„Would have a deterrent effect“ – A million gamers unite to save their favorite games, now the European Gaming Association responds

Dariusz Müller Dariusz Müller Reading time 3 minutes

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.

The racing game The Crew is one of the games that serves as motivation for the initiative. Ubisoft took The Crew offline and removed it from the buyers’ libraries. Even players who purchased the game physically can no longer play.

Start video
The Crew: The trailer for the racing game MMO

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.

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Companies should have the right to make decisions

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.

Currently, there are still concerns about whether there could be issues with the petition. Since it is a political process and not a petition on a little-known and unofficial petition platform, fake signatures could distort the outcome and mean a failure of the initiative: One of the most important petitions for gamers has still achieved its goal, but there could be a problem

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

Microsoft lays off 9,000 employees – an Xbox chief advises the laid-off: AI can help through the tough times

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

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:

Start video
WoW mal so richtig ehrlich erklärt

What’s going on at Microsoft? It was recently announced that 9,000 employees across various sectors were laid off at Microsoft. This also included game development, such as the promising MMORPG Blackbird, which has now been completely canceled.

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:

Matt Turnbull Quote
Matt Turnbull’s LinkedIn tips. (Source: Brandon Sheffield on Bluesky)

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.

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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

The whole incident – along with the layoffs themselves – certainly generates a lot of negative headlines surrounding Microsoft. Furthermore, things are currently also odd among the games, as a security vulnerability in Call of Duty allows your teammates to take over your PC.

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

Activision brings Call of Duty: WW2 to Game Pass on PC, must take the game offline 5 days later because it poses a risk to your gaming PC

Dariusz Müller Dariusz Müller Reading time 3 minutes

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).

Start video
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.

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Attackers can do more than just troll

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.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners gets a second season – Producer admits: “I wanted to make the world sad”

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

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:

Start video
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.

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“I wanted to make the world a little sadder”

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.

If you yourself happen to have too good a mood because of the summer temperatures and, like Sztybor, take a mischievous pleasure in feeling a bit of pain and sadness, then we have here 5 anime that are guaranteed to break your heart – but are still worth every second.

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

The first players were excited about a new MMORPG, but you will never see it

Ody Ody Reading time 2 minutes

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.

After 7 years, Blackbird has been completely canceled. The reason was a wave of layoffs: Microsoft laid off a staggering 9,000 employees, with ZeniMax Online Studios being affected as well.

In Elder Scrolls Online, the first part of the new seasons of the Worm Cult is currently running:

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The Elder Scrolls Online: Seasons of the Worm Cult – Part 1 – Release Trailer

Even hard-to-convince critics loved Blackbird

Blackbird would have been really good! This was the opinion of at least the first testers, according to Xbox insider SneakersSO. He reacted to a post by Matt Fior, who announced his resignation as president of ZeniMax Online.

When it begins to come out just how fucking incredible the title he was working on was that got axed today.

Source: NeoGAF

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.
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For ZeniMax Online, things are currently looking bleak. Microsoft is cutting hundreds of jobs, even though the development of Blackbird was actually going well. You can read more about this in this article: Developer studio of Elder Scrolls Online loses hundreds of employees, although their new MMORPG was supposed to take off

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

WoW: The only class without a raid buff feels betrayed by Blizzard

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

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.

Start video
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.

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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

Death Knights are apparently not particularly satisfied with Blizzard’s decision. However, “DKs” are not doing as terribly as they might sound – because there is one class that is currently much, much less popular than the Death Knight.

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

We tested which Legion of the Space Marines from Warhammer 40,000 we belong to and now my boss is worrying me

Benedict Grothaus Benedict Grothaus Reading time 3 minutes

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.

Here you can find the official Legion test from Warhammer

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.

Start video
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…

Don’t trust the editor-in-chief!

MeinMMO’s editor-in-chief Leya apparently belongs to the Alpha Legion – the Space Marines about whom no one really knows if they are loyal or heretical. This is actually good, because she is not necessarily a Chaos supporter.

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.

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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…

The official personality test only includes the Legions of the Space Marines during the Horus Heresy, which means no successor Chapters or splinter groups. However, back then as now, the Chapters consist entirely of men: What happens when a woman wants to become a Space Marine in Warhammer 40,000?

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

The elaborate quest in Dune: Awakening causes frustration for players, yet one still completes it

Cedric Holmeier Cedric Holmeier Reading time 2 minutes

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?”
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Especially in the endgame, there is a lack of quests and quest givers in Dune: Awakening. However, anyone who really wants to complete all of them cannot avoid donating their MK6 Cutteray, even if it is so expensive. Perhaps the solo player can enjoy their new laser weapon. If not, they could maybe pet a giraffe: A player experiences something strange in Dune: Awakening, sees a huge giraffe, and the community immediately knows where it comes from.

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

Player with extra thumbs cannot properly use Steam Deck, but Reddit surprises him with a creative solution

Yana Yana Reading time 2 minutes

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.”

More on the topic
More on the topic
YouTuber disassembles Steam Deck for 2,600 euros, shows which features didn’t make it to the final device
von Benedikt Schlotmann
More on the topic
We finally know how many times the Steam Deck has been sold: Valve’s handheld has left the Asus ROG Ally and the rest of the competition far behind
von Benedikt Schlotmann

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.
Source(s):
  1. Reddit
  2. Gamesradar

“Save them, Bucky” – DOOM creator loses publisher support, might get help from Palworld

Johanna Johanna Reading time 2 minutes

A developer studio must announce that they are no longer receiving support from their publisher, but the Palworld developers could help with their own publishing company.

