Ubisoft says: Their flopped Star Wars game will be really successful, you just have to wait

Ubisoft released its third Star Wars game, Star Wars Outlaws, in August 2024. Unfortunately, it did not meet expectations. Now Ubisoft says it should still become really successful.

Why did Star Wars Outlaws flop? At the release of the AAA title, there were some technical shortcomings. According to many players, the game struggled with several bugs and performance issues. An underdeveloped enemy AI made the gameplay somewhat sluggish. The stealth mechanics were poorly executed, and the combat system did not feel good.

Sales figures over the Christmas period fell short of Ubisoft’s expectations, according to Frederick Douguet during the financial conference on February 13, 2025 (via ubisoft.com).

What does this mean for Ubisoft? The stock price of Ubisoft (via boerse.de) has steadily declined since the release of Star Wars Outlaws. Such a low price has not been seen since 2015. Throughout 2024, Ubisoft’s value dropped by half.

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Trailer for Star Wars Outlaws, the first open-world game in the ‘Star Wars’ universe

How does Ubisoft plan to achieve long-term success? Despite the unmet sales figures, Frederick Douget stated that Star Wars Outlaws has already gained quality through several updates. Further updates and improvements are intended to make it a long-term success and thus improve the stock price of the video game developer.

The current rating on Steam is Mostly Positive. In November, there was already an update for the stealth mechanics and a release on Steam.

Similarly, other games have been developed into very good titles. Cyberpunk 2077 and No Man’s Sky are prime examples of an early release. Today, both games are very popular and offer high quality.

Ubisoft sees a positive future

In the sales report from February 13, 2025, Ubisoft co-founder Yves Guillemont stated:

We are fully focused on the upcoming release of Assassin’s Creed Shadows on March 20. The first previews were positive and praised the storytelling and immersive experience, where both characters play a significant role in the game’s narrative, as well as the quality and complementarity of the gameplay provided by the dual protagonist approach.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows will also be available directly on Valve’s Steam gaming platform. Additionally, Ubisoft announced it will abolish the battle pass model to provide players with a complete experience.

Since 2019, Ubisoft games have been released on the Epic Games Launcher. Star Wars Outlaws is already available on Steam, and the new Assassin’s Creed will be released directly on Valve’s platform: Ubisoft gives up its own launcher for Star Wars Outlaws, crawling back to Steam – Was it that bad?

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Path of Exile Legacy of Phrecia: All Sub-classes of the Event Overview

In Path of Exile, the developers are working on the new event Legacy of Phrecia. All subclasses in the game will be replaced by newer experimental classes. We present all subclasses here.

The new event for Path of Exile is set to replace all 19 subclasses, known in English as Ascendancy Classes. Each one will be swapped out for another, crazier option, affecting all builds in the game.

Update: We have expanded this article on February 17, 2024, with four new subclasses.

The developers are continually introducing new subclasses. We showcase all known ones so far in this article.

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Here you can see how the bosses in Path of Exile 2 are created:

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This NPC in Path of Exile 2 identifies your items

Ranger

Ranger – Daughter of Oshabi

As an Azmeri, the Daughter of Oshabi is closely connected to nature, especially to the forests. She shares many powers with the Warden of the Maji and is empowered by shrines or summons Sacred Wisps to enhance her attacks. Her damage scales with her evasion value, and rare and unique enemies are marked near her on the minimap.

Enemies bound by at least five Grasping Vines take poison damage with each hit. She automatically creates small shrines when she defeats enemies and gains a random shrine buff every 10 seconds. Certain armor pieces without sockets grant massive bonuses – including doubled defensive values, increased resistances, more health, and additional movement speed.

The preliminary skill tree of Ranger – Daughter of Oshabi
The preliminary skill tree of Ranger – Daughter of Oshabi

Ranger – Whisperer

The Whisperer is a descendant of Inya from the Pale Court, enhancing her attacks with arcane powers. Her focus is on mana, affecting her survivability and damage. Instead of intelligence, dexterity increases her maximum mana, and all physical damage taken is absorbed first by mana. Her attack projectiles split multiple times, while increases in spell damage also enhance her attacks with amplified effect.

Enemies are blinded on hit, and she herself moves silently thanks to increased stealth. She benefits from enhanced mana regeneration through flasks that additionally restore life. Her abilities cost more mana, but after a certain amount of resources consumed, she gains rage. Moreover, she receives additional lightning damage for her attacks based on her maximum mana.

The preliminary skill tree of Ranger – Whisperer
The preliminary skill tree of Ranger – Whisperer

Ranger – Wildspeaker

The Wildspeaker venerates the primal animal gods and uses their powers to strengthen herself and her allies. She can channel the power of land or sky beings, granting her bonuses to speed and attack. Her animal companions scale with her dexterity and benefit from additional boosts, while she can summon spirit wolves through critical hits.

Even in combat, she remains closely connected to her environment. She temporarily adopts the properties of defeated, rare enemies and shares various combat advantages like charges and speed with her team. Her sharpened instincts enable her to mitigate spell damage with high probability, although the protection is not as effective as that of others.

The preliminary skill tree of Ranger – Wildspeaker
The preliminary skill tree of Ranger – Wildspeaker

Marauder

Marauder – Antiquarian

The Antiquarian is an experienced collector from the harbor of Ngakanu who uses historical artifacts in battle. His passive skills are finds from excavations like relics of Kalguuran, legendary Karui trinkets, or equipment from great enemies like General Marceus Lioneye, granting him unique defensive and offensive advantages.

He can enhance ranged attacks by increasing damage with the flight distance of his projectiles. The longer a projectile flies, the higher the damage. Instead of armor and evasion value, he gains Ward, which regenerates twice as fast and benefits from globally improved defensive values. When his Ward breaks, he gains Adrenaline for 10 seconds, granting massive damage bonus, increased speed, and damage reduction.

Additionally, he can exchange all his intelligence for +150 strength, which is particularly useful because the duration of his abilities increases by 1% per 10 strength. His shield block values are optimized to ensure attacks do not miss – at the cost of reduced dexterity.

The preliminary skill tree of Marauder – Antiquarian
The preliminary skill tree of Marauder – Antiquarian

Marauder – Behemoth

The Behemoth is a master of melee combat, rejecting magic and relying on raw physical strength. Throughout the battle, he becomes progressively stronger, building Rampage, Fortify, and Rage, which provide him with additional damage and survivability.

He regenerates life through Fortification, increases his attack surface, and boosts his attack speed with each Fortify. As an unstoppable force in melee combat, he increases his critical hit chances and continuously receives more damage due to his Rampage penalty as he becomes angrier. Spells are not his – his focus is on physical destruction.

The preliminary skill tree of Marauder – Behemoth
The preliminary skill tree of Marauder – Behemoth

Marauder – Ancestral Commander

The Ancestral Commander calls upon the spirits of his Karui ancestors to aid him in battle. When a totem dies or he is hit by a unique enemy, a powerful ancestor spirit is summoned to stand by his side. These spirits grant him various benefits, such as protection from critical hits or enhanced attacks against marked enemies.

His ability to control multiple totems simultaneously is enhanced by additional benefits like an increased maximum number of Endurance Charges and blocking damage sources. Additionally, his Warcry abilities benefit from increased speed and recovery, while he can also cause nearby corpses to explode to deal damage. Control over melee skills is also enhanced, allowing him to attack extra enemies and hit them from a further distance.

The preliminary skill tree of Marauder – Ancestral Commander
The preliminary skill tree of Marauder – Ancestral Commander

Shadow

Shadow – The Servant of Arakaali

The Servant of Arakaali, executing the commands of the Weaver of Shadows, summons spiders with each enemy killed to attack his foes. These minions have the ability to poison enemies or apply the “Wither” effect, causing them to take damage over time.

Additionally, the Servant has a skill that grants him the power to ensnare enemies in toxic webs. When he has maximum Power Charges, he deals 30% of his physical damage also as chaos damage. He also has a 20% chance to gain a Power Charge when he hits an enemy ensnared in a spider web. You can see the exact abilities in this image from the developers (via Pathofexile.com):

The preliminary skill tree of the Servant of Arakaali
The preliminary skill tree of the Servant of Arakaali

Shadow – Surfcaster

The Shadow Surfcaster is a laid-back character with a deep connection to the sea, granting him control over cold and lightning. Defeated enemies become shocked, and the effect jumps to nearby enemies. His total lightning damage is transformed into cold damage, which can also shock. Hit enemies take increased damage and deal less, while received hits slow the player down, but this effect is reversed on enemies.

