“How awesome is that?” – NoWay has reached the highest rank in LoL 9 times, now he is surprised by the Chinese super server

The Twitch streamer and LoL pro NoWay has already reached the highest rank in nine different regions of League of Legends. Now he gets to play on the Chinese superserver and finds some surprises.

Why has he reached the highest rank so often? The well-known LoL pro and Twitch streamer Frederik “NoWay” Hinteregger announced back in December 2024 that he wants to reach the highest rank on every server in the world. 

After reaching the Challenger rank in the north and east of Europe, his next stop was Taiwan. The region could not stop him either, and on July 7, 2025, he also reached the highest LoL rank there (lol.noway.gg). This is the 9th region in total where he succeeded.

His current goal is to conquer the Chinese superserver Ionia, where many good players are active. He uploaded the video of his first round on YouTube (YouTube.com).

In the video, you can see who NoWay actually is:

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Former German LoL Pro is Now One of the Most Successful Twitch Streamers – This is NoWay

The superserver has some surprises in store

What surprised NoWay? In the Chinese version of LoL, there are several technical improvements compared to ours that surprised NoWay and his duo partner Sola: “How cool is that? Huh, why don’t we have this?”

Right at the start, he found a new window in the launcher that displayed guides for different champions. In addition to the right items, the appropriate runes and summoner skills are also suggested. 

After a minute in the Rift of the Chinese summoners, NoWay was informed in the game chat that he should skill his first ability and what it actually does. According to NoWay, this is exactly the way to attract new players to League of Legends. His duo partner Sola thinks these features would also be a good addition for us: “Honestly, it makes no sense that we don’t have this too.”

Differences between the Chinese and our version

What else is different? During the game, the two notice other features that are not present in our version.

  • When you open the scoreboard, you can see how many of the important wards your teammates have placed.
  • The ultimate timers of your teammates are displayed in actual numbers. In our version, it’s just a green dot when it’s ready, or a black dot when it’s on cooldown.
  • The jungle spawn times are also indicated in numbers. In our version, they are shown by a gray hourglass for a longer spawn and a golden hourglass for a quick spawn. When the inhibitors respawn, it is also provided with a timer.
  • By clicking a button on the left side, you can view statistics for the current game. In NoWay’s video, you can see a list of tips for his opponents. For the champion Caitlyn, the game says she has a high attack range of 650 units and is strong in the lane. Similar tips are given for the other four opposing champions.

NoWay and Sola wonder several times why such functions and features are not present in our League of Legends.

Tencent and WeGame are the reason for the better version

Why does the LoL version differ? WeGame is a platform of the media giant Tencent and is comparable to Steam or the Epic Games Store (wegame.com.cn). Since Riot Games fully belongs to Tencent, they are able to make their own adjustments to League of Legends in China. When LoL is installed via WeGame, all features of the Chinese version are also added (riftfeed.gg).

Is there a way to use these functions with us? Not directly or officially from Riot, but there are well-known third parties like Blitz.gg, Porofessor.gg or Mobalytics.gg, which offer similar features. This allows you to import jungle and respawn timers, as well as guides for your champions directly into the game.

NoWay became famous mainly through his time with the German senior team of League of Legends. The founder of the team spoke about the history of NNO and how it came to be the team without a supportive organization: “Was consumed by ambition” – Twitch streamer tells the story behind the German “senior team” in LoL

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

Player gives up popular character in Baldur’s Gate 3, making the second act even better

A player reports on Reddit that after his choices for his Dark Urge in Baldur’s Gate 3 he unfortunately had to forgo a companion. However, this allowed him a new experience in Act 2, which he was very enthusiastic about.

Who does the player forgo? On Reddit the player ClintMcElroyOfficial reports about his current playthrough as “Dark Urge”, whose experience in the Shar Temple in Act 2 was significantly better than usual. And that was only because he had previously killed Shadowheart.

She was shortly before in a confrontation with Lae’zel, who was the partner of the player character in the campaign.

The player explains that he had planned from the start to resist the Dark Urge and to play the story of a “good” Dark Urge. To do this, he made his character a Selûne cleric to spare Isobel, her deity, in the second act, which was supposed to set in motion his character’s story and resistance.

“This immediately led to tensions with Shadowheart. It seemed that every decision she made, even the non-Selûnite ones, diminished Shadowheart’s approval,” ClintMcElroyOfficial explains in his post.

Shadowheart simply had little place in this player’s story. However, he was surprised how different the Shar Temple was without Shadowheart for his experience.

Here you can see the animated short film for Patch 8 of Baldur’s Gate 3:

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Der animierte Kurzfilm zu Patch 8, dem letzten Update für Baldur’s Gate 3

Shadowheart is no longer the main character of the Shar Temple

What made the experience so much better for the player? The player explains that Act 2 of the game without Shadowheart was a real refreshment:

I have to say that Act 2 without Shadowheart’s input was great. Especially the rescue of Lady Aylin was a cool moment where my Durge [nickname of the community for Dark Urge] really committed to serving Selûne and resisting her urge (and later Bhaal) for her friends.

To be honest, as much as I miss Shadowheart, I’m somewhat dreading future playthroughs where I’ll have to hear “Shar dies” and “Dark Lady this” throughout the entire second act.

ClintMcElroyOfficial on Reddit

The player was so inspired by this new experience that he was able to learn valuable lessons for his next campaigns: “Next time I might kill other party members to see how things change.”

How does the community react to this insight? Other players also report on their experiences where one or more companions left the group or they themselves “caused their disappearance”.

  • toadofsteel: “In my first playthrough, I didn’t get Gale because I failed the checks to pull him out of the portal. It was as if he simply didn’t exist.”
  • fernandojm: “In my first playthrough, I played as a wizard and Gale annoyed me with his superior nonsense about being a mage, so he eventually left.”
  • ManicPixieOldMaid: “In my current run, I had Shadowheart let Lae’zel die, and that was also a nice change. The only person I miss is Gale. I told him to leave, and I still feel a little bad about it, especially since Elminster is still looking for him…”
  • StaticHair: “Lae’zel has died in my last 3 or 4 runs. […] To be honest, each of those situations was her fault, and I didn’t really miss her attitude.”

The Dark Urge player is not the only one who killed Shadowheart for his love for Lae’zel. Another player reported a similar experience in Baldur’s Gate 3 where he wanted to impress Lae’zel. However, he did not expect this conflict to escalate so far: Player wants to impress his great love in Baldur’s Gate 3 but undermines a large part of the story

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

Nächste Erweiterung von Guild Wars 2 soll größere Karten, mehr Inhalte und bessere Story als Janthir Wilds bieten

It’s almost time and the announcement of the new expansion for Guild Wars 2 is due. It is supposed to be better in every way than its predecessor, explains the Game Director in a post.

What do we know about the next expansion? The new expansion for Guild Wars 2 will be officially announced on July 15, 2025. The expansion is set to be released in October 2025. This is a shift from the previous August rhythm to give the team more development time and ensure quality.

