Many players feel a void and a sense of real sorrow after their favorite games. Psychologists have conducted a study on this “post-game depression,” and the results show: One particular genre is responsible for this phenomenon.
What was the study about? A new scientific study has confirmed that the so-called “post-game depression”, or “P-GD” for short, is not only a real psychological phenomenon but that a particular genre is especially susceptible to it. This refers to the feeling of emptiness, sadness, and loss after finishing a highly engaging video game.
For the study, researchers surveyed around 373 regular players of various video game genres in two rounds and published their results in the journal “Current Psychology“. They measured the “post-game depression” based on four main characteristics that were already established in a study in 2023 in the context of P-GD:
Rumination (most intense)
Constant, intrusive thoughts about the game’s plot or universe.
Difficulty accepting closure
The problem of accepting that the emotional experience is over.
The urge to replay
The desire to restart the game immediately to regain the feeling.
Media anhedonia
A temporary loss of interest in other games or films, as they seem unable to fill the “gap” left behind.
Since there has been little research in this area so far, psychologists Kamil Janowicz from the Center for Personality Development Research at the SWPS University Institute of Psychology and Piotr Klimczyk from the Stefan Batory Academy of Applied Sciences in Skierniewice analyzed the topic more comprehensively and developed the first instrument for scientifically measuring the intensity of this phenomenon: the Post-Game Depression Scale (P-GDS).
They found that particularly role-playing games can trigger P-GD in their players.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a classic example of a game that has triggered post-game depression in many players:
Start video
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 hinterlässt bei den Spielern eine Leere
According to the study, role-playing games often lead to emotional emptiness after completion
Why do role-playing games particularly lead to P-GD? The study found that role-playing games like Baldur’s Gate 3 or The Witcher 3 would trigger the strongest post-game depression. The reason is that players often have the most significant impact on the story development through their decisions, and thus dive deepest into the events and worlds.
They often spend hundreds of hours with the story, forming deep parasocial relationships with their characters. It holds that: The stronger this bond, the harder it is to return to reality at the end.
Our research shows that the virtual world becomes such a significant source of emotions for many gamers that returning to everyday life requires time and suitable psychological resources. These findings can help us better understand gamers’ experiences and may be useful in the game development process. They also raise a number of questions regarding the ethical aspects of game development, particularly concerning the potential impact of gameplay on players’ well-being.
– Dr. Kamil Janowicz in Post-game depression scale – a new measure to capture players’ experiences after finishing video games. Current Psychology.
The researchers compare the feeling to a form of grief, similar to saying goodbye to a loved one or the end of an important life chapter. It was also found that individuals who tend to ruminate or process things pessimistically are more susceptible to experiencing intense P-GD.
The streamer Papaplatte talks about his streaming everyday life in his podcast Edeltalk and considers changing his content.
Why does Papaplatte want to change his Twitch everyday life? In his podcast Edeltalk, which Papaplatte conducts together with his Twitch colleague and friend Reeze, Papaplatte talked about his break from streaming. He reports that he needed this break and that he finds the streaming everyday life stressful.
About a day when he streams on Twitch, Papaplatte says the following:
Bro, it’s really, like the day I stream is just a dead day, because before that, I wake up, I eat something, then maybe I go to the gym, then there are one or two calls, then I stream and it’s really the whole day is dead and I really don’t see anyone on those days, Bro.
– Papaplatte in the podcast Edeltalk on YouTube starting at 01:14:37
During his one-week break, when the Twitch streamer didn’t stream at all, his view of his work life changed. Among other things, his sleep quality suffers from it, and he sees his family and friends less.
Previously, breaks would make him lose the desire to stream upon his return; now he feels rather the opposite.
Start video
This is how challenges for Papaplatte became a livelihood
Papaplatte reduces streaming
What are Papaplatte’s future plans? In light of his current state, Papaplatte wants to change something. He reports that he wants to reorient himself but does not yet know exactly where to.
In the near future, he wants to first reduce the streams to find out what exactly bothers him:
I wonder if maybe I just don’t feel like doing things because I am exhausted. You understand what I mean? […] I don’t know if I am just exhausted and I don’t want to do what I did, or if I don’t want to do it because I am so exhausted, and now I just have to fix this exhaustion thing, that’s it.
– Papaplatte in the podcast Edeltalk onYouTube starting at 01:15:58
For him, it is clear that even though he has handled streaming this way for the last 10 years, he cannot do it the same way for the next 10 years.
In his ideal vision, he would run a 2-week model: He streams for 2 weeks straight and then has 2 weeks completely off. Continuing to stream almost every day would just influence his social life too much.
What is known about season 3 of One Piece on Netflix? We summarize all information regarding the release, the cast, and the content.
The second season of One Piece has been released, and many of you have surely already finished watching it. This raises the question: When will season 3 continue?
In this article, we summarize all the information known so far about season 3 of One Piece.
This article will be regularly updated as new information becomes available. So make sure to check back often!
[toc]
Start video
Netflix shows in the new trailer for One Piece the many new villains of Season 2
Release: When will One Piece season 3 be available on Netflix?
When exactly season 3 of One Piece will be available on Netflix is currently unknown. However, there is at least good news regarding the continuation. Because season 3 is not only confirmed but is even already in production: Production started in South Africa in November 2025.
The gap between the start of production and the release for season two was just under two years. This would imply a release in 2027. Nevertheless, it is currently open when exactly things will continue with season 3.
Cast: Who is in the cast of One Piece season 3?
In general, you can expect the return of many familiar characters, but also new faces. Currently confirmed are:
Returning:
Iñaki Godoy – Luffy
Mackenyu – Zoro
Emily Rudd – Nami
Jacob Romero – Usopp
Taz Skylar – Sanji
Charithra Chandran – Miss Wednesday
Mikaela Hoover – Tony Chopper
Joe Manganiello – Mr. 0
Lera Above – Nico Robin
Sendhil Ramamurthy – Nefeltari Cobra
New faces:
Xolo Maridueña – Puma D. Ace
Cole Escola – Bon Clay
Daisy Head – Miss Doublefinger
Awdo Awdo – Mr. 1
Episodes: How many episodes does season 3 have and what is the story?
