The former creative director and producer of Fallout 76, Jeff Gardiner, reflects on his time with the game. While he struggled with the disastrous launch amid intense criticism and a poor internal atmosphere, he shows insight – and that’s exactly what saved the project.
How does the former boss describe his experience with Fallout 76? The launch of Fallout 76 was, to put it mildly, not as successful as hoped – in fact, it was close to a disaster. It had a rough start and garnered a lot of criticism.
The phase after the launch was at most sobering for Jeff Gardiner, the producer and creative director of the game, and his team. The overwhelming negative feedback particularly affected the internal atmosphere of the staff. Gardiner reports that he was even yelled at by an angry stranger in an Apple Store after the launch (via PC Gamer).
Instead of being overwhelmed by the feedback or reacting with defiance, the producer astonishingly showed insight: “It deserved all the criticism it received. It taught me a lot, as pain does.” (via PC Gamer) And so he saw it as his new task to ensure a game that the developers of the game themselves would like:
In this video, you can learn more about Fallout 76:
Start video
Everything you need to know about Fallout 76 – in 2 minutes
The producer wanted to create a game that he and his team could be proud of
Why did the game receive so much criticism at the beginning? The main features that Gardiner wanted to focus on were the following points of criticism: The game had issues with bugs, balancing, and bullet-sponging. The game did without NPCs and instead focused on PvP aspects, which were highly controversial not only in public but also behind the scenes.
Additionally, it relied on a narrative primarily told through holotapes and notes, which is the absolute opposite of a “show, don’t tell” principle aimed for by filmmakers and game developers for good storytelling. Moreover, it was completely misplaced due to the actual gameplay of Fallout 76. Gardiner understood this as well: “You expect players to either listen or read, which they can’t really do because they are running and shooting” (via PC Gamer).
What were the team’s solutions? With Wastelanders, Gardiner’s team was able to redeem themselves. The new approach, which differed significantly from Bethesda’s previous directives, brought the update that allowed the team to showcase what their vision truly was: living NPCs, dialogue-driven quests, and simply a more vibrant West Virginia.
“We had no simulation elements at launch because it was all about other players,” Gardiner says, and we lacked the story. So you took two elements from Bethesda games that make them Bethesda games.
Gardiner is no longer with Bethesda, but he reflects on the project with a melancholic-happy mood:
I am now proud to have been a part of this game. I no longer have to hide the fact that I worked on it. (…) People always ask: ‘What is your favorite game that you worked on?’ Because 76 was such a difficult project and then developed into a successful game, it is probably even my favorite game.
The team of the game was not ready to give up and shows that a developer’s self-reflection can have significant consequences, from which everyone ultimately benefits. Over the years, Fallout 76 has improved well, with numerous updates fixing issues and bringing new content. The game is now even among the best survival games for PC, PS5, and Xbox.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Some professions simply aren’t attractive to young people, even though they sometimes have exactly the advantages that Zoomers value.
Which profession is it about? The profession of tax consultant is considered one of the most boring jobs there is – especially among Generation Z (also called Zoomers). This is evident from one of the Haufe Group studies from 2022, in which almost 1,300 young people living in Germany who were born after 1997 were surveyed.
The study shows that Generation Z sees the tax consulting industry as “boring, monotonous, and complex.” Especially among female respondents, interest in the profession is very low – only 12% could imagine working in tax consulting.
Start video
Students spy on passersby with hidden cameras and AI, find name and address in seconds
Why is there hope for the profession? Generation Z places a high value on good pay, a balanced work-life balance, and high job security. Especially the latter is a significant advantage of tax consulting, as the industry suffers from a severe shortage of skilled workers.
The English-language magazine Fortune reports that in the USA, about 340,000 tax consultants have retired in the past 5 years. Additionally, it is expected that 75% of tax consultants will retire in the next 10 years. This simplifies entry into the profession. A professor of accounting revealed, for example, that 98% of his graduates have a job in the field.
So there is hope for tax consulting firms to overcome the shortage of skilled workers, but they need to show Generation Z the advantages of the profession and that it is not as boring as many young people think.
What is “exciting” about the profession? For young people, it can be exciting to see that the job indeed involves working with people and not just with dry numbers, helping clients.
In the USA, there is a program where students from California State University voluntarily help taxpayers with their tax returns. According to the program director, this also sparks interest among students from other subjects to join the program (via Fortune).
In the program, students are thrown into the deep end and see what the work looks like in practice. They also have to deal with clients with complicated tax issues. Generally, much of the calculation work would be taken over by technologies like artificial intelligence, and for tax consultants, developing strategies is an important part of daily work.
A smartwatch can make life easier. At least, MeinMMO editor Benedikt Schlotmann is thrilled with his device. But there are also people he cannot recommend such a smartwatch to.
“Move now to stay active!” This is how my smartwatch encourages me to move when I’ve been sitting at my desk nonstop for an hour or playing games at my PC in the evening.
Even though it annoys me sometimes, it has become a constant companion in my daily life that I simply cannot do without:
Along with my fitness data, I get timely notifications when someone calls me on my phone, even if the phone is on silent or stuck at the other end of the apartment on the charger.
If I’ve left my phone somewhere in the apartment, I can find it again thanks to my smartwatch in seconds.
The stopwatch feature on the smartwatch is also very practical in daily life, and features like “paying with the watch” I also find great.
Moreover, for the past few months, the watch has been encouraging me to be significantly more active: For a while, I barely managed to get more than 3,000 steps a day. My watch has motivated me to move much more regularly. This is partly due to the fact that at some point I get a reminder that I’ve been sitting for too long. Along with my smartwatch, Ring Fit Adventure is also a constant companion for me.
Start video
In Germany, there are over 400 USB sticks protruding from walls – What is the ‘Dead Drops’ project?
The battery life of smartwatches is still way too short in 2025
Are there any downsides? Yes, the biggest disadvantage is the battery life. After at most 3 days, I have to plug my watch in to charge. Even my switch from the Galaxy Watch 4 to the newer model in the 7 series did not bring a noticeable improvement.
