The organization responsible for coordinating Japan’s cyber defense has itself become a victim of a hacking attack – and this occurred over a period of nine months without being detected. There is no official confirmation regarding the perpetrators, but previous attacks on Japan have been linked to a Chinese hacking group.
What exactly happened? The organization responsible for Japan’s national protection against cyber-attacks was infiltrated by hackers who may have gained access to confidential data for up to nine months.
According to a report by the Financial Times, the hacking attack began in the autumn of 2022 and was only discovered in June 2023. Hackers gained access to internal systems via the email account of a single employee. The vulnerability went unnoticed for months until an investigation was eventually launched.
In a public statement, the National Center of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity, or NISC, announced that personal data from email communications between October 2022 and June 2023 may have been compromised (via NISC).
Hacking is not only complicated but in most cases also criminal. In a game, you can try it out now without legal consequences:
Start video
In the story game Hacknet, you become a hacker yourself
What data was compromised? The exact extent of the leak remains unclear, but both the government and private partners with whom NISC was in contact were likely affected. As a result, the agency sent warnings to affected organizations and is working with external specialists to analyze the damage.
An official from NISC told the Financial Times that, according to existing findings, only the email system was affected. However, he did not want to comment on whether the attack was indeed carried out by Chinese state-sponsored hackers, as mainly suspected by the US side, according to the Financial Times report.
China as a possible puppeteer
What does this mean for Japan’s cybersecurity? The incident occurred at a sensitive time: Japan is deepening its military cooperation with the USA, UK, and Italy – among other things, as part of a joint fighter jet project, where highly classified technology is being exchanged.
According to the Financial Times, both US and UK cybersecurity experts expressed doubts about whether Japan is capable of securely storing sensitive data.
Why China in particular? In the past five years, Japan has been subjected to a series of cyberattacks attributed to a China-associated hacking group called MirrorFace (via NISC). This group, also known as Earth Kasha, has been identified as part of the larger APT10 network, which has links to the Chinese Ministry of State Security (via Forbes).
The attacks targeted critical sectors in Japan, including national security and the high-tech industry, repeatedly raising alarms about the country’s cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
On Pokémon GO, the Spotlight Hour is set for February 25, 2025. You can use this time to secure Unova Pokémon – also for the current promo codes.
When does the Spotlight Hour start? The Spotlight Hour starts on February 25 at 6:00 PM. As always, it lasts for 60 minutes, after which the spawns from the current Journey to Unova event will be active again.
What is the Spotlight Hour? During the Spotlight Hour, a specific Pokémon is highlighted, appearing everywhere for one hour. This event is always accompanied by a small bonus.
Which Pokémon are featured today? The Spotlight Hour today is special, as three Pokémon are in focus: Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott. All three can also be caught in their Shiny forms, but you need some luck. The chance is not increased.
What bonus is running? Today, you’ll receive double the amount of candy when catching.
Furthermore, you should note that today’s task is perfect for completing the research from the previous promo codes. More on that below.
Start video
Pokémon GO reveals the new season Dual Destiny in the trailer
Promo codes in Pokémon GO provided tasks that you can complete now
What promo codes are these? A few days ago, promo codes were activated that can be used in Pokémon GO to receive research tasks involving three legendary Pokémon:
Once the codes are entered, you will receive three tasks, each requiring you to catch 156 Pokémon from the Unova region. It doesn’t matter whether you catch 156 different Pokémon or the same one 156 times. Accordingly, you can make good use of the Spotlight Hour today to secure the three legendary Pokémon – as Snivy, Oshawott, and Tepig are all from Unova.
Possible issue during the Spotlight Hour: Due to the time difference, the Spotlight Hour has already started in some other locations – or at least it should have. A user on the Pokémon GO subreddit, TheSilphRoad, reports that the spawns have not been switched. Other players agree that the catch bonus is currently active (via reddit).
Whether this problem occurs here as well or is corrected remains to be seen. We will keep you updated.
Generally, the event is worth it for the promo code tasks, but the Pokémon themselves are also quite good. Serperior, the evolution of Snivy, is strong in the Super League. Emboar is a good Fire attacker, and Samurott can impress in raids as well as in PvP.
Therefore, it’s also a good idea to catch all three if you have no need due to the codes. Additionally, there is another highlight coming at the end of the week: The global Unova Tour takes place this weekend. There, you will also encounter numerous Unova Pokémon and should have no issues fulfilling the requirements for the promo codes – at least if you have enough time to catch.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
For MeinMMO author Sophia Weiß, it wasn’t Pokémon or Sailor Moon that was the highlight of her childhood but the epic duels in Yu-Gi-Oh!. A number of the old games based on the anime are now coming to Steam and they are just as much fun as they were 20 years ago.
It’s November 2004. Outside, it’s muddy with sleet at around 8 degrees. In a children’s room, there is a loft bed. My 10-year-old self is sitting down there with my brothers on a pile of pillows, snuggled up in blankets.
One of my brothers is sitting in the middle playing his new birthday gift on my red GameBoy Advance SP: Yu-Gi-Oh! Reshef of Destruction. My other brother and I are eagerly watching, being the worst backseat gamers you could imagine. It was really nice, even though Mom eventually had to send us to our own rooms because of the fights.
The memory of that rainy day from over 21 years ago came back to me last week when I snuggled up with my Steam Deck on my couch: Konami is releasing the Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection via Steam and for Nintendo Switch on February 27, 2025. The publisher kindly provided MeinMMO with a key for some early gameplay, and now I know: Reshef of Destruction still plays exactly like back then.
Start video
With the Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection, Konami re-releases 14 handheld games for PC and Nintendo Switch
Dueling like 20 years ago – with quality-of-life changes
The Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection includes a total of 14 games based on the popular anime and manga Yu-Gi-Oh! by Kazuki Takahashi – but from the original series, not the popular spin-off series today. Included are games from 1998 to 2005 for GameBoy Color and later GameBoy Advance.
The titles themselves seem to have changed little in terms of gameplay. I remember Reshef of Destruction and World Championship Tournament 2004 from back then. Both games play just like they did back then – for better and for worse.
In Reshef of Destruction, I walk around Domino City with Yugi and Joey in tow, dueling more or less successfully just like before. However, I also cannot speed up the dialogues like I could back then. So, if that annoying Rebecca defeats me for the umpteenth time, I have to go through the three-minute-long dialogue before the duel with every new attempt.
Seto Kaiba uses the young Rebecca against one, typical at the start of Reshef of Destruction.
A feature I personally really like is the new top menu in the games: Here I can save my progress at any time, load a save, and also access the manual – even if it’s in English.
The save function, on the other hand, is quite practical for skipping the aforementioned cutscenes. Even though I am forced to play the same part again and again until I get frustrated, if I can’t win.
Additionally, the top menu allows you to choose how you want the game to be displayed: For example, like back in the day on the GameBoy screen, full screen, or with and without a frame.
If you want to make it easier for yourself, you can set before starting a game whether all cards should be unlocked. (Normally, you have to unlock these first.) You can also switch between the Japanese, American, and European versions of the game depending on the game.
For the GameBoy Color game Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters 4: Battle of Great Duelists, there is also an online mode.
The main menu is illustrated with a mix of anime and manga illustrations.The first game is still illustrated with very old artwork!Dungeon Dice Monsters was a part of Yu-Gi-Oh! that unfortunately never became particularly popular.
Same feeling, better English
21 years later, the games are still fun. One reason is that they are simply great games, the other is that I feel just like I did back then with my brothers.
The big difference is that I can now read the English manual and don’t feel as clueless as I did as a child: Reshef of Destruction operates under different rules than the real card game. If only I had known that back then.
Overall, however, the feeling remains the same: I optimize my deck, try to get the best cards, and repeatedly face off against nasty duel opponents. It also feels great to have the regular Yu-Gi-Oh! back in front of me – I’m out of touch with Synchro and Pendulum Summons.
There will be no cooler way for me to play Yu-Gi-Oh! than with the Duel Disc. #Cardgames on Motorcycles I love Yu-Gi-Oh!, but at 10 I had hardly any pocket money, so my collection is still so tiny. And the spines of the max edition don’t match the old volumes…
The Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection is, in my opinion, for all those who like to reminisce about the times of Duelist Kingdom or Battle City. Back when you had to play with fake god cards on the schoolyard and decide between the Yugi, Seto, Joey, and Mai decks as starters.
However, the collection comes with a hefty price tag: According to listings on Amazon, MediaMarkt, and the Nintendo online shop, it will cost 59.99 Euros – almost as much as many current AAA games. The price on Steam has not yet been announced.
Finally real dueling again
Sailor Moon was the first anime I ever watched, and I was a Naruto fan for a long time and much more intensely. But the original Yu-Gi-Oh! was the first anime or the first manga I perceived and appreciated as such. The story will always hold a special place in my heart.
