Marathon is set to receive its first season after the release, offering new content designed to entertain fans. When Season 1 starts and what content you can expect, you will find out here.
When does Season 1 start? The first season of Marathon, also known as “Death Is The First Step,” is set to take place immediately upon the Bungie blog post announcing the release of the extraction shooter. This will be on March 5. With Season 1, fans will have the opportunity to unlock new content, including runners, weapons, and implants. New maps and features will also be added.
Perhaps the most exciting aspect is the fact that all new content will be free for all players. No expansions or DLCs are required for this. Bungie also presents a small roadmap indicating what you can expect in the first season.
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Bungie presents Marathon in the launch trailer
Content you can expect in Season 1
What are the biggest changes? Upon release, fans can expect a lot of content, but more will come when Season 1 starts. The following things are included:
A new zone: The Cryo Archive
The C.A.R.R.I. event
A new weapon
The ranked mode
Tuning for the mid-season (adjustments to the meta and more.)
New implants
However, when the content in Season 1 will be released is still unknown. Nevertheless, there is still quite a bit to read from the roadmap.
Here is the roadmap for Marathon, in case you want to see it:
What else can be seen in the roadmap? Bungie has planned a lot for future seasons. Season 2 is set to start in June and run until August. It will feature new gameplay mechanics, including “The Cradle,” as well as a new runner.
Season 3 will also happen, but only the start date is known for now. So expect that only in August. Aside from that, the roadmap is sure to excite fans, as they can hardly wait to explore the world of Tau Ceti.
What are fans most looking forward to? Fans are already discussing the upcoming release on Reddit. It is especially noticeable that they might soon have the chance to enter the orbit and the Marathon ship.
How and in what form that will happen is still a mystery, but Bungie has a talent for secrets. In Destiny 1 & 2, there were many mechanics that fans had to discover for themselves. IceEnigma suspects on Reddit that a community event will come where all runners have to work together to make their way to the ship.
However, Marathon is geared more towards PvP than ARC Raiders. The possibility that fans may have to lay down their weapons for an event to cooperate could create a new dynamic in the shooter. It remains exciting, as it seems Bungie has a lot planned behind the scenes to surprise its fans in the coming weeks.
Are you excited for the release of Marathon, or do you prefer to watch the spectacle in a livestream on Twitch? If you’re still unsure whether Marathon is worth it for you, feel free to check out here: Is Marathon worth it for you? The short check before release
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Within less than 24 hours, people in dungeons of World of Warcraft are already complaining that it isn’t fast enough. Just like always.
When a new expansion of World of Warcraft launches, you can experience Azeroth once again through rose-colored glasses. Everything is beautiful, everything is new, and there is something to discover everywhere. But one thing remains the same – troublesome teammates in dungeons, who cause real stress on the very first day of the new expansion if you don’t play optimally. It’s actually absurd, but unfortunately, it’s a common occurrence.
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WoW Midnight: Arator’s Light and the Firebrand
What’s going on in WoW? The new expansion has only been available for about 36 hours, but some seem to be falling back into their old routine of maximum preparation under immense time pressure. At least in the WoW subreddit, reports from players are already piling up of those who can’t stand the pace in dungeons, complaining about tanks or the low DPS of their teammates.
The current biggest post from StateComprehensive93 mentioned this already yesterday afternoon:
I have no idea why one has to harass other people in normal dungeons already. I have done three dungeons as a tank and in each of them, there was someone who felt the need to pull extra mobs, race ahead of the group, and complain about someone’s DPS. The expansion has only been live for 12 hours – can you chill a bit?
I understand that without M+, the mix of people currently playing is very diverse. But to rage in normal dungeons because we are not taking the optimal route and “losing” 10 seconds – that’s just not the right behavior, especially for new players and those who are just returning.
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In response to this post, there is a lot of agreement – nearly 4,000 at the time of this article. Among them are also many comments from other players who have already had similar experiences.
“I was kicked as a tank because the others died to the totems that put a stackable health-point debuff on you. People are just bad and unbelievably stupid.” – shmoomoo12
“It’s wild. I had a tank who pulled all 4 nightmare mobs at once in Nalorakk’s den. Totems everywhere, I had to prioritize dispelling the tank and myself, everyone died. ‘Why is there no healing?’” – Quidplura
“These are just people who are bad at the game. After M+ starts, these are exactly those unbearable people who gather in +8 and insult each other for not making progress. I consider these people the true casuals, the tryhard losers of this game.” – AbzorTen
“I voted against kicking a tank because he ‘didn’t know how to tank.’ In my eyes, he was completely fine. Not everyone is like that, but unfortunately, the truth here may be simple – if something stinks, it might just be an asshole.” – Magnus1177
Cortyn says: I have absolutely no understanding for this behavior. If that happens in Mythic+, I can understand. It’s about a certain performance, pressure, and the required level of play is higher. But in normal dungeons in the first week, one should be above all: polite, friendly, and maybe take a deep breath.
Right now is the time when players are returning or starting anew with WoW. There is absolutely no need to complain about tanks or ‘bad DPS’ in normal dungeons this early. Today’s newcomers are your teammates of tomorrow – if nobody has scared them away by then. And then again, there will be complaints about the tank shortage.
However, it must also be said that luckily only a small part of the player base is so problematic. Most runs should go smoothly, but it is precisely those with negative experiences that tend to remain in poor memory.
An American talent manager for big Twitch streamers described in a blog post what is needed to succeed as a content creator. An inevitable strategy is what is known as viewbotting.
Who is the Twitch manager? In his blog post It is time to start viewbottingon X, talent manager Reed Duchscher talked about viewbotting on Twitch. Reed Duchscher manages some very successful American Twitch streamers.
These include Hasan Piker and Kai Cenat, among others. From 2018 to 2024, MrBeast was also one of the creators he managed. Additionally, Reed Duchscher is the head of the talent management company Night.
In the content creator scene, Reed Duchscher is well-informed. He has a clear opinion on viewbotting, as the title of his blog post suggested.
Start video
These are the 5 most relevant German streamers on Twitch in 2024, according to Google
Why shouldn’t you do it too?
How does Duchscher suggest to cheat? Reed Duchscher begins his post on X with the words What does it take to gain attention on the internet when everyone else is using bots – why shouldn’t you do it too?.
Duchscher is certain that good content alone is not enough nowadays. The market for content creators is saturated, so one has to resort to unfair means to draw attention.
The means: viewbotting. Twitch streamers looking to start a career should buy bots that then view their stream. This would artificially boost their viewer counts and make the streamers appear more successful than they actually are. Honest creators who do not use bots are automatically at a disadvantage, according to Duchscher.
