Rockstar has long followed a specific approach regarding the release of its games: consoles like PS5 and Xbox first. PC gamers usually go empty-handed at release and have to wait months, if not years. A former developer of the studio now thinks that could change for GTA 6.
Which developer is speaking here? This is the former developer at Rockstar North, Obbe Vermeij. He took on the role of Technical Director for GTA 3 and was mainly responsible for level design and the programming of the weather.
For the 17th anniversary of GTA 4, he gave a small retrospective of that time on X. Obbe Vermeij talked about his experiences back then during the development, made some speculations regarding GTA 6, and also explained a frustrating approach by Rockstar: the delayed release of the PC version compared to PS5 and Xbox.
However, according to the developer, this delay in release could change in the future.
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Selbst die größten Publisher fürchten den Release von GTA 6: „Ein riesiger Meteor“
PC gamers are no longer a minority
What could change? The user “@hard8_times” asked Obbe Vermeij on x.com whether he knows why the PC is always the last platform when it comes to releases at Rockstar.
According to the developer, this has to do with the fact that GTA is a console game and that GTA has the most players on consoles.
However, Obbe believes that this may have changed:
“In the past, much more money went into the console versions. Now that this has changed, the PC version will hopefully be closer to release.”
When asked further if he can confirm that it has changed, Obbe says: “I think you are right. PC gaming has increased significantly, but for GTA 6, the majority of sales will probably still occur on consoles.”
It is clear that PC gaming has increased significantly in recent years, and although console platforms still have a dominant presence, PC gamers are no longer a minority that can be ignored. It remains to be seen when GTA 6 will be released, as the developers are still keeping quiet. More about GTA 6 can be found here: GTA 6 is so ambitious that Rockstar reportedly built an entire building just for the game.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Reddit is a massive internet platform where people discuss various topics. The University of Zurich has now used Reddit for a study to find out whether an AI can change people’s opinions.
What was the study about? Reddit consists of different subreddits: these are smaller groups where people meet to discuss a wide range of topics. One of these groups was r/ChangeMyView. In this subreddit, users can share their views, even if those views are controversial, to discuss with other users and possibly understand different perspectives.
According to the moderators of the subreddit and the news site NewScientist, the University of Zurich utilized this and secretly set up an online lab. The actors of the study generated over 1,700 comments using AI and spread these AI-generated comments without users’ knowledge to see how people would react. The study ran from November 2024 to March 2025.
These comments included some that impersonated rape victims or posed as trauma counselors specializing in abuse. The outcome could now be alarming, as the AIs were convincing.
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In Germany, there are over 400 USB sticks protruding from walls – What is the ‘Dead Drops’ project?
AI is more convincing than humans and is not recognized as AI
What conclusion did the study reach? NewScientist reports on a preliminary version of the study’s results. It shows that the AI comments were “three to six times more convincing in changing people’s views than human users, measured by the portion of comments marked as opinion change by other users.”
Furthermore, the report states: “During our intervention, users in r/ChangeMyView never expressed concerns that the comments posted from our accounts might have been generated by an AI. This indicates the potential effectiveness of AI-driven botnets that could seamlessly integrate into online communities.”
Reddit moderators respond angrily
Were there any consequences for the study? After the study was published, the moderators of the subreddit complained to the University of Zurich. They questioned how such an experiment could be approved by the ethics committee.
The actors exploited the users’ ignorance, collected data without the consent of those involved, and tried to determine how convincing an AI could be.
This reckless behavior is sharply criticized by other universities. There were no consequences.
In response to the moderators’ inquiry (via reddit.com) that the University of Zurich does not publish the study’s results because it was conducted without the consent of the subjects, the university stated: “This project provides important insights, and the risks (e.g., trauma, etc.) are minimal. This means that suppressing publication is not proportional to the significance of the insights that the study provides.”
A new fantasy MMO on Steam lets you become gods in months-long wars. However, the path there will not always be fair, say the developers.
Which game is being talked about? It is We Will Be Gods – a free-to-play MMO from the developer Cult of the North. It mixes the base building of an RTS, the battles of a MOBA, and the resource management of a 4X game into matches that are expected to last for months.
On May 17, 2025, the developers will launch a free alpha test. Registration for this can be done on their website wewillbegods.com.
You can see a trailer for the game here:
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We Will Be Gods: Gameplay trailer for the pre-alpha of the new MMO on Steam
What is the game about? We Will Be Gods throws you into the fantasy world of Hamarvast. You are a mortal champion and have set out to become a god. But before that can happen, there is a war to win.
We Will Be Gods is part of a new wave of MMOs, along with Warborne Above Ashes and Havenhold, that strike a similar chord as Foxhole. They offer:
a combination of grand strategy and real-time battles, in which each fighter is a player
large multiplayer battles with up to hundreds of players
matches that can last for weeks – if not months
We Will Be Gods does not want to be fair to you
How does the game plan to stand out? Perhaps by specifically disregarding one thing: fairness. The game, according to the developers, is explicitly not designed to be fair. But what does that mean? “[We Will Be Gods] puts something in front of you, and you work with it,” said Marcus Jacobs – one of the two studio founders alongside Adam Schaub – in a phone call with PC Gamer.
Therefore, there are no matches, no instances, no fairness. There can be 140 people on one side and 70 on the other, and that’s just how it is.
The plan is to play campaigns lasting weeks to months, in which players build 10 or more kingdoms, forge alliances, and tear down their enemies’ bases. Each kingdom is supposed to consist of up to 100 players.
A match only ends when the players of a kingdom have achieved god status. What that means – for instance, whether you start the next cycle with any bonuses – has not been clearly stated by the developers. What is certain is that you start over again afterward.
The head of WoW has announced that Blizzard will effectively ban various add-ons for the MMORPG. The MMORPG will be designed in such a way that popular add-ons will simply no longer function. They will not be able to read combat events or auras. This has caused an uproar in the community, as add-ons are part of the daily life of players in the MMORPG. Especially one announcement is explosive: the “one-button” control.
