The new MMORPG Ashes of Creation faced harsh criticism in early January 2025: A YouTuber, who had followed the game for 4 years, harshly criticized the online role-playing game. But now Twitch streamer Pirate Software defends it, even against Asmongold.
This was the criticism: We reported on MeinMMO on January 3 about the criticism of Ashes of Creation. The YouTuber Narc had followed the MMORPG for 4 years, but now he criticized the game:
The MMORPG is being developed unprofessionally. Much is promised, little is shown
The devs communicate opaquely: What can be seen does not match the promises
Moreover, the team employs unprofessional methods to influence YouTubers to report positively about the game
Furthermore, the MMORPG uses unfair practices to earn money, such as FOMO tactics
Start video
Ashes of Creation Trailer for the first Alpha
Pirate Software accuses YouTuber of intentionally making the game look bad
In a YouTube video, he clearly refutes a statement from Narc that the desert is depicted so poorly and barren that it could be made with Unreal Engine in a few minutes.
Pirate Software explains that Narc made the desert look intentionally bad in his video by showing an early version of the desert and also a spot where space for a “Node” was left. That is a deliberately false representation.
Even though Pirate Software understands that one can be angry about a game, one must remain truthful.
Pirate Software explains to Asmongold how good Ashes of Creation is
This is how Pirate Software sees the game: In a conversation with the controversial YouTuber Asmongold, Pirate Software explains further that the team indeed communicates and especially the head of the MMORPG, Steven Sharif, is unusually approachable and accessible. He does not know that from AAA studios.
While it does happen that plans change more often, developers seldom communicate with players as transparently as this.
Pirate Software emphasizes here that Sharif finances the game out of his own pocket, so compromises with investors, which often worsen games, are not an issue.
Viewers are disappointed that Pirate Software collaborates with Asmongold
This is what is being discussed: In the comments on the video, it is primarily discussed that the viewers can hardly understand why someone who stands for constructive and positive exchange like Pirate Software would collaborate with such an ambassador of negativity like Asmongold.
In a comment, it is said that it would be like Nurgle and the Emperor working together now.
Pirate Software explains that Asmongold indeed has questions about the game, and he himself has put in 500 hours in Ashes of Creation. So it is good if Asmongold asks him, so that more nonsense does not circulate on the internet. If he refused the conversation and stayed silent, only more nonsense would fill the room. More on the actual controversy around Ashes of Creation: After 4 years a YouTuber gives up a new MMORPG, harshly criticizes it – the head responds
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Jason Thor Hall is not only successful on Twitch under the name “Pirate Software”, but also publishes indie games on Steam. To thwart pirates, the developer came up with something quite special.
The studio has released 2 games on Steam so far: The RPG Heartbound, which has been in Early Access since 2018, and Champions of Breakfast, a crazy arcade-style “shoot ’em up” that revolves around the most important meal of the day.
As our colleagues at 3D Juegos report, the developer found an unusual solution to protect his game from pirates.
Champions of Breakfast is currently not available on Steam in Germany, likely due to a legal regulation that came into effect in Germany on November 15, 2024. Here you can get an impression of the game:
Start video
In the launch trailer for Champions of Breakfast, it’s all about the most important meal of the day
Developer boasts “unpiratable” game
Here’s how the trick worked: As Hall revealed in a stream on Twitch, he used the achievements on Steam to protect his game from pirates. These achievements are usually awarded in games for reaching certain moments in the story or achieving special feats. They have no further function.
However, in Champions of Breakfast, the achievements also serve as save points. For this purpose, the game features a hefty 160 achievements that must be unlocked. Players can earn them by, for example, defeating a certain number of enemies or defeating a boss.
When starting the game, it checks which achievements you have unlocked on Steam – and based on that, it loads the corresponding progress and unlocked abilities.
If you play Champions of Breakfast illegally outside of Steam, you will find that when you next open the game, all your progress is gone: After all, there are no Steam achievements to load.
The developer himself explains the principle in this clip:
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However, this system is not as “unpiratable” as the developer presents it. Clever pirates can surely find a way to circumvent the limitations. Or, as users joke in the comments on YouTube, enjoy the game as a “roguelike” – with permadeath and no lasting progression.
Hall finds his solution for protecting his game “laughable”.
According to the tracking website Steam Hunters, none of the registered players there have managed to unlock all 160 achievements yet.
In Path of Exile 2, unknown hackers managed to access players’ data. Now the developers have released a statement.
What kind of hack was this? As was recently reported, hackers managed to gain access to a “Path of Exile 2” account that was equipped with admin rights. The account belongs to a developer at Grinding Gear Games.
The PoE2 account was linked to a Steam account that had been created a long time ago for testing purposes. This Steam account had no purchases and was virtually blank. However, the attackers managed to present sufficient information to Steam Support to gain access to the account by posing as the actual owner.
According to reports from the developers, all they needed was the account’s email, the account name, and a VPN that masked the IP address so that it appeared to come from the same country as the one from which the account was created.
With access to the admin account, the hackers could do a lot, as the developers mentioned in their statement.
Do you already know about this useful NPC?
Start video
This NPC in Path of Exile 2 identifies your items
Statement clarifies, this data is affected
What data did the hackers have access to? With the captured admin account, the hackers had the ability to access a lot of user data, as the developers explained in a statement on pathofexile.com.
According to the developers, the hackers were able to change the passwords of 66 accounts to randomly generated passwords. This didn’t raise immediate suspicion because the actions were incorrectly stored in the developers’ tool and could therefore be deleted by the hackers.
In their statement, the developers explained that the hackers gained access to data from a significant number of users through the admin account. They were able to view the following data from their victims:
Email address: If an email address is associated with the account.
Steam ID: If a Steam ID is associated with the account.
IP addresses: A list of IP addresses that were previously used with the account.
Shipping address: If physical goods were delivered to the account, the associated shipping address.
Current unblock code: The code needed to unlock an account that has been locked due to logins from a different region.
The developers do not specify which accounts were actually viewed by the hackers. It is therefore quite possible that the addresses of content creators or the developers themselves may have fallen into the hackers’ hands. But you personally could also be affected.
According to the developers, the hackers did not have access to your password or the password hashes, which are the encrypted codes in which your password was stored. Instead, the hackers looked into the transaction history of some accounts and examined past purchases.
The hackers also had access to private messages, the developers explain. Especially, but not exclusively, the private messages of the developers seemed to be the target of the hackers.
Are accounts at risk? Yes, in fact, the risk of a hack on your PoE2 account is now increased. If you use the same password and email address across multiple websites, which the hackers now know, they could take over your PoE2 account.
Your passwords could already be circulating in hacker databases due to hacks from other sites and combined with your email could lead to the loss of your account. Also, the additional protection provided by the unblock code that you would need to enter should you log in from a new region is nullified by the hack.
What measures are the developers taking now? In their statement, the developers explained what the next steps will be. In the future, it will be prohibited for developers to connect their PoE2 accounts with third-party sites. Additionally, stricter IP restrictions are to be implemented.
In conclusion, the developers write: ‘We sincerely apologize for this security breach’ (via pathofexile.com) and promise to take measures to better protect the admin site from attacks in the future.
A tip on what affected players should do now or whether legal action has been taken against the hackers is missing from the statement. Furthermore, it remains unclear which accounts are actually affected.
Consequently, the community is calling on Reddit for the developers to send an email to all affected accounts detailing which data the hackers had access to. Just the thought that unauthorized individuals could now know where one lives is something gamers do not find good.
