Call of Duty: Warzone starts its second season and comes with a nerf for the game’s most popular weapon. We reveal what changes. You can find the patch notes for season 2 on page 2.
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Which weapon will be nerfed? Call of Duty: Warzone will receive some adjustments with the start of season 2 in Black Ops 6, including a nerf for the assault rifle XM4, which is currently considered one of the top weapons in the battle royale.
The XM4 is one of the most played weapons in the game and stands out as a reliable all-rounder that doesn’t need to be unlocked and is available to play right away. This assault rifle has secured a solid place in the meta of Warzone.
However, in season 2, the XM4 will be slightly weakened so that it can’t dominate at all distances.
Start video
Trailer for Black Ops 6: Season 2 shows new maps and dark skins
Meta weapon will be nerfed
What will change about the XM4? The XM4 will primarily receive a nerf for longer distances, resulting in reduced range. Additionally, damage will be reduced to over 48.2 meters.
Similarly, the damage multiplier for hits to the legs will be decreased from 1.0x to 0.88x, and the aiming time with the drum magazine will be increased from a 15% increase to 30%. Finally, vertical and horizontal recoil control is expected to be worsened by the weight buffer stock.
Diablo 4 is currently enjoying some returnees from Path of Exile 2 thanks to the new Season 7. They are now giving their first impressions of both games.
Why are players returning to Diablo 4? Season 7 started on January 21, 2025, in Diablo 4. In the Season of Witchcraft, you learn witchcraft by earning seasonal reputation. This can be accomplished by completing tasks for the “Whispering Tree” and defeating “Headrot” enemies. You receive and enhance powers at a witch circle altar at the “Whispering Tree.”
The powers of the witchcraft are reminiscent of the Witch Doctor from Diablo 3. For example, the Piranhado skill summons a “Piranhado,” a blend of piranha and tornado, that attracts enemies and deals damage to them. With “Vengeful Spirit,” you summon a servant that draws damage to itself while simultaneously dealing shadow damage.
In line with this, there are new seasonal enemies and bounty objectives. Additionally, there are new occult gems that you can socket. Other items like uniques as well as a new reputation system and “Quality of Life” changes were brought by the developers with the update. Season 7 thus offers a good opportunity to re-enter Diablo 4, which players are taking advantage of.
Here you can see the trailer for Season 7 of Diablo 4:
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Diablo 4 shows its witch powers in Season 7 in the trailer
Diablo 4 fits better
What is the feedback from the players? Many gamers who actually play Diablo 4 have switched to the early access release of Path of Exile 2 to give the strong competition from Grinding Gear Games a chance. The epic boss fights have particularly been well received by D4 fans, as they confirm on Reddit.
In the same post by nike121, it also becomes clear what Diablo gamers have missed in Path of Exile 2. The main topic here is the loot. It was initially scarce in PoE2 and had to be adjusted later by the developers. In Diablo 4, however, returnees are thrilled about the loot explosions, which often contain useful items.
User nike121 believes that in Path of Exile 2, you constantly hit a wall and grind for currency for a long time, just to trade it. In contrast, Diablo 4 would also respect the limited time left for him after work and parenting. He says: “A big thank you to Diablo 4 for respecting my limited time!”
How does the community view D4 compared to PoE2? Especially among players with less time to play, the new Season 7 of Diablo 4 is well received. The user Sensitive_Spirit1759, for example, writes on Reddit: “[…] I jumped back in for this season and am having fun. It’s nice to turn my brain off when I have 30 minutes to an hour at the end of the workday after putting my child to bed.”
ZookeeprD shares this sentiment on Reddit: “That goes for me too! I can jump in for 30 minutes and actually play for 30 minutes and feel like I’ve accomplished something. I’m playing a build that I came up with on the go, and I’m still doing well in Torment 1. […]”
User PrimaryAlternative7 points out on Reddit what he now misses in Diablo 4: “It [Editor’s note: Season 7] feels good, the 2 things I urgently wish for now are something like meta-progression, maps, or just something for long-term grinding in the season for us losers without lives. And then a loot filter. I think that would make this game perfect. […]”
It currently seems that Diablo 4 is performing better among players who do not have much time to play. Gamers who have more time are currently leaning more towards Path of Exile 2 because it offers them more grind. However, if you are currently tired of PoE2, you can take a closer look at the new Season 7 of D4 here: Diablo 4 Season 7: All about Release, PTR, and the contents
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Some well-known directors have a bad reputation for Marvel or DC movies. Greats like Martin Scorsese have often spoken out against this genre. Tarantino is also considered a critic, even though he loved Marvel comics.
Superhero movies have dominated the cinema for a long time. Every year, several films from Marvel or DC are released, bringing various heroes to the big screen.
Some renowned directors like Martin Scorsese or Quentin Tarantino are not fans of this genre. Although Tarantino even loved Marvel comics as a child, there are some things about the Marvel movies that bother him.
Start video
German trailer for Avengers 3: Infinity War
Tarantino thinks he is too old for Marvel movies
What did Tarantino say about Marvel movies? In the interview format The Howard Stern Show (via YouTube), Quentin Tarantino spoke about Marvel movies in November 2022. He was asked what he thinks about Martin Scorsese saying that it is not real cinema.
