In Path of Exile 2, the season is coming to an end and eyes are turning towards the big new patch. A YouTuber is now explaining how the new season could become a disaster.
Who is it about? While many are eagerly waiting for the upcoming announcement livestream in Path of Exile 2, the YouTuber “P4wnyhof” is worried about the ARPG. The content creator, born in Germany (via famousbirthdays.com), follows the latest gaming trends on his channel and has focused a lot on PoE2.
In a new YouTube video, he explains how the new season could be both a curse and a blessing. Especially regarding nerfs, he has great concerns.
Here you can see the teaser trailer for Path of Exile 2:
Start video
Path of Exile 2 presents a new teaser for the big update Dawn of the Hunt
Nerfs could change everything
What do the nerfs mean? In Path of Exile 2, the developers nerfed many skills and builds at the start of the game to ensure good balance. However, players were not very enthusiastic about it, as some patches made entire characters useless. This forced them to trade their collected items to switch to another build.
Therefore, the developers of Path of Exile 2 decided to only weaken game-breaking builds and postpone the remaining balance patches to the new season. As “P4wnyhof” explains, this could become a problem.
The YouTuber fears that the nerfs might be so severe that the ARPG becomes difficult again, just as the developers originally intended. In the beginning, PoE2 was even compared to Dark Souls – an impression that has since disappeared due to the strong builds of the community.
[…] they don’t want you to absolutely destroy the Arbiter [Editor’s note: The Arbiter of Ash is considered the toughest boss in PoE2] in a few seconds, they don’t want those +4 Arbiter 5-second kills. Actually, every boss fight is a two- to three-minute fight focusing on dodging mechanics and going back and forth […].
For the YouTuber, the question arises: “How much are they willing to destroy things to reach that point?” All builds could settle under the current meta, leading to a power loss of the characters in the game.
The developers could weaken the characters with the new patch so that the game becomes harder than players accustomed to the current meta builds are used to.
Here you can watch the full video with his assessment:
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Is there hope as well? Yes! P4wnyhof believes that the new season could deliver not just one, but two new classes. As a second class, he introduces the Druid, who has already been shown on various occasions.
The Druid can transform into a bear and attack in this form. In this form, he has his own abilities that generate or deplete rage to deal damage. The content creator also considers an extension of the main campaign with Act 4 possible.
What Twitch Drops are currently available for Throne and Liberty and how can you secure the often useful in-game items? MeinMMO will tell you!
Are there currently Twitch Drops? With the launch of the Starblossom Festival, the folks at Amazon Games are offering new Twitch Drops for all fans of Throne and Liberty. Additionally, you can still secure Prime Gaming loot until April 9th.
Update from March 25, 2025: From March 27 to April 16, you can secure the new Twitch Drops.
What do I need to do for the Twitch Drops? The new Twitch Drops are available if you watch a participating streamer for 30 minutes to 8 hours between March 27, 2025, and April 16, 2025 (6:00 PM CET). Then you can earn:
15 Starblossom Coins (watching for a total of 30 minutes)
200 Jewel Coins (watching for a total of 2 hours)
300 Jewel Coins (watching for a total of 5 hours)
300 Star Crystals for the Battle Pass: Star of the Dusk Traveler (watching for a total of 8 hours)
Once you have watched for the required time, a message will appear at the top of the Twitch navigation bar directing you to the Drops Inventory Page where you can claim your reward. You can also see your current progress for Drops there.
Note that you need to link your Twitch account with your Throne and Liberty account to use the Twitch Drops. You can find out how to do this at playthroneandliberty.com.
The trailer for Wilderness of Talandre for Throne and Liberty:
Start video
Throne and Liberty: Trailer shows regions of the Wilderness of Talandre expansion
Prime Gaming Rewards with Talandre Pack
What benefits does Prime Gaming offer me? Anyone with an active Amazon Prime subscription can secure additional in-game goodies from March 6 to April 9, 2025, through the new Talandre Pack. Here’s what’s in the pack:
300 Jewel Coins
10 Resistance Contracts
5,000 Abyss Contract Tokens
Everyone who is currently not a Prime member but is interested in the limited supply in THRONE AND LIBERTY can sign up for a free 30-day trial on the Prime Gaming website. Prime Gaming Loot can only be claimed once per account.
A professor at Harvard University explains in his book why our ancestors sat a lot and did not come up with the idea of walking around for health.
What kind of professor is he? Daniel E. Lieberman is a professor of Paleoanthropology and Biology at Harvard University, who researches among other things the evolution of the human body.
In his new book “Exercised”, Lieberman addresses the theme: “Why something we never evolved for is healthy and rewarding.” In the book, he discusses the topic of movement and training and the extent to which exercise is healthy and worthwhile.
Start video
In Germany, there are over 400 USB sticks protruding from walls – What is the ‘Dead Drops’ project?
Humans sat to conserve energy
What does he say about sitting and running? Lieberman’s main idea is that from an evolutionary biological perspective, humans are not made for sports. Although he does not recommend a sedentary lifestyle and informs about the health concerns related to excessive sitting in a chapter.
At the beginning of the book, Lieberman explains that physical activity as a whole is a relatively young phenomenon. He states that our ancestors, who were hunter-gatherers or farmers, “did not come up with the idea of running or walking several kilometers just to be healthy.” After all, the human body uses about 63% of the available energy for basic needs/resting metabolism.
Disclaimer: We at MeinMMO are not health experts. If you want to lead a healthier lifestyle, you can consult your doctor or health insurance. From March 25 to April 3, 2025, you can also participate in the Digital Health Days of the Techniker Krankenkasse.
