Monster Hunter Wilds has also launched on PCs. Since then, the game has been struggling with technical issues. We took a look and found potential reasons and solutions.
What kind of crashes and issues are players reporting? Monster Hunter Wilds launched on February 28, 2025, at 6:00 AM on Steam. Since then, players have mainly reported crashes, some of which occur even at the game’s start. Bugs, glitches, and performance issues also seem to be on the rise.
Since the game has just been released, it is very likely that Capcom will soon release updates to address these issues. We have looked into what could be causing the problems and searched for potential solutions for you.
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Note: All proposed solutions and tips are at your own risk. We do not accept any liability for any damages you may cause.
The Monster Hunter support team has set up a page with additional solutions. We have supplemented these points in our article. You can find the support page here.
Update from March 17, 2025: We have brought the article up to date.
Possible Reasons for Crashes and Performance Issues
In particular, if your game crashes right at the beginning or frequently, it could be due to the following reasons:
Your drivers are outdated
There is a bug in the game data
The “Frame Generation” feature is causing overload and leading to crashes
Background programs running simultaneously can disrupt the game process
Your settings do not match your hardware
Your antivirus is blocking the game
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Monster Hunter Wilds Shows What It Has to Offer in Launch Trailer
Possible Solutions for Your Problems
Drivers are not up to date
One of the most common reasons for crashes is outdated drivers. You can find the latest drivers for your providers here:
You can then download and install the latest drivers there. This often resolves many issues. This is especially true for NVIDIA users, as a driver update was released on February 27 that addresses, among other things, the black screen issue that many players are reporting (via Computerbase). The black screen issue primarily affects players using an RTX 5000 graphics card.
Corrupted Game Files
Sometimes game files are not downloaded properly or generate errors when executed.
You can repair the game files by accessing the game in your Steam library and right-clicking on it. Then go to Properties -> Installed Files -> Verify Integrity of Game Files.
Steam will then automatically check your files and repair them if necessary. In some cases, a message may appear indicating that some files could not be verified. These are usually local configurations that should not be replaced. You can therefore ignore this message (via Monster Hunter Support).
If you manage to enter the game and experience crashes within the game, it could also be due to the Frame Generation feature. In this case, you should try to turn it off. Here’s how:
Go to settings in the game
Navigate to the graphics settings in the display settings
There you will find the “Frame Generation” feature
Turn off the feature
End Background Processes
If your game crashes due to disruptive background processes or overload on your PC, you can end them as follows:
Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open the Task Manager
Check which processes are currently consuming a lot of resources and see if and for what your system needs them
If you don’t need them right now, end them by right-clicking
Caution: If you disable background processes, you could make your system unstable! Therefore, be careful which processes you end. Especially, you should definitely avoid system-critical processes. Prioritize software like the browser you have open in the background.
Find the Appropriate Settings
Some problems can also arise if the settings in the game do not match your hardware. Our editorial team has looked into the settings of Monster Hunter Wilds for you. You can read our tips here:
Exclude Steam & Monster Hunter Wilds from Antivirus
It might also be possible that your antivirus program is blocking the game or Steam. To circumvent this, it is necessary to add them as exceptions to your antivirus. If you haven’t manually installed the programs elsewhere, you can find the necessary paths here:
Sometimes it can also help if you grant Steam administrator rights. To do this, right-click on the .exe file of Steam and then select “Run as administrator”.
If that doesn’t help, log in to your PC in administrator mode and then run MonsterHunterWilds.exe. You can usually find the file in the path mentioned in the previous point.
Update DirectX to the Latest Version
Monster Hunter Wilds requires the latest version of DirectX. You can find information about this on the corresponding page of Microsoft.
In Monster Hunter Wilds you can gather resources for free and automatically thanks to Material Retrieval. You can read about how the feature works, what you need to consider, and what limitations exist on MeinMMO.
What is this feature? Material Retrieval is a function that you will unlock later in the game. With it, you can automatically gather resources that you can later collect.
To unlock it, you need to complete some quests and progress far enough in the story. MeinMMO explains what you need to consider if you want to use this feature.
Update from March 17, 2025: The post has been structurally adjusted. Content remains the same.
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Developers of Monster Hunter Wilds Explain Why There Is No New Weapon Type
Monster Hunter Wilds: Unlock Material Retrieval and Requirements
Requirements: To unlock Material Retrieval, you must have completed the last main mission of chapter 4-2, “Lurking Shadows.” How many chapters Monster Hunter Wild consists of can be found elsewhere.
Unlocking Material Retrieval: If you have completed the main story to that point, you can talk to Apar in Suja to unlock the feature. Here you will receive the first quests, at the end of which Apar will go searching for materials for you. Later, you can also unlock additional gatherers.
Important Notes:
Every person who can gather materials for you has their own quest that you must complete before they can start gathering for you. You will find all gatherers in the table below.
Each village has its own agricultural products that they can gather for you. Therefore, you cannot get everything in every village.
Materials stack up to 16 slots, after that the gatherers will stop. So make sure to collect the materials quickly enough.
How much the gatherers find depends on the rarity of the materials: the rarer the material, the less will be collected. Material is categorized into three rarity levels (1 to 3 stars).
What and how much material the gatherers find also depends on the season. How you can change the season can be read on MeinMMO.
Material Retrieval: Overview of All Biomes, Locations, Gatherers, and Quests
In the following table, you will find all biomes with their locations and the corresponding individuals who can gather materials for you.
Monster Hunter Wilds will soon start on PC, Xbox, and PS5. Everyone approaches games differently, and we enjoy playing with guides. If you’re similar, you’ll find a collection of all important guides to Monster Hunter Wilds on MeinMMO: Monster Hunter Wilds: All Guides, Beginner Tips, and Information Overview
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Over the years, James Bond has starred in a total of 27 films. In five of them, Daniel Craig portrayed the British secret agent. In our ranking, we clarify which film featuring him is actually the best.
His name is world-famous, just like his alias: 007. James Bond has been traveling the globe for over seventy years, since the first film adaptation of Ian Fleming’s books. He fights enemies of the British secret service, uses unusual gadgets, and repeatedly escapes from perilous situations.
Daniel Craig portrayed James Bond starting in 2006 in 5 installments – but also starred in other films during this time. In our ranking, we list all Bond films and clarify which one is the best. Please note that the rankings are based on the author’s opinion. If your personal list differs from this, feel free to share it in the comments.
Now let’s get started, in the name of Her Majesty!
5. Quantum of Solace
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Engaging Action in the Trailer for ‘Quantum of Solace’
The second Bond film featuring Daniel Craig essentially continues the story from Casino Royale. The agent wants to find out who is behind the betrayal by Vesper, the Bond girl from the previous film. To do this, he confronts businessman Dominic Green.
The film is action-packed, yet relatively superficially directed. The runtime is a comparatively short 106 minutes. While Daniel Craig also delivers a good performance here, the character has little time for development. Instead of elegant gentleman-spionage, the film aims to be too much like a realistic action movie. A recipe that simply does not fit Bond.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Hunter Rank in Monster Hunter Wilds is something that accompanies you constantly. MeinMMO explains what you need to know about the rank and how you can level up. In Monster Hunter Wilds, there is a distinction between low rank and high rank.
What is the Hunter Rank? The Hunter Rank, or HR for short, is like your experience level in Monster Hunter Wilds.
However, unlike “real” RPGs, where you receive skill points and better attributes with each level up, the Hunter Rank in Monster Hunter Wilds determines which monsters you are allowed to fight. Your attributes do not improve with the Hunter Rank.
The higher your rank, the more difficult and important quests you can undertake. Each mission in Monster Hunter Wilds has a minimum level, and you cannot accept a hunt that exceeds your level. However, note that there are certain upper limits up to which you can increase your Hunter Rank.
Update: The article was first published on 01.03.2025. On 12.12.2025, we updated the article and added two new high ranks. The article is now up to date.
