Counter-Strike 2 earns millions annually with loot boxes, but a US state is now suing Valve and Steam for it

Niko Hernes Niko Hernes Reading time 2 minutes

Loot boxes are a controversial topic in gaming. Valve is also regularly criticized for its approach to weapon skins in Counter-Strike 2. Now, the state of New York is taking action against this. The Attorney General is suing the Steam developer.

What is this lawsuit about? As the state of New York announced on February 25, 2026, Steam developer Valve is being sued by Attorney General Letitia James. This is the highest position in the legal system of the state.

In the lawsuit, the state aims to take action against the loot box feature in Valve’s games like Counter-Strike, Team Fortress, or Dota. The state accuses Valve of violating New York’s gambling laws with loot boxes.

Start video
The official trailer for DotA 2 by Valve on Steam

Protecting youth from loot boxes

What does the Attorney General say about loot boxes? The lawsuit describes that the Attorney General’s office conducted investigations into Valve’s games (Counter-Strike 2, Team Fortress 2, and Dota 2). They compare the mechanics to gambling since one can sell virtual items without in-game functionality online for a lot of money. They mention a skin that was sold for over 1 million US dollars (about 848,000 Euros) (source: Kotaku). We reported on this as early as April 2025, about how much money Valve could have made with the boxes.

According to the lawsuit, Valve has made billions of dollars luring its users, many of whom are teenagers or younger, to engage in gambling in the hopes of winning expensive virtual items that they can cash in on. The Attorney General is referring to third-party websites where one can sell their skins for real money.

Selling skins is attractive to thieves who want to hack accounts or trick users. Regarding the danger for children, the lawsuit also references younger players who could be encouraged to start gambling through loot boxes to enhance their status in the games’ virtual worlds.

The lawsuit compares Valve’s loot boxes to slot machines.

Letitia James urges Valve to stop promoting illegal gambling in their games. Additionally, Valve is to pay a fine to protect the state’s population. She describes the features as addictive, harmful, and illegal.

In the lawsuit, the Attorney General focuses heavily on youth protection. Previously, she warned about sports betting and advocated for the regulation of social media for those under 18.

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What is the situation with loot boxes in Germany? Traditional loot boxes are not considered gambling in Germany since virtual items are received and no real money is involved. The Bundesrat called on the federal government in November 2025 to examine whether loot boxes exhibit gambling-like mechanisms and need to be regulated for child and youth protection.

According to an article from the European Consumer Center Germany from September 2024, the legal question in Germany is controversial since there have been no rulings regarding loot boxes and gambling. In countries like Belgium or the Netherlands, paid loot boxes fall under illegal gambling.

In 2026, Valve was already sued, but this was not about their loot box mechanics, rather about the Steam platform itself. They are accused of having an unfair influence on market development. More about this can be read here: Valve faces a lawsuit amounting to over 754 million Euros for unfairly exploiting its dominance with Steam

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Kotaku
  2. Reuters
  3. jip.hamburg.de

Pokémon GO introduces a new bug and the chance to secure a rare shiny

Max Handwerk Max Handwerk Reading time 2 minutes

The Bug Catching Event in Pokémon GO has been announced. For the bug collectors among you, there are plenty of exciting goals.

When does the Bug Catching Event start? The start is on Tuesday, March 17 at 10:00 AM. The end is a week later on Monday, March 23, 2026, at 8:00 PM.

Which new Pokémon will appear? You can look forward to the debut of Sensect. Its final evolution was already seen in the notes of the first teaser for the new season, now its debut is imminent.

Sensect is a Bug-type Pokémon from the eighth generation and has two evolutions: Keradar and Maritellit. The latter also has a Gigantamax form, but we’ll probably have to wait a little longer for that. In Pokémon GO, the evolutions will cost 25 and 100 candies.

How do I catch Sensect? As of now, Sensect will first appear in Stage 1 raids. You can also catch it as part of the new GO Pass, which will be active during the event. Sensect will be available in the free version of the pass.

But even aside from Sensect, the Bug Event has a lot to offer.

Start video
Pokémon GO: Over 800 Trainers fight in Gigantamax battle

Special Shiny Chances in the Bug Event

You have a better chance to secure three Pokémon as Shiny in the new event:

  • Paras
  • Wadribie
  • Wommel

What you need to keep in mind: The three have an increased Shiny chance when attracted by normal lures. However: Each of the three Pokémon has a specific timeframe in which it is attracted.

  • Paras: March 17, 10:00 AM to March 19, 10:00 AM
  • Wommel: March 19, 10:00 AM to March 21, 10:00 AM
  • Wadribie: March 21, 10:00 AM to March 23, 8:00 PM

All three will be attracted simultaneously with Thermopod, which does not have an increased Shiny chance. Especially Wadribie could be interesting for many, as only female Wadribie can evolve into Honweisel. Accordingly, Shiny-Honweisel are quite rare. Here you might have a better opportunity to get one.

Otherwise, you will encounter Raupy, Lithomith, Thermopod, Micrick, and Sichlor in the wild. In raids, Sensect, Pinsic, Scherox, and Axantor will appear.

GO Pass during the event: The free GO Pass will be unlocked at the start of the event. The pass includes Sensect, other event Pokémon, and typical rewards such as lures, XP, Stardust, and more. There is also a paid Deluxe version that offers more bonuses.

The pass also includes two milestones: At Level 1, you will unlock double catch XP for nice, great, and excellent throws.

At Level 2, double catch candies will follow. In the Deluxe version, there are triple candies.

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Winner of a Pokémon GO tournament is “wrongly” celebrating, causing him to lose the victory again
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The Bug Catching Event is an event for collectors hunting for new Pokémon or fresh Shinies. However, it does not represent the only interesting date coming up next month. Alongside it, the start of the new season is also imminent, as well as plenty of other events – all in March 2026 in Pokémon GO can be found here.

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

One million players are already waiting for a new pirate game on Steam, but the developers still can’t provide a release date

Ody Ody Reading time 2 minutes

Windrose currently has the most played demo on Steam and already 1 million players have added the new survival game with pirates to their wish list. The only thing fans are missing now is a release date. However, the developers are not ready to commit to that just yet.

What kind of game is this? Windrose is a PvE survival game that you can play alone or in co-op. As part of the Steam Next Fest, there is a free demo of Windrose available on Steam. It has received very positive feedback:

  • Of nearly 5,000 Steam reviews, 93% are positive, praising the extensive demo and
  • As of now (February 26, 2026, 10:22 AM), Windrose is the most played demo on Steam, with 4,598 concurrent players (according to steamdb.info). Only one other demo reached a higher peak in the meantime

As the developers announce in a post on Steam, Windrose has already landed on the wish lists of over 1 million players. The Steam Next Fest seems to be a real success for them.

