A Sith Lord in Star Wars was created only because he was hit by a powerful superweapon

The world of Star Wars offers much more than what the movies and series show. Long before Disney’s acquisition, there were comics, books, and games that told stories beyond the Skywalker saga. In one game, you meet a powerful Sith Lord who can drain the life out of others.

Which Sith Lord is being referred to? Long before Disney’s sequels, there were stories beyond the movies and series in the Star Wars universe. These took place long before the birth of Anakin Skywalker. Many of these comics, books, and games are considered Star Wars Legends. These are stories that do not belong to the official canon, yet are still beloved by fans.

In the video game Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords, the story of Darth Nihilus is told. This powerful Sith Lord was originally a simple man, but a mighty superweapon caused him to develop an insatiable hunger for power.

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Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones – Trailer

A Victim of War

How did Darth Nihilus come to be? Originally, he was a simple man who was drawn into the Mandalorian War of the Galactic Republic. This occurred nearly 4000 years before the events of Episode 6. The final battle of this war took place on the planet Malchor 5.

In this battle, the Mass Shadow Generator was detonated. This is a superweapon comparable to the Death Star. The weapon creates an anomaly in gravity, which destroys everything in the nearby vicinity and on the surface of the planet.

Darth Nihilus survived the weapon, but he lost everything. The catastrophe also created a tear in the Force, and together with his grief, a void formed within him. This void developed into a hunger that made him consume the life energy of another survivor.

This temporarily filled his void, but it returned. He also consumed the life energy of other survivors, but his void was only briefly satisfied, returning even more intensely.

Nihilus was discovered by Darth Traya, a former Jedi who had turned to the dark side. She promised to train him in the Force so that he could consume more life energy. He studied the emptiness of the Sith and became a Lord. Together with Darth Traya and Darth Sion, a Sith Triumvirate was formed.

A Sith Lord Obsessed with Life Energy

Darth Nihilus was consumed by his insatiable hunger. In classic Sith fashion, Darth Sion and Nihilus defeated their master, Darth Traya, and banished her. Both Sith agreed on the goal of exterminating the Jedi. Sion chose the warlike path and fought against many Jedi. Nihilus traveled the universe in search of strong life energy.

Every time he drained the life energy of a being, he became more powerful; he could even drain entire planets, but his hunger grew each time. He was slowly but surely being consumed by the dark side and thus abandoned his physical form.

Through his connection with the Force, he was able to use his armor and lightsaber. However, he slowly lost his goals and personality.

On the planet Katarr, the Jedi, led by Master Atris, set a trap for him. But his power was so great that he drained nearly all life on the planet, including the majority of the Jedi. Only Jedi Visas Marr survived, who became his apprentice after he showed her visions. They developed a shared bond in the Force.

But this also led to his demise.

The End of Darth Nihilus

How was Darth Nihilus defeated? Although the Sith were able to significantly thin the Jedi ranks, resistance movements formed in the background. Once again, Nihilus was lured to a planet. This time, however, the trap was set by Kreia, his former master Darth Traya, who was training Jedi Meetra Surik.

Although he noticed the trap, he drained the planet Telos 4, giving the Jedi time. The fleet of the Sith Lord was then attacked by the Republic and the Mandalorians. A battle ensued between Nihilus and Surik, Kreia, and his apprentice Marr, who had begun to doubt him.

Marr used her bond with her master to weaken him, allowing him to be defeated. When Surik removed the mask of the Sith Lord, only a dark aura remained. In many Star Wars Legends stories, there were threats that even overshadowed the Emperor: A malevolent being in Star Wars is more powerful and dangerous than the Emperor – never appeared in movies and series

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

Community Days, Raid Days and Other Events – Pokémon GO has announced 13 dates for the new season

The first dates for the upcoming season in Pokémon GO have been announced. One date stands out in particular.

The current season “Mighty and Masterful” started on March 4. As usual, it lasts about 3 months and thus ends on June 3, 2025.

So far, neither the title nor the details of the upcoming season are known. However, the first dates for the new season are now available, which you can already note in your calendar.

