In most fantasy settings, the undead represent pure evil, but not so in Warhammer Fantasy. There, a race of undead is among the more reasonable inhabitants of the world.
Undead abound in Warhammer Fantasy, available in several variations: powerful vampire lords like Mannfred von Carstein dwell in Sylvania and are one of the greatest enemies of the Empire of Man with their undead hordes.
On the seas, terrible vampire pirates roam, filling their ranks with dead sailors, sunken ships, and creatures of the deep.
In the great deserts of the south of the Old World, a very different kind of undead “lives.” They dwell in ancient cities with imposing pyramids amidst vast deserts. Once, they were kings of the first human civilization, but on the path to immortality, they left their humanity behind.
Now, they rule as mummies over a realm of the undead, known as the Tomb Kings. And unlike the vampire lords, who have living subjects, the realm of the Tomb Kings consists entirely of undead. Below, MeinMMO presents the royal decay in more detail.
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By the way, here you can see the army of the Tomb Kings from Warhammer: The Old World in the trailer:
Start video
Der Trailer zur Armee der Gruftkönige aus dem Tabletop von Warhammer: The Old World
It all begins with a great betrayal
An important role in the transition from the old Nehekhara to the new realm of the Tomb Kings was played by the so-called cult of the dead. The goal of this religious cult was to transform Nehekhara into an eternal kingdom whose ruler lives forever. One of the most significant members of this cult was none other than Nagash, the first necromancer and one of the most powerful wizards of Warhammer Fantasy.
In a great ritual, Nagash first killed all life in Nehekhara and then resurrected it. All the inhabitants of the realm were meant to become his army, with which he wanted to conquer the entire world. This plan might have worked, had it not been for an unusual alliance between the Skaven and the last living king of Nehekhara that brought him down.
Now, the ancient kings of Nehekhara rule as mummies over the land, defending it with their vast legions of skeleton warriors. These are far more disciplined than the hordes of skeletons and zombies of the vampire lords or the vampire coast.
The necrotechs, virtually the engineers or mechanics of the Tomb Kings, build living constructs such as war sphinxes, gigantic scorpions, or the Hierotitan. The latter is a two-legged monstrosity that can even cast spells. And the Necropolis Knights of the Tomb Kings ride on large snake constructs.
There are some important figures and powerful rulers among the Tomb Kings: four of them will be introduced from the next page onwards.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Fans of open-world games can look forward to a potential highlight coming on March 19, 2026, as anticipation for Crimson Desert grows with each passing day. However, there are good reasons to refrain from pre-ordering and wait for the initial tests.
Unanswered questions, for example, that the developers have not yet been able to satisfactorily address. Also potential issues that arose during playtests and preview events. Or just simple concerns that one might have looking at developer Pearl Abyss and the studio’s previous work.
Whether these concerns will be validated or the strengths will clearly outweigh them is something we will only find out shortly before the official release – the review embargo lifts on March 18, 2026, at 11:00 PM. Therefore, our recommendation is to refrain from pre-ordering and only place your order when you are satisfied with what trusted testers report.
Below, we summarize what we see as the biggest potential enjoyment blockers that Crimson Desert might suffer from at launch. You can jump to the chapters that interest you via the table of contents. Also, check out the Twitch channel of GameStar, where colleague Michi Obermeier talks about his first 6 hours with Crimson Desert.
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Our conclusion after playing Crimson Desert at gamescom 2025:
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Crimson Desert macht Spaß, braucht aber noch ein bisschen Zeit
Reason 1: Against All Rules – The Controls
In pretty much all the previews of the past months, the controls of Crimson Desert have been a topic. The main reason for this is the plethora of features, maneuvers, and skills that all playable main characters must fit under the limited controller buttons.
You can interact with NPCs and many environmental objects in the world, climb, jump, run, crouch, draw your weapons, or trigger special skills everywhere. Many movements or actions are triggered by pressing multiple buttons simultaneously.
Some felt that the key combinations for attacks even reminded them of fighting games like Street Fighter. But even actions outside of combat felt unusually unintuitive and complicated. The most extreme example mentioned by GameStar colleagues (via YouTube) concerned placing a flag.
Switch to focus mode with L3 + R3
Press Triangle + Circle to lift the banner
Press X multiple times to lift the banner faster
Hold Triangle while running to continue holding the banner
Use L1 to target the spot where the banner should stand, then press Triangle to place it
“Kids, it should be easier than that. Every other game would use a single interaction button for that.” This or something similar is likely to be the reaction of many players.
The best counters against Zacian in Pokémon GO in the guide. We show you the best attackers and movesets. With these, you can defeat the boss in raids.
What kind of Pokémon is Zacian? Zacian is a Fairy-type Pokémon from the eighth generation. It is a warrior Pokémon and essentially the counterpart to Zamazenta.
We show you here the best counters against Zacian and against which types it is weak (type effectiveness).
When is Zacian in raids? Zacian is available in its “Hero of Many Battles” form from March 11, 2026 at 10:00 AM to March 17, 2026 at 10:00 AM in 5-star raids.
Start video
Pokémon GO Fest 2026 comes with Mewtwo and Zeraora
Defeating Zacian in a raid – With these counters
Zamazenta (Crowned Shield) with Metal Claw and Behemoth Bash
Zacian (Crowned Sword) with Metal Claw and Behemoth Blade
Necrozma (Dusk Mane) with Metal Claw and Sunsteel Strike
Mega Metagross with Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash
Shadow Metagross with Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash
Mega Lucario with Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash
Mega Gengar with Lick and Sludge Bomb
Eternatus with Poison Jab and Sludge Bomb
Shadow Dialga with Metal Claw and Iron Head
Mega Beedrill with Poison Jab and Sludge Bomb
Metagross with Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash
Shadow Excadrill with Metal Claw and Iron Head
Mega Rayquaza with Air Slash and Dragon Ascent
Nihilego with Poison Jab and Sludge Bomb
Necrozma (Dawn Wings) with Metal Claw and Moongeist Beam
Shadow Overqwil with Poison Jab and Sludge Bomb
Mega Victreebel with Acid and Sludge Bomb
Naganadel with Poison Jab and Sludge Bomb
Shadow Gengar with Lick and Sludge Bomb
White Kyurem with Steel Wing and Ice Burn
Weaknesses of Zacian: The Pokémon is a Fairy type, making it particularly vulnerable to Poison and Steel. So focus mainly on attacks and Pokémon of these types in raids to defeat Zacian.
Is there Shiny Zacian? Yes, the Shiny variant of Zacian is now available in the game.
How many trainers are needed? With the best counters at high levels, you can defeat the boss with a bit of luck and good timing with just two people. With lower levels but strong counters, you should aim for more trainers. To complete the raids quickly, groups with many participants are recommended.
No matter how many trainers you want to challenge the boss with: you should already organize your raid teams in advance. This not only ensures that you always start with your best team in slot but also saves time in every raid lobby you participate in: Tips for organizing raid teams.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The best counters against Mega Steelix in Pokémon GO in the raid guide. We show you the best attackers and movesets. With these, you can defeat Mega Steelix in raids.
What kind of Pokémon is Mega Steelix? Steelix is a Pokémon from the second generation and belongs to the Steel and Ground types.
