Adventurers who have found their place in the multiverse of Dungeons & Dragons often have to face crunchy bosses and powerful villains. MeinMMO has put together an overview of some particularly powerful representatives that every player should know.
What role do villains play in Dungeons & Dragons? In the pen-and-paper role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons (DnD), villains play a central role as opponents who provide challenges for the players and drive the story forward. They can act as mere puppet masters or serve as challenging boss enemies.
Roleplayers often refer to such adversaries as BBEG (Big Bad Evil Guy), which stands for the main antagonist of a campaign. The BBEG is a powerful enemy who devises plans and puts obstacles in the heroes’ way until the thrilling final battle occurs.
The lore of Dungeons & Dragons offers a wide range of personalities and creatures perfectly suited for this role. We have compiled 10 of the most powerful adversaries that every player should know.
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As the story differs between the editions of Dungeons & Dragons, the selection of characters is based on the opinion and experience of MeinMMO editor Alexander Schürlein. The background information is meant to give a rough overview of what makes the respective villain stand out. Feel free to let us know in the comments if your favorite villain is missing here.
Who is writing here? MeinMMO editor Alexander has been at home in various pen-and-paper role-playing games for over 15 years. From Dungeons & Dragons to Pathfinder, Shadowrun, The Dark Eye, and Call of Cthulhu to The Black Cat, hardly any system is safe from him. His greatest passion is Faerûn in the DnD multiverse, where he has been experiencing adventures for years.
Some villains from Dungeons & Dragons can also be encountered in video games that have little to do with them – for example, Vecna has a place in Dead by Daylight:
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Dead by Daylight: Dungeons & Dragons brings the wicked lich Vecna
Count Strahd von Zarovich
Strahd von Zarovich
Count Strahd von Zarovich is a notorious vampire lord who captivates players with his equally charismatic and sinister aura. He is cursed to rule over the realm of Barovia. Strahd was once born as a mortal noble but fell to dark magic and made a pact that turned him into an undead tyrant.
He is in love with Tatyana, a woman he constantly loses as she is reborn in different eras. Strahd’s reign is marked by fear, pain, and despair. His castle Ravenloft is an iconic location in DnD, full of dangers, secrets, and gothic horror atmosphere.
With his vampiric and magical abilities that enhance him and make him mostly immortal, he poses a serious threat to adventurers who dare to confront him. As befits a vampire lord, he does not outright eliminate you but stages an exciting game of cat and mouse that often drives players to despair.
Strahd is among the most popular and well-known adversaries in the world of Dungeons & Dragons. He is a part of many adventures and appears repeatedly in various books and media. With “Curse of Strahd,” there is even an entire campaign book dedicated to him.
Zariel
Zariel
Zariel is a fallen angel and now the warlord of the first layer of hell called Avernus. Originally, she was a Solar, a celestial general driven by her unyielding hatred of demons. She led an army of mortal warriors into the “Bloody Battle” – an eternal war between demons and devils.
But her hatred became her doom: she succumbed to darkness and was eventually transformed into an Archdevil by Asmodeus, the supreme lord of the Nine Hells. Now she serves as a brutal ruler, battling endless hordes of demons from the Abyss in Avernus.
She is an excellent melee fighter, harming her opponents with powerful magic and a flail that replaces one of her arms. She also possesses the ability to see through any illusion and invisibility, making it difficult to outsmart her.
In the campaign book “Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus,” players can confront Zariel – either to defeat her or perhaps even to redeem her.
Page 2 continues with Demogorgon, Asmodeus, and Orcus.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
It could have been so good for RP players in World of Warcraft. But a small detail makes a new feature in patch 11.1 much worse than necessary.
The RP community of World of Warcraft has been quite frugal in recent years, but has been equipped with some nice features in the last expansions. For example, the large tents have become a permanent fixture in RP and weather machines have also become an important part of many RP events.
In patch 11.1 Lorenhalt there are now a number of new items that allow characters to use numerous new “emotes”. But Blizzard makes a drastic mistake – and limits the items to a very small area.
Start video
3 absurde Bugs, die in WoW passiert sind
What are these items? In Lorenhalt there is the club “The Low Blow”. This is a place where fights take place and somewhat resembles the “Fight Club”. The special thing is that it is not a PvP location, but a place where conflicts can be represented with special items.
Through various items, you can display health points above your character as red markers. Various “guide” items allow your characters to take on special animations. For example, you can have your character represented as “stunned”, “played dead”, or “knocked down” for 15 minutes.
The folks at wowhead have already tried this out:
You can also have your characters assume various combat animations – such as for unarmed combat, weapon combat, or magical fights. This is otherwise only possible by targeting a hostile target and right-clicking it.
The idea behind the items: When roleplayers engage in fights, they are usually represented through dice conflicts (similar to pen & paper). However, there are only very limited ways to represent this in the game with appropriate animations. With all these “guide” items, this can be done – stuns, damage, and defeat can be visually represented and enrich the roleplay.
What is the problem with the items? Unfortunately, for the roleplay community, the items are almost useless, because they have a very drastic limitation: They can only be used within the area “The Low Blow” – the fight club where you can also purchase the items.
Everywhere else in the world, the items cannot be used. Anyone who wants to use the items in RP must therefore conduct the conflicts in Lorenhalt in the aforementioned club. This is a massive limitation and makes the items unattractive for most scenarios.
Why is there the limitation? This is not quite clear. One assumption is that Blizzard does not want characters to be able to use various emotes like “stunned” or “played dead” all over the world, as this could cause confusion in PvP situations in the open world.
However, there is still some time until the release of patch 11.1 Lorenhalt. Maybe Blizzard will reconsider that the restriction to the location might not be what roleplayers want. Because even if Blizzard sometimes builds special locations just for RP fans – they certainly didn’t want this.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Path of Exile 2 plays the Witch with her army of Minions similar to a Necromancer. We show you a Witch build that allows you to go through all acts to the endgame.
Update, April 3, 2025: The article has been reviewed and is up to date.
What kind of build is this? This is the “Minion Infernalist” build for the Witch in Path of Exile 2. The Witch is one of the classes you can currently play in the Early Access of PoE 2. The build we present here refers to the subclass “Infernalist”, with which the Witch casts powerful fire spells, commands an army of the undead, and summons a Hellhound.
The build guide is based on our own player experiences since the release of the “Early Access” version of Path of Exile 2 and the experts from maxroll.gg. The build is regularly adjusted and updated.
We show you in our guide how you should optimally skill your Witch throughout your entire journey and what you need to know in the endgame regarding the gems and gameplay. In the build, you use skills from the categories “Occult” and “Elemental”.
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Skills for the Beginning: From Act 1 to Act 3
Here’s how you get through the three acts: As you play through the campaign with its three acts, you expand your army of Minions. The Minions support you in combat and are the main component of your build. The key point is the skill “Flaming Skull” that you receive during the campaign. Note that you will need to place support gems into other skills in between.
Act 1: All Skills and Gems
The following skills are used in Act 1:
Chaos Bolt (obtained via your wand)
Skeleton Warrior (obtained via your scepter)
Support Gems: Flesh Shield, Elemental Army
Corruption
Exhumation
Support Gem: unstable creatures
Skeleton Snipers
Support Gems: Combat Tempo, Fire Infusion
Fire Wall
Support Gem: Fortress
Debilitate
Support Gem: Arcane Tempo
Skill Bar: Chaos Bolt, Corruption, Exhumation, Skeleton Snipers, Fire Wall, Debilitate
As soon as you receive gems of higher levels, you add the following skills:
Skeleton Arsonist (instead of Skeleton Snipers)
Support Gems: Spread Shot, Concentrated Effect
Weaknesses
Support Gem: Curse Maximizer
Flaming Skull (you receive an uncut gem from a campaign boss that unlocks the special skill) → the most important skill for the build!
