In the cult game Street Fighter, a major tournament took place from March 5 to 8: the Capcom Cup 11. The final was worth one million US dollars. The man of the tournament was a 15-year-old boy from Chile. Blaz is considered the new prodigy in Street Fighter 6. A surprising winning streak took the prodigy all the way to the finals.
What kind of tournament was that? The Capcom Cup 11 was played from March 5 to 8 in Tokyo, Japan.
A total of 48 players participated in the tournament, qualifying through various preliminary tournaments. Over several days, the fighters competed against each other to determine who would seize the crown and the lavish prize money.
The winner was awaited with 1 million US dollars, while the runner-up in the final received 100,000 $. Such a prize distribution is unusual. In other tournaments, the gap between the first and second place is not quite so large.
Start video
New trailer for Street Fighter 6 provides insight into new characters
15-Year-Old Starts Incredible Winning Streak When Back Against the Wall
He was the man of the tournament: The just 15-year-old Chilean Derek Blaz has only been active in the fighter scene since 2023 and had won only a small prize until the tournament.
He faced many experienced players in Tokyo, some of whom had been making their living from Street Fighter for decades. After a loss in the quarter-finals against Kakeru, Blaz had slipped early into the loser’s bracket and was backed against the wall: any loss would mean his immediate elimination.
But unexpectedly, Blaz managed to eliminate 3 opponents in a row until the big names awaited him.
Next, he had to face Angry Bird, a fighter from Jordan who has been active since 2016. But Blaz actually managed to defeat him 3-0.
Next in line was Leshar: the 25-year-old Japanese has been a professional in Street Fighter for 6 years, but Blaz was also able to clear him out with 3-0. A sensation was brewing.
Now the young Chilean had worked his way up to the finals and met his final opponent, the 27-year-old Japanese Kakeru, who has earned his living from Street Fighter for 10 years and has already pocketed 450,000 $ in prize money. Kakeru was also the one who had defeated Blaz in the quarter-finals with 3-0 and sent him to the loser’s bracket.
For the 15-year-old Chilean, this was the big chance to win the massive prize of 1 million US dollars with one match.
But after 15 minutes, he ultimately had to succumb to the 12 years older Kakeru with 1-3 and went home with 100,000 $, while Kakeru celebrated in front of the home crowd in Tokyo and breathed a sigh of relief.
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Despite everything, Blaz impressed and surprised many. There is a consensus that it was one of the strongest eSports performances by such a young player. The absolute legend in Street Fighter, whom many young players look up to, is Daigo, who still competes successfully at over 40: Street Fighter: Pro was beaten as a 13-year-old because he was too good – that shaped him
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
You are no longer interested in World of Warcraft? Then you should take a look at these alternatives where you can have a lot of fun.
Even the longest-standing fan of World of Warcraft sometimes wants to try something different. Even if The War Within is received quite well, some find it has lost its appeal. Much of the “mandatory grind” from past expansions is no longer present, giving you time for other games.
Other developers have also released nice MMORPGs that some WoW fans may have never played. And sometimes it’s worth taking a look at other games to realize what you love about World of Warcraft.
We have here some alternatives that you, as a disappointed or burned-out WoW player, should venture into. Most of them are classics that share many parallels with WoW. Therefore, the transition should be comparatively easy for you.
Update from March 13, 2025: We have brought the list up to date and added many details of the listed MMORPGs.
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Star Wars: The Old Republic
Those who enjoy an exciting story and are not put off by a SciFi setting might lose themselves in the galaxy of Star Wars: The Old Republic. Republic and Empire are available, each with four different storylines and eight different classes.
If, for example, you play as an imperial agent, you will experience a different story on your way to the maximum level compared to a Sith Inquisitor. This makes alternate characters a completely new experience and offers fresh insights into a well-known game world.
The combat system, however, is almost identical to that of World of Warcraft, utilizing significantly more force lightning, blaster pistols, and lightsabers. From a gameplay perspective, switching is extremely easy.
SWTOR is fundamentally free-to-play, but the latest expansions are only available with a completed subscription. By the time players reach this content, most should have already gotten a free impression of whether the setting and game are right for them.
A graphic update for SWTOR is planned:
Start video
The new developers of the Star Wars MMORPG show in the video how they will improve the graphics
Who SWTOR is suited for: Star Wars: The Old Republic is ideal for all players who place great value on the following aspects:
Connected, exciting story with full voice acting and decision options
Cost-effective, as free-to-play (with subscription for the expansions)
Many customization options (spaceship, housing, character customization)
What Cortyn thinks of SWTOR: Hardly any MMORPG has as many parallels to WoW as SWTOR and yet feels quite different due to the SciFi setting. Especially the voiced dialogues of the quests, which can be completed with a group, maintain the appeal of SWTOR even after years.
Not only are NPCs more interesting because of this, but your own character also becomes significant and acquires a personality that you shape over a long time. Furthermore, SWTOR can be excellently left alone for a few months and then seamlessly resumed when you feel the urge again.
The Twitch streamer xQc has spent over 2,000 hours on GTA Online. He is now addressing the rumor that the new title in the series, GTA 6, could cost up to $100, or about €100. He sees no problem with it. Gamers would spend much more money on any nonsense.
Where does the idea that GTA costs €100 come from? The price of GTA 6 is currently not confirmed, but there is hope in the gaming industry that publisher Take-Two will exceed the pain threshold of $70, which has been in place since 2023, and raise the price for a standard version of GTA 6 to $100.
The logic represented by analyst Matthew Bail is this: If a product can afford to take the risk and call for a higher price level, then it must be GTA 6, the most anticipated game in years. Once GTA 6 has crossed the pain threshold, other games could follow suit and establish $100 as the new standard price.
Proponents of the price increase say: inflation and higher production costs have made a price increase necessary for a long time. However, no one dares to take this step officially. That is why the gaming industry is doing so poorly. The hope is that GTA 6 could lead the entire gaming industry out of the crisis.
