The first season of the Anime of Yu-Gi-Oh! may have been seen by some of you in the midday program of RTLZWEI. But have you ever counted who was actually the best duelist from Season 1?
Yu-Gi-Oh! is not only a successful anime, but also a popular card game, for which major tournaments are still held today. The journey began in 2003 on RTLZWEI, at least in Germany. We could witness numerous duels, in which the rules of the official trading card game were not always taken very seriously – similar to real life.
What was the ranking based on? MeinMMO examined all duels from the anime and created a top 5 of the best duelists. We chose the absolute total number of victories as the ranking. Only duels from the original anime, including its fillers, were considered. Therefore, there are no characters that appear in Yu-Gi-Oh! GX or any subsequent anime.
For some duelists, we could not provide an exact number, as the circumstances of a victory or defeat were ambiguous. One example is the duel between Mai Valentine and Tea Gardner: Mai voluntarily surrendered, but she would have won the duel under normal circumstances.
Initially, we considered making the win rate dependent on the placement. However, that would have put Tea Gardner with 100% in first place, as she won all three of her duels (if you count Mai’s surrender). But that would be unfair to the other characters who had to duel much more often.
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With the Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection, Konami re-releases 14 handheld games for PC and Nintendo Switch
The 5 best duelists from Yu-Gi-Oh!
5th Place: Yami Marik
Victories: 3
The antagonist is pure evil.
Yami Marik is the personality formed from the hatred of Marik Ishtar. He is the main antagonist in the Battle City arc and unlike Yami Yugi and Yami Bakura, is not bound to a Millennium Item. His best card is The Winged Dragon of Ra.
If we do not count the duel with Tea, in which Mai Valentine would actually have won, Yami Marik already has 3 victories in 5th place. He won his duels during the Battle City Finals, including against Mai, Yami Bakura, and Joey Wheeler.
However: In reality, Joey Wheeler would have also won the duel, but he became unconscious before the decisive attack command. Depending on the perspective, Yami Marik would have to share 5th place with Tea.
4th Place: Mai Valentine
Victories: > 5
Mai undergoes a strong transformation.
Mai Valentine undergoes a strong transformation in the anime. At first, she is arrogant, egocentric, and fixated on the prize money of the tournament. Over time, however, she learns to appreciate her friends more and becomes a loyal companion. In her duels, she relies on a Harpie deck.
Some of her victories were not directly shown in the series, but took place in the background. At the beginning of the series, for example, she tricked Rex Raptor out of his luxurious cabin on the ship by winning a duel.
She was able to achieve further victories when she won her star chips or qualified for the final rounds of the Battle City tournament. Therefore, the number of her victories is difficult to estimate, but in any case, she is the strongest female duelist from the anime.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The largest raid boss that World of Warcraft has ever seen. This is what awaits us in the next major patch when we travel to the planet K’aresh.
It is an old joke that melee fighters in boss fights in World of Warcraft often can’t see anything more than the foot of the enemy because they can be so gigantic. In the next patch 11.2 “Ghosts of K’aresh”, Blizzard apparently thought, “Can we go even bigger?”
And yes, it can get bigger: The next final boss is as large as the city of Stormwind.
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WoW player finds his old guild again – but it’s quite sad
Antagonist from Burning Crusade makes an appearance
What kind of boss is this? We are talking about Lord Dimensius of the Void. This is an antagonist that long-time fans should already be familiar with if they have attentively played the quests from “The Burning Crusade” or have engaged intensely with Xal’atath and her story.
Dimensius is the (so far) only known Void Lord that has already consumed a World Soul. He was summoned into reality by Xal’atath and devoured the World Soul of K’aresh. This not only destroyed the planet but the magics of the incident also created the people of the Astrals – they were originally entirely different beings but lost their physical forms through the battle against Dimensius.
Dimensius in the raid – the fight is expected to take gigantic measures.
Dimensius is impressive. You’ve never seen a boss like this, it will be an absolute feast for the eyes. It’s an incredible fight. Our combat designers, effects artists, sound designers, and dungeon artists, that’s an entire army of people who have put a tremendous amount of work into this and I can hardly wait for the player community to experience it.
Regarding the size of the boss, they were then even more specific:
It all ends in a cosmic battle against Dimensius, the largest boss we have ever created. He is … as big as Stormwind.
