Erik “Gronkh” Range regularly reacts to a variety of videos on his Twitch and YouTube channels on various topics. However, in his latest reaction video, he had to hold himself together quite a bit.
What did Gronkh react to? Gronkh released a reaction video on May 4, 2025, to “Merz is such a fever dream” by 2 Bored Guys. He already had a certain premonition before the video started, which would ultimately confirm itself for him personally: “I don’t know if I want to go in, but let’s go in and it will be horrible.”
Gronkh paused the video at several points to comment, but a particular situation seemed to make him especially angry.
In this video, you can learn more about Gronkh:
Start video
Gronkh, the man with the voice – Career and life of Germany’s most famous Let’s Player
“What kind of disgusting rhetoric is that?”
What makes Gronkh so angry? In a clip shared by user Willmann4K on the Gronkh subreddit, you can see the moment that particularly enraged Gronkh. He shows his reaction to Friedrich Merz, who quoted from the children’s book by Robert Habeck and then expressed his opinion: “This is how Robert Habeck writes, but you can’t solve the problems of our country with children’s books and philosophy” – (Source: YouTube – “Merz is such a fever dream” by 2 Bored Guys).
Gronkh immediately reacts:
What kind of disgusting rhetoric is that? The man wrote a children’s book, what a serious crime! It would do you good to regain a bit of humility, to have a little earth under your feet! The fine, elevated ‘middle class’ – are children’s books not good enough for you? Or people who advocate for children, or what? Is that no longer a good thing? Well, then make fun of it – but then you’re just trash.
For the little outburst, he apologizes a few seconds later: “… Sorry, I’m angry.”
How do the viewers react? The opinions on Gronkh’s reaction on YouTube and Reddit are mixed, with the majority of viewers celebrating him for his viewpoint:
bowser2lux comments on YouTube: “A video about politics from Dad? How can I still experience this :D”
Stormbridge writes on Reddit: “Gronkh doesn’t often comment on politicians, but when he does, he usually expresses a stable opinion.”
Der_Feli says on YouTube: “This reaction is balm for my soul.”
With the introduction of the world’s strictest safety standards for electric vehicle batteries, China is setting a precedent for greater safety on the roads. Starting from mid-2026, batteries must neither catch fire nor explode. The world’s largest battery manufacturer, CATL, is the first company to meet the latest Chinese safety standard.
What exactly has China introduced? On March 28, 2025, the Chinese government presented the new national safety standard GB 38031-2025 (via COC), which will come into effect on July 1, 2026.
This standard requires that electric vehicle batteries must not explode or catch fire even in the event of so-called “thermal runaway” (simply put: overheating). Furthermore, they must be designed so that any smoke produced poses no danger to the passengers.
According to a report from CarNewsChina, the new standard is clearly distinct from the previous regulations. Previously, it was sufficient for the system to warn in a timely manner – now, absolute safety is essentially demanded, even in extreme cases.
Start video
Slate Auto presents new truck with electric motor
Safety Test for Extreme Cases
How should the standard be adhered to? The new Chinese safety standard GB 38031-2025 demands a significantly higher level of safety. At its core, it is about ensuring that neither fire nor explosions can occur even in the event of serious malfunctions or accidents – something that no other market has required to this extent (via CarNewsChina).
To meet this requirement, batteries must undergo a series of tests. The complete listing can be read directly in the draft law – validation is still pending (via COC). Two of these are particularly critical:
Bottom Impact Test According to JVTech, this test simulates an impact on the battery from below – a realistic scenario on the road, for instance, from debris kicked up, curb contact, or running over objects. The test examines whether the battery is mechanically protected to the extent that no fire occurs, no gases escape, and no thermal runaway is triggered – hence avoiding the dangerous domino effect that can lead to battery fires.
Fast Charge Cycle Test followed by Short Circuit Test A battery must undergo at least 300 fast charge cycles in a second test – equivalent to about one to two years of intensive everyday use. After this, the battery is subjected to a deliberate short circuit. Here, too, the critical point is: even after this strain, there must not be any ignition or explosion. According to Green Car Congress, this ensures that the battery remains safe even in its aged state.
Both tests thus go far beyond previous international safety requirements. Until now, the standard primarily focused on timely warnings, such as through heat or pressure sensors.
How has CATL met the new standard? As electrive reports, CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited) has been certified as the first company in the world to meet the new “No Fire, No Explosion” standard. However, not the entire product range meets this standard, but specifically the new Qilin battery.
Dragon Ball is especially known for its great transformations that many characters have been able to learn over the years. One of the most extraordinary forms even made the designer hesitate. Today, it is considered a great fan favorite.
Which transformation is it? After the Dragon Ball anime ended on Japanese television on January 31, 1996, fans of Son Goku did not have to wait long for a new adventure. The first episode of Dragon Ball GT was released on February 7, 1996.
The special thing about this was that GT, unlike Z, was not based on a manga by Akira Toriyama. So there was an original story set several years after the end of Z. There, a new transformation occurred: the Super Saiyan 4. But before this form was drawn, the designer hesitated.
Dragon Ball Daima is the latest anime in Son Goku’s universe:
Start video
Dragon Ball Daima – New Trailer Shows the Demon Realm
Did we really need to go further?
Why did the designer hesitate? Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru is responsible for the design of the Super Saiyan 4. He had previously worked on Dragon Ball Z and also in some films as a character designer. For GT, he was to design the Super Saiyan 4. However, he initially hesitated, as he revealed in an interview (via kanzenshuu.com).
I personally felt that in the original story, we had already gone so far using things like fusion and merging; did we really need to go further? It was an incredible task. Goku’s transformations are an important part of the show, and so I thought for a long time about what would be best to do.
Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru on the development process of Super Saiyan 4
He was initially puzzled when the producers of the anime came to him to draw the new form. Although he was unsure, he decided on the form. Nakatsuru wanted to stand out from the known transformations.
He wanted a different hairstyle than the Super Saiyan 3 and also implemented the red fur in the design. The form should generally be wilder, which is why aspects of the werewolf design were also incorporated. To beautifully combine the red fur with the hair, he also chose black instead of the classic Super Saiyan gold.
In contrast to the other forms, the Super Saiyan 4 differs significantly, yet it became a great fan favorite. Over the years, several contributions have also stated that it is even Goku’s best-looking form (via Reddit).
In 2024, the Super Saiyan 4 returned. The story of Dragon Ball GT is rather the story of an alternative world since Dragon Ball Super at the latest. Since then, new forms have been established with the Super Saiyan God, and for a long time, the 4th form was at most a guest in various games. However, with Dragon Ball Daima, the transformation returned: In Dragon Ball Daima, Son-Goku enters a realm rarely seen in the anime so far
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The most beautiful MMORPG in the world, World of Jade Dynasty, is expanding to new servers outside of China. Meanwhile, players have not been idle and have translated the MMORPG into English themselves.
The success of the game is now set to be carried to other countries. Initially, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, and Malaysia are to receive their own version of the MMORPG by mid-year.
This is also interesting for players from the West since they should also be able to access the servers with a phone number from one of the countries where the MMORPG is now launching. Until now, a Chinese ID was required for registration, which made it almost impossible for western players. To overcome the language barrier, fans have recently worked hard.
Here you can see why the MMORPG is described as the most beautiful in the world:
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World of Jade Dynasty: Video shows what the MMORPG is supposed to look like after the upgrade to Unreal Engine 5.5
Fans translate whole MMORPG on their own
What have the fans accomplished? In connection with the new servers, some players have developed a community patch that aims to translate the entire MMORPG into English. In a post on Reddit, they explain that the patch is intended to translate all text in the game from Chinese to English and is to be updated continuously by them during the upcoming testing phases and after the launch.
Their goal is for players from the West to finally be able to play the new MMORPG, even if they do not speak Chinese. Previously, experienced players used screen translation tools for this purpose, which automatically translate the displayed text using an overlay. However, this method is often prone to errors and inaccuracies. The creators of the community patch are now making this method obsolete.
With the patch, players will simply be able to replace language files in the game and play the MMORPG in English, even if no official translation is available from the developers yet. Once World of Jade Dynasty is launched on the new servers, the creators of the patch also want to provide further assistance on how players from the West can start on the new servers.
What does World of Jade Dynasty cost? Even though the new servers of World of Jade Dynasty are intended for players outside of China, it seems that the developers will change nothing about their successful model. The game continues to rely on a subscription model, where you have to subscribe after a free trial period. This is expected to cost about €4.50 per month for the new servers.
An exact release date for the new version of the MMORPG has not yet been established. However, a beta has been announced, which will run for a week between May 15 and May 22. World of Jade Dynasty is not the only beautiful MMORPG of the new graphical age: The 5 most beautiful MMORPGs of 2025 show that a new graphical age is beginning
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Pokémon GO, a new event has been announced. This brings you Machamp in a form you shouldn’t miss.
What kind of event is this? On Sunday, May 25, 2025, from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM, the Dyna Battle Day will take place. In addition to some bonuses, you will witness the debut of Machamp in its Gigantamax form.
You will be able to obtain the Pokémon for the first time in the Gigantamax form at the event. If you succeed in defeating the monster with your group, you can then catch the Pokémon and add it to your team.
Start video
Pokémon GO: What’s in the new Season Powerful and Masterful
A really strong monster
What bonuses are available in the event? During the event, the following bonuses will be active:
Collection limit for Dyna particles increased to 1,600
Gigantamax battles at all power sources
Power sources refresh more frequently
You will receive 8 times the amount of particles at power sources
2 additional special trades
Additionally, the following 2 bonuses will be activated on May 25, 2025, from 12:00 AM to 5:00 PM:
Double the amount of Dyna particles through walking
1/4 of the usual walking distance needed to receive Dyna particles
Timed research: Before the actual event, there will be a timed research that you can complete. You can participate from May 19, 2025, at 6:00 PM to May 25, 2025, at 5:00 PM.
Besides candies and Dyna particles, you can also obtain a Dynamax Candy here. This can help you in battles against Gigantamax Machamp as a strong attacker that has a type advantage against Machamp with its Psychic attacks.
Event ticket: For $4.99 (around €5), you can also purchase an exclusive timed research. The ticket will provide you with 1 Dyna Mushroom and 25,000 experience points.
Moreover, with the ticket, you will receive double the amount of experience points for Dyna battles along with an increased limit for Dyna particles of 5,600. You will have until the event on May 25, 2025, from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM to complete the research and receive the rewards.
How strong is Gigantamax Machamp? Even in its regular form, Machamp is one of the best attackers in Pokémon GO. It is not expected to be any different in its Gigantamax form. It will rank among the strongest Fighting-type attackers.
If you regularly participate in Dynamax and Gigantamax battles, you shouldn’t miss this Machamp. Additionally, it is currently unclear when you will have the opportunity to obtain Gigantamax Machamp again.
May in Pokémon GO is once again packed with various events and content waiting for you. If you want to know what they are, when they will take place, and what to expect, take a look at our overview of all events in May 2025 in Pokémon GO.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A new horror shooter is being released today on Steam. It makes the world after World War I even darker than it already was: Following the war, a zombie apocalypse immediately ensues.
What kind of shooter is this? We are talking about Trench Tales, a horror shooter that sends you to the battlefields of World War I. This time, however, you will be fighting alone against soldiers of the undead variety.