The life of hunter-gatherers prevents humans from wasting calories on voluntary physical activities.
Lieberman explains that our ancestors likely spent a lot of time sitting or lying down – according to his estimate, about 5-10 hours a day. They thus conserved energy needed for strenuous physical activities. Because the human body also consumes a lot of energy without physical activity, for example, through the highly active human brain and the unique reproductive strategy.
The difference to hunter-gatherers: Lieberman makes it clear in the book that our Western lifestyle differs greatly from that of hunter-gatherers. While hunter-gatherers are physically active only a few hours a day, they perform countless vital tasks according to Lieberman.
Furthermore, our ancestors did not sit on comfortable chairs with backrests. Instead, they sat on the ground, knelt, or squatted. Especially in a squat, the body is physically engaged – unlike sitting in a chair with a backrest.
If you sit a lot, Lieberman advises to sit actively more often – meaning to change your sitting position regularly and to move, occasionally stand up, and not sit for hours on end.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The great appeal of MMORPGs lies in the number of players. The worlds of our favorite MMOs come alive and become unique because of this. MeinMMO has presented you with the 15 largest MMORPGs with the most players worldwide in a video.
How were the MMORPGs selected? The MMOs in our video were chosen based on certain criteria. The most important fact is the highest player count of all time for MMORPGs.
An active community and content updates from the developers are also important. Furthermore, the player count should be at least four million. We obtain the numbers from the official sources of the developers.
What will you learn about the MMORPGs? In addition to the player counts, our video producer Lynn England will provide you with more exciting information about the MMORPGs in the video. She will show you clips from the gameplay and trailers and give a short overview of the respective gaming worlds.
Each MMORPG has its own focus. Final Fantasy XIV and World of Warcraft emphasize epic stories and dangerous raids, while Runescape offers a huge open sandbox world.
Are you more of a fantasy or science fiction fan? Is graphics important to you, or is good gameplay with a lovely pixel look enough? Our list surely has an interesting and large MMORPG for each of you.
Do you know of any other MMORPGs with millions of players? Then feel free to leave a comment under the video.
Have you become more eager for MMORPGs after watching our video and don’t know which one to play next? MeinMMO has created a list of the highest-rated MMORPGs in March on Steam: The 10 MMORPGs on Steam with the best ratings in March 2025
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Anime Solo Leveling has now become one of the most popular in the world. The story based on MMORPGs is so exciting that 60 million players are playing it.
Which anime is it about? Solo Leveling is, based on the number of ratings on Crunchyroll, the most-watched anime on the platform. Recently, it achieved the first place, dethroning One Piece.
The anime takes place in a world where mysterious gates suddenly appear, leading to dangerous dungeons filled with monsters. People with special powers, known as hunters, fight the creatures to protect humanity and earn money.
Here you can watch the trailer for Solo Leveling:
Start video
Solo Leveling Trailer
The game based on the anime is really popular
What kind of game is it? While the anime itself is inspired by MMORPGs, the story is based on a Manhwa, a South Korean comic series. However, now you don’t have to read or watch it but can simply play it yourself.
The mobile game Solo Leveling: Arise is also based on the Manhwa and has seen growing player numbers since its release in mid-last year. In the game, you fight against monsters in the dungeons, level up, and become increasingly stronger, earning rewards along the way.
The game also features the same boss encounters as in the Manhwa as well as in the anime. The parallels between the three editions are often almost identical, allowing players to experience the exciting story that has made the anime the most popular on Crunchyroll in various ways.
How popular is the game? Not only the anime is breaking records, but also the game based on the story. Solo Leveling: Arise has now surpassed the mark of 60 million players worldwide (via netmarble.com). This year, the game is also set to release on Steam, which will likely further increase the player numbers.
MMORPGs and animes fascinate many players. It is not surprising that the combination of both is now at the top of popularity. Instead of an MMORPG anime, the developers of Blue Protocol attempted to create an anime MMORPG and have spectacularly failed: Ambitious anime MMORPG fails, global release is canceled
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Many fans of World of Warcraft are currently frustrated. It lags and there are connection drops. People are demanding free playtime – but that is rather unlikely.
If you look at the US realms of World of Warcraft right now, there has been a lot of frustration for a while. Because large lags and repeated connection drops are currently the norm there. The problems are so severe that the guild “OnlyFangs” from WoW Hardcore has already been forced to give up – the project has been declared finished.
Due to the outages, many are now looking for compensation and mention that the “old Blizzard” always provided free playtime during server outages.
Start video
For the 20th Birthday, Blizzard Speaks About ‘WoW 2’ and What We Think About It
Which servers are affected? Mainly, the attacks concern the US realms. Due to the structure, an attack affects the servers of all WoW versions – meaning both The War Within as well as Classic and Season of Discovery. Players have been suffering from lags and connection drops here for days, which can have deadly consequences, especially on the hardcore realms – namely the permanent loss of a character.
What is the community demanding? In the WoW subreddit, several posts are making the rounds, requesting compensation from Blizzard. Especially a listing of playtime from the year 2005 – the early days of World of Warcraft – should show how often WoW simply distributed one or two days of free compensation to everyone when the server maintenance didn’t run smoothly:
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Reddit that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
The saying “Never play on patch day” originates from this time, because back then the game was often only playable in a limited way or not at all for the entire day.
The demand: Blizzard should also distribute free playtime again now.
Why isn’t Blizzard doing this now? There are several reasons for that. On the one hand, Blizzard has been much stingier in recent years when it comes to free playtime or “compensations”. On the other hand, this is also a completely different incident.
In the past, Blizzard was responsible for the long outages themselves – maintenance took longer, a patch was faulty during installation, or similar issues. Such occurrences have become significantly rarer.