The Indrema L600 was intended to revolutionize the gaming market as an open game console based on Linux. However, strong competition and financial hurdles meant that the console never saw the light of day.
What kind of console was it? The Indrema L600, developed by John Gildred and his startup Indrema, was meant to be the first Linux-based console offering an open platform for games. The concept: give developers and users more freedom to create or modify their own games. The console targeted tech enthusiasts and indie developers and was announced in 2000. Yet despite ambitious plans, the project got stuck in development (via Computerwoche).
Why was the year 2000 so special? The years 2000 and 2001 were a turning point for the gaming industry. With the PlayStation2, Sony set new standards by not only being powerful but also playing DVDs. At the same time, Sega paved the way for online gaming with the Dreamcast. Shortly after, in 2001, the XBOX was released. The Indrema L600 would have had to compete amid these giants, significantly complicating its market outlook.
Start video
He created a legendary game, but didn’t get paid for it – Today he’s still a millionaire
A special console
What made the Indrema L600 unique? The Indrema L600 was supposed to be more than just a game console – a full-fledged entertainment system in a sleek, futuristic design. With its compact size of 12.5 x 10.5 x 3 inches (1 inch equals 2.54 cm), it visually resembled a cable receiver. Equipped with a PlayStation 2-style controller, it was expected to offer numerous features that were ahead of its time.
The remarkable features:
Open-source base: As a Linux-based console, it allowed developers to create games without licensing fees
Modularity: The planned GPU slide-bay mechanism would have allowed for the exchange of graphics cards
Multimedia functions: Besides games, it was supposed to play DVDs and serve as a media center
As indicated by Web.archive from the then-entry on HowStuffWorks.com, the hardware was also meant to be innovative:
A 600 MHz x86 processor from AMD.
An Nvidia graphics chip with up to 180 million polygons per second.
and 64 MB of RAM.
Especially the modularity of the console was unique and could have brought future-proofing to the L600 at the end if it had been released. However, the 600 MHz x86 processor was somewhat less powerful compared to the competition.
What did the competition offer? The PlayStation 2 used a 294 MHz Emotion Engine processor that was specifically optimized for games, while the Xbox employed a 733 MHz Intel Pentium III processor that provided higher computational power (via Console Database). The possibility of component exchange was a unique selling point at that time, just as it remains today. A release was planned for spring at a price of $299.
Why did the Indrema L600 never come out? The Indrema L600 faced enormous pressure from the start to compete against the powerful competition from PlayStation 2, Xbox, and others. The console market was then dominated by companies with immense financial and technological resources, while Indrema only had a limited budget and relied on investors – who unfortunately did not materialize (via Gamespot).
To complete the development, the company would have needed to raise $10 million in capital according to the entry on Fandom.com – a sum that was clearly never reached. Without sufficient financial resources, the project had to be abandoned in 2001. After the closure of Indrema, CEO John Gildred withdrew from the project and turned to other technologies.
The German Minister of Economics and Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck (55, The Greens) had twice as many viewers as the second-placed German streamers NoWay (LoL) and Trymacs on Twitch on January 14, 2025. He is the surprise guest on the gaming streamer’s show HandOfBlood.
What is Habeck doing on Twitch? Habeck is a guest on the Twitch streamer’s show HandOfBlood on the evening of January 14. He chats with the well-known gaming streamer in a casual atmosphere (via Twitch).
At the moment, around 8:50 PM, HandOfBlood’s Twitch stream has 41,000 viewers. That is double the number of viewers that the largest German-speaking Twitch streamers are currently entertaining in second and third place.
The German LoL streamer NoWay has nearly 20,000 viewers. He is broadcasting training matches in League of Legends.
Trymacs, who is reacting to a diss track from ApoRed, also has around 20,000 viewers.
Normally, HandOfBlood has about 10,000 viewers on Twitch – so the Habeck stream brings him a significant increase in viewers.
Habeck joins the Twitch stream as a special guest after about 5 hours
How was Habeck announced? HandOfBlood’s stream had the title “Distract until 7:45 PM, then big special guest!” HandOfBlood had already streamed for about 5 hours when Habeck appeared and was connected.
What are they talking about? Topics of discussion include the general mood on the internet and social media. The conversation touches on Habeck’s departure from the platform Twitter/X and his return to the microblogging service to “not leave the field to the right.”
But the conversation also addresses how Habeck deals with the typical jabs among top politicians.
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In the USA, there have been similar streams. For instance, Donald Trump visited the streamer Adin Ross before his election victory. Leftist US politicians like AOC or Bernie Sanders also sought connections with well-known US streamers, especially during the US election campaign: Politician understands Twitch – 600,000 watch her slaughter, marvel, and deceive
For the current Rocket event in Pokémon GO, there is also a corresponding special research. We will show you all the tasks and rewards of the research.
What kind of event is this? From Wednesday, January 15, 2025, at 00:00, until Sunday, January 19, 2025, at 20:00, Team Rocket is back in Pokémon GO during the Fashion Week: Takeover.
Besides some Crypto Pokémon, a Raid Day with Crypto Ho-Oh, and various bonuses, there is also a special research in the event. If you complete it, you can battle Giovanni at the end and receive a Crypto Palkia.
We have compiled the tasks you need to complete in the special research.
Start video
Pokémon GO reveals the new season Dual Destiny in the trailer
Fashion Week: Takeover 1/5
Task
Reward
Catch 15 Pokémon
5 Razz Berries
Transferring 2 Crypto Pokémon
10 Poké Balls
Defeat 3 Team GO Rocket Grunts
1 Mysterious Component
Stage Reward: If you complete all the tasks of this step, you will receive an additional 1,500 experience points, 500 Stardust, and an encounter with a costumed Felino.
Fashion Week: Takeover 2/5
Task
Reward
Catch 20 Pokémon
5 Razz Berries
Transferring 5 Crypto Pokémon
10 Ultra Balls
Defeat 6 Team GO Rocket Grunts
3 Mysterious Components
Stage Reward: If you have completed this step, you will receive an additional 2,000 experience points, 1,000 Stardust, and an encounter with a costumed Glibunkel.
Fashion Week: Takeover 3/5
Task
Reward
Defeat Team GO Rocket Boss Arlo
2,500 experience points
Defeat Team GO Rocket Boss Cliff
2,500 experience points
Defeat Team GO Rocket Boss Sierra
2,500 experience points
Stage Reward: Additionally, you will receive 2,500 experience points, 1,500 Stardust, and a Super Rocket Radar in this step.
Fashion Week: Takeover 4/5
Task
Reward
Find Team GO Rocket Leader Giovanni
10 Hyper Potions
Fight against Team GO Rocket Leader Giovanni
10 Hyper Balls
Defeat Team GO Rocket Leader Giovanni
6 Max Revives
Stage Reward: In this step, you will receive an additional 3,000 experience points, 2,000 Stardust, and an encounter with a costumed Absol.
Fashion Week: Takeover 5/5
Task
Reward
Already completed!
1,500 Stardust
Already completed!
1,500 Stardust
Already completed!
1,500 Stardust
Stage Reward: At the end of this step, you will also receive 6,000 experience points, 5,000 Stardust, and 3 Instant TMs.
In recent days, there has been a rumor that with each new set expansion, the pack hourglasses would be replaced. However, the development team of Pokémon TCG Pocket has now eased concerns.
What was the rumor about? Several sites, including The Gamer, reported that it was possible to replace the current pack hourglasses. These are used to open additional packs beyond the daily limit.
A change in the pack hourglasses would have meant that every player would start from scratch and first have to collect hourglasses to open more than just 2 (or with a premium pass 3) boosters a day. But the developers are now addressing this rumor.