When can players experience the boss fight? Until we can make our way into the raid “Manaforged Omega”, it should take about 6 to 8 weeks. Blizzard aims to release a new patch approximately every 8 weeks. Since the Update 11.1.7 has only been live since last Wednesday, the patch 11.2 is likely to be scheduled for mid-August.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The building system from Dune: Awakening offers numerous options for creative expression. One player took advantage of this to bring a piece of human history to Arrakis. The community celebrates the impressive construction.
What did the player create? Zeerit explains on Reddit that up to now, community platforms have mostly shown screenshots from Dune: Awakening showcasing futuristic bases. He decided to excavate an old desert classic from human history.
The obvious inspiration for his creation: The Egyptian Sphinx, the iconic statue of a lion with a human head, which stands for example in Giza. You can see the result below:
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Dune: Awakening presents new action-packed trailer for the release of the game
“The communities are simply great”
How is the community reacting to the work? Players celebrate the Sphinx with over 2,400 upvotes and more than 90 comments.
xReturnerx writes on Reddit: “Nice, that’s making me want to build a pyramid.”
ConnertheCat praises on Reddit: “I think it’s awesome! The other bases might look ‘cool’, but I would definitely say things like ‘Oh, that’s near the Sphinx’ and ‘Oh, that’s just around the corner from the Sphinx’ when explaining things to people. Super cool and fun, well done!”
Recatek jokes on Reddit: “Would be funnier if the garage was at the back.”
Couch_King explains on Reddit: “That’s why I’ve learned to love this type of game. The communities are simply great.”
The author of these lines prefers a simple, practical, but also very boring design that offers enough storage for vehicles, the ornithopter, and numerous machines. What do you think? And have you already stumbled upon impressive constructions on your server?
In a game on Steam, you can build your own plane: Or you can do it like Twitch streamer Max “HandOfBlood” Knabe and build something that can barely be called an airplane.
What kind of game is it? We are talking about Aviassembly – a game in which you build your own airplane and fly around with it. Aviassembly was released in Early Access on Steam on April 11, 2025, and costs €9.75. The platform has just over 4,400 reviews, with 97% being positive.
Here you can see a trailer for Aviassembly:
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Aviassembly: Gameplay-Trailer zur neuen Flugsimulation auf Steam
HandOfBlood recently played the game live on Twitch and uploaded the nearly two-hour stream to YouTube. In it, he also presented a new “creation”.
What did the Twitch streamer create? HandOfBlood named his plane the “Spandauer Kobra”. Although his viewers are not sure if it can still be called a plane. It can definitely fly.
In the comments under the YouTube video, 80sMeavyHetal ceremoniously writes: “The flying escalator is back!”
oliverpichl4070 describes what happens in the stream with the words: “*shifts an absurd component downward slightly in a monstrosity of a device*: ‘Look at this, great!'”
You can watch the video here:
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What is the game actually about? At the beginning, you build your airplane. The game gives you a lot of freedom:
You choose from various components that you can place freely. This allows you to determine where things like wings or your engine should be located.
From biplanes to jets, many different designs are possible, including some very crazy ones, as HandOfBlood has proven.
However, not everything with wings and an engine flies in the end. You still need to pay attention to physical aspects such as aerodynamics and the weight of your machine.
Once your airplane is ready for takeoff, you can take off immediately. In the open game world, missions await you, for completing which you earn money. With it, you unlock new parts that make your plane faster, increase your cargo space, or allow you to fly further.
For those who just want to build without constraints, there is also a creative mode. Here, you don’t need to worry about your resources. Many features will be added before the final release, including helicopters and first-person flying.
The Predator is one of the most well-known monsters of all time, alongside the Xenomorph, appearing not only in movies but also in other works. However, there is more to the hunter from space than just a nasty alien.
The Predator first appeared in 1987 in the film “Predator” by John McTiernan. In the South American jungle, a special forces unit must rescue survivors of a plane crash. The special forces unit is led by Dutch, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The mission turns out to be more difficult than expected. A highly advanced alien, the Predator, is hunting the members of the special forces unit.
Unlike monstrous aliens that act instinctively, the Predator was methodical, trained, and intelligent. Behind the first Predator was a man in a suit.
