In ARC Raiders there is the event “Blocked Gate” on the map “The Blue Gate”. Here players have to find keys, crack a gate, and then collect a lot of loot. How to do this can be found out here.
At what time is the event active? There are several assumptions about this:
Some believe that the event would be active every 12 hours
Sites like OP.gg report that you can check back every 3 hours
We also kept an eye on the timer and observed that the event can even be active every 2 hours. So check the map selection every hour to ensure you don’t miss the event.
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ARC Raiders shows new Hurricane condition and hints at a new enemy
Locations of all keys
Important information about the event: If you are wondering why you do not find a code at the respective locations of the keys, it could be because the players have extracted from the map with them. This creates a softlock on the entire map. As a result, no one can open the gate, and you need to look for a new lobby. Those who have the key can open the gate faster on the new maps to be the first to grab the loot. (Source: reddit.com)
Reinforced Reception
Go to the reception building and try to open and search all containers and canisters. The box containing the code is random, so take your time and explore every free corner in the radius of the POI.
The Reinforced Reception near the village
Ancient Fortress
In the Ancient Fortress, you have three points where you can search for the key:
The Tower
The Storage Room
The Cellar
The Ancient Fortress is located at the edge of the map
Raider Refuge
The Raider Refuge is the church. Here you also have two points where the code can hide. These include the cellar and the ground floor in the church.
The Raider Refuge is in the forest
Pilgrim Summit
The Pilgrim Summit is a gigantic place that can be searched. For this, you should explore the individual server rooms and the tower. Especially the lockers or electronic modules are great hiding places for the code.
The Pilgrim Summit is near the mountain
Once you have all the codes or at least one, head to the gate control room. Once there, you need to enter all the codes to then open the gigantic gate near the security checkpoint. The known other entrances to the tunnel remain closed. You can only access the tunnel through the main entrance.
Why should I play the event? Blocked Gate and the event about the hurricane are the only events in which you can obtain the Bobcat blueprint. This is a powerful endgame weapon that should not be missing in any loadout. So stop by, and if searching for the codes seems too complex, you can also just stand at the gate and wait for other Raiders to open it. This way, you can be sure that you can definitely snag some loot.
That was all the important information about the event “Blocked Gate”. If you want to prepare properly for it, you should check out our list of the best weapons. There are plenty of options to ensure you can defend yourself in a confrontation: ARC Raiders: The best weapons for any situation
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A new computer with a 5090 is usually a reason to celebrate. However, a Chinese gamer had an unpleasant experience. In seconds, his gaming rig turned into a fire hazard.
What happened? UNIKO’s hardware reports in an X post dated 11.02.2026, that the Chinese user allegedly filmed his PC catching fire. The original video was uploaded to the Chinese video platform Bilibili, but it has since been removed and is no longer available.
According to UNIKO, the user completed his new PC build with an RTX MSI 5090 Gaming Trio and wanted to record the first startup via video. When pressing the power button, several flames reportedly ignited on the graphics card and additional smoke was produced.
Why can’t the PC builder exchange the card? China is subject to an import restriction from the USA, and Chinese gamers cannot legally acquire an RTX 5090 domestically (via Slashgear).
Here, the same model is available for about 3,359 euros as of 12.03.2026 (via Geizhals).
How the gamer obtained the graphics card is unknown. However, due to the import ban, he has no way to send the GPU back to the manufacturer and claim a warranty. (via Guru3D).
To comply with the import ban restrictions, NVIDIA released the RTX 5090D for the Chinese market, which is primarily reduced in its AI performance. The gaming performance of this GPU variant is nearly identical. (via Trendforce).
By mid-last year, all shipments of the new 5090D variant to China were also halted, and all outstanding orders were canceled. (via TechPowerUp). Thus, it will be very difficult for the user to find a comparable replacement.
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Chef ruined his company in 59 seconds on Twitch – What happened to him?
Small fires can quickly become dangerous
What can I do if my electrical device catches fire? Even a minor fire can quickly become dangerous, and there are some tips on how to proceed in case of a computer fire (via ergo.de):
Immediately remove the power plug if possible, so the fire does not spread further with the flowing electricity. If you cannot reach the plug without putting yourself in danger, turn off the fuse to interrupt the power supply.
Do not extinguish the fire immediately with water, as there is a risk of receiving a life-threatening electric shock. It is best to use a C-class fire extinguisher, which discharges a powder suitable for such fires. If the power is turned off, a class A fire extinguisher that uses water or foam can also be used.
Remove all combustible materials from the vicinity of the fire to prevent it from spreading more easily, and alert emergency services by dialing 112.
One Piece is one of the longest and most popular anime series ever, with over 1000 episodes. However, not all episodes are crucial to the storyline. In our overview, we show you which arcs or episodes you can easily skip if you only want to focus on the main story.
Update on March 12th: We have added the complete Egghead Island arc.
What are fillers in One Piece? Like many shonen anime, there are also so-called filler episodes in One Piece. These episodes or even entire storylines were produced exclusively for the anime and are not part of the official manga source by Eiichiro Oda. They are usually meant to buy time while the manga continues to progress.
In One Piece, in addition to classic filler episodes, there are also so-called “mixed episodes,” in which only parts of the episode contain filler content. There are also “anime canon episodes.” These are episodes that do not directly come from the manga but are accepted by the creator Eiichiro Oda or the production team as part of the official storyline.
In our list, we only list pure filler episodes to maintain clarity. We intentionally exclude mixed episodes or anime canon episodes, as they contribute to the storyline at least in part.
Since One Piece is not yet complete, our list ends with the Wano arc – the last fully completed storyline section of the series so far.
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One Piece Film: Strong World – The Trailer for the Anime Movie
Recommendation: G-8 Arc – A filler you shouldn’t miss
There is one filler arc in One Piece that is truly worth it.The G-8 Arc (Episodes 196-206) is very popular among fans, and for good reason: The story is surprisingly well-written, and the characters are well portrayed. Right after the Skypia arc, the Straw Hats accidentally end up in a well-protected Marine base and have to escape. So if you usually skip fillers, you might want to make an exception here.
The YouTuber Varion is starting a new format on his channel. His first guest is the Twitch streamer Trymacs, who had to face manual tasks. As a reward, there were Pokémon booster packs.
Where does Trymacs have to work properly? Trymacs was a guest in one of Varion’s videos. Varion is usually known for his sketch videos on YouTube. A few years ago, that was his recipe for success, to reach a million subscribers in a year.