Which developer studio is affected? The developer studio Romero Games, founded by one of the DOOM creators John Romero and his wife Brenda Romero, had to post sad news on X: The financial support from their publisher is ending.

Currently, Romero Games was working on their new shooter. Although, as they explain in their post, every deadline was met and they often received a lot of praise for their work. It was a decision made at a “higher level within the publisher” that they, as a developer studio, had no influence over.

Romero Games does not mention an official reason, but it is likely that the recent mass layoffs at Microsoft could have something to do with it. One of the artists who was employed at Romero Games, Christoph Redl, confirmed on X that he lost his job due to layoffs at Microsoft/Xbox.

Start video
Update 0.5.0 for Palworld finally lets you play with friends on other platforms

Palworld developer could save Romero’s game

What gives fans hope? Under the post on X, in which Romero Games shares the sad news, the Palworld developer John Buckley responded:

“I would love to learn more about this project if possible” (Source: X)

There is a suspicion that the Palworld developer wants to offer their help. Earlier this year, the developer studio behind Palworld, Pocketpair, announced its own publishing company: Pocketpair Publishing.

With this, Pocketpair aims to support indie games. Something that John Buckley has likely been planning for some time.

Under John Buckley’s post, fans are excited about the possible support. Evan Olmstead writes, for example, on X: “Save them, Bucky!”

More on the topic
Pokémon clone suddenly changes its name, community mocks: “Unique?”
von Christoph Waldboth
Authority cancels Nintendo’s patent for summoning and fighting creatures
von Dariusz Müller
Instead of working on Palworld, a developer prefers to play Crimson Desert: “Wants to stay at home and play for 12 hours straight”
von Cedric Holmeier

Romero Games has not officially responded to the inquiry from the Palworld developer. It remains to be seen whether a collaboration can take place; however, it does not seem entirely unlikely. The game Palworld has recently enjoyed a significant increase in players. The reason for this is the collaboration with another game. Read more about it here on MeinMMO: Steam: A crossover boosts Palworld, suddenly over 100,000 players are back

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. gamesradar+
  2. Xbox auf YouTube (Bildquelle)

Throne and Liberty has lost 95% of its players, is no longer the most played MMORPG on Steam

Ody Ody Reading time 2 minutes

For a long time, Throne and Liberty was not just one, but the MMORPG with the most players on Steam. However, the player numbers now constitute only a small fraction of those achieved at release. 

How many players does Throne and Liberty have? In the last 24 hours (as of June 4, 2025), the MMORPG from South Korea reached a peak of around 16,800 players. This is a far cry from the number of players it attracted at release – around 336,000 (Source: steamdb.info)

  • Throne and Liberty has thereby mathematically lost about 95% of its players on Steam since release

Even if we only look at the player numbers of the last months, a decline is noticeable. Since March, the number of players has continuously decreased, causing the game to drop significantly in our ranking of the 10 MMORPGs with the most players on Steam.

Start video
Throne and Liberty: Trailer shows regions of the Wilderness of Talandre expansion

Why are player numbers currently declining so sharply? The big difference compared to the numbers at release could simply be due to the fact that Throne and Liberty is a Free2Play title.

  • Without upfront costs, players are more likely to try out a game, especially since Throne and Liberty is also expected by MMORPG players
  • Many players may have recognized over time that Throne and Liberty is not for them. This need not be a bad thing, but could be related to the fact that trying it out incurs no financial risk

Another reason might be the last expansion. Wilderness of Talandre was released in March and brought many players back, at least for a short time. This is also not uncommon for MMORPGs: 

  • When there is new content, many players check back in who are otherwise not very active. But once they are through with the content, they often leave again
More on the topic
Throne and Liberty: Wilderness of Talandre is massive! All the important details about the major expansion of the MMORPG
von Karsten Scholz

Players complain for a long time about too much work

On the other hand, more and more veterans are expressing their frustration about Throne and Liberty. Recently, in the reviews on Steam, you find more and more players who have invested over 1,000 hours into the MMORPG but still give it a thumbs down.

Steam user ic3asada writes after about 1,087 hours that Throne and Liberty feels way too much like work – which the developers also acknowledge. However, it does not seem to improve enough on this front.

  • “If you had a life outside the game and didn’t complete the daily tasks, you quickly fell behind. All these dungeons, daily quests, the Abyss, and more – just to keep up with the others – felt like an annoying obligation.” (Source: Steam)

VorenC reports similar sentiments and also addresses the monetization:

  • “Started in October. There were fun times, but the game has been designed as a money trap from the beginning. It has only gotten worse lately. You have to pay to keep up – and it’s not just a few 20 dollars here and there.” (Source: Steam)
More on the topic
FFXIV is soon bringing a new class and finally lures me back to Eorzea after a long break
von Nico Scheibel
Amazon’s MMORPG has only 1 percent of its players left, responds to the case with … a new subscription
von Karsten Scholz
Elder Scrolls Online is getting a new zone like never before, supposed to be the highlight of Season 0
von Karsten Scholz

By the way, have you already heard that Throne and Liberty might get a sequel? At least some job postings from the developer NCsoft suggest this. You can read more about it in our article on MeinMMO: Throne and Liberty is supposed to get a sequel with Unreal Engine 5 and the development of the new MMORPG is set to begin soon

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

13-year-old MMORPG benefits from the discontinuation of its successor, has never had so many players on Steam

Karsten Scholz Karsten Scholz Reading time 6 minutes

It’s time for our MeinMMO format “MMORPG news in two minutes.” We summarize the most important news about the best genre in the world. Look forward to WoW: MoP Classic, a sign of life from Bellatores, a new player record, and much more.

