Monster Hunter Wilds: The best build for dual blades in the endgame

With the Dual Blades, you can perform lightning-fast combos in Monster Hunter Wilds and deal increased burst damage with demon mode. To ensure a fast-paced endgame battle, we show you the best build with the weapons, armors, and decorations you need.

How is the build structured? We first give you a brief overview of the essential items like weapons and armors for the best Dual Blades build. Then we explain in detail the most important information about crafting your gear, as well as selecting the right decorations for your armor. Finally, we reveal the strength of the build.

This build will be continuously updated and completely modified based on updates to match the current meta. So feel free to stop by after each update and see what’s changed.

With our directory, you can quickly jump to individual points of the build:

[toc]

Dual Blades Build: All About Weapons, Armors & Decorations

Start video
Monster Hunter Wilds: Trailer for the action RPG showcases the dual blades

Which is the best build for Dual Blades? With the Dual Blades, you are extremely fast, and to make that worthwhile, it makes sense to focus on damage and affinity with high elemental damage.

The elemental aspect itself is secondary here – more important is the focus on stamina management to utilize burst damage as often as possible. The build is primarily about an aggressive playstyle.

WeaponTiltcircles (Artian weapon) or alternatives depending on the desired element
ArmorW.-Vulkan Mask B
Udra Armor B
Rathalos Armguards B
Gore Waistguard B
Gore Leggings B
TalismanEnergy Talisman III

How to Craft the Best Artian Weapon for Dual Blades

What do I need for crafting Tiltcircles? For Tiltcircles, you should choose three affinity infusions when selecting your materials. The element doesn’t matter and can be decided based on your taste. We recommend focusing on paralysis or explosion, as these currently offer the most advantages in battle. It’s important that the elements match to take advantage of the elemental infusion bonus.

If you don’t have good components or are unlucky with the reinforcement bonuses for the Tiltcircles, you can also opt for alternative weapons that you can craft from monster parts. It depends on the element you want to play with:

  • Wyvern Lover (Fire)
  • Master Sabers (Water)
  • Fulgur Twin-Gardiana (Thunder)
  • Hunger Claws (Dragon)
  • Cliff Ulokiem (Ice)

As a secondary weapon, the bow is worthwhile, as it is excellent for compensating for the short range of the blades against flying monsters and works just as well with the build. Alternatively, the Heavy Bowgun is also a good choice to boost damage and potentially block.

Which reinforcement bonus should I focus on? When enhancing your Artian weapon, the following bonuses are especially important:

  1. Affinity
  2. Element
  3. Attack
  4. Sharpness

Which decorations are important? For decorations, you should choose the following options:

  • Critical Element Jewel III 3
  • Mastery Jewel 3
  • Variable decoration with Element Attack 3 or Sharp Jewel 3

Dual Blades Build: Armors and Decorations

Which armors are important? When choosing armor, focus on the following equipment and effects:

Armors

  • W.-Vulkan Mask B
  • Udra Armor B
  • Rathalos Armguards B
  • Gore Waistguard B
  • Gore Leggings B
This is what it looks like when you have your armor together.

Set Bonuses

  • Gore Magalas Tyranny
    • Black Darkness I: Unleashes Frenzy in battle against large monsters
  • Scales Layering
    • Adrenaline: Temporarily reduces stamina loss when health is at 40% or lower

Which decorations should I use? For the armor, it is especially important to select decorations that increase your affinity and elemental damage; additionally, due to Frenzy, you need an effect that increases your infection recovery rate while also boosting your critical damage.

Since Dual Blades consume a lot of stamina, especially in demon mode, it is important to minimize your stamina loss. There is also a focus on increasing your burst and elemental damage. Therefore, you should equip the following decorations:

  • Head
    • Phoenix Jewel 2
  • Chest
    • Sprinter Jewel 1
    • Sprinter Jewel 1
  • Arms
    • Phoenix Jewel 2
    • Sprinter Jewel 1
    • Figure Jewel 1
  • Waist
    • Chain Jewel 3
    • Phoenix Jewel 2
  • Legs
    • Chain Jewel 3
    • Reason Jewel 1
    • Reason Jewel 1

How Does the Strength of the Build Unfold?

The Dual Blades are among the simpler weapons and come with simple combos. You only need to keep an eye on stamina consumption, which is optimized with this build. This build also optimizes your burst damage. With the bonuses on elemental damage and affinity, you can effectively exploit monster weaknesses to deal increased damage.

Your damage and weapon affinity increase the more aggressively you play, while stamina consumption decreases. Finally, this build also leverages the Frenzy mechanic to boost affinity. This all combines well with the Corrupted Mantle to consistently deal critical damage.

If you are lucky with your weapon’s reinforcement bonuses, you can even achieve up to 100% affinity.

To top it all off, as a secondary weapon, you can either choose a bow that benefits similarly from this build or a Heavy Bowgun for buffs and defensive tactics.

That was all the important information on the best Dual Blades build in Monster Hunter Wilds. In addition to build information, tips for battle are important to emerge victorious. Therefore, we have explained everything essential again in the combat guide: The Ultimate Combat Guide to Monster Hunter Wilds: Everything About Elements, Status System, and Important Aspects of Hunting

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. game8.co

Blizzard changes rule for WoW Classic Hardcore to prevent the end of OnlyFangs, but they are only planning one last raid

The Blizzard developers have, for the first time in the history of WoW Classic Hardcore, resurrected a large number of deceased characters. Among them are many Azeroth heroes from the well-known streamer guild OnlyFangs.

Update from March 28, 2025 – 11:54 AM: Our reader Furby has pointed out that there has already been a reaction from OnlyFangs regarding Blizzard’s actions on twitch.tv. Thank you for that!

No one wants to leave the Blackwing Lair unfinished just because some trolls want to prevent progress there through DDoS attacks. Moreover, one of the guild’s raids hasn’t even had the chance to visit BWL on the Hardcore server yet.

Therefore, they want to undertake one last ride toward Nefarian with two raids, not this weekend, but next weekend – since many key players will not be available in the coming days after the announcement of the end of OnlyFangs.

Sodapoppin and other players will withdraw from the regular progress routine of OnlyFangs after this raid. Those who want to continue playing with their characters afterward can do so. Whether this will happen under the banner of OnlyFangs or with other guilds remains to be seen.

Original report from March 28, 2025 – 09:30 AM: Why is Blizzard resurrecting Hardcore characters? For some time now, DDoS attacks have been hitting the servers of World of Warcraft at regular intervals. This causes long lag spikes and disconnections, which can quickly become fatal, especially in the Hardcore worlds of WoW Classic.

After the recent DDoS attacks last week, the player experience was so frustrating that the well-known streamer guild OnlyFangs announced the end of their Hardcore project if Blizzard could not get the problem under control in a timely and sustainable manner.

The developers of WoW responded by announcing that they would adjust the previously pursued policy for Hardcore in light of the DDoS attacks. Those who lose their virtual life during a malicious mass event in the future can be resurrected by Blizzard.

In WoW Classic Hardcore, it can happen faster than you think to reach the spirit healer:

Start video
WoW: Guild loses 30 characters on a hardcore server – And it wasn’t even a boss fight

Historic Mass Resurrection

What has Blizzard announced now? Just a few hours ago, the next official statement from Blizzard followed in the official WoW forum. Community Manager Kaivax writes on forums.blizzard.com:

We have begun resurrecting player characters that were lost during the recent DDoS attacks (Distributed Denial of Service) on our Hardcore realms. We initially focused on characters that died during the attacks on March 24, and we are expanding the scope of our review to include the resurrection of characters that were lost during confirmed DDoS incidents after this date.

For dead characters that were transferred from Hardcore realms to normal (PvE) realms, we have taken steps to bring these characters back to the Hardcore realms in the state they were in before the transfer, and we have marked them so that they will be playable at the next login as if they had never died.

  • To complete the process, you must go to the character login screen on your Hardcore realm and log in with the previously deceased character.

