For a while now, the prices of video games have been a heavily discussed topic. Games are getting more expensive, but where do fans ultimately draw the line and say no? Players on social media seem to have an answer.
Other companies are slowly following suit and daring to raise their prices, including the creators of the new game “Doom: The Dark Ages.” Fans have looked at the prices and are far from thrilled.
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Doom: The Dark Ages presents new gameplay in the video
Doom is going to be more expensive and fans are dissatisfied
What do fans say about the price increase? In a Reddit post, the new Doom game is analyzed regarding its price. The game represents a price increase, especially for Europeans, because although standard full-price titles cost between €59.99 and €69.99, Doom is expected to cost up to €79.99.
For fans, this is now way too much, and depending on where they are located, the price is even higher. Players comment on the topic as follows:
“87.27 in Norway… I’m just going to pirate it. I’ve had enough of these prices…” – PheIix
“Yeah man, that’s about 1/5 of my salary.” – Reports DuckSleazzy, a fan from India
“Do you think you have it bad? The game costs £70 here, which is $93 USD.” – Kxshyp0p
“120 dollars AUD, what a joke.” – Vexziee
Do I have to pay that much to play Doom? No, the good thing about Doom: The Dark Ages is that it will land in the Game Pass upon release. So you can access the game through the subscription without having to pay the exorbitant price.
Why do prices differ so much? When comparing prices, one might think that players in the USA can get their games very cheaply – but that’s misleading. Depending on where the interested buyer is located in the world, different tax regulations apply – these ultimately affect the purchase price of the game as well.
While fans in the EU can see their taxes immediately included in the actual purchase price, the situation is different in the USA. There, prices are listed without taxes. When it comes time to check out, depending on which state you are in, the respective taxes are added.
Faker is a living legend in League of Legends. He has achieved many things that other professionals can only dream of. Now, after 10 years, he repeated the greatest success one can achieve in a LoL match.
What has Faker accomplished? On May 8, 2025, the South Korean team T1 faced off against the team DRX in the LCK 2025. In the Best-of-5, Faker’s team, who became world champions again last year, won dominantly against their opponents after 2 matches.
In doing so, Faker also achieved something he last accomplished in a professional match in 2015: a Pentakill. This is the term used when a single player takes out the entire opposing team in a short period. In the game, this is highlighted by the right sound.
After the match, his coach spoke about the milestone and stated: Faker can do that more often.
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The Life of Faker – Why He is a Living Legend
The Second Pentakill of His Career
How did the Pentakill happen? In the second match, Faker played his signature champion Ahri in the mid lane. At around 25 minutes, there was a fight in the Baron Pit after DRX began to attack the objective.
However, T1 did not let that happen easily. Oner used his Nocturne ultimate, and the supporter Keria engaged with the champion Nautilus. A teamfight ensued, and Faker took down each and every player from DRX, securing himself the Pentakill (via YouTube).
This is only the second Pentakill of his career. He had his first one in 2015 in a match against the team NaJin (via YouTube). At that time, he played his other signature champion LeBlanc.
While 2 isn’t much historically speaking, Doublelift has a total of 10; for Faker’s career, though, this is another milestone after his 5th world championship title, especially since ADC players usually score Pentakills.
His coach, Kim Jeong-soo, likely agrees, reacting to the success after the match. He stated according to evrimagaci.org: I hope to see more Pentakills from him after today. In this context, he also praised his entire team:
The players and coaching staff are incredibly capable. I was worried during the first round, but now that we are back together, I believe we can maintain this level of performance. We need to continue working with the metadata and the right strategies.
Many fans of real-time strategy long for the golden age of Command & Conquer. But instead of EA, other developers are taking care of the genre. In addition to Tempest Rising, another game wants to bring back the feeling of the past on Steam, but also attract newcomers.
Which game is it? With Fractured Alliance, the developer Tense Games aims to cater to the classic real-time strategy genre on Steam, reminiscent of Command & Conquer by Westwood. It mixes units like tanks and infantry with sci-fi elements.
It does not only target old-school players. It also aims to attract newcomers and introduce them to the genre. For this purpose, they even developed a separate faction for beginners.
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Fractured Alliance – Trailer for the real-time strategy game on Steam
It should also be accessible for beginners
What features does Fractured Alliance offer? On the official Steam page, the developers describe their sources of inspiration. They want to capture the essence of the Command & Conquer models but also be accessible and modern.
In an alternative future, you control one of 3 different factions. One of them is said to be particularly suitable for beginners, as it aims to automate many processes. This should reduce micro-managing within the faction. Each of these factions is supposed to be experienced in individual campaigns. The factions will also have their own units and strategies.
Within the campaigns, you will get to know three-dimensional figures and be able to make important decisions.
They also emphasize that they want to be a casual game and not a hardcore multiplayer title. While they do want to add a simple leaderboard in the future, it is not a priority.
The most important aspect of Fractured Alliance should be the Classic Vibe. They focus on epic music and classic base building to capture the atmosphere of that time.
In Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, the blueprint exchange feature was only active for 2 days before it was removed. Now, it suddenly returns 6 months later.
Which feature is it? At the beginning of Season 1 of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, the developers introduced a well-known feature from 2022. This is the blueprint exchange feature, which allows players to customize any of their base weapons or weapon blueprints with an unlocked skin. This allows for the creation of unique, personal skins by combining existing skins.
However, the beloved feature did not stay in the game for long. Just 2 days after its release, it was removed for unknown reasons. Since the feature was removed, fans have been demanding its return, yet it has remained absent until now. However, a new update brings a turnaround.
Have you seen the new zombie map from Call of Duty: Black Ops 6?
