After 3 years on YouTube, Ludwig Ahgren returned to Twitch and wanted to activate the money trick of streamers like MontanaBlack: repurpose stream content and cash in double. But that’s not as easy as it seems.
This repurposing is one of the reasons why we observed in 2024 that many big YouTubers suddenly go to Twitch. One of them is Ludwig Ahgren, whose exclusive contract with YouTube ended in late 2024.
However, back on Twitch, he noticed a problem: Others were uploading clips from his streams on their own YouTube channels and were more successful than he was. The streamer said he was being outright robbed.
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MontanaBlack is one of the most well-known streamers in Germany – This was his very first video
Streamer fears for his main channel, changes strategy
This is the MontanaBlack solution: In his original stream on the topic, Ludwig announced that he would not hit the so-called clip channels with copyright strikes. Instead, he wanted to hire some of the operators and let them manage his own highlight channel.
The streamer explained that the clip channels satisfy a need of the viewers, who would clearly label stream clips and, above all, be quickly found on YouTube.
In another update, Ludwig adjusts his strategy again. As the streamer explains, his own highlight channel is now doing very well: there are more regular uploads, and the views are great. However, something is supposed to change again now.
Previously, however, Ludwig had expressed concerns that his main channel might suffer from the clips. Many streamers had given up their original main channels over time, only using their “trash” channels. To avoid this fate, Ludwig wants to continue uploading more elaborate videos to his main channel.
The main channel, however, will not only receive self-produced videos but also stream clips. More elaborate stream formats, such as the gift exchange with Papaplatte, are expected to end up there. The videos are likely to be edited more professionally than the relatively “pure” content of the clips.
Ludwig now says: If the clip channels infringe on the contents meant for the main channel, he will now “nuke” them, that is, get them struck. He considers this justified, especially if he clearly states that a segment is intended for the main channel. Because if the views are spread over several uploads, less money will remain for his editors who are involved in video performance.
Thus, Ludwig is still following in the footsteps of MontanaBlack, who wanted to hire someone to punish content thieves .
Even if the strategy is lucrative, earning money with live content on Twitch and then cashing in again through uploading the same content on YouTube carries risks. The two platforms appeal to different target groups, and not every YouTube fan wants to be satisfied with stream clips: HandOfBlood follows Gronkh, takes new paths, alienating old fans.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The current player growth for Star Wars: Battlefront II shows that fans definitely want a third part. However, a developer reveals why there was no sequel for the original games at least.
Since then, the number has drastically increased: Currently, 17,888 gamers are concurrently on the battlefields of the Star Wars title, and the trend is rising. That’s more players than the title has ever had before.
The reason for this is a series hype, but also the hope for a quick sequel. However, a developer of the original titles reveals why at least many years ago, there was no third part.
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Battlefront 2: Gameplay Trailer
Developers of Battlefront had a problem
Why is there actually no third part? Battlefront I and II from EA are based on the parts that were created in 2004 and 2005 under LucasArts. The designer of the originals, Dan Nanni, spoke with VideoGamer about a potential third part.
Nanni revealed that the development team was actually close to completing a third part. However, the team was given too little time for completion: The publisher expected the developers to finish it just like the time between parts I and II, which was only one year.
The release of part III coincided with the launch of a new console generation. And as Nanni explained, it’s not that easy to develop for new hardware because there are new restrictions.
The negotiations are said to have stalled, ultimately leading to the development being stopped. Star Wars: Battlefront III would have become “something really special,” as Nanni reveals. In the past, another developer, stated that players had been robbed and that the cancellation was an absolute crime.
What does this mean for the current series? The chances for a third part of the remake are poor, and not just because there is no template for the remake. The publisher is said to have already rejected a corresponding pitch and the high licensing fees would be an additional burden.
The films of Star Wars, on the other hand, have always been concluded with a trilogy. MeinMMO editor Karsten Scholz reveals which trilogy is his favorite and names the reasons for it. You can watch his opinion here: Star Wars has a new “best trilogy” with about 1,400 minutes of runtime
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The MMORPG Ember Sword wanted to let players earn money while gaming and sold virtual land for exorbitant sums. Now it’s going offline, leaving players with only a PNG image.
Which MMORPG is it about? Ember Sword was a planned MMORPG that relied on blockchain technology and operated with its own cryptocurrency, the Ember Token. It promised numerous PvE and PvP activities and aimed to avoid Pay2Win.
The special appeal: Players were to receive NFTs in the form of cosmetic items and could even earn money with them.
Ember Sword financed itself, among other things, by selling virtual plots of land. In 2021, the developers reported that members of the community had pledged a total of over 203 million dollars to purchase land in the game. Even before anyone could play, plots were already going for 145,000 euros.
Now, Ember Sword has officially failed.
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Ember Sword – Alpha Gameplay
What’s the deal with the image? Anyone who now visits the official website of Ember Sword will find only a PNG image with a farewell message from the developers. In it, the team explains that despite the initial support, a promising early access, and a passionate community, they did not have the necessary funds to continue.
Parallel to shutting down the servers, the Discord channels for the game will also be closed. According to the developers, this is to prevent confusion or possible scams. The official subreddit for Ember Sword has also been set to private and can only be accessed by confirmed members.
This is not the end that anyone wished for, the developers continue. Nevertheless, they thank all players for their support.
It is unclear how much money the community actually invested in Ember Sword and whether players will get their money back. However, since there does not seem to be any major outcry from disappointed backers so far, and a thread on the topic on Reddit received only two comments, the financial loss for fans is likely to be limited.