Officially, the number of episodes has not yet been confirmed, but both the first and the second season had eight episodes each. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that season 3 will also fall within this range.
In the anime and manga source material of One Piece, there is plenty of material that the new season could cover. Currently, the third season is expected to focus mainly on the Alabasta Arc and the battle against Sir Crocodile.
Currently, One Piece as a live-action series is only available on Netflix. Accordingly, you can only watch the current two seasons, as well as the upcoming third season, with a Netflix subscription.
The wait for the third season of One Piece continues. What adventures await Luffy and his Straw Hat crew next? We will keep you updated as always! And for those who can’t wait for the release of the live-action version: The anime has a lot more story to offer. Here we show you, how you can stream One Piece in German legally.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Epic Games has announced that it will lay off over 1,000 employees. This comes just weeks after a price increase of V-Bucks, the in-game currency of the game.
This is the report: Epic Games is laying off over 1,000 employees today, March 24, 2026. This is reported by industry insider Jason Schreier on Bloomberg.
This article is published in a breaking manner and will be supplemented and expanded with information after publication.
In a blog post on the official Epic Games website, Tim Sweeney, CEO of the company, writes that they are spending more than they are earning and therefore must make this difficult decision:
“Today we must lay off over 1,000 employees from Epic. I regret that we have reached this point again. The decline in user activity in Fortnite, which began in 2025, has led us to spend significantly more than we earn, and we must make substantial cuts to secure the company financially. These layoffs, together with identified cost savings of over $500 million in areas such as outsourcing, marketing, and eliminating some open positions, put us in a more stable position.”
The spring season of League of Legends is in full swing. Now, Riot wants to host special events with two of the best teams, where the fans will be the focus.
What kind of events are these? Even in 2025, there were special events during the European league, the LEC. Riot, along with the participating professional teams, organized so-called Roadtrips.
These Roadtrips will return in 2026 and are meant to be a special experience for the teams’ fans.
Which teams are organizing the Roadtrips? The teams organizing the events together with Riot are Karmine Corp and Movistar KOI.
From April 24 to April 26, 2026, Karmine Corp will host their Roadtrip in Évry-Courcouronnes, a municipality in the south of Paris. There, the teams Karmine Corp, Shifter, Natus Vincere, and Fnatic will compete against each other in the event hall Les Arènes de Grand Paris Sud.
From May 8 to May 10, 2026, Movistar KOI will host their Roadtrip in Madrid. There, the teams Movistar KOI, G2 Esports, Karmine Corp, and GIANTX will compete against each other in the Madrid Arena.
Start video
League of Legends shows new trailer for Season 1 from 2026
The LEC community is at the forefront
What does that exactly mean? With the Roadtrips, Riot and the two teams want to bring the LEC community and fans closer together. The focus will primarily be on the identity, passion, and culture that define both the teams and the league.
The Movistar KOI Roadtrip will simultaneously conclude the spring split of the LEC. This means that the matches will be the final stop for the teams. After that, there will be a two-week break before the playoffs continue.
Where can you get tickets? For the Karmine Corp Roadtrip from April 24 to April 26, there are two types of tickets.
The Bronze and Gold tickets each include all three days of the event. With the Bronze ticket for 96 euros, you will have a seat further back. The Gold ticket takes you to the front, where the players compete against each other, and costs 145 euros.
For the Movistar KOI Roadtrip from May 8 to May 10, tickets will also be available soon. As soon as the page is online, we will add the link and the available tickets here.
While in Path of Exile the new season is reaching its peak, players already have demands on the developers to make Path of Exile 2 even better.
What’s the status of Path of Exile 2? After several delays, Path of Exile 2 is still in Early Access on Steam almost 1.5 years after launch. Currently, most of the player base is immersed in the new season of the predecessor, Path of Exile: Mirage.
However, this does not prevent fans from already formulating specific demands for the upcoming Update 5 for Path of Exile 2.
Here you can see the trailer for Update 4 of Path of Exile 2 along with the last new class:
Start video
Path of Exile 2 zeigt Gameplay zur neuen Druiden-Klasse
A new endgame is needed
What do players demand? Naturally, players of Path of Exile 2 have very different ideas about what the developers need to address first. It is particularly clear on Reddit that the endgame has been a highlighted topic.
Especially after the developers introduced a new atlas system in the predecessor Path of Exile, players are currently asking for a new endgame system for Path of Exile 2. Many players feel that the scope of the endgame is too small.
Here, players hope for an expansion of the endgame, but also for an improvement of the structure, which has historically been criticized repeatedly.
What else is highly valued? Players of Path of Exile 2 are looking for a new class along with a new weapon. So far, melee combat in the game has received little attention in the update. Therefore, swords and axes and their corresponding classes are an important concern for players.
If Path of Exile 2 wants to leave Early Access by 2026, the developers need to hurry, because even if some of the classes currently in development are added at release: Without new classes, the community is unlikely to remain engaged for long.
The bosses in World of Warcraft are too weak. Therefore, Blizzard is correcting this, making dungeons and raids harder, in line with the start of the season.
With the balance of dungeons and raids, the primary endgame of World of Warcraft stands and falls. Whether bosses provide an exciting challenge or just fall over like a wet sack can easily determine whether the game is fun or feels boring. Therefore, Blizzard is now adjusting some bosses and dungeons, making them a bit harder and giving them more power.
Start video
WoW: How to quickly farm 500 mysterious sky shards for the mount “Echo of Aln’Sharan”
What has been made harder? Basically, Blizzard has made some minor tweaks to dungeons, but much larger adjustments to the mythic raids that open today.
For dungeons:
The Academy of Algeth’ar has become harder. The buffs granted by dragonflights are weaker, bosses hit multiple targets with their abilities, and some bugs have been fixed, where debuffs did not cause the correct damage.
The enemies at the beginning of Nexus Point Xenas now have no less than 90% health. Additionally, the cast time of some abilities has been reduced, requiring quicker reactions to interrupt them.
Saprish in the Seat of the Triumvirate now hits a larger area with his phase attack.
In the Tower of the Windrunners, bosses also deal a bit more damage.
