Thousands of gamers are discussing after a video on YouTube whether Battlefield 6 looks better when the shooter avoids extreme colors.
What’s the deal with the color filters? YouTuber Vic’s Corner released a video on August 23 on his channel, discussing the color scheme of the maps in Battlefield 6. He explains that the individual parts of the Battlefield series had different color styles.
The game achieves its respective look through something called color grading, which is the post-processing of footage. Here, certain color tones are adjusted to create a specific visual effect or style.
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Battlefield 6 shows its maps and modes in the trailer
Battlefield games rely on strong colors
How are the colors in the Battlefield games? Battlefield 3, for example, is characterized by a kind of blue filter, while Battlefield 4 focuses more on red tones, the YouTuber explains. Compared to that, Battlefield 1 appears more natural – even if that was probably also achieved through color grading.
In Battlefield 6, color grading has been used extensively again. The changes in colors hit you in the face, Vic points out. Some maps have a BF3-like blue tone, while others have a sepia style that creates a warm yellow-brown tint.
At the end of the video, the YouTuber shows how the maps of Battlefield 6 could look without the heavy color grading in a more natural style. However, he emphasizes that it is of course a matter of taste which style one personally prefers.
Here you can watch the video with the corresponding timestamp:
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This is what the community says: Players are divided on whether they find the game prettier with or without the strong color filters. One person writes on Reddit that the true beauty of the game is hidden behind the filters. The post received over 10,600 upvotes, garnering significant support.
However, there is also opposition to the post. One comment with over 3,000 upvotes thinks the version with the filter looks better.
In another Reddit post on the topic, a user commented that he hadn’t even noticed the filters until someone mentioned them. However, the game still looks good regardless.
This is what the developers say: Battlefield’s community manager Kevin Johnson, alias T0talFPS, reacted to the discussion in the comments on Reddit. He explains that they are not just filters, like you might know from Instagram, applied to the maps. Instead, it is the atmospheric mood that level designers strive for in each location:
“The team ensures that each map has its own visual aesthetic, as they take place in different parts of the world and therefore have […] different biomes and temperatures that one would expect for these regions.”
He also explains that the team is still fine-tuning things and that the game is currently still in development. The style has already changed from the Battlefield Labs to the beta. Now he is passing on the feedback and then they will see what they can improve. Some feedback from the beta has already been taken to heart by the developers and responded to: Battlefield 6 reacts to your feedback on the beta, makes changes to movement, talks about maps and modes
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Twitch streamers Reeze and Krokoboss made a faux pas at gamescom 2025, which their community criticized.
Who is it about? The Twitch streamers Dominik “Reeze” Reezmann and Paul “Krokoboss” were at gamescom 2025. They tried out the various food stands.
Their impressions were captured in the YouTube video “THIS IS WHAT GAMESCOM 2025 TASTES LIKE”. However, a small part of the video caused some criticism from their own community.
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These are the 5 most relevant German streamers on Twitch in 2024, according to Google
“First Mission: Cutting in Line”
What misstep did the Twitch streamers commit? Reeze and Krokoboss first went to a Smash Burger stand. They pushed in the front of the line and even announced it. Reeze said to his Twitch colleague: “Kroko, first mission: cutting in line.” (Source: YouTube)
Krokoboss agreed to the plan, and the two Twitch streamers positioned themselves at the front of the line and pretended they were filming a documentary about the stand. Reeze asked if they could quickly order two burgers, the employee initially seemed unsure but then agreed.
How does the community react? Even though the clip with the line-cutting only takes up a small part of the video, the comments under the YouTube video are full of criticism about it:
inarethcir4928 doesn’t hold back on criticism of the Twitch streamers: “First, they play the influencer card and cut in line because they are something better than those who are waiting. It’s a pity, I had a more down-to-earth impression of Reezmann.”
YourTimeQBW sees it similarly: “Cutting in line isn’t necessary, it’s just uncool.”
bastiking9438 phrases the criticism a bit more pleasantly: “I always love the videos, but cutting in line isn’t necessary. For the viewers, it can be cut out, so there’s no added value, and the people waiting there are privately at gamescom, paying with their hard-earned money and don’t earn money from being filmed while eating the burger. It would be nice if everyone was treated equally while waiting.”
The community’s reactions were so loud that Reeze wrote a comment in response, apologizing: “(…) Cutting in line at that one stand was a bit unnecessary, and we didn’t do it anymore afterward.”
The beta of the anime MMORPG Blue Protocol: Star Resonance is currently running. For the first time, players in the West can try out the new MMORPG in large numbers and already know after 3 days what they like and what they do not.
What kind of MMORPG is this? Blue Protocol: Star Resonance is an anime MMORPG and the redevelopment of its namesake Blue Protocol, which quickly met its end in Japan after a poor start. Under the new subtitle Star Resonance, the developers have redeveloped the anime MMORPG and released it some time ago in China.
In the West, the first closed beta began on Friday, August 22, where players can get an impression of the MMORPG. After a weekend of testing, players will explain how they find Blue Protocol: Star Resonance.
Here you can see the character editor of Blue Protocol: Star Resonance:
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The developers of Blue Protocol: Star Resonance showcase the character editor
Good MMORPG, but Pay2Win in many aspects
What do fans like about the MMORPG? In several posts on Reddit, testers have left their first impressions of the MMORPG, and they have consistently identified the following positive aspects:
The combat system, especially in boss fights within the action combat system and with good movements and dodging, is described by testers as very good.
The graphics and design of the anime world are well done and are described as beautiful by testers. Anime fans should enjoy this.
The representation of the story as well as the music and sounds in the game are well-received by players, even though the story is not particularly exciting for many.
Players find that the MMORPG has a lot of potential, even though it also has significant weaknesses.
Alongside some good points about Blue Protocol: Star Resonance, there is also strong criticism in other reports.