In reality, many companies have already been circumventing the price limit for a long time by releasing special editions that cost far more than €100. The “€70” pain threshold only applies to standard editions, which for major titles often appear with a delay of several days.
Start video
„Das sagt man doch nicht laut!“ – Entwickler von Baldur’s Gate 3 schimpft mit einem Analysten zu GTA 6
xQc sees no problem with a higher price for GTA 6
This is what xQc says about the price: The streamer xQc has spent a lot of time with role-playing in GTA Online. He is now expressing his opinion on X regarding the price tag of $100 and sees no problem with it (via x):
Gamers buy 5 early access titles, unfinished games for $140, and spend another $300 a year on skins, but when a AAA company gives its all and takes the time to release a highly anticipated and super-polished product, suddenly $100 is too much? Oh, come on!
This is how it’s discussed: xQc, as a multimillionaire, has a special position in this, for many of his viewers, $100 is a different sum:
“I’m pretty sure that most players do not want to be unable to afford their hobby anymore.”
“I don’t think you should have an opinion about this as a multimillionaire. It will become a problem for low-income people to afford AAA games at today’s prices. Just one game at a higher price is enough for the whole industry to raise prices.”
“What is criticized is that other AAA games will also raise their prices and it will become the norm, even if these games do not deserve it. They sold GTA 5 for 10 years, across 3 console generations and for PC. I think they have made enough money to finance GTA 6.”
However, there are also some who agree with xQc. They say: considering inflation, $60 in 2005 is worth as much as $90 today. Therefore, a price increase is okay.
Additionally, they are confident that they will be playing GTA 6 for 10 years. Therefore, they can cope with the increased price.
One user even claims: no one has a problem with GTA 6 for $100. In fact, many are even willing to pay $150 for the game.
Back in September 2024, xQc hinted that GTA 6 could usher in a new era in streaming. Especially the role-playing in GTA 5 was a real career boost for many, including xQc. He expects a new golden age for role-playing with GTA 6. Some influencers also expect a golden time from GTA 6 but have something else in mind: 2 gaming influencers promise that you will earn real money with drug deals and restaurants in GTA 6.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Omni-Man is one of the most well-known parodies of Superman, along with Homelander. In the seriesInvincible from Amazon Prime, he is a powerful villain in the finale of season 1. However, he was originally supposed to have a different name. He got his current name only because the publisher was afraid of a lawsuit.
Who is Omni-Man? In the very first episode of Invincible, you get to know Omni-Man. He is basically the Superman in the universe of Invincible. He can fly, is incredibly strong, and ages significantly slower than humans. He is voiced in the original by actor J. K. Simmons.
Due to his appearance, he quickly became quite popular and is one of the most beloved Superman parodies, along with Homelander from The Boys. Originally, his name was also supposed to be much closer to the original, but that was changed out of fear of DC and a potential lawsuit.
Start video
Invincible Official Trailer
Image Comics didn’t want a lawsuit
What was the original name? In the bonus material of Invincible Vol. 1 Family Matters (via Screen Rant), Robert Kirkman, who is also known as the comic author of The Walking Dead, shows what the original names and designs of Invincible and Omni-Man looked like.
In the material, there is a concept drawing of Supra-Man with the subtitle: Man of Stuff. This is a clear parody of Superman and his title Man of Steel. The suit of Supra-Man was originally not red and white, but blue and yellow, like the original costume of Invincible, who was initially supposed to be named Bulletproof.
You can see the concept drawing here:
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Why was the name changed? In the bonus material, Robert Kirkman also mentions that the name was changed because the publisher of Invincible, Image Comics, was afraid of DC. He writes:
Another little-known fact is that, when Invincible was still called Bulletproof, he was named Supra-Man. Image forced us to change the name because they feared that DC wouldn’t like it if we used a name that, when pronounced, was hardly distinguishable from their beloved trademark character.
Robert Kirkman on Supra-Man and the name change
Later, they changed the name from Bulletproof to Invincible. Interestingly, Bulletproof still made it into the comics and later into the series as the character Zandale Randolph, who becomes a member of the Guardians of the Globe after the incident with Omni-Man.
Ryanair is completely switching to digital boarding passes. Passengers will need to use their smartphones to board the aircraft. The airline also plans to abolish its check-in counters. However, many travelers fear issues with the new system.
What will change at Ryanair? The company announced in an official statement (via ryanair.com) that starting November 3, 2025, only digital boarding passes will be accepted by Ryanair worldwide. Originally, this transition was planned for March 2025, but Ryanair has now postponed the introduction. From that date, passengers will only be able to board their flights with a ticket on their smartphones. Travelers will receive their ticket through the Ryanair app.
This is why Ryanair wants to go paperless: Ryanair’s decision to use only digital boarding passes has several reasons. The Irish airline aims to save over 300 tons of waste per year by eliminating paper and reduce its carbon footprint. This would also save the company costs related to paper. At the same time, there are plans to abolish the check-in counters. This is intended to reduce operating costs and make the process easier for passengers.
Currently, about 80% of passengers use the digital boarding pass via the myRyanair app. After the transition, all travelers are expected to do so. The app will not only provide the boarding pass but also additional features such as live flight information, updates on flight disruptions, and an “Order to Seat” option that allows passengers to place their orders directly from their seats.
During a flight, good entertainment is, of course, a must. Watch the trailer for Season 2 of The Last of Us here:
Start video
The Last of Us Season 2 – New Trailer Shows Horror and Emotions
Ryanair’s Transition Raises Concerns
What does this mean for travelers? Starting in November, travelers will be required to check in online to receive their digital ticket. Without a smartphone, regular boarding will no longer be possible. Those who currently miss booking a digital ticket may face additional fees for check-in at the counter, where there is a fee of up to 55 euros for printing the boarding pass. Ryanair emphasizes that with the abolition of check-in counters, the option to print tickets will also be eliminated.
