Victrix Pro BFG and BFG Reloaded: The best pro controllers for PS5 and Xbox?

Victrix has launched the Pro BFG and Pro BFG Reloaded, a pro controller for PS5 and Xbox. MeinMMO editor Benedikt Schlotmann has tested both models and explains where the differences lie and which controller he can recommend.

The company Victrix, which now belongs to TurtleBeach, is known primarily for its controllers. With the “Pro BFG” series, they have brought pro controllers to the market that are highly customizable: many components can be swapped and easily replaced.

In everyday life, I have tested both a model for the PS5 and a model for the Xbox. Does the Reloaded feel better than the old model, and for whom is the controller particularly worthwhile? You can find all the details in this review.

Product in review, quick overview:

Who tested it?

Benedikt is a tech editor at MeinMMO and has been testing hardware for readers for many years. He tests mice, keyboards, headphones, and pretty much everything you can use with a computer, console, or other devices.

Transparency note: The two models were provided to MeinMMO by TurtleBeach for testing.

Asks meinmmo Benedikt

Benedikt Schlotmann
Hardware editor MeinMMO

Technical Details
Here you can find the technical details in table form (click to expand):
Design/InterfaceWired, Bluetooth, or wireless connection
Button TypeMicro switches (Pro BFG) or Hall effect switches (Pro BFG Reloaded)
Programmable ButtonsYes
LightingNo
CompatibilityPC, PS5 / Xbox (depending on the model)
Included AccessoriesPro BFG Wireless Controller with USB Wireless Dongle, Reversible D-Pad and left analog stick module; button and right analog stick module; 6-button fight pad module, 3-meter braided USB-C cable, interchangeable D-Pads, sticks, and gates, carrying case, module exchange tool
Special FeaturesModular and interchangeable buttons
Price (RRP)199.99 Euro (Pro BFG) or 199.99 (Reloaded)

Contents, design, and construction

Positive: Protective case, plenty of accessories | Negative: Strong smell upon unpacking | Neutral: Rear buttons instead of paddles; battery not removable

What’s included? In addition to the controller itself, Victrix has equipped the device with a generous set of accessories:

  • A USB dongle for connecting to the PS5, without the dongle, a connection to the PS5 is not possible.
  • A 6-button fightpad module
  • Transport and carrying case for the controller, including USB-C charging cable.
  • Additional, differently high button caps (so-called gates and caps) and interchangeable D-Pad buttons.

Annoying: The unpacked controller had an unpleasant plastic smell for the first weeks. It eventually faded away, but it wasn’t pleasant. This applied to both the Pro BFG and the Reloaded controller.

Design and construction: The special thing about the controller is that the model is modular: You can remove the thumbsticks including the buttons as a module, rotate or even swap them. In the case of partial defects, you can easily replace these parts.

Thus, you can also transform the normally symmetrical design of the PS5 controller into the asymmetrical design of the Xbox model and vice versa. This makes the controller very dynamic and flexible. The conversion, by the way, is child’s play: With the included screwdriver, you can remove the screws, then remove the module and insert a new one.

It’s a pity that Victrix opts for buttons instead of paddles on the back of its BFG series. Paddles generally feel more ergonomic and intuitive. But that’s often a matter of taste.

Victrix Pro BFG vs Pro BFG Reloaded

What are the differences? The most significant difference is the “Hall Effect” modules, which are said to be significantly more durable than the conventional stick modules. Otherwise, you get a more or less identical controller with the same haptics and functions. This applies to both the PS5 and Xbox version of the Victrix Pro BFG (Reloaded).

This also means: If you already own the standard Pro BFG, you can also buy the “Hall Effect Module Pack” for around 40 euros and receive the upgrade of the Reloaded model. Currently, you can get the module pack only directly from TurtleBeach.

Victrix Pro BFG (Reloaded): PS5 vs Xbox

Are there differences? Yes, there are a few important differences. One is the buttons: on the Xbox model, you find the Xbox glyphs, on the PlayStation model the PlayStation buttons.

Furthermore, the difference concerns the software: You can install the Victrix Control Hub on PC and Xbox. If you want to use the controller on the PS5, you must do this beforehand on a PC.

On the other hand, with the Xbox version, you get a lifetime “Dolby Atmos” subscription, which you can use on PC and Xbox with the controller.

