New World: How to Find and Farm Iron Ore – 2 Good Routes

The raw material iron ore is mainly needed at the lower level of crafting in New World. We at MeinMMO will tell you where you can find the iron ore.

What is iron ore used for? Iron ore can be processed into iron bars in a furnace. You will need the iron bars for the first armor tiers and weapons beyond wood. This is particularly relevant for levels 5 to about 20.

Update from October 20, 2025: With the start of Season 10, more and more players are currently looking for information on farming iron ore. We have therefore updated the article.
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Der Launch-Trailer zu Nighthaven zeigt die neue schaurige Zone von New World

Where can you find iron ore? You can obtain iron ore from iron ore veins. You can generally find them in the “Highland” biome, and they come in various sizes, so you can yield between 15 and 50 iron ore from them.

A larger accumulation of iron ore can be found between the towns of Kingsfall and Everfall. There you can follow a route that you can repeatedly follow.

New World Mining level 25 to 100

An alternative route is available at the Cutlass Keys, where you can find silver and gold alongside iron and level up mining quickly.

New World Mining level 25 to 100 Cutlass Keys

A good overview of the locations of the various resources can generally be found on the map. Open it with the “M” key and click on “Places with Resources” there. You will see where the various resources are and can also determine from the terrain’s appearance which landscape you are in.

Helpful in the search for materials is this interactive map by players, which clearly shows where to find fibers, oil, and other raw materials.

At what level can you mine iron ore? To mine iron ore, you need a pickaxe, but no special skills in mining. Because you can already mine iron at level 0.

From level 25, iron ore will even be displayed on the map.

What other trick is there? At the NPC Michael Shields in Windsward, there are fishing quests. For one of them, you need to obtain fish swords. However, if you keep this quest active and do not turn it in immediately, you can catch and dismantle more fish swords. According to a reddit user, this can yield up to 137 iron bars per 30 minutes, which corresponds to 548 iron ore. Other useful tips and guides can be found in this overview: New World Guides: All tips, tricks, and builds in overview

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

Pokémon GO is currently experiencing a problem with raids – Here’s what Niantic says about it

In Pokémon GO raids, every second counts. However, there is currently a problem.

What is the problem? Currently, some raids are experiencing an issue where the raid “freezes” when all your Pokémon are defeated.

You should be transported directly to the team switch screen as soon as your last Pokémon is knocked out. Then you could jump back into the raid with a new team and continue fighting the boss.

However, there can be a delay that costs valuable seconds. In such a case, those seconds may be precisely what you need at the end of the raid battle.

Select a MMO video…

Problem meets Rayquaza Day – Niantic responds

Over the weekend, the Mega Raid event with Mega Rayquaza took place. The legendary dragon is a highly sought-after Pokémon, and many trainers attempted to obtain the “Meteorite” over the weekend to transform Rayquaza into its Mega form.

However, as reported in the Pokémon GO community on Reddit, some trainers had to deal with the freeze issue specifically this weekend. They report that they were able to rejoin the raid by restarting the game – even in remote raids. Some trainers also received a new raid pass from support when things went wrong with the raid.

Nevertheless, the “freezing” is a problem. Niantic has addressed the issue via social media.

On “X”, the official account of Niantic Support states, translated from English: “Trainers, please note that there may be a delay of about 10 seconds before you can participate in a raid battle again after all your Pokémon have been defeated. We are currently working to fix this issue.”

Currently, a solution to the problem appears to be in progress. We will keep you updated as more information becomes available.

What’s happening this week in Pokémon GO? Various dates are on the agenda. As always, there is a spotlight hour, but mainly the Halloween event in Pokémon GO is starting. These events have often been highlights in previous years. If you want to know what else is coming up: Here are all events in October 2025 in Pokémon GO.

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

Global server outage disrupts many games on Steam and services on the internet

Worldwide, servers of various games have gone down on Steam and elsewhere. Users can no longer access Amazon, Snapchat, Canva, and also games like Fortnite and other titles on Steam.

Why are so many services affected? On Monday morning, many internet services globally went offline. Users can no longer access websites like Amazon and Canva, nor can they launch games like Fortnite and other Steam titles like ARK: Survival Evolved.

The reason for the server outage is likely a disruption at Amazon AWS. Amazon AWS is one of the largest server providers, and many popular services rely on this infrastructure. Due to a disruption at Amazon AWS, so many services are offline at the same time because they all depend on the same data centers. When the services will be back online and how the maintenance is progressing is currently unknown.

Start video
Students spy on passersby with hidden cameras and AI, find name and address in seconds

Global server outage disrupts many services

Which services are affected? Countless services are currently affected by the outage, making a complete list impossible. However, users report outages with these games and services:

  • Roblox
  • Epic Games Store
  • Clash Royale
  • Fortnite
  • Hayday
  • Clash of Clans
  • Pokémon Go
  • Steam
  • Rainbow Six Siege
  • Snapchat
  • Canva
  • Signal
  • Duolingo
  • Tinder
  • ARK: Survival Evolved
  • EA

When will it be back online? It is currently unknown when exactly the services will be back online. However, since so many services are affected simultaneously, resulting in significant economic damage, a swift resolution is to be expected.

So far, it is unclear what the issues are and what caused them. We will update this article as soon as there is new information from Amazon AWS.

A global disruption of AWS servers is a major problem for many internet services that rely on the provider’s infrastructure. They can do nothing but wait until technicians resolve the issue. New AI from OpenAI is so good that the creators of ChatGPT are now being warned by the Japanese government

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

Players of New World complain about bad voice acting, suspect AI – Amazon Games comments on the criticism

New World is currently enjoying rising player numbers. Some players have noticed how poorly some NPCs are voiced in the new zone Nighthaven. Did Amazon Games rely on Artificial Intelligence here?

What are players criticizing? Since the start of Season 10 of New World, players have been discussing the voice acting of the NPCs in the MMORPG.

  • Riflebird writes on Steam: “It’s so terrible now. What happened? Did they go for AI or hire a cheaper voice recording company? When I spoke to Morgaine, I initially thought the voice outputs were placeholders they forgot to replace, but every voice output in the new zone is awful. Come on, Amazon, don’t be so stingy.”
  • GenericBox believes on Steam in AI recordings: “AI was definitely used, as soon as I spoke to Morgaine, something was off, but the first quest giver Lynette was even worse! Definitely AI, she doesn’t even pronounce the words correctly or articulate them properly.”
  • ekylok criticizes on Reddit: “What’s up with the AI syncing??? Sounds so bad… What is this?! I knew about the voice actor strike, but this is atrocious.”
  • SMC540 fears on Reddit the worst: “I fear this will happen more and more in the future. Destiny Rising also did this, and it’s super annoying.”
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Der Launch-Trailer zu Nighthaven zeigt die neue schaurige Zone von New World

Why is the criticism coming only now? New World has always had a rather mixed quality in the voice acting of NPCs. At launch, this was certainly due to the difficult development phase and the late focus on PvE and story content.