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 reveals its new zombie map “Shattered Veil”
Missing Feature Returns
What have the developers announced? On May 7, 2025, the developers of Call of Duty announced in a post on X.com that the feature is back in the game. The update was initially intended to fix stability issues in the zombie mode and multiplayer of the game.
As a big surprise for fans, the blueprint exchange feature also returned with the patch after a 6-month absence. As before, players can now again customize any “Black Ops 6” weapon or blueprint with an unlocked or purchased skin.
Where can you customize the weapons? To customize weapons, players can visit the “Gunsmith” in the game to see which skins are currently applied to their weapon and which can be changed. For base weapons, only the weapon itself can be customized, not the equipped attachments.
The creators have accounted for just about every possibility in Baldur’s Gate 3 and have included dozens of scenes that you can only see under certain conditions. Some of these involve important decisions that impact your character.
Spoiler Warning: This is about scenes and important decisions from Act 1 that are partially relevant to the course of the further story.
What kind of scene is this?
Near the end of Act 1, you must decide whether to save the tieflings or raid the grove. If you choose to save them, there will be a tiefling party at the camp.
What sounds like a scene for an evil run is actually pretty much the opposite. It simply follows a certain law.
That’s why the scene is so rare: Arabella is the girl who wanted to steal the druid statuette to stop the ritual. The deputy head Kagha wants to punish her for that. She uses a venomous snake as a threat.
Normally, “good” players would save Arabella by convincing Kagha that it would be too much. However, if she agrees to the punishment, Arabella will try to escape and will be killed by the snake – which is actually the “evil” ending of the quest, which some players find hard to cope with.
Those who decide to be evil would usually raid the grove with Minthara afterwards and thus see scenes that are hidden from “good” players. It almost never happens that Arabella is killed but the tieflings are still saved.
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There are secret rooms in Baldur’s Gate 3 that only a few of you will ever see
Paladins beware: If you’re too nice, you break your oath
If you’re wondering who makes such seemingly strange decisions: Lawful characters would do something like this, particularly paladins. Especially those paladins who have sworn the Oath of Vengeance, because:
Arabella has committed a crime and must be punished by law.
How harsh the punishment is depends on the current command authority – that is, Kagha.
According to the law of vengeance, Kagha also has a right to retribution.
And this is where it gets tricky. As a user on Reddit learned, a vengeance paladin cannot be nice after the scene. You have the option to convince Arabella’s parents at the party to abandon their plan.
With a persuasion roll, you make it clear that executing them makes them as bad as Kagha. But: in doing so, you break the oath of vengeance, as you have denied a mother retribution for her dead child. The paladin becomes an oathbreaker, which is actually extremely difficult for a vengeance paladin.
Sticking to the law doesn’t mean always being good – but only lawful.
In Path of Exile 2, the developers have solved the big loot problem with patch 0.2.0G. However, instead of satisfaction among players, there are immediately new demands for what needs to be improved next.
What has changed about the loot? For weeks, players of Path of Exile 2 have been complaining about the loot in the game and have wished for improvements from the developers. With patch 0.2.0G, the developers have noticeably improved the drops in the game, fulfilling the community’s demands. But the satisfied mood doesn’t last long. There are already hundreds of newer demands, as a post on Reddit shows.
What kind of post is this? In the post, Reddit user Effort_Proper sarcastically asks what the new hot topic will be that everyone will complain about now that the loot is fixed. Instead of sarcastic responses, the post receives over 500 comments within a day detailing issues with Path of Exile 2 that the developers should address.
You can watch the trailer for the current season of Path of Exile 2, Dawn of the Hunt, here:
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Path of Exile 2 presents gameplay trailer with the new Hunter class
Major Demands from the Developers
What should the developers improve next? According to players, the endgame is currently a major weak point of Path of Exile 2. Players describe several mechanics that are currently not working well.
User Waiden_CZ convinces most users with his comment on Reddit. He points out:
The towers in the Atlas system should be removed or designed in such a way that they no longer overlap.
The citadels in the Atlas system are hard to reach – this should be made easier.
The zoom range in the Atlas system is too limited; one should be able to zoom out ten times further.
The defense values of life and armor are still too low – a buff is needed here.
There is a lack of a class that combines strength and intelligence – ideally with the mace as a weapon, which should not be as slow and clunky as before.
Other fans believe that the developers should next focus on a better crafting system. With the current season Dawn of the Hunt, there has already been an expansion in this regard, but players are still not satisfied.
In the current financial report, publisher Kakao Games confirms the release windows for the two MMORPG hopefuls ArcheAge Chronicles and Chrono Odyssey. There are new details regarding the former.
What new information is available about the upcoming MMORPGs? According to the new financial report for Q1 2025 (via kakaogamescorp.com) and the associated earnings call, Kakao Games’ updated release planning currently looks as follows:
Project Q – MMORPG for PC and mobile (Korea release now planned for Q4 2025)
Chrono Odyssey – MMORPG for PC and console (release still planned for Q4 2025)
ArcheAge Chronicles – Online action RPG for PC and console (release in the first half of 2026)
The Swordmaster’s Youngest Son – Action RPG for PC and console (release during the financial year 2026)
In an earnings call, the financial situation and business development of a publicly traded company are presented. The call serves as an information source for the company’s investors.
The MMORPG Ares: Rise of Guardians is no longer mentioned in the financial report. The Korea MMORPG Project Q has been postponed by a quarter. The releases of the hopefuls for the West, ArcheAge Chronicles and Chrono Odyssey, maintain their release dates.
