The manga artist of One Piece, Eiichiro Oda, has posted pictures of his new plush toy. They show Ruffy’s worst enemy with an animal that fans now suspect more about.
Attention, spoilers: Here are spoilers up to episode 1118 of the One Piece anime.
What kind of plush toy is that? Currently, fans of One Piece are excited about a new stuffed animal, which shows Imu from the anime. He is the secret leader of the World Government and never presents himself to the public. He even stands above the Five Elders, who are immortal.
Since his true identity has not yet been revealed, his body is represented by a silhouette. Even his voice is altered in the anime, so viewers do not know whether he is male or female. Nevertheless, the creators did not refrain from making a plush toy from this silhouette.
Eiichiro Oda has also obtained such a plush toy and proudly shows it with several items from his home. It is noticeable that Imu is shown with exactly two items that could be a hint about his identity.
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One Piece Film: Red – The Official Trailer for the Anime Film in English
Manga artist of One Piece might hint at identity
What is shown in the pictures? In one picture on X, Oda shows his plush toy next to a replica of the shark guitar, which is usually Brook’s musical instrument in the anime. In the second picture on X, you can see Imu sitting in the open mouth of a shark. This shark head hangs in Oda’s bathroom.
In the comments, some fans therefore suspect that the manga artist wants to give hints about Imu’s identity. They propose a theory that they can support with additional facts.
What is behind it? Several users on X claim that Imu could be a Sea King. These are gigantic creatures in the sea, to which Ruffy’s friend Shanks even lost an arm. There are several hints that suggest Imu is a Sea King:
Imu’s silhouette is oddly shaped. Since Sea Kings have bizarre bodies, this could fit.
Sea Kings live together with sharks in the sea. Oda’s pictures could be a hint.
In the manga and anime, there is a knife in a picture of mermaid Shirahoshi. She possesses an ancient weapon with Poseidon and can control Sea Kings. So Imu could simply be afraid of her power.
The campaign of Destiny 2 relies on very special gameplay that can be fun if you don’t overdo it while gaming.
On Tuesday, the new expansion of Destiny was released, The Edge of Fate. I was eagerly staring at the screen, waiting to jump into the new campaign. Then it started, and I did my best to rush through the story as quickly as possible so I could share my impressions of the gameplay with you – and unfortunately, that was exactly my mistake.
Who writes here? Dariusz is our shooter nerd at MeinMMO. He curiously tests every new game in the genre and spends countless hours in various PvE and PvP fields. He prefers tactical shooters like Rainbow Six: Siege and Valorant, but especially loot shooters like Destiny are a great change for him when teammates or opponents in PvP become terribly exhausting. He has now played “The Edge of Fate” and wants to share his impressions with you.
A campaign that does NOT invite grinding
In my opinion, The Edge of Fate has a difficult position, making it not easy to give a recommendation to buy or a “stay away from it”. At its core, the expansion plays like a typical Destiny campaign, but with an aspect that some Destiny veterans or shooter fans might hate.
The gameplay is very straightforward and just what veterans have been used to for years: You rush from mission objective to mission objective, shooting a bunch of aliens and picking up some loot here and there. The structure of the missions follows a consistently repeating pattern.
However, this consistent pattern made the gameplay feel repetitive after about 2 hours of continuous playtime. I quickly felt the urge to play something else, make food, or simply go to sleep – which is suboptimal when you want to rush through the campaign to write a report on it.
Now comes the big BUT:
For the casual player who takes their time while gaming, this shouldn’t be a problem. Just play 2-3 hours per day, take breaks when you feel like it, and continue from where you left off the next day. Feel free to take the whole week for the campaign because if you play 1-2 hours casually, the gameplay loop is really okay. Since I was very tired on Tuesday, I stopped early and went to sleep. On Wednesday, I had no problem with the mission design at first – that only came after several hours.
Casual gamers, occasional players, and gamer dads might have much more fun with the mission design than hardcore gamers, content creators, or other enthusiasts who rush through the campaign in 1-2 days.
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The launch trailer of “The Edge of Fate” showcases the new expansion of Destiny 2
The big feature that becomes nothing special after 2 missions
Bungie has tried something with “The Edge of Fate” that meets a major desire of the community on one hand while being perfect for annoying the biggest fans of the game on the other.
The big new aspect that differentiates the expansion’s campaign from the usual Destiny gameplay is the new Matter abilities, such as the Matterspark or the Translocator. You use these abilities to solve various puzzles and progress in the story.
However, the problem with the new abilities is that this gameplay principle is massively overused in the campaign. Every mission is overflowing with Matterspark implementations, to the point where, in a boss fight against a Vex Hydra, you can only deal damage after finding a small hole in the floor of the boss arena, dashing through it, destroying an energy source on the other side of a barrier, and thus disabling the boss’s shield.
This gameplay loop has quickly become very boring and extremely annoying. In the mentioned boss fight, I walked through the entire arena under constant fire from the Vex Hydra for about 15 minutes, searching every pipe, ventilation shaft, and unevenness in the walls for an opening for the Spark. Ultimately, I was too inattentive and missed the opening in the floor for far too long, but that was still a very frustrating and unenjoyable gaming experience in the middle of the boss fight.
Destiny has amazing gunplay and really good movement with cool combat abilities – WHY DO I HAVE TO ROLL THROUGH THE BOSS FIGHT AS A GLOWING BALL?!?! I play a sci-fi shooter to blast away with futuristic weapons, not to play first-person billiards.
Overall, it is positive that Bungie was willing to introduce the Matter abilities, which haven’t existed in this form in the game before. The principle is quite interesting, and in a game like Destiny, which constantly struggles with the accusation that all new content is recycled, this is exactly the right direction.