The examples mentioned in the discussions, such as Morgaine or Lynette, come from the new content that went live with Season 10. Additionally, New World is currently experiencing a small hype phase, resulting in significantly more players going through the quests than it had been the case in previous years.

Amazon Games responds to AI accusations

How is Amazon Games responding to the criticism? A spokesperson for Amazon Games has commented on the accusations to the website massivelyop.com. However, they only address one of the points of criticism:

All voice recordings in New World: Aeternum were made by humans and not by AI.

There was no comment on the underlying criticism that the AI accusation is based on: Why do the voice recordings of the new content sound so amateurish? One possible answer: Although the voice actor strike ended months ago, we might still be seeing the effects of the strike here.

Voice recordings take place parallel to the actual development and often require a lot of time in large RPGs. Due to the eerie theme of the new zone, it seems likely that Amazon Games wanted to release the new season in the Halloween month. That may have only been possible with compromises in the quality of the voice actors.

Rising player numbers, server queues, positive discussions about new content – New World rises unexpectedly like a phoenix from the ashes. MeinMMO editor Karsten Scholz analyzes the sudden rebirth of the MMORPG from Amazon Games: New World turns around after difficult years and delights its community – the reason is quite simple

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

Path of Exile shows new feature in video, accidentally reveals that it will fulfill the biggest wish of the players

The developers of Path of Exile presented a feature of the new season in a video. At the same time, they also revealed that the big player wish will soon be fulfilled.

What feature did the developers show? In a new video on YouTube, the developers of Path of Exile introduced a new feature. It is the ability to reset skills from the skill tree as well as the entire skill tree for a gold fee.

This feature has been available in the sequel but was not available in the first part until now. Previously, currency items were always required, and resetting a complete tree was so tedious that players often just leveled a new character.

However, this method was less attractive for beginners. They often wanted to change their build, which is why Path of Exile 2 had always had the edge. But this is supposed to change now. Those who paid attention in the video can discover another new feature.

This season introduced asynchronous trading in Path of Exile 2:

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Path of Exile 2 shows Season 2 in the new trailer, brings Act 4 and 3 interludes into play

Asynchronous Trading Is Coming

What could be discovered? Those who paid attention in the video noticed that the NPC Faustus in the hideout has a new conversation feature. In addition to resetting one’s skill tree, he now also offers the conversation option “Manage Shop” which translates to “Manage Shop”.

This suggests that the player-desired asynchronous trading, which was introduced with the recent season in Path of Exile 2, is also coming to its predecessor. Many players have wished for this since the success in part 2. Even though the display is not yet an official announcement, for the players the hint is confirmation enough.

The asynchronous trading allows players to trade with each other offline and with much less risk. For each trade, they pay a gold fee, but many players still prefer the new system because it allows them to quickly get to their items without having to message countless players who often do not respond.

How are players reacting to the two features? For the players, the video is amazing. They are very excited about both features because they make Path of Exile much more accessible and eliminate rather annoying aspects. As users write in the comments on YouTube:

  • @Mewi987: “The year of quality of life”
  • @GhazzyTV: “Manage shop! Asynchronous trading is coming ?!”
  • @HASTE1001: “HYPE, now I can try my 50 different atlas strategies without getting carpal tunnel syndrome.”
  • @Mezion: “This is exactly the quality of life we needed!”

The complete release of all features will take place as usual in the livestream. This will take place on October 23, 2025, at 9:00 PM on Twitch. There, asynchronous trading and its functionality in Path of Exile (1) will probably also be explained.

In Path of Exile 2, players have been able to trade without restrictions since the latest season. The fact that this system is now also being introduced in the first part simply delights the players and generates hype for the upcoming season. With the new season, the developers also keep a promise: When Path of Exile 2 launched, the developers made a big promise, and now they are saying how it looks

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

The demand for Aion 2 is so high that all slots on 20 servers were gone after 2 minutes

While Western players are still somewhat skeptical about Aion 2, the character reservation phase last week showed just how eager South Korean players are for the MMORPG.

How did the character reservation go? Between October 16 and 20, interested players had the opportunity to create a character in advance for the South Korean version of Aion 2 and choose a server for it.

20 servers were reportedly available for this character reservation (Source: nc.com). According to various sources, the quota provided by NCsoft was already exhausted in 1 minute and 44 seconds. This means that players were then notified that no more reservations were possible.

As mmorpg.org.pl reports, the developers supposedly added more worlds and expanded the capacity of the existing servers, but these were also quickly filled up. The total mentioned on reddit.com and YouTube is reportedly 62 worlds, though this number seems to be inaccurate.

In a statement on inven.co.kr from NCsoft, it is stated that they had to close the ultimately 34 servers early on November 19. Either way, this enormous demand shows how many fans the Aion franchise has in its home market.

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Aion 2: New trailer prepares for the Korean launch of the MMORPG

Friend and foe clearly separated

What server system does Aion 2 use? As in the first Aion, players can expect a faction war between the Elyos and Asmodians. However, the main focus of the MMORPG is still said to be on PvE, which is why the servers are supposed to be exclusively for each of the two factions.

The faction battle between the Elyos and Asmodians is supposed to play a role in server-wide, instanced battlefields like the (known from the first part) Abyss – so you can’t simply encounter followers of the enemy faction while leveling and questing.

What else do I need to know about Aion 2? The Korean launch of the MMORPG is planned for November 19, 2025. The global launch is expected to follow in the first half of 2026. There is still no specific date for this.

Although the first game had many fans in Europe and with the focus on PvE content they want to get even closer to them with the second part, there is some skepticism in the local community discussions. One reason: Aion 2 is not only coming for PC but also for Mobile, which often negatively affects areas like user interface, systems, monetization, and player experience.

There are also concerns about the payment model. NCsoft is opting for a free-to-play model with optional subscription and battle pass. Additionally, there will be an in-game shop where players can purchase cosmetic offers, consumables, or offers such as additional character slots, name changes, or keys for treasure chests in the open world.

The auction house is reportedly not linked to the real money currency of the MMORPG. Trading between players is likely only done through the earnable in-game currency. Additionally, there should be the option to exchange the earnable currency for the real money currency (and vice versa). Aion 2 will thus have a pay-to-win component, which the developers have already announced.

Furthermore, there is the visual style of the game, which some have already criticized as generic. It almost seems as if NCsoft hasn’t read our analysis of the frequent failures of Asian online role-playing games in the West: 5 mistakes MMORPGs from Asia must avoid if they want to succeed here

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

Japan selects the best anime, the favorite of German fans doesn’t even make it to the top 3

There isn’t just one anime award, but many more recognized ones. In Germany, for example, we look at the Crunchyroll Awards, while in Japan, the Newtype Award is particularly significant. And it has now awarded the best anime of the year.