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English trailer for Predator with Arnold Schwarzenegger
The Man Behind the Mask
Who is behind the Predator? The first Predator seen on the big screen was not a puppet or CGI; he was played by Kevin Peter Hall. Sci-fi fans might know him as Leyor from Starship Enterprise: The Next Generation. Due to his stature of almost 2.2 m, he previously played Bigfoot in Harry and the Hendersons.
In a behind-the-scenes feature (source: YouTube), Carl Weathers explains that he was the perfect choice and convincingly showed with makeup and costume that Schwarzenegger was in danger in the film. Hall also portrayed a variant of the alien in the second installment. For the costume, Hall didn’t need to be wired.
The most important feature of the Predator is the head, which consists not only of the mask but also of the insect-like skull behind it.
As explained by the Stan Winston School of Character Arts in a blog, the design of the Predator was inspired by paintings of Rastafari warriors that producer Joel Silver had in his office. The Predator consisted of a costume and a mechanical head that included tusks, a mouth mechanism, and an animatronic face.
To move the mouth of the Predator, a servo motor was installed to animate individual parts. Together with the artificial skin that was laid over the mechanical head and the design, the insect-like look of the head was created.
But that was only the beginning of the Predator. Beyond the cinematic representation, a whole universe developed around the sci-fi monster.
More behind-the-scenes on the Predator suit can be found here:
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The Predator was so popular that a whole universe formed around him
What exactly is the Predator? The Predators are known in their lore as Yautja. Their home planet is called Yautja Prime. They are an alien species specializing in hunting. The hunt is treated like a sport or a sacred ritual. The prey is observed, stalked, and ultimately hunted.
The Yautja are more technologically advanced than humans and use not only futuristic weapons but also gadgets like a thermal vision helmet and the ability to become invisible. As seen in several films, they also use spears or other rudimentary weapons for hunting. Once they have hunted a target, they take a trophy, often in the form of bones.
Predators are larger and physically stronger than humans, can live significantly longer, and communicate through the iconic clicking sound from their mouths. They presumably reproduce like other mammals, but there has been no detailed explanation of this in any work.
The Yautja have different clans that vary in their hunting strategies and territories. Although they are technologically advanced, their culture resembles ancient warrior tribes. In the book about Alien vs. Predator, it is also revealed that they worship a war god (via Screen Rant).
Do the Predators have a hierarchy? Yes, within the clans and on Yautja Prime, the worth of an individual Yautja is equated with their hunting successes. In the latest film of the franchise, Killer of Killers, it is shown that there is a king.
The film depicts him starting the battle of three humans in an arena and that he has a special ship. He also commands other Yautja. However, it is unclear whether he commands multiple clans or just one quite large one (source: avpcentral.com).
Are there rules that the Predators must follow? The Yautja have a code of honor that they adhere to, sometimes more, sometimes less. There are rules that should be considered when hunting.
Innocents may not be hunted. It is unclear what exactly is considered innocent, but since one wants to profile oneself with the hunted, it makes sense to only hunt opponents who can defend themselves.
As hunters, Yautja should act in invisibility. Their actions should not be publicly seen.
As a sacred ritual, a Yautja should only focus on the hunt.
Weapons and equipment must be reclaimed.
Killed clan members should be retrieved.
One should hunt alone or in a small group; large groups are considered dishonorable.
The hunt should largely be fair for both sides. Technology should not prevent the prey from having a chance.
Other Yautja should not be killed unless they have violated clan customs and have been sentenced to death.
If a human manages to defeat a Yautja, they seem to show respect. In Predator 2, Mike Harrigan received a gun from other Yautja after he killed his hunter. In Killer of Killers, three humans who successfully killed a Yautja are taken to an arena to fight each other. The winner would have the honor of fighting the king.
How can I learn more about the Predator? Besides all the movies (the latest was released just this year), there are many games, books, and comics about the Predator. Especially in the comics, there are many stories with various outcomes. There are also crossovers with Marvel heroes, but with the Predator, many quickly think of another alien: Alien: Everything you need to know about the legendary Xenomorph
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Empire in Warhammer 40,000 has absurdly large dimensions. Of course, it requires a lot of bureaucracy to manage, but also a police force that enforces laws. These are the Adeptus Arbites, who surely do not act as friends and helpers.
