Since “forever” there have been private servers for World of Warcraft. But why would anyone want to play there? And why is Blizzard fighting against it?
Every few years, the topic of private servers comes up in World of Warcraft, mostly when Blizzard actively combats private servers – sometimes also called “pirate servers”. This is currently the case with projects like “Turtle WoW”, which thousands of players are attached to, and which are now likely to lose their WoW home.
But why are there private servers at all? What makes them so popular? And what are the pros and cons?
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WoW Midnight – The opening cinematic of the new addon shows the attack on Silvermoon
Note: We strongly advise against the use of private servers in World of Warcraft. This article is purely informational, to break down what makes these servers appealing and to show what dangers are associated with them.
Why are private servers so popular?
The fact that private servers repeatedly attract a large community has several reasons. Although there may be additional individual reasons, these are likely the most important ones that are often mentioned:
Free: For the individual, playing on such a server is usually free. Unlike “real” WoW, there are no subscription fees here. This makes private servers an attractive alternative in the eyes of many who do not have the money to spend monthly.
Community feeling: Since private servers often have only a few hundred players and there is no “cross-realm”, one feels more connected to the characters on the realm. You see the same people every day and therefore often have a higher sense of community than on the real servers with many thousands of players.
Features that WoW does not offer: Many private servers provide features that are not available in official WoW. Some realms have had content like “Classic+” for a long time, and housing has been around on certain private servers for over 15 years, albeit with varying quality.
Fewer bots, better support: It is also frequently mentioned that private servers are often less infested with bots than official servers. Especially since Blizzard started using AI or external staff to handle ticket responses, who are not familiar with the issues, many people wonder why they should still pay for the service when some private servers provide more and better help.
Stricter role-playing rules: The official role-playing servers of World of Warcraft are in many cases just a shadow of their former selves. The special RP rules have been relaxed over the years, and today one is lucky to encounter even 1 or 2 role-playing fans among 10 people on an RP server. On private RP servers, it is different. Those who do not engage in RP or do not adhere to the RP rules will be quickly excluded.
Why are private servers problematic?
Private servers pose several dangers. Both for operators and for players.
Illegality: It should be clear to everyone, yet most private servers are not operated legally, especially if they are also making money from it. The assets and especially the Warcraft franchise belong to Blizzard and are still actively used by them. Operating “own” servers and offering a custom WoW client thus constitutes a copyright infringement in almost all countries.
Dark dealings in the background: In many private servers, it later turned out that dark dealings were happening behind the friendly facade. Operators have often been found to engage in selling gold or in-game items for real money “under the table”. Of course, with admin rights, one can easily funnel appropriate items to players. This was the case with Elysium.
Risk of loss: A private server can essentially shut down overnight – especially when Blizzard requests the operators to do so. In that case, you lose your character and all the progress made. For characters into which one invests often years of playtime, this is a significant frustration factor that does not exist on official servers.
Even though private servers around World of Warcraft should be viewed critically, they have had some positive impacts in the past. For big, popular private servers are clearly a loss for Blizzard, but at the same time show that there is a potential large community that wishes for specific content for the game. It is quite obvious that the great success of “Nostalrius” and its closure ultimately led to the development and release of WoW Classic.
A similar hope is now held by many who hope for a “Classic+” that has been wished for years. Because currently, Blizzard seems to be acting against many private servers that have created such content themselves.
Private servers also have a small advertising benefit, as some who could not afford WoW in their young years became aware of the game only through them and later became “official” players. However, this does not change the fact that the servers are illegal in almost all cases and will, sooner or later, have to face a legal dispute against Blizzard, which has little chance of victory – many servers give up immediately after a cease and desist.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Borderlands 4, you will receive a legendary weapon for a single dollar as a reward for a side quest. MeinMMO explains how you can complete the quest “Sale of the Shelf” and obtain your weapon.
Legendary weapons play an important role in Borderlands 4. They are among the most powerful and best items in the game and have unique legendary effects that can greatly assist you. You will receive a free legendary weapon of your choice relatively early on in a side mission in Carcadia Burns.
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Der Trailer zur Launch-Woche von Borderlands 4
How to complete the quest “Sale of the Shelf” and obtain a legendary weapon
Where can you find the mission? You can find the mission in the wasteland of Carcadia, which you can enter once you have completed the initial missions at the starting point. Here, a certain Penelope Streams stands by a vending machine and speaks with a person.
This conversation revolves around a mysterious vault where a legendary vending machine with truly priceless loot items is supposedly located. At the end of this quest, you will finally receive a legendary weapon of your choice.
Next to the vending machine, you will find Penelope and can start the quest.This is what the quest looks like with Penelope.
First Hint
The first hint should be located at the nearby vending machine. Walk around the vending machine and look at its backside. Here you will see a color sequence (dollar signs in colored circles) indicating the order in which you need to sell items at the vending machine. At the first vending machine, you must sell green and blue items in the correct order. Then you will receive a hint: The 33.
Your map shows you all important locations with a yellow quest symbol. So you don’t have to figure out what the numbers mean or find cryptic locations on the map. The game does most of the work for you.
Borderlands 4: This is what the symbols for the first hint look like.
Second Hint
The next vending machine is located on a rooftop, which you can reach via several stone columns. However, you must first activate the power supply to be able to use the vending machine.
To do this, go to the source of the loud music, a jukebox on the edge of the roof. Pull the lever on the side to turn it off and restore the power supply.
Now you do the same thing as with the first vending machine: On the backside, you will find color symbols indicating the order in which you must sell items. This time you must sell one green item, one purple item, one blue item, and then one green item – and then buy them back again. The next hint is the 96.
Third Hint
The third location is southeast in Crumble Hall. However, the machine is tipped over. On the backside, there are two red arrows. Once you look at these, your quest updates: You are to follow the arrows. However, note that the arrows on the machine point upwards because the machine has fallen over.
So climb up the building and follow the arrows until you reach a window in a wall. From here, you can see the next hint through the window, showing how you need to sell the items. This time, you need to sell purple, purple, orange, and orange. However, the costs will be covered by someone else. After that, you will receive the next hint: 8-W
Fourth Hint
The last machine is found further south, near the entrance of the wasteland of Carcadia in Embracer’s Bluff. The machine is located in the center of the town, so speak to the person nearby and offer to repair the machine.
Jump on the building behind it and hit the top of the machine with your fist. This will deactivate the machine, but now you have to deal with the person who just helped you:
Either attack the person yourself.
Or attack the machine to activate its defense system. The machine will then take care of the rest.
You find the last color code by crawling through a gap on the left side. Then you will see the code on the backside of the machine. This time it is green, purple, blue, and then again purple.
Sell the items in the correct colors to the machine and you will be revealed the last part of the hint: 1
The path to the legendary weapon
Now Penelope Streams comes and gives you the full hint and the final location of the vending machine will be marked on your map. Travel to this vending machine and follow the color code, which is again on the backside: This time it is green, blue, purple, and then orange.
If you have sold the items correctly, you will receive a final hint: You should follow the power cable behind the vending machine. The cable leads you to a door down by the water, where some people are already trying to get through the door.
Join the people, enter the room, and later fight the legendary vending machine that comes to life. Finally, the vending machine offers you a large selection of legendary weapons, all for just $1. However, note: Once you have chosen a weapon, the vending machine will be permanently shut down.
In Borderlands 4, there will again be a lot of shooting and looting, but those who do not play a good build will have a hard time in the endgame. Therefore, there is a handy tool with which you can comfortably plan your build: Borderlands 4: All about build planner and which you can use
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The head of Borderlands 4 continues to accompany the first launch days with posts on social media. His latest post is accompanied by a community survey and a thesis that is hotly debated among players.