Now he is starting a new video series where German content creators will be invited to complete manual tasks. This is fitting, since Varion is a trained metal worker and therefore knows about craftsmanship.
For the first video, the Twitch streamer Trymacs was a guest. Varion had a very special technique to keep him entertained.
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Vom Pizza-Lieferant zu einem der größten deutschen Twitch-Streamer – Leben und Karriere von Trymacs in 2 Minuten
Hanging up pictures for Pokémon cards
What did Trymacs have to do? Trymacs’ first task was to hang up a picture. In their joint podcast “Offline + Ehrlich,” the two already talked about how Trymacs had never done that before.
The Twitch streamer would prefer to get someone to do it for him rather than learn it himself. He completed the task with flying colors, even though it was his first time using a hammer drill.
As a reward, Varion had prepared a bowl – though more like a strainer – that contained Pokémon booster packs. For each completed task, Trymacs could take one and open it right away. Unfortunately, he didn’t pull any particularly rare card.
Overall, Trymacs did very well despite lacking solid prior knowledge. The only real difficulties seemed to be in the quiz when he had to name 5 German surnames that are also manual professions.
In the future, Varion wants to invite more German content creators to his format and put them to the manual test. Trymacs joked that Varion could make other people renovate his entire apartment this way.
One week before the release of Crimson Desert on March 19, the developers released a new trailer. As if the open-world game didn’t have enough features, the trailer shows even more than was previously known.
What kind of trailer is it? In a week, Crimson Desert launches on PC and console, and to further fuel the hype around the open-world game, the developers have now released a release trailer. In it, they showcase some new features that have flown under the radar so far. One thing in particular brings joy to the fans.
Here you can see the new release trailer:
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Crimson Desert: Launch trailer shows new bosses, dragon action and the storming of a moving train
Jetpack excites the fans
What kind of feature is it? New in the trailer is prominently the “Jetpack,” which lets the protagonist Kliff fly around. In the scene in the trailer, he uses it to fly between the towers of a fortress.
For the fans, this is a great feature, as they are extremely excited in the comments about the innovation that the game delivers here. For many, it is incredible that the trailer already shows further new features that have remained undiscovered so far, even though so much has already been presented.
What features are still “new”? As many content creators, journalists, and the official videos have extensively showcased Crimson Desert in recent weeks, some players may already be familiar with some of the following features. However, new in the trailer were:
Several bosses revolving around the story of Kliff and the Graymanes
Combat from a horse with a musket
New combat abilities like a stomper that creates a shockwave and knocks enemies away
The fan as a weapon that can be used in combat
A moving train on the map
The jetpack
Flight puzzles
Insight into the dungeons with many traps
I’m sure there are even more features hidden in a detailed analysis of the trailer aside from the obvious ones.
Do you want to finish the prey hunts in World of Warcraft Midnight quickly? With these tricks, you will be done in just a few minutes.
One of the new endgame features of World of Warcraft Midnight is the prey system, which you can start after completing the campaign. Here, not only are there stylish rewards, but also a built-in new difficulty for the open world. However, such a prey hunt can take time – if you do not know all the tricks.
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WoW Midnight: Arator’s Light and the Firebrand
What are prey hunts? The prey system is a new feature of Midnight that aims to reward and challenge players in the open world. You will be ambushed by strong NPCs whom you must defeat in a final confrontation to successfully complete the prey hunt.
These hunts begin at the NPC Astalor in Silvermoon, whom you can recognize on the map by his red marker. In his cellar, he gives you new quests and sends you off to find the corresponding targets.
Depending on the difficulty, these prey hunts may take a little longer or shorter and provide different rewards.
At Astalor in his spooky cellar, the prey hunts begin.
Complete Prey Quickly – in Under 10 Minutes
A prey hunt ends when you have gathered enough progress to determine the location of your target and defeat it in a final confrontation. Accordingly, it is important to gain a lot of progress quickly to reach this final confrontation soon. The following actions provide progress while staying in the corresponding area of your prey:
Looting treasures.
Completing world quests.
Interacting with Anguish Remnants.
Looting Anguish after an ambush.
Executing a counterattack after an ambush.
Disarming traps.
While all options here are solid ways to complete your hunt “on the side”, there is one option that is much faster and more efficient than all others: disarming traps.
Disarming traps is the fastest way to complete a prey hunt.
Where to find traps? Traps are usually scattered throughout the area where the prey hunt is active. However, you can find them bundled at specific locations – namely where a current “prey world quest” is active. As soon as you accept a prey hunt, a world quest starts in the corresponding area intended to lead you on the trail.
The trick: Do not complete this world quest. Instead, stay near this world quest and disarm the traps you find there. This has a number of pleasant side effects that can occur.
What happens when disarming a trap? When you disarm a trap, several things can happen in addition to progress in the prey hunt:
You disarm the trap without any further effect.
The trap triggers and you must avoid an area effect.
An ambush begins – your prey target attacks you.
An Anguish Elemental appears and needs to be fought (which can also trigger an ambush).
You receive the disarmed trap.
The disarmed traps are particularly valuable. Because as soon as you are caught in an ambush, meaning your target directly attacks you, you can simply throw the disarmed trap at the target to force it to flee immediately.
The counterattack in the red mist provides additional progress.
Ambush and Counterattack – Make the Most of It
In principle, an ambush is the biggest boost to your progress. However, after you have repelled an ambush, do not just move on but look around carefully:
Loot the Anguish Remnant. This is located where you repelled the ambush. The resource is important for rewards and grants progress.
Look around carefully right after an ambush. The moment you defeat your target, a red orb moves rapidly in a random direction. There you will find a thin, reddish mist. Once you reach this mist, you can find your prey target recovering. Interact with the target in the red mist to execute another counterattack – this provides further progress.
If you keep these tips in mind, you can maximize your prey progress within 3-5 minutes and will be informed by Astalor that you can now eliminate the target. Then you just have to travel to the location of the final confrontation, win the battle, and turn in the hunt.
If you keep all of this in mind, you can finish the hunts within 5-10 minutes and farm quickly. This can be worthwhile, especially on higher difficulty, as hunts reward solid gear (also for twinks) and decent currency, such as Voidlight Mergel, which is also needed in large amounts for housing.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Crimson Desert has added a notice on Steam that they will be using Denuvo. Denuvo is extremely unpopular among players.
What has Crimson Desert done? Crimson Desert has secretly added a notice on their shop page on Steam that the new action-adventure will use the Denuvo copy protection. The clear notice can now also be found on the German shop page of Steam.