In the future, if characters die due to DDoS attacks, we will only restore characters that remain on their Hardcore realm. Please note that a character that dies due to a DDoS attack on a Hardcore realm cannot be restored if they are subsequently transferred to a normal (PvE) realm.

At the end, the Community Manager emphasizes once again: Those who fall victim to a regular lag, disconnect, or bugs on the Hardcore servers are out of luck and will not be resurrected.

How is the community reacting to the announcement? The resurrected characters also include the aforementioned victims of the streamer guild OnlyFangs. However, we have not yet found a statement from the guild leadership regarding the resurrections and whether that is enough to continue the Hardcore project.

However, many other WoW players are commenting on Kaivax’s announcement. The opinions could not be more different.

  • Volcanus criticizes the move on blizzard.com: “Let’s be honest, this will harm the Hardcore community more than it helps. You broke your promise regarding the original state of the Hardcore community and caved in to a bunch of loudmouths. They [OnlyFangs] chose to raid while the servers were under DDoS and then complained because they died due to a server disconnect.”
  • ciarenni sees it quite differently on Reddit: “If you don’t like the servers being attacked with DDoS, you should support this action. The likely main reason the person(s) behind the attacks are doing this is that they enjoy watching people lose these characters forever. If Blizzard brings them back, the perpetrator essentially hasn’t achieved anything more than the inconvenience of not being able to play the character for a while […]”.
  • Tivra sums it up on blizzard.com as follows: “This is a perfect example that you can never make people happy. A large part of the people on a Hardcore realm die, others stop because of it, which is already evident in the economy and how dungeon groups are formed. And someone claims that resurrecting them harms the server more than it helps. Dying due to DDoS is NOT in the spirit of Hardcore realms, and that is a big win for Blizzard.”

As soon as we discover an official reaction from OnlyFangs, we will update this message for you.

What do I need to know about OnlyFangs? The guild of WoW Classic includes or included various well-known streamers and YouTubers such as Sodapoppin, but also Tyler1, Mizkif, PirateSoftware, TimTheTatman, or Jaythebard, who of course mobilized their respective communities. The Hardcore factor – if the character lands at the spirit healer, it is gone forever – added even more spice.

Additionally, the community imposed a series of rules on itself and role-played with their characters. And there have repeatedly been large, personal dramas surrounding OnlyFangs – like in a major daily soap. All of this combined ensured that World of Warcraft was extremely popular on Twitch again thanks to OnlyFangs.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

The fantasy version of Warhammer gets its 1st new army in over 15 years, exciting even fans of Warhammer 40,000

Warhammer is getting a completely new army for the tabletop, but not for the popular Warhammer 40,000, rather for The Old World. The exciting part: The original game has been dead since 2014, and the new army comes from the successful Total War: Warhammer 3.

What kind of faction is this?

  • The Grand Empire of Cathay is a human faction modeled after ancient China, ruled by dragons. The realm maintains the Great Wall, which protects the steppes in the east from the chaos in the north.
  • Cathay is known for trade and economy, but also for the use of gunpowder in the form of rockets and cannons, war balloons, and the deployment of massive terracotta warriors.
  • The faction is one of the starting races in Total War: Warhammer 3 and was announced for the tabletop with its release in 2021. Now Games Workshop is showcasing the new models.

That’s why the reveal is so special: The last completely new army in Warhammer Fantasy came in 2010 with the Beastmen or in 2003 with the preceding Beasts of Chaos. A few years later, the game was discontinued in favor of Age of Sigmar, only to be re-released in 2024 as The Old World.

The Old World, however, only launched with 9 of the original armies. Other codices from the past have been surpassed but will not be officially supported for the first edition of the game.

In 2021, Games Workshop already announced Cathay as a new army in collaboration with Total War: Warhammer 3. The strategy game is still the largest Total War on Steam and one of the best strategy games you can currently play – and apparently successful enough to influence Warhammer itself.

Cathay exists in the lore of Warhammer long before, but the army itself was first seen in the strategy game on Steam.

Start video
Der Reveal-Trailer für das Großkaiserreich Cathay als Armee in Warhammer: The Old World

“I thought this was just a cash-in for Games Workshop”

The reaction to the reveal of Cathay has been overwhelmingly positive, especially since very few fans expected new units at all. The community has held the assumption that Games Workshop simply will not continue to support Warhammer Fantasy because it isn’t worth it.

In a thread on Reddit, players express their excitement about the look of the miniatures and about getting something new at all:

I can’t believe this is real! I really thought Old World was just a nostalgia cash-in for Games Workshop. The fact that they are making a brand new army shows that they mean business!

St4rry_knight on Reddit

The second army from Total War: Warhammer 3, which has never been seen before in the tabletop, is Kislev. The faction inspired by Polish history from the north consists of bear riders, ulans, and tsars, with a deeply rooted enmity towards chaos. Kislev has recently received a complete overhaul and is now expected as the next army for The Old World.

Warhammer itself only received a completely new army in 2022, but for the dystopian sci-fi version Warhammer 40,000. Here, a year and a half ago, the conglomerates of Votann joined as the first new army since the T’au: In Warhammer 40,000, there are space dwarves and they are even tougher than in Deep Rock Galactic

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Millions of people watch ChatGPT as it invents images that closely resemble Studio Ghibli

Millions of people are currently excited about ChatGPT and its ability to create images in the Ghibli style.

Anyone currently looking at X.com or other social media will find that many images resembling the style of Studio Ghibli can be found. This is because ChatGPT-4o can generate content in the style of a specific author.

However, the problem is that ChatGPT must have purchased this advantage at the cost of serious copyright violations: it seems that ChatGPT-4o has been trained with content that is associated with, based on, or created by the studio founded by Hayao Miyazaki. And AI like ChatGPT has long been suspected of copying material.

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Students spy on passersby with hidden cameras and AI, find name and address in seconds

ChatGPT can create images in the Ghibli style, but it involves protected material

What is the problem? Material or films such as those from Studio Ghibli are protected by copyright. The rights to these films are not in the public domain and therefore cannot be used freely by anyone. This is a problem that has plagued ChatGPT and OpenAI since their inception.

ChatGPT has been trained with an enormous amount of data from the internet – from websites, books, social media posts to academic articles. Content that is freely accessible but not free. Not every image you find on the internet can you use for free unless the author/photographer explicitly releases their work under a Creative Commons license.

However, it is also important to note that no one can stop others from creating works in the style of a person or a studio. Because the style itself is not protected. This is similar to the discussion about fan art: you can create your own image of a Pokémon and hang it on your wall, and no one will mind. However, as soon as you start trying to sell these artworks, it gets legally complicated.

AI companies generally rely on the “Fair Use” doctrine for their data, which is particularly applicable in the US. Just recently, a US court ruled that training AI with copyrighted content does not automatically fall under the Fair Use doctrine (via advomare.de). However, it is important to note: the ruling only concerns non-generative AI and is therefore less relevant for AI models like ChatGPT.

What is OpenAI doing about it? OpenAI claims to have implemented a ban to prevent the creation of images or artworks that aim to replicate the style of a living artist. Deceased artists, on the other hand, are acceptable. It is also okay to copy “studio styles,” which presumably includes Ghibli Studios (via xataka.com).

Lawsuits Against OpenAI and Demands for Protected Material

How do artists and authors view this? OpenAI and other AI companies have already been sued for serious copyright violations. This includes artists and image databases that are opposing OpenAI using their content for free, even though it is not free. Among others, 17 prominent authors, including George R. R. Martin, have joined a lawsuit against ChatGPT.

The authors’ accusation: the AI learns from texts that are illegally downloaded from the internet. In a statement at that time, it was said that “generative AI threatens to destroy the profession of authors.”

By the way, OpenAI is currently using this as an opportunity to demand access to protected materials. They believe that if they do not gain access, China will win the AI race: OpenAI says they urgently need access to legally protected material – because of China

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

YouTuber Completes Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn in 15 Hours, Ties His Hands Behind His Back

A YouTuber took on a new challenge in Final Fantasy XIV: Instead of wanting to be the fastest or the player with the highest damage, he aimed to complete A Realm Reborn without using any abilities.