What bothers fans about the MMORPG? Many players criticize the monetization of the game on Reddit. In the shop, there are numerous items available for purchase, including Battle Pass, monthly cards, skins, upgrade materials for the character, and various currencies.
This MMORPG is clearly Pay2Win, as players gain a gaming advantage by spending money. However, some testers also point out that one can obtain many upgrade materials for free.
The Asian influence on the MMORPG also annoys some testers on Reddit. In addition to auto-navigation to marked locations, there is an auto-combat mode where the player’s character autonomously attacks nearby enemies and uses the character’s abilities. Although this mode isn’t particularly good and unsuitable for bosses, the feature itself is generally not well-received in the West (via Reddit).
Another mechanic, already known from other Asian MMORPGs, is the time-gating present in Blue Protocol: Star Resonance. Players could only reach Level 33 out of 60 after 3 days, as various sections of the game are locked behind a time barrier. The maximum level is expected to be reachable only in a few days.
While the MMORPG has convinced testers in its basic concept, it is the characteristics common to many MMORPGs in Asia that do not resonate well in the West – Pay2Win, time-gating, auto-battle, and auto-navigation annoy the testers. Competitors like NCSoft have learned from these mistakes, as their new MMORPG will likely entail a localization that also changes the “Asian” features: A new MMORPG is coming to us in 2026, expected to be bigger than Throne and Liberty, but with less Pay2Win
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The first teaser for the new season in Pokémon GO is here. It announces three Pokémon – and trainers are surely looking forward to two of them!
When does the new season start? The current season ends on September 2nd at 10:00 AM. It can be assumed that this will also be the starting point for the new season. It doesn’t have a name yet, but it already has a teaser.
What kind of teaser is this? The teaser was released on YouTube. It refers to the upcoming new season and shows some shadows of Pokémon that we can expect in the new “season”.
Which Pokémon the video shows, you can try to guess here:
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Mega-Metagross, Keldeo and Gigantamax-Eevee are coming to Pokémon GO
These are the Pokémon: Fans will recognize them right away, and especially the first two Pokémon are ones that players have been waiting for a long time.
Mega-Metagross is one of the last remaining Mega Pokémon in Pokémon GO. At the same time, it is also a monster that can deal significant damage. Additionally, Mega-Metagross would also enhance other Pokémon in raids, which are quite powerful – like the Crowned forms of Zacian and Zamazenta.
The second Pokémon is the Gigantamax form of Eevee. Eevee is of course a perennial favorite, and the Gigantamax form is likely to have many fans.
The number three in the trailer is a special Pokémon: Keldeo. It already exists in Pokémon GO, and it is also a pretty strong attacker. However, it has only been available once – almost three years ago, and it was also paid. It remains to be seen what its long-awaited return will look like!
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Pokémon GO starts new season Pleasant Days – Trailer for the season
Information about this should be coming soon, as the current month and thus the season are coming to an end. We expect more information about the season to emerge soon and will, of course, keep you updated! However, there is still another event running currently: The “Sunny Beaches” bring the new Heerashai.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
One of the most expensive actions in World of Warcraft is finally becoming much cheaper. Some of you may save gigantic amounts of gold.
One currency that you can never have enough of in World of Warcraft is gold. Unless you spend all your free time farming herbs and ores or are a master of the auction house, many players constantly suffer from acute gold shortages. This is especially fueled by transmogrification, as customizing gear to your desires can cost a lot.
But in the upcoming expansion Midnight, this is likely to change drastically. Because transmogrification will become significantly cheaper.
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WoW Midnight shows gameplay – All new features
How expensive is transmogrification? Currently, if you want to customize a whole set in WoW, you pay about 1,000 gold for it. The exact amount varies and depends on the specific equipment slot and item level of the item.
This is not a problem if you are among the players who always wear the same outfit. But if you regularly wear a different transmogrification set, such as one for raids, one for roleplay, or another just to goof around in town, then it adds up significantly.
With Midnight, this is expected to change, because from now on you will only need to pay once for each design and can then use it indefinitely.
What will change? The transmogrification system in World of Warcraft will be fundamentally overhauled with the “Midnight” expansion. The most annoying issues are set to be resolved, and a whole range of new features will be introduced.
In the future, you will no longer transmog a specific item, but rather a slot of your equipment.
An example: You choose that your helm slot should have the appearance of a demon green pair of sunglasses. For this setting, you pay a gold amount. However, all helmets you equip afterward will automatically take on the design of those sunglasses. So if you get a new helm in a raid and exchange the old one, the new helm will immediately take on the appearance of the sunglasses – without additional costs.
A first small preview of the revised transmog interface was shown at gamescom 2025.
But that’s not all. You can create multiple sets and switch between them at the push of a button – also without additional costs. You only have to pay the individual costs for each slot once for each complete set you put together, and then you can switch back and forth between the sets.
But even here, the fun doesn’t end, because everything can even be automated: You can set it so that you wear your coolest tier set in a raid, but automatically switch to a more comfortable casual outfit when entering a city. Or you can set it so that when you enter your own house, you immediately switch to beachwear because you just want to lay by the pool first.
For all those who regularly change their outfit in the game – or especially for roleplayers – this overhaul will be a blessing. Gone are the days when you had to pay large amounts of gold multiple times a day to look perfect in every situation. In the future, it will be significantly cheaper and almost automatic. You just have to set it up once.
While there are still a few unknown details, such as how many different sets can be saved and how many different conditions they can be tied to, the first look already seems promising. The new transmog system should be particularly useful because soon you will be able to earn some of the coolest sets ever.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
There are many powerful NPCs in Baldur’s Gate 3, who are unable to fully unleash their potential due to certain situations and unfortunate conditions. A player has accidentally discovered how a potential ally can become much more powerful by just giving him the crucial push.
What did the player discover?A player explains on Reddit how an ally can go from being a rather “mediocre” crossbow user to a melee machine. We’re talking about the leader of the tieflings, the paladin Zevlor.
