Many players criticize the matchmaking of Call of Duty. A developer explained why the system is important for the survival of the game.
What is this SBMM anyway? SBMM stands for Skill-based Matchmaking. It describes a matchmaking system that selects your teammates and opponents based on your skill and gameplay performance. The better you play, the stronger your opponents will be.
The matchmaking in Call of Duty has been a much-discussed topic in the Call of Duty community for years. Some find SBMM good because it prevents them from playing against significantly better players. Others criticize the system because it means they can no longer play relaxed matches and must give their best in every game.
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An unfair system that punishes good players
Who is the developer? Industry insider Tom Henderson spoke in an interview with former “Call of Duty” developer Charlie Olson (via Insider Gaming). Olson worked at Raven Software for 6.5 years before moving to Machine Games in 2020. At Raven Software, he worked, among other things, on the algorithm for the matchmaking rating (MMR).
What does the developer say? Olson explains that it is true when Activision and other companies say that SBMM is important to keep players from quitting a game. He found this out through analyses he conducted during his time at Call of Duty.
According to Olson, about 50% of players would stop playing a game if it doesn’t have SBMM. The problem is: worse players don’t like being dominated, and good players don’t like having to carry the entire team all the time.
However, Olson understands that specifically good players are frustrated by SBMM and that there is room for improvement:
„The big problem with SBMM is, however, that you no longer know what league you are playing in. SBMM takes away the sense of skill and ability. There is less feedback on abilities, statistics are not as important, KD is less a bragging right; it is really a serious design problem.”
Olson elaborates that SBMM punishes good players and therefore it is an unfair system: “When you try to get better at the game, SBMM only rewards you with tougher opponents. I would even say that SBMM punishes players for being good. That’s unfair, and players have the right to complain about it.”
A possible solution to address this unfair feeling among better players is, according to Olson, to introduce some kind of reward system. Players who play in lobbies with a higher skill level would then receive more experience points for the round, for example.
Without SBMM, many players lose interest – like in XDefiant
Why could a game without SBMM die? Already in December 2024, Olson stated to the Danish magazine Arkaden that the absence of SBMM could have played a role in the rapid death of Ubisoft’s CoD competitor XDefiant:
I would say that XDefiant did not have SBMM data available to look at. Otherwise, they would have changed course. They should have kept that door open. I don’t know if that would have saved the game, but it’s not out of the question.
As for XDefiant and SBMM, without [more detailed investigations], it would be difficult to quantify how things would have been different with SBMM, but what we do know for sure is that they did not give themselves the best chances of success. It was a mistake not to include SBMM due to ignorance about how and why SBMM works.
While Olson says that Call of Duty might have too strict of an SBMM, the solution is not to completely remove the system. You would lose many low-skill players, which would lead to a cascading effect.
Larry Ellison invested 500 million dollars in a high-tech greenhouse project on his private island Lāna‘i to revolutionize food production with sustainable farming. However, the endeavor faced various challenges and technical issues. Instead of a global solution, in the end, only the cultivation of vegetables for Hawaii remained.
Who is Larry Ellison? Larry Ellison is known as the co-founder of Oracle, one of the largest software companies in the world. He is also listed by Forbes as one of the richest people in the world. Currently, he ranks fifth among billionaires (as of February 26, 2025).
This was Ellison’s vision: According to the Wall Street Journal, the billionaire invested hundreds of millions of dollars in a state-of-the-art agricultural project on Lāna‘i, a Hawaiian island he bought in 2012 for 200 million dollars. However, Ellison is not only interested in technology and politics but also in sustainable agriculture. His goal was to use the island not just as a private residence but as a laboratory for high-tech food production. The project was supposed to be a potential solution to the global food crisis.
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The agricultural project between innovation and reality
With the founding of Sensei Farms, Larry Ellison aimed to prove that modern technology and vertical farming can revolutionize food production. With an investment of 500 million dollars, high-tech greenhouses equipped with artificial intelligence, sensors, and renewable energy were created. Furthermore, the Oracle founder planned to operate these facilities with renewable energy to create a completely sustainable model.
What problems did the project face? The implementation of the project on Lāna‘i encountered unexpected challenges. Strong winds repeatedly damaged the greenhouse roofs, which cost 50 million dollars in repairs. The solar panels provided by Elon Musk also failed to withstand the weather conditions. Instead of sustainable energy, diesel generators had to be used.
Additionally, poor internet connections complicated the operation of various sensors, as did depleted soils from previous pineapple plantations. Despite cutting-edge technology, the results were modest: only lettuce and cherry tomatoes were produced, far from the original idea of feeding the world. Ultimately, the endeavor failed due to its challenges.
The future of Sensei Ag
What happens next? After the failure, Sensei Ag is adjusting its strategy. The company is now focusing on developing software solutions for agricultural operations. The experiences gained from the Lāna‘i project are being integrated into new approaches for automation, including robot-assisted cultivation systems in California.
What will happen to the island? Agricultural operations on the island have been scaled back but not completely halted. The lettuce and cherry tomatoes produced are still sold to other Hawaiian islands, albeit on a much smaller scale than originally planned. Whether Ellison will maintain his long-term interest in Lāna‘i or has new plans for the island remains open.
In Pokémon GO, there was a mistake in the limited research involving the legendary monsters. For this, Niantic will now compensate you handsomely.
What kind of research is this? During the “Way to Einall” event, there is limited research in Pokémon GO where you must win a total of 11 raids. For each successful task step, you will encounter a legendary Pokémon.
As Niantic states on X, there was a mistake in the research, causing the progress for some trainers not to be counted. And that’s exactly why there is now compensation for all trainers – and it’s quite significant.
Legendary Pokémon for everyone!
What kind of compensation is this? To compensate trainers for not receiving progress in the research, Niantic has opted for a strong compensation. All trainers will receive the same research again, but with a small difference.
