In Crimson Desert there are some tough boss fights where you only find a way to deal damage to the boss after several attempts. But thanks to a trick, everyone eventually reaches their goal.
What is this trick? Crimson Desert is fundamentally a tough game. The bosses have really powerful attacks that can mean immediate death for the main character Kliff, depending on the situation.
However, the game provides everyone the opportunity to significantly ease the battles by healing themselves with food. This can, however, take unexpected turns.
Will your normal horse still be able to carry you after all that food? If not, all that’s left is Rokade:
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Here you will find the legendary horse “Rokade” in Crimson Desert
Kliff becomes a food machine
Why does the trick escalate? The fact that you can heal with food is no secret. But how some players deal with it is quite special. Players report that before every boss fight, they run through all possible vendors to equip their Kliff with a lot of food.
With that, they can survive boss fights for which they are actually still too weak, simply by eating the whole time. For example, Reddit user Voododoll admits to consuming 70 eggs, 20 soups, and 150 roasted barley just to defeat the boss.
But behind the trick lies a feature that likely saves many players in Crimson Desert.
What is this feature? The difficulty level of Crimson Desert is currently not adjustable. While the developers have announced this for one of the upcoming updates, all players still have to face the same challenge.
However, for many, the challenge might be too hard, and they can only succeed by resorting to the trick with the hungry Kliff. This is also the case for Reddit user fear_nothin, who writes:
“That’s exactly why the game is so great. I just can’t cope with games in the style of Souls. I love the atmosphere and the way the story is told, but I just can’t get anywhere in these games and don’t have fun with them. Crimson Desert says: ‘You suck? No problem, use our many game mechanics to help you’ – and I’ve fully exploited alchemy and cooking to survive.”
Other players agree with him, but also explain that even Elden Ring and other Souls-like games have some easier bosses than one would find in Crimson Desert. So, all gluttons need not be ashamed of their actions.
Crimson Desert already provides you with the tools to defeat any boss. At the same time, no one forces you to eat dozens of kilos of eggs, soup, and barley. You can make the fights as difficult as you want them to be. Learn more about the upcoming difficulty level here: Crimson Desert will soon be significantly easier if you want, or harder
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The fifth and final season of The Boys is currently airing and is about to reach the finale of the series. One of the writers now shares that he looks towards the end with great concern – primarily due to the fans.
Eric Kripke is significantly involved as showrunner, writer, producer, and director of The Boys . In an interview with The River, he was asked how he feels about the finale and whether he thinks the fans will be satisfied with it.
In the past, popular series like Game of Thrones or Stranger Things have caused discontent in their final seasons and damaged the reputation of an entire franchise.
Kripke’s answer is clear.
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The Boys shows in the final trailer for Season 5 how far Homelander has come
“I was not confident”
What does Kripke say? The writer is aware that the pressure is high and the expectations of the fans will be great:
I approached this with absolute horror. I was not confident […] because people tend to make a weird thing of judging a series retroactively based on the finale.
In fact, in recent years, the endings of major and long-running series have repeatedly come under criticism. It was often about the story no longer being convincing and the ending being a failure.
However, for Erik Kripke, this is a narrow view, and he cites Game of Thrones as an example:
Game of Thrones is technically and creatively a groundbreaking, monumental achievement that stumbled a bit with three episodes in 8 seasons… and these three just happened to be the last ones, and now everyone says: “Game of Thrones is mediocre.” And I think: Really? This series changed the world.
For The Boys, Kripke has thought very carefully about this, as he has a “panic fear” of the fans’ reaction. He shares that he has gone through every detail carefully and now believes to have produced a good finale.
Two weeks after a professional player’s tournament victory in Pokémon GO was taken away due to seemingly “incorrect” celebration, Pokémon has released a statement: He did not celebrate incorrectly, but was disqualified for another reason.
Why was the professional’s victory revoked? At the Pokémon GO Regional Championships in Orlando, the actual winner of the final match, Firestar73, had his victory revoked due to “unsportsmanlike behavior.” Without further explanation from the judges, the player, other colleagues, and the community suspected that he had placed his headset down too hard, but did not see this as a sufficient reason.
After Firestar73 issued his own statement, the Play! Pokémon team also commented on the official website about the incident. It can be inferred from their statement that his celebration had nothing to do with the decision, but rather a wobbly table.
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Pokémon GO Fest 2026 comes with Mewtwo and Zeraora
“So nobody is happy, great!”
How did a wobbly table lead to disqualification? In the statement from Play! Pokémon, it is mentioned that “a player” (referring to Firestar73) was already warned during the finals of Pokémon GO before the last match. During the first game of the knockout round, he received a warning for “banging on the table and shaking it” during the game.
The Reddit user matt2312 took a closer look at the recording on YouTube and found the moment at 7:20:30 as a possible time.
According to Play! Pokémon, such actions negatively affect the participants’ gaming experience and disturb the flow of the game, which is why the first warning was issued.
During the fifth and final match, he continued this behavior, which allegedly even affected the broadcast. For this reason, the violations led to a penalty that ultimately escalated to a game loss.
Here, too, matt2312 mentions a possible time in the video, namely at 7:39:10.
Play! Pokémon concludes in their statement:
We will respect the referees’ decisions at this event. The Pokémon referees are committed to providing our players with the best possible experience by maintaining the competitive integrity of our events. Without them and their dedication to Play! Pokémon, we wouldn’t be able to hold events, and we expect them to be treated with the same respect as all other community members.
In the moment of victory, emotions run high, and we are aware that these emotions can lead to lively reactions to celebrate a win. We want to support this authentic, positive reaction and not dampen that enthusiasm. Celebrating is not the problem, but actions that disturb or negatively affect competitive integrity can be.
We will continue to listen to the player community and our referees to best develop our tournament system, rules, and enforcement of penalties.
How does the community react to this statement? The community on Reddit is not satisfied with a wobbly table being the reason for the eventual game loss. They can not only not comprehend why the team needed two weeks to explain the decision. Furthermore, the outcome, where no one involved leaves this drama satisfied, is simply disappointing.
“The slightest wobble in the history of table wobbling. Really disappointing,” writes h_ll_w.
“I am a confessed PVP hater, but uh, tapping on the phone is a game mechanic, and they don’t expect the table to wobble?” wonders deadtoddler420.
“This is the worst – now we have an angry community, a player who should have won but didn’t, and a winner who has achieved a worthless victory. So nobody is happy, great!” summarizes axolotlpaw.
Kamome Shirahama is now launching with the anime of Witch Hat Atelier. However, her beginnings are more in western comics. This also explains her great success.
What has the manga artist done? Even before she started working on the manga for Witch Hat Atelier, the author illustrated many pictures for Marvel and DC comics. She was also involved in the Star Wars comics.
At Illustration Age, you can admire some of the works she co-illustrated. These include characters like Batgirl, as well as Star Wars: The Force Awakens or Dr. Strange. On her X account, you can see more works including one of Rey from Star Wars:
Even after that, she occasionally contributed to more recent comics. But her biggest career leap is a different one.
