With a change in LoL, Riot alienates its most loyal players – Now says: The change is necessary because players spend too little money

Benedikt Schlotmann Benedikt Schlotmann Reading time 2 minutes

League of Legends removed the option to earn skins for free. Many players are not pleased with this. But now Riot is justifying itself for the controversial change: Players simply do not spend enough money in a game that relies on Free2Play.

What kind of change is this?

  • Riot introduced Hex Chests in LoL in 2016: Inside, there are shards for champions or free skins. Keys for the chests could also be earned for free.
  • In early 2025, Riot announced: The Hex Chests will no longer be available for free in the future, but only exclusively in the shop for real money. This means there will no longer be an option to earn free skins just by skill.
  • Loyal fans are loudly complaining about the change: Some even believe this is the worst decision in the history of the game.

In a statement, the team defended its decision but promised a series of changes to improve the Battle Passes in the future.

Start video
Welcome to Noxus – Opening Video for the First LoL Season 2025

Riot explains that the removal of free Hextech Chests was necessary

What did the developers say? The Riot team has now commented on the changes in the Battle Pass. The English-speaking magazine Insider-gaming.com reports: In their update, the developers admitted that the free Hextech Chests had become the “main method” for players to unlock skins, leading to a decline in skin purchases.

However, as a Free2Play game, it relies on shop revenue and thus on players purchasing skins in the shop. But the developers emphasize that it is not about increasing profits, but rather about long-term sustainability.

What do they want to improve? The developers know that many are quite angry about the changes and stated that they want to improve the Battle Pass:

  • Future skins in the Battle Pass will have “more pronounced visual effects”
  • Unlocking a Battle Pass skin will also unlock the champion it is intended for if the player does not already own it.
  • Quests in the Battle Pass that require players to play with purchased skins will also be completely removed.
  • Some of the more difficult Battle Pass missions will also be removed or revised.
  • The Battle Pass XP from Teamfight Tactics will also be removed.

With these changes, they aim to take the wind out of the sails of loud critics. However, whether this will succeed is questionable. Because anger in the community is currently high. Some explain that this was one of the worst decisions ever (via reddit.com). Some even state that they only played LoL because they could also get content for free. But that is now over.

More on the topic
LoL player is rejected by a team so that male players do not flirt with her: “Unfortunately everyday life”
von Nico Scheibel
Trymacs doesn’t want to deal with Riot anymore after the win challenge because he can’t play LoL with anyone
von Caroline Fuller
“Let us at least choose”: League of Legends tests new Battlepass, players want the old one back
von Nico Scheibel

Whether these changes will really help to win players back or at least satisfy loyal fans is another question. Because even now, many players fear that Riot will not only implement such changes in League of Legends but might also plan them for the mysterious LoL MMORPG: League of Legends fans criticize Riot for its greed and are concerned about the LoL MMORPG

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

The 5 Strongest Fusions in Dragon Ball

Jasmin Beverungen Jasmin Beverungen Reading time 4 minutes

When one’s own body reaches its limit, there is the possibility to fuse in Dragon Ball. MeinMMO presents to you the strongest fusions that exist in anime.

What are fusions? For a fusion, two characters are needed who merge together to become one person. When applied correctly, their strength adds up, resulting in an even stronger warrior. The fusion can be performed in different ways. The following methods are included:

  • As soon as two individuals each wear a Potara earring, they can become one fighter.
  • The fusion dance can also merge two individuals. However, the dance must be executed correctly.
  • In the demon realm, there are special bugs where the two characters to be fused must eat one half each.
  • Some individuals can absorb other characters and take on their powers.

What were they chosen for? The ranking only considered fusions that occur in the anime. The anime does not have to be an official part of the story, which is why Dragon Ball Heroes counts as well. We have excluded all fusions that exist in video games.

Many of the strongest fusions also exist in Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO:

Start video
In Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO, you can expect a lot of characters

The 5 strongest fusions in the ranking

Place 5: Kefla

Dragon Ball Kefla
Kefla is formed from 2 female Saiyans.

Kefla is a Potara fusion that emerges from two female Saiyans from Universe 6. She consists of Caulifla and Kale and is likely one of the strongest participants in the Tournament of Universes. Goku even has to transform into the Ultra Instinct state to take her on.

The Saiyan women even manage to achieve double Super Saiyan in their fused state. However, a Kamehameha from Son-Goku is enough to knock them out of the arena and destroy the earrings, which dissolves the fusion.

Continue on page 2.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Pages: 1 2 3

Diablo 4: Crafting Majestic Sparks – How to Craft Mythic Uniques with Them

Nicole Wakulczyk Nicole Wakulczyk Reading time 3 minutes

Splendid Sparks are used in Diablo 4 to craft Mythic Uniques. Where to get them and what you can do with them, you will find out here at MeinMMO.

Season 3 brought “Mythic Unique Crafting” into the game. This means that you have been able to create them yourself in Diablo 4 using the new resource, “Splendid Sparks,” since then.

Update, February 10, 2025: The article has been updated and adjusted for Season 7.

How do I craft “Splendid Sparks”? To create “Splendid Sparks,” you need to disassemble Mythic Uniques. This will yield one spark for each disassembled Mythic Unique. You can find the new crafting material in the overview under “Recycling” – this way you always know how many sparks you have collected.

They will also appear there if you do not own any:

splendid sparks mythic unique diablo 4
Under “Recycling” you can see how many “Splendid Sparks” you have.

To craft a Mythic Unique, you need two “Splendid Sparks.” This requires that you have collected two Mythic Uniques to disassemble. After disassembling, the sparks appear in your materials.

Outside of that, you receive one spark when you defeat Uber Lilith for the first time in a new season – or in another realm.

If you have the option to craft multiple copies of a Mythic, you can compare which one is better:

Start video
Diablo 4: Immediately activate these 2 settings, otherwise you will miss important equipment values

How to craft Mythic Uniques in Diablo 4

How do I craft Mythic Uniques? To craft Mythic Uniques, you have two options:

  • You craft a random Mythic Unique at the blacksmith from two Splendid Sparks and 50,000,000 gold.
  • You craft a specific Mythic Unique at the jeweler from two Splendid Sparks, runes, and 5,000 gold.

At the blacksmith, you select the “Forge Equipment” tab. There you can craft a mythical, unique chest. At the jeweler, you can select a specific Mythic Unique in the “Rune Crafting” tab. For each Mythic, you need 6 specific runes. Details about the affixes the items will have are not visible before crafting.

At the jeweler you craft a Mythic Unique from Splendid Sparks and runes.
At the blacksmith, you create a random Mythic Unique from two Splendid Sparks.

Depending on which class you play, you will only see the Mythics that you can equip yourself. With the Spiritborn, new Uniques have been introduced to the game, including the new mythical weapon “Nesekem, the Herald.” MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus was able to play the Spiritborn before the release.

There are 12 different Mythic Uniques available for you:

A list of all Mythic Uniques including effects can be found here:

More on the topic
More on the topic
Diablo 4 Mythic Uniques: All Items in Season 8 and where you can farm them
von Nicole Wakulczyk

Where else can I get Mythic Uniques? With a lot of luck, you can get Mythic Uniques from activities like the Under City of Kurast or the Hell Hordes. The “tormented” bosses from torment level 1 also have an increased chance to drop Mythic Uniques and are therefore a suitable way to farm Mythics specifically. You can find out which bosses exist and which items they drop here: Diablo 4 Boss Loot Table: List of all bosses and their drops in Season 7

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

Henry Cavill once stood in the middle of New York street to see if he would be recognized as Superman

Christoph Waldboth Christoph Waldboth Reading time 2 minutes

Superman is a hero who has always been accompanied by a certain inconsistency. The talk is about Clark Kent’s glasses and the fact that no one recognizes Superman underneath. Henry Cavill, who played him in several movies, even put it to the test.

When Superman is not saving the world, he leads his everyday life as a journalist at the Daily Planet under the name Clark Kent.

The idea of disguising oneself as an ordinary person seems strange: As Clark Kent, he wears ordinary clothes and glasses meant to conceal Superman’s identity.

This has always seemed somewhat unbelievable. Just because Superman wears glasses, shouldn’t he be recognized anymore? Henry Cavill, who has portrayed the famous DC character in the past, wanted to find out.

The actor, who is also an avid gamer, wondered whether Superman would be recognized on the street – whether with or without glasses. To this end, he conducted an experiment.

Image rights of Man of Steel belong to Warner Bros. Pictures
Start video
Duel of Two Giants in the Trailer for ‘Batman v Superman’

In broad daylight in New York City

What did the test look like? Cavill recounted in the Graham Norton Show how he and a friend questioned whether a pair of glasses would really be enough to disguise Superman.

They took the experiment to the extreme: Cavill put on a Superman shirt and stood in broad daylight in Times Square in New York. At that time, Batman V Superman was showing in theaters. Times Square was covered with advertisements for the film. How it ranks in the MeinMMO ranking can be found here.

