“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
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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)
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von Cortyn
These 5 mounts from Final Fantasy XIV are so absurd that you must have them
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FFXIV is soon bringing a new class and finally lures me back to Eorzea after a long break
von Nico Scheibel

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.
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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:
More on the topic
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.

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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
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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
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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.

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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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Sony abolishes the loyalty program ‘PlayStation Stars’ on PS4 and PS5: Here’s what you need to know about the shutdown
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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.

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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.

Pokémon GO: Water Festival 2025 brings new Pokémon, a good Shiny chance and bonuses

Max Handwerk Max Handwerk Reading time 2 minutes

In Pokémon GO the Water Festival is coming up. The event features a new Pokémon, along with Shinies and some bonuses.

When does the Water Festival start? The event begins on July 15, 2025, at 10:00 AM. It will run until July 20, when it ends at 8:00 PM.

What is the highlight? This is the debut of Nigiragi! This small fish Pokémon also brings its three forms – the curved, the hanging, and the stretched form. The Pokémon will be available in Level 1 raids.

The special thing about this is that these are regional forms. You can get them in different locations.

  • The curved form is available in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa
  • The hanging form is available in America
  • And the stretched form in the Asia-Pacific region

Additionally, there are further bonuses and content that you can utilize.

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So sah das Pokémon GO Fest 2025 in Paris aus

All Bonuses of the Water Festival 2025 in Pokémon GO

Besides the debut of Nigiragi, the event offers the following bonuses.

  • An increased Shiny chance for Sterndu and Galapaflos
  • Rain modules last for two hours
  • You will get more candies for nice, great, and excellent throws
  • The scarf Lapras returns in raids, and it may have a special background when you catch it

In the wild, you will encounter various water Pokémon. Possible Shinies are marked with an asterisk*. These Pokémon can appear:

  • Squirtle*
  • Slowpoke*
  • Krabby*
  • Staryu*
  • Magikarp*
  • Marill*
  • Barboach*
  • Feebas*
  • Finneon*
  • Wailmer*
  • Lanturn
  • Swablu*
  • Pelipper
  • Galapaflos*

In raids, you will encounter:

  • Shellder*
  • Chinchou*
  • Nigiragi
  • Kingler
  • Gyarados*
  • Lapras with scarf*
  • Azumarill
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Otherwise, typical event content is on the agenda. There will be field research and collector tasks, and there is again an optional ticket available in the shop that grants you time-limited research. Overall, several interesting events are coming up this July, bringing new Pokémon. The perhaps most exciting one is called “Steel and Scales”, all information here.

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

Investor Warren Buffett says: The most important financial decision you can make has nothing to do with the stock market

Benedikt Schlotmann Benedikt Schlotmann Reading time 2 minutes

Warren Buffett is among the richest people in the world. However, he repeatedly states that the most important decision in the end is not the choice of a stock package, but the choice of a partner.

Warren Buffett is one of the most well-known and successful investors in the world. In a conversation with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, he stated that the most important decision for financial success is not the choice of a stock package.

Instead, he explained, the choice of a partner is much more important. For this person will accompany you for the rest of your life.

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The choice of a partner is more important than a stock package

This is what Warren Buffett said: Warren stated in 2017 during a conversation with Bill Gates that the choice of a partner is much more important than buying a package on the stock market. He said (via gatesnotes.com):

One should surround oneself with people who are the kind of person one would like to become. You will move in that direction. And by far the most important person in this regard is your partner. I cannot emphasize enough how important that is.

And he added that the choice of the right person ultimately has little to do with beauty, character, or sense of humor. In a conversation at the Most Powerful Women Summit in 2015, he remarked (via fortune.com):

If you want your marriage to last, choose someone with low expectations.

Is Warren Buffett married? Yes, he has been married twice:

  • In 1952 he married Susan Buffett and had three children with her: Susie, Howard, and Peter. His wife died in 2024 at the age of 72 from a brain aneurysm.
  • After her death, Buffett remarried, to Astrid Menks, who had been close friends with him and Susan for years.