Tarantino argues directly with age: He is an old man, do you think Scorsese cares about Ant-Man vs. The Wasp […] That’s just not his thing.
Building on that, he explains that he loved and collected Marvel comics as a child. He even says that if all that had come out in 1986, when he was 23, he would have been completely thrilled.
He then tells an anecdote. A child told him how it watched Iron Man for the first time. Tarantino explains that for this child, these movies are indeed cinema, because, according to him, there is no competition in the cinema.
What problems does Tarantino have with superhero movies? In an interview with Howard Stern, he explains why he wouldn’t direct superhero movies. He is not a fan of many special effects; for him, it wouldn’t count.
Tarantino wants to make his films in the way they should ultimately look. He prefers to work with practical effects or animatronics.
Further problems were expressed by Tarantino in another podcast (via Variety). One problem he sees is that they are the only things that seem to be made. Every movie feels the same; you don’t get anything you didn’t expect.
He continues that it is not the actors who grow but the characters they play.
Is Tarantino right about this? That current cinema consists of countless superhero movies is partially true. Although his statements are from 2022, they still apply today. In 2024 alone, at least 7 films based on comics will be released. In addition, there are countless series.
The MCU has turned cinema into a franchise machine. Films like Godzilla x Kong probably wouldn’t exist without the MCU.
At the same time, one cannot say that one is cinema and the other is not. Superhero films also differ from one another. No one would say that The Batman is the same film as The Marvels.
Especially in 2023, it has shown that other forms of films can also be very successful. With Oppenheimer and Barbie, there were 2 films that were quite successful, addressing different themes and audiences.
Sometimes you also don’t want to watch a highbrow Western but just want to be entertained. But what do you think? Do you also find that superheroes are more for younger audiences, or do you not care? Feel free to let us know in the comments. Tarantino has also commented on series: Quentin Tarantino explains why movies are better than series – Makes a big exception
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Visiting mythic dungeons will soon be more enjoyable in World of Warcraft. Everything will be a bit easier – and the loot better.
Mythic+ is one of the major endgame pillars of World of Warcraft, which has been continuously changed and refined over the years. However, with the first season of The War Within, there were some issues. This was partly due to the introduction of the Depths as an additional reward option, but also due to changes in the dungeons. New mechanics led to stress, and tank nerfs put additional pressure on healers.
Now Blizzard believes they have understood this – and is reshaping a lot at the start of the 2nd season of The War Within in Patch 11.1 Lorenhalt.
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Siren Island – The New Content in WoW Patch 11.0.7
What will be changed? The list of adjustments is long and extensive. The overall intent is to make the leveling in M+ a bit shallower and to reduce the overwhelming number of mechanics that players had to learn. The changes at a glance are:
Mythic 0 (so “normal mythic”) will be slightly more difficult, drops Champion gear, and has a weekly ID.
From Mythic+2 to Mythic+10, the health points and damage of enemies will increase by 7% per level instead of the previous 10%. From Mythic+11, it remains at 10% increase.
The affix Xal’atath’s Bargain will only become active from Mythic+4. This means that on M+2 and M+3, no affixes – apart from the timer – will be active.
Tyrannical and Fortified will alternate weekly and will be active from Mythic+7, with the other affix active from Mythic+10.
From Mythic+12, the Challenger’s Guile will become active, where each death is punished with an additional penalty to the timer.
Why is Blizzard doing all of this? The changes are direct adjustments based on feedback from season 1. The community identified several factors that led to Mythic+ being a somewhat unpleasant gaming experience. Especially those characters who had only played Depths before entered the system with “Mythic+7” and were then overwhelmed, leading to a poor quality of group experience.
This, in turn, led to almost only “meta groups” being formed, which excluded the vast majority of specializations.
What else is changing? Aside from the direct changes to difficulty, Blizzard is also shifting the rewards for Mythic+ a bit. So there will be golden crests available starting from “Mythic+7” and heroic item rewards starting from Mythic+6.
However, so that the best of the best have something to do, there is a new achievement and an exclusive mount for reaching a score of 3,000 points. This will create new incentives to complete dungeons beyond the limit of Mythic+10.
What do you think of these major changes to the mythic dungeon system? Is Blizzard on the right track to ensure that the second season goes a bit better than the first? Or would it require completely different changes to improve the dungeon system again? There are also improvements for warriors, as they were “physically painful” to play.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
For the price of a scoop of ice cream, you can currently get one of the best World War shooters with Battlefield 1 practically thrown at you on Steam.
Which shooter is being referred to? It refers to Battlefield 1. The first-person shooter was developed by the EA studio DICE and is currently available for only €1.99 as part of a major discount event on Steam – roughly the same amount as a scoop of ice cream. The offer is valid until February 10.
You can see a trailer for Battlefield 1 here:
Start video
The Official Reveal Trailer for Battlefield 1
Single-player campaign and various multiplayer modes
What does the game offer? Rather than a cohesive story, Battlefield 1 tells shorter “War Stories.” Thus, you experience World War I not from the perspective of a single person, but several. Throughout these stories, you also travel to different war theaters.