Cavill positioned himself in a good spot and had pictures taken of him. He tells Graham Norton that none of the passersby recognized him – even though he was wearing a Superman shirt and the actor’s face was looking down at the crowd from the screens above.

“I was only stopped twice. Once to be asked for directions to the subway exit and once to be told to stop taking photos in a bar,” Cavill describes his experience.

Images of that day are circulating on reddit. Indeed, Cavill was on site and posed for photos. It’s astonishing that he was hardly approached, despite his face being visible everywhere.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from Reddit 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.
Link to the Reddit content

Some users on reddit argue that New York is just special. No one would look around, but only look down to avoid being shoved around, writes ademonsvoice023.

The user Holl4backPostr, on the other hand, thinks that Henry Cavill looks like a “regular, tall white guy”. So it would not be surprising if one did not recognize him.

More on the topic
More on the topic
Fantasy author explains why the Netflix series The Witcher failed, despite a visionary like Henry Cavill
von Niko Hernes
More on the topic
Henry Cavill auditioned for James Bond 19 years ago, but there was a crucial problem
von Christoph Waldboth
More on the topic
Henry Cavill is not only working on Warhammer 40k – he is now also directing a film based on another nerd project
von Niko Hernes

What is the conclusion? At least the test at Times Square has clearly shown that Superman could walk around New York without a care. Not even a pair of glasses would be necessary. Whether this would also work with close friends and colleagues in the long run would need another test to prove. You might also be interested in: Expert on sword fighting explains how good Henry Cavill actually fights as a Witcher

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. 3djuegos.com

Monster Hunter Wilds: 5 Things You Should Definitely Do in the Beta

Alexander Mehrwald Alexander Mehrwald Reading time 4 minutes

The 2nd beta of Monster Hunter Wilds is live. Players are taking the chance to go on monster hunts again before the release. You can do many things to help you in the full version. That is why MeinMMO has 5 tips for you on what things you should definitely take advantage of during this time.

What does the beta offer? From February 7, 2025, 4:00 AM to February 10, 3:59 AM and from February 14, 4:00 AM to February 17, 3:59 AM, you can once again dive into the world of Monster Hunter Wilds.

In the beta version, you can create your character and your Palico, hunt some monsters, test weapons in the training area, get a taste of the story, and go hunting together with your friends.

Especially for newcomers, the beta offers a good opportunity to explore the game system. But experienced hunters can also take away some aspects that will be useful in the full version. That is why we have put together 5 things you should definitely do.

[toc]

Who is writing here? MeinMMO editor Alexander Schürlein has over 1,000 hours as a monster hunter under his belt. Over the years, he has played numerous titles on various consoles and prefers to go hunting with dual blades.
Start video
In the new trailer for Monster Hunter Wilds, it gets icy

Create hunters and get started right at release

The beta gives you the opportunity to thoroughly test the character editor and create the hunter of your dreams. And of course, your feline companion in the form of the cute Palicos as well.

You should definitely take this chance, as the character created in the beta can be transferred to the full version of the game. This way, you can use the beta phases intensively to be ready at release and not have to spend any more time in the editor.

It’s also practical that you can adjust your hunter during the beta as many times as you want. This will not be as easy in the finished game, as certain items will be needed for that. In previous games, these were often only available through the shop or occasionally in-game.

So it makes sense to take advantage of this opportunity at least so that you can get started right on February 28.

More on the topic
Monster Hunter Wilds: Sealed Dragon Cloth – How to Get This Fluttering Equipment Piece
von Alexander Mehrwald
Monster Hunter Wilds: Blossomdance – Everything about time, rewards and quests
von Alexander Mehrwald

Test weapons and learn new features

What was useful in the first beta is even more so now. In the second beta, a training area will be accessible where you can try out all weapons at your leisure and learn their combos. This is a good opportunity for newcomers to see which ones suit them before they go hunting.

Experienced hunters can also make good use of the area to practice the new attacks before heading out into the field. The beta is also very suitable for getting to know the new combat features. For example, you can familiarize yourself with the new focus mode, the wound system, and the weapon switch, so that you can save time at release and dive straight into the story.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Pages: 1 2

Generation Z has turned digital shoplifting into a trend: Half admit to using influencer tricks to get free shopping

Benedikt Schlotmann Benedikt Schlotmann Reading time 2 minutes

In Generation Z, tricks are used to avoid paying for purchases. Smaller retailers complain that the digital shoplifting by Generation Z is hard to contest and that they can do nothing against it.

Particularly certain influencers demonstrate on social media how to bypass the terms of service of digital shops to scam purchases or get their money back. This is despite many from the Gen Z stating that they have great difficulty going into a physical store.

In the USA, this “trick” has become known as digital shoplifting, benefiting primarily two generations: Generation Z and Millennials.

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

Influencers show how to exploit the fine print in stores

What kind of trick is this? By complaining about issues with payments, occasional delivery delays, or even claiming that the product was never received, users are able to get the automated systems of shops like Amazon or Temu to refund their money while keeping the package.

In a recent study, 50% of the wealthiest members of Generation Z admitted to using this type of fraud.

The fraud prevention company Socure conducted a study, surveying over 2,000 Americans from Generation Z. This was reported by Fortune magazine. About half (50%) with an annual income of more than $100,000 admitted to having employed minor fraud at least once in the past year to obtain a free product.

However, the scale of the issue is highlighted by something else. Influencers who deliberately trick providers out of their money have nearly 3 million viewers on TikTok and other platforms: explaining how to exploit the fine print in stores undeniably garners proven interest beyond just the numbers. The influencers promote their tricks as “Try this secret Amazon hack!” and encourage viewers to exploit Amazon’s customer service.

More on the topic
PlayStation 5: What PS5 versions are there?
von Benedikt Schlotmann
Crimson Desert: The best settings for the most FPS
von Benedikt Schlotmann
Microsoft has finally realized that no one wants AI in Windows, announces improvements
von Benedikt Schlotmann

Beneficiaries of the “tricks” are rarely punished

Another problem is not just digital theft, but also that such behavior is rarely punished: Ori Snir, head of product management for fraud and identity solutions at Socure, told Fortune.com:

In the best case, the person goes unpunished and gets away with it, which often encourages them to do it again. Another possible outcome is that the dispute is denied, and the customer ultimately has to pay for the purchase. In the worst case, the customer’s account is suspended, preventing them from shopping with that retailer.

Then the suspended user just finds another store where they can continue to use their tricks.

More about Generation Z: HR managers were asked who they find particularly difficult to work with. Generation Z claims that their own peers are the most challenging. Almost half (45%) find their own generation difficult to lead and would prefer different employees: Generation Z has become bosses, and the first thing they do: they complain about how young people work.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. 3djuegos.com

Monster Hunter Wilds beta and PSN are down – When can you play on the PS5 again?

Alexander Mehrwald Alexander Mehrwald Reading time 6 minutes

Since February 7, 2025, interested hunters can once again try out Monster Hunter Wilds in advance. While PC and Xbox players have happily embarked on their hunts for hours, fans on the PlayStation 5, unfortunately, are greeted only with an error message.

Why is the beta currently unplayable on the PS5? Currently, there is a disturbance in the PlayStation Network (PSN), leading to a server downtime of all PSN services (via status.playstation.com). Since midnight on February 8, 2025, players worldwide have been affected by the outage.

As a result, it is unfortunately also not possible to participate in the Monster Hunter Wilds beta. To play the beta, an Internet connection is required, which cannot be established due to the server downtime.

Here is the current status:

Sunday, February 9, 2025

10:35 AM

The PlayStation Network is back online without issues: Shop, friends list, and trophies are all running smoothly, and you can log into the beta as well.

Sunday, February 9, 2025

01:25 AM

Meanwhile, the PSN servers are back online, and according to the official site, everything is working again. Thus, you should also be able to access the beta.

We will be back at 9 AM today, should there still be issues.

Saturday, February 8, 2025

11:17 PM

We still can’t get in, PSN reportedly is still experiencing issues according to the official site. We find it unlikely that it will work by midnight, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed for all players.

Saturday, February 8, 2025

10:33 PM

Some players claim that they have managed to get back into the PSN and into the Monster Hunter Wilds beta. However, we still have seen no developments, and the official page still indicates an error. So far, it sounds like Sony is slowly getting a handle on the problem. Therefore, feel free to test if you can log in yourself.

We will continue to keep you updated.

Saturday, February 8, 2025

10:04 PM

The PSN is still offline, meaning Monster Hunter Wilds is not available. We still cannot log into PSN on the PS5. The official status page still lists the network with issues.

More on Monster Hunter Wilds
Monster Hunter Wilds: Sealed Dragon Cloth – How to Get This Fluttering Equipment Piece
von Alexander Mehrwald
Monster Hunter Wilds: Blossomdance – Everything about time, rewards and quests
von Alexander Mehrwald

Saturday, February 8, 2025

09:42 PM

Still nothing is happening, but on X.com, it’s reported that the PSN network is returning: The first users are reportedly getting back in.