In another conversation, he recounted that there had been two important turning points in his life: The first was when he was born, and the second was when he met Susan, his later first wife. It was also his wife’s unconditional love that motivated him for many years.

In 2001, Buffett spoke before students at the University of Georgia (via YouTube.com):

The problem with love is that it cannot be bought. The only way to get love is to be lovable. It is very frustrating when one has a lot of money. One likes to think one could write a check: I will buy love worth one million dollars. But that’s not how it works. The more love you give away, the more you get.

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Warren Buffett is one of the most famous investors in the world. In recent days, many individuals lost a lot of money. But Buffett has applied the right strategy and even made profits: While Elon Musk is currently losing billions, Warren Buffett shows how to earn money in 2025 nonetheless

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

Elder Scrolls Online developer studio loses hundreds of employees despite their new MMORPG about to take off

Cedric Holmeier Cedric Holmeier Reading time 2 minutes

A developer studio that belongs to ZeniMax Online Studios, the makers of Elder Scrolls Online, is now losing hundreds of employees and the new MMORPG they have been working on seemed to be doing quite well.

Who is it about? Following the major layoff wave from Microsoft, the cancellation of the new MMORPG from ZeniMax Online Studios was also announced. They had been developing an AAA MMORPG parallel to Elder Scrolls Online since 2018.

Little was known; job postings revealed they were developing their own engine, and the project was assigned the codename “Blackbird.” According to anonymous sources IGN reported, the MMORPG was supposed to take place in a sci-fi universe.

Yet players will not get to see the MMORPG just like its employees.

Here you can see what is currently happening in Elder Scrolls Online:

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Hundreds of positions cut, despite good development

How was the development going? The gaming magazine IGN talked to several anonymous sources who supposedly have insights into the project. However, it is unclear who exactly they are. The sources report that the team at ZeniMax Online was actively working to advance the development from the concept phase to full production. The development was going accordingly well.

How is a video game actually developed?

A video game is developed in various phases. In the conception phase, the framework of the game is established from the initial idea to the prototype of core mechanics. In full production, the features of the game are fully developed. This is followed by alpha and beta phases aimed at testing and improving features as well as addressing performance and bugs in the game before it is finally released.

According to the report, Xbox had already approved ramping up development and had also deployed some employees from Elder Scrolls Online and the closed Arkane Studios as reinforcements.

IGN reports, citing anonymous sources, that Matt Booty, Head of Xbox Game Studios, allegedly said in a meeting regarding the closures of “Arkane Austin,” “Tango Gameworks,” and “Alpha Dog Games,” that they are also there to meet the staffing needs for other studios including ZeniMax Online Studios.

The production was reportedly on a good path, and the new MMORPG was indeed supposed to be realized. However, everything changed on July 2.

What led to the shutdown? The exact circumstances of the layoffs are still unknown. Industry insider Jason Schreier reports on BlueSky that chaotic conditions exist at ZeniMax Online Studios. According to him, employees reportedly have no access to their work profiles on Slack while they themselves haven’t learned of their layoffs yet.

According to the report from IGN, all employees who worked on the new MMORPG have been laid off. This affects hundreds of positions at ZeniMax Online Studios and likely also includes employees who were transferred from other teams. Even the head of ZeniMax Online Studios is clearing his desk.

The sources from IGN have informed them that they learned of the layoffs from the media for the first time. According to the report, they still do not know how extensive the cuts are and who is affected. The anonymous sources also confirm Jason Schreier’s reports that first came the blocking of Slack profiles and only later did the HR department inform them about the layoffs.