In one mission, for example, you fight alongside Lawrence of Arabia against the Ottoman Empire and destroy an armored train, while in another story you find yourself in the Italian Alps.
In the multiplayer mode, which keeps the game alive to this day, you dive into battles with up to 64 players per map. Here, you get several game modes:
In “Conquest,” you capture enemy sectors, with access to vehicles and aircraft as well.
In the “Domination” mode, the focus is on infantry battles in close combat.
“Operations” pits two teams against each other across multiple maps.
Still played by thousands even after 8 years
Is it still worth jumping into Battlefield 1? The game is already eight years old and is no longer the newest Battlefield installment – so the question is quite valid. Despite its age, Battlefield 1 remains one of the best games in the series: this is also reflected in the 86% positive ratings on Steam.
If you’re mainly getting the game for multiplayer, then you’re in luck: around 12,000 people still regularly play Battlefield 1 on Steam alone (via steamdb.info). Considering that many likely purchased the game directly through the EA client, the actual player count is higher.
A player bought a used Intel Core i9-13900K through Facebook Marketplace. When he couldn’t get the processor to work, he found out that the seller had blocked him. So he sent the device to Intel and received a surprising response: it was a tampered product. This issue affects many marketplaces that are increasingly struggling with fraudsters.
What happened to the user? On Reddit, a user shared his experience regarding a purchase on Facebook Marketplace, stating “Learned an expensive lesson.” He bought a used Intel Core i9-13900K processor for €325 (original price about €500 via Idealo). However, the CPU wouldn’t work. Several tests with different motherboards and RAM were unsuccessful. When the buyer contacted the seller, he was ignored.
In his desperation, the buyer contacted Intel and sent the processor for inspection. The result: it was a tampered CPU, which Intel itself was to dispose of. With the information about the fake, he threatened the seller with the police, to which the seller finally responded. However, the seller insisted that the fault lay with the buyer.
How did the situation end for the user? The user pursued a compromise since the seller supposedly had a receipt. For this reason, he suggested going with the seller to the “Best Buy” store to request a refund there. But so far, he has not received any further response. We will update our article should there be an update from the user.
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DOOM: The Dark Ages rocks in the new trailer, reveals release date
How you can protect yourself from such cases
Gather information: Educate yourself thoroughly about the product you wish to buy. Pay attention to specific features and compare them with official manufacturer information. Be wary of prices that are too low, which may indicate counterfeits or defective products. Check if there are options for returns or warranties. Of course, you can also ask friends for advice.
Check vendors and sellers: Ensure that you buy from reputable platforms. On Amazon, check which vendor is offering the product. Keep an eye out for negative reviews or complaints on the seller’s profile. Be particularly cautious on “Facebook Marketplace” or classifieds.
Payment and documentation: Avoid transfers or payments without proof. It is better to use payment services like PayPal that offer buyer protection. Keep all communications with the seller as well as receipts and payment records. It may also be advantageous to take pictures of the goods or record a video during unboxing.
If the package arrives in severely damaged condition, you should consider not accepting it at all.
If you already have the product: If you have received a counterfeit or defective product, you should contact the seller immediately and report the problem. Send a detailed description of the issue. Request a refund or exchange.
If the seller does not respond or refuses to resolve the issue, report the incident to the sales platform or the online shop to take advantage of buyer protection. For larger amounts or suspicion of fraud, the police or a consumer protection organization can also be contacted.
A video shows on reddit where exactly a gamer’s priorities lie when his house is on fire: clearly with his PS5.
What does the gamer save? The user Stunning7Princess posted a video in the subreddit r/playstation that shows a gamer clutching a PS5 under his arm. The caption reads, “The guy’s house burned down and he saved his PS5.”
Stunning7Princess comments in the title: “Priorities! House is on fire, but the PS5 is safe. A true gamer.”
Start video
Sony releases the official reveal trailer for the PS5 Pro
Gamer saves only his PS5
How does the community react? The community is almost unanimously in agreement that they would have acted the same way:
AnimeGokuSolos (via reddit): “Good for him. I would have done the same thing.”
BracusDoritoBoss963 would also save his cat along with the PS5 (via reddit): “Cat or PS5? I would save both.”
H17M4ND (via reddit): “A house is temporary, a PS5 is forever.”
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Why does the gamer only save his PS5? Unfortunately, we do not learn the exact reason in the post; several speculations arise from the comments.
For example, the user MathewW87 (via reddit) suggests that he might have a save file in Red Dead Redemption 2: “Everything else is replaceable. The RDR2 save file that he didn’t save in the cloud is not.”
User malikx089 (via reddit) completely understands the gamer and states that a PS5 is just too expensive to let it burn: “Man, please… the guy didn’t want to pay 500 or 600 dollars again.”
Nacho_7258 also gets it, not wanting to spend that much money on his hobby again, as other things are significantly cheaper (via reddit): “Given the time and money someone invests in a hobby like gaming, it’s not surprising that it is a priority to save it if possible. Clothing costs less, food costs less – hell, sometimes a bed costs less.”