What was the challenge? YouTuber Kiba Frost wanted to face a special challenge and set out to play the base game “A Realm Reborn” in Final Fantasy XIV – without using class abilities.

This meant he could only use the standard auto-attack for damage and didn’t even do his job quests. However, he allowed himself to use Sprint, Teleport, Return, and the Limit Break, although he chose not to use the latter voluntarily. To avoid disturbing other players, he also aimed to play as much as possible with NPCs.

In fact, Kiba Frost managed to pull through with A Realm Reborn in just 15 hours. This is how the challenge went.

Start video
The new trailer for Patch 7.2 of Final Fantasy XIV shows the new, highly anticipated content

Finally having fun with A Realm Reborn

How did the challenge go? With the requirements in mind, the YouTuber took on A Realm Reborn. He chose a server with a high experience point boost – the higher the player’s level, the better gear they can wear, and the stronger the auto-attack.

The combat instances he had to complete alone were the first problem, as the player’s damage output wasn’t high enough for some content. Kiba Frost himself says that he wouldn’t have succeeded in the challenge if he hadn’t been able to adjust these contents to an easier setting.

Another problem was the boss fight against Ifrit (normal): Here, the nails summoned by the boss need to be destroyed – a DPS check. Which the NPCs and auto-attacks could not handle. The YouTuber ultimately had to do the fight against Ifrit with real players.

Otherwise, the run went very well, and Kiba Frost himself is satisfied with the challenge. In the intro, he already mentions that he had much more fun with A Realm Reborn than before: He had to focus on his gear and the challenges now.

Nevertheless, the combat content was very tedious, and the challenge with Cap Westwind was an almost 45-minute nightmare. Still, the YouTuber managed to complete A Realm Reborn in just 15 hours. Those who play normally and perhaps follow the story more intensively take much longer.

Who is the YouTuber? Kiba Frost has been on YouTube since September 2023. Currently, only three videos are listed, but according to the channel description, he is back and has already released several videos. His challenge is the first visible video that is gaining more attention.

By the way, being able to do everything with NPCs would not have been possible just a few years ago: NPC support was only introduced in 2019 with the expansion Shadowbringers, and since then, it has been implemented in all previous combat content. This allows single players to enjoy the MMORPG as well. However, with Patch 7.2, there will be more content for MMO fans: Final Fantasy XIV is finally (once again) an MMORPG: The head promises the largest content update of all time

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. YouTube

Pokémon GO: Cuddly Buddy brings 4 Shinies – Here’s how to make the most of the research day on Saturday

On March 29, the next Research Day will take place in Pokémon GO. Take the chance to secure some Shinies.

What is the event? The Research Day runs under the motto “Cuddly Buddies”. And these buddies are four little bears that you can catch in large numbers this Saturday.

  • Teddiursa
  • Petznief
  • Pam-Pam
  • Velursi

They will hide in various field research tasks during the event. The special thing is: With all four, you will receive an increased Shiny chance during the event. So you have a good chance of catching the shimmering bears.

When does the event run? On Saturday, March 29, from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM. So you have three hours to complete as many research tasks as possible.

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Pokémon GO: What’s in the new Season Powerful and Masterful

How do I use Research Day in Pokémon GO?

Here’s what the Shinies look like: Do you want to check if the Shinies are even distinct enough to be worth the effort? Then we have the graphic with all four monsters and their evolutions for you:

Shiny Teddiursa Pampam Velursi Petznief

Here’s how to get the monsters: The four Pokémon do not appear in the wild but are found through field research tasks. You receive these by spinning different PokéStops.

Your plan should ideally look like this:

  • Visit and spin a PokéStop
  • Pick up research tasks
  • Go to the next stop
  • Complete the research on the way to create space for new tasks

Note: You want to complete as many research tasks as possible during the event period in order to increase your chances of getting the Shiny bears. You might want to simply delete the more time-consuming tasks and hope to receive an easier one at the next stop instead. Otherwise, your task stack may get processed too slowly and won’t have space for new research tasks.

If you play in an area with few Pokémon spawns, it may be worthwhile to activate a smoke or at least the daily adventure smoke. You can use the spawns from that to complete the tasks if you’re missing anything.

Do I need the research in the shop? The research in the shop costs 2.19 euros, but it is optional. The bonuses mentioned above also apply if you do not buy a ticket. The ticket gives you additional encounters with one of the four Shiny bears. Whether you need them is up to you to decide.

March is coming to an end: The Research Day with the Cuddly Buddies is the last major event of March in Pokémon GO. However, April continues with numerous appointments. Among other things, the debut of the plant Pokémon Cottini is coming up. But there will also be no shortage of raids and spotlight hours in the next month. Do you want an overview? Then check here: All events in April 2025 for Pokémon GO.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Player Uses Underrated Weapon in Monster Hunter Wilds to Take Down One of the Most Powerful Creatures in 92 Seconds

In Monster Hunter Wilds, the tempered monsters are currently the toughest challenges a hunter can face. One player demonstrates in a speedrun how powerful an underestimated weapon can be by taking down one of the strongest monsters in the game in just 92 seconds.

Which monster is it? The tempered monsters are stronger variants of the normal creatures in Monster Hunter Wilds. Accordingly, the tempered Arkveld is one of the toughest monsters in the game.

If even that seems too easy, one can challenge speedrunning, attempting to take down a monster as quickly as possible. In a video on YouTube, a player shows how good the underestimated insect glaive is, defeating the tempered Arkveld with his build in just 92.7 seconds.

Soon you will face the Mizutsune:

Start video
Monster Hunter Wilds shows its first title update with a new monster

The insect glaive can be quite powerful

What build is the player using? The user キリン男爵 occasionally posts videos on YouTube where he takes down difficult monsters with an insect glaive, a weapon that is generally positioned towards the lower end of the tier list.

In his latest YouTube video, he shows how strong the weapon can actually be, defeating the tempered Arkveld in just 1:32:70 minutes. That is quite impressive, and he also demonstrates his skill and the associated build in the game:

  • Weapon: The Artian weapon Diprielcha with explosive element (attack boost 3 when crafting and attack boost 4 / affinity 1 when enhancing)
    • Weapon decorations: Critical Boost 3 and 2, Flight or Expert
    • Kinsect: Slaughter Bug
  • Headgear: Gore Helm Beta
  • Chest protection: Blango Armor Beta
  • Arm protection: Gore Armguard Beta
  • Waist protection: Gore Waistcoat Beta
  • Leg protection: Gore Leggings Beta
  • Charm: Cutting Charm 3
  • Cloak: Corrupted Cloak
    • Armor decorations: Power Jewel 3x / Potential Jewel x 2 / Reason Jewel x 2 / Challenger Jewel x 1 / Chain Jewel x 1 / Bomber Jewel x 1

However, note that the player does not show where he got all the attack buffs before the fight.

You can find the speedrun video here:

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Not just the build is important

At the start of the fight, one can see that the Arkveld is standing in front of the environmental trap, and the player can trigger it directly. This stuns the monster, and with a good hit from the kinsect, the player can immediately collect all 3 stacks for the weapon.

Just before the Arkveld gets up, the player uses the 3 stacks for the special glaive finisher and immediately recovers 3 stacks with a focus attack. He repeats this over and over, as the Arkveld is stunned again by the focus attack.

Perfectly timed, he sets a trap, tranquilizer bombs, and strikes again to catch the Arkveld.

It’s also important to mention that he has no Palico with him, as it would heal him, causing him to lose buffs.

