The head of Borderlands 4 promotes a collector’s edition for 130 euros, but it doesn’t even include the game

Cedric Holmeier Cedric Holmeier Reading time 3 minutes

The price of Borderlands 4 recently occupied both the CEO of the company and the community. Although the new shooter costs no more than its predecessor, a new edition for 130 euros is annoying the community.

What is the deal with the price? The debate about the price of Borderlands 4 is entering another round. Recently, it became known that Borderlands 4 in the USA does not reach the magical price threshold of 80 US dollars and remains at 69.99 US dollars like its predecessor.

In Germany, however, the most expensive edition costs 129.99 € and includes DLCs as well as skins and outfits for the characters in the game. The CEO has now introduced a new additional Collector’s Edition for 130 € that doesn’t even include the game.

Can you travel to the moon in Borderlands 4?

Start video
In Borderlands 4 könnt ihr überall hinreisen, was ihr im Spiel sehen könnt – sogar zum Mond?

130 euros for merchandise

What has the CEO presented? Borderlands 4 has another, fourth edition in the USA that costs around 130 €. The bundle presented by the CEO as the Collector’s Edition “Borderlands 4 ECHO-4” is exclusively available at GameStop in the USA.

In a post on X.com, Randy Pitchford writes: “The Collector’s Edition of Borderlands 4 can be pre-ordered at GameStop. It’s pretty cool and will probably sell out quickly, so get it if you’re interested.”

Included are:

  • ECHO-4 Statue: A 20 cm tall replica of the drone companion ECHO-4 from Borderlands 4. It can be displayed as decor, and its eyes light up when powered via the included USB-C cable.
  • Vault Symbol Necklace: A chrome necklace featuring the Vault symbol from Borderlands, attached to a 50 cm long stainless steel chain.
  • Map of Kairos: A 43 cm large polyester map depicting the planet Kairos from Borderlands 4. It shows the four different regions of the planet.
  • Set of 4 double-sided lithographic art prints: This set includes four art prints measuring 20 cm x 25 cm. They showcase the new Vault Hunters from Borderlands 4 – Vex, Rafa, Harlowe, and Amon – and are printed on both sides.
  • SHiFT code for 5 Golden Keys in Borderlands 4: An included SHiFT code that can be redeemed in the game Borderlands 4. It grants five Golden Keys to open the Golden Chest in the game for random gear that corresponds to the character’s level.

What is missing is the game itself and any DLCs or skins in the game. The Collector’s Edition for 130 € costs as much as the Borderlands 4 Super Deluxe Edition on Steam, but even true fans will still have to buy the game separately.

How are fans reacting to the bundle? After the debate about the price, fans are now annoyed that the Collector’s Edition doesn’t even include the base game. On X.com, fans are venting their frustration:

  • Byrd says on X.com: “It’s pretty lame that the base game isn’t included, but I have to say, it’s a cool statue. Can we play rock, paper, scissors at the fan fest so I can win one?”
  • Ki11er Six writes on X.com: “Wait… why is the game NOT included?”
  • Soul is puzzled on X.com: “The Borderlands 4 Collector’s Edition doesn’t include Borderlands 4? Someone needs to explain this to me.”
  • Kodeations asks on X.com: “I’m a bit confused as to why the game shouldn’t be included, even if it would increase the bundle price?”

The explanation can be found on Reddit. There, user Magnon explains: “They often don’t do this nowadays so that you can play on release day, regardless of whether the Collector’s Edition has arrived or not. Kind of strange, but a lot of people want to play immediately.”

In fact, this keeps happening. Titles like Battlefield 1, Fallout 76, and Diablo 4 have sold Collector’s Editions without the main game. In Borderlands 4, however, the designation by CEO Randy Pitchford seems a bit misleading.

Instead of Collector’s Edition, the product should probably be called Merchandise Bundle, and it is officially sold as such by GameStop. On the GameStop product page, it does not state that the bundle is supposed to be a Collector’s Edition, even though the CEO markets it that way.

More on the topic
A free new Borderlands came out of nowhere so that players believed it was a fake and 2K had to comment
von Dariusz Müller
Borderlands 4 receives its first major DLC for 30 euros, fails at what its predecessors did so well
von Niko Hernes
Borderlands 4 brings the first story DLC in just 2 weeks, delivers a new Vault Hunter and legendary loot
von Ody

Whether real fans of Borderlands 4 will go for the merchandise bundle or if the price will be a major deterrent remains to be seen. One thing Borderlands 4 definitely wants to do better than its predecessor: Borderlands 4 promises that they will handle loot much better than in part 3: That is their plan

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. X.com
  2. Gamesradar
  3. Gamespot

WoW: Players should work towards this mount for 5 weeks – Some have already achieved it after 2 hours

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

The fancy pirate dragon in World of Warcraft was supposed to be available only after 5 weeks. But some players have already obtained it after just a few hours.

In World of Warcraft, Patch 11.1.7 has just gone live and brought a series of new features. Among them is a fancy mount – a black dragon dressed as a pirate. You were originally supposed to take 5 weeks to achieve this, but players have already got it after two hours.

Start video
Older lady lives our dream and plays WoW until 5 a.m.

What kind of mount is this? The Chrono Corsair is a new mount from Patch 11.1.7. The dark dragon has pirate equipment and first appeared as a boss in the Tazavesh dungeon in Shadowlands. Since then, many fans have wished to obtain this dragon as a mount.

The mount is available for completing the achievement “Master of the Turbulent Timeways 3.” For this achievement, you need to maintain a stackable buff from Timewalking dungeons over 5 weeks. Actually. Because just a few hours after the patch release, the first players already have the fancy mount in their possession.

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Why do some accounts already have it? More and more accounts are already showing off the mount. It seems that it is already possible to complete the achievement and obtain the mount simply by continuously visiting Timewalking dungeons. Sooner or later, you will gain more progress towards the achievement and thus eventually receive the reward, even though you technically shouldn’t be able to get it yet.

Is this a bug? Yes, very likely. Even though the error does not seem to be completely fixed at the time of this article (12:30 PM), it appears to be just a temporary issue.

One shouldn’t expect an account penalty for this error since the bug simply arose from “normal gameplay”. Therefore, it is also unlikely that Blizzard will take the mount away from affected accounts.
Aside from the new mount, there are also plenty of other innovations in Patch 11.1.7. We have introduced all the changes to the classes and the new 1-button assistant along with the patch notes.


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

„Incredibly disappointing“ – Fans wish that GTA 6 would be like RDR2, but according to a report, Rockstar has other plans

Caroline Fuller Caroline Fuller Reading time 3 minutes

According to a new report presenting discarded versions for the story of GTA 6, fans of the series are in turmoil. Many of them wished for the latest GTA to be just like that.

What stories are circulating? In a report by the French magazine Medium, the author “Fravilys” reports on the development of GTA 6 and the creative decisions the team had to make during its substantial development time.

Where the author obtained this information remains unclear, which is why the content is categorized as rumors. However, these rumors have generated significant interest among fans. The report reveals 3 different story approaches that Dan Houser had developed during his time at Rockstar Games:

  • The first version includes three protagonists: An old policeman from Vice City, who gradually slips into organized crime to protect his son. Then the son himself, who tries to escape his addiction and drug trade, as well as the right-hand man of a Colombian drug lord as the third protagonist. This version had been in development until the end of 2016 before it was deemed too dark by Take-Two Interactive.
  • The second version features a somewhat less dark scenario with two protagonists: A policewoman, the daughter of a cop from Vice City, who seeks revenge after her father’s death and begins to infiltrate the local underworld. The second protagonist would have been a crazy drug courier, who would have closely resembled Trevor from GTA 5. This version had been in development until mid-20168 before it was also scrapped.
  • The third version was only in development for a few months and was canceled in March 2019: The policewoman from the second scenario was replaced by a former soldier who was released from prison and subsequently slipped into the criminal underworld.

All these ideas were discarded and replaced by the story that has been shown to us so far in the trailer of GTA 6. A romance between two characters reminiscent of a kind of “Bonnie and Clyde” dynamic.

The trailer and its content have been received very well by fans so far, but the discarded stories also evoke nostalgia in many players. Much of it would have been exactly what they hoped for in the long-awaited sixth part of the GTA series.

