In Path of Exile 2, a professional player shared his conclusion one month after the game’s release. In his review, he claims that the developers have broken a promise.
Who is it about? DonTheCrown is a streamer and content creator for Path of Exile 2. According to his own statements, he already spent over 10,000 hours in the predecessor. In PoE2, he clocked in 350 hours within a month.
By now, the streamer has gained enough experience to provide his feedback on the ARPG. He also discusses the major issues with PoE2.
Do you already know this useful NPC in Path of Exile 2?
Start video
This NPC in Path of Exile 2 identifies your items
Objective criticism of the major problems
What does DonTheCrown criticize? In a YouTube video, the streamer explains for over 20 minutes how he finds Path of Exile 2. During this, he also criticizes aspects that make the game unplayable for him and others at the moment.
The focus of his criticism is the loot. He finds it to be too much, in stark contrast to many other adventurers. While there was originally less loot, the developers quickly responded with an update and granted users more drops.
However, this makes loot filters increasingly important, especially when playing one’s character in the endgame. These filters do what the name suggests: they hide items, specifically those of little value. The most famous loot filter comes from a German developer.
The problem: there are no loot filters on consoles. They are only available on PC. DonTheCrown expresses his criticism as follows:
They [Editor’s note: The developers] said that PoE2 would solve the loot filter issue, claiming that we wouldn’t need a loot filter. When you talk to someone who plays on consoles, the game is practically unplayable in the endgame. All the loot is lying everywhere on the ground, and it’s absolutely crazy. I can’t see anything [there].
I have a very strict loot filter and I get a whole bunch of stuff that I probably don’t care about, so I feel like I have to spend a lot of time managing and clicking my loot. There are many things I would like to automatically collect.
According to the PoE veteran, the developers have thus broken the promise that loot filters wouldn’t be needed. But with all that loot, it would be difficult for him to keep track. Therefore, it cannot be said that loot filters are useless in PoE 2.
What else does he say about the ARPG? DonTheCrown looks at the ARPG with mixed feelings. He finds the campaign impressive, unlike the predecessor. However, he thought it was too long and doesn’t actually want to replay it.
He also sees a significant discrepancy between the boss fights. Some feel epic, while others simply require rolling behind the boss. He enjoys the Breach mechanic in the endgame, though it is also the only one that genuinely provides value.
With the skills, he appreciates the fresh breeze, but criticizes the lack of variety in builds due to the skills integrated into the weapons. This leads to both professionals and beginners often playing the same builds.
The streamer added in the comments under his video that he wants his criticisms to offer suggestions for improvement to the developers from Grinding Gear Games, in order to have the best possible and most successful version of Path of Exile 2 for the final release. The community is also currently giving their feedback on the game: Players are annoyed with Path of Exile 2 but simply cannot stop playing – So it goes for the ARPG after a month
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In League of Legends, some changes will be introduced with the first season of 2025. A leading Twitch streamer for LoL is not pleased at all: He believes they remind too much of the Netflix series Arcane.
Who is this streamer? Marc “Caedrel” Roberts is the founder and coach of the LoL team Los Ratones, a kind of competitive content team consisting of professional players and influencers. He himself is also one of the largest streamers for the MOBA on Twitch (via SullyGnome).
In a stream on January 6, 2025, Caedrel criticized the changes that are supposed to come to LoL with Season 1 of 2025. He believes they are trying too hard to please the audience of the Netflix series Arcane.
Former German LoL Pro is Now One of the Most Successful Twitch Streamers – This is NoWay
Riot says the changes are for balancing
These changes are coming with Season 1: In a gameplay preview, Riot revealed in November what players can expect in 2025. This includes a revised ranked system, a new look for the Rift, and a changed teleport.
Instead of being transported to the desired target in the blink of an eye, the teleport will now visibly transport players across the map. According to Riot, this does not feel as bad as nerfing the cooldown or range and brings the ability into a “healthier” position to ensure long-term balancing in the game.
“Feels forced”
What bothers the streamer? However, Caedrel believes that the planned change has completely different reasons: “The new teleport is damn awful. I hate it. It feels like it was forced for Arcane. It feels like they are forcing this whole TP change for the series.”
The concerns of players like Caedrel can be summarized as: Riot could be changing LoL to meet the expectations of new players coming from Arcane. This was recently criticized during the rework of the champion Viktor. Players even demanded refunds.
The streamer believes: “Of course, they are targeting the audience of Arcane because they come from the series to play the game. Sure, you can buff all heroes from Arcane, but this hexgate TP crap is so dumb.”
The new look of the map also displeases the streamer, who thinks it looks simply terrible.
We can expect to learn how the changes will affect gameplay and what the broader player base has to say on January 9, 2025, when patch 25.S1.1 goes live.
In Naruto, some characters appear with the powerful eye jutsu Sharingan. In an interview, the author Masashi Kishimoto explains that he was inspired by a play.
What is Sharingan? Sharingan in Naruto is one of the three great eye techniques alongside the Byakugan and the Rinnegan. Additionally, it is a Kekkei Genkai, an inherited ability that is generally reserved for the members and relatives of the Uchiha clan. Members of this family can awaken the Sharingan, but this is not guaranteed.
The Sharingan turns the iris of the respective user blood red upon activation. Depending on the level of awakening, it has one to three so-called Tomoe, points with tapering tails. In its most powerful variant, the Mangekyou Sharingan, each user receives a unique symbol.
The fundamental applications include copying abilities or movements. It can also analyze the chakra flow of other people. Moreover, it allows the owner to activate illusion jutsu merely through eye contact. The powerful Mangekyou grants the user additionally overwhelming abilities, such as the inextinguishable black flames of Amaterasu or powerful illusions via Tsukuyomi.
One of the most powerful Sharingan users is Sasuke Uchiha. Here he stands with Naruto against the adversary Momoshiki:
Start video
Boruto: Naruto and Sasuke fight Momoshiki
Inspiration from Theater
What inspired Kishimoto? In an interview for the release of the film The Last: Naruto the Movie, Naruto author Masashi Kishimoto discussed an inspiration for the powerful Sharingan. Specifically, it comes from the Kabuki play Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari (translated approximately to The Tale of the Gallant Jiraiya).
The protagonist here is the namesake Jiraiya, who has an eye called Sharingan. Jiraiya also made it into the Naruto manga – as Naruto’s powerful teacher.
Unfortunately, the original interview is no longer available on YouTube. However, the transcript can still be read via Naruto.fandom.com.
In the interview, Kishimoto further explains that he took the concept of Sharingan from the play and gave it as blood inheritance to the Uchiha clan. He intended to build up Kakashi’s own Sharingan as a great mystery. This was only resolved years later with Kakashi Gaiden: The Naruto manga started in 1999, while the resolution in Gaiden was only told from the end of 2004.