Zevlor can be found in the first act of the game at the closed gate of the Druid Grove, which the tieflings want to defend. When the gate is attacked, Zevlor either uses the horn to buff all defenders or shoots with a crossbow at the enemies below him. That’s a nice help, but the true potential of a paladin, the insistence attack, is completely lost as he cannot reach the enemies from his elevated position.
When the player wants to cast the free bonus action “Feather Fall” on his character, Zevlor happens to be within the spell’s radius:
In his next turn, he immediately plunged into melee and took down Za’krug [the leader of the attacking goblins].
Here you can 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
Unassuming spell turns Zevlor into Leeroy Jenkins
What other methods would have worked? Another player (CtrlFr33k on Reddit) explains that he was just as surprised when Zevlor’s sudden combat spirit came into play. But he did not use Feather Fall for that, but spider webs.
Many players were actually unaware that spider webs can also reduce falling damage. For example, the user Kiyo is my Hime explains on Reddit:
I discovered that when I was defending the Druid Grove against Minthara. I placed the web to slow down the goblins equipped with explosives, and Zevlor jumped down to attack them with a “Wrathful Insistence”. This caused a massive explosion that killed four goblins outright. The guy just stood up and shook it off thanks to his fire resistance. That was the craziest action I have ever seen from an NPC in this game.
What else can the trick with Zevlor be used for? As the original author of the Reddit post and the rest of the community prove, Feather Fall and spider webs are good ways to encourage Zevlor to act as the powerful melee fighter he already is. You just have to encourage him to leave his elevated position.
What this trick can also be used for will be of interest to the more villainous players. If Zevlor jumps from the gate and is outside the Druid Grove, he can be dispatched more quickly without other potential allies becoming hostile.
What else is Zevlor useful for? Zevlor is not only a strong paladin who can deal significant damage with his insistence attacks. Before he became the leader of the tieflings, he was also the leader of the so-called Hell Riders, an elite fighting group from the city of Elturel before it was destroyed. Having Zevlor and the Hell Riders by your side can be a strong advantage especially towards the end of the game, as they are truly formidable allies for the final showdown: Baldur’s Gate 3: The 3 most powerful NPCs for your final battle
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Ian McKellen first played the wizard Gandalf in three films of The Lord of the Rings and returned for the adaptation of The Hobbit. However, the second time he faced significant difficulties on set, due to sudden changes in the rules.
Ian McKellen is a legend in the British acting world, but also beyond. He is best known to most for his major roles in franchises like X-Men or the films of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.
However, McKellen has been performing in plays since 1961. Since 1965, he has also been seen in television productions and films. According to IMDb, he has played 133 roles in film and television alone. For his work on Broadway, McKellen received seven prestigious theater awards, including a Tony Award, which is comparable to the Oscar in the film industry.
Throughout his career, McKellen has gained a lot of experience. He brilliantly embodied Gandalf and captured the hearts of the audience with ease. However, the return to the role for the filming of The Hobbit was anything but easy for him.
This even led to the actor experiencing a breakdown on set.
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Bilbo’s adventure begins in the trailer of “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
CGI is both a curse and a blessing
What was the problem? Thanks to the extensive behind-the-scenes materials from the set of The Hobbit, we know that Ian McKellen experienced some difficulties during the filming. This primarily concerned the novel way the film was shot. Unlike The Lord of the Rings, there was a greater reliance on CGI, or computer-generated imagery.
Not only to bring fantastic creatures like the dragon Smaug to life, but also to depict aspects such as the size difference between Gandalf and the Hobbits or Dwarves.
In The Lord of the Rings, this was still done using perspective tricks and the skillful use of the camera. You can get insights from this clip on YouTube.
In The Hobbit, director Peter Jackson chose to skip that and simply placed his actors in a studio fully equipped with a greenscreen. This refers to a green fabric or wall that can be replaced by any background in post-production.
The idea was to film Gandalf alone in front of the greenscreen and to shoot the other actors separately. In the end, the two recordings were combined, and the actors could be made larger or smaller at will.
What at first sounds practical was unusual and a problem for Ian McKellen. A clip from the making-of on YouTube shows him sitting alone at a table and talking to cardboard cutouts representing the Dwarves. Mid-sentence, he suddenly breaks off and collapses.
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“I was totally unhappy and cried a little,” the actor describes the experience in the making-of. The fact that he was not working with other actors was draining for him.
“It was so taxing, daunting, and difficult that I thought: I do not want to make this film if this is what I have to do. This is not my profession, I perform with other people, not just with myself.”
Ian McKellen
For Ian McKellen, this method of working was particularly challenging because he is a classically trained old-school actor. For him, direct contact with the person he is addressing in his role is crucial. Speaking alone on set with invisible figures does not align with his understanding of acting.
Director Peter Jackson was aware of the problem and emphasized in the making-of how sorry he was to see McKellen in such a state. Consequently, the team made extra efforts to make the actor feel loved.
The story shows how much modern technology can facilitate filmmaking in some respects, but also complicate things for some people. Whether the heavy use of CGI in The Hobbit has helped or harmed the films is likely a matter of taste. What do you think about it? Feel free to let us know in the comments. On MeinMMO you can find a ranking of all films from Tolkien’s work: All 9 films of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit ranked – Which one is the best?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A shop sells graphics cards from 2009 and 2014. For gaming, the cards are hardly useful, but they still have a meaningful use.
The French magazine Jeuxvideo claims that a computer shop has remained stuck in the past. Because the shop still sells graphics cards like the GT 730 and the GT 210, which were released in 2009 (GT 210) or in 2014 (GT 730).
But the question arises why a computer shop is still selling graphics cards that are almost 20 years old and why they are still being produced at all.
Start video
Battlemage: Check out Intel’s new graphics cards in the video
The Nvidia GT 730 is an entry-level graphics card from 2014
What kind of graphics card is this? The Nvidia GT 730 is an entry-level graphics card from 2014 and, from today’s perspective, hopelessly outdated. As crazy as it sounds, in early 2025 there was even a limited re-release and re-launch of the GT 730, including by the manufacturer Maxsun.
