Wuchang: Fallen Feathers has launched as a new soulslike on Steam. However, many players advise against purchasing it, as the game’s performance issues are significant and the soulslike runs smoothly for very few players.
With Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, a new soulslike and action RPG has officially launched on Steam.
According to SteamDB, the game launched on the night of July 24, 2025, with more than 100,000 players. However, the reviews on Steam are very negative. Currently, the game has more than 8,000 reviews marked “extremely negative”: Only 19% are positive. Many players currently advise against purchasing it.
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Wuchang: Fallen Feathers – New Action RPG from China Shows Boss Fight and Release Date
Performance Issues due to Unreal Engine 5
What is the game’s problem? The game’s issue is “Unreal Engine 5” and the associated catastrophic performance: The game does not run smoothly at all, with frame drops, graphical glitches, and crashes. All issues that nearly every UE5 game has struggled with in the past. For example, Oblivion Remastered still suffers from severe performance issues. A major exception: Black Myth: Wukong is one of the few UE5 titles that runs smoothly.
Players are also complaining about the lack of optimization in Wuchang, and the reviews on Steam are accordingly devastating.
What do players say? Many users who have purchased the game currently advise against buying it and recommend urgently waiting for a few updates or a sale. In its current state, the game is far too expensive. One person writes on Steam:
Don’t buy it, wait and see. Watch the reviews and updates and see if the performance issues are fixed. Maybe you’ll buy it at a significant discount. At the current price, I can’t recommend it.
Another player adds that Black Myth: Wukong is well optimized. For this reason, one doesn’t have to endure Wuchang (on Steam):
I know I haven’t invested much time, but the performance of Wuchang is terrible. If I can play Wukong with max settings, there’s no reason this game should look and play like this.
What’s next? The reviews on Steam have been extremely negative so far, so it’s only a matter of time before the development team comments on the issues and difficulties. So far, there has been no statement and the developers have not commented on the performance.
Presumably, every gamer has a game they remember decades later. That one special game that shaped them to the core, taught them everything and warms their heart to this day when they think back to that time. For our video producer Anna Alberg, it is Tibia. Welcome to a little time travel for the MMORPG theme week!
I will never forget sitting next to my cousin on the chair, fascinated, watching him play Tibia. I was 10 years old and at that time still living in Poland. Tibia was the first online game I came into contact with in 2004.
Sure, I had played various games before such as “The Sims”, “Pizza Connection 2”, or “Gothic 2”, but since the internet was a rarity in my country back then, I could only dream of playing online with other people. After I moved to Germany with my parents in 2006 and we finally had internet, I immediately downloaded Tibia without thinking twice.
Who’s writing here? Anna Alberg has been producing videos for MeinMMO since October 2021 and is a gamer through and through. After her time in Tibia, she played League of Legends for many years and was always trying to maintain her Diamond status – until “AD Carries” became so unplayable that she simply quit – Yes, she tends to be a bit “salty” from time to time.
After LoL, she dedicated herself to World of Warcraft and has been on board in every expansion since Legion. Currently, she tries to fill the gaps in various RPGs and is up for any good survival game.
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Tibia: Teaser Trailer Shows Gameplay of the New Monk Class
The underground cave with no exit
My first character was named “Little Girl” – totally clichéd, I know. I couldn’t even speak proper German, let alone English, which didn’t make things any easier as the game was entirely in English. Additionally, I was a total noob and picked a server that supported free PvP – I had no idea what that meant. But we’ll get to that later.
At that time, there was no introduction or tutorial, and so I wandered through the starting area of Rookgaard, defeating my first enemies in the sewers: the rats. Over time, I also dared to venture into the area outside the city and came across an opening in the ground, which I clicked on very boldly. After all, I had already leveled up a bit and had some gear.
A new screenshot from the current version of Tibia. The rats are still where they once were.
You can’t imagine how confused I was when I wanted to go back, but there was no ladder outside. And there I was, trapped in the middle of a troll cave. A player came towards me and I desperately asked him for help. He just wrote “use rope” and disappeared back to the surface. I think I spent a good few hours down there until I found a rope and learned how to use it.
Other players wanted my loot
Tibia harshly prepared me for every subsequent game. It taught me how to set up macros because you had to type every spell in the chat to use it. It also showed me the toxic side of the gaming community when I fell into a trap set by other players.
In the early versions of Tibia, you could block each other. You couldn’t get past another player’s character if there was no space on the left or right. Especially tight tunnels or towers were the perfect places for a player trap, and if you died, others could loot your entire inventory. I fell for it myself when a few players lured me to a tower with strong enemies, only to block my way.
But I also met many nice players, and even my first great “internet love”. I met him when I first tried to bake bread in Tibia; he taught me how to do it. Since then, he has always been my companion and explained many things to me in the game. Also, my questionable server choice, which I soon learned about the hard way.
The grind festival from July 21 to 27 During this week, you’ll find exciting articles every day about MMORPGs. Included: a time travel through the history of online role-playing games, but also nostalgic retrospectives, streaming nights, interviews, columns, and analyses.
When you reached a certain level, you could leave Rookgaard and travel to the main world. And although my friend tried to dissuade me, I chose the city of Thais and was teleported to a temple. After leaving the protected area, bloodthirsty players rushed at me, again and again.
In front of this depot in Thais, I spent many hours; back then, it was overcrowded with other players.
I couldn’t even properly explore the newly traveled city. Well, the charm of free PvP. That was the end of “Little Girl” and I created a character on a peaceful server with my new buddy – this time I was much better prepared.
Tibia was really a hardcore MMORPG for a beginner like me. I learned it the hard way and… loved it. Every further game in the genre that I tried, like Metin 2, felt way too easy in comparison. So I stayed loyal to Tibia.
It was a wonderful time that I will keep forever in my heart. Memories that still bring a smile to my face today. Through Tibia, I learned English and discovered my passion for online games. For that, I am grateful to this day.
The developers of Dune: Awakening have announced a server maintenance on July 24, 2025. A small patch will be deployed, addressing bugs and upcoming layouts for the Deep Desert. MeinMMO will inform you when you can expect to play again.
How long will the servers be offline? The servers of Dune: Awakening will be temporarily shut down on July 24 at 10:00 AM. According to the developers on X.com, a new patch will be deployed during this time.
The planned downtime for the maintenance is expected to last around 120 minutes. If all goes according to plan, you can log back into the servers starting at 12:00 PM. MeinMMO will update this message should there be any unexpected delays or if the patch notes are released.
Here you can see what is happening in the future of Dune: Awakening:
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Dune: Awakening – Das ist die Zukunft des MMOs
Confusion about the new patch
What content is this new update supposed to bring? Following the announcement of the maintenance, initial rumors circulated that the update could already be the big August patch that many players have eagerly been waiting for. This is expected to bring many changes and improvements.
However, the developers clarify on X.com that this is merely a smaller patch that brings new layouts for the weekly rotation of the Deep Desert and fixes some bugs. The big August patch is said, according to the developers, to follow in the coming weeks.