During my last move, I also came across my old cards and went through them for two hours before packing them up. Good times.
The Early Days Collection is also optimized for the Steam Deck. I actually played most of my hours on it and can imagine that it will run well on the Nintendo Switch too. On handheld, which is what all the games were originally made for, it’s simply the most fun.
I also don’t know anyone these days who still plays the original card game. They all play either the latest version or other TCGs like Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering. With the collection, I will finally again get lost in traditional duels. Now I just need to earn the cards for my old favorite deck.
All in all, I can recommend the Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection to anyone who is once again excited about traditional duels and intense nostalgia. Both are available here.
And because I’m funny, I’m also going to try the game based on Dungeon Dice Monsters in the coming days – the obscure tabletop game from the days when Yu-Gi-Oh! was all about Duel Monsters. My colleague Jasmin Beverungen, on the other hand, is already deep in the Magic: The Gathering swamp and is currently very excited because the first Commander decks for the Final Fantasy collaboration have been announced: My favorite MMORPG is coming to Magic soon and I’m already saving 200 Euros to indulge in collectible cards
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Twitch streamer Marcel “MontanaBlack” Eris is the star of a new advertisement for the supermarket Kaufland. However, the 36-year-old does not appear himself, but rather a KI version of him. This evokes mixed feelings within the community, but some find: the AI double is a good substitute for the Twitch streamer.
What kind of advertisement is this? Since the launch, GÖNRGY by MontanaBlack has been available at the supermarket Kaufland. For the new flavors, an advertisement clip was recently released, among others on YouTube.
In the clip, we see an AI-generated MontanaBlack strolling through what seems to be Buxtehude along with Kylo. He sees a signal in the sky that looks like the Kaufland logo and shortly thereafter he is tasked with procuring the new GÖNRGY flavors.
For this, he must dive into a sunken city with a submarine, where an underwater figure awaits him, resembling the Twitch streamer himself. Here he receives the new flavor “Strawberry-Apricot.”
In the next segment, AI-MontanaBlack rides his bike to the harbor to secure a container with the “Black Acai” flavor. Lastly, the Twitch streamer, accompanied by Kylo, must track down the “Apple Rings” flavor. The two find a box of GÖNRGY in a basement.
Finally, the three boxes with the new GÖNRGY cans are dropped over a Kaufland.
Start video
MontanaBlack is one of the most well-known streamers in Germany – This was his very first video
Community is divided on KI-Monte
How does the community react? The AI-generated advertisement elicits mixed reactions from the community. Some find the advertisement unappealing and write in the comments on YouTube among other things:
“What a cringe advertisement”
“So crazy, the sleep paralysis didn’t really hit that hard yesterday for me to see something like this”
“Why so cheap with AI generated?”
Why can MontanaBlack retire? While part of the community condemns the advertisement, some other fans are excited:
“I honestly found the advertisement entertaining and creative. I don’t understand what some people have a problem with.”
“I’ve never seen such a cool advertisement. Kiss, dude”
“Dude, it’s cool, but I gotta go, brother”
“So cool hahaha”
The positive reactions raise the question of whether the Twitch streamer actually needs to appear in person anymore, given that an AI version of him is already generating so much enthusiasm among his community.
Through these reactions from his fans, MontanaBlack has the confirmation that he does not necessarily need to be in the spotlight and could theoretically honor his nickname of “Twitch retiree” and indeed retire.
With the movies and the new series about Dune, there is new content for fans and newcomers to the universe. The new series shows what happened over 10,000 years before the new films, and one detail stands out: The state of technology has hardly changed. There is no technological progress in Dune. The reason for this lies in a pivotal event.
Why was there no technological progress for so long? When looking at the technology in Dune: Prophecy and the new films by Denis Villeneuve, one might well wonder why there has been no significant technological progress in over 10,000 years.
The reason for this lies in the great slave uprising, which took place in the year 201 BG (Before Guild, which refers to the founding of the space guild). For comparison: Paul Atreides was born much later, in the year 10,176 AG.
In the great slave uprising, humans rebelled against the machines that had gained power. The war ended in the year 108 BG, resulting in the Bene Gesserit and the space guild. In the war, all thinking machines and their associated technology were destroyed.
The uprising of humanity is known as “The Butlerian Jihad.” It occurred 11,000 years after our time but 10,000 years before the events in the Dune films. The uprising ended in a prohibition against creating machines that resemble human intelligence.
This also marked the beginning of a different orientation for the future of humanity, which turned away from machine technology.
Image rights for Dune: Part Two are held by Warner Bros.
A teaser for Dune: Prophecy can be found here:
Start video
Teaser for Season 1 of Dune: Prophecy
Stagnation is good for the Empire
What happened after the war? After the great slave uprising, the technical progress of society stagnated because it was virtually unnecessary. After the great slave uprising, there was a reluctance to rely on thinking machines again.
The Bene Gesserit stand for this, whose goal is to further develop humanity. That is why they are so strict in training and try to conceive offspring with royal families. For the advancement of mind and body, the resource spice is essential. They want to prevent humanity from going extinct.
Everything relies on spice, and the Empire has (along with the space guild) control over it. The Empire does not want any changes in its position of power, which is why it allows technological and societal progress to stagnate. There is no reason for progress when everything is going as it should.
The Bene Gesserit also do not want to achieve societal progress with their goal. They want to raise the Kwisatz Haderach, a kind of messiah who later reveals himself as Paul Atreides. But Paul Atreides was the first step towards the progress of humanity and the revolution.
When did the revolution of humanity begin? Paul Atreides was essentially the first starting point that confronted the ruling order. Through his revolution and his war, he challenged the Empire and the structures of the factions by putting the spice production in jeopardy.
However, the first technical progress of society was still a long time coming, as Paul and later his son Leto II remained focused, like the Bene Gesserit, on the mental and physical advancement of humanity. Only after Leto II’s demise did humanity expand again in the universe and gradually achieve technological progress.
We will learn more about how Paul’s revolution continues in the upcoming film Dune: Messiah. However, it seems we will have to wait a while for that. Until then, you can immerse yourself in the desert planet. Soon Dune: Awakening will be released, and MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus has already had a chance to play it: I have played thousands of hours of survival games, but Dune: Awakening is unlike any of them
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
How to earn money in GTA 5 Online with the arcade? And how to get the most money out of the casino heist? We show you here.
Update, January 27, 2026: The article has been checked and is up to date.
What kind of content is this? The casino heist is a robbery in the world of GTA 5 Online, Los Santos. To start it, you need an arcade.
Start video
GTA Online – Trailer for the new update Agent of Sabotage
Earn money with free arcade – Vault, Control Terminal
This is what the arcade brings: The basement of the arcade is mainly used for planning and storing the casino heist content. That’s where the planning board is located, where you choose your approach. The garage also offers space for getaway vehicles.
In the arcade itself, you can set up machines and play video games on them.
Can you earn money with the arcade? With the basic business, the slot machines, you don’t generate significant revenue. Your vault can hold a maximum of 50,000 GTA Dollars. Every 48 minutes, it automatically generates 5,000 GTA Dollars. This only finances a few bulletproof vests and ammunition you need for the heist.
It quickly becomes clear that the casino heist is the main business of the arcades. That’s where you earn the big money. But an important feature of the arcade is waiting in the basement: the main control terminal.
What can the main control terminal do? The part costs 1,740,000 GTA Dollars and greatly facilitates your work if you are already the owner of various businesses.
To buy supplies, you no longer need to drive to each business yourself, but you can do it through the control terminal.
Is the control terminal worth it? If you have multiple businesses spread across the map of GTA Online, then the terminal is worth it. It saves you long drives and thus a lot of money. Because if you can consolidate all businesses in one place, you grind more effectively.
Which arcade to buy? The prices of the arcades range from 1,235,000 GTA Dollars (Pixel Pete’s – Paleto Bay) to prices over 2 million GTA Dollars if you want to buy an arcade in the city.
Sell / change arcade: Anyone dissatisfied with the arcade they bought can change it. Complaints come from players who got the free arcade with Twitch Prime, as it is located at the top of Paleto Bay. Thus, there is always a long way involved to reach missions or other interesting points on the map from the arcade.
Just pull up your phone, select “Internet” and then choose a new hall from Foreclosure. But keep in mind that these are quite expensive to acquire.
Casino Heist Guide – How to make the most money
The preparation: First, meet with Lester in Mirror Park. He will contact you in-game. This is practically the preparation mission to unlock and start the arcade and casino heist.
The start – scout the casino and find points of interest
One of the first missions requires you to scout the casino you are about to break into in detail. Photograph the guy from park services, cameras, guards, entrances, and more.
