10 great co-op games that you can play wonderfully with your kids

As parents, it is not easy to find the right games that can be played together with the kids. MeinMMO editor and dad Karsten has some co-op recommendations for you that he has had very good experiences with.

My job and my private passion for games have already passed on to my two boys (10 and almost 4 years old) early on. It was exciting to see which games could captivate them and which could not. One commonality of the kids: They prefer to play together with my wife or me. Accordingly, we have already tried out many co-op titles over time.

In this article, I would like to share my experiences and reveal which co-op games we have particularly enjoyed – completely independent of the age difference of the boys. If you have any further recommendations that can be played well in co-op with the kids, feel free to leave them in the comments!

You can jump to the sections that interest you through our table of contents:

[toc]

Minecraft

Genre: Sandbox-building | Release: May 17, 2009 | Platform: virtually all (also available on Game Pass) | Developer: Mojang | ESRB: From 6 | Model and Price: Buy-To-Play, €29.99

Minecraft has many years under its belt but can still captivate small and large players today just as it did back then. I can see this especially with the little one, who has been enthusiastically playing in the creative mode of the game for a few days now.

Start video
Minecraft shows in the video how the graphics of the game will improve

He builds his first houses, digs deep tunnels, and “annoys” the poor Creepers who can’t defend themselves. He prefers to play on the PC with a controller … where his experiences with PlayStation become noticeable, as we have for example played Astro Bot up and down (unfortunately has no co-op, but a big recommendation!).

The older one is already much further along. He rocks the survival mode, tries out new stuff with command blocks, or checks out mods from the community.

For both, the most fun comes from Minecraft when mom or dad is also on board to build, destroy, try things out, or annoy the villagers together. And since the game continues to receive updates, there is always a reason to check in: Minecraft is getting a major graphics update after 11 years, letting you fly on an old enemy

Next, we continue with the life of a cuddly, yellow dude.

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

For the coolest sets in WoW you will soon have to play ancient content

Those who want to look really good in World of Warcraft need to play ancient content soon – with a new twist. But it should be worth it.

“Item level fades, Transmog remains.” A wisdom that I at least imagine originated in my guild. Or in a pop song. Who knows. But one thing is clear: templates for transmogrifikation are a great motivation to play content in World of Warcraft at all. At the end of the day, most want to run around in cool armor and enjoy that their avatar is a very special snowflake.

Blizzard knows this too and offers some additional incentives to play a lot of content in “WoW Legion Remix” that one would otherwise probably skip. This includes Mythic+, world quests, or completing the campaign.

Start video
WoW Midnight shows gameplay – All new features

Farming World Quests for Transmog – but Hard

What sets are these? There are a total of 4 sets obtained from achievements in WoW Legion Remix. The sets are named “Sargerei Commander.” The Sargerei are loyal servants of Sargeras, the leader of the Burning Legion. Accordingly, the sets look impressive, not only coming in 4 colors (Fel Green, Light Golden, Ember Red, Void Blue), but also featuring quite impressive capes that end in cool animated flame effects.

WoW Sargerei Commander wowhead
The Sargerei Commander sets look pretty hot. Image source: wowhead

What do you have to do for the sets? Those who want to dress in these stylish “Sargerei Commander” sets in the future must complete various achievements in WoW Legion Remix. Depending on the color, a different achievement is required.

  • To Fel and Back: Complete the campaign of Legion Remix.
  • Mythic Legion Remix Raids: Complete all raids in Legion Remix on Mythic difficulty.
  • Timeworn Keystone Hero: Complete any keystone dungeon with a level of 25 or higher with a Timewalker character.
  • Heroic Broken Isles World Quests IV: Complete 100 world quests in Heroic World Tier with a Timewalker character.

What is the “Heroic World Tier”? With Legion Remix you can try out a new feature that WoW borrowed from Diablo. It will be possible to increase the difficulty level of the game world. As a result, all enemies not only have higher stats but also receive powerful affixes and different enhancements. In return, however, better rewards are also at stake.

This is basically a “hard mode” for those who want a bit more challenge in the open world – at least until you become incredibly strong in Remix again and can take down all enemies with just a nasty look.
And after Legion Remix, it won’t be long until the new expansion Midnight starts.

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

German Twitch streamer is left behind by his companion, stranded alone in Canada, actually wants to go to gamescom

The Twitch streamer “Nooreax” is stranded in Canada and documented his odyssey in Instagram stories. He originally intended to go to gamescom with his colleague Wieland “Rumathra” Welte.

Who is it about? The Twitch streamers Rumathra and Nooreax had a very special project they were streaming together before gamescom: gold prospecting in Canada. The journey there and the project itself went as planned, but the return trip and the simultaneous journey to the gamescom 2025 was another story.

Nooreax had to stay an additional two days in Canada. He documented the whole thing in his Instagram stories.

Start video
These are the 5 most relevant German streamers on Twitch in 2024, according to Google

Nooreax asks Chancellor for a private plane

What happened to Nooreax in Canada? The plane that Rumathra and Nooreax originally wanted to fly back with had a tire malfunction, so it could not take off. Finding a replacement flight turned out to be more difficult than expected. In the end, only Rumathra managed to get a seat on a flight to Germany, leaving Nooreax alone in Canada.

From now on, Nooreax had to manage without his Twitch colleague and also keep an eye on his suitcase. After further return flights for Nooreax were postponed, the Twitch streamer even tagged the Chancellor in his Instagram stories out of desperation.

He claimed to be a good citizen and more or less asked the Chancellor to be allowed to “return” to Germany. He played the German national anthem and asked if he could borrow a private plane from the Chancellor to fly back.

While Nooreax was sitting at the airport trying to kill the 6 hours until his flight, the Twitch streamer Papaplatte called him. He watched Nooreax’s Instagram stories during the stream and reacted to them. Afterwards, the two played a bit together on Twitch to pass the time.

Here you can watch part of Nooreax’s Instagram stories and Papaplatte’s call to him on YouTube:

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.
Link to the YouTube content

After a total of 2 long days of waiting, Nooreax was finally able to leave Canadian soil and return to Germany. To make his flight as pleasant as possible and to be able to sleep on the way back before gamescom, the Twitch streamer booked himself a ticket in Business Class.

Meanwhile, Nooreax, as you can see from his current Instagram stories, has arrived at gamescom. Papaplatte and Nooreax already collaborated in the past, as Nooreax was considered a sort of clone of Papaplatte for a while. You can read more about it here on MeinMMO: Papaplatte hands over the keys to the kingdom to the guy everyone thinks is his clone – regrets it immediately

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

„A programmer fixed bugs for 5 months“ – developer of one of the best survival games on Steam was not prepared for the huge success

A small development studio conquered the Steam charts with its survival game in 2021. The big success surprised even the lead developer.

What kind of game is it? In February 2021, the five-person indie development studio Iron Gate AB from Sweden released the survival game Valheim.

  • In Valheim, you play as a Viking who, after his death, is brought by a Valkyrie to the namesake land of Valheim inspired by Norse mythology, where he must prove his strength.
  • To do this, you must survive against various monsters that want to attack you in your daily struggle for survival and in boss fights.
  • As is typical for the genre, you must craft your own weapons and build a base – otherwise, you’ll be completely unprotected against the dangers.