The current incident clearly comes from the outside and Blizzard can do little to counter it. DDoS attacks are (comparatively) easy to carry out and hard to block, even tech giants like Microsoft occasionally buckle for several hours.
At the same time, it would also send a strange signal if Blizzard compensated for the incidents with free playtime now. Because then there would essentially be a “reward” for the DDoS attacks, which could only be an additional incentive in the future to “force” even more free play days for all players.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The last Pokémon GO Spotlight Hour in March is coming. It features Wommel! And what else?
What kind of event is this? During the Spotlight Hour, you have exactly 60 minutes every Tuesday to catch numerous specimens of a specific Pokémon. This Pokémon will be in the spotlight for this hour.
On top of that, there’s always an extra bonus that is meant to make the hour even more exciting.
Which Pokémon will be in the spotlight on March 25? On March 25, a Fairy and Bug-type Pokémon awaits you: Wommel is the Pokémon of the day. It originates from the games “Sun and Moon.” Its evolution is called Bandelby, and there is currently no third evolution.
We will list all contents and bonuses of the event here for you.
Start video
Pokémon GO: What’s in the new Season Powerful and Masterful
Spotlight Hour on March 25 – Start and Bonuses
When does the Spotlight Hour start? As always, at 6:00 PM. It ends at 7:00 PM.
What bonus is there? During the Spotlight Hour, you will receive double XP for each Pokémon caught. This applies not only to Wommel but also to all other monsters – even those from raids. So if you need XP for leveling up, this is a great opportunity. A Lucky Egg doubles the XP again if you have one and activate it.
Are there Shiny Wommel? Yes, the shiny variant of Wommel is catchable. However, keep in mind that the shiny rate is not increased during the event. Still, there will be many Wommel around, so maybe you’ll get lucky.
Is the Spotlight Hour worth it? Definitely for XP, and anyone who needs Wommel candy for evolution will also find it worthwhile. In terms of Wommel’s and Bandelby’s combat strength: Both are rather negligible, both in PvP and in gyms or raids. Don’t expect strong fighters here. Thus, the Spotlight Hour is more for collectors.
What happens after that? After the Spotlight Hour, the remaining events in March will continue. However, the month is not long anymore, so there are only a few dates left on the agenda – such as the raid hour with Heatran or the return of the Bug Catching Contest. You can find the complete overview as always here: All events in March 2025 for Pokémon GO.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Gandalf and Dumbledore are two of the most powerful wizards in their respective worlds. But what would happen if the two left their books and movies and met? We clarify who would leave as the winner in a duel.
Attention Spoiler: We disclose smaller details about the two wizards and their respective stories in the article.
Their names are widely known. Friends hope for support from one of them, their enemies fear them. Although Gandalf and Dumbledore exist in different universes, they are united in that they are both very powerful wizards. They were even supposed to be played by the same actor.
Gandalf, on the other hand, is a very old and wise wizard who first leads the Fellowship through Middle-earth and then a massive army into battle against Sauron and his minions.
If the two wizards were to meet as opponents, it would likely result in quite a spectacular duel. We will have Gandalf and Dumbledore compete against each other in 5 categories. Whoever wins the category receives a point. The wizard with the most points will be crowned the winner.
[toc]
Start video
Epic Trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship
1st Category: Experience
Before we look at the wizards’ abilities, we begin with their experience, which should not be underestimated. Someone who has lived long and fought many battles is more skilled in dueling.
When comparing the ages of the two wizards, a clear picture emerges: Dumbledore is about 115 years old at the time of Harry Potter. That is quite remarkable. Over the years, Dumbledore has fought many battles and even defeated the most powerful wizards like Grindelwald.
Gandalf, however, clearly has the upper hand in this category. He is even older than the planet Arda, where Middle-earth is located – approximately 55,000 years old. However, in his known physical form, he has “only” been wandering Middle-earth for about 2,000 years. Nevertheless, it is safe to say that Gandalf has significantly more experience and has encountered creatures that Dumbledore can only dream about at night. The point goes to: Gandalf
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Monster Hunter Wilds there is a true flood of endemic creatures. Some of them you also need to catch as part of side quests. One of them is the Megawatt Snail. We will show you where to find it and how to catch it.
For which side quest do I need the Megawatt Snail? The quest that requires you to get the Megawatt Snail is called “Dareel’s Special Research Report” and is part of a side quest series where you are to find and catch several endemic creatures for the research unit.
In this quest, you are to find a mutated variant of the Kilowatt Snail for Dareel at the Windebene base camp – the Megawatt Snail (engl. Gillopod). We will show you where you can find it and how to distinguish it from the Kilowatt Snail.
Update from January 28, 2026: We have structurally adjusted the article and refined the descriptions.
Start video
Monster Hunter Wilds: How to make menu navigation significantly easier
Finding and Catching Megawatt Snail – Here’s How
Where do I find and catch the Megawatt Snail? You can find the Megawatt Snail in Area 8 in Wyveria.
You can find it in this vicinity on the map:
Locations on the map
It hangs like its relatives, the Kilowatt Snail, on the wall and does not initially look like a classical snail:
Location of Megawatt Snail and Kilowatt Snails
In focus, you see the Megawatt Snail, next to its non-mutated counterparts. The Megawatt Snail is larger and bluish, so you should be able to recognize it well.
Once you have found it, simply equip your catching net, aim somewhat accurately, and the sought-after creature will end up in your net, allowing you to complete the quest with Dareel in the Windebene.
A 40-year-old user from the Reddit forum shows that it’s never too late to start watching animes. He revealed that he started with a movie that is almost as old as he is.