Important doors can be found on the roof of the casino and at the rooftop terrace. Also, the entrance for the cash transports and the tunnel entrance should be photographed.
Where you find all these points, we will show you here:
After scouting the casino, you should check what loot is in the vault. To do this, you hack a guard’s phone and then gain access to the surveillance cameras in the casino.
Whether gold, cash, or artworks can be found in the vault depends on your luck. It’s a random decision.
Spoils
Payment (normal)
Payment (hard)
Cash
2,115,000 GTA Dollars
2,326,500
Artworks
2,350,000 GTA Dollars
2,585,000
Gold
2,585,000 GTA Dollars
2,843,500
Diamonds
3,290,000 GTA Dollars
3,619,000
How to get Diamonds? In February 2020, Rockstar unlocked the diamonds in the casino heist. You now get them guaranteed once as loot, after which, according to insider reports, they have an 8% chance of appearing as vault content.
Choose approach – What preparation?
What are the differences? During your heist preparation, you will have to decide whether you choose “Silent & Sneaky,” “Big Con,” or “Aggressive” as your approach for the heist.
With “Aggressive,” you storm into the casino with loud gunfire and explosions and then back out.
With “Silent & Sneaky,” you discreetly gain access to the building and then best exit unseen.
With “Big Con,” you disguise yourselves and enter the casino with Group Six gear to empty the vault and then escape.
Which preparations should be unlocked? For each approach, you can unlock patrol routes, Duggan deliveries, electric drills, masks, and many other optional preparations. But which ones do you really need?
If you are going with a small team, electric drills are unnecessary because you won’t have time to drill open the safes anyway. You’ll be busy hacking and collecting other loot.
Our recommendations for which optional objectives you should unlock can be seen in the following table.
Option
Aggressive
Quiet
Con
Pat. Routes
–
X
X
Dug. Deliveries
X
X
–
Security Info
–
X
X
Elect. Drills
–
–
–
Masks
–
–
–
Young Ancestor
–
–
–
Group 6 Gear
–
–
X
Security Pass S2
X
X
X
Noose Gear
–
–
X
EMP
–
X
–
Infiltration Suits
–
X
–
Maint. Equipment
–
–
–
Fire Equip.
–
–
–
Enhanced Armor
X
–
–
Assembling a crew – Who to choose?
What are the differences? In every heist, you choose which NPCs to take with you in the crew. The better their skills, the higher your share of the loot. So it pays to choose wisely.
A good hacker is particularly important, as he gives you more time in the vault. But should you choose Avi Schwartzman or Paige? Find out here:
9 Tips and Tricks for the Casino Heist in GTA 5 Online
A collection of tricks I wish I had known earlier for casino heists in GTA 5 Online:
For the preparation missions, the armored Kuruma is still recommended
You can only disable one security camera without triggering an alarm
Temporarily disable the security cameras with the stun gun
Assign one player responsible for hacking in the vault (use this guide for fingerprints)
When the timer in the vault is under 20 seconds, stop searching for loot and leave the room so you are on time outside and the alarm isn’t triggered
If the getaway vehicles are to the right of the racetrack, run directly to the track and follow the path around the curve – No detours
The Big Con works easiest as a Group 6 disguise and Noose escape disguise
It’s best to use the buyer that is farthest away, as the escape is very easy
The sentinel getaway vehicles of the cheapest driver should be your choice for the escape
The easiest escape? Take this route!
After numerous attempts to escape from the police with 5 stars, my group was fed up. One of my colleagues had the idea to simply hide in the sewer until the stars were gone. And lo and behold: It works.
Here’s how to make the easiest escape: Run out of the building to the getaway vehicles and drive straight into the sewer. Where you should also take the photo for Lester. The entrance to this is just a few hundred meters from the casino and is easy to reach. Drive slowly through or wait in the middle. When the stars disappear, you drive out from the other end and head to the buyer.
Because this escape is so easy due to the trick, it’s worth seeking out the farthest buyer every time to maximize your profit.
If you have any more tips for the casino heist or the arcade, then feel free to share them in the comments. We show you more ways to earn a lot of money in GTA Online at MeinMMO: GTA Online earn money: This is how you get rich quickly
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Pokémon GO, there is now the Tour Pass and the Tour Pass Deluxe. We are looking at the new feature.
What are the Tour Pass and Tour Pass Deluxe? These are reward passes that were introduced with the Way-to-Einall event. The feature has been active since February 24, 2025.
It is a reward path that resembles the Battle Pass from Fortnite. You need to level up to unlock new rewards.
There is a standard version that everyone receives, as well as the Deluxe version that costs money.
The essential information about the Tour Pass:
The Tour Pass is free and appears for all players.
You can additionally buy the Tour Pass Deluxe in the shop for 16.49 euros.
The Deluxe version provides an additional reward at each level.
Both passes are available from February 24 to March 2.
You level up by completing tasks – such as catching Pokémon, hatching eggs, catching Legendary Pokémon, and similar activities.
At certain milestones, you unlock bonuses.
Important: You must claim all rewards by March 9 at 6:00 PM to avoid them expiring.
But how do the free and paid versions differ? Let’s take a look.
Start video
Pokémon GO reveals the new season Dual Destiny in the trailer
Free Tour Pass & Paid Tour Pass – The Key Differences
What you need to consider: The Deluxe Pass consists of additional rewards. It does not replace the free rewards but rather supplements them with additional ones.
How many levels are there? A total of 500 levels, but everything from level 101 is considered a bonus level. Here there is only Stardust – 50 per level for free, 100 for the Deluxe Pass. Varying rewards are thus available up to level 100.
The key rewards in the free Pass: Let’s take a look at the top rewards that can be obtained for free. These include:
A GO Tour shirt for the avatar
Candies for specific Legendary Pokémon
Fusion energy for Kyurem
Stickers
Zorua with a special background
The key rewards in the Deluxe Pass: The following rewards are only available in the paid Pass:
A meeting with Victini
The Lucky Exchange – this gives you a guaranteed lucky trade
Kyurem helmet for your avatar
XL candies for specific Legendary Pokémon
More fusion energy for Kyurem
Other differences: In both passes, you will also find similar rewards such as candies, Pokémon encounters, star pieces, incense, lures, lucky eggs, balls, XP, and Stardust. The difference lies in that you generally receive more through the Deluxe Pass – for example, 5,000 XP instead of just 1,000 XP, more fusion energy, more Stardust, and so on.
Bonuses for both:
1.5 times catch XP and three times the duration of the new adventure effects during the global Einall Tour at level 20
2 times catch XP and three times the duration of the new adventure effects during the global Einall Tour at level 60
3 times catch XP and three times the duration of the new adventure effects during the global Einall Tour at level 60
Whether the Deluxe Pass is for you is something you need to decide for yourself. Both variants are now visible in the game – and the other contents of the Way-to-Einall event are also now active. This includes daily rotating Legendary raid bosses that you can catch. This makes February one of the most exciting months in Pokémon GO. Which strong Pokémon February still brings, you can read about here.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
PS Plus Essential will present the new games for March 2025 in a few days. MeinMMO summarizes all known information and explains which games could be included in the free bundle for March 2025.
What does the schedule look like?
PS Plus: Games available from Tuesday, March 4, 2025
Available around 12 noon
Possible announcement: Wednesday, February 26, 2025
PS Plus Essential: All games that could come in March 2025
What games are available? In general, it can be observed that Sony often compiles a bundle of a strong title and two weaker games for PS Plus. However, no official information is available yet, so we have to rely on fan speculation. The final line-up could still change.
RoboCop: Rogue City
RoboCop is one of the candidates for the games in March. Here you take on the role of the famous RobCop and solve criminal cases as a cyborg in Detroit. How you proceed is up to you. You can choose aggressive methods and cause collateral damage or take a tactical approach. Depending on the path you choose, the outcome of your case will also change.
If you are not making progress tactically, you can also grab your weapon and fill your opponents with lead. The graphics can impress, and the game also offers a great variety, especially for fans of first-person shooters, with story content.
Start video
RoboCop: Rogue City Trailer
LEGO Bricktales
In LEGO Bricktales, LEGO attempts to reinvent itself and uses its well-known building with the small bricks in a smaller format. You explore various worlds and biomes, solving quests and puzzles in smaller worlds that resemble dioramas. If you don’t want to complete levels, you can also build your own and let your creativity run free.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
Banishers: Ghost of New Eden is an action RPG with a deep story. You take on the role of two banishers and dive into the world of New Eden in the year 1695. A terrible curse haunts the surrounding settlements, and your task is to find the root of evil.
You explore the surrounding land, solve puzzles, and if necessary, you take up arms and fight your way through the dangers.
The highlight is your fingerprint, which you leave behind in the world. Your actions have consequences that affect the ending. Depending on how you decide, you will face a different ending, which significantly increases replay value.
