Important Free2Play MMORPG went offline in 2024, now you can suddenly play it again

Karsten Scholz Karsten Scholz Reading time 2 minutes

On June 27, 2024, the servers of ArcheAge went offline for good. All of them? Well, at least the European and North American worlds. And this now opens up an exciting opportunity …

What kind of opportunity is this? When the servers of ArcheAge were shut down last year, not all versions of the free-to-play MMORPG were affected. The Russian version of the game is still online today, and it has now received a surprising update.

According to the update notes from last week, the client version of ArcheAge has been updated (via archeage.ru). One of the new features is that interested players can now download and play an official English version of the client from the official website for the first time since June 27, 2024.

The only alternatives for ArcheAge fans are to either switch to private servers of the MMORPG or wait for the successor ArcheAge Chronicles. Here you can watch the first trailer for “ArcheAge 2”:

Start video
ArcheAge Chronicles: Trailer shows for the first time the successor to ArcheAge

One of the last hype MMORPGs

Why was ArcheAge important? The MMORPG from XL Games was released in 2014 alongside Wildstar and The Elder Scrolls Online, marking the end of a period initiated by the enormous success of WoW. Between 2005 and 2014, there were numerous exciting announcements and releases of ambitious online role-playing games. Then in 2015, a severe drought phase began.

During this phase, ArcheAge was able to stand out from the competition because it offered features that were not present in Western MMORPGs, such as the race for the best land plots, capturing a fortress, and dominance on the server, as well as the mix of house building, economy, PvP, and guilds.

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What do I need to know about ArcheAge Chronicles? ArcheAge Chronicles is said to focus more on the Western market than its predecessor and therefore offer extensive PvE and story content that can be tackled alone or with small groups.

According to the developers, the MMORPG will still rely on a player-driven economy and player collaboration. Exploring the vast world will also play an important role. Additionally, you can expect an overhauled combat system that aims to combine strategic depth with fast-paced action.

However, PvP elements and large-scale battles in the open world, which were once planned, are to be dropped. PvP will primarily be available in clearly defined, competitive areas for fixed teams and guilds. Furthermore, the plan is to adopt a buy-to-play model without pay-to-win elements, but with service elements. More information about the plans can be found here: From Aion 2 to Chrono Odyssey: Outlook on the MMORPG year 2025

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

Pokémon GO: Make sure to take advantage of today’s Spotlight Hour to gather tons of Stardust

Paul Kutzner Paul Kutzner Reading time 2 minutes

The next Spotlight Hour is waiting for you in Pokémon GO. And it can really pay off for you.

What kind of event is this? The Spotlight Hour is a recurring 60-minute event. During this event, there is at least one Pokémon in the spotlight, along with a bonus.

During the next Spotlight Hour on March 18, 2025, you will encounter Shellder, the Water-type Pokémon from Generation 1. And it brings you, along with the event’s bonus, the opportunity to earn a lot of Stardust.

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

Spotlight Hour on March 18, 2025 – Start and Bonuses

When does the Spotlight Hour start? As every week, the Spotlight Hour starts on Tuesday at 6:00 PM. One hour later, at 7:00 PM, it ends again.

Which bonus is active? In this Spotlight Hour, you will receive double the amount of Stardust when you catch Pokémon.

Is the Spotlight Hour worth it? While Shellder and its evolution may not be particularly interesting from a combat perspective, Shellder brings a different feature. It is on the list of Pokémon that give more Stardust with each catch.

If you catch Shellder, you will normally receive 1,000 Stardust for each catch. With the bonus during the Spotlight Hour, the amount even increases to a solid 2,000 Stardust per catch.

If you also use the item Star Piece, you will receive an additional 50% more Stardust per catch. This means you can earn a whopping 3,000 Stardust for each Shellder caught.

Can you catch Shiny Shellder? Yes, with a bit of luck, you can also catch Shellder in its Shiny form.

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Of course, there are not just Spotlight Hours waiting for you in the current month in the game. If you want to get an overview of the upcoming events, take a look at our overview of the events in March 2025 in Pokémon GO.

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

Pokémon GO: All Spotlight Hours in March 2025 and Their Bonuses

Paul Kutzner Paul Kutzner Reading time 4 minutes

The month of March brings new Spotlight Hours to Pokémon GO. We have summarized which ones there are and what you can expect.

What is a Spotlight Hour? The Spotlight Hour is a short, 60-minute event where at least one Pokémon is in the spotlight and appears in very high numbers during the event.

Additionally, there is a bonus active during each Spotlight Hour that brings you significant advantages.

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

All Spotlight Hours in March 2025

When do the Spotlight Hours take place? The start of the Spotlight Hour is every Tuesday at 6:00 PM. It lasts exactly 60 minutes and ends at 7:00 PM. In the table below, you can see the dates, which monsters and bonuses will be available.

DatePokémon & Bonus
March 4Makuhita and Sending Candy
March 11Roselia and Evolution XP
March 18Shellder and Catch Stardust
March 25Wommel and Catch XP

Spotlight Hour on March 4, 2025

Which Pokémon is in the spotlight? On March 4, Makuhita will be waiting for you during the Spotlight Hour. This monster is from the 3rd generation, is a fighting type, and evolves into Hariyama.

Pokemon GO Spotlight Hours March 2025 Makuhita

What bonus is active? If you send Pokémon to the Professor during this Spotlight Hour, you will receive double the amount of candy for it.

Is the event worth it? While Hariyama is not among the best attackers in Pokémon GO, its Shadow variant is still a strong fighting attacker. If you need candy for it, then the event may be worthwhile for you.

If you have accumulated many Pokémon in your box that you don’t need, you can use the event perfectly for that. With the bonus, it is worth sending Pokémon. You can already tag the relevant Pokémon a day in advance to send them faster during the event.

Can you catch Shiny Makuhita? Yes, with a bit of luck, you can also obtain the Shiny variant of Makuhita during the Spotlight Hour.

Spotlight Hour on March 11, 2025

Which Pokémon is in the spotlight? In the Spotlight Hour on March 11, 2025, you can encounter Roselia. This Pokémon is from the 3rd generation and has the types Grass and Poison. It evolves from Budew and can evolve into Roserade.

Pokemon GO Spotlight Hours March 2025 Roselia

What bonus is active? If you evolve Pokémon during this Spotlight Hour, you will receive double the experience points for it.

Is the event worth it? Roserade is found in the list of the best attackers in Pokémon GO as both a Grass and Poison attacker. However, for the Battle League, you should focus on other monsters.

If you still have many Pokémon in your collection that you want to evolve and you are out hunting for experience points, then the event’s bonus might be worthwhile for you as well.

Can you catch Shiny Roselia? Yes, you can also encounter the Shiny variant of Roselia.

Spotlight Hour on March 18, 2025

Which Pokémon is in the spotlight? On March 18, Shellder will be waiting for you during the Spotlight Hour. This Water Pokémon from the 1st generation can evolve into Cloyster.

Pokemon GO Spotlight Hours March 2025 Shellder

What bonus is active? If you catch Pokémon during this Spotlight Hour, you will receive double the Stardust for it, regardless of which monster you catch.

Is the event worth it? You should take advantage of the event if you want to replenish your Stardust supply. Shellder is on the list of Pokémon that give you more Stardust when caught. You will receive a total of 1,000 Stardust for catching one.

