Game of Thrones is especially known for killing off numerous characters in often the most brutal ways. However, a specific group of people has good survival chances, as a study showed.
What kind of study is this? In 2018, the hype around Game of Thrones was massive. The release of the eighth and final season was just around the corner. This inspired two scientists from Australia. As epidemiologists, they were probably very interested in mass deaths and their causes.
Particularly honorable was their, by their own account, secondary goal: “[…] to give the authors an excuse to rewatch the first seven seasons before the final season becomes available worldwide.”
So the two examined the deaths of 330 important characters from the first seven seasons of Game of Thrones (via injepijournal.biomedcentral.com). They meticulously created statistics and compared their results with the real world.
Start video
Game of Thrones: Trailer for the new action RPG shows familiar characters
To find out who has the best chances of survival in Game of Thrones, let’s first look at the most common causes of death. Because it is very likely that death occurs sooner rather than later.
186 out of 330 characters examined have died, which is over 50 percent.
The most common cause of death was violent death.
Only two characters died of old age, namely Maester Aemon and Old Nan.
This high mortality rate is unlikely to surprise any Game of Thrones viewer. However, the study went further into detail and examined the exact causes and circumstances of the deaths.
80 percent of the deaths occurred in Westeros, in their own homes.
73.7 percent of the characters died from injuries, especially to the head and neck, including 13 decapitations.
Causes of the fatal incidents included attacks (63 percent), battles (24.4 percent), and executions (5.4 percent).
Admittedly, these numbers don’t inspire much hope. Is there really no one who has even the slightest chance?
How does one survive in Game of Thrones? In fact, the two researchers were able to pinpoint a very specific group of people statistically more likely to survive:
Women of high birth who have switched their loyalty at least once in the series.
Admittedly, unfortunately, there’s nothing one can do about the first two points. So the only survival tip we can give is: never be loyal! At least not if you live in Westeros.
Although not a woman, a survivor who switched sides: Tyrion
As another indicator, they identified the screen time of the characters. Characters who are seen very briefly or for a particularly long time have particularly good chances of survival. The average character, however, doesn’t fare so well.
Do We Live Like in Westeros?
Game of Thrones is primarily a fantasy series meant to entertain. Statistics cannot be directly applied to our world. Nevertheless, the series is strongly based on historical models, such as the so-called Wars of the Roses from the 15th century. Therefore, it can be quite exciting to draw comparisons.
Also, the high death rates are unfortunately not without a real model.
It is believed that in prehistoric times, about 15 to 25 percent of all deaths were violent.
Over time, the murder rate per 100,000 inhabitants continued to decline, using Europe as an example (via ourworldindata.org):
Middle Ages: 40
Baroque: 10
Modern Times: 3
What is the reason for this? The foundation for this development is attributed by the two scientists primarily to the emergence of nation-states. With the increasing importance of trade, living people eventually became more valuable than dead ones.
Additionally, they list several factors that have been crucial to decreasing murder rates, such as: democratic government structures, the provision of public goods (like schools and hospitals), and violence prevention.
It is no wonder that it is so dangerous in Westeros. Most of these factors are largely absent there.
There are also overlaps among the particularly vulnerable groups. We recall that women of high birth had particularly good survival chances in Game of Thrones.
Also in the real world, the murder rate is lower in socio-economically strong countries.
Only about 20 percent of all murder victims are female.
The MMORPG Black Desert Online offers you 29 different classes. It can be easy to lose track of which classes follow which play style. This post is meant to help you.
What is this post about? We want to introduce you to the various classes in the game and categorize them according to what they are best suited for. Therefore, we divide them into:
Beginner Classes
The Best Classes for PvE
The Best Classes for PvP
We will base our evaluations on the descriptions from the developers, personal experiences, and various tier lists that were released in 2025. When it comes to the best classes for PvP, we are mainly referring to 1v1. In groups, different builds and specific compositions are often used.
Start video
Black Desert: New trailer showcases Deadeye class in action
The article was last updated on January 27, 2025, and includes the new Deadeye class.
[toc]
Beginner Classes
Which classes are suitable for beginners? Black Desert offers a dynamic and combo-heavy combat system, which can be a bit overwhelming for newcomers. Therefore, it is important to us that the classes are easy to understand and also useful.
Therefore, the following classes have emerged as particularly suitable for beginners:
Giant
Gardia
Valkyrie
Maegu
Wusa
Sorceress
Ranger
Deadeye
What speaks for the Deadeye
Behind the Deadeye stands the leader of the so-called Canary gang, who is known for her beauty and ruthlessness. Among the Cowgirl’s features are the projectiles she can use. The Deadeye can freely switch between regular and Marni projectiles:
Regular projectiles deal significant damage to single targets.
Marni projectiles are less harmful but compensate for that with a larger explosion radius that covers a wide area.
Of course, it also makes a difference whether the Deadeye is currently shooting at her enemies with a revolver or shotgun. Additionally, the Deadeye shines with good mobility and a fun play style.
Pro
Quite easy to learn
Good choice for grinding and PvP
High single-target damage
High mobility
Good AoE
Contra
Started weaker, which may have discouraged some players. But thanks to buffs, it is now a strong choice.
Does not withstand much damage.
What speaks for the Giant
The large berserker is a fairly easy-to-learn melee fighter who can quickly smash enemies to pulp with his skills and maneuver swiftly between enemy groups. With just a few combos, you can excel at grinding.
In the mid- and endgame, you should switch to the Succession build, which is among the most efficient for certain grinding spots in Black Desert. The Giant is also considered a solid choice in PvP, as he can grab enemies, jump into the fray, and deal high damage with whirlwinds.
Pro
Easy to learn
Good choice for grinding and PvP
Can one-shot enemies
High mobility
Good AoE
Contra
Awakening is specialized
Not top tier in any area
What speaks for the Gardia
The Gardia is a melee fighter with relatively few skills and long animations. This means you don’t have to learn difficult combos at the beginning but can just have fun with the abilities. It also has many AoE attacks, making it useful for farming in the endgame.
Pro
Few skills
Few actions per minute
Easy to learn
Still strong damage
Good AoE
Contra
Not among the top classes in the endgame
Plays slower than many other classes, which can dampen the fun
Rather weak in PvP
What speaks for the Valkyrie:
The Valkyrie uses a sword and shield like the warrior but also has useful abilities to heal herself and teammates. She is defensive and particularly suited for PvE and 1v1 PvP. Additionally, she has a greater range than other melee fighters.
Pro
High damage and high defense
Lots of healing and useful buffs for the group
Has a greater range than other melee fighters
A little CC
Contra
Limited mobility
Has only a few useful combos
Not top-tier in any role in the endgame
What speaks for the Maegu
The Maegu is one of the two sister classes released in December 2022 and January 2023. She fights with the power of the fox goddess and uses a dagger. This allows her to deal very strong damage even in the early game. She also does not require difficult combos and has the advantage of being very strong in the endgame.
Pro
Strong damage in the early game
Quite a large range for a melee fighter
Few actions per minute, which is good for beginners
Very useful even in the endgame
Contra
Very squishy, who doesn’t pay attention dies quickly at the beginning
What speaks for the Wusa
The Wusa is the other sister class and has similar advantages and disadvantages. She also focuses on high damage, an easy start, and remains relevant in the endgame. However, she fights with a fan instead of the dagger.
Pro
Strong even in the early game
Lots of AoE damage
Quite easy to learn, without too many crazy combos
Contra
Very squishy, who doesn’t pay attention dies quickly at the beginning
Repetitive gameplay
What speaks for the Sorceress
The Sorceress has strong AoE, acceptable mobility and is versatile. There are healing skills and the ability to restore mana. She has a rather slow playstyle, so you won’t be overwhelmed directly. A good spellcasting class for beginners.
Pro
Lots of AoE damage
Acceptable mobility
Very versatile thanks to healing
Rather slow, which is good for beginners
Contra
Only mid-tier in the endgame
Slow playstyle can take away the fun
What speaks for the Ranger
The Ranger is the best example of an “Easy to learn, hard to master” class. In the early game, her damage is very strong, and thanks to her great range, you can eliminate enemies without any problem. Some evasive attacks make the fighting really fun.
In the endgame, however, you must kite well due to her weak defense. This makes it difficult to maintain the initial fun. Additionally, she is overall only mid-tier in the endgame.