Gaming is indeed very limited: You can play DOTA 2 in Full HD with medium details at about 35 – 60 FPS (via pc-builds.com).
Why is it still being bought today? Even today, the GT 730 and the GT 210 are still in demand for basic desktop and multimedia applications. This is especially true for systems where current gaming or professional graphics performance does not matter:
The GT 730 is completely sufficient for word processing, spreadsheets, email, and web browsing.
Today, GT 730 models are often used for playing videos (Full HD/4K), for simple image editing, or as an addition to systems without an iGPU.
Due to its low power consumption, it is still commonly used in mini-PCs, HTPCs (Home Theater PCs), or very old computer systems.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the inexpensive graphics cards were also considered an option when one needed any graphics solution, even if only as a stopgap.
On Reddit, a user explains that he owns such a card for testing, as the GT 730 offers various display connections but does not require direct power from the power supply.
Another user explains on Reddit: “No one plays on these devices. They are meant for Excel spreadsheets.”
During a press preview of the new season of Path of Exile 2, we were able to ask the director a few questions. He revealed what is really behind the server issues.
What kind of problems are there? During a press preview of the new season 2 The Third Edict, which MeinMMO also attended, journalists were able to ask the director of Path of Exile 2 a few questions. This also included the ongoing issues with the servers of PoE2. Especially in Europe, players have repeatedly complained about lags on the server, which sometimes became so severe that playing became temporarily impossible.
Especially in boss fights or when playing a character in the hardcore mode of Path of Exile 2, lags are more than annoying for many players. Jonathan Rogers, Game Director of Path of Exile 2, explained to us where they come from.
Here you can watch the trailer for the new season:
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Path of Exile 2 shows Season 2 in the new trailer, brings Act 4 and 3 interludes into play
Hackers are continuously attacking the servers
Where do the problems come from? The director of Path of Exile 2 explained in the discussion that the servers of Path of Exile 2 have been attacked since the day of release. Hackers are using so-called DDoS attacks to target them. In this process, the servers are bombarded with countless requests every second until they collapse under the load.
This is especially noticeable when players want to play Path of Exile 2 in larger numbers in the evenings, causing the servers to generally experience more load. The attackers then cause lags with their attacks because the servers are too heavily burdened by both players and attackers.
What are the developers doing about it? Jonathan Rogers explained in the conversation that they have been working on the DDoS protection of the game servers for a long time. With the latest advancements and new server providers distributed around the globe, they are now prepared in Europe for the new season of Path of Exile 2.
The lags that many players have experienced are said to no longer occur on the European servers and are now fixed, according to the director.
A 35-year-old reports on Reddit that he avoids his colleagues during lunch breaks. He watches his animes alone because the others can’t relate and even insult him for it.
What problem does the anime fan have? The 35-year-old user reports on Reddit that he can’t talk to his colleagues about personal topics during lunch. The conversation topics are often politics, healthy living, or celebrities.
Whenever he tries to bring up anime or even recommend shows, his colleagues label him as childish. He believes that he might just be unlucky that his colleagues don’t like what he likes.
Therefore, the 35-year-old always sits alone at his table during lunch and watches anime. Since the thread is marked as a discussion, the thread creator presumably wants to know if he is indeed childish and if his colleagues are right.
Start video
3 Animes that you should know as Harry Potter fans
Other fans discover anime much later
What do other users think about it? Well, since he created the post in the anime forum on Reddit, he receives a lot of support. Many fans have found these series from Japan much later, as they write. The commenter with the most likes simply states that he is 49 and still watches anime. The thread creator should not care about the opinions of his colleagues.
Indeed, many users still watch series from Japan at an older age. Some of them have only discovered anime later in life:
star-heels1969 reveals his age with the year: “I only started watching anime at 52. Now I’m 55 and love it more with each season.”
TEKKETSU knows a particularly old fan: “A friend’s father is about 80 years old and watches anime daily, the brother chills and watches romantic comedies.”
Deathsuckit is of the same age and recommends: “I am also 35 and prefer anime to other forms of entertainment. I really don’t care what others think of me. It makes me happy, and my wife sometimes watches with me! That’s enough for me!”
There are some recommendations that users offer the 35-year-old. The thread creator should just not stop watching anime. Instead, he should find other like-minded people he can talk to about anime. There are indeed people who do not like anime, and that must be accepted.
Others suggest that he look for another big hobby besides anime. Many also write that they talk about anime with their children.
However, there are people who are not a hopeless case. Even the biggest critics can perhaps still be convinced by the right anime. If you need tips for series that can turn even the biggest skeptics into fans of your favorite hobby, MeinMMO has some animes ready: Here are 5 series that can turn skeptics into real anime fans
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A good movie captivates its audience right from the first minute. But what about Harry Potter? We looked at all eight opening scenes of the films, ranking them. Which ones are simply iconic, and which are rather boring?
What makes the scenes so special? “Mr. and Mrs. Dursley of number 4 Privet Drive were proud to be perfectly normal, thank you very much.” That is the first sentence of the “Harry Potter” books. We will take a look at how it appears in the film later.
Even this short quote probably causes considerable nostalgia for many fans. At least it always does for me when I dive into the story of our lightning-scarred hero for what feels like the hundredth time. It shows well how important a good start can be for a story.
This applies, of course, to movies as well. After all, the opening scene is the first thing we see. Ideally, it creates suspense or sets the tone for the movie. It, in a sense, sets the stage for what is to come. Will it be dark, action-packed, funny, or rather relaxed?
What was the ranking based on? We looked at how well the respective first scenes of the “Harry Potter” films fulfill this task. Which scenes are generally the best or even iconic?
By the way, we consider anything that is temporally and spatially directly related as one scene.