In combination with the event bonus, you will receive even 2,000 Stardust per Shellder. If you use Star Pieces, you’ll get even 3,000 Stardust per catch.

As attackers, neither Shellder nor Cloyster are particularly well-suited.

Can you catch Shiny Shellder? Yes, Shellder can also appear as Shiny with some luck.

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Spotlight Hour on March 25, 2025

Which Pokémon is in the spotlight? In the last Spotlight Hour in March 2025, Wommel will be waiting for you. This monster has the types Bug and Fairy and is from the 7th generation. It evolves into Bandelby.

Pokemon GO Spotlight Hours March 2025 Wommel

What bonus is active? For every monster you catch during this Spotlight Hour, you will receive double the experience points.

Is the event worth it? Wommel and its evolution Bandelby are not suitable for Raids or the Battle League. You should focus on other Pokémon instead.

If you want to collect some extra experience points, you can use the event for this. If you use Lucky Eggs, you can further increase the amount of experience points per catch.

Can you catch Shiny Wommel? Yes. The Shiny form of Wommel is already active in Pokémon GO.

In addition to the Spotlight Hours, the new month also brings you more events. If you want to know what events are taking place in March and what they will include, take a look at our overview with all events in March 2025 in Pokémon GO.

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

Monster Hunter Wilds: Finding and Catching the Ornamental Butterfly – This is the Best Location for It

Alexander Mehrwald Alexander Mehrwald Reading time 2 minutes

For some side quests in Monster Hunter Wilds, you need to find and catch certain endemic creatures. One of them is the Dapperwing. What you need it for, where to find it, and how to catch it, you can read here.

What do I need the Dapperwing for? The side quest for this is given to you by the NPC Samin at the base camp of the Wind Plain. To complete the quest “Samin’s Research Report”, you need to catch a Dapperwing. To get the quest, you must first have completed “Dareel’s Research Report”.

We will show you where you can safely find a Dapperwing and how to catch it.

[toc]

Update from March 18, 2025: We have added another screenshot.
Start video
Monster Hunter Wilds: Listen to the Field Expert Alma

Best location to find a Dapperwing

Dapperwings are at home in the Crimson Forest. You can most easily find Dapperwings in Area 6:

Location on the map

Once there, you need to look out for this bird:

This is what the Dapperwing looks like

They usually sit on branches and can sometimes be easily overlooked due to their green color:

Monster Hunter Wilds-Dapperwing location screenshot
Sometimes the bird is easy to overlook

How do I catch the Dapperwing? Once you spot a Dapperwing, you need to equip your capturing net, aim, and the bird will land in your net unless you scare it away first. Sometimes the birds also fly around, so you may need to have some patience or catch them in the air.

Tip: They are more colorful during abundance

What can I do if I have trouble finding the bird? If you have trouble spotting the Dapperwing, you can also set the season to “Abundance”, because then their colors are brighter and more conspicuous.

How do I set the environment to “Abundance”? You can adjust this either in your tent or at your grill using the “Rest” function. For this, you need to invest 300 Guild Points.

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If you are looking for solutions for additional quests, you can check our guide overview. There you will find a lot of current guides and overviews:  Monster Hunter Wilds: All guides, beginner tips, and information at a glance

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

An anime character started as a voice, and is now so famous that she is getting her own movie in cinemas

Jasmin Beverungen Jasmin Beverungen Reading time 2 minutes

In April 2025, a new anime movie will be released, in which a singer remains unnoticed by humanity. Nevertheless, she fills entire concert halls in real life.

Which singer is it about? The new anime film revolves around Hatsune Miku. She is a virtual character that represents the face of a voice of a software synthesizer. The artificial voice is used for many projects and is primarily designed for J-Pop titles.

Over time, the computer voice has developed its own personality. From the voice emerged the anime character with her iconic turquoise braids that you know today. Beyond the program, its own merchandise and video games have been developed. Hatsune Miku is now so popular and well-known that she fills concert halls – even in Germany (via Mitsubishi Electric Hall).

A movie is now also part of the Hatsune Miku franchise. In her new film, we experience her from a completely new side.

Start video
Colorful Stage! the Movie: A Miku Who Can’t Sing – Trailer for the Anime

Hatsune Miku is suddenly unpopular and cannot sing

What is the film about? The new film Colorful Stage! the Movie: A Miku Who Can’t Sing is about a version of Miku who actually cannot sing and is not heard by people. 

  • The teenager Ichika Hoshino is also a musician and hears a song by Hatsune Miku that she has never heard before in a record store in Shibuya.
  • She encounters an unknown version of Miku. She has trouble reaching people with her music.
  • Hoshino and Miku team up to touch people’s hearts with Miku’s music.

The film is based on a mobile game called Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage!, which came to Germany in 2021. 

The Japanese were able to see the film already in January 2025. Therefore, there are already some ratings on IMDb, which rates the film at only 6.4 stars. Since the rating is based on just 161 people, it remains to be seen how good the film really is when it is released.

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When will it be in theaters? The film will be released in German cinemas on April 5, 2025. In our anime cinema list, we have linked which cinemas will show the movie. The runtime is 105 minutes.

This year, other animes will also be released in theaters. To keep you informed and not miss any movie, you can save the overview from MeinMMO. We regularly update the schedule so you can plan your cinema dates early: All animes coming to cinemas in Germany in 2025

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

A shooter on Steam is allegedly a virus, players raise alarm and demand more security

Jasmin Beverungen Jasmin Beverungen Reading time 2 minutes

A new game on Steam is described as “a first-person shooter with realistic FPS mechanics.” However, there is apparently malware behind it that can read your data.

What kind of shooter is this? The shooter, which has its own page on Steam, is called Sniper: Phantom’s Resolution. The game is planned for the second quarter of 2025 and can be added to users’ wishlists.

  • Players take on the role of a sniper contractor operating under the code name Phantom. It is said to be a lone wolf who “operates on the edge of morality.”
  • The tactical FPS shooter focuses on stealth, precision, and moral decisions. There are said to be varied areas like forests and snowy landscapes.
  • Mission objectives include securing locations, eliminating individuals, or gathering information.

After firing, there is supposed to be a slow-motion scene where players can see the bullet being fired and flying toward the victim. There is even a short trailer that shows some gameplay. However, players have discovered that there is malware behind the title.

If you’re looking for shooters that do not distribute malware, Fragpunk might be for you:

Start video
The new free shooter Fragpunk presents comic action in the trailer

Shooter removed from Steam, distributes malware on its own site

What is so dangerous about the game? In a Reddit thread, players are sounding the alarm because the shooter contains malware. There is now only a note on Steam that the demo is no longer available in the Steam store. However, Sniper: Phantom’s Resolution can still be downloaded from the official site.

As a user claims, the images, videos, and assets are allegedly stolen from other games. There is little information about the game on the official site, and a virus is said to be hidden behind the demo download link.

And indeed: A user discovers malware in the downloaded files. This supposedly reads the victims’ data, spying on passwords, for example. The malware is said to evade detection by some antivirus programs because it runs and terminates very quickly before being detected. The Windows Defender, which is installed by default with Windows, is said to recognize it.

If you are affected, MeinMMO has an article for you, which explains step by step what you should do in such a case.

