and-cheap option for titles like Fate/Grand Order, downloaded over a million times.
What does this mean for the games? Anyone who enjoys titles from Japan will soon notice a change in the appearance of the characters in some games. In some cases, this can even affect fonts in German and English, if the games use the provider “Fontworks LETS”.
Affected titles that choose to change their font will not only make changes in the games but also across the entire brand, including the website, marketing materials, and social media.
While the impact on players will only mean slight visual changes, a lot of development work is required behind the scenes. All texts must be rechecked for correctness and adjusted if necessary.
For titles from Japan or with a Japanese translation, the change can therefore be expensive. But not only with fonts can small changes lead to a lot of work. Even the choice of server provider or DDoS protection provider is an important one: Our internet has a big problem that puts us all at risk of serious outages
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
To level up the equipment bench to its maximum level, you need industrial batteries in ARC Raiders. We will show you where to find them in our guide.
Update, March 23: The article has been reviewed and is up to date.
Where can I find industrial batteries? If you want to find all the industrial batteries for your upgrade during a match, you should visit the location “Hydroponic Dome Complex”, which is located in the forest region on the map “Dam Battlefields”. There you will find various dome-shaped greenhouses that you should explore.
Make sure to look in the open metal lockers, as many batteries are just lying around there that you can pick up immediately. The locked containers and lockers in each dome are also worthwhile.
Here you need to go for the batteriesThis is what the batteries look like in the lockers
The location is quite manageable and easy to comb through, but be mindful of your surroundings. Various wasps, hornets, and, in the worst case, rocket gunners circle around in the air. The latter can hit you hard and pin you down at one of the domes – escape is then only possible with luck. So, if you search the area, take your time and be especially quiet.
What do I need the industrial batteries for? You need the industrial batteries for the final upgrade of the equipment bench. The complete list of required resources is as follows:
3x industrial battery
5x advanced electrical components
6x bastion cell
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ARC Raiders zeigt im Launch-Trailer, wie der Kampf Mensch gegen Maschine aussieht
A small tip when looting: If you generally have bad luck with your loot, you should search the area during the active world event “Nightly Looting”. There are fewer active return points and no active raider hatches, but the loot value is increased, making it worthwhile for looting.
Those were all the important information about the industrial batteries and how you can find them best. Are you still looking for the bastion cells but don’t know how to track and defeat these beasts? Then feel free to check out our guide: ARC Raiders: How to farm Bastion Cells
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
On Steam, you can currently secure the dark co-op shooter Warhammer 40,000: Darktide for just under ten bucks – and spend over 100 hours easily.
Which game is being referred to? That would be Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, a co-op shooter from the Swedish developer studio Fatshark. The team previously released a popular co-op hack-and-slash in the fantasy setting of Warhammer with Warhammer: Vermintide 2.
On Steam, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is currently available at its lowest price to date: The game costs €9.99 instead of €39.99. This offer is valid until December 11, 2025.
If you already own Vermintide 2 (perhaps you recently secured it for free), you save even more when purchasing the Warhammer Tide Collection. Then the game costs €8.49.
Here you can see a trailer for Warhammer 40,000: Darktide:
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Warhammer 40,000 Darktide: The Launch Trailer
Shootouts in the Depths of a Sci-Fi City
What is the game about? In Darktide, you don’t play glorious heroes, but prisoners. Your punishment is to fight against Chaos in the depths of Tertium (a megacity of the Imperium of Man). Chaos is an evil force that is present in all Warhammer worlds.
If you want to know more about what Chaos is all about, this article should be interesting for you:
How long does the game take? If you enjoy the gameplay of the co-op shooter, you can invest a lot of time into it. The website howlongtobeat.com indicates around 83 hours for co-op – but there are also many players who have invested significantly more time. This is evident from a look at the reviews on Steam:
Aenerion has already logged a whopping 963.9 hours in the shooter and refers to it in his Steam review as “one of the best co-op horde games out there”.
Malignant had about 169 hours in the game at the time of his Steam review. He praises, among other things, the music and sound, the environments and action, as well as the entertainingly written dialogues between the characters.
Mailorder gave it a “10/10” after 261 hours in his Steam review and has since put in almost 100 more hours into the game.
Cries in the Distance is a side quest in Where Winds Meet, for which you need to solve a puzzle. We will show you how to complete it and how to solve the puzzle.
In the quest Cries in the Distance, you will meet your old friend Feng, who is trapped behind a rock. If you free him, you can solve a puzzle together and gain valuable treasures. We will show you a direct way to quickly solve the puzzle. If you generally have trouble finding or starting the quest, you will find a guide further down.
Here’s how to solve the Yin-Yang puzzle: When you stand before the statues and the Yin-Yang disc, you can quickly and easily solve it as follows:
Rotate the two statues in the green border in the image so that the dragon faces inward
Then rotate the Yin-Yang disc once clockwise
Then rotate the statue with the blue border right next to Feng so that the dragon faces outward
Then walk to the statue across from it and rotate this one outward as well
Rotate the disc once more clockwise to solve the puzzle
This is how you solve the Yin-Yang puzzle with the correct statue positions.
This is why it is solved this way: Feng will give you some clues on how to solve the puzzle once you have freed him. He explains that the fire and water statues should look away from each other and the earth and air statues should look at each other.
He also mentions that fire and water move together and air and earth move independently. This means that when you rotate one of the two statues, the other will also rotate simultaneously.
In order to move them independently, the Yin-Yang symbol must be adjusted so that the two central circles are no longer aligned with the two statues. Then they can move independently, and the other two can no longer be rotated separately.