Hole in the ground for the Matter Spark – in the middle of the boss fight against a VexMatter Spark in the boss fight against a Vex
Critique that may not concern you
So far, my report sounds like a clear recommendation against buying the expansion, but it’s unfortunately not that simple. There are some very subjective points that can fully relativize my criticism:
If your gaming sessions are of a normal length, the missions feel significantly less repetitive because you then have a certain gap between the missions.
The Matterspark etc. is not fun for me, but I generally enjoy very action-packed gameplay, tough battles, and I’m not a fan of puzzles. I really want to enjoy the shooter aspect of Destiny.
Overall, it is understandable that a new gameplay aspect like the Matter abilities may not please everyone. That’s completely normal. Nevertheless, the campaign of the expansion feels like Destiny, and if you have been a fan of the game and its gameplay for years, you can have a good time with the expansion. Technically, I had no problems, no disconnects, no bugs, no stutters.
I would also play the expansion even if I expect it won’t be fun
The most important point in favor of The Edge of Fate is the entry into the new saga. Everything that will happen in Destiny in the next few years begins here – and this makes me excited for more.
You meet Lodi, a new, quite interesting and well-written character, and the story of Orin is also excitingly continued. Moreover, at least in my case, curiosity is awakened about what is to come and where the saga will develop. I am really eager to learn more about the past and the end of the Earth; after all, there’s still so much that we Guardians do not know. Lodi and the Nine could change that.
If you plan to play Destiny 2 in the coming years, you should buy the expansion to experience at least the campaign and the start of the new saga. Additionally, a new raid will also be released on July 19 that you can only play if you own the expansion – and new raids are always good. You can read more about that here: Destiny 2: Raid for ‘On the Edge of Fate’ starts in a few days – Everything about the World First race
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the MMORPG New World, the developers shared statistics about the Hardcore Season. While some players had quick success, the numbers show that the event was probably not a success.
What was the Hardcore Season? The Hardcore servers of New World were a seasonal event where players had the opportunity to show how well they could perform in the MMORPG and earn rewards for it. The servers offered a faster leveling phase and new quests, allowing players to reach the endgame more swiftly.
They were “Hardcore” servers because the death of a character had consequences. Players lost access to some rewards and had to create a new character to regain them. The rewards were then available for the main character on the game’s actual servers.
Now the developers have unveiled the statistics for the event, showing how few players completed it.
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New World: Aeternum – Trailer prepares for Season of the Divide
Little playtime and few players
What do the statistics show? The statistics shared by the developers on NewWorld.com indicate how many players completed all achievements and tasks of the seasonal content. According to the developers, only 434 players mastered all tasks. An astonishing number, considering that the MMORPG once attracted over 900,000 players simultaneously (via SteamDB).
The average playtime, stated by the developers on NewWorld.com to be 8 hours, does not seem particularly long for an event server in an MMORPG.
Was the event too difficult? Probably not. Although not many players completed the event, the first, not the quickest, player managed to complete all event tasks after about 17 hours.
The fastest player to reach the maximum level without dying took only 42 minutes to do so. The server offered good opportunities to reach the endgame to complete the 12 tasks there and secure the rewards.
New World has lost many of its players since its release in 2021. The new version Aeternum has hardly made a long-term difference. Currently, according to SteamDB, the MMORPG attracts about 8,000 players during peak times on weekends, and player numbers have remained constant for the last 3 months without declining.
In Dungeons & Dragons there is a wide range of different organizations and groups that have a significant influence on the events of the Forgotten Realms. We present to you 5 of the most powerful ones.
What kind of organizations are on the list? In selecting the organizations, we focused on groups that operate in the Forgotten Realms and exert their influence there. We aimed to represent a broad spectrum of different goals and dogmas, as well as their size and the strength of their influence.
The 5 organizations we present to you act in their own ways and significantly shape the events in the Forgotten Realms, so you should definitely know them if you want to embark on an adventure there.
[toc]
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Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves – Second Official Trailer for the Movie
Harpers
Banner of the Harpers
Many may be familiar with the Harpers, as they are one of the best-known organizations from Dungeons & Dragons. Many of you may have encountered them in the video game Baldur’s Gate 3 or in the film “Honor Among Thieves”. In BG3, for example, one of your companions, Jaheira, belongs to this organization, while in the film the protagonist Edgin is a Harper.
The focus of the Harpers is on protecting the innocent, weak, and poor, and improving their situation in the Forgotten Realms. They are primarily made up of spellcasters and spies and take pride in being seen as incorruptible defenders of good, never hesitating to assist the oppressed in times of need.
There is a strong bond of trust among Harpers, and their friendships are virtually unbreakable. Although they rarely act openly, they can always rely on each other, and in times of great need, an ally will spring from the shadows to assist their comrade.
The Harpers also often seek out powerful artifacts to secure them from dark forces. They use disguises to gain access to hidden places such as forgotten cities or ancient mage towers.
Since they prefer to operate in secrecy, their actions often go unnoticed – even when they topple tyrants, dethrone cruel rulers, or nip emerging threats with malicious intent in the bud. Following the motto “Knowledge is Power,” Harpers primarily rely on their extensive networks and their wits to stay one step ahead. Perfect for those who want to be heroes, but also a little mysterious and enigmatic.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Why is Warhammer actually called Warhammer? Many might think: because the name just sounds cool. And they are right. But there is actually a bit more behind it, as at least the current term has significantly more meaning.
The name is more or less a coincidence. One of the creators, Rick Priestley, writes in a comment on a blog that there were other names in consideration at the time. Warhammer almost ended up being called Battleblade.
The decision to go with Warhammer is likely partly due to the fact that the name was simply cool and catchy. However, the term, which translates to “war hammer,” has repeatedly shown itself to be important content in the game over the years.