Monster Hunter Wilds offers many subtleties in gameplay that can be optimized beyond the builds, allowing you to become a strong hunter. Especially speedruns show what you are capable of. You can find another one here: Speedrunner defeats powerful beast in Monster Hunter Wilds in just 37 seconds – Doesn’t even let the monster attack

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Many employees demanded a 4-day workweek, but now they want something entirely different: flexible working hours

Employers want to abolish remote work and return to the office in the long term. However, employees have long demanded more flexible models for working hours. Even the widely discussed 4-day workweek suddenly becomes unattractive.

  • During the Corona pandemic, many companies switched from office routines to a flexible remote work system.
  • In the meantime, however, many companies are returning to the office or demanding employees to be present in the office.
  • Some employees use tricks to resist the office requirement, while others resign or submit to the employer.

However, the employers’ demands regularly provoke loud criticism from employees. Meanwhile, other demands are becoming louder: Moving away from rigid, fixed working hours toward more flexible options that are more compatible with family life.

Many employees demand more flexible working hours

Why are flexible working hours being demanded? According to employees, flexible working hours have the advantage that one can organize daily life more flexibly and improve the compatibility of work and personal life. While the so-called “9 to 5” model binds one to a fixed time window, flexible models allow for setting the hours.

Flexible working hours, which are being demanded by many, have two noteworthy advantages:

  • On the one hand, they allow for working from anywhere and save commuting costs for both the employee and the employer.
  • On the other hand, flexible systems enable employees to interrupt their workday to attend to personal or family obligations, especially when children or close relatives are sick and need attention.

The desire for flexible options has now grown so much that employees are willing to forgo money if they receive more flexible working hours. This is also shown by the annual “Labour Market Guide 2025” from Hays (PDF file): Access to flexible working hours is the second most important reason (24%) for many employees, while a higher salary is the most important reason (52%).

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Even the 4-day workweek has become unattractive

What is the problem with 4 days? Officially, the 4-day workweek reduces working hours, but experts explain that this does not reduce employee stress in the long run. Mathilde Collin, CEO of the customer communication platform Front, warned in an article from FastCompany:

A simple reduction of workdays [will] not solve our problem. Rather, it could increase stress and burnout as more meetings are crammed into fewer days and less time remains for creative and reflective work.

The idea of a shorter workweek is tempting, but it does not fully meet the needs of many employees for work-life balance and flexibility. Many employees do not resign because they have to return to the office, but because they lose the flexibility that remote work provides.

A company abolishes remote work to save costs. However, employees are fighting against the employer’s plans. With surprising consequences: a quarter of the workforce resigns, and strikes shake the company: A company abolished remote work and now has an unusual problem: 25% of employees resign

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. xataka.com

“Everyone, just not her” – New hiring causes panic among fans of Baldur’s Gate 3, as she could be working on part 4

The former head of Dragon Age: The Veilguard is now working for Wizards of the Coast, the company behind Dungeons & Dragons. Now fans of the franchise are worried about the next installment of Baldur’s Gate, perhaps a Baldur’s Gate 4, and about the RPG itself, but some say: unjustly.

Who is getting hired?

Start video
Dragon Age: The Veilguard Unleashes the Dragon in Official Launch Trailer

These are now the concerns: The latest Dragon Age received mixed reviews. In particular, fans of the series are disappointed. The biggest criticism includes the mediocre writing with flat story, whose depth was exchanged for modern themes like neopronouns – at least that’s how players feel.

Hasbro, the company that owns Wizards of the Coast and thus Dungeons & Dragons, recently discussed big plans for Baldur’s Gate 4. There is no concrete information yet, but it is certain that the company wants to make the game.

On Reddit, fans of Baldur’s Gate 3 are now worried that Corinne Busche could work on Baldur’s Gate 4 after The Veilguard.

In a different thread, users emphasize that a poor release wouldn’t even have to be Busche’s fault. They write: Hasbro itself has already had trouble maintaining its franchises well. However, Busche would be the perfect addition for a failure.

“I don’t understand the hate”

Among the well over 1,000 comments, there are several remarks that Busche has nothing to do with the flop of Veilguard at all. She joined the team only in the last 2 years of development, after the new Dragon Age had already been in development for 6 years.

The game has been rebooted several times during that time, many writers have been fired. Busche made something from the wreckage that was at least somewhat playable:

I don’t understand the hate for her. She came in and landed the plane wonderfully, creating a mostly bug-free game after Bioware shot itself in the foot by rebooting the game three damn times. It’s a miracle we got something as good as we have.

OurLAdyAndraste on Reddit

The head made a meal from “rotten, already burnt food” that is somehow still good enough to serve.

There is already skepticism towards Baldur’s Gate 4 and Hasbro as a whole. Many fans have low expectations for the new game or don’t need it at all. Baldur’s Gate 3 is so good that it can still be played for a long time, and now they are just waiting for what Larian will bring next instead of relying on the Baldur’s Gate IP.

Larian has apparently built a loyal fanbase with Baldur’s Gate 3 and the previous RPGs, even though the studio offers a niche product with classic RPGs. Whether Baldur’s Gate 4 will be good and whether Busche is even involved or not, is simply irrelevant to many users; they would rather wait for what the Belgian studio produces next: Instead of Baldur’s Gate 4: Larian is working on two new games

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

The director of Lies of P has played Elden Ring: Nightreign and is talking about FromSoftware’s new game

Choi Ji-won, director of the Souls-like Lies of P, has already played Elden Ring: Nightreign. In an interview with Eurogamer, he shared his thoughts on the new game from FromSoftware.

What does the head of Lies of P say? Choi Ji-won found Elden Ring: Nightreign to be “very refreshing and new,” as he revealed in an interview with Eurogamer. He himself had the opportunity to play the spin-off of Elden Ring during a network test. In a network test, developers check how stable the servers are in operation before releasing the game to the majority.

Start video
Gameplay trailer for Elden Ring Nightreign shows a boss from Dark Souls 3

Developer sticks to single-player games for now

This is what the head of Lies of P says: According to Choi, it becomes clear while playing Nightreign that good developers are behind this project:

 I tried [Nightreign], and it was very refreshing and new. This gave me the impression that they are good developers who are constantly pushing their limits, their imagination, and their vision – and you can feel that.

What does this mean for the future of Lies of P? Nightreign has motivated him to deliver the best possible experience with Overture – the first expansion for Lies of P. When this will be released is still uncertain. What is known is that the storyline starts before the main game.

However, Lies of P: Overture will remain purely a single-player experience. According to Choi, they want to build on the lessons learned from the base game. However, he does not want to rule anything out for future projects. “As far as our future endeavors are concerned, we are definitely open to all kinds of considerations,” says Choi.

Internally at developer NEOWIZ, they are also discussing what the future of the genre might look like. Choi explains:

Instead of predicting how the soulslike genre will evolve in the future, we are focusing on finding our own identity and our unique strengths.

When will the game be released? Elden Ring: Nightreign will be released on May 30, 2025, on the following platforms:

  • Steam
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • PS4
  • PS5

Are you among those who have been waiting for a PS5 upgrade or even a PC version of Bloodborne for years? This hope is not dead yet, but it is not truly alive either. For all those missing Bloodborne, Lies of P might be worth a look.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. 3DJuegos

“Like Team Rocket”: In Pokémon Legends: Z-A, you will become the thug at night, attacking others from ambush

In the latest issue of Nintendo Direct, new gameplay footage of Pokémon Legends: Z-A was showcased. For the first time, scenes are shown at night, where the city transforms into a lawless place.

What happens at night? As previously reported, there were rumors that a league takes place at night in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. Thanks to the Direct, we know that the leaks are true. In the Switch title, there is a tournament called Z-A Royale that takes place at night.

  • In the battle sectors, other trainers appear at night who challenge you to a fight upon eye contact. The dynamic battle system is used here.
  • Finally, we also know why the game is named this way: You fight your way up from rank Z to A.
  • According to Centro Leaks on X, there is a structured process: During the day, trainers prepare, buy items, and catch Pokémon. At night, they participate in battles, receive prize money, and can buy items again the next day.

However, the video shows a special detail that can give you an advantage in battles. This turns you into a sneaky thug who ambushes other trainers.