He benefits from increased attack speed, spell speed, and movement speed. Enemies have a high chance to be frozen, and frozen foes remain immobile for at least one second. Those who wield a fishing rod guarantee critical hits and cast spells faster. Additionally, excess resistances increase his critical hit chance and his chance to evade.

Image shows the skill tree of the subclass Shadow - Surfcaster in Path of Exile.
The preliminary skill tree of Shadow – Surfcaster

Shadow – Blind Prophet

The Blind Prophet follows an unknown, dark power from the depths of the earth. Although he has been blind since childhood, he has sharpened his other senses and specializes in projectile attacks, stealth, and curses. His attacks are unpredictable – projectiles fly in random directions but can return to him, and his critical hit chance is exceptionally high.

Curses are his strongest weapon: enemies near cursed corpses become blinded, and their bodies explode upon death. The Prophet gains bonuses from Abyss Jewels, can temporarily escape danger through critical hits, and his maximum number of curses scales with his Power Charges. Additionally, he activates a shadow form when hit, which enhances his abilities.

The preliminary skill tree of Shadow - Blind Prophet
The preliminary skill tree of Shadow – Blind Prophet

Witch

Witch – The Harbinger

What can the Harbinger do? The Harbinger is a new subclass of the Witch in Path of Exile. This specialization uses time magic to manipulate the boundaries of space and reality.

The Harbinger can summon allies from his home world to assist him in battle. Additionally, the Witch takes on a blue, ghostly form in this state and gains the ability to fly. A detailed overview of the abilities can be found in this image from the developers (via Pathofexile.com):

The preliminary skill tree of the Harbinger
The preliminary skill tree of the Harbinger

Witch – Herald

The Herald is a seer of doom who has fully devoted herself to the Herald abilities and sacrifices auras for it. Her Herald abilities receive massive boosts, including +3 levels for all Herald Skill Gems and enormous mana efficiency. Additionally, her abilities benefit from increased critical hit chance and larger area of effect.

Instead of conventional defense, she relies on elemental and chaos resistances, affecting her damage reduction. Her minions are also strengthened. Furthermore, her servants have greatly increased damage as long as they are affected by a Herald effect.

The preliminary skill tree of Witch – Herald
The preliminary skill tree of Witch – Herald

Witch – Bog Shaman

The Bog Shaman has retreated to a remote swamp and uses dangerous toxins she ingests daily to enhance her abilities. However, this comes with high risk, as she is poisoned 100% of the time, which increases her maximum resistances to chaos damage as long as she remains poisoned. Her abilities deal physical damage based on the mana she spends, and she adds additional chaos damage to her spells.

Her curses weaken nearby enemies by reducing their resistance to chaos to zero. She enhances her spells with more health and mana costs, which also increases their damage. Her abilities benefit from increased range and effectiveness, while her curse reservations become more efficient. To compensate for her high health and mana costs, she continuously loses life when recently hit and removes her energy shields in favor of additional maximum life points.

The preliminary skill tree of Witch – Bog Shaman
The preliminary skill tree of Witch – Bog Shaman

Duelist

Duelist – The Gambler

What does the Gambler do? The Gambler is a new subclass of the Duelist in Path of Exile. Like real gambling, it’s all about risk – and luck.

Players seeking thrills can deal massive damage with some luck and withstand even tremendous hits. However, those with bad luck risk taking high damage and quickly losing all health points. You can see the exact abilities in this image from the developers (via Pathofexile.com):

The preliminary skill tree of the Gambler
The preliminary skill tree of the Gambler

Duelist – Paladin

The Paladin is a Duelist who has chosen the path of righteousness. In battle, he protects and strengthens his allies through link and aura abilities, while taunting enemies to redirect their attacks towards himself. Enemies he taunts take 20% more damage and deal 20% less to other targets.

Additionally, nearby foes take 25% more elemental damage, while his war cries are endlessly powerful. He benefits from strong defensive auras like Grace, Determination, and Discipline at level 30 and creates consecrated ground that has lingering effects.

Flasks have amplified effects, and non-unique utility flasks also act on linked targets. Link abilities gain +5 levels, and he does not lose experience when a linked ally dies. Curses affect him instead of linked targets, while his auras are amplified by 40% as long as he has linked a target.

The preliminary skill tree of Duelist – Paladin
The preliminary skill tree of Duelist – Paladin

Duelist – Aristocrat

Born in the wealthy circles of Oriath, the Aristocrat knows only success. With the best education and privileged access to knowledge and resources, he surpasses his rivals in sophistication and talent. His superiority is reflected in his adaptability and the ability to leverage his strengths effectively.

He gains more passive skill points than any other class and can reduce the requirements for gear and jewels. His attributes interact with each other, granting him damage bonuses. For him, only the best of the best exists, which is why he improves the quality and levels of all his skills and support gems, making his attacks and spells more efficient.

The preliminary skill tree of Duelist – Aristocrat
The preliminary skill tree of Duelist – Aristocrat

Templar

Templar – The Architect of Chaos/Disciple of the Trialmaster

The Architect of Chaos is an emerging Vaal architect and follower of chaos. He experiments with the deepest secrets of the Vaal. Many of his abilities come with a price, but the Architect benefits from using multiple Vaal skills in his repertoire and enhances worn corrupted items.

He receives a +3 level bonus on all Vaal skill gems and amplifies the effects of corrupted items. Instead of mana, his skills cost life, and he reserves life instead of mana for his skills. He possesses no energy shield, but damage is only applied after he has not lost life points for a full second. You can see the exact abilities in this image from the developers (via Pathofexile.com):

The preliminary skill tree of Architect of Chaos
The preliminary skill tree of Templar – Architect of Chaos

Templar – Polytheist

After a crisis of faith, this Templar venerates multiple gods and receives their blessings, but at the cost of his spells – they are disabled and deal no damage. Instead, he deals damage by running and setting everything beneath him on fire. While moving, he regenerates life and mana, doubles his evasion rating, and is immune to burning, shocked, and frozen ground.

Enemies he has recently hit do not regenerate life while he consistently restores 8% life per second. His proximity blinds foes, allowing him to land more critical hits while they can no longer score any.

He is immune to reflected damage, can curse hexproof enemies, and receives strong defensive bonuses like +300 maximum life and increased resistances. Additionally, his spells fire more projectiles.

The preliminary skill tree of Templar – Polytheist
The preliminary skill tree of Templar – Polytheist

Templar – Puppeteer

In the hidden laboratories of Wraeclast, the Puppeteer experiments with forbidden necromancy. His undead army obeys him unconditionally while fallen minions cover the battlefield with toxic corruption. The Puppeteer controls an army of the undead and animated weapons. His curses spread to nearby enemies, and defeated minions leave harmful effects. Zombies no longer need corpses and count as such themselves.

He enhances his servants with additional levels for zombie skills, increases their size, and makes them more aggressive. He doubles the created animated weapons, and their defenses scale with his Animated Guardian. His own strength also enhances the attributes of his minions.

The preliminary skill tree of Templar – Puppeteer
The preliminary skill tree of Templar – Puppeteer

Scion

Scion – Scavenger

The Scavenger collects what other Exiles discard and makes it her own. She possesses a wide range of abilities. However, she can only utilize a limited number of them, leading to unique and versatile combinations.

Her options range from damage conversions and defensive mechanics to unique interactions with chaos damage, projectile behavior, or rampage effects. She can summon additional companions, amplify spell damage through charges, or combine attacks with spell damage. Moreover, she gains access to effects like adrenaline, enhanced shrine buffs, or the ability to make defeated enemies explode. Her abilities enable both defensive and offensive playstyles.

The new event, Legacy of Phrecia, was created solely due to pressure from the community, who did not want to wait any longer for new content. You can read again how the new event league came to be here: Path of Exile breaks promises, retracts after loud protests, now plans a major update

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. pathofexile.com

“A Head Every 50 Seconds” – Expert Shows How to Level Up New Skills & Gems Quickly and Easily in Diablo 4 Season 7

Diablo 4 has introduced new mechanics with Season 7. The new witch powers and gems are extremely powerful, but also very cumbersome to level up. However, there is a trick to easily obtain the necessary resources, as Diablo streamer Rob demonstrates in the video.

What are these materials?

Here’s how to easily get the heads: Normally, you only receive the heads from very rare enemies in the head hunts. However, there is a way to guarantee getting a head approximately every minute.

