The original trilogy of Star Wars could not yet use significant CGI to realize many effects of the futuristic story. Instead, one had to use tricks in the films, as was the case with Luke’s hovering vehicle.
Which vehicle is it? In 1977, the first Star Wars film was released. Even then, not only space was shown, but also futuristic weapons, like the lightsaber or vehicles that could hover.
Since CGI could not be used on a large scale at that time, one had to try to represent futuristic technology with tricks and everyday objects. For the hovering speeders, George Lucas only needed mirrors and Vaseline.
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Star Wars Episode IV – Trailer for the download version
2 simple but effective tricks
How were the hovering vehicles created? Luke’s speeder is actually a modified car with 3 wheels, which one could even see if George Lucas hadn’t used mirrors.
Mirrors were placed on the sides of the vehicle, reflecting the ground, making the tires no longer visible. For wide camera angles, this effect was enough to deceive the viewer into believing that the car was hovering (Source: vidaextra.com).
For closer camera shots, one had to create an effect to make it look like the vehicle was being held up by some form of energy. For this, George Lucas used Vaseline. He smeared it on the lens of the camera to create a blurred effect under the speeder.
You can see how a scene with the speeder and Luke was filmed here:
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Newcomers are quitting World of Warcraft. Why? Because it’s too hard. Don’t believe it? Just give it a try and see what’s wrong.
There’s always a discussion about whether World of Warcraft is too easy or too hard. Those who have been playing for many years often think that WoW is a piece of cake and the game has no difficulties at all. However, newcomers frequently quit before reaching the maximum level.
Currently, it’s worse than ever – and that’s because one cannot handle the “newbie” experience without substantial prior knowledge.
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WoW mal so richtig ehrlich erklärt
What’s the problem? Veterans and long-time fans of WoW might find it hard to understand, but newcomers are struggling significantly when starting in World of Warcraft. Once again, the issue is the balancing and the prescribed path that new accounts must take. They lack gear, causing enemies to quickly become overpowering.
The catch: New accounts are forced to level their first character in Dragonflight and remain there until level 70.
However, acquiring gear in the Dragonflight expansion is highly regulated. During the main questline, which lasts approximately until level 40 for new accounts, players receive a complete armor set. But they must stay in Dragonflight until level 70. After that, obtaining new gear becomes difficult, as only a small fraction of side quests provide gear.
In many cases, this means that characters are still using their starting gear up to level 50 or 60.
This, in turn, leads to their character being far too weak. Quest mobs suddenly feel like boss fights, and for some “named” NPCs, one has to use all abilities just to survive.
Deaths while Questing – Maximum Frustration
This is extremely frustrating for newcomers, and anyone who dies multiple times during regular quests – getting weaker with each level-up – is likely to throw in the towel.
YouTuber Bellular made an interesting video analyzing these problems:
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Are there alternatives? Of course, there are ways to manually fix this: You can buy gear from the auction house, learn a profession and craft gear, or try your hand at dungeons. These are methods that are absolutely obvious to veterans – but not to newcomers.
And when their first experience in World of Warcraft is: “I can’t even reach the maximum level through questing and mobs are killing me constantly,” then that’s a major problem. Because there are MMORPGs everywhere – and why should one stay in one where the entry is so painful?
How absurd this is becomes clear to most when they take a step into the current expansion “The War Within.” Gear there is so powerful that you swap items with values like “+15 Intelligence and +20 Stamina” for items that have “+1,200 Intelligence and 1,800 Stamina.”
How can this be fixed? One way to address the problem would be the return of the leveling event, which provided additional loot. This loot could drop from all mobs and ensured that you regularly received better gear that perfectly matched your character’s level.
Another option would be vendors selling “quest sets” at the current level of a character. This was available in “Mists of Pandaria” and ensured that players were adequately equipped for quests and didn’t feel completely helpless.
However, Blizzard seems to be aware of this issue. They want to completely overhaul the experience for new players – probably with the expansion Midnight. This is also urgently needed because if the entry is so bad, many won’t even enjoy the exciting content that WoW has to offer. That WoW is too difficult for newcomers is not a new phenomenon: For years, Blizzard’s MMORPG has been too complex for newbies.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Known streamers like Critical Role are attracting many newcomers to the world of Dungeons & Dragons. A user has now watched a campaign for the first time and is wondering: Is it always like this? The community provides answers.
Why is the user wondering this? User Kai-Kn reaches out to the community in his thread in the DnD subreddit. He watched a campaign of Dungeons & Dragons for the first time and took on Fantasy High from the streaming group Dimension 20 (short D20) (on YouTube).
The group is regularly led by Dungeon Master Brennan Lee Mulligan and usually uses the rules of Dungeons & Dragons in its 5th Edition. They play custom campaigns with a fixed cast, which rotates for some side quests in special episodes.
He noticed a few things that seemed strange to him:
On one hand, the DM never lets the players spend gold on resources or things like lifestyle
On the other hand, traveling seems to need neither resources nor time
While he understands that the Fantasy High campaign does not represent a classic DnD setting due to its modern time frame, he still wonders why the DM runs his campaign this way and whether these are typical decisions.
He would also like to run a campaign soon and would definitely decide differently, as he wants traveling to play a big role and gold to be an important currency for the players.
In the comments, the community explains what it’s really about.
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Critical Role stellen ihr neues, eigenes Rollenspiel vor: Daggerheart
It depends on expectations and play style
What does the community explain to him? In the comments, the community answers his question. Users explain that this is primarily due to Brennan’s distinct personal style, and that every DM creates their own rule adjustments and additions over time. In Brennan’s case, this likely comes down to the following reasons:
Avoiding extensive handling of travel and shopping gives the campaign a faster and clearer line while also saving time. This is especially important because the group streams their sessions, and the focus would need to shift to other, more exciting points for viewers
At the same time, Brennan tailors the player experience to his players, who also desire a focus on the story and real objectives and would have significantly more fun. Shopping sprees and long travel explanations would slow down the experience too much.
Additionally, D20 campaigns are usually designed for a rough number of episodes, so “unnecessary” or less important game elements tend to be left out
Therefore, such things would primarily happen “off-screen” to avoid boring both viewers and players. Because a campaign for a livestream typically requires a very different focus and presentation than a campaign played among friends.
Brennan and his group stream under the name “Dimension 20” for Dungeons & Dragons
What do they advise the user? Therefore, the question is not: “Is this normal,” but: “What do I need or want for my group as a DM or player?” For a good and successful campaign, one must consider the extent and framework in which to play it.
For example, whether to play with friends or strangers or the level of experience would play a big role. As a DM, it is important to know the expectations of the players and meet them “somewhere in the middle” so that all involved can enjoy it.
What matters most is the balance between role-playing, combat, and other mechanics. The rule systems serve as a foundation upon which one can build a unique set of rules tailored to the individual group for each session, especially with new players.
This is the “secret” of a good Dungeon Master from the community’s perspective.
With Rogue Trader, Warhammer 40,000 already had a successful and extremely popular role-playing game. Now, developer Owlcat is making a sequel and wants to change a lot. The decision has been well received in the community. But what does this mean for the game?
What kind of role-playing game is this?
Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy is based on the pen and paper game of the same name (“TTRPG”). In this role-playing game, you play as an Inquisitor with a group of helpers. We don’t yet know exactly what the story is about, only that the nasty Night Lords play a role.
Owlcat is known for its cRPGs like the Pathfinder games and Rogue Trader. Dark Heresy is expected to play similarly with an isometric perspective, turn-based combat, and companions with whom you can develop relationships.
Nevertheless, there were some criticisms, including a few weaknesses in the rather linear story and the overly complex systems, especially regarding classes and combat.
Now, the developers have spoken with the English-language gaming website The Gamer and explained what they want to do differently. Dark Heresy is to be “developed from scratch” and will, for example:
offer a shorter story but provide more options regarding decisions, alliances, and alternative solutions
simultaneously give more insight into the diversity of the world by introducing mutants and Xenos
allow for more romances, including with a member of the Adeptus Mechanicus, which was not possible in Rogue Trader
simplify many systems, especially regarding combat
On Reddit, the decision has been well received. Rogue Trader was excellent, but the bloated combat and class systems were quite inaccessible. Many are looking forward to the upcoming title.