Fans repeatedly puzzle over why Warhammer is actually called Warhammer. There probably isn’t a better explanation than: “Because that’s just what it’s called.” But at least a reference to the name is always made.
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The makers explain what Warhammer actually is
From Sigmar’s Hammer to the Warhammer Logo
The logo of the game features a very special weapon: the war hammer Ghal Maraz, which means “skull splitter.” The hammer comes from the forges of the dwarves – more specifically: from the dwarf ancestors Thungni and Smednir. Such legendary ancestors are the equivalent of gods for the dwarves.
Originally, the hammer was the weapon of the High Kings of the dwarves until it was passed down centuries later by the High King Kurgan Ironbeard to the human hero Sigmar Heldenhammer as thanks for saving him from greenskins.
Sigmar is the one who united the barbaric tribes of men and thus created the Empire. He is now regarded as their first Emperor and is worshipped as a god – similar to the Emperor in Warhammer 40,000.
The dwarves have inscribed Ghal Maraz with runes, their version of magic, as they themselves cannot (or should not) wield magic. Accordingly, the hammer possesses powers that far exceed those of conventional weapons.
Ghal Maraz’s appearance serves today as the logo of Warhammer. While it is not the first, it is definitely the most famous war hammer in the Warhammer universe.
The current Warhammer logo features a stylized Ghal Maraz.
Harry, the First Hammer in Warhammer
The second – or technically speaking the first – reference to a “Warhammer” in Warhammer is a character from the original edition of the game: Harald Hammerstorm, also known as Harald the Hammer.
Harald is a Chaos warrior who already graces the first cover of the Warhammer rulebook and is the first model in the game depicted with a war hammer. His design from the 2nd edition reportedly inspired Sigmar and his weapon (via Web Archive).
The warrior’s weapon is at least as legendary: although Harald’s hammer has no name, he decapitated a demon with just one blow. A remarkable feat with a blunt weapon.
He became a legend among the tribes of Norsca until he finally met his end in a duel with the vampire lord Vlad von Carstein. Due to his age, however, Harry the Hammer is still today the embodiment of “Warhammer” for many veterans.
All nonsense, of course, Warhammer comes from John Warhammer!
A name that keeps popping up in the community is John Warhammer. He is the sole creator of Warhammer, writes all the books, comes up with all the plots, and is basically the boss of everything – depending on whom you are listening to.
Accordingly, the name also derives from John Warhammer, after all, he is the boss. As entertaining as the meme is: this is obviously complete nonsense. Among the founders and first employees of Warhammer, there is a John Blanche, but he has little to do with John Warhammer.
Fans use the name merely when referring to a sort of “Deus Ex Machina,” meaning: It is just what it is. Don’t ask, accept it. Or when they simply have no idea. The name is a combination of the American equivalent of Max Mustermann or an unknown person (“John Doe”) and Warhammer itself.
Naive newcomers and the uninformed might be misled here, even though it is obviously an exaggeration. Nevertheless, John Warhammer is persistently presented in the community as the person responsible.
Additionally, Gigantamax Lapras will appear in most power sources, which will also renew more often. So you have a good opportunity to challenge the monster. But Gigantamax fans know: It won’t be easy. After all, we were able to fight the monster before, and Gigantamax battles are anyway the hardest challenge in the game.
So use the following tips to have a chance.
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Pokémon GO: Over 800 Trainers fight in Gigantamax battle
1. Best attackers against Gigantamax Lapras
In general: You want to deal as much damage as possible while taking as little damage as possible. Therefore, use Pokémon that are particularly effective against Lapras’ type combination. Lapras is a Water and Ice type. The type chart shows: Your best chance is with attacks of the Electric, Grass, Rock, and Fighting types.
Strong attackers against Gigantamax Lapras: Accordingly, the following Pokémon are particularly effective when you use attacks of the mentioned types.
Gigantamax Gortrom
Gigantamax Machamp
Gigantamax Riffex
Gigantamax Venusaur
Dynamax Urshifu
Other options include the Dynamax variants of Raikou, Zapdos, or Quartermak to deal damage.
2. Best defenders against Gigantamax Lapras
Offense is not everything; you also need to withstand Lapras’s attacks. Therefore, use strong defenders when you are not in Dynamax mode to endure its attacks. Strong options are:
3. Use the right strategy against Gigantamax Lapras
In the last Gigantamax battles, it has proven useful to focus a bit more on defense and bring two defenders and only one attacker. Use your defenders to absorb Lapras’s attacks while generating energy to fill the Dyna meter. When the display is full, switch to your attacker to deal strong attacks to Lapras.
4. Only fight with a sufficiently large group
The Gigantamax battles cannot be completed alone and, in general, not even with four people. You need rather 10, 20, or even more trainers to win the battle. The chances of success increase rapidly when all trainers use the right counters and a sensible strategy instead of just attacking with anything. So coordinate as best as you can. The Campfire app can help you find groups nearby that are planning battles.
Moreover, you can also participate in Gigantamax battles via remote raid passes and join lobbies through external apps like PokéGenie. This can also work very well. However, make sure that the lobby is large enough to be promising before wasting a remote pass.
And: The Dynamax mushrooms can help as they double your damage. But these are also rare and should only be used if it really looks like the raid is feasible.
What’s going on in Pokémon GO? The Dyna Battle Day with Lapras is embedded in the currently running Water Festival. The event already has a lot to offer and runs until Sunday. You should make use of the event bonuses if you haven’t done so yet – as a Hyper Bonus event, it offers particularly strong features. We show you all the bonuses of the Water Festival in Pokémon GO here.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Helldivers 2, the soldiers of Über-Erde suddenly have a new enemy in front of them, and this enemy is using one of the best gear from Über-Erde.