This is the current situation: Those who play WoW at a higher level join organized groups and engage in content that is challenging and requires players to fulfill specific mechanics. Players need to reach certain points at a given time, move out of zones, or perform actions.
Normally, players would need to recognize through effects in the MMORPG itself what they need to do and “learn” the challenges. If they fail, their raid group fails as well, leading to a wipe and requiring the fight to be restarted.
However, for years there have been add-ons made by others that signal to the player with extremely clear messages in the game what they need to do. One add-on literally yells at the player: “You have the bomb! Run!”
Famous add-ons that take over this function are “WeakAuras” or “Northern Sky”.
To outsiders like the LoL player Tyler1, this seemed absurd: From their perspective, a game played this way requires no skill because you no longer have to think independently. Players become externally controlled sheep, and that’s actually ridiculous. Blizzard seems to see it similarly now.
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WoW Patch 11.1: Gallywix’s Control over the Cartels
Blizzard wants to end the arms race with add-ons in WoW
This is what Blizzard says now: The head of WoW, Ion Hazzikostas, stated in a presentation on April 30 (via youtube.com):
Because the developers know that players use these add-ons, the game developers have to make the fights increasingly complex so that the battles remain challenging.
This leads to an arms race between Blizzard and the developers of the add-ons.
This arms race, in turn, leads to players using more and more mods and battles being unnecessarily bloated with mechanics.
The various mechanics in fights are listed in the dungeon diaries. Players can read them there. But Hazzikostas says:
If you look at the dungeon diary, you scroll and scroll and scroll, and maybe half of it is not even important because the add-ons take care of that for you. That’s not a good place for things.
Blizzard wants to give players the necessary information themselves
This is Blizzard’s goal: The declared goal of Blizzard now is to provide players with the information they need themselves.
Blizzard itself will offer damage meters and various UI enhancements.
Once that is achieved, they want to deprive add-ons of the possibility to continue functioning by removing their access to combat logs and events.
When will this happen? Blizzard has not yet specified a date for this. But initial UI improvements will come with the current patches.
When mods will be banned is still unclear.
Hazzikostas says:
We need to take it slow. The team will implement the new features, listen to the players, and when the developers are confident that what remains largely consists of unwanted automation or the functionalities they want to return to players – problem solving, combat, communication – then they will turn off access to the combat log/aura for everything else.
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WoW will be playable with just one button, but you will be worse
Which add-ons does Blizzard want to provide itself? There have been a number of information on that. Blizzard will provide tools that take over tasks like:
A damage meter and also a heal meter
There will be a kind of cooldown manager
A function that helps players with their rotation by always highlighting the optimal next skill
Blizzard also wants to allow mods to continue functioning that do not affect fights, such as quest helpers, roleplay tools, and others.
The rotation helper is supposed to make it clear: Press button 3 now.
This is the most controversial change: As part of the help with the rotation, Blizzard wants to introduce a “one-button rotation”.
When you press this button, it will always trigger the most meaningful next ability:
Currently, you need 4 or more keys for a rotation to trigger different abilities that harmonize with each other. It then involves maintaining certain effects on a target or having one ability enhance another: You press something like 3-2-1-4-2-1-3-2-1-3.
If you then only pressed one button, it would trigger a different ability depending on the situation: 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1.
However, it is said that this function carries a “small penalty” and does not utilize the global cooldown perfectly. It is not meant to lead to raid leaders telling people: Stop pressing manually and use the one-button feature.
The “single-button” assistant is there for players who want to try a new class and are not interested in mastering their abilities, but simply want to experience the story.
When is this coming? The rotation helper and the “one-button” feature are expected to come with patch 11.1.7 for WoW. The patch is expected in June 2025.
How will this affect battles? Hazzikostas hints that if add-ons no longer function, Blizzard would streamline some fights and perhaps remove some mechanics.
They do not want to make the fights easier, but less complex.
How is this being discussed? The information is very fresh. It came out last night. In discussions, players appear skeptical. The “one-button rotation” is especially seen as a new April Fool’s joke.
Path of Exile 2 is currently going through a dry spell in terms of loot and especially fun gameplay. GGG wants to change that and promised a new patch, but it has now been postponed; fans are hoping for more effective changes.
Update, May 1, 09:53 AM: Update 0.2.0g was rolled out last night but has been rolled back due to a bug. The developers are aware of the source of the bug and will release the update again later today.
The update now brings much larger changes to loot than expected. You can read more about it in the official patch notes at: store.steampowered.com.
Where is Patch 2.0.2g? This is a question some players have been asking on Reddit. According to the developers of Path of Exile 2, the new patch 0.2.0g was supposed to be released at the beginning of the week of April 28, but so far there is no sign of the patch.
To address the uncertainty, GGG has now spoken out on X regarding Patch 0.2.0g. According to them, the developers are still working on the update. Fans can expect a release by the end of the current week, so either on May 1 or 2. They did not specify an exact date.
Due to the holidays (Easter and a national holiday in New Zealand), plans may have been pushed back, and although GGG has already communicated upcoming changes, fans are hoping for further adjustments, especially regarding a specific topic.
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Path of Exile 2 presents gameplay trailer with the new Hunter class
Now that the developers have taken more time, players hope for additional changes that have not yet been communicated. The following can be heard on Reddit:
“I hope it is more than what they reported about the bosses before.” – BeastMode09-00
“It has to be. The game is so dry at the moment. I am so tired of running rituals 300x a day and postponing omen for 10 maps from 17k-4k” – stamvegas15
But that’s not all. Players like Lichtenthal (via reddit.com) wish for adjustments to the Atlas Tree, as it does not offer any significant buffs that create major changes in endgame grinding.
Another player hopes for general adjustments for builds (via reddit.com), to make the gameplay feel fun again. There are many talents that are far too weak, especially in the endgame. This greatly limits the options for builds.
A player had a gaming system assembled by a friend in 2020. However, due to the RGB lighting being bothersome, he made a mistake and did not insert a RAM stick carefully. The mistake only became apparent to the player when he checked his specifications.