In the second version of the research, all tasks are already completed. This means you can collect all the rewards directly without having to complete raids.
What rewards are in the research? You can look forward to the following legendary Pokémon in the research:
Terrakion
Kobalion
Virizion
Boreas (Incarnate Form)
Voltolos (Incarnate Form)
Demeteros (Incarnate Form)
Genesect (Normal Form as well as once with Aqua, Bolt, Flame, and Chill Modules)
Additionally, when you have collected all the legendary Pokémon, you will receive 10 candies each for Reshiram, Zekrom, and Kyurem.
How long is the research active? If you don’t want to miss out on the rewards, you need to redeem them by Saturday, March 1, 2025, at 10:00 AM. After that, the research will disappear, and you will have no way to receive the rewards.
The research and the “Way to Einall” event are meant to prepare you in-game for the big Einall Tour taking place next weekend on March 1 and 2, 2025. We have already gathered information for you and summarized all known content of the Einall Tour.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Currently, the Steam Next Fest is taking place, where different games showcase their demos and draw attention to themselves. One of these games is Mecha Break, and its demo is so popular that it can surpass GTA 5 and Marvel Rivals. However, looking at the reviews, it doesn’t seem so good.
No PvE like in Armored Core is to be expected, but there will be an Extraction mode where you can also face off against online players and NPCs. Additionally, several mech classes provide different play styles to create tension.
Despite its niche genre, Mecha Break has managed to reach over 300,000 simultaneous players – more than GTA 5 and Marvel Rivals during their peak times. One might think the game is popular, and while the player numbers support this, the reviews tell a different story.
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Mecha Break shows in the trailer how it wants to combine cool mechs with teamwork like in Overwatch
Testers tear the game apart despite good gameplay
What issues are causing discontent? When there are good reviews, they often talk about the great gameplay. However, when it comes to the bad reviews, Mecha Break is torn apart. Primarily, the monetization and the anti-cheat are criticized. The following can be heard in the comments on Steam:
“Fantastic gameplay overshadowed by extremely questionable and potentially predatory monetization.” – DesLizard
“Great gameplay, but… what’s up with the monetization?” – Lordran
“It’s a bit disturbing what the monetization model for mechs looks like, as collecting the currency to unlock them seems way too expensive, especially for the most expensive mechs.” – Sekriyn Hunter
“Kernel-level anti-cheat, (glorified virus) extreme monetization, slow progression, mandatory nearly hour-long tutorial kills the desire to continue playing to get to MP […]” – Vodal
As Vodal wrote, the game also has a kernel-level anti-cheat – a system that digs deep into the lowest level of your operating system. This gives the software complete control over your hardware. For many, this is a red flag. Currently, the game has 7,798 reviews, of which only 34% are positive – hence it only receives the rating “Mostly Negative.”
Is there another reason for the bad reviews? On Reddit, some fans discuss the bad reviews. According to them, there was review-bombing in China. The release was highly anticipated by many, but the servers had significant instabilities, the release was also misadvertised, and very few players could participate. Our MeinMMO editor Dariusz Müller has additional details: New multiplayer game already has the fourth most players on Steam in the demo
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The streamer Pint for Final Fantasy XIV was long the holder of the speedrun record at the tower in Kugane. However, within a few days, he was defeated three times – by one of his own fans, a catgirl.
What has happened so far? The Twitch streamer and YouTuber Pint secured the record in 2023 for the jumping puzzle tower of Kugane. The goal is to climb said building from the Stormblood expansion as quickly as possible.
After player Em0_oticon held the title for 5 years with a time of 43.58 seconds, Pint grabbed the crown with 43.30 seconds. However, just one day later, Em0_oticon reclaimed the crown – with a new record time of 38.74 seconds.
Now, Pint has tried again and faced competition from his own fanbase: a catgirl beat him three times – within 24 hours!
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A Head-to-Head Race: Lalafell vs Catgirl
How did the last 24 hours go? The race for the tower in Kugane is fiercely contested. On February 23, Pint reignited the race in his YouTube video. In it, he revisited the race to beat his main rival. He succeeded with a new record of 38.31 seconds.
With this, he not only beat Em0_oticon but also the last world record held by Azura Stargazer. Azura is a fan of Pint himself, and because Pint had repeatedly pointed out his new attempt in advance, Azura wanted to beat this new record directly.
Which he managed to do with just 37.715 seconds. You can also see it on YouTube. And this was before Pint released his own record video.
But that was not the end for Azura: he kept trying and first broke his own record with 36.40 seconds (via YouTube) and then beat himself again with only (!) 35.65 seconds (via YouTube).
Ultimately, Azura dashed through the jumping puzzle once more, setting the new current record: 34.616 seconds.
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What happens next? Azura ended the last new record with a landing on the lamp in front of the tower, another challenging feat. Pint then threw in the towel.
So unless Azura attempts to further beat himself or Em0_oticon feels motivated to dethrone the catgirl, the record will remain at 34.616 seconds for the time being. Unless, of course, someone else feels called to turn the record trio into a quartet.
Besides jumping records, there is of course much more to do in Final Fantasy XIV. Besides the main story, you can take on nasty bosses in raids, complete dungeons, and defeat individual boss enemies. If you are also out and about alone and looking for a pastime, our list of 5 cool mounts that you can farm without a group might be interesting.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Monster Hunter Wilds offers a vibrant world with a diverse flora and fauna. As in its predecessor, the small endemic creatures can be caught with a net. However, the community wonders why this feature still exists in the new installment.
Why is the community upset? In addition to the large monsters, there are many small animals that inhabit the world of Monster Hunter Wilds. You can catch these with your catching net. Additionally, you can fish.
