With the extensive skill trees in Borderlands 4, it can quickly happen that you make a mistake. We show you how to easily reset your skill points and specializations if needed.
How can you reset your skill tree in Borderlands 4? If you made the wrong choice when selecting your skills or simply want to try something different, don’t despair: You can easily reset your skill trees at fixed locations. You can also change your specializations there.
At these locations, you will find respec machines that allow you to reset your points for in-game currency. The price varies depending on how many points you have already invested, ranging from a few dollars to 1.5 million. If you want to reset your specialization, it costs 5,000 Eridium.
Where to find the respec machines, you will find out right here.
Start video
Borderlands 4: Cineastischer Launch-Trailer zelebriert den Release
All Locations for the Respec Machines
Currently, there are a total of 6 locations where you can reset your skills:
The launch pad (The Howling, The Fungi Fields)
Belton’s Drilling (The Lowrocks, Terminus Vastness)
Carcadia (Devastated Swamp, Wasteland of Carcadia)
Exclusion Zone (Carcadia District, Dominion)
The Food Court (Terminus District, Dominion)
Sumpview Falls (Fungi Fields District, Dominion)
Then just go to the marked machine there. It will show you the price for your respec. Then hold the respective button and you will enter the respec menu. Here you can choose whether you want to reset just the displayed skill tree or want all spent points back. You simply reset your specialization by holding the button down.
What else is there to consider? You can reset your skills and specializations as often as you like – as long as you have the necessary resources. You should also only leave the machine when you are really satisfied with your build, otherwise you’ll have to pay again. As long as you keep the window open, you can redistribute and experiment as you wish.
MyMMO editor Dariusz Müller tested Borderlands 4 before its release. In his solo run of the main story, he played Amon. Here he presents his build.
What kind of build is this? I played Amon as a kind of axe-throwing barbarian, using the green cybernetic skill tree. Here, Amon creates a frost and a flame axe that deal the corresponding elemental damage.
The gameplay focus of the build is therefore not on melee attacks or on intercepting projectiles with a shield. I charged into enemies and dealt as much damage as possible in a short time.
I’ve thought about the build, but I didn’t engage in any elaborate theory crafting. Thus, it’s probably not a perfect build, but one that I had a lot of fun with and managed to easily get through the story as a solo player on normal difficulty.
You can see how the picture turned out in a boss fight against Idolator Sol here in the video:
Start video
Borderlands 4: Cineastischer Launch-Trailer zelebriert den Release
Amon Brings Winter Over Kairos, But Also Heats Things Up
What distinguishes the build? Amon can use his various abilities very frequently with the build and benefits from the effects of various passive skills.
With his action skill “Crucible”, the vault hunter creates a flame axe or a frost axe that he can throw at enemies. Hit enemies are then considered “prepared” and detonate when they take damage from a forge skill or die. The detonation also damages nearby enemies.
The forge skill played is called “Double Blade”. When using the skill, Amon combines both axes into a single one, resulting in blades at both ends of the axe. This resulting axe can also be thrown by Amon. Unlike the single blades, however, the double axe returns to Amon and hits enemies on the way out and back.
Amon as an Axe-Throwing Barbarian Level 0-25
Which skills are equipped? I invested the first 15 skill points into the left side of the general skill tree. The focus was on strengthening my forge skill and my firearms.
As an improvement, I initially played “Endless War”, which allowed me to deal at least 15% increased damage with firearms to enemies that were prepared by my axes. Each prepared stack brings an additional 15% damage.
Cast Iron – 5/5
Forge skill cooldown: +25%
Firearms handling: +30%
Destruction Machine – 5/5
Forge skill damage: +25%
Detonation damage: +30%
Air Supply – 5/5
When using the forge skill, Amon temporarily gains increased firearms damage
Firearms damage: +35%
Duration: 8 seconds
During the campaign, I then switched my improvement to “Biting Cold” in the right skill tree. This skill freezes enemies when they are hit by the frost axe. This proved especially useful in fights with many enemies for crowd control. In boss fights, however, it may be wise to switch back to “Endless War”. You then throw one or more axes at the enemy and shoot at their weak points with your firearms to deal as much damage as possible in a short time.
To strengthen “Biting Cold”, I invested 5 skill points in “Permafrost”. This creates a cryo hazard that deals cryo damage whenever an enemy is frozen – every time. I complemented this with the passive skill “Reactive Armor”, which partially restores Amon’s shield and weapon cooldowns when detonating prepared enemies.
Biting Cold– 5/5
Frost axes freeze on impact
Flame axes penetrate enemies
Reactive Armor– 5/5
Shield restoration: 35%
Cooldown restoration: 30%
“Reactive Armor” rewards aggressive pushing, as the frequent use of axes regularly refills the shield. This makes it easier to survive in heated battles.
Amon’s Double Blade in Borderlands 4
The Floor is Lava – Level 25-30
After 25 levels, I finally got to choose my final skill: “Burning Inferno”.
“Burning Inferno” causes my “Double Blade” to deal burning melee damage and leaves a fire trail on the ground. Additionally, the radius of “Double Blade” is increased by 33%.
Burning Inferno
Double Blade deals burning melee damage in both directions
Radius: +33%
leaves a fire trail on the ground that deals burning damage over time
Fire trail damage: 131 per second
Fire trail duration: 5 seconds
Cooldown restoration: 10%
The next two skill points went into “Temperate Flame” and “Heated Minds”. This spawns flying axes, known as axe-forging drones, which then autonomously attack enemies and deal burning and cryo melee damage. Initially, I consciously did not increase the damage of the drones because I wanted to use them primarily as a distraction.
With the last three skill points I collected while playing through the campaign, I skilled “Fierceness”, which increases Amon’s danger and status effect damage.
More Shock and Drones – Skills from Level 30
During my story run, I found an epic forge knight class mod for Amon called “Quick Stormcaller”. With this class mod, points have already been invested in the three skills “Lead Fast”, “Bolt Effect”, and “Herald’s Call”. Therefore, I initially saved further investments in these skills, as the points already distributed by the mod were sufficient for me.
However, I noticed that this trio is a good and sensible complement to my frost and flame axes to compensate for a potential weakness against shields. This way, I can effectively deal shock damage against shields even with weapons of another element – I just need to reload briefly. In levels 30-50, I therefore want to further develop these 3 skills. Likewise, I would like to upgrade “Temperate Flame”. I want to maximize those skills.
Overall, the build has some strengths but also a clear weakness. For me, it was particularly suitable due to the skill “Biting Cold” for crowd control, allowing me to keep enemies off my back in stressful situations while also shredding many foes with Burning Inferno.
Possible problems arose in boss fights. Even with “Burning Inferno”, my “Double Blade” does not create a huge hole in the enemy’s health bar. I managed most bosses at least by the second attempt, but some fights dragged on a bit because the build lacks a skill that deals absurd damage in one hit. Instead, it’s important to keep an eye on the low cooldowns, to strategically use firearms and combat items, and to take advantage of various passive skills.
Despite the weakness, I had a lot of fun with Amon and the build, as the combination of freezing and then burning really suited my play style. If you love the elements as much as I do, this build might be worth a try for you.
Netflix is a popular streaming service where countless movies can be found. The platform itself has revealed which are the most popular and most-watched. Especially spot 1 is still quite fresh.
Keeping track of Netflix is not so easy. After all, the number of available movies is large. New ones are added every month, and others disappear from the offering. Especially Netflix’s original productions, which are permanently available, generate a lot of buzz and achieve high view counts.
Netflix itself has revealed which films are the most-watched on the platform, and also how many views they generated – in the first 91 days since release.
The following ranking is therefore based on the official figures from Netflix. For each film, we provide a brief overview and reveal how the general opinion is. In the top 10, films are gathered that all premiered in 2018 or later. Spot 1 is even very new and premiered in June 2025 on the streaming platform.
