The franchise surrounding Solo Leveling is getting a new game. The story is said to revolve around a known gap in the history of the anime.
What game is it about? The developer Netmarble has announced a new action game called Solo Leveling: Karma, based on the popular Korean webcomic and anime, which is set to be released for PC as well as iOS and Android.
Similar to Solo Leveling: Arise, Karma appears to be an action RPG that seems to focus on action-packed gameplay as an isometric dungeon crawler, visually reminiscent of the roguelite hit Hades.
Players once again take on the role of protagonist Sung Jinwoo and face a variety of opponents. Netmarble promises that the game “tells a story that was never revealed in the original work”.
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New action game based on the hit anime Solo Leveling reminiscent of Hades
“As all battles come to an end, Sung Jinwoo’s endless war begins anew”
What is the focus of the game? The focal point of the game is said to be the 27-year gap that the anime’s story leaves behind, leaving fans pondering since then. Players are supposed to relive Sung Jinwoo’s endless war and have the ability to turn back time.
The game revolves primarily around the war of the monarchs. Jinwoo presumably uses time manipulation to confront the monarchs in a dimensional rift again, who are key antagonists of the anime.
It could also be conceivable that it is not just an action game but also a roguelite where you start anew with each run (permadeath) but can retain permanent progress like new skills or upgrades. Randomly generated levels and a high difficulty level are typical.
However, the exact genre has not yet been confirmed, and a release timeframe is still pending. Only the focus of the story and a few glimpses of the gameplay are revealed in the announcement trailer.
You can continue to play Anthem until January 12, 2026, but after that date, the shooter will no longer be playable, as it was developed as a purely online game.
Already now, you can no longer purchase premium currency for Anthem due to the planned shutdown.
Since EA announced the final end of Anthem, some fans have spoken out about the fate of the failed MMO. Some have a pressing request—or rather, a demand—to EA.
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Anthem shows the four different combat suits in the launch trailer
Gamers demand a final, special patch for Anthem
What are the players demanding? In a comment on Reddit, a player wishes for EA to enable an offline mode or a peer-to-peer system1 for Anthem so that the game remains playable even when EA shuts down the servers next January. Over 700 other users agree with the comment by upvoting it.
There is a similar sentiment in the EA forum. One user uses harsh words:
„Shutting down and completely removing a game that people invested money into […] sets a worrying and dangerous precedent that the gaming community faces and should act against. When you buy a game, you should also be able to play it, even if it is old, even if it is no longer updated; you paid for it, so it should be available to play, just like any game you bought on a disc or cartridge. […] All I am asking for is: Please release a final patch that removes the online aspects of Anthem to make it a purely offline game.“
Fans are therefore hoping that EA will show some love for Anthem and grant the game a final patch so that the shooter can still be played after the servers are shut down.
In total, during the shutdown of Anthem, the “Stop killing Games” initiative was often mentioned, where gamers aim to ensure that games remain in a playable state even when work on them has ceased. The petition reached the necessary goal of one million signatures and recently received a response from the European Gaming Association.
Bei einem Peer-to-Peer-System wird einer der Spieler zum Host der Lobby, und der PC des Spielers übernimmt die Rolle des Servers. ↩︎
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The crew of the CHAPEA mission was isolated for over a year. Now they share what they have been doing all the time.
What mission is it about? A few years ago, NASA initiated the CHAPEA missions (Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog) to explore how a mission on Mars might unfold. For this, they created a 3D-printed habitat modeled after Mars (see Nasa.gov).
With four selected volunteers, an experiment began in June 2023, where they lived in isolation for 378 days – with the goal of growing their own food and managing simulated everyday situations on the Red Planet (see Nasa.gov).
During the mission, the crew conducted simulated spacewalks and collected data on a number of factors, including physical and mental health as well as performance.
After the end of the project, the participants reported on their experiences and what they did the whole time.
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RFA One: This could be the launch of the most powerful German orbital rocket
Between Growing Their Own Food and Playing PS4 Games
What did the participants do? Since no one worked around the clock during the CHAPEA mission, a central focus of the project was to examine how the crew coped with the long isolation: how they managed stress, entertained themselves, and what social dynamics developed within the team.
The main activities of the crew during the simulation consisted of simulated spacewalks with virtual reality, communication, growing plants, preparing and eating meals, exercising, hygiene routines, maintenance work, leisure, scientific work, and sleep.
Practical challenges included growing their own food, managing with limited supplies, daily outdoor excursions in spacesuits, and communicating with “Earth,” facing a delay of 22 minutes between sending and receiving messages with the transmission control team.
Aside from that, they spent their leisure time mainly watching television, reading previously downloaded books, engaging in creative activities like painting, and playing on a PS4. In particular, strategy and simulation games were said to have been played, as well as games like F1.
The launch of a second analog mission is planned for the year 2025.
Microsoft’s Game Pass is hugely popular among gamers. However, Raphaël Colantonio, the founder of Arkane Studios, sees it as a significant threat to the industry.
Who is Raphaël Colantonio? Raphaël Colantonio is a French game developer and co-founder of Arkane Studios, where he helped shape titles like Dishonored and Prey. In 2017, Colantonio left Arkane and founded the indie studio WolfEye Studios.
Arkane has been part of Bethesda Softworks since 2010, which in turn is part of the parent company ZeniMax Media. In 2021, ZeniMax was acquired by Microsoft, making Arkane part of the Xbox Game Studios. Since then, Arkane’s games often release directly on Game Pass and are part of Microsoft’s first-party portfolio.
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Dishonored 2 Launch Trailer for the immersive shooter in a steampunk world with magic
In a post on x.com Colantonio criticizes Game Pass harshly, seeing it as a threat to the entire industry.