At some point, the artist decided to create her own manga. In 2016, she transitioned to Witch Hat Atelier and celebrated great success with the manga. Now the anime follows, which is also well received. And this great success can indeed be explained by her past.
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Witch Hat Atelier aims to appeal to fans outside Japan
Where does the great success come from? In a recent interview on The UNESCO Courier, the manga artist reveals that she essentially draws a fantasy world in a western style. She wants to portray this world as comprehensively as possible, which is why she opted for roll cuts and classical art styles. She wants to convey the atmosphere of that era and worldview through her style:
At the same time, many artists choose their tools and visual language according to the worlds they want to depict. Some create works in the Japanese style using brushes, while others use digital tools or computer graphics for cyber or science fiction scenarios. In this sense, style and technique are part of how a creator expresses the world of the work. I see myself as an example of this broader approach.
Since she had already drawn western comics before Witch Hat Atelier, she always had the western audience in mind. Therefore, she was aware from the beginning of the potential scale of the manga, even though the success came as a surprise to her.
And many fans can confirm this on Reddit. They write that the manga actually seems very western to them, and some only started reading it because they found the cover so beautiful. The western drawing style has indeed attracted some fans, which helps explain the success.
The anime of Witch Hat Atelier has just begun airing. If you want to catch up on the series, you haven’t missed many episodes so far. To know when the episodes will air regularly, you can save the following article: Witch Hat Atelier: Episode 5 – Release Overview
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A player wonders about her gaming laptop that isn’t functioning properly and has it serviced. When the technician flips the device over, it becomes clear right away why the laptop is overheating while gaming.
What was the problem? A video is currently making the rounds on Reddit that showcases an unusual case from a workshop. A user brings her gaming laptop in for repair because the device apparently gets way too hot while gaming.
In the video – which likely comes from a security camera – the device is examined until the technician flips the laptop over. That’s when the actual problem becomes visible: The underside has been completely covered, seemingly to make the device look better. But that’s where the important air intakes for cooling are located.
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This is how the community reacts: In the comments on Reddit, many users reacted with a mix of mockery, frustration, and personal anecdotes. Several comments recount similar cases where people, for example, placed their laptops on blankets, beds, or other unsuitable surfaces, blocking the ventilation.
User imightbetired shares from experience: Haha, something similar happened to me with a customer. He complained that the fans were too loud at home, while it was almost silent in the office. It turned out he was working in bed and the blanket under his laptop was blocking everything. He even said he would wrap the laptop on the sides when he had it on his lap because he didn’t like the noise and heat.
User Tritec_enjoyer96 feels for the technician: The repair guy had that “Are you serious?” look when he peeled it off, lol
Others, like user D-Fehler, wonder how little understanding there is for technical devices: It’s shocking how many people believe that wireless electronic devices don’t have batteries.
With patch 12.0.5, World of Warcraft has received a new minigame called “Hide and Seek.” American players have been able to play the mode extensively and are frustrated.
What kind of minigame is it? In “Hide and Seek” from World of Warcraft: Midnight, the goal is to hide in a limited area in Silvermoon among items such as housing decorations while other players search for you – similar hiding modes can be familiar to you from Goat Simulator 3.
You can sign up for the minigame via the Dungeon Finder (PvP tab). Rewards include a mount, toys, and housing decorations. At least theoretically. In practice, various American players who have been trying out patch 12.0.5 since April 21st are complaining about their frustrating experiences with the new mode.
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“This is such a strange design decision”
What is the problem? On Reddit, affected players complain that the system behind “Hide and Seek” punishes players who hide too well. Professional hiders in WoW eventually get marked as “non-participating,” meaning they reportedly do not receive rewards even if they win.
Furthermore, the system is said to replace the minigame’s currency with a white item named “Dispelled Coins,” which informs the affected players to participate more in hiding next time. Apparently, the item cannot be sold automatically through various addons, which makes the affected feel as if the developers are deliberately “rubbing salt in the wound” after the undeserved punishment.
What are the players saying? The discussion is only a few hours old but has already garnered more than 1,190 upvotes and over 100 comments.
Winter-D wrote: “This is such a strange design decision.”
murrytmds goes even further with the criticism in his comment: “The whole mode is just poorly made.”
Many-Waters has also been affected: “I was the last one hiding in two games, and in both games, I was inflicted with a permanent found debuff that revealed me immediately and permanently, effectively ending the game. I don’t know why that happened to me, but it really made me angry. Also, I didn’t receive any coins for the games.”
OgerfistBoulder now understands: “Oh, THAT happened. I was wondering why I didn’t get a reward.”
The new season of Scrubs brings back the doctors of Sacred Heart on Disney+. The new episodes of the series will be released weekly. MeinMMO will tell you when Episode 6 starts.
Update: We have updated the article on 04/22/2026 with the release of Episode 5.
When does Episode 6 of the new season of Scrubs come out? Episode 6 of the new season of Scrubs will be released in Germany on April 29, 2026, on Disney+. This means the series will be available in Germany later than in the USA, where it already premiered on February 25.
At what time will Episode 6 be available? Episode 6 of Scrubs is expected to be available at 9:00 AM German time.
All dates for the new season of Scrubs at a glance:
Episode 1: March 25, 2026
Episode 2: April 1, 2026
Episode 3: April 8, 2026
Episode 4: April 15, 2026
Episode 5: April 22, 2026
Episode 6: April 29, 2026
Episode 7: May 6, 2026
Episode 8: May 13, 2026
Episode 9: May 20, 2026
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The latest trailer for the Scrubs revival showcases the key elements of the series
This is the story of the Scrubs revival
What is the new season of Scrubs about? After many years as a private doctor, J.D. returns to Sacred Heart. There, not only old friends await him but also new challenges. Some time has passed, but the hospital routine seems to remain the same.
While there is now more modern technology, the interns still need the same support as before, and J.D. is expected to take that on again. However, he must take on a completely new role at Sacred Heart.
But there are also interpersonal conflicts and problems that continue to plague the familiar doctors even over 10 years later. J.D. and Elliot’s relationship has fallen apart and Turk is struggling with mental health issues as a doctor.
Season 5 of The Boys is the grand finale of the superhero series from Amazon. When the next episode will be released, you can see here.
Update: We have updated the article on 22nd of April 2026 with the release of Episode 4.
When does Episode 5 of The Boys Season 5 start? Episode 5 of Season 5 of The Boys will air from April 29, 2026 in Germany.
The series will be available as usual with a subscription on Amazon Prime Video. After the first 2 episodes, a new episode of Season 5 of The Boys will be released weekly on Wednesdays.
What time does episode 5 of The Boys season 5 start? The episodes are expected to be released every Wednesday at 9:00 AM German time.
All dates for The Boys Season 5 at a glance:
Episode 1: April 8, 2026
Episode 2: April 8, 2026
Episode 3: April 15, 2026
Episode 4: April 22, 2026
Episode 5: April 29, 2026
Episode 6: May 6, 2026
Episode 7: May 13, 2026
Episode 8: May 20, 2026
You can see the trailer for Season 5 here:
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The Boys shows in the first teaser trailer for Season 5 how the heroes and villains prepare for the finale
The Boys Season 5: Story
What is The Boys Season 5 about? After the events of Season 5, Homelander seems to have completely taken control in the USA. At the end of Season 4, Hughie, Mother’s Milk, and Frenchie were captured. Now they find themselves in a camp.