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Schnelle Gründe, warum ihr Where Winds Meet zocken solltet
Cries in the Distance – Start and complete the quest
Where does the quest start? To start Cries in the Distance, you need to go to Moonveil Mountain. In close proximity to the boundary stone teleport, you will also hear a voice calling for help. This will start the quest, and you can follow it in the quest log.
Follow the voice towards the cliff and look down for a ledge. Let yourself fall down and take a chest on the left if you don’t have it yet. On the ledge, you will then find a cave entrance with a trapdoor from which the voice is coming.
Here you need to climb down to find the cave.This is what the cave entrance with the trapdoor looks like.
Climb down and you will enter a cave with a Yin-Yang symbol on the ground and some statues. Here the puzzle awaits you, but first you need to free your buddy Feng, who is trapped behind a rock.
Do this by looking for vines that you can burn with fire arrows. Behind them, you will find a platform that you can stand on, thus freeing Feng. He will then give you a hint on how to solve the Yin-Yang puzzle.
What happens after the puzzle? Once you have solved the puzzle, a shaft in the ground opens and you can climb down. There you will have to face a powerful bear, for which you should definitely bring the Tai Chi ability.
To resolve the situation, you need to destroy 3 piles of stones where you throw the bear with the ability. Once you’ve successfully hit all 3, the bear disappears, and you can secure the treasures behind it. Then speak with Feng once more and claim your reward.
Where Winds Meet is a game that does not exactly hold your hand and can indeed be overwhelming with its sheer amount of different menus and content. So if you have unanswered questions or encounter problems, check out our guide overview; perhaps we already have the answer ready for you: Where Winds Meet: All Guides, Tips, and Builds at a glance
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In ARC Raiders you can defeat Bastions to rob them of their cores. Unfortunately, these beasts can be quite tough, and those who want to defeat them efficiently need a good plan. We will show you where to find Bastions and how to best destroy them.
Where can I find Bastion Cells? You can find Bastion Cells in the remnants of a defeated Bastion.
Bastions are a bulky form of the ARC that often patrol important locations with lots of loot and can easily engage stranded Raiders in a hail of bullets. However, do not confuse the Bastion with a Gunner – they look nearly identical, except the Gunner is white, and the Bastion is painted black.
Good locations for a Bastion are primarily in the Buried City in front of the Town Hall or near the Pipeline Tower next to the Power Generator Complex on the Dam Battlefields. Now you know where to find them, but how do you best defeat these armored behemoths?
Start video
ARC Raiders zeigt im Launch-Trailer, wie der Kampf Mensch gegen Maschine aussieht
How to quickly and easily defeat a Bastion
What should I pay attention to in combat? The Bastions are not to be underestimated as they can deal massive damage. Once they have spotted you, they will target you with their tracking system. If this is red, the Bastion will fire at you with a Minigun. If you do not seek cover then, you will be dead in a few seconds. It is essential to maintain distance.
Due to their massive armor, you cannot shoot at the behemoth with normal weapons; you need specialized warfare equipment for this. With the following weapons, you will be well-equipped:
Hullbreaker
Ferro
Anvil
Deadline
Wolfpack
With the Hullbreaker, you can deal massive explosive damage. The Ferro and Anvil serve as backup weapons to deal damage at the weak points.
If you want to defeat the Bastion quickly, you can use Wolfpacks or the new Deadline Mine. The latter can even be attached to the outer shell of the Bastion, which can then destroy the robot with an explosion – but maintain distance, or you will be dead too.
If you want to take down the robot more traditionally with firearms, focus on the glowing red core of the ARCs, located at the center of its body. A few targeted shots at it, and the Bastion will emit smoke. A few more, and the device will explode.
Can you defeat the Bastion solo? Yes, especially if you work with Deadline Mines and have cover available. The Bastion will constantly bombard you, but after its continuous fire, the ARC must cool down for a few seconds. During this time, you have enough room to reposition yourself and land a few hits. But take your time in the fight, as mistakes can be costly.
Instead, you have to purchase it in the shop for 8.99 Euros. The rewards for the research are a Master Ball and 30 reward points in the GO Pass. Additional rewards come at the intermediate steps.
The research can be bought between December 2, 2025, at 10:00 AM and February 10 at 8:00 PM. After that, it does not expire and you have time until you finish.
But what does the research look like? We summarize all the known steps so far.
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Pokémon GO shows its new season in the trailer
Masterwork Research “A Valuable Throw” – Step 1
The masterwork researches are known to be quite challenging and very time-consuming. As of now, only the first step of the research is known. How many there will be in the end is currently unknown.
The first step looks as follows:
Task
Reward
Catch 250 Pokémon
20 Poké Balls
Use 150 berries when catching Pokémon
15 Razz Berries
Land 100 good curveball throws
2500 Stardust
Stage Reward: After completing the first stage, you will receive an encounter with Wailmer and an additional 2,500 XP.
What else is coming in Pokémon GO? December has begun. The new month brings plenty of raid and spotlight hours as well as other dates. New Pokémon and shinies are also included! You can check out our overview for what they are. Here are all events in Pokémon GO in December 2025.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
On December 11, 2025, Ashes of Creation will launch in Early Access on Steam. But does the new MMORPG also offer fun for solo players who want to explore the wilderness of Verra alone?
Looking ahead to the Early Access launch on Steam on December 11, 2025, you may wonder whether you can still have fun in the world of Ashes of Creation without a guild or a fixed group. In the following, we will answer this question.