What problems are expected? The transition to digital boarding passes raises concerns, especially among travelers without smartphones or in cases of technical issues, such as a dead battery. Questions regarding how Ryanair will assist in such cases have been raised by the magazine Xataka, but remain unanswered.
There are also legal concerns: The consumer protection association Facua criticized the decision as “illegal and abusive,” particularly regarding disadvantaged groups who rely on printed boarding passes. In some countries, such as Morocco or Turkey, where printed tickets are still required, issues may also arise.
Google asked its applicants a specific question for years. But no one could answer it correctly. By now, Google has abolished this “brainteaser”.
One option to challenge and test applicants are so-called “brainteasers”: These are puzzles used to find out if applicants can think outside the box and how quickly they react.
One of these tasks has become famous because it has been used by Google in interviews for years. Because no one could answer the question correctly.
Start video
In Germany, there are over 400 USB sticks protruding from walls – What is the ‘Dead Drops’ project?
The following question could not be answered correctly by any applicant
What is the question? The question became known among other things through the movie-length commercial “The Internship”, which Google produced in 2013 to advertise itself. The film received rather mixed reviews, but almost everyone remembers the question:
[EN] If you were shrunk down to the size of a nickel and were put in a blender, what would you do?
[DE] You are shrunk down to the size of a nickel and thrown into a blender. What do you do?
The question and the answer in the film can be seen on YouTube in English in about one and a half minutes.
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What is the correct answer? For many, the following answer is now considered correct: “I jump out of the blender to escape. Because the blender is luckily still open.”
But science sees it a bit differently. Professor Gregory Sutton explained to the English-language magazine MSN.com that while the mass of the body would shrink, so would the legs. And with smaller legs, one would have much less time to develop enough force to lift oneself up. According to Sutton’s calculations, a person the size of a coin could only jump about 10-15 cm high.
Another alternative would be to rely on external things: For example, a spring that one could jump out with or a rubber band that could get you out. But for that, one would first need to be lucky enough to find a spring or a rubber band inside a blender.
Google has since abolished the question
Is the question still used today? No. Former Google employee Gayle McDowell revealed in an interview that HR managers have stepped back from such riddles in recent years. Because there is a problem: one cannot make predictions about the actual performance of applicants with such puzzles.
For years, Google used such “brainteasers” to test applicants’ problem-solving abilities under pressure. With thousands of applicants, this question was meant to distinguish the fastest thinkers from the rest.
George R.R. Martin is primarily known as a writer. However, he currently has an appearance in a TV series, where he plays a character that suspiciously resembles himself.
Which series is it? Dark Winds is a TV series with thriller elements, whose third season has just started. It revolves around a group of police officers investigating in the American South during the 1970s.
One of the producers of the series is none other than George R.R. Martin. The author is mainly known for his fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, which has been running since 1996 and was adapted into a series under the name Game of Thrones.
Martin has a small guest appearance in the new season of Dark Winds. Apparently, he plays himself and has a very similar problem in the scene as when he writes his books.
The image rights of Dark Winds are held by AMC.
Start video
In the trailer for season 5 of Game of Thrones, Daenerys wants to break the wheel
“George, the whole world is waiting”
What happens in the scene? George R.R. Martin is sitting during his short appearance in a prison cell. Across from him sits another producer of the TV series, who is also a very renowned actor: Robert Redford.
The two old gentlemen are engrossed in a game of chess when the protagonist of the series, police officer Joe Leaphorn, arrives. He eagerly follows the game. George R.R. Martin has the next move but cannot decide which chess piece he wants to move next.
After a while, Redford’s character says: “George, the whole world is waiting. Make a move.” Martin continues to ponder until Leaphorn himself gives him a tip.
Here you can see the scene:
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Why is the scene so special? Although it is short, Redford’s line can be understood as a clear reference to Martin’s writing pace. The author is notoriously known for taking a very long time when writing his books.
Fans have been waiting for the sixth volume of A Song of Ice and Fire, titled The Winds of Winter, for years. The last book was published in 2011, the same year the TV adaptation premiered.
Redford speaks for many fans when he says that the whole world is waiting for Martin’s next step. Some even fear that the book series will not be completed, as the author is already 76 years old. He himself is also unsure. After all, two more volumes are supposed to follow.
Those who want to enjoy as much freedom as possible in MMORPGs often turn to sandboxes. But which sandbox games are worth it in 2025? MeinMMO tells you which sandbox MMORPGs you should check out in 2025.
On what criteria was this list created? The focus of this list is on MMORPGs that grant you as much freedom as possible in your actions and where the main emphasis is on setting your own fun and goals. We only show you games that still have an active community in 2025.
Who created the list? Cedric Holmeier is a freelance author at MeinMMO and loves playing MMORPGs. He has a particular fondness for genre representatives from Asia. He has spent thousands of hours in games like Swords of Legends Online, Metin2, or Throne and Liberty.
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Albion Online
Developer: Sandbox Interactive | Platform: PC, Mobile | Release Date: July 17, 2017 | Model: Free2Play
Start video
Albion Online – Coming to Europe Trailer
What kind of game is this? Albion Online is a German MMORPG that offers you a vast open game world where you can write your own story. Whether you thrive as a resource gatherer, talented craftsman, or brave warrior is entirely up to you.
The emphasis of the MMORPG is on intense PvP battles, but the PvE offerings are also growing steadily and becoming more attractive. Particularly exciting is the unique class system: your equipment defines your role in the game. If you wear heavy armor and a sword, you are a fighter. With a staff and light armor, you become a mage.
How much sandbox is in Albion Online? To ensure that large clans and guilds have enough equipment for their PvP battles, they rely on the free market in Albion Online. Almost every item in the MMORPG is crafted by players, and in higher areas with better resources, you lose all items upon death, creating a continuous demand for equipment.