You can watch the new gameplay here:

Start video
Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Trailer for the Rise of the Royale Champion

At night, Pokémon Legends becomes a Fight Club

What feature is it about? You can sneak up on trainers and their Pokémon and ambush them. Your Pokémon attacks with a preferred move; in the video, for example, it’s Lucario’s “Light Cannon”.

This gives you a surprise attack advantage and strikes before the battle has begun. This gives you the advantage that the opposing Pokémon starts with less HP.

In the main series games, this was never possible. Battles could only be initiated by starting a conversation or making eye contact. The manner in which these battles are triggered has caused amusement among many fans.

How do fans react? In the comments under the video on Reddit, the surprise attack is a hotly debated topic. Many find it amusing that you can sneak up on other trainers and attack them so easily. One user even compares it to Team Rocket, which in the anime has a different method each time to ambush Ash and his friends.

Many fans are therefore amused and write:

  • zappy487 thinks there’s more to it: “The twist for Z-A: There’s no tournament at all; you’re schizophrenic and randomly attack people at night.”
  • Thechristo96 finally gets his revenge: “After 30 years of being challenged to battle just by staring at people, it’s finally time for sweet revenge.”
  • Lukthar123 compares it to other big cities: “Canonically officially Paris.”

There are also numerous memes on X, in which large gangs are fighting in the streets. Some even compare it to the movie series “The Purge,” where for one night a year, no rules apply, and people are allowed to commit crimes.

Thus, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces another innovation compared to its predecessor Pokémon Legends: Arceus. However, a feature that appeared in the first part of the series will not appear in Z-A: Pokémon Legends: Z-A – New leak reveals that a popular aspect from the predecessor will not be present

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Pokémon GO brings the next new Pokémon, and you can catch it easily

The next event in Pokémon GO brings a new Pokémon into the game. You can easily collect it while walking.

What kind of Pokémon is it? It is “Cottini”, a grass-type Pokémon from the games “Sword & Shield”. It has an evolution named Cottomi, which also belongs to the grass type. In Pokémon GO, you need 50 Cottini candies for its evolution.

Now both are appearing for the first time in Pokémon GO during the event “Spring into Spring”. The good thing: you can easily encounter Cottini in the wild. You don’t have to hatch eggs, complete raids, or similar activities, but can simply encounter it while on the go. This makes it the second Pokémon after Kleptifux to debut in the wild in a shorter time. Last year, new Pokémon were often tied to other features of the game.

When does the event start? Spring into Spring begins on Wednesday, April 9 at 10:00 AM. It ends on Monday, April 14, 2025, at 8:00 PM. During this period, you will also encounter Cottini – and other Pokémon. The event brings some bonuses and content.

Start video
Pokémon GO: What’s in the new Season Powerful and Masterful

What does “Spring into Spring” bring to Pokémon GO?

What bonuses apply? Four strong bonuses are active during the event.

  • Lucky Eggs last twice as long, so one hour
  • You receive double the amount of candies for hatching eggs
  • Remoraid and Dartiri have an increased shiny chance
  • And eggs take only half the time to hatch

Which Pokémon appear? Basically, three Pokémon will appear more frequently throughout the event: Remoraid, Dartiri, and Cottini. For Remoraid and Dartiri, you have an increased shiny chance, but Cottini cannot appear as shiny.

After that, the spawns will be adjusted by days. You will frequently encounter the following monsters at specific times. Possible shinies are marked with an asterisk*.

DatesPokémon
April 9 & 10Marill*
Loturzel*
Piccolente*
Araqua*
Lapras*
April 11 & 12Vulpix*
Ponita*
Camaub*
Leufeo*
Hisui-Fukano*
April 13 & 14Myrapla*
Hoppspross*
Roselia*
Kikugi*
Alola-Kokowei*

What else is included in the event? On one hand, you can hatch Magby*, Knospi*, and Mantirps* from 2 km eggs, while 5 km eggs will bring Remoraid*, Dartiri*, and Cottini.

Additionally, there will be relevant field research, collector challenges, and showcases for the event. Also, you will find an optional paid limited research in the shop that offers further rewards.

And after that? After that, there will be more April events, as spring brings several dates for Pokémon GO. Among other things, there will be spotlight hours, raid hours, and plenty of events. We will show you which ones. Here you will find all events in Pokémon GO in April 2025.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Pokémon GO Live

The surge for the new worlds of the MMORPG Lord of the Rings is so great that the developers are stepping up

March 2025 continues to be marked by the new 64-bit servers of Lord of the Rings Online. Recently, the developers announced the provision of additional worlds and the comeback of the housing feature.

What is the current status? MeinMMO reported in early March that the transfers to the new 64-bit servers of Lord of the Rings Online planned for March 4, 2025 had been overshadowed by significant issues.

The demand was so high that the transfers could not be completed fully weeks later. In mid-March, the developers stated, that they had completely underestimated the interest in the more modern servers of the MMORPG: “We have transferred over 1 million characters since the transfers opened. That is much more than expected.”

The trailer for the latest expansion for LOTRO from 2024:

Start video
Lord of the Rings Online: Trailer for Morgoth’s Legacy Prepares You for the New Expansion

Update on new servers and housing

What do the developers announce now? In recent days, the responsible parties of LOTRO have reached out multiple times. In the official Discord channel, Executive Producer Rob “Severlin” Ciccolini has written:

We are in the process of opening new servers, one in the EU and a few weeks later one in the USA. When we do this, we will enable transfers between Orcrist and the EU server as well as from other worlds to these two servers. We still have enough players on the 32-bit servers to justify another server.

Additionally, Community Manager Cordovan provided an update on housing in the 64-bit worlds on forums.lotro.com on March 27, 2025. He writes that they intend to gradually activate premium and classic housing starting March 31, 2025. The activation will take place in alphabetical order by neighborhoods, with premium accommodations being opened first.

The schedule for the introduction is:

  • March 31: Belfalas
  • April 1: Eastfold / Erebor
  • April 2: Kingstead / Lyndelby
  • April 3: Bree-land / Falathlorn
  • April 4: Shire / Thorin’s Hall

In a second post on forums.lotro.com, Cordovan explains: There will be additional housing brokers for each neighborhood. Apartments can only be acquired through these brokers. The familiar “For Sale” signs will not be available at this time. There will be temporary discussion channels where the developers aim to answer emerging questions.

Are you looking forward to the return of your accommodations and the new server? Let us know in the comments! After all these years, Lord of the Rings Online boasts a massive game world where one can spend months and years. The virtual Middle-earth is even so vast that it has made it to our list of the 13 MMORPGs with the largest game world.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

After that, you’ll see the beginning of Star Wars: Andor with different eyes

In a new video, Marco Risch from Nerdkultur discusses the beginning of the series Andor from the Star Wars universe and what makes it so special.

Who is Marco Risch? Since 2015, Marco Risch has been focusing on news, analyses, reviews, and interviews about current films and series on his YouTube channel Nerdkultur .

In addition, he meets weekly with his colleague Yves Arievich and chats on the Podcast Nerd & Kultur about pop culture film topics like Star Wars, Marvel, and DC. 

Both the YouTube channel and the podcast are part of the Webedia network, which also includes MeinMMO.

In one of his latest videos, Marco discusses the Star Wars series Andor in light of the second season. He explains why the series is so good and so different from other series in the Star Wars universe.

Start video
Marco from Nerd Culture talks about the first episodes of Andor

Even the look is different from classic Star Wars

What makes Andor so different from other Star Wars projects? Right at the start of the video, Marco makes it clear that you can see immediately why Andor is different. It does not look like Star Wars, but like classic cyberpunk, as seen in Blade Runner (1982).

The first season of Andor does not show how the main character rebels, but how he got to that point. His original goal is to find his sister. Marco explains how the actor, Diego Luna, has a special connection to Cassian. Luna hails from Mexico and understands the feelings of Cassian, who embodies a typical migration story through his name change from Kassa to Cassian.