MeinMMO Editor-in-Chief Leya believes that this Monster Hunter Wilds is quite close to the perfect gameplay loop for a Monster Hunter. Read her review.
Monster Hunter Wilds is a fantastic action RPG if you love looting, leveling, and boss fights.
However, you do not level up your character. You hunt monsters with huge weapons that drop materials like horns, scales, fur, or claws. From this, you craft increasingly stronger gear to hunt even stronger monsters. If you remove this gear, you are just as weak and puny as at the beginning of the game.
That is the core of it.
Capcom has been following this principle since 2004, so for a proud 21 years. Monster Hunter Wilds is now the sixth main installment in the series, celebrating its release on February 28. There are some innovations that improve the gaming experience. However, the fundamental formula does not change with Wilds. We have reached a point where we are moving towards the perfect gaming flow. But there are a few annoyances – not severe but noticeable. And that’s what we’re going to look at.
Monster Hunter Wilds is the best Monster Hunter that Capcom has created so far. There will be veterans among you who will surely disagree with me here. But we will get to that.
If you dive into a Monster Hunter for the first time, learning the combat system and the various weapons is part of it. It’s similar to an MMO, where you also have to learn your rotations. It comes with the territory that sometimes you might feel like biting the table’s edge, but that also makes it exciting.
Who is writing this review? I am Leya, Editor-in-Chief of MeinMMO, and I found my way into the series with Monster Hunter Tri about 10 years ago. In games, I particularly value atmosphere and a coherent gaming feel. I tend to take a relaxed approach and do not optimize for the last percent for the highest damage – whether a fight lasts 5 or 8 minutes doesn’t matter to me. As long as my gigantic hammer gives a proper bonk.
With my Huntress, I set out to save the ecosystem
This is how I played: Overall, I spent just over 40 hours on the PC in Monster Hunter Wilds. During that time, I completed the entire story, battled all currently available monsters, and played a good chunk into the endgame. I used only the hammer and dual blades as weapon types. About 15 hours of that was spent in co-op with another tester. I skipped most side quests to progress as quickly as possible for this review.
What you can expect from the review: In the test, I’ll discuss gameplay, atmosphere, story, endgame, long-term motivation, general strengths, and weaknesses. I will not provide you with details about the story, specific monsters, weapons, or surprises. You should be able to dive into the game as spoiler-free as possible and discover the world for yourself. Due to Capcom’s NDA guidelines, it is also not possible to go into detail in some areas.
Let’s dive in.
Monster battles are more fun than ever thanks to new features
The most important thing in a Monster Hunter is the battles and how the hunt for the monsters is structured. Capcom introduced new features with Wilds that do not change the basic principle of battles but offer entirely new strategic possibilities. And above all, they bring a ton of fun to the hunt!
Among the biggest innovations are:
New are the Saikrii mounts that automatically take you to the monster and allow you to carry two weapons
The new focus and wound system that enables strong combo attacks
There are now camps that can be set up on the map for adjusting equipment instead of a central base camp
The deeper I dive into Wilds, the more I appreciate these new features. In the main story, I stuck with my comfort weapon: the hammer. During these hunts, I hardly made use of the secondary weapon, which quickly changed later in the endgame.
This is mainly because the monsters here become more challenging and complex, but I also want to efficiently farm the monster loot. Doing so alone is much easier with the second weapon. For example, I can use sharp dual blades to sever the tails of the monsters and then switch to the blunt hammer to break off their parts. I can also take two of the same weapon type that comes from different monsters and thus possibly utilize different elemental effects.
For newcomers, here’s a quick explanation of the loot system: From the monster parts and resources you farm, you craft different armors and weapons. These have various abilities. Some can increase certain types of damage, or there are effects that keep you from losing balance quickly or improve the sharpness of your weapon. There are elements like poison or fire and monsters can have weaknesses to different elements, similar to Pokémon.
This results in builds that not only consistently increase damage but can also provide other benefits depending on play style. The same principle applies to the weapons as well. The appearance of the armor and weapons depends on the monsters from which you collected the loot.
This also makes the appeal of hunting as many different monsters as possible to gain variation in your builds, allowing you to efficiently hunt certain monsters. Or simply to get the most stylish armors.
The maps where the monsters are located have become much larger. The Saikrii take you directly from your base camp to the monsters. The search for the beasts is completely eliminated. The mounts considerably speed up fighting and collecting loot as you are taken directly to your target. I particularly enjoyed this in co-op. While riding the Saikrii to the monster, you can casually nibble on a snack, chat a bit, and accomplish various tasks along the way: sharpen your weapon, take potions, casually grab resources with the grapple hook as you pass by.
The Saikrii are great mounts on large maps and can be freely customized
The gameplay loop is getting better and better
Because it’s really all about the cool fights and not wandering around on the map – I’m aware that this point is debatable for some.
Yes, in old parts, meticulous preparation for battles and searching for monsters was part of it. Monsters still have a time limit within which they must be hunted. In the past, you could ruin a hunt by bringing too few whetstones to sharpen your weapon, thus inflicting hardly any damage. For some, this experience is part of it. I like the modernized acceleration, and Wilds has raised the bar again compared to World in terms of comfort features.
The focus and wound system changes your attack strategy: You can specifically target certain body parts to expose weak points. This creates new combos and even more satisfying hits. It gives you a whole new incentive to completely work on the monster, and it’s an incredibly great feeling when you see the damage numbers explode. I mean, even though the very highest damage isn’t that important to me, I still enjoy seeing bigger numbers!
The Balahara is one of the first monsters you encounter.
Especially in the gameplay loop of monster hunting, it is evident that Capcom is addressing this very thing to continuously perfect and refine the game. The battles are fully in focus, and the innovations here serve to approach the fights differently and to get from hunt to hunt faster.
What some will certainly see critically here is simplifying everything around the battles. This will apply to the veterans of the franchise, for whom these hurdles like perfect preparation for the hunt and searching for monsters were a core element of the game. However, even in Wilds, Monster Hunter remains true to its combat style: weapons feel substantial, combos require good timing, and if you’re standing wrong, you’ll be hit mercilessly. That’s the appeal of the series – and it provides the unique thrill when a gigantic beast rushes at you.
Monster Hunter is not played for the story – but for hunting and looting.
However, I want to acknowledge that for the first time there is indeed a consistent story that this time is more than just a tool to introduce new monsters. You help a child who has been separated from his family and village by a mysterious monster. He is a cornerstone in the story.
Of course, it’s about monsters causing anomalies, disrupting the ecosystem, and posing a threat. It is thus entirely justified that we, as superhumans with our immense power, slay the monsters in their natural habitat to obtain fancy gear from them… I mean, to save the ecosystem.
The story this time is nevertheless more coherent, and with the child as a cornerstone, it even adds an emotional touch. Still, it remains mainly a means to an end – and that’s perfectly fine. It serves to gradually introduce you to new mechanics and monsters. I perceived the main story as a large but very enjoyable tutorial.
For me, the story plays a very minor role here, which may not apply to others. What matters more to me is that the world in a Monster Hunter feels authentic and everything fits well together. Because even if the lore itself is totally bananas, the world of Wilds feels like a coherent ecosystem in which the characters and monsters fit in well. I can feel like a huntress wandering through the lands, helping the villagers.
NPCs like Olivia have even grown dear to me
The world becomes a nature park that can even be cozy
Monster Hunter Wilds takes a step forward in that the maps this time are seamlessly connected. But what stands out most is that the monsters feel much more like they actually live in the environment. I observed a Chatacabra, a green frog monster, enjoying a bath in the oasis. I almost feel bad about giving it a whack with the hammer. But only almost.
This becomes particularly noticeable even in battles, where the monsters utilize the surroundings much more. The maps range from a (seemingly obligatory) desert to an enchanting mountain landscape that is interwoven with black oil. A good example here is my new favorite, the Rompopolo, of which mosquito-like monster gameplay has already been released. It’s striking how he dips his stinger into the oil, absorbs it, and turns it into a toxic gas that he emits.
If you like how strongly he interacts with the oil and uses it in battle, then rejoice: there is more of that. This contributes to making everything feel more alive.
And of course, a good dose of humor should not be lacking in a Monster Hunter. Monster Hunter is a game that does not take itself too seriously. There are delightful interactions with the clever cat beings, the Palicos, who also assist you in battle.
Start video
Monster Hunter Wilds is about to be released: Here’s what you should know before buying
Through the beautiful open maps that can be traversed with the Saikrii, Monster Hunter Wilds has suddenly also become a cozy game for me. You can set up your own camps where you can change your equipment during hunts and customize them with colors and decorations. It is also simply nice to stroll through the maps, collect resources, and observe monsters.