The German streamer Rob shows in his YouTube video that you can farm heads at the first boss of the season through the seasonal quest “Oaths and Debts”. However, you need to proceed in a specific way:

  • create a new character and level up to level 60 – this can be done with a trick in a few seconds
  • start the seasonal quest, “Oaths and Debts” should be given to you right at the beginning
  • follow the hints to the dungeon in Gea Kul
  • set the difficulty to at least Torment 1 and enter the dungeon
  • defeat the boss at the end of the dungeon and loot the white Fleeting Head, leave the turquoise one (the quest item) behind
  • do NOT complete the quest, but leave the dungeon and reset all dungeons via the world map
  • repeat the steps until you have as many heads as you want

Since the boss can be quite challenging, it is advisable to gather at least a bit of gear beforehand. If you level up with the box trick, you should at least have basic equipment already. Otherwise, witch powers from the main will help if you’ve already done some groundwork there.

The trick works in a group as well, as long as at least one character has not completed the quest. However, you must play on at least Torment 1. A nice side effect: legendary loot, runes, and crafting recipes can also be found here.

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Diablo 4 shows its witch powers in Season 7 in the trailer

Exchanging Heads and Leveling Witch Powers

You can simply store the Fleeting Heads in your loot chest and use them with any character. If a character has already completed the seasonal quests, they can use the heads at Gelena at the Whispering Tree to create “Decaying Chests”.

The chests contain Restless Decays, which you need for upgrading your witch powers and also for crafting. Additionally, you can use the decay to increase your reputation with the Circle, unlocking rewards and completing the seasonal journey. This way, you receive a new pet.

Whether this trick is an exploit is hard to say. The developers may have overlooked something here. The boss is supposed to drop heads fairly reliably, just not in large quantities. We can’t say if or when it will be fixed.

If you are looking for a build that allows you to farm as effortlessly as possible, Rob himself recommends an AFK Necromancer, who can handle everything just with witch powers. Alternatively, there is an extremely strong Hunter build: Player asks for a class for lazy players in Diablo 4, receives an ideal build that hardly has to press any buttons

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

10 Years After Release, Ubisoft Fundamentally Changes Its Most Successful Shooter, Plans Huge Update

Rainbow 6 Siege is turning 10 years old soon, and to celebrate this milestone appropriately, Ubisoft has planned a big update.

What has been announced? Recently, a forthcoming showcase event for Rainbow Six Siege was announced. Ubisoft wants to take its tactical shooter to a new level and is planning a big transformation to coincide with the release of the 10th year.

The showcase is scheduled for March 13 at 6:00 PM German time and will be streamed on the “Twitch” platform on the game’s channel (via twitch.com). But what exactly does Ubisoft have planned? We will show you what is known.

You can find the movie trailer for Rainbow Six Siege: Year 10 here:

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Rainbow Six Siege shows its Year 10 in its movie trailer

Showcase to unveil the big transformation

What content is known? Not much yet regarding the big transformation. According to their official post, Ubisoft wants to integrate new ways to experience the game. These are intended to deepen the tactical gameplay. Additionally, the team is working on enhancing the gameplay feel, which will also receive comprehensive improvements. With Year 10, Ubisoft aims to elevate its game to the pinnacle of tactical shooters.

Content-wise, we already know that a new operator is set to be released. Her name is Rauora, and she is expected to be unlocked through the Battle Pass in Year 10 Season 1.

As primary weapons, she can equip the sniper rifle 417 or the machine gun M249. For secondary weapons, there are the pistols Reaper MK2 or GSH-18. Her special ability is the M.O.N. plate launcher. With it, you can fire bulletproof plates to block and secure entrances.

Additionally, a complete reputation system and a dynamic player search feature are to be implemented. You can find more details on the official page of ubisoft.com.

When does Year 10 Season 1 start? Ubisoft dates the start of Year 10 Season 1 to March 2025. The exact date will likely be revealed during the showcase. Until then, we have to make do with the approximate time frame. What changes do you expect in the “big transformation”? More on R6 Siege can be found here: Ubisoft fulfills players’ wishes for their most successful game

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. gamespot.com

A 233-Year-Old Invention Improves Quantum Computers and Brings Ultra-Fast Internet Home to You

The quantum computing research is currently experiencing a significant breakthrough. A new technology has been developed that enhances the efficiency of quantum computers. This advancement builds on an old technology that first used light for communication. This could be an important step in quantum computing.

What is it about? On the page Nature Physics, researchers from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) report on their new technology. This allows quantum computers to generate less heat and thus work more efficiently. Quantum computing not only offers immense performance but also demands high investments in specialized technologies and extreme operating conditions.

These are quantum computers: They were born in 1981 and have established themselves as a promising alternative to conventional PCs. Quantum computers use qubits. Quantum computers utilize qubits, which, unlike classical bits, can take on multiple states simultaneously instead of just two.

Currently, they are used in research institutions and laboratories. Furthermore, they are applied in data centers to improve computing processes.

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He created a legendary game, but didn’t get paid for it – Today he’s still a millionaire

An old invention is supposed to help the quantum computer

This development is about: BBC reports that Claude Chappe developed the optical telegraph in 1792, which utilized light signals for message transmission. A technology that forms the basis of modern fiber optic technology and plays an important role today.

What problems needed to be solved? The research team identified two main problems: Firstly, the required cooling power needed to be reduced by replacing electrical cables with fiber optics. These fibers transmit light through total reflection instead of electricity and do not generate heat.

Secondly, the challenge arose that qubits cannot process optical signals directly and are also sensitive to external disturbances. To solve this problem, the researchers developed an electro-optical converter that transforms light signals into microwaves that can be processed by the qubits. This enhances both efficiency and resilience to disturbances.

The impact of quantum computers on our future

The entire development is still a prototype with much room for improvement. However, it represents a crucial first step towards quantum systems.

What impact does this have for us? According to researchers, due to advancements, multiple quantum computers could be connected via fiber optics in the near future, even at room temperature. Furthermore, according to BMBF, these advancements could influence our data traffic and its security. Since quantum computers could develop faster algorithms for data transmission and encryption. Speed could be improved, and latency times in networks could be reduced.

Last but not least, the development of quantum computers could also advance Artificial Intelligence (AI). Quantum computers would be able to analyze and process large amounts of data much faster, enhancing the capabilities of AI systems.

The future and development in the field of quantum computers promise enormous progress that could fundamentally change our lives. However, despite their impressive performance, quantum computers still cannot do everything. Because on the most powerful quantum computer for 90 million euros, you can’t even play Doom.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

In Monster Hunter Wilds, your prey can still provide you with items after some time if you are patient.

In Monster Hunter Wilds, there is a strong focus on an authentic ecosystem. It goes so far that you can observe entire life cycles of monsters. One thing can actually be very useful for you. 

What role does the ecosystem play in Monster Hunter Wilds? In Monster Hunter Wilds, the developers aimed to create a world with the most vibrant ecosystem possible that feels authentic and believable. Players can travel through various biotopes almost seamlessly and explore the local flora and fauna. 

It is also possible to observe monsters in their various life stages. From hatching from the egg to frolicking younglings to adult monsters, you can find versions of almost every smaller monster.  

However, one life stage offers players another benefit. In Monster Hunter, monsters are not infrequently hunted – either by you or by other beasts. And their death can be useful to you not only for direct materials but also after some time. 

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Monster Hunter Wilds Shows What It Has to Offer in Launch Trailer

What benefit are we talking about? When a player slays a monster, they can carve it up and obtain important materials to craft equipment and other useful items. During the beta, players discovered that their prey can also have another benefit that is not as direct. 

If you leave your prey lying around for a while, practical plants can grow from it, which you can harvest. In a Reddit thread, user -Codiak- shared his observations from the beta that it takes about 5 minutes for a body of small monsters to decay and mushrooms to grow on it. However, this does not seem to apply equally to all prey, so you need to have a little patience, as the mushrooms seem to grow only with a certain probability. 

Something similar seems to happen with the bodies of large monsters if they are not carved immediately after being slain. According to -Codiak-, decay seems to begin within a period of 5 to 10 minutes, which apparently increases the chance of obtaining ‘bone’-based materials when carving. 

Such small details can be found in abundance in Monster Hunter Wilds. And fans appreciate them. The title especially rewards attentive players who take their time to observe the monsters longer: If you hold back in Monster Hunter Wilds, the enemies reward you with special moments

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

A part of Generation Z is forced to decline jobs for one reason: they cannot afford the costs of uniforms and travel

The cost of living has been rising sharply for many months. The Generation Z is also affected. For many, this goes so far that even job offers are rejected because they don’t feel financially stable enough to take the upfront costs of a new job.