We will continue to keep you updated.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from Twitter 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.
Link to the Twitter content

Saturday, February 8, 2025

09:00 PM

Issues are still being displayed on the official site. However, it seems something is happening: We are now able to log in on our PS5, and the friends list is at least displayed. However, it’s still not running very smoothly. We will continue to keep you updated for you.

Saturday, February 8, 2025

08:24 PM

According to X-account Will Smith, the PlayStation Network (PSN) is back online.

https://twitter.com/WillsGotGames/status/1888307424169214284?mx=2

However, according to the official status page, the PSN is still offline, or at least there are still acute issues.

We just tested it briefly: We are still unable to access Monster Hunter Wilds.

We will continue to keep you updated!

Saturday, February 8, 2025

08:00 PM

It is getting late, and the day is slowly coming to an end. The PSN servers are still down, and the beta on the PlayStation 5 is not accessible. A message from Sony is still pending.

So, it remains to be seen if and when something will happen. We will continue to stay on top of it for you.

Saturday, February 8, 2025

07:00 PM

Once again, the servers are offline, and playing the beta of Monster Hunter Wilds is not possible for PlayStation players.

Whether the servers will come online again today is also unclear. We will report back to you with the latest status in about an hour.

Saturday, February 8, 2025

06:00 PM

Nothing seems to be happening on the PSN front right now. We’re keeping an eye on the developments for you and will check in with you again in approximately one hour.

Saturday, February 8, 2025

05:00 PM

The server downtime is still ongoing and may still take some time. Currently, there is no further information on how long the resolution of the disturbance might take. We will update our post again in about one hour, provided there are no news in the meantime.

By the way, we asked you in the past about your favorite weapon from Monster Hunter. The result showed that you like to see yourselves as anime heroes: We asked you about your favorite weapon in Monster Hunter Wilds and found out: You like to see yourselves as anime heroes

Saturday, February 8, 2025

04:30 PM

Also, there has been no announcement from Sony for over 12 hours regarding when we can expect a resolution to the disturbance. The latest status remains a post on x.com at 2:46 AM, stating only that they are aware of the disturbance.

Saturday, February 8, 2025

04:00 PM

The disturbance is still active, and there has been no further announcement from PlayStation regarding it. We will keep you up-to-date and update the post.

A small consolation might be that tomorrow is a new day and there will be another opportunity to play Monster Hunter Wilds in the beta starting from February 14. You can find all the relevant info about the beta phases here: Monster Hunter Wilds 2. Open Beta: All important information about the launch, crossplay, and content

Saturday, February 8, 2025

03:30 PM

There is still no news regarding the PSN server status. We will be back with you soon and hope that the disturbance will be resolved soon.

Saturday, February 8, 2025

03:00 PM

Still no sign of life from the PSN servers. We are staying on it.

In the meantime, you can also look at our tips on what you should definitely take care of during the beta as soon as you can get in: Monster Hunter Wilds: 5 things you should definitely do in the beta

Saturday, February 8, 2025

02:30 PM

Even after more than 11 hours, there is still no announcement from PlayStation regarding when the servers will come back online or what the reason for the outage is. We will keep you updated and report the latest status in about 30 minutes.

Saturday, February 8, 2025

02:00 PM

Unfortunately, we still have no news for you on when you can finally get back to playing. We will check in and update the ticker every 30 minutes.

In the meantime, you can indulge in nostalgia and take a look back at the coolest flagship monsters of all time: Monster Hunter: The 10 coolest flagship monsters in power ranking – You might meet number one again soon

Saturday, February 8, 2025

01:30 PM

Still very little is happening regarding the resolution of the disturbance. We will inform you as soon as something changes.

In the meantime, you might be able to switch to single player mode without an internet connection. The shop is accessible, and you can download games from your library without issues.

Saturday, February 8, 2025

01:00 PM

Anyone who took time for Monster Hunter Wilds today and wants to play on the PS5 is unfortunately still out of luck. We will keep you updated and update the ticker every 30 minutes.

Saturday, February 8, 2025

12:30 PM

This whole situation seems to be dragging on further. The servers are still unreachable, and the beta is still not playable.

To pass the time, you can also take a look at our overview where we present 10 hidden features that you shouldn’t miss when you can finally play: Monster Hunter Wilds: 10 hidden features you shouldn’t miss in the 2nd beta

Saturday, February 8, 2025

12:00 PM

Unfortunately, the servers are still down. We will keep you updated and update the ticker every 30 minutes.

Saturday, February 8, 2025

11:30 AM

The servers remain offline. We will keep you updated and refresh our article every 15 to 30 minutes.

If you need something to read in the meantime, you could take a closer look at one of the monsters you might face in the beta: In the 2nd beta of Monster Hunter Wilds, you will face a particularly cheeky opponent that you shouldn’t fall for

Saturday, February 8, 2025

11:05 AM

The servers are still offline. We will keep you updated. We update our article every 15 to 30 minutes.

Saturday, February 8, 2025

09:45 AM

The servers of the PlayStation Network (PSN) are currently offline and unavailable. The beta of Monster Hunter Wilds is therefore also not playable at the moment.

Start video
In the new trailer for Monster Hunter Wilds, it gets icy

Server Down Causes Frustration

When can I play again? When the servers will be back online is currently unknown. In a post on x.com, PlayStation states that they are aware of the disturbance and are working on it. The post was made at 2:46 AM on February 8 and refers to the PSN status display.

The disturbance has lasted long enough that the community is now desperately sharing memes about it (via Reddit). Although there will also be another chance to participate in the beta on the weekend of February 14, the fans are frustrated that they cannot make proper use of the time.

We will keep you updated and refresh the post as soon as the beta is playable again.

More on the topic
An action game presented me with the hardest choice I have ever had to make in a game on the PS5
von Jasmin Beverungen
PlayStation 5: What PS5 versions are there?
von Benedikt Schlotmann
A racing game on the PS5 has probably crushed your hope that Xbox could return to exclusive titles
von Benedikt Schlotmann

In the meantime, you can check out our ranking of the best new monsters. Maybe your favorite made it into the top 3? Or is there a monster that’s particularly dear to you that is missing? You can find the ranking here: Monster Hunter Wilds: The best new monsters in the ranking

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

Major competitor of Overwatch is coming to an end, the game is basically dead

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time < 1 minutes

For an Overwatch competitor, the lights are slowly going out. There are no more updates – but you can still play for a while.

When Overwatch was released, Blizzard revolutionized the market for hero shooters. It won numerous awards, and Overwatch is generally considered one of the best games of its time. Others wanted a piece of the pie as well, and one of the first developers to jump in was Hi-Rez with “Paladins”.

Now, Paladins is facing its final days, as no further patches will be coming, and developers are being laid off.

Start video
Paladins PS4 Launch Trailer

What was happening with Paladins? Paladins was a free-to-play alternative to Overwatch that essentially showcased a very similar gameplay style. Some characters played very similarly, and the game modes were heavily inspired by Overwatch. Unlike the full-price title, Paladins was free and managed to build a relatively large community at the beginning.

What is happening with Paladins now? Paladins is being discontinued. There will be no further development. This was somewhat to be expected, as there hasn’t been much new content released in recent years anyhow. The last new hero was released in 2023.

It is said that the “active development of Paladins is being stopped” and that no new updates should be expected (via pcgamer.com).

However, the servers are expected to remain active for the foreseeable future, both for Paladins and for SMITE 1, which is also slowly coming to an end.

More news on MeinMMO:
Yay, TERA 2 is really being developed and I immediately think of the past
von Dawid Hallmann
Monopoly GO: All Free Dice in April 2026 – Today’s New Codes
von Cedric Holmeier
Battlefield will also compete with Call of Duty in cinema, hiring an action expert for that
von Christoph Waldboth

Hi-Rez itself is currently in the process of “right-sizing” and is currently funneling all resources into SMITE 2, which is currently in open beta testing. We have also taken a look at the beta – and some demons have been immersed in it for hours again.

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

New anime jumps to 3rd place in the international Netflix charts – even reaching 1st place in Japan

Esmeralda Eickemeyer Esmeralda Eickemeyer Reading time 2 minutes

The Anime hit Sakamoto Days is currently captivating audiences worldwide and has directly reached number 3 on Netflix for non-English-speaking series. In Japan, it even ranks number 1.

What has the anime achieved? Between January 27 and February 2, 2025, Sakamoto Days was streamed a total of 4.6 million times, successfully competing against numerous rival formats. 

In the international Netflix charts for non-English-speaking series, the anime reached number 3, surpassing popular series such as Squid Game Season 1 (number 5) and Four Knights of the Apocalypse Season 2 (number 7).

In Japan, the series even conquered the top spot.

Other popular anime formats that Sakamoto Days managed to outpace were:

Start video
Sakamoto Days: A former killer who never truly finds peace

Good-natured store owner is haunted by the past

What is Sakamoto Days about? The story revolves around Taro Sakamoto, a former legendary hitman who retired from his profession after marrying and the birth of his daughter to lead a peaceful life as a store owner. 