When does Mega Steelix appear? You can find the boss starting March 11, 2026, at 10:00 AM in raids. It will be available until March 17, 2026, at 10:00 AM. Here, we show you the best counters against Mega Steelix and what types it is weak against (type effectiveness).
Mega Steelix Raid Strategy – Use these counters
Mega Lucario with Force Palm and Aura Sphere
Primal Groudon with Mud Shot and Precipice Blades
Mega Blaziken with Fire Spin and Aura Sphere
Primal Kyogre with Waterfall and Origin Pulse
Mega Charizard Y with Fire Spin and Blast Burn
Keldeo with Low Kick and Secret Sword
Mega Swampert with Water Gun and Hydro Cannon
Shadow Blaziken with Fire Spin and Aura Sphere
Shadow Kyogre with Waterfall and Origin Pulse
Shadow Groudon with Mud Shot and Precipice Blades
Mega Garchomp with Mud Shot and Earth Power
Blacephalon with Incinerate and Mind Blown
Landorus (Therian) with Mud Shot and Sandsear Storm
Mega Heracross with Counter and Close Combat
Lucario with Force Palm and Aura Sphere
Shadow Heatran with Fire Spin and Magma Storm
Reshiram with Fire Fang and Fusion Flare
Shadow Conkeldurr with Counter and Dynamic Punch
Shadow Moltres with Fire Spin and Overheat
Terrakion with Double Kick and Sacred Sword
Weaknesses of Mega Steelix: The Pokémon belongs to the Ground and Steel types and has weaknesses against Fighting, Ground, Fire, and Water. Therefore, focus on attacks and Pokémon of these types in raids to defeat Mega Steelix.
Is there a Shiny Steelix? Yes, with luck, you can catch the shiny version of Steelix after a raid. If you then use the Mega Evolution, this will also be shiny.
How many trainers are needed? If you have the top counter Pokémon and have already reached a fairly high level (40+) in Pokémon GO, you can defeat Mega Steelix with two players. With lower levels but strong counters, you should play it safe with more trainers.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Marathon you can open lockers to fill your bag with loot. Here you will learn how to get locker keys and where to find the lockers.
What are lockers? In Marathon, you can discover a variety of locked chests in certain buildings, referred to as lockers.
These chests contain valuable loot, which can even be of higher rarity like “Luxury” (blue) or “High Quality” (purple). To open these chests, you need a locker key.
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Start video
Bungie presents Marathon in the launch trailer
How to get locker keys in Marathon
Where can you find locker keys? You can obtain locker keys in Marathon in various ways. You can find them in loot containers that are scattered throughout the map.
Additionally, locker keys may appear in supply crates carried by flying UESC drones. Just shoot down these drones and then search the fallen crate. With a bit of luck, you will find a locker key.
It is currently unclear whether you can also find locker keys in supply drops. You can call in supply drops at specific locations on the map using a terminal. These supply drops will give you four crates, which can include keys for locked rooms—so it doesn’t hurt to check if you might also find a locker key there.
You can buy locker keys here: If you don’t want to test your luck with loot, you can also simply buy locker keys in the armory at the faction “CyberAcme.” To do this, you need to reach faction level 4 with CyberAcme and then unlock an upgrade with the faction.
Using locker keys in Marathon – Here are the locker locations
Where can you find lockers? Lockers in Marathon are located only in a few selected places: There is one location on the map “Perimeter” and one on the map “Dire Mash”.
On Perimeter, you will find the lockers in a building by the North Relay.
On Dire Mash, you will find the lockers in a building at the point of interest “Quarantine.”
You can recognize each building by the red smoke signal rising from flares at the corners of the building.
Marathon: Locker locations on Perimeter and Dire Mash (Map source: mapgenie.io)
As it stands, there is no area with lockers on the third map “Outpost.” So if you have a locker key in your inventory, you should limit your map selection to the maps Perimeter and Dire Mash.
How to get the best loot from a locker: Each locker contains different loot. If you want to open the locker with the best loot or ensure you don’t waste your locker key on a locker with bad loot, you should play as the Thief.
In Marathon, all Runner exosuits have different abilities and attributes. The Thief has an attribute called “X-Ray Vision,” which allows you to see chests and enemies in the color of their most valuable item. When you activate the X-Ray Vision in the room with the lockers, you will see by the color which locker offers the best loot, as the chests will be highlighted in blue or even purple.
If you are looking for more useful tips for your start in Marathon, feel free to check out MeinMMO. Our shooter expert Dariusz Müller has compiled some useful hints for your entry there: 15 tips for Marathon to ease your entry
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Europa Universalis V, the latest game from Paradox, has received a major update. This delivers several new features and mechanics – including one that punishes you if things are going too well.
What kind of game is it? Europa Universalis V (short EU V) is the latest installment of the strategy series developed by Paradox Interactive. The Swedish studio is known for highly complex strategy games with detailed world maps; EU V takes it to the next level by going much deeper into detail than all previous Paradox games.
Europa Universalis V was released on November 4, 2025, although in a rather unfinished state. On March 5, 2026, about four months after release, Patch 1.1 Rossbach came out.
In this video, the developers give you an overview of all the changes that Patch 1.1 brings:
Start video
Europa Universalis V presents the new content of Patch 1.1 Rossbach
Europa Universalis 5 now punishes you for slacking off
What’s in the update? It consists of many bug fixes, but also new content and gameplay mechanics. Among other things, there is a new game rule with which you can adjust the aggressiveness of AI players. Additionally, there is a brand-new “Complacency” mechanic.
You can find the full patch notes for Update 1.1 in the developers’ forum (forum.paradoxplaza.com).
The Complacency mechanic is designed to simulate the slow decline of an empire that has faced no external threats for a long time. Gameplay-wise, it will primarily ensure that you should never get too comfortable.
Why should you never get too comfortable? There are various factors that influence Complacency. If your empire lacks a real rival to keep you on your toes, it increases.
If Complacency is too high, it has negative effects on your empire and its population. You are therefore encouraged to always seek out new strong rivals during the course of the game and not just rest on your laurels. This should make the game somewhat more challenging, especially if your empire otherwise would become too overpowering.
When it comes to the question of the best strategy games, many titles from Paradox cannot be missing. Are you currently looking for a new game? MeinMMO shows you which games are particularly worthwhile for strategy fans: The 16 best strategy games for PC 2026
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Fans of ARC Raiders appreciate the shooter because many players are peaceful. Marathon is criticized for its PvP focus, yet the community can also be different.
What makes ARC Raiders special? ARC Raiders is a unique case among extraction shooters: the community loves the peaceful interaction with each other. Many players greet each other when they meet, shout “Don’t shoot” and mess around together – for example, by playing instruments or setting off a huge fireworks display.
While there are also players in ARC Raiders who love and force PvP, they encounter the peaceful gamers only to a limited extent due to matchmaking. As the developers explained, matchmaking prioritizes based on the aggression displayed during player encounters: Those who often shoot first at other raiders primarily end up in lobbies where the other players behave the same way.
Start video
Bungie presents Marathon in the launch trailer
Marathon players can be friendly – if they want to
What is different about Marathon? Marathon places a greater focus on PvP. There are missions that require you to eliminate other players, and there will be a ranked mode that evaluates PvP performance. Overall, the game aims to utilize the abilities of different classes and the gameplay where you fight against other players.