Recently, the developers published a new trailer via IGN on YouTube. Many fans hoped it would contain the first information about the release date, or at least a rough time frame. However, that was not the case, and the developers explain why.

Here you can see a trailer for Windrose:

Start video
Windrose: New survival game with pirates gets a demo on Steam

“Please, let us keep cooking”

What do the developers say? The Windrose Crew (that’s the name of the development studio behind the game) is aware of the disappointment of many fans. Almost an hour after the release of the IGN trailer, one of the developers wrote on the official Discord server for the game: 

“Guys, I know many of you were hoping for the announcement of the release date today, and we understand your passion. […] But now is not the right time for that”

He notes that the finished game could be much larger than the demo, in terms of the number of islands, landmarks, ships, enemies, and more. The team is working hard to polish the game and already implementing initial feedback from demo players.

The Windrose Crew is asking for a bit more patience: “Please, let us keep cooking. When we feel confident enough, we will announce the release date.”

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The Steam Next Fest is full of exciting demos for games that are yet to be released. One of the most exciting is likely the spin-off of one of the best games on Steam. To find out which game this is, read this article: One of the best games on Steam gets a spin-off, offering completely new gameplay and providing a free test for a limited time

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

HandOfBlood releases the Sauercrowd from their duty, but simultaneously announces a final event before it ends

Caroline Fuller Caroline Fuller Reading time 2 minutes

After the tremendous success of Sauercrowd in the Molten Core, viewers are now wondering: What’s next? Twitch streamer and guild leader HandOfBlood explains the current state of the guild’s future.

Is Sauercrowd officially over? After the streamer guild Sauercrowd reached its goal and defeated the Molten Core along with Ragnaros, the Twitch event is now coming to an end. Over 200,000 viewers cheered live with the group and celebrated the victory over the raid. When the second group also successfully mastered the challenge without any real difficulties, it was clear: That was a spectacular ending.

HandOfBlood has now commented in a Discord post about how the guild will proceed. Sieglinde shared the post during the stream, which it is expected to have leaked (see clip on YouTube).

We did not expect to take down Ragnaros on the first ID (even without a problem). You were fantastic! The question now is, what’s next?

HandOfBlood in his Discord post

Indeed, Sauercrowd will find an ending, but that has not yet been reached. On Sunday, March 1, 2026, at 5:00 PM, Sauercrowd will have one last raid, against Onyxia.

Select a MMO video…

Sauercrowd starts one last raid

What do we know about the raid on Sunday? It is the level 80 raid “Onyxia’s Lair,” where players must battle through the home of the black dragon to ultimately attempt to take down the titular Onyxia, the broodmother of the black dragonflight.

After consulting with Metashi and Papaplatte, the group will dedicate their final raid to the dragon before the event is officially considered over.

HandOfBlood's announcement on Discord
HandOfBlood’s announcement on Discord (Source: YouTube)

What further information does HandOfBlood provide with his announcement? In his Discord post, HandOfBlood explains the current status of Sauercrowd.

  • No more streaming obligation, and everyone can play as they wish.
  • The auction house and mail are open, so participants can do anything.
  • Everyone can create as many characters as they want.
  • Interactions with players outside the guild are allowed. The community may now be involved.

HandOfBlood adds in his post that all participants are free to organize a downstream guild, but the name should no longer be reminiscent of Sauercrowd. It would then be independent guilds.

Anyone who hasn’t had enough of Sauercrowd yet and wants to witness the final raid live should keep Sunday at 5:00 PM free. It remains exciting whether Sauercrowd will take down Onyxia as easily as Ragnaros. Even though the guild’s finale was successfully achieved without difficulties, that doesn’t mean the entire event went without deaths: Sauercrowd: All deaths of the last days and their levels in overview

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

Discord postpones age verification, but a unlucky person still has to confirm their age

Benedikt Schlotmann Benedikt Schlotmann Reading time 2 minutes

Discord has postponed its age verification. However, a user is still required to verify their age. On some accounts, you can now display your age.

Why is Discord under criticism? Discord wanted to introduce an age verification starting March 2026: If users want to see certain content, they must first verify their age with an ID or a 3D scan.

Many players reacted in shock, which led to thousands of users abandoning Discord, to flock to providers like TeamSpeak.

Discord has officially postponed its age verification after loud criticism. However, one user has still been affected.

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Turtle Burst II Pro in Review: Find out in 3 minutes if the mouse is worth it for you

User must verify their age, even though Discord has postponed the age verification

What problem does the user have? The user reports in a post on Reddit that he has canceled his Nitro subscription due to the situation surrounding Discord. However, since the cancellation of the subscription, he can no longer access his account – unless he verifies with an ID. Exactly with the procedure that Discord is supposed to have officially postponed.

The person explains themselves that they live in the USA and here stricter youth protection laws for social media do not yet apply as they do in Australia, where such a verification has become mandatory.

The user explained that furthermore, he is no longer able to delete his Discord account. With a self-programmed app, he should have finally bypassed the problem and deleted his account (via Reddit.com). In a newer post on Reddit, he explained that he is still banned and cannot access Discord links unless he verifies his age.

Is there any way to find out your age? Through user settings > MyAccount, some users may see the successful age verification (Age Rating). However, in a sample, we could not find this setting on several German accounts.

Some speculate that these settings might only be available for accounts in the UK and Australia. In Germany, this function might therefore be hidden.

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Are you tired of Discord and the age verification and looking for a better alternative that you can use for speaking and discussing? MeinMMO presents you with the best alternatives to Discord and explains what you should know about it: Discord: The 8 best alternatives if you want to switch now

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

The appearance of Goku’s cloud in Dragon Ball was no coincidence, Akira Toriyama just wanted to work less

Jasmin Beverungen Jasmin Beverungen Reading time 2 minutes

Son Goku’s flying cloud was the most important means of transportation in his childhood. Only when he could fly himself did he let go of his cloud. The creator of Dragon Ball, Akira Toriyama, once explained why this cloud even exists.

Why does the cloud exist? So that Dragon Ball could appear in such a regular rhythm, the mangaka tried to save time wherever possible. This is also one reason why the Super Saiyans have blonde hair. In a black-and-white manga, the hair does not need to be colored in, thus saving the artist a lot of time.

Another object that saved a lot of time is actually Son Goku’s flying cloud. In an interview with Dragon Ball Daizenshuu 4: World Guide, Akira Toriyama explained in 1995 why the cloud even exists:

Even when I imagined it with images in my mind, I could show things from a perspective where I looked down at the landscape. That was also the reason why I originally introduced Kinto-Un [the flying cloud, editor’s note]. Until then, they had to take out planes, cars, and similar things one by one, which was really tedious.