By the way, battery life is a problem that almost all smartwatches share. Even an Apple Watch hardly lasts 3 days. And this is also the main reason why my partner’s Apple Watch ended up in the drawer and not on her wrist.
Additionally, which especially applies to Samsung models, like my Galaxy Watch 7: Certain features can only be used with a Galaxy Watch if you use a smartphone from Samsung.
At the same time, such a watch doesn’t let you rest: “You only need to move for another 5 minutes to achieve your daily goal,” it says, or “if you want to reach your monthly goal, you need to make 3,551 more steps today.”
This can indeed be helpful if you want to move regularly, but it can also quickly become an obsession that some can hardly shake off. And this is something to keep in mind if you really want to start using smartwatches, fitness trackers, and similar devices.
News and the plethora of data can drive some users crazy
What’s the problem? Smartwatches and fitness trackers provide you with a massive amount of data and measurements: heart rate variability, stress levels, sleep phases, and how many kilograms you’ve gained or lost in recent days. And there’s even more data to access if you want.
What sounds very practical at first can also become a problem for some people. My colleague Alexander Köpf explained that his fitness tracker almost drove him insane. The sheer volume of data just wouldn’t let him rest:
My daily life didn’t bring me any peace either. Through constant monitoring, I began to put too much pressure on myself. I intensified my workouts, counted every calorie, and meticulously noted every milliliter of water consumed.
Another colleague of mine reports that with a smartwatch, you also receive all notifications from your phone directly on the watch, which is not better either. He said: “Having the push notifications constantly buzzing on my arm found extremely stressful, and I eventually let go of it.”
Other users also report how collecting and analyzing the data can become an obsessive habit (via npr.org). Fitness trackers ultimately represent yet another way to collect data about ourselves and make decisions. Or as one cartoon describes it (via zeitkunstgalerie.de):
Klaus couldn’t enjoy the beautiful view because he had forgotten his step counter at the hotel.
Can anything be done about it? Yes, in the end, you can turn off many features on a smartwatch selectively. But if you’ve turned everything off, why buy a smartwatch at all? Then a regular wristwatch and an occasional glance at the phone would suffice.
Another recommendation for daily life from me is, by the way, a seat cushion that I have been using in my home office for years. Since then, my butt and back have given me significantly less trouble than before: A cushion for 40 euros saves my butt in the home office and gaming
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A new role-playing game for PC, PS5and Xbox aims to capture the feeling of old JRPGs like Final Fantasy again. The former head of Sony is already quite in love with the project and believes that the game could serve as inspiration for the entire gaming industry.
Which game is being talked about? The game in question is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The game by the French developer Sandfall Interactive aims to be a classic JRPG with turn-based combat in terms of gameplay – exactly the kind of game that former genre giants like Final Fantasy no longer want to be.
On April 11, the “Easy Allies” podcast was visited by Shuhei Yoshida. He was the president of Sony Interactive Entertainment for many years. Yoshida left the company on January 15, 2025 (via PlayStation.Blog).
In the podcast, which you can also watch on YouTube, Shuhei Yoshida talked about the Nintendo Switch 2 as well as already released and upcoming games. Among the latter was also Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which is set to be released on April 24, 2025.
You can see a trailer for the game here:
Start video
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – JRPG with French Flair has Release Date
Sony head speaks of inspiration for the industry
What does Yoshida say about the game? Yoshida is fascinated by the high quality with which the developers deliver here – and that with a relatively small team of just 30 people. Compared to other AAA developers, the team is “incredibly productive”. Yoshida even goes so far as to say: “I think this game will inspire other developers or publishers.”
A major inspiration for the combat system in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was the JRPG The Legend of Dragoon, released in 1999. Yoshida worked as a producer on this project.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 will not be a 100-hour role-playing game. Including main and side quests, the game will take about 60 hours, according to Yoshida. However, the former head of Sony also says: “I think people want smaller games than large AAA open-world action RPGs.”
George R.R. Martin is known as a great storyteller. Although he did not write directly for an episode of Star Trek, his advice made it one of the best episodes of the series.
George R.R. Martin is primarily known as the creator of the novel series A Song of Ice and Fire. Since the TV adaptation titled Game of Thrones, his name has been on everyone’s lips. The writer is also notorious for taking a long time to write. He prefers to engage in other projects.
Examples from recent years would include his collaboration on Elden Ring. Many years earlier, he was involved with Star Trek: The Next Generation. Although Martin was never part of the show’s writing team, he knows the scriptwriter Melinda Snodgrass.
He worked with her on his novel series Wild Cards and persuaded her back in 1988 to write for Star Trek. When Snodgrass struggled with doubts about a particularly spicy episode, Martin gave her an important piece of advice that made the episode one of the best.
Start video
Star Trek: The Next Generation – Trailer for Season 5
Too sensitive for television?
Which episode is it? Before Snodgrass was officially hired by Star Trek, she wrote the episode “Who Watches the Watchers?”. Its original English title is “The Measure of a Man”.
The episode discusses whether the android Data is a sentient being deserving of freedom, just like an ordinary human. A scientist wants to take Data for an experiment and strip him away from the Enterprise crew. Captain Picard fears that Data may not survive the experiments. A court trial debates to what extent the android is self-determined and more than just property of Starfleet.
Writer Melinda Snodgrass showed her friend George R.R. Martin the script and shared her concerns. She feared that the story was too close to reality and therefore too sensitive for television.
The episode is loosely based on the real case of Dred Scott. He was a black slave in the USA who went to court in 1857 to claim his freedom. However, the court denied him this right, which increased discontent in the country and culminated in the outbreak of the Civil War (via withwingsandroots.org).
Martin listened to his colleague’s concerns, but encouraged her to finish the episode and present it to the people in charge of Star Trek. His advice was to never hold back or hide such good material.
Was the episode a success? The script by Snodgrass convinced the producers of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and she received a permanent position on the show. Additionally, the episode was nominated for an award in the category “Best Original Teleplay” by the Writers Guild of America. No other episode of the series achieved that.