What is this award? The Japanese magazine Newtype has been around since 1985, so it has a long history. Additionally, starting in 2011, the Newtype Anime Award has been held, awarding prizes in several categories each year. These include:

  • Best Anime (TV)
  • Best Anime (Film)
  • Best Director
  • Best Actor

Particularly interesting is the award for Anime of the Year. Last year, Jujutsu Kaisen: Hidden Inventory / Premature Death & Shibuya Incident took home the prize. This year, it is a series that is somewhat less known outside of Japan.

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Too Many Losing Heroines: Trailer of the Anime where the heroines have a hard time

Japan has its best anime

Which anime receives the award? The winner in the “Best Anime TV” category is Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines!. This story follows high school student Kazuhiko Nukumizu, who witnesses popular girls in his school being rejected by their crushes. 

The young man gets involved in all sorts of romantic dramas, befriending the girls and helping them cope with their rejections.

The series started in July 2024, and the accompanying manga and novel are still ongoing. You can stream the anime as Season 1 in Germany on Crunchyroll, but you will need a paid subscription for that.

How do other animes fare? On the podium, we also have Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX and the 2nd season of The Pharmacist’s Diaries.

Following that is Season 2 of Solo Leveling. The anime took 1st place at this year’s Crunchyroll Awards and is thus the most popular anime internationally – as the votes partly came from the viewers. No wonder, as the series is the most watched anime on the streaming service.

Other placements are:

  • Place 5: Uma Musume Cinderella Gray
  • Place 6: Medalist
  • Place 7: Dandadan
  • Place 8: Apocalypse Hotel
  • Place 9: Re:Zero Starting in Another World Season 3
  • Place 10: Oshi no Ko Season 2

As a fan of The Pharmacist’s Diaries, MeinMMO editor Jasmin is delighted with the 3rd place. She is a big fan of detective series and thrillers, which is why she looks forward to each new episode of the quirky pharmacist: New anime convinces with a young pharmacist and I can’t wait for every new episode

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

The second largest gaming fair in Germany is not a replacement for gamescom, and that’s a good thing

Polaris in Hamburg has developed into the second largest gaming fair in Germany within a few years. MeinMMO author Linda Baumgartl was live on site and believes: it is precisely the differences to the gamescom that make the event so attractive.

The Polaris took place in Hamburg from October 10 to 12, 2025. With around 50,000 visitors and 400 exhibitors, the fair celebrated a personal record and continued the successful trend of recent years. It also secured its place as the second largest gaming fair in Germany (Source: gameswirtschaft.de), although gaming only represents a part of Polaris – more on that later.

These numbers are quite impressive – especially since the Hamburg event has only taken place for the fourth time. In 2022, Polaris celebrated its kickoff with nearly 10,000 visitors and has been growing continuously every year since.

Success or not, of course, a young fair like Polaris cannot compete numerically with the trade fair giant gamescom. For years, the Cologne fair has been the largest gaming event in the world and recorded around 357,000 visitors this year.

Fairs of this magnitude are nice because they can simply offer an incredible amount: massive halls that take days to cover. Renowned exhibitors and an international audience – to name just a few aspects. At the same time, such events can also be quite overwhelming. Too loud, too large, too crowded – these are points I have heard increasingly in connection with the gamescom over the past years. Could a smaller fair like Polaris provide a remedy here?

In the official aftermovie, you can see some highlights of Polaris 2024:

Start video
At Polaris 2024, Gaming, Content Creator, Cosplay, and Anime came together

More Community, Less Gaming

This year, Polaris spanned five halls: sufficiently large to explore a lot. Still, my feet don’t hurt when I want to walk from one end to the other. What stands out while strolling through the halls is: Extremely large stands of individual publishers are nowhere to be found here.

Personally, I don’t really mind that. At gamescom, I also prefer to hang around in the indie arena and test as many games as possible. Fortunately, there were also indies at Polaris that I couldn’t miss. It was especially positive that the area never seemed excessively crowded. With a few minutes of waiting, most games could be tested easily. Moreover, many developers were personally present and always available for a nice chat.  

At the same time, I was surprised at how small the gaming component of the fair ultimately was. About half a hall was dedicated to video games, mainly occupied by the large main stage and an extensive retro area. Anyone wanting to indulge in nostalgia could dive right in on SNES, Commodore 64, and co. The retro flea market also allowed for the search for old treasures.

Newer games, including the Indie Area, probably didn’t even take up a quarter of a hall. This already shows: Polaris is not a pure gaming fair and does not want to be one either. Rather, it is a community fair that unites various topics.

The halls were divided into a total of five different “thematic worlds,” which were also visually well separated. This greatly facilitated navigation and generally ensured a good structure. The themes included:

  • Gaming and Retro
  • Asian Pop Culture
  • Art and Community
  • Merch and Food
  • Content Creator

Plenty of Space to Explore, But Not Too Much

What enchanted me right after entering the first exhibition hall was the truly extensive Artist Alley. Numerous artists lined the halls and offered their lovingly crafted creations. From classics like prints, stickers, or pins to lunch boxes, plush toys, or metal figures, one could discover a lot here. At the same time, you support small vendors and ideally get to chat about your favorite game or anime. A win-win, I would say.

In the same “thematic world” as the Artist Alley, there were also the tabletop and cosplay areas. Here, you could take photos with your favorite cosplayers, try out a round of tabletop, attend workshops, or simply admire the exhibits.

The variety of the fair was also evident on the five different stages that provided a varied program throughout the weekend:

  • On the Plitch Main Stage, you could experience formats like “Spoon, Knife, Fork” with Colin from Rocket Beans TV, “Offline & Honest” with Trymax, Varion, and unsympatheticTV, or “Loot for the World” with DoktorFroid and the Space Frogs live.
  • On the Neo Taki Stage, NinotakuTV provided programming around anime, including numerous quiz rounds.
  • The Footprint Gaming Stage provided interactive entertainment. Here, for example, Mario Kart or League of Legends were played.
  • On the Content Creation Stage, there were many helpful talks on content creation.
  • On the Dance Stage (and sometimes also around it), dancing was in full swing.

At the center were always community, content creators, and Asian pop culture. This focus clearly distinguishes Polaris from other fairs, such as gamescom.

What is frowned upon at gamescom is part of the concept here

What particularly stands out at Polaris in contrast to gamescom is the focus on content creators of all kinds. These have increasingly fallen out of favor at gamescom over the years. The reason: many fans now only attend the fair because of specific influencers and clog up the already crowded halls without even being interested in gaming. As a result, streaming rights for MontanaBlack, for example, were also restricted.

Such annoyances are completely absent at Polaris. Influencers are not a thorn in the side here, but are explicitly welcome. The focus is precisely on the exchange – between the community, but also between fans and streamers, YouTubers, voice actors, or cosplayers.

So far, this concept seems to be working very well. Names like PietSmiet, RocketBeansTV, Space Frogs, Trymacs, CrispyRob, or numerous voice actors, for example from One Piece, generate a lot of interest. Nevertheless, I never felt during the fair that unpleasant crowds were forming. Sure, the halls were well filled during peak times. However, it was always possible to get through easily. Here, it remains particularly exciting whether this will remain the case in the future with the ever-increasing visitor numbers.