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How are players reacting to this? Although Steam has now removed the demo from its store, the game is still available. In another Reddit post, several users express their anger that the demo initially passed through Steam’s verification process and that there was even a demo at all. They see the operators of Steam as responsible for checking every single game for malware.

However, there is also a faction that does not blame Steam, as the game has now been removed from the store. By the way: Did you know that one of the first types of viruses was created simply because a 15-year-old boy was bored? A 15-year-old created one of the first computer viruses in the world because his friends were bothering him

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

LoL is the number 1 game on Twitch, sacrificing competitive integrity to stay that way

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 4 minutes

The MOBA League of Legends will be the biggest game on Twitch in 2025: This is due to a rule change that now makes it attractive for Twitch streamers to compete in LoL competitions while streaming their training and practice matches. Riot Games is now taking the next step.

This was the crucial step: The crucial rule change came before the 2025 season. Previously, it was unattractive for Twitch streamers to play in esports teams because it limited their activity as streamers too much. The streamers from the German team NNO therefore chose not to play in the Prime League’s 1st league after their spectacular rise, accepting significant losses.

After the rule change, playing in esports teams for LoL became attractive for Twitch streamers. With the new rule, “streamer teams” were founded in the regional leagues at the end of 2024:

  • There were spectacular successes like Los Ratones for Caedrel, who achieved sporting success with his team and became the largest streamer on Twitch.
  • Solid performances from the Germans NoWay and Broeki, who demonstrated that they still have what it takes despite being in their 30s.
  • Spectacularly bad for Perkz, who tarnished his reputation as a top esports player with a weak performance.
Start video
Das ist LoL – Einmal richtig ehrlich erklärt

LoL becomes the top game on Twitch in 2025, ahead of GTA 5 and Counter-Strike

This was the impact: Twitch streamers like Caedrel or Tolkin in Germany had already received a boost from Riot Games, as they were allowed to co-stream official esports matches: The influencers streamed the official esports stream but commented on it humorously in their native language.

With the new rule, starting in 2025, there were many more contents for these streamers and the opportunity to create their own content by streaming the training and practice matches of the streamer teams.

The viewer numbers of streamers and LoL itself increased significantly on Twitch. Currently, LoL is the most-watched game on Twitch, ahead of GTA 5 and Counter-Strike. However, there were still brakes on this boom. Riot Games is now loosening these brakes in Europe.

twtich-largest-games
The most-watched games on Twitch by viewer hours in the last 90 days. Source: sullygnome

Barriers prevented the broadcasting of professional training matches

What was the problem? Twitch streamers were playing in regional leagues and had great success streaming their training matches. Now, “pro teams” also played with the idea of streaming their training matches, the scrimmages. Additionally, streamer teams wanted to compete against the professionals.

However, generally, broadcasting scrimmages is frowned upon by professionals: Teams should be able to experiment and not feel the pressure that arises when viewers watch their idols embarrass themselves with an unfamiliar pick or an overly aggressive playstyle.

Moreover, broadcasting practice games was forbidden for pro teams. The conflict became evident when Riot Games prohibited the broadcasting of a training match between the streamer team Los Ratones and the LEC team GiantX (via reddit).

“Scrimmages”; practice games, are unofficial matches between two teams in LoL, so to speak, friendly games. Teams can experiment with tactics or champions here. The matches can either be “casual games that nobody takes seriously and where everyone just trolls” or actual test of strength with ambition and under competitive conditions. This is always a point of contention.

Riot Games tests open scrimmages in the LEC

This is the rule change: Riot Games now allows LEC teams to broadcast their scrimmages until March 23. However, it points out that they may not show games when the EMA Championship is played (via x).

Riot Games states: They are closely monitoring how this affects competitive matches. If it benefits everyone, permanent permission may be granted.

Until now, according to Riot Games, broadcasting was prohibited to avoid oversaturation and to ensure that important matches still feel special. However, in the US, they have tested public broadcasting of scrimmages with great success, which is why they are now testing it in Europe as well.

Reviving esports, but at the expense of professional matches

This is being discussed: This is a clear decision for “entertainment and Twitch” and against the sporting integrity of LoL, and that is how it is received:

  • Some say: This makes the real matches less important because now you constantly watch the professionals.
  • Others say: The decision should be left to the teams.

The probably positive interpretation is receiving the most support on Reddit: “Los Ratones is single-handedly saving League of Legends in the West.”

Another comment says: “NNO wanted to do this previously, but they were prohibited. The change came too late for them.”

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Germans were the pioneers of the change

What’s behind this: These are clearly economic decisions aimed at countering the “esports crisis.” In recent years, we’ve often heard that sporting success in LoL does not pay off, but rather that content creators with their reach are the financially more attractive route.

It is also true that the German team NNO acted as a pioneer, and now the Brit Caedrel is benefiting the most from the boom. Another rule aims to make esports more exciting, the Fearless Draft: Controversial new development in LoL esports is not well-received by everyone, but it is now also coming to the World Championship

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

New Servers for MMORPG Lord of the Rings Cause Mass Migration, Exceed Developers’ Expectations

Karsten Scholz Karsten Scholz Reading time 2 minutes

The transition from the old 32-bit to the new, more modern 64-bit servers of Lord of the Rings Online was unfortunately a frustrating experience for many interested parties. Now, one of the executives has revealed the main reason for the many problems.

How did the transition go? MyMMO reported nearly two weeks ago that the transfers to the new 64-bit servers of Lord of the Rings Online, planned for March 4, 2025, have been overshadowed by significant issues.

First, there was a brief delay because the legacy servers were offline, making a transfer impossible. When the transfer window finally opened, so many players tried to register for character transfers that the system crashed within a short time.

The developers then paused the transfer assistant to allow the system to process all current transfer requests. Later, they reopened the assistant for new transfer requests, but the issues persisted. To this day, there are players who still cannot play their characters error-free on the new worlds.

The trailer for the latest expansion for LoTRO from 2024:

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

Running joke: MMO developers underestimate player influx

What do the developers say about it? They are primarily communicating with those affected on the official Discord channel of the MMORPG to calm things down. Executive Producer Rob “Severlin” Ciccolini writes on Discord: “We have transferred over 1 million characters since the transfers opened. That’s much more than expected.”

Although 1+ million characters does not mean 1+ million different players (many long-time fans of LoTRO have countless twinks), the influx is still remarkable for a game that is nearly 18 years old. So remarkable that even the developers had expected a significantly smaller number.

It seems to be part of the genre of MMOs and MMORPGs that the responsible developers misjudge the upcoming player influx before a launch or transfer phase. Here’s a random example from October 2024: New MMORPG groans under player record on Steam: This is what Amazon says about the many problems.

More about LoTRO:
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von Schuhmann
With a bit of luck, you might soon be able to play the largest new MMORPG 2026 on PC
von Karsten Scholz

What do the new servers bring? With Orcrist (Europe) and Meriadoc (Europe, roleplay), there are now the first two 64-bit servers for the European region that do not require a VIP status. Like the VIP server Mordor, both new worlds are located in an EU data center. The old 32-bit servers, meanwhile, remain in New Jersey.

On the new servers, you can expect a significantly smoother gaming experience. Further technical improvements, such as 4K resolution and a new launcher, are expected to follow at an unspecified time. You can find out more about the new 64-bit servers of Lord of the Rings Online in our overview.