To this day, “Who Watches the Watchers” is considered one of the best episodes of The Next Generation. Due to the philosophical question within, even scientists are engaged with it. They are concerned with the question of whether Data is entitled to human rights. While Captain Picard fought for Data, his actor on set was not that easy: Patrick Stewart admits that he was a “strict” bastard during the filming of Star Trek
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In League of Legends, the most beautiful moments in eSports are when multiple champions work together to turn an entire match with a great combo. A moment from the Chinese league demonstrates what that can look like.
Which match is it about? Currently, Split 2 is taking place in the LPL 2025, the Chinese professional league of LoL. On April 14, 2025, the match FunPlus Phoenix (FPX) against JD Gaming (JDG) took place. It was played as a Best-of-3.
FPX won the first match with a score of 21-12-51. Their jungler shad0w particularly stood out with 7 kills, and ADC Assum also performed well with 6 kills. In the second match, JDG secured the victory after 29 minutes. They won 9-6-23. ADC Peyz did not die once and managed to get 4 kills.
The third and final match was much closer. In the end, things did not look good for FPX, but a fantastic combo turned the game around and secured FPX the victory of the encounter.
Start video
Das ist LoL – Einmal richtig ehrlich erklärt
Two champions and a fantastic combo turn the game
How did the third match go? At minute 36, FPX was able to secure the Baron. They teleported back and launched an offensive. JDG had a slight gold disadvantage. FPX pushed the mid lane, and a teamfight occurred in the top jungle.
The fight did not look good for FPX at first. With the pokes from Scout as Viktor and the control from MISSING as Rakan, they managed to catch shad0w, who was saved by Guardian Angel. Things did not look good for FPX, but Jwel as Neeko suddenly used his ultimate, flashed into the group, and managed to catch all 5 players from JDG. Assum recognized the opportunity and used his Miss-Fortune ultimate for massive damage.
FPX was able to eliminate 3 players and finish the game with the Baron buff. You can watch the clip here:
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.
Neeko is simple, but has great teamfight potential
What makes Neeko so good? The clip shows how strong Neeko can be in the right hands. She is not a particularly difficult champion, but she has some tools that make her incredibly powerful.
With her Q ability, she can throw a bomb that activates twice when she kills a champion or minion.
Her W ability gives her passive magic damage on every 3rd auto-attack, and she can also activate a clone to deceive opponents.
With her E ability, she can hold multiple enemies in a row, causing damage as well.
The star of her kit is her ultimate. She creates a large field that knocks everyone in her range up and deals damage after a short time.
Through her kit, Neeko can be played as a midlaner or as a support. Especially her ultimate, when executed correctly, is the star of every teamfight, as it allows you to initiate many attacks. A good example was seen in the last teamfight of FPX against JDG.
On April 16, 2025, a new update with a hotfix for Monster Hunter Wilds was released. You can find out what’s included here.
When will the hotfix be released? The hotfix Patch Ver.1.010.01.00 went live on April 16, 2025, at 4:00 AM in Germany. It addresses several known issues and promises a quick solution.
Please note that all online sessions will be ended once patches are implemented. Therefore, it is best to always play offline around that time.
The patch notes also provide a preview of the next upcoming patch.
Update from April 16, 2025: The hotfix is now live, and you can play online again.
Start video
So findet ihr das flauschige Huhn in Monster Hunter Wilds
What’s included in the new hotfix Ver.1.010.01.00
The following issues are addressed with this hotfix:
A problem where players are unable to search for SOS Flare quests of a certain difficulty level (★).
Certain SOS Flare quests are displayed as “?????”, preventing players from joining the quest.
A cutscene is not added to the gallery, even if the player has progressed far enough in the story to unlock it.
The text for the cosmetic DLC pass is not displayed correctly in the “Request Content” menu at the support desk (Only PS5).
Deleting widgets from the hunter profile may lead to display issues. *This issue can be resolved by closing and reopening the “Edit Home Screen Widgets” screen.
The following issues are planned for the next patch:
Exchanging items with Sekka through Nata in the village matchmaking menu causes the game to crash.
Powercharm and Armorcharm are unintentionally added to the item bag when bringing these two items to an arena quest.
The voice pitch of the hunter and Palico is not correctly represented in certain scenes (Only Xbox Series X|S).
In some cases, players can bring their own weapons to arena quests and challenge quests.
If the hunter is equipped with certain equipment, the game may crash at startup, e.g., when initializing the network.
In some cases, players cannot repeat the assignment for Mizutsune.
Certain gestures can lead to issues with the hunter’s movements/actions.
The Palico does not ride on the Seikret in certain scenes, even though it should to advance the story.
Soon, the first major themed event will also be introduced in Monster Hunter Wilds. Starting from April 23, 2025, the seasonal event “Festival of Harmony: Flower Dance” will commence in the Great Place. What you can expect in the future as part of TU1, you can read in the roadmap: Monster Hunter Wilds: Roadmap & upcoming content
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Path of Exile 2, the opinions of players and developers collide. The point of contention could not be greater.
What are players discussing? With the major season update “Dawn of the Hunt,” the developers have reinforced their philosophy regarding the direction of their ARPG. They continue to believe that battles in their ARPG should feel meaningful.
Instead of 1- or 2-click builds that annihilate everything on the screen in a flash, players should perform combo attacks, where they first apply a debuff to their enemies and then strike them with powerful attacks. Game Director Jonathan Rogers explains in an interview (via YouTube) with streamer Zizaran:
I can definitely tell you that our goal was to tone down things that trivialize endgame before you even get your items, and so on […]
If we reach a point where a good player never has to face a single challenge, then I don’t think this game will be fun in the long run.
With these statements, the Game Director has sparked a lot of criticism among fans. There were also hate comments. Now the community wants to explain once more why they, as players, don’t think much of the developers’ ideas.
Here you can watch the trailer for the current season “Dawn of the Hunt”:
Start video
Path of Exile 2 presents gameplay trailer with the new Hunter class
“No one will ever use combos”
What is the criticism from fans? Players explain on Reddit why they are currently not engaging with the desired combo gameplay. Thread creator dreamonto finds it difficult to even try combos in boss fights:
Setting up combos and delayed attacks takes time. But when bosses jump/teleport away from you every two seconds, it’s better to just build instant damage skills rather than suffer through those miserable skill delays.