This is what the notice about Denuvo on the shop page of Crimson Desert looks like.
Players are far from thrilled about this: Denuvo is considered a performance hog in PC games and is therefore particularly unpopular.
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Crimson Desert shows more of the fights and progression in the action RPG in the new gameplay video
Many players consider Denuvo to be a performance killer for PC games
What is Denuvo anyway? Denuvo is a widely used, controversial anti-piracy and anti-tamper software (DRM) that encrypts game files and makes access to them difficult. Many developers use Denuvo as an additional protection measure alongside Steam or Epic Games. In many cases, it only protects the release and a few weeks later the protection is removed again.
Why is Denuvo so unpopular? Players have long criticized Denuvo for impairing the performance of games. On Reddit, users are already criticizing the decision and fearing that the copy protection may affect the performance of Crimson Desert. Some are at least hoping that Pearl Abyss will remove the copy protection sooner or later.
As early as 2019, for example, Techpowerup magazine tested the performance losses due to Denuvo and found no real impact at that time: The performance loss was said to be somewhere between 3 and 4%, far from what players officially accuse the copy protection provider. However, there are also opposing reports. For example, in Hogwarts Legacy, performance without Denuvo is said to have increased significantly.
The miniature community that paints small figures for tabletop role-playing games has already filled entire display cases after years in the hobby. However, it turns out that the game that actually belongs to the soldiers, heroes, and monsters often not only fades into the background for many but becomes irrelevant.
What do even veterans admit? The miniature painter RecentEarth shared with the hobby community a picture of a well-stocked display case full of miniatures he painted himself. “I have painted armies/kill teams of Slaves to Darkness, Age of Sigmar Orks, Stormcast Eternals, Thousand Sons, Tzeentch demons, Khorne demons, and Death Guard,” he writes about his picture on Reddit. However, he also admits:
“I still don’t know how to play the game …”
With this statement, he strikes a chord in the community and receives almost 1,000 upvotes from those who can relate to his situation. Despite a full display case showing a lot of work, he has not yet had any experience with the actual tabletop game. And he is not the only one.
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Die neuen Modelle der Adpetus Custodes für Warhammer 40.000 und The Horus Heresy für 2026
The hobby works even without a game
What does the community say to the confession? Based on the number of upvotes and reactions on Reddit, it seems that the hobby is no longer (just) part of Warhammer, but independently captivates many fans.
“I feel the same way,” writes redrock963, “I have no interest in Warhammer tabletop. I just like painting monsters.” Nussknackerknacker also writes: “There’s a game?”
Those in the thread who actually play Warhammer still have a similar perspective as the pure painters.
“For me, Warhammer is 90% painting and 10% playing,” writes Robo_Patton. ChiBurbNerd adds: “Painting is much more fun than playing.”
However, before a general negative wave towards the actual game aspect of the tabletop can occur, rodgeramjit interjects:
“I was the same way for about ten years, but then I finally tried a game (Kill Team) and it changed everything. It’s SO great to see your beautifully painted game figures moving around in the game, even if they get destroyed. It’s a charming excuse to look at your miniatures up close and share them with a buddy. I love the game now.”
Here you can see the OP’s display case:
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MeinMMO editor Caro has also discovered the hobby for herself and finds: I have not painted any Warhammer miniatures yet. Instead, I refer more to characters and creatures that my group and I can use for our campaign in Dungeons & Dragons. At least that was a sort of personal excuse to get started. Ultimately, my miniatures don’t need to have a direct purpose in the game for me to want to paint them.
What started as a kind of “means to an end” has become a hobby that not only bridges the gap until the next campaign but has also become one of my favorite activities on its own. Even if some finished miniatures will never see use in the game, it doesn’t stop me from painting them because of their cool design.
Accordingly, I can imagine giving Warhammer miniatures a chance. Especially the Tyranids have caught my eye on several occasions…
Two strangers are intentionally ruining a player’s raid in ARC Raiders. The community is furious and demands strict penalties.
What kind of player is this? On Reddit, the user “Irock_101” shares an experience he had in ARC Raiders. As he shows in an attached video, his two random teammates threw incendiary grenades at him in the extraction shooter, set him on fire, and did not revive him to steal his loot and gear.
In the comments of the post, several players report that they experienced something similar recently. One user writes that two guys called him a “loot sack” and tried to set him on fire. Fortunately, he managed to escape because the two were “really bad players.”
Just a few days ago, there was a similar post on Reddit. Here, random teammates also threw incendiary grenades at a raider and blocked the exit of the room where the post creator was located with their characters.
Select a MMO video…
Even worse game spoilers than extract campers
This is how the community reacts: Players in the ARC Raiders subreddit agree that the game spoilers are even worse than the “rats” waiting for you at the exit. One user comments: “That’s mean, worse than rats. Compared to that, extract campers are still friendly.”
Many players also emphasize that the Reddit user must report the two players in ARC Raiders and that Embark must ban them.
Such behavior is simply griefing and has nothing to do with how the game is supposed to be played. After all, these are the player’s teammates and not possible PvP opponents encountered randomly on the map.
Can Embark really punish the players? Yes, Embark or the publisher Nexon definitely have the grounds to punish players for such behavior. All players have agreed in the terms of use (via Nexon) to adhere to the code of conduct and thereby certain rules.
Behavior that is considered “harmful” and “harassing” is regarded as a violation of the terms of use, and it is at Nexon’s discretion how they assess the behavior and take action accordingly.
The Twitch streamer Zarbex talks in his stream about how his girlfriend Julia has been engrossed in a specific place in Pokémon FireRed/LeafGreen: the casino. There she gets a special Pokémon.
What has Zarbex’s girlfriend been doing for the last 2 days? Twitch streamer Zarbex mentioned in one of his streams (highlight on TikTok) that his girlfriend Julia has spent a lot of time on a specific game mechanic in Pokémon FireRed/LeafGreen over the last 2 days.
In Pokémon FireRed/LeafGreen, you have to go to a casino during the story, as Team Rocket’s secret hideout is located underneath it. However, you can also play at the slot machines. That’s what Zarbex’s girlfriend has been doing in recent days.
This is atypical for her, says Zarbex, as Julia normally cannot stand gambling in real life.
However, in the game, it’s not really gambling: it’s not based on luck but on actual skill, as you need to press the A-button at the right moment.