Support Gems: Combat Tempo, Fire Infusion
Sacrificial Pain
Support Gems: Enlarged Effect, Persistence
Skill Bar: Corruption, Exhumation, Skeleton Arsonist, Fire Wall, Debilitate, Weaknesses, Sacrificial Pain (the remaining are “permanent skills”, thus activating by themselves)
To activate permanent skills (like Flaming Skull), use the key displayed when you hover over the skill.
Act 2: All Skills and Gems
What do I change in Act 2? In Act 2, you receive gems of higher levels, allowing you to replace the skill “Weaknesses” with “Flammability”. This buffs the damage of the Flaming Skull.
In Act 2, you will also face the “Trial of the Sekhem”. If you complete it, you will unlock your subclass (Ascendancy) and further skill options. For example, you will receive a Hellhound that you can also summon.
The following skills are used in Act 2:
Skeleton Warrior (obtained via your scepter)
Support Gems: Flesh Shield, Elemental Army
when using the Hellhound skill: Brutality, Last Breath
Corruption/Sparks
Exhumation
Support Gem: unstable creatures
Skeleton Arsonist
Support Gems: Spread Shot, Concentrated Effect
Fire Wall
Support Gems: Fortress, Arcane Wave
Flammability
Support Gems: Curse Maximizer, Spell Cascade
Flaming Skull
Support Gems: Combat Tempo, Fire Infusion
Sacrificial Pain
Support Gems: Persistence, Enlarged Effect
Hellhound
Support Gems: Flesh Shield, Elemental Army
Skill Bar: Corruption/Sparks, Exhumation, Skeleton Arsonist, Fire Wall, Flammability, Sacrificial Pain
Instead of Corruption, the skill “Sparks” is also recommended as it unleashes spark projectiles that seek out enemies. This is particularly helpful if you want to stay at a distance.
If you play with the “Hellhound” skill, you will place the support gems “Flesh Shield” and “Elemental Army” there. Instead, you can add “Brutality” and “Last Breath” to the Skeleton Warriors. If you complete the “Trial of the Sekhem” later, you can leave your Skeleton Warriors as they are.
Start video
The Witch is the new class in Path of Exile 2; shows in the gameplay trailer what she can do
Act 3: All Skills and Gems
What do I change in Act 3? In Act 3, you do not change anything about the skills you use. However, you receive spheres for further versions of your support gems and can thus easily expand the skills. You improve the levels of your skills, add more support gems, and build Will, which you need for many skills and Minions. From Act 3, support gems of level 2 drop.
The following support gems are added in Act 3:
Flaming Skull: Piercing Fire (instead of Combat Tempo), Feast
Skeleton Warrior: Shard (instead of Last Breath), Mutilate
Skeleton Arsonist: Combat Tempo
Hellhound: Fiery Death
Skill Bar: Corruption/Sparks, Exhumation, Fire Wall, Flammability, Sacrificial Pain
Tip: To see all support gems, uncheck the box “Show recommended gems”.
Minion Infernalist: Gameplay of the Witch
How does the build play? The gameplay carries through all three acts, with small changes to your skills and support gems:
One of the most important skills for the build that you unlock is Fire Wall. This causes fire damage, but more importantly: later, Flaming Skull will fly out from the Fire Wall and automatically attack enemies. Basically, you can then spam your Fire Wall as long as you have enough mana and grill your enemies with the Flaming Skulls. The Flaming Skulls do not appear in the skill bar and are permanent.
Additionally, Flammability reduces the fire resistance of enemies. You will therefore need that skill in the skill bar.
Exhumation adds damage to enemies and assembles creatures from the corpses in the area that temporarily fight for you. Use the skill while the Flaming Skulls grill your enemies to always have as many Minions as possible.
Corruption weakens enemies and deals chaos damage over time. If you have too many skills in your bar or generally want to press fewer keys, that’s the skill you can leave out. Alternatively, Sparks is recommended to deal damage to enemies from further away.
Sacrificial Pain buffs your Minions – with support gems, they no longer die as quickly.
Your scepter gives you Skeleton Warriors that revive themselves. You don’t need to equip the skill in your skill bar; the skeletons spawn and support you automatically.
Your Skeleton Snipers also fight and revive themselves, but you can still press the command that makes them shoot a gas arrow at enemies. You can use as many snipers as your will allows.
If you replace the Skeleton Snipers with the Skeleton Arsonists during Act 1, two will suffice. The Arsonists can explode other creatures on command. Otherwise, they also support you automatically in combat without you needing to activate anything.
The Hellhound ignites enemies and takes a portion of the damage you would otherwise suffer. You do not equip the skill in your bar; it is permanent.
Pay attention to the display in the upper left corner. There, you see how many Minions are active. You can have up to 10 Flaming Skulls active at the same time. If it is less, place another Fire Wall.
Witch Build: Equipment
What items do I equip? In the campaign, you primarily encounter enemies that deal physical damage. Here, equipment items that increase your armor and energy shield are beneficial. It is also important to increase your resistances to fire, cold, lightning, and chaos damage. You can add sockets to armor and use runes that increase resistances, armor, and other defensive values.
It is important to increase your maximum life points. A high movement speed is also essential to dodge attacks and better handle timed trials.
Regarding your main and off-hand, it is advisable to equip a scepter and a shield. Scepters grant you the skill “Skeleton Warriors”, which you don’t need on your skill bar. Attributes that relate to your Minions are suitable here, such as:
Level on Minion Skills
Allies deal increased damage
Allies have increased attack speed
Increased Will
Tip: Check in regularly with the NPC merchants. After each level-up of your player character, the offer changes, and you can get really powerful items. If you are short on gold, collect as much gear as possible and teleport back to town in between to sell it.
Witch Build: Ascendancy Class
What are Ascendancy classes? They existed in the first Path of Exile and allow you to specialize your class by following the path of an Ascendancy. You receive the first points for your specialization in Act 2 through the “Trial of the Sekhem”.
You follow the Infernalist path and gradually equip the following points:
Faithful Hellhound
Altered Flesh
Will of Beidat
Hand of Beidat
By following this path, you receive a Hellhound that reduces the damage that hits you. Additionally, you gain more life points, more Will, and a higher energy shield.
Witch Build: Passive Skills
How do I distribute my passive skill points? For Acts 1-3 and the Cruel mode, you work your way to the right and then up and activate the points that relate to your Minions. This includes, among others:
Minions deal increased damage
Minions have increased health
Minions are revived faster
Minions have increased movement speed
Here you see recommended minion nodes and the order in which to collect them.
In between, you grab points that increase your intelligence, which is essential for the build. If you lack intelligence points, you cannot improve/equip certain skills. Once you have “enough” intelligence, you can also spend individual points on strength or dexterity, depending on what your gear requires.
A complete skill tree for all acts and the endgame can be found at maxroll.gg.
At the NPC “The Veiled”, you can revise your skills for gold. He also has another useful function:
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This NPC in Path of Exile 2 identifies your items
Skills for the “Cruel” Mode
In the Early Access of Path of Exile 2, there are currently 3 acts, but later there should be 6. To compensate for the missing Acts 4-6, the developers introduced the Cruel mode. Once you have completed Act 3, you play through the game again in Cruel mode from Act 1 to Act 3 – but this time the difficulty is higher than before.
What do I change in Cruel Mode? In Cruel mode, additional skills and support gems are added. “Grim Feast” provides you with higher defense by making enemies drop remains upon death that fill up your energy shield.
The following skills are used in Cruel mode:
Skeleton Warrior (obtained via your scepter – the better it is, the more slots for support gems you have available)
Support Gems: Brutality, Shard, Mutilate
Exhumation
Support Gem: unstable creatures, Legion of Hellfire
Skeleton Arsonist
Support Gems: Spread Shot, Muscle Power, Combat Tempo
Fire Wall
Support Gems: Fortress, Arcane Wave
Flammability
Support Gems: Curse Maximizer, Spell Cascade, Inspiration
Flaming Skull
Support Gems: Elemental Focus, Feast, Fire Infusion
Sacrificial Pain
Support Gems: Enlarged Effect, Persistence
Hellhound
Support Gems: Flesh Shield, Elemental Army, Fiery Death, Strip Away (once you have a 4th slot)
Sparks
Support Gems: Arcane Tempo, Unleash
Grim Feast
Clarity
Skill Bar: Exhumation, Sparks, Fire Wall, Flammability, Sacrificial Pain
What do I change in the endgame? Upon reaching the endgame, you will adjust a few of your skills, add some, and upgrade existing ones. Here too, you rely on a large army of Minions and the powerful Flaming Skulls, but also on defensive skills. If you play the Stones in Path of Exile 2, the skill Corpse Explosion is suitable for faster clearing.