You can’t expect people to use combos while keeping the same boss mechanics as in PoE 1. You can’t have both. Is it any wonder that players cling to the gameplay style of PoE 1?
Make some compromises, and maybe players will start adopting your design philosophy for PoE 2.
Players report in the thread that boss fights have felt frustrating or even impossible for them. User Zesystem recounts on Reddit how he fought against one of the new Rogue Exiles (AI-controlled enemies that behave like real characters). The fight with his warrior took 15 minutes because the Huntress just consistently kept her distance, and he could hardly get close.
Rouflette explains on Reddit, why he believes the developers’ ideas will never be implemented:
No one will ever use combos in a hack & slash ARPG. It will never happen, and PoE2 is proof of that: because it’s a bad idea. To enable combos, the entire game would have to be designed around combos, every monster, every boss, every mechanic, and of course every skill, because if you slow down the pace of the game to allow for combos, you would make 1-button builds even easier and stronger, so you would have to remove all 1-button skills from the game and only allow combos. Bad idea from the start, they need to let it go.
Jafar_420 goes even further, saying on Reddit: Honestly, I don’t even want to use a combo while mapping, I just want to blow [enemies] up.”
Recently, the Blizzard officials adjusted the support page on trading gold in World of Warcraft and defined new restrictions. At first, these caused confusion among players.
What should the new rule look like? On the support page on battle.net regarding “Trading Gold between Servers, Factions, or Classic and Modern,” it now states:
“The trading of gold between WoW realms or factions or between different WoW versions (Modern and Classic) is prohibited. Participation in such trade can lead to account penalties, up to and including account closure.”
In the original version of the text from 2020, it was still stated that players should be warned before trading gold and items with players from other servers or factions. However, they would only pursue specific reports of scams and punish proven fraudsters.
Are you familiar with these absurd bugs from WoW?
Start video
3 absurde Bugs, die in WoW passiert sind
Players ask, Blizzard clarifies
Why are there ambiguities? In the official WoW forum (via forums.blizzard.com) as well as on Reddit, many players expressed uncertainty about which specific cases are now prohibited in detail.
Are you no longer allowed to help new players/guild members or friends on other servers with gold?
Will you be banned if you sell loot in raid groups for gold?
Does this only affect Classic? What about the current possibilities in Retail that make it easy to transfer gold to other characters?
What about multiboxers who have multiple accounts?
These are just some of the questions from the community. Initially, support staff member Vrakthris answered some of these questions in the forum. He writes (via forums.blizzard.com):
You are still allowed to give gold to players or other characters to help them. This also applies to the various accounts of multiboxers.
GDKP raids are prohibited in certain versions of WoW when it comes to selling loot for gold. The new rule has not changed anything in this regard.
Classic and Modern WoW are affected by the new rule.
Later, the Blizzard officials expanded the support page to address some of the ambiguities. It now states:
The trading of gold between WoW Classic servers or factions or between different WoW versions (Modern and Classic) is prohibited. Such transactions, especially with individuals you do not know or trust, are often associated with gold selling activities that contribute to issues in the server economy, botting, and account compromise. Participation in such transactions can lead to account penalties, including account closure.
However, trading within the game system, such as cross-faction or realm trading in Modern WoW, is allowed.
On April 28, 2025, Guild Wars will celebrate its 20th birthday. However, the festivities start now. With a new collection, the largest discount in the history of the game, and a … hold on … content update.
What is ArenaNet planning for Guild Wars? The 20-year-old MMORPG will receive the new “Guild Wars: The 20th Anniversary Masterpiece Collection” to celebrate the anniversary, which includes the three campaigns Prophecies, Factions, and Nightfall, as well as the expansion Eye of the North and the bonus mission pack.
In the official ArenaNet store (via guildwars2.com), the collection is set to launch immediately at an 80 percent discount – the developers promise it will be the biggest discount ever offered for the venerable Guild Wars.
The trailer for the Eye of the North expansion of Guild Wars:
Start video
Guild Wars: Eye of the North – Trailer
A nice surprise: In celebration of the anniversary, the 20-year-old game will receive one more content update. The new features include:
High-ranking enemies can drop many of the promotional items as rare loot, which were previously only available as pre-order bonuses or as regional bonuses in the mid-2000s.
A selection of limited-time minis will be added to the game as non-tradable items, which you can receive from Merrise at the departure beach as part of the in-game party. The anniversary will be celebrated in Guild Wars until May 6, 2025.
Additionally, you can now receive weapon upgrades for main-hand weapons that can increase a class’s main attribute up to 5 – even if you normally do not have access to that attribute. This is intended to provide your characters with new build possibilities. Plus: The modifiers leave stylish glow streaks on the weapons.
The “Guild Wars: The 20th Anniversary Masterpiece Collection”
A Journey Back to MMORPG History
Is Guild Wars still worth it? It is certain that the first Guild Wars still has many fans who fondly remember the predecessor of Guild Wars 2. This was demonstrated last year by the strong result of the MMORPG oldie in our poll on the best online role-playing games of all time: Guild Wars ranked 6th.
But this also hints at the positive rating on Steam for the entire trilogy, which stands at 90 percent positive. Highlights of the game include the diversely designed game world, the catchy music pieces, as well as the class system. Oh, and of course the titular guild wars.
However, it must also be said that Guild Wars has long ceased to draw large numbers of players to the servers. During peak times, there are often about 200 to 300 Steam users online at the same time (via steamcharts.com).
If one of the most popular MMORPGs of all time suddenly receives deep red negative ratings on Steam, the disappointment of the fans must run deep. This is exactly what happened to Final Fantasy XIV with Dawntrail. But after 8 months, there is finally a light at the end of the tunnel.
More content such as the Cosmo Explorations, Quests for the Friendly People Mamool Ja, Phantom Weapons, fresh Hildibrand Quests, and Kreszentia, field exploration are already set to launch in the coming weeks.