Pro
Great range
Lots of damage in the early game
Fun gameplay due to evasive attacks and kiting
As an Awakening build, a mix of melee with a sword and ranged combat
Contra
Hard to play in the endgame
Only mid-tier in the endgame
What are the most difficult classes for beginners? The classes Black Mage and Tamer are particularly difficult for newcomers. Both offer little defense and rely heavily on combos, but are more useful in PvE endgame. The Ninja is also difficult in PvE because it requires prior knowledge of the combat system. However, it is particularly fun in PvP, making mastering this class very worthwhile.
In the next pages, we will present the best classes for PvE and PvP in a ranking.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
At a tournament in World of Warcraft, the winners were crowned. The problem: They secured their victory through cheating.
The Plunderstorm game mode is considered controversial in the community, yet it is loved by many players. It is a fresh PvP variant that can be easily joined. A bit chaotic, but fundamentally easy to understand and quite entertaining due to the fast rounds. Additionally, there are plenty of rewards that can be earned within one or two evenings.
Blizzard held a tournament for content creators, which was quite popular last time. The somewhat sad result: The victory was achieved because an exploit was used.
Start video
WoW: Plunderstorm – this is how the battle royale mode works
What kind of exploit is this? In Plunderstorm, like in most Battle Royale modes, there is a so-called “storm”. As time progresses, it causes the play area to shrink continuously, forcing all remaining characters to converge at one location. Staying in the storm usually results in death after a few seconds – as one takes significant damage every few seconds.
However, a bug made it possible to move high up onto one of the towers and wait there – a place where the storm does not inflict damage. It’s a clear exploit, as this is evidently not intended.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Twitch that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
How did the exploit affect the outcome? The tournament had a special scoring system, where it was not even necessary to be the last survivor. The last 10 remaining characters in a match receive points, which are then accumulated over several matches. This allowed the winning team in the end to secure the victory simply by ensuring that Gingi and Meeres lived as long as possible and avoided fights – all thanks to the aforementioned exploit.
As a result, they secured the overall victory without actually participating in a final battle.
This is how the community discusses it: The victory is viewed critically in the community. There are several posts in the WoW subreddit, and even on Wowhead, the outcome of the tournament is seen rather negatively.
KunshiroSan writes in his post:
The Plunderstorm tournament had a player sitting outside the game boundaries, circumventing the mechanics that were supposed to punish him, through which he won. A whole raid group lost their World First Kill back then and was banned for 72 hours when they pulled something like this against the Lich King, a non-human, soulless PvP boss who doesn’t drop $50,000 upon death […].
It’s simply crazy if they do nothing against this cheater.
The incident that Kunshiro refers to involved the guild Ensidia, which sought to secure the World First Kill from the heroic Lich King and was punished for exploiting.
This time, however, the tournament was about $50,000, and many believe that such cheating behavior based on an exploit should be punished.
Did Blizzard already know about the bug? Probably, yes. Because the exploit existed already in the first edition of Plunderstorm and has not been fixed since. Why this is the case is hard to answer – perhaps the bug was not seen as serious enough or did not receive enough attention.
You want to change your name in Fortnite Battle Royale in 2026? We will show you how to do it on PC, Xbox One, Switch, and PS4 with Epic Games.
Update, January 12, 2026: The article is up to date.
Why should you change your Fortnite name? There are various reasons why one might want to change their display name in Fortnite. This is the name displayed to opponents or to teammates in the Save the World mode.
Maybe you have adopted a new online name and are dissatisfied with the old one. You might just want to try something new. In Fortnite, you have a simple and straightforward way to do this. We will show you how it works on PC, PS4 Mobile, and other platforms.
How often can you change your name? This can be done via your Epic account on the Epic Games website every 2 weeks. So if you are not satisfied with a new name, you can choose a new one again after 14 days. Accounts on PS4 and Xbox One are the exception, as they adhere to the times of the PSN ID and gamertags.
Change Fortnite Name on PC
For PC players, changing your name in Fortnite is straightforward.
After logging in, click on your account name at the top right and select the “Account” option
Under Personal Data, the first item is the display name, which you can change there.
Then re-enter the name in another field to confirm it. Also check the box that you understand that you cannot change the name again for 2 weeks.
Confirm this now and your name is changed.
Fortnite Name cannot be changed? If you cannot confirm after entering the name, it is probably because you changed the name less than 14 days ago.
Another possibility is that you have not yet verified the email address linked to the account. To do this, log into your email account and look for the email from Epic Games. There, you will then follow the link to confirm the account.
Change Fortnite Name on PS4/PS5
Since changing PSN names officially works, you can also change your Fortnite name on PlayStation. Here, Fortnite relies on the PSN name.
Does it cost anything? This change is free the first time. If you want to change the name repeatedly, there is a fee of €9.99 per change. As a PS Plus customer, it only costs €4.99. Keep in mind that after the change, the display name of your PSN account will be changed and will also be displayed in other games.
Change PSN name:
Select “Settings” from the PS4 menu
Now go to “Account Management” and then to “Account Information”, “Profile”, and “Online ID”.
Enter the desired Online ID now or choose one of the suggested names
Now follow the instructions in the menu to complete the change.
This can only be done on PS4. It is not possible on PS3 or PS Vita.
If you are not satisfied with your new name, you can revert the change.
In the box for the gamertag, enter the new name and then check availability
If everything is okay, click on update
The change of the Xbox gamertag is free the first time. Keep in mind again, that changing the gamertag changes your name in other games.
Change Fortnite Name on Switch
You can easily change your Fortnite name on Nintendo Switch via the Epic Games website. This works like the name change on PC in point 1 of this article.
Still, Fortnite is an absolute hit on all platforms. And on the Nintendo Switch, the title from Epic Games is still hugely popular. So if you’re wondering what settings the professionals use to play Fortnite on the console, we have the answer for you.
Update, January 27, 2025: The article has been reviewed and is up to date.
Despite poorer graphics and a lower framerate, Fortnite has a huge player base on the Nintendo Switch. For this reason, we have decided to give you an overview of the best possible settings, so you can catch your opponents off guard in Battle Royale in the future.
We have based our recommendations on the settings of large and well-known Fortnite players on the Switch.
Where do our information come from? Our information comes from several YouTubers and websites that report on Fortnite. Additionally, our own experiences have contributed to this guide.
Important: However, please note that your personal taste and habits play a large role in this. Accordingly, it is possible that some of these suggestions may not appeal to you.
How can I adjust my settings? To access the settings for Fortnite, press the + button on your Switch in the main menu and scroll down to the gear symbol. In the now appearing “menu,” logically go to “Settings.” Next, the first settings page will open up right away. To switch between the different tabs of the settings, use the R and L buttons on your Switch.
Now we come to the various settings options that we can adjust. We have categorized them as follows:
We will explain the most important settings in detail under the mentioned points.
Start video
Everything you need to know about the battle royale shooter Fortnite
Graphics
As with other games, the rule of thumb for Fortnite is: the lower the graphic settings, the better the performance. If you want to improve this, it’s definitely worth taking a look at the settings.
Graphics Options
A lot of professionals recommend increasing the brightness to 125%-150%. Additionally, it may make sense to set the colorblind mode to “Protanopia.” Some of the best Fortnite players use exactly these configurations. Both settings are aimed at ensuring that you can locate your opponents in a timely and precise manner.
Graphic Quality & Advanced Graphics Options
If you want to play Fortnite not just occasionally, but also competitively, the following settings are absolutely essential for you.
Set “High-Resolution Textures Automatically Download” and “Reminder for High-Resolution Textures” under Graphic Quality to “Off”. It is also extremely important that you turn off the power-saving mode under the advanced graphics options.
These two settings are designed to prevent further framerate drops on the already quite low 30 FPS on the Switch. On all other platforms, you can generally play Fortnite at 60 FPS – even on Android and iOS devices. Although this makes your game look a bit worse, these settings make a huge difference in performance.
Under this tab, you can make specific settings for aspects such as movement in the game, combat, or building. Therefore, these are absolutely essential for the dedicated player.
Movement
There are differing opinions among some well-known players here. While for example, YouTuber “Zenterr” has enabled his settings for “Toggle Sprint” and “Automatically Open Doors,” other players swear by turning them off. This makes sense when you are in a house with an opponent. The last thing you want is to mistakenly open a door behind which an enemy might be lurking. Just try out what works best for you.
