The Big Bang Theory has been a long-running comedy series with many lovable characters that have left a lasting impression on fans. But there is also the other side. A girlfriend of Leonard was probably so unpopular that she could only be seen in a few episodes.
Which character is being referred to? In 12 seasons and 279 episodes, the well-known nerds of The Big Bang Theory didn’t just focus on science, comics, and series, but also on relationships and family. Throughout the series, we also get to know various family members.
One of them is Raj’s sister, Priya Koothrappali. She is a successful lawyer, and although Leonard promised in the past, he starts an affair with her in season 4 when she is visiting California.
Before Leonard gets together with Penny and later marries her, he had other partners, but especially Priya didn’t seem to sit well with the fans.
You can find a trailer for The Big Bang Theory here:
Start video
The Big Bang Theory – Trailer of Season 1
This is a polarizing figure
How did the creators of the series feel about Priya? In the book The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive Inside Story Of The Epic Hit Series, there are not only various backgrounds on the series, but also interviews with producers and actors.
Among other things, producer Steve Molaro spoke, who discussed Priya and her relationship with Leonard. He said:
Uh, that is a polarizing figure. I wish I could tell you that we thought about these things in advance, but we did not. It seemed like an entertaining storyline that Leonard was dating Raj’s sister. That was the entire thought behind it.
Steve Molaro on Priya and Leonard (via Filmstarts)
According to Molaro, there were no big plans; they just watched what developed. We were just desperately looking for the next episode and that’s all there is to it. As Filmstarts reports, however, fans did not react well to Priya, which is why she did not take on a larger role in the series and was written out.
Overall, she appeared in only 12 episodes, with her last appearance in season 5. Considering how important the family aspect is in the series, this seems quite little. There are also scattered forum entries online such as on Reddit, where people discuss that they do not like Priya.
How did Leonard react to Priya? In an interview with tvline.com, Johnny Galecki spoke in 2011 about the then-active storyline with Priya. He only has praise for her actress Aarti Mann. He says that the team loves her and that her work ethic fits perfectly with them.
Galecki continues that her character also makes sense within the series because she is intelligent. She is a counterpart to Leonard, with whom he can talk more easily than with Penny. In this context, he also talks about the situation with Raj during the relationship:
I have to laugh so hard. Raj does not handle it well! I love how the writers deal with romantic relationships, as it is never quite comfortable. The more Raj realizes that it is not a cheap fling but a serious relationship, the less it bothers him.
Johnny Galecki on his series relationship with Priya and Raj’s reaction (via tvline.com).
Path of Exile 2 is currently not running as fans would like it to. There are many areas that GGG needs to improve so that players can enjoy grinding again. For this to happen, a fan has now pointed out a point that the hack & slash must change.
Who is the player? The user retryui voiced their opinion on Reddit regarding the current situation of Path of Exile 2. They have spent 6000 hours in the predecessor and know what the hack & slash is missing. For them, it’s clear that crafting, or rather the ability to build things, to experiment with builds is essential.
Many of the items they need for their builds were never offered for trade, and thus crafting can help them immerse themselves further into the game. In Path of Exile 2, this is virtually nonexistent, and you either have to rely on luck when rolling perks or hope for luck when trading.
However, many players do not want to deal with the stress of trading and are therefore looking at the predecessor, where crafting especially can impress.
Start video
Path of Exile 2 presents a new teaser for the big update Dawn of the Hunt
Path of Exile 2 struggles where the predecessor shines
What makes PoE1 better? In Path of Exile 1, crafting is impressive because players have countless options to enhance or refine their items. In Path of Exile 2, however, it is pure luck with the upgrade orbs.
You spend the orbs, hope that the RNG blesses you, and otherwise you disassemble almost 80% of the items since only a few players are lucky enough to draw a God-Roll. The alternative is trading, but even here it is not going as fans would like.
Due to the resource scarcity when grinding, there are only a few players who can really treat themselves to one or another God-Roll through trading. retryui believes that if GGG would address the issue and improve crafting, similar to Path of Exile 1, the successor would fare better and be more fun.
When will a new patch for PoE2 be released? The good news is that the developers of Path of Exile 2 are diligently working to fix the game’s issues. Accordingly, patch 0.2.0g is set to be released in the week of April 28.
Starting now, you can vote for the Bundesliga TOTS in EA FC 25. At MeinMMO, we will tell you how you can vote for the Team of the Season of the German top division and which candidates are nominated.
How do you vote for the Bundesliga TOTS? For the Team of the Season election of the Bundesliga, EA Sports has set up a dedicated page, just like it did for the Premier League TOTS voting.
When you open the link, you will initially see an empty lineup. Below, you will find all the nominated players sorted by position: forwards, midfielders, defenders, and goalkeepers. To make your selection for the TOTS, simply drag your favorites into the appropriate positions in the team.
What else do I need to consider when voting? The voting runs from April 23 (7:00 PM) to April 30 (7:00 PM).
To ensure your vote is counted, you should log in with your EA account before voting. You can find the login on the EA page at the upper right corner of your screen.
Start video
Tips for a Perfect Start in EA FC 25 – Ultimate Team
All Candidates for the Bundesliga TOTS Voting
Who is nominated? A total of 42 players are available for you to put together your TOTS selection. The team is set up in a 4-3-3 formation – with 1 goalkeeper, 4 defenders, 3 midfielders, and 3 forwards.