Mythic raid gets really hard, Blizzard brings big buffs
For raids:
All 7 currently available bosses have become significantly harder on mythic difficulty. Individual abilities have been increased by up to 260% – like Vorasius’s Shadow Claw, which should pose quite a challenge for the best guilds in the world. Healers especially will face a significant challenge, as Blizzard apparently had concerns that most issues could be healed through rather comfortably.
For other abilities, the increase is not as drastic, often in the single or double-digit percentage range. However, it is clear that Blizzard had aimed for a significantly lower difficulty for the raid and that player performance is already exceeding what was originally envisaged.
The complete list of all adjustments can be read on wowhead, which has already extracted these details through data mining.
Why are the buffs coming right now? Today (in the USA) and tomorrow (Europe) marks the “real” start of Season 1 of Midnight. This means that dungeons are available at the “Mythic+” difficulty and the raids on mythic difficulty will also open their doors. This coincides with the World First Race.
Apparently, Blizzard evaluated the data from this week and concluded that some bosses need a bit more power to pose a challenge to the players.
Doing this before the official start is clearly the right decision. Because afterwards, Blizzard typically only corrects “downward,” i.e., through nerfs to bosses. This is to avoid a guild celebrating successes at the beginning that others then cannot replicate – for example, because the boss has become harder in the meantime. If mythic raids are not an option for you and you prefer to go solo, then the depths are a good means to acquire strong gear. With our 5 tips for the depths, it can even be done effortlessly.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the past, Gigantamax bosses have come into play. Usually, one could prepare for the battle against them the week before. Typically, a special timed research started that provided, among other things, Dyna particles and also a viable counter for the monster on the weekend.
However, regarding Pikachu Day, it is currently: nothing. No research has appeared in Pokémon GO, and the event announcement also lacked research. Therefore, it is to be expected that there will be no more. This frustrates some players.
Start video
Pokémon GO Fest 2026 comes with Mewtwo and Zeraora
Players miss the preparatory research
In the subreddit TheSilphRoad for Pokémon GO, the lack of research is being discussed. A post in the subreddit highlighted the absence of research and called it a negative change – and finds support in the comments.
Particularly the missing Dyna particles are criticized by some players as this research was a good option to earn free resources for a few battles. I will just do one and then I’m out, replies user Chardan0001 on Reddit.
Others emphasize that they see the change as another negative point of the currently started season: They are really ruining everything this season, writes user Some_Entertainer6928 on Reddit. Among other things, the changes to showcases and the abolition of Tuesday’s spotlight hours have already been criticized by players.
Others mention that Pikachu is likely not going to be very important in the Gigantamax meta and therefore they do not plan to catch many specimens. They only want one for the Pokédex.
Nevertheless: The question remains why the Pokémon GO team decided to end the customary research. How have you used it in the past? Did you play the research, or did you leave it aside anyway? Tell us in the comments. If you want to know what will happen in the game next month: Here you can find all the info about events in Pokémon GO in April 2026.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
To make World of Warcraft a bit more enjoyable, players can rely on a whole range of modifications that change all sorts of things – so-called addons. We’ll show you some of the best addons for the different areas in the new expansion Midnight.
Update: We have reviewed and updated the article on March 3, 2026.
Addon List for Midnight: Addons serve the purpose of providing players with additional information, making the game more comfortable, or simply passing the time. However, for certain areas like PvP or raids, there are numerous helpers that are a must-have, both for beginners and for the endgame.
The best addons for dungeons and raids in Midnight
The Player versus Environment content (PvE) is the largest part of every expansion of WoW. In dungeons and raids, it is therefore important to be well-prepared. Many well-known addons have become unusable since Midnight, with few exceptions.
Premade Groups Filter
The group browser in WoW has now even received better functions, but filtering for specific groups is still not entirely optimally resolved. This is where Premade Groups Filter helps.
The addon helps you specifically search for groups with certain requirements, for example with options for:
the number of members already in the group
the number of tank, healer, or DPS slots that are already filled
the number of bosses that have already been defeated
specific abilities that are already in the group or not, such as a Battlerez or Battle Rage
Disadvantage: Some of the filter options are not directly visible and only available through written commands. You will need to read a bit into the functions.
The options appear next to the browser. Image source: Curse.
Pawn
The function of Pawn is quite simple: the addon compares two items and tells you how much stronger or weaker a corresponding piece of equipment is. Or more simply: Pawn tells you which item you should equip.
You can rely on predefined values or feed the addon with your own values that you have determined through simulations – for example via Raidbots. Many raiders swear by Pawn and update their profiles every time their values change.
Through a menu, you can determine your own values that determine the strength of an item.
The Best Addons for Leveling in Midnight 2026
Midnight raises the maximum level to 90 and significantly changes leveling. There are countless addons for WoW that aim to make leveling easier or faster. We have picked out some addons that will give you a few advantages on your way to the maximum level or make everything more enjoyable.
Azeroth Pilot Reloaded
The probably most popular addon for leveling and questing in WoW is Azeroth AutoPilot, or in the new version: Azeroth Pilot Reloaded. In short, the addon is meant to simply turn off your brain and start playing.
Instead of painstakingly having to read all the quests and think about where you need to go next, the addon provides you with the current objectives, shows the direction with an arrow, and even automatically accepts or hands in quests.
Warning: it is possible that Blizzard sees the autopilot as too strong, as was the case with WeakAuras. You cannot be punished for its use, but in the future, the features may be restricted. However, this has not yet happened in Midnight.
The probably most useful addon for leveling and also later is RareScanner. The addon notifies you when you have a rare enemy (Raremob) nearby and provides information about what you can loot from it. To do this, RareScanner places symbols on the map to mark locations.
You can select a found NPC directly through the interface of the addon. Raremobs reward you with special loot or even a large chunk of experience, making RareScanner particularly helpful for leveling.
This is what it looks like when RareScanner finds a rare mob. Image source: Curse.
TomTom
With TomTom you can navigate much better in Azeroth thanks to its features in navigation. The addon shows your coordinates in a small window. Thus, you know exactly where you are and can track the coordinates of other users when searching for a specific place. This is especially helpful when you want to look for quests or NPCs that are not marked.