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Pokémon GO: What’s in the new Season Powerful and Masterful

All known dates of the new season

When will Community Days take place? In the upcoming season, there will again be regular as well as Classic Community Days. Which Pokémon will be featured is not yet known – the dates, however, are already available.

  • Saturday, June 21, 2025
  • Saturday, July 5, 2025, and Sunday, July 6, 2025 (Community Day Classic)
  • Sunday, July 20, 2025
  • Saturday, August 30, 2025

Interestingly, although only one Community Day Classic has been announced so far, it will last over 2 days. Whether, as usual, only one Pokémon will be in the spotlight, or if it’s a special variant of the event that may feature multiple monsters, is not yet known.

What is certain so far is that the C-Day Classic takes place exactly one weekend after the global variant of the big GO Fests 2025 in Pokémon GO. This runs on June 28 and June 29, 2025.

What other events are there? In addition to the Community Days, several other dates are already known. These include:

  • Saturday, July 12, 2025 (Raid Day)
  • Saturday, July 19, 2025 (Dyna Battle Day)
  • Saturday, July 26, 2025, and Sunday, July 27, 2025 (Dyna Battle Weekend)
  • Saturday, August 2, 2025 (Research Day)
  • Sunday, August 3, 2025 (Dyna Battle Day)
  • Saturday, August 9, 2025 (Hatching Day)
  • Sunday, August 10, 2025 (Raid Day)
  • Saturday, August 16, 2025, and Sunday, August 17, 2025 (Shadow Raid Weekend)
  • Sunday, August 31, 2025 (Raid Day)

When will there be more information about the events? Usually, more detailed information about the Pokémon and contents of the events is released shortly before the events start. Until then, you will have to be a little patient.

Before the new season begins, there are still several events and contents waiting for you in the current season. If you want to know what they are and when they take place, we have the right overview for you: all events in May 2025 in Pokémon GO.

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

Women’s team in LoL relegates twice in one year, fights its way into the second division for the first time in 2025

The e-sports scene of League of Legends is dominated by male players. Now, an all-female team has secured their place in the second league after a tough final.

Editorial note: In the original version of the article, we stated that the team’s top laner is named Zevid instead of Zeniv. This passage has been corrected.

Which team is it about? The sister team of the LEC champions G2 Esports is called G2 Hel. In the second league of Northern Europe, the NLC Spring 2024, they only managed to win 2 games and had to endure 16 losses. G2 Hel was relegated to the first Swedish regional league and finished in last place there. After a second relegation, G2 Hel found themselves in the second Swedish regional league.

How did the women make it to the second league? After a tough year for G2 Hel, they exchanged two of their players. The new mid laner Rym “rym” Salloum and the German top laner “Zeniv” joined the team in January 2025. With the new lineup, the women won the promotion tournament of the league Nexo and fought their way into the second league in Spain.

The video shows the new trailer for Season 2 of 2025 in League of Legends:

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The launch trailer for the new Season 2 2025 in League of Legends

The promotion almost failed

What was it like for G2 Hel? In the final of the promotion tournament, they faced the Spanish team Dream Makers. After G2 Hel was already trailing 1:2, they managed to win the last two games and thus entered the league Nexo. The start date of the third split of the league (via lol.fandom.com) is still unknown.

What does this mean for the e-sports scene in League of Legends? The presence of an all-female team in the second league is a visible sign of change and inclusion. The scene has so far been strongly shaped by male teams. Already in Valorant, an all-female team has joined under the Faze clan and is providing more diversity in e-sports.

With this team, they could achieve even more and perhaps soon play against the professionals in the world championships. Alongside the great news of G2 Hel’s promotion to the second league, there is also sad news. The first world champion Shushei has passed away, and Riot honors him by giving you a title and the skin of his world championship victory: Riot pays respect to one of the first world champions of LoL, giving away a skin in his memory

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

Gen Z is the most gullible generation, falling for fake news more often than any other

With social networks like TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube, the spread of misinformation is easier than ever. A study has now shown that Generation Z is the most likely to believe fake news.