Which anime did he discover his love for? The user writes that he has just turned 40 years old, but he came into contact with animes for the first time (via Reddit). Although he knows well-known series like Attack on Titan, he never expected that watching films and series from Japan would be enjoyable for him.
The anime newcomer is said to have read an article about the influence of Akira on cinema. MeinMMO also reported on this. As a big film fan, he decided to watch the anime and was overwhelmed.
The anime classic is indeed much darker than he expected from animes. The user is said to have fallen in love with the Neo-Tokyo and cyberpunk style of the film. This is especially funny since the anime is almost as old as the user himself.
You can view the impressive style of Akira here:
Start video
Akira: Trailer shows the groundbreaking animation techniques
Watching your first anime at 40
What other animes has he discovered? After Akira awakened his love for animes, he started looking for more series. After watching a few trailers, Hell’s Paradise caught his eye. Both the animations and the story convinced him so much that the anime became his favorite.
On the other hand, Attack on Titan didn’t convince him as much. While he likes the action sequences and the story, he doesn’t enjoy the slow narrative pace and the repetition of certain story elements.
Therefore, he asks the Reddit forum which animes are worth watching. He prefers older and darker themes. As examples, he mentions Solo Leveling and Chainsaw Man. And the anime community wouldn’t be the anime community if they didn’t come up with more tips.
Which animes does the community recommend? Anime fans think of many other series that are in a similar direction as Akira. These include Neon Genesis Evangelion, Ghost in the Shell, Cowboy Bebop, or Cyberpunk Edgerunners.
A fan encourages the thread creator not to give up on Attack on Titan just yet. He should continue watching it, or else he would miss one of the best animes in storytelling. Other tips that other users provide are Parasyte, Monster, and Vinland Saga.
The 40-year-old stated that he created a list of all the animes he liked after all the tips. To narrow down his selection, he first watched the trailers to filter out which animes interest him.
The streamer guild OnlyFangs from the hardcore variant of WoW Classic announces its end after several fatal wipes in the Blackwing Lair. For months, it had almost single-handedly contributed to World of Warcraft becoming one of the most popular games on Twitch again.
Last weekend, for example, there were again attacks, causing high latency and connection problems (via X), not only in the modern version of WoW but also in the Classic worlds – including Hardcore.
The well-known streamer guild OnlyFangs was also affected, as they were currently trying to defeat the bosses of the Blackwing Lair with their raid. For experienced players, these bosses are usually manageable. However, when there are constant lags and disconnects, players quickly find themselves hit by an immediately lethal mechanic – and the DDoS attacks have claimed many victims among the hardcore guild.
What are DDoS attacks, anyway? In a DDoS attack, an online service like a website or a game is artificially bombarded with countless requests in a short period of time. As a result, the server becomes overloaded while trying to process the massive amounts of data. It starts to slow down, eventually collapses entirely, leading to the failure of the corresponding service.
This video shows how quickly entire guilds can perish in WoW Classic Hardcore:
Start video
WoW: Guild loses 30 characters on a hardcore server – And it wasn’t even a boss fight
Trolls frighten Horde guild out of Azeroth
How does OnlyFangs react to this? On Discord, the well-known streamer and YouTuber Sodapoppin (via Reddit) explains that due to the constant DDoS attacks, it is currently impossible to play properly on the hardcore servers of WoW Classic. He requested Blizzard to reset the servers to recover the lost characters. However, he is not very optimistic about this.
Furthermore, Sodapoppin explains that while there are still members of OnlyFangs who could play, he wouldn’t feel good about sending them off for the mandatory, time-consuming preparations (for world buffs, potions, etc.) when there could be deadly lags and disconnects at any moment that would undermine all that effort.
As it stands now, the streamer announces that the OnlyFangs project is over and that all remaining members are free to look for a new guild. It’s a terrible ending, but unfortunately, it is the ending they now have to live with.
How does the community react? The related Reddit post has now received over 4,300 upvotes and more than 800 comments.
Sterzin expresses frustration on Reddit: “The hardcore server has been in a death spiral since the start of the DDoS attacks, this was pretty much the last straw. Now, I’m really pissed off…”
modern_Odysseus writes on Reddit: “Now anyone responsible for the DDoS attacks can just carry them out randomly whenever they get bored and do so completely unpunished. The scum got what they wanted. Now they know they have all the power. Great.”
siderealsystem explains on Reddit: “Things like this are why I would never create a character in Hardcore.”
What do I need to know about OnlyFangs? The guild of WoW Classic included or included several well-known streamers and YouTubers such as Sodapoppin, but also Tyler1, Mizkif, PirateSoftware, TimTheTatman, or Jaythebard, who naturally mobilized their respective communities. The hardcore factor – if the character ends up with the spirit healer, it’s gone forever – added extra flavor.
Furthermore, the community imposed a set of rules on itself and engaged in role-playing with their characters. There were also recurring major personal dramas in the context of OnlyFangs – like in a big daily soap. All of this combined to make World of Warcraft extremely popular on Twitch again thanks to OnlyFangs.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Looks like Fallout, smells like Stalker, but ultimately tastes quite different. The new action game Atomfall has positively surprised MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus and, despite its rather short playtime, has caused him to (once again) oversleep for work.
If a game grabs me, I am reluctant to put it aside – especially when it becomes clear that I will soon be finished. It’s no secret that I’m willing to sacrifice sleep for that, I almost missed work with Remnant 2 back in the day.
Now the British indie studio Rebellion has invited us to test Atomfall before its release. I had already played the game at gamescom 2024, and now I got to play the full release version.
