The first beta of Monster Hunter Wilds was packed with new features. Some of them were also a bit more hidden, but they are not only useful but also quite cool. To ensure you don’t miss out on them in the second beta and the final version, MeinMMO has prepared this list for you.
On February 7, 2025, the first round of the second open beta for Monster Hunter Wilds will start. In two beta phases, you can once again embark on a monster hunt before the release.
From October 29, 2024 to November 4, interested players already got a first impression of the upcoming action RPG. Well over 360,000 people took part in the beta and enjoyed the new gameplay.
Monster Hunter Wilds not only draws from the features of its predecessor Monster Hunter World but also introduces many unique innovations. Some of them were immediately obvious, while others were only discovered by chance or through direct searching. MeinMMO has compiled a list of 10 practical features that you definitely shouldn’t miss.
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This is the post from December 14, 2024. We updated the post on February 7, 2024, for the second beta.
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Monster Hunter Wilds: 20-minütiges Gameplay zeigt Karminwald und neue Monster
Arachnophobia Mode
The probably most practical feature for those who either dislike or are afraid of spiders and insect-like creatures. To enable it, you need to go into the settings and access the accessibility menu. There, under the color blindness section, you’ll find an option that supports arachnophobia (the fear of spiders and spider-like animals).
When you activate this mode, small monsters with many legs transform into funny slime monsters, and other insects in the environment get a new appearance. This setting only changes the visual aspect and has no impact on abilities or difficulty.
Saikrii Bag
If you’ve taken a glance at the control overview of the new mount, you may have already discovered this feature. For everyone else: Your Saikrii has its own little saddlebag that you can access while riding. This contains additional items you can use to replenish your supplies on the go. Sometimes you also receive items specifically suited for the monster you are currently hunting.
If you are playing with a controller, you can find this inventory using the left directional pad. If you’re using a keyboard, press the [N] key to open the saddlebag.
A feature that also concerns your mount and can easily be overlooked is that you can drift with it. If you do this in a specific manner, your mount even gets a sprint boost.
So if you hold down acceleration and brake while in manual mode and steer left or right, you can drift. If you release the brake at the right moment (just before you almost come to a stop), your Saikrii gets a short sprint.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Pokémon TCG Pocket, some players are currently pursuing a pretty nasty tactic: Continuous damage without their own attacks. Shardrago is particularly important for this.
What can Shardrago do? Shardrago has the ability “Rough Skin.” And that’s quite useful: Every time Shardrago is attacked, the attacker also takes 20 damage. So there’s a price to pay for attacking Shardrago.
The monster is a basic Pokémon that can be played without evolution. Theoretically, it can be placed on the field from turn 1. And with its 100 HP, it is quite a formidable wall that must be overcome. Especially at the start of the match, this is a wall that isn’t easily surmounted. And if multiple attacks are needed, that costs significant damage.
In the new expansion “Collision of Space and Time,” there is also the card “Bump Helmet,” which gives a Pokémon the same effect as Shardrago’s “Rough Skin.” The kicker: You can also equip Shardrago with it, causing it to deal 40 damage with opposing attacks.
This makes one think twice about whether they really want to attack it. And players exploit this by hiding monsters behind Shardrago that can deal even more damage.
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Pokémon TCG Pocket: Trailer for the Collision of Space and Time Expansion
Shardrago annoys players by protecting Darkrai
In the subreddit for Pokémon TCG Pocket, you can see some posts centered around Shardrago, but also Darkrai-ex. Because: Darkrai-ex can even deal constant damage from the bench by generating energies. This means it can annoy your Pokémon every round without having to be brought into the active position itself.
Shardrago, on the other hand, enjoys being in the active position, taking hits, dealing damage, and protecting Darkrai from having to enter the battle itself. While you don’t necessarily use Shardrago for your own attacks, since its move Dragon Claw requires an unfavorable energy mix of Fire, Water, and Colorless. But as a time-waster that gives Darkrai room to attack from the bench, it works great.
This, however, makes it unpopular with some in the community, as can be seen in this reddit post by “Kroanon96”:
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Some players also speak up in the comments, wishing for an adjustment to the monster. Especially the passive play style of the deck seems to bother some. At the same time, however, some say that you have to adapt to it. For instance, by wiping out Shardrago in one hit – for which, of course, strong attacks are needed, which usually require some preparation time. Another option is cards like Hitmonlee, which directly target opposing cards on the bench.
What do you think of Shardrago and Darkrai? Do they bother you, do you use the combination yourself? Or do you prefer to rely on other decks? Then check out our Deck Tier List for Pokémon TCG Pocket.
Other strong cards in TCG Pocket: The “Collision of Space and Time” expansion has brought a lot of new cards into the game, many of which have emerged as new favorites among players. Darkrai is right at the forefront, but there are also other options – like the new Palkia-ex. If you have already pulled that, you can look forward to one of the best cards in the current meta. Especially when playing Palkia-ex in combination with two other strong cards.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The German coach Fabian “GrabbZ” Lohmann (30) has long been considered extremely successful in League of Legends. During his time at G2, he won title after title. However, he fell out of favor and was without a team in 2023 and 2024. A tough time for him, as he says now. In 2025, he was given a chance with the struggling team Fnatic: The fans mocked the hiring at first. But for GrabbZ, things are going excellently.
That was the peak of GrabbZ: GrabbZ had his best time at G2 Esports between 2018 and 2020: G2 was the best team the West ever sent into the competition in 2019 with Perkz, Jankos, and Caps. In 2019, GrabbZ won the MSI 2019, the Spring and Summer Split in the LEC, and finished second at Worlds.
But for the coach, who was long considered “the best coach in the West”, it ended in 2021 at G2: That was the year when Perkz was replaced by Rekkles, and the performance was poor. Years later, the CEO stated that Rekkles had been a terrible teammate.
GrabbZ then coached Team BDS in 2022 but only stayed there for a year. Team BDS had a weak year, finishing second to last in Spring and last in the Summer Split 2022. Afterward, GrabbZ, despite winning so many titles at G2, simply couldn’t find a team.