Start video
Damsel is the most watched movie on Netflix and enchants viewers with a cool dragon in the trailer
Rank 10: Damsel
Genre: Action/Adventure
Release Year: 2024
Views: 138 million
In Damsel, Netflix regular Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things) plays Princess Elodie. She is unwillingly married to a prince, but it quickly becomes clear that she is merely meant to serve as a sacrifice for a dangerous dragon. This threatens the kingdom, and soon also Elodie’s life. However, she is not the “Damsel in distress”, but rather takes her fate into her own hands.
The film offers entertaining content with a good lead actress, even though some aspects like the story or the effects are somewhat lacking. On Rotten Tomatoes, critics rate it at 57%, while users rate it almost the same at 59%. Shortly after release, Damsel already set a record.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Dune: Awakening, many players are currently discovering the new features of the “Chapter 2” update. A particular quest line is especially annoying to the players. They hope that in the end, they can take revenge for the torment.
Which quest line is it about? In Dune: Awakening, the “Chapter 2” update has introduced two new storylines with new quests. However, the main story, which expands the game narrative, is currently frustrating the players. They state that half of the tasks are unnecessary and that it feels like the quests could have been an email.
Here you can watch the trailer for Dune: Awakening “Chapter 2”:
Start video
Dune: Awakening receives new story quests and another vehicle with Chapter 2
Back and Forth and Back Again
What bothers the players about the new quest line? While players were allowed to complete many different tasks in the first part of the main story and also had to infiltrate research stations or defeat enemies, this time players feel they have been degraded to errand boys.
In a cartoon on Reddit, players express their current mood. It feels to them as if the quest giver Elara Tuek is constantly sending them to the Hagga Basin and back to Harko Village. However, in Dune: Awakening, as seen in other quests, there are also long-range communication devices that could bridge such distances.
Players are annoyed by the tasks that bring them little enjoyment. However, they have a glimmer of hope in the comments.
What do the players say? Fans of Dune: Awakening hope to eventually punish the quest giver, who is always addressed as “Kitten” by their character. They want her to pay for turning their character into an errand boy. Players have written on Reddit:
smartponi: “I hope the story leads to us killing her in the end. The Fenrings (both) – they are just mean and powerful. Lady Jessica? A ruthless witch with her own agenda. Ariste? Just young, okay. But this woman [Elara Tuek] really gets on my nerves.”
Solus_Vael: “Thanks!!! I did the crap last night. Why can Ariste call us about things and we can contact contractors to finalize contracts, but I have to fly back and forth just to talk to this woman [Elara Tuek]…?”
LookAlderaanPlaces: “I think the overworld map could be cool if they reduced the distances. Flying from Hagga to Arrakeen takes a whole minute. Couldn’t it just be 15 seconds instead?”
ProlapseProvider: “I skipped the dialogue sections at some point. I hate the travel mini-map, it’s absolutely useless, as if there were plans for a mini-game like random encounters or something, but they were scrapped at the last minute.”
We present to you the 31 best survival games of 2025 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. Are you tough enough to ensure your survival in these survival MMOs and games?
Update as of September 2, 2025: We have updated the list. We have added Dune Awakening to the list of the best survival games and have also included two new games on the horizon.
Additionally, we have adjusted or removed some shop links and added some information on several games.
Our list is a personal compilation by the author. Many survival games can be played in multiplayer or co-op modes. You will also find single-player titles. Free survival games are not included.
Most of the games we feature use a Buy2Play model, meaning they cost a one-time fee. If you want to dive into the survival genre or simply discover new games, here are the top 5 free survival games on Steam for PC.
Benedict has been with MeinMMO since late 2017 and is our survival expert. His first encounters with the genre began with Stranded (2003), which absolutely fascinated him. Survival has been in his blood for more than half his life.
His most played modern survival titles include Fallout 76 and Conan Exiles, into which he has likely invested around 600 hours together. He also enjoys trying out new titles and indie games in the genre to search for hidden gems and tips. Benedict particularly values a beautiful environment that makes exploration worthwhile and a sophisticated crafting system.
1. Valheim
Developer/Publisher: Iron Gate Studios/Coffee Stain Publishing | Release: February 2, 2021 (Early Access) | Model: Buy-2-Play | Platforms: PC (Steam) | Shop:Steam
Start video
Valheim in Early Access trailer
What is Valheim about? You play as a Viking in the Valheim inspired by Norse mythology. After your death, you are brought to this land by a Valkyrie and must prove yourself against monsters and beasts to fight alongside the Allfather Odin.
Valheim developed into one of the biggest games on Steam shortly after its launch, surpassing even Rust within its genre.
Who is Valheim worth it for? Anyone interested in Norse mythology and who enjoys survival games without compulsory PvP should take a look at Valheim. Due to the exploration system and the bosses, it is especially suitable if you want to play with friends. However, even solo, Valheim is worth a look.
Developer/Publisher: Keen Games | Release: January 24, 2024 (Early Access) | Model: Buy-2-Play | Platforms: PC (Steam)
Start video
Enshrouded: The Early Access trailer for the new survival hit on Steam
What is Enshrouded about? A dark power covers the world with a vile Miasma, deadly to humans and producing strange mushroom creatures. You play as a touched by the flame, who survives the Miasma and is destined to save the world.
The game is fundamentally a sandbox game with survival and adventure elements, roughly a mix of Valheim and The Legend of Zelda – or also a Minecraft for adults. Because Enshrouded comes with a voxel system and strong features for combat, building, and exploration.
A picturesque world that you can explore on foot or with a glider
Puzzle towers with platforming sections like you might know from Zelda games
A skill system for different playstyles
Voxel mechanics for building, giving you complete freedom to create absolutely crazy bases – even hobbit holes if you want
Who is Enshrouded suitable for? Anyone who prefers a more relaxed approach to survival games and values exploration and building over sheer survival will be happy with Enshrouded. The game’s greatest strength lies in its large, beautiful world and sandbox mechanics.
Those looking for hardcore action who want to suffer for every drop of water are better served elsewhere.
Enshrouded presented a comprehensive underwater update with fishing features just in time for gamescom 2025 .
Developer/Publisher: Studio Wildcard | Release: August 29, 2017 | Model: Buy-2-Play | Platforms: Windows, Linux, Mac, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Android, iOS, Stadia, Nintendo Switch
Start video
Everything you need to know about the survival game ARK: Survival Evolved
What is ARK about? In ARK: Survival Evolved, you land on a deserted island full of dinosaurs, naked and without tools. You must survive and learn more technologies, tame dinos, and build futuristic gear.
Your goal is to climb the volcano in the center and defeat the final boss within it. To gain access, you must engage in several exciting boss fights that bring you closer to your goal.
What makes ARK so good?
Unique boss fights with great mechanics that present challenging obstacles
Dinosaur species of all shapes and sizes for combat, gathering, or even riding on
A comprehensive skill system where you can freely explore and learn all kinds of recipes
Who is ARK suitable for? Those who want to experience Jurassic Park should check out Ark. ARK is especially suited for fans of dinosaurs who wish to follow the prehistoric reptiles through a dense jungle. Sci-Fi fans will also enjoy the high-tech gear. ARK is especially tailored for groups of players who like to play together and want to build something together in the long run.
Developer/Publisher: Bohemia Interactive | Release: December 13, 2018 | Model: Buy-2-Play| Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S | Shop:Steam | PS Store | Microsoft Store
Select a MMO video…
What is DayZ about? DayZ is a classic zombie survival game. A virus infects the population of a post-Soviet state, turning them into infected individuals who attack the remaining survivors. Among them is you, as you are immune to the virus.
DayZ is an open-world sandbox where your only true goal is to survive. How you do that is up to you. You can struggle through the wilderness, scavenge the remaining resources from ghost towns, or rob other players.
What makes DayZ so great?
A massive open world (depending on the map between 163 and 230 km²) based on real locations
Authentic gunplay and melee combat
Various survival mechanics such as hunting, crafting, diseases, and injuries
Vehicles
Many freedoms with the ability to modify the game through the developers’ tools (such as via Steam Workshop)
Who is DayZ suitable for? DayZ targets fans of classic horror and zombie survival games. It is dark and grim, set in a desolate world, and challenges players significantly. The new update brings a new forest environment.
