EA FC 26 has shown an interesting new feature for the career mode in the first trailer – and the German Twitch streamer Simon “GamerBrother” Schildgen really likes it. However, for a realistic gaming experience, two changes are needed that have been missing in the mode for years. He even wants to personally address his requests to EA.
Who is this Twitch streamer? GamerBrother is one of the most well-known content creators in Germany. Especially regarding EA FC 25, he ranks among the most watched streamers worldwide according to sullygnome.com.
Currently, his content in FC 25 is focused on the career mode. His career streams as fictional manager Rüdiger Rammel excite many fans each year towards the end of the season. Accordingly, he knows the ins and outs of the mode, as well as its strengths and weaknesses.
On Twitch, the streamer reacted to the first trailer of FC 26 and also discussed the changes for the career mode in the new successor. He has uploaded the highlights and key statements of his reaction in a video on his YouTube channel (Source: youtube.com).
What new career feature does GamerBrother praise? In the career modes for FC 26, there is supposed to be a transfer market for managers. Until now, only players could change clubs, but now coaches can also take over new teams.
GamerBrother expects this to bring more variety to the mode, as each coach since FC 25 has their own tactics. He sees the change as a win for the mode.
Additionally, live challenges have been announced that must be fulfilled in the short or long term throughout the season. He does not consider this new feature particularly noteworthy. No further announcements for the career mode have been made so far.
According to GamerBrother, there are still two much more important things that EA should change, which he wants to clarify personally with the responsible parties.
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EA SPORTS FC 26 | Offizieller Enthüllungstrailer
2 things would make the career mode much more dynamic
What 2 changes should EA make to the career mode? First, GamerBrother demands a more dynamic development potential for players.
So far, the potential of players has been predictable and unfolds the same way every season. Exceptions only occur if one plays with the professionals in their own team, as they might take significant development steps with regular playtime.
Secondly, he demands accessible statistics of players in other leagues and clubs.
These should also contribute to a more dynamic gaming experience according to GamerBrother’s statements. From time to time, one could observe which players are currently performing and then purchase these top performers for their club to benefit from their current form.
According to GamerBrother, these changes should not pose significant difficulties in times of advancing artificial intelligence.
Can the demands be implemented? GamerBrother follows up with EA
This is how GamerBrother wants to advocate for the changes at EA: In the live stream, the content creator emphasized that as a career player, he knows what fans demand and that he is committed to serving his EA FC community.
Since the beginning of the week, the streamer has been invited by EA Sports to Canada to attend an event for the new FC 26. He hopes to discuss his demands with the responsible staff for the career mode so that his requests at least get noticed.
To what extent his attempts have been successful will certainly be announced by the streamer soon. However, until the respective deep-dive trailers in the coming weeks, GamerBrother will likely remain silent on the EA side.
Fans disappointed with the previous changes
How the community reacts to the announced changes: Under the YouTube video of the streamer, many players express disappointment at the few announced changes for the career mode:
erzwald9174: “To be honest: the trailer is certainly cool, but if you want a career mode, this game is simply a disappointment year after year.” (via YouTube)
MFieldHD: “For ten years, we’ve been begging without fun for a new career mode, but apart from the unnecessary negotiations, they have changed nothing.” (via YouTube)
jayaries21: “What has been shown for the career mode so far is absolutely hyping me 0.0%.” (via YouTube)
EA has presented itself as fan-friendly and receptive to criticism with the first trailer. Therefore, it is possible that further adjustments for the career mode will follow that have not yet been announced.
Whether at least the changes requested by GamerBrother will be included in the career mode remains to be seen. The deep dive trailer for the career mode is expected to be released in early August 2025. By then, fans will find out if further adjustments will be made. Overall, EA Sports has not skimped on innovations in the first trailer for FC 26: “The best trailer in 8 years” – EA FC 26 shows over 20 innovations in just 2 minutes
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the recent Pokémon Presents, the Mega Evolution of Dragonite was introduced, which will make its debut in Pokémon Legends A-Z. MeinMMO editor-in-chief Leya thinks it couldn’t have been done better.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who was confused when I first saw Dragonite in Pokémon Red or Blue.
I have always liked the design. I mean, just look at it:
You just have to love Dragonite, with its rounded shapes and button eyes. The cute appearance has always been a misconception, as Dragonite is also a powerful dragon.
However, looking at its pre-evolutions Dratini and Dragonair can also cause confusion as to whether you got mixed up in the evolution line and whether somewhere in the drawers of developer studio Game Freak a blue, agile dragon is collecting dust as a design.
I always wondered what happened to the wings on its head and why only antennas remain. The orbs that Dragonite grows into Dragonair are also missing in the final stage. The color change from blue to orange is also quite radical.
Mega Dragonite picks up the “missing” design elements
When I watched the Pokémon Presents last night, my heart melted instantly. There’s now new information about Pokémon Legends A-Z, including the significance of Mega Evolutions. In this context, Mega Dragonite was revealed as well. And now take a look:
The design of Dragonite has hardly changed. He is still the friendly, round dragon. But a few elements from Dragonair are adopted, giving him an almost angelic look.
The antennas of Dragonite return as wings, which appear widely spread and fluffy. The orb on the tail has also been revisited, shimmering bluish. Additionally, there are a few extra wings on the legs and arms. The cross stripes on the belly are now jagged, making Dragonite almost look agile! Almost.
I have to laugh when I find the description of Mega Dragonite. It states that the kindness is even enhanced, for which Dragonite is known. The following description is given:
For Mega Dragonite, a quick end to a Pokémon battle is a kind gesture towards its opponent. Its kindness grows through Mega Evolution and it attacks opponents with strong moves and a smile. However, if it feels that someone is in trouble, it rushes to help that person immediately – even if it is in the midst of a fierce battle.
So, if you encounter a Mega Dragonite in Pokémon A-Z, be careful that it doesn’t beam you back to nothingness with a kind Hyper Beam while smiling at you with its enhanced kindness.
According to the new information, Mega Evolutions will probably function like some kind of raid bosses in the city of Illumina City. You can see all about that in our overview of the latest Pokémon Presents:
Splitgate 2 was promoted at the Summer Game Fest 2025 as the shooter that wanted to save its genre, but now the game is trying drastic measures to save itself. It is even going back to beta.
The game is supposed to have not only its well-known area mode with portals but also a battle royale, as well as battle passes and skins for sale. A bitter disappointment for many shooter fans. Splitgate 2 advertised itself as the salvation of the genre, but now, 7 weeks after its release, the game has lost 90% of its players on Steam (Source: steamcharts.com).
With an open letter, the studio has now spoken out to discuss future plans and save its game.
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Splitgate 2 announced with new cinematic trailer
“We have experienced many dark days and made many mistakes.”
What have the developers announced? In an open letter on Steam (Source: store.steampowered.com), Studio 1047 Games addressed the current state of Splitgate 2. The team admits that they released the game too early. For this reason, it’s going back to beta. During the beta phase, key points that fans have criticized will be adjusted, including:
Revise the progression system
Implement more portals in maps
Simplify monetization
Focus more on classic modes
Additionally, more focus should be placed on the community, and development should return to its roots, as was the case with Splitgate 1. There should be more surveys and playtests. The goal is to combine the DNA of the first installment with the improvements from part 2.
Since the loss of the player base has also caused financial problems, the studio had to take measures to continue developing Splitgate 2. Therefore, some positions in the team were eliminated. It was also announced that the OG Splitgate servers will be shut down in a month.
What happens next? Splitgate 2 is still supposed to remain playable. Additionally, Chapter 3 is planned to be released. Bug fixes and significant changes are also still to be made, but afterwards, the priority will be on the development of the shooter.