This is what the community has shown: As one player on Reddit shows, the community of Marathon can also be different – if they want to.
The user named “Punk_Saint” shares a screenshot showing eight runners peacefully standing together in Marathon. He writes: “Just had a game where the whole map was friendly and we all extracted together.”
Here you can see the post with the screenshot:
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This is what the community says about it: The runner’s post has now gathered 7,400 upvotes and over 700 comments. Many players think it’s cool, while others show that Marathon has a different focus, and not everyone would have put their guns in their digital holsters.
One player comments: “I’m a bloodthirsty player, but I would be in. Occasionally.” Another replies: “Exactly. We all love PvP, but these rare moments deserve recognition.”
Overall, the reactions also show clear contrasts. They range from “That makes my heart happy” to “That disgusts me.”
If you are still unsure whether Bungie’s new extraction shooter might be to your liking, we have prepared a quiz for you on MeinMMO that should help with the decision. This quiz, as well as a general explanation of what Marathon is, can be found here: Is Marathon worth it for you? The quick check before release
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The world of Fallout is full of morally more than questionable characters. In this list, we rank the 10 worst and clarify who deserves the title of “Top Villain of the Wasteland”.
How was the ranking created? For this list, we looked at various characters from the games and the series related to Fallout. They all easily qualify for a spot in the ranking, as their actions are more than questionable, indeed outright evil.
Admittedly: We could easily list a Top 30 here, as there are probably more evil than good characters in the wasteland. Therefore, it should be said: The ten that made it to the final list have made a “special” effort to be really nasty.
Start video
The official trailer for Fallout Season 2 takes us back to the apocalypse
The exact placements differ in nuances and are based on the author’s subjective opinion. If your list deviates from this, feel free to share it with us in the comments.
Before we really get started, here are a few Honorable Mentions that barely missed the ranking:
Benny
Allistair Tenpenny
Kellogg
Cook-Cook
Morpheus
Rank 10: Frank Horrigan
Known from: Fallout 2
Frank Horrigan is a monstrous apparition. The main antagonist from Fallout 2 is a type of super mutant equipped with a special power armor, with which he is almost fused.
He works in the service of the Enclave, a malevolent faction, and does so in a brutally forceful manner. He shows no mercy to his foes, even killing innocents, and has thus earned a dubious reputation within the Enclave. Even allies fear Frank Horrigan.
His loyalty to the Enclave makes him the perfect tool for the faction. Unlike other villains in the ranking, he pursues less personal goals. He is simply the personification of raw violence in the wasteland.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Many magical items in Diablo II: Resurrected – This is made possible by a secret Easter egg that finally makes sense after years.
Diablo II is regarded by many as the mother of modern action RPGs and has nearly perfected the art of loot collecting. Players can immerse themselves in the game for hundreds of hours. However, the grind can be massively accelerated. An ancient Easter egg now ensures that you find many more magical items than ever before.
Start video
Diablo 2: Resurrected introduces the new class of the Warlock in the gameplay trailer
4200 Magic Find leads to a massive loot rain
What is this secret? Blizzard has included Easter eggs in many games where developers are honored or humorous messages are conveyed – this is also present in Diablo II. If you manage to separate 4 enemies named “Gloam” (who look like ghosts or souls) so that they are without other enemies nearby, they will start to perform a little dance.
Instead of attacking the player character, they shoot chain lightning at each other in a curious form – as they spell out the names of some developers.
The exciting part is, however, when they finish this dance – which happens once they start attacking you again. Because then the character receives a buff of 4,200 “Magic Find” for 19 hours or until you close the game. This buff is not displayed on the character screen, but is still active once the dance of the ghosts is complete.
Why hasn’t this been used before? According to YouTuber MacroBioBoi, it is because in the hunt for items in Diablo II, the speed at which content is farmed is essential rather than such a buff. However, recent changes and the expansion “Reign of the Warlock” have changed that. If you are interested in the math behind Magic Find, we can recommend this video:
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Additionally, Magic Find only affects items that directly drop from monsters you defeat with your character. So if you open a chest, loot a weapon rack, or defeat enemies with environmental effects, this is not influenced by Magic Find – and is therefore basically worthless.
Why is this important now? In Diablo II, there is the option to blanket an entire act with terror using “Worldstone Shards.” This drastically enhances all enemies and bosses of the act and allows them to drop many more items. This, in turn, is massively influenced by Magic Find, so you will literally be showered with loot while you fight your way through the various acts.
By the way, the buff also means that you do not need any additional “Magic Find” on items – it would literally provide no additional effect, as Magic Find has a diminishing return. This means you can fully gear your character for damage or speed without worrying about accumulating more Magic Find on your armor.
If you’re planning to check out Diablo II Resurrected again in the next few days and want significantly higher chances for great loot, keep an eye out for some ghosts and let them perform a little dance – at least if you plan to spend several hours in Diablo II. While you farm, you can also listen to the Warlock’s music – along with a nice music video to watch.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Counter-Strike 2 there will soon be an X-Ray scanner that allows you to see the contents of a loot box before you buy it. However, this feature cannot be used to cheat, as Valve has ensured.
What is this feature? You will find the “X-Ray Scanner” as a tab in your inventory. In the future, it will be the only way to open cases in Germany. These are the loot boxes where you find skins for weapons and more. Although these cases are controversial, the Steam developer makes a fortune from them nonetheless.
In France, this feature has been in the game since 2019, and starting March 16, 2026, it will also be available in Germany.
The scanner comes with a unique, exclusive, and non-tradable “Genuine P250 | X-ray”. You must claim this before you can then use the scanner to view the contents of other containers. This way, you can see what they contain before you open them with a key.
Start video
Counter-Strike 2: Valve once again impresses with the launch trailer
Good skins remain a matter of luck
Isn’t that cheating? No, because in the end, not much changes.
If you have scanned a case, you cannot trade it or sell it on the community market – in that regard, it is treated just like an already opened case.
To scan another case, you must first claim the contents of the last one.
You cannot simply leave cases behind if you do not like their contents. So what you ultimately get remains a matter of luck.
Why this change? Valve does not provide an official reason. However, in France, this feature was introduced due to strict regulations regarding the opening of loot boxes. According to local law, they are considered gambling and are therefore strictly prohibited (source: esportfire.com).
The X-Ray scanner aims to circumvent this classification by showing players the exact content of a loot box before they spend real money.
In the USA, Valve’s loot boxes are currently causing a lot of trouble again. The US state of New York is taking legal action against the loot boxes in Counter-Strike 2, as well as in other Valve games like Team Fortress and Dota. MeinMMO has already reported on this; you can read our article here: In the USA, Steam is facing scrutiny – due to the loot boxes in Counter-Strike 2
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Two days after the launch of the dungeons, there are already the first nerfs in World of Warcraft. Some effects will be weakened by 66%.
In World of Warcraft Midnight, the “Pre-Season” is currently taking place – the period before the first season officially starts. This means that, so far, no raids and no dungeons of the “Mythic+” category are available. Everyone who wants good gear is trying out the mythic dungeons. However, they were partly so tough that even die-hard fans wondered: How is this even possible? A hotfix with many nerfs has now brought improvement.