A large part of the galaxy belongs to the Imperium of Man, which spans many sectors. Although there are different customs in various corners of the Imperium, one thing is the same everywhere: imperial law.
Every loyal servant of the Imperium must pay a tithe, contact with Xenos is strictly forbidden, and the authorities must be obeyed. The fact that heresy is punishable by death is to be expected.
In order to enforce laws and administer justice in such a vast empire, a genuine force of police officers and judges is needed. The Adeptus Arbites are that force: legal experts familiar with 10,000 years of imperial jurisprudence and enforcers of that jurisprudence in the Imperium.
In two games set in Warhammer 40,000, you can play as Arbites: The co-op shooter Darktide gets Arbitrators as a class and in the role-playing game Rogue Trader, the new companion in the DLC “Lex Imperialis” will be a member of the Adeptus Arbites. And even though this may sound like law and order are coming to the forefront, that is certainly not the case for citizens.
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Der Cinematic zur neuen Klasse in Warhammer 40.000: Darktide, dem Adeptus Arbites
The police for whom murder is beneath their dignity
The task of the Arbites is to enforce imperial law. This means they do not deal with local problems at all. If trouble arises on a planet, it is primarily the governor and his task force’s problem.
“Normal” crimes like murder, slavery, theft, etc., are only relevant to the Arbites when the production quotas of the world are threatened. Not even during a coup do the Arbites intervene as long as the usurper is loyal to the Imperium, for a weak leader is ultimately removed. The Arbites become active when:
the planet fails to fulfill its obligations to the Imperium
imperial law is broken, for example by negotiating with Xenos without sanction
drugs become rampant – and thus reduce the tributes
When the Arbites intervene, they do so with violence, and most often death is the only punishment imposed. Imperial law is enforced with all might, and the Adeptus Arbites do not even hesitate before the powerful.
Arbitrators and judges have the right to hold even free traders accountable, who otherwise have free rein. Judges can even execute planetary governors or members of the Adeptus Terra, the imperial administration to which they are supposed to adhere.
Only the strong and class thugs become Arbites
Members of the Adeptus Arbites can be roughly divided into two areas: judges, who have expertise in jurisprudence and law, and Arbitrators, the military arm of the organization. Especially experienced members will eventually embody both.
Willingness to use violence is a requisite trait for most Arbites. Many of them are recruited in the Schola Progenum, the institutions for war orphans, where imperial doctrine is instilled in the children from an early age, and where they are physically and mentally hardened daily – often violently.
Accordingly, the equipment of the Adeptus Arbites consists not only of non-lethal protection weapons such as shock batons and storm shields but also of military hardware such as:
bolters, grenade launchers, and powerful shotguns
cybernetically enhanced cyber-hounds
battle tanks, automatic turrets, and war aircraft
By the way: The Arbites are heavily inspired by the British comic hero Judge Dredd – just in the grimy Warhammer version.
People who enforce the word of the Emperor personally
The foundation on which the Arbites make their decisions is the Lex Imperialis, imperial law. Allegedly, it is the word of the Emperor himself, which is supposed to be enforced during his “imprisonment” on the Golden Throne.
The Lex Imperialis comprises so many laws that it is nearly impossible to know all the laws at any given time – especially since many jurisdictions contradict each other. Until a judge reaches a judgment in a complex case, it can sometimes take decades or longer. In extreme cases, a court case is the lifetime work of a single judge, which he then passes on to a successor before his death to find a resolution.
In most cases, the Lex Imperialis shows no mercy, and many offenses are punishable by death. And even though this may sound terrible: Arbites are bound by this law and are correspondingly “fairer” than the Inquisition may be in many cases.
If you want to experience what it is like to be an Arbites or work with them, you should check out Darktide or Rogue Trader. In both games, Arbitrators are available and they are among the best games to get into the world of Warhammer 40,000.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The development of a character in World of Warcraft is not well received by the fans. A great hero from the past behaves quite differently.
In World of Warcraft, the latest Patch 11.1.7 went live this past Wednesday, bringing with it the 1-Button Assistant as well as a new campaign centered around the Highlands of Arathi. In it, we encounter some notable characters from the Warcraft universe, such as Danath Trollbane.
He undergoes a development that many players feel is too quick. His 180° turnaround makes some declare, “This feels really, really bad.”