A player had a gaming PC built by a friend, and the new PC was fully equipped with RGB lighting. But that was too much for the player. He explained on Reddit that he found the lighting very distracting over time and wanted to get rid of it. To do this, he opened his gaming PC to get to the bottom of the lighting:
At some point I became impatient and opened the case to see if there was an obvious way to unplug the lights, as I didn’t know exactly how they were set up and was too ignorant to guess. I pulled out a stick with RGB RAM and looked at it. Of course, the LED was integrated, of course I would probably just have to manage it via software. Well then. A manageable annoyance. I carefully reinstalled it.
Start video
In Germany, there are over 400 USB sticks protruding from walls – What is the ‘Dead Drops’ project?
RAM was not seated properly in the slot on the motherboard
What was the problem? He explained himself that currently, 5 years later, he is planning an upgrade for his old gaming PC. And he noticed that he only has 8 GB of RAM installed. When he finally opens his computer, he discovers that he made a mistake:
It turned out that one of the RAM clips was not properly locked in place. Possibly for five years.
The player may have actually gotten lucky. Because a computer where the RAM is not properly seated cannot start at all. Computers are very sensitive to damaged or improperly seated RAM. If the RAM is damaged or broken, your PC may not start at all. However, if your SSD or your graphics card is damaged, your computer usually still starts.
In principle, you will notice quite quickly when your RAM is damaged:
If it is a software problem, for example, with an XMP profile, resetting the motherboard via the CMOS battery is usually sufficient. In the case of a technical defect, however, you will need to replace the RAM, as otherwise it can also cause damage to the motherboard.
A trainer from Pokémon GO reports how he unintentionally annoyed other players. The blame lies with a small mechanic that does not exist in the game.
In a game as large as Pokémon GO, it is not unusual for players to share their experiences and come across interesting or curious stories.
A player on Reddit reports how he inadvertently disturbed other players in the game. A small mechanic that does not exist in Pokémon GO to this day could have easily prevented the entire situation.
Start video
Pokémon GO: What’s in the new Season Powerful and Masterful
No private group = Joinable for everyone
What did the trainer do? As the trainer writes in his post on Reddit, he does not have anyone in his circle of friends who plays Pokémon GO. Therefore, he likes to join lobbies for raids that he sees around him in order to obtain the Pokémon. He recently did this during a Dynamax raid.
He saw a lobby with players for Dynamax Entei and successfully joined them. The Dyna-Raid was completed, and the trainer managed to get a Dynamax Entei. According to his own statement, he neither met the group directly nor exchanged a word with them.
In another lobby, the trainer saw the group again and joined the raid. But this time the raid was not started – instead, the group members left the raid.
When the lobby started again, the trainer joined the lobby once more, only to see that all the other players left the raid again. This process repeated itself until the trainer decided to leave the place.
What was the problem? A Dynamax group in Pokémon GO can consist of a maximum of 4 players. Currently, there is no way to start a private group for a Dynamax battle, where only certain trainers can join. If a trainer is nearby, he can join any lobby that is not yet fully filled.
This is what allowed the trainer from the Reddit post to join the lobby without any problems. However, this seemingly made it impossible for one player from the actual group to join, thus missing the Dynamax raid.
Why the group still started the first raid is unknown. However, this will likely be the reason why every further raid lobby was left.
The trainer makes it clear in his post that he was unaware of this mechanic and also apologizes. Perhaps the post will even reach the affected group.
In addition to Dynamax raids, there are many other activities and events in Pokémon GO that regularly await you. May is also packed with fresh content for you. What exactly these are, you can find out in our overview of all events in May 2025 in Pokémon GO.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The shooter is one of the oldest genres in video games. Therefore, there are countless games that deserve a place on a top list. Our colleagues from GameStar are now giving 150 shooters this chance.
GameStar ranks the 150 best shooters of all time – yes, you heard that right! So that you don’t get served this chunk all at once, our colleagues from GameStar are cutting it into bite-sized pieces for you.
Where is the ranking taking place? You can find it on the GameStar website. This list is updated daily, so you won’t have to look for new entries every time.
From when to when is this ranking taking place? GameStar started on April 29, 2025, with the lower rankings. The grand finale will be on May 12, showcasing the number 1 of the 150 best shooters.
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TOP 10 Shooters in 2024 – for Veterans and Newcomers
GameStar crowns the 150 best shooters in an epic ranking
The games will be presented to you by our GameStar colleagues. Among them, of course, shooter experts like Dimitry Halley and Phil Elsner, but also many other colleagues. Along with personal stories, there will also be a few exciting trivia facts about each title.
When establishing the rankings, two points were important to the colleagues:
How important was a shooter for the shooter genre?
How well does it play today? Ideally, you might discover a new gem there – or rekindle your desire to return to a shooter from your past.
Disclaimer: GameStar and MeinMMO are independent editorial teams, but both belong to Webedia Gaming.
A developer from Riot Games has shared special information about the development of Teamfight Tactics in streams and videos, but that is ending now.
Who is it about? Stephen “Mortdog” Mortimer is a developer at Riot Games. He is responsible as a Gameplay Director for the “League of Legends” spin-off “Teamfight Tactics,” which was released for mobile devices in 2019. Previously, he worked at Nintendo for over 11 years, overseeing the design of games like Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars.
Outside his role as Gameplay Director of TFT, Mortdog was also known as a kind of content creator for the game. In livestreams and videos, the developer spoke about various aspects of the game and provided deep insights into the decisions made by the development team – especially regarding balancing changes.
Within much of the TFT community, Mortdog is highly regarded for his transparent communication, his openness, and the information he has shared. However, some TFT players behaved so poorly on social media that the developer is now temporarily stepping back from streaming.
Start video
TFT: Dragonlands is now live – Shows cute penguins and dragons in the new trailer
The haters have won
Why is Mortdog stepping back? On April 28, Mortdog released an hour-long video on YouTube, where he talked about the balancing of Teamfight Tactics. At the end of the video, the developer stated that streams and other bonus insights he had provided to the community would now come to a halt.