What kind of new enemy is this? When the soldiers of Über-Erde found themselves facing a new enemy in their fight against the robot faction, they were shocked. The robots are now also using mech combat robots as new units in their fight against Über-Erde, which poses challenges even for the bravest warriors.
Here you can see the latest war bond from Helldivers 2:
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Helldivers 2 shows its new war bond “Control Group”
Popular feature becomes a strong enemy
Why are the soldiers afraid of the combat robots? Since the mechs came into play shortly after the release of Helldivers 2, they have become a popular tool for the brave warriors of Über-Erde. Especially beginners enjoy the great firepower and the protection of the two-legged tank as long as they do not yet have the best weapons in the game available.
Even later in the game, many players like to use the mechs to their advantage, even if they do not always belong to the meta of Helldivers 2. Besides their capabilities, the mechs also give players a certain power fantasy, which is triggered by the heroic portrayal of the combat robots.
Now that the enemies are using these weapons against the Helldivers and deviating strongly from the ordinary, more human-sized enemies, it shakes the Helldivers.
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What are the brave soldiers saying? When the discovery by player Future_Champion_9721 was published on Reddit, many of the usually brave Helldivers became fearful. They responded in the comments mostly with images full of fear, but some soldiers also expressed their thoughts:
Hatarus547: “I guess the bots are bringing heavy artillery, and I understand why, after the last war bond.”
imacactusmf: “What the hell is that even?”
Flame_Vixen: “What do you mean by Automaton Metal Gear?”
Loprilop: “That looks so damn cool!”
survivor3333: “That’s probably the best update ever.”
Sad-Needleworker-590: “Holy shit, that’s fantastic! I mean, more bots to kill!”
The new enemies of the Helldivers are already feared, even if some war enthusiasts are excited about the new challenge. The last patch not only suddenly introduced new combat mechs but also a bug that sneaky traitors are exploiting to their advantage: Sneaky traitors kick players from Helldivers 2, using the glorious flag of Über-Erde
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A PC gamer wanted to build his own computer. But in choosing his components, he made a serious mistake – one that many beginners make. Now he is stuck with expensive hardware that he cannot use.
A user on Reddit wanted to upgrade his first gaming and streaming PC. He posted a picture on Reddit, showing his purchased components, saying, “I can’t express how much I’m frustrated with myself right now.” The picture shows an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D processor and the ASUS ROG Strix Z690-E motherboard.
Meanwhile, Intel itself is also entering the graphics card market. In this video, you can see the Intel ARC graphics card.
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Battlemage: Check out Intel’s new graphics cards in the video
From Dream to Bad Purchase
This is the mistake in question: The user combined two parts in his PC build that technically do not fit together. The problem: the motherboard is based on an Intel chipset and is only compatible with Intel processors – an AMD chip like the 7800X3D cannot be installed on it at all. A significant compatibility error that cannot be easily fixed afterward, as the magazine 3DJuegos reports.
However, the user only noticed this after he had already purchased the parts. He realized the mistake too late. Unfortunately, he had bought the components from a seller who does not accept returns. Which is already questionable, not to mention that he could have been warned that these components are not compatible.
Why did he want to upgrade? His current system is powerful with an Nvidia RTX 4070 Super, 32 GB RAM, and an Intel i9-12900KF. However, the user wanted to achieve an upgrade for more FPS while streaming with the new processor.
The Ryzen 7 7800X3D is particularly popular among gamers and streamers because it offers high performance in games while being relatively efficient. That was also the user’s goal: “I just want more FPS while I stream,” he writes in the thread.
But exactly this upgrade has now put him in a bind. Because with the wrong motherboard, he cannot use the processor. According to his own statement, he cannot currently afford a new, compatible motherboard.
What happens next? In his Reddit post, the user reaches out to the community with a clear question: What should I keep, what should I sell? The responses come in quickly, and the majority agrees: Keep the AMD processor and sell the motherboard.
While the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is not considered AMD’s top model, it offers good gaming performance and is also suitable for streaming. Many comments on Reddit recommend keeping it. Especially since it runs stably under load with the appropriate cooling and remains a good investment in the long run.
The Z690 motherboard, on the other hand, while a solid model, can be replaced more easily compared to the processor. It has less impact on gaming performance and is interesting for many other users due to its Intel compatibility. Accordingly, the chances of being able to resell it are good.
How can you avoid such mistakes? This case shows how important good planning is when building a PC – especially when there is little room for mistakes. Anyone assembling a new computer should definitely check:
Do the components fit, especially the CPU and motherboard?
What are my requirements for gaming and streaming?
Is there a return policy with the seller?
Have I used tools or sites that check compatibility?
The Reddit community recommends the user to rely on PCPartPicker in the future. It is a free browser tool that automatically shows whether parts are compatible. Such mistakes are not the end of the world, but they can be expensive.
A new game mode for World of Warcraft Classic excites fans. But there is a catch: We in Europe are not allowed to play.
World of Warcraft is a huge success worldwide. Not only the modern “Retail” version, but also the various Classic versions. Whether in their nearly “pure” form like now Mists of Pandaria Classic or with modified game modes like the Season of Discovery.
A brand new game mode now combines the oldest expansions into a new variant – but only for Chinese players. The “Titan Reforged” servers are being introduced there.
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Nur im Juli 2025: Diese 3 Mounts in WoW solltet ihr jetzt farmen
What are the “Titan Reforged” servers? This is a new game mode that includes Classic, The Burning Crusade, and Wrath of the Lich King. The special thing: All raids scale up to level 80. This means you can simultaneously fight Ragnaros in Molten Core and get meaningful gear that you can then use the next day in the battle against Arthas in Icecrown Citadel.