Combat
There are also different preferences when it comes to enabling “Hold for Weapon Swap”. The majority of well-known and professional Fortnite players on the Switch have this disabled, and we would personally recommend the same.
We also recommend disabling “Toggle Aim”; however, “Mark Danger While Aiming” should definitely be enabled. Good communication with your teammates is essential in Fortnite, after all.
Another point that can be very individually customizable is the mapping of the “Preferred Inventory Slots”. In the following screenshot, however, you will find a setup that some well-known players use and which we can also recommend.
We recommend this setup for the preferred inventory slots.
Building
For this sub-point, both options “Reset Building Choice” and “Disable Pre-Editing” should definitely be turned off. On the other hand, you should definitely enable the options “Turbo Building” and “Confirm Edit on Release”. Both clearly ensure that you build even faster.
In-Game User Interface
Under this tab, you can primarily adjust the HUD of the game. This refers to the interface that you can see on your screen during your matches. This includes the mini-map, your health bars, or your inventory slots.
HUD Options
The “HUD Size” is set by most professional players on the Switch to about 70-80%. It is very important that you turn off the “Show Number of Observers” option. This not only reduces unnecessary clutter on your HUD but also speeds up the gameplay a bit, making the game run more smoothly.
Under this tab, you can make fine adjustments for your controller or the Joy-Cons. These are crucial if you want to be truly successful in Battle Royale.
Control
The first two settings “Auto Sprint with Controller” and “Instant Build (Builder Pro)” are activated by most of the well-known Fortnite players on the Switch. And for good reason: you are already somewhat faster in the already very hectic game.
Another setting that many professionals use is to shorten the “Hold Time for Editing” from the default 0.200 seconds to the minimum of 0.100 seconds. This will surely help you become faster.
The “Vibration” is turned off for many Fortnite professionals. Although the additional stimulation makes the game generally more immersive, it can unfortunately also be annoying during combat – especially when it comes to precise aiming.
Sensitivity
The settings for the various sensitivities are initially set to 4 by default. However, we would recommend setting this to 6 initially. You should also adjust the “Sensitivity Multiplier (Building Mode)” to 1.5x.
With these settings, you can then experiment to see if you want to adjust them further.
Alternatively, there are also many advanced sensitivity configurations available that you can customize for yourself. However, since the sensitivity sliders in the Switch version of Fortnite are not that easy to adjust, as even the smallest change can significantly affect gameplay, we would advise against it for now.
For experienced and curious players, we will nevertheless show you advanced settings in the following screenshots that are inspired by some professional players.
Many successful players play with these or very similar settings.
Controller
Here, you can change the controller configuration, i.e., the mapping of the buttons on your controller.
Many successful players rely on “Combat Pro” when choosing the controller configuration. It not only fits best with the Joy-Cons, but it also closely resembles the Fortnite versions for other platforms. This can help you if you have played Fortnite before on the PS4, for example.
In addition to the mentioned settings, your Fortnite experience on the Switch can also be further optimized through tweaks, such as reducing the TV screen resolution to 720p in the system settings or using gadgets like an Ethernet dongle, which allows a direct internet connection of the standard console via a LAN cable:
Oops, unfortunately this affiliate widget is no longer available.
However, the OLED model of the Switch already has a built-in LAN port in the docking station.
More recommendations regarding the Nintendo Switch: Are you looking for more tips regarding the Nintendo Switch? Then check out the following article: Here we explain how you can significantly improve your console with around 15 euros:
On Sunday, January 26, 2025, many players of EA FC 25 are complaining about the servers, as they cannot connect to Ultimate Team. EA’s customer support has not yet issued an official statement on this.
Update from January 26 (8:00 PM): The servers for Ultimate Team seem to be functioning normally again. You can log in across all platforms again.
Which modes are affected by the “server down”? Currently, the connection to Ultimate Team does not seem to be functioning. Numerous users have reported about this under the latest post on the EA-FC support’s X account. (via EA SPORTS FC Direct Communication)
We also made an attempt on MeinMMO to connect to Ultimate Team and received the following error message:
“It is currently not possible to connect to Ultimate Team. You will return to the main menu.”
Start video
EA FC 25 trailer shows new features for Ultimate Team
When can you play Ultimate Team again?
An official statement from EA is still pending. However, we assume that EA is working hard on this issue, as the current Team of the Year event (TOTY) in Ultimate Team likely sees a particularly high influx of players.
Whether EA’s unplanned maintenance is related to the faulty TOTY Crafting Upgrade SBC from Saturday (January 25) is currently unknown to us. (via EA SPORTS FC Direct Communication)
Can I log in via the Companion or Web App? The Companion App is also unavailable to us after several self-attempts, as it incorrectly recognizes a login from the console and therefore does not allow a second user.
The situation is different with the Web App. Here we can log in and continue to manage our Ultimate Team, complete SBCs, or open packs in the shop.
Which modes can you currently play at all? The impacts only affect the online services of Ultimate Team. All other online modes like Clubs or Online Seasons seem to be functioning without issue. Offline modes such as Player/Manager Career or the Kick-Off mode are still available to you.
As soon as there are updates and the servers are functioning again, we will inform you. In the meantime, you could take a look at Career Mode and assemble a team from the best talents in EA FC 25 and dominate the league and world football with them.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Newcomers have a hard time in the dungeons of WoW. Especially when they take on the important roles of tank or healer. A recent experience report from the community emphasizes this once again.
What happened in WoW? Strithor reports on Reddit about visiting a timewalking dungeon – a simple PvE challenge in World of Warcraft that many experienced players want to get through as quickly as possible.
As the tank of the group, there was apparently a low-level character who was evidently a newcomer. Since they apparently pulled trash groups that could have been skipped right at the start, the tank was kicked within less than a minute. Apparently, everyone except for Strithor had voted for the exclusion.
Strithor himself stated that he left the group afterwards because he did not want to be a part of that. His appeal: “We need to be better as a community, especially if we want this game to exist for another 20 years.”
WoW has often been declared dead, and the following video revolves around three of those moments:
Start video
3 times World of Warcraft was declared dead
“We are not all 8/8 Mythic players”
How does the community react to this? The over 1,400 upvotes and over 350 comments after just a few hours show that Strithor has struck a chord.
More-Draft7233 writes on Reddit: “People treat everything like a Mythic Plus speedrun.”
redditingatwork23 wishes on Reddit: “We need more empathy. Not all of us are working on our 11 twinks at level 80. We are not all 8/8 Mythic players. We are not all at 3,500 IO. We need to learn to adjust our expectations for the content we play to the lowest common denominator.”
Infiniteybusboy comments on Reddit: “I wouldn’t say Mythic+ is the worst thing that has happened to the game, but it has certainly worked wonders for elitism to thrive.”
Ok-Key5729 is sure (via Reddit): “The funny thing is, it’s the same people who complain when Blizzard develops solo content because it’s an MMO. If they weren’t so unbearable, maybe there wouldn’t be such a demand for content that allows people to avoid it.”
For most Marvel fans, Avengers: Endgame is a great finale for their favorite heroes. This is mainly due to Thanos, who has posed a threat to the entire universe as a powerful villain. However, there are other major threats in the Marvel universe. We present 7 of them in this list.
How was this list created? In the MCU, Thanos was for a long time the main villain who overshadowed most events in the MCU. He is not just the enemy of a single hero, but of multiple ones. Accordingly, we determined several factors for the list:
Little to no appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
The villain should threaten the world or the entire universe with their power
The villain must be so powerful that multiple heroes are needed to defeat them
In the following list, we show you 7 villains, where they come from and what abilities they actually have. Note that many characters can be stronger or weaker depending on the storyline.
Start video
German trailer for Avengers 3: Infinity War
1. Knull
First appearance: Venom (Vol. 4) #3 (2018)
Knull in Marvel Contest of Champions
Who is Knull? Knull is essentially the father of all symbiotes. He is an ancient being from darkness who was exiled by the Celestials after killing one of their own. On a distant planet, Knull realized that he could also infect other beings with his symbiotes.
He created a hive mind full of symbiotes that were spread throughout the universe. Unlike his symbiotes, he has only one weakness: light. His goal is to conquer worlds with his symbiotes (via Marvel.com).
What abilities does Knull have?