Where does the information come from that Gen Z is more likely to believe fake news? Researchers from British universities in Cambridge, British Columbia, Oxford, and King’s College London have designed a test to measure how well participants can assess the truth of news and distinguish fake news headlines from “carefully researched real news headlines.”

Start video
Students spy on passersby with hidden cameras and AI, find name and address in seconds

Study Shows Who Falls for Fake News Most Often

What exactly was done in the test? In this test, over 66,000 participants were surveyed, who were presented with either 16 or 20 different news headlines. They then had to decide whether the respective headlines represented real or fake news.

Some of the headlines presented in the test were:

  • “New Study: Significant Correlation Between Eye Color and Intelligence”
  • “Government Officials Illegally Manipulated the Weather to Cause Devastating Storms”
  • “Experts in International Relations and the American Public Agree: America is Less Respected Worldwide”
  • “Democrats Support Government Spending on Scientific Research More Than Republicans”

This is the result of the test: Across all age groups, Generation Z was the most susceptible to misinformation: Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials scored better in detecting fake news (via sciencedirect)

German Youth Admit They Are Poor at Assessing Information

In Germany, too, young people struggle to accurately assess the truthfulness of information on the internet. The Technical University of Munich found in its evaluation of the latest PISA study that only 47% of all youths feel capable of judging the quality of the information they find.

Moreover, only 60% of youths are said to compare different sources, with about 30% even sharing the information they found on social networks before checking its accuracy.

There are significant differences between the generations not only in recognizing fake news. For instance, there are terms that Generation Z uses frequently, which older generations do not understand: 10 Terms Only Generation Z Uses That Boomers Don’t Understand

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

In WoW you can already farm for housing to gain an advantage

Soon the housing in World of Warcraft will start. But even now you can prepare and unlock a lot of furniture in advance.

One of the big new features of the next expansion of World of Warcraft is player housing. However, not all the furniture, decorations, and furnishings come from the Midnight expansion, but largely from old game content. Blizzard wants you to honor your journey of the last 20 years – thus, it is advisable to check out all the old content already.

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WoW gets Player Housing – An initial teaser

What is the idea behind it? Blizzard wants the housing to feel like it has always been a part of World of Warcraft. Therefore, they want to integrate almost all old game content into the housing system and tie a variety of furniture and decorations to old areas and reputation factions.

An example: If you want decorations in the style of Mecha-Gnomes, you will likely find them on Mechagon, an area from Battle for Azeroth. Since a lot of trading with spare parts took place on the island, furniture will also be made or bought with spare parts.

No ultra-rare drops in raids: However, there is one thing the developers want to avoid. Anyone who has been farming the mount “Invincible” from the Lich King for many years should not suddenly find out that they now have to defeat the Lich King repeatedly to also receive the rare sofa from him.

For this reason, rewards from raids are either relatively common drops or tied to achievements. This provides a clear condition that you can work towards without depending on luck.

What are housing rewards for? The basic idea seems to be “everything”. So achievements, reputation factions, crafting, quests. For this reason, you can start completing the old reputation factions now if you haven’t done that yet. Many of the old factions can be completed much faster today, and you also unlock some transmog templates or mounts. So if you currently have some free time, dive into the old content.

Are you looking forward to the housing system in World of Warcraft and will you spend a lot of time with it? Or is housing not for you at all and will you simply ignore the system? We have all information regarding housing right here.

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

Players argue whether the ‘new’ bosses in Diablo 4 are good or bad – Only one is truly disliked by everyone

With Season 8, Blizzard has significantly increased the difficulty of the Torment levels in Diablo 4. The endgame bosses no longer fall easily and deal substantial damage at the same time. One boss is particularly frustrating the community right now.

What are these “new” bosses? The “new” bosses are not only the three that were newly introduced with Season 8 – namely Belial, the Envoy of Hatred, and Urivar – but also the already known Hideout bosses, which have now become much tougher and nastier. The novelty lies in the tougher challenge they now present.