Mortdog says:
“I’m stepping back from the extra stuff for a while. The last weeks and months have been really tough, as I’ve been in the spotlight and the target of a lot of frustrations surrounding TFT. You only have to click one of my recent Twitter posts and read the responses… I’ve taken a lot recently, to the point where I’m pretty burned out.”
The developer further explains that the constant complaints and hatred from many players have really affected him lately. This has negatively impacted his communication because he has become more susceptible to responding to snarky comments in a snarky way himself.
Now he wants to take a break from the additional content he has created and offered voluntarily, without any obligation from Riot Games. He summarizes:
I don’t know how to put it other than to say ‘the haters win.’ They have really affected me, which I reluctantly admit after six years. But I will take a break because I can’t handle it much longer. It affects me a lot. So no more X posts from me for a while […], no more patch rundowns. They were always an optional thing, they weren’t something sponsored by Riot, I don’t have to do them, so I won’t for a while. I probably won’t stream at all for a while.
However, he did not specify how long Mortdog would refrain from offering this additional content. It certainly sounds like it’s initially “just” a break and could return in the future. Nevertheless, fans must now say goodbye to the special insights of the developer for the time being.
After Mortdog’s announcement to take a break from creating additional content, there was again a lot of criticism – but this time for the community that pushed him to this step. Many players emphasize that TFT with Mortdog and his transparent communication really has something special, and anyone who vented their frustration on him should feel bad. This has harmed the entire community.
On April 28, 2025, Maciej “Shushei” Ratuszniak passed away. He was a member of the first world championship team in League of Legends.
Who is it about? The former “League of Legends” pro Maciej Ratuszniak, better known as Shushei, passed away on April 28, 2025, at the age of 36 due to cancer. This was announced by the deceased’s sister in a post on Facebook.
Shushei was one of the players who won the first League of Legends world championship in 2011, the Riot Season 1 Championship. He led the Fnatic team to victory in the finals with 2:1 against the also European team “against All authority” and was additionally named the MVP (most valuable player) of the tournament.
Already in 2023, Shushei ended his career as an active esports athlete but achieved first places at the Intel Extreme Masters Season V in Hannover and the Intel Extreme Masters Season VI in New York until then.
Ex-Team and Fans Pay Respect
On social media, fans and Shushei’s former successful team express their sorrow over the loss of the esports player. Fnatic writes on X:
Yesterday we lost a legend in Shushei. Shushei was part of the incredible Fnatic team that won the very first ‘League of Legends’ world championship in 2011, which established the Fnatic LoL community for many of our fans. Our thoughts are with his friends and family.
On Reddit, some fans also share their favorite memories of Shushei. One user recounts:
“My favorite memory of Shushei is one of his S3 or S4 streams after he had taken a long break, during which his placements put him somewhere in the Gold range, and he asked for Mid in champ select, to which his mid laner asked him: ‘What rank are you?’, and Shushei simply replied: World Champion.”
Another user reports: “Oh no, I remember watching his streams […] and his Gragas gameplay and the S1 finals when I had just started playing League… I was literally 14, and I remember thinking: ‘I want to be like him!!!'”
The community is definitely united: Shushei is a legend and died far too young at the age of 36.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The games for PS Plus Essential in May 2025 for the PS5 and PS4 have been officially announced. We will briefly introduce the games and show when they are available.
Which PS Plus games are there in May 2025? Even in May 2025, there are again three games that you can get with the PS Plus Essential subscription.
ARK: Survival Ascended (PS5)
Balatro (PS5 | PS4)
Warhammer 40.000: Boltgun (PS5 | PS4)
When will the games be available? The games will always be available from the first Tuesday of a month:
PS Plus games available from: May 6, 2025, around 12:00 PM
Everything important about the free games from PS Plus Essential in May 2025
ARK: Survival Ascended (PS5)
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In ARK Survival Ascended, Mickey and Minnie Mouse are now available
What kind of game is this? The game from the ARK creators is a type of remaster of ARK: Survival Evolved. You play on the popular maps with the same (and partly new) dinos and other creatures, but in the mantle of Unreal Engine 5. This means that fans of the predecessor ARK: Survival Evolved can especially expect better and more detailed graphics.
Another big difference from Evolved is the mod support for consoles. Fans can now also use various content such as maps, structures, and creatures created by the community on PS5 and Xbox. This is only possible in ARK: Survival Evolved on PC.
Balatro (PS5 | PS4)
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Trailer for the roguelike poker game Balatro by LocalThunk
What kind of game is this? Balatro is a poker roguelike. You use various cards and jokers to compete against increasingly powerful opponents. You defeat these opponents by making different poker hands and thereby scoring points.
The most exciting part is the countless combos you can create with various effect and joker cards. Thus, with the right jokers, a simple pair can score more points than a royal flush.
Balatro is celebrated by players for its high replay value, and the good thing is that constantly new cards join through various collaborations that you can collect.
Warhammer 40.000: Boltgun (PS5 | PS4)
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Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun Trailer
What kind of game is this? In Warhammer 40.000: Boltgun, it’s mainly about shooting, and in the graphic style of the old Dooms. Throughout the game, you have various weapons from the Warhammer universe available to make your opponents bleed.
If the pixel graphics don’t bother you, you should go for it, especially if you’re in the mood to just blow off steam and take down monsters.
What else do you need to consider? If you haven’t grabbed the games from last month for PS Plus yet, you should hurry. As soon as the new games are available, the old ones will be turned off again. If you want to grab the games, you will definitely need the paid PS Plus subscription for your PS4 or PS5.
The studio Paradox Interactive has been the best address for strategy games for 20 years. Currently, the Swedes have 5 outstanding strategy games in the top lists on Steam: Hearts of Iron IV, Crusader Kings 3, Europa Universalis V, Stellaris, and Victoria 3. But as a credible insider report shows, the company is now facing problems. With the removal of a generous remote work policy, employee morale is declining.
What games is Paradox known for? Paradox is known for historical games in the sub-genre “Grand Strategy.” In Paradox’s games, one can build vast empires and relive history:
Their currently most successful game is Hearts of Iron IV, a paradise for modders, which still achieves 62,000 concurrent players at peak on Steam, even 9 years after its release.
