Elden Ring: Nightreign – Everything about the current server downtime and patch 1.01.4

Christos Tsogos Christos Tsogos Reading time 2 minutes

On July 2, 2025, Patch 1.01.4 for Elden Ring: Nightreign will be released. When the servers are down, when you can play again, and the patch notes can be found here.

Update, July 4: The servers will be shut down again today at 10:00 AM to deploy a hotfix. The new version of the plague seems to be bugged, which is why starting new expeditions appears to be impossible, according to the developers on X.

What happens during the server downtime? The servers will be shut down. During this time, you can only play Nightreign offline and solo. New content is also not activated until the new update has been downloaded and the servers are back up.

Server downtime in Nightreign – from when? The servers were shut down on July 2, 2025, at 10:00 CEST (5:00 PM JST, 1:00 AM PDT) on all platforms.

When can I play Nightreign again? According to a post on X.com, maintenance and implementation of the patch will take around 1 hour. We will inform you as soon as the servers are available again.

When the patch notes are released, you will receive a complete list of all changes in the next section.

Start video
Diese Special-Events solltet ihr in Elden Ring Nightreign nicht verpassen

All Patch Notes for 1.01.4

What is included in the patch notes? The patch notes are here and besides this, we can also tell you what to expect on the battlefield. An old boss is set to come into the game as a new version: the Gnoster – the moth and the rocky insect (source: x.com).

These versions of the bosses are much tougher and challenge players to push their limits. Tactical approaches are especially required to uncover new weaknesses and survive in battle.

If the patch notes are published by FromSoftware, you will receive a clear list of all changes here.

Here are the patch notes in English:

  • The Weapon Type will now be displayed in each Armament Information menu.
  • Fixed a bug where matchmaking would continually fail after two players joined and left your team at the same time.
  • Fixed a bug where the acquisition of the gesture “It’s Raining!” through Multiplayer would not register properly. 
    Note: You can obtain the gesture by meeting the conditions, even if you have met them before.
  • Fixed a bug where playable characters might revive from a near-death state without being defeated during the battle with the third-day boss after leaving a session and returning from the title screen.
  • Fixed a bug where the background music in the Recluse Remembrance would not play properly when certain conditions were met.
  • Fixed a bug where quitting the game incorrectly immediately after fulfilling the clearing conditions of the “Shifting Earth: Crater”, the “The Crater” achievement would not be awarded despite clearing the area.
    Note: Even if you have already earned the achievement, meeting the “Crater” clear conditions will award you with the clearing credit again.
  • Fixed several other instances of bugs.
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In the future, Nightreign is also expected to receive further content such as a major DLC. It is anticipated that new bosses and characters will bring fresh wind. What else awaits you, what the latest status is on the planned content, and when you can expect them, you can read here: Elden Ring: Nightreign – Roadmap and upcoming content

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

After over 8,000 attempts, a trainer completes the possibly most difficult challenge in Pokémon with a bat

Max Handwerk Max Handwerk Reading time 3 minutes

Pokémon games can be too easy for some. That’s why there are a lot of challenges in the community. And the perhaps toughest one has finally been cracked.

What kind of challenge is this? The challenge is called “Super Kaizo IronMON” and was created by user “iateyourpie”. It is the current, even harder version of the older Kaizo challenge and includes rules that turn a Pokémon run into a real nightmare.

The complete list of rules is very long, a few highlights are:

  • One may only use one Pokémon
  • About halfway through the game, at the Safari Zone, one must swap the Pokémon for another
  • A randomizer is used, mixing the Pokémon you encounter thoroughly. Items and attacks are also distributed randomly.
  • Opposing trainers are smarter
  • The levels of opposing trainers and Pokémon are raised
  • No shops may be used
  • Pokémon may not be particularly strong
  • Some items are forbidden
  • Some abilities are forbidden
  • Certain attacks are forbidden, such as those that improve stats

The entire list of rules makes it nearly impossible to complete the task. Many fall behind right at the start of the game when the rival takes out the randomly assigned Pokémon.

Nonetheless, a player has now succeeded.

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

With Iksbat to victory: Reimi cracks the Super Kaizo Challenge

How did the player achieve this? Over the past few days, streamer Reimi made headlines as he became the (notoriously) first to successfully complete the Super Kaizo Challenge for Pokémon FireRed / LeafGreen. Among others, GamesRadar reports on the run that nobody thought was actually doable.

You can watch Reimi’s stream on Twitch. At the end of the video, you can see how the streamer achieves victory – with his Iksbat.

This is what Iksbat looks like (here in Pokémon GO)

Iksbat is not necessarily a Pokémon that many would take into an epic run against randomness. But for Reimi, it worked out great, and his lovingly named “Heskey” Iksbat had just the stats he needed. It was, however, close.

In the final battle against Gary, “Heskey” easily took out the first Camerupt with Earthquake, and also defeated the two following Paras. The next Morlord at level 95 fell victim to a critical hit.

As second to last, the champ sent Rayquaza into battle. Here it got more difficult, as firstly, the attacks didn’t hit as well, and the champ also used two Max Potions. Here, Heskey dropped to 56 HP and even needed a Max Potion. Luck also played a role, as Rayquaza sometimes missed its attacks. The last Quappo also fell – Heskey leveled up to level 91. Then it was time for the Hall of Fame.

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What does Reimi say about it? The streamer himself could hardly believe that he had actually succeeded: “I can’t believe it. Super Kaizo is over,” he says on the stream. Reimi had previously ended 8,501 attempts with losses, the 8,502nd was to bring victory. The last run took a total of 40 hours and 15 minutes.

Reimi had tried the challenge for months and was still faster than planned: “I really thought we would be trying for years here,” said the streamer. He emphasizes that he was often asked what he would do if he succeeded – and didn’t think he would need an answer yet.

At least he plans to do a live cooking stream to celebrate the victory – with thematically appropriate soup. In general, older Pokémon games are back in trend. Currently, there is a very interesting Nuzlocke challenge for Pokémon going around on Twitch. FireRed and LeafGreen are being played there as well!

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

There was a time when (almost) all WoW players hated the Pandaren

Karsten Scholz Karsten Scholz Reading time 4 minutes

When Chris Metzen announced the Mists of Pandaria expansion for World of Warcraft at BlizzCon 2011, many fans of the MMORPG were astonished. One of the reasons: the Pandaren.

How did the announcement go down back then? When Chris Metzen, who was then Senior Vice President and creative lead for World of Warcraft, took the stage at BlizzCon 2011 to announce the new WoW expansion, millions of fans mainly wanted to know one thing:

How does Blizzard respond to the first setback in the form of the heavily criticized Cataclysm era, which is still one of the least popular expansions in WoW history? Or, in other words: How does one want to build on the successes of The Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King?

Well, the answers that Metzen had that day were not well received by a large part of the community. Some simply did not like the Chinese setting of Mists of Pandaria. The pet battles were also ridiculed as “Pokémon Lite.” However, most of the criticism was directed at the new playable race, the Pandaren.