We have already briefly covered the sudden end of Ember Sword in our format “MMORPG News in 2 Minutes“. If you want to know what else has happened this week in the world of MMORPGs, you will find an overview of the most important events there.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In online games, you always have to come up with a name under which you will henceforth be known in this game. But what if “AimGod” is already taken? AimGod2 is boring. Instead, try AimGod69 – or one of our other suggestions.
How did this list come about? One day, special numbers in usernames became a topic of conversation among some members of the MeinMMO editorial team. As a shooter player, I immediately had a few really cool ideas that should not be missing in any “Call of Duty” lobby. And if you want to create an account again and show off your masterful skill or humor, you can pick a number here that no one has ever used in an online ID before.
42
42 is the answer to the ultimate question “of life, the universe, and everything” in the book “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”
1337
The number 1337 is an alternative spelling for “Leet”, which is a shorthand for “Elite” and describes a group of people with special skills. A must for any real pro gamer.
9001
9001 is synonymous with “It’s over 9000”. This refers to a scene from Dragon Ball Z that became a meme. In that scene, Vegeta describes the power level of the enraged protagonist Son Goku, although in most versions it is actually only said to be “over 8000”. With 9001, you can show that you’re as badass as Son Goku.
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Dragon Ball: This is what the Z in the title stands for
86
American slang for “to get rid of something” or “to eliminate someone”, originally from the restaurant industry, used when a customer had to be thrown out of the establishment.
69
The “69” is the designation for a sexual position and shows in your online ID that you are particularly cool and humorous, for sure.
80085
The number 80085 can be found on playgrounds around the world among giggling seventh graders. If you type these numbers into a calculator, it should look like it says “BOOBS”. Here, too, you show your superior humor, wit, and creativity.
187
Section 187 of the California Penal Code stands for murder and is also an expression for fans of the German rap group 187 Straßenbande. The perfect number for your ID in GTA Online.
666
666 is the number of the beast and is associated with the Antichrist or the devil.
The number 3.14 describes the first 3 digits of pi and is often used as a pun for “Pie”. So you can either express that you find math cool, or that you are a big fan of pie.
420
The number 420 is commonly used as a designation for cannabis consumption; April 20 is a sort of holiday for consumers.
Through his training, Son-Goku achieves several forms in Dragon Ball. However, a form appears in Dragon Ball Z that proves to be a bad investment.
Which form is that? The triple Super Saiyan follows after the double Super Saiyan and greatly increases the power of the Saiyans. They lose their eyebrows, and their golden hair grows down their backs. Additionally, the eyebrow area lifts slightly.
The final design is somewhat different from what Akira Toriyama originally intended for the transformation. Either way, this transformation appears only three times in Dragon Ball Z, twice with Son-Goku, once with Gotenks. There are several reasons for this.
Select a MMO video…
The triple Super Saiyan does not lead to victory
Why does it appear so rarely? The SSJ3 proved to be a failure for Son-Goku. It is the first form into which the Saiyan transforms without achieving a victory.
With the very first Super Saiyan, Son-Goku defeated Freezer. During the final blow, the protagonist of Dragon Ball had transformed back, but the SSJ1 was crucial in weakening Freezer.
A similar situation occurred with the SSJ2. Son-Gohan transformed for the first time into the double Super Saiyan and defeated Cell.
With the SSJ3, however, Son-Goku could not achieve victory against Majin Boo. The SSJ3 merely served to buy some time for Son-Goten and Trunks to learn the fusion.
Even the fusion of the two Saiyans initiated the SSJ3, but could not defeat Boo. In the end, Son-Goku had to unleash a Genkidama to defeat Boo. For Goku, the SSJ3 has turned out to be a flop.
This only applies to Dragon Ball Z. In Dragon Ball Super, Son-Goku learns new forms that also do not lead immediately to victory. The Super Saiyan God cannot defeat Beerus, and even Freezer survives the first confrontation with the Super Saiyan Blue.
With Marathon, Bungie aimed to revive a franchise, but the shooter has already faced a series of issues before its release. Now there are rumors about canceled marketing plans from Sony.
Now there is a new report suggesting that a delay for the shooter seems increasingly likely.
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Bungie shows first gameplay of Marathon in trailer
Insider report says: No marketing planned, delay likely
This has now been revealed: According to an insider report, Sony is said to have canceled all marketing plans for Marathon. The statement comes from the podcast Sacred Symbols+ (via Patreon, paywall) by former IGN editor Colin Moriarty and was first taken up by The Game Spot.
“I was told by someone who is familiar with the marketing plans in an important overseas market that there are now no plans for paid marketing for Marathon,” Moriarty said. However, he does not know if these plans were influenced by recent events.
Such an approach for a game of this caliber is very unusual. Therefore, the lack of marketing could indicate a significant delay for Marathon – if Sony intends to proceed with the release at all.
Accordingly, the information regarding Marathon should initially be taken with caution. There has not yet been an official statement from Sony.
However, even without the insider info about the suspended marketing, a delay for the shooter appears extremely likely. Following the original plan in light of the negative sentiment and simply launching the game in September 2025 will hardly lead to the success needed.
The tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons and one of the most popular collectible card games ever have more in common than many realize. Magic: The Gathering likely would not even exist without D&D, as it originated from a very specific idea that every role player would likely know.
Why would Magic: The Gathering not have existed without D&D? The creator of Magic: The Gathering, Richard Garfield, was himself an avid D&D player and was heavily inspired by pen-and-paper role-playing games in his concept.
His original vision for Magic was a compact card game that could be played like a mini-game ideally during the breaks of long D&D sessions. Or also as a bridge between sessions when no appointment could be arranged for the entire group – a situation that many role players are all too familiar with.
This close connection is still evident today: both games share many fantasy elements – such as well-known creatures like dragons, goblins, and elves, classic spells like Fireball, or overarching themes like magic and adventure. D&D had already established a large fantasy community in the 80s and 90s, which provided the ideal breeding ground for the success of Magic.