Whether you want to make your way through the world of Albion as a collector, crafter, warrior, or a mix of everything is up to you. Large guilds fight for regions and areas in Albion Online, which also leads to political disputes within the MMORPG.
For the celebrations of 30 years of Warcraft, Blizzard invited MeinMMO to talk with the heads of World of Warcraft – about nostalgia, the evolution of WoW, and their impact on the game. One of them is responsible for certain bugs no longer being in the game.
Blizzard has been celebrating the 30th anniversary of Warcraft with major festivities and a worldwide tour since the end of February, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of World of Warcraft. In advance, we had the opportunity to talk for a while with the heads of WoW, Game Director Ion Hazzikostas and Executive Producer and Vice President Holly Longdale.
The interview was about WoW, but also a bit about the background and insights into the development. Both have been working on the game for many years and know WoW as players and developers.
Ion Hazzikostas revealed to me during the conversation that the team intentionally added bugs in WoW Classic. However, shortly after he started at Blizzard, he independently fixed some other bugs.
WoW Patch 11.1: Gallywix’s Control over the Cartels
“I know they annoyed me as a player”
When asked what the two changed first when they came to Blizzard, both Hazzikostas and Longdale are a bit embarrassed and need to think for a moment. Hazzikostas finally responds:
“I had too much to learn to change anything. I remember starting right before Wrath of the Lich King came out. I worked on that two months before release. As someone who was a pretty 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 all that in the scripts to understand how a boss chooses its targets for certain abilities. […]
There were a few bugs that I fixed. I don’t remember exactly which ones 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.”
Ion Hazzikostas
It has been an incredible journey from someone who put thousands of hours into the game to now being someone who truly understands how it all works from the inside, “learning and being taught how to create new experiences for players.”
Hazzikostas explains that he started as an encounter designer back then and was able to work directly on bosses from Ulduar: “I fell in love with the job immediately and never looked back.”
Holly Longdale is a bit more pragmatic about that. The Vice President explains that she always wanted WoW to have a team that handles live events. Things that she loves as a player:
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 who comes from another team and another game. I am wholeheartedly a casual player; I love every WoW holiday, every event, and I’ve always enjoyed them. Those times bring me the most joy.
And I always wanted WoW to have a live event team. It took a while, but when I finally got to collaborate with Ion, we were able to create a live team to make more stuff. It became much larger and better than I could have ever imagined. And they really know what they are doing.”
Holly Longdale
Azeroth itself lives through this team, she explains. Longdale thinks that it’s exactly what players like, this vibrant world, and it is “part of the journey that leads us into the future.” She guarantees: There will always be something to do in Azeroth.
Gold is an important resource that you need for all sorts of things in Diablo 4. A player has now farmed it for so long that they have reached the limit.
Why is gold so important?
In Diablo 4, you need gold, among other things, to upgrade healing potions, improve your equipment, and trade with other players.
While the gold was so scarce in Season 4 that Blizzard had to release a patch, players in the current Season 7 are accumulating a lot of it.
The gold limit causes confusion – everywhere you read a different number, reports user Epimolophant on Reddit. So he quickly decided to get to the bottom of it himself and find out the maximum amount of gold.
Start video
Tochter löscht alle Diablo 4-Charaktere ihres Vaters
99,999,999,999 gold can be accumulated
What is the gold limit? According to user Epimolophant, the current gold limit is “100 billion minus 1” – so you can specifically collect 99,999,999,999 gold in Diablo 4. Once you reach this limit, additional gold simply remains on the ground, similar to the obols.
Here’s how the player proceeded: In his Reddit post, the user explains how he conducted his “test”. He diligently farmed items and sold them to other players – even some that would have been upgrades for his own build.
When he wanted to sell a 3GA helm (a helm with 3 major affixes), he was apparently already at the gold limit:
During the last trade, I was at 98.6 billion and sold a 3GA helm for 4 billion. It was the moment of truth. But when I clicked “Accept”, nothing happened […]. Then I said, “Just give me 1.3 billion,” and it worked. I went outside, killed a few mobs, collected gold, and eventually reached the final limit: 99,999,999,999. After that, I couldn’t pick anything up.
The user isn’t quite sure what to do with his massive gold stash. “I will probably spend (or give away) the whole gold, but not right away,” he writes at the end of his post.
A player was looking for a specific item in the trading channel of Diablo 4 – and encountered someone who not only gifted him two perfect uniques for his build, but also one billion gold in-game. This inspired him to give back in real life, and he donated 120 dollars for a good cause.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
World of Warcraft has revealed new details about the upcoming Player Housing. Some veterans will recognize immediately that the WildStar system has been almost directly adopted.
One of the biggest announcements from World of Warcraft for the year 2025 was the Player Housing. With the expansion “Midnight,” all heroes can finally have their own home that they can decorate according to their wishes. However, the exact details of how this will work and what limitations will be in place have not yet been revealed.
Now Blizzard has finally released more information and shown how the decorating and furnishing will work. MMO veterans will immediately recognize: It works fundamentally 100% like in the legendary housing MMORPG WildStar.
Start video
WoW gets Player Housing – An initial teaser
The Freedom of WildStar in World of Warcraft Housing
In a long blog post, Blizzard has now presented the decorating and furnishing of homes for the first time in detail. Basically, there are two modes between which you can switch freely at any time. In the “simple” mode, you can move objects and they automatically “stick” to the appropriate surfaces. So you move a rug over the floor while sliding a window along the wall.
In keeping with the Winterveil festival, there is of course a Winterveil tree.
If you don’t want that, you can switch to the “advanced” mode. Here you can not only set the orientation of objects with pixel precision, but you can also scale objects in size or embed them in walls and floors if you like (for example, to create new objects from them).
But you can not only place objects in the rooms – you can also create your own rooms by pulling walls through the house, placing doors as you wish, and attaching windows.
