The second group of the streamer guild Sauercrowd has performed strongly in WoW Classic. Ragnaros has been defeated – once again.
At the beginning, the streamer guild Sauercrowd was somewhat mocked by the WoW hardcore community, and many early deaths led some to question whether they would ever make it to the Molten Core. In the end, there were so many streamers at level 60 that they could raid in two groups.
The 2nd raid team was able to replicate the performance of the first. They progressed to Ragnaros without any problems, and not a single character had to lose their digital life.
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Sauercrowd guild loses its “indestructible” tank just before level 60
Raid 2 without deaths, but one wanted to challenge it
How did the second raid go? Yesterday, on February 23, 2026, the second raid team of Sauercrowd started at 6:00 PM. Since this group had significantly more newcomers from the “second tier”, there was a suspicion that many would not make it through – but that was not the case. The second raid was also completed without losses, though it was sometimes quite close.
Especially the streamer “macke_machts” faced death multiple times in the fight against Ragnaros as his health points dropped dangerously low. But that’s not surprising, considering he tanked Ragnaros with almost no fire resistance. This requires a lot of trust in his healers, who hopefully weren’t pushed into the lava at the crucial moment. You can see the attempt in this video starting at 6:13:00:
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What’s next for Sauercrowd? Even though the guild Sauercrowd will continue to exist and the event has not been officially declared “finished”, the attention is likely to gradually wane. After all, the big declared goal from the start was to visit the Molten Core with the guild and extinguish Ragnaros’s life lights. This has been accomplished – not just once, but twice. An achievement that many initially thought would be impossible.
Of course, from a viewer’s perspective, it’s a bit unfortunate and perhaps boring that the grand finale went off without deaths or real problems. However, this is mainly due to the intense planning and preparation. In retrospect, one must say: The journey was the goal, and the Molten Core was merely the crowning conclusion. Nevertheless, it is an accomplishment that none can take away from Sauercrowd, especially with the many WoW newcomers. The first raid group of Sauercrowd managed to attract over 200,000 viewers – it was quite a spectacle.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Pokémon GO portals occasionally appear in the sky. But what, or rather who, is behind it?
There is a phenomenon in Pokémon GO that you might have noticed yourself: appearances in the sky that look like portals. There are events where you can observe this sky phenomenon from time to time.
We have looked into it for you: Who or what is behind it? And what do these portals bring to the game?
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A Pokémon is behind the portals
Who is responsible for the portals? Behind these portals is the Pokémon Hoopa. It is a mysterious Pokémon that has existed since Generation 6. It can appear in its contained form, possessing the types Psychic and Ghost, as well as in its unleashed form with the types Psychic and Dark.
Hoopa has golden rings on its body that the Pokémon can stretch into any size. From these rings, Hoopa can create portals and teleport objects or even Pokémon from other places.
If you compare the rings with Hoopa’s portals, you will recognize a strong similarity. Both forms of Hoopa are also among the best attackers in Pokémon GO.
left: Hoopa (unleashed form), right: portal in the game
What do the portals bring? In Pokémon GO, the portals bring Pokémon, for example, bosses in raids that Hoopa brings into the world with its portals. This is the case in the “Path to Kalos” event, where Hoopa’s portals ensure that different bosses appear every day in the 5-star raids.
The portals are purely cosmetic and are meant to create atmosphere in the game. So if you see such a portal in the sky, it does not mean that a new raid has started immediately after the appearance of a portal.
They therefore have no direct influence on the game but are rather meant to enhance the atmosphere and content of an event and provide some lore in Pokémon GO.
Hoopa, with its portals, is among the Pokémon that possess special abilities. There are also other Pokémon that fall out of the line compared to many others. These also include the Ultra Beasts, which look like discarded Pokémon, which they essentially are.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
While companies in the United States are posting record profits, the share of workers in prosperity is declining. Economist Diane Swonk speaks of a “sense of betrayal” – and warns of consequences for society, democracy, and the handling of AI.
What is the initial situation? A new analysis from the “Economic Compass” of the auditing and consulting firm KPMG shows a development,
Corporate profits account for 15.85% of total US economic output, up from about 8% in 1982, according to the report.
At the same time, the share of employee compensation in gross domestic product has fallen from 66.6% to 61.9%.
According to the magazine Fortune (article behind a paywall), the gap between capital and labor is now larger than ever. The focus is therefore on the relative shift in distribution, rather than absolute wage cuts.
The experienced economic expert Diane Swonk has reviewed the study’s findings and is shocked. She even speaks of an “undercurrent of betrayal”.
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Who is the expert? The analysis comes from Diane Swonk. She is Chief Economist and Managing Director at KPMG US, one of the largest auditing and consulting firms in the world. In her role, she evaluates macroeconomic developments for companies, investors, and policymakers.
In a social media post on LinkedIn, she writes (translated from English):
This diagram haunts me. A friend calls it the ‘Revolution Diagram’. Inequality creates social and economic instability.
Swonk’s statement refers to the graphic published in the report:
In her post, she explained that this loss of trust is observable worldwide and over several decades, particularly in the countries of the Global South.
For many, worse than expected
What does the economic reality look like? On paper, much seems stable: Inflation is cooling off after record highs in 2022 in the US, growth is holding up, and consumption is not collapsing (Statista). However, according to Swonk, the overall data conceals a growing divide.
According to Fortune, US consumer growth has been driven almost exclusively by the wealthiest 20% of households since the pandemic. For the bottom 80%, income in many areas is only enough to keep up with inflation. At the same time, living costs in areas such as housing, energy, insurance, or childcare continue to rise.
Swonk therefore speaks of an “undercurrent of betrayal” – something in the economic narrative has broken.
Once again, AI
What role does AI play in the uncertainty? In this already fragile situation, another uncertainty according to Swonk is bursting forth: artificial intelligence. According to the expert, CEOs are already pointing to AI to justify hiring freezes or layoffs – even before genuine productivity gains can be measured.
This may seem sensible in the short term, but it could be dangerous in the long run. Because when people get the impression that technological innovation primarily destroys jobs and exacerbates inequality, societal rejection of AI grows (KPMG).
Especially for industries such as tech and gaming, which heavily rely on automation and AI, this could become a problem.
Diane Swonk summarizes the analyses as follows:
The result is an economy that appears resilient but feels increasingly fragile. […] Growthhas held up, yet the connective tissue that supports labor markets, investment, and global cooperation isfraying. Workers are more anxious, investors more herdlike, and markets … more vulnerable to shocksthan headlines suggest.
The result is an economy that appears resilient, yet feels increasingly fragile. […] Growth has held up, but the connective tissue supporting labor markets, investments, and global cooperation is fraying. Workers are more anxious, investors behave more like a herd, and markets are more vulnerable to shocks than the headlines suggest.
The share of the economic pie is shifting in favor of companies in the long term, and AI is playing an amplifying role in this.
That many CEOs themselves admit that AI has not yet measurably changed productivity or employment fits into the picture. Nevertheless, the technology is already being used as a justification for harsh cuts. Why this discrepancy is critical and what it means for workers can be read here: Thousands of CEOs have just admitted that AI has no impact on employment or productivity
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Transforming desert sand into fertile land. A technique has been developed in China that makes this possible in the long term.However, certain conditions must be met for this to work. Water is essential even for this technique.
Sand annually destroys many square kilometers of fertile land. The global spread of deserts (desertification) is a serious environmental issue. Human interventions such as overgrazing, deforestation, and intensive agriculture promote desertification.
The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has now developed a method to turn desert back into fertile soil. At least when the basic prerequisites are met. The results were published in the journal Soil Biology and Biochemistry (via sciencedirect.com).
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Cyanobacteria form a soil crust on desert sand that can retain nutrients
What have the researchers done? Chinese experts have applied special, lab-cultivated cyanobacteria to sandy areas in desert regions, which were covered with straw nets in a checkerboard pattern.
These microbes form a so-called “biological soil crust”: They envelop sand grains with a slimy sugar film that hardens and holds the grains together like glue.
Within about 10 to 16 months, a stable, thin crust develops on the surface, significantly reducing sand erosion and better retaining nutrients and water in the topsoil. This creates a precursor to fertile soil, on which grasses and shrubs have a much better chance of growing and surviving.
What is special about this? Normally, the natural development process of such layers in nature takes decades. Chinese research now shows that this decades-long development process can be shortened to about a year with visible success: Loose sand becomes a stable surface that can subsequently be utilized (via indiandeferenceview.com).