Conclusion: Not a Replacement, An Alternative

In conclusion, it can be said: Polaris is not a complete replacement for gamescom, even though it is referred to as the second largest gaming fair. It is not only significantly smaller but also places different thematic focuses.

I perceive both as a clear strength of the fair. It specifically targets where gamescom tends to falter and thus appeals to many people. Family atmosphere, community exchange, a focus on content creators, and nerd culture. All of this strikes a chord and contributed to Polaris’s meteoric rise.

For the future, I personally would perhaps wish for a somewhat broader offering in terms of gaming. I feel that indie games fit perfectly into the concept and could easily take up twice as much space as this year. However, looking at the development of Polaris over the last four years, I am very optimistic that this wish could actually be fulfilled fairly soon. I will definitely continue to follow the Hamburg fair and am curious where it will develop in the future.

Disclaimer: MeinMMO was present at Polaris as a press representative. The costs for admission, travel, and accommodation were covered by the organizers.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. polaris-con.de

A specific scene in The Dark Knight shows that Batman and Joker are more similar than one might think

When thinking of Batman, one quickly thinks of his arch-nemesis: the Joker. One of the most famous versions comes from the film The Dark Knight by Christopher Nolan. Even in his trilogy, it is suggested that the Joker exists solely because of the hero. Nolan uses a clever scene for this.

What kind of scene is it? In a video that lasts less than 3 minutes, YouTuber Euphoric shows, using the party scene for Harvey Dent in the film The Dark Knight from 2008, how Batman, played by Christian Bale, and the Joker, played by Heath Ledger, are similar.

First, he highlights the scene at the end of Batman Begins (2005). There, Jim Gordon tells Batman that crimes keep escalating. If the police arm themselves better, so do the criminals. In doing so, he also speaks to the hero: he wears a mask and jumps from rooftops. After that, he introduces the Joker, who becomes relevant in the next film.

You can watch Euphoric’s YouTube video here:

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Euphoric shows the charity party scene and compares the performances of Bruce Wayne and the Joker. They are quite similar if you look closely:

  • Bruce lands with a helicopter and 3 women at the party, interrupts the conversations, and draws attention to himself
  • Afterwards, he asks about Harvey Dent, but first focuses on Rachel
  • He throws away his drink

The Joker does exactly the same:

  • He storms in with a weapon, interrupts the party, and everyone looks at him
  • He asks for Harvey but walks over to Rachel first
  • When he reaches for a drink, everything spills, so he also drinks nothing

Such parallels are no coincidence, especially not with a director like Christopher Nolan. When considering that both play a significant role in the development of Harvey Dent, it becomes even more noticeable. The Joker exists in The Dark Knight solely because of Batman, but this is also a recurring theme in other works.

Start video
German trailer for Batman The Dark Knight

Is Batman to blame for everything?

How does it manifest in other works? A prominent example of the relationship between the Joker and Batman is the Batman: Arkham game trilogy by developer Rocksteady. In all 3 games, the Joker plays an important role, and the villain Hugo Strange argues in Arkham City: all the crimes in Gotham and his existence have created the Joker.

This is especially evident in one fact: The Joker has no real goal. In Arkham City, the Joker has the chance to unmask Batman, but he does not do it. He even tells Harley that it would take the fun out of it all. The Joker needs Batman, for otherwise he has no opponent. Compared to other villains who see Batman as a disruptive factor, this becomes clear:

  • Black Mask and the Penguin are crime bosses who seek money and power
  • Mr. Freeze wants to save his wife
  • Poison Ivy wants to save nature
  • Ra’s al Ghul wants to create a utopia and is willing to kill countless people for it
  • Villains like Two-Face or Killer Croc have become who they are due to accidents or difficult circumstances

In many Batman stories, the villains also only appear when Batman himself shows up. First, he wants to hunt regular criminals, but the dangers escalate. Just as Gordon describes in Batman Begins or Hugo Strange in Arkham City.

Batman himself seems to have a dependency on the Joker. Although the villain is dead in the game Arkham Knight, the hero constantly hallucinates about him. He comments on events and constitutes a part of Bruce in the game.

But as is often the case with comic book heroes: There are many approaches to the character. In the comic The Killing Joke, a backstory is implied, while in the series Batman – The Three Jokers, even 3 villains are confirmed who are said to have portrayed the antagonist over the years.

In the comic series Knight Terrors: The Joker, the Joker undergoes significant changes with Batman’s death, even taking on a desk job (via Screen Rant).

Does the relationship with Batman make the Joker so popular? The Joker is not just a person in the many Batman works. He is the personification of chaos that causes crime in Gotham. Batman can never completely defeat him. It is a downward spiral. The Joker wants to break Batman, and for that, he goes further every time, and Batman has to stop him each time.

Batman can help other villains, but as long as Batman lives, the Joker will always remain the natural disaster that plagues Gotham. They are both sides of Gotham, both costumed figures representing chaos and hope. Batman’s mask protects not only Bruce Wayne: A villain knows Batman’s greatest secret and keeps it to himself because he fears the consequences

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

Here are 5 classes from Dungeons & Dragons that are particularly suitable for beginners

Many experienced players already have several characters with different classes up their sleeves, ready for a new adventure in Dungeons & Dragons. Newbies, however, may be overwhelmed by the many options available. To help beginners choose a class, we have prepared this list.

In Dungeons & Dragons, there is a wide selection of classes to choose from that fit each character and the preferred style of a player. From the absolute melee fighter, who relies only on their weapons, to the pure spellcaster, who relies only on magic – or anything in between – there is something for everyone.

However, the very variety of these options can become a significant challenge for newcomers who have never played Dungeons & Dragons before, even before they have started playing.

Wizard, monk, bard … all terms that may not mean much to newcomers. And this is exactly why we present in this list 5 classes that are particularly suitable for beginners.

WoW gets a mount that deals damage – But not in the way you think

A new mount in World of Warcraft is truly deadly. At least for a part of the inhabitants of Azeroth.

Mounts in World of Warcraft are among the biggest items that can showcase your character. With now well over 1,000 different mounts – including robots, ghosts, or elementals – there is the perfect mount for every hero and heroine. However, the next patch will introduce a mount with a feature that has never existed before: The mount deals damage.

Currently, most are playing WoW Legion Remix:

Start video
WoW Legion Remix: This insane time travel works

Which mount is being referred to? The mount in question is the “Geargrinder Mk. 11,” which you can obtain for the meta achievement “Worldsoul-Searching.” The mount is essentially a 1:1 version of the first boss from the raid “Liberation of Lorenhall”.