However, it is not easy for him to leave his past behind, as he comes under the radar of enemies who want to eliminate him and have placed a hefty bounty on his head.

Together with his former colleague Shin, who can read minds, the now overweight Sakamoto must spend his daily life as a simple store owner fending off assassins and defending himself against numerous surprise attacks.

Why is the anime so popular?  Sakamoto is quite an unusual protagonist: a former top killer who now leads a peaceful life as an overweight store owner. Despite his unassuming appearance, he is incredibly strong and agile, leading to many surprising and humorous situations.

Additionally, he strictly adheres to the family code that his wife Aoi has established with him. He is not allowed to kill – otherwise, there will be a divorce!

More about Anime
Fan of Dragon Ball has been playing the same character non-stop for 1,036 days until he reaches his goal
von Jasmin Beverungen
Two animes fought for the crown of the best film of 2025, one of which you can soon enjoy in streaming
von Jasmin Beverungen
The actors of the Straw Hat crew from One Piece want a Marvel star for the series, would like to cuddle him
von Jasmin Beverungen

Where can you watch Sakamoto Days? Sakamoto Days is currently exclusively available on Netflix. The first half of the first season, consisting of a total of 11 episodes, ends on March 22, 2025. The new episodes will be released weekly until then.

Furthermore, Netflix has confirmed that the second part of the first season will start in July 2025.

In addition to Sakamoto Days, the year 2025 offers two more exciting anime highlights that you definitely should not miss. What they are, you can find out here: The 3 best new animes you shouldn’t miss

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

„Ruined my perspective on survival games“: A game on Steam has a 96% positive rating and is now on sale

Ody Ody Reading time 2 minutes

On Steam, you can currently get a very good survival game for under €20. But beware: This game is said to be so good that it might ruin the enjoyment of other games for you afterward.

Which game is being referred to? It is the highly praised survival game Abiotic Factor by players. The game started Early Access in May 2024 and costs only €19.60 on Steam instead of €24.50. So until February 11, you can save 20% off the purchase price. 

Additionally, the survival game recently received a major free update called “Dark Energy.” This brings a new underground region and expands the main story.

You can watch the trailer for “Dark Energy” here:

Start video
Abiotic Factor: Survival Hit on Steam showcases the free update ‘Dark Energy’ in the trailer

What is the game about? In Abiotic Factor, you (either alone or with up to 5 other players) take on the role of scientists. After a catastrophic event in your lab, portals to other dimensions suddenly appear, through which paranormal creatures emerge.

As scientists, you may not be born fighters, but you can craft pretty sophisticated weapons and tools. Additionally, before the game begins, you choose one from many doctor titles that grant you special abilities and advantages.

How is the game currently being received? Of over 19,000 reviews on Steam, 96% are positive. The important mechanics such as crafting and progression feel satisfying according to many players, and exploration is also fun, especially in co-op with friends or family.

According to a Steam review, the game is even said to be so good that players do not want to switch to other genre representatives afterward. For example, fish&chips writes on Steam:

  • “This game has ruined my view of open-world survival crafting games forever. The bar is now set so high that everything else feels half-baked, and I’m posting this while the game is still not fully released.”
More on the topic
The creators of Vampire Survivors prove that they are not one-hit wonders, releasing the next Steam hit
von Lydia
Steam rejected his first game 5 times – 7 years later a German dev sold 2 million copies
von Cedric Holmeier
Conan Exiles receives a huge update on Steam, reducing the game’s size by 80 GB
von Benedict Grothaus

When will the game leave Early Access? According to the current roadmap from the developers, it is expected to happen in late spring 2025. The developers neither confirm nor deny that the standard price will increase with the release of version 1.0.

Another survival game, which is set to start Early Access on Steam later this year, is reminiscent of the indie gem This War of Mine, but with zombies. You can find out more about it in this article: A new survival game on Steam tests your humanity – 300,000 players want to test it

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

Diablo 4: How to Complete the Quest ‘Preserve the Old Traditions’

Maik Schneider Maik Schneider Reading time 3 minutes

Preserving ancient traditions in Diablo 4 is a quest that requires some action from you. Here at MeinMMO, you can find out how to solve the quest.

Update, February 8, 2025: The article has been revised and updated.

How do I get the quest “Preserving ancient traditions“? To receive the side quest, you need to go to the area “The Untamed Heights” in the Dry Steppes. The waypoint in that area is called “Jirandai”. You will see the quest marker to the east as soon as you enter the area.

After fighting past the skeleton archers, spiders, and spider hosts, you will find a book at the quest marker. When you interact with the note, a text will appear. Once you close it, you will receive the task “Show the ancient statue that you preserve traditions.”

You will find the quest in the area “The Untamed Heights” in the Dry Steppes – our interactive map is happy to help.

Preserving ancient traditions: Solution

How do I solve the quest “Preserving ancient traditions”? North-west of the point where you accepted the quest, a circle will appear marking the location – a statue carved into the rock.

Use the “Yes” emote in front of the statue to complete the quest. However, the emote is not available in your emote wheel by default. Below, you will find out how to customize your wheel.

Upon arriving at the statue, you use the “Yes” emote.

How to use and switch emotes? Here are the buttons for mouse and keyboard as well as controller:

  • Keyboard: Open the emote menu with “E”
    • Use the mouse wheel to switch the emote tab
  • Controller: Open the emote menu with “D-Pad Up”
    • Use L1/R1 or LB/RB to switch the emote tab

Once you are in the emote menu, press “Triangle” or “Y” on the controller, or select “Customize” with the mouse. In this menu, you can swap out your emotes:

On an empty emote slot, you can equip new emotes of your choice if necessary.

What do emotes bring? In Diablo 4, actions are not only meant for communication among players. You can interact with certain shrines or leave dungeons with the emote wheel.

Some shrines provide you with different and sometimes crazy bonuses. Interact with the shrines for a hint on the sought emote. The shrines do not improve your gameplay but provide gold bonuses and the like:

The “Hello” emote makes you invisible for a short time in this case. The shrine is located in the “Grasslands of Kotama” (Dry Steppes).

Quests and shrines often obscure which specific emote you need for the solution. However, the puzzles are usually not particularly difficult.

Current news on Diablo 4:
Blizzard has revealed the release time of Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred and you will need a lot of coffee
von Benedict Grothaus
Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred eliminates an annoying character right at the beginning, but don’t rejoice too early
von Benedict Grothaus

We hope that you found our guide to the emote quest “Preserving ancient traditions” helpful. If you have questions about emotes or other quests in the game, feel free to leave a comment. If you are looking for builds and tips for the classes in Diablo 4, check here: Diablo 4 Season 7 Tier List: The best builds in the endgame

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

Baldur’s Gate 3: Cheat Codes and How to Use Them

Niko Hernes Niko Hernes Reading time 2 minutes

Baldur’s Gate 3 is one of the best role-playing games of recent years. One reason for this is that it gives its players a lot of freedom. To further enhance this freedom, a few small cheats can help. We show you what cheat codes are available and how you can use them.

How to use the cheat codes? Baldur’s Gate 3 does not provide the option to cheat using console commands. Fortunately, the community has created a solution. We present the best method for using cheat codes.

Important: Since this does not involve official game content, you should always back up your save game before making any changes.

Start video
The developers of Baldur’s Gate 3 show the legendary city

Baldur’s Gate 3: Cheat Codes via Mod

On the site nexusmods, you can find many mods that allow you to customize Baldur’s Gate 3 to your liking. You can find out how to install them and which 10 mods we particularly recommend here.

To use cheat codes via command, you need the mod “BG3SE Console Commands and Item UUIDs”.

GameStar Black Edition Baldur's Gate 3 05/25
GameStar Black Edition Baldur’s Gate 3 05/25
Bundle aus Heft und Epaper
Exklusiv im GameStar Shop – Ab sofort verfügbar
  • 200 Seiten zum Rollenspiel-Hit 
  • detaillierte Komplettlösung mit Entscheidungshilfen
  • Profi-Tipps zum Zaubern, Schleichen, Kämpfen uvm.
  • stabile Charakterkarten zu den Origins aus dem Spiel
  • XXL-Doppelposter (57,4 x 78,0 cm)
  • könnt ihr nicht daten – egal wie sehr ihr es liebt
14,99 €

The following cheat codes are available:

  • TemplateAddTo(“UUID”, GetHostCharacter(), quantity): adds the item with the UUID you entered to the inventory
  • AddGold(GetHostCharacter(), X): adds X gold
  • Osi.AddExplorationExperience(GetHostCharacter(), X): adds X experience
  • SetTadpoleTreeState(GetHostCharacter(), X): sets tadpole state to X (X=1: does not want to use illithid powers; X=2: wants to use illithid powers)
  • AddTadpole(GetHostCharacter(), X): adds X parasites
  • Osi.GiveInspirationPoints(GetHostCharacter(), X, “”, “”): adds X inspiration
  • Osi.StartRespec(GetHostCharacter()): resets character
  • Osi.ChangeApprovalRating(“COMPANION UUID”, GetHostCharacter(), 0, X): changes the approval rating of a character (insert UUID) to X
  • SetMaxPartySizeOverride(12)
    Osi.PROC_CheckPartyFull()    : increases party size

You can find the UUIDs for companions and items on the mod’s page.