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

What makes a good gamer is not about skill or aim

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 3 minutes

What makes a good female gamer? This is what Cortyn aims to analyze, focusing on something that is often overlooked.

Most people who come across this article probably consider themselves at least somewhat skilled in video games. But what actually makes someone a “good” or “bad” gamer? Even in our editorial team at MeinMMO, we had several, sometimes drastically different opinions on this.

In a series of articles, we want to analyze in the coming days what makes “a good gamer” (or a good female gamer). I am starting today and showing you my perspective.

Who is writing here? Cortyn primarily plays MMORPGs like World of Warcraft and engages in raids or dungeons. Occasionally, shooters like Overwatch are played, or one dives into MOBAs like Heroes of the Storm or SMITE 2. When things get really dark, a round of killer in Dead by Daylight cannot be missed. Generally, the focus is more on cooperative and competitive games, unless the craving for a good JRPG hits.

In most MMORPGs, players want to have players who count as “good”:

Start video
The best MMORPGs of all time for PC and console

Aim and reaction – Important, but not the most important

I have thought long and hard about what makes a truly good gamer for me. The first things that came to mind were quick reactions or precision. These are both traits that are required in most video games. But ultimately, the answer felt too simple to me. Because of course: Professionals need that. The best gamers in the world have incredibly fast reactions and aim faster than I can comprehend that there is even an enemy visible on the screen.

But to some extent, that can be trained. Aiming can be practiced, and reactions can be trained (even if that declines with age).

Analysis: The ability to recognize mistakes in oneself

The most important trait that makes a good female or male gamer, in my opinion, is the ability to analyze and reflect.

After a failed match, whether in a shooter like Apex Legends, a strategy game like Stellaris, or a dungeon visit in an MMORPG like World of Warcraft, one should be able to recognize: What did I do wrong? How can I approach the situation better next time? What can I learn from this mistake and avoid it in the future?

WoW Undermine Goblin female taunting gnome title title 1280x720
In MMORPGs, there are always moaning people – and people who cannot handle factual criticism.

Here, I explicitly mean the ability to analyze oneself. That is, to see problems in oneself and work on them. Because it’s easy for almost anyone on the internet to point out the mistakes of others. But recognizing one’s own weaknesses and reflecting on how one can improve does not work for everyone.

Of course, this goes hand in hand with other things. A high understanding of the game is usually necessary to be able to analyze mistakes at all. Those who have no idea what the enemies are throwing at them will find it difficult to analyze what went wrong in a particular situation or how to improve.

Of course, there can also be something useful in the criticism of others, which one should not shut oneself off from.

Presumably, everyone also knows a few players who have limited (or no) ability in this area. Especially in team games, it can be very exhausting when the error analysis directly shifts to a “Criticize me and we won’t play anymore” mentality, in the sense of: “Yes, I can also just drop out if you prefer that” (and at least one person is definitely feeling very addressed right now!).

This is not helpful and contributes neither to the improvement of the group nor to a pleasant gaming atmosphere that brings fun and progress together.

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Those who analyze respectfully also have more fun

In my opinion, my “best” gaming experiences have always been when I was with a group that could openly and still respectfully talk about their own and others’ problems. In which no one feels directly offended when an issue is raised and where everyone is attentive to what they could improve in their own playing style.

This sense of community, combined with a healthy acceptance of analyzing mistakes, defines

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

Monster Hunter Wilds: Affinity Explained – How to Increase the Value

Benedikt Schlotmann Benedikt Schlotmann Reading time 2 minutes

Affinity is an important value in Monster Hunter Wilds as it enhances your attacks. Read directly on MeinMMO about how affinity works and how you can increase the value.

Update: The article was first published on 01.03.2025. We updated the article on 17.03.2025.

What is Affinity? Affinity indicates the chance that you can land a critical hit. An affinity of 20% means that you have a 20% chance for your attack to be critical. Critical hits are worthwhile as they deal 1.25 times the damage of normal attacks. The value is capped at 100%; it cannot go higher.

Furthermore, affinity is only assigned for pure physical damage and does not affect the elements your weapon has. So, if you deal only 3 physical damage and 30 fire damage, only the 3 physical points of damage are enhanced.

What does negative affinity mean? Weapons with high base damage usually have negative affinity. This shows how high the chance is that you will deal -25% damage.

Displaying Affinity: You can display the value in the equipment info. There is an extra point “Affinity” here, and behind it is a percentage value that can be positive, negative, or neutral.

Start video
Monster Hunter Wilds: 5 Tips for a Clean Fight

How to Increase Your Affinity

How do I increase affinity? Currently, there are 2 ways through which you can improve the affinity value of your weapon:

  • Through skills that you can equip through weapons, armor pieces, talismans, or decorations
  • Through the properties of your weapon itself

Skills like “Critical Eye” or “Weakness Exploit” increase the affinity value for your equipped weapon. Skills such as “Critical Aim” or “Critical Eye” also increase the affinity value of your weapon.

Note that some skills are conditional, which is why they are not always included in the displayed value in the equipment menu. Since you cannot exceed 100% affinity, be mindful of this when building your setup.

If you want to craft a weapon in the smithy menu, you can always see how high the affinity will be.

When crafting the so-called Artian weapons, you can influence the affinity in certain parts. You can find more about this here: Monster Hunter Wilds: How to Craft and Enhance Artian Weapons

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Weapons play a crucial role in Monster Hunter – so in the latest installment Monster Hunter Wilds as well. With around 14 different weapon types, it is often not easy for newcomers to find the right one: The 5 Best Weapons for Starting in Monster Hunter Wilds

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Game8

A WoW Player Shows How Dungeons and Raids were Played in 2005 – Community Celebrates the Nostalgic Memory

Karsten Scholz Karsten Scholz Reading time 2 minutes

Do you remember how groups assigned different tasks and priorities in the raids and dungeons of WoW 20 years ago?

How was this done back then? In many dungeons and raid instances from Vanilla-WoW and the first expansion The Burning Crusade, it was essential – especially with mixed gear – to control certain enemies from large trash groups while damage dealers focused on overwhelming the first one or two targets without drawing aggro.

For this to work effectively (that is, without long explanations and assignments before each pull) not just within organized teams but also in randomly formed groups, a standard distribution for CC abilities (CC meaning Crowd Control, thus controlling enemies with certain abilities) and priorities has developed over time across guilds and servers.

In WoW Classic, “CC” is important again, especially on hardcore servers:

Start video
WoW Classic: The Hardcore Servers Are Here!

Nostalgic Journey to the Past

What was the distribution like? WoW fan FlexFridayTV recalls with a graphic on Reddit how the distribution might have looked in most groups back then:

  • Skull: The first target to die.
  • Red Cross: The second target to die.
  • Dark Blue Square: The enemy goes into a Hunter’s Ice Trap.
  • Light Blue Moon: This enemy gets transformed by a Mage.
  • Green Triangle: This opponent is put to sleep.
  • Purple Diamond: This target receives a Fear spell.
  • Orange Circle: A Rogue attempts to use a Headbutt here.

Which CCs were used on which trash group depended not only on the group composition but also on the types of enemies. Druids, for example, can only put beasts and draconic kin to sleep. Headbutt, on the other hand, only works on humanoids.