What makes the mount so special? The Geargrinder Mk. 11 is the first mount that deals damage in World of Warcraft when you mount up. Not to big enemies or opposing players in PvP, but to the smallest inhabitants of Azeroth – the so-called “critters” or “small animals.” So rats, squirrels, beetles, and the like. What this looks like is shown in this short YouTube video:

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This is a reference to the behavior of the tank in the raid. Many of you will surely remember: Whenever the Geargrinder Mk. 11 appeared in the raid – that is, before the actual fight – it would make a small round through the arena. All player characters caught by the tank would be instantly dead. Basically, there was no raid night where a few players didn’t die before the first boss fight (even if sometimes nasty items were to blame).

How do you get the mount? The mount is available for the major meta achievement of the expansion “The War Within,” which also comes with patch 11.2.7 in early December. The achievement essentially requires you to have fully played all major content patches of The War Within. We have outlined the exact requirements for the mount achievement in this article. Please note that the details of the achievement may change before the patch’s release.

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

36-year-old explains how his company attracts Gen Z to compete with Apple and Samsung

Carl Pei (36) is the head of Nothing, a start-up that challenges established companies like Apple and Samsung in the smartphone market. He has a secret weapon: Gen Z.

What kind of company is this? Carl Pei is the CEO of Nothing, an English tech company that produces smartphones and headphones and has already attracted well-known investors like the inventor of the iPod and a co-founder of Twitch.

In a conversation with the Access podcast on YouTube, Pei revealed how he plans to succeed in a smartphone market dominated by Apple and Samsung.

Start video
What does the N symbol on your phone mean?

Back when Apple was still cool

What does the CEO say? Pei explains that as a newcomer in the industry, it’s impossible to please everyone. You have to choose a specific path – and it seems his company has succeeded: The users of Nothing, according to the CEO, are very young, averaging only 26 years old and thus precisely in Gen Z (1997–2012).

This is in stark contrast to Samsung, whose users, according to Pei, have an average age of 45.

The 36-year-old believes that the success of his phones among younger people stems from a desire to be different. They want to develop their own identity and not use the same products as their parents.

Pei explains that he himself was very inspired by Apple. In his youth, they were a cool company, but for younger people who didn’t grow up with it, Apple today is just another company.

You can watch the entire podcast here:

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Is this worth it? While the smartphone market is still dominated by Apple and Samsung, Nothing is managing to carve out its own niche. The smartphones from Nothing cost between 300 and 800 euros, making them significantly more budget-friendly than the current iPhones, which start at 700 euros.

In addition to their affordable price, the Nothing phones impress with their extravagant design and solid features. Marinus Martin from GameStar has even named the Nothing Phone 3a as one of the best phones under 400 euros.

Despite everything, Pei has no illusions that Nothing could surpass Apple in the foreseeable future. Instead, they are thinking about how the companies can coexist.

The focus on Gen Z is also evident in the selection of products that Nothing releases. Foldable phones are currently not on the agenda: they only account for a small share of smartphone purchases and are more targeted at businessmen.

If Apple were to release its own foldable next year, it could, according to Pei, also open the market for younger users.

The true strength of a smartphone is not known by how well it can excite a certain generation, but by how many times it can be folded until it gives out: He folds a smartphone 200,000 times live on YouTube, showing how much the Samsung phone can withstand

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

A new form of magic in Dungeons & Dragons forces you to work as a team, but allows you to become even more powerful

With a new compendium in Dungeons & Dragons, a new form of magic emerges, rewarding strong teamwork among spellcasters and creating epic moments.

What kind of magic is this? In “Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerûn”, the upcoming expansion for Dungeons & Dragons, alongside new subclasses, factions, talents, and backgrounds, a new type of magic is introduced that has not been seen before – at least by players.

We are talking about “Circle Magic” – “a ritual art that allows spellcasters to combine their powers and reshape the rules of magic”, as described on D&D Beyond. This magic has allegedly been used for millennia by the greatest wizards of Faerûn, such as the mages of Thay, to transcend all boundaries.

This Circle Magic is now set to be made available to players, complete with new spells suitable for this kind of arcane art. 

Whether the fourth campaign of Critical Role will include Circle Magic remains to be seen:

Start video
The 4th Campaign of Critical Role starts now and is bigger than ever

A lot of effort – but for huge effects

How does Circle Magic work? To use Circle Magic, you need more than just one spellcaster, as teamwork is essential. 

One spellcaster, whether a wizard, sorcerer, warlock, or other, takes the lead during the use of Circle Magic. This caster can then decide on the effects and potential reshaping of the spell during its application.

Yes, reshaping. Because through Circle Magic, you can not only enhance a spell but also trigger additional effects. More on that shortly.

The spellcaster selects the target, maintains concentration if necessary, provides the components, uses the required spell slot, and additionally makes all decisions that the spell requires.

The secondary spellcasters must use an action and be near the leading spellcaster to contribute to the spell. They must do this every round as long as the effect needs to be maintained through concentration.

In this way, users of Circle Magic provide the following effects:

  • Enhance: Extends the spell’s range by thousands of meters.
  • Share: Allows allies to share the burden of concentration to maintain the spell’s effect.
  • Expand: Increases the influence of the spell and thus the area of effect.
  • Lengthen: Maintains the effect of the spell for hours beyond its normal duration.
  • Protect: Shapes the magic so that allies are spared from the consequences of the spell.
  • Replace: Replaces costly material components with the collective strength of the casters.
  • Additional Effects: The new compendium includes further spells that can trigger additional effects through the use of Circle Magic.

Who is Circle Magic suitable for? Circle Magic is particularly suitable for groups that have more than one or two spellcasters in the team and are eager to perform epic spells together that could create truly great memories.

However, for a group of pure melee fighters, Circle Magic is rather irrelevant. But even in weapon combat, there are certainly exciting opportunities to conduct joint actions.

The compendium will be released on November 11, 2025.

Through Circle Magic, the mechanic of concentration, which some players find slightly hated, could be divided so that not just one player is obliged to maintain it. There are even players who completely forgo concentration spells in Dungeons & Dragons or Baldur’s Gate 3, even though they can be extremely powerful: Players voluntarily forego powerful spells in Baldur’s Gate 3 because an old mechanic from D&D annoys them

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

“No wonder he wants to live on his yacht” – fans unearth an interview with GabeN in which the Steam boss talks about his cult of personality

Gabe GabeN Newell is the head of Valve, the company that operates the gaming platform Steam. For many, he is also somewhat of a gaming messiah, a role he doesn’t always seem to be entirely comfortable with.

What does GabeN say? A screenshot is currently circulating on Reddit from an interview with Gabe Newell in which he discusses his status as “the face of Valve.” The Steam head apparently has mixed feelings:

Interviewer: You mention corporate facelessness – in many ways, you are the face of Valve as a company. How do you feel about that personally?