It took more time to draw cars, planes, and other means of transportation than a simple cloud. By flying, Toriyama was able to always draw everything from a bird’s eye view and avoid the cars and trucks on the roads. He simply let the planes be absent.

Start video
Dragon Ball: This is what the Z in the title stands for

A loyal companion from Son Goku’s childhood

What kind of cloud is this? In German, the small cloud was called “Überschallwolke” or “Jindujun”. Son Goku received it as a gift from his teacher Muten Roshi. It can only transport those who have a pure heart. All persons with an impure heart simply fall through the cloud.

When Son Goku later learns to fly independently through Ki, this cloud is no longer needed. The Saiyan only used it at the beginning of Dragon Ball Z to save energy. Afterwards, it passed on to his children Son Gohan and Son Goten, who used it for some time.

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Toriyama was so clever that he could save time through several tricks. However, for a Dragon Ball movie, there was a scene so intense that the animators nowadays probably wouldn’t depict it anymore. Luckily, CGI technology is available now: A scene in Dragon Ball was so torturous for the animator that it would not be created like that today

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

Pokémon GO cancels a popular event in the new season and introduces several changes

Paul Kutzner Paul Kutzner Reading time 3 minutes

Pokémon GO has announced a slew of information about the new season. This season will differ in several ways from what you are used to from the past.

What kind of season is this? The new season is called Memories in Motion. It will last for about 3 months, from March 3, 2026 at 10:00 AM to June 2, 2026 at 10:00 AM.

Compared to previous seasons, there are some changes here. Among other things, a popular event seems to no longer be part of the new season.

Start video
Pokémon GO shows its new season in the trailer

New Bonuses and Changed Events

Updates and bonuses of the new season: Several updates related to events have been announced for the new season. Exciting bonuses are also included.

  • Events are to take place at more regular intervals
  • Events that take place on weekends will now occur on Saturdays
  • Paid tickets for events will be removed and replaced with GO Passes
  • An event calendar that provides you with information in the game will be introduced at the end of the season
  • Developed monsters can appear in the wild as Shiny
  • Increased Shiny chance for monsters from raids and eggs
  • All monsters that already exist as Shiny can appear as Shiny in Rocket battles
  • Increased Shiny chance for monsters from battles with the Rocket bosses and Giovanni
  • Special research where you can obtain Volcanion (if you haven’t already obtained it at the GO Fest 2025)
  • GO Pass
  • When trading on-site, you receive an additional candy as well as an additional XL candy (from level 31)
  • More experience points and Stardust for the 7-day series for PokéStops and catching monsters
  • Event stickers

Weekly bonuses and events: On 6 out of 7 days, specific bonuses or events are to be active in the game each week during the new season. The weeks will look as follows:

  • Monday: “Fast-Track Monday” and “Max Monday”
    • If you complete pass tasks from a GO Pass, you will receive double points every Monday in the future
    • The Max Monday continues to bring you rotating Max monsters as well as more power sources that will also refresh more frequently
    • The bonus on GO points will take place all day, while Max Monday occurs from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM
  • Tuesday: “Showcase Tuesday”
    • Every Tuesday, up to 20 different categories of showcases will be active at the same time
    • Active all day
  • Wednesday: “Raid Hour”
    • Wednesday remains the day of the Raid Hour, where each week a different Raid Boss can be found in level 5 raids or Mega raids
    • The Raid Hour still takes place from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
  • Thursday: “GO Battle Thursday”
    • You will receive up to 4 times as much Stardust for victories (excluding rewards at the end of a battle set)
    • Additionally, you can complete 10 battle sets on Thursdays instead of 5
    • Active all day
  • Friday: “Friendship Friday”
    • Up to 2 special trades per Friday
    • Increased chance of Lucky Pokémon through trading
    • Up to 10% less Stardust for trading
    • 2 guaranteed XL candies when trading (from level 31)
    • All bonuses do not apply to remote trades
    • The bonuses are active all Friday
  • Sunday: “Double-Time Sunday”
    • On Sundays, you will now receive double duration for incense and Lure Modules
    • Gold Lure Modules are excluded, as is the daily adventure incense
    • Active all day

If you look at Tuesday, you may notice something: the Spotlight Hours are missing. It seems that there won’t be any in the next season.

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Monsters and Dates of the New Season

When will Community Days take place? You can already mark the following dates for the Community Days of the new season in your calendar:

Which monsters are there in eggs? In the upcoming season, you can hatch the following monsters from eggs:

2-km Eggs:

  • Dunsparce*
  • Wimpod*
  • Tadbulb*

5-km Eggs:

  • Sizzlipede
  • Snom
  • Fidough*
  • Chingling* (Adventure Sync)
  • Happiny* (Adventure Sync)
  • Audino* (Adventure Sync)

7-km Eggs:

  • Galarian Mewoth*
  • Galarian Corsola*
  • Galarian Zigzagoon*
  • Hisuian Growlithe* (from Mateo’s eggs)
  • Galarian Slowpoke* (from Mateo’s eggs)
  • White-Striped Form Basculin* (from Mateo’s eggs)

10-km Eggs:

  • Deino*
  • Honedge*
  • Imidimp*
  • Goomy* (Adventure Sync)
  • Turtonator* (Adventure Sync)
  • Toxel* (Adventure Sync)

Which monsters are there in research breakthroughs? If you complete a field research task for 7 days, you will receive a field research breakthrough. You can expect one of the following monsters as a reward:

  • Gyarados*
  • Honedge*
  • Dhelmise*
  • Sinistea*
  • Duraludon*
  • Dreepy

All monsters marked with a * can also appear as Shiny.

The current season is coming to an end. However, at the end of the season, one of the three major annual events in Pokémon GO will still take place: the GO Tour 2026. This will take place next weekend. If you want to know what to expect there, feel free to check out our overview of the Kalos Tour 2026 in Pokémon GO.

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

Which Pokémon era is the best? The MeinMMO editorial team chooses their favorites

Jasmin Beverungen Jasmin Beverungen Reading time 5 minutes

Every Pokémon fan has had their own experiences with the franchise and started with a different edition. It’s no wonder that there are different favorites. MeinMMO took a survey and now presents the results of their favorite era.

This year, the Pokémon franchise celebrates its 30th anniversary. 30 years of Pokémon also mean different experiences and entry points into the universe of colorful pocket monsters. The MeinMMO editorial team also has various opinions on which generations are the best.

That’s why we conducted an ultimate survey: Which era is the best? Each editor and author had 3 votes available. We did not strictly differentiate by generation, but by time periods in which multiple editions were released.