Duchscher further states that viewbotting on Twitch is difficult to prove. Apart from sudden jumps in viewer counts, there are no reliable methods to prove viewbotting.
At the same time, Duchscher also notes that viewbotting is only a short-term survival strategy. In the long run, normalizing this behavior would undermine trust in the platforms.
In a subsequent post on X, Reed Duchscher clarified again that his statements do not imply that the currently big Twitch streamers have become so successful only because of viewbotting.
What is the problem with viewbotting? Viewbotting violates Twitch’s guidelines (source: help.twitch.tv).
High viewer numbers paint a more positive picture than reality actually reflects. This could mislead advertisers or deceive other potential viewers.
It also makes other Twitch channels that do not use viewbotting less visible on the platform. Only organically gained viewers contribute to a genuine community.
Twitch is actively trying to combat viewbotting with specific algorithms. In an X-post from July 2025, Twitch Support reinforced their approach: We recently made changes that have significantly improved our ability to identify viewbots, fake viewership numbers, and other potentially fraudulent interactions.
What are the reactions? In the comments under a post on X by Dexerto on the topic, there are some opinions. Ran states, for example, that viewbotting works because good content creators generally have difficulty getting discovered.
The German Twitch streamer Broeki mentioned in a post on X: It is already hard to build a viewer base in the current time if you are not extremely manipulative.
The Division 2 is currently massively discounted on Steam. But before you grab the cheapest version for €3, perhaps you should consider looking at another edition of the game.
What kind of game is this? The Division 2 is an open-world loot shooter from Ubisoft, where you shoot your way through a post-apocalyptic Washington D.C. The capital of the USA had previously been struck by a deadly pandemic, with fatal consequences.
The old society has collapsed and now three armed criminal factions roam the streets. As an agent of the Strategic Homeland Division (SHD), it is your duty to rebuild the city and restore order.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the series, Ubisoft is giving the title a new game mode that significantly changes the loot shooter after all these years. And for those who do not yet have the game, you can currently save quite a bit of money on the purchase: Until March 12, 2026, The Division 2 on Steam costs only €2.99 if you only get the standard version of the game.
Here you can see the trailer for “Battle for Brooklyn,” the latest DLC for The Division 2:
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Ubisoft shows the new DLC of The Division 2 in the trailer
For a little more money, there’s a noticeably better version
What other versions are available? Before you rush to grab the cheapest version for €2.99, you should take a look at the other editions. One of them might be worth even more to you, even if it costs a little more money.
For €8.99, you get the Gold Edition of The Division 2. This includes not only the base game but also the latest DLC, “Battle for Brooklyn,” but is especially worthwhile because of the expansion “Warlords of New York.”
The Ultimate Edition includes two DLCs and additional content packages for €13.99. A detailed listing of the contents can be found on the Steam page of the game.
“Warlords of New York” expands The Division 2 with a new game world. There, you experience a story about a rogue agent of the Division. He has taken control of Lower Manhattan with the support of four Warlords.
Furthermore, the expansion revamps the game’s progress system and expands the endgame. If you want to experience everything the expansion has to offer, you’ll be occupied for about 20 hours (according to howlongtobeat.com).
Is the DLC required for the new game mode? No, you do not need any of the DLCs to play the new Realism mode. While it is included in “Warlords of New York,” during the current season, all owners of The Division 2 can play it for free.
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Crimson Desert is an action-adventure with RPG elements and an open world. It comes from the developers of Black Desert and is set to release in 2026. We at MeinMMO will tell you everything about the release date, the editions, the trailers, and more.
Update, March 4, 2026: The article has been structurally adjusted and information about the Game Pass has been added.
What kind of game is Crimson Desert? Crimson Desert is the new game from South Korean studio Pearl Abyss, which is also behind the well-known MMORPG Black Desert that celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2024. Originally planned as a MMORPG successor, the project underwent several changes. Crimson Desert is now a standalone single-player experience.
Below, we have summarized everything that is currently known about the action-adventure. This includes information on the release, the story, gameplay, the editions, and trailers. The article will be regularly updated so you won’t miss anything.
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Crimson Desert: Release, Platforms, Demo and Voice Acting
Yes, there are several trailers for Crimson Desert that not only show a lot of gameplay but also provide insights into the game’s world and various features. The latest video focused on the battles and character progression:
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Crimson Desert shows more of the fights and progression in the action RPG in the new gameplay video
Is Crimson Desert coming to PS5, Xbox, and other platforms?
Crimson Desert is expected to be released simultaneously for Playstation 5, Xbox Series X|S, MacOS, GeForce Now, and PC.
Will Crimson Desert be available on Steam?
Yes, Crimson Desert will also be available on Steam. You can add it to your wishlist or pre-order it through the store page. Alternatively, you can also find the game in the Epic Games Store.
Will Crimson Desert also run on the Steam Deck?
So far, there has been no official announcement from Valve regarding whether Crimson Desert will also be verified for the Steam Deck and playable on it. However, since the system requirements are surprisingly moderate, it could very well be that you can also play Crimson Desert on your handheld.
Will Crimson Desert be in Game Pass?
At least at launch, Crimson Desert will not be included in Game Pass. Whether the game will eventually join the subscription is currently unknown. Still, it might be worth considering purchasing the game for the Microsoft service, as Crimson Desert supports the “Play Anywhere” function.
Is there a free demo?
There will likely be no free demo for Crimson Desert. According to marketing director Will Powers, the dynamic open world prevents offering interested players a testing experience that is equal for all.
In which languages can you play Crimson Desert?
The texts of Crimson Desert are expected to be available in German, English, French, Italian, Spanish (Spain & Latin America), Japanese, Korean, Polish, Russian, Chinese (simplified & traditional), Turkish, and Brazilian Portuguese.
In which languages is the voice acting available?
You will be able to play Crimson Desert with English, Korean, or Chinese (simplified) voice acting. A German voice acting is not planned for the time being.
No, Crimson Desert is a buy-to-play title that you can get in the standard edition for €69.99.
Are there special partnerships to get Crimson Desert for free?
Yes, there are! AMD promises a free edition of Crimson Desert if you purchase certain AMD Ryzen processors, Radeon RX series graphics cards, or complete PC systems. You can find the announcement on X, the full details on the official AMD website.
Are there multiple editions?