If you stop while farming for resources and look around, you will be rewarded with attention to detail. You see Palicos living their own lives. Or if you wait long enough, mushrooms even start to grow on slain monsters.
There are also new weather phenomena, which can lead to a storm with thunder and lightning in the desert. This affects the hunts and makes the environment feel even more natural.
It feels like being in a documentary by David Attenborough. Only, instead of watching giraffes, you are looking at laser-shooting dragons. I should mention that the monster designs, armors, and weapons can look quite alien this time.
Capcom has created an impressive ecosystem that is livelier, more dynamic, and atmospheric than ever before.
From nature to sci-fi: more colorful designs, underscored by synthesizers
In Monster Hunter World, monsters and equipment still appeared relatively natural – with subtle colors and little design variation. Monster Hunter Wilds takes a different path here, and I love it.
The designs are again more colorful, striking, and in places already reminiscent of science fiction. The designs also offer a high diversity and should cater to many tastes.
My huntress can look like a warrior princess in elegant attire reminiscent of a kimono. Just as well, I can dress her like a villainess from Power Rangers wearing a gigantic horned helmet and an eccentric armor. It ranges from super sexy to stoic or even silly and funny.
A long-overdue innovation brings much more variety: The gender lock for armors has been removed!
It’s fun to just roam around in the world.
You can now mix and match male armor parts with female models and vice versa. This gives you much more choice because the armors for male and female models look very different. I also have to praise how well the respective parts look on the opposite models and adapt according to the shape. You can mix wildly and, for example, use the helmet and gloves of the female model while the rest comes from the male model.
I don’t want to go into too much detail here because for me the joy of discovering armor pieces and weapons after defeating a new monster is part of the fun, and I do not want to spoil that.
The monsters appear somewhat horror-like at times, which is complemented by the soundtrack. It subtly uses synthesizers and mixes them with orchestral elements. Lovecraft, associated with Cthulhu and cosmic horror, makes his appearances now and then.
The sound design of the monsters is equally great. I can only recommend paying close attention when you come to the flaming octopus Nu Udra, who lives in the oil spring pool and whose tentacles scrape across the ground with an eerily rubbery squeal.
The UI remains a mess and there are technical hiccups
As much as I am excited about the gameplay loop and atmosphere, I want to pull my hair out over the user interface.
Japanese studios like Capcom are known for their often cumbersome UI and controls – especially for western players. I just wish so much that the user interface would eventually become more intuitive and easier to understand. There are indeed some improvements over predecessors. For example, I find it incredibly helpful that the buttons you need for the attack combos for the various weapons are now displayed. I’m really bad at remembering such things, and that motivates me to try out more weapons that are technically more difficult than my beloved hammer. The hammer almost only requires a bonk button.
The other example: Even after 15 hours in co-op, I am still confused about how exactly to start a shared mission, invite someone, or join a quest together. We will definitely need to write a guide on MeinMMO. There are numerous ways to play together, and none of them are clearly explained.
There is not just one menu for items, but two, and there are sub-menus for these, and it is not easy to understand how to adjust them.
This continues throughout, and I am already familiar with Monster Hunter. For newcomers, this is a real hurdle – and Capcom should significantly work on this.
In general, it must be said that the game explains little again, especially when the story itself is completed. There are improvements, also through the NPC Alma, who calls out useful tips to you occasionally. Or the blacksmith Gemma gives you hints about which gear you should forge. But there is again a lot where the game leaves you in the dark, and you have to sift through guides.
I didn’t have many technical problems, but they were there. I played on PC with the following specifications:
CPU: 13th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-13700KF
Graphics Card: NVIDIA Geforce RTX 4080
I had one crash of the game in over 40 hours. There were occasional graphical errors where black triangles moved across the screen. All testers on PC experienced this issue, while the PS5 was spared. I also heard from testing colleagues with older PCs that they occasionally faced frame drops.
Unfortunately, I cannot say much about things like textures, as there was no graphical patch for the test version on PC yet, which is supposed to come with the release. The PS5 already received it for testing. It remains to be seen whether a nicer graphics update will negatively affect performance on PC.
On the whole, the game ran smoothly – with only minimal technical hiccups.
Endgame a bit thin, hope lies in DLCs
As with every Monster Hunter, the endgame begins with the high rank – and thus with the real challenge. Your hunter rank reflects your experience. The higher it is, the harder quests and monsters await you.
For most, the game really begins in high rank, with new, stronger armor sets. You can equip these with decorations to significantly improve your stats. This is where the tinkering for the perfect build truly begins.
In Monster Hunter Wilds, as seen from predecessors, there will again be stronger variations of monsters. I won’t reveal more at this point.
The long-term motivation lies mainly in improving and building new gear. Some do this to improve their stats and take down monsters even faster. For others, fashion is the motivation of the endgame. With high rank comes the transmog system: you can now cosmetically use armors without sacrificing good stats. To do this, you only need to have built the high rank armor piece once.
There are also little endemic creatures on the map that you can catch and collect. And of course, there are trophies to unlock.
Since we cannot show anything from the endgame for NDA reasons, here’s my Palico.
You reach high rank quite quickly when you play steadily. I did that for this test and needed about 15 hours. As mentioned, I am now over 40 hours and still have plenty to do. For me personally, a significant long-term motivator is indeed co-op. Because it is simply great to farm armor parts together with other hunters and support each other. You also receive loot for yourself that you can always use.
Capcom has managed to distribute rewards pretty well throughout the game this time. For every progress, there is something new to look forward to, and there are also some surprises involved. New features will occasionally be added in high rank.
However, you will quickly reach the point where you have seen every monster in every variation. I strongly suspect that Capcom will want to quickly push out DLCs and event quests here. This would keep the motivation up, as more content would gradually arrive after the release. That is at least my hope and I would actually like that, as it prevents burning through the content too quickly. We already know the first DLC monster, which is the fan favorite Mizutsune. Long-term motivation mainly appeals to the types of players who enjoy optimizing and grinding.
My hope: Capcom delivers regularly – so that we can enjoy new content longer instead of rapidly clearing everything. A big expansion, like Iceborne for Monster Hunter World, is also very likely.
Conclusion: Monster Hunter Wilds will hit hard
I am convinced that Monster Hunter Wilds will be one of the most successful games in 2025. This can clearly be predicted from the beta numbers on Steam and the generally positive sentiment around the game. With the full version, I can now say that the beta has given a good impression.
Monster Hunter World was already popular and did not even release simultaneously for consoles and PC, as is the case for Wilds now.
The game has already established itself in the West with World and will fully do so with Wilds. Because the quality has been further increased in comparison. When I look at the things I criticize, it is already complaining at a high level. Still: Capcom, please take care of a simpler UI for the next title.
For me, Monster Hunter Wilds borders on perfection in terms of refining the core elements. The flow of the game around monster hunting and looting is simply getting better and better. That makes the franchise so good. It knows what it wants and optimizes exactly that.
I expect a great hunting feeling from a Monster Hunter. That is exactly what Wilds achieves with the now very lively world. In addition, Capcom is increasingly focusing on the battles and has streamlined the game around it without losing depth. I am particularly pleased that we have received a great variety of armors and weapons here – grinding for the prettiest outfits and the best stats is really fun!
Despite minor weaknesses, Monster Hunter Wilds offers one of the best hunting experiences in the series – and is likely to get even better with future updates.
Pros
Dynamic World: It feels alive, with realistic weather changes
Riding & Combat Flow: The new mount system makes everything smoother
Is it suitable for newcomers? It is a bit difficult for me to assess how cumbersome Monster Hunter Wilds actually is for newcomers. However, I would say that this Monster Hunter is a good starting point. Overall, Capcom is making more effort to guide new people, for example, by displaying your weapon combos in the UI. It has also become a bit easier to get through the main story. Learning the complex fights and systems is somehow part of it. We will definitely be on hand with advice and assistance on MeinMMO.
You want to play Monster Hunter Wilds? Then check out our release live ticker, where we already provide you with the most important information and first guides.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Joker is one of the most popular villains of all time. This is not only due to his relationship with Batman, but also to his portrayal by various actors in movies and series. A mime often doesn’t fare too well, as shown by a dedicated DC series that mocks this.
Which series is it about?Teen Titans Go! started in 2013 and has had 8 seasons to date. The cartoon series is based on the superhero group Teen Titans, led by Robin, who is known from the Batman universe.
However, the series is not a classic superhero series, but a comedy series mainly for children that parodies various aspects of the genre. It was produced by DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation, which is why the series regularly pokes fun at DC.
In one episode, various interpretations of the Joker are shown and given respect. Except for one: the one by Jared Leto from the 2016 film Suicide Squad.
Image rights of Suicide Squad belong to DC and Warner Bros.