Otherwise, you get an absolutely identically constructed controller: the haptics and technology are identical, at least I couldn’t notice any significant differences in everyday life.

Important: The Xbox model is not compatible with the PS5 and the Xbox model is not compatible with the PS5. However, on PC, you can use both the PlayStation and the Xbox model. So decide for the right model before purchasing.

Processing

Positive: Hall effect switches (Reloaded), modular components | Negative: – | Neutral: Fixed battery; a lot of plastic

The controller is primarily made of plastic. This makes it feel less premium than, for example, the official DualSense Edge for PS5 or the Elite 2 for Xbox.

Basically, you can disassemble the controller into several parts and remove all pads and thumb buttons. However, you cannot remove the battery. A decision I find unfortunate but find forgivable when looking at the other components.

While the standard Pro BFG uses micro switches, you get Hall effect switches with the Reloaded model. These offer a significantly higher longevity as no moving parts are used.

Software

Positive: Extensive settings possible | Negative: Victrix Control Hub only available on PC; software only available in the Microsoft Store | Neutral:

With the Victrix Control Hub, you can configure the controller in detail. The problem: The software is only available on PC and Xbox. Therefore, you inevitably need a PC or laptop to adjust the controller in detail for the PS5. I could not find or install the software on the PS5.

Also annoying: You can only get the software through the Microsoft Store. This means you have no chance of installing the software on Linux.

Through the software, you can adjust the L2 and R2 triggers, for instance, to customize the dead zone for triggering the triggers. Additionally, you can set up various profiles, which you can then switch on the controller. The only prerequisite is that you have set up the profiles on the PC.

Ergonomics and Weight

Positive: Lighter than the competition, ergonomics very flexible | Negative: | Neutral:

How heavy is the controller? The Pro BFG officially weighs 298 grams. This makes it both heavier than the official DualSense (280 grams) and heavier than the official Xbox controller (277 grams).

At the same time, the Victrix model undercuts the official pro models: The official DualSense Edge weighs 325 grams, and the Elite Series 2 even weighs 345 (+15) grams.

This makes the Pro BFG a very good alternative if all the official pro models are too heavy for you. If you play for an hour, you won’t notice much of the weight, but if you play for several hours, you will immediately feel the 20 to 40 grams less.

Ergonomics: When it comes to posture and ergonomics, the Pro BFG is very flexible, as you can rearrange the buttons and thus design it completely freely. Since the basic ergonomics strongly resemble the official PS5 and Xbox controllers, you don’t have to completely retrain.

That’s how it was for me in practice: Since I mostly played with the DualSense Edge on the PS5 before, the switch was not a big problem. My wife plays a lot with the official Xbox controller and has smaller hands, for her, switching to the Pro BFG was not an issue as both are very similar.

Gameplay: Brilliant Modularity, Good Haptics, Annoying Software

Positive: Module exchange easy and fast, good haptics/grip, snappy and adjustable triggers | Negative: Adjustments only possible on PC/Xbox | Neutral: Rear buttons a bit getting used to; higher latency over wireless, almost nonexistent via cable.

How does it play? Both the Pro BFG and Reloaded provide a very good haptic experience. The rubberized surface provides a good grip, so the controller doesn’t slip from your fingers. Not even when things get hectic.

What I find most annoying is that the software for the controller is not natively supported on the console: If I want to change settings, I have to do so on the PC. Here, the DualSense Edge is clearly at an advantage: Its software is natively integrated into the PS5 interface, and it couldn’t be easier.

One point that should also be noted: There is a slight latency over the wireless connection, which can be measured at least via software: Here the latency ranges between 12 and 16 ms. Over cable, the latency is rather between 6 and 8 ms. As an average player, you won’t notice much of this, but if you’re a professional athlete, the 5-8 ms difference can be noticeable.

On the Xbox, you also have the software available directly on the console. Here I spare myself the intermediate step via the PC.

In everyday life, however, the modularity feels brilliant, even if I don’t use it that often: Once I’ve adapted the controller to my hands and set up the modules, the controller stays that way. For everyday use, the modularity may not be that important, but it has clear advantages for long-term durability: If a part does break, it can easily be replaced – at least if Victrix/Turtle Beach sells replacement parts.