The official trailer for the last set is available here:
Start video
Pokémon TCG Pocket: Watch the booster ‘Mythical Island’ in the official trailer
Players can still fall into the collecting frenzy
What did they announce?Screen Rant inquired with The Pokémon Company International whether there was any truth to the rumors. The company denied the leaks and revealed that the pack hourglasses currently in the game can also be used for future sets.
This means they are not only usable for Unbeatable Genes and Mysterious Island, but also for all upcoming boosters. So if you have most or even all cards from the previous sets, you can already save the pack hourglasses for the next expansion.
What do pack hourglasses do? Each pack hourglass reduces the time you have to wait to open the next pack by one hour. If you have accumulated many pack hourglasses, you can open many boosters quickly one after the other. Otherwise, you would have to wait for days.
To keep you informed about when you need to hoard your pack hourglasses, MeinMMO will tell you when the next set is expected to be released. Since the sources of the leaks have always been accurate so far, we assume that the next set will be released at the end of January: Pokémon TCG Pocket Next Set: Information & Leaks about the Release of the New Cards
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Path of Exile 2, there is often confusion about how individual mechanics work. This is intentional, as the developers do not want to reveal their cards too clearly. To explain a stat once and for all, a YouTuber delved deep into the subject.
Who is it about? The YouTuber Slipperyjim8 is a well-known YouTuber who often deals with Path of Exile 2 and its predecessor. The content of his videos often involves experiments for which he must first collect a lot of data in the games.
This time he dared an experiment in PoE2. He spent a whole 16 days killing enemies to prove how the often-discussed item rarity stat actually works.
You can see how good your items are with this NPC:
Start video
This NPC in Path of Exile 2 identifies your items
A lot of life spent for little new
What does he want to prove? According to the description, the item rarity stat in Path of Exile 2 ensures that enemies drop more valuable loot. However, this wording is too vague for many players.
In the community, there has been speculation from the beginning about how the stat really works. After all, the stat is important for increasing the chance of valuable items.
To put an end to the guessing game, content creator Slipperyjim8 launched his mission with the goal of discovering how the stat truly operates.
How did the experiment go? On December 23, 2024, Slipperyjim8 began his experiment. His first video on YouTube already contained data from 150 Waystone-clears. However, the results caused confusion rather than providing clarity.
The viewers justifiably criticized the data he collected. It was contradictory and had a significant flaw. In his analysis, he had not counted the “Scrolls of Wisdom”. These are considered currency items and therefore his data was not conclusive.
The comments turned somewhat personal. The YouTuber, known for his experiments, did not want to disappoint his fans, which is why the creator opted for a different approach in the next video. In the second video on YouTube, which was released just a week after the first, he appeared wearing a homemade tinfoil hat.
Under the motto “send good vibes”, he presented new data from over 500 defeated elite enemies. This time he had defeated the foes without increasing the rarity in any form.
He then repeated the process with more items that buffed his stat. Finally, he also played on maps with increased stats.
His experiment spanned 16 days and 1800 defeated elite enemies. For each foe, he noted the name as well as the modifications, since these also increase the stat and the loot that was dropped. In the end, he presented his results in a third video on YouTube.
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How does the stat ultimately work? The results of the YouTuber are somewhat unsatisfying. He confirmed what the community believed from the beginning:
Enemies drop common currency less often, and the currency they do drop is more valuable.
The chance of finding magical and rare items significantly increases with higher rarity values.
The confusion of players about the stat likely arises because the amount of dropped currency in the game appears to be lower, which seems initially irritating. In reality, however, the quality noticeably improves.
For the YouTuber, the result is satisfactory. He says: “The reason why people say: ‘Oh my God, rarity is so broken, Breach is so broken!’ is that they look over the fence and think: ‘Damn, that guy looks like he’s getting a lot of money’ […] This is not how you should play this game. You should just do what you enjoy.”
That the mechanic works exactly as the community always thought may seem disheartening considering the many hours the creator put into the experiment, but at least there is now certainty about the function. However, one thing does not work in Path of Exile 2 the way one would wish: Players criticize the co-op mode of Path of Exile 2 because too much depends on one person
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
An action RPG lets you take on the role of two ghost hunters. The twist – one of them is a ghost. Currently, you can get the game on Steam for half price.
What game is this about? We are talking about Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden. The action RPG was released on February 12, 2024, and was developed by DON’T NOD, the creators of Life is Strange and Vampyr.
You can watch a trailer for the game here:
Start video
The story trailer for the action RPG Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
Love story meets ghost hunting
What is the game about? Banishers tells the story of Red mac Raith and Antea Duarte – two ghost hunters, also known as Banisher. The two lovers find themselves in New Eden, a settlement in northern America, at the end of the 17th century.
One day, however, their lives are turned upside down: Antea is killed and returns as a ghost. As the story unfolds, you decide whether to fulfill your duty as a Banisher and let Antea go or do everything to bring her back. The latter, however, will require sacrifices.
Banishers relies on an action combat system, where you can switch between the two protagonists. Red inflicts physical damage with sword and musket, while Antea uses supernatural powers. You unlock more powers over time in a talent tree.
Outstanding story game with weaknesses in gameplay
How is the game received? On Steam, nearly 4,000 reviews paint a very positive picture of the game. Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is rated 85% positively. Especially the characters and the story have been very well received by the storytellers at DON’T NOD.
Mz Cookies: “What DON’T NOD does best is storytelling. Banishers is no exception. The thought-provoking, immersive, and heartbreaking stories are brilliantly executed, and this might be their best work so far – at least in my opinion.”
downlowtooslow: “The characters, their stories, and the voice acting are among the absolute best I’ve ever experienced in a game. Banishers does an excellent job of connecting you with these people and their moral dilemmas.”
However, in terms of gameplay, many find the game a bit stretched and repetitive. You spend a lot of time traversing the semi-open world, and the variety of enemies leaves something to be desired. If you can overlook this for the sake of the story, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is a really good story game with decisions that have consequences.
How much does the game cost? Banishers: Ghosts of Eden costs €49.99 on PC by default, but you can currently get it for only €24.99 on Steam. This offer is valid until January 27. You can also download a free demo on Steam if you just want to take a look.
By the way, the latest installment of Life is Strange is no longer being developed by DON’T NOD, but by Deck Nine Games. However, the new development studio faces significant criticism – also because they recently laid off some developers right before Christmas.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Netflix announced more actors who will be starring in the live-action series of One Piece. Among them are many adversaries that the Straw Hat crew will have to face. However, one of them reveals a secret that was not really a secret, but that many were unaware of.
What new additions have been revealed? A total of 3 new actors were introduced, who will take on the roles of characters from the 2nd season of the Netflix series. These include:
Anton David Jeftha, who plays Kuromarimo aka K.M.
Mark Penwill, who plays Chess
Sophia Anne Caruso, who plays Miss Goldenweek
In a group photo, the three new actors are seen with some already known actors from the series. We obtained the photo from the X account of OP_Netflix_Fan:
The newcomers meet the actors of, for example, Ruffy and Vivi.
You might know Jeftha as Sergeant Mullen from the series Homeland. Penwill has appeared in many short films and series like Catch Me A Killer. Caruso has a lot of theater experience and played, for example, Lydia Deetz in the Beetlejuice musical.
However, one newcomer to the cast is especially confusing the fans. Many cannot understand why Caruso was cast as Miss Goldenweek. But this clarifies a mystery that the fan community was wrong about for a long time.