Here you can see the trailer for GTA 6, in which the romance of the protagonists becomes clear:

Start video
Rockstar Games presents GTA 6 in the second trailer

Players have mixed feelings about the rumors

What does the community think about the lost story approaches? On Reddit, these rumors are being discussed, with fans’ anticipation for GTA 6 being greatly divided by this information. Many of them write that these discarded concepts would have been exactly what they wished for in the latest part.

They criticize the notion that these ideas were “too dark.” Because that is exactly what they like about other games from the studio. Here are some reactions:

  • nukleabomb: “Honestly: The first one sounds pretty cool.”
  • Grimm613: “Quoted as ‘Too dark’. Boo. I’m always looking for a dark story.”
  • Least-Path-2890: “If the story of GTA 6 is more like GTA 5 than RDR2 or GTA 4, then that would be an incredible disappointment.”
  • Ghostbuster_11Nein in response: “GTA 4 had a phenomenal story, while [GTA] 5 was OK, but it felt more like an excuse to string together a bunch of heists rather than tell a real story.”
More about GTA 6
I played GTA 5 too early, and I fear it has ruined me for GTA 6
von Caroline Fuller
After Hacker Attack on GTA Developer: Leak Reveals Why Rockstar Is Not in a Hurry to Release GTA 6
von Dariusz Müller
If GTA 6 is postponed again, at least one actor from GTA 5 celebrates: “The longer they take, the cooler it will be”
von Sophia Weiss

It will be exciting to see how far GTA 6 has moved away from a dark story and whether the decision for a couple as protagonists will pay off. Dark themes do not necessarily have to be excluded here. MeinMMO editor Niko Hernes is also rather critical of the story of GTA 5, but this is exactly why he is so looking forward to GTA 6: I admit, I didn’t enjoy GTA 5, but because something is changing, I can hardly wait for the release of GTA 6

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

YouTube streamer celebrates himself in EA FC 25 for the most expensive Ronaldo – only Messi has something against it

Thomas Dummer Thomas Dummer Reading time 3 minutes

The biggest gaming streamer on YouTube iShowSpeed was thrilled to receive a very special card of his idol Cristiano Ronaldo in EA FC 25. However, he could hardly enjoy the pull. This was due to Ronaldo’s great rival, Lionel Messi.

How iShowSpeed got the most expensive Cristiano Ronaldo in FC 25: During a live stream, the highlights of which were uploaded to Speed’s YouTube channel, the influencer opened countless packs from the Ultimate Team shop. He loaded 74,000 FC Points (over €600) onto his account for this.

The streamer’s goal was to pull his idol Cristiano Ronaldo in a very special version worth 15 million coins:

EA FC 25 Top Performance Cristiano Ronaldo Stats and PlayStyles
The best and most expensive Ronaldo card in FC 25 Ultimate Team.

At the time of his pack opening, one could pull rare promo players from the Portuguese national team in honor of their won Nations League title. The so-called “Star Performer” cards received strong Attributes/Playstyle upgrades and an extraordinary design in bright orange.

After 47,000 FC Points (approximately €400) and numerous worthless Shapeshifters from Team 1, the Portuguese superstar did indeed appear in an 11-player pack with a minimum rating of 88. The streamer’s joy was boundless.

However, only until the Walkout animation ended after about a minute.

Start video
Tips for a Perfect Start in EA FC 25 – Ultimate Team

Messi’s mere presence drives Speed to despair

How does Messi disturb the Ronaldo pull? After Speed switched to the overview of his other pulled players, the monitor right next to the 15 million coin card of Ronaldo showed the gold card of rival Lionel Messi.

For many years, there has been a relentless debate between the fanbases of both players, which is especially passionately conducted on the internet. At the center of the debate is the question of who is the better, the GOAT (abbreviated for Greatest of All Time, note from the editor) of the two.

Speed, as a Ronaldo supporter, cannot stand the sight of his idol next to the rival. His mood changes drastically after his exuberant celebration. When he sees Messi, he asks his chat every second in an aggressive tone, ‘Who is that next to Ronaldo?’, and escalates his anger with each repetition of the question.

Screenshot video from iShowSpeed shows despair as he sees Messi next to Ronaldo in his pack
iShowSpeed wears a sad expression when he sees Messi next to Ronaldo.

‘Why does he always have to be there? Why does he always have to show up?’, Speed asks his viewers in despair. He continues, ‘I was just happy. It can’t be that he is in the same pack as my GOAT.’

Subsequently, Speed barks at Messi’s card in his usual manner before he again turns to celebrating his pulled superstar and immediately includes him in his team.

The streamer has already made it clear in the past what he thinks of Ronaldo’s arch-rival. During the stat comparison of both superstars before EA FC 24, the influencer felt sick:

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von Thomas Dummer

Apart from the brief setback, Speed should realize how special the pull of the Ronaldo card was. The expensive top-performance version is permanently sold out on the transfer market in Ultimate Team at a price of 15 million coins. By now, you can no longer pull him from packs, making him even rarer.

Ronaldo diligently collects special cards at the age of 40. He has now reached a total of 9 special versions. Another strong Ronaldo card was pulled by streamer EliasN97. However, he diminished his rare TOTS version with an expensive feature: Twitch streamer in EA FC 25 wastes over 3 million coins for a design that diminishes his favorite player

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

Creators of grand singleplayer games release a co-op shooter on Steam and players wonder what they were thinking

Ody Ody Reading time 2 minutes

Developer Remedy is actually known for single-player games like Alan Wake and Control. Now, the studio is releasing a co-op shooter on Steam, but players are wondering what the devs were thinking. 

The game is FBC: Firebreak: A co-op shooter for up to 3 players, developed by Remedy Entertainment. In it, you explore the Federal Bureau of Control – a mysterious federal agency that has been attacked by supernatural forces, already known from Control.

FBC: Firebreak was released on June 17, 2025, for PC on Steam and in the Epic Games Store, as well as for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The game is also included in Game Pass. The shooter is receiving mixed reviews from critics on Metacritic and players on Steam:

  • The Metascore is 65/100 from 15 reviews (on Metacritic), the game currently does not have a user score (as of June 18, 10:54 AM)
  • On Steam, only 60% of the reviews are positive, with the rating being “mixed”.
  • Additionally, the co-op shooter had just under 2,000 peak players on Steam (steamdb.info). Players on other platforms are not counted here.

You can see a gameplay trailer for FBC: Firebreak here:

Start video
FBC: Firebreak – Gameplay trailer for the new co-op shooter from Remedy

Remedy alienates players within the first minutes of gameplay

What are the reasons for the bad reviews? Looking at the community discussions on Reddit, the player experience within the first hour is heavily criticized. On Reddit, a user named AhogadoEnImpuestos writes: “Remedy urgently needs to overhaul the first hour’s gameplay experience – otherwise, this game is dead.”

He criticizes in his Reddit post:

  • Most special abilities and tools have to be unlocked first, which makes the entry feel too generic.
  • The tutorial needs to better explain what to do: In the first match, the Reddit user and his teammates ran around aimlessly.
  • The first mission of the game is simply uninteresting: “Turn on generators, seriously?” the player asks in his post.

The next two missions are already significantly more creative. Because of the boring tutorial, the game makes an unnecessarily bad first impression on new players.

User No_Project5633 criticizes the introduction in a similar post on Reddit. He writes: “This game urgently needs an update that explains to the players what the hell it’s all about.”

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Other points of criticism concern the scope of the game:

  • In the release version of the game, only 6 weapons are available – some players find that far too few, as stated in this Reddit post.
  • The game also launches with only 5 “jobs”, i.e., missions that would wear out quickly (Steam Review).

Is there nothing positive to say? Yes, many players have already had fun with the release version. User Elate_Scarab argues that the game should be taken for what it is: “I’m just having dumb fun with this game. It’s exactly what was promised: Left 4 Dead in the Oldest House,” he writes in his Reddit post and gets support from other players.

Have you tried FBC: Firebreak already? If so, feel free to share your impressions in the comments. Another co-op shooter on Steam is extending its demo phase: Because so many wanted to play the game. You can read more about it in this article: A SciFi shooter on Steam attracted 500,000 space pirates even before its release – And if you missed the demo, you now have another chance

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

The Pokémon GO Road Trip is also coming to Germany – Is it worth a visit?