Conclusion: Recommendable upgrade if you don’t own a pro controller

For whom is the controller worthwhile? The market price of the standard controller for PS5 and Xbox is around 120 euros, for the Reloaded version, you pay 150 euros. If you do not yet own a Pro BFG, definitely opt for the Reloaded model. The Hall effect sticks feel significantly better and promise longer durability.

For the DualSense Edge, you currently pay around 180 euros, while the Elite 2 Wireless is already available for 140 euros. The Pro BFG Reloaded is somewhere in between. Overall, I just prefer the paddles of the large competitors over the back buttons of the Pro BFG, but you get better haptics and Hall effect sticks. The triggers also feel more precise.

If you already own a pro controller for PS5 or Xbox, you may not get anything new with the Pro BFG (Reloaded), otherwise, you get a very good alternative with enormous configuration options and lighter weight than the official controllers.

Alternatives:

  • On PS5: The official DualSense Edge offers native integration in the PS5 and has interchangeable thumbsticks. The controller is expensive, but in my opinion, worth the money.
  • On PC/Xbox: The Scuf Valor Pro Wireless offers TMR sticks, great trigger buttons, and a good battery life. The software is less convincing.
  • PC/Xbox/PS5: The Wolverine V3 Pro is now under 200 euros, here you get a comfortable controller with good battery life. However, the Synapse software is annoying on PC.

More controllers: If you are looking for more controllers for your console or PC, check out the following buying guide directly on MeinMMO: You can find more controllers in our buying guide for controllers for PC and Xbox.

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

Pokémon GO: Raids, legendary bosses and raid hours in March 2026

In March 2026, Pokémon GO brings you new raids with legendary bosses and mega monsters. In the overview from MeinMMO, you can see which ones they are.

With March, not only does a new month begin, but also the new season “Memories in Motion” in Pokémon GO. The contents of the new month traditionally include new legendary raid bosses, mega raids, and raid hours.

We will show you when to find which raid bosses. Monsters that you can also encounter as shiny are marked with an *.

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Pokémon GO shows its new season in the trailer

All Raid Hours in Pokémon GO in March 2026

Raid hours take place every Wednesday. They start at 6:00 PM and run until 7:00 PM. During this time, you can find the respective raid boss in numerous gyms, giving you a great opportunity to challenge and defeat the boss often.

DateBosses
March 4Articuno*, Zapdos* and Moltres*
March 11Zacian (Heroic Warrior)*
March 18Zamazenta (Heroic Warrior)*
March 25Regieleki*

All Raid Bosses in Pokémon GO in March 2026

DateBosses
March 4 – 10Articuno*, Zapdos* and Moltres* in 5-star raids
Counters against Articuno
Counters against Zapdos
Counters against Moltres
March 4 – 10Mega Pinsir* in Mega Raids
Counters against Mega Pinsir
March 11 – 17Zacian (Heroic Warrior)* in 5-star raids
Counters against Zacian
March 11 – 17Mega Steelix* in Mega Raids
Counters against Mega Steelix
March 18 – 24Zamazenta (Heroic Warrior)* in 5-star raids
Counters against Zamazenta
March 18 – 24Mega Lapras* in Mega Raids
Counters against Mega Lapras
March 25 – 31Regieleki* in 5-star raids
Counters against Regieleki
March 25 – 31Mega Houndoom* in Mega Raids
Counters against Mega Houndoom
On weekendsShadow Latias* in 5-star Shadow Raids
Counters against Latias

Not only raids and bosses await you in March 2026 in the game. As usual, a whole series of other events and contents are also part of the new month. However, a very popular event is currently missing from the overview of the new season and the events in March 2026 in Pokémon GO.

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

In a new game on Steam, I rebuild Rome after the apocalypse, while being chased by zombie Romans

In Romestead, city building meets action-adventure and zombie Romans. MeinMMO author Linda Baumgartl tested the new demo on Steam.

What is Romestead? After the apocalypse, not much is left of Rome. In the action-adventure survival game Romestead, it is therefore our task to rebuild civilization. We do this either alone or in co-op with up to eight players.

Until March 3, 2026, you can try the game in a free demo on Steam. It includes the first two biomes, three bosses, 15 dungeons, and of course the basic game mechanics including multiplayer. Recently, there is even a German translation, which still needs to be worked on in many areas.