Without the fantasy culture shaped by D&D, the rise of Magic would hardly be imaginable – an influence that is still reflected today in crossovers of the two games, but they also have more in common than many would assume.
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Magic The Gathering: The 3 Most Expensive Cards by Highest Sale Value
The “Planes” as a Basis for Crossover
What connects Magic and D&D aside from the origin story and community? As both Magic and D&D are brands of the company Wizards of the Coast, there have been efforts for years to more closely integrate the two franchises. A significant touchpoint of both games is the so-called “Planes” (or “Layers”) in the lore of Magic.
They represent entire, self-contained realities or universes, often referred to as “worlds.” Each plane is a self-contained world with its unique geography, ecology, society, history, and often specific magical laws.
These planes are separated by the so-called Blind Eternities, a chaotic, empty space that is deadly and impassable for ordinary mortals.
In the card game, you take on the role of a “Planeswalker,” an extremely powerful mage who collects knowledge, skills, and allies through their travels, and who is able to traverse the Blind Eternities without assistance, thus traveling between the planes. These mages are often involved in multiverse-spanning conflicts and act as protectors (or threats) for the various planes.
In 2021, with “Adventures in the Forgotten Realms”, a card set featuring a D&D plane was released for MTG.
Every card set of MtG (Magic: The Gathering) is set on one of these planes and reflects the respective character of the represented world. Meanwhile, there are numerous game-specific planes, but also many crossovers with other franchises such as The Lord of the Rings or Final Fantasy, which have found their way in as cards and own planes in Magic.
So too does D&D with the set “Adventures in the Forgotten Realms”, which brings the Forgotten Realms of the tabletop into the card game as a plane set, or the matching sets for the game Baldur’s Gate 3, which also finds its place in D&D. But Magic has also now become inseparable from the multiverse of D&D, so that many “worlds” are now shared.
How does Magic reappear in D&D? To enable Magic fans who are also D&D players to use planes as settings for their campaigns in DnD with the rules of the 5th edition, Wizards of the Coast has repeatedly published PDF guides named “Plane Shift” for various planes of MtG since 2016. The different planes include, for example:
Dominaria (via WotC): One of the oldest and most central planes in MtG, considered a sort of “fantasy standard” and home to many iconic characters and conflicts.
Zendikar (via WotC): A wild, adventurous world full of floating islands, ancient ruins, and the devastating Eldrazi titans.
Innistrad (via WotC): A gothic horror world inhabited by vampires, werewolves, zombies, and witches.
Kaladesh (via WotC): A plane of invention, aether technology, and vibrant metropolises.
Amonkhet (via WotC): An Egyptian-inspired world ruled by a dark god, where death has a different significance.
Ixalan (via WotC): A world full of pirates, vampires, dinosaurs, and strange Aztec/Maya-inspired cultures in search of a golden city.
The name of the PDFs is based on the spell of the same name from D&D, which allows the caster in role-playing to teleport to other planes of existence. Also, the term Planeswalker, which plays a significant role in Magic, finds its place in the lore of the multiverse surrounding Dungeons & Dragons and is used for important figures such as Elminster, Tasha, and Mordenkainen, who also travel between the planes.
In addition, there are now several source and rulebooks that draw on Magic’s planes as campaign settings for D&D, such as Strixhaven (via DnD Beyond), Ravnica (via DnD Beyond), and Theros (via DnD Beyond).
Thus, the multiverse of Dungeons & Dragons has become noticeably intertwined with the lore of Magic, and Magic would certainly not have been as successful today if D&D had not laid the conceptual groundwork.
Dungeons & Dragons is considered the first tabletop role-playing game in the world to be titled as such. Its collectible card game counterpart has meanwhile achieved another special title, as researchers around the globe seem to agree – Magic: The Gathering is the most complex card game in the world: We now know what the most complex game in the world is – and you know it
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The development team of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 shares an early concept image that shows a scene from the beginning of the game. However, this would likely mean that a certain character would not have appeared at all – or at least not so early.
What does the image show? The concept image comes from Art Director Nicho and was created about 3 years ago. On the X account of Clair Obscur, the team shares what the scene should actually look like, in which Maelle is found:
The X post is from the development team of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Accordingly, Maelle would not have been found in the mansion, but in a kind of abandoned house. The image has a strange gravity, as the room is turned upside down and some objects are floating around.
Maelle sits alone by a campfire, in the background you can see a makeshift tent. Gustave stands in the foreground and is just finding his ally. In the end, the scene was altered for the full version of the game, which resulted in the introduction of an important character.
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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – JRPG with French Flair has Release Date
Old scene reminds fans of The Last of Us
Who would have been missing? The Curator is an important character in the game who takes on some functions in the camp. He is the one who finds Maelle after the tragedy on the beach and takes her into his care. This is how the player gets to know the Curator for the first time, who becomes even more important later.
It may have been that the development team wanted to introduce the Curator at a later point. However, this would have resulted in a crucial moment being lost, which shows that the Curator is friendly and cares for Maelle’s well-being.
So, if the Curator had existed at all, the group would have encountered him elsewhere, and the bond between them would not have been so clearly established.
What do fans say about this? Some fans feel reminded of The Last of Us by the dystopian setting. Here, a fungus turns humanity into mindless creatures, causing nature to gradually reclaim the planet.
Thus, X users write comments like “The Last of Us: Expedition 33” or “The image looks like a scene from TLoU”. Moreover, there are some fan theories in the comments that contain spoilers.
FromSoftware is the source of the Souls genre, known for releasing masterpieces. Alternatives in the same field are rare, but when they exist, they are very successful. Therefore, we present to you 15 of the best games that serve as alternatives to Dark Souls.