The inner conflict is also portrayed by the camera, which focuses solely on him. The inner conflict is also evident in one of the first scenes where we see how Cassian has no choice but to kill in this dystopian world.

For the analysis of the first three episodes, Marco focuses on three points: the unique structure, the camera, and the parallels between characters.

Structure and Camera

What is special about the structure? Marco explains that the first season of Andor is structured into 12 episodes in the form of chapters. Tony Gilroy, the creator of the series, hired a different writer and director for each chapter (each consisting of 3 episodes). He wrote the first 3 episodes himself while Toby Haynes directed them. He is known for Sherlock, Doctor Who, and Black Mirror.

The first 3 episodes have 3 important locations. Marco compares the beginning to the cyberpunk genre, while the junk planet Ferrix resembles Wall-E. Alongside this is Kenari, which tells the backstory of Cassian and shows parallels to Lord of the Flies. To emphasize the previously mentioned focus on Cassian’s past, there is an unknown language and no subtitles on Kenari.

Ultimately, the past also reveals what is slowly happening on Ferrix.

How does the camera narrate? According to Marco, one of the most important aspects is also the camera. It shows the status of the characters. When the camera is with the authorities, it is wide and steady. It shows us order. However, when we are with the oppressed, the camera is more restless. It is close and shaky.

This represents the unrest. But there is also manipulation. When the authorities are in a chaotic situation, the camera is also shaky and restless with them. Marco compares the camera style to an indie film, thus moving further away from Hollywood and classic Star Wars.

Although Gilroy draws on the Western genre, according to Marco, he does not use its heyday but the nihilistic late western.

The Character Syril Karn

In the last part of his analysis, Marco focuses on the character Syril Karn. Everything escalates because of him, stemming from the two employees of the security service. Unlike his superior, Hyne, Syril is principled. This is also shown through the staging, which often depicts him standing alone.

He meets Linus Mosk, who is more fanatical but equally enthusiastic. Together they want to capture Cassian, but there is resistance. Mosk, Syril, and their mercenaries are pushed back on Ferrix, using the simplest of means, fitting for a rebellion.

This is also represented by the bell ringer, who initially symbolizes routine and order, but later transforms into a signal for resistance and rebellion. You can find another analysis by Marco here: Disney can’t just copy this

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

In an MMO on Steam, thousands of players battle each other for weeks, now a big update is coming

Foxhole, known for its massive battles on Steam and allowing its players to compete against each other for weeks, celebrates the release of a new update that brings many improvements.

What kind of game is this? Foxhole is a large MMO on Steam where players wage wars and fight for victory. The game is inspired by World War II, so the weapons, war machinery, and uniforms are designed accordingly.

Foxhole gained fame especially when a campaign lasted up to 70 days and developers had to intervene to bring it to an end. Now the game has received a major update that brings many improvements and features that fans can look forward to.

Start video
Foxhole 1.0 Inferno – Launch Trailer

Better Performance and New Features

What has changed? The developers of Foxhole have made many improvements, especially regarding performance. Map posts, collision physics, items and supplies, as well as client optimization fall under the adjustments. This is aimed at ensuring a smoother frame rate while players venture into different areas.

In addition to adjustments, there are also new features. These include:

  • Jumping while carrying injured players
  • New options for your loadout
  • New animations for your character
  • Camera rotation while aiming
  • New tooltips to help new players

Moreover, two new weapons are added, such as colonial field mortars and an RPG against tanks. Finally, you can now also hoist flags on the battlefield that have unique designs. More details can be found in the official post by the developers on Steam (via store.steampowered.com).

In addition to Foxhole, there are also other MMOs and MMORPGs that you can test and play on Steam. We have selected a current list of the best titles for you. Here is the overview of the best games 2025: The 10 Currently Best MMOs and MMORPGs 2025

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. mmorpg.com

Players review real locations from Kingdom Come 2 on Google, complaining about flying dung, stolen silver, and days on the gallows

As a role-playing game, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 aims to provide all RPG fans with a relatively realistic playground designed to make them feel like they are truly traveling through 15th-century Bohemia. This has clearly left an impression on some fans.

What distinguishes the role-playing game? You can find the long answer to this question in our review of Kingdom Come Deliverance 2. The short answer: The developers do an excellent job of throwing players into their role as Heinrich in a game world where freedom, immersion, and a realistic touch are all prioritized.

  • All inhabitants have a plausible daily routine. They even pack their clothes into a box before sleeping, then wake up, have breakfast, work, and visit the tavern in the evening, swaying home tipsy. This is supported by the day-night cycle of the game world.
  • All inhabitants react (usually) reasonably to Heinrich’s presence and actions.
  • As Heinrich, you need to eat, wash, sleep, take care of your armor, and improve your learned skills through constant practice.
  • Activities like alchemy and blacksmithing are credibly represented in the game, with individual steps involved.
  • Many locations from Kingdom Come 2, such as the town of Kuttenberg or Trosky Castle, have been designed based on their real-life counterparts. Those familiar with the corresponding locations in the Czech Republic will recognize much in the game.
  • There are hardly any other games where you can traverse such realistically designed forests.

It is precisely the details that set Kingdom Come 2 apart from other role-playing games:

Start video
Kingdom Come Deliverance 2: Details, die das Spiel perfekt machen

Stories of Thieves and Dung

How do fans express their role-playing? The game world of Kingdom Come 2 radiates an atmosphere with its vast meadows and dense forests that both excites and evokes a sense of wanderlust. Accordingly, many fans are currently setting off to visit some of the well-known places from the game and immerse themselves in the old Bohemia.

When you have sneaked through Trosky Castle in the game, only to find yourself suddenly standing in the real fortress courtyard, it is both fascinating and amusing. So amusing that numerous visitors to the Czech Republic write their online reviews as if they were actually one of the characters from Kingdom Come 2.

The result is winkingly humorous accounts filled with allusions to the events of the role-playing game that could easily confuse someone unfamiliar with Kingdom Come 2.

  • Theodor Heinke writes on Google: “After I had squandered my last coins in the barracks, I found myself in front of the castle gate. We were just announcing our arrival when my traveling companion Hans was soiled with dung by a rogue on the watchtower. I have never seen such foolish nonsense before. I will not set foot in this cursed castle again for the time being.”
  • Laetitia Junker jokes on Google: “Went with my friend Hans Capon. The dungeon is large and the individual cells are sufficient for 2 people! This place is always worth a visit! Don’t jump into the well; while you may end up in a cave system, you’ll probably break at least one bone.”
  • Mar schel (MrOMWTF) summarizes on Google: “After my buddy Hans was covered with dung by the guards, I almost left. However, a good Czech beer convinced me to stay. Sure, a guy named Ulrich wanted to send Hans to the gallows later, but we still had a fun outing.”
  • Mehmet C. summarizes his visit to the Welscher Hof on Google: “Couldn’t visit it, apparently a group of people raided the place and stole all the silver!”

The good news for everyone who doesn’t know Kingdom Come 2 and is wondering about the often medieval reviews:

Many of the fun reviews can be recognized by notes such as in-game screenshots or a corresponding remark in the text. And despite the mention of rogues, dung, and similar subjects, most fans still give a high star rating. Another amusing story from Bohemia: An actor from Kingdom Come: Deliverance proudly showcases the role-playing game on Twitch – but he plays the completely wrong version

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. vidaextra.com

MMORPG must pay 10 million euros in fines to NCsoft and go offline, has made multiple times that amount

A lawsuit that began in 2021 has now reached its conclusion. The MMORPG company Webzen must pay a large multi-million fine to publisher NCsoft and permanently take a game offline.

What led to the lawsuit and which game is involved? The court case revolved around the MMORPG R2 Mobile (R2M) from the South Korean company Webzen (MU Online, Metin 2), which was released in 2020 for Android and iOS devices.