In addition to the digital and physical standard edition, there is also a digital and physical deluxe edition as well as a physical collector’s edition:
Standard (digital + physical)
€69.99
– Crimson Desert: Full version – Pre-order bonus: Khaled shield – (PS5 purchase bonus: Grotevant record set)
Deluxe (digital + physical)
€79.99
– Like standard – Kairos record set – Balgran shield – Diclaire riding outfit
Physical: – Letter from the developers – Graymane brooch – 3 types of character photo cards – 3 types of patches – Map of Pywel
Collector (physical only)
already sold out
– Like deluxe – Bow of the radiant soul / Dericsis spear / Sielos two-handed sword – Shroud lantern – Hyperion riding outfit
Physical bonuses: – Like deluxe – Limited diorama – Fabric map of Pywel
Are further monetizations like a shop or battle pass planned?
No, Crimson Desert is intended to be a purely premium experience. However, if it is successful, paid DLCs could eventually deliver new content.
Here you can watch a gameplay trailer:
Select a MMO video…
Crimson Desert: Info on MMO, Multiplayer, Coop, Mod Support and Crossplay
No, at least not at launch. It is currently unclear whether co-op or multiplayer elements will really come in the future. However, the developers believe it is conceivable to introduce such features after release if Crimson Desert is successful.
Kliff Macduff: The main character of the game is already known from the first trailers. Kliff is armed with a sword, shield, and bow but also performs “wrestling” moves and can cast elemental spells thanks to a magical bracelet. All of this makes him the perfect all-rounder.
Damiane: The fighter uses a two-handed claymore in battle but is still agile and relies on precise dodging. From a distance, she can also deal damage, using a handy pistol for that purpose.
Oongka: The muscle-bound character wields a huge axe and a cannon on his wrist, dealing massive damage. Oongka also loves to blow things up.
On your adventure, you recruit allies to help you achieve your goals. Pearl Abyss states on the official website of Crimson Desert:
On a dark, biting cold night, the Graymanes are attacked by their arch-enemies, the Black Bears. After a fierce struggle, many have fallen, and the survivors are scattered to the winds.
Kliff sets out to find his scattered companions and reclaim everything that was lost.
In the process, he encounters new allies, inescapable foes, and a mysterious power that operates in the shadows – realizing that trials of unprecedented scale and a tremendous fate await him.
Crimson Desert offers an open-world experience where you explore the medieval fantasy world Pywel, complete quests, solve puzzles, and fight against various opponents and tough bosses. There is also parkour gameplay awaiting you. You can climb along walls or up trees, reminiscent of Assassin’s Creed or Black Desert.
The game combines intense combat with many activities outside of combat. You can, for example:
Go fishing
Tame horses
Play the flute
Arm wrestle
Build your own farm
Engage in agriculture
…and very importantly: Pet cats and dogs!
The combat system is said to be tactically demanding and relies on combos like in a fighting game. It is also crucial to observe the movement patterns of enemies closely, dodge skillfully, and time your attacks correctly.
You have a diverse selection of weapons at your disposal, from swords and axes to pistols and mini-cannons. Through alchemy, you can also give your weapons special properties. Additionally, your various mounts like dragons, bears, or mechs assist in combat.
At gamescom, MeinMMO was able to try out Crimson Desert in a demo version. MeinMMO editor-in-chief Leya Jankowski and GameStar editor Jonas Gössling both took this opportunity and share their first impressions of Crimson Desert in the Gamestar Talk.
Mark Zuckerberg and his wife have now invested 150 million euros in a new, stylish villa. The property is one of the most expensive in the USA.
What has Zuckerberg done? The founder of Facebook and current CEO of Meta has purchased a villa for 170 million USD with his wife Priscilla Chan. This was reported by Forbes.com.
The sellers are said to be a famous plastic surgeon and his wife, who bought the two-acre property in 2020 for 30 million dollars.
The data is collected at the beginning of the year in January/February. According to the last survey, the number of homeless people is around 770,000 (via BBC.com).
New Villa on an Exclusive Luxury Island, where people like Jeff Bezos already have a house
Where is the new, expensive villa located? The new residential area is well-known among billionaires, as the villa is situated on the private island Indian Creek, which some have sarcastically dubbed the “Billionaire Bunker.” The island also gained notoriety due to the fact that it does not have its own sewage system and preferred to send the waste to the neighbors.
How much money is that anyway? Nearly 150 million euros sounds like a lot of money, but it hasn’t been the most expensive villa so far. According to the Wall Street Journal, this purchase sets a new record for Miami Dade County and ranks among the most expensive purchases in the USA, but is still surpassed:
Gordon Pointe, Naples (Florida) is being offered for 295 million USD, but the purchase price includes three villas, a marina, and 500 meters of private beach.
Little Lake Lodge, Aspen (Colorado) is listed for around 300 million USD.
924 Bel Air Rd., California: Costs are at 250 million USD.
For a similar amount of money, 150 million euros, the television channel RTL bought the pay TV channel Sky in 2025. Compared to the massive Netflix-Warner-Paramount deal, which is supposed to cost over 80 billion, it seems almost cheap.
Hints have surfaced, referring to the monsters for the upcoming Community Days in Pokémon GO. One of them stands out in particular.
Community Days are likely among the favorite events for many trainers in Pokémon GO. During these events, a specific monster is in focus and appears in very high numbers over a 3-hour period. Such an event is accompanied by strong bonuses like an increased Shiny chance.
In addition to the regular Community Day, there is also the Classic variant, where a monster returns that previously had its own Community Day.
Now, leaks have emerged teasing the monsters for the next Community Days. And one of them could be particularly worthwhile.
Start video
Pokémon GO shows the new season Memories in Motion in the trailer
Return of a Powerful Attacker?
What kind of monsters are those? Dataminers have found images showing the supposed monsters for the regular Community Days in April and May, as well as for the Community Day Classic in May.
According to the images, the monsters for the regular Community Days are Ferkuli and Forgita. You can also see the images for these two monsters in this post on Reddit.
For the Community Day Classic, an image has appeared showing Kapuno. You can also find this image in a post on Reddit.
Especially Kapuno is likely to be interesting for many trainers. On one hand, it evolves into Trikephalo, one of the best attackers in Pokémon GO. Additionally, it has the Dark type alongside Dragon.
Are the monsters confirmed? Keep in mind that this information comes from datamining leaks. Therefore, there have not yet been any official statements from Pokémon GO.
Whether those will actually be the monsters in the end is still unknown.
When do the events take place? The dates for the upcoming Community Days of the current season have already been officially announced. The regular Community Days will take place on April 11, 2026, and May 9, 2026, while the Community Day Classic will be on May 16, 2026.