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After the fall of Rome, civilization must be rebuilt, but this is not without danger

Rome after the apocalypse looks quite nice

How often do you actually think about the Roman Empire? Honestly, not that often. Still, the setting in Romestead immediately intrigued me. A post-apocalyptic Rome? With Roman zombies? I have to check that out!

At first, the game greets you with a short intro in which we learn about the fall of Rome. Then it quickly moves on to character creation and the procedurally generated game world. This consists of two biomes in the demo version: a dry plains landscape and mysterious forest areas. Both feel atmospheric and look really good, thanks to successful pixel graphics.

While exploring the open game world, I quickly realize that I am by no means alone despite the apocalypse. At first, I only encounter ordinary animals like wild boars or goats. However, as I venture deeper into the forests, I suddenly come across orc-like creatures. They either lie in wait for me alone or guard promising chests in their camps, from which I initially prefer to keep my distance. There are also cute golems that throw their heads at me. That sounds more brutal than it is, as the heads are made of resources like stones or bushes. And then, of course, there are the Romans. Zombie Romans, who especially swarm over me at night.

Thematically, Romestead delivers what it promises. The game world is interesting and invites exploration – just as I hope for from a good action-adventure.

Building my own Rome

To protect myself from the nightly threats, I quickly decide to embark on building my new home. However, before base building can begin, a few resources still need to be collected. Although the controls in Romestead feel fundamentally familiar, there are a few small peculiarities.

Large resources, especially logs and stones, can only be picked up one at a time by pressing the spacebar. With a left mouse button click, you can then throw carried items away with considerable force. This is not only fun but can also be used to break down resources. For example, you need to throw flint at large rocks to get flint shards.

However, the work becomes much easier with the right tools. Conveniently, these don’t have to be selected every time via the hotbar, as you would expect from most games. Instead, you equip the character appropriately once. Then, a simple left click is enough, and the right tool is automatically used.

Once you have gathered everything necessary, nothing stands in the way of rebuilding Rome – or at least a small village. In build mode, buildings can be placed, then equipped with resources and constructed through a small minigame.

But what is a city without inhabitants? Fortunately, while exploring the game world, you can find some civilians who would love to join our settlement. You just need to have a sleeping place free. Each civilian has certain traits and must be regularly supplied with food. In return, they work diligently for us. For each task, the appropriate building must be built beforehand. For example, there’s the lumberjack, who generates logs for us automatically. Or the leather workshop, where rudimentary weapons and armor can be crafted. Thus, we gradually assemble a proper little town that we must manage and protect from dangers.

In the long run, it doesn’t have to stay at one location. We can even found more settlements and send resources back and forth with transport routes.

Even the gods help me

Right at the start, I encounter another important component of the game. I have a meeting with Minerva, a true goddess. However, due to the fall of Rome, the gods have a small problem. They have lost their followers and thus their power.

It is now up to me to restore divine power. I do this on the one hand by fulfilling their quests. But even more exciting is the altar. Here, I can sacrifice resources – or even undesirable residents – that grant me favor with different gods. Each deity has its own little level tree, in which I can unlock thematically appropriate things. These are primarily new buildings or stats for the character.

This system really works well. On one hand, it gives me a reason to grind resources on a large scale. On the other hand, it also motivates to explore further and discover the perfect offerings. Because each god has different preferences. So it’s not enough to focus solely on one aspect of the game.

The encounter with an owl makes me a magician

After I have constructed my first buildings and crafted my first equipment, I finally decide to face the first boss of Romestead: a giant owl. Boldly, I throw myself into the fray with sword and shield. Using the spacebar, I try to dodge skillfully to evade the nasty attacks of the fluttering creature. Nevertheless, I don’t survive for long.

During my second attempt, I am already better prepared. I have crafted a magic scroll with which I can shoot lightning. Interestingly, there is no mana in Romestead. Instead, magical attacks cost stamina. In battle, I must therefore be even more frugal with the dodge dashes, which also cost stamina.

With this method, I am significantly more successful, which is why I stick with the scroll in the further gameplay. Even the zombie hordes can be easily kept at bay this way. Here, the developers might need to work a bit on the balancing.