With the high prices of a PS5 or even PS5 Pro, it is understandable that the priorities lie in saving the gaming console. MeinMMO author Benedikt Schlotmann has found out for you whether it is worth ordering a PS5 Pro from the USA: Is it worth buying a PS5 Pro in the USA, which costs 170 euros less there?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Marvel Rivals, a potential bug with Moon Knight’s ultimate ability is currently causing a stir. Instead of the intended 75 damage, it apparently deals double that amount.
His ultimate ability summons multiple claws that hit opponents in a specific area and cause damage.
Currently, however, there are reports from players on Reddit that this ability is doing more damage than it should. This makes the game unbalanced.
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Marvel Rivals Season 0: The Official Trailer for Doom’s Rise
More damage than planned
What exactly is the problem? A player found that Moon Knight’s ultimate ability deals double the damage intended. According to the developer’s description, the ability should inflict 75 damage per hit and have an effective radius of 5 meters (via marvelrivals).
The player tested the actual damage of the ability and found that it instead inflicts 150 damage per hit. This happens because each claw apparently generates two separate damage fields:
One with the expected radius of 5 meters
and one with an extended range of up to 10 meters, which inflicts additional damage.
Tests showed that opponents within the actual effective area immediately suffer double damage, while opponents further away initially take less damage but can still be eliminated faster than expected.
This makes the ability particularly powerful and can even eliminate tanky characters like Groot in seconds (via Reddit).
Is it a bug? Players of Marvel Rivals are unsure whether this is a mistake or if the ability is intentionally designed this way, but was not clearly communicated by the developers.
It is assumed that this is a bug and the ability is doing more damage than intended. However, there has been no official statement from NetEase so far.
What does the community say about it? The community on Reddit is not very surprised. Many understand from the user’s test results why they were dying so quickly in the radius of the ultimate:
Quote 1: “I always wondered how a supposed 75 could shred a tank so quickly.”
Quote 2: “That explains a lot, since I die instantly when I’m not a tank.”
Quote 3: “I appreciate your skepticism and research greatly. Thank you! That explains so much frustration for so many people. I hope this gets fixed or balanced quickly.”
In any case, players hope for a prompt response from the developers to restore balance in the game.
About 4 years ago, the YouTuber penguinz0, also known as MoistCr1TiKaL, described the anime One Piece as “the most boring series of all time.” Now he has made his final judgment after watching One Piece for 4 years.
What does the streamer think of One Piece? In early 2021, around 4 years ago, the YouTuber MoistCr1TiKaL apparently started to catch up on the entire anime of One Piece. But his conclusion was sobering:
Within 5 months, the streamer reportedly watched 31 episodes. That’s one episode he watched every 5 days.
For the last 3 weeks, he is said to have constantly fallen asleep while watching (via X).
According to a Reddit user, MoistCr1TiKaL described the anime as “the most boring show ever.” He would have recommended the anime to those suffering from insomnia.
However, this opinion has now changed, as the streamer and YouTuber explains in a new video (via TikTok). Despite his sobering conclusion at the beginning of the anime, MoistCr1TiKaL persisted and continued watching One Piece.
His conclusion about the anime has completely switched. One Piece has one of the best-written fictional stories, and the depth of the anime is incredible. The series seems to have become one of his favorites.
Perhaps the cool ships from the anime also convinced him:
Start video
One Piece: These are the 5 coolest ships sailing the oceans
MoistCr1TiKaL changes his mind about One Piece
Why did his opinion change? MoistCr1TiKaL doesn’t directly say why his opinion has changed so drastically. However, through the mentioned depth of the story, it becomes clear that the YouTuber needed some time to warm up to the anime.
Moreover, One Piece is known for the very slow pace of the story. It takes time for the story to fully unfold. That’s why the production team is working on an anime that tells the story in a much shorter version.
Additionally, MoistCr1TiKaL vocalizes what many die-hard fans feel: In their view, anyone who doesn’t like One Piece simply hasn’t watched it yet. Thus, they are likely glad that someone with such a large reach can convince others about how good One Piece is.
The most beautiful MMORPG in the world, World of Jade Dynasty, has recouped its development costs just one month after its release in China. Now the developers are planning big things.
Which game is it about? World of Jade Dynasty is the spiritual successor to the MMORPG Jade Dynasty, which was active from 2007 to 2018. Similar to its predecessor, World of Jade Dynasty offers a theme park in Wuxia style, reminiscent of Swords of Legends Online .
In China, the MMORPG launched on December 19, 2024, and has already made a remarkable amount of revenue since then.
Here you can see what World of Jade Dynasty is supposed to look like after the Unreal Engine Update 5.5:
Start video
World of Jade Dynasty: Video shows what the MMORPG is supposed to look like after the upgrade to Unreal Engine 5.5
Development costs recouped in one month
How did the launch go for the MMORPG? The launch of the MMORPG in China was extremely positive. The game was well received by gamers and was able to recoup all of its development costs from recent years within just one month.
World of Jade Dynasty is said to have cost around 48 million euros during development (via mmorpg.org.pl). Since its release, approximately 400 million Renminbi Yuan have been generated, equivalent to about 53 million euros.