“They will either wipe out all others or give up”
Why does he see Game Pass as a threat? In his post, Colantonio wants to highlight the downsides of Game Pass. He sees it as concerning for the gaming industry and ultimately for the players for various reasons:
I think Game Pass is an unsustainable model that has increasingly harmed the industry for a decade, subsidized by MS’s “infinite money,” but at some point, reality must hit. I do not believe GP can coexist with other models; they will either wipe out all others or give up.
In another comment, he adds: “Only the players like it because the offer is too good to be true, but eventually, even the players will hate it once they realize the impact on the games.”
The problem primarily lies in the fact that Game Pass would create a difficult interplay between players and developers. Game Pass provides players with the opportunity to try out new games with “low risk” and potentially not engage with them further, and even if they are good, they might not buy them afterward but only play them on Game Pass.
This creates a vicious cycle that primarily reflects in the sales figures of the games, resulting in less profit. Thus, Game Pass would harm the industry in the long run and eventually the players.
A developer received money from Valve for the development of a shooter several years ago, but he couldn’t get along with Gabe Newell.
Which game is it? On June 20, 2000, the first-person shooter Gunman Chronicles was released, based on the Half-Life engine. The game comes from the small, now-defunct developer studio Rewolf Software, founded by the American Herbert Flower.
Gunman Chronicles was originally conceived as a PvP shooter but was later turned into a single-player mod for Half-Life and then into a standalone game.
Today, you cannot purchase Gunman Chronicles on Steam or any other official distribution platforms. Even Flower himself is not exactly sure why that is, he revealed to PCGamer. He suspects that there are legal issues between the publisher Vivendi and Valve.
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Half Life 2 – Trailer
Valve helps but also has expectations
What role did Valve play? The individual developers of Rewolf Software initially worked on the game from all over the world, without an office. Flower himself lived and worked at the time in his parents’ basement and faced financial difficulties.
One of the developers, Banninga, approached Valve one day and asked the company for help due to financial difficulties, Flower recounts. Valve then provided the team with $20,000 and some goals they needed to achieve.
A year later, Valve offered that the entire team could work on the game at Valve’s office in Seattle, but the team was not entirely clear that Gabe’s plan was to finish the game quickly.
“Can’t wait to get out of the room with this guy.”
What was the relationship with Gabe Newell like? Flowers describes his relationship with the head of Valve and Steam to PCGamer as difficult: “My relationship with Gabe wasn’t really good.”
He then elaborates: “It’s not like we hated each other. It was like two people with bad breath. You’re like, ‘OK, I can’t wait to get out of the room with this guy.'”
Similar to Rewolf Software and Hubert Flowers, Valve also allegedly went through a difficult phase several years ago and was reportedly close to bankruptcy due to lawsuits with the publisher Vivendi, according to Gabe Newell: Gabe Newell reveals that Valve was once close to bankruptcy
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Karlach from Baldur’sGate 3 is simply kind-hearted. Or is she not? The voice actor reveals details about the Hellspawn Tiefling.
When thinking of characters from Baldur’s Gate 3 that one simply must love, most will immediately think of the companion Karlach. The Tiefling barbarian is simply full of positive energy, always a little too cheerful, and has her heart in the right place – well, at least in a figurative sense.
However, Karlach isn’t as “good” a character as we all thought she was. The voice of Karlach revealed this in an interview.
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Der animierte Kurzfilm zu Patch 8, dem letzten Update für Baldur’s Gate 3
Where did the info come from? The site TheGamer has already published excerpts from an interview that will be released later. It focuses mainly on Karlach and the role of her voice actor – many details about the character who is so beloved by fans.
Karlach was cruel to survive
What was said? Samantha Béart, the voice actress of Karlach, was asked what the biggest misconception about Karlach is and gave a clear answer:
That she is this really sweet, nice, always cheerful person. I believe she was a completely different person in hell.
Players get to know Karlach, after initial accusations by Wyll, as a very lovable Tiefling who has just escaped from hell. But she hasn’t always been like this:
I imagined that when you are locked in this high-security prison, with no hope of escape and you have to do all these terrible gang things to survive – and then you finally get out. “You know what? I get to decide who I am now. And I am not that person anymore. That person was how I got through a phase of my life. But now I’m not doing that anymore.”
I think she was quite a piece of work in hell. She had to be. She is someone who just didn’t talk much. She kept her head down to get through all of that.
Karlach’s biggest problem in the game is that her heart has been replaced by a hellish machine. This allows her to excel in combat, but her life in the world has a time limit – sooner or later she has to return to hell. Unless you make a really dark decision…
At that time, a major criticism was that Karlach experiences a rather dark story and, unlike most other characters in the game, cannot have a “happy ending.” Because Karlach’s endings are, in most cases, either highly dramatic or uncertain for the future.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A feature in World of Warcraft allows many to enjoy the game again who have felt excluded for a long time. Blizzard got everything right here.
World of Warcraft is quite complicated. Newcomers have a hard time, but even veteran fans are often overwhelmed by the complexity. It is even worse if one has physical or mental limitations that make playing even more difficult.
A feature that the developers recently introduced has now been highly praised. We are talking about the controversial “One-Button Assistant”, which essentially takes over the game rotation. You can then focus entirely on dodging, positioning, and interrupts, or simply the boss abilities. Since this option has become available, many who previously had no chance can also enjoy WoW again. For instance, Jhadd0326 writes in the WoW subreddit:
I was a cutting-edge raider and had a 3,500 rating, but now I’m a disabled veteran with brain damage. I just returned to WoW and it’s such an overwhelming experience for me. I’m shocked at how much worse I’ve gotten at the game. I sit in raids and am confused about which buttons I need to press, it’s just embarrassing. The single-button assistant completely solves the problem for me and it is what it is, but I’m really grateful for this option as it allows me to continue playing WoW. Thank you, developers (…), that was a really good accessibility idea.