Additionally, you can set multiple waypoints on the map according to the coordinates. With a floating arrow marker, TomTom also shows you where to run or fly to reach your destination. You also receive an approximate travel time and the remaining meters to cover, depending on your movement speed.
Midnight Routine is primarily intended for newcomers who are still not quite familiar with Azeroth. This addon lists all important daily and weekly tasks for you and checks them off once you have completed them.
World of Warcraft has many activities and tasks that a hero can complete each week, and those who want to keep everything organized and act efficiently can do so with Midnight Routine even without experience.
With Midnight, many useful addons for PvP have been affected, but one option will not let you down.
sArena Reloaded
If you are looking for an interface addon for Midnight so you won’t miss anything in PvP, you should resort to sArena Reloaded. With this addon, you can customize the various windows of your allies and enemies to your liking.
Additionally, you also receive information regarding the cooldowns of various abilities that do not actually show cooldowns – these include Smoke Bomb, Earthen Wall, Barrier, etc. This is a rather resource-light addon with superficial options and QoL features for PvP.
To get an addon up and running, you must first install it. There are two ways to do this: directly or through a client.
Direct Installation
If you want to integrate an addon into WoW yourself, the easiest way is to visit the Curse website. Curse is the largest website for WoW modifications.
Choose an addon and download it. You will receive a .zip or .rar file, which you need to unpack with a program like 7zip, and then you have the addon in a folder with the same name. You drag this folder into the path _retail_/Interface/Addons in your WoW directory.
The client searches for installed games, and you can then simply select WoW from the list. Make sure to choose the correct partition. If you have WoW and WoW Classic installed, the correct path for Dragonflight looks like this:
C:GamesWorld of Warcraft_retail_
CurseForge gives you a selection from the retail and the classic version as a dropdown. By clicking on Get More Addons, you get a list of all addons from Curse. Once you find what you want, simply click Install. The client takes care of the rest.
The client looks similar to the one from Twitch back then and is equally easy to use.
Installing addons with WoWUp
An alternative to Overwolf is the independent client WoWUp. You can get it on the official homepage and simply download the file for Windows, Linux, and Mac, unpack it, and run it. No installation is necessary.
Once you have installed the addons, you just need to activate them. The next time you start WoW, you will see the “Menu” button at the top of the character selection screen, and you can then click on “AddOns”. Here you select all the addons you want to activate, and they will be ready for you when you log in.
Here you can find all installed addons listed clearly.
With Midnight, WoW is now in its eleventh expansion, and addons are part of the daily routine for the majority of players. With our tips, you are optimally equipped to master every content of World of Warcraft.
Do you have any addons that you would urgently recommend?
A Twitch streamer has gone too far in Counter-Strike and has been banned. Now he is begging Valve’s CEO for mercy.
Who is the Twitch streamer? Nicholas Stewart (24), better known as Jynxzi, is an American Twitch streamer known for his loud, flashy demeanor and extreme reactions. He screams a lot, jumps up and down, or falls back in his chair.
For years, Jynxzi streamed almost exclusively Ubisoft’s tactical shooter Rainbow Six: Siege and became number 1 on Twitch. In 2024, he regularly entertained over 50,000 viewers (via Sullygnome).
In 2025, he turned away from Rainbow Six: Siege more frequently, also showing a lot of Clash Royale and other games like Fortnite or Minecraft. Since March 2026, he has been regularly streaming Counter-Strike 2 – at least, when he’s not serving a ban.
Start video
Counter-Strike 2: Valve once again impresses with the launch trailer
Streamer makes a mistake, bans himself from the market
What kind of ban was it? Jynxzi received a three-day market restriction on Steam and therefore cannot become active and trade on the Steam marketplace until March 26.
How did the ban occur? Jynxzi is currently opening a ton of cases in Counter-Strike 2. To do this, he regularly adds larger amounts of funds to his Steam account. During his stream on March 23, 2026, he encountered a limit that Valve sets for its users:
Jynxzi was no longer allowed to add funds to his Steam account. He had reached the upper limit.
Valve restricts how much money each user can add to their Steam balance per day. For American customers like Jynxzi, this limit is $2,000 (via Steam). With the funds he charged during the stream the day before, he reached this limit.
For the streamer, this meant: He could no longer add money and could not open new cases.
Loot boxes have been critically viewed by the public for several years because they operate with gambling mechanics. In Counter-Strike, this is especially heavily discussed as there is a lively trade with the skins, resembling a lottery with major prizes and blanks.
If you have problems with gambling yourself or are worried about a loved one, contact the counseling hotline of the Federal Ministry. The counseling team of BZgA is available free and anonymously at 0800 1 37 27 00. The consultation hours: Monday to Thursday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for 363 days a year (excluding December 24 and December 31).
A friend of the American, who was also present during the stream, then came up with the brilliant idea of sending him gift cards instead. After all, the streamer wouldn’t be adding the money himself.
However, accepting gift cards can lead to the account being restricted from the market for 72 hours. This is now the case for Jynxzi. Although Steam warns the user before accepting the gift card about the impending restriction, the streamer apparently overlooked this and accepted the card. The market restriction followed.
This means that instead of being unable to add money until the end of the day, Jynxzi can now not be active on the Steam marketplace at all until March 26.
This is how it came to the kneeling: During the stream, Jynxzi and his buddy desperately searched for a way to lift the ban to continue opening cases.
They finally came up with the idea of directly addressing Gabe Newell. Jynxzi was to fall to his knees in a black-and-white image set to sad music and plead with the CEO and co-founder of Valve for mercy. He did so in an entirely exaggerated manner, as is usual for the streamer:
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“I want to apologize for asking my friend to send me a Steam gift card worth $100, even though I knew I had exceeded your 24-hour limit,” the streamer explains, apologizing to Valve, Steam, and Counter-Strike before asking Gabe Newell to lift the market restriction.
Crimson Desert looks really pretty, but you can make the game world much more atmospheric. However, the better atmosphere significantly impacts your performance. In our tests, we found that both AMD and Nvidia graphics cards are equally affected.
However, the game gains significantly more atmosphere when you activate a setting in the game. This gain is accompanied by high performance losses.