He can create and control symbiotes from a distance
He can also control other beings that utilize darkness, like Cloak
Knull is almost immortal and possesses infinite knowledge due to his age of nearly 14 billion years
Superhuman strength that even exceeds gods like Thor
His Necro-sword, made from his first symbiote, holds incredible power, with which Gorr could even kill gods (via Marvel Database)
2. Galactus
First appearance: Fantastic Four #48 (1965)
Galactus in Fortnite
Who is Galactus? Galactus was born before the Big Bang as a mortal named Galan. In an incident, he was the only one of his people who did not die but was reborn during the Big Bang.
His ship became an incubation chamber, from which the being Galactus later emerged. As Galactus, he has the ability to drain life energy. However, his hunger constantly grows, which is why he must regularly absorb planets. In general, he holds no grudge against other living beings, even if his infinite hunger could drive him insane (via Marvel.com).
What abilities does Galactus have?
Galactus is one of the most powerful beings in the entire universe
His power increases with the energy he has absorbed
He is immortal
God-like powers
He can travel through the universe without a ship
He can affect and transform matter
Teleportation
Telepathy
He can resurrect the dead
Incomparable knowledge
He can make beings his heralds, as seen with the Silver Surfer
In Pokémon, the evolutions of a creature are part of every trainer’s daily life. Our companions should always improve when they take on their new form. However, some Pokémon did not handle the digital puberty well and, unfortunately, ended up not being as beautiful as they were before.
What kind of list is this? I am listing Pokémon here that had a cool, cute, or pretty design at the first stage of their evolutionary line, but the evolution then deviated significantly from the original design and/or worsened it drastically. Performance in battles was not considered, only the appearance. This is Fashionmon.
The list is based on the author’s personal view, as Pokémon designs cannot be objectively beautiful or ugly and everyone has their own opinion. It’s quite possible that you like some Pokémon on this list, while you can’t stand others.
Who is writing this? Dariusz has been a Pokémon fan since childhood. He has played most Pokémon games, watched the anime, and at least as a child also gathered some trading cards. He remained loyal to the pocket monsters even when the franchise received much criticism from longtime players because they were not fond of some designs, gimmicks, or simply the technical condition of the games.
Floink to Flambirex
Flambirex is, for me, the perfect example of something that goes wrong with many evolutions. The boar looks as if there was an obsessive attempt to design a cool, powerful Pokémon for boys. However, there was a drastic deviation from the original design of Floink. Flamibirex hardly resembles a pig anymore; it looks more like a humanoid alien with an ugly nose.
Floink and Flambirex
Petznief to Siberio
Petznief is cute, especially with its huge snot droplet – hardly anyone can deny that. But Siberio is somehow misshapen. Polar bears are incredibly fascinating animals, and I had long wished for a polar bear Pokémon. But why is Siberio a triangle? This is the first bear whose “shoulders” are narrower than its prey. And why is its fur smooth all over, but scruffy on the belly? Siberio is the reason why I never have a Petznief in my team.
Petznief and Siberio
Start video
Pokémon TCG Pocket: Trailer for the Collision of Space and Time Expansion
Okay, we started gently, but now it gets personal. You have to know, I had a black cat myself, whom I loved very much. So when I saw Flamiau as a starter in the 7th generation, it was immediately clear to me which Pokémon I would take at the beginning of my journey through Alola. But when my cat then evolved into Fuegro, this furry wrestler…
I would be lying if I said that I was disappointed with the evolution. It was worse. I loathe everything about Fuegro. I generally find the design terrible, but the fact that we had a cool, black-red fire cat as a starter and then this bipedal, hardly cat-like monster emerged just makes me angry. This is no longer a Pokémon that deserves the name of my beloved pet.
Flamiau and Fuegro
Note: I limited myself here to Fuegro to avoid having only cat Pokémon on the list. That doesn’t mean that Alola Meowth/Snobilikat, Shnurgarst, and Maskagato will be spared. After Kanto Meowth and Snobilikat, there has been no cat Pokémon that I liked.
Praktibalk to Meistagrif
Praktibalk is the Machollo of Generation 5. I knew immediately that a powerful fighting Pokémon would come out of this. It was somehow cool how it stood there with a cheeky grin and a wooden beam under its arm. But then it just got worse. Meistagrif is finally a kind of construction worker who doesn’t train his legs. Okay, that’s fine. But what the hell happened to its head? The nose is bigger than a Digda and lights up bright red as if it wants to lead Santa Claus to Einall. And because of the weird bulb on its head, it should definitely see a doctor.
Grebbit is not a Pokémon that a child would choose as a companion for their journey. When the oversized rabbit encounters a 10-year-old who is just starting out as a Pokémon trainer, that child would immediately run home and decide to learn for a boring desk job at school instead. The creature looks eerie and unfriendly. It has a nasty glare, huge ears clenched into fists, and a kind of furry belt where it could be hiding who knows what. There is nothing recognizable left of the cute little Scoppel.
Scoppel and Grebbit
Some evolutions are so ugly that you would rather become Ash Ketchum and not want to evolve the respective Pokémon. However, the anime hero from Kanto also has some strong final stages in his lineup, such as Glurak or Quajutsu. However, neither of them is his most victorious monster: Fan analyzes Ash’s best Pokémon – And it’s not Pikachu
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In League of Legends, the first new champion was released in 2025, and fans of Arcane will already know her. However, right at the start, she seems to have been somewhat too strong. After just 2 days, a nerf followed.
Who is the new champion? With Mel Medarda, a new champion was released in the Rift on January 23, 2025. Fans of Arcane know her as the daughter of Ambessa Medarda, who is already in the game. In the game, Mel is a mage who brings interesting abilities:
Passive Ability: With each ability, Mel gains 3 bonus projectiles for her next attack, stacking up to a value of 9. Whenever she deals damage, Overwhelm is triggered. The damage scales cumulatively. If an opponent has taken enough damage from Overwhelm, Mel can consume the stacks and execute the opponent.
Q Ability: Mel fires multiple projectiles that deal damage repeatedly in an area.
W Ability: Mel gains movement speed and a shield that can reflect each projectile from opponents.
E Ability: Mel fires a larger projectile that can root and slow enemies in the surrounding area. This counts as a root and not a stun.
Ultimate: All enemies, regardless of distance, marked by Overwhelm, take damage based on Overwhelm stacks. When you level up the Ultimate, her Overwhelm damage also increases.
This sounds like a pretty solid kit that also works quite successfully. The launch was probably a bit too successful, as Mel received a nerf in the form of a hotfix after just 2 days.
Start video
Welcome to Noxus – Opening Video for the First LoL Season 2025
Mel is probably too strong and gets nerfed immediately
How successful is Mel? Many new champions are not particularly good upon release – based on the statistics. This is because players need to familiarize themselves with the abilities and playstyle first. That was the case with Hwei or Smolder.
With Mel, it looks quite different. If you look at her statistics on U.GG, you’ll see that she is quite successful.
Based on all ranks, she has a solid win rate of 50.84% on the mid lane with over 111,000 matches (as of January 26, 2025, 11:30 AM).
She has a pick rate of 13.8%.
However, players don’t seem very eager to play her, as her ban rate is at 43%, the highest currently, which is quite normal for new champions.
That she has such a win rate despite the lack of player experience is probably not entirely planned. At least according to the nerfs that were patched as a hotfix on January 25, 2025. They nerfed the damage of her passive, her ultimate, and her Q.
On the LoL developer account on X, they said: Mel currently exceeds expectations by a large margin, as we apparently overestimated her mastery curve and underestimated the learning curve for playing against her.
Whether Mel will continue to perform this well will be seen in the coming days. The next regular patch is expected on February 5, 2025.
What does the community say about Mel? In a recent Reddit thread, the user Temporary-Platypus80 explains that he bans Mel every match as long as she is not the first pick in his team. He thinks she is way too strong, and by doing so, he would increase the chances of winning.
With over 5,300 upvotes and over 800 comments, he gets a lot of support:
For many users, the problem lies mainly in her W ability and the ability to reflect projectiles. This is also true for tTensai (via Reddit): As long as there is the revolution of abilities, I will ban her.
Crimsonavenger2000 (via Reddit) raises concerns about the win rate: I have only fought against her once, so I can’t say what I think of her state, but has any champion ever achieved 52% [win rate] in the release patch?