Therefore, we list the last places as bullet points. The top 3 will be presented in more detail. In case of a tie, the eras have been sorted from new to old. There are also opinion boxes from editors and authors explaining why they chose this generation for first place.

By the way: You can also participate! On the next page, you will find a survey box where you can vote for which Pokémon era you think is the best.

Start video
Pokémon Legends: Z-A shows the contents of the DLC Mega Dimensions in the new trailer

Which generation dominates at MeinMMO?

  • Place 9: Era 9, Pokémon Scarlet & Violet (2 votes)
  • Place 8: Era 7, Pokémon Sun & Moon, Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, Let’s Go, Pikachu! & Let’s Go, Eevee! (2 votes)
  • Place 7: Era 8, Pokémon Sword & Shield, Shining Diamond & Shining Pearl, Legends: Arceus (4 votes)
  • Place 6: Era 5, Pokémon Black & White, Black 2 & White 2 (4 votes)
  • Place 5: Era 2, Pokémon Gold & Silver, Crystal (4 votes)
  • Place 4: Era 6, Pokémon X & Y, Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire (6 votes)
MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes writes: “Gen 3 and 6 have good games, but Black and White 2 are the best parts for me in terms of gameplay. They have a good type mix, a reasonable difficulty with tough trainers, and Pokémon has never looked as good graphically as in the Black/White games. The soundtrack is also fantastic. And there’s Trikephalo, one of the coolest dragon Pokémon of all time.”
MeinMMO author Linda Baumgartl finds: “Since I had no interaction with Pokémon as a child, I only got into it later when I got my Switch. Sword and Shield was my first – but it convinced me enough that I stayed with the franchise.”

On the next page, you’ll find the top 3.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Pages: 1 2

“What in tarnation that?” – Player spots giant machine in the sky in ARC Raiders, reminds of cryptic UFO sightings

Caroline Fuller Caroline Fuller Reading time 2 minutes

A player discovered two strangely synchronous light sources in the stormy sky during a round in the new “Shrouded Sky” update of ARC Raiders. However, upon closer inspection, he realized that there could be something much larger behind them. 

What did the player discover? The player Bewarden shared a clip of his latest discovery in ARC Raiders with the community on Reddit, which forced him to pause and ask, “What the hell is that?”

He observed how two lights flew through the storm along with a shadow, whose silhouette led him to two conclusions: The thing is an unidentified flying object and it is damn big.

Here you can see the clip from Bewarden:

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Link to the Reddit content

The situation strongly resembles cryptic footage of UFO or Bigfoot sightings that can only make out outlines due to the weather conditions of the new update, rather than providing solid evidence. If it is a teaser from Embark Studios regarding a new, massive opponent, it has been cleverly staged accordingly.

It wouldn’t be the first time, as the two new ARCs were teased similarly. However, it is still unknown what kind of machine the huge flying object might be.

Start video
ARC Raiders shows new Hurricane condition and hints at a new enemy

Community is already fearing potential massive enemy before official confirmations

How is the community reacting to the sighting? Under the player’s clip, a cocktail of concern, anticipation, and bitter fear is forming. With clearer screenshots from the clip and a slightly boosted contrast, it is hard to doubt that this is an unidentified flying giant ARC:

ARC Raiders UFO
Screenshots from Bewarden’s video, right with strong contrast.

“Between 8 and 9 seconds, one can see the consistent shape while it moves across a handful of frames. It seems to be a single aircraft,” writes Payule in considering the silhouette.

The_Scarred_ Man summarizes the discussion around the find as follows: “Holy shit, there are so many discussions about this video that I feel like I’m in the UFO subreddit.”

Could this actually be a teaser from Embark? Whether it is a potential type of enemy that will appear in the game in the future has not been confirmed or denied by Embark yet.

However, one could argue based on their previous teasers and the roadmap that the opportunity of the stormy weather conditions is simply too good to not use as a hiding for a hint. The community feels similarly.

“It’s impossible that they would just add something like this without planning for gameplay implementation,” writes tradgamer9.

Prestigious-Lab5154 also thinks: “That Embark utilizes a map with extremely low visibility to hint at the ARC threat in April like a creepy giant UFO that you see flying by – that’s just brilliant.”

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

The 10 best gaming series on Netflix according to viewers

Christoph Waldboth Christoph Waldboth Reading time 7 minutes

Meanwhile, Netflix has a lot of strong gaming series. But which of them do the viewers like the most? Let’s take a look at the hard numbers.

The days when video game adaptations caused anxiety among fans are thankfully long gone. In recent years, some really good gaming series have been released, among others on the streaming service Netflix.

In the following list, we’ve looked at which series have received the highest ratings from fans. Where possible, we also indicate how many hours a series has been watched. However, Netflix does not make these numbers transparent in all cases, so they are not decisive for the ranking.

If a series has several seasons, we list all user ratings. For the ranking, we calculate the average from them. Ratings on Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb count. The values of the 10-point scale of IMDb were converted linearly to a 100-point scale, as used by Rotten Tomatoes, for better comparability.

The ranking is as of February 25, 2026.

Start video
Witcher: Trailer for the TV series on Netflix

Rank 10: The Witcher

It may be surprising that one of the flagship shows of gaming series lands “only” in 10th place. The Witcher is the adaptation of the Witcher books by Andrzej Sapkowski and has reached four seasons so far.

In the first three seasons, Henry Cavill played the lead role and became a fan favorite. His replacement by Liam Hemsworth sparked discussions. The fourth season is rated significantly lower at only 19 % on Rotten Tomatoes, pulling down the average.

While in the early seasons, Cavill as Geralt of Rivia was particularly convincing, users criticize towards the end that the series strays too far from the source material and is poorly written.

It started off so well: Season 1 could still convince with 88 % positive user ratings. Overall, however, the fantasy series is one of the success stories of Netflix. Season 1 alone was watched around 663,600,000 hours and even briefly ranked in the All-Time Top 10 of Netflix (via whats-on-netflix.com).

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Titelbildquelle: Netflix auf YouTube
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Elder Scrolls Online makes it easier for single players with a new feature, they still prefer to beg for help in chat

Cedric Holmeier Cedric Holmeier Reading time 2 minutes

In The Elder Scrolls Online, the new update has removed a feature that previously required the help of other players. Now it is supposed to work without that.

What is this feature? Anyone wanting to become a werewolf or vampire in Elder Scrolls Online needed the help of other players or had to get bitten by a vampire or werewolf in some other way.

What sounded like a nice RPG element on paper, actually played out a bit faster in reality. Players who wanted a transformation would ask in the chat and annoy their fellow players until someone took pity.

This hurdle of human interaction is set to disappear with Update 49 from the MMORPG.