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Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy in the Announcement Trailer
No one questions the Inquisition
Among the new mechanics and options is the investigation system. As an Inquisitor, it is your task to uncover secrets and detect hidden dangers. For this, you can, for example, interrogate people.
From what you learn, you must draw your own conclusions. Executive Producer Anatoly Shestov compares this to the well-known meme of the guy in front of the wall with dozens of red threads connecting pieces of paper.
As it stands, it is expected that you will gather information through investigation that will provide advantages in possible battles or even allow you to bypass them entirely.
Alternatively, as it is at least implied, you could just shoot everyone who seems suspicious. This might close off some story options for you, but it would fit with the freedom of choice – and with the Inquisition. If the Inquisition says that someone was a heretic, one better not argue.
The vast majority of people in the Imperium – and not even Space Marines – should not oppose the Inquisition. Within the boundaries of the Imperium and sometimes beyond, the Inquisition has almost absolute power. It doesn’t even help to be a rogue trader who is otherwise allowed to do almost anything.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Pokémon GO is celebrating its anniversary. To celebrate the jubilee, an event featuring some Shinies and strong bonuses will take place.
It has been almost 9 years since Pokémon GO was released and sent trainers on a quest to catch monsters. In line with this anniversary, the “9th Anniversary Party for Pokémon GO” will be held in July. The event starts on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, at 10:00 AM and runs until Sunday, July 6, 2025, at 8:00 PM.
In keeping with the celebrations, the event will bring some costumed Pokémon, a shiny debut, an increased chance for some Shinies, as well as interesting bonuses. We have summarized exactly what they are for you.
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Pokémon GO starts new season Pleasant Days – Trailer for the season
All Event Content
Shiny debut: The event will feature Gierspenst in its Shiny variant for the first time. This monster is one of the rare species in Pokémon GO and can only be obtained through the Coin Bag or golden PokéStops. Conveniently, the golden PokéStops will be present at the birthday event.
Gierspenst can be evolved into Monetigo using Gierspenst coins, which is among the best attackers in Pokémon GO. For this, you will need 999 coins, which you can also acquire from golden PokéStops.
Costumed Pokémon: Several costumed Pokémon will be available during the event. Of these, 3 will be available in the game for the first time, and 2 have an increased shiny chance.
In the wild, you can find the following monsters:
Bisaknosp with party hat (first time in the game)
Bisaflor with party hat (first time in the game)
Gierspenst with 9th anniversary coin* (first time in the game)
Bisasam with party hat*
Glumanda with party hat*
Schiggy with party hat*
The 3 starter Pokémon will appear on specific days of the event. When exactly which starters will appear is not specified.
In 1-star raids, you can also challenge the following Pokémon:
Pikachu with cake hat**
Evoli with party hat**
All monsters marked with an * can also appear as Shiny. Pokémon marked with ** have an increased shiny chance.
Event bonuses: The event brings several bonuses:
PokéStops can become golden PokéStops without the need for a Gold Lure Module
while spinning golden PokéStops, 9, 99, or even more Gierspenst coins can be obtained
the costumed Gierspenst may have a special background
increased chance to become lucky friends
increased chance to receive lucky Pokémon when trading
friendship levels increase faster through joint battles and opening gifts
Additionally, there are some bonuses during the event that are active for specific time periods:
halved hatching distance for eggs (July 1, 2025, at 10:00 AM to July 3, 2025, at 10:00 AM)
doubled catch XP (July 3, 2025, at 10:00 AM to July 5, 2025, at 10:00 AM)
doubled catch Stardust (July 5, 2025, at 10:00 AM to July 6, 2025, at 8:00 PM)
Field research and free, limited-time research: If you log into the game during the event, you will receive a free limited-time research opportunity. This allows you to earn Stardust, experience points, and encounters with event Pokémon as rewards.
Event Pokémon can also be obtained through field research.
Masterwork research: For $4.99 (or approximately €5), you can acquire a new masterwork research titled “Fulfilled Wish,” which rewards you with a Shiny Jirachi. If you purchase the research before the event, you will also receive the following bonuses during the event:
doubled duration of lucky eggs
doubled duration of incense and daily adventure incense
Further content: There is also an event ticket that can be purchased for $1.99 (or approximately €2). With this, you will receive, among other things, 1 Super Incubator, 1 Dyna Mushroom, and an encounter with the costumed Gierspenst.
With the start of the event, there will also be a wristband for the 3 teams from Pokémon GO that you can purchase for your avatar. You can also receive event stickers from PokéStops and gifts.
June is coming to an end, but the first events and content for the upcoming month of July are already known for Pokémon GO. If you want to know what they are, take a look at our overview with all events in July 2025 in Pokémon GO.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A driver returns his rental car and is faced with an expensive bill. An AI has detected damage to the vehicle, for which the driver now has to pay.
Artificial intelligence is being used in more and more areas. For over a year now, for example, Amazon has been using technology to check its delivery vans for possible damage. The AI can capture this with a scan within a minute and immediately recognizes whether there is a problem or if the driver made a mistake during the drive.
In the meantime, the car rental company Hertz has also come up with the idea of using this technology to check rental cars. This was recently experienced by a driver who received a bill of around 375 euros after returning his vehicle. The AI found a damage.
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Slate Auto presents new truck with electric motor
Artificial intelligence detects vehicle damage in just a few minutes
The driver reports: The English-language magazine The Drive reports that a reader named Patrick allegedly rented a Volkswagen from Hertz.
When he returned the car, he had a centimeter-sized scratch on the rear wheel on the driver’s side. Patrick says that he was informed “minutes” after returning the VW about the damage, and that he would be charged for the damage:
250 dollars for the repairs.
125 dollars for processing.
65 dollars as an administrative fee.
A total of 440 US dollars for a minor damage to the tire. Converted, that’s about 375 euros. At least: Hertz is said to have offered the driver a discount, depending on how quickly he pays:
A discount of 52 dollars if he agrees to the terms and pays within two days.
Or a discount of 32.50 dollars if he pays within a week.
Inspection system relies on three camera systems that completely scan the car
What kind of technology is this? Behind the technology of the inspection stations is the company Uveye: This technology consists of three independent, high-resolution camera systems that do in seconds what it takes a human several minutes: One scans the underside of the vehicle, one checks the quality of the tires, and one focuses on the body of the vehicle. The driver only needs to drive the vehicle through the station, and the AI takes care of the rest.
The AI control of the vehicle is also transparent; all indications and damages are displayed directly to the user via a web app. This way, he can also walk around the car and check the damages that the AI has found. Even Patrick had to admit this.
The sudden cancellation of Hytale is currently affecting countless fans and those involved. Thousands are even trying to save the potential competitor to Minecraft, employing very different strategies.
Apparently, Riot Games (League of Legends) was not willing to invest sufficient additional funds into the studio, which it bought in 2020, after 10 years of development and ongoing delays to make the team’s envisioned vision a reality.
Here is one of the trailers for Hytale:
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Hytale – Trailer zum Minecraft-MMORPG
Sudden cancellation causes a state of emergency
What happened after the announcement? A certain hype had built up around Hytale over the years, which is now reflected in the reactions of many fans.
Under the hashtag #SaveHytale, the community is campaigning on X for support to finalize Hytale.
There are several petitions aimed at persuading those responsible at Riot to save Hytale or make the game available as an open-source project – for example, here at change.org, with more than 1,680 signatures.
Parts of the community are specifically looking for a potential savior and are even trying to entice Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone (the creator of Stardew Valley) to consider the project. His reaction (via X): An investment could pay off, “but I would first need to learn more about the developers’ plans for why it actually failed, and so on.”
Diverse content creators reportedly held an emergency meeting on Discord, as shown by a participant’s picture @not_mynes. His accompanying comment: “Hytale creators are currently acting like there’s a national emergency in the Pentagon.”
There are several open letters from fans to Riot, aiming to achieve something similar, such as this one on X.
In one of these letters on X, the community expresses the desire for decision-makers to engage in discussions with Simon Collins-Laflamme. The original founder of Hypixel had commented on X about the cancellation and stated that he would be willing to invest 25 million USD under certain conditions to see Hytale completed.
Among the conditions he mentioned is primarily that his family must agree to this “enormous challenge that will affect all aspects of life”. However, the team would also likely need to be reduced, the focus would need to be redirected, some areas made available as open source, and planned but not yet finalized features cut.