There will also be new elite specializations for each class. However, these will not bring new weapons, but will focus on unique new class mechanics. Among them, there could be a specialization for the Mesmer that has been long desired, as teased in a post on x.com: the Bard.

Additionally, the endgame content (raids, strike missions, fractals) will be revised to make entry easier and improve rewards.

The new expansion is supposed to be heavily based on community feedback, which is why time has been taken to reflect on the learnings since the release of the last expansion Janthir Wilds. What is set to change has been shared by Game Director Josh Davis in a post via guildwars2.com.

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Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds – Announcement trailer introduces you to new expansion

“Build smarter, not larger” as the new design philosophy

What is set to change with the new expansion? The Janthir Wilds expansion brought many new contents such as the Land Spear, a new raid, and the housing feature “Home Instances”. However, the main feedback from the community was that the three quarterly story updates post-release were too short and felt meager without new maps.

As a direct response to the criticism, the structure for the next expansion will be adjusted to make the updates more significant:

  • The first quarterly update after the release will not contain a new story or map. Instead, it will focus on the revision of core systems and long-standing features.
  • The two subsequent updates will be significantly more extensive. They will provide larger maps and longer, better-developed story chapters than the updates from Janthir Wilds.

The developers therefore want to focus less on constantly adding new systems in the future. Instead, the focus will be on improving, modernizing, and optimizing existing features.

This should reduce the complexity of the game and make it more accessible for new and returning players. For example, endgame content such as raids and strike missions should be consolidated into a consistent structure.

They want to focus on, as they put it, “building smarter and not larger” and prioritize improving existing structures before adding new ones. Nevertheless, both the maps of the new expansion should be larger and more extensive, and the story should be more exciting and better told.

There will still be new content. What that will be is expected to be announced on July 15.

Guild Wars 2 is one of the highest-rated MMORPGs and continues to receive new content after almost 13 years, delighting its community with an engaging story. What other MMORPGs will be among the best in 2025? You can read about it here: The 10 MMORPGs on Steam with the best ratings in July 2025

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

Dead by Daylight reaches all-time high, now bringing 2 survivors from “The Walking Dead”

Two new survivors arrive in the fog of Dead by Daylight. Two heroes from the series The Walking Dead.

Things are really looking up for Dead by Daylight right now. After recently reaching an all-time high of concurrent players on Steam (steamcharts.com), the next chapter has now been announced. Once again, a strong license was secured – because the characters from the series “The Walking Dead” are entering the realm of the Entity.

The latest killer in Dead by Daylight is the Animatronic:

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Dead by Daylight: Five Nights at Freddy’s brings the animatronic

Which characters are coming to the game? The two survivors are the characters Rick Grimes and Michonne Grimes, who fans of the series will likely know. Since they are already experienced in fighting against the zombie hordes (and the accompanying social problems), they should be able to survive in the tough environment with a killer and (sometimes) questionable teammates.

What can the two do? As usual, survivors in Dead by Daylight are mainly skins that do not differ from other survivors – except for their perks. Initially, only the two survivors have access to their perks, and only through unlocking in the Bloodweb can all other survivors unlock these abilities.

The Perks of Rick Grimes

  • Apocalyptic Ingenuity: After you have opened or searched 2 chests, press the Active Ability button next to a broken pallet for 8 seconds to create a fragile pallet from it. You see the auras of destroyed pallets within a radius of 24 / 28 / 32 meters. Fragile pallets are destroyed as soon as they are knocked over.
  • Come and Get Me!: After you have rescued a survivor from the hook while you are crouched and still, press the Active Ability 1 button so that injured and dying survivors within 24 meters do not leave scratch marks or blood trails for 10 / 12.5 / 15 seconds. You scream and the killer sees your aura for 5 seconds.
  • Teamwork: Toughen Up: If another survivor stuns or blinds the killer with a pallet while you are injured within a radius of 24 meters, your grunts of pain, scratch marks, and blood trails are reduced by 100% for 20 / 25 / 30 seconds.

The Perks of Michonne Grimes

  • Conviction: After you have healed at least one survivor, the perk activates. If you are on the ground and at least 25% recovered, press the Active Ability 2 button to pick yourself up immediately. You receive the broken status and go down again after 20 / 25 / 30 seconds.
  • Last Stand: After you have spent 80 / 70 / 60 seconds within the killer’s terror radius without being chased, the perk activates. If you quickly vault through a window or over a pallet, the killer is stunned for 3 seconds if they are within 2.5 meters of you. After that, the perk is deactivated for the rest of the trial.
  • Teamwork: Throw Down: If you stun or blind the killer with a pallet, other survivors within a radius of 24 meters receive the exhaustion effect and see the killer’s aura for 6 / 8 / 10 seconds.

YouTuber Otzdarva showcases the two survivors on the test server:

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Is there also a new killer? No. The “The Walking Dead” chapter consists solely of the two new survivors. However, it is now common in Dead by Daylight that especially with licensed chapters, often only one side receives new content, as was the case in the previous “Five Nights at Freddy’s” chapter.

If you are a bit overwhelmed with all the killers in Dead by Daylight, no problem – we have a solution for you. Because we have created an overview of all the killers in the game and tell you which one is suitable for you: All killers in Dead by Daylight and which one is right for you.

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

One million gamers from Europe have come together to save video games – Now the creator of Minecraft speaks out

A petition started by a YouTube channel to prevent the shutdown and destruction of video games has reached its goal of one million signatures. Not everyone agrees with this petition, but the creator of one of the most successful games is now expressing his own opinion.

What is this petition about? It is the initiative “Stop Killing Games”, initiated by the YouTube channel Accursed Farms by Scott Ross. This initiative demands that games must remain in a functional state forever. This includes developers providing servers for players to play on indefinitely or allowing the use of private servers.

Even though Ross feared in early July that his project would be over due to a lack of signatures by the deadline of July 31, 2025, the situation changed. Various content creators like Jacksepticeye, Ludwig Ahgren, and penguinz0 spoke about the “Stop Killing Games” initiative, which increased its reach. The goal of the petition and the targeted one million signatures has now been reached. But besides these personalities, another well-known name in the industry is now also speaking out on the matter: Notch, the creator of Minecraft.

In this video, you can see how the graphics of Minecraft will improve:

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

“If the purchase of a game is not a purchase, then piracy is not theft.”

Notch is a controversial figure: Despite his title as the creator of Minecraft, the developer faces criticism on Twitter/X due to his statements. He has repeatedly posted transphobic, homophobic, and anti-feminist remarks and insulted people who disagree with him using derogatory and contemptuous terms. For these reasons, Notch was also removed from the credits of the original Minecraft and was excluded from the 10th anniversary of the game. You can learn more about Notch, his history, and controversies here on MeinMMO.

What is Notch reacting to? Notch commented on X about streamer Pirate Software, who publicly criticized the “Stop Killing Games” initiative. Pirate Software describes the petition in one of his YouTube videos as too vague and impractical. The initiative is too broad and would harm all live-service games.