Monster Hunter Wilds: Low Rank and High Rank
What is Low Rank? You start with low rank in Monster Hunter Wilds. You play through the entire main story of Monster Hunter Wilds at low level, and therefore can only complete low-level quests and fight low-level opponents.
What is High Rank? You automatically unlock high rank as soon as you complete the campaign of Monster Hunter Wilds. Generally, this is achieved after the credits roll at Hunter Rank 15.
In high rank, your rank only increases by hunting monsters and completing quests for experience points.
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Monster Hunter Wilds: 4 Tips for Beginners to Make Hunting Easier
Monster Hunter Wilds: Level Caps
What limitations exist? In Monster Hunter Wilds, similar to its predecessors, there are upper limits that you can reach at a certain point (via ign.com):
JR15: First upper limit before the credits (end of low rank).
JR20: Upper limit before completing the quest: Investigate the Raging Shadow (Chapter 4-2: Lurking Shadows)
JR25: Upper limit before completing the quest: Thundering Flowers (Chapter 4-3: Wyvern Sparks and Rose Thorns)
JR30: Upper limit before completing the quest: Frozen Lord at the Precipice (Chapter 5-1: Storm Cold Whirl)
JR35: Upper limit before completing the quest: Shrouded in Black (Chapter 5-2: An Upside Down World)
JR40: Upper limit before completing the quest: Awakening from a Dream (Chapter 6-1: What Lies Ahead).
JR50: Unlocks Chapter 6–2: An Unexpected Summons.
JR100: Unlocks Level 2 Decoration Fusion from the Fusion Pot.
Once you have completely finished the story and completed the last chapter (6-1), you can level up freely. The maximum limit is 999. You leave low rank once you reach level 15.
Monster Hunter Wilds: Leveling Up Hunter Rank
How to level up your Hunter Rank: All monsters you defeat and all quests you complete in High Rank reward you with experience points. This in turn increases your Hunter Rank. You can comfortably reach Hunter Rank 8 just by playing through the main story until the credits roll.
If you want to level up as quickly and effectively as possible, we recommend completing optional quests in particular. Almost every NPC in the game has quests for you once you’ve completed the campaign.
Aside from that, all quests that also require a high hunting rank are worthwhile. Especially hunts with difficulty 7 or 8 can significantly increase your Hunter Rank. You can check the maps and hover over the hardened monsters. The difficulty will also be displayed there.
Monster Hunter Wilds is fully launching on PC, Xbox, and PS5. Everyone approaches games differently, and we like to play with guides. If you’re similar, you’ll find here a collection of all important guides to Monster Hunter Wilds on MeinMMO: Monster Hunter Wilds: All Guides, Beginner Tips, and Information at a Glance
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
On March 18, the “Mother’s Blessing” event starts again in Diablo 4, giving you a bonus on XP and gold. Here’s why it’s really worth it in Season 7, here on MeinMMO.
Update, March 16, 2025: The article has been updated with new information about the current event.
What kind of event is this? Directly following the “March of the Goblins” event, the next event in Diablo 4 takes place. In Sanctuary, the “Mother’s Blessing” starts, allowing you to farm XP, gold, and extra chests from the Whispering Tree. This applies to all players in the eternal realm, in the seasonal realms, and at all difficulty levels.
How long does the event last? The “Mother’s Blessing” runs from Tuesday, March 18, 2025, to Tuesday, March 25, 2025. So you have a week to farm XP, gold, and extra chests from the tree.
You will receive the following multiplicative bonuses during this time:
35% more XP
50% more gold
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Gameplay trailer for Season 7 in Diablo 4, the Season of Witch Power
Additional gifts from the tree for everyone
Who gets the bonus? All players of Diablo 4. You receive both bonuses in the eternal realm, in the seasonal realms, and at all difficulty levels. The XP bonus is also stackable – this means it’s even more worthwhile if you use potions and play in a group to maximize your collected experience.
Here’s why it’s worth it right now: The bonuses are worthwhile for various reasons. With them, you can:
Level (additional) characters to the max level of 60
Grind Paragon levels after reaching max level
Test classes and builds
Complete the Battle Pass
Additionally, every time you redeem your “Ghastly Gifts” at the Whispering Tree or the Ravens of the Tree, you will receive an extra chest with gifts from the tree. The contents correspond to a Chaos Chest, so you will get equipment, materials, and other useful loot.
It is also always worthwhile to accumulate gold to improve the gear of your (seasonal) characters with the crafting systems Hardening and Completion or to reroll affixes. Enchanting can become expensive – so it’s perfect to stock up here.
The MMORPG Black Desert Online is still one of the most beautiful games in the genre. Now the developers are providing a hardcore server, but it doesn’t sound that hardcore to fans.
What is the new server all about? The hardcore server should be interesting for all players who currently find Black Desert Online too easy. On this new PvPvE server, you fight for survival in the vast desert of Valencia, also known as the Black Desert.
How the hardcore server works is explained by developer Pearl Abyss in a roughly 5-minute video on YouTube:
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Black Desert Online: The Developer Explains the New Hardcore Server
Only one character, focus on PvP and daily quests
What does gameplay look like on the new server? First, you need to create a new character that you can only play on the hardcore server. You are only allowed to have one character at a time on this server, and the selection of classes is also limited.
Currently, the following classes are playable on the hardcore server:
Warrior
Black Mage
Ranger
Giant
The playable classes are expected to change in the future depending on the season and theme. By the way, your new character starts directly at level 63, with 3,000 skill points, and the choice between “Awakening” and “Rebirth” of your class.
You can play up to 2 hours per day on the hardcore server. During this time, you collect as many survival and quest points as possible. The latter are obtained through dailies and “Sudden Quests” that can be randomly assigned to you while fighting monsters.
You earn survival points by defeating monsters and other players. However, upon death, you lose 30% of your survival points. The same applies if you eliminate a player who has less than 20% of your survival points (starting from 1,000 points). This penalty is likely intended to discourage players from deliberately hunting down newbies.
How is the hardcore server received by the community? Particularly in the comments below the developers’ explanation video on YouTube, the criticism is loud. A major topic is the limitation of classes: With only 4 out of a total of 29 classes, there is a high chance that your favorite class is not included.
Some players also criticize the focus on daily quests. “Daily quests are a great way to ruin the game mode and make it a tedious obligation for adventurers,” writes YouTube user Allergic2Feedback, for example.
For FakeUni, the touted “hardcore” server is not even really hardcore. He writes in his comment: “You have developed a mini-game mode that is as far from what hardcore actually means as possible.”
For mirainokiokuha, it is already clear what needs to change. “The penalty must be removed. Daily quests must be removed. More incentives to play. Don’t cater to casuals on a HARDCORE server,” writes the user.
Do you want to try the new hardcore server or do you have plans to do so? Feel free to share your opinions and impressions in the comments. If you want to convince friends to join you in Black Desert Online, now would be a good opportunity: Black Desert Online is currently only one euro on Steam
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
There are many zombie games on the PS5 and PS4, but no series is as iconic as Resident Evil. Normally, these are all single-player games, but sometimes they also stray into co-op. The best part that you can play with a buddy is currently on sale.
Which title from the series is it? Resident Evil 5 was originally released in 2009 and followed the fourth part, which not only revolutionized the series but also had a great influence on the overall genre. Resident Evil 4 was also the first step that shifted from horror to action.
Resident Evil 5 further expanded the action of its predecessor and also relied on a less used setting. Instead of a creepy village in Europe, the story takes you to Africa. The biggest difference, however, was that the game is designed for co-op. Even today, the game is still fun to play.
You can find a trailer for the game here:
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Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition – Trailer for the complete edition of the Capcom action title
Action-packed zombie fights that are perfect in co-op
Why is the game still worth it? Despite a heavy focus on action, Resident Evil 5 retains many of the series’ strengths and is also playable in 2-player co-op. This time, you play as Chris Redfield again or the new character Sheva Alomar.