What was Hytale supposed to be? Hytale was announced in 2018 and was meant to be a sandbox RPG set in a procedurally generated fantasy world. Due to its blocky appearance, comparisons to Minecraft were inevitable. The developers at Hypixel Studios were inspired by their own Minecraft server, “Hypixel”, and started development in 2015.
Their ambitions to create a better Minecraft were grand. The first trailer released on YouTube thrilled viewers and garnered over 61 million views. The release was planned for 2021. However, that did not happen.
In the regular updates from the developers, starting in 2022, it was mentioned that the technical framework of Hytale was to be developed from the ground up. Furthermore, ambitions kept growing, and the game became increasingly complex. The developers did not provide a new release date. This circumstance led to growing skepticism within the community: millions are waiting for a sandbox RPG, but even 6 years later, there is no sign of the ‘Minecraft killer’.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the first act of Baldur’s Gate 3, you are tasked with killing a dangerous devil. However, this devil is not really a devil, but a popular companion who wants to join you on your journey – whether with a head or not. Here you can find out how it works.
Which character is being talked about? It is the tiefling barbarian Karlach, one of the most popular characters from Baldur’s Gate 3, who many players have quickly grown fond of. In the game, you get the task to kill her from Wyll, who considers her a devil, or from the paladins of Tyr, who are on a mission from Zariel. You can either follow through with this or ally with Karlach instead.
Players have discovered that there is a way to somehow fulfill both at the same time. Killing her and taking her head as proof does not necessarily mean you have to give up Karlach as a team member. She can definitely fight by your side… just unfortunately without a head.
Here you see an animated short film about Baldur’s Gate 3, featuring Karlach – but here she still has her head:
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Der animierte Kurzfilm zu Patch 8, dem letzten Update für Baldur’s Gate 3
Even a headless Karlach is a strong Karlach
How can you recruit the headless Karlach? If you want to gain the benefits and rewards from killing Karlach without giving her up, you can achieve that with the right approach. Player Klondy shares on Reddit how it worked:
You need to have recruited Wyll and spoken with the paladins of Tyr to get the option to behead Karlach.
All players must be near Karlach, but not too close to trigger the cutscene.
You should kill her with a move before she notices or can react. Klondy did this invisibly hidden with a smoke barrel and a fireball.
Now send a companion (not your own player character) to Karlach to get the option to sever her head as proof. But beware! This should not be done! You should only initiate the conversation.
Now send another companion who is good at sneaking and stealing behind Karlach without her seeing him.
A third character must now resurrect Karlach with a scroll. This immediately triggers a scene that pulls the other characters into a conversation with Karlach. The hidden character should not be in this conversation, otherwise the trick will not work.
The hidden character can now steal Karlach’s head from her inventory, completing the trick. Now you can recruit a headless Karlach, who is actually not angry that you took her head.
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How does this affect the rest of the game? Although Karlach no longer has a head, you can still talk to her. Larian even made sure that she still has some sort of speaking animation, as the hole at the severed part of the neck moves accordingly to her dialogue.
If you want to continue Wyll’s quest as if you had killed Karlach, you should talk to him before resurrecting Karlach. This way, you might also retain Wyll’s “normal” appearance if you take a long rest here, but this is just a hypothesis, as Klondy has not tested it.
Furthermore, you can collect the reward from the paladins when you show them Karlach’s head. However, Klondy killed the paladins right after receiving the reward to get Karlach’s head back. “It’s super funny that Karlach throws her own head at people.” (Klondy via Reddit)
Another player, Roger_The_Cat_, asked if the illusion spell “Disguise Self” remains headless as well. The disguised illusion has a head again, but once the spell is over, it disappears again.
More reactions under the Reddit post include many players wanting to test what a romance with a headless Karlach would look like. To build a relationship with Karlach, you must gain her trust. If you need some tutoring on that, you can find out more here on MeinMMO. Here we show you how to win over the tiefling: Baldur’s Gate 3: Karlach Romance Guide – How to find and woo the hot tiefling girlfriend
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Recently there have been some departures from the popular Pen & Paper Dungeons & Dragons: Among others, two long-time and important figures behind the game have now joined the competition. In the GameStar Talk, our experts discuss how things might proceed from here.
What happened with Dungeons & Dragons? In 2024, Wizards of the Coast, the company behind Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), released the latest edition of the game. In April, two of the key designers left the company: Chris Perkins and Jeremy Crawford. Both joined a subsidiary of Critical Role in June, the leading streaming group for D&D.
It is now also known that two more key figures behind D&D are gone: The well-known DM Todd Kenreck reportedly resigned via X.com. He was also active on the game’s YouTube channel. Almost simultaneously, the Vice President Jess Lanzillo announced she had left Wizards of the Coast.
What is discussed in GameStar Talk? Specifically, Chris Perkins and Jeremy Crawford, two creative minds who shaped D&D for decades, are now missing. The discussion revolves around the possible future of the game, the 2024 edition, the online companion D&D Beyond, and a potential Baldur’s Gate 4. Here you can watch the video on YouTube:
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Who are the experts? In the GameStar Talk, our experts Paul Aeils from the GameStar YouTube channel, Fabiano Uslenghi from the GameStar team, Eleen Reinke from GamePro, and the MeinMMO Pen & Paper expert Benedict Grothaus discuss:
Host Paul Aeils (via GameStar) is a great fan of Pen & Paper and is currently running a Cyberpunk game. He has also tried his hand at D&D, Mörk Borg, and other systems.
For GamePro, Eleen Reinke is also part of the Talk. She is an editor there and enjoys Pen & Paper games in her spare time, including D&D and Shadowrun. Currently, she is running a campaign that has lasted several years.
Benedict Grothaus, editor at MeinMMO, is also participating. He has been a Pen & Paper player for many years, although he is not playing as much as he would like at the moment. Additionally, he brings expertise from the industry.
Disclaimer: GameStar, GamePro, MeinMMO, and GameStar Talk are part of Webedia.
What will happen with D&D, Wizards of the Coast, and Hasbro cannot yet be said concretely. However, one thing is certain: for the Pen & Paper there are several exciting resources and cool settings. Seven of them are presented here by MeinMMO editor Alexander Schürlein: 7 settings from Dungeons & Dragons that are at least as exciting as the Sword Coast
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A pro becomes world champion for the third time in Call of Duty and is regarded as one of the best players, but he can only do this with the controller.
Who is it about? Anthony “Shotzzy” Cuevas-Castro is a professional “Call of Duty” player and is considered one of the best players of the popular shooter.
In 2020, Shotzzy became world champion in Call of Duty for the first time while playing for the “Dallas Empire” team. He is now with Team OpTic. With OpTic, Shotzzy became world champion again in 2024 and was additionally awarded as MVP (Most Valuable Player). On June 29, 2025, Shotzzy successfully defended the world championship title and won the important tournament again with OpTic.
Before Shotzzy played Call of Duty professionally, he was already an eSports player in Halo. He also became world champion there (2018) and was among the best players of the game.
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Activision shows the new Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 in the trailer for the Xbox Showcase 2025
A force on the controller, weaknesses with mouse and keyboard
What sets Shotzzy apart: Shotzzy is considered one of the best CoD players and is distinguished by exceptionally good aim and movement – at least when he holds a controller in his hands and can use the aim assist from Call of Duty. When playing with mouse and keyboard, he has weaknesses.
The eSports player lost one gunfight after another and quickly became annoyed. It was obvious that without a controller and the aim assist, which is a targeting aid, he could not compete at the highest level.
Shotzzy’s “weakness” is not unusual, but intentional
What is behind Shotzzy’s weakness? Shotzzy plays Call of Duty with a controller and is therefore inexperienced with mouse and keyboard. However, one cannot blame the professional or simplistically say that he merely exploits the aim assist. This is precisely intentional.
In Call of Duty, all professionals play with controllers. Not just because they want to, but because they have to. The Call of Duty League transitioned to mandatory controller use in 2020 (via callofdutyleague.com). And also in the rules of the Call of Duty Challengers 2025 – this is the path through which players can become professionals – the use of mouse and keyboard is prohibited.
In Dune: Awakening, a player has taken care of a missing feature themselves and attracts just as many interested parties who are pleased with their setup.