How is the list structured? In our list, we count 15 games from various studios that fall into the same genre as Dark Souls. They are distinguished either by their unique level design, their story, art style, or gameplay feel.
For the list, we made a broad selection in the editorial team, which can be serious, playful, or even mystical. For each game, you will receive a trailer for better visualization as well as a short description to know what makes the game special.
Please feel free to mention Souls-likes in the comments that we may have missed but should belong on the list. If you want to skim through the list, you can quickly jump to the individual games that interest you using our directory.
What makes the game special? Nioh 2 is a dynamic action-RPG with Souls elements. You take on the role of a demon hunter. The setting for your battles is the Sengoku era in Japan – many bloody battles and intrigues have marked the land, and where there is turmoil, the Yokai are not far behind. These Japanese mythical creatures represent your main enemies, as they pollute the land and cause trouble.
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Nioh – Trailer for the Dark Souls Alternative by Koei Tecmo
What sets Nioh 2 apart is primarily its dynamic combat system, as you can choose from countless weapon types and three different stances to vary your combos.
Additionally, the game offers an extensive character creator, an encyclopedia with entries of defeated Yokai, countless bosses, and a co-op mode in case you have trouble defeating one or more bosses. One might say Nioh 2 is the more agile Dark Souls with a focus on Japanese folklore.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Patch 11.1.5 was not exactly a highlight for Blizzard. False expectations and long waiting times ruined the update of World of Warcraft.
Patch 11.1.5 will likely not be remembered as the most popular patch by the players of World of Warcraft. The major features were not available at launch, and the only new event, the Nightfall event, was full of bugs and problems in the first few days.
This led to a sad realization: It is patch day, but there is nothing to do. And what there is to do does not work.
In an interview with the colleagues from PCGamer, game director Ion Hazzikostas talked about how several aspects of patch 11.1.5 were poorly received and what the developers can learn from it for the future.
Time-Gating as a good idea with false expectations
The biggest annoyance is probably the time-gating with which new content was released. Even though the “Disturbing Visions” were advertised as the highlight of the patch, they were not available at launch – they only came the Wednesday after, several weeks post patch release. Hazzikostas commented:
Our thinking was: Hey, it would be better for everyone and your time management – considering the season is 8 weeks old and many are still running dungeons and raids – if we don’t flood you with all the content at once and spread it out a bit so that each [piece of content] can breathe a little and have its moment.
Understandably, players are used to the patch day being the day when everything is released. We’re hearing that feedback loud and clear. It’s very likely that we didn’t hit the balance this time and that too much was delayed and not enough was available at launch.
Especially this perception of time-gating could be addressed with simple measures. Instead of cramming 3 features into patch 11.1.5 and then distributing them over several months, one could have simply released 3 smaller patches (i.e., 11.1.5, 11.1.6, and 11.1.7) at intervals of 3-4 weeks each. Each of these smaller patches could then have contained one of the features. The release speed would be the same, but the impact on the player base would be entirely different.
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WoW admits: When it comes to housing, it was inspired by WildStar
Bugs and errors spoil the fun
However, this would probably exacerbate another problem. Time and again, bugs or errors slip through quality control. Or old bugs that were thought to be fixed sneak into a new patch. This is partly because WoW is working on several updates at the same time.
A few problems came together. We fixed [bugs] in the last week of 11.1 and during that time we already finalized patch 11.1.5. We have processes in place to carry over these [bug fixes], so that the changes remain. It gets tricky when sometimes multiple changes are made to the same file in patch 11.1.5 and then there’s a conflict that is thorny and difficult to resolve. It is our job to resolve that, but for players it looks like: “How could that be bugged?” This is due to some challenging data conflicts.
You can never achieve perfection with a game like World of Warcraft. But the goal is for the number of known (relevant) bugs to get smaller each time, ideally in a low single-digit range.
The issues with the Nightfall event, which could not be completed due to bugs in the first days, are something we need to improve on. We fixed it as quickly as we could, but understandably this is not the experience we had intended. This is not the experience our player base expects and deserves when they log in on a patch day eager to test the new content.
Many also suspect that the fixed patch rhythm of 8 weeks leads to more and more bugs slipping through because the developers have such a tight schedule. However, Hazzikostas denies this. He says:
If there is an update that we know has still difficult issues, we will not release it just to maintain the 8-week rhythm. We never want to deliberately release something of low quality.
This puts World of Warcraft in a rather absurd situation. For even though the last small patches at release all had annoyances that spoil the fun, WoW is probably doing better than it has in a long time. Many agree that The War Within is the best expansion in a long time, and many things have changed for the better. The progress system, the war host, the increased focus on class fantasy with the hero talents, and the significantly better presented story than in Shadowlands.
Actually, World of Warcraft is doing well and even a look into the future is promising – after all, next up is Legion Remix and the great housing system. However, if the patches would already work properly on day 1, this first impression would not be ruined time and time again.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Warhammer 40,000 takes place in the 41st millennium and delivers unimaginable technologies. However, one thing is missing that is already a part of our daily life today: artificial intelligence. Why is that? The reason is exactly what critics are currently fearing.
The world of Warhammer 40,000 is significantly more advanced. There are towering battle suits and genetically modified supersoldiers, space travel, and space magic. With such a technically advanced state, AI should be much better, right?
Theoretically yes, but still, there is no artificial intelligence in Warhammer 40,000 anymore, at least not in the Imperium (and not officially). The reason is exactly what some people already fear today: a machine rebellion.
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The Tech-Priests of the Future: This is the Adeptus Mechanicus in Warhammer 40,000
In Warhammer 40,000, what Arnie warns us of in Terminator has happened
Already today, progress carries a certain danger. Some people, and even experts, fear that AI will eventually become too powerful and displace humanity. There are even users who politely say “please” and “thank you” to ChatGPT – out of fear.