According to the studio, the beta phase is expected to last until spring 2026, but that is not set in stone yet. It remains to be seen whether these changes will provide the breakthrough the developers are hoping for. In the meantime, we have compiled a large list of the best shooters of 2025 in case you are looking for an alternative: The 25 best shooters of 2025 – These PvP and PvE games impress with their gameplay
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
On July 23, 2025, the update “Welcome to Paradise” for Lost Ark will be released, and in many ways, the patch notes actually read like heaven on Arkesia.
What do I need to know about the new update? In order to bring the extensive update “Welcome to Paradise” to the Lost Ark servers, there will be a long maintenance period of about 10 hours on July 23, 2025. Maintenance will start at 9:00 AM. Therefore, no one will likely be able to try out the new content before tonight.
The highlights of the update include:
A new experimental solo content called “Paradise”, consisting of a series of seasonal, weekly challenges. Through these, you can earn various rewards without the need for groups, which will help you in the progression of your heroes. Sometimes you will have to fend off waves of enemies, sometimes defeat bosses in duels, and sometimes fight through 100 levels.
As part of the new solo content, you will earn the seasonal equipment “Legacy of Paradise”, which consists of 6 pieces and can be upgraded and modified. Through this equipment, you will also unlock special effects.
Since many rewards from “Paradise” are character-bound, this new feature also reduces the pressure to min-max, eliminating the need to farm with various twinks for the main character to get the most out of the new content.
With Aegir Solo, another Legion raid section is now available to all soloists with sufficiently strong gear (item level 1,660+). Additionally, some other solo content is now easier or more rewarding.
Several events are starting to help you prepare your characters for endgame – such as the Event Power Pass, Mokoko Challenge Express, Mokoko Bootcamp, or the Growth Support Mission event. All these events provide you with additional rewards, allowing you to efficiently increase your heroes’ item level.
The new update brings various improvements to the UI and various menu areas to make them clearer and better structured or to provide additional information. The entire achievements section will also receive an overhaul.
The developers are introducing character-bound gold for various features to combat the illegal sale of gold for real money.
The new update includes a free legendary skin for all players.
In addition to all this, there are countless balancing adjustments for classes and content, 4 additional hairstyles, and improvements for almost every area of Lost Ark. You can find the very long patch notes at playlostark.com.
There is a live-action trailer for Lost Ark:
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Lost Ark Live-Action Trailer
“Finally a really big update”
How does the community rate the update? On Reddit, the update is already being discussed, as well as under the new video section of “Eye On Arkesia” on YouTube. Many players praise the developers for the current information density and many of the new features.
Known-Meeting3702 writes on Reddit: “I love the proactive communication we’ve received. Regardless of whether everyone likes what is being said or not, communication is simply important.”
Ricky-Doo-Dah-Grimes is looking forward to Reddit, especially about 2 things: “Free legendary skin next week and changes that combat alt-roster gold. W AGS.” Editor’s note: The W stands for Win, AGS stands for Amazon Game Studios. Thus, the player is praising the publisher of Lost Ark.
sparycz praises on Reddit: “After a long time, there is finally a really big update. Nice!”
Zealousideal_Wash_44 explains on Reddit: “The gold sellers are already whining on Discord about this update. I hope there will be a mass ban of second accounts, making it a BIG W +++.”
KeenZorse comments on YouTube: “I am really excited about Paradise, no P2W, just relaxed gameplay, sounds like fun.”
Some players even feel that the changes do not go far enough, as for example, the solo raids always lag a bit behind the current raid content, or because there are still contents through which unbound gold can be earned. What do you think?
Total War: Warhammer 3 removes a controversial ability from your units. You will soon be able to test how that feels.
What ability is it about? The developers call it “pocket ladders”, but the community has nicknamed them “ass ladders”. These are the ladders that your infantry automatically takes into every siege battle to climb the enemy walls. They are called that because units pull them out of thin air – essentially, “pulling them out of their ass”.
Here you can see the latest teaser for the upcoming DLC Tides of Torment:
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Total War: Warhammer 3 – The official teaser for the DLC Tides of Torment
These ladders have been a staple of the Warhammer trilogy since part 1 and are quite hated by the community:
They make it far too easy for attackers to overwhelm enemy settlements. The walls pose almost no obstacle, allowing you to easily penetrate the settlement from all sides, with a numerically inferior garrison being unable to do anything.
As defenders, you have the opposite problem. Currently, it is hardly worth holding the walls, as they can be climbed far too easily. Therefore, the better tactic is often to ignore them and defend chokepoints within the settlement.
Both as defenders and attackers, the biggest feature of siege battles is lost – namely the defending or strategically overcoming the walls. Moreover, ladders that appear out of nowhere are not exactly immersive.
Developers let you play without the hated ladders
The developers are now reacting: And you will soon be able to test the result yourself. On July 24, 2025, the “Siege Proving Grounds” will go live – a beta where the developers will test some changes to sieges with the help of the community.
The hated ladders are now gone, but only at your request. If you want, you can enable them in the options at will. This can also be done within a campaign, but not during a battle.
If you disable the automatic ladders, you can build them as siege equipment. These are slower and more fragile than siege towers, but are produced faster. Additionally, you will not suffer heavy losses if the enemy destroys your ladders on the way to the wall.
The current model of the siege ladders in the beta is, by the way, just a placeholder. The various factions do not yet have unique designs for their ladders. However, if they are incorporated into the finished game, they will receive their own designs.
A summary of all the new features in the beta can be found in the corresponding blog post at community.creative-assembly.com.
The beta runs from July 24 to August 7, so two weeks long. To sign up for it, right-click on your game, then go to “Properties” and finally “Betas”. There you can select the Siege Proving Grounds under “Beta Participation”.
Final Fantasy XIV launched in 2010 with a particular problem: the flower pots looked way too fancy. This was explained by Producer and Director Naoki Yoshida in a retrospective. The flower pots, in total, required a lot of performance.
Later, the MMORPG was eventually taken offline to be completely revamped. The new head was Producer and Director Naoki Yoshida. Yoshida explained at that time in a retrospective (via Polygon.com) that there were several major problems. One of them was the flower pots in the game, as they simply looked too fancy.
The grind fest from July 21 to 27 In this week, you can expect exciting articles every day on the topic of MMORPG. Included: a time travel through the history of online role-playing games, as well as nostalgic retrospectives, streaming evenings, interviews, columns, and analyses.
You can watch the official trailer for the original version 1.0 here:
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Final Fantasy XIV Trailer for Version 1.0 Shows a Past Era
Pots looked as fancy as player characters, which caused problems
What was the problem with the pots? Yoshida explained that they had been obsessed with achieving perfect graphical quality from the beginning. The game was supposed to look great, but this very decision cost a lot of processing power.
As a concrete example, Yoshida showed a screenshot of a flower pot in front of an inn from the first version of Final Fantasy 14. He referred to it as “the most beautiful flower pot in an MMO,” but then revealed that it cost a lot of performance: a single flower pot contained over 1,000 polygons and 150 lines of shader code, meaning it consumed as many resources as a single player character.
What are polygons? A polygon is the smallest unit of a 3D graphic. A three-dimensional object can consist of a few to many thousands of polygons. The more polygons, the more complex the object is. For the object to be able to move, it also requires a movement model (known as a rig).
To ensure that the game functioned reasonably, the team made a compromise: they limited the number of player characters visible on the screen at the same time to 20. This allowed them to control the processing power, resulting in the game running fairly smoothly at launch. In the end, there were more pretty graphics and less real MMO feeling.
What other problems were there? Yoshida mentioned two other reasons:
The then developer team lacked MMO knowledge and experience.
Major design flaws in the game itself. However, the developers hoped that they could fix the issues later with patches.