Even if we try to argue objectively, the assessment is ultimately a matter of personal taste. So please let us know your opinions in the comments. What is your favorite opening scene, and which one do you like less?
Start video
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 – Movie Trailer
Rank 8: A Dark Hogwarts
Movie: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2” marks not only the end of the film series but also, unfortunately, the end of this ranking. The film starts just as the previous part had ended. We see Voldemort taking the Elder Wand from Dumbledore’s grave. A lightning bolt to the sky, and the Warner Bros. logo appears.
This fits well with the film. After all, it is about the final battle against Voldemort, where the Elder Wand plays a central role. Furthermore, the repeated scene emphasizes that it is a two-part film that should not be viewed alone.
On the other hand, the opening scene is quite unremarkable since we are already familiar with it. The next shot, where we see Snape gazing over the now dark Hogwarts, is somewhat more intriguing. But even that isn’t particularly groundbreaking. Hence, the last place.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the new expansion of World of Warcraft, a notorious banshee returns. Sylvanas will make an appearance again.
With the launch of a new expansion of World of Warcraft, new characters are once again the focus of attention. However, the intro cinematic of Midnight only showcased Xal’atath, Liadrin, and Lor’themar. Many players are left wondering which major characters will also make an appearance.
An answer that few expected: Sylvanas. We will see her in Midnight.
Start video
WoW Midnight shows gameplay – All new features
What was revealed? At gamescom 2025, many interviews were conducted with the developers of WoW. In a conversation between PsybearTV and Game Director Ion Hazzikostas and Associate Design Director Maria Hamilton, an interesting question was posed (on YouTube): Which important characters that we will see in Midnight were not featured in the grand cinematic?
Maria Hamilton replied:
I don’t want to spoil anything. But I believe you’ll see a bit of Sylvanas at a certain time, that seems very likely. I don’t think you will see the Naga anytime soon, but I’m not ruling that out either.
What many took from this: Sylvanas will definitely return.
What does this mean? Although Hamilton says that “you will see a bit of Sylvanas,” it doesn’t necessarily mean that Sylvanas will return from the Maw and play a significant role in Midnight.
After all, there is a dungeon in the new area of Quel’thalas, the “Tower of the Windrunners” – the estate of the Windrunner family, where Sylvanas, Alleria, and Vereesa lived together in the past. The tower is said to offer a lot of story, so it seems likely that we will also experience some flashbacks into the past of the Windrunner family – including Sylvanas.
Sylvanas was once a high elf – and we are sure to experience this in the Windrunner Tower.
Where is Sylvanas right now? After Sylvanas regained the missing part of her soul in the Shadowlands, she was condemned by Tyrande to spend her future in the Maw – essentially the “hell” of World of Warcraft. There, she must unconditionally collect all souls that ended up there unjustly and ensure that they are brought before the Soul Judge Pelagos.
How long this task will take is uncertain – especially since time flows differently in the Shadowlands than on Azeroth. Therefore, it is possible that Sylvanas has already been pursuing her task there for several decades… or even much longer.
What does the community think about Sylvanas? Opinions on Sylvanas have been divided in the World of Warcraft community for several years. Many did not like her development since the “Battle for Azeroth” expansion, in which she burned Teldrassil and was responsible for further atrocities in the resulting war. During the Shadowlands expansion, many were finally fed up with Sylvanas and happy that she had to remain in the Maw.
However, there are also many fans of Sylvanas who have loved her since Warcraft III and are longing for the return of the banshee queen. How extensive Sylvanas’ appearance will be remains to be seen. But it is sure to be exciting to see when the community will soon have to choose between the two undead elf ladies – Xal’atath or Sylvanas.
Are you looking forward to Sylvanas’ return in Midnight? Or would you have preferred that the Dark Lady had to serve her sentence for a few more years and not return to Azeroth so soon? If you find the story of World of Warcraft too confusing, don’t worry: We have summarized the entire lore of WoW here.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The International of DotA 2 on Steam is the largest and most important tournament of the year. One team has already been in the finals twice and managed to secure 2nd place each time. From September 4th to September 14th, The International 2025 will take place soon, but the team has given up its spot shortly before.
Which team is it? In February 2022, the organization Gaimin Gladiators (GG) entered the esports scene of DotA 2. In December, the midlaner Quinn joined and has been playing under the organization since then.
GG has won several major tournaments in just a few years, such as the Bali Major 2023 and the Riyadh Masters 2024. They have yet to win The International. In 2023 and 2024, they finished in second place (liquidpedia.net).
Gaimin Gladiators also qualified for The International 2025. However, just 3 weeks before the big event, Valve announced that GG had given up its spot and that a substitute team would be sought.
Why did GG give up their spot for The International? On the official X account of Gaimin Gladiators, a statement was posted. Part of it addresses the reason for their withdrawal: “Despite our greatest efforts, the team representatives informed us of the players’ wish to compete independently, without representing the banner of Gaimin Gladiators.”
In the video, you can see the trailer for DotA 2:
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The official trailer for DotA 2 by Valve on Steam
The Midlaner of Gaimin Gladiators contradicts the statement
What does Midlaner Quinn say about the statement? On his X account, Quinn presents his view of the current situation (x.com). He writes that there are still unresolved disputes between the players and the organization that led them to seek legal assistance. In the last part of his tweet, he also states:
We explicitly and in writing communicated that we were ready, willing, and able to participate in The International under the banner of Gaimin Gladiators. However, Gaimin Gladiators refused us this.
What did GG respond to Quinn’s post? The CEO of Gaimin Gladiators, Nick Cuccovillo, published a response to Quinn’s view (x.com). Cuccovillo writes that Quinn’s statements are misleading. The CEO also provides some additional information:
The team did not agree with us on contractual terms, and by the time they decided to participate in The International, we had lost trust that the team or individual players would stay with GG or be able to represent the organization and their colleagues at The International.