If you enjoy games like Left4Dead but prefer to experience it in an open world, or want to see how one of the first successful survival games plays out, you should check out DayZ. Ideally, you should already have a bit of knowledge about the genre, as DayZ is truly tough.
5. Conan Exiles
Developer/Publisher: Funcom | Release: May 8, 2019 | Model: Buy-2-Play | Platforms: Windows (PC), PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Start video
Conan Exiles in the introductory video
What is Conan Exiles about?Conan Exiles ruthlessly throws you into a harsh desert. You are bound to a cross in the blistering sun for various crimes. Conan himself frees you from this and then sends you to survive – or die – in the desert.
An armband has been placed on you, binding you to the cursed land and killing you should you attempt to leave. You fight your way through dungeons and various areas like swamps and volcanoes to learn in a long, detailed story how to remove the armband and escape through the “Journey”.
Who is Conan Exiles for? Conan Exiles is primarily aimed at adult players who like it tough and are not afraid of a steep learning curve. Fans of Conan the Barbarian will also find a lot to enjoy here. Conan Exiles is not easy and is one of the trickiest survival games on the market.
The realistic and brutal world is open to explorers and fighters alike. Even role players can find groups to play with on private servers. However, those playing on PC or Xbox have a significant advantage. Conan Exiles is now available on Xbox Game Pass and thus can be tried for just a few euros. Anyone who already has the Pass should definitely check out Conan Exiles.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A small WoW treasure was stolen. But the Reddit community manages to reunite the owner and the stolen goods.
Many memories are often attached to a character in World of Warcraft. Some even immortalize their character in the form of a small statue. This was also the case for the player behind “Jovia”, whose character, however, ended up in a second-hand shop. A player found the figure – and even managed to locate the original owner in the end.
Start video
WoW: Spieler sammelt ALLE Erfolge im Spiel, fragt dann „Was mache ich jetzt?“
This is what happened: In the WoW subreddit, Glad-Midnight-1022 posted a picture he took in a second-hand shop. There was a Warcraft statue visible, of a character named Jovia. Since Jovia is not a known WoW character and also visually resembled a player character, it was obvious that someone had this statue made based on their own avatar.
The thread creator stated that he would now make it his “life mission” to find the original owner of the statue. The post received over 6,000 upvotes in the WoW subreddit, and many shared their ideas to help locate the original owner.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Reddit that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
How was the owner found? In the end, the owner was located via Facebook. The statue is now back in the possession of its original owner, and a handover has taken place.
Glad-Midnight-1022 was also able to confirm that this was indeed the true owner and not someone who simply wanted the figure. The warehouse from which the figure was stolen was only a village away from the second-hand shop where the figure later appeared.
How did the figure end up in the second-hand shop? According to the original owner, the figure was stolen. It had been stored, and the entire warehouse was robbed, with the stolen goods likely pawned or sold to various second-hand shops afterward. This is often the case in thefts, where the loot is immediately converted into cash.
Community celebrates the success: The community celebrates the success, as even the new post in the subreddit has already received over 4,000 upvotes. There is much praise for the search and for reuniting the original owner with his stolen statue.
“Wow, these are the stories to live for. That was absolutely fantastic work!” – GenkGirl12
“I still remember the first post! Wow! It was stolen and then returned! Man, this community is just amazing.” – StreicherG
“That it was stolen makes this story even better. You found a lost treasure and brought it back to the owner with the help of the community. Good job, thread creator. You’re awesome.” – Guardianpigeon
Amidst all the talk about how the MMORPG community is always considered toxic and unfriendly, such stories are beautiful. They show a cooperative side, where everyone pulls together to find the owner of a precious memento. For many, WoW is more than just a game; it’s a piece of home.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Since 7 PM, Steam players are allowed to download and start Borderlands 4. Naturally, many players are immediately turning their first impressions into user reviews. Unfortunately, currently not even half of the ratings are positive.
What causes the hangover mood at release? Those who have read the test by our shooter expert Dariusz might already suspect: While Borderlands 4 does many things right in terms of gameplay, the technology of the loot shooter is disappointingly mixed.
Like Dariusz, many other Steam users report weak performance manifesting in severe FPS drops. However, there are also buyers suffering from crashes or who can’t even start the game.
Start video
Borderlands 4: Cineastischer Launch-Trailer zelebriert den Release
“Don’t buy it yet”
What is the community saying? As of now (September 11, 2025, 7:46 PM), only 42 percent of the 151 reviews on Steam are positive.
woliver2301 reports on Steam: “Unreal Engine 5 is top-notch again. The game crashes on startup, I haven’t played a single second. 9800X3D and RTX 5090, so it’s unlikely to be that. Don’t buy it yet, it’s currently highly discouraged! Fortunately, I got it for free as part of the Nvidia promotion.”
Rej criticizes the performance on Steam: “Terrible optimization. Another victim of Unreal Engine 5. Not worth buying in its current state unless you have a NASA PC.”
Rubrum Liquidum93 reports on Steam about another problem: “Not playable, as after shading, the message appears that profiles cannot be saved. Stop releasing games that don’t work.”
Bear in mind that the small number of reviews so far only represents a small part of the buyers. Currently, according to steamdb.info, there are nearly 160,000 players online in Borderlands 4 on Steam. Trend: rising.
Also, make sure you have the latest drivers installed for your graphics card. If necessary, wait for the first updates, which should already bring improvements for performance.
If you are new to Borderlands or are having difficulties in your first hours in Borderlands 4, I have gathered some tips that should hopefully help you and ease your entry into the loot shooter: 15 tips you should know before starting Borderlands 4
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Long-time BioWare veteran Mark Darrah discusses the development of Anthem in detail once again. This time, the focus is on the period when he served as the creative lead for the project.
What does Mark Darrah reveal this time? In the first part of his video series “What Happened on Anthem”, which covered the years 2011 to 2017, part 2 focuses on the years 2017 to 2019. This is precisely the time leading up to the release on February 22, 2019, when Mark Darrah actually held the creative leadership for Anthem.
The lead developer can now report in much more detail from first-hand experience. Accordingly, the new video is almost 2 hours long, despite only covering a comparatively short time frame of 3 years.
Who is Mark Darrah? The experienced developer worked at BioWare for almost 24 years and was lead developer on Baldur’s Gate II and Jade Empire, as well as Project Director for the entire Dragon Age series and Anthem.
The biggest advantage of Anthem is also its biggest weakness
What does Darrah refer to as the worst feature? When thinking about the biggest strengths of Anthem, flying and the related dynamics of exploring the world and fighting certainly come to mind quickly. It was just cool to clear whole hordes of enemies in Iron-Man style or to take in the beautiful world from the air.
However, for Mark Darrah, flying is a prime example of what went wrong with Anthem. Furthermore, the many problems that flying brought with it make it, in his view, the worst feature of the entire game.
Start video
8 Jahre später erklärt ehemaliger Chef-Entwickler, warum Anthem wirklich floppte: Ein Team gefangen „in der Welt der Geheimnisse“
What does Darrah mean by that? In the first part of his video series, Darrah already explained that there were significant communication problems within the Anthem team for many years. These were further exacerbated starting in 2014, as there was no one to take over leadership and make decisions following Casey Hudson’s departure.
Rather than pursuing a clear direction and defined milestones, the teams constantly tried the same things in different ways. For flying, this meant: sometimes you could fly, sometimes you could only glide, sometimes not at all.
This is downright absurd when considering how much influence this feature has on large parts of the rest of the game – such as how the world must be built, whether cover is necessary or irrelevant, what the mission requirements are, how enemies behave…
You can watch the second part of the video series yourself here:
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Additionally, there are technical challenges such as memory management or asset streaming… when a character can quickly move from A to B while flying, the objects in the game world naturally need to be rendered quickly and smoothly.