It is also possible to bind different objects together. For example, if you fill a bookshelf with books and other decorations, you can merge them into a single object. If you then want to move the bookshelf, all the other objects will automatically move as well.
The rooms can be furnished quite complexly – your imagination has hardly any limits.
This freedom and the capabilities of the system are reminiscent of the best details from WildStar – there, housing was also a huge success due to the seemingly endless freedom, which greatly benefited role-playing. But even those who have no RP ambitions can finally build a really nice home for their character.
Coloring as a New Feature
One option that will be available for almost all newly created assets is the option to change colors. If you find that your bed doesn’t match the carpet, you can adjust the coloring of the bed – this applies to several individual areas. For example, you can color the bedding as well as the wooden frame.
“Old” objects that have been in World of Warcraft for a long time unfortunately will not have this option. However, since Blizzard is working on numerous new and high-resolution objects that support coloring, this should be manageable.
In the top view, you can see how the rooms are divided – if you want it that way.
What is still unclear? There are still some unknowns. It is not yet clear what the limitations will be – such as the maximum number of objects in a room or in the entire building. A too tight limitation could lead to frustration. At least in the examples shown, the rooms already look quite well filled, so one can probably be cautiously optimistic about this.
The housing in World of Warcraft looks really impressive at first glance. Whether it can actually live up to all that is already promised in the preview, we will probably find out in a few months. Because with a bit of luck, housing will be released later this year – at least the roadmap suggests so.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The strategy game Crusader Kings 3 (Steam, PS5, Xbox) has finally presented its plans for the ongoing year today, on March 12, 2025: Chapter 4 brings the Mongols and mechanics for the steppe peoples. In addition, more attention will be paid to the crowning of a monarch. By the end of the year, the world will then be expanded in the east. China, Japan, and Southeast Asia will be newly included in the game. Paradox rejoices: This will be the biggest expansion for Crusader Kings of all time.
Here are the next highlights for Crusader Kings 3 in 2025: Paradox is again selling a chapter pass for Crusader Kings 3, which includes 4 expansions, two major and two minor:
Starting today, “Crowns of the World” is live: This is a cosmetic pack with 6 new crowns, 4 new hairstyles, and 2 beards. The pack is available immediately with the purchase of the chapter pass. Along with the cosmetic DLC, a new patch is also being released that improves AI and makes it easier to coordinate large army formations. Furthermore, the key roles at court have been revised.
On April 28, the €20 DLC Khans of the Steppes will be launched. This DLC further develops the nomadic peoples of the steppe government and introduces its own mechanics.
The goal of the DLC will be to become the “Scourge of God”: To become a Great Khan who rules the steppe and leads a conquest campaign from the east deep into the west.
The DLC will also bring cosmetic items for the Mongol people.
Start video
Crusader Kings III shows its new DLC: Khans of the Steppe
The map of Crusader Kings 3 will be significantly expanded in the east
What happens next? 2025 will still see the DLC “Coronations” being released. It will focus on events or event chains surrounding the crowning of a new monarch. A coronation ceremony is currently missing from the event collection in the game: Although one can marry pompously, go hunting, attend university, celebrate festivals, and even carry one’s father to the grave, there is still no event for a coronation.
2025 will end with the expansion “All under Haven” where Paradox promises new regions China, Japan, and Southeast Asia along with map expansion in the east. The game will then range from Ireland in the west to Japan in the east.
Paradox speaks of unique forms of government for Japan, South Korea, and the “God-Emperors” of the Indonesian archipelago – along with new cultures and religions.
New forms of government are also set to come to Crusader Kings 3, special events, roles for characters, and other features. China will apparently stand a level above the current largest empires and become a hegemony. As a special feature for China, there will be “dynastic cycles” that make it difficult to maintain a dynasty stable, along with a special treasury.
The existing world map is expected to grow significantly further in the east:
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The largest and most ambitious expansion in the history of Crusader Kings 3
So Paradox praises the expansion: While the steppe peoples are already known from earlier parts of the series, Paradox rejoices here: This has never been seen in previous parts of Crusader Kings 3.
Paradox states: This is the “largest and most ambitious expansion” in the history of Crusader Kings.
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How is this received? It is certainly a “strategic expansion” – the games from Paradox have many fans in Asia, who can also get irate. Players from Asia, who know other Paradox games where China or Japan can be played, are now obviously being targeted to bring them to Crusader Kings 3.
Some fear, however, that an even larger map could cause the already sluggish game to run even slower.
Expansion follows an “economic” logic, not necessarily a gameplay one
This is how MeinMMO author Schuhmann sees it: For me, this is nothing now. Japan and China can be played in Victoria 3 and Europa Universalis IV – I don’t necessarily need that in Crusader Kings 3. I see it more as a game focused on knights, castles, and the crusades.
The Mongols are also, from my point of view, more of an “endgame threat” in a game where I never reach an endgame with my play style.
I expected the Mongols to arrive by the end of 2024, because such a military threat is currently still missing in the game, after the Black Death brought the plague as a threat.
However, I would have wished for a deepening of the existing game system, especially DLCs that further expand the role-playing aspect, such as secret societies, perhaps a revision of the Vikings, or a DLC for Great Britain or France.
For me, it would also be more interesting to start historically earlier and have a starting point of 800 AD – but well, tastes clearly differ here. Crusader Kings 3 as a major game on Steam surely reaches many more players in Asia than earlier titles, so it is probably economically logical that Paradox tries to attract strategy players from China here.
For a year now, Blizzard has had a new boss: Johanna Faries comes from Call of Duty. In a new interview, she now opens the door to another movie or a Netflix series based on Blizzard’s brands like World of Warcraft. Fans have long been waiting for a second movie after Warcraft: The Beginning in 2016 whetted the appetite for more.
This is the interview with the Blizzard boss: Johanna Faries spoke with a representative of the website Windowscentral. The interview was published on March 11.