Who will replace GG in The International? Valve is looking for a substitute for Gaimin Gladiators during the dispute between the two parties. So far, several professional teams have already reached out under the X post of The International. The two-time International winners OG are trying their luck with a simple “sup” (x.com).
Team Secret also sees a chance and links their director and long-time player of 11 years, Puppey, with a meme, urging him to utilize this 1% chance (x.com).
Path of Exile 2 is still in Early Access and costs nearly 30 euros. If that has been too much money for you so far, you can check it out for free next weekend.
Path of Exile 2 started in Early Access on December 6, 2024, and is still in this state at the moment. The full release is expected to be free for everyone, just like its predecessor. When exactly that will be, is not yet clear, but you shouldn’t expect it before 2025.
Currently, interested players still have to pay 27.75 € to gain access to Path of Exile 2. However, from August 29 to September 1, 2025, the developers will host a three-day event where the game can be tested for free.
Specifically, the free event will take place at the following times:
Start: August 29, 2025, at 10 AM Central European Time
End: September 1, 2025, at 10 AM Central European Time
On the official blog on the game’s website, the developers have also provided important information about the free event.
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Path of Exile 2 shows Season 2 in the new trailer, brings Act 4 and 3 interludes into play
What new players can expect this weekend
What is there to know? The event is not limited to a platform or client, but can be tried out on PC (Standalone Client, Steam, Epic), Xbox, and PlayStation 5.
During the free period, new players can test all the content that is currently available in Path of Exile 2. This also includes the content of the new season, The Third Edict. There are initially no restrictions here. You can level characters without level limits, and your progress will also be saved after the weekend.
Of course, you can only continue playing afterwards if you own a key for Early Access. If you still don’t want to spend money on Path of Exile 2 after September 1, 2025, you’ll have to wait until the game becomes free in its full version. Then you can access your character again and continue playing.
Microtransactions made during the free period will remain in the account. Existing accounts from Path of Exile 1 can indeed be used to try out the second part as well.
In League of Legends there are some players who have a high rank but prefer to play in the lower tiers. Smurfers are a big problem in most games with a ranked system. Riot is taking strong action when a player wanted to show off.
Which streamer is it about? The Twitch streamer Pentaless1 primarily plays League of Legends. He himself writes in his X biography that he reached the top rank of the leaderboards during Season 15 of LoL. Pentaless1 is undoubtedly a very good player.
How did Pentaless1 want to show off? On August 17, 2025, Pentaless1 shared a screenshot on his X account. As a headline, he chose the title “40-0 to plat”, meaning that he fought his way to the Platinum rank with 40 wins and 0 losses. As a player of the highest rank, his success should come as no surprise. According to him, the account was “levelled by hand”.
In the video, you can see the trailer for the update of the champion Xin Zhao in League of Legends:
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Riot shows the update on the champion Xin Zhao in a new trailer
An employee of Riot comments on his flex
What did the Riot employee comment? Only 6 days before Pentaless1’s post, Riot released a developer update for League of Legends. In this update, two Riot employees, including Drew Levin, address the issue of smurfing and buying accounts. Drew Levin commented on Pentaless1’s X post as follows:
I don’t understand how people can see our developer update about smurfing and then think it’s a good idea to buy accounts and show off that they are going 40-0 as 1k+ LP Challenger players in under-Platinum lobbies. Do you really think we wouldn’t enforce our rules and the terms of service?
Pentaless1 replied that the account was levelled by hand and he did not boost anyone, but played alone and thus did not violate Riot’s terms of service. Drew Levin asked him for more details about his account to verify that it was not purchased.
After 2 days, on August 19, 2025, Pentaless1 announced on X that he was “wrongfully” banned for buying the account, globally on all his LoL accounts for 30 days. He insisted that the account with which he achieved 40 wins without a loss was not purchased.
Drew Levin did not ban him for this account
While Drew Levin verified Pentaless1’s account, he found other linked accounts of his. One of them was actually purchased and more than 20 matches had been played on it, as Drew Levin commented under Pentaless1’s statement: “Would you like to link your purchased account on which you played more than 20 games?”
Another X user commented under Levin’s comment that he should check the accounts at the top of the flex leaderboard. Levin said he was already looking into North America and he would appreciate support for the other servers.
Besides the boasts of Pentaless1 or other smurfers and account buyers, the doom bots of League of Legends also show that they are better than the players. After a Reddit user was defeated by a bot under his tower, the bot ran away and, with an emote, rubbed some salt in the wound: A new mode in LoL is so mean that even the bots try to provoke you
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The crazy shooter Borderlands 4 introduces its last Vault Hunter with a trailer. Fans hope that there will be some information about their relatives in the game. They already appeared in Borderlands 3.
Who is the new Vault Hunter? The fourth Hunter is Harlowe. She is referred to as “Gravitar”, a fighter who plays with gravity. Her specialty is that she can encase enemies in gigantic bubbles that lift off the ground.
These bubbles can then be burst, causing significant damage. Additionally, Harlowe can create a moving field that explodes and damages enemies. Furthermore, there is the Flux Generator, which freezes enemies.
If you want to check out the gameplay of the Vault Hunter, you can do so with the following trailer:
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Borderlands 4: Official Gameplay of Harlowe in the Trailer
Harlowe is related to bosses from Borderlands 3
What is her specialty? Harlowe might seem familiar to you as she is related to Captain Samuel Traunt. He is a final boss from Borderlands 3 who was tasked with leading the Maliwan forces in an operation against the Athenas. He is the giant robot you encountered at the end of the mission “The Impending Storm”.
Additionally, Harlowe is related to General Traunt, a respawning boss from Borderlands 3. Behind him is Daniel Traunt, his older brother. He wants to avenge his younger brother, but he too is killed during the game. Both drop legendary weapons.
Why Harlowe is suddenly on the side of the Vault Hunters is unknown. Her motivation to join the Vault Hunters is hopefully part of the story of Borderlands 4.