Soon you can experience Mists of Pandaria again on the Classic servers of WoW:

Start video
WoW Brings Mists of Pandaria Classic

“Everybody was kung fu fighting”

Even today, countless heated discussions from 2011 and 2012 can be found online, where players debate the upcoming introduction of the Pandaren. And it all started with the official preview trailer on YouTube, in which the new WoW race was seen for the first time and which consequently received countless dislikes. Here’s a sentiment barometer from back then:

  • TheMeeelting said: “You messed it up, Blizzard. You really messed it up.”
  • yazzannaegg was obviously upset back then: “Pandas. PANDAS??? PANDAS?!?!?!? That’s the DUMBEST thing Blizzard has ever done for World of Warcraft. NO.”
  • stylo30031986 wrote about the Pandaren: “They were intended as a joke. They were never really part of the lore.”
  • Many made comparisons to an animated film series – for example, zach10364: “I should watch Kung Fu Panda 2 to stay updated on the story. ;)”

For many critics, it was clear: After Cataclysm, Mists of Pandaria would herald the end of WoW. And the fluffy pandas on two legs are to blame! And the pagodas! The pets! What is Blizzard thinking?!

Wow Monk Artwork
The Pandaren are not stolen from Kung Fu Panda.

Stolen from Kung Fu Panda?

What’s behind the criticism? Well, not much. The Blizzard designers had already been working with the Pandaren as a playable race since at least 2002.

So when Blizzard announced the Pandaren for Mists of Pandaria, the furry friends were already firmly embedded in Warcraft lore.

WoW: Mists of Pandaria Classic
On July 22, 2025, WoW Classic will enter the next round and – fittingly – take you to Pandaria. The preparation patch for Mists of Pandaria Classic was released on July 2 on the Classic servers. Look forward to the following highlight innovations that have come with the update (Source: worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com):

New playable races: With the release of the preparation patch for Mists of Pandaria, you can join as a member of the mysterious Pandaren either the ranks of the Horde or the Alliance and face the conflict brewing on the shores of Pandaria.
New class: Learn the mystical powers of the Monk – defeat enemies with the devastating attacks of the Windwalker, increase the number of your allies with the spiritual energies of the Mistweaver, and casually deal massive damage with the unyielding strength of the Brewmaster.
Revised classes: All classes have been equipped with a new talent system, improved abilities and spells.
Area looting: Loot all nearby enemies at once and thus speed up the looting process.
World event: Attack on the island of Theramore: Join the fight and participate in the scenario “The Fall of Theramore,” which describes relevant events for the expansion.
Pet battles: Dust off your pet collection on your shelf and prepare it for new battles in the form of a tactical mini-game. Need pets? Adopt instead of buy: Tame new and interesting creatures on your adventures in Pandaria.

A benevolent look at Mists of Pandaria

What’s the truth behind the gloomy predictions back then? Nothing. MoP could not bury WoW. On the contrary, many WoW players look back on the expansion very positively today, as evidenced by many recent comments under the preview trailer of Mists of Pandaria (via YouTube).

  • Fafancina admits in hindsight: “MoP was everything we wanted, but we were so blinded by the ethnicity of the Pandaren.”
  • drae6984 added 8 years ago: “So many dislikes just because of the pandas… Now people can only dream of an expansion like MoP.”
  • darthroes feels similarly 3 years ago: “So much aversion, only to realize years later that this was one of the best expansions ever made.”

Why was MoP really good? The zones of Pandaria are beautifully colorful and varied. The quests are diverse, and the story of the expansion is compellingly told until the end. But much more importantly, MoP also shone in gameplay at endgame.

There, not only the usual offerings of dailies, raids, dungeons, and PvP awaited players, but also scenarios, the new class, pet battles, the personal player farm, and the challenge mode. Never before has there been so much to do in WoW for different types of players.

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Additionally, there were meaningful adjustments such as the talent matrix, AoE looting, account-wide progress for many areas, the mythical difficulty level, flexible raid sizes, and much more. And since Blizzard made many good decisions in class design, a large part of the existing playstyles was a lot of fun. By the way, anyone who thinks that everything in Pandaria is just colorful and fluffy is mistaken: Mists of Pandaria has some of the meanest quests of all time

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

Because young people did not want to work for him, the head of Ford used a ‘trick’ from 100 years ago

Benedikt Schlotmann Benedikt Schlotmann Reading time 2 minutes

The CEO of Ford has noticed that many young people do not want to work for him. Because young people avoid jobs in the industry.

Jim Farley, Chairman and CEO of the automotive manufacturer Ford, spoke in an interview with journalist and biographer Walter Isaacson at the Aspen Ideas Festival (via YouTube.com). This is reported by the English-language magazine Fortune.com.

In the conversation, Farley explained that older employees told him that young people no longer want to work at Ford:

The older employees, who had been with the company longer, said: ‘None of the young people want to work here. Jim, you pay $17 an hour, and they are so stressed.’

In the conversation with the employees, he noted that the employees were additionally working at Amazon, where they had already worked for eight hours before taking a seven-hour shift at Ford. Overall, they could only sleep three or four hours.

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Even Henry Ford knew in 1914 that young people were likely to avoid industrial jobs due to low wages

What was the company’s “trick”? The company made temporary workers full-time employees so that they would be entitled to higher wages, profit sharing, and better health care. The transition was established in the contract negotiations with the United Auto Workers (UAW) for 2019, allowing temp workers to become full-time employees after two years of uninterrupted employment at Ford.

Farley said he referred to the decision of the company’s founder, Henry Ford, who in 1914 raised wages in the factory to $5 a day to make temporary workers full-time employees. Due to low wages, young people had previously avoided work in manufacturing. Farley explained that the step would not have been easy, but was necessary:

It was not easy. It was expensive. But I think this is the kind of change we need to make in our country.

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A young CEO explains that one must work 80 hours a week in his company. But this receives little positive reactions. He himself defends himself: As a start-up, one has to compete with great competition that one must prevail against: The 22-year-old CEO of a company demands that his employees work 80 hours a week: “We do not offer a work-life balance”

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

In a dark role-playing game on Steam, you can secretly befriend zombies and gain the trust of over 150 characters

Caroline Fuller Caroline Fuller Reading time 2 minutes

A new Gothic role-playing game on Steam combines turn-based combat with a narrative system reminiscent of Disco Elysium – and it will be released in just a few weeks.

Which game is being referred to? It is the new role-playing game “The Necromancer’s Tale” from Psychic Software, which was part of the Steam Next Fest. It is a dark fantasy role-playing game that picks up themes in the style of Lovecraftian horror, including necromancy, the insatiable desire for macabre knowledge, and the slow descent into madness.

It will be released on July 17, 2025, on Steam, where a demo is already available if you are curious. Currently, it is only available in English, but the developers intend to keep an eye on the wishlist language areas to translate the game into multiple languages in the future where there is demand.

Here you can see the trailer for The Necromancer’s Tale by Psychic Software:

Start video
The trailer of the dark role-playing game “The Necromancer’s Tale” previews dark rituals and defining interactions

A thirst for dark knowledge that could make your neighbors nervous

What does the gameplay look like? In the top-down RPG, players take on the role of a low-ranking noble in the 18th century, studying dark arts and necromantic rituals, thus becoming more powerful. Players can perform these rituals to create their own army of the undead, which they can control as a supporting force in turn-based combat. Various enemies encountered in the game can be paranormal or of natural origin.