Final Fantasy XIV was significantly revamped and is now one of the most important, actively running MMORPGs that you can play. Whether it’s worth starting and what you need to pay attention to is discussed in the following article directly on MeinMMO: Is it still worth getting into Final Fantasy 14?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Critical Role has evolved into the most well-known group for Dungeons & Dragons on Twitch and YouTube and is embarking on a journey to perform with their new show. Now the pre-sale for the first shows has started, but some beacon codes did not work.
Update from July 23, 2025: The pre-sale for Berlin has started again, and as a Beacon member, you should now be able to receive your tickets without any issues.
Are all tickets sold out? After about 1 1/2 hours, the event in Berlin seemed to be sold out. However, according to support from Beacon, the presale was temporarily stopped to give all other users still hoping for tickets the same fair chances. Sales resumed once the issue with the codes was resolved.
Can you buy tickets again? If you are a Beacon member and have received your code for the presale, according to x.com, you can buy tickets again since July 23, 2025, at 8:00 AM CEST.
What if I already have a standard ticket but actually wanted a VIP ticket? If you purchased a standard ticket but would prefer a VIP ticket, you can use your code again. Then send an email to [email protected] and use the subject “Critical Role VIP Upgrade” so that processing can occur before 6:00 PM CEST on July 29 and you can receive a refund for the standard ticket.
My presale code is not working? On July 22, 2025, at 9 AM German time, the presale for the Echoes of Exandria Tour 2026 started for Berlin, Edinburgh, and London. Several colleagues in the MeinMMO editorial team tried to access tickets via Beacon codes, initially unsuccessfully. There are also increasing reports on Reddit, specifically regarding the show in Berlin.
We have also received feedback from support at Beacon that the issue is known and that a solution is currently being worked on. Support asks to keep trying, even if the overall problem has not been officially resolved yet.
What can I do if my code does not work? According to the Beacon email with the codes, you should contact Beacon support directly. This can be done via the email address [email protected].
Attention: According to the Beacon website, you should contact [email protected]. Which address is generally correct is not known at this time. We have already received responses from both addresses, so both should be possible.
MeinMMO will stay on top of things and keep you updated on any news.
Critical Role live in Germany – All about the Echoes of Exandria Tour 2026
What kind of tour is this? Under the name “Echoes of Exandria,” the group is planning a tour in 2026 with 5 stops, where they will perform their new show. Standalone stories (One Shots) in the world of Exandria are to be played live on stage.
Who is participating? The entire founding cast will play, including Matthew Mercer as Dungeon Master, Laura Bailey, Liam O’Brien, Marisha Ray, Ashley Johnson, Taliesin Jaffe, Travis Willingham, and Sam Riegel. There will also be a custom stage design.
Where is it happening? The dates are planned as follows:
May 26, 2026 – Atlanta, GA (Gas South Arena)
July 6, 2026 – Berlin, Germany (Uber Arena)
July 12, 2026 – Edinburgh, Scotland (Edinburgh Castle)
October 26, 2026 – London, England (The O2)
December 3, 2026 – Fort Worth, TX (Dickies Arena, with Travis Willingham as Dungeon Master)
What do the tickets cost? The prices for Germany are now known and are as follows:
196.25 € – Seat Category 1
167.50 € – Seat Category 2
133.00 € – Seat Category 3
According to Reddit, prices in London are as follows:
184 £ for the front
150 £ for the first tier of the arena
98 £ for the top tier of seats
At Edinburgh Castle, the situation is similar according to Reddit:
180 £ for the front
150 £ for the middle blocks
91 £ for the cheapest seats
When and where can I buy tickets? Tickets for Germany will be available from July 25, 2025, at 9:00 AM (CEST) – you will find the sale on Eventim. Members of the paid service “Beacon” will enjoy early ticket sales starting July 22, 2025, at 9:00 AM (CEST), provided they had a valid membership before July 18.
There will also be exclusive “Fan Experience Tickets” (except for Edinburgh), which will give you the best seats in the house, a Q&A session with the cast before the show, and early access to exclusive tour items for an additional fee.
How many tickets can I purchase in the pre-sale? If you are part of the Beacon pre-sale, you can secure up to 8 tickets per member. In the general pre-sale, there is a maximum of 6 tickets. Violating this limit may lead to a ticket blocking.
Can I come in cosplay? If you want to go in cosplay, that is actually encouraged by the organizers. So don’t hesitate to come as you wish.
For more information about the respective venues, ticket sales, and more, visit the official website.
In the meantime, Critical Role has even developed their own role-playing system “Daggerheart”:
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Critical Role stellen ihr neues, eigenes Rollenspiel vor: Daggerheart
From “friends playing D&D” to so much more
What or who is Critical Role? What began as a private D&D campaign called “Vox Machina” among friends has been live-streamed since March 2015 via Geek & Sundry and has captured the hearts of many fans deeply.
In 2019, Critical Role was founded as an independent company and the group moved to its own Twitch and YouTube channel. There they started their second campaign in the stream with “The Mighty Nein” and occasionally invited guests for individual sessions. As a result, they have now accumulated numerous additional formats, such as one-shots with their own rule sets, the third campaign of Dungeons & Dragons, “Bells Hells,” as well as further behind-the-scenes and talk shows.
Currently, the franchise surrounding the group includes:
Thanos is one of the most important and powerful villains in Marvel, but DC also has a major villain that several heroes must confront.
Which character is it? Those who only have a passing familiarity with the DC Universe may not have heard much about Darkseid. However, this villain is one of the most powerful adversaries of the DC heroes, threatening not only Earth, but often the entire Multiverse.
In the new Superman movie, the hero faces a human adversary:
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Superman – Trailer for the new film of the well-known superhero from DC
A Tyrannical God
Who is Darkseid? The villain made his first appearance in the comic Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen No. 134 (1970). Darkseid is the ruler of Apokolips, a place that exists outside the normal universe. To leave or enter this place, certain teleporters known as Boom Tubes are required.
Depending on the origin story, he is descended from the Old God Yuga Khan and is referred to as a New God. Darkseid wants to enslave all living beings and intends to utilize the Anti-Life Equation (roughly translated as Anti-Life Equation) for this purpose. This formula is said to be capable of controlling the will of others.
On Apokolips, he reigns sadistically and brutally. Most living beings on Apokolips are enslaved inhabitants who have been abducted and live a terrible life. They possess no self-esteem, and any resistance is brutally crushed.
On the other side are the Parademons. This is the bulk of Darkseid’s army. The Parademons are genetically engineered monsters that arise from living or dead inhabitants of the attacked worlds. When Darkseid unleashes his troops, they attack all living beings nearby and seize them to create new Parademons.
Additionally, there are the Furies. They stand above the Parademons and form Darkseid’s personal security force. Unlike the Parademons, they have their own personalities. They are led by Granny Goodness.
The greatest danger in Apokolips, however, is not the army; it is Darkseid himself.
How strong is Darkseid? He is not referred to as the God of Evil or Tyranny without reason. He possesses a whole repertoire of abilities that make him a danger, even to great heroes like Superman.
As a New God, he is an entity that exists in the Multiverse, and therefore is among the most powerful beings in the DC Universe.
He is extremely intelligent and a brilliant strategist, and he can perceive other universes and dimensions.
Darkseid is immortal. He has lived for an indeterminate amount of time, gathering knowledge.
He is extremely resilient and immune to most energy attacks.
If one should manage to inflict injuries on him, he can regenerate.
He is incredibly fast, has high stamina, and his strength is comparable to that of Superman.
Additionally, he has abilities like power absorption, resurrection, flight, and the manipulation of gravity.
His most iconic ability is his special laser beams that he can shoot from his eyes. They are based on a power that he stole from the Old Gods. Unlike, for example, Superman’s lasers, Darkseid’s lasers can track their targets. You can see them guiding to hit their target without fail.