Nominated TOTS Goalkeepers of the Bundesliga (choose 1 out of 5)
Péter Gulácsi – RB Leipzig
Robin Zentner – 1. FSV Mainz 05
Oliver Baumann – TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
Nikola Vasilj – FC St. Pauli
Noah Atubolu – SC Freiburg
Nominated TOTS Defenders of the Bundesliga (choose 4 out of 12):
Jonathan Tah – Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Dayot Upamecano – Bayern Munich
Piero Hincapié – Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Nico Schlotterbeck – Borussia Dortmund
Alphonso Davies – Bayern Munich
Willi Orban – RB Leipzig
Jeremie Frimpong – Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Rasmus Kristensen – Eintracht Frankfurt
Maximilian Mittelstädt – VfB Stuttgart
Alejandro Grimaldo García – Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Min Jae Kim – Bayern Munich
Nathaniel Brown – Eintracht Frankfurt
Nominated TOTS Midfielders of the Bundesliga (choose 3 out of 15):
Florian Wirtz – Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Joshua Kimmich – Bayern Munich
Jamal Musiala – Bayern Munich
Michael Olise – Bayern Munich
Granit Xhaka – Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Xavi Simons – RB Leipzig
Nadiem Amiri – 1. FSV Mainz 05
Ritsu Doan – SC Freiburg
Angelo Stiller – VfB Stuttgart
Paul Nebel – 1. FSV Mainz 05
Alassane Plea – Borussia M’gladbach
Jens Stage – Werder Bremen
Vincenzo Grifo – SC Freiburg
Kaishü Sano – 1. FSV Mainz 05
Tom Bischof – TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
Nominated TOTS Forwards of the Bundesliga (choose 3 out of 10):
Harry Kane – Bayern Munich
Patrik Schick – Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Tim Kleindienst – Borussia M’gladbach
Mohamed Amoura – VfL Wolfsburg
Jonathan Burkardt – 1. FSV Mainz 05
Serhou Guirassy – Borussia Dortmund
Hugo Ekitike – Eintracht Frankfurt
Nick Woltemade – VfB Stuttgart
Benjamin Šeško – RB Leipzig
Loïs Openda – RB Leipzig
Important: Each player can only be used in their actual position. You have space for 3 forwards, 3 midfielders, 4 defenders, and 1 goalkeeper. Whether you choose only center forwards or exclusively center backs is entirely up to you.
Additionally, every vote from you could count, as not only 11 players will make it into the TOTS. About a year ago, 15 professionals from the voting made it into the final Bundesliga TOTS in FC 24.
When will the Bundesliga TOTS be released? The Team of the Season of the Bundesliga will be released on Friday, May 9, 2025, at 7:00 PM in Ultimate Team. It will be introduced along with the TOTS of the Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga and the SüperLig. You can find all relevant dates for the Team of the Season in FC 25 on MeinMMO as well: When does TOTS start? – Release Date and Schedule Overview
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Bungie’s Marathon features aim assist for mouse and keyboard, but Twitch streamer shroud finds this problematic and calls the feature cheating.
What kind of aimbot is this? On April 23, 2025, a closed alpha test of Bungie’s new extraction shooter “Marathon” began, which is set to release on September 23, 2025, for PC and consoles. During the alpha test, the first players quickly realized that Bungie had come up with a special feature for Marathon: an aim assist for players using mouse and keyboard.
This aim assist almost magnetically pulls your crosshair onto the opponent. It makes it easier to stop on a target precisely with quick flicks and to track them better with the crosshair while they move.
Among the first players testing Marathon in the alpha who experienced the new aim assist in action were various Twitch streamers, including former CS:GO and Valorant pro Michael “shroud” Grzesiek.
Start video
Bungie shows first gameplay of Marathon in trailer
shroud is convinced that Bungie should completely remove the feature
What does shroud say about the aim assist? shroud is not a fan of the aim assist for “mouse and keyboard” players and labels it as aimbot. Initially, he joked: “We deserve this. We deserve [an] aimbot.” (via Reddit). However, in the same stream, shroud made it clear that he finds the feature very problematic.
“They definitely just need to remove this mouse aim assist nonsense,” the streamer stated, adding, “I understand that they want to balance consoles and PC for crossplay, but it only ruins the PC part of the game.”
Moreover, he believes that aim assist dilutes the PC gameplay and would make PC players feel “crappy” because the game gives them aim assist to compete with controller players and their aim assist. shroud is convinced that “mouse and keyboard” players would rather work on their skills than use aim assist.
In conclusion, shroud says that the aim assist feels good in gameplay because it basically is cheating. However, he also asked: “Does it feel good when everyone cheats?”
What is Marathon actually? Marathon is an extraction shooter (PvPvE) in the first-person perspective, where you play as a cybernetic mercenary. These are called Runners and have different abilities.
In a run, you collect loot and complete missions to upgrade your Runner. PvP engagements will play a significant role, but there will also be some kind of ranked mode. Good teamwork is an important key to success.
If you have been taken down by cheaters in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, there is now reason for hope – but only under one condition.
What is the problem with the cheaters? On November 21, 2024, the Ranked mode of the multiplayer started in Black Ops 6. Since then, the game, like many other shooters and multiplayer games, has had a problem with cheaters.
In Ranked, players compete against each other in regulated matches to achieve the highest ranks or even the leaderboards with the best players.
Shortly after the start of the Ranked mode, it was already full of cheaters. Many players used very obvious cheats.
The BlackCell Battle Pass in Season 3 of CoD: Black Ops 6 in the Trailer
Players can get lost points back
How does BO6 plan to limit the damage? Black Ops 6 introduced a new measure in the fight against cheaters on April 22, 2025. From now on, players who lost a match against a cheater in Ranked will get their points (SR) back if the said cheater has been banned (via X).
If you, for example, had 120 SR deducted because you left matches against cheaters as a loser, you now have the chance to get those 120 points back. Of course, this still depends on the Call of Duty anti-cheat system recognizing and banning the respective cheater.
In addition, Activision announced that this system should also be implemented in the Ranked mode of Call of Duty: Warzone. More information on this will follow throughout the season.
Is anything else changing? The developers of Black Ops 6 also revealed that players can receive point deductions if they have played in multiple matches with cheaters and benefited from them. This is to prevent players from being boosted to higher ranks by cheaters without using prohibited software themselves.
Among the possible Origin characters from Baldur’s Gate 3, one person stands out – The “Dark Urge.” Who or what that exactly is and why you should play this Origin story yourself, you will find out here.
What is the Dark Urge? The Dark Urge (in the original “Dark Urge” and affectionately abbreviated by many players within the community as “Durge), is a special Origin character from Baldur’s Gate 3.
The character cannot remember their past, but this becomes clearer over the course of the game, revealing the mystery of their origin. An inner, dark voice plagues the Dark Urge, urging them toward violence, torment, and murder. You can give in to these impulses, or resist with a lot of willpower (and successful rolls). It is possible to play a “good” playthrough as the Dark Urge, but it is not always that easy.
What distinguishes the Dark Urge from a regular character?
Unlike the other Origin characters like Astarion, Shadowheart, or Karlach, the Dark Urge cannot be recruited in a regular playthrough with a self-created character. This character appears only in their own Origin playthrough.
The character is deeply rooted in the lore of Baldur’s Gate and is an important figure in the story.
The Dark Urge has its own special scenes and dialogue options that are not available to regularly created characters.
You can customize the Dark Urge’s class, race, and attribute values to your liking. Only the background is fixed: the Haunted.
The Haunted: “A sinister moment, a person or thing that cannot be slain by a sword or spell, haunts your mind and flickers in your peripheral vision. You carry it with you wherever your adventure takes you – or perhaps it carries you.”