Gabe Newell: I mean, I like gamers, I spend a lot of time with gamers. The community we belong to has its rough edges sometimes – like “Hey, pigf***er” emails, those kinds of things.
What feels a bit stranger to me… I have no problem when people come up to me and want to talk. But there’s this thing that happens when someone comes up to me and asks, “Can I take a picture with you?” and I say, “sure” – and then I put my arm around them, and they tremble, and that bothers me a lot more.
I like our community. I like our customers. I like the gaming world. So it’s fine to interact with them, but sometimes I’m less sure about the whole cult-like aspect of it.

The screenshot, according to a user, comes from an interview with Edge Magazine from 2020. The article is not freely available online, but that hasn’t stopped the community from discussing the excerpt.

In a trailer for DOTA 2, GabeN presents himself with self-irony:

Start video
DOTA 2: Cave Johnson Announcer Pack Trailer

Players are dissatisfied with the AAA industry, worship GabeN

What do the fans think? In the comments on Reddit, users show understanding for GabeN. For instance, biophazer242 explains: “No wonder the guy built himself a huge super yacht, just wanting to live there and explore the ocean with a bunch of science nerds.” This references the fact that the Steam head not only lives on a ship, but also invests in ocean research.

“I can’t imagine what it’s like to be someone who’s fantasized about just because you run a business that isn’t consumer-hostile…”, writes MegaRammy, “It’s one of the better problems to have in life, but I still feel sorry for him.”

What’s with the cult of personality? Another comment sheds light on this. User Good_Background_243 writes: “To be serious for a moment… how broken is the rest of the industry when Gabe is basically worshipped for being relatively less shitty compared to the rest of them!

There has been growing discontent regarding business practices in the gaming industry in recent years.

In contrast, Gabe Newell is seen as a very approachable boss who even personally replies to emails. Despite some weaknesses, such as the fact that you merely acquire licenses, Steam has the reputation of being a customer-friendly platform with outstanding support:

Additionally, Steam is one of the most important platforms in gaming and dominates the PC market quite significantly. For many users, it seems as if the future of PC gaming hangs on one man: Gabe Newell.

The veneration of the Valve head goes so far that players regularly worry about what will happen to their hobby when Gabe Newell eventually retires, as seen in this Reddit post with over 10,000 upvotes. A screenshot from the platform 4chan also circulates, in which a user questions whether PC gaming is really maintained by an “old, fat guy.”

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Just recently, a user benefited from the leniency of Steam customer service, even though he neither purchased his defective device directly from Valve nor could he claim a warranty:
Player buys Steam Deck on eBay, turns out to be a scam, help comes from an unexpected source: “The fraud takes it, Gabe gives it”

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

The developers of Battlefield 6 are struggling to please both Gen Z and the dads who played the shooter 15 years ago

Since more than just one generation of gamers enjoys Battlefield 6, the developers find themselves caught in the crossfire of a generational conflict – as they want to somehow satisfy all players.

What dilemma have the developers faced since the beta? The movement in Battlefield 6 is still a sore point in the conflict of the player base, which can be divided into two groups of gamers: the young players of Gen Z and the somewhat “mature” generation of gamers who played earlier titles in the shooter series in their own youth.

The fast movement during the beta seemed to please primarily the younger generation, while the older players were more pleased with the movement “nerf” that brought about some changes: The movement, especially momentum, was adjusted, as well as the consecutive jumping. Additionally, shooting while jumping or sliding is “penalized” by increased inaccuracy.

While some players wished for this “traditional Battlefield experience”, others are still not satisfied. A developer explains in a series of posts that they are continuing to work on a compromise that should excite both younger and older players alike.

Here are 6 tips to become even better at Battlefield 6:

Start video
Battlefield 6: Mit diesen Tipps werdet ihr zum besseren Squad-Spieler

“Can we find a middle ground that satisfies the entire community?”

What do players want? The player and X user Jean Martin addresses a principal game designer involved in Battlefield 6 on the platform: “Zoomers [people of Gen Z] liked the movements in the beta version. In the release version, ‘Battledads’ [self-explanatory] like the movements. Can we find a middle ground that satisfies the entire community?”

While many reactions to his post (as expected) are a mix of praise and criticism from young and old about the current movement, the game designer actually responds to this question.

We are definitely looking for adjustments to find a good middle ground. We already have some changes in the works and are monitoring feedback to make further adjustments.

Florian Le Bihan on X

What does the game designer specify about future changes? While some players feel that the current movement in Battlefield 6 is just right – “The movement is perfect! It is already faster than in some earlier Battlefield versions and seems balanced. […] Please do not change it, that is not COD” (@olaivo on X) – other players are already missing the beta version: “Is there a chance we could get the beta movement back? I think you really over-nerfed it for no reason” (@SlixxFPS on X).

Here too, Bihan has a response ready:

We will not revert to the open beta, but we are working on some small adjustments that should address some rough spots. We will report back to you as soon as possible!

Florian Le Bihan on X)

Based on the reactions to the current state of movement and opinions on X, Gen Zers and the “Battledads” are still not quite ready to settle for a Battlefield 6 other than what they want to play. Additionally, MeinMMO editor Dariusz has his own opinion on the movement in Battlefield 6: I am Gen Z and say: The movement of Battlefield 6 is great and should stay the same, but I can recommend a slower shooter to you Boomers

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. X
  2. PC Gamer

Players criticize the RNG in crafting in Diablo 4, will soon get a system with a new random principle

In Diablo 4, Crafting has long been criticized because much is based on chance. Now Blizzard is reacting and removing RNG from one system, but adding it in another. This causes skepticism among fans.

What do players criticize about Crafting? The crafting system “Tempering” is associated with luck in Diablo 4 – and that has been causing frustration for months. If the desired enhancement fails, the item is considered “bricked” or “destroyed.” While there is the Scroll of Restoration, anyone who fails again quickly loses motivation.

Blizzard wants to address the issue, at least partially. The RNG element is disappearing from Tempering, but you will now only be able to imprint one affix on your items (instead of two). At the same time, a new crafting system based on chance is coming for Season 11.

With Season 10, changes were made to Diablo 4 that are well received by the community. How it will be in Season 11 remains to be seen.

Start video
Season 10 in Diablo 4 macht endlich wieder Spaß

“Sanctification” allows random enchantments

What is this new crafting system? The new crafting system is called “Sanctification.” With Sanctification, you can modify items in a whole new way. This is the final enhancement you make to an item, as it cannot be changed further afterward.

With Sanctification, an item can gain an additional legendary power or an extra affix from a pool of special sanctification affixes. However, it can also happen that an existing affix is replaced by a “holy” affix. In other cases, the item becomes indestructible and no longer loses durability.

Many players feel reminded of the Vaal Orbs from Path of Exile, which also change items in unpredictable ways.

“I don’t want to ruin my Mythics”

This is what players say about the new system: Under our article about the new crafting system in Season 11 of Diablo 4, some readers have shared their opinions. Visterface notes: “So you remove one RNG factor and introduce a new one. Why exactly is this supposed to be better?” Tommy is also not very enthusiastic and believes the system will become “even more frustrating than before” when it becomes essential for strong builds.