As a die-hard Fallout fan, a nuclear post-apocalypse in North England sounds like the game I absolutely want to play. I did not expect that Atomfall would ultimately be quite different.
Gameplay trailer for Atomfall shows you how to survive in idyllic England
Trapped with Angry Scots and Aggressive Hippies
Regarding the premise: Atomfall takes place in North England in the 1960s. The real near-super meltdown at the Windscale nuclear power plant serves as the backdrop. Here, Atomfall explores alternative and somewhat bizarre events.
At first, this sounds like Fallout. And indeed there are some parallels: strange “mutations” (that aren’t really mutations), different factions, and the human attempt to regain some structure after a war. Even a strange cult that embraces the consequences of the catastrophe hides in the woods.
However, Atomfall locks you in a quarantine area, similar to the ancient RPG Gothic – and you must find a way to escape. Even in the first few minutes, the action game shows what sets it apart from its obvious relatives in the wasteland:
Red telephone booths and cricket instead of baseball bats clearly indicate where Atomfall takes place.
Fully voiced NPCs have a clear British, often even Scottish accent – a nice detail for the atmosphere.
The fictional timeline is not as far removed as in Fallout; World War II is still very much in the minds of the people in Atomfall, and they often talk about it.
Weapons are very rustic: no cool mods, simple sights, no huge Hollywood clips – and ammunition is rare!
Atomfall does not indulge in silly humor and exaggerated depictions; it stays grounded – more like Stalker. There are still some oddities, like the skeleton of Mr. Bean with his armchair on his Mini. However, the differences are much greater.
Somehow, Teddy is missing.Which judge forgot his helmet here?Apparently, we are in Great Britain.One of the major works by H.G. Wells.You can’t completely avoid bizarre stuff.
Atomfall does everything differently than related RPGs
You may have noticed that I don’t label Atomfall as an RPG, and there’s a good reason for that. There is no character creation and even leveling up works differently. More precisely: it doesn’t work at all.
Instead of leveling up, you’ll find skill points in the world and can choose from a total of 36 skills, some of which you need to discover first. There are also no quests. NPCs do give you tasks and tell you roughly where you might find something, but you always have to figure out for yourself where you have something to do.
The “hints” help you solve puzzles and replace the quest log. Instead, the focus is on exploration. If a place looks interesting, it usually is, and it’s worth sniffing around a bit.
A nice mechanic here is the treasure hunt. Once you have a metal detector, it occasionally beeps, indicating that something is buried nearby. Although it’s just a small minigame, it creates brief moments of happiness and lightens up the exploration.
If you want to know what’s going on, you have to ask
What kept me playing Atomfall for hours, partly skipping other gaming dates and writing this text here with just 4 hours of sleep, is the story.
You wake up with no memory and first have to figure out what happened. A strange voice on the phone only makes you understand even less, and if you want to know what’s going on in the world, you need to – quite uncharacteristically for true basement dwellers – talk to people and hope that they respond.
Because not every NPC wants to talk to you or reacts positively to your dialogue choices. You only receive important information, clues, and background about the story by talking to NPCs or finding documents in the world.
Important: Every NPC can be killed. So if you accidentally punch someone and they fight back, you might end up having beef with an important quest NPC. In principle, you can wipe out the entire quarantine zone and still finish the game; Atomfall gives you a lot of freedom here.
With not even 20 hours, Atomfall has a very lean content structure, which still does not feel too short. On the contrary: there are a few tasks for which I had to walk around the world repeatedly. It was just on the edge; more of that would have led to boredom.
Depending on your decisions, you will end up with one of six different endings with different outcomes. How the game ends depends on who you are on good terms with, who survives which encounters, and who you want to support.
Through save games, I was able to see at least four of the endings, which, however, partly played out in the same way because my gameplay up to that point had remained the same. One ending stands out.
Warning, you are reading information about the ending of Atomfall with details that you only learn very late in the game
Oberon, whom you are supposed to destroy, as a voice on the phone tells you, speaks to a group of somewhat crazy druids. If you choose to help this group, you must ultimately sacrifice yourself – and damn the world to perish. Quite literally, as Oberon wants nature to reign again, not humanity itself. I won’t reveal who or what Oberon is, but whether there will really be a “natural” order at the end, I doubt… That ending was the best so far, I think.
It’s probably worth at least taking a second look and making different choices. Looking at the achievements on Steam, I found some things I’ve missed that I want to catch up on – including an ending that I didn’t realize could be possible while playing.
Atomfall is set to be released on March 27 on Steam, PS5, and Xbox. With a price of 50 euros, the game sets a somewhat high price for the playtime, but I still enjoyed it. Those who purchase the deluxe edition for 80 euros can start playing from March 24.
The cooperative shooter Helldivers 2 delights many fans with cinematic experiences battling hordes of enemies. However, the success recipe of the shooter originated years before its development.
How successful is Helldivers 2? Helldivers 2 remains one of the most popular shooters on Steam more than a year after its release. At peak times, over 75,000 players log in simultaneously on Steam (via SteamDB).
For Arrowhead Game Studios, Helldivers 2 represents a major breakthrough and the biggest success to date. However, the foundation for this success and the chaotic, unpredictable moments of gameplay was laid much earlier. It all began with a flying rock.
The newest faction in Helldivers 2 has transformed the game:
Start video
Helldivers 2 reveals the new enemy faction in the trailer for ‘Omens of Tyranny’
What’s the deal with the rock? Johan Pilestedt, CCO and former CEO of Arrowhead Game Studios, was responsible for the development of Helldivers 2 for many years. However, before his team even thought about Helldivers, they were working on Magicka, a cooperative spell adventure where players could experiment with different elements and spells.