In addition to the Community Days, there are many other events taking place in Pokémon GO. The current month also brings several events, raids, and more content. You can find out what those are in our overview with all events in March 2026 in Pokémon GO.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A player in Helldivers 2 found the bugs in the code too much. To encourage the developers to address the issues in the code, he has offered $1000 for a successfully completed challenge. However, not all players are pleased with this.
What kind of challenge is this? On March 1, 2026, Redditor Key_Complex_150 posted a challenge to the developers of Helldivers 2 on the official Helldivers Reddit. In it, the poster states that he would donate $1000 (equivalent to €859.86) to a charity of Arrowhead’s choice.
The condition would be that the developers must complete a full operation with all objectives and missions on the planet Oshaune at difficulty level 10. Additionally, the game must be played in its current state as if it were live: Show us how it’s done and how well the balancing in the game is.
Ultimately, the poster promises to post his full (contact) information and payment receipts, as well as being willing to sign a legally binding contract. Another Redditor BrainstormAndTheory has since pledged to donate another $1000 on top if certain loadouts are used and the challenge is streamed.
The developers seem to accept the challenge. However, Key_Complex_150 is specifically struggling with other angry Helldivers.
Start video
Helldivers 2 shows in the trailer for Machinery of Oppression how the new cyborgs change the fight
The CEO attempts the challenge and gets hit by randoms with a cannon
What do the developers say? According to screenshots shared on Discord, Arrowhead CEO Shams Jorjani is currently identifying the loadouts needed for the challenge. On planet Nivel, he tried with a level 58 character because Oshaune was not available at that moment.
In Discord, he documented his runs. During this, he noticed that while the spear was cool, its cooldown was not. Jorjani also writes that he played with a friend and randoms. One of the randoms commented on Reddit: Oh, that’s the same Shams I accidentally killed with a cannon […]
While it currently looks like at least the CEO of Arrowhead takes the challenge seriously, the original poster Key_Complex_150 is struggling with other Helldivers.
Why the challenge and how is it going? The challenge is still ongoing. Key_Complex_150 has, however, made a statement in a video of about five minutes. In it, he shows his face and states that he is an electrician from Argentina.
In the video, he goes into more detail about the challenge. How he envisions it and especially why he announced it: He says that the higher the difficulty level in Helldivers 2, the more serious the bugs in the game affect gameplay. Specifically, he is concerned about poor enemy spawns and bad collision.
Key_Complex_150 states that he wants to ensure that players see the current state of the game with the challenge. It is not about a specific loadout or torturing the developers. Should the devs not accept the challenge, he would donate the money anyway, only to an organization of his choice.
Finally, Key_Complex_150 mentions that he has experienced extreme violence because of the challenge: He has received cruel direct messages and comments on Reddit.
Helldivers 2 is a video game and the challenge itself is not that important. But as a paying customer, he wants to be heard and hopes for improvements in the game, which has now been live for over 2 years. Bugs and the challenge are not a reason to attack the developers personally.
You can watch the full video here:
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Whether the developers at Arrowhead will take on the challenge is still uncertain at the time of this news. After all, the CEO himself is already trying to assess what he and his team might expect. Recently, the Helldiver was unable to complete a mission and had to face a do-or-die scenario: Helldivers 2 sends players on a desperate mission, only a Hollywood ending can save them
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Fans of One Piece are currently searching for the greatest treasure they can find in real life: the end of One Piece. It is currently located in a chest at sea. No more than 13 hours after the announcement, the first fan already has an idea of where the treasure could be.
A keen observer on X has taken a look at several details from the video and based on that, provided a hint about where the treasure could be located.
The treasure would be located somewhere in Japanese territory, as the ship belongs to the Japan Coast Guard.
At the dropping site, no land is visible in the surrounding area. He also considers the position of the sun and the cardinal directions.
The treasure must be somewhere at a depth of 600 meters, where the sea does not get stirred up often and the treasure can lie still. In fact, the published video shows that the exact depth is 651 meters.
Thus, the observer believes that the treasure must be somewhere in Suruga Bay in Shizuoka. The location is also close to Tokyo, where Eiichiro Oda, the author of One Piece, currently lives.
If his hint is correct, the user would have figured out where the greatest treasure of the current age lies in less than 13 hours.
Start video
Anime: The Movie Trailer for One Piece Stampede
Fans are searching for the One Piece in real life
How is the treasure hunt going? Despite the hints, many fans are sure that the treasure will not be found that quickly. One reader compares it to a suitcase that needs to be found somewhere in all of Ohio.
If a lucky finder actually gets their hands on the treasure, some users know what they would do with it. Luffy actually found a Log Pose in the movie “One Piece Stampede” that would have led him directly to the legendary treasure. However, he purposely destroyed it because he did not want to take a shortcut.
The fans would do the same with the real treasure. They would simply wait until the official end of One Piece is revealed and only then would they find out what exactly lies behind the legendary treasure.
At first glance, Toy Story is a harmless children’s movie by Pixar. Only as an adult does one realize the dark details hidden within the story. Among them are a famous queen and icons of the horror genre.
In 1995, Toy Story by Pixar was released and represented a small revolution. It was the first fully computer-generated feature-length animated film.
The charming presentation of the story with its toy characters thrilled the audience, which is why the series has received three sequels to this day. Part 5 is expected to follow in 2026.
Even the first installment proves that Toy Story is not exclusively suitable for children. Those who look closer will discover a whole range of references and details that only adults understand. In some cases, it’s probably better that way.
Start video
Toy Story – Trailer for the Pixar animated film about toys
Heads up!
What references are there? Some of them are easier to recognize, while others are hidden in the background and may only be noticed by very attentive viewers.
A quite noticeable reference occurs in a scene where Buzz Lightyear is sitting at a tea party with two headless dolls. He introduces them as “Marie Antoinette and her little sister.”
Marie Antoinette was the famous queen of France who was in office during the French Revolution. In 1793, she was beheaded by guillotine, a few months after her husband, King Louis XVI. (via planet-wissen.de)
Here you can see the scene from Toy Story:
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It’s a reference that most children (thankfully) should not understand. This also applies to three Easter eggs referencing famous horror films.
In one scene, Woody turns his head 360 degrees around his neck – just like in The Exorcist. This scene from the 1973 horror film by William Friedkin has lost none of its terror to this day.
The iconic alien from the eponymous film has also made it into Toy Story. In Pizza Planet restaurant, there is an arcade machine where you have to hit an alien with a hammer that bursts from a character’s body. This is a direct reference to the chestburster from the 1979 film Alien.