Overall, the combat system works well, even though it is relatively simple in itself. Complexity is promised by the developers mainly through a large selection of equipment, which is to be significantly expanded in the full version.

But I’ve already enjoyed the RPG elements very much. In addition to the equipment, there is also a classic level tree with which you can further refine your character. Additionally, each skill in the game levels up by performing it. So there are plenty of levers to individually adjust and level the character.

The perfect mix of city management and action

Even in the demo, Romestead was really fun for me. While the game doesn’t completely reinvent the wheel, it still feels fresh. This is partly due to the relatively untapped setting. On the other hand, the game has enough little quirks to make the gameplay feel special.

In terms of content, Romestead strikes the perfect bridge for me between management building game and action-adventure with boss fights and dungeons. Coupled with an interesting game world and beautiful pixel graphics, it results in a great overall package. MeinMMO editor Niko is also excited about a zombie game. While there are no Romans here, there is still plenty of action: The new Resident Evil is so good that I have played it three times already

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

World of Warcraft for complete beginners – 7 tips for an easy start

Hold on, Adventurer! English localization still loading...

This article is currently in its original German "vanilla" version. We're channeling our inner Mein-MMO and grinding hard on the English localization quest line!

The full English version will be unlocked soon. Thanks for your patience.

Ihr wollt als Neuling in World of Warcraft einsteigen, habt euch bisher aber nicht getraut? Wir haben Tipps und Tricks, damit der Einstieg gelingt.

World of Warcraft Midnight ist fast da und Blizzard rührt die Werbetrommel ordentlich. Da wird der eine oder die andere dazu verleitet, doch endlich mal in das große MMORPG reinzuschauen. Aber die Einstiegshürden sind groß. Immerhin existiert das Spiel seit über 20 Jahren und bietet so viel Content, dass man sich denken könnte: Das lohnt gar nicht, damit anzufangen.

Außerdem heißt es immer wieder, je nachdem, welche Seite man fragt, das Spiel sei viel zu einfach, weil man es nur mit einer Taste spielen kann – oder aber viel zu schwer, weil man zusätzliche Programme benötigt, um erfolgreich oben mitmischen zu können.

Die Wahrheit liegt wie so oft irgendwo dazwischen. Falls ihr komplette Neulinge seid und bisher nicht den Schritt in die World of Warcraft gewagt habt, wollen wir euch mit diesen Einsteiger-Tipps ein wenig die Sorgen nehmen.

Welche Erweiterungen muss ich kaufen?

In manchen Köpfen hängt noch immer der Gedanke: World of Warcraft hat inzwischen 11 Erweiterungen veröffentlicht – und die muss man alle einzeln kaufen. Das ist grundsätzlich falsch.

Schon seit mehreren Jahren ist es so, dass man nur noch das Grundspiel und die jeweils aktuelle Erweiterung benötigt. Das Grundspiel kostet die Abo-Gebühren (also 11 € bis 13 € pro Monat, je nach Angebot). Die neuste Erweiterung „Midnight“ kostet in der günstigsten Version 50 €. Das ist alles, was ihr braucht, wenn ihr mit WoW durchstarten wollt. Die unterschiedlichen Midnight-Versionen haben wir euch hier vorgestellt.

Eine kostenlose Test-Version bis Stufe 20 gibt es zwar, allerdings vergeht die Zeit bis Level 20 sehr schnell und zu diesem Zeitpunkt hat man noch gar kein richtiges Gefühl für die Spielweise der eigenen Klasse.

WoW Xalatath Holding Dark Heart Smirk titel title 1280x720
Ihr braucht nur “Midnight” kaufen – und ein aktives WoW-Abo.

Welche Interface-Addons muss ich installieren?

Ein weiterer Punkt sind die sogenannten „Interface-Addons“, manchmal auch nur „Addons“ genannt (und daher mit den großen Spielerweiterungen leicht zu verwechseln, die auch „Addons“ heißen).

Interface-Addons sind kostenlos und können dazu eingesetzt werden, die Benutzer-Oberfläche des Spiels anzupassen. Wer etwa möchte, dass die eigenen Lebensbalken und das Mana aussehen wie in Diablo oder einem anderen RPG, kann das damit erreichen.