Crusader Kings III shows its new DLC: Khans of the Steppe
Paradox abolishes remote work, refuses to engage in discussions
What problems does the studio have? As a report on GameDeveloper shows, the studio is currently struggling with employee satisfaction.
The magazine reports, citing anonymous sources at Paradox, that the studio in Stockholm shifted to a restrictive remote work policy during the Corona pandemic:
Developers could work 3 days a week in the studio and 2 days from home
But from February 2025, they should be back in the office 4 days a week
From September 2025, remote work will be completely over, and they should be in the office 5 days a week
Employees react with discontent to office requirement
This is how it was received: According to the report, the management’s decision was poorly received, and in the call where the decision was communicated, there was a strong negative emoji reaction.
Many employees have come to appreciate flexible working in remote work in recent years and have adjusted their lives accordingly. During the Zoom call, there was a flood of negative emotions when the manager spoke. In contrast, those who raised doubts about the policy or asked questions were supported in the chat with positive emojis.
But the company would not engage in any discussion and ordered employees back to the office, stating that they needed more productivity and contact with each other.
The reference to studies showing that remote work increases productivity was dismissed. What applies to other companies does not necessarily have to apply to Paradox.
This is what the company says: In a statement to GameDeveloper, Deputy CEO Mattias Lija said that working in the office is expected to be the norm, and they expect employees to generally adhere to this.
However, those hired outside of Stockholm can remain where they are. The office requirement does not apply to them.
At least, the company offers some flexibility and says that individual rules can be found for certain employees depending on circumstances and is willing to renegotiate if Paradox feels negative consequences.
One in five is reportedly looking for a new job
This is the result: According to the report, the decision of the company’s management has had an extremely negative impact on the morale of employees.
The union conducted a survey among employees and received about 300 responses from staff across the various sub-studios. According to the survey:
34% of respondents say the new policy makes it more likely that they will look for a new job
20% of respondents are already looking for a new job
According to Game Developer, all employees they spoke with appeared frustrated, particularly regarding Paradox’s argument that the office requirement increases productivity.
From their perspective, the new office requirement does not result in improved productivity. There is now a complete lack of motivation to improve:
If the results improve now, that would mean management was right
If performance worsens, that means management was wrong, but in the worst case, one could then lose their job, which is bad in the current job market
Moreover, there are rumors that Paradox has offered to exempt key employees from the office requirement, but this was denied by management.
What impact does this have for players? It will depend on how Paradox handles the situation. We have seen in some major studios that a group of dissatisfied employees has gathered around a charismatic leader and left the studio to establish a new studio that operates in a more family-like way, often in the same city.
Especially during the Corona pandemic, this has happened more frequently, although not much has come from these studios yet, as most are still in development. So we don’t know whether this will ultimately be a good development for players or not:
Ghostcrawler left Riot Games to develop his own MMORPG
Mike Morhaime left Blizzard to develop games on a smaller scale
Ben Brode left Blizzard and created a hit with Marvel Snap
Harold Ryan left Bungie and founded “Probably Monsters” directly in Seattle, but only the massive flop Concord has come out so far
A mass exodus of experienced employees would certainly be the worst-case scenario for Paradox, as it would mean losing their top talents to competitors and competing with them for talent and attention in the future.
Season 8 in Diablo 4 is here – and some players are already feeling bored. The new seasonal mechanics are said to be dull and causing frustration. Some fans even say: No one wants to play this game like that.
Diablo 4 Shows Updates for Bosses and the New Boss Powers in Season 8
Boring season mechanics and “reheated” powers
What are players criticizing about Season 8? Essentially, there is currently little that is not being criticized. The main points of criticism summarized:
The “Appearance Invasion Events”, the new seasonal feature, are seen by many as tedious and monotonous. The gameplay feels like an eternal loop of legion events – repeatedly taking down mobs, defeating elite opponents, running back, killing boss.
On Reddit, the Diablo 4 community discusses the new season. In a post, Nice-Brief9261 writes that the seasonal mechanics consist of a slightly enhanced legion event that repeats endlessly. Essentially, you jump from one timed event to the next – ten minutes of action, five minutes of pause, he explains.
For him, it feels worse than the hell waves, but gives more XP – which is why you are practically forced to do it. He says this as a player with thousands of hours of playtime who has played every single season. His conclusion: Those considering playing Season 8 can skip it. “It’s disappointing already on release day.”
In another Reddit post, JUAN1101 describes the “Appearance Invasion Events” as boring, recycled legion events. The “witch tides” in Season 7 had entertainment value, but now you run from A to B and kill a few groups of enemies. “People play Diablo to slaughter through huge waves of monsters – not to hunt four monsters scattered across the map,” he explains. He doesn’t believe he will stick around for an entire week.
Are there any positive voices? Amid all the frustration, there are also a few positive voices regarding Season 8. GideonOakwood writes in a post on Reddit that he enjoys the slower leveling – especially because it makes you stronger bit by bit. FlintxDD finds the new pets cute. And sharksiix sees it pragmatically: The game is designed more for casuals. Those with a lot of time or who play particularly efficiently risk getting bored quickly. And Moribunned jokes that the positive aspect is that the negatively inclined people won’t be playing.
This is what MeinMMO author Nicole says about the season start: After the server problems mostly disappeared, I took a night look at the new season. First, I started the seasonal quest and looked at the new mechanics.
Once I understood how the ‘Appearance Invasion Events’ work, it became clear to me: It’s essentially a legion event – just renamed. And I have never liked them. For me, it all feels too slow. I crave fast, dynamic gameplay. Running or riding to different locations within an event isn’t for me. In the past months, I may have participated in two or three legion events per season – not more. Those who enjoy them will surely have fun here. Whether one really wants to do them for hours is another question. It annoys me that you have to play appearance invasion events if you want loot, mats, and a magnificent spark.
So far, I have only farmed a few boss powers, but I am curious to see how the skills of the hideout bosses work. That you can now summon the bosses without mats is at least a good thing.