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What the future looks like for ZeniMax Online Studios and whether Elder Scrolls Online is also affected is still unclear. The MMORPG set in the Elder Scrolls universe is still very popular among players and ranks among the largest on Steam: The 10 MMORPGs with the most players on Steam in July 2025

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

Twitch streamer explains how hard it is to read false claims about oneself: “There are only extremes”

Johanna Johanna Reading time 2 minutes

The Twitch streamer Niklas “Niekbeats” Grosse talked in his livestream about obsessive viewers who claimed things about him in comments that were not true. He explained how he thinks this happens and how he wants to deal with such comments in the future.

Which Twitch streamer is being talked about? The Twitch streamer Niekbeats has over 298,000 followers on his eponymous Twitch channel and managed to entertain an average of 833 viewers per stream last year (Source: SullyGnome). In his streams, he plays everything on the colorful gaming palette, from story games like Death Stranding 2 to multiplayer games like Chained Together.

He also repeatedly advocates for feminist issues. A clip circulated on TikTok in which he stated that men are the reason women feel insecure. Comments gathered under the video doubting the credibility of the Twitch streamer’s statements, claiming to know how he really is.

In response to these claims, Niekbeats pointed out a larger problem that, according to him, many Twitch streamers have with their viewers.

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“See me as a completely normal person”

What do the comments say? In a stream excerpt that Niekbeats uploaded to YouTube, Niekbeats talks in detail about the comments. The comments claim negative things about him, which Niekbeats denies: “What kind of defamation is this!?” (Source: YouTube).

According to him, these are false claims and the comments provide no solid evidence for their statements.

How does Niekbeats explain such comments? The Twitch streamer sees the explanation in fans idealizing Twitch streamers. If a Twitch streamer’s actions do not fit the ideal image of the viewer, the viewer will completely turn away and vilify him.

Niekbeats says: “You are either perfect or traitorous, false or aloof. There are only these extremes. There is only this black-and-white thinking.” (Source: YouTube).

Additionally, some fans have a sense of ownership. Since they support the content creator, they believe they have the right for this person to behave according to their expectations. If this is not the case, for example if the Twitch streamer addresses other topics, it can be seen as “betrayal,” according to Niekbeats. This can also quickly escalate into hate and stalking, he says.

Finally, Niekbeats says that online comments are often not real criticism, but rather a group dynamic. Niekbeats continues:

I can only keep saying that you should not idealize anyone out there. (…) Your opinions, your statements, they have an impact. You should not always think that your anonymous comments on the internet leave nothing behind, instigate nothing, or incite nothing.

(Source: YouTube)

Niekbeats then appeals to his viewers: “Please see me as a completely normal person. A completely normal person who reads this and thinks ‘How awful is it to read such things about yourself on the internet’.” (Source: YouTube).

In the future, Niekbeats wants to highlight similar comments or is considering displaying the comments he read in his stream.

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Other content creators also struggle with intrusive viewers. A former German YouTuber spoke in an interview about his experiences. You can read more about this on MeinMMO: One of the first major German YouTubers was so besieged by his fans that he felt like a Pokémon

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Niekbeats auf YouTube (auch Bildquelle)

A king from The Lord of the Rings was very wise, yet he did not realize that his brother was rising to become the greatest villain in Middle-earth

Christoph Waldboth Christoph Waldboth Reading time 2 minutes

In the universe of The Lord of the Rings, there is a character who does not appear in the films. Yet his influence on the world was significant and contributed to the emergence of a great villain.

Who is meant? Those who have only seen the films of The Lord of the Rings probably do not know the name Manwë. Yet the character is important for the fate of Middle-earth.

Manwë was one of the first beings created by God Eru Ilúvatar himself – the Ainur. They were further divided into different groups such as the Maiar or Valar – Manwë belonged to the latter and was even their Supreme.

He bore the title “King of the World” because he ruled over the entire planet Arda. During this time, he was as close to his creator god as no other being. Manwë understood how God thought and what his goals were.

He was particularly interested in the element of air and everything related to it. Not without reason was he also called “Lord of the Air” by some. Manwë especially cared for those living beings that were directly connected to this element. Like birds, among them the great eagles, who rescued Frodo and Sam at the end of “The Return of the King”.