The raids will also be released in a non-linear order. This leads to some peculiarities, so multiple legendary weapons can be active at the same time. For example, you might see warriors with Thunderfury while hunters use Thori’dal from the Sunwell Plateau or a mage carries Atiesh.
A lot of end bosses at the same time – there’s a lot to do.
Why can’t you play it? The “Titan Reforged” servers exist exclusively in China. Because there just took place the celebrations for 20 years of WoW in China. However, since there were no “Season of Discovery” servers there, the WoW team thought of something else and is bringing the “Titan Reforged” servers instead.
Is there more to come for Classic? Yes, more content for Classic is in development that will be made available to all players worldwide. However, no details are known about that yet. But it can be assumed that first information will be published by the end of the year. Right now, you should play Mists of Pandaria Classic to get a special mount in Retail.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Some of the most beautiful weapons in Final Fantasy XIV are hidden behind quite a bit of grind: the relic weapons. One player is now proudly showcasing their haul on Reddit. But the community says they should destroy them right away.
What has the player achieved? In the base game as well as in every expansion of Final Fantasy XIV, there are the so-called relic weapons. These are beautiful weapon designs with special glow effects. Traditionally, grinding is required to obtain them.
On Reddit, a player has now posted that she is the proud owner of all relic weapons from A Realm Reborn, meaning all Zodiac weapons. Specifically, this grind took weeks, if not months, just a few years ago.
Despite the now increased drop rates for the required items, it is still no walk in the park and a significant achievement to have all 11 available weapons: According to the community, it still takes about 20 hours on average per weapon.
In the comments, players agree. However, some say she should destroy the weapons right away.
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The new trailer for Patch 7.2 of Final Fantasy XIV shows the new, highly anticipated content
One grind finished, let’s go grinding
Why should she destroy the weapons? In fact, the commentators on Reddit are not wrong. The final stage of the Zodiac weapons is Zeta. Which can be used to obtain the first stage of the Heavensward weapons directly..
If you turn in a Zodiac Zeta weapon to an NPC, you receive this first stage in return. This way, you avoid the lengthy grinding of FATEs (time-limited, recurring events in the world) in various Heavensward areas. The remaining steps to the final, fully upgraded weapon still need to be completed, of course.
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Is it worth it? Yes – if done correctly: The Zodiac weapons at level 50 and the Anima weapons at level 60 are now completely out of date and only useful as decorations (glamour). However, when you turn in your weapon, it is immediately exchanged for another one that also looks different. So if you want to use the Zodiac weapon as glamour, you should keep it.
However, if you mainly just want to get rid of it and want to complete the next stage faster, this can be a good compromise.
However, anyone who goes to the NPC Drake in the North Forest with the finished, final Zeta weapon in their inventory at coordinates X 30.3 and Y 20.1 can unlock the purchase of the individual stages and secure a replica. Afterwards, the original Zeta weapon itself is theoretically useless and can easily be exchanged for the Anima weapon. The decorative version can then be repurchased at any time when needed.
So if you want to continue with the Heavensward relic weapons, exchanging them is definitely worth it, especially if you unlock the glamour versions with NPC Drake beforehand.
Anyone who has played part of the FC series knows how important the loot boxes with new strong players are. Korea is now putting a stop to this and demands transparency. EA does not see it that way – and instead simply no longer offers FC-Points.
What has changed in Korea? The country of South Korea passed a new law in March that requires the chances of each virtual item to be clearly indicated. This law was enacted to ensure more transparency in gambling within games (according to koreajoongangdaily.joins.com).
Why is EA refraining from selling in-game currency? EA does not want to specify the exact chances for players in Ultimate Packs. As a result, they are forced to block the gambling elements in FC for South Korea. EA’s way is simple: they stop selling FC-Points.
The next title in the series, FC26, is set to be released in South Korea despite this change. The standard version will be sold as usual, but there will be no gambling feature. The Ultimate version is not planned to be sold from the start, as it already includes some FC-Points as a bonus (according to insider-gaming.com).
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EA SPORTS FC 26 | Offizieller Enthüllungstrailer
South Korea is not the only country fighting against loot boxes
Which other country has introduced laws against gambling in video games? In 2018, a law was passed in Belgium that classifies loot boxes for real money in video games as illegal. As a result, loot boxes were completely banned from the games for the Belgian population.
However, there is one exception where game manufacturers must acquire an official gambling license. This license is obtained from the Gambling Commission of Belgium and is the only legal way to sell loot boxes in this country (vgfb.be).
Are there any laws against loot boxes in Germany? No, not like in South Korea or Belgium. However, Germany introduced a new rule on January 1, 2023, for the evaluation of the USK, which considers loot boxes and gambling in the rating process. This is to protect young consumers (according to igamingbusiness.com).
New Arc Line is currently in Early Access on Steam and has now received its first content update. The update brings a new playable race, two classes, and more story – at least partially what players are asking for.
What kind of game is this?
New Arc Line is a classic role-playing game played in isometric perspective (“isometric view”) and primarily with the mouse. Various races and classes are available for your character.
The core of the game is the story. In search of a cure for a deadly disease, you journey to the city of New Arc, only to discover that big cities are not always so friendly. New Arc Line promises both important decisions and challenges.
To distinguish itself from well-known genre games, such as Baldur’s Gate 3 or Pathfinder, New Arc Line combines fantasy with steampunk: instead of just magic and sword, you also have steam engines and with the new update even steam-powered power fists.
What’s included in the new update: “Smoke & Mirrors” is the first free update for New Arc Line on Steam and was released for free for everyone on July 17, 2025. The main feature of the update is dwarves as a new race along with two classes that come with the race.
“Hellfire Mages” are occultists from the “brutal school of magic yet.” The class focuses solely on offensive spells with destructive effects, primarily through fire or demonic powers. They combine magic with brutal melee combat using maces or morning stars.