Another important aspect of the gameplay, aside from tactical combat, is the interaction with over 150 characters that players can meet in the game. These characters are crucial for the course of your story.

What role do the inhabitants play? The Necromancer’s Tale features a “Trust System” that ensures all decisions truly matter. Players can negotiate, flatter, and blackmail – all to achieve their goals. 

It is important to note that supernatural rituals may provoke different reactions in a society where superstition conflicts with rational thinking.

Therefore, players should be cautious with their dark deeds before the entire populace conspires against them. 

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The Necromancer’s Tale is still available as a demo on Steam as of July 2, 2025, through which you can test the dark role-playing game for free. This may be a good opportunity for players who feel they have already spent too much money on games. Here on MeinMMO, we explain how you can see how much money you have spent on Steam in total: Steam: This is how you can see how much money you have spent

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
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Snape was one of the best characters in Harry Potter, but the movies omit his most important moments

Christoph Waldboth Christoph Waldboth Reading time 2 minutes

The movies of Harry Potter are overall successful adaptations of the books. Nevertheless, not all characters receive the same attention as in the original material. Ironically, Snape is somewhat criminally neglected.

Harry Potter is full of interesting, quirky, and dark characters. All three adjectives describe the Hogwarts professor Severus Snape very well. While he initially comes across as nasty and shady during Harry’s early school years, the character undergoes a transformation, especially in the last book.

Because then we find out that Snape has been working for Dumbledore all along, making sure that nothing happens to Harry. The death of the Hogwarts headmaster was also planned. These secrets had to be kept by Snape’s actor, Alan Rickman, for a long time.

Much of what Snape did for Dumbledore and Harry over time stemmed from his former love for Harry’s mother, Lily. In the memory we see in the 8th film of Harry Potter, scenes from their childhood and youth are shown. This is meant to evoke empathy in the audience and show how important Lily was to Snape.

Unfortunately, the filmmakers decided to cut some of the most important moments from the book.

Start video
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 – Movie Trailer

The relationship was complex

What do the movies leave out? The memories of Lily shown in the film are brief and heavily summarized. The movie adaptation takes little time here, despite the fact that the last book was even divided into two films to give important scenes more room.

We experience the battle of Hogwarts in great detail, yet not how complex the relationship between Snape and Lily really was. The film primarily shows that Snape and Lily were friends, but with the appearance of James Potter, the shy, black-haired boy fell behind.

However, some conversations that would better illuminate their relationship are missing. It was not always easy: during difficult moments, conflicts arose, and at one point, Snape even called Lily “Mudblood” – a clear insult directed at witches and wizards whose parents are Muggles. This led to a rift between the two.

In general, Snape’s youthful interest in the Death Eaters and ideologies beyond good is not addressed in the film at all.

All this can be explained by the fact that these additional scenes would have increased the film’s runtime, yet Snape, especially at the end of the story, is a central character. A bit more background would have benefitted his character – particularly in understanding the relationship with Lily better.

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Sure, the scene in which Harry learns about Snape’s true intentions is already very emotional – we only say “Always”. Still, the impression remains that there could have been more.

If the filmmakers had taken more time for the character and his past, his fate would have been much more tragic but also more nuanced. Nevertheless, Snape is still an intriguing character in the films, portrayed by a fantastic actor: Harry Potter was really afraid of Professor Snape back then – Today he is thankful for their time together

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. screenrant.com
  2. Titelbild: Harry Potter auf YouTube

One of the biggest WoW streamers dies in Old School RuneScape in an iconic way, viewers say: Everyone has to go through this

Karsten Scholz Karsten Scholz Reading time 3 minutes

Thomas Chance “Sodapoppin” Morris is one of the biggest streamers on Twitch and is especially known for his content about World of Warcraft. Currently, “Soda” is playing Old School RuneScape and is experiencing some special moments that many veterans of the MMORPG also know.

What happened to Sodapoppin? For three consecutive days, the famous US streamer has been playing Old School RuneScape on Twitch. For the first time, as he explains on his channel. More than 18 hours of gameplay have accumulated so far. He keeps encountering situations that RuneScape veterans (more or less) fondly remember.

A particularly impressive moment for “Soda” occurred on the third day when he attempted to leave a city in the center of Gielinor by heading north along the wall.

The streamer clearly underestimated the Dark Wizards who had settled near the city wall. The first magical projectile that hit him took more than half of his health points. The second spell sent the RuneScape hero to the ground.

His emotional comment: “Nooo … what the” … you can probably guess how the sentence ends. It’s important to know that in Old School RuneScape, you lose a significant part of your belongings when you die. Only the three most valuable items remain. After that, you have 15 minutes to return to the place of death and collect your stuff.

However, the respawn point is not exactly around the corner in this region, and the Dark Wizards remain very deadly. You can watch the scene here on twitch.tv.

Thanks to WoW Classic Hardcore, “Sodapoppin” was even ranked #1 on Twitch at times:

Start video
WoW Classic: The Hardcore Servers Are Here!

A Classic

How does the community react to the moment? During the stream, many viewers commented that this is a classic RuneScape experience that every newcomer must go through. But even on Reddit, the scene has been extensively celebrated for several hours with over 2,000 upvotes and more than 150 comments.

  • Sicks401 titles the clip: “Soda dies in OSRS in the most classic way possible.”
  • John_Bot writes on Reddit: “I already knew from the title what it was about. These dark wizards are legendary.”
  • Riyonak knows the spot all too well, via Reddit: “I probably haven’t played RuneScape in 15 years, and my first thought was: ‘I wonder if those dark wizards are south of that one city.’ I’m really impressed that I could remember that.”
  • Th3Shadows is also a victim of the wizards, via Reddit: “As a child, I died there, and as an adult, I died there again with my hardcore character. FeelsBadMan.”
  • InsuranceGuyQuestion celebrates on Reddit: “God, I’m laughing my ass off here. A classic RuneScape memory has been resurrected.”

Which of the RuneScape veterans passing by here are also familiar with these dark wizards up close?

What is Old School RuneScape? Old School RuneScape is the classic version of RuneScape, which has since been developed quite differently. The game was released in 2013, but based on the version that RuneScape had in 2007.

Since then, the old school version has been expanded with new content, while still relying on the same virtues of group play, grinding, and a “hack and slash” control system. Every new feature must also receive 75 percent approval from the players before it is implemented by the developers. Old School RuneScape is among the top 10 rated MMORPGs on Steam.

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Where can you know Sodapoppin from? Thomas Chance “Sodapoppin” Morris is a WoW player from the early days and has been streaming on Twitch since 2011. With around 9 million followers, he is among the top 15 streamers on the platform.

He was able to attract particularly many viewers during his time as the leader of the Hardcore guild OnlyFangs from WoW Classic Hardcore. However, due to the constant DDoS attacks on the hardcore servers, he and many other streamers announced the end of the project in March 2025. You can find out more about it here: A hardcore guild that made WoW great on Twitch is coming to an end

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

WoW: 5 rare mounts you should farm now with the mount buff

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 4 minutes

Starting today, you’ll find the rarest mounts in World of Warcraft much easier to get. We will tell you which mounts you should farm now.