Start video
Epic Trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship

A wise ruler who overlooked everything

How did Manwë behave? As the ruler of Arda, he was always concerned with keeping everything in sight. From his palace at the summit of Mount Taniquetil, hardly anything escaped him. He was married to Varda, who was also called “Bearer of the Stars” and also belonged to the Ainur.

When Manwë and Varda were together in the palace, the king was able to see even further. He was very wise and used his great empathy for the living beings among other things to bring elves and humans together. Additionally, he made sure that the kingdom of Númenor did not perish.

In one regard, however, Manwë made a serious mistake that would bring much suffering to Middle-earth.

What was Manwë’s mistake? He had a very famous brother, but it was not yet known how terrible his actions would turn out. This brother was Melkor, who was greatly possessed by greed for power and brought evil into the world.

Manwë freed Melkor from his captivity because he did not understand what evil is. Despite his great wisdom, he was blind to his brother’s dark thoughts. This led to Melkor’s rise and eventually to his transformation into Morgoth. As such, he terrorized Middle-earth.

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However, Manwë will also be remembered for another important act: He sent the Istari to Middle-earth. The Istari were the five wizards, including Gandalf and Saruman.

They were sent by Manwë to assist the free peoples in the fight against evil. It is, therefore, thanks to the ruler over Arda himself that the wizards confronted the evil, including Sauron. We had the Istari compete against each other on MeinMMO: The Lord of the Rings: The 5 strongest wizards of Middle-earth in the power ranking

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

WoW: A brilliant addon helps you farm the rarest mounts

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

A simple addon for World of Warcraft makes farming mounts easier. You can see at a glance what you still need.

In World of Warcraft, there is currently a strong buff that helps you when farming mounts from the past. The drop chance for almost all mounts from all expansions older than Dragonflight is increased by a whopping 5%.

To keep track of which mounts are affected, which ones you already own, and where you need to check urgently, a member of the WoW community wrote an addon for this. “Collector’s Bounty Helper” quickly became a fan favorite.

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What does the addon do? The addon “Collector’s Bounty Helper” is relatively minimalist and thus perfectly fulfills its purpose. It neatly lists in a small window which mounts currently have an increased drop chance – and exactly how high that drop chance is.

Additionally, it tells you the difficulty of a dungeon or raid where the corresponding mount can drop and whether you have already tried your luck with the current character in the ongoing ID or if you still need to visit the corresponding boss.

A simple to-do list for the best mounts in WoW

Where can you find the addon? You can download the addon from the relevant page on Curseforge. If you use an addon manager like the Curseforge app from Overwolf, you can also find it there via search and install it quickly. Otherwise, follow the steps in our guide for installing addons.

Once you have installed the addon, you can call it in the game using the command “/bh” or “/bountyhelper”.

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The community loves the little addon: In the WoW community, the addon is extremely well received, quickly gaining popularity. Within just a few hours, it already has over 20,000 downloads and a corresponding post on the game’s subreddit is also gaining popularity. Some of the comments include:

  • “This is really fantastic, thank you! Now I can finally throw away my Excel spreadsheets!” – HerbologySlut
  • “The hero we need, but don’t deserve.” – Randomcentralist2a
  • “This is exactly what I was looking for!” – gr717

Even though the addon still has a few small bugs and sometimes fails to track certain raid completions correctly, the author seems to release new updates every few hours to address the community’s wishes.

In general, addons are controversial in World of Warcraft. However, such “collector addons” are often used and generally considered quite popular. Unlike modifications that interfere with the combat mechanics of WoW – Blizzard has now taken action against these addons.

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

26 years ago, Steve Jobs introduced a computer whose revolutionary idea was a door

Benedikt Schlotmann Benedikt Schlotmann Reading time 2 minutes

Steve Jobs introduced a new computer at the Macworld Expo in 1999: The Power Macintosh G3. This modular system is still considered remarkable today. Apple itself moved away from the modular design years later.