As he recounts at the Game Developers Conference, he talked during the development of Magicka with Chief Technology Officer Anton Stenmark about physics interactions in the game. During this conversation, Pilestedt expressed an idea:
If I shoot a large rock at an enemy and it doesn’t kill them, we need to do something with the rock; we can’t just make it disappear. Can we bounce it off into the air or something?
Stenmark was skeptical and replied: “It’s just a single physical projectile that lands somewhere and never hits anything.” But Pilestedt didn’t back down: “But maybe in one out of 100 million. That’s okay.” So Stenmark implemented the idea.
During an internal playtest, a tester then fired a rock at an enemy. The rock bounced off, flew through the air, and landed right on the player’s head, who was frantically trying to run away. The impact crushed him in a “blood cascade.”
At that moment, Pilestedt knew: “This works. I believe we will be rich one day.” However, that moment was not only amusing; it fundamentally changed the studio’s philosophy. Pilestedt convinced the team that an “It could happen” approach to game design can have an incredibly strong effect.
How has this affected Helldivers 2? This design philosophy can be seen everywhere in Helldivers 2 today. Every airstrike, every grenade, and every enemy missile can trigger something completely unexpected, leading to chaotic, fun, or memorable moments.
As for the use of mods for Monster Hunter Wilds, Capcom seemingly follows a liberal policy. But there is a limit that you apparently must not cross!
What is that limit? Reports are currently circulating online that the accounts of various players in Monster Hunter Wilds have reportedly been permanently banned due to the use of mods (for example via 80.lv). A restoration is said to be impossible.
What the banned players apparently have in common: They used a modification that allows players to unlock paid DLC content without purchasing it. They did not only adjust their gaming experience, but also seemingly reached into Capcom’s pockets – thus apparently crossing a clear line.
Even without mods, Monster Hunter Wilds is relatively beginner-friendly:
What is Capcom’s official stance on mods? In the terms of service for Monster Hunter Wilds (via monsterhunter.com), it is officially stated:
“Violations of Capcom’s intellectual property rights, for example, through reproduction (except for reproduction for the purpose of program installation), modification, alteration, translation, analysis, reverse engineering, or extraction of code from the entire program or any part thereof” are listed as prohibited behaviors.
However, during the PC version of Monster Hunter World, Capcom officials turned a blind eye when it came to the use of mods to adjust one’s gaming experience. Monster Hunter Wilds also functions without an anti-cheat program, which allows numerous fan mods to be used without any issues.
Uncertainty Prevails
On various community platforms like Steam and others, the same question keeps arising: Are mods allowed? Discussions about the recent bans (via Reddit) show that there are very different views and answers as well as many more questions on the topic.
Appropriate-Tap-4577 writes on Reddit: “Capcom may have been lenient towards modders in recent years, but that was mainly because most mods were local and only improved quality of life. However, for mods that may affect other players, or cheats to unlock content behind a paywall, I think it is very reasonable to be banned.”
Aquaria_Darling wonders on Reddit: “Are people affected who join modified quests?”
LemonSlushieee is uncertain (via Reddit): “What about simple QoL mods, like the Artian skins?”
X-Dragon2255 wants to know on Reddit: “So if I use a mod to bypass the voucher for character changes, because I think it’s dumb that I have to pay for that in a single-player game, will it have consequences for me?”
As the current reports within the community are causing visible uncertainty, MeinMMO has asked Capcom for an official statement on the topic of mods. Once this is received, we will update this message for you.
What to do until then? Due to the above-quoted passage from the terms of service, Capcom has always had leverage to act against the use of modifications. However, the more than 700 mods on nexusmods.com for Monster Hunter Wilds and the sometimes hundreds of thousands of downloads per mod show that Capcom generally turns a blind eye when it comes to the subject of mods.
That this liberal policy ceases to apply as soon as players cheat their way into obtaining paid content without purchase is understandable. Those who are unsure about the use of regular mods should avoid them for the time being or only use them in solo hunts. The latter applies especially if your adjustments also affect the gaming experience of your fellow players: Early cheaters are sabotaging the fun of playing Monster Hunter Wilds in co-op
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
With more than 850 million players, Dungeon Fighter Online is the largest MMORPG in the world. Now, the 20-year-old game from developer Neople has received a comprehensive expansion that has fans buzzing with excitement.
What kind of expansion is this? The content package named “Sunken Depths” marks the beginning of Act 1 of Season 9 and comes with the following highlight features for Dungeon Fighter Online:
The maximum level increases from 110 to 115
New world with fresh regions
Continuation of the main campaign
Introduction of multiple new dungeons for various difficulty levels / modes such as Advanced, Normal, Special, and Hell Party
New progression and farming system for the new meta
Introduction of an equipment simulator
New tool for quick and easy assessment and adjustment of equipment
Improvements for combat (Neutralize and Counter systems have been revised, a new Ignite system added)
Comprehensive improvements for the User Interface (such as regarding displaying status effects, enemy health bars, or dungeon evaluations)
In summary, fans of the MMORPG can expect the largest content update in years. You can find the full patch notes on dfoneople.com. Note that various events are running at the launch of the expansion, through which you can reach level 110 immediately (via Steam).
The trailer for the launch of Season 9 in Dungeon Fighter Online:
Start video
Dungeon Fighter Online: Sunken Depths – Trailer for Season 9 Introduces a New Era for the MMORPG
A fan even puts aside Monster Hunter Wilds (temporarily)
How are fans reacting to the update? Under the trailer for the new update, some fans of the MMORPG have gathered who are really looking forward to Season 9.
aokoyarareta celebrates on YouTube: “THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA! LET’S GET STARTED!!!”