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Ashes of Creation stimmt im Trailer auf Early-Access-Start auf Steam ein
A Mammoth Task for a Solo Player
Currently, there are two factors that make solo play in Ashes of Creation quite challenging:
The current alpha status: Ashes of Creation is far from finished and polished
The focus of Ashes of Creation on a sandbox experience, PvP, and cooperation between players disadvantages solo players
Those who level alone through the world of AoC must lure enemies carefully, regenerate regularly, and prepare for a relatively tedious experience. The grind factor behind character and profession progression is high. There are quests, but not yet in large numbers.
Additionally, many content pieces revolve around the social interactions of guilds or communities in the medium term. For example, the fight against world bosses, battles for castles, and the transport of goods via caravans and ships.
It doesn’t help that PvP is generally enabled in the world and that as a solo player, you are likely to be at a disadvantage if you encounter an aggressive group of players. Without support, fights of any kind can often lead to virtual death, causing frequent suffering from associated penalties (XP loss, loss of materials).
With the Steam release, the Harbingers event will also arrive:
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As Solo-Friendly as Never Before for Early Access Launch
The good news for all players who prefer or initially want to play Ashes of Creation alone: Despite the aforementioned factors, solo players can still have some fun during the alpha. Moreover, several improvements have landed on the test server that make the MMORPG more beginner- and solo-friendly:
First-level enemies drop rations more frequently, which you can use to regenerate your health. This saves precious copper coins at the merchant and makes it easier to restore health.
The leveling phase up to level 10 is shorter, as enemies grant more experience and you need less XP for level-ups. This way, you can unlock new abilities faster, making your character noticeably stronger in a shorter time.
New quests are also helpful, providing you with equipment upgrades until level 10. This eliminates the tedious farming for new gear at the beginning and the tasks serve as a red thread throughout the first part of the leveling phase.
The developers have extended the protection against PvP encounters from level 5 to level 10. This applies not only in the starting area but everywhere (exception: intentional participation in PvP events such as caravans).
Crafting is also less tedious and grindy on the PTR. Prices and resource requirements are noticeably lower, allowing for quicker progress.
Once you reach level 10, you can register as a citizen of a settlement and become part of the local community without having to join a guild. PvP is prohibited among citizens of a settlement, for example.
Through the Commission Board, you can take on tasks that can be completed solo and contribute to the growth of the settlement. You can also focus entirely on a profession and offer your goods on the marketplace. Or you can try your luck at the Monster Coin event and challenge other players as a raid boss.
However, how well a solo player can participate in larger story arcs, world boss fights, open dungeons, or the new Harbinger event remains to be seen.
The Conclusion: To get the most out of Ashes of Creation, master all content, and succeed in PvP, you must join a community. However, even soloists can have some fun in the world of Verra with less ambitious plans.
This is supported by the fact that the developers apparently plan to make the game significantly more beginner- and solo-friendly in light of the PTR for the Steam release.
But even then, Ashes of Creation will not become a theme park like WoW, Elder Scrolls Online, or Final Fantasy XIV, where you can experience almost everything without a fixed guild. Whether you find the still unfinished alpha version worth 42 to 50 US dollars (there should be a small discount at the Steam launch) is ultimately up to you to decide.
What else should I know about Ashes of Creation? Ashes of Creation is a sandbox MMORPG set in a fantasy world, played in a massive open world. You fight against world bosses and engage in PvP battles. There is also a system in which you level areas, thereby building villages and cities, and changing parts of the game world – the so-called “nodes”. Development of the MMORPG began in 2015. You can read more about it here: Release, Roadmap, Alpha 2, Classes, Gameplay, Payment Model – all important information about the MMORPG Ashes of Creation.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Physicists’ jokes were apparently so bad in the past that a new form of communication had to be invented so that they could be understood. We still use a variant of it in our daily lives.
What was the initial situation? Professor Scott Fahlman wrote a funny message in 1982 to the internal forum of Carnegie Mellon University in the United States. His joke was repeatedly misunderstood, sparking a debate about effective communication at the university.
The professor posted a message in which he supposedly explained that an elevator had been “contaminated with mercury and had suffered some fire damage” (via arsTechnica). He was apparently referring to a previous physics problem of a colleague involving mercury and candles.
However, the joke supposedly did not work and several people took the warning seriously. Even after further explanation posts, he could not convince everyone otherwise.
According to professors at Mellon University, the problem was the lack of facial expressions and audiovisual cues that people unconsciously give off during conversation or phone calls. Pure text from a forum cannot replicate human emotions and subtle signals. Researchers also wonder how a fear of making phone calls can arise.
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RFA One: This could be the launch of the most powerful German orbital rocket
Three simple symbols were the solution to the problem
How was the situation resolved? The failed joke led to a discussion about better communication and ultimately to the predecessors of our emojis.
The various professors made all sorts of suggestions for indicating sarcasm and comedy. Some said every joke should be marked with punctuation like a %- or *-symbol.
What happened next? It took some time until the first actual emoji was included in a text message. According to the Federal Agency for Civic Education, the small graphics only developed in the late 90s.
The Japanese designer Shigetaka Kurita invented small graphics in 1999 that could be attached to a text message. These symbols were based on the previous emoticons and created the first emojis.
League of Legends is constantly evolving and in 2026 some changes will occur. The developers have now announced some new features that make it harder to avoid unpopular roles.At the same time, they are introducing a system that allows you to rank up faster in certain cases.
