League of Legends often has small gamesin the launcher that are implemented for specific events. Now, Riot is taking a step further and even introducing a Roguelike with the latest patch. However, those who only want to play the new mini-game will quickly be disappointed.
What kind of game is this? Since the last patch, there is the game The Demon Hand in the LoL launcher. It’s automatically included; you just need to have the latest patch installed. The game is reminiscent in its structure of Steam hits like Balatro or Inscryption.
In The Demon Hand, you have to defeat an enemy card each round by combining cards, playing them, and enhancing them with certain passive abilities. This is similar to Balatro and the jokers. Many players seem to have fun with it, but those who want to progress must play regular League of Legends.
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Welcome to Noxus – Opening Video for the First LoL Season 2025
If you want more difficulty levels, you need to dive into the multiplayer of LoL
How does progression work in the game? Basically, the game is turn-based, just like classic roguelikes. If you want to unlock additional difficulty levels beyond the easy one, you have to play the normal LoL modes. With 8 or 16 so-called seals, you unlock the two higher difficulty levels.
As Gamesradar reports, these seals do not seem to drop after a specific number of matches. This is also one of the points of criticism from the community, which generally finds the mode quite good.
What does the community say about The Demon Hand? In a Reddit thread with currently over 1,200 upvotes and more than 200 comments (as of March 21, 2025, 10:20), players are discussing the new game mode. It is generally well received, although there are two major points of criticism.
bobanobahoba (via Reddit) praises the game and compares it to Balatro: Honestly, it captures a reasonable portion of the fun (and maybe even more) of crafting in Balatro, even though it has none of that deck-building.
TheAnnibal (via Reddit) found his first round generally good but criticized the game’s performance: I loved the first run, but it has SERIOUS performance issues
Also, Topline1 (via Reddit) likes the game but criticizes the progression: People like me who play League only occasionally can’t play the other modes because unlocking the seals takes so many games and so much time… That’s the only bad thing about this mini-game.
Overall, the game seems to be well received, although many feel it could have been implemented differently at best.
With Game of Thrones: Kingsroad, a new action RPG in the universe of the successful book series by George R.R. Martin is being released on Steam. Fans of the world of Westeros won’t have to wait much longer for the game: it will be released in just a few days.
What is Game of Thrones: Kingsroad? Game of Thrones: Kingsroad is a new open-world RPG set in the Game of Thrones universe. In the game, you are a bastard of House Tyre, an insignificant noble house in Westeros.
Your task is to help your house regain its glory. True to the Game of Thrones style, it’s not just about brutal fights between warriors, but also about political power games. On your journey, you will encounter familiar characters from the series.
You will travel through Westeros in a large open world and face human and monstrous dangers in an action combat system, which resembles God of War. You should also be able to do all this in crossplay co-op.
The game is being developed by Netmarble Neo and will be released on mobile platforms as well as on Steam. It was unclear for a long time when the game would be released exactly. Now we know: Game of Thrones: Kingsroad will be available in Early Access on March 26, 2025. Various versions have already been announced.
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Game of Thrones Kingsroad shows powerful monsters in the video
Different Versions of Westeros in Early Access
What Early Access versions are available? The Early Access begins on March 26, 2025, and to participate, you must purchase one of 3 packages on Steam:
The Standard Pack for €24.99 offers you early access, an outfit, an emoji pack, and 350 iron coins.
With the Deluxe Pack, you also receive an additional outfit, a horse as a mount, a nameplate, the premium battle pass, 750 iron coins, and 50,000 copper coins. This version costs €49.99.
If you want the premium battle pass Plus, a shadow wolf as a mount, gear for mounts, 2000 iron coins, and 200,000 copper coins, then you should get the Ultimate Pack for €89.99.
On the Steam page, the developer confirms that the game will be free after Early Access.
Is the game worth it? One will have to wait and see how the monetization in the game will be. The South Korean developer Netmarble has primarily developed free mobile games in the past, which are known for controversial monetization strategies. An example can be found in a Reddit thread about the game Marvel Future Fight.
If you’re unsure, you can also wait for the full release. However, when this will go live is still unknown.
Yesterday, on March 20, the new MMORPG shooter Pioner showcased fresh gameplay at the Future Games Show: In the trailer “Collapse,” fans can see nearly 2 minutes of action that is expected in the shooter for its release in 2025. Pioner is announced for Steam, but is also set to be released for PS5 and Xbox.
What do we see in the trailer? The new trailer for Pioner showcases a dark look set in a backdrop reminiscent of a post-apocalyptic Soviet Union. The game promises an open world set on a desolate, post-apocalyptic island. The developers promise a map of about 50 square kilometers and hidden dungeons.
The character blasts through the environment with a variety of rustic weapons and robust-looking gear: Monsters await him, some of which seem to have emerged from a horror film, while others could be straight out of a science fiction movie.
The story unfolds, as known from Borderlands, through audio recordings of wildly rambling characters.
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PIONER – Trailer for the post-apocalyptic open-world game
Pioner already shows a variety of weapons and monsters
On the website for Pioner, it is clear that the game has been in the works for a long time. The gameplay in the trailer is exactly what one has always wished for from the last The Division with zombies, the game The Day Before.:
A monster gallery shows us zombies, fast zombies, hellhounds, disgusting spider creatures, worms, and many mutated things.
An impressive weapon gallery provides us with weapons such as the Polish AR-16, the German submachine gun USMG (“The Germans know how to make weapons, and the submachine gun proves it!”) or the AV Sapphire-M, reminiscent of an AK47. The sniper rifle “Dragoon,” apparently a variant of the Dragunov, is also found in the arsenal.
In Beyond All Reason, the developers have created a mega battle with over 10,000 units and 110 players simultaneously in multiplayer.
What kind of battle was it? In Beyond All Reason (BAR), the developers organized an event to celebrate the milestone of 40,000 members on Discord, where players could battle each other with up to 160 participants and up to 15,000 units at the same time.
Normally, the RTS supports a maximum of 32 players per match, which is already a considerable number compared to other titles in the genre. More players are typically not possible because that would exclude many gamers with older hardware. However, for the community event, this hurdle was lifted.
Here you can watch the trailer for Beyond All Reason:
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Launch trailer for Beyond All Reason showcases massive battles of the real-time strategy game
Mega Battle with over 110 players
How did the battle go? During the community event, there were several large-scale battles. The one with the most players had 110 gamers in a match, divided into 5 equal teams of 22 players each. The fight took place on a tight map with five main islands as starting points and several smaller islands in the neutral area, lasting about 45 minutes.
Anyone interested can watch the entire battle on the YouTube channel of WintergamingTV. The strategy content creator commented on the mega battle:
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Much to the surprise of many, the infrastructure of Beyond All Reason held up well against the large number of players and more than 10,000 units simultaneously. Although the netcode of the RTS was not designed for this, the servers of BAR handled everything apparently without any issues. The netcode refers to the technology that synchronizes data between players and servers to enable a smooth online experience.