Endgame: All Skills and Gems
The following skills are suitable for starting in the endgame:
Hellhound
Support Gems: Flesh Shield, Fire Susceptibility, Strip Away, Fire Mastery, Burning Flame
Corpse Explosion -> Use a gem of level 7-10 here, as the mana costs would otherwise be too high
Support Gems: Spell Echo, Brutality, Enlarged Effect, Arcane Tempo
Flammability
Support Gems: Spell Cascade, Curse Maximizer, Inspiration, Persistence, Focused Curse
Skeleton Warrior
Support Gems: Mutilate, Shard, Death Blow, Blind
Skeleton Arsonist
Support Gems: Muscle Power, Spread Shot, Combat Tempo, Fire Infusion, Last Breath
Fire Wall
Support Gems: Fortress, Mobility, Arcane Wave
Flaming Skull
Support Gems: Feast, Creature Control, Elemental Focus, Fire Sacrifice
Sacrificial Pain
Support Gems: Fountain of Delirium, Blood Fountain, Mana Fountain, Strip Away
Skeleton Storm Mage
Support Gems: Charge, Storm Fire, Overload, Piercing Lightning
The “Minion Infernalist” build for the Witch in Path of Exile 2 is a good choice for all content and could be just right for you if you usually like to play Necromancers. With small adjustments, you are safe for all acts, the Cruel mode, and the endgame. You can get an insight into the classes from Early Access here: Path of Exile 2: Tier List of the strongest classes in the game
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The excitement around the Twitch streamer Jason “Thor” Hall does not die down. He made a mistake in WoW and was criticized for it. But even weeks after the incident, Pirate Software is struggling with the aftereffects. Now he has temporarily had an indie game removed from Steam. The developer says he misused copyright.
What was the mistake? The Twitch streamer Pirate Software, a former employee of Blizzard, let his group down during a pull in World of Warcraft Hardcore. In WoW Hardcore, characters that die while playing are permanently lost.
The group had fallen back on a pull, but then resumed the fight. While the others were fighting, Pirate Software ran to the exit with his mage. He said he couldn’t help because he had no mana for the necessary spells. However, he had options to restore mana, as he was later accused of. Two of the guild members died in the pull. They lost their characters in which they had invested hours.
As a result, Pirate Software was criticized for acting like a cockroach and for not taking responsibility for his escape. He was kicked from the guild OnlyFangs and subsequently ended his streaming of WoW.
Start video
Blizzard bans the man who ruined WoW Hardcore
Indie game features the streamer as a cockroach
Here’s what happened: In the game “Idle Streaming Bonanza,” which is set to be released on Steam, well-known streamers are parodied. Characters like CQX (xQc), Mokpane (Pokimane), or Asmonsilver (Asmongold) appear in it. The streamers are portrayed in connection with scandals or well-known behavioral patterns: In Pokimane, it’s about her cookies, and in DrDisrespect, it’s about allegations of communicating with a minor via Twitch chat.
The developer of Idle Streaming Bonanza himself posted a clip on reddit in January, showing Pirate Software as a new character in the game: Hall takes the form of a cockroach in the game, a clear allusion to his escape from WoW. In the scene, Pirate Software’s voice can also be heard.
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Pirate Software subsequently issued a DMCA strike, a copyright strike, against the game, and it was removed from Steam for a short time.
Pirate Software justifies the strike by saying that the developer cannot simply use his voice in the game without consent. However, the developer has filed an objection against the DMCA strike and the game is back on Steam.
Pirate Software plans to take the developer to court
Here’s the current status: Pirate Software says:“The developer has filed a counterclaim against me. We will take it to court. They will lose. You cannot use someone’s likeness or voice in a game without their permission. That’s really a stupid thing to do.”
The developer says he only shared a “possible build” of his game on Reddit. That’s on his PC and not in the game. There is no build with Pirate Software on Steam.
Videos against Pirate Software are also being restricted
What’s also notable: In recent days, two critical videos about Pirate Software have appeared, but they have apparently vanished from YouTube or have been otherwise restricted.
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A major video came from Quin69 (via sportskeeda). He said, however, that the restriction of the video was not the result of a copyright strike, but apparently came from the community. Quin69 suspects that his critical video may have been reported en masse by fans of Pirate Software.
Pirate Software states that he has done nothing against the video. That has nothing to do with him. It’s a strike due to a violation of YouTube’s community guidelines, not copyright.
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An even more critical video than that of Quin69 was made by Jokerd. He says his video was restricted due to cyberbullying and harassment. He has never experienced anything like this.
Pirate Software says: YouTube takes down the videos, not him
Also here Pirate Software (via arazu.io) says he has done nothing, but YouTube sanctioned Jokerd’s video on its own. It is misleading on reddit to say that he issued a strike against Jokerd’s video. People should inform themselves before blaming him for everything.
The eSports team Eintracht Spandau, active in the German league for League of Legends, held a press conference for the upcoming season and simultaneously introduced their new main sponsor. However, President Knabe (HandofBlood) made a serious mistake.
Who is the new main sponsor? At a press conference, Eintracht Spandau introduced their new main sponsor: Spin2Win, an online casino. Due to newly relaxed gambling regulations at Riot Games regarding gambling sponsors, Eintracht Spandau can now receive money from new sponsors.
Thus, Spin2Win would support the eSports team throughout the new season, and thanks to their support, new financial opportunities have opened up for the team.
Present at the press conference were team representative Daniel Broekmann, Ms. Strobel, Kevin Westphal, and of course, President Knabe.
HandOfBlood has already become the German champion with his eSports team:
Start video
HandOfBlood wanted to change e-sports with his LoL team, now he is finally the German champion
Controversial main sponsor stirs up unrest
How did they address criticism? Eintracht Spandau also addressed critical questions. Regarding the risks of gambling, they stated that the responsibility lies with the consumer. A position also held by the German Twitch streamer MontanaBlack in 2022, when he was accused by ZDF Magazin Royale of promoting gambling through FIFA Packs.
The team has no concerns regarding the underage target audience exposed to this gambling advertising. After all, a loot box system has been specifically set up for children, which they can engage with instead. Broekmann added that he doesn’t have children, so he does not care.
In response to the criticism that loot boxes also qualify as gambling, President Knabe indignantly replied that, according to law, they do not.
Then came the twist: Through a critical inquiry, it suddenly became clear at the press conference that the new regulation only applies to LEC teams, but not to the Prime League, for example. Thus, Eintracht Spandau is also excluded from this opportunity.
Daniel Broekmann (33) apparently knew about this all along, which provoked a strong emotional reaction from President Knabe.
In his eyes, Daniel Broekmann is to blame for everything. Previously, he had already described playing with him in the first league as “real gambling” because “you might as well flip a coin.”
The press conference was abruptly canceled, and President Knabe left the room visibly upset.
Here you can watch the entire video:
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What is behind it? This is, of course, a parody. Satirically, Eintracht Spandau wants to draw attention to a real problem in the eSports scene. HandOfBlood has hidden many allusions and gags in his role as President Knabe:
Simply “Spin2Win” is a reference to the LoL-champ Garen, whose unofficial description includes “Spin2Win” – while the slogan could also fit a casino.
Knabe points out that Spin2Win has outbid other sponsors like Nestlé and Shell – those would also be extremely controversial sponsors.