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Das ist LoL – Einmal richtig ehrlich erklärt
German star coach was without a team for 2 years, went through tough times
How was GrabbZ during the time without a team? In a recent interview (via YouTube), GrabbZ talks about the time when he was not coaching a team:
I want to coach a team. I want to be in the scene, it brings me joy. Everyone has a passion in their life, and when you lose that, it feels somehow pointless to get up in the morning. I don’t want to say I was depressed because depression is such a serious issue, I don’t know if that diagnosis applies to me – but I had phases in 2024 where I had really little motivation.
GrabbZ says that the managers thought he had completely stopped and was retired because he was no longer seen. That’s why he started streaming and creating content, but that didn’t give him anything at all. Therefore, he is now grateful that Fnatic gave him a chance.
Fans doubt the coach when Fnatic signs him
What was it like when Fnatic brought him on? About 3 months ago, it was announced that Fnatic, which came from a mixed season, had signed GrabbZ as their new head coach. Fnatic finished the Spring Split first, but then lost to G2 in the finals of the playoffs. However, Summer and Winter were only mediocre for Fnatic.
With the German ADC Upset and support player Mikyx, Fnatic also secured a new bot lane: Upset came from a difficult situation as well. Mikyx had just been removed from G2 after he and the jungler were blamed for G2’s poor performance at Worlds.
The comments about the hiring of GrabbZ on reddit were mixed. Users said:
The team either plays 9-0 or 0-9
GrabbZ can’t manage the mid laner Humanoid. He has no leverage to deal with the difficult player
GrabbZ doesn’t have a good record if you exclude G2 2018-2020, it was said
Another said: Nothing would change. This messed up team couldn’t even be saved by Kkoma, the star coach of T1
Fans do not understand how anyone could ever doubt GrabbZ
How did it really go?? GrabbZ and the supposed “loser roster” dominated the Winter Split 2025 in the LEC. They only lost the opening match and then won 8 games in a row. With a record of 8-1, they finished the regular season in first place.
It’s insane how a few memes have managed to portray the most successful coach in the West of all time as someone who just steals paycheck.
It’s clear to see that he still has it.
GrabbZ is the ideal coach to manage a team with players who have “big egos” and keep them under control.
GrabbZ’s career has strong parallels to Upset’s career
What’s behind this: It is remarkable that a coach in LoL, who has been successful for years, only needs two weaker years with teams that have a dysfunctional roster before sitting at home for 2 years. This shows that in LoL, circumstances matter much more than how competent a player or a coach is perceived:
At G2, everything obviously went wrong after the departure of Perkz and the hiring of Swedish star player Rekkles.
In 2025, a new survival MMO in the sci-fi universe of Dune, Dune: Awakening, is set to be released. Awakening takes place on the desert planet Arrakis – and it looks stunningly beautiful in the new trailer.
What kind of game is it? If you have missed the game so far, here’s a brief summary: Dune: Awakening is an upcoming survival MMO by Funcom, the creators of Conan Exiles. The setting is the Dune universe created by sci-fi author Frank Herbert.
In a new trailer, the developers of Dune: Awakening present the game world. It is the desert planet Arrakis – the planet of spice (an extremely valuable resource) as well as the home of the Fremen and huge, all-consuming sandworms.
You can watch the trailer here:
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Dune: Awakening presents in the new trailer the desert world of Arrakis
Everything done right with the atmosphere
What does the trailer show? Even though Arrakis is an endless desert (you won’t find water here), the environment is quite diverse. In addition to classic dunes, the trailer shows enormous rock formations battered by the planet’s strong winds, massive canyons, and also some beautiful plays of light.
It seems that the deadly beauty of Arrakis has already captivated many fans. In the comments on the trailer on YouTube, among other things, it is said:
mdilelio: “You managed to make a biome like the desert a place full of diversity and verticality. Great job!”
RealisticMgmt: “Whatever one might say about this game, once it’s released, one cannot deny that Funcom has captured the essence of Arrakis. Absolutely stunning work.”
maninredhelm: “The one thing you can always count on from Funcom is the aesthetics. I’m a big admirer of their work, which is why I stick with them.”
While there’s great praise for the game’s atmosphere, opinions on the gameplay are not quite as certain. maninredhelm adds: “The gameplay on the other hand… Well, we will ride this worm when it appears.”
When will the game be released? The developers are still hesitant to pin down a specific release date. The trailer mentions “Early 2025,” so it shouldn’t be long now (unless the game gets surprisingly delayed).
In Pokémon TCG Pocket, in addition to the effects of paralysis or poisoning, there is also the sleep effect. This provides you with an advantage in battle, and you can build an entire deck around it. MyMMO reveals to you the various ways you can set up such a deck.
Update on February 7, 2025: We have added Darkrai as a potential sleep deck.
What is the “Sleep” effect? Certain Pokémon have the additional effect in their attacks of putting the targeted Pokémon to sleep. In the next round, a coin must be tossed to decide whether the Pokémon wakes up or not. On heads, the Pokémon wakes up; on tails, it remains asleep.
Pokémon that are put to sleep are unable to act; they cannot attack or retreat.
How are our decks structured? Since there are various Pokémon that have the ability to put others to sleep, but it would be impractical to pack them all into one deck, we have put together a sleep deck for you based on type.
With our table of contents, you can jump to the deck that interests you the most.
[toc]
You can find the trailer for the new expansion here:
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Pokémon TCG Pocket: Trailer for the Collision of Space and Time Expansion
These Pokémon can put your opponent to sleep
Which Pokémon can put others to sleep? For building your sleep deck, these Pokémon are essential:
Puffluff (only available as a promo card in the Bisaflor event)
Snorluff-ex
Gloom
Hypno
Spheal
Puffluff’s attack is the only one that does not deal additional damage, and Hypno has the ability to put the active Pokémon to sleep. This means you can make your opponent sleep, even if Hypno is not in the active position.
With the expansion Collision of Space and Time, Darkrai was also added, which can put the opponent to sleep. However, it requires 3 energy like Snorluff-ex but only adds 60 damage points. Therefore, you should only use it when facing a deck that has Dark as a weakness.
Building a Sleep Deck
The bolded ones are the cards you definitely need; the others can be swapped out according to preference. Puffluff and Snorluff-ex can be included in any sleep deck since they are colorless.
The time has come, and you can dive into the beta of Monster Hunter Wilds for the second time. If you are particularly attached to your created hunter, you can carry them over to the full version. However, you need to keep some things in mind.