In a short time, Valheim surged to a surprise hit on Steam, with up to 498,000 simultaneous active players (via SteamCharts). The Viking adventure has since sold over 10 million copies and is considered one of the best survival games on Steam with 94% positive ratings from around 430,000 reviews.

Start video
The trailer for the new Valheim expansion heats things up

What does the developer say about the success? During the gamescom 2025, Robin Eyre, the lead developer of Valheim, spoke with the English-language magazine gamesradar about the surprising success of the survival game.

About 4.5 years after the game’s breakthrough, the developer reflects: “I had hoped for 20,000 sales […]. When we had a million sales every week for eight weeks and were at the top of the Steam charts, I just thought: ‘What is going on here?”

In the wake of the success, which surprised even the five developers, the team decided to fix bugs first before adding new content that might introduce new bugs. Eyre explains: “The first step was to ensure that everyone could play the game. One programmer spent five months fixing bugs so that all these millions of players could play the game.”

How is Valheim doing in 2025? Valheim has held up well and still maintains an average of over 10,000 players on Steam over 4 years after release. This is also due to the game being regularly updated with new content and bug fixes. Moreover, the survival game is now also available on Xbox and Mac.

Even MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus considers Valheim still one of the best survival games on Steam in 2025 – and that is definitely remarkable in such a large genre. You can read which games are also on his list here: The 30 Best Survival Games 2025 for PS5, Steam, and Xbox

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

Developer of failed horror shooter says politics is to blame for the game’s unfinished release

The developer Glen Schofield believes he knows why one of his horror shooters was released so unfinished. The blame seems to lie with the publisher Krafton.

Which developer and which game are we talking about? The creator of Dead Space, Glen Schofield, is also the director of the spiritual successor The Callisto Protocol. While the Dead Space series enjoys a legendary status, with the first part even receiving an elaborate remake, The Callisto Protocol is considered more or less a failure.

The Callisto Protocol came from the developer studio Striking Distance Studio, where Glen Schofield worked together with Steve Papoutsis. Two big names in the gaming industry, which raised the expectations for the game.

However, the game could not meet those expectations as it was released in December 2022 in quite an unfinished state. It was plagued by technical issues that led to frequent crashes. The rather short playtime was also criticized, and the game achieved a Metacritic score of only 68 out of 100.

Start video
The Callisto Protocol: The Horror Game Gets an Upgrade for the PS5 Pro

“I don’t like it when politics gets in the way”

According to Glen Schofield, what was the reason for this? As Schofield stated in an interview with The Game Business, the unfinished state is to be blamed on the publishers. His superiors at the Korean publisher Krafton reportedly pressured him to release The Callisto Protocol in December 2022, as it was a better time for shareholders.

This is something he regrets, says Glen Schofield. If he could improve one thing about The Callisto Protocol, it would be that. In the interview, he states: “I don’t like it when politics gets in the way, as was the case with Krafton. There was no doubt about it. They told me that the game had to come out in December due to the Korean stock market. I should have just finished it right away. I’m angry at myself for that.”

According to Schofield, The Callisto Protocol sold between 6 and 7 million copies, which is very good for a studio’s debut title. However, they did not meet Krafton’s expectations for the game’s sales and success, the developer stated.

The Callisto Protocol slowly improved after the rather negative release. Although the horror shooter does not come close to the success of the Dead Space series, it has managed to raise its rating on Steam to “positive”. You can read more about it here on MeinMMO: Big horror shooter hope fails at release on Steam, steadily improves, now stands at “positive”.

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

Battlefield 6 responds to your feedback on the beta, makes changes to movement, talks about maps and modes

In August 2025, the Open Beta of Battlefield 6 launched. For the first time, the general public was able to take a look at the shooter and share their first impressions. EA has now analyzed these impressions and shared their lessons learned from the beta.

What has EA learned from the Battlefield 6 beta? EA has drawn several lessons from the Battlefield 6 beta and discussed over 4 different areas: Weapons, Movement, Maps, and Modes (via X).

The developers identified various topics that are important to the Battlefield community, including:

  • The movement was too fast for part of the community.
  • The shotgun M87A1 was overpowered.
  • Players exploited to reach areas they should not have access to.
  • Many players want to play Battlefield 6 on larger maps.
  • The player count in Rush.

On some of the points raised, EA also elaborated on what happens next after the beta.

Start video
Battlefield 6 zeigt sein Gameplay im actionreichen Trailer

Adjustments to Movement, Feedback on Maps

What does EA say about Movement? EA has listened to the community’s criticism and announced plans to revise the movement. They intend to align more closely with the older titles in the series. The developers state:

“Movement has been adjusted to create a more balanced and traditional Battlefield experience. The momentum, particularly the horizontal speed transferred from a slide into a jump, has been reduced. Additionally, there is now a higher penalty for consecutive jumps. When jumps are performed in quick succession, the jump height decreases. Shooting while jumping or sliding also leads to increased inaccuracy.”

While the sprint speed and the general ability to slide remain intact, adjustments will be made primarily to the transitions between different movement mechanics.

What does EA say about the Maps? The developers explained that it was not planned for players to exploit access to areas that were meant to be unreachable. In the beta, players managed to reach various rooftops and a bridge on the map “Siege of Cairo” in this way.

EA is now working on adjustments to prevent this from happening in the future and emphasized that the ladder, which the Assault Soldier will receive as equipment upon full release, is also not intended for this purpose.

Furthermore, the developers announced that in an upcoming Battlefield Labs test, there will be playability on two larger maps: Mirak Valley and Operation Firestorm. Mirak Valley is expected to be the largest map in Battlefield 6 at release.

Changes to Weapons, but not to Rush

What does EA say about Weapons? EA is making changes to the shotgun M87A1. This was too strong in the beta and will now require more pellets to eliminate an opponent. Additionally, recoil will be generally revised. Changes have been made to promote “more controllable semi-automatic fire and bursts while rewarding precision and weapon mastery.

What does EA say about the Modes? The developers explained that they will stick to smaller player counts in Rush. This drew criticism within the community during the second beta weekend.

They have experimented with different player counts across the various Battlefield titles and found that large player counts in this mode led to issues such as stalled frontlines and overwhelming defenses, resulting in many matches ending in the first sector.

Players who enjoy Rush with larger player counts may turn to Portal at release and experiment to find their perfect player count. The same applies to Breakthrough. Meanwhile, Twitch streamer shroud has his own ideas on how Breakthrough could be more fun: shroud makes 121 kills in a single match in Battlefield 6, then explains how the game could be more fun

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

For almost 8 years, nasty jokes have been made about a duke in Warhammer 3: Now he will finally be redeemed with the next update

With the new patch 6.3 for Total War: Warhammer 3, a duke that has been the subject of mockery will finally be liberated from this fate.

Who is this character? We are talking about Alberic, the Duke of Bordeleaux and servant of the sea god Manann. He is one of the four playable legendary lords of Bretonnia, alongside King Louen Leoncoeur, Fay Enchantress, and Repanse de Lyonesse – a faction of wandering knights and oppressed peasants that immediately reminds one of Monty Python’s Holy Grail.

Alberic has been part of Total War: Warhammer since 2017. Since his release, he has been characterized primarily by one thing – how inconspicuous he is.