Max Handwerk Max Handwerk Reading time 2 minutes

Pokémon GO has revealed new details about the Pokémon GO Road Trip 2025. We summarize what to expect at the event.

What is the Pokémon GO Road Trip? This event was announced for the first time in May. Basically, it is a special local event in a total of 7 European cities.

These cities will be visited by the “Pokémon GO Truck” which will make stops there. The cities and dates are as follows:

  • Manchester, England, July 16, 2025
  • London, England, July 19, 2025
  • Paris, France, July 26, 2025
  • Valencia, Spain, August 2, 2025
  • Berlin on August 9, 2025
  • The Hague, Netherlands, August 16, 2025
  • Cologne from August 20 to August 24 (gamescom)

In Germany, there are two stops planned with Cologne and Berlin. During gamescom, the truck will be located outside Hall 8 during opening hours.

It was already known that around the truck, activities such as meetings with famous trainers and community ambassadors will take place, as well as activities like a lucky wheel, joint raids, photo opportunities, and similar things.

Now, Pokémon GO has also presented the bonuses that await you in the actual game. Based on these, you can see if the visit is worth it for you.

Start video
Pokémon GO: Over 800 Trainers fight in Gigantamax battle

These bonuses the Road Trip 2025 brings in Pokémon GO

At the Truck: If you visit the actual truck, you can take advantage of the following bonuses.

  • Pikachu in “summer look” appears in level 1 raids and offers the chance to be caught with a local background of the city.
  • There are special field researches that will also bring a summer Pikachu if you solve them all.
  • A limited research will give you a Knattox, 5 special candies, 2,025 XP, and Poké Balls.
  • You will receive triple the amount of Poké Balls at stops and gyms.
  • There are more stops and gyms around the truck.
  • And the following wild Pokémon will appear at the truck:
    • Sandshrew
    • Alolan Geodude
    • Alolan Graveler
    • Phanpy
    • Toxapex
    • Rollum
    • Golbit
    • Wolly

In the City: Also in the respective cities, you can use bonuses when the truck visits them. They look like this:

  • You will find Poké Balls on the map, which function like the Knapfel Apples. By tapping, you will encounter:
    • Voltorb
    • Electrode
    • Shroomish
    • Galarian Flunschlik
  • Lures last 3 hours.
  • Trading costs only half the Stardust.
  • You will receive 5 special trades per day.
  • Alolan Golem learns “Rollout” when you evolve Alolan Graveler.
  • Temporary stops and gyms with lures will appear in the city.

In the Country: The visited countries will receive a free limited research 7 days before the truck’s arrival. A summer Pikachu is also hidden in it. This applies to the United Kingdom, France, Spain, the Netherlands, and Germany.

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von Max Handwerk
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von Paul Kutzner

What do you think of the event? Are you planning to visit the truck, take advantage of the city bonuses, or just solve the nationwide research? Do you even have the opportunity to visit the truck? Tell us in the comments! And if you want to know what events the current month still brings: Here are all events in June 2025 in Pokémon GO. 

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

Studio raised 300,000 euros for a role-playing game on Steam, shuts down a year later and leaves fans with nothing

Christoph Waldboth Christoph Waldboth Reading time 3 minutes

A studio reached out to fans in 2024 to fund their new JRPG. However, despite the required amount being not only reached but even exceeded, there is now bad news for the paying players: the game will not be released on Steam or anywhere else.

What game is it? Alzara Radiant Echoes by Studio Camelia was presented on Kickstarter last year. It was supposed to be a turn-based JRPG in the style of older titles – a love letter to the golden age of the genre.

Over 5,000 users took an interest in the project and supported it with a total of €294,428. And this, even though the target goal was only €100,000. Enough money to develop, complete, and release the game. Among other things, it was supposed to be released for consoles and PC. The Steam page is still online as of 18.06.2025.

Unfortunately, Alzara Radiant Echoes will never be released on any platform. The developers announced on June 17, 2025, on Kickstarter that the project has been canceled and the studio has been closed.

Start video
Trailer for the Kickstarter JRPG Alzara Radiant Echoes, which will never be released

The Reasons for the Closure

What are the reasons for the update? Studio Camelia emphasizes how sad they are about the news. They had already worked hard on the shared vision of creating their own game even before the studio was founded in 2022.

Private funds were used for this, and additional partners were found. Among other things, the studio was part of the Microsoft Developer Acceleration Program – an initiative aimed at supporting small and new developers.

With that, and of course thanks to the funds from Kickstarter, a part of the game was completed. Studio Camelia mentions in their statement a demo that they wanted to use to win additional partners at various events such as the Tokyo Game Show.

This endeavor was supposed to ensure that the rest of the game could also be successfully financed and developed. Unfortunately, that did not happen. Studio Camelia regrets this and sees it as the harsh reality of the gaming industry in 2025.

In a time when many studios are closing and numerous employees are being laid off, it is difficult to find risk-taking investors. For fans who have already invested money in the game, there is another piece of bad news from the studio:

As you know, supporting a Kickstarter project comes with risks: the actual idea of the platform is to give creators a boost so they can bring their projects to life. There is no guarantee for the final marketing of the project, and therefore there is always a risk that it will not materialize. Neither the studio nor Kickstarter is able to refund your contribution to the project, and we are truly sorry about that.

Studio Camelia in a statement on Kickstarter

This, coupled with the fact that Alzara Radiant Echoes will not be released, is causing unrest in the community.

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Disappointed Fans and Accusations of Fraud

What do the supporters think? The sentiment in the comments on Kickstarter is predominantly negative. It is especially criticized that a full game was promised, and there was no mention of just developing a demo with the money. Some suspect it smells like fraud:

  • “I understand that we are all angry. I agree that I believe it is a fraud. I was even curious why the project was so quiet for half the time. But I know a simple way to prove it was not fraud: Why don’t you allow the studio heads to present some documentation about where the money went?” writes Shane Hirt.
  • “Another fraud, thank you Kickstarter for not protecting us, collecting your profits, and allowing tons of ‘companies’ to defraud people,” writes Gabriel Queipo.
  • “You have not once stated that it is a Kickstarter to fund a demo. You explained that it is to fund the actual game. People are right to call you all frauds,” concludes Drago Zero Nova.

The anger of the paying fans is understandable. Alzara Radiant Echoes will not be released and many Kickstarter users have to come to terms with not getting their invested money back. Time and again, games have to face accusations of fraud. A very well-known case occurred in 2023: The creators of ‘The Day Before’ respond to the accusation that their game is just a scam

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

A God from Lord of the Rings was so powerful that he could create holy beings with the strength of his thoughts alone

Christoph Waldboth Christoph Waldboth Reading time 2 minutes

In the movies he does not appear, yet there is an extremely powerful god in the world of The Lord of the Rings who accomplished great deeds with his creative power. In doing so, he created holy beings, including a great villain.

Who is this god? In the world of The Lord of the Rings, there are numerous mysterious and powerful beings. Eru Ilúvatar stands at the top. He is the god responsible for the creation of the world and its inhabitants.

In the movies or the books that tell the story of Frodo and the destruction of the Ring, Eru Ilúvatar does not appear. Only in “The Silmarillion,” the book published after J.R.R. Tolkien’s death, is this god mentioned.

While he is certainly comparable to the gods of our world – such as those of Christianity, Judaism, or Islam – the story of creation differs significantly from known narratives.

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

The Creation of the Ainur

How was the world created? Eru Ilúvatar is a being that is eternal. This means that the god has always been there and will never disappear. Only through the power of his thoughts did he create the Ainur. Translated, this means “The Holy Ones.” These beings are part of the divine thoughts, they are very wise, yet originally bodiless. They are divided into Valar and Maiar, the latter includes the Istari, among them Gandalf.

The Ainur were taught by Eru Ilúvatar three musical themes, the so-called “Great Music.” From this, the universe, namely Ea, was born. Thus, the planet Arda, where Middle-earth is located, was finally created.

Remarkably, the god, though very powerful, after the creation of his world never intervened directly in events, except for one instance. Only during the downfall of Númenor did the god reshape the world.

Eru Ilúvatar is not hostile to other gods, but it is important to him to be at the top of the hierarchy. Despite his role in the world, he is hardly worshipped and revered as a great god anywhere in Middle-earth. This is also due to the fact that this aspect of being a god is not important to Eru Ilúvatar.