Corresponding to the ingenuity of the dwarves, the second class is the “Steam Mechanic.” They build their own steam-powered servo armors and power fists, reminiscent of steampunk versions of Space Marines from Warhammer 40,000.
Currently, the classes are only available for dwarves but are expected to be playable for all races later. Additionally, the update brings a new quest line that continues the current story and prepares the story for future updates.
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The update “Smoke & Mirrors” for the role-playing game New Arc Line on Steam brings dwarves and steam pants into the game
“Promising, but needs work”
New Arc Line currently has a 62% rating from 43 recent reviews with a “mixed” rating – significantly lower than the 79% rating across all reviews.
Players particularly criticize the lack of content. New Arc Line looks great and is fun with what it offers; it’s just not much. The story is described as grand and extensive, but currently, you can only play through two chapters.
In general, there are recommendations for the game, but rather “not yet,” but rather when it’s finished. Nevertheless, some players want to support the developers and invest in Early Access. In line with the update, New Arc Line is currently on sale on Steam and costs only 15.99 instead of the regular 19.99 Euros until July 21.
Enshrouded has been playable since early 2024 and is still under continuous development. One of the latest patches was apparently brought by the developers at the request of fans – saving them thousands of hours of gameplay. A big thank you from the team.
What kind of game is this?
At its core, Enshrouded is a sandbox survival game with a narrative approach: You play as a survivor after a magical catastrophe that has enveloped the whole world in a deadly fog.
Enshrouded combines classic survival gameplay with puzzles reminiscent of Zelda, a beautiful world, and a voxel system akin to Minecraft. At release, Enshrouded attracted over 112,000 players on Steam and has since become popular in the community. In particular, the freedoms in building have received repeated praise.
Why the patch now? On July 15, the developers deployed a hotfix that fixes a problem preventing a world from loading when too many objects are present (“we’re talking thousands, not hundreds,” see Steam).
The patch follows a desperate request from a few players who recreated Hogwarts Castle from Harry Potter on their server. In a video on TikTok, YouTuber and streamer VP_Gam1ng explains: After the castle was completed, the server crashed, and they could no longer join.
At that time, several thousand hours of work had already gone into the project, as stated in the video.
The players then approached developers Keen Games with the request: “Do something!” A short time later, the patch came in response, addressing the exact problem of the small community.
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The German survival game Enshrouded makes the night better with Update 6 – Here is the trailer
We are, of course, excited about what absolutely huge (but also sometimes very small and beautifully crafted) things are built by our players. I look at new, fantastic buildings created by players every day, and it is incredibly motivating to see how much love is put into all the buildings and landscapes.
We are in direct contact with the community and are trying to offer more possibilities with each update to allow players to express themselves creatively in Enshrouded.
Antony Christoulakis
Enshrouded has continued to grow steadily since its release and can still regularly attract 15,000 players or more simultaneously. With the prize money from the German Computer Game Awards, development will be further advanced. Just some of the reasons why Enshrouded is among the best survival games for PC, PS5, and Xbox.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Elder Scrolls is one of the most famous series when it comes to role-playing games. A legendary developer and father of the series is now stepping down due to a serious illness.
Which developer is it about? Julian LeFay is one of the pioneers of video game history. He started at Bethesda in 1987 and developed the first Elder Scrolls titles there.
As project leader of the Elder Scrolls spin-offs Arena, Daggerfall, and Battlespire, he was responsible for many elements of the games and laid the foundation for the series. He was referred to as the “father of The Elder Scrolls” by fans and Bethesda itself. In 1998, Julian LeFay left Bethesda (uesp.net).
In 2019, he founded the studio OnceLost Games with his close friend Ted Peterson and other developers.
What is going on with LeFay now? In a YouTube video, the Creative Producer of OnceLost Games talks about LeFay’s condition. It states: the legendary developer has been battling cancer for several years. He wants to step back from the industry and spend his remaining time with his loved ones.
In the video, you can see the gameplay trailer for the project LeFay has most recently worked on:
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Der Gameplay-Trailer zu The Wayward Realms zeigt erste Szenen des neuen RPG von OnceLost Studios
His last project is supposed to be “The Great RPG”
What was LeFay’s last project? The studio OnceLost Games is working on a role-playing game called The Wayward Realms (waywardsrealms.com). Ted Peterson writes the following about the project and the passion that Julian LeFay put into the game:
Even in the face of this challenge, Julian’s dedication to The Wayward Realms and to you, our community, has never waned. He has tirelessly worked to ensure that his vision of “The Great RPG” lives on. But now Julian must step back from OnceLost Games for health reasons to spend his final moments surrounded by his loved ones.
Peterson invites fans to share thoughts, prayers, memories, or stories about the impact LeFay’s life and works have had. He says: “Your supportive words mean more than you can imagine, not just for Julian, but for all of us who had the privilege of working alongside him.”
On Steam, there are various imitators trying to seize the magic of Dark Souls, but a new game takes a different approach. Instead of a hero, you play the weakest piece in chess, and that piece can deal significant damage.
What kind of game is it? It is the game “Stonemachia”, a rather unusual soulslike inspired by Italian art and folklore. Unusual because you take on the role of a chess piece instead of a human hero.
Your protagonist is Zefiro, and as is customary in a soulslike, the game must also be challenging. For this reason, Zefiro is also a pawn. Anyone who briefly watches the trailer will quickly find strong similarities to Dark Souls 1.
In Stonemachia, Zefiro must embark on a journey, as the world of your pawn is plagued by an angelic infestation.