Also in Toy Story, there is the easily recognizable carpet that also covers the floor of the Overlook Hotel from Shining. The film set a record upon its release.
Are there more references? The allusions to Star Wars are somewhat more child-friendly. Buzz mentions at one point a secret weapon, of which he knows the only weakness – just like the rebels in Star Wars know how to destroy the Death Star.
That there are several references to George Lucas’ star saga in Toy Story is not surprising. Pixar was originally established as the computer division at Lucas Film Graphics Group. John Lasseter, who later directed several animated films, including Toy Story, also worked there.
These examples show that the film offers more than just light children’s entertainment. Those who pay close attention will find numerous references even in the later installments. Have you noticed any? Please feel free to share in the comments. The sequel to the first part almost never came to be: Pixar accidentally deleted Toy Story 2 – A woman saved the film, now she’s getting fired.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
MeinMMO-Demon Cortyn is excited about an item that has been in the inventory for over 10 years. Because even in WoW Midnight, it was unbeatable valuable.
Generally, items in World of Warcraft have a pretty short half-life. No matter how useful an item may be, by the start of a new expansion it is practically useless and has no noticeable effect anymore. Exceptions are toys and other “fun items” that provide no gameplay advantage.
However, there is one item that has been unbeatable for 10 years: The artifact fishing rod from WoW: Legion – the “Deep Light Angler”.
Start video
WoW Midnight: Arator’s Light and the Firebrand
What is the Deep Light Angler? The Deep Light Angler could be earned by all fishing enthusiasts during the Legion expansion. The fishing rod was basically an additional artifact weapon – just with more special effects.
But while all normal artifact weapons lost their power at the end of Legion, this does not apply to the Deep Light Angler. Although some perks from back then are no longer meaningful or usable – like the bonus on certain fish from Legion or the teleport from one swarm to another. But other bonuses have not been removed and still make the Deep Light Angler the best fishing rod you can possibly have.
What makes the artifact fishing rod so good? There are primarily three aspects that are still of great importance and support fishing in the world of WoW Midnight extremely:
With the artifact fishing rod, my character is able to walk on the water surface. This makes fish schools easier to access that are a bit further out in the ocean or that are hard to reach from the shore.
As long as you are fishing, you receive a buff that reduces your aggro range. This means enemies will notice my character much later, allowing me to fish undisturbed while other player characters are being beaten up by the mobs.
Last but not least, the Deep Light Angler allows you to breathe underwater and transform into a fish, drastically increasing your movement speed. While this is rarely important for fishing, it is a real advantage for quests where you need to dive or fight underwater.
Since the Deep Light Angler just fits into the “fishing slot” of the profession like other fishing rods, it doesn’t even take up an inventory slot.
The Deep Light Angler simply rests at the top right of the fishing slot of the profession – consuming no inventory space.
And yes, I know: Most of these bonuses can also be achieved through other effects. There are toys that allow you to walk on water. “Levitate” from priests and comparable effects from other classes can also achieve this.
But to combine all these effects, I would need multiple items or potions – and so I have just combined them into one handy fishing rod. This has also helped me to earn a fortune again in Midnight, by making gold while leveling. Because some fishing finds go for over 100,000 gold in the auction house.
That way, the repair costs for the year are covered.
The Last Artifact Weapon from Legion
Basically, the “Deep Light Angler” is the only artifact weapon from Legion that has not lost its power over the years. It is still extremely powerful and offers many advantages that I wouldn’t have without it. Thus, it is, in the long run, the best time investment from Legion that I could ever make.
Of course, one can now discuss whether it is really good that items from such a distant past of World of Warcraft are still strong. The felt urge to play old content to gain advantages in the current content is not necessarily tempting. On the other hand, it is nice to see that there are a few items that stand the test of time – and are still almost as strong today as they were nearly 10 years ago.
Do you know of other items from World of Warcraft that you collected many years ago and that still have a useful function today? Or do you want to get the Deep Light Angler now as well? If so, we wrote a guide about it a long time ago.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Das Finale von Bridgerton Staffel 4 hielt eine große Überraschung bereit: es gibt eine neue Lady Whistledown. Doch wer könnte hinter der mysteriösen, neuen Verfasserin stecken?
Wie ist es im Buch? In der Buchvorlege zu Bridgerton gibt es keine weitere Lady Whistledown. Stattdessen wird Penelopes Identität erst deutlich später enthüllt. Im offiziellen Bridgerton Podcast (via Netflix) erklärt Showrunnerin Jess Brownell:
Penelope war Quila Quinns Whistledown, deshalb wussten wir, dass wir mit der Enthüllung nicht wirklich lange spielen konnten, weil Leute die Lösung einfach googeln konnten. Doch jetzt haben wir die Möglichkeit, mit den Erwartungen der Zuschauer zu spielen.
Wonach wurde das Ranking erstellt? Im Interview (via russh.com) verrät Brownell, dass bereits in Staffel 4 Hinweise, aber auch falsche Fährten zu Whistledowns Identität eingebaut wurden. Dabei habe man besonders darauf geachtet, die Auflösung am Ende nicht völlig absurd wirken zu lassen. Es wird also nicht plötzlich ein neuer Charakter um die Ecke kommen, mit dem niemand gerechnet hat.
Basierend darauf können wir schon jetzt einige Spekulationen anstellen, um wen es sich möglicherweise handeln könnte.
Dennoch handelt sich lediglich um Mutmaßungen der bescheidenen Verfasserin. Ich bitte daher um Verzeihung, sollte sich keine der aufgestellten Theorien bewahrheiten. Lasst uns nun also mit den Spekulationen beginnen, angefangen mit der unwahrscheinlichsten Kandidatin:
Start video
Bridgerton Season 2 flirts with the death of a character
Platz 10: Penelope Bridgerton
Die wohl langweiligste, dadurch aber auch irgendwie überraschendste Lösung wäre es, Penelope erneut zu Lady Whistledown zu machen. Ihr Problem bestand vor allem darin, dass sie nach ihrer Enthüllung nicht mehr im Verborgenen agieren und somit auch keinen interessanten Klatsch mehr auftreiben konnte. Ihr Ende als Whistledown glaubhaft zu fälschen, nur um dann wieder im Geheimen zurück zu kommen, wäre ein wirklich ausgefuchster Plan. Im Ergebnis würde das sogar zum Buch passen, da es hier ja auch keine neue Autorin gibt.
Auf der anderen Seite scheint Penelope doch sehr stark unter dem Druck und der Verantwortung ihrer Klatsch-Kolume gelitten zu haben. Sie wirkt aufrichtig erleichtert, endlich an etwas Anderem arbeiten zu können.