What is the beta? The second open beta for Monster Hunter Wilds is a stress test that allows interested players to take a sneak peek at the game. The beta takes place in two phases:
The first phase runs from February 7, 2025, at 4:00 AM to February 10, 3:59 AM.
The second phase starts on February 14, at 4:00 AM and ends on February 17, at 3:59 AM.
In the beta, you can not only test the basic features of the game and some hunts but also create your character and your Palico. After the beta, you can seamlessly transfer them to the full version. There are some important details to consider.
In the latest trailer, you will see for the first time the Ice Shard Cliffs and a familiar monster:
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In the new trailer for Monster Hunter Wilds, it gets icy
How to transfer your character to the full version
What you need to pay attention to: First, it is important to know that you can only transfer your character and your Palico. Any progress or items collected will not be carried over. However, you can start directly with your previously created hunter at release and won’t have to spend additional time in the character editor.
During the beta, you can customize and change your character and your Palico as often as you like. However, you should be aware that some design elements in the finished game may look different since improvements and adjustments for the full version are not yet included in the beta.
If you have changed your character, you should definitely start the game again with them before closing it, as there may be errors in the transfer to the server otherwise.
Some players encountered issues in the first beta where they were unable to transfer their data to the server. This occurred primarily for players who modified their hunter using the “Edit Character” option in the “Select Save Data” screen. The error mainly affected players who closed the game after making changes without selecting the save data.
What if I encountered the error in the first beta? Anyone who encountered the error in the first beta should participate in the second beta again to resolve the issue. Players should then possibly adjust their character again and start the game at least once more with them before closing it.
For some, the character’s design might still be on the hardware, so you may just need to start the game once more with your hunter to transfer the data.
Mark Zuckerberg and his company Meta have been investing in the Metaverse for years. Now, Meta has internally explained to employees: This year will go down in history. There will be great success or the project will fail.
However, Meta does not want to change its course. Rather, Mark Zuckerberg has stated that another 62 billion euros will be invested in the project in 2025. However, this could be the last time, as it was discussed in a call that 2025 will be crucial for the future direction.
The Metaverse must become a big success in 2025 or it will go down in history as a ‘legendary misadventure’
Andrew Bosworth, CTO of Meta, gives the Metaverse one year to become a hit, according to an internal forum post reported by Businessinsider. Specifically, it is mainly about “Reality Labs”: The department was formerly known as Oculus VR and is now part of Meta Platforms, which is responsible for hardware and software for virtual reality. Here it says:
This year [2025] will likely determine whether this entire effort will be remembered as the work of visionaries or as a legendary misadventure.
Bosworth adds that Reality Labs, although 2024 is expected to be the best year for the department, “has not yet made a real dent in the world.” The group is now smaller after layoffs and the success of Meta’s Ray-Bans and AI efforts, but Bosworth writes that this will not be sufficient for 2025. They must establish the project “Horizon Worlds” worldwide. And in the end, 2025 will determine whether they succeed or fail miserably.
Bosworth himself stated: One does not need to throw fantastic new ideas onto the market. Instead, one should just do the work well.
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Students spy on passersby with hidden cameras and AI, find name and address in seconds
Meta’s VR department has been suffering billion-dollar losses for years
High losses for 6 years: According to the website Statista.com, the operating loss of Meta’s VR department was reported to be 17.7 billion US dollars last year. Over the past 6 years, it is said to total even 70 billion. On the other hand, the department has only generated a profit of 2.1 billion US dollars during the same period.
In other words: Mark Zuckerberg and Meta have been burning large amounts of money for half a year to make the Metaverse a success. It is not surprising that Mark Zuckerberg and his co-CEO are making 2025 the decision year for VR and the Metaverse. Because the department must finally become profitable.
A seller had tried to sell a copy of his gaming collection. But he greatly overestimated the price.
What game did he want to sell? The young player from California, who calls himself Kiro, listed a copy of the very first Zelda game on eBay, which Nintendo developed in 1986.
In The Legend of Zelda, players take on the role of Link. The title was released for the NES console and has been re-released several times on the Virtual Console of subsequent Nintendo consoles over the years.
Link collects more and more items and heart containers during his adventure, which make him stronger. To obtain them, he must face the challenges in the dungeons.
The famous line ‘It’s dangerous to go alone! Take this’ originates from this Zelda game.
Why did Kiro want to sell his game for such a high price? Regular copies of the game are currently being sold on eBay for prices up to 500 euros. However, Kiro knew that his sealed copy was from the first edition and therefore demanded around 19,000 euros for the game as a direct purchase. But he was made aware that the game is even more valuable.
In the latest installment of the series, we don’t play as Link anymore, but as the eponymous princess:
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Nintendo has introduced The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
First edition of Zelda is worth even more than thought
What was so special about it? Within minutes, several users reportedly contacted Kiro. Among his messages were many warnings, as he recounts:
“Within minutes of posting the item, several people reached out to me and asked if I knew what I had.”
Because: Kiro had the rarest and most valuable variant of The Legend of Zelda. He owned the true first production of the game. From the very first production batch, there were only three copies, and one of them was in Kiro’s possession.
One interested party reportedly even offered to drive to him directly and bring him 28,865 euros in cash. By that point, the seller realized how special his game really is and canceled the direct purchase.
What price did he end up selling it for? He commissioned Heritage Auctions to sell it, which fetched him a sum of 277,000 euros. So he was lucky in misfortune that there were friendly players who made him aware of his rare copy.
Finally, there are more precise details about the planned housing system for World of Warcraft. In a new blog post, the developers discuss their inspiration behind the system, including not-so-hidden jabs at other MMORPGs.
What is the blog post about? The developers’ blog post gives a first glimpse of the new housing system. There are supposed to be two areas, separated by Horde and Alliance. Additionally, it should be possible to build the house in a desired neighborhood or to move it if necessary.
It was also announced that there will be housing items in the cash shop. Furthermore, Blizzard expects that this special feature will never be finished in the traditional context. There should constantly be new systems and expansions.
The developers specifically state that the system should enable a home for all. And the listed things that it should not have strongly resemble the housing of one of WoW’s biggest competitors: Final Fantasy XIV.
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Siren Island – The New Content in WoW Patch 11.0.7
Don’t worry, your house won’t be taken from you!