The creator of Minecraft calls Pirate Software a Nepo Baby, a term for people who benefit from nepotism, enjoying advantages from a wealthy or influential family from birth.

Notch to Pirate Software on X
Notch to Pirate Software on X

How is the gaming community reacting? When another X user (@DanielTSumpton) celebrated Notch’s post with a repost, Notch responded again to emphasize his statement:

“I just want to confirm that I meant exactly that. If the purchase of a game is not a purchase, then piracy is not theft.”

Daniel Sumpton and Notch on X
Daniel Sumpton and Notch on X

In response to the inquiry of another X user (@ThePatriarchy83) about whether Notch had signed the “Stop Killing Games” petition, Notch replied with a no (via X):

“No, but I am biased. I don’t want to help AAA in any way and instead want to compete against them with better conditions for the end consumer.”

Now that the petition has actually reached its goal of one million signatures, the proposal could indeed become a law, as the EU must now discuss the proposal as a potential draft. However, how the “Stop Killing Games” initiative will proceed after this milestone remains exciting, as the first reaction from Video Games Europe does not support this legislation: “Would have a deterrent effect” – One million gamers unite to save their favorite games, now the Gaming Association of Europe responds

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. X
  2. Threads (Dexerto)

Bungie does what they have never done in Destiny: Locks one of the biggest Discord servers with 30,000 members

Many players are amazed at a reaction from Bungie that has never been experienced from the studio before. Keywords: Leaks. A Discord server with over 30,000 members has been banned, and many are asking why? Why now? Some believe they know the reason.

What is unusual about this? Every studio deals with leakers and leaks differently. While some developers have everything and everyone banned, Bungie was one of those who seemingly didn’t care about leaks – even those that slipped through NDAs (non-disclosure agreements).

On Reddit and Discord as well as X, there were various accounts reporting on all unreleased content of Destiny 2. There were no issues… until now. Because one of the largest leak servers, BungieLeaks on Discord, has now been banned. For “copyright infringement” (see x.com).

The founder of the server expresses surprise that Bungie is only now removing the server, despite so many leaks being spread there for so long. Some share their speculations, including a well-known leaker.

Start video
Bungie shows the future of Destiny 2 after The Final Shape in the new trailer

The reason might lie directly in front of the fans

Why is Bungie being so aggressive now? It is hard to say for certain. However, many suspect it has something to do with Marathon and not Destiny 2 (Source: youtube.com). Just recently, leaks were published showing a different version of the extraction shooter.

Graphically, there have been significant changes, and positive improvements can be seen. This information was under NDA and should not have seen the light of day this early. itsrocksiza, the leaker of these recordings, was the first to find out how seriously Bungie now takes leaks. He had to delete all recordings.

However, these recordings also made it onto the BungieLeaks Discord server, and Bungie took it a step further and banned the entire server. The studio is already under enormous pressure as Marathon cannot meet the intended release date and they had to postpone their game.

Sony bought the studio in 2022 and according to insider reports, Bungie had promised the Japanese corporation many projects at that time, many of which have been shelved over the years. For Sony, the deal from back then might now look like a loss. Marathon must be the game that pulls them out of the ditch.

What’s next for Bungie? On July 15, 2025, the new saga “At the Edge of Destiny” will be released for Destiny 2, with which the studio hopes to bring many fans back. Whether this will succeed remains to be seen, but the community’s opinions do not bode well.

In the meantime, the rest of the studio is still working behind the scenes on Marathon. The release has been postponed indefinitely so that the shooter can provide fans with what they want. Sony and Bungie can’t afford a flop with Marathon.

It remains to be seen whether the efforts will bear fruit, but according to the leaks, the studio is already heading in the right direction. More about Destiny 2 can be found here: Bungie will release a new DLC for Destiny 2 in a few weeks, but is that enough content to bring fans back?

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

Elden Ring: Nightreign brings no new content, but for some players, that’s really good

In Elden Ring: Nightreign the bosses rotate weekly in their Eternal Darkness Sovereignty form. The new cycle starts tomorrow, but it won’t introduce new bosses, and the community is celebrating that.

What does the new Eternal Darkness cycle bring? In a post on x.com, FromSoftware shares how the next 3 weeks will play out in Elden Ring: Nightreign. It is noteworthy that no new bosses will be added to the weekly rotation for the time being.

So far, a boosted form called Eternal Darkness Sovereignty form of a boss would enter the game weekly, presenting players with new challenges and promising exclusive rewards. These bosses will return in pairs for the 3-week cycle from July 10 to July 31, 2025:

  • July 10 – July 17 – Gaping Maw & Dark Drift Knight
  • July 17 – July 24 – Intelligent Plague, Dark Drift Knight
  • July 24 – July 31 – Gaping Maw, Intelligent Plague

It is currently unclear whether the bosses will run in parallel and be fought individually or whether they will be fought together or sequentially. Many fans were looking forward to the new bosses Tricephalos, Augur, Balance Beast, and Tear in the Fog – the exact timing of their introduction will be announced soon.

However, the return of familiar faces also brings several advantages for many players, which is why the community is particularly celebrating this decision.

Start video
Elden Ring Nightreign: Kein neuer Ewigdunkel-Boss bis Ende Juli

“Thank goodness I can fight the Eternal Darkness Fulghor again”

Why is the community celebrating this? On Reddit, players are celebrating the developers’ decision to make the old bosses fightable again. This is primarily for the following reasons:

  • Since the bosses were only available for one week, many players missed out on them or simply did not manage to defeat them due to time constraints. These players are happy for a new chance.
  • Because the bosses are appearing in pairs weekly, the opportunity to fight them and secure the victory increases. This especially benefits players with heavy real-life commitments.
  • Players are pleased that the developers are taking the time to incorporate feedback and improvements before introducing new content that may lead to similar feedback.
  • Many players had a lot of fun with the boosted battles and were sad that they only had one week to complete them and are now excited about new opportunities to take down their favorite enemies once again.

However, there are also voices expressing disappointment. These players have already completed everything that needed to be done, and some found the previous bosses too easy. They would have preferred new content that would have offered fresh challenges. Others are less interested in the new cycle, but are pleased about a break from the game that they can now invest in other games.

For example, the following comments can be found in the thread about it on Reddit:

  • HotAssist4257 comments: “They might be taking feedback and optimizing based on the first three for future bosses. I’m glad they’re giving us two at a time now.”
  • Prestigious-Media-96 writes: “I hope they add some new skins and quality of life improvements if they are not implementing new Eternal Darkness bosses.”
  • No_Decision_2445 shares: “A bit disappointed, but understandable. They are probably working on the new phases and reading the feedback. I’m sure the new bosses will come in a future major update.”
  • Economy-Shoe5239 reflects: “I honestly understand that. Most people only have time for one or two runs a day and haven’t defeated a single Eternal Darkness boss yet.”
  • VanPwn is happy: “Finally allows me to take a break from this game :D”
  • Acceptable_Answer570 disagrees: “Big yikes. They will lose a lot of players.”