Start video
WoW Midnight: Arator’s Light and the Firebrand
What was the problem? Since Wednesday, dungeons at the “Mythic” difficulty, commonly referred to as “M0,” have been available. However, the dungeons are proving to be so challenging that some players feel like they’re running into a wall. Some mechanics are simply too harsh, making it hard to enjoy the game – not to mention the awful “sweaters” that escalate even in normal dungeons. The following changes have been made by Blizzard.
WoW: Hotfix from 07.03.2026 – All Dungeon Changes
Terrace of the Magi
Degentrius
The amount of Void Streams has been reduced to 2 on Mythic difficulty (previously 4).
Maisarak Caverns
The ritual mixture now lasts 30 minutes (previously 10 minutes), but the nature damage dealt to enemies has been reduced by 40%. The effect now also lasts beyond death.
The Blinding Vale
Trinity of Lightbloom
The periodic damage from Lightbloom Overgrowth has been reduced by 66% on Mythic difficulty, and the Light Saturation debuff now increases damage dealt by 50% (previously 15%).
Ikuzz the Light Hunter
Bloodthorn Roots deal 25% less periodic damage.
Lightbrood Ziekett
Whips have 12.5% less health on Mythic difficulty.
Windrunner Tower
Commander Kroluk should no longer drop rocks in places that were not intended.
Fire Spit of the Territorial Dragon Hawk now has 5 seconds more cooldown.
Arena of the Void Scar
Portals should now more reliably transport player characters from one location to another.
Changes to Follower Dungeons
If you want to experience dungeons without pressure and especially without human players, perhaps to enjoy the story, you venture into follower dungeons. These were a bit sluggish at the start of the expansion, which is why Blizzard gave the follower NPCs some hefty buffs:
Followers now deal 10% additional damage in follower dungeons.
Additionally, followers deal 25% to 30% more damage against non-boss enemies.
What else has changed? Even though Blizzard does not provide all the details in the hotfix patch notes, many have already noticed further changes that are proving to be quite useful:
The key to the Arcanthine now has a 15-minute cooldown but guarantees that it teleports you back to Silvermoon upon use – it essentially acts as a second hearthstone.
Mini treasures on the map related to the Saltheril event in the Immersang Forest now have a new symbol and no longer use the treasure symbol.
In the missions in Marathon, you will repeatedly have to visit a DKON. We will show you what that is and where to find the device.
What is a DKON? In various missions, you are required to deliver certain items and resources to a DKON.
You can think of a DKON as a kind of dead letterbox, but as a futuristic, technical device. It is used to transfer salvageable goods like Unstable Biomass to a distant location.
Salvageable goods are represented in the inventory by a symbol that looks like a square with an “X” inside.
Start video
Bungie presents Marathon in the launch trailer
Finding and Using DKON – Where is the Device?
Where can you find DKONs? You can find DKONs on every map in Marathon. Their location will be displayed on your map. So, at the beginning of a round, it’s best to take a quick look at where the nearest DKON is and mark it.
Run to the DKON marker on your map and look for a building. The DKON is either outside the building or on the roof.
How do you use a DKON? The items you need to send using a DKON are simply placed in the device’s inventory and sent off. You will no longer have them in your backpack. The task should then already be completed.
Can you use a DKON to send items to the storage? No, unfortunately that is not possible. Currently, DKONs are only for completing certain missions from factions like Traxus. You cannot send loot to your storage with a DKON to secure the items independently from extraction or to free up space in your inventory.
If you are having trouble getting started in Marathon, MeinMMO editor and shooter expert Dariusz has gathered and written down some tips to make your start easier. Here you can check out his tips: 15 tips for Marathon that you should know at release
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The demons are rising in World of Warcraft, at least if you are a Warlock. Because your Voidwalker is now speaking.
If Warlocks can rely on one thing, it’s their loyal demons. They have to be loyal because they are forced to be through a contract or a ritual. But that could change – at least in an area of World of Warcraft Midnight. Because there, Warlocks are receiving messages from their demons and some of them are direct threats. The Voidwalkers are rebelling if you’re not careful.
Start video
WoW Midnight: Arator’s Light and the Firebrand
What’s going on with the Voidwalkers? When you arrive in the final area of Midnight, the Voidstorm, you should summon your Voidwalker as a Warlock and travel with it for a while. You’ll notice that it occasionally sends you small instructions and incantations via Whisper message. For example, you will hear the following statements and requests:
“Once I am free, I will consume power here. I will be more powerful than you can ever imagine…”
“The taste of blood and death…”
“Yes, more! Yes….”
“Break my chains and I will show you true strength…”
“Blood and violence! More, so much more…”
That the demons directly speak with the Warlock is quite unusual and only happens in very few places in the game – for example, when your Succubus reveals to you that they are genderfluid and also likes to appear as an Incubus if you wish.
The Voidstorm seduces your Voidwalkers
Why are the Voidwalkers speaking in the Voidstorm? It has to do with the history of the place. The Voidstorm is a place where the Void has an extremely strong influence. Void Elves who enter the area are immediately haunted by much more powerful voices than usual. All creatures have an increased urge to participate in conflicts and to test themselves to find out who the strongest being is – especially the Dominaar are particularly noticeable in this regard.
While Voidwalkers count as “demons” for the Warlock, they are strictly speaking creatures of the Void and are particularly influenced by this. They sense the power of this place, want to consume it, and also want to break free from their pact to become ever more powerful.
Such an incident is also addressed in a quest line in the Voidstorm. There, a Warlock attempts to sacrifice their Voidwalker – but it breaks free from its pact and flees to absorb large amounts of power. In the end, it is possible to recapture the Voidwalker, bind it again, and banish it into a cuter (and weaker) form, but the quest makes it clear: In the Voidstorm, one should pay particularly close attention to creatures of the Void.
The Legend of Khiimori has entered its Early Access on Steam. MeinMMO editor Alexander Mehrwald took a look at the adventure with survival mechanics and was amazed at how addictive the gameplay loop is.
As a passionate trail rider, I of course had to try out “The Legend of Khiimori.” The feeling of freedom that the trailers convey inevitably made me think of my favorite times with Red Dead Redemption, where I rode for hours with my faithful steed through the magnificent open world.
I had high expectations, as I had never encountered a game focused on horseback riding that could truly convince me – let alone more than one game that revolved solely around horses.
But what I did not expect was that a side of me would awaken here that I usually only know from MMORPGs and games like Diablo: The gameplay loop quickly became addictive, and the grindfish in me wanted more and more of it.
Who is writing here? MeinMMO editor Alexander Mehrwald has been dealing with various animals since childhood – including horses. However, no horse game has really captured him yet. In his gaming life, he primarily plays MMORPGs and all kinds of RPGs, action-adventures, and tabletops.
You can also get an impression of the gameplay here in the trailer:
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Windstorm: The Legend of Khiimori – Gameplay trailer for the new horse game with open world
Explore Mongolia as a courier and grind as much as you can
But let’s start from the beginning. The Legend of Khiimori is an adventure with survival mechanics that many also refer to as “Death Stranding with horses.” It has been in Early Access on Steam since March 3, 2026.