What feature is it about? On Reddit, the user Savings-Lazy shared their latest construction. They built a huge arena in the endgame area Deep Desert so players can duel.
They explain: “Since Funcom didn’t add an option to duel, I took it upon myself to build an arena.” In Dune: Awakening, the option for a duel, as known from MMORPGs, is still missing.
For duels in Dune: Awakening to work, a suitable location and the right game rules are needed, as everything only works if the players participate.
Here you can see what the future of Dune: Awakening looks like:
Start video
Dune: Awakening – Das ist die Zukunft des MMOs
Game Rules, Spectators, and Cheers
How does the arena work? The player explains in their post that the arena is located in the Deep Desert, which means that PvP is active everywhere, even in the spectator stands. Therefore, the right game rules are needed to prevent accidents.
Fighting is only allowed within the arena, and even there, killing enemies outright isn’t allowed. Instead, fighting continues until a player is knocked out and lying on the ground. According to user Savings-Lazy, the location is meant to serve as a place to test skills and weapons.
Those who prefer to watch can take a seat in the spectator stands and see how others duel. The screenshots on Reddit show that the arena is indeed being visited.
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How is the arena received? That a player simply brings a missing function into the game by creatively building an arena and establishing game rules is well received by the fans of Dune: Awakening. On Reddit, they praise their achievement:
ElectricalSpread8955 is looking forward to Reddit: “That’s so cool.”
DeadStockWalking says on Reddit: “Agreed, very cool. OP hit every part of it perfectly.”
Bismothe-the-Shade is inspired on Reddit: “I think I will try that too, a good idea.”
ghostwarrior47 knows of an even better version on Reddit: “Someone on my server built an arena in the middle of E5, with a spectator area and a bar on the PvE side and the arena on the PvP side.”
The Witcher 4 is highly anticipated by fans of the RPG series. A recently released tech demo has already given some impressions of the world and characters, but a developer warns against having too high expectations.
The tech demo is visually impressive and gives a taste of the finished game – but nothing more. The material shown is for demonstration purposes only and does not represent the final product. CD Projekt Red, however, fears that not all players are aware of this – which can lead to problems.
To avoid misunderstandings, a developer has elaborated further on the topic. After all, the team wants to avoid a fiasco like the release of Cyberpunk 2077 this time.
Here you can see the tech demo in full:
Start video
The tech demo of The Witcher 4 provides insights into the technology of the new game by CD Projekt Red
“Not the actual game”
What does the developer say? Jan Hermanowicz is part of CD Projekt Red and works as Engineering Production Manager on the new Witcher spin-off. In an interview with Gamesradar+, he discusses the new video material.
He emphasizes that this is a “technology demo, not the actual game or gameplay.” The showcased section of the world is supposed to actually appear in the game, and the art style and various design elements come from the ongoing development of The Witcher 4.
Nevertheless, the final game does not have to look the same as in the tech demo. Elements used can be altered or completely discarded.
In short: The product that will be launched can differ significantly from the tech demo.
Why is this important? CD Projekt Red had to learn a hard lesson with Cyberpunk 2077: The game was in a technically disastrous state at release – especially on consoles. Coincidentally, the tech demo of The Witcher 4 ran on a PS5, instead of a powerful PC – to prove that they want to do better this time.
Moreover, the trailers of Cyberpunk 2077 had probably raised false expectations among some players, partly because it was not always clear what was a tech demo and what was actual gameplay.
That’s why Jan Hermanowicz is very transparent with The Witcher 4: “We do not call it gameplay, we do not pretend that it is the actual game. It is a technology demo.”
The approach of being transparent from the beginning with the shown material for The Witcher 4 is certainly a good decision. This way, false expectations can hopefully be avoided.
A real story fireworks is practically a gift right now on Steam. For 2 euros, you get 12 hours of cinematic entertainment.
The Summer Sale 2025 is currently running on Steam, and this is the moment every year when gamers probably make the most poor decisions and once again increase their “Pile of Shame.” However, some titles and offers are just too tempting to pass up. Especially fans of gripping storylines can confidently strike this time – because for only 2 euros, a film-like game titled “Beyond: Two Souls” awaits.
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Beyond: Two Souls – Trailer for the mystery story hit
What is Beyond: Two Souls about? Beyond: Two Souls tells the story of Jodie Holmes. Jodie is not like other girls, as she is connected to a strange “entity.” A supernatural being that she named “Aiden” obeys her commands and grants her nearly magical abilities. Thus, Jodie can seemingly move objects through telekinesis or have Aiden tell her what he sees – even if she is several meters away or behind a wall.
Due to these abilities, Jodie grows up under the care of scientists and is later also used by government organizations who want to leverage her and Aiden’s skills to obtain special information as a spy.
Interestingly, Beyond: Two Souls does not always tell this story in chronological order. Sometimes a chapter takes place during Jodie’s adulthood, other times you experience her in her childhood. Thus, the puzzle pieces come together piece by piece, and you learn more about the mysterious Aiden – and all the problems Jodie has with the scientists.
And then there are naturally the “monsters” that Aiden always warns Jodie about…
Even as a child, Jodie had to prove her and Aiden’s powers.
Typical of Quantic Dream’s games, Beyond: Two Souls is more of an interactive movie than an actual action-adventure. While there are indeed many passages where you can directly control Jodie and explore the environment, in most cases your path is relatively clearly defined and influenced by the decisions you make.
For motion capturing, a real star ensemble has been gathered. For Jodie, Elliot Page plays the role, and Willem Dafoe plays the scientist in the “father role.”
If you’re interested in the game, it’s on Steam for 2 euros on sale until July 10th. It currently holds 88% positive reviews. However, the use of a controller is highly recommended, as Quick-Time Events are simply easier to play with them.
Quick-Time Events and Tough Decisions
How does the gameplay work? The gameplay is a mix of exploration, puzzle-solving, and Quick-Time Events, in addition to making decisions. Sometimes you have to fight your way through a forest and try to shake off pursuers, other times you have to engage in direct combat. At another moment, you need to tactically use Aiden’s powers to steal secret documents from a safe without being detected. Then at another point, you, as young Jodie, visit a children’s birthday party and have to decide how much you want to reveal about your “special friend” – weighing what the consequences of that might be.
Willem Dafoe plays the scientist who takes Jodie under his care.
Your decisions influence the story, and depending on whether you can convince other characters in dialogues or gain the upper hand in combat scenes, the course of the story changes. Because in most cases, failing does not mean “Game Over” – but rather a different course of the story. You can expect up to 24 different endings – some similar, some drastically different.
Various difficulty levels determine how often you can “fail” within a scene.
By the way, Beyond: Two Souls can also be played cooperatively. In this case, one person controls Jodie and the other person controls Aiden. This creates an interesting dynamic because, for the Aiden player to have a turn, Jodie must actively relinquish control. Once Aiden finishes his actions, he must also consciously return control to Jodie.
Can you stop your pursuers and escape? Or will you let them catch you?
This can lead to interesting moments where you, with Aiden or Jodie, might make decisions or take actions that the other person would probably not like…
If you don’t want that, you can, of course, play the game alone and take control of both characters yourself.
Who is the game worth it for? If you want to experience a really good story game with engaging narrative and interesting ideas – and can overlook minor weaknesses – Beyond: Two Souls is the right choice. And for the nearly ridiculous price of 1.99 €, you get an adventure in which you will spend at least 12 hours – if you are interested in all the endings and alternative possibilities, this time could well double.
If you enjoy this type of games, the “Quantic Dream Collection” bundle might also be worth it. It includes Fahrenheit, Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls, and Detroit: Become Human, for only 18 € – so story fans would have something to do for the whole month. By the way, I have been holding back a Beyond: Two Euro-joke this whole time. Be proud of me.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Denmark, there are plans to change copyright law: Everyone should own their own likeness. The change aims primarily to prevent identity theft.How the Danish state intends to control this in the future is another question.
What does Denmark want to change? Denmark wants to adjust copyright law. In the future, every person should be the owner of their own image. This includes the body, face, and even the voice. This change is intended to protect individuals from having their identities stolen by AI.
The Danish Minister of Culture, Jakob Engel-Schmidt, said to the English-language Guardian:
In the draft legislation, we agree and send an unambiguous message that every individual has the right to their own body, their own voice, and their own facial features, which the current law obviously does not do to protect people from generative AI. People can be run through the digital copying machine and misused for all sorts of purposes, and I am not willing to accept that.