Als angeheiratete Bridgerton ist sie außerdem nicht länger auf das zusätzliche Einkommen angewiesen. Ich halte es daher für ziemlich unwahrscheinlich, dass wir Pen erneut als Whistledown erleben werden.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Would you accept payment for your job with an unreleased game, sacrificing some euros in the process? A graphic designer has just done that and seems very happy with his Deluxe Edition of Crimson Desert. However, other players view this critically.
What kind of deal are we talking about? The graphic designer Top-Flight5486 explains on Reddit that he lost his job two months ago and has since been struggling as a freelancer. A short-term job came in for a new client—to retouch two photos. There apparently wasn’t a contract, and they had agreed on 100 euros for 3 hours of work.
However, since the artist finished faster, the client started renegotiating the fee. In the end, the duo reached an agreement for a in-kind payment: the artist received via Steam the Deluxe Version of Crimson Desert as a gift – evidenced by an attached screenshot. The value of the game: 79.99 euros, which is about 20 euros less than the originally agreed fee.
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Crimson Desert reveals the release date in the new trailer
Undersold or fair deal?
How does the artist evaluate the deal? Top-Flight5486 seems very satisfied with the deal and explains in his post:
I know this was not my standard fee, but it felt like a fair solution. The project came in very unexpectedly, and I’m honestly glad we found a way to make it work – especially since it covered something I’ve wanted for a long time.
I can hardly wait for March 4th to hear the first opinions, and I can’t wait for March 19th to finally have it on my PC.
In a second post on Reddit, the artist admits that he probably won’t accept such a job without a contract and binding framework conditions in the future.
How does the community react? Although the post has collected more than 1,300 upvotes so far, many of the more than 140 comments read critically.
curiousbong sums up the case on Reddit as follows: “So you let them talk you out of payment because you were efficient!?”
Mindless_Issue9648 criticizes on Reddit primarily the client: “So you’re telling us he ripped you off for 20 dollars, and we should be happy for you? Screw that guy…”
Ok_Juggernaut1920 criticizes the designer: “You accepted a pay cut to bet on a game. I’m glad you’re excited for the game, but that’s a suboptimal business model, and giving in so quickly after a price was agreed upon is poor management on your part.”
TACOSKG explains on Reddit: “In 20 days we will know if this is a win or a loss.”
Crimson Desert will be released in a few weeks, but almost nothing is known about the PS5. Players fear that the console version might not be good. However, the marketing manager of Pearl Abyss, Will Powers, contradicts this: They are hiding nothing and will show new information soon enough.
While some players have already had a chance to look at the PC version and spent several hours with it, there is barely any real information available about the PS5 and Xbox versions. Many players fear that the developers are deliberately withholding details or gameplay from the console versions.
Now, the marketing head of Crimson Desert has responded to these allegations. Will Powers explained in a statement on X.com visibly annoyed that they are hiding nothing and will show the game on the PS5 soon enough:
We are hiding nothing, and I am tired of having to repeat myself constantly.
I have said hundreds of times that we will announce information before the release so that people have enough time to pre-order the game. We say this very openly… Let us work in peace, please! Thank you very much.
Start video
Crimson Desert shows more of the fights and progression in the action RPG in the new gameplay video
Players lack important information about the PS5 version, but the marketing head reassures
What are these allegations? For some time now, users have been demanding concrete gameplay of Crimson Desert on the PS5 or details about modes or advantages of the PS5 Pro. However, Pearl Abyss has been notably reserved regarding the console version of the game.
Some users even claim that the developer is deliberately withholding information because the PS5 version simply might not be good. And again, Will Powers consistently reassures that they will provide the information soon enough (via Reddit.com).
For some, the hint that they will show information before the pre-order sounds like mockery. Because many have already pre-ordered or are in the process: On Amazon, Crimson Desert is currently among the bestsellers and with some providers, the game is already sold out (via Reddit.com).
What do we even know? Will Powers already confirmed in February that Crimson Desert benefits from the performance of the PS5 Pro and offers “PS5 Pro enhancement”. The enhanced version of PSSR 2 is also supposed to be available on the PS5 Pro.
Further information, especially real, unfiltered gameplay on the PS5 or Xbox, is still completely missing. And this is heavily criticized by the community.
Crimson Desert is an action-adventure with role-playing elements and an open world. It comes from the developers of Black Desert and is set to be released in 2026. We at MeinMMO will tell you everything about the release date, editions, trailers, and more: Crimson Desert: All about release, platforms, editions & multiplayer overview
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
As the GO Tour has just ended, there is already the first information about the GO Fest 2026 in Pokémon GO. Additionally, there is another hint about two of the most eagerly awaited monsters.
What kind of event is this? The GO Fest is one of the 3 major events that take place each year in Pokémon GO. This event also exists in both local and global versions.
While the local editions take place in Tokyo (May 29 to June 1, 2026), Chicago (June 5 to June 7, 2026), and Copenhagen (June 12 to June 14, 2026), the global GO Fest is active worldwide. Now there is a trailer with the first information about the big event.
Moreover, in addition to the trailer, there is another hint about the GO Fest. And it indicates no less than the most highly anticipated Mega Evolutions of the game.
We have embedded the trailer for you here:
Start video
Pokémon GO Fest 2026 comes with Mewtwo and Zeraora
The Return of Mewtwo and a New Mysterious Monster
When does the GO Fest 2026 take place? As indicated in the description of the trailer on several platforms, the global GO Fest 2026 will take place on July 11 and 12, 2026.
What else can be seen in the trailer? In the trailer, you see a trainer watching different channels on the TV. She stops at a report that talks about the GO Fest 2026. It mentions that Mewtwo appears.
After that, she sets off with other trainers and encounters the powerful legendary monster herself.
Furthermore, towards the end of the trailer, another monster is also seen, which will be part of the GO Fest 2026: the mysterious monster Zeraora.
Which Mega Evolutions are hinted at? For trainers attending a local edition of the GO Fest 2026, merchandise on pokemongo.com has been released, which can be purchased in addition to a ticket and will be distributed locally.
At the center of the merchandise is Mewtwo. User wjbonne on Reddit noticed a special detail: behind Mewtwo, the emblem of Mega Evolutions can be seen.
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This detail does not necessarily mean that the Mega Evolutions of Mewtwo are part of the GO Fest 2026. However, it is a hint that indicates exactly that.
Moreover, it would surely be a good time, considering the 30th anniversary of the franchise and the 10th birthday of Pokémon GO this year.