It was a different story for the players. The high number of units and players caused low frames per second, especially for gamers with older hardware, while gamers with the latest machines clearly had the advantage in this scenario.
What kind of game is it? Beyond All Reason is a free real-time strategy game in which you can command hundreds or even thousands of units at the same time. The title is inspired by genre classics like Total Annihilation and Supreme Commander.
The real-time strategy game is not available on Steam, but only through its own website (via beyondallreason.info) for free download. Unlike many other games, the title is funded entirely through donations and purchases from players in its own merchandise store. Donations do not provide any advantages.
In Path of Exile 2, the developers have revived their series of build presentations on YouTube. The new build they are showcasing does not rely on attacks at all and even eliminates your enemies while you are AFK.
What kind of build is this? The developers of Path of Exile 2 continuously present character builds from the community on their YouTube channel. The “Reflect” Pathfinder build by user KallTorak has now been presented by the developers.
The build is characterized by the fact that as a player, you do not have to do anything to eliminate nearby enemies. With this build, you can simply walk through the levels and eliminate any enemy, including bosses on the highest difficulty, without any effort.
Here you can watch the trailer for the new season Dawn of the Hunt:
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Path of Exile 2 presents a new teaser for the big update Dawn of the Hunt
Achieving Goals with Ice and Poison
How does the build work? To deal damage to your enemies without using attacks or other active skills, you need the buff “Arctic Armour,” which deals cold damage to any of your enemies who attack you with melee attacks.
To make this buff your main source of damage, you need the unique gloves “Plaguefinger Gauze Wraps.” These ensure that you poison your enemies with the “Arctic Armour” buff.
According to the developers, you should invest in skills in the skill tree that provide you with more cold damage and poison magnitude to increase your damage.
However, to attack not only melee fighters with your poison, you need another buff, the “Herald of Plague,” which transfers the poison from defeated enemies to nearby foes. This quickly leads to a mass outbreak that infects your entire field of vision.
According to the devs, this buff should be further enhanced with the support skill “Bursting Plague.” This support skill increases damage to up to 10 % of your enemies’ life points per second and causes them to explode upon death, dealing damage to nearby enemies as well.
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What does the defense look like? To deal damage to your enemies, you have to let yourself get hit. This also means that you need enough defense to survive.
This build, like many others, relies on energy shield and the node “Mind over Matter,” which consumes your mana before your life points. Since this build does not use active skills, it does not require any mana. You can find a detailed guide for the build on maxroll.gg
How good is the build? According to the developers, you can defeat even the toughest enemies at the highest difficulty levels with this build. However, the harder your enemies are, the longer it may take, and often an active skill as an attack would be a faster option. However, the developers themselves say: “But where’s the fun in that?”
Aside from the big tournaments, Twitch streamers also occasionally organize events in League of Legends. One such project is currently being worked on by the streamer Autophil, who does not rely on classic LoL but rather on a wilder mode.
Who is Autophil? Phil Ehrlich is a German Twitch streamer who specializes in LoL. In addition to streaming, he also plays as a jungler for the German team VININE. He has been streaming regularly, almost every day, since 2020.
Currently, he is organizing the tournament Arena Rumble, supported by Riot Games, where on March 29, 2025, and March 30, 2025, several influencers and even 4 viewers will compete against each other in Arena mode.
Why is Arena not a real LoL? Arena differs significantly from classic LoL. Instead of big strategies with objectives like dragons or towers, it mainly focuses on 2 against 2 combat. The Augments can create great chaos and influence how certain champions are played.
This naturally has a random factor, but that is also the charm of the mode, which can reward players who might not be the best at classic League of Legends.
A press release provided additional information about the tournament to MeinMMO.
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Das ist LoL – Einmal richtig ehrlich erklärt
64 influencers, including former and current professionals
Who is participating? On X.com, Autophil confirmed that 64 content creators will take part in the tournament. This will create 32 teams. In addition to trophies, there is also a cash prize for 1st place (€2,500), 2nd place (€1,500), and 3rd place (€1,000). The following influencers are among those participating:
Bausffs, currently known from Team Los Ratones
Broeki
Sola
Krokoboss
Elotrix
Agurin
LPGjustJohnny
TwoStone
PowerofEvil
RvNxMango
Mahluna
Also participating are 2 viewer teams that qualified for the tournament in a community qualifier.
What kind of tournament is this? The special thing about this tournament is that it will not be the classic 5 against 5, but the temporary Arena mode. In this, 8 teams of 2 compete against each other in several rounds.
Aren’t the candidates unfair? With Bausffs, Agurin, and PowerofEvil, there are players who perform really well in solo queue or have played in the professional arena in the past and currently. To balance this out, there is a points rule.
Each team can only consist of 16 points; the better the rank of the player, the higher the points. Challengers weigh 10 points and then decrease by one point for each rank.
Where can you watch the tournament? Both the semifinals on March 29 and the finals on March 30 will be broadcast as a main event on the Twitch channel of Autophil. The individual Twitch streamers will additionally stream their own gameplay perspective.
While some gamers want to experience as many different games as possible, others spend thousands of hours with their one favorite game. A playtime statistic from a well-known MMORPG recently impressed many during a discussion on Reddit.
What is this discussion about? In one of the hottest threads on Reddit (with over 16,000 upvotes and more than 8,900 comments), gamers compare their playtimes.
RedSonja_ has invested about 2,510 hours in Rimworld (via Reddit).
Own_Exercise_7018 has had around 9,000 hours of fun with Team Fortress 2 (via Reddit).
Asoui_ has about 4,000 hours in Counter-Strike: GO (via Reddit)
gameinggod21 claims to have already spent 1,690 hours in Warframe (via Reddit).
dakondakblade calls for help because he has reached 9,505 hours in Destiny 2 (PC). However, he claims there are still 2,000 hours missing from Xbox (via Reddit).
Bestefarssistemens briefly explains on Reddit: “I don’t want to talk about it.” The reply from Kazko25 caught our attention: “It can’t be more than this 20,000 guy …, right?”
In 10 years of Black Desert, one can accumulate significant playtime – here is the trailer for the anniversary:
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Black Desert: Tribute trailer celebrates 10th anniversary of the MMORPG
“The grind waits for no one”
What about the 20,000 guy? He can be found further down in the discussion. Inner-Republic8363 attached a screenshot from Steam showing the total playtime for the MMORPG Black Desert as 20,368 hours. That’s more than two years.
Itub2000 responds to Reddit with: “He is even online while he took the screenshot.”
probablyuntrue writes on Reddit: “The grind waits for no one”
jlsjwt can’t believe it on Reddit: “I checked and you have to play an average of 5.5 hours a day since the game was released 10.5 years ago.”
kjmajo also shows surprise on Reddit: “Wow, that’s a lot! Like a full-time job for 10 years.”
NihilForAWihil admits on Reddit: “Now imagine MMOs that don’t have autoplay components that are already over 25 years old, like EverQuest 1.”