In their lawsuit, the representatives of publisher NCsoft (Guild Wars 2, Aion, Blade & Soul) stated that R2M is a blatant copy of their own mobile title Lineage M. They argued that Webzen’s game was not only visually reminiscent of the Lineage spinoff but also in terms of systems, mechanics, and loot drop rates.

In August 2023, MeinMMO reported that NCsoft won the initial lawsuit. At that time, the defendants indicated they intended to appeal. Ultimately, the case reached the Supreme Court of Seoul, which delivered its final verdict on March 27, 2025.

Throne and Liberty also comes from NCsoft:

Start video
Throne and Liberty: Trailer shows regions of the Wilderness of Talandre expansion

Heavy fine but also high revenue

What is the ruling of the Supreme Court? As businesskorea.co.kr reports, the court again ruled in favor of NCsoft. According to the verdict, Webzen did not infringe the publisher’s copyright but gained an advantage through unfair competition.

Webzen must

  • take R2 Mobile offline and may not promote, advertise, reproduce, distribute, transmit or adapt it in the future
  • pay a fine of 16.9 billion Won to NCsoft, which is about 10.1 million Euros
  • cover 60 percent of the legal costs

After the initial defeat in court, Webzen would have only had to pay a fine of 1 billion Won (just over 632,000 Euros). NCsoft, on the other hand, would have liked to receive 60 billion Won from the defendant.

Also noteworthy: the current amount of 16.1 billion Won is said to be the highest fine ever imposed in a copyright dispute within the gaming industry at a South Korean court.

According to the ruling, the 16.1 billion Won is said to represent exactly 10 percent of the total revenue that Webzen has earned with R2M over the years. This partly explains why Webzen does not want to lose its mobile cash cow at any cost (it appears they also want to contest this ruling and file for an injunction to prevent the game’s shutdown).

On the other hand, the amount of the fine is not expected to cause Webzen financial problems or deter them from doing something similar in the future. Overall, the R2M project has proved to be financially worthwhile for the free-to-play provider. Therefore, other MMORPG providers are likely to continue risking being sued for copyright infringement. One game has been particularly imitated: 5 quirky games that actually copy World of Warcraft

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

A spell in Baldur’s Gate 3 causes a companion to flee in panic, even if she doesn’t use it at all

Some spells in Baldur’s Gate 3 cause panic even before they are cast. Because then a companion runs for her life.

There are many abilities and spells in Baldur’s Gate. Most of them have some utility in combat or during dialogues. However, there is also one spell that is so effective that a party member flees from it permanently – and this even before you have spoken the spell. The reason for this is rooted in the story of this companion.

Plans for Baldur’s Gate 4 are already underway, but not everyone is pleased:

Start video
Hasbro hat Pläne für Baldur’s Gate 4, doch die Fans glauben: “Ein Studio müsste irre sein, um Larian nachzueifern”

What kind of spell is that? In the Baldur’s Gate 3 subreddit, Sad_Yam6884 shares his discovery:

The spell in question is “Create Water”. This is an ability that is mostly rather unspectacular and has little effect in most battles. It creates an area of water that extinguishes fire, soaks characters, and thereby gives them a temporary weakness to electrical attacks.

However, while most characters do not react at all to the effect selection of spells, Shadowheart behaves differently. If you want to use “Create Water” outside of combat and merely hover over Shadowheart with the targeting selection, she immediately runs away to avoid being hit.

Why does Shadowheart flee from the spell? The reason is not that Shadowheart is worried about her make-up or is generally critical of the concept of showering. Instead, it has to do with a trait of Shadowheart that is only revealed late in the game through dialogues: She cannot swim. Therefore, her fear of water is so great that she avoids even the possibility of being hit by a large amount of water.

This also explains why the final test of Shar and the transition into her shadow realm is a pool full of water, in which one must practically drown. A final test that likely affects no one as hard as Shadowheart.

In any case, it is quite fascinating how many little details the developers have woven into Baldur’s Gate 3. It will probably take several more years until all the hidden details have truly been discovered – but that is precisely one of the reasons why Baldur’s Gate 3 is still extremely popular today.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Path of Exile 2 Head Says He Doesn’t Want to Defeat Diablo 4, Claims He’s Satisfied Under One Condition

With Dawn of the Hunt, Path of Exile 2 takes its next big step towards release. On the occasion of the new season, director Jonathan Rogers also talked about the competition in an interview.

Why doesn’t he want to defeat Diablo 4? Although two other games in the same genre as Path of Exile 2, Diablo 4 and Last Epoch, are succeeding, Game Director Jonathan Roger is not worried. In an interview with PC Gamer, he reveals that it is not his goal to leave other ARPGs behind with Path of Exile 2.

“There is room for many different players in this genre. It doesn’t have to be that there is only one game that dominates all others.”

Throughout the interview, he also explains why the competition in the genre does not harm his game, attributing this to the secret recipe of its predecessor, Path of Exile.

Here you can see the new trailer for the season “Dawn of the Hunt”:

Start video
Path of Exile 2 presents gameplay trailer with the new Hunter class

Satisfied under one condition

When is the director satisfied? The fact that players in the ARPG genre switch back and forth between games has been established for years. For the head of Path of Exile 2, this circumstance is a positive one. He explains his goal as follows: “As long as people are willing to play our game for a month four times a year, that’s fine with me.”

Rogers is not about outshining other games but rather about drawing players in the genre back to the game four times a year with their seasonal content and keeping them engaged for a month. If gamers switch to another game with a new season start after that month, it seems to be no problem for the Game Director.

“ARPGs are one of the genres where the player community has embraced the idea of the season, where you play the game for a while, then stop, play something else, and then come back and play the next season,” Rogers says in the interview with PC Gamer. “That is somewhat of an expectation in this genre, partly because our approach to this issue has inspired a lot of that.”

Path of Exile (1) established seasons over many years and ensured that ARPG players keep coming back to their titles. That is probably also the secret recipe of the game, that it manages to consistently provide entry points for players.

Does the director play other ARPGs? Yes, in the interview he reveals that he also plays other ARPGs, but he is not someone who “reaches the full endgame grind of many other action RPGs.” His inspirations for PoE2 often come from games unrelated to the genre.

When I’m looking for inspirations for game design, I usually look at things outside our genre… For example, I want to play Civilization or something like that and then see what interesting mechanisms I could steal from it, as opposed to what I could steal from other action RPGs.

Jonathan Rogers at PC Gamer

Which mechanics from Civilization will make it into the next update of Path of Exile 2 remains to be seen. However, you can already find the main innovations of Dawn of the Hunt here: Path of Exile 2 changes all classes, saying: You can say goodbye to your OP builds

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

WoW: The 3 best classes for beginners and returnees

The entry into World of Warcraft can be challenging. We at MeinMMO will tell you which class is perfect for taking your first steps into Azeroth.

World of Warcraft offers a pretty large selection of options to dive into Azeroth with its 13 classes and 39 specializations. But which class should a newcomer choose?

We introduce you to three classes that are perfect for newcomers in World of Warcraft, so you can have an easy start in 2025.

Update: The article was updated on September 12, 2025. The article is now fit for the expansion The War Within and patch 11.2 Spirits of K’aresh.

Cortyn has been playing World of Warcraft for over 20 years and has spent so many hours in Azeroth that one might not want to know the exact number. 11 of those years have already been spent writing articles for MeinMMO.

Over time, different classes have been switched between and played both for the Horde and the Alliance, allowing Cortyn to gain extensive insight into the entire game.
Just don’t argue with Cortyn about the lore. That won’t end well.

asks meinmmo cortyn

Paladin – The Allround Talent

Who is the Paladin suitable for? The Paladin is suitable for those undecided players who still don’t know whether they want to heal, tank, or deal damage in the endgame – because the Paladin can do all of that. With his plate armor and numerous defensive abilities, he is a resilient fighter who can also deal serious damage in melee.

WoW Legion Artifact Paladin Ashbringer
Retribution Paladins wield powerful two-handed weapons.