How can he be defeated? Even though Darkseid is a quite powerful being, many comics depict heroes becoming more powerful than one might expect. This includes Superman, who regularly exceeds his limits.
In many variations, Superman has the strength to keep up with Darkseid. In the film Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, we see how Superman and Supergirl together managed to drive the tyrant away. Although they did not kill him, they were able to outsmart him.
In many variations, Superman has the strength to keep up with Darkseid. In the film Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, we see how Superman and Supergirl together managed to drive the tyrant away. Although they did not kill him, they were able to outsmart him.
Our MMORPG expert Karsten Scholz has been playing World of Warcraft for 20 years. The first break came from two bosses from the expansion “The Burning Crusade,” which are among the toughest challenges of the early WoW years.
My most beautiful and intense time in World of Warcraft surely ran from my personal start in spring 2005 (everything was new and SO fascinating!) until the fall of the heroic Lich King in “Wrath of the Lich King.” What an epic final battle of an expansion it was!
Apart from the first 58 levels, I experienced this phase under the banner of the guild Godmode from the beautiful server Dun Morogh, where I settled in with a friendly couple. There, I worked my way up to the officer of the rogues during “Vanilla,” only to ascend into the guild council at the start of “The Burning Crusade” and regularly lead raid evenings.
WoW and bugs have been together since day one:
Start video
3 absurde Bugs, die in WoW passiert sind
Player, Organizer, Counselor, Manager
I still remember how fulfilling and exhausting the job as a raid and guild leader was. At times, I felt like a full-time manager, with regular meetings and interviews for applications and staff. Something always had to be prepared or organized. Or someone had something on their mind and needed an ear or two to listen.
Moreover, TBC brought some special challenges for guild leaders. The transition from 40-man and 20-man raids to first 10-man (Karazhan) and then 25-man. Or the attunement madness that had to be mastered to always have enough participants in the roster who had earned the right to enter the respective instance through elaborate quest chains.
Since a fantastic bunch had gathered at Godmode, I gladly invested this time and energy for a long time. After all, there was not only the work for the guild but also the joint celebrations after a first kill, the boozy guild meetings, in-game weddings, hilarious PvP rounds, and countless hours together on TeamSpeak.
In WoW: Burning Crusade Classic, bosses like Vashj first went live without the nerfs at the time:
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Among the challenges of the first WoW expansion were also the sometimes really tough boss fights, for which you occasionally needed a specific raid setup or gear with specific resistances.
Among the hardest progression blockers of the TBC era were the two end bosses of Tier 5: Lady Vashj from the Serpent Shrine and Kael’thas Sunstrider from the Tempest Keep. Like other bosses of the expansion, they initially proved to be so difficult (and bugged) that Blizzard had to noticeably nerf (and fix) them multiple times throughout the expansion.
Even the professional players from Nihilum, Death Wish, or Death & Taxes needed weeks to take down the two end bosses of this tier:
World First Kill of the last boss before Lady Vashj in the Serpent Shrine: March 12, 2007
World First Kill of Lady Vashj by Nihilum: March 29, 2007
World First Kill of the last boss before Kael’thas: April 24, 2007
World First Kill of Kael’thas by Nihilum: May 25, 2007
World-first race in the Serpent Shrine of WoW: The Burning Crusade. You can find the complete history of raid successes in World of Warcraft on method.gg.
Why Was Lady Vashj So Difficult?
In the fight against Lady Vashj, a 3-phase battle awaits, in which players must take on tasks that decide between wipe or victory. Particularly tricky is Phase 2, in which Vashj protects herself with a bubble that you must break by deactivating reactors. To do this, you need to defeat elementals, loot a tainted core from their remains, and bring it to one of the reactors.
What’s mean: The player carrying the core is paralyzed and cannot move. The solution: Players toss the core from one to another until someone is close enough to the reactor to deactivate it. For this to work, you must split up, focus damage, coordinate, and watch for line of sight.
The Grind Festival from July 21 to 27 This week, you can expect exciting articles about MMORPGs every day. Included: a journey through the history of online role-playing games, as well as nostalgic throwbacks, streaming nights, interviews, columns, and analyses.
In practice, however, this looked like the elementals disappeared before they were killed, there was no line of sight for the throw, the core landed with the wrong player, or the responsible players died due to other mechanics and timely replacements could not be organized.
All this was made more difficult by numerous other constantly appearing enemies that had to be controlled in a specific way. Happy wiping in Phase 2 was the result. And when you finally mastered that point, there was still Phase 3, where Vashj takes over players from the raid and turns them into death machines. This caused frustration even in TBC Classic.
Lady Vashj
What Made Kael’thas So Tricky?
When it comes to boss fights with different phases, Blizzard simply overdid it with Kael’thas. First, you deal with his four advisors one by one (Phase 1). Then, the boss awakens his legendary weapons to life, which you need to eliminate as soon as possible and assign to the right players (Phase 2).
In Phase 3, Kael’thas sends his advisors against the raid again, but this time simultaneously. After some time, he personally joins the fight to, for example, hurl a deadly pyroblast at players (Phase 4). Finally, the blood elf removes gravity in the room, so you have to confront Kael’thas while floating (Phase 5).
All of this, along with the numerous other mechanics not yet mentioned, had to be drilled into everyone’s heads, the exact strategies rehearsed, and every little mistake meant starting over, especially during phase transitions where forced pauses could also occur, because the chatty Kael doesn’t hurry … that was a tough test of patience that would last many weeks for my guild.
The gang of Kael’thas.
Burnt Out: Time for a Vacation … in Karazhan
For weeks our progress routine in Burning Crusade looked like this:
On the first night of the ID, kill all bosses except Vashj and Kael’thas.
Then try Vashj night after night until she finally fell.
Afterwards, we continued with Kael’thas until he also met his end for the first time.
Finally, allow as many players as possible to get the two end boss kills, as you needed these for the next tier.
What may seem easy to write down now required an enormous amount of energy and time back then. The guild and raid leadership constantly discussed strategies, raid setups, and improvement opportunities, organized and supported so that everyone was well prepared for the fights. They motivated when others had lost interest, but also struggled with frustration and anger themselves.
All this eventually took its toll on me. When Vashj and Kael fell, the joy and pride in the guild were immense, but I also realized that I needed a break and distance from raid progress. So I stepped back. I didn’t play WoW for a while. But then I returned with a twink to help a friendly little guild get through Karazhan.
Later, I regularly helped in Tier 6 content of TBC as a healer at Godmode. At the start of Wrath of the Lich King, I was back in full swing. Just guild and raid leader, I never wanted to be again – a vow that still stands today. Can you relate to that? You can find another anecdote of mine here: Before MeinMMO – When money was tight, I wrote stories about racy superheroes
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A PC gamer reaches for alcohol to clean his case. But instead of cleaning it, he ruins the case. In the end, a remedy helps him that hardly anyone would have expected.
A user on Reddit wanted to clean his PC case to prepare it for a few new stickers. He used alcohol and a cotton pad – a decision he quickly regretted. He posted a picture showing the front of his case: stained, dull, and uneven. In his post, he also directly addresses the community and asks: “Do you have any idea how I can get this stuff off without making it worse?”
If you prefer to clean digitally instead of in real life, you should take a look at this game. In the video, we show you the cleaning simulator Goblin Cleanup.
Start video
Goblin Cleanup is the perfect mix of cleaning simulator and dungeon exploration
A cleaning attempt and its consequences
This was the mistake: The user actually just wanted to ensure that the surface was clean before applying stickers. So he used 91% isopropyl alcohol from the drugstore, a cleaning agent that many recommend for PC components. But with a cotton pad and a sensitive plastic front, the whole thing turned into a small disaster. A prior test on an inconspicuous spot could have prevented the damage, as even the author admits.