A playthrough as the Dark Urge is a completely different experience than that of a regular character:
The Dark Urge provides deeper insight into the lore and the powers of the game.
You can indulge in the dark visions and impulses of the character and experience a truly grim gaming experience, but you can also tell a redemption story, depending on what you prefer. A character named “the Dark Urge” can be surprisingly versatile.
The use of saving throws for decisions that go against the nature of the Dark Urge not only makes the gaming experience varied but also exciting. Sometimes you have to live with the terrible consequences of your dreadful deeds – or completely succumb to cruelty.
Here you see the animated short film for Patch 8 from Baldur’s Gate 3:
Start video
Der animierte Kurzfilm zu Patch 8, dem letzten Update für Baldur’s Gate 3
How do you play the Dark Urge?
Spoiler warning: From here on we will talk about content of the game and its consequences that will influence the Dark Urge and its development.
Throughout the game, you will confront it at several points with small snippets of memory. These could be a subconscious feeling, a reaction to an atrocity, or a similar influence that wants to guide the Dark Urge to make decisions with a sadistic look. And sometimes, as a player, you can do nothing against it.
Alfira, the Bard
The bard is the first victim in the game
The tiefling bard Alfira is introduced to you in the first act of the game. Just before you want to go to sleep in the camp, she will come to visit you and express her desire to accompany you on your journey and join the camp.
When the Dark Urge finally awakens, you will see that there is little left of Alfira but a badly mangled corpse, almost ritualistically dismembered. And next to the corpse, you notice something else: Your own blood-stained hands.
Here you have the choice to hide the corpse, wash off the blood, or confess to the murder.
Shortly thereafter, your “Butler” Scleritas Fel appears, who reports that he has been waiting for your return, even if you remember nothing. From him, you will receive your first reward for your gruesome deeds, a rather powerful item:
Deathstalker Mantle: The mantle is a rare cloak that makes the wearer invisible for 2 rounds after killing an enemy.
Isobel, Last Light Inn
The cleric would not be the only victim at her death
In the second act of the game, the Dark Urge must make an important decision. Scleritas Fel gives you a new target: the cleric Isobel, who protects the Last Light Inn from the shadow curse with her magic.
You kill Isobel: If you kill Isobel, the protective barrier around the Last Light Inn will disappear. Several NPCs will die or transform into shadow beings and attack you. Keep in mind that this decision has further consequences:
Dammon will die and will no longer be able to help Karlach.
The sleeping soldier will die, preventing you from continuing Halsin’s quest.
After Jaheira learns that you killed Isobel, she will attack you, and you will have no choice but to kill her.
BUT: You will receive a powerful reward from your butler: The Slayer Form – We will explain this further after another spoiler warning.
You do not kill Isobel: You do not have to kill Isobel, and while you will not be rewarded with the Slayer Form, many innocents will be spared. However, this decision leads to another challenge:
Your beloved
If you choose to spare Isobel and the Last Light Inn, your butler will appear and reveal a nasty surprise: As soon as you fall asleep, you will lose control and kill your beloved.
If you do not want to allow this to happen, you will wake the mentioned partner to warn him or her. The Dark Urge, however, will become more present, and you will need to succeed in several saving throws to stop the urge to kill. Here there are two possible outcomes:
Failure: This happens if you do not succeed in your first Wisdom saving throw (DC 14):
The Dark Urge will kill the partner.
The next morning, the other companions will notice. If you do not succeed in a pretty high Deception roll (DC 30), all your companions will turn against you and attack.
BUT: Even here you can be rewarded with the Slayer Form.
Success: If you succeed in the first saving throw, your character will wake up bound.
Your partner will help you to withstand the takeover of the Dark Urge, for which you need to succeed in three more Wisdom saving throws (DC 18). However, you will receive a bonus from your partner’s support.
The Dark Urge tries to warn KarlachA clarifying conversation (if the partner is still alive)
Further “collateral damage”: Who else could become a victim of the Dark Urge?
While the previously mentioned events are significant for the story of the Dark Urge, they are not the only victims of its bloodlust.
Gale: When Gale first appears, you must pull him out of a portal, for which he can only offer one of his hands to grasp. The Dark Urge can imagine lopping off the hand, which then happens almost in a frenzy. After that, Gale is never seen again, but you can take his hand as a souvenir.
Nettie’s Bird: In the Druid Grove, the healer Nettie is caring for a bird. The Dark Urge can take care of it in its own way, to put it mildly.
Minthara: If the Dark Urge follows the storyline that allows a romance with Minthara, you can snap her neck after a night together.
Pixie: In the shadow-cursed lands, you will come across a moon lantern inhabited by a pixie, which makes the lantern useful. If the Dark Urge decides to free this pixie, they can crush her immediately after her newfound freedom.
The Past and the End of the Dark Urge
Second spoiler warning: In the following, we delve into the background of the Dark Urge, why the character is plagued by brutal visions, and what happened in their past.
The true origin of the Dark Urge can already be revealed after the possible murder of Isobel or your partners.
There, you will receive the previously mentioned Slayer Form: A fearsome creature that you can transform into, which has different types of attacks with its claws, can make multiple attacks and great leaps, and can cause a serious bloodbath.
It functions similarly to a druid’s Wild Shape, adopting the Slayer’s attribute values and possesses two extra attacks.
The Slayer Form is not just any gift, but a skill granted only to the most powerful and devoted followers of a specific deity. And here, the past of the Dark Urge comes into play.
If you listen to your urges and butler, you will be rewarded with a special gift
Orin, the Red and Bhaal’s Legacy
Those who resist this until the third act and have not yet been informed about the past of the Dark Urge will experience a dream sequence at the beginning of Act 3, in which Scleritas Fel admonishes you for your “foolishness.”
It is revealed that the Dark Urge is a descendant of Bhaal, and not just any: it turns out that the Dark Urge was Bhaal’s chosen one before Orin (one of the three main antagonists from Baldur’s Gate 3).
It is revealed that Orin betrayed the Dark Urge and seized the title of Chosen for herself. She is also responsible for the Dark Urge being captured by the mindflayers and infected with the larva.
In the Temple of Bhaal, you can finally face Orin in a duel, or fight alongside your companions against her and other Bhaal cultists. Afterwards, the Dark Urge can decide whether to accept Bhaal and its associated fate or reject it.
How you screamed as my knife split your skull, your brain juices sticky and sweet.