What can Paladins do? Paladins in World of Warcraft essentially have three different orientations to specialize in. The Paladin can take on all three roles that are necessary for a successful group. One of their most well-known abilities is the Divine Shield, which can make them immune to any damage for a few seconds.

  • Protection (Tank): The Protection Paladin equips a shield and a melee weapon to draw enemy threat to themselves, allowing the rest of the group to deal damage without problems.
  • Retribution (Damage): The Retribution Paladin relies on strong melee attacks that grant him Holy Power. If he accumulates enough of it, he can use it for powerful special attacks that deal significant damage. Additionally, unlike many other melee fighters, the Retribution Paladin also has very strong survivability skills.
  • Holy (Healing): The Holy Paladin must use their mana wisely to keep their allies alive. Unlike other healers, the Paladin is mostly found in melee range and combines attacks with healing on his group members.
Pro
  • Extremely resilient
  • Strong self-healing
  • Can fill any role
Contra
  • No ranged options
  • Limited race selection

Which races can become Paladins? Only a few races can become Paladins in World of Warcraft. The Alliance has significantly more options than the Horde.

  • Alliance: Human, Dwarf, Lightforged Draenei, Dark Iron Dwarves, Draenei, Earthen
  • Horde: Tauren, Zandalari Trolls, Blood Elves, Earthen

You should play Paladin if: You want to play a versatile class that can essentially fulfill any role. Paladins are popular among other players because of their versatility, as they can fill any spot in a group and possess strong defensive abilities for all allies.

Recommended specialization: For leveling, it is worth playing in the “Retribution” specialization, as you can handle most challenges solo and deal high damage. Of course, you can switch to Holy or Protection for dungeons if you want to fill other roles in the group.

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Hunter – Flexible Killing Machine

Who is the Hunter suitable for? Hunters in World of Warcraft are essentially the ultimate solo class. With a wild animal as a companion, Hunters can handle almost any quest solo and are also well-regarded in groups due to various traps, high damage, and various buff effects. Additionally, there is an extra collection aspect – as there are many rare and great animals in WoW that can be tamed by the Hunter.

WoW Legion hunter marksman
Hunters fight from a distance – and can use wild animals.

What can Hunters do? Hunters are responsible for dealing damage in all of their specializations. They ensure that enemies die quickly in a group. At the same time, they can rely on an animal companion, which acts as a tank in solo play, drawing the enemy’s threat to itself. Optionally, there are several control effects to slow down or incapacitate enemies.

  • Beast Mastery (Damage): As the name suggests, Beast Mastery Hunters specialize in their companions. The animals of this Hunter are particularly powerful and deal a significant portion of the damage. Many abilities enhance the companions or even summon additional wild animals that then swarm over the enemies as a pack.
  • Marksmanship (Damage): Marksmanship Hunters are the snipers among hunters and can do without a companion. They deal massive damage from a distance using a variety of different shots and abilities. Whether single-target or group damage, the Marksmanship Hunter has a wide range of abilities.
  • Survival (Damage): The Survival Hunter was significantly overhauled a few years ago and has a unique feature: it is a melee specialization. Instead of attacking from a distance with a bow or rifle, the Hunter engages with the enemy up close, hitting them hard.
Pro
  • Extremely good solo options
  • Three varied specializations
  • Collectible wild animals as companions
Contra
  • Only DPS specializations
  • Hunters still have a negative reputation as “bad players” among many

Which races can become Hunters? As Hunters, you have a huge selection of possible races. All playable species on Azeroth can become Hunters.

  • Alliance: Human, Void Elf, Dwarf, Lightforged Draenei, Night Elves, Dark Iron Dwarves, Gnomes, Kul Tirans, Draenei, Mecha-Gnomes, Worgen, Pandaren, Dracthyr, Earthen
  • Horde: Orc, Nightborne, Undead, Highmountain Tauren, Tauren, Mag’har Orc, Troll, Zandalari Troll, Blood Elves, Vulpera, Goblins, Pandaren, Dracthyr, Earthen

You should play Hunter if: You want a class that can handle almost any challenge solo. Collectors of animals will also be satisfied here. But beware: Hunters have had a negative reputation for 20 years, as many consider them to be bad players – but maybe you can prove everyone wrong?

Recommended specialization: For leveling, the “Beast Mastery” specialization is worthwhile. Not only do you have access to more interesting companions, but they also take on many tasks in combat, such as tanking. Ultimately, however, all three specializations are suitable for leveling and you can choose freely.

Warlock – Diverse Spellcasters with Great Utility

Who is the Warlock suitable for? Warlocks are the perfect class for anyone who wants to play a mage but feels too fragile doing so. Although the Warlock wears cloth, he is extremely resilient and can handle numerous tough fights solo. This is also due to the powerful demons he can summon, which he can even resummon in battle if he dies.

WoW Felguard Warlock Blood Elf Amazed titel title 1280x720
Warlocks have plenty of demons by their side that play important roles.

What can Warlocks do? Warlocks are responsible for damage in all specializations. In most cases, they are accompanied by a specialized demon that can fulfill different roles, such as tanking. Additionally, Warlocks have helpful effects for the entire group. Healthstones count as extra healing potions, and by using summons, the Warlock can directly call his group members to him, reducing travel time. A Soulstone can save a teammate from death or even be used as a resurrection in combat.

  • Destruction (Damage): Warlocks that focus on Destruction use significantly fewer spells than their colleagues, but all of them deal fire damage and very high damage numbers. A few spells keep the gameplay quite simple while still yielding good results.
  • Affliction (Damage): As an Affliction Warlock, you’re somewhat in the traditional style of warlocks. You place long-term, diverse curses and debuffs on enemies while slowly draining their life force.
  • Demonology (Damage): If you specialize in Demonology, then the Warlock does somewhat less damage himself – most of it comes from the minions. However, you summon not just one demon but several dozen. You conjure numerous imps, felhunters, and other creatures that deal the majority of the damage in battle. You are the summoner, and the demons execute your will.
Pro
  • Extremely good solo options
  • Top group utility thanks to Soulstone, Healthstone, and summons
  • Great customization options for the appearance of the demons
Contra
  • Only DPS specializations
  • Low mobility in combat

Which races can become Warlocks? To become a Warlock, one only needs to stray a little from the path as a mage or open oneself to dark forces – every race has the potential for that.

  • Alliance: Human, Void Elf, Dwarf, Lightforged Draenei, Night Elves, Dark Iron Dwarves, Gnomes, Kul Tirans, Draenei, Mecha-Gnomes, Worgen, Pandaren, Dracthyr, Earthen
  • Horde: Orc, Nightborne, Undead, Highmountain Tauren, Tauren, Mag’har Orc, Troll, Zandalari Troll, Blood Elves, Vulpera, Goblins, Pandaren, Dracthyr, Earthen

You should play Warlock if: Warlocks are the perfect compromise if you want to play a spellcaster but can also take a hit. In groups, you are a welcome member thanks to useful abilities for your teammates. If you prefer a generally dark look, want to rain fire down from the sky, and throw around demons, then the Warlock is best suited for you.

Recommended specialization: For relaxed leveling with only a few abilities, the Destruction Warlock is worthwhile. When adventuring alone, summon your Voidwalker to bind enemies for you. This way, you can annihilate them from a safe distance with powerful spells before they can even become a threat.

Play what you enjoy: Ultimately, these are just recommendations. Many classes in World of Warcraft play extremely differently from specialization to specialization, so you should feel free to experiment a bit at the beginning.

However, note that most classes are not “fully” functional until later in the course. Abilities are added throughout the leveling phase. A class that seems boring at level 8 can be extremely challenging and fun at level 80.

It is particularly through the talent tree that the true feel of a class only becomes apparent with increasing levels. If you’re unsure, you should at least stick around until level 30 to get a rough feel of the class. Otherwise, it’s always worth having a chat with friends who can share their experiences. We have examined whether starting anew with The War Within is worth it in this article.
Which class would you recommend to newcomers and why?

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.