The art style is reminiscent of FromSoftware titles, and the game also showcases exciting battles in the trailer:
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Stonemachia shows its darker world of chess pieces in the trailer
The Pawn Has the Power of Transformation
What makes Stonemachia special? The special thing about Stonemachia is your protagonist. He is a pawn, but his ability lies in transforming into other pieces. As demonstrated in the trailer, you can become a knight, bishop, or rook.
Each transformation and piece has its own talents and strengths in combat, distinguishing them from other classes. However, not all classes will be available from the start; you will have to earn them on your journey.
Is there a release for Stonemachia? No, the soulslike does not yet have a release date, but if you are already eager for the game, you can try it on Steam. There is a small demo that everyone can try for free.
On which platforms will Stonemachia be released? The game will initially only be released on Steam. Whether Stonemachia will also make its way to consoles is still unknown.
In his Twitch stream, Max “HandOfBlood” Knabe wanted to test a new game. But he feels pursued.
Which game is it? In a previous Twitch stream, HandOfBlood, also known as Hänno, wanted to try out the new game Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition. The game is a remaster of Stronghold Crusader. Players can build their own empire and must defend their castles against enemies.
A medieval strategy game like this is just right for the Twitch streamer HandOfBlood. But at the start of the game, something seems strange, as he finds.
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HandOfBlood: The most important thing about the YouTuber and Twitch streamer in under a minute
“Everything is weird right now”
What does HandOfBlood feel pursued by? When HandOfBlood starts the game, he is apparently greeted with the words “Greetings, Hänno”. The Twitch streamer cannot believe what he heard for a moment and says: “So right now everything is weird. First it crashed and now I heard something that…”
To check if it is really his name being said, HandOfBlood restarts the game. He receives the same greeting.
Furthermore, the Twitch streamer even checks his PC’s username to make sure the game is not taking and reading it out loud. But his name is “ST03-GAMINGHoB”, so not Hänno. Also, his Steam account does not have the name Hänno.
HandOfBlood is sure: “They are pursuing me!”
You can watch the clip here on TikTok:
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What is behind it? If you watch the clip several times and listen very closely, you cannot hear “Greetings, Hänno”, but rather “Greetings, Herold” or “Greetings, Harold”. The phrase can also be understood as “Greetings, Hello”. However, what exactly is said cannot be determined for sure.
A Minecraft adventure excites the fans. An experiment in which 1,000 players participated – and it took on epic proportions.
One might think that Minecraft would eventually become stale. After over 15 years, you’ve seen it all – or have you? A new, really impressive video shows that great ideas and brilliant concepts can still fascinate if produced accordingly.
The idea: 1,000 players are divided into 2 groups and spread across different islands. One half has a paradise of unlimited resources – the other half has a barren wasteland. Whoever dies is out.
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Minecraft shows in the video how the graphics of the game will improve
What kind of video is this? The YouTuber ish has divided 1,000 Minecraft fans into 2 groups. Depending on which island they land on, they have different conditions:
Island 1 is desolate. There is only one large tree, a huge volcano, and essentially no vegetation. The water around the island is boiling hot due to the volcano and causes damage. You can’t dig deep into the earth either, as the core of the volcano is there – a layer of lava that makes progress nearly impossible.
Island 2 is the opposite. An island group with many trees and other plants. Everything is green and seems fertile; there are resources of all kinds in abundance. The water is cool, and the only danger is falling from a high tree – or other characters.
Both islands are initially separated by a barrier – but that will eventually fall.
Furthermore, nearly all players engage in role-playing. They are not just playing Minecraft, but are fully embracing their self-chosen roles. Some are mafia bosses, others simply want to run a bakery, and yet others start a religion that worships the holy volcano of the island.
You can watch the full video capturing the events of the 10 days here:
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Early on, a player gives away a lot of food. Someone suspects that he is only doing this to gain higher prestige – and wants to stop it. However, the assassination attempt fails, and the assassin is killed instead. This makes the friendly player a “hero,” who then becomes the emperor of his own nation, to whom others pledge their loyalty.
At another point, there is a mafia boss who constantly speaks like Super Mario and secures the hidden resources of the volcano. He puts bounties on his enemies and simultaneously tries to double-cross his allies, withholding shares of the resources from them.
It is also interesting to see what roles have formed along the way. A player who sang a ballad about the island at the beginning later joined with four others to form a band and travels from realm to realm across the island to hold concerts there.
The political factions form quickly.
Another player has founded an editorial office and publishes a small newspaper daily – including propaganda and fake news, such as articles stating that “the lava in the volcano is rising” or “The other island wants to destroy us”. At the same time, the “island journalist” is paid by some of the nations to not report on the torture or blackmail of some leaders.
Not only is the idea convincing, but also the entire way in which the video was edited and produced. Despite the many participants, it is easy to follow the political developments on both islands, and in the end, one is even rooting for some of the leading figures to survive until the end – or hopefully finally fall victim to an assassination attempt.
The community celebrates the video and has only praise: How well the video is received can be seen easily on YouTube. Within just a few days, it has reached over 3 million views. The rating is also fantastic – out of 160,000 “thumbs up,” there are only just over 1,000 “thumbs down” (as of: July 17, 2025, 1:00 PM). That’s over 99% positive ratings. But the enthusiasm can also be seen in the comments:
“This might honestly be the BEST Minecraft video ever released.” – diniduYT
“That was the best video I have ever seen. Incredible storytelling and the characters… you couldn’t have hired better actors for it. Bravo! And now… do it again.” – PowerbangGaming
Sons of Anarchy is a popular series about a fictional biker gang that has captivated many viewers with dramatic yet action-packed scenes. A former member of the Hell’s Angels evaluated various biker scenes from several films and series. However, even though it’s his favorite series, he only gave one modern film the highest rating.