More on the topic
Astarion from Baldur’s Gate 3 will soon conquer BookTok, receives own novel by a strong fantasy author
von Caroline Fuller
Astarion’s actor had so much fun with Baldur’s Gate 3 that it damaged his health, his conclusion today: “It’s stupid”
von Johanna
Baldur’s Gate 3: Decipher the ancient book – How to find and open the necromancy of Thay
von Fabienne Kissel

Are there any other options? Another method to get cheat codes in Baldur’s Gate 3 is the “Cheat Engine“. Here, too, there are numerous console commands to make the game easier for you or to customize it to your liking (via fearlessrevolution.com). However, it might happen that Cheat Engine is detected as a virus and initially blocked. To avoid damaging your save games, we strongly recommend a backup here.

These would be the best ways to get cheat codes via console command in Baldur’s Gate 3. If you still don’t know which class you want to play, take a look at our overview: Baldur’s Gate 3: All 12 classes in overview – Which one suits you?

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

In 2022, an MMORPG had a historic launch on Steam, at the 3rd anniversary only 1.8 percent of the players remain

Karsten Scholz Karsten Scholz Reading time 5 minutes

It’s time for our MeinMMO format “MMORPG news in two minutes.” We summarize the most important news around the best genre in the world. Look forward to a reunion with Deathwing, more information about WoW housing, many content updates, the 3rd anniversary of Lost Ark, a new battleground for New World, and fresh insights into Ashes of Creation.

The highlights of the week:

  • After 20 years, WoW is finally set to receive a housing system. This week, there was new information about the cash shop, rent, neighborhoods, and more.
  • Exciting: In Blizzard’s blog post about housing, the developers couldn’t help but throw some jabs at other MMORPGs.
  • While there was no date yet for housing, progress has been made on other fronts: Phase 7 of the Season of Discovery is in full swing; on February 6, 2025, Naxxramas opened its doors (via worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com).
  • Additionally, there was a date given for the Hour of Twilight from WoW Cataclysm Classic: Starting February 19, 2025, you can dive into the dungeons of End Time, Well of Eternity, and Hour of Twilight. The Dragon Soul raid will follow on February 21, where you’ll face off against the final boss, Deathwing, among others. All details are available on worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com.
  • Lost Ark is celebrating its 3rd anniversary with in-game events and gifts (via playlostark.com) – on February 11, 2022, the MMORPG from Amazon Games and Smilegate had one of the most successful launches in Steam history. Of the previously 1.3 million concurrent players, unfortunately only about 24,100 are still active during peak times today (1.82 percent).

What else happened? The developers of World of Warcraft have had many, many bad ideas for the MMORPG over the decades. MeinMMO demon Cortyn has taken a humorous look back at some of these terrible features: The 5 worst features of WoW that Blizzard actually thought were good.

Housing? Check! What about WoW 2.0? Take a look:

Start video
For the 20th Birthday, Blizzard Speaks About ‘WoW 2’ and What We Think About It

Test the new battleground of New World this weekend

This is what happened in the major MMORPGs:

This is what happened in the smaller MMORPGs:

  • The MMORPG Ultima Online loses an important employee. This is the producer of the game, who has been part of the team for many years and oversaw the project. The community is now uncertain about the future of Ultima Online.
  • The developers of Lord of the Rings Online have published a comprehensive FAQ about the new 64-bit servers that are set to go live in 2025. MeinMMO summarizes the most important points for you.
  • On February 6, 2025, the delayed Ultimate Recruitment Event for DC Universe Online started. You can find all the info at dcuniverseonline.com.
  • The update from February 3, 2025, introduced interface sharing to RuneScape. You can now import the interface settings of other players or share your own UI with the community (via runescape.com). In Old School RuneScape, royal titans are clashing (via runescape.com).
  • Do you still remember Riders of Icarus? The last four EU servers from the 2016 MMORPG were supposed to merge into two worlds. However, just before the deadline, the merge was canceled (via vfun-lounge.valofe.com).
  • A mysterious countdown has appeared on the website of tibia.com. According to this, an announcement will be made soon. What could it be?
  • For Albion Online, the Rogue Frontier update was released on February 3, 2025. You can find the overview and patch notes at albiononline.com. The trailer is shown below:
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.
Link to the YouTube content

This is what happened in MMOs in development:

  • Although Kaetram has managed to earn more and more positive ratings on Steam since its early access launch in May 2024, the 2D MMORPG is still flying under the radar of many players. The largest update to date has been released and aims to change that.
  • Almost 9 years ago, an ambitious MMORPG project named Chronicles of Elyria managed to attract over 10,000 supporters and raise 1.3 million dollars. By October 2019, nearly 8 million dollars had been collected. However, a release is still nowhere in sight. On the contrary: An update on the website has been lagging behind the schedule for weeks.
  • According to a former lead from Unchained Entertainment, almost half of the developers who worked on the MMORPG Camelot Unchained have been laid off. A comment from studio lead Mark Jacobs is expected within the next 90 days. Meanwhile, fans are threatening legal action.
  • Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen received update 0.15.837 on February 6, 2025. The focus was primarily on an upgrade of the Unity engine and the introduction of a new enemy. You can find the patch notes on Steam.
  • A Kickstarter campaign for Stars Reach is set to launch in a week. Last week, the developers revealed what rewards genre fans can earn through their financial support for the ambitious MMORPG. A community Q&A took place on Reddit, where studio head Raph Koster answered many player questions.
  • In the developer update of Ashes of Creation from early February 2025, topics included treasure hunts and dungeon visits in a desert biome. The almost 90-minute video can be found on YouTube.
More on MMORPGs:
More on the topic
The best MMORPGs of all time for PC and consoles: The MeinMMO community has voted
von Karsten Scholz
More on the topic
YouTuber for MMORPGs plays Kingdom Come 2, is so excited that he questions the direction of his channel
von Karsten Scholz

With this, we have summarized the most important points that have happened recently in the world of MMORPGs.

What have you been excited about this week? What upset you? Let us know in the comments. If you are looking for a fun yet informative overview of online role-playing games, be sure to check this out: Report, columns, talks, and the top list of the best MMORPGs of all time – that was the theme week of MeinMMO.

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

Pokémon GO: Guide to the Community Day with Snover and Laukaps – How to Make the Most of the Event

Paul Kutzner Paul Kutzner Reading time 3 minutes

The next Community Day is waiting for you in Pokémon GO. This time, there are even 2 monsters participating in the event.

What kind of event is it? The Community Day is a regularly occurring event in Pokémon GO. Here, you can expect at least one Pokémon that is the focus and appears not only in very high numbers but also brings some bonuses.

The Community Day in February 2025 features 2 monsters. Here, you can look forward to Snivy and Fomantis.

What to expect at the event and how to make the most of it, we have looked at for you.

Start video
Pokémon GO reveals the new season Dual Destiny in the trailer

Community Day in February 2025 with Snivy and Fomantis – Start & Event Bonuses

What? Community Day with Snivy and Fomantis
When? Sunday, February 9, 2025 – From 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Exclusive Attack: Charged Attack Energy Ball for Hydreigon and Charged Attack Leaf Blade for Cavalanzas, if you evolve them by February 16, 2025, at 10:00 PM
Bonuses:
– Increased Shiny chance for Snivy and Fomantis
– Double candy when catching Pokémon
– Triple amount of experience points when catching Pokémon
– Double the chance for XL candies when catching Pokémon starting from Level 31
– Lure modules and incense last 3 hours (excluding daily adventure incense)
– Snapshot surprises with Snivy and Fomantis
– Field research with Snivy and Fomantis
– PokéStop showcases with the event Pokémon

Bonuses until 10:00 PM local time:
– One additional special trade
– 50% less stardust cost when trading Pokémon

Additional content for Community Days: If you log into the game during the Community Day, you will receive a limited research task that you have until February 16, 2025, at 10:00 PM to complete. Here, you can receive one Fomantis and one Snivy with a special background.

In addition, you can purchase a ticket for $2 (approximately €2). Here, you will receive 2 encounters with Fomantis and Snivy with a special background, additional encounters with the two Pokémon, a premium battle pass, and an XL special candy.

If you spin PokéStops or open gifts during the event, you can also receive event stickers.

During the event, you can purchase 2 different boxes. The first costs 1,350 PokéCoins and includes 50 Ultra Balls, 5 Super Incubators, 1 Elite Charged TM, and 5 Lucky Eggs. The second box costs 480 coins and provides you with 30 Ultra Balls, 1 incense, 3 Super Incubators, and 1 lure module.