DemonBearTV is also looking forward to YouTube: “The new equipment system, the QoL changes, the level-up events, the whole new season looks so great! Please keep it up! I can’t wait to see more results from the ‘solo player-friendly’ aspect you’re aiming for!”
xSS4x is clearing time to play (via YouTube): “I’m busy with Monster Hunter Wilds, but I will find some time to get back into DFO with everything that’s coming out!”
Whether the new expansion can change the “balanced” rating on Steam is uncertain. Since the release of the update, there have only been four new reviews (one negative, three positive), which also lack a meaningful text.
What do I need to know about Dungeon Fighter Online? The game from developer and publisher Neople mixes classic 2D action from brawlers like Double Dragon with MMORPG elements and a – according to the developers’ promise – epic storyline. You can choose from dozens of different classes and slash through hordes of enemies with screen-filling effects into oblivion.
The 20-year-old online brawler has always been extremely popular, especially in the Asian market. By 2023, the franchise is expected to have generated over 22 billion U.S. dollars. And in our list of MMORPGs with the most players according to official developer numbers, Dungeon Fighter Online is right at the top.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The new set A3a is set to appear for Pokémon TCG Pocket. We summarize all known information.
Update on May 19, 2025: The article has been updated.
What is the new set? The new set A3a is scheduled to be released on May 29, 2025. It is a mini-set from A3 Guardians of the Galaxy that has its own unique cards. The name of the mini-set is currently unknown.
So far, there is not much information about the set. Dataminers have at least discovered that the Ultra Beasts will appear with the mini-set. These are mysterious Pokémon that first appeared in Sun and Moon.
The Ultra Beasts possess immense strength and are more aggressive than normal Pokémon, which is why they are considered a danger by the inhabitants of the Pokémon world. So far, 11 Ultra Beasts are known.
Start video
Pokémon TCG Pocket introduces new cards from the Guardian of the Firmament expansion
The current set at a glance: Guardians of the Galaxy
What is the name of the current set? The current new set in Pokémon TCG Pocket is called “Guardians of the Galaxy” and is its own main expansion. The stars of the sets are Solgaleo and Lunala from the Alola region.
There are a total of 239 cards in the set. Among them are many pocket monsters from Pokémon Sun & Moon. A special item is the rare candy, as it can skip whole evolution stages.
When was the set released? The set A3 has been available since April 30, 2025.
The card collection in Pokémon TCG Pocket continues to grow
When will the next larger set come? It is not yet known how many mini-sets there will be for the current set A3. There was only one additional mini-set for A1, while A2 had two entire mini-sets. It may take several months for the next major set A4 to arrive.
If A3a remains the only mini-set, the set A4 could possibly be released as early as the end of June 2025. However, there are still too few details and leaks to confirm this prediction.
With each new expansion, the meta of Pokémon TCG Pocket gets shaken up. To give you an up-to-date overview of the best options for your decks, we’ve compiled a list with the tier list of the mobile game for you: The best meta decks in Pokémon TCG Pocket in the tier list.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
It is actually clear that companies consider their representation in the form of names and logos. However, a player shares a surprisingly insightful realization on Reddit that the logo of the gaming platform Steam actually makes sense. Yet, hundreds chime in with hints that should astonish him even more.
What does the Steam logo show? Although the logo was slightly refreshed in August 2014, the core of the image has remained the same for over 20 years: a piston rod that resembles the mechanism of a steam engine.
The author of a Reddit post shares within the Steam community that he has finally recognized the origin of the Steam logo. He posts a photo showing the mechanism from the logo on a steam boiler.
The community responds with over 14,000 upvotes, but also with the note: “Wait until you hear about the Valve logo.” (adamhandon via Reddit)
Here you see the trailer for Metal Eden, whose demo will be released on Steam.
Start video
Metal Eden: The new sci-fi shooter on Steam and PS5 gets a free demo
Valve itself is known to represent itself either with a logo of its name or fittingly with a red valve (the German word for Valve), which is located on the back of a man’s head. The community also provided more exciting details on Reddit:
When Valve finally released the gaming platform Steam in 2003, its naming stemmed from a play on words. Because “Valve releases Steam” is correct in a double sense and remains easy to remember.
Why the steam engine mechanism? The choice for the Steam logo naturally stemmed from the name, but also in a further metaphorical sense. The interconnected piston system of a steam engine evokes thoughts of connectivity and flow, which the gaming platform was also meant to create.
The logo is quite simple, with a light-dark contrast that has been recognized by players worldwide for many years. As mentioned in the Reddit post, it has even become so much that the connection to the steam engine mechanism has faded into the background, and the logo is now directly associated with PC gaming instead.
The 14,000 upvotes at least show that the player is most likely not the only one who has only now realized this insight.
What will Steam be like in 2025? On March 13, Valve released the annual review for 2024 on Steam, which includes many data and statistics from the past year. Valve wanted to know, among other things, how many players have remained loyal to the platform since 2023 and what their total playtime is. You can read about that and more results in this article: According to Valve, new players spent 16,000 years on Steam in 2023
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Even after 16 years, Minecraft still has a clear purchase price. This price is upheld, and they are convinced of it, as the deal is unbeatable.
When looking at the gaming industry in recent years, there have been many changes. Full-price titles are becoming rarer, and large online games often rely on a free-to-play model, where various premium content can be purchased in addition – with the possibility of spending significantly more money than one would have on other games.
However, there is one game that has maintained its original pricing policy even after 16 years: Minecraft. The developers even boast about it and say: “This is the best deal in the world.”