How does Sharingan develop throughout Naruto? Especially at the beginning of the story, Kekkei Genkai are very rare. Only Sasuke Uchiha and Kakashi Hatake use it and thus stand in focus of envious adversaries like Orochimaru. Later, Sasuke’s brother Itachi appears, who can use very powerful jutsu partly through Sharingan.
Especially after the time skip, more and more Sharingan users appear, including Danzo Shimura, as well as Shisui, Madara, and Obito Uchiha. While the Uchiha have awakened their Sharingan, Danzo stands out in particular because he shamelessly implanted the eyes of deceased Uchiha clan members into his arm.
By the way, MeinMMO has recently published several power rankings for Naruto. Included is also one for the members of the Uchiha clan. If you want to know who can use their Sharingan best, read more here: Naruto: The 7 strongest members of the Uchiha clan ranked
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
You want to buy a gaming keyboard but don’t know what to look for? MeinMMO explains all the special features of keyboards and tells you what to pay attention to.
Next to the mouse, the keyboard is one of the most important tools you need in your daily computer use. However, there are now a whole bunch of options available when you want to buy a keyboard.
MeinMMO explains what to consider when choosing and buying a gaming keyboard. We’ll cover the basic points without going into extreme detail.
Basically, you need to decide before buying what kind of technology you want under the keys. Because this ultimately determines the feel, responsiveness, and volume of the keyboard.
Mechanical switches: The best-known switches under the keys. Depending on your needs, there are now very different types available. In total, there are three important types you should know:
Linear, fast switches without resistance (red).
Tactile switches, where you feel and hear resistance with each press (blue).
Mix switches that aim to combine the best of both worlds (brown).
In addition, there are many proprietary products from various manufacturers. Razer, for example, with its “Green Switches” or Akko with its Cream Yellow Switches, which feel linear. It should be noted that there can be subtle differences depending on the manufacturer. The feel, linear without resistance and tactile with resistance, remains the same with slight variations. Most proprietary products are based on the three known types.
Membrane switches/Rubber dome: This technology relies on a rubber membrane in the keyboard on which the keys sit. When the membrane is pressed together, the electrical contact that registers the key press is transmitted to the computer.
Some manufacturers are now trying to combine the rubber dome technology with the precision of mechanical switches. Membrane technology is very inexpensive and is considered less precise than mechanical.
Scissor switches: This technology uses a scissor mechanism under each key to allow for smooth, short travel. They feature a flat keycap arrangement and are very thin. Scissor switches are often used in laptop keyboards.
Low-profile switches: Low-profile switches are characterized by a low height. Both the switches and keycaps are noticeably lower than those of normal keyboards, allowing the keyboards to be made very flat. Keyboards with low-profile switches are generally more ergonomic than keyboards with high keycaps.
The Logitech G515 (Lightspeed) is a low-profile keyboard.
Optical switches: Detect key presses using an infrared light beam that is interrupted when a key is pressed. They offer extremely fast response times comparable to those of mechanical switches. Optical switches also have the advantage of no mechanical friction inside the key. This makes the switches more durable than typical mechanical ones.
Magnetic switches: Currently the fastest switches on the market, but relatively expensive. Magnetic switches support modern functions such as Dynamic Keystroke (DKS) and Rapid Trigger (RT).
Hotswap: Hotswap is not a type of switch, but a design feature of the keyboard. If a keyboard is hotswap-capable, you can swap out the installed switches for other switches: either when switches are broken or because you want different switches on your keyboard.
If a keyboard is not hotswap-capable, the switches are usually soldered to the keyboard’s circuit board and are not replaceable.
Material of the keycaps
ABS: The acronym ABS stands for Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene. You will find ABS keycaps mainly in inexpensive keyboards, but also in expensive models. Even manufacturers like Logitech or Razer have long used cheap ABS keycaps in high-end keyboards. ABS keycaps have the disadvantage of quickly looking smudged and dirty. This makes new keyboards appear dirty and grimy after just a few days.
PBT: PBT is the acronym for Polybutylene Terephthalate. PBT keycaps are of higher quality than ABS. In addition, PBT keycaps have a rough surface that does not become smooth or shiny with use.
In the German-speaking world, however, there is only a very limited selection of PBT keycaps. Some third-party manufacturers have specialized in offering PBT keycaps for German keyboards.
Double-Shot and Dye-Sublimation: These are not keycap materials, but rather the methods by which keycaps are printed:
Double-shot keycaps consist of two layers, one for the labeling and the other for the rest of the keycap – hence the “double” in the name.
Dye-sublimation is a printing process in which the labeling is transferred to the PBT material with the help of dye, heat, and pressure.
Lighting of the keyboard
Gaming keyboards focus on lighting the keys or the keyboard in general. Nevertheless, there are a few subtle differences you should pay attention to:
Pure backlighting: The keyboard lights up, but the keys and their labeling do not.
Single color: The keys light up in a single color. You will mainly find this type in very inexpensive products.
Zone RGB: Each key can be illuminated in practically any color using RGB LEDs under each key.
RGB for each key: The RGB backlighting goes a step further, allowing each individual key to be illuminated in its own color.
Essentially, you should pay attention to what kind of lighting you prefer before buying. Pure backlighting may look stylish, but in the dark, you won’t be able to read the labeling anymore. Usually, you can also change the type of lighting in the software, if the keyboard allows it.
In some cases, you can buy translucent keycaps, then pure backlighting will also become an RGB keyboard.
Form Factor
One of the most important decisions you need to make when buying a keyboard is the form factor because this cannot be changed later. Unless you buy a new keyboard. While with some keyboards – thanks to hotswap technology – you can change the switches, you are committed to the keyboard’s form factor.
1800 Layout: Keyboards with 1800 layout are particularly large and offer more keys than the conventional full-size format. However, such keyboards are relatively rare.
Full-Size: The official full format of keyboards. Here you get a complete keyboard with a number pad and numerous extra keys. Typically, a full-size format consists of 104 keys.
Tenkeyless (TKL): Tenkeyless is smaller compared to full-size, as it lacks the number pad on the right side. Typically, TKL consists of 87 keys.
75%: Keyboards of this type are somewhat reminiscent of TKL keyboards, but there can be a few fewer keys. Usually, you have between 83 and 87 keys. There is no number pad here either.
Mini (60%): 60% keyboards are even more compact than TKL and 75%. This design usually omits the function keys (F keys) and often also the arrow keys. In some cases, the arrow keys are available, but then other keys may be missing. On a 60%-keyboard, you will find 62 keys.
40%: The currently smallest layout also omits the number keys at the top of the keyboard, the space bar is often significantly shortened, and arrow keys are also missing. The 40% format is rather rare.