Start video
These are the 5 most relevant German streamers on Twitch in 2024, according to Google
10,000 coins for a Pokémon
What’s it all about? According to Zarbex, his girlfriend is so engrossed in the Pokémon casino because she wants 9,999 coins. With that, she can buy a Porygon.
Julia has learned the mechanic and thus easily obtained the desired number of coins: within 2 days, she managed to collect 10,000 coins, says the Twitch streamer.
Other Pokémon can also be bought with enough coins, such as a Dratini. Certain moves can also be purchased with the coins.
There are other ways to gather enough coins: You can simply buy them with Pokédollars. However, you need to farm Pokédollars, as 50 coins cost 1,000 Pokédollars.
In the 2000s, many series achieved a certain status in pop culture that still resonates today. MeinMMO editor Niko recently caught up with a crime series and can only recommend watching the 8 seasons before it disappears from Netflix.
Which series is it about? Everyone has heard of Lost, Breaking Bad, or The Walking Dead. Between 2000 and 2010, several series emerged that are still well-known and had a significant impact on the series landscape.
Among them is the crime series Dexter, which I recently caught up on Netflix. I didn’t know much about it, but the memes that resurfaced in 2025 piqued my interest. So I watched all 8 seasons and can tell you: Dexter is still worth it today.
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Dexter – Trailer for Season 1 of the cult series
A Secret Serial Killer
What is Dexter about? Dexter Morgan, played by Michael C. Hall, is outwardly a blood spatter analyst for the police in Miami. In secret, however, he is a serial killer who follows his own code to only kill those who deserve it.
Throughout the 8 seasons of the original series, each season deals with a different serial killer and how Dexter becomes involved in these cases. Additionally, human drama and the emotional development of Dexter are included.
Even 13 years after the release of Season 8, Dexter is a watchable series, especially for those interested in how television was like back then.
What makes Dexter so good? The highlight is undoubtedly Dexter himself. Michael C. Hall portrays him well, creating a character that combines several traits:
To his victims, he is a monster who often relies on humor.
He often has to fake social interactions, making him seem approachable at times because he doesn’t always want to go to the club or eat with everyone.
Thanks to his many internal monologues, he is also a bit of an edgelord, who likes to throw out lines about his own darkness, reminding me of cliché teenage characters.
Dexter does not have the consistent quality of something like Breaking Bad, but there is no other series that is quite like Dexter. Episodes often feel a bit too long, and one constantly questions the decisions of the characters, but that is exactly what makes Dexter so entertaining. Back then, episodes had to be filled for the 1-hour television slot. The series employs dark humor, but even dramatic scenes can feel unintentionally funny.
But I also have to praise the cases. Especially the first 4 seasons feature exciting antagonists for Dexter, and the dynamics with the police work quite well. Seasons 5 to 7 become noticeably more absurd, but I was still able to enjoy it since Dexter never takes himself too seriously. This made it the perfect series for me for a long time, to unwind after work.
The big elephant in the room is, of course, Season 8. The ending is really bad, but like the endings of How I Met Your Mother or Game of Thrones, it doesn’t harm the overall work.
Also, it’s worth checking out the series for internet culture fans, as many well-known memes originate from this series.
Until when can I watch Dexter on Netflix? You have about 2 weeks left to catch up on Dexter on Netflix. The series will disappear from the streaming service on March 30. With 8 seasons, each containing 12 episodes that run just under 1 hour, you have quite a bit to catch up on.
If you happen to have a subscription to Paramount+, you can also watch Dexter: New Blood, Dexter: Original Sin, and Dexter: Revival there. Especially Revival is highly recommended.
MIR4 is one of the most popular MMORPGs on Steam. At the same time, the developers are already working on the 5th installment of the MMORPG series. However, the development is said to have been halted.
What kind of MMORPG is this? Not much is known about MIR5, but the series has quite a few features that can be expected in the fifth installment. The MMORPG is said to be developed in Unreal Engine 5 and to offer an open world in which players can take their place in one of the many production systems, away from typical battles.
MIR4 also offered the opportunity to earn real money through work done in the game. By using its own cryptocurrency, players could earn cents through a Play2Earn model. New in the fifth installment should be AI opponents that learn.
That players can spend their game time as craftsmen, in addition to fighting, is also the secret recipe for the title’s success. Fans can become true masters of their craft – but they also need others to obtain items. The social gameplay is driven by trade. MIR4 is the third largest MMORPG on Steam in March 2026.
Here you can watch a trailer for MIR4:
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MIR4 introduces the new class The Darkist in the trailer
Development Halt on Part 5
What about the successor? Despite ambitious goals and a very successful predecessor, there is currently a development halt on the project, according to the Korean magazine MTN . According to the magazine, this is happening due to a “comprehensive project review.”
In the background, there are said to be “efforts to improve organizational efficiency and a partial restructuring within Wemade.” At the same time, there are reports that “a subsidiary is in financial trouble” (Source: 17173).
Is this the end of MIR? No, that is not to be expected. The MMORPG series is very successful and extremely popular in Asia. It is to be expected that the project will continue after the review.
However, it is still not possible to say whether and what changes will occur. Not much is known about MIR5 yet, which suggests an early development stage. So, everything is still open and can change until the MMORPG is released.
Sony will in the future refrain from PC versions of PS5 games. An expert believes that Valve could otherwise win the console war. With the Steam Machine, they have the right alternative to the console on offer.
According to an insider, Sony will in the future no longer bring PS5 games to PC. This marks a reversal of the strategy of recent months: during this time, several important titles such as God of War, Ghost of Tsushima, or Spider-Man were brought to PC.
The former head of the dissolved studio BluePoint, Peter Dalton, recently explained in a conversation that Sony might have good reasons for this. Because Valve could win the console war with its Steam Machine.
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Valve presents the Steam Machine in the new trailer
Steam Machine could offer the best of both worlds and thus compete with the PS5
What does Dalton say? Dalton emphasizes in the conversation especially the console-like advantages of the upcoming Steam Machine. And that could become a problem for manufacturers like Sony: all the games of the PC platform coupled with the accessibility of a console. And that could become a problem for Sony if the company behind the PS5 continues to bring its games to PC (via frvr.com):
If Valve releases a new Steam console that offers a console-like experience while simultaneously giving players access to the entire PC game library, this could become a very attractive option. In this scenario, the Steam console could effectively offer the best of all worlds if Sony were to release all its games on PC simultaneously: the simplicity of a console with the full breadth of PC gaming.
(…)
It would be quite ironic if Valve, after decades of traditional console competition, ultimately wins the console war.