In the predecessor Monster Hunter World, you could then release your captured creatures in your own room and keep them as pets. This will no longer be possible in Monster Hunter Wilds, which is causing great disappointment among fans. This also raises the question of why one should still catch the animals at all.
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If Monster Hunter Wilds leaves you cold, even though all your friends love it, there might be a simple reason for that
Why is it no longer possible to keep pets? In Monster Hunter Wilds, the personal room is gone, as there is no longer a fixed place to which you always return. Instead, each area has a base camp and several small outposts that you can establish.
The latter can indeed be customized, but this currently excludes interior decoration. You can only customize the outer tent and the outdoor furniture. Therefore, you currently have no way to display your captured creatures.
However, they occasionally appear in the research tent at your base camp in the Wind Plains. Which animals show up there is random, and you cannot control it.
“The game sounds like a 10/10, but that was my absolute favorite in World.”
What do the fans say about this? In some threads on Reddit, players express their disappointment. They wonder why this feature was even carried over (via Reddit). The ability to display them in their own room was the whole fun in searching for and hunting the little creatures (via Reddit).
Local-Change414 writes in their thread on Reddit: “In the early reviews, it states that you can’t place your captured endemic creature anywhere. I’m so angry and sad right now. I loved this feature in World”
h4lfaxa comments below via Reddit: “Yes, that is literally the ONLY part where I raise my eyebrows. Base World did that so well. Hopefully with the G-Rank!”
StinkeroniStonkrino ponders via Reddit: “Probably the saddest thing I’ve read in the reviews, to be honest. It was nice to relax at home in MHW and feed the pets. Hopefully, it will be added later if enough people ask for it”
callisto_is_crazed writes in another thread via Reddit: “The game sounds like a 10/10, but that was my absolute favorite in World.”
Fans hope that the ability to customize the interior of their tent and display the animals there will be added with a future update.
What should one catch the animals for in Monster Hunter Wilds then? For catching the endemic beings, you receive guild points, which you can exchange for items or useful functions. Additionally, some players enjoy collecting all the entries in the lexicon.
In addition to the endemic creatures, the large monsters naturally play the main role. If you want to know which familiar or new monstrous faces you will encounter in Wilds, you can take a look at our list: Monster Hunter Wilds: All currently known monsters in the list
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Pokémon GO, an event is being repeated where there were issues. And this is the perfect opportunity if you haven’t yet completed the limited-time research with the legendary monsters.
Which event is it about? As Niantic informed on X, there were problems during yesterday’s Spotlight Hour in some regions. The number of Serpifeu, Floink, and Ottaro that spawned during the event was lower than it should have been.
This has led Niantic to decide that the Spotlight Hour will be repeated for all trainers. It will take place today, on February 26, 2025, from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM. You can expect the same content as during yesterday’s Spotlight Hour.
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Catching Unova Monsters, Receiving Legendary Pokémon
Who might benefit from the event? The evolutions of the 3 Pokémon themselves are already worthwhile. Serpiroyal is a good monster in the Super League, Flambirex can impress as a Fire attacker, and Admurai can be used both as a Water attacker and in battle leagues.
However, the event is especially worthwhile for you if you have not yet been able to complete the limited-time research with the legendary Pokémon. Here, you need to catch 156 Pokémon from the Unova region, and you will receive one encounter each with Voltolos, Demeteros, and Boreos in return.
Since all 3 Pokémon from the Spotlight Hour come from the Unova region, you have the perfect opportunity to catch the necessary specimens in the repeat of the event and finish the research.
During the event, you will also receive double the amount of candies when you catch Pokémon. Since this bonus applies to each catch, you can use the Spotlight Hour to catch the legendary rewards and receive additional candies for it.
February is slowly coming to an end. But the new month will also start in Pokémon GO directly with a strong event. This is the Unova Tour 2025, which will take place on March 1 and 2, 2025. All information about the upcoming Unova Tour 2025 can also be found with us.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Steam Deck and other handhelds are very popular among gamers. A market research institute has now published figures showing that the most successful model to date is the Steam Deck.
Where do the figures come from? The market research company IDC has investigated how often handheld PCs have been sold in recent years: Handheld PCs include the Steam Deck, as well as the ASUS ROG Ally, the Lenovo Legion Go, and several other models.
The interesting thing about the figures presented by TheVerge is that the Steam Deck from Valve far surpasses its competitors and accounts for over 50% of total sales in 2023 and 2024. This corresponds to more than 3.7 million units.
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The Steam Deck is the most successful handheld PC and remains unbeaten
What are the figures? The institute has come up with the following numbers for 3 years plus an estimate for the current year (2025):
In 2022, a total of 1,620,000 handhelds were sold.
In 2023, 2,867,000 units were sold.
In 2024, sales figures dropped significantly again to 1,485,000 units.
For 2025, market researchers estimate around 1,926,000 units. The figures for 2025 are an estimate.
In total, approximately 6 million handheld PCs have been sold since 2022. According to TheVerge and market researcher Lewis Ward, whom TheVerge consulted, the largest share of deliveries goes to the Steam Deck:
All deliveries in 2022 are the Steam Deck, and Ward tells [me] that over 50 percent of the deliveries in 2023 and 48 percent of the deliveries in 2024 are also the Deck. If you calculate, Valve has now delivered more than 3.7 million Steam Decks, and may have already surpassed the 4 million mark.
Even AMD was surprised by these figures. Marketing manager Frank Azor described this growth as “amazing,” considering that there was no gaming PC in handheld format three years ago.
Steam Deck 2 is said to be coming, but we don’t know much more yet
What’s next? Valve has not officially announced a Steam Deck 2 yet. However, Steam has stated that they want to announce a second model sooner or later. However, it is still completely unclear what hardware Valve will use in its next model. It is quite certain that the next model will again run on SteamOS as the operating system, and it is also not unlikely that AMD hardware will be used again.