Who benefits from the Community Day with Snivy and Fomantis?

For collectors: If you enjoy collecting Shiny Pokémon, you should take advantage of the event to catch both Pokémon in their Shiny variants. Since the chance is significantly increased during the event, this is the perfect opportunity to obtain Snivy, Fomantis, and their evolutions as Shinies.

For fighters: Snivy and its evolution Hydreigon are not suitable for raids and are not among the best attackers in Pokémon GO.

Cavalanzas, the evolution of Fomantis, is a good Bug attacker. If you are still looking for Pokémon for this purpose, the Community Day might be worth your time.

Neither Hydreigon nor Cavalanzas are good representatives in the battle leagues. It is important to note that it is still unclear how effective the two monsters will be with their exclusive moves and whether their usefulness will change as a result.

If you are participating in the battle leagues, it might be advisable to catch and keep suitable specimens just to be safe.

More on the topic
Dynamax-Regirock in Pokémon GO: The best counters against the boss
von Paul Kutzner
Pokémon GO Gigantamax Gengar: The best counters against the boss
von Paul Kutzner
Pokémon GO: All Events in May 2026 – Dates in the List
von Paul Kutzner

How to prepare for the Community Day in February 2025

Make space: In order to catch the many Pokémon that will appear on Community Day, you should make space in your Pokémon boxes in advance. The right filters can help you save time.

Collect items: You should also have some items on hand to fully utilize Community Day.

  • Balls: To catch many Pokémon, you need plenty of balls as well. Here’s how to get balls in Pokémon GO.
  • Pinap Berries: During the event, you receive double the amount of candy for catching Pokémon. If you use Pinap Berries, you can even get four times the amount of candy for each catch.
  • Incense and lure module: Activating these two items during the event gives them a duration of 3 hours. This will allow you to attract additional Pokémon.

Which Mega Pokémon are worthwhile for the event? With an appropriate Mega Evolution, you can receive additional experience points and an extra candy with every catch.

Since both Pokémon are Bug type, you need to activate a Bug-type Mega Evolution. You can choose from the following evolutions:

  • Mega-Scizor
  • Mega-Pinsir
  • Mega-Scyther

In addition to Community Day, there are many more events and content waiting for you in February. If you want to know what they are and when they take place, feel free to take a look at our overview of all events in February 2025 in Pokémon GO.

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

League of Legends fans criticize Riot for its greed, worried about the LoL MMORPG

Karsten Scholz Karsten Scholz Reading time 3 minutes

Recent innovations for League of Legends have fans of the Runeterra universe looking anxiously at the ambitious LoL MMORPG. Is the developer destroying a large part of its own fan base due to greed before the game even releases?

Why is there concern? The optimal monetization of a free-to-play game like League of Legends is a balancing act. On one side, players want to enjoy the actual content for free without feeling pressured to spend money regularly due to pay-to-win elements, strict restrictions, or random offers.

On the other side, developers need to create incentives for purchasing microtransactions in order to survive under current market conditions. MyMMO recently reported that Riot Games has not always handled this balance well: Players find the new system in LoL worse than gacha games, criticize skins for 200 euros.

Start video
League of Legends opens the 2024 season with an emotional trailer

Short-term financial success vs. long-term wise decisions

What does this have to do with the LoL MMORPG? OmegaTier100 expresses concern on Reddit that Riot could significantly harm itself in the foreseeable future due to its own greed for ever-increasing revenues and profits:

“Financially, they may be doing well with the recent changes, but in the long run, they will lose a lot with these decisions.”

OmegaTier100’s thesis: Such actions would drive players away from LoL and take away their interest in the Runeterra universe.

However, an MMORPG needs a large player base to achieve long-term success. Therefore, Riot should be interested in getting as many people excited about the games already released in the Runeterra universe as possible. In their opinion, they are doing the opposite.

How does the community evaluate this? More than 3,200 upvotes and nearly 1,000 comments show that there is a need for discussion. Riot is receiving plenty of criticism, yes, but some players do not believe that the monetization of League of Legends will negatively impact the LoL MMORPG.

  • FelysFrost writes on Reddit: “The larger a company gets, the more short-term its planning seems to be, it’s strange.”
  • sydal believes (via Reddit): “I think you’re vastly overestimating the number of people who will be driven away by the poor monetization. […] I mean, you must not forget that they have entire teams working on how to best retain players and maximize revenue.”
  • eMan117 comments on Reddit: “Is Riot’s greed problematic? Yes. But their MMO success will be based on the merits of their MMO game. There will certainly be many day-1 players, but if the game isn’t fun, people will leave after a month, and their large investment will be a failure.”
More about LoL:
Trymacs doesn’t want to deal with Riot anymore after the win challenge because he can’t play LoL with anyone
von Caroline Fuller
“Let us at least choose”: League of Legends tests new Battlepass, players want the old one back
von Nico Scheibel

How does MyMMO editor Karsten Scholz assess this? In the past two decades with MMORPGs, one thing has stood out to me: There are many players who can complain wonderfully about a game for years, only to keep playing it over and over again.

It’s also somewhat clear: If something is important to you, you get annoyed when it takes a wrong turn. Once there is an emotional connection, however, it takes a lot to sever that connection forever and irrevocably.

However, even more importantly, each game stands on its own. Naturally, fans of the Runeterra universe are especially looking forward to the LoL MMORPG. But from my perspective, it won’t matter how one feels personally about League of Legends or Riot if the game is ultimately really good and fun.

And conversely: If Riot should drive the LoL MMORPG into the ground, perhaps due to a greedy payment model, that would be due to the quality of the LoL MMORPG and not because of what was done in the years prior with League of Legends.

What do you think? Can the quality of League of Legends negatively impact Riot’s MMO project? When do you expect the game’s release? If you want to know more about it, check here: Everything we know about the new MMORPG for LoL in 2025

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

EA FC 25: Future Stars Team 2 is live – All players, ratings, and leaks at a glance

Thomas Dummer Thomas Dummer Reading time 4 minutes

On February 7, 2025, the Future Stars from Team 2 appeared in EA FC 25. On MeinMMO, we show you all the players, their ratings, and provide you with the latest leaks.

What kind of event is this? Future Stars is a traditional promo in EA FC that takes a closer look at the strongest young players in the football universe. The young professionals receive significant upgrades that should represent the players’ potential in the future.

Selected Icon cards also receive upgrades. This reminds of the beginnings of their great careers.

All Future Stars and ratings from Team 2 (+club/nationality & position) in the packs:

  • Icon Garrincha (94) – Brazil (RF) ♂
  • Icon Eto’o (94) – Cameroon (ST) ♂
  • Icon Ferdinand (92) – England (CB) ♂
  • Barcola (92) – Paris Saint-Germain/France (LF) ♂
  • Diallo (92) – Manchester United/Ivory Coast (RM) ♂
  • Caicedo (91) – Real Madrid/Colombia (LF) ♀
  • João Neves (91) – Paris Saint-Germain/Portugal (CM) ♂
  • Icon Shearer (91) – England (ST) ♂
  • Icon Luís Figo (91) – Portugal (RF) ♂
  • Fowler (90) – Manchester City/Australia (ST) ♀
  • Pau Cubarsí (90) – FC Barcelona/Spain (CB) ♂
  • Icon Nesta (90) – Italy (CB) ♂
  • Icon Lampard (90) – England (CM) ♂
  • Icon Čech (89) – Czech Republic (GK) ♂
  • Kouassi (89) – Washington Spirit/Ivory Coast (RF) ♀
  • Pavlovic (89) – FC Bayern/Germany (CDM) ♂
  • Giménez (89) – FC Milan, actually AC Milan/Mexico (ST) ♂
  • Kerkez (89) – AFC Bournemouth/Hungary (LB) ♂
  • Khusanov (88) – Manchester City/Ukraine (CB) ♂
  • Cata Coll (88) – FC Barcelona/Spain (GK) ♀
  • Bakayoko (87) – PSV Eindhoven/Belgium (RF) ♂
  • El Khanouss (87) – Leicester City/Morocco (CAM) ♂
  • Paula Tomás (87) – Aston Villa/Spain (LB) ♀
  • Cresswell (87) – FC Toulouse/England (CB) ♂
  • Andrey Santos (87) – RC Strasbourg/Brazil (CM) ♂
EA FC 25 Future Stars Team 2 overview

What other Future Stars are there? In Squad Building Challenges (SBCs), you can unlock the Italian Future Star Icon of Andrea Pirlo (91). Additionally, you can complete the SBCs for 1 of 2 versions of the English forward Morgan Rogers (90).

From the first week, you can also obtain an improved version of Icon George Best (91) in the SBCs. Furthermore, you can choose from 1 of 2 Future Stars versions of winger Kenan Yıldız (90) from Juventus Turin.

In the objectives, you can secure the English forward Elisabeth Terland (87) from Manchester United under Future Stars Matches II in the Live Objectives.