Start video
Crimson Desert shows more of the fights and progression in the action RPG in the new gameplay video
Raytracing is a huge boon for the atmosphere, but it eats your FPS
What setting is this about? Specifically, it refers to the setting of Raytracing and FSR Ray Generation (AMD) / DLSS Ray Reconstruction (Nvidia). If you skip Ray Generation/Reconstruction, a custom system from Pearl Abyss is used for Raytracing.
If you use the feature, your game will look significantly prettier and more detailed. However, this also requires a corresponding graphics card: For Nvidia, this includes all RTX cards from the 2000 generation, and for AMD, all cards from the RX 6000 series and better. If you barely meet the minimum requirements of Crimson Desert (RX 5500 XT / GTX 1060), Raytracing is not available to you.
Where is this particularly noticeable? In interiors, because here the lighting is particularly well realized: Objects like armor or people cast precise shadows, and light is correctly refracted when it shines through windows. Furniture appears much more three-dimensional due to the detailed shadow casting. Metal looks like metal and no longer like a painted block of wood.
This makes the game feel much more atmospheric: The world appears much more natural and realistic.
During the day, this is less noticeable, as the shadows and lighting are not as pronounced: The shadows on a rock wall or under a tree become slightly darker, and the surrounding areas become slightly brighter. In enclosed spaces, however, you have clearly defined light sources such as torches, lanterns, or sunlight coming through the windows.
Check out the image galleries in this article. You can see the differences clearly:
Crimson Desert with shadow castingCrimson Desert with RaytracingCrimson Desert with Raytracing and Ray Generation.Check out the differences in the three images: With Raytracing and Ray Generation, the castle looks much more natural.
What is the disadvantage? You lose significant performance, and the FPS sometimes drops drastically. At MeinMMO, we tested this on different systems, once with AMD and once with NVIDIA. Both with a Radeon RX 9070 and a GeForce RTX 4080, the FPS in WQHD with FSR Ray Generation / DLSS Ray Reconstruction noticeably drop: from 80/90 FPS to about 30/35 FPS. You therefore lose more than half of your performance.
This is just about the threshold of what I would define as fluid gameplay.
In the upper floor of the Lion’s Mane estate: Shadows activated, Raytracing is turned off.In the upper floor of the Lion’s Mane estate: Raytracing is activated.
However, if you skip Ray Generation / Ray Construction, you miss out on details regarding shadows and lighting, but your game still looks better than if you skip Raytracing entirely, and your performance remains stable enough.
Lion’s Mane estate, kitchen. Normal shadows, without Raytracing.Lion’s Mane estate, kitchen. Raytracing + Ray Generation activated
In the end, you have to decide what is more important to you: fluid gameplay or a stunning, natural game world that you can’t get enough of. I ultimately consciously chose the better performance because 30 FPS is simply not enough for me in everyday use.
My recommendation: Activate Raytracing (assuming the appropriate GPU) and skip Ray Generation / Ray Reconstruction and use the internal function of Crimson Desert’s own engine. Yes, you will lose details, but the game still looks better, and the performance doesn’t drop as drastically.
A lead developer of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has already played his own game for around 1,000 hours, but about 950 of those hours it was “broken.” However, this is not only the case with Bethesda games, but happens in every studio that produces open-world games of this caliber.
Who is this developer? Bruce Nesmith joined Bethesda Game Studios in 1995 and left in 1998, before returning in 2004 for the development of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion . He even took on the position of lead designer for Skyrim.
In 2021, Nesmith left the company again. The last game he worked on there was Starfield. In an interview with the YouTube channel MinnMax, he talked about the origins of the space game, the evolution of Bethesda, and many other topics.
In this interview, the question also arose regarding how game developers draw new strength for the next project between large projects. These are usually quite exhausting for the team, and a major reason for this is, according to Nesmith, the repetitive nature of game development.
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The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Official Trailer
Developers spend hundreds of hours in a broken game
What does the developer mean by that? Nesmith explains: “I have probably played Skyrim for 1,000 hours. 950 of those hours it was broken.” That was it already by definition: “We were still developing the game, it couldn’t be anything other than broken.”
This is the reality of such large projects in any studio, not just Bethesda. “In every studio, you spend these 950 hours playing a broken game. And on top of that, you play the same damned thing over and over again…,” Nesmith says.
What helps, according to the developer, is variety:
Now the project is finished and we switch over to Fallout, or we are working on this DLC. We don’t start from the beginning of the process, and that’s the exciting part. And that actually helps to recover.
At this point, Nesmith praises his former employer. Bethesda is very good at giving its developers time to recover at the end of a project. One would not be placed directly from an exhausting project to the next.
At the end of a project, a lot is celebrated according to Nesmith, people take well-deserved vacations, and there is a “very relaxed atmosphere.” The studio is equally good at giving its developers something fresh to sink their teeth into.
Josh Strife Hayes is considered a savvy MMO expert on YouTube and Twitch. For a series of sponsored videos, he now has to justify himself.
Who is this YouTuber? Josh Strife Hayes is a content creator known for his insightful content on MMOs, such as his YouTube series “Worst MMO Ever?” or a detailed analysis of the Pay2Win mechanics in Diablo Immortal.
However, for a current series of sponsored short videos, Josh Strife Hayes is now under criticism. Fans accuse him of selling out. On X, the content creator defends himself and expresses disappointment with the behavior.
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WoW: What the Trading Post Offers in March
Fans accuse MMORPG experts of selling out
What is the criticism about? Between March 16 and March 23, 2026, Josh Strife Hayes released a series of short videos on his YouTube channel, created as part of a paid partnership with World of Warcraft and Pinterest. The content creator sent viewers on a kind of scavenger hunt through London, where they could score limited housing items for WoW.
Many viewers reacted with amusement: This is a sneaky trap to get people outside; no WoW item is worth going to London for.
However, some fans accuse the YouTuber of having sold out. In the comments, for instance, it says, “We got a fallen Josh Strife Hayes before GTA 6” or “I wonder how much they paid him.” One fan even announces that after 5 years, he will no longer subscribe to the channel.