Especially in raid instances, it also occurred that the raid had to put several nasty enemies to sleep or transform them into sheep. The standard distribution would then of course be broken and the symbols adjusted accordingly.

Alternatively, it occasionally happened back then that specific characters from the raid were marked with a symbol to dictate certain positioning or movement patterns, or to make them easier to identify in the chaos of battle.

Here is the mentioned image from FlexFridayTV – ah, memories!

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The community remembers: Over the weekend, the post garnered more than 5,500 upvotes and over 850 comments. Many players are addressing the question posed by the thread creator: Does this distribution still apply today, in 2025?

  • bctg1 summarizes on Reddit how the symbols are used today: “Tank Icon, Tank Icon, Tank Icon, Tank Icon, Tank Icon, Tank Icon, Tank Icon, Tank Icon.”
  • Timekeeper98 jokes on Reddit: “Everyone knows that skull means to ignore this target until the end and take out everything else first.”
  • og_slin remembers on Reddit a saying from back then, which still holds true today: “Take the damn condom off my head.” This refers to the orange circle, by the way.
  • powerinthebeard writes on Reddit: “The first two symbols are still used today, the rest is nostalgia from 2005.”
  • CardiologistNo9474 explains on Reddit the reason: “We don’t really use CC anymore in 2025.”

Various other players report that there are still applications for certain CC effects in today’s WoW, such as with specific affixes in the Mythic Plus area.

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von Cortyn

So how about it: Do you miss the time when it was important to eliminate particularly dangerous targets with CC in almost every trash group? Or do you prefer to pull everything together and bomb it away? Share your thoughts in the comments! More WoW nostalgia can be found here: Players starting anew with WoW, immediately fulfilling (almost) all clichés – Community is proud of the newcomers

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

Julien Bam ends his YouTube channel, makes peace with his greatest enemy after 8 years

Johanna Johanna Reading time 2 minutes

The YouTuber Julien Bam uploaded his last video on one of his YouTube channels on Saturday, March 15, 2025, simultaneously ending a beef with one of his YouTube colleagues.

Why is Julien Bam ending his YouTube channel? In August 2024, YouTuber Julien Bam announced his last so-called “main videos” on his main channel “Julien Bam”. The main videos are lavishly produced short films for which the YouTuber is known in the German YouTube scene. With his last video on Saturday, which went live on March 15, 2025, Julien Bam has now closed this chapter of his life.

The reason: The videos have always been costly and extremely elaborate. They have not been profitable for a while, and the YouTuber wants to focus on other content.

Initially, he announced in 2020 three final main videos, which quickly turned into 16 videos. Julien Bam and his creative team had that many ideas left.

HandOfBlood is also a major figure in YouTube Germany. We introduce him to you in the video:

Start video
HandOfBlood: The most important thing about the YouTuber and Twitch streamer in under a minute

8 years of “conflict” between two YouTubers

Who is Julien Bam’s favorite enemy? It is the YouTuber Sebastian “Rewinside” Meyer. For over eight years, the two YouTubers have had a beef with each other, which was never serious. It was more of a playful back and forth between two friends who have known each other since 2012.

Rewinside was always taken lightly by Julien Bam in his main videos. One line from his song “Bunny Bars,” which appears in the YouTube video “The Last SONG of the EASTER BUNNY”: “Rewi steals prizes because he has none / His content is just not that good”

This is a reference to Rewinside stealing Julien Bam’s golden play button. An award presented by YouTube to channels that have reached one million subscribers. In return, Julien Bam stole an Arcanine Pokémon card from Rewinside.

“This is a historic moment for YouTube Germany”

Attention: The following section contains spoilers for the YouTube video “The Man on the Moon – The Finale”!

How was peace sealed? The YouTubers buried the hatchet in two ways:

Rewinside got a major role in one of Julien Bam’s main videos. In “The Man on the Moon – The Finale” (on YouTube), Rewinside was allowed to take on the role of the stranger. The identity of the character was only revealed now and caused a huge surprise in the community.

In a video on Rewinside’s channel (via YouTube), the YouTubers exchanged the stolen items and found conclusive words for the playful dispute. Julien Bam called the handover a “historic moment for YouTube Germany.”

They also made it clear once again that this conflict between them was never serious. Rewinside addressed the community: “That was entertainment, okay?” Previously, there were always viewers who took the beef more seriously than it actually was. Rewinside commented: “People really thought we hated each other.”

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Thus ends an era in YouTube Germany. Rewinside is not the only content creator that Julien Bam poked fun at. The German YouTuber Ungespielt was also not spared from a diss: Julien Bam mocks his former buddy Unge in front of millions on YouTube

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

Expert names 5 things that must be improved in Path of Exile 2 in the next season

Cedric Holmeier Cedric Holmeier Reading time 3 minutes

The new season of Path of Exile 2, titled Dawn of the Hunt, is coming soon. An expert has now named 5 things that must improve with the new league.

Who is it about? DarthMicrotransaction is a content creator on YouTube and Twitch, who primarily focuses on ARPGs. He regularly posts videos about Path of Exile 2 and Diablo 4. He is known among his viewers for his good analyses and clear criticism. According to his own statements, he has already played about 700 hours since the early access release.

In a new YouTube video, he has now named five points that Path of Exile 2 must improve with the new season in order for the game to become truly better.

[toc]

Here you can see the teaser trailer for the new season:

Start video
Path of Exile 2 presents a new teaser for the big update Dawn of the Hunt

Starting Over

For DarthMicrotransaction, the following points are the five most important issues that the developers at Grinding Gear Games need to address with the new season “Dawn of the Hunt.” Aside from these five points, there are other things that can be improved, but the content creator has focused on his most important ideas.

1. Resetting the Economy

The first point mentioned by DarthMicrotransaction is a reset of the in-game economy. Due to the high inflation in Path of Exile 2, new players are finding it difficult to acquire high-quality items, as they cannot farm the enormous prices.

However, as of now, there is no confirmation from the developers that with update 0.2.0, “Dawn of the Hunt,” a new season will start that has its own economy and that items already farmed cannot simply be given to new characters.

2. Crafting System

The progress of one’s character in the mid and endgame of Path of Exile 2 relies too much on the trading system, which many dislike – MeinMMO author Cedric Holmeier also says that PoE2 repeats the mistakes of the first game. DarthMicrotransaction’s second suggestion goes in a similar direction. For him, PoE2 needs to implement a proper crafting system.

DarthMicrotransaction criticizes that the current crafting system is too random-based and not rewarding enough. Items that drop with good stats are improved to potentially be valuable with much luck, but in most cases, they end up in the trash. He would advocate for a new crafting mechanic, which could be introduced as a league mechanic.

3. Skill Balance

DarthMicrotransaction describes that the current skill balance has major issues. Many of the best builds are centered around the skills “Herald of Ice” and “Herald of Thunder,” because these abilities simply deal much more damage than other skills in the game.

DarthMicrotransaction demands that not only nerfs come for these skills, but also that weaker abilities be buffed to allow for more build diversity.

4. Skill Tree

DarthMicrotransaction finds that the skill tree, in particular, needs extensive improvements. According to him, there are still too many placeholders and problems with the defensive skills in the tree. The content creator describes that players currently rely mainly on energy shield for their builds and alternatively on a skill that drains mana instead of health when hit.