Here you can watch the trailer for ArcheAge Chronicles:
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ArcheAge Chronicles: Behind the Scenes – This is the Vision of the New MMORPG
First tests for ArcheAge Chronicles in summer
What is the status of the PvE MMORPG ArcheAge Chronicles? In the earnings call, Kakao Games’ publishers discussed the PvE MMORPG ArcheAge Chronicles. According to the publisher, development on the MMORPG is already finished. The game is fully playable, and the developers are currently primarily working on improvements and optimizations of quests and gameplay elements.
In the summer of 2025, specifically between June and July, the first testers are expected to gain access to the MMORPG according to the current plan. The publisher intends to distribute over 100 test accesses to gather valuable feedback for the game.
Based on the testers’ evaluations, the developers want to set a date for a larger beta. There are two potential dates for this. If there is less criticism, the closed beta is to take place in September. If the first testers have more complaints, the first larger test will be delayed until the end of 2025.
The release of ArcheAge Chronicles is currently still indicated for the first half of 2026. The exact release date also depends on the feedback from the testers. Although the development of the game is already finished, the release could still be a year away.
How secure is the release date? The information comes from the financial report and the associated earnings call. As a publicly traded company, the publisher Kakaogames makes this information available to the public.
In the single-player RPG Expedition 33, there is an ability that instantly kills all final bosses. The developers are now intervening and taking this option away from you.
In Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, you can really let loose and experiment a lot. There are nearly endless possibilities to customize your hero team through Pictos, abilities, and combos. However, one attack was so overpowering that even the secret super-final boss of the game could be defeated 45 times with just one attack. Too strong, according to the developers – and they are now intervening.
Spoiler Alert: There are minor spoilers about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and the game’s endgame.
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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – JRPG with French Flair has Release Date
What a combo was that? Towards the end of the game, there is a combo with Maelle that is so powerful that essentially every enemy dies immediately without being able to act even once. The combo relied on the following tricks:
Medalum: With this weapon, you start in Virtuoso stance, which deals 200% more damage.
Last Stand: This ability reduces your HP to 1 but returns you to Virtuoso stance and restores your AP.
Painted Power: You can deal more than 9,999 damage.
Cheater: You always play twice in a row.
Shortcut: If your character drops below 30% HP, they can play again immediately.
At Death’s Door: If you have less than 10% HP, your damage is increased by 50%.
Burn Affinity: You deal 25% more damage against burning targets.
Confident Fighter: You deal 30% more damage but cannot be healed.
Inverted Affinity: You inflict „Inverted“ on yourself at the start of the fight, but you deal 50% more damage as long as you are under the debuff.
Tainted: Each debuff on you increases the damage dealt by 15%.
This is just part of the Pictos. There are others that further increase damage or boost critical hit chances. You can also incorporate Sciel into the combo, which doubles the damage dealt with a skill.
With all these buffs, you now use Stendhal, then Last Stand, and then in the third turn use Stendhal again for an absolutely devastating attack.
How strong was that? If the combo was executed correctly and all preparations were made properly, a single attack could deal a whopping 2,000,000,000 damage.
Just for comparison: The very last, secret super-final boss of the game has approximately 45,000,000 HP. This means a single Stendhal could have defeated this boss almost 45 times. That was too much even for the developers, as they are now intervening.
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What are the developers changing? There will be a clear nerf for Stendhal. The damage will likely be reduced. On X, the developers write:
We did not plan to make balance changes so early, only bug fixes, unless something stood out significantly.
Well, Stendhal did it.
It was too weak for most of development, so we gave the ability a big boost in our last balance update before the release, and apparently, we overdid it. It now overshadows almost all other options.
After the change, [Stendhal] will still be a strong single-target skill with great synergy potential … just a bit closer to everything else.
When is the nerf coming? According to the developers, a small patch should be released tomorrow, on May 9, 2025. If you want to take advantage of the Stendhal super combo until then, now is your last chance.
However, anyone who is not that far along should not worry. There are still many other ways to be quite overpowering in Expedition 33, as the developers also say:
We still want you to be able to destroy the game – and you can still do that – but Stendhal made it a bit too easy.
Figuring out these methods and combinations is part of the appeal of Clair Obscur, and the developers do not want to change that – just to tone down a slightly too easy combo. If you still need a few good builds and suggestions, we have presented you with 2 strong builds for Maelle here.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The world of Warhammer 40,000 loves to exaggerate with its extremes. However, one planet stands out from everything else in the galaxy: Catachan. The Death World lives up to its name and is the benchmark against which all other Death Worlds are measured.
The term “Death World” describes a world in Warhammer 40,000 within the Imperium of Mankind that possesses an extremely hostile and deadly flora and/or fauna. They are typically only inhabited by small outposts to exploit possible resources.
Nevertheless, some Death Worlds in the Imperium are indeed inhabited, with the number of people rarely exceeding 10 or 15 million. For comparison: Tokyo, the most populous city on Earth, alone houses 37 million inhabitants, the Imperium itself has several trillion people.
Some Death Worlds have only become such through human (or other) intervention, such as when deadly creatures escape from zoos. However, most planets of this classification are deadly by nature.
However, Catachan stands out from all Death Worlds and is the world against which all others must measure themselves, as a user on Reddit explains. The special thing about it: there are still humans living there, and they are pretty much the toughest individuals you can imagine.
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Der Cinematic-Trailer zur 10. Edition von Warhammer 40.000 mit Roboute Guilliman
A planet so dangerous that it needs no defense
The Death World is almost completely covered by a dense jungle and is home to about 12 million inhabitants who have lived there longer than imperial records can trace back. For the nerds among you, some data about the planet:
Name: Catachan
Segmentum: Ultima
Sektor: Unknown
Klasse: Death World/Jungle World
Zehnt: Solutio Primus
The primordial forests of the planet itself are deadly. Plants there are either toxic by themselves, exuding corrosive or toxic spores or slime, or poisoning the soil around them. Even air filters for respiratory protection are simply corroded.