Why spend so much time in Black Desert? There are three reasons for that:
Black Desert has no max level for the leveling phase. At a certain point, it just gets tougher to achieve further level-ups through monster grinding. In October 2024, MeinMMO reported that for the first time, a player from Black Desert reached level 70.
In Black Desert, there are life skills like fishing, which can be done through automation even when no one is actively playing. However, you must be online.
There are now countless classes in Black Desert that all play wonderfully. Those who want to level these up in large numbers must invest time. Moreover, seasonal servers continuously invite players to start fresh with a character.
Global ranking for playtime in Black Desert: 20,368 hours of playtime sounds like a lot, but it does not even rank among the top spots within the Black Desert community. The top players reach playtimes of 50,000 or even 60,000 hours. For Inner-Republic8363, it’s not even enough for the top 175 (via steamladder.com).
What about the MMORPG expert from MeinMMO? I already mentioned it in my introduction a little over a year ago: Across all characters and versions of World of Warcraft, I am nearing the 3-year mark in total playtime.
Specifically, since 2005 up until March 2024, it has been exactly 2 years, 230 days, and 16 hours. Over the past year, that number has probably increased by a few more hours.
While I’m not one of those players who stand half-afk in one of the capitals for hours and pose with the loot I’ve collected, even my number does not reflect the actual playtime.
For example, I remember a phase in WoW Classic when I stood with my rogue at spawn points for the Black Lotus during work hours, trying to get a chance at the valuable herbs despite the tough competition. Now I’m curious: what are the playtimes in your favorite games? Here’s a colleague’s response, along with a humorous anecdote: I have 1,000 hours in Monster Hunter, but I could only defeat one monster as a coward
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Developers love to play games they have created themselves, including the boss of Monster Hunter Wilds. Now he reports on a hunt that did not go as planned.
Who is it about? In a short address to the fans of Monster Hunter Wilds, three faces from the Capcom team appeared on screen:
Producer Ryozo Tsujimoto
Executive Director/Art Director Kaname Fujioka
Director Yuya Tokuda
It was about the 21st anniversary of Monster Hunter (via x.com), but producer Ryozo Tsujimoto first asked both developers how their experiences in the game are currently. Yuya Tokuda, the head of Monster Hunter Wilds, then shared a funny experience he had during an SOS signal.
What happened to the boss? Yuya Tokuda responded to an SOS signal where a player needed help hunting a Gore Magala. This monster is one of the last you encounter and is also one of the wildest and most dangerous specimens in the game due to its frenzy virus .
You might think that with a team member like the head of Monster Hunter Wilds, nothing could go wrong on the hunt, but it turned out differently. Yuya Tokuda experienced the following: “Recently, I joined a Gore Magala hunt via an SOS flare, only to promptly get carried away by everyone else. I felt bad about it, but we managed to finish the hunt!”.
This even made his colleagues Kaname Fujioka and Ryozo Tsujimoto smile. Even if the situation might be uncomfortable, it’s a good sign that players can appreciate.
What can players appreciate? The fact that even the boss personally plays his game. A game never comes to market perfectly, whether it’s about bugs or balancing. The latter is often up to the fans to communicate problems back to the developers in the form of feedback.
However, there are situations where decisions made by developers often go against what fans criticize. Some players then doubt whether the developers even know their game and play it themselves.
The research “More and More” in Pokémon GO seemed almost impossible for many players after the GO Tour 2025 ended. Now there is good news.
What kind of research is this? The special research “More and More” was introduced with the Einall Tour 2025 and focused on the Pokémon Reshiram, Zekrom, and Kyurem.
This research included tasks related to two different paths that needed to be solved. It quickly became clear: While solving tasks during the GO Tour weekend went quite well, problems arose if one was not finished after the event.
What was the problem? The fourth step of the research required catching Kyurem, Zekrom, or Reshiram, as well as fusing a Kyurem in its special form. The problem was: After the tour, these Pokémon were no longer available. Consequently, the research would be impossible to complete – at least until the Pokémon eventually return to the game. And when that will be, no one knows at this time.
Fortunately, there has now been a change in the requirements.
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Pokémon GO: What’s in the new Season Powerful and Masterful
This is the new Step 4 of More and More in Pokémon GO
Anyone who looks at the game today will notice that the research has changed. Step 4 of the special research now requires meeting completely different goals:
Catch 50 Fire-type Pokémon
Catch 50 Electric-type Pokémon
Use 50 Nanab berries when catching Pokémon
Once you’ve achieved this, you will receive 25 units of Fusion Energy, 5 Kyurem Candy, and 1 XL Candy for Kyurem. Additionally, you can move on to Step 5, where the only task left is to complete 5 raids.
What does this mean? This means that you are no longer reliant on catching the legendary Pokémon. Instead, you just need to collect monsters from the wild that match the required types, and you will complete the task gradually by yourself.
However, the change also means that the progress in Step 4 has been reset for everyone who had completed the task but had not yet claimed it. If you belong to this group, you will now have to start from scratch with the new tasks.
Nevertheless, overall the new goal is noticeably easier to accomplish than the previous one.
What’s next? In March, there are still a few dates lined up where you can catch exciting Pokémon. Right around the corner, the Community Day Classic featuring Karnimani awaits. You can participate on March 22 to secure the Water Crocodile and possibly catch a Shiny. Additionally, there are several other dates to look forward to. We will show you in the overview of all events in March 2025 in Pokémon GO.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
When does one become a good gamer? MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus has previously played in the semi-professional sector and dares to take on an analysis.
In mid-March, Riot banned some external programs for League of Legends that helped players keep track of various timers. This raised the question in the MeinMMO editorial team: Does a good player really need to memorize such things? Do they need to know when which monster respawns in the jungle?
I completely agree with this. However, a “good gamer” is not always someone who plays well. Because there are other factors that, in my opinion, are significantly more important.
Who is writing here? Benedict plays almost everything, from solo RPGs to survival MMOs to competitive shooters. He used to play a lot of League of Legends and Heroes of the Storm – and even earned some money from it. Even though his performances are no longer as good as they once were, victories remain the most important thing for him in gaming, and esports holds a special place in his heart.
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Der Cinematic-Trailer zu Blizzards MOBA Heroes of the Storm
Practice makes perfect, literally
Whether in shooters, MMORPGs, or MOBAs: Those who play a lot will get better – as long as they follow Cortyn’s advice to analyze their mistakes. The improvement in gaming skill comes from practicing certain mechanics while playing.
In most video games, patterns repeat themselves time and again, either in the form of specific sequences of abilities or through more abstract things like recurring movements. Some examples:
The “patterns” of bosses in games like Dark Souls are often the same, and you can recognize them by certain cues from the opponent.
Bosses in MMOs have a fixed set of abilities that they use depending on various conditions.
The classes in RPGs and MMORPGs have their own abilities that work better in specific combinations and sequences.
In shooters, the hitboxes of opponents are always the same, so the movement for aiming remains similar.