A little hole, big enough for the worm, your body a blood sack to feed him.
Bhaal’s favorite became a puppet of flesh, strung up by the tendons and torn apart by my hands.
What about you? Have you played the Dark Urge yet, and did you like it or not? Feel free to share your experiences in the comments. If you were still undecided, we hope this guide was able to help you. If you want to know more about the Dark Urge, check out this article from MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus, who played through this character’s story himself: Baldur’s Gate 3: I now know what the “Dark Urge” is, and it makes the character much better
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
With “Eternal Rivals”, a new set for the Pokémon Trading Card Game is being released. Team Rocket is the focus here – but other trainers, like Misty, are also featured! We present to you five of their new cards.
When is Eternal Rivals coming out? The new set from the “Scarlet & Violet” series for the Pokémon Trading Card Game is set to release on May 30, 2025.
Overall, the set revolves around the battle between Team Rocket and other trainers who stand up against evil alongside their Pokémon.
A legendary gym leader is included: Misty appears in the new Pokémon set and has brought her Water-type Pokémon. We show you five of the new cards featured in the set.
Start video
Pokémon Horizons: The Series – Trailer for the Anime on TOGGO
5 New Cards from the Pokémon Set “Eternal Rivals”
Here, we present to you five new cards that will be included in the set. They are exclusively Trainer Pokémon that belong to Misty – of course, they are Water-type Pokémon.
Misty’s Psyduck: This card features a special illustration; otherwise, Psyduck has 70 HP and the ability Water Gun, which deals 30 damage for one Water energy. Its special ability is called “Confused Jump”. Once per turn, you may put the bottom card of your deck into your discard pile – as long as Psyduck is on your bench. If you do this, you must discard all cards from Psyduck and put it back into your deck.
Misty’s Magikarp: Magikarp wouldn’t be Magikarp if it suddenly became very strong. Therefore, its Splash (10 damage) and its HP (30) are, as always, quite weak. At least it can protect itself with the ability “Totally Submerged”: As long as it sits on the bench, opposing Pokémon attacks or their effects cannot harm it. So it can wait patiently to evolve.
Misty’s Gyarados: Gyarados wouldn’t be Gyarados if it weren’t strong: The old Water Dragon has not only a massive 180 HP but also deals a lot of damage with its attack “Splash Panic”. It only costs one Water energy, but you also have to put 7 cards from your deck into the discard pile. However, each of those cards representing one of Misty’s Pokémon increases the damage of your attack by 70. That can really hurt. And for those who don’t want to sacrifice cards: Cascade, which deals 120 damage for 3 energies, is also not weak.
Misty’s Staryu: Staryu is a classic from Misty’s collection. There isn’t much to say here: 70 HP, 20 damage from Bubble Beam, and the chance to paralyze the opponent with a coin toss. More exciting is Staryu’s evolution.
Misty’s Starmie: Starmie has 100 HP and is primarily a fast attacker: In the turn it evolves from Staryu, its “Abrupt Thunder” deals an extra 80 damage. This makes the attack a total of 140. For one energy, you can catch the opponent off guard.
Overall, the expansion will include over 240 cards, of which more than 85 represent Trainer Pokémon. Besides Misty, there are several other trainers included – and also Team Rocket, which includes more than 45 of the Trainer Pokémon. You can also play with Pokémon cards on your smartphone. For instance, in the game Pokémon TCG Pocket – to find out what the best decks are, read here.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A research team at MIT has introduced a new metamaterial. This could make various components nearly indestructible in the future. Wear and tear on graphics cards and processors could be minimized.
A research team at MIT has introduced a new “strong but stretchy” metamaterial. This is reported by the English-language magazine PCGamer. So-called metamaterials are artificially developed materials with special properties.
The presented metamaterial is a substance with multiple microscopic structures. The new material from MIT combines a “rigid, lattice-like framework of struts and beams” with “a pattern of coils that wind around each strut and beam”.
Start video
In Germany, there are over 400 USB sticks protruding from walls – What is the ‘Dead Drops’ project?
New material could provide high stability and shock resistance for new products
What is the advantage of the presented material? The advantage is that the material was able to stretch up to three times its own length in a test. The research team claims that this new metamaterial could be used to manufacture stretchable ceramics, glass, metals, and flexible semiconductors.
Additionally, the metamaterial could provide exceptional stability and shock resistance to new products or devices.
What does this mean for me? Portable devices like laptops and tablets are particularly susceptible to physical stress and could greatly benefit from the improved material in the future.
Processors and graphics cards expand under load with high heat generation. This is a completely normal process, but it also causes wear on hardware and wears out the devices over time. If not only the chips and other components on these boards but also the electrical traces themselves were bendable, one could imagine almost unbreakable digital devices.
The current discussion in German Twitch revolves around the streamer Killian “Tanzverbot” Heinrich. His accusations against his ex-girlfriend Lola and the streamer Adam “SkylineTV” Wolke dominate the current events. However, a streamer, Metashi12, explains that Twitch does not work that simply. As an example that scandals on Twitch remain without consequences, he mentions the streamer AnniTheDuck.
This is what Metashi12 says about the topic: Metashi elaborates in a clip that Twitch does not function that simply: misbehavior does not lead to streaming careers being ended.
Twitch does not work like this. AnniTheDuck has legitimately sacrificed baby goats on stream and called her viewers fat, rotten sons of bitches. And when she turns on her stream, she still has 5,000 viewers and earns €20,000 net a month.
Start video
Reved explains on Twitch how much she suffered in the relationship with Anni The Duck
Fans of streamers are like a cult
Why is that? Metashi says that the people who make a streamer big are like a cult and cannot be dissuaded from standing by their streamer.
He expects such loyalty from his followers, even when what he has done comes to light.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Even Twitch streamers feel the consequences of a scandal
Is he right about that? No, Metashi is exaggerating. AnniTheDuck experienced a significant career setback after her scandal and lost all her advertising partners in no time, because no one wanted to be associated with her anymore.
Although she still has a hardcore following of viewers who support her, she is far from having 5,000 viewers. It’s more like around 1,100.
Both streamers are back active and trying to restart their careers, Dr Disrespect is also getting money on YouTube again, but both have felt the consequences of their behavior.
The Festival of Accord: Blossomdance has arrived in Monster Hunter Wilds. Here, you can earn many exclusive rewards. A new armor set helps you to quickly and efficiently collect them.
What rewards can you earn? In the seasonal event Festival of Accord: Blossomdance, you can participate in various activities and receive rewards that celebrate the Japanese cherry blossom festival since April 23, 2025.