Where can the technique help? The new method can curb sand erosion, build up topsoil, and support reforestation and greening projects in arid regions. According to researchers, it could significantly reduce desertification. More organic matter in the soil means potentially more carbon storage and fewer dust and sand storms (via earth.com).
What limitations does the system have? The method works primarily where there is at least occasional rainfall. Lack of precipitation or extreme heat can significantly hinder the formation and activity of the crusts. Therefore, the method does not work well in the deepest parts of the Sahara.
Long-term climatic damage or human interventions such as heavy overgrazing or deforestation cannot be compensated for with this technique.
In the wasteland of Fallout, there is a whole range of different factions, as seen in the Amazon-series. An organization that operates from the shadows constantly causes paranoia – primarily, it is concerned with scientific advancement.
Which faction is it? The Institute is a very special organization from Fallout. Unlike other groups like the Brotherhood of Steel, the Enclave, or the Railroad, it is hardly present in the wasteland – at least not on the surface.
For the mysterious society of the Institute lives underground. Its base is located in the Commonwealth, deep beneath the ruins of the “CIT” – which stands for “Commonwealth Institute of Technology”.
The word “Technology” is crucial for this faction. After the Great War in 2077, professors and students who had sought refuge underground began to settle there.
In 2110, the Institute was officially founded. The organization aims to continually advance science and technology. This is to happen with the help of a manageable but very intelligent society.
Unlike the people on the surface, the members of the Institute live in a clean, modern, and high-tech environment – in material abundance and luxury. Strict planning and isolation of this society have led to the Institute becoming both advanced and notorious.
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Synthetic people cause fear
How does the Institute work? Initially, the scientists made some effort to cooperate with the surface dwellers. But they soon realized that the mutual distrust was simply too great.
Moreover, the Institute believed that “those up there” would not comprehend the massive technological advancements at all. This led to the society isolating itself and retreating back to its underground base.
The Institute is led by a Director, who is supported by four department heads. They manage the areas of Biological Sciences, Advanced Systems, Robotics, and Synth Retention.
Especially the Synths, i.e., synthetic people, are among the major achievements. They even gained ill-fated notoriety on the surface. The Institute often sent first and second generation Synths to the surface. There they conducted experiments on one hand and infiltrated rival factions on the other.
This often led to great paranoia in the wasteland, as Synths were sometimes not immediately recognizable as such. For the Institute itself, however, these humanoid creations are treated like slaves and looked down upon.
Only when a baby named Shaun was kidnapped from Vault 111 did a scientific breakthrough occur: The DNA of the baby was used to create a new type of Synth.
Here you can read spoilers about Fallout 4
For this reason, Shaun is referred to as the father of this new generation. Particularly exciting: He is the son of the player in Fallout 4 and is kidnapped in the prologue.
How is the relationship with the other factions? To put it mildly: tense. The Institute is primarily focused on achieving its own goals. They go over corpses to do so. Anyone who does not belong to them is worth nothing and can be… utilized in the service of science.
In the years around 2230, the Institute carried out a massacre among surface dwellers who advocated a government in the Commonwealth. The Railroad faction, which took care of fugitive Synths, also fell into the Institute’s sights. The Railroad paid for their efforts with numerous deaths in their headquarters.
In 2229, there was a wild shootout in a bar in Diamond City, where a Synth named Mr. Carter killed several people. It was only after he was incapacitated that it was discovered that he was an artificial human.
Another important enemy is the Brotherhood of Steel. Especially during the time of Fallout 4, in the year 2287, the Institute is a thorn in their side. The Brotherhood wants to have the technology for themselves to preserve it and control that it is not misused.
In Fallout 4, you can complete a series of quests for the Institute, join the faction, or work for their destruction.
Thus, the Institute is a mysterious organization about which many inhabitants of the wasteland do not know much. The elite and isolated society primarily cares for its own well-being and is little concerned about morality. The question remains how much technological advancement counts when a person’s life is worth nothing. How the Institute ranks in our ranking can be found on MeinMMO: In Fallout, 7 factions fight over the wasteland – but which is the strongest?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Pokémon GO has released a video that provides hints about what the upcoming season will bring. We summarize it.
When does the new season start? The current season ends on March 3, 2026, at 10:00 AM. This is also the starting point of the new season.
What is the name of the new season? The new season in Pokémon GO is called Memories in Motion. This is shown in a new teaser that Pokémon GO published via X.com and Instagram.
At the same time, the teaser contains some hints about what could be in store for the new season. You can watch the teaser here.
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What is in the new teaser for the upcoming season in Pokémon GO?
The teaser rapidly switches through a lot of loading screens that we know from past years in Pokémon GO. This fits with the theme of memories that is also part of the season’s title.
Then the latest loading screen is shown, along with some short gameplay clips. The following things are visible:
Flattutu is seen in the loading screen. It can evolve into Psiopatra.
Maritellit is also visible, which evolves from Sensect and Keradar. It also has a Gigantamax form.
At the end, there is a hint about the new season title, but also about the tenth anniversary in Pokémon GO, which will be an important event for the game.
Briefly, a Pikachu is also seen in front of a Dyna power source. Here one can only speculate, but possibly this is a hint about the emergence of Gigantamax Pikachu.
The closer the season approaches, the more information is likely to appear. We will of course keep you updated!
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Pokémon GO: Over 800 Trainers fight in Gigantamax battle
Before the new season in Pokémon GO kicks off next week, this week marks the big finale of the current season. Because: The big Kalos tour is waiting for you this weekend. In the meantime, the strong Journey to Kalos event is also ongoing. What you can do this week with it, you can read in our guide to the journey to Kalos in Pokémon GO.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
This week, the Pokémon franchise turns 30 years old. In line with that, MeinMMO author Johanna took a look at one of her favorite games: Pokémon Soul Silver for the Nintendo DS. She concludes: The 4th generation is the best for her, and the franchise shouldn’t have added any more Pokémon afterwards.
When the Pokémon games were released on the Nintendo DS back then, I bought every game without exception right away. My pocket money had only one purpose: to be saved so that I could start the new Pokémon adventure.
Pokémon Soul Silver grabbed my attention directly in 2009: The remake of a game I hadn’t played before. Set in the generation I like the most: The fourth.
Recently, I dug my Nintendo DS out again to dive back into Soul Silver. Quite fitting to the 30th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise. While I’m wandering through the polished Johto, I remember why I love this game so much:
In Pokémon Soul Silver, we can not only become the Champion of the Johto region but also of the Kanto region. This means the game offers a huge amount of content even after the actual main game.
The Pokémon run after you. Admittedly, they don’t have a real running animation, but even those few pixels behind my character have a lot of charm.
Let’s get to the strong opinion in this article: I believe Pokémon should have ended after the 4th generation. For me, the peak of the Pokémon franchise has been reached.
The latest game in the Pokémon series is Pokopia:
Start video
With Pokémon Pokopia, Nintendo mixes two of its most popular franchises for the Switch
Which Pokémon now?
What bothers me the most: Too many Pokémon! There are now 9 generations, each introducing over 100 new Pokémon. As of now, there are 1,025 Pokémon, which I think is at least 532 too many.
I also find many Pokémon designs no longer particularly creative. There is one Pokémon that is just a keychain.
Moreover, I simply don’t like having so much choice. I want a Water-type Pokémon for my team, yes, but which one of the many that can appear here?
Another possibility would be to allow only the Pokémon that are new in a generation to be included in a game to narrow down the selection. But then I’d rather play with my Luxray as my Electric-type, and that wouldn’t work. Also silly.
Furthermore, the distribution of types is not always consistent. In the 4th generation, for instance, there are very few Fire-type Pokémon.
Being a bit self-critical: I am fully aware that I am also wearing nostalgia glasses here, no question. However, I was also able to get excited about newer parts of the Pokémon series. Pokémon Legends Arceus was graphically a disaster, but I had a lot of fun with the new gameplay mechanics.
Ah, maybe it’s just because it took place in an earlier time in the Johto region. That could certainly be.
The new generations simply don’t cut it
I’ve played all the generations that came after the fourth, but I haven’t had nearly as much fun as with the fourth. The 5th generation with Black (2) / White (2) just had too much story that wasn’t even exciting. You were constantly being bombarded with unnecessary stuff.
The 6th generation made a good jump to the 3DS, but it made the game way too easy. A trend that seems to have carried through to the latest games. The simplicity of the battles sometimes ruins the fun for me.