Many praise the feature – more can enjoy WoW again
Other commentators also praise the feature.
“I am 23 and was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that affects my joints and energy – honestly, the best feature for us!” – rieveriie
“For my wife, this has been a true game-changer, she can’t focus for more than 10 minutes at a time. Now she can simply focus on not standing in the fire while still doing good damage. Personally, I think this is a fantastic feature that was long overdue.” – scud121
An expert tests whether one can still play Cyberpunk 2077 with an old graphics card. And he is disappointed. Even with features like AMD’s FSR, not much can be done if the graphics card is simply too old.
GCS Hardware, a hardware-focused channel on YouTube, tested whether it is still possible to play on a very old graphics card. He chose Counter-Strike 2, GTA V, Cyberpunk 2077, and Doom 2016 for his test and tested the games on a GTX 660.
The GTX 660 was released on September 12, 2012, and was considered an affordable and fast graphics card for Full HD gaming for under 300 Euros.
However, in the end, he was mainly disappointed with Cyberpunk. Because AMD’s “wonder technology,” FSR, cannot save a 13-year-old graphics card anymore.
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Cyberpunk 2077: The Ultimate Edition trailer shows a ‘City of Dreams’
With a 13-Year-Old Graphics Card and FSR Against Cyberpunk 2077
What is FSR anyway? FSR is a so-called upscaling technology from AMD and is the counterpart to Nvidia’s DLSS. The principle behind it is: A game is rendered in low resolution, such as Full HD, and then scaled up to a higher resolution, such as 4K. This allows games to run smoother, as the graphics card doesn’t have to calculate as many pixels.
While Nvidia relies on a closed system with DLSS, supporting only in-house and somewhat recent graphics cards (RTX 2000 series and above), AMD took a more open approach with the first two versions of FSR: FSR 1 and 2.1 also supported graphics cards from Nvidia and Intel.
How the tests went: The YouTuber tried to use FSR to increase performance but found that FSR did not bring any additional FPS improvements:
Cyberpunk 2077 performed the worst with only 10 FPS or 15 FPS at the lowest possible settings at native 1080P.
The performance mode FSR 2.1 could boost performance into the low 20s.
The game eventually crashed with FSR, ending with a black screen. XeSS and FSR 3.1 were practically unsupported
What does the test show? Upscaling technologies are always considered “wonder technology” to squeeze more FPS out of older graphics cards. However, the test by the YouTuber clearly shows that there are very pronounced technical limits:
The attempt to use FSR upscaling in Cyberpunk 2077 and CS:2 shows that the GTX 660 is simply too old to effectively execute modern upscaling technologies. This is due to technical features that the old graphics card can no longer support.
For Total War: Warhammer 3, there are now 28 paid add-ons that bring new races or commanders into the game. MeinMMO editor and Warhammer expert Benedict Grothaus explains which of these you actually need and which you can do without.
[toc]
Of all the games in the series, Total War: Warhammer 3 has the most players on Steam according to steamcharts and has a rating of 83% positive based on the recent 944 reviews on Steam (as of July 1). Accordingly, the game is quite popular.
Total War: Warhammer 3 is often available at a low price during Steam Sales, but there’s a catch: the base game offers relatively little. If you want the full experience, you will pay over 200 euros for the entire collection with all DLCs on sale.
Since players looking to jump in may not know what else they need, you will find here a list of all factions and DLCs according to their strengths and weaknesses. After over 570 hours just on Steam and about 200 more in Game Pass, I have spent dozens of hours with each faction or against them.
In the overview, you will find all factions for a specific playstyle with a brief description. However, a few notes:
All factions are fundamentally military; Warhammer does not work without war. Only the focus is a bit different.
Almost every faction has access to diplomacy and trade, but it is more or less relevant for the respective races.
Some factions as NPCs have different options than players; only player races are described here.
Most races have several strengths and focuses, which is why you can find almost all of them in more than one category.
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Total War: Warhammer 3 – Launch Trailer Immortal Empires
The Offensive Races and their DLCs
As already mentioned, every faction is initially military. Some place more emphasis on infantry, others on cavalry, chariots, magic, or artillery. For the overview, I decided to further subdivide the category into factions that are more war-seeking (offensive military) or can defend their positions well (defensive military).