Those who frequently play these games passively learn these patterns. Instead of constantly needing to pay attention to which action is better in which situation, a pattern has already become “second nature.” Muscle memory takes over. You react almost instinctively.
That this truly works has already been established by colleague Dariusz Müller. Dariusz is an enthusiastic shooter player and has spent 100 hours in an aim trainer to improve – with success.
Surely there are prodigies whose reflexes are so good that they can adapt to new situations within milliseconds. However, for most players, repetitions help to become mechanically better.
Those who stop getting better, stop being good
Those who stop getting better stop being good – I apply this phrase to a large part of my life, both professionally and in gaming. Those who are good at something have usually worked hard for it, but they should not rest on their achievements.
Once learned mechanics can be forgotten, and even the muscle memory that you all probably know from swiping on a smartphone can be lost. So, if you go a long time without playing or improving, you will get worse again.
However, if you have reached a point that sets you apart from the majority of players, you still have an advantage. Because with enough practice, you will – like in a gym – eventually reach a higher base level than an “untrained” gamer. Losing that level takes a long time.
Therefore, it is quite “fair” that someone who invests a lot of time is better than you. After all, this person dedicates their time to actively getting better – while you may be training your skills in cooking or dealing with people in real life.
However, practice is just one of two parts that distinguish a good player from someone who truly plays well. Because with trained patterns, there comes a significant danger: You become predictable.
This is not relevant for boss fights in MMORPGs and other PvE activities. Here, it solely depends on how well your own skill is. However, in competitive environments like PvP shooters and MOBAs, the situation is different.
Because you always have to consider that your opponent may also be practiced, and possibly even had more time than you. Therefore, it is important to be flexible. Do things that are not predictable or recognize situations where you can apply practiced maneuvers.
With sufficient knowledge about a game, you can encounter situations that, in the extreme case, are new for all parties. It is only at this point that it truly matters who can react faster. But once you reach this point, you can already confidently count yourself among the top ten percent of gamers.
However, practice and flexibility are not the only things you can train to get better. It can actually be simpler to get a bit more out of your gameplay, for example with the right hardware. Because besides skill, it can make a difference which monitor you use: Streamer Shroud tests: Does a 144Hz monitor make you a better shooter player?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A player from Monster Hunter Wilds reports a frustrating multiplayer experience during a capture quest. The community jumps in with advice and reveals how to easily avoid such situations.
What kind of experience is it? On Reddit, doomcomplex reports that after finishing the story mode, he wanted to complete one last quest before planning to switch to high rank. The goal of the quest: He is supposed to catch a Yian Kut-ku.
When he started the quest, he got support in the form of three teammates who had already reached hunter rank 100 or higher. Doomcomplex’s initial thought: Fantastic, this will go quickly. However, the reality was quite different.
Instead of helping to weaken the monster and lure it into a trap, they threw dung at the creature to scare it away again and again. When there were no more dung balls, they used barrel bombs to sabotage the quest. A targeted capture was not possible this way.
The cruel part: Even in the next two attempts to complete this quest, the trio was back – as if they had it in for doomcomplex. The affected player could only master the quest after blocking the three and trying it solo.
This is not only what doomcomplex expects but also what you can expect after the main story of MHW:
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Monster Hunter Wilds: What to Expect After the Main Story
Use your power as a quest host
How does the community react to the report? With over 4,900 upvotes and more than 630 comments, including many helpful tips on how to prevent such a frustrating situation.
T4Labom explains on Reddit: “As the host, you have the option to kick them out of your quests at any time.” The tip is accompanied by a screenshot showing the relevant option.
GruncleShaxx adds on Reddit: “And set the search so that only AI hunters can help you.” You can set the group to consist only of AI companions in the options at Alma.
DullCow8691 does it differently (via Reddit): “I set the maximum number of players to 2, partly because I still needed the Palico achievement and the multiplayer achievement, and partly because it doesn’t feel like you’re absolutely stunning a monster 24/7 with 2 people, but that’s just a personal preference.”
ItsYume reassures on Reddit: “At least from my own experience (over 100 quests in multiplayer, I always set my SOS to automatically active) I can say that this is an outlier. So just see it as a strange, maybe even funny one-time experience and move on.”
SupaflyRobbE also writes on Reddit: “I can guarantee that this is about 1% of the MH community. Most players are very helpful and friendly. You just had bad luck with some bad apples. I hope this doesn’t discourage you from multiplayer because most of the community wants to help, and even the veterans are really good with info and knowledge.”
If you participate in multiplayer with randomly assigned hunters, you should definitely turn off any type of mod that could negatively affect the gaming experience of your assigned teammates. Because this can also lead to unnecessary frustration: First cheaters derail the fun in the co-op of Monster Hunter Wilds
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In EA FC 25 the FUT Birthday Team 2 with strong upgrades for many icons, heroes, and other players was released on Friday, March 14 at 19:00. On MeinMMO, we show you the new ratings and other improvements.
Update from 21.03.2025 (12:00): On Thursday, March 20, 2025, the last FUT Birthday card for FC 25 was released at 19:00 with Martens van Leer. You will find it under the addition [*new*] in the tracker. On Friday (March 21) at 19:00, the new Dreamchasers event in Ultimate Team starts.
What upgrades do players get for FUT Birthday? All players receive 5★ improvements for weak foot and special moves. In addition, all players receive an upgrade for their rating, their playstyles, and their player roles.
Can FUT Birthday cards collect further upgrades? No. They only receive an improvement upon their release in Ultimate Team.
Tips for a Perfect Start in EA FC 25 – Ultimate Team
FUT Birthday Team 2 Tracker: New Ratings and PlayStyle+
We first list all the new FUT Birthday players with their new ratings and PlayStyle+ compared to their standard version. The same can be seen in a separate list below for FUT Birthday icons and heroes.
If players have additional new positions, these will be marked in bold.
Upgrades for players from FUT Birthday Team 2
Player (Rating→ Upgrade) – Positions – Club – available via
New PlayStyle+
Van Dijk (95→+4) – CB – Liverpool FC – Packs/Market
1. Interception 2. Anticipation
Álvarez (94→+10) – ST, CAM – Atlético Madrid – Packs/Market
Hero Ricardo Carvalho (92→+4) – CB – Portugal/ Liga Portugal – Packs/Market
1. Aerial
Leaks announce more players for FUT Birthday Team 2
What leaks are there for FUT Birthday Team 2? Donk, one of the most well-known insiders for FC 25 Ultimate Team, has posted on his X account all players, icons, and heroes with their alleged upgrades for stats and playstyles.
At this point, we would like to point out that leaks do not have a 100% guarantee. Whether, how, and when the cards will be released remains open.
If you don’t want to be spoiled, you can simply skip the next box.
More leaks for FUT Birthday Team 2
Bremer
Maddison
Martens van Leer
At this point, it continues with the original article and all previous information and upgrades for FUT Birthday Team 1.