For me, part of the Pokémon experience is also being completely overwhelmed by NPCs. Cynthia made me despair in 2007. That woman just had such an amazing team and brought me to my first nervous breakdown at 10 years old. When I finally succeeded, the feeling of success was all the greater.
Amidst all the complaining, I also have to say something neutral: I simply stick with the games that I enjoy. Right now, it’s Soul Silver, then I might play Diamond again. The newer Pokémon games are not for me, but that’s okay.
Riot Games plans to introduce a voice chat in League of Legends. MeinMMO author Ody has played the game only briefly, but those few rounds were enough for him to say: This might not be the best idea for the game.
When I first played League of Legends myself, I really tried to like the game. Sure, I had heard a lot beforehand, especially negative things if we’re honest. But I thought it was really cool to watch professionals at a small LoL tournament at TwitchCon. Additionally, I met someone at university who plays it competitively. I became curious.
This was before Riot Games introduced the idea of a general voice chat for teams. There is already a voice chat, but you can only use it with friends who are in a party with you. The new team voice chat is currently only included in the public beta environment (according to the website u.gg). This is a kind of testing ground for new champions and larger gameplay changes.
The new voice chat is likely to fundamentally change the game, especially in ranked mode. However, I fear that this change will not be solely positive – and many players share the same concern.
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The trailer for the new Exalted skin in LoL shows how beautiful 245 euros can be
Surprise: LoL has a problem with toxic players
The main reason why I ended up with only a few hours of LoL was not the game itself. I still find it quite fun, also because it doesn’t seem as overloaded as Dota 2, for instance. No, the problem was rather my teammates.
My last round of LoL looked something like this:
One from my team kept pinging various areas on the map (and I mean really constantly)
As a result, the text chat was spammed with max vague instructions mixed with various accusations.
Unfortunately, that was not the only round that went approximately like this. As a newcomer, I had no idea why or how I should react: I’m still learning the game. I wasn’t even in ranked mode – yet I felt like I had to perform at a high level immediately.
Even though this round went quite well for my team and I wasn’t the worst player on our side, I found it simply frustrating. I can’t even imagine how it would have been if people had yelled in my ear then. In any case, I’ve had enough since.
Who is writing here? Actually, Ody prefers to play RTS – real-time strategy games. However, since he likes to experiment, he has also played a few MOBAs, including Dota 2, Smite, and League of Legends.
The voice chat will fundamentally change the game
At least, and I have to give Riot credit for this, the voice chat is disabled by default – at least according to players in the PBE. This doesn’t necessarily mean it will stay that way for the full release. But it would be better. Otherwise, I fear that some unsuspecting newcomers will be yelled at by players on their own team right in their first game and chased away.
A voice chat in LoL is still not the best idea, I can say that even with my few hours in the game. Because even the mere existence of this feature will change how the MOBA is played. Especially in ranked mode, the voice chat will almost certainly become an unofficial requirement. This is also the common opinion of many veterans who have been discussing the topic on platforms like Reddit for days.
The voice chat makes communication with the team significantly more efficient than text chat or pings, which is especially important for certain roles like jungler. Not using this would put players at a disadvantage – especially at higher ranks.
Conversely, the voice chat could lead to players using pings or text chat less frequently. Even though both can be annoying in casual rounds if it happens excessively, it is indeed an important tool for ranked players. Anyone who wants to communicate with their team will sooner or later be forced to use the voice chat.
I truly believe that a voice chat will harm the game and ruin the gaming experience for many players. With the voice chat, those toxic players who give LoL its bad reputation will get a voice.
To keep up at high ranks, all players would be virtually forced to use the voice chat. However, they would then necessarily expose themselves to the toxic behavior of many other players – and that would spoil the game not only for players like me but especially for my female teammates. They often face inappropriate comments in other games and have to decide: “Should I better not say anything, even if it harms our chances of winning, or risk being yelled at just because I’m a woman?”
LoL will fall into the same pit with the voice chat and lead players without detours into a swamp of toxicity. It can only backfire.
Mind Flayers are a dangerous part of the great catastrophe threatening the Sword Coast in Baldur’s Gate 3. For good reason, they have been considered absolute enemies from the start. The role-playing game features a candidate who is meant to question this attitude towards the monstrosities – and for the player base as well as MeinMMO editor Caro, it is not the obvious choice.
Spoiler Warning! This article contains spoilers about your Dream Warden and the end of the second to the third act. Those who have completed Baldur’s Gate 3 or do not care about spoilers can read on without worry.
Players of Baldur’s Gate 3 quickly realize at the start of the game: The Mind Flayers are real nasty types. They enslave the innocent, infect their captives through the eyes with biting larvae, and then cruelly turn them into tentacled monstrosities that hunger for brains.
The Monster Manual of Dungeons & Dragons also makes it clear that one should not mess with the lawful evil creatures:
Mind Flayers, also known as Illithids, are the scourge of all thinking creatures across countless worlds. They are psionic tyrants, slave drivers, and interdimensional travelers as well as cunning puppeteers who exploit entire peoples for their own twisted goals. […] The Illithids are connected by a collective consciousness and devise plans that are as far-reaching and evil as their unfathomable thoughts can conceive.
Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual – English Edition (Page 130)
For me, it was quickly clear based on the first Mind Flayers encountered in the game that I feel little sympathy for the tentacle monsters. However, a candidate in Baldur’s Gate 3 made me question this attitude. And no, it’s not the reveal of my Dream Warden, who turned out to be an illithid Emperor and suddenly became a bit too touchy, definitely not. For me – and for a large part of the community – there is only one name that deserves the title of the best Illithid in Baldur’s Gate 3. That name is Omeluum.
Here you can see the animated short film for Patch 8 of Baldur’s Gate 3:
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Der animierte Kurzfilm zu Patch 8, dem letzten Update für Baldur’s Gate 3
The Emperor should not waste another second trying to convince me
I want to quickly emphasize that I absolutely cannot stand the Emperor, the Mind Flayer that one can actually be seduced by. Not at all. He is not only a liar and manipulator, but also a petty traitor who throws his entire mission out the window if one does not side with him.
Since I experienced this betrayal during my first playthrough of Baldur’s Gate 3, my former Dream Warden has been completely off my list. I would never again side with such a loser and spent all future playthroughs skipping or rejecting every scene with my “oh so great” Dream Wardens.
With the Emperor, Baldur’s Gate 3 did not turn me into a fan of the Illithids. But all that changed when I encountered him. My good, my fine, my absolutely perfect Omeluum. And it’s not just me who thinks so:
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Without being dramatic, but – my Tav would die for Omeluum
You first meet Omeluum in the second half of the first act in the Underdark, where he, along with his colleague Blurg, is studying the local ecosystem on behalf of an order of scholars. After managing to free himself from the collective consciousness of the Elder Brain, he devoted his life to research and the goal of improving the world. His current mission is to search for a means to temper the Mind Flayers’ appetite for brains, which would also help him better fit into society.
Omeluum is not only a friendly and helpful researcher, he is a living Green Flag.
Omeluum has become one of my favorite NPCs in all my playthroughs of Baldur’s Gate 3, someone I look forward to every time. Even in the third act of the game, where you are supposed to rescue the prisoners of the underwater prison, I would rather sacrifice the entire crew along with my own life than leave Omeluum behind. Though he heroically emphasizes that one should rather focus on the others and that he would sacrifice his death for it, I would never allow that.
Omeluum in the underwater prison, the “Iron Throne”
In fact, I would recommend that everyone send at least one character of your team in Omeluum’s direction. Those who want to rescue as many prisoners as possible will anyway get close to his corridor. Subsequently, one can teleport with Omeluum to safety, even in the last round before the prison is blown up.
Nami is actually the navigator of the One Piece Straw Hat Crew. However, the creator of One Piece, Eiichiro Oda, has depicted this orange-haired lady with the Three-Sword Style, which is actually used by swordsman Zoro – and he illustrated her.
Why does Nami actually have nothing to do with swords? Nami is one of the members of the Straw Hat Crew in One Piece who has very little combat experience. She doesn’t use her body or any Devil Fruit in combat, but rather a staff cobbled together by Usopp, which contains all sorts of tricks.
Additionally, she learns more and more about the weather over time and modifies her staff accordingly. There is also a companion in the form of a storm cloud that assists her in battle. Since Nami is the navigator of the Thousand Sunny, the ship of the Straw Hat Pirates, she doesn’t really need this crazy combat experience.
But what if Nami actually had combat experience? The creator of the One Piece manga once asked himself this question and illustrated Nami in a universe where she would switch roles with swordsman Zoro.