Trench Tales releases today, on May 6, 2025, on Steam in Early Access. This means that it is not yet a finished game. Instead, it is intended to be fully developed with the feedback from the community.
A trailer for Trench Tales can be seen here:
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Trench Tales: Trailer for the Early Access Release of the Horror Shooter on Steam
Zombie Action in World War I
What is the game about? Trench Tales is set in an alternate world between World War I and World War II. You take on the role of a lone warrior who has been summoned to the war-torn realm of Verden – how or why, you do not know.
Your goal is now to return to your rightful world. Along the way, you will encounter soldiers who fell in battle and have risen again for inexplicable reasons. Fortunately, you possess some supernatural abilities to take on the undead.
Trench Tales is played from a third-person perspective. You look over your character’s shoulder as you shoot your way through the narrow trenches for which World War I is known. Your path will also lead you through gothic castles and swamps.
In combat, Trench Tales aims to reward strategic approaches:
With grenades, you can smash walls, making it easier to target enemies behind them.
You have access to handguns as well as machine guns and sniper rifles. You can modify and upgrade these.
Over time, you will unlock special powers that give you a tactical advantage. For example, you can slow down time to place shots more accurately.
How long is the Early Access supposed to last? According to the developers, Trench Tales is expected to remain in Early Access for about 12 months. However, the duration depends on player feedback and the progress of development.
The full version is planned to include a larger game world, more weapons, and enemy types, as well as a deeper storyline with more side quests.
While you confront the painter in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, you can build relationships with your companions and gain exciting rewards.
Are romances possible in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33? Yes, you can experience romantic moments with two companions. However, it’s also worthwhile to improve your relationships with your companions outside of romance, as this unlocks useful rewards.
To avoid spoiling any story details, you’ll find the conditions for possible romances at the end of the article. Before that, we will explain how relationships generally work, the levels involved, and what rewards you can earn.
Update from May 12, 2025: We have made a small adjustment for better readability.
[toc]
Leveling Relationships in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
When you switch from the game world to the camp, you have the opportunity to exchange a few words with your companions. You should do this regularly from Act 2 onwards to improve your relationships with your companions through conversations and time spent together.
Specifically, after certain story progressions, you will have the option to spend some time with your companion during conversations. This activates short sequences and dialogues where you learn more about each character.
After completing such a sequence, the corresponding relationship level increases; there are 7 levels in total for each of the 5 companions. For the last 3 level-ups, you need to complete linked quests that take you to different zones in the game world.
Sciel is one of your companions; here you can see her introduction trailer:
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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – The Role-Playing Game Introduces Sciel, the Serene Warrior
All Rewards of the 7 Relationship Levels
Once you bring your relationship with a character to levels 3, 5, 6, and 7, you unlock the corresponding reward. For the last level, there is also a related achievement. However, for levels 1, 2, and 4, you will not be rewarded. Here’s the overview:
With 2 of the 5 companions, you can experience particularly special romantic moments. Important: The romances do not impact the flow of the story or the ending of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. There are also no downsides to ignoring the romances, aside from missing the associated dialogues and situations.
Romance with Sciel: When you’re about to bring the relationship with Sciel from level 3 to 4, she will ask you if you are interested in an adventure. No matter how you react, it will rise to level 4. However, to start the romance, you must agree to the proposal. The same goes for a later dialogue at level 5, which revolves around celebrating your time together again, thereby deepening your relationship.
Romance with Lune: To start this romance, you must decline the adventure with Sciel at level 3 because you are tired. This way, you will regularly get the option to express your affection for Lune in conversation options, leading to a romantic finale at level 7.
You can also experience a particularly intimate moment with your Gestral companion Monoco if you select the corresponding dialogue option at the camp after completing his companion quest. Since this is not a romance in the true sense, you can also experience this moment if you flirt with Sciel or Lune.
In e-sports of Counter-Strike, there are many really strong players. The Ukrainian s1mple has now found a new team, with such a player by his side.
Which players are we talking about? The Counter-Strike team of FaZe Esports announced on May 5, 2025, that the Ukrainian star player Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev will henceforth be part of the five-member roster.
At FaZe, s1mple will now play alongside Finn “karrigan” Andersen and will replace the Latvian Helvijs “broky” Saukants, who had been with FaZe since 2019. The roster is completed by Håvard “rain” Nygaard, David “frozen” Čerňanský, and Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski.
Start video
Counter-Strike 2: Valve once again impresses with the launch trailer
One of the best IGLs meets legendary AWP’er
This is why they are two of the best CS players of all time: s1mple is particularly known as an exceptionally strong AWP player and has been on the hunt for titles with the team from Natus Vincere (NaVi) for years. The Ukrainian won several prestigious tournaments, including the Intel Grand Slam in September 2021 and the PGL Major in Stockholm a few months later. He was awarded the Most Valuable Player in 2018, 2021, and 2022.
Karrigan, unlike s1mple, is not necessarily found in typical top-10 lists of the best CS players of all time. Those lists often feature names like NiKo, f0rest, kennyS, ZywOo, and dev1ce. Nevertheless, the Dane is among the best and most recognized players in e-sports.
Karrigan is primarily known as one of the best in-game leaders (IGL) of all time. He leads his teams through matches with strategic decisions and clear instructions – and does so quite successfully. In his career, karrigan has won one Major and amassed 25 more trophies, including for winning the “Intel Grand Slam Season 4”, whose victory brought FaZe a prize pool of 1,000,000 dollars.
In the e-sports of Counter-Strike 2, Vitality is currently the team of the hour. The roster around rops and ZywOo has won numerous titles in recent months, including IEM Katowice 2025 and the ESL Grand Slam Season 5.