Besides new Eternal Darkness bosses, Nightreign is also set to receive ongoing new content and continuous improvements. A major DLC featuring new characters, skins, and new bosses is also in the works, although there is currently no official date. Later this year, a feature that the community has been wishing for since the beginning will also be introduced. You can read more about it here: Elden Ring: Nightreign – Roadmap and upcoming content

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

The head of Final Fantasy 14 praises a new Nintendo game: Everyone in the industry should play it

The head behind Final Fantasy XIV praises a game that does not come from Square Enix – a controversial Nintendo title is praised.

CEOs of major MMORPGs are usually focused on their own game – even when they are playing other games. Inspiration and great ideas are everywhere, which one might adopt in some way. However, for a game from recent years, the head of Final Fantasy XIV, Naoki Yoshida, known in the community as “Yoshi-P”, has given particularly high praise: Specifically for the latest Zelda game, whose graphic style could not convince everyone – Echoes of Wisdom.

Start video
Nintendo has introduced The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

What does the head of Final Fantasy XIV praise? In an interview with Famitsu, Yoshi-P discusses the latest installment of a popular Nintendo series, namely “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” from September 2024. He mentions this game when asked what he has been playing recently:

I was particularly impressed by Echoes of Wisdom. This might be a geek topic, but from a developer’s perspective, there were really many points where I thought: “Wow, that’s fantastic” – regarding how the resources were utilized, how it was made, and the game design.

Later, he praises how disciplined the team must have worked. Because they had to keep production costs low and challenge themselves on how to make the game more enjoyable. Ultimately, Yoshi-P even believes that all beginners who embark on a career in video game development should play this game to see how younger and older developers can collaborate well and mix ideas.

Echoes of Wisdom was considered controversial – but simply good

What kind of game is Echoes of Wisdom? The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom belongs to Zelda, but not to the main series of the game. For the first time, you do not play as Link, but as the titular princess. Accordingly, you use completely different abilities. Instead of being equipped with the Master Sword and other weapons, you use Zelda’s gift of wisdom to create “echoes” of objects. For example, you can duplicate chairs, beds, and other objects to create new paths.

You defeat various monsters by summoning your own creatures or objects that can take on the enemies.

Even though Echoes of Wisdom received largely positive reviews (about 85% on Meta-Critic), there was still some criticism. The graphic style was a bit too cute for many Zelda veterans, and the battles and puzzles involving the echoes were not for everyone – although the familiar “Zelda” pattern also runs through this game. Many found the game a bit too easy, especially in comparison to older installments like Ocarina of Time.

Do you agree with Yoshi-P? Do you also like to look beyond the confines of your MMORPGs and see what there is to discover in the world of single-player games? It could be worthwhile, as a Zelda game has even a hidden level system that MMORPGs could learn from.

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

Dune: Awakening bans hundreds of players, developers announce: No mercy for cheaters

The developers of Dune: Awakening have reached out to players with a new update post. Alongside frustration for cheaters, there are also joyful messages for honest players.

What have the developers announced? The developers’ letter on DuneAwakening.com begins with an apology. The recent patch from Monday caused the PvP command posts to be relocated, resulting in bases that were previously in the PvE section of the Deep Desert now being in the PvP area of the desert.

This led to significant losses for players, as their bases suddenly became raidable and were quickly plundered. The developers sincerely apologize for this mistake and announce that affected players will be compensated by the end of the week. They will be able to retrieve lost items through the in-game menu “Claim Items”.

The next part of their update post also addresses an important issue in the survival MMO.

Here you can see what the future of Dune: Awakening looks like:

Start video
Dune: Awakening – Das ist die Zukunft des MMOs

Fighting against cheaters

What have the developers said about cheaters? Since the release of Dune: Awakening, there have been continuous reports from players stating they were robbed or killed by cheaters. In their new message on DuneAwakening.com, the developers addressed this issue and explained how they handle cheaters.

The developers have already taken action against hundreds of cheaters. They state that they have a zero-tolerance policy against players who harm others with their cheating. They further urge everyone to report any cheaters so they can be punished.

Additionally, ways to cheat in the game by performing certain actions that grant advantages have been fixed in recent weeks. The exploits that have already been patched include:

  •  Account/permission spoofing
  •  Item duplication during building destruction
  •  Increased damage/insta-kill attacks
  •  Vehicle inventory/VBT item duplication
  •  Vehicle ownership takeover
  •  Projectile weapon rapid-fire (rockets from ornithopters)
  •  Durability repair

The developers of Dune: Awakening have a whole team dedicated to banning cheaters and fixing exploits. They aim to ensure that it becomes increasingly difficult to cheat and exploit in the future.

Do the developers have anything else to present? Yes, the developers want to highlight one last topic. They admit that since the launch, bugs have repeatedly caused items and vehicles to be lost.

In this case, many players have contacted support hoping they could help them regain their possessions. However, until now, there was no tool that allowed the developers to effectively see what had really happened and which items were lost.

Such a tool has now been developed by the developers, and it is intended to help them process the long list of support tickets.

While cheaters and exploits as well as lost items are primarily short-term issues, the developers already have a plan for how they envision their survival MMO in 10 years. The creative director has now revealed what his visions are and what could change the plan: The head of Dune: Awakening knows what will happen in the game in 2035, but two factors can change the plan

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

A people from Middle-earth is older than the Elves and without them there would be no Lord of the Rings

In the books and films of The Lord of the Rings, there is a mysterious people that even appears in a modified form in our world. They repeatedly intervene in the history of Middle-earth and saved two hobbits from death.

Which people is meant? The great eagles of Middle-earth are of course known to all fans of The Lord of the Rings. They appeared several times throughout the trilogy and saved important characters from doom.

They aided Gandalf’s escape when he was held captive by Saruman at the top of the tower Orthanc in Isengard. The eagles rushed to the rescue, and it was only thanks to them that the events of The Lord of the Rings unfolded as we know them.

At the end of the trilogy, the eagles also play an important role: after Frodo and Sam finally succeeded in throwing the One Ring into the fire of Mount Doom in Mordor, the mountain collapses. For a brief moment, it seems that the two hobbits will perish in a sea of lava.

Only at the last moment do the eagles appear and pick them up. This led to a much-discussed, perceived plot hole: why didn’t the eagles simply deliver the ring to Mordor by air mail? Wouldn’t that have been much easier? Fans still debate whether that would have been possible.

But the eagles didn’t just stand by Frodo. Bilbo’s story from “The Hobbit” also ended well only because the noble birds first aided them against orcs and wargs, and later helped the good in the Battle of the Five Armies to victory.

This raises the question of what the eagles are really about. Where did they come from, and what else did they do in Middle-earth?

Start video
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – Trailer (German)

Created by the King himself

Where do the eagles come from? These beings have various names, among them they are called “messengers of Manwë”. This is due to their creator. Manwë was the king of the world from The Lord of the Rings and created the eagles together with his wife Yavanna. This happened before the awakening of the children of Ilúvatar, the god from Tolkien’s world – referring to the Elves.