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WoW player finds his old guild again – but it’s quite sad
Who is this about? This is about Danath Trollbane (actually “Danath Dungalion”). He is a legendary character from the lore of World of Warcraft, having been one of the most important characters in Warcraft I and II. He is considered a fervent enemy of the Horde. He led one of the internment camps and risked his life to prevent the Orcs from leaving their dying world to protect Azeroth from them.
In more recent times (Battle for Azeroth), he returned to the Arathi Highlands and reclaimed Stromgarde and parts of the land for the Alliance. He is basically the king of Arathi.
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What bothers the fans? In the latest questline, Danath is noticeably milder and has some lines that cast him in a strange light. The entire questline revolves around an emerging conflict between the Alliance and the Horde, yet ultimately everyone is tired of war.
Danath seems to have turned around 180°, which many criticize. Specific_Frame8537 writes:
Just the first few lines of the quest: “The sons of Lothar have always stood for tolerance and mercy.” “Dude, Danath, you led internment camps.” “Did the writers even play the games?”
Many are reminded of Sylvanas’s trajectory, who quickly went from a beloved character to one of the most disliked.
Others also find the message conveyed in the quests questionable, as one reading from MetalBawx comes to this conclusion regarding peace with the Mag’har:
The story mentions the internment camps but does not explain why they even happened, as if the authors hope we forget what we saw in [Warcraft I and II] or even Warlords of Draenor, that it only took a little of the Legion to turn the Orcs into monsters.
The message is confusing: rewarding invaders is good if it brings peace.
Many also feel that the conflict is handled very stupidly and have the impression that behind the quest there is more a moral sermon than a well-thought-out story, as Aelexe emphasizes:
This just feels like the latest episode of “War is bad, conflict is bad, racism is bad” without any nuance. Once again, we beat up the latest villain and absolutely nothing is done to address the origins of the conflict. […]
None of them acknowledge that the last time we were here in the Arathi Highlands, one of them ordered me to kill the other.
Particularly popular is SincubusSilvertongue’s wish for a few more elements found in real-world conflicts:
I hate this kind of peace in stories. This is one of the few times they should bring in some elements from the real world. A peace through politics, common benefits, and a respectable share of stubbornness would have worked well here. […] I want there to be peacemakers, antagonists, people seeking their personal benefit, changing opinions, things significant enough to discuss, and real diplomacy. […] All we have now are monotonous, predictable stories, with monotonous and predictable characters.
Many are dissatisfied with the story of World of Warcraft in this patch and would have preferred a different handling of this conflict. The concern is great that such rather weak narratives could also appear in the next expansion Midnight.
However, one should also realize that this is merely a smaller patch meant to tell a side story. Nevertheless, the dissatisfaction in the community is clearly noticeable. Sometimes stories are not only monotonous in WoW but also plain “fails”: We have the 5 biggest story fails from WoW here for you.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Fortnite there are many modes and LTMs, but none were as popular in Chapter 1 as Team Rumble. Fans associate great moments in this chaotic mode. However, now, after 7 years, Epic Games is removing it from its game catalog.
What was so special about this mode? Upon its release in 2018, Team Rumble was a chaotic mode. Two teams of 16 players each competed against each other to achieve a certain number of kills – usually 100 to 150 eliminations.
So, players landed on the map, looted everything they could, and followed the storm eye to the final zone. Once there, the fun began, as this zone remained until the end of the match. Anyone who landed there was immediately caught in a hail of bullets.
Many players used Team Rumble to quickly complete quests back then. Because after a death, players did not need to start a new round; they simply respawned. This simplified the grind in Fortnite and also provided tons of XP for the Battle Pass.