In order for the MMORPG to become a success, the developers have also invested a lot of money in advertising, as evidenced by the financial report from the publisher Perfect World (via pwrd.com).
The game does not rely on excessive microtransactions in China, but rather on a subscription model after reaching a certain level in the game. All microtransactions are said to be purely cosmetic, with no pay-to-win.
What happens next with the MMORPG? World of Jade Dynasty is expected to become one of the cornerstones for Perfect World in the gaming sector after its success in China. The developers want to continue developing the MMORPG and adding new content.
The community is expected to play an important role in this. They should be able to contribute their ideas so that the MMORPG becomes a long-term success. World of Jade Dynasty is supposed to receive new expansions and grow larger.
The MMORPG holds significant importance for the publisher Perfect World, which could also mean another step towards a release in the West. While there are no indications of a Western release in the financial report, Perfect World at least plans to become more global with its titles.
However, there is a new glimmer of hope for fans that makes a Western release somewhat more likely. Nvidia showcased a new feature on their YouTube channel NVIDIA GeForce that is supposed to synchronize character movements and lip movements directly. Gameplay footage from World of Jade Dynasty was presented as an example, featuring English voice acting.
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Whether and when World of Jade Dynasty will be released in the West remains a mystery. Given the good business figures, such a step seems credible, but an announcement is still pending. If you want to learn more about World of Jade Dynasty, check here: The most beautiful MMORPG in the world has launched
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Never has a new champion in League of Legends been so hated by the players as number 170, Mel – The Reflection of the Soul. Mel is not perceived as too strong in LoL but rather as too “easy”: It’s complained that she is a mage for toddlers. Players feel their honor is offended.
This is Mel: Mel Medarda is supposed to be played as a mage/support and her difficulty level is rated by Riot as “medium”.
The champ came to LoL on January 23, 2025, and her abilities focus on direct damage: She summons projectiles that she shoots at her enemies. It’s a “direct kit”, without much circumlocution.
At launch, the heroine was perceived by the community as too strong and there was so much complaining that Riot Games caved in after just a few days and already rolled out a first nerf.
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Welcome to Noxus – Opening Video for the First LoL Season 2025
Feedback is so negative that Riot Games has to nerf already
What is the problem with Mel? Currently, even after the nerf, Mel is ranked as D-Tier with a win rate of 49.26% at u.gg. However, she has an extremely high ban rate of 64.1%.
Mel is in a special situation. Because objectively, by the numbers, she is not that strong. However, she is perceived as “too easy to play”. The comments about Mel read as follows:
She is a “mage for toddlers”
She is “giga-broken” or “absurdly strong”
Her abilities are “too powerful and allow too much room for player mistakes”
Mage for toddlers
This is a player’s criticism of Mel: A thread on reddit, which has 2.5k upvotes and 622 comments, lists her problems in the eyes of a player:
It is too easy to land last hits with her. She has a huge advantage over any other mage.
In the lane, you cannot dodge her Q, as it has no cast time. Therefore, she can terrorize the opponent all day with her Q during the laning phase. Especially melee champions have to constantly swallow her Q if they want to hit minions too.
Most champs have to pay close attention to their rotation if they want to optimally utilize their passive damage and weave corresponding abilities into their rotation. Mel does not have to pay attention to that.
Mel’s ultimate is “totally insane” and combines the ultimates of Syndra, Darius, and Garen. You don’t have to do anything for the ultimate, just press the button.
Her entire kit has so much “skill-less crap” that it dumbs down the typically hard-to-play mage class.
With Season 7 came new features in Diablo 4, including an upgrade for the Whispering Zones. In particular, the raven that you can meet there has quickly become a fan favorite.
What kind of raven is this? The new bounty hunting zones, also called “Witch Floods” by players, are one of the new features in Season 7 of Diablo 4. They are not only ideal for leveling, but also perfect for farming chests from the Whispering Tree. Particularly handy: In the zones, there are ravens of the tree where you can quickly and conveniently turn in your offerings.
The community had previously criticized that while the chests of the Whispering Tree are worthwhile, it is annoying to have to travel to the tree each time to exchange the gathered offerings. Once you have collected 10 offerings, you will not receive any more by completing whisper tasks – you must turn them in first before continuing.
With Season 7, Blizzard has introduced the ravens that you find directly in the bounty hunting zones. Additionally, the developers have revamped the layout at the Whispering Tree location. You can now find more vendors and the altars where you can acquire new witch powers.
Start video
Gameplay trailer for Season 7 in Diablo 4, the Season of Witch Power
“The best quality-of-life feature in Season 7”
This is how the ravens come in: The community praises the ravens of the tree as they greatly simplify the entire process. On Reddit, one user says: “Placing the raven directly in the ‘Witch Flood area’ is the best quality-of-life feature Blizzard has added this season. Not having to go back to the tree after 10 offerings is so pleasant.”
In another Reddit post, the new feature is celebrated. Users find the new submission system great. Winter_Ad_2618 says that he loves the new ravens and can no longer play the Whispering Zones any other way.