The Terminator films are older, but they show what can happen in a machine rebellion: humanity is (almost) completely destroyed. Warhammer 40,000 had this scenario too, but much earlier than the current state of lore.
Roughly between the years 15,000 and 25,000 was the Dark Age of Technology, well before the Imperium of Man was even founded. Humanity was supposedly at the peak of its technological knowledge. During this time, two new “races” were created:
The Men of Stone, or Stone Men, were a smaller species with high technical knowledge and mechanical abilities, ideal tinkerers and engineers.
The Men of Steel, or Iron Men, were machines created by the Men of Stone with a consciousness – robots with AI that could develop independently.
In the 23rd millennium, the “cybernetic uprising” occurred. The Iron Men rebelled against their creators, the reasons for which are speculated. The most likely reason is that AI calculated that a connection with the Chaos was the most efficient, leading to a corruption of the machines.
The ensuing war nearly exterminated humanity and is considered even more destructive than the Great Brother War, the “Horus Heresy,” which took place in the 30th millennium.
Involuntary Cyborgs instead of artificial intelligence
As a result of the cybernetic uprising, artificial intelligence was eventually banned, even before there was an Imperium. The Emperor only united humanity at the end of the 30th millennium.
However, humanity did not refrain from using machines for help. The alternative is just as brutal as you would expect from Warhammer. Instead of using artificial intelligence, from this point on, humans are simply transformed into machines. And literally.
The human brain then serves to control without independent will. There are rumors that some servitors are still quite conscious and exist in a constant state of helplessness, suffering, and pain because they have no control over their own body.
Artificial intelligence, however, has not completely disappeared. What the Adeptus Mechanicus today reveres as “machine spirits” is most likely a remnant of artificial intelligence in machines.
Unlike the AI of the past, which is now referred to as “Abominable Intelligence”, machine spirits can no longer develop and improve independently. However, they can certainly become corrupted and rebel, which is why the Tech-Priests continually appease them with rituals.
For some time now, there has been “real” artificial intelligence again, and it is even most likely the same as the one that rebelled back then. The conglomerates of Votann were recently discovered.
If anyone has the financial means and the synergies to shake up the video game market, it is Amazon. Despite great efforts, the gaming division of the global corporation has yet to land a sustainable hit. MeinMMO highlights past, present, and upcoming projects from Amazon Games.
The Amazon Game Studios has been around for a while. Since August 7, 2012, to be precise. A year earlier, the Amazon Appstore was already opened, and first developers were hired to work on mobile games. Indeed, a few smaller games like the social game “Living Classics” for Facebook and the mobile experience “The Unmaking” were released in the following years.
But that was only the beginning. On September 30, 2016, the people in charge revealed that they had bigger plans and wanted to invest much more energy and time into game development in the future. Amazon also had several announcements to underscore these ambitions:
the MMORPG New World
the 4vs4 “sport brawler” Breakaway
the multiplayer survival sandbox shooter Crucible
What stands out immediately: The focus has been on service games from the very beginning, which can ideally build and retain communities for years.
[toc]
The cinematic trailer for New World from 2021:
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New World reveals a new cinematic trailer for gameplay
All beginnings are hard
Today we know: Sentence with x. That was probably nothing. Breakaway never released and Crucible had such a catastrophic launch that Amazon sent the shooter back into beta, only to ultimately shut down the servers for good here as well.
That it looked significantly better for New World at launch, we certainly don’t need to tell you. 913,634 concurrent players on Steam(DB) is a historic figure, ranking it at number 11 in the all-time charts.
However, this number rather reflects how eager genre enthusiasts were in 2021 for a new, ambitious MMORPG from a Western studio. The last online RPGs of this nature came out in 2014 (Wildstar and The Elder Scrolls Online).
Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic benefited many online games. Furthermore, Amazon excelled at utilizing its own Twitch synergies to build tremendous hype through various streamers and fuel it with great trailers. You can read more about it here:
Despite the strong start and the surely high revenues thanks to the Buy2Play model at launch, it’s hard to describe New World as a sustainable hit. Quickly, numerous problems of the online RPG came to light. Player numbers dropped faster than the popularity ratings of Friedrich Merz.
On Steam, there were only 10,000 concurrent players as recently as March 2025 (via steamdb.info). That’s a fraction of the then-peak.
The gameplay trailer for New World Aeternum:
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New World Aeternum: Well-Staged Gameplay Trailer for Launch
The biggest problem of New World that still affects the quality of the game today: The developers made a devastating beginner’s mistake in their first major AAA project and changed the focus midway through production from survival and PvP to a theme park framework with quests, PvE challenges, and more story content.
However, the remaining time was too short to fill the vast world with enjoyable quests and to adapt all planned systems and content accordingly. Instead, there were cookie-cutter tasks. And PvE group content that didn’t fit well with the combat system. Overall, the content, systems, and mechanics resembled a wild patchwork quilt.
Why did this happen? Well, developing an MMORPG is a different ball game than working on most other genres. Online RPGs are large, complex, and expensive.
Even experienced studios have only been able to launch smoothly and promptly trigger the content pipeline for regular content replenishment in exceptional cases – and they didn’t change the focus of the game midway through development. Amazon Games would have needed much more time to turn New World into a fully realized MMORPG after the switch.
It continues on the next page with the current balance as a developer, with the work as a publisher, and with future projects from Amazon Games.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Middle-earth, there are numerous dangerous creatures, including dragons. Most of them do not appear in Peter Jackson’s movies, but they are legendary and feared in the lore. Which one is the strongest?