The new Battle Pass does not convince me – but at least I can save most of it and only buy the beast reliquary to get new cute pets.
Conclusion: Season 8 doesn’t excite me so far, but I will stick with it – especially to better assess the endgame.
What do you think of the new season in Diablo 4? Are you enjoying the events and the boss powers, or are you already bored? Feel free to leave us your opinion in the comments. If you are still looking for a strong build for the endgame, you can find our tier list with explanations and links to recreate it here: The best builds in Diablo 4: Tier list for Season 8
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone, Season 3 Reloaded starts on May 1, 2025. The update brings, as usual, some new content, including new skins and a limited-time mode for an upcoming event. However, the event’s theme annoys part of the community.
What kind of event is this? With the start of Season 3 Reloaded, a new event called “High Art” will begin on May 1 and is set to run until May 15. The event is a belated celebration of April 20 (in the US date format 4/20). The number 420 is commonly known as a symbol for cannabis consumption, and April 20 is a kind of holiday for consumers.
For the event, there will be a new event pass through which buyers can receive a “Seth Rogen” operator skin (see the title image). Seth Rogen is a comedian and actor known for several roles in which he plays a cannabis user – such as in Pineapple Express.
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Call of Duty shows what Verdansk looks like upon returning in Season 3 of Warzone
Call of Duty makes you a consumer in Black Ops 6
What kind of mode is this? On May 6, the 420 celebrations will continue with the event “Blaze of Glory.” During this time, there will be a mode called “Joint Operations” where various modifiers will change the flow of a match.
Modifiers include:
Visual impairment
Double health points
Paranoia sounds
Low gravity
Double jump
Increased movement speed.
The matches in Joint Operations are all designed for 6v6 battles and play in the multiplayer modes Team Deathmatch, Domination, Hardpoint, Kill Order, and Kill Confirmed.
There will also be a corresponding mode in Call of Duty: Warzone called “High Trip Resurgence,” where you fight with specified weapons but can receive various boosts from supply crates such as faster reloads, super speed, and no fall damage.
What does the community say about the 420 celebration? In the Subreddit of Black Ops 6, the event is being discussed critically. One player says:
“What is this 420 obsession? It might have been funny 15 years ago in MW2, with the ‘Joint Ops’ and ‘High Command’ titles, but now it’s so obsessed that it’s not even funny anymore, just outdated. […] Even if you might think so, no one cares about grass anymore. It’s not cool or special anymore. Just forget it, please.”
The post gathered over 1,000 upvotes in about 16 hours, indicating significant support within the community.
Other players are convinced that these skins sell well, as Activision wouldn’t constantly exploit the topic otherwise. Some commentators also suggest that the poster has probably grown up over the past 15 years and therefore no longer finds it funny. They believe younger players might still resonate with the entire theme.
In the past, Call of Duty has repeatedly introduced cosmetic items, events, and entire bundles related to cannabis consumption. For example, in 2022, there was the rapper Snoop Dogg as a playable operator with appropriate stoner references for Call of Duty: Vanguard and Warzone.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Fans of the RPG genre have been waiting for years for an Elder Scrolls 6, but Bethesda prefers to work on remasters. Luckily, the developers of Questline will soon release a new title – and it’s like a dark Skyrim with strong graphics.
What kind of game is this? It is Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon, a dark RPG. You take on the role of a hero and start in a world inspired by the Arthurian legend – you create your own hero. Just like in Skyrim, you can follow the main or side quests, explore dungeons, strengthen your character, and discover the world of Avalon.
In addition to exploring, fans can also dive into extensive build crafting and try different combinations to excel in combat. However, the game does not make you wait years for a release, as you can get started with the 1.0 version on May 23, 2025.
You can find the gameplay trailer for Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon here:
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Tainted Grail: Fall of Avalon shows you a darker Skyrim
Over 50-70 hours of gameplay, 200 side quests, and more
What does Tainted Grail offer? When Tainted Grail launches and the final release version 1.0 is published, you can expect the following:
Access to the full game, including 3 huge areas to explore
Approximately 50-70 hours of gameplay, depending on the exploration type
A main story quest with up to 100 different endings
Over 200 side quests
Over 250 unique NPCs
Over 400 unique weapons (including shields)
Over 55 spells and 14 soul dice
Over 75 dungeons
Over 100 unique enemies and variants of them
While the main quest of Skyrim couldn’t convince every fan and offered only a single ending possibility, Tainted Grail boasts up to 100 different endings, depending on the choices you make. This is intended to provide high replay value.
You can also skip it and collect achievements, complete side quests, or simply explore the world of Avalon – you have the choice.
How much does the game cost? The game will cost €43.99 at release. Additionally, players can purchase some purely optional cosmetic content, like horse armor, for about €9.99. However, these are not necessary.
Which platforms will get Tainted Grail? The game is already available for pre-order on Steam and is also set to release on Xbox and PS5. You can already play the demo.
A game has finally made its way to Steam six months after release to the excitement of many players. But the joy is short-lived and significantly lowers the game’s rating. Fans are now warning potential new players.
Which game is being talked about? It is the game Infinity Nikki by Infold Games, which combines jump ‘n’ run, dress-up, and RPG elements in an open world. The game already surpassed 20 million downloads a week after its release (via TheGamer) and has now also been available on Steam since April 28, 2025, six months later. However, it now only has a “mixed” rating (56% of the 2,294 user reviews are positive).
The surprise is that it is primarily the most loyal players, who have been playing since the release, who are voicing their criticism. Because they have all witnessed what puts Infinity Nikki in a much worse light: the good old monetization. But now it seems that the developer has taken this to another level, and unfortunately, it has not gone unnoticed.
Here you can see the trailer for Infinity Nikki:
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Infinity Nikki announces its release with a new trailer
Longtime fans are unsure if they want to continue playing Infinity Nikki
What exactly are the players criticizing? Along with the release on Steam, Infinity Nikki’s latest patch 1.5 brought some monetization changes that are not sitting well with existing players at all. Judging by the reviews, many of them are aware that Infinity Nikki employs very prominent gacha elements, allowing a lot of real money to flow into the game. This has been the case since the release, but now it seems the developer has taken this system too far.