Fortnite showcases its Battle Pass for Chapter 6 Season 3 in the new gameplay trailer
Players bid a proper farewell
What is the mood of the fans? They are divided. Many mourn the former mode and reflect on how they could relax and complete their quests back then. Some, on the other hand, have already moved on from Team Rumble, as Epic Games began to “destroy” the mode early on. The following voices can be heard on Reddit:
“Yes, I have to agree. I found this mode really fun and played it most of the time. After the changes, I played it less and less. I actually enjoyed having time to loot and explore the map each season without having to worry too much about attacks.” – working4buddha
“I used to play it often to complete my quests. Since the update, I haven’t touched it again.” – Joonberri
“This is really annoying because story quests are becoming more frustrating as you have to do everything there, sometimes even a match after another. Yes, there were no bots, but you could easily complete everything else to finish a quest in TR [Team Rumble]. Boo!” – sophisticated_pie
“It was the first mode I played to quickly get through the Battle Pass of Chapter 1, Season 5. The only thing I didn’t like about it was the building. Zero Build Team Rumble would be fantastic, but I guess that’s in another timeline.” – Outrageous_Usual_710
Is there a replacement for Team Rumble? According to Epic Games, Team Rumble is to be replaced by the new mode “Training Ground”. In this mode, you spawn on a map with countless respawns and fight against other players without building. There are no opinions yet on how well this new mode will replace Team Rumble, but it at least sounds promising.
Are you also upset that Team Rumble was removed? Our MeinMMO author Christos already noted in 2022 that Epic Games was slowly but surely destroying the mode: How Fortnite has destroyed its most popular mode
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
If you make a certain mistake on the Switch 2, Nintendo might remove an important feature. So be smarter than the players in the community who warn about their own mistake.
What did the players do? On Reddit, a player warns others not to use a Mig-Flash card for the Switch 2. This is a plug-and-play card that can store illegally downloaded games without requiring players to pay for them. As a result, many gamers bypass the prices, which have been raised again with the Switch 2.
However, Nintendo seems to have developed a system to detect such cards. Downloading and playing illegally obtained titles violates the terms of use for the Switch 2, which is why players are now facing a penalty.
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The Nintendo Switch 2 in the unboxing video
Players lose important feature on their Switch 2
What is their penalty? As a Reddit user reports, he can no longer access online features. On his console, these features have been blocked, so he can no longer access the eShop, for example.
Only the error code 2124-4508 is displayed on his console, with the message that Nintendo is disabling the use of online features.
He admits that it was his stupid mistake to go online with the console. It was only then that Nintendo could recognize that an illegal card was being used. However, this only applies to the affected Switch 2 console where the Mig-Flash card was detected.
If he logs in with his account on another console, the online features become usable again. Thus, the ban is console-bound and not account-bound. Nevertheless, it is a painful loss, especially since a Switch 2 console currently costs 469.99 Euros.
What is this good for? In addition to preventing piracy, this function has another benefit. In Bennett (USA), Switch 2 consoles worth over 1 million Euros were stolen from a truck. Nintendo can track down the thieves using this function, as computer science professor Steve Beaty explains (via GameSpot).
Accordingly, Nintendo can disable the consoles via their serial number when they go online. This way, Nintendo can contact the buyers and track down the sellers who stole the goods.
If you use such cards that allow you to play illegally downloaded games, you should not use Nintendo’s online features. Otherwise, you might end up not being able to use this feature at all on the console. What you can do instead with the Switch 2 can be found here: Nintendo Switch 2 Guides: All tips and tricks at a glance
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
After the release for PS5, Stellar Blade was also released on Steam. A large part of the mods makes Eve lose her already scant outfits. The CEO of developer ShiftUp does not find this troubling at all.
What does the head of Stellar Blade think about nude mods? In an interview with the South Korean team from This Is Game, ShiftUP CEO Hyung-Tae Kim was asked if he intends to impose sanctions against mods that go “beyond the age rating for adults”.
The CEO responded that Stellar Blade is not suitable for minors anyway. Therefore, he sees no justification to punish the 41% of mods that remove Eve’s shells. In general, he has a positive attitude towards mods. However, there are cases where he also has a limit.
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The action-adventure Stellar Blade shows the story trailer for PS5
The head of Stellar Blade does not want to see a certain type of mod
Which mods does he mean? Hyung-Tae Kim has no problem with nude mods, unlike protagonist Eve. However, there is one type where he draws the line:
“However, there are cases where they border on hacking or disrupt normal gameplay. In these cases, we ask users to exercise caution when applying such changes. In principle, there would be no strict rules for mods, as long as they only increase game speed, for example.”
Are there mods that the CEO still misses? In fact, Kim is still dissatisfied with the selection of mods. According to him, modders lack firepower. He misses mods that “subtly change the way the game is enjoyed” or “expand the gaming experience in meaningful ways.”