He prefers to observe the beings of his creation and delights in their diversity. One of them evolved into one of the great villains in Middle-earth.

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Worse than Sauron

Who was created? Among the Ainur was also Melkor, who later became Morgoth and terrorized Middle-earth. He was the beginning of evil throughout Arda, which made him an even more powerful villain than Sauron.

Although Melkor was created by Eru Ilúvatar, he fell into conflict with the god. The god accused his Ainur of disturbing the peace and unleashing evil into the world. The harmony of the “Great Music” was disrupted, as Melkor himself harbored ambitions of dominion and also wanted to create as a god.

Because Eru Ilúvatar did not tolerate this behavior, it led to a rift between them, and Melkor left the halls of the god. In Middle-earth, he found powerful allies like the giant spider Ungoliant.

Melkor is a dubious part of Eru Ilúvatar’s creation. Other beings such as the Elves, Dwarves, or Men, as well as the beautiful flora and fauna of Middle-earth, are, on the other hand, among the god’s greatest achievements. Especially the Elves are among the strongest beings in Middle-earth: 9 powerful Elves from The Lord of the Rings who could easily take on Sauron’s Orcs

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

Thanks to Zelda on the Switch 2, I am realizing how terrible achievements actually are

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 4 minutes

MeinMMO-Demon Cortyn is currently diving into the Switch 2 with the Zelda games – and realizes how annoying achievements in other games are.

The Zelda games on the Nintendo 64 were a big part of my youth back then. I loved Ocarina of Time and secretly played Majora’s Mask for way too long at night. Later, I played through Twilight Princess with a sibling and then also Skyward Sword with my roommate in my first shared flat.

The two Zelda raps from Starbomb still live rent-free in my head today (thankfully, they are still available on YouTube).

Zelda – or rather Link – has accompanied me my whole life. When Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom were released for the Switch 1, I was itching to play – but I found the graphics on the Switch 1 not appealing enough to justify the purchase.

Now I’ve caught up with the Switch 2 and directly bought the two Zelda games. And they teach me something that I have basically felt for a long time but can now articulate clearly: In the Nether, achievement systems are so annoying.

Start video
Trailer for the open-world game The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

How Achievements Distract from the Game

It doesn’t matter whether I am tackling an extremely challenging boss fight in Clair Obscur Expedition 33 or following the emotional story of Lost Records: Bloom and Rage. As soon as any important point in the game is reached, there is a loud “Pling” that automatically makes me look at the top of the screen, where the trophy is displayed.

A brief moment that lasts a maximum of 1-2 seconds. The intention is to trigger the reward center. I have “achieved” something and “earned” something – namely the trophy. That is supposed to give me a brief dopamine kick.

Breath of the Wild Link Holding Sword
Link and the Triforce on the sword – that has never changed.

However, these “rewards” have a disadvantage. They pull me out of the game world and the narrative of the world every time. The acquisition of trophies is non-diegetic, and in most cases, there is absolutely nothing connected with the trophy except reaching a certain point in the game or performing a specific hidden action at the right time.

Every time there is a trophy, it is a brief moment where I am pulled out of the game world. A brief moment where my PlayStation or Steam reminds me that I am playing a game and “completing” things. A hidden or visible checklist that tells me when I have seen and experienced everything.

By the way: The colleagues at GameStar made a very worthwhile YouTube video about the Zelda phenomenon.

Zelda is a Pure Experience Without Needing Achievements

The Legend of Zelda doesn’t need any of this, and I have noticed that clearly in the last few days. Because Zelda (or Nintendo in general) has no achievement system.

Of course, there are also “achievement experiences” in Zelda. When I find a hidden shrine or master one of the great temples, a new equipment item or ability usually awaits me.

Breath of the Wild Link Running
3 seconds before Link gets lasered away.

The “achievements” in Zelda are part of the gaming experience. An achievement is not that an overlay shows me what I have accomplished, but the square bombs that no longer slide down slopes or the hot fire sword that can defeat frost enemies in one hit.

Actually, I was tired of open-world games. I was initially resistant to the “Your weapons break after X hits” system. I thought I had outgrown Zelda somehow.

But Breath of the Wild is currently showing me that this is not the case. The game has shown me some exciting things in just a few days that I probably wouldn’t have understood for a long time otherwise. The huge, freely accessible world where you can just march in any direction you want – even if that means encountering enemies that can beat several lives out of Link’s body with one hit. Maybe I should have taken the lesson from the song to heart:

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But like hardly any other game world, The Legend of Zelda is simply “round” and that completely without achievement systems. Even if I find many of Nintendo’s decisions a bit questionable, not having an achievement feature clearly belongs to the better ones.

And “Tears of the Kingdom” is also waiting here for me when I finally finish Breath of the Wild.

When that will be? No idea. I have no achievements that tell me how far I have come.

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My lesson from it: Actively hide the reception of trophies and achievements as an option wherever possible. Since their introduction, they have increasingly devalued games for me. At first, one was still positively inclined because – let’s be honest – collecting is somehow something great, but it quickly wore off. Because in most cases, achievements are not part of the gaming experience, but simply something superficial that is imposed on the actual game to trigger another dopamine kick.

Breath of the Wild Statue
Receiving a new blessing at the statue – better than any achievement.

At least for me, it makes the gaming experience so much better and more immersive. Because no flashing pop-up can compare to the experience of having climbed that huge, snow-covered mountain with frost resistance potion after an hour, only to then plunge down from it with a glider.

I don’t want achievements in my games just for the sake of having achievements. I don’t want any more lists that feel like “going through a checklist” and most importantly, I don’t want a noisy “Pling” that pulls me out of the gaming experience every half hour and thus achieves exactly the opposite of what I really want: being able to dive into a world and forget everything else for that time.
You can also ruin open-world games wonderfully – our Mary often manages that.

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

In Helldivers 2 on Steam, an enemy terrorizes the tough soldiers of Over-Earth, and a new feature showcases him even better.

Cedric Holmeier Cedric Holmeier Reading time 2 minutes

In Helldivers 2 a foe currently dominates the battlefield like no other, and since the last update, deaths shine even more in the spotlight.

What enemy are the Helldivers afraid of? The Helldivers have just rescued Over-Earth from the attack of the Illuminated, but one enemy still terrorizes the brave soldiers: the Leviathan spaceships.

These gigantic spaceships are heavily armored all around, and even with the strongest efforts of the Helldivers, the fight against them proves to be extremely tough.

Worse than their thick ship hull, however, is their armament. The spaceships are equipped with laser cannons that can obliterate Helldivers with a single shot. Additionally, there are plasma bomb launchers under the wings of the spaceships, which can attack you even more easily. A change was supposed to weaken the enemies now, but in reality, it only reveals their true potential.

Here you can see the trailer for the Illuminated enemy faction:

Start video
Helldivers 2 reveals the new enemy faction in the trailer for ‘Omens of Tyranny’

New patch is supposed to make the enemies easier, but instead shows how strong they really are

What has the patch changed? The developers seem to have realized that the Leviathan spaceships are too strong with their one-shot mechanic. Therefore, a nerf was supposed to come, which is intended to help the Helldivers primarily to avoid attacks in time.

The enemy spaceships recently received searchlights that show the brave soldiers of Over-Earth exactly when they are in the crosshairs of the enemy Leviathan. But now that the Helldivers can see exactly when they must dodge, they realize that it doesn’t work very well. The spaceships are so strong and quick in their targeting that even perfect dodging only increases the survivability by a few seconds.

How dodging looks can be seen in this clip on Reddit:

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How are players reacting to this? Now that players know exactly that they have become the target of the spaceship and are no longer simply taken out because of carelessness, it becomes clear to them how strong the enemies are.