Some games particularly benefit from the better display and the HDR options of the “Steam Deck OLED.” MyMMO presents you with 12 games you should check out if you already own an OLED model: 12 games you should definitely try on the Steam Deck OLED
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Monster Hunter Wilds will be released on February 28, 2025, for PC via Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Why both newcomers and veterans should keep an eye on the game is explained by Leya Jankowski, the editor-in-chief of MeinMMO.
What will be discussed in the talk? Our chief monster hunter Leya Jankowski talks in the GameStar Talk (via Youtube) with host Felix Rick and video team member Paul Aelis. The two have been big fans of the genre since Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate and explain why players should not ignore the new installment.
The talk will address some new features of Monster Hunter Wilds. These include regions that invite not only for monster hunting but also for relaxing.
Moreover, Monster Hunter Wilds offers something for both newcomers and veterans. Seasoned monster hunters will quickly progress to the endgame, but there will still be something for them: new weapons that require a lot of time to farm.
This is to ensure an optimal learning curve for newcomers so they can be on the same level as veterans. The monsters themselves are not supposed to be weaker than in Monster Hunter World.
What are the current ratings? Monster Hunter Wilds is getting particularly good reviews from the press. Currently, the game is hovering around a rating of 90 based on 75 reviews. The world is particularly highlighted for its lively feel due to dynamic weather effects and interacting monsters.
In contrast, the opaque user interface has come under criticism. Paul Aelis also reveals that he has been looking for a menu option for 2 days but has not yet found it.
In patch 11.1 of World of Warcraft, there is much to do. To prepare for the new season, you should really put in the effort this week.
Finally, the first major content update of World of Warcraft: The War Within is live. With Patch 11.1 Lorenhalt, there is a new area, the goblin capital along with all the “goblin madness” that comes with it.
All the new features can be a bit overwhelming and confusing. Therefore, we list what you should accomplish this week so that you don’t fall behind and can dive straight into season 2 next week.
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WoW Patch 11.1: Gallywix’s Control over the Cartels
The most important points at a glance: You should complete the following tasks in week 1 to be perfectly prepared:
Accept the meta quest in Dornogal
Complete the introductory quest chain from Lorenhall
The first week of a patch is usually quite calm and mainly serves to look at the story and complete quests. This is also the case with patch 11.1.
Before you accept the new quests, you should take the new meta quest in Dornogal, which requires you to complete some tasks in Lorenhall. The reward is only average, but if you’re going to be in Lorenhall anyway, you can finish it right away.
After that, simply follow the main quest line until you have the option to support one of four goblin cartels. This may take a while, as the path to Lorenhall begins in the Echoing Depths – the story leads to Lorenhall over the course of the missions. The choice of cartel is tied to the respective week and applies to your entire account. We have listed the benefits of the different goblin cartels here.
Thereafter, you can basically work through the “whole map” – that is, defeat all quests, world quests, events, and rare enemies you encounter.
If you still have time and energy, also take the weekly dungeon quest in Dornogal. By completing it, you gain reputation for the goblin cartels of Lorenhall. It’s not a must, but a nice bonus of 1,500 reputation points!
If you have been actively playing in the last few weeks, then you have surely already checked this point off. Because for the start of season 2, “Circe’s ring”, the artifact ring from the Siren Island will still be the best ring you can get. It gives you a strong boost at the start of the season and should therefore be worn by every character.
You unlock Circe’s ring when you complete the story on the Siren Island. You get the upgrades through the remaining quests or as drops from rare enemies. There is no more “time gating” there, so you should be able to upgrade the ring to the maximum fairly quickly.
Most of the activities of season 2, including the new dungeons and the raid, will only begin next week. If you manage to complete all the tasks by then, you can confidently focus solely on group activities in the coming week and dive straight into season 2. However, you should also read about the changes to your class.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Just before the big Einall Tour, there is a new promo code in Pokémon GO. And it gives you the right energy for a highlight of the tour.
On March 1st and 2nd, 2025, the big Einall Tour in Pokémon GO will take place. The first major event of the year will bring you, as usual, many contents and highlights.
A highlight for many players is likely the new fusions of Kyurem, which will also come with new adventure effects. To perform the fusion, you will need the corresponding fusion energy. And this is exactly what the new code provides you:
Volt Fusion Energy
WJ5DFWASCL65W
What do I need the energy for? The Volt fusion energy is needed to fuse Kyurem and Zekrom together into black Kyurem.
How do I receive the energy? After you redeem the code, you just need to log in to the game, and you will receive the energy directly.
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How to redeem a promo code?
To obtain the fusion energy, you need to follow these steps. It doesn’t matter whether you play on an Android or iOS device.
Log in there with your game credentials if you haven’t done so yet
Click on “Redeem offer”
Now you can paste the copied code and click “apply”
You will then receive a short message on the website informing you that the code has been redeemed. If you then open the game, you will also receive a message there that you have redeemed a code and received the fusion energy.
If you do not receive the message in the game immediately, then close and reopen the game. If that still doesn’t help, wait a few minutes before opening the game again.
The two new fused forms of Kyurem are not only strong attackers but also come with 2 new adventure effects that you can use outside of battles, which will give you advantages here. We have looked into what the new adventure effects exactly provide.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In patch 11.1 of World of Warcraft, everything revolves around the Goblin cartels. But which one is the best? We reveal what you can choose.
Lorenhall is the capital of the goblins and they are, as known, divided into cartels. In total, you can encounter 4 cartels in patch 11.1 Lorenhall and have to choose one of the cartels to pledge your loyalty to right after the introductory quest.
But which cartel is the best? What rewards are there? And is the decision really important?
So that you don’t have to worry about making a big mistake, we explain here everything that is important regarding the cartels.