What is this option? We are talking about a FOV slider for consoles, which allows you to adjust the “Field of View” on Xbox and PlayStation. On X, Randy Pitchford, the CEO and President of Gearbox Entertainment, writes:
A quick note for console friends: FOV settings: I have some dreams in which a FOV setting could influence fairness. I can’t really talk about it yet, but I see that this is important for you, so we are currently looking into it.
In an attached survey, the lead developer wants to know what the community thinks. So far, 71.6 percent of participants have chosen the answer: “FOV slider or get out of here!” Another 20 percent would find a corresponding option helpful. Less than 10 percent could live without a FOV slider or simply don’t care.
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Borderlands 4: Cineastischer Launch-Trailer zelebriert den Release
“A FOV slider would work wonders”
How does the community react to the posts? For many players, the question doesn’t even arise. Rather, they wonder what he could mean by the deterioration of fairness.
dolemitedawiz explains on X: “I have to be honest. I get headaches when I play the intro sections and have to stop. A FOV slider would work wonders.”
CritsAndCaps writes on Reddit: “Could it influence fairness? PC has it and it’s crossplay. Case closed.”
JoeChillRust suggests on Reddit: “Randy is hiding that the field of view is locked because it affects performance. Most likely limited by the [Xbox] Series S.”
yolotrip shares his speculation on Reddit: “Does he mean that there will be some kind of competition in the future where you compete against other players instead of playing together against bots? Or did I completely misunderstand? That’s the only logical thing I can think of why a FOV slider could be considered unfair.”
What impact can a FOV slider have? An effect of FOV options is clear: Those who increase their field of view with the slider can better spot opponents approaching from one of the side areas. In competitive modes, this can be a significant advantage when opponents are playing (must) with a smaller field of view.
But there is an alternative advantage of FOV sliders that you might not be thinking about right now. In an online shooter like Warzone, lowering one’s FOV benefits from a kind of zoom effect that allows you to better aim at distant opponents. The player LUCKYCHAMU demonstrated this in a video on YouTube.
Expedition 33 is considered the big surprise of the current year. Now users have discovered a hint at the popular game in Hollow Knight: Silksong. Silksong has been available on Steam since early September 2025.
Expedition 33 is among the most popular games of the year and many already see it as the game of the year 2025. The reviews on Steam also speak for themselves: Out of around 109,000 reviews, 95% are positive (Extremely Positive).
Hollow Knight Silksong – Xbox Game Pass Reveal Trailer
A sentence in a cave is supposed to reference Expedition 33
Where can one find the reference? If you go west of Wormways to Weavenest Karn and play the Needolin there, the text “For those who come after.” appears above your head. In German, this means roughly “For those who come after us.”
The Needoline is a musical instrument that allows Hornet, the protagonist of the game, to open certain doors in the world of Silksong.
Silksong: Reference to Expedition 33, via Imgur.com.
What kind of reference is this? This sentence connects with the community regarding Expedition 33. For this sentence is the foundation of the promise of every expedition to continue despite all adversities. Moreover, you will find an almost identical sentence in a diary entry right at the beginning of the game: “Learn from those who came before you, and pave the way for those who come after you.”
Additionally, this is also the name of a song in the soundtrack to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – as the English magazine PCGamer reveals.
Of course, it is also a rather common phrase, as found in many memorials, and the reference could be coincidental. But the shared musical context leads many players and testers to believe that Team Cherry intended this connection. By the way, the developers of Silksong have not commented on this yet.
Young people often change jobs according to a report. But this is not due to chronic disloyalty, but to other needs.Many young individuals want to build a career, but many jobs do not offer enough opportunities for development.
Many young people comparatively often resign from their jobs, to look for new work. This relationship with work is also referred to as “job hopping.” While in the past a higher salary often tempted individuals to switch, Gen Z has different motives.
Many bosses are tired of watching young people from Generation Z leave after only a year of work, reports the English-language magazine Fortune.com. The training with the employer is taken along to continue elsewhere.
However, some supervisors see a lack of loyalty and chronic disloyalty as the reasons for young people switching jobs so quickly. But a survey from a service provider now shows that there are entirely different reasons for this.
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Generation Z longs for personal development and career
What kind of survey is this? The personnel service provider Randstad has conducted a global survey among 11,250 employees in 15 countries and also analyzed 126 million job postings worldwide.
This report shows that the average employment duration of Generation Z in the first five years of their career is only 1.1 years, which is significantly shorter than that of Millennials (1.8), Generation X (2.8), and Baby Boomers (2.9).
Why do young people change jobs so often? In fact, it is not financial reasons or fear of AI that is causing Gen Z to switch workplaces particularly frequently. Instead, young people want to satisfy a very specific need: their own development.
For Generation Z, it is particularly important that a job offers a clear career path and opportunities for advancement. Because many want to improve themselves, profile themselves, and climb the career ladder. And job changes occur increasingly where no clear opportunities for development are offered.
Wherever there is an opportunity for improvement, young people will take that option to secure their future and growth. In companies where employees are supported and motivated, the chance of staff turnover is considerably lower.
Generation Z is facing two major problems aside from criticism. On the one hand, rents are becoming more and more expensive, and on the other hand, they do not want to take any job to earn money anymore. And older generations do not understand this well, referring to their own life paths: Gen Z is currently facing two major problems, one of which they cannot solve without help
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In August, special Happy Meals for Pokémon were available at select McDonald’s locations. Based on the experiences from the promotion, drastic measures have now been announced for the second phase in September.
What is this promotion about? In Japan, Pokémon fans were able to purchase special Happy Meals that promised a promo card pack. The package always included a guaranteed Pikachu card and one of 5 additional cards.
The offer was a huge hit. Long lines formed outside the restaurants during the promotion. Among them were many so-called scalpers who wanted to secure as many card packs as possible to sell them for high prices on platforms like Ebay.
In Pokémon TCG Pocket, you can (almost) build a large card collection for free:
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Pokémon TCG Pocket introduces new cards from the Guardian of the Firmament expansion
The supplies in McDonald’s locations were sold out so quickly that many regular customers who wanted to secure two cards for their kids were left empty-handed. Accordingly, the promotion was reportedly frustrating for many Pokémon fans.
But that was not the only unpleasant aspect of the otherwise attractive promotion. Many people bought the Happy Meals solely because of the Pokémon cards and apparently had no use for the other contents of the menus. Images of large piles of waste from burgers, fries, and other items circulated, including on X.com.
New rules against food waste and scalpers
What measures has McDonald’s announced? In an official statement from the company, it says:
McDonald’s does not tolerate uneaten food or waste. We strictly prohibit the purchase or resale of Happy Sets for the purpose of resale or any purchases for commercial purposes.
For future promotions of this kind, there are new rules:
The sale of Happy Meals is limited to 3 meals per group.
No digital orders will be possible on the launch day of the promotions. The Happy Meals can only be purchased on-site in the locations or at the drive-thru during the first 24 hours.
McDonald’s officials have already announced that they may expand these policies as needed. If the new rules prove effective, they could also be implemented outside of Japan.
After the beta of Battlefield 6, it is now the task of the developers to draw the right conclusions from the feedback and observations in order to release the best possible launch version of the shooter on October 10, 2025. One of the devs has now spoken about a feature that will receive adjustments.
What feature is it? It is the spotting feature, meaning the ability to mark enemy players with the push of a button. How this marking is displayed and where the marking can be seen has changed throughout the Battlefield games.
In the beta of Battlefield 6, one could roughly aim at an opponent and then press the “Q” key to mark them with a scarlet symbol (lovingly called “Dorito” by fans and developers) and thus make them visible to all allies.