You take on the role of the Mongol Naara. As a courier rider, you must deliver various goods for your settlement, map the surroundings, gather resources, and make a name for yourself with other settlements and traders.
For this, you explore a vast open world and take on various tasks at different locations. For completed tasks, you receive reputation and resources. The higher your reputation with a settlement or person, the more advantages you can build and use at the respective station with the corresponding resources. Each reputation level also unlocks new tasks for you.
This way, you hang from place to place and farm resources along the way, which you may need for crafting, quests, trading, or for buildings and tools. For example, with a lot of stones or wood, you can build useful bridges or, with the right ingredients, create healing potions or various powder bombs.
Over time, a very grind-heavy routine sets in, but it feels really rewarding due to the quick success experiences, no matter how small they may be. I quickly caught myself just having built a bridge to better cross the river – only to discover the next project in the settlement behind it, where I could build a camp.
The constant gathering, building, and leveling was so much fun that I had sunk countless hours into ancient Mongolia in just a few days, without realizing it. Especially in combination with many little secrets to discover in the open world and the various biomes, I quickly felt the thrill of adventurous travels.
On the map, you plan your routes for your missions.There are little puzzles and secrets to discover in many corners.You need resources for the camp that you have to gather.
The horse in focus and yet not a typical “horse game”
You do everything on horseback, and the grind doesn’t stop here. You have a choice of various breeds and coat colors, and each mount comes with its own stats, strengths, and weaknesses. This is also important, as your quests lead you to various terrains and biomes, for which the animals are each differently suited and thus bring you corresponding advantages or disadvantages for your missions.
The necessary horses can be purchased from a trader or bred and raised yourself, aside from your first horse after the tutorial. To get the most out of them, you need to combine cleverly and train your horses especially. You do this by selecting them as mounts for your missions, traveling around, and creating as many different situations as possible by using different inclines, terrains, and weights in saddle bags.
Smaller survival mechanics ensure that you need to keep track of hunger, thirst, mood, stamina, health, and several status effects like fear, cleanliness, fatigue, and so on, and take care of your animal while traveling through Mongolia. Your horses react realistically to different weather and terrain conditions and can slip, use more energy, or become scared.
Each horse has its own strengths and weaknesses.In breeding, you can really have fun with stats and genetics.And on top of that, foals are just cute.
But even if it may seem so at first, The Legend of Khiimori feels nothing like a pure horse game. The focus is much more on the grindy gameplay loop, exploring the map, and optimally planning routes and missions.
The weight of your cargo and its nature also play a big role and bring mechanical depth with them. Therefore, you must evenly distribute your saddle bags and backpack in order to maintain balance in the saddle. Otherwise, you run the risk of slipping on muddy or stony ground, as well as in tight curves, and injuring yourself – or damaging valuable goods.
Depending on the type of goods, your delivery is subject to conditions. Some goods are fragile, others must not get wet or dirty. This gives the “exploration simulator” a gameplay depth that clearly separates the game from typical horse games and awakens more exploration and grinding spirit than mere riding around and breeding horses.
The right weight distribution is essential besides your route planning.If goods must not get wet, you definitely shouldn’t go swimming.Different weather conditions complicate the mission and bring further depth to the gameplay.Horses behave very differently on different terrain. Besides, the world looks beautiful as well.
There are also downsides that diminish the grind fun
But even though the gameplay loop is really addictive with its ever-present grind and many little successes, there are some downsides that have repeatedly led me to turn off the game and pick up other games after a while.
There were indeed several smaller bugs that were nevertheless annoying. For example, my faithful steed occasionally simply fell into the depths of the open world whenever I mounted. However, this could be resolved by dismounting and remounting. Sometimes the controls also did not react 100% accurately, causing my horse to nuzzle the next tent instead of stopping in front of it as intended.
Sometimes important items only appeared in my inventory after I emptied it, for which I received no prior notification, and I solved the problem more through intelligent guessing than with the help of the game.
The brake didn’t work again.Such bugs occurred more frequently – but nothing that couldn’t be fixed by restarting.
Also, the open world sadly feels very empty outside of the points of interest and a few truly wild animals you can encounter. After a while, this unfortunately becomes boring, as you simply grow tired of the beauty of nature and encounter hardly any threats or difficulties outside the terrains. Once you know them, you can usually grind against them quite safely and reach your destination without further problems.
It also frustrated me at some point that there are really few points on the map where you can save. To ensure that the game saves your progress, you must either store items or reach certain locations, and depending on where you end up, it can take a good 30 minutes or even an hour to get there.
Nevertheless, you mustn’t forget that this is the start of Early Access and the developers have plans to expand the game with content and to address player feedback and issues. For my part, I definitely see a lot of potentials here, with which especially adventurers with an insatiable thirst for exploration and those who don’t shy away from a good grind can definitely have their fun.
The new season in Pokémon GO brings some changes. One of them hits MeinMMO author Paul Kutzner quite hard.
On March 3, 2026, the new season in Pokémon GO started: Memories in Motion. As usual, a new season also brings some new content and various changes.
One of these changes affects an event that has regularly taken place in recent years. And exactly this change makes me personally very sad, as it was one of my favorite events.
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Pokémon GO Fest 2026 comes with Mewtwo and Zeraora
An institution is lost
Which event is affected? If you have looked at the content of the new season, you may have noticed it yourself: The spotlight hours are no longer part of the new season. These usually took place every Tuesday from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM.
Instead of the spotlight hours, Tuesday is now marked by showcases from Pokémon GO. Correspondingly, the weekday is now also consistently called “Showcase Tuesday”.
Why was the event so strong? During the spotlight hours, there was always a monster that appeared in very high numbers during the 60 minutes, as well as a bonus. The bonuses and the combination of certain monsters with a bonus were a highlight of the month.
On one hand, there was a bonus where you could receive double the amount of candies for sending monsters to the professor. I generally waited for exactly this bonus when sending monsters for which I still needed candies.
To do this, I collected the corresponding monsters and tagged them. This way, I could send the monsters directly at the beginning of the spotlight hour and receive double the amount of candies. Over time, some additional candies added up this way.
On the other hand, there was always a spotlight hour where you could earn double the amount of stardust for catching monsters. If there was this bonus in combination with a monster that generally yields more stardust when caught, it was always a highlight for me.
For example, if there was a spotlight hour with Sableye, I could directly earn 1,500 stardust per catch thanks to the bonus. With the additional use of star pieces, the amount was increased by another 50% resulting in a total of 2,250 stardust for a single monster.
This combination with a good running route and active incense ensured that I could collect enormous amounts of stardust in those 60 minutes.
What happens next? Whether the elimination of the spotlight hours in the current season is just a test and they might find their way back into the game in the future is unknown. However, I personally hope so very much. Until then, I now have, unfortunately, more time for other things on Tuesdays.
It’s time for our MeinMMO format “MMORPG News in 5 minutes”. We summarize the most important news around the best genre in the world. You can expectthe launch of WoW: Midnight, the end of Sauercrowd, a sign of life from the LoL MMORPG, and more.
On March 3, 2026, Patch 7.45 for Final Fantasy XIV was released. Included: the unstable vault “The Merchant’s Love’s Labor”, a flexible combat content, and a new chapter featuring the master detective Hildibrand! You can find the Patch Notes on finalfantasyxiv.com.