How long does the event last? This is a 2-week event. It started on January 31, 2025. The end is scheduled for Friday, February 14, 2025, at 7:00 PM.

After the video, we continue with the latest leaks and more information about the Future Stars event.

Start video
EA FC 25 trailer shows new features for Ultimate Team

Leaks announce 3 more Future Stars for Team 2

Who are the sources of the leaks? Donk is one of the most well-known insiders for Ultimate Team. His leaks have often proven to be correct.

On his X account, he leaked 3 more Future Stars. We present the leaks to you here, but we also mention that leaks do not have 100% validity. Whether and how the cards will appear remains open.

If you do not want to be spoiled, you should not open the following info box. The 3 leaked Future Stars are hidden here.

These 3 Future Stars could appear in the coming days.
  • Hincapie (Bayer Leverkusen) ♂
  • Jónsdóttir (VfL Wolfsburg) ♀
  • Jean-François (FC Chelsea) ♀

It continues here with the original article and information about the academy stars and all players from Team 1.

Shape your Future Star in the academy to an Icon

Which academy Future Stars are available? After logging into Ultimate Team for the first time after the start of the Future Star event, you can also choose 1 of 15 other young professionals that you can develop further in the coming days. All players start with a rating of 80:

  • Tchatchoua (RB, LM, RM) – Hellas Verona (Cameroon)
  • Hall (LB) – Newcastle United (England)
  • De Winter (CB, RB) – CFC Genoa (Belgium)
  • Vermeeren (CDM, CM) – RB Leipzig (Belgium)
  • Thompson (LF, LM, RF) – Angel City FC (USA)
  • Pisilli (CM, CDM) – AS Roma (Italy)
  • Nwaneri (RF, CAM, RM) – FC Arsenal (England)
  • van Bommel (LF, LM) – AZ Alkmaar (Netherlands)
  • Marcos Leonardo (CAM, ST) – Al-Hilal (Brazil)
  • Guiu (ST) – FC Chelsea (Spain)
  • Reitz (CM, CDM) – Borussia M’Gladbach (Germany)
  • Mármol (CB) – Las Palmas (Spain)
  • Simeone (ST) – Atlético Madrid (Argentina)
  • Asun Martínez (RF, LF, RM, ST) – FC Valencia (Spain)
  • Fishel (ST) – FC Chelsea (USA)

To find the best upgrades for your academy star, we recommend this article: EA FC 25: Future Stars EVO – The best upgrades for each position

How do academy Future Stars improve? You have 3 evolution phases (80-84, 84-88, 88-91) available for improvement, which you can fulfill gradually. You can find all evolutions under the tab “Club”. The corresponding EVO can be found under the category “Future Stars Academy”.

Additionally, in the objectives “Future Stars Academy Scout Report,” you can unlock items that allow you to influence PlayStyles and abilities for weak foot and special moves.

At the end of the evolutions, your card receives the status of an Icon, meaning it achieves full chemistry in every team and contributes one chemistry point for each league and two chemistry points for its nation.

All players and ratings from Team 1 at a glance

All Future Stars from Team 1

  • Lamine Yamal (94) – FC Barcelona
  • Endrick (93) – Real Madrid
  • Šeško (91) – RB Leipzig
  • Bynoe-Gittens (91) – Borussia Dortmund
  • Yoro (91) – Manchester United
  • Lucas Beraldo (90) – Paris Saint-Germain
  • Lavia (89) – FC Chelsea
  • Taylor (89) – Ajax Amsterdam
  • Miguel Gutiérrez (89) – FC Girona
  • João Gomes (88) – Wolverhampton Wanderers
  • Scalvini (88) – Bergamo Calcio (*Atalanta Bergamo)
  • Cooney-Cross (88) – FC Arsenal
  • Bradley (88) – FC Liverpool
  • Thiaw (87) – FC Milano (*AC Mailand)
  • Bussy (87) – Stade Reims
  • Larsson (87) – Eintracht Frankfurt

All Future Stars Icons from Team 1

  • Cruyff (96) – Netherlands
  • Charlton (94) – England
  • Yashin (93) – Russia
  • Emilio Butragueño (92) – Spain
  • Schellin (91) – Sweden
  • Moore (91) – England
  • Xabi Alonso (90) – Spain
  • Larsson (89) – Sweden
More on the topic
EA FC 25: Griddy to Glory – here is how to unlock the goal celebration for FC 26
von Thomas Dummer
EA FC 25: Player Group 23 for SBCs – What is behind the condition?
von Thomas Dummer
Pre Season in EA FC 25: Here’s how to quickly earn rewards for FC 26
von Thomas Dummer

In line with the FC Pro Finals, an international e-tournament for FC 25, an improved Icon of Van Basten, Pires, Koeman, Ballack, or Nesta will soon be released, with the upgrades determined by the champion. The ePros have already influenced the cards of the FC Pro Live Event with their performances: Pro Live Tracker: All players, upgrades, and important dates

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

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 takes the probably most famous meme in gaming to the next level

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

The new role-playing game Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 has been released and fans have already discovered an Easter egg that the boss is particularly proud of. The most famous meme from RPG history, the “arrow in the knee,” from The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, appears in an extreme version in the new role-playing game.

This is the most famous meme in RPG history: The meme is called “I Took an Arrow to the Knee” and originates from Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

In the game, you encounter a guard who says various lines, including the statement: “I used to be an adventurer like you, but then I took an arrow to the knee.”

The meme originated with the release of Skyrim on November 11, 2011, and has spread further over the last 14 years. Just a week after the release, there were initial threads on reddit titled. By the end of November, GIFs were circulating. By now, the meme is ubiquitous.

Together with “The Cake is a lie” it is considered one of the most famous memes in gaming – in the MMORPG space, a counterpart might be “Leeroy Jenkins”.

arrow-to-the-knee
Image source: Know your Meme.

The meme acts like a badge of recognition among gamers, indicating that one belongs and knows what one is talking about. It is often abbreviated with “I used to be X, but then I took an arrow to the knee.” For “X,” anything can be substituted.

Start video
Kingdom Come Deliverance 2: 10 Tips if You’ve Never Played the First Part!

“An arrow to the knee? That’s nothing!”

Here’s how the meme appears in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2: On X, a user shares the meme:

The adventurer encounters an NPC in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 who has a broken arrow shaft in his head. The shaft still protrudes from his forehead.

The adventurer asks: “You know there’s something sticking out from your forehead? It looks like a horn.”

The man laughs and replies: “A horn? No one has ever said that. That’s a metal arrow, or what’s left of it. It used to be bigger, but I broke it off after nearly poking a woman’s eye out with it.”

“I once heard of a guy who got an arrow in the knee.”

“Ha! In the knee? That’s nothing! You can go dancing the next day with such a scratch, but have you ever heard of someone who got an arrow in the head and survived?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fi9nXpDeZoQ

The head of Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, Daniel Vávra, comments on the clip with: We have taken “I used to be an adventurer like you” to the extreme! For the boss, the release of Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is currently a celebration because it is getting such good reviews. Vávra was criticized beforehand: Head developer of Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 complains about Metacritic and a review that messed up his score

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

After 26 years, a legendary MMORPG loses an important employee – This causes discussions in the community

Christoph Waldboth Christoph Waldboth Reading time 2 minutes

The MMORPG Ultima Online loses an important employee. This is the game’s producer, who has been part of the team for many years and managed the project. The community is now uncertain about the future of Ultima Online.

Who is it about? Bonnie Armstrong is no stranger to fans of Ultima Online. This is mainly because she was involved as a producer for many years and oversaw the MMORPG.

Ultima Online has been around for 27 years, and Armstrong was on board for a full 26 years of it. Now her time with the old-school MMORPG ends, which has provided some memorable moments for some. In a statement, she announces her resignation as producer and explains what her future holds.

Ultima Online wanted to reinvent itself after 26 years and introduced Legacy Servers. Here you can see the trailer for it:

Start video
Ultima Online: Trailer introduces new legacy server of the cult MMORPG

Armstrong longs for a quieter life

What does the producer say? Bonnie Armstrong spoke in the forum of Ultima Online and explained that she will pass all the tasks of a producer to her colleague Greg Havlusch.

So she is not completely leaving Ultima Online. Armstrong will remain loyal to the game. However, not as the person responsible for overseeing the entire project but in the area of customer support.

The reason for this decision is provided by Armstrong as well:

I am sure you are all curious why I am stepping down as a producer. I was the happiest person on Earth to be able to work with all the actors and the clever creative minds I have worked with now and in the past. But it is time for me to take a break to work in my greenhouse, play with the puppies, and snuggle with my husband.

Bonnie Armstrong in the forum

So it is primarily private reasons that have led to the resignation. Armstrong adds at the end that the past 26 years have been a single highlight for her. The exchange with creative and passionate players would have been particularly beautiful. The decision to step back was not an easy one.