You can watch the trailer for Season 1 here:
Start video
One Piece – German Trailer for the First Season of the Live-Action Series by Netflix
Casting choice reveals the age of Miss Goldenweek
What is the problem? In the comments under the tweet by newworldartur as well as the TikTok video by brodie_loman, many say they thought Caruso was too old to play Miss Goldenweek. In the video, the TikToker also explains that he was very confused.
Fans actually thought that Miss Goldenweek was still a child. They believed that the girl was about 11 years old. Therefore, they could not understand that Caruso and not a child should take on the role.
What is the truth? According to a Vivre Card, Miss Goldenweek is said to be 18 years old after the time skip. This means that she is already 16 years old at her appearance in the anime, thus just one year younger than Ruffy.
The fans’ assumptions stem from the fact that Miss Goldenweek behaves like a child and has a small stature. However, a picture in the manga already shows that the girl actually has different proportions and looks more like a teenager.
Amazon Games has revealed the details for the upcoming first season of New World Aeternum. The plans for the Season of Conquerors are not well received by many players.
What do I need to know about the season? The Season of Conquerors starts on January 21, 2025. The first season world of New World revolves around the theme of PvP: All player characters will be flagged for PvP from level 15. Those who loot the new resources and loot items will drop them upon dying. Several special events will take place during the season. Eight new artifacts will be introduced.
In addition, there will be a pass with free and premium paths, through which you can earn loot like artifacts, skins, transmog tokens, dyes, and consumables. At the end of the season, the season world will be closed, and you can transfer your seasonal character to a permanent world. All of this has been known since December 2024.
The gameplay trailer for the launch of New World Aeternum:
Start video
New World Aeternum: Well-Staged Gameplay Trailer for Launch
A season for the niche
What have the developers revealed now? In an intensive course on www.newworld.com, the developers unveiled many new details about the upcoming season.
Along with the season worlds, a new character slot will be added so players can start with four characters without having to sacrifice one of them.
You will receive 25 percent more experience and weapon mastery in the season worlds.
From level 15, you can automatically ride. You will receive the first mount at a campsite.
You will have immediate access to the heart rune slot.
In the endgame of the season, you should face other players alone or with your company to climb the leaderboards and earn rewards such as mount attachments, helmet skin, tent skin, or a PvP-centered house trophy.
Although the developers had announced a free path for the season pass, the new article states: “To receive rewards from your journey on the seasonal server, you must purchase the premium pass.”
At the end of the season, ethereal and conqueror equipment will be converted into competitive items with PvP-centered effects.
For the season, the developers are introducing new equipment pieces:
The (easily craftable) ethereal equipment has a level requirement of level 15, while the even more powerful conqueror equipment requires level 20.
The ethereal and conqueror items will drop upon death and have durability. Conqueror items will lose significantly more durability upon death compared to ethereal items.
The base value of ethereal and conqueror items is stronger than that of other items. Weapons have a 20 % increased base damage, and armor and accessories provide 3 % damage absorption per piece. You cannot add gems to these items.
Ethereal items give players access to splinter stones, from which conqueror items can be crafted. Although splinter stones will drop upon death, they can only be created by wearing certain ethereal equipment while farming elite checkpoints, darkness outbreaks, and gathering resources.
When ethereal items break, you will receive a special dust that you can convert into player experience through crafting and opening ethereal lifespans. Additional dust can be obtained from refining wood, ore, fibers, hides, and stones.
When opening each ethereal lifespan, you have a chance to receive sandpaper, tanning agent, solvent, melting salt, fibrous fibers, ethereal mount food, mount straps and shoes, R4 heart runes, and crafting plans for all conqueror weapons.
The first season of New World Aeternum has a strong PvP focus.
How is the community reacting to the announcements? In December, part of the community had already criticized the plans for the new season of New World. One of the main criticisms at that time: player numbers are falling, servers are dying again – the new season will accelerate this process and lure players away from the normal worlds.
This point is also being raised again now. A_Grim_Ghost writes on Reddit: “Now that I see all the details… yes, I’m out. Have fun splitting the 13,000 players that are still left, and good luck when the first group of no-lifers starts dominating the seasonal servers. Nobody asked for any of this, we wanted actual improvements for the game.”
Many other Aeternum fighters also fear that players with a lot of time who acquire powerful conqueror items quickly will have a huge advantage and could ruin the experience for others. Chunky-Cat explains on Reddit: “The first group of people who acquire these ethereal and conqueror items will roll over the entire server.”
There is also criticism about the fact that you have to buy the premium pass to receive rewards from the season journey. Plumpy_Gnome puts it succinctly in his post on Reddit: “What a joke… Now we HAVE to pay for rewards that we earned?”
Puzzleheaded-Bass598 summarizes on Reddit: “It turns out there’s no reason to play on this server if you don’t want to buy a season pass.” Fluid-Run-1522 fears on Reddit: “If people actually play this and pay for it, they [the developers] will have no reason to improve and expand the game; it will just be recycled garbage until it dies…”
How does MeinMMO editor Karsten Scholz assess the upcoming season? The first season of Aeternum will appeal to only a certain niche due to its strong PvP focus. Most MMORPG fans prefer to play PvE content. Additionally, New World is not a very good game in itself to keep fans constantly pushing through the leveling phase.
With the recent announcements, the season will likely be even less interesting for players. This is catastrophic in multiple respects. Aeternum was supposed to give the MMORPG a third spring. However, the roadmap and the content supply for the normal servers should have come much earlier.
The Plunderstorm mode in World of Warcraft is back. New rewards await, along with a lot of chaos and a divided community.
When World of Warcraft tries something completely new, the community is usually divided. This was also the case with the Plunderstorm mode – a PvP mode for WoW that entices with a lot of cool pirate rewards. As of today (February 15, 2025), the mode is back active, and you can once again dive into the plundering action.
A brief explanation of the first Plunderstorm mode can be found here:
Start video
WoW: Plunderstorm – this is how the battle royale mode works
What is the mode about? Plunderstorm is basically the WoW variant of a Battle Royale. You will be thrown into a slightly modified version of Arathi Highlands, either solo or in small teams. There, you collect a lot of loot, but also abilities, and you fight only with these exclusive skills in PvP battles. Fairness is not necessarily the focus – because when two are fighting, a third party can often come in to take both out (and then be taken out by a fourth shortly after).
The mode differs drastically from the WoW gameplay that players are used to, so it might require a bit of adjustment to get used to it.
What’s new? New are some rewards. The well-known pirate set from last time now also comes in a black color variant, further enhancing the “evil pirate” look. Additionally, there are also two new mounts and 2 battle pets – so there is something for everyone.
Also new is the way of earning rewards. You no longer need to fill a new fame faction. Instead, you can spend loot in the “Plunder Store” and buy exactly what you want – you have full control over what you earn.
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As usual, you cannot lose your loot. All the “plunder” you collect during a match is retained – even if you get eliminated and defeated. Each match brings progress, no matter how far you get.
How long is the mode active? The mode will remain active for 5 weeks and will disappear on February 18, 2025. This is also approximately the time when the next big WoW patch 11.1 Lorenhalt is expected.
What about the old rewards? Those who could not participate in the Plunderstorm mode last year can earn the rewards this time. All old rewards can also be purchased in the “Plunder Store”. Those who already own these rewards will have to play less to get everything – as the “only” new rewards are naturally much quicker to earn than both old and new at the same time.
Cortyn says: Honestly, I was super excited about this mode – even a bit more than the next big patch. Just like the first time, the Plunderstorm mode will also divide the community this time. While some are really looking forward to the mode – like me, and I’m taking a few days off for it – others can’t stand it at all and will again complain that they “have to play” the mode to get the rewards.