The highlights of the week:

What else has happened? MeinMMO met the well-known WoW streamer AnnieFuchsia at the TwitchCon 2025. Together with our editor and streaming expert Lydia, she talked about her love for World of Warcraft and her greatest successes in the MMORPG.

The class trailer for the Wukong from Black Desert:

Start video
Black Desert: Trailer for the new class Wukong shows furious staff action

Teaser hints at new class for Guild Wars 2

What happened with the big MMORPGs:

  • Are fans of Guild Wars 2 looking forward to the first new class in 8 years? A post from the developers on X hints at this. In about a week and a half, we will know more.
  • With just one button, many players in World of Warcraft are stronger than their colleagues. A whole 75% leave them behind without mastering their class.
  • One class in World of Warcraft is more popular than all others. No wonder, because after the rework, almost everyone wants to play it.
  • Newcomers are quitting World of Warcraft for being too hard. Don’t believe it? Just try it out, what’s wrong.
  • Rare mounts can be found in World of Warcraft a lot more frequently in just a few hours. You can find the exact details here. We will tell you which mounts you should farm now. A simple addon makes it easier for you to farm mounts. You can see at a glance what you still lack.
  • If World of Warcraft HC isn’t hard enough for you, you can make it even harder. But a warrior pushes all limits here.
  • When the chapter Gold Road brought the new writing system to The Elder Scrolls Online there was a lot of criticism. The fact that you should pay extra for the ability to create new skills did not sit well with many players. More than a year later, the developers are changing exactly that.
  • Additionally, the Vengeance campaign for Cyrodiil has returned in ESO. It runs until July 8, 2025, and is also available on consoles this time. You can find all details at elderscrollsonline.com.
  • There was also a preview of update 47 and the upcoming dungeon raids. Where? Also on elderscrollsonline.com.
  • Final Fantasy XIV recorded player number records with the expansions Shadowbringers and Endwalker. However, the new expansion Dawntrail is now suffering from player loss during the patch cycle and it seems that the veterans are dropping out.
  • The real money shop of Final Fantasy XIV is the Moogle Station, which now offers a new outfit. Players are complaining a lot about it, even though they can relatively easily build it for free in the MMORPG.
  • On forum.square-enix.com you can now find the German summary of Producer Letter LIVE Part 87. There you will learn more about the implementation of player feedback for Patch 7.25, cosmic exploration, and Patch 7.3 of Final Fantasy XIV.
  • On July 8, the MogMog collection of Final Fantasy XIV will start. The event will run until the maintenance work of Patch 7.3. What else you need to know can be found on finalfantasyxiv.com.
  • For New World, there was a preview of the castle map for flag capture at newworld.com and what is planned for Season 9.
  • From July 10 to July 31, the event Da Vinci’s Favor runs in Throne and Liberty. The event improves rewards, weapon mastery, equipment slots, and storage. It also brings bonuses for Amitoi, contracts, and dimensional coins. You can find the details at playthroneandliberty.com.
  • On July 1, the third part of the 2025 roadmap for Lost Ark was released. For the coming months, a new progression system, new endgame content, the Valkyrie class, and much more are planned. You can find all details on Steam.

What happened in the small MMORPGs:

  • In the last 30 days, an average of 10,001 players were online simultaneously – in May there were only “8,811”. It may slowly take effect that MapleStory 2 has shut down. The peak during this time is 16,855 concurrent players (source: steamcharts.com). New record! The previous all-time high was 13,831 concurrent players.
  • The “The Beach” event is running in RuneScape from June 30 to July 28, more information can be found at runescape.com.
  • On June 27, a new letter from the Executive Producer for Star Wars: The Old Republic went live. On swtor.com, Keith Kanneg provides a glimpse into the future of the MMORPG. Look forward to update 7.7.1, which will include modernizations for the Rattataki.
  • The events in SWTOR for the month of July can be found at swtor.com.
  • On June 30, the update “Abyssal Depths” for Albion Online was released, bringing the depths, the new cave of the antiquarian, and a revised game entry to the servers. You can find the official patch notes at albiononline.com.
  • Thomas Chance “Sodapoppin” Morris is one of the biggest streamers on Twitch and is primarily known for his content about World of Warcraft. Currently, “Soda” is playing Old School RuneScape and experiencing some special moments that many veterans of the MMORPG know.
Recommended editorial content

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What happened with the MMORPGs in development:

  • The superhero MMORPG Ship of Heroes is considered the spiritual successor to City of Heroes and has a release date. The game is set to launch on Steam on August 18, 2025. You can find the release trailer on YouTube and above these lines.
  • There’s a sign of life from the PC MMORPG Bellatores (via Steam)! The game has now transitioned to Unreal Engine 5, utilizes an action combat system, and focuses on a vast world with medieval and fantasy elements. You can find the new developer update on YouTube.
  • BitCraft Online has entered Early Access on Steam and is now being actively updated. The latest patch includes the often-requested WASD controls. You can find the patch notes at Steam.
  • The developers of Chrono Odyssey have reported back regarding feedback from the beta. They explained what topics were well received and where they need to improve.
  • Players of Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen can look forward to a redesign of the crafting stations. What exactly will change has been presented by the developers on pantheonmmo.com.
  • After the developers of Project “Ghost” introduced the first class with the Dreamblade, they went into detail during a livestream on YouTube about a week ago. There were background information, gameplay, artworks, design thoughts, and much more.
  • In the latest developer stream of Ashes of Creation, various important topics were discussed regarding the upcoming alpha phase. These include new races, adjustments to properties, the crate system, nodes, PvP, and guilds. Check out the video on YouTube.
  • On July 17, Star Resonance will be the quasi-relaunch for the anime MMORPG Blue Protocol. Many new details were revealed this week on ign.com. The focus remains on PvE with content for solo players and groups. However, there will also be housing, mini-games, fishing, and more. No mobile-typical auto-functions are planned.
  • In South Korea, the first tests for Aion 2 took place. Some invited players reportedly broke the NDA and revealed first details, via mmorpg.org.pl. The PvE content is praised, the graphics are said to be better than most NCsoft games, and you should be able to fly almost anywhere and at any time. It should be noted that many changes can still occur before the final launch of Aion.
More about MMORPGs:
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The 10 MMORPGs on Steam with the best ratings in March 2026
von Alexander Leitsch
More on the topic
The 10 MMORPGs with the most players on Steam in March 2026
von Karsten Scholz

With that, we have summarized the most important news that has recently occurred in the world of MMORPGs.

What did you enjoy this week? What upset you? Let us know in the comments. If you are looking for a light-hearted yet informative overview of online role-playing games, be sure to check this out: Report, columns, talks, and the top list of the best MMORPGs of all time — that was the theme week from MeinMMO

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

No P2W and focus on PvE: This is how the MMORPG Blue Protocol wants to impress you in the West

Christos Tsogos Christos Tsogos Reading time 2 minutes

Blue Protocol was considered a failure, but a huge publisher took on the rights to the game and created a new experience from it. Blue Protocol: Star Resonance is said to be a spin-off with a new story, and the CEO explains in an interview what you can expect at release.

What happened to Blue Protocol? The MMORPG Blue Protocol was supposed to have a global release, but then in August 2024 came the news, the servers in Japan will be shut down and the release cancelled.

A shock for many fans from the West, as they were looking forward to the game. However, it seems that it is not the end for Blue Protocol, as the giant company Tencent has secured the rights from Bandai Namco and developed a spin-off of Blue Protocol – Blue Protocol: Star Resonance.

It is also an MMORPG, but the game has a different story. In a Q&A with the founder of the studio “Shanghai Bokura Network Technology”, IGN asked some important questions for Western players, and the answers might please you.

Start video
Blue Protocol: Star Resonance shows the revised version of the MMORPG with a new trailer

No P2W and focus on PvE

What can players expect? Every MMORPG has its areas it wants to explore. Either the games focus on PvE and PvP or one of the two. Blue Protocol: Star Resonance aims to focus first on PvE. It is supposed to have a casual gameplay hybrid model. The team then collects feedback from the fans and decides after release whether they want to venture into other areas, such as PvP.

Another concern of the players was whether there would be P2W mechanics that would allow other players to buy advantages with money to speed up their progress. Here too, the founder clarifies the discussion again. There will be a “pay for convenience” option, where fans can exchange their currencies. However, none of these features offers a gameplay advantage, assures the founder. These systems are mainly intended for those who have little gaming time available.

In terms of content, fans can look forward to 5-player dungeons and 20-player raids. Those who do not want anything to do with endgame can also look forward to relaxing activities like housing, fishing, or seasonal activities that rotate and can also offer freshness to veterans. You can find the entire interview on IGN.

More on the topic
MMORPG on Steam is finally playable in German 5 months after launch, welcomes you to a colorful amusement park
von Karsten Scholz
Anime MMORPG on Steam lost almost all players, today the new season begins and it brings exactly the necessary change
von Cedric Holmeier
One of the best expansions of WoW is making a comeback in February
von Karsten Scholz

When will Blue Protocol: Star Resonance celebrate its release? The approximate release period is set for 2025. The day and month remain hidden for now. It remains to be seen when the developers will set the release date, but until then, fans will have to be patient. Will you try the MMORPG? Let us know in the comments. You can find the best MMORPGs in our list: The 10 best MMOs and MMORPGs in 2025

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

“Flamed me more than any other person” – LoL player meets his tormentor and falls in love

Nico Scheibel Nico Scheibel Reading time 2 minutes

The Rift of Summoners in League of Legends is a crazy place. In most cases, you get insulted by your teammates, but in one case, two players got closer and are now in a long-term relationship. An LoL player shares how he met his girlfriend.