As with every patch, the developers will only release details about the specific changes they made after the maintenance of Dune: Awakening.
Are the developers doing anything about cheaters? In the past, there have been ongoing issues with cheaters in Dune: Awakening. The last patch has already ensured that a nasty trick used by hackers no longer works, and innocent players can no longer be dragged into the PvP area.
But the developers are also taking action against the players themselves. According to a comment on Reddit from community manager “Storm,” a ban wave against hackers is currently underway.
One of the best spells in Baldur’s Gate 3 is used by hardly anyone. You only have to see how annoying it is when enemies use it.
In Baldur’s Gate 3, there is a variety of spells and abilities. Many of them are considered particularly iconic and are chosen in almost every run because their effects are powerful or impressive. However, some spells also fall by the wayside and are never used. Simply because they don’t sound as interesting at first glance (ha!) as other spells. In this case, we are talking about Eyebite.
A long talk about the next Baldur’s Gate could also be interesting:
Start video
D&D in crisis: What will happen to Baldur’s Gate 4 now? The GameStar Talk in the video
What kind of spell is it? The spell “Eyebite” is a 6th-level spell, so one of the most powerful that can be obtained in the standard game without mods. The spell transforms the character’s eyes and equips them with teeth – at least according to the description. This subsequently gives the character the ability to impose powerful debuffs on enemies within sight.
The special thing about the spell: It lasts for up to 10 rounds, allowing you to choose a different variant of the spell each round to terrify other enemies, inflict disease, or put them to sleep. This way, you can essentially take out an opponent in every turn or make them especially vulnerable to your allies’ attacks.
Why does hardly anyone take Eyebite? This is being discussed in the Baldur’s Gate 3 subreddit. As the main reason why hardly anyone takes the spell Eyebite, many cite the poor explanation of the spell. Because it is difficult to understand what the spell does in detail or what the benefit is from just the description. This seems especially boring when there are many strong alternatives that are immediately understood.
“Isn’t the description of Eyebite incredibly bad? Maybe a lot of people just think, ‘I don’t understand what this spell does exactly, so I’d rather take something that I know is fantastic.'” – brasswirebrush
“What really made Eyebite appealing to me was the fight in Cazador’s dungeon when that skeleton guy used it all the time. If something is so annoying, you just have to use it yourself!” – icky-sticky
However, many believe that Eyebite primarily loses because by the time Eyebite becomes available, you are already powerful enough that a damage spell is simply the better choice.
“The honest answer? At that level, you can pretty much vaporize any opponent you would otherwise cast it on by simply using a damage spell.” – Bloodygaze
“It’s opportunity cost. Why would you cast ‘Single Target Impair’ when the same spell slot could also be used to cast ‘Annihilate Army’ or ‘Summon Immortal Murder Elemental’?” – ThePowerOfStories
Many note, however, that Eyebite is definitely worthwhile especially at higher difficulties. Particularly stubborn enemies that cannot be defeated in one round can be kept at a distance or so strongly restricted that they no longer pose a threat. Those who have previously avoided the spell should take a closer look at its advantages. Another weakness of the game annoys some people – because a feature is poorly implemented.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The developers of Pax Dei have now revealed when the sandbox MMORPG is set to launch and what to know about the subscription. Spoiler: It surprisingly comes without a monthly fee option.
What is known about the release? For a long time, it was said that the early access started in June 2024 would run for at least 1 year, that is until summer 2025. Now it is clear that the developers are aiming for a final launch in the autumn of this year – they revealed this on playpaxdei.com. However, there is still no specific date.
It was also clear that the developers intend to charge for early access to Pax Dei, as well as prefer a Buy2Play model for the release. Additionally, a monthly subscription has been on the table from the start. The final plans now cover both options, but also reveal for the first time a subscription-free variant for the sandbox MMORPG.
The early access trailer for Pax Dei:
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Pax Dei: Trailer for the Early Access launch shows beautiful medieval world
Subscription versus no subscription – what is the difference?
What do I need to know about the subscription?
The subscription fee for the premium version of Pax Dei will be introduced with the 1.0 release.
Those who are among the early access founders will receive 1 month of premium access in addition to game access. The number of character slots, tutorials, and plot tokens corresponds to the purchased founder package version.
Those who buy Pax Dei at release will gain access to the game, 2 character slots, 1 plot token, and also 1 month of premium.
After the month, all players have the choice of whether to continue paying for premium or use the free version of Pax Dei.
Pax Dei without a subscription includes:
Full access to all game systems: PvE, PvP, crafting, building, and more.
Public workshops and storage in starting zones near the Petrae Dei. Private storage includes 20 slots and can be expanded to a maximum of 80 storage slots with a few sacrifices.
The ability to buy equipment and consumables from other players with gold earned in PvE.
The option to join a clan and use its plots to contribute to a shared village or emerging city.
Access to high-level crafting materials and rare loot through PvP.
The developers emphasize that this is not a demo but a full version of the game.
The premium subscription provides the following benefits:
Premium status brings the following bonuses:
+50 % grace upon daily login,
+50 % grace for offerings in the form of gold,
+50 % XP boost on all activities.
1, 2, or 4 plot tokens (depending on the selected subscription)
With each plot token, you can claim 1 plot for 1 month or add 1 month to one of your existing plots.
You decide when and how to spend your plot tokens: sequentially to hold one plot over several months, or all at once to manage multiple plots for a month.
By maintaining your personal home in the game, you can:
unlock unlimited storage options by building your own containers,
establish advanced workshops tailored to your playstyle,
open a shop by setting up your personal market stalls,
invite your friends or clan members by sharing permissions for your plot.
There are 3 variants of Premium.
How exactly do the plot tokens work?
Plot tokens are the key to land ownership in Pax Dei. With each token, you can secure your own plot for 1 month.
You can use the tokens to extend an existing plot or secure additional plots.
Purchased tokens remain valid for 12 months from the date you received them. You can use them within this period as you wish, completely independent of whether you have a subscription or not.
What happens when all tokens expire?
After the plot expires, it will enter a “frozen” status for a limited grace period. You will not be able to build or destroy anything on the plot while it is frozen.
If you decide to spend a plot token, the frozen status will be lifted, and you will regain full access.
If your plot finally expires, all content placed there will be safely stored in what is called a redemption queue.
How much does Premium cost? There are 3 subscription variants:
Premium + 1 plot token per month: 6.99 Euros
Premium + 2 plot tokens per month: 10.99 Euros
Premium + 4 plot tokens per month: 18.99 Euros
To allow interested parties to test the premium status and the free storage before the launch, the corresponding content will soon hit the early access version. However, no one will have to pay a fee until then – that will only come with the final release in autumn.
What kind of MMORPG is Pax Dei? Here you can expect a social sandbox MMO with a strong focus on resource gathering, item and building crafting, and trading goods. Entire villages, cities, and fortresses can emerge from individual plots.
The Twitch streamer Ironmouse left her talent agency VShojo after raising allegations against the management.Now other streamers are following her.