It is relevant that the law is not intended to target parody or satire. Instead, the Danish government intends primarily to focus on issues such as defamation and misinformation. So, a pope in a down jacket could still exist in the future.
The Danish government has approved the proposal, and nine out of ten members support the change. Thanks to this support, the Ministry of Culture is preparing a proposal to amend the law, which is expected to come into force in the fall of 2025.
Start video
Students spy on passersby with hidden cameras and AI, find name and address in seconds
Deepfakes are considered a major danger and a tool of fraudsters
What is the problem with deepfakes? Deepfakes are primarily manipulated video or audio files altered using artificial intelligence to appear deceptively real. Some of these have become so good that it’s hard to distinguish fakes from real videos.
On one hand, some of these fakes are meant to be funny or absurd. For example, a video was circulated featuring former Pope Francis in a down jacket, causing amusement and irritation.
On the other hand, fraudsters are deliberately exploiting the situation to stage kidnappings or spread propaganda with false faces. Some sites spread sexual and offensive content that is fake, causing shaking of heads and horror among those affected. With the amendment to the law, the goal is to prevent such fakes. Denmark also wants to specifically punish violations of the law. How this will work exactly is not yet known.
Using artificial intelligence, fake videos can be generated that look real. Intel is now developing an AI that is supposed to recognize such videos. You can read about how this works in the following article on MeinMMO: Intel develops AI to prevent you from falling for fake videos
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
With The Alters, a special survival game was released on Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation, where you need to clone yourselves and make difficult decisions. The game was also popular on Metacritic, but now there are complaints about the use of AI.
– For generating placeholder text that was supposed to be removed at release – For translating some subtitles for the films that the studio created for The Alters
The latter was due to time constraints, as the studio 11 Bit Studios actually has a translation partner. Both community comments regarding the use of AI will be removed from the game.
The team also admits that they should have informed the community that an AI was involved in the development process. They apologize and emphasize that transparency is important to them (Source: x.com).
What is The Alters? In The Alters, you take on the role of Jan Dolski, an astronaut who has crashed after an expedition. He is the only survivor of his team and now faces challenges that he cannot overcome alone.
For this reason, he uses a quantum computer to replicate himself from different realities in order to activate his base. The goal is to survive, gather resources, and escape alive from the planet you are stuck on.
The Alters shows its gameplay trailer with clones who have made different life choices
Developers forgot to remove AI responses from the game
What have fans discovered? The Alters allegedly used AI to generate text or translate conversations. The former is said to occur in the background, on various displays of the base. Sentences like “Sure, here is a revised version that focuses solely on scientific and astronomical data.” have been discovered on the displays, which AIs send to the user when they execute a command.
Here you can see the statement from the AI that the studio forgot to remove (Source: bsky.app)
Another piece of evidence for the use of AI is the aforementioned translation. In Portuguese, texts along with the AI’s response are displayed to the player and packed into the subtitles. For many fans, this is a reason to boycott the game, as the developers have concealed the use of AI.
What is the problem for many? There are different games on Steam that use AIs to ease development. Some use them to assist with translation, while other studios create designs with them.
Valve has clearly stated in a post what things must be disclosed as AI-generated content (Source: store.steampowered.com). This includes:
Pre-generated: Any content created during development using AI tools (artwork, code, audio, etc.)
Live-generated: Any content created using AI tools in the running game
For many fans, this also includes assistance with content translation, as well as creating small details in the background – like the displays on the monitors. The Alters currently (as of June 30, 10:56 AM) does not have a description that they have used AI for development.
It cannot be said what exactly was created with AI and what wasn’t.
We have requested a statement from 11Bit Studios, the developers of The Alters. Our article will be updated as soon as we receive a response.
How are fans reacting to the omission? They are disappointed. Many of them were excited about The Alters and even wanted to leave good reviews on Steam, but now after the concealment of the AI usage, they are appalled. The following can be heard on Steam:
“Garbage with undisclosed AI-generated content.” – tortique
“This game uses artificial intelligence, but that is not disclosed. Had I known this, I wouldn’t have purchased it.” – mousithri
“It breaks your heart when such a unique artistic vision is ruined by AI. I am very disappointed with an otherwise good game. I hope the developers will listen and fix it in the future.” – Чоки
“I enjoyed the interpersonal drama of the game, but then I found out that it used generative AI for translations, at least for some background texts and symbols. I wouldn’t have bought the game if it had been disclosed according to Valve’s agreements.” – Periapsys
It remains to be seen how the developers will respond to the debacle, but so far there has been no response from the studio or any of the developers of The Alters. Until then, you can find new survival alternatives here: The 30 best survival games of 2025 for PS5, Steam, and Xbox
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
“Harry Potter is fantasy, everything is made up!”, one might think at first glance. But if you take a closer look, you can discover some characters that we also know from our world.
Really, they existed? A special charm of Harry Potter lies in its setting. We are not on a fictional planet, but in our very normal world. All the magic is just well hidden from us Muggles! This makes the story feel a bit more realistic for us, even though it is of course not.
Accordingly, J.K. Rowling took some people from our Muggle world and incorporated them into her story. These are mainly famous historical figures as well as characters from Muggle legends who became wizards in Harry Potter.
How is the list sorted? For a bit of suspense, we roughly sort the list by the magical power of the candidates. The really strong witches and wizards come last.
Start video
Teaser for the new ‘Harry Potter’ series evokes nostalgic feelings
Rank 9: Angus Buchanan
The grumpy caretaker Argus Filch was also a squib.
Angus Buchanan was the son of a Scottish wizarding family. What his parents, however, did not know for a long time: Angus had no magical abilities – he was a squib. However, as his father had strong prejudices against squibs, Angus hid this fact for years. His siblings even smuggled him to Hogwarts, where the deception was uncovered by the Sorting Hat.
As it had to happen: Angus’s father also learned about his son’s lack of powers and threw him out. Luckily, Angus was taken in by a kind and loving Muggle family and soon discovered his special talent for the Muggle sport of rugby. He became a professional player and brought Scotland victory in an international match. Later, he published a book titled “My Life as a Squib”, in which he processed his story.
In fact, the real Angus Buchanan was also a successful Scottish rugby player. And just like in Harry Potter, this Angus had no magical abilities, what a coincidence!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Pokémon GO has announced the grand finale for the GO Fest. Something big is going to happen – and only one special Pokémon seems to be in question.
When is the GO Fest finale? The GO Fest finale will take place on August 23 and 24, 2025. The team behind Pokémon GO announced this with the help of a teaser.
What does the teaser show? The focus is on Zacian and Zamazenta in their new royal forms. The two Pokémon are running towards a light that’s breaking through a cloud in the darkened sky.
The title of the teaser mentions that one should prepare for something big.
Of course, everything is quite open-ended, but looking at the teaser overall, it can only mean one thing: Everything points to the debut of Endynalos.
You can watch the teaser here on YouTube:
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This legendary Pokémon is a Poison-Dragon from space. It is the counterpart to Zamazenta and Zacian.
In Pokémon Shield and Sword, it is told how Endynalos once crashed to Earth in a meteor and tried to absorb the energy of the Galar region. This caused a gigantic dark storm that went down in history as “Dark Night” and caused Pokémon to dynamax everywhere and create chaos. Possibly a fitting end for the current Pokémon GO season “Lovely Days”.
Endynalos (via pokemon.com)
Endynalos then lost in a legendary battle against Zacian and Zamazenta and has not been seen for thousands of years, until the story of Shield and Sword begins and a new battle ignites.
The special thing about Endynalos: This Pokémon has a special Dynamax form, the “Unendynamax” form. This Pokémon is among the absolute most powerful Pokémon in the series. Unendynamax-Endynalos has the highest total stats of all Pokémon, surpassing rivals like Mega-Mewtwo, Mega-Rayquaza or the Proto-Pokémon.
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So sah das Pokémon GO Fest 2025 in Paris aus
The problem with Endynalos: So far, it has not been possible to catch Unendynamax-Endynalos in any game. The normal variant can be obtained – but the overpowered Dynamax version has so far been unreachable. It seems unlikely that Pokémon GO will change that. But: Let’s wait and see.