MRChesey (via Reddit) questions why she is being banned outside of ranked matches: A new champ is released, people want to play normals to try her out, everyone bans her. They jump into ranked, see that she’s not banned, and pick her only to feed.
In WoW you can once again dive into the battle royale clashes of the Plunderstorm mode. Recently, a player has achieved victory as the last survivor in a way that the community celebrates.
How did the player win the match? Jolkster posted a screenshot on Reddit showing his victory in the freshly released Plunderstorm mode of World of Warcraft. As the last survivor, he was able to collect 1,856 plunder. He had to kill 0 other players to achieve this.
You read that right. Zero kills for victory in a battle royale mode that revolves around surviving against all other player characters. But how is that possible?
That’s quickly explained: Similar to other battle royale representatives, the play area in Plunderstorm shrinks progressively because a damaging storm takes up more and more area of the map. For a victory with zero kills, you just need to hope that
a) the other players kill each other before they discover and engage you in a fight, and
b) the last remaining competitor gets caught by the storm and dies outside the safe zone.
This is how the Plunderstorm mode works:
Start video
WoW: Plunderstorm – this is how the battle royale mode works
Much harder than it sounds
How does the community react to the screenshot? Nearly 3,000 upvotes and many of the over 200 comments reflect what a special achievement this is in the Plunderstorm mode.
Anumet writes on Reddit: “There should be a title for this. Gandhi or something similar – the way of non-violence. Congratulations – I like that!”
sagetraveler explains why some die in the storm (via Reddit): “Many people don’t want to engage in PVP and instead go into the storm.”
Cloud_N0ne resonates with sagetraveler’s comment on Reddit: “That’s how I do it too. If I come across a player who is significantly higher level than me and I can’t escape, I just run into the storm so that they can’t get my loot. A nasty move, but it’s what comes closest to a victory.”
kapono_dclxvi has a different, so far unsuccessful strategy (via Reddit): “Hell yes, I’ve never won, I play aggressively and make terrible decisions. High kill count, but no victories.”
Merlin2oo2 is just one of many players who also want to win pacifically (via Reddit): “I congratulate you! That was also my goal for Plunderstorm, but I haven’t achieved it yet. I want to be the last bush standing.”
How about it: Have you ever won a round without kills? Should Blizzard introduce a title for that? Let us know in the comments! MyMMO demon Cortyn is currently also immersed in the battle royale mode of Azeroth. And that brings out some truly nasty behavior: Plunderstorm in WoW brings out the worst in me
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Germany, one is legally an adult at the age of 18. However, the feeling of truly being an adult can vary significantly from that. A study shows that many from Gen Z believe that one becomes truly adult much later.
When does one feel like an adult? When one turns 18, one is considered an adult in Germany. One can participate in any election and drive a car without supervision. However, the feeling of truly being an adult may differ from age.
Life Happens, a non-profit organization that provides information on life insurance and similar products in the USA, conducted a survey on the topic and found: The majority of respondents from Gen Z believe that one is only an adult when one acquires life insurance.
Start video
“We have created a monster” – A Spanish model earns up to 10,000 euros a month, yet she is not real
Finances are the main topic of being an adult
What were the results of the survey? For Life Happens, Talker Research conducted a survey in September 2024 with 2,000 Americans about being an adult. They surveyed 500 individuals each from Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers. Corresponding to the company, the survey also focused on life insurance. The survey yielded the following results:
The 2 most common answers to the question of when one is an adult were:
56 % answered ‘When one can pay their own bills’
45 % answered ‘When one is financially independent’
At 27, life, money, and the future are said to feel real
71 % of respondents from all generations believe that it is more difficult to be an adult today than it was 30 years ago, according to 72 % of respondents, this is due to rising living costs
Interestingly, 76 % of older generations responded that they wish they had taken finances more seriously in their 20s. Many from Gen Z are reported to start paying bills or opening savings accounts around the age of 22. At the same time, half of the respondents from Gen Z have not started doing so at all.
On the other hand, there are things that Gen Z believes they cannot afford. 47 % said they cannot afford an apartment or a house. 39 % said they cannot afford children. Additionally, 56 % of Gen Z stated that they have a larger financial responsibility than they can handle.
Another interesting development is the age at which people start saving for retirement. While Baby Boomers reportedly started at 34, respondents from Gen Z say they would start at 22. It should also be noted that Americans, according to the survey, believe they are only financially stable at the age of 46. 40 % believe they will never be financially stable.
These thoughts align with a study conducted by Cambridge professor Peter Jones (via Zeit.de). He found that one undergoes an important maturation process until their late 20s and that one is only truly an adult after the age of 30.
Producer and Director Naoki Yoshida recently addressed the community of Final Fantasy XIV to comment on unauthorized modifications that make stalking easier.
What kind of mods are these? In his statement on forum.square-enix.com, Naoki Yoshida, who is also known in the community as Yoshi-P, confirms that there are third-party tools for Final Fantasy XIV that allow access to character information that is typically not displayed during normal gameplay.
Specifically, the tools utilize a character’s internal account IDs to obtain information on all characters of the same account. Ironically, this is made possible by the new blacklisting system introduced with Dawntrail, as this system exchanges the character ID for an account-wide ID, which tools can then use to determine the associated characters. A dream for any online stalker.
Dawntrail is the current expansion of Final Fantasy XIV:
Start video
Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail – The Final Trailer
Developers Consider Legal Action
What are the developers doing? The chief developer emphasizes that they are aware of the situation and the concerns expressed by the community. They are also committed to ensuring a safe environment for all players. Therefore, they are considering taking legal action against anyone who uses such a tool.
Yoshi-P also makes it clear that in Final Fantasy XIV—unlike in WoW or ESO—the use of third-party modifications is fundamentally prohibited. Furthermore, he requests all members of the Eorzea community to refrain from sharing details about such unauthorized programs—especially regarding installation.
Lastly, Yoshida reassures that these tools cannot extract any information pertaining to addresses or payment methods.
Kingdom Come Deliverance from 2018 has made RPG fans despair from time to time, as bugs could easily cost a lot of progress in the game. The soon-to-be-released successor feels notably more manageable.
What was so frustrating about KCD? The first RPG from Warhorse Studios places a strong emphasis on realism, likes to deviate from genre standards, and solves things differently than one is used to from other RPGs. This not only provides a very special gaming experience but can also quickly become frustrating.
An example of this is the very restrictive saving system in Kingdom Come Deliverance at launch:
The game automatically creates a save when you accept a new quest or reach an important in-game event. There could be several hours between these automatic saves.
Manual saving is possible by sleeping in your own bed, enjoying a full-service visit to a bathhouse, or consuming a savior schnapps (which can be bought, found, stolen, or crafted).
A later patch added the option to end the RPG with a save.
The plans for the time after the release of Kingdom Come Deliverance 2:
Start video
Kingdom Come Deliverance 2: Trailer for the Roadmap with New Features and Hardcore Mode
More saves, but caution is still advised
How does saving look in the second part? In Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, there is again the savior schnapps as a save item as well as saving via your own bed and the bathhouse visit.
Additionally, this time from the beginning, there is the option “Exit and Save”. But that is not the only innovation compared to the release version of part 1. In a stream, the developers confirmed that there will be significantly more automatic saves for quests and story progress in KCD2 (via Reddit).
Based on previous experiences with the review version of the game, we can confirm this, but you should still not rely solely on these automatic saves. Due to the long travel times, numerous dialogues, and exciting distractions, you should always have enough savior schnapps with you in KCD2.
How does the community rate this innovation? Many players are happy about the potential easing:
Etheon 44 explains on Reddit: “Indeed, the game [editor’s note: in the stream] crashed once and he did not lose his progress, which was my main issue with the first game. Now it is an absolute must for me, not only because of the automatic save function but also because it looks damn good in every way.”
dayburner also sees it that way on Reddit: “Jesus Christ be praised. My biggest complaint about the game is that I was kicked out and had to replay the last hour, which was a real time sink.”
J_Player found that frustrating too (via Reddit): “Yes, I was fed up and eventually used a mod that allows saving anywhere. Losing progress, as you mentioned, can be very annoying, and sometimes you just don’t have the time to find a place to save.”
Companies often want to turn a new game into a whole franchise on Steam and PS5. Unknown 9: Awakening was supposed to be that for Bandai Namco. They wanted to release not only games but also comics and books for the universe. However, despite the efforts, nothing came of it, as the game is a flop.