Why is Ironmouse opposing her management? The Twitch streamer Ironmouse is a VTuber. She does not show her real face, but has created an avatar that represents her. There are managements that specifically work with VTubers.
Ironmouse was under contract with one of the managements in the USA: VShojo. Recently, Ironmouse released a video on her YouTube channel, in which she claimed that VShojo had embezzled her donations. Donation funds amounting to over 400,000 euros that the Twitch streamer had raised for the Immune Deficiency Foundation (IDF).
We have requested a statement from VShojo. As soon as MeinMMO has a statement, you will find out on our page.
Since Ironmouse suffers from an immune deficiency and is often sick, she had reached out to the organization herself and received help. This support was something she wanted to give back through donations, which is why the alleged embezzlement has reportedly hit her particularly hard.
Start video
VTubers – what are they & where do they come from?
“Never thought I would say these words”
Other VTubers are following Ironmouse: Ironmouse also claims that she is waiting for payment from her management. Something that other VTubers are also claiming now.
Kuro wrote on X that he had decided to leave the talent agency over a week before Ironmouse’s video was published.
Projekt Melody confirmed on X her departure from VShojo and said: “I am more than devastated about what happened, and I never thought in a million years that I would say these words.”
Kson, a VTuber who creates both English and Japanese content, talked about the fact that she allegedly has not been paid by VShojo since September 2024 during her stream. She even announced live in the stream that she is leaving the management (clip on YouTube) and that she had been considering it for a while.
Ironmouse is raising funds again: After Ironmouse allegedly found out that the donation funds had supposedly not been transferred from VShojo to the IDF, the Twitch streamer called for another fundraising campaign. Yesterday, over 700,000 US dollars were collected, even though an initial goal of 10,000 US dollars was set. Ironmouse shared her joy about this on X:
A Twitch streamer’s team was dramatically defeated in the new raid of Destiny 2. The boss had an empty health bar but did not fall in time.
Who is it about? The YouTuber and Twitch streamer Datto is a true Destiny expert. He is known for guides and useful information about the various contents of the game, explaining how you unlock new weapons or how the mechanics of a new raid work.
Datto and his team are also consistent participants in the World-First races of a new raid and regularly achieve top placements – even though he has not yet been able to win the race. Several times the content creator was only a few minutes behind the winning team. In 2019 he narrowly missed victory in the “Crown of Sorrow” (Forsaken) raid race, to the point where he briefly thought his team had won (see Twitch).
Again this year, Datto and his team participated in the World-First race of the new raid, but they dramatically failed against a boss and had to watch as another team snatched the title.
Start video
The launch trailer of “The Edge of Fate” showcases the new expansion of Destiny 2
Boss refuses to die and wipes the team
What happened to the streamer and his team? During the World-First race of “The Eternal Desert,” Datto and his team had a run where the health bar of the boss “Epoptes, Lord of Quanta” was completely empty. Still, the team lost.
Before the boss fell, the entire team was wiped. Afterwards, they remained stuck on that boss for over 1.5 hours – crucial time that was lost in the race. At that time, the raid had already been going on for 8 hours. You can see the scene of the dramatic team wipe here:
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During the raids, teams could determine the order in which they defeated the first three bosses before facing the final boss. Epoptes was the first boss that Datto’s team challenged. They took about 4 hours to take on Iatros next. They managed to defeat the third boss, Agraios, another 7 hours later.
Overall, they were simply too slow. When Datto’s team reached the third boss, the first team succeeded in defeating the final boss of the raid and secured the World-First title – Datto had long since given up on a potential victory and thought the race was already over.
Knowing that they could no longer win the race, the team took a longer break before facing the final boss. This boss was also supposed to wipe the entire team with an empty health bar (via Twitch).
The Twitch streamer and eSports enthusiast HandofBlood has criticized the Esports World Cup, also pointing fingers at the involved German players.
What does Hänno say about the debate? In a new post on X.com, the Twitch streamer and founder of the eSports team Eintracht Spandau criticized the Esports World Cup. “Everything about the Esports World Cup annoys me indescribably […]” he writes in his post. In this post, he further talks about the “cognitive dissonance of the whole scene” and criticizes the spectators who do not approach the tournament critically enough.
But Hänno also expresses clear criticism of the organizations participating in the tournament in his tweet. In his opinion, eSports was built by “hard-working and committed people with conviction” and now they are “bending to the Saudis”. Furthermore, he claims that they are trying to sell all of this on the business platform LinkedIn as “something good”.
Here you can see how HandofBlood became the German champion with his team:
Start video
HandOfBlood wanted to change e-sports with his LoL team, now he is finally the German champion
Is it all just sportswashing?
What could be so wrong with the Esports World Cup? The Esports World Cup in Riyadh has faced criticism since its announcement, as Esports Insider reports. One of the main accusations is the so-called “sportswashing”. This describes the attempt of a country to improve its international image by hosting major sporting events.
In the case of Saudi Arabia, there are significant criticisms. The country’s human rights situation is repeatedly criticized internationally (via ecdhr.org). Whether for the restriction of freedom of expression, the treatment of women and minorities, the use of the death penalty (via amnesty.de), or the alleged involvement in the murder of critical journalist Jamal Khashoggi (via reporter-ohne-grenzen.de).
The country’s position is also contrary to the open values that exist in eSports. Homosexuality is criminalized in the country (via lsvd.de), while eSports embodies the values of inclusion and diversity. Fragster.de reports censorship in a documentary where LGBTQ+ content was removed from the Saudi version.
A roughly two-minute segment, where Steve Arhancet, Co-CEO of Team Liquid, openly discusses his experiences as a gay man in eSports, was completely removed. Visual elements that indicate LGBTQ+ solidarity were also obscured through technical means.
The background, according to Fragster.de, is the local legislation that prevents LGBTQ+ representations in media. In the international versions, the segment of the co-CEO is included.
How do the readers react? In the comments under his posts, the content creator receives a lot of support. For instance, fellow Twitch colleague Vlesk writes on X.com: “Anyone who only stands up for their values when they have to sacrifice nothing has no values.” Moreover, both posts collectively received over 1,500 likes within a few hours.
There are also attempts to explain. Users claim that eSports is currently in a difficult phase. We at MeinMMO have also reported repeatedly in the past about the consequences of the so-called “eSports winter”, a term that describes the economic slump in professional eSports. For example, for an important German caster in LoL.
For years, a lot of money flowed into eSports, but in recent years sponsors have been pulling back more and more, and the clubs and organizations are increasingly lacking funds (via kicker.de). Participating in the Esports World Cup could therefore seem more attractive for the organizations, as there are ultimately prize money in the millions in the disciplines (via esportsworldcup.com).
8 years of development, 1 successful Kickstarter campaign, but in the end no 3 years of live operation … an ambitious SciFi-MMO will go offline forever in August 2025.
The mix of Eve Online and Minecraft has been struggling with big economic issues from the very beginning. Moreover, despite the freedoms, there is not that much to do. Many issues from the early days are still present. Content updates have become rare, despite the subscription fee.