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One Piece Film: Strong World – The Trailer for the Anime Movie
With Nami as a Swordswoman, the Crew Would Be Lost
What would Nami look like as a swordswoman? For the 13th issue of the One Piece magazine, Oda illustrated Nami in the Three-Sword Style, which is known for Zoro. He holds one sword in each hand and one sword in his mouth.
In the image, Nami is dressed quite revealingly. She is wearing only a bikini top and a long skirt with flowers and a drastic side slit, from which her leg peeks out. She is in the process of shredding straw training dummies. You can check out the image, for example, on Reddit:
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What do fans say about it? The swordswoman Nami is extremely well received by fans. They think this version of Nami would look hot and would make a good swordswoman.
However, fans also worry because that would mean, conversely, that Zoro would be the navigator of the Straw Hat Pirates. And that would be fatal because, as we all know, Zoro has a terrible sense of direction.
Therefore, many fans joke:
cerebrite: “They would have found the One Piece before they reached the Grand Line.”
atwitsend1996: “The opening would change from ‘We are’ to ‘Where are we.'”
Lostpandazoo: “I believe navigating with only one eye wouldn’t be ideal.”
A final cinematic before the release of WoW: Midnight shows how the half-elf Arator became who he is today.
In a few days, the early access to World of Warcraft Midnight will start, and Blizzard is currently firing on all cylinders when it comes to interesting insights and story. After a few weeks ago the backstory to Xal’atath and Lady Liadrin were released, there is now new information about Arator – again in the form of a cinematic in cartoon style. But see for yourself:
Start video
WoW Cinematic shows the journey of the Paladin Arator – Son of two worlds shows
What does the video show? The cinematic “Son of two worlds” shows the half-elf Arator getting new tattoos from his aunt Vereesa, which he then also wears in Midnight. The two reminisce and talk about Arator’s journey of how he became the paladin he is today:
Arator was born to the elf Alleria Windrunner and the human Turalyon, but he only got to see his parents briefly before they went through the Dark Portal to fight against the Orcs and the Burning Legion.
He then grew up with his aunt, partly living with the humans in Stormwind, but also in Dalaran, until the Scourge attacked and in Quel’Thalas. During this time, he was instructed by both Lor’themar Theron and Lady Liadrin.
Arator is a half-elf and has therefore always felt incomplete his whole life. Torn between his parents, the Light and the Void, and his existence as an elf or a human, it took him a long time to realize that he is “more than the sum of his parts”.
When Arathor finds his parents after years, the reunion is rather disappointing.
Arator plays a pivotal role in Midnight
What role does Arator play in Midnight? One of the campaigns in Midnight revolves almost entirely around Arator. Instead of traveling to the new areas, you can accompany the half-elf on a journey through the “old world” to better understand his connection to the Light and his story. This also involves a lot about the rather negative effects of the Light, such as the looming “Light blindness” that can turn overly eager paladins into raging fanatics.
The community wants more: As with the last video of this kind, the reaction from the community is overwhelmingly positive. Normally, cinematics for WoW receive a rather mixed reaction, especially on YouTube, but this time it is extremely positive. Many appreciate the way the story is told here, and the desire for a whole series of this kind is great:
I could watch 10 seasons of this in a row. It’s finally starting soon! -smurv46
You are churning out masterpieces one after another, aren’t you? Amazing!! -Bukela91
Another banger. This is exactly why I fell in love with Warcraft 26 years ago. -knigh.theodrik
Cortyn says: This time, I really enjoyed all the cinematics in preparation for Midnight. Even though I prefer the “2.5 D” style visually, like in the Xal’atath cinematic, I also really liked the cartoon variants of Arator and Lady Liadrin. They were equally dark, heroic, and hopeful; simply the essence of what Warcraft means to me.
During the beta of Midnight, I intentionally avoided Arator’s campaign because I wanted to experience it in the full live version – that is, next Friday. If it’s even remotely as good as this cinematic suggests, we should have an interesting new main character in the story in Arator, who will accompany us through several expansions to come. Until then, however, you should complete 5 things in WoW to be perfectly prepared for the launch of Midnight.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A player buys a motherboard for around 45 euros. However, the real treasure is not the motherboard, but the NVMe SSDs installed on it.
The magazine WCCFTech reports on a user who bought a motherboard. For the MSI PRO Z690-A WiFi, he is said to have only paid 50 US dollars, if the screenshot of the offer is to be believed. That amounts to about 45 euros. The special thing, however, is not the motherboard, but the pre-installed NVMe SSDs. The user explained himself (on Reddit.com):
I saw a z690 on the marketplace for 50 dollars and wanted to buy it until I saw SSD coolers on all 4 NVMe slots. I spoke to the seller, who told me that he didn’t know much about computers and was only selling it for a lower price than on eBay.
The player therefore seized the opportunity and bought the motherboard along with the installed NVMe modules from the person. In hindsight, this paid off for him.
Start video
Valve presents the Steam Machine in the new trailer
4 NVMe SSDs worth around 1,400 are included for free
What did he get for free exactly? In total, there were 4 NVMe SSDs of different varieties mounted on the motherboard:
2x 4 TB WD Black SN850X, the price per model is about 400 euros (Geizhals.de)
1x 2 TB Corsair MP600, the price is 351 euros (Geizhals.de)
1x 2 TB Intel 670p, the model costs around 290 euros (idealo.de)
If you add up all the current market prices, you come to a value of around 1,400 euros (as of February 24, 2026).
Basically, the user shows no intention of returning the items. Instead, he stated that he would prefer to trade one of the expensive models for an OLED monitor. The buyer would then have been quite lucky that the seller did not know the actual value of his goods.
Why was it so cheap? Some users speculate that the motherboard must have been stolen hardware. Because no one would just sell a motherboard with all NVMe SSDs. Someone explains on Reddit:
It is impossible that the seller was the original owner/user of this board. And given the many expensive SSDs that were on it (even the cheapest of these 4TB drives were expensive), I would say that it was stolen and then sold for parts.
Basically, this claim cannot really be verified, and one can only speculate why the seller sold the motherboard so cheaply. Because, fundamentally, prices for RAM, SSDs, and graphics cards are currently rising.
Apart from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sony has released its own movies featuring Marvel characters from the Spider-Man universe in recent years. They didn’t receive much acclaim from the community. However, they must perform well if they want to retain the character.
Even though Spider-Man is probably the most iconic character from Marvel, he is only borrowed in the Marvel films. The film rights to Spider-Man actually belong to Sony Pictures Entertainment. This includes specific characters from the web-slinger like Venom, Mary Jane, or James Jonah Jameson.
Sony itself lends Spider-Man to the MCU, so to speak. They collaborated in 2017 to introduce a new hero, played by Tom Holland, with Spider-Man: Homecoming. This arrangement continues to this day. Although there was a dispute in 2019, they were able to come to an agreement, as Variety reported back then.
However, for the rights that Sony has held for over 20 years, they must also deliver. This is probably one of the reasons why one of the strangest film universes of all time exists.
Start video
Spider-Man – Trailer for the First Feature Film of the Wall-Crawler
Sony and the Acquisition of Spider-Man
How did Sony even acquire the rights? Even though Marvel is a big name in the film and series landscape today, it was quite different in the 1990s. In 1999, the comic publisher was in a financially tough situation. To counteract this, they sold the film rights to some characters.
In 2014, Sony was hacked, and a contract was leaked at that time. Forbes quotes the contract, explaining that Sony probably has to release new films every 5 years and 9 months for the rights to remain with the company. If Sony releases 3 films in 8 years, they can take 7 years off.
While the contract may have changed, Sony still holds the rights. Although Spider-Man is absent from the latest films, there was still a Spider-Man film universe.
How does Sony continue to retain the rights? If the contract is still valid, Sony must continue to release Spider-Man productions. This is probably one of the reasons for the so-called Sonyverse (Sony’s Spider-Man Universe). This refers to the Sony films about Spider-Man characters that have been released since 2018, which have received quite poor reviews from critics:
Although the films have solid user scores, most (except for Venom) were not particularly successful at the box office. Kraven the Hunter, the latest film, earned only about 53 million euros, according to IMDb, with an estimated budget of 93 million euros. That’s quite a hard flop.
Even though the films about Spider-Man characters without Spider-Man seem quite strange, it makes sense if they want to keep the brand. Spider-Man is one of the most recognized Marvel characters. The third film in the MCU, No Way Home, earned about 1.6 billion euros (via IMDb), making it the third most successful Marvel film. Sony, as the production company, also profits significantly from this (source: IGN).