Other readers feel similarly, even if they understand that Sanctification is optional. Walez comments: “Sure, but we all know that the last little percent can be crucial for another Pit level.” And Tommy adds: “If I can’t even run Torment 4 without problems and a Pit beyond 110, then for me it is essential, and I think that’s where it will end up.”

That Sanctification apparently works with Uniques and Mythic Uniques is also met with dissatisfaction. Akuma writes: “So aside from the fact that I never see Mythics, I really don’t want to ruin my Uniques with an RNG mechanic.”

Fans feel: The RNG aspect is just shifted

The community is also discussing the Sanctification system on Reddit. For example, andysava writes in a Reddit post: “The randomness seems to be moving to Sanctification now.” And ixent replies: “The problem is: You only have one chance – no reroll. If you get the durability affix, the item is basically destroyed.”

SurturOne agrees and thinks Blizzard should completely remove durability as a mechanic: “I can’t believe they see this as an improvement.” To remind you: Your equipment loses durability when your player characters die. However, you can simply repair the items with gold at the blacksmith.

Finnien1 summarizes it this way:

With Sanctification, you invest all resources, finish your item completely, sanctify it, and hope for luck. If that goes wrong, it’s bricked and all gone. This feels like a massive step back to me. Imagine you have a 4-GA item, fully upgraded, and you simply get durability as a sanctification bonus. These changes do not solve a single problem.

Some players actually wish that the new system stays permanently in the game and not just during Season 11. For example, Classic-Cabinet5149 writes on Reddit: “I hoped for a bit more depth with crafting. Sanctification should, in my opinion, become permanent. I’m tired of seasonal gimmicks not really enhancing the base game.”

Blizzard is therefore not only removing the random element from Tempering but also changing it so that you can now imprint only one affix. However, the Temptation charges can be reset indefinitely. The completion system is also getting a revision. Whether the innovations in Season 11 ultimately bring fresh air or new frustration remains to be seen. What else will change with crafting, progress, and activities, you can find out here – including patch notes for the PTR: Crafting in Diablo 4 drives players to despair – now Blizzard listens to its fans

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

“Hurt and Angry” – Streamer takes action after assault at TwitchCon

At TwitchCon 2025 in the USA, an incident occurred where the streamer Emiru was harassed by a man. She is now making allegations against Twitch and is taking action.

What happened at TwitchCon? The Twitch streamer Emily “Emiru” Schunk was the victim of an assault by a purported fan at TwitchCon. A video from X user shenAndygans shows a man approaching the streamer at a meet and greet, apparently hugging her against her will and attempting to kiss her.

A bodyguard whom Emiru had specifically hired for the event intervened and pushed the man away. Several female streamers had already decided against attending TwitchCon due to security concerns.

She is now making allegations against the organizers of TwitchCon and is taking action.

When fans develop a personal connection to their favorite stars, it is referred to as parasocial relationships. This behavior can become annoying and even dangerous for influencers.

“I felt neither cared for nor protected”

What does Twitch say about the incident? In a statement on X, Twitch describes the man’s behavior as “completely unacceptable and deeply disturbing.” The individual has been banned from the streaming platform and personal events for an indefinite period. Security for fan meetings has been increased as a result of the incident.

The reaction in the comments, however, is rather negative. Users accuse the platform of not doing enough to ensure the safety of their female creators.

Twitch also receives criticism for requiring Emiru to participate in the meet and greet to retain her appearance at TwitchCon, as she confirmed in a stream after the incident (via YouTube).

In a separate statement on X, Emiru explains that while it wasn’t the first time she had to deal with such an incident, she felt hurt and angry about how Twitch handled the situation.

The streamer emphasizes that it was her own bodyguard who intervened – after her preferred bodyguard had been excluded from the event due to an incident with a stalker at a previous TwitchCon.

Present security personnel from Twitch did not respond and initially allowed the perpetrator to escape. He was only apprehended hours after the incident; any other claims from Twitch are “a complete lie.”

Emiru continues to accuse the organizers of not caring for her even after the assault. “I felt neither cared for nor protected,” the streamer says. And this, despite having her own security present. She can’t imagine how other influencers feel who do not have such options.

For her, it was the last TwitchCon after 10 years.

Emiru herself had already been threatened by a fan during a joint stream with her friends Cinna and Valkyrae in March. Back then, the necessity of a private security service had already been discussed.
Twitch streamer stalked and threatened for refusing to give a fan her number

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

Godzilla is considered invincible, yet a new method shows how to control the monster even more,

In every movie with Godzilla, humanity asks itself how to defeat the giant monster. A new story presents a new way to do this without using heavy weapons. Yet, in the past, humanity has succeeded.

What kind of story is this? Those who have seen a few films with the giant lizard know: Godzilla usually does not lose. Nevertheless, humanity tries to defend itself against the Kaiju that destroys entire cities as it passes by.

The publisher IDW Comics has been releasing a new comic series about the monster since July 23, 2025, with the simple title Godzilla. The story is set in the Kai-Sei Era universe. Through an experiment with Kai-Sei energy, Kaijus, including Godzilla, came to life.

The USA is trying to fight against the Kaijus with the G-Force, which appeared in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla 2 in 1993. In Godzilla No. 3 (released on October 8, 2025), a scientist demonstrates a new method to stop the giant monsters without destroying entire cities. The battle has been going on for decades now.

Start video
Godzilla Minus One – Trailer for the Japanese Return of the Giant Lizard

The Nervous Systems of the Kaijus

How can the Kaijus be stopped now? Rumi Chiba is a G-Force employee who has been fighting Kaijus for some time and is from Japan. In Volume 3 of the new series, she explains how she effectively combats the Kaijus without destroying the environment.

According to her, the bodies of the giant monsters are so large that brain impulses must travel through the massive mass over many nerve clusters. By hitting these clusters with steel weapons, one could even direct the monsters. She explicitly states: even Godzilla (via Screen Rant).

With this method, it seems one cannot kill the Kaijus, but it might avoid the destruction of cities. Whether this really works against the great Godzilla remains to be seen.

Godzilla-typical, the explanation is definitely absurdly fitting. Yet, in the past, humans managed to defeat or even kill Godzilla.

The Many Battles of Humanity

How was Godzilla defeated in the past? As early as 1954, at Godzilla’s first appearance, humanity built a special bomb to defeat the lizard. They built a special bomb that kills all living things within a certain radius by depriving oxygen. This fits the analogy of the film about atomic bombs. Even Godzilla succumbed to this weapon.

In the controversial US film Godzilla from 1998, he actually died from conventional military weapons. This is somewhat disappointing in comparison and is likely one of the reasons why the film was not well received in Japan.

A special case occurred in 2016 in the film Shin Godzilla, one of the scariest versions of the monster. Here, Godzilla illustrated the cinematic representation of the Fukushima disaster. With a special cooling liquid, they were able to freeze Godzilla and stop his destructive rampage. In the end, however, humanoid monsters grow out of him, so it cannot be said for sure whether he was really defeated.