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Battlefield 6 presents classes, movement, and tactical destruction in the trailer
The automatic spotting ability of the scout has proven to be much more effective. They can automatically locate enemies while aiming through the scope. Additionally, they have motion sensors and drones to track down enemies.
“Hey, aim for the Dorito”
What did the beta show? In an interview with IGN, combat designer Matthew Nickerson explained that they definitely want to tone down the spotting feature for launch, based on the findings from the recent testing phases.
We have definitely reduced the range and decreased the overall efficiency. We learned a lot about it in the open beta, as it was obviously very strong, just as the players said. Ultimately, players were just shooting at Doritos. In bright environments, in dark environments – they just said, ‘Hey, aim for the Dorito. At the end of the day, you hit something anyway.’
Nickerson adds that the locating and marking of enemies must remain an important, active part of Battlefield 6. Being able to receive such information in combat through the pings of allies is important.
However, the gameplay behind it cannot consist of half the battlefield being filled with roaming Doritos with little effort. Therefore, beta testers should brace themselves for comprehensive changes. By the way, you will soon be able to test a long-awaited mode of Battlefield 6 that resembles Warzone from Call of Duty. You can find the details about this test here: Battlefield 6 lets you experience its own Battle Royale and it’s only for hardcore soldiers
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Publisher 2K Games has released Nvidia’s recommendations for Borderlands 4. But this only shows the current state of the shooter. An RTX 5080 that barely achieves 60 FPS in WQHD is a slap in the face for many players.
Publisher 2K Games has released extensive charts with setting recommendations for Borderlands 4. You can view them directly on Steam. These are solely recommendations for Nvidia graphics cards.
However, these recommendations seem to many players, after the poor launch of Borderlands 4, like a complete joke. Because no one buys an RTX 5080 just to play in Full HD or WQHD.
What are the recommendations? Usually, one would expect that with an RTX 5080 for 1,000 Euros, you could play a modern shooter in WQHD resolution at 120 FPS or in 4K at 60 FPS. However, the recommendations for Borderlands 4 from 2K Games look somewhat different:
If you want to play Borderlands 4 in high quality on an RTX 5080, the developers recommend a maximum resolution of WQHD, with DLSS enabled and Frame Generation at the highest level. You should then be able to achieve 60 FPS.
If you want to play Borderlands 4 in 4K with an RTX 5080, you will have to drastically reduce the graphics details to still achieve 60 FPS. With DLSS enabled and Frame Generation at the highest level.
And this is exactly what many players are currently upset about. Because the developers’ ideas and the players’ needs are far apart.
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Borderlands 4: Cineastischer Launch-Trailer zelebriert den Release
High-End Hardware for WQHD Resolution is Mandatory According to Developers
Why are so many players so angry? The recommendations from Nvidia and 2K Games mostly apply to mid-range and high-end graphics cards, and correspondingly high are the prices: For an RTX 5080, you currently have to spend at least 1,000 Euros or more (via Geizhals.de). The RTX 5080 is not a budget GPU that you buy as an impulse purchase for 300 Euros to slot into your PC.
And this is the issue that so many players are upset about: After all, you don’t buy a graphics card for more than 1,000 Euros just to play a shooter at a maximum of WQHD and 60 FPS. Especially when you need to activate DLSS and Frame Generation just to achieve 60 FPS.
No one, players complain, buys a high-end GPU just to be presented with such poor quality. As one player notes, and this probably resonates with many:
There is no guide that can fix this problem; the developers really need to work on the game. No one on PC wants to play at ~60 fps. You didn’t buy a 3080 or 4080 to play games at 60 FPS and 1440p [WQHD].
These recommendations also show how poorly optimized the game must be if such a powerful graphics card as the RTX 5080 is brought to its knees. And the problems don’t end there. This is also illustrated by another player who explains:
Even with a 9800X3D and a 5090 (@4K), it runs absolutely poorly. I mean, I can play the game, but the power consumption is ridiculously high.
And just to put this into context: The AMD Ryzen 7 9800x3D and GeForce RTX 5090 are currently the fastest products in the PC space that you can install in a gaming PC. This is hardware you buy when you intend to play in 4K resolution. Not to play in Full HD or WQHD while cranking DLSS and Frame Generation to maximum.
With the new update “Ash and Iron”, numerous armors have landed in the shop of Destiny 2. The new free armor for Iron Banner, however, turns out to be a 7-year-old reskin, which is driving the community up the wall.
What kind of update is this?“Ash and Iron” went live on September 9, 2025 and brought a series of new contents. Reclaim the Desecrated Lands in a new activity for 3-player groups. In the top Ops, there are now dungeon stashes and two fresh exotic missions. And a new raid experience awaits you.
Here is the official trailer for the new update “Ash and Iron” for Destiny 2:
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Destiny 2: Ash & Iron bringt euch zurück zu den Verseuchten Landen
Clothes make the man … and trouble
What about the armors? In the Eververse store, 12 new armor sets have landed with the update, for which you have to shell out more than 250 US dollars in total (Source: thegamepost.com). This alone has already been criticized by parts of the community because more and more paid sets are appearing in the shop.
Tevran has broken this down for the past years in a post on Reddit. One result: “We’ve gone from about 24 paid sets per year to 36 in TFS and may reach double the original volume this year with 48 sets.”
Anyone wanting to earn stylish clothes in Destiny 2 may have been pleased by the developers’ recent announcement on bungie.net: “The Iron Banner returns for a week with new weapons and a cool new armor set after a short break.”
By now, it’s clear what this cool, new armor set will be:
The new set from Iron Banner.
This seems to be a color-adjusted reissue (reskin) of a 7-year-old set, which in the eyes of many fans appears anything but “cool” or “new”.
What is the cherry on top of the shitstorm cream? Some players have discovered the Iron Banner symbol on one of the new armors for the Eververse store. The suspicion of many players that arises directly from this: This set might have been originally intended for the upcoming Iron Banner event. Apparently, it was swapped out for the simple reskin to generate more money with the new armor.
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How is the community reacting to all of this? With great anger, much frustration, and numerous disappointed comments that can be found in many discussions on Reddit and elsewhere.
Ok_Programmer_1022 issues a warning on Reddit: “Greed will destroy you, Bungie.”
engineeeeer7 emphasizes this on Reddit: “Everyone is bashing Destiny 2, but they have managed to drive away a large part of their remaining community in less than two months with excessive grind, greed, and more bugs than one can imagine. That’s puzzling.”
Lord_CBH criticizes on Reddit: “I hate that almost all cosmetic items now simply have to be … paid for. There are practically no cosmetic items left that can be earned, and that’s damn sad.”
TwistedLogic81 can’t believe it on Reddit: “That’s hilarious, but not surprising. What are they doing over there?”
Paradox is releasing a new DLC for Cities Skylines. But players are furious on Steam: They want no content for an old game, but rather improvements for the sequel.
What was presented? Publisher Paradox has introduced a new DLC for its city-building game Cities Skylines called “Shops of Shibuya Bundle”. On Steam, they published a post about it.
However, the post has not been well received: As of now (September 13, 9 AM), the post has received nearly 500 comments, and many are criticizing Paradox’s actions. Many are demanding improvements for the sequel.
This is what the user CyberSyns complains:
Paradox, this is insulting. How about you fix City Skylines 2 first before you crawl back and try to exploit the larger player base of this game?
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Cities: Skylines – Trailer for the City Building Simulation on Steam
Cities Skylines 2 is still a major construction site 2 years after release
What is the problem with Skylines 2? Cities Skylines 2 was released as a successor on October 24, 2023, and will soon celebrate its 2nd anniversary. However, players are not in a celebratory mood, as the state of Skylines 2 is still quite poor. Initially, it was mainly severe technical problems and a broken AI that plagued Skylines 2.