On Reddit, there are various opinions from the soldiers of Over-Earth about the change:

  • Driglok: ‘I think it’s a fair change. At least it informs that the Leviathan is targeting you. It feels less
    • Dominator_3: ‘I love this change, now that I know what it is. I just thought, why does my teammate have this huge flashlight, before I realized that a Leviathan was flying above me.’
    • Sad-Needleworker-590: ‘Finally, I can be hit at the same time and see it.’
    • Driglok: ‘I think it’s a fair change. At least it informs that the Leviathan is targeting you. It feels less
      This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
      Source(s):
      1. Reddit
      2. fandom.com

    • Dad with little time uses free days to fully immerse himself in Dune: Awakening – 2 disconnects at the wrong time ruin everything

    Karsten Scholz Karsten Scholz Reading time 3 minutes

    Dune: Awakening is currently a lot of fun for many players, but it can also be quite frustrating. That it’s not always just the deadly survival elements or nasty griefers to blame is shown by the story of a dad.

    What happened to the dad? On Reddit, hyperco33 explains that he hardly has time to game anymore due to family and work. When he last had the house to himself for a few days, the MMO fan seized this rare opportunity to try out Dune: Awakening.

    It was the right choice; the trip to Arrakis was incredibly enjoyable for him. Hour after hour, he farmed resources to build a huge base. With garages for the buggy and his bikes. His last goal before the family returns: to craft an ornithopter.

    To achieve that, he had to hurry. So, he gathered materials and was even able to scavenge 10 diamond dust in Mysa Tarill – for the ornithopter, you need 14 units of this rather rare and expensive dust.

    Start video
    Dune: Awakening: 7 schnelle Tipps, die das Spiel euch nicht verrät

    On the way back, it happened: nothing was working anymore. The PC was completely frozen. Even the task manager wouldn’t open. He had to perform a hard reset and hope for the best. When he was able to log back in, however, there was no trace of his buggy. After some time, he at least found the contents of his inventory, but it was way too much stuff to carry back to the base on foot.

    So hyperco33 grabbed the most important items and marked the location on the map to return later. Unfortunately, a long walk across open desert awaited him, flanked by large areas of quicksand. He avoided these areas and moved as slowly as possible to avoid startling any sandworms.

    When he was almost there, the worm warning suddenly went off. One of the monsters broke through the ground behind him. hyperco33 ran for it, the nearby goal in sight. Only 50 meters to go. Almost made it … connection lost. The worst thing that can happen on Arrakis has happened. The unfortunate dad experiences a disconnect while a worm is on his heels.

    When logging in again, the fear turns into bitter certainty: all his belongings are gone, including the 10 diamond dust.

    Everything I worked for in my precious free time over the last few days is just gone. If it were my mistakes, I could maybe understand it, but two connection issues in a row that wipe out my progress after hours of work is the worst feeling I’ve ever had in a video game.

    I don’t know why I’m even telling this, but I think I just need to share my pain with those who might understand. I’ve submitted tickets in the tiny hope that maybe something can be done about the crappy servers that caused this, but I’m not holding my breath. Anyway, good luck out there, you sleepers. Move quietly.

    hyperco33 on Reddit

    “You’ll make it, brother”

    How does the community react to the report? With over 580 upvotes, more than 280 comments, and many kind words.

    • Terpapps has experienced something similar, he reports on Reddit: “Yes, I just had a similar connection issue when I was a few meters outside my base (fully loaded with my best gear and a backpack full of stuff). I thought: ‘Well, I’m close enough that there shouldn’t be a worm alert, it should be fine.’ I log back in and … naked, burning in the sun. I didn’t lose as much as you, but it’s still pretty annoying considering I wasn’t even in a worm sign zone.”
    • Victory28 explains on Reddit: “That’s actually the reason I don’t attack solo scouts who are just trying to get something in the deep desert. I don’t want to ruin the day of a dad who finally carved out a few hours to play. Sorry, man. I’d say there comes a point where you can get most things besides spice relatively easily and with minimal risk. You’ll make it, brother.”
    • QuietlyDisappointed thanks Victory28 on Reddit: “Thanks from another dad gamer. This game is awesome, but based on my experiences so far, I will soon stop playing due to other players. Today a guy tried to pin my thopter to the ground by hovering over me while I harvested a little spice in Hagga. Even in PvE areas, people are trying to get me to uninstall the game.”
    • Obsidian_Psychedelic has a suggestion for hyperco33 on Reddit: “If you’d like, feel free to join us on Daedros – Yaracuwan and I will easily get you a new Orni. We’d also love to do farm runs with you to help you get your collected silicon back. Our guild would love to have you.”
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    Dune: Awakening finally overcomes its identity crisis, fulfilling the greatest wish of PvE players
    von Cedric Holmeier

    What have your experiences been so far with the server stability of Dune: Awakening? Do you often struggle with disconnections? Share it in the comments! The helpfulness shown in the comments of the community is also reflected in the game itself: Players complain about griefers in Dune: Awakening, but many praise the community for its helpfulness

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

    Dune: Awakening – Server Status on June 18, 2025, maintenance is over, patch notes are here

    Karsten Scholz Karsten Scholz Reading time 3 minutes

    The developers of Funcom have announced another server maintenance for Dune: Awakening. MeinMMO summarizes the most important information for you.

    Update from June 18, 2025 – 10:11 AM: The servers of Dune: Awakening are back online. You can find the official patch notes for 1.1.0.15 on duneawakening.com and further down in the article.

    Update from June 18, 2025 – 10:04 AM: There is still no update on the current maintenance from the official channels of Dune: Awakening. But we were able to download the 1.4 GB update on Steam just now. The servers should be back online soon.

    What is known about the maintenance? The servers of Dune: Awakening are expected to go offline on June 18, 2025, at 9:00 AM. The maintenance is expected to last about 60 minutes. If everything goes according to plan, you should be able to explore Arrakis again around 10:00 AM.

    As part of the maintenance, the developers will roll out an update with several bug fixes. What specifically will be adjusted is still unclear. As soon as the patch notes go live, we will update the announcement for you. The same goes if we see that you can download the patch through Steam.

    Here is the release trailer for Dune Awakening:

    Start video
    Dune: Awakening presents new action-packed trailer for the release of the game

    Dune: Awakening – official patch notes for 1.1.0.15

    CHANGES

    • Respawn timeout in PvP zones was adjusted. The first respawn will take 70 seconds, second and following respawns will take 115 seconds.
    • The Dvyetz Ornithopter Engine Mk5 Schematic was removed from loot tables, as it was a deprecated item.
    • Players no longer receive damage when hit by vehicles.
    • Since the Unstuck feature doesn’t work for vehicles and when the player is on the Overland Map, the Unstuck button won’t show when the player is on or in a vehicle or on the Overland map.
    • Service messages like server restart alerts now appear at the upper central part of the screen for better visibility. (used to be in the upper-right corner)
    • An additional safeguard was added when a player respawns across maps: Players now need to manually type “Respawn” into the confirmation popup field.
    • When players select the Private servers tab in the Server Browser, they will receive a notification pop-up.
    • Another set of changes to further improve the game server and client stability.

    FIXES

    • Fixed an issue where the game client could freeze when the player attempted to cross the Deep Desert server border.
    • Fixed an issue where players who shared their base access with friends could not sometimes abandon their base via a map marker.
    • Fixed an issue that caused the dart trails from the Maula Pistol to sometimes deviate from the intended direction.
    • Fixed an issue where the Atreides Leader that the player needed to kill in The Advanced Contract – Mentat – Cataloging Defectors contact respawned immediately.
    • Fixed an issue that caused a possible crash when restoring a vehicle with the Vehicle Backup Tool.
    • Fixed an issue that made it possible to move Crysknifes into storage containers by swapping them with other items.
    • Fixed an issue causing the Landsraad refining time reduction bonus not to apply if multiple instances of the same resource were being refined simultaneously.
    • Fixed an issue that could cause the player to lose Solaris deposited in the bank.
    • Fixed an issue where service alert notifications would not show due to being blocked by other notifications.
    • Fixed an issue where exiting the dialogue with Anton Tolliver too soon after delivering the “Deep Extraction” contract would block the player from progressing the faction storyline.
    • Fixed an exploit where players could damage other players’ bases with a cutteray.
    • Fixed an issue where Research Journey steps wouldn’t get completed retroactively if the player was in a vehicle when performing research. Logging out and back into the game was needed to fix the issue.
    • Fixed an exploit causing people to be able to take out water from a deathstill that did not exist in the base.
    • Fixed an exploit where players could fire a salvo of projectiles.

    What do I need to know about Dune: Awakening? The new survival MMO from Funcom was released on June 10, 2025, for PC and takes you to the desert planet Arrakis. However, you won’t find the familiar storyline from the books or films but rather an alternative timeline where Paul Atreides was never born.