Here you can watch a trailer for Elder Scrolls Online:

Start video
Microsoft brings Elder Scrolls Online to the big stage with colorful trailer

New Shrines replace real people

How is the new system supposed to work? Instead of human interaction, Update 49 introduces vampire and werewolf shrines, as ESO-Hub.com reports. These are located in the starting areas of the respective alliances and are equipped with a quest giver who waits for players 24/7.

This quest giver can allow players who have never been a vampire or werewolf to skip the introductory quest, or transform characters again if they want to experience the transformation after their healing.

At the same time, the old methods are not removed from the game. So those who want to may still beg for the kiss of a vampire or werewolf in the future, although the willingness to do so will likely decrease.

How do fans feel about the update? Fans are divided. On one hand, there are players who are happy that the endless begging in the chat will stop. On the other hand, some players feel sad that another small interaction with other players is disappearing from the MMORPG.

They write on Reddit:

  • GhostB5: “I will miss the little interactions I have with people at the shrines, but this will be much more practical.”
  • littlemissindecision: “Same here. I feel like nobody will go to other players for bites anymore, and I will miss being able to help people in that way.”
  • Sefirosukuraudo: “I tried the quest a few days ago on the PTS, and it’s actually a really cool little quest line! It was nice to learn about the origins of vampirism and its lore, which I wouldn’t have known otherwise, even though I’ve played a vampire mage for years lol. I didn’t expect the lore to have a Greek mythological touch. 10/10 in my opinion.”
  • joshisanonymous: “I guess I’m the only one who actually liked that this involved searching for mobs or interacting with other players.”

What about healing? Healing from the transformation will also be easier. The healing potions will be moved to the free crown store and the gold cost for healing will be reduced. At the same time, the mage guilds will receive an NPC who can heal players.

However, there are further updates for werewolves on the horizon. They are expected to receive a visual overhaul as part of the “Combat Refresh” initiative, which is likely to come with Season 0. The standard werewolf model will get an upgrade, and a female werewolf form is also expected to be introduced.

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With the update for Elder Scrolls Online, the developers continue their trend of revitalizing older systems. For one player, however, this system ease comes too late as he has already completed everything: Player sinks 36,000 hours to 100% complete Elder Scrolls Online – Explains how he did it

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. eso-hub.com
  2. reddit

WoW community discovers “Tauren baby fidget spinner” in the game data – then learns the dark truth

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

Some items in World of Warcraft seem funny or even silly – until you discover the truth and know where they are used.

World of Warcraft consists of quite a few different elements. Trees, rocks, and other objects, the “assets” of the game world, create a beautiful overall picture. However, in the game data of the MMORPG, there are always details that appear curious or eerie.

One of them is a mill that has apparently been repurposed to swing babies in a circle. What the community directly dubbed the “Tauren Baby Fidget Spinner” actually has a use in the game – and it is rather dark.

Start video
WoW Cinematic with Liadrin: Everything Holy

A Tauren mobile for a nasty flesh eater

What kind of object is this? The object is named “babywheel01” in the game files and is exactly what the name suggests. A rotating mill, from whose ends wrapped Tauren babies hang, swung around in a circle. This could perhaps be considered quite practical, as the babies are entertained a little while grain can be milled at the same time.

However, many in the community believed that the object does not occur in the game and only exists in the data – which is wrong.

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Where can you find this in the game? When SCGLara showed the image in the WoW subreddit, the reaction from the user “whatisthisgunifound” came pretty quickly. He knew exactly where he had seen it before: in Nagrand.

Because in Nagrand (The Burning Crusade) there is the dark story of a shapeshifter named Challe, who frequently morphs into different forms. To survive, she apparently feeds on babies that she previously kidnaps – and that’s exactly where you can find this spinning Tauren baby mill.

For a long time, this was just speculation, but in the expansion “Warlords of Draenor” this myth was then addressed and provided with real quests.

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Many also associate the object with a baby mobile, which some might remember from their baby years. These were small frameworks with different figures that were hung over the crib so that the baby had visual stimuli – either to fall asleep or when it woke up. The troll lady Challe might have taken the “baby mobile” a little too literally and directly hung babies on it.

Perhaps so that they always see something delicious when she lies down to sleep.

World of Warcraft is full of curious stories, objects, and strange NPCs. Some of the most absurd NPCs – from porn stars to soul legends and references to Hitler – we have presented in this article.

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

Pokémon GO: Mega Latias Counters – The 20 Best Attackers in the Raid Guide

Patrick Freese Patrick Freese Reading time 2 minutes

The best counters against Mega Latias in Pokémon GO in the guide. We will show you the best attackers and movesets. With this, you can easily win the Mega Raids.

What kind of Pokémon is Latias? It comes from the third generation of Pokémon and belongs to the Dragon and Psychic types.

When does Mega Latias come? Mega-Lucario is part of this year’s GO Tour. There you can challenge the monster on February 28, 2026, from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM in Mega Raids.

Defeating Mega Latias in Raids with these counters

  1. Eternatus with Dragon Tail and Dynamax Cannon
  2. Mega Rayquaza with Dragon Tail and Breaking Swipe
  3. Mega Garchomp with Dragon Tail and Breaking Swipe
  4. Black Kyurem with Dragon Tail and Freeze Shock
  5. White Kyurem with Dragon Breath and Ice Burn
  6. Necrozma (Dawn Wings) with Shadow Claw and Moongeist Beam
  7. Shadow Garchomp with Dragon Tail and Breaking Swipe
  8. Mega Tyranitar with Bite and Brutal Swing
  9. Mega Salamence with Dragon Tail and Draco Meteor
  10. Mega Latios with Dragon Breath and Dragon Claw
  11. Dialga (Origin) with Dragon Breath and Roar of Time
  12. Mega Sceptile with Fury Cutter and Breaking Swipe
  13. Mega Guardevoir with Charm and Dazzling Gleam
  14. Zacian (Crowned Sword) with Metal Claw and Play Rough
  15. Shadow Hydreigon with Dragon Breath and Brutal Swing
  16. Mega Gengar with Shadow Claw and Shadow Ball
  17. Shadow Dialga with Dragon Breath and Draco Meteor
  18. Primal Groudon with Dragon Tail and Precipice Blades
  19. Palkia (Origin) with Dragon Tail and Spacial Rend
  20. Mega Banette with Shadow Claw and Shadow Ball

Weaknesses of Mega Latias: The Pokémon belongs to the Dragon and Psychic types and has weaknesses against Bug, Ghost, Ice, Dragon, Dark, and Fairy Pokémon. So in raids, primarily focus on attacks and Pokémon of these types to defeat Latias.

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Is there Shiny Latias? You can find and catch Shiny Latias in Pokémon GO. With a bit of luck, you might find the Shiny right after a raid. 