Africa also provides a fresh setting. The story is, typical for the series, once again a B-movie trash fest filled with absurd situations. These are also beautifully staged in quick-time events.
Fans of the series can also look forward to the return of the probably most iconic villain of the series.
Aside from that, there is again good gameplay. With various weapons, you have to fight your way through linear levels that also invite for easy exploration. The game is designed for co-op, which is why it is most fun with friends.
The true appeal of the series, the constant replaying, unlocking, and upgrading of equipment, is also present in Resident Evil 5, and the more you play through the game, the more you become the unstoppable action hero.
What does MeinMMO editor and Resident Evil fan Nikolas Hernes say about Resident Evil 5? Resident Evil 5 is not the best part of the series, but it is a fantastic co-op experience that I have replayed several times. It has many strengths of the series, such as good pacing, great action, and above all, the B-movie charm that I love so much.
Especially in couch co-op on a console, the game unfolds really well.
If the trend of the series continues, you can catch up on the game before a remake is released.
How much does Resident Evil 5 cost on PS4 and PS5? Currently, you can get the game for €4.99 in the PSN Store. The offer is valid until 27.03.2025. In addition to the main game, all DLCs are also included. These include a story expansion and the popular Mercenary mode with additional characters.
Currently, you can also get Resident Evil Village on sale. This is the most recent part of the series after the Resident Evil 4 remake, which lets you fight against vampires, werewolves, and of course also zombies. Why the game is worth it, you can find out in this article: A zombie game on PS4 and PS5 is so good that I almost played it through 3 times in a row
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
2025 brought some innovations for League of Legends. Riot also tried something new in esports. They experimented with a new format for the pick and ban phase, which wasn’t well received by everyone. However, it has now been decided that the format will continue in the future.
What format is being discussed? Normally, the pick and ban phase consists of several steps:
First, both teams take turns banning 3 champions and then selecting
In the second step, 2 champions are banned again and 2 are selected respectively
In the past, this often resulted in not seeing much champion variation, as the best picks were always banned or selected. The so-called Fearless Draft changed this format.
What is the Fearless Draft? Essentially, the structure runs in the same way, but with the difference that each champion can only be played once in a Best-of-3 or Best-of-5 match. This provides more variation for the audience, but also creates challenges for the players who have to learn more champions.
Now, lolesports.com has commented on the future of the format and seems to be satisfied. They announced that the format will even be used in the most important tournament of the year.
Start video
LoL abolishes the LCS!
The format is not popular with everyone
What will happen to the Fearless Draft in 2025? For a long time, it was unclear how the Fearless Draft would proceed, but Riot has now commented on it. They state that after positive feedback from teams and fans, they decided that the format will remain in the 2025 season.
They want to keep the format in the regional leagues until the end of the competitive season. Global events are also expected to follow. They even announced that the Fearless Draft will be used for the Best-of-3 and Best-of-5 matches at this year’s Worlds. The Swiss stage will remain a Best-of-1.
What makes the Fearless Draft good? The champion variance is a strong argument for it. The Worlds 2024 have shown that the meta ensures that you keep seeing the same champions. With the Fearless Draft, teams must rethink and react spontaneously. This is not inherently better or worse than before, but it changes the direction in which strategies must be developed.
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous offers a role-playing experience of gigantic scope on Steam and consoles. In particular for fans of Baldur’s Gate 3 and Dungeons & Dragons, the game is worth more than a glance. Currently, the game is on sale.
What kind of game is this? Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is a role-playing game from the game studio Owlcat Games. With about 83% very positive votes (as of 28,685 reviews, March 16, 2025) on Steam and a Metacritic rating of 83, the adventure released in 2021 is among the most popular alternatives to Baldur’s Gate 3.
The game is based on the pen & paper campaign of the same name and lets you take on the role of a hero who ventures into the world with up to 5 companions to address the Worldwound – a rift in the Abyss that brings incredible horrors to the land.
The game has a certain old-school look and text-heavy presentation but offers a sophisticated depth with its scope.
The rules of Pathfinder are based on the 3.5 edition of Dungeons & Dragons. With its scope, the game offers several hundred hours of fun and also has numerous DLCs in tow. The base game is currently available for a price of €3.99 in the Spring Sale on Steam.
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Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous – Trailer for the ‘Game of the Year’ Edition on Steam
Be who you want to be with the Legend Paths
What makes Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous special? Similar to Baldur’s Gate 3, you fight your way through a comprehensive story in tactical battles with a group of diverse characters. You have the choice between turn-based combat or real-time battles.
Additionally, you can choose not only from about 25 classes and 12 races for your character but also from 9 unique Legend Paths that give you extra freedom.
Whether angel, demon, lich, fairy, or powerful necromancer, Wrath of the Righteous gives you the chance to be whoever or whatever you want, like hardly any other role-playing game. You can be utterly evil or take on the role of the golden redeemer – you literally decide the fate of the world.
Additionally, you can lead a crusade and command the crusaders while confronting demonic plagues. On your journeys, you can choose from 10 companions, with whom you can also build relationships.
With an update for Season 2 Episode 2, which launched on March 13, the shooter was able to double its player count on Steam: From around 7,000 to 10,000 concurrent players, it has now grown to over 22,000 (via steamdb.info).
One reason for this increase in players may be the new descendant that was added with update 1.2.10. The descendants are standalone characters and the equivalent of classes in The First Descendant. They can be customized with various cosmetic contents.
In a short trailer, the developers show the winged Serena in action:
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The First Descendant: Gameplay trailer for Serena, the new winged descendant
Angel-like descendant with special abilities
Who is the new descendant? Serena is a first-generation descendant who was previously sealed in Sector Sigma. She looks like a futuristic angel and brings a range of suitable, unique abilities to the battlefield:
Sacred Flame
Ascension
Soar
Redemption
Passive: Divinity
The wings on her back are not just decoration: Serena can fly with them. “Ascension” helps her stay in the air longer. With the ability “Soar,” she can quickly swing from the ground into the air or maneuver in the air. “Divinity” and “Redemption” grant her and allies buffs, while her “Sacred Flame” deals damage to enemies and heals allies.
The Season 2 update also continues the main story of the game. A new quest takes you to Sector Sigma after the destruction of the first Iron Heart – exactly where Serena has been slumbering. Additionally, there are new seasonal events and rewards.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is full of challenges that can demand a lot from the player group. However, in some cases, a talented speaker can save the group from the beating of a strong opponent. As long as the right words are chosen.
Spoiler Alert! This list mentions characters and confrontations from Act 1 and 2 of Baldur’s Gate 3.
Is it sensible to defeat opponents with words? If a particularly charismatic character, perhaps a Bard, Warlock, or Wizard manages to find the right words, your group could simply skip entire conflicts. And not just minor enemies, even entire boss fights can be avoided with charismatic skill.
As a result, you will not suffer any disadvantages. You will receive the same amount of experience points and in some cases an inspiration point as a bonus. But which opponents can be defeated with words?
Here you can see the trailer for Baldur’s Gate 3:
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Baldur’s Gate 3 is coming to PS5 – Trailer prepares for console release
Flind, the Gnoll Queen
The leader of the Gnolls can switch sides.
Location: The Resurrected Way (Act 1)
Checks: Wisdom (illithid), Performance (Bard)
The fight against the Gnolls in the first act of the game can be a nasty surprise for many players, especially if they did not expect them. One quickly gets overwhelmed by the crowd and the bloodthirst of the monsters.
However, you can convince the leader of the Gnolls to turn against the other Gnolls and fight on your side. While this does not prevent the fight, it makes it significantly easier. At the end of the fight, you can even force her to tear herself apart, which quickly ends the situation.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Generation Z often faces significant overwhelm in the job market. This leads many members of the generation to ghost their potential employers and, in some cases, not even show up to work.