As always, World of Warcraft cannot please everyone. But I still hope that everyone who is looking forward to the mode will have fun with it in the coming weeks. I definitely will.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
An experienced developer views it critically that game worlds are tending to become larger. He believes that there is a danger in this, and that the players themselves no longer enjoy it.
Which developer is it? Josh Sawyer has been able to gather a lot of experience in his career as a game developer. He has been involved in renowned projects like Fallout: New Vegas, Pillars of Eternity, and the hidden gem Pentiment. All are from the developer Obsidian Entertainment, which will release its new game Avowed in February 2025.
Sawyer has expressed criticism about the size of game worlds in a video on his YouTube channel. He contradicts the misconception that bigger means better.
What does Josh Sawyer say? A characteristic of large and long games is that only a few players complete them. The developer himself says that he only finishes such enormous games when he is very deep into it and has already completed about 80% of it.
Whether one finishes a game at all is not that important. The fun that one has while gaming is also a priority for Sawyer when it comes to his own work. Nevertheless, he wishes that games would become smaller again.
We don’t need to get bigger. Just stop it. I don’t believe that most players want games that are six times larger than Skyrim or eight times larger than The Witcher 3.
What is the problem? For Sawyer, it’s not about the long time it takes to complete massive titles. In his opinion, the quality suffers if everything has to become bigger and bigger.
The individual aspects in a game world would feel less unique and tailored, especially in an open world. A world doesn’t need to be huge to seem impressive – it’s more about the illusion that is created, less about the actual size.
Sawyer might be right: Successful role-playing games like Baldur’s Gate 3 seem larger than they actually are concerning their game worlds. Nevertheless, you can spend countless hours on them. According to Sawyer, the exploration of game worlds should always feel entertaining, not repetitive and tedious.
An expert who has worked for many different gaming companies in high-ranking positions is concerned about GTA 6.
Who is it about? Gaming expert Mike Fischer mentioned in an interview with the online magazine Game World Observer why GTA 6 is keeping him up at night.
Mike Fischer is a professor of Interactive Media at the “University of Southern California”.
Currently, Fischer is also working as a consultant for the South Korean publisher KRAFTON (PUBG, The Callisto Protocol, Subnautica).
In the past, Mike Fischer has worked for various major gaming companies, including Sega (Product Manager and later Vice President Entertainment Marketing), Square Enix (President & CEO), and Epic Games (Head of Publishing).
Throughout his career, Fischer has contributed to 80 games, including titles like Deus Ex, Octopath Traveler 2, and various installments of Final Fantasy (via Moby Games).
Start video
The graphic comparison of GTA 6 and GTA 5 in the video
GTA 6 could consume all gamers’ time
What does Fischer say about GTA 6? Fischer states in the interview with Game World Observer that he is kept awake at night by the thought that GTA 6 could “consume” all the time and money of every player. When the action game from Rockstar Games is released, he feels that there has never been a “so big, so captivating, so incredible, so all-encompassing game” like GTA 6.
Additionally, Fischer wonders about the consequences GTA 6 will have for the competition: “I am a little concerned about what this will mean for many other AAA games in this space,” and adds, “when GTA 6 comes out, it will be a challenging disruption.”
However, Fischer also says that the release could have a positive effect on other games, as perhaps more players will purchase a PlayStation, an Xbox, or a high-end gaming PC to be able to play GTA 6.
Gen Z and the so-called Boomer generation differ significantly in various aspects, including the purchase and consumption of certain goods. This is evident when comparing the two generations directly. We will introduce you to items that are daily used or purchased by “Boomers”, which play almost no role for Generation Z.
There are hobbies and habits for which older people, the so-called Boomers (born between 1950 and 1964), spend money every year. However, usage and consumption behavior has changed significantly in recent years.
Generation Z (born between 1995 and 2010) has a completely different purchasing behavior and different interests. This also leads to young people not buying certain things that were still highly valued by Boomers.
Magazine and Newspaper Subscriptions
Printed magazines and newspapers are still an important part of everyday life for Boomers. Many members of Generation Z, on the other hand, have turned away from magazine subscriptions. They see little reason to flip through magazines when there is so much information and entertainment available online and on social media (via yourtango.com).
Interestingly, Boomers are much more cautious with their spending. According to a study by Bango, Boomers typically spend less than 100 euros on subscriptions. In this study, 5,000 US users were asked about their habits: 82% of the surveyed Boomers keep their bills under 100 dollars per month.
Generation Z and also Millennials, on the other hand, spend significantly more and on many more services, especially for music services, movies, and streaming. Magazine subscriptions hold almost no significance for young people anymore.
Start video
“We have created a monster” – A Spanish model earns up to 10,000 euros a month, yet she is not real
Landline Phone
In Boomer households, there is almost always a landline phone, and many remember how they had to fight for the only telephone in the house just to make a call. However, young people have completely changed their habits and prefer to use their mobile phones.
There’s a reason experts also call Generation Z the “Mute Generation” because they want to decide when they communicate with someone else. Important matters are often handled via text or voice messages.
Many young people, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, have simply become accustomed to communicating via text messages. Making a call is done much less frequently when it can be resolved through a message. According to a BBC survey, even one in four 18- to 34-year-olds never answers the phone (via rnd.de).
And by the way, young people also dislike interviews:
While many still find it normal to sit in front of the TV in the evening and watch the news via cable television, media consumption among young people has changed significantly. The magazine Mindshareworld.com reports that television consumption has declined sharply:
Generation Z reports watching about 47 minutes of television daily.
Millennials watch about twice as much at 87 minutes.
And Boomers watch an average of 111 minutes.
In comparison: According to data from 2022, provided to the Metz magazine, television times were considerably higher:
Members of Generation Z reported spending an average of 1 hour and 42 minutes daily watching television.
Millennials spend 2 hours and 18 minutes.
Boomers clock in at 3 hours, and older individuals at 3 hours and 24 minutes.
For all groups, the so-called “usage minutes” with the TV have been declining sharply for years, with Generation Z experiencing the most significant drop.
While Boomers still increasingly rely on cable television, young people prefer streaming services like Netflix or Disney+. While Generation Z turns up its nose at cable television, Boomers continue to use it with satisfaction.
While Boomers enjoy the traditional shopping experience, Generation Z heavily relies on online shopping for convenience and speed.
This, however, leads to entirely new problems: Young people recently explained that they have issues shopping in a physical store. A lack of experience arises when one prefers to shop online or prefers home delivery over visiting the supermarket themselves.
The payment institute Mastercard reports in its own study, published in 2022, that young people prefer online shopping significantly more than older individuals:
Young people appreciate anonymous shopping, while older individuals are almost entirely uninterested in it.
Both groups want to support local stores, but the willingness is much more pronounced among older people (62 vs. 46%).
The older age group (55%) sees a significant advantage in human interaction and personal contact when shopping in stores. Among younger individuals, this aspect has been steadily declining for years (40%).
Part-Time Vacations and Real Estate
The Boomer generation invested many years in real estate or so-called timeshare properties for vacations. This means acquiring the right to use the property for a certain period but not the property itself.
But with the younger Generation Z, more flexible travel options are much more attractive and popular, such as through Airbnb or other travel sites. Additionally, the travel budget within Generation Z is significantly lower than that of the Boomer generation.
It is also interesting to note that the nature of vacations has changed significantly. For example, Getyourguides.press reports:
Nearly 50% of Generation Z states that they spend a lot of time on social media while on vacation.