Pokemon-Go-Latias
The regular Latias (left) and Shiny Latias (right) in comparison

How many trainers do you need? If you have the top counter Pokémon and they are at a relatively high level, you can battle Mega Latias with four or five people – it will still be a very tough fight. We recommend at least 6 trainers with strong counters if you want to succeed in the raid. When in doubt, you may need more if there are no ideal counters available.

You can organize your raid teams in advance. This way, you can ensure that you save time in each raid and always go into battle with your best team without having to assemble it again each time: This way you keep track of your raid teams and save a lot of time.

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

Pokémon GO: Mega Lucario Counters – The 20 Best Attackers in the Raid Guide

Paul Kutzner Paul Kutzner Reading time 2 minutes

Do you want to challenge and defeat Mega-Lucario in Pokémon GO? We show you the best counters to face Mega-Lucario in raids.

What kind of Pokémon is Mega-Lucario? Lucario is a Pokémon from the 4th generation and is the evolution of Riolu. It has the types Fighting and Steel. The Mega Evolution of Lucario also possesses these two types.

When is Mega-Lucario coming? Mega-Lucario is part of this year’s GO Tour. There you can challenge the monster on February 28, 2026, from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM in Mega Raids.

We show you the best counters against Mega-Lucario and the types it is weak to (type effectiveness).

Start video
Pokémon GO shows the new season Memories in Motion in the trailer

Defeating Mega-Lucario in Raid – With These Counters

  1. Mega Blaziken with Fire Spin and Aura Sphere
  2. Primal Groudon with Mud Shot and Precipice Blades
  3. Keldeo with Low Kick and Secret Sword
  4. Mega Charizard Y with Fire Spin and Blast Burn
  5. Mega Lucario with Force Palm and Aura Sphere
  6. Mega Garchomp with Mud Shot and Earth Power
  7. Shadow Blaziken with Fire Spin and Aura Sphere
  8. Blacephalon with Incinerate and Mind Blown
  9. Reshiram with Fire Fang and Fusion Flare
  10. Shadow Groudon with Mud Shot and Precipice Blades
  11. Landorus (Therian) with Mud Shot and Sandsear Storm
  12. Mega Latios with Zen Headbutt and Aura Sphere
  13. Mega Heracross with Counter and Upper Hand
  14. Mega Charizard X with Fire Spin and Blast Burn
  15. Shadow Moltres with Fire Spin and Overheat
  16. Shadow Ho-Oh with Incinerate and Sacred Fire+
  17. Shadow Raikou with Thunder Shock and Aura Sphere
  18. Shadow Heatran with Fire Spin and Magma Storm
  19. Shadow Chandelure with Fire Spin and Overheat
  20. Terrakion with Double Kick and Sacred Sword

Weaknesses of Mega-Lucario:  Since this Pokémon has the types Fighting and Steel, there are exactly 3 types you can effectively attack Mega-Lucario with. These are the types Fighting, Ground, and Fire.

So focus on attacks of these types in raids to quickly defeat Mega-Lucario.

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Is there a Shiny Mega-Lucario? Yes, with a bit of luck, you may encounter the shiny variant of Lucario after the raid. If you trigger the Mega Evolution on it, you will get the shiny variant of Mega-Lucario.

How many trainers are needed? If you have very good counters at a high level, you can defeat Mega-Lucario with just 2 trainers. If you want to finish the battle quicker or have issues during the fight, you should use more trainers.

You can already prepare your teams in advance to save time in the raid lobby. Check out our tips for organizing raid teams.

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

Player became a hero in Elden Ring, then could not play for 180 days because he performed a silly dance

Ody Ody Reading time 2 minutes

Let Me Solo Her became a legend in Elden Ring and is now back after being banned from the game by the developers for a whopping 180 days. The reason was a silly dance.

Who is it about? The player Klein Tsuboi, better known as “LetMeSoloHer,” has become a legend within the Elden Ring community. He has helped over 2,000 players defeat one of the strongest bosses in the game: Malenia, Blade of Miquella.

LetMeSoloHer did all of this true to his name without the help of those who summoned him. His outfit is also iconic, as he wears nothing on his body, except for a jar that covers his face and two swords.

LetMeSoloHer has become so famous that the publisher of Elden Ring sent him a gift – including a sword.

We show you how LetMeSoloHer became this legend in the video on MeinMMO:

Start video
A half-naked player in Elden Ring became a community legend – This is his story

Legend performs silly dance, is banned for 180 days

What is this ban about? For almost 6 months, you could no longer encounter LetMeSoloHer in Elden Ring. But it’s not because he quit the game, but because he received a 180-day ban that has now ended.

With great joy, he announces on X.com: “I am free.”

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In this post, he also directly explains what the reason for this ban was: a mod that appears to be quite harmless at first glance. It simply adds a somewhat silly dance from Fortnite to the game. According to his own statement, he used the mod for a video of himself.

However, this dance had harsh consequences because due to the online component of Elden Ring, mods are actually not allowed. It didn’t help that the dance supposedly didn’t provide him with any gameplay advantages. His Elden Ring account was still banned for 180 days.

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Since his rise to fame, LetMeSoloHer has caught up on other FromSoftware games. He occasionally posts videos of them on his YouTube channel. However, one boss from Bloodborne was even a tough challenge for him: A player has defeated the hardest boss in Elden Ring 2,000 times, but an enemy from Bloodborne was a challenge even for him

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

Shroud curses on Twitch, calls ARC Raiders “shit” – A few days later the developers show how the gaming experience is supposed to improve

Dariusz Müller Dariusz Müller Reading time 2 minutes

ARC Raiders hat ein Problem, das Twitch-Streamer shroud abermals zum Fluchen bringt. Aber die Entwickler versprechen Besserung.

Warum fluchte shroud? Vor rund einer Woche war shroud während eines Livestreams mal wieder frustriert. Nachdem er und sein Team von einem vermeintlichen Cheater zerlegt wurden, fluchte er auf Twitch: „Das Spiel ist so scheiße. Ich bin überzeugt, Embark interessiert es wirklich nicht.“

Kurz zuvor meckerte einer seiner Mitspieler und sagte, dass ARC Raiders das schlechteste Anti-Cheat-System habe, das er kenne.

Bereits im Januar äußerte sich der Streamer ähnlich frustriert und kündigte eine längere Pause von dem Extraction-Shooter an. Er schimpfte, Embark habe keine Kontrolle über das Spiel.

Start video
ARC Raiders shows new Hurricane condition and hints at a new enemy

Maßnahmen von ARC Raiders gegen Cheater brauchen Zeit

Inwiefern soll das Spielerlebnis zukünftig besser werden? Am 24. Februar 2026 erschien das Update „Shrouded Sky“ in ARC Raiders, das unter anderem einen Hurricane als neue Map-Bedingung ins Spiel brachte.