Despite many young people managing to attract the attention of companies, a particular trend seems to be emerging: Despite successful job interviews, Gen Z ignores their potential employers afterward.
This is evident from a survey conducted by the Indeed group, which surveyed 1,500 companies and employees in the United Kingdom. According to the findings, about 75% of all employees have simply ignored their potential employers after a successful application process. This trend goes even deeper within Gen Z.
Start video
Why do tech billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg keep wearing the same clothes?
Gen Z uses ghosting as a necessary means
What distinguishes Gen Z in their approach? In Gen Z, around 87% of the generation reported having disappeared without a trace, having never shown up for work at all. Despite passing the application process and signing a contract, they would simply leave their potential employers in the lurch.
While this practice also appears in all other generations, it is not as pronounced as in this one. Additionally, this type of ghosting seems to follow a system among young people and pursue a specific goal, according to this survey.
For about 56% of Gen Z, they admitted that they would repeat this approach again. Furthermore, 32% of respondents deemed ghosting before a job interview an acceptable tool for career planning, while 28% would even consider this approach legitimate if interviews had already taken place.
Why does Gen Z resort to ghosting? On one hand, it seems to be a measure to “take control of their own career.” On the other hand, this practice is seen as a protest against low wages, poor hiring conditions, and lack of transparency from companies.
A third point could be that this reduces stress, which is already prevalent in job searching. Additionally, companies seem to act similarly, simply ignoring potential applicants while they pick the best candidates in their view.
Why is ghosting a problem? Gen Z complains that selection and application processes are too opaque. Job postings are becoming less competitive in the midst of mass layoffs and an oversupply of overqualified workers. Ghosting as sufficient feedback from companies in response to an application is demotivating and hardly understood as an active rejection.
Gen Z relies on open communication, and ghosting by companies leads to unnecessary stress and prevents affected applicants from reapplying at the same company. Additionally, selection processes are becoming more laborious and time-consuming.
How can the problem be solved? To address the issue, it is necessary for both employees and companies to reflect on the debate and consider ghosting less as a necessary means, but rather to revert to more open communication.
Monster Hunter Wilds was released just over 2 weeks ago, and there are voices in the community expressing dissatisfaction with the game’s scope. Fans have reflected on the issue and explain why the content is not the problem.
Why are players complaining? Particularly on X and Reddit, disappointed voices are increasingly common, complaining that the game offers too little content. Affected players have often invested over 50 hours of gameplay and lament the feeling of having nothing more to do in the game.
Similarly, the length of the story and the story itself are noted as points of criticism, as well as the time needed to complete the game fully. Many players feel that they are finished with Monster Hunter Wilds after around 100 hours.
On Reddit, there are now some players who do not see the problem in the content of the game but rather in the players themselves.
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Monster Hunter Wilds: What to Expect After the Main Story
“Monster Hunter Wilds does not have a content problem.”
User Saedreth opens his Reddit post with these words and lists the following points that he believes lead to the players’ feelings:
Newcomers find the story of Wilds too short because they do not understand that the story in Monster Hunter has served more as a veiled tutorial, gently teaching players the mechanics and increasing difficulty. The story is more of a guideline and backdrop than the focus of the game.
Additionally, one should not compare Wilds too much with World. While World had a longer, yet bland and exhausting story, it too did not have much content at launch, and the game grew over time. The same will be true for Wilds.
Furthermore, the attitude of the players who express this feeling is also a problem:
Many players today tend to inhale new games and “complete” them as if it were a full-time job. This makes the time invested seem much less to them. Additionally, these players expect a classic open-world game like Skyrim, where they can repeatedly play new side quests and similar content. Monster Hunter simply does not work that way.
He compares Monster Hunter to a sandbox, where players like to build castles and constantly tear them down to try new things and experiment with what is available. If one only focuses on the surface, it is no wonder that one quickly becomes bored.
Additionally, “meta-chasers” are a problem. Players who rush through the game as quickly as possible to reach the endgame and rely on pre-built setups will not enjoy the game for long. The game is designed for experimentation, learning and mastering new mechanics, and constantly mixing things up, rather than sticking to a fixed setup. Players who focus on that quickly feel like the game has nothing more to offer.
In the comments, there are numerous supporters who share his opinion. After all, Monster Hunter Wilds offers around 14 weapons in various variants, 29 large monsters in different difficulty levels, over 500 different armor pieces, plenty of decorations, and artisanal weapon variants with which players can experiment.
Therefore, the problem is less about the content of the game and more about how players engage with it. They appeal to take your time and play Monster Hunter Wilds in a way that it does not run out too quickly. New content will come in due time, just as it did with Monster Hunter World.
League of Legends is a time-consuming game and MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes has been playing it regularly for over 10 years. But since 2025, the thrill is gone, and that is due to 3 aspects.
I have been playing League of Legends since 2014 and have spent approximately 6000 hours in it. Except for a few short breaks in between, I played the game almost regularly for 10 years. Sometimes with friends, sometimes alone. I also engaged with it outside the game. I played the spin-offs like Song of Nunu or watched videos on the topic.
However, since the start of the new season in 2025, League of Legends has completely lost its appeal for me. Be it normal play, ranked, or modes like ARAM or Arena. None of that is fun for me at the moment. But what is the reason? I have tried to identify my problem based on 3 aspects.
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Das ist LoL – Einmal richtig ehrlich erklärt
1. It has become too competitive for me
That sounds strange at first, especially since I used to enjoy playing ranked. But now I feel that the player base is playing much more specifically for pure victory than just a few years ago. This is understandable; over time, the average player base gets better.
My problem is that this goal exists not only in ranked but also in modes like Normal or ARAM. At least based on my experience. If you want to learn a new champion, have played enough bot games, and then want to play a bit in normal, you are often confronted with a lobby that wants to play everything efficiently. Trying out new champions? Not a chance.
You can also notice this in ARAM. I’m not even saying I want to play anti-meta. But if you don’t feel like giving 100%, you quickly become discouraged. Nowadays, I just want to casually play a bit in the evening after work.
There is also a certain pressure. LoL is a team game, and if you play poorly or lose, then not only do you have a bad time yourself, but you may also cause the entire team to lose. Even the best players occasionally lose their lane.
This leads to people giving up quite quickly based on my experience. No matter which mode. Many just want to jump into the next match as fast as possible.
MOBAs in general are very time-consuming games. It can easily take 40 to 60 minutes to start and finish a game in ranked or draft mode. Even modes like ARAM are close to 30 minutes.
If you have a good match, those are some of the best gaming hours you can spend. But when matches go poorly, then the time doesn’t feel valuable to me. In games like Street Fighter or Tekken, I have no problem with this because matches don’t last that long and it’s a 1-on-1 game.
Also, learning new champions and mechanics takes a lot of time. When I started playing LoL, I was a student, so I had a lot of time for the game. Nowadays, time is limited, and you have to weigh how you use your free time.
As mentioned in point 1, League of Legends is a very competitive game. Many play it to climb the ranks. While there are still fun modes like Arena or URF, there needs to be more. This is silly gameplay that doesn’t need to be balanced as long as there is variation.
Many players wish for the return of Doombots of Doom because it was designed for absurd situations. Personally, I have always been a big fan of Dark Star: Singularity, and in the history of LoL, there are countless modes that have not returned.
The modes were not always perfect, but that doesn’t matter. In Arena and URF, unfortunately, a meta quickly develops that is hard to break without significant resources. In modes like Doombots, that was not an issue. A larger pool of fun modes would ensure that I would return more often to casually play with friends just for fun in the evenings.
Recently, Riot demonstrated with Swarm that they can release a new mode and players can receive it positively. I hope Riot will do this more often in the future, as experiments don’t hurt in such a framework.
Will I turn my back on League of Legends forever? No. I still love the surrounding world and series like Arcane, but not the gameplay anymore. Maybe that will change again in a few months, but I have never had so little interest in entering the Summoner’s Rift again in the 10 years since I started playing the game. However, if Dark Star: Singularity returns, I will be the first to start the game again.