    Hunger, thirst, sun, aggressive enemies – from the first minute, survival is the focus of Dune: Awakening. By continually building better tools, equipment, bases, vehicles, and weapons, you will increasingly ease your daily life, allowing you to focus more on exploring the game world, mastering dungeons, or experiencing the story.

    More about Dune Awakening:
    There is currently a golden age for survival games on Steam, and not just thanks to Windrose
    von Ody
    Dune: Awakening finally overcomes its identity crisis, fulfilling the greatest wish of PvE players
    von Cedric Holmeier

    In large parts of the game world, you can encounter up to 39 other players. Exceptions include the two faction capitals and the Deep Desert, a vast endgame area where PvP is active almost everywhere and which fundamentally changes every week due to a storm. You can find out everything else in our overview: Dune: Awakening – Everything about the release on PS5, Xbox, and PC

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

    Fortnite: Server Down in Live Ticker – Everything about Update 36.10: Server Status and Patch Notes

    Christos Tsogos Christos Tsogos Reading time 2 minutes

    In Fortnite the servers will be down today, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, for a patch. What you need to know about version 36.10 can be found here.

    Wednesday, June 18, 2025

    09:49 AM

    Good morning! The player search has now been disabled for Fortnite and soon the entire servers will follow. So be ready for leaks regarding the new update at 10:00 AM.

    What happens during the server downtime? The servers will be taken down. During this time, you cannot play Fortnite.

    Server downtime in Fortnite – from when? The servers will be taken down on June 18, 2025, at 10 AM. A short time before (about half an hour), matchmaking will be disabled (via x.com).

    When can I play Fortnite again? That depends on the size of the update and the duration of the downtime. This is a major update, so expect 1 to 2 hours.

    When will patch notes be released? Epic Games now only sporadically presents patch notes for the updates and generally only after the downtime. As soon as they are available, you will find them here.

    If you missed the trailer for Chapter 6 Season 3, you can catch up on it here:

    Start video
    Fortnite showcases its Battle Pass for Chapter 6 Season 3 in the new gameplay trailer

    Fortnite: Patch 36.10 – What do leakers say?

    What can I expect with the upcoming update? The leaker Shiina has already made some speculations on X.com about what the update might include. The update is expected to bring new content to the Battle Royale. Here’s what you can expect:

    • New festival season with Bruno Mars
    • Free skin and umbrella
    • Collaboration with Squid Game
    • And much more!

    Epic Games may also be hiding one or two shop items in the data. So expect that data miners or leaks will reveal plenty of information about upcoming content.

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    We will follow the server downtime live for you and provide you with the most important information and leaks. If you just started Fortnite and are still a complete beginner, then we have 6 tips for you that will make you better immediately: 6 quick tips in Fortnite that will make you better immediately

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

    4 powerful characters from Dungeons & Dragons that have more influence than you think

    Alexander Mehrwald Alexander Mehrwald Reading time 5 minutes

    The franchise of Dungeons & Dragons is shaped not only by its settings but also by important characters that players cannot ignore. We present 4 that have particularly significant influence.

    How were the characters chosen for this list? Dungeons & Dragons thrives not just on what players and dungeon masters make of it, but also on various NPCs found in numerous campaign books, modules, comics, video games, and films.

    For this list, we have selected 4 of them that not only frequently appear but also have a great influence on Dungeons & Dragons. For example, by immortalizing themselves as creators of important spells or items or frequently being important points of contact for players, as they appear in many parts of various adventures.

    Start video
    Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves – Second Official Trailer for the Movie

    The following personalities should absolutely not be missed if you dive into the worlds of Dungeons & Dragons.

    [toc]

    Mordenkainen

    Dungeons & Dragons Mordenkainen

    Mordenkainen is one of the most powerful archmages of the multiverse and wields arcane powers unlike anyone else. Many of his iconic and legendary spells are utilized by gifted spellcasters such as “Mordenkainen’s Magnificent Mansion,” “Mordenkainen’s Faithful Hound,” or “Mordenkainen’s Sword.”

    Additionally, there are numerous supplemental rulebooks with his name in the title, such as “Mordenkainen’s Fiendish Folio” or “Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse.”

    Moreover, he is distinguished not only by raw magical power but also by his extensive knowledge of the multiverse and his strategic ability to influence events from behind the scenes. As the leader of the Circle of Eight, a secret group of wizards dedicated to maintaining cosmic balance, he enhances his power through collective influence.

    Mordenkainen embodies the ideal of the extremely powerful yet morally complex and far-sighted mage who watches over the fates of realms and worlds, thus becoming a fixture in D&D.

    A special fact that also anchors him in the franchise: He was created by none other than Gary Gygax, one of the co-creators of D&D, as his own player character, which granted him a unique status from the start. Originally from the campaign setting Greyhawk, he is known for traversing the entire multiverse. He is thus also among the so-called “planeswalkers,” who connect the worlds of Dungeons & Dragons with those of Magic: The Gathering.

    This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
    Pages: 1 2 3 4

    Dune: Awakening Build a Thopter Quickly by Yourself – Here is How

    Cedric Holmeier Cedric Holmeier Reading time 5 minutes

    In Dune: Awakening, you can build various types of flying vehicles. If you like it armed, you need a combat thopter. MeinMMO explains how to obtain it.

    What is the purpose of the combat thopter? The combat thopter, also known as “Assault thopter,” is a fast and battle-ready flying vehicle in Dune: Awakening. Unlike the other flying vehicles, the combat thopter can be equipped with rockets to fight airborne and ground targets.

    Building a combat thopter is an important step for many characters, as it ensures that players can really hold their ground in the endgame area “Deep Desert”.

    What do I need to research? To build the combat thopter, you first need to research the assembly kit. It differs from the ordinary ornithopter and can be found in the research menu at tier level 5, duralumin. You will need 45 intel research points for the research.

    On a private server, you can calmly gather the necessary materials

    Start video
    Dune: Awakening: Private Server erklärt

    Resource Checklist:

    • 188,005 ml water
    • 262 duralumin bars
    • 80 advanced servos
    • 111 cobalt paste
    • 34 armor plates
    • 10 diamond dust
    • 10 carbide scrap
    • 14 particle condensers
    • 21 complex machines
    • 7 hydraulic pistons
    • 7 military energy regulator
    • 8 industrial pumps

    Water

    To collect enough water, you should always have enough blood bags with you. Once you get into a fight, you can turn your opponents into valuable water supplies. We explain how this works here: Dune: Awakening Blood Cleaner – How to easily get water

    It works even more efficiently with a Fremen death distiller. In this device, you can place the bodies of your defeated enemies to extract their blood by bleeding out. Although the process takes about an hour per corpse, it yields significantly more water and continues automatically while you gather other resources.

    Aluminum

    While your enemies are being processed into water, you should also focus on acquiring aluminum. The best approach is to get into your buggy, which you’ve previously equipped with a suitable cutter and enough storage space, and head to the eastern shield wall.

    Follow the roads and paths there – along the edges, you will regularly discover aluminum deposits. These can be easily mined by switching to the gunner seat (hold down the “F” key) and using your buggy’s cutter. If you’re missing a suitably equipped buggy, it’s advisable to at least take your sand bike with you. Ideally, you should expand the storage space of the bike to avoid having to return to base too often.

    Jasmium Ore and Duralumin Bars

    Jasmium ore is found in the Hagga basin only in the Sheoul area. There you will find the crystals in the irradiated area, which is why it makes sense to use an ornithopter for transporting and safely extracting the ore. Additionally, you should wear a radiation protection suit to withstand the radiation longer.

    In the area, you will find the ore in the lakes and ponds. To mine it, you need at least an industrial cutter level 4. Be careful not to stand in the water while mining, as your radiation dose increases much faster there.

    In your base, you can then create the duralumin bars from jasmium ore and aluminum bars, which you need for building the combat thopter.

    Other Resources

    Cobalt Paste

    Cobalt paste is one of the essential materials in Dune: Awakening and is made from erythritol crystals. You can only find these deep in the Hagar Rift, specifically in the Chome mineral extraction facilities. The crystals have a distinctive reddish-pink color and can be seen on the rock walls.