What specifically are the developers criticizing? In their blog post, the developers have noted their Don’ts for housing in WoW:
No exorbitant requirements
No high acquisition costs
No lottery
No bothersome maintenance (specifically, the house should remain even if the subscription expires)
In the post, they write specifically: If you want a house, you can have a house. There are no exorbitant requirements or high acquisition costs, no lotteries, and no bothersome maintenance (and if your subscription expires, don’t worry, your house won’t be taken from you!)
And there are also a few Do’s:
All characters of your warband can use the house, regardless of their race and affiliation with the Alliance or Horde
Rewards for houses should also be shared with the warband
Friends should also be able to visit your house across characters
Specifically, the Don’ts strongly resemble the system implemented in Final Fantasy XIV.
Are these problems only present in Final Fantasy XIV? Clearly: No. Final Fantasy XIV is currently one of the best-performing MMORPGs and has been for some time. Accordingly, the issues with the housing system are more well-known. The lottery allocation, the 45-day demolition timer, and the limited number of houses are often criticized.
However, Final Fantasy XIV is not the only game with a criticized housing system:
In New World, houses of players who do not pay the tax on their house are deactivated. The house is not lost, but it also no longer brings rewards and cannot be used as a fast travel point. This is explained by Art Director Charles Bradbury in an interview with MeinMMO.
No housing system in an MMORPG is perfect. However, the developers of World of Warcraft seem to have done their homework and thought long about the best possible implementation. If you don’t want to wait for the implementation, we do have a list of the 5 MMORPGs with the best housing in 2025.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A user on Reddit reports that he accidentally disabled his girlfriend’s PC while trying to replace the RAM sticks. After the exchange, the PC wouldn’t start anymore. After many attempts and with the help of the community, the issue was finally resolved with a trick.
What happened? On Reddit, a user tells that he replaced RAM sticks in his girlfriend’s PC. He swapped the Kingston DDR4 2133 8 GB sticks for the Corsair Vengeance Pro 3200 8 GB ones. However, the PC was quite old, as the player noted himself, and has a Gigabyte Z170N-WIFI motherboard installed. After installing the RAM, the shock followed: The PC wouldn’t turn on. When pressing the power button, the lights came on, the fan spun briefly, but the screen remained black. It seemed as if the PC was stuck in a reboot loop until the user eventually pulled the plug.
What are BIOS and CMOS?
BIOS: Stands for Basic Input/Output System and is the fundamental control unit of a PC. It ensures that the hardware is properly recognized and establishes the order in which the system starts. It also manages important settings such as RAM compatibility.
CMOS: Is a small memory chip on the motherboard that stores these BIOS settings. To retain the data even when the PC is turned off, there is a small CMOS battery that powers the memory.
The player was already afraid he had destroyed his girlfriend’s PC. On the advice of the community, he decided to reset the CMOS and remove the battery to revert the BIOS to factory settings. He also made sure that the slots of the sticks were clean and that the sticks were properly seated when he reinserted them.
It was his last attempt to get the PC running again. But not in vain, as the PC came back to life and started without problems.
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Nintendo showcases the Switch 2 for the first time in a trailer
What was the problem? After the replacement of the RAM sticks, the PC could no longer start properly. The problem was likely due to an incompatibility or a faulty BIOS configuration. When the user inserted the new RAM sticks, the BIOS may not have been set up correctly for it or could not handle the new hardware.
In such cases, a boot loop can occur where the PC powers up but does not output a video signal or constantly restarts. Such issues often arise when new components are installed, but the BIOS has not been adjusted to the changed hardware.
How was the problem solved? The solution was to reset the CMOS, which reverted the BIOS to factory settings. To do this, the user removed the CMOS battery for a few minutes, which deleted all stored BIOS settings. This forced the system to re-recognize the hardware at the next startup and use the default values.
A CMOS reset is a proven method to resolve compatibility issues after significant hardware changes like replacing RAM or CPU. After the battery was reinserted, the PC successfully started and functioned perfectly.
If your PC won’t start, it’s important to understand the potential errors that can occur when assembling a PC. Mistakes can quickly happen during component installation that may have far-reaching consequences. Some of these mistakes are not only annoying but can also become very expensive. We show you serious mistakes in PC building that you should definitely avoid.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Diablo 4 is currently celebrating the “Lunar Awakening” – with XP bonuses, loot, and cosmetics. And even though the event doesn’t bring much new content, it is better received by the players than the previous ones.
On Reddit, players have noticed that the cosmetics are not new at all – they are the same as last year, only the horse has a different color. Nonetheless, the event is well-received, especially because of the useful loot drops.
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Gameplay trailer for Season 7 in Diablo 4, the Season of Witch Power
“It’s worth it just for the runes”
What do players see as an improvement? In a post on Reddit, allatumm explains that he sees many positive aspects of this year’s Lunar Awakening:
There is now an “infinite reward chest” – once you reach the last prestige level, you can continue grinding and collect more loot. Last year you were done after the last level – and sometimes that happened after just one hour.
This time, the event is linked to seasonal content. For example, Lunar Shrines spawn in the seasonal headhunting zones, so you can pick up the buff, tear through the area, and complete tasks.
The event is simple and short, so every player has a chance at the cosmetics if they play during the period.
Many players in the comments are also praising the current Lunar Awakening. Particularly the chests with runes and tributes for the undercity of Kurast are well-received. superlouuuu writes: “This has helped me collect some missing runes. I like this event and hope they keep it this way in every new season.” For Jealous_Panic_5306, the event is worth it just for the runes.
DrNCrane74 is also satisfied with the event and says: “We get good stuff and have fun. If you really want beautiful cosmetics, you can buy them.” s10draven75 also praises the event and finds it nice and easy to get a lot from it. “Most mini-events should be like this,” he writes.
What is being criticized this year? Many players criticize that there are no new cosmetics. Apart from the horse, it seems that the items from last year have been reused – or are very similarly designed. Bloodstarvedhunter writes: “The event is okay, but they really should have changed the cosmetic items for those who got them last year.”
In the images, you can see the cosmetics from last year and this year in direct comparison:
The cosmetics for the Lunar Awakening 2024.The cosmetics for the Lunar Awakening 2025.