In contrast, Baby Boomers prefer to engage with the culture of the vacation destination (69%) and prefer not to make large plans (75%).
Additionally, Generation Z has a much greater fear of missing out on things that happen while they are on vacation.
As reported by the website Simon-Kucher, Generation Z primarily seeks flexibility, “maximal experiences at minimal prices.” Owning real estate or making long-term commitments is not as important to them.
Lottery Tickets
In Germany, there are numerous opportunities to play the lottery. However, enthusiasm among young people for lotteries is much more muted than among older generations. A study by Yougov.com reports in the UK:
38% of surveyed Boomers buy lottery tickets and actively participate.
Among Millennials, it is still 18%.
Only 1% of Generation Z report having played the lottery in the last 12 months.
Interest in lottery tickets has declined sharply across multiple generations.
In Pokémon GO there are some shinies that trainers sometimes have to wait a long time for. One special shiny is one that trainers have been waiting for a long time if they haven’t obtained it yet.
The hunt for Pokémon in alternative colors, known as shinies, is a great motivation for many players in Pokémon GO.
While events like Community Days exist where the shiny chance for a Pokémon is significantly increased, the sparkling forms are relatively rare outside of events. There are even monsters that generally have an increased shiny chance.
A Pokémon that is already rare can only be found as shiny in specific events. And that hasn’t been possible for a long time.
Start video
Pokémon GO reveals the new season Dual Destiny in the trailer
No Chance for Almost 2 Years
Which Pokémon is this? The Pokémon in question is Farb Eagle, the Normal-type Pokémon from Generation 2. You can catch this monster outside of events with corresponding bonuses only once a day. To catch Farb Eagle, it might also be necessary to have some stamina.
Currently, it is not possible to obtain the shiny version of the monster during the daily catch. This was last possible during the Color Festival event 2023 – and that ended on March 14, 2023.
Since then, there hasn’t been another event where shiny Farb Eagle was activated in the game. If you’ve set your sights on this monster, haven’t received one yet, and can’t get a specimen from your friends via trade, you’ll have to be patient a bit longer.
What does the community say about this? In a Reddit post on the topic, there are some trainers who have been eagerly waiting for a shiny Farb Eagle since the last Color Festival event. Some trainers weren’t even aware that there is no shiny variant of Farb Eagle outside of such events.
Some of the comments about this are:
It’s a bit crazy that a Pokémon that you can only get once a day can only appear as shiny in events. I wish they would make it permanently available with the next boosted event and only increase the shiny rate during events. That’s how it should be, says rquinain
“Wait a minute… so I took snapshots without the chance of getting a shiny?!” comments Maleficent_Sound_919
It’s one of the few shinies I need from Generation 2 and I have 2580 encounters on my snapshot badge. I’ve used all possible encounters during the events and still haven’t gotten a shiny, writes user tehminky
Do you have a shiny Farb Eagle from previous events in your collection? Feel free to let us know in the comments.
Speaking of events: Of course, there are also many events and content waiting for you in the game in January. To find out exactly what they are, when they take place, and what you can expect from each, check out our overview of all events in January 2025 in Pokémon GO.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Update from May 22, 2025: We have updated both lists of cars based on the latest DLC “Agents of Sabotage” and added new vehicles.
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List of the fastest cars from GTA Online – As of January 2025
The fastest cars by top speed
Rank
Car
Top Speed
1
Bravado Banshee GTS (HSW)
277.6 km/h
2
Grotti Itali GTO Stinger TT (HSW)
271.2 km/h
3
Ubermacht Niobe (HSW)
256.7 km/h
4
Declasse Vigero ZX (HSW)
254.3 km/h
5
Karin S95 (HSW)
251.9 km/h
6
Benefactor Stirling GT (HSW)
251.5 km/h
7
Bravado Banshee (HSW)
245.8 km/h
8
Grotti Turismo Classic (HSW)
243.8 km/h
9
Överflöd Entity MT (HSW)
243.4 km/h
10
Principe Deveste Eight (HSW)
243.0 km/h
11
Grotti Vigilante (Boost)
236.2 km/h
12
Pegassi Weaponized Ignus (HSW)
235.4 km/h
13
Bravado Buffalo EVX (HSW)
233.0 km/h
14
Penaud La Courseuse (HSW)
229.3 km/h
15
Annis ZR380 (Arena)
228.5 km/h
16
Imponte Arbiter GT (HSW)
228.5 km/h
17
Coil Cyclone II (HSW)
226.9 km/h
18
Firebolt ASP (HSW)
224.1 km/h
19
Weeny Issy Rally (HSW)
222.9 km/h
20
Bravado Banshee GTS
222.1 km/h
21
BF Weevil Custom
221.3 km/h
22
Ubermacht Sentinel XS (HSW)
219.7 km/h
23
Pfister Astron Custom (HSW)
219.3 km/h
24
Ocelot Pariah
218.9 km/h
25
Maibatsu MonstroCiti (HSW)
218.5 km/h
26
Pegassi Toreador (Boost)
217.7 km/h
27
Vapid Imperator (Arena)
217.3 km/h
28
Grotti Itali RSX
216.5 km/h
29
Vapid Dominator (Arena)
215.7 km/h
30
Grotti Brioso R/A
213.2 km/h
31
Grotti Itali GTO Stinger TT
212.4 km/h
32
Pegassi Torero XO
211.6 km/h
33
Principe Deveste Eight
211.2 km/h
34
Lampadati Corsita
211.2 km/h
35
Överflöd Entity MT
211.2 km/h
This is special: Some of these cars are on the list because they achieve such high speeds thanks to their rocket propulsion. Leading the way is the Vigilante – the Batmobile in GTA Online. The car is really fast, but has poor handling.
With the HSW upgrades, some cars have climbed to the top of the top speeds. HSW stands for Hao’s Special Works. This refers to the workshop you find at the LS Car Meet. There you can significantly tune your car with the HSW upgrade.
Start video
The graphic comparison of GTA 6 and GTA 5 in the video
You should know: The speedometers in GTA Online are not particularly reliable based on experience. The numbers in the list reflect the “real” speed of the cars. It’s possible that GTA Online might display different values for speed at times. However, this does not change the rankings.
It should be noted that there are many variables when it comes to top speed in GTA Online. This may lead to different (and higher) top speeds. Moreover, the fact is that the in-game speedometer and other forms of speed measurement either do not work or are at least inaccurate (Example on YouTube). So if you compare this with your own observations, you will most likely get incorrect results.