Once you have collected 10 offerings, the raven of the tree spawns in the zone.At the raven of the tree, you can turn in your offerings.
In the thread, some criticize that the tree’s chests cannot be stacked. That would further simplify the process, as they quickly clutter the inventory otherwise. Others suggest placing a blacksmith right next to the raven to break down the loot immediately.
Another user criticizes that the ravens do not appear in the Hell Floods where there are tasks for the Whispering Tree. On Reddit, ThanosWasRightHanded jokingly asks who even does Hell Floods in Season 7. Outside of the tasks for the Season journey, this feature is now “useless”.
However, many players agree in various threads on one point: the raven should remain in the game permanently. The revision of the waypoint at the Whispering Tree is also positively highlighted. For some players, it is now an option to mark the location as “favorite” to teleport there even faster.
A recent study has provided new insights. Employees in so-called remote-first companies not only work more productively but also experience fewer interruptions than their colleagues who work in an office.
What was surveyed? The latest study from the ActivTrak Productivity Lab (via Activtrak) found that employees in remote-first companies work more productively and experience fewer interruptions than their office-based colleagues. The study encompasses 958 companies with a total of 135,098 employees. It focuses on various industries such as financial services, healthcare, insurance, and professional services.
What is not clear from the study is where the companies are located. Since ActivTrak is a US-based analytics company, it can be assumed that mainly US companies were included in the study.
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How do productivity levels differ between industries? The results show that employees in the financial sector record an average of 30 minutes more productive time per day than their counterparts in other sectors. They also have a 9% higher healthy utilization rate, meaning they work efficiently without the risk of being under-challenged.
In healthcare, an additional 36 productive minutes per employee per day were also observed. However, more than one-third of employees in this sector are at high risk for burnout or lack of motivation as they are either over- or under-challenged.
In the insurance sector, employees use 18 minutes less collaborative apps but are 41% more engaged and utilized. The rigid term “collaborative apps” refers to meeting and planning tools like Zoom or Notion.
Who is most productive when and where
Which work models are the most productive? The study identified four main work models:
Remote-First: Employees spend over 60% of their working time remotely.
Hybrid: A mix of office and remote work.
Office–First: Employees primarily work in the office.
Remote-Only: Employees work fully remotely.
The majority of the companies involved (55%) rely on the remote-first model, while 25% prefer the hybrid approach. Only 18% of companies pursue the office-first model, and just 2% opt for remote-only. As the current study shows, remote-first employees average more productive hours per day.
And why is that? The assumptions suggest that productivity is enhanced because employees have to accommodate fewer in-person meetings and interruptions in their daily work. Interestingly, however, office-first employees show the most balanced workload, indicating a “healthier” use of work time.
What do the results mean for the future of work? The results of the study clearly show how important flexibility can be. It indicates that companies should consider the individual needs of their employees and offer work models that promote both productivity and well-being.
The choice of the right model can be crucial for employee satisfaction. The study also states that employees who spend more than 75% of their time in an overloaded state are at risk of burning out.
Joining a public lobby in GTA Online is like walking into a war zone with a target on your back. Especially for new players who still have to learn the game mechanics, this constant danger can be a challenge. Mutual assistance is rare. But one user has now declared himself the hero of the noobs.
How did he become a hero? The GTA player “infinite_in_faculty” reports in a post on Reddit that his favorite activity in GTA Online is helping beginners. “Being a bodyguard for noobs is the most fun I’ve ever had in GTA Online.”
He explains that he accepts every invitation when a noob needs a protector. He then brings his strongest devices such as attack helicopters, jets, or tanks and lets the newcomers have a little fun with the expensive war machines.
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The graphic comparison of GTA 6 and GTA 5 in the video
Anyone who has ever played GTA Online in a public lobby knows that this is not the norm. There are often ruthless battles there. Jets, tanks, flying motorcycles, and attack helicopters destroy everything and everyone trying to make money in peace.
Community cooperation and helpfulness are rare. For newcomers without expensive war machines and players who have no interest in PvP, this is often far from fun.
“A superhero no one asked for, but everyone needed”
What does the community say about this? The Reddit post by “infinite_in_faculty” garnered over 700 upvotes. Some players express their appreciation, while others share their own experiences.
TangeloInformal2414 raves: “Bro, you’re like the GTA superhero no one asked for, but everyone needed! The way you show up in an Akula and say, ‘Yo, here’s your personal ride to victory’ is legendary. I can imagine the noobs thinking they’ve just unlocked cheat codes.”
jeremyb1986 thinks: “It’s people like you that give us low-levels hope.”
stillanoobummkay suggests: “They [note from the editor: the developers] need to promote this. For example, when someone is attacked in a supply or sale mission, instead of creating incentives to attack them, they should be rewarded for their support.”
Some players in the comments report that they also like to help new players. For instance, they give them a large share of a heist’s loot or protect them from other malicious players.
A lobby in GTA Online provides space for about 30 players, but most of them are in smaller groups – also because the role of CEO and most jobs and missions can only be completed with four players.