Upgrades for FUT Birthday Team 1: Ratings and PlayStyle+
All players from FUT Birthday Team 1 with upgrades
Player (Rating→ Upgrade) – Positions – Club
New PlayStyle+
Haaland (95→+4) – ST – Manchester City
1. Curled Shot 2. Power Shot
Griezmann (94→+6) – ST – Atlético Madrid
1. Frenzy
Sophia Smith (94→+5) – ST, RW – Portland Thorns
1. Curled Shot 2. Quick Step
Rafael Leão (94→+8) – LW, LM, ST, CAM – AC Milan
1. Quick Step 2. Tricks
Aitana Bonmatí (94→+3) – CM, CAM – FC Barcelona
1. Curled Shot
Bellingham (94→+4) – CAM, CM – Real Madrid
1. Technical
Salma Paralluelo (93→+14) – LW, LM, ST – FC Barcelona
1. Technical 2. Quick Step
Rúben Dias (93→+5) – CB – Manchester City
1. Anticipation
Bacha (93→+7) – LB, LW -Olympique Lyon
1. Shielding
Alejandro Garnacho (92→+13) – LM, LW, RM – Manchester United
1. Frenzy 2. Acrobatics
Alexander-Arnold (92→+6) – RB, CDM, CM – Liverpool FC
1. Set Piece 2. Through Pass
Havertz (92→+9) – ST, CAM – Arsenal FC
1. Technical 2. Power Shot
Thuram (92→+9) – ST – FC Internazionale (Inter Milan)
1. Power Shot 2. Tricks
Kelly (92→+6) – RW, RM – Arsenal FC
1. Tricks 2. Calm
Kimpembe (91→+10) – CB – Paris SG
1. Tackling 2. Aerial
Renato Sanches (91→+14) – CM, CDM – Benfica Lisbon
1. Deciding Pass 2. Through Pass
Popp (91→+4) – ST – VfL Wolfsburg
1. Aerial
Rabiot (91→+8) – CM, CDM – Olympique Marseille
1. First Touch 2. Tiki-Taka
Durán (91→+17) – ST – Al Nassr
1. Power Shot 2. Aerial
Diaby (91→+8) – RM, RW, CAM, ST – Al Ittihad
1. Calm 2. Quick Step
Oberdorf (91→+5) – CDM, CM – Bayern Munich
1. Interception 2. Through Pass
Isco (91→+9) – CAM, CM, LM – Real Betis
1. Trivela 2. Deciding Pass
Balotelli (90→+15) – ST – Genoa FC
1. First Touch 2. Power Shot
Willian (90→+14) – LM, LW – Fulham FC
1. Technical 2. Quick Step
Mbappé (90→+27) – ST, LW – Lille OSC
1. Through Pass 2. Tiki-Taka
Rúben Neves (90→+6) – CDM, CM – Al Hilal
1. Through Pass 2. Power Shot
Guirassy (90→+6) – ST – Borussia Dortmund
1. First Touch
Jackson (90→+11) – ST – Chelsea FC
1. Lob 2. Relentless
Jones (89→+4) – CM, CAM, CDM – Liverpool FC
1. Curled Shot
Koné (89→+13) – CM, CDM – AS Roma
1. Power Shot 2. Through Pass
Hummels (89→+4) – CB – AS Roma
1. Aerial
Florenzi (89→+13) – RB, LB, CM – AC Milan
1. Shielding 2. Heavy Pass
Tapsoba (89→+6) – CB – Bayer Leverkusen
1. Tackling 2. Aerial
Kulusevski (89→+7) – RM, RW, CAM – Tottenham Hotspur
1. Technical 2. Relentless
Lobotka (89→+7) – CM, CDM – SSC Napoli
1. Anticipation 2. Through Pass
Pepe Reina (89→+13) – GK – Como FC
1. Through Throw 2. Catching
Benteke (88→+14) – ST – D.C. United
1. Curled Shot 2. Acrobatics
Grüll (88→+13) – LW, RW – Werder Bremen
1. Frenzy 2. Relentless
Raskin (88→+13) – CM, CDM – Glasgow Rangers
1. Anticipation 2. Through Pass
Mbeumo (88→+8) – RW, RM, ST – Brentford FC
1. Lob 2. Frenzy
Jota (88→+13) – LW, LM, RW – Celtic Glasgow
1. Tricks 2. Trivela
Singo (88→+9) – CB, RB – AS Monaco
1. Shielding 2. Block
Sams (88→+18) – CB, RB – Orlando Pride
1. Block 2. Aerial
All Icons/Heroes from FUT Birthday Team with upgrades
Hero Ramires (94→+8) – CDM, CM, RM – Brazil/ Premier League
1. Through Pass
Hero Al Owairan (93→+8) – RW, RM, CAM, ST – Saudi Arabia/ ROSHN Saudi League
1. Power Shot 2. Tricks
Hero Okocha (93→+5) – CAM, RM, ST – Nigeria/ Premier League
1. Quick Step
Hero Šašić (93→+4) – ST – Germany/ Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga
1. Calm 2. Curled Shot
Hero Nakata (92→+5) – CAM, CM – Japan/Serie A
1. Curled Shot 2. Technical
Hero Capdevila (92→+6) – LB – Spain/ LaLiga EA Sports
1. Anticipation 2. Relentless
Icon Essien (92→+6) – CDM, CM – Ivory Coast
1. Deciding Pass
Hero Marchisio (92→+5) – CM, CDM, LM – Italy/Serie A
1. Tiki-Taka 2. Deciding Pass
Icon van Basten (92→+1) – ST – Netherlands
1. First Touch 2. Power Shot
Icon Petit (91→+4) – CM, CDM, LB – France
1. Technical
Hero King (91→+5) – CB – England/ Premier League
1. Shielding
Hero Paulo Futre (90→+2) – LW, LM, RW, ST – LaLiga EA Sports
1. Tricks
Hero Scott (90→+5) – RB, LB – England/ Barclays Women’s Premier League
1. Shielding 2. Interception
FUT Birthday: Upgrades and return of a trio confirmed
What kind of event is it? EA Sports traditionally celebrates the birthday of the popular Ultimate Team mode together with the community. Since FIFA 14, you can expect strong special cards with upgrades, interesting pack offers in the shop, as well as worthwhile tasks and Squad Building Challenges (SBCs) that you can use to improve your Ultimate Team.
Meanwhile, EA has created an info page for FUT Birthday. On this page, EA provides information about the upcoming upgrade system and confirms the return of an iconic trio from past FIFA times.
New upgrades make your players unpredictable
How do the upgrades work? Each special FUT Birthday card gets a maximum ability upgrade for skill moves (special moves) and weak foot (Weak Foot) to 5★. This means that players are nearly unpredictable due to their two-footedness and tricks.
Also, in evolution (EVOs), this upgrade system will play a crucial role. Through the new season pass (from March 13, 2025), in objectives and in squad building challenges, you will have the opportunity to unlock EVOs for 5★ upgrades.