Khorne
included in Total War: Warhammer 3 (base game)
focus on melee units and monsters, ranged combat is hardly available
gains bonuses through constant war and combat
can develop certain units
additional legendary commander in the DLC Skulltaker – Omens of Destruction
Chaos Dwarfs (DLC)
included in the DLC Forge of the Chaos Dwarfs
focus on artillery, gunpowder units, and heavy armor
greenskin units as support with a unique hero
without war, your economy will likely collapse
secondary strength: economy
Empire
included in Total War: Warhammer
balanced roster with many different wizards and war machines
one of the strongest artillery in the entire game
always start in conflict zones that require diplomatic or military solutions
secondary strength: diplomacy
additional commanders in the DLCs The Grim & The Grave, The Hunter & The Beast and Elspeth – Thrones of Decay
Beastmen (DLC)
included in the DLC Call of the Beastmen
do not have settlements but form “Hordes” instead
training of new units and building structures mainly within the army itself
balanced unit selection
focus on ambushes and raids
additional commander in the DLC The Silence & The Fury
Chaos Warriors (DLC)
included in the DLC Chaos Warriors, additional commanders in the DLC
only have “black towers” as large settlements and otherwise play with vassals
versatile unit roster depending on the respective lord/chaos god
can develop certain units
secondary strength: diplomacy
additional commanders in the DLC Champions of Chaos
Chaos Daemons
included in Total War: Warhammer 3 (base game)
versatile unit roster made up of units from all chaos gods
can dedicate themselves to a god or worship all
access to special chaos blessings and enhancements for the commander
Greenskins
included in Total War: Warhammer
focus on melee infantry with ranged as a weaker support
can call WAAAGHs to recruit additional armies
must wage war,
no access to trade with other factions
additional commanders in the DLC The King & the Warlord, The Warden & the Paunch and Gorbad – Omens of Destruction
Lizardmen
included in Total War: Warhammer 2
balanced unit roster with many flying units, monsters, and wizards
blessed units as special elite troops
have access to special rituals to gain advantages in the campaign
additional commanders in the DLCs The Prophet & The Warlock, The Hunter & the Beast and The Silence & The Fury
Norsca (DLC)
included in the DLC Norsca
mainly cheap melee infantry and cavalry with strong monsters
focus on ranged combat and artillery as well as monsters, no cavalry
can summon units without recruitment time (necromancy); stronger units where large battles have been fought
legendary commanders and admirals can upgrade their ships for recruitment on the go
ship abilities grant advantages in combat
leaders can occupy officer positions for various bonuses Leaders have loyalty and can mutiny if approval is too low
can obtain special units and commanders through infamy or parts of the pirate song
secondary strength: economy
Dark Elves
included in Total War: Warhammer 2
balanced roster with strong units in every area
leaders can gain “Names of Power” to receive advantages
leaders have loyalty and can betray you if it drops
Black Arks that sail the seas and can reinforce or fully build armies from there
access to rituals for various bonuses at the cost of slaves
secondary strength: economy
additional commanders in the DLCs The Queen & The Crone and The Shadow & The Blade
Skaven
included in Total War: Warhammer 2
fundamentally weak units focused on huge masses and summons
no flying units and no cavalry, only monsters
usually fight ambush-style, even in attack, if possible
commanders have loyalty and can betray you if loyalty decreases
sub-cities as a special game mechanic that can call entire armies
secondary strength: economy
additional commanders in the DLCs The Prophet & The Warlock, The Shadow & The Blade and The Twisted & The Twilight
Skaven are an interesting race in themselves, as they are characterized by cowardice and ambush. They have their own god, who has now ascended to chaos god status in Age of Sigmar.
With Season 9, Diablo 4 has received new content and revised old mechanics. A particular feature has come into focus, as it has suddenly appeared more frequently and is seriously annoying players during loot and leveling.
Season 9 started in Diablo 4 on July 1, 2025 and has introduced new content into the ARPG. Among other things, there are Horadric spells to enhance your builds. The Nightmare Dungeons have also been overhauled: new affixes on the seals and so-called “Escalation Nightmares,” where you run through three dungeons consecutively.
But a pesky mechanic that you encounter in battles against monsters seems to have been revised. Players believe it is related to the seasonal feature.
Start video
Diablo 4 shows Horadric spells and new endgame content in the trailer for Season 9
Hellbinders slow you down in battles
Which mechanic is plaguing players? In Diablo 4, there are attacks from monsters that slow you down or completely impede you, including the so-called Hellbinders. They spawn directly in combat and chain your character to a sort of pillar. Before you can move on, you either have to destroy the pillar or use a skill that makes you “unstoppable.”
On Reddit, a user posts a picture of this very feature and asks, “Worst new feature in Season 9?” Their opinion: You already get frozen and slowed down, now there’s another affix. It feels like an artificial gameplay delay. The community explains: This feature is not new, but it is definitely occurring much more frequently now.
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What do other players say about it? Other players in the comments of the post are also sure that Hellbinders spawn much more frequently than before. Actual_Class9995 comments, “I’ve only been here since the last season and I might have seen them a few times. Now I’ve experienced more of them in three days than in the whole Season 8.”
And Woozletania reports, “I did a Nightmare Dungeon today – four groups with Hellbinders. In a single dungeon. That’s a bit excessive.”
What can you do about it? Effects like “unstoppable” are currently worth their weight in gold. Other users advise: If you deal enough damage, Hellbinders won’t last long anyway. And TheRealMortiferus even suspects that this was intentionally designed by the developers so that you use Horadric spells to counter annoying control effects from enemies. These two spells are particularly helpful:
Thunderous Particle (Infusion): Deactivates all opposing suppression effects for 8 seconds
is very effective against Hellbinders
Glowing Remnants (Infusion): Deactivates all opposing Frost Wind effects for 8 seconds
Horadric spells are the central seasonal feature in Season 9, and their buffs can significantly ease your life. Many of them make you unstoppable or break down enemy barriers. You can find out how to obtain these spells and what effects they bring here: Diablo 4 Horadric spells: How the mechanics work in Season 9
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
If you don’t feel like dealing with the new series and movies from Star Wars, you can choose from a whole range of comics, books, and games that tell different stories. A particular Sith made life quite difficult for Luke’s descendant in one of these stories.
Which Sith Lord is it about? Before Disney acquired the rights to Star Wars from Lucas Arts, there were countless books and comics alongside the Star Wars movies that also told stories after Episode 6. The non-canonical ones are called Legends.
Over 100 years after Episode 6, the story of Cade Skywalker is told in the comic series Star Wars: Legacy. Cade Skywalker himself was not your typical hero with many problems, but one of his problems was Darth Talon, a Sith Mistress whom George Lucas even wanted to bring to the big screen.
Start video
Star Wars Episode 6: Return of the Jedi – Trailer
A powerful Sith woman
Who is Darth Talon? Darth Talon is a female Twi’lek, a species that is often enslaved, and she was born into the Order of the One Sith. The leader of the Order was Darth Krayt, and he lived by the Rule of One. He was on top, and under him, there was supposed to be blind obedience among the Sith and other followers.