All important keyboard sizes compared
Keyboard Layout
When buying a keyboard, you need to pay attention to which layout you are getting. Because the layout determines the arrangement of keys on the keyboard:
ISO: A keyboard layout that occurs almost everywhere with variations in Europe. The British, the Swedes, and also the Germans use the ISO layout.
ANSI: The international or American key layout. Typically, the Enter key is noticeably shorter, and some keys (like the Shift key) are arranged differently.
Basically, you can also use a keyboard with ANSI layout in Germany, but it takes some getting used to. PBT keycaps are significantly more available for the ANSI layout than for the German ISO-DE layout.
Some manufacturers, including Razer, also offer German keycaps for the ANSI layout.
The Razer Cynosa uses the ANSI-US layout: The Enter key is smaller and other keys are also differently structured. Umlauts are also missing but can be added later.
Wrist rest: Depending on the height and size of the keyboard, a wrist rest can be worthwhile. Ideally, one is already included with your keyboard. Otherwise, you can buy wrist rests separately for a small price. However, when purchasing, pay attention to getting the right size for your keyboard.
USB passthrough: You can connect USB devices to your keyboard, and the signals are then forwarded to your PC through your keyboard. Your keyboard then functions somewhat like a USB hub.
Media keys: They are usually practical if you want to control certain things directly via the keyboard instead of through the Windows menus. They are not mandatory for a purchase but are often very practical.
Wired vs Wireless
Wired: If you use a wired keyboard, you don’t have to worry about battery life. Wired keyboards are also cheaper than wireless models. However, the downside is that you need to manage the cable of your keyboard. Some keyboards offer an option to detach the cable for transport.
Wireless: With a wireless keyboard, you are more flexible than with a wired keyboard. Additionally, your desk looks much neater without cables. Wireless models are generally more expensive than wired variants, and you are dependent on battery life.
Latency is almost no longer an issue with wireless keyboards, especially with manufacturers like Razer (Hyperspeed) or Logitech (Lightspeed).
The Logitech G Pro X TKL is an example of a wireless gaming keyboard.
Budget
An important factor when buying a keyboard is the budget: you need to be clear about how much you want to spend on your new gaming keyboard. Depending on your budget, you will get different technology or features:
Under 50 Euro: For little money, you normally get membrane keyboards and very cheap mechanical keyboards. Especially in terms of build quality and software, you will have to make compromises here.
Up to 100 Euro: 100 Euros is for many gamers the sweet spot for how much they want to spend on hardware. For around 100 Euros, you can already get decent keyboards with plenty of features. Even in the 100 Euro range, you already get PBT keycaps and hotswap technology. Depending on the manufacturer, however, you may have to make compromises regarding build quality and/or software.
Up to 200 Euro: Between 100 and 200 Euros, you will mainly find keyboards that use optical or magnetic switches. Additionally, wireless keyboards usually cost more than 100 Euros.
More than 200 Euro: In general, you get the same hardware as under 200 Euros, but you often get additional features: built-in OLED displays, extra keys or software features, a lot of accessories, and high-quality workmanship (like an aluminum keyboard frame).
How much should one spend on a gaming keyboard? For a good gaming keyboard, you should budget between 100 and 150 Euros. For this budget, you already get decent build quality and key switches that can impress. If you want to spend more, often you get only a better build quality and a few additional features, which may not be strictly necessary.
More about keyboards: One manufacturer sells a gaming keyboard for the equivalent of 750 euros. But what do you get for that much money? After all, with that money, you can also get a PS5 with games or a small gaming PC: There is a mechanical keyboard for 750 euros – Why is it so expensive?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Twitch streamer shroud donates money for charity at a big event on Twitch. After a short time, he has raised over 50,000 euros in the donation account.
Who is it about?
The Twitch streamer Michael “shroud” Grzesiek is known for his gifted aim. For many genre fans, he is considered a kind of shooter god because he shoots with above-average precision in every shooter.
Before shroud became successful as a streamer, he was a professional esports player in Counter-Strike. There he played for Cloud9, among others.
On Twitch, shroud now has 11.1 million followers and entertained an average of 13,200 viewers simultaneously in the past 6 months (via Sullygnome).
Currently, shroud enjoys playing the new hero shooter Marvel Rivals:
Start video
Marvel Rivals Season 0: The Official Trailer for Doom’s Rise
Gaming for a good cause
What kind of charitable action is this? Shroud started a new event on Twitch on January 5, which he calls the “Fragathon”. For every elimination he achieves in a shooter during the streams in January, he donates money. The dollar-per-kill multiplier can be increased through Twitch subs and donations.
As early as January 6, the second day of the event, the donation account was around 50,000 euros. At that time, the dollar-per-kill multiplier increased to 5x.
Meanwhile, shroud’s donation account is about 83,000 US dollars, which is almost 80,000 euros (as of January 7, 2025, 11:00 AM). The kill counter in shroud’s stream shows about 11,900 eliminations.
Since January still has a few days left and shroud wants to stream every day, the amount in the donation account is expected to rise significantly.
What is the money being donated for? Shroud mentioned in the announcement video of the event that he lost his father to lung cancer in 2023 and he wants to support people in similar situations with the money.More about the event and the role other streamers play can be found here: Shooter legend shroud plays for a good cause, donating money for every kill
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
One of the best players of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 unintentionally proves that the aim assist is way too strong.
Who is it about? Anthony “Shotzzy” Cuevas-Castro is a professional “Call of Duty” player who plays for Team OpTic.
With OpTic, Shotzzy became the world champion in Call of Duty in 2024 and was awarded MVP (most valuable player). Before his time with OpTic, Shotzzy was with the “Dallas Empire” team, with which he also became world champion in Call of Duty in 2020. In 2018, he was also world champion in Halo.
Shotzzy is currently considered one of the best CoD players and is distinguished by exceptionally good aim and movement – at least when he holds a controller in his hands.
Start video
CoD Black Ops 6: Prestige explained – Is it worth it?
CoD world champion is not as successful with mouse and keyboard as he thought
What happened to the world champion? Shotzzy played Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 with mouse and keyboard in a Twitch stream last weekend.
Normally, the eSports player primarily uses a controller, but he wanted to prove that aim is not the most important thing in CoD and boasted: “This will be the proof that game understanding is more important than anything else.”
However, things did not go well for the multi-time world champion, and he lost one gunfight after another. Shortly after, he remarked in surprise: “I feel like I only have one kill… I am not trolling.”
“Oh my God, this stuff is actually annoying, man,” the eSports player complained at the end of the round in an irritated tone.
After the stream, he also deleted the video recording of the broadcast from his channel. This is rather unusual for Shotzzy. Most of his stream recordings remain online days or weeks later and often have over 200,000 views (via Twitch).