In addition to a juicy login bonus, you can earn various pieces of equipment. This includes the Sakura Wave and Blossom armor sets for hunters and Palicos, as well as various headgear for you and Alma. You will need event-exclusive materials, which you have to farm through various means – for example, by completing the appropriate event quests.
Some materials are available in limited quantities through your login bonus and by completing daily loot runs. Others can also be obtained during special hunts – and one of the new armor sets is particularly efficient for farming these materials.
Start video
Feast of Harmony: Blooming Dance – Event transforms Monster Hunter Wilds into a Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival
Thanks to the Armor Bonus, quickly get your rewards
Which armor are we talking about? If you want to efficiently earn all available rewards from the festival, the first thing you should do is get the Sakura Wave armor set. For that, you need 5 tickets, one ticket for each piece of armor. You should be able to gather these quickly when you collect your login bonus and complete the daily loot runs.
This is what the armor bonus brings: This armor set has the advantage of granting the set bonus “Blossomdance Prayer,” which gives you extra special items in the form of the needed materials for completing quests during the event. However, this only applies if you started the quest yourself. Capcom probably tries to prevent quests from being joined late to minimize the time needed to invest.
Here you can see the description of the set bonus
Additionally, the set also offers the bonus “Festival Mood,” which allows you to carve monsters for materials one more time. This also applies outside the event, making the set worthwhile even after the event if you want to farm materials. However, this effect does not apply if you join a quest late.
Thus, the set is especially beneficial if you want to gather materials and need fewer attempts.
In particular, for the Blossom armor and for the glasses, you must face the new event quests. With the festival, several event quests that were playable in the past return. So this is a good opportunity to earn rewards that you may have missed. Which challenges are currently active and what you get for them, you can read here: Monster Hunter Wilds Event Quests & Challenges: These tasks and rewards are currently active
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In EA FC 25, you can now purchase the new Premium Pass. This is a paid upgrade of the regular Season Pass. We presented the price and all bonuses on MeinMMO.
What does the new Premium Pass cost? You can buy it either with coins from Ultimate Team or with the in-game currency FC Points:
500,000 coins
1,000 FC Points (€9.90)
How do I activate the Premium Pass? You activate it through the FC Hub by pressing the left analog stick of your controller. You will then be asked how you would like to pay for the Premium Pass.
It does not matter at which level you activate the Premium Pass. All extra bonuses you may have already skipped will be added later.
What does the new Premium Pass offer? The Premium Pass offers additional rewards at each of the 40 levels. These apply to the following modes in FC 25:
Ultimate Team
Clubs
Pro Career
All extra bonuses of the new Premium Pass and who it is worth for can be read after the video.
Start video
Tips for a Perfect Start in EA FC 25 – Ultimate Team
All bonuses of the Premium Pass at a glance
Level
Premium Pass Rewards
1
Flashback Lala
2
Bonus Bundle*
3
83+-x7-Rare-Player-Pack
4
Heroes Gloves
5
TOTS Moments Mertens
6
Heroes Face Mask
7
78+-x3-Rare-Player-Pack
8
78+-x5-Rare-Player-Pack
9
TOTS-Retro-18-Evolution
10
Tiki-Taka+-Evolution
11
Heroes Bandana
12
82+-x5-Rare-Player-Pack
13
Bonus Bundle*
14
82+-x7-Rare-Player-Pack
15
82+-x10-Rare-Player-Pack
16
Bonus Bundle*
17
84+-x2-Rare-Player-Pack
18
Bonus Bundle*
19
83+-x3-Rare-Player-Pack
20
10,000 SP
21
83+-x5-Rare-Player-Pack
22
Draft Token
23
Bonus Bundle*
24
83+-x10-Rare-Player-Pack
25
Flashback Martínez or Flashback van de Beek
26
TOTS-Retro-20-Evolution
27
84+-x4-Rare-Player-Pack
28
Bonus Bundle*
29
84+-x5-Rare-Player-Pack
30
TOTS Moments Gosens
31
TOTS-Retro-19-Evolution
32
85+-x2-Rare-Player-Pack
33
85+-x3-Rare-Player-Pack
34
86+-x2-Rare-Player-Pack
35
Flashback Chiesa or Flashback Batshuayi
36
Finesse Shot+-EVO
37
Bonus Bundle*
38
Anticipation+-EVO
39
88+-x5-Rare-Player-Pack
40
FUT Immortals Icon Ribéry or 90+-x4-Rare-Player-Pack
*The Bonus Bundle usually contains mixed rewards for Ultimate Team, Clubs, and Pro Career. These range from coin boosts to cosmetics.
Who is the Premium Pass worth it for? Players from Ultimate Team benefit the most. You can expect exclusive player items, additional upgrade packs, coins, draft tokens, and unlockable PlayStyle+-evolutions.
The most exciting may be the exclusive player items. Whether you really need these in times of Team of the Season, when many strong players will appear, is up to everyone to decide. With the new TOTS rewards in the Weekend League, you can also get strong players and upgrade packs without the Premium Pass.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
You will find Dynamax Suicune during a special Dyna Battle weekend. The event starts on Saturday, May 10, 2025, at 10:00 AM, and ends on Sunday, May 11, 2025, at 9:00 PM.
Start video
Pokémon GO: What’s in the new Season Powerful and Masterful
More info about the Dyna Battle weekend
What bonuses are there during the event? During the event, you can look forward to the following bonuses:
Collection limit for Dyna particles is increased to 1,600
The required walking distance for Dyna particles is quartered
Power sources regenerate more frequently
8 times the amount of Dyna particles from power sources
Unlocking and leveling Dyna attacks costs only 75% of the usual Dyna particles (this bonus is active from May 5, 2025, at 6:00 AM to May 11, 2025, at 9:00 PM)
Time-limited research: Starting Monday, May 5, 2025, at 6:00 AM, you will receive a free, time-limited research task. Here you can obtain Dynamax Chimpep as well as Chimpep candies, Dyna particles, and other rewards.
How strong is Dynamax Suicune? It can be expected that Suicune will not reach the top of the best Dynamax attackers. As a water attacker, there are already monsters such as Blastoise in its Dynamax and Gigantamax forms, Gigantamax Lapras, as well as Dynamax and Gigantamax Kingler that will be stronger than Suicune.
Also in the field of ice attackers, there is strong competition for Suicune. It is likely to fall behind Gigantamax Lapras and will rather be on par with Dynamax Articuno and Dynamax Frigometri.