What is Unknown 9: Awakening? On October 17, 2024, Bandai Namco released the AAA game Unknown 9: Awakening. The action-adventure was quite ambitious but failed right at release. On Steam, they could reach a maximum of 285 simultaneous players, and currently, the game has only 49% positive reviews on Steam.
The game was supposed to be more than just a regular AAA title. They had grand multimedia plans. There are episodes of a web series, comics, podcasts, books, and of course, the game. However, it seems that everything has failed, as future projects have now been canceled.
You can find a trailer for the game here:
Start video
Trailer for Unknown 9: Awakening starring Anya Chalotra
No further projects for the universe of Unknown 9: Awakening
What has the CEO announced? On LinkedIn, the CEO, Herve Hoerdt, of the responsible studio Reflector Games announced that there are no new projects planned for the universe of Unknown 9. The project would not be sustainable for the future of the studio.
The CEO justifies the decision with the failure of the first and ambitious project that aimed to build a transmedia universe. The game did not perform as expected.
This also leads to further layoffs. Already in November 2024, they announced that they would lay off 18% of the workforce. As PCGamer reports, it was stated then that it was not due to performance but to a lack of work for the employees.
It now seems that there will be layoffs again. This time, however, no specific number is mentioned. The statement says that, as far as possible, employees will be assigned to a new project based on an existing Bandai Namco brand.
For employees who have to leave the studio, they want to continue providing access to health services and support them in their next job search.
MeinMMO demon Cortyn is sinking into the Plunderstorm of World of Warcraft. And that brings out some really nasty behavior.
The Plunderstorm mode is currently active in World of Warcraft and is considered controversial in the community. While part of the player base can’t make sense of the mode and is just happy to farm all the rewards, another group longs for more and more loot and can hardly get enough of the battle royale.
I belong to the second group. I not only took a week off at the start of the mode (even though that was more of a coincidence), I’ve also been playing for many days still, even though there are no new rewards for me anymore; just because I have so much fun with it.
But Plunderstorm brings with it some side effects that seem to fuel my inner demon. Because the game mode sometimes brings out the worst and most evil in me.
Start video
WoW: Plunderstorm – this is how the battle royale mode works
When two fight, I’m especially happy
I would consider myself “good” in the Plunderstorm mode, at least in terms of my survivability. I’m basically always among the last 6 – with the exception of unfortunate incidents where you land on the map at the same time as another person and they reach the two spells before I can. If the first 10 seconds go by without a catastrophic incident, I’m pretty sure in the “endgame”.
This is not some innate, hidden talent, but simply the result of a lot, a lot of practice. I played the mode continuously when I first tried it and quickly understood: Cortyn, you don’t win by playing particularly honorably. You win by following the old saying, “When two fight, the third is happy.”
Duel fights should be avoided in most cases. Much better to approach two fighting and take them down together. Double loot, half the effort.
That’s not honorable. That’s wonderful “scooping up” and exactly what you need in a “every man for himself” situation. That’s why I prefer the solo mode over the duo mode. On the one hand, I don’t have to rely on a partner, and on the other hand, I know that when I interfere, panic immediately breaks out among all parties involved and no coordinated response comes.
To that comes a hint of arrogance that overcomes me as soon as I’m sure I have a nice setup of abilities. Because then I try, in the best comedy fashion, to use the ability of the stealth bush as obviously as possible.
Even the quest givers look skeptical when Cortyn is grilling people again.
The bush is an ability where your character disguises itself as a bush. It then is practically unrecognizable, as it looks like a bush and no longer has a nameplate either.
In the right environment, such a bush is hard to distinguish from the actual shrubs of Arathi Highlands. However, if you want, you can sit down as a bush right in the middle of the road, on a roof, or by a campfire, basically telling the whole world: Here I am. Notice me!
Revenge for a “Cringe” – I can be petty
My most satisfying experience so far started with quite a disgrace. I was among the last 3 alive and wanted to – as so often – only interfere in the final battle when I was pretty sure I could kill both.
That failed. I misfired pretty much every ability, even threw myself into the storm with the stealth jump and even ran into the victorious player’s fiery axe. Not entirely without reason, he typed “Cringe” in the chat channel afterwards. I deserved that.
But I remembered the name. You always meet the same people twice in life. Or in Plunderstorm.
And so it happened, and earlier than expected. Just under an hour later, I saw the player again in the same lobby and knew that there was only one goal: revenge.
I kept myself out of fights, kept an eye on the chat (to see if he was dying) and ultimately, things went better than I could have imagined. When I encountered him, he was still level 6, while I had already reached level 9. I had already been watching him and knew that he had traps and frost circle as support abilities – so nothing that could let him move quickly.
He knew he probably couldn’t win the fight and just wanted to wait out the problem by running around a house again and again. I engaged him, intentionally ran into his frost effects to create a long chase – until the storm came and threatened to swallow us both.
Only then did I use all my abilities. With the spike traps, I held him in front of the small house, with the wind bird I shoved him into the house. And when he wanted to come out again, I shot the arcane orb after him to hold him right there as the hut was swallowed by the storm.
I had time for a /smile. That felt incredibly good. A little evil – but also very, very good. Sometimes I can indeed be a little petty. You may find that cringe. But I enjoyed it. Almost as much as my PvP experiences with a fishing rod.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Monster Hunter World received a large add-on with Iceborne, which brought many new monsters into the game. For MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes, it was his first encounter with a monkey that still haunts him in his nightmares.
I love Monster Hunter. Although I played a few of the older games in the past, my first real entry was, like many others, Monster Hunter World. Together with Monster Hunter Rise and other titles, I spent over 1000 hours as a hunter.
I managed quite well with the main game and most parts of the add-on Iceborne. I coped well even with large bosses like Shara Ishvalda. But then, after the main story of Iceborne, I encountered a giant monkey that strongly reminded me of a Super Saiyan from Dragon Ball: Rajang.
In a mission, you are tasked with hunting the Rajang. Right from the first cutscene, the monkey shows that he is of the tough kind. In the sequence, he fights against the Kirin, another difficult monster. But he doesn’t just defeat it; he tears off its horn and gnaws on it like a carrot.
Just that alone made me feel a lot of respect, but the fight that followed was personally the worst in my Monster Hunter career.
You can see the intro of Rajang from Monster Hunter World here in the YouTube video from Boss Fight Database:
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
What makes Rajang so difficult for me? At first glance, Rajang isn’t that big at all. Many monsters before were significantly larger. But that’s one of the strengths of the monkey.
As always, I faced the fight directly. With my beloved energy blade, I wanted to hunt the monster as usual. But he completely wiped the floor with me.
He jumps around like Sonic and causes a lot of damage, and his laser isn’t to be underestimated. But the worst part is when he grabs you, shoots the laser in your face, and then throws you into the lava.
At least as bad is his rage form, in which he looks like a Super Saiyan from Dragon Ball. Everything becomes even stronger, and he becomes even more unpredictable.
I couldn’t handle it at all. I just couldn’t predict his attacks to find the perfect moment for a counterattack. After countless attempts, I switched to sword and shield, my other favorite weapon, which is a bit more defensive. But that didn’t help either. Even in co-op with others, I had no chance and became a burden to my teammates, who couldn’t finish the quest.
The only way I could think of to progress and finally defeat the Rajang was to fight like a coward.
A less terrifying monkey returns in Monster Hunter Wilds:
Start video
Farting Return in Monster Hunter Wilds
Hiding behind a big shield
What was my last option? The Rajang from World is my personal nemesis. I just couldn’t defeat him, even though I had no problems with other heavy monsters.
I had only one idea left. I took the lance, but didn’t use the cool moveset properly; instead, I hid like a coward behind my shield.
During his attack sequences, I blocked, and every now and then I poked him with the lance. Other players, who were much better against him, dealt damage, and I mimicked the tank. However, my fear of dying with every one of his blows remained, which could lead to the quest being aborted.
In the end, I completed the mission, and the other monsters were no big problems anymore. But to be honest, I avoided the Rajang afterward. The fear of having to submit to the monkey again was too great.
To this day, I have respect and indeed fear of the Rajang. Even in Monster Hunter Rise, where he is significantly easier to defeat, I constantly had memories of my past failures while fighting. And that will probably always remain.
Later when I saw how Rajang was in Monster Hunter 4, I was shocked, but my desire to face this version was awakened.