In World of Warcraft, for the next 4 weeks, the event “Collector’s Bounty” is live. This increases the drop rates of special transmog rewards, as well as the rarest mounts in the game. Never before have there been such good chances to obtain the coveted mounts – a hefty +5% on just about all mounts prior to Dragonflight.

We are therefore presenting 5 mounts that you should focus on in the coming days if you want to make the most out of the event.

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What was the list based on? For the list, we relied on several factors:

  • Prestige: How popular and desirable is a mount in the community?
  • Drop Chance: Which mounts benefit the most from the bonus?
  • Effort: Which mounts are associated with a lot of effort (e.g., long runs)?

Invincible

Location: Icecrown Citadel (25 HC)
Drop Chance: Normally 1%, now 6%

WoW Invincible Mount
Everyone wants Invincible.

Hardly any mount is as desired as the winged undead horse of the Lich King Arthas. Since you must defeat Arthas at the very end of the Icecrown Citadel and the run can take between 10 and 20 minutes in a fresh instance, you should take advantage of the buff.

However, note that you need to set the raid to the “25-player” and “Heroic” difficulty. Only then does Invincible have a chance to be dropped by the Lich King.

Also, you’ll finally be in the club of the chosen characters who can finally make the dumb joke in the English trade channel that the mount is called “Invincible” but is not invisible at all. Yes, to understand that, you have to have been around for a while.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
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Players are complaining about an expensive new outfit in Final Fantasy XIV, while it can be easily recreated for free.

Sophia Weiss Sophia Weiss Reading time 2 minutes

The real money shop of Final Fantasy XIV is the Moogle Station, which now offers a new outfit. However, this is what players are currently complaining about, even though they can easily recreate it for free in the MMORPG.

What kind of outfit is it? The new outfit is the Belted Armor costume set. It consists of a hat, gloves, a top, and pants. It was originally introduced in the Korean shop, where it was exclusively available for the Korean version of the game for a while.

The international version is available via Moogle Station in three pieces: the hat and gloves cost €5.22 in Germany, while the version with pants and the one with leggings each cost €13.50. Although the pants and leggings are of the same style, they contain slightly different items. If one or more pieces are purchased, they must be assigned to a single character.

To acquire the full set with all item variations, one must therefore pay €32.22 per character. This is exactly what is currently annoying players.

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The new trailer for Patch 7.2 of Final Fantasy XIV shows the new, highly anticipated content

An outfit more expensive than Dawntrail

Why are players upset? In several Reddit threads, players of Final Fantasy XIV are venting their frustration. They are particularly annoyed by the price tag. User Glad-Fischerman-753 comments in a post on Reddit that the outfit is cheaper in Korea. There, the full set with all variants costs 44,300 South Korean Won, which as of the exchange rate on July 1, 2025, is €27.72.

In another post, also on Reddit, MrCornflks asks: An $18 outfit that does not include the hat and gloves, really Square Enix? In the dollar shop, the complete set costs $42, which at the current exchange rate is €35.55, thus exceeding not only the Korean price but also the Euro price.

User HelloFresco (via Reddit) points out that Square Enix likely wanted to prevent players from needing to purchase the hat and gloves twice with the outfit variations. At the same time, he believes that the two outfits should not then cost the full standard price of a complete set, which is $18 or €13.50.

User AegisT_ (via Reddit) also notes that the dollar price of the outfit is even $2 higher than the current expansion in the American Square Enix store.

Moreover, commenters under the posts are complaining that outfits must be purchased again for every character on an account. With eight possible characters per server and a total of 40 possible on a normal account, this can quickly become expensive.

But there is an alternative.

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von Sophia Weiss

We have a Belted Armor costume at home

Do you have to buy the outfit? The outfit is completely optional, so it doesn’t have to be bought. However, if you like the look, you can recreate it for free in Final Fantasy XIV. Reddit user wildroseblooms has specific suggestions for the in-game alternative in the post We have a Belted Armor costume at home.

By combining …

… you can achieve the look quite accurately:

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By the way, another player recently had an outfit problem: Every armor item, including level 1 items for glamours, ends up in the armor chest. This fills up quickly. A player has now found a somewhat cumbersome but effective solution: Player reaches his personal milestone in Final Fantasy 14, solving a problem many fans struggle with

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

New horror game on Steam breaks the boundaries between film and game with stars from Baldur’s Gate 3 and Clair Obscur

Alexander Mehrwald Alexander Mehrwald Reading time 2 minutes

Famous voices from Baldur’s Gate 3 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as actors in a game? Dead Take is supposed to deliver just that, bringing cross-border horror to Steam.

What kind of game is Dead Take? Dead Take on Steam is an upcoming psychological first-person horror game by Surgent Studios, known for the game “Tales of Kenzera: Zau” and Pocketpair Publishing, which is behind the survival game “Palworld“. Surgent Studios itself was founded by Abubakar Salim, who is famous as the actor of Bayek from Assassin’s Creed Origins.

The acting focus is also felt in the concept of the new game: You take on the role of an actor investigating the disappearance of a friend. In doing so, you explore an abandoned villa, solve puzzles, and uncover dark sides of the film industry. The focus is meant to be on storytelling, atmosphere, and a critical view of fame and media.

In the game, players explore a dark mansion, solve puzzles by piecing together live-action clips, and dive deep into a psychological horror story. To achieve this, the developers have brought in two well-known figures from Baldur’s Gate 3, Final Fantasy XVI, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Start video
Dead Take on Steam makes Neil Newbon and Ben Starr border crossers between film and game

“I didn’t want them to hide behind animated or 3D characters”

Whom did the developers bring on board? A new trailer shows which famous voices the studio secured for their horror game. One part of the video features Neil Newbon, who became famous for his role as Astarion in Baldur’s Gate 3. His co-actor, and perhaps rival, will be Ben Starr, who is particularly heard as Clive in Final Fantasy XVI and as Verso in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

A central element of the game will be the use of real film scenes with the actors. “You will see Ben and Neil at work as actors on screen,” explains studio founder Abubakar Salim to Eurogamer. “I didn’t want them to hide behind animated or 3D characters. I wanted to show them. We know them as Astarion or Clive – but what happens when you really see them as real actors?”

This decision reflects Salim’s own career – he is not only a developer but also an actor himself, most recently in House of the Dragon. Together with Ben Starr and Neil Newbon, he wants to honestly portray the reality of the industry. That’s why he also deliberately collaborated with friends he gained through the industry:

I have heard – and experienced – many stories of people who would do anything for fame. It’s quite terrifying. We all grew up together, worked together, yet the stories remain the same. That’s exactly what I wanted to show – from an honest, raw space. The game deals with such personal topics that it can only be realized with people you trust – and who are absolutely professional. It’s very heartfelt.

Abubakar Salim to Eurogamer

With Dead Take, the development team primarily wants to prove that they can also cater to other types of games and that they are primarily storytellers.