What deeds did the eagles accomplish? Since the First Age, the eagles have been active in the world. They were led by Thorondor, their king. This eagle was massive and had a wingspan of an impressive 54 meters.

Manwë often sent the birds out to fulfill various tasks. Among other things, they confronted the great villain Morgoth and rescued Maedhros, the son of the legendary smith Feanor, from captivity. The hidden city of Gondolin was also defended by the eagles against the forces of Mordor.

When the city fell, the birds supervised the escape of the survivors. Later, the eagles even fought against the huge, winged dragons of Middle-earth – in the War of Wrath.

In the Second Age, some of the eagles went to the Undying Lands. Others watched over the Holy Mountain Meneltarma. When the kingdom of Númenor was about to be destroyed, the eagles came and warned the people living there.

And finally, in the Third Age, there were the deeds that we also know from the films. The eagles ensured that the events in “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” unfolded as we know them. Without them, Bilbo might have died and the ring could have been lost – it can only be speculated. More about the creator of the eagles can be found on MeinMMO: A powerful being from The Lord of the Rings was what Sauron would have liked to be – He ruled over all of Middle-earth

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

“Weren’t your hands” – The hero of your childhood has misled you, almost 20 years later he’s making it right on YouTube again

The host of the children’s show Art Attack, Benedikt Weber, is now going on YouTube to prove that he can craft.

Who is it about? It is about the host Benedikt Weber. He hosted the show Art Attack from 1998 to 2007, where he presented things to craft along. Simple household items were always used, things that almost every child should have at home.

Years after the show was canceled, fans discovered something: The hands seen in the crafting clips were not Benedikt Weber’s. Instead, they belonged to the host of the British original version, Neil Buchanan. The clips were only dubbed in German. However, Benedikt Weber himself did not craft anything.

From then on, Benedikt Weber was “accused” on social media of not being able to craft at all. This is something the host now wants to address with his own YouTube channel.

Maybe Beni Weber will soon become as good a YouTuber as HandOfBlood:

Start video
HandOfBlood: The most important thing about the YouTuber and Twitch streamer in under a minute

Host must prove his crafting skills

What content does Beni Weber create? On his YouTube channel “Beniversum”, the host seems to want to start uploading content. In his latest YouTube video, he says he knew he had to prove his crafting skills, especially when he had someone beside him at the traffic light shouting, “Those weren’t your hands!”.

In his seemingly new YouTube show “Beni crafts – this time with his own hands”, the host is crafting the “Art Attack” dream castle. The community had previously requested this from him, and he had announced the project in a TikTok. Included: The famous white crafting glue.

In the video, Benedikt also reveals why he didn’t craft himself back then: “It would have taken way too long. The show would have had to be about eight hours long otherwise.” (Source: YouTube).

Here you can see the proof on YouTube that Benedikt Weber can really craft:

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How does the community react? The community is excited in the YouTube comments under the video and many are filled with nostalgia:

  • baronm1100 reminisces: “It felt like I was 10 years old again, with a jam sandwich in hand on the sofa, watching Art Attack. Thanks for that! Just missing a huge picture made with clothes.”
  • SuperDuper3D2Y wishes for more of such videos in the future: “Can we please get crafting videos regularly? This is super relaxing on the side and it naturally awakens the Art Attack nostalgia.”
  • @Fabboi_unl is very happy about the video: “This is just the best upload I could find at half past midnight”

Benedikt Weber caused quite a bit of nostalgia with his YouTube video. The community seems to hope for even more videos in the Art Attack style and who knows, maybe Benedikt Weber is the new star in the YouTube sky. You can surely feel more nostalgia with our list of animes that you can still watch today: All RTL2 animes from your childhood that you can still watch in stream

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

After 3 years, a group of level-1 Hobbits in Lord of the Rings Online finally reaches Mordor, but the One Ring does not land in the lava

In the third year, it finally worked out! A group of Hobbits was able to reach Lord of the Rings Online and Mount Doom without completing a single quest beforehand.

What is special about this event? For 3 years, streamer BurkeBlack has been trying to successfully complete the “Great Hobbit Run” event on his birthday in July (via X). The plan is to follow the companions and master the long and dangerous way from Bilbo Baggins’ home in the Shire to Mount Doom in Mordor.

Here you can see the trailer for the latest expansion of Lord of the Rings Online:

Start video
Lord of the Rings Online: Trailer for Morgoth’s Legacy Prepares You for the New Expansion

Unlike the group of heroes from the books and films, the brave band of BurkeBlack metaphorically ties both hands behind their backs: All participating Hobbits are freshly created, without experience and poorly equipped.

Moreover, the Halflings ignore all quests during the stroll. The group thus reaches a maximum level of the Level 112 area … if they even succeed at that. The distance that the companions 2.0 have to cover is shown in this image on X:

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A Bath in Lava

How did the attempt go in the third year? Successfully! After almost 7 hours, the Hobbits were actually able to reach the iconic Mount Doom this year. You can find the entire run on twitch.tv.

Unfortunately, the Hobbits forgot the One Ring in the Shire. So they promptly threw themselves into the lava. Gollum would have been proud. You can also watch the final seconds on X.

What else is happening in Lord of the Rings Online? With the introduction of the new 64-bit servers, the 18-year-old MMORPG recently celebrated a sort of third spring. With Update 44, new content was also released on the live servers in April.

Now players are looking forward to the content update for the third quarter as well as the new expansion, which is scheduled to be released at the end of 2025. You can find a preview of the upcoming changes for LotRO here: First, the MMORPG received modern servers for the Lord of the Rings, and now there is another reason to be happy

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

The artist of Dragon Ball presents his own manga, reveals what happens next with Son-Goku

Toyotaro took over the manga of Dragon Ball Super after the death of Akira Toriyama. But for now, fans of Son-Goku and the others will have to be patient, as Toyotaro is working on his own manga.

What kind of manga is this? Toyotaro presented his new one-shot Lost Samurai over the weekend. This is a manga that is supposed to be completed in one volume. On the publisher’s website V-Jump, all 45 pages of the one-shot can already be seen, but only as a sketch.

Story-wise, a samurai must defend his village from dark demons. On page 29, there is also a drawing that clearly shows that the characters could stylistically derive from the Dragon Ball universe. However, the manga is said to have nothing in common with the adventures of Son-Goku and the Z-Team.

When the one-shot will be released is still unclear. Since the detailed drawings still have to be delivered, it is likely to take a few more months.

Start video
Dragon Ball Super: The Trailer for the Anime

Toyotaro keeps Dragon Ball in sight

What does this mean for Dragon Ball? As Toyotaro first works on finishing his own manga, it may still take some time before he continues working on Dragon Ball Super. Since the death of Akira Toriyama, he has already published one volume of Dragon Ball Super. This particularly impressed with its cover.