Basically, the Steam Machine comes with a few limitations, such as issues with certain anti-cheat systems on Linux. Nevertheless, the Steam Machine should be able to launch thousands of Steam games, including PS5 games released for PC.
The Steam Machine has been introduced. What exactly is this new device from Valve? MeinMMO has compiled the most important questions and answers for you and presents them here. You can read more about it here: Steam Machine: The most important questions and answers
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Spotlight Hours in Pokémon GO are a popular event. However, there is currently a change affecting the event.
What is a Spotlight Hour? This is a small, 60-minute event that has taken place every Tuesday from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM. During this time, there was at least one Pokémon that appeared in large numbers in the game along with a bonus.
Attentive trainers may have noticed that this event has not taken place in recent weeks. And there is a reason for that.
Start video
Pokémon GO Fest 2026 comes with Mewtwo and Zeraora
New Season, Big Changes
Why are there no more Spotlight Hours? With the announcement of the new season Memories in Motion in Pokémon GO, the plan for weekly content has changed significantly. The Spotlight Hours are also affected.
While they always took place on Tuesdays from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM in previous seasons, Tuesday is now dedicated to showcases in the current season. Accordingly, the day of the week in the game is also referred to as “Showcase Tuesday”.
The Spotlight Hours have been eliminated and are currently no longer taking place in the form you knew. They now seem to appear as part of events, for example at the next big Electric Event, in the game.
However, according to the current knowledge, the bonus of the Spotlight Hour, which has made the event really strong, is missing.
Is this change permanent? Currently, it is assumed that the Spotlight Hours in the form you knew them in the past will not return in the current season. This runs until June 2, 2026, at 10:00 AM.
Whether they will come back in their old form in future seasons is not yet known. If there are any updates, we will of course report on it and adjust this article for you.
On March 5, 2026, the latest game from Bungie was released for Steam, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5: Marathon, an extraction shooter with a strong focus on PvP. The game has been the subject of lively discussions since then. Many gamers wonder if the success of Marathon will be enough to satisfy Sony, or if the shooter signals the end for the studio. MeinMMO editor Dariusz addresses this question.
Marathon is in a strange situation. There is a huge gap between the perception of the game on social networks like Reddit and X and player ratings on Steam.
On social media, Marathon is portrayed as one of the worst games of all time. A post on X claims, according to SteamDB, that Marathon has been returned over 500,000 times. However, SteamDB does not provide figures on refunds.
Even on Twitch, comments in various chats express how bad the game is – even though the streamer is obviously having fun. TheBurntPeanut therefore plays the game offline when he is not live on Twitch (via TikTok).
On Steam, however, the mood is largely positive. Out of 23,105 reviews, as many as 88% are positive. If you filter out players who have played less than an hour, it’s even 90% positive reviews.
Update: We have adjusted some figures to take into account the average global purchase price instead of the regional European purchase price – and while we were at it, we brought the sales figures up to date.
Marathon shows what Bungie’s biggest problem really is
The gap between the perceived mood and the ratings of actual players highlights the biggest problem with Marathon:
Bungie has lost the favor of its fans with Destiny 2.
Many long-time Destiny players have lost trust in Bungie. There are too many criticisms that the community simply cannot forget.
Monetization
Fostering FOMO (fear of missing out)
Recycling content
The so-called content vault – that is, content that has been removed from the game even though players paid for it.
And overall, the community feedback that has simply been ignored for too long.
Overall, it’s hard to imagine that Bungie will achieve financial success in the coming years – regardless of the quality of the respective product. The former fans of Bungie are so dissatisfied and frustrated that they – it seems currently – are negative towards everything Bungie is doing.
This discontent with Bungie is also reflected in our comments on MeinMMO. In my preview report on Marathon, I explained why the game is among the best shooters of 2026, according to me. Some MeinMMO readers see it differently, others don’t even give the game a chance due to their past with Bungie.
“I maintain my stance mentioned in the article: Bungie has lost my trust and will not get another cent from me. Generally, I will refrain from commenting on the gameplay, as I do not play it, but the criticized battle pass speaks volumes; Bungie-style – whoever still supports that and fails to learn from mistakes – is just plain foolish.”
The struggling Destiny 2 had been considered the studio’s main source of revenue, and Sony is likely to have some expectations for Marathon as well.
Forbes journalist Paul Tassi, who has close ties to Bungie, reported last year that Marathon would need to be one of the top 5 best-selling games in the USA in 2025 to be considered a “success” (via YouTube) – this was however before the shooter’s release was postponed.
Recently, there have also been rumors online that Marathon cost 250 million USD and needed 10 million sales to be considered a “hit”.
However, there has been no official statement from Sony or Bungie regarding the development costs or expected sales.
In an interview with YouTuber Skill Up, Marathon’s game director Joe Ziegler revealed that in 2025, slightly less than 300 developers were working on the shooter. He also stated that at that time, the game had been in development at Bungie for more than 4 years – and since then, another year has been added.
Let’s look at some numbers:
Average salary at Bungie
98,000 USD per year
Development duration
More than 5 years
Estimated salary costs over 5 years
70-110 million USD (About 147 million USD with a constant 300 employees)
The average salary at Bungie is said to be around 98,000 USD per year (source: salary.com). With 300 employees, this results in about 147 million USD in pure salary costs over 5 years. However, it is likely that not all 300 employees worked continuously on the shooter. It is quite possible that salary costs are actually between 70 and 110 million USD.
Additional costs for marketing and office maintenance as well as other infrastructure come on top. According to the information service zipdo, AAA games spend an average of around 25 million USD on marketing. This corresponds with other sources, which state that about 10-20% of the total budget goes for marketing.
The rumored 250 million USD for Marathon seems somewhat high compared to these numbers, but not unrealistic. It could also just as easily be 150-200 million USD.
But even that Marathon has to recoup first.
Player numbers in decline, but sales figures are not a disaster
In the discourse surrounding Marathon, many talk about player numbers. The game is said to be a flop, and the numbers show it. The peak for Marathon only lies just below 88,000 concurrent players on Steam in the release week. Even now, there are only 26,000 players online on Valve’s gaming platform (as of March 10, 1:30 PM). The daily peak is currently usually between 65,000 and 80,000 players (via SteamDB).
These numbers certainly do not compare to the success of ARC Raiders. The competitor of Marathon still sees daily peaks of 170,000 to 250,000 concurrent players five months after release and has sold over 10 million copies.