Starlight managed to escape. Since then, she has been trying to build a resistance against the seemingly invincible rule of Homelander. Butcher is also working with his own methods to confront the Supes. He wants to use a virus to eliminate all superheroes.
Season 5 is the finale of the superhero series that debuted in 2019 with its first season. As already seen in previous seasons, the series will likely differ significantly from the comics. The major twist of the source material is likely to be missing.
Do you want to see more of the world of Windrose quickly? MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus provides you with some tips to help you progress faster when you get stuck.
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To progress quickly in Windrose, you need to know what details to pay attention to and what mistakes to avoid. Our tips make getting started easier for you. The right gear is also helpful:
I noticed many of these tips through my own mistakes, which I recognized at various points. After over 30 hours and some research, they should also help you make progress more easily.
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The pirate survival game Windrose finally has a release date, and it is already very close on the horizon
Tip 1: Level Up Quickly – These Activities Bring XP
Like in an RPG, you can level up in Windrose and receive skill and attribute points for it. These are necessary for certain builds. Unlike in RPGs, however, you don’t get XP just for killing enemies or gathering resources.
Instead, exploration is the source of your experience points. If you want to level up quickly, you should:
complete the main and side quests, as these offer the most rewards
or find interesting locations (white markers on the map) and complete their tasks.
It may happen that the enemies for the next quest are too strong, but you have nothing left in the quest log. In these cases, it’s usually best to set sail and explore new islands to search for treasures. This is the best source of XP after the quests themselves.
Tip 2: Focus Stats on Stamina, Everything Else Can Wait
With each level up, you can distribute attribute points. It may be tempting to put everything into strength, agility, or precision, but this is not advisable for quick progress.
Instead, focus primarily on stamina and a little on vitality. Stamina increases your endurance, allowing you to sprint longer, gather resources, or attack. In the long run, it’s more valuable to avoid death through dodging than to kill an enemy a little faster.
Moreover, the majority of your attack strength does not come from your stats but from the weapons themselves, at least in the beginning. An upgrade brings you more than a point in strength. Some useful talents for further improvement are:
Marathon Runner
Just a Flesh Wound
Robust Frame
Too Angry to Die
You can change your stats and talents at any time, by the way.
If you still feel like you’re not making progress, it’s often due to missing upgrades. These can easily be overlooked but provide a huge boost in damage and defense – for both you and your ship.
This tip is especially important at the start of the game. You need nails to craft better storage options like crates and barrels – and with more storage space, you can manage your resources more efficiently.
Nails are a recipe for the workbench, but your best source at the start is shipwrecks. At most coastlines, you’ll find destroyed boats and old crates. If you break these down with a pickaxe or axe, you’ll get wood and nails.
Both resources are constantly needed at the beginning of the game (and later) in large quantities. Until you eventually have a full iron stockpile, it’s smarter to farm nails directly and save the copper ingots for new equipment and especially upgrades.
The same goes for gunpowder, by the way. While you can craft gunpowder, you can also find it in abundance from enemies and in chests. I never felt the need to craft any, yet I use my pistol very often.
Tip 4: Build Only What’s Necessary, But Build It!
Your base in Windrose serves not only to unload materials and impress your friends. It also provides you with rest – and the cozier it is, the longer the buff is that allows your stamina to regenerate faster.
You can increase comfort by building decorations. However, you only get a comfort bonus for each of the possible categories. If you’re not much of a builder, you should still place at least one item (with the highest comfort value) from each category somewhere.
This is important because you can gain rest not only in your base but also on your ship. The comfort value of the ship corresponds to that of your base with the highest value. Especially when on the move, this is important when you don’t want to always travel back after a death.
Tip 5: Use Fast Travel Correctly: The Boat Is Your Friend
With fast travel, you can teleport across the map, but only between two set points. At some locations – like Tortuga or the faction outposts – there are fixed travel points. You set most others with a bell.
However, you don’t need a travel point to get started. As soon as you’re at the helm of a ship, you can head directly to any fast travel point. This also works with the small shell that is called “Boat”.
The advantage of the ship is that you can also use it as a mobile storage. Ships with plenty of cargo space are especially well-suited to unload the yield from a rich ore vein and then directly continue exploring the newly discovered island, for example, for XP.
By the way: You don’t need to enter your ship to access the cargo hold. It’s enough to be near the coast to call it and access it via the “Flagship” tab in the inventory. If you’re close enough to the ship, you can store items directly from your inventory.
You can own multiple ships, but you can only call your flagship and your boat at any time.
Bonus Tip: Use Shanties, They’re More Useful Than You Think
This may sound like a meme now, but the shanties in Windrose not only sound good. Your crew sings only as long as they feel safe. This means: as soon as a battle begins, the sailors immediately fall silent.
Especially when you’re in an area that’s a bit too high for your ship’s level, it’s important to notice immediately when an enemy takes notice of you.
The yellow marker in the middle of the screen can be easily overlooked, and if you’re using speakers on your PC, you can even stand up while driving straight ahead and still hear if the situation becomes dangerous.
There are always changes in Pokémon GO. One of the biggest in a long time you can now test in the game yourself.
Which area is affected? Already in February, Pokémon GO announced that there should be massive changes in the battle league to make the fights in the PvP area of the game fairer for all trainers.
Now the time has come, and the developers have integrated the planned changes into the game – so far, however, only in a comparably small area of the battle league and by no means in final form.
Start video
Pokémon GO Fest 2026 comes with Mewtwo and Zeraora
Many changes, one goal
What are the changes intended for? As Pokémon GO headlined on pokemongo.com, the changes are meant to “Strengthen the foundations of trainer battles in Pokémon GO”. Trainer battles should depend more on the skill of the trainers than on external factors such as network quality or device performance. You can find all changes here.
When are the changes available? You can now test these adjustments in the game yourself. The “Preview Cup (Test)” has been activated in the game. This is the Super League, where the new changes are already active.
You can find the Preview Cup in the battle league, where you will also find the regular variants. To do this, open the “Battles” section in the main menu of the game, then click on “Fight” and you can then select the new cup as a mode.
How long is the cup active? The new test cup has been active since April 21, 2026, at 9:00 PM. You have until April 28, 2026, at 9:00 PM to participate.
When will the changes be completely released? When these changes will be rolled out in all areas of the battle league is not yet known. It can be assumed that Niantic is using the current test to gather insights from the changes. Whether, when, and in what form the changes will then be completely released is accordingly still unknown.
As soon as there is new information on this, we will of course inform you.
The current month is rapidly approaching its end. But even in the last days of April, you can still experience some content in the game. What these are and when they are active, you can find out in our overview with all events in April 2026 in Pokémon GO.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
George R.R. Martin is known as a big nerd and has revealed which series is especially dear to him. The answer is not surprising, although it has little to do with Game of Thrones.