“I would have met people, and I’m sure they would have offered a truckload of money. The number of zeros on the contract was quite impressive. But I just said: I don’t think my viewers want that.”
“I would rather take a company’s money than yours”
How does Josh Strife Hayes react? On X, the content creator posted a series of posts on the night of March 23, expressing disappointment with the behavior of the fans and explaining his decision. The YouTuber says he has financed his MMO content mostly through advertising and the support of fans in recent years. He rarely accepted sponsorships.
He accepted this campaign because he enjoys this kind of scavenger hunt in real life, and because he would rather “take a company’s money than his [fans’]”. This whole experience has been “totally overwhelming and mentally draining” for him (Source: X).
The content creator further explains that it’s not about whining for him. However, as an artist, sometimes it’s simply necessary to accept money to be able to produce the content one wants to make. In conclusion, he states: Being insulted by people on the internet whom you will never meet is a worthwhile price to pay for securing a stable future for yourself and your family.
How is this being discussed now: The comments show overwhelming solidarity with Josh Strife Hayes. People simply lack an understanding of how content creators work, so the consensus goes. After all, one cannot pay bills solely with passion.
The world of Warhammer 40,000 is known for its grim setting, where there is no hope. For some, this is a meme, for others, exaggerated edginess. MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus spoke with someone who knows more about the universe than most people and learned something about Warhammer that surprised him.
Anyone who regularly visits MeinMMO has certainly read some of my texts about Warhammer. I would confidently call myself an expert, even if there are people who know more, especially in their specialized areas.
For an hour and a half, two nerds discussed Warhammer as if it were a research topic – and rarely have I felt so dumb. What Anatoly explained to me made it very clear how elaborate the world of Warhammer really is.
“The current situation is the best possible”
The moment I had the biggest “Aha!” effect in years came after the question of whether there could ever be peace in Warhammer 40,000. The world is grim, and there is no one who is truly “good”. Every faction exists in moral gray areas with their own goals and doctrines.
This is one of the fundamental rules of the setting. It is impossible for the situation to get better when you look at the big picture. If there were this possibility, the Emperor would have already made it happen. There isn’t any. The current situation is the best possible. Either you believe this, or you are a filthy heretic. Those are the only two options.
Anatoly Shestov, Executive Producer at Owlcat
That makes sense. As long as the war in Warhammer has been going on, it is likely that all possibilities have already been exhausted. And more importantly: If there wasn’t constant warfare, the Imperium couldn’t exist at all.
Everything in the Imperium, from its infrastructure to the organizations that control everything, is geared towards a war economy. Without war, the administration would collapse, people would no longer work in factories, and there would be no fanatical unity left – something that powers like chaos are just waiting for.
Dark Heresy is already playable, with the alpha encompassing about 15 hours of gameplay. You can find Dark Heresy on Steam here. For alpha access, you need to purchase the Developers Digital Pack or the Collector’s Edition in the official shop.
“There must be side effects that make everything worse”
Anatoly further explains that this dark (and indeed “grimdark”) atmosphere is exactly what defines Warhammer. If there were peace, it simply wouldn’t be Warhammer:
When you create something, devise something, design a story for Warhammer, the most dangerous thing you can do is tell a story where things go well. Suddenly, you lose the entire Warhammer experience with such an approach. There must be side effects that are even worse than what you have achieved. There must be consequences that worsen the circumstances.
So yes, the whole idea that the Imperium could achieve long-term peace, control immigration, enter cooperation or trade with Xenos is completely off the table. Not because it would be boring, but because that would absolutely not be Warhammer.
Anatoly Shestov, Executive Producer at Owlcat
After Anatoly explained this to me, I also understood why the first role-playing game for Warhammer 40,000 by Owlcat unfolded as it did. I loved Rogue Trader, but even the good ending was just dark.
The “Dark Heresy” leader is, by the way, an even bigger Warhammer nerd than I am. When I asked him how deep he is into the material, he couldn’t exactly answer but explained to me:
He played tournaments with his Necron army between 2015 and 2017, now he has landed with Custodes.
Since release, he has played every Warhammer game that has come out.
He has played or master thousands of sessions in various role-playing systems.
He even created his own Space Marine chapter and published articles for nerds about the Emperor and other god-like beings.
An hour and a half of nerd talk with more information than I expected
Here you read only a small excerpt from the conversation (I don’t want to call it an “interview”, as it was too nerdy of a discussion). We talked about all sorts of topics, from gameplay to Dark Heresy to Warhammer lore to the physical figures, armies, and the “hobby” itself.
Since our conversation lasted an hour and a half, we will publish everything gradually with thematically summarized content. Consider this article as part 1 of what is expected to be 4 of the entire interview.
In Crimson Desert there is a hidden feature that makes battles easier for you and even could be an idea for the upcoming GTA 6.
What is this hidden feature? Crimson Desert is almost known for its hidden options. Hardly any game tries to explain so little to its players, despite having so many features.
One of these hidden features is summoning playable characters as companions. While most players simply leave the other two playable characters standing in the camp due to the structure of Crimson Desert, you can summon them as AI bodyguards to make battles easier.
Once summoned, the companion fights by your side, takes out enemies, and makes many battles significantly easier.
Here you can see how to solve a puzzle:
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How to solve the riddle “Abyss in Imbalance” in Crimson Desert
Still Unknown After 40 Hours
Is the feature really that unknown? Yes, in a Reddit post a player points out the hidden feature, causing shocked faces. Although you receive the second playable character early in the game, this character is mostly parked in the camp and not touched.
AnimaAeternum: “That was my first thought after I found that out – you can easily clear mobs and camps this way if you have problems.”
KAM1Sense1: “Bro, I’m 40 hours in, what the hell do you mean with ‘we can tag team'”
Vaith94: “No fucking way. That changes everything”
Eric_T_Meraki: “It’s because, like with most game mechanics, apart from the initial prompt or dialogue, there isn’t much explanation, so in the end, players have no idea how to do it or completely forget that the mechanic exists.”
The idea could also be used in GTA 6. It is already known that there will be two protagonists, between whom the story will switch back and forth. GTA 5 handled it the same way as Crimson Desert, only you could not summon the characters before.