Moreover, Toyotaro published a short story as the 104th chapter of the manga, which revolves around Trunks and Son-Goten’s passion for the Clean God. It was released on February 20, 2025, and is to this day the last chapter of Dragon Ball Super.

However, Toyotaro has a joyful message for all manga fans. At the Japan Expo 2025 in Paris, he seemed very confident in an exclusive interview with the press that he would be able to continue the manga (via X):

Toyotarō stated that it is not impossible to continue without Toriyama-sensei, as he (Toyotarō) wrote the story of Dragon Ball Super and then sent it to Toriyama. He decided whether to approve it. At other times, Toriyama sent him his stories for Toyotarō to review and make suggestions. Toriyama then validated or rejected them. Since part of the story comes from him, he believes it would be not easy, but not impossible to continue without Toriyama-sensei.

Unfortunately, his statement is no confirmation of when the manga will continue. But his confidence gives reason to hope that after the release of Last Samurai, he could devote himself to Dragon Ball Super.

Toyotaro himself once started as a fan of Dragon Ball Super and developed his own stories. Another fan of the Saiyans even drew his own Isekai. In this, a person from the real world is reborn as a friend of Son-Goku, whom you all know: There is an Isekai to Dragon Ball, where a fan is reborn into the world of Son-Goku

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

EliasN97 is hosting a big tournament on Twitch today for the new football game – All info about start, stream and participants

On Wednesday, July 9, 2025, content creator Elias “EliasN97” Nerlich invites you to a big tournament on Twitch. 32 streamers will compete against each other in 8 teams in the new competitor to EA FC, Rematch. On MeinMMO, we will provide you with the most important information about when the tournament starts, where you can watch it, and which streamers will participate.

What kind of tournament is this? The Eligella Cup was originally founded by former esports athlete EliasN97 for FIFA (now EA FC). The tournament has also been held for Mario Kart. In the real-life Eligella Cup, streamers swap places in front of their devices and face each other in various mini-games.

The tournaments also always involve prize money. In the latest edition of the Eligella Cup, the winning team will receive 2,000 Euros.

When does the tournament start? On Wednesday (July 9, 2025), the cup will return after a 9-month break for a new football game. The official kickoff is at 7:00 PM.

What is this new football game? Rematch is the latest football simulation on the gaming market for PS5, Xbox, and PC. It impresses with a small football cage with few rules and a dynamic style of play. Each player controls their own pro and can run, shoot, defend, and trick with them.

Just one week after the official release, 3 million users played the game, including numerous streamers. Players enjoy Rematch because it is very engaging and the learning effect occurs quickly. These are likely reasons why EliasN97 is now even organizing a tournament with many German streamers.

Where can you follow the tournament? It will most likely be streamed on the Twitch accounts of all participants. To watch the host of the event, EliasN97, and his team, you can simply check out his Twitch account starting at 6:30 PM.

Which streamers will participate and in which teams they will compete against each other will be revealed after the short introduction video for Rematch.

Start video
Rematch: Reveal trailer for the new football game by the creators of Sifu

Eligella Cup Rematch: Teams and Participants at a Glance

Which streamers are competing in which teams? There are a total of 32 participants. A random generator decided which streamers will compete in which teams. The 8 drawn teams consist of 4 players each.

The teams have also been divided into two groups. We will show you all the teams and participants (Twitch account names) in their respective groups:

Group A

Team 1

  • Repaz
  • Schradin
  • eliasn97
  • HamedLoco

Team 2

  • Rumathra
  • Zarbex
  • FurkyPlayzz
  • Eldos

Team 3

  • Seyyn
  • AciiXx
  • Riirex
  • MckyTV

Team 4

  • Trymacs
  • xMusti19
  • FaroooYT
  • chefstrobel

Group B

Team 1

  • KubaFPS
  • niklugi
  • Leckerboy21
  • Ernesto

Team 2

  • SidneyEweka
  • Sebo
  • KevinPannewitz
  • xRohat

Team 3

  • NiklasWilson
  • krokoboss
  • Mehdi
  • Thekller

Team 4

  • Dhalucard
  • NoahZett28
  • xSolutionTV
  • DerKC

How does the tournament proceed? The teams will first be divided into two groups, each with 4 teams, and will play against each other within those groups. The first and second place teams will likely qualify for the semifinals. It’s unknown whether the third and fourth place teams will still have a chance.

The games will be played in a 4vs4 mode, where the streamers have no fixed positions with their pros. It will be interesting to see how the individual teams organize themselves on the field and what tactics they will choose. MeinMMO author Thomas Dummer has played the new football game and finds that Rematch does a few things better than its competitor from EA FC 25.

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

The loyal fighters of Over-Earth no longer want to fight against a faction in Helldivers 2, explaining why it is no longer fun

In Helldivers 2, players are usually highly motivated to face the enemies of the Over-Earth, but one faction is currently causing increasing discontent.

Which faction is it? A meme is currently generating a lot of discussion in the Reddit forum of Helldivers 2. User Bobsleigh_Dracula expresses with the image that he no longer wants to fight against the latest faction in Helldivers 2. The Illuminated came into the game a few months ago as a major expansion and were also the faction that managed to attack Over-Earth itself.

With the image, he has sparked a big discussion that the Helldivers have probably been feeling for a long time.

Here you can see the trailer that introduced the faction:

Start video
Helldivers 2 reveals the new enemy faction in the trailer for ‘Omens of Tyranny’

Many Reasons Against the Illuminated

What speaks against the Illuminated? The latest faction of Helldivers 2 is unpopular among players. Under the meme of the user, many players gather who no longer want to continue fighting against the faction.

The reasons for this are manifold. Some explain that it is simply boring to fight against the faction and the missions are always the same. According to them, there is little variety in missions on their planet.

The unit Fleshmob is also problematic, as it seems to walk through walls, buildings, or teleport around, and it is said to withstand a lot. In general, many players find it boring to shoot at the bullet sponges that can take a lot.

So explain some players on Reddit:

  • Mental_Dwarf: “In the first game, we didn’t like the Illuminated because they were so hard to fight. Now they have become a boring and uninspired faction that mainly generates annoying missions.”
  • Shoresy6: “Fleshmob phasing through a wall or teleporting to elevated positions is still annoying.”
  • MozzStix_Of_Catarina: “That Fleshmob can also take 120 shots of medium-pen ammo, an ultimatum, and a 500 kg bomb is also annoying.”
  • E17Omm: “There is no variety in missions or side objectives at all.”
  • Pixeldensity: “Shooting at bullet sponges is boring.”

Since their release, the developers have already modified the faction. For example, the developers adjusted the Leviathan ships that shoot at the Helldiver from the air. Whether the change has really made a difference, you can find out here: In Helldivers 2 on Steam, an enemy defeats the stoic soldiers of Over-Earth, and an innovation showcases him even better

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

New MMORPG for Steam promises huge medieval battles, now breaking years of silence with a bang

The long silence surrounding Bellatores is now broken with a big bang: A new trailer showcases the beautiful graphics of the MMORPG, which will soon also have a closed beta test.