In short, according to Mark Darrah, many elements of Anthem were planned, developed, and tested without flying enabled. When flying was added back in, it felt foreign in many ways.
This not only affects the functionality of other things but also means that other aspects do not get undermined – that they have no own consequences and are not consciously integrated into the overall structure of the gameplay as a whole.
I believe flying is the best feature of Anthem, but one could also argue that in many ways it is the worst feature of Anthem – because the consequences of flying were not adequately considered.
What else does Mark Darrah share? The lead developer also admits to many more mistakes made during the development in the video. For example, he acknowledges that he spent too much time in the offices in Edmonton instead of being on-site with the team in Austin to ensure clear communication and structure in a timely manner.
Similarly, he criticizes the release plan at that time sharply, with going live with numerous different versions and dates instead of focusing. The pressure from publisher EA would have been so great that there were hardly any opportunities to influence it.
How and when will it continue? The third part of the video series will discuss the time after the release in 2019 and what mistakes were made in the following months and years. When exactly the video will go live is currently still unknown.
A new movie starring Denzel Washington is currently dominating the streaming charts. It is a remake of a true classic from Japan.
What kind of movie is it? Highest 2 Lowest is the latest film by American director Spike Lee. Denzel Washington stars in this film, making it their fifth collaboration.
The film premiered at this year’s Cannes Festival, ran in American theaters for a while, and has been available on Apple TV+ since early September.
Currently, Spike Lee’s work is experiencing great success. According to the website flixpatrol.com, Highest 2 Lowest was the most-watched film in 100 countries worldwide. This is not surprising, as Denzel Washington is a popular actor and Spike Lee is a renowned director known for films like Do The Right Thing and Malcolm X.
And the story also entices with an intriguing premise, which is based on a much older film.
Start video
Denzel Washington in the new thriller by Spike Lee: The trailer for Highest 2 Lowest
A critical situation
What is the film about? Denzel Washington plays the music mogul David King, who lives in a chic New York apartment with his wife and son Trey. One day, Trey is kidnapped, and David receives a ransom demand.
At least, it seems so at first. It quickly becomes clear that it is not Trey who has been kidnapped, but that does not change the gangsters’ demands. David must now decide whether to pay the sum of over 17 million US dollars – otherwise, something could happen to the other boy.
This premise sets the stage for an exciting thriller, which likely attracts many viewers at present. Critics on Rotten Tomatoes rate it at 87%, similar to the audience with 85%. The film is praised mainly as a successful reinterpretation of an old story. Because: Highest 2 Lowest is not original material, but a loose remake of an old Japanese classic.
What is the film based on? It is a remake of the film High and Low by Japanese master Akira Kurosawa. The original is from 1963 and was shot in black and white. By the way, the English title is High and Low – this is what the remake refers to. To this day, the original is considered a masterpiece of Japanese cinema and has lost none of its haunting effect.
Spike Lee has changed some things for his remake. For one, the story does not take place in Yokohama, Japan in 1963, but in New York in 2025. There are also some content deviations, which is normal for a remake after such a long time.
Anyone who enjoyed Highest 2 Lowest should definitely give the old film by Akira Kurosawa a chance. The director is now mainly known for his samurai films like The Seven Samurai or The Hidden Fortress” and this excursion into 1960s Japan is equally fascinating.
The developers of Aion 2 continue to host regular livestreams to share information about the successor to the popular NCsoft MMORPG from 2008/2009. MeinMMO summarizes the latest findings for you.
The Korean launch is planned for November 19, 2025.
Before that, there will be periods for character creation and pre-downloads. We can certainly expect similar time windows during the global launch as well.
The global launch is expected to follow in the first half of 2026. There is still no specific date for this.
The latest trailer for Aion 2 at the start of the pre-registration in Korea:
Start video
Aion 2: New trailer prepares for the Korean launch of the MMORPG
No Gacha, but definitely with Pay2Win
What is known about the payment model? NCsoft is opting for a Free2Play model with an optional subscription and Battle Pass. In addition, there will be an in-game shop where players can purchase cosmetic items, consumables, or offers such as additional character slots, name changes, or keys for treasure chests in the open world.
The auction house apparently will not be linked to the real-money currency of the MMORPG. Trading between players will likely only occur via the earnable in-game currency. Additionally, there should be the option to exchange earnable currency for real-money currency (and vice versa). Aion 2 will therefore definitely have a Pay2Win component, which the developers have already announced.
The developers emphasize once again that Aion 2 will not have a Gacha system. Additionally, you should be able to extract items to obtain their respective appearance for your collection as a cosmetic skin.
You can watch the NCsoft stream on YouTube or below:
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
What else does the stream reveal? The developers admit that the current interface still looks very mobile-oriented. The reason for this: With this stripped-down UI, it is easier to work on the game. However, before the launch, the interface for the PC version will receive a complete overhaul to ensure that there is an optimized interface for both mobile and PC.
In both versions of the game, there will be no auto-functions like auto-hunting or auto-fighting. Anyone who plays Aion 2 on a mobile device inattentively will meet their demise, according to the developers’ promise. However, there will be smaller aids for questing in the mobile version.
How does the community react to the stream? Mixed. While some western players are looking forward to Aion 2 and respond positively to the developers’ statements, others remain skeptical.
LH_Lunar commented on the stream on Reddit as follows: “That sounds too good to be true. Please don’t mess this up.”
Icy_Razzmatazz_1594 writes on Reddit: “It’s good that the auction house only works with in-game currency. Also, auto-play has been removed and the focus is now on a PC-exclusive user interface. That sounds like good news for me, I will keep an eye on this.”
Jomsviking_ compares on Reddit: “They will use the same auction house mechanics as in Blade and Soul Neo & Throne & Liberty. Don’t get your hopes up for P2W if this mechanic exists.”
Nikkuru1994 criticizes on Reddit the gameplay shown so far: “This sequel to Aion offers nothing new or interesting. The game visually does not look like Aion at all, but gives the impression of an ordinary, bland UE5 game.”
Whether the global release will stay next year certainly depends on the upcoming test phases and the success of the Asia launch. Aion 2 must not be a failure for NCsoft. The aging MMORPG lineup of the publisher is struggling with declining numbers. Throne and Liberty was not the hoped-for success. More than 300 developers are now working on the project. You can find more information about it here: Big MMORPG company is in crisis because 10 games are making too little money overall
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The legal battle between Palworld and Nintendo has recently reached a new peak. Two registered patents were approved and are causing a stir in the video game world. A lawyer now provides his assessment and comes to a clear conclusion.
Particularly, patent No. 12.403.397 is causing a stir. It relates to a central gameplay mechanic, namely summoning a character that fights for the player. In other words: A mechanic that occurs in Palworld but also in numerous other titles.
It remains uncertain whether Nintendo will also take other developers to court in the future. A US patent attorney has looked into the case and explains why he finds the decision of the patent authorities questionable.
Ein Crossover beflügelt Palworld, plötzlich spielen wieder über 100.000
“An embarrassing failure of the US patent system”
What does the lawyer say? Kirk Sigmon is a patent attorney and has been dealing with the legal dispute between Palworld and Nintendo for quite some time.
He follows the outraged reactions that the recent ruling has provoked – for example, among users on Reddit. Sigmon agrees with the outcry and calls the decision in an interview with PC Gamer “an embarrassing failure of the US patent system.”
Notably to the lawyer is that the two submitted patents were approved almost without resistance.
“This is a very unusual event. Most claims are rejected at least once. This seems to be a situation where the USPTO (US Patent Office, note from the editor) basically gave up and just allowed the case, assuming the claims were close enough or specific enough to be new without examining them too closely.”
Kirk Sigmon
According to the lawyer, it has not been explained why the patents were approved at all. This is “highly unusual” and raises “numerous warning signals.” None of the patents should have been granted. Sigmon sees a significant mistake on the part of the patent office and fears that many developers will now have to deal with uncertainties.
The lawyer draws his conclusion: “This approval should not have happened. Period.”