Here you can see the trailer that announced Bretonnia for Total War: Warhammer:

Start video
Total War: Warhammer – Die Ritter von Bretonnia im Trailer

Not quite as legendary a lord as the others

What is the problem with Alberic? Although he appears as the main character in the Bretonnia trailer and is narrated, he did not even have his own voice lines in the finished game. He shared them with the generic generals of his faction, which was not the case with any other playable characters.

The developers were also aware that they urgently needed to give Alberic more love. In Total War: Warhammer 2, they gave him a fancy trident as a weapon – quite fitting for a follower of Manann. However, that was not enough to dispel the impression that the developers at Creative Assembly treated him somewhat half-heartedly. 

In a trailer for the DLC Omens of Destruction, a new low was reached when Alberic was downgraded to a trophy for one of the new legendary lords.

After 8 years, Alberic’s biggest problem is now being addressed and he is getting his own voice.

“Alberic le Generic,” as the developers jokingly call him one last time, will receive a complete set of unique voice lines. The voice actor who voiced the duke in the trailer is returning for this.

New voices have also been recorded for the generals of Bretonnia to differentiate them completely from Alberic.

Even more new voices and improvements

What else is included in the update? Other characters receiving a voice makeover with 6.3 include Wulfrik and Throgg from Norsca. Especially Throgg, the Troll king, has been misrepresented in the eyes of many fans through his voice lines.

Additionally, there are updates for the Lizardmen and Tomb Kings. Both factions will receive revised technology trees and skills. Other changes include:

  • New color patterns for the individual factions of the Lizardmen to better distinguish them on the battlefield
  • The large dinosaurs of the Lizardmen can now break down walls
  • The Tomb Kings will have limited opportunities to confederate, and the Mortuary Cult as a mechanic. This cult brought many threats that almost annihilated the world of Warhammer in its lore.

You can find the complete patch notes for update 6.3 at community.creative-assembly.com.

Besides the old world of Warhammer, where the Total War games also take place, there is also the sci-fi setting Warhammer 40,000 and Age of Sigmar. The latter is not as represented in video games and has even produced one of the worst Warhammer games. MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus took a look at it and says: The worst new Warhammer game on Steam is really good, but I still can’t recommend it

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

Player plays BF3 again after the Battlefield 6 beta, writes 2.5 pages about the differences

The open beta of Battlefield 6 is over, and players now have enough time to reflect on the gameplay they experienced and decide whether the shooter has convinced them or ultimately disappointed them. One player took it a step further and made a direct comparison with Battlefield 3.

What kind of player is this? The gamer goes by the name “KimiBleikkonen” on Reddit and claims to have played the Battlefield 6 beta for about 46 hours. Then he started Battlefield 3 and played a few matches to see how much his memory of the game is influenced by nostalgic feelings and how it compares to Battlefield 6 from today’s perspective.

The user explains that he played Battlefield 3 on a server with mixed game modes across various maps:

  • Conquest on Wake Island
  • Conquest on Azadi Palace
  • Conquest on Attack on Karkand
  • Rush on Operation Metro
  • Domination on Donya Fortress
  • Conquest on Elbors Mountains
  • Conquest on Operation Riverbank
  • Rush on Sabalan Pipeline

After completing his “nostalgia check” in Battlefield 3, he documented his findings in a post on Reddit. This post is over 1,100 words long and spans nearly 2.5 DIN A4 pages in a Word document using Arial font at size 12.

Start video
Battlefield 6 zeigt sein Gameplay im actionreichen Trailer

More differences than just movement

What did the player find? The player noticed various differences between the two shooters. One is that in Battlefield 3, there is more bullet spread when firing fully automatic. However, players can achieve a lower time-to-kill with bursts compared to Battlefield 6.

In the latest installment, however, suppression when shot at is noticeably lower. This makes it much more difficult to win a gunfight when starting to shoot second.

Likewise, health regeneration in Battlefield 6 is significantly faster. In Battlefield 3, after taking hits, he had to wait about 40 seconds in cover before having enough health points again. Moreover, after a revival, one is immobile for several seconds, while BF6 allows players to quickly escape to cover.

Overall, almost every animation feels slower in Battlefield 3. Not being able to slide or sprint in a crouched position is a big difference and makes it harder to take cover when shot at. Additionally, moving while using the sights is very slow, and jumping while shooting is even more punishing than in Battlefield 6.

Battlefield 3 can be frustrating, but…

What conclusion does he come to after the comparison? The player writes that Battlefield 3 can be a bit frustrating when one has gotten used to the movement of Battlefield 6. The latest installment is the more modern and refined game, but that doesn’t necessarily make it the more enjoyable casual shooter.

He describes Battlefield 6 as “very hectic and unpredictable” due to its modern movement, while Battlefield 3 offers a more realistic war atmosphere. Overall, Battlefield 6 is a game he plays when he wants to sweat for 1-2 hours.

The modern and fast movement is not to everyone’s liking, especially long-time Battlefield players, but MeinMMO editor Dariusz Müller is a big fan and hopes it remains this way even after the beta. For fans of slower and more realistic shooters, he has another recommendation: I am Gen Z and say: The movement of Battlefield 6 is great and should stay that way, but I can recommend a slower shooter to you Boomers

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

If you love the endgame in MMORPGs, then you can grind endlessly in a new game on Steam

In Fellowship, everything revolves around dungeons that you know all too well from MMORPGs. However, even though the Steam game is not an MMORPG, you will soon be able to grind infinitely in it.

What kind of game is this? The developers of Fellowship are big MMORPG fans, but many of their friends never experienced a good endgame because the lengthy leveling phase scared them away. This circumstance led to the creation of Fellowship, a Multiplayer Online Dungeon Adventure (MODA), where players can simply grind dungeon after dungeon without having to level a character to the maximum level first.

Just like in an MMORPG, there are trash mobs, bosses, and even traps in the dungeons, and there is loot for the characters upon completion.

You can watch the new trailer here:

Start video
Fellowship shows in the trailer how to implement dungeons without MMORPGs

Differences and Uniqueness of Fellowship

How does the game differ from an MMORPG? Fellowship differs from an MMORPG primarily in that there is no open world; instead, the entire game focuses on the dungeons. With each completion, there is loot, and new difficulty levels are constantly unlocked to make dungeons not only harder but also to incorporate more mechanics.

Another uniqueness is the characters you play. While in an MMORPG you choose from various classes, in Fellowship you select a character. The character then has predefined abilities that can be modified with talents.

How does Fellowship play? Cedric Holmeier is a freelance author at MeinMMO and has already tried the MODA twice with the developers. He says about it:

Fellowship is a game that can fill many gaps at once. It is suitable not only for lazy levelers but also for MMORPG beginners. Those who are patiently waiting for the next update or even the next new MMORPG can effectively bridge this time with Fellowship as a filler.

During discussions with the developers, they also expressed a great interest in making the MODA exciting for professionals. A timer is to indicate how quickly groups have completed a dungeon. The many different difficulty levels are intended not only to increase HP and DMG but also to add new mechanics to the dungeons.

Professionals and esports teams can then compete in Fellowship based on the time they need for their clear, and the developers themselves said they look forward to seeing what creative solutions players develop.