Riot Games announced at the end of 2024 that they would relax their regulations regarding gambling sponsors. It will be allowed to have betting companies as sponsors from 2025, but only those that are approved by Riot.
Previously, Riot had actively opposed this, but has now decided to go ahead with it. As a justification, Riot stated that they wanted to create new opportunities for eSports teams.
This decision was criticized by Eintracht Spandau with the video. Even though Riot’s sponsors must first be approved, this is still a controversial development.
As soon as YouTuber and Twitch streamer HandOfBlood is in the role of President Knabe, one should not take everything he says seriously. It is an exaggerated portrayal of a brash football functionary: President Knabe – What makes HandOfBlood’s role so good
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Many trainers have special experiences in Pokémon GO that they like to share with other members of the community. Now, a park bench serves as a reminder of the community itself.
The special thing about Pokémon GO: Pokémon GO is a unique game that aims to bring its community together in the real world. Many still fondly recall the early days of the game, especially the summer of 2016 when so many people were out and about collecting Pokémon in the real world.
To this day, there are communities that meet to “catch them all” and have a good time together. And in Washington, it seems someone decided to honor these communities with a small monument.
A post in the Pokémon GO subreddit has caused a stir in this regard: With over 15,000 upvotes, it is the most popular post of the week and the second most popular of the month.
What it shows: A simple park bench in Bellevue Park, Washington, dedicated to the players of Pokémon GO – in teams red, yellow, and blue – who “caught them all” there.
You can check out the post here:
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This is what trainers say about the monument: In the comments, some players express how the small plaque has struck a chord with them. They appreciate the gesture and reflect on their own good experiences with the game.
The top comment is from user “Survive1014”, who describes how his Pokémon community hosts park clean-up days in the spring, which has been well-received by many. Trainers gather, play together, and simultaneously clean up the park. Another person recalls the summer of 2016, while others mention they would love to stop by the bench sometime.
Many believe: This should definitely be a PokéStop. As it stands, however, the bench does not yet hold that designation in the game itself. It’s conceivable that this could change – at least, the thread starter “squishedpies” commented that they want to submit the location as a potential stop.
Such stories continue to demonstrate that Pokémon GO, at its best, can be a unique game that brings people together. Do you still have such experiences these days? Or what were your favorite stories with the game? Share them with us in the comments!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
With Monster Hunter Wilds, the latest installment of the game series comes to the home screens on February 28, 2025. This attracts not only experienced hunters but also many newcomers. Why interested players should not be discouraged by the depth and scope of the series and why Monster Hunter Wilds is perfect for newcomers is explained here at MeinMMO.
The game series and Monster Hunter has now been around for more than 20 years and has about as many games. This can seem daunting to newcomers at first. The variety of weapons with all their different combos and applications, as well as the many different monsters, equipment, and accessories, can also be overwhelming for some.
Five reasons stand out that make the game perfect for entering the series. Why you, as a newcomer, should be brave and can confidently go hunting for monsters at release, we have compiled here for you in a list.
[toc]
Who writes here? MeinMMO editor Alexander Schürlein has over 1,000 hours as a monster hunter under his belt. Over the years, he has tackled countless titles on various consoles and prefers to go hunting with dual blades.
Start video
Monster Hunter Wilds: Daisy Ridley explains the lore
Completed story and an immersive, vibrant world
The most important reason is that you do not need to have played any of the predecessors to play and understand Monster Hunter Wilds. While this point does not, in itself, differentiate the new title from its competitors – as the story of each installment has so far been self-contained – this is not necessarily apparent to newcomers.
In Monster Hunter Wilds, you are thrown directly into the action and are thus involved from minute one, making the title strongly story-driven. The good voice acting, including that of your own character, immerses the player directly into the story and throws mysteries at their feet that they want to solve immediately. This makes the premise very approachable for newcomers and encourages them to dive deeper into the game’s world.
The seamless world invites exploration with all its corners and angles and captivates both new and experienced hunters. There is always something to see or to observe. Monsters eat, sleep, roam in herds, and even do their business – like a digital safari.
Additionally, you can observe all sorts of life cycles in monsters, which was not the case in previous installments. You can find eggs hatching in various locations, baby monsters frolicking, as well as adults and older animals. The ecosystem played an immense role in the development. The developers particularly wanted everything to fit together coherently and appear alive so that hunters are drawn deep into the world of Monster Hunter Wilds.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Streamer Guy “Dr Disrespect” Beahm celebrated on January 30: Although his former gaming studio Midnight Society closed on that day, money from YouTube is flowing again after 6 months. And he surely needs it badly, as reports suggest he has recently lost many viewers.
That was the news: On January 30, Dr Disrespect received two pieces of news:
The gaming studio Midnight Society, which he founded, is closing down and laying off all employees.
The monetization of his YouTube channel has been restored after 6 months.
Dr Disrespect was kicked out of the studio and out of monetization at YouTube at the same time, in June 2025. It was revealed that he exchanged inappropriate messages with a minor via Twitch chat in 2017, which led to his ban from Twitch in 2020.
The late revelation of why he was banned from Twitch sparked “grooming” allegations against Dr Disrespect, which he denied. However, many business partners ended their relationship with Dr Disrespect, including his studio and YouTube.
Start video
DrDisrespect was a celebrity on Twitch – His ban remains a big mystery to this day
Dr Disrespect is visibly relieved, looking through
This is how he reacts now: The news that money is flowing on YouTube again seems to relieve Dr Disrespect immensely. The usually cool guy, who has recently appeared confidently and had announced a big comeback for 2025, lets a piece of the mask fall, cheers, and looks genuinely relieved.
Time and again, he can be seen with a broad grin, clapping his hands and breathing audibly. It seems that a weight has been lifted off his shoulders.
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According to the site Dexerto, citing StreamersCharts, January 2025 was a “worrying month” for Dr Disrespect, whose viewership averaged 12,003.
Just in October 2021, he reportedly had over 20,000 viewers on YouTube again and again. However, in December, his viewership frequently dropped below 10,000.
It seems Dr Disrespect is currently more worried about his own money than the fate of his former employees and colleagues.
YouTube speaks of careful review
This is what YouTube says: In a statement to Kotaku, YouTube stated:
Dr Disrespect was previously excluded from the YouTube Partner Program due to violations of our Creator Responsibilities policies. Creators who have been suspended from this program can reapply for access. After careful review of the channel’s recent activities, we have reinstated him. Should there be further violations, we will take appropriate actions.
Dr Disrespect still feels connected to Rumble
What’s next for him? Dr Disrespect has made it clear again that he is committed to the platform Rumble. They believed in him and supported him. But the gaming community still has to discover Rumble: Dr Disrespect wants to help establish Rumble.
This is being discussed: The case Dr Disrespect is controversial and polarizing. There is no middle ground:
For his fans, he has always been innocent and YouTube’s decision to release him is seen as a clear win for him. For fans, Dr Disrespect is a great entertainer. The allegations against him are seen as exaggerated.
For his opponents, it is a scandal that he is getting off so easily. The word pedophile appears time and again, or people wonder who would still watch this predator in 2025. Here, YouTube is accused of supporting groomers.
What’s behind it: Everything doesn’t quite add up. Allegedly, Dr Disrespect is said to have secured a huge deal on Rumble, with talks of $25 million (via dexerto). This seemed odd back then, as he was in no good negotiating position to secure such a deal. His apparent joy over monetization on YouTube now seems to contradict these huge sums.
Dr Disrespect’s image includes portraying himself as extraordinarily successful and boasting fantastic earnings, despite knowing that his income has dropped significantly since the Twitch ban in 2020, as many advertising deals fell through.
That YouTube has monetized him so early seems like a random decision. The reasons for why he was de-monetized haven’t changed in the last six months.
In any case, one would have wished for an official statement from Dr Disrespect on Twitch apologizing for how things went with Midnight Society. The studio was practically doomed when the Dr Disrespect scandal unfolded. Many employees who might have joined the studio because they believed in the YouTuber have now experienced a severe setback. But Dr Disrespect seems to see himself as a victim here: A man leaves a secure position, switches to a gaming dream job with Dr Disrespect – quits due to a horrible boss
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A former developer at Rockstar explained in an interview why the world of GTA 6 is not so easily freed from bugs and why we should consider this for the release.