What do the players think? On Reddit, the topic is heatedly discussed. After all, it’s not just the developers who are affected by the mentioned gameplay mechanics. Players would also suffer if certain fundamental systems could no longer be used by all developers.
Miserable_Speed5474 wants to get involved in this case and writes: “These patents are a significant failure of US patent law and should be challenged immediately. I am currently looking into how I can contact a group, a representative, and a delegate to hopefully enforce some form of action.”
“There are clearly other examples of other games that have already done exactly the same, and Nintendo/TPC literally had 30 years to do this and are only doing it now? Have they gone totally crazy?” wonders B19F00T.
“They throw everything that comes to mind against the wall, see what sticks, and then use that against Palworld,” suspects the user k3lz0.
“There are a lot of patents that go through even though they shouldn’t. That’s not as unusual as you portray it,” says the user CombatMuffin.
Cristiano Ronaldo shares the top spot in EA FC 26 in the Saudi Pro League. However, he receives one of his weakest ratings ever – only over 20 years ago was he rated worse.
This is Ronaldo’s new rating in EA FC 26: EA released the top 100 ratings in FC 26 at the beginning of the week on Wednesday evening (September 10, 2025), and also published the top 26 ratings of the Roshn Saudi Pro League. Ronaldo has been playing in Saudi Arabia for over 2 1/2 years and with an 85 rating for FC 26 is among the top 4 players in his league:
Cristiano Ronaldo (85)
Karim Benzema (85)
N’Golo Kanté (85)
Iñigo Martínez (85)
Although Ronaldo is one of the strongest players in his league, fans of the Portuguese must still come to terms with another downgrade of the aging superstar. From a rating of 86 in FC 26, it drops to an 85 rating in FC 25.
Ronaldo goes down by 1 point in shooting, passing, and physicality.
Looking at his statistics from the 24/25 season, the downgrade becomes apparent at first glance.
What season did Ronaldo play? Looking at the bare numbers on the statistics page Sofascore, Ronaldo delivered another strong season. In the league and in the Asian Champions League, the striker scored 33 goals in 37 matches and assisted 3 more goals for his teammates. He also scored 8 goals in 8 matches for the Portuguese national team on the way to winning the UEFA Nations League.
That makes 44 goal involvements in 45 matches. A striker can’t perform much better, and yet Ronaldo gets the next downgrade. This continues the negative streak in EA FC/FIFA.
Start video
Deep Dive trailer on gameplay shows 2 different gameplays and numerous adjustments
Another downgrade: Ronaldo was only rated worse in FIFA 04
What does the downgrade mean? With the downgrade to an 85 rating, Ronaldo is getting closer to his lowest value since records began in EA FC (formerly FIFA). When Ronaldo transferred to Manchester United as a mega-talent in 2003, his virtual counterpart received a strong rating of 80 in FIFA 04.
Since then, he has not been rated lower. On the contrary: since FIFA 04, with very few exceptions, his ratings have only improved. Over 3 years (FIFA 17, 18, and 19), he even reached a very strong 94 rating.
However, since FIFA 19, the ratings have been steadily declining. With the transition from FIFA to EA FC, there was the first major drop of 4 rating points:
FIFA-/EA-FC-Section
RatingRonaldo
FIFA 19
94
FIFA 20
93
FIFA 21
92
FIFA 22
91
FIFA 23
90
EA FC 24
86
EA FC 25
86
EA FC 26
85
What could be behind the downgrades? That a player can’t maintain the level of a 94 card forever is not surprising.
When the first EA FC was released, Ronaldo managed only 19 goals and 3 assists in 40 matches after his return to Manchester United. During this time, he also experienced the first significant downgrade from 90 to 86.
Since his move to Al-Nassr (January 1, 2023) in the Saudi Pro League, Ronaldo has once again been consistently delivering many goals. Nevertheless, the Portuguese initially stagnated in rating from FC 24 to FC 25 and now even has to deal with a downgrade in FC 26 despite strong 44 goal involvements in 45 matches.
This could have various reasons:
The level of players in the Roshn Saudi Pro League cannot keep up with the qualitative breadth of the European level. According to Transfermarkt.de, the Saudi Pro League has an average market value of only €65.17 million, while the Bundesliga, for example, offers an average value of €240.55 million: This is why EA likely weights the goals and assists in this league differently.
Ronaldo has adjusted his playing style so that even at the age of 40 he can shine without much effort: He participates little in the game and positions himself cleverly to get into good situations without much effort.
EA probably cannot overlook Ronaldo’s age and the weaker league. In general, there is a trend in EA FC that older players lose pace, dribbling and/or physicality. Fellow strikers from international top leagues and clubs also have to settle for minor reductions in pace and dribbling. Examples include Kane (FC Bayern) and Lewandowski (FC Barcelona).
What does the downgrade mean for EA FC 26? As an 85 card, Ronaldo is no longer among the top tier in FC 26, but even with an 86 in FC 25, he wasn’t. Should the gameplay revert to focus more on pace, speed, and agility as announced, Ronaldo could be a casualty.
However, he could still deliver the following added value for your game:
strong finishing with both right and left foot
outstanding heading ability and jumping power
With the new downgrade, Ronaldo unfortunately loses his status as a Walkout in Ultimate Team during the pack animations. So if you receive Ronaldo from a pack, he will not get a special presentation anymore.
In conclusion, we ask you: What do you think of the downgrade? Do you find it justified? Feel free to write it to us in the comments. More and more ratings will be released gradually. We have made predictions on MeinMMO about which star could benefit the most: EA FC 26 Ratings Prediction: Who could receive the biggest upgrades in Ultimate Team?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Borderlands 4 you can exploit elements to deal more damage. In the Elemental Chart we will show you what is effective and to what extent.
What elements are there in Borderlands 4? At the release of Borderlands 4, you will find a total of 5 elements in the game that you can use:
Fire
Cryo
Corrosion
Shock
Radiation
Additionally, there are also the damage classes “Kinetic”, which is the normal bullet damage, and “Explosion”, which represents explosive damage – such as from rockets.
The elements can randomly appear on various weapons, be triggered by your action skills, or be activated, enhanced, or weakened by other equipment.
They all have different strengths and weaknesses, somewhat like Pokémon effectiveness. We will show you here how you should use them.
Start video
Die neuen Moves in Borderlands 4 machen richtig Bock
Elemental Chart – How effective are the elements in Borderlands 4
The elements face three different types of “defense” or “targets” that they can hit. They are essentially different types of health bars that you want to reduce to 0.
Flesh – this is the normal state of most enemies in the game
Shields
Armor
In the table below, you can see which elements are effective against these different types of defenses.
Borderlands 4: Overview of Elements
Kinetic damage: Has the same effectiveness against all three types of defense
Fire: Very effective against flesh, weak against shields and armor. Can ignite enemies and cause damage over time.
Shock: Weak against flesh, very effective against shields, weak against armor.
Corrosion: Weak against flesh and shields, very effective against armor.
Cryo: Normal damage against flesh, weak against shields, effective against armor. Important: Can freeze your enemies.
Radiation: Normal damage against flesh. Effective against shields, weak against armor.
What about explosive damage? Explosions are similar to kinetic damage, equally effective against all forms of defense. Their advantage is mainly the AoE damage: You can hit multiple enemies at once when something explodes, instead of shooting at single targets.
Elements will also be important for your builds. You can develop all of your Vault Hunters in different directions and it is possible that you will particularly incorporate elements. Want a little overview of the characters? Then check out the article about all classes in Borderlands 4.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Borderlands 4 there will be much shooting and looting again, but if you don’t play a good build, you won’t have an easy time in the endgame. That’s why there’s a handy tool to plan your build in a relaxed manner.
Which tool is being referred to? This is a build planner. Such planners allow you to create a build for each class in Borderlands 4 even before the release, so you know how to level up your vault hunter.
At first, leveling up your character without a plan is also possible, but soon you will encounter problems towards the endgame that could have been avoided with careful planning.