In the air itself, there are bacteria that can invade a small scratch and cause a wound to fester. The wild growth makes it virtually impossible to build on the planet, and buildings must be constantly rebuilt.
Catachan itself is so deadly that it does not rely on a planetary defense. There are reports that a Chaos army has attacked the world. Before Roboute Guilliman, who now leads the Imperium, could rush to help, however, all cultists and demons had already disappeared. The people of Catachan simply say: “It was taken care of.”
Fauna used as weapons
The animals and other living beings of the planet are so deadly that they are sometimes captured and released on other planets to eliminate their populations or attackers.
There is even a creature on Catachan that is said to be a mutated, wild form of the gluttonous Tyranids: the Catachan Devil. Imagine it as a centipede that can grow as large as a train with a scorpion tail and sickle-like claws.
However, the most dangerous animal on the planet is the Catachan Bullfrog, which merely looks like a large bullfrog. If the frog feels threatened, it explodes in a cloud of poison.
Within a kilometer radius, this poison cloud melts everything biological into a slimy soup (including the frog itself), and no known armor can withstand the poison. In this area, not even plants can grow anymore.
The people of Catachan are the toughest that Astra Militarum has to offer
So why do humans still live on such a planet? Probably out of stubbornness. The first expedition considered the planet a green paradise and never left after landing. Since then, humans have lived on Catachan.
The Death World makes the people there the toughest fighters of the Imperium. Nothing they will see in the galaxy could be worse than the world they grew up on – that is their mindset.
The Catachan Jungle Fighters are an elite unit of the Imperial army that is even tougher than the soldiers from Cadia, the famous fortress world of the Imperium. Imagine them as Rambo, but in thousands.
Catachans are larger, stronger, and more muscular than normal humans and have a higher, natural resistance to dangers and injuries, similar to Space Marines. Others often refer to them as “Baby Ogryns,” but only behind their backs.
In Pokémon GO, the Dynamax battle weekend with Dynamax Suicune is taking place. How do you defeat Suicune? We summarize the tips.
When is Dynamax Suicune available? The Dynamax battle weekend with Dynamax Suicune starts on Saturday, May 10, at 6:00 AM. It ends on Sunday, May 11, at 9:00 PM.
During this time, you will encounter Suicune in 5-star Dynamax battles. You also have a chance to obtain the Pokémon as Shiny if you defeat it – however, the chance is not especially increased.
However, there are the following bonuses:
You can collect up to 1,600 Dyna particles this weekend, per day
You only have to walk a quarter of the usual distance for Dyna particles
You will receive eight times the amount of particles from energy sources
And energy sources will be renewed more frequently
Currently, there is also the bonus that you only have to pay 75% of the usual particle costs to unlock and train your Dyna attacks. This bonus will end with the Suicune event.
The important question is: How do you defeat Suicune? We have five tips for you.
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Dynamax in Pokémon Go – How to participate in the gigantic battles
How to defeat Dynamax Suicune in Pokémon GO
Counters against Dynamax Suicune: The water Pokémon Suicune is vulnerable to electric and grass attacks; this does not change even in Dynamax form. Consequently, you should rely on the following Pokémon:
Gigantamax Riffex
Gigantamax Bisaflor
Dynamax Zapdos
Dynamax Riffex
Dynamax Gortrom
This only applies to the Pokémon you want to deal damage with – more on that shortly. However, you can also use Pokémon that can take hits. Examples include Dynamax Chansey, Gigantamax Lapras, or any form of Blastoise.
Bring enough trainers: Suicune is a legendary Dynamax monster. Ideally, you should form a group of four trainers to defeat it – anything less will be difficult. Currently, you can only challenge Suicune on-site. Although an option for remote Dynamax battles was announced, that will come later.
First and foremost, it’s important: The Pokémon you bring to soak up damage should only do that. They are there to absorb the opponent’s attacks and gradually charge the Dyna gauge. Once the gauge is full, you switch to your attacker. They then use the Dynamax phase to unleash their powerful attacks on Suicune.
Additionally, you should agree before the battle on who will attack and who will heal or set up shields. This is also beneficial as it allows your attackers to stay in the game longer. A good mix of shields, healing, and attacking ultimately leads to success.
Level your monsters: Some players tend to catch Dynamax Pokémon and then leave them aside until they send them into battle unprepared. Don’t do that. Level them up before the battle and, above all, teach them the right moves. The basic move of your Pokémon determines what type your Dyna attack will be. So choose accordingly.
Use current research: Do you not have good counters against Suicune and generally lack Dynamax experience? Then play through the current limited research for the event until the weekend. There you will encounter a Dynamax Chimpep, which you can potentially build for the fight against Suicune.
What’s next? After Dynamax Suicune, more strong monsters await you. For example, Gigantamax Machomei or Gladimperio in the upcoming Crown Clash event. And: A Community Day is also on offer this weekend. Quite a lot is happening. Want an overview? Then check here: All Pokémon GO events in May 2025.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A study has investigated how often drivers change their vehicle and buy a new one: owners of electric cars change their model more frequently than those using gasoline-powered vehicles. The usage period also varies significantly.
Who studied what exactly? The company S&P Global, specializing in economic analysis, has looked into how regularly people buy a new car and remain loyal to their old one. S&P Global found that buyers of electric cars change their vehicle significantly more often.