Despite the omission of typical MMORPG content, it is also crucial whether the developers can quickly deliver enough content to satisfy players. If new dungeons and characters are released too slowly, Fellowship could also quickly lose its appeal.

Fellowship launches in Early Access on Steam on October 9, 2025, and can already be tried for free between September 18 and 23, 2025. The MODA is planned to be offered later as a purchase title, but the price is not yet known. A detailed preview report by MeinMMO author Cedric Holmeier can be found here: If you love endgames in MMORPGs, a game on Steam offers you plenty of it, but there is a catch.

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

The WoW community is amazed: Concept drawings show how Liadrin should actually look

A new image is causing a stir in the community of World of Warcraft. Because this is how Liadrin was supposed to look in the cinematic …

A few days ago, the intro cinematic of World of Warcraft Midnight was released. As usual, when Blizzard releases a new cinematic, there is a lot of discussion about it. Not everyone likes what was shown, and fundamentally, there are always alternating criticisms between “There was too much talking” or “There was too much action without story” – you can’t please everyone.

But this time, a completely different discussion overshadows the joy over the cinematic. Because especially the design of the blood elf Liadrin is under criticism. Now a concept image has even been released that envisions a completely different design for the blood elf.

Start video
WoW Midnight – The opening cinematic of the new addon shows the attack on Silvermoon

What are the criticisms of Liadrin? Even though there are several criticisms of the cinematic and some posts about it have more than 16,000 upvotes, the main points can be summarized as follows:

  • The characteristic eye glow of the blood elves is missing or only hinted at at the end.
  • Liadrin does not look like a Warcraft elf but rather like a Tolkien or ESO elf – more like a human with pointed ears.
  • Liadrin and Lor’themar have fewer details than, for example, Anduin in the cinematic of The War Within.

We have extensively dealt with all the major criticisms from the community regarding the cinematic in this article.

What was discovered now? A few hours after the release of the cinematics, a concept drawing of Liadrin was discovered on the Artstation profile of Gaowen Fu. This concept drawing shows Liadrin as she was supposed to look in the cinematic. The concept is marked as “accepted,” so it likely made it at least into the final selection or even served as the basis for Liadrin.

Concept drawing of Liadrin
This is how Liadrin looked in her concept drawing. Image source: Artstation, Gaowen Fu

If you look at the concept drawing, Liadrin’s appearance is definitely more aligned with what some parts of the community would have wanted: A significantly more stylized version of the elf with additional strands of hair.

Blizzard deviates from the concept drawing, Liadrin looks completely different

This is how the community reacts: The discovery of the concept drawings causes some surprise among the players. Many wonder why there was such a departure from the concept and why Liadrin was given a different appearance. Some of the comments from the post in the WoW subreddit regarding this are:

  • “This addresses pretty much all the criticisms I had about the cinematic. More eye glow and just a touch more stylized so that she looks more like an elf from Warcraft and less like one from Tolkien. I hope we also get to see the concept drawings of Lor’themar.” – Doctorlock74
  • “Whoever was in charge of the cinematic thought she needed 20 cosmetic surgeries. Who looks at [the concept drawing] and honestly thinks: ‘Not bad, but her lips need to look more like a fish’.” – Lyrael9
  • “In the concept drawing, she looks like an elf. In the cinematic, she looks like a human wearing an elf cosplay.” – Bevrykul
  • “As I said before, her hair is the problem. I bet they didn’t have enough time to render it properly and then said ‘Screw it’ and just glued it flat to her head.” – VukKiller

How do you like Liadrin in the cinematic version? Are you satisfied with what you saw? Or should the concept drawing have been adhered to more strongly to better reflect the “classic” look of the blood elves?
More about World of Warcraft Midnight can be found in our comprehensive overview.

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

Twitch streamer Trymacs participates in Clash Royale tournament, thanks to his secret weapon he can impress even without skill

The Twitch streamer Max “Trymacs” Stemmler is participating in the tournament of an international streamer and has already impressed him with his expressive profile. However, he did not achieve this through excessively impressive gameplay, but rather through another thing.

What kind of tournament is this? The American streamer Nicholas “Jynxzi” Stewart is currently hosting a tournament around Clash Royale. In 1vs1 matches, various content creators compete against each other. However, only those who have reached the “Ultimate Champion” rank in the game can participate. Also taking part is the German Twitch streamer Trymacs.

Start video
Vom Pizza-Lieferant zu einem der größten deutschen Twitch-Streamer – Leben und Karriere von Trymacs in 2 Minuten

“I don’t even know what he’s playing”

What is Trymacs’ secret weapon? Trymacs’ profile has already caught Jynxzi’s attention, and the international streamer has shown himself to be highly impressed by Trymacs’ badges and ranking. Trymacs is currently among the top 500 with his profile.

However, he has primarily earned this ranking through one thing: money. Trymacs is known for investing a lot of money in mobile games to gain an advantage through stronger items or the like. That’s already a real Twitch insider.

Trymacs is aware that he is not the best player and that he was only able to impress Jynxzi because of his profile. He states during a game: “I belong to the worst, but I have the most impressive profile, which is why Jynxzi thinks I’m ultra amazing.” (Source: YouTube).

How does the tournament end for Trymacs? While Trymacs is playing his first game against phonecats in the tournament, it strikes midnight, marking August 19, which is his birthday. The chat messages with congratulations are flooding the screen, but Trymacs can only focus on the game.

You can watch a part of Trymacs’ battle on YouTube 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.
Link to the YouTube content

In the game, Trymacs’ advantage from money gained doesn’t help him much. During the fight, he comments on his opponent: “I don’t even know what he’s playing” (Source: YouTube) and consequently loses the match 3:1. Trymacs’ participation in the tournament is thus over, but he remarks that at least he was there.

Trymacs has been a big fan of Clash Royale and Clash of Clans for years. He loves Clash of Clans so much that he even finds it fair to be punished if he does not play the game correctly. You can read more about this on MeinMMO: “Kick me out, I messed it up” – Trymacs was kicked out of his own clan in Clash of Clans, finds it fair

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

In Germany, breweries are going into a panic because Gen Z simply does not drink enough alcohol anymore

Generation Z is reaching for beer less frequently, and breweries are feeling the impact. Those who can’t shift to alternatives may have to close due to high costs.

Why does Gen Z not drink beer? The reasons for Generation Z drinking less or less often are varied: Many young people don’t have as much money, and some find beer simply too unhealthy or too high in calories. This is reported by the magazine Deutschlandfunknova.de.

This situation is concerning for brewers, as consumption continues to decline. From 126 liters in 2000 to 88 liters in 2025. Holger Eichele, the Managing Director of the German Brewers Association, explained to the magazine Bloomberg (possibly paywalled):

To be honest, this is concerning. The conditions are not good. And then it might be that one has run the business for many centuries but now simply has to give it up.

Start video
Die Gen Z muss in allen Bereichen des Lebens Einsparungen vornehmen, aber eine Branche trifft es härter als alle anderen

Non-Alcoholic Beer as an Alternative

What is the alternative? For many of the approximately 1,500 breweries in Germany, this means that they must adjust their offerings to the new consumption habits of Generation Z. Those who can’t manage this will sooner or later have to close due to high costs: between 2023 and 2024, 52 breweries closed nationwide, the highest number in 30 years. In the last 5 years, nearly 100 breweries have closed (via ernährungsindustrie.de).