In den Patch-Notes zu Shrouded Sky verloren die Entwickler auch einige Worte zum Anti-Cheat-System des Shooters und erklärten, warum die Maßnahmen des Studios im Kampf gegen die Spielverderber Zeit brauche, es zukünftig aber besser werde.

Sie schreiben:

Unsere Verteidigungsmaßnahmen arbeiten auf mehreren Ebenen: Einige Prüfungen sind einfach und definitiv, während andere verhaltensbasiert und datengesteuert sind und sich mit der Zeit weiterentwickeln. Wir nutzen außerdem umfassende Gameplay-Telemetrie und Techniken des maschinellen Lernens, um Muster zu erkennen, die auf den ersten Blick nicht offensichtlich sind.

Dann führen die Entwickler weiter aus, weshalb diese Maßnahmen nicht sofort Wirkung zeigen: „Die Entwicklung dieser Methoden nimmt mehr Zeit in Anspruch, sie müssen sich anpassen, wenn sich Spielsysteme ändern, und sie bieten nicht immer die sofortige Gewissheit, wie es bei stumpfen Software-Erkennungen der Fall ist.

Auch wenn wir also nicht sofort Besserung sehen, dürfen Spieler für die Zukunft hoffen: Wenn die Maßnahmen Früchte tragen, kann Embark Cheater zukünftig besser erkennen und sperren.

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ARc Raiders will Cheater fortan strenger bestrafen

Was machen die Entwickler, wenn sie Schummler identifizieren? In der Vergangenheit gab es Unklarheiten und Kritik darüber, wie streng Embark Cheater in ARC Raiders bestraft. Ein Screenshot auf Reddit zeigte etwa, dass jemand nur temporär und nicht dauerhaft gesperrt worden sei. Viele Nutzer fragten daraufhin, warum Cheater nicht permanent gebannt werden.

Nun versprachen die Entwickler, ihre Regeln und die Durchsetzung dieser weiter zu verschärfen. Schwere Verstöße sollen fortan strengere Konsequenzen nach sich ziehen und ab sofort zu permanenten Sperren führen. Kleine Verstöße führen hingegen erstmal nur zu einer vorübergehenden Suspendierung. Jene Spieler erhalten dann eine einzige Chance, das Verhalten zu korrigieren.

Ähnlich streng möchte auch ARC Raiders kommender Konkurrent Marathon gegen Cheating vorgehen. Wie Bungie klarstellte, werden entlarvte Schummler dort sofort permanent gebannt. Mehr dazu könnt ihr auf MeinMMO nachlesen: Marathon lernt aus dem größten Problem von ARC Raiders: Bungie verrät, wie sie besser sein wollen als der Konkurrent

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

One of the best games on Steam gets a spin-off, delivers completely new gameplay, offers a free trial for a limited time

Ody Ody Reading time 2 minutes

Vampire Survivors is one of the highest-rated games on Steam and will soon receive its first spin-off. While it stays true to the genre of the original, fans should expect completely different gameplay. For a limited time, there is also a demo available.

What kind of game is this? The new game is called “Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard from Vampire Survivors.” It is a new action roguelike developed by poncle, the creators of Vampire Survivors.

Vampire Survivors is very high on the list of the best-rated Steam games. The game boasts a rating of 98% positive reviews, placing it at 5th place (according to steamdb), if you exclude apps like Wallpaper Engine.

However, Vampire Crawlers should not be understood as a sequel, the developers emphasize. The game is rather a spin-off, and if it were up to the developers, the first in a series.

Here you can see Vampire Crawlers in the trailer:

Start video
Vampire Crawlers: The new game by the creators of Vampire Survivors in the trailer

Completely new experience from the creators of Vampire Survivors

What is the game about? In Vampire Crawlers, players can expect a turn-based deckbuilder with roguelite elements. 

From a first-person perspective, you race through dungeons where enemies lurk. You deal with them using a deck of cards. At the beginning, you select a “Crawler,” which is your character. Each Crawler comes with its own starter set of cards. You unlock more as you level up.

To defeat your opponents, you play one card after another in turn-based battles. Each card enhances the effect of the subsequent one, making them hit harder. Special wildcards also allow you to chain more cards together – unleashing even stronger attacks.

You get to decide the pace: whether you want to take your time and strategize, or just rush through the dungeons as fast as you can, is up to you.

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Here’s how you can test Vampire Crawlers: As part of the Steam Next Fest, there is a playable demo on Steam that allows you to try the game for free for a short time.

The Steam Next Fest runs until March 2, 2026, at 7:00 PM. So you still have time to try the demo. The release of the spin-off is planned for 2026 – and before GTA 6, as the developers jokingly emphasize in a FAQ on Steam.

Steam is a true goldmine for roguelikes and roguelites. Several of the best games on the platform fall into one of these categories. MeinMMO author Ody has a favorite, which he discusses in this article: For over 150 hours, I defeated endless alien hordes on Steam as a potato, and with 96% happy players, I’m not alone

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

Marathon learns from the biggest problem of ARC Raiders: Bungie reveals how they want to be better than the competitor

Dariusz Müller Dariusz Müller Reading time 2 minutes

ARC Raiders has a big problem that is ruining the fun for many players. Marathon wants to do better and reveals how.

What is the biggest problem with ARC Raiders? Like most online games – especially multiplayer shooters – ARC Raiders also suffers from cheaters who gain an unfair advantage in battles through cheating software.

Especially over the Christmas holidays, the cheaters became a nuisance for many players. The Twitch streamer shroud complained that the developers had lost control over the game and announced a temporary break from the shooter.

Start video
Bungie presents Marathon in the launch trailer

No Mercy for Spoilers

How does Marathon want to be better? Bungie has published details about the anti-cheat measures of Marathon on X.com. There, the developers state: “Anyone caught cheating will receive a permanent ban from Marathon, without a second chance.”

What seems like a natural consequence for cheating from the player’s perspective became a problem for ARC Raiders: Embark faced criticism from many players in January because, for example, a screenshot on Reddit showed that someone was only temporarily banned and not permanently. Many asked, “If they cheated, why isn’t the ban permanent?”

Embark later announced that it would improve its anti-cheat systems and has since banned a number of cheaters, but it remains unclear how strictly the spoilers will be punished and whether permanent bans are now regularly applied.

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What else did Bungie say about anti-cheat? The developer studio explained, among other things, that a system called “Fog of War” limits the effectiveness of cheats like wall hacks and “loot revealers.” This system restricts the areas of the map over which a player’s client receives information.

Additionally, the servers are constantly collecting data on everything players do. The gameplay will then be analyzed to detect unusual gameplay patterns.