She didn’t reveal much there. The main message she wanted to convey was obvious: Anything is possible – everything is changing. The market is changing rapidly, and Blizzard must constantly adapt and learn anew. The teams are flexible, and they seem ready to break with things that were once considered unchangeable rules.
The new motto is to surprise players, be agile, take risks, and sometimes shoot from the hip with flair.
According to Faries, the decision to bring housing to the MMORPG World of Warcraft after 20 years was a decision that stemmed from a large company meeting and came from people who are not necessarily part of the WoW team.
Such “risky, unexpected” moves would create a good vibe around the games.
Start video
For the 20th Birthday, Blizzard Speaks About ‘WoW 2’ and What We Think About It
Blizzard wants to surprise players
What does she say about Blizzard’s future plans? In the interview, Faries is asked about Blizzard’s future plans.
She responds:
We met as a whole company just yesterday and talked about some of our additional future bets. We are in a phase of hyper-learning and hyper-agility, just at the right time to throw a few balls. We are surprising players, reviving them, and renewing them – but not just for its own sake.
The emphasis on renewal apparently raises the question with the interviewer of whether the Blizzard boss could also imagine bringing back Starcraft or Heroes of the Storm. Those are Blizzard’s major “dead” IPs.
However, she did not want to engage in such discussions: She has nothing to announce today, says Faries.
Faries emphasizes: We are Blizzard Entertainment – not Blizzard Games
This door was opened by the Blizzard boss: Instead, she opened the door wide to a second Warcraft film or a series for Netflix. When asked about things like the Mario film by Nintendo, Faries said:
The short answer is that we are considering everything, and I mean that very consciously – and I can’t reveal anything concrete today – but we talked about it just yesterday that we have a strong, collective belief that we are Blizzard Entertainment and not just Blizzard Games or Blizzard Gaming.
Our universes, our iconic IPs can evolve in many interesting, dynamic directions. We must be prudent, responsible stewards of these franchises, right? Not everything will fit, and execution is absolutely important. We are thinking about what we can do, […], so that Blizzard can continue to be a beacon for this kind of … magic and joy.
It is the emphasis on “Blizzard Entertainment – not Games” that opens the door wide to things like a second Warcraft film, which many fans would surely wish for. Blizzard has always been known for its strong imagery and great cinematics.
In fact, the Netflix series Arcane did a lot for the surrounding content of League of Legends – also The Witcher was able to achieve great successes on Netflix and has strengthened the IP. Under the last CEO of Activision Blizzard, such a film was probably not in the cards, but Bobby Kotick is now gone: Warcraft film: Ex-Boss of Blizzard thought it was always a “terrible idea”
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Take-Two Interactive, the publisher of GTA 5, is taking legal action against a site that is allegedly making millions from selling hacked accounts.
Which site is the publisher going after? The site in question is PlayerAuctions – a Chinese website known for trading and selling accounts and digital currencies in online games.
In a complaint filed by the publisher in the United States District Court in California, it states:
“The website PlayerAuctions.com offers a huge online marketplace with thousands of listings for unauthorized, infringing GTA V content – including heavily modified player accounts, in-game items, and virtual currency – all obtained through hacking software, cheats, and technical exploits.”
Start video
Grand Theft Auto 5: Trailer for Next-Gen Update for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S
Website allegedly actively supports the sale of hacks in GTA 5
What is the accusation? Take-Two accuses the website of operating “a highly developed sales platform” and actively recruiting “sellers” who are skilled in using hacking software and other exploits to create infringing digital goods and offer illegal “services” for players.
By receiving a portion of every transaction on their marketplace, the website generates “millions in revenue” from the content sold. Buyers are also lured in as the website offers a “buyer protection” – if one of the hacked accounts is banned, the buyer gets their money back.
PlayerAuctions would offer this “protection” because the company knows full well that the hacked player account listings on its marketplace violate Take-Two’s terms of service and are unauthorized.
The complaint further states that the website not only harms the publisher but also the players of GTA 5. The size of the website diminishes the overall player experience, and unsuspecting players are led to buy cheats themselves to keep up with the hackers.
Finally, Take-Two claims that it has already sent a multitude of cease-and-desist letters. However, all of these are said to have been ignored by PlayerAuctions. For this reason, a lawsuit is now intended to stop the “corrupt business model” of PlayerAuctions.
Do you want to quickly earn a lot of money in GTA Online without buying any hacked accounts? Then MeinMMO shows you how to do it legally (at least in real life). You can read more about it here: GTA Online Money Making: 16 Ways to Get Rich Quickly in 2025
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Today, on March 12th, the European team Karmine Corp achieved a surprising victory at League of Legends: They were able to win against the favored Chinese team Top Esports at the tournament “The First Stand” in Seoul.
This was the situation: Currently, 5 teams are playing in LoL, each the best from their region, in a group stage at the new tournament The First Stand. Everyone plays against everyone. 4 teams advance. The worst team gets eliminated already now.
The Chinese team Top Esports entered the tournament as co-favorites. They had lost one game against South Korea but won one game against the USA.
It was pretty much clear: Karmine Corp would lose today without a chance against Top Esports, and thus the tournament would be practically over for them.
Start video
Many consider a German to be the best SoloQ player in LoL – How does Agurin play?
Karmine Corp decisively defeats the Chinese champion
And this is how it happened: Karmine Corp unexpectedly won decisively against Top Esports with 2-0 in just 2 matches.
The 1st match was decided by the Europeans in 31 minutes. Star-rookie Caliste played 9-5-13 on Ashe. Top laner Canna contributed 10-3-6 on Jayce.
The Europeans also won Match 2 decisively with 18-5. Here, Caliste dominated with 8-0-6, while mid laner Vladi played 6-0-2 on Yone.
Twitch streamer Caedrel sees the performance of the Chinese as so poor that he wonders how the US team, Team Liquid, could lose against them:
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This is the perception: On Reddit, the game is seen as a spectacular surprise victory, but especially the Chinese have to endure some mockery. For them, it is already an embarrassment, as they say.