These problems range from too little damage to poor survival chances. So, to avoid that, you can already start building your builds and see which playstyle you like.
Start video
Der Trailer zur Launch-Woche von Borderlands 4
Build planners make life easier for you as a vault hunter
Which build planner should I use? Any build planner is suitable if it allows you to equip your character with all available skills to see how your choices affect your stats. To save you some time, we recommend two build planners with clear interfaces:
What can I set in the build planner? In the build planners, you can browse through all the skill trees of the vault hunters. You will have all of the following to choose from:
Action Skills
Passive Points
Augments
Capstones
You have a total of 49 skill points that you can distribute freely, indicating the limit and level cap in the actual game.
Weapons and other gear are not considered and cannot be selected. The focus is solely on your skill build. Nevertheless, build planners provide you with a good foundation to avoid heading towards the endgame aimlessly.
That was all the information about the build planners. Please note that these are currently only available in English and may change to include German before the release. So you’ll have to deal with it for now. You can find more about the release of Borderlands 4 here: Borderlands 4 Release: Everything about start time, preload, and early access
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Pokémon fans are disappointed game after game by the lack of attention to detail that makes the main games from Game Freak appear lifeless at times. However, the latest releases regarding Pokémon Legends: Z-A are generating excitement in the community, particularly praising a specific team.
What kind of trailer is this? On September 10, 2025, the official YouTube account of Pokémon released a trailer for the mega-evolution of the Pokémon Calamanero, which is styled like a news report from the world of the new Pokémon Legends: Z-A.
The video reports on strange events in Illumina City, where trainers suddenly change their entire personality and talk obsessively about “their friend Calamanero” (“My Friend Malamar”). This phrase and an image of Calamanero also adorn the official icon and banner of the YouTube account.
At the end of the trailer, the mega-evolution of Calamanero is finally revealed, and the video cuts off as if the Pokémon interrupts the news transmission.
Here you can see the mentioned video of the report on Calamanero in full length:
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
The promotional material for Pokémon is highly praised
How is the community reacting to the trailer? The comments clearly show the fans’ hype, which has become a rather rare mood in the community. After many disappointments with the looks of the new games from Game Freak, they want to praise the team behind the latest promos for the mega-evolutions: “Whether you like the design or not, the marketing is great. Congratulations!” (@arjanosky08 under the video on YouTube).
Even the trailer for another mega-evolution triggered a huge wave of positive feedback from fans. While it was similarly atmospheric, it was definitely more horror-oriented. Fans express their opinions under the YouTube video for Mega-Calamanero in the comments and on Reddit, praising the team behind the promotional material, which has once again proven its skills:
“The marketing for this game is simply brilliant,” says @EzRida04 (on YouTube).
“I like the direction in which the reveals of the mega-evolutions are going, as each has its own ‘genre,’ like horror (Sarzenia), entertainment (Resladero), and now a news broadcast for Calamanero,” writes @LoFiAsteroux (on YouTube).
“You can like the new megas or not, but you can’t deny that the trailers have reached a whole new level this time,” comments SanjiDJ (on Reddit).
“I have the utmost respect for them. This is a successful advertisement for Pokémon,” writes TLKv3 (on Reddit).
Here you see the trailer for Pokémon Legends: Z-A, in which you can meet “your friend Calamanero”:
Start video
Pokémon Legends: Z-A presents a new story trailer for Switch
Feedback has been quite positive, with virtually no criticism to be found either on Reddit or YouTube. Even fans who are not so fond of Mega-Calamanero admit that they find Pokémon’s marketing superb.
Why is the reaction so peculiar? The latest Pokémon games “Legends: Arceus”, “Scarlet & Violet”, as well as the first glimpses of “Legends: Z-A” faced criticism from many fans primarily due to their graphics. This became evident when Game Freak proved with a completely new project that they can indeed create a beautiful game. The comparison to Game Freak’s environments in Pokémon could not be overlooked.
Thanks to the promotional material, which even appeals to a fanbase that is not shy about expressing criticism, the hype for the new game is rising. Additionally, it will introduce new mechanics through its new battle system that could provide a completely different gaming experience.
Even MeinMMO editor and Pokémon fan Jasmin was initially less interested in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, as she found the Legends predecessor “Arceus” rather monotonous and had little interest in the appearance and detail level of the game. However, at Gamescom, she was able to test 20 minutes of the game, which even fulfilled a childhood dream of hers: Pokémon Legends Z-A fulfills my childhood dream, but costs me extra nerves
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Borderlands 4 will finally be officially released tomorrow. First critics have already formed an opinion on the new loot shooter. MeinMMO summarizes what the reviews on Metacritic say about the game.
Since when are there reviews? Borderlands 4 will officially be released on September 12, 2025 and since September 11 at 2:00 PM the review embargo for tests and reviews has been lifted. On Metacritic, the game currently holds a solid average score of 84 out of 100 points based on 51 reviews (as of September 11, 2025, 2:30 PM).
In addition to our review by MeinMMO editor Dariusz Müller, there are also reviews from GameStar and GamePro that you can find here and which also give a good rating:
You can watch the launch trailer for Borderlands 4 here:
Start video
Der Trailer zur Launch-Woche von Borderlands 4
Predominantly positive feedback, but not everything hits the mark
How have the critics rated on Metacritic? On Metacritic Borderlands 4 has a score of 84/100. It currently has around 92% positive feedback (47 reviews), 8% mixed opinions (4 reviews), and no completely negative reviews for the new loot shooter. Currently, all published reviews for the PC version have been released.
What do players like about Borderlands 4? Many reviews especially praise the innovations that part 4 brings to the series and describe it as a successful continuation that builds on and maximizes old potentials.
Particularly positively noted are the iconic and recognizable humor and the co-op fun that Borderlands 4 offers. The possibilities for character customization and the new skill trees are also praised, as well as the new weapon variations.
The endgame, the gameplay loop, and the loot progression are also positively highlighted and successfully complement the familiar Borderlands formula without changing the DNA too much.
What criticisms are there currently? The biggest criticism currently focuses primarily on performance. This tends to struggle in more chaotic battles, particularly at higher settings on good PCs.
Many found the open world unsuitable for Borderlands and too sprawling. Although there is a lot to do there, it feels more repetitive than in previous titles. Some critics also found the gameplay loop too clunky and boring, and some critics felt that the humor had diminished.
If you want to dive into Borderlands 4 yourself, PC players can do so from today at 6:00 PM CEST. Players on PS5 and Xbox can start on September 12 at 12:00 AM CEST. Those wanting to play on Nintendo Switch will have to wait until October 3. In the meantime, you can prepare optimally with our tips: 15 tips you should know before starting Borderlands 4
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
MeinMMO editor Dariusz Müller has already spent around 60 hours in Borderlands 4. To ensure you are optimally prepared for the launch of the loot shooter, he offers these 15 tips.
If you have misallocated your skills, you can respec
You will gain access to a respec machine very early in the game. If you do not like your current skill tree or you have accidentally invested in the wrong skill, you can revert your distribution here.
The cost for respec increases throughout the game.
Use your Robo buddy’s built-in navigation
Echo-4, the little robot that handles tasks like hacks for you, can show you the way to map markers and missions. On PC, for example, you can press the “X” key and simply follow the displayed line.
Bonus Tip: Echo-4’s scanner also shows ladders and similar items if you cannot see where to go next in a mission.
Start video
Die neuen Moves in Borderlands 4 machen richtig Bock
Some chests also have Eridium
While playing through the main story, I occasionally found small amounts of Eridium in smaller chests that were just sitting around. It can be worth checking out these seemingly insignificant chests.
Don’t fight every battle
On your journey through the open world, you will repeatedly encounter enemies and cross their bases. Do yourself a favor and ignore some of them. They will respawn shortly anyway. Instead, just drive through some enemy camps and ignore the fire from your adversaries. If you do not want to actively level up or farm, it’s often just a waste of your precious time to engage in every fight.