The result of all this: Dual Universe sits at Steam with only 51 percent positive feedback. Recently, only a handful of Steam users have been online in the universe at the same time (via steamdb.info).
Start video
Check out the release trailer for Dual Universe: The new sci-fi MMO that mixes Eve Online with Minecraft
What have the developers announced? In the official forum on dualthegame.com, the officials announced the end of the official server of Dual Universe. It states:
Today we announce the closure of the Dual Universe server. With a heavy heart, we must inform you that the Dual Universe MMO server will be shut down on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, at 14:00 UTC.
We cannot thank you all enough for supporting Dual Universe during this time. As the official Dual Universe MMO server approaches its grand finale, the journey of the Noveans will continue as they fly to the outer reaches of the universe in myDU.
MyDu stays, the costs for MyDu too
What does the last part of the quote mean? The paid, community-driven standalone version MyDu of Dual Universe is said to remain online according to the developers. There, player-hosted public servers can be found.
The developers are currently examining the possibility of making the game available to all interested parties as an open-source license OpenDU due to the “Stop Killing Games” movement. However, technical and legal aspects still need to be clarified.
What else is important? Anyone who still has DACs on their Dual Universe account should use them according to the developers by August 2025 – for access to MyDu, for example. Anyone switching to a MyDu server should also remember to export their blueprints.
Furthermore, the announcement states: “After August 27, 2025, the remaining unused paid subscription time will be refunded to your accounts. Please note that it may take 7 to 14 business days (sometimes longer) for a credit card company to process a refund (this is beyond our control). All current/active subscribers can play the MMO Dual Universe until August 27, 2025.”
In Dungeons & Dragons there are a bunch of magical items – some are powerful, others simply extremely funny. We present 5 particularly amusing ones to you.
How was the list created? For this list, we have selected 5 magical items that may not seem particularly useful at first glance but come with features that almost inevitably lead to funny and creative situations.
In this list, you will find a selection of magical items of different kinds that you should keep an eye on – especially if you’re up to some mischief.
[toc]
Start video
Critical Role stellen ihr neues, eigenes Rollenspiel vor: Daggerheart
This bag literally has something inside it, even if it looks empty when you look in. Even so, it appears inconspicuous, gray, rusty, or light brown. However, if you use your magic action and reach inside, you can feel a fluffy object within.
You can and should then throw it up to 20 feet away. Once it lands, the fluff ball transforms into a random creature that is friendly towards you and takes its turn in combat immediately after the person who threw it. You can then use your bonus action to move the creature and take an action with it. If you do not, it will behave like the creature it is.
The summoned creature remains with you until the next dawn or disappears if its hit points drop to 0. Per day and until the next dawn, you can pull a total of 3 creatures from the bag.
Which creature appears is random, determined by rolling a D8 from the respective table, and also depends on the color of your bag. So you can get a dire wolf or an owl, leading to funny situations that give you an advantage or require special creativity – or are just funny.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
While new MMORPGs are becoming increasingly rare, the genre of Cozy Games is growing steadily, also appealing to typical MMO players.
In recent years, MMORPGs have changed significantly. The reasons for this are varied, but a main focus is on the fact that everything that needs solving is already resolved by the release. While titles like Ultima Online focused early on gathering and crafting, players in modern MMORPGs are driven from one attraction to the next to grab their 10-to-60-minute fun bites.
Who is writing here? Cedric Holmeier is a freelance author at MeinMMO and has been playing MMORPGs since childhood. He is particularly fond of Asian MMORPGs. In games like Throne and Liberty, Swords of Legends Online, Metin2 or Jade Dynasty, he has spent thousands of hours.
Crafting, trading, and job systems have been increasingly hollowed out, becoming mere side activities. In some modern MMORPGs, there’s no way around raids and dungeons to achieve anything in the game. These aspects are, however, essential components of the genre. MeinMMO former editor Alexander Leitsch described this as early as 2021.
At the same time, so-called Cozy Games are gaining popularity by picking up and perfecting the mechanics that MMORPGs once borrowed from their common ancestors, such as Harvest Moon. As a result, Cozy Games – even if it may sound strange – are slowly becoming the better MMORPGs.
What is Harvest Moon? Harvest Moon is a farming simulation where players build a farm, cultivate fields, care for animals, and form relationships with villagers. It early defined central MMORPG elements: professions, crafting, and progress through daily life instead of combat. The game, released in Europe in 1998, showed how fulfilling collecting, trading, and creating can be.
Do you know why the loot always has the same colors?
Start video
Why is the loot always white, green, blue, purple, and gold?
Side issue: Crafting
In the past, gathering resources and crafting were often not just a side activity but a cornerstone of the player economy. Those who specialized in making weapons, armor, or potions could secure their place in the community of a game. One had to venture into dangerous areas to obtain rare materials or spend hours mining ores and fishing.
The economy within the games was fueled by player craftsmanship, while merchants and auctions thrived on self-created products. Raph Koster, lead designer of Ultima Online, explained in an interview with MeinMMO in 2020 that the allure of classic MMORPGs was precisely the players creating a real, living economy.
In Ultima Online, the world was shaped by the players. A blacksmith relied on the miner who had to mine the ore to forge weapons and armor. Merchants played an essential role by distributing raw materials and enlivening markets.
The Grind Fest from July 21 to 27 This week, exciting articles on the topic of MMORPG await you every day. Included: a journey through the history of online role-playing games, as well as nostalgic reviews, streaming evenings, interviews, columns, and analyses.
This interesting economy gave players a deeper motivation to specialize in professions and crafting. This is something that many modern MMORPGs have largely abandoned.
If you played one of the MMORPG ancestors back then, you probably also had one or several guild crafters and gatherers around you, ensuring that your group had everything needed to even engage in battles.
The need for other players to be equipped for an activity is long a relic of the past. Today, equipment for attraction number 35 drops in many games at attractions 32, 33, and 34. The hero goes solo.
Tarisland is a typical theme park MMORPG of modern times. It even offers a real theme park in the game.
Main thing: Fun
Many modern MMORPGs follow the theme park model: developers emphasize linear content where players are guided from one attraction to the next without being hindered by obstacles that disrupt their gameplay (cf. Wikipedia). While this is an advantage for many casual players because it makes entry easier, it simultaneously causes deeper gameplay mechanics like professions and crafting to lose significance.
In classic MMORPGs like EverQuest or Ultima Online, crafting was often a real alternative to combat – some players spent all their time farming materials, processing them, and trading with other players. Without gathering resources and crafting items, supply and economy collapsed. Then fighters were also left in the lurch.
Those who specialized in making weapons, armor, or potions could therefore secure their place in the community of a game. In 2001, the gross domestic product of the world was estimated for EverQuest by comparing the prices of in-game items with their value on real-money marketplaces and flea market pages. The virtual world was ranked 77th worldwide – between Bulgaria and Russia (via windowsunited.de).