If you already own some of the monsters, then Dynamax Suicune will probably not be a significant enhancement for your Dyna team.
However, collectors should not miss out on the chance to catch this Pokémon. It is still unknown when there will be another opportunity to obtain Suicune in its Dynamax form. Additionally, you can also obtain Dynamax Suicune as a shiny with some luck.
The current month is coming to an end. However, there are still several events making their way into the game in the last days of the month that will provide you with various content. You can find out which ones in our list of all events in April 2025 in Pokémon GO.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Players from Throne and Liberty have deliberately exploited bugs to gain advantages. The latest episode of “Tico Talks” therefore focused on fair play and rewards for the part of the community that has not cheated.
What was the exploit? Over a certain period, it was possible in the dimensional trials of Throne and Liberty to exploit certain positions in the environment so that one would take no damage from bosses. Through this exploit opportunity, some players deliberately farmed rune chests and thus gained an unfair advantage.
Globalization Design Manager Daniel Lafuente emphasizes in the new episode of “Tico Talks” (via YouTube) how important fair play is for an MMORPG like Throne and Liberty. Therefore, all players who did not exploit will be rewarded. How? Well, with 600 “Precious Rune Chests”. They can, of course, continue to earn the chests from the trials.
In April 2025, Throne and Liberty is the MMORPG with the most players on Steam:
What happens to the cheaters? Users of the exploit will receive a warning, will not be able to earn rewards for the current season, and will have to live with a permanent mark on their account. Two EU players have been banned for three days each for crafting weapons through an exploit. The unfairly produced bows have already been deleted by Amazon Games.
According to Tico, there was a second bug that accidentally rewarded about a hundred players with additional chests. Since this bug could not be exploited deliberately, those affected will not be punished. However, all “part-time” users of unauthorized macros and bots who use them only temporarily but otherwise play normally will be punished.
Once again, they will start with 3-day bans. They will also receive a permanent mark on their account and be excluded from the current season rewards. More severe violations, such as PvP cheats, can also result in permanent account bans.
The trailer for the current expansion Throne and Liberty – Wilderness of Talandre:
Start video
Throne and Liberty: Trailer shows regions of the Wilderness of Talandre expansion
Throne and Liberty: Update 2.7.0 – New Event and Patch Notes
On April 23, 2025, the new update for Throne and Liberty was released. The highlight is the Loot Goblin Festival, which wants to entice you with many additional rewards from April 24 to 30, 2025. Here are the official patch notes (via playthroneandliberty.com):
Event: Loot Goblin Festival
Golden goblins and goblin chieftains appear randomly throughout the world, including in the newly added Talandre zones. Golden goblin chieftains guard particularly large amounts of Sollant from the goblin supply.
When a goblin spawns, a system message appears – so keep your eyes open.
The hunt for golden goblins rewards adventurers with a title, a transformation, class 2 tokens, runes, artifacts, enhancement components, Sollant, and occasional class 2 items and the Island of Nebla.
General
UI: The rewards for 3-star weapons have been moved to the beginning of the “Expected Rewards” list in the coop dungeon menus (they were previously at the end).
UI: Hall of Illusions: The accessory rewards have been moved to the beginning of the “Expected Rewards” list (they were previously at the end).
Items – Bloodthirsty Greatsword of Grauauge: A text error in the description of Grauauges vitality has been fixed. “Base damage increased by 16%” has been replaced with “Base damage increased by 16”.
Cooking: The Brathon honey apple is back on the menu.
Controller: A bug has been fixed that removed all pins when switching between mouse/keyboard and controller.
Items – Headgear of Silver Justice: A bug has been fixed where the eye color did not match the color used when dyeing this cosmetic item.
Items – Mantle of the Front General: The appearance of this item has been corrected so that it no longer looks like the Mantle of Precision.
Items – Mantle of the Frosty Expanses: A bug has been fixed that caused this item to not appear on the armor manufacturer’s crafting list.
Translation: A bug has been fixed that occasionally showed Korean text in the guild abilities menu.
Translation – Brazilian Portuguese: A bug has been fixed that caused a “plus que” to appear before each number.
Several bugs leading to client crashes have been fixed.
Items: Bercant’s Steelstrings Bow: An issue has been fixed that caused some values in the description of Limuny’s Last Chance to be swapped.
Performance: The issue where the client got stuck when entering the cave in the 3-star dungeon “Grove of Corruption Rot” has been fixed.
Combat
Daggers – Splitting Moonlight: The range of “Splitting Moonlight” has been increased to 4 meters.
Daggers – Shadow Strike: A bug has been fixed that prevented the specialization “Shadowy Escape” from returning the player to the original usage location.
Sword and Shield – Piercing Strike: A bug has been fixed that reset the cooldown of “Piercing Strike” every time “Counter Barrier” and “Gerard’s Precision” were active.
Crossbow – Mother Nature’s Protest: The description has been adjusted to clarify that the mana cost efficiency value does not affect one’s own usage costs.
Daggers: Cloak of Invisibility: The skill description has been adjusted to make it clear that “Invisibility” is removed when attacking another player, not when being attacked.
Sword and Shield: Eradicating Sword: An issue has been fixed that prevented the effect “Strength Breakthrough” from activating in the mastery when “Eradicating Sword” was used.
Two-Handed Sword: Cold Warrior: The description of the skill has been adjusted so that it now says “Hit Chance” instead of “Chance for Strong Attack” .
Staff: Warrior’s Venture: The text has been adjusted to clarify that the base damage is increased by 25% of the healing received from “Noble Resurgence” and not by a flat 25% of the base damage.
According to Tico, the Loot Goblin Festival marks the beginning of a veritable chain of events that will run through May and help all players improve their characters – similar to the events from Lost Ark, which is also managed by Amazon Games in the West. Anyone who hasn’t looked in since launch should take a look now; after all, Wilderness of Talandre is massive! Everything important about the great expansion of Throne and Liberty.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A new event has once again been announced in Pokémon GO. Besides a debut, you can also catch many Shinies and also new, costumed monsters.
What kind of event is this? The “Crown Clash” event has been announced for Pokémon GO. It will start on Saturday, May 10, 2025, at 10:00 AM and will run until Sunday, May 18, 2025, at 8:00 PM.
In this event, you will mainly find monsters that fit the theme of the crown. Gladimperio will also celebrate its debut in Pokémon GO.