Explanation by YouTuber Broughy on speed calculations – Source
The fastest cars by lap time
Rank
Car
Lap Time
1
Benefactor BR8 (Open Wheel)
0:54.788 minutes
2
Pegassi Weaponized Ignus (HSW)
0:55.589 minutes
3
Ubermacht Niobe (HSW)
0:55.538 minutes
4
Coil Cyclone II (HSW)
0:55.823 minutes
5
Grotti Vigilante (Boost)
0:55.872 minutes
6
Penaud La Coureuse (HSW)
0:56.139 minutes
7
Progen PR4 (Open Wheel)
0:56.424 minutes
8
Declasse DR1 (Open Wheel)
0:56.473 minutes
9
Ocelot R88 (Open Wheel)
0:56.540 minutes
10
Pegassi Toreador (Boost)
0:56.624 minutes
11
Bravado Banshee GTS (HSW)
0:57.574 minutes
12
Progen Emerus
0:57.624 minutes
13
Declasse Scramjet (Boost)
0:57.775 minutes
14
Grotti Turismo Omaggio
0:57.775 minutes
15
Pegassi Weaponized Ignus
0:57.824 minutes
16
Benefactor Krieger
0:57.924 minutes
17
Principe Deveste Eight (HSW)
0:58.209 minutes
18
Overflöd Pipistrello
0:58.541 minutes
19
Benefactor LM87
0:58.658 minutes
20
Pegassi Ignus
0:58.742 minutes
21
Dewbauchee Vagner
0:59.194 minutes
22
Truffade Thrax
0:58.893 minutes
23
Annis S80RR
0:58.959 minutes
24
Annis RE-7B
0:59.076 minutes
25
Coil Rocket Voltic
0:59.209 minutes
26
Grotti Itali GTO Stinger TT (HSW)
0:59.292 minutes
27
Ocelot Virtue
0:59.293 minutes
28
Grotti Itali GTO
0:59.359 minutes
29
Ocelot XA-21
0:59.459 minutes
30
Karin S95 (HSW)
0:59.559 minutes
31
Pegassi Torero XO
0:59.577 minutes
32
Lampadati Tigon
0:59.643 minutes
33
Coil Cyclone II
0:59.660 minutes
34
Ubermacht Niobe
0:59.726 minutes
35
Överflöd Autarch
0:59.776 minutes
Special features of Open Wheel: You can customize the vehicles of the Open-Wheel series. This changes the downforce value. Accordingly, the lap times of the Open-Wheel vehicles change depending on their downforce. Each one appears three times in the ranking. However, that would make our table confusing. Here we briefly show you the lap times of the Open-Wheel vehicles with different DF (Downforce) values.
BR8 (Mid DF) 0:54.788
BR8 (Max DF) 0:54.988
BR8 (Min DF) 0:55.823
PR4 (Mid DF) 0:56.424
PR4 (Min DF) 0:56.591
PR4 (Max DF) 0:58.258
DR1 (Mid DF) 0:56.790
DR1 (Min DF) 0:58.226
DR1 (Max DF) 0:58.559
R88 (Mid DF) 0:56.791
R88 (Max DF) 0:58.126
R88 (Min DF) 0:58.893
The fastest cars in GTA Online – Price, Dealer, Class and more
The fastest cars in GTA Online are usually very expensive. To give you a clearer picture of the various vehicles before you buy, we provide you with some additional information. We will take a closer look at all cars that are in the top 35 for both top speed and lap time.
These are:
Banshee GTS (HSW)
Grotti Itali GTO Stinger TT (HSW)
Ubermacht Niobe (HSW)
Principe Deveste Eight (HSW)
Grotti Vigilante (Boost)
Pegassi Weaponized Ignus (HSW)
Penaud La Courseuse (HSW)
Coil Cyclone II (HSW)
Pegassi Toreador
Note that this list mainly features cars with the HSW conversion, which you can only use on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. At the end of the article, we will also mention a few alternatives that perform well even without HSW.
Banshee GTS HSW
Price: 1,989,500
Class: Sports
Seats: 2
Dealer: Legendary Motorsport
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Upgrade required? Yes, HSW
Currently available in GTA Online? Yes
Playable in races/stunt races? Yes
Real counterpart: SRT/Dodge Viper (VX I)
Grotti Itali GTO Stinger TT (HSW)
Price: 2,380,000
Class: Sports
Seats: 2
Dealer: Legendary Motorsport
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Upgrade required? Yes, HSW
Currently available in GTA Online? Yes
Playable in races/stunt races? Yes
Real counterpart: Mostly Ferrari Roma
Übermacht Niobe HSW
Price: 1,880,000
Class: Sports
Seats: 2
Dealer: Legendary Motorsport
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Upgrade required? Yes
Currently available in GTA Online? Yes
Playable in races/stunt races? Yes
Real counterpart: BMW i8
Principe Deveste Eight (HSW)
Price: 1,795,000
Class: Super
Seats: 2
Dealer: Legendary Motorsport
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Upgrade required? Yes
Currently available in GTA Online? Yes
Playable in races/stunt races? Yes
Real counterpart: Devel Sixteen
Grotti Vigilante (Boost)
Price: 3,750,000
Class: Super
Seats: 2
Dealer: Warstock Cache & Carry
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Upgrade required? No
Currently available in GTA Online? Yes
Playable in races/stunt races? No
Real counterpart: Batmobile
Pegassi Weaponized Ignus (HSW)
Price: 4,500,000
Class: Super
Seats: 2
Dealer: Warstock Cache & Carry
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Upgrade required? Yes, HSW
Currently available in GTA Online? Yes
Playable in races/stunt races? Yes
Real counterpart: Mostly Lamborghini Sián FKP 37
Penaud La Courseuse (HSW)
Price: 1,990,000
Class: Sports
Seats: 2
Dealer: Legendary Motorsport
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Upgrade required? Yes, HSW
Currently available in GTA Online? Yes
Playable in races/stunt races playable? Yes
Real counterpart: 2022 Renault R5 Turbo 3E
Coil Cyclone II (HSW)
Price: 2,250,000
Class: Super
Seats: 2
Dealer: Legendary Motorsport
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Upgrade required? Yes
Currently available in GTA Online? Yes
Playable in races/stunt races? Yes
Real counterpart: Rimac Nevera
Pegassi Toreador
Price: 4,250,000
Class: Sports Classic
Seats: 4
Dealer: Warstock Cache & Carry
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Who should buy the Formula cars? For the Formula fans among you, these cars should be a must-buy. It’s best to test them first in the Open-Wheel Series. If you enjoy racing in this style in GTA Online, go for it.
Have you found a new favorite in this overview that you absolutely want to buy? Here we show you 13 ways to quickly earn a lot of money in GTA Online in 2024. With that, you should quickly fill your account at Maze Bank and then go on a car shopping tour.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Season 7 of Diablo 4, there are new gems that you can socket into your items. How to obtain the Occult Gems and how they work can be found here on MeinMMO.
What are Occult Gems? Occult Gems are the new socketable gems in Season 7 of Diablo 4. The gems grant you additional affixes and complement the witch powers – the new seasonal mechanic. Each gem gives you an additional 160 armor and 8% resistance to all damage types.
Where can I get Occult Gems?According to Blizzard, you can craft the Occult Gems at the “Whispering Tree” with the NPC Gelena. She crafts the gems in exchange for the following items:
“Fleeting Heads,” which you receive from special seasonal enemies, the “Head Rotters”
“Restless Rot,” which is essentially the reputation in Season 7 – collected through Whisper tasks and killing “Head Rotters”
Gem fragments
As of now (January 14, 2025), there are a total of 19 Occult Gems in Season 7. Below, we list all the gems along with their functions.
Start video
Diablo 4 shows its witch powers in Season 7 in the trailer
All 19 Occult Gems and Their Functions
Blizzard has announced a total of 19 Occult Gems and has adjusted them again after the PTR (via Blizzard, January 14, 2025). If more gems are added, we will include them in the listing.
Scandalous Pact: Your non-unique witch powers of the Abominable gain 25% potency.
Heart of Anima: Your non-unique witch powers of the Psyche gain 25% potency.
Wish of the Toadlet: Your non-unique witch powers of Growth and Decay gain 35% potency.
Phantom Thread: You deal 15% more overwhelming damage to cursed opponents.
Ancient Seal: Your skills in the categories Agility, Corpses, Incarnation, Mastery, Weapon Master, and Wrath deal 25% more damage to cursed opponents.
Killing Wind: While you have three or more witch powers of the Abominable equipped, you gain 25% movement speed and 15% critical hit chance.