The launch of Path of Exile 2 in Early Access was 10 weeks ago. Now the developers are drawing their conclusions about the state of the ARPG.
How has Path of Exile 2 been so far? The developers are very pleased with the launch of Path of Exile 2. Even before the release, the ARPG was sold over a million times. Despite a rocky start, the game peaked at over 575,000 concurrent players on Steam (via SteamDB). In addition, there are players on PS5 and Xbox, for whom no data is available.
Gamers quickly noticed that the ARPG is harder than anything known, and the first patches also came in gradually. About three quarters of the players seem to have moved on from the game – at least the current player numbers suggest this (via SteamDB). Now the developers reveal the state of Path of Exile 2.
This is how the bosses are created in Path of Exile 2:
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Path of Exile 2: The new trailer reveals how the bosses of the action RPG come into being
Path of Exile 2 has four major problems
What is the status of Path of Exile 2? In a detailed post on the official forum at pathofexile.com, the developers report on the release, their measures, and the key insights gained over the past ten weeks.
They address various points they have improved. They also explain what insights they have gained from the first ten weeks. One important insight concerns the Towermaps. Initially, the developers only had one map, but feedback from players led to further development and brought four new and improved maps into the game.
Additionally, the devs realized that there were too few bosses. Here too, they responded to player feedback.
The developers actually thought players would be okay with buffs and nerfs being implemented during the season in Early Access. However, they quickly backed off from this, although they still reserve the right to nerf something if it is significantly stronger than everything else.
What are the major problems with Path of Exile 2? The developers identify four major problems in their statement that they have identified:
Significant balance issues with many player skills/builds, both too high and too low
Not enough character build options, including build-defining uniques
The balance of progression in the endgame is disrupted
Not enough cool things to find in the endgame
We have previously reported on these issues at MeinMMO, as the community is well aware of these problems.
How will the problems be resolved? According to the developers, the four major problems can only be resolved with a major update. They plan this with version update 0.2.0, which will likely also bring a new season.
Regarding patch 0.2.0 for Path of Exile 2, the developers say it should bring back as many players as possible into the adventure and allow them to see how the game has improved.
So far, there is no exact date for the content update, but the devs want to release this type of update “every few months.” So the big patch could be coming soon. In the meantime, players have ample time to find special items: Players of Path of Exile 2 find a hammer that Thor could also use
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The animation studio Ghibli still relies on hand-drawn images. A particularly elaborate scene shows how long the process for an anime can take.
What kind of scene is it? The mentioned scene is from the movie “The Wind Rises”. The film is set shortly after World War I and tells the story of Jiro Horikoshi, who finds his great love while designing airplanes professionally.
Jiro travels to Tokyo and experiences the Kanto earthquake there. This is a real disaster that occurred in Japan in 1923, requiring thousands of casualties due to the subsequent fires.
In the film, the scene is portrayed as very oppressive and chaotic. The first ash particles float in the air, and a gigantic crowd is seen fleeing from the consequences of the earthquake. You can watch the scene in the Reddit forum.
The trailer for The Wind Rises can be found here:
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The Wind Rises: German Trailer for the Ghibli Film
Ghibli animator spent 15 months on a short scene
Why did it take so long? To animate this scene, Eiji Yamamori, the responsible animator, took a full 15 months. There are several reasons for this:
The individual images are all hand-drawn and colored with watercolor
There are no copied people, each person has their own animations
Every detail was considered, even the posture of the people
The backgrounds for the scene were shown in the documentary “10 Years with Hayao Miyazaki”. There, he added why it was so important to him that the scene contains so many details:
“Crowds are not a sad, faceless group. They are the people who make up society. That is why they must be drawn correctly. Even ordinary crowds must be drawn carefully.”
Miyazaki praises his animator for this and tells him that he did a good job. Even though the scene is very short, it was worth it. This emphasizes how much value Studio Ghibli places on small details.
The legendary animation studio has released numerous films. However, not all of them have been received as well by the audience as The Wind Rises. There are some that were better, but many that were received worse. How the animes rank, we will reveal to you on MeinMMO: All Ghibli films ranked by IMDb
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Sony acquired many shares in the parent company (Kadokawa) of the successful studio FromSoftware in 2024, also known as the developers of Elden Ring and Dark Souls. Now, a financial report revealed new details about how involved Sony will be in the development of upcoming projects.
Now, Sony is one of the largest shareholders, and with the new financial report from Kadokawa, it is clear what influence the Japanese company aims to exert after the purchases.
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Elden Ring Nightreign: In the new multiplayer mode, you must summon comrades!
Future Elden Ring 2, Dark Souls 4, or Bloodborne 2 with Sony?
What does the financial report say? According to the financial report from Kadokawa, Sony will work closely with them. New projects are to be implemented and financed with the help of Sony – primarily films/animes as well as the creation of new brands.
The report states: “We will accelerate the creation and dissemination of intellectual property through enhanced collaboration with the Sony Group Corporation and secure funding through the group.”
Regarding games, Sony will mainly take on financing and distribution – just like with Bloodborne and Demon Souls. Contributing ideas or shaping games are not part of the company’s plan.
What does this mean for the fans of Elden Ring? Since Sony is taking on the role of the publisher, FromSoftware can primarily focus on developing new hits, and with the additional financial resources provided by the Japanese company, they can approach development even more effectively.
In particular, investing in additional developers to expand the team can strengthen FromSoftware and ensure that projects like Elden Ring 2 or even Dark Souls 4 are released faster. Elden Ring was an absolute hit and especially in the gaming scene, a game that must be played: Elden Ring explodes on Metacritic – receiving fantastic reviews
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In EA FC 25, Squad Building Challenges (SBCs) offer you the opportunity to unlock unique players in Ultimate Team. However, not every SBC has a good cost-benefit ratio. At MeinMMO, we show you popular SBCs and give you reasons for their popularity.
Update as of 02/07/2025 (09:00 AM): We have added Future Stars Icon George Best to the list.
What are Squad Building Challenges? In Squad Building Challenges, you can build teams with the cards from your club that you can then exchange for rewards. Some SBCs guarantee you strong special cards from players.