Interface-Addons sind vollkommen optional und nicht notwendig, um World of Warcraft zu spielen.

Besonders für Midnight wurden Interface-Addons in ihren Funktionen deutlich eingeschränkt, um weniger Vorteile zu bieten.

Wir empfehlen, das Spiel erst einmal komplett ohne solche Addons zu spielen und sich mit den Optionen anzufreunden, die es von Haus aus gibt. Das ist in den allermeisten Fällen vollkommen ausreichend und bietet bereits umfassende Anpassungsmöglichkeiten.

Falls ihr dennoch ein paar Addons installieren wollt, um Funktionen zu haben, die WoW nicht von Haus aus anbietet, haben wir hier ein paar Anregungen von besonders nützlichen Addons und dem jeweiligen Download-Link auf CurseForge:

  • MapCoords: MapCoords fügt eurer Karte und Mini-Karte Koordinaten hinzu. Das ist nützlich, wenn ihr etwa Guides befolgt, in denen oft über Koordinaten die Positionen von wichtigen NPCs angezeigt werden.
  • WIM (WoW Instant Messenger) v3: WIM verändert die Art, wie ihr Flüster-Nachrichten von anderen Spielern bekommt. Die werden dann sauber in einzelnen Fenstern sortiert und die Nachrichten auch für die Zukunft gespeichert. Praktisch, wenn man noch einmal etwas nachlesen will.
  • Total RP 3: Falls ihr auf einem Rollenspiel-Realm spielt und RP betreiben wollt, empfiehlt sich Total RP 3. Dort könnt ihr eurem Charakter eine Beschreibung und Nachnamen geben und außerdem die Beschreibung anderer Charaktere lesen oder sogar auf der Karte sehen, wo gerade RP gespielt wird.

Wie man Addons installiert, haben wir in diesem Artikel erklärt.

WowAddonUmfrageThumbnail
Mit Interface-Addons kann man das Spiel-Erlebnis anpassen – aber zwingend notwendig ist das nicht.

Welche Klasse ist die Beste?

Wichtiger noch als die Auswahl des Volkes ist die Wahl, welche Klasse man spielen soll. Denn welche Klasse ist „die Beste“? Und welche Klasse „spielt niemand, weil sie so schlecht ist“?

Ganz grundsätzlich gilt hier: Wählt die Klasse, die euch optisch am meisten anspricht. Wenn ihr gerne mit Feuer um euch schmeißt und Dämonen beschwört, spielt eine Hexenmeisterin. Mögt ihr es klassisch und haut gerne mit übergroßen Zweihandwaffen zu, wählt einen Krieger. Wenn ihr einen Hang zu Tieren oder tierischen Begleitern habt, probiert euch am Jäger oder Druiden.

Alle 13 Klassen in World of Warcraft sind gut. Ja, zu jedem Zeitpunkt gibt es immer einen „Favoriten“, der mathematisch ein kleines bisschen besser ist. Aber das ist zum einen nur für die Profis wirklich wichtig und zum anderen bringt Blizzard alle paar Wochen einen Patch, um die Balance anzupassen.

Falls ihr ein paar Empfehlungen wollt, welche Klassen sich für Neulinge am besten eignen, haben wir einen Artikel mit den Klassen, die für den Einstieg hervorragend geeignet sind.

Jede Klasse hat ihre Daseinsberechtigung und ist in jeder Form von Spielinhalt gut spielbar.

Wichtig hier ist aber auch: Eine neue Klasse lässt sich in World of Warcraft im Verlauf von ein bis drei Abenden auf die Maximalstufe bringen. Die Wahl der Klasse ist also keine permanente Entscheidung, die ihr im Zweifelsfall bereut. WoW ist inzwischen sehr freundlich, wenn es um das Spielen von Zweitcharakteren geht. Experimentiert also ruhig mit allen Klassen und schaut, welche euch am meisten Freude bereitet.

Auf der nächsten Seite gibt es weitere Tipps – zu falschen Entscheidungen und dem Schwierigkeitsgrad.

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

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.

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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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.”

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

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.

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

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.

Start video
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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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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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:

“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

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.

Elder Scrolls Online makes it easier for single players with a new feature, they still prefer to beg for help in chat

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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).

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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.

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

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:

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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.

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

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.

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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.

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