In the United Kingdom (UK), YouGov conducted the annual “The Prince’s Trust Natwest Youth Index”. Here, young people are surveyed annually on various aspects of their lives and work. A total of 2,000 individuals aged 16 to 25 participated.

In particular, many young people feel more financially insecure than ever. In some cases, this goes so far that not only are meals skipped, but jobs are also refused because the necessary equipment cannot be afforded.

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Students spy on passersby with hidden cameras and AI, find name and address in seconds

10% of Generation Z declines a job offer because they cannot afford the startup costs

Among young people who are unemployed, about 5% of the participants state that they have rejected a job because they cannot afford the costs of starting work. These include costs for rent, commuting, or a mandatory uniform.

The rejection rates for such job offers rise even more depending on the group: 9% of individuals from poorer backgrounds decline job offers due to high costs, and among those classified as “NEET”, it is even 10%.

NEET is an acronym for “Not in Education, Employment or Training”: It refers to young adults who are not attending school, are not working, and are not in vocational training.

The rising cost of living triggers a feeling of anxiety about the future among young people while simultaneously limiting their career prospects. Their overall financial worries are even greater. In the YouGov survey, they say:

  • 49% of respondents believe that rising living costs affect their well-being more than the Corona pandemic.
  • More than half (53%) believe they will never be financially secure because everything is becoming more expensive.
  • Due to the cost of living, one-third of young people (34%) report that financial worries are worsening their mental health. Among the so-called NEET, it is even 44% who have this concern.

Many young people fear for their financial future. Many do not feel like adults at the age of 18 because they lack financial security. For many young people, this also means that they are already starting to save for their retirement in 30 or 40 years. And this is an exciting development: While Baby Boomers according to a survey about adulthood only started saving at 34, respondents of Gen Z say they would start at 22.

Generation Z, aside from criticism, faces two major problems. On one hand, rents are becoming increasingly expensive, and on the other hand, they don’t want to accept any job just to earn money. And this is not well-received by older generations, who refer to their own life paths: Gen Z is currently facing two major problems, one of which they cannot solve without help

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. xataka.com

„A Disaster“ – Player finds the one friend with whom you never want to play Baldur’s Gate 3 in Co-Op

The Co-Op in Baldur’s Gate 3 allows players to experience the title from start to finish together with friends. This can foster a strong team spirit, wild experiences, and funny moments. However, one player had to realize that the joint run with a friend was not the best idea for their friendship.

What is he upset about? The player Ancient_Elk532 reports on Reddit about a rather sobering gaming experience he had with a friend in Baldur’s Gate 3: “Playing Baldur’s Gate 3 with a competitive amateur friend is a DISASTER.”

What initially sounds like a jab at his friend’s skills is completely turned around with each line of his experience report. The player (abbreviated as “Elk” in this article) describes that he started the game for the fifth time, while it was his friend’s first time. Elk explained to him that it was a story-oriented RPG, where you don’t have to min-max everything to finish. However, his friend apparently had a different idea of fun in gaming.

Here you see the trailer for Baldur’s Gate 3:

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Baldur’s Gate 3 is coming to PS5 – Trailer prepares for console release

The min-max craze nearly ruined the friendship

What ruined the friends’ co-op experience? Elk reports that his friend, who played a ranger himself, constantly complained about his wizard, stating that the class was “useless” and generally a “shit class”. He should have chosen a barbarian or fighter instead.

When Elk’s wizard became significantly stronger in the second act of the game, his friend calmed down a bit, but as soon as something went wrong, Elk was the problem. Elk reminded him that it was a PvE game and that there was no reason to act that way, but the behavior persisted until the third act of the game, where they ultimately had to quit the run.

How did the player handle his friend’s behavior? “It wasn’t even about min-maxing or playstyle, but that he seemed to desperately need to prove something,” Elk explains in his post, “He unfairly berated me and acted as if he, as a newbie, knew the game better than I, the experienced player.”

Elk was shocked by the sudden change in his friend’s behavior, who is otherwise a really nice guy in real life. He doesn’t know if his friend’s selfish attitude has deeper reasons, but he cannot tolerate such toxic gaming behavior.

“Of course, no one is perfect,” Elk adds, “but that almost made me question his ‘character.'”

How is the community reacting to this experience? Other players expressed their own opinions under the post:

  • joe-re says: “You can still be friends, you can still have fun together, but don’t do anything together where you both have different ideas of fun. And don’t think too much about it.”
  • WakeoftheStorm comments: “I can’t play Monopoly with my wife. But that doesn’t stop us from being married. Playing Monopoly, however, does.”
  • The_Derpy_Rogue has a potential explanation for this experience: “Sounds like you’re playing with Minthara…” – Elk compares his friend more to Wulbren Bongle.

The group of a MeinMMO author plays Baldur’s Gate 3 as co-op in Honor mode, and so far without disputes or (too) bad decisions. They have also made it to the third act of the game, but an initially inconspicuous opponent caused a lot of stress: A cursed imp punished my greed in Baldur’s Gate 3

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Reddit

A new fantasy movie is already more successful than some of the biggest movies of recent years and could be among the top 7 of all time.

China is a revenue-rich country for cinema, regularly producing hits that many have not even heard of or that only land on streamers. Since January 29, 2025, a fantasy animated film has been running in China, which has even surpassed the movie about Super Mario and Barbie, even though it has not yet been released worldwide.

Which film is it? Ne Zha 2 is the sequel to a Chinese animated film from 2019. The films are loosely based on Chinese mythology and Investiture of the Gods. It is about the friends Ne Zha and Ao Bing, who grow up as mystical counterparts.

The film is such a huge success in China that it can compete with international hits in terms of numbers. It even broke the record for the highest earnings in a single country. According to koimoi.com, the film has already grossed over 1.55 billion US dollars after 18 days, making it one of the highest-grossing films of all time, even though it has only had a limited release in other countries besides China.

Image rights of Avatar belong to James Cameron, Disney, and 20th Century Fox

You can find a trailer for Ne Zha 2 here:

Start video
Ne Zha 2 – Trailer for the Chinese animated film

Ne Zha 2 would have been the highest-grossing film of 2023, continuing to rise

How successful is over 1.55 billion US dollars? For comparison, one can look at the year 2023, during which hits like Barbie, The Super Mario Bros Movie, or Oppenheimer were released. Barbie was the highest-grossing film of 2023, with over 1.4 billion US dollars.

With these numbers, Ne Zha 2 is currently the third-highest-grossing animated film of all time, surpassed only by The Lion King (2019) and Inside Out 2. The latter currently tops the list with nearly 1.7 billion US dollars (via Box Office Mojo).

The run of Ne Zha 2 is not over yet. It’s quite likely that the film will also surpass Inside Out 2. The film has only had a limited release in the USA so far, and other countries are likely to follow. Sites like Collider or KoiMoi even see a chance that the film will break the legendary 2 billion mark. Only 6 films have achieved that so far:

  • Avatar (2.9 billion US dollars)
  • Avatar: The Way of Water (2.3 billion US dollars)
  • Titanic (2.2 billion US dollars)
  • Avengers: Infinity War (2 billion US dollars)
  • Avengers: Endgame (2.7 billion US dollars)
  • Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2 billion US dollars)

How likely is that? As CNN reports, Ne Zha 2 is currently a big phenomenon in China. Due to the current situation, fewer films from other countries are coming to China, and Ne Zha 2 benefits from that. The release timing around the Chinese New Year holiday was also a good start for the film.

Internationally, the film, especially if it remains a limited release, is unlikely to be as successful, yet the film could still increase its earnings significantly. Especially in China, the film seems to be performing well. Nevertheless, it will likely be challenging to break the 2 billion mark.

Even if Na Zha 2 does not reach the next milestone, the film shows what a strong and important market China is for the film industry. China invests heavily and regularly releases big films. Among them was the sci-fi hit The Wandering Earth: On Netflix, you can watch a massive sci-fi film about humanity fleeing from the sun

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

In the new Game of Thrones game, you fight powerful monsters – even the deadliest dragon of the series

Game of Thrones: Kingsroad is set to be released in 2025. Now there is a new insight into the game, showing powerful enemies.