George R.R. Martin loves fantasy literature; this is no secret. Especially his admiration for the work of J.R.R. Tolkien and his epic The Lord of the Rings is no secret.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms shows in the final trailer that one can expect more humor than in Game of Thrones
A nerd loves nerds
What series does Martin like the most? At the time of the interview in 2018, the author named The Big Bang Theory as his favorite comedy show.
As for the genre, the series by creators Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady has little to do with fantasy or dark epics, but since the main characters are nerds, the choice fits perfectly.
The series even references Game of Thrones and its creator several times. Unfortunately, there was never a guest appearance by George R.R. Martin. However, it is likely that he can identify well with Sheldon and Co.
After all, he is similarly enthusiastic about classic nerd themes. Martin generally shows appreciation for the modern television landscape, but sees a small problem with it:
There are really more good TV series than you can watch. And often, when I discover them, they have already been canceled because we binge-watch them so quickly. But for everyone who loves television, this is a great time.
George R.R. Martin
In the case of The Big Bang Theory , the series aired from 2007 to 2019 over 12 seasons. At the time of the interview, it was not yet finished. Unfortunately, we do not know what the author thinks about the end of the series.
The reason for the end is actually the decision of the lead actor Jim Parsons to pursue new projects (via Entertainment Weekly). The rest of the cast joined him. The Big Bang Theory was not simply canceled due to ratings or reviews no longer being favorable.
The new MMORPG Farever on Steam focuses on cooperative fun in the style of Valheim and forgoes typical MMO features like in WoW.
What kind of game is this? Farever is a cooperative MMORPG that is inspired by games like Palia or Valheim. Instead of just meeting in dungeons and raids, the goal is to stay together as a team throughout the entire game and experience adventures together.
The main focus is on exploring the game world. For an MMORPG, you can use many unusual modes of transportation. Climbing mountains, gliding across ravines, or diving are all part of the game.
Exploration is always rewarded, as unique equipment pieces await you at the peaks and in the caves of Farever.
Here you can watch the trailer for Farever:
Start video
Farever shows not only the release date of the MMORPG in the trailer but also what the gameplay looks like
Crafting as an important feature
Why is crafting important? Farever combines many survival mechanics with the MMORPG genre, which is why crafting should not be neglected. The best equipment is obtained not by defeating epic bosses in the game, but through your own crafting skills and rare materials that can only be found in remote locations.
However, you should not completely disregard combat. According to the trailers, the developers focus on mobility and an agile combat system that, at first glance, resembles Hytale. Whether the traditional role distribution with tanks, healers, and damage dealers can be expected later remains to be seen.
In contrast to WoW, Farever turns the experience around. Instead of putting the cooperative experience into the endgame, you play together from second one. The game is shaped by this cooperative thought and designed to be played with friends right from level 1. A long leveling phase until the classic MMORPG endgame is omitted.
How can you play the MMORPG? Farever plans to start in Early Access on Steam on May 5th. From then on, every player will have the opportunity to download and try the game in the Steam store.
If you can’t wait that long, you can already apply for a beta spot. You can request this easily at Steam with the push of a button, and with a little luck, you may get to try out the title directly.
During the Early Access, additional regions, biomes, monsters, and challenges, as well as social features like events, world events, and guild systems will be added to bring Farever closer to a full MMORPG experience.
At launch, Farever is not yet a finished MMORPG. The features in this direction are expected to follow during development. Therefore, we recommend viewing the title more as a survival game initially and not starting with the expectation that large-scale battles, large player counts, and dungeon groups will be part of the everyday gameplay. If you prefer typical MMORPG features, you should check out Aion 2: Aion 2 is the beacon of hope for MMORPGs and a mega success in Asia, but what is behind it?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
On April 28, 2026, the new DLC “Lord of Hatred” for Diablo 4 will be released. Now the embargo for the reviews has been lifted, and first critics had a week to get an impression of the new expansion. MeinMMO summarizes what the reviews on Metacritic have to say about the game.
On April 21, 2026, at 6:00 PM CEST, the embargo for the reviews of the new DLC “Lord of Hatred” for Diablo 4 was lifted. The first critic voices and reviews have now rolled in and provide an initial mood picture. The testers had almost a week to put the expansion to the test and formulate their opinions.
How is Lord of Hatred performing so far? So far, the new expansion looks good, as it can secure a solid 82 out of 100 points with 31 reviews on Metacritic (as of April 21, 2026, 7:15 PM).
You can watch the launch trailer for Lord of Hatred here:
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The official launch trailer for Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred
Great expansion with a lot of potential, but some small pitfalls
How did the critics rate it on Metacritic? On Metacritic, Lord of Hatred has a score of 82/100 for PC, 83 points for the Xbox version, and even 84 points for the PS5 version. Around 90% positive voices (28 reviews), 10% mixed opinions (3 reviews), and no completely negative ratings were given to the new expansion of Diablo 4.
What is being rated positively? The two new classes are particularly praised – especially the Warlock is well received by testers due to its complexity and freshness. It feels particularly “satisfying and powerful” and offers a lot of room for dynamic builds.
The new area also feels unused and brings the new story to a conclusion, addressing the open questions from the predecessor “Vessel of Hatred”. This is also well staged and generates ongoing interest for more. The improvements in loot hunting reminiscent of Diablo 2 are also well received and feel more rewarding than before.
Some references to Diablo 3 and the prospect of the infamous cow level were also well received by testers.
What are the criticisms? Although the new story is generally praised, some reviews also mention that there are moments that simply do not “click”. For instance, there is a detour into Mephisto’s lore that some perceived as rather ridiculous.
Additionally, the new endgame content does not feel as innovative as hoped but rather delivers more of the familiar.
It will still be exactly one week until you can dive into the new expansion. Along with the two new classes, Paladin and Warlock, numerous other innovations await you. What exactly to expect, you can read in our overview on MeinMMO: Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred – All info on release, price, trailer, and content
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Korean MMORPG Aion2 is set to be released in 2026 – also for players in the West, after it has already been a mega success in Asia. For the global release, they want to limit it to one platform only – namely the PC.
What kind of game is this? Aion 2 is an MMORPG from the Korean developer studio NCSoft and a sequel to the first Aion, which was first released in 2008. Aion 2 is set 200 years after the events of the original game and once again takes place in the world of Atreia.
Actually, Aion 2 was already released in November 2025, but only in Korea and Taiwan. The rest of the world will have to wait a little longer. Now it is at least confirmed that the MMORPG will celebrate its global release in 2026.
The developers revealed this in a new announcement trailer they released on April 21, 2026, on the official YouTube channel for Aion 2. While it doesn’t show much of the game, it does reveal the release year.
Here you can see the trailer yourself:
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Announcement trailer of Aion 2 gives insight into the release
Aion 2 leaves Mobile behind, exclusively releases for PC
For which platform is Aion 2 being released? Although there is also a mobile version of the game in Korea and Taiwan, there is no mention of that for the global release in 2026. Aion 2 is instead said to be “exclusively developed for PC,” as stated on the official Steam page for the game. Alternatively, you can get the game through Purple, NCSoft’s own launcher.
With this focus, the developers want to finally leave the mobile past of the title behind. According to players, the current version of Aion 2 still faces issues due to its mobile origins. The game suffers from overly rigid animations that can’t be easily interrupted.