Nevertheless, he emphasizes again that he thinks mods that bring new costumes or monster graphics into the game are cool. So to all the nude modders out there: You can proceed with peace of mind, as there will be no penalties for that!
What do others say about it? In the comments on Reddit, the CEO’s attitude is well-received. They believe that mods should not be regulated.
Many users find that the CEO becomes more likeable every time they read something from him. After all, he is “a Gooner at heart,” like the rest of the community, according to user LightsJusticeZ.
With GTA Online, Rockstar provided its fans with new content for over a decade and kept them engaged while the studio worked on GTA 6. But did you know that the mode took over 20 years of development?
What is so special about GTA Online? After GTA 5 had finished telling its story, Rockstar introduced a new mode: GTA Online. This mode allows its fans to create a protagonist with whom they can live an outlaw life in Los Santos. Besides heists, drug trading, or mini-games, players can also simply enjoy life in Los Santos and play together with their friends.
You might think that an online mode in a game would not be a problem by today’s standards. But Rockstar had already tried to implement an online mode with GTA 3.
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Rockstar Games presents GTA 6 in the second trailer
This is what he described on X.com: ‘For GTA 3, I developed a prototype for a simple deathmatch. Players could kill each other, pull them out of cars, and respawn in the city. It was promising… but we ran out of time. We needed lobbies, network-capable scripts, etc. We decided to reduce the effort.’
But that was not the end of it. With Vice City, it was supposed to be done this time. According to Vermeij, they even hired developers to take care of the multiplayer code. Unfortunately, the deadlines were tight again, so the project was canceled once more.
For GTA San Andreas, the topic was not taken up again, as it was the last title on the platform and not worth the effort – a co-op mode was supposed to be enough at the time.
With GTA 4, they finally succeeded. Four programmers and many level designers were hired to create the mode. However, it did not resemble the mode that Rockstar had envisioned. That only started with the release of GTA Online in 2013.
Will there be GTA Online for GTA 6? Although this mode has not yet been confirmed by Rockstar itself, it is strongly assumed that the developers are working on an alternative online mode.
The current expansion Dawntrail for Final Fantasy XIV has been facing backlash from the community since its release. With the latest patch, new reviews have also arrived on Steam. The well-known YouTuber Zepla is now reacting to an article about it and criticizing what fans have loved about the devs for years.
Who is Zepla? The YouTuber and Twitch streamer Zepla is one of the most prominent content creators for Final Fantasy XIV. According to her own statements, she switched from World of Warcraft to the Japanese MMORPG between 2015 and 2016 and became captivated by the story from the Heavensward patches starting at 3.2.
At the start of her channels, she primarily published guides and comedy videos, which helped many players get into the world of Eorzea and introduced them to the advantages of Final Fantasy XIV. She currently has over 302,000 subscribers on YouTube as ZeplaHQ and an additional 76,000 on her highlight channel ZepLIVE, along with around 261,000 followers on her Twitch channel (as of June 18, 2025, 11:30 AM CEST).
What’s going on with Final Fantasy XIV? Recently, an article from Gamesradar+ highlighted the negative reviews on Steam regarding the expansion. According to the article, the ratings on Steam have dropped to “mostly negative” since the release of patch 7.25.
Editorial note on the reviews on Steam
We could not confirm the ratings, as Dawntrail currently has 51% positive votes overall and 41% in recent reviews labeled as “Mixed” in Germany (as of June 18, 2025, 11:30 AM CEST) (see Steam). Nevertheless, there were times when the expansion also had the rating of “mostly negative”.
She is sure: The story makes weaknesses more visible that have actually existed in FF14 for years.
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The new trailer for Patch 7.2 of Final Fantasy XIV shows the new, highly anticipated content
“It is far below the standard that the game has set”
What does Zepla criticize? In her video on YouTube, Zepla discusses the mentioned article with her community and shares her opinion on it. Although she has not played the new content Krezentia, she has informed herself within the community and followed the discussions.
She shares that many players would find the new content boring, monotonous, and too grind-heavy, without real innovations compared to similar contents from past expansions like Bozja or Eureka. For many, it feels like “the same game again”.