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Slate Auto presents new truck with electric motor
Drivers remain loyal to their gasoline cars longer than to electric cars
This is what the study found:S&P Global’s study was conducted in the USA, where the car plays a central role in daily life, and found that drivers keep their vehicles longer than before – a trend particularly noticeable among combustion engine models. The figures are still from 2023:
On average, a vehicle is kept for 12.5 years. For private vehicles (excluding commercial vehicles), the figure even rises to 13.6 years. Only then is a new vehicle purchased.
The average age of battery electric vehicles (abbreviated as BEV in English) in the USA is, however, 3.6 years and has remained roughly the same over the past years (since 2017).
Furthermore, individuals who have once purchased an electric car generally stay with electric cars and almost never switch back to gasoline vehicles when they buy a new model.
It is also interesting to see that the average lifespan of vehicles is increasing, mainly due to a slowdown in new car sales. In 2022, additional reasons emerged for keeping vehicles longer:
Supply difficulties with various manufacturers
Declining demand against the backdrop of slowed inflation and falling interest rates.
Another side effect: the number of vehicles sold has fallen to the lowest level in over a decade. The sale of Light Vehicles in the USA decreased by 8%. All vehicles under 3.5 tons are considered Light Vehicles.
The sale of new vehicles consequently dropped by 8% compared to the previous year, reaching the lowest level in over ten years with 13.9 million units sold versus 14.6 million in 2021. However, in 2024, sales figures have risen again to 15.8 million (via statista.com)
The shooter Battlefield from Electronic Arts has been an integral part of the gaming world for over two decades. After the last iteration of the series, EA has learned from its mistakes and made it clear that they want to reshape the future of Battlefield.
What exactly has EA admitted? After EA CEO Andrew Wilson discussed the finances at the investor conference on May 6, 2025 (via finance.yahoo.com), there was a “Q&A” session. In this Q&A, the CEO said the following:
“We haven’t really worked on communicating to players what we’re developing and equally, we haven’t worked to understand what they actually want from a Battlefield.”
The core message of the statement is that EA did not understand what players loved about the earlier Battlefields and what they wish for in new installments. Along with this statement, there was another one that shows that EA has learned from its mistakes and wants to work more closely with the community in the future:
“While we have always worked closely with the community, it hasn’t been as close as it should have been.”
What has changed at EA? After the disastrous launch of Battlefield 2042, EA has changed its strategy for developing the next Battlefield. Using a testing environment called “Battlefield Labs,” Electronic Arts aims to develop the new Battlefield together with the community. MeinMMO shows you how to participate in the beta.
The video introduces Battlefield Labs:
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EA stellt Battlefield Labs im Video vor
EA responds to player wishes
How does EA communicate with the players? Through the Battlefield Subreddit, the official Battlefield account regularly posts updates about Battlefield Labs. The gunplay and control movement (via reddit.com), as well as the destructibility of the battlefield (via reddit.com), have been extensively covered in separate posts.
“I really appreciate that the developers are so transparent and give players the opportunity to co-develop the new Battlefield according to the audience’s wishes. I hope the development is going well, and I look forward to hearing more news from DICE.”
Player feedback has exceeded EA’s expectations
This is what the CEO says about player feedback: Battlefield Labs already has over 600,000 testers. CEO Andrew Wilson mentioned in the Q&A that he did not expect such positive feedback:
“Through our play sessions with a core group of Battlefield players in Europe and North America, we’ve already completed thousands of hours of gameplay, and the feedback has far exceeded our expectations.”
After Battlefield Labs has been so well received by the community, EA decided to make the beta accessible to even more players. In North America and Europe, more players are being welcomed to join the test, and for Asia, Battlefield Labs will be opened for the first time.
When the new Battlefield will be released is still unclear, but the CEO assured that it is expected to be released before April 2026. As with any beta version of a highly anticipated game, leaks are also part of the equation. A gameplay video of the new Battlefield has already been leaked on social media, generating over 400,000 views: Almost 400,000 people are watching the leak of the new Battlefield; a developer also comments
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
While the digital development of video games continues to advance significantly in terms of graphics and design possibilities, one studio chose to take a different path. They created a game on Steam and for the PS5, in which the entire world was handcrafted from clay.
Which game are we talking about? It is the game The Midnight Walk from the Swedish studio MoonHood, which is being released today, May 8, 2025, on Steam and for the PS5. In the game, you befriend a lantern creature named Potboy, which has a small flame on its head. Together, you traverse a dark world full of monsters that are out to get you. You explore the surroundings, hide from dangers, and bring light to the darkness.
What stands out in The Midnight Walk, aside from the nightmarish atmosphere and the strangely deformed beings, is the extraordinary art style of the game. Everything looks as if it is handmade – and that is exactly what it is. All objects, places, and characters are made of clay and were completely handcrafted.
Here you can see the trailer for The Midnight Walk by MoonHood:
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The trailer for The Midnight Walk shows atmospheric horror in stop-motion style
Over 700 clay figures were made for the game
How did the idea for The Midnight Walk come about? In an article from the PlayStation Blog, Olov Redmalm, one of the co-creators and the director of the game, discusses the development of the game. After completing their last project “Lost in Random,” he and his then co-director Klaus Lyngeled tried to “rediscover their spark” by starting to draw and work with clay.
One day Lyngeled surprised him with a small clay creature from whose head a flame emerged. And Potboy, the little creature that you ultimately guide through The Midnight Walk, was born.
We immediately talked about a game in which you have to protect this little creature while traveling through a dark fairytale world inhabited by fire-eating monsters that want to devour you and your flame. And when this little flame creature came to life in our first playable demo, the spark in me and Klaus was reignited. The development of The Midnight Walk was underway – and we haven’t looked back since.