What did the player experience? During a relaxed ranked match, Reddit user Upvibee played the champion Vayne on the bot lane (Reddit.com). When the friendly jungler wanted to gank his lane, the supporter died in the process. What happened for the rest of the match is summarized by Upvibee as follows: 

For the rest of the game, there were only angry paragraphs because of this one situation. I can’t put into words how much flame a single person can produce.

The supporter was the exact opposite of what he should have been and flamed Upvibee, as he himself says, more than any other person ever has. Who was behind the screen insulting him, he would only find out a year later.

How did he meet his tormentor? In 2017, the LoL player met a woman. The two quickly got along, and after a month, he found out that she also played League of Legends. However, after he saw her username, he was shocked.

It was the same name that the supporter used, who had insulted him most harshly a year earlier. The main champion of his new girlfriend was also the same one they had played in their first match together. 

In the video, you can see the trailer for the current Season 2 of 2025 in League of Legends:

Start video
The launch trailer for the new Season 2 2025 in League of Legends

Love knows no bounds

What has become of the two? Upvibee further wrote in his post that his girlfriend, aside from being the crazy “League of Legends” demon, has no red flags. Eight years later, the two are still a couple. At the end of his post, Upvibee shares an important message for every player:

Always remember: You never know who you are currently insulting in solo queue; it could be your brother, your sister, or even your future wife or husband. 

The Reddit user -dus seems to have seen through the girlfriend’s plan and commented the following (Reddit.com): 

Stay alert, brother. She just decided that insulting you wasn’t enough. These eight years were just part of her plan. The big trick: seduce you, make you fall in love, marry… and then break your heart, divorce, and take half your stuff. All just because of a League game.

Aside from the usual LoL experiences, a love story like this is a welcome change. User Unusual_Gas_9756 also commented on this and wrote that he has found many friends and also a girlfriend through LoL (Reddit.com).

More about League of Legends
“Let us at least choose”: League of Legends tests new Battlepass, players want the old one back
von Nico Scheibel
LoL changes a champ after 14 years, brings urgent rework – fans criticize: The greatest problem still persists
von Nico Scheibel
Dog streams LoL on Twitch and plays better than many human players
von Christoph Waldboth

In 2016, Clubs were introduced in League of Legends, which were an area within the launcher. With this function, players could chat with each other and form a sort of guild like in an MMORPG. Unfortunately, this feature was later removed, but there are still stories about friends and couples who met in LoL: LoL: Support and ADC insult each other for an entire match, marry 6 years later

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

Pokémon GO: 6 Tips for the Community Day with Eevee – Ideal for Evolutions and Level 42

Max Handwerk Max Handwerk Reading time 3 minutes

In Pokémon GO, the Community Day Classic features Eevee. It brings bonuses, easy evolutions, and especially a great opportunity for everyone who wants to reach Level 42.

When does the Community Day Classic take place? The Community Day Classic with Eevee runs for two days: On July 5th and 6th, from 2 PM to 5 PM each day.

What happens during the Community Day Classic? Wild Eevee will appear everywhere! As always, there will be an increased shiny chance with them. This means: You can secure many shinies, thus also obtaining many shiny evolutions. Eevee can evolve into 8 different Pokémon.

What does Eevee have to do with Level 42? One of the requirements to level up from Level 41 to Level 42 is to conduct all Eevee evolutions once. This does not apply retroactively – if you already have them all but receive the task for leveling up later, you will have to repeat the whole process. The Community Day is an ideal opportunity for this, as there are not only many Eevee and corresponding candies, but also partially simplified evolution requirements.

To give you the full overview, we share some tips for you here.

[toc]

Start video
So sah das Pokémon GO Fest 2025 in Paris aus

Evolve your Eevee on Community Day – Here’s how

This is how you evolve Eevee: To get the different Eevee variants, different conditions apply. However, on Community Day it looks like this:

  • Vaporeon: Random
  • Flareon: Random
  • Jolteon: Random
  • Sylveon: Earn 7 hearts with Eevee as your buddy
  • Umbreon: Walk one kilometer with Eevee as your buddy, at night it evolves into Umbreon
  • Espeon: Walk one kilometer with Eevee as your buddy, during the day it evolves into Espeon
  • Glaceon: Evolve Eevee near a Glacial Lure Module
  • Leafeon: Evolve Eevee near a Mossy Lure Module

These conditions apply until July 12th, after which the classic conditions will apply again.

Pokémon GO Shiny Eevee Overview
Eevee, its evolutions and the shinies

Use the Eevee name trick while it’s still possible

This is the name trick for Eevee: With the name trick, you give the Eevee you want to evolve a nickname. When you evolve it, it will surely become the desired Pokémon. However: This can only be done once per account for each evolution. Whether the name trick will be reset for the Community Day Classic has not been announced, but some are hopeful.

The names are:

  • Sparky for Jolteon
  • Rainer for Vaporeon
  • Pyro for Flareon
  • Sakura for Espeon
  • Tamao for Umbreon
  • Rea for Glaceon
  • Linnea for Leafeon
  • Kira for Sylveon

Hatch Eggs

This has nothing to do with Eevee at first, but the Community Day also brings the quarter hatch requirement as a bonus. Make sure to have space in your incubator to hatch eggs faster during the event period.

There are special moves during the Community Day

Eevee that you catch and hatch will know “Last Resort” during the Community Day. And: While evolving your Eevee, you will receive special moves. This bonus lasts until Saturday, July 12th.