3 quick and dribbling “Cheap Beasts” make their comeback
Which trio is making a comeback? Seydou Doumbia, Victor Ibarbo, and Gervinho were regarded as absolute “Cheap Beasts” (cheap monsters) between FIFA 13 and FIFA 17. This refers to strong cards that don’t cost many coins. Especially their speed and dribbling were among the best in the affordable price range.
10 years after the three played together at AS Roma, they will return in double form. On one hand, EA has announced that they will be usable as special cards for objectives and evolutions. On the other hand, they will be added to the player pool as heroes as part of the FUT Birthday promo team.
Hints indicate first players from FUT Birthday Team 1
What hints are there? Two new announcement screens have appeared in Ultimate Team.
The newest screen, which has appeared under “News” in the main menu of Ultimate Team, shows a comic of striker Antoine Griezmann in an Atlético Madrid jersey. We expect that he will be part of the FUT Birthday campaign with a special card.
Another screen under “Objectives” shows the new card design for the players appearing during FUT Birthday. There are 3 different designs for normal players (pink), icons (white), and heroes (purple).
A FUT Birthday screen gives hints about design and potential players.
Concrete hints about new FUT Birthday players, especially the first 3 upper cards, which are shown slightly larger. Unlike the other cards, you can see their rating, nation, club, position, and two attributes for each.
Which players are suggested? The first card from the new screen (top row, 1st card from the left) can be unmistakably identified as the FUT Birthday card of Norwegian striker Erling Haaland from Manchester City.
For the other two cards, from left to right, it’s likely that they are the Brazilian icon Ronaldinho (Rivaldo is also possible) and world footballer Aitana Bonmatí from FC Barcelona (but teammates Putellas or Pedri/Gavi from the men’s squad could also be in question).
All 3 players will be released with new PlayStyles+:
What else can you expect for FUT Birthday? The birthday also lives from nostalgia. Thus, you can look forward to one or another throwback SBC from players who have strongly influenced Ultimate Team in recent years.
In the daily sign-in tasks, you can easily secure rewards once a day until the end. Besides, we help keep an eye on the upgrades of players from Fantasy FC.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the new expansion of The Sims 4, players can start their own business. To make quick money, there is also the option to invest in cryptocurrency. Players have tested how well this works.
What is this cryptocurrency? With the latest expansion, it is possible to invest in SimoCoins. This is a fantasy cryptocurrency in The Sims 4 that could theoretically make your Sim rich.
To get SimoCoins, a Sim must invest 100 Simoleons. Once they have unlocked the ability, they can select “Start Mining SimoCoin” on a computer and farm for the cryptocurrency. This way, your Sim becomes a real crypto-bro.
However, it can happen that your Sim loses their invested money. Whether you make more money than you spent depends on chance. Several players have tested how well the system actually works.
Start video
The Sims 4: From Hobby to Career – The New Expansion in the PS Trailer
Getting Rich with Cryptocurrency in The Sims
How well does it work? The two YouTubers Simmer C and lilsimsie have tested how quickly one can actually make money thanks to crypto-mining. And indeed, both YouTubers are thrilled by how fast you can get Simoleons with cryptocurrency.
Both content creators earned a lot of money in no time. However, they had to start with the right initial capital because it requires tables, computers, and chairs to get started with mining. Moreover, unforeseen events like a fire can occur if the screens overheat.
Unfortunately, it also takes some time before you have the option available. You must:
Open a small business
Reach Level 4 of Renown
Invest in the SimoCoin perk
Once you meet the conditions, mining will be displayed as an option when clicking on the computer. Then you can get started and hopefully earn a lot of Simoleons.
The new project “Mission Unknown: Atlantic” by Twitch streamer Jens “Knossi” Knossalla has now also started on YouTube. Colleague Max “Trymacs” Stemmler reacted to the first episode in the stream and explained why he would never have participated there.
What kind of project is this? The project is called Mission Unknown: Atlantic, initiated by the Twitch streamer Knossi. Ten content creators, including Knossi, Joey Kelly, and Jodie Calussi, face a tough challenge: they are crossing the Atlantic in a sailing boat.
The ten participants are divided into two teams, blue and orange, and compete in a race to see who reaches the destination first. Each team has two sailing experts to support them.
The project faced some backlash right from its announcement. After all, crossing the Atlantic is no easy task, which can be challenging even for experienced sailors.
The project was filmed in November 2024 for about three weeks. The episodes initially aired on Amazon Prime, and now the first episode has been uploaded to YouTube.
We introduce you to the Twitch streamer Trymacs in the video:
Start video
Vom Pizza-Lieferant zu einem der größten deutschen Twitch-Streamer – Leben und Karriere von Trymacs in 2 Minuten
“I wouldn’t participate for any amount of money in the world”
Why wouldn’t Trymacs participate? There is limited space on the boats. Each participant has only about 2 to 3 m² on the boat. That’s simply too little space for Trymacs, and he says: “On day 5, our shelter was better” (via YouTube). He is referring to his participation with Twitch colleague Rumathra in the YouTube show 7 vs. Wild.
Trymacs goes on to say that he doesn’t even remember if he was also asked to participate in the project. He believes he remembers hearing it through Knossi or his manager, and it was immediately clear to him that he would never participate.
Overall, Trymacs finds Knossi’s project good. He concludes: “Great content, really great, but I wouldn’t participate for any amount of money in the world” (via YouTube). He is looking forward to watching the upcoming episodes of the show.
Helldivers 2 has given the Factory Striders a new extra in an update, making the giant robots much more unpleasant.
Which robot is it about? In Helldivers 2, there is a huge robot called Factory Strider, which is heavily armored and produces smaller robots inside, which it then drops onto the battlefield.
Factory Striders are really unpleasant opponents that can deal a lot of damage themselves and, by constantly fabricating new troops, additionally take control of the battle away from you.
Start video
Helldivers 2: Das neue Update Omens of Tyranny erfüllt langersehnten Wunsch
Striders block your orbital support
Why is the robot much harder to defeat now? On March 18, 2025, Helldivers released a new update that adjusted some balancing and introduced a new war bond. The update also included a small change to the Factory Striders that was not mentioned in the patch notes:
The Factory Striders can now spawn with a jammer instead of a cannon.
Jammers are a real plague in Helldivers 2. They prevent you from requesting orbital and airstrikes, new tactical equipment, or support (the respawn of fallen teammates). Jammers must be disabled as quickly as possible because they block your access to important and powerful equipment, which can significantly complicate the battle.
How do you best counter the Factory Striders? Due to their heavy armor, the giant robots can only be taken down with explosive attacks. So, it’s best to use support weapons such as the Quasar Cannon, the Recoilless Rifle, or the Railgun, and aim for the face of the steel beast.
What are the players saying about it? The Helldivers community is already actively discussing the Factory Striders with jammers on Reddit. A common reaction from players is simple: “What the hell?!”
Another player believes that this could lead to a “wild increase in difficulty” since requesting Eagle airstrikes and orbital strikes will become much less reliable. Over 3,200 Reddit users showed their agreement with an upvote.