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Ben Starr also plays a role in one of the biggest surprises of this year. He voices protagonist Verso in Clair Obscur. Alongside him, there is also a star from Baldur’s Gate 3. However, that they became part of the game had little to do with their background: Developers of Expedition 33 choose 2 talented voice actors, only later finding out whom they had hired

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

Borderlands 4 gets a feature that fans have been waiting for 16 years – Finally lets you do what you’ve always wanted with Claptrap

Christoph Waldboth Christoph Waldboth Reading time 2 minutes

Borderlands 4 will be released on September 12, 2025, and will feature a character that is equally loved and hated by fans. Those who find him annoying will at least receive a practical feature this time.

Who are we talking about? Of course, we are talking about Claptrap, the little robot who has been on board since Borderlands in 2009 (yes, you are already that old!).

As a sidekick, he has always stood out mainly due to his annoying nature. His voice is not only extremely shrill and metallic; Claptrap also babbles on about moderately interesting stuff nonstop. For this reason, he even made it into our ranking of the most annoying NPC companions.

Sure, some players enjoy the little robot and will probably be pleased with his return in Borderlands 4. All others, who are already facing the release and the return of Claptrap with trembling knees, can now breathe a sigh of relief.

The developers have heard the prayers of the fans and included a feature in the game that appears like a salvation from long suffering.

Start video
Borderlands 4 – Story trailer for the new installment of the loot shooter series

Long live the slider!

What feature are we talking about? For years, Claptrap has annoyed many players with his voice. But what if you could simply turn it off?

In the previous installments, it was difficult to do this without also turning down the rest of the game’s sound. In Borderlands, this will change. In a post by the user Chadly_99 on x.com, you can see the Narrative Director of the game, Sam Winkler, working in the menu.

In the settings of Borderlands 4, there is an option to change Claptrap’s volume. This only affects the robot and no other sounds in the game.

Claptrap Sound

What do the players think? Under the post, comments from players expressing their gratitude are accumulating. Representing them, the user Sunny Days writes: “Thank God. I think most people are fed up with him.”

Others come up with funny twists on the feature and almost expect it not to work properly:

  • “It would be funny if it doesn’t work,” says Watermelon.
  • “Plot twist: It changes nothing about how loud he is,” writes Dwayne The Brock Johnson.
  • “The lower the slider, the louder he gets,” predicts Sanity_is_Overratedd.
  • “Only true fans leave him at 100%,” claims Horrible.
  • “They should have made it so that 110% is the lowest,” demands Norbed.
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Borderlands 4: Everything about crossplay, co-op and split screen
von Niko Hernes
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The head of Borderlands 4 promotes a collector’s edition for 130 euros, but it doesn’t even include the game
von Cedric Holmeier
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Borderlands 4 shows the system requirements, but many fans fear a terrible release like the predecessor
von Christos Tsogos

How this feature will ultimately affect the gaming experience remains to be seen. The general sentiment among players sounds pleasantly positive on this topic, especially after Borderlands 4 has recently stirred up criticism due to its pricing policy.

Are you among the Claptrap fans, or do you find the robot as annoying as many others in the community? Feel free to let us know in the comments. Recently, new information was released about the fourth part of the series: 8 cool new features in Borderlands 4 that we discovered over the weekend on Twitch

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

In two weeks, the Switch 2 is expected to have been sold more frequently than the Steam Deck in 3 years

Christoph Waldboth Christoph Waldboth Reading time 2 minutes

The Nintendo Switch 2 was released on June 5, 2025, causing a rush in stores worldwide. Now there are concrete numbers regarding sales – even if they were not officially viewable for long.

What do the numbers look like? The Switch 2 was launched in early June at a price of €469.99 for the base model. Many players jumped in right at launch, which led to some absurd stories.

Now, concrete sales figures have been published on Nintendo’s official website. Since its release on June 5, 2025, the new console has sold approximately 5.4 million units.

To put that into perspective: The Steam Deck sold around 3.7 million units between 2022 and 2024, in three years.

Looking at the competition from Sony is also impressive: The PlayStation 5 sold “only” 3.4 million units in its first month (via nme.com).

An overall impressive result for the Nintendo Switch 2, and that after not even 30 days on the market. However, it is somewhat strange that the official numbers were only viewable for a short time on Nintendo’s website.

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

Reddit users were vigilant

What happened? The Reddit user Ok_Albatross_948 brought attention to the sales figures in a post. He shared a screenshot of the statistics showing the percentage of sales for Switch 1 and 2 in the last quarters.

Reddit Post Nintendo Switch 2 Sales
As of June 1, 2025, 6:00 PM

Here, it was clear that the majority of all sales were for the new console. The user explained that another click revealed where in the world how many units were sold.

According to him, the distribution was as follows:

  • 1.6 million units in Japan
  • 1.8 million units in total America
  • 1 million units in Europe
  • About 600,000 in other regions

However, the bizarre thing is that these statistics are currently (as of July 1, 2025, 6:00 PM) no longer viewable on the website. Only the numbers for Switch 1 are online.

The Reddit user also noticed this and promptly made a second post. In it, he states that Nintendo took the statistics offline shortly after his post. Whether there is a connection is unclear.

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Whether and when Nintendo will publish the sales figures for the Switch 2 again is currently unknown. It may be that the figures were not complete and are now being corrected. Or they were simply published too early and accidentally – it is certainly a curious story. If you are still unsure about purchasing, you will find important information about the console on MeinMMO: Nintendo Switch 2: All features and innovations at a glance

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

Fans of Solo Leveling are eagerly waiting for Season 3 – Instead, they get a musical with ice skating

Alexander Mehrwald Alexander Mehrwald Reading time 2 minutes

While fans of Solo Leveling eagerly await the 3rd season, experiments are being conducted elsewhere with the anime. Because later this year, there should be a musical about it – on ice.

What has been announced? There are still no news in sight regarding the 3rd season of the Korean webtoon Solo Leveling. Fans are therefore eagerly waiting for updates on the most-watched anime of all time.

Instead, as reported by the Korean magazine ET News, it was recently announced that the focus will not only be on the media world with Solo Leveling in the future. Accordingly, under the direction of the company “ArenaLive,” there will be 10 live-action shows taking place in Korea from December 24 to 31, 2025.

And that’s not all: It will be a musical that takes place entirely on ice and will not shy away from “intense fight scenes.”

Start video
Solo Leveling Arise Overdrive – Trailer for the video game of the anime

A concept that aims for the global stage

What is known so far about the musical? The performance is planned as content that matches the anime, combining musical and action performance, going beyond a simple ice show. The awakening process of the main character Seong Jin-woo, intense fight scenes, and emotional interactions between the characters are to be vividly portrayed on ice.

Figure skating, group dancing, stunts, and real-time projection mapping, an advanced technology where visual content (such as videos, animations, or interactive graphics) is projected in real-time onto physical objects or surfaces, will provide an immersive experience for the audience. The audience should feel as if they are entering scenes from the anime.