FaZe obviously wants to strike back with the change and bring fresh air into the roster with s1mple. Karrigan emphasized in a post on X that they simply had to do something because the line-up wasn’t working in its current form. However, they do not blame broky, who must now make way for s1mple. The team simply didn’t manage to bring out the best in him.
In League of Legends, the World Championship has been held since 2011. In this event, the best players in the world compete for the title of world champion. One of the first world champions recently passed away, and Riot honors him this month with two gifts to the community.
Who was the first world champion in League of Legends? In 2011, the team Fnatic became the first world champion in LoL history. The top laner Maciej “Shushei” Ratuszniak greatly contributed to the victory and dominated the top lane with his main champion Gragas. At the end of April 2025, the LoL legend passed away at the young age of just 36.
Which skin is Riot giving you? To pay proper respect to Shushei, Riot has decided to gift you his Fnatic Gragas skin. All you have to do is play three games with his main champion Gragas.
In addition to the Fnatic Gragas skin, there is another gift for players: the title “Shushei Forever.” The skin and title will be available until June 2, 2025.
A new trailer builds hype for Season 2 2025 in League of Legends:
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The launch trailer for the new Season 2 2025 in League of Legends
The community mourns the world champion
In addition to the thanks for the respectful treatment of the passing of a beloved player, there are further comments that show how popular Shushei was in the community. Here are three lovely Reddit comments:
“I remember watching him live at the first Worlds, and what he did with Gragas and Alistar completely changed the meta. I wanted to play just like him because it was just so cool,” writes BenneB23.
“Rest in peace. I still remember how alex_ich borrowed Shushei’s “Gragas-and-Evelynn-mid-strategy” and dominated everything for a while,” writes DMT-Mugen.
“I briefly met him at the S1 Championship in Jönköping. He was just smiling and full of energy back then, exactly the attitude with which Fnatic won the event. Rest in peace, legend,” writes Allan_Viltihimmelen.
Thanks to Riot and League of Legends for honoring world champion Maciej “Shushei” Ratuszniak with the respect he deserves.
In addition to the sad news about the player and first world champion Shushei, League of Legends has launched Season 2 of 2025. Already in the first few days, a severe bug was found that caused players a lot of frustration. Entire matches were ruined at times: A wrong mouse click in the new LoL season could ruin your entire match
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Iceland, the 4-day workweek was fully implemented in 2019. Six years later, it has proven to be beneficial for both employers and employees. This responds to the demands of Generation Z, who have long sought an optimized work-life balance and better working hours.
Which country is being referred to? In Iceland, an experiment was launched in 2015: About 2,500 employees were to test the four-day workweek. Due to positive feedback and encouraging data, the 4-day workweek was greatly expanded in Iceland in 2019.
Since 2021, there has been a right to a 35-hour workweek at full pay, enshrined in employment contracts in Iceland.
4-Day Workweek Leads to Strong Economic Growth and Higher Satisfaction
What are the effects of the 4-day workweek? Experts have noted that the Icelandic economy has grown significantly since the transition: In 2023 alone, the economy in Iceland grew by 5 percent, making it one of the highest growth rates in Europe. In comparison, the economy in Germany shrank by 0.3 percent during the same period (via de.statis.de).
The reason for this: Employees are happier, healthier, and more productive. Eighty percent of employees with reduced working hours are satisfied with the new model. More than 60 percent report that their personal lives have improved and they feel mentally and physically more refreshed. This was reported by the magazine Presse.com.
Start video
“We have created a monster” – A Spanish model earns up to 10,000 euros a month, yet she is not real
Generation Z Has Exactly the Demands That Iceland Is Benefiting From
Generation Z is likely to feel validated by the positive numbers from Iceland. The demands that Generation Z has had for years are already showing positive impacts on employees’ mental health and economic performance.
An old classic of the Xbox is set to be released for the PS5 later this year, and with a fresh coat of paint. Many fans can hardly wait and are looking forward to the end of the console war, except for one faction.
Which game is being referred to? Gears of War is one of the most well-known exclusive titles of Xbox. Now the publisher has announced the release of Gears of War: Reloaded – a remaster of the first title, which is set to be released on August 26, 2025.
The game is set to be released for Xbox, PC, and PS5, bringing you back to the beginnings of the series. You will benefit from a 4K resolution, up to 120 FPS, as well as cross-progression and cross-play.
For many PlayStation fans, this is a reason to celebrate, as 19 years ago, no one would have thought they could ever play this exclusive title without an Xbox. Some players are once again emphasizing the end of the console war and while this is a reason for joy, it is primarily the Xbox players who are looking grim.
Start video
It is official, the console war is over: Phil Spencer says in light of the PS5 that he no longer wants to bring all players to Xbox
End of the Console War, but Not for Everyone!
What are players complaining about? While PlayStation fans are rejoicing, discontent is growing among Xbox players. For them, the console war is still ongoing, as PlayStation has already released some exclusive titles and is selling them on Steam, while Xbox has nothing from that – they are still empty-handed.
Many fans wish for true classics like God of War 1-3, which they missed back in the time of the PS3, but since Sony still clings to its strict monopoly, nothing will come of it. The following voices can be heard on X.com concerning the console war:
“It’s not over until Sony starts porting PlayStation games to Xbox.” – Xbox Joker
“Only when Xbox gets God of War.” – MisterNegative
“‘over’, but the rest of the ‘fans’ say that Xbox doesn’t deserve the PS games.” – Alan Somma
When will PlayStation exclusive titles come to Xbox? Unfortunately, there are no official statements from Sony on whether and when the PlayStation monopoly will be abandoned. Xbox fans will therefore have to continue to be patient and hope that PlayStation will eventually bring its exclusive titles to Xbox as well. It’s good that Xbox is working on a new app, as this will allow fans to view games on Steam: Microsoft is working on a new Xbox app that is expected to show all your PC games – even from Steam and the Epic Games Store
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The developers of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 have revealed how you prefer to play your Heinrich. It turns out he is worse than the Black Death.