Isopropyl alcohol is a popular agent for cleaning electronics. However, in high concentrations, it can attack sensitive, uncoated plastic surfaces. Studies from the journal npj Materials Degradation confirm that high concentrations of isopropyl alcohol can damage sensitive plastics like acrylic. In combination with mechanical friction, such as from a cotton pad, the material becomes roughened.
What happened next with the case? After the fail, the user tried to save the case. First with soap and water, then with vinegar and even with olive oil, all without success. Only toothpaste brought visible improvement. He completely disassembled the panel to treat it properly. Using a toothbrush, he polished the affected areas under running water. The result: significantly better, but not like new.
The posted images in the comments clearly show the before-and-after comparison. From stained and dull to significantly more even, but with visible traces.
How does the community react? Many users in the Reddit thread suggest seeing the damage as an opportunity: If the case is already ruined, why not creatively redesign it? Suggestions range from matte spray paint to powder coating to self-adhesive vinyl foil. So, from the cleaning fail, it might still become a true unique piece.
How to properly clean your PC case
What to consider when cleaning: Anyone who wants to clean their PC case should know exactly what they are doing, especially with sensitive surfaces like plastic or acrylic glass. The proper handling of tools and cleaning agents determines whether your case shines afterwards or is ruined.
Don’t use cotton pads: They unnecessarily rub off the material and can damage the surface.
Use alcohol with caution: Especially on uncoated plastic, alcohol can cause streaks or discoloration. If at all, only very sparingly, diluted, and without friction.
Test first on an inconspicuous spot: This way, you’ll see immediately if the material reacts sensitively.
Use microfiber cloths: Soft, lint-free cloths are ideal for removing dust and light dirt.
Mild cleaning solution instead of chemicals: Distilled water with a little dish soap is usually sufficient.
Secure fans and use compressed air only selectively: To avoid damaging anything and to prevent dust from being simply spread around the case.
Wash dust filters regularly: Clean under running water and let them dry completely before reinserting.
The Reddit case shows how quickly something can go wrong during cleaning. But even without alcohol and toothpaste, regular maintenance is important, especially with pets. Our tech expert explains why you should clean your gaming PC every 6 weeks if you have pets and what to pay attention to.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Helldivers 2, the developers have signed off for vacation, but a bug is annoying players so much that they wish the developers would fix it even while on holiday.
What kind of bug is it? In Helldivers 2, the brave soldiers of Over-Earth are currently dealing with an annoying bug that renders a popular weapon unusable. The affected weapon is the PLAS-45 Epoch, which players refer to as “Epoch”.
It was rendered unusable in one of the recent patches. No matter how many hours a Helldiver has spent in shooting practice, with the “Epoch”, players currently cannot hit any enemy. However, a prompt adjustment by the developers does not seem to be forthcoming, as they are now on vacation.
Just before the vacation, the developers released their latest war bond:
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Helldivers 2 shows its new war bond “Control Group”
Summer vacation causes trouble
What is going on with the developers? The developers of Helldivers 2 come from Sweden, where students have long summer vacations. These are probably a welcome change from the long winters in Scandinavia.
The developers of Helldivers 2 are joining in and taking a two-week company vacation. On X.com, the development studio Arrowhead Game Studios announced that instead of being in Over-Earth for the next two weeks, they would prefer to spend time by the lakes, enjoying tactical sunbathing and Fika (a Swedish tradition similar to tea time in the UK or coffee and cake in Germany).
The game continues to run in the meantime, but new patches are not expected during the two-week vacation period.
How are the fans reacting to the vacation? The brave soldiers of Helldivers 2 are annoyed that the bug was not fixed before the developers went on vacation. Players like the “Epoch” and are not very understanding towards the developers. On Reddit, they write:
Theobald_4: “At least it’s not as bad as last year. I remember the weapons felt like a Nerf gun, and rocket devs were launching you into the stratosphere with infinite rockets.”
teh_stev3: “Imagine how good the Epoch will feel after we’ve suffered under its current state for two weeks.”
josenight: “Yeah, lol, a bit risky to bail right after an update. Hope they at least fix the Epoch.”
ikarn15: “Do you think people are only upset because of the Epoch? The game is full of bugs (no Termites) and performance is complete trash. I tried playing a few games this morning but then decided to just stop because it’s not a pleasant experience at the moment.”
Although the developers of Helldivers 2 are on vacation, players can continue to play, but probably for now without one of their favorite weapons. The developers have already announced that they will return fully charged from their vacation. The vacation seems to be needed, as indicated by a comment from the head of the developers: Head of Helldivers 2 highlights a major issue, comparing it to the Empire from Star Wars
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The new MMORPG Architect: Land of Exiles is set to launch in Korea in 2025 and will also come to the West later. First testers have now had the chance to try the game and are excited.
What kind of MMORPG is this? Architect: Land of Exiles is a promising new MMORPG being developed with Unreal Engine 5, which aims to impress visually. The game comes from the Korean developers Aquatree in collaboration with the publisher HiveIM and was first revealed at the Korean gaming expo G-Star 2024.
Especially the boss battles promise to be a highlight with an action combat system and colorful effects. There are some parallels to Throne and Liberty, not only because of the use of Unreal Engine 5 and the same country of origin. The planned large-scale battles with hundreds of players are also a known feature of Throne and Liberty.
Architect: Land of Exiles focuses on a true open world where players can fly, swim, and climb using mounts. An engaging story with cutscenes and side quests is also planned. The game world should feel alive through world bosses and dynamic events, going beyond just interaction with players and monsters. All of this was now tested by the first testers, and they are showing positive feedback.
Here you can watch the trailer:
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The new MMORPG Architect: Land of Exiles presents first gameplay in the trailer
Positive conclusion from the testers
How did the first test go? The new MMORPG is set to launch in Korea in 2025. The first testers had the opportunity to try the new MMORPG during a focus test. According to Inven.co.kr, the testers were already well familiar with the genre before being selected.
The test lasted two days, during which players had a total of 16 hours to play and provide their feedback to the developers. The focus group showed predominantly positive responses regarding the MMORPG.
How was the MMORPG received? Testers were very satisfied with the new game. According to Iven.co.kr, players praised several core aspects of the MMORPG, such as dungeons, puzzles, and boss fights. After the 16-hour test, the testers came to a positive conclusion.
The graphics provided were well received by the testers, especially the characters and environment design were rated 9 out of 10.
The puzzles as well as the airborne content and boss fights also pleased the players. The action combat system was described by testers as “a very immersive gaming experience.” One tester also said: “It is rare to find a game that combines the controls of a traditional MMORPG with the fun of manual control.”
The developers now want to improve the MMORPG using the gathered feedback from testers and are planning the release of their new trailer for August 10, 2025, according to Iven.co.kr.
Whether the developers will soon reveal a rough timeline for the release in the West or even a specific date remains to be seen. Here, the developers seem to be orienting themselves to many genre colleagues and want to establish themselves in Asia first. More about Architect: Land of Exiles can be found here: New MMORPG aims to impress in 2025 with stunning graphics, does not come without hooks
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The true plans of Xal’atath in World of Warcraft are finally known. We now know what her grand goal is.
The story of The War Within reaches its climax with the next patch in WoW. On the shattered planet K’aresh, the battle against the Voidlord Dimensius and his minions is upon us. We receive unexpected help – and at the same time, we realize what goals Xal’atath is actually pursuing. Her true motivation is revealed.
Spoiler warning: This article contains important story details about Patch 11.2 Spirits of K’aresh and the conclusion of the raid Manaforges Omega.