What is this new feature? In the latest dev update for Season 1 of 2026, the developers of League of Legends discussed the first major changes coming in the new year. In the YouTube video, many gameplay adjustments are presented, as well as how the so-called “Dodgers” will be contained.
A change to the autofill system, which gives you a random role, will present a new obstacle in 2026, but will also reward you at the same time.
Start video
The trailer of the new champion of League of Legends showcases his abilities in action
What will change about the autofill system? In the third season of 2025, a player who chooses autofill is assigned a random role. If the player receives a role that he is absolutely unhappy with, he would bypass the round by leaving the selection screen and restarting the search. This allows a chance to get a different role in the next match found.
To keep the dodgers under control, Riot wants to implement a change so that the assigned role remains after a dodge. This means: If a player uses autofill and receives the jungle role, he will continue to be selected as a jungler even after leaving the match.
With the new autofill, you can rank up faster
How does the new autofill work? In the same video, the developers talk about a system called “Aegis of Valor.” With this system, players who use autofill are rewarded if they achieve a certain performance.
How does the buff work? As long as you have entered a match through the autofill function and received a random role, you are able to claim the “Aegis of Valor” buff. If you achieve a performance score of C or higher, you will receive double the amount of LP for a victory to rank up. If you lose the match, no LP will be deducted from you.
It is therefore worthwhile to learn even the less played positions to rank up much faster.
Is the buff also available outside of autofill? Yes, the developers say in the video that players who play less popular roles should occasionally receive the buff as well. They want to reward the heroes of role search since they shorten the search.
There are further changes that Riot aims to implement with the first season of 2026 in League of Legends. With the new season, Riot will be removing the large new jungle monster that was introduced in 2025. This was already criticized at release, why you can read in this article: New monster in the jungle of LoL is criticized for rewarding you when you die on purpose
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Escape from Tarkov, the first player has now succeeded in escaping from the namesake area and completing the game after 9 years, but it is not an easy task.
Why did it take 9 years? Although Escape from Tarkov already carries the end goal in its name, it has only been possible to truly escape from Tarkov since the release about two weeks ago. The shooter has been playable in various alpha and beta versions for 9 years, but the developers have only now released the final goal and the opportunity to actually escape from EFT.
To achieve this goal, many of the new and lengthy story missions must be completed. They take considerable time and are a challenge even for veterans. Nevertheless, the first player managed to achieve this in just under 2 weeks, although not everything has been accomplished yet.
You can watch the trailer for Escape from Tarkov here:
Start video
Escape from Tarkov zeigt das Gameplay zum 1.0-Release im Trailer
Goodbye Tarkov, or not?
Who reached the end? The first player to reach the end of Escape from Tarkov is Twitch streamer Tigz. Since the release, he has been working live on escaping Tarkov for several hours every day, completing both new and old missions.
On December 1, 2025, it finally happened, and in a final story mission, he managed to escape from Tarkov. For this, the developers have developed an entire story mission that takes place in single-player mode and serves as a crowning conclusion. There is also a cinematic sequence and some information that contributes to the storyline of the hardcore shooter, once you really escape from Tarkov.
You can see how Tigz reached the end in his video on YouTube:
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The success was also acknowledged by the developers on X.com. They publicly congratulated the player on the achievement of being the first to escape Tarkov. However, despite the great success, which was achieved in over 100 hours of gameplay, it was not yet the end.
What remains to be done? When the Twitch streamer reached the end of the game, he was greeted with the message “Escaped from Tarkov and Survived.” In addition to some fluff text, there is a note underneath that states he has completed one of four possible endings.
This means the streamer has more endings ahead of him, which he can only reach if he resets his account through the prestige system. This causes him to lose many of his earned items and equipment, but he has the opportunity to see multiple endings, he says in his Twitch stream at 09:54:30. How the other endings differ, however, is still uncertain.
The Tarkov developers from Battlestate Games are suspected of directly and indirectly supporting the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. The head of Escape from Tarkov, Nikita Buyanov, has repeatedly appeared in the past with Roma Hors, a Russian weapon YouTuber, and his team 715 (via Imgur). There are also frequent references to Team 715 in the game. According to a community research on Reddit, the team publicly supports Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and reportedly even entered the areas of Ukraine occupied by Russia. There they are also said to have posed with weapons from the Russian military and actively participated in combat operations (via Imgur).
Escape from Tarkov has also posed a significant challenge to its veterans with new story missions and four available endings. The fact that it took more than two weeks and over 100 hours of gameplay to reach the end shows that the developers aim for more “hardcore” gameplay. How “hardcore” it can get is also shown by another event in the game: Escape from Tarkov is set to get even tougher: Developers announce mysterious “Hardcore Wipe”
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
On Thursday, a Soyuz rocket launched on an eight-month mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Although the flight was successful, a gigantic service platform collapsed into the so-called “Flame Trench” at launch, crippling Russia’s only launch pad for manned missions.
What exactly happened? On November 27, 2025, the Soyuz MS-28 mission launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan – with two Russian cosmonauts and one American astronaut on board. The launch proceeded technically flawlessly; the spacecraft reached the ISS, and the crew successfully docked (Reuters).
However, during the mandatory post-launch inspection of the launch pad, Roscosmos, the space organization of the Russian Federation, discovered severe damage. A service platform weighing around 20 tons, which assists in accessing the rocket and loading, reportedly detached and fell into the so-called “Flame Trench.” (via Reddit & ArsTechnica).
This “Flame Trench” is a device that specifically directs flames, heat, and exhaust from rocket or other engines away from the rocket itself to prevent damage. It is presumed that the ramp was not adequately secured and therefore fell into this trench, as seen on X.