The following rules apply to all player SBCs:
Cards you exchange in the SBC are irreversibly removed from your club
Loan players cannot be used for SBCs
Player SBCs are always subject to certain requirements that you must meet
Player SBCs can consist of multiple sub-SBCs
Player SBCs have an expiration date
Player SBCs can only be completed once and are non-exchangeable
Start video
EA FC 25 trailer shows new features for Ultimate Team
8 strong player SBCs: Here’s why they might be so popular
Which SBCs are particularly popular? For our list, we referred to the service page Futbin . There you can find all current SBCs for Ultimate Team in EA FC 25. All Futbin account holders have the option to cast an up or down vote.
From this, it can be deduced which SBCs are particularly popular. To make it onto our list, an SBC must have accumulated over 2/3 (at least 67%) positive ratings on Futbin. (As of January 30, 2025).
1. Future Stars Icon George Best (RF, CAM, LF, RM) – Northern Ireland: 76% positive ratings
Here’s why the SBC might be so popular:
Strong upgrades to PlayStyles
additional PlayStyle+: Key Pass
Curled Shot as best goal PlayStyle
Calmness and through ball pass perfect for his new player roles in CAM
with new player roles (Motor+ and Shadowstorm-Pro+) he can also be used in central midfield
already one of the strongest dribblers in the game before the upgrade
How long does the SBC run? You can complete Future Stars Icon Best until March 29, 2025.
2. TOTY Honorable Mentions Federico Dimarco (LB, LM) – FC Lombardia (Inter Milan): 72% positive ratings
Here’s why the SBC might be so popular:
Strong update to the base gold card
+10 Shooting
+8 Pace and Defense
+7 Dribbling and Physicality
+6 Passing
Very good price (about 130,000 coins) for a strong full-back
With the new role (Midfield Motor++) he can also function very well as a midfielder
Strong alternative to Théo Hernández in Serie A
How long does the SBC run? You can complete TOTY HM Dimarco until March 1, 2025.
3. TOTY Honorable Mentions Harry Kane (ST) – FC Bayern: 77% positive ratings
Here’s why the SBC might be so popular:
One of the strongest strikers in FC 25
Universal attacker who excels in shooting, passing, and heading
Strong speed upgrade to the base card: +20 Pace
Strong new PlayStyles:
First Touch+ for better ball control after passes
Calmness for better ball retention and tighter dribbling
In the Air for better assertiveness in aerial duels
Only truly playable striker from Bundesliga at this time in FC 25
How long does the SBC run? You can complete TOTY HM Kane until February 24, 2025.
4. Flashback João Cancelo (LB, RB, RM) – Al Hilal: 89% positive ratings
Here’s why the SBC might be so popular:
Good upgrades to the base card:
+9 Pace
+8 Physicality
+7 Defense
+7 Shooting
Strong new PlayStyles:
Interception+ for greater range and better control when intercepting balls
Speedster+ for more sprint speed
Calmness for stronger ball control
Versatile to be used in both full-back positions (LB, RB)
Good linkability to Cristiano Ronaldo (same league, same nation)
Very good price (about 130,000 coins) for a strong full-back
How long does the SBC run? You can complete Flashback João Cancelo until February 21, 2025.
Now you have an overview of the currently most popular player SBCs. We will continuously update this list, so it’s worth checking back regularly. Additionally, we will show you on MeinMMO which players are best suited for the upgrades of the new EVOs.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The role-playing game Baldur’s Gate 3 has reached a rare milestone on Steam that every new MMORPG can only dream of, and only a few achieve: The player count has remained consistently high for a year, with only minor fluctuations. This was not actually planned at all. The last new MMORPGs, New World and Lost Ark, can only dream of such stability.
What has Baldur’s Gate 3 achieved on Steam? Baldur’s Gate 3 has managed to establish a stable player base on Steam over a period of one year, from February 2024 to 2025, and at a very high level:
In February 2024, a good half a year after release, Baldur’s Gate 3 had an average of 104,000 concurrent players daily. This was where the huge hype began to wane, and the game shrank to a core player base.
A year later, in February 2025, the game still had an average of 63,300 players.
Throughout the calendar year from February 2024 to February 2025, Baldur’s Gate 3 never fell below 58,800 players. Player growth and decline were minimal in many months, around 5%.
Start video
There are secret rooms in Baldur’s Gate 3 that only a few of you will ever see
Baldur’s Gate 3 reaches and maintains a remarkable player number plateau on Steam
Why is this so special? Like every game, Baldur’s Gate 3 had a “hype phase” at launch, with player numbers so high that it was impossible to sustain over a longer period. For Baldur’s Gate 3, that peak was 450,000 players.
The art lies in maintaining the highest possible plateau after this initial hype that one can find and stay on.
For Baldur’s Gate 3, this level is around 67,000 to 63,000, which is extremely high. The fluctuations are relatively low, only a few percentage points in most months.
With new MMORPGs, player numbers go up and down like a yo-yo
What about MMORPGs? In recent years, there have been two relevant new MMORPGs on Steam, both published by Amazon.
With the free-to-play MMORPG Lost Ark, the initial Steam release had an extremely high average of 700,000 players. However, the game never managed to establish such a level. Player numbers fluctuated greatly; it was a roller coaster. Player numbers changed by 40% or 60% from month to month in the last calendar year.
In June 2024, 65% of players vanished from New World compared to the previous month.
We see a similar phenomenon with New World: A massive influx at the beginning, followed by a free fall in player numbers. Here too, we see strong fluctuations over the last calendar year: In October 2024, player numbers even rose by 374%, after previously falling steadily for 11 months by 34% to 10%.
Here’s how the player counts of Baldur’s Gate 3, New World, and Lost Ark developed from February 2024 to February 2025 on Steam:
Baldur’s Gate 3 creates a world where players entertain themselves
What is the reason for this? Baldur’s Gate 3 has succeeded in creating such fascinating characters and such an exciting game world that players want to spend time in this created game universe.
This creates a community around such a game that keeps itself entertained:
There are discussions about individual characters or the game world: Characters like Astarion or Shadowheart are constantly discussed. Even the voice actors have become minor stars of the community.
The game is explored and examined in every corner.
Through mods, players can engage with the game.
This is the ideal scenario for anyone developing a service game or an MMORPG: After reaching a critical mass, the game becomes self-sustaining and the community largely carries it while the developers only need to make external adjustments and provide expansions and patches.