  • Vaporeon “Scald”.
  • Jolteon “Thunderbolt”.
  • Flareon “Superpower”.
  • Espeon “Shadow Ball”.
  • Umbreon “Psychic”.
  • Leafeon “Bullet Seed”.
  • Glaceon “Water Pulse”.
  • Sylveon “Psyshock”.

Catch many shinies, make space first

During the event, you have the chance to catch many shinies and gather plenty of Eevee for potential evolutions. Make sure to create plenty of space in your Pokémon storage beforehand to avoid losing much time during the event sending Pokémon.

More on the topic
Pokémon GO: How to make the most of the hatching day with Riolu
von Max Handwerk
Player finds simple trick to make trading and raids easier in Pokémon GO
von Paul Kutzner
New hints indicate research with Mega Mewtwo in Pokémon GO
von Paul Kutzner

Utilize the additional bonuses

In addition to the mentioned contents, you can expect the following bonuses:

  • Lure Modules and Incense last for 3 hours during the event (daily adventure incense does not)
  • In snapshots, you will also encounter Eevee
  • In Field Research, you may also encounter Eevee that may have a special background
  • Utilize the PokéStop showcases with Eevee

What happens next? After the Community Day Classic, the remaining July events will continue. And they are really worth seeing, as there are several Pokémon debuts and interesting bonuses. Want to know what’s happening in July? Then check out our overview! Here you can find all events in July 2025 for Pokémon GO.

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

To officially play the million-dollar game Star Citizen, you have to pay around 60 euros, but right now you can test it for free

Cedric Holmeier Cedric Holmeier Reading time 2 minutes

As part of the Foundation Festival, you can currently play perhaps the most ambitious project in video game history for free. All details about the “Free Fly” event of Star Citizen are summarized by MeinMMO.

How can I play Star Citizen for free? The Foundation Festival of Star Citizen runs until July 14, 2025, and you can try the SciFi MMO for free until then. More than 5.7 million supporters have supported the game so far with over 846 million US dollars (718 million euros, as of July 4, 12:07 AM) (via robertsspaceindustries.com).

Normally, you would have to pay €64.26 for the Standard Edition of Star Citizen. However, there is currently a discount and if you like the game during the free trial, you can purchase it for €54.62. The development of the SciFi MMO has been slow, having been in progress for 14 years. MeinMMO editor Karsten Scholz recently had strong words about the MMO.

Here’s how you can play Star Citizen for free:

If you enter a friend code, you will receive 50,000 credits as starting credit.

Start video
Star Citizen: Storm Breaker – Trailer for Alpha 4.2 prepares you for new content

The new Star Citizen to try out

How is Star Citizen doing right now? With the new update Alpha 4.2, the developers have added the “Storm Breaker.” This is a new activity that you can also see in the video above. As part of the current rain crisis, you are supposed to explore an apparently abandoned Lazarus facility on Pyro 1 to uncover what the Advanced Systems Division has been secretly doing there.

To bring items from inside the station to safety, you can transport them using cargo elevators to the shuttle areas. But be careful: a giant sandworm is already waiting for your group there.

With the radiation, a new environmental hazard comes to the universe of Star Citizen. Those who want to enter radioactive areas need special equipment. Characters who attempt to enter without protection and come into contact with radioactive items or animals may suffer injuries or die.

What’s coming with update 4.3? The new Alpha 4.3.0 is expected soon, which according to RobertsSpaceIndustries.com brings a number of new features. These include cooperative zones that distinguish themselves from contested areas and focus on exploration, puzzle-solving, and cooperation. These zones can be found in abandoned underground facilities on all moons of the Stanton system.

New equipment is also making its way into the game: The VOLT Laser Sniper Rifle “Zenith” and the lightweight sniper armor “Ghost,” specialized in stealth and high mobility, as well as the new Medium Utility Armor “Ambrose.”

Gameplay improvements include enhanced ladders for more reliable usage and the introduction of AI FPS turrets that provide new PvE challenges as anti-personnel turrets. The mission system will also be expanded, allowing new missions to be discovered and added to the journal as soon as you enter or approach a certain area.

More on the topic
26 MMOs that wanted your money via Kickstarter – A sad balance after 14 years
von Karsten Scholz
500 fans hold a large meeting in Star Citizen, player rants: I would prefer if the devs met
von Dariusz Müller
13 years and almost 900 million dollars later, Star Citizen is still in alpha and the billion could be reached before the release
von Cedric Holmeier

A player has spent 1,000 dollars on Star Citizen, but the premium customer support has left him hanging. Why this doesn’t bother him and how the community reacted, you can find out here: Player spends at least 1,000 dollars on Star Citizen, gets premium customer service that does not respond

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

A fan discovers that one of the greatest traitors in Warhammer 40,000 is truly evil – veterans respond: Welcome to the Grimdark

Benedict Grothaus Benedict Grothaus Reading time 2 minutes

Many think the Empire is the “good” side in Warhammer 40,000, but experienced fans know: that is not true. The man who first rebelled is considered a hero by some. However, a user had to realize: the guy isn’t that great and immediately gets a crash course in Warhammer.

Who is the traitor?