    It is also worthwhile to arrive with a buggy or sand bike with expanded storage to avoid unnecessary trips. Once you have collected enough crystals, it’s best to produce the cobalt paste immediately – the production process takes some time.

    Advanced Servos and Particle Condensers

    You can find these two resources in the testing stations of Dune: Awakening. Depending on how many dungeons you have already completed, you might already have some samples in your inventory.

    It is generally advisable to visit the testing stations regularly – there you can complete quests and tasks in addition to the loot.

    If you specifically want to farm a certain station: The loot appears about 45 minutes after the last visit. Additionally, there are numerous enemies there that you can utilize for water acquisition.

    Diamond Dust and Carbide Scrap

    These materials are among the rarer resources in the game and require more effort than simple farming tours. To obtain them, you should visit the Mysa Tarill area.

    Between cliffs and building ruins, you will repeatedly find boxes that may contain diamond dust or carbide scrap with a bit of luck. If you don’t find any, there is the option to purchase these resources at the crossroads trading post for Solaris.

    Here you can find the most boxes:

    Hydraulic Pistons

    To get hydraulic pistons, you need to go to the NPC bases in the Sheoul area. There you will find them in boxes within the bases and in small quantities. Alternatively, you can also buy them from the merchant.

    Military Energy Regulator

    This rare component is needed for the combat thopter. You can find it at the outpost Edge of Acheron in the western part of the map (Sheol region). Beware: The area is heavily irradiated – don’t forget your protective gear! Strong NPC enemies await you on site, and PvP is active. Secure the area, go into the main building, and loot the chest on the table.

    With some luck, you can also loot the regulator from crashing ships or buy it from the merchant at the crossroads trading post (Mysa Tarill).

    Here you can find the Edge of Acheron:

    Complex Machine & Armor Plate

    You probably already have these components in your inventory, as they often appear as loot from defeated enemies or in enemy camps.

    A helpful tip: In areas with large machines, the chance of encountering these components is significantly higher. Avoid fights against smaller groups, such as those that only linger at a campfire – the effort is usually not worth it. These resources can be farmed particularly efficiently in Sentinel City, together with the next important component.

    Industrial Pumps

    The last required resource is the industrial pumps. Their best find location is also Sentinel City, in the area of the eastern shield wall. In the chests there, you will regularly find these pumps – however, you should prepare for strong enemies in large numbers.

    Our tip: Use distraction abilities to circumvent enemies and focus on quickly looting the chests instead of getting into long fights.

    If you don’t find anything in Sentinel City, you can also turn to the merchant at the crossroads trading post for industrial pumps in exchange for Solaris, just like with diamond dust and carbide scrap.

    More on the topic
    There is currently a golden age for survival games on Steam, and not just thanks to Windrose
    von Ody
    Dune: Awakening finally overcomes its identity crisis, fulfilling the greatest wish of PvE players
    von Cedric Holmeier
    Player loses hundreds of hours of work in Dune: Awakening because cheaters raid his base
    von Cedric Holmeier

    Once you have all the materials, you can easily craft the components for the combat thopter at a vehicle factory and assemble them with the vehicle tool. Remember to bring enough fuel – you don’t want to break down in the skies of Arrakis.

    Dune: Awakening has a hidden feature that made every trip in GTA more enjoyable.
    This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

    Some of the best strategy games are currently up to 80% cheaper on Steam, ideal for all history nerds

    Ody Ody Reading time 3 minutes

    The Total War series is celebrating its 25th anniversary with strong discounts on Steam. And since the series now covers a variety of historical settings, there should be something for every history fan.

    What kind of games are they? Total War is a strategy game series from Creative Assembly. For 25 years, the series has combined turn-based global strategy like in Civilization with real-time battles where thousands of soldiers engage in combat. 

    For the 25th anniversary of the franchise, you can find many parts of the series on Steam at significantly reduced prices. For most games, you save up to 75%, and for some even 80% of the purchase price.

    Here you will find all the games in the Total War series that are currently on sale on Steam. All “historical” games are discounted – the Warhammer trilogy is excluded. However, there are still some interesting games for fantasy fans. The sale runs until June 26, 2025.

    The most interesting of these games for fantasy fans can be seen here in the trailer:

    Start video
    Announcement trailer for A Total War Saga: Troy

    From the Trojan War and the hordes of Attila … 

    If you are fresh from Total War: Warhammer, then A Total War Saga: Troy is worth a look. The game revolves around the Trojan War and offers both a historical game mode and two mythological ones:

    • In “The Truth Behind the Myth” you lead heroes with superhuman powers onto the battlefield, as well as units inspired by mythical beings.
    • With the “Myth” DLC, you have real monsters, and the gods actively intervene in the battle.

    If you want to experience the Bronze Age from a historical perspective, check out Total War: Pharaoh – the latest installment in the series. After a difficult start, Creative Assembly has significantly improved it. The game now includes not only the Hittites, Canaan, and Egypt since the Dynasties update, but also the Greeks and Trojans in the West and the Assyrians and Babylonians in the East.

    • Pharaoh is currently on sale for €9.99, significantly cheaper than Troy, which costs €24.99, and offers more variety for historical fans.
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    You can help the Roman Empire achieve eternal glory in Total War: Rome 2 and Total War: Rome Remastered. The more modern game is Rome 2, which offers a lot of content thanks to a variety of mods and DLCs. Or you can burn Rome in Total War: Attila as the “Scourge of God”…

    • Total War: Rome 2 is currently priced at €14.99 on Steam instead of €59.99.
    • Total War: Rome Remastered costs €10.19 on Steam instead of €29.99 and includes both expansions of the original.
    • Total War: Attila is available for €8.99 instead of €44.99, with 80% being one of the largest discounts of the sale.

    … into the Middle Ages and up to Napoleon

    If the Bronze Age and Antiquity are too early for you, then Total War: Medieval 2 offers one of the most popular Total War games. This game covers the Middle Ages, including the discovery and conquest of America and the first firearms. Note that some things, like the camera control, are not up to date for the series. After all, the title was released in 2006.

    Total War: Empire and its spin-off Total War: Napoleon take you into the early modern period. With the widespread use of cannons and muskets, battles play out noticeably differently here. They also include what many players consider the best naval battles of the entire series.

    Start video
    Total War: Napoleon – official CGI trailer

    The series has even ventured to China and Japan

    Also always worth recommending is Total War: Three Kingdoms. The game depicts the Three Kingdoms period in ancient China and excels with its focus on characters and a very deep diplomacy system. As in Troy, you also decide here between a historical mode or one with heroes who can easily slice through normal soldiers.

    The first Total War played in Japan with Total War: Shogun, by the way. With Total War: Shogun 2, the original already received a sequel. Especially Shogun 2 is highly regarded by many fans and is still very playable today – even if you only know the new Total War games.

    Which of these games should I get? If you need a little help deciding:

    • The Total War game with the best reviews from the sale is Medieval 2 with 95% positive reviews.
    • The most players among the games mentioned have according to steamcharts Three Kingdoms with around 8,600 players at peak.
    • The lowest price you pay is €1.99 for the Medieval: Total War – Collection on Steam, which is the first part from 2002.

    In the end, you should choose the Total War game whose period interests you the most.

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    The Total War games are among the best representatives of their genre. If you are looking for more games for strategists – whether turn-based or real-time, with a focus on war or construction – you will find more recommendations in our overview on MeinMMO: The 15 best strategy games for PC 2025

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

    Bungie is afraid of a second Concord massacre, sends Marathon back to the shooting range

    Karsten Scholz Karsten Scholz Reading time 2 minutes

    On the official Bungie website, the responsible parties announced that they will postpone the targeted release of Marathon to September 23, 2025, and move it to an indefinite date.

    What was the initial situation? Bungie’s new extraction shooter has experienced turbulent months. Many of the players who have had the chance to try out Marathon have shown little enthusiasm. Additionally, there was trouble with an artist, who was able to show that a former developer simply used her work.

    And all this in an environment where Bungie on one side and Sony on the other are going through difficult times with their respective service games.

    Start video
    Bungie shows first gameplay of Marathon in trailer

    More Survival, More Marathon, More Social

    Why is the postponement happening? Sony and Bungie can both really use a hit. In other words: Marathon must not fail. However, since the feedback so far has been mixed, the developers are postponing the planned release on September 23, 2025.