What have the developers shown? The developers of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 are currently celebrating the achievement of a new milestone. Their second game has recently surpassed the mark of 3 million copies sold. An important step for the developers.
On this occasion, they have published various statistics showing how you prefer to play your Heinrich. In a post on X.com, the developers shared an overview of the lad.
If you had to describe Heinrich, you would say that the young Czech is a wine drinker, prefers to fight with a longsword and crossbow – even if he only hits the head with every 7th shot. He also has suspiciously good luck when rolling dice. However, his fighting power should not be underestimated.
Did you know that Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has a secret ending?
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Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 hat ein geheimes Ende – So bekommt ihr es
Heinrich is worse than the plague
How dangerous is Heinrich? The protagonist Heinrich is played differently by each player, but you can’t get through the role-playing game without fighting. The developers have now revealed in their statistics that Heinrich has defeated more than 489 million NPCs. Only human NPCs were counted, so animals from hunting are excluded.
With nearly half a billion kills, Heinrich is thus deadlier than the Black Death, which claimed between 20 and 50 million lives in the Middle Ages (via planet-wissen.de). This corresponds to about half of the population of that time (via segu-geschichte.de).
However, Heinrich’s numbers would likely threaten the entire world population. This was only about 540 million in the 15th century (via Wikipedia). So the favorite activity in the game is neither rolling dice nor drinking, it is fighting against enemies in the RPG.
Even after 30 years, Neon Genesis Evangelion is still considered one of the most important animes of all time. This is not only due to the action, but also to the complex themes. These occur not only with the characters but also within the world. A major inspiration for this was a real fear of the director.
What kind of anime is Neon Genesis Evangelion? From the outside, the anime appears to be a classic mecha anime, but the battles between giant robots and monsters are only a small part of the series.
It also deals with complex themes such as loneliness, sacrifice, or trauma. The world and the fate of the characters contribute to this as well. But without a significant fear of the director, the anime might never have existed.
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Neon Genesis Evangelion – Trailer for the Legendary Anime Series
I seriously thought the world would end in the 20th century
What was the director afraid of? Neon Genesis Evangelion comes from the pen of Hideaki Anno. The director was also responsible for the film End of Evangelion and the 4 remake films released between 2007 and 2021. He also directed the film Shin Godzilla.
In an interview (via gmanetwork.com) in 2014, he spoke about the inspirations for Neon Genesis Evangelion. One of his greatest was the fear of a nuclear catastrophe in the backdrop of the Cold War. He explained what it was like back then: There was a real sense that the world would be destroyed if a nuclear war broke out. If someone pressed the atomic button, it would lead to the destruction of the world – that was the reality then, this fear of Armageddon.
This also led him to be truly convinced that humanity would not survive the 20th century: I seriously thought the world would end in the 20th century. With his anime, he wanted to show what happens to the world after such a catastrophe.
Religious symbols and themes were also included, as Japan is a country where many tsunamis and earthquakes occur. It has experience with natural disasters: It is a country where ruthless destruction happens quite naturally. It gives you a strong sense that God exists out there.
Is the inspiration noticeable in the series? The foundation for the world of Evangelion is the Second Impact in the series. In 2000, a meteorite strike at the South Pole caused global changes that wiped out a large portion of humanity.
15 years after this catastrophe, the angels also appeared. These were large beings that threatened the Earth.
As it was later discovered, the Second Impact was not a natural catastrophe. During a human expedition, they found Adam, the first angel. An experiment was initiated that awoke Adam and triggered the Second Impact.
Thus, a human experiment caused not only a tragedy but also the subsequent appearance of the angels. When naming the angels and the EVAs, one can notice the religious influences. You can find more adult anime here: Anime over 16 – These 5 series are adult and nothing for young children
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Expedition 33 is a strong contender for Game of the Year 2025. It has borrowed a lot – but in an extremely good way.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has taken the RPG fan world by storm and has become a massive hit. Especially considering that this game is the debut work of Sandfall Interactive and many of its employees. Expedition 33 seems to evoke a lot of emotions in its players, combining fluid gameplay with a great story and wonderful art style.
The reason why all this works so well is that pretty much every mechanic in the game is “borrowed” – but in the best possible way.
Spoiler Warning: In this article, I will also touch on the story of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. If you haven’t finished it yet, there may be spoilers.
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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – JRPG with French Flair has Release Date
In the style of the Princes “Everything is just borrowed,” gaming veterans will recognize an overwhelming amount of parallels and inspirations that the game has drawn upon in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Especially Final Fantasy and the Persona series are hard to overlook.
The basic design of the game world, with an “overworld” where players can travel around to visit individual locations, also reminds one of RPGs from over two decades ago. The entire Final Fantasy series utilized this up to part 9, and many other JRPGs have also taken inspiration from this. In those games, players start out on foot and then gain access to more areas by ship and later by airship, allowing them to discover hidden places.
Unusually, Expedition 33 utilizes a turn-based combat system. This is considered “outdated,” so much so that even Final Fantasy has moved away from it in its later installments, opting instead for action. This is something that many fans dislike.
However, Clair Obscur didn’t rest on its laurels; rather, it combined everything with another extremely successful system: the Souls games. With precise time windows of only 150 milliseconds for parrying, players need patience, skill, and have to memorize combat patterns. This is challenging, but never overwhelming and always fair.
Moreover, Expedition 33 has meticulously ensured to remove all the things that annoyed players in Metaphor or Persona. If a battle doesn’t go according to plan, you don’t have to awkwardly die but can reload immediately and start over.
Save points are not rarely distributed; instead, the game saves every time you adjust the characters’ equipment in the menu in some way.