Start video
WoW Patch 11.1: Gallywix’s Control over the Cartels
What’s the deal with the cartels? Cartels are basically new fame factions in Lorenhall. You can earn fame with them and unlock new rewards. However, since the cartels are very tight-knit, you can only serve one cartel at a time – you will temporarily neglect the others. After a short introductory quest, you can join a cartel.
Important: The cartels do not have any rewards that affect the character’s power. It’s all about cosmetic rewards. If you’re only interested in “power”, the choice of cartel is completely irrelevant.
Choosing a goblin cartel in Lorenhall – Here are the differences
In total, there are 4 cartels you can choose from. If you pledge loyalty to one, you will receive tasks for that cartel for the week. The cartels and their rewards are:
Bilgewater cartel: Red color for the goblin vehicle, a red hyena mount, a goblin robot as a battle pet, and a toy to open a goblin shop in the open world.
Steamwheedle cartel: Green color for the goblin vehicle, a green robot flying mount, a green hyena as a battle pet, and a toy that is an infinite Noggenfogger elixir.
Bilgewater Corporation: Blue color for the goblin vehicle, a goblin shredder as mount, a small blue devil dinosaur robot as battle pet, and a toy that lets you glide across water (e.g., for fishing).
Venture Co.: Yellow color for the goblin vehicle, a yellow goblin rocket as a flying mount, a small yellow gorilla robot as a battle pet, and a chainsaw toy that you can throw at other player characters.
Is the choice of cartel important? Only to a minor extent. Choosing a cartel is similar to choosing a covenant in Azj-Kahet. It basically means that you are putting your warband (that is, all your characters) in the service of a specific cartel for that week. If you choose a cartel with one character, it applies to the whole warband.
However, the choice is only valid for a week. After the next weekly reset, on Wednesday, you can choose a different cartel. You do not lose the fame you have already accumulated. So you can gradually bring the different cartels to maximum fame if you wish. A lot has changed with patch 11.1 – especially the classes, as there have been major adjustments.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Baldur’s Gate 3 there are different ways to reach your goals, whether through fighting, cheating, or being annoying? Those who enjoy testing their enemies’ irritability and getting away with it not only unpunished but with a significant advantage will find satisfaction in the first act of the game – And first and foremost, the Goblins will have to believe it.
How can you annoy the Goblins? In the first act of Baldur’s Gate 3, you will eventually encounter a outpost of Goblins guarding the entrance to the Goblin camp. You can present yourself as a True Soul. Then you will be well regarded among the Goblins and need not fear any attack. You can even enter the camp without any issues – an invitation to cause a little mischief.
In many places in the Goblin camp, as well as at this outpost, there is a war drum meant to summon other Goblin troops for battle. If you approach this drum and want to perform yourself, no Goblin will dare to stop you. Instead, you can even gain a practical advantage.
Here you can see the trailer for Baldur’s Gate 3:
Start video
Baldur’s Gate 3 is coming to PS5 – Trailer prepares for console release
“A little music has never hurt anyone, right?”
How do the Goblins react to the drumming? In this TikTok video you can see a video of the situation. A first Goblin speaks up immediately after you use the drum: “That was well played, True Soul. Just… we beat the drum so the guys know there’s something to kill. But don’t worry! I’ll clear it up!”
As soon as the summoned Goblin troops appear, the loyal Goblin who pointed out the purpose of the drum will take care of an explanation. “The True Soul wanted to, um, practice. You can go.”
However, if you ignore the Goblin’s hint and continue drumming merrily, the other troop of Goblins will slowly start to lose their patience: “Is this a joke?! Wait and see what happens when you really need help, you disgusting Ghukraks.”
What advantage do you gain from this? From this point on, any Goblins will no longer listen to the war drums. Not even when reinforcements are actually needed if your group attacks the camp. Therefore, you don’t have to brace yourself for more and more Goblins, but can take out each troop at your own pace. This is clearly easier and provides the opportunity to rest in between or to disappear better in case of necessity.
The war drums can be incredibly annoying, as you often do not see them at first glance, and a horde of Goblins is much more difficult to defeat than in small chunks. Therefore, it can be quite sensible to annoy them yourself and even be rewarded for it.
The latest patch of World of Warcraft is live. We reveal to you what new content is available and what adventures you can experience.
The latest patch of World of Warcraft is live. Patch 11.1 Lorenhall (“Undermine(d)”) takes you deep into the planet Azeroth, to the home city of the Goblins. For it is not only Xal’atath that has been drawn there, but also the nasty Gallywix, who demands a lot of favors to save his own green behind. Something that the heroes of Azeroth will hardly allow.
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WoW Patch 11.1: Gallywix’s Control over the Cartels
Patch 11.1 – New content and new transportation
The centerpiece of Patch 11.1 is the new area Lorenhall. While the area is not very large, it is indeed a Goblin city of considerable size. There are various cartels (new fame factions) that you can join and plenty of secrets to explore on the streets. Rewards include toys, mounts, and battle pets – just as you are broadly used to from World of Warcraft.
A new dungeon is also included, “Operation: Lock”, where you must prevent a certain other area from being completely destroyed by a flood.
New mounts are also available.
In the raid “Liberation of Lorenhall”, you face the evil Goblin boss Jastor Gallywix, who has conspired with Xal’atath to escape his own dire situation. The Goblins are supposed to help restore a weapon of Xal’atath. A total of 8 bosses are waiting here for someone to come by and take their epic loot.
This is how riding works in Lorenhall: The bad news: You cannot fly in Lorenhall. The good news: You don’t need to, because you get a fancy Goblin car that could once again revolutionize transportation in WoW.
For the vehicle has actual physics, can drift, accelerate, and brake, instead of maintaining a constant speed. In the best “Mario Kart” fashion, you zoom through the streets of Lorenhall (and surely ram a wall or two). This is not only fun, but with a bit of skill, it’s even faster than dynamic riding (dragon flying).