Bungie and Sony have not yet released sales figures for Marathon. Analysis platforms like gamalytic and PlayTracker speak of 911,000-975,000 copies sold on Steam (as of March 13, 2026).
The player and sales figures of Marathon on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S are unknown. However, Bungie is usually much stronger represented on consoles than on Steam. The tracker “Charlemagne” created by the Destiny community impressively shows the player counts of Destiny 2 per platform.
On March 8, the overall distribution of Destiny players was as follows:
PlayStation: 78,520 (around 45%)
Xbox: 58,290 (around 33%)
Steam: 35,740 (around 20.37%)
The consoles made up 78% of the player counts for Destiny 2 on March 8. If we now speculate that the distribution for Marathon is similar, the shooter could have sold about 3,229,000 copies on consoles. The 911,000 sold units on Steam served as the basis for this calculation.
This would mean:
Marathon would exceed 4.1 million sales in the release week, and Bungie would have already earned 118 million euros with Marathon at an average global purchase price of 29 €. Deductions for taxes or platform fees to Steam etc. are not yet taken into account.
Note: The numbers remain purely speculative. Paul Tassi has learned from his sources that Marathon is currently being played the most on PC.
According to the market research company Alinea Analytics, ARC Raiders sold 2.5 million copies in the release week, with 69.2% of the players being on Steam. So Marathon might not be doing that badly compared to ARC Raiders, as the Steam figures currently suggest.
Concord shows what the worst-case scenario could be for Marathon and Bungie:
On failure, the game is taken offline first, then some time later the studio is closed.
This is a fate that several developers have recently shared. On March 12, the shutdown of Highguard follows, a hero shooter that was only released at the end of January and where the Chinese technology giant Tencent was the secret main financier. The shutdown comes just 45 days after the release.
So the question arises:
Is Marathon facing shutdown and what’s next for Bungie?
A report from IGN from 2023 states that Sony could dissolve Bungie’s current board if financial goals are not met and take full control.
If Sony is unhappy with Bungie’s financial success, this is likely what the next step would look like. After all, Sony paid 3.2 billion euros for the studio, so they will first try everything to get as much as possible out of it.
A closure of Bungie is currently unrealistic.
Conclusion: What lies ahead for Marathon and Bungie
If Sony aims for an early shutdown of Marathon, this will likely become evident in the next 3-6 weeks. This has been the recent timeframe in which such decisions have been made in the industry.
If the speculated figures of 4.1 million sales are accurate, Marathon will almost certainly survive in the coming weeks and months. The game has the potential to steadily gather more players over time, as the negative discourse settles a bit. ARC Raiders also gained a considerable number of players in the weeks following its release.
Bungie already has plans for future seasons and in-game events, which could also attract new players. In addition to game sales, there are revenues from skins and battle passes.
Nevertheless, the leadership at Bungie must show a keen interest in making Marathon a success. If the shooter surprisingly sells best on Steam against expectations, the numbers look worrying.
Then the takeover by Sony would likely be inevitable in the coming months.
Marathon is just beginning, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it is supplied with new content for at least a year. The takeover by Sony or even the closure of the studio is probably not imminent – but Bungie is not yet safe.
If you’re still undecided about whether Marathon might appeal to you, we’ve prepared a short check including a quiz for you. There you will find important information about the shooter and can find out if the game is interesting for you by answering 10 questions: Is Marathon worth it for you? A short check with quiz
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Looking for some distraction in gaming, MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus stumbled upon City Tales: Medieval Era. After just a few hours in the demo of the city-builder, he purchased the full version on Steam and immediately logged 10 hours of gameplay in the first few days… at the cost of sleep. It’s all due to a feature that construction games usually lack.
City-builders are often my retreat when I just want to game. They keep the mind alert through planning and organizing while having little pressure. Not for nothing is Against the Storm my absolute comfort game, even if it can be a bit more intense.
Now I have discovered City Tales: Medieval Era. The game has been available on Steam in its 1.0 release since January 29, 2026, and immediately reminded me of some games that captivated me in the past: Foundation, Banished, Manor Lords, or this creepy Anno with Cthulhu horror.
The game offers a free demo with about 2-3 hours of gameplay, not counting the freebuild mode. After I finished that, I couldn’t resist and bought City Tales for 22.99 euros (standard price).
Maybe that was a mistake, maybe it was the right decision, because I took the first opportunity to game into the early morning hours and only went to bed just before 6 AM. But the game is so enticing…
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The trailer for the 1.0 release of City Tales: Medieval Era, the building game with companions
Building cities, but not alone
Basically, City Tales: Medieval Era consists of the same building blocks as most other city-building games:
The settlement starts with a town center.
Initial houses, lumberjacks, and gatherers provide basic supply.
Slowly, the city grows, new resources are unlocked, production chains become longer.
The citizens develop new needs to thrive.
The only difference from Anno and similar games is the “districts”: Like in Manor Lords, I draw the residential areas with borders, and my settlers then build them themselves. I only place supply and craft buildings when there is enough space available.
As a truly unique feature, City Tales offers companions that don’t just hang around advising me and babbling, but who actually perform tasks for me and bring a whole new dimension to the building game.
Companions like in an RPG, and they can even level up!
Companions are pretty much the core feature of City Tales. Each building needs a companion to function at all, meaning: If I build a lumberjack or a quarry, nothing happens there until I assign one of my companions to it.
If the person stays there long enough, the building becomes “autonomous” and can work independently. At the same time, my companion gains experience in the corresponding profession, which brings several advantages:
The better they are in a profession, the greater the bonuses when the companion is assigned to a corresponding building.
With higher levels in a skill, the companion can further upgrade the building and improve its production.
Finally, I can assign companions as “headmen” in a hamlet, building a kind of outpost that the companion manages – and all buildings there then receive their bonuses.
By having to (or being able to) plan who works when, where, and how much, it changes my options for production and the game’s dynamics. I don’t have a linear flow of resources but can adjust through my companions to meet current needs. And each of them has their own story.
My village in the demo, still quite small and at the beginning. Also visible: One of my companions.This is what my city looked like at the end of the first run.My first “hamlet”, still a bit chaotic.The second hamlet, this time with a lot more planning.The dialogues are sometimes very entertaining. Absurd! Ridiculous!
Just one more quest…
The entire game guides me through a story with quests. These are often simple tasks like: collect wood, paper, gold, or build this and that building. My advisor then tells me the story of how I, as the child of a ruler, govern the land and the difficulties involved.