The skill system is also taken from Final Fantasy IX. The Lumina are basically a one-to-one adaptation of the Ability system. Equip items to gain passive effects, and after wearing an item long enough, you “learn” the passive effect and can activate or deactivate it using distributable points. However, in Clair Obscur, you don’t have to repeat this for each character.
Even the story heavily borrows from Final Fantasy
Finally, I want to touch upon the story. Because even though it is absolutely outstanding, complex, and heartbreaking, you can also find a lot of inspiration from Final Fantasy X here. Would you like a few examples?
In Final Fantasy X, people try to fight against a threat that periodically wipes out entire cities. Here, that is the beast “Sin,” which in Expedition 33 is represented by the painter.
In the end, it turns out that Sin is not just a villain (just like the giant painter), but Sin acts on behalf of someone else – just as the painter does.
If you destroy Sin, you aren’t just defeating a threat to the world, but obliterating an entire world and everyone living in it. The same applies to the painter, whose defeat (almost) wipes out all humans on the planet.
Deep monologues that you only understand after the end, are of course also present. As it should be.
The protagonist’s father, Renoir for Verso and Jekkt for Tidus, starts as a villain who seems irrational, self-satisfied, and malicious. Only at the end does it become clear how much his family means to him.
One of the protagonists in both games (Tidus and Verso) does not even exist. While Tidus is only a “dream of the past,” Verso is merely the painted reflection of a memory of the real Verso, who has died. Breaking the cycle and defeating the antagonist leads to the protagonist’s death.
I could go on like this for a long time. Almost every significant “story beat” also appeared in a modified form in Final Fantasy X.
I don’t mean all these points as criticism. The way Clair Obscur combines all these elements – from the story to the combat system and atmosphere – and creates something new out of it is nothing short of phenomenal. I would almost call this the “Blizzard principle,” where successful systems are adopted and refined until they are nearly perfect. Sandfall Interactive has clearly succeeded in this with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
I am very grateful to the development team for drawing inspiration from so many classic JRPGs of the Final Fantasy series and combining them with modern mechanics from action games like Dark Souls or Elden Ring.
During the roughly 50 hours of gameplay, I felt like I was 20 years younger again. As if I were exploring a world that captivated me as much as Final Fantasy X did back in the day, where every single level was a work of art, full of secrets to explore and understand.
The cutscenes are all a work of art.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has taken this nostalgia, forged it into a new visage, and created a masterpiece that I thought would no longer come in today’s gaming world. It has very few ideas that are truly “new.” Only the combination of all the game elements has not been seen in this form. That is enough. That, and the palpable passion of the developers in every minute, that they have created a game that they themselves want to play.
Expedition 33 is already for me the game of the year and one that I would return to very, very, very often. This will be my new “comfort” game, the one I refer to every 1-2 years when I want a weekend to myself and just want to have a good time without getting annoyed by how frustrating modern games can be in many ways. Thank you for that. This game has been a true enrichment for my life. Even if I overlooked many secrets at the beginning…
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Baldur’s Gate 3 would not be Baldur’s Gate 3 if it only included one-dimensional “good” or “bad” characters. Still, there are certain characters that players joyfully embrace, but also some that the community simply finds annoying due to their nature. However, one of these characters seems to be quite a lovable hero behind his facade.
Which character is being talked about? It’s about the tiefling Rolan, an aspiring wizard, whom you first meet in the Druid Grove in Act 1. There, he argues with the other tieflings Lia and Cal about whether they should stay in the grove to help the refugees or flee instead.
From this situation (and others that appear throughout the game), you get to know Rolan as a rather headstrong and arrogant man who focuses more on himself and his personal training in Baldur’s Gate rather than on anyone else. Only Lia, Cal, and himself seem to be the most important to him.
For this reason, Rolan is labeled by the community as a selfish or annoying side character who prefers to complain rather than be helpful. However, under a Reddit post, some players reported that they were able to discover the opposite.
Here you can see the animated short film for Patch 8 of Baldur’s Gate 3:
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Der animierte Kurzfilm zu Patch 8, dem letzten Update für Baldur’s Gate 3
Players discover the true motives behind the facade
What do players say about Rolan? While Rolan initially comes off as an unsympathetic wizard without real talent, who constantly needs to be rescued and supported by players, some players on Reddit have more to say about him:
“He expects a lot from himself. He wants his family to be proud of him. Overcompensation may look very much like arrogance, but in Act 2, you realize that his self-worth depends on how valuable he can be to others. When he can’t save the other tieflings alone, he’s way too hard on himself,” writes accursed_JAK.
But there are more opinions about his magic talent as well:
“Rolan receives a lot of shit from players. But he’s actually a solid wizard,” writes SarcasticKenobi with the most upvotes under the original post, “His variations of common spells are better than our versions; he can cast Mage Armor on real armor instead of just robes. Also, he leaves a ton of corpses on the way to the Towers of the Rising Moon. (…) He just ran out of spell slots because of the number of enemies and needed our help.”
AdParking3521 replies: “Yes, when you meet him in Act 1, you assume he’s just an arrogant show-off, but no. So many people survive in Act 1 because he’s there. Not that he’s particularly happy about it.”
This assumption is confirmed by the original post under which this conversation takes place. It shows what happens when Rolan is not persuaded to stay by the side of the refugees.
Why shouldn’t you miss Rolan in Act 1? The author of the Reddit post (Danofold) reports that he forgot to talk to Rolan in Act 1 and thus couldn’t convince him to help the refugees. As a result, a total of 6 other tieflings were never able to reach the next safe spot of the group. This includes Rolan himself, the tiefling woman Bex, and 4 children.
Another conclusion from this is that a lot of story content can be lost this way, which we don’t want to fully spoil here. Therefore, whoever wants to get the most out of their gameplay and the story of recurring characters should definitely talk to Rolan as soon as they see him for the first time in Act 1.