She was trained to be an assassin under Darth Ruyn. She had a great affinity for the Force and proved her loyalty by killing her master. After that, she was directly subordinated to Krayt, carrying out missions for him. After a defeat, she was spared by Krayt to find Cade Skywalker and turn him to the dark side because he was a descendant of Vader.
He was captured, and to draw him to her side, Talon was supposed to become his mistress. Cade was trained in the teachings of the One Sith, and they grew closer. Despite their affair, Talon did not believe that Cade would turn to the dark side.
One day he escaped, and she was severely injured in the process. After she healed, she was supposed to continue the hunt for Cade. But Cade had a new target: he wanted to kill Darth Krayt. In an attack, Talon tried to defeat Skywalker’s descendant, but he had become too powerful.
She failed to protect her master, and Cade killed Krayt in a final battle. The Sith Empire was destroyed, and Talon hid with other Sith until they could strike back.
A character that even George Lucas wanted to bring to film
Darth Talon was also supposed to be realized in a movie. George Lucas originally had different ideas for the sequels (Episode 7 to 9) than Disney. As Filmstarts reported, George Lucas had plans for a story set shortly after Episode 6. While Leia and Luke wanted to rebuild the Jedi and the Republic, Darth Maul would have established himself as the leader of the Sith and founded a criminal syndicate.
In the course of this, he would also have had a student named Darth Talon, who is also a Twi’lek. As can be seen from concept art of a canceled video game (via artstation.com), she would have had red skin and the Sith tattoos, like those known from Maul.
Darth Talon might return soon. In 2026, a new animated series titled Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord is set to premiere on Disney Plus, showcasing how Darth Maul built his criminal syndicate, which can be seen in Solo: A Star Wars Story.
There is currently no official trailer, but at the Star Wars Celebration Japan event, attendees were able to catch a first glimpse at the series. According to reports (via bespinbulletin.com), the trailer features a student of Darth Maul who looks like a younger version of Darth Talon.
Gamers want to enable a bill with a petition that prevents the shutdown of games, and the European gaming association has responded.
How do gamers want to save the games? The YouTuber Scott Ross, aka “Accursed Farms,” started an initiative called “Stop Killing Games,” under which a petition was launched on August 1, 2024.
This petition aims to ensure that publishers are encouraged to offer games in a playable state even when development on the games has stopped. To achieve this goal, it was necessary for the petition to collect one million signatures by July 31, 2025, so that the European Union could discuss the proposal as a draft bill. The petition’s goal was recently reached after YouTubers and Twitch streamers came to help.
Video Game Association in Europe is not on the side of gamers
What kind of association is this? After the petition collected one million signatures, the European video game association “Video Games Europe” has now commented on the initiative (via videogameseurope.eu).
Video Games Europe represents the interests of the video game industry at the European level. It is the primary lobbying organization for the industry in Europe and negotiates with the European Union to safeguard the interests of publishers and developers. Video Games Europe also manages the PEGI system, which aims to establish a unified youth protection in Europe.
The association is not an institution of the European Union, but a privately held interest representative.
What does the association say? Video Games Europe has published a five-page statement in which they comment on “Stop Killing Games.” In it, the association explains that a bill as requested by the petition could have a chilling effect on game design.
Moreover, the association believes that the decision of when to cease support for a game should remain in the hands of the companies.
Thus, the association is likely not a supporter of the bill, even though it does support professional efforts to preserve video games.
How does the association justify its position? The association is convinced that companies must have the freedom to decide for themselves when the financial support of a game is no longer worthwhile. The statement reads:
“The right to decide how, when, and for how long online video game services are made available to players is essential to justify the associated costs and to promote ongoing technical innovation.”
Furthermore, the association states that such a law would harm the development of games:
Imposing a legal obligation to maintain server support indefinitely or to develop online video games in a specific technical manner that allows for permanent use would increase the costs and risks associated with developing such games. It would have a chilling effect on game design and serve as a hindrance to providing such games in Europe.
For the association, it is clear that such a law would mean a significant intervention in the development phase and would additionally disregard concerns about player safety and technical security.
The laid-off employees at Microsoft don’t need to be sad. They can use Microsoft’s AI to seek help.
It reads a bit like the dystopian future that sci-fi authors have always warned us about. But at Microsoft, 9,000 employees were laid off across various fields. Executive Producer Matt Turnbull had some “great” tips on how those affected should cope: they could use Microsoft’s own AI so they wouldn’t feel so bad.
World of Warcraft and thereby Blizzard are now part of Microsoft:
Due to the many layoffs, there are now numerous developers looking for new jobs or simply experiencing existential fears because they lack income and thus their foundation for living.
Matt Turnbull, Executive Producer at Xbox Game Studios Publishing (not affected by the layoffs), subsequently gave some tips that sparked a lot of outrage.
What did Turnbull say? Turnbull’s post largely reads like advertising for various AI tools, such as ChatGPT or also Microsoft’s Copilot. He primarily gives suggestions on how to use AI to get through a difficult time now. On Bluesky, Brandon Sheffield captured Turnbull’s post:
Noteworthy passages include particularly questionable segments, such as some suggestions for prompts to direct at the AI to seek help and support:
“I have issues with impostor syndrome after being laid off. Can you help me reframe my experiences in a way that reminds me what I’m good at?”
The impostor syndrome occurs when people doubt their own skills despite their success and abilities. They fear that someday it will be “exposed” that they are not as good as others think – even though this is completely untrue.
He also argues that one could use the tools to alleviate the “emotional and mental burden associated with job loss.”
Where was this said? Matt Turnbull wrote the lengthy post on LinkedIn, but after some harsh criticism, the post was deleted. However, it has been captured by many users and continues to circulate on the internet.
The internet and those affected react in disbelief: The reactions are largely negative, especially in the gaming subreddit. People accuse Turnbull of being unable to “read the room” and that it is cynical to recommend Microsoft products to those who have just lost their jobs – especially when one (i.e., Turnbull) still retains his job.