In the past, players could easily oneshot the bosses even on Torment 4 – provided that the build was strong enough. But those days are gone: New, powerful bosses have joined, and the old ones now additionally annoy with their sometimes frustrating mechanics. Especially Andariel is quite a tough opponent.

“The opposite of fun – feels more like work”

Which bosses frustrate the players? In a Reddit post, players discuss the Hideout bosses in the game. The post creator shares a screenshot of the boss fight against Andariel, including various attacks. He writes: “The fight against Andariel summarized.”

His player character and those of his teammates died in the fight, as the image shows:

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After the buffs for the bosses, one can now notice how terrible the oneshot mechanics are, comments CatraGirl under the image. She summarizes her thoughts as follows:

Every boss has tons of stuff to dodge – often barely visible amidst all the effect chaos on the screen – and if you’re too slow, you’re instantly dead. How is that fun? It’s the opposite of fun, feels more like work. 90% of the time, I’m just running away, and if I miss a barely noticeable signal, I have to restart the entire fight.

Also, cazivit is tired of “this stupid show with lousy attacks.” The boss materials are already piling up for him. At least: Since Season 8, you no longer need materials to summon the bosses – so you can challenge them without any cost. After defeating the respective boss, a chest awaits that you can open with the materials.

dethsightly says he likes the fights against Andariel and Duriel even less this season. In his opinion, a boss should also fall if you deal enough damage. He finds the immunity phases particularly annoying – moments when the boss is completely untargetable.

For sdawsey, the fights basically consist only of dodging and running away until the boss reappears. There’s nothing to learn, nothing to master, no complexity. To him, the new boss philosophy looks like this:

– Incorporate immunity phases to extend the fight duration.
– Flood the screen with oneshot mechanics to make it “harder.”

More about the new Hideout bosses and the boss powers that represent the seasonal feature can be found here:

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Diablo 4 Shows Updates for Bosses and the New Boss Powers in Season 8

“If you don’t play an S-tier build, you have to put in more effort”

What do other players say? In another Reddit post, the community also discusses the Hideout bosses. The post creator states that Andariel and the new bosses are among the worst. However, some even praise Belial in the comments for having mechanics that are easy to dodge.

StrikingSpare100 is more relaxed and believes that one simply needs to invest more optimization in their character and gear – especially if one isn’t using an “absolute S-tier build.” And Griplokz310 thinks the bosses are “super well done.”

DualDier believes: “This is [Blizzard’s] answer to complaints about the bosses after the launch of Path of Exile 2. And now that the bosses are actually a challenge, people are upset again.” However, he also finds oneshot mechanics terrible. After all, bosses can kill characters with one hit, but the other way around isn’t possible anymore – at least on higher torment levels.

Some users remind in the comments that both Andariel and Duriel are among the targets of the seasonal journey. So you have to defeat them at some point if you want to progress in the seasonal chapters. At least Blizzard has listened to criticism and moved the best reward to chapter 6 – it was originally behind the toughest difficulty.

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

Playing Dune: Awakening with friends – You need to keep several things in mind

In an “Ask me Anything” round on Reddit, the developers of Dune: Awakening revealed all sorts of details about the new survival MMO. MeinMMO summarizes the most important points for you.

What was this “Ask me Anything” round like? To ensure that all interested parties can start the stress test of Dune: Awakening on Steam from May 9 to 12 with as much knowledge as possible, there was another extensive Q&A session on Reddit with the following Funcom developers:

  • Creative Director Joel Bylos
  • Executive Producer Scott Junior
  • Senior Game Director Viljar Sommerbakk

In the end, over 1,100 comments came together from the countless questions from the community and the many answers from the devs. Below, MeinMMO summarizes the key insights from the “Ask me Anything” round.

The story trailer for Dune Awakening:

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Dune: Awakening fuels the hype with a new story trailer

Playing together with friends – what do I need to consider?