Many large breweries are now primarily focusing on non-alcoholic beers or beers with very low alcohol content. This aims to partially compensate for the declines in sales of alcoholic beers.

However, producing non-alcoholic beer sometimes requires machines that necessitate investments in the millions to remove the alcohol after the brewing process. An investment that especially smaller, local breweries cannot afford. Thomas Becker, a brewing professor from the Munich area, says:

Small breweries typically cannot afford to remove the alcohol after brewing. The equipment alone requires investments in the region of one million.

Another problem is energy as a cost factor, which is very expensive in Germany. Energy is needed to brew the beer and then to cool it down afterward. Energy is also required for cleaning the glass bottles. Many breweries are therefore looking to the future with concern.

Germany still drinks a lot of beer overall. Even in a global comparison, but the world champion comes not from Asia nor from our neighborhood: One country drinks more beer than all others and it is not Germany

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

I’m super excited for the new Final Fantasy XIV x Monster Hunter Wilds collab – but I’m crying for all the newcomers

The MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV has announced a collaboration with gamescom 2025 for Monster Hunter: Wilds. MeinMMO author Sophia Weiß is really excited about the new content, but the thought of all the newcomers worries her.

My name is Sophia, and I have been playing Final Fantasy XIV since 2016. I have been subscribed continuously since then, participating in most in-game events, and have also attended several fan festivals in Europe for my work. Currently, I am at endgame, but I am not completely up to date with the latest patch 7.3.

Final Fantasy XIV is one of the games I have played the most in my life. At gamescom 2025, there was a new content announcement during the Opening Night Live that I am really looking forward to: A collaboration with Monster Hunter: Wilds!

There was already a collaboration with Monster Hunter World years ago, which brought the flagship monster Rathalos as a mount into the MMORPG. Not to mention the pretty cool battle. In the teaser trailer for the new crossover, Square Enix doesn’t leave us much room for speculation. We will face the Wilds’ supreme monster Arkveld:

Start video
At the end of October, you’ll be able to take down one of the nastiest beasts from Monster Hunter: Wilds in Final Fantasy XIV.

Perfect for veterans, but newcomers face a 600-hour investment

So far, we don’t know much about the new collaboration between the games. We do know for certain about the new content in Final Fantasy XIV:

  • The boss enemy is Arkveld
  • The start is early October
  • Your character must be level 100
  • The main quest Dawntrail must be completed

And that’s where I see the catch. As a veteran in Final Fantasy XIV, I check my gear before the gig, maybe repair it, throw on a stylish glamour, and off I go.

But players who see the collaboration and think, hey, I liked Arkveld in Wilds, let’s see what the beast can do in Final Fantasy, face a pretty big hurdle.

The main quest Dawntrail is the last quest of 7.0, the main scenario of the current expansion. Before that, the quests, dungeons, and battles of the base game A Realm Reborn as well as the expansions Heavensward, Stormblood, Shadowbringers, Endwalker, and of course Dawntrail itself must be completed.

This means that anyone wanting to smash Arkveld in Final Fantasy XIV has to grind through about 600 hours of quests, dungeons, and boss fights first.

Some may enjoy that. Those who start now and hurry could be ready to dive right into the coop by early October.

Start video
Monster Hunter Wilds x Final Fantasy XIV – Collaboration comes as a free update

However, I personally can’t imagine that this applies to most potential new players. Besides gaming, most people have studies or work, friends, family, maybe pets, and other games they want to play. Not everyone can and wants to grind 600 hours of MMORPG in one go – no matter how good the content is.

Of course, there’s another way to skip at least the content up to Dawntrail: the adventurer stories. These are items that can be purchased for real money in the Final Fantasy XIV shop. With these, you can level a new class (job) to level 90 and skip the grind. Alternatively, you can skip the story up to the start of the current expansion.

If you want to skip directly to the start of Dawntrail, you need to pay an additional €21.75 on top of the price of the game itself. And yes: The free trial version only includes all content up to Stormblood. So if you want to play the new collaboration, you also need to pay the price for the “Complete Edition” of the game, which is €23.99 on top.

Well, €45.74 isn’t the nearly 80 € that’s due for a current Mario Kart. But the quests in Dawntrail aren’t finished yet, and the class isn’t leveled up. To the approximately 40 hours you need for Dawntrail, there’s also the level grind, which you could also skip for another €21.75.

When your favorite game turns you into a cynic

I am not without reason a fixed subscriber to Final Fantasy XIV for years: I love this game for the great times with my friends, for the story that regularly brings me to tears, for the fantastic battles, the graphics, and much more.

But I can now completely understand that it scares away many potential players. If you want to play a new game, you might look forward to 12 years of still playable content. However, the fact that it must first be slowly unlocked or purchased within approximately 600 hours of gameplay dampens the enthusiasm.

And when I look at the collaboration with Wilds and the long road to it, I feel like I’m turning into a cynic. I wish Final Fantasy XIV every new player, every new long-term subscriber, and I hope that newcomers have at least as good a time with the game as I do.

But to ask so much commitment from a player who has just started and may just want to enjoy the current raid is, from my perspective, too much. I already have friends who quit during Stormblood saying: Sorry, but I don’t have time, even though I would like to.

I am also not sure if saying, well, just buy the starter pack, is the right solution. My colleague Karsten Scholz already expressed his opinion last year because the developers of the MMORPG around Naoki Yoshida actively decided against a new entry point with Dawntrail:

More on the topic
The Savior of Final Fantasy 14 is about to make perhaps the biggest mistake of his career
von Karsten Scholz

Dawntrail is meant to be a complete restart of the story and, similar to A Realm Reborn, initiate the next 10 years of expansions and storylines. Accordingly, starting with Dawntrail would have been the perfect point for an alternative start into the game for Karsten and me.

Anyone wanting to experience the completed Zodiarc X Hydaelin saga starts with A Realm Reborn. Anyone just wanting to play the current content begins with Dawntrail.

But that’s not how it happened, and it actually makes me incredibly sad. I have tried before to level a new character and failed miserably. Exit rates are not publicly disclosed, but I can’t imagine that many people would take on that 600-hour mountain.

I sincerely wish that all Wilds fans who are excited about Final Fantasy XIV come, have fun, and stay. But if you say, wow, no, that’s too crazy for me, then I believe many will fully understand.

Well then.

What I can very well imagine is that the reverse collaboration, meaning the Final Fantasy XIV content in Wilds, is much easier to achieve. In Wilds, you will get to face the time- and dimension-traveling entity Omega Planetes. Omega was the enemy in the Stormblood 8-man raid and has some nasty tricks up its sleeve.

In addition to this collaboration, there were a whole host of other exciting announcements at the Opening Night Live of gamescom 2025. Yesterday, you could also watch the big FYNG Show live from the fair. Included was a new game from streamer Hänno, Viva la Dirt League, and Warhammer 40,000: In the new role-playing game for Warhammer 40,000, you are not a genetically engineered superhuman, but just as dangerous

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

CoD Black Ops 7: All Info about the Release, Beta, and Price

The release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is coming soon, but to help you decide whether to buy it or not, we offer you an overview of everything important regarding the beta, the prices, as well as editions and innovations.