Start video
Pokémon GO: What’s in the new Season Powerful and Masterful
Crown Clash – All Event Content
How do I obtain Gladimperio? With the start of the event, you can evolve Caesurio for the first time and obtain Gladimperio. You can get Caesurio by evolving Gladiantri. To obtain Gladimperio, you need to defeat 15 Dark- or Steel-type Pokémon in raids with Caesurio as your buddy Pokémon.
After that, you can evolve Caesurio into Gladimperio. You do not need to complete the raids with Caesurio. It is sufficient to have the monster as a buddy and complete the raids during that time.
What new costumed Pokémon are there? In the event, you can also obtain Nidoqueen with a crown and Nidoking with a crown for the first time. Both monsters can not only appear as Shinies, but they have an increased chance of doing so.
What bonuses are there in the event? The following bonuses are active in the game during the event:
increased Shiny chance for Nidoqueen with a crown, Nidoking with a crown, Flegmon, Wadribie, and Leufeo
double experience points for evolving Pokémon
you can receive a King’s Rock when you catch Flegmon
What monsters are there in the wild? Pokémon that you can encounter in the wild are also adjusted for the event. You can find and catch the following specimens here:
Flegmon*
Bummelz*
Plinfa*
Wadribie*
Serpifeu*
Leufeo*
Gladiantri* (rare)
All monsters marked with a * can also be found in their Shiny variants.
Which Pokémon are there in raids? If you want to dive into raids during the event, you can find and challenge the following Pokémon:
1-star raids:
Sniebel*
Klikk*
Gladiantri*
3-star raids:
Nidoqueen with crown*
Nidoking with crown*
The Pokémon marked with a * can also be obtained in their shiny forms.
Other contents of the event: The event also features special field research, a collector challenge, and PokéStop showcases.
There are also several events waiting for you in the current month that bring you different content. If you want to know what they are and when they take place, you can find out about them in our overview of all events in April 2025 in Pokémon GO.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Team of the Season (TOTS) in EA FC 25 starts on Friday, April 25, 2025, at 7:00 PM. On MeinMMO, we show you the schedule with the start dates of all TOTS teams in Ultimate Team.
What is the TOTS? The Team of the Season offers the strongest players of the 2024/25 season significant upgrades. The best players from each top league will receive a TOTS card, which will be among the most sought-after cards in FC 25.
A look at the Ultimate TOTS from FC 24 gives you an insight into how massive the upgrades will be.
When does the TOTS start? The first TOTS officially launches on Friday, April 25, 2025, at 7:00 PM in Ultimate Team. EA announced this on its own website.
The first TOTS will feature players from the French Ligue 1 (men’s) and the French Arkema Premier League (women’s). Simultaneously, the TOTS for the Dutch Eredivisie will be released.
Start video
Tips for a Perfect Start in EA FC 25 – Ultimate Team
Schedule for TOTS: Overview of start dates for all leagues
Every week, 2 Major TOTS and 1 Minor TOTS will be released. The Major TOTS usually have a higher density of strong players. However, there can also be some impressive cards in the Minor TOTS.
Date
Which TOTS? -Major -Minor
April 18 to April 25
TOTS Warm-Up with Best-of Campaigns
April 25 to May 2
– Ligue 1 (FRA 1) – Arkema Premier League (FRA) – Eredivisie (NED)
May 2 to May 9
– Premier League (ENG 1) – Barclays Women’s Super League (ENG) – EFL (ENG 2-4)
With this, you have the most important preliminary information about the TOTS in FC 25 at a glance. As soon as new information appears from official sources or leakers, we will update the article. So feel free to check back regularly to not miss anything. In line with the TOTS, the rewards of the Weekend League have also been adjusted: EA FC 25: New TOTS rewards for the Weekend League are here – All bonuses at a glance
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Twitch streamer Kilian “Tanzverbot” Heinrich was long absent from the German streamer landscape: 193 days have passed since his last appearance on Twitch. Now he returned on April 22 with a stream that at times had up to 40,000 viewers. However, the stream was only about one topic for Tanzverbot: his ex-girlfriend quiteLola.
This was the previous situation: For a long time, Tanzverbot did not appear on Twitch; on October 11, 2024, he was last live on the platform. In his latest YouTube video “my end”, he reported on the last months. He mentioned that he would not go out, sleep in the afternoon, and spend most of his time in the game VRChat.
Twitch streamer Tanzverbot talks about his difficult past, still regrets his lack of education
“She confessed to me”
What is this topic about? It concerns Tanzverbot’s ex-girlfriend, Lola. For a long time, the two were a public couple. After their official separation in 2024, some viewers repeatedly accused Tanzverbot of having had it too good with Lola.
This apparently caused frustration for Tanzverbot, which is why he announced in his latest YouTube video that Lola allegedly cheated on him with the Twitch streamer Adam “SkylineTV”.
For half a year, it was a topic in the relationship between Tanzverbot and Lola whether she had cheated on him. Eventually, she is said to have confessed to him about the cheating.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Twitch that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
She is said to have been with Adam in a bar in Berlin one night and afterwards was allegedly massaged topless in Adam’s hotel room. Then Lola and Adam supposedly fell asleep together while cuddling. The next morning, Lola drove to Tanzverbot’s apartment and lay down in his bed.
Tanzverbot further states that he was not the one who wanted to hold on to the relationship, but Lola: “I tried to break up three times.”
Lola rang his doorbell for hours, called him multiple times, and allegedly trespassed into his apartment, according to Tanzverbot.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Twitch that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Viewers spend about €16,000 on Tanzverbot, he gets half
This is how Tanzverbot’s stream went The highlight was 41,100 simultaneous viewers (via sullygnome) and a total of 4,075 new paying subscribers on Twitch, of which 1,350 were gifted subs (via twitchtracker).
Viewers spent about €16,000 on subs for Tanzverbot, leaving him with about €8,000 after Twitch, Paypal, and the approximately €8,000 left for the important taxes for Tanzverbot.
The Twitch streamer repeatedly thanked the viewers for the donations and subs but never really strayed from his main topic.
During the stream, Tanzverbot shared more details about his relationship with Lola. He also clarifies that he was not an innocent lamb and that both were not good for each other. In this big topic, where no one really knows how to position themselves, these Twitch streamers have the wisest words: In the dispute over Tanzverbot in German Twitch, Knossi and MontanaBlack are the voices of reason.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Many things are not properly explained in Monster Hunter Wilds and cannot be found in any tutorial. Players are therefore wondering what certain symbols mean.
Which symbols are we talking about? Monster Hunter Wilds is not particularly known for explaining menus and interface elements well. Therefore, players are asking on Reddit what the colorful symbols next to player names mean and why there are two variations of each, except for one.