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Students spy on passersby with hidden cameras and AI, find name and address in seconds
Why can no astronauts be sent into space anymore? The damaged launch pad, known as Site 31 at Baikonur, a city in southern Kazakhstan, was Russia’s last functional facility for conducting manned missions to the ISS.
All other old launch pads — including the historic launch site from which the first human flew into space in 1961 — have long been decommissioned or are no longer used for manned flights (Spiegel & NYT). Thus, Russia has lost the ability to actively send humans into space for the first time in over half a century.
The current incident, which has temporarily brought the station to a standstill, could according to New York Times either be a result of misconduct or a technical defect. In an interview with Anatoly Zak from RussianSpaceWeb.com, a platform closely monitoring Russia’s space activities, it was stated:
It is severely damaged […] and will therefore probably need to be rebuilt. Perhaps some of the hardware can be reused. But it has crashed and is destroyed.
According to Zak, the service platform is typically brought to the rocket shortly before launch and secured there. This may have been forgotten.
How did the space agency react? In a brief statement issued on the evening of November 27, 2025, on the official Telegram channel, it commented relatively cautiously on the incident.
It was stated that the launch pad had been inspected – as is customary before any rocket launch. During this inspection, damage to several components was identified. Such damage can occur after a launch, which is why corresponding inspections are mandatory worldwide. The condition of the launch pad is currently being assessed.
International press releases and analysts assess the situation much more critically: The failure of Site 31 not only raises doubts about the reliability of Russian spaceflight – it also jeopardizes supply and orbital correction flights to the ISS and thus the long-term stability and collaboration of the partners on the space station (including: LiveScience, NYT, Spiegel, Newsweek)
Amazon has released its first animes where the characters are not voiced by real people. This received so much backlash from anime fans that the company is now backtracking.
What is the problem? Amazon used artificial intelligence in several animes to dub the Japanese original into other languages. This included Banana Fish and No Game No Life: Zero, as well as Vinland Saga and Journal of Mysterious Creatures.
However, the AI voices were not well received by viewers. They sound emotionless and unconvincing. Unlike the Japanese original, where the voices have highs and lows, the AI translation felt like a jumble of monotonous voices.
Many viewers even preferred silence over this dubbing. The criticism from fans was so significant that Amazon has now responded.
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Vinland Saga – The Official Trailer for the Viking Anime
Amazon responds to massive criticism
How is Amazon responding now? The company has removed the affected animes from its program. They can no longer be accessed with the AI translation, but are still available in the Japanese original audio.
The action is being carried out quietly, as there has not yet been any official statement from the company. Also, there is no explanation as to why the AI translation made its way to the streaming service in the first place.
What do fans say about this? They are over the moon. Most are excited about Threads and Reddit that the AI translation was removed from the program so quickly. Viewers hope this is a sign that in the future there won’t be such a heavy reliance on AI for dubbing.
However, some point out that the Spanish AI translation is still available. They are also unsure whether the decision came directly from Amazon or the rights holders in Japan.
The Witcher 4 is set to be the beginning of a new trilogy, and for this, developer CD Projekt Red is currently bringing in many new talents. It is now known that a developer from Baldur’s Gate 3 is joining the team.
Who is this developer? CD Projekt Red has now brought on Felix Pedulla. The developer was involved as a Senior Cinematic Artist on Baldur’s Gate 3 – meaning he worked on some of the elaborately staged cutscenes in the game.
If you’re curious: On YouTube, Pedulla has uploaded a showreel. There, you can see in just under two minutes which film sequences he worked on in BG3 and what exactly he did.
Here you can see another trailer for the new Witcher game:
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The Witcher 4: Cinematic Trailer from the State of Unreal 2025
Pedulla is now transitioning to CD Projekt Red: There, he will work as a Senior Cinematic Designer on The Witcher 4, as he reveals in a LinkedIn post.
Time to trade in my Baldur’s Gate dice for some Polish steel and get to work crafting some epic cutscenes.
Judging by the post and his new job title, Pedulla will also work on cinematic cutscenes in The Witcher 4.
CD Projekt Red is reaching out for talents from other studios
He’s not the only one: CD Projekt Red is snatching up talents from well-known studios for its new Witcher trilogy around Ciri. Karel Kolmann, who worked as a gameplay designer at Warhorse Studios on Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, is now also involved in Witcher – but as a Senior Quest Designer, as he proudly announced in an X-Post on November 10, 2025.
Some people on the internet are already joking that CD Projekt Red is assembling “the Avengers” for its new Witcher trilogy. After all, the current new recruits are experienced developers who have worked on highly acclaimed games in the past.
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CD Projekt Red is not only shopping for developers for the upcoming Witcher trilogy but also for their new Cyberpunk game. They have also secured a high-profile developer: Liz Albl, who previously worked on the still-in-development BioShock 4.
Albl is joining the team behind Cyberpunk 2 as a Senior Writer. In her LinkedIn profile, she is also listed as a Senior Writer for the Samurai Open World game Ghost of Tsushima. Before that, she spent 5 years at Ubisoft working on games like Far Cry 4 and 5 as well as Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag.
In Pokémon GO, a battle event is awaiting you in the new season. What is in store?
When does Battle Fever start? The event begins on December 11 at 10:00 AM. It falls within the new season “Valuable Paths”, which has just started. It ends on December 16 at 8:00 PM.
What are the highlights? The event has several points that will be exciting for you.