What kind of game is this? Kingsroad is supposed to be an open-world RPG for mobile platforms developed by Netmarble. You will take on your own character who must navigate through Westeros.

Apparently, we will encounter the White Walkers and must defend ourselves against them. But many other familiar faces from the series will also be represented in the game.

A further insight has now been released, showcasing battles against various boss opponents. It almost has a Monster Hunter feel to it, as you will encounter one creature or another in Westeros that wants to take you down. You can see what these battles look like here in the video:

Start video
Game of Thrones Kingsroad shows powerful monsters in the video

Drogon and other monsters from the world of Westeros

The video shows a group of fighters taking on the various monsters. In direct duels, it seems to be all about skillful dodging and timely strikes – as you want to avoid the dangerous attacks of the monsters.

The most prominent opponent in the video is the dragon Drogon. We know him from the series, as he is the largest dragon of Daenerys Targaryen. In the game, it seems he will not be on your side, as he appears as a field boss that must be fought.

Additionally, there are other monsters that also originate from the world of George R.R. Martin, but have not been seen until now.

  • The ice spider, for instance, has been described in the series and the book as a mount for the White Walkers. However, to this day, they are rather attributed to the realm of legends, as they have not appeared in either the book or the series.
  • The “Red Cockatrice” is seen in the video, a kind of mix between a dragon and a rooster. Such a creature is also depicted on the sigil of House Gargalen from the books.
  • We see a unicorn, which in Westeros is not a horse, but a type of goat with a huge horn.
  • A griffin is also seen, which are likewise legendary figures in the world of Game of Thrones.

In the game, you will now have the opportunity to face them for the first time.

When does the story of Kingsroad take place? According to the current status, the game starts in the middle of the series. King Baratheon is dead, the Lannisters are on the throne, Stannis is gathering his troops, and a threat is brewing behind the Wall that humanity is not ready for.

This is where the game begins – accordingly, you will have the opportunity to encounter many characters from the series and the books. Thus, some of the best swordsmen in Game of Thrones will certainly appear. The game is set to be released in 2025, but there is no exact release window yet.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

MontanaBlack explains why Twitch streamer Tanzverbot is still waiting for the €1,000 from the bet he urgently needs

The Twitch streamer Marcel “MontanaBlack” Eris and Kilian “Tanzverbot” Heinrich made a bet in 2024, which Tanzverbot was able to win. Now it’s about settling the bet debts. This is allegedly failing because Tanzverbot has not been online for quite some time.

Why does Tanzverbot need the 1,000 euros? At the end of 2023, Tanzverbot desperately reached out to his community: He is broke, had thoughtlessly spent most of his money, and now has debts with the tax office.

Then MontanaBlack indirectly offered him his help. He made a bet with the 28-year-old that if he would stream a total of 14 times live on Twitch in September 2024, he would give him 1,000 euros.

Of course, 1,000 euros will not cover all of the Twitch streamer’s debts, but it would at least be a start in the right direction. Additionally, the bet serves as a great motivation for Tanzverbot to stream more often and to gradually pay off his debts with more money.

That Tanzverbot actually managed to stream 14 times in September 2024 is remarkable. Initially, it was still critical whether he would really succeed.

In the video, Tanzverbot talks about his difficult past:

Start video
Twitch streamer Tanzverbot talks about his difficult past, still regrets his lack of education

MontanaBlack has no way to hand over the money

Why hasn’t the debt been settled yet? In a stream, from which a clip was uploaded on YouTube, MontanaBlack commented on the current situation of the betting debts. He says that he would have liked to gift Tanzverbot the 1,000 euros either in subs on Twitch or hand them over in cash at his winter event. Unfortunately, Tanzverbot has neither been online in recent months, nor was he a guest at the event.

According to MontanaBlack, he has not had the opportunity to publicly hand over the money until now.

Reacting to an “excuse” from the chat, MontanaBlack responds sarcastically: “Yeah, sure, it’s an excuse. I’m trying to scam my homie out of 1,000 euros because I’m not doing so well. The 1,000 euros are extremely important to me; I want to keep them for myself.”

What is the current status of Tanzverbot? Tanzverbot has not been seen in public for several months. He last briefly reached out at the beginning of February and made it clear that he is not doing well: The 28-year-old wanted to get out of debt with Twitch – Says after 4 months of pause: “I have nothing left in life”

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. YouTube

A new MMORPG with stunning graphics launches this week, reveals the starting classes

The MMORPG Legend of Ymir will launch in a few days in South Korea. Along with this, the 4 classes for the game’s launch have now been presented.

What kind of game is this? Legend of Ymir is an MMORPG being developed by the South Korean studio WeMade for PC and Mobile. The game aims to shine not only through its setting in Norse mythology but also through its graphics, utilizing Unreal Engine 5.

In the past, great PvP battles and siege fights have also been announced for the game, as well as a rich story and various activities such as jump & run puzzles and fishing.

The release of the South Korean version is set for February 20, 2025. In line with this, the developer has now introduced the 4 classes with which the game will launch.

Start video
Legend of Ymir 5 Minutes Gameplay Trailer

Typical classes of an MMORPG

What classes are there in the game? The first of the 4 classes that players can start with in the game is the Berserker. He is the classic tank, armed with sword and shield, and is primarily meant to absorb damage and hold aggro.

The second class, the Skald, is a typical support class. With the help of her harp, with which she plays songs and recites poems, she can perform healing and revivals as well as provide her group with buffs.

Völva is the third presented class. This is a mage who is meant to deal damage. She draws on elemental powers such as fire and ice.

The last presented class is the Warlord, who deals damage in close combat. He uses 2 spears, one in each hand. He is also supposed to have a few abilities that allow him to deal damage from a distance.

A video has been uploaded for each of the 4 classes, where you can see the classes in action briefly. You can find these on the developer’s YouTube channel.

Is the game only being released in South Korea? In addition to the South Korean version of the game, a global version has also been announced. Originally, the South Korean version was supposed to be released in 2024, and the global version in 2025.

When exactly the global version of the game will be released is not officially known yet.

While Legend of Ymir is set to be released in just a few days, there are also other MMORPGs that have been on the market for many years and still enjoy players today. Among the most well-known representatives of the genre, there is a mechanic that players do not accept as well anymore: Once celebrated in WoW, now the community considers it trash.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Path of Exile 2 finally brings the feature everyone has been waiting for since week 1

The developers of Path of Exile 2 have introduced a new feature that will greatly ease the storage spaces for the community.

What kind of feature is this? Since the first players reached the endgame of Path of Exile 2 in week 1, their inventories have been filled with maps. The Waystones, as the maps are called in the ARPG, are an important part of the game, but they have also blocked players’ storage spaces and taken up a lot of room.

There was no way to simply sort the Waystones into a tab, as was still possible in the predecessor. With the new patch 0.1.1D, this has changed. From now on, there is also a storage tab for maps in Path of Exile 2, but it is not free.

Here you can see how the bosses in the ARPG are created:

Start video
Path of Exile 2: The new trailer reveals how the bosses of the action RPG come into being

Such convenience doesn’t come free

Why is the storage tab so important? The map storage tab sorts your collected Waystones from the inventory directly into a tab of the respective tier with just one click. Additionally, each tier can have sub-tabs that you can set up and sort as you wish. With the new storage tab, you can store a total of 576 Waystones.

In an example video on X.com, the developers have created a tab where the rare maps are sorted and offered directly for sale. You can also sell directly from the new map storage.

How much does the new feature cost? Like all other special storage tabs in Path of Exile 2, the new map tab is not free. In the shop on PathofExile.com, the upgrade regularly costs 150 points, which corresponds to about 15 €. However, there is currently an offer where you can get the tab for about 12 €.

However, all gamers who purchased the unlock in the predecessor are lucky. The unlock applies to the entire account and both games, so the feature is free for many veterans.

Many players have wondered from the beginning why the developers did not include this feature at release. The fact that it is coming now in Season 1 has pleased players in the comments on X.com and Reddit.

However, there is also criticism regarding the lack of slots for the tablets that are used to enhance other maps in specific locations on the endgame map of PoE2. The developers have not commented on the absence of these slots. On the battlefield, another player is struggling with a space issue: Player summons 46 minions, which must make Path of Exile 2 look really bad

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Monster Hunter Wilds 2. Open Beta: All Important Information on Time, Multiplayer and Content

Fans have been eagerly waiting since the first beta of Monster Hunter Wilds for a new way to play the highly anticipated new title once again in advance. Finally, a second open beta has been announced that you can join soon.