  • Horus Lupercal is one of the first Space Marines ever, one of the original “Sons” of the Emperor, before he was bound to his golden throne.
  • Through the Primarch, the Great Brother War, or the “Horus Heresy” occurred, resulting in thousands of Space Marines dying, many more humans, and nearly the Emperor being destroyed.
  • The driving force behind the Horus Heresy was actually not Horus himself, but actually Erebus, one of the first heretics ever.

That’s why Horus is now “suddenly” evil: Horus’ plan back then was to save the universe, as he was convinced that the Empire would lead the world to a slow, suffering doom. Many fans think that he might be right in that regard – but that doesn’t make him nice.

On Reddit, a user writes: “I know people say Big E is evil, but after reading what Horus did on Istvaan III…” He refers to the Dropsite Massacre, the largest assassination of Space Marines in history.

There, Horus lured several chapters of Space Marines to the planet in order to obliterate them with a virus bomb. Virus bombs are a type of Exterminatus, a weapon capable of destroying entire planets.

Even for such weapons of mass destruction, virus bombs are still cruel: they release a devastating virus that can spread across the planet within minutes, penetrate armor and breathing apparatus, and cause any organic matter to rot in seconds. The gases released eventually ignite planet-wide. Horus not only annihilated other Space Marines but also his own – as collateral damage.

In the new Warhammer series Kill Lupercal, it is about the fight of the Empire against Horus and the attempt to destroy the traitor with a massive titan:

Start video
Kill Lupercal: The Official Trailer for the New Series in the Warhammer 40,000 Universe

“Big E is evil, Chaos is evil, the T’au are evil – Welcome to the Grimdark”

In the comments, users now say: Just because Horus did something bad, it doesn’t automatically mean the Empire is good. Fans have known for ages, that the Emperor isn’t really that nice. He fights for a united humanity and does so with all violence. Anyone who refuses will be exterminated, even if they are completely peaceful. The Empire is an absolute dictatorship.

Accordingly, many players, especially newer ones, sympathize with Horus and his idea of destroying the Empire. The fact that the traitors follow the Chaos gods is either seen as a necessary evil or not even that bad. After all, the gods seemingly offer freedom – with an emphasis on seemingly.

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Something like “good people” doesn’t really exist in Warhammer: Chaos is evil, the Orks, Tyranids, Aeldari, Necrons… they are all not on the morally good side. Even the seemingly peaceful T’au are inherently totalitarian and not really interested in general peace.

The thing about Warhammer 40,000 is more about finding a faction that you can identify with best and that seems the most reasonable (or coolest) to you. You are never the “good guy” anyway: a user asks if anyone was shocked during their first time with Warhammer 40,000, receiving seasoned responses

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

He got Windows 95 running on a PlayStation 2 and learned firsthand why it is considered one of Sony’s most complex consoles.

Yana Yana Reading time 2 minutes

A modder installed Windows 95 on a PlayStation 2. This experiment impressively demonstrates why Sony’s cult console is still considered one of the most complex of its kind decades later.

The YouTuber and tech enthusiast MetraByte set out to get Windows 95 running on a PlayStation 2. He showcased his results in a detailed video on his YouTube channel. As reported by PC Gamer, the journey was anything but easy. Windows 95, which is almost 30 years old, was originally designed for x86 processors, while the PS2 uses a MIPS-based processor that is not compatible with this architecture.

Anyone who likes consoles should also take a look at the Switch 2. In this video, we show you what Nintendo delivers with the Switch.

Start video
Wir packen die Switch 2 aus: Das ist im Karton

A Tech Experiment Between Nostalgia and Limits

How did the project unfold? Once it was clear that Windows 95 would only be bootable on the PlayStation 2 with an emulator, the real challenge began for MetraByte: Windows 95 was originally developed for the x86 processor architecture, while the PS2 runs on a completely different MIPS-based processor.

To get the operating system running on the PS2, he first had to install an x86 emulator on the comparatively weak hardware of the console. With just 294 MHz clock speed and 32 MB of RAM, the PlayStation 2 is hardly built for such tasks, which significantly limited performance.

In addition to the limited resources of the PS2, compatibility issues with input devices were also a challenge. For example, no mouse could be connected to the system. Instead, only a combination of keyboard and controller worked somewhat acceptably, making operation difficult and limiting the user experience.

Why was Windows 95 chosen? Windows 95 is still considered a milestone in Microsoft’s history. Although it has long been replaced by more modern operating systems, it is still operational in parts of US infrastructure, such as airlines. For many modders, the system represents a symbol of technical nostalgia and efficiency – small, fast, and iconic. This fascination was likely the trigger for MetraByte’s project.

Was the attempt successful? MetraByte was indeed able to start Windows 95, but the result was far from a functional operating system. The main goal of many such projects, namely to run the game Doom, failed. The performance was too poor, and the input options were too limited. Ironically, Doom had already run on calculators, LEGO bricks, and even a pregnancy test. But on the PS2 with Windows 95, it just wouldn’t run properly.

The PlayStation 2 is still considered one of the most iconic consoles of all time, but it was never particularly beginner-friendly when it came to software development. Its Emotion Engine, the main processor, was powerful but also complicated. Developers often struggled with undocumented features and proprietary interfaces, which still affects the modding community today.