However, that is not a problem at all, as you can see a clip that summarizes the whole situation on TikTok:
What is the deal with the aim assist? The aim assist in Call of Duty has been a hot topic within the community for years. For controller players, it is nearly essential, but mouse and keyboard players hate it because it is very strong.
The aim assist is a targeting aid that only controller players can use and automatically pulls a player’s crosshair towards an opponent.
In the eSports scene of Call of Duty, the aim assist has been indispensable for years. Accordingly, the best players of the shooter play with a controller and use the aim assist in their daily routine, including Shotzzy.
However, when Shotzzy wanted to prove that game understanding is more important than good aim, he proved the opposite for part of the community. Once he played with mouse and keyboard and no longer had aim assist available, he lost all gunfights. And this, despite the fact that every shooter player knows that theoretically, it is easier to hit an opponent precisely with a mouse than with a stick on a controller.
A new shooter has been released with Project Tower on Steam and PS5. In it, you fight your way out of an alien prison, taking on the form of your tormentors.
What kind of game is this? Project Tower is a shooter with bullet-hell battles similar to Returnal. In contrast, however, Project Tower is not a roguelike, but a linear action-adventure. The game aims to tell a dark sci-fi story.
You can see the launch trailer here:
Start video
Project Tower: Launch Trailer for the Sci-Fi Shooter on Steam and PS5
On the run from aliens, you become one yourself
What is Project Tower about? The remnants of humanity are under the yoke of the Hiks, an extraterrestrial species. As a prisoner, you participate in the eponymous “Project Tower,” which is supposed to bring you freedom. However, to achieve this, you must fight your way to the top of a tower.
On your way up, alien creatures will block your path, which you can even transform into thanks to your morph ability. Thus, you can crawl through small openings as an alien worm or choose a form that deals more damage.
In boss battles, the battlefield becomes a bullet hell: enemies fire a multitude of projectiles that you must skillfully dodge. These battles already look well staged and offer a considerable challenge in the trailer.
How is the shooter being received so far? Project Tower currently has very few reviews on Steam. Overall, the game is rated “positive,” although there is still room for improvement.
The melee combat is said to feel really good, while firearms are still lacking that punch
The morphing is a cool unique feature, although many forms differ only in a few aspects
The story is highlighted positively by many, but with around 5 hours of gameplay, it is relatively short
Where can I get the game? Project Tower was released on January 6, 2025, for PC on Steam and on PS5 and costs €24.50 for PC and €24.99 on PS5. Until January 13, there is a 20% discount on Steam, where you can also find a free demo of the game.
Sebastian Siemiatkowski, CEO of Klarna, believes that artificial intelligence (AI) can take on not only simple tasks but also complex leadership roles, like his own.
What did the Klarna CEO say? In December 2024, Sebastian Siemiatkowski commented in an interview with Bloomberg TV (via Bloomberg) about the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in his company Klarna. He explained that the company had ceased actively hiring new employees about a year ago because “AI can already take over all tasks.”.
Klarna is a Swedish fintech company that offers “Buy Now, Pay Later” services and is criticized for its business model, as it could lead young consumers into debt through easy lending (via derStandard).
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.
On January 6, 2025, Siemiatkowski then published a post on the platform X (formerly Twitter), where he clarified his previous statements: “I am aware that my statement ‘AI can already take over all our jobs’ has caused a stir. Let me clarify: ‘Let me explain and elaborate what I mean’.”.
He further argued that the decisive breakthrough in AI is the ability to reason. This enables machines to handle simple logical tasks almost flawlessly, which forms the basis of complex problem-solving:
“Complex problems can be solved through advanced reasoning and stored knowledge. This advanced reasoning is merely a combination of simpler, fundamental tasks.”.
Source: https://x.com/klarnaseb
He drew a historical comparison: In 1700, humans would theoretically have been able to build cars or rockets, but did not yet have the necessary knowledge. Similarly, AI could theoretically take on all tasks today, but the exact process of implementation is still not fully resolved. However, he does not provide concrete evidence for his statements, which should therefore be viewed with caution.
How does Klarna use AI? Klarna has already integrated AI deeply into its workflows. Last year, the company reduced its workforce by 22% to about 3,500 employees. According to Bloomberg, about 200 employees now share core tasks with AI solutions that were previously handled by hundreds of staff (via Bloomberg).
Klarna aims to directly pass on the efficiency gains from AI to its employees. CEO Siemiatkowski recently stated in the Bloomberg interview: We will pass on some of the efficiency gains that AI brings by increasing our employees’ salaries.
Start video
“We have created a monster” – A Spanish model earns up to 10,000 euros a month, yet she is not real
The community reacts annoyed
What does the Reddit community say about it? In the Technology thread on Reddit, Siemiatkowski’s statements are already being hotly debated, with the community particularly critical of the motives behind the Klarna CEO’s remarks.
Here are the main criticisms summarized:
User thepostmanpat writes in the Reddit thread: “As the Financial Times recently highlighted in one of its articles, he says this only to praise AI, as Klarna is in a difficult financial situation despite some investments in AI and the dismissal of numerous employees.”.
User jus-de-orange writes in the Reddit thread: And one of Klarna’s venture capitalists is a major shareholder in the profit-driven branch of OpenAI. OpenAI powers Klarna’s AI-driven internal solutions.
User KikoSoujirou writes in the Reddit thread: Yes, I really believe they are lying through their teeth and using it as an excuse to fire people to try to stay financially stable, but realistically, they are not producing the same amount of work/output and their product/feature timelines have gone down the drain.
From the Reddit thread, it becomes clear that such statements have become almost everyday occurrences. Many users are annoyed by the constant exaggerations with which companies seek attention. This is a classic example of polarization:
In marketing, polarization means intentionally using provocative or controversial statements to gain attention and highlight the brand more strongly. This strategy often generates a lot of buzz – similar to political polarization, where similar tactics are used (via NIM).
Is the CEO right?
Can AI really take over leadership positions? The question of whether AI is capable of taking on the complex tasks of a CEO is being controversially discussed. Siemiatkowski sees great potential in the reasoning capabilities of technology: AI could make decisions, develop strategies, and implement company policies in a fraction of the time that humans would need.
The industry magazine Fortune has asked experts whether AI is actually capable of replacing CEOs. Imad Riachi, CEO of the consulting company Honu, believes that AI could soon work faster and more effectively than humans. According to Riachi, AI could soon evaluate business performance, analyze millions of scenarios, and develop strategies – and do so in a fraction of the time that humans would need.
He told Fortune: “The unprecedented scope of AI’s decision-making authority requires executives to better understand their capabilities.”
Other experts, such as Akash Nigam, CEO of the AI company Genies, are more skeptical. He explained that while AI has made impressive progress, it still lacks key traits such as emotional intelligence, adaptability, and real leadership skills (yet). The extent to which complex (i.e., human) and especially emotionally intelligent thinking can be executed by artificial intelligences is unclear.