World of Warcraft is back – and it’s back in a big way. Blizzard has proven that the MMORPG giant still has it.
Every year, some questions are repeated that are thoroughly discussed: Is World of Warcraft now (finally) dead? Is World of Warcraft now (finally) good again? Is it worth returning? Is it worth starting anew? Is the latest expansion rather boring or just right?
Right at the start of an expansion, it’s often difficult to determine whether WoW has truly become “better”. The picture is often skewed in a positive direction by many exciting new features or, on the negative side, by many teething problems like bugs or balancing issues.
Now, however, the second season and patch 11.1 have started for World of Warcraft. This marks roughly the “half-time” of The War Within – and this is the perfect moment to check whether World of Warcraft is finally “really good” again or if it’s slowly time to retire Blizzard’s MMORPG.
Who is writing here? Cortyn has been playing World of Warcraft for 20 years and has been writing about Blizzard’s MMORPG for MeinMMO for 12 years. In the game, Cortyn is mostly found in heroic raids, Mythic+ dungeons, or collecting battle pets – unless the nights end in long role-playing sessions with far too little sleep. Cortyn’s playtime across all characters exceeds the age of some readers. Please do not inquire further, it could lead to existential crises.
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WoW: The War Within – Shadows Beneath the Surface
Warband – The Account-Wide Paradise
There is hardly any talk about one of the biggest changes of The War Within anymore. Just a few weeks after the introduction of “Warband”, the system has become firmly integrated into the DNA of the game and has been accepted as the new standard by the community that no one wants to miss again.
Almost everything you do in the game – whether it’s farming reputation, unlocking quests, or collecting achievements – is now account-wide.
Additionally, sensible options are provided for all main quest lines. If one character has already completed the quest line, you can simply skip it and don’t have to experience it again – unless you want to do just that and replay that quest line with a second character.
The Warband shares (almost) everything – even a large, shared bank.
World of Warcraft has resisted such a system for years – and even some players have opposed it. But now, after a few months of active use and feeling all the benefits, the only question remains: Why could anyone ever be against it?
It has made World of Warcraft objectively better and more accessible. It makes it easier to switch your main character without having to catch up on the same grind for months afterward.
The Depths Were a Real Game-Changer
Almost as significant as the introduction of the Warband are the Depths. These are small “mini-dungeons” on 11 different difficulty levels with changing designs – each depth has 3-4 variations, so you get to see something new every day.
The Depths can be tackled entirely alone or as a group – but the primary design is obviously to give solo fans an opportunity to earn good gear.
It must be said about the Depths that Blizzard, at the start of The War Within, was still fishing a bit in the dark. The balancing wasn’t good and the rewards ended at a point that caused many issues. Because Depths fans were ultimately (more or less) “forced” to participate in Mythic+ and enter at a level that didn’t correspond to their skill. This was frustrating – for everyone involved.
Depths became a permanent feature for solo fans.
However, with Season 2, the Depths are nearly “perfect”. Sure, there are still minor bugs and glitches, but the fundamental design of the Depths with their mechanics, the structure of rewards, and the difficulty level is a hit. With Brann now also acting as a tank, it’s even possible to play the Depths as a healer – so really every specialization can be expressed even in solo play.
If you don’t feel like interacting with others, you can fully equip yourself through the Depths and celebrate your own successes here. Gear up to just below the highest level of play is possible here, and even the best emblems for upgrades can be obtained in solid quantities in the Depths.
The Depths have finally provided everyone with a proper, challenging endgame who have little time or do not want to engage in social commitments. For everyone else, it’s simply a new, additional option – alongside dungeons, PvP, and raids.
The Depths are a complete success, and I’m sure they will be a cornerstone of World of Warcraft going forward and will be expanded in all upcoming expansions.
Lorenhall – The Current Patch 11.1
Honestly, I was skeptical about Lorenhall. I really thought that one would quickly tire of the goblin aesthetic and find little joy in the streets. But I was wrong, and that’s the feedback I’m getting from many friends, guild mates, and raid members: Patch 11.1 is simply really, really good.
Lorenhall offers so many small, hidden things to pursue – if you want to. Transmogs hide behind numerous reputation factions or rare enemies. You can race through the streets in true “GTA” style and complete mini-quests. If you like, you can activate war mode and raid the enemies of the other faction while they are stuck on a tough elite enemy.
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WoW Patch 11.1: Gallywix’s Control over the Cartels
There is much that is potentially interesting – but only the very least is mandatory. If you don’t want to, you can retreat after the main campaign and play other content in Khaz Algar, as these are in many cases just as worthwhile as the content in Lorenhall regarding pure character strength.
World of Warcraft: As Good as It Has Been Since Legion
I’ve thought long about how to best assess the current state of World of Warcraft. I’ve included my own enjoyment, the activities with the guild and the raid, and conversations with friends – along with recurring discussions in the forum and subreddit of the game. I conclude:
World of Warcraft is currently as good as it has been since the “Legion” expansion.
With Season 2, Blizzard has addressed many of the criticisms from the first season. Mythic+ is now not only more accessible but simply fairer. The entry is easier without the higher levels being significantly simpler. This extends even to the Depths and the current raid – everything feels coherent and rounded in terms of difficulty.
Even PvP is finally fun, since there is now the solo queue. Here you can play rated battlegrounds and sign up alone. This means that you can also obtain the best gear in PvP without having to make social commitments. PvP fans have been demanding this for years.
There is also plenty to do in the open world, whether it’s world quests, larger events, or a plethora of hidden details. Collectors will be pleased and can work on seemingly endless goals.
Moreover, the class fantasy is currently extremely well-defined. All classes and specializations feel unique – whether due to gameplay or visual effects. Especially the hero talents have allowed for even more customization, and you can finally be the character you’ve always wanted to be. At least if you play what you enjoy and do not chase the last percentage of performance.
WoW: Legion was good – and so good it is now. If not better.
WoW Will Not Please Everyone
I am aware that there are people – especially from the Classic faction – who can no longer connect with modern World of Warcraft. And they will not find joy in WoW with the World Souls saga either. You cannot excite them for the Depths or housing.
But it has to be said clearly: For these people, the modern WoW is simply no longer made. They have their Classic and can – and should – be happy there. But the world (of Warcraft), the story, and what players seek in a game is changing.
And precisely this modern aspect is what World of Warcraft: The War Within is almost perfectly catering to. Season two, with the overhaul of the Depths, Lorenhall as a zone, and the significantly more accessible Mythic+ was exactly what was needed.
Challenges for the Future: There is Still Much to Do
However, there are challenges that cannot be denied. The entry experience for newcomers is a huge problem. World of Warcraft is so vast and overwhelming that new players need to invest a lot of time to understand everything – and often they must also invest time “outside the game” in forums, guides, or YouTube videos. This is not a good state. WoW needs to improve in this regard – whether through tutorials or a dramatic expansion of the adventure guide that takes newcomers by the hand if they want.
Anyone starting the game without a friend or acquaintance will quickly feel lost. Because World of Warcraft is too difficult for newcomers. Not because the leveling fights are too hard (because they are not) – but because the game is so big and complex that one can easily become hopelessly lost.
Other aspects, such as the multitude of currencies, problems with the reporting system, or the sheer number of mounts that increasingly appear in the in-game shop are not optimal and clear areas that must be worked on. The balance must be right.
With Dragonflight, Blizzard began to renew World of Warcraft – improving good aspects and eliminating bad ones. The dynamic flying, the item upgrade system, the revision of Mythic and the Depths – these are all positive, good changes. The foundation of WoW has been renovated and The War Within has brought well-thought-out, meaningful innovations.
How good WoW currently is, is also evident from the criticism and discussions in forums and social media. There is criticism of the game, no question. However, the criticism is quite different from a few years ago. While in Battle for Azeroth and Shadowlands, systemic issues were criticized – the whole loot system, large game content, or even zones.