Away from Mobile, away from Pay2Win? At the end of March 2026, NCSoft announced that it will move away from Pay2Win and give gamers a greater voice. The current version of Aion 2 in Korea and Taiwan has been heavily criticized for Pay2Win mechanics.
How much of this will change by the global release remains to be seen. In the comments under the trailer on YouTube, there is both anticipation and skepticism. While some fans can hardly wait for the release, others expect a total flop.
To be successful in the West, NCSoft urgently needs to address several issues with the existing version. Otherwise, it may fall into the same trap as many other MMORPGs from Asia. The mistakes that Aion 2 should definitely avoid have been outlined by MeinMMO editor and MMORPG expert Karsten Scholz: 5 mistakes that MMORPGs from Asia must avoid if they want to be successful with us
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Capcom has surely not done itself any favors with the story of a new fighter for Street Fighter 6. It seems the developers have realized this as they have made changes – only to somehow make it even worse…
What storyline is it about? This revolves around Alex, the third fighter from the Year 3 Character Pass. Alex made his first appearance in Street Fighter 3: New Generation. However, the fact that he impregnates his second cousin is only now part of the canon in the latest Street Fighter.
Yes, you read that right: The muscle mountain in a beanie, Alex, is now in an incestuous relationship with Patricia. In the finale of his storyline, it shows that they got married and that she is pregnant by him.
This decision was met with – of course entirely unexpectedly – criticism from fans. The backlash was even so significant that developer Capcom has revised the storyline afterward. So they decided that they are no longer related. Or?
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Street Fighter 6 Launch Trailer
Just a “distant relative” instead of cousin
What has Capcom changed? Essentially, Capcom has only adjusted one sentence, and that only slightly. In a post on r/Fighters, an online community for fighting games on Reddit, a user documented the difference.
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Briefly about the scene: In this flashback, young Alex is seen training with Tom – who is Patricia’s father and a central father figure for Alex. Before the patch, Alex introduced Tom in this scene as his mother’s cousin. This made him and Patricia second cousins.
After the update, the two are still related – but it sounds as if Alex wants to keep that a secret (and not very successfully). Suddenly, Tom is just a “distant relative” of his mother, “or something like that”.
How does this change make the situation even worse? While Alex before the patch at least did not hide the fact that he was married to his second cousin, it now sounds like he is intentionally omitting details – perhaps because he knows very well that everything about this is wrong.
Especially his nonchalant “or something like that” is quite amusing right now. For example, Reddit user Connect_Knowledge862 commented on this post: “‘Or something like that’ – two words that must hold together all of Alex’s character.”
It wouldn’t even be hard to solve this problem. Tom could simply be Alex’s mother’s best friend or his deceased father’s friend. Tom does not have to be related to him for the story to make sense. Thus, the relationship between Alex and his partner remains highly questionable.
Season 13 starts in April in Diablo 4 and not only brings fresh content and new mechanics to the ARPG. At the same time, the second DLC “Lord of Hatred” will be released, which brings adjustments to the base game. What new features await you, you will find out here on MeinMMO.
Fans won’t have to wait long for the release of Season 13, as it is expected to launch in a few days alongside the new expansion “Lord of Hatred”. The developers of Diablo 4 have already revealed some details about the contents of the new season. We summarize all the important information here for you and will regularly update the article as new developments arise.
With our directory you can quickly jump to the individual points:
[toc]
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Trailer for Diablo 4 shows how brutal the villain in Lord of Hatred is
Season 13: Start, PTR and Patch Notes
When does Season 13 start? Season 13 in Diablo 4 will start on April 28, 2026. It should kick off around 6:00 or 7:00 PM German time. It is still unknown whether there will be a preload.
When does Season 13 end? Each regular-sized season goes through a 90-day cycle until Blizzard replaces it with a new season. There is no date for the end yet, but if they stick to the cycle, you can expect an end on July 28.
Will there be a PTR for Season 13? No, Blizzard has deliberately decided against releasing a PTR for Season 13 and Lord of Hatred. Every player should start fresh in the new season without prior knowledge to discover all the new features at the same pace as those who do not play a PTR.
Will there be patch notes for Season 13? There will be, but these are not yet known. We will list them for you as soon as Blizzard publishes them.
Season 13: Theme and New Features
What is the theme of Season 13? The new season could revolve around the fight against Mephisto, as he plays an important role in the “Lord of Hatred” DLC, which is being released at the same time. Blizzard will reveal more details soon.
On April 23 at 8:00 PM German time, there will be a corresponding dev stream from Blizzard discussing Season 13 and the upcoming expansion. We will update our article with new info after that.
What’s in Season 13: The theme of the new season is not yet known. After the livestream, we will add the corresponding features here. A new seasonal mechanic along with potential seasonal powers and items is expected. It is known that with the release of the DLC, several changes will be made to the base game:
Skill Trees: According to Blizzard, the skill systems for all eight classes will change, providing you with both more customization options and more variety.
Loot Filter: The loot filter should make it easier to find desired items in Diablo 4. With the filter, you can hide items, simplify searches for specific affixes, and locate certain items. This is a feature that players have been requesting since the release.
Difficulty Levels: There will be adjustments to the difficulty levels in Diablo 4, allowing for the torment levels to be expanded to 12.
Which class is the best class in Season 13? Based on experience, the new classes (Paladin and Sorceress) will be particularly powerful. How the other classes will perform is not yet known. It is possible that each class has at least one S-Tier build. You can find more information about that as always in our Tier List. Would you like to know more about the expansion? Then feel free to check our release HUB: Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred – All information about release, price, trailer and content
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In an interview, the Design Director of ARC Raiders discusses that the abilities are not yet where the developers would like them to be.
What is the problem? In a podcast episode of “Game Maker’s Notebook“, Design Director Virgil Watkins talked about what makes the changes to the various abilities and the skill tree so difficult and what is important to the developers in the upcoming changes.
The trigger for the discussion was the challenge of designing the ability tree to offer exciting, gameplay innovations without slipping into boring value improvements. The main problem is finding a fair balance so that players focused on survival and loot do not have a completely hopeless situation against players with pure combat abilities.
This is now supposed to change more significantly. The upcoming change to expeditions, which states that the damage dealt will play a bigger role (not just hoarding coins) in earning possible ability points, is supposed to be another step in the right direction. However, many players had little enthusiasm for this decision, especially for the ongoing expedition.
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ARC Raiders brings new Flashpoint update – there are rumors brewing in Speranza
“I believe we haven’t gotten it perfect at all”
How do the developers plan to proceed in the future? Since this balancing act hasn’t been successful so far, many abilities in the game currently feel useless. A fundamental overhaul is therefore necessary, as Watkins confirms: “It has been a difficult problem area for us, and I believe we haven’t gotten it perfect at all. There are definitely abilities that do not fully utilize their potential.”
He further states that where possible, they want to avoid minor statistical adjustments and instead make targeted, significant changes to the skill trees and existing abilities. Changes should feel important and bring noticeable shifts in the gameplay experience. According to Atkins, ideally every change should bring a sense of “Oh, I now have a completely new ability, or I can now do something I couldn’t do before.”