On one hand, you can find the Pokémon Clobbopus. The Pokémon with number 852 is a fighting monster that looks like a small octopus. It evolves into Grapploct, also a fighting water resident. You can encounter Clobbopus in the wild and in field research tasks.
Important: The appearance of Clobbopus will only be activated once you have completed the global challenge.
The second highlight is the appearance of Hitmonlee and Hitmontop in Dynamax battles. If you defeat them as Dyna-bosses, you have an increased shiny chance for the two!
But there are more contents to discover.
Start video
Pokémon GO shows its new season in the trailer
What else does Battle Fever bring to Pokémon GO?
We will show you the remaining contents of the event here. Possible shiny Pokémon are marked with asterisk* as usual.
Once completed, Clobbopus as well as Lin-Fu* and Miniras* will be unlocked in the wild.
Another bonus for completion is an increased number of candies and XL candies from Dyna-battles.
These Pokémon will appear in the wild:
Quapsel*
Machop*
Makuhita*
Octillery
In field research you will get:
Fast TMs
Charge TMs
Dynamax Hitmonlee
Dynamax Hitmontop
Additionally, there will be a paid, limited research in the shop.
What’s next in Pokémon GO? Battle Fever is just one of several events in December that could be exciting for you. After the start of the new season, there are several dates that you should note. However, we have already done that for you: All events in December 2025 in Pokémon GO.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Path of Exile a player has treated himself to a new home, but after getting comfortable there, it caused his build to be destroyed.
What kind of build is this? Reddit user valor88 is playing a build called “Animate weapon of Self reflection”. In addition to weapons he brings to life with his abilities, he also has so-called “Spectres”. These are the souls of defeated enemies, resurrected with a skill that join the player’s side.
The souls vary in strength and have some of the effects they had while still alive. Thus, it makes a big difference which monsters one defeats and then summons as “Spectres”. Player valor88 specifically obtained the high-quality “Perfect Forest Tiger” Spectre, which costs quite expensive 35 Divine Orbs.
Because he was likely having a lot of fun in Path of Exile, he decided to purchase the new supporter pack to support the developers. But the purchase would come at a high cost.
Here you can see the trailer for the current season of Path of Exile:
Start video
Path of Exile shows new Mercenary Season “Secrets of the Atlas” in the trailer
A house that cost double
What does the house have to do with the build? The player bought the current supporter pack of Path of Exile for $90, roughly 77 €, to use the new hideout, as he explains on Reddit. The hideouts in Path of Exile are the housing system and allow players to place their own decorations and useful crafting stations and NPCs there.
However, the new house was not to bring him any luck. As he writes himself on Reddit, he became a victim of a bug. While decorating, his character started to float in the air and his skills were disabled. After switching to another map, he noticed that his “Spectre” had disappeared.
He further explains that there were no bones or other traces, and he could neither summon nor resurrect his companion again. Consequently, the bug cost him his expensive companion.
The community comes to the rescue
How does the community react to the post? The player’s post on Reddit draws many other players who share his frustration about the situation. After all, he spent money and ended up losing a large part of his strength in the game.
However, one user did not want to just let it be. The player named “DeadlyParadox” offered valor88 on Reddit to replace his Spectre for him. Ultimately, the affected player still writes:
Thanks to the generosity of this community, someone gifted me a free Perfect Forest Tiger. I guess it’s that time again, but it’s still bad from GGG to continue selling a faulty supporter pack. It wasn’t even released in this league, but in the previous one… I will still demand a refund.
The predecessor of Guild Wars 2 is receiving a large-scale overhaul with Guild Wars Reforged. The focus is on modernization and accessibility, so that new players can also enjoy the backstory.
What exactly is Guild Wars Reforged? Guild Wars Reforged is a modernized version of Guild Wars, which was released around 20 years ago in 2005. For the 20th anniversary, the backstory of the popular Guild Wars 2 receives an upgrade, allowing new players to have a better entry point and enjoy the journey through the old Tyria.
This new version will be released on December 3, 2025, offering significant improvements over the previous version. A major focus has been placed on more modern graphics, an improved UI experience, and increased accessibility for new players.
Players who own Guild Wars and at least one of the expansions will receive the upgrade for free. For newcomers, the bundle with the base game and all addons costs around €19.99. There will also continue to be no subscription model, so you can buy the game and play it unlimited.
The upgrade is just the beginning, and in the future, the game will receive further updates and improvements.
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Guild Wars Reforged shows the features of the major update in the announcement trailer
Guild Wars also for on the go and with controller
What is included in the upgrade? To excite nostalgic players and especially new players for the predecessor of Guild Wars 2, the MMORPG classic receives the following improvements:
Graphical and acoustic enhancements, making the previously somewhat outdated MMORPG shine in a new outfit
Especially the user interface and navigation receive an update tailored to newcomers
A new quest tracking system and an on-screen control guide will also support newcomers and ease the entry
The game will also be playable on the Steam Deck
You can also play Guild Wars with a controller
Especially the latter points are likely to please some fans, as controller support for Guild Wars 2 has long been requested by the community (see Reddit). On Reddit, players are also looking forward to playing the old Tyria in a new outfit relaxed with a controller or Steam Deck on the couch.
A merchant at the Spirit Light Market of Where Winds Meet offers a tome promising unparalleled martial arts knowledge. MeinMMO explains what lies behind the mysterious manual.
Where can I find the merchant? The merchant Ni Laoshan from the shop “The Buried Tomes” can be found in Where Winds Meet at the Spirit Light Market. Follow the path from the teleport stone to the southwest until you see the entrance of the shop on the left side.