“Anyone telling laid-off people to talk to a computer algorithm for therapy is just insane.” – Magnon
“Bro, what the hell. I had to look at the exact quote because I thought it must have been taken out of context. But no, the post says exactly that.” – Alundra828
“I’m convinced that people in power positions eventually become psychopaths. You really must be completely disconnected from reality.” – MuptonBossman
Actually, Call of Duty: WW2 should provide you with a great time, but a security vulnerability poses a risk to players’ PCs.
What is happening with CoD WW2? On July 1st, Call of Duty: WW2 became available in the Microsoft Store and Game Pass on PC. PC players could now play the Activision shooter through the subscription.
CoD: WW2 was released back in 2017. The game immerses players in the setting of World War II and offers a campaign as well as a co-op mode with its own story – making it interesting even for Game Pass subscribers who are not interested in multiplayer combat.
However, Activision has now announced that they have taken the shooter offline in the Microsoft Store and are investigating reports of an issue with the game (X.com).
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Activision shows the new Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 in the trailer for the Xbox Showcase 2025
WW2 becomes a risk for your gaming PC
What is the problem? In recent days, there have been reports from players who were hacked through the Game Pass version of Call of Duty: WW2. According to some users, the reported incidents could be possible due to an exploit in the anti-cheat system. In this case, attackers could take control of the victims’ PCs. One player writes on Reddit:
“I played Call of Duty: WW2 today, which was released in the Game Pass a few days ago. I was excited, searched for a game on ‘Shipment’, and started playing. Suddenly, my command window opened with a message that said: ‘Marc E. Meyer has just executed an RCE on your system, please contact Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP.’ A website of a lawyer named Marc E. Meyer also opened. I know this could be a troll, but I thought Microsoft’s services were secure.”
Other players have also fallen victim to the same supposed “troll.” One user even posted a video of the situation on X.com when suddenly his command line opened with the text. A user on Reddit also explains that the problem is not new and affects other “Call of Duty” titles as well. However, the Steam versions are safe:
“Ironically, the Steam version of WWII is fine since it uses dedicated servers. When the game was ported to Game Pass in the Microsoft Store, it was switched to P2P matchmaking, making it vulnerable to RCE exploits. This affects not only WWII but every CoD that uses P2P matchmaking, such as MW2, MW3, Ghosts, Advanced Warfare, BO3, and Modern Warfare Remastered.”
P2P stands for “Peer-to-Peer.” In this type of matchmaking, one of the players becomes the host of the lobby, and the player’s PC takes on the role of the server.
Why is this a risk for players? What players are experiencing is referred to as Remote Code Execution (RCE), which translates roughly to “Code Execution from a distance” in German.
In an RCE, attackers remotely penetrate the victims’ system through a software vulnerability and take control. They can then make changes to the system, install malware, steal data, and activate the microphone or webcam. Additionally, they can completely block or disable the system.
While the current reports seem to be just a troll scaring players with trivial and harmless messages or pop-ups, the troll’s actions have shown what danger players are exposed to due to WW2.
If you wanted to play Call of Duty in the coming days, you might want to stay away from older titles and Game Pass versions. Instead, you could take another look at Black Ops 6. The mid-season update has just been released. You can find the most important information here on MeinMMO: CoD: Black Ops 6 Season 4 Reloaded has launched – All important information in 2 minutes
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The story of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners continues. Initial information makes it clear that we can look forward to many innovations in the next anime.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is one of the anime adaptations of video games that has turned out really well. Not only has the animation style of the series been praised, but also the great depiction of the world of Cyberpunk 2077 and the dark story with a tragic ending.
For a long time, it was speculated whether there would be a second season. Now it is clear: Yes, it is already in production.
You can see the trailer for the first season here:
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Cyberpunk Edgerunners: Fans of the RPG epic celebrate the Netflix trailer, but also hope for a cool story
What has been announced? Via X, the account of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners announced that a second season is in production. Additionally, the first poster artwork by animation studio Trigger has been released – they had also created the first season and are therefore also responsible for season 2.
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What is season 2 about? The exact contents of the second season are not yet known. However, it has already been announced that it will be a “standalone” story spanning 10 episodes. This means that the story will largely be detached from the characters of the first season or the video game.
They pose the question: “If the world is blinded by spectacle, what extremes must you push to give your story meaning?”
So we can look forward to new characters, a lot of action, and plenty of drama.
It is supposed to be a “raw chronicle of redemption and revenge” – themes for which there is plenty of room in the Cyberpunk universe.
Meanwhile, producer Bartosz Sztybor gave some insight into the development of the first season at Anime Expo. In response to the question of whether he had ever considered telling a positive or more cheerful story, he said:
I am from Poland. People in Poland are sad. They are born sad and they die sad. So I just wanted to make the whole world sad… when people are sad, then I am a little happy.
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Even if Sztybor says this with a wink, he likely succeeded in his mission – after all, the finale of the first Cyberpunk season is quite emotional and also makes it clear why a second season will likely focus on a new group of characters.
The new MMORPG from the creators of Elder Scrolls Online would have been a real hit, say early testers. Xbox chief Phil Spencer is said to have been convinced as well. Nevertheless, Microsoft has halted development.
Which game is being talked about? Project “Blackbird” was an AAA MMORPG that was in development at ZeniMax Online Studios – the creators of Elder Scrolls Online (ESO), which was released back in 2014.
The game received some of the best reactions from playtesters that he had heard in years. And that is not easy to achieve anymore. “It takes an absolute truck load to have folks heap praise on an MP playtest in modern times,” the leaker continues.