Today, however, many of these mechanics have been greatly simplified or have become nearly meaningless. Instead of complex production chains or deep profession systems, modern MMORPGs often feature simplified crafting menus. Materials can be easily obtained through quests, dungeons, or shops, and crafting becomes more of a footnote than a central feature of the game.
Although trade in Throne and Liberty works well, many of the materials needed for equipment upgrades come from dungeons.
Alternative: Cozy Games
While MMORPGs increasingly neglect true crafting and jobs, Cozy Games pick up exactly these mechanics and build entire player experiences around them.
Games like “Stardew Valley”, “Animal Crossing: New Horizons”, “Disney Dreamlight Valley”, or “Dinkum” offer extensive gathering and crafting systems that are often deeper than in MMORPGs. But they go even further:
Focus on Gathering and Crafting Mechanics – While MMORPGs often treat these elements merely as a side activity, they are the core of the game in Cozy Games. Players can farm, fish, mine, and actively shape and design their surroundings without these mechanics being overshadowed by other game content. No raid boss needs to be defeated to craft an item.
Social Interactionswith and without Humans – Many Cozy Games offer a simulated social experience. NPCs with complex relationships, multiplayer features, or asynchronous interactions (like in “Animal Crossing” or “Dreamlight Valley”) replace traditional MMORPG communities. While the social aspect in MMORPGs is increasingly being eradicated by single-player content, NPCs in Cozy Games take an interest in the player and create parasocial relationships through dialogues. Some Cozy Games also offer a coop mode.
No Raids, No PvP – but Long-Term Progress – Players in MMORPGs who only wanted to gather and craft often feel trapped in a world that ultimately pushes them towards raids or PvP to have enough content. Cozy Games, on the other hand, provide these players with opportunities to make progress without combat mechanics.
Playtime that integrates better into daily life – MMORPGs often require longer sessions and regular logins to stay engaged. Cozy Games, on the other hand, allow for more flexible play – perfect for casual gamers. And if collectors have always been out and about at night, Cozy Games won’t stop them either.
Reward Systems that Replace the MMORPG Factor – Some Cozy Games now feature mechanics such as daily quests, season passes, or unlockable rewards, experience points, and levels that function similarly to MMORPGs. This gives players the same dopamine kick as loot grinding but without the frustration of raids or endgame content and at their own pace. Whether the experience points come from monster grinding or ore mining ultimately doesn’t matter.
Housing with More Freedom – In Cozy Games, housing is often much more flexible than in MMORPGs. As they are usually single-player or smaller multiplayer games, gamers have far greater opportunities to design their surroundings individually. In MMORPGs, however, housing is often restricted by fixed placements, limited building spots, or instanced areas.
In Disney Dreamlight Valley, familiar characters accompany us in collecting, crafting, and questing.
Cozy Games versus MMORPGs – The Conclusion
Cozy Games have overtaken MMORPGs in many areas by focusing on specialized player wishes and making crafting, gathering, and social interactions a standalone player experience. MMORPGs, on the other hand, have fallen behind in these areas and thus lose an important part of their community.
Nevertheless, the MMORPG genre remains unique because it leads a persistent character through a multitude of different contents – from crafting to quests to PvP and raids.
While Cozy Games are an alternative for players who only want to gather and craft, they offer no substitute for those who want to prove themselves in challenging PvE dungeons, raids, or competitive PvP.
No other genre manages to unite so many play styles in a vibrant, interconnected world. To ensure that MMORPGs do not lose this advantage, they urgently need to focus more on diversity and better integrate player types who do not want to fight. And that’s exactly why I believe that Cozy Games are currently almost the better MMORPGs.
In a new strategy game on Steam, you play as a king who must keep a close eye on his subjects. Twitch streamer Max “HandOfBlood” Knabe is already excited – as are 83% of players who have left a review.
Which game are we talking about? The game in question is The King is Watching. Developer Hypnohead describes his game as a roguelite kingdom-building simulation. The game was released on July 21, 2025, and so far it has been very well received by players:
Out of over 600 reviews on Steam, 83% are positive, resulting in an overall rating of “very positive”.
The interesting gameplay, depth, and variety of options the game offers are praised. The visual style is also highlighted positively.
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The King is Watching: In the new strategy game on Steam you have to pay close attention
A Hänno-certified “Banger”
Twitch streamer HandOfBlood (often referred to as Hänno) has already played the game live. You can find a recording of it on YouTube. He himself refers to The King is Watching as a “brand new banger” – which may also be due to its similarities to his own game.
Steam user JinDiesel writes in his review: “If you like 9 Kings or Monster Train, […] then this is exactly your game.”
9 Kings, in this case, is the game in which HandOfBlood was involved with his company INSTINCT3 as the publisher. By the way, MeinMMO author Johanna has written a play report about it:
What is The King is Watching about? You manage your own kingdom as you fend off hordes of enemies turn by turn. The unique aspect of the game is that you must keep a close eye on your kingdom.
As a king, you must constantly survey your castle. However, if you don’t look somewhere, your subjects will immediately stop working.
It is up to you to decide what priorities you set: Are you keeping a watchful eye on resource production? Or on the training of new troops?
With resources, you expand your field of vision and ensure that more operations are active simultaneously.
Until July 28, you can get The King is Watching on Steam for €13.49. After that, the game will cost €14.99. However, trying it out won’t cost anything – there is a free demo available.
In Helldivers 2, the clever minds solved a puzzle in May and earned a cloak for it. But there is a new puzzle on the cloak that the community must solve.
What kind of cloak is it? In Helldivers 2, the clever warriors received a new type of task in May. In an “Alternate Reality Game” (ARG), players had to prove that they have not only muscles but also brains. In Discord, the community had to solve several difficult puzzles together.
They had to decode Morse code, change antenna angles with brute-forcing, and play a game that resembled Minesweeper. One task was to read a code from the profile pictures of the community managers of Helldivers 2. The profile pictures were made up of Braille, a writing system that blind people use to read texts.
Here you can watch the trailer for the latest war bond:
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Helldivers 2 shows its new war bond “Control Group”
A new puzzle
What kind of cloak is it? Although the developers are currently on summer vacation, they delivered a new cloak to the players as a farewell. The cloak shines in a violet color and has several dots on it.
Fans quickly realized that this is a homage to the puzzles from May, as the dots once again form a text in Braille. The developers have given the brave soldiers a new task to solve, namely to find out what is written on the cloak.
What is written on the cloak? The community immediately got to work and translated what is written on the new cloak. According to their decoding results on Reddit, it says “DCON”. The word is neither an abbreviation nor a code but the Discord handle of the person who played a key role in helping the developers with the ARG.
With the cloak, the developers thank the player and honor his achievements and work in a very special way.
How do the clever warriors react to it? That the developers of Helldivers 2 again use a written language that is hardly decipherable by people with low vision due to the display on a screen causes laughter in the community.
A user named Formal-Friend7845 posts the picture of the cloak on Reddit and asks: “Can someone who is blind please translate this?” In the comments, the following responses are made:
Master_Majestico says: “I am blind… I cannot see the picture.”