He states that builds focused on health points are at a disadvantage because there are few nodes in the skill tree with good buffs for health. A nerf of the energy shield in favor of evasion would, according to DarthMicrotransaction, be a sensible change.

For the Atlas tree, the content creator is looking forward to an expansion, as he finds the current system a bit boring.

5. Atlas

The content creator clarifies in the video (via YouTube) that he is not an enemy of the Atlas system. However, he understands why some players might dislike the new system and sees potential for improvement as well. To DarthMicrotransaction, the towers on the Atlas are the fun kill. He describes running them to improve other maps as tedious.

DarthMicrotransaction wishes for more interesting locations and better rewards on the Atlas for the next season. As an example of such points of interest, he mentions the map “Moment of Zen,” which guarantees a unique item drop, but also states that the interesting locations often have even worse loot than the normal maps.

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What is the conclusion? At the end of his YouTube video, DarthMicrotransaction gives a conclusion. “I enjoy the game a lot,” the YouTuber initially states. He believes the game’s foundation is good and that with some changes, it could turn into something very good for him. He firmly believes that Path of Exile 2 needs more development time and that a full release in 2025 is unrealistic. If you want to learn more about the new season, check here: Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.2.0: All info about Dawn of the Hunt

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

WoW: The best equipment for Brann Bronzebeard in season 2 – With this, you can tackle almost any depth

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 4 minutes

Brann Bronzebart is a strong companion in the depths of World of Warcraft. But with the right gear, he becomes even better.

The depths of World of Warcraft: The War Within can be quite challenging. If you find yourself overwhelmed by the challenge, the right gear for Brann Bronzebart can make a crucial difference. We will reveal which combination is particularly strong and will make your little companion dwarf clear the way for you like a steamroller.

Note: We have updated this article for Season 2 of The War Within on March 17, 2025. It now includes all the new abilities of Brann Bronzebart.
Start video
WoW: The War Within trailer introduces Delves

Brann’s best gear in the depths in Season 2

Which gear is particularly worthwhile? The best gear for Brann Bronzebart differs depending on the role you take on in the dungeon and which Brann you want to have. Depending on whether you take Brann as a damage dealer, healer, or tank, different relics are useful.

Brann as Damage Dealer

  • Combat: Pocket Factory
  • Utility: Three-Dimensional Bio-Printer

For DPS characters, this combination has proven to be particularly strong. The Pocket Factory provides a strong, passive effect that triggers quite often and summons several turrets with different effects. Some damage enemies, while others enhance your character.

In particular, the Three-Dimensional Bio-Printer can provide a massive DPS boost. Depending on which elite opponents you copy, they can hit for 100,000 to 200,000 damage per hit. However, note that the Bio-Printer can also experience a misfire. In that case, your Brann will be copied, causing only 8,000 to 10,000 damage per attack. If that happens, you should destroy the copy by right-clicking and removing the corresponding buff from your list. This will free up a spot for the next elite opponent.

Brann as Healer

  • Combat: Re-engineered Goblin Death Bomb
  • Utility: Pacifist Equipment

Through the Re-engineered Goblin Death Bomb, Brann effectively gains additional healing. Once you fall below 50%, your companion throws a bomb at you that knocks back all enemies, massively slows them down, and heals you for 80% of your maximum health points. Brann does not have a stronger healing ability.

The Pacifist Equipment provides an indirect additional invulnerability. Your character is marked with a green AoE effect, and after a few seconds, a mech lands on your position, dealing significant damage upon landing and then automatically attacking all enemies in front of it. You control the mech directly, have a new health bar, and are effectively invulnerable for a few seconds.

If you are playing as a damage dealer and are falling too quickly against the depths bosses or elite groups, you should try Brann as a healer. However, note that you need to run over the red healing potions that your companion distributes around you and preferably not pick them all up at the same time – they leave healing-over-time effects on you.

Brann as Tank

  • Combat: Mechasaurus Quick Construction Kit
  • Utility: Three-Dimensional Bio-Printer

The Mechasaurus Quick Construction Kit is best suited for Tank Brann. The additional Mecha-dinosaurs frequently only attack when Brann is being attacked himself – which is almost guaranteed in his tank specialization. The damage from these dinos is considerable.

If you combine this with the Three-Dimensional Bio-Printer, you will have a whole army of small minions that kill enemies alongside Brann while you can act in the background and keep your companion alive.

Be aware that Brann as a tank will only survive for a long time if you also act as a healer. Other specializations can also use Brann as a tank, but at a depth difficulty of 8 and higher, Brann will frequently die if he doesn’t have a healer behind him. Additionally, Brann deals more damage as a tank when he is healed – as each direct healing stacks a strong DPS buff on the dwarf.

WoW Brann Bronzebart Best Choice
This allows Brann to perform well – but his level is also important.

How do you acquire gear for Brann? The various upgrades can be found in the different depths and have a chance of appearing in the final reward chests. All upgrades start at 1/4 and can be improved up to 4/4 by finding stronger variants. At 4/4, the items reach their maximum effectiveness and are often significantly stronger than at the start.

Brann should be leveled up: Additionally, note that Brann Bronzebart’s level plays a crucial role in how much damage he does. After he has learned all the regular abilities, he receives a massive bonus to his selected role with each further level-up. Beyond level 60, this bonus per level-up is somewhat smaller but still noticeable. It may be worthwhile to level Brann a bit by visiting generous depths – this is also possible with secondary characters. This will make even tougher depths considerably more relaxed.

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For a while, Brann Bronzebart was even way too strong. Healers had it too easy in the depths, causing Blizzard to intervene and significantly nerf Brann as a tank – even though the outcry was loud. However, the good dwarf is now reasonably solid in all variants, allowing you to explore the depths according to your personal taste.

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

Analyst believes that GTA 6 could become an absolute hit on the Xbox Series S as it would be the cheapest way to play Rockstar’s open world

Dariusz Müller Dariusz Müller Reading time 2 minutes

The entire world of gaming will be looking at the release of GTA 6. An analyst believes that this action game could therefore be a blessing for Xbox.

Who is this analyst?

  • The online magazine Windows Central spoke with gaming analyst Rhys Elliott about the current console generation, namely the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X|S.
  • Elliott explains that the PlayStation 5 has “won” the current console generation and that Xbox is becoming more of a software provider rather than a hardware brand.
  • According to Elliott, the release of GTA 6 is an opportunity for Xbox to market the Series S.
Start video
Rockstar Games shows GTA 6 for the first time in the trailer

The cheapest console to play GTA 6

Why could GTA 6 be a hit on the Xbox Series S? At the release of GTA 6, the action game from Rockstar Games will initially be released only for consoles – the PC launch is scheduled for a later date.

Elliott explains that the temporary console exclusivity could pay off for Xbox: “Xbox could use the release of Grand Theft Auto 6 as a last hurrah for the Series X|S generation, thanks to the low price of the Series S.”

While the Xbox Series S is already available for €299.99, the Series X (from €499.99) and PlayStation 5 (from €399.99) are slightly more expensive.

So for anyone who does not yet own a console on which GTA 6 will run, the Series S is the cheapest platform. According to Elliott, it could therefore be beneficial for Xbox to market the Series S vigorously in connection with the GTA release.

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When is GTA 6 coming? Currently, there is no official release date for GTA 6. We only know that the highly anticipated action game from Rockstar Games is set to be released in the fall of 2025 – although many industry experts expect a delay.