Olov Redmalm, Co-Creator and Director of The Midnight Walk (via PlayStation Blog)
Why did they ultimately stick with the handmade style? In an exchange with GameSpot on YouTube, Redmalm and Lyngeled discuss some design decisions of their latest project.
They decided on the handmade approach of modeling everything realistically in clay and using it as a 3D scan because it simply looks different and more detailed. One of the developers even states that the route of modeling and scanning is faster than the usual method and achieves a level of detail that can only be accomplished this way.
The developers Klaus Lyngeled (left) and Olov Redmalm (right) from MoonHood with some figures from The Midnight Walk (Image source: PlayStation Blog)
The stop-motion animation also contributes to the handmade effect, with the team having worked in exactly the opposite manner here. The style was digitally mimicked. They achieved this not only through the lower frame rate but also through various animation methods that ranged from jerky to partially completely fluid movements. This way, they were able to create the illusion of stop-motion.
George R.R. Martin is a master at creating iconic villains. Just think of Joffrey or Cersei from the books and the series of Game of Thrones. For this, he follows a simple rule when writing.
Game of Thrones is a story full of memorable characters. Especially the antagonists remain in memory and evoke emotional reactions in the readers and viewers of the books and the TV series, just think of Joffrey or Cersei, whose complete story is partly missing in the series.
Writing a good villain is not that easy. However, George R.R. Martin, the author of the book series, employs a trick when creating these characters, making them three-dimensional and lifelike.
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In the trailer for season 5 of Game of Thrones, Daenerys wants to break the wheel
Villains are also human
What is the trick? In a conversation with BGR, the writer spoke about his work and explained that it is important to write real people – not just caricatures that can do nothing but be evil.
The characters must have a clear goal and feel real emotions. This makes their actions easier to explain, and they do not seem arbitrary. George R.R. Martin elaborates:
I do not try to write someone who says, “Oh, I am a villain. Let me just get up today, go out, play the villain, and plunge the world into darkness.” They all have problems. They all have wounds and things that drive them to do the things they do.
This way, one can better understand a villain’s actions at certain moments – because they make sense from their perspective. They have strengths and weaknesses, make mistakes, and celebrate successes. These characters do not become any less despicable, but they remain memorable.
Does the rule only apply to the bad? No, because just like the antagonists, the “good” characters in George R.R. Martin’s work are also ambiguous and can become quite dangerous. Even a character who behaves heroically at some moments can perform a morally questionable act in the next.
So it is not surprising that the characters, whether good or evil, are one of the great strengths of George R.R. Martin’s books. The author prevents a monotonous, black-and-white view of his fantasy worlds – everything is supposed to feel realistic and understandable. This leads to really great characters and strong episodes in the series. Accordingly, we have a list on MeinMMO: The 10 best episodes of Game of Thrones ranked according to IMDb
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A new financial report from EA provides an exciting look at how the first crisis in EA FC 25 was overcome in January. MeinMMO author Thomas Dummer has examined what EA did better at the beginning of the year and derived 4 measures that could also save the struggling TOTS.
What is this financial report? EA Sports has officially published the revenue figures for the fiscal year 2025 on its own website. A special focus was placed on the 4th quarter for the period from January 1 to March 31, 2025. In this, the following highlight regarding FC 25 was emphasized:
“At EA SPORTS FC, player monetization increased double digits, starting with the gameplay update in mid-January.”
What does player monetization mean? Player monetization refers to the money EA earns in FC from in-game purchases for, e.g., packs, evolutions, or cosmetic items. The more players invest real money, the higher the monetization.
This was the situation in FC 25 until mid-January: Up until January, there was a lot of criticism from players. The community was dissatisfied with the bumpy gameplay and had already turned away from FC 25 in the first months after release.
That’s why the TOTS must now be saved: Nearly 4 months have passed since the TOTY. Many fans and experts agree that the traditionally huge hype surrounding the Team of the Season (TOTS) was completely gone just 2 weeks after the start of the TOTS event in FC 25.
This is also reflected in the following post on Reddit:
We find ourselves at the same low point in terms of general sentiment, where we were just before the TOTY started in January. MeinMMO author and FC expert Thomas Dummer has taken a closer look at the measures for the change in mood for the TOTY and has 4 suggestions for changes that could still save the TOTS.
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Tips for a Perfect Start in EA FC 25 – Ultimate Team
Core elements of gameplay, such as passing, shooting, defending, and dribbling, were improved.
The update was mostly received positively by the community. Even though the game still has its problems here and there, there are mainly 2 aspects of gameplay that repeatedly cause great discontent and should be changed:
The game suffers from a too-static meta that only allows casuals a OP tactic in FC 25 to succeed. Moreover, the focus is too heavily on the PlayStyles, which completely overshadow ratings and stats in FC 25.
A long-standing problem is the servers and connection quality. This especially makes the player experience feel different in nearly every match during the Weekend League.
At this point, we have hardly any evolutions that can keep up with the strongest TOTS cards. Most of them are even paid and therefore deter many players.
Looser requirements for the EVOs and more free offers would certainly inspire more players for the feature that is actually popular. Occasionally, EVOs could still be offered that can be purchased for a price (coins or FC Points). However, these would also need to be worthwhile and guarantee PlayStyles/stats that can keep up with strong TOTS cards.
Such worthwhile upgrade packs, which are available without limits, are completely lacking for the TOTS. While there is a constantly repeatable league upgrade SBC, the chances of actually getting strong TOTS are extremely low.