You have to wait a few more months before the GO Fest 2026 takes place in the game. However, you currently have the chance to get a free Mewtwo in Pokémon GO. For this, you will need to invest some time in the coming days: Don’t ignore the new GO Pass in Pokémon GO – Here’s how to get Mewtwo.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Highguard was announced as a major highlight at the Game Awards. Leading up to the release, there had been a long silence about the free shooter. Now the news comes that the game has to shut down just under 2 months after its release.
When will it happen? If you want to engage in disaster tourism one last time, you have until March 12, 2026. The servers of Highguard will be closed, which means from today (March 4, 2026) in about a week.
What is the reason given? The developers state that they were able to attract more than 2 million players to the world of Highguard. They are thankful for the feedback from players but must admit that they could not establish a healthy player base to support the game in the long run.
Is there compensation? Before the server shutdown, the developers will release one last update. It includes a new guardian, a new weapon, account level progression, and skill trees. The patch is expected to be released around this time.
Start video
Highguard zeigt im Trailer, was euch im neuen PvP-Raid-Shooter erwartet
Highguard was a misfire with a warning
How did it come to this? The traditionally last announcement at the Gamer Awards is actually reserved for the most promising video games. Accordingly, the expectations were high when this prominent spot was used for Highguard in 2025.
The major problem afterward: too little marketing. Players did not know what content to expect in Highguard until shortly before the release. The developers seemed to rely on the fact that players would look into the game out of curiosity anyway.
The numbers show: Shortly after release, there were about 97,000 players in the game within 24 hours (to read on SteamDB). However, these fans could not be retained. Currently, there are only 460 players within 24 hours.
What do the fans say about it? On Reddit, users are surprised at how quickly the end has come. Some wonder if Highguard is really that bad. After all, For Honor had a terrible start in 2017 as well, but the game is still running and receives regular updates and DLCs.
Furthermore, many are mocking the fact that Highguard was so prominently announced at the Game Awards only to fail so quickly. Users are posting many memes that will likely serve as fodder for failed games in the coming years.
Dragons are impressive creatures in the universe of Game of Thrones. They can destroy entire cities on their own. However, the most powerful dragon of the Targaryens has yet to be seen in a series. Together with him, Westeros was conquered.
Which dragon is it about? In the series Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, one can see how powerful and impressive dragons can be in Westeros. They can defeat armies and conquer entire cities.
But even before the events of both series, there were dragons that fought alongside the Targaryens. The most powerful and dangerous was Balerion, the Black Dread. Together with Aegon Targaryen, he was the first to conquer the Iron Throne.
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House of the Dragon Generates Anticipation for Dragon Battles in the Teaser for Season 3
The Biggest Dragon and a Remnant from Valyria
Where does Balerion come from? Balerion was a dragon with black scales and black fire. He is the largest and most renowned dragon in the history of Westeros and originally comes from Valyria. He was born about 114 years before Aegon’s Conquest (BC).
Valyria was a city on the continent of Essos that was quite advanced and prosperous. The Targaryens originally hail from this city. One day, however, a catastrophe occurred that destroyed the entire city and its surroundings. Before the catastrophe, Daenys Targaryen dreamed of the destruction, which is why her father Aenar fled with the family to Dragonstone in Westeros.
They brought along 5 dragons, but only Balerion survived. In the year 27 BC, Aegon was born as the son of Aerion Targaryen. Before marrying his two sisters Rhaenys and Visenya (typical for the Targaryen family), he became the rider of Balerion.
Even before his conquest, he fought alongside the dragon against Volantis, which threatened the Free Cities of Pentos and Tyrosh. Some time later, Aegon’s ambitions grew, and he wanted to rule all of Westeros.
Along with his two sisters and their dragons (Meraxes and Vhagar) and riding on the back of Balerion, he began his conquest. Since it mainly concerns Balerion, we will spare you the details here, but Aegon was successful and became the first king of the Iron Throne, thus the king of the Seven Kingdoms. Hence, the dating system AC, or after Aegon’s Conquest, and BC, before Aegon’s Conquest, originates from this.
In this video, you can see how George R.R. Martin talks about Balerion:
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What happened to Balerion after the conquest? Balerion survived the conquest and the accompanying battles and was symbolically a powerful weapon that cemented Aegon’s rule. After the death of Aegon I in 37 AC, his son Aenys I became king, but his younger brother Maegor became the rider of Balerion.
Maegor wanted a polygamous marriage (he had a total of 6 wives), but the High Septon, the head of the Faith of the Seven, did not approve of this, which is why he was banished by his brother, King Aenys I, to Pentos. After Aenys’ death, he returned and seized the throne violently, of course with the help of Balerion. The two killed his nephew Prince Aegon and his dragon Verrix. His actions earned him the nickname the Cruel.
In the year 54 AC, 6 years after the death of King Maegor I, Princess Aerea Targaryen rode off with Balerion. Both disappeared for a year and no one could find them. When they returned, Aerea was ill and Balerion was injured and had large scars that were still bleeding. It is unclear what happened to the two. According to A Wiki of Ice and Fire, Barth, a friend of the then King Jaehaerys I Targaryen, suspected that Balerion flew to Valyria with Aerea (who could not defend herself), where something must have happened to them.
After that, Balerion was brought to the Dragonpit in King’s Landing and was kept there so that no one could fly away with him again. One last time, Viserys I Targaryen tried in 93 AC. After flying with the retired dragon, he decided against him, as he was already struggling to fly.
In 94 AC, Balerion died of old age. A death that no known dragon and probably not even the main characters in Westeros can achieve. His skull was displayed alongside those of other dragons in the throne room in King’s Landing until Robert Baratheon removed them.
With Crimson Desert launching on March 19, 2026, a potential highlight of role-playing games for PC, PS5, and Xbox is on the horizon. MeinMMO summarizes for you before the release why purchasing could be worth it.
When an Asian studio with an MMO background releases a new role-playing game, skepticism is often warranted. This is especially true when the development process has been as turbulent and lengthy as it has, with the genre even changing mid-course and with aggressive monetization being a core issue in the predecessor’s game.
The new open-world adventure from Pearl Abyss is currently generating much anticipation, even among us at the MeinMMO editorial team. In the following pages, we will discuss what the reasons are and why you can be excited about Crimson Desert despite some warning signs. We will address the biggest warning signs in a subsequent article.