In February 2025, however, Strauss Zelnick, the CEO of GTA publisher Take-Two Interactive, revealed that the company plans the release of GTA 6 so that players have enough time to play the loot shooter Borderlands 4, also published by Take-Two: The head of GTA 6 wants you to have enough time to play – narrows down the release window

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

Pokémon GO forgot the most important reward at an event – now promises compensation

Paul Kutzner Paul Kutzner Reading time 2 minutes

In Pokémon GO, there was an event over the weekend where a key component was partially missing. Affected trainers are to be compensated for this.

What kind of event was it? On Sunday, March 16, 2025, the Catching Art Event took place in Pokémon GO. You were rewarded with additional experience points for good throws when catching.

Furthermore, there was an increased shiny chance for Flapteryx, Amonitas, and Kabuto during the event. However, there were issues, leading Niantic to announce compensation for affected trainers.

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

Shiny Event without Shinies

What was the problem? The chance to encounter Amonitas and Kabuto in their shiny variants was not activated from the start of the event. Niantic identified and corrected this during the ongoing event.

On X, Niantic wrote the following: “Trainers, we have fixed an issue where shiny Amonitas and shiny Kabuto had no increased chance of appearing during the Catching Art Event. We will provide more information for affected trainers shortly.”

Which trainers were affected by the problem? It is not known which trainers were specifically affected. Niantic has not provided further details regarding the issue.

However, since the post on X was made on March 16, 2025, around 5:00 AM, it can be assumed that trainers in Germany were not affected. After all, the event started here at 10:00 AM, so the error by Niantic should have already been resolved by then.

What does the compensation look like? It is still unclear what exact compensation the affected trainers will receive. Just recently, a similar case occurred where research progress was not counted, and trainers were then compensated.

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March continues to offer various events and different content as usual. If you want to know when you can participate in which events in the game and what content awaits you, feel free to check out our overview of all events in March 2025 in Pokémon GO.

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

What does the most important man at Steam play?

Benedict Grothaus Benedict Grothaus Reading time 2 minutes

The co-founder of Valve, the company behind Steam, has responded to an email from a fan and explained that he is currently playing a survival shooter for the fourth time. Some fans are disappointed because he seemingly completely ignores their favorite game and the biggest game on Steam.

Who is Gabe Newell?

  • Gabe Newell, often simply referred to as “Gaben” on the internet, co-founded Valve, the company behind Steam. He is something like the head of Valve, even though Valve has no real boss.
  • Among gamers, Newell is both a sort of hero and a living meme. He is seen as the “good man” in gaming, who remains super down-to-earth despite his success.
  • One reason for his popularity among gamers is his closeness to the people. Gabe Newell knows what people want and even occasionally responds to fan emails himself. At the end of 2024, he gifted a fan dozens of autographs for their birthday, and now he is responding to a simple question.

What Gabe Newell is currently playing: A player simply asked Newell in an email what the Steam boss is currently playing. The answer: “I’ve been playing a lot of Stalker 2 lately. I should have the fourth ending tomorrow, and then I’ll see what I play next.”

Stalker 2 is a survival shooter set in the nuclear-contaminated Chernobyl. The game was released in November 2024 in a technically rather poor state, although the developers explained why the shooter had to be released broken.

The shared post with Newell’s answer on Reddit has received over 36,000 upvotes and hundreds of comments within a few days. Users are celebrating the Valve founder for his response – but at least some fans are a bit disheartened about the choice of games.

Start video
Official Launch Trailer of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl

“We need to learn from Gabe”

However, the original post on Reddit shows a small jab: Gabe Newell has skipped every major tournament of the biggest game on Steam, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and has never attended.

In contrast, he personally gives the opening speech at every event of Valve’s second-largest game and another one of the biggest on Steam, Dota 2:

I’m not sure if he still does it, but he played a lot of Dota. That’s the whole reason why he’s so involved in The International and gives his opening speech every year while he has never been to a Counter-Strike Major. He just isn’t really into that.

yet-again-temporary on Reddit
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In the comments, people are mostly amused that Newell even responds. Many imagine Gabe Newell casually playing games after his huge success and when he gets bored, he checks a few fan emails and randomly responds to some.

However, one can certainly learn from Newell: While many seem to be constantly stuck in the same game, the Valve boss at least finishes his games. But then again, one does not know what lies on Newell’s Pile of Shame…

Others focus on the success of Steam. Newell is waiting for the competition to finally do something that he needs to react to while he just plays until then. Only the competition keeps shooting itself in the foot. But Valve wasn’t always this successful.

Newell’s email address is publicly available and one user notes that in his announcer pack for Dota 2, he even invites people to inform him about their rampages. Apparently, the Valve head has nothing against fan emails – and was even more open with his data: Gabe Newell revealed the login information for his account on Steam to prove how secure his platform is.

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

WoW: Exploiters mock Blizzard, show in video how they stole the First Kill

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

First, they mocked the developers of World of Warcraft, now they’ve shown the exploit in the video. Exciting – but also a bit cheeky.

The race for the World First Kill of Gallywix in the mythic release of Lorenhall from World of Warcraft was decided a few hours ago. Team Liquid emerged as the winner of the race. But days earlier, another guild managed to defeat Gallywix – through an exploit. To humiliate Blizzard, the cheaters repeated their trick shortly thereafter and have now released the video showing how they did it.

Start video
WoW Patch 11.1: Gallywix’s Control over the Cartels

What can be seen in the video? The YouTube video shows how the group with extremely poorly geared characters achieves the World First Kill on Chromking Gallywix. A series of exploits and cheats can be seen during this.

On one hand, the characters have gained access to special abilities through a macro. These are likely abilities from “Plunderstorm”, but also abilities that are normally used by vehicles:

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Link to the YouTube content

The exploits allow the characters to “fly” or rather “swim through the air”. They reach Gallywix directly after the first fight without having to fight the other bosses at all. Subsequently, the bosses fall very quickly due to the use of abilities – the jumps cause several million damage and eliminate Gallywix within seconds.

How did Blizzard react? After the first kill by the exploiters became known, Blizzard banned all affected accounts and invalidated the kill. A bug was fixed that apparently allowed an ability to be used through a macro that one should not have access to.

However, the exploiters reappeared shortly thereafter – and repeated their feat again with new accounts, which can also be seen in the video. This time, the accounts were also banned, and new bugs and exploits were fixed.

Exploiters Drag Rextroy Through the Mud – Is There Bad Blood?

Why do we hear Rextroy’s voice? Even though the video starts with Rextroy’s voice, he did not participate in the video or in the action. Apparently, this is more to be understood as a critique. Because Rextroy often uses exploits himself to gain attention, but he is in regular contact with Blizzard and always reports found bugs before he publishes corresponding videos. The guild “RAoV Quality Assurance” has had different experiences with Blizzard after previously clashing with the developers – after repeated aggressive exploiting, they were asked to sign cease and desist agreements.

Whether the players from “RAoV Quality ReAssurance” and the second guild “ecnarussAeR quality VOAR” (the name backwards) are the same players as before or just imitators cannot be said for sure.