SneakersSO had previously correctly leaked Xbox’s multiplatform plans, so his word carries weight. (Source: videogamer)
Xbox chief Phil Spencer is said to have been excited as well. How Jason Schreier reported for Bloomberg, Spencer played the title at a presentation in March. The CEO reportedly had so much fun that Matt Booty, Head of Xbox Game Studios, eventually had to take the controller away from him to continue with the meeting.
A mix of Destiny 2 and Blade Runner
What kind of game would Blackbird have been? Jason Schreier provides some information on this as well:
Blackbird would have been a “third-person, online looter shooter” in a brand new engine. Schreier compares the game to Destiny 2.
The aesthetics of the game are described as “sci-fi noir” and compared to films like Blade Runner.
The game would have placed a strong emphasis on vertical movement: players would have run up walls “like superheroes” and swung around large buildings with grappling hooks.
Death Knights in World of Warcraft still have no raid buff. Blizzard sees a solution for this – but it makes Death Knights unhappy.
When forming a good group for a raid in World of Warcraft, different things are usually considered. Typically, you want a character from each class to cover all raid buffs. But one class has no such “raid buff.” Blizzard acknowledges this and states that one of its abilities is basically a buff for the whole raid. It’s a bit absurd considering that this ability has little utility in the next raid.
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WoW mal so richtig ehrlich erklärt
What are raid buffs? Raid buffs, or most commonly “group buffs,” are different strengthening effects that benefit the entire group. Some buffs are direct:
Priests increase the stamina of the group, Shamans increase versatility.
Other buffs are indirect or debuffs on enemies, from which all still benefit:
Demon Hunters increase the magic damage taken by enemies, Monks increase the physical damage taken by opponents.
So all classes in World of Warcraft have a special benefit in the raid that a large part of the group benefits from. Only one class cannot do that: the Death Knight.
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What does Blizzard want to change? Blizzard acknowledges in the preliminary patch notes for Patch 11.2 that Death Knights do not have a “real” raid buff in the classical sense but see an ability that essentially replaces it: Death Grip.
Death Grip allows the Death Knight to pull an enemy to their position. This is particularly strong when you need to bunch many enemies in one place or when it comes to fast, precise positioning of enemies.
The catch is, however, that bosses and most “leader” NPCs are immune to Death Grip. Typically, only smaller enemies, or “adds,” can be pulled in fights with Death Grip.
This seems particularly absurd to many when looking at the next raid, Manaforging Omega. In all boss fights there, there are only a few adds – and when there are, they already have mechanics that either prevent the use of Death Grip or make it unnecessary.
The community is angry, calls for more: In the WoW subreddit, the topic is being discussed vigorously. Many Death Knights wish for simply a bit more and are concerned about their place in the raid. Because if all the other classes have a useful buff – why should you take a Death Knight? Some of the comments:
“Classifying Death Grip as a raid buff is just like classifying Rallying Cry or Totem of Spirit Link as a raid buff. And the classes still have real raid buffs.” – Alex_Wizard
“How can anything that does not directly strengthen other players count as a raid buff?” – Cloud_N0ne
“Ah, a classic. You just love to see something like this. They probably need another Shadowlands to wake up hell in some respects, because they’re getting arrogant again at BfA level.” – Kurthalos
Sometimes there is knowledge that allows one to sleep more peacefully. The MeinMMO editorial team has taken the official test to find out which Legion of the Space Marines from Warhammer 40,000 the editors belong to. Warhammer expert Benedict Grothaus expected some results, but there are a few concerns with the boss. Although he himself shouldn’t be too loud…
The idea was actually quite simple: I accidentally discovered that Games Workshop offers a test on its official website to find out which Legion you belong to. With several questions, you are assigned to a Legion at the end.
I submitted the test to the editorial team, just to see what would happen. I expected entertaining answers and a bit of banter with which I could impress my colleagues.
Of course, it’s all about promoting the current “Horus Heresy” set, which recently introduced Space Marines in even bulkier armor. The test is short and entertaining, but the results are surprisingly accurate.
But now I’m not so sure what lies dormant in the authors and editors of the site.
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The trailer for the new edition of the Horus Heresy in Warhammer 40,000
MeinMMO consists of heretics and traitors
According to the official test, over half of the editorial team belongs to the traitors. To explain: At the beginning of the 31st millennium, Horus Lupercal, one of the sons of the Emperor, orchestrated a massive betrayal.
Starting with a virus bomb that wiped out thousands of loyal Space Marines, he weakened the Imperium and then struck. The goal was to overthrow the Emperor because, according to Horus’ vision, humanity and the universe were slowly perishing.
Many Primarchs joined Chaos and betrayed the Imperium to follow Horus. The Great Brother War nearly destroyed the Imperium. And almost all of us here at MeinMMO belong to one of the traitor Legions, with the most represented being:
the Sons of Horus
the Emperor’s Children
and even some Death Guards
surprisingly, we have no Word Bearers at all
At least a handful of people from the editorial team have proven loyal to the Emperor:
Dariusz, our shooter editor, appropriately belongs to the Imperial Fists
Tech-Benedikt, MMORPG expert Karsten, and our all-rounder Ody belong to the Dark Angels
Jasmin, who has a big heart for anime, is an Ultramarine
Christoph is apparently our lone Space Wolf
our video producer Anna belongs to the Iron Hands
and Alex, who supplies you with cool D&D stories, likes to ride with the White Scars
However, we also have three people in the editorial team who belong to a Legion that makes me very skeptical, and two of them are in key positions…
But with the Alpha Legion, it’s the case that deception and secrecy are their great weapons, and they rarely tell the truth. They mislead you, and sometimes you don’t even notice it.
Since I learned this about Leya, I’m no longer so sure if her assignments to me are really just assignments, or if there’s more to it…
The second member of the Alpha Legion is our managing editor Sophia Weiß, who can troublingly identify with the Legion, as she says. Unfortunately, this dual leadership structure aligns quite well with Alpharius and Omegon as the Primarchs of the Alpha Legion.