What kind of game is this? Bellatores is an open-world MMORPG developed by the Korean studio Nyou in Unreal Engine 5 – and it has been in development for around 8 years. The game was originally supposed to be released in 2024, but the developer could not meet this release window. Updates from the developers regarding the game have been sporadic, MeinMMO last reported on Bellatores 2 years ago.

Now there is news that gives hope: On one side, a trailer showing the game graphics, and on the other, a closed beta test has been announced. Registration is through Steam, but the beta is initially only available in Korean and in Korea. The rest of the world will have to wait longer.

You can watch the new trailer here:

Start video
Bellatores: Neuer Trailer zur geschlossenen Beta des MMORPGs auf Steam

What does the trailer show? It showcases the dark fantasy world that players are thrown into. The focus is on fights – both against giant bosses and other players. The fights are similar to those in Chrono Odyssey, which has taken a good slice from New World.

  • The setting is a medieval fantasy world, which is constantly experiencing conflicts between five noble houses.
  • You roam the world as a knight in search of glory and may eventually become the head of your family over time.
  • Your decisions are also supposed to influence the course of history.

Poor trailer performance and great competition

How are the reactions to the trailer? These are relatively restrained considering that there has not been anything new for a long time. In the comments on YouTube, the performance of the game in the trailer is particularly criticized:

  • “Cant wait to run this at 10fps,” says coldisthevoid6605 mischievously.
  • “This has to be one of the laggiest trailers I’ve seen in a while… holyyyy,” writes XirlioMerazul.

On Reddit, the mood is not any better. However, the main topic there is that the MMORPG currently lacks a unique selling proposition:

  • “Jeeze, how many of these unreal engine 5 MMO’s are they going to make? These games are all practically indistinguishable from each other,” writes ajthorpe95, questioning whether developers can really make money with this.
  • “It looks flashy but what does it do different? Feel like ive seen this trailer 1000 times,” says xFalcade.
  • General-Oven-1523 delivers a grim prognosis: “So Chrono Odyssey, Bellatores, Aion 2, and Archeage Chronicles next year? That’s going to be rough. There just won’t be enough players for all these games. At least two of them are pretty much going to fail.”

Did you still have an eye on Bellatores? Feel free to let us know in the comments what your current impression of the project is. The MMORPG is supposed to be released exclusively on PC, but you can already find a range of good MMORPGs on Steam: The 10 MMORPGs on Steam with the best ratings in July 2025

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

Twitch streamer without knowledge of Pokémon catches her first shiny with the master ball – and it’s not so strong after all

A Twitch streamer managed to catch a shiny in a Pokémon mod in Minecraft. For that, she used nothing less than the Master Ball.

Minecraft and Pokémon are among the most popular games of our time. Therefore, it is not surprising that there are also some mods that bring the beloved monsters from Pokémon to Minecraft. One of them is Cobblemon.

Mahluna, a Twitch streamer with over 430,000 followers, is playing this mod with other streamers on her own Minecraft server. According to her own statement, she has no idea about Pokémon. This is also evident with the first shiny she was able to catch on the server.

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

A bird that can’t even fly

Which monster did she catch? While Mahluna is expanding her base, she suddenly hears a sound that indicates a shiny is nearby. She looks around and finds the monster: a Doduo at level 31.

In a hurry, she decides that the Pokémon must be caught. She opens her bag and chooses nothing less than the Master Ball to catch the Pokémon. While the Master Ball is unique in the standard Pokémon games, it requires some hard-to-obtain resources to craft it in Cobblemon.

Since Doduo and its evolution Dodrio are quite weak Pokémon, the choice of the Master Ball for this monster may not have been the best choice. While there are no legendary Pokémon in Cobblemon without additional mods, there are still some strong monsters where the Master Ball might have been better used.

We have embedded the appropriate video here for you (from about 17:23):

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What happens next in the video? Only a short time after she received the shiny Doduo, Mahluna hears the shiny sound again. She looks around her base and actually finds the next Pokémon in its shiny form: a Pidgey at level 23.

This time she had taken a Quick Ball to catch the shiny Pokémon. She was also able to successfully catch this monster and add it to her team.

These days, the world of Pokémon is gigantic. Besides countless video games, there are also many gimmicks and of course the trading cards. A trainer recently managed to get a very special signature on a trading card: Trainer has his Pokémon signed by the Pope and the choice of his card couldn’t have been better.

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

WoW is currently experiencing an absurd problem: There is too much to do

In World of Warcraft, people are currently overwhelmed by so many events that they don’t know what to do. Many things are time-limited – and some are completely stressed.

A few weeks ago, it was relatively boring in World of Warcraft. Blizzard had staggered the content of Patch 11.1.5 for a long time, and several small novelties were so far apart that many thought: There is nothing exciting to do right now.

Now the exact opposite has happened: There is so much to do in WoW with Patch 11.1.7 that the first players are saying they are experiencing a “burnout” from Azeroth.

Start video
Older lady lives our dream and plays WoW until 5 a.m.

What is currently happening in World of Warcraft? When you look at which time-limited events are currently active, you can start to sweat a little. Because right now you can:

  • Play Horrific Visions to earn the rewards.
  • A greedy emissary with rewards, such as new recolor variants of the HD version of the Tier 2 set.
  • Collector’s bounties, where transmogs and mounts from old content have a drastically increased drop chance.
  • Overloaded Depths that bring new rewards, including a mount.
  • Devious Duos, an event with some toys, mounts, and other rewards.
  • Turbulent Timeways, where you should complete 5 dungeons each week.

The activities, of course, take varying amounts of time. While you can complete the 5 dungeons for the Turbulent Timeways in about 30-40 minutes, collecting old rewards is a major time sink. Anyone wanting to clear all relevant raids and dungeons must plan several hours a week – per character.

On top of that, there is still the whole “standard” gameplay – meaning visiting dungeons and raids of the current season. Anyone interested in a lot of game content is currently having a hard time keeping up.

Complete Overload – Too Much to Do?

The fact that World of Warcraft is currently struggling to find the balance between “too much” and “too little” content is evident on social media, such as in the WoW subreddit. There are numerous comments from players who are currently simply overwhelmed. Two short excerpts:

  • “It’s just too much at once. Timewalking, then I’m finishing the season because I didn’t have much time before. Then the overloaded depths (with the mount I want), Horrific Visions that I didn’t do in BfA, then the goblin event where you have to farm for the recolor of the Tier 2 sets, and then Collector’s bounties for the mounts I’ve missed so far.
    It’s just crazy how much is going on at the same time.”
    – LehransLight
  • “Honestly, I exhausted myself completely last week trying to finally finish some of the things. I don’t even want to log in anymore. I didn’t get any mounts after running through everything with 3 characters and couldn’t even bring myself to log in for the treasure goblins. The Summer Festival ended on Saturday as well. It’s just overloaded.” – downtownflipped

By the way, there is not really an end in sight. In the middle of the month, the next event is already coming. The Winds of Mysterious Fortune are returning and speeding up leveling for both newcomers and veterans alike. This is also necessary, because newcomers currently have a hard time defeating normal quest mobs.