What do players wish for? In the comments under the trailer on YouTube, players hope to learn more about Harlowe’s past. Some even want her to have a voice line mentioning the Traunt family. She should make her family proud.
Moreover, many fans are fond of her. One user writes that he would have actually chosen Amon, but then the new trailer for Harlowe came out. User tomikaze777 believes that the development team is making it difficult to decide on a Vault Hunter.
On Steam, a new shooter is currently thrilling its players with creative mods for your weapons. One rewards you with a larger magazine if you forgo sleep and play the game at night.
Which shooter is that? It’s called VOID/BREAKER and was released on August 19, 2025, on Steam. It is a pure single-player shooter, with no PvP or co-op – but it features roguelite elements and crazy weapon mods.
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VOID/BREAKER: Neuer SF-Shooter setzt auf verrückte Mods für eure Knarren, ist jetzt auf Steam erschienen
Homing ammunition for your weapon? Only with Motion Blur
What are mods? Modifiers (short mods) are special adjustments in video games – especially in shooters – that change how a weapon functions. They are not just simple upgrades like: “10% more damage”.
VOID/BREAKER specifically focuses on mods that can influence the gaming experience in unusual ways. Players share some of them under a now-deleted Reddit post with 16,000 likes on r/gaming. And their effects are truly creative:
The post by Reddit user Leonbacon showed a mod that enlarges your weapon’s magazine when you lower the game’s resolution (the screenshot can be seen here on Reddit)
UnsorryCanadian enthusiastically wrote: “You mean I get more frames AND more damage? I play at 640x480p, the resolution of the lord!” (Reddit)
A user found an “absolutely diabolical” mod that gives your weapon homing projectiles if you enable Motion Blur in the graphics options. (Reddit)
Another player found a mod that gave him more damage and a larger magazine between 12 and 6 o’clock (with the description: “Go to bed”). “Then I knew this was a special game,” he says on Reddit.
How is the shooter currently received? On Steam, 460 players have left a review so far, of which 94% are positive. The shooter is doing really well, even though it hasn’t reached so many players yet. The peak simultaneous players on Steam, according to steamdb.info, is at 1,086 players.
VOID/BREAKER is currently still in Early Access. So don’t expect a finished product, even though according to a Steam review it is “surprisingly stable and diverse for an Early Access game”. The game currently costs €16.19, and the standard price is €17.99.
The movies of Star Wars prove to be box office hits in most cases. However, there is one exception that fell short of expectations and caused issues during filming. George Lucas did not direct it but had an important tip.
Which film is it? In 2018, Solo: A Star Wars Story was released, which deals with the smuggler Han Solo. The film tells the story of events that take place 14 years before Episode 4, showing us a younger Solo.
Even back then, he was a rebellious character who joins a group of smugglers. There he also meets his later best buddy Chewbacca, who is already a proud 190 years old – you wouldn’t guess it.
George Lucas had nothing to do with the film initially, as he had sold the complete rights to his space saga to Disney in 2012. Thus, production began with directors Chris Miller and Phil Lord, who had previously directed the popular LEGO Movie.
However, problems soon arose: Miller and Lord were unexpectedly fired just weeks before the end of filming. Creative differences were cited as the reason. According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, especially producer Kathleen Kennedy (Jurassic Park) and screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan (Indiana Jones) were unhappy with how the film was progressing.
Instead of Miller and Lord, Hollywood veteran Ron Howard took over the direction. However, before he started working on the film, he reached out to George Lucas with a request.
The beginnings of Han Solo in the trailer of Solo: A Star Wars Story
The Philosophy of Star Wars
Who is Ron Howard? The director has been successfully working as a director in Hollywood since the early 80s. Over the years, he has directed films like A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13, and Rush.
In Hollywood, he is known as a director who completes his projects diligently and cleanly, without causing major problems. Perhaps that is why Kathleen Kennedy chose him.
Moreover, Ron Howard and George Lucas have known each other since the 70s. In 1973, Howard starred as a young man in American Grafitti – George Lucas’s second feature film, which he made before Star Wars.
Howard knew he could ask his old friend for advice. In a conversation with Vulture, he recounted:
I once spoke to him (Lucas) early on when I was thinking about doing it. He wasn’t actively involved in the films, but he said, “Just don’t forget – it’s for 12-year-old boys.”
Ron Howard
What did the advice mean? Essentially, Lucas summarized the philosophy of Star Wars with that. The saga has always been a playful fairy tale aimed at children, while also entertaining adults at best. Despite the seriousness surrounding the rebellion against an empire, a certain lightness has always been present. That made the early films so successful and still popular today.
Howard took the advice to heart and got to work. He reviewed the already shot material and re-shot much of it. Thus, the film was completed. However, when it hit theaters, it was not the desired success despite all the effort.
How was the film received? Solo: A Star Wars Story was released on May 25, 2018, only a few months after Episode 8. Along with lukewarm reviews, which rate it at Rotten Tomatoes with 69%, Solo did not achieve the hoped-for success at the box office.
With a production budget of approximately 234 million euros, the film only made 335 million euros according to Box Office Mojo. While that sounds like a lot, it is not enough for success in Hollywood. There, the marketing costs must also be added to the actual production costs, typically at least the same amount again. Only when that amount is surpassed at the box office is a film considered successful.
The exact reason why Solo flopped cannot be definitively determined. Perhaps it was due to disappointed fans who lost faith in Disney after Episode 8. The regular news about the turbulent filming certainly didn’t help the film either.
Or Han Solo may not have been enough of a reason for some to go to the movies. What do you think about it? Did you see the film? Feel free to let us know in the comments. George Lucas, while the great mastermind behind Star Wars, initially did not believe that the film would be successful: George Lucas thought his most important film would be a flop
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Dragons play not only a titular role in Dungeons & Dragons, they are also incredibly powerful. Many of them have a significant impact on the multiverse. We have ranked the 5 most powerful among them.