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The 16 MMORPGs with the most players according to official numbers from the developers
von Karsten Scholz
WoW punishes players who are too good at playing hide and seek, then sprinkles “salt in the wound”
von Karsten Scholz
One of the Rocket Beans shows why many can’t understand WoW anymore
von Cortyn

How is the video being received by the community? Reactions in the WoW Subreddit are quite varied. Some find the behavior sad when one boasts about having exploited a bug to sabotage a competition of professional guilds. Others, on the other hand, like the style of the video and feel reminded of the early 2000s when videos of this kind were more common on YouTube.

For Blizzard, however, the whole incident is likely more uncomfortable, as the fact that such cheaters claim the title of “World First” twice in a row is also mockingly noticed by the community – even though World of Warcraft is as good as it has been for a long time.
How did you perceive the incident? Annoying that troublemakers meddled with exploits? Or a cool action that draws attention to the lack of quality assurance?

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

A gamer has been installing an update on his gaming PC for over 100 hours, and he cannot turn off the PC under any circumstances

Benedikt Schlotmann Benedikt Schlotmann Reading time 3 minutes

A player wants to update his gaming PC, but this has unexpected consequences. Because he hasn’t been able to use his computer for days. A BIOS update shouldn’t just be interrupted.

For many players, the “visit” to the PC’s BIOS is a horror scenario: a lot of settings and always the worry of breaking something in the end. One player wanted to “just” update his BIOS, but the update has been running for more than 4 days and there is no end in sight.

BIOS stands for Basic Input/Output System and gives your built-in hardware instructions on how it should function. Without BIOS, your computer and many other devices won’t work.

Why did the player want to update his BIOS? The player reports that he read that there were several improvements with the new BIOS version. And since his BIOS is over 6 years old, he thought it was about time for an update. However, he now regrets that (via Reddit.com):

Why bother updating? BIOS from 2018 … I read on the site that there are some stability improvements in the newer BIOS versions and I thought, why not? Now I definitely regret it…

At least he has some luck in misfortune: He himself writes that it’s not his main PC, but just a model he has in the bedroom.

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

Interruption of a BIOS update can lead to a dead motherboard

Why doesn’t he just turn off the PC? The problem is the BIOS: If you turn off your computer during the BIOS update process, in most cases your motherboard is toast. In technical jargon, this is referred to as “bricked”: If the BIOS on the motherboard is damaged, data exchange between the devices does not occur, and the system cannot be booted.

Can a bricked motherboard be repaired? Whether a “bricked” motherboard can be repaired always depends on the condition of the device. If the flash chip of the motherboard is damaged, only replacing the chip helps. Otherwise, there are basically four options to restore a motherboard or the BIOS:

  • BIOS recovery mode: Some motherboard models have a built-in recovery mode that allows you to restore the BIOS from a USB drive. It’s best to check the manual of your model for this.
  • Using a “programmer”: Alternatively, you can use an external device to rewrite the BIOS. A detailed guide can be found on Hardareluxx.de, on how to use such a “programmer”. Usually, these devices cost between 10 and 20 Euros.
  • Professional help: In some cases, repair shops can restore the BIOS with an external device, but this process is usually expensive.
  • Dual BIOS: Some motherboards also offer a so-called “dual BIOS”: If you damage the first BIOS, you can switch to the second and try to restore the broken BIOS. You can then switch between the two with a physical switch.

What happens next? In the meantime, the player streamed a live broadcast of his update on YouTube, so people could watch the update of his computer. However, his PC monitor has now lost the signal. The BIOS update is probably still running in the background.

Normally, a BIOS update does not take several days, but usually only a few minutes, as only very small amounts of data are copied. Therefore, it is almost to be expected that something must have gone wrong somewhere during the update for it to take so long. Nevertheless, the user does not want to turn off his PC.

How did it end? The user has, however, reported a final time on Reddit with a new post, and the news is not good: He explained that his monitor had lost the signal and he could not restore it, no matter what he tried. So for him, the matter is concluded.

However, a few days ago he ordered a “programmer” and said that he might do an update again after he has gotten his motherboard working again.

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“You must behave like professionals”: Pilots go viral because they bark and meow at each other over the radio
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Startup relies completely on AI tool for daily work, suddenly loses access for the entire company
von Claudio Niggenkemper

A player proudly presents his new gaming setup. And the hardware is the best you can currently buy. Only with his gaming choice does he surprise many in the community. But he justifies himself that new games are coming soon: Player treats himself to a powerful gaming PC for 5,000 Euros after 17 years – Just to then play LoL with it

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

The Day Before was once the most anticipated game on Steam – Now the creators are suing a website for defamation

Karsten Scholz Karsten Scholz Reading time 2 minutes

In 2023, The Day Before transformed from the most desired game on Steam to one of the biggest flops in video game history. However, it is said that the quality of the product was not to blame.

Who is the developer suing? The people behind Fntastic, the studio behind The Day Before, are suing the Russian news site Yakutia.info, which is based in the Siberian region of Yakutia – just like the game studio.

According to the lawsuit, the news website harmed Fntastic’s reputation by describing the developers’ behavior in connection with the development of The Day Before as a “scam” or fraud.

Furthermore, a statement is the focus of the lawsuit, in which they paraphrased YouTube influencers who claimed that The Day Before allegedly copied or “borrowed” mechanics and content from other games.

Will Webedia soon be sued by Fntastic as well?

Start video
The Day Before: Between Fraud and Incompetence

Sorry, it wasn’t fraud, just an embarrassment!

How does the sued website respond? The people at Yakutia explain in a reaction to yakutia.info that the term “scam” is relatively new in the Russian language, and they did not intend to accuse the developers of fraud. Therefore, they replaced the term with “embarrassment” and expanded the second article regarding the influencer opinions with specific quotes.

Furthermore, the editors at Yakutia state that the developers specifically chose a small editorial team from their homeland for the lawsuit, which can hardly mount a legal defense. Meanwhile, there were numerous media outlets and content creators worldwide that supposedly used terms like “scam” and “fraud” in connection with The Day Before.

The developers themselves even believe that The Day Before was actually a good game at launch, which ultimately failed mainly due to influencers on Twitch and similar platforms.

What do I need to know about The Day Before? The Day Before was once supposed to be an ambitious survival MMO that impressed with stunning graphics and a host of exciting features in the early trailers. The project rose to become the most wished-for game on Steam, but then came the deep fall:

  • Test phases as well as the final release were postponed multiple times.
  • After the release of new trailers, players began to doubt the quality.
  • In the meantime, there were reports that the studio was recruiting volunteers to work on the project for free.
  • Then The Day Before also found itself in a legal dispute over its name and temporarily disappeared from Steam.

When the release finally approached on December 7, 2023, not much of the original hype remained. Nevertheless, The Day Before shot up on Twitch immediately, only to be torn apart on Steam. On December 11, the statement followed that The Day Before was “financially failed.” This meant there were not enough resources to continue.

More about The Day Before:
New Zombie Game looks like the survival game that everyone hoped for from The Day Before – and it’s by well-known developers
von Ody
The studio of The Day Before is asking for freely created content for their new game, offering no payment
von Johanna

Only a few days after the release, the shutdown already followed. It speaks for itself that certain reports surrounding the new project by Fntastic remind one of the game-turned-car crash The Day Before: The studio of The Day Before is asking for freely created content for their new game, offers no payment

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. yakutia.info
  2. pcgamer.com