Because so far, it is not yet 100 % clear that the teaser is about Unendynamax-Endynalos. Who knows, maybe there is just a new version of Jigglypuff! Here we have to wait for more information to become available. However, it is already clear how things will continue with Pokémon GO in July. You can find all events in July 2025 in Pokémon GO here.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The developers of Last Epoch have announced their third season in a new teaser trailer. While players are excited, there are also concerns that Path of Exile 2 could once again get in their way.
What has been announced? The developers of Last Epoch have announced their new season. The third season of the ARPG is set to start on August 21, 2025, and will likely run under the theme of dinosaurs.
In the teaser, a hunter is seen being attacked by a beast, turning from hunter to prey. But at the last moment, the hunter is able to see the creature and draws his bow. At the end of the short teaser, a kind of Tyrannosaurus Rex (T-Rex) is shown, roaring loudly with a large skull, sharp teeth, but small arms.
The official title for Season 3 is also revealed. It will be called “Beneath Ancient Skies,” indicating the dinosaur theme as well.
Here you can watch the teaser trailer:
Start video
Last Epoch shows Season 3 in the teaser trailer of Hunters and Prey switch
Two Releases in August
Why are fans worried? Many Last Epoch fans are excited about the developers’ announcement, and the dinosaur theme is also well-received:
@spyder2238 looks forward to YouTube: “Ohh, a Jurassic Park reference.”
@Wissle has noticed it too: “Jurassic Park reference? Rest in peace for that poor hunter.”
However, alongside the excitement for the new season, some players are also worried about the release date. While August 21 is still a bit away, Path of Exile 2 is also expected to start its new season in August if they stick to their own schedule.
In the past, the developers of Last Epoch have communicated a date for their new season that had to be postponed because Path of Exile 2 chose a too similar date. Fans are now afraid that history might repeat itself:
kevinhill92 explains on Reddit: “The next PoE2 league is supposed to start in August. The LE team postponed their last launch because of the last PoE2 league. It could happen again.”
PoorLittlePicklePest finds on Reddit: “They can’t keep doing this now that the PoE1 and PoE2 leagues are on schedule; they will have trouble avoiding both of these as well as D4. They should just pick a date and stick to it; people can play what they prefer.”
CloudConductor sees it similarly on Reddit: “And this time PoE even announced it first, haha. But since PoE1/2 are supposedly alternating leagues every 2 months, it will be hard to avoid conflicts.”
kevinhill92 sees gaps again on Reddit: “Well, PoE said every 2 months; so LE could theoretically launch in September, January, May.”
So far, it is still unknown when exactly the next season of Path of Exile 2 is set to start. However, the developers of Path of Exile have confirmed that there will be a new season every 2 months. Therefore, it is highly likely that Season 2 of Path of Exile 2 will start in August. Whether it will be like last time remains to be seen: First, Path of Exile 2 annoys the competition with their release date, now Last Epoch strikes back on Steam
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Title Update 2 is now playable in Monster Hunter Wilds and the servers are back online. What to expect, you can read here.
What highlights can you expect? In addition to the two new monsters Lagiacrus and Seregios, there are also several other exciting innovations waiting for you. A focus has been placed on performance improvement, which has been a problem for many players since release.
Other major changes that the community has long desired include:
The option to change the appearance of your weapon with the so-called “decoration weapons”
An option to disable the glow of buffs on the hunter
A combat-hardened variant added by Uth Duna that will be huntable later in an event quest
Hardened monsters can now also appear in herds
What else is included, you can read here.
[toc]
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Monster Hunter Wilds: Trailer for Title Update 2 shows Lagiacrus in action
Complete Patch Notes for Title Update 2 in Monster Hunter Wilds
Here you will find the patch notes for TU2:
Important innovations and changes
Monsters
The Lagiacrus has been added and is available in an additional mission. Hunters must have reached at least JR 31 and completed the main mission “The World is Upside Down” and the side mission “Doshaguma in the Forest” to unlock the additional mission.
The hardened Lagiacrus has been added and appears once the Lagiacrus additional mission is completed and JR 41 is reached.
The Seregios has been added and is available in an additional mission. Hunters must have reached at least JR 31 and completed the main mission “The World is Upside Down” to unlock the additional mission.
The hardened Seregios has been added and appears once the Seregios additional mission is completed and JR 41 is reached.
The combat-hardened Uth Duna has been added. (Available in a future event quest.)
Hardened monsters now appear in monster herds.
Players
– New equipment and abilities have been added.
– New charms and stickers have been added.
– New spoken lines, pose sets, and gestures have been added.
– New Saikrii decorations have been added.
– Decoration weapons for hunters and Palicoes have been added.
– β-set armors have been added to decoration armor settings. α versions in possession of players automatically unlock β versions.
– New backgrounds, poses, nameplates, and titles for the hunter profile have been added.
– Additional helper hunters have been added: Mina (Sword & Shield) and Fabius (Lance). They can join quests once the main mission “Hunter’s Pride” has been completed. Fabius is only available during a limited-time seasonal event.
– A function has been added to the quest switcher that allows players to choose which helper hunters will assist when dropping a distress signal.
Bases and facilities
Object chests have been added outside of tents in base camps and the Great Site.
An outdoor object chest has been added as a storage equipment option for field camps.
The lobby-switching menu can now be opened from the tent of base camps or field camps.
A function to switch the field expert from Alma to Erik and vice versa has been added. This function is unlocked after completing the Lagiacrus mission.
A function for trading seasonal event items has been added to the supply depot.
A new Festival of Harmony takes place from July 23 to August 6, 2025.
The following features will be temporarily modified during the Festival of Harmony: Field expert clothing, Saikrii decorations, the Diva’s playlist, decorations in the Great Site, the menu in the canteen, barrel bowling, and barrel bowling bombs. The costumes of Erik and Gemma can also be changed.
Barrel bowling now has additional reward slots and special pin setups for seasonal events. Barrel bowling bombs behave differently during seasonal events for a very special challenge compared to Large barrel bombs.
New temporary bounties have been added (“Research Aid: Fishing” and “Research Aid: Creatures”).
New leaderboard categories have been added (Fishing, Native Creatures).
A smithing function for automatically selecting armor spheres during armor enhancement has been added, which converts excess points into armor spheres.
A smithing function for automatically selecting materials for enhancing Artian weapons has been added, which converts excess points into materials.
Miscellaneous
The additional mission “Under Voltage” has been added. It will be available after completing the main mission “The World is Upside Down” and the side mission “Doshaguma in the Forest” as soon as you leave the Karmin Forest and switch to another region.
The additional mission “Partly Clear, Partly Sandstorm” has been added. It will be available after completing the main mission “The World is Upside Down”.
The side mission “The Fashion Hunt is Open” has been added. It will be available after completing the main mission “The World is Upside Down” and the side mission “Quality Seal of the Blacksmith”.
A new area has been added to the Karmin Forest. It will be available during the additional mission “Under Voltage”.
A new important dialogue for Ferdinand in the base camp of the Wind Abyss has been added. Talk to him and fulfill the conditions to receive a new charm.
The ambient info can now be accessed in the Great Site and contains announcements at the time of events like the Festival of Harmony.
Changes for Steam:
Steam®– A notification will now pop up when the application is started with pending graphics card driver updates, unsupported operating system, or compatibility mode.
New customizable keyboard configurations have been added.
DLSS4 and FSR4 are now supported for graphic upscaling. DLSS4 requires a NVIDIA RTX 5000 series or higher graphics card. FSR4 requires an AMD Radeon 9000 series or higher graphics card.
NVIDIA DLSS for multi-frame generation is now supported and can be found in the graphics settings under “Frame Generation”. When using a NVIDIA RTX 5000 series or higher graphics card, the frame rate can be increased by 2-4 times or set to “NVIDIA DLSS Auto” to dynamically toggle frame generation on and off based on load.
The upscaling and frame generation settings in the graphics options have been separated from each other. Frame generation can now be set independently from the upscaling settings. Example: With a NVIDIA RTX 3000 series graphics card, upscaling via NVIDIA DLSS can now be selected in conjunction with frame generation from AMD FSR or other combinations.
Lobby ID and hunter ID can now be copied to the clipboard via the start menu.
The hunting group ID can now be copied to the clipboard via the start menu.