When does the beta take place? The second open beta will occur in two phases:

  • The first phase took place from February 7, 2025, 4:00 AM to February 10, 3:59 AM
  • The second phase starts on February 14, 4:00 AM and ends due to an extension on February 18, 3:59 AM

Due to a PSN server outage, players on PlayStation were unable to participate in the beta on February 8. Therefore, Capcom decided to extend the period by 24 hours (via x.com).

Thus, the second beta phase now ends on February 18 at 3:59 AM instead of February 17. The extension applies to all platforms.

Update from February 17, 2025: The article has been structurally adjusted and updated to the latest beta phase.
Start video
Monster Hunter Wilds: Daisy Ridley explains the lore

All information about platforms, crossplay, and participation requirements

On which platforms does the beta take place? You can participate on all available platforms, including PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

Do I need a PlayStation Plus or Game Pass subscription? Particularly this time, players without an existing PlayStation Plus or Game Pass subscription can also participate. However, this applies only to these two beta phases. If you want to continue playing online afterward, you will need to subscribe.

Is there a preload? Yes, the preload has been available since February 6, 2025, and is 23.66 GB in size (via x.com). You can download the beta in advance and start directly on February 7. If you have already downloaded the beta for the first phase, you can seamlessly use it for the next phase.

Can I play multiplayer with other players? Yes, in the beta you will also be able to play multiplayer.

Will there be crossplay? Crossplay will be possible, allowing you to play with friends on other platforms.

Can I create private lobbies? Yes, it will be possible to create private lobbies. You can invite up to 16 hunters by joining through a lobby ID search.

Can you play without a lobby? Yes, there will be a single-player mode. In this mode, you do not have to join a lobby and can pause the game. If you need help with a quest, you can still send out a distress signal.

These contents and bonuses await you in the beta

What can you play in the beta? The beta will include all the content that you already experienced in the first beta in November 2024. This content can also be seamlessly continued.

Are there new contents? Yes, in addition, you can face the monster Gypceros, known from previous titles, and the new flagship monster Arkveld.

A high-difficulty quest has been added for Arkveld, which will be available specifically for the beta. After completing the quest once, however, it will only appear very rarely. You can start it with Alma after you have completed the Doshaguma hunt.

Additionally, there will be a training area where you can test and practice various weapons in single-player mode. Also, the quantity of consumables in your possession will not decrease there. Note: The planned improvements and changes for the release are not part of the beta.

Which monsters can I hunt in the beta? You can face the following large monsters:

All monsters in Monster Hunter Wilds can be found in our comprehensive overview: Monster Hunter Wilds: All monsters in the list currently known

Can I also upgrade and forge my equipment in the beta? No, in the beta version you can only choose from some ready-made sets and assemble them. There is also only one version of each weapon type.

What participation bonuses are there? You can also secure the participation bonuses for the full game. These consist of a decorative in-game pendant with a cute Palico and a new item bonus package with the following contents:

  • Raw meat x10
  • Shock trap x3
  • Pitfall trap x3
  • Stun bomb x10
  • Large barrel bomb x3
  • Armor sphere x5
  • Lightning capsule x10
  • Large dung capsule x10

Note that you can only receive these bonuses once. So if you participate in both phases, you will receive the item bonus package only once. If you already participated in the first beta in November 2024, you can claim this item package in addition to the one you have already secured. Additionally, you must play the beta on the same platform you own the full version on.

Data transfer to the full version

Can I use my save file at release? Yes and no, you can only carry over your character creation data. This way, you can start directly with your finished hunter and Palico at release. Progress and items will not be transferred.

What could go wrong? There is a bug that occurred in the first beta. It made it impossible to load your character onto the server after revising it and closing the game without selecting the saved data.

It is also possible that some design elements in the finished game may not look 100% the same as in the beta version.

Can I revise my character again? Yes, you can revise your characters again. You should then make sure to start the game again with your “new” character so that it can be successfully transferred before closing the game.

Do I have to participate in the second beta if I have already transferred my data in the first? If you participated in the first beta and the mentioned bug occurred for you, you should participate in the second beta so that your character can be transferred smoothly.

The first beta was a huge success. However, you might have missed out on some things. We have compiled 10 hidden things for you to keep an eye out for in the upcoming beta: Monster Hunter Wilds: 10 hidden features that you might easily miss in the beta

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

The 10 strongest opponents in Dungeons & Dragons in the Power Ranking

In the multiverse of Dungeons & Dragons, a variety of creatures can make life very hard for adventurers and heroes. MeinMMO has selected 10 of the strongest physical beings that you can incorporate into your next session.

How were the opponents ranked? For our ranking, we focused on those opponents that are literally the strongest. So this mainly concerns their strength score (STR) and their challenge rating (CR). Additionally, we made sure that there is something for different CR calibers.

[toc]

We referred to the 5th Edition rulebooks of Dungeons & Dragons, considering the new Monster Manual, which is set to be released on February 18, 2025. We limited ourselves to the following books:

  • Core Rulebook (2014)
  • Monster Manual (2014)
  • Monster Manual (2024)

What does the challenge rating (CR) mean? The CR value indicates what level a group of 4 well-equipped and rested characters should have to reasonably confront the respective creature without deaths. It is meant to provide a rough estimate of how difficult the challenge is for the group of players that a game master oversees.

In the movie Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, the heroes also face some strong opponents:

Start video
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves – Second Official Trailer for the Movie

10th place: Abominable Yeti

Image rights belong to Wizards of the Coast
  • Strength score: 24
  • CR: 9
  • Alignment: Chaotic evil
  • Type: Huge monstrosity
  • English name: Abominable Yeti
  • Found in: Monster Manual (2014 & 2024)

The abominable yeti is a larger and more brutal version of the normal yeti. It is always hunting for prey to devour and is constantly indulging in its bloodlust. Abominable yetis live in icy ruins or in the abandoned caves of other monsters and can track their prey for days before finishing them off with heavy ice blocks.

While normal yetis have a strength score of 18, the abominable yeti has a score of 24, giving it a modifier of +7 on skill and saving throws that are based on this attribute.

With a CR of 9, it is a good option for many campaigns to provide a suitable challenge at mid-level and bring players into threatening situations with raw power.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. DnD Beyond
  2. The Gamer

In the past, the system was celebrated in WoW, now the community considers it trash

Heirlooms in World of Warcraft used to be all the rage. Now they are outdated and the whole system is no longer usable.

There are plenty of systems in World of Warcraft that have become a bit dusty over the years. One of them is definitely the heirloom system. It used to be popular, and the items were used regularly. Nowadays, the community agrees: it is not only unnecessarily complicated, but also a waste of time and gold.

Start video
3 absurde Bugs, die in WoW passiert sind

What kind of equipment is this? Heirloom equipment has a long tradition in World of Warcraft. These are items that you store in your collection and can then use with every new character. The interesting part: the items scale with the character’s level. So if you are leveling a twink, they will, in theory, always have appropriate gear and won’t need to change it until just before reaching the maximum level.

Back then, there were additional bonuses on the items, such as a hefty XP buff that accelerated leveling. This was replaced over the years by other bonuses that provide only a small advantage in combat or extend the rest bonus.

What is the problem with heirlooms? Heirlooms have not only lost most of their utility in recent years, but have also become increasingly expensive. Specifically, the changes are as follows:

  • Heirlooms no longer grant a bonus on received XP. This was removed when the leveling speed in the game was increased anyway.
  • Heirlooms needed to be upgraded after each expansion. They initially only scale up to level 30 – for every additional 10 levels, an upgrade is required, which can cost several thousand gold.
  • Heirlooms are now often significantly worse than gear from other sources – such as quests or dungeons.

Those who want a complete set of heirlooms have to pay several tens of thousands of gold and probably spend a long time dealing with the upgrade system to manually bring the items to the desired level piece by piece.

This is what the community thinks: The topic is actively discussed in the WoW Subreddit. Many mourn the heirlooms in their old form:

  • “Heirlooms were so great back then, now they are just useless.” – susejesus
  • “This is just a waste of gold now. Barely helps with leveling anymore.” – gaz8600
  • “Since the XP bonus was removed, they are useless.” – dahid
  • “I only use them so I can keep my transmog and don’t have to reapply it after every dungeon.” – undoingneptune94

How could this be fixed? There are a few ideas in the comments on how to make heirlooms more attractive again. Some of the summarized suggestions include:

  • The base price for heirlooms should be higher, but the upgrades should be removed. The heirlooms scale on their own up to the current expansion.
  • Heirlooms need to be equal in value to dungeon loot during leveling again.