Evil_Squirrel8 responds: “Then just feel it, buddy.”
RockRage– follows the advice and says: “Okay, I just touched my phone and it says ‘Freedom’.”
ArelMCII: “I asked my blind friend and he said: ‘Computer monitor.'”
Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang explains in an interview that he works 7 days a week. Even when he watches a movie, he cannot forget about work.
In a conversation with Stripe founder Patrick Collison on YouTube, Jensen Huang explained to his conversation partner that he is even occupied with work when he is resting or watching a movie. “When I’m not working, I think about work,” he says.
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In Germany, there are over 400 USB sticks protruding from walls – What is the ‘Dead Drops’ project?
However, to make his company the most valuable firm in the world, he had to make some compromises. This includes not having a real work-life balance in his daily life. In the interview, he told his conversation partner (via Fortune.com):
I work from waking up until going to bed. I work seven days a week. When I’m not working, I think about work (…) I watch movies, but I don’t remember them because I think about work.
And he added that he wants to transform Nvidia into a giant AI: One of his biggest dreams is for every area of his company to use AI intensively. After that, he could still think about a better work-life balance:
I want to make NVIDIA into one giant AI. How great would that be? And then I finally have work-life balance.
One of the most successful Twitch streamers is Cody “Clix” Conrad, at least when it comes to Fortnite. Now, he has banned a charitable donor who transferred over 30,000 euros to him.
How did the ban happen? The Twitch streamer Clix noticed a particularly generous viewer who is said to have distributed over 30,000 euros to streamers in one month. He confronted the boy, who claims to be just 15 years old.
The 15-year-old revealed that he earned over 15,000 euros through stocks. When asked if he had gone into debt because of it, he replied that he was close to it. The money was donated from his own credit card, which is said to be under his father’s name, as the boy is not yet of legal age.
According to the viewer, his father found out that he had donated so much money. He became angry and told his son not to spend any more money.
This unfortunately did not last long, as right at the beginning of Clix’s stream, the 15-year-old donated a small amount again. Clix decided to ban the boy as a result.
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In Fortnite gäbe es beinahe nie Crossover – Bis 2018 das Telefon klingelte
15-Year-Old Explains the Reason for Huge Donation
Why did he donate? According to the 15-year-old, he enjoyed spending the money. It released dopamine in him, an amino of the body that is responsible for feelings of happiness.
He also stated that he is not dependent on the money. Clix directly contradicts him vehemently, stating that a 15-year-old can certainly use money.
What is also noticeable: The boy repeatedly emphasizes that he is disabled. What kind of disability he suffers from and whether that is even true cannot be determined from the stream.
What do others say? On X.com, many doubt that the 15-year-old earned the money through stocks. In the barrage of questions, the boy revealed that his parents are wealthy. Some users therefore suspect that the teenager simply used his parents’ money.
The community is also divided about what should happen to the money that the boy donated. Some are in favor of giving him the money back. Others say he needs to learn from his actions:
hhbddaryl would give the money back: “The damn idiot [Clix] says, I don’t want to encourage refunds. If you really care, just tell him to refund the money.”
Obungamoto thinks the teenager will soon regret it: “This boy will regret donating 30k to streamers in a few years while doing a job he hates.”
weezard0f0z thinks that the boy can only learn this way: “Best, we let him learn the hard way, because the boy seems to be an idiot who would do it again immediately.”
Some users also accuse on Reddit that he should contact the child’s parents instead of just keeping the money and banning the viewer.
Something unusual is happening with Final Fantasy XI. The 23-year-old MMORPG is experiencing a surge in players and has to take action.
What kind of MMORPG is this? Final Fantasy XI is the first online installment of the series and was released by Square Enix in 2002. The MMORPG takes place in a persistent world shared with thousands of other players. Due to its age, FFXI is an old-school MMORPG where leveling is still a tedious process that can take many hours.
The holy trinity of healer, tank, and damage dealer is also present. The roles are expanded by “pullers” and “debuffers” that fulfill additional functions in the group. Typical of the old-school MMORPG is the high level of difficulty, which demands much from the players.
Now the MMORPG is experiencing a kind of renaissance, and the new content of the successor is to blame.
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2015 Trailer Shows Version Update for Final Fantasy XI with Many New Features
Between Renaissance and Nostalgia
Why is the MMORPG so popular right now? Final Fantasy XI is currently more popular than it has been for a long time. The reason for this is, ironically, the new raid in Final Fantasy XIV, which represents a kind of crossover event “Echoes of Vana’diel” between the MMORPG and its predecessor.
The raid brings players of part 14 against familiar enemies from the predecessor, showcases iconic areas from back then, and brings popular characters together. For the veterans, it’s a perfect moment to relive the memories, while gamers who have not played the predecessor experience a kind of best-of.
This collaboration attracts both old and new players to try out the predecessor or log back into their old characters. This is supported by a discount campaign from the developers (via playonline.com), allowing players to get the subscription for the MMORPG at half price.
What are the effects of the surge? That so many people are taking advantage of the offer and revisiting or newly entering Final Fantasy XI was probably something the developers themselves didn’t expect. They react correspondingly surprised in their message to the fans from July 22, 2025 (via playonline.com).
Producer and Director Yoji Fujito expresses his gratitude in the message to the new players but also admits that the many new players have affected the servers.
It has been noted that the concentration of player populations on certain worlds has led to a number of unexpected issues that somewhat impair the quality of the experience. This includes things like incorrectly displayed system messages in Vana’Bout.
He further announces that the developers have decided to lock the largest server “Asura” for new characters. Exceptions are new characters from accounts that already have a character there. This aims to distribute the load of new players across other servers and stabilize the most popular server of the MMORPG. The changes are to take effect from July 29, 2025.
The increase in player numbers due to the crossover event between the two MMORPGs is good news for the developers. The fact that they now even have to close the largest server clearly indicates the great success of the action. The discount campaign likely had a significant impact as a survey shows: An 22-year-old MMORPG asks how it can win back its players – They give a clear answer
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Players of Ghost of Tsushima can surely remember some monotonous side quests. The team of Ghost of Yotei wants to make certain quests more varied for PS5.
Which tasks are we talking about? In Ghost of Tsushima, it is not enough to complete the story to earn the coveted Platinum Trophy. In addition, players must complete duels or learn combat stances.
While many trophies are varied, there are some for which players have to go through a monotonous process. For the achievement “Body, Mind, and Soul,” fans have the task of finding all hot springs, haikus, Inari shrines, and bamboo stands.
To discover the Inari shrines, players need to follow a fox that leads them to the shrine. Since there are 49 shrines, it has become a boring task that has taken a lot of time.
Ghost of Yotei: New trailer shows all you need to know about the PS5 title
Ghost of Yotei should not offer a boring fox hunt
How do the developers want to prevent that? In an interview with Automaton, the co-director of Ghost of Yotei, ironically named Nate Fox, revealed that the predecessor suffered from the pace of explorations and minigames. The developers reportedly received much criticism that some gameplay elements were too repetitive.