More on the topic
More on the topic
Father of Ultima Online presents new MMORPG: „Buy land in the realm of Lord British“ – reactions are catastrophic
von Schuhmann
More on the topic
New old-school MMORPG mixes Tibia and Ultima Online – Lets you manage the entire world
von Anna Alberg
More on the topic
MMORPG wanted to become a “new Ultima Online”, fails spectacularly – Plans unusual comeback for 2022
von Alexander Leitsch

The community is divided

What do the players think? The resignation is causing discussions in the community of Ultima Online. The user JC_the_Builder wrote a Reddit post addressing the concerns of some players. According to him, some fear that Ultima Online could soon be discontinued.

JC_the_Builder clearly disagrees. After all, Armstrong is passing her responsibilities to another experienced employee. Moreover, a lot has happened in the game in recent months. The user would bet money that Ultima Online will continue for a while.

In the comments, various opinions are shared. It often revolves around desired changes that could happen with a change at the top:

  • “Hopefully Kyronix (in-game name of the new producer Greg Havlusch) will work towards some classic era servers,” wishes Bradley T1190.
  • “The essence of UO is nostalgia. If they could get that right, I would return as a paying customer,” says Radiant_Knowledge_59.
  • “Regardless of what happens with Bonnie or anyone at Broadsword, UO will remain completely unaffected,” thinks Circushazards.
  • “UO has made a number of missteps. I’m not sure anyone can correct the course, and I must say that your (Armstrong’s) farewell letter… sounded off,” writes pugs-and-kisses.

The future will show how it goes on with Ultima Online. Currently, however, there are no signs from the developers that the game could come to an end soon. Even today, there are aspects of the game that make Ultima Online really good. One of them has to do with the beautiful homes: The 5 MMORPGs with the best housing in 2025

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

The best football game on Steam was supposed to start a new era – Is canceled

Lydia Lydia Reading time 2 minutes

The Football Manager is probably the best football game for strategy fans on Steam. In 2024, there was no new release for the first time in 20 years. The already delayed Football Manager 2025 will not be released at all; the developers are already focusing on Football Manager 2026.

This news was created in a breaking manner and has been adjusted several times.

Which game is it about? Football Manager is a series of football games for strategy fans. The 2024 version is the highest-rated football game on Steam.

Starting in 2004, a new title in the series was released every year, which was then played for 12 months. But in 2024, for the first time, they skipped a release. Football Manager 25 was postponed to March 2025.

Now the developers announced on the official website that Football Manager 25 will not be coming at all. Instead, they want to focus on the development of Football Manager 2026. Pre-order customers are to receive their money back.

Fans will probably have to make do with Football Manager 2024 until autumn of this year.

Start video
Football Manager 2023 – Official Launch Trailer with Real Stars

Developers were dissatisfied with the state of Football Manager 2025

This is what the developers say: In the official statement, it says that the user interface and overall player experience of Football Manager 25 were still not where they should have been after 2 delays.

Publishing the game and fixing it afterwards would not have felt right.

An additional delay was also out of the question, as they would have been too late in the football season for fans to be expected to buy another game that same year, Football Manager 2026.

This decision is meant to ensure that the title for the coming year “meets the goals and quality we all expect” (via footballmanager.com).

Football Manager 25 was supposed to be “the biggest technical and graphical leap” for the series. They switched to Unity and also wanted to change some established elements. This was to lay the “foundation for a new era”.

However, this apparently resulted in a number of unexpected challenges that could no longer be tackled.

Pre-ordered? Here’s how to get your money back: Those who pre-ordered Football Manager 25 from a retailer recognized by publisher SEGA will automatically receive their money back “in due time”. If you pre-ordered a physical version, the refund will be handled by the respective store.

What Others Are Reading
Final Fantasy XIV 8.0 – Everything concerning the announcement and the release of the new expansion
von Sophia Weiss
“I shouldn’t have opened my mouth” – Twitch streamer dared to criticize her colleagues, now says what consequences it has for her
von Johanna
ARC Raiders: Hurricane Caches – Every Location on All Maps
von Christos Tsogos

Players of Football Manager are known to invest an extreme number of hours into the games. So many that some even travel far into the future. You can read more about it here on MeinMMO: Player Takes It Too Far in Football Manager, Playing 10,887 Hours Until 2546 – World Record

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

Final Fantasy XIV finally receives the popular MMO content everyone has been waiting for after a long drought of content

Sophia Weiss Sophia Weiss Reading time 3 minutes

In the 85th Letter from the Producer, Naoki Yoshida announced the new content for Patch 7.2 of Final Fantasy XIV. Included is the new Field Exploration, the MMO content that players have been waiting for since the last expansion.

What are Field Explorations? Field Explorations are large, standalone zones where players can explore together and work towards objectives. The fun lies in exploring a new, very active zone with over 70 fellow players.

Regularly, new boss enemies spawn and battles arise that need to be tackled in large groups. By successfully completing certain events, more will be unlocked, leading up to 48-player raids that can only be played there.

Since this type of content brings all players together at least subjectively and creates a sense of community, is a lot of fun, and can be repeated over and over, many Final Fantasy XIV subscribers have been hoping for this announcement for quite some time.

With Patch 7.2, the new Field Exploration is set to go live in Final Fantasy XIV at the end of March. What we know so far about it and what other content has been announced for the update can be read in this news article.

Start video
Final Fantasy XIV: Here are the 2 new jobs in Dawntrail – Pictomancer and Viper in under 2 minutes

The popular MMO content is back – This time even with new jobs

What are the features of Kreszentia (Eng. Occult Crescent)? The new Field Exploration takes place in the Final Fantasy XIV version of the Bermuda Triangle, in the Triangle of Death. There lies an unexplored island waiting to be explored.

As in Eureka and Bozja, players can expect large areas with free-roaming monsters. Additionally, regular boss battles are expected to start again. A new 48-player raid akin to Delubrum Reginae will also be included.

What makes the new Field Exploration special? There are two special features that Kreszentia brings:

On one hand, players will collect knowledge levels during their explorations that will make battles against the area’s monsters easier. On the other hand, they can equip up to two so-called phantom jobs in addition to their normal jobs.

These are currently classes not available in the game that unlock new actions and thus change the player’s style of play. The following were shown during the stream:

  • Bard
  • Monk
  • Geomancer
  • Ranger
  • Berserker
  • Time Mage
  • Chemist
  • Gunner

However, there would be more phantom jobs, Naoki Yoshida stated. More information about this is supposed to come in the next Letter from the Producer.

More on the topic
Final Fantasy XIV 8.0 – Everything concerning the announcement and the release of the new expansion
von Sophia Weiss
The 16 MMORPGs with the most players according to official numbers from the developers
von Karsten Scholz
The 12 Best Free-to-play MMORPGs 2026 in Comparison
von Schuhmann
With a bit of luck, you might soon be able to play the largest new MMORPG 2026 on PC
von Karsten Scholz

An endgame for crafters and gatherers: The Cosmo Explorations

What does the endgame look like for crafters and gatherers? With Patch 7.2, the Cosmo Explorations are also set to start. Similar to the Restoration of Ishgard, crafters and gatherers will work together here.

Instead of rebuilding a war-torn city, they will travel from planet to planet and colonize them. According to the screenshots, they will start on the moon, which has already been accessible since Endwalker. From 7.2 onward, a new planet will be unlocked for building with every patch.

Similar to Ishgard, the goal here is to complete orders and finish events. After each successful event, new buildings will spawn. Thus, the surroundings will slowly but steadily fill up.

The reward for the restoration of Ishgard was the unlocking of the new housing district Heavensward. What players can expect at the end of the Cosmo Explorations is not yet known.

More on the topic
Final Fantasy XIV: Valentione’s Day – Seasonal Events 2026
von Sophia Weiss
Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail: Endgame – Finally, Kreszentia is here
von Sophia Weiss
Final Fantasy XIV: Unlocking Cosmic Explorations in Patch 7.21 – Requirements, Stellar Missions, and More.
von Sophia Weiss
Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail: Endgame Gear and Currencies – How to Get the Best Items
von Sophia Weiss

Patch 7.2 with new main story, Hildibrand, and more

In addition to the Field Explorations and the Cosmo Explorations, there are more content updates. Here is a summary of them:

  • New main story quests
  • New allied tribes quests – the Mamool Ja
  • New Hildibrand quests
  • New quests related to Master Mais
  • New Allagan Mathematics Stones
  • Side by side for the dungeon Sunken Temple of Quarn
  • PvP Series 8 begins
  • PvP action adjustments & new PvP actions
  • Frontline (Securing) returns, improved
  • New dungeon: The Underkeep
  • The Arkadion: Cruiserweight Tier – Normal and Epic
  • New Trial: Recollection (Selenia) – Normal and Epic
  • Dream Trial – Soul Storm – Suzaku

As soon as there are new updates on the content of the next patch, you will naturally find them at MeinMMO. In fact, many of the announced contents had already been anticipated: The prospects of a new Field Exploration, a new trial, and a possibly really good main story even lured one of the most popular YouTubers for Final Fantasy XIV out of retirement.

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