Here you can see the trailer for Patch 7.2 of Final Fantasy XIV:
Start video
The new trailer for Patch 7.2 of Final Fantasy XIV shows the new, highly anticipated content
A Light at the End of the Tunnel
How is Patch 7.2 being received? After heated discussions about the adjustments to the Black Mage job right at the start, many players now seem to view the new content of Final Fantasy XIV in a relatively positive light. At least more positively than it was in the Dawntrail era.
On Reddit, player Spookhetti_Sauce points out that the current expansion Dawntrail on Steam has, for the first time in 8 months, returned to “Balanced” instead of “Mostly Negative.” He himself states that he is so satisfied with Patch 7.2 that he has adjusted his negative user review to positive. His post has received more than 990 upvotes and over 670 comments so far.
Other players are also praising the new update:
bombershrimp writes on Reddit: “7.2 is a massive improvement in every way.”
Graedyn praises on Reddit: “7.2 was really good, and for the first time, I am really interested in what is happening in the main story.”
Kelras is cautiously optimistic on Reddit: “Nice to see, but I think most people are rightly waiting to see if 7.2 was just a fluke or if 7.3, 7.4, etc. continue what 7.2 started.”
However, the truth is that the Steam reviews for Dawntrail have also only been rated “Balanced” over the past 30 days. On the general Steam product page of FFXIV, the reviews from the last month stand at “Mostly Positive,” with 78 percent positive reviews.
This means that not everyone is excited. Some players do see an improvement in the storytelling compared to previous updates, but still consider the story from 7.2 to be at best average (via Reddit). In addition, there is currently a lack of content outside of strong raids and dungeons. Specifically, casual players have little reason to log in (via Reddit).
Several players in the Reddit discussion seem to have already written off Dawntrail as a disappointing filler expansion; they are now pinning their hopes on the next expansion, in which the new story arc of the MMORPG is likely to gain pace, drama, and urgency. Do you feel the same way, or are you satisfied with Dawntrail? Share it in the comments!
In the cozy MMO Palia, the developers have now announced the new expansion “Elderwood.” This not only brings new features but also makes the social MMO available on PS5 and Xbox.
How will the console release take place? The cozy Palia already delights 6 million players, as the developers announced in their press release. So far, the social MMO has only been available on PC and Nintendo Switch. This is set to change with the new expansion.
With “Elderwood,” the developers are bringing the popular cozy game to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on May 13th. At the same time, all players will receive an update that will bring fresh content to the cozy MMO.
Here you can watch the trailer for the console release:
Start video
The Cozy MMO Palia Shows Trailer for the New Expansion Elderwood
New expansion brings dense forest
What changes with Elderwood? The fresh expansion of Palia brings the biggest novelty, the new zone Elderwood. Here you will find a dense forest filled with magic and beasts, whose exploration is said to be a challenge. Of course, there are also fresh tasks and goals for you to master.
With the expansion, you can also expect additional equipment and resources. The forest also has a new item type for you, the relics. They provide passive bonuses for your entire group. Additionally, Elderwood offers a reliable source for the rare Palium ore, other materials, and recipes.
With the expansion, more villagers will move into your neighborhood, whom you can meet and build relationships with. They offer you new questlines that will propel your adventure forward.
What does one need to know about Palia? Palia is a free, cozy MMO that operates without a combat system. It was released on Steam in March 2024 and currently shines with good ratings after a rocky start. Currently, it has a rating of 84% positive on Steam.
The game is funded through microtransactions, which are not supposed to affect the actual game and are purely cosmetic in nature. You can purchase pets or outfits, for example. Palia is one of the few MMOs that also runs on the Switch. You can find out which others are worth recommending here: The best 5 MMORPGs for the Nintendo Switch in 2025
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
After the introduction of the Switch 2 with its features and components, more and more experts are speaking out. Recently, the former head of PlayStation also expresses a sobering conclusion.
What strength is Nintendo not utilizing? Since the Nintendo Switch 2 was presented on April 2, 2025, it is clear what the console can do. Ironically, the former head of PlayStation, Shuhei Yoshida, has expressed concerns about the features of the competition. In an interview on YouTube, he talks with “Easy Allies” about the console. He explains:
For me, it was a bit of a mixed message from Nintendo. […] In my opinion, Nintendo is losing its identity in a way. For me, it has always been about creating a new experience, developing hardware and games together to create [an] amazing new experience.
But the Switch 2 is, as we all expected, a better Switch, right? It has a larger screen, a more powerful processor, higher resolution, 4K, 120 FPS. […] And because it’s a better Switch, the core premise of the entire Switch 2 is: “We made things better,” and that’s something other companies have been doing all along.
For years, Nintendo has not participated in the competition for the strongest console in terms of hardware. The fact that hardly any new features are finding their place on the Switch 2 is viewed critically by the expert. Moreover, the hardware performance is not as good as an analysis shows.
With the Switch 2, Nintendo relies heavily on social elements:
Start video
Nintendo Switch 2 becomes more social thanks to new features
Graphics like on the PS4 from 2013
How good is the Switch 2 compared to PlayStation? The experts from Digital Foundry on YouTube, known for their hardware analyses, have taken a close look at the performance of the Switch 2. According to their assessment, the overall performance of the Switch 2 will be about on par with the PlayStation 4 from 2013.
Nintendo would be using an improved T239 chip, which Nvidia uses in their “RTX 30” graphics cards. The graphic power of the Switch 2 is said to be comparable to the weaker “Nvidia RTX 2050 4 GB” laptop graphics card. Especially with games like Cyberpunk, the experts see enormous challenges ahead for developers to get them running on this platform.
What MyMMO author Cedric Holmeier thinks: That the Switch 2 is “only” a hardware upgrade is, in my opinion, a missed opportunity. The new features that come into the games through the mouse functions and the additionally purchasable camera make the Switch 2 even worse for me, as these functions will hardly be feasible on the go.
The advantages that come from the improved hardware appear rather weak in comparison, especially since the console has “only” the power of the PS4 from 2013. Especially since it will still be far from other competing platforms.