With the new update in Fallout 76, you can become a real Ghoul in the survival MMO, protected from diseases, radiation, and of course, without a nose. Although being a Ghoul does come at a cost, it has many advantages that other players want to exploit directly.
After a short quest line in Savage Divide, you will transform into a full Ghoul just like in the games or the Fallout series. If you don’t like the Ghoul life, you can turn back once — but from then on, the quest line is locked, and you’ll remain human.
Ghouls “feral” if you indulge too much in radiation. But despite this danger, you have numerous advantages that some players want to profit from now.
These are the tasks for the Ghouls: Among the advantages of Ghouls is being immune to all types of disease and radiation. This is especially useful in public events, as there are often extremely irradiated areas that can kill players without protective gear directly.
In the event Radiation Rumble, you need to retrieve ores from irradiated mines while a constant stream of enemies tries to prevent you.
So you actually need protection from radiation and for combat. However, the armors only provide one of those adequately. On Reddit, a user has the idea to enlist the radiation-immune Ghouls directly for these special jobs, but in a rather… direct manner:
I don’t want to hear any excuses. No: “I forgot my Power Armor” or: “My hazard suit was stolen by the Sheepsquatch.” No, no, no, you nose-less f**kers.
This time there are no excuses. You were literally created for this. You actively benefit from throwing yourself headfirst into the warm embrace of the atom, so now you play the stone breaker. I hope your necrotic legs still work because you should finally get them moving.
– Sincerely, High Priestess Camilla
Start video
Fallout 76: In the Survival MMO on PS5, you can let your inner Ghoul out
The toughest events suddenly become easier
In the comments, there’s a joking, somewhat cynical squabble. After all, most Ghouls do not want to be degraded to work slaves just like that. Surprisingly many, however, agree with their new task.
For instance, one says: “I already did all the heavy lifting before my Ghoulification. Now I can just do it in my underwear.” Others agree and point out that other events will also become significantly easier.
The event Eviction Notice is considered the hardest in the entire game. Here, waves of enemies must be held back, and flesh bags must be destroyed while a cleanup unit needs to be maintained. If the unit breaks, it irradiates the surroundings so strongly that players without protection will die within seconds.
Ghouls can simply play the mechanic here and relax next to the reactor while the Space Marines with heavy bolters players in Power Armor mow down the enemies with their big guns.
The developer studio behind “Pokémon with guns” – Palworld has asked the community about their favorite Pals. However, the top 1 to 3 places are not taken by any of the cute creatures.
What kind of survey is this? This was conducted by PocketPair itself, the developer of Palworld, worldwide. There are two different rankings: the overall ranking, where players could choose as many Pals as they wanted, and the favorites ranking, where you had to limit your choice to 3 Pals.
Start video
Update 0.5.0 for Palworld finally lets you play with friends on other platforms
The most popular Pal is … the first boss enemy?
Who wins the overall ranking? It is striking that in the overall ranking, the first 3 places are not taken by any of the Pokémon-like monsters, but by humans:
The developers have already announced that the winner of the overall ranking will become a recruitable ally in a future update. Players can expect to not only fight against Zoe, but also alongside her later this year.
Who wins the favorites ranking? Here, Zoe still lands in 4th place, but some of your monster companions make it into the top 3:
Chillet (8,380 votes)
Jetdragon (5,733 votes)
Anubis (5,656 votes)
For the top 3 places in the favorites ranking, the developers are planning special commemorative skins. These are also expected to be released later this year.
By the way: The last 3 places in the overall ranking are occupied by Goblin Ignis, Hangyu Cryst, and Gorirat Terra. In the favorites ranking, however, they are Robinquill Terra, Surfen Terra, and Cryolinx Terra.
Samuel L. Jackson is today one of the most well-known Hollywood stars in the world. But it wasn’t always like that. Today, he explains what advice his co-star Bruce Willis gave him when they appeared together in Die Hard with a Vengeance in 1994. Advice that he only understood much later, as he says.
What advice did Bruce Willis give him: Samuel L. Jackson has now revealed to Vanity Fair what advice he received from Bruce Willis, who celebrated his 70th birthday on March 19, 2025:
He said to me: Hopefully, you’ll find a role that you can return to when you’ve made bad movies that haven’t made you any money. And then you can always return to that character that everyone loves.
He said: Arnold has the Terminator, Sylvester has Rocky and Rambo. And I have John McClane.
Die Hard – German trailer for the action movie with Bruce Willis
Jackson only understood much later what Bruce Willis meant by the advice
What this advice meant for Samuel L. Jackson: Jackson tells Vanity Fair today: Back then, he didn’t think much of it and just said “Oh, okay”.
But what Bruce Willis meant became clear to Samuel L. Jackson only when he got the role of Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and closed a deal for 9 movies.
That’s when he realized: “Oh, I’m doing now what Bruce told me. I have this character now.”
Has Samuel L. Jackson made bad movies? It’s a matter of taste whether a movie is bad or not. But Samuel L. Jackson had some movies in the 90s and later that received at least low ratings on IMDB.
In any case, Samuel L. Jackson is not exactly known for being particularly selective in his choice of roles. In the comedy Ted, there is a legendary gag that plays on this:
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Just before Pulp Fiction (8.9 IMDB) and Die Hard with a Vengeance (7.6 IMDB), Jackson appeared in “Julius Caesar Superstar”, which has an extraordinarily poor rating of 3.2 on IMDB. Even later films like “xXx 2 – The Next Level” (4.5 IMDB) or The Spirit (4.7 IMDB) were not big successes in the eyes of IMDB users.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows has recently been released for several platforms. The well-known experts from Digital Foundry are currently showing why the version for the PS5 Pro is particularly impressive.
With the recently released Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the PS5 Pro can finally show what it is capable of. This is evidenced by the experts from Digital Foundry, who have technically examined the game and are impressed with the version for the PS5 Pro.
Start video
Sony releases the official reveal trailer for the PS5 Pro
“One of the biggest Pro improvements we’ve seen so far”
Digital Foundry compared the PS5 and PS5 Pro versions of the latest Assassin’s Creed installment in one of their latest videos. Specifically, the version for the PS5 Pro performs very well in the video.
What’s so good about the PS5 Pro? The testers from Digital Foundry state, “Shadows [offers] one of the biggest Pro improvements we’ve seen so far,” especially when playing the action game in performance mode. We have embedded the entire (English) video from YouTube below:
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The significant improvements are mainly due to the technology “Ray Traced Global Illumination” (RTGI): RTGI provides a significant enhancement in lighting and shadow quality compared to the standard PS5 version, resulting in a more realistic image. Despite the significantly improved graphics, 60 FPS is still achievable on the PS5 Pro, which is also remarkable. The testers themselves state in the video that these improvements completely change the quality of the game on the PS5 Pro compared to the normal PS5.
Especially in some details, the improvements are obvious. For example, foliage on the PS5 Pro is massively improved thanks to RTGI and looks much more natural. The PS5 cannot achieve this.