What exactly did Steve Jobs present back then? Steve Jobs appeared at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco in January 1999 and introduced to the world for the first time a new computer: The Power Macintosh G3 in blue and white (known in English as “Blue and White G3”).

The special thing about this device was not only its striking design but also the high modularity of the computer. Especially the casing of the Power Macintosh G3 is known today for its easy expandability: The side panel could be opened with a simple gesture, granting very user-friendly access to the components. This door or flap was considered a small revolution back then, as the new computer could be upgraded more easily than most systems at the time.

This is especially a major difference compared to modern systems. Many system manufacturers like HP, Dell, or Apple themselves now sell PCs that rely on proprietary components, which are hardly replaceable or soldered in.

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In Germany, there are over 400 USB sticks protruding from walls – What is the ‘Dead Drops’ project?

The Power Macintosh G3 was considered a small revolution back then

What kind of computer is this? The Power Macintosh G3 featured the “Blue and White G3” model with a striking blue-white case and transparent elements. However, the remarkable aspect was the previously mentioned modularity. Behind the opening side panel, users had direct access to all PC components: four RAM slots, several PCI slots for expansion cards, and easy access to hard drives and other components.

The technology seems outdated from today’s perspective: Inside was a PowerPC G3 processor (up to 450 MHz) and a fast 100 MHz system bus. It also supported up to 1 GB of SDRAM, and for the first time came with 2 separate USB and FireWire ports, as well as an ATA hard drive controller.

What significance does the computer have for Apple? The G3 was the first to utilize the “New World ROM” architecture, which supported the operating system Mac OS X and thereby accelerated and simplified hardware and software development at Apple.

Apple abandons modularity in 2013 and returns in 2019

The Mac Pro models (often referred to as “cheese graters”) were classic tower PCs. They were very modular: Users could easily swap or upgrade RAM, hard drives, graphics cards, CPUs, and PCIe cards themselves. Apple sold these until 2013.

From 2013/2014, Apple adopted a new design, known as the “trash can” model (officially Mac Pro 2013, also called “Trashcan”). The problem: The very compact design was hardly upgradeable, only RAM and SSD could be replaced with significant effort, but no other components. Apple wanted users to connect expansion cards and other components externally via Thunderbolt.

Only in 2019 did Apple once again introduce a Mac Pro in the classic tower design that is very modular again. Users can easily swap or upgrade RAM, SSD, graphics cards, and PCIe cards.

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In 2007, Steve Jobs publicly presented the iPhone for the first time. What hardly anyone knew: The device did not work properly during the presentation, and the developers had to come up with a plan to prevent this fact from being revealed: In 2007, Steve Jobs presented the first iPhone: The presentation became legendary, but the device did not function properly

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

EA wanted to create the perfect MMO with Anthem, but instead of salvation, now comes the coup de grâce

Ody Ody Reading time 2 minutes

Anthem was supposed to be something big: An action MMO where you could feel like Iron Man together with friends, shoot down enemies and loot. Now comes the final blow for the failed project: EA announces the shutdown of the servers for 2026.

When will the servers go offline? These will be shut down on January 12, 2026, as the publisher EA announces (Source: ea.com). Until then, Anthem will still be playable, but not afterwards. 

Anthem was designed to be an online-only title so once the servers go offline, the game will no longer be playable. 

Starting today, you can also no longer purchase premium currency for the in-game shop. However, you can spend what you have left until the final server shutdown. From August 15, 2025, Anthem will also be removed from the list of EA Play titles.

Here you can see a trailer for Anthem:

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Anthem shows the four different combat suits in the launch trailer

A lot of wasted potential after disappointing release

What happened to Anthem? The action MMO was released in a poor state: The core gameplay was fun, but the gameplay systems around it were not. The loot was especially criticized. The story, actually a strength of developer BioWare, fell short of expectations.