Ni Laoshan hangs upside down from the ceiling and promises you surprises and treasures. He sells a whole range of books and stories, with two items particularly standing out:
An “Unknown Old Book” for 12,500 coins
A mysterious manual titled “Highest Combat Secrets” for 50,000 coins
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Schnelle Gründe, warum ihr Where Winds Meet zocken solltet
Strong skill for users of the Strategic Sword
What does the Unknown Old Book bring? You can obtain fragments for the Inner Path skill Sword Horizon. With 10 fragments, you learn the skill, especially interesting for users of a Strategic Sword:
After using the martial arts skill, special ability, or charged ability of the Strategic Blade, press the skill button at the perfect time during the end phase to cast Crossing Blades and trigger follow-up attacks. If the target has 5 stacks of bleeding, remove all bleeding stacks and deal high bleeding damage once.
Attention: Not every Unknown Old Book that you open grants you such a fragment. Many used books only give you a few consolation coins back. So, with a bit of bad luck, you will have to invest considerable coins in purchasing the books.
Here you will find the shop “The Buried Tomes”.
Highest Combat Secrets – what is it?
What is the mysterious manual about? You can only buy it once. You will find it in the inventory under the sword tab / develop. It promises the wisdom of an unparalleled master and can be cultivated with the push of a button.
The “Do you dare to try?” at the end of the tooltip should serve as a warning. When you use the item, your blood will get stirred, only for you to then catch an injury:
Banished IV: You suffer from internal energy backlash, disturbed meridians, and physical transformation. In this state, you will definitely take damage if you attack. Temporarily enter a confused state and lose control over your body.
The injury manifests as a messy hairstyle and red eyes. Additionally, you cause damage to yourself with your attacks, making even fights against light opponents dangerous.
Since the mysterious manual remains in your inventory and can still be cultivated after use, some players believe that one day the puzzle behind the book will be solvable. Currently, however, the book seems to be just an expensive and potentially nerve-wracking scam.
A nice healer has removed our “Banished IV” effect.
How do I heal the illness? Since the illness imposes a permanent effect on you, you need to visit a healer. Yao Yaoyao from the Clinic of Eternal Care is however unable to heal your wounds.
Let Yao Yaoyao send you to the clinic version of the online mode (or visit it yourself). Players who have taken on the career of a healer are usually around to heal you, and they will be more than happy to help. Alternatively, search through chat for a player who can bandage you up.
Spirit Light Market – how to access the underground
You gain access to the Spirit Light Market in the region of Kaifeng. One way to reach the underground: the exploration event Coffin Shop in the Abandoned District in the southeast of Kaifeng City. Simply interact with the coffin in the shop that bears the name.
Where Winds Meet belongs to the type of games that only guide you to a certain extent. The number of systems, mechanics, and currencies is large. Many important pieces of information get lost in the jungle of menus. If you are looking for tips and tricks for the open-world adventure, check out our guide overview – perhaps we already have the solution to your current problem: Where Winds Meet: All guides, tips, and builds at a glance
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Scuf Gaming has launched a new controller for Xbox and PC, the Valor Pro Wireless. MeinMMO editor Benedikt Schlotmann tested the controller and explains whether he can recommend the model.
Scuf Gaming has introduced the Valor Pro, a new controller aimed at both Xbox and PC gamers. The controller starts at a recommended retail price of 209.99 Euros in Germany. That’s not exactly cheap and is considerably more expensive than Microsoft’s Elite Series V2.
I took a closer look at the controller in a test and explain how it performed in everyday use.
Benedikt is a tech editor at MeinMMO and has been testing hardware for readers for many years. He tests mice, keyboards, headphones, and pretty much everything you can use with a computer, console, or other devices.
The model was provided to us by the manufacturer for testing.
Benedikt Schlotmann Hardware Editor MeinMMO
Technical Details
Here you’ll find the technical details in a table (click to expand):
Design/Interface
Wired (USB-C), Bluetooth or wireless connection
Button Type
TMR sticks, mechanical buttons
Programmable Buttons
Yes (via software)
Lighting
No
Compatibility
PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One
Contents
Controller, USB-C cable, wireless adapter and additional thumbsticks
Special Features
TMR sticks, back buttons and audio control directly via the controller
Price (RRP)
209.99 Euros
Contents, Design and Build
Positive: similar ergonomics to official Xbox controller, extra buttons | Negative: no protective case included | Neutral: –
What is included? The package includes the controller, a USB charging cable, the wireless adapter, and two additional thumbstick caps, which allow you to adjust the height of the sticks. An additional transport case, like the one that comes with the Elite Series 2, is not included, which is a bit unfortunate given the high price. An official protective case can be purchased for around 15 Euros.
Design and Build: The build of the Valor Pro Wireless is almost identical to that of the official Xbox controller: buttons and sticks are asymmetrically arranged. In terms of size, there’s not much difference between the standard Xbox controller and the Valor Pro Wireless either.
However, the situation is different when you turn the controller around: the Valor Pro Wireless features additional back buttons and the ability to adjust the trigger depth. Additionally, with the SCUF controller, you can remove the cover and replace it with your own. Anyone who has held a Scuf controller before will know this.
Processing
Positive: TMR sticks, replaceable thumbsticks | Negative: Semi-open backside is prone to dirt and breakage | Neutral: permanently installed battery
The battery in the Scuf Valor Pro Wireless is permanently installed, a fact that you should be aware of, but this is not a major issue for me personally.