If you have been considering whether an upgrade from the old PS5 to the PS5 Pro might be worthwhile, then Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the first game for which the upgrade could really be worth it from a technical perspective. At least if you trust Digital Foundry.
You are thinking about starting to play World of Warcraft again or for the first time? In our beginner’s guide, we will tell you everything you need to know to start in WoW!
With over 20 years of existence, World of Warcraft is a classic in the MMORPG genre. It’s no wonder that players have taken a break of several years after once checking it out.
If you want to dive into World of Warcraft now, you might find a very different game than what it was a few expansions ago. We want to provide you with a little guide here and explain what you need to know when you start with World of Warcraft.
You can watch the trailer for the current WoW addon here:
Start video
WoW: Trailer for the release date of The War Within
What does World of Warcraft cost?
Many players are initially confused about the costs involved with World of Warcraft. Do you have to buy all the expansions? Is there still a subscription model? Can you earn game time in other ways?
The base game with old expansions is free. First and foremost: To start with World of Warcraft, you do not need to buy a “box” version of the game or a game license. As soon as you create an account, it is upgraded directly to include the latest expansion, “Dragonflight”. Only the newest expansion, The War Within, needs to be purchased. But you can also wait until you reach level 70 to see if you enjoy the gameplay.
Subscription costs remain. To play WoW, a subscription is still necessary. This costs €13 per month – if you commit to a longer subscription, it becomes slightly cheaper per month, and you receive a pet or other rewards every few months. If desired, you can earn your game time with in-game gold. However, the gold price fluctuates greatly here. This option is only worthwhile for heavy players and auction house speculators who charge other players for in-game goods. For newcomers, it is not realistic to cover the subscription costs with in-game gold.
Costs of The War Within. The latest expansion, The War Within, was released on August 27, 2024. To access these features, which are now “current content”, the expansion must be purchased. Currently, the standard version costs €50.
In short: WoW costs €13 per month. The current expansion The War Within costs an additional €50.
Choosing the server
When starting WoW, choosing a server is the first task. But on which server should you play? It’s best to orient yourself based on the server your friends play on.
Your friends are on different servers? No problem! You can now create groups in WoW that can play across servers. Even if you are playing on “Die Aldor” and your friend is on “Azshara”, you can have adventures together. This is also possible across factions, at least in dungeons and raids. Only in the open world can Alliance players not play with Horde players, or only very limited.
You should only consider RP servers if you really plan to engage in role-playing – that is, to act out a character within World of Warcraft. If you cannot relate to this, you should avoid RP servers.
In short: The choice of server is secondary. Just avoid “empty” servers or RP servers if you do not want to engage in any RP.
Progress on multiple levels
At the time of the “Classic” version of World of Warcraft, there was a clear stratification of character progress. After visiting dungeons, there were only raids left to further develop the character. This required 40 coordinated players and a lot of time.
Now, things are very different in WoW. Although there are still raids that yield the best loot the fastest, there are also numerous ways for players with less time or a more spontaneous evening schedule to notice progress repeatedly.
Mythic+ as an endless challenge for established groups: Dungeons (or “instances”) at max level have many different difficulty levels. The last one, the “Mythic+” mode, is even endless and gets harder the better your performance is. With this, the value of the reward left by the final boss also increases. At the end of the week, there is also an extra reward based on the hardest dungeon you have conquered.
PvP as a source of equipment: If you prefer to smash other players, you will also be regularly rewarded in PvP. Winning battlegrounds or fighting in the arena consistently yields equipment pieces – these are generally of higher quality for successful players.
Solo play as an alternative: If you want to play an evening “by yourself” without groups and players, you can do that as well. World quests lure you with always attainable rewards that even have a chance of an unexpected upgrade. Since The War Within, there are also the Depths – these are small dungeons that you can complete alone with an NPC by your side and have multiple difficulty levels. Similar to Mythic+, as the difficulty increases, so does the value of the loot.
In short: Every type of player can experience constant progress in World of Warcraft. There is always a reward within reach that further improves the character.
PvP has become fairer
The PvP system of World of Warcraft has been significantly overhauled several times. Where once you could score with normal equipment, now a PvP gear is almost required. Fortunately, solid starter equipment can be earned in a short time.
Depending on whether you aim for rated or unranked matches in battlegrounds and arenas, you will have a different gaming experience. While in the arena matchmaking ensures you usually encounter similarly strong opponents, this is often unbalanced in battlegrounds – but the increased chaos can also make it that much more fun.
If you want to engage in PvP in the open game world, you must first activate the new war mode in a capital city. But beware! In war mode, you will only encounter other players who are also looking for fights. There is thus a constant threat.
In short: PvP in WoW has become fairer and better, but also significantly more complex. However, if you never want to engage in PvP, you can completely avoid it.
The first steps: Leveling, leveling, leveling!
When you start fresh with World of Warcraft and want to proceed as “effectively” as possible, you should focus on a single character that you can level to the maximum level as quickly as possible. Once you have a character at level 80, it’s much easier to catch up with other characters since you can support them with gold and resources from the first character.
You currently level the fastest through quests in World of Warcraft, occasionally supported by a visit to a dungeon to complete the missions there as well. Basically, there is no “wrong way” to go.
Almost all areas in the game scale, they adjust to the level of the character. If an area eventually doesn’t provide experience anymore, there’s always the next mission that lures the character into a new zone. Alternatively, a look at the world map also helps, as it indicates what level is suitable for each area.
In short: Focus on one character that you want to play. Leveling alone is a bit tedious, but it goes quickly with dungeons or a friend by your side.
Find yourself companions!
Although you can have a lot of fun in World of Warcraft alone, the game is more enjoyable with companions. If you have no acquaintances in your friend circle who also play, you might find it a bit difficult to get started.
Thanks to the new “Community” feature, there is now an easy way to meet like-minded people and embark on adventures in Azeroth with them.
Alternatively, you can create a guild or join existing ones. When looking for guilds, there is a tool within the game that can help you. But perhaps you can also meet other players in the open world with whom you have fun and then start a guild together.
The last tip: Have fun and don’t be afraid!
More important than all the things mentioned above is a basic rule: A new MMORPG is most enjoyable when you take the time to discover everything yourself. You shouldn’t let yourself be rushed by friends just to be able to reach max level as quickly as possible if you’d rather explore the world at your own pace. Take all the time you need. World of Warcraft offers more content than most other MMORPGs due to 20 years of game development.
This much content can feel overwhelming and create the thought that you can never accomplish everything. Partially, that is true, but it is also not important. To play with friends, essentially only the max level and solid equipment is necessary, which can be quickly earned.
All those small “side activities” in World of Warcraft, like pet battles, collecting toys, titles, or achievements, are numerous fillers and long-term goals. They enrich the game world and offer countless possibilities – but this should not scare anyone away.
In short: Play the game as you see fit. Whether following guides or just curiously marching into the world. The most enjoyable experience comes from playing at your own pace. If you still need ideas for class selection, we have the best classes for beginners and returners in WoW here. We hope this little guide has eased your fears about getting back into World of Warcraft.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