Start video
Suicide Squad – Trailer for the first adaptation of the anti-hero group
You can’t just slap on some tattoos and fake teeth
What happens in the episode? To get into a secret hideout of the Joker, the Teen Titans must outsmart the guards at the gate. They then try to mimic various Joker interpretations. They also dress up.
It starts with Cyborg impersonating Jack Nicholson. Beast Boy tries to copy Heath Ledger, even imitating his iconic smacking and speaking in pseudo-philosophical questions. Then comes Robin, covered in tattoos, as a Jared Leto interpretation.
You can watch the clip here:
https://youtu.be/WPIJddqTGHw?si=aIlYknpubgzBxXkM
The Joker’s henchman reacts only angrily with: Wait a minute, that’s not the Joker. The other members of the Teen Titans also react angrily and ask Robin what he is actually doing. Cyborg harshly criticizes Jared Leto’s portrayal:
Jared Leto? You can’t just slap on some tattoos and fake teeth and make me think you are any kind of crazy person. Starfire adds that no one buys that from him.
To save the situation, Beast Boy dresses up once more as the Mark Hamill Joker and convinces the henchmen.
Why is Jared Leto unpopular as the Joker? There are indeed viewers who liked the Joker, but some fans criticized the portrayal especially in comparison to greats like Jack Nicholson, Mark Hamill, and Heath Ledger.
Living in the world of Game of Thrones is quite dangerous. It is not for nothing that the series is notorious for letting numerous characters die. However, not every place is equally dangerous. A statistic shows which locations one should better avoid on a spontaneous visit to Westeros and Essos.
What kind of statistic is this? In 2019, shortly after the release of the final eighth season, The Washington Post published a comprehensive statistic about all 6887 deaths in Game of Thrones. They also counted at which locations in the series the most deaths were seen.
A death was only counted if:
The death is explicitly shown in the series
The death is not seen directly but occurs very clearly after a specific scene
The death is not seen but is a very prominent part of the plot
Of course, the numbers cannot be 100 percent accurate. In action-packed battle scenes, it is somewhat more difficult to determine the exact death toll. It becomes even more complicated with dragons, which can literally burn whole groups of people with a single breath. Nevertheless, the statistics show especially deadly locations where one should definitely not linger.
Start video
Game of Thrones Kingsroad shows powerful monsters in the video
The bottom of this list is occupied by the Goldroad. This is one of the main roads in Westeros that connects the realm of Casterly Rock in the west to King’s Landing in the east. The Goldroad is also used, among other things, to transport gold from the famous gold mines of the Lannisters to the capital, hence the fitting name.
In the series, the Goldroad became an important location in episode four of the seventh season. To secure her power, Cersei needs resources. An army of Lannisters, accompanied by Jaime, transports gold and food along the Goldroad to King’s Landing. But just before they reach their destination, they are attacked by Daenerys on her dragon Drogon and the Dothraki. A fierce battle ensues, during which especially numerous soldiers fall victim to the deadly dragon flames.
Number of deaths: 116
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Nvidia has suffered a loss of 600 billion euros in market value, and it was all due to a new AI model from China. However, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang sees the panic as unfounded. In his opinion, high-performance computing remains essential for the future of AI, and the market has completely misunderstood the situation.
How did Nvidia lose value?
DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup, caused a stir when it recently unveiled its new AI model R1. An innovation that works with less powerful and cheaper chips.
The announcement raised concerns in the markets as investors feared that demand for Nvidia’s powerful GPUs for AI development might decline.
Investors’ concerns led to a sell-off of Nvidia shares, causing the company’s market value to drop by 600 billion euros.
Start video
Students spy on passersby with hidden cameras and AI, find name and address in seconds
That is why Nvidia speaks of a misunderstanding: In an interview with DDN (a partner of Nvidia) on YouTube, CEO Jensen Huang contradicted the market reaction and called it a misunderstanding. “There is the mental model that the world consists of pre-training and inference, but this paradigm is wrong,” Huang explained. The assumption that AI models could operate without intensive computing power is, according to him, a miscalculation.
While DeepSeek’s R1 model is impressive, it does not change the fact that the long-term dependence on powerful chips remains. Huang emphasized that Nvidia’s GPUs still play an indispensable role in AI development – especially in the post-training phase, where models need to be further refined and optimized.
AI models need to be continuously improved to stay up to date. For this, specialized, high-performance chips are essential. In addition, AI models will also require enormous computing resources in the future to achieve the desired performance.
What does the future of the AI market look like? Although Nvidia’s stock experienced a drastic drop, the price has since recovered. Huang remains optimistic and emphasizes that Nvidia will continue to be the leading provider of chips for AI applications in the long run.
In a time when optimizing AI is becoming increasingly important, the demand for high-performance computing will not diminish. Leading tech CEOs like Sundar Pichai (Google), Tim Cook (Apple), and Satya Nadella (Microsoft) have also shown a positive attitude towards DeepSeek’s R1 model without questioning the market position.
Steam’s Next Fest starts today, February 24, 2025, where you can test numerous game demos and get a first impression of the titles. Some games have already released their demos a few days prior in preparation for the event. One of these games has even become one of the most played.
Which game is it? Last weekend, the multiplayer game Mecha Break climbed the Steam charts. It is a PvP shooter where each player controls a so-called mech.
These robot-like machines all come with different equipment. There are attack, melee, sniper, reconnaissance, and support mechs – some of them can fly, while others are intended for ground combat. Players can also individually customize the appearance of their machines and pilots.
Mecha Break primarily focuses on fast-paced PvP battles, which can sometimes seem chaotic due to the very fast movement and many effects on the screen. There are various modes like team deathmatch, where players compete in 3v3 or 6v6 battles. Additionally, a PvPvE extraction mode is playable.
Start video
Mecha Break shows in the trailer how it wants to combine cool mechs with teamwork like in Overwatch
More Players than the Latest Hype Shooter
How many players does the game have? Over the weekend, Mecha Break temporarily surpassed the hero shooter Marvel Rivals and became the fourth most played game on Steam with 317,000 players – only the eternal top players PUBG, Dota 2, and Counter-Strike 2 had more players.
Marvel Rivals was released in December 2024 and has since continuously captivated several hundred thousand players on Steam, peaking at over 640,000. The shooter, which is often referred to as Overwatch with Marvel heroes, is thus the latest hype shooter on the platform.
Mecha Break reached its peak of 317,000 players on Sunday, February 23, in the afternoon. The top 5 games on Steam at that time were as follows (via SteamDB):
Counter-Strike 2 – 1,783,434 players
PUBG – 818,843 players
Dota 2 – 704,824 players
Mecha Break – 317,522 players
Marvel Rivals – 218,081 players
Currently, Mecha Break still stands at 206,000 players in 4th place among the most played games on Steam, ahead of Marvel Rivals with 124,000 users (as of February 24, 2025, 11:15 AM, via SteamDB).
How is Mecha Break being received? Currently, the demo of Mecha Break is largely rated negatively with 3,680 reviews on Steam. Only 33% of all reviews are positive, even though the gameplay is praised.
Apparently, the demo suffered from review bombing by Chinese players. The YouTuber Axelottol took a closer look at the Chinese reviews and says that many of them are underage players, who are legally not allowed to play in China after a certain time. The demo started after this time, and affected gamers were upset because it is the game of a Chinese development studio.
Nevertheless, there are also other points of criticism regarding the demo. Some users are bothered by the fact that Mecha Break utilizes a so-called “Kernel Level Anti-Cheat”, which must be manually removed after the game has already been uninstalled. Kernel level refers to the deepest, central level in an operating system. Software with access to this level can change almost anything.
The release of Monster Hunter Wilds is coming closer and fans can’t wait. They take this as an opportunity to discuss what they want to do first at launch. One thing is particularly on their minds.
What can you do in Monster Hunter Wilds? In Monster Hunter Wilds, everything revolves around the titular monster hunting. But there is also a lot to do beyond that: explore the area, enjoy the story, observe monsters, train weapons, forge equipment, and much more.
Despite its generally simple core gameplay, Monster Hunter offers a vast scope of various activities. That’s why fans are already discussing what they will do first at launch and what is important to them.
Start video
If Monster Hunter Wilds leaves you cold, even though all your friends love it, there might be a simple reason for that
“I will approach things at my own pace.”
What plans do the fans have for launch? In a thread on Reddit, the community is exchanging their plans for launch. Many want to take their time and enjoy the game, rather than heading straight into the hunt and rushing to the high-ranking monsters:
User AntonGrimm opens his thread with: “What will you do first at launch? I will find a good spot to fish and then grill the fish. And after that, I will defeat every monster that comes my way.”
KineticKris writes: “I will take my time. I haven’t looked forward to a game this much in a long time. I just want to kick back and enjoy it.”
MEGoperative2961 shares: “I will walk around the map with a checklist of all endemic creatures and go back and forth between the maps to get them ALL.”