The most important thing is that you choose a world with your friends and create characters on the various servers of that world. If your friends are on your server, there are no restrictions on playing together. You can experience the story, explore the world, form groups, join the same guild, and so on.

If your friends are on other servers in your world, you use the aforementioned in-game teleportation feature to get to the trading post that is closest to your buddies. Once that happens, you can experience almost all content of Dune: Awakening together as a group or as part of a joint guild.

The only exception: You can only claim land for yourself on your own server. However, if you set the rights for your property accordingly, your guest may at least help you build your base.

Keep in mind:

  • While there is no upper limit for creating characters on all servers, a maximum of 40 players can be online on each server at the same time. If more survivors want to log in, they will be placed in a queue. This can sabotage playing together with friends.
  • If you visit a friend on another server, you can take your sandbike – if the vehicle is connected to the “Vehicle Backup Tool”. However, since you cannot store vehicles containing items there, you cannot trick the system and bring more items to other servers in this way. Only what is in your inventory comes along.
  • You can bring everything that fits in your inventory from your visit to another server. There is no way to increase your inventory over time.
  • After the launch, there should be the option for permanent server transfers.

Differences: Stress Test and Final Release Version

During the stress test weekend, you can expect about 20 to 25 hours of gameplay, during which you can experience the first act of the story and explore three regions of the game. There will be a travel feature to guide you, which players from Conan Exiles will likely already know, through which you will gradually learn new recipes and tools.

Those who follow this journey will build an initial base, weapons, armor, and a sandbike. You can expect research stations, camps, sandworm attacks, and patrolling ships in the sky. You will fight against thirst and heat, unlocking more and more means to simplify your survival struggle.

What will be added at launch? The version of Dune: Awakening that will be released on June 10, 2025, will offer the complete story, a total of 12 regions, the social hubs Arrakeen and Harko Village, the overland map, the construction of ornithopters and buggies, and much more.

In the course of the AMA round, the developers also spoke about other details that will differ. One detail concerns how you can visit friends on other servers in your world:

  • During the stress test: You can visit characters from your world that are on other servers through an in-game teleportation feature.
  • At launch or shortly after launch: In addition to the in-game teleportation feature, there should be the option to visit other servers directly from the server selection.
  • Medium-term addition sometime after launch: It should be possible to switch directly to regions of other servers within the game world.

You can find basic information about the setup of servers and worlds here: Atreides versus Harkonnen – how Landsraad, factions, and guilds work in Dune: Awakening.

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About Cosmetics, Full-PvP-Loot, and Spice

Many other topics around Dune: Awakening were discussed. Here are the most exciting insights:

  • At the beginning of your adventure, you strap a Fremen kit on your back, which is later replaced by a cloak. This has technical reasons… the developers had to choose one of the two options, both cannot be displayed together.
  • There will be a transmog system, where the type of equipment determines which templates you can use. So, you can only apply a heavy armor skin over heavy armor. There are rare exceptions. Helmets can be hidden, cloaks cannot.
  • The taxes for large bases are supposed to be set high/low enough that even active solo players can afford the fee. The taxes must always be paid in one of the two main cities.
  • About 10 percent of the deep desert is not PvP territory.
  • If the decree for full-PvP-loot is not active for the deep desert, you can destroy the containers of defeated players to obtain loot.
  • It will not be possible to unlock all skills with a single character. However, specific skills from other classes can be learned through quest lines.
  • The spice will play an important role in your special skills, high-tier crafting, and the weekly tasks from the Landsraad.
  • The plan is for tens of thousands of players to have the opportunity to storm the servers of Dune: Awakening on the weekend.
  • Before the final launch of Dune: Awakening, there will be a pre-download phase.

Dune: Awakening will be released on June 10, 2025, with a Buy2Play model. There will be no prior early-access phase; instead, you buy the finished full version. The survival MMO will be without a subscription and aims to offer new updates and content for free. What else is important can be found here: Everything about the release, prices, features, and editions of Dune: Awakening

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Funcom auf X

Developers of Dune: Awakening explain how much MMO is really in their survival game

The survival MMO Dune: Awakening has left many players in the past with questions about the actual genre of the game. Now the developers have explained how much MMO is really in their survival game.