Kraven is a well-known Spider-Man villain, but the film didn’t work well with critics or at the box office (Image source: SonyPicturesGermany on YouTube).
What does MeinMMO film editor Nikolas Hernes say about the Sonyverse? Even though I had fun with the Venom films, the idea of creating a Spider-Man universe without Spider-Man is not very well thought out.
Most villains work because of their dynamic with the hero, and not just as villains themselves, especially if they weren’t known to the audience beforehand. Morbius and Madame Web are not exactly well-known Marvel villains that are culturally relevant.
If the films are moderately received or poorly received, they can only fail. Sony should focus on projects like the animated Spider-Verse or ideas like Spider-Noir.
Spider-Man Will Continue to Hit Theaters (and Streaming)
What’s next for Sony and Spider-Man? Currently, no further films for the universe featuring Kraven, Madam Web, and Morbius are planned. However, Sony continues to bank on the web-slinger. The third part of the Spider-Verse animated series is set to be released in 2027. The previous two films were not only successful, but also really good.
But Sony is also heading in a new direction with streamers. With Spider-Noir, a new series featuring Nicolas Cage as an anti-hero in a different universe will be released on May 27.
On the Marvel and Disney side, fans can also expect new content. Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be released on July 30, 2026, continuing the story of Tom Holland’s Peter Parker. This year, the animated series Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is also expected to continue on Disney Plus.
But how do you find the Sonyverse? Did you enjoy watching them, or were they indifferent to you? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments. There are many variants of Spider-Man, but some of them will probably never make it to the big screen: 7 absurd variants of Spider-Man that will never get their own Marvel movie
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In South Korea, a burglar broke into a computer specialty store and specifically stole three high-quality and very expensive graphics cards – according to police, with a total value of approximately 12,000 Euros.
When and how did the thief break in? According to Newsis, the perpetrator allegedly broke the sliding glass door of the shop in the early hours, apparently specifically looking for expensive hardware.
It is notable according to the report that despite other high-quality hardware, the man only took three graphics cards and then left the store. The estimated damage is around 20 million won, which equals approximately 12,000 Euros.
Start video
Why is RAM so expensive? The current situation explained in 2 minutes
The owner of the store and operator of the YouTube channel “The Recommended Guy” published the surveillance video footage that showed the theft and reported the damage incurred. The video shows how the masked and gloved perpetrator smashed the store’s glass with a drill hammer, broke in, and stole the three high-end graphics cards.
Three individual components are enough to cause a five-figure damage. Graphics cards are important not just for gamers, but also for AI applications and professional workloads, as well as cryptocurrency mining. Therefore, the police are investigating whether the cards were resold or used otherwise (via Hani.co).
The affected store owner said in his YouTube video: “I think this happened because everyone is going through tough times right now.”
According to VideoCardz, the South Korean police have now announced that a suspect has been arrested. However, a part of the stolen goods has not yet been found.
The best counters against Mega-Sceptile in Pokémon GO in the guide. We show you the best attackers and movesets. With these, you can defeat the boss in Mega Raids.
What kind of Pokémon is Mega-Sceptile? Sceptile comes from the third generation of games and is the final evolution of the Hoenn starter Treecko. In its Mega form, Sceptile belongs to the types Grass and Dragon.
When does Mega-Sceptile come? You can find the boss during GO Tour: Kalos. Here we will show you the best counters against Mega-Sceptile and what types it is weak against (type effectiveness).
Defeating Mega Sceptile in Raid – With these counters
Mega-Rayquaza with Dragon Tail and Hurricane
Shadow Mamoswine with Powder Snow and Avalanche
White Kyurem with Ice Fang and Ice Burn
Shadow Snorunt with Ice Shard and Avalanche
Shadow Mewtwo with Psycho Cut and Ice Beam
Mega-Abomasnow with Ice Shard and Avalanche
Galarian Darumaka with Ice Fang and Avalanche
Mega-Blizzard with Powder Snow and Weather Ball
Mega-Gardevoir with Charm and Triple Axel
Mamoswine with Powder Snow and Avalanche
Shadow Rayquaza with Dragon Tail and Hurricane
Shadow Articuno with Ice Shard and Triple Axel
Glaceon with Ice Shard and Avalanche
Kolowal with Ice Shard and Avalanche
Kyurem with Fire Breath and Ice Age
Snorunt with Ice Shard and Avalanche
Mega-Krookodile with Dragon Tail and Outrage
Shadow Walrein with Ice Shard and Ice Spear
Mewtwo with Psycho Cut and Ice Beam
Shadow Ho-Oh with Hidden Power and Brave Bird
Weaknesses of Mega-Sceptile: The Pokémon belongs to the types Grass and Dragon, making it vulnerable to Ice, Flying, Poison, Bug, Dragon, and Fairy. In particular, Ice attacks are effective. So focus on attacks and Pokémon of these types in raids to defeat Mega-Sceptile.
Is there a Shiny Mega-Sceptile? Yes, you can catch Shiny Sceptile in Pokémon GO. When you then perform a Mega Evolution, you will see the Mega Shiny. We show you in the graphic how the shiny version of Sceptile looks like:
How many trainers are needed? With the best counters at high levels, you can defeat the boss alone or with two. With lower levels but strong counters, you should opt for more trainers. To clear the raids quickly, groups with many participants are recommended.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A co-op game on Steam was supposed to be the new after-work entertainment for MeinMMO editor Jasmin. However, the title did not even come close to the desired player numbers, which is why it now has to close.
What kind of game is this? In King of Meat, you participate in a fictional TV show in a crazy fantasy world. The goal is to complete various dungeons. You jump, hit, and solve puzzles across different levels that can also be created by other players. You can gather up to 3 friends to join you.
Conversely, you can also sit on the other side and build the dungeons yourself. Afterwards, other players around the world can try your creation. On Steam, the reviews are mostly positive. Currently, the game has a rating of 73% from 357 votes.
The title was developed by Glowmade, with Amazon Game Studios acting as the publisher. Our MMORPG expert Karsten has already analyzed why the studio has been behind one failure after another. And now it sadly affects King of Meat as well.
Start video
King of Meat shows survival action in gameshow style with quirky humor and coop chaos
Co-op game fails to meet its target
What is happening with the game? In a message on Steam, the developers wrote that King of Meat did not find the resonance that the development team had hoped for. Therefore, they made the difficult decision to not invest further in the game. The servers of King of Meat will be shut down on April 9, 2026.
Currently, the game is no longer available for download on Steam. Therefore, it can only be played by those who already own it in their library. On other platforms like the PS5, the situation is different. The game is still available in the PlayStation Store.
In addition, every player will receive a refund for the money they spent on the game.
What level of success were they expecting? According to Insider Gaming, the developers expected player counts of at least 100,000 gamers. However, SteamDB shows that at most 320 players were concurrently online.
Since the game has been released on multiple platforms, it is difficult to ascertain the exact numbers achieved. However, the 320 concurrent players on Steam already suggest that it was not much better on other platforms, which is why the servers are now being shut down.
What does MeinMMO editor Jasmin think? When I saw the transaction from Steam for €7.50 yesterday, I already knew that some game had been affected. Indeed, I have played a few rounds in King of Meat from time to time.
It was a nice co-op game that entertained me and my friends for a few evenings. That’s why I find it a shame that the game did not achieve the success it aimed for. I think it’s fair that the full purchase price will be refunded.
Bringing old maps to Battlefield 6 requires more work than many players realize. DICE producer Phil explains in an interview with MeinMMO why this is the case.
This is the current status of Battlefield 6: Season 2 started in Battlefield 6 a week ago. The update brought some new weapons and the Little Bird, as well as a new map set in Germany. A second new map is set to follow during the season.
The new map “Contaminated” is well received by the community. In an interview with MeinMMO, Philipp Girette, a producer at DICE, mentioned that the developers have taken your feedback into account and discussed the decision-making process behind the map.
Philipp also explained how the return of old maps will progress and why they cannot implement the old maps into Battlefield 6 as quickly as many players would like.
Start video
Battlefield 6: New cinematic trailer prepares for Season 2
A map for “All out Warfare” and one for CQB fans
MeinMMO: Would you like to introduce yourself to our readers first?
Philipp Girett: “I’m Phil, I’ve been working for DICE for, I believe, almost 4 years. I’ve been in the industry for about 13 years now, studied game design in Germany, then moved to Sweden after a few years and have been working there for quite some time now.