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Nur im Juli 2025: Diese 3 Mounts in WoW solltet ihr jetzt farmen
What is Xal’atath doing in Patch 11.2? One particularity that should become noticeable relatively early on K’aresh is the alliance that the Voidwalker forges. To the great dissatisfaction of Alleria, the Voidwalker makes a pact with Xal’atath to prevent the summoning of the Voidlord Dimensius.
It may seem strange at first, after all, most of us have assumed that Xal’atath works for Dimensius. However, Xal’atath appears to be more of a “forced” henchman, and if we have learned anything about the Dagger Lady, it’s that she values freedom above all else.
Therefore, Xal’atath is also more than willing to support the defenders. In doing so, we learn a lot about the Astral beings, the intermediaries, and the strange substances they use to give form to their bodies.
The YouTuber Bellular has made an interesting analysis video about this:
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What happens at the end? How exactly the battle against Dimensius ends is still unclear – that will likely only be revealed in the battle itself and the subsequent cutscene. However, we have already gained a lot of information from data mining that allows us to infer the rough course of the story:
Xal’atath supports us in the fight against Dimensius and ensures that we can destroy him. However, Xal’atath also takes advantage of this moment – she betrays the Voidwalker and kills him.
In a debriefing after the fight, we learn that Xal’atath likely devoured the essence of Dimensius as well. Alleria wants to prevent “Xal’atath from becoming the new All-Devourer.” Or in other words: Xal’atath apparently intends to become the most powerful being of the Void and rise above the other Voidlords. This also fits well with the new story discoveries regarding the Old Gods.
Typically, Voidlords do not work together, but serve only one thing: themselves. The Void consumes everything until only the most powerful remain. This is evident in the boss fight against Dimensius, as he has two “smaller” Voidlords in tow, who have already been consumed by him.
How does the story continue? Since Patch 11.2 paves the way for the next expansion Midnight, we should quickly feel the effects of Xal’atath’s power growth. After all, Xal’atath’s ultimate goal of obtaining the World Soul of Azeroth is still unfulfilled.
It seems clear that while we may triumph over Dimensius, we are only further playing into Xal’atath’s hands. It is a situation where we cannot win – because if Dimensius is not defeated, he would also consume Azeroth.
How the story continues with Midnight will be revealed next month. At gamescom 2025, the next expansion will be presented and even the intro cinematic unveiled. It won’t be long until we finally have access to housing …
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
MeinMMO author Caro has already gained her first experiences in the new Soulslike WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers on PS5 and fought through its world plagued by a disease. The expectations were high, but after a few hours, it became clear that she had nothing to worry about.
Since I got a taste for Soulslike games, I was definitely ready and excited to test WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers from Leenzee Games.
WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers is a new action RPG considered promising by the Soulslike community, set at the end of the Ming Dynasty. It takes place in the land of Shu, which, besides warring factions, is also plagued by a mysterious disease called Feather Madness, from which monstrous mutations arise.
I have stepped into the shoes and one of the stylish outfits of the titular protagonist Wuchang for about 15 hours. She herself is also affected by this Feather Madness and is seeking a cure for herself and her world. With this premise, I set out to explore the world of this land, slay monsters, and unravel the mystery of Wuchang’s past and the disease.
I am definitely not a Soulslike pro, but a big fan. After titles like Elden Ring and its spin-off Nightreign, I was hoping for a successor that could evoke the same excitement in me. And I am pleased to say that the enthusiasm for Fallen Feathers is definitely there – at least after initial worries.
Admittedly, I must say that I (unjustifiably in hindsight) compared every single aspect of Fallen Feathers with my beloved FromSoft blockbuster and struggled like a miserly old man with thoughts like “But I know this differently”.
But let me preempt you here – after a short time in the game, I no longer wasted any thoughts on Elden Ring, as Fallen Feathers captured me so completely.
Here you can see the trailer for WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers, where Wuchang encounters a beautiful woman, who becomes more monstrous than she initially appears:
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Wuchang: Fallen Feathers – New Action RPG from China Shows Boss Fight and Release Date
WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers is ruthless but beautiful
At the beginning of the game, a certain concern arose quickly, because after the first boss I thought: “Damn … that was really easy.” In the context of another game, that might sound positive, however, that is not the thought one wants to have after a battle with a Soulslike boss.
But, I continued to engage with the game. And although Wuchang gained new abilities and became more powerful through a skill tree and spells, fortunately, the game also became increasingly complex. With my growing understanding and skill, the challenge also increased, which I gladly embraced with open arms. Where I initially managed to defeat a boss on the first attempt, they started to become more cunning and posed real hurdles, at which I sometimes really had to gnash my teeth.
I was stomped into the ground, crushed, spat on, swallowed, set on fire, or paralyzed by a poisonous kiss by mutated monstrosities, enchanted (and simultaneously enchanting) women, as well as by a demonic version of myself before my heart was ripped out. So I had a grand time.
Wuchang fights against a Fox Lady.
The bosses and their respective fights are diverse and have their own identity. I particularly remember a battle with a creature against which I faced about 20 times until I finally understood that I could use the environment against it.
However, this did not frustrate me, but gave me an extremely enlightening lightbulb moment, making me feel truly responsible for the success.
The world, its inhabitants, and levels look superb
In my first hours in Fallen Feathers, I noticed, as probably everyone with eyes in their head, that the game is really beautiful both graphically and conceptually. Not only Wuchang and her outfits, but especially the environments, as well as the level, character, and creature design. I traveled through sun-drenched bamboo forests, gloomy caves, adorned temples, and hellish landscapes of rotting bodies and flesh mutations in toxic lakes of bubbling blood.
This place came right after hours of gray wasteland. I had to pause for a moment.Nice here.Just one of the many places that reward you with a wonderful view after particularly annoying opponents.The probably cutest merchant in Shu.
It is not a true open world, as you are guided fairly linearly through the world. However, the more you uncover and carve new paths for quicker navigation (literally), the more options you have for how to proceed.
There is also the option to travel back and forth between certain points in the game, but they are still quite sparse. Therefore, you often have to take long distances on foot, which is absolutely acceptable with enough signposts along the way. The journey can indeed drag on without these points.
At one point, I had to run for about 2 minutes without any obstacle to reach an enemy, which is absolutely okay once, especially in such a beautifully designed game like Fallen Feathers.
However, when you have to fight a boss, which in the Soulslike genre is often linked to multiple attempts, the long path becomes tiring and unfortunately frustrating after the fifth time. Here I would have appreciated another save point before really strong opponents.
Dodge and timing become core elements
Instead of blocking and parrying, dodging is especially one of the most important elements in Fallen Feathers. You not only evade damage, but also gather energy, the so-called “Heavenly Power”, which can be used for spells and special attacks.
This energy can be collected, as particularly powerful spells require more Heavenly Power. How much you have and which spells require how much of this power is marked in blue in the UI. Additionally, collecting this power is accompanied by a small spell sound and haptic as well as visual effects, which is another nice reward for successful dodging.
Wuchang uses a spell against a boss.
Alongside magic and weapon attacks, you can utilize various builds that support your play style. At shrines, which serve as loading points, teleportation, and upgrade options in the game, you can level up Wuchang and improve through the skill tree. Here, there is also the option to assign different movesets and weapon talents that can be used in battle.
Although I quickly found my favorite in the longsword and the blade step, which proved to be a reliable method with the right key combination, there are enough options with the large selection of 40 spells and 5 weapon classes, so that every player should find something suitable for themselves.
I particularly like that the player is given so few boundaries. The spells work independently of the equipped weapon, allowing you to make a new preparation for different challenges at any time without having to completely disrupt your build.
The skill tree also supports this freedom, with builds that are not set in stone. You can reset all gained aspects of the skill tree without cost so you can try out new playstyles as often as you want.