How was the ranking created? No one needs to explain that dragons are terrifying and very dangerous creatures. Anyone who faces them should be well prepared. For this list, we looked at the dragons from Middle-earth that were mentioned by J.R.R. Tolkien himself and for which there is substantial information.
Some dragons were only mentioned by name, making it difficult to compare them. Therefore, this list only counts the four specimens that were addressed by the head of Middle-earth himself in his texts.
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Trailer for the sequel to “The Hobbit”: The Desolation of Smaug
As always, the placements are purely subjective and reflect the author’s opinion. If your personal ranking differs, feel free to let us know in the comments.
Scatha was a dragon who, due to his appearance, also had nicknames like “Wurm” or “Lindwurm”. He lived in the north of Middle-earth, near the Ered Mithrin mountains.
He was feared among the local peoples. Scatha turned against the dwarves and killed many of them. Over time, he amassed a great treasure, similar to Smaug.
Although the dragon was very strong and powerful, and defeated many who sought to rob him of his treasure, he ultimately died. The man Fram, prince of the Éothéod, from which later the people of Rohan arose, killed the Lindworm. After his victory, he refused to return the treasures to the dwarves. The horn of the mark, a part of Scatha’s treasure, became particularly famous, which was later passed on by Éowyn to the hobbit Merry.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Many young people are increasingly focusing on the so-called “chocolate principle” when planning their careers, as an expert explains. Employers can’t really understand this.
The cover image is a symbolic image.
What is the chocolate principle and why do young people follow it? The chocolate principle refers to enjoying one’s career in pieces. According to Franz Kühmayer, a future of work expert, many young people seem to follow this principle and leave their companies even when everything is fine there. This is difficult for many employers to understand, he explains in an interview with BuzzFeed News Germany.
He sees a major reason for this in a high desire for flexibility and self-determination, but also in the wish for constantly new experiences. In the past, people tended to follow the “chimney principle” and enter companies, staying there for a long time to build a career.
Especially in the USA, this is a serious trend, but this tendency is also noticeable in Germany. Many young people are therefore self-employed or are working as freelancers alongside their permanent employment. However, this can have negative consequences, as the expert clarifies.
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In Germany, there are over 400 USB sticks protruding from walls – What is the ‘Dead Drops’ project?
A High Desire for Flexibility with Consequences
What are the consequences of this behavior? In Germany, the number of solo self-employed people has been relatively constant at a share of between 3 and 4% for the past 30 years. Nevertheless, in his opinion, the need for professional security is still high. However, the dream of entrepreneurship is rising among young people, especially fueled by social media.
However, they often present a distorted image and convey the impression that with the right idea, one can achieve quick wealth and work from anywhere they want. While this can happen in individual cases, the reality is rather that it comes with many overtime hours and especially financial uncertainty. This leads many young self-employed individuals to quickly fall into difficult financial and social situations.
Is returning from self-employment a problem? The expert sees no problem anymore in returning to an employment relationship nowadays. He points out that former self-employed individuals were previously considered unstable, and there was concern that they would quickly disappear again. Today, however, regular changes are normal, making this issue obsolete.
On the contrary, self-employment is now even viewed more positively in a CV. Companies should therefore respond to the desire for independence and flexibility and provide their employees with the opportunity for freelance work or offer them more independence in other ways.
Amazon Prime does not only have “The Rings of Power”. If one wants to dedicate themselves to a series, they can also do so with “The Wheel of Time”. At least for three seasons. Now it is clear: There will not be more.
Why will there not be more seasons? As deadline.com reports, the responsible parties at Amazon Prime are canceling the fantasy series. On April 17, the finale of season 3 just premiered. There will not be a fourth season. According to the report, the decision is based solely on financial reasons.
When the series premiered in 2021 with star Rosamund Pike, it celebrated the strongest series launch for Amazon Prime of the year. Even now, it still belongs to the “Top 5 launches of all time” on Amazon’s streaming platform.
One of the trailers for the series adaptation of “The Wheel of Time”:
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The Wheel of Time – Trailer zur Fantasy-Serie auf Amazon Prime
AAA role-playing game instead of series
What do I need to know about “The Wheel of Time”? The popular book series is by Robert Jordan, which was completed by Brandon Sanderson after his death. With 15 volumes (plus various companion novels and prequels), 4,410,036 words of content, and 2,750 named characters, this is one of the most extensive works in fantasy and literary history.
In the world of “The Wheel of Time”, there is magic, but not everyone can use it. A sorceress takes 5 young people under her wing and embarks on a dangerous journey that influences the fate of the world.
The franchise surrounding Warhammer 40,000 enjoys enormous popularity like never before. So much so that the company behind it pays its employees a pile of money as a bonus.
How much does Games Workshop pay its employees? In recent years, the popularity of the Warhammer franchise has steadily grown. So much so that Warhammer owner Games Workshop is now again financially involving its employees in the growth and paying them a bonus, as the company recently shared in its “Full Year Trading Update“.
“In recognition of the contributions of their employees to these results” they would have made cash payments of approximately £20 million throughout the year in the form of corporate profit shares. These will be paid in cash in equal parts to all employees. In comparison, approximately £18 million was distributed to employees in the year 2023/2024.
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Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy in the Announcement Trailer
The focus on licenses as a major factor
How much has profit from the franchise grown? The company from Nottingham, UK, which is behind the licenses and tabletop games of Warhammer, announced that the core revenue for the 52 weeks ending on June 1, 2025, was £560 million, compared to £494.7 million in the previous period.
Licensing revenues amounted to £50 million, compared to £31 million in 2024. The core profit stands at £210 million, compared to £174.8 million, and the licensing profit at £45 million, compared to £27 million. This corresponds to a profit of £255 million before tax, compared to £203 million in the previous year.