Now, my companions also have such quests, and each of them reveals more about the respective companion’s journey, their personality, desires, dreams, and fears. I know something like this from games like Pathfinder and Baldur’s Gate, but not from a city-building game.
In the end, I found myself facing the “problem” of just wanting to finish one more quest. But this led to new building opportunities that I had to try out… which again led to new quests.
City Tales breaks away from much that is just annoying in Anno and co.
The biggest advantage of the game is not the excellent companion system, but the removal of annoying and outdated features that always bother me in other city-building games.
In City Tales, I don’t need warehouses. Every resource and product can be stored in unlimited quantities, and I don’t need a building, suppliers, or collectors. Everything is global and always available, like in an RTS.
Additionally, I don’t even have to constantly have everything in stock. In other games, houses regress when they suddenly run out of beer or bread. City Tales eliminates such needs. I only need resources for building and upgrades, not for maintaining the status quo.
This way, City Tales takes a lot of pressure off a game that is meant to be relaxing, as I don’t have to constantly build new farms just because I want to slightly expand my city. Above all, the entire economy doesn’t suddenly collapse just because I overlooked that sausage is becoming a scarcity.
Is that realistic? No. Does it have to be? Not really, because here, realism is sacrificed for the sake of fun, and that’s exactly what games are for.
After about 12 hours, I completed the story for the first time and will probably start anew 2-3 times to play other maps and make different decisions (yes, those exist here too). The last game in the genre that captivated me like this was Fata Deum, which, despite some flaws in early access, is continuously improving: A new building game on Steam makes me a god and gives me what no game has achieved in 20 years
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Season 3, the production team of the anime Jujutsu Kaisen takes more risks than before. As the animators have more time than in Season 2, the fans’ assessment is significantly better. One episode is even a very special exception.
What makes this episode so special? Fans of Jujutsu Kaisen are quite astonished, as Episode 8 of Season 3, which aired just recently, had only one key animator. Kouki Fujimoto was given the necessary time and creative freedom to animate the episode almost single-handedly.
Fujimoto was responsible for the entire motion sequence and the acting of the characters in the core scenes. This is seen as a huge vote of confidence, as normally several key animators work on an episode.
For this episode, he reportedly took a total of 11 months (read more on Reddit), which seems realistic given the effort for a 20-minute episode.
He wasn’t completely alone: there were also so-called second key animators who cleaned up his drawings and finalized details like hair and clothing. But Fujimoto at least created the dynamics and rough drafts for the most important key frames.
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Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 – Trailer for the upcoming Arc “The Culling Game”
Only one key animator is a big highlight
How does it usually work? Typically, around 10-20 key animators work on an anime episode. In the first season of Jujutsu Kaisen, the number often stood at about 15 animators, which is a good framework for the elaborate battles.
In Season 2, it looked different. Here, the production team was under enormous time pressure, and in one episode, often 30 to over 50 key animators worked on an episode. On Sakuga Booru, you can take a closer look at which animators were responsible for which scene, if interested.
Which episode is it about? The episode revolves around the emotional backstory of Hiromi Higuruma, who worked as a defense attorney in a courtroom before the current events.
Although in Japan 99.9% of criminal proceedings end with a conviction, he repeatedly takes on hopeless cases. Yet even with his clients, where the evidence is extremely thin, a conviction is rendered.
This conviction completely shatters Higuruma’s faith in the justice system and humanity in the courtroom. One can see the absolute despair in the defender and how his inherent curse technique awakens.
What do fans say about it? Fans on Reddit celebrate the animator for his incredible work. Many believe that Fujimoto is incredibly talented and that it is simply inhuman that he accomplished such a feat in such a short time.
Moreover, Fujimoto has also worked on other projects on the side. But the hard work seems to have paid off, as the episode is rated 9.1 out of 10 on IMDb. Thus, it lands in the upper midfield of the episodes aired so far.
The former Overwatch head breaks his silence. Now we know why Kaplan left – and how badly he was treated.
Most older Blizzard fans will likely still remember Jeff Kaplan. He was a long-time developer on World of Warcraft, but later also the Game Director of Overwatch. He gained cult status in the community for several reasons.
However, in 2021 he left Blizzard and thus also Overwatch. For a long time, there was speculation about what the reason was, and even longer Jeff Kaplan was silent. Now he has given an interview to PC Gamer magazine and talked about what was really going on with Overwatch and Blizzard.
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Overwatch shows 5 new heroes in Season 1: Conquest in the gameplay trailer
The downfall of Overwatch
In the interview, Jeff Kaplan confirmed what most outsiders had long suspected. The downfall of Overwatch was likely due to the introduction of the Overwatch League. This was a league where investors could buy into with their teams.
The implied promise was that the league would generate profits that could even exceed the NFL. This promise was completely utopian and led to developers – who had nothing to do with the planning of the Overwatch League – having to allocate more and more resources towards the league in the end. Kaplan said:
And so all our plans [for Overwatch content] were basically thrown out the window. We weren’t working on new world events anymore, we weren’t really working on Overwatch 2 anymore, we were just treading water.
That the investors’ expectations for the league were not met only exacerbated the problem. Because now the developers had to allocate even more resources to create content for the league – such as skins for teams, new mechanics like a spectator camera, and so on.
More and more resources were spent on the league and not on what made Overwatch so successful in its early years: consistent, new game content.
Jeff Kaplan was the face of Overwatch for many years – and extremely popular.
Blunt threats from the boss
Perhaps the most significant experience for Jeff Kaplan was a conversation he had with a CFO of Blizzard. He was summoned to the CFO’s office and told to take a seat.
He mentioned a date that was in 2020 and then extended it to 2021. He said: ‘Overwatch must at least make this much in 2020 and every subsequent year the sum X.’ And then he added: ‘If you do not reach this amount, we will lay off 1,000 people and that will be your fault.’ And that was the biggest ‘F-you’ moment I’ve ever had in my career, it felt surreal to be in that position.
Or, to put it directly: If Overwatch did not earn a certain sum X, then 1,000 people would have to be laid off, and that would be – from the CFO’s perspective – solely Jeff Kaplan’s fault.
As someone who has worked on a lot of games, created many games, you come into meetings like this, and there are people saying ‘Fortnite has 1,400 people working on it. So if we just hire 1,400 people and make [Overwatch] Free2Play, then we will also make that much money, right?‘
I had thought I would never work for another employer than Blizzard, I loved it, it was a part of who I was and I literally thought I would retire from this company. I never thought that day would come – but it did. Fortunately for Blizzard, that CFO is no longer there.