Moreover, it is especially difficult to maintain the balance between players who prefer PvE and those who favor PvP within the skill tree. Watkins raises the question of whether someone who invests points in a combat-focused skill tree should automatically win against someone who has invested more in survival or loot abilities in PvP.
This is just one of many questions that the development team is increasingly asking themselves, and hopefully, they will find answers in upcoming updates.
With the return of Jack Emmert and other industry veterans, there is a noticeable sense of new beginnings at Cryptic. MeinMMO had the opportunity to ask two developers from the MMORPG studio about the plans for the future of Star Trek Online and Neverwinter.
Why the sense of new beginnings? The Cryptic Studios have experienced turbulent years and the downgrade from a developer of genre-defining MMORPGs to a mere caretaker. However, thanks to a new owner and the return of studio co-founder Jack Emmert, all of that is now history. The focus is on the future.
We already spoke with industry veteran Jack Emmert in January, about the failed Warhammer MMORPG, the desire to develop at least one new online role-playing game, and the intention to prepare Cryptic’s existing games for the future. You can find the incredibly interesting conversation here:
Now we had the chance to ask Executive Producer Thomas Marrone and Creative Director Randy Mosiondz specific questions about the future of Star Trek Online and Neverwinter.
Randy had previously worked at Cryptic from 2005 to 2024 in design and lead positions on games like City of Heroes, Champions Online, and Neverwinter. After a brief stint at Stardock (Galactic Civilizations), the veteran made his comeback at Cryptic in March 2026 to continue his work on Neverwinter.
Thomas, on the other hand, has long shaped the look of Star Trek Online as Art Director, designing the spaceship models of the Voyager-B of the Pathfinder-class and the Enterprise-F of the Odyssey-class – both ships were later even seen in the series Star Trek: Picard.
The interview is accompanied by the fresh announcement of the respective roadmaps for the two MMORPGs in 2026. You will find them below:
The roadmap for Neverwinter in 2026The roadmap for Star Trek Online in 2026
A fresh start at Cryptic – an MMORPG studio strikes back
MeinMMO: Randy, you are returning as Creative Director while you, Thomas, are rising to Executive Producer for STO. Why is now the right time for this ‘dream team’ to take the lead together? And how does it feel to revive Cryptic alongside Jack Emmert, who has also returned to the ‘band’?
Randy: Ultimately, it comes down to the right timing and shared alignment. We have all worked together before, we understand these games inside and out, and more importantly: We share a very similar philosophy regarding what makes a live MMO successful in the long term.
Creative Director Randy Mosiondz
Coming together now feels less like a fresh start and more like continuing a conversation that we never really finished. There is a foundation of trust and a common language among us that allows us to act quickly while also making better decisions – simply because we have seen what works, what doesn’t, and why.
Working again with Jack feels natural. He has always been someone who pushes big, bold ideas while understanding the realities of production and live service operation. This balance is incredibly valuable right now. And quite honestly: The team at Cryptic has never lost its passion for these games. What this ‘dream team’ really does is unleash that momentum again and give it a clear direction.
Thomas: The gaming industry has gone through so many changes in recent years, and Cryptic has been right in the middle of it all. I consider myself lucky to have weathered all these uncertainties with my colleagues, but now there are bright silver linings on the horizon.
Executive Producer Thomas Marrone
As Randy said, there is a unity in goal-setting and vision that Jack has for these games that we all love so much. The aim is to grow the games, explore new possibilities, and build a connection with our players – I am thrilled to be a part of that.
I have been with the company since 2010 and a member of the Star Trek Online team since 2011. Over the past 15 years, I have learned from so many fantastic developers across all disciplines. Now that I am taking on the role of Executive Producer, it is my turn to take a seat in the metaphorical ‘captain’s chair.’
But of course, the whole team has matured over the years. With the course we have now set, I look forward to implementing long-awaited improvements and exploring new possibilities while continuing to deliver the immersive Star Trek stories that our players have come to love with each update.
MeinMMO: I stumbled across the term ‘Re-Evolving’ in your press release. What exactly do you mean by that? How is your approach to your classic MMORPGs changing? Does that imply a major technical overhaul via engine updates or a fundamental shift in your gameplay philosophy?
Randy: ‘Re-evolving’ is a very carefully chosen term. We are not trying to reinvent these games from the ground up, and we are not interested in chasing trends just for the sake of trends. What we are doing is looking at every part of the player experience and asking ourselves: ‘Does this still meet modern expectations?’
This includes technical improvements where they make sense – whether in lighting, performance, or tools that help us create content faster and better. But the design side is equally important.
Players today expect a faster onboarding experience, a more meaningful progression system, clearer rewards for their investment of time, and systems that respect how they want to play. So, the ‘Re-Evolution’ is about refining the core gameplay experience, smoothing out friction points, and ensuring that the games feel just as good today as at launch while retaining their identity.
Thomas: ‘Re-evolving’ also describes this year for STO very well. We are addressing long-standing player concerns such as game performance and the dilithium economy. We are also continuing our commitment to improving the overall quality of the game by revisiting old elements and exploring old concepts in new ways; I am proud to say that we have always done that.
But there will be even more interesting ‘evolutions’ to come! I can’t go into too much detail yet, but I think players will be excited and surprised by what we will be adding to STO in the near future!
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Neverwinter PS4 Trailer
MeinMMO: We are looking back on a few very tough years for the MMO genre, marked by many canceled projects and failed releases. Just a few weeks ago, Jack Emmert told me how difficult it currently is to find support for large-scale MMO projects. At the same time, it feels like Cryptic is ready to go ‘All-In’ again after separating from Embracer. How do you reconcile these two things?
Randy: It is true that the MMO market is challenging, especially for brand new, massive projects. The costs and risks are incredibly high. But for us, it’s different. We are not starting from scratch. We have several established, successful MMOs with passionate communities, strong brands (IPs), and years of existing content and systems. That completely changes the equation.
‘All-In’ for us does not mean putting everything on a single risky launch. It means investing in games that already have a proven foundation and making them better, more accessible, and more relevant to today’s audiences.
In many ways, this is actually the safer and smarter path. We are building on our strengths rather than betting on something untested.
Thomas: I just want to add that Star Trek Online is incredibly fortunate to have such a passionate and loyal community. I have been a part of this community, first as a player and then as a developer, for as long as the game has existed. From Star Trek conventions to podcasts to live streams, it is very clear to me how important games like STO, Neverwinter, and Champions Online are – these MMOs are not just video games, they are places.
They provide people with a space for social connections. They foster friendships and lifelong bonds. They offer a much-needed respite from the troubles of real life. They tell stories, but they also help people create their own stories.
It is important for us to keep these places alive, to keep them vibrant, and to let them grow so that they will still be there when players need them. And we know from our wonderful communities how important that is. These games fill a need that cannot be met in any other way. As long as we honor that relationship with our community and are good stewards of the space that we – with their help – have created, we can look to the future with optimism, even in a challenging genre.
Star Trek Online has always provided a mix of space and ground missions.