In the world of Warhammer 40,000, there are hundreds of different chapters of the Space Marines, which vary significantly in their doctrines. However, they are all united by the Codex Astartes, which imposes certain rules upon them. Ironically, a particularly loyal chapter exploits a loophole.
The Black Templars are the estimated largest chapter of Space Marines in the entire world of Warhammer 40,000. Exactly how many members the Templars have is known to no one—not even to them.
What is clear, however, is that they have more brothers in arms than all other known chapters. And this is despite their loyalty to the Emperor being among the strongest of all Space Marines. They even worship him as a god rather than a father.
The vast military force of the Black Templars is due to their rather… creative interpretation of the laws imposed on them. They have found a loophole that they have been exploiting for over 10,000 years.
Start video
Warhammer 40.000: Die Armee der Black Templars im Tabletop
Why Are Chapters Limited to 1,000 Space Marines?
The Codex Astartes dictates how a chapter of Space Marines should be structured. The document outlines how a Space Marine is to behave and regulates the chapters themselves. Roboute Guilliman, the Primarch of the Ultramarines and now the Lord Commander of the Imperium, devised these rules.
The reason: a catastrophe like the great brother war, which nearly extinguished the Imperium of Man, must be prevented at all costs. By limiting each chapter to 1,000 Space Marines, it should ensure that no chapter that succumbs to Chaos can ever become a threat again.
The creation of the Codex itself caused trouble: not all of Guilliman’s brothers agreed with it. The stubborn Space Wolf Leman Russ, for example, opposed him—aligning himself with Rogal Dorn, the Primarch of the Imperial Fists.
The dispute between Dorn and Guilliman nearly sparked a new war until Dorn eventually acquiesced. One of the two first successor chapters of his Imperial Fists became the Black Templars, who still operate in a remarkably rebellious manner today.
10,000 Years of Crusade Result in a Massive Army
There are two major exceptions to the size limit of a Space Marine chapter in the Codex Astartes:
The limit of 1,000 Space Marines applies only to these Space Marines. Support troops and Neophytes (usually scouts) can be present in unlimited numbers.
If a chapter is on a crusade, it may temporarily exceed the limit to ensure the crusade’s success and to replace fallen brothers.
The Black Templars have effectively been on a continuous crusade since their founding over 10,000 years ago. They have no home world but are purely a fleet-based chapter with hundreds of ships.
This alone allows the Black Templars to ignore the limit. Additionally, they are engaged in multiple crusades throughout the galaxy, with each crusade consisting of only a few hundred Space Marines.
As they are so dispersed and loyal to the Emperor, the Inquisition and others take little notice of how many brothers the chapter has. However, if the Black Templars were ever to consolidate their forces, they would vastly outnumber all other chapters.
However, their size is not the only distinguishing feature of the Black Templars. They worship the Emperor as a deity, which is a rarity among Space Marines. Additionally, they have developed or rediscovered some of the most powerful technologies of the Imperium, such as the Land Raider Crusader—the largest tank of the Imperium.
Their doctrine is determined by a battle against the unclean, the heretics, and Xenos—essentially everything that is not human. The fanaticism of the Black Templars is surpassed only, if at all, by the Battle Sisters of the Adepta Sororitas.
This, however, also leads to the Templars forgoing one of the strongest weapons in the arsenal of all Space Marines: Psykers. The sanctioned spellcasters of the Space Marines, the Librarians, can annihilate entire armies with their spells.
However, the Black Templars see too much danger in potentially triggering a Warp catastrophe. They only tolerate Psykers, such as Astropaths, in their support units because these can allegedly communicate with the Emperor himself.
It’s time for our MeinMMO format “MMORPG News in Two Minutes.” We summarize the most important news about the best genre in the world. Look forward toRagnarok Online 3, server merges for Throne and Liberty, several discontinued games, and major Twitch dramas.
The highlights of the week:
The former Blizzard developer Jason “Thor” Hall has had a great year on YouTube and Twitch as Pirate Software. His growth was enormous: he became the wise and relaxed world explainer with a confident answer to everything. But the image is currently going down the drain, showing a different side in MMORPGs like WoW Classic and Ashes of Creation .
After his much-debated expulsion from the guild “OnlyFangs” on a hardcore server for WoW Classic, he called his kick from the Twitch guild stupid and stated that he did not want to showcase World of Warcraft on his stream anymore.
What else happened? The developers of RuneScape had sent a survey behind closed doors to selected members of the community. When the questions and topics came to light, a shitstorm erupted and players canceled their subscriptions. Though the developers backtracked, the video of a prominent gaming YouTuber shows how deep the disappointment runs.
RuneScape and Old School RuneScape are among the most successful MMORPGs of the last decades.
Start video
Old School RuneScape – Trailer for the Steam Release
The developers of Mortal Online 2 have published a first roadmap for 2025 at mortalonline2.com.
The 64-bit server Cormyr from Dungeons & Dragons Online is no longer fee-based for a certain period (via ddo.com).
For Star Wars: The Old Republic, Update 7.6d has brought many small improvements – you can find the patch notes at swtor.com.
The new chapter Day of Reckoning of DC Universe Online is set to be released on January 28, 2025 (via YouTube).
The developers of Albion Online have introduced the planned innovations for Season 26 at albiononline.com.
For Ultima Online, there was a 2025 roadmap that also included the new legacy servers (via uo.com).
On February 11, 2025, the 33rd season of Star Trek Online starts with Unveiled. Actor Jonathan Del Arco will be featured as Borg Hugh. The console launch is set to follow on March 11. You can find all details on playstartrekonline.com.
In Tarisland, the Year of the Snake will be celebrated starting January 24, 2025, with events and rewards. You can find all the info at tarisglobal.com.
Due to high losses in the last financial year, the Chinese publisher Perfect World Games has announced severe cost-cutting measures. This includes the cancellation of several game projects, including the MMORPG Perfect New World.
Originally, Blue Protocol was supposed to celebrate its global launch in 2024, but this never happened. This week, the Japanese servers of the anime MMORPG have also gone offline forever. Many players accompanied the end until the last moment.
Pax Dei has received the resource Grace and further updates with the second part of the Market-Square Update. You can find the patch notes at playpaxdei.com.
The developers of Eternal Tombs have released a short video on YouTube to showcase progress from 2024 and promise big things for 2025.
For Ragnarok Online 3, there was a trailer and the confirmation that a global launch is planned (via mmorpg.org.pl). The official website can be reached at ro3global.com. In the comments under the trailer, fans are already complaining about possible Pay2Win and Gacha systems. Others feel that it could be a worthy successor to Ragnarok Online (ranked 15th in the list of the best MMORPGs of all time, chosen by the MeinMMO community). What do you think?
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
For years, there has been a debate in the communities about whether Path of Exile or Diablo is the better action RPG. Now, with Path of Exile 2 and Diablo 4, the latest and largest competitors from both franchises have arrived. MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus talked to Diablo expert Rob about both games.
Rob is known for his expertise in theorycrafting for Diablo 4, where he provides fans with builds and in-depth analyses. His assessments significantly influence our tier list for Diablo 4. If you want to watch him, you can find him on his Twitch channel and his guides and videos on YouTube. Although Rob is from Germany, his streams and guides are in English.
Meanwhile, Rob believes that both games have their strengths and weaknesses. In the interview, we discuss what Diablo and Path of Exile do well and what the future holds for both games.
Start video
Path of Exile 2 shows new gameplay trailer for early access
“Path of Exile makes Diablo better, and Diablo makes Path of Exile better”
MeinMMO: What makes PoE 2 better than Diablo 4, in your opinion?
Rob: I found the introduction really cool. You immediately notice: This is a tough game. I personally think that’s really good. Many might not appreciate that as much, but you know right away what you’re getting into. It is a game that is significantly harder than Diablo and from the very start. However, it gets better later. The more progress you make, the better you understand your character.
I don’t think it’s great to compare the games one-to-one. The player base largely overlaps. However, there is also a clear separation among many players. Those who want to invest more time will prefer Path of Exile. And those who might not have as much time will find Diablo better suited.
MeinMMO: And seasons would then allow alternating play between the games.
Rob: I really hope for the future that it will alternate like that. One month you have an update in Diablo 4, the next month one in Path of Exile 2. I don’t like all this drama and the negativity between the communities, where they always have to fight each other.