Marvel Rivals had a good start with its launch and enjoyed over 400,000 simultaneous players on Steam. With Season 1, they are now receiving the first major content update with a wealth of new content.
What’s new in Season 1? Season 1 has the theme Eternal Night Falls and brings a new setting with characters and enemies. The developers announced the following new features in a YouTube video:
new Battle Pass
new characters: Fantastic Four
new game mode: Doom Match
new Convoy map and two new regular maps
Further down we will explain the new features in detail.
Here you can watch the launch trailer for Marvel Rivals:
Start video
Marvel Rivals: The launch trailer for the shooter featuring Marvel superheroes on PS5 and Steam
These are the new features in Season 1
How long does Season 1 last? Season 1 lasts three months and is divided into two halves, each lasting six to seven weeks. This season is double the size of what a season usually offers in Marvel Rivals.
Characters and Game Mode
In the first half, starting from January 10, 2025, you can look forward to the following:
Character: Mister Fantastic
Character: Invisible Woman
Arcade game mode: Doom Match
Empire of Eternal Night: Sanctum Sactorum
The contents of the other half will be made public at a later date. The developers also say that at the end of Season 1, there will be a total of 37 characters that you can play.
What new maps are there? In addition to the new map Empire of Eternal Night: Sanctum Sactorum, these two maps will also be added:
Empire of Eternal Night: Midtown
Empire of Eternal Night: Central Park
Battle Pass
You can buy the Season 1 luxury battle pass for 990 Lattice and you will receive 600 Lattice and 600 Units back when you complete the battle pass. The best part: The battle pass never expires, so you can take your time completing it.
Leaderboards
At the start of Season 1, the leaderboards will be reset to allow all players a fresh start. The “new” placements will be adjusted to match the placements from Season 0. A player with, for example, Platinum 1 will be downgraded to Silver 2.
With these plans, Marvel Rivals poses a strong competition to Overwatch. Especially with the many additional heroes, Overwatch currently cannot keep up.
In 2023 and 2024, Overwatch has only added three new heroes each year, while Marvel Rivals introduces four new heroes at the beginning of this year in its first season.
Adjustments to Heroes
Some heroes are superior to others, so they need to be adjusted. The exact adjustments will be announced later, but here is a rough summary:
Hela and Hawkeye will be nerfed, as they are superior to others of the ranged fighters.
Heroes who play the vanguard, like Captain America and Venom, will receive a boost to protect their allies.
Strategists like Wolverine and Storm will be strengthened to give individual strategies an advantage in battles.
Path of Exile 2 was released about a month ago and the community is now taking stock of the game. They describe the love-hate relationship they experience while playing.
How is Path of Exile 2 doing? The ARPG, which launched on December 6, 2024, in Early Access on Steam and PS5, is still doing exceptionally well one month after its release. On Steam, PoE2 still reaches player peaks of over 330,000 concurrently active players (via SteamDB).
In the Steam Store, the game ranks 3rd among the best-selling products, just behind the Steam Deck at 2nd place and Counter-Strike 2 at 1st place. However, the community’s reactions are mixed. While many love the grind of the ARPG and can’t get enough of it, others are troubled by the issues.
Here you can see the action-packed intro of Path of Exile 2:
Start video
Path of Exile 2: The Cinematic Intro of the Greatest Diablo Competitor
The Love-Hate of Path of Exile 2
How are players receiving the ARPG? Although PoE2 continues to enjoy great popularity, many players have developed a sort of love-hate relationship with the title. This is due to many small and larger problems that the game currently has.
On Reddit, the community is now gathering their impressions of the game, one month after the release.
Synraak describes the situation of players on Reddit: “It’s a great game that still needs work. Congrats to GGG.” GGG stands for the developers of PoE2: Grinding Gear Games.
Also, characterulio rates Path of Exile 2 on Reddit: “Yes, it’s better than most games and it’s not even finished yet.”
The user K0LD504 replies to him on Reddit: “Games are never finished these days. I do agree with you, though.”
googeisha also shares his opinion on Reddit: “Well said, I’m annoyed by the crap but can’t stop playing.”
The game feels good for many players, even though it is still incomplete and in development. The grind, looting, and leveling are simply fun for players, even though some things mar their gaming experience.
What problems bother the community? It’s the small things that seem to be bothering gamers in the ARPG. In the Reddit thread, users list many of the problems. Path of Exile 2 was released in Early Access. Many players criticize this because content is missing and the available content often feels unfinished.
An example of this is some playstyles that only have few available skills that make sense. Many play the same meta-build to have a chance in the endgame.
The high difficulty level is also not welcome by everyone. Frequent deaths annoy some players in the community. Additionally, it is often unclear what caused their death, as DesertGoldfish points out on Reddit. The armor system as a defensive mechanic is also criticized for appearing less efficient than other stats.
The community is thus plagued by many different, often small problems that mar the gaming experience in the otherwise popular ARPG. Although players have to live with the issues, they still love the unfinished game and can’t stop playing it. The economy is also a sore point for many players. Fraudsters are targeting unsuspecting players in Path of Exile 2 – New game, old tricks.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Players often report negative experiences in the mythic keystone dungeons of World of Warcraft. However, the good-vibes story of a WoW player shows that it can also be very different.
What happened to the dungeon group? WoW player xehparr reports on Reddit that he recently had a great time with a new group that rocked the mythic keystone dungeons together. That alone would be a nice story, as community platforms too often feature reports full of frustration and negative examples.
Perhaps it is also because the good-vibe story of xehparr is not yet finished at this point. His post also shows the screenshot of a gift that the healer of the group sent to some of their companions after the successful runs.
Another heartwarming story from the World of Warcraft community:
Start video
The Fantastic Life of Ibelin – Trailer for the Emotional Documentary about a Story from the WoW Community
What kind of gift is it? The gift is the paid shop mount Gold-trimmed Trader Brutosaur, which costs a whopping 78 euros per purchase and comes with two helpful NPCs that provide access to the mailbox and the auction house.
Since xehparr writes that the tank of the group should also have received the mount, the healer has spent at least 156 euros on her thank-you gift. This wonderful gesture is accompanied by the following text:
“Thank you for being a great teammate and a wonderful gaming partner 🙂 Also Merry Christmas, happy birthday, and whatever else there is. Have fun!”
How does the community react? The community celebrates the beautiful experience of the WoW player with almost 6,000 upvotes and over 170 comments.