Ghost Hour: While you have three or more witch powers of the Abominable equipped, every 5 seconds the next core skill you cast receives the label “Abominable”.
Furious Enigma: Your unique witch powers deal 40% more damage.
Voice of the Stars: While you have an aura active, your Ultimate skills receive the label “Grimoire” and deal 10% more damage.
Crown of Thoughts: While you have three or more witch powers of the Psyche equipped, your Defensive, Macabre, and Trap skills receive a 20% cooldown reduction.
Spiral Coin: While you have three or more witch powers of the Psyche equipped, you gain a 30% bonus to loss of control duration and a 20% chance for lucky hits.
Horn of Plenty: While you have three or more witch powers of Growth and Decay equipped, you generate 30% more barrier, gain 30% fortification, and have 30% more thorns.
Vulture Claw: While you have an aura active, your damage-over-time effects deal their damage 50% faster.
Stretching Finger: Your summoned creatures deal 15% more direct damage to cursed elite foes.
Abominable Phylactery: While you have a witch power with the label “Summon” equipped and would take lethal damage, that damage is instead prevented. You then gain a barrier equal to 100% of your max health and disable your witch powers with the label “Summon” for 6 seconds. This effect can occur only once every 75 seconds.
Friend of the Swamp: While you have three or more witch powers of Growth and Decay selected, you gain 10% primary stat, 10% maximum health, and remain continuously unimpeded.
Moonlight Protection: For each rank of your equipped unique witch power, you receive 3% damage reduction and 0.5% maximum resistance to all elements.
Dust Stone: For each of your auras and hexes affecting an opponent, that opponent takes 2.5% more damage from you.
Hunger Void: While you have an aura active, you pull nearby enemies towards you every 8 seconds.
Three examples of Occult Gems in Season 7 of Diablo 4. Source: Blizzard
The Occult Gems are the new mechanic introduced in Season 7 of Diablo 4. Another mechanic is the witch powers. You can utilize the powers of witchcraft and learn special abilities. There are three or four different types of witch powers. More about this can be found here: Diablo 4 Witch Powers: How the mechanic works in Season 7
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Helldivers 2 there are many armors that are divided into different types. Depending on which one you choose, you get bonuses in battle that can secure your survival. We now show you 3 of the best armors and explain what to look for in armors.
Update, January 15, 2025: The article has been reviewed and is up to date.
What makes a good armor? That depends on your preferences. Depending on which mission you want to embark on, you should choose light, medium, or heavy armor and consider passive armor bonuses.
There is no “best armor” per se, but there are strong options that you should consider. We have examined all armors, compared them, and listed three options that we believe are among the best armors.
CM-21 Trench Medic (Light Armor)
CM-21 Trench Medic
Values:
Armor Rating: 69
Speed: 531
Stamina Regeneration: 116
Passive Armor Bonuses: Medikit
Why is the armor so good? The Trench Medic is a strong option if you want to carry quick, stable, and above all useful armor. With the “Medikit” bonus, you receive 2 additional syringes and benefit from a 2.0-second extension of your healing.
There are also medium armors with the passive bonus, but the Trench Medic has more speed and stamina regeneration, which helps you escape a horde of Termidons or robots, or to heal yourself.
Where can I get the armor? You can get the armor along with the helmet in the Über Store for 375 Über-Credits.
B-24 Enforcer (Medium Armor)
B-24 Enforcer
Values:
Armor Rating: 125
Speed: 475
Stamina Regeneration: 75
Passive Armor Bonuses: Amplifier
Why is the armor so good? The Enforcer is a medium armor with strong values. While many of its kind have a 100 armor rating, the Enforcer stands out with 125 points, providing you with more protection. Unfortunately, this affects speed and stamina regeneration, reducing both by 25 points, which is not a problem for medium armor.
The Amplifier bonus also gives you a 50% greater resistance to explosions and a 30% reduced recoil when crouched or lying down. A handy bonus, especially when things get explosive on the battlefield.
Where can I get the armor? You can get the armor along with the helmet in the Über Store for 225 Über-Credits.
UF-84 Doubt Remover (Medium Armor)
UF-84 Doubt Remover
Values:
Armor Rating: 100
Speed: 500
Stamina Regeneration: 100
Passive Armor Bonuses: Unshakeable
Why is the armor so good? The UF-84 Doubt Remover is a strong armor, especially when fighting against robots. With the armor bonus “Unshakeable,” you gain resistance when it comes to recoiling from enemy fire.
You can take more bullets before you visually react to fire in your sights or while fleeing. This can be especially important for sniper shooters, where every shot counts.
Where can I get the armor? You can get the armor along with the helmet in the Über Store for 600 Über-Credits.
Note that depending on the armor, you can also consider the aesthetic aspect. Depending on which armor you find cooler, you can customize and change your armor. Even with a “bad” armor, you can complete difficult missions; you just have to be able to play well.
What about helmets? Helmets currently do not have bonuses or better stats in Helldivers 2. Each helmet has 100 in each attribute and no passive bonuses. You can equip any helmet you want.
What do you think of our suggested armors? Do you have other favorites that you would recommend to players? Feel free to leave a comment!
In Path of Exile 2 you can defeat additional bosses to receive permanent buffs. We will show you where to find them and what buffs are available.
What are these buffs? In the campaign of Path of Exile 2, there are various optional bosses that you can defeat. Some of them grant you permanent buffs for your character. Below you will find a list of all the buffs you can receive.
Update: We checked the relevance of this article on January 15, 2025.
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Path of Exile 2: List of All Permanent Buffs
+10 % Chaos Resistance
+8 % Increased Maximum Life
+24 Weapon Set Skill Points
+30 % Increased Amulet Charges
+5 to All Attributes
Select 1 (choice cannot be changed):
25 % Increased Stun Threshold
30 % Increased Elemental Effects Threshold
25 % Increased Mana Regeneration
+20 Maximum Life
+15 % Mana Recovery from Potions
+15 % Reduced Effectiveness of Slow Debuffs
+20 % All Resistances (Lightning Resistance buff is easy to overlook)
+100 Will
Select 1 (choice can be changed, buff is granted twice):
+30 % Increased Amulet Charges
+15 % Mana Recovery from Potions
Here you can see how bosses are spawned in Path of Exile 2:
Start video
Path of Exile 2: The Cinematic Intro of the Greatest Diablo Competitor
Finding Bosses with Buffs, Here’s How
To find the bosses in-game that have buffs, you just need to take a close look at the map in the game. All bosses that grant a buff have a small plus sign next to their skull on the map. If the skull is grayed out, you have already defeated the boss.
Here you can see the bosses of Act that grant a buff.
A map of Act 1 highlighting bosses with buffs.
The maps in Path of Exile 2 are procedurally generated. Therefore, your map of Act 1 will look slightly different. However, the symbols are always the same:
Skull = Boss in the area
Skull with Plus = Boss in the area that grants a permanent buff
Chest = Valuable Chest on the map
Other Symbols = Side Quest
This also applies to the underground map, which you can toggle on the right side of the screen.
Since the bosses appear in Early Access both in normal mode and in cruel mode, they usually grant the specified buff 2 times. For bosses with different buffs, we have listed both buffs.
All Buffs in Act 1 and Act 4
Clearfell – Beira of The Rotten Pack
Buff: +10 % Cold Resistance
How? Defeat the optional boss.
Hunting Grounds – Crowbell
Buff: +2 Weapon Set Passive Points
How? Defeat the optional boss.
Freythorn – The King in the Mists
Buff: +30 Will
How? Defeat the optional boss (rituals must be completed first to summon the boss)