The streamer agrees, as these points lead her back to things she has considered a major weakness of the game for years: The “formula” of FFXIV has remained the same for years – something that, in her opinion, was previously compensated by the strong story (e.g., in Shadowbringers) is now more pronounced due to the overall weaker story of Dawntrail, as she sees it as “far below the standard that the game has set”.
You can watch the entire discussion with her community here:
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Additionally, she criticizes that the developers respond too much to the community’s wishes without bringing in their own creative impulses. The mere fulfillment of player demands without real innovation, in her opinion, leads to a content cycle that lacks ideas.
In particular, Zepla sees this as the reason for the feeling of alienation among players from FFXIV. A real fresh start or new ideas would be urgently needed to rekindle enthusiasm and win players back.
This is how MeinMMO editor Alexander Schürlein sees the issue
As a long-time raider and player of Final Fantasy XIV, I can understand the feeling. The MMORPG has followed certain patterns for years that can also be well predicted. However, I do not agree with the opinion that creativity is entirely lacking. Because even though Dawntrail contains a lot of “more of what has already worked,” the fights in dungeons, raids, and other content still feel fresh.
You can tell that the developers are trying to stick to their own system while still providing Aha moments and new impressions. Especially the new raid series has so far convinced me as a player of challenging content. And yes: the story is tedious, but it is also the beginning of something new, and that may just need some time. For my part, I have not completely given up on Dawntrail and hold on to the hope that much can still happen in the future.
On June 18, 2025, Patch 1.01.3 for Elden Ring: Nightreign will be released. You can find out when the servers will be down, when you can play again, and the patch notes here.
What happens during a server downtime? The servers are shut down. During this time, you can only play Nightreign offline and solo. However, the servers are back online now. If you experience issues, restart the game and log in again.
Server downtime in Nightreign – from when? The servers were shut down on June 18, 2025, at 10:00 CEST (17:00 JST, 01:00 PDT) on all platforms.
When can I play Nightreign again? According to a post on X.com, the maintenance and implementation of the patch will take around 3 hours. We will inform you as soon as the servers are available again.
What is included in the patch will be covered in the next section.
Update from June 18, 2025, 13:10 MESZ: The patch notes have been added.
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Diese Special-Events solltet ihr in Elden Ring Nightreign nicht verpassen
Full Patch Notes for 1.01.3
What are the Patch Notes about? Now that the servers are back online, FromSoftware has also shared the patch notes. The focus is mainly on balance adjustments and fixing known issues:
General Adjustments
Increased chance to obtain weapons with the Madness status.
Bug Fixes
The visibility of the Whirlwind skill effect has been adjusted when the relic effect “[Guardian] Increased Duration for Character Skills” is active.
A bug has been fixed that allowed the Demon Merchant to spawn near the Night Flood when the “Curse of the Demon Merchant” event occurred.
A bug has been fixed where the damage dealt to some enemies when destroying weak points created by Ironeye’s “Marking” skill was higher or lower than expected.
A bug has been fixed that nullified the lightning damage taken by enemies when influenced by the passive effect “Might of the Great Old Dragon” of the weapon “Gransax Bolt”.
A bug has been fixed that caused the display of the Ultimate Art to fill more than expected when some enemies were attacked.
A bug has been fixed where the relic effect “Weapon Switch Adds an Affinity Attack” did not correctly represent the attribute when applied to bows and crossbows.
A bug has been fixed that caused the amount of runes needed to purchase Uncommon weapons from merchants to be calculated incorrectly.
A bug has been fixed that caused players to lose a fight against a Nightlord or other Night bosses after being revived from the brink of death.
A bug has been fixed that caused the camera not to display at the correct angle during some multiplayer fights against a Nightlord when no enemy was targeted.
A bug has been fixed that caused lingering character phantoms in Limveld not to appear.
Information about the staff has been added to the game credits.
Adjustments on Steam
A bug has been fixed where the game could freeze temporarily or for an extended period in some environments.
In the future, Nightreign is also set to receive additional content such as a major DLC. This will likely bring new bosses and characters for a fresh breeze. What else awaits you, what the latest status of the planned content is, and when you can expect them, you can read here: Elden Ring: Nightreign – Roadmap and upcoming content
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
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.
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?
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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.
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.
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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.
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:
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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.”
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.
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:
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.
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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.
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:
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.
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:
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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.”
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.”
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.
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.
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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:
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