In contrast, MMORPGs rely heavily on constantly new content that revitalizes the game. If this new content is missing, interest in the game drops significantly. To simplify:
In Baldur’s Gate 3, players engage significantly with each other and themselves.
In New World and Lost Ark, constant external input is needed to keep players entertained.
Examples of games that thrived greatly on community and characters in the past include Overwatch or Genshin Impact. Both games were significantly more successful during their peak than they would have been based solely on their gameplay.
The phenomenon of evergreen games on Steam
Are there other games that succeed in this? There are several such evergreen games that are played consistently throughout the year:
The strategy games from Paradox, such as Crusader Kings 3 or Hearts of Iron, have a consistent player base on Steam, but they also continually receive new DLCs. Hearts of Iron managed to set a new player record on Steam with the Germany DLC after 8 years.
Steam’s own evergreen games DOTA 2 and CS:GO consistently top the charts, with minor deviations. They are exceptions.
Certain procedurally generated endless games like RimWorld are also evergreen.
But generally, a consistently high player base over the course of a year is a rare and valuable phenomenon. Especially for a classic single-player title like Baldur’s Gate 3, which is intended as a linear campaign, this is an extraordinary achievement.
What’s behind it: The immense success of Baldur’s Gate 3 will surely have an impact on new role-playing games that are released. Because they are appearing in a world where Baldur’s Gate 3 has set new standards for the quality and longevity of role-playing games, and they are appearing in a world where a large portion of role-players are still actively playing Baldur’s Gate 3.
Riot has expanded various skin variants for League of Legends over the years. Among them are now skins that cannot be purchased directly but can only be obtained from loot boxes. This has led to criticism from the beginning. A new piece of information about the types of loot boxes is currently causing unrest among the player base.
What has now been revealed? In addition to normal loot boxes that contain regular content such as normal skins, icons, or ward skins, there are also regular mythic skin variants. These are special variants of existing skins. These already caused criticism at release because you have to rely on luck.
If you want to guarantee getting the skin, you have to open a certain number of boxes. A similar system also exists with the new exalted skins, which were released with a new Jinx skin as part of Arcane Season 2. To guarantee the skin, players are willing to pay up to 240 €, depending on the banner.
In a blog post from Riot there were further details on all types of skins. This is currently causing criticism from the player base, as the different pulls do not count for all skin types.
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The Bridge Between – Trailer for the Lunar Revel Event 2025 in LoL
Players compare the new skins to classic Gacha games
Where is the problem? In most gacha games, there is a system that promises a guaranteed pull after opening a certain number of loot boxes. This is the case here as well. The current criticism is that the different banners in LoL do not interact together.
If you open boxes at the mythic banner, only there does the number of boxes that need to be opened for the guaranteed skin decrease, but not at the exalted banner. The current skin situation has been heavily criticized under an x post:
@Jay_Narukami: Not even gacha games are so restrictive
@dioxide_39: What has become of simply placing ultimate skins in the shop and selling them for 3,250 RP?
@AFoxWithinMe: Guys … it’s just a skin. Don’t buy it. It won’t change anything. Just another skin.
Most users criticize the gacha mechanic itself. Regarding this topic, it must be noted that the pulls from the banners reportedly count for the next banners of the same skin type. So if you pull at Radiant Serpent Sett, it also reduces the required pulls for the next exalted skin banners, unless you are not supposed to pull to the maximum.
Apart from the exclusive gacha skins, new skins that you can purchase directly without any form of luck mechanic still appear every patch. Unlike games like Genshin Impact, these skins also have no gameplay effects.
Over the past years, the new monetization strategies of LoL have been harshly criticized by players. Among them were not only the gacha skins but also expensive skins, such as the Ahri Faker skin for nearly 400 €. So far, all of this has only been cosmetic content. The new structure of the normal chests is also not liked by players: Riot changes how you obtain free skins in LoL, even alienating players who have been there for 13 years
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In today’s work environment, there is a gap between the generations when it comes to punctuality. While older generations consider tardiness disrespectful, it is often no problem for Gen Z. Steve Jobs, known for his strict punctuality, would likely have rejected this relaxed attitude toward lateness as unprofessional.
How do the generations differ? The perception of punctuality is flexible for us. Recent studies show (via Fortune), that many young workers view delays of up to ten minutes as normal. According to a survey by Meeting Canary, which surveyed over 1,000 British individuals in 2024, almost 50% of 16- to 26-year-olds still consider a slight delay as “on time.” However, Millennials view it somewhat differently: 70% of this generation have little tolerance for tardiness.
Why are there differing views? Considering the way younger generations work, the difference is not surprising. Many members of Generation Z began their careers during the pandemic when remote work and flexible hours became the norm. While the older generation views fixed hours without flexibility and strict punctuality as a given, younger generations desire more flexibility to support their work-life balance.
Start video
How crash detection works on iPhone and Apple Watch
Steve Jobs and His Attitude Toward Punctuality
Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple and one of the most influential figures in the technology industry, would likely not have appreciated this relaxed attitude toward punctuality. Jobs, known for his strict discipline and efficiency, placed great importance on productivity and time management.
This was Jobs’ attitude: In the book “Creativity, Inc.” (via Amazon), referenced by the magazine Applesfera, Edward Catmull, the former head of Pixar and Disney, shares more about Jobs’ strict attitude. His belief in not wasting time was evident in many of his decisions: Even a Pixar CEO who was consistently late as part of a negotiation tactic was simply excluded by Jobs without regard for his arrival time, and the meeting started without him.
Jobs’ perception of punctuality may seem impractical today, but it emphasized a fundamental value: respect for everyone’s time and the ability to work productively and with focus.
The topics of work-life balance, working hours, and work environment are part of the changing modern workplace. A CEO of a modern tech company defends a 10-hour workday. However, this view does not apply to all generations anymore. Many countries are now considering reducing working hours to improve employees’ work-life balance.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In February 2024, Blizzard sold various colored portals, which were, however, tied to specific classes. The community complained: For that price, you could just buy a game.
Now there is a new discussion about the prices in the shop – this time it’s about the little animals that follow you in Diablo 4.