At DICE, I’m responsible for the seasons, so I am the seasons producer. That means I work with all the teams. For example, we have teams that create the vehicles, teams that create the weapons, the maps, core combat, etc. I talk to all of them, but my job is much more to determine what we need in each patch or each beat in a season, how long a season is, to really ensure that everything speaks the same language.
That means I get to see everything we do in our game, but I’m not an expert in everything. But that makes it a lot of fun because it’s nice not to be just deeply involved in the detail of, for example, every screw of a new jeep, but actually everything that comes into the game, including marketing or trailer production or battle pass, and so on. That’s pretty cool.“
MeinMMO: We’re getting two German maps in Season 2 now. How was the decision-making process behind going to a military facility in a mountainous area instead of, for example, a large city like Berlin?
Philipp Girett: “Yes, the main decision-making process here was, of course, to include Europe more. It’s also a big part of the game’s narrative with NATO, and the main motivation is to present players with a new biome. This means a new landscape, more European in nature, where you can also see a bit of what you mentioned, the mountainous landscapes, the forests, and so on, so that you see: ‘Ah yes, okay, this is now somewhere else than Gibraltar or New York.’
I believe the first German map that Battlefield had was Berlin in 1942, a long, long time ago. And here, what we wanted to do with the first map Contaminated, which appears in the first phase, is that it is larger. This means there are both indoor battles as well as outdoor battles for infantry, but of course also access to several vehicles and helicopters.
This means the Contaminated map is more for people who really enjoy playing Conquest, Breakthrough, or Escalation. The people who really like “All Out Warfare” infantry and vehicles, that’s what the map is for. The second map, Hagenthal Base, is set underground, basically underground Contaminated, and is inspired by maps like Locker and Metro. So it is very much focused on having these close-quarters infantry fights.“
The return of old maps is not as easy as you think
MeinMMO: Since we were already talking about Metro and Locker and such, and Battlefield has a huge selection of maps, many of which are very popular: Can we expect even more returning maps?
Philipp Girett: “Yes, in Labs we have already started playing Golmud. So we see the feedback that players want to see larger maps again, and as you already mentioned, there are several in Battlefield history that could be referenced.
It is not as simple as saying: ‘Okay, here is an old map, we’ll just put it into the new game.’ There is a lot of work behind it. But we hear the feedback. We are starting now very early to test for new maps, like Golmud, and that is sort of the first step we can talk about. But of course, there is much more going on behind the scenes.
MeinMMO: I once read that working on a remaster/rework is like replacing a card in a house of cards – you can quickly break a lot in the process. Is that comparable to reworking a Battlefield map?
Philipp Girett: “Yes, definitely, because you have systems like lighting or the assets in the map. If we simply take any old map, the textures are, well, at a much lower resolution than we are used to now. This means if we take maps from 5 years ago, 10 years ago, or even older, everything basically has to be redone, and we have to make sure it works with the speed we do things now.
For example, we also have vaulting in the game, which allows you to jump over certain objects. And there are many systems and mechanics that are quickly forgotten when one says: ‘Hey guys, let’s just make a map we already had and bring it into the new game.’ There’s really a lot of work behind it, both visually, to ensure that it looks good with the new graphics, and also systems like vaulting or where bots run along, navigation systems, and all those things.“
Personal assessment by Dariusz: Phil’s words give me hope as a Battlefield fan that the shooter will have a really strong selection of maps in the future – with strong new maps and the return of some classics. My favorite time in the BF4 era was years after the release when I returned to a huge selection of various maps after a long break. I really hope Battlefield 6 can offer me a similar era one day.
Hold on, Adventurer! English localization still loading...
This article is currently in its original German "vanilla" version. We're channeling our inner Mein-MMO and grinding hard on the English localization quest line!
The full English version will be unlocked soon. Thanks for your patience.
ARC Raiders is getting a new update after a long time. With Shrouded Sky, new content comes to the game along with bug fixes and more. What you should know about the patch notes and server status can be found here in our live ticker.
Tuesday, 24.02.2026
11:42 AM
The patch notes have been completely updated by us. You can now log in without problems and start the new project “Weather Monitoring System” right away. Have fun! If the servers cause issues, we will update the ticker. Until then, we will continue to monitor the server status.
11:24 AM
If you have downloaded the update, you can log in and play again. Meanwhile, we are updating the patch notes. You can find them in the main part of our article.
11:10 AM
The update can now be downloaded and is 14.9 GB on Steam. We are slowly adding the patch notes to our overview.
10:39 AM
Whoever grinded a lot in the challenges receives the outfit “Alpino”. You just need to reach the rank “Daredevil”. The outfit is rather simpler than those from the shop, but anyone wanting to travel in inconspicuous clothing might find it appealing:
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The beards are supposed to gradually appear in the shop or be obtainable through Raider decks. The full beard will be included in the upcoming Raider deck, while two other options are slated to appear in the shop. Prices are not yet known, but as with other accessories, the price could stabilize around the lower three-digit range.
Here’s your first look at the new facial mat:
09:41 AM
Aside from the new Raider deck (visible in the title image), there is also a new set that will be coming to the shop. Here’s what it looks like:
09:00 AM
Good morning and welcome to our ticker. Here we list the most important information regarding the upcoming update of ARC Raiders. If there are also complications concerning the servers, you will find the most important information here as well. So stay tuned so you don’t miss anything!
What is Shrouded Sky? ARC Raiders is launching a new major update on February 24 – Shrouded Sky (Source: arcraiders.com). This is again a major content update that brings new mechanics, enemies, and cosmetic items to the game. You can expect the download around 11:00 AM German time.
What important changes can I expect? Shrouded Sky brings major changes and things that fans have been wishing for. Some of the biggest changes include:
Hurricanes can appear on the maps as new situations.
Effect: Slowly destroys your shield, but exposes some Raider chests.
New enemies
The Firefly (Dragonfly)
A small wasp with a flamethrower
Comet (Comet)
A pop that explodes and releases a seismic shockwave.
New project: Weather Monitoring System
Shani sends you to build a weather monitoring system. You will need to kick off and gather and donate materials. In return, you will be showered with rewards.
New free Raider Deck
There is another Raider Deck and this one is free. Visually, the skins resemble a field surgeon.
New cosmetic items: Beards
Fans have waited a long time for it, but now they are finally coming, the beards. With the free Raider Deck, fans will already receive a full beard, but more hair options are expected to appear in upcoming shop bundles.
Start video
ARC Raiders shows new Hurricane condition and hints at a new enemy
Patch Notes for Shrouded City (Update 1.17.0) in English
What do the patch notes say? The patch notes have been released (Source: arcraiders.com) and can be viewed in English on the official ARC Raiders site. However, we will now list the German version for you. Simply open the respective tab for the details:
Balance Changes
Weapons
In version 1.13 we released an update with an optimization of our weapons. As many of you noticed, however, this had the unintended consequence of lowering the fire rate of semi-automatic weapons. In version 1.13.1 we have reversed this correction, but something else slipped in that doesn’t belong there.
Many of you reported an unnoticed improvement in weapons. After thorough investigation, we found that version 1.13.1 accidentally affected the input buffering of our weapons. Where one previously had to execute inputs in the correct rhythm to unleash the full potential of a weapon, one could now simply click the button repeatedly to bypass the necessary skill needed to learn the weapon rhythm. We want to maintain the opportunity for engaging gameplay, but we also acknowledge that the previous control did not feel very responsive. To counteract this and find a middle ground, we have added additional settings for the input buffering of the weapons for each weapon individually and adjusted the semi-automatic weapons accordingly. The weapons now continue to respond faster to rapid clicking, but players who pace their shots achieve better results.
In addition to these changes, we have also addressed the balance between our lower and higher-tier weapons. Many of you have expressed concerns that some lower-tier weapons outperform our higher-tier weapons at significantly lower costs. We hope to change this balance somewhat while maintaining the flexibility to deploy stronger weapons with sufficient skill. We are starting by reducing the TTK (Time-to-Kill) of Stitcher and Kettle and increasing the maneuverability of Aphelion and Jupiter. We are also reworking the Venator again, which is still dominant in many PvP fights.
Stitcher
Developer’s Note: The Stitcher has proven itself as a melee weapon that rewards careful positioning. However, we found that its fast kill time (TTK) can sometimes result in being ambushed and killed before one can react. As many of you have noted, the high headshot damage significantly contributes to this problem. The TTK is often acceptable as long as one aims at the body center. However, once one gets close enough to place most shots on the head of the target, the TTK is noticeably faster than that of other weapons. These changes aim to align the TTK for headshots with that for body shots by reducing both the weapon’s spread accuracy and the headshot multiplier.