Pokémon GO has announced the new event “Critical Hit.” The star of the event can now be admired on your loading screen for quite some time: Wulaosu. Now it appears.
When does the event run? “Critical Hit: GO Battle Week” takes place from May 21, 10:00 AM, to May 27, 8:00 PM.
The event features some content. The most important of which is the ability to obtain Wulaosu. Because the combat bear is finally available from the start of the event, after it was previously only visible on the loading screen.
How do I get Wulaosu? For that you need to evolve Dakuma, which you caught as part of the special research “Powerful and Masterful.” The research will also receive a new part in the event, where you can earn Dakuma candies. And you will need them, as the requirements for Dakuma’s evolution are not exactly easy.
Wulaosu comes in two variants – the focused style and the flowing style. No matter which of the two you want: You need to provide 200 Dakuma candies for the evolution. And that’s not all.
You evolve Wulaosu in the focused style by defeating 30 Dark-type Pokémon in raids or Dyna battles, while Dakuma is your buddy.
You evolve Wulaosu in the flowing style by defeating 30 Water-type Pokémon in raids or Dyna battles, while Dakuma is your buddy.
At least: Dakuma does not have to be part of your team while you are racking up victories. The only important thing is that it is your active buddy.
However, that is not all you can expect in the event.
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Pokémon GO: What’s in the new Season Powerful and Masterful
All content from “Critical Hit” in Pokémon GO
In addition to Wulaosu and the new part of the special research, you can look forward to the following content and bonuses.
You will receive double XP from raid victories
Meditie, Skunkapuh, and Garstella have an increased shiny chance
If you complete the limited research of the event, you will receive an additional raid pass per day
The research will also provide special candies, Dakuma candies, as well as encounters with Meditie, Skunkapuh, and Garstella, which have a special background
There are exclusive attacks:
Rasaff learns Fury Swipes when you evolve Menki
Jugong learns Ice Shard upon evolution
Trikephalo receives Whirlwind after evolution
Quajutsu learns Water Pulse after evolution
And Lapras that you get from raids or field research have Ice Beam
The special research also contains a Knarbon with a special background
Which Pokémon appear? In the wild, you will encounter the following monsters. Possible Shinys are marked with an asterisk*.
Menki*
Jurob*
Galar-Zigzachs*
Meditie*
Froxy*
Kapuno*
Kleptifux
In raids:
Level 1: Kanivanha*, Skunkapuh*, Garstella*
Level 3: Lapras*, Hisui-Admurai*, Adebom*
Additionally, you will find more optional but paid researches in the shop.
What’s next? The “Critical Hit” will be one of the last major events of the month, but even before that, May has a lot to offer, such as the Crown Clash event with Gladimperio. And there are other dates that might be exciting for you. You can find our overview here. All events in May 2025 in Pokémon GO.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The development team at Exo-Labs has managed to run an AI language model on a Windows 98 PC with a Pentium II processor – and that with just 128 MB of RAM.
What exactly was tested? The development team at EXO Labs undertook an unusual experiment: They wanted to find out if a modern AI language model could run on a PC that is more than 27 years old, equipped with an Intel Pentium II, 128 MB of RAM, and Windows 98.
The model used is based on LLaMA 2 but has been significantly reduced to work with only 260,000 parameters in this extremely limited hardware setup. Nevertheless, the system reportedly achieved a processing rate of 39.31 tokens per second, according to the developers – a clear indicator of how efficient AI can become.
The complete technical process and the motivation behind the experiment can be read in detail on the EXO Labs blog.
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Students spy on passersby with hidden cameras and AI, find name and address in seconds
The Technical Foundation
How was it realized? According to EXO Labs, the implementation was anything but simple. Modern compilers are simply not compatible with the old architecture. Therefore, the team resorted to the outdated Borland C++ 5.02 Compiler – one of the few tools still capable of running on Windows 98.
A compiler is, in simple terms, a program that translates source code into a form that the computer can execute directly.
According to the developers and Tom’s Hardware, the retro PC was purchased on eBay for around 119 pounds (approximately 140 euros). Since USB support is limited under Windows 98, the developers used a PS/2 keyboard and mouse and transferred the necessary files via FTP from the MacBook to the old computer.
The goal was to run a functional AI model completely offline and locally – without, for example, a cloud-based solution.
Why is this attempt a significant step for AI development? According to EXO Labs, the goal was not to make AI usable on old hardware, but to demonstrate how efficiently current models can become through clever architecture.
We want more efforts to be made to run AI models on older hardware. There is still much development work to be done – from optimizing memory usage to exploring new architectures that can work efficiently on limited hardware.
The so-called BitNet architecture was used for this purpose. It employs ternary weightings (−1, 0, 1) instead of the usual 16 or 32-bit values. According to JVTech, this can massively reduce memory requirements. Consequently, it is hoped that in the future, the necessary space and the previously extreme costs of widespread AI use can also be somewhat reduced.
After the major expansion in March, fans of Dungeon Fighter Online can now look forward to the next content update. The themes of love and desire are the focus of the new dungeon.
Those who have mastered the quest “Petals of Uncertainty” can start a new Legion Dungeon with 4 boss challenges and three difficulty levels, and experience the story of a forgotten goddess.
With the new dungeon challenge come many fresh rewards, including legendary gear, cosmetic items, consumables, and silver coins.
With “Gateway of Beauty”, you can enter a new city once you have completed the quest “The Goddess of Beauty Returns”.
The update also brings numerous improvements and bug fixes to the game. You can find the complete patch notes on dfoneople.com.