When does the new season start? As usual with a new patch, the season does not start until a few days later. In this case, you have 7 days to play the new content before the raid “The Liberation of Lorenhall” and the new dungeon season begins on March 5 – exactly one week after the release of the patch. Then there will be a fresh dungeon rotation and the popular “World First” race will begin, which is sure to attract thousands of viewers on Twitch again.
Monster Hunter Wilds is just around the corner, and that’s why we wanted to know from you how you will play the game at release. Are you someone who likes to use guides, or would you prefer to go hunting completely clueless?
While some want to be surprised and figure everything out for themselves, there are other fans who prefer to rely on tips, tricks, and guides to be well-prepared before diving into battle.
Depending on how you want to proceed, player preferences differ. For this reason, we want to know from you how you would like to play Monster Hunter Wilds at release. In the survey, you have the choice of four answers. You only have one vote, so choose wisely.
What do other fans say about the topic?
On Reddit, fans have asked themselves the same question about how they would like to jump into Monster Hunter Wilds. The opinions couldn’t be more different. Here are some of the responses:
“Of course, I can be a meta slave all I want, but I can only be a new player once.” – SolaSenpai
“To be honest, I don’t care about the story mode (10-20 hours?) of the 1000 hours I will spend with the game, so spoilers don’t bother me.” – Son_of_Calcryx
“I’ve watched all the trailers and reveals, but I won’t look at guides or builds, once the game comes out, I won’t see much of it anymore.” – Aggressive_Ferret_20
“For the story and the start of the endgame, I don’t feel the need to look for a guide; I’ll just keep going and crafting things I find cool or useful. I will only look for builds when I feel like optimizing something, and that will probably take a while.” – Anmatiel
“I think it’s actually smart to have a YT video or 2 opened that shows how to use the weapons, as there are more mechanics and combos that aren’t taught in the game. That’s not the same as watching a lore video” – Paul-Ramon
Clearly, every player defines their own limit regarding which spoilers and information from second or third parties are acceptable and which are not. Feel free to exchange ideas with other readers about your limits and explain how far you will inform yourself about the game. More about Monster Hunter Wilds can be found here: Players believe that Monster Hunter Wilds is too easy – but they themselves are the problem
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The former Twitch streamer Guy “DrDisrespect” Beahm was permanently banned on the streaming platform a few years ago. Now he is demanding his unban, but even his fellow streamer Félix “xQc” Lengyel cannot take him seriously.
Why was DrDisrespect banned? In 2020, one of the most successful Twitch streamers DrDisrespect was permanently banned on the streaming platform. Only after four years did the actual reason come to light: DrDisrespect allegedly exchanged inappropriate messages with a minor.
For a long time, this was the current state regarding DrDisrespect’s ban:
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DrDisrespect was a celebrity on Twitch – His ban remains a big mystery to this day
“There is no way he really believes that”
What does DrDisrespect want? On X, DrDisrespect writes under his clear account as Guy Beahm that although things with Twitch have been clarified, the platform should “correct its mistake” and unban him.
In his opinion, he should not have been banned at all, and the only reason he was banned was a “low-level employee” who “overlooked the entire ban system.”
Twitch could have easily confirmed with a quick phone call that the alleged messages between him and the minor were merely “mutual jokes” and “banter” and were never intended to be serious.
How does xQc react to this? The Kick streamer xQc shared his thoughts on the tweet during his livestream (via YouTube). His first thought: “He is just trolling. There is no way he really believes that.”
xQc further explains that he feels many people make a mistake but would not acknowledge or admit it because it wasn’t legally punished. The mistake itself is significant enough that in the end, it doesn’t matter whether one was also convicted for it.
Something similar seems to be what DrDisrespect is doing. Initially, he admitted his mistake on X but then emphasized that legally nothing happened and has been trying to rely on this fact ever since. Meanwhile, DrDisrespect’s career is stabilizing: He has been monetized again on YouTube.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Palworld you need bones for medicine and other items. We explain to you how to get them best.
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What are bones needed for? You need bones in Palworld for crafting various items. This includes, for example, medicine for your Pals, cement for building bases, or the Mega Glider. Therefore, you should ensure to have a decent stock of bones.
To obtain bones, you basically have two different approaches. The first option to get bones is by defeating or catching Pals. The second option is to buy them from wandering merchants.
Here you can find the trailer for Palworld.
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Palworld showcases the small monsters in massive action in the early access trailer
Farming bones through Pals
Which Pals can I get bones from? If you defeat or catch one of the following Pals, you can score bones:
A good place where you can already farm bones at a low level is located in the vicinity of the small settlement, where you can also find a merchant. Both north and south of the settlement, you will find Rushoar and Vixy, both of whom have bones for you as soon as you catch or defeat them.
Farming bones from level 15
If you are already at level 15 or higher, there is another good spot for you to obtain bones. For this, travel at night to the waypoint entrance to the gorge and follow the paths west from here. There you will encounter the Pals Cawgnito and Loupmoon, which are also well suited for farming bones.
This is what bones look like in Palworld
Buying bones
If you want to buy bones instead, you need to find a wandering merchant. However, these can be difficult to spot. You can definitely find one in the small settlement. Here, you can spend your gold on bones instead of farming them.
What do you think about Palworld? Are you already caught up in the fever and playing diligently? Have you encountered any difficulties in obtaining bones, or are you swimming in them? Feel free to share your opinion with us in the comments. Also, be sure to check out our guides for Palworld to not miss out on any good tips for Palworld.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
With our solo guide for the Cayo Perico Heist in GTA Online, you can rock the finale and secure valuable loot. The approach is even easy on “Hard” and suitable for beginners. We also give you tips for the heist.
In this guide, we show you a method to rob the main target, steal a few additional valuables, and run the finale in 7 minutes. This nets you about 1.4 million GTA dollars and is one of the easiest tasks for solo players. This way, you can easily earn a lot of money solo.