-Undercover-Nerd writes on Reddit: “Your healer is a saint, seriously. Not many people would go out of their way to sweeten someone’s day like that.”
lumberingox raves on Reddit: “I am incredibly envious, not because of the mount, but because of the connections you’ve made in the game. I think that’s why I don’t love WoW anymore – just not enough interaction or friendships to keep me.”
bugsy42 has unfortunately had different experiences (via Reddit): “Damn, congratulations. I should start being more social in this game, good grief. Every time I random queue, I just get insults. :D”
DomDangerous can’t believe it (via Reddit): “She’s already playing the most exhausting role, and then she’s also the giver? Damn, what a treasure.”
Monster Hunter Wilds opens its doors on February 28, 2025. The community is using the remaining time to prepare for the launch. They have different strategies that they discuss together.
Why are fans preparing? On February 28, 2025, the latest installment of the popular franchise, Monster Hunter Wilds, will be released. The hype among fans is immense, and the closer the release date gets, the more anticipation grows to dive back into the hunt.
Some players have recruited friends to prepare them for the experience, while others want to temper their excitement and distract themselves. Again, others find it important to stay in practice and not fall out of shape.
In this video, actress Daisy Ridley prepares you for the lore:
Start video
Monster Hunter Wilds: Daisy Ridley explains the lore
“I want to log in fresh to Wilds and am ready for a completely new game”
What strategies do players have? To bridge the waiting time and keep impatience at bay, each fan has a different approach. In a thread on Reddit, the community is currently discussing how they are preparing for the release:
User XJiltedX shares via Reddit: “I’m playing Call of Duty. I want to log in fresh to Wilds and am ready for a completely new game.”
BawlzyStudios comments via Reddit: “I don’t want to lose interest in Wilds, so I won’t touch any other monster hunting game until Wilds comes out.”
User Smooth_criminal2299 shares via Reddit: “I completed World and Iceborne again before Christmas, but I’m now taking a break from all MH games until Wilds comes out.”
Nomen_Ideation reports via Reddit: “I’m playing World/Iceborne with a friend who hasn’t played MH yet to convince him to play Wilds.”
Fans who are passing the time with other Monster Hunter titles also report that they are mainly focusing on Monster Hunter World, as this title will be the closest to Monster Hunter Wilds. Many also seem to have found willing hunter novices among their friends, who they are now preparing for Monster Hunter Wilds in other games.
Working from home is an option for many to be able to work more flexibly. Many are even willing to forgo part of their salary for it.
Giving up salary but working from home? For many employees, this is very attractive, and many are willing to give up money to escape the toxic workplace in the office. However, not everyone thinks this is a good idea.
Start video
“We have created a monster” – A Spanish model earns up to 10,000 euros a month, yet she is not real
Lower salary for working from home, higher salary for office work
How much salary is at stake? Theresa L. Fesinstine, founder of the consulting firm peoplepower.ai, explained to the online magazine Fortune that some applicants are willing to forgo up to 15% of their salary if they could work from home:
There is this unspoken exchange rate between flexibility and salary, and for some applicants, it’s worth a significant compromise.
This is especially true for individuals who have a family or want to save on additional costs, such as travel expenses. For many, flexibility is more important than a high salary.
On the other hand, the opposite is also true: some employees demand higher salaries if they are required to work from the office. For instance, Michael Steinitz, Senior Executive Director of Professional Talent Solutions at Robert Half, explained that many employees would demand, on average, 23% more salary.
Even in a cooling market, candidates still have high expectations regarding salary and flexibility. Employers must quickly react with competitive, well-rounded offers and be willing to negotiate – especially when they are looking for top talent with special skills.
In some cases, Steinitz said, potential candidates would also be offered the option to work from home in order to be able to offer a lower salary to meet candidates’ salary expectations. Because often there is a significant gap between candidates’ salary expectations and those of companies.
The whole situation, however, will ultimately lead to companies that cannot or do not want to offer working from home having to create their own incentives to be attractive to employees. Such as with higher wages or paid time off.
Poorly paid working from home cannot be a solution
The willingness to give up salary for working from home is not well received everywhere. Because it does not solve the fundamental problems. Just because employees want to escape a toxic work environment in the office, one cannot simply pay them less because of it.
One should rather consider what can be done to improve the situation in the office to make the office more attractive in the long term.
The GO Fest will also take place in 2025 in Pokémon GO. Now there is first information about the dates on which one can participate in the local major events.
When and where will the GO Fest 2025 be held? The team behind Pokémon GO announced the three dates on which the GO Fest will take place in its local variant:
May 29 to June 1, 2025: Osaka, Japan
June 6 to June 8, 2025: Jersey City, New Jersey, USA
June 13 to June 15, 2025: Paris, France
What about the global GO Fest 2025? According to the news tool in the game, there will also be a worldwide variant of the GO Fest again. However, when it will take place is still unclear.
When will details arrive? Nothing is known yet about the content of the GO Fests 2025. It is therefore unclear which Pokémon will appear, what the big feature of the event will be, and similar details. Ticket prices and further information are also not available yet. However, these are expected to be announced in March 2025, according to the Pokémon GO team.
Start video
Pokémon GO reveals the new season Dual Destiny in the trailer
Pokémon GO Fest 2025 is coming to Paris – How does such an event work?
For the European community, the GO Fest Paris is likely to be the most interesting. The French capital is well connected and can also be reached from Germany if one wishes to participate in the Pokémon GO major event.
But how does such an event actually work?
For comparison: Last year, the European GO Fest 2025 took place in Madrid. A large park, the “Parque Juan Carlos Primero,” was transformed into a single Pokémon GO playing area. Not only were there plenty of PokéStops and Gyms available where people could meet for raids, but there were also features like a tournament area for battles, some chill-out zones, and lots of Pokémon decor.
The park was divided into four habitats where different Pokémon could be encountered and quests could be completed. In the second part of the event, it went out into the city: There were also gameplay elements in Madrid itself, such as special routes to walk. At the same time, many trainers gathered in various parks to play together.
Thousands of trainers participated in the event to transform Madrid into a real Pokémon GO city for a few days. You can find our report on the GO Fest 2024 in Madrid here.
In principle, something comparable is to be expected at the event in Paris. Although details are not yet known, we assume that there will be a similar approach to bring trainers from around the world together to play.
However, the ticket will not be free, and there will naturally be costs for travel and accommodation. This should be kept in mind when planning participation in the local GO Fest – whether in Paris, New Jersey, or Osaka. The global GO Fest, which can simply be played from home, will naturally be cheaper.
As soon as further information about the GO Fest events 2025 is known, we will keep you updated here, of course. But there is still some time, and with the GO Tour 2025, another major event is approaching before we even begin to think about the GO Fest. You can find all the currently available information about the Pokémon GO Tour 2025 here.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Many comics, series, books, or games expand the world of Star Wars that originated from the films. To this day, works are being released that deal with the time between certain films. In the comics, Darth Vader, in particular, gets a lot of screen time. Just before Episode 6, he attempted multiple times to go against his master.