What animals are we talking about? Since Season 4, there have been pets in Diablo 4 that automatically collect materials for you – and you can customize them with various skins. Unlike the mount, you don’t change the armor but simply choose a different loot pet. Currently, there are new variants in the shop for around 25 euros, which some players consider completely exaggerated. Others take it more relaxed since the pets are purely cosmetic and do not provide any gameplay advantage.
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Gameplay trailer for Season 7 in Diablo 4, the Season of Witch Power
“It’s not that profound”
On Reddit, JoeTom86 shows a loot pet available for around 25 euros in the Diablo 4 shop and claims that the price is “complete madness.” The post has garnered over 3,300 upvotes and numerous comments where users discuss the topic.
The loot pet that is being discussed on Reddit.Another loot pet in the Diablo 4 shop.
What do other players say about it? Many users seem to have no major problem with the offer. The general consensus in the comments: “Buy it if you want – or not.” Others also don’t see a big issue here – or have even bought the cool pet themselves:
gatorfan8898 writes: “I just bought it because I liked it. It’s not that profound. […] Everyone has their own pain threshold when it comes to prices.”
HeliosTrick says: “Relax and let people enjoy their overpriced, ultimately meaningless pixels.”
Rockclimbinkayaker comments: “Honestly, this is a better investment than […] a 20$ lottery ticket with a 99% chance of losing. At least I have my pet for the rest of my journey. I could waste my money on many other useless things that I won’t have the next day.”
McLando_Norris writes: “Completely optional. If you want to buy it, pay the price.”
For some, the high price is even a welcome reason not to spend money. For example, evertonblue writes: “I prefer it when such things are so expensive – it makes it easier for me not to buy anything.”
Many players also remind that there are free pets as well. The first animal, a dog, can be obtained directly through the quest to unlock the loot pet. Another is available as a reward for stage 7 of the season journey in Season 7. For example, Eagles_63 writes that the seasonal pet is so cool that he doesn’t want to change it anyway.
The seasonal pet is the raven Dorian, who follows your player character and collects materials. But not only the new raven companion is well received; another raven that came into the game with Season 7 is also popular. You can find it in the “Bounty Hunting Zones,” where it rewards you with loot in exchange for offerings. You can find more about this here: A simple raven on a stick is currently one of the most beloved features in Diablo 4.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
On February 11, 2025, Civilization 7 is finally set to launch, and the early access phase for pre-orders is already underway. The new installment of the popular global strategy series by Firaxis does many things differently … and falls flat on its face. At least on Steam.
Update from February 7, 2025: Civilization is slowly but surely climbing to a more positive rating on Steam. So far, more than 4,780 reviews have come in, with 47 percent being positive. That’s enough for “Mixed”.
Additionally, a new peak was reached within the last 24 hours, with 62,931 concurrent players.
In his current playthrough of Civ 7, YouTuber and global strategy expert Writing Bull commented on the Steam reviews. He estimates that many of the negative reviews come from players who have only played for a few hours.
Those who play the new installment longer tend to have a much more positive assessment, according to his thesis. In his opinion, Civ 7 does many things right, but that can only be recognized once the new systems have been thoroughly tested. However, the UI or the English translation, as well as the missing information in many areas, also frustrate Writing Bull.
How has Civilization 7 launched? Many of the pre-order players are punishing the new installment of the beloved global strategy series by Firaxis. On Steam, “Civ 7” has a disastrous 37 percent positive reviews from over 1,050 submissions.
This is a stark contrast to the average rating of the reviews on Metacritic – as of now, the 73 reviews submitted there average a score of 81 for the PC version of the game.
Here is a gameplay trailer for Civilization 7:
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Sid Meier’s Civilization 7 shows gameplay in the trailer
Are the gray aliens working at Firaxis?
What is the community saying about Civ 7? Even before its release, much discussion arose about the numerous innovations in the game. For instance, there are now three eras where players keep their initially chosen leader but must change their civilization each time. Some critics argue that Firaxis is taking too many risks, and the innovations have not been well received by some long-time fans.
Even more frequently, players criticize the combination of high purchase price, the again questionable DLC policy, and the many unfinished areas that affect the experience in Civilization 7.
Cool CGI Dog writes in his review on Steam: ‘A few minutes in and it is just … so obviously unfinished, especially by Civ standards. The user interface is total junk, everything looks like junk, the resource icons look like archive images from 1998. There is no discernible aspect of care that has gone into the game, and this is something I never expected from Firaxis.’
WillNever complains on Steam: ‘The user interface looks and feels like it was created in the alpha phase of development and was never refined/improved. The new gameplay mechanics are quite interesting, but if you have to struggle through this terrible interface, it is not worth the effort.’
Con criticizes on Steam as well: ‘The bare bones should not have been released in their current form, as it obviously needs more time to add basic functions, especially at this outrageous price.’
MACHINE001 cites a handful of problems in his review on Steam:
Leaders and civilizations feel very disconnected. If you enjoy immersion, this game is NOT for you.
You can simply tell that the game was developed for consoles.
The maps are SMALL. The largest size is STANDARD.
You only get 3 or 4 options to customize the game.
Is anything being praised by players as well? Even in the positive reviews, issues such as the need for UI improvements, missing features and options, and the game feeling unfinished are frequently pointed out. However, for a part of the community, the positive aspects are good enough to still enjoy Civ 7.
sol explains on Steam: ‘It’s good. The advantages of this game outweigh the disadvantages. The user interface is miserable and seems to have been designed by gray aliens or some other soulless being. […] Aside from that, the game itself is a lot of fun, and the new features are comparatively better for the fun factor.’
WarayGudClaro praises on Steam among other things the officers: ‘New commander advantages and uses are interesting, the promotions for your commanders are decent and allow for a variety of commander types.’
UnderwaterFrank summarizes on Steam: ‘There are many changes that you may like or not, but those who give the game a chance will, in my opinion, have a lot of fun with it. From me, there is a clear recommendation to buy. A lot will also come with the next patches and DLCs. I am definitely excited and looking forward to a relaxing multiplayer round with friends.’
Have you already tried Civilization 7? Are you still waiting for the official launch on February 11, 2025? Let us know in the comments! GameStar editor and Twitch streamer Maurice Weber was able to extensively test Sid Meier’s Civilization 7 in advance: German strategy expert on Twitch summarizes after 20 hours of Civilization 7
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