Cyonsd-Truvige plans: “3 hours for character creation.”
TheAbyssWolf has completely different plans: “As with every PC game. I will set up the graphics settings first, lol.”
However, one thing seems to particularly occupy many fans, as their mission is quite clear: They want to find out as quickly as possible whether and where Poogie can be found. Because whether and how the little pig has made it into the game is still a mystery that the developers have kept to themselves.
Who is Poogie? Poogie is the lucky pig and a kind of mascot of the Monster Hunter series. The likelihood that Poogie will also be present in Monster Hunter Wilds is very high. He was already there in the first Monster Hunter and brings many hunters not only smiles because he is extremely cute but also useful items, provided the hunters pet him properly.
Shortly before the launch of the classic The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, a developer implemented realistic ants that nearly destroyed the game due to its severe slowdown.
Why ants in Skyrim? Skyrim is a highly detailed game for its release time. In addition to countless NPCs with their own backstories, the vibrant world of Tamriel was particularly impressive. Animals that fled in danger or insects that buzzed around – Bethesda made every effort to create a lively world, but there should have been even more.
Developer Jeff Gardiner wanted to create an even more realistic world and said (via PCGamer): “It’s the feeling that there’s a living world out there and things are constantly happening.”
Start video
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Official Trailer
“Why is the game running so slow?”
How did the ants destroy the game? Developer and designer Mark Teare was too enthusiastic about the details and implemented ants that caused a significant drop in game performance. He implemented them as “shadow casters.”
This meant that every light source had to calculate how the ant reacted to it and cast shadows. An action that required an enormous amount of computing power. And this was despite the fact that the ants were mostly not visible – which caused problems.
It wasn’t just ants that were the problem: Developers were also asking elsewhere: “Why is the game running so slow?” It turned out that another developer had programmed a special ability for butterflies.
If the player had flowers in their inventory, the butterflies were supposed to smell them and possibly follow the player. While this could have been a great gimmick, it also consumed a lot of computing power.
This required a script that had every butterfly near the player “check” whether the player had flowers in their inventory. This was also not conducive to the performance of the game.
The Iron Banner is active in Destiny 2 and with it, two weapons returned to the loot pool. One of them is a remaster, but it is so good that you should definitely get it.
Which weapon is it? It is the Stasis pistol “Peace Treaty”. The pistol debuted with the release of Witch Queen and can be randomly obtained through the Iron Banner.
Unfortunately, it never really convinced in the PvE or PvP meta, and due to the rocket-powered Stasis pistol “Tinasha’s Supremacy”, there were better alternatives for the Guardians’ loadout. Bungie recognized this and gave the Peace Treaty a new paint job, and it is so good that farming for PvE and PvP is worthwhile.
Start video
Destiny 2: Launch trailer for the new episode Heresy
Old pistol becomes a strong option for PvE and PvP
Why is the weapon so good? The Peace Treaty has undergone a complete overhaul. The perks in column 3 and 4 of the possible rolls have been exchanged for stronger ones. So if you’re looking for the God-roll, we can recommend the following rolls for PvE and PvP:
God-roll for PvE
Chambered Compensator
Extended Mag
Grave Robber
Cold Steel
Masterwork: Reload Speed
What can the roll do? With this roll, you become a juggernaut and dominate the battlefield with crystals. Headshots create crystals that you can then detonate. If you destroy them, you get Frost Armor – a powerful weapon when combined with your Stasis build.
God-roll for PvP
Further Barrel
Improved Rounds
Lone Wolf or Zen Moment
Desperado or Headseeker
Masterwork: Range or Stability
What can the roll do? Depending on where your strengths lie, you can turn the pistol into a small killer with strong headshot potential, thanks to Headseeker. Or you can turn it into a small razor with Desperado and watch your enemies get wiped out in seconds.
Through its rework, Bungie shows that even forgotten weapons still deserve a chance, as long as they are given the love they deserve. Anyone looking for a strong weapon for their Stasis build should definitely get this weapon.
How long do I have to farm? The Iron Banner event started on February 18, 2025, and ends on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. So you still have a whole week if you want to secure this gem. You can find more about Destiny 2 here: Popular bug becomes a feature in Destiny 2, so Guardians can have fun
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
On March 6, 2025, the first expansion of the MMORPG Throne and Liberty titled “Wilderness of Talandre” will be released. MeinMMO had the opportunity to ask “Tico” from Amazon Games some questions in advance.
What do I need to know about the expansion? When “Wilderness of Talandre” is released on March 6, 2025, for all versions of Throne and Liberty for free, you can expect the continent that bears the name, fresh story quests, a maximum level of 55, and a lifestyle level of 25.
Additionally, the developers will expand the endgame of the MMORPG with further world bosses (including two arch bosses), 3 abyss dungeons, tier-2 equipment, solo dungeons, 3-star dungeons, a revamp of weapon mastery, an artifact system, and the island of Nebla.
As there is currently no trailer for the new expansion, you can watch the launch trailer for Throne and Liberty again below.
Start video
Throne and Liberty: Claim the Throne – Launch Trailer of the MMORPG
Fight Against Toxicity
Before the official launch of “Wilderness of Talandre”, MeinMMO had the opportunity to grill Daniel “Tico” Lafuente with various questions. The Globalization Design Manager from Amazon Games has earned a very positive reputation within the community through his always clear communication in his video series “Tico Talks”.
To warm up, we wanted to know from Tico what conclusions he draws after the first few months and what his highlights and biggest surprises were.
Since the launch, we have reached several important milestones. The passionate response from the community to our major events, particularly the castle sieges, was incredibly gratifying. Our seasonal content, including Halloween and winter events, received wonderful feedback.
One of our biggest successes was the worldwide launch of the spear in collaboration with NCSOFT. This was the first time we successfully coordinated a major game update and released it simultaneously across all regions of the world.
What surprised and encouraged me the most was how quickly our community has grown and how players have helped each other succeed. The spirit of collaboration we have experienced has exceeded our expectations.
Daniel “Tico” Lafuente in an interview with MeinMMO
Since we have only experienced this spirit of collaboration to a limited extent, we spoke with the Amazon Games employee about the dominance and power of large alliances that have robbed many players of fun.
In doing so, we presented Tico with some community solution proposals: limiting alliances to a maximum of two guilds and providing additional castles that can be besieged. His thoughts on that:
We take the issue of mega-alliances very seriously and will address it comprehensively before the launch of Talandre. We are aware that dominant forces that eliminate competition are not healthy for the game’s ecosystem. While simply reducing alliance sizes may not be enough to prevent unofficial alliances among groups, we will take several measures to improve the situation.
Our approach focuses on promoting more structured GvG activities, which has already received positive feedback from our community. We are committed to maintaining a balanced and competitive environment that allows guilds of all sizes to meaningfully participate in game content.
Daniel “Tico” Lafuente in an interview with MeinMMO
However, frustration has not only come from alliances, but also in the cooperative dungeons. Toxic behavior from some players was intensified when the challenging 2-star instances went live. As the next level – 3-star dungeons – comes with the expansion, we ask Tico if the developers are planning measures to combat toxicity in cooperative content.
Daniel Lafuente explains in his response that they want to release the 3-star dungeons with a slight increase in the difficulty curve compared to the 2-star dungeons. The base version of the new instances is intended to target a broader audience. Those seeking tougher challenges will find them in the dimension trials.
Here you can check out the February issue of Eye On Solisium:
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
In recent weeks, it has been repeatedly noted on community platforms that players are unhappy with the release timing of “Wilderness of Talandre”. With Monster Hunter Wilds set to be released on February 28, 2025, which is, well, a massive scope of a game into which many fans want to pour hundreds of hours.
We would therefore like to know the criteria on which the start date of the expansion has been determined. Apparently, Amazon Games and NCSoft did not look at the releases of the competition. Tico explains:
We are convinced of the extensive content offering that Wilderness of Talandre provides to our players. Even though we are aware of the wider game calendar, we focused on delivering an expansion that provides our community with significant value and exciting new experiences. The scope and quality of the content we are bringing to Throne and Liberty with this expansion will give players compelling reasons to explore everything Talandre has to offer.
Daniel “Tico” Lafuente in an interview with MeinMMO
But how big is “Wilderness of Talandre” actually? Especially with regard to the new continent. And how long will players need to reach the new maximum level of 55 through the new story chapter? The Globalization Design Manager explains:
Talandre represents a huge expansion of our world and doubles the size of the current map. Players will discover six extensive new zones, four new field bosses, two new ore bosses, and three new abyss dungeons.
We designed the level progression so that it is manageable yet rewarding – most players should reach the new level cap within 8 hours, while more experienced players may achieve it in about 4 hours. The journey through this content will be filled with unforgettable moments and exciting discoveries.