Who is this developer? It is Mike Yorke. He worked as an animator on GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 before leaving the company.
In an interview with the podcast Kiwi Talkz, which has since been taken offline, Yorke spoke about the open world of GTA 6 – and why it is not so easy to get it bug-free.
Start video
„Das sagt man doch nicht laut!“ – Entwickler von Baldur’s Gate 3 schimpft mit einem Analysten zu GTA 6
Unpredictability causes problems
Why should we expect bugs at the release of GTA 6? Yorke states that GTA 6 is supposed to be “like no other” due to its unpredictability and the unpredictability of what the player can do in this title.
Yorke compares the open world of GTA 6 to that of The Witcher 3, which is also massive, but functions very differently. Witcher 3 mostly consists of nature, and occasionally you ride into a small village. Proper cities, although large, are still rare and manageable.
The densely populated urban environment of Vice City is said to make the game significantly harder to optimize. “There are many things that can happen that you don’t really think about until a random kid tries it in his basement,” Yorke says.
This does not mean that they do not search for bugs themselves and test performance. When Yorke worked on GTA 5, he recounts, the developers “played the game all day, every day, for about 8 to 10 hours a day” looking for problems.
In the MMO Foxhole on Steam, a war has escalated on server Charlie. The war lasted over 70 days and claimed 9 million casualties on both sides. However, the “Forever War” was ended by the developers. Not everyone is pleased with this. Some players with hundreds of gameplay hours are complaining on Steam. The developers’ intervention is being called a slap in the face.
What kind of war was this? A war has escalated on the “Charlie” server in Foxhole because both sides were about equally matched.
Such a scenario, which was anticipated in Foxhole, is called a “Forever War” – a “war that lasts forever.”
This is how the developer ended the war: Normally, developers stay out of wars: However, in this war on server Charlie, it was the first time in the history of the game that developers intervened by reducing the number of victory points required for the winning team:
They simply said that the new rules will start on Wednesday.
The developers announced a new war for Friday, January 31.
This is how the developers justified it: From the developers’ perspective, the intervention was necessary because new players starting on Charlie should experience the war as it was meant to be: with a beginning, middle, and end in the tech tree. They should not be thrown into a perpetual battle.
According to the developers, the tech tree had reached its maximum for 50 days, and the war between both sides was stagnating, without significant territorial gains.
“Like a slap in the face”
This is what a YouTuber says: The YouTuber “Robert LuvsGames” criticizes the developers’ decision. He respects that the players of the Charlie server adhered to the concept of a “Forever War” and says that all participants deserve a medal for their dedication.
He says that the developers have clearly indicated what makes Foxhole so unique and have brought a years-old meme to life.
In practice, the developers’ intervention must feel like a slap in the face to the players who invested 70 days in the war. It feels like a marathon runner is stopped halfway and told they must start over because new runners have missed the start.
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This is how it is commented: Below the video, there are some players who are complaining: “The devs have crumbled, the players have not.”
The war only seemed like the fronts were not moving. In reality, however, the “Colonials” were slowly winning, and the war would have been finished in about a month, explains another player. The devs just needed to give the war the time it deserved.
A third adds: “Intervening in a game that is promoted by players as a perpetual war goes against everything the game claims to be.”
Player with 300 hours writes negative review on Steam
Does this affect Steam? Negative reviews can also be found on Steam, directly resulting from the developers’ intervention.
A player with 299 hours at the time of the review writes: “The Forever War will live on in my heart forever. The developer guy is evil; he ended the war too early; they cannot tolerate a stalemate or the war with the most deaths.”
A Steam user with 130 hours says: “The developers will artificially end your persistent online war if they deem it necessary. If the developers decide such things instead of the players, why should one play?”
Warner Bros. will pull the plug on the service game MultiVersus on Steam and PS5 after Season 5. Many players are not happy with this, as they were unable to take full advantage of the Founder’s Pack.
Why does MultiVersus have to shut down? It had already become apparent that things were not looking good for MultiVersus.
The title has lost around 99% of its players within 7 months compared to its peak. By July 2022, only 1,524 players were online on Steam in the last 30 days. Currently, there are only 552 players left (via Steamcharts).
The reason for the declining player numbers were postponed seasons and missing content. All these factors will be the reason why MultiVersus is ultimately being discontinued. And that not even a year after release. But now, there’s another point of criticism that frustrates buyers of the Founder’s Pack.
Start video
MultiVersus – Gameplay-Trailer zum neuen Fighting-Game
Players feel cheated, demand their money back
What’s the deal with the Founder’s Pack? The Founder’s Pack could be purchased for MultiVersus until February 14, 2023. The pack included exclusive benefits such as in-game currency, premium battle passes, and exclusive items. In return, players had to pay a price of around 100 Euros.
Why are there now complaints? Many players still have coins left. Since the game is ending with Season 5, they won’t even have the chance to spend all the coins.
As a user wrote on Reddit, only 12 characters were released after he purchased the Founder’s Pack. As a result, more than half of his coins remain unused. Other users state that one paid for something that was not delivered.
Even players who bought the Founder’s Pack from the start reportedly had a hard time spending all their coins. With Season 5, 2 new characters are being added, which brings the roster to a total of 35 characters. 5 of those were playable from the beginning, so buyers of the Founder’s Pack would have had to spend their coins on every character to get rid of all of them.
But there are also players who see Warner Bros. as being in the right. After all, buyers received the 30 coins as described in the package. There was never any mention of buying 30 characters.
Additionally, with 30 characters added later, it could theoretically have been possible to spend all the coins.
Previously, he exposed the massive surveillance by the NSA, now Edward Snowden is criticizing Nvidia. In his eyes, the new RTX 5080 offers far too little for what it costs.
How much does the graphics card cost? The company itself offers the new Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 starting at €1,169 on nvidia.com, but most GPUs are offered at prices between €1,300 and €2,000 (via idealo.com). For that money, you get among others:
DLSS 4
enhanced ray tracing performance compared to the RTX 4080
16 GB of GDDR7 graphics memory
The Switch 2 will not use the RTX 5080, but it is supposed to offer something technically:
Start video
Nintendo showcases the Switch 2 for the first time in a trailer
Nvidia demands “S-tier prices” for “F-tier value”
What problem does Snowden have with the graphics card? In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Snowden criticizes the amount of graphics memory, that is, the VRAM. According to Snowden, 16 GB would have been acceptable as a minimum for the 5070, but the 5080 must start at 24.
“Endless thinking about the next quarter has reduced the Nvidia brand to ‘F-tier value for S-tier prices'” writes Snowden, calling “the release of a GPU worth $1,000+ in 2025 with debilitating 16 GB” a “monopolistic crime against the consumer”. At such prices, Nvidia just has to offer more.
A screenshot of Edward Snowden’s post on X.
Does Nvidia really have a monopoly? When it comes to powerful gaming GPUs, Intel and AMD do provide competition to the company. However, Nvidia clearly dominates the market. According to annual surveys by Steam, one of the largest gaming platforms on PC, currently three-quarters of players have an Nvidia GPU installed.
Nvidia is aware of its market power and exploits it to drive GPU prices up, says Snowden. What is certainly true is that with each new generation, prices continue to rise – and this, even though CEO Jensen Huang claims Nvidia has reduced computer costs by millions.
What do you think about it? Do you believe the performance of the RTX 5080 justifies its high price? Which brand do you rely on for the graphics card? Feel free to let us know in the comments. In this article, you can find out how important it is to choose Nvidia or AMD when buying a graphics card.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Borderlands 4 is said to offer the most open world of all installments so far. It is intended to incorporate the best features of open worlds, but likely not the ones that annoy players the most.
What is the world of Borderlands 4 supposed to be like? In an interview with Gamespot, Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford clarified that Borderlands 4 is moving more towards an open world than previous installments.