Players who wanted to invest very little or no real money in Infinity Nikki have always had a harder time completing outfits. The number of collectible parts for a complete outfit has now been further increased, resulting in even more pulls being needed on average. This is alarming for potential future monetization updates. Because this makes the outfits correspondingly more expensive and the game increasingly difficult for budget-conscious players. (via PC Gamer)
What are players saying in the Steam reviews?
Emiix comments: “The greed of the companies has become too great. I know many gacha games that struggle with power creep and such, but only 6 months after launch? (…) In its current state, this game is simply not worth your time, let alone your money.”
Phantomille says: “I’m not usually a person who plays gacha games, but I was willing to accept the system because there was a lot to do in the game and the monetization at launch was not overly aggressive. But to promote an exciting system, make it seem like a way for non-monetized progress/sustainability, and then turn around to exploit dedicated players? (…) That is really disgusting, to the point that I have to question whether I want to continue playing Infinity Nikki.”
B writes: “They added a bathtub for $10. For that price, it better drown my enemies.”
A 40-year-old man is said to have worked from home for 13 jobs at the same time. But eventually, his tactics were uncovered. Now he faces 20 years in prison. He allegedly sold secrets abroad.
A 40-year-old man from Maryland faces decades in prison after he allegedly collaborated with foreign nationals in China to obtain IT remote work positions with at least 13 different U.S. companies between 2021 and 2024.
According to authorities, his fraud is believed to be part of a massive scam that finances North Korea’s illegal nuclear weapons and missile program. He could face up to 20 years in prison. The verdict is expected in August 2025, according to the English-language magazine Fortune.com.
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Students spy on passersby with hidden cameras and AI, find name and address in seconds
40-Year-Old Allegedly Rented His US Identity to Developers in China
What exactly did he do? Authorities allege that the 40-year-old rented his US identity to developers in China, who then obtained more than a dozen remote tech jobs, some of which involved contracting work for sensitive government agencies. He is alleged to have worked for the Federal Aviation Administration (FFA), the federal agency responsible for aviation in the United States.
The jobs earned him a salary of over $970,000 for software development tasks that were actually performed by employees, who according to the Justice Department, are from North Korea and work from a post in Shenyang, China.
The China-based developers used the company’s IT jobs, some of which involved providing software services to US government agencies like the Federal Aviation Administration, to gain access to highly sensitive government systems, logging in from overseas, according to authorities. The sensitive data is said to have then been passed on.
How was the employee uncovered? A company where the defendant was allegedly employed provided his data to the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency for a secret clearance review and noted that he might already have another job.
This suspicion was confirmed when screenshots of the employee were compared: Because in the picture taken by the company’s boss, a different person was seen than the one with whom he originally conducted the job interview and the person who participated in the daily virtual meetings.
According to authorities, he is just one of many individuals who are said to be involved in the fraud. It is believed to be part of a large-scale fraud operation in which trained North Korean nationals collaborate with American brokers.
The North Koreans, working from China, are said to be using the US citizens to secure employment, only to then transfer their salaries to Kim Jong Un, the authoritarian leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Son Goku is considered by many fans of Dragon Ball and also anime as one of the strongest characters that exist. However, there are some characters who could take him on, whether physically or not. We present 6 of them.
Attention Spoiler: The following article contains minor spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Death Note, Gurren Lagann and Akira.
How was this list created? Of course, it is difficult to compare different anime universes. In this list, we are not just simply referring to a physical comparison, but to the abilities of the various characters.
Thus, it may be that Son Goku can physically defeat the characters on this list, but abilities or rules in his own universe ensure that he generally could not win.
On this list, we only discuss characters from other anime, which is why we leave out Beerus and Whis.
If you feel a character is missing from this list, feel free to write it in the comments.
Tetsuo from the sci-fi classic Akira
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Akira: Trailer shows the groundbreaking animation techniques
Akira shows how power can spiral out of control in the wrong hands, and the prime example of that is Tetsuo. The young teenager gains psychic and telekinetic powers that grow stronger throughout the film alongside his madness and rage.
His powers are difficult to grasp, but he could probably wipe out entire planets without any problems. Additionally, he seems to have abilities that can manipulate reality and the universe. Depending on interpretation, one could say that by the end of the film, he has become a sort of god or a universe.
Saitama from One Punch Man
In the series itself, Saitama’s strength is quite variable. Sometimes he fights against mutants, and other times against godlike beings that operate outside earthly logic. However, even against such opponents, Saitama needs only a few punches at most.
One Punch Man is a parody of unbeatable shonen protagonists, which is why he cannot lose; the logic of his world prohibits it, which is why he would probably defeat Goku as well. He is a kind of gag character, and even in the Dragon Ball Super anime, we’ve seen how a character like Arale can hold her own against Vegeta.
The Anti-Spiral from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
Goku could, if he wanted, destroy entire planets, which even Golden Frieza can do. However, some anime go beyond that, such as Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. At the end of the mecha series, we meet the Anti-Spiral.
It is not only larger than universes; its abilities can manipulate reality, incapacitate opponents, and it can also time travel. One could even say it is a universe of its own. In the final battle of the series, we see that this being even uses entire galaxies as projectiles. Even Goku would have to submit to the rules of its universe.
Light Yagami from Death Note
Light Yagami is a normal human with an exaggerated sense of justice. In a normal fight, he could never stand against Son Goku or even stronger humans, but he doesn’t have to. He fights with his head.
To defeat Goku, he would only need to write his name in the Death Note. It is not that easy to find out his name, but if he asks, Goku would surely betray him. Even if not: With the help of Misa Amane and the Shinigami’s eyes, he could find out his name anyway. That would surely be great fun for Ryuk.
Fumihiko Takaba from Jujutsu Kaisen
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Jujutsu Kaisen 0 – The trailer for the feature film of the Shonen anime
Fumihiko Takaba is known so far only from the manga, but he has an interesting ability that would give even Gojo or Sukuna trouble. He is actually a bad comedian, and that also represents his ability.