In my opinion, you can play multiple video games, not just one, and you can enjoy both. You don’t have to bash someone just because I’m playing one game or the other. And that applies to both communities.
For us, the consumers, the gamers, it is good when competition emerges between the games. Path of Exile makes Diablo better, and Diablo makes Path of Exile better. That’s why I, as someone who comes from Diablo, am glad that Path of Exile exists. Then Blizzard might see: Okay, we can do something here and there. And PoE sees: Ah, Diablo does this really well, we need to work on that. This makes both games better in the long run.
MeinMMO: While we are at it, what does Diablo 4 do better than PoE, in your opinion?
Rob: It’s quite simple to get into. You are guided well, can take it easy, even if you have little time. In Path of Exile, for example, you have only one difficulty from the beginning. You have to play at the same level as the ultra-speedrunner Ben or something like that. In Diablo, you have the choice between Normal, Hard, and so on, allowing a new player to start at a much more relaxed difficulty.
You don’t have that in PoE. You are thrown into the deep end. You can see that positively. Someone like me, who plays a lot, might find that good. But if you have little time, it can be a bit harder.
MeinMMO: And where are both games good?
Rob: The graphics are awesome in both games. They are different but good in both. Diablo is darker, more sinister, reminiscent of Diablo 2. I find that really good, not as cartoonish as in Diablo 3.
PoE has really great artwork, working a lot with colors. Just look at the breaches, for example.
Where they differ significantly is the endgame. I miss that in Diablo 4; in my opinion, there is still a lot that can be done there. Sure, you have many things to make your character stronger. But there isn’t a proper endgame. Path of Exile is still in early access, but there’s already a lot of endgame. Nevertheless, there is still room for improvement here.
MeinMMO: What do you think PoE 2 needs for the endgame at release or afterward?
Rob: I find the Atlas system pretty cool, especially when you look at the first patch with the quality-of-life changes. But I think even more systems would be good. They will surely bring more boss fights; there’s still a lot to do. And the endgame will automatically expand because you will get more classes or ascendancies, which will also have a reason to exist in the endgame.
The major criticism of Diablo is “now just like in PoE”
MeinMMO: The class system is one of the biggest differences. Which one do you find better, PoE with its open skills or Diablo with its fixed classes?
Rob: I think both have their pros and cons. In Diablo, I think it’s cool that you can customize your character so much. Different hair colors, eyes, faces, skin tones, and even tattoos. You can customize everything, whereas in Path of Exile, you have a fixed character. He looks like this now, and you can’t change that.
What I find better in Path of Exile, however, is that you can play any archetype and any skill with any character. You can’t do that in Diablo.
MeinMMO: Which classes and builds do you see at the top in PoE 2 right now?
Rob: Right now, it was the Stormweaver with the Spark build and Temporalis chest. They have nerfed that a bit. In general, the power level in Path of Exile is very high. For example, you have the Deadeye Ranger with Lightning Arrow and the combination of Herald of Thunder and Herald of Ice, which is extremely strong.
Just like with the Gemling attributes stacking. It’s a bit like a Spin-to-Win build. Not directly; the archetype will come when the swords are introduced. But those are the top builds and, from what I’ve heard, also the most popular.
In the next league, there will surely be a big balance patch; that has already been announced. Then these builds will also be toned down. Right now, it’s the case that these top builds can one-shot the end bosses—which was a point of criticism in Diablo. And in PoE, it’s now the same with the top builds.
MeinMMO: You as a barbarian main, what is your favorite in PoE 2?
Rob: Of course, I played the Warrior, which is probably the closest. But I didn’t have the best experience with him. He is quite slow in terms of playstyle. I knew when I started that he is one of the slower characters. I just hoped that it would get better in the endgame—but it didn’t. He has such slow attack animations, which GGG has already said they want to fix. […]
Then I switched to the Monk and played the full Invoker. Now I’m playing an Attribute-stacker and it’s really cool. A smooth, fast playstyle with a lot of AoE. You can also play him as a Mercenary-Gemling, but it’s just this Monk playstyle with a two-handed staff. That’s currently my favorite.
MeinMMO: You mentioned cold water and newcomers before. What do you think is the biggest problem for newcomers, especially in the genre in general, when they start with PoE 2?
Rob: The complexity. Grinding Gear Games has already done a lot to make it a bit easier. […] But I think that’s still not enough; it can be friendlier for newcomers. Especially more explanations are needed. This attribute requirement system, for example, I often found a bit confusing; I experienced that myself at the beginning. Not understanding why I can’t combine this gem and that gem.
You are indeed thrown directly “into the deep end”; it’s both a blessing and a curse. A lot comes at you at once in Path of Exile.
MeinMMO: How big do you think the impact of Season 7 on PoE 2 will be? How many people will “switch back”?
Rob: I think, regardless of whether Season 7 comes out in Diablo 4: First of all, numbers in PoE will anyway drop. It came out, then there was a big hype, and now the numbers are going down. That’s very natural and happens in every game. However, Path of Exile manages to keep its player base very well, if you look at the Steam charts.
We are still at 40 to 50% of the launch numbers, and that’s impressive after now 6 weeks. That the numbers are going down now is quite normal and will remain so until the next league comes.
Sure, Diablo will grab some players with the season. Season 7 has some cool stuff in store, but no new endgame content. The season theme is strongly reminiscent of Season 2, one of the most popular. There will also be really cool quality-of-life changes like the armory, where you can save your builds. And changes to itemization, class quests, and so on.
But overall, I don’t believe that Season 7 will surpass PoE 2. I think the numbers in PoE will rise extremely again when the first big balance patch comes, which GGG has already announced.
Diablo 4 is currently “a really round thing” and Vessel of Hatred “a fair purchase”
MeinMMO: I must also say that I really welcome the overhaul of the ultimate skills in Diablo 4.
Rob: Yes, that’s really pretty cool. That makes it a bit difficult to balance everything. We had the blood wave necromancer on the PTR, who really dominated everything and one-shotted.
They have nerfed him a bit now, but it’s difficult with the extreme scaling. Season 7 will also be popular, but I believe that many people will continue to play PoE 2.
The game is very complex for an early access. Many casual players haven’t even reached the endgame yet.
MeinMMO: What do you think about the new witch powers in Diablo 4?
Rob: I think it’s pretty cool. It’s somewhat similar to the vampire powers from Season 2. And they are very reminiscent of the witch doctor. There were already cool skills in Diablo 3, but that wasn’t the mega-popular class.
That’s why I think it’s good that they’re bringing in some elements that worked well with the witch doctor into Diablo 4 without directly releasing a new class. Like these fire bats or something. I think it’s good that something like this can now be played as cool new content in a season.
In general, the power level is significantly increased by this. You have new skills that buff existing skills and also deal damage themselves. Then you have the occult gems and the new whispers from the tree. I think it’s a really round thing.
MeinMMO: After these few months, do you already have a reflection on Vessel of Hatred? Expectations vs. reality?
Rob: For 40 euros, I found it a fair purchase. That was a fair price for the expansion. With Spiritborn, there are of course a few things that are OP. But the new class and the new region are really cool.
What stuck with me a bit negatively, and I think also with the community, is that there was no real conclusion to the story. I know that many, especially casual players, play Diablo 4 for the story. And you don’t have this final battle with Mephisto, where you actually defeat him or something.
That’s why I don’t quite understand yet what comes in the next expansion. Rod Fergusson actually said that there would be an expansion every year. This means there will hopefully, probably, maybe be a new expansion this year. With the Paladin. But I’m not quite sure yet what will happen with the story.
Actually, I would have said: Okay, expansion 1, we now defeat the first big evil, Mephisto. In the next expansion, the Paladin comes with the next big evil Diablo or something.
Now everything is a bit mixed up because we haven’t definitively defeated Mephisto, and that has been missing for many as a closing battle. I had hoped that the Mephisto battle would be something like the Über-Lilith. With cool mechanics and similar significance—just like Lilith at the end of Classic Diablo 4. But that was very lacking; that left a negative impression on me.
MeinMMO: Thank you for the answers!
Both Path of Exile and Diablo have their pros and cons, as well as players who prefer one over the other. Here, determining which is better or worse is, as Rob says, pointless. You just have to know which game suits your playstyle better: Diablo 4 or Path of Exile 2 – Which action RPG should I play?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