In the end, however, the console will still become a success, especially because fans want to play the new exclusive titles like a Mario Kart, and many Nintendo fans don’t care about the technology – as shown not only by the Switch but also by the unbelievably successful Wii in the past.
Exclusive Nintendo titles, which typically offer a consistently good gaming experience, often make good graphics seem secondary, as the gaming feel and enjoyment are in the foreground.
The concept of the Switch, which can be used on the TV or as a handheld, is also simply strong. For this reason, I find it disappointing that Nintendo has focused almost solely on hardware improvements this time, but the Switch 2 still carries the advantages of its predecessor – albeit at a high price.
The Twitch streamer Maximilian “Trymacs” Stemmler has set himself the task of covering long distances with as unusual vehicles as possible. This year’s tour chose bicycles powered by treadmills.
What are they doing? The streamer Trymacs is currently holding something like a continuation of his scooter tour, a “treadmill bike tour” from Amsterdam to Hamburg, on his Twitch channel.
Joining him are his brother Nici as well as the content creators Ronny Berger, Paul Frege, Zarbex, Aditoro, Marc Eggers, SkylineTV, and Schradin, who only joined on the second day. However, on day one, the action nearly ended before it even started.
With wheels, Trymacs should be familiar from his time as a pizza delivery driver.
Start video
Vom Pizza-Lieferant zu einem der größten deutschen Twitch-Streamer – Leben und Karriere von Trymacs in 2 Minuten
“The tour is now over because we are all getting pulled over.”
What did they do wrong? After some initial difficulties, the streamers got somewhat used to their unusual vehicles and made good progress. However, as dusk set in, they found themselves in a difficult situation: apparently, they took a wrong turn and ended up on the street instead of on the bike path as intended.
Although the streamers tried to interfere with traffic as little as possible by riding in an orderly fashion, a long line of honking cars formed behind them. The group left the road at the next opportunity, but shortly after, promising orange lights started flashing – the police pulled the streamers over.
You can see a short compilation of the situation here:
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.
The streamer called his crew back to order and urged them with panicked “minus and plus” calls to turn on their lights, yet at least 2 of the creators rolled into the police checkpoint without lights. One already quipped: “The tour is now over because we are all getting pulled over.”
Trymacs’ explanation that they had really been riding on the bike paths all day and that the navigation system had only misled them at this point did not seem to soften the police officers.
Fortunately, it didn’t go that far: apparently, the group had “only” missed a traffic sign.
As the streamers later reported from the hotel, it had been a somewhat longer check. The bikes were particularly scrutinized, but everything was fine with them, lights were good. They just needed to be turned on.
The upcoming survival MMO Dune: Awakening has postponed its release. The developers justify this decision in a statement.
To what date has the release been postponed? The developers of Dune: Awakening announced in a statement (via X.com) that they will postpone their upcoming survival MMO set in the Dune universe. Instead of the planned release date on May 20, the survival game will now go live 3 weeks later, on June 10. Buyers of the Deluxe or Ultimate Edition of the game will be able to play 5 days earlier, on June 5.
Here you can see gameplay of Dune: Awakening:
Start video
Dune: Awakening zeigt Gameplay zum großen Endgame-Gebiet, der Deep Desert
Three extra weeks for better gameplay
How do the developers justify the postponement? Currently, a closed beta test for Dune: Awakening is running, and content creators and game journalists have already had the chance to test the MMO. The developers have received important feedback that they would like to use before the release to improve their game.
In the statement on X.com, it states: “The feedback we received from beta testers was invaluable in ensuring that we can bring a high-quality game to market. […] Thanks to this process, we have concluded that with a little more time to refine, we can incorporate much more feedback that we know is important to our beta testers.”
The developers further explain that they want to use the extra time to provide a smooth and stable experience that should be felt from day one on Arrakis. There is also expected to be more work on the technical side for the developers.
While other online games on Steam eagerly embrace the possibility of early access, Dune: Awakening is set to launch directly as a full game, leaving the developers with little room for excuses should the survival MMO release in an unfinished state. For the developers, it is essential to make a perfect landing right at release.
Can you test the game beforehand? Despite the postponement, the beta tests will initially remain closed. However, the developers plan to organize a large beta weekend, during which even more players can try out Dune: Awakening before the release. They intend to provide more information about this test weekend at a later date.
Even though fans are eagerly awaiting the major survival MMO, the postponement seems to benefit the game. In the statement, the developers explain that the press and content creators will publish their impressions of the MMO on April 25. Then it should become clear how good the survival game really is. Until then, you can learn what truly makes the MMO special: The head of Dune: Awakening explains what makes his game special, appearing like a happy child
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Which classes are the best in Baldur’s Gate 3? MeinMMO helps you choose if you want to build the strongest character.
What are the best classes in Baldur’s Gate 3? There are fundamental differences in strengths and areas of use among the classes. Each class can deal damage, but some can also act as a tank, healer, or support.
Therefore, the rule is: play what fits your playstyle and what appeals to you. For general “usability” and “user-friendliness,” our tier list can help. Especially if you want to play the challenging Honour Mode, strong classes are important.
Note: The article was revised on April 15, 2025. We have included all new subclasses from Patch 8. Here you can find the new subclasses in a separate ranking. The ranking may still change in the coming days.
Who creates the tier list? We have numerous experts for Dungeons & Dragons on the MeinMMO team and have compared our experience with other tier lists like the one from Mobalytics.
Note that this tier list evaluates the pure power of the classes themselves, not their potential in combination with other classes, such as in multiclassing.
What does “S” to “F” mean? The tier list categorizes classes into semi-alphabetical categories, with S at the top and then descending A-F. Classes in the S-ranking perform fundamentally better in all situations in the game, not just in combat.
Here a developer gives tips on all classes:
Start video
Baldur’s Gate 3: Developers give 30 minutes of tips on all classes
S-Tier: Bard, Wizard, Paladin, Cleric
Bard
Bards use music as a catalyst for their magic and are traditionally the support in the group. However, they also master the strongest control spells in the game en masse, making them a cornerstone of the group.