This encourages players to attack others instead of helping them. MyMMO editor Dariusz believes that GTA 6 should avoid this provocation of players. To read what else an action game should avoid, check out: 10 things GTA 6 must definitely avoid from GTA V
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Path of Exile 2, you can defeat enemies together with your friends in cooperative mode, but currently, players prefer to do otherwise.
How does cooperative mode work in Path of Exile 2? In PoE2, you can embark on adventures as a group of up to six gamers. Not only is the campaign available, but the entire game can be played in cooperative mode. To prevent players from easily defeating every boss, the strength of enemies on the map increases depending on the number of group members.
The loot found by the group also scales with the number of members. While cooperative mode sounds well thought out, there are weaknesses that can detract from the experience for gamers.
Here you can see the cinematic intro:
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Path of Exile 2: The Cinematic Intro of the Greatest Diablo Competitor
Burning Eyes
Where are the problems in cooperative mode? At the beginning, cooperative mode works relatively well because adventurers do not have many abilities yet. On the “easy” difficulty level during the campaign, everything goes as the developers intended. However, as players progress further in the ARPG, especially in the maps, many recognize the issue: You can’t see anything anymore.
In Path of Exile 2, there are many abilities that deal damage to enemies with colorful effects, massive explosions, or clouds of gas. This is problematic in cooperative mode because all the effects take up the entire screen and leave no room for recognizing important enemy attacks and abilities.
This is well illustrated by silentkillerd3 in a video on Reddit:
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In this case, he is playing PoE2 with just two players, not with six gamers all using abilities simultaneously. The extent of the effects with a higher number of players would likely be even more intense.
What do the players think? What may look fun at first glance quickly leads to frustration among adventurers, as the comments on Reddit show.
The user billybaked shares on Reddit how it went for him: “My friend and I played together at the start and had a great time playing through the campaign, but when we got to the maps and started working on our builds, we decided to continue alone. The FPS drops, the lack of clarity, and the eye-burning effects were just too much. And it’s annoying.”
Noother10 felt similarly. He writes on Reddit: “My friend was a melee fighter, I was a minion summoner with arsonists, the screen was constantly on fire, he couldn’t see anything and was randomly hit by stupid invisible/hidden ground effects. Then he lost 10% XP and had to drop out and wait for me to finish the map, which took even more time. He barely made any progress, it’s a stupid system that isn’t worth investing time in.”
Psych0enigma had a similar experience on Reddit: “[…] Just like with me and a buddy, he played Poison Pathfinder and I was a Invoker. Before the patch, we kept dying because we couldn’t see the death effects due to the clouds of poison everywhere. After that, he just didn’t come back to play after the patch, and he said the game feels like it was meant to be played solo because we couldn’t see what was killing us and took our gained experience away.”
Whoever dies in Path of Exile 2 can no longer return to the same map to their teammates outside of the campaign and must wait until they finish. Additionally, you lose 10% of the experience points of your current level per death, making it even more frustrating when you are defeated due to a lack of clarity.
Collectors are currently receiving the news in Pokémon TCG Pocket that the development team intends to take action against players with inappropriate behavior. They are now being targeted.
What does this mean? Pokémon TCG Pocket is concerned about players who manipulate data or trade with real money. Such fraudsters do not adhere to the terms of use and ruin the enjoyment of the game for other players.
One action the developers might be referring to is farming in the Wonder Pick (via Reddit). Here, criminals exploit the fact that new players receive multiple free packs. Therefore, they create numerous new accounts to get the free packs and thus acquire rare cards.
If rare cards or even a God Pack were included, they offer the friend’s code of the account for real money. Other players can then enter the friend’s code and possibly see the God Pack in their Wonder Pick.
Besides the trading function, a new expansion is coming to Pokémon TCG Pocket:
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Pokémon TCG Pocket: Trailer for the Collision of Space and Time Expansion
Pokémon TCG Pocket aims to prevent wild trading for real money
What about trading? The trading function, which allows trading cards with a rarity of under 2 stars, could also be what they mean. Because the same fraudsters could exploit this to draw rare cards and then offer them for trade for real money.
The card they receive afterwards could also be offered to others again. To prevent this, the development team of Pokémon TCG Pocket is keeping a close watch.
What do fraudsters face? Players who violate the terms of use can expect several penalties:
They can be warned
Their account will be suspended
Further actions may be considered
Depending on the severity of the offense, one or even a combination of several of these penalties may be imposed. Especially for fraudsters creating numerous accounts, harsher penalties may apply.
If you adhere to the terms of use, you have nothing to fear. The development team will not take action against you.
The company Nvidia loses nearly 600 billion US dollars in one day. This affects not only the company but also numerous investors, including the CEO of Nvidia, Jensen Huang.
What is the current situation?
The Chinese start-up DeepSeek presented its AI model as a competitor to ChatGPT. This literally caused a tremor in the US stock market.
On that day alone, Nvidia lost 589 billion US dollars in market value, marking the largest loss in the company’s history (via Forbes.com).
This also means Nvidia is worth less than Apple and Microsoft again, who now rank in the top two positions. At the end of 2024, Nvidia had risen to become the most valuable company in the world.