Generally, there seems to be a consensus that heirlooms in their current state no longer serve a real purpose. They are an old system that is slowly being forgotten by many – which is a shame because many have spent hundreds of thousands of gold pieces on their collection.
While heirlooms have become weaker, tanks have become more powerful – and soon even stronger!

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Dead by Daylight: The 10 Best Perks for Survivors

To survive safely in Dead by Daylight, we present to you the best perks for survivors. With these, you are equipped against any killer!

Those new to Dead by Daylight may be overwhelmed by the sheer variety of possible perks. To give you a good overview of which perks are particularly rewarding and helpful in many situations, we present our list of the top 10 perks in Dead by Daylight for survivors.

Update: This article was updated on February 17, 2025, and reflects the changes in Dead by Daylight 8.5.2.

Start video
Dead by Daylight: Dungeons & Dragons brings the wicked lich Vecna

How to unlock perks: To unlock perks, you need to invest blood points into the blood web of a character and thereby unlock new levels in the web and consequently new perks. Keep in mind that every survivor has three “unique” perks. For these perks to appear for other survivors, you must first unlock them on the original owner. This is done through the prestige system.

At prestige levels 1, 2, and 3, you unlock all of the character’s perks for everyone else at levels 1, 2, and 3, respectively. You reach a prestige level once you have fully developed a character’s blood web up to level 50.

Check the Shrine of Secrets: Alternatively, it’s also worth regularly looking into the “Shrine of Secrets.” There, you can buy four randomly selected perks for blood shards each week. This skips the unlocking of the teachable perk (for instance, if you don’t own a survivor).

[toc]

The Top 10 Perks for Survivors in Dead by Daylight

We evaluate the following perks at their highest level (3). At lower levels, many perks significantly lose their value and should only be used out of lack of alternatives. The list is current as of Patch 7.6.2.

Are you more of a killer player? Here are the 10 best perks for killers!

1. Windows of Opportunity

Learnable by: Kate Denson

Windows of Opportunity is sometimes dismissed by certain players as a noob perk, but its usefulness is unquestionable. The effect is simple yet extremely valuable:

Within 32 meters, the player sees all breakable walls, pallets, windows, and other climbing opportunities displayed as an aura.

This gives you a perfect overview of where the next opportunity is to escape the killer for a little longer. A small but fine side effect is that the position of the killer can occasionally be determined. For instance, if a pallet disappears from the aura view, you can be sure that the killer just destroyed it.

However, keep in mind that the perk has a certain dark side. If you become too accustomed to using this perk, you will become blind to the normal positions of pallets that most players simply remember over time.

2. Kindred

Learnable by: Standard

Kindred was massively overhauled some time ago and now demonstrates its usefulness in more situations. Therefore, it is one of the top perks for information gathering for survivors.

Kindred ensures that all other survivors can see the aura of all survivors when your character is on the hook. Additionally, the killer’s aura is shown to all survivors when he is within 16 meters of the hook.

Since the overhaul, Kindred also functions for the user when another survivor has been hooked. In that case, only you see the aura of all other survivors and the killer (within 16 meters). This allows you to make smart decisions and quickly determine whether you should rescue the other survivors or whether someone else is already on their way.

3. Déjà Vu

Learnable by: Standard

The auras of the 3 generators that are closest to each other are permanently displayed to you. You repair 6% faster as long as you are working on one of the three revealed generators.

This perk is simple yet highly effective. Survivors frequently find themselves in a 3-gen situation where the killer finds it particularly easy to protect generators that are close to each other. With this perk, you can prevent that and always know which generators are particularly close together.

Especially cool: You always repair the last generator with the 6% bonus.

Dead by daylight Jane Romero Cannibal titel title 1280x720

4. Lithe

Learnable by: Feng Min

Lithe ensures that after a hasty jump through a window or over a pallet, you enter a sprint for 3 seconds that increases your movement speed to 150%. After that, exhaustion is triggered for 40 seconds. As long as exhaustion is active, you cannot benefit from Lithe.

Windows and pallets are already a promising way to gain some distance from the killer. Together with Lithe, however, the distance gained is often so great that you can frequently escape completely from the killer’s line of sight before he is even capable of climbing through the window.

Note that Lithe causes exhaustion and can therefore conflict with other perks of this kind.

5. Resilience

Learnable by: Standard

Resilience increases your action speeds for various actions as long as you are injured. In that case, your speed for repairing, healing, sabotaging, unhooking, vaulting, blessing, and opening is increased by 9%.

The effect ends once you are fully healed and begins again when you suffer another injury.

Experienced players who don’t mind being injured can make perfect use of this perk to significantly repair faster and finish the match quickly.

6. Iron Will

Learnable by: Jake Park

Iron Will is simple and clear: When you are injured, you do not groan in pain and therefore do not draw attention to yourself.

Typically, it is much easier for a killer to track a survivor who is already injured. The groans of pain give a relatively precise indication of where the survivor is and make it easy to catch them.

Iron Will completely suppresses this. At least as long as you are not using a perk that causes exhaustion. Because as long as exhaustion is active, this perk is suppressed, even though it does not trigger exhaustion itself.

7. Bond

Learnable by: Dwight Fairfield

A simple but strong aura-reading ability. As long as other survivors are within a radius of 36 meters around you, you can see the aura of these survivors.

This is extremely useful, as you can not only see the locations of your allies but often also guess what they are currently doing. If someone is crouching by a generator, you know where that generator is and can help (or search for another generator). However, if someone is running around in a panic, they are probably being chased by the killer and should perhaps be avoided. And if someone is limping, they urgently need healing and you should come closer.

8. Flashbang

Learnable by: Leon S. Kennedy

This perk is especially suitable for experienced players who are also familiar with flashlights. After you have repaired a generator for several seconds, you can climb into a locker and create a flashbang (as long as you don’t have an item in hand). You can then detonate the grenade to throw it to the ground and create a bright flash of light that blinds all players in line of sight. Killers will drop survivors they are carrying, similar to being blinded by a flashlight.

9. Off the Record

Learnable by: Zarina

Whenever you are rescued from the hook (or free yourself), this perk activates for a whopping 80 seconds and causes several effects:

  • Your aura is suppressed and not shown to the killer.
  • Pain sounds caused by injuries are completely suppressed (they are 100% quieter).
  • You gain the “Condition” status and therefore do not go down on the next hit.

The effects of the perk end prematurely if the exit gates have already been powered – in that case, the match is pretty much over anyway, and the escape is as good as secured.

10. We’ll Make It

Learnable by: Standard

Every time you free another survivor from a meat hook, this perk activates for a solid 90 seconds and increases the speed at which you perform altruistic actions by 100%.

This means you can heal other survivors in half the time. This is particularly valuable when multiple allies are injured. That way, you need only a few moments to get the whole team back on their feet. Especially in a team setting, it is worth coordinating a bit about who should rescue others to maximize the benefits of this perk.

Many perks help you escape much longer.

Additional Useful Perks for Survivors

Even though the following perks do not belong to the top 10, they are still useful and can help in many situations. If you have not unlocked the previously mentioned perks yet, these can also serve you well:

Balanced Landing

Learnable by: Nea Karlson

When falling from a great height, this is often a moment when the killer catches up and is sure to hit. However, with the perk Balanced Landing, that’s not the case. You recover 75% faster from the landing and even enter a sprint for several seconds afterward. Even better: You do not make any noise while falling.

Note that every landing triggers exhaustion, and the sprint will not activate if you are already affected by exhaustion.

Resurgence

Learnable by: Jill Valentine

This perk is simple but will often save your life. Whenever you are rescued from the hook (or free yourself), you already receive 70% of the necessary healing. This allows your rescuer to complete the final healing within seconds, and you can make your escape before the killer even has the chance to get back near the hook.

This perk is of course useful only if you do get caught – but it serves as a solid life insurance.

Lightweight

Learnable by: Standard

If you’re already good at shaking off the killer, Lightweight makes it even easier. This perk ensures that the scratch marks visible only to the killer appear over a much larger radius. This makes it harder for the killer to accurately determine where you ran off to. As if that weren’t annoying enough, the perk also drastically reduces the duration for which your scratch marks are shown.