Reduced headshot multiplier from 2.5 to 1.75
Reduced base damage from 7 to 6.5
Increased spread per shot by about 50% (quicker spread)
Kettle
Developer’s Note: The Kettle was in a somewhat peculiar position. Its high damage was intended for use at medium range and a cautious approach. However, we observe that many of you use it in close combat, effectively turning it into a submachine gun. We want to distinguish it from the Stitcher more clearly, but we also see that you appreciate the versatility of this weapon. Therefore, we are reducing the base damage to adjust the TTK (Time-to-Kill) while keeping the high headshot multiplier to encourage players to land more headshots.
Developer’s Note: The Kettle has been somewhat unbalanced. Its high damage was intended for medium-range use and a cautious approach. However, we observe that many of you use it in close combat and thus encourage more headshots. Reduced base damage from 10 to 8.5
Venator
Developer’s Note: Since the last nerfs of the Venator in patch 1.3.0, we have closely monitored our data on the weapon’s performance. Many of you have expressed concerns that it is still too dominant in PvP. Our data shows that it currently belongs to the strongest weapons in the game. We want good performance for a weapon of this tier, but perhaps not to this extent. We are therefore considering a general damage reduction to lower the TTK (Time-to-Kill). If this does not yield the desired result, we may need to address the ammunition consumption and cost efficiency.
Reduced headshot multiplier from 2.5 to 2
Reduced base damage from 9 to 8
Jupiter
Developer’s Note: In PvP, the Jupiter deals the highest headshot damage in the game, but headshots at greater distances are quite difficult. You are quite vulnerable in close combat, as a missed shot makes you an easy target until you reload or switch weapons. We are increasing the zoom when aiming with the scope (ADS) to give you better visibility on your targets and shortening the equip and unequip time so that you can switch to a secondary weapon and follow up faster.
Improved ADS zoom from about 1.9x to about 2.2x
Improved equip time from 1.2 s to 1.05 s
Improved unequip time from 0.9 s to 0.75 s
Aphelion
Developer’s Note: We were not entirely satisfied with the previous balance of the Aphelion. It should be a legendary weapon focused on PvP but could not keep up with the pace of many of our other PvP weapons. We made some changes to make the weapon more manageable and agile so that it becomes more competitive in PvP.
Reduced base reload time from 4.5 s to 3.5 s
Reduced time between shots from 0.9 s to 0.7 s
Reduced vertical recoil by about 50%
Improved aim speed by about 35%
Items and Crafting
Energy Clip
Now available by default at the workbench.
Changes to item values and costs
The following item values and costs have been adjusted according to recycling and repurposing adjustments:
Deadline
Increased value from 5,000 to 6,000.
Increased seller price from 15,000 to 18,000.
New ARC part added as crafting cost.
Trailblazer
Increased value from 1,600 to 2,200.
Increased seller price from 4,800 to 6,600.
New ARC part added as crafting cost.
Wolfpack
Increased value from 5,000 to 6,000.
Rocket Gunner Driver added as crafting cost.
Costs for refined explosives reduced.
Vita Spray
Increased value from 3,000 to 3,400.
Tick capsule added as crafting cost.
Showstopper
Reduced value from 2,200 to 2,100.
Hornet Driver added as crafting cost.
Changed crafting component from “Advanced Electrical Components” to “Electrical Components”.
Sale value of ARC parts reduced to better reflect their use in crafting and gameplay progression.
Content and Bug Fixes
Achievements
A bug was fixed where the achievement “Overwhelmed” would sometimes not trigger as intended on the first attempt.
Animations
Diverse animation bugs when overcoming obstacles have been fixed.
A bug was fixed where some weapons did not drop magazines when reloading.
A bug was fixed where reattaching to a ladder after a jump could distort the climbing animation.
The equipment animations for pistols and hand firearms have been overhauled to achieve better timing and reduce visual popping when switching from the unarmed state.
The arm and weapon positioning during shoulder swaps has been improved to prevent visual popping during the transition.
A bug was fixed where fall damage was not applied when the player was in a recoil animation.
The reaction animations at low health have been overhauled for better clarity.
The weapon shake animation has been corrected and was mistakenly triggered indoors at negative temperatures; it now occurs only outdoors.
ARC
A bug was fixed where measurers and fireballs could open too early before stabilizing.
The irregular movement of ARC parts that stick to a loot item has been reduced.
Hornets now retain their top armor after destruction, making it easier to distinguish the loot item from wasps.
A bug was fixed where the rocket shooter sometimes would not fire despite having a clear line of sight to its target.
The instances where the Guardian’s shots passed through geometry when its weapon was sticking into walls at close range have been reduced.
AUDIO
The number of projectile sounds per trigger pull for rapid-fire weapons has been limited to the salvo size to prevent additional shots.
Audio stuttering on lower-performing PCs has been reduced to ensure smoother and more consistent sound in the game.
The volume of in-game dialogues (except radio) has been reduced.
A bug was fixed where sliding on stairs or debris could cause audio stuttering.
Scrappy has received your feedback that he was too loud. He will now try to croak less frequently.
The overall volume has been reduced, and the menu sound effects as well as the music mix have been rebalanced to provide a more pleasant Speranza experience.
The music for the tube opening has been shortened as it was playing for too long.
Birds on zip lines now scream in panic with correct positioning.
Audio overlaps/interferences have been generally reduced, particularly for players. The acoustic guitar music pieces have been updated.
COSMETICS
The Volare Set
The Surgeon Set
The Pendant Set (coming soon)
New option to customize facial hair added
Fixed defective visor glass material of the green color variant of the Marco outfit
Diverse clipping errors in certain outfits fixed
GAMEPLAY
A piano has been added as an interactive object in the game world.
A bug was fixed where interactions could be triggered from too far away. This allowed players to open doors, activate hatches, or loot items without being nearby.
Pressed and continuous interactions are now canceled when equipping a different item or weapon.
A bug was fixed where players could not move after being revived with a defibrillator.
Players can no longer stand on thrown grenades or other non-walkable items or carry them.
The missing aim assist for guardians, turrets, shredders, and measurers has been added.
The queue for the practice area has been disabled to prevent matchmaking errors.
A bug was fixed where the corpse of a fallen Raider could block hatch extraction and trigger a search query.
The simultaneous activation of all NVIDIA Freestyle filters has been prevented to eliminate an unfair visual advantage.
Purchases with seeds and free gear upgrades are now also possible when storage is full.
GENERAL
General performance improvements.
Some rendering errors have been fixed.
A crash on game startup with DirectX 11 has been fixed.
A crash when using zip lines has been fixed.
MAPS
General
Fixed faulty interactions at the top of certain ladders.
Fixed missing collisions on several objects in the environment to reduce clipping and unintended movement.
General lighting corrections on various maps.
Buried City
The chance to find rare loot in chimneys was slightly reduced in the map state “Bird City”.
Stella Montis
Several collision errors on Stella Montis (lobby, atrium, loading bay, train station tunnel, seed storage) have been fixed to prevent players from reaching areas outside the map with the “Free” function and to avoid shots from the lobby ceiling.
The night lighting on Stella Montis has been adjusted to improve visibility in darker areas.
The visibility at night at the extraction point “Seed Storage” has been improved with local lighting.
A bug was fixed where lowered overflow bridges still displayed an interaction prompt. The interaction is now correctly disabled once the bridge is lowered.
A bug was fixed that allowed players to access subway trains.
Blue Gate
The thunderstorm lighting has been improved for better visibility.
A bug was fixed where players could leave the game world in the Blue Gate tunnels.
MOVEMENT
The jump behavior from ladders has been adjusted to match the jump behavior from jump pads for smoother movements and to prevent unintended swing motions from rapid inputs.
A bug was fixed where one could see through when sliding through stairs and escalators.
PROGRESSION
You can now reroll talents three times daily for free.
PvP talents have been removed, some existing talents updated, and new ones added.
An expeditions catch-up system has been added to obtain missed skill points from previous runs. The interface has been updated to track your progress.
A bug was fixed where players occasionally did not receive a skill point as displayed on the result screen. Candle berries in the Blue Gate now count for the achievement “Harvest Plants”.
QUESTS
The markers for quest-related objects in the world have been made more distinct to improve readability.
A bug was fixed where the popup for the next objective in multi-stage quests could be missing or display an already completed step. The correct next goal is now always displayed.