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

The sandbox content of the new MMORPG “Ghost” was reminiscent too much of Valheim, it should be more roguelike

The MMORPG project “Ghost” by Greg “Ghostcrawler” Street and other former WoW developers focuses on red (theme park) and blue (sandbox) zones for world design. The team now provides new insights into the creation of the blue zones.

What defines the blue zones? When “Ghost” was announced, lead developer Greg “Ghostcrawler” Street (formerly at Blizzard and Riot Games) explained that the world of the MMORPG will consist of blue and red zones.

  • The blue zones are procedurally generated and are intended to invite exploration (sandbox). They are private for each player or group and affect the world.
  • The hand-designed red zones are public and offer many of the contents known from theme park MMORPGs like WoW.

Ghostcrawler explained in October 2024 that while the blue zones are randomly generated, they should feel hand-designed. To achieve this, there will not be an infinite number of areas that you would never get to see.

Instead, the focus will be on a limited number of biomes that are particularly well-developed and have a mature ecosystem. By ecosystem, Street means the interplay of gameplay features, creatures, stories, factions, and NPCs that should convey a sense of “everything fits together here.”

When you leave one zone and enter an area with a different biome, the new area should feel and play completely different. The mob spawns in a zone will be simulated accordingly so that bandits and nobles respond appropriately to each other in a region. The different zones should guide you through an overarching story, ensuring you always have a goal in sight.

Recently, the first class for “Ghost” was introduced:

Start video
Ghost: Neuer Trailer stellt Klasse der Dreamblade vor

Roguelike instead of Survival

What are the new findings? In a new developer post on fantasticpixelcastle.com, Greg Street reveals that the design of the blue zones was initially too influenced by their enthusiasm for the survival game Valheim. However, this led to a problem.

Exploration of the blue zones is intended to play an important role. Survival games, however, tend to penalize players for venturing too far from their safe camp too early. Moreover, it would feel very repetitive if players were to build a safe base in each of the countless blue zones first.

According to the developers, the core idea has not been completely discarded. The airships that take you to the flying shard worlds effectively serve as a mobile base.

Furthermore, the developers have moved away from the idea of designing large blue zones that could take weeks to fully explore. This would, however, rarely provide the beautiful moment of first entering a blue zone. These moments are special because each blue zone is supposed to feel distinctly different from all the others.

So what is the current plan for the blue zones?

  • The blue zones are intended to be relatively small, so that you can see and discover everything in about an hour.
  • Instead of bases and crafting buildings, in the blue zones, you build things like towers or bridges that can be very useful in certain situations. You will establish a large base elsewhere.
  • The blue zones incorporate an element from roguelikes, where you have to choose from a selection of skills and upgrades repeatedly throughout the game.
  • Each blue zone has a specific victory condition. To ensure that players cannot just aim for this immediately and ignore everything else, they first need to strengthen themselves in the zone to be able to fulfill the zone’s goal.
  • A current idea, for example, is to have shrines distributed across a zone where you can choose from 3 talents each. There might be a total of 5 of these shrines. And with a bit of luck, synergies are possible, allowing you to become completely overpowered within the zone.
  • At the same time, there should be an overarching character progression between the zones, through standard level stages, equipment, and similar means.
  • A touch of roguelike also comes from the random generation of the blue zones. The final design of such a zone is not fully defined upon entry but is further influenced by your choices and actions during gameplay.

Will all of this ultimately be fun? “Ghost” is still in a very early conception phase. Recently, the first class was introduced, reminiscent of the Knights of the Round Table and focusing on large two-handed swords: Former WoW developer designs the first class for the MMORPG Ghost, inspired by a villain from Elder Scrolls Online

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

Grandma ran a comic shop 20 years ago, gives her grandson dozens of Warhammer figures, makes the community jealous

Since the 1980s, Warhammer has existed as a world, originally consisting of simple figures, and now as a huge universe. A user has inherited a piece of the past from his grandmother, and the community responds with unabashed jealousy.

Where do the figures come from?

  • On Reddit, a user shares pictures of dozens of miniatures from all sorts of worlds. Most of the figures are from the various Warhammer worlds, but also Lord of the Rings or BattleLore.
  • As he explains, his grandma ran a comic and hobby shop 20 years ago. Warhammer has been around since the early 1980s, starting with wooden figures back then.
  • The user explains: Because he wanted to get back into Warhammer in his 30s, his grandma passed down all the old figures. Included are several rare treasures.
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This is how the community reacts: The prevailing emotion in the comments is envy. Some grit their teeth and hiss: “You lucky person,” while others show much less restraint, clearly wishing they could have what they see.

A meme even surfaces more often: “Fuck you. I’m not happy for you. Give it to me.” Others ask if the grandma is single and has more figures – or if she would be interested in more grandchildren.

Among the fans, a good amount of nostalgia also spreads. Blisters, as seen in the picture, are not as easily available today, especially with figures made of metal instead of plastic. The figures now come in complete boxes – like the new Space Marines in the absurdly large Saturnine armors, which are supposed to be customizable with various equipment items.

Such blisters are significantly cheaper, with prices of around 10 US dollars displayed on the packaging (which would be more today when adjusted for inflation). Nevertheless, original packaged individual figures, even in worse condition, can still fetch 70 euros or more on eBay today.

Games Workshop is still taking care of The Old World. Recently, a completely new army came into play:

Start video
Der Reveal-Trailer für das Großkaiserreich Cathay als Armee in Warhammer: The Old World

“Where are my blood pressure medications?”

Some experts in the comments also find the occasional mistake. Some of the packages contain figures from Mordheim, the apocalyptic scenario of Warhammer Fantasy – which, by the way, has also been excellently implemented as a video game.

Mordheim takes place in the city of the same name, where the Empire, Skaven, and Chaos followers search for fragments of the two-tailed comet. Skaven are the nasty ratmen from Warhammer, but oddly enough, in blisters labeled “Skaven,” there are soldiers from Middenheim or the Reikland. One user says: “The Mordheim blisters… where are my blood pressure medications?”

In the comments, it’s mentioned: Even if the user does not want to sell his find, such incorrect labels might have a considerable collector’s value. Selling them is generally worthwhile, another user remarks: “Unless you’re seriously collecting them.”

Among the figures, there are also several from Warhammer 40,000, especially Dark Eldar – now called Drukhari – a Space Wolf and even Captain Tycho from the Blood Angels, a figure that is currently extremely popular in its original form.

Yet, the thread creator, as someone who is (re)interested in Warhammer, apparently has his difficulties in overseeing the entire world and knowing what is rare or sought after. For newcomers, it is even trickier, but fans are happy to help: An uncle wants to buy figures from Warhammer 40,000 for his nephew, doesn’t know how, and receives complete purchasing advice from the community

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