How was this ranking created? We searched for the most dangerous and powerful dragons in Dungeons & Dragons and compiled the 5 we consider the most powerful. In doing so, we compared their strength, power, influence, and age, as well as taking into account important deeds and events.
Here comes our ranking of the 5 most powerful dragons from Dungeons & Dragons. Is one missing or do you see it differently? Let us know in the comments!
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Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves – Second Official Trailer for the Movie
Rank 5: Iymrith
Iymrith
Let’s start with Rank 5: Iymrith is a blue, chromatic dragon whose intelligence and knack for political maneuvering are hard to surpass. She is also a gifted sorceress and is known as the creator of the enchanted dragon hoard.
She frequently disguises herself as a giant, which allows her to delve deep into the political web of the storm giants and manipulate the populace from within. Her extraordinary intelligence and her social and political skills culminate in a very high charisma, allowing her to always achieve what she sets out to do.
She seeks to become a goddess and will stop at nothing to achieve it – fortunately, she has not succeeded yet. Magical traps, illusions, and ancient rituals are her strengths, making her a formidable opponent even among legends.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
MeinMMO editor Karsten Scholz has thoroughly played WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers on Steam with great pleasure and only afterwards realized that the Soulslike is sitting at just 50 percent positive on Steam. Anyone who is misled by this misses out on a really great game in the style of Dark Souls.
What makes a good Soulslike? The term is well-known for describing games that follow the formula established by FromSoftware with Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls and has been refined ever since.
A good Soulslike orients itself to this formula and the strengths of Dark Souls and Co., but also finds its own identity. For me personally, the most important factors are:
a powerful, responsive third-person combat system with active blocks and parries, as well as counters and weak point attacks (e.g., from behind), that feel satisfying
well-designed world sections that reward exploration and are cleverly interconnected (e.g., by shortcuts to distant “bonfires”)
varied and challenging boss fights that remain memorable due to the battleground, music, and special mechanics
a motivating character progression that allows for different play styles and builds to be experimented with
a player experience that is as perfectly aligned to a difficulty level as possible, influenced by optional factors such as certain builds, summonable helpers, and the like
optional challenges targeted specifically at experienced Souls players
Some of my favorite Soulslikes so far that managed to embody many of these factors particularly well (and are not from FromSoftware) include Lies of P, the Nioh series, both Lords of the Fallen, the “The Surge” series, and – as lighter variants of the Soulslike genre – both Star Wars Jedi titles Survivor and Fallen Order.
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Wuchang: Fallen Feathers – New Action RPG from China Shows Boss Fight and Release Date
Poorly rated newcomer surpasses all
My new favorite game from this Soulslike genre, which is not from FromSoftware, is WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers released on July 24, 2025, but that may surprise some who have only seen the current rating of the game on Steam. Only 50 percent of the over 38,300 reviews are positive.
Various current negative reviews, on the other hand, refer to the developers having made small adjustments to NPC behavior and the story lately, causing some human bosses to no longer be able to be defeated definitively. Personally, I didn’t notice any of the points mentioned in the reviews negatively.
The gameplay qualities of WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers, on the other hand, receive little criticism. On the contrary. Many players in positive reviews express that they are having a great time with the Soulslike and even rate it as “Game of the Year”.
I can’t completely agree with that – the RPG genre this year has been too strong with hits like Clair Obscure: Expedition 33 or Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 -, but I must say: WUCHANG is great and from my perspective is even the currently best Soulslike not made by FromSoftware.
Longswords, twin blades, spears, axes, one-handed swords – in WUCHANG you can easily try out all weapon types.
Better well copied than poorly reinvented
The greatest highlight of WUCHANG in my view is the world design. The way the individual sections are interconnected and how much one can actually discover while exploring does not have to hide behind the best of the best (like a Dark Souls). Here, all the Soulslikes mentioned above pale in comparison.
However, you can also notice in some boss designs that WUCHANG took a lot of inspiration from the competition regarding certain attack maneuvers. This can be criticized, but it takes place at such a high level that I still had a lot of fun in many of the battles.
Video Recommendation: YouTuber JACK FROMSOFT beautifully showcases some of the design inspirations for the bosses in his entertaining video review on YouTube, but has also crowned WUCHANG as his current Game of the Year.
The staging is also sometimes absolutely stunning. For example, on the way to the final boss, a piece of music plays that perfectly underscores the atmosphere of the area and should give some goosebumps.
Maximum freedom
The fact that I had so much fun in the (boss) battles is also because I was able to build a character in WUCHANG that perfectly reflects my preferred play style: putting the enemy under aggressive pressure with two blades and quick attacks. Thanks to strong lifesteal synergy, I could even “tank” some bosses like that.
Another plus point (that many other Soulslikes should take note of in WUCHANG): The progression system for the various weapons is structured flexibly with its large talent tree, allowing you to easily respec and try out a wide variety of play styles. Colleague Ody has already praised this extensively in his play report.
In WUCHANG you will encounter humanoid foes, bestial monsters, and grumpy demons.
To top it all off, WUCHANG has found a – for my personal feeling – wonderful balance regarding difficulty. The game is not a walk in the park and is always pleasantly challenging, but never unfairly hard.
The penalties for dying are not as harsh as in many other Souls games, as you are allowed to keep part of the experience points you’ve farmed. And there is often a quickly reachable resurrection point near the boss arena.
That was something that the developers of Lies of P did not manage as well at launch in my opinion. There was significantly greater frustration potential, which the devs eventually resolved – rather inelegantly, but effectively – with the introduction of new difficulty levels. This enhances newcomer friendliness but gives points off in the Soulslike rating.
Don’t let the numbers fool you
Long story short: Anyone who only looks at the current numbers on Steam, for example, and is deterred by them is missing out on what I believe is the best Soulslike on the market that is not made by FromSoftware.
If in doubt, simply subscribe to a month of Game Pass and secure access to WUCHANG. My playthrough took about 35 hours, so you won’t face a giant chunk like Elden Ring.