A bug was fixed where quest items could appear as world loot without the associated quest being active.
SOCIAL
In a group, all locations unlocked by the member with the most played rounds are now displayed when selecting the map.
A bug was fixed where former team members could appear in the “Nearby” list in the “Social” tab after starting a new session.
Clearer error messages have been added when friend requests fail due to too many outgoing requests or rate limiting.
A bug was fixed where friends were shown as offline when they are linked to more than one platform.
It is now possible to hide friend requests.
UI
The markers for items in containers are now displayed above the interaction point of the container and no longer appear at the wrong location in certain containers.
A warning for readiness has been added when using Raider hatch keys on a map without active hatches.
The tooltips in the inventory have been enhanced with symbols to indicate recycling/salvage costs.
A bug was fixed where squad colors could be displayed incorrectly after switching squads.
A bug was fixed where adding a secondary key binding could overwrite the primary key binding in the next round.
The localization for unique loot from new enemy variants has been updated to improve naming and clarity in the game.
The matchmaking notifications have been improved when some group members are still on the surface.
A problem was fixed where health at the end of the round was not displayed correctly for all players. It is now clearer which group member is on the surface when joining a group while in Speranza.
Now you can switch pages in the Raider deck with the mouse wheel.
The user interface has been revised, and translations in supported languages have been updated.
Additional ping labels for various quest objects have been added to enhance clarity.
A problem was fixed where mouse smoothing could remain activated even when turned off. The setting is now correctly applied at the beginning of the rounds.
The red zip line preview has been improved when the zip line cannot be placed.
The login message has been updated to clearly explain when access is restricted because the holder of the shared account has been banned.
A bug in expeditions was fixed where the timer could go negative after the countdown and the sign-in button remained active. The screen is now updated correctly, and the button is disabled.
A bug was fixed where the repair preview was not displayed correctly when repairing items.
The screens for crafting and recycling now display the costs and rewards of items in a consistent order to improve readability.
The VoIP icon in the HUD now more clearly indicates whether the microphone is sending or not when using push-to-talk or toggle-to-talk.
UTILITY
Pop triggers and scout relays can now be used in quick-access slots.
The scout relay can now be deployed as a trap that lures nearby ARC.
The pop trigger now rolls forward shortly before exploding.
A new field crafting item has been added: the shaking instrument.
The vita spray has been adjusted to ensure healing works continuously during application to prevent exploits.
An unintended behavior of the snap hook has been fixed, which pulled players in after canceling.
Zip lines can no longer be placed on portable objects.
The placement of zip lines on ARC remains that could consume or partially place the object has been corrected.
Mines, traps, and remote detonators can no longer be placed on zip lines or other small, deployable objects.
The tactical T3 augment (healing) now correctly indicates that healing takes effect immediately.
VISUAL EFFECTS
A bug was fixed where the animation of Jupiter’s winding effect could be misaligned, causing the beam to display incorrectly.
A bug was fixed where the gas effect from Trailblazer could persist indefinitely if interrupted by the Matriarch’s shield.
KNOWN ISSUES
The “Buy Raider Tokens” page can sometimes appear before switching between the inbox and profile page.
Player animations may be rendered incorrectly when the search for the Baron shell is interrupted.
Certain containers may not be interactive.
Zip lines placed on destroyed ARC parts may not be displayed correctly.
The “Impact Helmet” and the “Slugger” outfit may not be displayed correctly in the event preview.
The achievement “Comparative Study” may not progress correctly after the hanging drone dummies are damaged.
The achievement/trophy “Unyielding” does not persist on consoles when Raiders are taken down using the associated prompt.
Occasionally, unintended visual effects may occur.
One of the new ARC enemies occasionally has a non-usable interaction option when destroyed.
Flying ARCs can sometimes hang in midair.
Sometimes, the embark ID discriminator does not appear.
Pressing the left mouse button outside of the item selection field will close the item selection window in the expedition menu.
Message from the developers regarding Anti-Cheat
ANTI-CHEAT
In our last update on the fight against unfair gameplay, we did not fully represent the complexity and scope of cheat detection. Our defense mechanisms operate on multiple levels: Some checks are simple and straightforward, while others are behavior-based and data-driven and are continually evolving. We also utilize comprehensive gameplay telemetry and machine learning to detect patterns that are not immediately apparent. The development of these methods is more labor-intensive; they must adapt to changing gameplay systems and do not always provide the immediate certainty that simple software detection allows.
We have recently taken action against various exploits and are tightening our rules further. Severe violations are now punished more strictly. In cases of clear detection, an immediate permanent ban will be enforced, while other players will be temporarily banned and given a one-time chance for correction. The recent updates on family sharing have improved our capabilities to mitigate misconduct and facilitate the removal of disruptors from the game. We are preparing to introduce a systematic manual review of ban requests. The game is still young, and the amount of telemetry data is enormous. However, this process ensures that each case is handled with care while we continue to learn and invest heavily in the precision of our enforcement tools.
Our dedicated anti-cheat team works tirelessly to ensure fair play. It is a constant battle, and we are determined to fight it.
C18 is a human from Dragon Ball, who was transformed into a cyborg. She was actually meant to be even more fashion-conscious, as early sketches of her show.
The cyborg was not always a robot, but was a human in her earlier life. She was kidnapped and modified by the evil scientist Dr. Gero. Her goal was to kill the protagonist Son-Goku to take revenge for the destruction of the Red Ribbon Army.
The creator of Dragon Ball, Akira Toriyama, initially planned to make the cyborg even more fashion-conscious. Recently surfaced sketches show how C18 would look as a fashion icon.
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Dragon Ball Z: Battle of the Gods – German Trailer for the Anime Film
C18 as a Fashion-Conscious Woman
What kind of sketch is this? From the very beginning, C18 was regarded as a fashion-conscious woman. She always had a certain style and was one of the few characters in the series who frequently changed her outfits. The mangaka seemingly intended from the start to show her in different outfits, as his early sketches suggest.
The image, which is said to date back to 1992 (as reported on Dragon Ball Nao), shows her in various outfits. Sometimes she wears a dress, sometimes a parka with a very tight belt, and sometimes an oversized hoodie. On the official Dragon Ball site, the creators even list as trivia that the lady has a strong sense of fashion.
C18 was supposed to wear different clothes, but all with style.
One of the sketches even made it to a real image. In the scene, C18 stops at a clothing store while searching for Goku and tries on clothes. She tells the store owner that she finds the clothes ugly.
However, since she was in the countryside at that time, she had no other choice but to take the clothes. They, however, left without paying.
Last Epoch is probably the smallest of the three major ARPGs and still doesn’t back down. Already on March 26, 2026, the new season will start and a trailer now reveals what players can expect.
What is coming in the new season of Last Epoch? The new season of Last Epoch, as usual, has many new contents that fundamentally change the ARPG. The highlight for many veterans from Path of Exile is likely the new mechanic “Omen Windows“.
This is reminiscent of the very popular “Breach“ mode from Path of Exile, which is an absolute fan favorite. In it, large boss enemies spawn that need to be defeated, while dozens of other enemies rush towards the player.
As players are stormed by hordes of enemies and can deal with them with a lot of action, the new mechanic in Last Epoch is well-received in the trailer.
How the “Omen Windows“ look in Last Epoch can be seen here in the trailer:
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Last Epoch shows the trailer for Season Shattered Omens, which directly reminds fans of Path of Exile
New Depth in Endgame
How is the game being expanded? While the “Omen Windows“ will mainly provide fun for players, there is also a new system with the Echo Chains that expands the endgame.
Thus, the typical monolith system of the game is expanded with new zones that initially resemble a rogue-like system, where players encounter increasingly difficult zones with better loot until they fail.
Also known from Path of Exile, the corrupted items have now been introduced in Last Epoch. Just like in the original, players have the chance to turn their items into something special or useless. Through corruption, an item is unpredictably changed and is then unmodifiable.
How is Last Epoch doing? Although Last Epoch surpassed Diablo 4 with the last expansion about half a year ago, the ARPG is facing significant challenges. Player numbers are on the decline and stagnating at about 2,000 players at peak times per day (Source: SteamDB).
Recently, the update plan from the developers has also caused frustration. Initially, the ARPG was funded by fans, then sold to the publisher Krafton, and now the upcoming class should only be available for purchase with real money and not offered for free (Source: pcgameshardware.de). Story and new seasons will, however, continue to be free.
Players feel this as a betrayal of their support and have expressed sharp criticism towards the developers in recent weeks.