Daniel “Tico” Lafuente in an interview with MeinMMO
Among the announced features of the expansion are the new solo dungeons. We ask to what extent these differ from the previously available solo challenges, what level of difficulty can be expected, and what rewards interested players can look forward to.
While I don’t want to reveal too many details about the solo dungeons yet, I can say that there will be five different difficulty levels, with the base level being more accessible than our current coop dungeons.
We will release detailed information about the unique mechanics and reward structures in our upcoming deep-dive article on Talandre. What I can already say is that we have designed these dungeons to provide an engaging solo experience that complements our existing content offerings.
Daniel “Tico” Lafuente in an interview with MeinMMO
Following this, we forwarded a question from the community to Tico: Why is there a time limit of 7 hours per week for the island of Nebla? According to Daniel Lafuente, this is to maintain the balance of competition.
The PvP area should not be dominated by a single group for the entire time, but rather ensure broad participation from players. However, stones should allow the maximum playtime to be increased to a certain extent.
We also had a question about the new artifact system, specifically how it will work in practice. Tico explains:
The artifact system features a special interface with six slots – four for talistones, one for a lunarstone, and one for a solarstone. Players can receive certain bonuses by selecting their combinations. The lunar and solar stones add extra depth by providing both a passive ability and an activatable ability with their own key binding.
To help players navigate this new system, we have partnered with developers from the community who will publish comprehensive guides explaining all aspects of the artifacts and the mist island prior to their release.
Daniel “Tico” Lafuente in an interview with MeinMMO
Looking at the release and the server merge occurring shortly before, we finally want to know what preparations the developers are making to effectively handle a possible influx of players on all servers.
Tico explains that the server consolidation has been carefully planned in view of the expansion launch. All worlds have free capacities for newcomers and returners. Everyone should be able to enjoy Talandre comfortably when the expansion goes live.
Although the new patch of World of Warcraft does a lot of good, Blizzard cannot get a problem under control: the annoying Valor Stones.
Those who want to have good gear in World of Warcraft not only need to acquire the corresponding items but also upgrade them. For this, you usually need two different items – namely Emblems and Valor Stones. The Valor Stones especially keep dividing the community. While one group has virtually unlimited amounts, others never have enough. A problem that Blizzard acknowledges but cannot provide a good solution for, even in Patch 11.1 Lorenhalt.
Start video
3 absurde Bugs, die in WoW passiert sind
What is the problem with Valor Stones? Valor Stones (Valor Stones) are basically needed permanently. You earn them for almost all endgame content in the game – whether Dungeons, Raids, World Quests, or events in the open world. Many are permanently at the “cap” of 2,000 Valor Stones and have no issue with that.
It is different for Twinks. Especially second characters usually have a lack of Valor Stones, as they engage in fewer activities than on the “main”. However, when they want to venture out to actively farm the stones, there are so few that the joy quickly fades.
Why are Valor Stones important? One suggestion from the community is to simply eliminate the Valor Stones, as they are just “annoying and unnecessary”. In fact, however, Valor Stones also have a regulatory factor. They influence how expensive it is to upgrade different armor pieces.
While you need only a small amount of Valor Stones to upgrade bracers, you need significantly more for chest armor or a weapon. Only the Emblem costs are the same per upgrade.
This makes upgrading a chest armor “more expensive”, which is fair because it offers more stats and improvements than, say, bracers.
An additional suggestion from the community is to simply bind Valor Stones to the Warfront so they can be sent back and forth between characters. This would drastically reduce the problem for many.
Valor Stones are important, but Emblems were more important
What does Blizzard say about it? In an interview with “But why tho?”, Morgan Day from Blizzard was addressed regarding the issue. He acknowledges that there is a problem here but cannot yet offer a real solution:
We know that Valor Stones are a hot topic in the community. But a large part of our focus, especially in the Mythic+ area, has been on Emblems, because we know that they are often the limiting factor.
You can acquire Emblems much more easily and in greater quantities in Patch 11.1. Even Depth fans can snatch the best Emblems, while everyone else is rewarded a bit more from dungeons.
Valor Stones are currently a bit odd, we acknowledge that because they are so important at the beginning of a season. Especially before you have all the Emblems you need, Valor Stones are important for the [first] upgrades. Then you reach a saturation point where you no longer need them, and Emblems are the limiting factor. At the start, you care a lot about [the Valor Stones], then that interest fades.
We really understand that [the Valor Stones] are currently not in the healthiest position. We believe there is still a lot we can adjust in Season 2.
At least there is a small change for everyone who enjoys participating in raids:
I want to mention that there are some increases for raids, you’ll get a few more [Valor Stones]. […]
We hear the community’s feedback and understand the problem here.
Even though the problem is known, Blizzard evidently has no appropriate solution for the start of Season 2 and will probably only provide this in the coming weeks. A somewhat curious response when one considers that Valor Stones are important in the first weeks of the season – and then not so much anymore. Again and again, Blizzard does not have a one-size-fits-all solution – as also with heirlooms, which have sharply declined in the fans’ views.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Vegeta and Bulma have been a couple since Dragon Ball Z. They have two children together, Trunks and Bra. Although Vegeta is such a headstrong Saiyajin, he shows in the new episode of the anime how important his family is to him.
Why is Vegeta close to death? Son-Goku and his friends must face the powerful King Gomah, who has now gained immense powers through the third demonic eye on his forehead. Vegeta faces him alone after regaining his adult form through Glorio’s wish.
Vegeta is pushing himself to his limit: He transforms into the triple Super-Saiyajin and realizes that he doesn’t have much time left to maintain the transformation. His defeat is imminent, but he is ready to fight to the death.
Fortunately, he has his wife Bulma, who loves him. She manages with a nasty trick to force him to give up.
How Son-Goku and the others became children is shown in the first trailer for Dragon Ball Daima:
Start video
In Dragon Ball DAIMA, Son Goku and his friends shrink
Bulma saves Vegeta’s life by bathing
What kind of nasty trick is that? Bulma calls out to Vegeta to stop fighting immediately. Otherwise, she would never bathe with him again. Vegeta turns around in slow motion, visibly shocked. He shortly thereafter leaves the battlefield at incredible speed, leaving the fighting to the others.
With this, Bulma has probably saved Vegeta’s life. The Saiyajin had already sacrificed himself in Dragon Ball Z to defeat his opponent Majin Buu, which unfortunately didn’t quite work. Here too, it could have been the case that he fights to the bitter end.
Why does Vegeta let himself be manipulated with bathing? The scene shows how important his family and especially his wife Bulma are to Vegeta. But there have also been many moments beforehand that showed their love for each other:
When Bulma asked if Vegeta could carry her while flying, he replied that he intended to do so anyway.
In Dragon Ball Super, the God of Destruction, Bills, hits his wife Bulma. Vegeta becomes so angry that he transforms into a Super-Saiyajin and challenges Bills.
When Bulma is pregnant with Bra, Vegeta refuses to participate in the tournament of universes. He doesn’t want to miss the birth of his daughter and leave his wife alone.
The series surrounding the idyllic Pokémon vacation paradise was exclusively available on Netflix until just a few days ago. Now, all those who previously did not have a subscription to the streaming service can watch the series completely free of charge – and even in German.
Which series is it about?The Pokémon Concierge is an animated stop-motion series consisting of a total of 4 episodes. It has been exclusively available on Netflix since December 28, 2023. According to Netflix, a second season is currently in production as announced on X.
Protagonist Haru wants a fresh start, as she is plagued by misfortune. She begins as a Pokémon concierge on a tropical island.
As a concierge (similar to a property manager), she takes care of the well-being of the pocket monsters. They are fed and entertained.
One day, Haru encounters a shy Psyduck. She befriends the Pokémon and discovers its peculiar powers with it.
The series, unlike the anime, focuses on relaxation and recreation, not on action-packed battles. It is more about the loving interactions between the concierge and the Pokémon, not the adventures that trainers experience with them.
You can watch the trailer for The Pokémon Concierge here:
Start video
Pokémon Concierge – Official Trailer by Netflix
Watch The Pokémon Concierge for free now
Where can you watch it for free? On the occasion of Pokémon Day, which celebrates the anniversary of the release of Pokémon Red and Green, the series will be available in different languages on the official Pokémon channels on YouTube. If you want to watch The Pokémon Concierge in German, you need to go to the German YouTube channel.
However, you need to hurry up with watching: The entire series will only be available on YouTube until March 9, 2025. After that, you will have to watch it on Netflix as before. But until that date, you should have enough time to watch all episodes: After all, the series only consists of 4 episodes, each with a runtime of about 15 minutes.
However, there is also criticism: The story and the characters are said to be simple, and users wished to know more about Haru. There is no depth in the dialogues, which is why some believe that the series is only meant for children.