In addition, Bards have enormous charisma and often strong bonuses on skills like Performance and Persuasion. This way, you can solve problems even without combat. The Bard schools are:
As “spontaneous” spellcasters, Wizards can cast magic simply through their body. This limits their variety somewhat, but makes their spells unmatched stronger when they specialize. The subclasses are:
Dragon Bloodline (B-Tier)
Wild Magic (A-Tier)
Storm Sorcery (S-Tier)
Shadow Magic (A-Tier)
Paladin
Basically priests in plate armor and with a sword: as a Paladin, you swear an oath and use divine power to crush your enemies. While you have only minor healing magic, you can take a hit and deal even more damage. The companion Minthara is a Paladin. The oaths are:
As a Cleric, you dedicate your life to a god and channel its divine power through your spells. Clerics are typically the healers of a group but can also deal significant damage and even tank. Shadowheart is a cleric. The possible domains are:
If you just want to hit things, Barbarians are the class for you. They have little depth, mainly gaining more and stronger attacks and smash opponents without regard for consequences. Karlach is a barbarian. Possible paths are:
Path of the Berserker (B-Tier)
Path of the Wildheart (A-Tier)
Path of Wild Magic (C-Tier)
Path of the Giant (S-Tier)
Sorcerer
Unlike Wizards, Sorcerers have to prepare a list of spells. They have “learned” magic through study. However, they can prepare different spells each time after a rest and are thus significantly more flexible. Gale is a Sorcerer. The possible schools are:
School of Abjuration (A-Tier)
School of Conjuration (A-Tier)
School of Divination (C-Tier)
School of Evocation (S-Tier)
School of Illusion (C-Tier)
School of Necromancy (A-Tier)
School of Enchantment (B-Tier)
School of Transmutation (A-Tier)
Chanting (B-Tier)
Warlock
Warlocks gain their power through a pact with a supernatural being or an otherworldly deity. Unlike other spell classes, they always cast at the highest possible level and recover their spell slots after a short rest. Wyll is a Warlock. The possible pacts are:
The Archfey (A-Tier)
The Great Old One (A-Tier)
The Hexblade (A-Tier)
Curseblade (A-Tier)
Druid
As a Druid, you draw your magical powers from nature itself. You can communicate with plants and animals and even transform. Accordingly, you can take on almost any role in a group. Halsin and Jaheira are Druids. The possible circles are:
Circle of Spores (?-Tier) This specialization depends heavily on the player and the situation.
Circle of Stars (A-Tier)
Monk
Monks are experts in unarmed close combat, extremely agile, and master special techniques to deal damage to opponents. According to the lead author of Baldur’s Gate 3, Monks are even the strongest class in the game. However, their areas of application are often specific, dependent on the environment, and they are quite challenging to play. The possible paths are:
Way of the Open Hand (S-Tier)
Way of the Four Elements (B-Tier)
Way of Shadows (B-Tier)
Way of the Drunken Master (B-Tier)
Fighter
Fighters are versatile and by far the best class for beginners. As a fighter, you can score in both melee and ranged combat, tank, and heal yourself. In addition, you have several actions available per round from early on. Lae’zel is a fighter. Possible subclasses are:
Champion (A-Tier)
Battle Master (S-Tier)
Arcane Knight (B-Tier)
Arcane Archer (C-Tier)
This makes the Fighter the perfect starter class:
Rogue
Rogues are theoretically powerful assassins or skilled thieves. In Baldur’s Gate 3, however, it is difficult to get into a situation where you can play that out. With luck, you can take out individual opponents instantly and bypass or significantly ease challenging fights. Astarion is a rogue. The possible specializations are:
Thief (A-Tier)
Arcane Trickster (D-Tier, unfortunately sounds cooler than it is)
The only “real” ranged class is unfortunately one of the weakest in Baldur’s Gate 3. Rangers are hunters and wild keepers, protecting the land and their forests and even having animal companions. However, they lack depth, alternatives, and areas of use. Minsc is a ranger. Possible specializations are:
Beast Master (A-Tier)
Hunter (C-Tier)
Gloom Stalker (C-Tier, but one of the best options for multiclassing)
Multiclassing in Baldur’s Gate 3: How to get the most out of your character
If you already know the game better, you can also use the multiclassing feature. In Baldur’s Gate 3, you can level up to a level in any class with each level increase.
This way, you can create really strong combinations, but you can also fail really hard. Therefore, we only present some class combinations here that work particularly well:
Even Rangers can become really strong this way if you combine them with Fighter and Rogue. As a rule of thumb: take a versatile class as a base and a particularly strong specialist class to improve. This usually leads to good combinations. But keep in mind that you only have 12 levels available. This has a reason: Why you are only allowed to play up to level 12 in Baldur’s Gate 3 and why that’s a good thing
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In almost every round, Total War: Warhammer 3 you play against AI opponents, whether alone or with other players. However, since its release, there has been a medium to large problem with it: the AI is really dumb and often makes questionable decisions. That is about to change.
This is the problem with the AI:
Computer opponents should present a challenge to keep the game exciting. To do this, they have an “anti-player bias,” meaning they try to make it a bit harder for the player.
However, this bias often leads to illogical decisions, such as refusing or breaking reasonable alliances or starting wars, sometimes across half the world, without any prospect of actually conducting them.
Even among themselves, the AI is questionable, with significant power differences. As a result, of the over 280 factions in Immortal Empires, perhaps only about 100 remain after about 30 rounds.
Here is the plan now: Developer Creative Assembly plans a significant rework of the AI (via Creative-Assembly.com). The AI is to be improved broadly. For this purpose, the developers are addressing several points.
Computer opponents are to evaluate how big the threat from a player is with less bias. This is intended to create consistent behavior. In numbers: Your actions now create between 90 and 120% threat instead of between 50 and 200%.
Additionally, the distance of the foreign faction will play a larger role. Specifically: Armies that have nothing in their range should no longer stand idly in the middle of nowhere but should actually do something.
The AI should also be less aggressive when it doesn’t make sense, meaning they won’t declare war on you just because they can, only to end up in the dust. Smaller factions should also be able to survive longer to provide more dynamism.