What I don’t like is the build of the back buttons. The outer buttons are firmly integrated into the chassis of the controller. If these buttons break after heavy use, they cannot be replaced without having to throw away the controller.
Another point: dirt can get into the controller through the gap between the controller and back button. This is a real problem, especially in a household with pets, because cat hair finds its way into every gap.
The Xbox Elite 2 at least uses removable paddles that leave no room for dust intrusion.
The backside of the Valor Pro Wireless: The outer buttons are integrated into the plastic of the housing. In addition, dirt can penetrate here.
Software
Positive: All important features are well adjustable | Negative: Unintuitive menu navigation | Neutral: Software only usable in full-screen mode; available only through the MS Store; not optimized for WQHD and higher
The controller relies on the “Valor Pro Companion App.” As of now (Status: 2.12.25), the app can only be installed on PC through the official Microsoft Store. Currently, there is no alternative.
Scuf has stated that the software is still in beta. In the future, there could likely be changes.
The “Valor Pro Companion App”: Clearly structured, but unusual to operate.
The app starts in full-screen mode, and a smaller view is not available; minimizing the window is also not possible. Either full screen or off. For software on a PC, this is inadequate. Also annoying: the controller is only recognized by the PC through the software when you set the controller to Xbox mode. The software also points this out to you.
By the way, these issues do not exist on the Xbox. On PC, the software always feels a bit like a cheap port from the Xbox.
The basic settings, however, are clear and easy to understand. Profiles can be saved and switched when needed.
The menus can only be navigated using the XABY buttons. Feels unintuitive in everyday use.
However, the software controls do not feel particularly intuitive: Normally, you would press “B” on the Xbox controller to exit a menu. Here, you have to consciously press “X” because that’s how it’s designated in the menu. When switching profiles, you also have to manually select through the inputs and cannot confirm or switch back as you would normally with “B” and “A” on the Xbox controller.
Ergonomics and Weight
Positive: easily accessible back buttons, comfortable triggers, same size as Xbox controller | Negative: inner back buttons are too centrally placed | Neutral: weight
How heavy is the controller? The Scuf Valor Pro Wireless weighs 292 grams on my kitchen scale, making it heavier than most controllers I use daily:
The official Xbox controller weighs 274 grams with the battery inserted, making it somewhat lighter in comparison.
The Xbox Elite 2 Wireless Controller, on the other hand, is significantly heavier at 345 grams and weighs another 15 grams more when all four paddles are used.
I usually keep the controller on my lap while I play, operating the device with my hands. From this perspective, I didn’t notice the extra 20 grams compared to the standard controller significantly. However, if you play for many hours a day, the additional 20 to 30 grams can become noticeable very quickly.
Scuf Valor Pro Wireless with Xbox Controller
Ergonomics: Since the layout of the Valor Pro Wireless does not differ significantly from the standard Xbox layout, the ergonomics are not much different either. If you like the standard Xbox controller, you will also feel comfortable here, despite the higher weight.
The outer back buttons integrated into the chassis are very easy to reach with your middle fingers in everyday use and are pretty comfortable. The inner back buttons are almost too centrally placed for me, but I can still reach them with some stretching.
Gameplay
Positive: good grip due to rubber coating, back buttons, triggers, ergonomics | Negative: mushy XABY buttons | Neutral: weight and thumbsticks
How does it play? I have played mainly Where Winds Meet and EA FC: 24/26 with the controller in the past days and weeks. So games that are designed for good controller control.
First of all, you get more or less the same gameplay that you would get from any other Xbox controller: the same layout, similar weight, pretty much everything is similar at first glance. But in the end, it’s the details that provide actual advantages in everyday situations. I think it’s great to control the volume directly via the controller, the back buttons are at the right grip height for my hands, and the triggers feel nicely clicky.
What I find unfortunate, however, is that the XABY buttons do not have a clear, tactile pressure point like, for example, the Stealth Ultra from TurtleBeach. As a result, the buttons do not feel precise when pressed but somewhat mushy.
The predecessor was criticized, among other things, for having too slippery thumbsticks. I can’t fully relate to this criticism; in everyday use, I find good grip on the sticks. However, if I start to sweat and have very moist hands, then not only do the sticks get slippery.
Scuf Valor Pro Wireless frontal view, with packaging
Conclusion
Who is the controller suitable for? With a recommended retail price of 209.99 Euros, the controller is not exactly cheap and is priced above interesting alternatives like the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro (around 180 Euro market price) and the TurtleBeach Stealth Ultra (around 140 Euro market price).
If you are looking for an Xbox controller with meaningful improvements and don’t mind issues like the software or less accessories than the competition, then you’ll get an Xbox controller with sensible, very good upgrades. If you have pets in your household, the build of the back buttons could also become a long-term problem.
Since the software is still in beta, some of the issues may also be resolved in the future.
Alternatives:
The Wolverine V3 Pro is now under 200 Euros; here you get a comfortable controller with good battery life. However, the Synapse software can be annoying on PC.
TurtleBeach Stealth Ultra: Great haptics with hall effect sticks and clicky XABY buttons, currently my favorite on PC. The market price is between 130 and 150 Euros.
Xbox Elite Series V2: Criticized by many, it still offers an enormous range of accessories and many settings and is well usable on PC and Xbox. Priced between 120 and 140 Euros, without additional accessories available for around 100 Euros.
You can also find more controllers in our purchase guide for controllers for PC and Xbox. Here you’ll find controllers that are also suitable for PC and console gamers, at least if you want to play on Xbox.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