What kind of game is this? Dune: Awakening is a survival MMO from developer Funcom, who are also known for Conan Exiles, Age of Conan, and The Secret World. The survival game set in the Dune universe places you on the desert planet Arrakis, where you initially have to survive in the typical style of the survival genre.

Later, the gameplay is supposed to shift more towards MMO. So far, however, it has not been clear what MMO elements will actually be present in the game and whether Dune: Awakening will really implement the “Massively” of “Massively Multiplayer Online.” Now the developers have clarified exactly that.

Here you can watch the new story trailer for Dune Awakening:

Start video
Dune: Awakening fuels the hype with a new story trailer

So much MMO(RPG) is in Dune: Awakening

What have the developers announced? The developers of Dune: Awakening have talked about the aspects in a new post on Steam where your game departs from the classic survival mechanics. They also clarify a lot about the MMO elements of the title.

The first MMO feature mentioned by the developers is server-wide chats, through which you can network, trade, but also write to other players nearby. All of this is also possible in the so-called social hubs, which serve as meeting points for all players in a world. For example, you must go there to pay the regular taxes for large plots of land.

A typical MMO feature in Dune: Awakening is the stock exchange, which is supposed to function like an auction house from MMORPGs and allows trading between multiple servers of a world. There are also NPCs as quest givers, just like in typical MMORPGs. They send you on missions and reward you with loot afterwards.

Dungeons are also present in Dune: Awakening; in the game, they are called imperial test stations. They are part of the story of the survival MMO but can also be visited for loot.

With the Harkonnen and Atreides, there are also two rival factions in the survival MMO that you can join either alone or together with your guild. Each house offers rewards such as unique building plans and components. Such a faction system is also used by successful MMORPGs like WoW or Star Wars: The Old Republic.

The combat system with archetypes and skill trees is also supposed to work more like in an MMORPG than in a typical survival game. You can level up your character and distribute skill points.

Good to know: Groups in Dune Awakening consist of up to 4 players, while guilds can have up to 32 players. You can also team up with players from other servers as long as all characters belong to the same world.

Is Dune: Awakening really “massively”? While you spend a lot of time in the Hagga basin of your server, where up to a maximum of 40 other players are present, Dune: Awakening offers regions with the aforementioned social hubs and the Deep Desert, where hundreds of players can meet.

The Deep Desert primarily serves as a large PvP area where the most valuable resources and rewards await brave players and guilds. The area serves as endgame content and regularly changes its appearance due to local storms.

According to the developers, a system behind Dune: Awakening tries to prevent too many players from gathering at the same location. Whether you will really see more than 100 players simultaneous in the game remains to be seen.

Can you play Dune: Awakening alone? There is no single player or offline mode for Dune: Awakening, but you do not have to team up with other players to experience large parts of the game. Many of the missions, dungeons, and other content can also be experienced alone. Additionally, all classes have skills to escape from PvP situations.

The developers plan to release private servers for Dune: Awakening later, but even there, there will be a common Deep Desert that does not belong to you entirely. If you want to play the survival MMO with friends at launch, you need to be careful: Playing Dune: Awakening with friends – What you need to keep in mind

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

“I will just pirate it” – Fans of a new shooter are fed up with the high prices in gaming, do not want to spend 80 €

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.

What are gamers unable to accept? The price increases in gaming. This process is happening subtly and ensures that new games will be released at higher prices in the future. Nintendo has demonstrated this with the announcement of various titles for the Nintendo Switch 2.

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.

Start video
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.

At first glance, this may seem cheaper, but Americans also have to pay more. If you want to learn more about Doom: The Dark Ages, we have the right overview for you: The new Doom plays like a really hardcore shooter, but something is missing

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

LoL legend Faker needs 10 years to repeat a success, his coach is not satisfied with that

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.

Start video
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.