A new graphics setting to disable screen distortion effects in underwater or lava areas has been added.
A function has been added to quickly refill item bags and ammo bags.
The ammo bag is now automatically refilled when an item set is activated.
The material procurement for Nata has been given the “Take All” function.
A function “Remove All Decorations” has been added to the “Edit Decorations” submenu.
The hunter profile of the group leader can now be accessed via the hunting group map.
An option to display elapsed time in arena quests (and other time-based quests) in the objectives has been added. Previous best times can also now be accessed.
The equipment appearance can now be accessed via the equipment info or Palico info in the start menu.
The chat log can now be accessed via the start menu.
Photo mode options for “Effects” and “Character Display” have been added. Gestures and poses can now also be selected from the first-person perspective.
The “Completed Quests” page of the hunter profile has been added to the category “All Quests Except Arena”, which excludes total weapon usage. The previous “All Quests” category has been appended to the end of the list. Additionally, the target quest category has been added the function to reset weapon usage.
“Best Times” entries for arena quests in the hunter profile and quest switcher can now be deleted. (Times in the leaderboards of the expedition record board cannot be deleted.)
The following options have been added:
An option “Health Bar Warning”
A display option “Fixed” under “Display Elapsed Time in Quests”
An option “Highlight Active Effects”
An option “Highlight Equipped Talismans”
An option “Display Damage from Helpers”
An option “Collect Excess Items”
Bug fixes and balance adjustments
Bases and facilities
A bug has been fixed that prevented any input from being registered in barrel bowling when certain steps were taken.
The likelihood that the pins in barrel bowling are arranged the same way for several consecutive days has been reduced.
A bug has been fixed that caused stumps in the Great Site to sometimes float in the sky.
Object requests for material procurement can now be performed during weather events in Kunafa and Azuz, and objects can now still be collected during weather events.
Monsters
The frequency at which monsters discover field camps has been adjusted.
A bug has been fixed that prevented stealth attacks in the arena from causing normal damage at times.
Hardened wounds in future free challenge quests are now at fixed locations.
A bug has been fixed that caused the size of a target monster to change when an investigation with only one attempt remaining was accepted.
Players
Generally
Players now gain control over their character faster after starting a quest.
The responsiveness of the gather action for players has been improved, especially when riding the Saikrii.
The abnormal status “Bleeding” now recovers faster when the character moves while crouching.
A bug has been fixed that caused the effects of the ability “Smooth Polished Blade” to not be removed when entering/exiting the training area.
A bug has been fixed that caused players to have multiple types of Large Barrel Bombs in their item bag when collecting a previously placed Large Barrel Bomb while having a Blossom Barrel Bomb in their possession.
A bug has been fixed that caused pressing the sprint button (set to single press) from a crouch when standing up to result in a “run” movement rather than a sprint.
A bug has been fixed that caused the status “Entangled” to not be removed correctly by “Cleaning Wasp Delivery”.
Other minor bug fixes and related adjustments for all weapon actions have been made.
Sword & Shield
The base damage and stun values of “Shield Attack”, “Shield Strike”, and “Hard Strike” have been slightly increased.
The base damage of the final part of “Perfect Charge” has been slightly increased.
It is now harder to execute the block hit multiple times in a row.
The dodging window for the Sliding Wiper has been slightly extended.
The damage from “Chop” and “Side Hit” has been slightly decreased.
The base damage of Counter Hit has been decreased.
A bug has been fixed that allowed focus attacks to be accidentally executed multiple times on the same wound on certain monsters.
Dual Blades
The movement direction can now be changed midway when players transition into demon mode immediately after dodging.
When players dodge in demon bonus mode (while in demon mode), they now transition into Blade Dance II when activating Blade Dance. (If the demon gauge is not sufficiently filled, Blade Dance I will occur instead.)
The responsiveness of Blade Dance II has been improved.
The movement speed in demon mode has been increased.
The base damage of basic actions like “Demon Six Slash”, “Demon Whirlwind”, and “Demon Spiral” has been increased.
The base damage, element, and status scaling of “Screw Cutter” have been significantly increased.
The base damage of “Focus: Tide Turn” has been increased.
The base damage of “Heavenly Blade Dance” has been increased.
The element and status scaling of “Blade Dance” have been slightly decreased, while the base damage has been increased.
The base damage bonus in demon bonus mode has been slightly decreased, while the element scaling bonus has been increased.
A bug has been fixed that caused the bonuses of the demon bonus mode to remain longer than intended due to the ability “Power Extension”.
A bug has been fixed that caused unintended camera shaking in demon mode.
Longsword
The element scaling for Crimson Slash II has been significantly increased.
The base damage, element, and status scaling for “Crimson Slash III” have been increased.
“Crimson Slash III” moves into “Elan Blade I” faster now.
The base damage of “Elan Unleashed Slash” has been slightly increased.
The base damage of “Elan Round Slash” at red Elan bar has been increased.
The base damage of “Spinning Crimson Slash” has been increased.
The base damage of “Iai Elan Slash” at white and yellow Elan bars has been increased.
The element and status scaling for “Crimson Slash I” has been decreased.
Hammer
When a monster is staggered by a successful counterattack, you can now execute a special follow-up attack.
You can now execute “Focus: Earthquake” directly after “Charged Side Sweep”.
The attacks “Charged Upward Swing” and “Powerful Charged Upward Swing” have been given counter effects.
Charge levels now increase faster after performing a charged step after dodging.
The base damage of “Charged Big Bang” has been increased.
The base damage and element scaling of “Powerful Impact Crash” have been increased.
The hit zones for certain attacks like Big Bang have been adjusted.
A bug has been fixed that caused the damage display for “Big Bang IV” to be shown twice.
Hunting Horn
Performing the focus attack: Echo with precise timing now plays an extra note at the end of the attack.
Offering “Focus: Echo” with precise timing now places an echo bubble at the end of the attack. (You can cancel the echo bubble by holding R2 (PS5), RT (Xbox), or R (PC keyboard with default layout) at the end of the action.)
A single hit of “Resounding Melody” on a monster now triggers a sound wave.
Your Saikrii no longer stops for mounted performances.
The damage hit zone of the echo bubble has been significantly increased.
The duration of invulnerability during the counter melody has been increased.
A bug has been fixed that caused melodies to be shown that were not yet offered as encore when switching from one hunting horn to another.
A bug has been fixed that caused a hit with the counter melody to sometimes not trigger counter attacks.
A bug has been fixed that caused saved notes not to reset correctly when executed as special performance.
Lance
You can now execute a charge counter immediately after “Focus Attack: Victory Strike”.
The hit zone of “Focus Attack: Victory Strike” has been adjusted to make landing hits easier.
A bug has been fixed that caused shield attacks during “Focus Attack: Determination” to unintentionally destroy monster wounds.
Gunlance
A bug has been fixed that caused critical hits during multiple hits of certain actions like the “Full Wyrmstake Multiple Explosion” to also cause follow-up hits to be critical hits.
Morph Axe
Adjusting your distance to monsters while using “Unrestrained Slash” and “Full Unleashed Slash” has been made easier in focus mode.
The backward movement triggered by the “Element Unleashing Death Strike” can now be slightly reduced by tilting the left stick in the character’s facing direction.
The element scaling of subsequent explosions from sword attacks when using element vials has been significantly increased.
The element scaling of subsequent explosions from the abilities “Unrestrained Slash”, “Full Unleashed Slash”, and “Axe: Additional Attack Morph Slash” when using element vials has been significantly increased.
The base damage of “Axe: Heavy Additional Attack Knockdown” and “Axe: Additional Attack Morph Slash” has been increased.
The switch gauge recovery when performing standard attacks in axe mode has been increased.
Base damage and enhancement gauge recovery of “Axe: Morph Upward Double Slash” have been increased, and the switch gauge consumption has been reduced.
Base damage and enhancement gauge recovery of “Sword: Triple Slash” have been increased.
The switch gauge consumption when using “Sword: Overhead Slash” has been reduced.
A bug has been fixed that caused the damage scaling of the ability “Lightning Morph” to not be applied to the landing of the Jumped Morph Slash.
Energy Blade
Block points now have detection for perfect blocking, and you can now execute “Wild Axe Slash” directly after a perfect block.
The base damage of “Super Enhanced Element Unleashing” directly after performing certain attacks (like “Enhanced Element Unleashing”) has been increased.