Even now there is much criticism – but these are details. A boss deals too much damage, or a talent is too weak. A currency is obtained too slowly, or a grind takes too long. These are details that Blizzard can fix with a hotfix (and regularly does). These are minor points that today cause an uproar and tomorrow may no longer exist due to a hotfix. This is a completely different kind of criticism compared to a few years ago, when the entire game was under fire.
If World of Warcraft can maintain this level with housing and the expansions “Midnight” and “The Last Titan”, I am sure:
We are currently experiencing the second golden age of World of Warcraft that we may painfully miss in a few years. Because not every expansion can be a hit (right, Shadowlands?) – but The War Within is one.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Edge of Tomorrow is a popular movie featuring Tom Cruise that mixes science fiction with action. Now, there is a new film coming, but it is not a sequel.
What kind of movie is Edge of Tomorrow? In 2014, Edge of Tomorrow was released, a sci-fi movie with many action elements. Tom Cruise plays the soldier Cage, who must fight against aliens. This is not so easy, especially because Cage is trapped in a time loop.
If Cage dies on the battlefield, he is simply revived and must relive the day. The advantage is that he becomes better and more efficient each time.
Edge of Tomorrow was not a massive financial hit, but it grossed over 377 million US dollars on a budget of 178 million US dollars (via IMDb). The film was also popular with fans and critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a critic score of 91% and a user score of 90%.
You can watch the trailer for All You Need Is Kill here:
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All You Need Is Kill – Trailer for the Anime Adaptation of the Sci-Fi Classic from Japan
Edge of Tomorrow is based on a Japanese light novel
What is All You Need Is Kill about? All You Need Is Kill was originally published as a light novel in 2004. Light novels are Japanese books that are often lightly illustrated. Many light novels are also adapted into manga or anime, such as Sword Art Online.
All You Need Is Kill was also adapted into a manga in 2014. The drawings for the manga are by Takeshi Obata, who is well known for Death Note. Edge of Tomorrow is also based on All You Need Is Kill, but the setting and characters have been Americanized.
Now, over 20 years after the release of the light novel, an anime adaptation is following in the form of a film. In the original, Keiji Kiriya takes the lead role. He is also a soldier fighting against an alien threat. However, when he dies, he realizes he is stuck in a time loop.
The unique thing about the anime film is that the story is likely told from Rita Vrataski’s perspective, the equivalent of the character played by Emily Blunt.
The animation studio behind the upcoming film might be familiar to film and anime fans. Studio°4C has animated well-known films such as Tekkon Kinkreet and the Berserk – The Golden Age trilogy.
Is the film worth watching if you have already seen Edge of Tomorrow? One can’t say anything about the quality yet, but the trailer certainly promises to be visually interesting, especially with the anime studio behind it. All You Need Is Kill stays closer to the source material, which also makes the perspective on the story different from the American version. Moreover, the ending of the Tom Cruise film differs from that of the light novel.
When is All You Need Is Kill coming out? So far, there is no release date for the anime film, so one will have to be patient for now. Many movies draw upon elements from anime films, even if one might not notice it right away. You can find parallels between major films and well-known anime in this list: 5 movies that remind you of anime and that you might not think about immediately
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Are you looking for a new strategy game that will keep you engaged for a long time? Here are 5 such games that you can get now in the Steam Spring Sale for under €10.
How was this list created? For the strategy games on this list, we made sure that they:
have the strategy tag on Steam
are part of the Steam Spring Sale until March 20, 2025 (and cost under €10)
have received positive reviews from players on Steam
can keep you engaged for a long time
The following games are listed in no particular order. The first is a strategy game that reminds players in the best sense of Heroes of Might and Magic.
Songs of Conquest
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Songs of Conquest: Gameplay Trailer of the Strategy Game on Steam
Developer: Lavapotion
Steam Reviews: Very Positive (86 %)
Price: €9.51 instead of €33.99
What kind of game is this? With its fantasy setting and turn-based tactical battles, this 4X game in pixel art style reminds players of Ubisoft’s Heroes of Might and Magic. In the eyes of many players on Steam, it even surpasses the series.
Blackblade has around 124 hours in the game and writes in his review (via Steam): “A well-made game in the style of Heroes of Might and Magic. This game is a true love letter to these classics and adheres closely to the proven formula, but also brings some innovations and differences.”
Leinahtan has played for 209 hours and writes (via Steam): “Finally, Heroes of Might and Magic 3 has a spiritual successor … It only took 25+ years.”
josemgamboal has even sunk a total of 716 hours into the game, supposedly mostly in multiplayer according to his review. He writes (via Steam): “Best multiplayer game since Heroes of Might and Magic 3, enough said.”
Recently, an update brought a major improvement for multiplayer, namely simultaneous battles. Now you can fight multiple battles at the same time, which is supposed to make the experience in multiplayer smoother.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Blizzard is celebrating the anniversary of the franchise that has made them famous for the last 30 years: Warcraft has turned 30 years old, World of Warcraft is 20 years old. MeinMMO was able to talk to the bosses for the anniversary and reminisce a bit – but also learn exciting details from behind the scenes.
For the 30th anniversary of Warcraft, Blizzard has organized several shows and fan meetings during a worldwide tour, starting in February in London. On this occasion, we were able to speak with Game Director Ion Hazzikostas and Executive Producer and Vice President Holly Longdale.
Ion Hazzikostas has been with Blizzard since 2008 and played a major role in Wrath of the Lich King. Many bosses in Ulduar are partially thanks to him. As one of his first official acts at Blizzard, he fixed bugs that annoyed him personally.
Holly Longdale joined Blizzard in 2020 and worked mainly on WoW Classic as a Principal Game Producer and Lead Producer – which, by the way, was intentionally released with bugs. Previously, she was involved in EverQuest II.
In the interview with both bosses, we talked a bit about their experiences at Blizzard, the game’s past, and the most important pillar of WoW: the community.
Currently, WoW is about Goblins and their capital:
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WoW Patch 11.1: Gallywix’s Control over the Cartels
“We don’t have one, but two healthy, vibrant versions of World of Warcraft”
MeinMMO: “You think you do but you don’t” was one of the biggest misconceptions in video game history. What was your feedback in these nearly 6 years of WoW Classic?
Ion Hazzikostas: “It turned out that many people who thought they wanted that actually did want it. Even many people who didn’t think they wanted it wanted it.
Classic was fantastic. A reflection of the past and it has been now for five and a half years. The way it introduced a generation of players who missed World of Warcraft in 2004 and 2005 to the world, to the magic where it all began, has created its own community. One that truly wants this original version of the game. This is evidence of how much WoW as a whole has evolved over the last 20 years.
Now we have not one, but two healthy, vibrant versions of World of Warcraft that appeal to different audiences with different preferences. But they are all part of this larger WoW community.”
MeinMMO: Currently, both games are running simultaneously. With the new anniversary servers, how does it feel to see the original and the modern version of WoW right next to each other?
Holly Longdale: “Both have a completely different audience with very specific needs and requests from us. And both have their own teams that listen to their target audience and respond to them. Essentially two fully functional, independent games. And that’s how we treat them, like in the way we communicate with the communities […] and we believe we owe that to [the players]. […]
It took us a while to reach this point and understand that [the communities] are very unique and different in how they have developed.”
Ion Hazzikostas: “The game is the same as it was 20 years ago, but the way people play has changed. Modern players are just different in their level of expectations and how they approach the systems. In many ways, it was a great experiment. We released a “No Changes” version in 2019 to the best of our ability, but practically the day players came to the servers, that changed. As Holly said, we wondered how best to serve the community we found there.
This has led us from #NoChanges to #SomeChanges and further to experimental modes like Season of Discovery, which can redefine what’s possible in the Classic ecosystem – and more. That’s just one of the things about listening to the community we have and understanding their needs to provide them with the best possible offerings.”