However, many of the mentioned problems still exist today: Looking at the current reviews on Steam, one can see that the state hasn’t really changed. The game currently has over 77,000 reviews on Steam and is rated “Mixed” (52% positive).
A player who has spent over 400 hours in Cities Skylines 2 explains (via steampowered.com): “In summary, Cities Skylines 2 had so much potential but ultimately failed to realize it.”
New DLC for predecessor not well received
Players’ reactions to the announcement of the new DLC have been less than positive: Many feel misled and are upset about Paradox’s decision to invest time and effort into a DLC instead of fully focusing on fixing the issues of the soon-to-be 2-year-old sequel.
Are there any positive remarks? Yes, there are also people trying to smooth things over, explaining that no developer is behind the new content. Someone writes (via steamcommunity.com):
These DLCs were not developed by Paradox or Colossal Order. They come from content creators whose work we all know and appreciate. This content was created by modders and is a good way to support their work.
I understand that CS2 is an embarrassing game and that the announcement of new DLCs does not sound particularly positive, but in this case, we should not let these community members, who have long provided their work for free, go without getting anything in return. This also goes for CS1.
What’s behind it: Publisher Paradox and developer Colossal Order have been offering DLCs for Cities Skylines for some time now, which consist of content created by developers from the community. The new DLC “Shops of Shibuya Bundle” is also another community product.
The idea behind it is quite clever: With such DLCs, community mods and projects can be monetized, allowing both the community and the developer to benefit.
A professor of educational sciences wanted to investigate the relationship between personality and depressive disorders and complex problem-solving skills. To see these skills in action, the study participants were to play the city simulation Cities: Skylines. In the game from Finnish developer Colossal Order, the goal is to build a highly efficient functioning metropolis: An 8-year-old city builder on Steam is so complex that it can be used for psychological studies.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A new title is coming soon to Steam, which at first glance could also be a forgotten Disney classic. However, the premise shows that it is far from a child-friendly adventure.
What kind of game is it on Steam? On October 9, 2025, Bye Sweet Carole will be released on Steam, Xbox Series, PS5, and Switch. It is a narrative horror game inspired by old animation classics.
Players take on the role of Lana Benton, who lives in an orphanage in England in the 1900s. Her friend Carole Simmons suddenly runs away, and Lana believes that there is more to the disappearance.
She discovers letters in which Carole writes to an unknown person. Lana then ventures into the decaying kingdom of Corolla to uncover the mystery behind the disappearance. Along the way, she encounters all sorts of characters, such as the evil owl Velenia or the dreadful Mr. Kyn and his horde of nasty rabbits.
Start video
Bye Sweet Carol Trailer
Disney Classic with Horror Elements
Why does it remind you of old Disney classics? Those who take a closer look at the trailer might find the visuals familiar. The game has been hand-drawn, drawing inspiration from “great animated films.”
The protagonist already looks like she could be from an old Disney classic, walking hand in hand with Snow White through the forest.
What is different from Disney? Unlike the friendly Disney films, Bye Sweet Carole has a palette of dark colors, indicating that it is not made for children. Although the story reads a bit like Alice in Wonderland, it actually conceals a horror story aimed primarily at fans of games like Little Nightmares.
A creepy creature lurks below, but careful sneaking is enough here.
How does it play? MeinMMO editor Jasmin Beverungen was able to test the game in a demo at gamescom 2025. In 30 minutes, she experienced the beginning of the game, which mainly consisted of platforming sections that required quick reactions.
Occasionally, there was a monster chasing Carole. So you had to flee quickly or jump off an object at the right moment to escape dangerous situations. There were also small environmental puzzles, although you shouldn’t expect them to be brilliant brain twisters.
But that’s not really necessary: Bye Sweet Carole thrives on its atmosphere and the incredible charm it radiates with every image and character. The horror factor is also not as intense as in Dead Space and co., but rather of a milder nature.
What unfortunately couldn’t be tested in the demo: Later in the game, you should be able to transform into a rabbit to escape tricky situations or talk to other rabbits. In this form, you are more vulnerable.
At the end of August, the people responsible for Cloud Imperium finally dared to announce release timeframes for Star Citizen and Squadron 42. According to a developer, they seem to be anything but certain again.
That would be up to 17 years after the start of pre-production of Star Citizen in 2011 and up to 16 years after the start of the Kickstarter campaign in 2012. At that time, by the way, the plan was to release the game in November 2014 (!) (Source: kickstarter.com).
Start video
Star Citizen: Dark Territory – Trailer for Alpha 4.3 promises horror vibes like Dead Space
“Do they even know how to release a game?”
Who made the new statement? Content Director Jared Huckaby explained on Twitch that Squadron 42 will not have an appearance at the upcoming CitizenCon Direct. The reason: The development team is currently fully focused on developing the single-player spin-off of Star Citizen to meet the promised release timeframe.
The team is working hard. We drew a line when we said 2026. I don’t know if we will make it; I just know that we will do everything to make it. And that also includes not getting distracted by CitizenCon.
How is the announcement received by the community? A sentence from this statement raised eyebrows among many fans: “I don’t know if we will make it.” Accordingly, the reactions are:
BastianHawk asks on Reddit: “Hmm – isn’t it common to start the PR campaign about 12 months before the release? So I would have expected the hype around S42 to begin with CitCon. You know, with all the statements like ‘S42 – 2026’ and ‘as big as GTA6.'”
kokko693 writes on Reddit: “Squadron is supposed to be the solo part of the game, which should be easier to release than the online game Star Citizen. If Squadron is also delayed, what can they even release? Do they even know how to release a game?”
Choubidouu brings an old discussion back to the Reddit table: “At what point can we call the entire Star Citizen thing a scam?”
ClovieKay reminds on Reddit of one thing: “Mark Hamill shot his scenes for Squadron 42 in the same year that Star Wars: The Force Awakens was released.”
Jared Huckaby quickly chimed in on one of the discussions on Reddit to clarify: They are currently on track for the 2026 release. He personally just doesn’t know what the future will bring. Game development is complex; delays can easily happen. Hence his statement that he is unsure whether they can meet the announced timeframe.
50 years ago, the nightmare of every driver was buried: in 2025, the Chevrolet Vega came back to light.A car whose history has been plagued by problems and recalls until production was finally halted in 1977.
We have added some information about the condition of the Vega after 50 years on September 14.
The dealer Harold Davission built a huge time capsule in 1975 and buried nearly 5,000 everyday objects, a car, and a motorcycle in this capsule. 50 years later, in 2025, this time capsule has been opened again. This is reported by the television station KLKNTV on YouTube.
The car, a Chevrolet Vega that was in the capsule, was considered one of the worst cars of its time, as it was notorious for its problems and recalls.
Start video
Slate Auto presents new truck with electric motor
The Chevrolet Vega: A Driver’s Nightmare
What kind of car is this? Jim Roche, then chairman of General Motors, made many promises about the Chevrolet Vega, promising a revolutionary compact car that could even compete with the Volkswagen Beetle.
The Vega finally came to market in 1970 with the goal of competing with Japanese and European compact cars, but soon gained a bad reputation due to reliability issues and design flaws.
The Vega suffered from a rushed, cost-cutting production. Many vehicles left the factory with misaligned body parts, missing or faulty components, and inferior materials.
Quickly, the car was considered a driver’s nightmare, as reported by the English-speaking magazine Autoevolution.com.
A ton of problems: In 1972 alone, GM issued three mass recalls for the Vegas. By May 1972, six out of seven Vegas manufactured were said to be affected by a recall. And the list of problems is long:
Engine backfires could damage the muffler, heat the nearby fuel tank, causing it to expand and become damaged, and result in a fire hazard.