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Windows 95 is still operational in critical systems like the American air traffic control, even though it is already 30 years old. After a complete failure in New Jersey, it has now been decided to urgently invest billions in the modernization of this outdated infrastructure, a mammoth project with enormous costs.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. 3Djuegos
  2. PCGamer

One of the most important petitions for gamers has indeed reached its goal, but there could be a problem

Christos Tsogos Christos Tsogos Reading time 2 minutes

One of the most important initiatives for gamers is “Stop Killing Games,” which aims to ensure that games remain playable forever. At first, it seemed to be fading away, but now enough signatures have been collected to be relevant – unfortunately, there might be a problem.

What is Stop Killing Games? The mentioned initiative, founded by YouTuber Ross Scott, addresses the short lifespan of games. The trigger for the initiative was the shutdown of the servers for The Crew – Ubisoft therefore offered no support to fans who had already spent money.

For Ross Scott, this was an unfair practice toward consumers, and that’s why he wanted “Stop Killing Games” to empower gamers to fight for their games. Petitions were launched in various parts of the world to collect signatures. The goal is to get developers to stop treating their games like licenses that they can do whatever they want with.

If developers no longer want to support their game, this initiative should ensure that fans have the right to set up private servers so that the respective communities can remain active in their favorite games.

The minimum number of participating supporters is 1 million signatures, and that goal was recently reached with the help of other YouTubers and streamers. One might think that’s a great success, but there could be a problem.

Start video
The Crew: The trailer for the racing game MMO

Signatures must be verified

What’s the deal with the signatures? In a petition, errors can occur that distort the actual result. As Ross Scott explains in a short video on YouTube (Source: YouTube), reaching the milestone of 1 million signatures is great, but one shouldn’t get too excited.

He compares these errors to players who don’t know what they’re doing in their games – like those who like to run into walls and hit them. According to him, these errors are not counted in the initiative and are therefore considered invalid.

Therefore, Ross believes that more valid signatures need to be collected to compensate for those who, as the YouTuber said: “cannot write their own name correctly.”

In total, at least 10 % more signatures need to be collected. 20 % would be better, and with 40 % more signatures, one would be almost on the safe side. That is the first problem, but there is another one – fake signatures.

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Why are fake signatures bad? They not only distort the result, but they could also have consequences. As Ross mentioned, this is not a “Change.org” petition, which is viewed with less respect – this is a governmental process that is taken seriously.

These fakes can cause problems, and if something like this gets uncovered, investigations by Euro-, Interpol, and the FBI (depending on the location of the forgers) could take place to identify the culprits.

It is unclear whether there would be penalties, but Ross cannot completely rule it out – especially not if the initiative has received many fakes. The YouTuber advises against such actions.

How many signatures are now real? Ross cannot answer that exactly, as the fakes blur the results. However, he estimates there are 600,000 to 700,000 official and valid signatures. It remains to be seen whether the petition will eventually go through or fail to meet the necessary minimum due to the fakes. More about the petition and the surrounding drama can be found here: Twitch streamer must be held accountable for wanting to destroy games – goes even further

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

New shooter on Steam already has thousands of players, even though you can’t officially play it yet

Ody Ody Reading time 2 minutes

On Steam, thousands of players are playing a new shooter that isn’t even out yet. In it, you search for a way out of a building complex where zombies, other players, and deadly gas want to take you out.

What game are we talking about? We are referring to The Midnight Walkers, a hardcore FPS from the developer Oneway Ticket Studio. In this Extraction shooter, you fight your way out of a mega complex filled with zombies and other players.

The Midnight Walkers is set to release in Q4 2025, but on July 4, 2025, the developers already launched a closed beta. You can still sign up for it. To do so, go to the Steam page of the game and click “Request Access” on the green banner. 

  • If you get a spot, you can download the beta immediately. Make sure to have 14 GB of free space on your hard drive for the download.
  • The beta had more than 3,700 players on Steam at peak, and it just started recently (Source: steamdb.info)

Here you can see a new cinematic trailer for The Midnight Walkers:

Start video
The Midnight Walkers: Cinematic-Trailer zum neuen Hardcore-FPS mit Zombies auf Steam

Zombies are just the least of your problems

What is the game about? In The Midnight Walkers, you are a survivor of the zombie apocalypse. As such, you are trapped in the Liberty Grand Center: A building complex consisting of a shopping mall, a hospital, and a casino across several floors. 

Each floor of the building is haunted by zombies. There are several variants, including: 

  • Acid-Spitters, which spit acid and can hit you even from a distance
  • Smashers, hard-to-defeat combat colossi that have powerful area attacks
  • Rammers, living battering rams that scatter groups of survivors

Along the way, you collect loot with which you craft your own equipment. Alternatively, you can trade items with other players on the marketplace and secure new gear that way. But beware: Those players can also become your enemies in the next round.

In addition to zombies and humans, you also have to deal with toxic gas. This is randomly released on various floors and guarantees death if you are exposed for too long.

If you want, you can dive into the doom of The Midnight Walkers solo or as a trio squad. If you succeed in escaping, you can take your loot with you into the next run or store it safely. However, if you die, you lose everything you had with you.

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Meanwhile, many exciting offers await during the Summer Sale on Steam. Among them is a zombie game that our editor Nikolas Hernes is so excited about that he could buy it twice. You can read more about it in his article: A zombie game on Steam is so good that I want to buy it again just to play it on the train

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