With the musical, they want to break genre boundaries and, if successful, bring it to a global stage, as an ArenaLive employee told ET News:

This ice performance musical is a new experiment and a challenge for K-contents, based on the strong intellectual property of Solo Leveling. We are going to develop it into a model that brings the Korean performance genre to the global stage and goes beyond a simple performance.

While animation or dramatization have been the typical ways to expand intellectual property, this performance is a new attempt to break genre boundaries through the new realm of ‘ice skating.’ Through the performance, we are expanding our touchpoints not only to webtoon fans but also to existing fans of the performing arts. 

According to ET News, castings are currently underway for around 20 main actors and numerous ensemble actors. The final cast is expected to be announced in August. Among them will be current idol singers, musical performers, circus artists, and former members of the national figure skating team.

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If the musical doesn’t appeal to you, you might find interest in Solo Leveling Arise Overdrive. Because this game is set to be released later this year, and you can even play it cooperatively with friends: A new anime game on Steam that MMORPG fans might enjoy, even though you’ll only be adventuring as a group of four.

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

CoD: Black Ops 6 Season 4 Reloaded starts tomorrow – All important information in 2 minutes

Christos Tsogos Christos Tsogos Reading time 2 minutes

Call of Duty Black Ops 6 starts tomorrow, on July 2, 2025, in Season 4 Reloaded. With the launch, new content will come to the shooter that fans can look forward to. What this content is, you can find out in our short overview.

When does Season 4 Reloaded start? In CoD: Black Ops 6, Season 4 Reloaded starts on July 2, 2025, at 6:00 PM, but to test the new content, you must first download the new update. However, fans can download the update before the new season starts to save themselves the waiting time.

What can I expect in Season 4 Reloaded? The Reloaded updates often have less content than those at the start of a new season. Nevertheless, Activision has prepared some things to keep you occupied until the start of Season 5. You can expect the following things in Season 4 Reloaded:

  • Multiplayer
    • Two new maps
      • Fringe (Remaster)
        • Core, 6v6, medium
      • Eclipse (New)
        • Strike, 6v6/2v2, small
    • Familiar maps in Cel-Shaded look
      • Nuketown
      • Babylon
      • Skyline
      • Stakeout
      • Grind
    • Party Ops with new modes
  • Zombie
    • Zombie map in Cel-Shaded look (Liberty Falls)
    • New LTM
      • Starting Space
    • Leaderboard events to fight for the top of the leaderboards
  • Warzone
    • New feature: Supply drops provide players with two new killstreaks
    • Rebirth Island appears in Cel-Shaded look
    • New modes
      • Resurgence Casual
      • Havoc Royale
      • Resurgence returns to Ranked Play
      • World Series of Warzone 2025
      • Solos and Casual Solos will both run so Activision can check which mode is more desired
  • New weapons
    • Olympia (Shotgun)
    • Pry (Melee Weapon)
  • New attachments
    • SVD Full Auto Mod
    • TR2 CQB Auto Conversion
  • New event
    • Beavis & Butt-Head bring new event pass
Start video
The trailer for Season 4 of Call of Duty: Warzone and Black Ops 6 shows what you can expect

When does Season 5 start? After the end of Season 4 Reloaded, there should be a 5th season, which is set to start on August 7, 2025. What time marks the start time is not yet known. To kick off Season 4 Reloaded properly, you should take a look at our tier list for the best weapons: CoD Black Ops 6: Meta – The best weapons in Season 4 with loadouts

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

„Consumed by Ambition“ – Twitch streamer tells the story behind the German „Retiree Team“ in LoL

Nico Scheibel Nico Scheibel Reading time 3 minutes

Most professional teams in League of Legends play under a big name like T1 or Fnatic and are sponsored by these organizations. The German team NNO is the exact opposite and has gained many fans over the years. The founder of the team explains how it came about.

What is NNO? The team No Need Orga is one of the most well-known German LoL teams and gained significant attention in 2022 at the Prime League in summer (lol.fandom.com) . 

After they barely qualified for the tournament, the “Miracle Run” followed for NNO (primeleague.gg). They had to fight their way through the entire lower bracket to face Hertha BSC in the finals. The best-of-5 series between the two German teams set a viewer record of 91,000 (escharts.com). NNO won the final 3 to 2.

The NNO roster of the Prime League 2022 included the following players and Twitch streamers:

  • Niklot “Tolkin” Stüber on the top lane
  • Muhammed “Agurin” Kocak played in the jungle
  • Frederik “NoWay” Hinteregger as mid laner
  • Daniel “Broeki” Broekmann took over the ADC role
  • Lukas “Karni” Steininger supported the team as support

Together, the 5 LoL professionals called themselves the retirement team, as they have been in the scene for many years and are thus considered “retirees”.

In the video, you will see who NNO’s mid laner, NoWay, really is:

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

“We’re no longer interested in playing with him” – The founding of NNO

How was NNO founded? On his YouTube channel, former NNO player Broeki talks about the history of the team (YouTube.com). In the early days, when esports for League of Legends was not yet so huge, Broeki played in various tournaments.

With his team ESC Gaming, he won the ESL Pro Series in spring 2013 (lol.fandom.com). The roster of ESC Gaming was then taken over by n!faculty. In the following ESL Pro Series in summer, Broeki and NoWay played together under n!faculty and managed to win the tournament (lol.fandom.com).

After this victory, there was a conversation among the team members and Broeki was kicked due to his behavior. He himself says he was very consumed by ambition back then and ruined the game for some supporters with his attitude.

As the scene in Germany was very small, Broeki’s reputation spread, and as a result, no one wanted to play competitively with him anymore. Broeki eventually founded his own team in September 2013 and named it No Need Orga (lol.fandom.com).

Over the years until 2020, NNO was restructured multiple times or taken over by other organizations like Vengeance eSports or Mysterious Monkeys. Broeki himself says the following about his past with NNO:

Whenever an organization was not willing to pay or give me what I wanted, I founded an NNO roster.

The most famous retirement team in Germany

How did NNO become the team that many German LoL fans know? Broeki, NoWay and Agurin played together until 2019 on the team Euronics Gaming in several B-tier tournaments and managed to win many of them (liquidpedia.net). A year after NoWay and Broeki left the team, NoWay asked if they wanted to play together again. 

Broeki founded a new roster with NoWay under NNO, alongside players Kamon (Toplane), Karni (Support) and AutoPhil (Jungle), who organized the “Arena Rumble” tournament for LoL in March 2025.

The most famous roster of NNO, the retirement team, was completed in early 2021. The top laner, caster and analyst Tolkin joined NNO in January, and the former jungle colleague Agurin followed in February.

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What has become of the retirement team? In December 2024, Broeki, the founder of NNO, switched to Eintracht Spandau, the team of YouTuber and Twitch streamer HandOfBlood. Agurin left the roster in January 2025 and is continuing his career at CGN Esports. Only mid laner NoWay, top laner Tolkin and supporter Karni remain in the current roster of NNO: A team of 5 German Twitch streamers conquers LoL, now NNO is falling apart and starting anew

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

Monster Hunter Wilds is rated “extremely negative” on Steam, but the new update brings back over 133,000 players

Alexander Mehrwald Alexander Mehrwald Reading time 2 minutes

The second Title Update for Monster Hunter Wilds has recently arrived and is drawing many players back to the game. The content is well-received – nevertheless, there are still negative reviews.