Keep in mind that there are many ways to rob El Rubio. Here we show you one that works very well for us and that we have successfully completed more than 100 times. It works without triggering an alarm.
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Update from January 27, 2026: We have reviewed the post and made some structural adjustments.
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Everything you need to know about GTA Online – in 2 minutes
Preparations – What missions are needed?
Before you can start the heist, you need to go to the planning screen in your Kosatka and make various preparations. The planning on the screen is divided into “Information”, “Equipment”, and “Finale”.
Information: If you’re playing the heist for the first time, it’s recommended to get to know the island completely and find all the different infiltration points. However, for our guide, only the sewer is important as an infiltration point.
We have also scoped out the escape points, but only one is important in the guide. We take the main dock. We also know all the access points to the estate – but in the guide, we rely on the sewers here as well. There is a trick for scouting Cayo Perico. Keep in mind that you only need to scout the different points once and then use them again in future heists.
You can scout anything interesting as you like. However, it’s not important for this approach.
For the equipment, you have to focus on certain contents – for this you will complete individual supply missions that are self-explanatory.
Equipment: Suitable approach vehicles include the Kosatka and the Longfin. The Longfin is better suited if you want to take secondary loot like cash or cocaine at the docks or the runway. We describe the approach with the Kosatka in our guide, so we recommend that you take it as well. Ultimately, it’s a matter of personal preference.
You definitely need the cutting torch as equipment to cut through the grate of the sewage tunnel and small locks in El Rubio’s vault. The fingerprint scanner is necessary to get into the basement (and out again) quickly. You will also need the plasma cutter to steal the main target. The cutting charge is optional and not required.
For the arsenal, we choose Aggressor. However, this also depends on your taste. Usually, you will take down two to four guards. It’s important that you can draw your weapons quickly and that they work with suppressors.
Tip:You don’t need to buy the suppressors. If you choose the nighttime approach, you will receive them automatically and save 5,000 GTA dollars.
Sabotage missions are not needed for this approach at all.
Finale of Cayo Perico – Make your choices and start
After preparations, you can start the job alone from the planning screen. Buying armor for $500 is not necessary, but it can be taken if you feel uncertain.
Choices:
Approach vehicle: Kosatka
Infiltration point: Sewage tunnel
Access to the estate: Sewage tunnel
Escape point: Main dock
Time of day: Night
Weapon arsenal: Aggressor (purchase of suppressors not necessary)
Hire support crew? No
Now you can start the job.
Start the heist – Easy route for a quick finale
This is what to do next: After starting the heist, your loyal Pavel will bring you to the vicinity of the sewage tunnel with the submarine. You need to swim straight for about 30 seconds and then you will arrive at the marked yellow grate. Go directly to the grate and select the option to cut it open with the cutting torch. Cut all the green marked bars and you will be in the tunnel.
Swim through the tunnel to the end and then surface. Confirm the prompt to enter El Rubio’s estate. For the optimal route, you mustn’t lose any time now.
The route to the loot: After you surface from the tunnel, a short cutscene will play. Immediately turn around, walk up the stairs, and go across the area as shown in the graphic. If you don’t dawdle, you can sprint completely to the next point without being disturbed by guards.
Before the big stairs, stop for a moment and wait until the guard goes to the right (first red X on the route graphic). Then run up the stairs and left around the building. Once at the back, sneak up and shoot the guard standing there (second red X on the route graphic). With a bit of luck, the guard will drop a gate key that will be important later.
By following this route, you can simply sprint the first few meters until you reach the first X. Then wait briefly, go left around the building, take down a guard, and then head up the stairs.
After the kill, continue up the stairs. You will encounter a guard coming down the stairs. Take him out silently on the top step with a blow to the face with your weapon (third red X on the route graphic). There’s also a chance that the guard drops a gate key. Make sure to pick it up.
Shoot or beat? It’s best to take out the guard on the stairs with a melee attack (can be performed while aiming with a weapon and standing in melee) – this way the kill is quiet and safe and does not trigger an alarm.
Now you have silently arrived in El Rubio’s office and have already passed the most stressful part of the heist finale. In the office, you will find a keycard on his desk, which is not of interest to solo players. Next to the desk is a wall with many pictures – that’s his hidden safe. Open it and grab the cash (and a pistol) from it.
Now look around the office. Up to two paintings can hang on the walls that you can steal. Grab them if available.
Office looted? Good. Now comes one of the easiest exercises: The fingerprint scanner. You will find it next to the elevator that leads to the basement.
Simple trick for the fingerprint scanner at Cayo Perico
The scanner may seem confusing at first glance, but it’s solved with a trick in under a minute.
This is how you easily solve the fingerprint scan.
First, look for the upper end of the fingerprint in the top row – it’s very easy to identify in every pattern. We call it “0”
In the second row, again find the same upper part 0, and then press once to the right. So 0 + 1 (once to the right)
In the third row, again find the upper part 0, and press twice to the right. So 0 + 2
In the fourth row, again look for 0 and then press three times to the right, 0 + 3
In the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth rows, as in the examples above, add one more press to the right each time
Once you memorize the system, you can solve the codes in just a few seconds
Steal the main target
Once you arrive in the basement with the elevator, proceed straight ahead and cut the chains locking the door with the cutting torch.
Now use the plasma cutter to free the main target from the display case. Be careful not to overheat it, or it will cost you more time.
Escape from Cayo Perico in the heist – The easiest escape
You now have two escape options:
Through the gates in the basement after another fingerprint scanner (but only two tests)
Back through the office
Option 1: The escape through the basement is only advisable if you have picked up a gate key from one of the two guards you took out on the way to the office (or you found the key in Los Santos). Go to the fingerprint sensor in the basement, solve the two puzzles using the method mentioned above, and turn right after the scanner. Open the gate.