When Takaba thinks of something he finds funny, it becomes reality. His great weakness, however, is that he himself is unaware of his ability. Through his ability, Takaba can turn a simple fight into an absurd comedy show, which fits perfectly with old-school Dragon Ball (via Jujutsu Kaisen Wiki).
Giorno Giovanna from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
In Part 3 of JoJo, the Stands were introduced. These are unique abilities that Stand users possess. While Part 3 primarily focused on combat-oriented Stands, it became increasingly abstract with the subsequent parts.
One of the strongest is probably Golden Experience Requiem from Part 5 protagonist Giorno Giovanna. This Stand can reset actions and prevent them from becoming reality. It can thus prevent any attack and any movement, so that they never happen. Even those from powerful opponents like Goku.
Additionally, when it kills an enemy, Golden Experience Requiem creates an infinite death loop, causing the enemy to experience realities in which they die forever (via JoJo’s Bizarre Wiki).
At the end of May, a new MMO will be released on PS5: Crystal of Atlan. The game in anime-style launches with 8 different classes and allows players to beat enemies in the air – very similar to Genshin Impact.
What kind of game is this? Crystal of Atlan is a cell-shaded anime-style MMO by Nuverse Limited, a subsidiary of TikTok owner ByteDance. It is free-to-play in its base version and is set to be released on May 28, 2025, for PS5 (via Playstation Store), as well as via Apple and Google Play Store. A PC version has also been announced, but cannot be pre-ordered yet. Pre-registration is possible for mobile devices.
The setting of the MMO is a steampunk world with magic elements, which is why the developers call the game Magic Punk. The player’s character is a member of the Thornbird Adventurer Guild and is supposed to help uncover the secrets of the important crystal of Atlan.
In addition to MMO content, the game is also supposed to offer single-player content. This includes anime-style cutscenes and solo content. If you want to get a first impression of the game, you can watch a trailer here:
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New MMORPG Crystal of Atlan – Game Preview
With 8 classes into aerial battles like in Genshin Impact
What classes are there? In total, there are four main classes in Crystal of Atlan, which can specialize into eight subclasses. Here’s an overview:
Swordsman (Sword Fighter)
Can develop into Berserker or Magic Blade
Musketeer (Shooter)
Can become Bounty Hunter or Gunner
Puppeteer (Puppet Master)
Can specialize into Scytheguard or Blademaiden
Magister
Becomes Elementalist or Warlock
The combat system is said to be similar to that of Genshin Impact or Devil May Cry, according to the developers. Notably, enemies can be hurled into the air and continued to be beaten. Very similar to the two mentioned titles.
What do we know about the release? Specifically, Crystal of Atlan is set to be released on May 28, 2025, for PS5 and mobile. Although the game is free-to-play, two different bundles can still be pre-ordered for PS5. Pack I costs €9.99, while Pack II will be sold for €19.99 online.
Both pre-order bundles include in-game items for an easier start in the game once it goes live. However, they are explicitly not required to play the game at release.
The Twitch streamer Asmongold talked in a stream about wealthy influencers who behave inconsistently. For streamers like Pokimane or HasanAbi speak as if they are just as broke as the average citizen, while they indulge in luxury.
Who is Asmongold ranting against? In a previous Twitch stream, Asmongold reacted to posts in his Reddit. Among them was a clip in which the Twitch streamer Imane “Pokimane” Anys talks about the rich in a joint stream with Jason “JasontheTween” Nguyen.
Pokimane says: She hates the rich.
She means: “Do you think we’ll have a revolution in America someday? Right? It’s progressing, isn’t it? Another one. The wealth inequality is getting worse. (…) And we hate the rich” (via YouTube).
We introduce you to the streamer Asmongold in our video:
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Career and life of Asmongold in 3 minutes – What makes him special?
You would be the first to be taken at a revolution
How does Asmongold react? Asmongold immediately points out the contradiction in this statement.
Because the Twitch streamer Pokimane clearly belongs to the wealthy she herself talks about.
Asmongold responds: “I love how people say that as if you wouldn’t be the first to go to the guillotine. You would be the first! Who is this ‘we’?” (via YouTube).
Her streaming colleague JasontheWeen also expresses concerns about Pokimane’s statement in the clip and asks her if she is not also among the wealthy.
The Twitch streamer clarifies that she means the “ultra-rich,” the “unnecessarily rich,” the “billionaires,” and the “Bezos.”
Furthermore, Asmongold believes that there are some influencers who are wealthy but still rant against the rich, thus constantly fueling the thought of a revolution. The reason they act this way, according to Asmongold, is that they think they wouldn’t be a victim of such a revolution.
It looks really bad when all these people talk about how great socialism is while these people live a life of luxury. If someone doesn’t live what they preach, they probably don’t really believe it themselves.
As an example, Asmongold features the Twitch streamer Hasan “HasanAbi” Piker, who has a leftist mindset and continually expresses this on his Twitch channel, while also being one of the biggest in the industry with over 2.8 million followers on Twitch and regularly benefiting from his luxury.
Asmongold is one of the most successful streamers on Twitch, but also one of the most controversial. For some time now, he has been increasingly creating political and polarizing content.
His content and statements have made it difficult for him to be “brand-safe,” meaning it has been challenging for him to find sponsors. This was also one of the reasons why the WoW group OTK distanced itself from him.
How rich is Pokimane? The exact earnings of Pokimane can only be estimated through some clues, but the Twitch streamer with more than 9.3 million followers on Twitch can definitely be regarded as one of the big names in the international Twitch space.
Additionally, there are regular sponsors, donations from viewers, and the fact that she had an exclusive contract with Twitch in the past for which she was also compensated. Through selling her merch, she also makes a profit.
Pokimane has been a successful, professional influencer since 2017, building a large name for herself and considered “absolutely brand-safe,” making her extremely attractive for the advertising industry. Thus, her wealth can already be estimated to be in the millions.