What brings players back? Since June 30, 2025, the second major update, TU2, is live in Monster Hunter Wilds. It includes numerous new contents and several improvements and changes based on player feedback.

In the spotlight is particularly the fan favorite Lagiacrus with his return after 16 long years, during which he was absent from any Monster Hunter. Moreover, with him, the underwater combat returns, which Capcom had previously excluded. Although not exactly as known from the predecessors, but with limited features, this return is very well received by fans (see Reddit).

Many players see this as a milestone and share their excitement about the underwater phase on Reddit. They hope this is just the beginning and that more monsters will receive such special scenarios (see Reddit).

But other new features also draw players back and can enthuse (see Reddit):

  • The battles of Lagiacrus and Seregios are well-received and described as entertaining, balanced, and very well staged.
  • Players are happy to finally be able to turn off the glowing effect for buffs.
  • Erik as a selectable field companion instead of Alma is welcomed as a nice change.
  • The adjustments especially to the hammer are well-received.
  • The decoration weapons bring fresh wind and great possibilities for personal outfits.

Another aspect that has improved for many is the performance, as TU2 has taken the first major steps to finally solve the players’ major problems. More should follow with hotfixes and updates between the major TUs. Nevertheless, there are still negative reviews.

Start video
Monster Hunter Wilds: Trailer for Title Update 2 shows Lagiacrus in action

Between Underwater Euphoria and Poor Performance

Why are there still new negative reviews? Although TU2 has fixed some major performance issues for many players, this does not seem to be the case for everyone, and for some players, it has even worsened with the update. One aspect at the center of the increasingly negative recent reviews for Monster Hunter Wilds (see Steam).

The new update attracts around 133,033 players and thus multiplies its 24-hour peak on Steam, which was still around 13,069 on June 27, 2025, at 9:40 a.m. (see SteamDB, as of July 1, 2025, at 1:00 p.m.).

However, this seems not to help the ratings, as the trend here continues to decline. The reviews on Steam are becoming increasingly negative. Before the update, only 14% of the recent reviews (over 13,170) on Steam were positive (as of June 27, 2025, 09:40 a.m.).

Today, one day after the update, the numbers show only 12% positive votes from the recent reviews (over 16,491) and is still rated as “very negative” (as of July 1, 2027, 1:00 p.m.).

For the reviews of Monster Hunter Wilds to recover from this area, it is absolutely necessary from the community’s perspective that performance is improved as quickly as possible and as a priority (see Reddit).

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If you are wondering why all the fuss about the Leviathan Lagiacrus is being made and why the sequence underwater is such a big deal, MeinMMO editor Alexander Schürlein has worked out for you why he is so looking forward to his return: After 16 years, the legendary Lagiacrus finally returns to Monster Hunter – Now I am afraid he might not be able to meet the expectations

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

Because Harley Quinn left him, the Joker got a new sidekick, and she is much worse

Niko Hernes Niko Hernes Reading time 2 minutes

By now, almost every DC fan knows Harley Quinn. She is one of the most well-known characters in the Batman universe and is now more of an anti-hero than a classic villain. Harley Quinn even separated from the Joker after a while, but he got a new partner.

What happened to Harley Quinn? Harley Quinn was for a long time a sidekick of the Joker, but over the years she developed a large fanbase and DC separated her from her toxic relationship. She received her own stories, teams, and also a much healthier relationship with Poison Ivy.

But in 2020, a new sidekick was introduced to the Joker. Although Punchline is quite reminiscent of Harley Quinn, she is a little more brutal and ruthless than her predecessor.

Start video
Joker: Folie À Deux – Trailer for the Controversial Sequel of the Popular Villain

A Great Obsession

Who is Punchline? On a school trip with her high school class, Alexis Kaye was captured by the Joker in a TV studio. She was chosen to read a text live, but Batman stopped the whole event and saved Alexis. However, she changed after the incident.

She developed an obsession with the Joker and his actions. Initially, it led to a podcast, but later she began to poison people disguised with her own Joker gas. Her test subjects were initially homeless people who couldn’t defend themselves.

In a special comic called The Joker 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular No. 1 (Source: dc.com), you can see how she manages to poison her dean with cigarette smoke during a conversation. There, she explains that she got the recipe from the internet.

She killed him, stated that her name is Punchline, and suddenly the Joker appeared from her closet after she said: There is your proof, I am ready to get serious (via YouTube).

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A New Sidekick, But No Second Harley

How does Punchline differ from Harley Quinn? In most origin stories of Harley, she was manipulated by the Joker after trying to treat him as a psychologist. This is completely lacking here. Punchline was not manipulated; she is obsessed with the idea of the Joker.

In the comic where she kills her dean, she herself says:

We grew up being whispered to that we can be anything we want to be, but you never recognized the flip side of all that. Some of us do not want to be the good ones.

Punchline in The Joker 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular No. 1 (via YouTube)

She is evil, sadistic, and extremely ruthless. So quite fitting for the Joker. Similar to the Joker, she also has a quite pronounced charisma. She can manipulate people and use them for her purposes. After the major event Joker War, she tried during her trial to convince people that she was just manipulated by the Joker and is innocent.

She gained a larger following with that. The most fanatic even ensured that witnesses were killed. During her time in prison, she was not only able to gain new friends but became the leader of the Royal Flush Gang.

While Harley always comes with wit and a certain lightness, Punchline is much closer to the Joker. She has no morality and acts evil simply because it is easy.

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Over time, the Joker has not only made Batman’s life hell. He also worked on other heroes. For the glorious Superman, he only needed one day, but he managed to turn him into a dictator: The Joker tried for years to break Batman, but it only took him one day for Superman

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. DC Database
  2. Titelbildquelle: Warner Bros. auf YouTube

WoW explains the mount bonus, reveals the new drop rates

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

Rare mounts are much more common in World of Warcraft in just a few hours. The exact details are now known.

Starting tomorrow, July 2, 2025, a special event will begin in World of Warcraft. The “Collector’s Bounty” event ensures that you will obtain significantly more old loot with rarity value. Mounts are particularly sought after here. Blizzard mentioned in advance a “up to 10-fold” increase in the original drop chance, and in one case even a “25-fold” increase.

However, how this looks in concrete numbers was not clear until now – but Blizzard has finally explained the details.

Start video
WoW player finds his old guild again – but it’s quite sad

What has Blizzard revealed? In a short video on YouTube, Blizzard has now published more concrete numbers for the event, detailing the drop chances for mounts and rare transmog. The video promises:

  • A clean increase of +5% on all mounts that could drop before “Dragonflight”.
  • An increase of +5% on selected items (like the Chains of the Windseeker or the War Glaives of Azzinoth).
  • The double amount of transmog items in dungeons and raids prior to Dragonflight.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgYZHgt3dyg

Players are confused by math: “How are +5% a tenfold increase?”

The numbers are causing some confusion in the comments, for example on wowhead or in the subreddit. This seems mainly to stem from a misunderstanding or lack of math skills.