The pursuit of the fox was not very varied and felt like a tedious chore. But the developers want to counteract that:
Ghost of Yotei improves [the minigame segments] in the sense that we do not let players go through the same thing over and over again when their curiosity leads them to discover new secrets. We have prepared different types of outcomes that may exceed the player’s expectations. We believe that the beauty of open-world games lies in exploration, so we were determined to provide players with a varied experience.
As examples, the development team mentioned Sumi-e painting in first-person perspective or the marble game Ohajiki. It seems that the repetitive tasks will be replaced by more varied minigames.
However, this could have the downside that it may take longer for players to have the Platinum Trophy in their collection. Whether the more varied gameplay takes more time was not revealed by Fox.
EA shows in the new FC 26 trailer how dribbling is finally supposed to become smoother and easier – all without stick acrobatics. What that exactly means, you can find out here.
This is the new dribbling: In FC 26 dribbling is supposed to work significantly easier – even without complicated skill move combos. Additionally, there will be quite a few technical changes to dribbling. This is called “Dynamic Dribbling” and is supposed to improve not only the dribbling itself but also change the overall gameplay feel in 1-on-1 situations.
The major gameplay innovations, as well as further adjustments to dribbling, can be watched here in the Deep Dive trailer.
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Deep Dive trailer on gameplay shows 2 different gameplays and numerous adjustments
Automatic Skill Moves without Finger Acrobatics
While in previous FIFA and FC versions one had to master some crazy stick combos, in FC 26, according to EA, a simple stick flick is enough, and the player then automatically decides which trick fits.
This sounds quite exciting, especially for newcomers or players who have never ventured into skills before. At the same time, there will probably still be the option to execute classic skill moves manually.
It remains to be seen which skill moves will be used here and whether more complicated tricks can also be executed with just one stick flick.
Additionally, according to Pitch Notes, the following changes will be made to dribbling:
Ball touches: The distance between ball touches while dribbling has been adjusted. It now varies depending on the game mode (Competitive or Authentic).
Player size: Large and small players are supposed to move just as fluidly. Speed and animations are better adjusted to body size.
Preferred foot: The dribbling foot behavior has been overhauled. Players use left or right more intelligently, depending on the situation and direction.
Jog dribble: The running speed during relaxed dribbling has been increased. Ball control is also more precise. Direction changes should become more intuitive.
Animation transitions: Movements should transition noticeably smoother into each other. The classic “sticking” in animations should be reduced.
With the overhaul, something also falls away: Agile Dribbling – that is, dribbling with L2 + R2 – has been completely removed in FC 26. EA replaces the system with new animations and logics that are supposed to kick in automatically. For fans of the “old” precise dribbling, this could mean an adjustment.
The new dribbling system in FC 26 sounds promising. EA promises more control, more realistic movements, and less frustration with tricks. Whether it will truly be as intuitive as the Deep Dive suggests will only show on the pitch.
Sennheiser has launched a new headphone: Open headphones that are supposed to be suitable not only for music but also for gaming. MeinMMO editor Benedikt Schlotmann tested them and wore the headphones for several weeks in everyday life.
What kind of device is this? With the Sennheiser HD 550, the manufacturer has introduced a new headphone for €299.99. The headphone is aimed at individuals looking for open headphones for music. At the same time, the new headphones are also supposed to be suitable for gaming. Sennheiser emphasized during the presentation that this is not a pure gaming headphone.
In the meantime, I have been able to test the headphones for about 3 months in everyday life. I have worn the headphones for over 250 hours, averaging 4 hours a day. Therefore, the 250 hours are a conservative estimate.
I have a passion for hardware and tech and currently own over 20 gaming mice, along with several keyboards and controllers. Since 2019, I have been testing hardware for MeinMMO for our readers. In addition to the PC and major consoles, I also game on the Steam Deck.
Our device is a review sample that Microsoft provided us for testing.
Benedikt Schlotmann Hardware Editor MeinMMO
Technical Details
Here you will find all the important technical details of the headset in a table:
Model
Sennheiser HD 550
Connection
3.5 mm or 6.3 mm jack
Platform
PC, Console (via controller or external USB adapter)
Package Contents
Headphones; 1.8m long cable with 3.5 mm jack; screwable 3.5 to 6.35 mm jack adapter; carrying case
Special Features
Impedance of 150 ohms
Weight
237 grams
Price (RRP)
€299.99
Design and Build
What is included in the delivery? The headphones are delivered with a 1.8m long cable with a 3.5mm jack. Additionally, a screwable 3.5 to 6.35 mm jack adapter and a carrying case are included in the box.
Construction of the headset: The HD 550 is an open headphone. The advantage is that the headphones have a wide soundstage: instruments and vocals can be well differentiated and located in space. The sound is thus airy and less constrained, which is a problem that in-ear headphones often have due to their design.
However, there is also a clear disadvantage: on the one hand, outsiders can clearly perceive your music or whatever you are currently listening to. On the other hand, open headphones have poor sound isolation. In everyday life, I can hear everything my wife is doing in the background when she’s on the phone, watching a series, or playing on the PC.
Processing
The headphones can be partially disassembled and re-equipped with spare parts: the cable can be removed and replaced with another cable. Disadvantage: Only Sennheiser’s cables fit, and no third-party products can be used. This is due to a locking mechanism that secures the cable in the headphone’s housing. Other cables can be plugged in but do not fit tightly and immediately come loose.
The ear pads can also be removed and replaced with new pads. The ear pads cost directly from Sennheiser around €30.
The headphones themselves are made of a combination of plastic and metal mesh, which is supposed to ensure high durability. In my everyday life, I have not had any problems with the device so far.
Sennheiser HD 550: jack cable with swivel adapter
Software
There is no actual software tailored directly to the headphones. If you want to use an equalizer or change the sound, you need to use third-party software. Sennheiser itself does not provide dedicated software for the HD 550 on PC or console.
Comfort and Weight
What does my head look like? My head circumference is about 58 cm, so I have a rather smaller head.
Weight: The HD550 weighs 237 grams and is thus among the lighter representatives on the market of headphones and headsets.
How do the headphones feel? On average, I have worn the HD550 about 6 hours a day. This includes conversations with colleagues or gaming sessions where I also wear the device. In the long term, the headphones can get warm but not uncomfortable. The fabric pads were therefore a good choice. The low weight of 237 grams also contributes to the comfortable wear of the headphones.
Not quite optimal: I can feel the padded headband after longer sessions on my head. This is annoying, but slight adjustment of the headphones on my head helps here.
Sennheiser HD 550: side view with head
Sound
Sennheiser emphasizes that with the HD550 they wanted to deliver an entry-level model with a neutral and balanced sound.
And that’s exactly what you also get with the headphones. In everyday use, the model convinces me especially with music, as the neutral sound image comes into its own here. Since the HD550 does not overly emphasize bass like many “true” gaming models, explosions do not sound as impressive, but the highs and mids sound more present.