Defective mounts of the exhaust cleanup system could lock the throttle in an open position, forcing the driver to abruptly shut off the ignition while driving.
In some Vega models, the rear axle detached from the vehicle, causing the wheels to fall off and the vehicle to drop onto the rear suspension.
Poor-quality valve stem seals could tear and fail, leading to oil leaks into the combustion chamber, resulting in excessive oil consumption, blue exhaust smoke, and further engine wear.
Overheating frequently led to warped engine blocks, leaking engines, and catastrophic internal failures, including engines that practically “melted” from the inside.
In 1977, production of the Vega was finally halted. To this day, the vehicle is infamous among car enthusiasts and experts for its problems.
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How did the Vega survive the 50 years? Considering that the car was plagued by so many problems at the time, it stands surprisingly well after its time underground. As seen in the video, the car is almost perfectly preserved and still bright yellow, even the tires can still hold air.
The interior of the Vega has held up well as well. This shows how well the time capsule was constructed. Its builder had developed its own ventilation system at the time to counteract the effects of time. A Toyota, which was trapped in a subsequently built structure over the actual time capsule, did not fare as well over the decades, although it was sealed away a full 10 years later.
There is a bit of rust on the Vega, but the family hopes it will be ready for the next parade on July 4th – if the many other problems of the car don’t get in the way.
The other items that were sealed with the Vega were given to their original owners or their descendants, including many letters and personal memorabilia that reflect life in the 70s.
The Community Day in September 2025 with Flabébé is coming in Pokémon GO. We will show you how to make the most of the event.
September is in full swing and, as usual, also brings you a Community Day. This time, Flabébé, the Fairy-type Pokémon from Generation 6, is in the spotlight. It can evolve into Floette and then into Florges.
It also has different forms with varying flower colors. In Europe, you can only catch the Red flower form, as well as the White flower and Orange flower forms during the event. The announcement of the Community Days caused dismay and frustration among trainers in the past.
We will show you how to prepare for the event and how to make the most of it.
Start video
Pokémon GO: The Season “Stories of Transformation” in the Trailer
Community Day in September 2025 with Flabébé – Start & Bonuses of the Event
What? Community Day with Flabébé When? Sunday, September 14, 2025 – From 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM Exclusive Attack: Charged Attack Cold Shower for Florges if you evolve it during the event or in the following week Bonuses: – Increased shiny chance for Flabébé – 1/4 Hatch Distance for eggs placed in incubators during the event – Double catch candy – Twice the chance for XL candies when catching Pokémon starting from Level 31 – Lure modules and incense last for 3 hours (not the daily adventure incense) – Snapshot surprises with Flabébé – Field research with Flabébé
Bonuses until 10:00 PM local time: – One additional special trade – 50% less Stardust costs when trading
Bonuses until September 21, 2025 at 10:00 PM: – you can more easily evolve Floette into Florges by earning 7 hearts with Floette as your buddy
Additional Content of the Community Day: If you open Pokémon GO during the event, you will receive a free, limited-time research. You have until Sunday, September 21, 2025 at 10:00 PM to complete it. If you complete it, you will receive a Flabébé with a special background, which also has an increased shiny chance. In Europe, you will get it in the Red flower form.
For $1.99 (approximately €2), you also have the option to purchase a special research for the Community Day. Here, you will receive 3 encounters with Flabébé in the White flower and Orange flower forms, with a special background, 1 premium battle pass, 1 special candy XL, and additional encounters with Flabébé in both forms.
Who Benefits from the Community Day with Flabébé?
For Collectors: If you still need the various Flabébé variants as shiny, then the event is the perfect opportunity to fill these gaps in your Pokédex.
For Fighters: Flabébé and its evolutions are not particularly suitable for raids as they are not among the best attackers in Pokémon GO. In the Ultra League, Florges can be found at rank 65 of the current meta and at rank 37 in the Master League.
The Perfect Preparation for the Community Day in September 2025
Clean up Pokémon Box: To catch as many Flabébé as possible, you should clean up your Pokémon box before the event. If you need to quickly sort out specimens during the event, there is a simple trick to sort Pokémon faster.
Collect Enough Items: You should also make sure that you have enough items for the event. The following are especially important:
Poké Balls: Visit enough PokéStops and gyms to have plenty of balls available for the event.
Sananaberries: If you use a Sananaberry, you will receive double the amount of candy when catching. In combination with the candy bonus of the event, you can thus even receive four times the amount for each catch. A silver Sananaberry gives you an additional candy for each catch.
Lure Modules and Incense: These two items will help you attract more Flabébé. If you activate them during the event, they will have an increased duration of 3 hours.
Which Mega Pokémon are Worth It for the Event? If you have activated a Fairy-type Mega Evolution during the event, you will receive additional experience points and candy for each catch. Use one of the following evolutions:
Mega Gardevoir
Mega Altaria
Mega Diancie
Mega Flunkifer
Mega Ohrdoch
Not only is the Community Day taking place in September 2025 in Pokémon GO. The current month brings you a variety of events, raids, and additional content. What they are and when they take place can be found in our overview of all events in September 2025 in Pokémon GO.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
It is time for our MeinMMO format “MMORPG News in 5 Minutes”. We summarize the most important news about the best genre in the world. You can expect falling private servers for WoW, surprising updates, and guild drama in Ashes of Creation.
Blue Protocol: Star Resonance shows a mix of action and teamwork in the new trailer
Throne and Liberty prepares for new housing
What happened with the big MMORPGs:
The Time-Lost Proto-Drake has been one of the rarest and most sought-after mounts in World of Warcraft since its debut in Wrath of the Lich King. A certain Papaplatte has been keen on the creature for many years. That’s why an 11-hour farming marathon took place on Twitch recently.
On September 11, a new livestream of the developers of Elder Scrolls Online took place on Twitch featuring the content that will come to the live servers in 2025.
And one more thing ESO: From September 18 to September 30, the Unfazed celebrations will take place. You can find the details on elderscrollsonline.com.
Lost Ark is expecting a new update on September 17, featuring innovations such as Assault: Rimeria, a combat analysis tool, and a fresh Honor system. The new edition of Eye on Arkesia will introduce these innovations to you on YouTube.
In a new blog post, the developers of Throne and Liberty talked about some of the new features for PvP fans that will come with the new update on September 18. It is about the new 24vs24 mode and the overhaul of the Stonewatch siege map. You will find the details on playthroneandliberty.com.
On September 11, the second part of the Edania update for Black Desert went live. The 2.48 GB update includes new main quests and fresh challenges such as monster areas and boss subjugations. You can find the patch notes on playblackdesert.com.
This week also saw a new episode of “Eye on Solisium,” which naturally deals with the upcoming September update of Throne and Liberty, which will also bring the new housing to the servers. You can watch the video on YouTube or watch it below:
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For Star Wars: The Old Republic, update 7.7.1b was released this week. Included are new login rewards for subscribers, preparations for the upcoming autumn event (starting on October 7), as well as an upgrade of the server databases. You can find the patch notes at swtor.com.
Since September 9, a new update for the Legion expansion of Eve Online has been available for download. New freelance missions, adjustments for the battlefield, improvements for wormholes as well as Pochven, and updates in New Eden are coming. You can find the details at eveonline.com.
On September 15, the first league of RuneScape will start. In a developer blog on runescape.com, the developers revealed the exact schedule until the league starts.
The mobile version of Silkroad Online received a major update on September 9, increasing the maximum level, adding new challenges and rewards, overhauling the guild system, and more. You can find the details at sromobile.com.
Not only WoW is struggling with private servers, but also Tibia. The developers recently received a tip in the official forum that a private server is so popular that nearly as many players are there as on the official servers. The developers’ answer: We are aware and monitoring the situation closely. Since they violate copyrights, it could happen at any time that the developers might take action against the private servers (Source: mmorpg.org.pl).