Our brothers and sisters from GameStar are much tamer
As a comparison, I sent the same test to our colleagues at GameStar and waited for the results. Little surprising for me but surely interesting for you: Almost all editors at GameStar are loyalists of the Imperium.
Almost all of them came out as Legions like the Dark Angels or Ultramarines. There are also two Imperial Fists, one of whom is Dimitry Halley, the editorial manager. Even one Salamander and one Raven Guard can be found, and Ann-Kathrin Kuhls, the team leader for GameStar on YouTube, is particularly proud to say she is a White Scar.
However, the stain of Chaos also sits with GameStar: they have one Thousand Son and two members of the Alpha Legion. But I won’t reveal who that is.
As much as I wonder about some results: I shouldn’t shout too loudly. According to the test, I am the only one in both teams belonging to the Night Lords. That’s fitting, but probably not the best sign for my colleagues.
For everyone who doesn’t know the name: the Night Lords are essentially the space super-vampires. The specialty of the Legion is psychological warfare and terror. These are the guys whose armor is stuck with the flayed skin and torn flesh of their enemies while they attack. And yes, I actually like the Night Lords…
In Dune: Awakening, a player has completed perhaps the most complex quest in the game. Many fans are wondering why the player put themselves through this and are reacting frustrated to the quest.
What kind of quest is it? In Dune: Awakening, there is a quest in the endgame where you have to submit a Cutteray MK6. The tool is particularly expensive, and many refuse to complete the task for this reason. The mission comes from the bulletin board and can be completed at any time.
To craft the Cutteray MK6, you will need:
50x Plastanium Bars
30x EMF Generators
30x Cobalt Paste
6x Thermo-reactive Beam Amplifiers:
9x Thermoelectric Coolers
27x Spice Melange
The reward is only a laser weapon, which is not appealing to many players. For these reasons, the quest remains dormant in the logs of many gamers. One player has now, to the surprise of the community, actually completed it.
Here you can see what changes are planned for Dune: Awakening in the future:
Start video
Dune: Awakening – Das ist die Zukunft des MMOs
Expensive quest causes frustration
What did the player do? The player Olaknox posted a screenshot on Reddit, showing him submitting the requested MK6 Cutteray at the mission board on the bulletin board. He writes: “Here’s your stupid Cutteray MK6. This pains me as a solo player.”
Especially as a solo player, it is even more remarkable to spend so many resources on a quest whose reward is only a weapon that many do not want. Accordingly, users also reacted on Reddit:
anglingTycoon: “This quest was painful to submit. I think it was worth it. The only problem is that you can’t repair the Lasgun; once it’s broken, it’s broken.”
CherryMyFeathers: “I would never do that. The 700 XP aren’t worth it.”
IAmARobot0101: “OMG, worst quest ever.”
MyAssPancake: “I can’t imagine not completing a quest. However, I’m worried I’ll get bored once I’ve finished all the quests.”
Single_Company7491: “Isn’t that the quest line to get the Lasgun, which only makes sense if you want to use it?”
An unusual problem, a helpful community, and a creative solution. The Reddit community helped a Steam Deck player with two thumbs to better operate the controller.
The user Alpha-Quartz posted a message on Reddit, asking the community for advice. He talks about his rare uniqueness: On his left hand, he has not one, but two thumbs. “I have an abnormal hand where I have two little thumbs instead of one big one, specifically on my left hand,” he explained. For him, this is not just a visual detail but a real problem when gaming on the Steam Deck.
Those interested in the Steam Deck can watch the trailer for the Steam Deck OLED here.
Start video
Check out the official trailer for the Steam Deck OLED
How community creates new things from differences
What was the user looking for? Alpha-Quartz was looking for solutions on Reddit to better operate his Steam Deck. Specifically, he was looking for a thumb extender or an easy way to reposition the left stick so that he could better use the handheld console. The left analog stick is too close to the screen for his two thumbs, making it difficult to reach and operate.
These solutions brought the community: The reaction didn’t take long. The next day, a user named SpecificGreen9140 presented a DIY solution. He had designed a gadget using a 3D printer: two offset circles that can be directly attached to the stick. This shifts its range of motion to the left – exactly what Alpha-Quartz was looking for.
But that wasn’t the end of it. Another user, Woogies, picked up the design and improved it. He made the shape more ergonomic, so that the adapter sits better in the hand. This led to a small modding chain. More and more users developed their own variants, tested them, and made them available to the community.
Among them was also a version for players with normal hands. One user humorously wrote: “I printed something for people who want to use SpecificGreen9140’s helper but only have one thumb on each hand.” SpecificGreen9140, who had designed the first thumb adapter, commented: “I’m totally rotting in hell, I laughed so hard.”
How did the search end? Alpha-Quartz was deeply impressed by the community. “I was only expecting a few tips. Instead, I received hundreds of suggestions and 3D print models.” The quick and creative help completely surprised him. For him, it was not just a technical solution but also proof of how helpful and resourceful the gaming community can be.
Also GamesRadar took notice of the post. An editor got in touch with Alpha-Quartz to ask about the current status. The player explained that he was still working on the perfect solution. He has already printed two versions himself, but the attachment to the Steam Deck is still not optimal. Nevertheless, his mood remains positive: “At this point, I am simply overwhelmed by the amount of support and positive spirit. I am at a loss for words.”
Such stories show how flexible and adaptable gaming can be today, especially when creative minds use their skills to help others. With gadgets and custom mods, even unusual physical conditions can be mastered. At the same time, many people utilize gaming not only at their desk or on the couch but increasingly in bed. But researchers regularly warn that such electronic devices have no place in the bedroom.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