In Borderlands, players could previously enter separate areas and worlds individually. To travel between them, players had to use terminals or take fast travel to reach the terminals.
Within an area, players should be able to explore even more. For example, there will be a grapple hook that allows players to pull themselves up vertically. New vehicles are also planned.
Anthony Nicholson also emphasized to GamesRadar+ that Borderlands 4 is more inspired by open-world titles. Some features from open worlds will be included, such as seamless travel between individual areas. More dynamic side missions and events are also expected to be elements that will be adopted.
You can watch the trailer for Borderlands 4 here:
Start video
Looter-Shooter Borderlands 4 showcases its action-packed gameplay in the trailer
Borderlands 4 only takes the best from open worlds
What is it not supposed to be like? However, it is more interesting to know where the Gearbox team draws its line. While the world is supposed to be more interconnected since areas don’t need to be loaded in, there will also be some things missing that we know from open worlds, as Nicholson confirms:
“We did not set out with the intention of developing an ‘open-world game’ in the traditional sense.”
Nicholson did not elaborate on which features from open-world titles will not be adopted. However, looking closely at typical open-world games makes it clear which features likely won’t make it into the game.
What could be missing? Those who know typical open-world titles from developers like Ubisoft or Bethesda know that numerous side activities await on the map. Whether it’s the towers in Assassin’s Creed or the caves in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: The events keep players occupied for hours, which can take away the enjoyment of the game because the focus shifts away from the main story.
In Final Fantasy VII Remake, this was even taken to the extreme. Here, players must complete a stealth mission in each new area to unlock a Chocobo as a mount. This costs additional time and nerves when players want to travel faster across the maps.
Since Gearbox has only mentioned the side missions and events that have been present in the Borderlands series, it can be assumed that the map will not be cluttered with numerous symbols. The developers promised that there would be missions to discover. There has been no talk of symbols cluttering the map so far.
In EA FC 25, the world’s best e-professionals influence the ratings of players for FC Pro Live. At MeinMMO, we show you the upgrades and progress of all cards and provide information on the most important dates.
Update from February 2 (12:00 PM): The FC Pro Open has concluded with the final on February 1. All upgrades are now confirmed. Anders Vejrgang managed to bring the final improvement to his pro Simons (RB Leipzig) as the winner.
What is the FC Pro Live Tracker? Here we show you how the professionals perform in the FC Pro Open and how their performances affect their partnered cards from the FC Pro Live event.
What are the FC Pro Open? This is a large international event for the strongest players in FC 25. Until the end of January 2025, every Monday, 6 professionals from one of 4 groups compete against each other.
In FC Pro Live, it is a dynamic event where each card is linked to the performance of an e-professional. Every Monday, the professional plays for upgrades for their card.
How do players receive upgrades? EA has released an upgrade path for the live event that details when professionals unlock various improvements for their cards:
+1 overall rating (OVR) for 3 points in the FC Pro Open
+1★ skill for special moves or weak foot for 6 points in the FC Pro Open
+1 role++ and +1 alternate position for 10 points in the FC Pro Open
+1 OVR for 16 points in the FC Pro Open
+1 OVR and 1 role+ for reaching the knockout stage
+1 OVR, +1★ skill for special moves or weak foot and 1 PlayStyle+ for winning the FC Pro Open
Start video
EA FC 25 trailer shows new features for Ultimate Team
Live Tracker for FC Pro Live: All upgrades, progress & dates
Improved ratings are highlighted in bold and marked with a ⬆️. All other upgrades can be seen in the last column.
When will the upgrades appear in the game? If a card is eligible for an upgrade based on its professional’s performance, it will likely be visible in Ultimate Team the following Tuesday. At the latest, the upgrades should appear with the release of a new Team of the Week, which is on Wednesday evening at 7:00 PM.
Takaya Imamura worked for Nintendo from 1989 to 2021. He worked on many games for Star Fox, but also on The Legend of Zelda. There is part of the Zelda series that he still cannot play today.
Which part is it? Imamura was the Object Designer for The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. The title was released in 1991 for the SNES and is still considered one of the best Zelda titles designed in an overhead perspective.
The title was regularly re-released on later Nintendo consoles, including the Wii, Wii U, New Nintendo 3DS, and even for Nintendo Switch via Switch Online.
There is even a sequel, A Link Between Worlds, which was released in 2013 for the Nintendo 3DS.
Unlike previous overhead Zelda titles, Link could first move in 8 directions instead of 4.
In A Link to the Past, Link must do what he always does: save Hyrule by entering dungeons and defeating bosses. By entering portals, the hero can travel back and forth between two parallel worlds.
Imamura actually wanted to approach the game like a normal gamer and looked forward to enjoying A Link to the Past after its release. However, his anticipation was thoroughly spoiled.
In the latest installment, it is not Link, but the titular princess who must save Hyrule:
Start video
Nintendo has introduced The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
Nintendo developer was not thrilled when he had to work on A Link to the Past
Why can’t he play the title? In a recent interview with Edge Magazine, the developer revealed that he was “not very pleased” when he was compelled to collaborate on A Link to the Past. The predecessor had sold so well that the then-president Hiroshi Yamauchi ordered Imamura to work on A Link to the Past.
But he was dissatisfied with it:
To tell the truth, when I was asked to join the Zelda team, I wasn’t very happy about it. The reason was that I wanted to enjoy the game once it’s finished, as a player. I can still remember that feeling.
Takaya Imamura, former artist at Nintendo
He was a big fan of The Legend of Zelda himself and really wanted to play the title. However, he had to deal with the exhausting process of quality assurance, which ultimately took away his enjoyment of playing:
I also remember that debugging, the quality assurance, was really difficult because you had to do the same thing over and over again. I still don’t want to play this game – the tests were that hard. Even now, when I jump into the game for just a minute, the feeling comes back. It’s like PTSD or something.
When playing, the feeling that Imamura had during quality assurance would return immediately. He describes playing A Link to the Past as like PTSD. This is a post-traumatic stress disorder triggered by a traumatic experience, causing negative memories and feelings for those affected.
Even 34 years after the release, Imamura feels immense stress whenever he immerses himself in A Link to the Past for just a minute. If he had not been involved in the development process, he could have experienced the title like any other player.
The action MMO Anthem was released in 2019 for PS4, PC, and Xbox One. However, after just a few months, development was put on hold. The game was actually supposed to be reworked at BioWare Austin and further developed as Anthem Next or Anthem 2.0. But EA decided against it in February 2021. Four years later, after Dragon Age: The Veilguard, we know: that was a serious mistake, says MeinMMO author Schuhmann.
That was actually the plan for Anthem: The plan was for BioWare Edmonton to develop the core framework of the MMO, after which the team would switch to Dragon Age: The Veilguard. The further development of the MMO was supposed to go to BioWare Austin. The team there had previously worked on Star Wars: The Old Republic. A roadmap early on outlined several important content updates.
This is how it actually went: Anthem was released in such a deplorable state that BioWare abandoned the actual content plans early on and stated that Anthem needed a fundamental overhaul. This overhaul was supposed to culminate in a kind of relaunch of the game, in an Anthem 2.0.
The most important person leading this overhaul was Christian Dailey, who expressed confidence that he and his team in Texas would manage it. Essentially, the goal was to replace the systems for player progression, items, and the reward structure that were not working with established MMO systems.
Many fans still regret this decision: Because Anthem had a functioning and fascinating gameplay loop. Furthermore, the game impressed with its core design, player experience, and atmosphere. In general, many believe: With better MMO systems, Anthem should have worked.
Start video
Anthem shows the four different combat suits in the launch trailer
EA removes the head of Anthem, sends him to Dragon Age, but he doesn’t stay there
Why is this so bitter? EA’s decision ultimately resulted in a lose-lose situation. Because Dailey, the most important man for saving Anthem, didn’t stay long with Dragon Age. Just a year after his transfer to Dragon Age, he left BioWare altogether.