The community was also the focus of the 30-year Warcraft tour:
“We didn’t change anything just because we thought it would be better”
MeinMMO: Your “#SomeChanges” policy was very healthy for the game and allowed people to experience WoW Classic as it felt back then, even if it’s not exactly the same as it was. How do you decide what to change?
Ion Hazzikostas: “At launch in 2019 or thereafter?”
MeinMMO: After.
Ion Hazzikostas: “Player feedback. To be completely honest, one partial reason why we stuck to ‘No Changes’ in 2019 was that we knew players didn’t believe we were capable of making changes. That was the consensus in the community. They said, ‘These modern WoW developers will just botch it.’ So we said: Okay, we will even recreate bugs that were present in the game back then. We change as little as possible. We put effort into bringing bugs into the game to keep it authentic. That at least gave us a fresh foundation as a starting point.
When we then had all the players wandering around in the Classic version of Azeroth, many concluded that there were perhaps a few things in the game that should be changed.
One of the biggest turning points was when we released The Burning Crusade. Players immediately realized that if we kept the original Paladin seals – one for the Horde, one for the Alliance – then most people would play Horde, hardly anyone Alliance. The servers would be terribly unbalanced. Players supported our decision to make both seals accessible to both factions, even though it was precisely this combat-mechanical change that we swore we would never bring – and that players demanded we would never bring. But the changes we made were almost exclusively supported by the majority of the player base.
As we further explored that going towards Burning Crusade and Wrath [of the Lich King], we shared our ideas for feedback to find out if this was something players were open to. That was by far what guided us from then on. We didn’t change anything just because we thought it would be better. Whenever we changed something, it was only because players said they were not satisfied with something and wanted us to make it better.”
Holly Longdale: “We were very aware of authenticity, I remember the team artificially slowing down the fights to mimic fights from 2004. So it feels honestly authentic. And players wondered: ‘What’s happening here?’ Because we were on the modern engine with the security features we needed.
Then players said: ‘We thought we wanted that, but we really don’t want that.’ That was when we built the conversation with the community. The Classic team has maintained that relationship since 2019 and built trust in that conversation. That’s a strong bond, even as the community has changed over time.”
“Once we release a game, it belongs to the community”
MeinMMO: The guild onlyfangs has grown through Classic on Twitch and vice versa. How significant is the role the guild has played in the revival of WoW Classic?
Ion Hazzikostas: “For the hardcore community, certainly huge. This is proof of the social component, of the power of Classic for a world where players can write their own stories. Hardcore only increases that tension further. Raising the stakes is interesting, intense, and exciting.
In a way, Classic is a very streamer-friendly version of the game due to its slowed-down pace, as you can interact with your chat while playing. There’s more space for this banter that lets so many communities flourish. And here they can do that in the context of Azeroth.”
Holly Longdale: “I think that’s another great example that once we release a game, it belongs to the community. And we can never dictate what they will do with it. Then there come moments that become memories like at onlyfangs. With the community and the events they have created. We saw this a few years ago when we opened the hardcore realm.
That’s one of those things we love about making an MMO. You never know what you’ll get when you release something.”
MeinMMO: Have you seen a significant increase in players through these streamer communities?
Ion Hazzikostas: “Difficult to say, because this all doesn’t happen at the same time. When we released Anniversary and Hardcore, many people came together with [onlyfangs] to participate in this journey. We were impressed by the strength of Hardcore as a machine that creates stories. There are so many wonderful, viral, funny, tragic stories that have emerged from people’s interactions with the world.
We were surprised by the sustained energy of Hardcore. When we first released the mode, we thought it was something that would draw initial interest, but expected players to just leave when their character died – not start anew. The number of people who simply accepted: ‘Yup. That’s how the journey of this character ends. I’ll create a new one and see what happens’, has continually astonished and enlightened us. But it has created a growing, sustainable community in an environment that seems to have nothing lasting – because every character has a limited lifespan.”
“We build opportunities for people to live a life they otherwise couldn’t”
MeinMMO: What’s the most memorable community interaction you’ve had in the last 20 years?
Ion Hazzikostas: “It’s hard to pick just one. I’ll connect a few examples of people I’ve met at BlizzCons over the years. Those were often couples with their little child who just wanted to thank us as developers for their relationship and the child that is with them. That was always a reminder of the power of World of Warcraft to bring people together, to create social bonds.
Seeing families that literally only exist because the parents met playing WoW, say, while camping a rare spawn in Mists [of Pandaria] or chatting with the healer while waiting for a dungeon group only to marry three years later. Each of these stories is incredibly touching and a reminder of how lucky we are to be able to do what we do. And that success in our work brings joy to people and connects them.”
Holly Longdale: “Did you want to know what the most touching moment was?”
MeinMMO: Just the one that has stuck with you the most.
Holly Longdale: “What has been on my mind the most over the last year or two is the influence of Ibelin. He is sort of the focal point of what it means to have a greater significance. Of course, there was the Netflix documentary, but also our involvement. We played a small role in providing assets for the animations and the film.
But the fact that we had such an impact on the life of an individual that they could lead a significant life because of the work our team did on a fantasy game, that they weren’t alone … We received letters from other people who have muscular atrophy or are differently abled. It’s moments in life and this business where you realize: Yes, we make entertainment, but we build opportunities for people to live a life they otherwise couldn’t and they build friendships they otherwise wouldn’t have. That makes one proud to be able to do such a thing.
That one can make an impact through this funny, this beauty and this wonder, this place we call Azeroth, that has real meaning for someone. We can’t forget to be proud of that, while we have Goblins in racing cars […] It is a reminder that most of the time it’s a blessing that we can do what we do.”
The Fantastic Life of Ibelin – Trailer for the Emotional Documentary about a Story from the WoW Community
WoW should be a place “where you can find friends”
MeinMMO: The community is an ambiguous topic. Some say it’s super friendly, others find it hellishly toxic. Recently you said you want to reward positive behavior. What should that look like?
Holly Longdale: “As the leading group, that is Ion, I, and the other executives – actually the whole team, we know that the internet and social spheres can be a pretty dark place. We want to ensure that the future of World of Warcraft is a safe place, a place where you can find friends and have healthy relationships.
Part of that is not only protecting our players from toxicity but helping people find friends, supporting them in being positive, and rewarding them with great experiences in the game. That means, just as we determine what we want to prioritize bringing into the game – a zone, a dungeon – we want to prioritize the social aspects as well. We want to bring positive things for the community to engage with […] Ion and his team are already working on that, but we want to focus on that again because we think that’s important.”
Ion Hazzikostas: “There are two aspects to this issue. Toxicity, as you called it. It’s no secret that a small group of people in any social network can have a huge impact that harms the experience of many others. So we are improving our enforcement and detection mechanisms against hateful bile, personal attacks directed at people.
But beyond that, I think that the word toxicity is quite overused. People use it for every negative interaction they have. But negative interactions can happen for which no one is really to blame. That’s just a deviation from expectations.
For example, in a dungeon group. There are people who know the dungeon, want to rush through, and look for people who are at their level of knowledge. Then there is someone who is more of a beginner, wants to learn, and is looking for a patient group who doesn’t mind if something goes wrong. If you put these two people together, both are frustrated, neither is happy, and no one is really at fault. They just both have a certain expectation of finding like-minded players.
And I think we can do a lot here to build positive social connections. Whether it’s improving group search and filtering options or how you add friends in the game and recommend like-minded players. Those are all ways to prevent this so-called “toxicity” by simply bringing together people who have the same goals and expectations. Of course, while we continue to pay attention to those who are really just poisoning the community and should be better removed because of their behavior.”
MeinMMO: Sounds a bit like you want to build a social network within WoW.