[toc]
Start video
Crimson Desert shows more of the fights and progression in the action RPG in the new gameplay video
Reason 1: The Battles
Crimson Desert places a strong emphasis on combat conflict. Most quests revolve around taking down others. Trying to talk your way out of a fight? You’re in the wrong place! Everywhere in the world, hostile troops and tough bosses await you, who will strike first and ask questions later.
Yes, the large number of options in combat was overwhelming – but we were also controlling a veteran with countless skills and maneuvers, not a freshly created hero. Nevertheless, the battles felt really good and were fun. The hit feedback was wonderfully powerful. Each blow carried considerable force.
It’s great that in Crimson Desert you don’t just grab a weapon and chase enemies. You combine various melee and ranged weapons, cast spells or wrestling moves, and activate special powers – with each of the 3 playable characters bringing their own fighting style.
Or you fight from your mount and let your bear dish out slaps, your dragon breathe fire, or a mech fire rockets.
In Crimson Desert, you can expect a variety of challenges – from chaotic large-scale battles and sieges to the aforementioned boss battles with multiple phases and special mechanics.
If this aspect of Crimson Desert is as enjoyable as hoped, we are looking forward to a genuine highlight for the gaming year 2026. But there are more reasons to be excited about Crimson Desert – and they will be discussed in the upcoming pages.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Those looking to buy DDR5 RAM currently need not only a well-filled wallet but also luck. While many are still comparing prices, bots are firing off millions of queries in the background and securing the goods in seconds – this is shown by an analysis from a security company.
What is behind the many bots? In the ongoing RAM crisis, where memory chips and modules have become scarce and expensive due to strong demand, especially from AI infrastructures, scalpers are exploiting this situation to quickly make a profit with automated tools (Source: netzpiloten).
According to the security service provider Data Dome, which protects websites from bot and AI attacks, a bot network specifically sought current price data for memory modules and related components, querying DDR5 product pages every 6.5 seconds.
Bots made 50,000 queries per hour and conducted an average of 550 query attempts per RAM offer (Source: Data Dome). This data comes from a single sample. This means: As soon as new goods go online, the bots strike. For ordinary buyers, there is often only disappointment.
Start video
Why is RAM so expensive? The current situation explained in 2 minutes
According to the security report, over ten million of such scraping requests were blocked in recent weeks, while buyers and retailers were simultaneously confronted with sharply rising prices and supply shortages in DRAM memory.
Automated Web Scraping
Why is it affecting DDR5? DDR5 is the current standard for modern hardware. Anyone investing in new CPUs needs fast RAM. At the same time, the AI market is booming: data centers are massively investing in memory to run large models.
As the industry magazine Netzpiloten states, the new DDR5 standard is significantly superior to its predecessor, but is currently also more expensive. Since the production of DDR4 memory is also slowly being scaled down, this further exacerbates the current bottleneck and drives its price up.
Just this mix is enough to drive prices up. When automated purchases are added, the situation becomes even more severe.
How do scalpers operate in the background? Web scraping refers to the automated extraction of data from websites using bots. Those who colloquially send out such bots are called scalpers. Scalpers buy hardware as quickly as possible to then sell it at a higher price.
The bots identified by Data Dome monitored stock levels automatically through web scraping. They analyzed product pages and detected stock changes. According to Data Dome, the bots attempted to imitate human behavior: they operated in a day-night rhythm and appended individual parameters to each query to always retrieve the latest price data instead of cached content (Source: Toms Hardware).
Despite various disguises, they were reportedly clearly recognizable as automated programs. The bots specifically accessed only RAM product pages and did not utilize any other functions of the various websites (via Data Dome & The Register).
The bitterest experience for any fan of World of Warcraft. The entire inventory is gone. Support mocks it with their statement.
With over 20 years, many players have a lot of memories connected to World of Warcraft. Especially some items that you carry in your inventory are indeed more than just pixels and data – they are tied to beautiful memories. It is all the worse when something happens to these memories and even the WoW support cannot help.
Start video
WoW Midnight: Arator’s Light and the Firebrand
What happened to the player? The player Ayresii_ explained in the WoW subreddit that he was dealing with a bizarre bug. He wanted to use the “Catch-Up” mechanic of World of Warcraft to get back into the game. But there was a consequential error. Instead of safely storing the items from the inventory in the mailbox, they were all deleted. A history of 15 years of items was erased.
What is the Catch-Up mechanic? When a character has not logged in for a long time, it is marked, and upon logging in, you can activate the “Catch-Up” experience. There, Blizzard clears your inventory, sends it to you by mail, deletes your quest log, and gives you solid gear for your level to lead you into the new areas. This is actually a good thing to have a “clean” character afterwards and to find a good entry point again.
After all: All the possessions are sent by mail and remain there for a whole year if you want to collect them again.
Actually.
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Cheeky message from WoW support causes a lot of frustration
This is how support reacted: After Ayresii_ contacted support, there was a quick response, but it was likely not positive, as the items could not be restored. Particularly bitter is the end of this support message, as it says:
(…) that is not the result you expected, and I wish I could have offered you another solution. That said, I have no doubt that with your dedication, you will overcome this challenge in no time!
Accordingly, the player reacted cynically:
Due to a bug in the Catch-Up experience, my bags were emptied, but not sent to me. My main characters, which I have been playing for almost 15 years, had their entire inventory deleted. But don’t worry! With enough insurmountable human will, I can surely gather the 10+ years of inventory items back just like that! This is just a challenge I need to overcome!
This is what the community suspects: The vast majority have a clear answer to the incident, namely that it is an AI response. The support of World of Warcraft has been criticized for years, and there are repeatedly cases where seemingly tactless or ignorant responses from support come, which in many cases even link to community sites as a solution to a problem.
The player base has long suspected that support consists mostly of bots and AI or is taken over by low-cost employees who are, however, completely unfamiliar with World of Warcraft.
“Blizzard employees and their MVPs in the forum: ‘We do NOT use AI. All responses are written by real people.’ Don’t they realize that if this is true, they have the most incompetent people in the history of mankind? That is much more embarrassing than admitting it is AI.” – Mattelot
“I miss the days when you could chat with a real person in-game and often got a little joke at the end. We were so spoiled.” – java_betch
“I don’t want to lie, if my entire inventory was deleted and I got this response, I would just quit the game.” – Pale_Fire21
The community also has the tip to simply open a ticket next time and state “payment issues” – then you would probably be more reliably contacting a real person who would actually deal with the problem.
That the support of World of Warcraft has become so notorious in recent years is quite a sad thing. Especially when you consider, that WoW is actually doing very well with the current expansion Midnight and offers a high level of quality – which unfortunately is not reflected in customer service.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