Today we know that the cancellation of Anthem did not free up the resources that would have led to Dragon Age: The Veilguard becoming the financial success EA had hoped for.
The employees that EA actually wanted to send to Dragon Age: The Veilguard apparently did not stay there long.
Dailey and his crew open a new studio after the end of Anthem
What is Dailey doing today? Dailey and many of his former employees have now founded their own studio in Austin, Texas: Skeleton Key. The studio is backed by “Wizards of the Coast”, the license holders of games like Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons and Dragons.
What the studio is working on is not known. They are said to be AAA games.
If you look at the LinkedIn page of Skeleton Key, many employees on the management level have worked at BioWare until 2022. One senior character artist was even at BioWare for 22 years (via linkedin).
The end of Anthem marked the beginning of the end for BioWare
What we know today that we didn’t know back then: The decision to cancel Anthem brought no strategic benefits for EA. Because the developers they pulled away did not stay at the company but instead founded their own studio.
Ultimately, the decision to shut down Anthem so early and thereby lose so much trust was a loss on all levels for EA.
Not only was the potential of Anthem wasted, but this decision also initiated the end of BioWare as we know it:
We do not know what might have come out of allowing Dailey and his team to develop Anthem 2.0
But we know that the decisions made by EA led to Dragon Age: The Veilguard being a financial flop and that a functioning and successful studio in Austin was practically given away to the competition
EA, which has now lost 20% of its stock value in one day because their cash cow FIFA let them down, could really use the revenue of a live-service game like Anthem in the meantime
Diablo 4 launches with some bugs in the new Season 7. A few of these cause certain builds and classes to become extremely powerful. Normally, Blizzard does not want to intervene in such cases. However, in this instance, it seems necessary, and even players agree.
In the current Tier List of the best builds for Season 7, however, wizards have no builds in S-Tier and only manage to have a few in A-Tier with great difficulty. Most are below that.
For a short time, wizards were indeed very strong. Just not alone: almost every class benefited from a bug that caused absurd, sometimes negative numbers.
That’s why wizards were so strong: With Season 7, the Witch Powers were introduced as a new season mechanic. These are passive skills and gems that enhance builds and serve as enormous multipliers.
One of these Witch Powers is Decay Augmentation. The effect causes other Witch Powers to deal additional damage over a certain duration. If the power is increased enough, it can instantly execute enemies.
However, there seems to be a bug here that leads to absurd scaling. The damage numbers rise into the trillions, and in some cases, they even become negative.
Mekuna, an expert and one of the best Diablo players in the world, showcases a fireball build for the wizard in a video on YouTube. The build itself is typically in the mid-range or even below, but it handles the group at level 150 without any problems.
Start video
Diablo 4 shows its witch powers in Season 7 in the trailer
Blizzard disables the Witch Power, working on a solution
Now the developers have responded. As Community Manager Adam Fletcher explained in the official forum, they are already working on a fix. This is expected to be released sometime next week.
If a bug fix is possible server-side, everything should come as a hotfix as quickly as possible. Otherwise, a fix will be added shortly after Patch 2.1.1 on February 4, 2025. In the meantime, the Witch Power is disabled effective immediately. While you can still acquire it, you cannot equip it.
Generally, Blizzard follows the policy of only fixing a bug during a season if it affects the gameplay experience of others or performance. It does not seem to be the case here.
Nevertheless, players, such as on Reddit, agree that a bug fix is the right decision. Another season like Season 6 with the completely broken Spiritborn would not be healthy for the game.
Space Marines are perhaps the most well-known warriors in the world of Warhammer 40,000. However, almost no one should know about one order – at least not within the world itself. These elite superhumans are so extreme that they are only deployed for very specific purposes and even overshadow demons.
The Grey Knights are an order of the very best and strongest Space Marines one can imagine. They stand outside most rules and structures that Space Marines typically adhere to.
Similar to the Adepta Sororitas, the Grey Knights are practically a part of the Inquisition. They serve as the fighting arm of Ordo Malleus, the part of the Inquisition dedicated to combating chaos.
From their inception to their deployment, their weapons, and their abilities, nothing about the Grey Knights is normal – not even by Warhammer standards. And yet, in the Imperium of Man, hardly anything is as little known as this order.
In Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters, you play as a Grey Knight:
Start video
Der Release-Trailer zu Warhammer 40.000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters
An order born out of necessity of elite fighters
The order consists of the most loyal of the loyalists and was founded during the Horus Heresy. When Terra, the homeworld of humanity, was on the verge of being besieged, the Emperor tasked his closest confidant Malcador with locating the most loyal fighters of the Imperium and forming an elite force from them.
Among these “Knights Errant” were humans like Space Marines – including even members of the traitor legions who remained faithful to the Emperor. Eight of these Space Marines were ultimately chosen as the foundation for the Grey Knights.
In order to create an order from these eight grandmasters, Malcador eventually led the Space Marines to Titan, a moon of Saturn, where everything was already in place for a proper breeding program.
Big E personally ensures the creation of the entire order
The facilities on Titan were already designed upon the arrival of the grandmasters to breed a new order – including hundreds of suitable recruits and the essential gene-seed that turns a human into a Space Marine.
However, since the world was at that time engulfed in the height of the Great Crusade, this breeding station had to be hidden for the time being. Malcador, himself a powerful psychic, then quickly transported Titan into the Warp, the realm of Chaos – protected with numerous seals and rites.
As time passes differently in the Warp, the moon re-emerged shortly thereafter along with a whole order of fully trained Grey Knights who surpass almost every other Space Marine.
An order of the strongest magicians in the Imperium
Every Grey Knight is a powerful psychic, practically a “Space Mage.” Already during the selection, the order snatches the potentially strongest candidates from the Black Ships that otherwise collect psychics in the Imperium, and trains them.
Only those among the chosen who pass the 666 rituals are admitted into the order. In these trials, the recruit must prove that he can withstand even the worst terrors of the Warp.
As a result, the Grey Knights end up being so well protected that they cannot be corrupted by Chaos, no matter how intensely they use Warp energy. Even their names are said to be so powerful that they function as weapons against demons. While this information is in the official codices, it’s hard to say how much of it is lore from the world itself in Warhammer.
Special tactics for special Space Marines: The Grey Knights differ in many ways from “normal” Space Marines. For example, they do not have a chapter master but rather a Supreme Grand Master, who must be unanimously elected by the eight grandmasters. In battle, they often teleport directly to the enemy and maintain contact via psychic connection to fight more effectively.
Almost no one knows the Grey Knights
The Grey Knights are regarded as a myth in the world of Warhammer 40,000. This is because any record mentioning them has been erased. And more: Almost everyone who knows about them is killed or similar.
For Space Marines, only the memory is erased so that they no longer know they have ever seen the Grey Knights. Members of the Imperial Army are simply executed if they fight alongside the order.
The only ones who officially know about the Grey Knights are the Inquisition, the Grey Knights themselves, and the Space Wolves. However, this is only because the Space Wolves and Grey Knights have fought a few bloody battles.
The Space Wolves have refused to sacrifice the innocent – which they probably owe to their stubborn primarch. During the course of the conflict, the Space Wolves even killed one of the order’s grandmasters.
Countless movies and series appear on Netflix every week, making it seem impossible to get a comprehensive overview. Especially for genre fans, this undertaking seems overwhelming. MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes shows you which horror movies are worth watching on Netflix in February 2025.
How was this list created? Getting an overview on Netflix seems unachievable. For this list, MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes presents 3 horror movies that could be of interest to fans of the genre.
These are not always new movies but also films that have been on the platform for a while. This list aims to provide a small overview of horror movies that you can watch this month if you don’t know what to watch among the flood of titles.
To ensure a good mix for the list, we try to cater to different subgenres.
Crawl
Start video
Crawl – Trailer for the Exciting Alligator Horror
Year of Release: 2019 | Subgenre: Animal Horror | Rating: Rated 16 and older
What is Crawl about? An enormous hurricane begins to wreak havoc in a small town in Florida. Instead of seeking safety, Haley, played by Kaya Scodelario, searches for her father. In her old house, she finds him injured, as the hurricane has also brought an animal danger into the house.