Everyone who moves around the internet knows Facebook and its founder Mark Zuckerberg today. On Netflix, you have only a few days left to watch a strong movie about the creation of the social network. MeinMMO author Christoph gives a strong recommendation.
Which movie is it about? It has the fitting title The Social Network. The film is from the year 2010 and was directed by David Fincher. The director, who is otherwise known for dark films like Fight Club, Seven, or Zodiac, dedicated himself to a real story here.
The screenplay by Aaron Sorkin deals with Mark Zuckerberg and his beginnings at Harvard University. The film tells how the young, aspiring student gathers friends and companions around him and one day launches the platform Facemash.
There, unauthorized photos of women from the university environment are uploaded and can be rated. In 2003, this was controversial, which is why the site did not last long. Nevertheless, the idea was born in Zuckerberg to found a social network.
Together with his fellow students, Facebook is eventually founded. However, The Social Network does not end here. The film shows how the company grows rapidly, soon spreads beyond university boundaries, and makes Zuckerberg and his partners famous.
Of course, this soon leads to conflicts that the film does not spare. Zuckerberg is sued for intellectual property theft, and there is a dispute with former friends.
The film is based on the book “Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook – A Tale of Sex, Money, Friendship, and Betrayal” by Ben Mezrich. This means that the story of the film is written from a subjective perspective and is by no means documentary. However, The Social Network is definitely worth watching.
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The Birth of Facebook in the Trailer for “The Social Network”
Breathless Tech Story
What makes the film so good for MeinMMO author Christoph? A film about the creation of Facebook – which might initially suggest a narrow target audience – is a surprisingly entertaining and engaging piece.
The Social Network has drawn me back to the screen repeatedly since its release in 2010. This is due to three points.
First: the screenplay by Aaron Sorkin. The actually simple story is conveyed at a high narrative pace. Particularly praiseworthy are the dialogues that the characters continually throw at each other. Although they are present at a high pace, they never seem too long or rambling. Rather, every sentence has its place and characterizes the figures.
Especially exciting is how the screenplay shows Zuckerberg himself – he is initially the eccentric nerd, later he becomes the calculating businessman. From today’s perspective, the film is viewed completely differently. Zuckerberg has deliberately presented himself publicly for some years now not as a nerd but as a muscular tech bro.
How one stands on this and his political orientation is a matter of personal opinion. For me, it is clear: while watching The Social Network, I wonder how much of that was already present in student Zuckerberg.
The second major strength: the direction by David Fincher. As usual, he skillfully adapts the screenplay and is equally precise in his staging. Every shot, every camera movement feels intentional. No frame is wasted.
And finally, the third strength: main actor Jesse Eisenberg beautifully manages to portray both the introverted and the ruthless Mark. While he initially still enjoys a bit of my sympathy, he quickly loses it during the course of the story.
Overall, The Social Network is a thoroughly successful film. Critics agree with this view. 335 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes gave it 96% positive reviews.
How long is the film still on Netflix? The Social Network is still available on the streaming platform until March 29, 2026. So, you should be quick if you’re interested. In general, you should always keep an eye on the films that are leaving Netflix. MeinMMO editor Niko has another recommendation for you: A sci-fi film is disappearing from Netflix in 4 days; it is the secret sequel to Jumanji
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The controls in Crimson Desert are often not very intuitive, and the game does not explain many things at first glance. Therefore, we explain how you can easily sheath your weapons.
How can you sheath your weapons? You can sheath your drawn weapon in the following ways:
Controller: Left directional button (<-) on the D-pad
PC: Press “T”
If you press the button twice quickly, your character will also show a cool move. Alternatively, you can deselect your weapon via the inventory or the corresponding radial menu.
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Crimson Desert: Pets are helpful loot collectors, here’s how you can tame them
Drawn weapons block certain actions
Where can drawn weapons become a problem? Those who have played Crimson Desert for a little longer will have encountered such situations. With a drawn weapon, you cannot do certain things, for example:
Pick up loot
Climb
Interact with objects
Some NPCs also react with fear or defense if you approach them with your weapon drawn or draw it in their presence. This can additionally block your options for actions and dialogues temporarily.
Especially in fights or in cities, it can quickly become annoying if you cannot escape quickly enough or if you cannot speak to important NPCs. Therefore, it is good to deal with how to quickly sheath your weapon with the press of a button in advance.
If you have gathered resources beforehand and have not switched back to your weapon, your tool will automatically be drawn in combat. Here, you should refer to the weapon wheel if you want to defeat your opponents as well.
Crimson Desert is a game that does not exactly hold your hand. Much is explained only minimally or not at all. While this encourages experimentation and puzzling, it can also quickly lead to frustration. If you get stuck or need help, check out our guide overview or leave us a comment if you can’t find what you’re looking for: Crimson Desert: All guides, tips, and lists at a glance
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Valeera in World of Warcraft is important if you want to celebrate successes in the Depths. We reveal how to level her up easily.
The Depths in World of Warcraft Midnight are a pillar of the endgame. Here you can earn good gear entirely on your own. Well, almost entirely on your own – because you will need the help of Valeera Sanguinar, a blood elf rogue who can deal damage and support you. To achieve this, however, you first need to level her up and equip her with suitable curiosities. This can take a while. But if you know what to do, you can significantly shorten the whole process.
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How to calculate the XP that Valeera receives? Essentially, Valeera receives experience points from various sources – but only in Depths marked as “Generous”. These are Depths depicted on the map with an open, golden glowing gate. In these Depths, you can use weekly keys to open a bonus treasure chest.
In generous Depths, Valeera receives XP from the following sources:
Every defeated enemy (minimal).
Every opened small treasure (moderate).
Successful completion of the Depth (much).
The more difficult the generous Depth (i.e. the higher the level), the more XP Valeera receives from each of these sources.
Level Valeera to 60 – a week full of generous Depths
The fastest way to level Valeera: The “trick” to quickly leveling Valeera is to visit all generous Depths every day, each on the highest difficulty that you can complete quickly without resting after each mob group. Depths of level 8 are best suited for this. Here, enemies should be relatively easily defeat-able for most, but Valeera already receives large amounts of XP. Completing the Depth almost brings an entire level – at the start even significantly more than one.