What is it about? In the films, one sees the transformation of Anakin Skywalker to Darth Vader in Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith. In the first three films, the Sith Lord does not appear that often. Various comics, however, show some of what happens between certain films.
As submissive as Darth Vader appears up until the betrayal of the Emperor in Episode 6, he was not that way at all. He attempted multiple times to rebel against the Emperor. For this, he wanted to build an army that resembled Anakin Skywalker more than the Empire.
Start video
Star Wars Episode IV – Trailer for the download version
Darth Vader built a robot army – a total of 3 times
What kind of robot army was that? In the nature of the Sith, betrayal is an important point. The Rule of Two shows: A student betrays his master and then becomes a master himself. With Palpatine and Vader, this only happened at the end in Episode 6 in the films. However, in various comics, it looked different. Vader planned betrayal but did not rely on living allies.
As Screen Rant shows, this happens, for example, in the comic Darth Vader #44: Soldiers for the Schism, which was released in March 2024. There, an organization of traitors helps him who are for the Galactic Empire but against the Emperor.
With the help of the organization, Darth Vader builds a droid army that only listens to him. This was not the only time Vader built such an army. In the 2015 comic series of Vader, he built an army of Separatist droids after the events of Episode 4.
He built them with a droid factory from Geonosis. The third attempt occurred during Marvel’s Dark Droid comic series, which ran from August to December 2023.
A group of droids gathered to take revenge on Darth Vader. However, this did not work, as Vader reprogrammed the droids and intended to use them as his own army.
Was the rebellion successful? As one knows from the films, Palpatine was only stopped by the hands of the rebels in Episode 6. Thus, Vader never managed to defeat or overthrow the Emperor. It should also be noted that Vader was always in conflict before Episode 6. There was probably never a completely thought-out plan against his master.
These attempts probably never greatly disturbed the Emperor either. After all, betrayal is in the nature of the Sith. What is fascinating about the droid armies is that it fits into the past of Darth Vader, who seemingly wants to rely only on lifeless allies.
In a court file, Activision officials reveal the development costs of several games in the successful “Call of Duty” series. One part of the series is even becoming the most expensive game of all time – at least based on publicly known figures.
Where do the details come from? On December 23, 2024, Activision officials submitted a statement in a court in California, which among other things concerned the development costs of various parts of the “Call of Duty” series.
Patrick Kelly, the creative lead of the popular shooter franchise, confirmed the figures mentioned in the file in court:
Call of Duty Black Ops III from 2015 is reported to have cost $450 million (43 million units sold).
The development costs of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare from 2019 rose to more than $640 million (41 million units sold).
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War from 2020 is said to have cost more than $700 million (30 million units sold).
Here is a trailer for the latest installment of the Call of Duty series:
Start video
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 shows its new multiplayer in the trailer
What do these figures mean? It is rare for large developers and publishers to publicly reveal the enormous costs of their AAA productions. This usually happens through insider reports or – as in this case – during court proceedings.
Please note that these figures only cover pure development costs. The costs for marketing, for example, are usually added on top (and frequently also include high triple-digit million figures for blockbusters).
Also important: The figures are not adjusted for inflation, but only represent the costs in the respective years of development. To meaningfully compare the development costs of different games separated by multiple years, one should always keep inflation in mind.
How does Call of Duty compare to other blockbusters? Here are some other notable AAA productions whose development costs have leaked:
The Last of Us 2: about $220 million in pure development costs
Horizon Forbidden West: about $212 million in pure development costs
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is reported to have had a budget (likely including marketing) of $305 million
The initial version of Cyberpunk 2077 is said to have cost about $316 million (including marketing)
Looking at these figures, it is not surprising that the top 5 most expensive games of all time (via wikipedia.org) now includes the three parts of the Call of Duty series mentioned above. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War ranks first, even when adjusted for inflation.
Note about the top list:
With the GTA and Red Dead Redemption series from Rockstar missing, two of the undoubtedly most expensive franchises in video game history are absent from the top list. According to a leak, GTA 6 was said to have cost a staggering 2 billion US dollars by 2022. Unfortunately, the Rockstar officials guard their internal data as fiercely as nuns their virginity. Therefore, officially confirmed figures are missing.
Although Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is just over four years old, four more installments of the shooter series have been released since then. Looking at the rising development costs since 2015, it seems very likely that a Black Ops 6 from 2024 might be even more expensive.
The crowdfunding of Star Citizen currently stands at over $775 million. How much of this has gone into areas such as marketing, which are not included in development, is unclear. At the beginning of 2024, the distribution was reported to be as follows: $514 million for development versus $116 million for marketing (via cloudimperiumgames.com)
What does this mean for players? Such high development costs must, of course, pay off for developers and publishers. The widespread incorporation of service elements such as microtransactions through in-game shops or battle passes is a consequence of this, as are rising prices for full-price titles, premium consoles, and subscription offers.
When spending such large amounts of money, developers typically have to minimize every form of risk and appeal to the largest possible target audience. Therefore, one should not expect too many innovations or bold design decisions from franchises like Call of Duty. As for the biggest blockbuster release of 2025, the forecasts are very positive. One report states: GTA 6 will be more successful at release than the two biggest films of 2024 combined
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In season 2 of the series of The Last of Us, the events from the video game template The Last of Us Part 2 are retold. In a new trailer, the production team shows new moving images of the series and reveals the date that viewers can particularly look forward to.
What can be seen in the trailer? The trailer begins with a camera movement down a hospital corridor, where a shrill siren sounds. We see Abby walking down the corridor with her weapon drawn. Following that, many scenes are cut together showing iconic moments from the video game:
The romantic dance between Ellie and Dina
Abby crying at the grave of a deceased person
Joel also cries in one scene
Several escape scenes where the infected become a major threat
Although the trailer shows everything in a hectic manner, for a few seconds viewers get a first look at the most important new characters. Both Dina, Ellie’s friend, and Abby, her greatest enemy, can be seen in the video for a few seconds.
You can see the scenes in the following trailer:
Start video
The Last of Us: Trailer for Season 2 Reveals Release Date
Trailer reveals release date for season 2 of The Last of Us
When will season 2 continue? You should not end the trailer too early because at the end the video reveals when season 2 will air. If you were too hurried, that’s no problem, because we’ll tell you when it continues: namely in April 2025!
Season 2 will then start on the streaming service Max (formerly HBO Max). In Germany, you can watch the series The Last of Us on WOW. You need a paid subscription to watch the series. With WOW, you should expect costs of 9.99 euros per month (but there are often offers to secure categories of films and series at a lower price).
What will be seen in season 2? Season 2 will only depict the beginning of the video game The Last of Us Part 2. Since neither Lev nor Yara were seen in the trailer, the events in season 2 might not reach the confrontation with Ellie.