In the 2019 anime film Godzilla: The Planet Eater, there is Godzilla Earth. As it was impossible to defeat the monster in the future, humanity gave up their fight and tried to somehow coexist with the monster.

In Godzilla: Minus One from 2023, the monster is defeated by getting a bomb inside its body. Yet, it is also suggested that Godzilla regenerates.

If you watch a few of the Godzilla films, you will know that the giant lizard is actually impossible to kill, especially not through brute force. Everything about another legendary film monster can be found here: Alien: Everything you need to know about the legendary Xenomorph

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

“I haven’t defeated anyone yet” – Players in ARC Raiders waste all their ammunition on a particularly insidious enemy

Just before the official release of ARC Raiders, players can experience the first content of the extraction shooter in the last tech test. However, they regularly encounter an “enemy” that terrifies them.

Which “enemy” is being referred to? On Reddit, several players are discussing a nasty surprise in the game that collectively scares them so much that it’s nearly feared more than the actual mechanical enemies of the game. 

It’s about the treacherous step runners that move across the map when you least expect them.

“Why did they have to add so many step runners, man?” wonders the player beau-bee- on Reddit, “They could have saved me so many heart attacks!”

The plant bushes are so feared that a post on Reddit received over 3,000 upvotes, where a player describes them as more frightening than arcs or enemy raiders. The thread highlights how disliked the jump scares caused by the step runner are, but they didn’t consider an equally nasty perpetrator.

Here you see the habitat of the hostile bushes in ARC Raiders:

Start video
ARC Raiders: Der Extraction-Shooter auf Steam und PS5 zeigt einen neuen Trailer, lässt sich jetzt vorbestellen

“Those things give me a mini heart attack every time”

What else do players fear? In addition to the wicked step runner of horror, there is another candidate that players fear – and again it is not a combat machine:

“A little piece of old newspaper flying out of nowhere shouldn’t be scarier than machines that can kill a person in an instant, yet here we are,” writes bartolinise on Reddit and he is not alone in this fear.

Overseer_Allie reports on Reddit: “One literally flew out of the screen at me today. That was the only time I’ve recoiled in this game so far.”

The newspapers and magazines not only appear surprisingly out of nowhere according to players but also make them reflexively waste all their ammunition.

“My goodness, if I got a dollar every time I mistook that for a player,” admits sour_dough_rye (on Reddit) and even ididntevenwantit can relate very well: “I have yet to defeat any” (via Reddit).

However, this confusion can also backfire, as can be seen in this YouTube short from @VeryBadSCAV, where the term “step runner meta” has already come up:

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What do players criticize about it? Apart from the scare factor, the frequency of these flying elements is especially criticized, as they appeared in such numbers that they restrict visibility.

“Joking aside, I find the frequency of step runners and floating debris a bit excessive at the moment,” writes Grin_N_Bare_Arms on Reddit, “In a game that requires recognizing movements, the current amount of visual distractions is just distracting and frustrating.”

However, player DucksterVR sees it a bit differently: “They definitely did that on purpose, lol. Keeps players on their toes” (on Reddit).

Anyone who wants to face the flying newspapers and step runners before the release of ARC Raiders can do so in the current tech test, which will be playable until today, October 19, 2025. You don’t even have to register for this, as all curious players can participate. You can learn more about the ARC Raiders tech test here on MeinMMO: ARC Raiders: Server Slam is live – All about the last beta test

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

MeinMMO readers remember the “good times” from back then, explain why they stopped playing Destiny 2

Many long-time fans of Destiny 1 & 2 are gathered on MeinMMO, and they have endured and experienced much over the years, just like us. The loot shooter has lost much of its former glory, and the remaining Guardians are feeling this.

What does the future hold for Destiny? Not good, if you look at the current player numbers. According to the third-party platform “popularity.report“, these are among the numbers of the worst expansion of Destiny 2, Curse of Osiris.

It looks bleak, and when you look at the player numbers on Steam, it becomes clear: It can only get worse until Renegades. The lack of content and the new portal system are accelerating the decline.

Many fans who visited us for the latest news about their favorite shooter have also concluded their time with Destiny 2 since the end of the Light and Darkness saga. While some are waiting for a second spring, most are reminiscing about past times that will likely never return.

Start video
Destiny 2 zeigt in seinem neuesten ViDoc, was euch in Renegades erwartet

The painful decline of a strong brand

What do our readers say about Destiny 2? Many of our readers gathered under our article on the latest player numbers of Destiny 2 to exchange thoughts on the current state of the loot shooter.

Chris on MeinMMO cites various reasons explaining the state of Destiny 2. These include:

  • The experience for new players is far below an acceptable level.
  • The art direction (whether visual or auditory) has moved far away from Destiny 1.
  • Many insignificant contents that are meant to be played in combination with years-old content.
  • The story hardly gains momentum with the new saga.
  • The PvP is a shadow of its former self. However, as can be inferred from the corresponding data, Destiny thrived somewhere on this fluid transition between PvE and PvP. Neglecting one area almost entirely and letting Gambit die completely was not a good idea.
  • Everything new does not feel like an attempt to improve (like Forsaken back then), but rather feels like an attempt to bring players to buy with nostalgia and so on.

For him, Destiny 2 has lost everything that made it what it once was.

Mike, meanwhile, speaks of a lack of bright spots for future moments in Destiny 2. The grind has been unbearable and even more exhausting since the release of The Edge of Fate. He paused the shooter and is waiting for a reason to jump back in.

Many, after their end in the loot shooter, mainly look back fondly to the good old times and are little influenced by the negative mood currently prevailing in the communities.

The fact is: The decline of Destiny 2 was only a matter of time, as the ongoing focus on monetization and the resulting neglect of important components (e.g., balancing and content) has made the current result of the consequent disinterest of the community predictable.

What do our readers say about the old times? They now agree that the good times are only in the past and that significant changes must occur for the franchise to thrive again. Harrierdubois has made peace with the loot shooter, as he states: “Even if it seems to end with Destiny, these have been 10 beautiful years for me. I’ve met many great Guardians and spent almost always a wonderful time.”

no12playwith2k3 also reminisces about wonderful moments like tackling various raids with his favorite Guardian colleagues, self-imposed challenges in dungeons, and reaching the lighthouse – and not just once.

Millerntorian calmly reflects on the countless times other fans have already predicted the end of the shooter, and yet the shooter still stands. Still, he laments what has become of Destiny 2. The shooter is in such a disastrous state that “[…] all curiosity has been stifled in its infancy.” Nonetheless, he draws a final conclusion by appreciating the wonderful time and the Guardian community.

Destiny 2 is still hanging on, and it remains to be seen how Bungie will decide in the future to keep the franchise from ultimately perishing. After all, the next expansion is already planned with Renegades, as it is supposed to bring Vex in ponchos who lead their own criminal syndicate: The Vex gain their own will after 10 years in Destiny 2 and become instantly stylish criminals

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