After Kaplan’s departure, Overwatch noticeably fell apart. Overwatch 2 was eventually released after many months of stagnation in Overwatch 1, but the biggest promise, a PvE campaign, was postponed indefinitely and ultimately completely broken.
Overwatch’s reputation was ruined, along with unpopular changes, such as the switch from a 6v6 to a 5v5 system, the successor was a disaster and generated negative headlines endlessly. It took years for Overwatch 2 to recover – it only really succeeded last year.
Currently, Overwatch (they have removed the ‘2’ from the name) is doing fairly well. Although the PvE mode was never delivered, the developers have become quite good at satisfying the fans. Especially the “Stadium” game mode has brought a whole new way to play Overwatch. But, even though this is good news, one can’t help but wonder where Overwatch could be today if Jeff Kaplan hadn’t been treated so unbelievably poorly.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Although Crimson Desert will be released on March 19, 2026, for PC, Xbox, and PS5, buyers are alreadywaving around the physical version of the open-world adventure by Pearl Abyss.
Wait, who has their version of Crimson Desert? In the past few hours, several screenshots have surfaced showing happy players with their physical versions of Crimson Desert.
Agreeable-Ad-699 writes here on Reddit: “It’s finally here!! I’ve never been this excited about a video game.” The screenshot shows the sealed PS5 version of Crimson Desert.
Germanico025 shows on his screenshot on Reddit the PS5 disc and writes above: “I hope it’s good.” In another post on Reddit, he shows the front and back of the cover.
Kanzlermacher seems to be standing in a warehouse on his picture on Reddit, where a pallet of Deluxe Editions of Crimson Desert is being unpacked.
Here is the freshly released launch trailer for Crimson Desert:
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Crimson Desert: Launch trailer shows new bosses, dragon action and the storming of a moving train
In the now-dominating digital market, this is easy to implement: The barriers for downloading, installing, and starting the game only open when the developers want them to (sometimes even at different times, for example, when pre-downloads are possible).
It’s a different story in physical retail. In order for them to deliver or ship the ordered copies of the game to their customers on time, they need to be delivered well in advance.
Often, the plastic cases with the discs end up in the stores’ warehouses days before the launch, from where they are ideally forwarded to customers in advance – to ensure that pre-orders can start right on time on release day.
Germanico025 writes in a second post on Reddit that he received a message from his local shop that the game is now available, and he took advantage of the opportunity and picked up his copy in the store.
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Does this actually offer an advantage? It always depends on the game in question. For all online and multiplayer games, it is pointless to receive the disc long before release, as the servers typically go live only from the announced date onwards.
For games that can be enjoyed offline, it depends on whether the game is completely on the accompanying disc and whether the game needs to briefly connect to the provider’s online services at launch (which often only happens at release) or not.
What about Crimson Desert? The packaging of the PS5 version of Crimson Desert states that the game requires an internet connection. Therefore, part of the community is quite sure that the open-world game will need an update or an internet activation before it can actually be played.
New_Cockroach_505 writes on Reddit: “I’m pretty sure they can’t play it yet. It requires an additional download, and the game is not live yet.”
There hasn’t been any clear feedback from the early owners of the physical version of Crimson Desert yet. In the latest post from Germanico025 on Reddit, he states that he is currently installing the game. However, that was already 6 hours ago.
Therefore, we asked our PR contact and received quick feedback: The installation of the physical versions is restricted. No pre-order customer can start before the launch.
What do I need to know about Crimson Desert? The open-world action-adventure from the makers of Black Desert will be released on March 19, 2026, for PC, PS5, and Xbox. You can expect a pure single-player experience with a wonderfully old-school Buy2Play payment model (buy once, play everything, no microtransactions), a huge world, and plenty of content.
In the game, you play as a mercenary named Kliff, who fights to reclaim his lost homeland in the world of Pywel. Later on, you will also gain access to 2 more playable characters: the swift fighter Damiane and the giant Oongka. You can find all further details in our extensive overview of Crimson Desert.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The European servers of Path of Exile are having problems again. While the developers spent a lot of money last year to better protect the servers from attacks, players are now experiencing lags and high ping again.
Update March 13, 2026, 10:10 AM: Community Manager Natalia_GGG has once again spoken out on Reddit. There she explains what the current issues are:
Since the introduction of 3.28, many players have experienced repeated disconnections from our game servers. This is the result of some very persistent and targeted DDoS attacks aimed at our game backend.
While we do not want to disclose specific details that could assist the attackers, we want to assure you that this is a top priority for our server team, and we are in constant contact with our server providers, who have taken measures to counter these attacks. Although we have already seen some improvements due to these countermeasures, the problem will only be considered resolved when these disconnections have completely ceased.
We apologize for the disruption and will try to resolve the problem as quickly as possible.
You can find the original message here:
What is the status of the servers of Path of Exile? Fresh for the new season of Path of Exile, which started on March 6, 2026, the server problems on the EU servers have returned. Players felt the peak of lags on the evening of March 11. At this point, the ARPG delivered a ping of over 800 to the players, making it unplayable.
Accordingly frustrated were the fans on Reddit, who have already gotten used to the situation. User Cute_Activity7527 posted under the title “EU patient lives! Pulse stable.” his 800 ping along with a graph showing the significant lag spikes.
Also, Reddit user SaudiHaramco complains: “Currently unplayable… This has been the case almost every afternoon for the past few leagues. At night or in the morning it runs smoothly… Ridiculous.” In the past, there have been strong server problems, especially at the start of the season, but that is not only due to the many players.
Here you can see something:
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Path of Exile shows new league “Mirage” in trailer – brings changes for the endgame
DDoS attacks strain the servers
Where do the server problems come from? The server problems of Path of Exile usually do not arise solely from the players who are playing in large numbers on the servers of the ARPG. In a past conversation with the developers of Grinding Gear Games, they revealed that the servers are constantly fighting against so-called DDoS attacks.
Whether the problems this time are also due to an attack of this kind has not yet been confirmed. However, Community Manager Natalia_GGG has already commented on the lags.
What does the community manager say? In a statement on Reddit, Natalia_GGG confirms the lags on the server. At the same time, she explains that some initial improvements have already been made. The developers are therefore still in talks with the server providers and will work together to try to mitigate the problems until a solution has been found.
In response to her statement, some users express frustration. The fact that the EU servers are repeatedly plagued by lags at the start of the season has now become a meme in the community. This has gone so far that many players prefer to play on the American servers, which, despite a higher ping, at least run smoothly.