You can find these, for example, when you go to the lobby or friends list and look at the player names. There are red, orange, purple, white, and blue “sides” in two variations: whole and half.
You will learn what the symbols mean here.
Start video
Feast of Harmony: Blooming Dance – Event transforms Monster Hunter Wilds into a Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival
Every quest has a color – but why half?
What do the symbols mean? Each symbol represents a specific type of quest. A whole symbol indicates that this player is the host of the respective quest. Half symbols indicate that this player has joined a quest of this type.
The following colors represent the following quests:
Red: These are hunts for large monsters, whether they are being hunted or captured.
Orange: “Hunting” quests where you must defeat the required monsters. You are not allowed to capture them.
Purple: Special quests. This includes event quests, for example.
White: “Capturing” quests, where you must not defeat the required monsters, but capture them.
Blue: Arena quests and challenges.
So the symbols show you which contents the respective players are currently engaged in and whether they are the ones who started the quest. This way, you can more easily see what your friends are doing online and if you can join them.
In addition to these quest symbols, there are also other symbols you can find next to player names. These represent the respective active hunting society they belong to.
In the MMORPG World of Warcraft, there are situations where players become angry and insult others. A player in WoW has now shown how he dealt with such a situation and how he calmed a flamer with one sentence.
This was the situation: In a 2v2 arena match, the storyteller of the tale was playing with a partner and faced a duo of mage and paladin. The mage was quickly eliminated by the two, but the opposing paladin kept his cool and managed to take out the players despite being outnumbered, thus winning a 2v1.
After the match, the paladin sent a whisper: “Two against one and you lose! Are you kidding me?”
However, the player managed to defuse the situation with one sentence.
Start video
Player from WoW achieves something that many have set as a goal – “There should be a title for that”
“I’m glad you won”
This is how the player took the wind out of the flamer’s sails: The flamed player replied: “Oh, good job! You played well, bro. But there’s no reason to be so toxic. You did great, and I’m glad you won.”
The initial flamer immediately engaged in the conversation and thanked the game. He said he was so frustrated, that 10, 15 years ago he was a good player himself, but everything had changed so quickly.
The flamer had jumped like a tiger but now had landed like a doormat.
This is what the player says: He says he employed the tactic “Kill them with kindness”, so he remained particularly friendly in the face of anger. Instead of flaming back, he was nice, and it turned out: The paladin just needed a little love in his life.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Reddit that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
This is how it’s being discussed: Some people are making fun of it, and people say, “Ignoring would have been better.”
But there are also some who explicitly praise the player for stepping out of the cycle of flaming. In a PvP game, it’s easy to assume that everyone is an asshole who hates you, and thus one can justify malignant behavior, but often it only takes talking normally to someone to break this cycle.
Another user says:
“I appreciate that. A few months ago, I had a similar moment as this guy. I vented about some guild members because of something that wasn’t even what I thought. I was in a bad state. When I realized I was in the wrong, I apologized, and it helped me a lot that this apology was accepted and I was treated with kindness. It’s easier to be toxic when you believe everyone else are assholes. It’s easier to be an asshole among many than to be the only asshole.”
In EA FC 25 you can compete every weekend in the FUT Champions Finals, also known as Weekend League, for the highest ranks and great rewards. There are again innovations regarding bonuses for Team of the Season. We present you the new TOTS rewards.
The raised tariffs on Chinese products are driving up hardware prices in the USA. Leading tech expert Gamers Nexus highlights in a video how manufacturers and consumers are affected by increased production costs and price hikes.
Under the title “The Death of the Affordable Computer,” Steve Burke, the editor-in-chief of Gamers Nexus, addresses the question of why gaming hardware is becoming increasingly expensive in his current YouTube video. The YouTuber is one of the most recognized figures in the tech field. To get a comprehensive picture, the team spoke with numerous industry insiders, including freight forwarders, component manufacturers, and PC and case builders from the USA and Canada, as well as downstream manufacturing companies.
As the graphics card market is currently under pressure, you may be looking for alternatives to AMD and Nvidia. Check out the trailer for the Intel ARC graphics card here.
Start video
Battlemage: Check out Intel’s new graphics cards in the video
The Tech Industry Under Pressure
What led to this situation? In light of the trade conflict with China, Trump specifically imposed tariffs on the import of Chinese products, including electronics and hardware. These measures are also driving up production costs, which in turn increases prices. Currently, the situation is fluctuating, and new reports about the tariff situation are regularly emerging (via Economic Times). These fluctuations primarily lead to unpredictable market developments and resulting uncertainty.
How does this affect the tech industry? The Gamers Nexus video clearly shows how current tariffs are burdening the gaming industry. Companies like Corsair, Cooler Master, and iBUYPOWER are forced to raise their prices to compensate for increased import costs. The company Hyte is even selling at a loss in some cases, a clear indication of the seriousness of the situation.
A particularly drastic example is mentioned by Cooler Master: A PC case that originally cost around 100 US dollars now costs about 195 US dollars due to tariffs and additional fees. The impact is also felt by smaller manufacturers like Anbernic or Retroid. Ultimately, this means that products are becoming more expensive, and price increases must be passed on to customers.
In interviews with several manufacturers, it becomes clear that some companies are no longer shipping to the USA due to high costs and are now more reliant on other markets. This development poses a significant problem, especially for companies that produce exclusively in the USA. Some of the interviewed players believe that these conditions could ultimately drive some companies out of the market in the long term.
What attempts at solutions exist? Some manufacturers are trying to respond to the tariff situation by adjusting their delivery strategies. Thus, some are currently completely refraining from shipping to the USA. As a long-term solution, many companies are considering relocating production to other countries, hoping to circumvent tariffs and lower costs. However, this brings new challenges, such as higher transportation costs or delays in the supply chain.
What does this mean for us? The EU, due to its common trade policy and various free trade agreements, has so far not been directly affected by the US tariffs on Chinese electronics. Unlike in the USA, there are no additional tariffs here that would directly raise the prices of gaming hardware. At the same time, EU-wide standards and trade agreements ensure that many imports remain duty-free or discounted.
Nonetheless, the European market also feels the effects indirectly: Many manufacturers align their prices with the global market. When products become more expensive in the USA, prices often rise here as well, even without their own tariffs. Furthermore, the EU remains heavily dependent on the international economic system, particularly on economic developments in the USA (via Euronews). A potential recession there could directly affect Europe and cause additional price fluctuations.