The strength of the HD 550 lies especially in the midrange, as it sounds not only balanced but also very present: instruments and voices are clearly separated from each other and well locatable in the space. Especially individual instruments stand out well. This is also due to the open design of the headphones. Music and gaming are therefore a lot of fun.
Locating opponents also works very well: in Vermintide 2 or Darktide, where it is vital to be able to assign your opponents to a direction, this usually works very well, as the mentioned games also provide good sound material. Good sound material is essential: in Marvel Rivals, steps sound so muffled that assigning them becomes difficult.
Sennheiser HD 550 with box.
Conclusion: Great headphones that are also suitable for gaming
For whom is the headset suitable? If you are looking for a pure gaming headset or headphones that are clearly geared towards gaming, with powerful bass and adjustable equalizer, then you are in the wrong place. However, if you are looking for headphones that want a balanced and neutral sound without overwhelming you, then you are receiving a very good model from Sennheiser here.
For currently around €250 market price, you can hardly go wrong if you do not only want to play but also want to listen to music or watch series. Unless you want to listen to music in the subway or are often on the go. In that case, closed headphones or in-ears with noise cancellation are the better recommendation.
What alternatives are there?
The Hifiman Sundara is now available for just under €300 and uses planar drivers. In terms of sound, it offers a lot, but it is very heavy (400 grams).
The Sony WH-1000XM5 is considered one of the best noise-canceling models and is regularly available for under €300. The model is also wireless.
The Beyerdynamic DT 700 PRO X is also available for under €300, delivers excellent sound quality, and is also durable. The model is wired like the HD 550.
For the last 20 years, one game has dominated the MMORPG market like no other: World of Warcraft. But for MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus, an even older MMORPG was groundbreaking: Ragnarok Online. To this day, he raves about it and is particularly in love with the class system, which is unparalleled.
I have tried a lot of things. Wildstar will forever be a lost love, The Secret World gave me the best quest experiences, as long as it actually worked, and I have been continuously loyal to World of Warcraft since just before The Burning Crusade.
Even before I started with WoW back then, I was already a subscriber to Ragnarok Online. The isometric MMORPG visually resembles the certainly much better-known Tibia or even RuneScape.
The Grind Festival from July 21 to 27 In this week, you can expect exciting articles every day on the subject of MMORPGs. Included: a journey through the history of online role-playing games, as well as nostalgic retrospectives, streaming evenings, interviews, columns, and analyses.
Back then, I had to beg my parents to buy me another 3 months of playtime, and that was probably one of the reasons why I received little to no pocket money otherwise. But even in hindsight as an adult, it was worth it.
The Korean MMORPG is set in a world inspired by Norse mythology, which fascinates me to this day. However, what captivated me from the very first moment was the class system.
Start video
Ragnarok Online stellt die 4th Jobs vor, die neue Stufe der Klassen
“Jobs” instead of classes with a real sense of progression
Unlike most MMORPGs, in Ragnarok Online you do not choose a class during character creation. Instead, you have points to invest in different attributes like intelligence, dexterity, and strength – just like in Dungeons & Dragons.
Everyone starts as a “Novice” and must first beat up (more or less) defenseless enemies to level up. There is a distinction between character level and job level: one increases your attributes, the other your skills.
From job level 10 as a novice, you can choose your first profession, and just that is already an adventure. Every profession is taught in a different city known for that profession. To this day, I can still recall every city by heart:
Swordsmen are trained in Izlude
Archers in Payon
Merchants are trained in Alberta
Thieves have their headquarters in Morocc
the magical city of Geffen houses the Academy for Mages
and those who want to join the church become Acolytes in Prontera.
The jobs are not only relevant for pure combat gameplay, as is often the case in MMORPGs. They are real “professions.” For instance, only Merchants can truly open shops to sell items to other players. Their advanced professions create potions or forge items.
Every job change is associated with a quest that is more or less easy to master. These entrance exams serve as a narrative to draw you into the world. Since Ragnarok Online has little storytelling through quests otherwise, each of these job quests was always a highlight for me.
This is what one of the steps in character creation looks like. Image source: Fandom
Ragnarok Online has continuously improved the class system over the years
However, this is not the end. From a job level of at least 40, you can choose a “second job.” Each class has two paths from then on that it can pursue to specialize and fulfill certain classic MMORPG roles:
Swordsmen become Knights or Crusaders.
Archers become Hunters, males can also become Bards and females can become Dancers.
Mages can ascend to Wizard or Sage.
Merchants become Blacksmiths or Alchemists.
As Thieves, you can become Assassin or Rogue.
Acolytes either become Priests or combat Monks.
In later updates, the class system was further expanded. With the “Renewal” update, there was the option to play “reborn” characters: upon reaching the maximum level, you can reset to level 1, become a “Super Novice,” and embark on transcended job paths.
Furthermore, a third and even fourth tier of jobs were introduced, which ultimately represent the pinnacle of the class. However, these never made it to Europe.
Over the years, many more jobs were added, including so-called “Extended Classes” like Taekwon Boy/Girl, Ninja, or Gunslinger, each with its own career paths.
This is what the class flowchart in the international Ragnarok Online looks like.
The constant grind fits with leveling
If you think that this all sounds like a lot of work… yes, it is. Immensely so. However, Ragnarok Online, typical for Korean MMOs, is heavily geared towards grind. There are hardly any quests and those that exist rarely grant significant rewards – at least used to. Mostly, they are access quests for dungeons and such.
Leveling occurs purely through grinding, meaning: you beat up enemies, and a lot of them, and constantly. What usually annoys me in games works for me in Ragnarok Online because each class has a different leveling area.
Depending on the pros and cons of the class, certain maps are better or worse suited for leveling. And leveling up occurs quite frequently in the first 30-40 hours, creating a sense that you are actually making progress.
Only towards the end does the grind stretch out, and that is when I often stopped and preferred to try something new. But that was always the fun of it for me: the path of a new job and experimenting with new builds.
Ragnarok has eventually sunk and never had a worthy successor
Unfortunately, Ragnarok Online has not held up in Europe at least. The EU servers were shut down in 2018, and the international servers do not function here due to a geo-block.
The game generally runs mostly on private servers, and the largest populations can be found in Brazil, Korea, and Taiwan. In Europe, it is difficult to reliably find a place to play. On Steam, the European version is blocked in Germany.
Ragnarok Online has had several successors, including Ragnarok 2, Ragnarok 3 and a few mobile spin-offs. None of these were really well received or could showcase the strengths of Ragnarok Online.
Other MMORPGs with a similar system have never existed, and if they did, they were either cheap copies, with cash grab mechanics, or with other problems. The combination of Norse fantasy world, progression, and unique class system has been lost with Ragnarok Online. But well, if the publisher doesn’t want me in Ragnarok, I will soon dive into the new Warhammer MMO: A new MMO set in Warhammer sounds almost too good to be true – This is what we know
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