The next installment of Call of Duty will be Black Ops 7 and there is already some information regarding the release, a beta, as well as the prices and content. We provide you with an overview of the most important information and then go into detail:

  • Release: November 14, 2025
  • Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Game Pass
  • Standard Edition Price: €79.99
  • Vault Edition Price: €109.99
  • Is Black Ops 7 available in Game Pass? Yes.

CoD Black Ops 7: Release

When is the release? Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will be released on November 14, 2025, on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and in Game Pass.

At what time is the release of CoD Black Ops 7? The exact time is currently unknown. If Activision plans the release like it did for Black Ops 6, you will be able to play at 0:00 via Game Pass, followed by the other platforms starting at 06:00 German time.

Start video
Call of Duty shows first gameplay for Black Ops 7

CoD Black Ops 7: Preload – When can you download?

When does the preload start? This is still unknown, but we estimate the preload to start 4–5 days before the actual release. That would be November 9 or 10, 2025.

How big is the download? Call of Duty has always been a large game. The size of the download is not known yet, but we estimate it to be around 80 GB.

CoD Black Ops 7: Will there be a beta?

Will there be a beta? Yes, there is expected to be one. Like with Black Ops 6, there will be two dates for the beta. One for pre-ordering a digital version and one open beta for everyone who is interested in Black Ops 7 and wants to test it first.

When does the beta start? There are two dates for the beta to remember:

  • On October 2, the beta for pre-orders starts
    • Anyone with an active subscription to Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, or Game Pass Console will also automatically gain access to the pre-order beta
  • On October 5, the open beta for all players begins

Will there be rewards? This is not yet confirmed, but it is likely that there will be rewards that you can earn during the beta. This often includes a skin, a blueprint for a weapon, stickers, and charms.

CoD Black Ops 7: Price and Editions

How much does Black Ops 7 cost? Black Ops 7 will be available in two different editions, which cost different amounts:

  • The standard edition costs €79.99
  • The vault edition costs €109.99

The editions of Black Ops 7 differ primarily in their content. Buyers of the vault edition receive, for example, operator packs, a gum pack for the zombie mode, and early access to the open beta. The following contents can be expected with the editions:

Standard EditionVault Edition
A copy of CoD: Black Ops 7A copy of CoD: Black Ops 7
Early access with pre-order for the closed betaEarly access with pre-order for the closed beta
BlackCell (1 season)
– Includes: Battle Pass, 20 tier skips, 1,100 CP, and more
Operator collection
– 4 operator skins: Harper, Karma, T.E.D.D., and Reaper EWR-3
Mastercraft weapon collection
– 5 mastercraft weapons
Ultra gum pack for zombies
– 8 ultra rarity gums for Black Ops 7
Permanent unlock token for Black Ops 7 (available at launch)

CoD Black Ops 7 in Game Pass

Will BO7 be in Game Pass? Yes, Black Ops 7 will be included in Game Pass. On the day of release, you will be able to play the shooter on Xbox and PC with a “Game Pass” subscription.

CoD Black Ops 7 Platforms – Is BO7 on PS4?

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will be released for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. On PC, the release will be on Steam, in the Microsoft Store, and on Battle.net. The shooter will also be available on the older console generations.

Here you can find Black Ops 6 in the various stores:

CoD Black Ops 7 Zombies – Will the mode remain?

What do we know about the zombie mode? The round-based zombies mode from Black Ops 6 is expected to return in the sequel. This time, however, the iconic four protagonists are back:

  • Nikolai
  • Takeo
  • Richthofen
  • Dempsey

They find themselves in the Dark Aether and must face a constantly changing hellscape. The story surrounding the Dark Aether is expected to continue with the protagonists from Black Ops 6 and pick up where it left off.

What is the campaign of CoD: Black Ops 7 about?

This is the plot: It is the year 2035. Black Ops 7 takes place 10 years after the events of Black Ops 2 and the antagonist is none other than Raul Menendez.

He has survived the events in 2025 and returns with white hair to stir up trouble. As David Mason, you take on the role of the commander of the JSOC elite unit.

You are on a secret mission in the sprawling Mediterranean city of Avalon and must stop the terrorist.

Black-Ops-7-Raul-Menendez
Raul Menendez is back

CoD: Black Ops 7: Innovations

What new features will Black Ops 7 have? Many innovations are expected in Black Ops 7. The following are known:

  • The campaign can be played entirely in co-op, and the campaign will receive an endgame
  • Progress for weapons and your account can also be earned in the campaign.
  • Camo can now also be earned in the campaign.
  • Weapon blueprints can be shared with friends
  • There will now be weapon prestige, with 3 tiers:
    • Tier 1 goes from level 1 – 50
    • Tier 2 also goes like tier 1
    • Tier 3 goes up to level 250
      • Every weapon has two prestige levels, one a build-altering prestige attachment, unique weapon camos, and additional rewards.
  • Daily and weekly challenges will ensure that you can earn new attachments in all modes
  • Each mode will receive seasonal events
  • Zombies is expected to have its largest map yet, with 5 objectives and wonder vehicles
  • New movement option to Omni-Movement

Black Ops 7: Multiplayer & Prestige

What do we know about the multiplayer of BO6? The multiplayer will feature a total of 18 different maps at the launch of Black Ops 7: Sixteen 6v6 maps and two skirmish maps.

Old maps are also expected to return, including Hijacked, Express, and Raid. In addition to large and small maps, there will also be medium-sized maps.

Additionally, there will be a total of 30 weapons at launch, of which 16 are completely new. As usual, further weapons will be added with the seasons.

As for your account’s prestige, the system remains the same.

Good news for those who have invested a lot in Black Ops 6 is the “Content Transfer.” As with MW2 and MW3, you will be able to carry over your skins, weapons, and blueprints to the new installment – so nothing is wasted for now. This system will be activated with Season 1.

These were all the major details about Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. As for the campaign, there are also more detailed information about the last mission you can expect. You can find out what they are here: CoD: Black Ops 7 is expected to have a mode in the campaign that has never been seen before – and it will seriously annoy some of you

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

One of the biggest mangas is finally continuing, but fans want a new artist

Few manga are delayed as often as Hunter X Hunter, as the creator behind it is ill. Now there is an update.

Hunter X Hunter is one of the big manga series and the anime is also popular. So far, 410 chapters of the manga have been published and an end is not in sight for a long time. However, one cannot speak of a regular release, as there are always long breaks.

However, this is not due to laziness or lack of ideas from the mangaka, but rather due to health reasons: Chronic back pain sometimes completely hinders his work. Now there is a small update that brings a glimmer of hope.

The anime even got its own game:

Start video
Hunter x Hunter Nen x Impact – The Trailer for the 2D Fighting Game of the Anime Adaptation

What is special about Hunter X Hunter? A somewhat peculiar feature of Hunter X Hunter is that the manga is extremely popular, but does not appear as regularly as others. This is primarily because the mangaka Yoshihiro Togashi has been suffering from physical problems for years and often needs to take long breaks before he resumes his work.

Some fans have therefore frequently called for him to hand his work over to another mangaka so that there are no long breaks that can sometimes extend over many months. This is something that Yoshihiro Togashi repeatedly rejects.