Here is the trailer for the new update of Dungeon Fighter Online:
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Dungeon Fighter Online: Venus, Goddess of Beauty – Trailer for the new dungeon of Season 9
How provocative can bosses be? Dungeon Fighter Online: Yes!
What is the new patch about? The second act of season 9 revolves around Venus, the goddess of beauty and truth, who awaits you in a garden inside her temple. However, you won’t stay there. The dungeon goes through a total of four phases, in which you will encounter different divine desires or transformations of Venus.
The risqué theme of the dungeon is clearly reflected in Venus’s unusual design, as she usually wears airy dresses and shows a lot of skin. This once again highlights the South Korean roots of the game.
What do I need to know about Dungeon Fighter Online? The game from developer and publisher Neople mixes classic 2D action from brawlers like Double Dragon with MMORPG elements and an – as promised by the developers – epic story. You choose from dozens of different classes and slash through hordes of enemies with screen-filling effects.
The 20-year-old online brawler has always been particularly popular in Asia. By 2023, the franchise is expected to have generated more than 22 billion US dollars. With over 850 million registered players, Dungeon Fighter Online is also considered the largest MMORPG in the world, as reflected in our list of MMORPGs with the most players according to official developer numbers.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Although the second phase of Alpha Two in Ashes of Creation is still ongoing, there have been fresh servers and an influx of interested testers. Both in combination led to an impressive success, which according to studio head Steven Sharif, no other game in Unreal Engine 5 has managed to achieve.
With the launch of the new Fresh-Start server Shol and further invitations for the current phase of Alpha Two, they were able to significantly increase this number by May 3, 2025. In the official Discord channel, Steven Sharif explained that at peak times, more than 8,000 Alpha testers were present on the new server.
He further stated that no other game known to use Unreal Engine 5 has achieved anything comparable. However, the enormous number of players naturally caused problems, which according to the developer were mainly triggered by bugs related to core systems such as crafting, events, or combat.
They would be using the next few days to fix the identified bugs and issues, while the server remains online and can thus provide additional data. The goal is, according to Steven Sharif, to create a stable foundation for the start of the third phase of Alpha Two in August 2025 – both gameplay-wise and technically.
One of the recent trailers of Ashes of Creation introduces the new rogue class:
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Ashes of Creation: Trailer shows gameplay of the rogue class
More than just graphic power
Initial struggles of UE5: Unreal Engine 5 has been available since April 2022, and anyone who approaches the provider Epic Games receives a comprehensive package for developing modern, visually appealing games – technologies like Nanite, Virtual Shadow Maps, and Lumen make it possible.
A major advantage of the engine: In UE5, multiple developers can work simultaneously on a part of the game. This was not possible in the previous engine. Especially the creation of larger worlds is supposed to be easier – a significant advantage when developing an MMORPG.
As great as all this sounds, many games using Unreal Engine 5 have had a mixed start in the first years. The reboot of Lords of the Fallen and also Immortals of Aveum, for example, look great, no question, but came with unusually high system requirements and technical issues like crashes, performance drops, or regular graphical errors.
Three years ago, the developers of Ashes of Creation showcased their game in Unreal Engine 5 for the first time:
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Why is this milestone so important? At times, there were concerns due to problematic releases that Unreal Engine 5 might not be a good choice for MMORPGs that want to deliver a certain number of players on the servers, smooth performance, and modern graphics.
With the current milestone, however, Ashes of Creation now shows that it is indeed possible to develop such an ambitious MMORPG in UE5 if enough time is invested in the technical foundation to adapt the engine to one’s needs.
And the fact that such a stress test is already taking place now, many months before the final launch, is invaluable. Because now the developers have more than enough time to continue refining the technical foundation, fixing bugs, and optimizing performance. The game that has not done this yet, but aims to release much earlier than Ashes of Creation, is: There is finally a sign of life from one of the most important and beautiful MMORPGs of 2025
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The best builds in Diablo 4 rely on the interplay of various factors that cause damage numbers to soar. In Season 8, one mechanic is dominant that is actually the hardest to utilize: Overwhelm.
What kind of mechanic is this?
Overwhelm adds additional damage based on your maximum health and your fortitude. Willpower further increases the damage. Almost every skill can overwhelm.
Each class has a base chance of 3% to overwhelm. However, Druids, Barbarians, and Necromancers can guarantee an overwhelm through skills and talents. Nevertheless, the mechanic is present in almost all strong builds.
How important is Overwhelm in Season 8: Although the mechanic only works reliably for a few classes, many of the best builds in Season 8 use Overwhelm as a core mechanic for damage.
In the S and A tier, there are many builds from Necromancers as well as Barbarians and Druids. Even classes that cannot naturally guarantee an overwhelm use the mechanic.
In this case, the mechanic works through the unique amulet “Talisman of the Exiled Prince”, which guarantees that your next core skill will overwhelm if you have spent enough of your primary resource. The same works with the right runewords.
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Diablo 4: Der Gameplay-Trailer zu Season 8 mit Belial
“Yay! More Snapshotting!”
The spread of the Overwhelm mechanic has also been noticed by a user on Reddit and it is not happening for the first time. In Season 7, Overwhelm builds were also widespread, with the Cataclysm Druid being strong again for the first time in months.
The problem with these builds is that many of them use “snapshotting”, meaning: You stack buffs as much as possible and then use a channeled skill. This skill benefits from the buffs at the time of activation as long as you can maintain it. If it runs out unexpectedly, you can hardly do anything anymore.
This playstyle is uncomfortable for many players, which is why they intentionally exclude all builds with Overwhelm – even at the risk of not being able to compete at the top.
Some of the strong builds in Season 8 forgo Overwhelm and snapshotting, instead relying on classic playstyles, such as the lightning spear sorceress. You can find the top builds for all classes in our ranking: The best builds in Diablo 4: Tier list for Season 8
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