The Future of Star Trek Online and Neverwinter
MeinMMO: STO designs like the Enterprise-F are now official Star Trek canon. How does it feel to go from merely ‘utilizing’ the lore to actively shaping the future of the franchise? And what can Star Trek fans look forward to in the coming months and years?
Thomas: It will always remain one of my proudest moments to see the Enterprise-F flying through the gates of Earth Spacedock in Star Trek: Picard! Having any creative influence on the Star Trek franchise is something that my 12-year-old self could never have imagined. I am a lifelong Star Trek fan, and going from a distracted kid drawing spaceships on my school notes to building them for a Star Trek TV series is surreal. It is also a victory for the STO team and the entire STO community.
The reason STO ships came onto the radar of TV production was the massive presence of the ships online when searching for ‘Star Trek Ship.’ Thanks to our passionate players and talented developers who have created incredible ship designs over the years, STO has really permeated the zeitgeist, which has opened many doors for us to collaborate with our partners at Paramount.
As for the future: I believe we have earned the right to call Star Trek Online a standalone institution! Sixteen years, and we are still telling new Star Trek stories, designing amazing new starships, and giving people new opportunities to push forward with their own captains and bridge officers to places where no one has gone before. My hope is that we continue to boldly venture into the ‘undiscovered country’ ahead and carry the torch forward just as we have in the past. As you may notice, I am very excited to see what lies out there.
Neverwinter continues to impress a passionate community of D&D fans.
MeinMMO: D&D is more popular than ever – one could call it the Baldur’s Gate 3 effect. How is the roadmap for 2026 utilizing this hype to welcome players who have discovered the franchise through Larian’s game or the movie? What can the veterans of Faerûn look forward to?
Randy: There is definitely a new energy around Dungeons & Dragons, and that’s exciting for us. For new players coming to us through Baldur’s Gate 3 or the D&D movie, our focus is on accessibility. We want Neverwinter to feel like a natural next step, not a barrier. That means a clearer onboarding experience, stronger narrative hooks at the start, and ensuring that players quickly feel like part of an D&D adventure.
At the same time, we are still leveraging what makes the setting so special for the long-time fans of Faerûn. This includes exploring iconic locations, deeper integration of lore, and stories that feel authentically D&D. So, it’s a dual approach: We are widening the door for new players while ensuring that veterans feel that the world they love is being meaningfully expanded.
Our new ‘Neverwinter Quick Start’ event is a great way for both new and old players alike to jump into the game and start right away with a fully-equipped hero at max level! And beyond this event, we are already deep into preparations for what comes next.
We are currently working on our 33rd module. I don’t want to say too much, but let’s just say … you should bring a thick coat when you enter this new adventure location!
At the same time, we are continuing to invest in the core experience. This includes improvements to inventory management, revisiting dungeons, and time for tuning and developing our classes so they play really well across all content. It’s not just about attracting new players, but also about making the game better for everyone who is already there.
While the engine shows its age, Neverwinter still offers atmospheric views.
MeinMMO: To what extent do STO and Neverwinter benefit from each other’s technologies? If STO, for example, receives an engine upgrade for lighting, will we see that in Neverwinter as well? Or are there other synergies that you can utilize or that players can benefit from?
Randy: Absolutely, though perhaps not always in the ways people expect. Although both utilize the Cryptic Engine, the games are based on different development branches. So it’s not always a simple ‘copy and paste’ of a feature. But there is a lively exchange of knowledge between the project teams.
When one team solves a problem – be it in lighting, pipeline efficiency, or backend systems – that knowledge definitely gets passed on. Today we are much more aligned in how we approach those challenges.
The real synergy shows in the tools and workflows. If we can make it easier for developers to create content more swiftly or in higher quality for one game, both benefit from it. Players may not see identical features overnight, but they will notice that both games are improving more quickly and consistently because they share this common foundation.
Thomas: One point I am really excited about is the level of collaboration at the leadership level that we are building in this ‘new era’ of Cryptic across projects. With Jack, Randy, Landon, Julia, and the rest of the studio leadership, we are exchanging information much more, and overall it feels less isolated than it did before.
Beyond tools and engine components, this means for me that we are much more collaborative at a high level regarding insights gained, implemented concepts, and achieved or missed goals.
You used the band metaphor at the beginning of the interview, and game development is a creative process that is very much like forming a band. It’s not enough to have four people who can play different instruments; there has to be chemistry and a shared vision among them. That crucial ‘glue’ is something we are currently building as a studio, and we are already seeing results with our upcoming quick-start event!
Star Trek Online impresses with its space combat, inspired by naval warfare.
MeinMMO: Looking back at the boom of the early 2000s – which design principle from that era do you today consider completely outdated and which is truly timeless? And what still sets Star Trek Online and Neverwinter apart from the rest today?
Randy: One thing that is definitely outdated is the idea that merely spending time is equivalent to value. There was a time when friction, grind, and time-gating were considered necessary to keep players engaged. Today, players have too many options for that approach to work long-term.
What is timeless, however, is meaningful progression. Players still want to feel their character grows, that their decisions matter, and that their time is respected. That hasn’t changed at all.
What Neverwinter and Star Trek Online still excel at today is their deep roots in their IPs. They don’t just use the setting as a backdrop; they actively involve players in these worlds. In Neverwinter, you experience a real D&D adventure. In STO, you step into your own Trek story. This kind of immersion is something players still value just as much today as they did 20 years ago.
Thomas: I think Randy nailed it! My contribution is a bit more specific: One thing that sets STO apart from other ‘aging’ MMOs is our space combat. The naval warfare-inspired space combat of STO is so deeply rooted in the IP and is a game in itself! We are lucky to have something so unique in our core gameplay loop, and I know that this – combined with our passion for Star Trek – is at the heart of what makes STO so special.
MeinMMO: When we talk again at the end of 2026, what will be the one key indicator that the ‘Re-Evolution’ of Cryptic has been successful?
Randy: For me, the clearest indicator will be how players feel when they log in. If new players come in and quickly understand why the game is fun, that is a success. If returning players feel that their time is respected and their feedback is reflected in the game, that is a success. And if our existing community feels that the game is moving forward meaningfully – not just managed but improved – then that is the greatest victory.
Internally, we will of course look at metrics like player retention and engagement. But ultimately, success is when players say: ‘This feels like the best version of the game we’ve ever had.’ That is what the ‘Re-Evolution’ is really about.
Thomas: Yes – over the course of my career, I have learned that you always want the latest project to be the one you are proudest of. That means constantly improving, always trying something new, or trying to learn and grow. My hope is that by the end of the year we have the same attitude towards every release or every added feature.
We just released a fantastic starship pack in celebration of Star Trek: Enterprise, and I am so proud of the hard work that went into it – it turned out fantastic! But I hope that when we release our Kelvin timeline starship pack later this year (as announced in our roadmap!), we will be even prouder of how THAT turned out. And so on, and so forth.
A vibrant, living MMO should always change a little, improve a little, and hopefully, the team will always be proudest of the latest work – because that means the game keeps getting better and better and better!