A significant part of the growth is mainly attributed to Games Workshop’s focus on licensing. These have reached record levels during the reported period and are expected to remain an important focus area in the future. However, it is not expected that this growth will be repeated in the years 2025/2026.
In the horror movie Alien, the Xenomorph first made its debut. This extraterrestrial threat later became one of the most famous film monsters of all time, especially due to the design that has taken many forms over time.
What is the Xenomorph? Alien: The Eerie Being from Another World was released in 1979. In the sci-fi horror film by Ridley Scott, the crew of the spaceship Nostromo encounters an unknown organism that kills almost all the ship’s passengers. The uniqueness of it is that it evolves as a parasite.
Only in the second part in 1986 by James Cameron titled Aliens: The Return did the creature get a name: Xenomorph. The name is derived from the Greek word Xenos, meaning stranger and Morphḗ, which can be translated as shape (via jgeekstudies.org).
The films were a success and by 2025 not only 9 films featuring the Alien had been released, but also games, comics, and other works. In 2025, the first series for the franchise titled Alien: Earth will also be released. The Xenomorph has taken various forms and designs, but none is as iconic as the first. This is mainly due to an artist from Switzerland.
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Alien – The Resurrection – Trailer for the Alien Finale with Sigourney Weaver and Ron Perlman
A macabre artist created a unique being
How was the design of the Xenomorph created? To design the Xenomorph, they turned to the unusual artist Hans Rudolf Giger. The Swiss was especially known for his provocative and macabre art that combined the mechanical with the organic (via awberyart.com).
Giger was to draw inspiration for the Alien from his previous work Necronom IV. On Arthiv, you can see the painting that clearly resembles the Xenomorph.
As in his previous works, the design plays not only with strange aspects of insects and reptiles, but also with humanoid, almost human nuances. A sexual aspect in the form of phallic symbolism can also be found in the Xenomorph.
But Giger did not only design the adult form of the Xenomorph. He also created the egg and the monster that comes from the chest. Giger first developed concept sketches before modeling the Xenomorph itself. He used organic and mechanical parts in line with his works (via YouTube).
Based on this, Italian special effects designer Carlo Rambaldi then developed the film props and costumes for the Xenomorph and its evolutionary stages. He built 5 different alien heads, most of which used the shape of a human skull with 900 movable parts as a base.
One of the scariest and most interesting film monsters was born.
How does the Xenomorph live? For a good design to be truly effective, it must make sense in the fictional world. This is why the Xenomorph has a life cycle that can already be seen in the first film. The life of a Xenomorph begins as Ovomorph.
This is a type of egg produced by the Alien queen or through metamorphosis with hosts. It can wait several years until it hatches, and when new hosts are nearby, the inside becomes active and the Facehugger hatches. The Facehugger is a crab-like creature with a long tail. It jumps onto the face of a victim, wraps around the neck, and implants the Xenomorph embryo in the body of the victim.
Inside the host’s body, the Xenomorph then grows until it forcefully frees itself from the body. Hence the name Chestburster. The parasitic cycle is described by Muafar Riyaz in his work on jgeekstudies.org as follows: This initial stage of the life cycle sets the tone for the parasitic nature of the Xenomorph and its ability to exploit and manipulate other life forms for its own survival.
Although it has a different color, it already resembles the Xenomorph strongly in body structure. It grows and quickly develops into the classic Xenomorph from the first part, which actually represents only a drone in the Alien universe. But that is quite dangerous, not only because it can evolve so quickly.
How does the Xenomorph act? The Xenomorph has a natural urge to hunt, which it follows without hesitation. As a perfect organism, it can adapt to any situation and also use the advantages of its surroundings.
In the first film, you can see how the Xenomorph hides in the corridors of the Nostromo, patiently waiting for its prey and striking strategically. Additionally, it seems to possess a certain form of intelligence, allowing it to learn.
The insidious thing about the Xenomorph is that it does not hunt to kill or feed; it hunts to renew its life cycle. Its victims are ideally intended to be captured and serve as eggs for new Facehuggers.
Although the Xenomorph fights from the shadows, sequels of Alien show that it can indeed hunt and act in groups. Like with ants or bees, there is also a hierarchy among Xenomorphs.
Throughout the film series, you encounter further forms of the Xenomorph, which we will list here:
In the sequel Aliens, you meet the Xenomorphs that function as soldiers. They have a slightly different design and fight in groups against the marines.
In the same film, the Alien queen is also presented. She is not only at the top of the hierarchy, but also extremely dangerous in combat and relevant for the reproduction of the aliens.
In Alien 3, you see a quadrupedal-Xenomorph that behaves like a dog. It appears after animals have been infected by the Facehugger. One can assume that the host has an influence on the development of the Xenomorph.
In Alien: Resurrection, you see a hybrid-Xenomorph created through genetic manipulation using genes from Ripley and an Alien queen. The design is quite unusual because the alien’s skull is clearly visible and it is covered in slime.
In Prometheus, you see a large tentacle monster called Trilobite that infects a humanoid being (Engineer). From this, a creature emerges that looks like an underdeveloped form of the well-known alien. This is called Deacon. It is unclear whether it is related to the Xenomorph.
In Alien: Covenant, the Bloodburster is shown. Through a type of dust produced by egg sacs, its victims become infected and inside the body, an embryo grows that springs from the body. This results in a Neomorph, which has almost white skin and looks significantly more human than the original Alien.
In the Alien vs. Predator films, you also encounter the Grid, another form of the Xenomorph drone and a hybrid of Predator and Alien.
As hinted in Prometheus and Alien, the Xenomorph was created because the aliens known as Engineers used a bioweapon in a war that was supposed to create creatures to eliminate the population of a planet. The Engineers are also the reason why humans exist.