You have powerful abilities, use them
Borderlands is a shooter, but your Vault Hunter also has powerful abilities. You will make your fights significantly more successful if you do not neglect these abilities. Different skills are suitable for dealing massive damage to single opponents or are great for controlling many enemies, for example when you slow them down or freeze them with cryo skills.
Amon’s Double Blade in Borderlands 4
Start expanding your backpack early
You can increase your backpack size in the SDU menu. You receive SDU points when you discover Borderlands logos in the open world. At the beginning of the game, I constantly struggled with the size of my backpack because I did not want to leave loot behind, but the available item slots are very limited. Eventually, I expanded the backpack by several levels at once, which immediately brought a noticeable relief – even if I can never have enough loot space.
Maximize your backpack size
As you already know, you can sell weapons and equipment you do not need at vending machines as junk. This brings in a lot of money, which you can then spend on various things like respecs. Since Borderlands throws loot at you, it’s not hard to fill your backpack – so make use of that space. I am a definite loot goblin, but I never complete a mission with an empty backpack slot. This way, I was able to save a lot of money during the story.
Bonus Tip: You can sort your backpack by value and then see what brings the least money. This way, you can extract a few extra bucks when your backpack is full, but you have still found good loot.
Use the Lost Loot Machine and empty it regularly
There is a machine in Borderlands that salvages your dropped loot. You can find this in various outposts. After a long mission, be sure to check the machine and see if you might have overlooked some good loot. Alternatively, there may be junk left behind that you can also scoop up and sell right away.
You should definitely empty the machine regularly – preferably after each mission. It has a very low capacity, and when it is full, no more loot will be collected. You will simply be giving away money that you earned.
The Lost Loot Machine in Borderlands 4
Elemental damage is important
This is well-known to experienced Vault Hunters, but all newcomers should pay attention: The element of your weapon influences the damage dealt.
If your enemy has a blue health bar, they are using a shield. Shock weapons are particularly effective against shields.
If your enemy has a yellow health bar, they are using armor or are a robot. Corrosive weapons are particularly effective against these foes.
If your opponent is using neither shields nor armor, your projectiles hit flesh. Fire weapons are particularly effective there.
The right elemental choice plays a significant role and should be considered when selecting your weapon. This will be reiterated in the next tip.
The wrong element is bad
An element can also be “ineffective” against flesh, shields, or armor in Borderlands. If you shoot an enemy with the wrong element, you will deal reduced damage compared to what the weapon’s base damage would normally indicate.
Fire is weak against armor and shields
Shock is weak against flesh and armor
Corrosive is weak against flesh and shields
Cryo is weak against shields
Radiation is weak against armor
To help you visualize the effectiveness of different elements at a glance, I have created a cheat sheet for you:
Borderlands 4 Element Chart
Side quests are worth it
In Borderlands 4, the story campaign and endgame are particularly appealing, but you should not neglect side quests. These not only offer good loot, XP, and money, but they also unlock new skins. Some customization options are tied to certain side quests in Borderlands 4.
You lose money upon death, and it increases over time
I experienced my first death while testing various weapons. I didn’t even try to kill all the enemies; it was just a test in the open world – and then I was frustrated that I lost over 60,000 at that point. In later deaths, it eventually reached nearly 180,000. I was not aware that respawn costs increase with the amount of wealth because I never saved my money in the previous games; I just spent it right away. Keep that in mind.
Keep 1-2 weak enemies alive
In Borderlands, you are not immediately dead when your health bar is completely empty. For a short time, you can revive yourself by downing an enemy. In battles with many foes or against powerful bosses, it can be smart to leave a small, weak enemy alive to save yourself in case of your demise.
In Borderlands 4, you can only equip and actively use 4 weapons in combat, but you can change the 4 equipped weapons at any time. If you notice during a boss fight that they are using a shield, but you currently do not have a shock weapon equipped, you can change that easily.
This tip may seem a bit absurd and obvious, but it can be a real help in challenging fights.
Swapping weapons is especially easy in single-player since the game pauses when you open the inventory. In co-op, that’s not the case. Just wait for the right moment and let your friends cover you.
Play through the story with one Vault Hunter first
You do not have to take each Vault Hunter through the story individually; instead, you can create new characters directly at level 30 after completing the story. So if you don’t want to play through the story multiple times but still want to experience all the Vault Hunters, you can save a lot of time.
MeinMMO editor Dariusz Müller has Borderlands 4 tested before its release and collected detailed impressions of the loot shooter. Some of the innovations stood out to him particularly positively. They remind him of Destiny 2 and seem like a meaningful addition to the Borderlands formula.
Borderlands 4 has big plans. It comes with a huge open world including world events and capturable outposts, a new villain, countless weapons, and various innovations that meaningfully complement the latest installment of the popular shooter series.
I have gathered around 60 hours of playtime in Borderlands 4 before the official release. During this time, I completed the story, finished a few side missions, completed world events, explored the map, and found a hidden dungeon, including a boss fight. In addition, I did a lot of nonsense while wandering aimlessly. During my story run, I picked Amon as the chosen vault hunter and threw around his elemental axes.
In all these activities, some of the advertised innovations of Borderlands 4 reminded me of Destiny 2 – and that is something positive. I’m not the most active Destiny player, but I still keep coming back to the shooter for years and have fun with the game. These are good signs for Borderlands 4.
Riding through the Badlands on a digital bike
In Borderlands 4, the well-known Catch-a-Ride has received a big upgrade. While in the predecessors I had to walk to the digital car rental to race through Pandora with my four-wheeled steel beast, I can now access the system almost everywhere – the only exception being certain areas within missions.
Moreover, the vehicle control in Borderlands 4 is much more pleasant. You now have a kind of high-tech hoverbike, the so-called Digirunner, which is very easy to maneuver. This hoverbike is not only thinner than the old Catch-a-Ride vehicles but also much more agile. Overall, the Digirunner reminds me of the Sparrow from Destiny.
I don’t want to question the quality of Borderlands 1-3, but if there’s one thing that always bothered me about the predecessors, it was traveling to new mission objectives. I often found that boring. In Borderlands 4, it doesn’t bother me. Although some routes are a bit long due to the vast open world – perhaps too long – the drive itself is really pleasant. This works out significantly better than in Borderlands 2, possibly the best part of the series. The Digirunner is a great improvement for the loot shooter.
The Digirunner in Borderlands 4
Jumping like a Guardian
One of the other major changes that Gearbox Entertainment has introduced for Borderlands 4 is the new movement system. The movement has been enhanced with some modern techniques. I can now elegantly slide behind cover with my Vault Hunter or reach the next higher level with a double jump. Once I’m in the air, I can even hover over my enemies for a few seconds and shot those nasty Rippers and Order Guardians from above – similar to how it’s possible in Destiny 2.
Additionally, the vault hunter can now execute a small dash to evade enemy attacks. This works both in the air while hovering and on the ground and is especially helpful in boss fights. But even in battles against countless smaller enemies, the new movement is a meaningful addition, as it also supports aggressive play styles.
At the beginning of my journey, I relied heavily on long-range weapons, but later I played primarily with SMGs at close range and ruthlessly threw my axes around. The movement allowed me to always stay close to my enemies and pick up my thrown axes again, which reduced their cooldown by 50%.
Overall, the new movement fits perfectly into the gameplay loop. Exploring the map is also more enjoyable for me when I’m not just running but have variety in my movements. Again, I felt a bit reminded of Destiny while playing. There, I can also slide, perform double jumps, and hover.
This is, of course, not gameplay that belongs solely to Destiny, but it hasn’t been possible in the Borderlands series until now. And I firmly believe that it was the right decision to adjust the movement system in Borderlands 4 accordingly.
Start video
Bosskampf gegen Idolator Sol in Borderlands 4
Borderlands 4 finally has the game world that the predecessors always wanted but couldn’t achieve
In the world of Borderlands 4, I can travel comfortably without loading times from A to B. And if I don’t feel like driving myself, or the route is too long, I use fast travel. To unlock more fast travel stations, I can capture outposts.