If you want to test Marathon and its anti-cheat systems, you have the chance to do so this coming weekend during the server slam. This is the last opportunity to play the game for free. Here’s everything you need to know: Bungie lets you test Marathon for free one last time – All info on the server slam

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

ARC Raiders: Find Comet Igniter – Here’s how to obtain the new item

Christos Tsogos Christos Tsogos Reading time 2 minutes

In ARC Raiders there are two new robots, and one of them has an important resource that Raiders are currently looking for – the comet igniter. We will show you how to get this item from the ARCs here in our guide.

Where do I find comet igniters? The comet igniter is a new resource that you receive from the new unit “Comet”. The robot has joined with the latest update “Shrouded Sky” and serves the ARC as an extension to its ranks. You need to defeat them to obtain the item, but it is not that easy.

Start video
ARC Raiders shows new Hurricane condition and hints at a new enemy

Fighting comets – Here’s how to do it easiest

Where can you find comets? You can find comets randomly on maps that are set on the surface – so any map except Stella Montis. Comets appear, as the name suggests, from the sky, as they crash down and land with a loud bang on the earth’s surface. If you’re lucky, you might even witness their spawn sequence.

How to best fight against comets? To best defeat comets, you should use rapid-fire weapons instead of armor-piercing ones. Their weak point is in the middle of their outer shell, exactly where their light is located.

Weapons like the Rattler or the Renegade do the job effortlessly, and most of the time, without needing to reload again. What is especially important here is: you need to defeat the comets to get the comet igniter.

If the comets initiate their self-destruction, you won’t receive any igniters from their remains. So, it’s best to keep your distance and shoot at their lamp.

What do I need the comet igniters for? Currently, you need the comet igniters for one step of the project “Weather Monitoring System”.

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That was all the important information you should know about the comet igniters. Have you encountered one of these robots yet, or are you still desperately looking for them? You can find more about ARC Raiders and other guides here: ARC Raiders: All guides, tips, and lists at a glance

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

A character in the new Resident Evil is so good that I am already playing it for the 3rd time

Niko Hernes Niko Hernes Reading time 4 minutes

As a huge fan of Resident Evil, MeinMMO editor Niko was able to play the new installment Requiem in advance and was thrilled despite some minor criticisms. Especially because an old character is at his best.

Resident Evil Requiem is not just a new installment of the Resident Evil series; it is the return of Leon S. Kennedy. Sure, there was the remake of Resident Evil 4 in 2023, but since the 6th installment in 2012, it is his first story return.

This is something special, not only because he is the clichéd cool guy, but because Resident Evil 4 is, for many fans, myself included, the best part of the survival horror series. 

Requiem has big shoes to fill. To put it briefly: Resident Evil Requiem is a damn good action game and especially fans of Leon will get their money’s worth, because he feels as good as hardly any character in the series.

Start video
New trailer for Resident Evil Requiem – Release in February 2026 on all platforms

Despite his older age, Leon is as fit as ever

In the game, you control 2 characters. On one hand, there is the new character Grace, on the other, veteran Leon Kennedy. While Grace often feels like Ethan in Resident Evil 7, Leon reminds players of the action from the 4th installment.

Here, you can also choose between first or third-person perspective. I kept it at the default setting: So Grace in first-person view, Leon with the over-the-shoulder view.

Especially with Leon, you feel right at home. The shooting has pleasant hit feedback and his other moves feel brutal and impactful. I especially grew fond of the axe, his melee weapon. With it, you can not only attack but also use it as a parrying tool.

This gives the fights a different dynamic and multiple approaches. The whole thing is further supported by cool finishers and the occasionally cheesy one-liners from the protagonist that seem stuck in the 80s.

On the other side is Grace. She is less of a super-soldier and has a significantly smaller arsenal. For her, planning paths, the right ammunition, and crafting various tools, like a syringe for quickly taking down enemies, were essential.

That felt good too. At first, I was worried that the two characters would clash in terms of flow, but during the first playthrough, Capcom struck a good balance. No sequence is too long, and the gameplay of both characters gets enough breathing room.

During the 2nd and 3rd playthrough, there were a few sections with Grace that felt a little slower. At these points, you sometimes have to wait, which hampers the flow a bit. But that’s nitpicking at a high level.

Resident Evil 9 Leon Chainsaw
Sometimes Leon even gets to use a chainsaw

Strong atmosphere and a dream for the fans

Atmospherically, the game starts off exciting. I wanted to know after the first cutscene what Grace was all about and how she fits into the whole story. By the end, I wished for more development of her as a character, but it’s also just hard to exist alongside Leon.

I enjoyed the story, even if it was predictable in some places. Otherwise, as fans, you can look forward to countless Easter eggs. The story is once again in the well-known exaggerated Resident Evil style. Unfortunately, the villains are not as memorable as Nemesis, Wesker, or Lady Dimitrescu.

Leon as a character fits in well, and I felt reminded of Resident Evil 4 here again. The fan service itself often brought a smile to my face, but in some places, it was perhaps a bit too much. It could have been toned down a bit more to achieve a stronger impact.

Throughout the game, there are various tonal changes regarding the atmosphere, but thanks to the two characters, it fits quite well. The atmosphere works; I myself am a fan of both Resident Evil orientations: horror and action.

At this point, I also want to commend the controller controls. Not only was it fun during shooting, but thanks to the vibrations and the use of the speakers on the PS5 controller, the atmosphere was conveyed appropriately.

Grace is interesting, but Leon is the real star

Of course, I played the game multiple times

I am currently in my third playthrough, and that alone should show how fun the new installment is. I want to experiment with gameplay and see how to take down certain enemies faster or more efficiently.

During the 2nd playthrough, I also noticed how good the level design of the individual areas is. When you know how to run optimally, you save a lot of time, and that is one of the coolest elements of the series. 

Although I know the story, I still learn something new every time. I am motivated by the various challenges and unlockable extras. Anyone familiar with the series will feel quite at home.

In doing so, I quickly got back into a flow and was able to love the excellent gameplay even more.

I can only recommend playing through the games in the series more often, because only then do you realize how clever the level design is. To top off the gameplay, I would have loved to have had a mercenary mode, like a kind of “challenge mode” that was present in previous installments, but who knows, maybe Capcom will still deliver it, because Resident Evil Requiem definitely deserves it.

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I am already sure that Requiem will be one of the best action games of the year, even of recent years. It is a worthy return of Leon that has brought me, as a big fan of the series, an incredible amount of joy.

But now I am heading back to my 3rd playthrough; there are still some zombies to deal with. You can find out more about Leon’s design here: Female Capcom employees scrutinized Leon in the new Resident Evil so strictly that even his wrinkles looked perfect

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