The Xenomorph evolved into an iconic film monster that has solidified its place in pop culture to this day. A new film in the franchise was released in 2024, and it’s continuing this year. Over the years, however, there have also been absurd crossovers: 5 crossovers with Alien that hardly anyone knows
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The first detailed presentation of Chrono Odyssey is exciting. Many genre fans are even more looking forward to the launch after the shown scenes. However, there is one detail that is not well received.
There are regions from the game world, character selection and creation, battles, menus, time manipulations, various activities, and much more to see. The setting strongly resembles dark fantasy RPGs like Lords of the Fallen. Thanks to Unreal Engine 5, the video promises a visual fireworks display.
Below you will find the trailer for Chrono Odyssey, which prepares you for the upcoming beta in June:
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Chrono Odyssey: Trailer prepares you for the beta in June
“I am excited … let’s go”
How did the community like the video? The new impressions and information about Chrono Odyssey are definitely causing a stir online. Many streamers have already reacted to the video. On Reddit, there are several discussions on the topic, and of course, there is also extensive discussion under the developer interview.
Games-storage writes on Reddit: “Looks like New World on steroids.”
ಠ_ಠ-ಲ6ಬ also draws the comparison to the Amazon MMORPG on YouTube: “I must admit, this looks much better than I initially imagined the combat would be. It looks like they took inspiration from New World regarding weapon swapping and targeting.”
magic_zarap writes on YouTube: “This looks like a better version of New World and I love New World. I am excited … let’s go”
chansteven1480 celebrates the visual splendor on YouTube: “I have been playing MMOs for over 30 years and have never seen such amazing graphics in an MMORPG!”
NivinyaFate summarizes his impression on YouTube: “This sounds more and more like the MMORPG I’ve been wishing for so long. I still have to play it, but the aesthetics and concepts being integrated into the game seem to be exactly what I wanted, but no MMORPG has even come close to achieving it.”
However, there are also players who seem to be particularly bothered by one thing: the weapon swapping in combat. Blepple writes on Reddit: “The weapon swapping is disappointing, it’s never been fun for me.” Matt_37 agrees in his response: “I hate it, this info alone has killed all the hype for me.”
linkfox goes into this further in his comment on Reddit: “In my experience, every game that features weapon swapping ends up being a skill spam fest. You literally use all of your weapon cooldowns, switch it and then use them all again. Guild Wars 2 is better in this regard, but I wasn’t a fan of that system either.”
The team at Sandfall Interactive had always intended to release a DLC for Clair Obscur according to Game Director Gillaume Broche. However, due to the unexpected success, things have changed and need to be reconsidered.
What kind of success did Clair Obscur have? When the game was released on April 24, 2025, even the developers did not expect such success. In a short time, the game sold several million copies and has since received a score of 9.7 / 10 from 13,461 user ratings on Metacritic (as of May 24, 2025, at 10:00 AM).
On Steam, the game is currently rated “Very Positive” with around 95% positive reviews from 64,543 players (as of May 24, 2025, at 10:00 AM). The soundtrack also made a huge impact and set records. In our review, the profound story and innovative gameplay especially shone and have left a mark on our hearts.
However, this success now means that the team of 32+1 developers (the +1 is the dog Monoco, via Reddit) must rethink the DLC they initially planned for the game.
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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – JRPG with French Flair has Release Date
“Actually, we always planned to release DLC.”
What does the great success change about the plans? In an interview with the Japanese magazine denfaminicogamer, Game Director Gillaume Broche explained in response to the question of whether there is a possibility that DLCs will be released due to the success, that these plans had always existed:
“Actually, we always planned to release DLC. However, the response has far exceeded our expectations, so we need to rethink our further course of action. Please stay tuned for further updates.”
So it is apparently beyond question that there will be at least one DLC. Only how the developer team wants to approach the topic will be reconsidered due to the unexpected success. It is therefore possible that there will even be several DLCs or particularly large expansions. Everything is currently open.
While ideas and plans for the further course of action are being developed, the team is working hard to optimize the base game before integrating new content (via Washington Post – possibly paywall). They want to deliver the best possible result to the players.
The depths of WoW: The War Within came to the MMORPG to provide players with content that they can master well solo. How well Blizzard’s plan worked is now shown in a report from the community.
What exactly are the depths of WoW? They came with the current expansion The War Within to Azeroth. Behind the feature are instanced mini-dungeons that can be tackled either as a group or solo. You are accompanied by Super Dwarf Brann Bronzebeard, who can take on the role of damage dealer, healer, or tank.
I play solo. For the first time, I have received Mythic level gear through the depths that belongs to the current content. I have never completed a heroic raid; I was always too afraid to tackle Mythic Plus. There has never been a time when my item level and gear were at this level. I love the depths.
One of the trailers for WoW – The War Within:
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Alleria: Light and Shadows – WoW Cinematic to The War Within
“One of the good changes for casuals”
How does the community react to the report? With more than 2,100 upvotes and more than 160 mostly positive comments:
SirePuns also finds the status quo great (via Reddit): “Honestly, I like it this way too. If you want the absolute best stuff, then you visit high keys or mythic raids. But if all you care about is the look of the mythic gear, you can get it nice and slowly through the depths and then turn the gear into set pieces.”
someoneelse2389 also finds this great (via Reddit): “This is one of the good changes for casuals. We get decent gear and the mythic transmog while hardcore players get their better gear and mythic raid rewards.”
zangetsen celebrates on Reddit: “Congratulations, man! I’m really glad that the game finally offers a viable alternative to obtain reasonably competitive item level. Between depths […], time-walking chest and vault, players can make progress solo, and that’s a nice thing.”