Many feel “lied to” because a tenfold increase cannot just be an increase of 5%. However, I am confident that such claims will not arise in our comments.

Most people seem to be happy about this big bonus. Because a +5% increase is ultimately a drastically enhanced chance that should ensure that you are much more likely to obtain some of the most desirable mounts. There is still no guarantee for the super-rare mounts – but it probably won’t be easier than in the coming weeks.

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The 16 MMORPGs with the most players according to official numbers from the developers
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After Nostalrius came WoW Classic, now the end of Turtle WoW must lead to WoW Classic Plus
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von Cortyn

What does this mean in concrete numbers? With a few examples, we want to illustrate how significant the buff is and how much it increases the probabilities.

MountRaidOld Drop ChanceEvent Drop Chance
InvincibleIcecrown Citadel 25 Heroic1 %6 %
Ashes of Al’arSeat of the Triumvirate2 %7 %
Mimiron’s HeadUlduar1 %6 %
RiftstalkerTomb of Sargeras0.21 %5.21 %
War Glaives of AzzinothThe Black Temple5 %10 %

So, if anyone needed a few good reasons to revisit old instances and raids, they now have the perfect incentive. Maybe you will also snag a few of the rarest mounts that only a few people in the WoW community possess.
It’s a shame that newcomers are currently almost unable to start in WoW.

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

Fighting game on Steam gets a K-Pop skin – Letting a character wear shoes for the first time

Niko Hernes Niko Hernes Reading time 2 minutes

Street Fighter has had various interesting collaborations in the past. For Street Fighter 6, they are now collaborating with a well-known K-Pop group. Not only is a new skin coming to the fighting game on Steam, but also the voice of a member.

Which band is it? A new trailer announced a new collaboration for Street Fighter 6. Following more logical cross-overs with the anime series Baki and Spy Family, an unusual partnership is now forming.

With the Korean K-Pop group aespa, new content is coming into the game. The band debuted in 2020 with the song Black Mamba and consists of 4 members. The special thing about the band is that they incorporate digital avatars into their concept.

As part of the collaboration, not just simple cosmetics are coming into the game. A whole costume and a voice will be released on July 4th.

Start video
Street Fighter 6 aespa – Trailer for the new collaboration of the fighting game

Small goodies, a new costume, and a new commentator

What content is coming into the game? The main focus of the update is a new costume for the Korean character Juri, styled after the band. She ranks 4th overall in popularity, even being number 1 in lower tiers (Source: streetfighter.com). The costume will cost 350 Fighter Coins. That’s about 6 €, but you can only buy it in a package with 610 coins for 11.99 €.

The skin features the band’s logo on the top and is like a fusion of her old costume and the aespa band. Uncharacteristically for Juri, she even wears shoes this time.

Additionally, a new commentator is coming into the game. In Street Fighter 6, you can enable various commentators during your matches to respond to what’s shown. With this collaboration, naevis enters the game. She is a virtual member in the aespa universe and can respond in Korean, Japanese, and English. Even in the trailer, there are small hints at the band.

The Battle Hub will also be styled like aespa, and there will be cosmetic items like titles, wallpapers, or photo frames that can be unlocked for free.

The collaboration is set to start on July 4th, 2025, and the costume can be purchased until July 4th, 2026.

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How is the community reacting? Under the official trailer on YouTube, there is a lot of support, mainly regarding how the collaboration is being implemented. In previous events, many players missed costumes for the fighters.

  • @Montesama314 writes: To be honest, it looks like an outfit Juri would wear. As if she became a fan and got some band merchandise after a concert.
  • @akilcharles3473 is even more excited after a Netflix movie: Damn, I just watched Kpop Demon Hunters and now I see this. Juri’s new skin is amazing and suits her so well.
  • @MalicousMossMuncher is finally glad Juri is wearing shoes: Omg, Juri finally wears shoes. Now I can play her and not look like a dork.

However, there are also negative opinions. Some players criticize that it took so long for cross-over costumes to come into the game, and some wished for even more content. The choice of commentator also faces some criticism. More about Street Fighter 6 can be found here: 15-year-old defeats his much older opponents in Street Fighter 6, fighting for huge prize money at the end

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

Players are angry because a new survival game on Steam secretly uses AI, developers say: It was an accident

Christos Tsogos Christos Tsogos Reading time 3 minutes

The studio behind The Alters faced significant criticism for secretly using an AI during development. Fans on Steam are upset, but the studio has now commented on the allegations.

What did I miss? The survival game “The Alters” had an excellent launch on Steam thanks to its story and the feature of how to manage your base: with the help of alternative versions of the protagonist.

However, a few weeks after the release, some fans discovered that the developers must have used an AI to visualize the subtitles of certain sequences and written content on displays without telling the community – they were angry.

Many players were therefore waiting for a statement from 11 Bit Studios, and it has now arrived. The team acknowledges its mistake.

Start video
The Alters shows its gameplay trailer with clones who have made different life choices

Studio apologizes, fans love the game anyway

What does the statement say? On X, the official account of The Alters left a lengthy statement regarding the allegations of using an AI. According to the statement, the team confirms that they used AI for some temporary projects in The Alters. These were supposed to be used only as placeholders and to be replaced before the release date – the team failed to remove these placeholders during their game’s review.

The team also addressed the subtitles of various movies that you can watch in your base. These were also said to have been translated with AI. The statement reads: “Although these videos were produced externally, our team was not involved in the creative process, so additional translations were required at the last minute. Due to extreme time constraints, we opted against involving our translation partners and localized the videos using artificial intelligence to get them ready for launch.”

Both of these points have now been addressed by the team. Regarding the placeholders, they will be replaced, while the AI-generated subtitles are also set to receive an update to ensure better translation.

The team emphasizes again that transparency is important to them. They also recognize that they should have announced the use of AI during development better (Source: x.com).

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What do fans say about the statement? They are glad that 11 Bit Studio has been so transparent about the issue and explained how the dilemma came about. Some users are against the use of AI during game development, but for many, it is not a problem if it is just about placeholder content. The following can be heard on Reddit and X:

  • “Even though I’m generally against AI, I find it completely acceptable to use it as a placeholder during development. That a single placeholder asset is missing during the final approval is also completely understandable. Humans are not perfect.” – mrturret via Reddit
  • “Honestly, I don’t care if you used AI. The game is phenomenal!” – @chainGUNX via X.com
  • You explained it very clearly and openly. I appreciate this transparency, which is rare these days. You will receive criticism from both sides on this issue, so good luck and all the best!” – @Good_NewsGaming via X.com
  • “Basically sounds like a huge nothing. AI for quick prototyping is actually a fantastic use case and should theoretically help speed up early development work.” – AutomateAway via Reddit

Many gamers still associate the use of artificial intelligence with the theft of intellectual property, and when it comes to creating designs, the product of AI is often met with skepticism. That’s why the reaction of various fans is so extreme.

However, there are also benefits to using AI. An insider claims that GTA 6 could utilize it to become even more realistic: “If anyone does it, then it’s Rockstar” – GTA 6 could use advanced AI, says an insider

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