Start video
Eine Schlacht zwischen Nurgle und Slaanesh in Total War: Warhammer 3
Creative Assembly continues to refine Total War, has seductive plans for the future
The AI changes are currently being tested on the beta client of Total War: Warhammer 3, which you can easily download via Steam as the owner of the game. You can find the instructions in the official blog.
Total War: Warhammer 3 is still the largest Total War on Steam with over 39,000 players (via steamcharts). With the number of players, it is even larger than all other games in the Warhammer universe on the platform. After a few setbacks and a mixed birthday event, recent reviews have been steadily rising with the latest updates. With the AI improvement, many players should also be satisfied. The game is also among the best strategy games for PC on MeinMMO.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The 19-year-old Russian Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov is a huge talent in Counter-Strike 2, the biggest game on Steam. In 2022, he was voted Rookie of the Year and was ranked number 7 in the worldwide Counter-Strike rankings. In recent years, he has been on the rise. Now, the super-talent from G2 is supposedly switching teams for 2.5 million euros.
This was the career of the young player: The Russian rose to fame at “Natus Vincere”, the team of superstar s1mple, where he played since he was 15, in the youth team.
In 2022, he supposedly transferred to G2 for $600,000, where his career really took off. He was named Rookie of the Year. He then improved over 3 years from number 7 in the world, first to number 4 in 2023 and finally to number 2 in 2024. His team even advertised an online casino with m0NESY.
The AWP player is now supposedly moving to Team Falcon Esports for 2 to 2.5 million US dollars, backed by a Saudi investor. The transfer amount comes from an insider (via x).
Start video
Counter-Strike 2: Valve once again impresses with the launch trailer
G2’s CEO says: Please direct complaints about the transfer to him
This is what his team says: G2 states they have accepted the offer to let go of their young GOAT, meaning the “Greatest of All Time”.
G2’s CEO states (via x): If anyone has a problem with the decision, they should contact him directly and not the management of the Counter-Strike team or the players. It was a team-level decision.
The CEO hints that the young Russian’s contract would have expired in December and they decided to make the most of the situation and then rebuild. They are sad to let Ilya go; G2 has been extremely successful with him and has claimed 6 trophies in 2 years.
Why let him go? The CEO suggests that the approaching end of the contract was putting a strain on the whole team and made it difficult to recruit new players. Therefore, they wanted to bring clarity now.
Fans should not worry, as they are an experienced team and are not afraid to find new players and build a new team.
How can the new team hire the player? Behind Team Falcons is a Saudi investor. The team has benched the 23-year-old Russian “degster” to make room for the newcomer.
Are such sums normal? There are recurring reports of players in Counter-Strike 2 switching teams for around $1 million.
However, that is already at the upper limit – such amounts are extraordinary today, as the e-sport is generally in a crisis. A less favorable news recently befell a coach in Valorant: A coach in Valorant flirts so poorly that he loses his job
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The long-awaited and final content update patch 8 for Baldur’s Gate 3 is finally here. With nearly 3 gigabytes, you will have to load quite a bit, but it’s worth it. Just in time for the release, Larian has published the patch notes and included an unannounced change.
In addition, you can look forward to an integrated photo mode, crossplay, and split-screen for Xbox.
Patch 8 is 2.8 gigabytes in size and has been available since Tuesday, April 15, at around 3:15 PM German time. Here you will find everything you need to know about patch 8.
This is the surprise: Right at the top of the official patch notes, Larian has added an entry about trading cards on Steam. Although this is just a small and for many an insignificant feature, a part of the PC community has been asking for it for years.
Trading cards have no actual use, except to be exactly that: collectible cards. However, because Baldur’s Gate 3 has so many enthusiastic fans, some simply want to have a few special items from the game.
The trading cards are usually worth only a few cents on the Steam marketplace, but particularly rare or certain versions can become quite expensive. Where the market price for the Baldur’s Gate 3 cards will settle remains to be seen.
Start video
Der animierte Kurzfilm zu Patch 8, dem letzten Update für Baldur’s Gate 3
Patch notes for patch 8 are 33 pages long, bringing bug fixes, new content, and more
Normally, we would provide you with the patch notes directly here on page 2. However, this time they are so extensive that it is probably better for you to check them out directly on the official website.
In addition to the highlights mentioned, the majority of patch 8 consists of bug fixes, and many of them. From gameplay bugs to audio and visual bugs to interface and scripting errors, there are hundreds of bug fixes.
Larian has also made adjustments to the mods and the in-house mod toolkit. However, this also means that many or even most mods will likely not work in the first few days.
If you have modded save files and want to ensure they are not lost, you should either play on an old patch version or wait a few days. Normally, not much should happen, other than possibly experiencing crashes or being unable to load games. If you haven’t started with mods yet and are looking for something, here you can find the 10 best mods for Baldur’s Gate 3
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
With Patch 8, Baldur’s Gate 3 receives its last major update. When it will be released and what to expect can be found here at MeinMMO.
When is the release of Patch 8? Patch 8 will be released on April 15, 2025, for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. So, you won’t have to wait much longer to dive into the game with the new features across all platforms simultaneously.
The exact time is not yet known. We will keep an eye on this for you and update it as soon as there are news.
You can read all currently known information about the new patch here.
Update from April 15, 2025, 3:20 PM: The patch is here. You can download it now. Information about it has been added to the article.
In this video, you can get a first impression of 5 of the new subclasses:
Start video
Larian introduces the new subclasses in Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch 8 – Here is Part 1 with Cleric, Barbarian, Bard, and Druid
These contents await you in Patch 8 of Baldur’s Gate 3
The patch is finally live, and you can look forward to the following contents:
2 completely new endings if you want to play particularly evil
Photo mode with over 300 different tools for better screenshots
Crossplay so you can play with your friends across all platforms. You will need a Larian account for this
The Xbox version will have the option to play in local co-op with splitscreen
If you are unsure which of the new subclasses you want to try first, we have ranked them for you in a tier list. In our article about it, you can read what makes each respective subclass particularly powerful: All new classes of Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch 8 ranked
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