Deliverance

Learnable by: Adam Francis

Especially as a solo player, it can sometimes be difficult to rely on team members. It often happens that the potential rescuer is being chased by the killer, leaving you to rot on the hook. With Deliverance, you can avoid this and free yourself from the hook once. You will then suffer for 60 seconds from a condition that makes healing impossible – but that’s a good deal if you would have already reached the next victim phase instead.


Of course, there are many perks outside of those presented that are useful in various situations. There is no “one right” playstyle in Dead by Daylight. But at least with the perks mentioned above, you can hardly go wrong. They form a solid basic selection to evade most killers for at least a while.

Which perks do you always play as a survivor? Are you more of an “action” or “stealth” player? If you need more blood points, it might be worth checking out the codes to redeem in Dead by Daylight.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Pokémon GO: Xerneas Counters – The 20 Best Attackers for the Legendary Boss

The 20 best counters for Xerneas in Pokémon GO summarized with the best movesets. This will allow you to defeat the legendary boss. The counters are up to date as of August 2024.

When does Xerneas come back? From February 17, 2025, you will find Xerneas again in Pokémon GO. It will remain until September 24.

We will show you the best counters against Xerneas and what types it is weak to (type effectiveness).

Xerneas Counters in Raid – Use these attackers

The best counters: Xerneas itself is a Fairy type and is boosted in cloudy weather. This means for you that attackers with Steel or Poison attacks will be effective. In the following overview, we will show you the best counter Pokémon and the moves they should ideally have.

  1. Necrozma – Dusk Mane with Metal Claw and Steel Beam
  2. Shadow Metagross with Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash
  3. Mega Gengar with Lick and Sludge Bomb
  4. Metagross with Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash
  5. Shadow Excadrill with Metal Claw and Iron Head
  6. Mega Rayquaza with Air Slash and Hurricane
  7. Necrozma – Dawn Wings with Metal Claw and Shadow Ball
  8. Anego with Poison Jab and Sludge Bomb
  9. Mega Beedrill with Poison Jab and Sludge Bomb
  10. Shadow Gengar with Lick and Sludge Bomb
  11. Dialga with Metal Claw and Iron Head
  12. Dialga (Origin Form) with Metal Claw and Iron Head
  13. Melmetal with Thunder Shock and Armor-Fist
  14. Mega Aggron with Iron Tail and Heavy Slam
  15. Mega Scizor with Bullet Punch and Iron Head
  16. Genesect with Metal Claw and Magnet Bomb
  17. Agoyon with Poison Jab and Sludge Bomb
  18. Excadrill with Metal Claw and Iron Head
  19. Shadow Ho-Oh with Steel Wing and Brave Bird
  20. Jirachi with Charge Beam and Wish

What moves does Xerneas have? As a fast move, Xerneas can learn Tackle (Normal) or Zen Headbutt (Psychic). With an Elite TM, it can also learn Geokinesis.

As a charge move, it can learn Hyper Beam (Normal), Moonblast (Fairy), Bug Buzz (Bug), Close Combat (Fighting), or Thunder (Electric).

Can you catch Shiny Xerneas? Yes, you can catch the shiny version of Xerneas in Pokémon GO. In the following graphic, we will show you what it looks like:

Pokémon-GO-Xerneas-Shiny

How many trainers are needed? If you attack with a group of 3 trainers and your teams consist of the counters mentioned above, you should not have any problems in the fight against Xerneas. If you have the optimal counters and they are at a high level, you can even defeat the monster with just 2 trainers.

Before the battle, you should ensure that you are using your best Pokémon. To avoid having to do this preparation multiple times, you can preorganize your raid teams and also save time in each individual raid lobby.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Fortnite: Be sure to enable a setting to find your opponents more easily

Keeping track in Fortnite can sometimes be damn difficult. But a very simple setting in the game’s audio options can give you an advantage.

Update, February 17, 2025: The article has been reviewed and is up to date.

You surely know this if you regularly play Fortnite or other battle royale titles: You are sneaking around a house and suddenly hear the sound of a chest hidden somewhere in the house. Or you are wandering through open terrain and suddenly notice a shot in the distance, approaching enemies or vehicles whizzing by on some nearby road.

But where exactly are they: One doesn’t always realize this just by listening.

In fact, there is a setting in Fortnite that can really help you. The “Sound Visualization” was introduced years ago, but if you haven’t looked closely at the game’s settings, it may well have gone unnoticed by you until now.

We will show you how to activate it and how it can help you.

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Fortnite: Chapter 6 – Season 1 showcases its new skins and Godzilla in the gameplay trailer

How to use audio visualization in Fortnite

Here’s where you can find the setting: Just go to the general settings menu of Fortnite and there into the “Sound” tab. Scroll down a bit in the “Sound” section until you find the option “Visualize Sound Effects”. Simply switch the toggle there – and you’re done.

This is what it looks like in the menu:

Fortnite setting audio

Things to keep in mind: If you use audio visualization, you will lose a lot of the spatial sound in Fortnite. You can still hear everything, but especially if you use a headset, you will notice a difference. If this bothers you a lot, visualization may not be for you.

What does the setting do? Once you have activated the function, various sound sources in the match will be displayed in a small circle around your character.

An example: If you are in a house and there is a chest nearby, you will see a small chest icon in the corresponding direction. This way, you quickly find out where the chest is hidden. The closer you get to the chest, the clearer the icon becomes.

Here are a few examples of what that might look like:

Fortnite audio visualization

What sound sources are displayed? There are numerous different icons and representations for various sounds. Among others, you will see:

  • Enemies running nearby
  • Swimming enemies
  • Flying enemies
  • Players healing themselves
  • Approaching cars or boats
  • Icons for various animals, like frogs or wolves
  • Loot Llamas
  • Chests
  • Coolers
  • Shots nearby
  • A restart bus activation
  • Players using Spider-Man web shooters or similar grappling hooks
  • And more – there are representations for all possible sounds

What is the advantage? Of course, you can also just use normal sound to get an impression of your surroundings. But audio visualization not only gives you the hint that something is nearby, but also a good indication of where it is located.

It also presents certain things faster than you would grasp them by just listening. Particularly, the restart bus is displayed over very long distances while a team tries to activate it.

Finally, it gives you a quick, simple overview of things that you might not notice easily otherwise. For example, when the “players healing nearby” symbol is displayed, you can use it to launch a quick ambush or take cover when you see someone approaching. This gives you an advantage, especially in the new Chapter 6, Season 2 in Fortnite.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

A new sci-fi shooter for Steam and PS5 looks like Doom in a cyberpunk universe, coming this May

In its first trailer, Metal Eden looks like Doom Eternal, but with cyberpunk instead of demons. The shooter is set to be released in May for Steam and PS5.

What kind of game is this? The Polish developer Reikon Games describes Metal Eden as an adrenaline-fueled sci-fi style first-person shooter. The first trailer already shows what that means and is strongly reminiscent of id Software’s Doom Eternal.

You can watch the reveal trailer for Metal Eden here:

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Metal Eden: The first trailer for the new sci-fi shooter on Steam and PS5

What is the game about? Not much is known about the main story yet, but it seems to be a dark sci-fi tale with cyberpunk elements. You take on the role of Aska – a woman whose consciousness has been uploaded into a Hyper Unit. 

These Hyper Units are combat androids powered by something called a Phantom Core. Your task is to save the cores of the citizens of Moebius – an orbital city that has become a death trap.

A machine as nimble and deadly as the Doom Slayer

Why the comparison to Doom? Hyper Units are not only efficient killing machines – they are also very agile. In the trailer for Metal Eden, the protagonist is similarly bloody but even more agile than the Doom Slayer was in Doom Eternal. 

Aska can deftly dodge attacks and run along walls. She also has a grappling hook with which she can pull herself up on edges, and a jetpack. This allows her to master any parkour moves and quickly close the gap between herself and her enemies.

One ability allows Aska to rip the cores from robotic enemies. These can then be used as grenades, which gives you additional ammunition. This also resembles Doom Eternal, where enemies drop healing or ammunition depending on the finisher.

When is the game coming out? Metal Eden is set to be released on May 6, 2025, for PC on Steam as well as for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. With a release in early May, the game will launch just a few days before Doom: The Dark Ages, which is likely to be the biggest competition for the shooter. 

If you are primarily a fan of the fast gameplay in Doom Eternal, you might be better off with Metal Eden. The new Doom is said to feel very different in terms of pace, say the developers. You can read more about it here: In Doom Eternal, your Slayer was fast and nimble like a fighter jet – In the new Doom, you are as massive as a tank

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.