    On the official website bungie.net, they explain:

    Through every comment and every real-time conversation on social media and Discord, you have expressed your opinion loud and clear. We have taken this to heart and know that we need more time to make Marathon a game that truly reflects your passion.

    According to industry expert Paul Tassi, who is closely connected to the Bungie environment, the team learned of the postponement only with the release of the developer announcement. See also his message on X.

    The plans for the coming weeks and months at Bungie are as follows:

    • They want to conduct further beta tests to continue gathering player feedback about the current status and implemented adjustments.
    • The developers want to strengthen the survival aspect through challenging AI opponents, dynamic events, motivating loot, and a more intense combat experience.
    • The team wants to better articulate the universe of Marathon through graphics, more narrative elements, and a darker tone that aligns better with previous Marathon games.
    • Marathon is to receive more social features while also improving the gaming experience for solo players and duos.
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    Whether that will be enough to make Marathon the hit everyone hopes for remains to be seen. By the way, the game is already doing some things right. Our shooter expert Dariusz Müller has highlighted a potential strength in this article: Many extraction shooters bore me, but an innovative idea from Marathon even piques my interest

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

    Player says: You only find the vile grind in Diablo 4 normal because cheaters spread items

    Nicole Wakulczyk Nicole Wakulczyk Reading time 2 minutes

    About the grind in the endgame of Diablo 4 is regularly discussed in the community. For some, it is simply part of the experience to keep rehashing the same content. Another player sees it quite differently: he believes many have become completely desensitized because items are almost thrown at them.

    The duplication of items and gold has long been a topic in this ARPG. In Diablo 2, the exploits were so wild that players eventually established rare items as a new currency. There have also been cases of duping in Diablo 4, leading Blizzard to temporarily disable trading between players.

    Which items are we talking about now? In a Reddit post, a player writes that many hardly notice the grind in the endgame anymore because they are constantly being “fed with duped materials.” This refers to the materials needed to open the loot boxes of the hideout bosses. The bosses themselves can now also be summoned without materials.

    The user Blubbpaule explains in his post that the perception of grind and loot has completely shifted for many players. “People have completely forgotten what real grind feels like for non-dupers,” he says. The dupes have shifted the baseline for what one considers “normal effort.”

    Those who do not buy dupes through trading need many hours to gather the materials and defeat hundreds of bosses, to farm certain uniques and mythic uniques. For those who “respect the grind,” the game is becoming less rewarding, believes Blubbpaule.

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    Diablo 4: Der Gameplay-Trailer zu Season 8 mit Belial

    Fans believe: The system itself leads to this problem

    What do other players say about this? The post ignites a discussion about the endgame system, specifically regarding the path to obtaining strong mythic uniques. For instance, the_millenial_falcon mentions that Diablo 4 should better connect all the mechanics so that one does not have to do 300 boss runs for a mythic.

    Also, DisasterDifferent543 suggests: “The fundamental problem with the gear system in Diablo 4 is that it leads players directly and exclusively to this point. As soon as you are somewhat well-equipped, the entire game is just about boss farming.” Everything boils down to grinding XP in the pit or mindless material farming.

    Other users note that Belial, the new boss from Season 8, simply spawns too rarely. To acquire the materials for the loot from the hideout boss, one must encounter “the little Belial.” And he spawns randomly after other boss fights – but not always. One player reports that he has encountered the “little” Belial 39 times in almost 300 runs.

    “The system promotes monotonous, boring grind instead of real challenges – and that’s a persistent problem,” says Zanaxz. He believes: If the trading of boss materials is restricted, then bosses and loot must be significantly improved in return.

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    The endgame of Diablo 4 is repeatedly criticized by the community. Hardcore players miss variety, while others complain about boredom. Although Blizzard has made adjustments, with new activities and new difficulty levels – and the roadmap for 2025 promises changes. But even this is being criticized. One fan says: Some players are just never satisfied.

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

    A player shamelessly exploits Amazon’s service, tricking himself into getting 2 AMD CPUs and 2 SSDs worth around 1,000 euros

    Benedikt Schlotmann Benedikt Schlotmann Reading time 3 minutes

    A player orders hardware on Amazon, but his package is lost. He is sent a replacement, but cancels his shipment in parallel. In the end, he has one CPU from AMD and one SSD too many.

    An Amazon customer ordered an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D and a 2 TB Samsung 990 EVO Plus for his gaming PC. In Germany, you pay nearly 500 Euros for both products combined: about 350 Euros for the CPU from AMD and 120 Euros for the SSD (via Geizhals.de).

    After the package did not arrive as announced, he contacted the automated customer service and received replacements for both items. This was reported by the user on Reddit.

    However, he exploited the customer service in such a way that ultimately both a replacement delivery was sent to him and the full purchase price was refunded. Two days later, the supposedly lost package was delivered after all, so the customer now received both orders. He paid nothing thanks to the refund, which is why he described the action as “free.”

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    Duplicate and lost shipments frequently concern buyers

    Does this happen often? In fact, it happens frequently that users receive more goods than ordered. A player bought an OLED monitor on Amazon and also received a second one due to the report that the first package was lost.

    He reported the error to Amazon, and the provider allowed him to keep the second device for free. Unlike this lucky fellow, the user in this case, at least at the time of the post, had not yet contacted Amazon and was even considering simply selling the excess goods.

    However, he should definitely not do that, as his conduct could be viewed as a violation of Amazon’s terms of service and could potentially even be illegal. Furthermore, there is still a chance that Amazon will notice the error and request the return of the goods.

    What is the best way to proceed in such a case? Simply keeping the goods without informing the seller is usually not legally permissible and can, in the worst case, be considered unjust enrichment or fraud. MeinMMO has consulted a lawyer on the topic of incorrect deliveries. Generally, the following steps are recommended:

    • Immediately inform Amazon about the excess goods delivered.
    • Safely store the excess goods until the matter is clarified.
    • Obtain written confirmation if Amazon still allows you to keep the goods. You can provide evidence later should there be any issues.

    How does something like this happen? Users on Reddit repeatedly report that Amazon allegedly does not clearly verify returns or lost packages. Often, it is also said that third-party providers are to blame for not delivering the package or for delivering it incorrectly.

    Amazon has long been transitioning in Germany to deliver packages directly and no longer hiring DHL, Hermes, or other service providers for shipping.

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    On Amazon, you repeatedly find offers for graphics cards and other expensive hardware at excessively low prices. A player has now taken the liberty of visiting the address of a potential scammer. And was not very surprised to find that no company has their location there: Player secretly visits company selling graphics cards on Amazon for much too cheap – Absolutely wants to know what he finds there

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

    From today you can play WoW with just one key – Patch 11.1.7 is live

    Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

    The latest patch for World of Warcraft is live. From today, you have players who only need to press a single button.

    The latest patch of World of Warcraft is live. Update 11.1.7 launched with today’s maintenance on 18.06.2025 and brought one of the most controversial features ever in World of Warcraft. Starting today, it is possible to play WoW with just one single button, which takes almost all the work out of combat.

    Start video
    WoW: Xal’atath and the Destruction of Dalaran

    What is this feature? From today you can activate the “1 Button Assistant”. This gives you a new button that you can simply drag into your action bars. Whenever you use this button, a skill will be automatically selected and used. The system is “intelligent” and uses skills that are sensible. It takes into account what buffs you currently have or how many enemies you are facing in combat. This allows for a solid rotation to be played without having to select them manually.

    What is the downside? To balance this automation, everyone who uses the feature receives a penalty in the form of an increased global cooldown. You will thus use fewer abilities in the same amount of time than other characters who do not use this feature.

    This means: The vast majority of people using this feature will perform significantly worse than those who do not.

    Note that this is primarily a feature of accessibility. It is designed to help people who may have physical limitations and can only play with aids. However, it can also be used by anyone who does not enjoy the combat in World of Warcraft and plays the game for other reasons – such as pet battles, professions, or role-playing.

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    What else is in the patch? Apart from this new feature, the patch also includes some new quest lines revolving around Xal’atath, the Titans, or the former Lich King, as well as a new campaign in the Arathi Highlands. If you are interested in all the new features of the patch, it may also be worth taking a look at the full patch notes of Patch 11.1.7.

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