Each day, 4 generous Depths are available to you, and you should complete them all to give Valeera as much XP as possible.
A high level grants Valeera many bonuses.
At the same time, you should collect all small treasures (the blue pouches) you find along the way. These not only make you stronger but also grant Valeera a small XP boost. This may seem little, but over the course of a Depth, the treasures can account for 15% to 20% of a level.
However, it is not enough to do this on just one character. If you want to get Valeera to level 60 within a few days, you need to repeat the game with multiple characters.
Since Valeera’s progress is tied to your warband, all your characters can work together to bring the rogue to the maximum level.
Some players have already brought Valeera to level 60:
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Why should you level Valeera? Leveling Valeera directly influences how much damage she does, how well she heals, or what kind of tank performance she delivers. Whether your Valeera is level 10 or level 60 makes a gigantic difference and can literally determine whether you can complete Depths at level 11 with ease or struggle in depths at level 7. Depths are worth it, as there are items with item level 259.
While level 60 is not strictly necessary for Valeera, it certainly makes visits to the Depths much easier. Depending on your own gear, the good rogue will achieve around 100,000 DPS and should easily outperform characters. In this case, Valeera will rather “pull” you through the Depths than just be a useful support.
How far have you leveled your Valeera? Has she outperformed you in damage during the Depths and is basically bringing home the loot for you alone? Or does she still fall over with every second attack and urgently need a small XP snack? If you still have problems in the Depths of Midnight, check out these 5 tips to succeed in Depths.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Baldur’s Gate 3 offers many different options for strong builds, making almost every detail of the game useful… at least almost. As the community has pointed out, there is one element that should really be avoided from the beginning to save a lot of frustration along the way.
Which element is being referred to? In Baldur’s Gate 3, in addition to physical damage such as bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage, there are also elements that influence the type of damage dealt. Pretty much every one of these elements can create really powerful effects through the right build or even completely standalone, with one exception: Poison.
Poison damage is triggered, for example, by spells such as Ray of Sickness, Spray Poison, or Cloudkill, as well as by poisoned weapons. All these terms suggest strong possibilities in combat, but here players will unfortunately be disappointed. Because no matter how much damage they might theoretically deal: Most enemies in Baldur’s Gate 3 won’t care.
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Der animierte Kurzfilm zu Patch 8, dem letzten Update für Baldur’s Gate 3
Poison can be painful, but only if your enemies can actually feel it
Why is poison damage so bad in Baldur’s Gate 3? Perhaps you have been a victim of a nasty Cloudkill in Baldur’s Gate 3 yourself or still carry nasty memories from the fight with Aunt Ethel. But just because your Tav and their companions can’t stand poison doesn’t mean the same for your enemies.
Almost all enemies in Act 2 that stand in your way in the Shadow-Cursed Lands are undead and therefore resistant to poison. This means that the poison damage dealt is halved.
Also in Act 3 of the game, where one of the nastiest groups of enemies, such as the Steel Watch, consists of constructs and is even completely immune to poison, other elements are significantly stronger.
What does the community say about poison in Baldur’s Gate 3? The community on Reddit had to realize how poorly equipped players are if they want to rely on a poison build. But this is not just a problem in Baldur’s Gate 3. Also in D&D, poison is considered one of the inferior elements. This is partly due to the widespread immunity to poison of many monsters, the rather “evil” nature of its use, and – even if it sounds simple – the superiority of the other elements.
“That’s just D&D. Poison is only statistically better in Baldur’s Gate 3 in the way that a 1 is technically better than a 0,” writes Jindo5.
However, many players are not bothered by this. Most have already found their builds that they can combine with their favorite element. And what you can expect from this is no big surprise:
“I see your point and agree with you. But … Fireball, right,” writes the player with the appropriate name KABOOM3EP.
Many players of Baldur’s Gate 3 and Dungeons & Dragons have found their favorites when it comes to builds, spells, or other strategies. The mentioned level 3 spell Fireball is so popular in both the video game and tabletop that it has already become a meme. However, there are also strategies surrounding the Fireball so that you can use it even better: A spell in Baldur’s Gate 3 is so popular that many players prefer to shoot directly instead of waiting around
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
One of the largest AI companies has posted a special job vacancy: an expert in, among other things, weapons is sought. However, this is not about arming, but rather a growing concern about the misuse of the in-house AI.
What exactly has been advertised? The AI company Anthropic, known for its chatbot Claude, is looking for a “Policy Manager” for chemical weapons and high-explosives.
The job sounds somewhat unusual at first, however, the context is crucial: it is not about developing weapons, but about preventing AI from assisting with such tasks.
Further reports confirm that such experts are needed to build so-called “guardrails.” “Guardrails” refer to safeguards that provide a framework and block dangerous requests (Yahoo News & BBC).
According to information from the tech magazine Mashable, the sought-after person will help develop such rules and safeguards so that AI systems cannot be misused. The focus is on the manufacturing of weapons or explosives.
Why does an AI suddenly need weapons experts? The background is a growing problem: AI models are becoming increasingly powerful and thus potentially dangerous. Anthropic has recently tightened its policies. The use of AI for the development of:
At the same time, experts from various fields should now ensure that AI reliably recognizes when users attempt to generate dangerous content in practice.
How real is the danger posed by AI and weapons? Research results already show today that modern AI systems can provide understandable explanations of complex scientific processes – including those that could be misused. Large language models could theoretically help make knowledge about chemical or biological substances more accessible without safeguards (Cornell University).
Anthropic itself states that its models could be misused to enable “serious crimes” if protective mechanisms were to fail (Axios).
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At the same time, there is currently intense discussion in the USA about how AI can be used in the military. While authorities and the Pentagon are increasingly relying on autonomous systems, Anthropic has positioned itself cautiously.
According to the news agency Reuters, there have even been tensions with the US government because the company views certain military applications – such as autonomous weapon systems – critically and does not want to support them unconditionally.
Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, emphasizes in several interviews and statements above all one thing: AI must be strictly controlled, especially when it comes to military use or autonomous systems (CBS News via Reddit).