5 months after the comeback of Defiance, the operators have drawn an initial conclusion: The servers are now running stable, all 5 DLCs are live, and anti-cheat measures have been implemented. In the next step, the events will gradually be introduced into the game, with adjusted rewards. You can find the details on fawkesgames.com.
Project Gorgon received an update this week, with graphical improvements, a voice chat, and adjustments for various areas of the MMORPG. You can find the patch notes on Steam.
From September 8 to 22, celebrations for Star Trek Day will take place on the servers of Star Trek Online. In particular, during this time, you can visit a special museum. You can find the details at playstartrekonline.com.
In DC Universe Online, the Batman Day event is running from September 9 to 23 – with daily missions and rewards. You can find all the important information at dcuniverseonline.com.
The developers of Aion 2 continue to hold regular livestreams to share information about the successor to the popular NCsoft MMORPG from 2008/2009. MeinMMO summarizes the latest findings for you.
The developers of Camelot Unchained showcase the latest updates for gameplay and zones in a new video. Where? On YouTube!
The developers of Blue Protocol: Star Resonance are excited about X over 2,000,000 registered players.
This fall, the MMORPG Reign of Guilds is expected to leave early access, with new content and a wipe of progress for all players. You can find all the details at Steam.
The first major content update for The Quinfall is expected to hit the live servers with as much polish as possible. Therefore, the developers are inviting people to a beta now on the official Discord to test the new content.
Dungeons & Dragons is the largest role-playing game in the world and the inspiration for countless worlds, films, books, and video games. The studio behind the IP, Wizards of the Coast, has had a new head since 2024 and he would like to see a new D&D MMORPG. After all, he should know how it is done: He worked at Blizzard for almost 13 years and was responsible for WoW.
Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen finally received the new dungeon complex in “Black Rose Keep” on September 10, which had previously been delayed due to bugs. You can find the blog post about the new content on Steam. You can watch the associated trailer below:
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The community of Pokémon GO helps a player after his four-year-old child used the Master Ball to catch a Pokémon for which presumably no other player would sacrifice the most powerful ball in the game.
In the attached screenshot of the player, you can see that the Felino is neither a Shiny nor has any special size or weight. It is simply a completely normal specimen of the Water and Ground Pokémon with the cute smile on its face, which now resides in the best ball in the game.
The player now asks what he should do with the Felino and says that any help or kind words or even personal experiences from the past are welcome. And for that, the community of Pokémon GO is more than ready.
Here you can see the trailer for the new season “Stories of Transformation” in Pokémon GO:
Select a MMO video…
“This is now my most valuable Felino”
What suggestions does the community make? So far, the story of the player and his son has received about a thousand upvotes. The players of Pokémon GO have some ideas about what the player could do with the Felino to give it meaning. The player himself says that it is “his most valuable Felino” (via Reddit).
“Name it Woopsi [Uppsi]”, suggests Standard-Park (on Reddit), which is a reference to the English name of Felino “Wooper”. Thegoodvm, however, believes that a lesson should be taught to the child when he is older: “Use it for a lucky trade with your child’s most valuable Pokémon when he is 12 years old to show that actions have consequences” (via Reddit).
Also, CaterpillarThat6027 has an idea that is strongly supported by several other players: “Make it your buddy at max level, don’t evolve it further, and name it after your child :)” (via Reddit).
What similar experiences does the community report? Some other players have had quite similar experiences as the father and his child.
Truehoax writes in the comments on Reddit that the person didn’t even notice it happened until the ball was suddenly gone and their 3-year-old child then admitted that he had used “the purple one”.
The father’s problem that his Master Ball was wasted on the wrong Pokémon by his child is the exact opposite of another father-child team. Another father reports that his child encountered an incredibly rare Pokémon that only a few would ever see in that condition. But the boy had no Master Ball to catch it, just “only” 50 normal Poké Balls: Child must watch as an extremely rare Shiny escapes him in Pokémon GO because he made an annoying mistake
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Players love to talk extensively about the strongest builds and best strategies in Baldur’s Gate 3, but a popular spell makes even the smartest players abandon all strategies.
Which spell is being talked about? It is about the Level 3 spell Fireball, which is available to wizards, sorcerers, clerics of the Light domain, Warlock of the Undead, and bards of the School of Lore.
The spell is quite self-explanatory: it allows you to unleash a beam of fire from your hands that results in a large explosion at a selected point. Fireball is therefore a spell that deals a solid 8D6 fire damage and gains an additional D6 with each spell level above level 3.
The spell is an extremely popular spell in the Dungeons & Dragons community and is often used as a meme when a previously thought-out and well-considered plan is destroyed within seconds by a massive fire explosion: simply because it feels too good.
Even the Baldur’s Gate 3 community, which is actually a big fan of intricate builds and strategies, must admit that Fireball is too great not to use. This is also evident in a meme in the game’s subreddit, which has already received over 10,000 upvotes.
Here you see the animated short film for Patch 8 of Baldur’s Gate 3:
Start video
Der animierte Kurzfilm zu Patch 8, dem letzten Update für Baldur’s Gate 3
Players don’t want to part with their beloved Fireball
What discussion arose from the meme? The meme, posted by SouthBendCitizen on Reddit, portrays a player in Baldur’s Gate 3 who wants to create a spellcaster character for crowd control. Spells like “Sleep”, “Crown of Madness” or “Hold Person” have no chance against the beloved Fireball.
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This seems to be a well-known phenomenon among players, as they express themselves abundantly in the comments:
“The best form of crowd control is death,” writes lesbos_hermit (on Reddit), to which PopeGoomy adds: “You don’t need to control the crowd when they’re no longer there” (via Reddit).
In response to lollersauce914 (on Reddit), who suggests switching to crowd control with better gear in Act 2, the post’s author is not convinced: “I understand what you mean. But what if instead, once I have all the great equipment, I just throw a Fireball?” (SounthBendCitizen via Reddit)
How can one build a strategy around the beloved spell? The player malcorpse also doesn’t want to give up on his beloved Fireball, so he has come up with a strategy using another power source from the game to use Fireball as “crowd control”: “My Illithid powers only gave me the ability for a Black Hole so that I could gather everyone within range of a Fireball together.” (via Reddit).
And when Fireball doesn’t work, the player Binx_Thackery has a solution: “If Fireball didn’t work the first time, cast it again with a higher spell slot. Repeat this until the problem is solved” (via Reddit)
Players, and especially fans of Fireball, can be thankful that in Baldur’s Gate 3, no components for spells are needed as in Dungeons & Dragons. For a Fireball in the tabletop RPG, the caster requires not only some sulfur but also a small ball of bat guano. Perhaps for this reason, Fireball would have fit onto this list here on MeinMMO: 6 underrated spells that are much more powerful in Baldur’s Gate 3 than in Dungeons & Dragons
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The one veteran leaves, the next one is already ready: Rod Fergusson, who once led Diablo 4 out of development hell, is leaving the franchise. Now the game is getting support – and from an old acquaintance.
Now another veteran takes the helm: John Yang, who started his career at Blizzard as a developer of Diablo 3.
Start video
Der Mann, der Diablo gerettet hat, verlässt Blizzard nach 5 Jahren
Sanctuary calls again and John Yang answers
Who is the “new” developer at Diablo 4? John Yang brings more than a decade of Blizzard experience. According to LinkedIn he has worked on several major projects, including:
Diablo 3 (Associate Game Designer)
World of Warcraft (Game Designer)
Hearthstone (Lead Systems Designer)
After leaving Blizzard in November 2021, he was active at Marathon (Bungie) and Apex Legends (Respawn Entertainment), among others. Now he returns to where it all began for him.