TES is translated as Top Eastern Swimmers, as the team that has to swim home the fastest from South Korea.
It is said that while Top Esports is nationally extremely strong, they regularly embarrass themselves internationally.
Others even joke: Now there is only one great region in LoL, South Korea.
It is hardly imaginable, they say, what kind of trouble awaits the Chinese players if they actually lose against the team from Thailand and are eliminated.
The performance of Karmine Corp, first losing against the weakest teams and then dominating a co-favorite, is seen as “hilariously funny” and “typical for the LEC.”
One user compares Karmine Corp with “Counter-Logic” and calls them “Kounter Cogic”. Well. The tournament doesn’t seem to be running logically at the moment. Maybe we will still see our friend Teemo in the match against the favorites from South Korea, who have won everything so far: Professional in LoL considers playing the impossible champ to surprise the stars from Asia
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A player from the USA tried to sell his PS4 Pro to a GameStop store. But instead of receiving money for it, he ended up having to pay for it himself.
What kind of story is this? In a post on the gaming forum ResetEra, the user SolmisateSol shares that he only wanted to sell his PS4 Pro to a GameStop store to quickly get some cash. He didn’t expect much, just around $70 – or about €64.
The cashier was really nice but also said that he probably wouldn’t get much money for the console. However, what the system ultimately spat out surprised both sides of the counter: He was supposed to pay nearly €5 for GameStop to take the console.
Start video
Sony releases the official reveal trailer for the PS5 Pro
Missing accessories drove the price into the negative
How is that possible? SolmisateSol’s loss when selling his PS4 Pro likely had two reasons:
He wanted to sell the console without the HDMI cable, the controller, and the associated cable
He was not an active GameStop Pro Member
The missing accessories lower the resale price of the console, hence there’s also less money back. As a GameStop Pro Member, there would have been a bonus for the sale, which was not available here. This circumstance further drove down the price for the console.
In the end, he says, SolmisateSol obviously did not go through with this deal. When he tried to sell an Xbox One to GameStop, it looked even worse for him: He would have had to pay about $20, or around €18.
What does the community say? They respond with mockery but also offer an explanation. Ashes of Dreams writes in a comment under the post: “I understand that the trade-in values at GameStop are a meme, but this one is on you. GameStop has to accept consoles in exactly the condition they can resell them. […] All missing parts of your trade-in were added as an additional purchase. And PS4 controllers are still quite expensive.”
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has elevated the tactical shooter to a new level, but many fans are still thirsting for the old version from days gone by. A mod was supposed to change that, but Steam said no.
What kind of mod is this? The mod “Counter-Strike: Classic Offensive” was intended to bring the nostalgic time from version 1.6 into the new engine of Global Offensive – this included the return of old weapons, sound effects, and more. The development of the mod took 8 years, which, according to the developers, was supposed to be released on March 12, 2025.
Everything seemed ready for a clean launch, and although the developers were given the green light for the development, disappointment struck just before release – the mod is not allowed to be published.
Start video
Counter Strike: Global Offensive Trailer
Steam rejected the release, developer explains why
What was the reason for the ban?When the report from Steam regarding the rejection came on January 11, many fans were disappointed and the developers were puzzled. According to them, “Counter-Strike: Classic Offensive” adhered to Steam’s regulations and even spoke with official developers from Valve, but they were still rejected.
The modders wanted an answer and tried to reach Valve. On March 12, there was a new statement regarding the incident, and it brings some hope. The following can be heard:
Dear Counter-Strike Community. We were contacted by Valve this morning. They reached out to us because they are concerned that our mod may no longer be compliant with their rules and the Steam Subscriber Agreement. In light of these concerns, we are reviewing the current build of the mod to ensure that nothing in it violates these guidelines. We thank you for your patience and support.
Will the mod still be released? So far, there have been no new updates regarding an upcoming release since the last statement from the Offensive Team. It is also unknown how extensive the upcoming changes might be.
Diablo Immortal gives an outlook on what is still to come in 2025 in a roadmap – including new quests, more bosses, and a new class. We summarize the most important points for you.
In a roadmap, Diablo Immortal presents its content for the current year. Each quarter, you can expect fresh content; however, not everything is revealed in detail. In December 2024, the Diablo head announced that a new class would come in 2025 – sparking speculation among fans.
What’s coming in 2025 in the “Epoch of Madness” in Diablo Immortal:
In the 2nd quarter, you can expect an event, a new quest, new equipment, a marketplace update, and new reliquary bosses. The Reliquary (engl. “Helliquary”) is an item that opens raids in Diablo Immortal, where you can fight a special boss with 8 players every week. You can find out how the raids work here.
Between July and September, another quest, a new zone, and a new class will be coming your way. There will also be a summer event.
The roadmap suggests that there will also be a new quest and a new zone in the 4th quarter – but it is not clear from the graphic what exactly it entails and what else will be introduced into the game.
The schedule in Diablo Immortal for the rest of the year.
“Forest – either Druid or Witch Doctor”
While Diablo 4 has received a new class with the Spiritborn from the first expansion “Vessel of Hatred”, Diablo Immortal is catching up – and is already bringing the third class into the game. This gives you a total of nine different classes to choose from.
Diablo Immortal: The trailer for the new class Storm
In December 2024, Diablo head Rod Fergusson reached out to the community. In a post on X, he reflected on the past year and simultaneously announced that players would be able to “play in a new way when a new class is introduced”.
Which class is it about? Which class will enter Diablo Immortal in the summer is still unclear. Fergusson’s post, however, has sparked speculation in the community. In the Subreddit of Diablo Immortal, some players are hoping for the Druid.
Due to the mention of a forest in the post, Exact_Acanthaceae294 speculates on the Druid or the Witch Doctor. “Diablo 4 has gotten the Druid. We already have a Witch Doctor NPC, and some of their dialogues hint at it,” he writes.