What makes Crawl so interesting?
Solid animal horror, a genre that has almost disappeared
Well shot in tight spaces, creating a sense of claustrophobia
Exciting moments
Perfect for rainy days
Ready or Not
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Ready or Not – Trailer for the Quirky Horror Comedy
Year of Release: 2019 | Subgenre: Horror Comedy | Rating: Rated 16 and older
What is Ready or Not about? Ideally, the wedding night should be something beautiful, but for Grace, portrayed by Samara Weaving, it becomes a fight for survival. To integrate into her new family, she must win a brutal version of a children’s game.
What makes Ready or Not so interesting?
Funny horror comedy
Charming lead actress
Funny and absurd slapstick situations
Quite enjoyable action sequences
Incantation
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Incantation – Trailer for the Taiwanese Found-Footage Horror on Netflix
Year of Release: 2022 | Subgenre: Occult Found Footage Horror | Rating: Rated 16 and older
What is Incantation about? After 6 years in a clinic, Li Ruo-nan retrieves her daughter from a foster care facility. She wants to leave her past behind, but an evil entity has cursed her, and now she wants to rid herself of the evil.
What makes Incantation so interesting?
A modern representative of the found footage genre, where everything is filmed from a camera held by the protagonist or other characters
A good example of Taiwanese horror
Asian occultism is a refreshing aspect
Classic jump scares
Note: The film is not available in German, only with German subtitles
Bonus Tip: The Crow
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The Crow – Trailer to the dark comic adaptation with Brandon Lee
Year of Release: 1994 | Subgenre: Dark comic adaptation | Rating: Rated 18 and older
What is The Crow about? Eric Draven and his wife are brutally murdered, but Eric is resurrected by a mysterious spirit and becomes immortal. Now Eric is a kind of avenging being seeking revenge on his murderers.
What makes The Crow so interesting?
Not a classic horror film, but a superhero movie with horror elements
Explicit violence and ruthless portrayal of revenge
Compared to today’s comic films, an interesting change
The Crow will be available on Netflix starting February 14. If you want to watch a dark comic adaptation outside the Marvel routine, make sure to note The Crow. But steer clear of the 2024 remake.
If you have any current horror recommendations, please feel free to leave them in the comments.
Do you know the movies on this list or have your own tips? Please write them in the comments. Countless horror movies are released every year. Some can easily be overlooked. You can find more horror tips in this list: 5 horror movies that make you wonder what you actually just watched
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
MeinMMO-Dämon Cortyn had actually finished with MOBAs. But now a “new, old” favorite is back – and better than ever.
MOBAs and I have a bit of a love-hate relationship. I gave League of Legends just a few minutes and quickly decided that my lifespan was too precious to deal with the (at least back then) extremely toxic community.
Then came SMITE, which I liked because of the 3rd-person view and the action feeling. I enjoyed the gods and for a while, it was a lot of fun. I really liked playing it for a while – until the community annoyed me too much and my circle of friends slowly distanced themselves from the MOBA.
I thought it would stay that way. MOBAs and I, we were simply done with each other.
But now SMITE 2 has entered open beta on Steam – and what can I say? I have relapsed again. For the last 2 weeks, I have hardly played anything else and have spent almost all the time in the revamped god MOBA, either with two or three people.
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Gods-MOBA SMITE 2 – Reveal Trailer
Even though it’s still a beta, it’s already clear that SMITE 2 is a significant improvement over its predecessor while remaining true to the principles of the game.
Why does SMITE 2 even exist?
The reason for SMITE 2 is the outdated engine of its predecessor. SMITE 1 was based on Unreal Engine 3, and it has become a bit outdated now. Making the game fit for the much newer Unreal Engine 5 seemed sensible to the creators – and thus SMITE 2 was born.
But what distinguishes SMITE 2 from its predecessor?
At first glance: Not much. There are the same gods, though significantly fewer of them. The gameplay is nearly identical; the MOBA wheel has not been reinvented here. There are lanes, items, abilities, and plenty of skill shots.
Anyone who has played SMITE 1 will feel at home in SMITE 2 almost immediately.
But it’s the many small changes in detail that make SMITE 2 a fundamentally better game and an update that became absolutely necessary.
Most gods look significantly better than they did in SMITE 1 – even if the variety of skins is still lacking.
Almost all gods have been revamped and have new abilities or functions, even if the basic skills are still nearly identical. Now, many more gods scale not just with intelligence or strength, but often with both. This allows you to reach different facets and set focuses.
Do you want to make the archer Neith a character who plows through tanks with high attack speed? Or would you rather focus on fewer, strong auto-attacks that primarily take out the enemy mages and hunters with critical hits? Or are you giving Neith an absurd amount of intelligence, thereby increasing the effectiveness of her abilities for high burst damage?
The freedom to shape a god or goddess according to one’s own ideas and to vary it a bit in every round is significantly greater than in SMITE 1. Of course, this could also have been a patch in SMITE 1 – but it just feels rounder with the switch to a new game.
Additionally, gods now get “aspects” one after the other. These are optional “alternatives” of a god that can be activated before a match starts. This slightly modifies the abilities of the god or gives them new mechanics. Two examples:
The god Thanatos heals himself through his passive effect when he deals damage, killing gods and minions. However, you can deactivate this healing and instead ensure that Thanatos’ maximum health increases each time he kills something. This allows you to play Thanatos even more effectively as a tank.
SMITE 2 generally looks significantly better, even if the gameplay is nearly identical.
The magic goddess Hecate can normally cover a large area. Within this area, the used abilities of all gods charge their spells, which she can then unleash to deal high damage. Anyone who doesn’t want that can modify the ability with her aspect so that she reduces the damage dealt by enemies in the target area and automatically fires a (considerably weaker) projectile every time someone uses an ability.
Even though not all gods have such aspects yet, these customization options remind me a bit of the talent system from Heroes of the Storm – not as extensive but still interesting enough to allow for new strategies and tactics.
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Smite 2: The God MOBA Introduces Its Hero with Wonder Lamp
The Thing with Skins
The only major criticism I keep seeing is the issue with skins. The accusation here is that SMITE wants to “con” the player base by requiring them to buy already purchased content again – only now in SMITE 2.
This accusation is true, but only to a very limited extent.
What is often omitted: If you buy the god pass for SMITE 2 – which gives you immediate access to all gods that will ever be released for the game – then this comes with several bonuses. The most significant bonus is that the amount of gems you purchased in SMITE 1 is doubled in SMITE 2, in the form of legacy gems.
So if you bought 10,000 gems in SMITE 1, you will receive 20,000 “legacy” gems in SMITE 2.
Legacy gems can be used for half of the cost to pay for new skins and other content. Therefore, as long as you have legacy gems, new skins will effectively only cost half.
Moreover, many of the “old” skins can be purchased entirely with legacy gems, allowing you to get a good portion of the popular skins back.
The descriptions are detailed – but clearly so.
I have thought about this for a long time and find the system quite fair. SMITE 2 certainly makes good money from new skins, while as a veteran from SMITE 1, you have quite a hefty amount of legacy gems, for which you can still get a lot.
However, it should also be clear: SMITE 2 is Free2Play. None of this has to be purchased, and you can have fun with the game without major limitations for free. Even as a Free2Play player, you can quickly unlock new gods.
SMITE 2 is prettier, rounder, and more versatile than SMITE 1. And for those who can get past the fact that not all skins from SMITE 1 can be carried over, it should definitely be worth taking a look at the successor. I’ve had a lot of fun there over the past weeks – and right now the entry is still relatively easy, as many of the old gods are now released weekly, making it fairly easy to learn what the individual gods can do.
I definitely notice that I have been fully caught up in the flow again, and I can really immerse myself in a game that I actually thought I had long written off. Just for that, it’s worth taking a look at SMITE 2.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