What has been published now? In the meantime, there is again a sign of life from Yoshihiro Togashi. He has now published a picture on his X account showing a small glimpse of his work on chapter 413. Although there still seems to be a lot of work left, fans may breathe a sigh of relief that at least progress is being made.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from Twitter 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.
Link to the Twitter content

Why was there a long break? It has been known for quite a while that the mangaka struggles with chronic back pain. On some days, the pain is so severe that he can hardly sit up straight – any creative work is out of the question. This has drastically delayed the development and subsequent publication of new chapters of the manga.

Yoshihiro Togashi actually wanted to write more than 50 new episodes in 2025. This goal may have become a bit more distant, even if at least the completion of the backgrounds gives reason to hope that more will be published this year.

Are you following the story of Hunter X Hunter? And can you patiently wait until the author is better again? Or do you support the demand from some in the manga community that he should hand the work over to others so that progress can be made regularly?
Another anime almost didn’t exist because the author was in the wrong car…

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

Steven Spielberg has directed many great films, but there are two scenes he regrets to this day

Steven Spielberg’s movies are popular worldwide and are often praised. However, the director himself does not hold back on criticizing his own work. Especially two scenes bother him today.

In Steven Spielberg’s filmography, there are several classics that most cinema fans know. Indiana Jones, Jaws, Schindler’s List or Jurassic Park are just a few examples. The last two films were even made in the same year.

Two more milestones in the director’s career are still good films, but Spielberg himself criticizes two scenes in them. Both films share the commonality that aliens play an important role in them.

Start video
„E.T.“- English trailer for the sci-fi classic

Walkie-Talkies and the Interior of a Spaceship

What are the two scenes? The first scene concerns the Spielberg classic E.T. The film about a boy and his encounter with the alien in small-town tranquility has emotionally touched many viewers and made them shed a tear or two.

Spielberg brought the film to cinemas in 1982, and for its 20th anniversary, there was a re-release. Back in 2002, Spielberg wanted to revise the film in some places. In a scene where the boy Elliot and E.T. take off from the ground on a bicycle, two policemen can be seen. In the original version, they hold rifles in their hands; in the re-release, they were replaced by walkie-talkies thanks to visual effects.

You can see the differences in a comparison on YouTube.

The thought behind it was clear: The film should become even more family-friendly. In an interview with TIME on YouTube from 2023, Spielberg made it clear that he regretted this change:

That was a mistake. I should have never done that. E.T. is a product of its time. No film should be revised from today’s perspective, neither voluntarily nor by force.

Steven Spielberg

What was the second scene? A few years before E.T., Spielberg shot another science fiction film: Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Aliens also play an important role here. Towards the end of the film, a spaceship lands on Earth. While working on the edit, Spielberg had to make some compromises, as he explains in the making-of (via fandomwire.com). When the director demanded the producing studio Columbia to cut the film as he wanted, they offered him a deal.

The studio wanted him to add another scene in exchange, showing the interior of the alien ship. The protagonist should also enter it himself. Spielberg acquiesced, and the scene made its way into the film. Later, he said: “I should have never done that, as the interior of the ship should have always remained a mystery.”

Ultimately, Spielberg concluded years later that he should never touch his own work afterward since they are like snapshots:

All our films are a kind of guidepost, showing where we stood when we made them, how the world was, and how they were received when we released our stories.

Even though the two scenes may not have been to Spielberg’s liking, they hardly diminish the overall impression of the work. What do you think about it? Should films be revised years later, or should mysteries like the alien spaceship be revealed? Feel free to let us know in the comments. Spielberg has been a big film fan since a young age: At the age of 16, Spielberg fell in love with a legendary cult film: “Perhaps the best screenplay ever written”.

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

For 12 years, fans have demanded better trading, now the head of Path of Exile 2 is fulfilling almost all their wishes

The head of Path of Exile 2 explained the new trading system in a press preview for the new season and nearly fulfills all the fans’ wishes with this new system.

How does the new trading system work? With the second season of Path of Exile 2 “The Third Edict,” the developers have made a significant change to the trading system. Instead of allowing trading only face-to-face, the developers are introducing an asynchronous trading system.

The new trading system will continue to operate through the trading website of Path of Exile 2, also allowing trading offline. This gives players the opportunity to offer their items at a fixed price with a new NPC in their hideout. Interested parties can then click on the website to teleport directly into the seller’s hideout in the game and purchase the item there.

To ensure that the trading system is not overwhelmed by cheaters, purchasing also incurs gold costs, which ensures that trading characters must be genuinely played.

You can watch the trailer for the new season here:

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

Limits or a bouncer against congestion

How should trading actually work? During a press preview of the new season, MeinMMO and other journalists were able to ask questions to the head, Jonathan Rogers. He was also asked about the new trading system, how they plan to prevent a cheap item from directly causing congestion, and what they generally want to do to avoid overcrowding the hideouts.

Jonathan Rogers then explained that they want to introduce limits for the hideouts. There should always be a few reserved spots for friends or group members to access the hideouts despite the traders.

He himself had wished for a bouncer NPC from the team, with which they could implement a kind of guest list to allow certain players or set general limits. However, he did not know if this idea would make it into the major update.

Players also have the option to convert premium trading slots purchased before Season 2 into slots for the new shop. After the update, these will likely be purchasable in the shop. So anyone who trades a lot now can unlock several pages for free.

Why is the change coming only now? Since Path of Exile (1) was released in 2013, players have been asking for an asynchronous trading system. In MMORPGs like World of Warcraft, the auction house system was already common at that time, and the decision to completely forego such a system was met with incomprehension.

Four years after the release, the developers then published their trading manifesto in 2017. A document in the Path of Exile forum that thoroughly explains the developers’ vision on trading and outlines their decision with four points:

  • Reduces the number of item upgrades: The developers believed that easy trading would destroy the fun of the game as it renders the slow gradual progress of a character unnecessary.
  • Leads to lower drop rates: They argued that a simplified trading system would force them to lower drop rates to maintain game balance.
  • Increases inequality between players: The developers believed that easy trading would widen the gap between casual players and committed players, leading to an unfair gaming experience.
  • Encourages abuse by bots: They warned that easy trading would be more susceptible to exploitation by automated bots, which would harm the entire game economy.

Since the manifesto was published eight years ago, much time has passed, and the developers’ vision has evolved. In conversation, the head also revealed that they want to introduce the new additional trading system into Path of Exile (1) if it works well in the sequel.

With the new trading system, the old one will not disappear. Player-to-player trading will still be possible, and there will still be a website for it. There has also been a change regarding the release, reveals the head: The head of Path of Exile 2 talks about the new release date, explaining why it won’t be coming in 2025

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

Military shooter is supposed to offer a map as large as all of Berlin and you don’t even need a powerful gaming PC for that

The new installment of the popular Arma series is set to offer a map that is about as large as all of Berlin. And since the developers are not using an engine like Unreal, you won’t even need a particularly powerful PC for that.

The map of Arma 4 is expected to be huge: This was announced by Filip Doksansky, lead engine developer at Bohemia Interactive. In an interview with the Czech magazine CzechCrunch, he says: “Arma 4 will have a game world of 900 square kilometers.”

The size of the map is approximately the actual area of Berlin, which is about 891 km², making it even slightly smaller. The game can only achieve these dimensions because it does not rely on a “traditional” engine, Doksansky notes.