Risky actions are rewarded
In Fallen Feathers, there is a “Demon System” that can reward but also punish players. If too much madness accumulates in Wuchang, her attacks become significantly stronger, but she also becomes more susceptible and cannot take damage as well.
And if Wuchang dies in this state of madness, another dangerous consequence arises – a demonic version of herself that must be defeated to stop this madness and regain the lost red mercury (the currency for leveling and trading). This demon is not an illusion, but real. And she fights, but not only against me, as other enemies can also see her.
I had several moments when I could lure the demon to a group of enemies, who were then torn to shreds by her, still providing me with red mercury. However, one should notice in time when the demon turns against oneself again, otherwise this freshly acquired mercury will quickly be lost, just like the amount already seized before.
Wuchang and her inner demon.
Fallen Feathers pushes me to my limits, but I want more
So far, I have only experienced a fraction of the game and must nevertheless mention that it has captivated me in a very short time. I feel increasingly confident in handling Wuchang’s abilities, and yet the challenge does not wane at all.
Besides the thrilling fights and the world, it is primarily the immersion that excites me. Despite the diverse environments and bosses, the mysterious disease of Feather Madness is always present, manifesting through corrupt landscapes and its inhabitants.
Wuchang herself is infected with this Feather Madness. But instead of mutating, she draws her power from it, which provides interesting gameplay. It remains exciting to see whether and how the disease might affect the protagonist more than she would like.
I am still eager to uncover the mystery behind the Feather Madness and Wuchang’s past, no matter how many monsters or demonic women will stand in my way. I will die a lot, get upset, scream – but that is what the experience is all about for me … and the success even sweeter.
By the way, MeinMMO author Ody has also tried WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers. And he has a lot to say about it as well.
Ody especially loves the parallels to Bloodborne
Although I never really warmed up to Elden Ring, I enjoyed battling through the entire Dark Souls trilogy, Bloodborne, and Sekiro – sometimes even multiple times. Therefore, before the first play session I had many questions about WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers:
What direction will the gameplay take? Will it be more like Sekiro or a classic action RPG?
How hard will the game really be? Developer Leenzee itself says that their game is meant to be a Soulslike – but the difficulty level also varies within the genre, sometimes quite significantly.
Over time, I found my answers: Instead of Sekiro, I found Bloodborne, but with some very exciting improvements and peculiarities. The bosses hit hard, they strike quickly and relentlessly. However, their attacks rarely feel “unfair”. Over time, you always develop a strategy that leads to victory – and that is what these games are about, at least for me.
The atmosphere and opponent design also convinced me immediately. The world feels truly melancholic: sometimes almost inviting, yet corrupted and sick. WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers is a successful Soulslike for me, in which I want to explore every corner of the game world for hidden lore and defeat the grotesque enemies thrown at me.
WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers will be released on July 24, 2025, for PC, Xbox, and PS5. Even though it is very soon, I am glad and thankful that I won’t have to wait.
The first Deep Dive trailer for the gameplay in EA FC 26 announces the separation of solo and multiplayer. On MeinMMO, we explain what this means for the gaming experience and discuss further changes in gameplay mechanics.
What kind of trailer is this? Deep Dive trailers are intended by EA Sports to present changes in the new EA FC game more precisely. New gameplay mechanics are introduced. An expert explains, using different gameplay scenes, how the innovations affect gameplay.
The biggest announced change marks a turning point for the football simulation: From FC 26, there are 2 separate gameplay settings:
Competitive Gameplay
Authentic Gameplay
This completely new approach emerged from fan demands for more realism on one side and faster gameplay on the other. To meet both desires, EA apparently felt compelled to make a separation.
How will gameplay differ in the future? Simply put, you play different gameplay in multiplayer modes like Ultimate Team or Clubs than in classic single-player modes like Manager or Player Career.
Competitive Gameplay is designed to give you maximum responsibility over your actions regarding movements, shots, or passes against real opponents. Additionally, random factors like rebound balls after tackles by defenders or saved balls by goalkeepers should be minimized.
Authentic Gameplay in single-player aims to provide the maximum realism. It is noticeably slower and thus should reflect real football. Random deflections are just as much part of the game as slips on wet ground.
Note that you can also use Competitive Gameplay in single-player. The other way around is not possible.
The major innovation, as well as further adjustments, can be seen in the Deep Dive trailer. After the video, we will explain all other changes to gameplay.
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Deep Dive trailer on gameplay shows 2 different gameplays and numerous adjustments
Deep Dive: Gameplay Fundamentals and Other Changes
What are the new gameplay fundamentals? The following changes apply to both gameplay types. They represent fine-tuning for existing gameplay mechanics that were criticized by fans in FC 25:
Improved goalkeeper play: smarter positioning and small movements make it harder for the shooter to score goals
More agility: players can turn faster in all directions and respond more quickly to your commands, speed advantages for the fastest players
Rewarding defense: won balls are likely to remain in your possession and not bounce back to the opponent
Faster passing and dribbling: the speed and control of dribbling and passes have increased
Smart attacking runs: more options for your attacking play through clever runs by the A.I.
More assertiveness in direct duels: balls can now be better shielded from your opponents
Additionally, every shot can now be executed flat by double-tapping the shoot button. This abolishes timed finishing (since FIFA 19 in the game). The new precision setting for shots (since EA FC 25) replaces timed finishing for maximum accuracy.
High Contrast Mode to Fix Several Issues
What is the High Contrast Mode? In EA FC 26, you can adjust the colors of players, jerseys, referees, and balls even in-game with the High Contrast Mode. This is EA’s response to a known issue. It could happen that similarly looking jerseys were selected when choosing jerseys, making them hardly distinguishable in the game.
Furthermore, the dark stadium shadows that made some match arenas appear too dark in the past can now also be removed. The difference between well-lit areas and barely visible, shady spots could cause quite a headache. That should now be fixed.
New PlayStyles and Player Roles for More Individuality
What new PlayStyles are there in FC 26? In FC 26, there will be 5 new PlayStyles. These give your players in offense and defense even more unique abilities:
Precise Header: for precisely placed headers on goal
Header Power: for more assertiveness in defensive headers
Gamechanger: for flair finishes with the backheel or outside of the foot
Creativity: for flair passes, for example with the backheel
Assertiveness: for improved shielding off the ball
What new player roles will there be? 4 new player roles contribute to an even greater tactical diversity in modern football:
Participating Goalkeeper: supports you in build-up play through a higher positioning
Wing Defender (CB): center back moves out wide to secure wing backs
Inverse Mobile Winger (RB, LB): supports attacks far up in a central position
Variable Midfielder (CDM): pushes into the opponent’s penalty area when the opportunity arises
These are the main changes from the Deep Dive trailer on gameplay. More Deep Dives will follow in the coming weeks. Next, the new archetypes will be introduced.
A player writes a ridiculous comment on Steam highlighting an issue that the platform has been facing for some time.
What a bold comment! A player asked in the discussion area of the upcoming horror game “Inferius” on Steam if he could get the game for free. He claimed to be quite a big YouTuber with 200 subscribers and could be paid for a good review.
Moreover, he would give a negative review if he didn’t get the game for free. About 3 days after creating the thread, he commented: “I don’t like it when my patience is tested.”
You can watch a trailer for the horror game on Steam here:
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Das Horror-Roguelike Inferius gibt im Trailer einen ersten Eindruck der Spielwelt
Steam has a problem with clowns
What is the problem? The Steam user is likely trying to troll with the post and farm the so-called clown awards. Particularly, the statement that he is quite a big YouTuber with 200 subscribers seems to many users on Reddit as an obvious hint at his intentions.