Start video
Minecraft shows in the video how the graphics of the game will improve
What was said? In an interview with IGN, Ingela Garneij (Executive Producer for Minecraft Vanilla) was asked why Minecraft sticks to a “Buy to Play” model and does not follow other games. She said:
Yes, the way we created the game, that doesn’t really work for us. I mean, we created the game for a different purpose. Such monetization doesn’t work for us. There is a purchase of the game, and that’s it.
It is important for us that our game is accessible to as many people as possible. Therefore, I think one of our core values is that it should be available to everyone. That’s the best deal in the world.
What is the truth behind the statement? Although this statement is certainly a bit exaggerated, the truth cannot be denied. For the 20 € to 30 €, which one paid for Minecraft at purchase, one received a lot of content. Those who compare the game with the content from 16 years ago will find few parallels left. Not only have there been completely new dimension layers, but also numerous new mechanics, hundreds of new blocks and NPCs.
If you look around a bit, you will find many players who have spent several thousand hours in Minecraft – for them, it must have truly been one of the “best deals in the world.”
Additionally, it seems that Minecraft is far from finished. The game is constantly being developed. Even if you often have to wait several months for updates, there are always new features and improvements – such as a huge graphics update or soon the ability to travel on flying mounts.
Minecraft will likely go down in history as one of the most successful video games of all time – and one that has remained relatively consistent in its pricing over nearly two decades, despite having new patches and improvements every year.
What is your opinion on Minecraft and its pricing? Is 30 € a fair price for the amount of gameplay you received? Or are those at Mojang “just crazy” for not getting significantly more money out of Minecraft?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Every year in March, there is the fundraising campaign “March with Heart,” which collects donations for children with cancer. The Twitch streamer Metashi12 is the organizer of the call and receives support from his streaming colleagues.
Who is it about? The Twitch streamer Metashi12 has been regularly streaming on Twitch since 2016 and has been running the fundraising campaign March with Heart for five years. He is best known for World of Warcraft but also plays a lot of League of Legends or Elden Ring (via sullygnome).
For five years, he has been organizing the fundraising campaign March with Heart every year.
The Twitch streamer NoWay has also participated in the fundraising campaign. We introduce him to you in the video:
Start video
Former German LoL Pro is Now One of the Most Successful Twitch Streamers – This is NoWay
March with Heart breaks 1 million euros
What kind of fundraising campaign is this? Every year, since 2020, Metashi teams up with other Twitch streamers, and they collectively raise money for a good cause through donations in their streams. The proceeds go to the German Cancer Aid and their foundation, German Children’s Cancer Aid, which supports children and adolescents with cancer in their fight against the disease.
This year, the following Twitch streamers helped:
NoWay4u
Dhalucard
HandOfBlood
acid_fired
Sintica
PietSmiet
Shlorox
BastGHG
Juliversal
Readyx
Ronny Berger
Zarbex
KDRkitten
MinusElf
What kind of milestone is this? This year, the 1-million mark was reached. Over the past five years, a total of 1 million euros in donations has been raised.
This year, the goal was set at 252,000 euros to reach the seven-figure amount. This goal has already been achieved, even though the fundraising campaign runs until March 31, 2025. The current donation total is 256,236.07 euros.
It remains to be seen how much more money can be raised by the Twitch streamers.
The Chinese influencer Zhang Genyuan (25) studied economics in New York and became known in China through a dating show. He has now rented an advanced robot for about €1,300 and went on a date with it. The video is going viral on the Chinese version of TikTok, RedNote.
The title image is from RedNote, via SMCP
What kind of robot is this? The G1 is one of the most advanced humanoid robots in China.
The robot comes from the company Unitree, which is actually known for four-legged robots, especially robot dogs. In 2022, the company had to deny rumors that their robot dogs were being used by the Russian military.
There have also been rumors about these robots that one was spotted in Cambodia with an automatic weapon on its back. But Unitree says: That is not planned.
Start video
A chronically ill man reports how gaming helped him through the worst year of his life
Influencer spends a day like in a sci-fi movie
This is what the influencer did with the robot: Zhang rented the approximately 1.27 m tall and 35 kg heavy robot for one day on March 13. It cost him about €1,400. It was said that he got the idea from sci-fi movies in which humans live with robots.
In a video titled “My Day with the Robot”, viewers saw how he woke the robot up. It was lying on the floor, then stood up and greeted the influencer: “Hello, Mr. Zhang, nice to meet you.”
When asked if the robot knew who the influencer was, the robot obediently listed the influencer’s achievements and the number of his followers. Zhang was impressed: The robot hadn’t even started to serve him and was already flattering him.
This is how the date with the robot went: According to the South China Morning Post , the robot performed as a partner in a mixed way.
It is said that in the robot’s attempt to cook, it clumsily cracked some eggs and spilled milk. When trying to clean up the milk, the G1 often bumped into Zhang.
As the two walked hand in hand down the street, the robot avoided obstacles. However, when trying to dance with the robot, it lost control but at least apologized for it.
This is what Zhang said after the date: They ordered 2 drinks and let the evening wind down. The robot apologized to Zhang for its shortcomings.
And Zhang said: “I will no longer need a girlfriend to provide me with emotional value.” The robot makes him feel no loneliness anymore.
At the end of the video, Zhang told the robot: I will miss you when I return you tomorrow. The video quickly received 40,000 likes. In the comments about the video, it was said:
The robot seems like a really good listener, even though it still has room for improvement as a housekeeper.
But one user on RedNote is also envious of the robot: “$1,400 for one day? Mr. Zhang, rent me instead: I only need $110 a day. I can cook, clean up, and even help the kids with their homework.”