This is also shown by an experiment from the content creator Smexy. He only pulled one TOTS worth over 100,000 coins from 100 upgrade packs. You can watch the highlight video on YouTube at the following link: 100x PREMIUM UPGRADES for the PREMIER LEAGUE TOTS
4. Change: Upgrade rewards in Champions and Rivals
A well-known streamer has already explained why above all the poor rewards of the Weekend League ruin the TOTS for him. The incentive to even play competitive modes is too low when you never have the chance to draw the best cards.
The Team of the Season is the last major promo before FC 25 comes to an end and all players await the new FC 26. Therefore, EA Sports should give the community the opportunity to access strong TOTS cards through better rewards from FUT Champions or Division Rivals to truly build an ultimate team at the end.
The 4 changes could provide the impetus to attract more fans and streamers back to the Team of the Season in FC 25. Whether EA Sports will respond to the demands of their community once again remains to be seen. That players are not error-free is shown by the following story: TOTS in EA FC 25: Player loses 750,000 coins due to a typical mistake
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The revised MMORPG Blade & Soul: NEO was released on February 25, 2025. The developers are now announcing new servers and a Steam release.
What kind of MMORPG is it? Blade & Soul: NEO is the modernized version of Blade & Soul by NCSoft, which originally launched in Europe in 2016. The MMORPG features a fantastic martial arts combat system as a highlight, which helped the MMORPG achieve a good ranking in our list. Blade & Soul: NEO takes place in a Wuxia setting and transports players into a Chinese-inspired fantasy world full of martial arts battles, supernatural abilities, and dramatic conflicts.
The remastered version of the MMORPG offers more than just a graphics patch. Besides a better appearance, the developers have returned the combat system to its roots, focusing on counters, combos, and flexible group roles.
The character creation has also been expanded, giving players more freedom to design their characters. Content-wise, the MMORPG will receive new updates promptly, but since its release, players have been able to enjoy unlimited flying, allowing for quicker traversal through the world.
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Blade & Soul NEO: Trailer announces release date for the graphical remaster
New Servers and Boost Event
What are the plans? In a post on their official website, the developers of Blade & Soul: NEO announced that they would be releasing their game on Steam. The MMORPG launched in February and has so far only been available on the proprietary Purple launcher.
With the release of the MMORPG on Steam, new servers will also start, which can only be used by Steam players. The new servers are not accessible through the Purple launcher. Additionally, there will be no transfer of old characters from the Purple launcher version. Therefore, if you want to play on Steam instead of the old launcher, you will have to start anew.
The Steam version and the version in the proprietary launcher are supposed to be identical, but at launch, there will be an event designed to help new players on Steam catch up. Afterward, both player groups should be on the same level and receive the same updates simultaneously, even if they cannot interact with each other.
When exactly Blade & Soul will launch on Steam is still unclear, but the developers encourage players to add the game to their wishlist. The MMORPG will remain free-to-play, and there should be no changes to the monetization; on Steam, however, you will be able to pay using your Steam wallet.
For 8 years, fans have been working on a project for Counter-Strike, but Valve intervened just before the release, and now it’s all over.
What was this project about? For the past 8 years, fans of Counter-Strike have been working on a mod for the popular tactical shooter from Valve. The mod, titled “Classic Offensive,” was supposed to bring back the gameplay feel of the original Counter-Strike – but based on the CS:GO engine, with redesigned weapons, character models, and maps.
In the 2 months since then, the Classic Offensive team has been trying to find a way to still get the mod released. Now they have shared the outcome.
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Counter-Strike 2: Valve once again impresses with the launch trailer
Valve cancels mod after 8 years
This is the decision regarding Classic Offensive: On May 7, 2025, the Classic Offensive team announced in a post on X that the mod is officially canceled. The project will not be released.
“In further discussions, they [Valve] made it clear that the release of Classic Offensive would mean the distribution of ‘derived content’ based on their intellectual property, which is not allowed under the Steam User Agreement,” reported the Classic Offensive team.
Additionally, Valve informed the team that even releasing an update for an old version of Classic Offensive would violate the User Agreement (via classic-offensive.net).
This is how the community reacts: Valve is often regarded by gamers as a company that cares about players and deals fairly with customers, for example, through its policies regarding game refunds or its generally very open attitude towards modding games.
On Reddit, some players are expressing doubts as to whether the developers of the mod are really telling the whole story. One user writes, for example:
“Honestly? I think the developers of Classic Offensive are hiding something from the public, something that actually made Valve say ‘No’ to them.”
Another user expresses a similar thought:
“I don’t buy this. It sucks that this happened, but we can’t assume that Valve will change its current stance just because of this one case. It feels strange and completely uncharacteristic for them, and it makes me think there’s more to it than we’re being told. I will wait to see what Valve does with CS:Legacy, which is based on their official SDK.”
The user refers in his comment to another mod for Counter-Strike called “CS:Legacy.” This was created using Steam’s official software development kit (SDK). If CS:Legacy is also canceled, that would be a sign for the user that Valve is now cracking down on mods for their games. If CS:Legacy is tolerated by Valve, it would mean to him that there was a problem with Classic Offensive itself.
Valve is actually known for accepting mods for their games under certain, predetermined conditions. For example, Counter-Strike originally emerged from a mod for Half-Life. But there are other shooters that are based on a mod and do not come from Valve: These 8 extraordinary shooters on Steam used to be just a mod
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Pokémon GO, there is a big change for Remote Raid Passes! You will soon be able to use the passes for more features – and this should help many.
Currently, Remote Raid Passes can be used for normal raids that take place outside of your own area when you are invited by someone. However, there are certain raid or battle variants that you cannot join with a remote pass. Trainers who do not have enough players nearby often struggle with some of the difficult battles that can only be fought alone.