Shortly after the release, the developers abandoned all plans for new content and first worked on improving the game’s framework. The goal was Anthem 2.0, a sort of relaunch of the MMO. This was meant to improve everything and become BioWare’s own “No Man’s Sky” moment. But Anthem 2.0 was ultimately shelved as well.

The news that the servers of Anthem will now be completely shut down was received quite differently. Many didn’t even know that the servers were still up – others still have a heavy heart, as they actually liked the game. And sometimes this is mixed, as the reactions on Reddit show.

  • “TIL the servers were still running. Too bad this wasn’t a No Man’s Sky, Cyberpunk 2077 sort of deal where they fixed it over time.. Super unfortunate, this game had tons of potential.” (Gardevoir_Best_Girl on Reddit)
  • “Dammit. I’ve really enjoyed playing Anthem with my wife. It’s the best Iron Man simulator ever made.” (Transientmind on Reddit)
  • “Damn shame about that game. I genuinely really like a lot of it like the gameplay, graphics and traversal. But it’s just so empty and repetitive. Here’s hoping it can inspire a better game.” (Macapta on Reddit)

The BioWare team thanks everyone for their dedication, passion, and support over the years, adding in an attached FAQ that the termination of Anthem will not lead to layoffs.

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The timing of this announcement is unfortunate: The Europe-wide petition “Stop Killing Games” recently actually hit the 1 million signatures mark. If the measures demanded there come into effect, players might well be able to play Anthem forever. You can read more about it here: Initiative to save video games had little hope, YouTubers and Twitch streamers come to the rescue

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

A player encounters something strange in Dune: Awakening, sees a huge giraffe, the community immediately knows where it comes from

Cedric Holmeier Cedric Holmeier Reading time 2 minutes

In Dune: Awakening a player made a strange discovery. Before his eyes, a huge giraffe appeared, walking through the world. The community knows immediately what it’s all about.

What was that appearance? In Dune: Awakening, there are few animals on the arid desert planet Arrakis. However, player SuperMW5768 recently made a big discovery on Reddit. A giraffe walked through the game world on his screen.

But instead of being a bug, this is a feature that many players have missed so far. The community clarifies the incident.

Here you can see the giraffe:

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Spice hallucinations at your fingertips

What about the giraffe? The giraffe that the user saw on his screen was not a bug; on the contrary, it belongs to Dune: Awakening and is intentionally in the game. As users explain on Reddit, the giraffes are part of the spice hallucinations in the game.

If players consume a lot of spice and go through cold withdrawal, they experience hallucinations that change the game world. Other players report about their trips on Reddit:

  • Davidhalljr15: “I haven’t seen any giant animals yet, but the desert has transformed into a dead forest a few times.”
  • Curious-Yam-9685: “I saw a giant whale flying by.”
  • Helpful-Recipe9762: “You mean Baron? He is real.”
  • best-of-judgement: “Once a bunch of Bene Gesserit-like people emerged from the ground and just pointed at me as I rode by on my sandbike. It totally scared me.”
  • Mr-Bandit00: “I saw it raining between hammer and anvil; many people were fighting with swords in the rain. What really impressed me were the textures of the roof tiles on my house changing because they were wet. In a game on a planet without water, there were wet textures for the roof tiles… hmmm…”
  • Melbonium: “I saw the snow coming down, a lot of animals, and a person in the middle of it all.”

Since spice hallucinations appear only rarely, many players are surprised when they actually see one. Even though the game explains the mechanics in the first hours, many gamers have already forgotten this mechanism by the time they encounter it.

Here you see what to expect in the future of Dune: Awakening:

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Dune: Awakening – Das ist die Zukunft des MMOs

Have you ever experienced a spice hallucination, and if so, what did it look like? Feel free to write it in the comments. If you’re currently relying on your airplane, you should better be careful: Dune: Awakening wanted to make everything better with the new patch, but one feature is currently causing frustration among players.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Reddit
  2. Foto von Frans van Heerden via Pexels.com