By the way, Arma Reforger serves as a playable tech test for part 4:

Start video
New shooter on Steam and Xbox gives a taste of Arma 4 – See here the realistic graphics in the trailer

Developers rely on proven engine and thus save your PC

Which graphics engine does Arma 4 use? For the new military shooter, the developers continue to rely on their Enfusion engine. This has been created by only 15 people at Bohemia Interactive and has been continuously modified over the years. 

This takes a different path than, for example, CD Projekt Red. The studio from Poland plans to abandon its own REDengine in the future and instead use Unreal Engine 5. The Witcher 4 is already using the new engine.

For Arma 4, such a change is out of the question, and Doksansky also explains why. Engines like Unreal are simply not designed for extremely large and realistic environments in games. Enfusion, on the other hand, can handle even massive environments without requiring a “monster PC”.

For modders, the Enfusion engine also now offers many more possibilities to customize the game to their liking. “You can customize everything – from graphics to gameplay to sound – try everything out, and the controls are incomparably more user-friendly,” says the developer.

When will Arma 4 even be released? The developers have not yet specified an exact release date for Arma 4, but at least the year is set. However, that is still quite some time away; it is expected to be ready only in 2027.

A new zombie game is said to offer an even larger game world than Arma 4. Its map is expected to be half the size of the entire Saarland. You can read more about this in our article: Zombie game on Steam aims to provide a massive map with up to 5,000 players, half the size of the entire Saarland

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

A player in Dungeons and Dragons sacrifices himself heroically for the group, but they fail due to their loyalty

That in Dungeons & Dragons combat is not always the best solution is something that many know. Nevertheless, players often resort to this path. One player wanted to sacrifice his character to save his friends – but it backfired spectacularly.

Why did the player want to sacrifice himself? Reddit user Redhood101101 shares in his thread on Reddit the dramatic fate of his DnD party, who had maneuvered themselves into a desperate situation. They found themselves in a fight they could not win.

The user made a secret arrangement with the Game Master (Dungeon Master/DM) and tried to resolve the situation differently. He suggested sacrificing his character to show the group how serious it was, knowing how much the others cared about their own characters.

He grabbed the opponent and threw himself to his death, while stunning the adversary with the action. Meanwhile, he desperately urged his party to flee, but they completely misjudged the situation and didn’t want to “leave anyone behind”; besides, he had weakened the opponent. So they believed they could now succeed.

The round ended with a very quick and total annihilation of the group by the avatar of the evil god. They not only lost their beloved characters but also missed an epic quest that the DM had actually planned for them.

Start video
Dungeons & Dragons Online Trailer 2006 E3

Is combat the only solution?

How did the situation arise? The group was mistakenly teleported to an interdimensional space, from which they wanted to flee through a tunnel. However, this tunnel led to an avatar of an evil god, who was performing a ritual right at the exit, directly in front of them on the other side of the room.

So they tried to sneak past the busy avatar, which they failed to do. Instead of fleeing, the group confronted the villain – and the DM panicked, as he thought there was no logical way for them to survive this fight.

He reached out to Redhood101101 via Discord, who suggested sacrificing himself for the others. On his turn, he grabbed the avatar and threw himself into the ongoing ritual, thereby sacrificing himself and stunning the opponent. But the group remained loyal to the fight and their fellow player instead of fleeing, and it ended in a TPK (Total Party Kill).

Afterwards, the DM mentioned that he actually had planned an epic chase and escape quest and had never thought the group would confront an avatar of a god in combat. Now they missed not only epic scenes but also lost their characters.

What does the community say about the story? In the comments under the thread, fans agree that this is a common problem. Many groups tend to see combat as the only and straightforward solution. Diplomacy, negotiation, and fleeing are rarely considered, which often leads to such TPKs, causing players to miss out on other epic scenes.

Others note on Reddit some moments and opportunities where the DM could have prevented the situation or made the potentially impending TPK clearer:

  • Rich_Document9513 writes: “Parties tend to fight. Therefore, I immediately say during any chase: ‘You have been discovered and know that any attempt to fight will lead to certain doom. You flee to the exit. Okay, folks, this will be a dexterity challenge.’ You can say what you want about player agency, but I’ve never had a group unhappy with the outcome.”
  • Reasonable_Charge531 notes: “I think your DM could have intervened at several points and done something to prevent this TPK. But… I guess, respect to them for the total freedom they granted?”
  • Karazl suggests: “Such heroic sacrifices probably need to trigger something that signals more clearly that one needs to flee, like the tunnel collapsing above the players’ heads and starting a kind of ‘Forged in the Dark’ clock that shows everyone that time is running out with each round and they will all die.”

In pen-and-paper role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons, the creativity of players is often rewarded. Such was the case with another group that found themselves in a similarly dire situation, but chose not to fight: Players in Dungeons & Dragons face an impossible task, exact their revenge through a nasty trap

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

A European railway giant had the “contract of the century” in hand, but a French company intervened

The Spanish train manufacturer was supposed to receive a billion-dollar order. However, a French company is suing against the awarding. A German company also feels wronged. Regional politicians and unions demand that the order remains in the country where the vehicles are ultimately supposed to operate.

What kind of contract is this? The Spanish train manufacturer CAF was originally supposed to receive a major order from the Belgian railway company SNCB/NMBS for the delivery of new trains. The framework agreement potentially includes trains worth up to 3.4 billion euros.

Industry experts and newspapers dubbed the offer “contract of the century” due to its large scope. The contract is essential for the modernization of the Belgian train fleet and is considered one of the largest railway contracts in Europe in recent years.

However, the French competitor Alstom has filed an objection against the awarding. This could mean that the Spanish manufacturer might still lose the major order.

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

French and German companies file objections against the awarding process

Who has filed objections? Both Alstom (France) and Siemens (Germany), which lost in the bidding process, have filed objections against the SNCB’s decision and are suing in court.

The French company Alstom argued that its offer was 107 million euros cheaper, and they could also integrate Belgian workers at their factories in Bruges and Charleroi. This also brought unions into the picture, as they feared that if Alstom did not receive the offer, several hundred jobs in Belgium would be directly threatened (via vrt.be). The argument from analysts:

If Alstom receives the order, it would secure the workload of the Alstom factory in Bruges (Belgium) for several more years and potentially avoid a restructuring or even the closure of the plant. This was reported by the English-language magazine Reuters.com.

SNCB confirms Spanish company again as main contender, Alstom plans to sue again

What happens next? On April 17, 2025, the Belgian State Council, the highest administrative court in Belgium, temporarily stopped the award of the contract to the Spanish manufacturer CAF. The SNCB was to re-examine the order.

After further examination, the SNCB confirmed again in August 2025 that CAF is the preferred bidder, but the awarding process remains accompanied by legal disputes. The next hearing on this matter is scheduled for August 29, 2025, with the outcome expected a few weeks later.

Unions and some politicians still criticize that the order could not go to a provider with manufacturing in Belgium. This was reported by the magazine Belganewsagency.eu.

The railway has long been considered non-competitive against the airplane. However, one route is showing that the train can indeed keep pace and poses tough competition for air travel. Such strong competition that more and more people are switching from planes to trains: In one country, the train is currently outpacing the airplane: Flying no longer pays off on a route of 1,300 km

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