And GreenSplashh comments: “I played Diablo Immortal after Diablo 4 and thought: ‘Hey, where is the Druid?’ since that was my class in Diablo 4. I hope it will be the Druid.”
While the Diablo Immortal community speculates about the new class, current discussions in Diablo 4 focus on accessibility. For some, the difficulty level is just right – they want to simply slice monsters after work. Others find even the highest torment levels far too easy. Now Blizzard says: Diablo 4 will be so difficult with Season 8 that only 10% of you will reach the hardest challenge.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
With the expansion Wilderness of Talandre, not only did new content arrive on the servers of Throne and Liberty, but also important improvements. Unfortunately, it seems that not all players are benefiting equally from the updates.
What has improved? With the new expansion Wilderness of Talandre, the developers aimed to significantly enhance the often-criticized combat experience of Throne and Liberty. Accordingly, the section “Improvements in Combat and Movement” in the official patch notes is extensive.
Among the main improvements for combat are:
The standard attack range for melee weapons has been increased.
Ranged skills with effect duration now receive an additional range buffer if the target moves out of range while casting.
When circling targets using the Tab key, targets are prioritized based on distance and camera direction.
Classic mode: The targeting range has been slightly increased to improve accuracy when selecting targets with mouse clicks.
The reduction of movement speed while characters used attack skills has been removed to make movement in combat smoother.
The number of action blocks after using movement skills has been reduced.
The movement of movement skills has been improved so that characters rarely get stuck on terrain when used.
The player camera can now rotate during certain movement skills that previously blocked the camera angle.
The directional control while jumping has been improved.
A setting has been added that allows players to ignore allied targets when clicking to aim.
Character inertia reduced: Direction changes during movement are now applied faster.
The effective ranges of the skills “Charge” and “Close Range” have been slightly adjusted to maintain the same distance after the changes to the attack range of melee weapons.
The intro cinematic of Throne and Liberty – Wilderness of Talandre:
Start video
Throne and Liberty: Trailer shows regions of the Wilderness of Talandre expansion
Community debates the quality of the improvements
How do the improvements affect gameplay? It apparently depends on who you ask. KinnoVG celebrates the changes in his post on Reddit: “The combat is much better. Holy cow, NCSoft and Amazon Games did a great job here.”
Numerous commentators like itsred_man support KinnoVG’s positive impression on Reddit: “I love the movement now and the ability to attack freely while moving at normal speed, that’s awesome.”
hehepout adds on Reddit: “The gameplay is smoother since they removed the dead animation times and the slower movement when attacking. People who say nothing has changed are completely clueless or aren’t playing the game.”
The last part of the quote addresses various players who have a completely different opinion. KinnoVG even complains in a PS section of his original post that he has supposedly been reported by many Reddit users for spreading alleged nonsense. Some of the comments that do not reflect KinnoVG’s opinion:
Samesneaky complains on Reddit that he feels no improvement from the expansion: “As a melee fighter, I feel zero difference. The game still feels pretty garbage…”
A_Smikis agrees on Reddit: “I have no idea what the thread starter is talking about, nothing has changed for me… and the ground collisions as well as the desync are probably even worse than before.”
pelos1 criticizes loudly on Reddit: “The combat is STILL BAD!!!! The animations are no longer synced with the attack distance, the tab targeting is even WORSE!!!”
How does MeinMMO editor Karsten Scholz evaluate the improvements? I have been playing the weapon duo of dagger and crossbow since launch and had a lot of fun in combat even before the expansion. However, especially due to the increased melee range, the fighting feels even better now.
I had more issues with movement through the world. With quick shifts into various animal forms and the grappling hook, the game actually offers everything needed for dynamic movement.
In practice, it didn’t always feel good to stagger from grappling hook point to grappling hook point or to stumble over the terrain as a supposed fast cat. In this regard, there is still room for improvement with Wilderness of Talandre.
The first expansion of Throne and Liberty offered a lot more than just combat improvements. The game world has almost doubled in size. There is a new story campaign as well as an increased level cap. And of course, there are also new dungeons and raid challenges, systems, and more. You can find more details in our overview of Throne and Liberty: Wilderness of Talandre.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The manga of Naruto celebrated its 25th anniversary about half a year ago. Google is also joining the celebrations and has added a new feature that appears when you search for the anime.
What is this feature? When you enter Naruto in the search on Google, you get many search results about the anime. At the bottom of the screen, you will discover an orange icon with the symbol of Konohagakure, Naruto’s home.
If you click on it, the search results start to shake, and Naruto’s shadow clones run from left to right across the screen. They wear the tracksuit that Naruto has in Shippuden.
Why can it bring the PC to its knees? Just as a self-test: press the button very quickly one after the other. What you will then see is a huge horde of Naruto shadow doppelgängers that suddenly slow down the browser.
We have performed the self-test and found that our PCs with decent hardware showed lags. Since this is already the case on PCs with good hardware, you can imagine the problems PCs with older hardware have. So don’t overdo it if your PC is as old as the Naruto manga itself.
Here you can watch a trailer for a Naruto movie:
Start video
Naruto Shippuden – The Movie 2: Bonds – English Trailer for the Anime Film
The most famous anime ninja celebrates his birthday at Google
What is this technique? The shadow doppelgängers are the first strong technique that Naruto learns. The ninja summons them by performing the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu.
They differ from simple doppelgängers because they are real beings and can act independently. When they dissolve or disappear, they transfer all collected information back to the original.
Why is this action happening? 25 years have passed since the first chapter of the manga was published on September 21, 1999. To celebrate this milestone, there is an Easter egg on Google.
Moreover, Naruto is the most searched anime of the last 25 years, as GamePro reports. Since its release, it has been searched more often than other animes like One Piece or Dragon Ball. Therefore, Google and Naruto have a long-standing search friendship.