What kind of expert is he? In a YouTube video from the Insider channel, Pat Matter, a former president of a Hells Angels chapter from Minneapolis, watched and rated several biker scenes from 11 different films and series.
He also looked at scenes from Sons of Anarchy. Although it is his favorite series in this genre, he rated the scenes from one film significantly higher.
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German trailer for season 1 of Sons of Anarchy
Sons of Anarchy does not perform very well with its scenes
What does he say about Sons of Anarchy? The video begins with him watching a clip from season 4 episode 13 of Sons of Anarchy. You see a chase where the Sons flee on their motorcycles while being pursued by cars.
He explains that no such scene occurred in his chapter because it is quite dangerous to flee on a motorcycle. In the scene, the Sons also shoot from their motorcycles. He says that one would probably do such a thing from a car. However, he emphasizes that such incidents must have happened with the Hells Angels.
The motorcycle model that the main character Jax rides is known to Pat from the Hells Angels. He explains that as president, he would lead the formation and have a chosen person beside him. The order otherwise is based on rank within the club.
Next, a scene is shown where Jax wants to sell weapons. Pat says that his chapter was not involved in such activities. He felt it would attract too much stress. Overall, he rates the scenes shown from Sons of Anarchy a 4 out of 10. However, he finds the film The Bikeriders from 2024 much better.
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What makes The Bikeriders good? First, a clip from The Bikeriders is shown, where Austin Butler sits in a bar wearing his club vest. He is asked to take off the jacket. Austin Butler simply says: Before I take it off, you have to kill me (via YouTube).
Matter explains that losing the cut (the jacket) is the greatest insult for a biker. If such an event occurs, according to him, at least in the few clubs that are not law-abiding, retaliation follows.
In the course of the first scene, it is next shown how Tom Hardy’s character orders to burn down the bar. Here, Matter also explains that such a thing could certainly happen. From his own experience, he knows events that arose from enmity, such as a car bomb.
He rates the two scenes from The Bikeriders a 10 out of 10 because it happened. I mean, I experienced it personally.
The Twitch streamer Kevin “Papaplatte” Teller has received awards for two special milestones on the platform. He proudly unveils them in his stream, only to break them just minutes later.
Twitch introduced awards for special milestones from Twitch streamers at last year’s TwitchCon. Papaplatte was able to snag two: one for 5 million hours of watch time and one for 50 million.
According to TwitchTracker, Papaplatte had already hit the 50 million hours of watch time four years ago, namely in April 2021. He reached the 5 million hours even 7 years ago, in June 2018.
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This is how challenges for Papaplatte became a livelihood
“Break everything that can be broken”
How does Papaplatte break the award? In his Twitch stream, Papaplatte opened both packages and proudly showed the awards to the camera. Twitch sent him a purple heart for the 5 million and a gray-white one for 50 million.
He holds both in his hands as he loudly contemplates whether they can also be used as dumbbells and how much the awards actually weigh.
He then throws both hearts up, only for them to hit each other. As a result, the corners of both broke off. Papaplatte looks into the camera awkwardly before he laughs about himself.
You can watch the clip here on YouTube:
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A player has built a farm in Stardew Valley for 3 in-game years. On YouTube, he shows an experiment about what happens to the farm when he ignores it for 1,000 years.
What kind of experiment is this? The YouTuber Swell played Stardew Valley until he reached Year 3. But he wondered what would happen to the game world if he ignored it for 1,000 years. To do this, he went to bed each time and let time pass.
To speed up the process, he additionally downloaded a mod and even reprogrammed it to increase the game’s speed by a factor of 80. Otherwise, it would have taken ages to reach Year 1,000.
The project took a lot of time despite the mod and even led to multiple crashes of his laptop. But in the end, he could show what had already changed after one year and what the world of Stardew Valley looks like after 10, 100, and 1,000 years.
You can watch his video here:
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Stardew Valley becomes a prehistoric forest after 1,000 years
What does the game world look like when you leave it? After one year, not much has changed. The creepiest part is probably that a mannequin dressed as a clown appears in front of the bed. Additionally, the player loses some affection towards the NPCs. The farm, slimes, and the animals still look perfectly fine.
After 10 years, it looks quite different:
The YouTuber now wakes up in a clown costume and the mannequin is wearing his clothes
There is a new piece of furniture in the house, which happens to be in the fish room
All hearts and thus also the affection towards the NPCs have disappeared
The farm is full of rocks, branches, meteorites, as well as mushroom trees and overgrown with weeds
The animals were not fed but still produce resources
The fences have decayed and the witch paid a visit to the slime barn, turning almost all slimes black
Only the greenhouse and the town look as he left them 10 years ago. However, this changes after 100 years, at least for the town: Suddenly, the entire ground is also covered with branches and stones.
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Stardew Valley Trailer
The residents maintain their daily routine but make their way through the branches and stones as if they were just grass. The house now also looks much messier than after 10 years. Even the wallpaper and floors have been changed. The player also gives up reading all the letters, as his mailbox is now cluttered.
After 1,000 proud years, his wife has become a hoarder. She has decorated the house with random pieces of furniture. Leaving his house felt for the YouTuber as if he were stepping into prehistoric times, as the farm is full of mushroom trees and 100 meteorites.
Additionally, there are now 511 stone owls on his farm. They spawn with a 0.5% chance overnight.
What do others say about it? The funniest comment under the YouTuber’s video was written by Zephy3. He claims that the cursed mannequin is a better father than the player. After all, it has been taking care of the player’s children for 1,000 years.
Other users also find it amazing that the game is so well programmed that it can handle 1,000 years. No wonder that Stardew Valley is so popular. It is one of the few games that has reached the “God Tier” on Steam. We present 9 more games to you here: Here are 10 games that have reached “God Tier” in reviews on Steam
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