Now climb to the right along the wall and then directly left over the small staircase. Now slowly approach the exit gate and either shoot the patrol there or wait briefly in the garden until they leave. Then approach the gate and confirm that you want to get out.
Exit the basement through this door and climb right at the archway, then go left up the stairs.
Option 2: If you do not have a gate key, ride the elevator back up to El Rubio’s office. Go out through the entrance door and run down the stairs that you previously came up. At the corner where you shot the stationary guard (below), turn right. Wait for the patrol that marches to the left in front of the building. Shoot them or wait until they are standing in the hallway.
Then jump straight over the railing, then go left into the garden and you can already see the exit gate. Now slowly approach the exit gate and either shoot the patrol there or wait briefly in the garden until they leave. Then approach the gate and confirm that you want to get out.
Here you can shoot the patrol.
The last meters in the finale: Since we could solve everything in stealth, we expect hardly any resistance in the final meters. Run straight ahead from the gate and take down the guard waiting by the motorcycle. Grab the motorcycle and ride close to the wall along El Rubio’s area or follow the path and take down the guard at the helicopter as well.
Now jump with the motorcycle, as marked in the screenshot, from the island into the water. From now on, the helicopter will follow you, but it does not pose a threat if you dive.
Just keep swimming south and ignore the yellow mark at the main docks. After about half a minute of swimming, you will have escaped and the cutscene will start in which you are handed the money.
Depending on what the main target was and how many paintings and cash you could steal from the office, you should receive between 630,000 and 2 million GTA dollars from the heist.
If you spend more time and go to the docks or runway after robbing the main target to steal valuable goods like cocaine, you can further maximize your haul. However, this takes more time and is riskier.
With this guide, we want to show you how to easily and almost risk-free steal your main target and a few paintings from El Rubio.
Even as a beginner, this is not a problem. Since the heist is so quick, you can complete it multiple times a day.
Tip: After the heist, it takes about 8 to 10 minutes for Pavel to call you and explain that you can start preparing for the new heist. Implement this quickly and visit Pavel in the Kosatka in a timely manner to start a new heist on the planning screen.
This will automatically set the difficulty to “Hard,” and you will get more loot. The hard mode should not pose any significant difficulty for you, so you should definitely take advantage of it with its loot bonus. However, you only have one game day in GTA Online to start the heist, otherwise you will start the next Cayo Perico heist on “normal”.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
AI programs like ChatGPT can simplify many work steps and research projects and help with projects. However, in university or school, one should be careful not to cheat. This is what a student is accused of, who is now striking back – with ChatGPT.
The title image is a symbolic image.
What is the student accused of? Haishan Yang was a student at the University of Minnesota in the USA. For an exam in his doctoral studies, he was supposed to write 3 essays within 8 hours. After that, he could have started working on his dissertation.
According to techspot.com, all examiners expressed skepticism about the work of the 33-year-old, who wrote the exam from abroad. They accused him of having used ChatGPT. For this, he was expelled from the university in 2024. However, Yang sued the university for over 1.2 million euros.
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Students spy on passersby with hidden cameras and AI, find name and address in seconds
Yang defends against the accusations using ChatGPT
What did the examiners say about the use of AI? The examiners had the feeling that Yang did not write the essays alone, for several reasons:
There were irrelevant answers that were not discussed in class
Acronyms were used that are not commonly used in the field, which were frequently found in the answers ChatGPT provided
They presented the questions to ChatGPT and found similarities in format, language, structure, and content
According to the professors, Yang had also attracted attention in the past with such cases. For this, he received a warning.
How is Yang responding to this? Yang denies the accusations and states that the AI tool probably used the same sources as he did. He also said in a statement (via mprnews.org) that the methods to expose AI are unreliable – especially against individuals whose first language is not English. Accordingly, he filed a complaint, which the university rejected.
Following this, Yang filed a lawsuit against the university and his professor. In a federal lawsuit, he seeks damages amounting to $575,000 (approximately €548,000) and in the defamation lawsuit $760,000 (approximately €724,000).
According to techspot.com, Yang used ChatGPT’s help to file the lawsuits.
In a new role-playing game, it is not a hindrance if one of your characters dies in battle – quite the opposite. This has been received “extremely positively” by players in the demo on Steam.
What game is this about? The game in question is The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy-. This JRPG will be released on April 23, 2025, for PC on Steam and for the Nintendo Switch. The game is being developed by Too Kyo Games, which was founded in 2017 by former Danganronpa developers, including the creator of the series, Kazutaka Kodaka.
A free demo of The Hundred Line -Last Defense- is currently available on Steam. It is already well-received – out of the current 703 reviews, 96% are positive.
You can watch a trailer for the game here:
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The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy-: Trailer for the new JRPG by the creators of Danganronpa
100 days besieged by monsters – and that in a school
What is the game about? Takumi Sumino is actually a quite normal teenager and does not lead the most exciting life. However, this changes abruptly when his city is attacked by grotesque monsters. In the midst of this attack, a strange creature appears and offers him the power to protect his loved ones – but it comes at a price.
Afterwards, Takumi wakes up in the Academy of Last Defense: A school in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by mysterious flames. He is to protect it along with 14 other students – for a full 100 days.
The battles against the school invaders are turn-based. You move your characters, of which you only bring a handful to each fight, around like on a chessboard. If one of your characters dies in battle, it’s not that tragic – they will simply be revived later.
Here, dying is not just an option; you are even encouraged to do so: If a character’s last moments have come, they use their last reserves of blood for an ultimate attack and grant you bonuses for the remaining duration of the battle.
Sacrificed units return at the start of a new wave from the dead and even improve your score. So it’s not always the smartest decision to protect your characters – sometimes you gain more by throwing them headfirst into destruction.