I am very excited to share that I have returned to Blizzard Entertainment and joined the Diablo team as Design Director for Systems.
The Diablo games have always been a passion of mine. I have spent thousands of hours in the franchise, and ARPGs hold a special place in my heart. It feels incredible to close the loop and return to the team where I began my design career over a decade ago.
This franchise has shaped me as both a gamer and a developer, and it is an honor to help shape its future. Sanctuary calls again – the servants of hell are getting stronger…
These were his tasks at Diablo 3: John Yang was brought into the team to make Legendary Items feel more powerful (via Diablo Wiki). Specifically, he was responsible for the Barbarian, Demon Hunter, and Witch Doctor classes and designed numerous Legendaries and Sets for Reaper of Souls. He was also deeply involved in balancing all classes, items, sets, and Rifts.
In a comment on Reddit about his return, a user also points out that “Yang’s Recurve,” a legendary bow in Diablo 3, was named after the developer.
It is still unknown which classes, items, or systems John Yang will specifically take on in Diablo 4. What is certain is that in Season 10, we can expect a lot of new Uniques, but not only in the usual way. With the so-called Chaos Uniques, items are coming into play that can completely reshape your builds: Season 10 brings numerous new Uniques to Diablo 4, but not as you think
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Borderlands 4 offers 36 trophies/achievements that you can complete to achieve 100%. We will show you which ones they are and what you need to do in our Trophy Guide.
How many trophies are there? Overall, Borderlands 4 has 36 trophies that you need to complete to earn the Platinum trophy and reach 100%. The following types of trophies are available:
Bronze trophies: 17
Silver trophies: 14
Gold trophies: 4
Platinum trophy: 1
Of all the trophies, 13 trophies are hidden and cannot be tracked or reviewed through the menu. So that you know what you need to do to stand out as a true Vault Hunter, we now show you a list of all trophies and their tasks.
Start video
Der Trailer zur Launch-Woche von Borderlands 4
All Trophies and Their Tasks
Type of Trophy
Name of Trophy
Task
Platinum
Oh man, it’s time for BL5
Earn all trophies.
Gold
Master of Death and Dance
Reach player level 50.
Gold
Gear Five!
Reach “Ultimate Vault Hunter” level 5.
Gold
No more guarding
Defeat all Guardians in elemental Vaults.
Gold
Everything breaks
Complete the mission “The Order of the Timekeeper”.
Silver
Good Hunter
Reach player level 30.
Silver
Mainly mobile
Collect all personal vehicles.
Silver
I earned it
Equip legendary gear in every slot.
Silver
Successful treasure hunt
Complete all activities.
Silver
Unfading
Discover all map locations in the Blightfields.
Silver
The mountain gives
Discover all map locations in the Terminus Reach.
Silver
Flights through the wasteland
Discover all map locations in the wasteland of Carcadia.
Silver
Dominating in Dominion
Discover all map locations in Dominion.
Silver
Jumped out
Defeat a World Boss.
Silver
Fundamentally active
Complete all side quests.
Silver
Fake Idolator
Complete the mission “Storm the Gate”.
Silver
Moved by an invisible hand
Complete the mission “His Evil Sanctuary”.
Silver
Long live the queen
Complete the mission “Her Fiery Vision”.
Silver
Howling on the moon
Complete the mission “New Day, New Universe”.
Bronze
Crimson Uprising
Reach player level 10.
Bronze
The outer values
Collect 60 cosmetic items.
Bronze
Extremely agile
Complete any gear challenge category.
Bronze
Brand value
Complete any manufacturer challenge category.
Bronze
Arena Grande
Complete the world event “Pain Palace”.
Bronze
Reverse abduction
Complete the world event “Airship”.
Bronze
Moon bombardment
Complete the world event “Crawler Strike”.
Bronze
Price and performance
Complete 80 jobs.
Bronze
Pale blue dot
Complete all Outlier missions.
Bronze
Who’s the boss here?
Complete all Digger missions.
Bronze
Moles have it tough
Complete all Electi missions.
Bronze
Widely popular mascot
Complete all Claptrap missions.
Bronze
Sweet little guard
Tip Moxxi.
Bronze
Cardboard friend
Find the cardboard cutout of Dr. Patricia Tannis.
Bronze
Everything must go
Deliver the contents of the Legendary Machine.
Bronze
Incompatible abyss
Find Windler’s final resting place.
Bronze
Guacamole costs extra
Find Dave the Burrito.
Which trophy is the most difficult? The probably most difficult trophy is “Gear Five!”, for which you need to reach “Ultimate Vault Hunter” level 5. Because to achieve it, you need to play through levels 1–4, and that requires builds that make you tough and deal a lot of damage.
That was all the information about the trophies/achievements you can unlock for Borderlands 4. Have you already found them all? If you are still looking for SHiFT codes to secure some free items, then we have the right list for you: Borderlands 4: All SHiFT codes in September 2025 – How to get free loot
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
MeinMMO presents you here the best games in the genres real-time strategy, turn-based strategy, and 4X that you can play on PC in 2025.
Update from September 12, 2025: We have updated the list and added some titles.
[toc]
This is how we selected: The list is largely based on the personal assessments of the editorial team. Many editors and authors from MeinMMO grew up with strategy games and still enjoy playing them today.
Also, a good rating was important for the selection, such as on Steam, how many players are still active, and how well the game has held up. So you will find not only new games on the list but also some classics.
We also made sure to provide a little variety in settings and sub-genres. In selecting, we were mainly focused on listing strategy games with a tactical, competitive component. If you are looking for more games in the building and simulation genre, you can find additional selections in the 150 best strategy games of all time at GameStar.
For some of the strategy games, we provide alternatives that play similarly and differ only slightly.
The list is unordered, so it is not a ranking.
Age of Empires 4
Start video
Age of Empires 4: The trailer for the strategy game
The Age of Empires series is still a cornerstone of the strategy genre today. You lead a civilization through the ages, create units, and wage war against other cultures to eventually achieve victory through conquest or world wonders.
Age of Empires is characterized by a balanced mix between base building (“Macro”) and real-time combat (“Micro”) in an ancient or medieval setting. Each civilization or faction has unique buildings and units with strengths and weaknesses.
The latest part of the series is Age of Empires 4, which gives each faction even more of its own identity than ever before and allows for battles on massive maps. The gameplay has not changed since the first part.
If you want to engage with one of the cornerstones of strategy games, you should definitely play Part 4. The game is still being supported with expansions and DLCs, as well as balance patches and smaller events. If you own the Game Pass, you can even play without additional costs. Only the DLCs cost money and provide you with new civilizations:
Dynasties of the East includes the Golden Horde, the Macedonian dynasty, Sengoku Daimyo, and the Tughlak dynasty.
The Sultans Ascent brings Japan and Byzantium as well as the Ayyubids, Joan of Arc, the Order of the Dragon, and Zu Xi’s Legacy as variants.
With Knights of the Cross and Rose, you get the Knights Templar and House Lancaster as new variants.
If you prefer playing a classic, as an alternative there is the Definitive Edition of Age of Empires 2, which is still praised today, especially in eSports. A personal secret tip is Age of Empires 3, which is controversial among fans but mixes the old mechanics with new systems.
Total War: Warhammer 3 – The trailer for the new DLC Thrones of Decay
Total War is known for being one of the largest real-time battles in the genre, featuring excellent animations and strong gameplay. Warhammer 3 is currently the largest entry on the list, according to players on Steam, and boasts strong ratings.
You play as one of the fantasy races from the famous world of Warhammer, such as Dwarves, Elves, greedy Ogres, deadly Chaos, or the sneaky ratmen of the Skaven. Total War has a rather unique gameplay system:
Base building, diplomacy, and troop movements occur turn-based in a grand-strategy format.