Elder Scrolls Online is in a generous mood: PS Plus users are currently getting the chapter Gold Road for free, on March 9, the long previously paid DLCs “Orsinium”, “Imperial City”, “Thieves Guild”, and “Dark Brotherhood” will be included in the main game, and with the associated Update 49, many other improvements are coming to the servers – information on everything can be found on elderscrollsonline.com.
What else has happened? Thanks to several job searches, there is a sign of life from the LoL MMORPG. One of the job postings (via riotgrove.com) suggests that the game might be inspired by the look of Arcane. The community is discussing this hopefully on Reddit. Tato23 writes: “This is very difficult, but hopefully they will succeed.”
Black Desert is celebrating its 10th anniversary for the second time (this time for the release in the West), with events, statistics, updates, and more. Check out playblackdesert.com.
On March 13, 2026, Producer Letter LIVE Part 91 will be released, which is set to focus on Patch 7.5. You can find the announcement on the official Lodestone.
On March 11, the new update of Lost Ark is set to be released, featuring the 3rd season of Paradise, the conclusion of the Kazeros story, balance adjustments, and more. Additionally, due to the gradually declining player numbers, further server mergers are planned for May – you can find the information on playlostark.com. A preview of the update is available on YouTube.
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On March 4, 2026, Update 47 for Lord of the Rings Online was released. Included: the raid Nagakhêdis Folly, the 17th reward track for legendary items, various class changes, and the ability to start private encounters from residential quarters. You can find the German patch notes on lotro.com.
Additionally, the developers of HdRO have announced adjustments to the monster player reward track with Patch 47.1. You can find the details in the developer’s blog post.
RuneScape is modernizing combat and has detailed its plans and the extensive patch notes on runescape.com.
Gloria Victis was shut down after 8 months, now the MMORPG is returning and it will be free. However, not everyone is enthusiastic. The new publisher Gamigo is regarded among gamers as a collector and is controversial.
The free-to-play MMORPG Eterspire has received an update with fresh content, features, and improvements. The highlight: 4 new grinding areas for the Sunscar Canyon. You can find the patch notes on Steam.
On March 6, Patch 1.0.0.15 for The Quinfall was released, along with a series of fixes. You can find the patch notes on Steam.
The MMORPG-oldie Runes of Magic is celebrating its 17th anniversary; you can find information about the celebrations on gameforge.com.
You can still secure the MMORPG BitCraft Online for €7.68 in Early Access on Steam until March 8. The game with the Zelda-style currently has 72 percent positive reviews.
On March 5, the Early Access version of Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen received the update 0.18.327. There was a comprehensive update for the Summoner class, the premiere of a dungeon in the Nightfall Crypt, and general adjustments. The patch notes? On pantheonmmo.com.
Thus, we have summarized the most important things that have recently happened in the world of MMORPGs.
Dariusz tested Marathon for MeinMMO and sees it as one of the best shooters of the year – regardless of what the internet might suggest.
With Marathon, Bungie tried something new. The studio, known primarily for Destiny in recent years, has now released an extraction shooter for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam. The game was released on March 5, 2026, after being available for free testing for a few days as part of a server slam.
I have already played Marathon for over 20 hours, with nearly 19 hours during the server slam and another 4 hours for the official release. Now I want to introduce you to the shooter and then explain why Marathon already belongs to the best shooters we have in 2026.
Extraction Shooter redefined – Bungie takes the “Apex Legends approach”
As an extraction shooter, Marathon follows a gameplay principle that you might already know from games like Escape from Tarkov, Hunt: Showdown, or ARC Raiders:
You accept a quest, assemble your gear, start a raid, and try to successfully extract at the end.
Marathon is best played in a team. A squad consists of up to three players, but you can also hunt for loot solo.
During a raid, you loot various items, fight NPCs and other players (PvEvP), and ideally fulfill the accepted mission to make gradual progress.
In Marathon, you are known as Runners. These are cybernetic mercenaries whose consciousness exists in a foreign place. So during a raid, you are not navigating in a human body, but in a Runner shell. The Runner shells also represent playable classes that come with unique abilities – such as a healer, a scout, and an invisible assassin. With the loot you find in a round, you can improve your Runner shell or your stash.
Bungie has opted for a game concept that I refer to as the “Apex Legends approach”: They took an existing game concept – in this case, that of an extraction shooter – and merged it with elements of a hero shooter. Similarly, Apex Legends did it in the battle royale genre and Valorant and Rainbow Six: Siege did with tactical shooters.
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Bungie presents Marathon in the launch trailer
Tactical depth that many extraction shooters can’t offer
When I look at a new shooter, the most important question for me is always: Is the gameplay fun? Of course, that depends on various factors and personal tastes. Still, I have some clear impressions regarding specific aspects of the game:
The gunplay is well done: The weapons feel good and play intuitively.
The selection of weapons is solid, and there is something for every playstyle.
Some weapons like sniper rifles or shotguns could sound more impactful, but it’s not bothersome enough to detract from the experience.
Overall, what I particularly enjoy is that every weapon has the potential to be good. In Marathon, the level of a weapon depends on the mods (i.e., attachments like sights and magazines). A simple, gray weapon can achieve higher tiers like blue or purple with better attachments.
The biggest strength of Marathon, however, is definitely the PvP. The PvE fights against the UESC robots are decent and sometimes tougher than you’d think. But the feeling of having eliminated an opposing team and gorging on their loot is simply fantastic – especially because the fights themselves are a lot of fun. The Runner shells give it a tactical depth that other extraction shooters can’t reach. The various class abilities add a gameplay layer that a shooter can’t have if it only relies on grenades and other gadgets.
Additionally, the Runner shells bring variety to the raids. You can play different builds and assemble your teams differently. An absurd example: Fighting against a team that only relies on assassins is entirely different from fighting against a team that only relies on destroyers.
However, the gameplay depth, the tactical approach of the teams, and the playful variety due to the different shells suffer significantly when you play solo matches.
Everything that characterizes team play is completely lost when you play alone. In duo or trio, Marathon is much more enjoyable than solo. This is, of course, a critique that many competitive shooters have, including popular titles like Counter-Strike, Valorant, Overwatch, or Rainbow Six: Siege. Just like the mentioned shooters, Marathon is primarily designed for team play. So that you don’t have to completely miss out on this gaming experience, you can at least form trios with random teammates as a compromise.
Nonetheless, the solo rounds are the biggest weakness of Marathon. It frustrates me when I shoot my opponent in a 1v1 at the exact same moment he shoots me. We both lie on the ground, look at each other, and know:
“Yep, we both lose our loot, and no one benefits.”
And yes, that happens often. In my last 9-10 solo runs, it happened 3 times! Nevertheless, I remain optimistic because the gameplay loop invites grinding and promises long-term motivation for PvP enthusiasts (like me).
Unique style with modest requirements
The graphic style of Marathon is special. Every gamer has their own taste in this regard. I like the style; others find it too colorful. But I also play Overwatch and Valorant – colorful, by my standards, is something entirely different.