This is a meaningful step compared to the predecessors, possibly thanks to the modern technology. In the previous games, I always felt like the world was intended to be an open world, but it technically couldn’t – at least not without ruining the performance completely. That’s why you often stood at transitions between different instances and had to load the new map. This, however, hurt the flow of the game and led to unwanted breaks.
Especially the combination with the old Catch-a-Ride system I found tedious, as I couldn’t take the vehicle into the new instance with me. I’m really not a fan of open worlds and therefore have been avoiding games like the latest Far Cry or Assassin’s Creed, but in Borderlands 4, the open world didn’t really bother me.
The main realization for me was that the inevitable loading times between the biomes are gone. If I had a loading screen, it was because I chose to fast travel.
Lootapalooza or hopeless junk collector
I’m uncertain what to make of the loot and the amount of loot. It is sometimes just too much. Sure, you also find cool new weapons and most weapons also differ from each other in some way, but most is marked as junk and sold. Destroying is not an option. You can either throw the junk away or carry it to the next machine to make a profit.
I’m stingy and greedy and want to leave nothing behind. Unfortunately, that means I spend way too much time tidying up and sorting my inventory. That annoys my teammates in all games of this type because they all wait for me to have enough space in my backpack – which is again heavily limited and fills up fast in Borderlands 4.
My eyes shine every time countless weapons jump out of a strong enemy or a box, but in some ways I also hate it. I would be fine if I just got a really cool weapon instead. But that’s a misery I experience not just in Borderlands. At least I’m not being overwhelmed with legendary weapons.
Skills that are really fun and strong
I had a lot of fun with the skills of the different vault hunters in Borderlands 4 – perhaps a bit too much. I actually wanted to briefly test each class before completing the story, but then the first vault hunter already brought me so much joy that I stayed with them and caught up on the tests of the other heroes later.
I played Amon with the axes of ice and fire – which conveniently are the elements I have the most fun with in many games. With ice, I can temporarily immobilize my enemies, and with fire, I can deal damage over time through burning. Plus, fire just looks cool. I love fire.
I play Amon exactly this way and easily went through the story.
The bigger problem was rather deciding which vault hunter to play first. There are several skills that I really like. Should I play Vex as a kind of flying vampire and heal myself by dealing damage, or Harlowe with her mini-nuke? Or do I go for Rafa and his blades? The Mantis Blades were a lot of fun for me in Cyberpunk 2077. But the skill tree of Rafa’s shoulder-mounted cannon also looks cool.
And Amon? At some point, I also want to try his shield and the accompanying whip in detail. So far, I’ve only been able to get a brief taste of the various skills of the vault hunters, but I’m sure that each one of them has at least one skill tree that I enjoy. That wasn’t always the case in the past. I even restarted Borderlands 1 from the beginning because I didn’t like my first choice.
Fortunately, in Borderlands 4, we can create a new character directly at level 30 as soon as we complete the story.
The developers have already announced that it is a known issue and the Day-1 patch is supposed to help, but:
The performance of Borderlands 4 in the review version is simply not good.
I meet the minimum requirements and theoretically also have good FPS (about 60 FPS in WQHD on medium settings), but when entering a new area, I experience brief but severe FPS drops, causing the game to noticeably stutter.
Occasionally, these FPS drops also occur in fights where a lot happens. Everything ran smoothly in boss fights, but the more enemies on the screen, the more likely the drops are.
Some other testers I spoke with confirmed similar experiences.
This was quite frustrating at times and couldn’t be reliably fixed. The best way to completely avoid the drops was to set everything to the lowest settings, play in FHD, and cap the FPS at 40 (!). This way, I had enough power to never drop below 40 FPS – no matter what I do. The crucial part was the capping, as I would have gotten around 90-100 FPS with those settings. But if the FPS then dropped to 40-50, the game stuttered again.
I really hope that the performance improves by the release, because otherwise I had a lot of fun with Borderlands 4.
If you are new to Borderlands or have difficulties in your first hours in Borderlands 4, I have gathered a few tips that hopefully help you and ease your entry into the loot shooter: 15 tips you should know before starting Borderlands 4
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Path of Exile 2 the developers announced a promise months ago. Now they provide an update on whether they can keep it.
What is this promise? The developers of Path of Exile 2 announced with the launch of their second game that they would aim to release new updates and seasons alternately. While this initially didn’t work well and players had to wait almost a year for a new update in part 1, they recently reiterated their desire for alternating seasons.
The ultimate goal is to have a new league start every 4 months in a game. This would result in an average of 3 seasons in Path of Exile 2 and 3 seasons in Path of Exile per year. Players could then switch every 2 months and regularly look forward to new updates.
For many players, this idea has been a long-held wish, as they would prefer a new expansion to start every month in an ARPG. They would like Diablo 4 and Last Epoch to adapt accordingly, providing a constantly new league that captivates with new content.
Here you can watch the trailer for the latest season of Path of Exile 2:
Start video
Path of Exile 2 shows Season 2 in the new trailer, brings Act 4 and 3 interludes into play
Developers provide an update on the promise
What’s the status of the plan? In a new update post on PathofExile.com, the developers spoke about the current state of affairs for the first part of PoE. They explained in their announcement that they are currently right on course.
At the end of October, when the 4-month cycle would be back on target, a new season would be announced. As always, fans can look forward to a teaser, a trailer, and a livestream that will present the new features of the expansion.
Version 3.27 is expected to start in October, according to the developers, thus keeping the promise and rhythm as planned. The developers also reminded players of their plan, proving that it still holds validity.
How are fans reacting to the announcement? Fans are excited that the developers still feel bound by their promise and that the new season is set to start within the planned timeframe. They write on Reddit:
beerye432: “It’s actually happening.”
robodrew: “That we’re getting 3.27 soon AND 0.3 is a blockbuster update for PoE2 means we are in the damn golden age, folks.”
BulletproofChespin: “I had a health check today, everything was great, I just came from a meeting about a promotion I applied for, and then comes the announcement of the announcement of the announcement of a new Poe league. What a great Wednesday.”
xlCalamity: “If the new trading system is in 3.27, it will be such a good league. PoE2 is much more fun with it, but the endgame is still not there for me. I can only imagine how much better PoE1 will feel with better trading.”
The Twitch streamer Maximilian “HandOfBlood” Knabe shared his opinion on X about the recognition of eSports clubs as non-profit organizations. He didn’t seem enthusiastic about the original draft, but then changed his mind.
What is this change about? The federal government has fulfilled a promise from the coalition agreement: eSports clubs are to be recognized as non-profit in the future, thus being on the same level as other conventional sports clubs.
Specifically, this means among other things that eSports clubs will receive tax benefits and therefore will not have to pay taxes on revenues as long as it serves a non-profit purpose. Additionally, donations can be tax-deductible, and they can more easily access funding. Until now, eSports clubs in Germany could not benefit from such advantages, which also contributed to the eSports winter.
Start video
HandOfBlood: The most important thing about the YouTuber and Twitch streamer in under a minute
“This is such nonsense that you are doing”
What does HandOfBlood say about it? Under a post on X from the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, which reported on the recognition of eSports clubs, HandOfBlood initially wrote the following:
The statement from the Twitch streamer refers to an initial draft law on the subject; this would have been too restrictive. The requirements there were too strict, such that many common eSports disciplines would have had to be excluded.
Thus, games that depict violence and killing would have had to be excluded. In this way, shooters, such as Counter-Strike or Valorant, would have been completely excluded, which affects a significant part of the eSports world.
Shortly thereafter, the Twitch streamer HandOfBlood corrected his statement in a post below, when he became aware that there was supposedly a new draft. This is said to have fewer restrictions, so that shooters and their respective clubs can also be recognized as sports clubs.
HandOfBlood writes on X: “Was a bit hasty, there was an update! This draft actually looks much better compared to the previous one. Great that the feedback from the eSports world was listened to. A great development if now some details are optimized and the law really comes!”