Then you conduct battles either in real-time, or you let them be calculated automatically.
With Immortal Empires, Total War: Warhammer 3 has a huge skirmish campaign with over 250 factions fighting for dominance. Here a turn can easily take dozens of hours.
Those who can’t get into the fantasy world of Warhammer are well accommodated with Total War: Three Kingdoms or can check out the new Pharaoh. Although it was heavily criticized, it has improved significantly since then.
You create a civilization with appearance, a leader, and abilities, striving for victory against other players on a random map. On the map, you establish cities, research spells, and develop new units with which you will then fight against other players or conquer specific events or buildings. Battles are fought on their own small maps. For an overall victory, points are awarded that you can invest in your Pantheon, where you can unlock nice cosmetics.
If you love turn-based games but find titles like Civilization 6 too historical and lengthy, you should take a look at Age of Wonders 4. Compared to Civ VI, the games are relatively short, and you can configure and adjust your civilization and ruler in great detail. Especially if you enjoyed the predecessors, you get a modern fantasy RTS.
Developer Triumph Studios continues to support the game with updates and has already stated that they plan to continue providing updates and DLCs even after the Season Pass.
Warhammer 40,000 Gladius shows the gameplay of the strategy game in the trailer
In Gladius: Relics of War, you play the various races of Warhammer 40,000 in turn-based battles. For those who don’t know: Warhammer 40,000 is a dystopian future full of technology, aliens, and chaos demons. A unique mix of sci-fi and fantasy.
Although there is no campaign, quests guide you through the individual rounds and serve as a substitute. You achieve victories through domination, meaning the destruction of all opponents, or by completing a quest series.
The major downside: Gladius has a wealth of DLCs that significantly inflate the game’s price. You don’t need them all, but anyone wanting to play the different races will have to pay. The good news, however, is that you can often find offers for individual parts of the overall package on Steam, GOG, or Humble Bundle and expand your collection for a few euros. Otherwise, you pay well over 100 euros even during sales.
Zephon – Trailer for the Post-Apocalyptic Strategy Game on Steam
From the same creators and in the same style, sometimes even with the same assets, Zephon was released on Steam in 2024 and has received an extraordinarily positive reception there. Unlike Gladius, however, you rely significantly more on diplomacy in Zephon and are not trapped in an eternal war.
In some respects, Zephon is the improved version of Gladius, although not quite as polished. Especially if you value having many factions with very different characteristics, you are better off with Gladius.
All factions in Zephon, for example, share the same tech tree but have varying strengths and weaknesses regarding units and research. This leads to better balancing but significantly less variety. In
The Swedish studio Paradox is known for its absurdly large games and virtually founded the grand strategy genre. Crusader Kings 3 is one of the newer entries in this genre.
You play as one of the historical rulers from the 9th or 12th century – or you create your own ruler – and lead your realm through diplomacy, marriages, developments, and conquests across the ages. Whether through war or intrigue, in the end, you aim to dominate as much of the world as possible.
Or you pursue your own goals: maybe you want to lead the Byzantine Empire as a nudist or reform the ancient Nordic faith to replace Christianity as the world’s largest religion?
Crusader Kings 3 has been continuously developed over the years and now even has a certain RPG aspect. Your ruler has his own throne room and can undertake special journeys. How you play is up to you.
Of all the games presented here, the entry into Crusader Kings 3 is the most difficult, and you will need dozens of hours to largely understand the world. If you’re looking for alternatives in other historical settings, you should check out Victoria, Europa Universalis, or Hearts of Iron.
If you’re not so keen on the Middle Ages and battles with sword and shield, Hearts of Iron from the same developer studio might be something for you. You take on the role of the government of a country just before World War II and try to navigate through the turbulent times. The focus of Hearts of Iron IV is on the military.
Whether as a small nation or a major player, you are responsible for ensuring that your nation emerges victorious from World War II. You can choose whether you want to follow a realistic historical course or prefer more random events. How you ultimately act is up to you.
Age of Mythology: Retold – Der Trailer zum Remaster des Strategie-Klassikers
All strategy game veterans among you will have heard of Age of Mythology: Microsoft’s Age of Empires spin-off puts you in the role of various religions instead of focusing on different cultures.
You choose a main god from one of the available pantheons and select sub-deities over the ages, which equip you with new research opportunities, mythical units, and even divine spells.
familiar gameplay in significantly prettier visuals
an optimized multiplayer experience
improved features, such as divine spells that you can now use multiple times as well as balancing of the religions
Anyone who loves Age of Empires but wishes for a bit more fantasy in the game will find Age of Mythology just right. Anyone who owns the Xbox/PC Game Pass has access to Age of Mythology: Retold through this without any costs except for paid DLCs.
The official trailer for the remastered collection of Command and Conquer
Alongside Age of Empires, Command and Conquer is arguably the best-known series of real-time strategy games. However, instead of the Middle Ages, you play in alternative and quite dark realities:
In the original series, an alien material called Tiberium has appeared on Earth, sparking a war over it. While some try to contain the dangers, a fanatical cult around Tiberium forms on the other side.
Red Alert covers an alternative timeline in which escalating wars occur between the Soviets and the Allies, and later even the Japanese Empire.
Generals is a spin-off that focuses more on current conflicts from the 2000s.
Command and Conquer has not aged well, and its multiplayer only works to a limited extent, often not at all. However, if you enjoy proving yourself against the AI and playing strong campaigns, you are in good hands with all the games.
Civilization 6 is arguably the most famous and one of the most popular turn-based strategy games currently available on Steam. While Civilization 7 has now been announced as a successor, it isn’t receiving particularly good reviews right after release. Until these issues are addressed, we recommend the predecessor.
You choose a civilization, establish cities, and lead your civilization through various ages. It is up to you how you master the game: either you win militarily, try to force your opponent to your knees with your culture, or be the first to shoot a rocket into space. Alternatively, you can team up with other players.
Civilization has been continually developed over the past years, receiving two major expansions, an extensive expansion pack, and numerous smaller DLCs.
If you’re looking for a comprehensive strategy game that entertains you for many evenings, you should check out Civ 6. The cooperative mode is also a genuine recommendation. Particularly with all the expansions, the game is worth a look.
In addition, Civilization VII has been officially announced for 2025. You can read more about it on MeinMMO in the future. A strong alternative to Civ 6 is Millennia, according to our author Schuhmann, even though the launch of the new game was quite rocky. Millennia is now said to be quite good.
Im DLC zu Old World erlebt ihr das Leben hinter eurem Thron
Old World is a turn-based strategy game that took inspiration from both Civilization and Crusader Kings. From both series, you will find ideas that developer Mohawk Games combined into its own game.
Much like in Civilization, you choose a people in Old World, such as the Romans or Egyptians, establish cities, research technologies, and conquer your opponents. However, unlike Civ, you remain in antiquity and do not transition into other ages.
Another uniqueness is that your family plays an important role. You play as your ruler, marry, have children, and manage your dynasty’s continuance. Similar to Paradox’s model, there are events that can affect your family. If your family dies out, the game ends immediately. Cities are managed by your family members and can become rebellious if you neglect family unity. This gives the game a unique dynamic that is rarely predictable.
Old World is being continuously developed and will receive new content. DLCs expand the game with new wonders, scenarios, and hundreds of new events that you must survive with your dynasty. Additionally, there is a loyal community that offers numerous mods.
If you find Crusader Kings too complex and Civilization too extensive, Old World strikes a balance and introduces many of its own ideas. Especially with its dynasty mechanics, Old World feels refreshingly different from its larger counterpart in the early games. If you love the ancient setting, it’s worth taking a look.