“The success of WoW is a reflection of what Blizzard invested there in the early years”
MeinMMO: I would like to dive a bit deeper into the story and the past of Warcraft. Two of the biggest games in the world, League of Legends and Dota 2, have emerged from Warcraft 3. If you had the chance now, would you have released Heroes of the Storm when Dota first appeared as a mod?
Ion Hazzikostas: “That’s a tricky question for both of us, because we weren’t in a position to. Since we’ve been at Blizzard, we’ve only worked on World of Warcraft. […] But I’d like to correct you briefly, three of the biggest games in the world have emerged from Warcraft 3: League, Dota, and World of Warcraft.
And that was Blizzard’s priority for quite some time. I wasn’t at the company when WoW first launched in 2004, I was in line to get a box and play at home. But back then there were already stories about how Blizzard was doing everything they could to meet the demand: expanding the team, acquiring more servers, expanding offices. Because this game, which they thought would sell a few hundred thousand copies, ultimately sold a few million.
In hindsight and with today’s knowledge, we can certainly say that different decisions could have been made. But I think Blizzard’s focus for a long time was World of Warcraft. And where the game is today is largely thanks to that circumstance. The success of WoW is a reflection of what Blizzard invested there in the early years. […]
MeinMMO: Honestly, I never thought about WoW just having a higher priority – and as you said, rightly so. I don’t know if you can tell me anything about this, but looking at the fact that tabletop games are currently making a comeback, are there plans to revive the already existing – and canceled – WoW tabletop?
Holly Longdale: “Not at the moment.”
Ion Hazzikostas: “There are no specific plans, but we are of course always looking for ways to pull more people into the Warcraft universe. However, right now we don’t have anything to talk about.”
By the way, there was a special music act during the anniversary tour, the dwarf metal band Wind Rose:
“The first worm I killed replaced my raid gear”
MeinMMO: Let’s go back to WoW! How did you experience the release of the first WoW expansion The Burning Crusade in 2007?
Ion Hazzikostas: “I started at Blizzard in the summer of 2008. So I experienced 2007 by trying to get through the Dark Portal and staring at loading screens for about 20-30 minutes to get to Hellfire Peninsula. Then I took a few days off and spent many, many hours exploring this wonderful, alien world of the Outland, which was so different from everything I knew of Azeroth until then.
That might be one of my favorite WoW memories. Of course, I have worked on World of Warcraft for many years, but [The Burning Crusade] was the only expansion I could dive into blind. With every one thereafter, I was already in the company and when I played them on day one, all the wonders and surprises simply weren’t the same as with The Burning Crusade.”
Holly Longdale: “I took my Night Elf Hunter and the first worm I killed replaced my raid gear. That really made me angry. So I stopped playing that character, started a Draenei, and fell in love immediately. […]
I was so angry, so angry! But I enjoyed the expansion afterward a lot. In the end, that was the beginning of my journey to becoming an Altoholic, just playing all the different races and classes and becoming an expert on Alliance and Horde.”
MeinMMO: When you came to Blizzard, what was the first thing you changed?
Ion Hazzikostas: “I had way too much to learn to be able to change anything. I remember I started shortly before Wrath of the Lich King was released. I worked on that for two months before release. As someone who had been quite a hardcore raider before, one of the first things I wanted to learn but couldn’t change was how certain boss mechanics choose targets. I could never understand that as a player. I looked at everything in the scripts. To understand how a boss selects its targets for specific abilities. […]
There were a couple of bugs that I fixed. I don’t remember exactly what they were, but I know they annoyed me as a player. So I searched for them in the database and taught myself how to fix them.
It was an incredible journey from someone who spent thousands of hours playing the game to someone who truly understands how it all works from the inside out. Learning and being taught how to create new experiences for players. I started as an encounter designer and was lucky enough to work on some bosses in the Ulduar raid. I fell in love with the job immediately and never looked back.”
Holly Longdale: “I mean [laughs] this comes from the naive perspective of an outsider who found herself in the strange position of doing something with great partners like Ion. As a player coming from a different team and a different game. I’m wholeheartedly a casual player, I love every WoW holiday, every event, and I always have. Those times are the ones I cherish the most.
And I always wanted WoW to get a live event team. That took a while, but when I finally got to team up with Ion and we could create a live team to make more stuff. It became much larger and better than I could have ever imagined. And they’re really good at it. […] I think players like that, especially things like “casual” events, the vibrant world, and how Azeroth itself lives. I think that’s going really well.
That’s part of this journey that leads us into the future. There will always be something to do in Azeroth.”
Christopher Nolan is one of the most renowned directors of all time. With movies like Inception or Oppenheimer, he is among the best in his craft. Even before he made his first major film, he was keen to see Pulp Fiction. However, he spoiled it for himself before watching it.
How did Nolan ruin the film for himself?Pulp Fiction was released in 1994, before his first well-known film Memento came out in 2000. Before that, he made Following, but it remains relatively unknown to this day.
In an interview with the New York Times from 2010, Nolan shares that before watching Pulp Fiction, he worked as an intern at a film company. There, he read the screenplay of the film before he had seen the actual movie.
Image rights for Pulp Fiction belong to Miramax
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Pulp Fiction – Trailer for the cult film by Quentin Tarantino
It’s like wanting to unwrap your gifts before Christmas
What was the problem? In the interview, Nolan explains that he regrets reading the screenplay before seeing the film:
I read the script for “Pulp Fiction” before I saw the film, and I’ve always regretted it. I am a huge fan of “Reservoir Dogs”; I was very excited about [Quentin Tarantino’s] next film. Reading the script was not the same as seeing the movie. And then seeing the film after reading the script was not the same as watching the film. It’s like wanting to unwrap your gifts before Christmas, and when you do it, you regret it.
Christopher Nolan on his experience with Pulp Fiction
He further elaborates that Pulp Fiction is an unusual film and that it’s also challenging to describe it even with a trailer. It’s an original concept that didn’t exist before. By reading the screenplay, he could no longer experience the film anew.
What does the screenplay show? Screenplays often do not just show the dialogues and story of a film. They also contain technical aspects like lighting or shots that can indeed take some of the magic away from certain scenes.
Especially in a film like Pulp Fiction, where the actors bring so much energy and personality into their characters, reading the screenplay can spoil or even ruin a lot.
After Memento, Christopher Nolan celebrated many more successes, including Interstellar, The Dark Knight, and most recently Oppenheimer. His next project is The Odyssey, which is an adaptation of the Greek myth by Homer. When the film will be released is still unclear. As a director, Christopher Nolan also has favorite actors: Christopher Nolan especially admires 3 actors: However, his Batman, Christian Bale, is not among them
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Monster Hunter Wilds, weapons and armors are the focal point of every hunter. But it’s not just the player characters who get outfitted; the cute cat companions have their own outfits as well. We have picked out the 10 coolest ones for you.
Not only your hunters but also your feline companions want to be well-dressed in Monster Hunter Wilds. You currently have a choice of about 38 different armor sets, which could hardly be more varied.
Many players, when it comes to their Palico, are particularly concerned about appearance. This is because they are rarely accompanied on hunts, as most players play Monster Hunter Wilds in multiplayer, and the Palicos then return to camp.
As a result, stats have always been secondary for many players (via Reddit). For this list, we focused on the 10 coolest armors for your partners, primarily based on how creative, unique, or exciting they are. We also made sure that there is something for every type of player.
If you find yourself in high-level quests, you can also dye the armors.
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Monster Hunter Wilds: What to Expect After the Main Story
Who writes here? MeinMMO editor Alexander Schürlein has accumulated over 1,000 hours as a monster hunter. Over the years, he has played numerous titles on various consoles and prefers to head out on hunts with dual blades.
F Hirabami Set α
F Hirabami Set α
Do you want your Palico to look like a little Japanese geisha? Then the Hirabami Set is definitely for you. Influenced by feudal Japan and with its oversized sleeves, this outfit looks adorable. The fan as a weapon is just the cherry on top.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