On the other hand, a particularly emotional scene with Joel will probably be shown in the first episodes. Many fans in the comments on YouTube are already bracing themselves to see the nerve-wracking event.
They would look forward to the emotional rollercoaster that the trailer already hints at. Just like the actors, because many actors have simply let their emotions run free.
The developer behind the Steam hit Balatro has named his top games for 2024. In first place is even a popular indie title. Its developer has reacted to the praise.
Who is the developer of Balatro? Balatro is a true indie game created by only one person. Namely, the developer who goes by the name LocalThunk.
Overall, he worked for about two and a half years on the project, which has received much praise since its release in February 2024. On Metacritic, the game has an impressive score of 90 points. The unusual mix of roguelike, deck-building, and poker is also very popular among players.
They gave a positive rating of 97% on Steam. At the Game Awards, Balatro also won awards. A true success story. This raises the question of what the solo developer enjoys playing himself.
Start video
Trailer for the roguelike poker game Balatro by LocalThunk
The indie developer loves indie games
What is LocalThunk’s favorite game? On x.com, the developer has now awarded the ironically termed “very prestigious” prize. The best game of 2024 is Animal Well.
LocalThunk explains this as follows: “Animal Well was a captivating experience. Billy Basso has created a true masterpiece that oozes style and secrets, making me feel like an imposter in this industry as a developer.”
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Twitter 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.
Bill Basso, who developed the Metroidvania Animal Well, also works alone. He read the praise from the creator of Balatro and promptly reacted to his post.
Basso calls LocalThunk in his own post on x.com the “nicest and humblest developer of the year”.
What does the community think about this? Fans of both games are thrilled that the two developers are praising each other. The interaction is perceived on x.com as heartwarming and pleasantly positive:
“I love the positivity and the self-driven solidarity of indie developers. Be cool, support each other, and everyone is better off. No time or energy for toxicity, let’s just make and play great games,” writes Nathaniel Myers.
“I love the love,” says Constance.
“Animal Well is truly a masterpiece,” agrees PeaceArcher with the Balatro developer.
But not only Animal Well is among LocalThunk’s top titles.
What other games does he like? Other titles the developer believes deserve a mention include Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers, Arco, Nova Drift, Ballionaire, and Mouthwashing.
Complete independence from the power grid does not have to remain a dream, as a DIY enthusiast shows. His approach: old batteries, solar panels, and a Tesla.
What has the DIY enthusiast built? The user Glubux reports on the website Second-Life-Storage in a forum post about his passion project: hundreds of old laptop battery cells in a specially constructed shed to power all his electronics. Solar panels are used for charging.
“I started collecting and already have more than 650 [batteries],” he explained at the start of his project in 2016. At the end of 2024, he got in touch again – and quite a lot has happened in the past eight years.
A construction game centered around renewable energy supply is Solarpunk:
Start video
Solarpunk – Reveal Trailer
Independent from the power grid
How is the system set up? With solar collectors, he captures sunlight, which is ultimately stored as electrical energy in batteries. For this, he built a special shed in the garden of the family home.
Regarding the batteries, as he describes, they are old laptop battery packs that he has disassembled and tested. He then arranged the cells in large configurations and soldered them together accordingly. Additional electronics regulate and control the charging and discharging of the storage.
This is what the shed looks like in which the solar panels are housed. Image source: user Glubux, via secondlifestorage.com
A few years ago, according to a post in the forum, he also acquired a Tesla, which is charged along with an older Nissan electric car through the system. They also serve as an additional buffer to store even more electricity for gloomy weather.
Is he really powering his entire house with this? According to his statements, yes. The load of the constant power flow is apparently excellently distributed across all cells, so that none are overstrained. In the case of heavy cloud cover, the solar system obviously delivers much less power. To ensure there is always enough electricity available, he has now increased his stock to more than 1,000 batteries.
In an update from the end of 2024, he announces the purchase of new, more powerful solar systems. Everything is reportedly still running smoothly. He has not had to replace a single battery cell so far. The energy supply for him and his family seems to be secured.
If you are interested in the topic, be sure to check out the forum post linked above. Glubux also responds to questions from interested users who want to set up such self-supply systems.
In Pokémon GO, you currently receive really strong bonuses. However, they don’t last long, so you shouldn’t miss out.
What kind of bonus is this? In Pokémon GO, there are currently two bonuses that are really worth it if you want to level up or replenish your stardust supplies.
You will receive quadruple XP when catching.
And you will receive four times the amount of stardust when catching.
How long does the bonus last? Both bonuses are valid until January 8, 2025, at 8:00 AM. So you have a few days to take advantage of the bonuses, but not too long. Make sure to catch some monsters by then.
Why is there this bonus? Recently, there was a global challenge that applied to the entire community worldwide. 175,000,000 “good” throws had to be completed. Once that was accomplished, the bonus was activated.
As a result, you now have a fantastic opportunity to collect XP for leveling up and earn a lot of stardust. After all, you always need it – whether for leveling up your Pokémon, learning additional moves, or the use of adventure effects.
Start video
Pokémon GO reveals the new season Dual Destiny in the trailer
How to take advantage of the current bonus in Pokémon GO
How can I collect particularly a lot of XP? Every catch you perform in Pokémon GO consists of several factors that all provide XP. All these factors are quadrupled by the bonus. These factors include, for example, the following, but there are more:
The first catch of the day gives you 1,500 XP, so during the bonus it gives 6,000.
A great throw gives you 1,000 XP, currently 4,000.
You can also earn a lot of XP if you complete the 7-day streak during the bonus. It normally gives 2,500, so 10,000 during the bonus.
Additional XP bonuses are available for curveballs, throws on the first throw, and more.
Important: If you use a Lucky Egg, you can double these numbers for half an hour. Then, depending on how well you throw, you can get nearly 10,000 XP per throw, or even more.
Depending on the throw, you can currently achieve such XP numbers when using a Lucky Egg. Otherwise, it’s half, which is still a lot.
It is during such bonus periods that trainers sometimes make extremely high throws. For instance, one player once scored 54,000 XP from a single throw, and on another occasion, over 70,000 XP was achieved.
How do I use the stardust bonus? There are fewer controllable factors here. However, you can pay attention to catching Pokémon with weather boosts, which provide more stardust. Additionally, you can increase your yield by half by using a star piece. Moreover, there are some Pokémon that inherently give more stardust.
What else is happening in Pokémon GO? January has begun. Among other things, there is a spotlight hour on Tuesday that will give you double stardust again. Moreover, the new Pokémon Hefel is currently roaming in the game and can be caught in the wild. There are also more events scheduled for this month. A corresponding overview will be available soon here on MeinMMO.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