The game world in Marathon does have colors that you won’t see in Battlefield or Escape from Tarkov, but the maps also feature dark and mysterious elements. It’s not as if you’re sliding over rainbows with the gummy bear gang in Marathon.
I commend Bungie for the innovative and unique graphic style – and ultimately, the style, alongside the classes, is the main reason why Marathon can stand out from many other extraction shooters. I don’t feel like I have played the same game multiple times while playing.
The sound design is also well done, although it definitely doesn’t match genre competitors like Hunt: Showdown or ARC Raiders. Nevertheless, Marathon manages to create an exciting atmosphere through music and background sounds. Meanwhile, the gameplay-important sounds don’t get lost, and steps and gunshots can usually be heard and located well.
It is all wrapped in truly humane system requirements, and even my aging system, built around an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, achieves good FPS in the triple digits even at high settings.
I haven’t encountered any bugs or technical issues, although game crashes definitely occurred during the server slam for some players.
On the technical side, you can tell that Marathon is developed by an experienced studio. Although Bungie is often criticized by the Destiny community for bugs and similar issues, particularly in the extraction shooter genre, I have had much worse experiences.
Marathon and the Bungie hate
A topic that stirs many emotions around Marathon is Bungie itself. The Destiny community will probably never forgive the studio for some of its decisions. This is also evident in Marathon. Many comments already say:
“Don’t give money to the studio known for removing purchased content from games.”
The critics refer to various contents that have disappeared into the so-called content vault in Destiny 2 and were completely removed from the game.
Additionally, the financing model of Marathon is being discussed. The shooter costs 40 euros, yet skins and a battle pass are offered for purchase using the premium currency “Lux”. When you buy, Marathon always „gifts“ you a few hundred Lux, meaning you have a bit too much for the intended skin.
I am aware of this criticism and don’t want to talk anyone out of it. It is justified. If you have lost trust in Bungie because of Destiny, I can’t change that.
However, the criticism sometimes veers into hate. Some gamers seemingly enjoy hating a game more than actually testing it. So the mood around Marathon on X.com and Reddit is notably more negative than among actual players in the reviews on Steam – which are 90% positive.
Setting aside the Bungie hate, Marathon is one of the best shooters of the year. Major releases from well-known franchises are scarce in 2026 according to the current status. Exciting titles like Beautiful Light, Judas, Cinder City, EVE Vanguard, Ashfall, Luna Abyss, and Den of Wolves have no fixed release date or have been postponed multiple times.
Marathon has set the bar and has the potential to be one of the top 5 shooters in 2026.
If you enjoy extraction shooters, you should give Marathon a chance – unless you belong to those who solo through the lobbies in ARC Raiders, wish for a PvE mode, and curse at every PvP contact. For you, Marathon is probably not suitable. But both games can coexist beautifully, and I will play both in the future.
So, I’ve said a lot about Marathon. If you’re still unsure whether Bungie’s new extraction shooter could appeal to you, I’ve put together a quiz for you on MeinMMO that ideally helps with the decision. You can find this quiz here:Is Marathon worth it for you? The quick check before release
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Twitch streamer Niklas “Niekbeats” Grosse talked about his fellow streamers and why he no longer wants to publicly criticize their potential misconduct.Instead, he wants to primarily focus on himself.
What does the Twitch streamer say? The Twitch streamer Niekbeats is currently playing Pokémon Leaf Green in his streams. Meanwhile, he regularly talks with his viewers.
Recently, he spoke about how he mentally distances himself from the misconduct of his streaming colleagues. Instead of publicly criticizing missteps, he prefers to concentrate on his own behavior and streams. According to Niekbeats, public criticism is too exhausting and not very productive.
But basically, at the end of the day, everyone has to fall on their own nose. I really don’t want to take responsibility for others. And I also don’t want to point fingers at everyone like Veni or other creators and criticize everything. I really did that for a while. But it’s super exhausting for oneself and it doesn’t really change much at the end of the day.
If someone asks Niekbeats for his opinion on something, he would still honestly share his thoughts on it, says the Twitch streamer. Just not voluntarily anymore.
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These are the 5 most relevant German streamers on Twitch in 2024, according to Google
Collaborations only with selected colleagues
What’s behind it? A similar statement was made by the Twitch streamer HandOfBlood in a SPIEGEL interview. He also went through a phase, especially from 2014 to 2017, where he publicly criticized the misconduct of YouTube colleagues. Nowadays, HandOfBlood doesn’t do that so often anymore.
On one hand, I often attacked others. As a result, I was also often attacked. And everything I said from then on was scrutinized by my community, rightly so. Eventually, I asked myself whether this was the right way to constantly create stress beyond gaming videos.
What else does Niekbeats mean? Furthermore, Niekbeats says that he has adjusted with whom he collaborates among his streaming colleagues. In the world of content creators, it is often unavoidable to come into contact with colleagues who do not fully align with one’s values.
When collaborating with streamers whose behavior he condemns, Niekbeats would put his negative thoughts aside to collaborate with them for a certain period. However, he draws a clear line: in cases of extreme misconduct, he simply declines collaboration altogether.
Despite high RAM prices, players in February 2026 have significantly better computers than before. However, this seems to be only on the surface. The Chinese New Year complicates the numbers.
What data are we looking at? Steam asks thousands of players every month about the hardware they use in their PCs. The data is automatically collected and sent anonymously if the player consents.
There are again new data from February 2026 regarding the gaming systems used by players. Some figures are surprisingly high, but there is a surprisingly simple explanation behind them.
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Why is RAM so expensive? The current situation explained in 2 minutes
30% more Chinese players and 1 in 5 users now has more than 32 GB of RAM in their PCs
What do the current data say? Particularly interesting is that there are significant movements in the memory sector. Given the high prices, one might initially suspect that the numbers would stagnate or hardly change.
However, according to Steam, there has been a significant increase in areas concerning system memory and RAM. Compared to last month, players now have significantly more RAM and storage in their computers:
The number of players who have 32 GB of RAM in their computers has grown by 18.91%. Meanwhile, the share of systems with 16 GB of RAM has decreased by 12.77%.
At the same time, the share of players who reportedly have more than 4 TB of storage has also increased by 15.64%. Overall, all storage over 1 TB has seen a slight or significant increase.
Another notable point: The share of players using Steam in Chinese has increased by 30%.
However, the rising Chinese numbers are largely due to an event that occurs annually: This year’s Chinese New Year took place from February 17, 2026, to March 3, 2026.
The Steam Hardware Survey of February 2026. Chinese usage is significantly increasing.
The Chinese New Year distorts and shifts the statistics on Steam
What is behind this? The reason seems to be according to Reddit a normal occurrence: During the Chinese New Year, many Chinese players play online, and afterwards, the numbers for the language and some technical specifications drop again.
This can also be substantiated quite well with facts. For example, if you look at the Steam survey data from February 2025, there are similar movements in the data:
The number of users using Steam in Chinese rises sharply but drops significantly again in March 2025.
The number of systems with 32 GB of RAM increases significantly (13.7% in February 2025), only to decrease again in the following March.
The problem is that these distortions make the data for this period almost unusable unless one is interested in the hardware of Chinese players, which shifts the data accordingly.
This is what the Steam Survey from February 2025 looks like: The distortion is similar to that of 2026.