The high losses of Nvidia also impact the so-called shareholders of the company. One of them is CEO Jensen Huang, who is particularly affected.
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Chef ruined his company in 59 seconds on Twitch – What happened to him?
Nvidia’s CEO loses 20 billion, but other billionaires also lose a lot of money
How much has Jensen Huang lost? The English-language magazine Forbes.com reports that the net worth of the CEO of Nvidia has fallen by 20.8 billion US dollars, which is approximately 19.8 billion euros.
His total wealth is said to have decreased from 124.4 billion to 103.7 billion US dollars. He no longer ranks among the top 10 in the list of the world’s richest people, having slipped to 17th place.
Who else is affected by the stock drop? In addition to Jensen Huang, other major figures in the tech sector lost a lot of money in one day. This includes Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, who lost 27.6 billion US dollars, and the two co-founders of the search engine Google: Larry Page (6.3 billion) and Sergey Brin (5.9 billion).
A new dungeon RPG on Steam shines with old-school charm, accessible controls, and really good player ratings.
Which game is this about? We are talking about Tower of Mask, a dungeon RPG by the Japanese developer Papertip Studio. The game was released on December 7, 2024, on Steam and combines dungeon crawling with elements of survival horror.
If you love the old dungeon RPGs of the 1980s and early 2000s, you have certainly heard of Legend of Grimrock. The game was released in 2012, and a second part followed two years later. Both games were celebrated for their old-school charm.
Since Legend of Grimrock, there have been many dungeon crawlers, but most have not quite captured the feeling of the old classics. Now, about 10 years later, Tower of Mask might have succeeded – at least according to the current players on Steam.
You can see a trailer for Tower of Mask here:
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Tower of Mask: Launch Trailer for the New Dungeon RPG on Steam
Survival-Horror in the Dark Dungeon
What is the game about? In Tower of Mask, you are trapped in a mysterious tower filled with puzzles and traps. As if that weren’t bad enough, you are also attacked by creepy figures in masks.
What sets Tower of Mask apart from other dungeon RPGs of its kind is the combat. It doesn’t feel as old-school as the visuals might suggest. This mainly has to do with the camera work.
Old-School Feeling with Modern Controls
The game world is divided like a chessboard: You don’t move freely through it, but from one square to the next. You can move the camera freely. This may not sound remarkable nowadays, but if you have played old dungeon crawlers, you know what a significant change this is.
Thanks to the free camera, combat in Tower of Mask is much smoother. It also feels more dynamic: you can easily dodge to another square during combat and still attack while moving.
How is the game currently received? Out of a total of 98 reviews on Steam, 98% are positive. However, since this is still a relatively small number of reviews, this figure should be taken with caution. Nevertheless, those who have played Tower of Mask are convinced by the game:
teddy via Steam: “This game is amazing. It really satisfies that dungeon crawler itch. If you like games like Grimrock, Shadow Tower Abyss or King’s Field, you might enjoy this one. I often didn’t notice how much time had passed, lol.”
klosterhiem via Steam: “What if someone combined Legend of Grimrock and Shadow Tower and streamlined both by removing a lot of the awkward controls and system-induced clunkiness, focusing instead on dungeon puzzles and well-timed first-person action where precision and calm are more important than actions per minute? You’d have one of my favorite games of the year!”
How much does the game cost? Trying it out is free; there is a free demo for Tower of Mask on Steam. If you want to buy the dungeon RPG, it only costs you €10.79.
A really fancy rocket is currently available in World of Warcraft. But be careful: You only have a few days to get it.
When it comes to particularly fancy prestige items in World of Warcraft, they are usually mounts. Many of them can only be earned with a lot of effort or luck – or simply by being in the right place at the right time. A new rocket, which is now in the game, can only be earned for a few days. We will tell you how it works.
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For the 20th Birthday, Blizzard Speaks About ‘WoW 2’ and What We Think About It
What mount is this? We are talking about the Lunar Launcher, which you can earn during the Lunar Festival. This mount is a large rocket with a dragon disguise. A representation that you especially know from the Asian area or in WoW from Pandaria.
The mount was newly added for the Lunar Festival 2025.
How do you get the mount? If you want to secure the lunar rocket, you now have 2 weeks to buy it from the vendors in the various cities. However, the price is 75 Ancestor Coins – a special currency that you can only earn during the Lunar Festival.
The new rocket is now available at the Lunar Festival. Image source: wowhead
You will receive the coins when you visit the different Ancestors in World of Warcraft. In nearly every area of the game, there is an Ancestor during the Lunar Festival that you can honor – you just need to talk to them.
The task is simple: fly around the entire world, talk to the Ancestors, and collect the coins along the way. This is particularly convenient if you use an addon like “CandyBuckets” (via curse), which shows you all the Ancestors on the world map.
Although the task is a bit monotonous and takes about two hours, you can easily get other things done at the same time – like watching a series.
Until when do you have time? As every year, the Lunar Festival is only active for 2 weeks. So you have time from today (28th January 2025) until 10th February 2025 to earn the required amount of tokens and pick up the new rocket from one of the many Lunar Festival merchants.