Before we can look forward to a completely new MMORPG from Cryptic, it will certainly take several years. However, some fresh online role-playing games will also be released in 2026. You can find the new releases we are currently most hopeful about here: MMORPGs 2026 – The 8 most promising online RPGs set to release this year
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
With Lord of Hatred, the second expansion for Diablo 4 is released. MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus was one of the few players to have the opportunity to take a look at the story and content in advance and is surprised at how much effort Blizzard has put into this.
Most of you probably know this: at some point, the air is simply gone. At least for a while. No matter how good the gameplay is, you just need a change of scenery. After almost 10 seasons, that was the case for me in Diablo 4.
On a Sunday afternoon, I finally gathered myself to check out the review version of Lord of Hatred. If someone had told me that I would play for 10 hours straight because I couldn’t get enough of the game, I would have thought they were crazy.
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The official launch trailer for Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred
A small change immediately creates a good mood
Of course, I already knew beforehand which features would come with Lord of Hatred, but I didn’t expect how much they would impress me. Just a few minutes in, a new feature delighted me: the transparent map.
Yes, with Lord of Hatred, Blizzard finally fulfills a simple yet long-standing wish of the community: instead of a minimap and a large world map that hides everything, there is now a transparent map overlay to navigate to objectives. Finally, no more staring at the top right.
About half an hour later, I was completely immersed in Sanctuary. Everything just fit:
The new class, the Warlock, grabbed me immediately, even with builds that I usually don’t like.
Features like the Talisman, which finally brings back sets, as well as the improved skill system, feel like a better version of Diablo 4.
Skovos as a new setting is not only unused, but also a historically significant area that I, as a lore nerd, naturally want to explore. After all, this is the cradle of humanity, the origin of the entire world of Diablo.
However, I was most captivated by the surprisingly deep, but above all, dark story of the campaign. From an early cinematic I already thought that Lilith would play a role, but how and whether Blizzard would implement it, I didn’t know until then.
The story is much better than in Vessel of Hatred
Unfortunately, I can’t go into too much detail about the story’s events – especially since I would spoil it for you, and that’s not what I want. The campaign is worth experiencing for yourself and being able to witness the dramatic twists unfiltered.
For comparison: I spent exactly 10 hours on the campaign with only a few side activities. I estimate the playtime at about 7-11 hours with cutscenes. In the end, I came out of the campaign at level 46 on normal difficulty.
However, there are two things I can and want to say. On the one hand, the campaign of Lord of Hatred is significantly better than that of its predecessor Vessel of Hatred. Instead of a story revolving around friendship and self-discovery with an open ending, there are hard-hitting confrontations with evil and desperate struggles for survival.
On the other hand, Lord of Hatred is dark. I mean really dark, even by Diablo standards. I’m used to a lot and thanks to Warhammer, I know what ‘grimdark’ means, but Lord of Hatred made me gulp in some places.
The scenes aren’t even exaggerated. They don’t seem unnecessarily brutal or senselessly cruel – they fit into a world on the brink, where it becomes clear: if we don’t act now, everything is over. We already got a taste through a cutscene with the Amazon Queen. You won’t get any more teasers from me.
Since most screenshots would also contain spoilers, here’s just a dismissive look at my Warlock:
After playing the Warlock for 10 hours straight, I now know not only that he was right but that both of us have only scratched the surface so far. The class is absolutely incredible:
While leveling, you get a rough idea of what the Warlock can do: summon demons, harness dark powers, rain hellfire on enemies.
The new skill system ensures you gain a deeper insight into the possibilities available: Do I want to transform into a super demon? Do I want to drown enemies in my own demons? Or am I even playing a “sneaky” build?
In the endgame, I completely lost track of what was going on. So many possibilities that all – more or less – work… I can’t keep up with just one brain.
Indeed, the class captivated me so much that I even tried out builds (and played most of the time) that I actually really hate: Summon builds with tons of demons that feel “more active” in the Warlock than the undead armies of the Necromancer, for example.
We had the opportunity to boost ourselves directly into the endgame with all sorts of items via cheats. I then tried to build a few more builds and was somewhat successful, but there are just too many possibilities, and they all sound kind of cool.
All classes have received adjustments, but I have only played the Warlock and could kick myself for not playing earlier (and more). In my defense: half of the testing time, I was on vacation and correspondingly didn’t check my emails for access… at least that’s what I tell myself for my conscience.
A nod to Diablo 3 and… Cow Level?
Besides the Warlock, the map, and the story, Lord of Hatred comes with a ton of other innovations, such as:
a new endgame through the war plans, which I found just mediocre
Kanai’s Cube, which already provided incredible possibilities in Diablo 3 and will be just as important in Diablo 4
Fishing as a new feature, in which I also lost myself for a while… but I will really dedicate myself to it only upon release
As expansions of the game, I found the systems mostly successful; they primarily serve to make the core gameplay of demon battles more varied, which Lord of Hatred does well already.
Surprisingly, I found Blizzard’s direct mention of the Cow… Cooooo-… the level that doesn’t exist and that every developer denies. While fishing, I found an old cowbell, and in the transmog templates, I found the “Crown of the Cow King.” Do with this info what you will.
On the night of April 21, the servers were shut down again, and I heard from many reviewers how excited they are. I have to join in and am really looking forward to April 28 and the release of the expansion.
The developers of Enshrouded are releasing the last major update for their survival game today. They aim to primarily change the combat and builds of the game.
When does the update start? The German survival game Enshrouded will release its last major update before the full version today, on April 21, 2026, at 3:00 PM. Under the title Forging the Path, there will be significant changes to the combat system, the builds, and how Enshrouded feels.
Here you can watch the trailer for the new update:
Start video
Enshrouded: The Early Access trailer for the new survival hit on Steam
Many new features in the last update
What features are included? The developers have already informed about the features of Forging the Path in update videos. It mainly concerns the combat system and the builds, but other changes also refresh Enshrouded.
Look forward to the following features:
Weapons gain special abilities with extra attacks
All melee weapons can now charge a heavy attack
Two-handed weapons should feel more powerful
Enemies now have an aggro system to improve when they attack you
Staves are stronger, have more range and durability
Some abilities can be improved after unlocking
The build system has been overhauled to allow for more hybrid builds
Armor, shields, spells, and rings can now be enhanced with runes
High-quality gear provides additional perk slots that further enhance your builds
You can finally share your version of the Gluttals with the community
There is an improved tutorial and starting area
The quests have been revised so that you can now see directly what a main quest and what a side quest is
A journal now tracks your collected items and gives you an exp bonus
Where you can craft certain items has changed and new recipes are available
All new stations at the carpenter automatically store stackable materials in nearby chests
You can finally build without having the materials in your inventory – as long as your resources are in magical chests.
A detailed changelog with all changes, no matter how small, for the game can be found on Steam.
What happens after the end of Early Access? The developers of Enshrouded stated in a press release, which MeinMMO has, that they intend to release more updates even after version 1.0.
As Antony Christoulakis, Creative Director at Keen Games, explains: “We are committed to supporting the game for many years beyond version 1.0 and hope that the community will continue to accompany us on this journey.”
So you can look forward to many innovations, even if not all of them will make it into version 1.0.