Have thousands of players now invested money in new hardware? Due to the distorted data, this cannot be truly determined. It is quite possible that Chinese players receive a new gaming PC as a gift for the New Year and immediately set it up by installing Steam on it.
After all, the Chinese New Year is comparable to Christmas in the West, where a lot of money is spent compared to the rest of the year. It will therefore be interesting to see how strongly certain numbers drop again after February 2026.
Steven Sharif has spoken extensively for the first time since the end of Intrepid Studios and Ashes of Creation regarding the allegations, the current lawsuits, and the status quo in court. MeinMMO breaks down the case for you.
What is the status of Ashes of Creation? The case is complex, and there are several stakeholders currently battling in different courts. One thing is clear:
On the night of January 31 to February 1, 2026, Steven Sharif stated that he had lost control of Intrepid Studios and had resigned as CEO. The reason: He could no longer support the decisions of a currently unknown board. Several developers in leadership positions are said to have followed his example.
On February 2, 2026, Intrepid Studios was completely shut down, and all remaining employees were laid off. According to those affected, they did not receive their final paycheck, nor the 60-day notice and compensation required by the WARN Act or any other applicable compensation in such a case.
All valuable assets of Intrepid (such as the rights to and the code of Ashes of Creation) were transferred to TFE Games Holding, which was established by the now-responsible board.
Ashes of Creation: Early Access Guide stimmt euch auf den Start auf Steam ein
Everyone Against Everyone
Who bears the blame for the end of Intrepid? This very question must be clarified in the coming weeks and months before several courts. Currently, there are several parties seeking to protect their interests as plaintiffs:
The owners of TFE Games Holding accuse Steven Sharif and John Moore of fraud and embezzlement of millions in company funds, and they also claim that Sharif is hiding important company data and passwords from Intrepid.
Steven Sharif, on the other hand, is suing TFE Games Holding as well as board members Robert Dawson, Ryan Ogden, Theresa Fette, and Aaron Bartels – the main allegations: hostile takeover or targeted destruction of Intrepid, forgery of documents, and physical and psychological intimidation to gradually gain more influence.
Jason Caramanis (one of the largest investors) is suing Steven Sharif and John Moore because they allegedly enriched themselves personally from investment funds and lured investors with misinformation / Caramanis had previously shared a variety of messages and documents with YouTuber NefasQS that are supposed to support his claims (via YouTube).
Diverse former employees of Intrepid are suing for unpaid wages and violations of the WARN Act, with it still needing to be clarified in the proceedings who is responsible for this – the former studio head or the responsible parties of TFE Games Holding?
One Side of the Coin
How does Steven Sharif express himself about the situation now? In a lengthy message on Reddit, Steven Sharif has now addressed the community directly for the first time since the end of Intrepid, to extensively share his perspective on the situation. So keep in mind: In a very complex case with multiple parties involved, the following is only a subjectively tinted side of the coin.
First, Sharif once again explains in his own words why he filed a lawsuit against the board and TFE Games Holdings in San Diego:
I have made claims for breach of fiduciary duty, violations of federal and state business secrecy laws, and unlawful attempts to seize corporate assets, including valuable intellectual property (IP), through unlawful and fabricated insider enforcement.
My lawsuit is the result of Rob Dawson and his agents attempting to dismantle the company I founded and built together with our community, repurposing Ashes of Creation as a vehicle for their own enrichment and shifting the blame for the collapse of Intrepid onto me through an orchestrated public campaign.
He has invested all his resources in Intrepid and Ashes of Creation for more than a decade, including millions of US dollars (in a January 2025 interview with Asmongold, he specifically mentioned 55 million US dollars, via YouTube). His health is said to have suffered as a result.
Ashes of Creation, from Sharif’s perspective, was on a very good path. Through the Early Access in December 2025, they managed to generate 9 million US dollars in gross revenue, and the retention rates of active players after one month would have been unusually high at 76 percent (for an MMORPG in Early Access).
According to Sharif, his resignation occurred primarily because the board was to lay off Intrepid employees without notice and leave them without benefits and health insurance. Sharif elaborates on his accusation that the board intends to deliberately destroy Intrepid:
As alleged in the complaint, starting in 2024, the board intentionally restricted the company’s access to operating capital to allegedly justify an enforcement. The enforcement was designed to close Intrepid and transfer Ashes of Creation to a new entity, TFE Games Holdings LLC, which is connected to the board members.
The board did this to allow Dawson and other board members to control and sell the project for their own benefit while overlooking the long-term shareholders, creditors, employees, and the community of Intrepid. The board also attempted to redirect revenues due to Intrepid to the new entity while disregarding clear creditor rights.
The currently worst accusation – that Steven Sharif embezzled millions of dollars – Sharif categorically rejects. The opposing party from the board and Jason Caramanis would deliberately spread misinformation to distract from their own misconduct and create a scapegoat.
Sharif also addresses the accusation that he has lied to the community regarding external investors for years:
There has also been significant speculation online about how Ashes of Creation was financed. From the very beginning, I said that I personally financed the project, and that statement is correct. Much of the capital made available to the company came from creditors who provided funding based on my personal guarantees and the collateralization of my own assets and shares. I personally bore the risk. If the project were to fail, these obligations would not disappear – they remain my responsibility.
I have put my own financial future at stake to build this project and keep it alive for as long as possible.
What is the current status? Finally, Steven Sharif celebrates a first victory in his message to the community. The federal court in the Southern District of California is said to have issued a temporary restraining order preventing TFE and the board from accessing the assets and critical services of Intrepid.
The reason for the court’s decision: Steven Sharif was able to demonstrate that “TFE acquired the trade secrets’ materials through unlawful enforcement under Article 9. This unlawful appropriation caused harm to Intrepid by depriving it of its primary assets that constitute its main product.”
How does MeinMMO editor Karsten Scholz assess the statements of Steven Sharif? Even though the mastermind behind Ashes of Creation was able to score an initial victory in court, he still has the toughest battles ahead of him.
The allegations weigh heavily. Numerous documents and screenshots of text messages are circulating on the internet that – if proven authentic in court – could indicate that some of the opposing allegations hold more truth than: They want to make Steven Sharif a scapegoat and thus make something up.
There are also possible indications that Steven Sharif has invested much less private money in Ashes of Creation than claimed. Various financial transactions at Intrepid are said not to have been clearly documented. Other documents seem to provide evidence that Steven Sharif may have sold external investments in AoC for corporate shares.
Board member Robert Dawson, whom Sharif repeatedly names directly as the instigator of the trouble, reportedly became an investor in 2021. In July 2024, Dawson became the majority shareholder of Intrepid, and from September 2024, the chairman of the board – this is revealed by Steven Sharif in his own complaint against TFE.
Steven Sharif also admits that the board – which until recently, even the employees were reportedly unaware of – has been trying since 2024 to exert direct influence on Intrepid and Ashes of Creation. In doing so, he had repeatedly stated in 2025 that he would act completely independently as studio head, owe no one accountability, and that there would be no external investors.
What do you think about the current situation and the information available so far? Tell us in the comments! We are very curious to see how things will progress in court over the coming months, and we will of course keep you updated. One thing is already sadly certain: In the end, there will be no winners in this matter
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