What is changing? Remote Raid Passes will soon be usable for more features.
You will be able to join Crypto Raids with Remote Raid Passes starting from the takeover segment of the Crowned Clash Event in Pokémon GO on May 13th at 8:00 PM. These are particularly challenging raids with Crypto monsters, where you usually need support.
From May 19th at 8:00 PM, you can also join Dyna battles with a remote pass. This apparently also applies to Gigantamax battles, as the announcement explicitly states that the change will apply before the Gigantamax Day with Machomei.
In this context, the Dyna particle limit you can collect in a day will be increased from 1,000 to 1,500.
Additionally, the daily remote raid limit will be raised from 5 to 10. During special events, this will also be adjustable.
What should be noted? If participating in Dyna battles on-site, you are supposed to receive more Premier Balls and XP. So, this is a slight disadvantage if you join remotely. Additionally, participating in Dyna battles on-site does not require a pass.
Currently, Remote Raid Passes are only available in the shop, and you have to pay coins for them. Free remote passes, like the daily battle pass per day, which is only valid on-site, are not available at this time.
Nevertheless, this change could make a significant difference for many players. Why? We summarize it here.
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Dynamax in Pokémon Go – How to participate in the gigantic battles
The problem with Gigantamax and Crypto Raids
These two variants are among the most difficult challenges in Pokémon GO. High-level Crypto Raids require many trainers and “redeemed gems” to defeat the boss within.
The same applies to the more difficult Dynamax and especially the Gigantamax battles. For the latter, you need a double-digit number of trainers in the group to even have a chance of victory.
Since you could previously only challenge these on-site, you were relatively quickly at a disadvantage if you didn’t have an organized group to play with. It’s rare to randomly encounter such large groups on-site that you can just join them to defeat a Gigantamax boss.
And especially in places that do not have enough players, like villages or other rural areas, it is virtually impossible to win these battles. As a result, you miss out on cool monsters. The remote raid adjustment could remedy this situation.
By the time of the Gigantamax Day with Machomei, we should see how the change affects things and whether more players report having caught this Pokémon. We will keep you updated! What do you think of the change? Tell us in the comments. And if you want to know more about what’s going on in May, check this out: All events in May 2025 for Pokémon GO.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Monster Hunter Wilds, fans can now participate in a new mission and team up in groups of four to take on one of the most powerful monsters. The opponent should pose a challenge, but fans can only laugh about it.
What kind of quest is this? Since May 7th, there has been the free challenge “The Radiant Storm Rages” in Monster Hunter Wilds. In this, players can fight against the battle-hardened Rey Dau in a party of four hunters, one of the toughest monsters in the game.
In the free challenge, there are no restrictions – any loadout is allowed. Although this is considered the ultimate challenge, jokes are made about the Rey Dau. The boss is said to be no challenge, and the rewards can be earned in no time.
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Feast of Harmony: Blooming Dance – Event transforms Monster Hunter Wilds into a Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival
The Rey Dau Has No Chance
What do fans say about the challenge? The challenge is way too easy, according to comments on X. They were able to defeat the boss on the very first day with an A rank to secure all the rewards. The following opinions can be heard:
“Bro, really? This guy is hellishly easy and boring, next Apex NOW.” – @NuclearAm
“Day one A rank. Free hunters. Willing to help others.” – @theUncleKrusty
“A rank in 12 minutes? You could’ve bragged about 50 minutes, that’s not even a challenge, you can slack off half the time and still make it” – @afp1707
Why is the boss so easy? As the reddit post by drawanyway points out, it is not the boss that is too easy but the hunters who are just too good. Some time has passed since the release, and players have had enough time to select and refine their best endgame builds. So it’s no wonder that players can easily reach A rank to secure all the rewards.
What rewards are there? Those who want to take on the challenge receive 2 charms for participating and one final charm for completing the challenge with an A rank. The A rank is achieved when you defeat the boss in less than 13 minutes. If you’re still having trouble with the challenge, feel free to check out our builds here: Monster Hunter Wilds: List of the best builds
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 could have also been released in 2045 – that’s what the Game Director believes, if he had still been at Ubisoft.
It is rare for a game to be so clearly a contender for Game of the Year as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The game has not only single-handedly revived turn-based role-playing games but has also shown what a small developer team of just 33 people can create. In hindsight, creating this game with the specially founded studio Sandfall was the right choice. Because the Game Director reveals that it otherwise would have taken 25 years.
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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – JRPG with French Flair has Release Date
What was said? In an interview (via mp1st.com), the Game Director Guillaume Broche, who previously (like many from the team) worked at Ubisoft, revealed that Expedition 33 would have likely taken significantly over two decades if he had wanted to implement it at his old employer:
For me, the project at a large company would have taken around 25 years.
Why would it have taken so long? When referring to the 25 years, Broche is not talking about pure development time but rather a completely different circumstance. He believes that it would have taken about two decades to rise high enough in a large company like Ubisoft to even have the chance to propose such a game. Because those who present such projects in large companies must have worked there for many years and already hold a senior position.
Particularly new IPs with their own characters would be a problem here, and one would need a lot of influence just to be able to present something like that to anyone.
And I simply don’t have that much patience. Moreover, we wanted to do it our way and really create an atmosphere. That’s what this game is about – creating a vibe.
If Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 had been released under a big publisher like Ubisoft, some aspects of the story would certainly have been diluted. Because large, mainstream games often shy away from more serious and dark themes – of which there are plenty in Expedition 33. Dying children, suicide, and psychological horrors are part of the complex narrative and are hard to imagine in such extent in a typical “AAA” production.