The clown award is part of the Steam Awards, which players can give to various content (such as reviews or community postings) on the platform. With the different awards, players can express what they think of the respective content – a heart reward, for example, shows approval or that something touched their heart. The clown reward is primarily used to show that someone finds the content ridiculous.
The author of the Steam post in the community area of “Inferius” seems to want to provoke and deliberately aims to receive clown awards with his troll comment – not because it is particularly funny, but because he is perceived as particularly bold, “stupid,” or ridiculous.
This practice is also referred to as “clown farming.”
What does clown farming bring? When a content on Steam receives an award, the creator of the content gets credited a portion of the Steam points that were spent on the award.
In the case of the clown award, users are said to receive about 200 Steam points per award. The respective user has thus earned over 22,000 Steam points with more than 110 clown awards without much effort, which he can spend in the platform’s point shop on various profile backgrounds, emoticons, and avatars. 115 points correspond to a purchase price of 1 euro.
To bring their worlds back to life, the developers of New World are now planning a change that is worrying some players.
What is this announcement? In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the developers announce “World Merges”. This means they will merge some of the servers.
This decision was not made lightly by the developers, according to the post. However, it is meant to help increase the population on the servers and make the game worlds feel more vibrant again.
They conducted extensive latency tests and are confident that the gaming experience will remain “smooth and responsive”.
You can watch the launch trailer for New World: Aeternum here:
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New World Aeternum: Well-Staged Gameplay Trailer for Launch
Players fear poor latency in the future
How are players reacting? Fans doubt that the latency in the game will remain acceptable after these World Merges. Some of the decisions regarding which servers will be merged are also met with confusion.
@Hardo_95 asks on X: “why the f**k are you moving EU servers to US too ?! just merge all EU and that’s it! it shouldn’t be that hard to deal with this.”
The user is likely referring to the server Mardi (EU), which is being merged with Tumtum (US East). Other players comment:
“I’m sorry but there’s no way that 200ms latency is playable for the vast majority of players in New World. Please keep 1 server per region,” writes @JayOddity
@BDScrubin says: “Merging servers kills the game for a lot of people. It’s always been that way each time it’s done. Sad times”
The developers of a surprise hit on Steam snuck into the lobbies of players who streamed their game live on Twitch to troll them.
What kind of game is this? PEAK is a cooperative climbing game. As a group of lost scouts, you ascend a mysterious mountain. Every misstep can mean an early end.
The game was released on June 16, 2025, on Steam and quickly became a hit there:
Just 6 days after release, the game reached a peak of around 100,000 players on Steam (according to steamdb).
Another two weeks later, PEAK even reached over 114,000 concurrent players.
Within just 9 days, the game sold around 2 million copies according to a Steam post from the devs.
A trailer for the game can be seen here:
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PEAK zeigt sein spaßiges Gameplay auf einer spannenden Expedition mit Freunden
Developers talk about a plush toy with Twitch streamers
What have the developers done now? The developers of the game had a little fun and took possession of Bing Bong, a plush toy. Disguised as such, they infiltrated the lobbies of Twitch streamers and chatted with them – causing a lot of confusion.
Initially, some streamers thought that the voice lines were pre-recorded. But at some point, Bing Bong suddenly started responding to questions. Twitch streamer Becky “bekyamon” Maerkman shares such a moment in a YouTube short.
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After initial surprise, someone in the clip exclaims: “We’re taking Bing Bong to the top!” In the same stream, the plush toy pleaded not to be left behind and shouted, “I’m in the water!” Later, there was the realization: “We almost left a real dev just in the water.”
Other streamers left Bing Bong behind, only to hear a sad “Don’t leave me…” A player exclaimed: “Why does it sound like a real person is in our call?” Another was certain: “Bing Bong has a speaker!”
What do the developers say about it? In a Q&A on Reddit, one of the devs commented. A user asked how the developers determine when they take possession of Bing Bong. The developer responded:
“We could only join players games if they were publicly streaming. So we didn’t have access to EVERYONES games haha. It was a good bit for creators during the first few weeks after launch. We’d spend evenings watching streams and decide who we think would enjoy hearing from Bing Bong.”
A legendary developer is convinced that games like Clair Obscur and Baldur’s Gate are advancing the gaming industry and inspiring AAA developers with new ideas.
Who is the father of first-person shooters? It was the year 1991 when four men in Texas founded the development studio id Software. One of these men is John Romero.
In the following years, id Software released games like Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, and Quake, significantly advancing the first-person shooter genre. Since then, Romero, along with John Carmack – also one of the founders of id Software – has been regarded as one of the fathers of the shooter genre.
Romero is said to have played a crucial role in shaping the games through innovative approaches and his focus on gameplay.
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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – JRPG with French Flair has Release Date
Indie developers are advancing the gaming industry
On July 21, Romero was a guest on Nightdive Studios’ “Deep-Dive” podcast, where he discussed the gaming industry with Larry Kuperman. After about 40 minutes, Kuperman asked what Romero thinks about the current state of game development. The podcast episode is also available on YouTube.
This is what Romero says: Romero observes that the gaming industry is much larger than it used to be when he was designing games like Quake and Doom with id Software. He elaborates on how massive the indie community is and how many games are released each month on Steam or itch.io.
Even when looking at the Game Awards, Romero says, one would find that half of the awards go to indie developers and games like Balatro.
Kuperman brought up games like Baldur’s Gate 3, Helldivers 2, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, to which Romero concluded: “These people are the ones who make the AAA companies say, ‘Oh, wait. We need to do this too.'”
What does this mean for the gaming industry? Romero is convinced that games like Clair Obscur and Baldur’s Gate 3 can make big studios and publishers rethink and inspire them with great game design.
Indie developers now have an easier time than before releasing their games and can reach a large audience when the finished game is fun.
Riot is primarily known for League of Legends, but they want to explore the realm of a new genre with a new game. With a new closed beta, you can soon see for yourself.
What game is it? For a while now, 2XKO (formerly Project L) has been in development at Riot Games. As a fighting game, it resembles Street Fighter, but is more oriented towards tag fighters like the Marvel vs. Capcom series or Dragon Ball Fighter Z. A new game from Marvel in that subgenre will be released soon.
So far, there is no specific release date for 2XKO, but eager fans can participate in a closed beta in September to test the game themselves. Riot has now released new information and announced a new character that Arcane fans will know well: Vi.
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LoL reveals more about the gameplay of its fighting game Project L – “The game looks better and better each time”
A beta and a new character
As part of the upcoming beta, Riot announced that Vi will be included as a playable character in 2XKO. She will be playable for the first time at EVO Las Vegas, an esports event in the fighting game sector. How to play her and what she can do will be seen there at the latest. EVO Las Vegas takes place from August 1 to 3.
How Vi is supposed to look in the game can be seen here:
Vi has a prominent role in the Netflix series Arcane and is one of the protagonists of the animated series. In contrast to her is Jinx, who was already included as a character in 2XKO.
When is the closed beta? The closed beta of 2XKO will be released on September 9 for Windows PCs, with PS5 and Xbox Series X|S to follow later. Content is expected to be cross-save. So if you switch from PC to console later, your game progress will be transferred.
How can you participate in the 2XKO beta? You can register and gain access through the official website of 2XKO. If you participated in the previous playtests (Alpha Labs), you automatically have access to the beta.
Should you check out the game as a LoL fan? Even if you have no prior experience with fighting games, it’s worth taking a look at the game. Tag fighters are generally good for beginners, and 2XKO also has features for them. There will be easily executable combos, and the inputs are less complex than, for example, in Street Fighter.
For those who want to take a peek into the genre, the beta will provide a good opportunity. As a LoL fan, one can look forward to a new art style and a new interpretation of familiar characters.