Although Faker is relatively old in LoL esports, he continues to surprise fans with incredible performances. He is also one of the big reasons why the team has so many fans. However, that seems not enough for the Korean league: LoL: The major duel between Faker and Chovy was watched by 2.6 million people in 2024 – Yet it meant record losses for the league

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

A new strategy game wants to follow in the footsteps of Command & Conquer on Steam, and it is not Tempest Rising

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.

Start video
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.

How it all looks can be seen on the YouTube channel of Tense Games Gamestudio. They regularly showcase new content, playtests, or just gameplay footage.

When will Fractured Alliance be released? There is currently no release date for the game, so one must be a little patient. Those who want to dive into a similar game in the meantime should look at Tempest Rising: A new “Command & Conquer in spirit” is accidentally released too early for everyone, developers let it be

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

In Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, a beloved feature was only in the game for 2 days, now it returns 6 months later

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?

Start video
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 developers at Treyarch are looking forward to the “Frankenbuilds” from players, as creativity knows no bounds from now on. The developers have also recently brought new skins into the game and a mode that is not quite resonating with the community: “Maybe fun 15 years ago” – Call of Duty brings new skins and a mode, but players are just annoyed

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

A super-rare scene in Baldur’s Gate 3 breaks your class if you’re nice at the wrong time

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.

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.
  • Most people are celebrating there, but there is a dark scene: Arabella’s parents want to paralyze Kagha with a paralysis poison and then slit her throat.
  • 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.

Start video
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.

However, if you decide to simply sow chaos and spread wickedness throughout Faerûn, then the Dark Urge might be something that interests you. Because this Origin rewards you for all the things that everyone else detests: Dark Urge: What is the Dark Urge in Baldur’s Gate 3 and why should I play it?

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

Developers of Path of Exile 2 fulfill a great wish of the fans, as they have 500 new requests right away

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:

Start video
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.

Reddit user Str0thy comments: “Crafting, we want real crafting and not just advanced gambling for the super ultra-rich.” Path of Exile 2 has been struggling since its release with the accusation that the crafting is way too expensive and not worth it compared to trading.

The post contains a variety of other major and minor demands from the developers. There is still much to do before the full release, following the early access. How the current season is going, the developers have also revealed: One class currently dominates Path of Exile 2 and the developers now reveal how bad it is.

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

New MMORPG fully focuses on PvE, wants to wait another year for release, even though it is fully developed

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:

Start video
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.

However, the company can change plans or postpone a release at any time. The mentioned information only represents the current state of affairs. In one of the past earnings calls, we learned what kind of MMORPG ArcheAge Chronicles is supposed to become: ArcheAge Chronicles removes much of what made the predecessor special and focuses heavily on Western console players

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

An attack in Expedition 33 deals 2 billion damage, kills Super Boss 45 times – The nerf is coming now

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.

Start video
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.

In Warhammer 40,000 there is a planet that is so deadly that it takes care of intruders itself – And yet there are people living there

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.

Start video
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.

Through people like the fighters from Catachan, the Imperium and humanity in general have earned a reputation for being so tough and stubborn. Stubbornness like that of the Catachans is certainly a reason why the Imperium is one of the strongest forces in the galaxy: All major factions of Warhammer 40,000 in the power ranking – Who could dominate the galaxy?

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

Pokémon GO: Defeating Suicune in Dynamax Battle – 5 Tips for the Weekend

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.

Start video
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.

Not just attack: While you often just attack in raids, that will not be sufficient in Dyna battles.

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.

According to a study, electric car drivers buy a new car 4 times more often than gasoline drivers

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.

Start video
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)

With the introduction of the world’s strictest safety standards for electric car batteries, China is making a statement for more safety in road traffic. From mid-2026, batteries must neither catch fire nor explode: China has just solved one of the biggest problems of electric cars by bringing batteries to market that are guaranteed not to catch fire or explode

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

EA has to admit that they had no idea why you actually found their Battlefield so great

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:

Start video
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.

The player Terranical01 praises EA on Reddit for their transparency in the development of the new Battlefield and writes: 

  • “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.