The base damage of “Enhanced Element Unleashing” and “Super Enhanced Element Unleashing” has been increased.
The base damage of “Weak Slash”, “Counter Attack”, and “Shield Bash” has been slightly increased.
The base explosion damage of vials for “Axe: Element Unleashing”, “Axe: Enhanced Element Unleashing”, and “Axe: Super Enhanced Element Unleashing” has been increased.
The base explosion damage of impact vials in sword bonus mode has been increased.
“Axe: Element Unleashing” now chains faster into other simple axe actions like “Axe: Sprint Knockdown” and “Axe: Horizontal Retreat Slash”.
The base damage for multi-hit attacks in power axe mode has been decreased.
A bug has been fixed that caused the damage bonus of the vial explosion when performing “Element Unleashing I” or similar attacks with impact vial and enhanced vials not to be applied.
A bug has been fixed that caused weapon sharpness to decrease faster than usual when performing a block point with the element bonus activated.
A bug has been fixed that caused the damage scaling of the ability “Lightning Morph” not to be correctly applied to certain jumping attacks in axe mode.
Heavy Bowgun
The rapid fire gauge recovery when using shotgun ammo I and II has been increased.
A bug has been fixed that made dodging difficult after firing slicing ammo.
A bug has been fixed that caused the ability “Salvo” to activate with fewer hits than expected when using cluster bombs or wyvern explosion ignition.
Bows
A bug has been fixed that caused coatings to inadvertently switch to “unequipped” under certain circumstances.
Helper Hunters
A bug has been fixed that caused mounted helper hunters to leave cover too early during the large area attack of a Jin Dahaad and thus take damage.
If the quest management is at JR 100 or higher, the attack power of helper hunters is now increased.
The behavior of helper hunters when mounting a monster has been adjusted.
Olivia now performs an additional attack after a successful counterattack.
Saikrii
The responsiveness of the Saikrii after being called has been improved.
The responsiveness when controlling your Saikrii after ascending via Saikrii calling has been improved.
A bug has been fixed when riding with auto-movement that caused the Saikrii to run in circles upon reaching the target area before the large monster.
The response behavior to inputs for using objects while riding a Saikrii has been improved in some areas: – After a weapon switch while riding – When using an object after closing the map – When using an object directly after another object
It is now possible to dismount from the Saikrii while drifting.
Palico
A bug has been fixed that caused Palicoes to cancel the delivery of vitality wasps under certain circumstances.
Miscellaneous
System
The guild points awarded for delivering wyvern eggs have been increased.
The ability info window is now quickly accessible in various menus.
The button mapping for the option “Delete Investigation” has been changed during investigations.
The button mapping for the option “Allowed Equipment” has been changed during arena quests and challenge quests.
Food abilities can now be viewed in the ability info window via “Equipment Info” in the start menu.
The exact effects of food abilities can now be displayed on the “Active Abilities” page in the ability info window.
Accepting and breaking up (quick start) a quest is now possible directly from a quest invitation in the important chat messages.
The option “Skip” has been removed from important chat messages, and the map can now be opened even when the messages are still active.
The map has been adjusted so that it no longer automatically changes level when focusing on a large monster.
The storage info is now displayed at the top right of the start menu and on quest switch screens.
The monster encyclopedia can now be displayed in the tent through the quest menu.
A bug has been fixed that allowed decorations to be equipped on slots for which they were not intended.
A bug has been fixed that caused received nameplates not to appear in the settings in the hunter profile.
Steam®– The VRAM usage during texture streaming has been adjusted, leading to an overall lower VRAM usage.
A bug has been fixed that caused the estimated VRAM usage in the display/graphics settings to be calculated too low. (Therefore, a higher estimated VRAM usage is now displayed, but due to a separate optimization, the actual VRAM usage has decreased, keeping the current minimum and recommended system requirements unchanged.)
A bug has been fixed that caused the display of VRAM usage in the graphics settings to show incorrect values for “Quality of Distant Shadows”.
A bug has been fixed that caused the armor to not be displayed in the display options of the chest protection when “Display Armor” was selected in the appearance change menu.
A bug has been fixed that caused performing certain actions like eating or forging weapons/armors in the Great Site to reset mantle cooldowns.
A bug has been fixed that caused repeated fast travel in the training area to reset certain statuses like mantle cooldowns.
The response time for using objects after leaving a tent has been improved.
A bug has been fixed that caused blocked users not to be removed correctly from the follower list.
– A bug has been fixed that caused incorrect icons to be displayed for offline players in the members list.
– A bug has been fixed in the “Equipment Appearance” menu so that the focus now stays on the selected decoration armor.
Quests
Accepting and joining quests during ambient connections is now possible from the quest switcher.
Adjustments have been made to reduce interruptions when joining quests via an invitation message.
The conditions for unlocking the hunter highlight “Social Butterfly” have been adjusted.
A bug has been fixed that caused an automatic distress signal to be sent when starting a quest with max. member count set to 1 and auto distress signal ON.
A bug has been fixed that caused the departure animation to not finish when the target quest ended at a specific moment during the animation, making it impossible for players to control their character.
A bug has been fixed that caused the effects of the Super Luck voucher not to be applied to the target quest when accepting a quest invitation from a connecting member during an ongoing quest.
A bug has been fixed that allowed a grand hunt (a hunt with multiple monsters) to be generated in your environment during non-field exploration, even if one of the monsters did not appear in the respective environment.
A bug has been fixed that allowed players to significantly decrease the health of a monster with poison or similar abnormal statuses before the start of a field exploration.
A bug has been fixed that prevented the save process when completing a free challenge quest in offline mode, resulting in lower-ranked times being incorrectly displayed at the quest switcher.
A bug has been fixed that caused a target monster not to appear in investigations with multiple monsters at times.
A bug has been fixed that caused the participant count in the leaderboard to not register correctly when multiple players joined an arena quest simultaneously.
New measures to prevent unacceptable or fraudulent investigations have been implemented.
Quest completion times that are clearly unfair will not be entered into the leaderboards, and corresponding users will be automatically banned or available functions restricted.
Other
A bug has been fixed that caused some spoken lines not to trigger correctly.
As much fun as Dune: Awakening can potentially bring, the struggle for survival can also cause a lot of frustration. In addition to griefers, cheats, hackers, and dupers also torpedo the gaming fun of many players.
Last week, Known_Writer_9036 reported another severe case on Reddit. In his world Hyperion, a single cheater is alleged to not only steal vehicles in the Deep Desert but also empty entire bases and adjust the permissions there.
The damage caused by this cheater is said to be so great that the entire guild wants to stop playing Dune: Awakening until a sustainable solution is found. According to Known_Writer_9036, they were just in the process of building an alliance with other communities for further large guild operations.
To emphasize his experience and clarify that this is not an isolated incident, Known_Writer_9036 provides 5 links in his post to further reports about the cheating problem in Dune: Awakening.
The release trailer for Dune Awakening:
Start video
Dune: Awakening presents new action-packed trailer for the release of the game
“Hacking is the game killer”
How does the community react to the report? With over 2,600 thumbs up and more than 415 comments.
ChapterDifficult593 sums it up on Reddit: “Hacking is the game killer.”
BlindMancs reports on Reddit about a personal case: “I just lost a base in the Deep Desert. […] Outside, no damages. A door was replaced by a wall – probably so they could go in when needed. We’re at the end.”
lWinkk doesn’t understand on Reddit: “I don’t understand why anyone would want to hack in a role-playing game. That’s really sad. These real-money trading clowns ruin games on a large scale.”
42mir4 writes on Reddit that he knows it well from other games: “Reading that gave me chills. I have many bad memories of Red Dead Online, where hackers and menu mods ruined the game for the average player. To this day, they still roam because R* refuses to do anything about it.”
In the Reddit section of Dune: Awakening, more and more reports and posts about hackers, dupers (who are said to exploit a glitch to duplicate items), and cheaters can be found daily. kam1sh reports on Reddit that he has been regularly reporting a cheater on his server for 21 days. So far, nothing has happened.
SherpaGoolsbee would love to see permanent bans for every exposed cheater (via Reddit). Additionally, the protection software BattleEye urgently needs updates to reliably detect things like speed hacks, according to the wishes of various players.
